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 173: Machida Replaces Belfort in Title Fight

There has been a major change to the UFC 173 card as the main event has changed.  Due to the recent NSAC changes, UFC Middleweight contender Vitor Belfort has been forced to pull out of his title fight with current Champion Chris Weidman.  Vitor Belfort is perhaps the scrutinized TRT user currently signed on the UFC roster despite other big name users also using the testosterone balancing treatment.  With Belfort out of the title fight with Weidman, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida has been booked as his replacement to fight for the title.

Lyoto Machida is coming off a close decision victory over former multi-promotion champion, Gegard Mousasi.  Machida made his 185 lb debut at the end of 2013 after defeating top ten contender and friend, Mark Munoz.  He first decided to drop to middleweight after a highly controversial decision loss to Phil Davis at UFC 163.  Many felt that Machida clearly won the fight, but he still fell short on the judges' scorecards.

Lyoto Machida may only sport a 2-0 record in the UFC's Middleweight Division, but he is definitely a worthy and deserving challenger.  His two fights at 185 lbs. both earned him post-fight bonuses.  He earned KO of the Night over Mark Munoz and Fight of the Night in his most recent bout with Gegard Mousasi.  As a Light Heavyweight, Lyoto Machida had a record of 11-4 with all of his wins clear decisions or stoppages.  His four losses came by the hands of three current or former UFC champions (Mauricio Rua, Quinton Jackson and Jon Jones) and one top ten contender (Phil Davis).  His fights with Mauricio Rua and Jon Jones were stoppages, but his fights with Jackson and Davis could arguably have been wins for Machida.

Machida has an evasive style similar to Anderson Silva, but with a greater emphasis on complete evasiveness and not just head movement.  Machida has an unorthodox fighting style that I believe will give Weidman some trouble and make it hard for Weidman to grab a hold of him.  If Weidman wants to gain a victory over Machida, He will need to somehow cut off the cage from Machida, grab him and smash him on the ground.  I don't see Weidman earning a quick KO over Machida.  I feel that Weidman will have to work hard for a win over Machida.  He'll be playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse that usually frustrates most of Machida's opponents.  Will he be able to retain the title against a man who I feel is a tougher test than Anderson Silva.  Only time will tell and I am excited to find out.

UFC 173 Update: Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva Rescheduled

Only a few days ago, the UFC announced that the grudge match between Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen would be co-headlining UFC 173 in Las Vegas.  Now it has been announced that the UFC will be moving that match to be the main event of a Fox Sports 1 card on May 31st, a week after UFC 173.  The card will act as the Finale for TUF Brazil 3, which both men are coaches to the all Brazilian cast.  According to Dana White, the two coaches have already come to blows while filming the show in Brazil.