Pierce pokes Koscheck with wig

THE CANADIAN PRESS

LAS VEGAS -- Nick Diaz and Carlos (Natural Born Killer) Condit were all business at Friday's weigh-in for UFC 143, looking intense but not misbehaving.

Both men made weight, tipping the scales at 169 pounds before facing off for the traditional pose at the side of the stage. Neither man offered to shake hands.

"I can't wait to get out there and do this thing," said Condit.

Diaz sent a shout out to his coach Cesar Gracie.

UFC president Dana White, a Boston native, made his statement by wearing a New England Patriots shirt, complete with Tom Brady's No. 12, on the eve of the Super Bowl.

The winner of Saturday's main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center will win the interim 170-pound mixed martial arts crown. The UFC opted to create a temporary title so welterweights have something to fight for while official champion Georges St-Pierre of Montreal recovers from knee surgery.

St-Pierre will be cageside Saturday to see who will face to unify the UFC title. At various stages over the last few months, he was slated to face both men -- only to have the bouts derailed by injury.

The Canadian star expects to be ready to fight again late this year.

Friday's theatrics at the Mandalay Bay Events Center from welterweight Mike Pierce, who donned a curly blond wig while waiting to pose with opponent Josh Koscheck.

Koscheck smiled when he took to the stage next but got in Pierce's face pretty quickly after leaving the scales. White intervened, avoiding an escalation.

Both welterweights came in at 169 pounds. The lesser-known Pierce has talked plenty of trash ahead of the fight, while the normally outspoken Koscheck has kept his lip buttoned.

Heavyweights Roy (Big Country) Nelson and Fabricio Werdum both weighed in at 246 pounds.

All other fighters made weight.