In just over two weeks, UFC betting enthusiasts will be packing the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to watch UFC 134. Going into the event, the UFC put out on only 14,000 tickets, since they didn’t think they could draw that many people away from the sports betting soccer league. However, earlier this week, UFC President Dana White announced that 35,000 people went online to purchase the 14,000 seats for the HSBC Arena. Here is a preview of the fight card and the UFC’s growth.
UFC 134 is headlined by a middleweight title clash between Brazilian Champion Anderson Silva and Japanese fighting sensation Yushin Okami. On paper, Okami appears to be the latest victim of champion Silva in the making. Yet, looking deeper into the fight, fans will see, that this fight may get dragged out, as Silva ensures a victory over Okami, to rebound from a loss five years ago. In 2006, at Rumble On The Rock, Okami received a controversial disqualification victory over Silva. Since that time, Silva has gone on a 14 fight win streak. Okami meanwhile, has won three of his last four fights, and will once again be looking to pull the upset.
The other big fight on the card is Brazilian fan favorite Shogun Rua taking on TUF season one winner Forrest Griffin in a Light Heavyweight fight. This fight has the chance to win fight of the night honors, as both Rua and Griffin can really get the crowd off their feet. On the other hand, this fight will also be a big one for the Light Heavyweight title picture, as the winner should in theory face the Champion in two fights from now. Nevertheless, this fight alone could have been the main event.
