In my time being a "hardcore" mixed martial arts fan, I've found three particular questions are asked by casual fans consistently. Who's fighting? How can I watch it? Is it worth buying? All three very valid questions, and seeing as here at Cageside Seats we have quite a bit of casual fans who regularly visit, being pro wrestling fans who dabble in MMA when it's worth their time and money, it's fitting that we regularly answer these questions before every major MMA event. With the variety of fighters in the UFC, it gets hard to keep up with some of your favorite fighter's schedules. On top of that, free preliminary fights are aired on Facebook, Spike TV, and now IonTV...but not for every event. This is your one stop guide for the big three questions, now, let's get some answers.
Who's Fighting at UFC 127?
Main Card:
Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera
George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver
Chris Lytle vs. Brian Ebersole
Live Prelims on Ion:
Spencer Fisher vs. Ross Pearson
Alexander Gustafsson vs. James Te Huna
Live Prelims on Facebook:
Zhang Tie Quan vs. Jason Reinhardt
Anthony Perosh vs. Tom Blackledge
Unaired Prelims:
How to Watch?
UFC 127 Live Prelims Streaming on Facebook - 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT
UFC 127 Live Prelims on Ion - 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT
UFC 127 Live on Pay-Per-View - 10 pm ET/ 7 pm ET
Is UFC 127 Worth Buying?
As most UFC PPV's not being held in North America, the fight card is not incredibly strong. In the "Who's Fighting?" section, I wouldn't be surprised if some of you readers were left wondering who the heck a great deal of these fighters are, and rightfully so. It's my suggestion to ALWAYS get together with friends and have them throw in for the PPV, it takes the edge off cards like this, or events that don't live up to expectation. Let's see what you're getting in the main card should you make the purchase.
Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn is taking on the relentless Jon Fitch in the main event, and I have mixed emotions. On paper, this fight is meaningful, and Penn SHOULD be able to avoid Fitch's wrestling long enough to initiate a few exchanges on the feet. Then again, Penn is inconsistent with his performances, and Fitch is notorious for using his wrestling to grind through his opponents, scoring decision victories. I can't help be picture Fitch doing this to Penn, and the fight not being as competitive as a main event should be - especially when your name isn't Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva. Then again, Penn could come out and put on one of the greatest performances of his career. We'll see how it plays out Saturday night.
The co-main event features Michael Bisping taking on Jorge Rivera. Bisping is one of the most disliked fighters in the UFC, and Rivera has been using that to his advantage. This is the biggest fight of Rivera's career, and Bisping is looking to shut up some of the voices who believe he's destined to be nothing more than a B-level middleweight. Bisping uses smart kick boxing to edge out his opponents, but doesn't have a great deal of power. Rivera on the other hand, is a powerful kick boxer who likes to (and does) finish fights. If Rivera can cut off the cage and force Bisping to engage, this will be a fun fight, if not, Bisping is going to out strike him and stay out of reach for the majority of the fight.
Rest of the main card and final verdict after the jump.
As for the rest of the card, I'm not sold. George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver is interesting, but Sotiropoulos is taking a bit of a step down fighting Siver, and is light years ahead of him on the ground. Siver's a solid lightweight, but this unless Siver digs deeps and proves otherwise, this is poor matchmaking. Chris Lytle is one of the most decorated fighters when it comes to fight night awards, but he's left facing Brian Ebersole, who's making his UFC debut. Ebersole has been around the sport (44-15-0) but Lytle has paid his dues, I'd like to see him take on a top 10 welterweight and see where he stands with the big boys. Of course, this is a golden opportunity for Lytle to win another fight night award, so I doubt he's complaining. Kyle Noke vs. Chris Camozzi shows us how top heavy the overseas cards can be...I would expect to see this fight as the first bout on the main card of an Ultimate Fight Night show, not a UFC PPV.
So, is UFC 127 worth it? I suggest having a UFC party, or finding a local bar that'll be showing the event. The fights are definitely worth checking out, and there should be some memorable moments throughout the night, but I seem to have misplaced my wallet...
Disagree? Have anything to add? Vote in the poll and join us in the comment section! Check back here at Cageside Seats tomorrow night for the live coverage of the event with live analysis and play by play from yours truly.