And in Other News, We Have a Good Fight Card on Our Hands: UFC 98 Preview

With the way MMA headlines over the last two weeks have been dominated by fights with slim to no chances of ever happening—Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones Jr and Dana White vs. Tom Atencio—the upcoming UFC card headlined by Rashad Evans taking on Lyoto Machida seems to have lost its rightful place in the spotlight.

Further diminishing the attention being paid to UFC 98 could be the fact that none of the headliners are named Liddell, Couture, Silva, Griffin, or Lesnar, which is an ultimate shame, because the main event showdown between Evans and Machida probably features the two best combined records in an MMA fight ever.

Both are undefeated and at the cost of a cavalcade of talented world-class fighters.

This is a world title bout that should have the entire sports world buzzing, yet it seems not even the MMA world is completely focused. Rest assured, come Saturday the 23rd, all eyes will be on Evans and Machida as they wage battle in one of the most intriguing matchups in UFC history.

Their showdown will be accompanied by a very solid undercard, which includes the long-overdue grudge match between opposing TUF coaches Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.

And with that, a preview of the main card for UFC 98:

SEAN SHERK VS. FRANKIE EDGAR

Make no mistake about it: This has fight of the night written ALL over it. Lightweight bouts consistently steal the show, and there's no reason to think that two of the very best the UFC has to offer won't.

The "Muscle Shark," Sherk, has in the past been labeled a one-dimensional wrestler that controls but doesn't finish fights...in other words, boring. While his finishing ratio in the UFC isn't stellar, he has been anything but one-dimensional since returning to the octagon.

He outstruck Nick Diaz in a 2006 victory, left current No. 1 contender Kenny Florian a bloody mess when he defeated him that same year, and dominated BJJ black belt Hermes Franca at the jiu-jitsu game in 2007.

Following his own domination at the hands of BJ Penn last year, Sherk bounced back by defeating Tyson Griffin and has shown not only is he still at the top of the division, but consistently improving.

Edgar, aka "The Answer," is one of the most promising lightweights in the UFC. The former Clarion University wrestler combines his stout wrestling base with the hardcore blue-collar ethic typical of wrestlers from the New Jersey/Pennsylvania region.

With his ever evolving boxing skills, Edgar has avoided the "one-dimensional" label since his arrival in the UFC, when he showed incredible heart in his decision defeat of highly regarded Tyson Griffin.

How Sherk Can Win

While they match up evenly in almost all areas of the fight game, Sherk has displayed an advanced jiu-jitsu game that Edgar hasn't. If he can gain the top position, Sherk should dominate with superior positioning—created through his outstanding guard passing ability—and textbook ground and pound.

How Edgar Can Win

If "The Answer" can control the wrestling, especially by gaining top position, he is just good enough to keep the positioning he'll need to outpoint Sherk with positioning and ground strikes.

Prediction

Sherk not only has an notable experience advantage, but he's a man on a mission. That's not to say Edgar isn't, but Sherk has one last title run in him that probably won't be derailed. Sherk has only been defeated by legends in MMA, and is on the cusp of creating his own legend.

Sherk wins by decision in a fast-paced fight that goes everywhere.

DAN MILLER VS. CHAEL SONNEN

In a fight that could either be a barn-burner or a lackluster chess match, former All-American collegiate wrestler Chael Sonnen takes on the larger half of the fighting UFC Miller brothers, Dan.

Team Quest product Sonnen is an MMA veteran who has an all-star cast of opponents on his resume, which includes losses to Jeremy Horn and Renato "Babalu" Sobral, and wins over Paulo Filho and Trevor Prangley.

Tarnishing those two big wins is the fact that he also has losses to Babalu and Prangley.

Sonnen has shown the ability to hang with anyone he's put against, at least for a round or two, and when the matchup is in his favor his wrestling skill makes him downright dominant.

Miller, at 11-1, has been on a roll since entering the UFC, going undefeated in the three fights in the octagon, with two of those wins by submission.

How Sonnen Can Win

If Sonnen can control the fight and keep it where he wants, he'll be able to punish Miller with a superior ground and pound game while simultaneously keeping himself out of trouble.

How Miller Can Win

A glance at Miller's record shows quite a few submission victories. Conversely, Sonnen has been on the losing end of his fair share of subs. If Miller can neutralize Sonnen's ground and pound, there is a good chance he can pull out a submission victory.

Prediction

Miller is on a roll, and at age 32, the game might be passing Sonnen by. Look for Miller to take this in the second or third round, with a sudden submission.

Andrew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam

At 20-10, Foupa-Pokam  is a well-rounded journeyman who has finished the vast majority of his fights, with an almost even number of wins by submission and KO/TKO.

The Frenchman is coming off a loss in his UFC debut to the renowned Denis Kang, which is no shame on its own, and prior to that was on a seven-fight win streak.

Nicknamed "The Massacre," McFedries has a pedestrian 7-5 record, though he has faced some fairly stiff competition in his time. The heavy slugger trains out of the Miletich Camp in Bettendorf, Iowa, so he preparedness shouldn't be a question mark.

How Foupa-Pokam Wins

A knockout is theoretically possible, but if he is smart, Foupa-Pokam will look to take McFedries out of his comfort zone and seek a submission victory,which have accounted for three of McFedries five losses.

How McFedries Wins

Exactly how his style suggests—KO. He's going to swing hard and often, and if he connects, it could be lights out for Foupa-Pokam.

Prediction

Foupa-Pokam appears to be a bit more journeyman than McFedries, and the better training camp may come into play here. McFedries is better than his 7-5 record indicates, and he's going to prove it with a knockout victory.

MATT HUGHES VS. MATT SERRA

Though this fight has lost some of its relevance with both fighters coming off decisive losses, it carries plenty of intrigue as it's a classic contrast in styles and personalities.

Hughes is probably the most dominant champion MMA has ever seen, having run through the welterweight division for the better part of a decade before recent losses to Georges St. Pierre and Thiago Alves exposed him as past his prime.

Despite those losses, Hughes remains a dangerous opponent, as his wrestling base combined with his always evolving striking and jiu-jitsu make him a threat to the entire 170-pound division.

Bringing perhaps the biggest heart in MMA to octagon against Hughes with be "The Terror," the former lightweight fighter that shocked the MMA world with his first-round destruction of St. Pierre two years ago.

Of course, Serra brings more than just heart to the cage, as he is one of the most elite jiu-jitsu fighters in MMA history. Added to that is his never-say-die approach, which actually cost him the first loss of his career against Shonie Carter when Serra was caught with a spinning backfist after electing not to safely ride out a fight he was winning.

How Hughes Can Win

How he always wins—scooping, slamming and pummeling his opponents either into submission, or a long, painful night.

How Serra Can Win

By utilizing the Achilles' heel of wrestlers—exceptional submissions. Serra has the talent to submit just about anyone, and he'll need to have saved his best performance for this fight to win.

Prediction

Hughes sends Serra back to the lightweight division.

Despite his tremendous accomplishments in sport jiu-jitsu, Serra hasn't had a high finishing ratio in MMA. He constantly throws out submission attempts, but the vast majority of his wins have been by decision, which does not bode well for him against Hughes.

Serra has only lost to premier fighters in MMA, but unfortunately for him, his opponent next weekend is exactly that.

MAIN EVENT: RASHAD EVANS VS. LYOTO MACHIDA

There have been some heavily anticipated matchups in the UFC's 16-year history, but none have been an assembly of two fighters with the combined success these two combatants have.

Between the two of them is a record of 32-0-1, against competition that includes Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Rich Franklin, and Forrest Griffin.

Machida is coming off a statement fight, in which he silenced critics that questioned his entertainment value by putting tough guy Thiago Silva on queerstreet. Before that, he secured the good graces of UFC president Dana White by sending White's nemesis Tito Ortiz packing from the UFC with a loss.

What makes Machida dangerous for anyone is his highly unorthodox style; originally trained in the tradition karate style, Machida is one of the few who has maintained a karate base rather than shedding it for a more typical kickboxing style and found success at the highest level.

He is also a blackbelt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, making him dangerous everywhere.

Making his first title defense since dismantling Forrest Griffin in December of last year, "Sugar" Rashad Evans has defeated some of the most recognizable members of the UFC roster.

Evans initiated himself into the UFC by winning season two of The Ultimate Fighter as a heavyweight, which culminated in his dramatic slugfest with Brad Imes that showed Evans' heart should never be questioned.

What is most impressive about the current light heavyweight champ is the constant improvement he shows each and every outing, which is downright scary considering what he has already accomplished. Before the label of wrestler could stick, he floored Sean Salmon with a head kick that will be shown on highlight reels for years.

The following year he flattened the legendary Chuck Liddell with a dramatic KO, and his encore was running through Griffin to claim the title by TKO.

How Machida Can Win

"The Dragon" is the first jiu-jitsu blackbelt Evans has faced, and he can show the world just where Evans' submission defense stands. Evans has shown a trustworthy chin, so Machida's best chance would be to take the champ out of his comfort zone and seek the tap.

How Evans Can Win

With his striking having caught up to his wrestling base, Evans has shown he can perform equally on the feet and the ground, but his damage is always done through strikes. He'll test Machida's chin and heart, and a KO could be within his grasp. Otherwise, ground and pound domination could be in the cards.

Prediction

Evans is on a collision course with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and as formidable as Machida is, "Sugar" Rashad won't let him get in the way of that fight. As if motivation isn't enough, he has MMA gameplan wizard Greg Jackson in his corner, and with Jackson's help Evans will continue his trend of marked improvement with each fight.

Already having proven his knack for the random, dramatic KO, Evans will end this fight in the later rounds with a swift and sudden knock out.