UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II

With a nickname like 'The Crowbar,' it's clear that Matt Hobar brings a high level of grit and determination to the Octagon, and that was never more evident than in his August bout against Aaron Phillips, as he dominated the action from start to finish en route to his first UFC win. In the opposite corner tonight is Sergio 'The Phenom' Pettis, perhaps the most highly-touted prospects to hit the division in years, and the Milwaukee native has delivered on the hype with wins over Will Campuzano and Yaotzin Meza and a Fight of the Night against Alex Caceres. Now he'll look to dismantle Hobar in his return to Las Vegas.

With his all-action style and warrior's attitude, Clay Collard may have lost his UFC debut to Max Holloway in August, but the Utah striker made more than a few fans for his short notice effort, and tonight, with a full training camp behind him, he wants to add a win to his record against Alex White. One of the featherweight division's brightest prospects, White picked up a Performance of the Night bonus in his Octagon debut against Estevan Payan in April, and he wouldn't mind another result like that against the hard-charging Collard.

Winner of five of his last six bouts, most recently a third-round submission of Alex Caceres in July, Sacramento's Urijah Faber is a pioneer of the lighter weight classes and one of the most dangerous contenders in the sport today. But to get another shot at the 135-pound title, he has to turn back the challenge of fellow Californian Francisco Rivera. On a current hot streak has seen him go unbeaten in six of his last seven matches, a string that includes knockouts of George Roop and Edwin Figueroa, Rivera is one of the hardest punchers Faber has ever faced, and he is confident that if he lands on 'The California Kid,' it will be lights out.

After a lengthy amateur career that saw her defeat the likes of Jessamyn Duke, Ashlee Evans-Smith turned pro in 2013 and quickly rang up a perfect 3-0 record. Not surprisingly, a call to the Octagon followed for the talented striker and wrestler, and tonight, Evans-Smith makes her UFC debut against The Ultimate Fighter 18 veteran Raquel Pennington. A hardnosed striker who owns a UFC win over Roxanne Modafferi, Pennington first made her presence known during season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, and while she lost a close split decision to Jessica Andrade in March, a win over Evans-Smith will put 'Rocky' back on track at 135 pounds.

The winner of season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter, Tony Ferguson's early UFC career was plagued by injuries, but since returning to active duty in late 2013, he has been unstoppable, defeating Mike Rio, Katsunori Kikuno, and Danny Castillo. Now all that stands between him and a move from prospect to contender is Abel Trujillo.

With the heavyweight division as wide open as it's ever been, a few big wins can go a long way in getting into the top ten sooner rather than later. Anthony Hamilton and Todd Duffee are well aware of the current landscape and what a decisive finish tonight could do for their future.