SPOILER ALERT: Johny Hendricks and 8 Fighters Who Will Shatter the Glass Ceiling

Obsessed with getting another shot at the UFC welterweight championship, pound-for-pound great Jon Fitch simply doesn't know how to lose.

He doesn't know how to finish a fight either, but I digress.

When Fitch signed on the dotted line against non-contender Johny Hendricks for a bout at UFC 141, it was simply assumed that he would grind out his opponent and then trudge on to the next battle on the path to GSP.

Johny Hendricks was bothered that the MMA world accepted his loss to Fitch as inevitable, but he thought differently. One huge left hand later, Johny Hendricks established himself as a member of the top 10 and violently ejected Fitch from title contention.

This is a look at Johny Hendricks and eight other fighters who are going to defy oddsmakers and make some major strides in 2012.

Erick Silva

How amazing did Erick Silva look in his “loss” to Carlo Prater this month? Don’t expect it to be much of a setback for the rising star.

The UFC has taken notice, and the controversy surrounding the DQ has only raised his stock. Silva is sure to see himself in some high-profile bouts this year, and with the talent he possesses, don't be surprised to see him victorious in all of them.

Expect to see Silva against a notable welterweight like Mike Pyle, Dong Hyun Kim or Rick Story in his next bout. 

Jake Ellenberger

Jake Ellenberger is a dangerous man. He possesses high-level wrestling, insane submission defense and can knock out an elephant. On top of that, he has massive momentum behind him. 

In 2011, Jake went 3-0, headlined his first UFC event and knocked Jake Shields out in 53 seconds. His split-decision loss to Carlos Condit remains the only blemish on his UFC record.

From here on out, Ellenberger’s stock is going to keep rising. His UFC on FUEL TV bout with Diego Sanchez will likely create a No. 1 contender for the interim welterweight champion in the event that GSP isn’t ready to return in the summer as Dana White wants us to believe.

Mark my words—by the end of 2012, Jake Ellenberger will fight for UFC gold.

Charles Oliveira

“Do Bronx” didn’t do so hot in 2011. Despite starting his career on a 14-0 tear, the young star is now winless in his last three fights. Don’t let the numbers fool you, though.

In 2012, Oliveira has made the transition to his natural fighting weight class of 145 pounds. Now, in a division desperately in need of some depth, Oliveira brings his world class BJJ and fantastic striking into a division where there are few who can rival him.

With promotional newcomer Eric Wisely in his path at UFC on FOX 2, make sure to tune in for the prelims to see this wrecking machine in action.

Renan Barao

Be honest—without reading his name, did you know who was in the picture? If you did, good for you.

Renan Barao is criminally under-recognized despite his unbelievable 27-1 record.

A victim of the charisma of Urijah Faber, Barao missed out on a title shot that many feel he deserves, despite the division having no other new contenders for champion Dominick Cruz.

Barao is going to need to keep raking in the wins if he is to receive a shot at the UFC bantamweight championship. How hard can that be for a guy who hasn’t lost in 28 fights?

While it is far from a sure thing that he will defeat Scott Jorgensen on February 4th, fireworks are guaranteed. And if he is successful, it'll be hard to deny him a shot at gold.

Daniel Cormier

He may not be the biggest guy in the heavyweight division, but 2012 will see a major step up in the level of notoriety of Daniel Cormier.

The Cinderella story will reportedly come to conclusion in March, when tournament reserve Cormier and Josh Barnett put a stamp on the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Win or lose, Cormier has already made a major impression on the sport by knocking out Bigfoot Silva in his semifinal matchup last fall.

As a betting man, going against Josh Barnett isn’t the smartest idea, but Cormier has fire in his belly and doesn't know how to lose.

If he gets past Barnett, a rumored bout with Fedor Emelianenko could catapult him into the mainstream in a big way.

Travis Browne

Don’t expect him to set the world on fire this year, but Travis Browne showed that he belongs in the UFC heavyweight division with his highlight reel knockout of Stefan Struve. 

The heavyweight striker is 12-0 and has been given an opponent who will play into his strong suit. Chad Griggs has played spoiler before, but Browne should come out on top of their April contest.

By the end of the year, Browne will face Cheick Kongo in a rematch to settle their draw from 2011.

Darren Uyenoyama

Does the name sound familiar? Probably not, but that’s OK.

The Japanese-American fighter made his debut in the UFC bantamweight division last November, where he dominated heavy favorite KID Yamamoto in a one-sided affair.

Uyenoyama is a highly regarded grappler, and showed that he can hang with heavy-handed strikers like KID. Although he needs to focus on his standup, Uyenoyama will make major waves in 2012.

Despite the win over Yamamoto, I expect Uyenoyama to be a member of the most recent season of TUF in his next bout.

Dave Herman

When a fighter walks to the cage to the tune “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” and willingly goes by the name “Pee Wee” Herman, it’s easy to write him off as a joke.

Be very careful when judging Dave Herman. The Indiana native is 21-2, and has only gone the distance once in his career. With an upcoming bout against Stefan Struve in the works, the sky is the limit.

One piece of advice, Dave—stop letting your friends hotbox your living room.