UFC 142: Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Will Steal the Show

The featherweight championship bout between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes is the main event for UFC 142, and it should be a good one. We know that Aldo is one of the deadliest strikers on the planet, but we're going to find out if Mendes' wrestling skills are good enough to take the belt from Aldo.

By the time that fight gets underway, however, we may have already watched the fight of the night.

Shortly before Aldo and Mendes step into the Octagon, Vitor Belfort and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson are going to do their thing in a middleweight bout. Theirs has the all the familiar trappings of an explosive and ultimately unforgettable fight.

We know all about what Belfort can do in the Octagon, but Johnson is coming into this bout as something of a wild card. He's enjoyed some good success at welterweight, but this is going to be his first fight at middleweight.

Conceivably, the added weight could slow him, which would put him at a significant disadvantage against Belfort and his array of attacks. It's also going to be very interesting to see what effect, if any, the pre-fight weight-making snafu has on Rumble's abilities.

Weight-making issues aside, what I expect to see is a bout that takes place mostly off of the ground. A bout like that would invariably come down to which fighter can land the best shot, which is an intriguing prospect. Considering the striking abilities of Belfort and Johnson, one can only imagine how crazy this fight is going to be if they start trading blows.

It's not easy to trade blows with Belfort, there's no doubt about that. He's a lethal puncher, and the proof of that is in his recent fight history. He's punched his way to a knockout in five of his last seven bouts. If Johnson makes one wrong move, Belfort could easily make it six of eight.

But don't underestimate Rumble's ability to ring Belfort's bell. He doesn't convert strikes with Belfort's regularity, but there's a lot of power in Johnson's hands and feet. All he needs is an opening, and Belfort could be down for the count.

Belfort's not going to be stupid enough to rush anything. He knows that Johnson will have a slight edge if the fight moves to the ground, and he knows that Johnson can easily knock him out with a sudden kick (sound familiar?).

As such, I would expect a slow start to this fight, with each fighter calmly biding his time looking for an opening. 

But once the first move is made, get ready to see some fireworks. Things could get violent in a hurry, and we could easily see two or three rounds worth of action packed into a single round.

If so, the last man standing will win.