As Bruce Buffer so enthusiastically says: “It’s time”
After months of waiting, the biggest MMA event of the year (and possibly ever) has arrived. Stacked from top to bottom, the card plays host to some absolutely phenomenal fights.
My colleague Casey Hodgin has covered the fights that are taking place on the main card, but before the pay-per-view takes your money, to give you some last minute convincing (as if you needed it) the 194 prelims are ready and waiting.
Kicking us off, is John Makdessi (13-4) and Yancy Medeiros (11-3).
Makdessi is making his return after stepping in on short notice against Donald Cerrone at UFC 187 (and having his jaw broken for his trouble), and faces off with Medeiros, who recently was starched in a first round KO by Dustin Poirier.
Both of the two are going to be looking to avoid their second loss in a row, and Makdessi has been labelled the slight favourite, despite a two inch height disadvantage. He’s got good punching power, and if he can negate the longer ranged attacks of Medeiros, you could see him getting the knockout here.
In the co-main event, we have a fight at 115 lbs between Tecia Torres and Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger.
Torres is an alumni of The Ultimate Fighter (season 20), and is looking to cement her position in the division. Although she’s lost to ex-champion Carla Esparza, Torres has beaten some serious names. Paige VanZant, Rose Namajunas and Felice Herrig have all lost to “The Tiny Tornado,” and most recently she was seen beating Angela Hill at UFC 188.
All of her victories have come by way of decision.
Opposite her, is Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, who makes her UFC debut. One wonders if this will have an impact on her performance, as the ‘Octagon Jitters’ have been an issue for several debutants. In an interview with MMAFighting, Jones-Lybarger said she had to pull over and cry when she was offered the fight as a late replacement.
Despite being the much larger fighter, the short preparation and lack of experience on the big stage will surely play a factor here.
In the main event of the evening, ‘The California Kid’ Urijah Faber makes his return against Frankie Saenz.
Faber recently lost (for the first time in a non-title fight) against Frankie Edgar in May this year. Despite that loss, Faber still remains a fantastic fighter, even at 36. He’s the leader of Team Alpha Male, where he trains with both Paige VanZant and Chad Mendes, two other fighters making appearances this weekend.
For Frankie Saenz, Faber represents a huge step up in compitition. Saenz is on a seven fight win streak, and most recently won a split decision over Sirwan Kakai.
Faber is the heavy favourite, and justifiably. Saenz has never shared the cage with anyone of Faber’s calibre, and one imagines Faber can get a relatively trouble free victory. Look for him to make a claim for a title shot against rivals old and new Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw.
The odds for the prelims are as follows:
Frankie Saenz vs. Urijah Faber
+525 / -750
Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger vs. Tecia Torres
+250 / -300
Colby Covington vs. Warlley Alves
-120 / +100
Kevin Lee vs. Leonardo Santos
-700 / +500
Joe Proctor vs. Magomed Mustafaev
+305 / -365
Court McGee vs. Marcio Alexandre Jr.
-185 / +160
John Makdessi vs.Yancy Medeiros
– 165 / +145
