The main showdown for the light heavyweight title will be disputed between an exciting matchup, Lyoto Machida versus Mauricio Rua, preceded by a main card that could stand on its own. The main card matchups are as follows:
Machida vs. Shogun (Light Heavyweight Championship)
The question is, "Can Machida’s formidable 15-0 record stand up to the test of a tough opponent like Mauricio “Shogun” Rua? "Machida has proved time and time again that hie has swift footwork, impeccable timing, and unorthodox takedowns, though, I get the feeling that Shogun may be the toughest opponent that Machida has yet to face. For one, the hard hitting and aggressive Shogun has nothing to lose in this fight. Shogun has had his ups and downs in the UFC, from a submission loss to Forrest Griffin to his destruction of a hall-of-famer Chuck Liddell. Outside the octagon, Shogun has had noteworthy wins over the likes of Ricardo Arona and Quinton Jackson among many others. Neither Machida nor Shogun are lacking in the experience department. They are both very well-rounded practitioners; Karate versus Muay Thai; Technique versus raw power. Or is it powerful technique versus technical power? This one could go either way. The deciding factor may be how long Machida can avoid being hit before a frustrated Shogun relinquishes ring control and enough small points in order to lose a decision after 5 rounds. Is it possible to get Machida fighting from his back? If so, this may be the best case scenario for Shogun to use his jiu jistu skills, but will have to use nasty striking to set up the ground fight, Shogun must come in great shape and injury free if he is going to stand a chance. On the flip side, Machida can not afford to take Shogun's power. Whoever can stick with their game plan the longest will win.
Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell
This is a fight that is sort of happening by accident as both fighters planned to fight other opponents. Cain Velasquez was originally slated to tee off with Shane Carwin, until Carwin was promoted to heavyweight title contender. Velasquez is currently undefeated with a record of 6 wins and 0 losses, and his last fight came by a unanimous decision over the top-ten fighter, Cheick Kongo. Impressively, most of Velasquez’ wins have come by way of TKO stoppage, but Velasquez will now face an experienced and game opponent in Ben Rothwell.
Rothwell (30-6), was supposed to fight Chase Gormley in the now defunct Affliction. He is 14-1 in his last 15 bouts, and has notable wins over Travis Fulton, Krzysztof Soszynski, and Ricco Rodriguez. This matchup between Velasquez and Rothwell could be a standup war against two competent strikers, but Valsquez has far more superior wrestling skills. Rothwell, albeit more experienced, will face a highly talented Velasquez who is highly motivated after expressing discontent over his last performance. The winner of this fight should be next in line to face Brock Lesnar.
Joe Stevenson vs. Spenser Fischer
This lightweight match up is between two fighters who always find themselves at the top of the pack. This fight is pivotal for both competitors to sneak back into title contention. Stevenson (30-10) is young but experienced with impressive grappling credentials and much improved striking skills to match. After two straight losses in the UFC to Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez, Stevenson recently answered back with an impressive win over Nate Diaz. He will now face the hard hitting Spencer Fisher who has won four of his past fights. Fischer (23-4) also has notable wins over Caol Uno, Jeremy Stevens, and Thiago Alves.
Gleison Tibau vs. Josh Neer
Originally, Gleison Tibau (19-6) was to fight Sean Sherk, but Sherk was forced to pull out of the fight after a shoulder injury. Sherk is being replaced by Josh Neer (35-8-1) for this lightweight matchup. Recently, Tibau, a submission specialist, lost a split-decision to Melvin Guillard, while Neer loss a unanimous decision to Kurt Pelligrino. Both fighters are looking to erase recent losses, and put together a great performance.
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
The last fight earning a spot on Pay-Per-View is between Anthony Johnson (7-2) and Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3). Johnson is an explosive and strong fighter at welterweight, and has knockout his last two opponents. Yoshiyuki Yoshida, who has only been knockout once, is coming off of a first round finish of Brandon Wolff. Both fighters have potentially bright futures in the UFC, as Georges St. Pierre has found himself without many threatening contenders.
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