UFC 123 Main Card Breakdown
The UFC returns to PPV this Saturday, November 20th as UFC 123 invades The Palace of Auburn Hills and returns to Michigan for the first time in over ten years. Three fighters have had to pull out due to injury and personal issues, but were all replaced and the show will go on.
Prior to the PPV kicking off at 10PM ET/7PM PT, there will be two preliminary fights being shown on Spike TV starting at 9PM ET/6PM PT. We’re going to break down the main card and take a look at how these guys match up.
To open up the PPV, TUF 6 alum George Sotiropoulos (13-2) takes on TUF 5 alum Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon (19-5) in the Lightweight Division. Both men are coming off impressive wins in their last fights and are hoping to take a victory here and move one more step towards a Lightweight Championship title shot. Neither man is known for knockout power, but it’s their jiu-jitsu that they will look to exploit and secure a submission victory. With twenty-two victories between the two, it may just be the striking that makes the difference in this fight.
Next fight is in the Light Heavyweight Division, “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis (7-0) will square off against Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch (12-3). Even though Davis won his last fight, he said he was disappointed in his performance and promised to do better. Boetsch might want to be worried because in that last fight Davis dominated Rodney Wallace for three rounds. Once cut from the UFC, Boetsch will definitely want to avoid a loss or at least put on a good performance. With each fight, Davis shows his improving skills and this fight should be no different. Tim Boetsch was also selected as the winner of the Tequila Cazadores Spirit Award.
The third fight of the night features TUF 7 alum Gerald “Hurricane” Harris (17-2) and UFC newcomer Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao (25-3) in the Middleweight Division. Harris is coming off a KO slam of David Branch and has finally earned himself a spot on the Main Card. Newcomer Falcao has fought mostly in his home country of Brazil, so not much is known about him. However, with a 25-3 record and a UFC debut on the Main Card of a PPV has definitely got to mean something. With only four decisions out of forty-seven fights between the two, you would probably be safe in betting your life savings that this one won’t be going to the judges.
The Co-Main Event for the night is a rubber match between former Welterweight Champion and Hall of Famer Matt Hughes (45-7) and former Welterweight and former Lightweight Champion BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (15-7-1). The first time these two met, it was Penn’s first fight at Welterweight and he shocked the world by submitting the defending Champion in the first round, taking his belt. Two years later, the two would meet again but with different results; Hughes defeated Penn via TKO in the third round and reclaimed the Welterweight Championship. Now, four years later, the two warriors will meet for a third time to settle the score once and for all. This time there will be no title on the line, but winner will leave the Octagon with the satisfaction of winning this three-part series. Hughes is working with a three-fight win streak and Penn is hoping to avoid a three-fight losing streak. Regardless of who wins or loses in this fight, it will definitely be an exciting one that will go down in history.
Finally, we reach the final fight of the evening. This Main Event fight matches up two former Light Heavyweight Champions as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-8) takes on Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (16-1). These two men both went into their title fights as the underdog and shocked the world by walking out as the new champion. They both also lost that championship in their second title defense. However, they are very different in the sense of fighting styles. Rampage uses his power and aggression to wear down his opponents and enforce his will and his game plan. Machida, on the other hand, uses finesse and counter-striking to get in and out of his opponents range and to frustrate his opponent to get them out of their comfort zone. With the way these two fight, when they finally come together, sparks will surely fly.
With so much riding for each of the fighters, this card should be exciting from start to finish. Each fight could put the winner one step closer to getting a title shot in their division, so don’t expect any fights to disappoint. After a seemingly failed trip to Germany, UFC 123 will be welcomed by media and fans alike. You’re definitely not going to want to miss this card, so be sure to tune in to Spike TV and order the PPV so as to not miss any of the action!
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Aspiring chef turned MMA writer after financial issues prevented me from pursuing my first dream. Ever since I started watching MMA, I've read up about it and talk about it all the time and with the encouragement of family and friends I finally decided to actively pursue a career in writing about it.Subscribe
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