UFC 132 Fight Card: 14 Reasons This Is Shaping Up To Be a Must-Watch Event

UFC 132 is going to be one of the best cards in recent memory. 

For the most part, all of these fights are in the lighter weight classes, and we've all seen the pace they can keep.

There are only three announced fights (as of now) that will take place above welterweight.

Each one of these fights is going to be outstanding, fast paced and fun to watch.

Mayhem Miller makes his return to the UFC, six current or former champions are fighting on the card and the future of the lightweight division will get a little clearer.

So read on to find out 14 reasons why this is going to be a must-watch event.

Mayhem Is Back!

Jason "Mayhem" Miller (24-7, 1 NC) makes his return to the Octagon to take on former D-1 wrestler Aaron Simpson.

Mayhem will be stepping into the Octagon for only the second time in his career. The first time, he was basically a sacrificial lamb to the current welterweight champ, Georges St-Pierre.

Since that time, he has gone on to fight in DREAM, Strikeforce, WFA and a few smaller organizations. He has fought for a championship in both DREAM and Strikeforce, and he always puts on exciting fights.

Aaron Simpson (8-2) is coming into the Octagon after a unanimous decision victory over Mario Miranda.

I wonder if Mayhem is going to have another crazy entrance ready.

Sotiropoulos Tries To Rebound

George Sotiropoulos (14-3) will have to start his climb back up the ladder in the talent-rich UFC lightweight division.

Many had Sotiropoulos pegged as a future title contender and expected him to be fighting for the title with two or three more wins, but then he met Dennis Siver.

At UFC 127, Sotiropoulos tried and tried to get Siver to the ground, but he couldn't do it. Therefore, Sotiropoulos had to stand and trade with the German kickboxing champion.

He took the unanimous-decision loss and will look to rebound against Rafael dos Anjos (14-5), who is coming off a submission loss due to a jaw injury against Clay Guida.

Sotiropoulos was originally set to fight Evan Dunham, but Dunham was injured and forced to withdraw.

Former WEC Bantamweight Champ in Action

Brian Bowles (9-1) looks to fight his way back to the bantamweight title when he takes on Takeya Mizugaki (14-5-2).

Bowles won the WEC Bantamweight Title at WEC 42, when he knocked out Miguel Torres in the first round.

Then, in his first defense against current UFC champion Dominick Cruz, he lost at the end of the second round due to a doctor stoppage from a broken hand. What a lame way to lose a title fight, or any fight for that matter.

Then, once the WEC merged with the UFC, Bowles made his UFC debut when he defeated Damacio Page by guillotine choke.

Bowles wants to fight his way back up, because the only "loss" on his record was a doctor stoppage.

Who knows what would have happened if the doctor didn't find out about the broken hand?

Melvin Guillard and Shane Roller Look To Climb the Ladder

Melvin Guillard (27-8-2, 1 NC) is coming off a first-round drubbing of up-and-comer Evan Dunham. Guillard called himself the "dark horse" of the lightweight division.

Guillard is currently on a four-fight winning streak and is looking to make a statement in the crowded UFC lightweight division.

Shane Roller (10-3) is in a bit of a different position. Roller is not quite in position yet to call himself a contender, but a win over Guillard could put him there.

Roller's three professional losses have been nothing to be ashamed of. He lost to the top two lightweights of the WEC (Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis), and he lost in his professional debut.

Both of these two will want to make a statement and establish themselves as legitimate contenders.

Dennis Siver and Matt Wiman Look To Climb the Ladder Too

Yeah, there are even more lightweights who want a shot.

Dennis Siver (18-7) stopped the George Sotiropoulos hype dead in its tracks. Siver showed incredible takedown defense and turned the fight with Sotiropoulos into a 15-minute kickboxing match.

Siver is yet another lightweight who wants a shot at the title, but the division is just too crowded.

Matt Wiman (13-5) is coming off a unanimous-decision win over Cole Miller at UFC: Fight For the Troops 2. This appears to be another matchup of an upper-level lightweight against a divisional up-and-comer. The UFC may be looking to thin out the upper level contenders and may hope that a few of them lose so that there aren't so many people with a stake at the title.

A win for Siver proves he belongs in the upper echelon of the lightweights, and a win for Wiman would probably break him into the top 10.

The Next Welterweight Title Challenger Could Emerge

Carlos Condit (26-5) and Dong Hyun Kim (14-0-1, 1 NC) fight for what could be a No. 1 contender spot in the desolated UFC welterweight division.

Condit is on a three-fight winning streak, including stoppages from strikes over Rory MacDonald and Dan Hardy. Condit was the final welterweight champion of the WEC and in his debut, he faced off against Martin Kampmann, when he lost a split decision.

He most likely would have had a title shot with a win, but with a win here, he may get one anyway.

Kim is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Nate Diaz, where he was able to use his judo to get Diaz down and was then able to control him on the ground without ever really being in danger of losing.

For Kim, a win over Condit would catapult him up in the division and may finally get him the respect he deserves. For Condit, a win would just further prove that he belongs at the top.

Tito Ortiz Fights for His Job

Tito Ortiz (15-8-1) will be fighting for his job at UFC 132.

Ortiz is currently on a five-fight winless streak, consisting of decision losses to Matt Hamill, Forrest Griffin and Lyoto Machida, a draw with Rashad Evans and TKO at the hands of Chuck Liddell.

Dana White has made no secret that if Tito loses, this will be his last fight in the UFC.

Tito was the longtime UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and he has had all but one professional fight inside the Octagon.

Dana White won't have to want to release Ortiz, but if he loses and refuses to retire, White may have no choice.

With a win however, he lives to fight another day.

Ryan Bader Fights To Not Be Made a Fool

Ryan Bader (12-1) looked like a force to be reckoned with in the light heavyweight division...then he met Jon Jones.

Bader had victories over Keith Jardine and Rogerio Nogueira, and as a young kid with knockout power, he had major star potential.

Then, at UFC 126, he met rising superstar and current champion Jon Jones.

Jones won the fight with a guillotine in the second round and Bader was sent back to the drawing board.

Now he comes back to the Octagon taking on what appears to be a shell of Tito Ortiz. Bader asked for this fight and now, if he doesn't win, he'll be known for losing to Jon Jones and then losing to a Tito Ortiz who should have retired. 

Wanderlei Silva Returns to the Octagon

Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1, 1 NC) recently said he wants 10 more fights before he calls it a career.

He can say that all he wants, but he hasn't been the same Wanderlei since coming to the UFC, and I'm sure he knows that.

But he now makes his return after being out since February of 2010 with injuries. He has been called out by nearly everyone in the middleweight division who is looking to emerge as a contender or looking to re-establish themselves.

Chris Leben gets the nod for this fight, almost a year to the day after he first asked for it.

This one is going to be an all-out stand-up war, and is sure to be a "fight of the year" candidate.

Chris Leben Gets What He Wanted

Chris Leben (25-7) wanted this fight. He called out Wanderlei, lobbied for the fight with Dana White and kept pushing for it.

Well, almost a year after he asked for it, the stars have aligned and he will get the fight.

Chris Leben wanted this fight desperately, and you can be sure that he is motivated for it.

Leben is known for his heavy hands and iron jaw, and he loves to get into the stand-up slugfests and put on a show for the fans.

The motivation for him in this fight is going to be insane, and look for him to come out with a killer instinct equal to Wanderlei's level.

Urijah Faber Tries To Win the Title

Urijah Faber (25-4) has already beaten the champion once. Just when he weighed in 10 pounds heavier and there was a different belt on the line.

Faber comes into this fight, marking his third fight in the bantamweight division and his second fight in the UFC.

Four years ago, Faber defended his featherweight title against Dominick Cruz when he slapped on a guillotine choke at 1:38 of the first round and Cruz tapped.

In Cruz's next fight in the WEC, he made his debut at 135 pounds and hasn't looked back.

Faber has got to have loads of confidence going into this fight, as he has already won once.

If that isn't motivation enough, he doesn't like Dominick and claims he is "immature."

If that still isn't motivation enough (aside from having serious motivational issues), Faber could become only the third person in ZUFFA-owned MMA organizational history to win titles in two divisions.

I wonder if they would count that alongside the likes of BJ Penn and Randy Couture even though one belt was in the WEC.

Dominick Cruz Tries To Even the Score

Dominick Cruz (17-1) is going to go into this fight looking for revenge.

To paraphrase Frankie Edgar, Cruz is 17 and Urijah Faber.

Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber have quite the rivalry going on. They don't like each other; it's as simple as that.

Cruz will be going in here looking to show Faber that he holds the edge at 135, and that he is now the better fighter.

In addition to it being a title fight between two fighters who don't like each other, it is the lightest weight in the UFC. Cruz and Faber are both known for their unrelenting cardio and the pace these guys will be able to keep should be insane.

This one is going to be great.

1st Event Headlined by a Bantamweight or Featherweight Fight

This is a historic UFC event.

It is the first UFC card headlined by a fight at bantamweight or featherweight.

Depending on PPV numbers, this will show if the UFC has done enough to promote their new weight classes and fighters to the public.

Personally, I'd pay for this one, but I write about it.

What matters is if the casual fan or the fan who knew nothing of the WEC would pay for it.

We're going to find out.

It's July 4th, so There's Sure To Be Fireworks!

Pardon the awful pun, but it's true.

Every fight on this card has the potential to be outstanding.

Every fight is almost certain to produce—sigh—fireworks.

Thanks for Reading!

'Cause every slideshow needs a little Brittney.