UFC 126 Silva Vs. Belfort: Main Card Preview

UFC 126 will take place from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV on February 5.

Long time middleweight champion Anderson Silva, will defend his title against explosive striker Vitor Belfort in the main event. Silva and Belfort are well known for their phenomenal striking abilities, but each man holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well.

Silva has yet to taste defeat since entering the UFC and Belfort will put his exceptional hand speed to the test as he attempts to dethrone the champion.

In addition to the championship headliner, two former champions will meet in the co-main event when Rich “Ace” Franklin and Forrest Griffin do battle to determine who moves one step closer towards a title shot in the light heavyweight division.

Franklin comes into the bout with Griffin, off of a devastating first-round knockout of Chuck Liddell, and while he suffered a broken arm during the bout it did not require surgery. Griffin was victorious in his most recent outing as well, but has not competed since Nov. 21, 2009 when he defeated Tito Ortiz by split decision.

Before any of the aforementioned gentlemen step into the world famous Octagon, six additional fighters will have the opportunity to move up the ladder in their respective divisions.

Former WEC bantamweights Miguel Torres and Antonio Banuelos will make their UFC debuts. Torres  was once regarded as the top 135 pound fighter in the sport until he suffered back-to-losses, but bounced back impressively at WEC 51 by dominating Charlie Valencia. Banuelos enters the UFC, fresh off a decisive victory over Chad George at the same WEC 51 event and will look to stop Torres' hopes of a title shot.

Light heavyweights Jon Jones and Ryan Bader will clash to see who truly is the best young mixed martial artist at 205 pounds. Both men have been considered as the next big thing in the division and rightfully so. Jones has been nothing short of dominant since entering the organization and Bader has looked impressive as well. Jones will most likely be the heavy favorite, but Bader's wrestling and punching power could very well pose problems for Jones.

Rounding out the main card action will be heavy-handed Jake Ellenberger taking on submission artist Carlos Eduardo Rocha in the welterweight division.

Statistics on each of the ten main card fighters are provided below, ranging from wins by (T)KO, wins by submission, career losses, and their current win streaks.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva (26-4):

• Wins by (T)KO: 15
• Wins by Submission: 5
• Losses: 4
• Current Win Streak: 13
• Most Recent Win: UFC 117: Chael Sonnen – 5th Round Submission (Triangle Choke)

 Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (19-8):

• Wins by (T)KO: 13
• Wins by Submission: 2
• Losses: 8
• Current Win Streak: 5
• Most Recent Win: UFC 103: Rich Franklin – 1^st Round TKO (Punches)

Rich “Ace” Franklin (28-5, 1NC):

• Wins by (T)KO: 15
• Wins by Submission: 10
• Losses: 6
• Current Win Streak: 1
• Most Recent Win: UFC 115: Chuck Liddell – 1^st Round KO (Punch)

 Forrest Griffin (17-6):

• Wins by (T)KO: 3
• Wins by Submission: 7
• Losses: 6
• Current Win Streak: 1
• Most Recent Win: UFC 106: Tito Ortiz – Split Decision

Jon “Bones” Jones (11-1):

• Wins by (T)KO: 7
• Wins by Submission: 2
• Losses: 1
• Current Win Streak: 2
• Most Recent Win: UFC Live 2: Vladimir Matyushenko – 1^st Round TKO (Elbows)

Ryan “Darth” Bader (13-0):

• Wins by (T)KO: 5
• Wins by Submission: 3
• Losses: 0
• Current Win Streak: 12
• Most Recent Win: UFC 119: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira – Unanimous Decision

Jake Ellenberger (23-5):

• Wins by (T)KO: 14
• Wins by Submission: 5
• Losses: 5
• Current Win Streak: 2
• Most Recent Win: UFC Live 2: John Howard – 3^rd Round TKO (Doctor Stoppage)

 Carlos Eduardo “Ta Danado” Rocha (9-0):

• Wins by (T)KO: 1
• Wins by Submission: 8
• Losses: 0
• Current Win Streak: 9
• Most Recent Win: UFC 122: Kris McCray – 1^st Round Submission (Kneebar)

Miguel Torres (36-3):

• Wins by (T)KO: 9
• Wins by Submission: 23
• Losses: 3
• Current Win Streak: 1
• Most Recent Win: WEC 51: Charlie Valencia – 2^nd Round Submission (RNC)

Antonio Banuelos (18-6):

• Wins by (T)KO: 7
• Wins by Submission: 1
• Losses: 6
• Current Win Streak: 1
• Most Recent Win: WEC 51: Chad George – Unanimous Decision