UFC on FUEL TV 5 Preview: 5 Reasons To Watch

(Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

There plenty of things to do on a Saturday afternoon. 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.

For the first time this year, the octagon heads across the pond to England for a UFC event as UFC on FUEL TV 5: Struve vs. Miocic takes place this Saturday (Sept. 29) from the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham. A five-round heavyweight bout headlines the event as Dutch standout Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve does battle with American Stipe Miocic.

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 on FUEL TV 5: Struve vs. Miocic this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT, only on FUEL TV.

5. The Card Airs During The Day
If you are an avid mixed martial arts fan, the next few weekends will consist of staying in on Saturday night as the UFC has events scheduled for three of the next four Saturday’s. However, UFC on FUEL TV 5 is the exception, at least for North American fans. Due to the event taking place in England and being aired live in the United States and Canada, the main card starts in the afternoon at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. instead of the usual evening start time.

The adjusted time that the card airs may be good news to some and inconvenient to others, but regardless, it frees up your Saturday night and gives UFC fans a rare chance to watch fights during the day then go out and do as they please on Saturday night, a luxury that does not come frequently with the organization putting on 34 events each year.

4. The “Sassangle” Takes On The “Handsome” One
A lightweight bout between undefeated submission specialist Paul “Sassangle” Sass and “Handsome” Matt Wiman is set to take place on the main card of UFC on FUEL TV 5.

Sass has earned 12 of his 13 career victories by way of submission and is undefeated inside the octagon at 3-0 with three first round finishes. He last competed at UFC 146 in May when he brought an end to the 5-fight winning streak of the very tough Jacob Volkmann. UFC president Dana White stated after Sass’ victory that he would receive a stern test in his next bout, that’s exactly what he gets in Wiman.

Wiman has ben impressive in his own right as of late, winning four of his past five contests. The 12-fight UFC veteran has never been submitted in 20 professional fights and will attempt to continue that streak against Sass at UFC on FUEL TV 5.

Matt Wiman is always fun to watch compete but the real reason people need to watch the fight is for Sass. The undefeated Englishman is on another level when it comes to jiu-jitsu, especially the triangle choke. Sass has proven he can submit talented fighters in his last two wins over Michael Johnson and Jacob Volkmann, but Wiman is one of the toughest fighters out there and getting him to tap out would be a huge achievement.

3. The Heavyweights Headline
A heavyweight collision between Stefan “The Skyscraper” Struve and Stipe Miocic will serve as the main event of the UFC’s fifth show on FUEL TV.

Struve ended his last fight rather quickly, submitting Lavar Johnson with an armbar just 65-seconds into their bout. The Dutch fighter is 8-3 in the UFC, but has won five of his last six fights. At only 24 years of age, Struve is one of the best young talents in the heavyweight division. Struve has been bashed for his poor fight IQ in the past, but his victory over Johnson proved that he evolving not just physically, but mentally as well.

Miocic has put together a nice run in the UFC thus far, defeating Joey Beltran, Philip De Fries and most recently, Shane del Rosario. The boxing skills of the American has been the most impressive part of his game so far, but he also possesses solid wrestling credentials and is able to finish fights on the ground, as seen in his win over del Rosario. Although he is five years older than his opponent, Struve will be the most experienced fighter Miocic has stepped into the cage with so far.

Struve and Miocic last fought when they competed on the all-heavyweight UFC 146 main card, defeating Lavar Johnson and Shane del Rosario respectively. Both men are known finishers and like to put their opponents away in highlight reel fashion when they step into the cage. The two heavyweights will compete for a place among the top contenders in the division on the line when they enter the cage for their first ever main event.

2. A Strong Preliminary Card
Prior to the main card on FUEL TV, the entire UFC on FUEL TV 5: Struve vs. Miocic preliminary card will be shown live on Facebook and/or YouTube for fans to enjoy. Five solid match-ups are featured on the preliminary card with five fighters make their UFC debut, three of which are highly touted prospects.

In the preliminary card headliner, undefeated knockout specialist Jimi Manuwa makes his UFC debut against “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show veteran Kyle Kingsbury in a light heavyweight bout expected to produce fireworks. Also making their first trip to the octagon is Gunnar Nelson and Tom Watson, two of Europe’s most promising up and comers who take on UFC veterans DaMarques Johnson and Brad Tavares, respectively.

A number of other intriguing fights round out the preliminary card and include names such as Andy Ogle, Akira Corassani and Robert Peralta/ Saturday night’s preliminary card is one of the strongest the UFC has put together this year and the bouts are certainly worth tuning in for.

1. The Event Is Free
For the thirteenth time this year, the UFC will deliver a free card to the fans, this one going down at Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England, a city where the organization visits for the first time in history.

If you’re tight on cash and can’t afford to spend $55 on a UFC pay-per-view, the organization has put together a terrific fight card for Saturday that won’t cost you a dime. While none of the bouts on the card have immediate title implications, there is a number of extremely inciting match ups including the main event of Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic. Aside from the main event, familiar names like Dan Hardy, Brad Pickett, Paul Sass, Amir Sadollah and John Hathaway are set to compete in Nottingham. There is a heavy contingent of European fighters on the card, so if you are a fan of the Brits, this is the event for you.

If you’re in the mood for a UFC fix, tune into UFC on FUEL TV 5 this Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. for some free UFC action.

Mike Bohn, founder and lead writer of FightCove.com, wrote this article. You can follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeBohnMMA. Also, follow @FightCove on Twitter and “Like” Fight Cove on Facebook.