UFC 141 Fight Card: Breaking Down the Main Card

On Friday, December 30th, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will be taking its talents back to its stomping grounds in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC 141.

The highly anticipated and hyped event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena beginning at 7:00 p.m. PT and 10:00 p.m. ET.

As we know, Brock Lesnar will be making his return to the Octagon after being off for more than a year due to a sickness known as diverticulitis.

In his return Lesnar will be squaring off with Alistair Overeem who will be making his long-awaited UFC debut.

However, that's not all that will go down on December 30th as the fight card is stacked with five main card bouts.

So, the following slides display the breakdown for every main card fight.

Nam Phan vs. Jim Hettes

In the first main card bout of the evening, electrifying and entertaining Nam Phan will take the Octagon to meet fellow featherweight, Jim Hettes.

The matchup between Phan is as black and white as one can get as both hold an advantage in a different skill.

Phan is often recognized for his hard-hitting and remaining in the stand-up.

However, Hettes won't want to waste any time on his feet as he has yet to prove he can stand with any of his opponents.

Therefore, Hettes will look to take the bout to the ground as he's established himself as a serious threat in the submission game.

In fact, all nine of Hettes' bouts have resulted in a submission victory.

But, when push comes to shove, he may have a hard time getting Phan to the ground.

Prediction: Phan by Round 2 TKO

Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Alexander Gustafsson

In the only light heavyweight bout of the evening, Vladimir Matyushenko will take on Sweden proud, Alexander Gustafsson.

In a battle of age, the tides could turn either way as Matyushenko is much more experienced while Gustafsson has the speed and stand-up to finish off his opponent.

While many were surprised to see this matchup for Gustafsson, they shouldn't be as despite his age, Matyushenko is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC today.

This 205-pound showdown could turn into a ground war but it's likely they'll remain on their feet.

And, it's also very likely both Matyushenko and Gustafsson will be swinging for the fences early, giving the fans exactly what they want to see.

Prediction: Gustafsson by Round 1 TKO

Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks

We've all heard the battle cries from the Jon Fitch haters and even his own fan base.

"He can't finish fights."

Well, Fitch has proven that he doesn't have to necessarily finish his fights in order to leave the Octagon victorious.

Fitch will be standing across the Octagon from a fighter very similar to himself but with more knockout power.

Therefore, it's likely Johny Hendricks could come out trying to overwhelm Fitch in the stand-up in hopes of avoiding a grappling battle.

If Hendricks can refrain from being taken down by Fitch, he'll certainly have a chance.

But, if Fitch can capitalize on the take-down, Hendricks could be in for a long, three-round grueling decision finish.

Prediction: Fitch by Unanimous Decision

Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone

In one of the most exciting fights of the evening at UFC 141, Donald "The Cowboy" Cerrone will look to stay hot when he takes on Nate Diaz.

Cerrone has won six consecutive fights on his way to the top of the lightweight division but he's yet to defeat an opponent with the skill set of Diaz.

Both Cerrone and Diaz oppose a serious threat in the submission game as it's usually their bread and butter.

However, fans shouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if this bout doesn't go to the ground at all.

Instead, with both Cerrone and Diaz knowing each other's strengths, this 155-pound bout could turn into a slug-fest and one for the ages.

In the end, it's also likely that neither will be effective enough in the stand-up to finish each other off, resulting in a judge's scorecard decision.

Prediction: Cerrone by Unanimous Decision

Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem

In arguably the most talked-about bout of the year, Brock Lesnar will finally fight for the first time since he was stripped of his title against Cain Velasquez at UFC 121.

He'll be taking on no other than Alistair Overeem, one of the most dangerous strikers in the heavyweight division.

While Lesnar's go-to double leg take-down will certainly play an enormous factor in whether or not he comes out on top, it will be his conditioning that plays the biggest factor in the outcome.

Despite many expecting a one-round war, this bout does have the potential to escape the first round and go deep into the second.

If that's the case, Lesnar will need to prove his conditioning is up to par with Overeem's.

However, in the end, Lesnar has proven to be the best wrestler in the 265-pound weight class which could ultimately cause Overeem a world of trouble.

If Overeem can escape from his back and return to his feet, he'll stand more of a chance.

But, that doesn't happen very often.

Prediction: Lesnar by Round 2 TKO

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