FIGHT PARTY LOCATIONS FOR UFC 152

Red Rock Casino Resort Spa – Rocks Lounge, $10 Cover – HD

• Doors open at 5pm – 11011 West Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada 89135 – 1(866) 767-7773

Aliante Station Casino + Hotel – Access Showroom, $10 Cover – HD

• Doors open at 5pm – 7300 Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas, NV 89084 – 1-877-477-SOAR (7627)

Santa Fe Station – Chrome Showroom, $10 Cover

• Doors open at 5:30 pm – 4949 N Rancho Dr Las Vegas, NV 89130 – (702) 658-4900

Palace Station Hotel & Casino– Grand Ballrooms – $10 Cover – HD

• Doors Open at 6pm – 2411 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89102 – (702) 367-2411

Sunset Station Hotel & Casino  – Club Madrid – $10 Cover

• Doors Open at 5pm – 1301 W. Sunset Rd,  Henderson, NV 89014 – (702) 547-7777

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Enough has been said about the unfortunate drama leading up to UFC 152. If you’re a serious fan of MMA, it’s all old news to you. If you’re a casual fan you don’t really need all the details. If you’re not a fan of MMA at all, then you’ve stop reading by this point. Suffice it to say, the interim between the last UFC card and this Saturday’s salvaged event in Toronto has had its ups and downs (mostly downs). By the UFC’s own admission, the less than perfect circumstances (meaning injuries, scrambled replacements, and questionable decisions by some top stars) has been the most difficult period in memory for Dana White and Zuffa since their purchase of MMA’s premier promotion over a decade ago.

Saturday’s UFC 152 will go a long way toward determining how well the UFC has come through the rough patch, and how well the loyal fan base has stayed in tact. With two title fights on one fight card, Toronto should go a long way to repairing any lingering bad taste from recent difficulties.

World Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will fight veteran Vitor Belfort, after speculation involving at least four other possible opponents for Jones over the past several weeks. Despite the long odds for Belfort, the UFC has managed to provide an intriguing match up none-the-less. While the aging Belfort is a huge underdog, he also possesses a unique style, significant power, and hand speed which Jones has yet to see in the cage. Vitor Belfort is also a long standing fan favorite which should be starkly evident during introductions where the ever more villainous ‘Bones’ Jones is likely to hear the fruits of recent career choices raining down from the mostly blue collar crowd in Canada.

Scheduled for the ‘Co-Main Event’ is the first ever UFC Flyweight Title Fight. This exciting match up virtually guarantees fireworks, as both 125 lbs. contenders Joseph Benevidez and Demetrious Johnson have made highlight reel inclusion a career specialty. Also making a return to the Octagon are Michael Bisping and Brian Stann, in a match up that easily could have been a solid co-main event on its own.

Add to the aforementioned bouts the returns from exile of Matt Hamill and Vinny Magalhaes (self-imposed and performance based respectively), and also the appearances by fan favorites Cub Swanson and Evan Dunham, and you have an event in 152 that stacks up as one of the better cards of 2012. It should certainly go a long way towards getting the UFC back to business as usual: combat sport at its finest.