UFC 109 and Beyond: Unannounced Fights We Can Expect To See

With the UFC 105 through 108 cards basically completed, there are still some fighters waiting for their next battle. (By the way, UFC 108 appears to be the best card ever assembled.) Here are some fights that we may see in the future on the main card:

Lightweight

Joe Stevenson vs. Roger Huerta

Joe Stevenson has done a great job rebounding off of consecutive losses to BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez with wins against Nick Diaz and Spencer Fisher.  Many, including myself, had major doubts of him being a top 10 fighter in the lightweight division. 

The results of his last two fights place Stevenson right up there as he has re-emerged amongst the fray since joining Greg Jackson's camp.  He appears more polished and is still overpowering. 

Roger Huerta comes in with a tough loss to Gray Maynard in a close decision.  He looked OK but a little rusty; Maynard is a tough opponent who fights very conservatively, though. 

The winner of this fight likely places himself among the top five contenders while the loser hangs in limbo.  It could be a close and very exciting fight.  The final result will likely have the winner taking advantage of a mistake due to over-aggressiveness.

Sean Sherk vs. Spencer Fisher

This is a fight of two old dogs.  Both seasoned veterans are coming off losses to tough opponents.  The loser of this fight will be nothing more than a gatekeeper while the winner will continue to hang by the skin of their teeth.  Fisher could be gone if he loses this bout.  Sherk's legacy will be in limbo with a loss.  This is the definition of a must-win fight.

Middleweight

Nate Quarry vs. Chael Sonnen

You want a potential war, well here it is (assuming that Marquardt will still be fighting Dan Henderson).  Quarry just had a slugfest against Tim Credeur in which he threw half a dozen monster counter punches in response to repeated bone shattering fists flying at him.  It was one of the most exciting fights that I've ever seen. 

On the other end, you have Chael Sonnen who just dominated and controlled Yushin Okami for three straight rounds.  He has star potential. 

I believe that Sonnen can win this fight since he is more technical but if he makes any major mistakes, but Quarry can pull it off just as easy.  Both fighters have losses to Damian Maia and the winner could be in line to avenge those losses.

Tim Credeur vs. Patrick Cote

Credeur comes off a loss to Quarry, but he proved that he is on the verge of being a solid top 10 fighter in the middleweight division.  Patrick Cote comes off a title fight with Anderson Silva in which he severely hurt his knee. 

A win for Cote would put him right back to title contention.  On the other hand, Credeur would cement stability as one of the better fighters in his class.  If Cote is prepared I expect him to win but this isn't one I would put money on.  I have a lot of respect for Credeur.

Light Heavyweight

Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

A big name superfight to get the casual fans rolling in.  Also it can potentially cement Dana White's personal belief that Liddell is done.  Franklin hasn't been the same since getting annihilated by Anderson Silva but he still has quite a presence in and out of the octagon. 

A Liddell win puts him back in the top 10 while a Franklin win could have him facing a guy like Forrest Griffin or Rampage in the future.  I give the edge to Franklin based on the fact that he won't be rusty from ballroom dancing.

Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine

Ryan Bader will have his first true test against the inconsistent but very dangerous Keith Jardine.  Bader did not look impressive in his win against Eric Schafer but a win is a win. 

This will be a serious test for Bader as Jardine is destined to be a sort of gatekeeper.  He's not a typical gatekeeper, though, as he's very prone to getting upset and vice versa.  You never know with the Dean of Mean. I think this will be a close decision.

Heavyweight

Minotauro Noguiera vs. Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez is "probably" next for a title shot according to Dana White.  I've heard that before except with Noguiera's name after he dominated Randy Couture. 

With Lesnar vs. Carwin pushed back to early next 2010 and the UFC entering Mexico City in April, this seems all the more realistic.  Velasquez would be a great in a headlining fight since he is the best Mexican fighter in the UFC.  Noguiera is a very respectable opponent for Velasquez in what could be a superfight. 

The winner gets a title shot.  I expect that to be Noguiera as his Jiu-Jitsu will be way too much for Cain.

I would explore Stefan Struve vs. Pat Barry, but unfortunately Barry will be sidelined for quite awhile with a fractured wrist. 

Struve has proven to be a submission specialist.  The way he calmly goes through each motion really intrigues me, though I don't think he'll have the stand-up skills to face anyone in the top five.  Pat Barry possesses very good kickboxing and also is an intriguing fighter but he is too undersized to stand a chance against a monster like Gabriel Gonzaga.

Note: All major welterweight fighters have opponents with the exception of Matt Hughes, Dong Hyun Kim, and GSP.  None of them will be fighting each other anytime soon.

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