By: Alex Mattis
Despite the end of winter and clear through spring being seemingly set for the sport of MMA, the fights that are to be had will have major repercussions for the rest of 2011. There are a great deal of possibilities and certainties in the fights that we should see this year. So, here is a list racked up of eleven fights that would be great for the MMA universe in the year of 2011. (For the record, three of my picks were fights that may happen within the Strikeforce heavyweight GP. Rest assured, I want to see Fedor vs. Overeem as much as anyone.)
11. Lyoto Machida vs. Rampage Jackson II
When: October-November
Why: First, all the cosmos would have to align to necessitate this fight. Machida would need to beat Couture and Rampage would need to lose to Thiago Silva for this fight to make sense, but that is a very realistic scenario. But back to ‘Why’-To give both men a fair shake. Rampage was as shocked as anyone when he was declared the winner at UFC 123 and he admitted that ‘The Dragon’ “whooped my ass.” Some fans wanted an immediate rematch, but that was not to be. Those fans should hold on to optimism as there may be a scenario in the near-future that would call for Machida-Rampage II.
10. Jason Mayhem Miller vs. Nick Diaz
When: Whenever it can happen
Why: It is the most talked about non-UFC MMA fight right now. The heat behind it has fizzled out a tad but people would still pay to see this fight. Unfortunately, neither man seems to want to budge on the weight issue. The likelihood of this fight is probably less than any other on the list… but a man can hope.
9. Hector Lombard Vs. A Top 10 Middleweight (Jacare maybe?)
When: ASAP
Why: The hype behind Lombard needs to be validated. He has been the unquestionable ruler of the middleweight division of Bellator but is yet to fight top-tier competition inside their cage. Lombard’s last loss came against Gegard Mousasi, but that was over four years ago. Since then, he has looked like an unstoppable force but he needs to be tested. Until he is, most won’t include him in the ‘Top 10’ rankings. I don’t think a Lombard-Jacare or Lombard-Santiago fight is too much to ask for.
8. Thiago Alves vs. Winner of Chris Lytle/Carlos Condit
When: July-August
Why: Most have accepted the fact that Thiago Alves will never be the UFC welterweight champion but will continue to be a perennial contender and one of the most exciting fighters in the division. On the other side of this coin we have two of the most exciting fighters in the entire sport of MMA. While the awesomeness of Lytle-Condit shouldn’t be overlooked, one must ponder what lays ahead for the winner. Both Lytle and Condit are making legit strides towards the top of the welterweight pack and whoever wins their 127 clash should go through one last test before a title shot can be certified.
7. Yushin Okami vs. UFC Middleweight Champion
When: June-July
Why: Okami has earned it. Plain and simple. He has run through everyone the UFC has put in front of him, with the exception of two very understandable roadblocks. His latest victory over Nate Marquardt was said to have locked him in a future title fight but we know how the UFC is about things like that. It will be interesting to see if ‘Thunder’ is actually given his shot or not. It won’t be a hot ticket or set PPV buy rates by any means, but Yushin Okami deserves to fight for the UFC’s middleweight title.
6. Paul Daley vs. Nick Diaz
When: Sometime this summer
Why: Does anyone not want to see this fight?! Sir Diaz is down to fight any and everyone at 170lbs and we all know Paul Daley would love to fight a smack-talker that will stand with him. Strikeforce needs legit challengers for Diaz’s welterweight title and ‘Semtex’ fits the bill.
5. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Alistair Overeem
When: August/September
Why: Despite what the UFC says, this is the heavyweight match just about everyone and their mom has been waiting to see. With the heavyweight division in MMA as a whole stacked with phenomenal talent, it is these two fighters from the Pride Era that has been generating back and forth agreements as to who is the true best of the division.
Though there is a slim chance that both fighters may not proceed into the second round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament, regardless of the outcome we should see these two fight in the semi-finals or in a special attraction match.
4. Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping
When: As soon as Chael gets his life together
Why: We have already had some bad blood brewing between these two after a brief back n’ forth on Twitter, but could you imagine if these two were actually inked to fight?! The trash-talk alone would be worth paying for. Regardless of how his fight with Jorge Rivera goes, Michael Bisping is in the stage of his career where he should be fighting top guys (which, despite some haters, Jorge Rivera is) and the former two-minutes-away-from-being-UFC-middleweight-champion, Chael Sonnen is surely a ‘top guy.’ Sonnen is going to need a challenging fight to prove himself upon his return, and a fight against the Brit would certainly motivate him.
3. Winner of George Sotiropoulos/Denis Siver vs. Winner of Anthony Pettis/Clay Guida
When: September-October
Why: The UFC’s lightweight title picture is murky, to say the least. Despite his standing as the final WEC lightweight champ, Anthony Pettis’ status as a top contender is still a subject of debate. Clay Guida has always been a top-billed lightweight but for the first time in his career he is legitly ‘in the mix.’ George Sotiropoulos is starching through the division and his UFC 127 opponent, Denis Siver, has put the entire division on notice with his last six fights. All four of these men are within reach of a shot at Frankie Edgar (or Gray Maynard) and their paths crossing is the best way to determine the definitive #1 contender and also giving us amazing fights.
2. Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva
When: December
Why: Everyone has been talking about it for over three years. This is The Super fight the UFC has to promote. We have a long way to go before this one can begin to be negotiated. Anderson must first defend his title against Vitor Belfort and St. Pierre has Jake Shields on his plate in April. Then they’d have to tackle the weight at which the fight would be fought and address all the other intangibles that would surround the fight.
1. Jon Fitch vs. A Damn Title Shot!
When: Anytime after February 27th
Why: It’s right. Jon Fitch has done everything the UFC has asked of him and completely shut down everyone they have put in front of him since his initial shot against GSP. Unless BJ Penn pulls off a stunning, David Terrell Vs. Matt Lindland type upset over Fitch, there is no reason that Jon Fitch shouldn’t receive and immediate title opportunity. This by no means would be the most anticipated fight of the year, but the most deserved.
