I think it's a good lineup of fights. I think Dana white wants to give Anderson a chance to redeem himself, but recognizes the necessity of having other big names on the fight card to attract casual fans who may still feel slighted by the spiders last "performance".
Fitch and Alves should be good. Fitch is aware of the reputation he's gained of being a "decision" fighter, so I expect him to be more aggressive with submission attempts. Alves should be looking for the early knockout as Fitch has shown tendency to eat too many shots especially when pressured. I expect Alves to be aggressive from the start. I think the fight will hinge on Fitch's standup defense and his ability to keep Alves on the ground, which is a difficult task.
Hopefully "Big Country" will come in with a gameplan to take Dos Santos to the ground. Nelson can bang, but he is really a much better grappler than striker. I expect Dos Santos to respect the power of Roy's wild punches, and wait for opportunities and openings.
I hope the main event will be as entertaining as all the pre-fight hype. The UFC has never had a fighter as charismatic as Sonnen. In many ways, he is the perfect opponent for Silva. He has the personality to attract fans for a fight with Silva, in whom many fans have lost interest. Also, he may have the ability to challenge Anderson on the ground, which is really the only area Silva has shown weakness. Anderson will expect and attempt to time Sonnen's takedown attempts, so Sonnen will have to set them up with calculated striking exchanges to avoid knees. I think the fight hinges on Sonnen's ability to take and endure punishment in attempting to bring the fight to the ground. If he can't get it there, then I think he has problems.
