Rising Stars: Four Reasons To Watch UFC Fight Night 80

The UFC has stacked the deck for madness next week, as the company has scheduled three cards in three days consisting of some pretty huge fights to cater to our needs as fight fans.

With all eyes on the main attraction, UFC 194 which will go down on December 12, 2015 live on pay-per-view, the two cards preceding the massive event have seemed to fly under the radar a bit which is unfortunate considering the exciting fights that will be taking place.

First up is UFC Fight Night 80 which is set for Thursday Decemer 10, 2015 live on UFC Fight Pass. The card may not be the deepest of the weekend, but it still possesses some intriguing bouts and will put some rising young talent on display.

Let’s take a look at four reasons why you should watch UFC Fight Night 80:

4. The Future of the Bantamweight Division?

In a division desperately lacking contenders, No. 5-ranked bantamweight Aljamain “The Funk Master” Sterling could indeed be the future of the 135-pound division.

After campaigning months and months for a fight on social media, and calling out almost every name in the division, the Serra-Longo product was finally paired up against No. 10-ranked veteran Johnny Eduardo.

Sterling is undefeated in his career, and has won all three of his Octagon fights including two by way of finish. Most recently, he choked out long-time divisional main stay Takeya Mizugaki last April.

Eduardo has won two in a row of his own, but hasn’t competed since 2014. He should, however, be able to provide a stiff test for the rising New Yorker.

Some have voiced their displeasure for Sterling being thrown on the preliminary portion of the card, but either way, fans will be treated to a top tier young and exciting bantamweight.

3. The UFC’s New Golden Boy

You’ve probably heard the name Sage Northcutt by now, as the 19-year-old phenom from Texas has taken the sport by storm.

He first gained attention when he appeared on the UFC’s new YouTube series “Looking for a Fight” that features UFC president Dana White traveling the country in search of new and upcoming talent.

“Super Sage” would soon make his UFC debut on the UFC 192 Fight Pass Prelims last October, and the result was triumphant, as Northcutt would blast veteran Francisco Trevino in just 57 seconds.

The young star seemed to be a breath of fresh air and has received a ton of media attention. He was quickly booked to take on Cody Pfister next week and will likely receive just as much attention and hype.

Pfister is just 1-1 in the UFC, but is coming off of a win over Yoenis Cedeno last July.

Can the UFC’s new golden boy continue his rise?

2. A Battle of Crafty Grapplers

The co-main of the evening actually has the potential to be an exciting matchup between two lightweight grappling gurus as savy veteran Jim Miller will take on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Live winner Michael Chiesa.

While Miller has hit some rough times as of late, losing two out of his last three, he is a long-time veteran of 20 UFC fights and has remained somewhat relevant for years now. Owning 13 wins by way of submission, Miller is a former division 1 wrestler as well as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, making him a constant threat on the ground.

A younger combatant, Chiesa is currently 5-3 in the UFC and has won three of his last four. He too has proven to be skillful and dangerous on the ground, with eight of his 12 victories coming via submission.

While the name value may not necessarily be there, this co-main event could surprise many and turn out to be a fun contest.

1. A Real Test

When the UFC strawweight division debuted on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), UFC president Dana White claimed that there was a Ronda Rousey like star competing and he was referring to Rose Namjunas.

However, it seems as if rising contender Paige VanZant is now the strawweight being bred for superstardom. She has the looks, the personality, and the charisma to do so and she will now be headlining her first card against …. You guessed it… Namajunas.

“12 Guage” has proven herself inside the Octagon thus far, as she currently stands at 3-0 in the UFC with victories over Kaitlin Curran, Felice Herrig, and Alex Chambers with two of those wins coming by way of finish.

Although only 3-2 in her career, Namajunas is a former title challenger and is currently the third ranked 115-pounder in the world, making her the toughest test of VanZant’s career.

Will the rising prospect in “12 Guage” continue to live up to the hype, or will Namajunas continue her climb back to another title shot?

Tune in to see.