The 10 Best UFC Fights to Close Out 2014
We've had an extraordinary amount of mixed martial arts in 2014. Too much MMA, if you ask some folks (myself included). With a Fight Pass card nearly every weekend and multiple UFC events in the same day, it can be information overload for the MMA fan who would rather have things curated.
That's what I'm here for. There are plenty of UFC events remaining in 2014, but I'm here today to give you 10 of the best. These are the cream of the crop, the ones you should be looking for. They all either have some semblance of importance, or they are just going to be flat-out awesome. Either way, they're on this list for a reason.
Let's finish with the small talk and get right to it.
Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes (UFC 179)
1 of 10
We all know how the last fight between these two ended.
But there's a bit more intrigue this time around, mostly because Mendes has—under the tutelage of Duane Ludwig—morphed from a wrestler into a wrestler who would rather knock dudes unconscious. And he's quite adept at doing so.
Aldo is just 28 years old, but he's accumulated plenty of injuries on his body. He also fights once in a blue moon, making him the least-active champion on the UFC roster. At some point, that's going to catch up to him, and this might be the perfect time for Mendes to take the belt and then face a loudmouthed Irishman who's been making waves lately.
Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping (UFC Fight Night 55)
2 of 10
Rarely is UFC matchmaking this easy. Bisping and Rockhold have jabbered back and forth for years, creating a natural grudge match between two of the top middleweights in the world. Wonder of wonders, they're also both coming off wins in their last fights.
For a time, it looked like Rockhold would be matched up with someone else; thankfully, someone at the UFC offices over on Sahara came to their senses, because this is the perfect fight at the perfect time.
It's just too bad the fight is on Fight Pass, because this would be a great television main event bout. I'll take it either way, though.
John Lineker vs. Ian McCall (UFC Fight Night 56)
3 of 10
Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is nearly done cleaning out the list of potential contenders to his championship. He has been so dominant, in fact, that folks are starting to murmur about Johnson returning to bantamweight.
That is an appealing idea, but Johnson is not quite finished with flyweight. The winner of the Lineker vs. McCall fight will be perfectly positioned to become Johnson's next challenger, especially with the supremely-talented John Dodson on the shelf for awhile. Johnson already beat McCall once, but the pair also went to a draw back in 2012. A third bout is an easy sell, at least for hardcore fight fans.
And if Lineker can keep making weight (there is no guarantee this is a thing that will happen with regularity), there's no reason to keep denying him an opportunity of his own if he gets past McCall.
Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum (UFC 180)
4 of 10
A chance to see the heavyweight champion of the world do his thing is always a special treat. Even more so when it's Velasquez, who continually goes about his business in a frenetic fashion that would keep most flyweights seething with jealousy.
Werdum has come a very long way since he lost to Junior dos Santos and then unceremoniously exited the UFC all those years ago. But has he come far enough to challenge Velasquez? Stranger things have happened, but I don't think so. I think this is a one-sided fight. But with heavyweights, you never know, and that should be the allure here.
Jake Ellenberger vs. Kelvin Gastelum (UFC 180)
5 of 10
This one should fascinate all of you who are intrigued to see if a much-lauded prospect can make the leap from prospect territory to top-tier fighter.
That is the opportunity presented to Gastelum here. The former Ultimate Fighter winner has made a career of doing the things we all assumed he couldn't do, starting with his win over Uriah Hall in the TUF Finale when everyone in the world assumed Hall would walk through Gastelum and march toward Anderson Silva. Gastelum put the kibosh on that one, just as he put the kibosh on Rick Story a year later to cement his place as a talented UFC up-and-comer.
Gastelum has the perfect opponent in Ellenberger: a tough and durable foe who has name value and is beatable. If Gastelum gets past the Nebraskan, he'll move into the top tier of UFC welterweights.
Dennis Bermudez vs. Ricardo Lamas (UFC 180)
6 of 10
With apologies to Conor McGregor, Bermudez is higher on the featherweight food chain. He is riding a seven-fight winning streak and really should be in consideration for a championship opportunity if he beats Lamas.
Alas, he'll have to remain on the sidelines and watch while McGregor leaps directly over him to face the winner of Aldo vs. Mendes. But if Bermudez beats Lamas, it will be difficult to deny he's ready for the biggest fights the featherweight division has to offer.
Frankie Edgar vs. Cub Swanson (UFC Fight Night 57)
7 of 10
By all rights, this bout should determine who faces the winner of Aldo vs. Mendes. It is a sublime championship-level fight, one filled with skill and tactics and technique. It's also five rounds, which we can all be thankful for.
This is Swanson's opportunity to put an emphatic stamp on his winning streak. The road leading him back to Aldo—after that devastating double-knee knockout you've seen on countless highlight reels—is the stuff legends are made of.
Beating Edgar won't make him a legend, but it will certainly make him the next championship contender.
Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler (UFC 181)
8 of 10
Remember the last time Hendricks and Lawler fought each other? They stood within arms' reach and just punched each other in the face. If for no other reason than the slight hope of a sequel to that incredible fight, this should be one of your most anticipated bouts for the rest of the year.
Hendricks and Lawler are two men prone to outbursts of violence; Lawler smiles while he's getting punched in the face! It's that sort of sick, twisted outlook on life that separates men like Hendricks and Lawler from the rest of us, and it is their considerable skills that separate them from the rest of the welterweight pack.
This is my most-anticipated fight for the remainder of 2014.
Anthony Pettis vs. Gilbert Melendez (UFC 181)
9 of 10
It feels like Pettis and Melendez have been barreling toward this dance for an eternity, especially after they were selected to coach the 20th season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Now that it's here, I can't help but think it has lost a bit of its luster. And perhaps it has. But it is still a bout between the two best lightweights in the world, and that is reason enough to celebrate. And there are unique subplots: Both men have been on the shelf for awhile. Does Melendez have what it takes to be the best lightweight in the world? Can Pettis even make it to December injury-free?
This fight will answer all these questions and more.
Nate Diaz vs. Rafael dos Anjos (UFC on Fox 13)
10 of 10
Look, it's the return of Nate Diaz. Win or lose, Diaz the younger is one of the more entertaining fighters in the game, and the style matchup with dos Anjos here is impeccable. This should be the easy fight-of-the-night winner at UFC on Fox 13, regardless who wins.
In reality, we all win, because both Diaz brothers are back in the UFC fold. We have no idea how long they'll stay there, but it's good to see them back all the same.
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