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The ZuffApocalypse kicks off with a Fight Pass card from Abu Dhabi, as UFC Fight Night 39: Nogueira vs. Nelson takes place from Yas Island. It’s kind of a shocker that UFC is back in the UAE, since the last card featured Anderson Silva dancing around a one-eyed Demian Maia for twenty-five minutes as oil sheikhs got really mad.
The fights kick off at 11:50 AM ET because Fight Pass cards aren’t meant for people with jobs. It’s weird to call the first couple of fights “prelims” since there’s no change to a different viewing format, it’s more of a way to pay some fighters less than others for not being on the main card. I’m looking forward to Johnny Bedford taking on Rani Yahya, since both dudes generally have fun fights. The prelims finish off with two enormous heavyweights attempting to fight each other in the desert. It will probably be hilarious.
The main card begins with a Middle Eastern throw down, as Ramsey Nijem and Beneil Dariush square off. That fight is really the only bout on the main card I’m not super pumped to watch several hours later when I get off from work. Ryan LaFlare versus John Howard looks fun, mostly since I like LaFlare a whole lot. I’m nervous for the co-main and main event fights, since I really want Tatsuya Kawajiri to beat Clay Guida and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to beat Roy Nelson, but I only predicted one of those things to happen. Kawajiri is cool, and if you don’t want to get a hug from Big Nog, please remove yourself from existence.
There are some good looking fights on this card, but since Fight Pass is a mean invention, I won’t be able to join in along with y’all live (Is anyone, actually?) [Burnsy – I am, because screw working]. Anyway, let’s have some good, fun comments out there, gang! Also, follow along with our predictions to laugh at which of us is dumbest.
