Dirty Jerz is What I Preferz

The UFC has prepared an excellent night of brain-rattling, bone-shattering fun set to take place in beautiful Newark, New Jersey.

I'm a Jersey native myself - born and raised. When I was 16 years old I went to my first MMA event, UFC 41 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. I was amazed.

This Saturday the UFC has lined up an impressive stable of fighters for our viewing pleasure. Lets take a look at the card.

Nate Diaz vs Rory Markham
Diaz (11-5) is coming off a split decision loss to Gray Maynard in January. With a 6-3 UFC record Nasty Nate has stayed active but dropped a few in recent memory. Diaz is tough and has only been finished once in his career, an armbar from Hermes Franca.

Rory Markham (16-5) is coming off a knockout loss to welterweight contender Dan Hardy in February. Markham, a Militech trained fighter, is durable and hard-nosed - no surprise there. He can bang on the feet and has shown the willingness to trade.

My Prediction: Both fighters will trade early. Diaz using his boxing and reach to beat Markham to the punch. When Rory closes the distance, watch for Nate to throw him hard, transition smoothly on the ground and attach with submissions. I think Markham's conditioning won't be good enough to mount enough offense to pick up the win. Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision.

Ricardo Almeida vs Matt Brown

Almeida (11-3) is 3-1 since returning to the UFC in 2008. He is on a two fight win streak (both decision victories) and is looking to stake his claim at 185 with a win over the dangerous Matt Brown. To prepare for Brown, Almeida has been training alongside Renzo Gracie, Frankie Edgar, Kenny Florian and Georges St. Pierre.

Matt Brown (11-7) is 4-1 since joining the UFC, he has finished all of his opponents in impressive fashion. Brown's ability to push the pace may be his biggest asset, but only if he can lure Almeida into a fire fight.

My Prediction: When the fight hits the mat look for Almeida, the Renzo Gracie black belt, to put forth an offensive clinic stringing together submissions until Brown makes a mistake and Almeida can capitalize. Ricardo Almeida by Guillotine, Rd. 2

Jim Miller vs Mark Bocek

Jim Miller (16-2) training out of AMA, Jim is 5-1 in the UFC - his only loss coming at the hands of Gray Maynard. With twelve of his wins being finishes, Miller has real potential. A win of Bocek would be another nice addition to his hit list.

Bocek (8-2) is also riding a three fight win streak into this bout. He is slick on the mat with six of his victories being submissions. A win over the former IFL champ, Miller, would seriously improve his resume.

My prediction: Miller will stifle Bocek's ground game with sound wrestling if the fight hits the mat. Watch for crisp boxing from Miller. Once he smells blood in the water, Miller will close in for the kill. Jim Miller by TKO, Rd. 2

Jake Ellenberger vs Ben Saunders

Ellenberger is a great wrestler with lightning fast hands. He rebounded from the loss to Carlos Condit with a devastating TKO win over Mike Pyle. Watch Ellenberger mix up combinations with powerful takedowns.

Ben Saunders (8-1-2) is a scary man. Saunders throws everything with the worst intentions and has been able to utilize his reach to pick apart his opponents. He is also coming off a beautiful win, a knockout of Marcus Davis. Before that, Mike Swick took out Saunders, using speed to beat him.

My prediction: Jake Ellenberger must use his speed or else. If he makes quick work of the striking exchanges - moving in, letting his hands go, and moving out quick - he may have what it takes to beat Saunders. Unfortunately, I think Saunders is too hungry for this one. Ben Saunders by KO, Rd 2.

Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alves

Everyone loves a good rematch. Four years in the making and both fighters have improved drastically. Fitch (21-3) hasn't finished a fight since 2007 when he choked out Roan Carneiro. Since losing to GSP, he was earned three straight victories but all have gone the distance.

Thiago Alves on the other hand is fresh off a loss to St. Pierre. He took the fight the distance but was simply outclassed by GSP. If he can get back the Pitbull mentality and bring the ruckus to Fitch we may have a Fight of the Night candidate on our hands.

My prediction: Alves attacks with everything he's got. Fitch won't play into Thiago's game plan, but that won't be enough. Look for Fitch to use his wrestling to try and take Alves to the mat. After a failed Fitch takedown attempt, Alves lets loose and earns the knockout. Thiago Alves by Knockout, Rd. 2

Frank Mir vs Shane Carwin (Interim Heavyweight Title bout)

Respectively ranked the No. 3 and No. 9 heavyweights, this fight will meet the expectations. Mir (13-4) is dangerous on the mat. His stand up has improved and some powerful punches should be on display, especially with the added muscle he has put on. If his can last through the initial onslaught, we may see holes in Carwin's game exposed.

Shane Carwin (11-0) is a beast with 11 knockouts in the first round. Although the majority of his fights haven't come against top competition, his last win speaks for his potential. After being wobbled by Gonzaga, he fired back and knocked out the former title contender with a short punch. Imagine what he can do with room for that shot to accelerate.

My prediction: It's a tought call to make. Part of me would like to see Mir pull it off and get another shot at Lesnar...mailing for the hype. But another part of me wants to see Carwin/Lesnar. I expect heavy punches early from Carwin and Mir to trade. With 250 lb athletes and four ounce gloves, someone is going down. I like Carwin in this one. He will put on a show. Shane Carwin by TKO, Rd. 1

Georges St. Pierre vs Dan Hardy (Welterweight Title bout)

There has been a lot of talk leading up to this clash. But the time for talk is over. St. Pierre (19-2) dictates the pace of fights, taking down opponents down when he so chooses and picking them apart on the feet. To put it simply, he is dominant. He has enlisted a stellar stable of training partners leading up to this bout and claims to have made great strides since the Alves fight. But he needs to back up that talk and that training or it means nothing.

Dan Hardy (23-6) stands out thanks to a signature red Mohawk and heavy hands. His last two fights has gone the distance and he's proven that he can last 15 minutes, but the championship rounds are what separates the best from the rest. The question is whether or not he is willing to put himself out there to hurt the UFC golden boy. The risk is an embarrassing loss, but the reward is toppling the welterweight king.

My prediction: St. Pierre has the edge everywhere. He will push the pace and Hardy won't be able to keep up. Barring the possibility of a flashy St. Pierre getting caught, I think we see another dominant title defense from the champ. Georges will put him on his back, rough him up with elbows and make him want to quit. After two rounds of pummeling Hardy on the ground, Georges finds a his range on the feet and batters Hardy with combinations. "The Outlaw" will be looking for a way out and a St. Pierre body kick will be the beginning of the end. Georges St. Pierre by TKO, Rd. 3

Tune into Spike on Saturday for the prelims and be sure to check back Saturday night for results from the event.