UFC ON FOX 2 ANALYSIS

Rashad Evans (16-1-1) vs. Phil Davis (9-0)

■ CLASS: Light heavyweight

■ LINE: Evans minus-180

■ STORYLINE: Davis is one of the hottest prospects in the UFC, but this is a big step up in competition. Evans, the former light heavyweight champion, has a huge experience edge and a decided advantage in the standup game. While his level of wrestling is nowhere near that of Davis, Evans should be able to prevent takedowns and keep the fight where he wants it. All of the pressure should be on Evans, though. He has been the top contender for more than 18 months without getting another shot at the title through a variety of circumstances. A loss would knock him from the opportunity to finally reclaim the title against his friend-turned-rival, Jon Jones. Evans has fought just once in that span, so rust also could be an issue here. Davis could take advantage if his striking has improved as much as he says it has, but he hasn’t proved it yet in the cage.

■ PICK: Evans by decision

Chael Sonnen (26-11-1) vs. Michael Bisping (22-3)

■ CLASS: Middleweight

■ LINE: Sonnen minus-450

■ STORYLINE: The stakes here are simple. The winner will fight for the middleweight title this summer. Sonnen dominated his past five opponents but had difficulty finishing. He cruised to three victories by decision before failing to put away Anderson Silva in a middleweight title fight and getting submitted in the closing minutes. He rebounded to stop Brian Stann his last time out and appears to be on a mission to get another shot for Silva, even though he insists Silva never will agree to the rematch. Bisping has won four fights in a row and sent seven of his past eight opponents to the hospital. If he can keep the fight standing, he should be in good position to pull the upset. That’s easier said than done against an elite wrestler like Sonnen. This could turn into a grinder with Sonnen taking down Bisping and Bisping working hard to get back to his feet each time only to see the process repeated over and over.

■ PICK: Sonnen by decision

Demian Maia (15-3) vs. Chris Weidman (7-0)

■ CLASS: Middleweight

■ LINE: Weidman minus-150

■ STORYLINE: Maia is an accomplished fighter with some of the best jiujitsu skills in the UFC, and yet he goes into this fight as an underdog to a young prospect who took the fight on 10 days’ notice and had to deal with a brutal weight cut. That probably should tell you something. Weidman has the potential to be a superstar, and his outstanding wrestling skills should enable him to keep the fight standing if he wants to stay on his feet. Weidman says he won’t be scared to go to the ground with Maia, but there is no reason to do so unless it is unavoidable. Weidman won’t be at a loss if they go to the mat as he has plenty of high-level grappling training. No reason to test it here, though. If Weidman gets a takedown, the fight could turn into a technical battle loved by hard-core fans and despised by mainstream viewers tuning in on Fox for the first time. Expect Weidman, however, to land big punches, and look for as quick a knockout as possible as he is likely to experience cardiovascular issues due to the quick camp.

■ PICK: Weidman by second-round knockout

ADAM HILL/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL