With UFC 189 and The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale officially in the books, the UFC is wasting no time in hosting another spectacular event. On Wednesday, July 15, 2015, the UFC will head to the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, for UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee.

While UFC Fight Night 71 may lack the title fights of UFC 189 or the animosity of The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale, it does have some great matchups that will entertain the fans; particularly the main event. Former UFC heavyweight champion, Frank Mir, may be on the back end of his career but he is still one of the most dangerous fighters in the division. Todd Duffee on the other hand is young, explosive and hungry to get his first marquee win.

From top to bottom, UFC Fight Night 71 is a well-crafted card featuring a variety of potentially entertaining stylistic matchups. There should be a little something for everyone at UFC Fight Night 71.

UFC Debut of Lyman Good

This is a long time coming for Good the former inaugural Bellator welterweight champion. But after winning the title, Good hit a rough patch; after starting his career with 10 straight wins Good would go 4-3 in his next seven bouts. Now on the heels of four straight wins and back to back first round submission victories, Good is finally in the UFC where he belongs.

A Big Test for Holly Holm 

Holm’s signing to the UFC women’s bantamweight division brought a lot of hype and high expectations. As one of the greatest female boxers, Holm has the skillset to be an elite MMA fighter. But in her UFC debut, we saw that she still has a long way to go before she is ready to challenge the best the division has to offer. Her opponent Marion Reneau will present Holm with her toughest test to day. A powerful striker and skilled grappler, Reneau’s well-rounded attack will test Holm in all phases of the fight game.

A Big Test for Tony Ferguson

At 8-1 inside the Octagon and riding a five-fight win streak, Ferguson has quietly been climbing the UFC lightweight ladder and now he is ready for the biggest test of his career. Josh Thompson is the former Strikeforce lightweight champion and he has competed against some of the best lightweights in MMA history. Thompson is a threat wherever the fight takes place and he hasn’t been stopped in over 10 years. If Ferguson can get a win here, we will know he’s ready for the best the division has to offer.

Heavyweight Showdown

This one isn’t going to last very long, but it will definitely be a lot of fun to watch. With 19 combined first round stoppage victories, Mir and Duffee always look to get in and get out as fast as possible. If Duffee can land early before Mir gets comfortable, then he will have the upper hand. But if Mir can get Duffee on the ground, it’s all but over.

About The Author

RJ Gardner
Content Coordinator

RJ Gardner is a rabid sports fan and a long time MMA enthusiast. After watching UFC 1 at ripe old age of 11 RJ was hooked and his passion for the sport has continued to blossom over the years. RJ has been covering MMA since 2007 and has had work featured on Bleacher Report, SI.com, CBSSports.com and UFC.com. RJ is also a Petroleum Transportation Operations Manager during the day.