UFC Fight Night 19 Predictions

We're hot on the heels of one what may be the most hyped season of The Ultimate Fighter to date. The rivalry between Rampage and Rashad has been building, and the added x-factor of Kimbo Slice has to have whetted the tongues of even the most jaded MMA critic. Per the norm, UFC is having a fight night lead-in to the season premiere this coming Wednesday night, and with that I offer my main event predictions.

Nate Quarry vs. Tim Credeur. Credeur has lingered longer than most of us may have expected following his TUF over a year ago. He's currently on a three-fight win streak in the UFC, and is coming up against his toughest challenge to date. Nate Quarry is an MMA veteran, and has been working to rebound from his loss to Demian Maia last year. While Credeur has a 3" height advantage that may lead some to believe he'd be tough to wrestle to the ground, Quarry's last win over Jason MacDonald proved he has no problem taking on someone with such a height advantage. I'm going to go with experience here, as Quarry has only lost to top tier talent in the form of Maia and Rich Franklin in recent years. Quarry by TKO early in the second.

Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger. Ellenberger's UFC debut following an impressive KO at Bellator 11 pits him against the last WEC welterweight champion, Carlos Condit. Condit has an impressive track record, and at 25, his best years are probably still ahead of him. Ellenberger has potential, but hasn't proven himself against a recognizable talent. Condit shouldn't have the same trouble Chris Lytle would've provided before dropping out; he wins by TKO in the first round.

Gray Maynard vs. Roger Huerta. There are many who feel Diego Sanchez is receiving the title shot Gray Maynard or Frankie Edgar deserve. Thus far, Maynard has not been stopped in his young career, with only a single NC to his name. Coming into this fight following a 13-month layoff and contract dispute is Roger Huerta, Sports Illustrated cover boy and one-time sweetheart of the lightweight division. Despite wins over the likes of Clay Guida, Leonard Garcia and Jason Dent, Huerta has gone from first to worst in the hearts of many for his outspoken comments about his contract, and has made it clear this is his last MMA fight for the foreseeable future as he is ready to pursue a career in acting. This is the last fight on his contract, and even though he has an impressive record, I don't see him winning. Aside from Maynard's hot streak, I have to question Huerta's heart. His head clearly is not in MMA right now, and such an extensive hiatus from the cage is never good for any fighter. Maynard's been chalking up wins consistently for a while now, including two against Jim Miller and Rich Clementi in the time Huerta's been absent. Huerta's conditioning is always good, which is why I don't see him being finished. But Maynard is simply too dominant right now, resulting in a win by unanimous decision.

Nate Diaz vs. Melvin Guillard. This fight is intriguing as it sees two opponents riding juxtaposed streaks. Melvin Guillard has a three-fight win streak including two in the Octagon. Meanwhile, TUF Season 5 winner Nate Diaz is coming off two disappointing decision losses. He needs a win badly to keep his name in the lightweight fold, and this may be one of his last chances. While Guillard is on a hot streak, the caliber of opponents he's defeated pale in comparison to the names Diaz has lost to. No one expected him to be facing off against a revitalized Joe Stevenson in his last fight. In all honesty, Stevenson looked like a completely different fighter compared to his previous three outings. As for Clay Guida, what else did you expect besides the tenacity and roughhouse style he's come to employ? That loss didn't surprise me, nor anyone for that matter. Additionally, Guillard has shown a lot of trouble dealing with submission specialists. His 2007 loss to Rich Clementi is proof of that. In fact, six of the seven losses on his record are by submission. Unless he's really polished his ground game, this spells trouble for him against Diaz. I smell a rebound for the younger Diaz brother by way of triangle choke mid-way through the first.

TUF Heavyweights Thoughts. It wouldn't be a season of The Ultimate Fighter without some expectations and controversy. I'll say this much: I liked last season's lowered emphasis on pranks and household drama, counteracted by a heightened focus on the fights themselves. That said, I wasn't impressed with most of the contestants. This season, I expect a lot to change. Making this a heavyweights-only season offers the chance to see some interesting fights. I expect more knockouts than in the last few years, just because these are some heavy hitters. Not only that, but the mix of MMA veterans and former NFL players should make for some very, very interesting in-house confrontations.

Speaking of confrontations, the choices for coaches this year are the best since Serra and Hughes. While reality TV bullshit is best limited amongst the fighters, you can never go wrong with two coaches who have a genuine beef with one another. This was evident with Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. While I liked the fact that Forrest Griffin and Rampage had a mutual respect for one another that led to few altercations, and I appreciate the quiet nature exhibited by Dan Henderson, the coaches' interaction with one another is one of the things that makes the show so much fun to watch. When I heard Rampage and Rashad were the coaches, I instantly knew this would be the best season in years.

Then I heard about Kimbo.

What can I say? I don't think much of the man as a fighter, and I don't expect him to win. He's a lightning rod for controversy and probably won't be welcomed very warmly by many of the fighters in the house. And you can bet he'll have some choice words for Dana either to his face or to the camera. I didn't expect him to take White up on his offer to compete for the contract, but I'll give him credit for showing up. I also think Zuffa has been very, very smart to use him in its marketing. Like it or not, the man was part of the highest rated televised MMA event in history. Including him will undoubtedly spike (no pun intended) the ratings.

That said, I pick Roy Nelson to win it all. The guy has proven himself, and I see him being a great addition to UFC's growing heavyweight roster. I'm looking forward to watching this season.