UFC 148 Fight Card: Power Ranking Every Fight on the Card

UFC 148 is hours away. The weigh-ins, featuring Anderson Silva's now infamous shoulder bump, wet the fans' appetites.

Headlined by the most anticipated fight in UFC history, the 11-fight card features a variety of exciting fighters across six weight divisions. Some bouts have an interesting backstory, some are just good matchups and a few offer both.

When fans across the globe hit "purchase" on their remote controls, they will be treated to a truly special card.

Where does each fight rank on tonight's card? Let's have a gander.

No. 11: Rafaello Oliveira vs. Yoislandy Izquierdo

The opening bout of the evening features two fighters trying to get back on the winning track.

Oliveira (14-5) has lost his last two bouts inside the eight-sided cage and returns after nearly nine months away.

Across the cage will be Izquierdo (6-1), who dropped his UFC debut to Reza Madadi in April.

The loser of this fight has a high likelihood of being cut from the roster. That puts a lot of pressure on both men to perform well on the lone Facebook prelim fight.

No. 10: Constantinos Philippou vs. Riki Fukuda

The middleweight clash between Philippou (10-2, 1 NC) and Fukuda (18-5) has the makings to be a grind.

Philippou is riding a three-fight win streak into the fight. A win against Fukuda inches him closer to bigger fights on a future main card.

Fukuda rebounded from his controversial loss to Nick Ring with a unanimous decision victory over Steve Cantwell.

The fight will be the second bout on the FX preliminary card.

No. 9: Gleison Tibau vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov

The FX preliminary main event features two lightweights streaking up the ranks.

Tibau (25-7) has strung together three consecutive victories in the UFC and won five of his last six. Nurmagomedov (17-0) extended his career winning streak with a victory over Kamal Shalorus in January.

A victory for either man will move him to a bigger fight in the next outing. The two lightweights are on the precipice of being considered legitimate contenders.

No. 8: Melvin Guillard vs. Fabricio Camoes

Camoes (14-6) won in his return to the Octagon in January. The win marked his third straight.

Now, he will take on the dynamic and hard-hitting Guillard (29-10-2, 1 NC).

Guillard was considered one of the top contenders in the division before being choked out by Joe Lauzon at UFC 136. Guillard lost his next outing to Jim Miller by submission in January. The drop has been dramatic.

An emphatic win over Camoes can help restore the luster he once had.

Guillard cannot afford another loss. Because of his opponents' talent levels, he may not receive a pink slip, but to avoid any possibility of that he needs to win.

Camoes has a golden opportunity to capitalize on this fight and make a name for himself in the division.

No. 7: John Alessio vs. Shane Roller

The first fight on the FX preliminary card likely features two lightweights fighting for their jobs.

Alessio (34-15) made his long-awaited return to the UFC by replacing the injured Matt Wiman against Mark Bocek at UFC 145. Alessio dropped the unanimous decision.

Roller (10-6) began his career with a lot of hype. The Oklahoma State University wrestler joined Team Takedown and found success in the WEC. He had wins over Jamie Varner, Anthony Njokuani, Danny Castillo and others. Recently, he has fallen on hard times, dropping his last three fights.

A lot is riding on this fight for both men.

No. 6: Cung Le vs. Patrick Cote

After dropping his UFC debut to Wanderlei Silva, Cung Le (7-2) is ready to get his first UFC victory against Patrick Cote (17-7).

Cote returns to the Octagon for the first time since October of 2010. Since his departure from the organization, he has piled up four wins to earn another crack at the world's most dominant MMA promotion.

Le vs. Cote promises to be an exciting fight. Both men love to throw down and with Le's flare on his feet, it should promise a lot of fun action. Le has also shown some excellent throws.

But Cote should not be underestimated. He possesses knockout power and can end the fight at any time.

For the fans that enjoy a slugfest, this is the fight to watch.

No. 5: Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie

Mendes (11-1) enters as the prohibitive favorite.

The former title contender is set on re-entering the title picture with a win over McKenzie (13-2).

The weigh-ins showed that there is some heat between the two men. While Mendes has the advantage on paper, McKenzie is a dangerous opponent with an incredible knack for finding the Guillotine choke.

Even though Mendes is the biggest favorite on the card, his typical game plan of out-wrestling his opponents gives McKenzie a lot of time to find the submission he seeks.

A lot is riding on this fight for both men. High stakes always add intrigue to the fight.

No. 4: Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz

Call me a sucker, but I care about Ortiz's last fight in the UFC. And judging by the crowd reaction at the weigh-ins, so do a lot of other MMA fans.

Ortiz (16-10-1) is set to enter the Octagon for the final time tonight against Griffin (18-7). The fight will be their third encounter.

The previous two meetings between the UFC stars have ended in contentious split decisions. One for Ortiz, one for Griffin. Now the tie will be broken.

Ortiz will be an official member of the UFC Hall of Fame by the time he steps inside the cage for his final time. The story-lines only add to the fight, and if the first two bouts are any indication, it will still have plenty of action.

Can Ortiz go out on a high note, or will Griffin pick up another win and try to make another run toward the top of the light heavyweight division? We will find out tonight.

No. 3: Dong Hyun Kim vs. Demian Maia

Maia (15-4) is set to make his welterweight debut after hitting the mark at the weigh-ins yesterday. Standing opposite him will be one of the division's finest, Dong Hyun Kim (15-1-1, 1 NC).

The fight is one of the most intriguing from a purely technical aspect. Kim brings in a top-level Judo game to match Maia's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu attack.

How will Kim utilize his Judo? Has Maia's continued improvement on his feet given him the edge in that area?

Kim's Judo and balance may allow him to dictate where this fight takes place, and that is massively important against the submission artist. However, with Maia's improved striking, he will not be afraid to exchange.

The winner of this bout shoots up the welterweight rankings. That is not to be lost in discussing this fight.

In spite of the logjam, this is an important fight in the division.

No. 2: Ivan Menjivar vs. Mike Easton

There is no better way to kick-off the pay-per-view telecast than with this barn-burner.

Menjivar (24-8) has won three straight since being brought over to the UFC. Easton (12-1) continued his seven-fight win streak with a victory over Jared Papazian in January.

The pace and energy these two bring into the cage will get the capacity crowd on their feet immediately. Both fighters enjoy striking, and we can expect three rounds of fist-flying action between these two.

In addition to the pure enjoyment of this bantamweight clash, the winner becomes one of the top contenders for the championship.

No. 1: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen

This one is clear.

Silva (31-4) vs. Sonnen (27-11-1).

The media blitz has ramped up over the past week, proving that this is the most anticipated fight in company history. There has never been a weigh-in crowd like there was yesterday afternoon in Las Vegas. The energy was contagious.

After their electric stare-down, the goosebumps set in for MMA fans worldwide. Both headliners were trending on Twitter during the weigh-ins. This fight has the feeling of other huge combat sport matchups.

Everyone is looking forward to it.

There is not much to say concerning why this is No. 1 on the list. You know why. It is almost time to sit on the edge of the seat and enjoy the spectacle that is UFC 148.