Is there really a better way to end 2013? As mentioned before on MMASucka, this year has been unforgettable for fight fans, potentially one of the best. To top it all off, the Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva rematch for the UFC middleweight title will take place this Saturday at UFC 168, which promises to be another great show.

UFC 168 preview and breakdown

UFC 168 will also feature the return of Chris Leben, Uriah Hall and Manvel Gamburyan, who are featured on the preliminaries. The main card features a mix of veterans like Josh Barnett and up-and-comers like Diego Brandao.  All in all, Saturday’s fights look amazing from top to bottom.

Without further ado, here is MMASucka’s preview and breakdown for UFC 168.

Main card

Chris Weidman (c) vs. Anderson Silva – UFC Middleweight Title

Silva is still the best  of  all time, no  question.  But  has be performed to his  title? Looking back  on some  of his past  fights, the cocky ducking-and-dodging defense  came with  time. His immaculate use of the clinch against Rich Franklin to  win the belt was one of his  best performances ever. He continued to fight with confidence and amassed a ridiculous amount of title victories. Early on, it seemed his defense was more smart than cocky. Now, you can not help but wonder he continues to fight that way.

In the first fight, Weidman made Silva’s theatrics look nothing more than cheap tricks. He was poised and patient when picking his blows and was waiting for the UFC legend to make a mistake. There were  several blunders  on Silva’s end but not respecting Weidman’s striking was his biggest. This time around, hopefully Silva will fight more humbly and give Weidman the respect he deserves. 

It would be no surprise if Silva came out fighting the same way, but the fact is, he needs to be better.  His performance in the first fight was unacceptable for so many reasons, and making up for it on Saturday should be the number one priority. Weidman is a smart fighter and waits for his openings, Silva  can not give  him so many opportunities to land a quick strike.

Both fighters are elite level. Weidman has already proven himself by knocking out the “Spider” and will look to end the feud with another victory. This fight could go either way and it will come down to who wants it more, the past, or the present. Silva has the ability to win, but he will need to put aside his ego to get back to his dominating ways. Weidman is a dangerous fighter and Silva will need to be at his best to have any chance of regaining the title.

Ronda Rousey (c) (7-0-0) vs. Miesha Tate (13-4-0) – UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title

There is some serious bad blood for this one, probably the most on the card. Rousey and Tate coached the most recent Ultimate Fighter season and their personal feelings for each other became very apparent. They had several back-and-forth  quarrels with “Rowdy” Ronda reaching peak levels  of anger on a regular basis, and Tate smiling a little too much. This will not be a walk in the park, and hopefully Tate understands this, or it will be a short night for the number one contender.

Rousey and Tate have met before, with the current champ eventually locking in her go-to armbar.  Tate has hopefully found ways to avoid Rousey’s clinch and stay away  from her filthy judo throws, which eventually lead to the patented armbar submission. Without defeating that side of Rousey’s game, Tate simply has no chance of winning, Ronda is  stronger and more powerful in the clinch. 

Keeping a healthy distance and striking would be the best plan for Tate. Rousey’s chin has rarely been tested. In just her second UFC bout, Rousey is already one of the most influential fighters in MMA. Tate can  not  expect to have tested and it would be nice to see how good Ronda can be in the later rounds. With both fighters  hungry  to tear  each other apart, the UFC   could  not have  picked  a better  set of rematches. 

Josh Barnett (33-6-0) vs. Travis Browne (15-1-1)

Barnett has been all over the MMA world and has fought for numerous promotions. He has made his return to the UFC and came out with a great first round KO over Frank Mir. He was able to control the fight from the start, keeping Mir against the cage for most of the bout. He has incredible skill for a heavyweight and has demonstrated strong BJJ throughout his career.

Brown is a quickly rising heavyweight contender and has been very good in his last two fights. He was able to knockout both Alistair Overeem and Gabriel Gonzaga in the first round. His only loss was against Antonio Silva, but it seems he has bounced back quite well from that defeat.

Both fighters have good all-around skill but Browne has displayed his striking power very well throughout his MMA career. Barnett probably has the submission edge and may want to keep this fight on the ground. He has never been submitted and has 18 submission wins. Browne has not gone past the first round since 2011 and could have some trouble in the deeper rounds. Barnett can grind with the best of them and will likely stay close and avoid the big blows. Browne will have to keep his distance while maintaining a good striking range, and hope Barnett does not keep him on the ground. This fight could go either way, but rest assured, it will be a doozy.

Jim Miller (22-4-0, 1NC) vs. Fabricio Camões (14-7-1)

Miller has been around the block with some of the UFC’s best lightweights and is coming off a no-contest against Pat Healy. Healy, though he won the fight, tested positive for marijuana and was subsequently stripped of the victory. Camões is coming off a loss to Melvin Guillard and has had limited success in the UFC.

Camões is a third degree black belt in BJJ and will likely try to utilize those skills against Miller. Miller is no slouch on the ground, earning his black belt in BJJ and was a Division I wrestler for Virginia Tech. This has all the makings of a true battle of skills and either fighter could capitalize on an opportunity.

Miller takes the experience edge with flying colours and should be a really tough test for Camões. Miller has only lost by submission once in his career, which could test Camões’ versatility as a fighter. He has 4 knockouts to go along with his 7 submission wins which shows the ability to stand or take it to the ground. He will need to use his entire arsenal to stand a chance against a top ten fighter in Miller.

Dustin Poirier (14-3-0) vs. Diego Brandao (22-8-0) – Brandao did not make weight

Brandao is one of the more promising up-and-coming fighters in the UFC. He is the Ultimate Fighter 14 winner and has a respectable 4-1 UFC record. He is a BJJ black belt and has been fighting out of Greg Jackson’s Albuquerque gym. He has won his last three fights including a beautiful first round submission win over Pablo Garza. He will take on his toughest test to date in Poirier, but seems to have all the skills to come away with a win.

For his age, Poirier has a very impressive UFC resume, defeating Erik Koch via unanimous decision in his last bout. His only two UFC losses came against division standouts Cub Swanson and Chan Sung Jung. With the skill and age on his side, Poirier has ample time to find his consistency in the UFC. He has a tough test in Brandao coming his way he will need to make sure his ground game is at it’s best. He has earned his brown belt in BJJ so those skills will be extremely useful against a fighter like Brandao.

Both fighters have shown impressive versatility and this fight could end in so many different ways. They have their fair share of finishes, both knockouts and submissions, which should make this a great fight. If it goes to a decision, you can bet this fight will be a three round battle.

Preliminary card (FOX Sports 1)

Chris Leben (22-10-0) vs. Uriah Hall (8-4-0)

Hall has yet to live up to his time on the Ultimate Fighter. He was knocking people out in devastating fashion and was looking like a rising star. While there is still ample time for Hall to turn it around, a loss would mean three in a row, which is usually the danger zone in the UFC. Dana White has expressed his displeasure with Hall on a few occasions, but with a really good showing against a strong-willed fighter like Leben could be enough for a fourth life. On the other hand, nothing is certain, and it seems “Prime Time” will need to bring his A game to guarantee his stay with the UFC.

Speaking of fighters with a fourth life, Leben is currently on a three-fight losing skid and could very well be in the same boat as Hall. Thinking back to the original TUF days, Dana has always had a soft corner for “The Crippler”, but losing four fights in a row could be the final straw. Leben has impeccable heart and can brawl with the best of them but has not been able to find success in the octagon recently.

Leben’s best bet is to take Hall to the mat and ground-and-pound. He is technically sound and Hall’s wrestling skills have been extremely questionable to date. He needed to improve his grappling since the Kevin Gastelum fight but John Howard still had his way with him. If he has not improved his all-around ability, success against a fighter like Leben will be difficult. With both fighters on the hot seat, it will be interesting to see who comes out with the win and the UFC’s decision on the losing fighter’s future.

Gleison Tibau (37-9-0) vs. Michael Johnson (14-8-0)

Tibau is a well known UFC veteran and has a solid MMA resume. His submission skills are elite level, which are proven by his 12 submission victories. He has not worked on his striking skills all that much, but continues to improve his all-around game. His most recent victory over Jamie Varner gives him another notch on the belt, which gives him two UFC victories in a row. He also has good conditioning and can go the distance with ease, very similar to Johnson.

Johnson is coming off a dynamic performance against Joe Lauzon. He was always considered a grinding fighter, holding guys on their back for the decision. Against Lauzon, Johnson showed a new side of his fight game that will only transition into success. He was able to defend Lauzon’s takedowns and submission attempts with ease, and was throwing immaculate combos in return. This has all the makings of a fight that could go the distance, especially with both fighters’ conditioning. Nevertheless, both fighters have been able to finish fights in the past, and this one will come down to the submission artist versus the striking wrestler.

Dennis Siver (21-9-0) vs. Manvel Gamburyan (16-8-0)

If there is a fight for old school MMA fans, this would be it. Siver is a UFC veteran and Gamburyan is much of the same. Both are close to their mid-30s and will be hungry for the win. Both fighters have tried to make it to the top but have not been able to beat the most talented guys in the division. Siver is coming off a “Fight of the Night” loss to Cub Swanson whereas Gamburyan beat Cole Miller back in August.

Both men have a pit bull-style of fighting and watching them fight is always a treat. They have all-around skill with great power for their size. Despite their age, both Siver and Gamburyan have faught top-level talent over the last few years and this would be a great victory for either fighter.

John Howard (21-8-0) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-5-1)

Howard is a beastly looking fighter with solid grappling and striking. In his last fight against Uriah Hall, Howard was able to keep the fight close and stay inside Hall’s reach, avoiding any devastating blows. He was released by the UFC after his loss to Matt Brown in 2011, but has made a solid comeback ever since. This will mark his second fight since his return and Howard will want to keep the streak going.

Bahadurzada has 11 knockouts in his career and could pose some problems for Howard. However, to stand a chance against “Doomsday”, Bahadurzada will need to show strong wrestling skills to stay off his back. If Howard gets on top, it will be hard to get him off. If this fight stays standing, we could be in for a treat, as both fighters can utilizing their striking skills. Nevertheless, both fighters have demonstrated all-around ability in the past, which makes for a great MMA chest match.

Preliminary card (online)

William Macario (7-1-0) vs. Bobby Voelker (24-10-0) 

This has the potential to be a solid bout, especially for the free online card. Macario is another Brazilian prospect and a semifinalist of the Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2. He lost to Leonardo Santos in the finals but will be able to bounce back at UFC 168. He has demonstrated significant striking power but needed to work on his conditioning. He looked gassed in the second round of the TUF final, which lead to Santos landing an arm triangle choke for the victory. Prior to the finals, his longest bout was 46 seconds into the second round. He has five first round finishes (4 KOs, 1 submission) and could be a handful for the veteran Voelker.

Voelker is another Strikeforce talent but has yet to find success in the UFC. He has lost his only two fights in the octagon against Patrick Coté and Robbie Lawler. Those are difficult fighters to gain your first victory over, so maybe the young Macario will be a better suitor. Voelker is now 34 and will need to use that experience against a young and hungry fighter like the Brazilian. Voelker has only been knocked out three times in his 34-fight career, which will bode well against a heavy-handed fighter like Macario.

Robbie Peralta (16-4-0, 1NC) vs. Estevan Payan (14-4-0, 1NC)

Peralta is currently 2-1-1 in the UFC and has demonstrated solid punching power throughout his MMA career. Of his 16 wins, 12 of them have come via KO. In his last UFC win, Peralta knocked out Jason Young in just 23 seconds. He has been serving a six-month suspension after testing positive for marijuanua use. He lost via unanimous decision against Akira Corassani in his last UFC bout. He will need to utilize his  striking skills if he hopes to come out on top this Saturday.

Payan will be fighting in just his second UFC bout, losing his first to Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision. Payan has been knocked out in the past and Peralta has demonstrated the ability to capitalize,. He will have to keep his distance and stay alert while on his feet. One mistake and the fight could be over quickly. Payan will need to use his versatility (5 KO wins, 3 submissions, 6 decisions) to gain the victory over Peralta.