UFC 143 Preview: The Main Card

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Middleweights
Ed Herman (19-8, 6-5 UFC) vs. Clifford Starks (8-0, 1-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Herman seems to have made a full recovery from the reconstructive knee surgery that kept him out of action for nearly two years, as he finished both Tim Credeur and Kyle Noke inside of a round last year.

“The Ultimate Fighter 3” alumnus masks his average standup with good takedowns, submissions and a high work rate on the ground. He will have a like-minded opponent in Starks, a former collegiate wrestler at Arizona State University who won his UFC debut over Dustin Jacoby on the strength of scoring a takedown in each round. It was a fairly slow-paced fight, however, and the Arizona Combat Sports representative will have to improve if he wants to implement a similar game plan against Herman.

“Short Fuse’ will look to close the distance on Starks as soon as possible. While not especially adept at landing punches from the outside, Herman is dangerous in the clinch, as he proved by dropping Credeur with an uppercut in tight at “The Ultimate Fighter 13’ Finale. Once on the canvas, Herman’s cardio and physical strength allow him to impose his will with relentless ground-and-pound.

Starks showed a decent counter left hand in the third round of his match with Jacoby, and he will need to find it again as Herman attempts to apply pressure. Should he get Herman to the mat, awareness when attempting to pass guard is essential; the 31-year-old Oregon native slapped an inverted heel hook on Noke when the Aussie attempted to move to full mount in their UFC Live 5 tussle.

The Pick: Do not be fooled by Starks glossy record, as Herman is easily the toughest and most experienced foe he has faced to date. If Starks can sprawl effectively and force Herman to stay upright, he has a chance. It is an unlikely scenario, however. Herman captures his third straight victory via TKO in the second or third frame.