UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Results

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Main Card
Carlos Condit def. Nick Diaz via unanimous decision
Fabricio Werdum def. Roy Nelson via unanimous decision
Josh Koscheck def. Mike Pierce via split decision
Renan Barao def. Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision
Ed Herman def. Clifford Starks via rear-naked choke

Undercard
Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway via submission (triangle/armbar)
Edwin Figueroa def. Alex Caceres via split decision
Matt Brown def. Chris Cope via second-round TKO
Matt Riddle def. Henry Martinez via split decision
Rafael Natal def. Michael Kuiper via unanimous decision
Stephen Thompson def. Dan Stittgen via first-round KO

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Ed Herman Beats Clifford Starks

In the first pay-per-view fight of Saturday night's UFC 143 card, Clifford Starks fought Ed Herman in a middleweight bout. For Herman, it was his third consecutive win after missing nearly two years with a knee injury. For Starks, it was the first loss of his MMA career.

"He was laying some good right hands on me. Fortunately I've got a good chin because he hit me hard a few times," Herman said. "When I started attacking with the choke I didn't feel him fighting it so I kept going and thankfully got the finish."

The first round was fairly even, with Starks and Herman clinching against the cage early and going to the ground late, and neither man gaining much of an advantage. Starks appeared to land the harder punches and probably deserved to win the round.

But at the start of the second round Herman did exactly what he needed to do, throwing Starks on the ground and getting into side control, then transitioning into full mount before taking Starks' back and sinking in the rear-naked choke to force Starks to tap.

Herman improves his professional MMA record to 20-8, and he's been looking great since returning from that injury. Short Fuse is back.

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Renan Barao Beats Scott Jorgensen

Earning the most impressive victory of his lengthy MMA career, Renan Barao defeated Scott Jorgensen by unanimous decision in a bantamweight fight at UFC 143. The fight extended Barao's winning streak to a whopping 28 and handed Jorgensen a tough loss. Barao looks like a future title contender.

All three judges scored it 30-27 for Barao.

In the first round Barao's striking seemed to be frustrating Jorgensen, with spinning back kicks backing Jorgensen up. In the second round Jorgensen finally succeeded in getting the fight to the ground by pulling Barao into his guard, but Barao was just fine on the ground and got back up and out-struck Jorgensen on his feet. In the third it was all standing, and that meant it was right where Barao wanted it, as he cruised to a victory.

Although the bantamweight belt will be on hold until the end of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, which will be coached by champion Dominick Cruz and No. 1 contender Urijah Faber, Barao looks like a future bantamweight title contender.

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Josh Koscheck Beats Mike Pierce

A close and even 15-minute fight between Josh Koscheck and Mike Pierce ended up a split decision at UFC 143 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, with Koscheck coming out just barely on top.

One judge scored it 29-28 Pierce while two scored it 29-28 for Koscheck. The fans loudly booed the decision, leading Koscheck to label himself "the most hated man in MMA" afterward. Koscheck told the fans they need to deal with it, because he came out the winner.

"Mike Pierce is a tough guy, man," Koscheck said. "I knew that coming into this fight."

The first round was close to even, as Koscheck and Pierce spent much of the round clinching with each other against the fence without a lot of action, and once they separated and started throwing punches they landed about evenly. The second round was close as well, with both men landing some punches and Koscheck getting a takedown but not doing a lot with it. An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on Pierce's forehead, and Koscheck was warned by referee Herb Dean to close his fist because his fingers were getting too close to Pierce's eyes.

The third round was a close contest, with a lot of clinching and the striking about even. Koscheck poked Pierce in the eye at one point and easily could have had a point deducted because Dean had already warned him. However, Dean simply warned Koscheck a second time, rather than taking a point away. If Dean had deducted a point, it would have been a majority draw. But Koscheck ended up getting the win and improving his record to 17-5. Pierce falls to 13-5.

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Fabricio Werdum Beats Roy Nelson

Fabricio Werdum dominated Roy "Big Country" Nelson for 15 minutes in a heavyweight battle at UFC 143 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Although Nelson was game, Werdum was simply too much for him. Werdum was favored, but the biggest surprise in the fight was how easily Werdum won the stand-up battle: His muay Thai striking looked tremendous.

All three of the judges scored it 30-27 for Werdum.

"I know Roy Nelson is a very tough guy," Werdum said afterward. "Just wait until the next fight."

Early in the first round they went to the ground and Werdum got Nelson's back, and it looked like Werdum might win by quick submission. But Nelson did a good job of getting free and getting back to his feet. Unfortunately for Nelson, from there Werdum turned Nelson's nose into a bloody mess with some huge knees to the face from a Thai clinch. Nelson deserves credit for just making it out of the first, but it was a round Werdum won handily.

In the second round Nelson did better, landing some overhand rights and starting to feel himself standing up, although Werdum also connected with more knees and kicks and probably did enough to win a closer second round.

At the start of the third Nelson actually attempted a standing guillotine choke, but it was clear that Werdum wasn't going to tap, and once he broke free of that he continued to control the fight standing up.

It was Werdum's first fight in the UFC since he lost to Junior dos Santos in October of 2008, and it was a very impressive performance. He showed that he's one of the top heavyweights in the world.

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Carlos Condit Beats Nick Diaz

The UFC has a new interim welterweight champion: Carlos Condit, who won a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143.

After 25 minutes of action inside the Octagon, Carlos Condit defeated Nick Diaz in a hard-fought unanimous decision at UFC 143. The victory earns Condit the UFC interim welterweight champion and the right to face No. 1 welterweight Georges St. Pierre, who is recuperating from a knee injury and expected to return late this year.

The judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Condit.

"Hats off to Nick Diaz," Condit said afterward. "He's a warrior. I've got nothing but admiration and respect for how he fights."
Diaz was so unhappy with the decision that he said afterward he might retire from the sport.

"That ain't right," Diaz said. "I pushed him back the whole fight. ... I think I'm done with this MMA. ... I don't need this s--t."

In a very close first round, both men took some time feeling each other out and then they proceeded to engage in a tough and even kickboxing exchange, with the fight never going to the ground and neither man wanting to take it there. Diaz appeared to be more comfortable with the pace of the fight as the first round ended.

In the second round it became more Diaz's fight, as he began to land more of his trademark high-volume punching. He also started to do more of his taunting. In his corner after the round, Condit's coach Greg Jackson said, "Don't fall for it when he's talking to you," apparently concerned that Condit was getting sucked into Diaz's fight.

In the third Condit began to make it more his own fight, mixing knees and elbows in with his punches and kicks and diversifying his striking. But Diaz landed some hard punches as well in a very competitive, exciting round that was just heating up after five minutes.

Condit was coming alive in the fourth round, landing good solid shots and maintaining just as active a pace as Diaz. The fourth was a very good round for Condit, who had to feel good about his chances heading into the fifth.

And at the start of the fifth Condit looked great, and Diaz looked like he was wearing down. However, as the fifth went on Diaz got a second wind, and in the final minute of the fifth round Diaz took Condit down and took his back. Diaz wrapped Condit up in a body triangle and nearly sunk in a rear-naked choke, but Condit managed to pull free just before the fight came to an end, and the judges decided that Condit had won it.

And now Condit will prepare to face St. Pierre.

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UFC 143 Bonuses: Werdum, Nelson, Poirier, Thompson Win Awards

Fabricio Werdum, Roy Nelson, Dustin Poirier and Stephen Thompson won post-fight bonuses for their outstanding performances Saturday at UFC 143 in Las Vegas.

Each award winner took home an extra $65,000 in addition to their respective fight purse.

In the heavyweight featured bout declared by the UFC as the Fight of the Night, the two-time ADCC grappling champion Werdum displayed improved standup, battering TUF 10 winner Nelson through three rounds for the unanimous decision on scores of 30-27 across the board. Werdum bloodied Nelson's face most notably with a barrage of knees from the Muay Thai clinch.

Werdum, who was making his UFC return, has now won four of his last five fights.

Poirier's mounted triangle-armbar beat out Ed Herman's rear-naked choke for Submission of the Night. Poirier slapped on an armbar off his back, transitioned to a triangle choke and then held the hold in mount position. From there, Poirier straightened Max Holloway's arm for the tap out at three minutes and 23 seconds of the first round. Herman was the only other fighter on the card with a submission victory.

With a perfect 56-0 kickboxing background, there was quite a bit of hype for Thompson as he headed towards his UFC debut against Dan Stittgen. Thompson lived up to the hype with a karate-style head kick knockout at four minutes and 13 seconds.

According to the UFC, 10,040 attended the event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center for a gate of $2.3 million.

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Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Fight Video Highlights

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Matt Brown Goes Back to His Roots With Knockout Victory

UFC welterweight Matt Brown got back on the winning track with a knockout victory over fellow 'The Ultimate Fighter alum' Chris Cope at UFC 143 on Saturday night. In this interview below, Riddle suggests he was pleased overall with his performance, but contends he could've been more efficient in specific aspects of his game like setting up his jab. Brown also followed up on what he told UFC commentator Joe Rogan regarding him bringing back his "old style"and much more.

http://assets.mmafighting.vid.io/4b3...689432aed6.mp4

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Matt Riddle Happy to Please His Employers With Brawls

After his UFC 143 win over Henry Martinez, Matt Riddle spoke to MMA Fighting about his elation at breaking his losing streak, why he believes the jab he established convinced the judges to give him the ground, how the game plan changed because of Henry Ramirez's height and why he'd rather be in brawls and please his employers when he competes even if that means taking a loss.

http://assets.mmafighting.vid.io/aff...bb3839cc13.mp4

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Josh Koscheck Admits He Had 'No Motivation' for Mike Pierce Fight

Watch below as Josh Koscheck spoke to MMA Fighting after his UFC 143 unanimous decision win over Mike Pierce. Koscheck discusses why he deserved to get the nod from the judges, why he felt he fought at "25 or 30 percent," the pace of the fight and much more.

http://assets.mmafighting.vid.io/769...af4203e79c.mp4

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Dana White Believes Carlos Condit Deserved to Win UFC 143 Main Event

Watch below as Dana White talks about UFC 143, why he thinks Carlos Condit deserved to win the main event, his thoughts on Nick Diaz's retirement, Fabricio Werdum's impressive win and his take on the Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce fight.

http://assets.mmafighting.vid.io/9a8...7473bd953c.mp4

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Carlos Condit Believes He Won First Four Rounds Against Nick Diaz

Watch below as Carlos Condit talks about his UFC 143 win over Nick Diaz, why he deserved to win, his performance and what's next for him.

http://assets.mmafighting.vid.io/9eb...64a3105278.mp4

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