Fight cards get changed because of injuries all the time in MMA, and UFC 196 is the latest victim. What was supposed to be a heavyweight showdown between champion Fabricio Werdum and former king Cain Velasquez has been squashed because of injuries to both contestants. There were rumors of a Jon Jones-Miocic fight headlining, but the UFC couldn’t come to an agreement.
As a result of all of the changes, the UFC downshifted UFC 196 to UFC Fight Night 82, featuring Johny Hendricks and Stephen Thompson. The fight has been moved from pay-per-view to Fox Sports 1. Here’s a breakdown of the three biggest fights on the card.
Johny Hendricks (-230) vs Stephen Thompson (+180)
Former welterweight champion Hendricks (17-3) is no stranger to main event status. He'll take on No. 8 welterweight Thompson (11-1), who is a kickboxer with three performance/knockout awards under his belt. Hendricks has heavy hands, but doesn't have as much technique as Thompson, so he could fall back on his wrestling as a former All-American. Hendricks did exactly that in his last fight, which resulted in a decision win over Matt Brown in March. Brown served Thompson his only loss in April 2012.
Roy Nelson (-165) vs Jared Rosholt (+135)
No. 11 Heavyweight Roy Nelson (20-12) lost five of his last six and is obviously past his prime, but he is a fan favourite, although even that is starting to wear thin. He has a strong chin that can take a lot of punishment, but he’s taken too much as of late. That has to change here if he’s to cash in as a favorite.
No. 12 Heavyweight Rosholt (14-2) is a former All-American wrestler with power in his striking, but he'll have to be careful when he goes to the mat with Nelson, who is a black belt in jiu-jitsu. Nelson is tough to move once he gets on top.
Ovince Saint Preux (-360) vs Rafael Cavalcante (+270)
No. 6 Light Heavyweight Saint Preux (18-7) has split his last four fights, winning twice by KO, but a submission loss to Glover Teixeira has slowed down his momentum. Cavalcante (12-6, 1 NC) has four losses, two wins and a no-contest in his last seven bouts. Three of his losses and both wins have been by TKO. These two men know they're outside of the title picture in the 205-pound division and need to make a statement to get back in. There could be a “Fight of the Night” or a “Knockout of the Night” in this bout. Both also have training in jiu-jitsu; Saint Preux is a blue belt and Cavalcante is a black belt. Saint Preux has the edge in submission wins by a 5-1 count, so don’t be surprised if this turns into a grappling contest.
See all UFC Fight Night 82 Odds here.
*Odds as of February 3, 2016