Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

In the long history of the UFC, there have been title challengers that fans and media observers have felt unworthy of the opportunity. There have also been others who found themselves as huge underdogs, and countless more who were simply outclassed. What category Patrick Cote falls into, if any, is of course a matter of opinion.

But one fact simply can not be denied: Cote is a heavy underdog heading into his UFC 90 middleweight championship fight against reigning kingpin Anderson Silva.

The 33-year-old Silva is currently at the heights of his powers, a winner of eight straight, including victories over elite middleweights Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin and Nate Marquardt.

Cote, meanwhile, is riding a win streak of his own, registering five consecutive W's, but the caliber of opponent hasn't been quite the same. He has yet to defeat a consensus top five fighter in his decision, with his best win coming over Ricardo Almeida in his most recent fight. Still, it took a split decision to capture the victory. Silva, however, has been dominant during his streak, finishing all eight of his opponents (six by knockout, two by submission).

Suffice it to say, Cote has his work cut out for him. Then again, last time we saw a title fight with such a lopsided gambling line, Matt Serra scored a stunning upset over Georges St. Pierre in April 2007.

So how will UFC 90 go down? Let's take a look at Silva-Cote, as well as some of the other key bouts.

Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote

Silva's record: 22-4
Silva's strengths: Pinpoint punches, speed, excellent ground game
Silva quotable: "I believe everybody in the sport is beatable and that is what makes the sport so interesting. I prefer not to talk so much. I prefer to just go in there and do my job and come out being the champion."

Cote's record: 14-4
Cote's strengths: Power, good chin
Cote's quotable: "I respect a lot this fighter, he's one of best in the world, but I'm not scared of him. I like my chances to be champ at the end of the night. I'll push the pace and give him a real war."

Keys to the fight: Silva's been so good lately it seems like the only thing that can hurt him is his own distractions. Last month, it came out that he would retire at the end of his contract. Is he already mentally checking out? It seems doubtful. He's a fighter who understands that he is building a legacy. As long as he brings in his full complement of tools, the matchup is in his favor. Cote has punching power, but Silva eats sluggers alive. Cote has to create angles to fire off his offense and keep himself a moving a target. An occasional takedown wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

What's at stake: Silva just hopes to keep cementing his legacy. Cote is hoping to build one.

Likely outcome: Silva by TKO

Thiago Alves vs. Josh Koscheck

Josh Hedges / Zuffa Thiago Alves knocked out legend Matt Hughes in his last time out, and has Josh Koscheck in his crosshairs.

Alves' record: 15-3
Alves' strengths: Muay thai, knockout power
Alves' quotable: "When they told me I was getting Koscheck, I was excited. I didn't change much in  my training. I know Koscheck's a decent fighter, but I think it's a better matchup for me. I'm really really excited."

Koscheck's record: 11-2
Koscheck's strengths: Excellent wrestling, disciplined
Koscheck's quotable: "I'll personally fight anybody anytime. I train year-round; I don't take time off. I'm ready to step up. This is a short notice fight for him, too. He's got a lot to prepare for. I'm not Diego Sanchez, he's fighting Josh Koscheck. I'm a lot better than Diego Sanchez."

Keys to the fight: Alves is a huge welterweight, rehydrating to close to 200 lbs. by fight time. Koscheck, meanwhile, has said he would be capable of dropping to lightweight. So the size differential will be apparent, and it will translate into power. Koscheck will look for the takedown. He's tenacious enough to get one, but Alves is tough to get down, and not easy to keep on the mat, either. Alves is the better striker, so if the fight stays standing, it's Alves' world. It's a good bet he'll score more points with strikes than Koscheck will with takedowns. In an interesting note, Koscheck has already said he plans to fight in December, in his previously scheduled Dec. 10 fight with Yoshiyuki Yoshida. That's confidence.

What's at stake: The winner most likely becomes the top welterweight contender after B.J. Penn takes on Georges St. Pierre early next year.

Likely outcome: Alves by decision

Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin
Former champ against rising star. Griffin needs to power past Sherk to prove he's a true contender in the division. He had trouble stopping the takedown against Frankie Edgar, but has improved in each of his most recent fights. Griffin has a chance to get into the UFC's top tier of lightweights with a win. Since B.J. Penn has already voiced a sort of boredom with the rest of the lightweights, Griffin can pique his interest with a big win.

Hermes Franca vs. Marcus Aurelio
This is a rare UFC grudge match. Franca and Aurelio used to be teammates at American Top Team before Franca had a falling out and left the group. Since then the bad blood has simmered, and the fight gives the two Fortaleza, Brazil natives an outlet for their frustration. This isn't scheduled to be on the TV card, but could make it if other fights run short. The UFC has also been showing one unaired preliminary on their website in the days following an event, and this fight is as good a candidate as any.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos
While some have complained about Brock Lesnar's quick rise to a title shot, perhaps no UFC heavyweight has as much of a beef as Werdum, who scored back-to-back TKO's over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera, and then found himself on the outside looking in to the UFC's heavyweight mini-tournament. This fight is essentially a showcase for Werdum to shine, establishing him as a contender after a true champion is crowned early next year.