Stout expects action-packed UFC 113 bout

Three fights on Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighting Championship card in Montreal are getting the vast majority of the attention and publicity, for various reasons.

Light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida will try to defend his belt against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in a rematch of a controversial decision in October. Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck have ramped up the trash talk in the buildup to their welterweight showdown, and Matt Mitrione takes on the ultimate hype machine, Kimbo Slice.

It will be tough for any of the fights to match the anticipated action in one of the least-discussed bouts for UFC 113.

Sam Stout, who spends about a month in Las Vegas training for each of his fights, said his fight with Jeremy Stephens has the potential to be explosive.

“It’s going to be very exciting, and if anyone else wants that fight-of-the-night bonus, they’re going to have to do something special to top me and Stephens,” Stout said before a workout at the Tapout gym last week.

Stout is no stranger to cashing bonus checks after action-packed fights. The 26-year-old has won four fight-of-the-night bonuses in just eight UFC appearances.

“It’s not only whether or not you win, but how you win. I understand that this is a business. It’s a sport, but it’s also the entertainment industry. Every time I go out, it’s definitely in my head,” he said. “There’s nothing I hate more than hearing the crowd boo during one of my fights. It’s not something I’m used to hearing, but I’ve had some fights where guys have ran from me in the later rounds and not been willing to engage, and it’s a very frustrating feeling. I do not like to hear boos.”

A portion of the Montreal crowd will support Stout no matter how he performs. The native of London, Ontario, will fight in front of a contingent of friends and family.

“There’s definitely a little bit of added pressure, but I’m locked in a cage with another guy that’s trying to hurt me. There’s always pressure,” he said, adding that he has received numerous ticket requests. “It gets to be a bit of a pain. Those Montreal tickets sell out really fast, and I always get people calling me trying to score tickets.”

■ PRELIMS SET — After a bit of scrambling, the entire card for UFC 113 is set.

Jason MacDonald will take on John Salter in a preliminary bout, completing the lineup. Salter had been set to face Nick Catone, who suffered a back injury. David Loiseau was then slated to fill in, but couldn’t secure licensing in time to compete.

MacDonald was released from the UFC in early 2009 after back-to-back losses, but he is currently on a three-fight winning streak outside the organization.

■ KONRAD TO MAKE BELLATOR DEBUT — Cole Konrad will make his Bellator Fighting Championships debut on the Bellator 17 card in Boston on Thursday, the organization announced.

The 26-year-old, a two-time national wrestling champion at Minnesota, will take on Pat Bennett in a heavyweight bout.

Konrad is 2-0 with two first-round stoppages in his professional career and is a training partner and protege of UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

The card also features a nontitle bout between Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and Josh Neer, as well as a pair of Season 2 lightweight tournament semifinal matchups, including Roger Huerta taking on Pat Curran.

The event will air tape-delayed on Fox Sports West (Cable 49) at 10:30 p.m.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.