3 Reasons To Watch UFC 198

With all the buzz forming around UFC 200, the events preceding it seemed to be overshadowed in the media. With the next fight card taking place in Curitiba, Brazil, check out our top reasons to not miss UFC 198 below:

1. Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic

The main event of UFC 198 is a Heavyweight Title Bout between champion Fabricio Werdum (20-5-1) and #2 contender Stipe Miocic (14-2). This has all the makings for a great fight and carries a definite possibility of a new champion.

Werdum took the Heavyweight title away from powerhouse Cain Velasquez back in June 2015 and looks to make his first title defense against Miocic this Saturday. Even though Werdum is the current champion and has taken down the likes of Velasquez, Mark Hunt, and Travis Browne, he is approaching the end of his career at the age of 38.

Miocic on the other hand is a highly underrated fighter. He has strong boxing skills and holds wins over Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski. Check out how Werdum became the Heavyweight Champ below:

2. Anderson Silva vs. Uriah Hall

This is a matchup of old vs. new, legend vs. rising star, and flashy striker vs. flashy striker. For nearly a decade, Anderson "The Spider" Silva (33-7) was regarded as the best fighter of all time. He has unorthodox footwork and head movement and phenomenal striking and speed.

Uriah Hall (13-6) burst onto the scene during the 17th season of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter where he holds one of the nastiest head kick knockouts ever (video below), and demolished his second opponent via knockout in mere seconds.

Many believed Hall would become the next Anderson Silva due to their similar striking styles and if there is anyone who can match Silva's unbelievable speed, it's Uriah Hall.

3. Cris Cyborg vs Leslie Smith

On paper this one should be a blowout. Cris Cyborg (15-1) is huge at 140 lbs. while Leslie Smith (8-6) is relatively small at 135 lbs. So why should we bother watching this fight? Consult the video below.

Cyborg is without a doubt, one of the baddest women on the planet, and has been since she began her career in 2006. With 13 out of 15 of her victories coming the way of knockout/ tko, it's hard to bet against her. Smith has decent striking skills, but with an 8-6 record, with none of her victories against top 10 opponents, it's not looking good for her.

Cyborg's greatest challenge for UFC 198 is her weight. Currently under the UFC Women's Bantamweight roster, Cyborg will have a hard weight cut coming up. For years, Cyborg pushed for a fight against UFC superstar Ronda Rousey, but the former Bantamweight champ insisted on the fight taking place at 135lbs, which Cyborg insisted she could not make.

Fortunately for Cyborg, Smith agreed to meet at a Catchweight of 140 lbs and Cyborg gets to make her long-awaited UFC debut in her home country.