Written by Scott Swerbinsky

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Tonight in Oakland, California, mixed martial arts fans are in for another treat. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has put together another great card that should have no problem living up to the hype surrounding it.

UFC 117 has a main event where the title holder’s job could be on the line, two number one contenders matches, and a hall of famer in action. Add that all up and you have yourself one hell of a fight card.

Anderson Silva is the current middleweight champion but has looked well below average his last few fights. The last time he stepped into the octagon he made a fool of himself and disgraced the sport. UFC President Dana White was more than upset and said the thought of releasing Silva crossed his mind.

“The Spider” gets a chance to redeem himself against a fighter that has been running his mouth like nobody before him. Chael Sonnen is the number one contender and rightfully so. He just might be biting off a little more than he can chew.

I still believe Anderson Silva is the best striker I have ever seen in mixed martial arts. He has pin point accuracy with both his hands and feet. We just haven’t seen it that much in his last few disappointing performances, all wins by the way. Sonnen’s smack talk just might be what the doctor ordered to get Silva out of his funk and win back the fans.

Sonnen is coming off of a great win over a very solid fighter in Nate Marquardt. He used his top level wrestling skills and his ground and pound to become next in line for the 185 pound title. He has all the tools to get Silva all he can handle.

I like the upset here. Sonnen talks a huge game but normally backs it up. His grappling and takedowns will be the biggest tools in his belt tonight and he will use them with precision. If the Silva of old steps foot into the cage however, Sonnen might be in for a world of hurting. I expect this fight to be off the charts.

A rematch a few years in the making will finally go down as Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves meet again. Fitch won the first time around doing what he normally does, use his wrestling and beat up his opponents. Alves is the better striker and has had a tough time making weight recently to go with some medical problems. Thiago had a mysterious head/brain injury that delayed this fight on more than one occasion. I’m going with Alves here as Fitch to me is a pretty boring guy to watch normally. If this turns into a standup fight, it could be the highlight of the evening. The winner of this one is all but guaranteed a title shot in their next fight.

The other number one contender’s match is in the heavyweight division. Roy “Big County” Nelson will take his big belly into battle with Junior Dos Santos.

Don’t let Nelson physique fool you, this tubby can fight. He is extremely well rounded and is on a roll since winning the Ultimate Fighter show. Dos Santos is a huge step up in competition and is shocking people all over with both his ground game and striking ability. This fight is my sleeper for fight of the night.

Hall of Famer Matt Hughes is taking on Ricardo Almeida which many are predicting will be a snooze fest. I disagree and look forward to a very technical fast paced ground battle. Two of the smartest guys in the game going at it in what will be a chess match.

Keep an eye on Johny Hendricks also who I think is a future superstar, he takes on Charlie Brenneman on the undercard.

Full fight card:

Champ Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen (for middleweight title)

Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Clay Guida

Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Hughes

Junior Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson

Dustin Hazelett vs. Rick Story

Phil Davis vs. Rodney Wallace

Tim Boetsch vs. Todd Brown

Charlie Brenneman vs. Johny Hendricks

Christian Morecraft vs. Stefan Struve

Dennis Hallman vs. Ben Saunders

Damn. When I look at that I see a loaded card with a ton of candidates for fight of the night. UFC 116 was one of the best cards I can remember. Will 117 follow that up with a great night of fights or will it be a dud? I truly expect a wonderful night of exciting matches courtesy of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Tune in.

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