UFC 146 Preview: 5 Reasons To Watch

(Photo via Strikeforce)

There are plenty of things to do on a Saturday night. However, most don’t involve watching two men locked inside of a cage attempting to punch, kick, knee, and choke their way to victory. In reality, though, few things match the excitement.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Las Vegas, Nevada for the first time since February with “UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir” LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The event features an all-heavyweight main card headlined by a UFC heavyweight championship bout between champion Junior Dos Santos and challenger, Frank Mir.

If you weren’t planning on tuning in already, here are five reasons why you should invite some friends over, order a few pizzas, grab a couple beers, and tune into “UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir” this Saturday night, only on pay-per-view (PPV).

5. The Skyscraper
At six feet, 11-inches tall, Struve “The Skyscraper” Struve is not only the tallest fighter on the UFC roster, but he is also one of the most riveting fighters to watch compete in the UFC today. Struve is the tallest fighter to ever have competed in the UFC and at only 23 years of age, the Dutch fighter is becoming increasingly well rounded with every fight. Struve is known for his hard-fought, often bloody battles in the octagon and he has never had a boring fight in his ten appearances inside the octagon.. Struve’s physical attributes are a rare package in MMA, and there are no heavyweight fighters out there who even come close to matching his commination of height and length.

This one-of-a-kind athlete is worth watching every time he steps into the cage.

4. “Bigfoot” Debuts
Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva made his splash in the heavyweight division by defeating Fedor Emelianenko in the opening round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix last year. With the win, Silva solidified his place as one of the best heavyweights in the world, however, the Brazilian would go on to lose his night fight by first round knockout in the semifinal round to eventual Grand Prix tournament winner Daniel Cormier.”Bigfoot” is out to rebound from that loss to Cormier when he takes on former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in the co-main event at UFC 146.

Silva’s striking has improved greatly as of late and those stand up skills matched with his gargantuan size and black belt level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu makes the Brazilian one of the most dangerous heavyweights out there. If you have never seen Silva compete before, you will be in awe of his abnormal physical traits at first, but once the cage door closes once of the top-10 heavyweights in the world will showcase his talents.

3. Finishers Collide
Having only gone the distance once in 45 combined professional fights; Stefan Struve and Lavar Johnson are set to clash in a heavyweight contest that guarantees fireworks.

Fifteen of Struve’s 24 wins come by way of submission, while four of the Dutch fighter’s losses are by (T)KO. On the flip side, Johnson has 15 (T)KO’s out of 17 wins and four of his five losses come by submission. The stats don’t lie here, both men are excellent at making their opponents quit inside the distance, but specialize in doing so in much different areas. “The Skyscraper” will look to exploit Johnson’s weakness on the ground while “Big” is going to try and put his massive fists on the chin of Struve and score a highlight reel knockout.

Ending fights before the final bell is a trait shared between the two big men so you can bet your bottom dollar someone is getting finished in this heavyweight affair.

2. All-Heavyweight Main Card
In an unprecedented move, the UFC organized five marquee heavyweight bouts to fill out the UFC 146 main card. For the first time in the promotions history, all eyes will be on one weight class as the big men are scheduled to take center stage May 26 on pay-per-view. The card features a mix of champions, former champions, fighters with their backs against the wall and talented up-and-comers looking to break through into the spotlight.

There is something particularly attractive about heavyweight MMA that makes it different than every other weight class. With such big, powerful men competing inside the octagon, one glancing blow has the ability to change or put an end to a fight. That type of unpredictability makes being a spectator that much more intriguing. With five solid heavyweight fights on the UFC 146 main card, there no telling what kind of memorable moments these big men will delivery.

1. The Heavyweight Title Is On The Line
The main event of UFC 146 was originally supposed to see Junior dos Santos attempt to defend his heavyweight crown for the first time against Alistair Overeem. However, Overeem’s well-documented removal from the bout opened the door for Frank Mir to slide in and get the shot in the main event of the all-heavyweight card on May 26.

Dos Santos has been on tear since joining the UFC in 2008, compiling an 8-0 record inside the octagon highlighted by six stoppages. The Brazilian champion has scary knockout power in both hands that can and some of the best boxing in MMA today. Even after eight UFC bouts, the ground skills of the champion remain a complete mystery as no opponent has been able to keep dos Santos on the mat.

Mir is on his longest winning streak since 2007-2008, having won three bouts in a row against tough competition in Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Mir was last seen at UFC 140 in December where disfigured Nogueira’s arm with a brutal kimura. Mir is the longest reigning active heavyweight on the UFC roster and will look to capture the UFC heavyweight belt for the third time in his career with a win at UFC 146.

Many are counting Mir out against dos Santos arguing the American does not have the striking abilities or chin to test the champion. What Mir does have, however, is perhaps the most dangerous submission arsenal in UFC history. Everyone saw what Mir did to dos Santos’ good friend and mentor Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira back at UFC 140. He is capable of doing that to any man if he can obtain the right position.

Looking at the history of these two heavyweights, odds are someone is tapping out from a submission or going to sleep from strikes.