Possibly the most interesting storyline at UFC 110 is that of three of Pride’s most distinguished fighters – all champs in the now-defunct Japanese promotion – setting foot inside the Octagon tonight, each fighter’s bout significant for a different reason. Another storyline is that of two TUF light heavyweights, each entering their respective bouts with a two-fight losing streak. Will a third loss result in either being cut from the world’s top MMA promotion? If so, it would be unfathomable to associate either man with another promotion, though I’d have to imagine Strikeforce would try to swoop in to capture them for their mass appeal.

With these and other themes as the backdrop, let’s take a look at the more fascinating bouts at UFC 110 (and there are a number of them.)

CB Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic (Middleweight — Dark card)

CB Dollaway is one of two Arizona Combat Sports fighters on the UFC 110 card. An All-American wrestler at Arizona State University, Dollaway was the runner-up in TUF 7. Since that loss to Amir Sadollah, Dollaway has gone 3-1 in the UFC. His key to victory at UFC 110 is to control the fight with his wrestling. However, he has to be careful if the fight does go to the ground. In fact, his losses in TUF and in the UFC have all come by way of submission.

Dollaway’s opponent, Goran Reljic, is one of three fighters on the card of Croatian descent. I remember his fight against Wilson Gouveia at UFC 84 well and I thought then that Reljic could make noise in the light heavyweight division. However, it’s been almost two years since that fight (because of injury) and Reljic has decided to fight at middleweight. There are a number of questions surrounding Reljic. How will he perform after almost two years away from competition? And, how will he handle the additional 20 pounds he had to lose to make weight? Against Gouveia, Reljic unleashed a very potent striking game but Reljic himself points out that he has a proficient submission game and his record proves it. If his is ground game is actually better than his stand-up, Dollaway could be in trouble.

Pick: Reljic by 2nd round TKO

Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (Light heavyweight — Dark Card)

Stephan Bonnar’s name is synonymous with post-TUF UFC lore. He was one half of the fight that UFC President Dana White credits with putting the UFC and MMA on the map in the United States. That bout, of course, was a thrilling decision loss to Forrest Griffin in the TUF 1 Finale. I often wonder if the career paths of Bonnar and Griffin would have been significantly altered if that decision had been reversed. Since that bout, Griffin has gone on to stardom, even winning the UFC light heavyweight strap, while Bonnar’s career has been very uneven. Bonnar is now 5-5 inside the Octagon and comes into this bout with a two-fight losing streak. In the past, three straight losses has seemed like the magic number for the UFC in terms of cutting a fighter and Bonnar doesn’t appear to be much of a contender for the 205 lb. title. And yet, the sentimental side of me can’t imagine Bonnar fighting anywhere else. It’s almost as if I’d be okay if he’s earned lifelong tenure with the promotion for what he helped it achieve.

Krzysztof Soszynski, on the other hand, is a fighter notable for more than simply having the most difficult name in MMA to spell. Although he’s fairly new to UFC fans, who first met him in TUF 8, he acquitted himself fairly well when he was in the IFL. Soszynski’s last fight was a lackluster loss to Brandon Vera at UFC 102 in which he seemed like the slower of the two and never got off. Prior to that, however, he had an impressive victory over one-time rising star Andre Gusmao. Soszynski’s expertise lies in his ground game and almost half of his submissions have come by way of kimura. I see Soszynski trying to take the fight to the ground and attempting to assert his submission game. Even though Bonnar’s forte is his BJJ game, I believe Soszynski will prove too physically strong for him on the ground.

Pick: Soszynski by 1st round kimura

Mirko Filipovic vs. Anthony Perosh (Heavyweight — Main Card)

Mirko Filipovic has to be one of the most fascinating men in the history of MMA. He was one of Pride’s biggest stars, realizing his potential with a 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix title, which culminated with a victory that may have begun the decline of runner-up Wanderlei Silva. When Filipovic signed with the UFC, it was a foregone conclusion that he would eventually be fighting for the heavyweight title. Instead, the Croatian renaissance man has gone 2-3 inside the Octagon and has not looked the same since his devastating head kick loss to Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70. “Cro Cop” has appeared to struggle against bigger, more physical fighters who close the distance and don’t allow him to pull the trigger on his famous left head kick.

Thankfully for Filipovic, his original opponent at UFC 110 — Ben Rothwell – reportedly came down with an illness this past week and had to withdraw from the bout. So, his new opponent is Anthony Perosh, a man who last fought inside the Octagon at UFC 66 and is 0-2 overall in the UFC. Perosh is also much smaller than Rothwell and really only poses a challenge if the fight goes to the ground. While Filipovic-Rothwell would have been a tough bout to pick, as long as Filipovic can sprawl and maintain distance standing up, he should come away with a victory over Perosh. I, for one, am rooting for a “Cro Cop” resurgence and believe he will at least square away his UFC record at UFC 110.

Pick: Filipovic by 2nd round KO

Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader (Light Heavyweight — Main Card)

Keith Jardine is another TUF-era fighter that every true UFC fan knows. Not only does the Greg Jackson-trained mixed martial artist have a distinctive look, he has also been in a number of memorable fights against the promotion’s best at 205 pounds, some of which he’s actually won. Yet, Jardine now finds himself 6-5 in the UFC, including 1-3 in his last four bouts. His last two bouts were a close loss to Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson followed by a quintessential quick KO loss to Thiago Silva. So, this fight, against an up-and-comer in Ryan Bader, really has the distinctive feel of one that Jardine needs to win in impressive fashion in order to maintain his standing within the promotion.

Bader, on the other hand, is now 3-0 in the UFC thanks to a dominating wrestling game. Like Dollaway, Bader is also a TUF alum (in fact he was the TUF 8 champ), an Arizona Combat Sports member, and an ASU All-American. Against Jardine, the formula for victory for Bader should be clear — take Jardine down and control him on the ground. While Bader has in the past shown that he has okay hands (and no doubt worked on them for this bout), Jardine’s unorthodox herky-jerky stand-up style has confounded many an opponent.

Pick: Bader by decision

Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping (Middleweight — Co-Main Event)

At one time, Wanderlei Silva was one of the most feared men in all of MMA. He had a phenomenal run as Pride’s “Middleweight” champ from 2001 to 2007. But, starting with his loss to Filipovic and then his KO loss to Dan Henderson (in which he finally lost the Pride belt), Silva has gone 1-4 in his last five fights, including 1-2 in his latest stint inside the Octagon. The one thing you know when you watch Silva is that he will put on a show and will bring his wild, looping punches fearlessly, regardless of the opponent. He simply does not back down and his 2007 New Year’s Eve bout against Chuck Liddell was one for the ages.

While Michael Bisping is certainly a formidable opponent, this bout is more about whether Silva can assert himself and jumpstart his career in the middleweight division. At 185 pounds, Silva will no longer be the smaller fighter in his bouts. But, the question is, how will he handle the weight cut this first time around? And will he still have the power and ferocity he brought when he fought at light heavyweight? Of course, there are those who also wonder if a career made of taking punches in order to give them has finally caught up with Silva. If Bisping knocks him out, that may very well be the case, given the lack of power displayed by the Brit in the past. While Silva will be throwing bombs searching for a KO, look for Bisping to earn points with accurate punches and takedowns. If Silva can duplicate Dan Henderson’s effort against Bisping, fans might be treated to chapter two in the Wanderlei Silva story, featuring a run at 185 pounds that climaxes with a title bout against that other Silva. If Bisping does to Silva what he did to Denis Kang in his last bout, expect to hear the questions about Silva’s decline to only get louder.

Pick: Silva by 2nd round TKO

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez (Heavyweight — Main Event)

The main event bout features two heavyweights whose main hallmarks might be that both simply refuse to quit. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is the only man to have ever worn Pride and UFC belts while his AKA foe — Cain Velasquez — represents the next generation of UFC heavyweights. “Big Nog” has been in more big MMA fights than Velasquez has even fought. But, that doesn’t mean you should underestimate Velasquez, who is yet another ASU All-American fighting at UFC 110.

In order for Velasquez to win, he will have to weather the storm standing up, shoot for “Big Nog”’s legs and go for takedown after takedown. On the ground, Velasquez will need to be weary of Nogueira’s submission attempts from bottom position while also trying to maintain top control and looking for openings to unleash his ground-and-pound attack.

While Velasquez must take the fight to the ground and maintain top position to win, Big Nog can win anywhere in the Octagon, standing or even on his back. While I see Velasquez as a future heavyweight title contender, I don’t think his time is now and I also don’t think Big Nog’s best days are behind him. The wily Brazilian has outsmarted many a foe during his storied career and should be able to do the same in Sydney.

Pick: Nogueira by 2nd round triangle choke

Audio player after the jump.

Here’s what I’ll be looking for during the card…

What does Randy Couture have left in the tank? This is truly a question and doesn’t imply anything more than that. The last time I underestimated Couture, he proved me wrong against Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga in 2007. Since then, however, the “Natural” was inactive for a year due to a contract dispute with the UFC and has also suffered two losses in the heavyweight division, though both losses came against arguably superior fighters (Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) and don’t necessarily indicate an erosion of Couture’s skillset.

I expect Couture to win at UFC 105 against Brandon Vera in Couture’s return to the 205 lb. weight class, but if he doesn’t, then I might worry about his future in the sport. With heavyweights getting bigger and bigger and with Couture always on the smaller end of the heavyweight spectrum, I think the move down to light heavyweight makes sense. On the other hand, it’s the UFC’s deepest division so a loss to Vera would not bode well.

Will we see the aggressive Brandon Vera of old? Vera was a rising star in the UFC at the end of 2006, coming off a victory over then-former champ Frank Mir. But his own contract dispute with the promotion followed by consecutive losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum led to Vera’s own drop down to light heavyweight. Though Vera is 3-1 in the light heavyweight division, his wins have not been impressive and he’s lacked the attacking style that made him a darling during his rise in the promotion.

Against Couture, Vera has an opportunity to make a true statement and jump into the top 10. But, can he defend against Couture’s takedown attempts and will he be able to assert his Muay Thai dominance standing up? If the answer to both of those questions is no, we may see Couture ground out a victory. If the answer is yes, a remaining question is, can Vera win in spectacular fashion?

While a victory over Couture would be huge for Vera, unless he can win big, I can’t see Vera being promoted as a title contender in such a deep division that is replete with more exciting and more accomplished fighters.

Can Michael Bisping rebound from his first KO loss? Some UFC fans believe that Bisping has been protected by the promotion in order to prop him up in their attempts to make inroads in the UK. Interestingly enough, when he’s had the opportunity to disprove this theory and fight against elite fighters, Bisping has lost both times (to Rashad Evans in 2007 and Dan Henderson this year.)

The loss to Evans was by split decision and Bisping recovered to run off another winning streak, albeit only after moving down to a lower weight class (185 pounds.) The loss to Henderson, however, is a true test of what Bisping’s future will look like. Bisping was absolutely rocked by the former PRIDE two-belt holder — Bisping’s first-ever loss by KO.

Some fighters never recover from such a devastating loss. We’ll learn a lot about Bisping at UFC 105, especially his mental game, and he certainly isn’t being given an easy opponent in Denis Kang.

Will Denis Kang stake his claim as one of the UFC’s elite? Between 2003 and 2006, Kang won 21 out of 23 fights with no losses during that time (one fight was a draw, the other a no contest.) This spectacular run made Kang one of the hottest fighters in the world. Since then, Kang has cooled off considerably, though his losses have come to the likes of Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi as well as Japanese stud Kazuo Misaki.

Still, Kang’s first two fights in the UFC leave the fighter looking for that signature win that will enamor him to UFC fans. His loss to Alan Belcher in his Octagon debut was a surprise upset to a talented but inconsistent fighter. His victory over “Professor X” at UFC 97 did not make the main card of that event.

So, UFC 105 serves as a big opportunity for Kang. He will announce his arrival with a decisive victory over the high profile TUF champ Bisping in front of the Brit’s home crowd. And, that’s what I’m predicting Kang will do.

Is Mike Swick ready for GSP? Swick was initially supposed to fight Martin Kampmann earlier this fall before a training camp injury led to his withdrawal from that bout, which had been touted as a title contender bout. Kampmann was upset by fill-in Paul Daley and Swick now faces Dan Hardy in a division that is currently looking for a new challenger for the dominant champ, Georges St. Pierre.

Swick has looked more and more impressive with each fight since he dropped down to welterweight. No slouch at middleweight, Swick now finds himself as one of the taller, longer fighters in his new division and doesn’t appear to have lost his quick hands, which allowed him to TKO Ben Saunders in his last fight.

If Swick can defeat Hardy in front of the Brit’s home fans, will he be ready for a title shot? If the victory is a finish, I don’t think the UFC has much of a choice, given Swick’s name recognition and winning streak. One could argue that “Quick” should fight a top contender like Thiago Alves (I’m not sure if he’d be willing to fight fellow AKA campmates Josh Koscheck or Jon Fitch) but I think the UFC is looking for a fresh face to put up against St. Pierre. Personally, I’d like a Swick-Alves fight because I’m not sure Swick has proved enough at welterweight for a title shot quite yet but a Swick-GSP bout would certainly be easy to promote.

Will Dan Hardy earn a title shot if he defeats Swick? Listening to Swick’s statements on UFC 105 Countdown this week, you tend to believe that Swick certainly doesn’t believe Hardy has earned a title shot and I tend to agree. I believe Hardy (with only three prior bouts in the UFC) needs to bolster his resume further, even with a victory over Swick.

That would mean pairing Hardy up against one of the elite welterweight fighters — Koscheck, Fitch, or Alves — before giving the Brit a shot at GSP. But, the question for those fighters is, what’s in it for them?

On the other hand, one could argue that a decisive finish by Hardy at UFC 105 combined with his penchant for trash talk would make for a good title fight in either Canada or back in the UK. No matter where the UFC puts that fight and no matter how dominant Hardy’s performance at UFC 105, I still don’t think he’s ready for St. Pierre this early in his career.

Of course, all this is purely speculative because I think Swick will get the job done at UFC 105.