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While the biggest UFC event of the year takes place on July 11th, there is still a huge UFC event taking place in Mexico City this weekend. UFC 188 will be headlined by a title unification bout as UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez faces UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum. Also, Gilbert Melendez faces Eddie Alvarez is a long anticipated bout and Kelvin Gastelum returns to the middleweight division.
Main Card
Main Event
UFC Heavyweight Title Unification Fight
Cain Velasquez (13-1-0) (UFC Heavyweight Champion) vs. Fabricio “Vai Cavalo†Werdum (19-5-1) (UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion)
Velasquez will be making the third defense of his championship, last defending it against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 166. Werdum became the interim champion back at UFC 180, when he defeated Mark Hunt by second round knockout. Velasquez will be returning to action after a twenty month layoff, which is the longest layoff between fights for the UFC veteran. Werdum has been undefeated in his second UFC run, with his last loss coming to Alistair Overeem in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Opening Round in 2011. Werdum’s best shot at winning will be to catch Velasquez with a submission while on his back, but Velasquez has a horrifyingly good striking game and he will pummel Werdum into sleepy land in the first round.
Co-Main Event
UFC Lightweight Division Fight
Eddie Alvarez (25-4-0) vs. Gilbert “El Nino†Melendez (22-4-0)
Alvarez is currently winless under the UFC banner, having dropped a fight to Donald Cerrone by decision at UFC 178. Melendez has only won just one of three in UFC competition, with both of those losses coming into UFC Lightweight Title bouts. Alvarez is a two time Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion, defeating both Michael Chandler and Toby Imada to become champion each time. Melendez is a former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and he has not put a winning streak together in over three years. This fight should easily be the “fight of the nightâ€, but it will be Melendez notching a close decision in this one.
UFC Middleweight Division Fight
Kelvin Gastelum (10-1-0) vs. Nate “The Great†Marquardt (33-14-2)
Gastelum will be returning to middleweight in this bout, after going 4-1-0 during his time as a welterweight in the UFC. Marquardt has won just one of his last five fights, with that lone win coming over James Te Huna at UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt. Gastelum should still be a welterweight if it were not for his consistent failures to make weight, Gastelum smashes Marquardt into oblivion for the first round win.
UFC Featherweight Division Fight
Yair “Pantera†Rodriguez (4-1-0) vs. Charles “Boston Strong†Rosa (10-1-0)
Rodriguez is currently undefeated in UFC competition and he was the winner of the UFC Ultimate Fighter: Latin America I. Rosa will be looking to build on the momentum of his first UFC win, which came over Sean Soriano at UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver. Rosa has an amazing wrestling game, which is what he will be using to ground Rodriguez and claim the decision.
UFC Women’s Strawweight Division Fight
Angela “Overkill†Hill (2-0-0) vs. “The Tiny Tornado†Tecia Torres (5-0-0)
Hill made her UFC debut back at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale, defeating Emily Kagan via unanimous decision. Torres also made her UFC debut back at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale, with her win coming over Angela Magana. This fight is going to come down to Hill’s ability to escape the takedowns of Torres, which she will not do well and Torres notches a decision.
Preliminary Card
Henry Cejudo over Chico Camus
Drew Dober over Efrain Escudero
Patrick Williams over Alejandro Perez
Francisco Trevino over Johnny Case
Cathal Pendred over Augusto Montana
Clay Collard over Gabriel Benitez
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