Lawler-Cerrone, Manuwa-Oezdemir bouts highlight depth of UFC 214

Three title fights illustrate the quality of the UFC 214 card on Saturday at Honda Center, but the pay-per-view card will include two other compelling fights that show the depth of the Anaheim event.

What makes the card a candidate to challenge some of the strongest events in organization history goes beyond the Daniel Cormier-Jon Jones light-heavyweight championship bout, Tyron Woodley’s third welterweight title defense and Cris “Cyborg” Justino’s attempt to become the featherweight champion.

The pay-per-view card also features a welterweight brawl between former champion Robbie Lawler and fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, with a compelling light-heavyweight bout between top-five contenders Jimi Manuwa and Volkan Oezdemir.

“It’s one of the best cards in the history of the company and obviously the best card of the year,” UFC President Dana White said.

Lawler (27-11) lost his belt to Woodley last year and is eager to return to title contention after White said former champion Georges St-Pierre is next in line for the Woodley-Demian Maia winner.

“I’m always just going to go out there and be me. When I fight, the fans enjoy it,” Lawler said. “[St-Pierre’s position] is what it is. It’s a business. I don’t control anything other than Saturday night, so I need to go out there and beat somebody up.

“I feel good about matching up with anybody. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think I was the best in the world. That’s the reason I’ve kept striving, even when I was down.”

The entertainment value of fighting former lightweight champion Cerrone seems a given.

“This is a big one, I’m proud to be on the card,” Cerrone said. “Beside the Cormier-Jones rematch, ours is a fighters’ fight. If I was a fan, I’d be … ‘I’m tuning in to that … these two [guys] meeting in the middle.’ You know that’s how it’s going to end up.

“Good fight, the kind I really get to get in there and have a good time.”

Cerrone (32-8) overcame a staph infection in his right knee after getting burned helping a motorcyclist pick up his fallen Harley Davidson. The injury required 10 days of treatment in a hospital and caused him to be pulled off the UFC 213 card.

Third-ranked Manuwa (17-2) was placed on the card in case there was a withdrawal by Jones or Cormier. Jones tested positive for a banned substance last year on fight week, while Cormier nearly missed weight in April.

Manuwa said he now feels comfortable that Cormier-Jones will happen, and is focused on the test of Oezdemir, a hard puncher coming off a May knockout victory.

Being a replacement has “never been a distraction. I just trained for a fight,” Manuwa said. “Even if [Cormier] doesn’t make the weight, there’ll still be a fight. But that’s his problem, not mine.

“One more win, and I should fight for the belt,” Manuwa added. “I feel Jones wins the fight, but I’ve got a fight as well, and I feel my fight ends by knockout. [Oezdemir] has made a name for himself quickly. But I’ve knocked out everyone they’ve put in front of me, so I’m ready.”

Oezdemir said his first-round knockout of Misha Cirkunov on May 28, delivered by a right hand, can’t be banked upon given Manuwa’s strength.

“He has more power, more patience in loading his shots and I’m more of a guy who moves a lot and tries to put on pressure,” Oezdemir said.

Trying to win a fight-of-the-night or knockout-of-the-night bonus on this card is a challenge.

“It’s going to be really tough with so many big names and good fights,” Oezdemir said. “I have many to beat, so I’ll just go for the biggest knockout I can get. A knockout of Jimi would be a game-changer for me, and maybe it’d mean a title shot.”