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Here's the official UFC 207: Nunes vs Rousey fight card
The return of Ronda Rousey at UFC 207 is officially just a couple weekends away, and it’s quite possibly the best gift the UFC could have given fans for the holidays.
Rousey returns to take on Amanda Nunes as they headline an action-packed card set for Dec. 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC has officially finalized the full fight card, so let’s take a look at the other bouts scheduled for UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey
UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey Main Card
Amanda Nunes (13-4) vs. Ronda Rousey (12-1)
Former dominant women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey makes her return to the Octagon after more than a year away to try to win back the belt she lost the last time she fought in the UFC.
Regardless of what happens on Saturday night, Rousey will always be regarded as one of the greatest UFC champion ever and she really doesn’t have anything to prove to the millions of fans that watched her win the belt and defend it multiple times, including a few times in under a minute.
However, Rousey feels she needs to silence the critics following the only loss in her career, and will attempt to do so against current champion Amanda Nunes.
Nunes won the title by submitting Miesha Tate at UFC 200 and has wins over the likes of Sara McMann and Valentina Shevchenko under her belt. If she can keep Rousey from getting her hands on the belt again, it might be a while before the 135-pound title changes hands.
Dominick Cruz (22-1) vs. Cody Garbrandt (10-0)
Another bantamweight title fight highlights the co-main event at UFC 207, but this time in the men’s division. Dynamic champion Dominick Cruz puts his belt on the line against hard-hitting No. 1 contender Cody Garbrandt in his second title defense of his second run as UFC champion.
After fighting just once in four years, Cruz won the belt back from TJ Dillashaw before going on to beat longtime rival Urijah Faber at UFC 199 in June. The win was Cruz’s second straight win over a Team Alpha Male fighter and he looks for his third against Garbrandt.
Garbrandt, however, will be a stiffer challenge than Faber and presents different threats than Dillashaw. The 25-year-old fighter has ridiculous powerful hands and has rarely been challenged inside the Octagon, as evidenced by his back-to-back first-round finishes of then-top 10 ranked bantamweights Takeya Mizugaki and Thomas Almeida.
Fabricio Werdum (21-6-1) vs. Cain Velasquez (14-2)
Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez throw down in one of the most anticipated rematches in recent memory.
Werdum shocked the MMA community when he put a beating on Velasquez to unify the heavyweight title at UFC 188 in 2016 but lost the belt to Stipe Miocic less than a year later. Now, beltless, but coming off his second thrashing of Travis Browne, Werdum is ready to get back into title contention, but will need to do so against one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.
Velasquez took a hard L at the hands of Werdum for only his second loss professionally. Aside from those two losses, however, Velasquez has been downright dominant during his time in the Octagon. He also starched Travis Browne to get to the point, and now he has a chance at revenge against Werdum on Dec. 30.
TJ Dillashaw (14-3) vs. John Lineker (29-7)
The winner of the exciting matchup between TJ Dillashaw and John Lineker will likely challenge for the bantamweight title next.
Dillashaw has lost just twice since finishing his season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, once to Cruz and once to Raphael Assuncao. Dillashaw was able to avenge the loss to Assuncao at UFC 200 and is eager to get another shot at “The Dominator” with a win at UFC 207.
Linker, like Garbrandt, holds some of the heaviest hands in the entire division and has won six straight fights, three of which saw him take home a post-fight bonus. Even with such a stacked main card, this fight could walk away as the most memorable.
UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey FS1 Prelims
Johny Hendricks (17-5) vs. Neil Magny (18-6)
If former champ Johny Hendricks wants to come anywhere close to fighting for a title in 2017, he desperately needs a win over Neil Magny at UFC 207.
Both fighters are coming off losses, but Hendricks’ loss was his third in four fights while Magny’s defeat was just his second in an epic string of 12 fights between 2014 and 2016.
Hendricks opts for power while Magny lives off precision, but they’re both accomplished grapplers. Should be yet another entertaining bout with rankings implications on the line.
Dong Hyun Kim (21-3-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (16-5)
Welterweight Dong Hyun Kim makes his first appearance of 2015 when he faces off against talented striker Tarec Saffiedine at UFC 207.
Kim is a fearless fighter, who, since 2008 as only lost to Carlos Condit, Demian Maia and current champion Tyron Woodley. His opponent, Saffiedine, will be looking to string together victories for the first time in his UFC career.
Mike Pyle (27-21-1) vs. Alex Garcia (13-3)
Well-rounded welterweights Mike Pyle and Alex Garcia try to inch closer to the 170-pound top 15 with their scrap on the FS1 prelims.
Pyle and Garcia are both grapplers at heart who know how to dish out serious damage on the feet.
Louis Smolka (11-2) vs. Ray Borg (9-2)
A bout between flyweight prospects Louis Smolka and Ray Borg highlight the featured fight on the FS1 prelims.
Smolka is a winner of four of his last five, three of which have come by way of KO or submission. Borg had a good bit of momentum after winning three of his first four UFC fights but his loss to Justin Scoggins in February slightly derailed his hype train.
UFC 207: Nunes vs Rousey UFC Fight Pass Prelims
Alex Oliveira (15-3-1) vs. Tim Means (26-7-1)
Rangy welterweight strikes Alex Oliveira and Tim Means headline the UFC Fight Pass prelims. Oliveira and Means have combined to finish 68 percent of their respective bouts and should be a highly entertaining bout for the early crowd.
Antonio Carlos Junior (7-2) vs. Marvin Vettori (11-2)
23-year-old Marvin Vettori looks for his second UFC submission win in as many fights when he faces veteran Antonio Carlos Junior.
Brandon Thatch (11-4) vs. Niko Price (8-0)
Exciting welterweight Brandon Thatch tries to snap a three-fight skid against newcomer Niko Price to kick things off at UFC 207.
