The 5 most interesting UFC fights this Friday

Travis Browne in staredown with Antonio Silva at UFC on FX 5 weigh-ins / Publicity photo

by Vitor Freitas

UFC on Fox 5 is going down in Minneapolis, USA this Friday, with a clash of titans between Brazil’s Antonio Silva and Hawaii’s Travis Browne headlines the card.

But that’s not the only interesting matchup on the night, as you can see:

1. ANTONIO SILVA VS. TRAVIS BROWNE

There’s a reason it’s the main event. The more famous Silva is looking to recover from the knockout he suffered at the hands of the powerful Cain Velasquez, but he has his hands full in Travis, who holds a record of 13 wins and one draw. The Hawaiian “Hapa” will be looking to use his boxing and Thai boxing skills, while the Brazilian black belt in Jiu-Jitsu will be looking for the takedown and ground and pound.

2. JUSSIER FORMIGA VS. JOHN DODSON

Making his debut in the promotion, Brazil’s Jussier Formiga takes on game wrestler John Dodson. The American holds two wins in the organization and loves shooting takedowns. The winner is tipped to challenge Demetrius Johnson for the newly minted flyweight belt.

3. JOSH NEER VS. JUSTIN EDWARDS

Josh Neer was on a roll with six straight wins but was halted by the hard-nosed Mike Pyle. Wielding what he does best, his striking, Neer will be taking it to Justin Edwards, who will be trying to right his ship in the event since losing to John Maguire. Edward’s is savvy with his takedowns, so let’s see what happens.

4. CARLO PRATER VS. MARCUS LEVESSEUR

Brazil’x Carlo Prater is coming off a loss to TJ Grant, and with the experience he has he could turn things around in the UFC if he beats Levesseur. Carlo is strong with submissions, even having tapped out Carlos Condit in bygone days, and he’ll be looking to keep it on the ground.

5. DIEGO NUNES VS. BART PALASZEWSKI

Brazil’s Diego Nunes is coming off a loss to Russian-German Dennis Siver and will be looking to improve on his 2-win, 2-loss UFC record. Bart Palaszewski is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt but has a penchant for straight-out standing firefights, and this time will be no different. Diego will likely try to stand and bang to set up takedowns and work for a submission on the ground.