UFC 174: The Fight To Watch

Before the 125-pounders do battle in the Octagon, however, a number of other fights with significant importance will be decided.

None of the battles leading up to the Main Event will have a more immediate impact than the co-Main Event, a title elimination fight in the welterweight division between No. 2 contender Rory MacDonald and No. 3 Tyron Woodley. Not only is the fight incredibly important to the future of the division, these are also two highly skilled fighters in desperation mode. For that reason, their bout is UFC 174’s One to Watch. Here’s everything you need to know about this can’t-miss fight.

Background

Remember in my preview of the Robbie Lawler-Jake Ellenberger fight when I said that the welterweight division is up for grabs? Well, MacDonald and Woodley are both right in the thick of the title race and the winner of their fight Saturday will be in a dead heat with Lawler for the next shot at Johny Hendricks.

(Note: Dana White has said that the winner of a Lawler-Matt Brown fight will get the next title shot but the chances of Brown getting a title bout seem slim as he has few significant wins)

As recently as a year ago, the precocious 24-year old MacDonald was considered a likely successor to the reign of welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre, his training partner and mentor. ‘Ares’ MacDonald has only lost once since 2011 and boasts victories over nearly every major player in the welterweight division.

Unfortunately, his only loss in that stretch came in a split-decision against Lawler last November, leading to Ruthless Robbie getting a title shot first. After a convincing win over Demian Maia at UFC 170 in February, MacDonald is back in the forefront of the championship, but he must survive against Woodley to have a shot at the belt.

Beating Woodley will not be easy. The 32-year old has won three of his four fights since moving to the UFC from Strikeforce barely more than a year ago. In that time, he has already showcased his deadly power, earning a Knockout of the Night Award against Josh Koscheck at UFC 167. The former Missouri Tiger is coming off a TKO of fellow top contender Carlos Condit (although the fight was stopped because Condit tore his ACL when Woodley landed on him, Woodley was controlling the fight to that point). Woodley might have a title fight before now if not for a lethargic split decision loss at UFC 161 against Jake Shields. After his technical win over Condit, Woodley has proven he has the talent to take on the best the 170-pound division has to offer. Another key win over MacDonald could get him to the top of the contender heap.

The Matchup

MacDonald may be the fighter who is nicknamed after a Greek god, but Woodley is sculpted like one. Every inch of ‘The Chosen One’ is muscle-bound, explaining why he’s only 5-foot-9 but is 170 lbs. and in tremendous shape. Woodley is one of the most devastating power punchers in the division (and in all of UFC for that matter) and it’s likely that his best chance to win will be to land a big blow as he did against Koscheck.

Woodley was also a two-time All-American wrestler at Missouri and has only been taken down once since 2010, so he will likely try to take this fight to the ground eventually and score point via takedowns. MacDonald does not have the same power as Woodley, but he is as close to technically perfect as it is possible to get as a striker, offering a wide variety of combos and flurries.

If MacDonald is somehow able to score a takedown against Woodley, it’s quite possible that he could put the fight away. Ares has savvy on the mat that belies his youth and a submission is certainly in play. He’ll have to use his reach advantage to stay out of the way of Woodley’s devastating right hand in the early going and hopefully tire out the older fighter enough to break through his takedown defense. Both fighters possess the pure athleticism to make this one of the fights of the year in the division.

Tale of the Tape

They Said It

“I went out there and I lived up to what I said I would do and I dominated the fight and now I’m in the position where I’m one fight away from a world title and I think that’s phenomenal.”-Tyron Woodley, on his victory over Carlos Condit

“I want to reach (Georges St. Pierre’s) level. That’s what it’s all about, evolving to the next level. –Rory MacDonald

Dylan Sinn is a freelance contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSinn or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.

Photo Credit: Getty