10 Fights to Watch in May

As a fan of MMA, I hate when there aren't any fights for an extended period of time, which made this past spring one of the most boring times I can remember in recent history. But all that has changed with the extremely busy May fight schedule. How busy, you ask? There are amazing fights literally every week this month. 

The drought is over, boys and girls, MMA is back and better than ever. So without any further ado, let's take a look at the 10 best fights in the month of May. 

Bellator 67: Michael Chandler vs Akihiro Gono

An extremely busy month of May kicks off with a Bellator super fight between lightweight champion Michael Chandler and Akihiro Gono.

Michael Chandler made waves when he tapped out former champion Eddie Alvarez in what was considered one of the best fights of 2011. The fight was extremely competitive until Chandler was able to body Alvarez in the later rounds. The rear-naked choke finish was just the third loss in Eddie Alvarez's career. 

While Chandler waits for a contender to be produced through the Bellator tournaments, he will face Akihiro Gono, one of the most well-rounded fighters that Japan has ever produced. Gono has solid grappling, but is best known for his kickboxing.

He presents an interesting matchup for Chandler and will surely test the champion's chin. The fight takes place this Friday at Bellator 68. 

UFC on Fox 3: Jim Miller vs Nate Diaz

The UFC returns to Fox this Saturday at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey with a main event between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz. It's a fight that will likely be for No. 1 contender in the lightweight division, though nothing has been officially announced.

Jim Miller has been in a No. 1 contender fight before. The difference is that this time, he will be fighting just miles away from his hometown of Sparta, New Jersey. As arguably the toughest fighter in the UFC, Miller has been able to stop many opponents by outworking and mentally breaking them in the later rounds. 

Nate Diaz is almost an exact clone of his older brother, Nick. A high-volume puncher, Nate has come into his own since making his UFC debut. After a mildly successful stint at welterweight, Diaz returned to lightweight and has dominated Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone.

This is the most interesting match of the month in my opinion, as Jim and Nate are both incredibly tough and exciting which should lead to a great fight on Saturday night. 

UFC on Fox 3: Alan Belcher vs Rousimar Palhares

UFC matchmaker Joe Silva hit this one out of the park. The matchup between Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares is compelling because of the clash of styles. As arguably the best leg-lock artist in the UFC, Palhares has the skills to pay those proverbial bills. Standing in his way is Alan Belcher, who is a dynamic kickboxer under Duke "that's the troofus" Roofus. 

While the fight isn't for a No. 1 contender, it will put both fighters "in the mix." And as with everything in MMA, that is subject to change should the fight end in spectacular fashion. Prepare to see either Palhares go home with another leg or Belcher to put the Brazilian to sleep. 

UFC on Fuel TV 3: Dustin Poirier vs Chan Sung Jung

If I was a gambling man, I'd expect this to be for No. 1 contender at featherweight. But since it hasn't been announced as such, I'm not putting any money on this outcome. Just too many variables to worry about, and I don't like variables.

It's a brilliant matchup between two young fighters that always push the action and look to finish. Poirier may be the best fighter at featherweight not named Jose Aldo, while Chan Sung Jung always pushes the action and is willing to take a punch in order to give one. 

As the main event of the UFC's return to Virginia, these two fighters are sure to entertain everyone who attends the fight in person. 

UFC on Fuel TV 3: Donald Cerrone vs Jeremy Stephens

I'm looking forward to this fight. Donald Cerrone is a creative striker with a great chin who mixes up punches and kicks to keep his opponents on the defensive. Jeremy Stephens absolutely loves to brawl and trade punches with whoever the UFC places in front of him. Putting these two in the cage should all but guarantee a "Fight of the Night" bonus. 

There is the added wrinkle that Cerrone is coming off a devastating loss to Nate Diaz, where he looked exhausted for the first time in his MMA career. It will be interesting how he comes off such a loss against a dangerous opponent who possesses one-punch knockout power. Neither fighter will be challenging for a title anytime in the immediate future, but that doesn't make this fight any less exciting. 

Strikeforce Barnett vs Cormier: Josh Barnett vs Daniel Cormier

Oh what the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix could have been. Featuring eight of the best heavyweights in the world, it could have been the tournament to put Strikeforce on the map as a viable competitor to the UFC. However, between upsets and contract negotiations, the tournament fell apart midway through 2011. 

The Strikeforce heavyweight division is set to be absorbed in to the UFC's, and the final two fighters are Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett. They fight for the Grand Prix title and then will become UFC fighters. I'm excited as I think both Barnett and Cormier are UFC-ready and can make an immediate impact in what was once a shallow division. It's a fight over a year in the making, and one I won't miss as a fan of the sport. 

Strikeforce Barnett vs Cormier: Gilbert Melendez vs Josh Thompson

There shouldn't be any debate whether Gilbert Melendez belongs in the UFC. He's arguably the best lightweight fighter in the world and is wasting away in Strikeforce, which has no elite challengers to his lightweight title.

At Strikeforce: Barnett vs Cormier, fans will be treated to the final intriguing matchup in the Strikeforce lightweight division when Josh Thompson and Gilbert Melendez meet for the third and final time. It's a fight that makes sense as both are excellent wrestlers and kickboxers. They also have had two great fights in the past, which makes it all but certain that the rubber match will also be exciting. 

UFC 146: Junior Dos Santos vs Frank Mir

Alistair Overeem ruined everything. I was so hyped to see Junior Dos Santos vs Alistair Overeem, and now I'm not seeing that fight. 

I got over that disappointment pretty quickly when it was announced that Frank Mir would be stepping in as the replacement. It's a compelling fight with the added story of Junior Dos Santos getting revenge for his mentor, who Mir defeated not too long ago. 

It's not the fight that we wanted, but this will turn out to be a great fight as both Dos Santos and Mir are extremely well-rounded and are finishers. As far as heavyweight bouts go, the UFC couldn't do much better. 

UFC 146: Cain Velasquez vs Antonio Silva

I would be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit disappointed that we weren't going to see Cain Velasquez vs Frank Mir at UFC 146. It was a fight I was looking forward to between two elite heavyweights. They stylistically matched up to create a fight that could have been a classic.

That's not to say I'm not happy with the new matchup between Cain Velasquez and Antonio Silva. Velasquez is back after an extensive time away from the sport while recovering from injury, and "Bigfoot" is a fighter that can test him in the right ways. 

It's a fight to look forward to on the newly-changed UFC 146 fight card. 

UFC 146: Mark Hunt vs Stefan Struve

After all the #RallyForMarkHunt tweets, most people should be kinda tired of hearing about the Super Samoan. And if we're being totally honest with each other, I'm kinda over it as well. However, Mark's Twitter has been incredibly entertaining, and I'm not entirely sure that Mark is aware he's fighting at UFC 146. Instead of tweeting about training, he's trying to meet up with Joe Son and tweets about going to bar. 

If he can beat Struve at UFC 146, it's not out of the question that Hunt will be placed in a title eliminator. I'm willing to tune in and find out what happens.