UFC 175: Weidman vs. Machida - 3 things you need to know

For the second time this year, two championships are on the line at a UFC event, as Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey are both set to defend their respective titles at UFC 175 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.

It may not be wise to expect a title change, however, as both champions enter Saturday's event with spotless records as professionals. The challengers have obviously earned their shots, but it would surprise exactly nobody if the favorites reign supreme on this loaded card.

Here are three things you need to know ahead of UFC 175.

Chris Weidman, undefeated and underrated

Somehow, beating Anderson Silva twice in a row, having "four-time All-American wrestler" on the resume, being the middleweight champion and being undefeated aren't enough, together, to make Chris Weidman the most feared name in mixed martial arts. He belongs in the conversation, at least, as he's shown little in the way of weakness on his 11-0 run, with seven of those victories coming in the octagon.

Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida is a bigger name with a longer track record, though, and the former light heavyweight champion has looked phenomenal in his first two fights at 185, disposing of Mark Munoz in three minutes and earning a five-round unanimous decision over Gegard Mousasi. While he's 36, Machida hasn't looked at all like he's slowing down, winning four of five after dropping three of four fights in 2010 and 2011.

It should prove an interesting style challenge for Machida, as Weidman will leverage his elite wrestling background but has five finishes in seven UFC bouts. Of course, Weidman has an adjustment of his own to make, having originally planned for Vitor Belfort before changing gears after Belfort was pulled from the fight in mid-June.

Weidman remains the favorite, but only a slight one at -175, an implied win probability of just shy of two-out-of-three.

Ronda Rousey, undefeated and perfectly rated

Ronda Rousey, the women's bantamweight champion, commands far more reverence than Weidman or perhaps any non-Jon Jones champion in the sport. She is a machine, and she has looked unbeatable through nine fights, three of them in the UFC.

And while most of her finishes - eight of nine, to be exact - have come via the armbar, her armbar variations make up just a portion of her arsenal, similar to late-1990s Chris Jericho.

Alexis Davis will step in opposite Rousey and look to become the third Canadian champion in the promotion's history, and while the 16-5 veteran is on a nice run - five straight victories and a 3-0 mark in the octagon - there's a reason she's a 6-to-1 underdog. It's unclear what exactly the "right" strategy is against Rousey, though becoming the second woman ever to survive an opening round against her seems the only way to find out.

Perhaps the biggest cross-over star in MMA today, Rousey is heavily favored to make Davis...expendable.

A long road back

The longest man in MMA is back, as 7-footer Stefan Struve is set for his first fight since March of 2013 after dealing with serious heart issues. The 21-6 Dutchman draws Matt Mitrione at heavyweight in his return, and he'll look to get back to the role he was on before getting stopped by Mark Hunt in his last fight, before which Struve had won four straight.

Mitrione, meanwhile, is looking to stay relevant, having dropped three of his past five fights to fall to 7-3 overall and in the UFC. Struve is a mild favorite at -165, and him emerging victorious would certainly be the better story here.

UFC 175 Fight Card

Weigh-ins take place on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.