In an era of UFC where the market is saturated with events on a nearly weekly basis, UFC 175 stands out as a truly special card.
The stakes are certainly there. With Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey looking to cement their places as UFC champions against Lyoto Machida and Alexis Davis respectively, fans will be treated to the rare two-title card.
Depth isn't really an issue, either. Outside of the two title fights, fan favorites such as Matt Mitrione, Urijah Faber and Uriah Hall can also be seen in action Saturday. Below is a look at all of the fights on the slate and how you can watch all of them.
| Main Card (Pay-Per-View) | Start Time: 10 p.m. ET | |
| Matchup | Weight Class | Prediction |
| Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida | Middleweight (for championship) | Weidman |
| Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis | Women's Bantamweight (for championship) | Rousey |
| Stefan Struve vs. Matt Mitrione | Heavyweight | Mitrione |
| Uriah Hall vs. Thiago Santos | Middleweight | Hall |
| Marcus Brimage vs. Russell Doane | Bantamweight | Brimage |
| Prelims (Fox Sports 1) | Start Time: 8 p.m. ET | |
| Urijah Faber vs. Alex Caceres | Bantamweight | Faber |
| Kenny Robertson vs. Ildemar Alcantara | Welterweight | Alcantara |
| Chris Camozzi vs. Bruno Santos | Middleweight | Camozzi |
| George Roop vs. Rob Font | Bantamweight | Roop |
| Prelims (UFC Fight Pass) | Start Time: 7 p.m. ET | |
| Luke Zachrich vs. Guilherme Vasconcelos | Middleweight | Vasconcelos |
| Kevin Casey vs. Bubba Bush | Middleweight | Bush |
UFC.com
Storylines to Watch
Chris Weidman Attempts to Legitimize Middleweight Title Reign
Chris Weidman earned the middleweight championship against Anderson Silva at UFC 162. He then went on to defend that title against the former middleweight king when Silva fell victim to a broken leg at UFC 168.
These facts are indisputable. The merits of those two accomplishments, however, have been questioned. Be it a stubborn belief that the former champion was truly invincible or a legitimate claim that the second fight ended in freaky fashion, Weidman just can't seem to get the credit he deserves.
Despite being an All-American fighting in America on an Independence Day show, he was received with plenty of boos at the weigh-ins for the event, per Bleacher Report MMA:
Tons of boos for Weidman. Weird vibe in the arena today. He's 185 pounds.
— Bleacher Report MMA (@BR_MMA) July 4, 2014
However, a win against Machida would solidify Weidman's status as a true champion. Conceptually, Machida is a very similar opponent as Silva. His striking is top-notch, he can end the fight at a moment's notice with his counter-striking ability and could have better takedown defense than Silva.
Weidman has become a divisive fighter among fans. There are those who believe his two victories against Silva were a sign of future domination in the middleweight division. To others, he's still the guy who got "lucky" against Silva—twice.
When he steps into the Octagon against Machida, one side will have a strong piece of evidence to add to the debate.
Can Alex Caceres Take Advantage of Spotlight?
The UFC made an interesting choice with Saturday's fight card. Fan favorite (and UFC 169 headliner) Urijah Faber will be on the live and free prelims before the broadcast switches over to the pay-per-view.
In theory, this may hurt pay-per-view buys. Faber's personality and style made him a big draw in his WEC days. However, it also means that the prelims should see an uptick in viewership.
Looking to take advantage of that spike in viewership will be Alex Caceres. The 26-year-old "Bruce Leeroy" is well-known from his days on The Ultimate Fighter, but he hasn't had a fight quite like this to showcase his skills.
With a seven-fight win streak to his credit that stretches back to November 2011, now is the time for Caceres to make the leap from recognizable name to actual contender.
Doing that will be difficult, though. As Josh Gross notes, Faber's veteran savvy could be the difference.
Suspect Urijah Faber is savvy enough to avoid the kinds of mistakes Alex Caceres needs to sub. Control, position, G&P ... win for Faber.
— Josh Gross (@yay_yee) July 4, 2014
With Faber looking to rebound from his loss to Renan Barao at UFC 169 and Caceres looking to capitalize on the opportunity, this one is bound to produce some fireworks.
Stefan Struve Returns to the Octagon
At one point, it looked like Stefan Struve was on his way to becoming a legitimate contender. At seven feet tall, his unique frame made him fun to watch, and he had a four-fight win streak that featured two submissions and two T(KO) victories.
A devastating knockout loss to Mark Hunt put an end to that hype. But even worse, doctors discovered a bicuspid aortic valve in Struve's heart that threatened his career. The previously undetected heart condition often left the heavyweight with just 70 percent of the blood his body needed, per Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie.
Now, more than a year later since that loss to Hunt, Struve will be back in action. With his condition now being treated by blood pressure medication and other adjustments to his training and diet, Struve might be even better than we've seen him in the past.
Then again, this isn't the best matchup for the 26-year-old. As impressive as he has been, five of his six losses have come by knockout. His opponent—Matt Mitrione—has earned six of his seven wins by way of knockout.
Just about everyone will be pulling for Struve to put in a great performance on his comeback trail. But if Mitrione catches him early, the welcoming party could be short-lived.
