UFC 100 Preview and Predictions

UFC 100 is, quite simply, the biggest event in the history of mixed martial arts. We've got all the details and predictions for the televised fights below.

What: UFC 100

When: The undercard starts at 7 PM ET Saturday and the televised card begins at 10.

Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas

How: You can buy it for $44.95 on UFC.com or pay-per-view ($54.95 in HD), or you can just follow along with our live coverage here at FanHouse.

Predictions on the five televised fights:
Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir
I've gone back and forth on the main event, and I still can't decide how I think it's going to turn out. On their feet, Lesnar has a long reach and devastating punching power, while Mir uses kicks effectively in the stand-up game. On the ground, Mir's jiu jitsu is outstanding, while Lesnar was an NCAA heavyweight champion wrestler. I could see this fight ending any number of ways, and I might change my mind between now and Saturday night, but right now I'm betting on a back-and-forth fight that goes the distance, with Mir winning three rounds to Lesnar's two.
Predicted winner: Mir

Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves
As great a main event as Mir vs. Lesnar is, I think this welterweight title fight has to be considered the favorite for the Fight of the Night award. St. Pierre is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but Alves, who's a little bigger and stronger than St. Pierre and has devastating kicks and knees, might be his most dangerous opponent yet. I expect St. Pierre to do his best to keep the fight on the ground, and that's where he'll win it.
Predicted winner: St. Pierre

Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping
The battle of the two Ultimate Fighter coaches is Bisping's chance to earn a shot at the middleweight title, but for all Bisping has accomplished in the UFC, I just don't think he's in Henderon's class. I think Henderson is better both on his feet and on the ground and I look for him to finish Bisping in the second round.
Predicted winner: Henderson

Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago
Here's something fascinating about this fight: Hardly anyone knows who Thiago is, and yet if he beats Fitch, he'd have a very strong case for being the No. 1 welterweight contender and the next challenger to the St. Pierre-Alves winner. Thiago, after all, has won all 11 of his pro fights, has dominated most of his opponents, and is coming off a first-round TKO win over Josh Koscheck. If he beats Fitch, it'll be two straight wins over consensus Top 10 welterweights. I don't think he's going to get that win, though, as I think Fitch is just too good an all-around fighter and will find some weaknesses in Thiago's stand-up game.
Predicted winner: Fitch

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher
Although most fans I know wish the Mark Coleman vs. Stephan Bonnar fight was on the pay-per-view show instead of this one, this is an incredibly important fight for the UFC because it's the debut of Akiyama, a very popular fighter in Japan and South Korea. Belcher is a dangerous opponent for him, but I think Akiyama will use his world-class judo to take Belcher down and pound him out.
Predicted winner: Akiyama

We'll have full UFC 100 results on Saturday night, and you can follow all the action by following me on Twitter.