UFC 142 in Rio: 5 Reasons You Should Order the Event

The UFC returns to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday night for UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes.

While there is quite a buzz in and around Rio de Janeiro for the event, anticipation has been somewhat lackluster here in the states.

On paper, this fight card looks to be one that the casual MMA fan will not shell out 50 to 60 dollars for, but historically the most exciting night of fights come from cards such as this one.

The diehard MMA fan will always find a way to watch a PPV. Whether it is by ordering it, going to a friend's house, or paying a cover at a sports bar.

If you are on the fence about throwing down your hard earned cash, let me give you five reasons you should order the event.

5. Edson Barboza

Edson Barboza is somebody you will remember from UFC 142.

Barboza is making his fourth trip into the Octagon and looks to continue his impressive start. Two of his first three fights have earned "Fight of the Night" honors.

Overall Barboza has had six of his nine wins come via knockout. He is an exciting Muay Thai fighter who has devastating kicks and powerful punches.

Barboza's fight will most likely be first on the PPV card, be sure to be in your seat with a drink in hand from the beginning.

4. Title Fight

Nothing attracts fans more than a title fight. UFC 142 will feature a featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo (20-1) and Chad Mendes (11-0).

The most common question a novice fan will ask another fan when a fight begins is, "Is this for the title"?  UFC 142 without a belt on the line drops the interest significantly.

Fortunately for both Dana White and fans of the UFC, Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes are free of injury and ready to do battle Saturday night.

3. Vitor Belfort

"The Phenom" is enjoying his second tour with the UFC, and believe it or not he is just 34-years-old.

Belfort made his debut with the UFC nearly 15 years ago. Often given credit with having the fastest hands in all of MMA, he has won 14 of his 20 victories via knockout.

Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson is the best chance the PPV portion of the card has for a brawl. If you're not a fan of the ground game, you'll want to see Belfort and Johnson slug it out.

2. Chad Mendes

Everyone loves an undefeated number one contender, and that is exactly what you get from Chad Mendes. Mendes is 11-0 with the majority of wins coming by way of decision (seven).

Mendes isn't going to blow anybody away with his striking, but the UFC is going to continue feeding Jose Aldo the best available.

This fight will give fans an idea of how competitive the featherweight division will be for Aldo.

1. Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo is a fighter who is worth the price of a PPV. He is an elite fighter who should be in the same "top pound for pound" sentence as Anderson Silva.

Fans just latching on to the world of mixed martial arts may not know who Aldo is because 19 of his 21 fights have been outside of the UFC. That means he has not had a chance to be promoted like the other big name UFC fighters you know today.

The UFC has now had a year to figure out how to advertise their lighter weight divisions, so expect to see a lot of more of Aldo in the near future.

Aldo has not lost a fight since 2005, and is the current UFC Featherweight Champion. If the other four reasons on this list weren't enough to steer you towards buying the fight, all I can say is you do not want to miss this man battle.