The UFC® returns this weekend with one of the most anticipated matchups in the history of the sport. UFC® 116 takes place this Saturday, July 3, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV and airing live on Pay-Per-View starting at 10 PM EST! A heavyweight title unification bout is the main attraction in this one, and the two champions set to battle it out are sure to deliver a larger-than-life spectacle worthy of the considerable pre-fight hype.
UFC® Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon® after a battle with a serious intestinal disorder to face UFC® Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin (12-0). The two imposing heavyweights were originally scheduled to face each other for Lesnar's belt at UFC® 106 in November, but Lesnar's ongoing illness threw a monkey wrench into those plans and set off a chain of events that led to Carwin facing Frank Mir for the interim title at UFC® 111. Carwin's overwhelming knockout of Mir set up this unification bout, which pits two of the largest and fiercest men in the UFC® against one another in what looks like a definite contender for fight of the year.
Lesnar has been about as polarizing a figure as the UFC® has ever seen, but there is little debate about his dominance inside the Octagon® and the spectacular damage he is capable of inflicting. With his wrestling background and bowling ball-size fists, Lesnar is the epitome of a ground-and-pound wrecking ball. Of course, Carwin is no pushover. Himself a former collegiate wrestler with similarly gargantuan hands, Carwin holds the notable distinction of having finished all 12 of his fights in the opening round, and he's just as comfortable wrapping up a submission as brutalizing his opponent in the stand-up or on the ground. He's also a smart fighter, and proved against Mir that he's willing to show patience when necessary and wait for his opportunity. It's pretty hard to see where there might be an advantage either way here; both men are enormous, their skill sets are similar, and both have about as much power as any fighter in the world. All the clichés about the unstoppable force and the immovable object certainly apply here. Good luck to anyone trying to pick a winner, but at least one thing seems certain - this test of strength against strength is going to be explosive.
The most notable undercard matchup features the second UFC® fight for K-1 veteran Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 2 NC) as he takes on the brawling Chris Leben (20-6) just two weeks removed from an impressive TKO victory over Aaron Simpson at the Ultimate Fighter™ 11 Finale. This fight offers quite the contrast in styles, as Akiyama is a renowned judo ace while Leben is a striker who seems to look for the knockout whenever possible. However, Akiyama is not without power himself, so don't expect to see him bullied by the aggressive style of his counterpart. These are two very dangerous middleweights, and the results should be both entertaining and unpredictable.
For the full fight card, click the banner. The UFC® is always good for a full night of hard-hitting MMA entertainment, but make no mistake about it - this Saturday night is all about Lesnar vs. Carwin. Two of the most dominant heavyweights the sport has ever seen will step into the Octagon® and deliver a battle for the ages, so tune in to UFC® 116 and don't miss a second of the action!
