UFC: 8 Upcoming Preliminary Bouts Worth Checking Out
Over the next three UFC events, there will be several preliminary fights fans may want to check out.
Ultimate Fight Night Seattle features a main event between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis. The co-main event is an intriguing stand-up battle between Dan Hardy and Anthony Johnson. There will be eight preliminary fights from this event.
UFC 129 will be in Toronto, Canada and will feature a welterweight championship fight between George St. Pierre and Jake Shields. There will be seven preliminary fights on this card.
UFC 130 will bring us the third match between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. Other fighters on the main card will be Quinton Jackson, Matt Hamill, Frank Mir, Roy Nelson and Stefan Struve. There have been four announced preliminary fights.
UFC 130: Renan Barão vs. Demetrious Johnson
1 of 8
Demetrious Johnson is 9-1 in MMA and 1-0 in the UFC. He defeated standout Japanese fighter Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto at UFC 126 in February. Many did not expect the 24-year-old to get past the dangerous striker.
Renan Barão (25-1) hasn't lost since 2005 and went 2-0 in the WEC before transferring to the UFC bantamweight division. His two wins were against Chris Cariaso and Anthony Leone.
The winner of this fight will be taking one big step forward in the division. If Johnson is victorious, he could be a fight or two away from a title shot.
UFC 129: John Makdessi vs. Kyle Watson
2 of 8
Makdessi (8-0) will be fighting for the ninth time in Canada at UFC 129. If fans haven't seen this guy fight, he is one everyone should check out. He is one of the more exciting up-and-comers in the UFC.
In his last fight versus Pat Audinwood, he showcased many of the inventive kicks in his arsenal. He threw everything—head kicks, turning side kicks and axe kicks. Goldberg described his performance as having one of the widest array of kicks used in a single fight.
His opponent will be TUF competitor Kyle Watson (13-6). He was eliminated by Jonathon Brookins in the semi-finals.
UFN 24: John Hathaway vs. Chris McCray
3 of 8
John Hathaway (14-1) was on his way to becoming the 2010 breakthrough fighter of the year when he lost a decision to Mike Pyle at UFC 120. He was on a four-fight win streak inside the Octagon before suffering his first professional defeat.
The 23-year-old from Brighton, England will be looking to get back on the winning track when he faces Kris McCray (5-2). McCray is on a two-fight losing streak, so expect him to come out looking to make a quick statement.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
UFC 130: Miguel Torres vs. Brad Pickett
4 of 8
Former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel "Angel" Torres (39-3) will make his second UFC appearance against Canadian-born fighter Brad Pickett (20-5) at UFC 130.
Torres is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Antonio Banuelos at UFC 126. He was slightly criticized for what seemed to be a boring performance in most fans' eyes. It was the second time he had been to a decision since 2005.
Pickett recently defeated Ivan Menjivar at the final WEC event in December. Pickett also holds a win over Demetrious Johnson.
UFC 129: Sean Pierson vs. Brian Foster
5 of 8
Sean Pierson (11-4) is coming off an excellent fight against Matthew Riddle at UFC 124. Dana White called it the real "Fight of the Night."
His opponent, Brian Foster (15-5), is currently on a two-fight win streak, including victories over Matt Brown and Forrest Petz.
With a combined 35 bouts between the two, only two fights have gone to a decision—both by Pierson. Foster hasn't been to a decision in his entire professional career of 20 fights.
Expect Foster to come out fast as usual, and if Pierson's last fight was any indication, he will fire right back.
This fight will be broadcast on the Spike TV portion of UFC 129 and will air at 8 p.m. ET.
UFC 129: Nate Diaz vs. Rory MacDonald
6 of 8
This will be the second preliminary fight to air before the main card of UFC 129 begins.
Nate Diaz (13-6) recently lost a close and competitive decision to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 125. Before that, he had defeated Marcus Davis and Rory Markham after deciding to move up a weight division to welterweight.
Rory MacDonald (10-1) hasn't fought since June, when he made a strong case for himself as one of the best young fighters even in defeat. He was on his way to winning a decision when Carlos Condit finished him with seven seconds left in the fight.
UFN 24: Jon Madsen vs. Mike Russow
7 of 8
This is the one fight that should get shown on the main card portion of UFN 24.
Mike Russow (13-1) had one of the most memorable moments of 2010 when he knocked out Todd Duffee in the third round of their fight at UFC 114. Many called it the most amazing comeback ever.
TUF 10 fighter Jon Madsen (7-0) recently defeated Gilbert Yvel in the very first round of their bout at UFC 121. It was his fourth victory inside the UFC.
These are two fighters that could very well be on their way to a couple fights away from the top of the division. Look at fighters like Brendan Schaub, who competed on the same season with Madsen. It isn't a division that is very deep, and the winner of this fight will be "in the mix."
UFC 130: Thiago Alves vs Rick Story
8 of 8
If this preliminary fight isn't any indication of how stacked UFC 130 is, then I don't know what is. Alves (18-7) is a top five welterweight and Story (12-3) could make a case for being a top 10 welterweight inside the UFC.
Story is 5-0 since losing to John Hathaway at UFC 99. He has beaten Brian Foster, Dustin Hazelett and Johny Hendricks.
Alves recently broke a two-fight losing streak when he defeated John Howard at UFC 124. Joe Rogan called it his best performance inside the Octagon.
Not only will this fight be a contender for "Fight of the Night," it will also be a fight that determines the next best contender for the welterweight championship.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
