While most sports fans are focusing on the 2011 March Madness betting tournament, set to begin in 48 hours, most diehard MMA enthusiasts are counting down the day until Saturday’s UFC 128 event from Newark, New Jersey. UFC betting lines have received a ton of action these last few weeks, for UFC 128 headlined by the Light Heavyweight Championship fight featuring champion Mauricio Shogun Rua and up and comer Jon Bones Jones. Here is a preview of the main card.

Aside from the aforementioned Light Heavyweight title fight, UFC 128 is also set to be the debut of cult favorite and former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah California Kid Faber. Faber takes on fellow bantamweight Eddie Wineland it what could shape up to be the fight of the night. The other three fights on the main card are, Jim Miller taking on another WEC alumni in Kamal Shalorus, Nate Marquardt taking on Dan Miller, and Brendon Schaub taking on the legendary Mike Cro Cop.

For all intents and purposes, most fans will be tuning into UFC 128 for the Light Heavyweight Title bout and the debut of Urijah Faber. For the title fight, this is one that the UFC has taken a lot of criticism for, as many people believe that there was better competition for Shogun as opposed to Jon Bones Jones.  Entering Saturday night’s action, MMA purists will see a match between two fighters that have taken much different paths.

On the one hand, Shogun was known as a legend of the octagon thanks to his success in the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, and subsequent victories over Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell and Lyoto Machida for the Light Heavyweight Championship. On the other hand, Jon Jones is known as a fighter that hasn’t really been tested that much in his career. Firstly, a lot of the guy’s he’s fought over the years have been considered by the experts as being washed up. Secondly, while defeating Ryan Bader at UFC 126 in the beginning of February, it should be noted that he was taller than Bader by five inches and he had a reach advantage of 10 points. Meaning to say, when these two combatants get into the ring on March 19, it will be Jones first true test in his career.