UFC 135 Fight Card: Ranking the Top 5 Fighters on the Undercard

The UFC 135 undercard will be the prelude to some explosive fights coming up on pay-per-view.

The undercard is often looked down on by UFC fans who don't follow the sport that much.  Every once in a while, you will see some names grow from these bouts and become some of the most recognized fighters in the sport.

Some of these fighters are recognized for being in the main card in the past and have fallen on hard times as of late.

There are a few guys here that are looking to make an impact, and a couple of them are just trying to establish themselves in the UFC for the very first time.

Here are the power rankings of the top five guys fighting on the undercard.

5. James Te Huna

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James Te Huna is an explosive, well-rounded fighter who can knock you out in a heartbeat.

He lost his previous bout to Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 127 in February but was previously on a six-fight win streak.

He is also tough as nails as evidenced at UFC 110, when he broke his arm during a fight against Igor Pokrajac.  He continued the fight and finished Pokrajac with nine punches delivered with the broken arm.

He has lots of heart and is someone to watch out for, not only tonight but for months and years to come.

4. Tim Boetsch

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Tim Boetsch is one of those guys that has the skill to be a big star but has yet to put together a good string of wins when in the UFC.

He was previously released after putting together a 2-2 record but has since returned after a three-fight win streak.  He resigned with the UFC and has since gone 2-1, most recently defeating Kendall Grove at UFC 130 in May.

He is dangerous enough to make the list, but if he falters, he will go back to 2-2, something that is probably haunting him, making this fight a must-win.

Look for Boetsch to come out looking for a decisive win.

3. Tony Ferguson

Credit: bloodyelbow.com

There is usually a great deal of hype for a T.U.F. winner, going into their first fight of the six-figure contract.

Tony Ferguson finished all of his opponents during the past season of The Ultimate Fighter and will be looking for more against Aaron Riley.  Ferguson is dropping down to lightweighthis normal weight he fought at before signing with the UFC so we shall see what happens.

He hasn't lost a fight in almost two years and has never been knocked out so he's a guy to watch.

2. Junior Assuncao

Credit: sherdog.com

It will be a battle of newcomers as Junior Assuncao takes on Eddie Yagin.

Assuncao has a six-fight win streak with his last three being first-round stoppages.

He is well-rounded and should give Yagin a run for his money.

If Assuncao can continue on the roll he has been on, we can expect to see more of him shortly, perhaps an appearance on the main card as early as 2012.

1. Nick Ring

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Nick Ring has the most promise out of all the preliminary card fighters to move up to the main card in their next fight.

Ring is undefeated in his MMA career and would receive more recognition if he could've continued in the T.U.F. 11 season.

He has won his first two UFC bouts, although some would argue his win over Riki Fukuda at UFC 127 was a poor decision by the judges.

Ring is now poised to take out Tim Boetsch and go 13-0 in his MMA career.

What do you think?

Mark Pare is a Featured Columnist. You can follow him on Twitter and don't forget to check out his sportswriter page.

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