This UFC on Fox show is a big picture show. In pro wrestling, if you were to book the winners, you’d have Rashad Evans beat Phil Davis to set up his big fight with Jon Bones Jones. You’d also have Chael Sonnen slaughter Michael Bisping to set up his big fight with Anderson Silva. But it doesn’t always happen the way you want it to. The UFC has taken a risk in making both of these fights. If Davis and Bisping have an upset state of mind, those big fights become smaller fights and hurt the UFC’s bottom line. But that’s why this sport is so great. Anything can happen.

Curt Menafee says this is the first of four UFC shows on Fox this year. Well, at least if the shows bring in solid ratings or no one is violently hurt.

Menafee, Randy Couture, and Jon Jones are on the panel for the pre-game stuff. Menafee says that if Evans wins, he gets Jones at UFC 145 in Atlanta.

1. Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia

You have a good wrestler and a great jiu-jitsu guy. Of course the first round is nearly all on the feet. Earlier, Maia seemed to be getting the best of it, but later in the round, Weidman was much more comfortable. Maia is telegraphing his right hand and Weidman was able to avoid it mostly. But Maia did land some nice knees. Weidman was varied with his kicks and punches. Weidman also got a takedown late.

Weidman had an early takedown and he fell immediately into side control. Weidman was tired for most of it and Maia was able to outstrike him, but not in any significant way. Pretty boring round until Weidman was able to secure another takedown and was working for Maia’s back. I think that last takedown and attempt toward submission may have secured him the round.

Maia is also tired and the third round suffered because of sloppiness. Maia was so tired that he went for a takedown, Weidman sprawled and Maia face planted. This isn’t necessarily the kind of fight that’s going to keep an audience. With Weidman having to cut so much weight, it was ripe for the taking for Maia and he just looks absurdly tired. I’d give the fight to Weidman simply because he closed rounds better and fought a smarter tactical fight than Maia did.

Winner: Chris Weidman by way of split decision

The scores were 29-28 once for Maia and the same twice for Weidman.

Bisping called Sonnen the UFC’s court jester. Sonnen cut a Saturday Night’s Main Event-like promo and said that fighting Chael Sonnen is hazardous to your health.

2. Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen

Very active first round. Sonnen was all over Bisping early on and Bisping was on his heels. He took him down seconds into the fight, but wasn’t able to keep him down. Bisping looked flustered, but figured him out. Bisping’s striking was crisp while Sonnen’s was wild. Sonnen’s stand-up was so wild that it looked like he was going to conk Bisping in the head when he missed his left hand.
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I wonder if we’ll get more than 5 minutes of Nick Diaz this week?

Diaz says he started doing jiu-jitsu when he was about 15 or 16 and that’s when he met his MMA coach. He dropped out of school at the age of 16 to go into MMA full-time.

His Sambo coach said that he has his own drive and you don’t need to tell him to do things like run. Steve Heath, his MMA coach says that Diaz doesn’t have an off switch. He’s always training. He does marathon’s for fun.

Carlos Condit says that if he wasn’t a fighter, he’d be in the military and says that he’s a warrior. He loves shooting guns.

The Condits get together for family meals with 30 or 40 cousins. His dad says that when he gets closer to fight time, you see the happy Carlos less and less in favor of the determined Carlos.

The Diaz brothers are instructors at their gym. Imagine Nick and Nate instructing your kids in MMA. Nate says that Nick is his life coach. It seems like Nick can love his brother like he does because he can trust him.

Georges St. Pierre says he prays every night that Nick Diaz beats Carlos Condit so he can fight him when he’s healthy. GSP says that Diaz isn’t really crazy and that’s a fake crazy. GSP says he’s probably been in more street fights than Nick has.

Diaz says that in order to love fighting, he has to hate it. And he sort of makes sense in this weird circular way.

Bottom Line: They did a fantastic job of building up Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre and not such a great job building up Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. They’ve done an interesting angle with Diaz. Rather than show off his crazy side, they’re showing off a sensitive, uncertain side of him. He’s almost child-like. Condit comes off as way too regular kind of guy to be in a main event. The problem isn’t if he loses since Diaz is the star. It’s if he wins.

The second UFC on Fox doesn’t have the same promotion as the first. So while it may not be the same ratings juggernaut that the first was, it should still be a fun night of fights. An injury to Mark Munoz has given us the fight many expected to see in the first place when Michael Bisping takes on Chael Sonnen. And in the main event, Rashad Evans faces Phil Davis.

The FGB crew along with friend of the site JP and Stevie J from Angrymarks, have predictions for the the top two fights of this show.

Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen

Duan: Refuses to predict Sonnen fights on principle
Stevie: Sonnen by 2nd round TKO
JP: Sonnen by decision
GG: Sonnen by decision

Stevie says:

I’m not in the camp that thinks Michael Bisping has no chance – in fact I believe his takedown defense is probably underrated – but there’s no chance he’s on Sonnen’s level and Sonnen’s level is often called “Olympic” by those in the know. On a good day he might stuff a takedown or 2, but not 9 or 10, and much like Anderson Silva he’ll be taken down with ease. A lucky punch is his only hope.

JP says:

This fight has been robbed of its rightful place in trash talk history. Given a full 8-10 weeks of prep, these two could have provided some classic quotes and soundbites for fans to repeat infinitely online. Instead an injury to Mark Munoz created this fight and the two middleweights have been borderline respective of each other. As for the fight itself, the outcome seems very predictable: Bisping will have three rounds to try and triangle choke Sonnen or otherwise eat ground and pound for 15 minutes. Bisping doesn’t have the power to stop Sonnen so his only hope is to try and catch a submission while fighting off his back. He won’t. Sonnen wins and Sonnen-Silva II is lined up for this summer.

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Jason aka @dadrrtywhyteboi and I are back to talk about many things on the latest edition of FGB Radio.

We recorded the show very soon after my beloved San Francisco 49ers lost in the NFC Championship Game to the New York Giants so we talk about football for the first few minutes, but quickly thereafter, we segue into talking about the top three fights on the 2nd UFC on Fox show, which is this weekend. We talk about Sonnen vs. Bisping being a true number one contender’s fight, Weidman being thrusted into the spotlight, and the funny circumstances between Rashad Evans and Jon Jones.

We then discuss the 2012 edition of the Royal Rumble which is also this weekend. We talk about the few guys who actually have a chance to win the Rumble and wonder if there’s a secret guy out there who we’re missing. We talk Punk/Johnny Ace and how Dolph Ziggler is kind of just a third wheel in the angle as well as Daniel Bryan and how he’s doing as champion.

Lastly, we talk about the heavily rumored rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, going through most of the possible guys who Pacquiao could even fight.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

Right click to download or stream below.

Cesar Gracie says that Nick Diaz wants to close the doors, rather than open the doors to things like the media. He says that the fight starts once you sign the contract and he doesn’t want to make nice with his opponent when he’s been training to fight him the entire time.

Carlos Condit is a first time father and he says that it’s not the easiest to go out and train as hard as you can every day when you know you have responsibilities at home with your family, but it inspires him.

Greg Jackson said that he thinks Carlos got into MMA like others do, because they have a need to do something with their energy. His father said that the mischief and negativity he had as a kid became a sharpness after he started in MMA.

Condit says that Diaz has holes in the game and he makes up for it by being so tough.

Diaz bikes 20 miles, spars for six rounds, and swims laps all in one day and the narrator says the day ends after midnight. Insane. His second grade teacher says that he’s the exact same as he was in the second grade. He doesn’t make eye contact and he speaks deliberately. Diaz says he never fit in anywhere. He said high school was hard times.

Bottom line: While it was nearly all Carlos Condit, the only interesting parts of the show were when Diaz was on screen. It was almost uncomfortable watching him. They started to delve into Condit’s background, which could be interesting, but his key story was that he’s a first time dad and it’s hard to train and be a dad. Ya, not too interesting.

Check out these two videos below — one is the ESPN Outside The Lines feature which has created a video response by the UFC.