10 reasons to watch UFC Fight Night 86, especially if you dig heavyweights

If you’re a fan of heavyweight fights, Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 86 event is right in your wheelhouse. Five of the 13 fights on the card, including four of the six main-card bouts, are heavyweight contests, with the main event featuring surging contender Ben Rothwell vs. former champion Junior dos Santos.

In the co-main event, knockout machine Derrick Lewis faces the strong submission game of Gabriel Gonzaga.

For those who are leery of a card so stacked with heavyweights, recall the UFC did the same thing back at UFC 146, and each of those heavyweight fights ended via first- or second-round stoppage.

UFC Fight Night 86 is the promotion’s first trip to Zagreb, Croatia, and with the time difference, North American fans get a rare early Sunday morning event. The first fight kicks off at 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT) on UFC Fight Pass before moving on to FOX Sports 1 for the remainder of the event.

Here are 10 reasons you want to catch UFC Fight Night 86.

1. Seek and destroy

Ben Rothwell

At some point a switched flipped inside Rothwell (36-9 MMA, 6-3 UFC), and when it did, he morphed from a serviceable, but not remarkable, fighter into a star.

Maybe it was during the third round of his fight against Brandon Vera, when he suddenly decided to channel Clay Guida on his way to a knockout win. Maybe it was when he broke out some sweet dance moves after knocking out Alistair Overeem. It definitely was before his two recent wins via gogo choke.

Those four straight stoppage victories have Rothwell ranked No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, and he recently told MMAjunkie nothing short of winning and defending the title will satisfy him.

Rothwell will attempt to stake his claim for a title shot when he headlines the UFC’s debut event in Croatia.

2. Show us you still got it

Junior Dos Santos

It wasn’t long ago that Dos Santos (17-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and Cain Velasquez were the undisputed top two fighters in the heavyweight division. Velasquez is still in that discussion, but No. 8-ranked Dos Santos, after going 2-3 in his past five fights? Not so much.

Dos Santos has always relied on his boxing and one-punch knockout power to get by, but after 21 pro fights, it may be time for him to unveil some new wrinkles to his game.

At 32, which is young for a UFC heavyweight, Dos Santos has time to get back in the mix. How he plans on doing that is something to keep an eye on.

3. Stepping up

Derrick Lewis

Lewis (14-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has done well against fighters with limited UFC experience, but he’s struggled when he’s battled UFC veterans. His five UFC victories, all knockouts, have come against fighters with little octagon time while his two losses, also by knockout, have come against more tenured UFC heavyweights.

At UFC Fight Night 86, a confident Lewis faces another veteran, but one who’s in the middle of a rough patch. Gonzaga (17-10 MMA, 12-9 UFC) is 1-3 in his past four, and if Lewis gets past him, he’ll clear a big hurdle.

4. The heat is on

Gabriel Gonzaga

At UFC Fight Night 86, the UFC has three heavyweight fighters making their promotional debuts. Two heavyweights are also appearing in their second UFC bouts. These five competitors range in age from 25 to 32, which may lead you to believe the UFC may be looking at trimming some fighters from the division.

This should get the attention of the soon to be 37-year-old Gonzaga.

Gonzaga’s previous run with the UFC ended after he posted a 3-5 record. A loss to Lewis would give him the same record in his past eight bouts.

5. Young heavyweights

Francis Ngannou

What’s this, two heavyweights younger than 30 squaring off in the UFC? No, really, it’s true.

The average age of the UFC heavyweights ranked in the top 15 is 36. Francis Ngannou (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at 29 and Curtis Blaydes (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at 25 fall far below that average.

In a division in need of new blood, young prospects are always a welcome sight.

The 6-4 Ngannou is a big man who packs a mean punch and has the ability to string together some nice combinations. Blaydes is even taller at 6-5 and has to cut weight to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit. Blaydes’ strong point is his wrestling, and he’s not afraid to go for the takedown right from the opening bell and follow up with ground and pound.

6. A former champ debuts

Timothy Johnson

Marcin Tybura (13-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut in Croatia, facing Timothy Johnson (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC). Tybura is a former M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion, and he’s a finisher. Eleven of his 13 victories have come via knockout or submission.

Tybura’s game plan is simple but effective: get to the ground, gain top position and force opponents into providing an opening. Once that opening appears, Tybura looks for a submission or ups the ante on his ground and pound to go for the finish.

He’ll have a tough test in Johnson, a Division II NCAA All-American wrestler who has just two career losses.

7. Don’t sleep on the strawweights

Maryna Moroz

The strawweight bout between Maryna Moroz (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Cristina Stanciu (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is your sleeper pick for “Fight of the Night.” These two are both very confident and very aggressive, a combination that should make for a fun fight. When you add in the fact that they have nine first-round stoppages between them, things just get better.

This fight is Stanciu’s UFC debut, and the promotion is wasting little time in testing her by matching her up against the No. 12-ranked Moroz.

8. Just 2 tough dudes

Zak Cummings

Zak Cummings (18-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Nicolas Dalby (14-0-1 MMA, 1-0-1 UFC) aren’t household names, but that doesn’t mean you should sleep on this welterweight bout.

Dalby, a former Cage Warriors champion, is unbeaten. He’s a very composed fighter, even when put in difficult positions – something he displayed in his “Fight of the Night” majority draw vs. Darren Till in October.

Cummings first gained notice in the UFC when he ended Yan Cabral’s 11-fight winning streak. Most recently, he put Dominque Steele away via first-round TKO. Like Dalby, Cummings is a fighter who’s always going to be in his opponent’s face, taking everything he’s got while looking to give the same.

9. Going for 4

Mairbek Taisumov

Mairbek Taisumov (24-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is fighting on the prelims at UFC Fight Night 86, but if he delivers a fourth straight knockout, expect to see him on a main card soon. Taisumov has one-punch knockout power and an excellent killer instinct. In his last outing, he ended Alan Patrick’s 12-fight unbeaten streak with a “Performance of the Night” second-round TKO.

It’s hard to get noticed in the crowded lightweight division, but Taisumov looks like he’s on his way to doing just that. He faces UFC newcomer Damir Hadzovic (10-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

10. Be in your seat early

Bojan Velickovic

Bojan Velickovic (13-3, 0-0 UFC) won the RFA welterweight title in January, but when the UFC came calling, he dropped that belt and signed on the dotted line. It mattered little to Velickovic that the UFC was offering him a middleweight fight against Alessio Di Chirico (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 86.

Velickovic, born in Serbia, has been training in the States for the last four years, first at American Top Team and more recently with Elevation Fight Team. He comes to the UFC with a muay Thai background and 11 finishes on his record.

Di Chirico, who is also making his UFC debut, is a finisher as well, with four knockouts and four submissions victories.

In short, this one could prove to be an exciting opener for UFC Fight Night 86.

For more on UFC Fight Night 86, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.