Those who have been following the main debates in the MMA world in recent days have noticed that UFC 178 has been the center of several discussions, especially about which fight arouses the most interest among fans. Amidst the great diversity of responses, one thing is certain: few have highlighted the main struggle between Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso, for the flyweight belt, in the matter.
The main justifications for this phenomenon are two: the UFC's lighter categories, especially the flyweight division (with a weight limit of up to 57 kg), have historically found it more difficult to attract the attention of the general public, regardless of the quality of the spectacle they deliver. ; and this Saturday's card (27) in Las Vegas (USA) is one of the most packed with great fights of all time.
For comparison purposes, with regard to the representation of the athletes involved and their potential as a combat, from the last fight on the preliminary card onwards, any of the fights would be able to take the place of the duel between Danny Castillo and Tony Ferguson, which was the co-main event of Ultimate's most recent card, number 177.
With stars like Conor McGregorEddie Alvarez Dominick Cruz, Donald Cerrone, Zingano cat, Tim Kennedy and others, UFC 178 takes place this Saturday (27), at the MGM Grand Graden Arena, in Las Vegas (USA). The event is scheduled to start at 20pm, according to official Brasília time.
On the rise, Irish Conor McGregor steals the scene
With just over a year in the UFC, the Irishman Conor McGregor He has already become one of the organization's main athletes, and without a doubt the main prospect in terms of his marketing and promotional potential. The former Cage Warriors champion has been breaking the featherweight ranks since arriving in the division and will face his biggest challenge in the Octagon yet: Dustin poirier.
During the promotion of the event, McGregor and Poirier stole the show, always exchanging harsh words and increasing the tension in the environment when they met. The pair almost started a fight during a press conference last Wednesday (25) and was responsible for the hottest moment of the official weigh-in, when they gave up the traditional confrontation to exchange insults and threats.
Although the initial expectation is that the winner of the duel between Cub swanson e Frankie Edgar, already announced for the end of this year, will be the next challenger for the featherweight belt, which José Aldo defends against Chad Mendes At UFC Rio 5, no one doubts that McGregor can once again leave his category rivals behind and secure a title shot if he beats Poirier. Likewise, Dustin would also add a lot to his record with a victory over the Irishman, which would extend his undefeated streak to four victories.
Even without the spotlight, Johnson seeks to defend his belt for the fifth time
The flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson He is certainly not what you would call the center of attention at UFC 178, even though he is responsible for the fight that headlines the card. Still, Johnson is looking to set another impressive mark in the division this Saturday: extending his streak of consecutive title defenses to five.
Johnson's opponent will be the American Chris Cariaso, considered by bookmakers to be the biggest underdog of the night. If the zebra takes a trip to Las Vegas and Cariaso wins the fight, those who decided to bet on the challenger would take home no less than eleven times the amount invested.
In his fourth fight of the year, Cerrone welcomes former Bellator champion
When Donald Cerrone declared that he was broke and that he would like to fight four or more times this year, many doubted it. But it turns out that the “Cowboy” managed to put together a sequence of good victories, in which it was also possible to preserve himself physically to remain ready to fight again soon. In his fourth fight of 2014, Cerrone will face his toughest opponent yet: former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, who makes his UFC debut after a long period of litigation with his former organization.
The only Brazilian on the night fights with an eye on a title shot
The fight that opens the UFC 178 main card is the only one to feature a Brazilian presence in the Octagon. The person responsible for representing the country at the event is the Bahian woman Amanda nunes. Amanda faces the number one ranking in the women's bantamweight division Zingano cat. According to president Dana White, the fight will define the champion's next challenger Ronda Rousey.
After almost three years, Dominick Cruz is back against Takeya Misugaki
Another very special moment on fight night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena is the fight that closes the preliminary card. That's because, when he steps into the octagon, the former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will be about to have his first fight since October 1, 2011, when he coincidentally won Demetrious Johnson – which closes this Saturday’s event. In his return after a series of injuries that took him out of action and even cost him his belt, Cruz will face Japanese Takeya Mizugaki, currently fifth in the division's rankings.
Check out the full UFC 178 card below:
MAIN CARD
Flies: Demetrious Johnson x Chris Cariaso;
Mild: Donald Cerrone x Eddie Alvarez;
Feathers: Dustin poirier x Conor McGregor;
Medium: Tim Kennedy x Yoel romero;
Roosters: Zingano cat x Amanda nunes;
PRELIMINARY CARD
Roosters: Dominick Cruz x Takeya Mizugaki;
Mild: Jorge masvidal xJames Krause;
Welterweights: Patrick Coté x Stephen Thompson;
Welterweights: John Howard vs. Brian Ebersole;
Mild: Jon Tuck x Kevin Lee;
Roosters: Manny Gamburyan x Cody Gibson
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