Carlos Condit defeated Nick Diaz by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46).

In a very close fight, Condit earned the interim welterweight title and the chance to compete against former teammate and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

In the first round, Diaz controlled the center of the Octagon, while Condit looked to attack the legs of Diaz with kicks. In terms of total strikes, Condit landed four more times than Diaz on four fewer attempts. However, Diaz's forward motion may have swayed the judges in his favor.

The second frame feature more of the same from both fighters, with Diaz walking Condit down. However, as he grew frustrated with Condit's ability to circle away from the fence, Diaz began to open up with his trash talking in a round that he landed five more total strikes than Condit.

Condit opened up a bit more in the third round, though, and wasn't forced to backpedal as much as he did in the first two rounds. Though it wasn't a dominant round by any means, Condit outlanded Diaz 36-24 in the third stanza, probably taking the round on the scorecards.

In the fourth round, Diaz looked for the first takedown attempt of the fight, but Condit stuffed it rather easily. Condit was also able to continue circling away from Diaz's attempts to corner him against the cage. The Greg Jackson-trained fighter also turned in the most one-sided round of the fight, landing 29 more strikes than Diaz. 

Condit's striking continued to look strong in the final round, but a late takedown by Diaz allowed the Cesar Gracie student to secure a body triangle and look for a rear-naked choke. The late move by Diaz allowed him to steal the round, but it wasn't enough doe him to win the fight on the scorecards, as "The Natural Born Killer" earned his 13th win in his past 14 fights.

After the loss, Diaz said he would be retiring from the sport. Obviously upset with the decision, the older Diaz brother will probably reconsider his decision after sitting down and thinking about it, as he remains one of the top contenders in the 170-pound division.

Fabricio Werdum defeated Roy Nelson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

In a battle of two veteran heavyweights in their mid-30s, Werdum made a big splash in his return to the Octagon by putting out a dominant performance against the always tough Nelson. 

The opening round saw Werdum sweep Nelson's leg, which allowed the Brazilian to take his opponent's back. Despite Werdum's dangerous ground game, Nelson escaped, but he ate big knees on his way up and suffered a bad cut.

Towards the end of the round, Nelson caught a kick and dropped Werdum with an overhand right. In similar fashion to his fight with Fedor Emelianenko, Werdum tried to bait Nelson to the ground for a submission attempt, but Nelson avoided an armbar before the round came to an end.

In the second round, Werdum continued to show off his improved striking under the instruction of King's MMA coach Rafael Cordeiro. Werdum landed 25 strikes to Nelson's 10 in the middle frame of the fight.

Werdum slowed his pace in the final round, but he continued to use his jab and avoid Nelson's big right hand. After continuing to get the better of Nelson on his feet until the final bell, Werdum was awarded the victory and returned to his position as a heavyweight contender in the UFC.

Josh Koscheck defeated Mike Pierce by decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

Former amateur wrestlers Koscheck and Pierce each came into Saturday with four wins in their past five fits, but Koscheck's success came against much stiffer competition. At UFC 143, though, Pierce showed that he is now on the former top contender's level.

After pressing Koscheck against the fence for the first two minutes of the first round, Pierce held his own in the striking game against the long-time welterweight contender, outlanding the American Kickboxing Academy product by six total strikes in the opening stanza.

Pierce continued to perform well on his feet in the second round, but Koscheck secured a takedown on his first attempt of the fight with about one minute remaining in the round. Pierce escaped shortly after, but the takedown may have made the difference in what was otherwise a close round.

A very important takedown was secured by Pierce early in the final round, but Koscheck quickly escaped and landed a standing elbow to the temple. After a short break for a poke to Pierce's eye, Koscheck secured a takedown of his own to steal another frame that could have gone either way.

Though the bout probably could have gone in either fighter's favor, Koscheckoutlanded Pierce 43-40 in total strikes and secured one more takedown than his opponent.

After pre-fight statements that he would be the first fighter to finish Pierce, Koscheck became the thrid straight opponent to take Pierce to a split decision. Unfortunately for Pierce, the decision went Koscheck's way, leaving Pierce just short of becoming a contender once again.

Renan Barao defeated Scott Jorgensen by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Up-and-coming bantamweight Barao entered his UFC 143 fight with Jorgensen having gone undefeated in his past 27 fights. With a methodical dismantling of the former top WEC contender, Barao may have separated him as the best candidate to meet the winner of an upcoming title fight between champion Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.

In the opening round, Barao used his jab effectively to keep Jorgensen at distance, which allowed the Brazilian to easily stuff two takedown attempts by the decorated wrestler. 

Barao opened up his striking arsenal in the second round, frustrating Jorgensen enough to force the former Boise State University wrestler to pull guard. In the second frame alone, Barao outlanded Jorgensen in significant strikes by a margin of 53 to 19.

The Nova Uniao product coasted a bit more in the third round, but he continued to get the better of Jorgensen in the stand-up and joined Cruz as the only fighter to beat Jorgensen in his past 10 fights.

After the bout, Barao exclaimed, "Dana White, I want the belt!"

Ed Herman defeated Clifford Starks by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:43 of the second round.

At UFC 143, Herman continued his climb in the middleweight division by finishing Starks with his well-rounded ground game in the second round.

Starks landed some big right hands early in the fight, but Herman secured a surprising takedown against the former Arizona State University wrestler. Starks reversed Herman to potentially secure the round on the scorecards, but the tone was set with Herman's ability to take the fight to the ground.

"Luckily I got a good chin," Herman said, "because he hit me hard a few times."

One minute into the second round, Herman secured another takedown and quickly locked up a rear-naked choke, picking up his third straight win since returning from a knee injury that erased one year of the former TUF runner-up's career.

Considering his wrestling background. Starks' inability to defend Herman's takedowns is a concern as his career progresses after suffering his first loss.

Dustin Poirier defeated Max Holloway by submission (mounted triangle-armbar) at 3:23 of the first round.

A fight with featherweight contender Poirier proved to be too much too soon for UFC newcomer Holloway, but the 20-year-old's early success in the striking game showed that he has a bright future in the sport.

Once Poirier was able to take the UFC's youngest fighter to the ground, though, the fast-rising star slapped on an armbar and transitioned to a mounted triangle-armbar to force the tap from his opponent.

"I'm here to be a champion," Poirier said after the fight.

Originally scheduled to fight Erik Koch at UFC 143, this win didn't do much for Poirier in terms of his position in the 145-pound rankings, but it reaffirmed the belief that he is one of the most talented fighters in the division.

Edwin Figueroa defeated Alex Caceres by split decision (28-27, 27-28, 28-27).

In a wild first round, Figueroa recovered from an early low blow and nearly knocked Caceres out with a head kick. However, Caceres regained his senses to take Figueroa's back for nearly two minutes of the round, making the frame a tough one to score.

The abnormal fight continued into the second round, as Caceres received a two-point deduction for landing another blow to the groin of Figueroa. After another break in the action, Caceres took Figueroa's back and attempted to lock up a rear-naked choke for most of the rest of the round.

Though Figueroa was named the winner, the fight was marred by Caceres' unintentional kicks to Figueroa's groin. The two-point deduction turned out to be the deciding factor in a fight that Caceres had dominated aside from the head kick he ate in the opening round.

Despite outlanding Figueroa 54-33 in total strikes and attempting 10 submissions, Caceres came away with a loss on the judges' scorecards.

Since losing to Michael McDonald in his UFC debut, the 26-year-old Figueroa has now won two straight and will look to win more decisively in his next Octagon appearance.  

Matt Brown defeated Chris Cope by knockout (punches) at 1:19 of the second round.

After losing all three of his fights in 2010, Brown picked up his second win in three performances by knocking out Chris Cope with a series of punches that began with a right hook to the temple.

"I got away from who I am," Brown said of his recent struggles inside the Octagon. "Enough of that."

In the first round, the scrappy Brown outlanded Cope 27-16, doing a better job than his opponent of mixing kicks into combinations.

After rocking Cope with a right hook early in the second frame, Brown dropped his opponent with a left hook and forced referee Kim Winslow to step in and stop the fight.

After losing to Che Mills in his prior appearance, Cope could now be in danger of losing his spot on the UFC roster. 

Matt Riddle defeated Henry Martinez by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

A fight that was originally scheduled between Amir Sadollah and Jorge Lopez, late replacements Riddle and Martinez battled to an exciting decision in the opening fight of UFC 143's prelims show on FX.

At a significant size disadvantage, Martinez was able to counter Riddle well in the opening round, as the usual lightweight landed 32 more strikesthan his opponent. 

However, Riddle made an adjustment and fired back with kicks in the second round, which allowed him to stay on the outside and avoid Martinez's counters. Martinez still landed slightly more than Riddle in the second frame, but Riddle finished the round much stronger, which likely earned him the the edge on two judges' scorecards.

Martinez appeared to grow frustrated after Riddle's late rally in the second round. Unable to work inside, Martinez was dominated by Riddle in the final stanza. Riddle continued to attack with kicks and a takedown midway through the round allowed Riddle to land 33 strikes on the ground to secure his victory on the scorecards.

A loser of his previous two fights, Riddle's job may have been on the line at UFC 143. By overcoming early adversity, Riddle assured himself another fight inside the Octagon, where he has competed for his entire career.

While the 28-year-old Martinez came out on the losing end, his performance against a larger opponent on only one week's notice showed that the Greg Jackson-trained fighter has a future in the UFC's 155-pound division.

Rafael Natal defeated Michael Kuiper by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

In a sloppy, yet effective performance, Natal earned his second consecutive victory at UFC 143.

Competing against a skilled Dutch striker in Kuiper, Natal worked for a takedown early, taking the fight to the ground on multiple occasions in the first round. Towards the end of the first round Kuiper reversed Natal, be he was forced to fight off an armbar and couldn't mount enough offense to steal the round.

After spending a ton of energy to take Kuiper down in the opening round, Natal looked drained in the second frame. Natal's exhaustion allowed Kuiper to keep the fight standing for most of the round, but the Dutchman couldn't put any combinations together as the Brazilian continued to press forward and secured another takedown near the end of the round. 

In the final round, the undefeated UFC newcomer rocked Natal with a right hand early in the third, but Natal recovered and slammed Kuiper to the ground with a double leg takedown. From there, Natal moved to mount and attempted a triangle choke until the fight came to an end.

In the process of handing the 22-year-old Kuiper his first loss, Natal improved his UFC record to 2-1-1 and showed that he is a tough opponent for most if he can get the fight to the ground.

Stephen Thompson defeated Dan Stittgen by knockout (head kick) at 4:13 of the first round.

A very accomplished kickboxer, "Wonderboy" Thompson made a huge impression in his UFC debut by scoring a highlight reel knockout against Stittgen. 

Thompson, who was undefeated in five fights heading into his first fight inside the Octagon, remained undefeated by landing a lead-leg head kick that Stittgen didn't see coming until it was too late.

For a kickboxer who earned 40 knockout wins before making the switch to MMA, Thompson becomes a very interesting addition to the welterweight division on what will be an important night for the 170-pound class. 

Unable to take his opponent to the ground because of Thompson's unorthodox movement, Stittgen was out of his element from the start of the fight. The 31-year-old now holds a 7-2 record after the loss in his UFC debut and will likely need a win in his next fight to remain with the organization.

Stats provided by Compustrike.com.

Rob Tatum/The MMA Corner

Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks

Starks is undefeated in eight career fights and coming off of a victory in his UFC debut against Dustin Jacoby. However, the former Arizona State University wrestler will have his hands full with an experienced mixed martial artist in Ed Herman.

Though the Team Quest product is also more of a ground fighter, Herman has spent more time refining his striking game than Starks, who only began competing in MMAtwo years ago.

Starks may be able to secure takedowns in this matchup, but he will be putting himself in harm's way in the process, as 11 of Herman's 19 wins have come via submission.

With a few more fights under his belt, Starks could be a serious threat to a fighter like Herman. However, at this point in time, Herman simply has more ways to finish the fight, both on his feet and on the ground.

Prediction

Herman defeats Starks by submission in the first round.

Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen

A fight that is flying under the radar, this matchup between Barao and Jorgensen could produce the next 135-contender.

Undefeated in 27 fights since his MMA debut in April 2005, Barao would be more than deserving of a fight with the winner of a title fight between champion Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber if he is able to defeat Jorgensen in impressive fashion.

Jorgensen primarily uses his wrestling to get in the face of his opponents and overwhelm them with aggression. Stylistically, Barao matches up well against the former WEC title contender.

A teammate of featherweight champion Jose Aldo at Nova Uniao, Barao has developed a simlar combination of effective striking and deadly submissions.

Should he keep the fight standing, Barao should be able to best Jorgensen with ease in a striking matchup. In the more likely scenario that he gets taken to the canvas, Barao has the ability to pick up his fourth submission win in his past five fights. 

Prediction

Barao defeats Jorgensen by submission in the second round.

Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce

Originally, Koscheck was scheduled to meet top welterweight contender Carlos Condit at UFC 143. However, a Georges St-Pierre injury forced Condit out of that matchup and into an interim title fight with Nick Diaz.

While Pierce isn't an opponent to take lightly, Koscheck has to be somewhat disappointed that he isn't fighting Condit on Saturday. Instead of letting the change of opponent affect his performance, Koscheck will do everything he can to beat Pierce in impressive fashion to ensure his next fight will come against a big name.

Koscheck may look for a takedown or two of his his own, but, for the most part, he is going to look to stuff Pierce's attempts to take the fight to the ground and land his right hook any time he gets the chance.

Given his ability to keep fights close with fighters who have similar skill sets as Koscheck, Pierce should be able to take this fight to a decision, but his inability to take Koscheck to the ground will result in another loss for a fighter who can't seem to break through and get recognition as a welterweight contender.

Prediction

Koscheck defeats Pierce by unanimous decision.

Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum

Making his return to the Octagon at UFC 143, Werdum could find himself in the title hunt with a victory over Nelson.

A world class jiu-jitsu practitioner, Werdum would obviously prefer to go to the ground with Nelson. However, the Brazilian's takedown attempts are notoriously sloppy and telegraphed, so he may be forced to stand with the former TUF winner.

Though Nelson possesses knockout power, Werdum should be able to hold his own in the striking department.

Werdum landed some good shots against former K-1 Grand Prix champion Alistair Overeem in his most recent fight and his striking game should have only improved since then under the tutelage of Kings MMA coach Rafael Cordeiro.

Should Werdum take this fight to the ground he could become the first fight to ever submit Nelson, but, even if this fight stays standing, "Vai Cavalo" has the tools to pick up his first UFC win since June 2008.

Prediction

Werdum defeats Nelson by unanimous decision.

Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit

In Saturday's main event, Diaz and Condit will attempt to prove they are worthy of an interim title belt and a future fight with welterweight king Georges St-Pierre.

Both Diaz and Condit are extremely durable fighters capable of producing Fight of the Night performances every time they step inside the Octagon, so expect a fast pace from the matchup's start.

Confident in their striking, both fighters will likely look to stand early on, but Diaz will frustrate Condit with his high volume of punches and force a takedown attempt from the Greg Jackson-trained fighter.

Condit is no slouch on the ground, but three of his five career losses have come via submission, so the Cesar Gracie-trained Diaz will make Condit pay for taking the fight to the ground, as he will lock up a triangle choke and set up one of the most intriguing title fights in recent memory.

Prediction

Diaz defeats Condit by submission in the third round.

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Rashad Evans defeated Phil Davis by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45).

In a downright dominant performance that saw him get the last word in a rivalry with Davis, Evans finally earned his chance to fight former training partner and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Evans caught Davis kicks and took the fight to the ground in each of the first two rounds. From there, Evans moved to the mounted crucifix on both occasions and ended the rounds in that position.

Davis fought back with two takedowns in the third round, but it was enough for him to even win the round, as Evans' more well-rounded attack led him to an important victory in the UFC on Fox main event.

The first loss of Davis' career came in a fight that showed he still has a lot of growing to do as a mixed martial artist. The former NCAA champion wrestler still had trouble setting up his takedowns with strikes, especially against a former wrestler as experienced in MMA as Evans.

With his fourth straight victory, Evans became the second fighter of the night to set up a future blockbuster event. At UFC 145, Evans will meet Jones in a long-awaited grudge match.

Chael Sonnen defeated Michael Bisping by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

In the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2, Sonnen walked away with a victory in a grueling, grinding fight. The win secured Sonnen an epic rematch wtih UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva later this year.

The opening round saw Sonnen secure two takedowns, but Bisping scored points of his own on the scorecards by quickly escaping and landing shots as Sonnen rushed in.

By pressing Sonnen against the fence and landing hooks to side of his opponent's head, Bisping likely earned the second round on two judges' scorecards. 

The final frame was the most decisive of the bout, as Sonnen took Bisping down and mounted the Englishman. A late escape and takedown for Bisping wasn't enough to even up the round on the scorecards, leaving him just short of his first UFC title shot.

The fight brought an end to Bisping's four-fight winning streak, but it set up what will undoubtedly be one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history. 

The Sonnen show has just begun.

Chris Weidman defeated Demian Maia by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Taking the biggest fight of his life on 11 days notice led to a tough weight cut for Weidman and it showed in the opening bout of the UFC on Fox 2 main card. Weidman faded quickly as the fight rolled along.

What was really surprising was that Weidman's opponent, Maia, looked equally gassed. Maia's telegraphed takedowns and predictable striking allowed Weidman to keep his spotless record in decision.

A two-time All-American at Hofstra University, Weidman secured takedowns in each of the three rounds. Although he didn't do much from the top position, Weidman's takedowns and counter-striking were enough to move him into a position to fight another elite 185-pound fighter. 

Maia has now lost two of three fights, and considering this disappointing performance on network television, it could be awhile until the jiu-jitsu ace gets another blockbuster fight.

Evan Dunham defeated Nik Lentz by technical knockout (cut) at 5:00 of the second round.

With a brutal assault on Lentz's face in the second round of his fight at UFC on Fox 2, Dunham picked up his second straight win by causing a cut and major swelling under the left eye of his opponent.

The bout saw a seesaw battle in the first round turn into a more lopsided second frame, as Dunham was able to best Lentz on the ground with damaging ground and pound.

With improved striking under the tutelage of kickboxer Ray Sefo, Dunham appears ready to make another run at the top ten lightweight in the UFC.

Lentz has now lost fights in back-to-back months, meaning it may be time for him to take some time off and go back to the drawing board to make improvements.

Mike Russow defeated John-Olav Einemo by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

Despite his opponent's noted grappling credentials, Chicago police officer Russow did not hesitate whatsoever in taking Einemo to the ground.

Russow secured multiple takedowns in each of the three rounds, but a sweep to full mount in the final seconds of the first round was the only offense Einemo could mount on the canvas.

Exhausted in the final frame, Russow ate a few big knees from Einemo, but the 35-year-old policeman was able to take his equally tired opponent back to the ground and secure a decision victory.

With two straight losses to start his UFC career, and because of the lack of conditioning he showed at UFC on Fox 2, don't be surprised if this turns out to be Einemo's final fight inside the Octagon.

Russow, on the other hand, has won 11 consecutive fights and is considered by many one of the top 10 heavyweights in the UFC.

Cub Swanson defeated George Roop by technical knockout (punches) at 2:22 of the second round.

After a back-and-forth first round, Swanson turned up the tempo in the second frame and put Roop away with a jab-overhand right combination. 

Swanson was at his best when charging forward and overwhelming Roop. With his long reach, Roop was unable to counter Swanson on the inside.

Prior to this fight, Roop had made a move into some pundits' featherweight rankings with a narrow defeat against Hatsu Hioki. However, his second straight loss could prove a major setback for the towering 145-pound fighter.

Coming off of a loss to Ricardo Lamas in his UFC debut, Swanson's victory at UFC on Fox 2 was much-needed for the former WEC contender to secure his spot on the UFC roster.

Charles Oliveira defeated Eric Wisely by submission (calf slicer) at 1:23 of the first round.

After running into a rough patch at lightweight, Oliveira made an impressive featherweight debut by submitting Wisely with a rare calf slicer.

Early on, Oliveira caught a Wisely kick and tossed his opponent to the ground. Shortly after, "Do Bronx" looked to secure a heel hook. After losing the hold, Oliveira had a figure-four on Wisely's leg and looked to take his adversaries back.

With a massive amount of torque applied to his calf, Wisely was forced to tap in his UFC debut due to an unorthodox submission. For the 27-year-old Strikeforce veteran, a loss to the very talented Oliveira is not something to be ashamed of, but he will need to put on a betteer performance in his next fight.

The 22-year old Oliveira has cemented himself as one of the brightest young stars in the UFC. By moving to featherweight, Oliveira is no longer at a size disadvantage and could make a run at the 145-pound title.

Michael Johnson defeated Shane Roller by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Although he found himself stuck in a body triangle for most of the third round, former TUF runner-up Johnson showed progression in his skills at UFC on Fox 2.

In the first two rounds of his bout against Roller, Johnson easily shut down the takedown attempts of the three-time All-American and looked much more smooth on his feet than in past fights.

In a desperate attempt to take the fight to the ground, Roller pulled guard midway through the second round. However, the former Oklahoma State University wrestler was unable to attack with any submission attempts and quickly found himself getting picked apart on his feet again. 

The 25-year-old Blackzilian avoided a second straight loss with the victory and showed that he is ready to start climbing the 155-pound ranks.

The future is now in question for Roller, who has lost three straight fights. Considering the level of competition those losses came against, Roller may get one more shot in the UFC, but that is far from a given.

Lavar Johnson defeated Joey Beltran by knockout (uppercuts) at 4:24 of the first round.

At UFC on Fox 2, losing almost 20 pounds proved detrimental to Beltran's ability to fight at heavyweight, as he was steamrolled by UFC newcomer Johnson.

In the opening minute of the fight, Johnson buckled Beltran with a body shot. Then, Johnson proceeded to bully Beltran around the Octagon until a series of uppercuts left "The Mexicutioner" unconscious.

A loser of four of his past five fights, Beltran's UFC career may depend on being able to lose another 20 pounds to compete at light heavyweight. 

For Johnson, finishing a durable fighter like Beltran was about as impressive a UFC debut as a heavyweight can have. The 34-year-old became the first fighter to ever knock out Beltran and will now look to climb the heavyweight ranks while representing the soon-to-be-defunct Strikeforce heavyweight division. 

Chris Camozzi defeated Dustin Jacoby by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:08 of the third round.

Coming off of a loss in his return to the UFC, Camozzi was in a must-win situation heading into his UFC on Fox 2 bout against Jacoby.

In the early going, Jacoby kept Camozzi at bay with kicks. However, a late right hand from Camozzi left Jacoby stunned as he went to his corner between the first and second rounds.

Camozzi carried the momentum into the later rounds, as Jacoby appeared slower to the punch after being rocked at the end of the opening frame. After knocking Jacoby to the canvas with a leg kick early in the final round, Camozzi locked up a guillotine choke and secured his spot on the UFC roster.

For the 23-year-old Jacoby, the loss marked back-to-back defeats to start his UFC career. Unfortunately, such a rough start in the world's premier MMA organization could lead to a return to regional promotions until Jacoby can gain some more experience and improve. 

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Originally scheduled to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2, Mark Munoz was forced out of the event due to an arm injury.

Munoz's loss turned into Michael Bisping's gain, as the British fighter ditched his fight with Demian Maia to meet Sonnen in a bout that will determine the next middleweight contender.

Though Sonnen's fight with Munoz would have been an interesting fight itself, a bout between long-winded middleweights Sonnen and Bisping is arguably more intriguing to fans and should provide some interesting back-and-forth banter in the days leading up to UFC on FOX 2.

Before Sonnen and Bisping step into the Octagon for a fight to determine who will get the next shot at Anderson Silva, let's take a look at how this middleweight matchup could play out in all areas.

Striking

When predicting a fight between Sonnen and Bisping, most would jump to the conclusion that the outcome depended on whether or not Sonnen is able to take the Englishman to the ground.

While that could turn out to be the case, it might not be as much of a given as it might seem. For a fighter so known for his wrestling, Sonnen has shown some solid boxing over the course of his career, even landing some solid shot against middleweight champ Anderson Silva.

Bisping is a volume puncher with great accuracy, so he does have an advantage over Sonnen in the striking department, but a stand-up fight would not result in a sure win for the pride of British MMA. 

Edge: Bisping

Chin

Sonnen and Bisping both have very solid chins, so it's doubtful that we'll see any one-punch knockouts in this matchup.

Many point to Bisping's brutal knockout loss against Dan Henderson as reason to believe he can't take a punch, but Bisping has otherwise never been finished, and Henderson could also probably knockout an adult male rhino with his right hand.

That being said, Sonnen does deserve a slight advantage over Bisping in his ability to take a punch. Though he has two knockout losses on his record, those results came via cut and corner stoppage. Sonnen has never technically been knocked out in any of his 38 professional fights.

Edge: Sonnen

Takedowns/Takedown Defense

One of the first English fighters to display a really well-rounded game in MMA, Bisping has developed good takedown defense to allow himself the opportunity to stand with opponents.

Unfortunately for Bisping, good takedown defense isn't good enough against an elite wrestler like Sonnen. Even with a full training camp of preparing for Sonnen's explosive takedowns, Bisping would have had his hands full in trying to keep this fight standing.

Since Bisping has likely been working more on submission defense for a previously scheduled fight with Demian Maia, his takedown defense probably won't be nearly where it needs to be in order to stuff Sonnen's attempts.

It's inevitable that this fight will go to the ground with Sonnen on top of Bisping.

Edge: Sonnen

Grappling/Positioning/Control

Sonnen may have his lapses on the ground from time to time, but they're never related to his ability to keep his opponent's back on the canvas.

Once Sonnen has a fighter on the ground, it's likely that the fight will stay there until the end of the round unless the Team Quest product gets caught with a submission.

When, not if, Bisping gets taken down, his best bet is to attack Sonnen with submission attempt after submission attempt rather than spending energy trying to escape.

Edge: Sonnen

Submissions/Submission Defense

Obviously, given my above take on the grappling aspect of this fight, Bisping holds a significant advantage in the submission realm, as many opponents do against Sonnen.

Every loss Sonnen has ever had inside the Octagon has been a result of an opponent submission off of their back.

Bisping has never recorded a submission in his UFC career, but he does have an underrated ground game and forced a handful of opponents to tap prior to joining the UFC.

In order to win this fight and earn the first title shot of his career, Bisping may have to capture his first submission victory under the UFC banner.

Edge: Bisping

Ground Striking

Sonnen and Bisping are excellent at landing a high percentage of their strikes on the ground. Both fighters have finished their fair share of fights with ground-and-pound.

Though he has finished a number of opponents with punches on the ground, Sonnen has never finished a UFC opponent with strikes. Instead, Sonnen has used his ground-and-pound to set up guard passes and the occasional submission attempt.

For Bisping, ground striking likely won't come into play in this fight. If Sonnen is on his back at an point in this fight, he has bigger problems than worrying about Bisping's ground-and-pound.

Edge: Push

Experience/Game Plan

Although Sonnen has competed in 13 more MMA fights than Bisping, there comes a point when fighters who have competed in as many big fights as Bisping aren't at any disadvantage in terms of experience.

Bisping has competed in some of the biggest events in UFC history and has never seemed to fold under the pressure.

Both Sonnen and Bisping come from solid camps at Team Quest and Wolfslair. Since there is no secret what either fighter will want to do during the fight on Saturday, this matchup should simply come down to skill and the matchup of styles. 

Edge: Push

Strength/Quickness/Reach

In terms of pure athleticism, Sonnen and Bisping are fairly evenly matched. 

With the ease in which he tossed Brian Stann around the Octagon in his previous fight, it's probably safe to say that Sonnen is the stronger competitor heading into this fight. Bisping, though, is much lighter on his feet and possesses a modest reach advantage.

On Saturday, both fighters will attempt to use their own unique attributes to exploit the other fighter's weaknesses.

Edge: Push

Conditioning

One thing you definitely won't see in this fight between Sonnen and Bisping is an out-of-gas fighter. Both middleweights are well-conditioned, world-class athletes ready to go hard for even longer than the maximum of 15 minutes this fight will last.

Both fighters have gone to their fair share of decisions over the years, but neither has ever seemed to fade in the late rounds of their fights.

Edge: Push

If Bisping had even one submission against a high-level opponent, this would be an extremely tough fight to call. However, Bisping doesn't seem to have the submission game off his back that he would need to deter Sonnen from taking this fight to the ground.

Even in the off chance that Bisping does keep this fight standing, it wouldn't be safe to count Sonnen out of a stand-up fight. Sonnen found success against in the striking department against middleweight champ Anderson Silva, who is widely considered the best striker in all of MMA.

If Bisping is somehow able to stuff Sonnen's takedowns, his chances of victory would increase greatly. Though, with Sonnen's outstanding wrestling and ability to stand toe-to-toe with other excellent strikers, he's the safe bet to walk away with the win in this fight.

Sonnen has dismissed the idea that Silva will ever take a rematch with him, but a win over Bisping on Saturday will force the UFC to step in and make the fight happen.

Sonnen defeats Bisping by unanimous decision.

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

This Saturday, the UFC will broadcast its first event on FOX since the largest MMAorganization and largest television network officially began their partnership at the beginning of 2012.

The event, which will actually mark the UFC's second appearance on FOX after a teaser event on the channel in 2011, will be headlined by light heavyweight contendersRashad Evans and Phil Davis. 

The winner of Saturday's main event could very well find himself facing 205-pound champion Jon Jones in his next Octagon appearance.

Evans has been considered the No. 1 contender for quite some time, but injuries to himself and the champions he was expected to meet delayed his shot at reclaiming the UFC belt. Meanwhile, former NCAA wrestling champion Davis has gone undefeated thus far in his MMA career and is expected to be a force in the light heavyweight division for the foreseeable future.

Title implications alone, this will be one of the most important fights of both competitors' respective careers. Competing in the main event of a network-televised event only adds to the pressure. 

Before Evans and Davis step into the Octagon, let's take a look at how the two match up against one another in all areas. 

Striking

It's no secret that Phil Davis' striking is a work in progress. The former amateur wrestler has only been training MMA for the past three years. While he continues to grow, Davis has simply not been working on his striking long enough to compare with Rashad Evans in that discipline.

With a knockout victory over Chuck Liddell on his resume, Evans is clearly the better striker at this point. The former light heavyweight champion also scored one of the most devastating head kick knockouts against Sean Salmon in January 2007.

The more well-versed striker, Evans is capable of putting combination together much more smoothly than Davis. Evans has also developed a quick jab that allows him to move in and out without exposing himself to counters.

Evans' superiority over Davis in the striking department is likely the most glaring advantage in this matchup. If he can keep this fight at a distance, Evans could finally get a shot at reclaiming his UFC title from former teammate Jon Jones.

Edge: Evans

Chin

In addition to his notoriously brutal knockout loss to Lyoto Machida, Evans was also rocked in his following two bouts against Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson. Evans recovered to defeat Silva and Jackson, but the fact he was hurt in fights he otherwise dominated shows Evans' chin could fail him at any time.

For the most part, Davis' chin has gone untested in his nine professional fights. It's quite possible that Davis would also be hurt by the previously mentioned shots Evans was hit with, but he must be given the benefit of the doubt until that is proven.

Edge: Davis

Takedowns/Takedown Defense

In a pure wrestling match, Davis would be a monstrous favorite over Evans. At Penn State University, Davis was a four-time All-American wrestler, while Evans never placed in the NCAA tournament during his time at Michigan State University.

That being said, Davis' ability to take opponents down in MMA has been hindered by his inability to set shots up with strikes. Where Evans has mastered the differences between takedowns in amateur wrestling and MMA, Davis continues his learning curve.

When you match Davis' pure wrestling ability against Evans' adapted wrestling style, the two fighters' wrestling should cancel out, which may mean most of this fight will take place with both fighters standing.

Edge: Push

Grappling/Positioning/Control

If Phil Davis does show improvement in his takedown setups and puts Rashad Evans on his back, his top control will be on full display.

It may not have been the most exciting victory of his career, but Davis' ability to comfortably stay on top of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira without being significantly threatened by any submission was something to be appreciated.

Davis' win over Nogueira was just one of many examples of the former wrestler easily controlling an opponent once the fight went to the ground. 

Evans is also very skilled on the ground, but this is the one area where Davis' advantage over Evans in pure wrestling is least affected by his transition to a new sport.

Edge: Davis

Submissions/Submission Defense

Since joining the UFC more than six years ago, Evans has never won a fight via submission. Evans has also never been submitted, but it is clear that the former champ's offensive jiu-jitsu is lacking.

Davis, on the other hand, has defeated two of his five UFC opponents with submissions. Additionally, Davis competed in the No-Gi World Jiu-Jitsu Championships and came in first place in the blue belt super heavyweight division.

If either fighter is going to threaten the other with submission, it will be Davis looking to lock up chokes from the top position.

Edge: Davis

Ground Striking

While Davis has excellent top control, he primarily uses it to work toward submissions instead of using ground and pound to soften up his opponents.

Evans, meanwhile, is coming off a fight in which he beat Tito Ortiz up on the ground and finished the fight with a knee to the body of a downed Ortiz.

Neither fighter is particularly known for their ground and pound, but Evans would have to have the edge over Davis in striking on the ground.

Edge: Evans

Experience/Game Plan

Rashad Evans has been competing in MMA for nearly eight years and has 13 Octagon appearances under his belt. Compared against Phil Davis' three years of MMA training and five UFC bouts, Evans is a true veteran of the sport.

In addition to his experience advantage, Evans also has a solid training camp behind him. Evans' teammates, Melvin Guillard and Anthony Johnson, had a rough start to 2012, but the Mike Van Arsdale-coached Blackzilian team has been a solid home base for Evans.

An Alliance MMA product, Davis is also equipped with a good group of teammates and coaches, but he certainly lacks in experience when compared with Evans. Experience could certainly come into play under the bright lights of a main event on FOX.

Edge: Evans

Strength/Quickness

Fighters don't get to this level of competition anymore without being extremely athletic. Evans and Davis are both very strong and fast individuals.

However, Evans possesses another level of quickness that Davis can't quite match. On his feet, Evans is able to move in and out of range in an instant, an attribute that will be key in staying off his back against Davis.

Edge: Evans

Conditioning

Evans hasn't shown any visible signs of gassing in the later rounds of his fights, but "Suga" has faced problems in each of the past two times he has seen fights go to the third round. Against both Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson, Evans was rocked and forced to survive to the final bell to secure decision victories.

It's hard to say whether Evans just happened to get caught in both of those fights, but it is possible he was trying to coast through the round due to fatigue. Earlier in his career, Evans showed a tendency to fade in the third round in his fights against Michael Bisping and Stephan Bonnar. 

It has been quite awhile since those fights, but Davis has to be given an advantage in conditioning over Evans, since he never seemed to tire in his three UFC bouts that went the distance.

Edge: Davis

In the end, the outcome of this bout between two former wrestlers will come down to whether or not Evans can stifle Davis' attempts to take the fight to the ground.

One important issue not mentioned earlier in this preview is that Davis has not competed in nearly one year. Even when ring rust wasn't a factor in his most recent appearance, Davis had trouble securing takedowns in the early going of his bout against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Evans has much better takedown defense than Nogueira. So, unless Davis shows some major improvements in setting up his shots, this is Evans' fight to lose.

If he is able to stuff Davis' takedowns, Evans has the option of picking Davis apart in the stand-up or surprising the former NCAA wrestling champion with takedown attempts of his own. Because he has had more time to adapt his wrestling skills to MMA, Evans has more ways to beat Davis than Davis has to beat Evans.

Davis may turn out to have a better career than Evans in the end, but, at this point in time, Evans is more prepared to win this fight and make a run at the light heavyweight title.

Evans defeats Davis by unanimous decision.

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Jim Miller defeated Melvin Guillard by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:04 of the first round.

Overcoming adversity, Miller weathered an early storm to get back into the win column with a submission victory over Guillard.

Early in the fight, Guillard rocked Miller with a left hook. Miller was in trouble, but the AMA Fight Club product survived and took "The Young Assassin" down on an ill-advised flying knee attempt.

As Guillard attempted to escape, Miller took his opponents back and locked up a body triangle. After slipping his arm under Guillard's chin, Miller forced the tap and walked away with the victory.

Miller can now focus on making another run at a lightweight title shot, while Guillard may be forced to rethink his move from Greg Jackson's gym to the Blackzilian team in Florida.

Josh Neer defeated Duane Ludwig by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:04 of the first round.

After taking some punishment from Ludwig early on, Neer picked up his sixth consecutive victory by taking the fight to the ground, where he possessed a noticeable advantage over the former kickboxer.

Ludwig's striking was as solid as usual in the opening exchanges of the bout, as he landed a number of knees to Neer's midsection. 

After realizing he was going to have difficulty beating Ludwig in the striking department, Neer took the fight to the canvas with a single leg takedown. From there, Neer locked up a deep guillotine choke and put Ludwig to sleep.

Though he has 44 fights under his belt, Neer is still only 28 years old and appears to be hitting his stride as a mixed martial artist. Working with the infamous Diaz brothers, Neer's fighting style and attitude is beginning to look very much like the Stockton siblings. 

Mike Easton defeated Jared Papazian by majority decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-29).

A massive underdog against Easton, Papazian held his own in a closely-contested UFC debut.

After some back-and-forth clinchwork early, Easton controlled the center of the Octagon for most of the first round, with both fighters landing what seemed to be a fairly equal amount of shots.

The second round was more of the same, but East secured a big takedown with one minute left in the second round. In a close fight, the takedown was extremely important on the scorecards.

Even after two hard-fought rounds, the two fighters kept an incredible pace in the third round. In what might have been the most telling exchange of the ronud, Easton tossed Papazian to the ground and landed a big right hand as his opponent regained his footing.

The judges' decision could have gone either way, and one judge deemed the bout a draw, but Easton was awarded the victory, as the other two judges sided with the Alliance MMA product.

"We the 35ers. It's nothing but non-stop action," East said in a post-fight interview with UFC commentator Jon Anik.

Though he suffered a loss in his first Octagon appearance, the 23-year-old Papazian displayed a lot of heart and potential by going toe to toe with a fighter like Easton.

Pat Barry defeated Christian Morecraft by knockout (punches) at 3:38 of the first round.

With a highlight reel knockout, Barry brought his two-fight losing streak to an end and ensured his spot on the UFC roster for at least a few more bouts.

Things didn't start off as planned for Barry, though, as Morecraft threw the former kickboxer to the ground after catching a kick. Showing improvement on the ground, Barry fended off a rear naked choke and made his way back to his feet.

After being taken down a second time, Barry fought off yet another submission attempt, an armbar, and forced Morecraft to stand again. This time, Barry kept it standing long enough to blast Morecraft with a left hook. 

Barry pounced on the 25-year-old and forced a stoppage. If Barry can continue improving his ground game, his striking makes his a very dangerous opponent for most heavyweights.

Morecraft has now lost two straight fights, but he still has what appears to be a bright future as a young fighter in the sport and should get another opportunity to fight inside the Octagon.

Jorge Rivera defeated Eric Schafer by technical knockout (punches) at 1:31 of the second round.

In the final fight of his career, Rivera mounted an impressive knockout to go out with a win.

Schafer started out strong, working his ground and pound for most of the first round and attacking with an omoplata in the closing second of the stanza.

Not wanting to leave on a low note, the 39-year-old Rivera stormed back in the second frame. After slipping out of a single leg takedown attempt, Rivera blasted Schafer with punches and forced a stoppage by referee Herb Dean.  

With the loss, Schafer has now lost four of his past five fights. If this loss results in Schafer's release from the organization, a third unsuccessful stint could mean Schafer's UFC career could simultaneously end with Rivera's.

Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Kamal Shalorus by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:08 of the third round.

Making his Octagon debut at UFC on FX, Nurmagomedov was extremely impressive in victory over Shalorus.

After getting hit with a hard body shot in the first round, Nurmagamedov landed an uppercut as he stood up. Rocked badly, Shalorus was able to recover and survive the round, but the Iranian had no answer for the Russian throughout the rest of the fight.

Nurmagamedov used his wrestling to control Shalorus, a solid wrestler in his own right, for the majority of the second frame. In the third round, another takedown led to a rear naked choke submission for the UFC newcomer.

With the win, the 23-year-old extended his undefeated record to 17-0 and made a huge statement that he could be one of the brightest young prospects in the lightweight division.

Charlie Brenneman defeated Daniel Roberts by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

Brenneman's game plan for his UFC on FX bout with Daniel Roberts was clear from the outset.

After getting caught with a big shot in the opening minute, Brenneman immediately used his wrestling background to take Roberts to the ground. Methodical ground and pound preceded a move to the crucifix position, where "The Spaniard" was able to do some damage.

For the most part, the second round played out very similar to the first. After an early takedown, Brenneman landed some elbows and punches from the crucifix position. A second takedown attempt near the end of the round allowed Roberts to threaten with an inverted triangle, but Brenneman was saved by the bell.

Again, Brenneman took Roberts down in the final frame, which allowed him to rebound from a loss to Anthony Johnson with a decision victory. Roberts attempted a kimura at fight's end, but it was too little too late. Unfortunately for the Cesar Gracie-trained fighter, Roberts may have been bounced from the UFC with the loss, as he has now lost three straight.

For Brenneman, the win was a step in the right direction, but the Pennsylvanian realizes he has some work to do in order to continue climbing the welterweight ladder.

"If I want to get to the top, I need to start finishing. That's something I put on me," Brenneman said in a post fight interview with Fuel TV's Jon Anik. 

Fabricio Camoes defeated Tommy Hayden by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:03 of the first round.

Making his UFC debut at UFC on FX, Hayden started off strong with two takedowns in the first half of the opening round.

Camoes quickly turned the fight around, though. An omoplata attempt allowed Camoes to sweep Hayden. Shortly after taking the top position, Camoes landed a huge hammerfist and took Hayden's back.

It took less than one minute for the Brazilian to lock up a rear naked choke from there, giving the 33-year-old a third straight win in his return to the Octagon. Camoes failed to pick up a win in his last stint with the organization, but maybe this win will lead to a longer run in the UFC for Camoes.

Taking the fight on short notice, Hayden suffered the first loss of his career. While it will be tough to swallow, the 25-year-old showed some promise and could have a bright future in the UFC down the road.

Daniel Pineda defeated Pat Schilling by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:37 of the first round.

With a first-round submission of Schilling in his UFC debut, Pineda opened people's eyes to his potential future as a featherweight contender.

After getting clipped with a few counters on his feet, Pineda secured a double leg takedown. Once the fight hit the canvas, Pineda took complete control.

The 26-year-old quickly moved to mount and took Schilling's back. From there, Pineda softened his opponent with punches before locking up a standing rear naked choke. Schilling attempted to loosen the choke by dropping to the ground, but he was forced to tap inside the two-minute mark of the opening round.

"I thought it was going to be more of a war, but once I take your back, I'm going to finish you," Pineda said in a post-fight interview with Fuel TV's Ariel Helwani.

In handing Schilling the first loss of his career, Pineda picked up his sixth straight win. With a victory over recent TUF stand-out Johny Bedford, Pineda has to be considered a seriously bright featherweight prospect. 

Nick Denis defeated Joseph Sandoval by knockout (elbows) at 0:22 of the first round.

With a quick beatdown of Sandoval, Denis made a huge splash in his UFC debut. 

The 28-year-old Canadian opened the bantamweight contest with quick, accurate two-punch combinations. After doing some damage from the outside, Denis clinched up and put Sandoval's lights out with a rapid assault of standing elbows.

With the victory, Denis improved his record to 11-2 and handed Sandoval his second UFC loss in as many fights inside the Octagon. 

Denis becomes an interesting addition to a bantamweight division sorely in need of rising talent, while Sandoval will need to turn things around quickly if he wants to remain in the world's premier MMA organization.