Mixed martial arts and the Fourth of July are a combustible combination. The Ultimate Fighting Championship assures that by scheduling some of the year’s most exciting fights during high summer, and UFC 175 is no exception. Topping the bill is middleweight champion Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, with an undercard that includes Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey defending her bantamweight title against Alexis Davis, Urijah Faber taking on 135-pounder Alex Caceres, heavyweights Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve and Matt Mitrione clashing, and Uriah “Prime Time” Hall fighting Thiago “Marreta” Santos in the 185-pound division.
Three other fights are scheduled, but one of those will not be Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva. Both heavyweights appeared at a May 23 press conference and were subsequently surprised by random drug tests. Silva declined to take the test, while Sonnen tested positive for banned substances. Sonnen ended up retiring from the sport, attributing his circumstance to weaning himself from testosterone replacement therapy after the Nevada Athletic Commission banned it in February.
But it’s Weidman vs. Machida that is making UFC 175 fans sizzle with anticipation. Undefeated Weidman took the middleweight title from Anderson Silva during last year’s International Fight Week event, striking the confident champion with several left punches that caused the referee to stop the fight at 1:18 in the second round. Silva took some flack for seemingly not giving Weidman his best, but in their infamous Dec. 28 rematch, the seven-year Brazilian champ broke his leg with a misplaced kick.
“In the second fight I had a lot to prove, to get the first fight off my back,” Weidman said. “Even the second fight, it definitely didn’t end the way I wanted, but after being in there twice with him, I feel like I dominated both fights pretty good, and I just knew I’m the better fighter. So I’m going to put that behind me and move on in the middleweight division. I’m excited to fight Lyoto Machida. He’s a tricky guy and I’m going to have to figure him out.”
Machida, a countryman of Silva, has 24 wins and four losses, but winning the middleweight belt is secondary to the former light heavyweight champion. “I’m really not thinking about that. I’m focusing on the fight now. I’m not thinking about the belt; I’m focused on my opponent,” he said through a translator, adding that he has “no sense of revenge” in contrast to Silva.
While most fighters are too evenly matched to predict sure winners, majority opinion favors Faber to crush Caceres in the fast-and-furious featherweight division, while discussion by UFC honcho Dana White and commentator Joe Rogan of how well Rousey would do in a scrap against Floyd Mayweather may have increased the interest in her fight with Davis. “In an MMA fight, she would hurt him badly. ... Ronda will kick your feet out from under you,” said White, who clarified such a fight could never happen. Still, Rousey does not seem the type to shrink from the challenge.
Mandalay Bay 4 p.m. July 5, starting at $125 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
