Riding off the momentum of UFC 182 earlier this month, the UFC returns Saturday with another strong offering with UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz emanating from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Two of the UFC’s biggest stars, Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz, square off in the night’s main event, while the remainder of the card is filled with talent top to bottom. This is one of those pay-per-view events you won’t want to miss, so here are five things fans can look forward to at UFC 183.
Diaz walks into the ‘Spider’ web
The former UFC middleweight kingpin makes his much anticipated return to the Octagon when he battles Diaz, who is making his middleweight debut. The last time we saw the 39-year-old Silva in the cage was December 2013 at UFC 168 against Chis Weidman. Silva suffered a gruesome injury where he broke his left fibula and tibia and hasn’t competed since. Silva comes into this fight on the first two-fight losing streak of his career and looks for his first win at 185-pounds since 2012. Diaz meanwhile looks for his first win since 2011. He last competed at UFC 158 back in March of 2013 when he fought Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title in Montreal – a bout he lost by unanimous decision. Layoffs aside, this main event should deliver as both fighters often neglect their ground game in favour of showcasing their striking skills. With this being a five-round main event anything can happen, but both fighters have only been finished a total of six times through a combined 75 fights.
Passing of the guard?
The Ultimate Fighter 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum looks to keep his undefeated streak alive when he takes on former Strikeforce standout Tyron Woodley. The 23-year-old Gastelum dispatched Jake Ellenberger in the first round in his last bout at UFC 180 in November and with another win he could inch closer to a welterweight title shot. To do that, Gastelum must defeat a man who’s knocked out three of his last four opponents. Woodley, 32, bounced back from his loss to Rory MacDonald at UFC 174 in June by knocking out Dong Hyun Kim in China in August. With 17 finishes between the two of them through 27 combined fights, don’t expect this fight hitting the judges’ scorecards.
Next in line at 125-pounds?
Flyweights Ian McCall and John Lineker collide in a 125-pound title eliminator on the preliminary card. This contest was scheduled to take place back in November but McCall had to pull out due to a blood infection. Both fighters are extremely durable and are often known for putting on a crowd-pleasing affair. With the winner of this bout likely facing off with current champion Demetrious Johnson in their next fight, expect a sense of urgency from both combatants.
Canadian justice
Opening up the PPV Saturday is Canadian Jordan Mein, who takes on the always dangerous Thiago Alves in a welterweight contest. The 25-year-old Lethbridge, Alta., native looks to win his third straight bout and more importantly add a win over an established veteran to his resume. Despite injuries and inactivity, the 31-year-old Alves is always a threat no matter where the fight goes. But make no mistake about it, the ATT product needs to win this fight to prove he still has what it takes to be a contender in the welterweight division. Conversely for Mein, he needs a win over a solid opponent to prove that his hype wasn’t completely shattered by that loss to Matt Brown in 2013.
Can Leites keep it rolling?
Thales Leites looks to extend his winning streak to eight when he faces off with fellow middleweight Tim Boetsch. Since his return to the UFC in 2013, the 33-year-old has remained undefeated and has knocked out his last two opponents. Boetsch meanwhile is coming off an impressive come from behind knockout victory over Brad Tavares in his last fight. The odds currently have the Brazilian as the heavy favourite, but you can never count out Botesch in any fight, just ask Yushin Okami. A win for the former middleweight title challenger Leites would likely land him a Top 10 opponent in his next outing, so look for him to try and finish this fight.
Here’s the full UFC 183 lineup:
MAIN CARD
— Anderson Silva (33-6) vs. Nick Diaz (26-9)
— Kelvin Gastelum (10-0) vs. Tyron Woodley (14-3)
— Joe Lauzon (24-9) vs. Al Iaquinta (10-3-1)
— Thales Leites (24-4) vs. Tim Boetsch (18-7)
— Jordan Mein (29-9) vs. Thiago Alves (20-9)
PRELIMINARY CARD
— Meisha Tate (15-5) vs. Sara McMann (8-1)
— Ed Herman (22-10) vs. Derek Brunson (12-3)
— John Lineker (24-7) vs. Ian McCall (13-4-1)
— Tom Watson (17-7) vs. Rafael Natal (18-3)
— Diego Brandao (18-10) vs. Jim Hettes (11-2)
— Ildemar Alcantara (20-7) vs. Richardson Moreira (7-2)
— Thiago Santos (9-3) vs. Andy Enz (7-2)
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