DENVER -- This weekend's live TV offering from the Ultimate Fighting Championship runs the gamut of experience.
UFC 135 (8 p.m. ET, Spike TV; 9 p.m. ET, pay-per-view) includes veterans, prospects, ex-champions and a champion who still qualifies as an up-and-comer, given his youth. A look at the main card:
Light-heavyweight championship ( 205-pound maximum ): Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1) vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8)
STORYLINE: Young, multifaceted, slick champion meets polar opposite in hard-charging, trash-talking, power-punching veteran and former titleholder.
CASE FOR JONES: Broadest array of moves in the 205 division, including quick throws and trip takedowns, unusual submissions, bone-breaking elbow strikes, flying knees and spinning kicks. Very adept with ground control; almost none of his opponents escaped once he established top position. Long arms and torso give him the torque to generate more power than most fighters can with ground-and-pound strikes. Quick feet help him clinch quickly with opponents. Timing and strategic sense have progressed by leaps and bounds under coaches Mike Winkeljohn and Greg Jackson.
CASE FOR JACKSON: Strong punches. Redoubtable chin. Strong enough to slam opponents into unconsciousness. Though he rarely showcases it these days, extremely effective ground-and-pound offense. Underrated submission defense.
PICK: Jones. The slower, older, less skilled Jackson has no more than a puncher's chance, and even that seems to be fading with time: His only punch knockouts of the last nine years came against aging fighters.
Welterweight ( 170-pound maximum ): Matt Hughes (45-8) vs. Josh Koscheck (15-5)
STORYLINE: After an injury to his original opponent, the man that UFC once called the greatest welterweight of all-time agrees to a short-notice fight against an ambitious foe who has been chasing him for years.
CASE FOR HUGHES: Still a very good MMA wrestler. Physically powerful. Considerable submission skill complemented by a knack for jumping on openings as soon as they appear. A cardio machine who never seems tired in the cage.
CASE FOR KOSCHECK: Excellent all-around athlete. As good as Hughes is on the mat, Koscheck is even better, with blanketing top control. Serviceable MMA boxer with knockout power in his overhand right, a particularly dangerous punch to Hughes.
PICK: Koscheck, but could be a closer fight than online sports books predict if he doesn't get the knockout.
Heavyweight ( 265-pound maximum ): Rob Broughton (15-5-1) vs. Travis Browne (11-0-1)
STORYLINE: Browne hopes to continue the momentum from his May 28 knockout of Stefan Struve by taking out fellow prospect Broughton.
CASE FOR BROUGHTON: With solid submission skills and some boxing ability, has the versatility associated with fighters from England's Wolfslair gym, where noted middleweight Michael Bisping trains.
CASE FOR BROWNE: Dynamite in his hands, as shown by his nine knockout victories. Don't mistake him as merely a slugger -- has proven to be an intelligent fighter who times his counterstrikes well.
PICK: Browne. The first time on a UFC main card makes any fighter nervous, and facing a knockout artist will make it that much harder for Broughton's pay-per-view debut.
Lightweight ( 155-pound maximum ): Nate Diaz (13-7) vs. Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi (32-7, one no contest)
STORYLINE: Four-and-a-half years after Nick Diaz and Gomi entered the Pride Fighting Championships ring and put on one of mixed martial arts' greatest fights, UFC offers up a sort-of-sequel with Nick's younger brother, who returns to the lightweight division after consecutive losses at welterweight.
CASE FOR DIAZ: Has the long frame and high-volume punching style that his brother used to give Gomi fits in their first fight. Slick jiu-jitsu skills could come in handy against Gomi, who has suffered most of his losses via submission. Tough chin and grappling prowess make him tough for anyone to finish off.
CASE FOR GOMI: Always has the capacity to end the fight with one punch from the right side. Can take a lot of damage. Good counterwrestler.
PICK: Diaz. Gomi is vulnerable to counterstriking and poorly suited to groundfighting. Should be exciting, though, given the aggressive nature of both protagonists.
Storyline: Hunt hopes for back-to-back wins for the first time more than five years. Rothwell returns from a 15-month layoff.
CASE FOR HUNT: Devastating kickboxer with well-honed killer instinct.
CASE FOR ROTHWELL: Better all-around fighter.
PICK: Rothwell. At some point, the former International Fight League champion likely will get it to the ground.
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