Of course the show will be headlined by the UFC’s No.1 PPV draw, Brock Lesnar who will defend his title against Cain Velasquez, but it appears the promotion are supporting it with a number of other quality fights.

While the line-up has been officially confirmed as yet it’s understood that former light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz will return against Matt Hamill.  It’s since been reported that rising heavyweight star Brendan Schaub is to take a step up to face Gabriel Gonzaga at the event. Another rumored heavyweight match-up sees Todd Duffee take on TUF 10′s Jon Madsen.

Elsewhere it’s already been established that recent defector from Strikeforce, Jake Shields will make his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann.

Finally Diego Sanchez has confirmed that despite losing to John Hathway in his return to the 170lb weight-class, he will stick at the weight, and takes on a tough opponent in Paulo Thiago who was until recently considered to be a top contender at welterweight.

Overall this is shaping up to be a very well rounded card for the UFC.  It’s a contrast to Lesnar’s last fight earlier this month at UFC 116 where the promotion relied heavily on their No.1 star’s blockbuster showdown with Shane Carwin to sell the show.  That proved to be a successful strategy with an estimated PPV buy-rate of between 1  – 1.28 million.

On this occasion though it looks as if they are bringing in more star power into the equation, though the reason for that isn’t immediately clear.  It may be that they are looking to test just how many PPV’s they can sell with Lesnar fronting a strong card, or it could be that they feel that his fight with Cain Velasquez isn’t by itself going to generate the same kind of heat that his return from illness against Carwin was able to.

Either way it’s the fans who win with a quality night of fights to look forward to in late October.

Check out the full episode below.

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<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=799bd3f6-f53f-4c48-9827-7b3738490da1" target="_new" title="">MMAthletics: Episode 9</a>

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1.  Can Roy Nelson put on a performance against Brendan Schaub that will set him up as a major force in the heavyweight division?

After failing to impress Dana White with his fighting abilities for much of the current season of TUF, Roy Nelson’s performance tonight may be highly significant in terms of how much of a future he has in the promotion, and where in the heavyweight ladder he will be placed.

An impressive win would be a major boost for him at this stage, whereas a second-rate performance, even if it leads to a victory, may consign him to undercard obscurity for the time being.

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2.  Can Brendan Schaub keep this fight standing?

Due to Roy Nelson’s advantage if this fight goes to the floor, Schaub’s best hope is to keep this fight standing.  That will be easier said than done of course, but he has shown an ability to get back to his feet from dangerous positions already in this season.

Nelson may also be seduced by the idea of putting on an ‘entertaining’ stand-up fight as he seeks respect from both the fans and UFC president Dana White, which could work to Schaub’s advantage.

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3.  Who’s chin will give out first, Kimbo or Houston’s?

Neither fighter has a cast-iron chin.  Kimbo’s was exposed when a jab from Seth Petrucelli prematurely ended his last MMA fight, while Houston Alexander has suffered back-to-back K.O losses during his time in the UFC.  One way or another this fight is going to end violently, but the winner may well be decided by who can take a punch as much as who can throw one.

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4.  How much has Marcus Jones striking improved since the show?

Marcus Jones defeat to Brendan Schaub in the semi-finals of the show further emphasized the weaknesses in ‘Big Baby’s stand-up game.  Despite that, there’s no doubt that Jones will hold a significant advantage over Mitrione if this fight goes to the mat,and that will be his blueprint for success in this fight.

If for some reason Plan A doesn’t quite go as intended however – as happened against Schaub – has Jones striking improved enough to keep him in the fight?

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5.  Can Jon Jones make the transition from being a eye-catching striker, to being an effective one?

For someone so new to the sport, Jon Jones highlight reel is already as impressive as some battle hardened veterans.  Despite this, the string of quick K.O and TKO’s that punctuated his early fights have so far failed to materialize during his stint in the UFC.

If he can prove that he still has that power, and has indeed become a more technical fighter under Greg Jackson’s tutelage, then the UFC could very well have a new star emerging in the division.

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6.  Can Frankie Edgar make enough of an impact against Matt Veach to hand him the No.1 contendership in the lightweight division?

Along with Gray Maynard, Frankie Edgar (10-1)  is pushing hard for a title shot against the winner of Penn Vs Sanchez at UFC 107 after recent wins over hermes Franca and former champ Sean Sherk.   Like Maynard the one thing he has lacked is an emphatic victory, with seven of his last eight fights going to the judges scorecards.

If he is going to do it, tonight would be the night, and it could put him just out in front as the next title challenger.

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7.  How much of a ratings draw will Kimbo Slice prove to be in the season finale?

If there is one thing that Kimbo Slice has been successful at so far in his mixed martial arts career, it’s his ability to generate huge viewer ratings.  He helped break records for the TUF show this season, but after suffering another defeat will he still hold the same hold over viewers?

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8.  Will Rampage Jackson make an appearance at the event?

Having announced yesterday that he will come out of retirement to finish off his current UFC contract, will Rampage make an appearance at the TUF Finale?  It would seem unlikely due to his ongoing war of words with Dana White, and with filming still on-going for the A-Team movie he is starring in, but as a coach on the show will he feel obligated to make an appearance, and if so, will we see yet another exchange between himself and Rashad Evans?

Roy Nelson & Brendan Schaub

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Jon Jones & Matt Hamill:

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Marcus Jones:

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Darrill Schoonover

The event will culminate with the fight between the experienced ground specialist Roy Nelson (13-4) and up and coming talented striker Brendan Schaub (4-0) to decide who will become the next ultimate fighter.

The event will also showcase a number of other fighters from the current season, including Kimbo Slice (3-1) who will meet perhaps the most dangerous striker he has encountered yet in MMA in the shape of Houston Alexander (9-4-1nc).

Another popular fighter on the show Marcus Jones (4-1) will look to bounce back from his semi-final loss to Shaub when he takes on Matt Mitrione (0-0), who he had an altercation with on the show.

Rounding up the TUF based fights, beaten semi-finalist James McSweeney (3-4) will fight Darrill Schoonover (10-0), who incidentally has been told that he is being recalled to serve with the U.S army after the bout. Meanwhile two fighters who lost in the earlier rounds of the show, Jon Madsen (2-0) and Justin Wren (8-1) will also fight on the undercard.

The event will feature a number of current UFC fighters, including a headline bout between Jon Jones (9-0) and former TUF season 3 competitor Matt Hamill (6-2). A lightweight fight between Frankie Edgar (10-1) and Matt Veach (11-0) also airs on the main card.

Rounding off the card will be bouts between Brian Stann (7-2) and newcomer Rodney Wallace (9-0), veteran Dennis Hallman (39-12-2 1nc) vs. John Howard (12-4) & opening the night, Mark Bocek (7-2) vs. Joe Brammer (7-0-1).

See the full fight card below and stay tuned to the site for further news on this event.

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Main Card:

TUF 10 Final: Roy Nelson vs. Brendan Schaub

Matt Hamill vs. Jon Jones

Houston Alexander vs. Kimbo Slice

Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach

Marcus Jones vs. Matt Mitrione

Undercard:

James McSweeney vs. Darrill Schoonover

Jon Madsen vs. Justin Wren

Brian Stann vs. Rodney Wallace

Dennis Hallman vs. John Howard

Mark Bocek vs. Joe Brammer