UFC Kansas City preview: 'Mighty Mouse' on the cusp of history

Demetrious Johnson is already among the very best to ever compete in the sport of MMA and soon he could share a record with a man considered by many to be the greatest fighter of all time.

With a win over Wilson Reis in the main event of UFC on FOX 24 in Kansas City, "Mighty Mouse" will move into a tie with Anderson Silva for the most consecutive title defenses inside the Octagon. He passed Jon Jones last December and is currently tied with Georges St-Pierre, so it's fair to say he's no stranger to rubbing shoulders with giants.

Johnson may never draw the same audience of those three men, partially due to the apathy fans feel towards the UFC's smallest male weight class, his uncontroversial personality, and the one-sided dominance that he's exhibited in the majority of his fights.

But that's no excuse for anyone to sleep on what he's about to achieve Saturday. Here's a list of Johnson's conquests since winning the title in September 2012:

At the time they fought Johnson, those challengers had a combined record of 131-30-1 (including Dodson twice). Suffice to say, this has not been an easy path to greatness for the champ and Reis won't be a pushover either.

What the 32-year-old Brazilian lacks in notoriety, he more than makes up for with his in-cage accomplishments having grappled his way to five wins in his past six contests. If Johnson isn't careful, an entirely different kind of history could be made this weekend.

Contenders making noise

Rounding out what is arguably the most stacked UFC on FOX main card yet are a pair of key bouts that could decide who is next in line for the strawweight and middleweight championships.

Rose Namajunas and Michelle Waterson have been pegged for the evening's co-main event, and either woman would be an easy sell as a challenge for 115-pound queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Just 24 years old, "Thug Rose" has already made name for herself with her slick submission skills and the extraordinary passion she brings to every fight. Few could forgot the 12-second flying armbar submission she landed in her second pro fight, not to mention the legendary celebration afterward:

By the time she'd made it to the finals of "The Ultimate Fighter 20," it was obvious that the UFC had a future star on their hands.

Waterson also came up the hard way, having competed in MMA since 2007. "The Karate Hottie" gained a lot of buzz from her modeling days, but she quickly proved there was plenty of substance behind the style. She won an Invicta FC atomweight title in 2014 and has tapped out her first two UFC opponents, including poster girl Paige VanZant.

It looks like the powers-that-be are beginning to notice Waterson's mainstream appeal as she's recently joined the FOX Sports crew to break down UFC events:

Namajunas and Waterson could see their stock skyrocket with a win Saturday and a future date with "Joanna Champion."

Also on the hunt for gold are middleweights Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Robert Whittaker. Like the Namajunas-Waterson bout, this one could easily have headlined a free TV card, but they'll have to settle for a de facto No. 1 contender's opportunity.

A former Strikeforce titleholder, Jacare has been nearly unbeatable in eight UFC appearances, dropping only a close split decision to Yoel Romero. There's a lot of pressure on the 37-year-old Brazilian as he is hoping for both a shot at Michael Bisping and a more lucrative deal. UFC on FOX 24 will reportedly be the last fight on Souza's current contract.

And looking to shake up the whole middleweight division is Whittaker, the youngest man in the top 10. At 26, "The Reaper" can leapfrog past his veteran peers if he puts his highlight-reel striking to work and upsets Jacare. After an uneven start to his career at welterweight, Whittaker made the move back up to 185 pounds where he has become the dark horse to someday claim a belt.