Bisping's stamina could be key vs. Akiyama

The 02 Arena in London, England will play host to UFC 120 this Saturday as hometown favorites Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy look to re-emerge as top contenders in their respective divisions.

Here's a breakdown of Saturday's main card line-up:

Michael Bisping (19-3) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-2)

Europe meets the Orient in this intriguing battle of middleweight contenders.
Bisping, 31, showed off significantly improved skills in his victories over Dan Miller and Denis Kang. The Brit's only career setbacks have come against elite opponents -- Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva.

Hardly a one-dimensional fighter, Bisping can confidently box on his feet and grapple on the mat. His supreme conditioning will give him a clear advantage as his fight with Akiyama progresses into the third round. Additionally, his heavily underrated BJJ pedigree can legitimately threaten Akiyama on the mat.

Before his loss to Henderson at UFC 100, Bisping was often portrayed as one of the UFC's most arrogant fighters. However, the Brit has since been humbled and now understands his position in the company. The Cyprus native continues to hone his skills at the Wolfslair Academy alongside fellow UFC 120 competitor Cheick Kongo and former UFC light heavyweight kingpin Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Akiyama, 35, is an unorthodox judoka with heavy hands and a solid ground game. The former K-1 Hero's light heavyweight tournament winner made a statement in his UFC debut, outpointing BJJ brown belt Alan Belcher en route to a split decision victory.

However, Akiyama's second bout in the octagon did not go exactly as planned. He seemed to be on the verge of defeating Chris Leben by decision before succumbing to an unexpected triangle choke with 20 seconds left in the fight. Not only was it one of the most spectacular finishes of 2010, the loss served as a wake-up call for Akiyama to step up his training.

In the aftermath of his heartbreaking defeat, Akiyama moved his training camp to New Mexico where he has been taken under the wing of MMA trainer extraordinaire Greg Jackson. With newfound sparring partners such as Georges St-Pierre, Rashad Evans and Nate Marquardt, Akiyama will undoubtedly be a superior fighter for his third octagon appearance.

Never one to disappoint fans, Akiyama's crowd pleasing style is sure to contribute to a thrilling and evenly matched headlining encounter. Both are well-rounded fighters, so this bout could very well come down to who is better conditioned. Akiyama might get off to a quicker start, but the longer the fight goes, Bisping will begin to assume control of the fray.

Dan Hardy (23-7) vs. Carlos Condit (25-5)

Both entertaining welterweights, Hardy and Condit are looking to cement their place among the top 10 of the division. Much like the main event, these two fighters possess a multitude of talents and this bout is expected to come down to the wire.

Hardy, 28, is coming off a loss to the current UFC champion St-Pierre at UFC 111. Prior to receiving a welterweight title shot, Hardy had rattled off wins over the likes of Marcus Davis and Mike Swick.

An evolving combatant, "The Outlaw" trains out of Team Rough House in the U.K. alongside fellow knockout artist Paul Daley. The dangerous striker Hardy has admittedly struggled from lackluster wrestling and BJJ skills, which prompted him to spend more time learning the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system under submission wizard Eddie Bravo.

Condit, 26, was the last reigning WEC welterweight champion before he joined the UFC. After a razor-thin split decision loss to top contender Martin Kampmann in his debut, Condit recorded successive come-from-behind wins over tough youngsters Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald.

Known as "The Natural Born Killer," Condit has a wealth of experience for a fighter his age, including wins over Frank Trigg, John Alessio and Brock Larson, along with a hard-fought loss to Jake Shields.

In an attempt to reclaim the same success he enjoyed in the WEC, Condit has joined Greg Jackson in New Mexico where his level of training is at an all-time high. One of the division's most dynamic fighters, Condit possesses excellent kickboxing and BJJ skills. Under Jackson, Condit has likely refined his wrestling base in order to clearly dominate the Brit where he is most vulnerable.

Although Condit's striking is technically proficient, Hardy packs more power in his punches. As such, the most effective gameplan for Condit would be to secure a takedown and control his adversary on the mat. With the master gameplanner Jackson in his corner, Condit will attempt to do just that. Generally a slow starter, the former WEC champion will likely eat some of Hardy's heavy leather in the first round before reverting to his strategy and controlling the Brit en route to a decision victory.

John Hathaway (14-0) vs. Mike Pyle (19-7-1)

Fresh off a dominating win over Diego Sanchez that shocked many observers, the undefeated Brit Hathaway faces yet another stern test in his fifth octagon appearance.

Hathaway, 23, is a product of London Shootfighters alongside Dream welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis. Although he is well-versed in all aspects of the sport, Hathaway's most effective weapons are his long, rangy strikes.

Hathaway possesses a sizable advantage over most fighters in the 170-pound class and Pyle is no exception. If Hathaway can use his reach and stuff his opponent's takedown attempts, he will dominate the action.

Pyle, 35, is anchored at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas where his training partners include Randy Couture, Jay Hieron, Gray Maynard and Tyson Griffin. A winner of 17 fights by way of submission, the ground specialist has struggled against other elite submission players such as Jake Shields and Matt Horwich.

Although he is often inconsistent, Pyle still threatens opponents with some of the best submissions in the division, which was evidenced when he trapped Jesse Lennox in a fight-ending triangle choke with 16 seconds remaining in their UFC 115 battle.

Pyle's primary path to victory will be via submission. As such, he will need to close the distance and pursue a takedown. But Hathaway may be just too athletic and too quick for Pyle, who will be on the receiving end of repeated counter strikes over the course of 15 minutes.

Cheick Kongo (15-6-1) vs. Travis Browne (10-0)

This meeting of physically imposing heavyweight specimens is unlikely to go the distance.
Kongo, 35, bounced back from a two-fight losing skid against top-10 heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir as he demonstrated vastly improved wrestling and grappling skills in his stoppage of Paul Buentello this past March.

The Wolfslair Academy product recorded his biggest victory back in 2007 when he outpointed Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. However, Kongo's deficient grappling skills were further exposed as he dropped his next bout to Heath Herring. The menacing striker was later criticized for fighting less-than-stellar opposition after a series of wins over unheralded heavyweights such as Mostapha al-Turk and Dan Evensen.

Judging from his performance against an aging Buentello, Kongo exhibited some obvious amelioration in his ground game, which was long overdue if he hopes to remain a relevant contender in the deep heavyweight division.

Browne, 29, trains at San Diego's Alliance Training Center with quality fighters such as Phil Davis, Brandon Vera and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. The unbeaten powerhouse made a splash in his UFC debut, stopping Greg Jackson pupil James McSweeney in the first round.

Although not much is known about Browne, the Hawaiian knockout artist has a purple belt rank in BJJ, which will give him a clear-cut advantage over Kongo if the action spills to the mat.
Having won eight of 10 bouts by form of knockout, Browne's power is indisputable. However, he is far less experienced than Kongo and he is untested against top-ranked heavyweights. Given Browne's limited experience and Kongo's recent improvements, the chiseled Frenchman should be favored to emerge the victor.

James Wilks (7-3) vs. Claude Patrick (12-1)

Both adept submission fighters, Wilks and Patrick will treat fans to a competitive match-up.
Wilks, 32, won the ninth installment of "The Ultimate Fighter" by submitting DaMarques Johnson. He has since split a pair of bouts, losing to Matt Brown and edging Peter Sobotta by decision.

A BJJ brown belt and founder of Lightning MMA in California, Wilks is sure to receive a hero's welcome for his first fight back in the U.K. since last year.

Patrick, 30, is also a BJJ brown belt based at the Elite Training Center in Toronto, Canada. Having recently signed a four-fight deal with the UFC, Patrick impressively vanquished Ricardo Funch by submission in his promotional debut this past June.

Although Patrick has been successful competing on his home soil, he could very well be facing the toughest test of his career when he steps into enemy territory against Wilks. A winner of nine fights by tapout, Patrick could be the more accomplished submission player as he threatens foes with a lethal guillotine choke that has claimed six victims.

Patrick may have a slight edge on paper, but the winner will likely come down to who is the better striker come Saturday. The Canadian is in for a rigorous test as he will deal with a partisan crowd and a talented young prospect in another fight that could go three rounds.