Neither fighter is currently ranked at lightweight on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, and it's going to take a few wins for either to get a sniff at them. Both are pretty young though, so anything is possible. This lightweight UFC 137 fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Nijem: 23 years old | 5'11" | 74" reach
Downes: 25 years old | 5'11" | 72" reach
What have these two done recently?
Nijem: L - Tony Ferguson (KO) | W - Scott Casey (SUB) | W - Eric Uresk (TKO)
Downes: L - Jeremy Stephens (UD) | W - Taurean Bogguess (SUB) | W - Tiequan Zhang (UD)
How did these two get here?
Ramsey Nijem attended Utah Valley university where he was an NCAA Division 1 wrestler. He was chosen to compete on The Ultimate Fighter 13, where he made it all the way to the finals. Unfortunately he was knocked out by Tony Ferguson in under four minutes. This is his first bout since he competed on the show, and the second lightweight fight of his career.
Danny Downes was considered a solid prospect when he was signed by the WEC in mid-2010. He was 6-0 with five finishes, and was matched up with former IFL lightweight champion Chris Horodecki. Unfortunately for Downes, he was dominated and eventually finished in the third round. He rebounded with a solid win over Tiequan Zhang. After the merger, he took a fight outside the UFC since they hadn't booked him, and survived an early scare to pick up the W. His UFC debut was a lopsided loss to Jeremy Stephens, but he showed a ton of heart by fighting off a brutal kimura and staying in the fight despite taking a hellacious beating. He'll need a win here to stay in the organization though.
Why should you care?
To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure. Downes has a ton of heart and usually gives it his all. And I guess if you liked TUF 13 you might like Nijem. That's about the best I can do.
More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth
UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions
UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke
UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston
Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa
UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling
UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth
Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa
UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen
UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke
UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop
UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke
UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth
UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke
UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena
UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke
UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling
UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn
UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke
UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen
UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling
UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke
UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke
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