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UFC 143 Predictions: UFC 143 Picks, Predictions & Fight Previews

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Pro Fighting Fans is the home of UFC fans across the world and we now bring you the best place to find the latest UFC preview & predictions. UFC on FX has come and gone and we take a look at the UFC on FX results.

The next event for the UFC will be UFC 143, held on February 4, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and our UFC 143 predictions & preview are posted below for UFC fans across the globe to enjoy. Also be sure tobuy UFC tickets online here through Pro Fighting Fans to make sure you get the best seats and prices for UFC fights!

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UFC 143 Predictions: Preliminary Card

Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Rafael Natal (13-3-1) will try and build on his first UFC victory when he meets promotional newcomer Michael Kuiper (11-0) in a UFC 143 preliminary card bout that will be contested in the middleweight division.

Natal is a Brazil native who now fights out of New York City with the Gracie Fusion team. The BJJ specialist made his professional debut in 2005 and went on to win 12 of his first 14 official bouts while competing in regional fights in Brazil as well as Ring of Combat, SWC, and Moosin promotions in the United States. Natal lost his UFC Fight Night 22 September 2010 debut against Rich Attonito via unanimous decision. In his follow-up bout, Natal fought Jesse Bongfeldt to a majority draw at UFC 124 in December 2010. Most recently, Natal finally picked up his first octagon win at UFC 133 with a unanimous decision victory over Paul Bradley this past August.

Kuiper, 22, is a Netherlands-born mixed martial artist who fights out of the Gracie Barra Netherlands team. The Judo Black Belt made his professional MMA debut in February 2009 and has since won eleven straight fights, including 10 stoppages, while taking bouts in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. In his most recent fight, Kuiper picked up a TKO victory over Morris Cilfoni at Milano in the Cage last May. He has won nine straight fights due to early stoppages.

PREDICTION – NATAL SUBMISSION

Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson

Promotional rookies Dan Stittgen (7-1) and Stephen Thompson (5-0) will battle it out in a UFC 143 preliminary bout contest out of the welterweight division.

Stittgen, 31, is an Illinois-based mixed martial artist who fights out of the Midwest Training Center. “The Anvil” made his professional debut in 2009 and won his first four bouts fighting for regional promotions like Extreme Challenge, Total Fight Challenge, Fight Club Inc., and IFC. The 6’1” Stittgen lost his first official bout in January 2010 against TUF 13 veteran Justin Edwards at an IFC event. Since his lone career loss two years ago, Stittgen has rebounded to win three straight including an October majority decision over Mark Stoddard at a King of the Cage event.

Thompson is a South Carolina-based mixed martial artist who fights out of the Pitch Black MMA camp. “Wonderboy” made his professional debut in February 2010 and won his first two bouts via TKO, picked up a submission victory and won his last two bouts via unanimous decision. Four of his five victories have come for the South Carolina-based Fight Party promotion, although he has also fought for the Xtreme Chaos organization too. In his most recent fight, Thompson won a decision over Patrick Mandio at a Fight Party even this past October.

PREDICTION – STITTGEN SUBMISSION

Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope

Mixed Martial Arts journeyman Matt Brown (12-11) is in search of just his second win over his last six fights at UFC 143 when he meets TUF 13 competitor Chris Cope (5-2) in a preliminary card contest in a 170-pound bout.

Brown, 31, is an Ohio-born mixed martial artist who fights out of Washington at AMC MMA. Brown made his professional debut in 2005 and won 7 of his first 13 bouts fighting in regional competition prior to joining the UFC. He earned his way into the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter 7 where he was ousted in the quarterfinal round. Brown returned and picked up an important TUF 7 Finale victory over Matt Arroyo. Overall, Brown won four of his first five inside the UFC octagon defeating opponents Ryan Thomas, Pete Sell, and James Wilks in addition to Arroyo. Lately, Brown hasn’t had the same success losing four of his most recent five bouts. In his most recent fight this past November at UFC 139, Brown was submitted by TUF veteran Seth Baczynski.

Cope is a California-based mixed martial artist who fights out of San Diego with The Arena. “C-Murder” made his professional debut in 2007 and went on to win four of his first five while fighting in regional action across California as well as one bout for the Strikeforce organization. After earning a position on The Ultimate Fighter 13, Cope advanced to the semifinals where he lost against eventual winner Ramsey Nijem. Cope earned an official contract after defeating Chuck O’Neil by unanimous decision this past June at the TUF 13 Finale. In his follow-up bout this past November at UFC 138, Cope was knocked out via TKO against Che Mills.

PREDICTION – BROWN UNANIMOUS DECISION

Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa

The Ultimate Fighter 12 participant Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres (6-4) is trying to build off of his impressive win three months ago when he meets striking specialist Edwin Figueroa (8-1) at UFC 143 in a preliminary card bout that will be contested at 135-pounds.

Caceres, 23, is a Florida-based mixed martial artist who fights out of the Young Tigers Foundation. “Bruce Leroy” made his professional debut in 2008 and won five of his first seven while competing in regional promotions in Florida. After making an appearance on TUF 12, Caceres lost back to back bouts against Mackens Semerzier at UFC Fight Night 24 and against Jimy Hettes at UFC on VS 5 to begin his octagon career. In his most recent bout at UFC on FOX this past November, Caceres picked up his first octagon victory by taking a unanimous decision victory over Cole Escovedo.

Figueroa, 26, is a Texas-based mixed martial artist who has been fighting as a professional for over three years. Figueroa won his first seven bouts fighting in local Texas-based promotions. After early success in the mid-level promotions, Figueroa lost his UFC Fight Night 24 debut last March via decision against Michael McDonald. In his follow-up bout, Figueroa picked up a TKO finish over Jason Reinhardt at UFC on VS 5 last August.

PREDICTION – CACERES SUBMISSION

Matt Riddle vs. Jorge Lopez

The Ultimate Fighter 7 participant Matt Riddle (5-3) is trying to bust out of a mini-slump at UFC 143 when he meets striking specialist Jorge Lopez (11-2) in a preliminary card bout contested in the 170-pound division.

Riddle, 26, is a Pennsylvania-based mixed martial artist who fights out of Las Vegas, NV at the Throwdown Training Center. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt earned an opportunity to fight on The Ultimate Fighter 7 without any professional experience. After a quarterfinal round finish on TUF 7, Riddle picked up his first official victory in his TUF 7 Finale debut with a decision over Dante Rivera. Riddle won five of his first six inside the UFC octagon defeating the likes of Greg Soto and DaMarques Johnson. Riddle has fallen into somewhat of a slump losing back to back bouts. He dropped a UFC 124 bout in December 2010 against Sean Pierson and then lost another decision last September at UFC Fight Night 25 against Lance Benoist.

Lopez, 23, is a Las Vegas, Nevada-based mixed martial artist who fights out of the Wand Fight Team. Lopez made his professional debut in 2007 and won his professional debut. But, after dropping his second career bout, Lopez followed with ten consecutive victories to earn a UFC opportunity. Lopez lost his September 2011 UFC Fight Night 25 debut via decision against Justin Edwards. Over the course of his career, Lopez has earned victories over notables like Chidi Njokuani, Brent Cooper, and Waachim Spiritwolf while coming up through the regional circuit in Utah, Nevada, and California.

PREDICTION – RIDDLE DECISION

Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway

Featherweight contender Dustin Poirier (11-1) will try and secure a future title shot beginning with his featherweight bout against promotional rookie Max Holloway (4-0) on the preliminary card at UFC 143.

Poirier, 23, is a Louisiana-born mixed martial artist who fights out of Gladiator LA. Poirier made his professional debut in 2009 and won his first seven fights competing across Mississippi and Louisiana. After success on the regional circuit, Poirier made his way into the WEC and split a pair of bouts in 2010 for the company. His contract was transferred into the UFC in early-2011 and has since picked up three straight victories inside the octagon. This past November at UFC on FOX, Poirier submitted Pablo Garza for his third straight victory.

Holloway, 20, is a Hawaii-based mixed martial artist who fights out of Waianae. Holloway made his professional debut in September 2010 and won his first three fights while competing for the X-1 promotion. His most recent fight was a decision victory in the UIC promotion last July against Eddie Rincon. Holloway has three decision victories and one stoppage victory to his credit.

PREDICTION – POIRIER SUBMISSION

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Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks

The Ultimate Fighter 3 participant Ed “Short Fuse” Herman (19-7) will attempt to win his third straight fight at UFC 143 in a main card bout against fellow middleweight and undefeated prospect Clifford Starks (8-0).

Herman, 31, is a Washington born mixed martial artist who now fights out of Colorado with Team Quest. The well rounded Herman made his professional debut in 2002 and went on to win 13 of his first 15 bouts competing for notable promotions like Pancrase in Japan as well as Extreme Challenge in the United States. Herman made his name in the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter 3. Although he didn’t win the tournament, he did remain in the organization despite back to back losses to begin his octagon career. He rebounded from the back to back losses to win three straight victories which included two “Submission of the Night” and one “Knockout of the Night” bonus. Herman fell into a slump once again losing three of his next four bouts and falling on thin ice with the Zuffa-based company. “Short Fuse” is back on the rise after winning back to back bouts defeating Tim Credeur at the TUF 13 Finale and Kyle Noke at UFC on VS 5.

Starks, 30, is a California-born mixed martial artist who now fights out of Tempe, AZ with Arizona Combat Sports. The undefeated prospect made his professional debut in 2009 and won his first seven bouts competing mostly for the Arizona-based Rage in the Cage organization. In his most recent bout this past October at UFC 137, Starks kept his undefeated record intact with a unanimous decision victory over Dustin Jacoby.

PREDICTION – HERMAN SPLIT DECISION

Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Renan Barao (27-1, NC) brings a 28-bout unbeaten streak with him into his UFC 143 bantamweight bout against longtime WEC veteran Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen (13-4). This bout will be featured on the UFC 143 main card.

Barao, 24, is a Brazil native who fights out of the well-known Nova Uniao team in his native country. Barao made his professional debut in 2005 and lost his first official contest. Since that April 2005 defeat, Barao hasn’t been dealt another one going 28 straight without an “L” on his record. Barao was signed to the WEC organization after 25 bouts in 2010 and won back to back bouts defeating Anthony Leone and Chris Cariaso. After the WEC was absorbed into the UFC, Barao went over there and has since posted back to back bouts inside the octagon as well. He defeated Cole Escovedo at UFC 130 last May and submitted Brad Pickett at UFC 138 in November.

Jorgensen, 29, is a Utah-born mixed martial artist who fights out of Idaho with Combat Fitness. The former NCAA Division I wrestler made his professional debut in 2006 and won four of his first five fighting for Alaska FC, Ring of Fire, and Sho XC. He then joined the WEC roster in 2008 and fought ten times for the company over the next two plus years. After winning seven of ten for the WEC, Jorgensen was transferred into the UFC in 2011. Since signing with the UFC, Jorgensen has won back to back bouts defeating Ken Stone by KO at the TUF 13 Finale last June and defeating Jeff Curran at UFC 137 in October.

PREDICTION – BARAO SUBMISSION

Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce

Former #1 contender Josh “Kos” Koscheck (16-5) will look to score his second straight victory at UFC 143 when he meets striking specialist Mike Pierce (13-4) in a main card bout that will be contested at 170-pounds.

Koscheck, 34, is a Pennsylvania native who now fights out of California at American Kickboxing Academy. The former NCAA Division I wrestler made his MMA debut in 2004 and fought only twice before landing a position on The Ultimate Fighter. Although he didn’t win TUF 1, Koscheck did secure a spot in the organization after defeating Chris Sanford at the TUF Finale. Overall, Koscheck won seven of his first eight inside the octagon picking up wins over the likes of Pete Spratt, Jonathan Goulet, and Diego Sanchez. “Kos” also picked up KO victories over Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Frank Trigg eventually leading to his UFC 124 Welterweight Title Fight. Koscheck was handed a unanimous decision loss at UFC 124 against current title-holder George St. Pierre. Since losing in his only Championship bout, Koscheck rebounded to defeat legend Matt Hughes at UFC 135 last September.

Pierce, 31, is an Oregon native mixed martial artist who fights out of Team Quest. Also a former NCAA Division I wrestler, Pierce made his MMA debut in 2007 and won eight of his first ten competing for organizations like WEC and Gladiators Challenge to earn an opportunity inside the UFC’s octagon in 2009. Pierce defeated Brock Larson in his octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 19 before losing to Jon Fitch at UFC 107 in his follow-up bout. He eventually recovered from the loss to Fitch and picked up three straight victories over Julio Paulino, Amilcar Alves, and Kenny Robertson. Pierce suffered his second loss inside the octagon when Johnny Hendricks defeated him at the August 2011 UFC 137 event. Again he rebounded and defeated Paul Bradley by a tight split decision this past November at UFC on FOX.

PREDICTION – KOSCHECK UNANIMOUS DECISION

Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum

The Ultimate Fighter 10 winner Roy “Big Country” Nelson (16-6) will try and get him name back into Heavyweight Title-Contention at UFC 143 when he meets Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) in the co-main event.

Nelson, 35, is a Las Vegas-native who fights out of his own Team Country Club. “Big Country” made his professional debut in 2004 and won 13 of his first 17 while competing for organizations like Bodog Fight, Elite XC, and IFL. He held the IFL Heavyweight Championship for three bouts before the company dissolved in 2008. The grappling specialist earned his way into the UFC after winning TUF 10 Finale with a knockout of runner-up Brendan Schaub. Nelson made it two for two with a TKO victory over Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 21 in March 2010. His momentum came to an end after suffering back-to-back decision losses against both Junior dos Santos at UFC 117 and Frank Mir at UFC 130. Nelson likely saved his roster position this past October at UFC 137 with a TKO victory over Mirko Filipovic.

PREDICTION – WERDUM UNANIMOUS DECISION

UFC 143 Main Event - Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit

Former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz (26-7, NC) will challenge former WEC Welterweight Champ Carlos Condit (27-5) at the UFC 143 main event for the Interim Welterweight Championship.

Diaz, 28, is a California-native who fights out of the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu camp. The Stockton native made his professional debut in 2001 and won 7 of his first 9 official contests to earn an opportunity to fight inside the UFC in 2003. Diaz entered the octagon and won six of his ten bouts from 2003-2006 but left the organization and competed for Elite XC, Strikeforce, and DREAM for the next four years. After winning 11 of 13 for the aforementioned organizations, Diaz gave back his Strikeforce 170-pound belt and returned to the UFC in 2011. In his return to the UFC, Diaz defeated BJ Penn by unanimous decision this past October.

Condit, 27, is a New Mexico native who now fights out of Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque. “The Natural Born Killer” made his professional debut in 2002 and won 18 of his first 22 bouts competing on the regional circle for leagues such as Ring of Fire, Reality Fighting, and Rumble on the Rock, among others. Condit signed with the WEC in 2007 and won the vacant 170-pound title at WEC 26. He went on to defend that title three times before leaving to fight in the UFC welterweight division. Condit lost to Martin Kampmann in the UFC Fight Night 19 main event but has since rebounded to record victories in four consecutive bouts. In his latest fight, Condit knocked out Dong Hyun Kim with a flying knee KO at UFC 132 last July winning a “Knockout of the Night” bonus as well.

PREDICTION – DIAZ SPLIT DECISION

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer

UFC logo & fighter pictures used with permission from the Ultimate Fighting Championship