UFC 82: What is on the line on March 1?
Before getting into predictions for UFC 82, here is a look at what is on the line for each fighter.
Anderson Silva vs Dan Henderson
Both fighters are in different situations; Dan Henderson has nothing to lose, while Anderson Silva has everything to lose. Henderson’s victory over Wanderlai Silva has solidified him among one of the greatest fighters of all time, his place in history is set. However the win will further push his legacy to the next level. Add the UFC Middleweight title to Henderson’s resume and you have one of the greatest, if not the greatest career in the short history of mixed martial arts.
As for the champion, with a victory over Henderson, you are looking at the un-questioned pound for pound best fighter in the world in Silva. If Silva is able to defeat Henderson then you are looking at a fighter who has ran through the competition and will run through the competition quite some time. On top of that, if Silva is able to handle Henderson’s strength in this bout, then you could possibly see Silva step up to the much more competitive Light Heavyweight division.
Heath Herring vs Cheick Kongo
This heavyweight bout sets up to fighters that are at separate crossroads in their careers. Cheick Kongo’s star has risen thanks to an upset victory over Mirko CroCop, however the Kongo bandwagon will not gain full steam until he shows improvement in his wrestling. Early in his career he was mauled by Carmelo Marrero, who was a light heavyweight that was fighting above his natural weight class. Wrestling was something that he didn’t have to worry about against CroCop. As a strong striker, the bout will all depend on where Kongo’s wrestling abilities currently lie.
Heath Herring is fighting for a job, pure and simple. Herring’s contract was among the assets that Zuffa purchased in the WFA deal and with it came a steep price for a fighter who was essentially a journeyman. Now Herring, who has faced some of the toughest heavyweights in the world, has to show that he was worth the investment or he may be looking for a new job.
Jon Fitch vs Chris Wilson
A welterweight title shot could be at stake for Jon Fitch if he has an impressive showing at UFC 82. The public see this bout against Chris Wilson as a walk in the park and if Fitch struggles then he may not get the title shot that he justly deserve. Fitch and Parisyan are pretty much neck and neck for the next title shot and a strong impression against Chris Wilson will put some heat on “The Heat” come April 12 in his bout against Thiago Alves.
The shot at stake for Chris Wilson is to shock the world. There is no better way to make a name for you then to upset the heavy favorite, just ask Matt Serra. The Team Quest fighter is going to step into the octagon with nothing to lose and everything to gain. An educated fan may know that Wilson is no joke, but can gain main stream success with a victory over a fighter in Fitch who hasn’t lost in 4 years. Big wins equal big sponsorships.
Yushin Okami vs Evan Tanner
Though this fight is more about the return to the octagon for Evan Tanner, the bout has more implications for Yushin Okami. Especially if Anderson Silva is victorious on the cards main event, Okami could be next in line for a middleweight title shot with a victory over a former champion in Tanner. Okami holds the last victory over “The Spider” before both fighters were in the UFC. The controversy from that bout would give the title fight a little more hype.
It has a long road back to the UFC for Tanner and a victory would infuse a little sizzle into a dull middleweight division. The lack of contenders makes the division look weak but there hasn’t been a fighter outside of Okami or Nate Marquadt to really establish them among the top of the division. A win for Tanner will put him in the right direction.
Alessio Sakara vs Chris Leben
The bout that is guaranteed to be slugfest can help build up a fighter. If the Chris Leben that showed up against Terry Martin appears, than Sakara will be in trouble. The Leben that fought against Martin was a different Leben, he fought a more mature fight. He was light years away from the fighter that lost two out of three previous fights in the octagon. A win here against “Legionarius” will put Leben a fight or two away from title contention.
Sakara is in a situation where his stock as a fighter can either soar or falter. A win will push his stock further after defeating a popular fighter, while a loss will squash the momentum he gained knocking out James Lee. There is a thin line between a contender and out of a job and Sakara is square in the middle. If Sakara doesn’t want to resume his boxing career in Italy, than a win is a must .
Jake O’Brien vs Andrei Arlovski
The heavyweight tilt has much on the line. In what can ultimately be Andrei Arlovski’s final match in the UFC, Arlovski needs to shed the resent label of a boring fighter if he wants the big money he feels he deserves. A quick exciting fight will go a long way for “The Pit Bull” in his quest to regain the UFC Heavyweight title.
“Irish” Jake O’Brien won the biggest fight of his career against Heath Herring well over a year ago. Things were looking bright than a neck surgery sidelined him. There isn’t a tougher comeback fight than Arlovski, an upset over the Belarus native will put him on the short list of title contender for Nogueira or Couture if he decides to come back.
Josh Koscheck vs Dustin Hazelett amd Diego Sanchez vs David Bielkheden
Both fights have the same situations going. Josh Koscheck and Diego Sanchez both loss fights that put them out of title contention. Now they are both on the undercard and need a win to get them going in the right direction. A loss for either Ultimate Fighter 1 might put them in the WEC or worse.
Hazelett needs that big win that will put his name in the deep mix at welterweight. Bielkheden is in the same situation as Chris Wilson, only greater. What better way to make a name for yourself then to defeat the fighter who became popular on the most important show in UFC history. This could be the coming out party for either fighter.
Luigi Fioravanti vs Luke Cummo
Since losing to Joe Stevenson on the Ultimate Fighter 2 finale, Luke Cummo has continued to improve and has slowly but surely made a name for him in a competitive welterweight division. a win here and Cummo will push him up the ranks. You may see on Cummo on the televised portion of the next Ultimate Fight Night if he wins.
Fioravanti is in a different situation, after consecutive loses, he had to score a victory outside of the octagon in order to get another shot in the big show. If Fioravanti wants to continue fighting in the UFC then he needs to defeat Cummo.
John Halverson vs Jorge Gurgel
The likely opening bout of the evening has two fighters who may have their jobs on the line here. John Halverson’s UFC debut lasted all of 19 seconds against Roger Huerta. A win here will bring Halverson back to the big show; a loss here sends him back down to the smaller circuits because you don’t get a call back from the UFC at 0-2.
Ultimate Fighter 2 star Jorge Gurgel is in quite the predicament, he has world class jiu-jitsu but he likes to get himself in the slug fest. While Gurgel has good stand up but he can defeat almost anybody at 155 pounds on the ground. Catering to the crowd may cause him to lose his job if he is unable to defeat Halverson.
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