Wednesday night's UFC on Fuel TV event will kick off with a bantamweight tilt that aligns TUF 14 runner-up T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson.

Dillashaw (4-1), a Team Alpha Male rep, was a strong candidate to win season fourteen of TUF but was the victim of a questionable stoppage against the lightning quick John Dodson in the finals. Early in the first, Dillashaw digested a stiff left hand and immediately dropped to his knees. His initial recovery was unconvincing, as he wobbled and lost his footing again while trying to stand, and Dodson pounced with punches to elicit the TKO stoppage. However, it did seem that Dillashaw was cogent and intelligently defending when Herb Dean pulled Dodson off of him.

Having carried an undefeated, four-fight sequence into the reality show with two submissions, one TKO and one decision, the bitter loss was Dillashaw's first. Pre-MMA, he was a D1 wrestler at Cal State Fullerton University and notched a fourth-place Pac-10 finish in his last two years. Dillashaw scored an impressive TKO in the elimination match over former King of the Cage bantamweight champ Matt Jaggers, then advanced to the finals with a rear-naked choke on Roland Delorme and a decision over Dustin Pague.

Walel "The Gazelle" Watson (9-3) clocks in as the tallest bantamweight on the roster (5'11") and has a perilous reach length (75"). After dropping his first professional contest, Watson won eight of his next nine and finished each victory (five in the first frame) to get the call from the UFC. In his Octagon debut on the UFC Live 6 card, he held true to form with a first-round knockout of Joseph Sandoval, sparked by a precisely accurate and perfectly timed head kick.

Watson took quite a leap in competition in his follow-up bout at UFC 140, facing Yves Jabouin, the vicious Haitian striker, who has roughly three-times the experience. Though Watson was a little tentative at first and struggled with Jabouin's quickness, he eventually found his range and his confidence seemed to grow as the fight progressed. Despite losing a razor-thin split decision, Watson unveiled a slithering and surprisingly competent ground game to match his adept striking.

Gifs and analysis in the full entry.

SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV

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Wednesday, February 15th marks the UFC on Fuel TV event from Omaha, Nebraska. Hometown welterweight Jake Ellenberger meets Diego Sanchez in the headliner and heavyweights Stefan Struve and Dave Herman assume the co-main slot.

The main card festivities begin at 8 p.m. ET and will be preceded by a five-fight preliminary lineup that will stream on the UFC's Facebook page. The lower-echelon of the undercard is once again punctuated by new names and fresh talent:

Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert
Jonathan Brookins vs. Vagner Rocha
Buddy Roberts vs. Sean Loeffler
Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas
Tim Means vs. Bernardo Magalhaes

Ivan Menjivar (23-8) vs. John Albert (7-1)

Bantamweights will captain the undercard, as veteran Ivan Menjivar meets TUF 14 entry John "Prince" Albert. On the show, Albert submitted his way into the house but fell short by decision to eventual winner John Dodson. He carried a 6-1 record into the competition and thoroughly dominated Dustin Pague at the live finale for his seventh and most significant victory.

Menjivar has over a decade of experience under his belt against esteemed competition, most of which was contested at lightweight. Each of his eight career defeats were dealt by highly reputable opposition and he's only been finished twice with welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre responsible for one (TKO in 2002). Shortly after incurring back to back losses -- the first to Caol Uno in the Hero's 2006 Lightweight Grand Prix, the second a split decision to Bart Palaszewski in the IFL -- Menjivar disappeared for a few years and then re-emerged in the WEC as a bantamweight.

He lost a unanimous decision to the feisty Brad Pickett at WEC 53, but reinvigorated his reputation with a rousing TKO of Charlie Valencia in his Octagon debut that was ignited by a brutal horizontal elbow in the clinch. In his last foray, Menjivar took on Nick Pace at UFC 133 and survived the rising phenom's third-round comeback to notch a unanimous decision, though "The Pride of El Salvador" missed weight and the bout was contested at a catchweight of 138-pounds.

Gifs and analysis in the full entry.

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Finally, it seems that the most talked-about grudge match in MMA over the last year is finally going to come together. Former training partners Jon Jones and Rashad Evans are scheduled to meet for the UFC light heavyweight title in the main event on UFC 145, which takes place on April 21st from Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA. The card also features two big heavyweight bouts, with Brendan Schaub taking on Ben Rothwell, and Chad Griggs making his UFC debut against Travis Browne. Check out the current card below:

Apr 21st, live on pay-per-view from Atlanta, GA:

Jon Jones (15-1) vs. Rashad Evans (17-1-1)

Rory MacDonald (12-1) vs. Che Mills (14-4)

Michael McDonald (14-1) vs. Miguel Torres (40-4)

Brendan Schaub (8-2) vs. Ben Rothwell (31-8)

Chad Griggs (11-1) vs. Travis Browne (12-0-1)

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Main Card:

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The Event

• UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit Wins Interim Welterweight Title Over Nick Diaz In Thrilling Affair - Tim Burke
• UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV Main Card - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC 143 Results: Fabricio Werdum Beats Up Roy Nelson, Takes Unanimous Decision - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results: Josh Koscheck Picks Up Razor-Thin Split Decision Victory Over Mike Pierce - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results: Renan Barao Takes Unanimous Decision Over Scott Jorgensen - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Submits Clifford Starks In Round Two - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results: Dustin Poirier Submits Max Holloway - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results: Edwin Figueroa Beats Alex Cacares By Split Decision In Weird Fight - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results: Matt Brown Stops Chris Cope In The Second Round - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results: Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results: Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke

Multi-Media

• Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 132: UFC 143 Results Review - Matt Bishop
• UFC 143 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
• UFC 143 Results Video: Dana White Talks Condit Vs. Diaz, Koscheck Vs. Fitch, More At Post-Fight Scrum - Kid Nate
• UFC 143 Results: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Event Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena
• UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz Full Fight Video Highlights - Brent Brookhouse

Analysis & Aftermath

• UFC 143 Results: Dana White Talks Carlos Condit's Next Fight, Nick Diaz' Retirement - Josh Nason
• UFC 143 Results: Mike Pierce Tolls A Warning Bell For Josh Koscheck Like He Did For Jon Fitch - Kid Nate
• UFC 143 Results: The Career Of UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit - Fraser Coffeen
• UFC 143 Results: Sunday Morning Perspective - T.P. Grant
• UFC 143 Results: Does Fabricio Werdum's Mauling Of Roy Nelson Mean He's Ready To Contend In The UFC? - Kid Nate
• UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit, Gameplanning And The MMA Fan - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC 143 Results: Carlos Condit And Greg Jackson Solved Nick Diaz - Kid Nate
• UFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth
• UFC 143 Results: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum And Nelson Take Home $65,000 Fight Night Bonuses - Kid Nate
• UFC 143: Diaz Vs. Condit Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse
• UFC 143 Results: Judges' Score Cards From Carlos Condit Vs. Nick Diaz - Kid Nate
• Nick Diaz: 'I'm Outta This S**t', Retires From MMA After UFC 143 Loss To Carlos Condit - Kid Nate

In the main event of UFC 143, Carlos Condit stuck to a very intelligent gameplan and picked up the UFC interim welterweight title by defeating Nick Diaz by unanimous decision. The scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. The bout was closer than the scores made it appear, with Diaz having a case for winning three of the five rounds. Fans have been bitterly divided over the opinion of Condit's gameplan, which involved him landing strikes and circling away from being cornered by an oncoming Diaz. Either way, it's impossible to deny that the gameplan was effective.

The first two rounds were close, with Diaz coming forward and landing strikes while Condit threw leg kicks and avoided damage. Condit seemed to pull ahead in the third and particularly the fourth, while a visibly frustrated Diaz started throwing less strikes. Condit was controlling the fifth as well until late in the round when Diaz managed to get his back, lock up a body triangle, and attempted to submit Condit. "The Natural Born Killer" held Diaz off until the final bell though, and claimed the decision

What was the high spot of this fight?

Probably either Diaz trash-talking Condit in round two, or Nick's back control and attempted subs in the final stanza.

Where do these guys go from here?

Whether you were a fan of his style or not, Condit is now the UFC interim welterweight champion. He has two choices - he can wait until Georges St. Pierre is healthy (likely in the fall) and unify the titles in a bout with the current champion. Or, he can choose to defend his interim title in the meantime. A rematch with Diaz would be a possibility, along with bouts with Josh Koscheck or the winner of Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez.

Diaz announced his retirement after the bout, believing he had won decisively and showing his disgust with the final scores. Whether Diaz goes through with that remains to be seen, but it doesn't seem likely. A rematch with Condit is a possibility, as is a next bout with Josh Koscheck or a whole host of top contenders. Will we see Diaz in the octagon again? My guess would be a definitive yes.

Watch it now, later or never?

Now. While it wasn't even close to what people expected excitement-wise, watching Condit implement his gameplan and frustrate Diaz has to be seen to be believed. Plus, you can decide for yourself whether Diaz has a legitimate gripe regarding the scoring or not.

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In the co-main event of UFC 143, Fabricio Werdum battered Roy Nelson around the cage for three round and picked up a unanimous decision victory. All three judges had it 30-27 for Vai Cavalo. Werdum's muay thai was on point all night, and he landed a gaggle of solid punches and knees from the thai clinch. He opened a large cut on Nelson's face in the first round with a knee and just kept going from there. Nelson landed his big right had a couple of time and staggered Werdum at least once, but was unable to capitalize on it. He did manage to cement his image as a fighter with an iron chin, though.

The bout was Werdum's first in the UFC in over three years, and he returned in style. He immediately positioned himself as a top contender in the division, and will likely get a top-five opponent in his next bout. Meanwhile, Nelson has lost three out of his last four (all against top guys) and while his slimmed-down physique has helped his cardio a bit, UFC president Dana White still wants Nelson to move down to 205.

What was the high spot of this fight?

The first-round knee that bent Nelson's nose sideways and opened up a large cut.

Where do these guys go from here?

Werdum looked extremely impressive against Nelson, and it was his best performance since his submission victory over Fedor Emelianenko. As stated above, he will be a contender for the UFC heavyweight title right away. A bout against former champions Cain Velasquez or Frank Mir could definitely be in his future.

It's tough to see where Nelson goes from here. It's clear that he doesn't have the tool to be an elite heavyweight, but will he be satisfied with a gatekeeper role? Despite the push from many to get Big Country to drop to 205, it doesn't seem to be a likely scenario for a 35-year-old with somewhat limited standup. A bout with the winner of the Ben Rothwell vs. Brendan Schaub matchup (Nelson defeated Schaub to win TUF 10) could be a good fit.

Watch it now, later or never?

Now. I was tempted to go with later because it went to decision, but Werdum put an epic beating on Nelson for 15 minutes and it was pretty entertaining. Plus, it won fight of the night.

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In the third bout of the UFC 143 main card, Josh Koscheck didn't look great but he managed to squeak out a split decision victory over a game Mike Pierce. Pierce outstruck Kos over the course of the fight, but Josh used timely takedowns and a few power shots to get the razor-thin victory. While some people were screaming robbery, the fight just came down to an extremely close second round that honestly could have gone either way. The final scores were 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 in favor of Koscheck.

The bout sets up Koscheck for a possible shot at interim champ Carlos Condit (who he was originally scheduled to meet on this card) if Condit chooses to defend his title before Georges St. Pierre returns from injury. One of the biggest pieces of news in terms of Kos came after the fight though, when he stated that he had left American Kickboxing Academy. Pierce can't seem to get over the hump when he faces top-level opponents, and where he goes from here is somewhat unclear.

What was the high spot of this fight?

It was a battle of grinders, and not a lot was going on. The most interesting part was probably when Koscheck poked Pierce in the eye after receiving an earlier warning, but referee Herb Dean elected not to take a point from him. It ended up making a big difference on the outcome.

Where do these guys go from here?

Koscheck didn't look very good at all, but he picked up the W anyway. He has now won two straight bouts since his return from a long orbital injury layoff, and has re-established himself as a top contender. Could he get a shot at Condit's interim belt? Maybe. Now that he has left AKA, the possibility of a Josh Koscheck vs. Jon Fitch fight was floated as well, but seems unlikely. A bout with Nick Diaz (if doesn't choose retirement) is a definite possibility as well.

Pierce is now 5-3 in the UFC, with all his losses being in close fights with top-shelf talent. He is clearly a guy that can give almost any 170 pounder fits, but a combination of some bad luck and coming up a tiny bit short has slowed his ascent in the division. A bout with former training partner Rick Story would be very interesting and the bad blood would definitely add some flavor to the matchup.

Watch it now, later or never?

Never. Koscheck's post fight speech (where he flipped off the crowd) was the only entertaining thing that happened.

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