At UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida, Jared Hamman (13-3; 2-2 UFC) fights Constantinos Philippou (8-2, 1 NC; 1-1 UFC). This Middleweight fight is third of four to air as part of the ION prelims. Neither man is currently ranked in the USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings. The prelims air for the first time on ION (not Spike) starting Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

This Middleweight contest is an interesting clash. Both Hamman and Philippou came into the UFC with solid credentials and impressive records, but each has had a bit of trouble getting his footing in the Octagon. They now sport matching .500 records in the UFC. This is a chance for one of them to take a nice step forward.

How do these two stack up?

Hamman: 29 years old | 6'3" | 75" reach
Philippou: 32 years old | 5'11" | 73" reach

What have these two done recently?

Hamman: W - C.B. Dollaway (TKO) | L - Kyle Kingsbury (UD) | W - Rodney Wallace (UD)
Philippou: W - Jorge Rivera (SD) | L - Nick Catone (UD) | W - Uriah Hall (Maj Dec)

How did these two get here?

Jared Hamman made a name for himself on the regional level fighting in California. There, he put together a very nice 11-1 record (and that 1 loss was questionable) in organizations like Strikeforce and EliteXC. He got the call up to the UFC in 2008, but has spent much of the past 3 years on the sidelines. After going 1-2 in the UFC Light Heavyweight division, he dropped down to Middleweight, and immediately picked up a big win over CB Dollaway. I've been a fan of Hamman for awhile, and he has a world of potential, especially at Middleweight.

Philippou also came to the UFC with just 1 loss. He started in New Jersey, fighting for Ring of Combat, before moving up to the UFC earlier this year. He's 1-1, and coming off a win over Jorge Rivera at UFC 133. That win came via split decision, and wasn't the prettiest victory ever, but it got the job done. Philippou trains with Matt Serra and his team.

Why should you care?

Both of these fighters have potentially strong futures in the UFC, and both are capable of exciting fights, with Hamman earning Fight of the Night honors in his last two outings. This is not only a relevant fight in the division, it's also a sleeper contender to take home that bonus once again.

More UFC 140 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.

• UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida - Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Dissection - Dallas Winston
• UFC 140 Video: Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida Undisputed 3 Fight Prediction - Anton Tabuena
• UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida - Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Dissection - Dallas Winston
• UFC 140 Jones Vs. Machida Predictions
• UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida - Full Weigh-in Video - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC 140: Is Lyoto Machida Sick Heading Into Fight With Jon Jones? - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida - Claude Patrick vs. Brian Ebersole Dissection - Dallas Winston
• UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida Fight Odds - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida - Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Jung Dissection - Dallas Winston
• UFC's Jon Jones Nominated For ESPN SportsNation Award - Josh Nason
• UFC 140: The Complete Jon Jones Career Part 3 - Fraser Coffeen
• Dana White On Lyoto Machida's UFC 140 Title Shot: 'Do You Think That This Fight is Going to Suck?' - Brent Brookhouse
• Lyoto Machida: The Mystery May Be Gone, But is There Still Room for Romance? - David Castillo
• Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 107: UFC 140 Preview - Matt Bishop
• UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida - ION Television Undercard Dissection - Dallas Winston
• Video: UFC 140 Jones Vs. Machida Pre-Fight Press Conference - Matthew Roth
• Chan Sung Jung Talks Underdog Status to Hominick at UFC 140: "Wait And See!" - Dallas Winston
• Judo Chop: Shogun Rua's Half Guard Game and How Jon Jones Shut It Down - Ben Thapa
• UFC 140: Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida Countdown Show Full Video - Anton Tabuena
• UFC 140's Tito Ortiz Talks Repairing Relationship With Dana White - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida - Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston
• UFC 140 Round Table: Is Jon Jones' Lack Of Star Power to Blame for UFC 140 Not Being Sold Out?
• UFC 140: The Complete Jon Jones Career Part 2 - Fraser Coffeen
• UFC 140's Jon Jones Talks Lyoto Machida, Religion and Says Rashad Evans Has No Chin - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC Light Heavyweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen
• UFC 140 Main Card Betting Lines - Tim Burke
• UFC 140 Still Not Sold Out A Week Out From The Event - Matthew Roth
• UFC 140: Lyoto Machida Talks About His Preparation for Jon Jones - Tim Burke
• UFC 140: The Complete Jon Jones Career Part 1 - Fraser Coffeen
• UFC 140 Video: Tito Ortiz Considering Retirement - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC 140 Fight Card: Jones vs. Machida - Tim Burke