With a fight card full of devastating fists, the octagon at UFC 98 promises to offer a flurry of painful moments from beginning to end.  The fight card for UFC 98 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV lists 11 exciting match-ups that will begin at roughly 4:45pm Pacific Time.  There will be an abundance of MMA warriors taking center stage during these meetings of brute force and skill. Several of the fighters have earned records trailing only slightly behind the headliners; one of the none-title-match fighters has a record that breaks down to 1 loss out of 14 matches.  If he’s able to win his fight and the challenger for the title is held off; the two would carry equal records percentage-wise.  The loser of the main event will leave the cage with either 1 loss out of 15 or 1 loss out of 20.

When the main event hits the screen (live broadcasting begins at 7pm Pacific Time), most people will find themselves sitting on the edge of their seats.  The title fight will pit reigning light heavyweight champ “Suga” Rashad Evans against challenger Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida.  The winner of the match will have not only dealt the other fighter his very first UFC loss, but will also walk off with the UFC light heavyweight championship title.

29 year old Rashad Evans, a one-time college wrestler with no ranking in any martial arts styles, developed his love for MMA fighting on the streets, where he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt.  Thankfully, his better judgment kicked in and Evans decided that since he could paid to dole out the same punishment on a competitor in the octagon (a much safer environment), he’d turn his passion into a career.  Rashad boasts a UFC record of an astounding 18 wins, with no losses and just 1 draw.

From as early as the tender age of 3, Brazilian Lyoto Machida has had extensive training in Karate & Jiu-Jitsu garnering several championship titles for the two martial arts as he battled his way through competitor after competitor.  30 year old Lyoto began training for MMA at the age of 17 with his eyes on the top spot from the very beginning.  His record almost mirrors that of Suga Rashad’s with 14 wins, no losses and no draws.  Both fighters weigh in at exactly 205 pounds, but Machida at 6’1” gains 3 inches in height over the 5’11” Evans.

With the love of MMA competition that the two headline fighters have, it’s guaranteed that nothing in their respective arsenals will be left on the table.  Rashad Evans, with his speed and takedown ability will be exhibiting the skills that made him the current UFC champ.  On the other side, Lyoto Machida will show the crowd exactly how he earned his Karate fighting titles.  It will be interesting to see how the rankings stand when the smoke clears and UFC 98 goes into the history books.