Fights We Have to See at UFC 152 in Toronto

The UFC continues to appease their Canadian audience with numerous shows every year and 2012 is no different. We are already in the month of April, and the UFC is already committed to putting on at least three shows before the year ends.

UFC 149 will take place in Calgary, UFC 154 will be held in Montreal and UFC 152 will be another historic event in Toronto.

With the commitment of three UFC shows in Canada so close together, it is expected that many, if not all Canadian fighters, will have a place on one of the cards.

Since UFC 152 will be the biggest of the three, it deserves the biggest stars. Here are six fights that should occupy the main card for this event. 

Yves Jabouin vs. Nick Denis

Two Canadian bantamweights who are on the rise, Yves Jabouin and Nick Denis would be a great fight to open the pay-per-view. Both men are extremely exciting fighters.

Jabouin's Muay Thai is precise and creative. He constantly throws strikes without taking a break. Watch his fight with Mark Hominick. For a good amount of two rounds, Jabouin threw creative kicks, spinning backfists and basically everything but the kitchen sink.

He has won two in a row, which saw him take decision victories over Ian Loveland and Walel Watson. His next fight will see him square off with Jeff Houghland, but he should be ready in time to fight on the card in Toronto.

Denis has only fought one quick, decisive UFC bout, but he was very impressive in doing it. He showed his striking ability by taking out Joseph Sandoval in 22 seconds.

He is currently waiting to fight Johnny Bedford next month, but would most likely be able to make a quick turnaround to fight in Toronto. It also helps that Denis was born in Ontario, where Toronto is located. 

Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher

Following the exciting opening bout that Yves Jabouin and Nick Denis would put on could be another opportunity to keep the crowd enthused and warm. Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher could both do that.

This event would be a great way for both men to settle the score, as they have split two fights already.

Ontario native Sam Stout is a fan favorite in Canada. Unfortunately for him, he is coming off a loss to Thiago Tavares. Hopefully this loss will not keep him off the main card, as he is worth every penny to watch.

The loss to Tavares halted the momentum of his highlight reel knockout of Yves Edwards, but a war with Spencer Fisher would be great for both men.

Spencer Fisher has not fought since UFC 134, where he also lost to Thiago Tavares. Fisher is probably nearing the end of his career, as he has been a pro since 2002 and has put in 32 fights in that time.

A rubber match between Stout and Fisher would be an amazing fight that would surely pump up the crowd. 

Mark Hominick vs. Jonathan Brookins

Mark Hominick is another Ontario native who should be on the card. A great matchup for him would be with Jonathan Brookins, as Hominick has fallen a substantial way down the ladder, while Brookins has begun to climb his way back up.

Hominick has a fight later this month at UFC 145 against Eddie Yagin. I predict he will win that fight and hopefully get a spot on this card.

Hominick is a great kickboxer with an underrated ground game. Although he was knocked out quickly by Chan Sung Jung at UFC 140, I feel it was a fluke and he can come back strong.

Jonathan Brookins started his featherweight career in the UFC with a loss to Erik Koch, but came back strong in knocking out Vagner Rocha. This would be a great follow-up fight for Brookins to help build on his victory against Rocha.

Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader

There may not be Canadians in this fight, but not all the fights need to have one Canadian fighter. 

Lyoto Machida has fought on both Toronto cards so far, so continuing his appearances on the card would be kind of cool. Machida knocked out Randy Couture at UFC 129, but was choked out by Jon Jones in his latest bout at UFC 140, both of which took place in Toronto.

Ryan Bader is coming off the biggest win in his career as he took out Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in Japan. Bader has proven he can step up in competition, so Machida would be the ultimate test to see if he's ready to fight the elites.

There are a lot of light heavyweights tied up or injured currently, so this fight makes sense as of right now.

Rory MacDonald vs. Josh Koscheck

If you want to create some heat with the crowd but have one of Canada's favorites fight simultaneously, Josh Koscheck versus Rory MacDonald makes perfect sense.

MacDonald is currently scheduled to fight this month at UFC 145 against Che Mills. If he wins, he is as close to a title shot as anybody else (excluding Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann). The UFC will obviously want MacDonald to fight in Canada, so why not in the co-main event of the Toronto card?

Koscheck is widely disliked by many fans, but especially Canadian fans. It did not help that at UFC 113 he announced his dislike for the Montreal Canadiens over the public announcement system. Koscheck would be a great test for MacDonald, while generating all sorts of energy from the crowd.

Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit

This one is completely obvious. 

Georges St-Pierre is Canada's biggest star and this is going to be Canada's biggest event of the year. Although there will be a card in Montreal this year as well, St-Pierre needs to headline the Toronto card. 

St-Pierre will be looking to unify the welterweight titles as his prospective opponent holds the interim belt. St-Pierre's knee will need to get healthy, though, as he is mending from a serious knee injury.

Carlos Condit defeated Nick Diaz to win the interim belt and earn his shot at St-Pierre. Condit has defeated several tough opponents lately, including Diaz, Dong-hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald.

This is a huge matchup and will easily be one of the biggest fights of the year. That is why Toronto is the perfect card for it.