Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada tonight (Sat., Aug. 27, 2016) as Rogers Arena plays host to an entertaining Welterweight scrap between Carlos Condit and Demian Maia. Maia came up short in his first and only shot at a UFC world title, losing to then-Middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 112 a while back. That was for the 185-pound strap, and now the submission wizard is on the cusp of vying for the Welterweight belt. Currently riding a five-fight win streak at 170-pounds, it's safe to say Maia can get another crack at gold with a win over Condit. For Condit, while a win won't necessarily give him a word title fight -- despite how much he believes it will -- it could, at the very least, shoot him closer to it. In addition to the main event, former 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis looks to get back on the winning track as he tries his hand in the Featherweight division. Catch all the UFC on FOX 21 action LIVE with a main card start time of 8 p.m. ET (for up-to-second UFC on FOX 21 results click here).
Below is everything you need to know to stay on top of the FOX-televised card in Canada.
Who: Carlos Condit vs. Demian Maia
What: UFC on FOX 21
When: Sat., Aug. 27, 2016, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass
Where: Rogers Arena in Vancouver. British Columbia, Canada
How To Watch: Main card at 8 p.m ET on FOX; FOX "Prelims" undercard at 6 p.m. ET; and UFC Fight Pass early "Prelims" at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Live UFC on FOX 21: Play-by-play coverage here
What's Hot:
As mentioned above, Maia has proven that even though his style of fighting may not be the most exciting, he gets the job done. Or, in his words, he dominates. One more dominant performance, and he could be staring down the barrel of another world championship fight.
Original Card vs. Actual card:
Oddly, not much has changed since this card was announced other than Ning Guangyou getting pulled from the card due to visa issues.
New Blood:
Jeremy Kennedy and Alex Ricci will make their Octagon debuts, as Kennedy looks to build on his impressive 14-fight win streak.
Injuries:
Josh Emmet was forced out of his bout against the aforementioned Kennedy with an undisclosed injury.
How The "Prelims" Look:
Pretty decent. Packed with plenty of young up-and-coming and local talent. The Kennedy vs. Ricci bout is intriguing, as Jeremy looks to continue his winning formula and prove he belongs on the biggest stage of them all. Also, Kevin Casey and Sam Alvey will tango in an interesting Middleweight affair that could be fireworks.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
This portion is typically reserved for fighters who could be fighting for their jobs today, rather than contenders or title challengers needing victory. Let's take a look at those who need to pull it together:
Anthony Pettis once reigned supreme as the ruler of the 155-pound weight class and was once pegged as a potential face for the promotion. But those days are long gone, and all that's left are Wheaties boxes to reminds us just where "Showtime" could have been has it not been for a three fight losing streak.
It's something that's unfathomable, considering Pettis looked so dominant early on in his career. Granted, losing to the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Rafael dos Anjos and Edson Barboza is nothing to hang your head low over, but MMA is a business, and in the business of MMA, you lose three in a row, and your stock goes down...and fast.
Dropping four straight? Well, that can be very, very bad news for Pettis.
Interest Level: 7/10
The main card is very, very good, as it also features the return of UFC sweetheart Paige VanZant following her successful stint on "Dancing with the Stars." Now that's she's traded in her dancing shoes for some UFC gloves, "12 Gauge" will look to get back on the winning track against Bec Rawlings, winner of two straight. Charles Oliveira and Pettis is sure to be fireworks while Maia and Condit will likely lay it all on the line as they both eye potential shots at the division strap.
FULL FIGHT CARD:
UFC on FOX 21 Main Event:
170 lbs.: Demian Maia vs. Carlos Condit
UFC on FOX 21 Main Card (8 p.m. ET):
145 lbs.: Charles Oliveira vs. Anthony Pettis
115 lbs.: Bec Rawlings vs. Paige VanZant
155 lbs.: Joe Lauzon vs. Jim Miller
UFC on FOX 21 "Prelims" (6 p.m. ET):
185 lbs.: Sam Alvey vs. Kevin Casey
145 lbs.: Enrique Barzola vs. Kyle Bochniak
155 lbs.: Shane Campbell vs. Felipe Silva
155 lbs.: Jeremy Kennedy vs. Alex Ricci
UFC Fight Pass "Prelims" (4:30 p.m. ET):
155 lbs.: Thibault Gouti vs. Chad Laprise
185 lbs.: Alessio Di Chirico vs. Garreth Mclelland
185 lbs.: Adam Hunter vs. Ryan James
For more UFC on FOX 21 news and notes click here.
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