Saturday marks the 20th time a UFC event will feature two championship bouts.
In other words, Dana White and Co. have once again pulled out all the stops to ensure the Fourth of July weekend is yet again a resounding success.
With headliners like Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey—the former a two-time slayer of Anderson Silva and the latter a champion furthering the women's side of the sport—what could go wrong?
Beneath the surface of the main events, the rest of the card completes what is the sport's best offering of the year. Here is a look at the full card with a taste of two of the underrated events residing below the main spectacles of the night.
What: UFC 175
When: Saturday, July 5, 2014 at 7 p.m. ET (main card begins at 10 p.m. ET)
Online: UFC TV
| Main Card (PPV) | Fighter | Fighter | Predicted Winner |
| Middleweight | Chris Weidman | Lyoto Machida | Chris Weidman |
| Women's Bantamweight | Ronda Rousey | Alexis Davis | Ronda Rousey |
| Heavyweight | Stefan Struve | Matt Mitrione | Stefan Struve |
| Middleweight | Uriah Hall | Thiago Santos | Thiago Santos |
| Bantamweight | Marcus Brimage | Russell Doane | Russell Doane |
| Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1) | Fighter | Fighter | |
| Bantamweight | Urijah Faber | Alex Caceres | Urijah Faber |
| Welterweight | Kenny Robertson | Ildemar Alcantara | Kenny Robertson |
| Middleweight | Chris Camozzi | Bruno Santos | Chris Camozzi |
| Bantamweight | George Roop | Rob Font | Rob Font |
| Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass) | Fighter | Fighter | |
| Middleweight | Luke Zachrich | Guilherme Vasconcelos | Guilherme Vasconcelos |
| Middleweight | Kevin Casey | Bubba Bush | Kevin Casey |
Card via UFC.com
Underrated Bouts to Watch
Uriah Hall vs. Thiago Santos
A middleweight bout of epic proportions has been a bit swept under the rug in the wake of the superb main events Saturday night.
For Uriah Hall, the proceedings in Las Vegas represent a chance for him to shed the "bust" label and realize his full potential after being a star on The Ultimate Fighter quite some time ago. He managed to halt a two-fight skid with a triumph over Chris Leben last December.
Perhaps Dana White has the answer to Hall's issues, as he told the media after UFC Fight Night 26:
It’s a mental thing. He was this killer that everybody was afraid of on TUF and then he comes into the big show where it all really matters and where you’re going to make, you know, this is going to make your livelihood and everything else and he turns into this different person. This super nice guy.
If that's the case, Hall better get mean in a hurry to dance with Santos.
While he only touts a 1-1 record since joining the promotion, Santos is a deadly striker who has finished two of his last three bouts with kicks. His wrestling has left something to be desired at this point, but putting his head down and matching Hall blow-for-blow may very well be enough for him to pull off the victory.
| Uriah Hall | Thiago Santos | |
| 9-4-0 | Record | 9-2-0 |
| 72 in | Height | 72 in |
| 185 lbs | Weight | 185 lbs |
| Significant Strikes | ||
| 3 | Landed P/M | 4.2 |
| 56.76% | Accuracy | 41.18% |
| 2.14 | Absorbed P/M | 1.8 |
| 55.36% | Defense | 50% |
| Grappling | ||
| 1.71 | Takedown average | 000 |
| 36.36% | Takedown accuracy | 000% |
| 58.33% | Takedowns defended | 000% |
| 000 | Submission average | 000 |
UFC.com
Hall can hang if both men remain upright, but one has to take into account his habit of fading down the stretch on major stages, as he did in recent losses to Kelvin Gastelum and John Howard.
Two men with everything to lose enter a grand stage Saturday night, and the one who remains focused on the task at hand by any means necessary will get a major career boost with the promotion. Unless Hall can suddenly live up to his potential, that man will be Santos.
Prediction: Santos via split decision
Marcus Brimage vs. Russell Doane
A late addition to the card, Marcus Brimage and Russell Doane's duel will quietly be one of the highlights Saturday night given the offensive skill of both men.
Marcus Brimage will drop from featherweight to bantamweight to meet Russell Doane at #UFC175. Who's going to take it? pic.twitter.com/Pb1mlWJpB8
— UFC on Xbox LIVE (@UFConXboxLIVE) July 2, 2014
Both men love to stay on their feet, which means more action for fans.
Brimage won over fans on The Ultimate Fighter 14 and went on to win three fights in a row, but he got destroyed in April of 2013. That's no exaggeration—he was dominated by Conor McGregor in just 67 seconds.
| Marcus Brimage | Russell Doane | |
| 6-2-0 | Record | 13-3-0 |
| 64 in | Height | 67 in |
| 135 lbs | Weight | 135 lbs |
| Significant Strikes | ||
| 5.1 | Landed P/M | 4.31 |
| 35.82% | Accuracy | 50% |
| 4.32 | Absorbed P/M | 1.7 |
| 53.5% | Defense | 68.52% |
| Grappling | ||
| 0.33 | Takedown average | 000 |
| 100% | Takedown accuracy | 000% |
| 88.89% | Takedowns defended | 80% |
| 000 | Submission average | 1.5 |
UFC.com
It has indeed been quite some time since fans have seen the strike-happy ways of Brimage, who since that crippling loss has been rehabbing an Achilles injury.
Meanwhile, Doane has been a treat to watch after making his promotional debut in January, using elite speed and great striking to leave an impression. He matches up well with Brimage in a clash of similar styles.
Pair concentration issues and lesser speed, and there is a recipe for Brimage to take another ugly loss. Doane is red hot and can use a diverse array of strikes to eventually get the win, especially if his opponent falls back to his flat-footed ways.
Prediction: Doane by TKO
