UFC 147 Fight Card: Three Fights You Don't Want to Miss

Many people are looking to UFC 147 with little enthusiasm. You can't blame these people, as it is a pay-per-view with little star power and not many recognizable faces.

If there is one thing I have learned as an MMA fan, it's that the cards with little "star power" and unrecognizable names turn out to be extremely exciting.

If you have paid any attention to The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, you would be looking at this card with great excitement. The first season of the show in the birthplace of MMA has provided amazing fights, brutal knockouts and savvy submissions.

Here are three fights you can't miss on the UFC 147 card.

Thiago Perpetuo vs. Leonardo Mafra

If you are a fan of striking battles, the first fight on FX is just for you. Thiago "Bodao" Perpetuo and Leonardo "Macarrao" Mafra are both powerful strikers that will put on an entertaining fight.

This fight has flown under the radar, as it has hidden in the shadows of Rich Franklin-Wanderlei Silva, the finals of The Ultimate Fighter and the Mike Russow-Fabricio Werdum tussle.

The two have combined for nine knockouts in 13 wins. These guys throw straight leather, which could result in the most exciting fight of the night. 

Rony Mariano Bezerra vs. Godofredo Pepey

If you could tell how a fight is going to be by the stare-down, Rony Jason and Godofredo Pepey will put on the fight of the night. Neither man wanted to halt the peering into the other's soul yesterday, which showed the tension going into this fight.

Both men are great grapplers. If the fight hits the mat, expect to see some high level jiu-jitsu on display. Each man has proven they have deadly submissions, which could prove to be a stalemate on the ground.

If there is one clear advantage for either man, it's Rony Jason's striking. He is clearly the better, more technical fighter of the two. He also possesses more power, which could spell trouble if Pepey can't get into a rhythm.

Nevertheless, you won't want to miss this fight. If you do, you will be sorry.

Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva

You may be thinking, "Of course one of the fights we won't want to miss is the main event. Thanks a lot, Captain Obvious." Well, if you saw last night's main event, I feel sorry for you, as that fight was as big a disappointment as UFC ticket sales in south Florida.

If you saw the first meeting of Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin, you were treated to a war. I find that this fight will be nothing different, as both men are warriors and aesthetically pleasing in the Octagon. 

I said that Rony Jason and Godofredo Pepey had a great stare-down, but Silva and Franklin's was just as tense and just as good. The always-intense Silva had Franklin looking intense himself. That is hard to do, as Franklin is genuinely one of the nicest guys in the fight game.

If you miss UFC 147's main event, you will miss a memorable one. I suggest to keep your eyes on it, don't blink and prepare yourself for a doozy.