The UFC returns to FOX and Chicago with a stacked card from top to bottom, and the prelims are packed with great fights from light heavyweight to featherweight. Let’s dive right in and take a look at who will be fighting on FX starting at 5 p.m. (ET). Clay Guida (29-13) makes his return to the Octagon for the first time since his split-decision loss to Gray Maynard in June of 2012. This time, he has cut 10 pounds and will make his debut at 145 against a fighter who has long been considered one of the top featherweights in the world by fans of Japanese MMA – Hatsu Hioki (26-5-2). Unless Guida decides to use his far more evolved striking against Hioki, who is primarily a smothering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, this could be an interesting battle of wrestling vs. BJJ. Guida is known for his willingness to put on a scrap, but a win over Hioki in this new division for Guida could lead him to rely on what he knows best, which is driving the back of his opponents into the mat and rendering their offense useless. With that said, Hioki can create offense from his back, but we usually see him draped over his opponent, not the other way around. This should satisfy the fans of the ground game in the crowd and could have big implications for the featherweight division. MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened Guida as a -225 favorite (bet $225 to win $100) against the underdog Hioki, who is +175 (bet $100 to win $175) according to the MMA odds. Two big heavyweights enter the Octagon next, as Shawn Jordan (13-4) meets Chicago police officer Mike Russow (15-2-1). Up until his devastating TKO loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 147, Russow was undefeated in the UFC, and he looked like the second-coming of Cole Konrad, albeit a part-time second-coming. Russow is a gigantic man and although he may not be the most athletic or impressive physical speciman, he has a great wrestling base that has rendered all but Todd Duffee and Werdum completely helpless on the mat. Although Russow holds KO power and decent stand-up, if you keep the fight standing, you can absolutely win. That’s the goal of Jordan, the Texas native and 28-year-old veteran of Bellator and Strikeforce. Styles make fights, and this is a perfect example. Jordan (+165) has nine knockouts to his name and will try to make it 10 if he can keep the favored Russow (-215) from putting him on his back. A pair of light heavyweights are next on FX, with former fringe contender Ryan Bader (14-3) taking on Vladimir Matyushenko (26-6), a guy who fought Tito Ortiz for the UFC light heavyweight title all the way back at UFC 33. Bader is a massive man who is in great shape and holds KO power. Since winning The Ultimate Fighter 9 back in late 2008, he’s amassed a 7-3 UFC record, combining his one-punch KO power with his elite wrestling. Bader is coming off a brutal loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC on FOX 4 in which he was outclassed in every way imaginable. He hopes to continue the climb back toward the top of the light heavyweight division against a man in Matyushenko, who at 42 years old still has not shown any drastic signs of slowing down. Years ago, Matyushenko was known for his freestyle wrestling, competing for the Soviet National Team. But in the years since then, he has developed a good set of hands. In recent years, he has been able to be dominated by larger opponents with strong hands, so this will likely be a story of Bader (-475) attempting to do what he should do, and Matyushenko (+325) trying to shake the fact that he only seems to lose to all the top young guys in the division over the last three years of his career, including champion Jon Jones and top contender Alexander Gustafsson. Finally, Matt Wiman (15-6) looks to ride his impressive two-fight winning streak that has yielded him a Fight of the Night bonus against Mac Danzig and a Submission of the Night award for the shocking upset of Paul Sass last September when he meets Canadian fighter TJ Grant (19-5). Wiman has had an up-and-down career, hovering at gatekeeper status, but he has always improved after each loss. He opened a lot of eyes after submitting Sass at UFC on FUEL TV 5, as no one saw a submission victory coming. Meanwhile, Grant is surging on three-fight winning streak dating back to 2011 and has also seemed to improve with every fight. Grant holds a 6-3 UFC record and is looking at this win over Wiman to bring the spotlight on his next move in the division. Both of these fighters have intermediate striking skills, with both of their strengths laying pretty much in the BJJ category. This should be a very competitive matchup, with Wiman (-105) looking to make a case for himself as someone looking in on the Top 15 of the lightweight division and Grant (-125) hoping to finally move into tangible rankings with another victory against a tough opponent.
