5 Reasons to Watch: UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux
This weekend marks the UFC's return to Brazil with a card headlined by light heavyweight legend Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua as he takes on late replacement Ovince Saint Preux in a five-round main event battle.
Shogun was originally slated to face fellow striker Jimi Manuwa, but a broken foot sidelined the British fighter. In his place steps Saint Preux, who was originally scheduled for the co-main event but now gets a chance to win the biggest fight of his career.
Meanwhile in the new co-main event, Ian McCall faces John Lineker as the two heated rivals look to settle a score while also potentially earning the next shot at UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
There's plenty of new talent and veterans on the card as well so as we gear up for the fights this weekend, let's take a look at five reasons to watch UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux.
Is There Ever A Reason to Not Watch "Shogun" Rua in Action?
When it comes to legendary fighters with a penchant for violence, there may not be anyone higher on the Mount Rushmore of MMA than Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
The former UFC and PRIDE champion revels in leaving his opponents laying in a heap in the middle of the canvas. Rua has definitely suffered through some tough defeats in the latter part of his career, but there's something special about his performances because at any moment he could unleash hell and it could create a highlight reel for the next decade.
Never mind the fact that Shogun has an incredible 86-percent finishing rate on the feet, he's not capable of a boring fight and always comes to put on a show.
Plus he may shy away from the questions about his retirement, but there are far fewer years in front of Shogun than behind so any chance to see him perform is just another shot at saying you saw one of the greatest of all time while he was still competing in the Octagon.
Everybody Loves an Underdog Story
Ovince Saint Preux has shown tremendous potential since coming to the UFC, but it can't be ignored that in his last fight against a top-10 opponent in Ryan Bader, he failed to show up when it came time to perform. Saint Preux struggled against a top-level opponent, the same way he did against Gegard Mousasi while he was competing in Strikeforce.
Now with a bump up to the main event, Saint Preux has a chance to erase the bad memories form his last fight while also curbing any rumors that he struggles against the best fighters in the world.
Beating Rua would not only be the biggest win on his record, but puts him alongside names such as Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafsson and Dan Henderson when it comes to fighters who have defeated the Brazilian legend in the Octagon. Rua's definitely had more downs than ups lately, but looking at his resume is like examining a future Hall of Fame induction ballot.
A win over Rua would give Saint Preux the signature win he needs to prove he can really go with the best of the best at light heavyweight. While he was already training for this card, accepting a bout against Rua on a week's notice while also agreeing to a five round fight is unnecessarily tough on any fighter.
Saint Preux saved the card, but he might also be able to beat a legend in the process.
The Next Contender at 125-pounds
When you skip through all the promotion and pre-fight disdain shared between Ian McCall and John Lineker, you are left with a fight between two of the very best at 125-pounds. McCall has looked better than ever lately, winning his last two in a row while Lineker has bounced back from a setback against Ali Bagautinov to position himself in line for a title shot with a win on Saturday night.
McCall was at one time the top flyweight in the sport and he came really close to holding onto that title with his first fight against Demetrious Johnson in 2012. McCall stumbled in his next two fights, but came roaring back in 2013 and 2014. Now he walks into this fight with a chance to cement his place as the top challenger to the crown at 125-pounds.
Lineker has an equal chance to earn the title shot after stumbling in his previous opportunity to get a crack at the champion. Lineker is one of the heaviest handed fighters at 125-pounds and while he has definitely struggled to make weight in previous fights, it seems lately he's gotten it under control.
McCall and Lineker have a lot to settle on Saturday and undoubtedly Johnson will be watching at home with a real interest in seeing who comes out on top.
Fight of the Night: Alves vs. Jouban
This is a fight slipping under the radar, but it might end up being the best one on the entire card once Saturday night is over. Ultimate Fighter Brazil winner Warlley Alves has top-10 potential and might be the brightest prospect to ever come off the reality show since the UFC started doing the series in the South American country three years ago. He's a brutal mix of knockout power and slick submissions and at 170-pounds he's going to be a wrecking machine.
His opponent Alan Jouban showed in his UFC debut that he's capable of dishing out a load of punishment and making his fights extremely exciting. He's a veteran with a 10-2 record and has no problem going toe-to-toe with anybody in the cage.
This fight could honestly steal the entire show but don't blink. These two both possess knockout power and it could easily be a three round war or a fast and frantic first round finish.
Nina Ansaroff is a Name to Know
UFC newcomer Nina Ansaroff debuts this weekend as the women's strawweight division continues to fill out in anticipation of the weight class flourishing at the end of this season of The Ultimate Fighter. Ansaroff is a solid addition after competing for most of her career at 125-pounds where she's picked up some impressive wins, including a knockout over Munah Holland in her last bout.
Ansaroff is a rangy striker, who throws good punches and has really technical standup. Her record stands at 6-3, but it has to be noted that two of her losses came to Carla Esparza (the No. 1 ranked fighter at 115-pounds) and to Barb Honchak (the No. 1 fighter at 125-pounds currently). Ansaroff will be a welcome addition to the division, but she has a tough test right out of the gates taking on Juliana Lima.
Lima struggled in her first UFC fight, but with a wrestling heavy attack she could be the perfect counter to Ansaroff's plan to stand and trade. Either way, this is a great fight to kick off the main card on FOX Sports 1 Saturday night.
