5 Reasons to Watch UFC 180: Werdum vs. Hunt

The UFC embarks on a trip to Mexico for the first time ever this weekend as the interim heavyweight title is up for grabs in the main event when Fabricio Werdum meets Mark Hunt.

An unfortunate injury to Cain Velasquez forced a switch in the fight about three weeks ago, but Hunt, fresh off a victory over Roy Nelson, jumped at the chance to compete for the belt.

As it turns out, if Velasquez is unable to return in a timely fashion in 2015, the winner of this fight will end up being declared as the only heavyweight champion, so there's plenty on the line in this one.

Also on the card, former Ultimate Fighter winner Kelvin Gastelum looks to keep his undefeated record intact as he faces the first top 10 fighter of his career, taking Jake Ellenberger in the co-main event from Mexico.

There's plenty to see on the upcoming UFC 180 fight card, but here's five good reasons to watch the show from Mexico City this Saturday night.

Pride Never Dies

While many of the legendary fighters from PRIDE Fighting Championships are starting to wind down in their careers, Fabricio Werdum is surging and only getting better.

The veteran heavyweight started his career in PRIDE with only five fights on his record, but he became a mainstay of the promotion for several years before eventually joining the UFC. Most of the top heavyweights from his time in the Japanese promotion have retired or faded into the twilight of their careers, but not Werdum. He's gone 4-0 in his past four fights and won seven out of his last eight.

Werdum is best known for his submission skills as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, but his striking is what earned him this title shot at UFC 180. He battered Roy Nelson for three rounds, knocked out Mike Russow and then out-boxed Travis Browne en route to this title fight. Werdum is good everywhere and this might be his chance to shine.

One more added bonus: Through 24 fights and 12 years in his career, Werdum never actually has competed for a title. This will be his first chance at age 37 to add one to his résumé.

Cinderella Man

There may not be a title contender in UFC history more unlikely than Mark Hunt.

The 40-year old former K-1 Grand Prix champion might not even be in the UFC if not for a contractual obligation the promotion had to follow when it bought PRIDE Fighting Championships in 2007. At the point when he signed with the UFC, Hunt held a 5-6 record and it appeared as if he had almost zero shot of surviving on the roster.

Now just four years later, Hunt is fighting for the UFC heavyweight title while amassing an impressive 5-2-1 record since joining the promotion, including four knockout victories along the way. 

Hunt has a head like concrete and two bricks as fists. He's found a groundswell of support from fans to the point where full campaigns have started on social media to get Hunt into a title fight.

He's also managed to become the feel-good story of the UFC in 2014. A win on Saturday night would make him the new interim UFC heavyweight champion. Who could believe it?

Kelvin Gastelum: Contender or Pretender?

Since winning "The Ultimate Fighter" season 18, Kelvin Gastelum has been tearing through the welterweight division at a rapid pace. He was an underdog on the reality show, but he's not feeling those odds any longer. He'll walk into Saturday night against top 10 ranked fighter Jake Ellenberger as a decided favorite by the odds makers.

Gastelum has proven to be a versatile fighter, mixing his strong wrestling and submission game with a rapidly improving striking arsenal. While weight cutting has been an issue for him in the past, Gastelum promises that he's feeling better than ever heading into this weekend's card. The hype is real, but can Gastelum live up to expectations?

Ellenberger will be the perfect foil to see if Gastelum is ready for the top 10 or if this is too much, too soon. Ellenberger has fought a who's who list of top welterweights and the two fighters he's lost to recently are the top two contenders in the division (Rory MacDonald, Robbie Lawler). Ellenberger has smashed many top fighters in his day and coming in as a massive underdog to a guy with a quarter of the experience has to serve as motivation.

If Gastelum wins, he gets into the top 10 and starts entering title contender conversations. The only way to know for sure is to watch his fight with Ellenberger at UFC 180.

The Streak

Dennis Bermudez comes into UFC 180 riding a seven-fight win streak with a chance to add a top five featherweight to his resume when he faces Ricardo Lamas this weekend. A former "Ultimate Fighter" runner-up, Bermudez hasn't lost since falling to show champion Diego Brandao and he's continuously gotten better during his 7-0 run.

Bermudez had to eke out a couple of very close decisions to Max Holloway and Matt Grice before exerting his dominance over Steven Siler and Jimy Hettes in back-to-back fights. Bermudez earned even more respect when he made short work of perennial top 10 fighter Clay Guida in his last bout.

Bermudez is a powerful wrestler with dynamite in his hands. A win over Lamas would go a long way towards proving that he's ready to enter title contention in 2015. The only featherweight to defeat Lamas in the UFC has been champion Jose Aldo. If Bermudez can join that rather exclusive list, he's well on his way towards seeing gold in his future.

Striker's Delight

The featured bout on the UFC 180 prelims airing live on FOX Sports 1 features two of the best standup fighters in the women's bantamweight division as Jessica Eye faces Leslie Smith. Eye has been chomping at the bit to get back in action ever since losing a very close and, some might say, controversial decision to Alexis Davis in February.

Meanwhile, Smith is riding high after a fearsome knockout of former "Ultimate Fighter" competitor Jessamyn Duke in her last bout. Smith has trained under Cesar Gracie for a big part of her career, working with names like Nick and Nate Diaz as well, but her striking has become the best weapon in her arsenal.

Eye is no stranger to a standup fight, especially after getting the best of Sarah Kaufman in her UFC debut. Kaufman holds two wins over Smith, so it's a good measuring stick heading into this fight Saturday night.

The ladies always seem to bring it and this might be an early contender for "Fight of the Night."