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UFC Predictions

UFC on FUEL TV predictions, preview and (YES!) analysis

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to make its UFC on FUEL TV debut, beginning with its "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" fight card emanating from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska.

And it all goes down tomorrow night (Feb. 15, 2012) at 8 p.m. ET.

Don't forget that UFC on FUEL TV is part of the network's free preview, so there's no excuse to miss out on what should be an exciting night of fights.

The abortion at UFC 69 notwithstanding, when was the last time you saw Diego Sanchez in a boring fight?

Add his lunacy to the brain-scrambling power of Jake Ellenberger and we have what could be the fight of the night -- or at least an ending violent enough to satisfy the savages in Omaha.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action tomorrow night, which is slated to air at 8 p.m. ET on FUEL TV. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts on Facebook.

First, let's take a look at the main card match-ups, then we can argue about who's going to win.

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UFC 143 fight card: Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks prediction, preview and breakdown

Ed Herman (L) and Clifford Starks (R) will kickoff the UFC 143 pay-per-view (PPV) main card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Esther Lin via SBnation.com.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran, Ed Herman, hopes to bump his win streak to three against unbeaten Clifford Starks, later tonight (Feb. 4, 2012) at UFC 143 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

And with his big edge in experience, "Short Fuse" has a lot more to lose here than Clifford.

A former Arizona State University (ASU) wrestler, Starks has displayed expectably good takedowns with little else in fights. He doesn't seem particularly comfortable and vetted in the stand up department, relying on getting it to the mat where he can ride out rounds and win fights instead. This is something that virtually every collegiate wrestler has to evolve through (remember when Josh Koscheck was considered a boring, one-dimensional fighter?), but at this point, he's going to have to show a lot of improvement off his decision win over Dustin Jacoby, a bout he took on short notice.

Herman has drifted around the middleweight division for some time since his epic decision loss to Kendall Grove at the TUF 3 Finale in 2006. At times showing outstanding submissions and old-timer's savvy, he's been limited by lack of a stand up game himself. The Team Quest product never really developed much more than a perfunctory striking attack, relying on grappling, conditioning and submissions to pull out fights.

Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 143 fight between Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks:

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UFC 143 fight card: Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen prediction, preview and breakdown

Renan Barao (L) and Scott Jorgenson (R) are set for their bantamweight battle at UFC 143 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Esther Lin via SBnation.com.

With Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber scheduled for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and a rubber match, the 135-pound division is in dire need of fresh faces.

Enter Renan Barao, a talented Brazilian with a gaudy record of 27-1, and four wins under the Zuffa banner. With good stand up and a savvy ground game, the Nova Uniao product is a rare combination of an exceptionally athletic young fighter with a boatload of experience.

Scott Jorgensen, meanwhile -- who Barao will battle on the UFC 143 pay-per-view (PPV) main card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, later this evening (Feb. 4, 2012) is a no-frills, exceptionally consistent wrestler with good conditioning and a ton of pluck and persistence. He's never been beaten inside the distance and relies on outworking opponents, along with dictating the pace of a fight.

While vastly outclassed in his decision loss to champ Cruz, Jorgensen still remains one of the better fighters in the bantamweight division, and this should be a revealing test for both.

Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 143 fight between Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen:

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UFC 143 predictions with Randy Couture: Nick Diaz over Carlos Condit in main event (Video)

UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" is all set to pop off from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, tonight (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) and will feature former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz taking on former WEC champion Carlos Condit in the main event of the evening.

And, of course, we've got UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture's prediction for the exciting welterweight scrap:

"I think, again, the veteran in Diaz. I think both guys are amazing. A little more refined striking from Diaz but he only uses his hands, typically. Condit has a tendency to use more of his other tools, his kicking and he's long, which is unusual for Diaz to be against a guy who's longer and taller than he is. I would give Diaz the nod on the ground. His jiu-jitsu, I think, is better than Condit's, he's a better submission guy. Who knows where the fight is going to go? With Diaz, especially, they have a tendency to want to bang and be on their feet most of the time, unless he's dealing with a guy like Diego Sanchez who forced him to fight on the ground. I think Diaz is going to pull it off."

"The Natural" thinks Diaz takes it but what do you Maniacs think? Anyone want to give some love to "The Natural Born Killer?"

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UFC 143 fight card: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce prediction, preview and breakdown

Josh Koscheck (L) and Mike Pierce (R) -- who donned a blonde Kos-like wig at the weigh in, will collide tonight in a welterweight fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Photo by Esther Lin via SBnation.com.

Josh Koscheck is stuck in what I call "Rich Franklin Territory."

It's an inhospitable, limbo-like state where talented mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters can find themselves after losing to reigning champions twice in one-sided bouts, yet are clearly among the top five in the division, and will probably be favored against almost anyone but the top dog.

That makes for a different kind of matchmaking altogether.

Koscheck is still too talented to be risked against a red-hot prospect such as a Rory MacDonald at this point, because he might win and yet there's little to no buzz for him to fight for the title again (albeit the UFC 143 main event of Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, and George St. Pierre's uncertain return, may change that).

That being said, Mike Pierce -- who he fights tonight (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada -- is a hard-nosed, honest performer who is exceptionally durable. He closes fights hard, and nearly knocked out Jon Fitch in the final round of their bout. Pierce's wrestling chops are good, just not nearly as high-level as Koscheck's.

Simply put, he's got his work cut out for him this evening in "Sin City."

Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 143 fight between Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce:

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UFC 143 fight card: Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum prediction, preview and breakdown

Heavyweights Roy Nelson (L) and Fabricio Werdum (R) will co-headline the UFC 143 event later tonight from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Photo by Esther Lin via SBnation.com.

Nobody brings it quite like the heavyweights, whose combination of one-punch power and cumulative size make for highlight-reel endings more often than any other weight class.

Between Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum, who will square off in the UFC 143 co-main tonight (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, the duo probably has more cumulative grappling mojo than most heavyweight bouts, with them having faced a who's-who of the best in the division.

Both have shown flashes of brilliance alongside underwhelming performances, which is what makes this a real wild card-type of bout. A breakout showing by either guy could bump them up a few notches in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight rankings.

Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 143 fight between Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum:

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UFC 143 fight card: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit prediction, preview and breakdown

Nick Diaz (L) and Carlos Condit (R) will let their fists sly later tonight in the UFC 143 main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Esther Lin via SBNation.com.

It's hard to imagine a pairing that would promise a greater combination of intensity, two-way violence and sustained action than Nick Diaz vs. Condit, which will headline the UFC 143 main event tonight (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dueling for the interim championship thanks to Georges St. Pierre's knee injury, these two are far more alike than either would willingly admit. Both rely on striking, conditioning and excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu to bail them out when modest to mediocre wrestling fails them. Both also have outstanding chins and a tendency to battle back when hurt, precisely when it looks like they're vulnerable.

Diaz's smothering stand up attack has vexed even the most dangerous foes, seemingly able to find a groove in tossing leather and daring you to try and exchange. It's one of the best-executed con jobs you'll see in mixed martial arts (MMA), as opponents initially think little of Diaz's pushing, pawing attack until they're too punch drunk to resist being mugged. The Cesar Gracie-trained fighter's outstanding submission game has also made recent opponents reluctant to attempt takedown, making his stand up that more effective.

Since dropping a close decision loss to Martin Kampmann in his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut, Condit has steamrolled into this bout with four impressive wins. Gifted with a great knack for when to explode and shoeleather toughness, Condit utilizes his 6'2" frame to uncork anything and everything to punish foes.

Whether it's pretty kickboxing combinations or textbook jiu-jitsu, he's very efficient in how he approaches opponents, backed up by a pitiless killer instinct when they're hurt. The finishing round and barrage he put on Rory MacDonald in a fight he was clearly behind in was a thing of sustained beauty, and his dismantlings of Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim showed he's really coming into his own.

Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 143 fight between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit:

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Video: UFC 143 predictions from NFL stars Eli Manning, Jerry Rice, Von Miller and more

Because we know you're wondering what players from the NFL, both past and present, are thinking of tomorrow night's UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" main event in Las Vegas, we present you with a video featuring predictions ranging from Eli Manning to Jerry Rice to Kurt Warner.

Manning -- who will lead his New York Giants in the Super Bowl this Sunday night against the New England Patriots (and I'm covering it right here on MMAmania.com, Maniacs) -- is rolling with Diaz:

"I gotta go with Diaz. You know, he's a tough guy. Coach Sullivan -- our quarterback coach -- is a big fan, so he's been talking him up all week so, I think he's swayed my decision, so I'm going Diaz."

Who are the rest of the current and former pros taking? If you can't watch the video or would rather read their picks, hit the jump for the text.

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