The Past vs. The Present: Four Reasons To Watch UFC Fight Night 81

We are now just days away from a highly anticipated UFC card, as the Octagon is set to head to Boston, Massachusetts for UFC Fight Night 81 this Sunday (January 17, 2015) live on FOX Sports 1.

With an intriguing four fight main card, the promotion has stacked the deck from top to bottom, as the event promises to be a fantastic one.

As we near in on the action, let’s take a look at why you should consider clearing your schedule to watch UFC Fight Night 81:

Paul Felder on Fight Pass

The UFC has seemingly ramped up its promotional push for its online subscription service, Fight Pass, and that can continued to be seen here.

At the most recent UFC show, UFC 195, the promotion booked an intriguing clash between Dustin Poirier and Joe Duffy in the feature Fight Pass preliminary bout, and this time around we will be treated to yet another pairing of exciting lightweights in Paul Felder and Daron Cruickshank.

Despite losing his last two bouts to divisional mainstays Edson Barboza and Ross Pearson, Felder, known as “The Irish Dragon” is one of the most exciting fighters in the 155-pound weight class. Training with multi-time title challenger Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Felder is a black belt in Karate as well as a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

With a style seemingly tailored towards the fans, Felder possesses a vast arsenal of attacks including spinning maneuvers from every which angle and direction. With a solid chin as well, the 31 year old is a treat to watch.

Cruickshank has also dropped his last two bouts in the UFC. Also a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, we could be in for a striking contest between two men gunning for a victory.

If you’re on the fence about tuning into this event, spare the time simply for the almost guaranteed entertainment of “The Irish Dragon”.

A Clash of Hungry Heavyweights

No. 6 ranked heavyweight Travis “Hapa” Browne is a slugger in the truest since, possessing some serious power in his hands and kicks.

Despite his ferocious finishing ability, the Hawaiian has dropped two out of his last three bouts, slowly eliminating himself from the title picture. Taking on Matt Mitrione on the main card, however, he will get the chance to start his climb back up the divisional rankings.

Mitrione currently sits at No. 14 in the division, and will be looking to make a huge splash this weekend. “Meathead” was riding a three fight win streak that included three consecutive finishes before getting chocked out by Ben Rothwell last June. That being said, he too will be looking to bounce back.

Possessing excellent movement and footwork for a heavyweight, Mitrione may be a bit more technical than Browne, but the brutal force of “Hapa” can change things in a second.

It doesn’t get much better than a showdown between two heavyweight finishers both of which are desperate for a victory.

The Next Lightweight Title Challenger

It was recently confirmed that reigning lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will defend his title against 145-pound king Conor McGregor in the main event of March 5’s UFC 197 from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Although that bout is still a month and a half away, the next challenger to the 155-pound throne could very well be decided in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 81.

Former champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will make his first Octagon appearance since surrendering his belt last March as he takes on former Bellator boss Eddie “The Silent Assassin” Alvarez.

He may have suffered a devastating beating at the hands of dos Anjos, but “Showtime” remains amongst the division’s elite. Simply a special athlete, Pettis just seems to have the ability to do things inside of the cage that many others cannot, specifically with his flashy and unorthodox striking.

Alvarez on the other hand, is a tough and gritty veteran. With a background in wrestling, “The Silent Assassin” has established a crisp boxing arsenal over the years and possesses one of the best chins in the sport.

This fight has all of the makings to be an all-out war, and with a title shot potentially on the line, each man could possibly come out guns blazing.

The Past vs. The Present

Despite this card being packed with big fights, all eyes are dead set on the evening’s main event.

The headliner will feature the past vs. the present, the best that the bantamweight division has to offer.

Reigning divisional kingpin TJ Dillashaw will put his strap on the line for the third time against former champion and arguably the best 135-pounder of all-time in Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz.

The interesting part here, however, is that Cruz never actually lost his title, but has suffered a long line of tragic injuries. Going through multiple knee surgeries and a groin injury, “The Dominator” has only competed once over the last four years, forcing the UFC to strip him of his long held title in 2014.

While he was absent, Dillashaw was able to take over the division using quite a similar style to Cruz. Both men are outstanding when it comes to movement, footwork, and stance changing. Of course they have their differences, but the clash of styles is intriguing to say the least.

The two have also built quite a rivalry and all of our questions will be answered this weekend.

Simply one of the best possible fights the promotion could put together, we will finally truly find out who the man is at bantamweight.

You don’t want to miss this.