Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the hurt business tonight (Sat., Nov. 11, 2017) for UFC Fight Night 120, which is set to go down inside Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Virginia. The FOX Sports 1-televised event will feature a Lightweight main event that will see Dustin Poirier take on former division champion Anthony Pettis. In the co-main event, Matt Brown and Diego Sanchez will meet in the center of the cage in what is sure to be a stand up affair.
What’s Hot:
Anthony Pettis will look to score his second straight victory since returning to Lightweight when he faces off against Dustin Poirier in the headlining act. After a tough run at Featherweight, “Showtime” hopes to start a streak at 155 pounds on his road back to the title. In defeating Jim Miller back at UFC 212, Pettis found his confidence again. That said, Poirier is as tough as they come. “Diamond” looks to rebound from a tough scrap against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 211 that saw their bout end in a “No Contest.”
Poirier was hoping to secure an instant rematch, but UFC opted to book Alvarez against Justin Gaethje. Still, the fight against Pettis is a good one for “Diamond” because a win over a former champion can raise his stock on his own path to the big dance.
Matt Brown will say goodbye to to the fight game once the dust settles in his fight against Diego Sanchez. After a career that saw him entertain fight fans for years, “Immortal” looks to go out with a bang ... and the promotion couldn’t have put him against a better foe. Both Sanchez and Brown have the same style that lights up the Octagon. Don’t be surprised to see someone go down early, or see them engage in a 15-minute, rock em’, sock em’ collision.
What’s Not:
Raphael Assuncao always seems to be the odd man out when it comes to the Bantamweight division. But, after back-to-back wins against Aljamain Sterling and Marlon Moraes, the Brazilian bomber could squeeze his way into the title picture with another win. That said, putting him against Mathew Lopez is baffling to me after scoring wins after the two aforementioned names. Especially since there are a couple Top 10-ranked foes that would’ve been better options.
Original Card vs. Actual Card:
The card pretty much stayed in place from the onset. However, a Light Heavyweight showdown between Jared Cannonier and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was talked about as being the co-headlining act. But, the promotion ultimately scrapped that idea and moved the 205-pound title to UFC on FOX 26 next month.
Injuries:
Thankfully, no injuries took place prior to the event.
New Blood:
Karl Roberson — who is undefeated (5-0) and earned his spot on Dana White’s “Contender Series” -- will officially make his UFC debut when he takes on Darren Stewart in the opening bout of the night.
How The “Prelims” Look:
There are several interesting bouts going down on the undercard, including the highly-intriguing Bantamweight scrap between John Dodson and former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) champion Marlon Moraes. Also, Sage Northcutt will finally makes his return to action when he faces off against Michel Quinones.
Furthermore, Angela Hill will face Nina Ansaroff in women’s action, while Court McGee looks to get back on the winning track against Sean Strickland.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
Andrei Arlovski has now dropped five in a row and has looked like shell of his former self during that time, suffering four stoppages during that span. Granted, those losses came against the cream of the crop such as Francis Ngannou (video replay), Josh Barnett, Stipe Miocic and Alistair Overeem. Nevertheless, “The Pitbull” is in desperate need of a win if he wants to hang on to his spot on UFC’s roster, even though it’s been a minute since the promotion has actually released anyone.
Interest Level: 7/10
This is a pretty decent card, and best of all, it’s free! We get to see if a former champion in Anthony Pettis can recapture his glory days, and if a grizzled veteran can ride into the sunset with a victory in Matt Brown. And let’s not forget the opening bout of the main card will see Clay Guida and Joe Lauzon — two bonus-winning machines — kick off all the action. Still, they will have their work cut out for them if they want to score that extra $50,000 as there are plenty of bouts that could steal the show.
Full UFC Fight Night 120 Fight Card:
UFC Fight Night 120 Main Event:
155 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Anthony Pettis
UFC Fight Night 120 Main Card (10 p.m. ET):
170 lbs.: Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez
265 lbs.: Junior Albini vs. Andrei Arlovski
185 lbs.: Cezar Ferreira vs. Nate Marquardt
135 lbs.: Raphael Assuncao vs. Matthew Lopez
155 lbs.: Clay Guida vs. Joe LauzonUFC Fight Night 120 Prelims On FOX Sports 1 (8 p.m. ET):
135 lbs.: John Dodson vs. Marlon Moraes
115 lbs.: Viviane Pereira vs. Tatiana Suarez
170 lbs.: Sage Northcutt vs. Michel Quinones
115 lbs.: Nina Ansaroff vs. Angela HillUFC Fight Night 120 Prelims On Fight Pass (6:30 p.m. ET):
170 lbs.: Court McGee vs. Sean Strickland
205 lbs.: Jake Collier vs. Marcel Fortuna
185 lbs.: Karl Roberson vs. Darren Stewart
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