The news cycle has been crazy the last two days so I haven't had a lot of time to devote to previewing tonight's WEC card (9 p.m. ET on VERSUS).

While this isn't the promotion's best lineup on paper, I still think it's a good show and you can't judge a WEC card by how it looks on paper. Some of the best matchmaking in MMA takes place in the WEC so tonight's show could easily be a sleeper card.

Since I can't wait to kick back and watch this show tonight, I felt it would be a big mistake not to give my thoughts on what I am expecting from the televised bouts.

Doug Marshall vs. Brian Stann for the WEC Light Heavyweight Title:

A lot of haters out there have ripped Brian Stann in the past but I'm a fan of the guy. And after meeting him in person last year, I developed even more respect for him.

Brian Stann is all about three things: his family, the U.S. Marine corps, and fighting. I hate when people rip him for talking up his experience in the military because it's a case of the WEC wisely promoting that aspect of his background and the media making the decision to ask him about it. If people don't like the fact that his military credentials are being promoted, blame the media and the WEC. But to expect the media or the WEC to try and downplay his military background is kind of naive.

All Stann has done is what is asked of him and has only taken what's been given to him. Is he ready for this spot? I think so. Granted, he doesn't have a lot of fights under his belt but his hands are very impressive. He's a big, strong fighter who is only going to get better once he's able to devote even more time to training.

When I interviewed Stann last year he mentioned on the record that he had questions about Marshall's character and that he feels Marshall sometimes looks for ways out of fights. Personally, I haven't seen that from Marshall but Stann is not the only person who has raised questions about Marshall's mental approach to fighting.

Marshall has improved a lot and I think he will have an advantage if the fight goes to the ground, but I see Stann keeping the fight on the feet and responding to critics by pulling off the upset.

Prediction: Brian Stann by second round TKO.

Chael Sonnen vs. Bryan Baker

Baker was tapped as the replacement opponent for Sonnen after WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic in Brazil to receive treatment for several medical issues he's currently having.

Baker really impressed me when he defeated Jesse Forbes last September. He followed it up with a big win over Eric Schambari last December. I consider him to be one of the top middleweight prospects in MMA right now.

But the operative word is "prospect" and to be honest, I'm not sure he's ready for Sonnen. A year from now, I think Baker takes this fight. However, Sonnen just has more experience and could have an advantage on the ground.

It's easy to overlook Sonnen because he doesn't do anything that stands out. He also has what I will refer to as an off-beat personality. I even tried to interview him this week but he was just so wound up that I didn't feel like I could submit the article as planned to CBSSports.com. I just think that Sonnen's vast experience and well-rounded abilities makes him too tough of a test for Baker to pass.

Prediction: Sonnen via second round submission.

Marcus Hicks vs. Ed Ratcliff

It might be a blessing in disguise that tonight's WEC show isn't as stacked as some of their previous shows because it means we get to see this fight. You've got two undefeated (Hicks is 7-0 and Ratcliff is 6-0) lightweight prospects going head-to-head for a possible future lightweight title shot in what I expect to be the fight of the night.

This fight also makes for an interesting clash in styles. Hicks is a gritty inside boxer while Ratcliff incorporates a lot of traditional martial arts striking into his MMA game. So you've got an inside fighter vs. an outside fighter. Watch this fight closely because I think some of what we will see from Cung Le and Frank Shamrock on Saturday night could mirror this fight.

I expect Hicks to give up some range in this bout which means that if he wants to hit Ratcliff with hooks and uppercuts that he's going to have to take risks and close the distance. One mistake and Ratcliff could catch him with a big kick. The thing is, if Hicks successfully closes the distance, much of Ratcliff's arsenal will be useless if he can't get any extension on anything.

Hicks is also the more well-rounded of the two, as he's the better grappler in my eyes.

I would really like to abstain from making a prediction here but I always find it boring when other writers try to take the easy way out. There's just something about Hicks' pitbull style that I think will earn him the win but I wouldn't be surprised to see Ratcliff win either.

Prediction: Hicks via unanimous decision.

Tim McKenzie vs. Steve Cantwell

I've talked to a lot of West Coast fighters and in a lot of my conversations with them, the name Tim McKenzie usually comes up. The guy has a lot of credibility within the industry and is a strong addition to the WEC's light heavyweight division. A win vs. Cantwell could put him in position to face the winner of Marshall vs. Stann.

McKenzie used to train out of one of the best camps in the country in Trevor and Todd Lally's Arizona Combat Sports. But he left after deciding to move back to California and I'm not sure whether the change in training will be a factor or not.

Regardless, I still consider him an overwhelming favorite against Cantwell, who really looked overmatched against an inexperienced fighter in Stann at WEC 26 last March. Despite it being just Stann's third-ever fight, he was still able to steamroll Cantwell and TKO him just 41 seconds into the fight.

Prediction: McKenzie via first round TKO.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com