TJ Dillashaw Gets a Shot at Barao at UFC 173

UFC 173 on May 24th was originally scheduled to showcase a title fight between UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, but an injury has forced that match to be postponed until UFC 175 .  Now the UFC has put the undisputed Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao in the main event spot against T.J. Dillashaw.  Dillashaw is 9-2 in his professional career and 5-2 since joining the UFC. Dillashaw is a technical fighter with enough skills to put on a decent fight against Barao but I see Barao coming away with the victory.

UFC 173: Junior dos Santos Returns Against Miocic and Other Bouts!

UFC 173 is shaping up to be a solid card just in time for the summer as Lyoto Machida has stepped up to face UFC Chris Weidman for the UFC Middleweight Championship.  A huge fight has been added to what was already an attractive fight.  The UFC has confirmed that former UFC champ Junior dos Santos will be facing fellow heavyweight striker Stipe Miocic in Las Vegas this May.

Both men represent the cream of the crop in the UFC's Heavyweight Division and are outstanding strikers.  The biggest question that comes to mind when I heard about this fight is how much has JDS improved his wrestling since getting throttled by Cain Velasquez in their las bout this past October.  It makes one wonder if he will be able to handle Miocic's elite wrestling.  Like Velasquez, Miocic comes from a very high caliber wrestling background.  I love to see a good grappling match or clinch fight, but between two men with accurate heat-seeking missiles like the two of them, I hope the fight stays on the feet.  Both men have technical striking plus power.

Who wins at UFC 173?

Junior dos Santos

Stipe Miocic

Poll Maker

Below is the list of confirmed bouts scheduled to take place on May 24, 2014:

UFC 173 Fight Card*

Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida
Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Mioci
Jamie Varner vs. James Krause
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Tony Ferguson vs. Katsunori Kikuno
Chris Holdsworth vs. Kyung Ho Kang
Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia
Al Iaquinta vs. Mitch Clarke
Mike Chiesa vs. Francisco Trinaldo
Yves Edwards vs. Piotr Hallmann 

* as of 3/4/14. Card subject to change

UFC Fight Night 35 Results

Main Card:

Luke Rockhold def. Costas Philippou, TKO (Round 1, 2:31)
Brad Tavares def. Lorenz Larkin, unanimous decision
T.J. Dillashaw def. Mike Easton, unanimous decision
Yoel Romero def. Derek Brunson, TKO (Round 3, 3:23)
John Moraga def. Dustin Ortiz, Split decision
Cole Miller def. Sam Sicilia, Submission (Round 2, 1:57)

Prelims:

Ramsey Nijem def. Justin Edwards, unanimous decision
Elias Silverio def. Isaac Vallie-Flagg, unimous decision
Trevor Smith def. Brian Houston, Split decision
Louis Smolka def. Altepkin Ozkilic, unanimous decision
Vinc Pichel def. Garett Whiteley, unanimous decision
Beneil Dariush def. Charlie Brenneman, Submission (Round 1, 1:45)

UFC Fight Night Results

Main card

Jake Shields def. Demian Maia via split decision

Dong Hyun Kim def. Erick Silva via second-round KO 

Thiago Silva def. Matt Hamill via unanimous decision 

Fabio Maldonado def. Joey Beltran via split decision 

Rousimar Palhares def. Mike Pierce via submission (heel hook)

Raphael Assuncao def. T.J. Dillashaw via split decision

Preliminary card

Igor Araujo def. Ildemar Alcantara via unanimous decision

Yan Cabral def. David Mitchell via unanimous decision 

Chris Cariaso def. Iliarde Santos via second-round TKO