UFC 211: A closer look at the Fight Card

UFC is bringing one of the best cards in mixed martial arts history to American Airlines Center in Dallas on Saturday, May 13 live on Pay-Per-View.

The event will feature two world championship bouts, with the main event pitting heavyweight kingpin Stipe Miocic against No. 4-ranked Junior Dos Santos and the co-main event showcasing the battle between strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and No. 3-ranked Jessica Andrade.

In total, UFC 211: MIOCIC vs. DOS SANTOS 2 will see five current or former UFC champions compete, as well as 10 athletes ranked in the top 10 of their respective divisions.

In a rematch of their December 2014 Fight of the Night performance, champion Miocic (16-2) meets Dos Santos (18-4) with the heavyweight world title at stake. Miocic, the No. 6-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has been on a tear since the pair’s first meeting, recording four knockout victories over a who’s who of the division – Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem.

Dos Santos walked out of the first matchup victorious and hopes to pick up where he left off in the second bout. The Brazilian first won the title in 2011 with a first-round knockout of Cain Velasquez. Since then he’s also recorded knockouts over Frank Mir and Mark Hunt. With 26 combined knockouts, this championship bout has Performance of the Night written all over it.

One of the most dominant champions in the UFC, Jedrzejczyk (13-0) returns to the city where she captured UFC gold. This time around, the champion is looking to score her fifth successful title defence – ranking her as the second longest tenured UFC titleholder behind only Demetrious Johnson.

One of the best strikers in the sport, Jedrzejczyk meets arguably her most well-rounded opponent to date in Andrade (16-5). Owner of seven submission victories and five knockouts, Andrade can finish her opponent wherever the fight goes. She’s undefeated at 115 pounds and is riding a three-fight win streak as she heads into Dallas.

Plus, in a battle of old school versus new school, former lightweight champion and current No. 2 featherweight Frankie Edgar (20-5-1) takes on No. 9 Yair Rodriguez (11-1) in what could produce a future challenger for the 145-pound crown. Edgar has long been one of the top athletes in the sport and has wins over BJ Penn, Jeremy Stephens, Chad Mendes and Urijah Faber.

The 35-year-old New Jersey native has exceptional wrestling to go along with solid striking and jiu-jitsu and will be gunning for one more shot at the title. Perhaps the brightest prospect in MMA is 24-year-old Rodriguez, who is undefeated inside the Octagon. Coming off his biggest win to date, a second-round knockout over UFC Hall of Famer Penn, Rodriguez looks to earn his place among the elite at 145 pounds by knocking off another legend in Edgar.

Additional Bouts:

• No. 3 Demian Maia (24-6 )hopes to keep his title aspirations alive against surging No. 6 Jorge Masvidal(32-11) in a welterweight showdown.
• Former lightweight champion, No. 3 Eddie Alvarez (28-5) and lethal finisher, No. 10 Dustin Poirier (21-5) collide at 155 pounds.
• In a battle of top five flyweights, Olympic gold medalist, No. 2 Henry Cejudo (10-2) meets flashy striker, No. 5 Sergio Pettis (15-2).
• Fort Worth’s James Vick (9-1) gets a home game against knockout artist Polo Reyes (8-3) in a lightweight duel.
• Arlington-based submission ace Chas Skelly (17-2) clashes with fellow jiu-jitsu specialist Jason Knight (19-2) in a featherweight bout.
• Exciting up-and-comer Gabriel Benitez (19-6) takes on The Ultimate Fighter®: Latin America season 2 winner Enrique Barzola(13-3-1) at 145 pounds.