UFC 187: Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson Main Card Preview and Predictions

UFC 186 provided some solid action despite being a woefully weak pay-per-view card, but UFC 187 is one of the most talent-rich events in UFC history. The full May 23 card is as follows:

Main Card (PPV)

• Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson
• Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort
• Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Donald Cerrone
• Travis Browne vs. Andrei Arlovski 
• Joseph Benavidez vs. John Moraga 

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)

• John Dodson vs. Zach Makovsky 
• Dong-Hyun Kim vs. Josh Burkman 
• Uriah Hall vs. Rafael Natal 
• Rose Namajunas vs. Nina Ansaroff 

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

• Islam Makhachev vs. Leo Kuntz 
• Justin Scoggins vs. Josh Sampo

In case you didn't notice, there's a whole lot to love about this card. There are two huge title fights in Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson and Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort. There's a lightweight top contender bout in Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Donald Cerrone. Two elite flyweights in Joseph Benavidez and John Dodson meet John Moraga and Zach Makovsky, respectfully. I could keep going, if you can believe it!

It's the first truly top-to-bottom-stacked UFC card in a good, long while, and it's worth giving it the once-over. So buckle in, MMA fans, for the UFC 187 main card previews and predictions!

Joseph Benavidez vs. John Moraga

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Division: Flyweight
Records: Joseph Benavidez (21-4), John Moraga (16-3)

John Moraga is perceived as a top-level flyweight. As the second man to challenge for the strap, he received a big bump in the rankings that simply hasn't gone away. While he has proved to be better than the majority of 125-pound fighters, scoring stoppage wins over the likes of Chris Cariaso and Justin Scoggins, he hasn't quite shown himself to be an actual elite talent.

Joseph Benavidez, on the other hand, has blown away nearly all comers. When fighting anyone other than Dominick Cruz or Demetrious Johnson, he has won with a nonchalance that would befit a champion. Whether against a successful veteran or hot prospect, Benavidez's fights have ended with either a brutal knockout, scary submission or clear-cut decision.

Much like his stablemates Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes, Benavidez is the odds-on favorite over almost any given opponent...and there's good reason for that. Benavidez is an amazing fighter, and while Moraga has his strengths, the Alpha Male product has effortlessly defeated comparable opponents in the past.

Prediction: Benavidez defeats Moraga by decision.

Travis Browne vs. Andrei Arlovski

David Becker/Associated Press

Weight Class: Heavyweight
Records: Travis Browne (17-2-1), Andrei Arlovski (23-10 (1))

Four years ago, if anybody said that Andrei Arlovski, fresh off back-to-back-to-back-to-back losses (three of which were tough-to-watch knockouts), would be a Top 10 UFC heavyweight fighter in 2015, it likely would have resulted in laughs. Or ridicule. His surviving four more years in the cage, it seemed, would take a miracle (and not just a small miracle).

His experiencing a true resurgence felt legitimately impossible.

But here we are. At 8-1 (1) since leaving Strikeforce, Arlovski sits at No. 7 on the UFC rankings, courtesy of his knockout win over Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Unfortunately, those good times are likely coming to an end. Arlovski is poised to face Travis Browne.

Browne has long been one of the scariest heavyweights in MMA, and his smashmouth striking has made victims out of the likes of Stefan Struve, Josh Barnett and Alistair Overeem. Arlovski is likely to join that group.

While it is possible that Browne could get upended here (his striking defense isn't immaculate, and anything can happen in a heavyweight bout), he is the decisive favorite. Look for him to wound Arlovski early and finish him down the stretch.

Prediction: Browne defeats Arlovski by TKO in Round 2.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Donald Cerrone

Andre Penner/Associated Press

Weight Class: Lightweight
Records: Khabib Nurmagomedov (22-0), Donald Cerrone (27-6 (1))

Finally, Dagestani sensation Khabib Nurmagomedov is back in the cage, and he is lined up for quite the fight against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. A title shot is likely on the line here, which just adds a little bit more excitement to an already interesting bout.

Nurmagomedov's rise to the top of a crowded lightweight division is impressive in retrospect. From the beginning of his UFC career, he mowed down formidable veterans with scary ease and, in his most recent bout, absolutely shut down now-champion Rafael dos Anjos with a performance that actually earned him the No. 1 spot in the lightweight division from some of Bleacher Report's rankings panelists.

Meanwhile, Cowboy has long been one of the top dogs at 155 pounds but has always hovered just outside title contention. Now riding a seven-fight winning streak, however, he finds himself closer to the gold than ever before.

How this fight will pan out is anyone's guess. Nurmagomedov is, arguably, the most complete grappler in MMA today with an inimitable pace that allows him to wear opponents down for the finish or score points with the judges. Cerrone is no slouch on the ground either, and he has a decisive edge in striking.

The most likely outcome? Nurmagomedov smothers Cerrone with his clinchwork en route to a decision win. Cerrone boxing up a relatively green foe, however, is also a possibility.

Prediction: Nurmagomedov defeats Cerrone by decision.

Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort

John Locher/Associated Press

Weight Class: Middleweight
Records: Chris Weidman (12-0), Vitor Belfort (24-10)

At long last, UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman will face Vitor Belfort. It's a long-awaited matchup that has been delayed by injury and weird promotional and political drug testing-related kookiness alike. While we're nearly a year removed from the original date for the fight, the major highlights and talking points remain the same.

Weidman's ascent has been a treat for hardcore MMA fans to watch. Entering the game as an accomplished wrestler, he has become one of the top pound-for-pound fighters by adding devastating ground-and-pound, cage-control savvy and refined, timing-focused striking. Relative inexperience (especially in relation to Belfort) and unremarkable cardio, however, make it easy to wonder if his title reign could be a short one.

Belfort's career resurgence and his use (and, apparently, abuse) of testosterone replacement therapy went hand-in-hand. While it was once a question of whether or not he would be allowed to fight in the United States with it, the question is now if he can fight without it. Add to that some serious ring rust from waiting 18 months for his title fight and you have more than enough reason to doubt him.

Even before the TRT ban and ring rust, however, Weidman was the clear-cut favorite. Belfort has never been one to overcome the odds or gut out a tough opponent. It was true against Randy Couture and Kazushi Sakuraba. It was true against Tito Ortiz and Dan Henderson. And it's still true today.

Prediction: Weidman defeats Belfort by submission in Round 3.

Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight
Records: Jon Jones (21-1), Anthony Johnson (19-4)

Jon Jones' dominance in the UFC is the stuff of legend. The light heavyweight champ has run through competition in a way that hasn't been seen since the days of Frank Shamrock, and there have been few speed bumps along the way. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, naturally, is looking to buck that trend.

Johnson's rise to contention was one of the biggest stories of 2014, as fans watched him ascend from the middle tier of the welterweight division to the light heavyweight Top 10. His strong takedown defense and absurd power set him apart from anyone in the division and make him a unique opponent for the long-reigning champ.

Whether or not those well-rounded skills will be enough to challenge Jones, however, is up for debate. One can argue that Johnson's chances are comparable to those of Glover Teixeira—another fighter with a mid-level wrestling base who fell in love with power-punching in the cage—which basically pans out to a slam-dunk Jones win. On the flip side, Johnson's striking could end the fight on a second's notice, and unlike Teixeira, he actually knows more than one move.

All that said, no matter how good Johnson is, this is still "Bones" Jones. He has superior technique and more tools to control the fight and has already beaten tougher stylistic matchups than Johnson. That's on top of his second-to-none ability to craft and execute a game plan.

It's hard to expect anything other than a dominant performance from Jones at this point.

Prediction: Jones defeats Johnson by decision.