UFC's annual International Fight Week will culminate at UFC 200. The MMA gods, nearly, guided one of the most insane UFC cards to fruition until Jon Jones found himself in more hot water. What was being touted as the greatest card of all time is simply now a very good one. It will still feature two title fights, not to mention the return of a certain WWE and UFC superstar - who's changed allegiances - as well as a stellar supporting cast.
So, instead of the same ol' recycled text recapping each fighter's recent matches and predicting how they will win this weekend, I've compiled a comprehensive A-to-Z guide previewing each and every aspect of the epic UFC 200. Shall we?
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A is for AKA
The famed American Kickboxing Academy star pupils Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez have extensively sparred together during camp as they ready each other for the challenges that lay in front of them.
B is for Beef
Sporting beefs are the essence of combat. From their brawl at the MGM lobby to the ongoing verbal jousting and now another cancellation. Will Cormier's and Jones' fierce rivalry resume?
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C is for 'Cyborg'
The newly minted bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will defend their belt against Amanda Nunes, yet has been asked about the prospect of a clash with one of the most feared women on the planet. Not only has the American says she would do it, she's thought quite a bit about it, too. 'Cyborg' made her long-awaited octagon debut at UFC 198 starching Leslie Smith inside 90-seconds.
D is for Drug Testing
It's not all doom and gloom as Brock Lesnar was subject to random drug testing and all came back negative. Hallelujah.
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E is for Embedded
UFC Embedded > Dana White Video Blogs.
F is for 'Fireball Kid'
A sign of how stacked this card is that Takanori Gomi is the curtain-jerker. The Japanese legend will look to snap a two-fight losing skid taking on American Jim Miller. Here's hoping the former PRIDE champion can land his coveted looping right-hand.
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G is for GOAT
Former middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva is set to replace Jones as the GOAT returns from his gall bladder surgery. The 'Spider' saves the day.
H is for Hispanic
Velasquez looks to bounce back from his submission loss subsequently losing his heavyweight title as he faces Travis Browne. The injury-plagued fighter is an important player for the success of the promotion's endeavours in Mexico, debuting in the country in 2014, the Mexican-American remains the main Hispanic pin-up.
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I is for Interim
An interim-featherweight belt will be contested between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar to determine the, supposedly, next challenger for Conor McGregor. They're becoming more prevalent as a result of more injuries, and, uh, fighters jumping up two weight classes.
J is for Jose
Jose Aldo is still harbouring disdain - I guess you would after that 13-second job - towards the Dubliner as he's hellbent on a rematch. Overlooking Edgar might not be a smart thing, Jose.
K is for KO
Is a signature Mark Hunt walk-off KO in store? The former K-1 star has vowed to put him to sleep.
L is for Late Replacement
Derek Brunson became the only fighter forced off with an 'injury'. Thiago Santos got the late call-up to face former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi.
M is for Media Obligations
A dispute between McGregor and the UFC over media obligation's led to the cancellation of the original UFC 200 main-event versus Nate Diaz.
N is for New York
Following the legalisation of MMA in the state of New York, the leading promotion marks its maiden show in November as New Jersey native Frankie Edgar is hoping for a showdown with McGregor. It would go down a storm in the East Coast with their Italian and Irish heritage.
O is for Old School
Sharing a combined 43 UFC appearances (!!) Diego Sanchez and Joe Lauzon are finally set to meet inside the cage after starting their storied careers in TUF. The real question is how have these men not fought before?!
P is for Paper
Is Cormier a paper champion? Well, he did have the chance to put those accusations to rest but that will have to wait, till when, who knows?
Q is for Quit
Juliana Pena's plan for Cat Zingano; "Go put the pressure on this chick and break her will and make her quit." This has 'fight of the night' written all over it.
R is for Rematch
In addition to the title-implicated rematch between Aldo and Edgar on the main-card, another intriguing sequel will occur. TJ Dillashaw and Raphael Assuncao fought out a controversial split-decision back in 2013 in Brazil as they tangle once again during the televised prelims. Can Dillashaw bounce back from losing his 135lbs strap? Or is the Brazilian set to make winning return to the cage?
S is for SummerSlam
The WWE has already stated that Lesnar's fight is a "one-off" before his appearance at SummerSlam where he will face against Randy Orton. Their decision to reveal his opponent prior to UFC 200 was strategic in terms of gaining maximum interest and exposure.
T is for TUF
There are three TUF winners in Diego Sanchez (season 1), Kelvin Gastelum (season 17) and Juliana Pena (season 18).
U is for USADA
The head of USADA Jeff Novitzky notified Dana White of Jones' potential policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on June 16, 2016. USADA cleaning up the sport, as it's going to continue to get worse before it gets better.
V is for Viagra
Social media spiraled in the aftermath of the change-up. As fans claimed a PED user was replacing a PED user, though part of Silva's defense in his steroid case with the Nevada Athletic Commission was that the use of viagra tainted his drug test result. A legend willing and available to fight on two-days notice keeps the card big. Nice one, Andy.
W is for Weight
Let's keep our fingers crossed that the pair of notorious weight-missers Johny Hendricks and Kelvin Gastelum tip the scale at no more than 171lbs. The two title challengers are coming off losses as ex-champion Hendricks suffered his first stoppage defeat, while TUF winner Gastelum lost narrowly to Neil Magny.
X is for X-Factor
Has anyone else ever gotten stuck in a YouTube hole that began with a Lesnar WWE highlight reel and ended with a Top 20 X-Factor Auditions of All Time compilation? No, just me. Moving on.
Y is for Youth
Despite experiencing a defeat, Sage Northcutt, 20, is still green and has youth on his side as he bids to reemerge as a potential challenger facing off with... Enrique Marin - Don't worry, we don't know who that is either.
Z is for Zingano
It's been nearly 17-months since Zingano stepped foot inside the cage, suffering the fastest submission lost in UFC history she returns to action after tasting her first defeat.
Words By @NasJabbar
Featured Image Credit:Topics:ย UFC
