UFC 133 Fight Card: Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans and Top Fighters in UFC 133

UFC 133 may not be the most glamorous fight card UFC has ever produced, but what it lacks in vigor, it makes up for in resonance.

The main event with Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz will be the start of big things for the winner and a long, slow climb back into contention for the loser.  

Stay tuned for last-second predictions and updated results from UFC 133 in the City of Brotherly Love.

It's not often that a UFC fight card is without one of the world's top 10 pound-for-pound combatants, which makes UFC 133 something of an anomaly for the world's top mixed martial arts league. No Anderson Silva. No Georges St. Pierre. No Jon Jones.

No problem.

The lack of high-ranking talent will do little to diminish the intrigue and excitement that is sure to be generated by the names already on the bill.

Tonight's fights are filled with stories of redemption and ascension for old stalwarts and new faces alike, adding a poetic element to the drama that is sure to ensue in the Octagon at Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia.

Tito Ortiz

As far as names go, there is none bigger on the main card of UFC 133 than that of Tito Ortiz.

The Huntington Beach Bad Boy is out to prove that he's back for real after making Ryan Bader look like a chump with a first-round submission by guillotine choke at UFC 132 in July.

Ortiz's MMA career appeared to be on the ropes heading into that fight, as one might expect of a guy who hadn't won a match in four and a half years up to that point.

That decisive victory put Ortiz, who's finally healthy again after recovering from a series of surgeries on his spine, back on the MMA map.

Some would argue that another win tonight over Rashad Evans, the third-ranked light heavyweight fighter according to MMAWeekly.com, would entitle Ortiz to a shot at the divisional belt against the winner of the Jon Jones-Quinton "Rampage" Jackson bout at UFC 135.

From a business perspective, he certainly would. Granted, Ortiz isn't anywhere near the same fighter he was when his name was among the most popular in a young, growing sport.

Ortiz is among the last remaining links to the bygone years of UFC when Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell owned the Octagon. As such, Ortiz is also one of the more recognizable figures the sport has, particularly among casual observers of MMA.

A win for Ortiz tonight would also be a win for UFC, as it would thrust one of its aging stars back into the spotlight for one last shot at ultimate fighting glory. 

Rashad Evans

 Not that Rashad Evans is about to just take a dive and let the sport revel in Ortiz's comeback—nor should he.

"Suga" Rashad first rose to prominence as an undefeated kid who forced a draw with Ortiz at UFC 73 back in 2007. Since then, Evans has beaten a slew of big names, including Chuck Liddell, Thiago Silva and Rampage.

On the flip side, he's also suffered his first loss, a knockout to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 back in May of 2009, and passed up some good fights while waiting on a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, for which he was passed over by former friend Jon Jones, who took the belt from Mauricio Rua.

Evans will almost certainly be granted the opportunity to compete for the divisional crown if he puts Ortiz in his place tonight. Of course, he'll have to wait until after the Jones-Jackson bout at UFC 135 on September 24th to determine who to fight for it.

A Sugar-Rampage rematch would make for an interesting scenario, though a grudge-fueled brawl between Evans and Jones would likely generate far more interest.

Any talk of that nature will have to wait until the conclusion of tonight's festivities, as Evans might also find himself in the same spot that Ortiz was in just over a month ago.

That is to say, down and quite nearly out.

Yoshihiro Akiyama

As for the warm-up fights, the Vitor Belfort-Yoshihiro Akiyama fight figures to draw the heaviest viewership, though admittedly more to see Belfort presumably pummel Akiyama into submission.

As you might've gathered, Belfort is the prohibitive favorite to not only defeat Akiyama, but knock him out in the first or second round. The Japanese-Korean sensation has struggled to catch on in UFC, going 1-2 since joining the top fighting league in the world

By all accounts, Akiyama will be outmatched by the bigger, stronger Belfort. Akiyama is a decent all-around fighter but can't quite keep up with Belfort's outstanding stand-up style.

That being said, Belfort is one of the more enigmatic talents in the sport, looking unbeatable one fight and then wholly mediocre the next.

This fight could potentially make or break Akiyama's heretofore disappointing UFC career. As such, he'll have to hope for a poor effort by Belfort and a little bit of luck on his part to get himself off the proverbial cage fence and back into the center of the Octagon.  

For more coverage and complete results of UFC 133, check out Bleacher Report's Hub Page.