One man will climb the welterweight rankings while the other will stumble when UFC Live 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann airs live March 3, on Rogers Sportsnet.
The main event pits two 170lb men against one another, while the co-main event pits two middleweights with an interesting score to settle.
Headlining the card, will be Diego (The Dream) Sanchez vs. Martin (The Hitman) Kampmann.
But unlike his new nickname, Sanchez will be hoping his previous moniker will hold true when he faces of against the Dane.
Quite frankly, it will be "The Nightmare" who shows up Thursday night.
Sanchez will be hoping his aggressive nature will be too much for Kampmann to handle. His "bury my chin and attack" style has always been a handful for his opponents to deal with, and if Martin isn't on point, this one could end quickly.
Kampmann's kickboxing experience and underrated ground game should be able to negate a lot of what Sanchez brings to the table, but his key to victory is not only his size and superior punching power in the stand up realm, but the ability to stay off his back should this fight move to the ground.
Sanchez's top game, be it in someone's guard, or if he garners side control or mount, is devastating. Kampmann should want no part of it - if he loses the takedown and scrambling battles, it may be a short fight, or a long night that will end in a bruised face.
Watch UFC Live 3 on Sportsnet ONE, March 3 beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
The co-main event pits C.B. Dollaway against Mark Munoz, a bout in which "The Doberman" will be looking to avenge the loss of teammate Aaron Simpson, suffered at the hands of "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" at UFC 123 in November.
And while Munoz may have the wrestling edge on paper, Dollaway can hold his own. This one has all the makings of a ground fight in which Mark will work his devastating ground-and-pound while C.B. attempts to survive, defend and catch the monster with one of his ever-growing submission finishes.
The longer this fight goes, the more I favour Dollaway.
If Munoz cannot finish him within the first round and-a-half, I would not be surprised if we see a miracle comeback from "The Doberman."
The rest of the main card sees Italian middleweight Alessio Sakara welcome Chris Weidman to the UFC, while former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles also makes his UFC debut, alongside Damacio (The Angel of Death), Page.
Weidman is undefeated but has only had four pro fights. He trains Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under former welterweight champion Matt Serra, while his boxing is coached by Ray Longo - all this to compliment his NCAA Division 1 calibre wrestling background.
The latter is the intangible that will save him from Sakara's striking. If he can put Alessio on his back, the former ADCC grappling competitor may have the edge to pull off a TKO victory, or at the very least, an upset decision. If he cannot, I do not like his chances dealing not only with Sakara's combinations, but the pressure that comes with fighting for the big show for the very first time.
When Bowles meets Page in the opening bout of the broadcast, all signs point to the former champion emerging victorious, but there are a few items to look out for in this matchup.
In his last fight, which was almost a year ago to the day, he lost the title to Dominick Cruz, a bout in which he suffered a broken hand. Second, the ring rust was compounded by the fact he was forced to withdraw from his return fight with Wagnney Fabiano after breaking his foot in preparation for their scrap. Do the apparent damaged goods and layoff play right into Page's lap, a veteran of 20 fights who is as explosive as they come?
If he can overwhelm Bowles early and force him into a brawl, I like his chances.
If he is tentative, he may fall prey to Brian's speed, which has knocked out three opponents, and set up five submissions as well. That's eight finishes in all eight of his victories. My suggestion is not to blink in during fight.
The rest of the card features seven fights, in four different divisions, two of which you can catch for free on Facebook.
The two fights are Joe Stevenson vs. Danny Castillo in a lightweight tilt, while my early pick for fight of the night sees light heavyweights Steve Cantwell and Cyril Diabate tangle in what may be an incredible slugfest.
I'm leaning towards Stevenson in the first fight, while Diabate wins the stand-up battle vs. Cantwell, unless Steve takes Cyril down to the mat. If he does, he should be able to catch the Frenchman in a submission.
In the under card, I'm picking lightweight Shane Roller over Thiago Tavares, bantamweight Takeya Mizugaki over Rueben Duran, middleweight Rob Kimmons over Dong Yi Yang, Rousimar Palhares to take out David Branch, while Igor Pokrajec should outwork and win in a decision over Todd Brown.
And don't forget that UFC Live 3, can be seen on Rogers Sportsnet ONE, March 3, at 9 p.m. ET.
Check your local listings for broadcast times in your area.
