Unless for Shamar Bailey and Nick Pace, who during UFC 139 weigh ins, yesterday, failed to make their weight limit by three pounds and six pounds over, it’s all set for the Saturday event. After the two are fined 20 percent of their earnings the card is the same. What are your reason to watch it? Here goes 10 of them:
1. Mauricio Shogun – The former light heavyweight champion justified the poor performance against Jon Jones in May, when he lost the title, blaming the lack of motivation to train hard. But no sooner he recovered from the beating, Shogun saw himself desiring another chance of fighting for the silver belt. Against Dan Henderson, Shogun makes also a duel of generations, revenging his brother Ninja (who lost by decision) and the answer for the question: which of the two idols of the extinct Pride is the best? Shogun is the favorite.
2. Wanderlei Silva – Wand is Wand, and against Cung Le, the 35-year-old Brazilian wants to show that this punch is still fatal. “I made fatal mistakes against Leben, but I want to show that I’ve learned with them and prove to everyone that I can go on fighting in UFC”, said Silva, who has 48 fights in his career and wants to get to 50 still as a UFC star. Do not blink.
3. Dan Henderson – The 40-year-old wrestler succeeds Randy Couture as the loved of the veterans. Dan “Hollywood” hardly makes a warm fight, and won five fights in the last four by knockout. He only lost when was controlled on the ground by Jake Shields, during Strikeforce.
4. Urijah Faber – The rooster from the Golden State fights at home against the former champion Bowles, and at the press conference he attacked: “ I’ve learned that, like the UFC public relations professionals always ask us to explain everything like we were talking to people who don’t know the sport, I have to do the same with the jury. Some of them don’t know what they are doing. It was a great fight, I felt that I won 3 rounds, it’s hard to tell what they are scoring”, said him, still complaining about the loss by decision against the champion, Dominick Cruz. Will Faber let the decision on them again?
Wand hitWand attacks: if he beats the star Cung Le, Wand will fight during UFC Japan, in 2012. Dan Henderson i also quoted. Photo: UFC.
5. Miguel Torres – On Twitter, the charismatic lightweight socked it to them: “The destiny is always in our hands. At many times, we have to hit the destiny against other people’s faces, like I am going to do with Nick Pace on Saturday”. The self-confident Jiu-Jitsu ace was a student of Grand Master Carlson Gracie in the U.S. and fights in the preliminary card.
6. Ryan Bader – With a solid style, Bader was defeated in his last two appearances in UFC – but by the legends Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz. Now, he is coming for revenge.
7. Rafael dos Anjos vs Tibau – In the competition between the students of Roberto Gordo and Dedé Pederneiras, both have what it takes for the most exciting fight of the competition on the floor, if they have enough energy all the time.
8. Stephen Bonnar – The American is one of those who colect memorable… defeats. He lost to Lyoto Machida (in Jungle Fight 1!), to Forrest Griffin (it TUF, where it all started) and to Jon Jones. But always makes an exciting duel, if not bloody. Take the sensible kids out of the room and have fun.
9. Alex Soto – With Johnny Eduardo’s injury, a fighter from Tijuana arises, debuting in the UFC. This must be fun.
10. UFC virtual – the first duels can be seen on Facebook, where you can write comments with the guys and nobody has a good excuse to miss it. Also follow us at @Graciemag.
And you, what’s your reason to watch UFC 139 later? Write your comment here!
UFC 139
San José, California
November 19th 2011
Mauricio Shogun vs Dan Henderson
Wanderlei Silva vs Cung Le
Urijah Faber vs Brian Bowles
Martin Kampmann vs Rick Story
Stephan Bonnar Kyle Kingsbury
Preliminary card
Ryan Bader vs Jason Brilz
Michael McDonald vs Alex Soto
Facebook
Tom Lawlor vs Chris Weidman
Gleison Tibau vs Rafael dos Anjos
Miguel Torres vs Nick Pace
Matt Brown vs Seth Baczynski
Shamar Bailey vs Danny Castillo