UFC 143 Fight Card: Info and Predictions for Every Fight on the Main Card

UFC 143 is almost here and the fight between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit will be a great one, albeit a fight casual fans might not know much about.

Both men are great, but there is a whole undercard of talented fighters that will be on before them. Between strikers, submission artists and wrestlers, this fight card has a little bit of everything for the hardcore fight fan.

Normally, there would be a bit of a cool-down period between the fights on FOX and the next pay-per-view card, but it seems the UFC is jumping in quickly after their last card. 

So without further delay, here are the predictions for each fight on the card.

Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks

The veteran versus the newcomer. It is a common story in MMA and boxing, and fans get to see it take place once again at UFC 143.

At this point, Herman has seen the Octagon 11 times in a row and is currently on a two-fight win streak. While it may seem like he has been fighting forever, the submission expert is only 31.

His opponent, Clifford Starks, is also a grappler, though, his base is in wrestling. Starks has made a late transition to MMA, having started his career in 2009 at the age of 30, but he has won all of his fights. In his last match, he beat fellow UFC newcomer Dustin Jacoby by unanimous decision.

Now he faces a serious step up in competition. Starks may have talent and a be a former NCAA Division I wrestler, but he isn't anything that Herman hasn't seen before.

Expect the green Starks to go for takedowns and get them only to be submitted by the much more experienced Herman.

Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgenson

Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit will probably win fight of the night, but this bout could give them a run for their money.

Barao is a submission artist, having made 13 of his 27 victims tap. The record isn't padded much, as three out of four of his fights in the WEC and the UFC have included those submission wins.

He faces what may be his last opponent before getting a title shot. It all depends on if he can get past Scott Jorgenson, who is another standout wrestler who likes to also punch. Jorgenson may not have a lot of power or wins by submission, but he does know how to win.

Jorgenson also had a shot at the then-WEC bantamweight championship against current title holder Dominick Cruz.

Jorgenson has faced the tougher opposition and done so for longer then Barao has, but Barao hasn't lost since his debut, and it doesn't seem likely he'll start now.

Expect Barao to try to go for the submission but fail and go the distance with a tough Jorgenson getting a majority win in the process.

Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce

It's surprising that more fans haven't heard the vocal Koscheck as his fight draws closer, but it doesn't help that many casual fans don't know who his opponent is. Koscheck is at his best when he can insult someone who the fans love, and Pierce isn't popular enough for that to happen.

Most reading this already know Koscheck's specialties. He is a wrestler who can also punch and does both well enough to finish some of his fights while others go the distance. He is a decent fighter, but after two losses to Georges St-Pierre, he is done fighting at the top of the division for a while until the UFC knows what to do with him or a new champion comes along.

Pierce is a decent opponent and a former wrestler, but with his lack of finishes and his mixed record in the company with losses coming from Jon Fitch and Johnny Hendricks, it's hard to see Koscheck losing this fight.

Pierce did lose a split decision to Hendricks, but that fight showed how dangerous he could be if his opponent sleeps on him. Fans shouldn't expect Koscheck to do that.

Koscheck should win a tougher-than-expected fight with lots of grappling and a slow pace by unanimous decision.

Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum

Roy Nelson is finally taking his MMA career seriously and has slimmed down in an attempt to compete in the UFC's heavyweight division. It's good timing, too, as he is going to face Fabricio Werdum next week, and the one-time UFC contender and Fedor conqueror is no easy fight.

Both are talented Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu technicians and neither one has ever been submitted.

That said, the fight should have a large amount of grappling mostly because of Werdum. While Nelson feels fine on his feet and has even won knockout of the night twice in a row, Werdum has always been a ground fighter, and at this late in the game, he won't be changing anytime soon.

Nelson may have slimmed down and improved his cardio, but he is used to using his extra fat to hold his opponents down. It will be hard for him to break that habit and apply a different style in this fight. Werdum might just be able to take advantage of that and get a victory.

Expect Werdum to win a close split decision, with each man doing their best to get the other to tap but failing to do so.

Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit

Both men specialize in submissions.

Both men specialize in striking.

It's tough to say how the fight will end or where it will go, but whatever happens, fans will get to see some of the best of both worlds in the main event next Saturday.

Judging from past fights, both men will probably elect to stand and fight. When they do, someone will be going to sleep before the fifth and final round.

While Condit's striking might just be a little more varied, with him throwing excellent knees and kicks, Diaz's boxing is impressive and he knows how to use his range well.

When it comes down to it, striking range is what matters most. Diaz, who is used to being able to pepper much smaller opponents in the face with his long arms, will square off with a slightly taller fighter who has the same wingspan as him.

Condit will use that and his varied levels of stand-up to pick Diaz apart and knock him out somewhere in the middle rounds.

Matthew Hemphill writes for the MMA and professional wrestling portion of Bleacher Report.  He also hosts a blog elbaexiled.blogspot.com, which focuses on books, music, comic books, video games, film, and generally anything that could be related to the realms of nerdom.