5 Reasons to Watch: UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit

2016 kicks off in style this weekend with UFC 195 from Las Vegas with one of the most highly anticipated welterweight title fights in recent memory as champion Robbie Lawler puts his belt on the line against former interim champ Carlos Condit.

Lawler is fresh off a war with Rory MacDonald at UFC 189 this past summer, which served as the first defense of his title reign but if he hopes to hold onto that belt he's going to have another battle on his hands this weekend.

Condit returned to action in May following knee surgery, when he dispatched former title contender Thiago Alves by TKO. Now, he'll get his third title fight since joining the UFC. Condit is an explosive and creative fighter inside the Octagon and he's hunting for gold in his matchup against Lawler.

There are a ton of great fights happening this weekend in Las Vegas but we're going to give you five good reasons to make sure you're watching the first UFC card of 2016 on Saturday night.

Finish Him!

When it comes to the art of finishing an opponent, Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit are two of the best to ever do it in the history of MMA and now they face off on Saturday night.

Lawler has always been known as a massive one-punch knockout striker from the time he debuted in the UFC back in 2002. Now 13 years later, Lawler still possesses that consciousness-stealing power along with a complete MMA game that led him to his first UFC title.

On the other side of the cage stands Carlos Condit, who holds a ridiculous 93-percent finishing rate in his 30 professional wins. Condit is capable of putting an opponent away from anywhere in the Octagon and he'll do it in a variety of ways.

Whether it's a slugfest knockout like he had against Dan Hardy or the creativity he displayed with a flying knee that put Dong Hyun Kim's lights out when they met in the Octagon, there's no telling what Condit will throw next. Chances are it's going to land and it's going to do damage.

There may not be a more beautifully violent fight in MMA today than what Lawler and Condit are going to unleash upon each other at UFC 195.

Heavyweight Title Eliminator

As heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum prepares to put his belt on the line against Cain Velasquez a month from now, Stipe Miocic and Andrei Arlovski hope to put a stamp on becoming the top contender for the belt when they meet at UFC 195.

Miocic is a punishing heavyweight, who just recently landed the most strikes in a single fight (361) in UFC history against Mark Hunt. Miocic has gold gloves level boxing and is a former collegiate wrestler, so there's no doubt he's well-rounded with skills to take this fight anywhere and then win it.

As for Arlovski, his career rejuvenation since returning to the UFC in 2013 has been nothing short of remarkable. When he first re-signed with the promotion following a lengthy absence from the Octagon it looked like a nice nostalgia story. Arlovski was coming back to the place where he won a title and would gracefully bow out of his career with a few more fights in the UFC before calling it quits.

But Arlovski had other plans and now he's riding a four-fight win streak in the UFC. With a victory over Miocic he might just secure another shot at the heavyweight title in 2016.

Ultra Violence Part 2

There's no doubt the spotlight on Saturday night will shine brightest on the welterweight title fight at the top of the UFC 195 card, but there's another bout happening at 170-pounds this Saturday that could be just as action-packed, so don't blink.

Albert Tumenov and Lorenz Larkin have both looked better than ever lately -- with six combined knockouts between them over their past six trips to the Octagon.

Tumenov is a brutal striker with power in both hands and a nasty kicking game. Larkin is more technically sound, with a lot of control in his kickboxing, but when he unleashes his best shots he's just as deadly.

There's very little chance this fight isn't just a non-stop barrage of action and whether it lasts two minutes or all 15, Tumenov and Larkin are going to put on a show when they finally throw down on Saturday night.

Rocky Road From Dublin

It was disappointing news to find out in October that Joseph Duffy suffered a head injury just days before his scheduled fight in Ireland against Dustin Poirier, causing the UFC to scrap the bout entirely and pull both men from the card. But Ireland's loss is now Las Vegas' gain because Duffy and Poirier are scheduled to finally meet this weekend at UFC 195.

Duffy is the best prospect out of Ireland since Conor McGregor and he also just so happens to be the last man to defeat the current UFC featherweight champion. Duffy is a high-level boxer with massive power in his hands and he's polished up his overall game by working with coach Firas Zahabi in Montreal at the Tri-Star gym in recent months.

As for Poirier, his move to lightweight a year ago turned out to be the best thing for his career after scorching through his first two fights back at 155 pounds. Poirier mauled Yancy Medeiros in his last bout and he's now looking for a third straight knockout when he meets Duffy in the Octagon.

These are two of the best young lightweights on the roster and the winner of this fight will be knocking on the door of the top 10 and all of the fighters ranked above them better be paying attention because Poirier and Duffy are definitely threats to every one of them.

Prospects Galore

UFC 195 isn't just top-heavy when it comes to talent fighting in the main and co-main event. There are a slew of great prospects competing on this card as well.

Starting on the main card, featherweight fighter Brian Ortega has long been considered one of the best up and comers in the sport, especially after his war with Thiago Tavares in 2015. Now Ortega takes on former "Ultimate Fighter" winner Diego Brandao with a chance to make a serious splash in the division.

Also on tap Saturday night is strawweight fighter Justine Kish, who was one of the dark horse favorites to do well during season 20 of "The Ultimate Fighter" but a knee injury forced her out of the competition and she never actually got to compete. Now Kish is finally healthy and ready to prove she was one of the best 115-pound fighters on the planet with her debut at UFC 195.

Finally, Scott Holtzman makes his second appearance in the UFC this weekend in a fight against Drew Dober and he's a lightweight that will certainly command your attention.

Holtzman is a natural athlete who has adapted his game to MMA and he's an explosive powerhouse with knockout power in his hands and an underrated ground game to boot.