Predicting the 10 Best MMA Title Fights for 2015
MMA is in for a stellar year in 2015, and the UFC kicks it off right with a jam-packed first 60 days.
Several title fights are already signed, and more are close to becoming confirmed. After looking at the probable matchups for gold, one focuses on the matchups based on the current rankings. It shows that the title tilts will only get better as the year goes along.
Narrowing down the list to just 10 proved difficult.
This list highlights the 10 best title fights across seven different divisions in two promotions. Some of the champions may be involved in a second or third high-level title fight in 2015, but to get a larger scope of the schedule, I limited it to one fight per championship.
2015 should be a fun year. Strap in.
Here are 10 of the best title fights you are likely to see in the next 12 months.
Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson
1 of 10
The first fight between Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson was a spectacular high-paced bout. Dodson nearly stopped Johnson early, but the champion rebounded and took over the fight. Since that fight, Dodson has earned a rematch, and Johnson has been phenomenal in his title defenses.
The rematch was scheduled in 2014, but Dodson suffered an injury that forced him out of action. Dodson will likely be back in the summer. It is unclear if he will get his title shot immediately, or if the UFC will make him take one fight prior. Dodson should be able to reclaim his top spot and challenge Johnson.
Dodson will have learned a lot about fighting in a five-round title fight. His high output and pace wilted in the championship rounds, but that is unlikely to happen in a rematch. He will be better prepared.
This potential title fight will feature two fighters who will be much improved. It was competitive last time and will be again.
It has Fight of the Year potential. This is a spectacular title fight waiting in the wings.
Joe Warren vs. Eduardo Dantas
2 of 10
Joe Warren won the Bellator bantamweight strap from Eduardo Dantas in October of 2014, and you can likely expect the two to clash again at some point in 2015.
Warren and Dantas deliver great action and make for a fun five-round title fight.
Their rematch in 2015 will supersede their 2014 title unification bout. They match up well against each other.
This rematch is almost sure to happen. The Bellator weight classes are not filled to the brim with top-tier talent. It is why rematches and trilogies happen quite often in the second-largest MMA promotion in the world.
That isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sign me up for the Warren-Dantas rematch.
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz
3 of 10
It took a couple of years, but Dominick Cruz returned to the Octagon. Finally healthy, he looked better than ever with a first-round finish of Takeya Mizugaki in 2014.
For much of Cruz's time away, it was speculated he would take on Renan Barao. T.J. Dillashaw had other plans, scoring one of the biggest upsets of the year with a dominant victory over the champion and then defending his newly earned title against Joe Soto.
Dillashaw's style resembles Cruz's in a lot of ways. The two are both excellent wrestlers with good hands. More exciting is that they have gas tanks that can go hard for five full rounds.
Cruz never lost his UFC championship; it was stripped due to inactivity. Now, we finally get to find out who the true undisputed champion of the bantamweight division is. That is an intriguing prospect with two of the sport's most exciting fighters.
Dillashaw vs. Cruz will deliver some of the best action in the coming year.
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Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano
4 of 10
Many fans may not be expecting this fight to be exciting due to Rousey's dominance. Her superiority over the division has left many thinking that no one other than a certain featherweight can challenge her.
Do not be lulled into that thinking. Cat Zingano has all the tools to create problems for Rousey.
Zingano can match Rousey's athleticism and strength inside the Octagon, and her jiu-jitsu will not be as easily defended. Rousey has put herself in bad positions before, most notably allowing Liz Carmouche to nearly sink in a rear-naked choke.
That is a position where Zingano will finish Rousey.
Rousey's improvement in the stand-up has made her an even more vicious finisher than before, and a finish of Zingano in February would only further her legacy as a fighter.
Stylistically, this is an incredible matchup. It should be Rousey's most competitive fight to date, and despite the odds she will be facing entering the bout, Zingano is definitely a live dog.
Patricio Pitbull vs. Daniel Straus and Winner vs. Pat Curran
5 of 10
Pat Curran and Daniel Straus had two great fights, with their second encounter being an incredible battle that ended with a Curran submission in the fifth round. Curran then went on to face Patricio Freire.
Pitbull won that fight by decision. His next contender has yet to be confirmed, but it would appear Straus is the leader for that bit after a KO win over Justin Wilcox.
2015 will likely see Straus take on Pitbull first, and if Curran can nab a win, he'll be next in line. Both of those fights are going to be fantastic. It is a great way for Bellator to draw attention to its product.
These three are the cream of the crop in Bellator's featherweight division. They'll be in a perpetual battle for the championship until someone new establishes himself as a top contender. These may not be the absolute best fighters at 145 pounds, but they are exciting.
Be sure to set your DVR to Bellator for its featherweight title bouts.
Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar
6 of 10
Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar went toe-to-toe for the UFC featherweight title in early 2013, and Edgar nearly walked away with the championship.
Fast forward two years and this fight is on the brink of happening again.
Edgar defeated Cub Swanson to become the No. 2-ranked contender in the division, but his title hopes are not locked in just yet. Rising star Conor McGregor could be next in line with a win over Dennis Siver. Fair? Maybe not, but the buzz around McGregor makes for a more marketable fight.
Whether McGregor gets the next crack at Aldo or no, expect Edgar to be next up and get his shot at the gold. And expect Aldo to defeat McGregor should that fight happen.
Aldo vs. Edgar is what championship fights should be. It should be the standard in which we judge other title tilts—top-ranked fighters going back-and-forth with impeccable technique.
Aldo has become more hittable in recent fights. That could spell trouble against Edgar, but he too has absorbed a lot of damage throughout his career. That could mean we'll see a finish in the rematch. It only adds to the potential excitement of a marquee featherweight fight.
Will Brooks vs. Michael Chandler
7 of 10
Will Brooks and Michael Chandler had two incredible fights in 2014. You can likely expect a third one in 2015.
As mentioned in the bantamweight and featherweight slides, Bellator does not have a lot of depth in its divisions. Thus, someone as top shelf as Chandler can earn another title shot with a quick win or two.
Brooks vs. Chandler has what it takes to match the rivalry that Chandler had with Alvarez. Brooks arrived on the scene in a big way with his performance in the interim title fight and confirmed his spot as one of the best lightweights in the world with his stoppage win.
Truthfully, there are not a lot of other upper-echelon challengers for Brooks. Perhaps if Nate Diaz does leave the UFC following his beatdown at the hands of Rafael dos Anjos, he could show up as an interesting challenger, but that story has yet to be written.
Brooks vs. Chandler III seems to be a distinct possibility for 2015, and I couldn't be happier about that.
Anthony Pettis vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
8 of 10
It appears that Rafael dos Anjos will get the next title shot, but it is unlikely that he ends up defeating Anthony Pettis.
Pettis is the top dog at 155 pounds, and his showing against Gilbert Melendez proved that. It will be his fight after Dos Anjos that gives him his greatest challenge to date.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has run through the UFC lightweight division. He has not lost in his professional career. At 22-0 he stands as one of the few undefeated title challengers in the entire sport. And he has the perfect style to give Pettis fits.
Nurmagomedov's relentless takedowns and grappling wear on opponents. Pettis has improved his defense and his ability to immediately get back up. However, against Nurmagomedov, that will be difficult to sustain for five rounds.
If Nurmagomedov was a lay-and-pray wrestler, this fight may not make this list of the best title fights coming up in the next year, but he's not. He is very active and pushes the pace constantly. By the time this fight rolls around, he will be right back up to the No. 1-ranked contender spot in the UFC rankings, and we will be treated to Pettis' toughest task inside the Octagon.
Chris Weidman vs. Jacare Souza
9 of 10
Chris Weidman defends his title against Vitor Belfort at UFC 184, but on paper it looks to be an easy victory for Weidman. Yes, Belfort has knockout power and fast hands, but the stylistic matchup with Weidman is awful for the challenger.
Also on UFC 184, not by sheer coincidence, is a middleweight contender's bout featuring No. 2-ranked Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and No. 6-ranked Yoel Romero. The winner of that fight is likely to be next in line, and it favors Jacare.
The potential meeting between Jacare and Weidman is the most intriguing middleweight title matchup possible.
Weidman and Souza are both excellent grapplers, but Jacare is a world-class submission artist. Will Weidman choose to bring the fight to the floor? If not, they will fight on the feet, where both fighters are markedly improved.
Jacare will be the third consecutive Brazilian challenger for Weidman's crown. The American has a built-in rivalry with Anderson Silva's former teammates and friends, and that only adds to the suspense of this fight. Add in their elite abilities and you are looking at a phenomenal title headliner.
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier
10 of 10
There is no way you cannot list the January 3 bout between Jon Jones and No. 1-ranked contender Daniel Cormier.
It is the most highly anticipated MMA fight since Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II. The heated rivalry only got more interesting when the two had a scuffle at a press conference in 2014. The title fight got pushed back, but that did nothing to curtail the excitement surrounding it
Without question, Cormier poses the biggest threat to Jones' title reign. He is an elite wrestler who has incredible power in his punches. He was one of the very best heavyweights in the game prior to dropping to 205 pounds. He is every bit Jones' equal, if not his superior.
Jones has already established himself as the greatest light heavyweight of all time, and he continues to prove that by taking on the best of the best in the division. A win over Cormier would elevate him into another stratosphere as we start putting him in the discussion for the greatest of all time.
Jones is getting better, Cormier is getting better, and their ability to sell this fight with their hatred makes this the premier fight of 2015. And it happens right out of the chute.
This is the most exciting title fight of the year. Period.
Take your best guess about how this fight will play out and throw it out the window. When the cage door shuts, we will see two men with hatred in their hearts meet in the center of the cage, and anything can happen. Everyone will be on the edge of their seat.
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