MMASucka is back with another edition of our preliminary analysis for UFC 178. After a few disappointing cards over the last few months, the UFC has put together another classic lineup of fights, and MMA fans should be ready to forgive and forget.

Going into UFC 178, there is tremendous behind several fighters who will be trying to make an impact as a UFC fighter. Conor McGregor, one of the fastest rising stars of the UFC, will be making his pay-per-view debut tonight and there are several fans looking forward to his main stage debut.

One of the most anticipated debuts in the UFC, Eddie Alvarez will be fighting for the first time on the big stage and will be taking on the very competitive Donald Cerrone. This fight has excitement all over it and MMA fans could not have asked for a better first fight for the newcomer.

If that’s not enough, the highly anticipated return of Dominick Cruz is finally here, and he will be taking on the always feisty Takeya Mizugaki. This will be his first fight since relinquishing his title, and many fans will be curious to see if he can return to his elite-level form.

Without further ado, here is the latest edition of MMASucka’s Pre-fight Analysis.

*Rankings and records taken from UFC.com

*Opening betting odds taken from OddShark.com

UFC 178 MAIN CARD

(C) Demetrious Johnson (20-2-1) vs. #8 Chris Cariaso (17-5-0)

Many people are calling this a filler fight and are completely disregarding Cariaso as a legitimate opponent. Is this a fair assessment? When a champion defeats the best fighters of the division, sometimes more than once, is finding another credible fighter really a filler fight? Johnson’s domination has simply left the UFC at a standstill and they have to continue down the order to keep their champion fighting. Cariaso’s ranking has not changed, suggesting that an eight ranked fighter is now fighting for UFC gold. He has won three fights in a row and has fought some of the best flyweights the UFC has to offer. Does he really not deserve a chance that badly? Something very similar happened recently, when TJ Dillashaw was given a chance against Renan Barao. Many disregarded the current champion but here we are. The fans are getting exactly what they paid for and it should be an entertaining fight regardless of the outcome.

Betting Odds: Johnson -1313, Cariaso +787

#5 Donald Cerrone (24-6-0, 1NC) vs. #14 Eddie Alvarez (25-3-0)

This is a very interesting matchup that pits the highly anticipated Alvarez against the “Cowboy” Cerrone. Even judging by the betting odds, this fight is extremely close. What separates these two is the caliber experience both fighters have accumulated. While Cerrone has been fighting the cream of the crop, Alvarez has been fighting in Bellator for most of his successful career, while also fighting for DREAM FC in Japan. When you consider some of the opponents Cerrone has fought, it’s very difficult to give Alvarez any real advantage outside of hype. He has only lost to top level fighters and has maintained a top five rating in the lightweight division for quite sometime. However, Alvarez is a good striker who likes to push forward and never gives up. It’s those kinds of fighters who can pose a serious trouble for the calm, cool and collected types like Cerrone.

Betting Odds:  Cerrone -124, Alvarez -104

Dustin Poirier (16-3-0) vs. Conor McGregor (15-2-0)

This bout could easily be the most anticipated bout, as rising star McGregor makes his return to the octagon. To the more educated fan, what makes this fight even more exciting is the matchup. Poirier will be a great challenge for McGregor and easily his toughest challenge yet. Both fighters have not been knocked out, which is a great feat for both fighters given their style of fighting. McGregor has finished 13 of his 15 wins via TKO/KO while Poirier is more well-rounded with 7 TKO/KO and 6 submission victories. Is McGregor on the path to greatness? A win against such a tough opponent would definitely be a step in the right direction, and it will be his following fights that define his career. For Poirier, putting a stop to this freight train would do wonders for his career, as he would be riding a four fight win streak and would definitely earn a ranked bout next time around. With so much on the line, expect this to be, one of, if not the most exciting fight of the night.

Betting Odds:  McGregor -225, Poirier +190

#6 Tim Kennedy (18-4-0) vs. #10 Yoel Romero (8-1-0)

Many pundits believe that, if Romero entered the MMA world a lot younger, he would have been a championship caliber fighter, if not a champion. He is on a four fight win streak and has demonstrated some all-around ability since making his way to the UFC. He is 4-0 in the octagon and has finished three of those fights via TKO/KO. Kennedy, however, is no slouch. He is fought some of the best fighters the division has to offer and is riding his own four fight win streak, defeating Michael Bisping in his most recent bout. His only two losses in the past seven years were for the Strikeforce middleweight title against Ronaldo Souza and Luke Rockhold, so expect experience to be his greatest asset going into the bout. This is another classic Jackson-Wink versus American Top Team battle, and it should not disappoint fans one bit.

Betting Odds: Kennedy -114, Romero -114

#1 Cat Zingano (8-0-0) vs. #8 Amanda Nunes (9-3-0)

In another highly anticipated return, Zingano will be looking to regain her form and title as the number one contender for Ronda Rousey’s belt. Nunes, however, might have something to say about that. She is 2-0 in the UFC and has demonstrated improved strength and striking in her last two fights. Many believe she has a good chance at beating Zingano and a win in this fight would surely make her Rousey’s next challenger, or victim. On the other hand, Zingano was destined to fight Ronda Rousey after hosting their Ultimate Fighter season but a long-term injury kept her away from the fight game for a significant amount of time. Watching Miesha Tate live her life for almost a year, you can expect a very motivated and hungry Zingano to step in the octagon tonight.

Betting Odds: Zingano -268, Nunes +212

SPORTSNET 360 PRELIMS

#10 Dominick Cruz (19-1-0) vs. #5 Takeya Mizugaki (20-7-2)

Boy, it’s hard not to feel bad for Mizugaki. While he has demonstrated solid grinding ability throughout his five straight wins, he has been pitted against one of the former pound-for-pound best grinders in the world. Due to Cruz’s lengthy absence, it’s extremely difficult to give him the same accolades as before. He was simply one of the best fighters in the world and maintain that title is hard when you don’t fight. Getting a very tough challenge in Mizugaki, Cruz will have a chance to go up against a fighter who has a very similar skill set and can go the distance with ease. If there’s one thing to help us remember Cruz’s lost glory, it’s that his last victory in the octagon came against current UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.

Betting Odds:  Cruz -335, Mizugaki +265

Jorge Masvidal (27-8-0) vs. James Krause (21-5-0)

Two fighters trying to make their way up the lightweight ladder, Masvidal and Krause can be appreciated for a few reasons. Firstly, they both love to finish fights. While Masvidal is always looking for the knockout, Krause has a great ground game and has finished 13 of his opponents via submission. Secondly, in approximately 30 career fights, both guys have only been knocked out once and have lost by submission only twice a piece. When you have two guys who are hard to finish but are always looking for that bonus, expect fireworks and a very possible close decision.

Betting Odds: Masvidal -387, Krause +303

Patrick Cote (21-8-0) vs. Stephen Thompson (9-1-0)

One of the first fight with big names, Cote and Thompson will bring a solid mix of boxing and muay thai to the octagon with a relentless style of striking. While Thompson has never been finished and likes to maintain a technical aspect to his striking, Cote is your classic hard-chinned boxer with heavy hands. He had some very impressive knockouts early in his career but has demonstrated a more versatile game over the years. Both fighters are riding three-fight win streaks and another notch on the belt could get them into ranking contention. Let’s hope that both fighters come out strong as usual and keep those hard chins in tact as they strike their way up the welterweight ladder.

Betting Odds: Thompson -258, Cote +202

John Howard (22-9-0) vs. Brian Ebersole (50-16-1, 1NC)

Easily the fight with the most career bouts combined, experience will be the name of the game between Howard and Ebersole. Both fighters have been around the block for several years but it’s Ebersole with the 50+ fights under his belt. Both fighters are coming off losses and are in desperate need of a win. As of now, Howard may be most remembered for his fight against the once-feared Uriah Hall, where he shut down the fierce striker and came away with the decision victory. Both fighters have lost to very respectable fighters and it will be interesting to see how this fight plays out. One major disadvantage in this fight is Ebersole’s lack of recent fights. While Howard has been quite the active fighter, Ebersole has fought just twice since 2012 and lost both. With that said, expect both fighters to give it their all as their UFC careers hang in the balance.

Betting Odds: Howard -174, Ebersole +146

UFC FIGHT PASS PRELIMS

John Tuck (8-1-0) vs. Kevin Lee (8-1-0)

A battle of 8-1 fighters, Tuck and Lee are both coming off a wins and actually have a lot more in common. Both fighters have yet to be finished and have displayed solid all-around ability. The one major difference in skill is in the striking department. Lee has yet to record a TKO/KO victory while Tuck has four, three of which came in the first round. Tuck is 2-1 in the UFC while Lee stands at 1-1, making this a very important bout for both fighters’ UFC careers. Both fighters have good ground games which could be an entertaining aspect of the fight. Nevertheless, with so many similarities between both fighters, this should be a very close fight which could be left in the judges’ hands.

Betting Odds: Lee -184, Tuck +156

Manny Gamburyan (16-10-0) vs. Cody Gibson (12-4-0)

This is a very interesting bout to kick off the night of fights. Gamburyan has not won a fight in over a year and is coming off a lost to Nik Lentz in his most recent bout. He will be trying to protect his UFC roster spot against the up and coming Gibson. Gibson has fought twice in the UFC, losing his debut to Aljamain Sterling but coming away with a very impressive KO victory in his last bout with Johny Bedford. This fight will come down to conditioning and striking skills, as both fighters seem to enjoy the stand-up game. Gamburyan comes from a solid judo background and may want to use those skills to grind out the fight. With that said, it should be an uphill battle for Gamburyan but an entertaining fight nonetheless.

Betting Odds: Gibson -170, Gamburyan +130