UFC 102 is on the horizon and looks like it should provide some decent fights. Honestly, the card is a little underwhelming, especially since I was looking forward to the Matt Hamill-Brandon Vera fight until Hamill pulled out with an injury. Nate Marquardt-Demian Maia is a very intriguing fight and Randy Couture taking on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira should be a classic main event.

Ultimately, I’d like to see Nogueira in a rematch with Frank Mir, as Nogueira probably should have pulled out of their past match due to medical reasons. No one would deny Nogueira wasn’t 100 percent for that bout, his only disappointing showing in the Octagon.

Hopefully the winner of Couture-Nogueira will be next in line for Brock Lesnar after he dispatches Shane Carwin because I’d like to see either of these guys in the cage with Lesnar, even if it’s Couture’s second go with him.

And, frankly, I think Couture needs this one more. He claims to be in the best condition of his life but there’s no doubt his career is in its final stages. He’s won three fights in the last four years, against Mike Van Arsdale, Tim Sylvia and Gabe Gonzaga. The latter two were huge matches at the time, but, in retrospect, that’s not exactly a killer lineup. I think it’s fair to have some questions about Couture and how much he has left. Beating Nogueira would go a long way in cementing Couture’s legacy, which is already heavy on the hype to begin with.

I’m not too crazy about the rest of the card, although I’m hoping Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva turns into an exciting fight.

This may be a good one to catch at a sports bar rather than shelling out cash to watch it at home.

(photo courtesy of Zuffa, Inc.)