UFC 156 Fight Card: Power Ranking the Main Card Bouts

We are just a few hours away from UFC 156, which takes place live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The main card has many storylines leading up to it. 

From Alistair Overeem making his return to the UFC to Rashad Evans calling out Anderson Silva before he can take on Silva's teammate Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, the night is sure to include some interesting turns of events. 

But the night's most interesting story is the championship fight between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar. 

In what will be Edgar's first fight at featherweight, he faces a long-reigning champion in Aldo, who has not fought in a little over a year. 

But does the championship fight have enough steam to be ranked the best fight of the night? Keep reading to find out. 

No. 5: Demian Maia vs. Jon Fitch

Whether you consider it a grappling dream match or a striking fan's nightmare, you can't deny that Jon Fitch and Demian Maia are elite welterweights. 

Since Maia made the drop to 170, he has won two straight. 

He will be in for a test, though, as he takes on a man who is one of the most difficult fighters to submit in MMA history. 

Fitch won his most recent fight against Erik Silva, which actually earned him a "Fight of the Night" award. 

While this could be either exciting or boring depending on who you ask, it ranks No. 5 because of the background that the other fights on the main card have. 

No. 4: Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Coming in fourth place is Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. 

While there is an interesting storyline in Evans taking on Anderson Silva's teammate, this fight is not one that makes much sense. In fact, it should not be the co-main event. 

Evans is still a top light heavyweight, while Nogueira is nowhere near a title shot. 

Nogueira is not a bad fighter. But wins over an aging  Tito Ortiz and a couple of fighters who aren't in the UFC anymore is not really co-main event material. 

No. 3: Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall

Although this flyweight bout opens the night's main card, it could be the night's best fight. 

Both Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall are coming off of losses to current flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson. 

Thanks to the division not really having many fighters, an exciting victory from either man could put him back into a title fight. 

No. 2: Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva

In what should be the night's real co-main event, Alistair Overeem returns to the UFC to take on Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. 

Overeem has been out for a year thanks to a failed drug test. Before that test, though, he was set to take on then-champion Junior dos Santos. At the same time, Silva faced—and got beaten to a bloody pulp by—current champ Cain Velasquez. 

Both men could be fighting for the heavyweight title with a win tonight. 

No. 1: Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar

This featherweight championship fight ranks No. 1 on the list. 

There are many storylines going into the title fight.

Edgar is dropping down from lightweight for the first time in his UFC career. Aldo is coming off of an injury and could be injured coming into this fight. Both men could produce a challenge that the other has never faced in his career, and both men are known for putting on exciting fights.

This one should be no different. 

There were talks of these men facing each other before, and now we finally get to see it. It may be as close as we get to a "superfight" in the UFC today.