UFC 95: Worth Every Penny
Published by Jim Genia on February 21st, 2009 in Current Events

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There are certain UFC events that are so promising, so star-studded and jam-packed with anticipation of thrills and battles to come, that you know they’re going to be worth every penny you shell out for it. This Saturday’s UFC 95: “Sanchez vs. Stevenson”, which will be broadcast for free on SpikeTV, is one such event. Headlined by a clash between Diego Sanchez and Joe Stevenson in a bout that will determine who gets to fly home from London, England in coach class and who has to swim the Atlantic, and featuring a main card full of fighters who would normally be on a UFC’s unaired preliminary card (and a bunch of preliminary card fighters that would normally be waiting tables at the local Applebees), UFC 95 could end up being the greatest MMA show since BET’s “Iron Ring”.

All kidding aside, sometimes the better UFCs are the ones lacking in star-power, as the competitors are truly hungry and possessing of an unabashed willingness to throw down. You never know. Just like you never know who could give the performance of a lifetime. “The Ultimate Fighter – Season One” winner Sanchez might very well steamroll over TUF 2 winner Stevenson with his top-level grappling and aggression, but if the right Stevenson shows up the main event could end up a decent donnybrook (don’t count on it, though). And for those looking for slugfests, Team Miletich V.2 precision striker Rory Markham could have an all-out stand-up war with British welterweight bruiser Dan Hardy – something the powers that be no doubt are banking on as the IFL and Cage Warriors veterans have each only fought inside the Octagon once to earn their co-main event status.

Will the ever-improving Josh Koscheck run into a roadblock when he takes on Brazilian newcomer Paulo Thiago? Not likely, although the Jungle Fight veteran could prove a dangerous foe on the ground. Are Chael Sonnen and Demian Maia going to reenact Sonnen’s infamous WEC 36 stinkfest (you know, the one where a befuddled Sonnen stood over an unwilling-to-fight Paulo Filho for three agonizing rounds)? Not likely, as Maia seems to actually want to be in the cage, and he’s got the skills to make the Team Quest fighter tap and tap repeatedly. Are Wilson Gouveia and Nate Marquardt on track to challenge middleweight champ Anderson Silva anytime soon? No. The two aren’t worthy to face the man’s jockstrap, much less the man himself, but that doesn’t mean the American Top Team slugger and the former King of Pancrase can’t have a thriller. They’re more than capable of that. And while not world beaters, there are those on the undercard – like IFL veteran Mike Ciesnolevicz, Cage Rage heavyweight Neil Grove, the scrappy Paul Kelly – who have been known to entertain.

It would be criminal to have to order UFC 95 on pay-per-view. A felony, in fa