Weigh-ins in Rio more dramatic than the norm

Aldo, Mendes, Johnson and Belfort co-main event the
UFC's second show in Brazil in less than six months.

In the UFC...scratch that, in mixed martial arts second chances and opportunities at becoming a superstar are few and far between. Heck, most guys are luck to ever get on the main card of an independent promotion. With that said, the four men headlining UFC 142 in Rio understand and appreciate the opportunity placed in front of them.

The night is headlined by two great bouts between four warriors of the octagon. As the night's co-main event, which already has its fair share of drama, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson makes his middleweight debut against Brazilian Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort.

That bout was scheduled to be a middleweight bout, but Johnson was unable to make weight and will subsequently be a catchweight bout. Under one condition, Johnson must weigh-in before the fight and cannot be over 205. Rumble came into weigh-ins 11 pounds over the 185 weight limit and was fined 20% of his purse, which went to Belfort who still chose to take the fight.

All day Friday there have been numerous reports as to why Johnson missed weight. One report from MMAWeekly.com, says that it was a medical issue that caused him to miss weight. In that same story it says that he was one pound away before fluids given by a doctor made him gain weight back. I'm not here to judge the man, but this is not the first time that Johnson has missed weight.

Back to the actual card, one of the most awaited title fights headlines UFC 142. Chad "Money" Mendes takes on UFC featherweight champion and Brazilian native Jose "Scarface" Aldo. The two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 133, but due to an injury suffered by the Aldo the fight was scrapped.

Mendes went on to defeat another Brazilian, Rani Yahya, and Aldo defeated Kenny Florian to retain his title. That set up this bout, which many have Aldo as the favorite. Not only is the title fight in his native country, but Aldo has shown to be a much more skillful and all-around fighter than Mendes. If Mendes is able to apply his wrestling game, it might give him an edge. But, Aldo can do a lot of damage and keep the bout standing. If that is the case, look for Aldo to employ a lot of kicks to try and rock Mendes's foundation.

All in all, these co-main events should lead to an exciting end to what promises to be a great night of MMA action in Brazil.

Follow me on Twitter at @NiteshDutt.