UFC 99: The Five-Bullet-Point Preview

With just hours to go before UFC 99 kicks off (3 PM EST, 10 PM EST for the replay) from Cologne, Germany, there's little time to get yourself fully prepared for a card that is quite packed throughout with good fights with familiar names to the UFC faithful.

But that's why we are here for the first incarnation of the Five Bullet Point preview. It's pretty simple: RRC will review several fights from the card and give you five quick hit bullet points that you should know before watching the event.

Rich Franklin (26-4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1)

• The fight will be at a catchweight of 195 pounds.
• This Saturday will mark the fourth time out of his last six fights that Franklin has fought off U.S. soil.
• Silva has lost four of his last five fights, three by KO.
• Franklin is 35, while Silva is 32.
• Franklin has lost four times in his career (three by TKO) while of Silva’s 32 wins, 68 percent have been via KO/TKO.

Cheick Kongo (24-4-1) vs. Cain Velasquez (5-0)

• The 34-year-old Kongo has been in the UFC since July 2006 and has a 7-2 mark in the Octagon.
• The undefeated Velasquez (right) has won all his fights via TKO – punches.
• Velasquez has only been past the first round once in his career, that coming in his last fight, a second-round TKO of Dennis Stojnic.
• Kongo last fought in April and took the fight on short notice after Heath Herring had to pull out with injury.
• The 27-year-old Velasquez was a two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State University and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa Central Community College.

Mike Swick (13-2) vs. Ben Saunders (7-0-2)

• Both are alumni of The Ultimate Fighter—Swick in the first season and Saunders in season six.
• Swick has won eight of his nine UFC fights with his last defeat coming in April 2007 to Yushin Okami.
• In three UFC bouts, Saunders has won by decision, submission and TKO.
• Saunders stands 6’3” and is 26 years old, while Swick is 6’1” and turns 30 Saturday.
• Swick has seven wins by T/KO, four by decision and two by submission.

Marcus Davis (16-4) Vs. Dan Hardy (21-6)

• The Nottingham, England, native comes into Saturday on a five-fight win streak, three of those coming by T/KO.
• In his five-year career, Hardy has fought in the U.S. only twice.
• Davis (right) has lost just four times in his career and only twice since November 2005.
• Davis hasn’t fought in the U.S. since submitting Pete Spratt in April 2007 with this Saturday being his seventh straight match across the pond.
• Hardy has been quite vocal about his dislike for Davis and insisting he is a ‘fake Irishman' among other slights.

Spencer Fisher (23-4) vs. Caol Uno (25-11-4)

• Uno turned 34 in May and has been fighting pro since October 1996.
• Uno had a seven-fight UFC run from 2001-2003, taking on BJ Penn (0-1-1) and Jens Pulver (0-1) while defeating Din Thomas, Yves Edwards and Fabiano Iha.
• Fisher turned 33 in May and has won two of his last three fights.
• Fisher has competed in the Octagon since October 2005 (7-3 mark) and has wins over Thiago Alves, Matt Wiman, Jeremy Stephens and Sam Stout to his credit.
• Uno hasn’t fought since July of last year, a loss to Shinya Aoki in Japan.

Mirko Cro Cop (24-6-2) Vs. Mostapha Al-turk (6-4)

• MCC has fought in nearly every major organization including UFC, PRIDE and K1.
• MCC debuted in the UFC in Febuary 2007 with a TKO win over Eddie Sanchez, but lost two straight to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo and left the organization for Japan.
• Al-turk is an Enfield, UK, native and has fought once in the UFC, losing via first round TKO to shared opponent Kongo.
• Al-turk is 35 years old and has been pro since March 2002, fighting nearly exclusively out of England.
• MCC has competed against some of the sport’s best included Fedor, Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Mark Coleman and Minotauro Nogueira.

Josh Nason - josh [at] ropesringandcage [dot com] - has published MMA, wrestling and boxing blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He has been a contributor to Fight Magazine since January 2009 and Bleacher Report since 2008.