The 10 Fox Sports 1 Fights That You Don't Want to Miss

The UFC will be bringing a stacked card full of can't-miss bouts when the promotion rolls into Boston next weekend for the launch of the new Fox Sports 1 network.

Headlining the upcoming Fight Night event will be a light heavyweight battle between former champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and the always talkative, ex-top contender Chael Sonnen.

The night will also feature a heavyweight scrap between knockout artists Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne.

As the world's largest MMA promotion continues to fill up its Fox Sports 1 cards, let's take at the 10 fights you can't miss on the new network.

10. Kelvin Gastelum vs. Brian Melancon

Kelvin Gastelum shocked the MMA world when he defeated heavy favorite Uriah Hall to take The Ultimate Fighter season 17 crown this past April.

Unafraid of Hall's deadly striking arsenal, Gastelum grounded and pounded his way to a split decision victory over the dangerous middleweight. 

Now moving down to 170, Gastelum should be even more explosive and powerful with his takedowns.

While the TUF alum should be riding a wave of confidence going into his with Brian Melancon at UFC Fight Night 27, it won't be an easy walk in the park for Gastelum.

A Strikeforce vet who's coming off a KO win over Seth Baczynski in his Octagon debut at UFC 162, Melancon will be a tough test to see if Gastelum is really cut out for MMA's big leagues.

It will be interesting to see how these two heavy hitters stack up.

9. Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson

Should Joe Lauzon pull off a crazy finish or get involved in another wild brawl, he could very well surpass Anderson Silva as the all-time leader in post-fight bonus awards.

The exciting submission whiz will square off with Michael Johnson when the UFC returns to Boston on Aug. 17, making for an excellent stylistic match-up that may just earn Lauzon that coveted accolade.

While Johnson does have a weakness in his ground game, he may be able to hang with "J-Lau" standing up. But regardless of where this fight goes, you won't want to miss a minute of this surefire, exciting bout.

8. Uriah Hall vs. John Howard

Another great matchup set for the UFC Fight Night 26 card will be a middleweight scrap between Uriah Hall and Boston's own John Howard.

While both men are known for their knockout power and skills standing up, Hall and Howard will also both be looking to erase the memories of their last Octagon outings.

In his official UFC debut, Hall did not live up to all the hype he generated while on TUF and will need to bring his A-game if he wants to take out Howard, who will be fighting in the Octagon for the first time since being cut by the promotion in 2011.

Despite their recent UFC woes, I expect both men to be on point next weekend in what could be a Fight of the Night performance.

7. Joseph Benavidez vs. Jussier Formiga

Slowly but surely, the UFC's flyweight division is starting to get more visibility among mainstream fans.

One bout that viewers definitely shouldn't miss is the upcoming scrap between Joseph Benavidez and Jussier Formiga at UFC Fight Night 28.

This battle, which could determine the next challenger for Demetrious Johnson's belt, will be 15 minutes of non-stop action.

Benavidez has been a force to be reckoned with at both 135 and 125 while Formiga has long been considered one of the top flyweights in the world.

I can't wait to see two of the world's best 125ers finally take each other on.

6. Yushin Okami vs. Jacare Souza

Another exciting matchup that will be featured on the Fight Night 28 card will be a battle between Yushin Okami and Jacare Souza.

Okami, the Japanese superstar has been on a roll since suffering back-to-back losses to Tim Boetsch and Anderson, and he is currently riding a three-fight win streak that includes victories over Hector Lombard and Alan Belcher.

Souza's also been on a tear of late, recently taking home Submission of the Night honors for his tapout win over Chris Camozzi this past May.

Considering both men's extensive grappling skills, I can't wait to see how this fight plays out on the mats.

5. Shogun Rua vs. Chael Sonnen

Headlining the UFC's first event on FS1, Shogun vs. Sonnen will be a great battle between two of the promotion's biggest names.

While this matchup has lacked the war of words that usually accompany a bout featuring Uncle Chael, you can be sure that this pair of light heavyweights will bring the action when they face off in Boston next weekend.

Shogun's always exciting striking style will definitely be tested by Sonnen's gritty skills on the mat, so it will be fun to watch how these two will match up against each other.

Even if the fight turns out to be a snoozefest (which I highly doubt it will) fans should tune in just to see what off-the-wall remarks Sonnen will say next.

4. Michael Bisping vs. Mark Munoz

Two of the middleweight division's rising contenders will headline the UFC's next trip across the pond as Michael Bisping and Mark Munoz are set to face off in England this fall.

Both men recently got back in the win column and will be looking to climb further up the divisional ladder in one of the sport's most talented weight classes.

Stylistically, this fight will be extremely fun to watch as Bisping is a fantastic striker which will be interesting to see pitted against Munoz's wrestling and athleticism.

Depending on who has the crown after champ Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva duke it out in December, the winner of Bisping-Munoz could be in prime position to make a title run.

3. Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway

No disrespect to Max Holloway, but all eyes will be on Conor McGregor when he makes his U.S. debut in Boston for UFC Fight Night 26.

The brash "King of Dublin" lived up to the hype in his first fight with the UFC, taking just over a minute to finish TUF alum Marcus Brimage this past April. The Irishman put on a fantastic striking display in the short time frame before knocking Brimage out with a barrage of punches in the first round.

Since then, McGregor's popularity has skyrocketed, making him a must-watch fighter on the first UFC on Fox Sports card.

While Holloway won't be a push over, expect to see a fired-up McGregor force the action in what's sure to be an action-packed battle.

2. Glover Teixeira vs. Ryan Bader

Since there's a title shot possibly waiting in the wings should he emerge victorious at UFC Fight Night 28, fans should expect to see an amped Glover Teixeira when he takes on Ryan Bader in the main event.

The Brazilian light heavyweight has been on a tear since joining the UFC, defeating all four of his opponents inside the Octagon and most recently, taking home Submission of the Night honors for his win over James Te Huna at UFC 160.

Bader also recently took home a Sub of the Night honor for his victory over Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC on Fox 6.

This fight should be an exciting battle of top-10 205ers and is almost guaranteed to end with a bang.

1. Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann

The one fight scheduled for an FS1 card that I am looking forward to the most is, hands down, the rematch between welterweight contenders Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann.

The pair of heavy-handed scrappers put on a great show when they first squared off in 2009, with Kampmann barely squeaking out the split decision win in what would be Condit's first fight in the UFC.

Since then, both men have proven themselves to be exciting, top-tier 170ers, rolling through most of the competition, save for, of course, champ Georges St-Pierre and current top contender Johny Hendricks.

This matchup should be a solid candidate for Fight of the Night when they headline the second FS1 event later this month.

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