The UFC 196 PPV event is slated to take place on Saturday, February 6, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be headlined by the UFC heavyweight title rematch between champion Fabricio Werdum and former champion Cain Velasquez. The co-main event will feature a welterweight showdown between former champion Johny Hendricks and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Velasquez is looking to recapture his heavyweight title from Werdum after getting upset in Mexico at UFC 188. Velasquez had been out of action dealing with injuries and was not able to keep up the usual grinding pace he sets, succumbing to a third round guillotine choke as he was going for a takedown. Werdum has never looked better in his long career. He has always been a submission ace on the ground, but now he has developed the ability to strike, stay in the pocket, and do damage in the clinch as well. This fight should tell a lot about each fighter going forward and help shape the UFC heavyweight division.
Johny Hendricks is coming off a lackluster decision win against Matt Brown in his last outing. It was his first fight back after losing the UFC welterweight title against Robbie Lawler at UFC 181. He’ll be looking to get back in the mix with a big win over Stephen Thompson who has won five consecutive fights, including a highlight reel KO win in his last outing against Jake Ellenberger. A win over the former champion would have in right in line to fight for the title as well.
Check out the UFC 196 extended video preview covering both of these fights below: