MMA Contenders and Pretenders Who Will Be Revealed in March

There are plenty of crazy MMA things going on in March. Lots of guys sort of teetering on the fulcrum, especially with all those cuts in the UFC, and the promise of more cuts to come. It's "The Pit and The Pendulum" month at Zuffa headquarters. Possibly the first month of many.

But there's more going on on the MMA landscape than just what's going on in the UFC. In fact, there may be several opportunities to separate wheat from chaff all over the place. Here are two contenders and two pretenders I believe may emerge. 

Contender: Johny Hendricks

Johny Hendricks opened recently as a slight favorite over Carlos Condit in advance of their fight at UFC 158. Given that, plus the fact that many believe Hendricks was robbed of a title shot, it's kind of unconventional to say Hendricks will become a contender this month.

But for what it's worth, I think Hendricks bests Condit and becomes the undisputed No. 1 welterweight contender in the world. Again.

Pretender: Mark Hunt

That Mark Hunt for president campaign, or whatever it was, got the New Zealander into the MMA news cycle for a while. It seemed the UFC brass almost considered Hunt for a title shot. But it ultimately demurred, and after a yearlong injury layoff, the 38-year-old Hunt steps back in the cage against a rising young prospect in Stefan Struve.

I think Struve puts Hunt's crowd-pleasing but ultimately limited MMA skill set back in the proper context; which is to say, the middle ranks of the UFC heavyweight division. 

Contender: Tyson Nam

Through no fault of his own, Tyson Nam found himself on the shelf and losing steam after his surprising off-the-grid knockout of Eduardo Dantas last year. He'll get back in the public eye against Marlon Moraes at World Series of Fighting 2. He'll win this and ensconce himself solidly in world bantamweight rankings. 

Pretender: Saad Awad

Nothing against the effectively nicknamed "Ill" Will Brooks. He's a good fighter, and after losing by TKO Thursday night to Saad Awad, I believe he'll be back.

But credit to Awad: He looked terrific last night and electrified the crowd. It was his fourth knockout win in less than a minute. But in his lightweight tournament finals fight with David Rickels, I think a more well-rounded fighter will win.

That doesn't appear to be Saad Awad.