One age-old question arises every year in late December: What do you want for Christmas? For MMA fans, the answer is often the same: great fights.
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| Julianna Pena |
The past 12 months in mixed martial arts have given rise to plenty of unforgettable showdowns. There was the five-round war between Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit at UFC 195 on Jan. 2, the shocking back-and-forth struggle between Miesha Tate and Holly Holm at UFC 196 on March 5, the epic UFC Fight Pass encounter between Marco Polo Reyes and Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 199 on June 4, the blockbuster rematch between Conor McGregor and Nick Diaz at UFC 202 on Aug. 20 and the remarkable war of attrition between Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206 on Dec. 10. Even the regional scene got in on the act, with the 25-minute classic between Angela Lee and Mei Yamaguchi giving the One Championship organization a legitimate “Fight of the Year” contender on May 6.
No one knows what the next year will bring, except perhaps for the jolly old elf who occupies the North Pole. As we barrel towards 2017, Sherdog.com examines 10 fights -- rematches are excluded -- we want Santa to leave under the tree, one for each of the 10 major weight classes.
Heavyweight: Cain Velasquez vs. Stipe Miocic: One can only hope Velasquez can stay healthy enough to make waves in a heavyweight division that desperately needs him. The 34-year-old American Kickboxing Academy ace returned to form at UFC 200, where he battered Travis Browne to a first-round technical knockout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Velasquez has been slotted opposite Fabricio Werdum, health permitting, at UFC 207 on Dec. 30, where a victory would allow him to avenge his June 2015 submission loss to “Vai Cavalo” and leave him as the clear-cut No. 1 contender for the heavyweight crown. Miocic has not fought since he knocked out Alistair Overeem to retain the title at UFC 203 in September.
Light Heavyweight: Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson: With all due respect to Daniel Cormier, this has been a dream matchup at 205 pounds for quite some time. It would pit Jones’ all-around brilliance against Johnson’s kill-switch power. Of course, several roadblocks remain, from Cormier occupying the top of the division to Jones’ inability to keep himself out of trouble. When and if Jones returns to the cage from suspension, he will do so on a 13-fight winning streak and as the almost universally recognized pound-for-pound king. Johnson has knocked out Jimi Manuwa, Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira in succession since submitting to a rear-naked choke from Cormier at UFC 187.
Middleweight: Michael Bisping vs. Nate Diaz: Imagine the promotional possibilities with this one. Bisping has parlayed a late-career surge into an unexpected title reign at 185 pounds, as the 37-year-old bested Anderson Silva in a UFC Fight Night headliner on Feb. 27, captured the middleweight championship in a stunning upset of Luke Rockhold some three months later and then successfully defended it with a unanimous decision over former nemesis Dan Henderson at UFC 204 on Oct. 8. Bisping’s next test figures to come against the frightening Yoel Romero -- a pairing that could conceivably cost him the belt while clearing his plate for other intriguing fights. Diaz has not competed since being suspended for a failed drug test in 2015.
Welterweight: Rory MacDonald vs. Andrey Koreshkov: Time will tell if Bellator MMA made a wise decision in signing the talented but mercurial MacDonald. The 27-year-old Tristar Gym standout took significant abuse in his two most recent outings: a technical knockout loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 189 and a unanimous decision defeat to Stephen Thompson in a UFC Fight Night main event on June 18. He will enter Bellator’s welterweight pond as an immediate threat to champion Douglas Lima, though a victory over Koreskhov would provide him with a proper introduction and quiet whispers that he is damaged goods. Koreshkov surrendered the Bellator title in a knockout loss to Lima on Nov. 10, the setback snapping a six-fight winning streak for the Russian.
Lightweight: Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov: Many view Nurmagomedov as the kryptonite to McGregor’s Superman. The Dagestani grappler carries with him a perfect 24-0 record that includes victories over Gleison Tibau, Michael Johnson and former champion Rafael dos Anjos. Nurmagomedov’s appeal has been somewhat curbed by injuries, but he has looked unstoppable when healthy. He last fought at UFC 205 on Nov. 12, when he submitted Johnson with a third-round kimura in a leading contender for “Beatdown of the Year.” McGregor made history at the same event, as he stopped Eddie Alvarez with punches, claimed the lightweight championship and became the first fighter to ever hold Ultimate Fighting Championship titles in two weight classes simultaneously. The Irishman has since been stripped his featherweight crown.
Featherweight: Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway: Though Aldo could follow the aforementioned McGregor to 155 pounds, he still has plenty of unfinished business to tend to as the newly minted undisputed featherweight champion. Holloway has won 10 fights in a row, all in decisive fashion, and looks like the heir to the 145-pound throne. The 25-year-old Hawaiian laid claim to the interim featherweight title at UFC 206 on Dec. 10, when he cut down Anthony Pettis with a third-round body kick and follow-up punches at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Aldo, meanwhile, rebounded from his 13-second knockout loss to McGregor by dominating Frankie Edgar across five rounds in their UFC 200 rematch on July 9.
Bantamweight: Eduardo Dantas vs. Darrion Caldwell: With wins over Joe Warren and former Nova Uniao stablemate Marcos Galvao, Dantas has cemented himself as Bellator MMA’s top fighter at 135 pounds. The 27-year-old carved up Galvao for 15 minutes to reclaim the bantamweight championship at Bellator 156 on June 17 and then defended it with a majority decision over Warren at Bellator 166 on Dec. 2. The once-beaten Caldwell is perhaps all that stands between Dantas and a cleaned-out division. He was an NCAA All-American wrestler at North Carolina State University, where he won a national championship in 2008, and has made a smooth transition to MMA. Caldwell avenged his only career defeat at Bellator 167 on Dec. 3, when he earned a unanimous verdict over Joe Taimanglo in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
Flyweight: Joseph Benavidez vs. Kyoji Horiguchi: Benavidez has a bigger fish to fry at the moment, as he has put himself in position to meet flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson for a third time. Few give him better than a marginal chance against “Mighty Mouse,” meaning he will have to focus his time and energy on other challenges in the not-too-distant future. There is no shortage of intriguing matchups for Benavidez at 125 pounds. A Norifumi Yamamoto protégé, Horiguchi has been flawless inside the Octagon, aside from his submission loss to Johnson in April 2015. The 26-year-old finds himself on a three-fight winning streak following his unanimous decision over Ali Bagautinov at UFC Fight Night 99 on Nov. 19.
Women’s Bantamweight: Ronda Rousey vs. Julianna Pena: Once thought to be on lockdown, the UFC women’s bantamweight division has become a site of great tumult since Rousey was upset by Holly Holm a little more than a year ago, the title passing from Holm to Miesha Tate to Amanda Nunes. Pena has done a lot of talking and a lot of winning since she surfaced on Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Rousey has become her primary target in recent months, and her attacks have become increasingly personal. Much stands in the way of a potential Pena-Rousey clash. First, Rousey must dethrone Nunes at UFC 207. Second, Pena must get past Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC on Fox 23 main event in January.
Women’s Strawweight: Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Jessica Andrade: In seven UFC appearances, Jedrzejczyk has risen from relative obscurity to outright stardom. The women’s strawweight champion now stands as one of the most dominant forces in the sport at any weight class, with victories over Claudia Gadelha (twice), Carla Esparza, Jessica Penne and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Andrade has been a wrecking ball since downshifting from 135 pounds -- a division that seems far better suited for her 5-foot-2 frame. The 25-year-old Brazilian last fought at UFC 203 on Sept. 10, when she picked apart Joanne Calderwood before submitting her with a first-round guillotine choke.