The show must go on…

So it looks like UFC 200 won’t escape being marred by the drama of controversy. Jon Jones popped for a banned substance on the USADA list, effectively scrapping the UFC 200 main event. Though the cancellation with his bout with Daniel Cormier is sure to be a hot topic, there are still a ton of other fights to look forward to this weekend. MIESHA TATE VS AMANDA NUNES Miesha Tate versus Amanda Nunes has the potential to be one of the best fights of the night. Tate has only recently become champion and puts it all on the line in the UFC 200 co-main event. Though she may have had some trouble dealing with Holly Holm’s striking back at UFC 196, she ultimately showed her grit, persevered and came out of the battle with a Hail Mary rear naked choke. What Tate will have to do in order to pull out a victory is have a game plan similar to Holm fight. She’ll need to be patient with Nunes, but also put some pressure on the title challenger with her wrestling and improved boxing. If she can drag Nunes into the championship rounds then it’s likely that Tate will have the cardio advantage. Make no mistake, Amanda Nunes is one of the most dangerous Women’s Batamweight fighters in the world. She has great power, some great long and short range striking, and is an explosive and physical fighter. Her best chance to beat Tate will come early. She’ll have to put pressure on Tate right away and force the champion into a position where she’ll feel that she must seek the takedown. Nunes will have to time her rushes and catch Tate coming in with some well placed power punches. Going the distance bodes better for Tate that it does for Nunes and that’s likely how this fight will play out. Expect Tate to earn a unanimous decision victory through heart and shear will. JOSE ALDO VS FRANKIE EDGAR 2 Jose Aldo is coming off of a crushing loss to the brash Irishman Conor McGregor back at UFC 194. At UFC 200 Aldo will look to return to form in a rematch with Frankie Edgar that is sure to answer a ton of questions about his mindset. Aldo will have to use his anti-wrestling game plan much like the first bout as well as his great leg kicks that he always uses so well. The distance management will be the most important aspect of this fight and if Aldo is unable to keep Edgar off of him then he’s in for a long night. On the flip side Frankie Edgar has improved leaps and bounds since his last fight against Aldo. If Edgar wants to win this rematch then he’ll have to do what he’s been doing so well in his last few bouts. Edgar has shown more of a willingness to stay in the pocket and because of his speed and improved headmovement he’s been using all of his tools to his advantage. He needs to draw Aldo into a striking match, then immediately shoot for takedowns. Failing that he should immediately transition to striking once more and play an up and down game, never allowing Aldo to get into a rhythm. This is a hard fight to pick, but the guess is that Edgar will prove why he’s the biggest threat for the Featherweight title by out dueling Jose Aldo with a unanimous decision. Who do you think will be victorious at UFC 200? Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.