UFC 212: Aldo aims to defend featherweight title in hometown

What: UFC 212: Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway

Where: Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

When: Saturday, 10 p.ml. ET

TV: Pay-per-view

Odds: Aldo (-115), Holloway (-115)

Odds courtesy of Stratosphere Sportsbook

Jose Aldo defends his UFC featherweight title Saturday against interim champion Max Holloway in a title unification bout in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Aldo is coming off a unanimous-decision win over the tough Frankie Edgar in July 2016, and he should be primed for a great effort in front of his home crowd.

The only blemish on Aldo's record over the last 10 years is a first-round KO loss to Conor McGregor in which he got caught with the first punch of the fight and was finished in 13 seconds back in December 2015.

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Before that fight, I had Aldo as one of my top pound-for-pound fighters in all of MMA. I believe quick KO losses, unless they become a habit, are useless for handicapping purposes and I usually throw them out.

Holloway has won 10 straight fights since losing a unanimous decision to McGregor in August 2013.

Holloway became interim featherweight champion by finishing Anthony Pettis in the third round last December. But remember, Pettis missed weight for that fight, and didn't look anywhere near the fighter he was when he waslLightweight champion only three years ago.

This fight should play out as a stand-up battle between good strikers who have power and great speed.

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I give the slight edge to Holloway should the fight end up on the ground, but my feeling is this fight will be decided by kicks and punches.

Aldo has the better hand speed which, over the course of five rounds, will help him build up points on the scorecards. Moreover, Aldo possesses tremendous power in his kicks, which could slow down Holloway in the later rounds.

I'm surprised this is basically a pick'em fight, as I would have thought Aldo would have gotten a little more respect from oddsmakers.

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Don't forget Aldo will be fighting in his home country of Brazil, where he will get a huge lift from the crowd.

That probably won't hurt should the fight end up in the judges' hands.

Pick: Aldo (-115)

Middleweights: Vitor Belfort (-150) vs. Nate Marquardt (+120)

Also on the UFC 212 card, Brazilian Vitor Belfort (-150) takes on Nate Marquardt (+120) in a middleweight fight Saturday.

Belfort is a fan favorite and MMA legend who at age 40 is probably in his last fight and would love to go out a winner. The crowd will be solidly behind him.

Both fighters have suspect chins, and this fight could come down to who lands the first good punch or kick.

Even in his losses, Belfort always has explosive moments. A pretty easy target to hit like Marquardt could be just the ticket for Belfort.

Pick: Belfort (-150).

2017 record to date: 11-13 (-2.0 units)