Countdown To UFC 173: Three Blockbuster Bouts On Tap
UFC 173 is set to pop off live this Saturday night (May 24, 2014) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Featuring a stacked main card with three absolutely pivotal match-ups, the card has massive potential to be one of the best pay-per-view (PPV) events of 2014.
The evening’s featured bout is a bantamweight title affair between surging titleholder Renan Barao and upstart challenger TJ Dillashaw, a fight that was booked after middleweight champion Chris Weidman was forced out of UFC 173’s headlining spot with minor knee surgeries. With an insane 33-fight unbeaten streak to his name, Barao is quickly making a strong case for being the world’s No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter.
He’ll face off with the talented Dillashaw, the Team Alpha Male product who has won five out of his past six. Ultimate Fighting Championship caught up with both champion and contender for their traditional ‘Countdown’ series heading into this week’s blockbuster bout:
With a light heavyweight title shot reportedly on the line, Daniel Cormier and Dan Henderson will fight for high stakes in the co-main event. The undefeated Cormier recently made his way down to 205 pounds, starching late replacement Patrick Cummins at UFC 170.
He’s yet to face a top-ranked light heavyweight, so No. 6-ranked “Hendo” fits that bill perfectly. The 43-year-old grandfather of MMA recently snapped a three-fight skid with an epic come-from-behind knockout of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the main event of UFC Fight Night 38 in late March.
Most are giving Cormier the clear advantage everywhere this fight goes, but you can never count out the one-punch knockout power a grizzled vet like Henderson:
UFC 173’s third blockbuster bout is a crucial welterweight contest between No. 1-ranked Robbie Lawler and No. 5 Jake Ellenberger. “Ruthless” lost a close decision to newly crowned 170-pound champion Johny Hendricks at UFC 171, a fight where he nearly finished “Bigg Rigg” in the middle rounds. But Lawler couldn’t get finish the job, and Hendricks used his vaunting wrestling to seal the deal in the fifth.
He’ll face a dangerous opponent in Ellenberger, the highly ranked challenger who is looking to right the ship after a lackluster decision loss to Rory MacDonald way back at UFC on FOX 8 last July. Ellenberger is a tough challenger for sure, but his last two wins were over Nate Marquardt and Jay Hieron, so the pressure will be on in Las Vegas:
Photo: Joe Camporeale for USA TODAY Sports
