UFC 201 preview: Three fights you can’t afford to miss

Following the high of UFC 200 on 9 July, and the consequent fallout – with a title change in the main event, and Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar both having failed doping tests – this weekend’s UFC 201 card has been somewhat overlooked.

But the event held in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday (30 July), and headlined by what promises to be an explosive welterweight title bout between champion Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley, is well worth your attention.

The MMA news-cycle has been dominated by negative stories about performance-enhancing drugs and prospective suspensions of late, but this event comes along at the perfect time to act as the tonic we crave; UFC 201 is here to remind us exactly why we love this sport, and here are its three most unmissable fights.

Ross Pearson vs Jorge Masvidal

This is a welterweight fight that was never meant to happen. Originally, this spot on the card was earmarked for a fight between Cláudio Silva and Siyar Bahadurzada. But first Silva withdrew due to injury, and Jorge Masvidal stepped in to take his place. Then, when Bahadurzada befell the same fate as his original opponent, Ross Pearson volunteered to take his place.

In the meeting of two men who like to keep the fight standing and utilise their boxing skills, Pearson will be keen to bounce back from his unanimous decision defeat to former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks just three weeks ago. And Masvidal is looking to put a split decision defeat to Lorenz Larkin out of his mind by overcoming the British former Ultimate Fighter winner.

Matt Brown vs. Jake Ellenberger

Another welterweight bout between two fighters coming off losses, may not sound like a particularly enticing prospect, but any time Matt Brown steps into the Octagon, fireworks are guaranteed.

Brown’s most recent outing was a submission defeat to jiu jitsu wizard Demian Maia in Brazil in May, whereas Jake Ellenberger – once thought of as one of the division’s most promising up-and-comers – has just one win to show from his last six fights.

This fight represents the meeting of the raw power of Ellenberger with the volume and gritty determination of Brown. The judges might as well go and grab themselves a hot dog during this fight, as it’s unlikely they will be needed to render a decision. This promises to be an explosive battle fought at close quarters that will be a strong contender for fight of the night.

Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley

When Robbie Lawler beat Johny Hendricks to claim the UFC welterweight title in December 2014, long-standing MMA fans could hardly believe their eyes. Here was a man who entered the UFC as a promising 20-year-old in 2002, only to lose his way and become a win-one-lose-one kind of fighter in the now-defunct Strikeforce promotion.

More than a decade on from his UFC debut, Lawler has finally delivered on his early promise. And going into Saturday night’s fight with Tyron Woodley, he will enter the Octagon as the second-longest reigning current champion in the UFC – behind only flyweight king Demetrious Johnson.

But Woodley will offer Lawler as stern a test as he has encountered since returning to the UFC in February 2013.

Woodley has been waiting a long time for his title shot, after being promised a fight for the belt after his proposed bout with Hendricks was cancelled in October last year. The former Strikeforce contender is 5-2 in the UFC with four knock-out victories in the Octagon.

Faced with Lawler’s stand-up skills, Woodley will likely try to utilise his wrestling skills to take the fight to the ground, but there are few fighters in the UFC better at preventing take-downs than the welterweight champion.

The intrigue in this one is double-fold, being an interesting tactical battle that could descend into all out war.