UFC 212: Three Fights You Don't Want To Miss

On August 27, 2011, the UFC staged its first even in Brazil in almost 13 years, with then-middleweight king Anderson Silva capping off a night of epic action with a stoppage victory over Yushin Okami in front of a raucous audience.

The South American country has historically produced some of the greatest competitors in MMA history, and ever since UFC 134, the Octagon has returned to Brazil on a regular basis. On Saturday night, Rio de Janeiro plays host to UFC 212 and featherweight champion José Aldo’s bid to overcome interim title holder Max Holloway.

The Brazilian will be the betting favourite to get his hand raised on home soil, but Holloway, riding a 10-fight win streak, should not be discounted in this battle of dynamic strikers.

Aside from the headline bout, there are plenty of interesting matchups to look forward to. Here are three fights you don’t want to miss at UFC 212.

Cláudia Gadelha vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz – Strawweight

The penultimate bout on the card pits two of the women’s strawweight division’s finest against each other, with No.1-ranked Cláudia Gadelha taking on No.2-ranked Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

Both women come into this fight having won in their previous outing, and both fell to Joanna Jędrzejczyk, the seemingly unstoppable champion, in their prior matchup.

Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Gadelha will be counting on the backing of a packed arena, with the Brazilian fans sure to be typically vociferous in support of one of their own. Muay Thai specialist Kowalkiewicz, however, has all the tools to cause the 28-year-old plenty of problems.

Vitor Belfort vs Nate Marquardt – Middleweight

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Former light-heavyweight champion and middleweight contender Vitor Belfort has been campaigning for the creation of a “veterans division” within the UFC, in which ageing legends of the Octagon can face off against one another, rather than being fed to hungry young up-and-comers.

The left-field idea is unlikely to ever come to bear, but on Saturday night the 40-year-old powerhouse has got just the kind of bout you’d expect to see in such a division, taking on 38-year-old ex-middleweight contender Nate Marquardt.

Belfort, one of the most popular Brazilian fighters in the sport’s history, is winless in three fights and has defied pleas for him to hang up his gloves. Having fallen to the cream of the 185lbs division recently — Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Gegard Mousasi and Kelvin Gastelum — he now faces a welcome step down in the form of Marquardt, who lost a decision to Sam Alvely back in January.

Victory for either man would provide an opportunity to go out on a high; or, as is often the case, justification for carrying on.

Raphael Assunção vs Marlon Moraes – Bantamweight

Bantamweight standout Raphael Assunção has lost just once is his last nine fights, dropping a decision to former champion TJ Dillashaw at UFC 200 last year. The 34-year-old veteran, whose career record stands at an impressive 24-5, will welcome former World Series of Fighting champion and fellow Brazilian Marlon Moraes to the UFC on Saturday night.

Moraes, 29, was hugely impressive in WSOF and has not tasted defeat in almost six years. But the upcoming contest against Assunção stands to be by far the most difficult of his career. A baptism of fire for the newcomer; win, however, and he’ll vault straight into the title picture.