Nostalgia rules for Bellator MMA this weekend, as a pair of big-name veterans are set to headline Bellator 170 in Los Angeles.

Bellator 170: Ortiz-Sonnen Where: The Forum in Inglewood, California

When: Saturday

TV: Spike TV/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3, 9 p.m. ET

For Chael Sonnen, 39, Saturday represents his first appearance since 2013. For Tito Ortiz, 41, it marks the final appearance of his storied career.

Let's break down this light heavyweight main event and make predictions for the entire Bellator 170 main card.

Main event

Former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, left, enters the cage for the final time on Saturday when he faces Chael Sonnen at Bellator 170 in Los Angeles. Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA

Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) vs. Chael Sonnen (28-14-1)

Light heavyweights

Odds: Sonnen -200; Ortiz +185

Sonnen is back and on the "other side of the tracks" now, when it comes to performance-enhancing drug use. He was suspended in 2014 after testing positive for banned substances, including HGH and EPO.

He has dubbed this new chapter in Bellator a "Legends Ass-Whipping" contest. The first target is Ortiz, who will turn 42 on Monday.

Ortiz hasn't fought in more than a year. He has endured multiple back and neck injuries and confessed he has felt symptoms from more than 20 years of head trauma. Based on Ortiz's injury history and age, it's tempting to chalk one up for Sonnen and move on.

Stylistically, though, this isn't an awful fight for Ortiz. Sonnen is an all-pressure middleweight. He doesn't hit that hard -- and for as much damage as Ortiz has taken in his career, his chin has held up relatively well. Especially in his later years, Ortiz's lack of speed has made it more challenging to get into positions to use his grappling. In this matchup, Sonnen might willingly close distance for him. Both men like to throw punches as they walk forward and then hastily seek a clinch.

Sonnen should have a distinct advantage at a boxing range. Ortiz does not have great head movement and, once again, the lack of speed comes into play. Sonnen's jab hasn't necessarily set the world on fire, but he does throw it regularly and Ortiz's infamously above-average cap size makes for an easy target at times. And although Ortiz is the bigger man, he's not a very dangerous puncher at this stage. Opponents see those lumbering shots coming. If Ortiz wins by TKO, it will be on the floor.

When Sonnen fought Rashad Evans in 2013 (granted, there is a difference between Evans three years ago and Ortiz now), Sonnen stuck with his pressure game plan ... and was quickly destroyed. Evans' size played a factor and once he put Sonnen on his back, he had a field day. Evans postured up, landed big blows and passed guard into full mount. It's unlikely Ortiz would cut through Sonnen that quickly, but he does have a combination of size and grappling savvy to make it more than interesting.

PODCAST: 5ive Rounds Brett Okamoto and Brian Campbell chat with Chael Sonnen and Tito Ortiz ahead of Bellator 170. Listen

Sonnen has always been known for his endurance, but this is his first fight in three years, and he is fighting a bigger opponent who should, at the very least, offer plenty of resistance when they get to the clinch. In other words, unless Sonnen returns to the cage with a style very different from the one he left it with, he's likely to expend a lot of energy in this matchup. And if it goes to the later rounds and that trademark cardio isn't what we remember, Ortiz could have an opening.

All that said, it's hard to not fall back to where this all started. Ortiz is on his way out and the laundry list of injuries he has dealt with have a real impact on his skill set.

Prediction: Sonnen via decision

Featured undercard bouts

Hard-hitting welterweights Brennan Ward, left, and Paul Daley will square off in the co-main event of Bellator 170. Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA

Brennan Ward (14-4) vs. Paul Daley (38-14-2), welterweights

Ward has promised this will be the "best fight ever in this division." Daley has hinted Ward will need his wrestling. Maybe both will prove correct.

Prediction: Ward via second-round TKO

Ralek Gracie (3-0) vs. Hisaki Kato (7-2), welterweights

Gracie's game plan is no secret. In fact, he has clearly stated he wants to show his family's grappling still applies in modern MMA. Kato should know what's coming.

Prediction: Kato by decision

Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3), featherweights

Sanchez is a far cry from a household name, but the 26-year-old has shown a knack for winning close fights, which this could very well be.

Prediction: Sanchez by decision

Derek Anderson (14-2) vs. Derek Campos (17-6), lightweights

Anderson has slipped up in a couple of Bellator appearances, but he has multiple signature wins on his record, plus a healthy size advantage in this fight.

Prediction: Anderson via third-round submission