UFC 178 Start Time: Vital Viewing Information and Full Fight Card
Despite losing a Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier championship fight, the UFC 178 card is one of the deepest pay-per-view events of 2014 and should satisfy even the most fickle MMA fans.
With Demetrious Johnson fighting Chris Cariaso for the UFC Flyweight Championship, and an undercard that features Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor and the return of Dominick Cruz, this is a pay-per-view you can’t miss.
Here is the vital viewing information, the full pay-per-view card with predictions and the most underrated matchup of UFC 178.
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Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
When: Saturday, Sept. 27
Start Time: 10 p.m. ET
Watch: PPV (local service providers)
| Demetrious Johnson (c) | vs. | Chris Cariaso | Flyweight | Johnson |
| Donald Cerrone | vs. | Eddie Alvarez | Lightweight | Cerrone |
| Dustin Poirier | vs. | Conor McGregor | Featherweight | McGregor |
| Tim Kennedy | vs. | Yoel Romero | Middleweight | Kennedy |
| Cat Zingano | vs. | Amanda Nunes | Women's Bantamweight | Zingano |
| Dominick Cruz | vs. | Takeya Mizugaki | Bantamweight | Cruz |
| Jorge Masvidal | vs. | James Krause | Lightweight | Krause |
| Patrick Cote | vs. | Stephen Thompson | Welterweight | Cote |
| John Howard | vs. | Brian Ebersole | Welterweight | Ebersole |
| Jon Tuck | vs. | Kevin Lee | Lightweight | Tuck |
| Manvel Gamburyan | vs. | Cody Gibson | Bantamweight | Gamburyan |
Most Underrated Matchup: Dominick Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki
While the main event for the UFC Flyweight Championship between Johnson and Cariaso has stolen most of the headlines, the return of former UFC and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is the biggest news for the sport.
Cruz was one of the most popular stars in MMA, but he has been away from the Octagon for almost three years. After winning the inaugural bantamweight title and successfully defending it twice (including a win in October 2011 against Johnson), Cruz suffered a torn ACL in May 2012 and underwent surgery.
According to MMAJunkie.com, Cruz’s body rejected the ACL ligament from a cadaver and his knee was once again rebuilt. After returning to full health, Cruz was expected to fight Renan Barao to unify the bantamweight championships, but he tore his groin and was removed from the UFC 169 card. UFC president Dana White also stripped Cruz of his championship following the groin injury.
As Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report pointed out, though, there are precedents for Cruz’s return:
"Some interesting precedents for Dominick Cruz's return. Ali and Ray Leonard both did well after long lay offs. Frank Shamrock not so much
— Jonathan Snowden (@mmaencyclopedia) September 25, 2014"
When asked about his journey to Saturday’s fight, Cruz spoke to Damon Martin of Fox Sports regarding his time off, his health and where he’s at mentally:
"I've had a fight around the corner before and it was exciting, but not as exciting as it is now. Right now, it sounds crazy, but this is the healthiest I've been since I last fought (Urijah) Faber for the second time. Because even when I went into that fight with Demetrious Johnson, I had a broken hand.
Now I don't have one injury in my whole body, I've had this long layoff unfortunately, but it's also given me a lot of time to heal, understand and learn about my body, build my mind, build my spirit, so I'm feeling really good and really confident.
"
Now Cruz will be forced to square off against Takeya Mizugaki in his return fight. Since losing to Cariaso in February 2012, Mizugaki has won five straight fights and has proven to be a viable threat in the bantamweight division. Cruz will be making his return against a very difficult opponent.
While the matchup may be difficult, White took to Twitter to share his excitement:
Mizugaki’s winning streak is impressive, but he has not beaten any of the top fighters in the division during that period. Even with three years away from the Octagon, Cruz is still one of the most naturally gifted athletes in the sport and should be able to dominate his challenger.
Using a unique mix of wrestling, boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as well as the elite speed he possessed before his knee injuries, Cruz will be looking to send a message to the division and the entire sport that he is back and hasn’t missed a step.
A dominant TKO would send that message loud and clear.
Predicted Winner: Cruz via third-round TKO
*Stats via UFC.com.
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