UFC 146: A Look at Who Is a Real Contender

UFC 146 takes place Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada and features a card filled with rising stars and championship contenders.

Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir will headline the very competitive event starting with the preliminary fights on Facebook and leading all the way up to the pay-per-view portion of the card.

Let's take a look at the five fighters participating in UFC 146 that are within striking distance of a title shot.

Shane Del Rosario

UFC newcomer Shane Del Rosario is a 28-year-old fighter making his debut at UFC 146 against Stipe Miocic.

If you've had the chance to see Del Rosario fight then it comes as no surprise that he is on the main card for his first UFC fight.

Del Rosario's Highlights:

• 11-0 Record
• 73% of wins come by KO
• Beat Lavar Johnson in Feb 2011

Estimated number of consecutive wins away from title shot: 3

Edson Barboza

Edson Barboza became a prominent name in the UFC lightweight division after his spinning heel kick on Terry Etim at UFC 142.

Another impressive performance against Jamie Varner should launch him up the ladder even closer to a title shot.

Barboza's Highlights:

• 10-0 record (4-0 in the UFC)
• Seven of his 10 wins have been by KO
• Three fight of the night bonuses
• One KO of the night bonus

Estimated number of consecutive wins away from title shot: 3

Stefan Struve

The Skyscraper is within reach of a title shot. His last three wins have been against Sean McCorkle, Pat Barry, and Dave Herman.

More than likely, the winner of Cain Velasquez and Antonio Silva will get the next shot at the heavyweight championship, but Struve will be right there if he wins a couple more fights.

Struve's Highlights:

• Seven UFC victories (23-5 all-time)
• Only one of his 23 wins have been by decision
• Wins come by submission 65% of the time

Estimated number of consecutive wins away from title shot: 2

Antonio Silva

One of my favorite moments of any MMA fight was the pure emotion Antonio Silva displayed after his win over Fedor Emelianenko.

Silva is a knockout artist but also has a very good BJJ background.

The knock against "Bigfoot" is that his chin may be starting to fail. He did not look good against Daniel Cormier and was eventually knocked out.

Silva's Highlights:

• 11 knockout wins (16-3 all-time)
• Has won nine out his last 11 fights
• 16% of his fights go to decision

Estimated number of wins away from title shot: 1 (if Overeem doesn't fight right after suspension)

Cain Velasquez

Like many UFC heavyweight champions before him, Cain Velasquez held the belt for a very brief period of time. In fact, his first title defense only lasted 64 seconds.

An impressive victory over Antonio Silva would put Velasquez right back in the No. 1 contender slot while Overeem is suspended.

Velasquez's Highlights:

• 9-1 career record
• Eight of nine wins have come by knockout
• Zero submission losses or victories
• Former UFC Heavyweight Champion

Estimated number of wins away from title shot: 1

Joe Chacon is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a staff writer for Operation Sports. You can contact him on Twitter @JoeChacon.