It may have taken more than half a year, but UFC 213 has finally given fans a card that seems worth getting excited about.

The PPV event is set to take place July 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV (the same venue of the alleged Mayweather-McGregor fight). What’s interesting is that despite the loss of the highly anticipated UFC Bantamweight Champion match between Cody Garbrandt and challenger T.J. Dillashaw, UFC 213 promises to be very entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GalkQJMQ_pg

That said, there are a few fights that stand out from the rest–fights that fans might be heavily anticipating for one reason or another.

Most Exciting UFC 213 Matchups

Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko

Amanda Nunes (14-4-0) defeated former champion Ronda Rousey in a matter of seconds. After such a decisive victory, it almost seemed her place as Women’s Bantamweight Champion was firmly secured. Not so. No. 1 contender Valentina Shevchenko (14-2-0) promises to be Nunes’ toughest opponent yet.

This rematch will bring both women into uncharted territory as they are fighting not for a title shot but for the title itself. There might already be some bad blood building thanks to a rather tense stare-down session.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Alistair Overeem

Fabricio Werdum (21-6-1) and Alistair Overeem (42-15-0) will face each other for a third time, with this fight set to be the tie-breaker. Overeem might be known and feared for his devastating knockout power, but then so is Werdum. There’s also the fact that Werdum is hoping to avoid back-to-back losses following a defeat at the hands of Stipe Miocic.

These two MMA veterans have a lot riding on this meeting, and if it somehow manages to go the distance? That might be the biggest surprise of all.

UFC 213 Tickets

(Click here for a full listing of UFC 213 tickets on SeatGeek.)

Yoel Romero vs. Robert Whittaker

Yoel Romero (12-1-0) will meet Robert Whittaker (19-4-0) for the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. Michael Bisping is unable to defend the title thanks to a knee injury. However, as MMA Mania reports, the injury hasn’t stopped Bisping from offering his thoughts on an interim fight, which he called “a joke.”

“[The fight] doesn’t mean anything; interim belts aren’t worth the leather they’re printed on,” ranted Bisping. “An interim belt is a joke, I defended the belt in October, and I’ve had a bit of a knee issue, but it’s the UFC’s decision.”

Michael Bisping expects to face the winner of the Romero vs. Whittaker bout, and there’s a good chance the victor will be asked about the champion’s comments. That could make for a bit of compelling verbal drama that lays the groundwork for a future, much-anticipated fight.

Donald Cerrone vs. Robbie Lawler

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Two battle-scarred UFC veterans that some could easily argue have never truly gotten their due. Cerrone (32-8-0) has expressed some respect for Lawler (27-11-0) as an “old-school” fighter. The two have also been decisively drama-free about their approach to their UFC 213 match, as they are confident in their ability to deliver an outstanding fight without needing to resort to drama.

These are two very tough fighters who will certainly not hold back once in the Octagon–however much respect they feel for one another outside of it. This bout is easily one of the most highly-anticipated matchups of UFC 213, and it’s anyone’s guess which man will emerge victorious.

There are certainly other fights that might surprise, which is the best part of UFC 213 overall–it’s easy to anticipate that any one of several fights could be “Fight of the Year” contenders. We might even be so lucky as to see a card that looks truly stacked on paper materialize into an unforgettable UFC event.

(Image courtesy of Prayitno Photography via Flickr.)