UFC 130 Fight Card: Michael McDonald and 8 Fighters We Want to See on Main Card

It may not be as much of a demand as it used to be to see the preliminary fighters on the main card of a major UFC PPV, but there are several fighters who are about to break into main-card status and probably deserve their chance soon.

With the majority of PPV preliminary bouts being broadcast on Facebook and Spike TV, many fans will get the chance to see up-and-comer bantamweight Michael McDonald (12-1) take on Chris Cariaso (11-2), which will be broadcast on the Facebook portion of UFC 130 this weekend.

Other fights to be included on the Facebook broadcast include Renan Barao vs. Cole Escovedo and Gleison Tibau vs. Rafaello Oliveira.

Spike TV fights include Kendall Grove vs. Tim Boetsch and Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson.

The main card will feature Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill, Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson, Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story, Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne and Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago.

No. 8: Erik Koch (12-1)

The majority of the fighters on this list are former WEC fighters, and it's easy to see why they haven't made their way onto a main card just yet.

Many are still establishing their reputation, including Eric Koch, a 22-year-old from Iowa.

With a 12-1 record overall and a 1-0 record inside the Octagon, this young featherweight wins and puts on exciting fights at the same time.

His UFC debut was a highlight-reel knockout over former contender Rafael Assuncao at UFC 128.

He is next fight will be against Cub Swanson at UFC 132.

No. 7: Dustin Poirier (9-1)

As the featherweight division awaits its next best challenger for current champion Jose Aldo, Dustin Poirier is making waves on the undercard.

His win over Josh Grispi at UFC 125 was a huge upset and a big victory for his career. Many were not expecting the 22-year-old to defeat the highly-touted Grispi, but he did just that and won a unanimous decision.

Of his nine victories, five have come by knockout.

His next bout will be against newcomer Jason Young at UFC 131.

No. 6: Demetrious Johnson (9-1)

"Mighty Mouse" Demetrious Johnson is a perfect example of what the bantamweight division is all about.

He is an explosive, fast and dynamic fighter with a well-rounded skillset all based around his wrestling. He used it to defeat Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto in his UFC debut at UFC 126.

If there is one fighter that best represents the lightest division inside the biggest promotion, it's Johnson. His current status in the bantamweight division has earned him a fight against former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres this weekend.

His fight with Torres will be broadcast on the Spike TV portion of UFC 130. 

No. 5: Alexander Gustafsson (11-1)

Alexander Gustafsson made his UFC debut in 2009 when he knocked out Jared Hamman in 41 seconds. That resounding victory was followed by his only defeat to Phil Davis, one of the best prospects in the light-heavyweight division.

Since then, he has gone 2-0 with wins over James Te-Huna and Cyrille Diabate.

His next bout will be against MMA veteran Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 133. It hasn't been confirmed on whether or not this is an undercard bout, but it's a safe bet it will be.

No. 4: Edson Barboza (8-0)

Undefeated lightweight Edson Barboza is one of the most exciting up-and-comers in the UFC, and his fights versus Mike Lullo and Anthony Njokuani are a testament to that.

He earned fight of the night honors against Njokuani after the two battled back-and-forth for three rounds. Barboza won a unanimous decision after landing a spectacular kick to his opponent's head to end the third round.

His next bout will be against Ross Pearson in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at UFC 133.

No. 3: Pablo Garza (11-1)

It isn't too often fans get to see a flying triangle choke inside the UFC, but what about a knockout from a flying knee?

Pablo Garza pulled off both and picked up two fight night awards, including a $129,000 submission of the night bonus for his win over Yves Jabouin at UFC 129 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

If neither of those two finishes call for this guy to be a main-card attraction, I don't know what will.

It's time to start featuring the featherweight fighters more prominently inside the UFC, and it might start with Garza.

No. 2: Michael McDonald (12-1)

Michael McDonald is the sixth fighter on this list to have one loss, but that doesn't hold him or anyone else back from having the best success possible. All of their futures look very bright, win or lose. It's their fighting styles that make them what they are.

McDonald put on a show in front of 13,000 fans at Ultimate Fight Night 24 when he took Edwin Figueroa the distance and won a unanimous decision. It was an exciting fight throughout and earned the 20-year-old a $55,000 fight of the night bonus

His preliminary fight at this weekend's UFC 130 show will be against Chris Cariaso. It will be shown on Facebook.

No. 1: John Makdessi (9-0)

John Makdessi hasn't fought outside of Canada, and he likes to put on memorable performances in front of his hometown fans every time he fights.

He was one of the most exciting prospects when he made his debut at UFC 124, but his spinning-back-fist at UFC 129 took his potential to a whole other level.

If the UFC is looking for the younger fighters to build up their highlight reels for their main-card debut, Makdessi already has one made.

Look for his next fight to be included on the main card.

UFC 130: News, Results, Predictions and More