UFC 127 Fight Card: 10 Reasons You Won't Want To Miss UFC 127

For the second February in as many years, the UFC is returning to the Acer arena in Sydney Australia.

Behind only FIFA as the preeminent sports organization in international development and engagement, the UFC is once again looking to make big waves with this event.

Stateside, this event could be overshadowed by the huge North American events of UFC 126, 128, and 129; UFC 127 is a still a magnificent beast in its own right.

These are the top ten reasons you will not want to miss UFC 127...

10. International UFC Debutants on the Undercard

As the UFC continues to grow internationally, they are cultivating more and more top talent from around the world.  These are some UFC debutants whom you might want to keep an eye on.

Nick Ring (Canada)- We all know Canada has some amazing mma talent and this undefeated middleweight will be looking to make a splash when he takes on the next man on this list.

Riki Fukudu (Japan)- Riding a seven-fight winning streak with wins over the likes of Murilo Rua and Ryuta Sakurai.

Zhang Tie Quan (China)- "The Mongolian Wolf" is an exciting featherweight with a 12-1 record taking on former lightweight Jason Reinhardt.

Tom Blackledge (England)- A product of the Wolfslair Academy out of Liverpool England, Blackledge makes his UFC debut against hometown favorite Anthony Perosh.

Maciej Jewtuszko (Poland)- The Polish lightweight is undefeated and coming off of a "knockout of the night" performance in his last bout in the WEC.

9. Mark Hunt's Last Chance For Redemption

the infamous "atomic butt drop"

Mark Hunt is a legend in combat sports.  

He is a former K-1 kickboxing champion and MMA star who had fought some of the biggest stars in the world back in the heyday of Pride Fighting Championships.

Things have not been going so well for Hunt in recent years. He is riding a six-fight losing streak in mma, including a first round submission loss in his UFC debut.

A New Zealand native, this is as much of a hometown fight as he can get, and it is likely his last chance for redemption.

His opponent is Chris Tuchscherer. While a talented wrestler and fighter, Tuchscherer is also a bit of a lumbering fighter and the perfect opponent to see if Hunt has anything left. 

8. James Te-Huna vs. Alexander Gustafsson Has Significant Divisional Implication

The last unaired undercard bout between Swede Alexander Gustafsson and Aussie James Te-Huna actually has considerable implications for the UFC's stacked light heavyweight division.

Gustafsson's record is 10-1. He has only been to a decision once, and his lone loss is to rising superstar Phil Davis.

Gustafsson is an outstanding striker whose last victory was a submission over respected veteren Cyrille Diabate.

Te-Huna is a power puncher riding an impressive six-fight win streak. His last fight was a third round TKO victory over Igor Pokrajac at the last UFC event in Australia.

Interestingly, Te-Huna has never fought professionally outside of Australia. If he pulls out the win, fans might start clamoring to see more from the Australian native.

7. Ross Pearson vs. Spencer Fisher = Barn Burner

Pearson vs. Fisher is a preliminary bout to be featured on ESPN UK.

They are both gritty and talented strikers trying to stay afloat in the shark infested waters that is the UFC lightweight division.

After showing nice improvement and racking up three UFC wins in a row, Pearson was put in his place by submission artist Cole Miller last September.

Fisher is a veteran who has racked up a 9-5 record in the UFC lightweight division against the best in the world.

Both men know that a loss will be a major set back, while a win will propell them to more high profile fights.

With their backs starting to get pushed up against a wall, I expect these dogs to come out aggressive and put on a show. Early pick for 'Fight of the Night.'

6. Chris Camozzi vs. Kyle Noke

Both fighters appeared on the 11th season of the popular reality show "The Ultimate Fighter."

Since the show, they have each picked up two victories inside of the octagon.

Noke, a native Australian and former security guard and trainer for Steve Irwin, has a chance to perform in front of his home crowd and emerge as a force in the UFC's middleweight division.

Likewise, the younger Camozzi has a chance to announce himself as a dangerous prospect after coming off of a split-decision victory in his last outing. 

5. Brian Ebersole Is Actually No Joke

Lytle is still not convinced

Fans were extremely disappointed when Carlos Condit had to pull out of his matchup with Chris Lytle due to injury.

It was one of the most anticipated welterweight matchups of the year, and then fans were even more upset to find out that Condit was being replaced by a journeyman making his UFC debut.

Brian Ebersole, who?

Ebersole has a record of 46-14-1, with wins over competition such as Carlos Newton, Matt Horowich, and Nick Thompson.

It turns out this guy is actually pretty legit. Chris Lytle better not take him lightly.

4. the Epic Lightweight Run of George Sotiropoulos

Australian George Sotiropoulos is riding one of the longest UFC winning streaks at the moment.

He has wracked up seven straight octagon victories.

The five most recent of which have been in the lightweight division against top contenders such as Joe Stevenson, Joe Lauzon, and Kurt Pellegrino.

With the division being log-jammed, Sotiropoulos continues to take out opposition as he patiently waits his turn for the title shot.

Should he get past his opponent at UFC 127, the dangerous submission artist should not be forced to compete in more than one more fight before getting his shot.

However, his UFC 127 opponent is not one to be overlooked. Dennis Siver is a talented kickboxer and will pose some major problems for George if he cannot force the fight to the mat.

I am not expecting a decision in this one.

3. the Smack Talk Of Jorge Rivera (and the "Ranger Up" Videos)

fans should also check out the 'monty python' one

After a couple of matchups with fellow slugger Alessio Sakara failed to materialize, Jorge Rivera received a jump up the middleweight ladder to face the Brit, Michael Bisping.

Bisping is the betting favorite, but Rivera has done well for himself to insult Bisping's punching power and strategies.

I applaud Rivera for promoting himself in an art seemingly lost on underdogs today. The veteran fighter has viciously attacked his opponents' weaknesses, and in humorous and creative ways no less.

Through a series of videos promoted on youtube.com and mma outlets, Rivera is no doubt starting to creep under Bisping's skin, if only ever so slightly.

Rivera is known much more as a slugger and is challenging Bisping, as the more technical striker, to get off his bicycle and throw bombs in the trenches.

We can only hope that he obliges as Rivera's smack has elevated the interest in this bout between fighters that are already some of the most entertaining in the division. 

2. BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch Is For No. 1 Contender Status at Welterweight

Many fans and pundits have argued that BJ needs more fights in the welterweight division before getting another title shot. But then again, Jon Fitch is already the consensus No. 2 or No. 3 welterweight in the world.

If BJ Penn can defeat Fitch, or even more importantly stop Fitch for the first time in Fitch's UFC career, then Penn will reclaim his place as one of the top three welterweights in the world.

Fitch, of course, is already deserving for his second shot at UFC gold.

Fitch is 13-1 in the UFC, with his lone loss being against Georges St-Pierre for the title.

Since that loss, Fitch has been outspoken about getting another shot and proven his mettle by toppling five straight contenders.

All those wins, however, have been by way of relatively slow paced decision victories and the UFC feels like they have trouble promoting him.

BJ Penn is one of the most talented fighters in the world and Jon Fitch is going to have to be at his best in order to defeat him. If Fitch can indeed defeat the legend, then he will have more than earned his second shot at a UFC title.

1. Gigantic Event For Australia, UFC, and International MMA

UFC 110, the previous UFC event at Acer Arena in Sydney, was a sell-out event that broke Acer Arena sales records and records for UFC merchandise sales.

UFC 127 will look to build off of that success as it is one of the quickest UFC events to sell-out, from all the way back in December, of all-time.

Another successful event in Australia is crucial for building off of the repertoire of international events that the UFC is establishing, and creating more momentum for 2011.

2011 is already shaping up to be a landmark year for the UFC and for MMA around the world. Australia is happy to be a part of that. 

The land down under has a manly yet progressive culture and is an important piece of the UFC's international strategy.

UFC 127 Fitch vs. Penn: News, Results and More....