UFC on FOX 3: Early Main Card Breakdown and Predictions

It’s still a few months away, but the UFC’s next show on FOX already has fans buzzing about one of the most exciting cards put together for free TV in a long time.

With two fights that could easily determine the next challengers for the lightweight and welterweight belts and another couple of bouts that could easily pull fight of the night honors, this card is four fights deep and it’s stacked.

Nate Diaz and Jim Miller are set to go for five rounds in the main event, and as both are among the hardest fighters to finish in the sport, we could easily see a five-round war.

Throw in entertaining bouts with Josh Koscheck taking on Johny Hendricks and Alan Belcher looking to keep his limbs against Rousimar Palhares, and the card is already a must-see.

But with hard-hitting heavyweights Lavar Johnson and Pat Barry set to open the main card, fans should be sure not to miss a second of this event.

Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson

Every so often there is a fight that is guaranteed to end in a knockout, and when that fight involves two of the hardest-hitting men in the sport, the UFC needs to make sure that it hits as many eyes as possible. 

Luckily, the UFC threw one of the most intense fights they could possibly make on network television, as Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson are set to throw down until one of them falls down in May.

Barry is the more technical striker and with his kickboxing background, he could easily turn this fight into one of the most dangerous technical fights imaginable, and his ability to take out his opponent's legs could quickly hinder Johnson’s power.

While Barry is one of the more technical guys in the division, Johnson is easily one of the most powerful, and he’ll be looking to counter Barry’s skills with his raw athleticism and power.

This fight is going to be like waiting for a bomb to go off, and either guy could end it at any moment, but Johnson seems to have a bit more power, and Barry has been knocked out before.

Johnson takes this one by knockout, and these two start the show with a bang.

Lavar Johnson by first-round KO

Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares

At this point, Anderson Silva has fought nearly everyone who poses any sort of threat to him in the middleweight division at least once, but if he gets past Chael Sonnen this summer, the UFC is going to have to try and find him some new opponents.

This is where Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares are likely to come in, as both have been riding decent win streaks and have finished enough fights that they could be marketed as legitimate threats to Silva and his belt.

This is an awesome fight in the middleweight division, as both of these guys are exciting and have enough skill both on the feet and the mat to make it entertaining, no matter where it ends up.

Belcher is obviously going to try and keep this one on the feet, as going to the ground with Palhares is basically asking to get your knee ripped into a million pieces.

Belcher’s stand-up is actually very good, and his ground and pound is even better, but he will have to constantly be on high alert to get past Palhares.

Palhares is not only improving on the feet, but he is one of the strongest fighters in the division, and it’s only a matter of time until his technique catches up to his natural power and leads to some knockout wins.

As much as I enjoy watching Belcher compete, he’s been too inconsistent in his UFC career to pick him here, and eventually he will leave a limb hanging out in the open and get submitted by the most dangerous submission-based fighter in the world.

Rousimar Palhares by second-round submission

Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks

Josh Koscheck always seems to perform better when he’s motivated to crush his opponent, and after seeing Johny Hendricks smash his training partner, Jon Fitch, in just 12 seconds at UFC 141 in December, he shouldn’t have any problems getting pumped for this one.

Koscheck has evolved before our eyes since he joined the UFC in 2005, going from an awesome wrestler to an all-around mixed martial artist, but in the process he has seemed to have forgotten where he came from.

Over the last few years, Koscheck has virtually abandoned his wrestling base and become a striker whose only weapon is a pipe-bomb of a right hand, but against Hendricks he will need to mix it up if he wants to walk away with the win.

After knocking out Fitch, Hendricks has gone from an unknown fighter sitting outside of the top 10 to a perennial welterweight title contender.

Hendricks and Koscheck have more in common than most realize, with Hendricks replacing Koscheck’s big right hand with his own left, but Hendricks has been able to use his wrestling more effectively over the past few fights than Kos has.

This is a ridiculously even fight to call, but when it comes down to it, I think that Koscheck’s wrestling is a little better than his bearded counterpart's.

Expect these two to mix it up on the feet for the majority of the fight, but Koscheck will shoot for the takedown at the end of each round in order to secure an advantage, and it will earn him the decision.

Josh Koscheck by unanimous decision

Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller

If the UFC was looking to make sure that they had an exciting fight for network television, they definitely succeeded by putting Nate Diaz and Jim Miller in the main event.

Both of these fighters have insane cardio and going five rounds won’t be a problem, but it’s the contrast in styles that makes this fight interesting.

Diaz is famous for his highly accurate boxing skills and his ability to tap guys out from his back, and his triangle choke in particular is an extremely dangerous weapon in his arsenal.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Miller, who uses improved striking to set up his fantastic wrestling, and once it hits the mat, he has the offensive submission game to give anyone problems.

This fight is going to be a back-and-forth battle, and the momentum is going to swing in favor of both fighters throughout the bout, but Diaz has the boxing to frustrate Miller on the feet, and once Miller puts him on his back, his active guard is going to make it difficult for Miller to score points.

This fight is going to be gritty, bloody and a perfect showcase of mixed martial arts, but in the end, the kid from Stockton is going to have enough to pull off the upset.

Diaz will take at least three rounds on the feet and provide enough difficulties on the mat to survive there, earning the unanimous decision.

Nate Diaz by unanimous decision