UFC Fight Night 17 "Lauzon vs. Stephens" is set to go down this Saturday, February 7, 2008, at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV from The University of Southern Florida (USF) Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida.

Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET.

To get us pumped for the festivities, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer Jesse Holland (that’s me) will be breaking down the main event matches and revealing each fighter’s keys to victory.

If you’re looking for an unbiased and objective examination of each contest, then I’m happy to report you will be extremely disappointed.

Why else do you think I would depose the former contributors and take this act solo like the selfish blowhard you already know me to be?

But enough about me … at least for the time being.

Let’s get cracking:

Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon (17-4) vs. Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens (14-3)

UFC Fight Night 17 was supposed to feature Joe Lauzon against Hermes Franca but to be quite honest, Jeremy Stephens is a more than worthy replacement. Stephens earned "Knockout of the Night" at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" after sending Rafael dos Anjos back to Brazil with a thundering uppercut that he threw from what appeared to be the center of the cage. It was among the most devastating finishes of 2008. The Iowa product has five career fights inside the Octagon, winning three (Dos Anjos, Cole Miller and Diego Saraiva) contests and losing (Spencer Fisher and Din Thomas) the others. He’d get a nice bump with a win over a name like Lauzon, but he’ll need to do his best to stay upright for that to happen. "J-Lau" rebounded from a recent loss — a first for him inside the Octagon — to stop Kyle Bradley via technical knockout (strikes) at UFC Fight Night 15 in September. Prior to the win, he was one of the many recent victims of Kenny Florian courtesy of a second round technical Hellbow loss at UFC Fight Night 13 back in April. Lauzon was the favorite to win The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 season before meeting up with Manny Gamburyan in the semifinals. He has four wins in five attempts inside the Octagon and owes much of his fame to the swift KO of veteran Jens Pulver during "Lil Evil's" homecoming at UFC 63. This comes down to Stephens 10 (T)KO's vs. Lauzon's 13 submissions. I'm taking "J-Lau" by decision in this one based on his control on the ground, but it's not going to be as easy as he thinks it is - Stephens hands are just as deadly from the top as they are on the feet.

Keys to victory:

Lauzon: Don't let him drag you into a slugfest and you should be able to control the fight. Takedowns should come early and often. If that doesn't work, make that creepy bat-face you do sometimes and scare him into submission.

Stephens: From what I've seen in past fights including TUF 5, a frustrated Lauzon is a broken Lauzon. If you can stuff the shoot or stun him in the opening minutes, you could pull off the upset.

Prediction: Lauzon by unanimous decision

Cain Velasquez (4-0) vs. Denis "The Menace" Stojnic (5-1)

Blue chip heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez will finally return to action after missing several months with a knee injury that required minor surgery to repair. The undefeated American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) standout — who has won both of his UFC bouts in impressive fashion — is apparently 100 percent healthy and ready to rock and roll. He's quickly built a reputation as a dangerous opponent who many in the division would prefer to avoid. Brad Morris and Jake O’Brien weren’t so lucky — the former Arizona State University wrestler stopped them both in the first round like the rest of his victims. It’s sink or swim, therefore, for his opponent, Stojnic, making not just his debut for the promotion, but also his first mixed martial arts appearance in the United States. The Sarajevo native has competed throughout Europe during his career, most recently outpointing Hakim Gouram at Holland's 'Beast of the East' back in May. As of Noon on Friday, Stojnic is listed +475 to the -650 for Velasquez. Those are some dangerous numbers. Anyone remember a guy named Junior dos Santos? I don't want anyone to think I'm not on the Velasquez war wagon, because I am. But I also want to keep the hype in perspective. I can remember a time when Jake O'Brien was 8-0 with all eight of those wins coming by way of (T)KO. And now? Undercard fu. Like most of the MMA world, I think Velasquez is going to quickly ground Stojnic with his wrestling and then simply pound him into a stoppage. Stojnic is far too one-dimensional to make this competitive but I don't have to remind anyone that it only takes one punch.

Keys to victory:

Velasquez: This bout is on the televised portion of the card for a reason. Take him down and ground and pound. Rinse and repeat - assuming he survives the first attack.

Stojnic: It's unlikely this bout will stay upright for very long. Nothing like a perfectly timed knee ala Filipovic/Fujita to shock the world. It's not gonna happen, but hey, at least the possibility exists.

Prediction: Velasquez by TKO

Mac Danzig (18-5-1) vs. Josh "The Dentist" Neer (24-7-1)

This is a bout that could be make-or-break for man with no meat. Danzig — season six welterweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) — is coming off a frustrating unanimous decision loss to Clay Guida at UFC Fight Night 15 back in September. "The Carpenter’s" relentless cardio and wrestling proved to be just too much for Danzig to overcome. Prior to the loss he submitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Mark Bocek with a rear naked choke at UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ in April. He stopped Tommy Speer in similar fashion before that to earn the TUF crown nearly one year ago. This will be the fourth fight for mixed martial arts veteran inside the Octagon and it’s not getting any easier with opponents like "The Dentist." Neer is also looking to rebound from a loss at UFC Fight Night 15 — he dropped a tight split decision to Nate Diaz in a fight that was awarded with "Fight of the Night." A five-year veteran of the sport, Neer is no slouch on the ground or on his feet —- 10 of his wins have come via submission, with 10 more coming via (technical) knockout. After posting a 2-3 record in the UFC, Neer won six of seven fights outside the promotion before returning to the Octagon and defeating Din Thomas by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 13. In addition to Thomas, Neer holds wins over UFC veterans Joe Stevenson, Melvin Guillard and Forrest Petz. On paper I give this to Danzig for being perhaps a bit more complete, but after winning twelve straight he went 2-3 in his last five fights and it's hardly a lock against someone as tough and with as many intangibles as Neer. If Danzig can control the pace and fight an intelligent game instead of turning it into a slugfest, then expect him to be ahead on the judges cards by the end of the third - but not by much.

Keys to victory:

Danzig: Neer has a reach advantage and some gritty clinch work. Stay out of the pocket and work the ground game. Watch out for that haymaker - they don't call him "The Dentist" for nothing.

Neer: Don't expect Danzig to run out of gas so it wouldn't hurt to be conservative in the opening frame. You know the ground game is coming at some point, how well are you prepared to defend it?

Prediction: Danzig by split-decision

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (6-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (14-4)

Anthony Johnson is a fighter that belongs on every main card because he seems to get more exciting with each fight. Fresh off his thrilling KO victory over Kevin Burns at UFC Ultimate Fighter Finale 8, "Rumble" has opted to come back and fight at Fight Night 17 rather than wait for a rumored fight with Mike "Quick" Swick later in the year. That tells me about the kind of competitor that Johnson is and I like that kind of attitude. Johnson avenged his controversial loss to Burns back at UFC Fight Night 14, knocking the Iowan senseless with a brutal head kick in the opening seconds of round three. Burns joins Tommy Speer and Chad Reiner on "Rumble’s" ever growing highlight reel. He won’t have a free pass however against the gritty Fioravanti. The American Top Team standout and military serviceman-turned mixed martial artist has his share of knockouts, ending 50 percent of his fights by way of (T)KO. Fioravanti was last seen taking Brodie Farber the distance in a unanimous decision win at UFC 16 ‘Fight for the Troops.’ My biggest concern here is Johnson's ability to win outside of his comfort zone. Yes, he can end it at any point and time with his ridiculous power, but Fioravanti has an unorthodox and vastly underrated striking style that can neutralize the more predictable, balls-to-the-wall offense of Johnson. I also have concerns about Johnson's cardio against a guy like Luigi who can stay comfortably inside the pocket and muffle a power offense. If Johnson is unable to catch him early, it would not shock me to see him worn down and outpointed for a unanimous decision loss. That's why I'm picking him to win. There has to be one fight per card where the judges screw it up. So let it be written, so let it be dumb.

Keys to victory:

Johnson: You're a genetic freak - but how well can you incorporate those gifts into a well-rounded game? Prepare to go deep into the fight and find a way to win without the KO. You may not have a choice.

Fioravanti: If you can avoid having your head taken off in the first round you have a pretty good chance of winning this. Close the distance and simply outwork him. Just keep an eye out for that newfound head kick.

Prediction: Johnson by unanimous decision

That’s a wrap, folks.

Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of UFC Fight Night 17.

What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for Saturday’s event.