It may be the home of Disney World, but there aren't going to be additional princes and princesses invading Orlando, Fla., later TONIGHT (Sat., April 19, 2014) inside Amway Center.
UFC on FOX 11: "Werdum vs. Browne" takes place this evening on primetime television, featuring two fights worthy of getting excited about.
A classic Heavyweight duel that pits Brazilian veteran Fabricio Werdum against four-time "Knockout of The Night" winner Travis Browne in a fight that will determine the next challenge for UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
In addition, former UFC women's Bantamweight title challengers scrap it out in the co-main event, as The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 18 coach Miesha Tate battles Liz Carmouche in a co-main event that could lead either of these athletes to a second UFC title shot sooner rather than later.
With the majority of this card's excitement focused on these two bouts, let us look into the near future and map out what a victory on tonight might mean for these four featured fighters.
Here we go:
Fabricio Werdum
We know the winner of this scintillating Heavyweight affair is getting a title shot -- so let's get that out of the way fast.
Analyzing a mainstay like Werdum, you can't help but notice that apart from his last two losses against Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, which are the only two times he failed to beat an opponent in the past six years through an eight-fight stretch, he's beaten almost everyone else except for the holder of the UFC heavyweight throne.
"Vai Cavalo" submitted Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, he outlasted Roy Nelson and Antonio Silva, and his name rose to fame when he toppled Fedor Emelianenko in just over a minute at Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Werdum" when it comes to his most impactful victories over the past couple of years.
If the experienced Brazilian can beat his heavy-handed opponent (don't forget about those elbows, too), there's no reason why the Kings MMA product shouldn't be ranked as the second best heavyweight in the world.
Some of you say dos Santos is still a force at number two, and even if he beat Werdum years ago, the Porto Alegre-born fighter would be on a four-fight winning streak and hasn't lost to Velasquez twice in murderous fashion.
Depending on how he beats Browne, Werdum would be arguably the most accomplished heavyweight in the game besides the current champion.
Travis Browne
The thing about Browne is he defeats 265-pound slayers in such a weird way.
His win over Gabriel Gonzaga was overshadowed by his monstrous hits to the back of the head, but even if you exclude that performance (which you shouldn't), he's come back from adversity to knock Alistair Overeem's chin to the ceiling at UFC Fight Night 26 last summer. Also, who could forget his finish against Josh Barnett at UFC 168 -- where he crushed the temples of "The Warmaster" by his patented elbows.
If the Jackson's MMA member avoids the takedown, he maintains his perfect record of defending every takedown in his fights, which is an astronomical accolade in itself.
If the Hawaiian can overcome his Brazilian counterpart, he would definitely be one to follow moving forward, but it would help his case to defeat his foe in a dominant fashion which would leave no question marks.
This isn't to downplay the record of 16-1-1 and "No Contest" that Browne has under his belt heading into this fight, yet he really emerged on the scene when he scored a knockout out of nowhere against Stefan Struve at UFC 130. Cancel out his wins against Rob Broughton and Chad Griggs shortly after, and you will notice he beat Gonzaga quite illegally, toppled Overeem because the Dutchman was a little too cocky, and blasted Barnett while the catch wrestler was working a takedown and got kayoed on his knees.
Yes, these are impressive wins, although, if the 31-year-old is planning to get to the top in a commanding fashion, let's see a finish nobody can dispute.
Miesha Tate
If Ronda Rousey is the most popular female fighter on the planet, Tate comes in at a close second.
It's largely due to the fact that "Cupcake" took "Rowdy" into the third round of their UFC 168 co-main event (as Tate came up short and lost to the current champion for the second time), and her coaching stint on TUF 18 -- where Tate was perceived as the face, despite her team's pestering.
Despite the Washington-native's tough stretch of 1-3 in her last four fights, she's still a superstar under the UFC banner. If Tate can avoid losing a third fight in a row, she can easily set up a title eliminator bout against someone who is coming off a win elsewhere.
It seems a little too premature to assume, right?
UFC's women's bantamweight division is still growing, and now that Rousey meets Alexis Davis at UFC 175 for the strap, it cancels out all the questions everyone had as to who can challenge the judo guru next. The promotion doesn't shy away from rematches or rivalries, so it makes sense for Tate to earn a third shot at Rousey -- even though it could end exactly like the first two -- if she can muster up something like a two-fight winning streak.
If she loses, though, would the promotion be forced to cut ties?
Liz Carmouche
The first woman to ever walk into the Octagon in the history of the organization is back -- looking to make a statement so she can secure a rematch against Rousey, too.
The Marine Corps veteran is 1-2 in UFC, although she's only lost twice in her past five fights, which ultimately, puts her in better positioning than it does for her opponent in assessing their long-term futures.
Similar to her opponent, "Girl-Rilla" has fought most of the upper echelon of the women's bantamweight division, coming super close in title fights against Marloes Coenen at Strikeforce: "Feijao vs. Henderson" and Rousey at UFC 157.
The co-main event competitor isn't going anywhere if she loses, and quite frankly, she's establishing herself as a bigwig in the company, courtesy of her high-profile fights.
Beating her opponent on Saturday night would be more advantageous for the San Diego-based slugger, since it would not only improve her record to 10-4, but also prove she can beat up an experienced old hand and show the rest of the division she isn't going anywhere soon.
Much like Tate, Carmouche could secure a second title shot in the upcoming year if she can string together a couple of wins.
The belt is closer than you would think for both of these ladies.
For the finalized UFC on FOX 11: "Werdum vs. Browne" card, including bout order, click here.