20 UFC Fights Guaranteed to Satisfy This Summer

For the next three months, the UFC will be keeping our eyes glued to the TV.

With championships bouts, historic rematches, organizational debuts and just plain old slobberknockers headlining the list of summer blockbusters, fans couldn't be happier.

By looking at the eight events that either end before or land on Sept. 1, this summer is going to be one hell of a ride.

Here are 20 fights destined to satisfy our everyday MMA urges, while keeping us out of the heat.

Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher III

This will mark the third installment of Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher.

The first two showdowns were as close as possible, each going three rounds and one ending via split decision.

With the series tied at 1-1, Stout and Fisher will be looking to capture glory in this UFC version of sudden death.

Potentially a Fight of the Night candidate, this trilogy will not fail to entertain.

Cung Le vs. Patrick Cote

Patrick Cote is set to make his UFC comeback against spinning-back-kick specialist Cung Le at UFC 148, following Rich Franklin's transition to UFC 147.

Cote's exit from the organization in October 2010 wasn't a pretty one, having lost three in a row, but his four-fight win streak since then suggests he's ready to make a middleweight splash.

If Le can land some of those vicious back kicks, and Cote can utilize his boxing, this bout could turn into a three-round Nate Diaz-esque brawl.

Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado

Following a loss to Rashad Evans at UFC on FOX 2, Phil Davis is ready to welcome Wagner Prado to the UFC.

Prado hails from multiple organizations, mostly Brazilian promotions, and comes in at 8-0.

With exceptional striking, alongside a 6'4" frame, Prado will surely test Davis from bell to bell.

I mean the guy is a straight-up MMA banshee.  He doesn't even have a Wikipedia page.

Travis Browne vs. Ben Rothwell

I don't know what it is about Travis Browne, but UFC fans don't really consider him a serious threat.

But how can anybody ignore an undefeated record and four wins in the UFC heavyweight division?

Whatever the reason is, Browne has a chance to end all of the nonsense and receive the hype he deserves when he battles "Big" Ben Rothwell at UFC on FOX 4.

Rothwell is coming off a devastating KO victory of Brendan Schaub at UFC 145 and has proclaimed himself ready for a title shot.

While that's slightly a stretch of his imagination, Rothwell should be able to hold his ground against a quicker and more athletic Browne.

Don't miss this one.

Ivan Menjivar vs. Mike Easton

I truly think this is going to be one of the best fights of the summer.

Both Ivan Menjivar and Mike Easton are two of the better finishers at 135 lbs., combining for a 5-0 UFC record.

And while Easton possesses more potential going forward, Menjivar was in fact scheduled to face Renan Barao at UFC 148 until Urijah Faber snatched him away, so obviously the guy has some skill.

In my opinion, bantamweight bouts are always the most entertaining fights, so when you have two of the top five fighters in the division squaring off, fireworks are bound to go off.

Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie

Is it finally time to consider Cody McKenzie a serious threat in the featherweight division?

After submitting a very talented and very athletic Marcus LeVesseur at UFC on FUEL TV in May, McKenzie finally has our attention.

Everyone knows he has one of the best guillotine chokes in the game, but his ability to take punishment and compete against well-rounded strikers is no doubt blossoming.

What better way to test his newfound talents than against the formidable Chad Mendes?

Mendes is one of the best wrestlers in the division, so it should be interesting to see if he plays chicken with McKenzie's guillotine on the ground or tries to take his head off on his feet.

Jake Shields vs. Ed Herman

Ed Herman is going to have his hands full with Jake Shields at UFC 150, but that doesn't mean "Short Fuse" can't prolong his three-fight win streak.

Shields is no cakewalk, having fought for the UFC welterweight title a little more than one year ago, but Herman possesses more power in his hands to end the fight early.

And even though Shields is one of the better ground specialists in MMA, Herman himself is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, so expect a stalemate on the canvas.

Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman

No more than six months ago, a fight between top middleweight contender Mark Munoz and budding star Chris Weidman would have been something found in Dr. Seuss.

But following an injury to Munoz that forced him out of his No. 1 contender bout with Chael Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2, alongside Weidman's upset decision over Demian Maia at that same event, they'll be no green eggs and ham come this July at UFC on FUEL TV.

If Weidman can once again knock off a substantial opponent within the middleweight division, his chances for a title shot by the end of the year become that more relevant.

But if Munoz can secure a decisive victory over an undefeated prospect in "The Hangman," his middleweight stock will reset to what it once was.

Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch

Hector Lombard was originally scheduled to face Brian Stann at UFC 149 in his promotional debut, but instead will attempt to stop the powerful Tim Boetsch.

For a lot of people, Lombard's arrival to the UFC may not spark as much interest as an Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum or Antonio Silva.

But for the Bellator middleweight champion, letting his 31-2-1 professional record do the talking seems like the best bet.

Boetsch could give Lombard some problems in the clinch, but the UFC newcomer sports one of the best striking arsenals in the middleweight division, so don't expect this to last all three rounds.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin II

Many people are upset that Vitor Belfort's injury knocked him out of UFC 147 against Wanderlei Silva.

But for me, having already witnessed this replacement bout once before, Rich Franklin filling in doesn't sound so bad.

Their first fight captured Fight of the Night honors.

Franklin won that bout, but considering he hasn't fought in the UFC since early 2011, the slate is clean.

Consider this rematch worthy.  Someone is getting knocked out.

Joe Lauzon vs. Terry Etim

This fight may not be getting a lot of recognition considering the bountiful bouts it accompanies on this list, but Joe Lauzon vs. Terry Etim should be a barn burner.

Both fighters are hungry to get back in the win column, each coming off individually devastating KO defeats: Lauzon to Anthony Pettis at UFC 144 and Etim to Edson Barboza at UFC 142, which may have been the sickest KO of the year (spinning wheel kick).

Regardless, both of these guys have rebounded from significant losses once before.

With a combined 16-6 record in the UFC, these lightweight veterans won't fail to produce come August at UFC on FOX 4.

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua vs. Brandon Vera

Apparently, Mauricio Shogun Rua didn't want any part of talented newcomer Glover Teixeira this summer, so Brandon Vera has been pegged as his replacement at UFC on FOX 4.

And even though I would of loved to see Rua fight somebody that he actually feared, I find it even more amusing that Vera is considered a replacement.

Sure he has had his misfortunes in the UFC and has has been more a product of hype than results, but "The Truth" still has the skill set to end any fighter on any given night.

Shogun is one of the best light heavyweights around, so Vera needs to take his time inside the cage and pick his shots.

This will mark either the comeback of Vera or the cowardliness of Rua for winning after denying a fight with Teixeira.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cheick Kongo

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's last UFC fight didn't really go as planned, leaving his arm dislocated and fans wondering if his career has started to decline.

But the fact of the matter is that Nogueira is still one of the best heavyweights in the world.

His track record suggests that he's more than ready to avenge his most eerie loss to date, not to mention competing inside the Octagon only eight months after Frank Mir shattered his limb.

And while Cheick Kongo is a very talented heavyweight in his own right, Minotauro should be able to get back on track with a win and work his way towards a third fight with Mir sometime in 2013.

Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader

There's is no doubt Lyoto Machida is one of the hungriest fighters in the UFC today.

After getting choked out on his feet by Jon Jones at UFC 140, "The Dragon" needs a win to maintain his top contender status in the light heavyweight division.

But that doesn't mean Ryan Bader is going to roll over and play dead.

Bader himself needs a victory to put his name back in the title race, so you can expect nothing but fireworks when these two finishers square off at UFC on FOX 4.

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz III

The history between these two fighters is boundless.

Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin have battled inside the Octagon twice before, producing some of the best action we could expect from two fighters who weren't exactly in their prime.

This time around we can expect more of the same, but unfortunately for fight fans, the outcome is going to be different.

Following this fight, Ortiz is settling for retirement, while a loss by Griffin could mean his exit from the UFC.

Emotions will be high, punches will be thrown.  It's mixed martial arts at its finest.

Gray Maynard vs. Clay Guida

This fight has all the fixings to capture Fight of the Year honors.

Capable of blowing the roof off of Atlantic City, Gray Maynard vs. Clay Guida is an exceptional match-up.

As two of the best takedown specialists in the lightweight division, with KO power to boot, their "never die" mentality inside the cage will equate to fan satisfaction.

The outcome of this fight shouldn't be anything but spectacular.

Not to mention each fighter's title hopes are at stake.

Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao

Thanks to Dominick Cruz, fans are going to witness one of the most dynamic fights of 2012 when Urijah Faber and Renan Barao battle it out for interim bantamweight title rights at UFC 149.

This fight was originally scheduled to be the co-main event at UFC 148 below Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II, but an injury to Jose Aldo forced Dana White and company to make Faber vs. Barao the headliner in Calagary, Alberta.

But regardless of where the fight actually takes place, which really isn't an issue once these two dynamos touch gloves, this bantamweight title showdown will not disappoint.

Full of speed, power, unorthodox striking, killer instincts and the hunger for glory, Faber vs. Barao will encompass everything a top-notch fight should.

Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar II

There's no doubt that Frankie Edgar deserves a lightweight championship rematch against Benson Henderson after losing his title to "Smooth" at UFC 144 in Japan.

Coming into that fight, Edgar was carrying career victories over BJ Penn, Gray Maynard and Sean Sherk, creating a persona as one of the most unsuspecting champions in UFC history.

Well, as it has been for the majority of his professional career, Edgar is trying to once again prove that he deserves to be called No. 1, despite a small frame and a striking skill set that often comes off as average.

Henderson on the other hand is trying to prove that his victory over Edgar the first time around wasn't a fluke, that he has earned the lightweight title.

It should be one of the best bouts of the year, involving two of the most professional and humble competitors in the game today.

Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson

Dan Henderson is literally the last stop on Jon Jones' route to immortality.

If "Hendo" fails to derail to the locomotive that is the 24-year-old phenom, the UFC light heavyweight division will have nothing to stand for.

Upon victory, it would seem only natural that Jones move up to fight bigger and better opponents as a heavyweight, but nothing is for certain.

However, one thing you can count on is Henderson trying to take Jones' head off with one of his infamous H-bombs.

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II

In the most anticipated, and maybe important, rematch in UFC history, Anderson Silva will look to defend his middleweight title against Chael Sonnen at UFC 148 for the second time.

Everybody knows the story behind the first bout so it would be repetitive to mention it again (Sonnen manhandled Silva for 24 minutes, oops).

Regardless, beyond Silva's improbably submission victory nearly two years ago, you'd be a fool not to expect another historic battle this time around.

Can Sonnen out-strike Silva yet again?

What will "The Spider" do if he finds himself on his back early in the fight?

How will Silva's adjustments from the first fight effect Sonnen's game plan?

The answers to these questions are going to make or break the legacy of Silva, as well as Sonnen, so stay tuned and strap in for arguably the best fight of the decade.

For more UFC news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell