B/R Combative Sports: Top 25 Wishes for MMA and Boxing for 2015
With 2015 nearly upon us, it is time to look forward and hope that all the unrealized fights of the past finally see the light and give us the answers we seek.
2015 should be able to do so almost by default as last year was more about what didn’t or couldn’t happen than what did.
In 2014, fans of the combative sports saw promotions and promoters scramble to make much ado about little of note because everything seemed to be falling apart.
In MMA and professional boxing, some meaningful fights were made and some wonderful stories told. The resurgence of Robbie Lawler and Miguel Cotto gave fans something special, but the year as a whole seemed wanting.
Injuries handcuffed the world of MMA, seeing such notable fighters as Anderson Silva and Cain Velasquez sit on the sidelines, watching and waiting. Andre Ward, one of boxing’s greatest current talents, sat out all of 2014 due to contractual disputes with his promoter, Dan Goossen, who died in September.
Obviously, fans of both sports can accept injury delays and have grown sadly accustomed to the red tape involved in getting fights made. But when fighters and promoters talk much while failing to deliver what the fans really want, selling substitutions for the real deal makes faith begin to fade.
2014 saw Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao continue their careers, but both fighters fought anyone except each other.
Pacquiao gained a measure of revenge when he defeated Timothy Bradley in a rematch of their 2012 tilt that saw the latter win via bad judging. He then went on to face the outmatched Chris Algieri in a bout few cared about, save Bob Arum.
Mayweather, for his part, fought and defeated Marcos Maidana, the man that crushed his faux protégé, Adrian Broner. While many tried to conjure a Mayweather defeat amid all the smoke, it was clear to all who had two good eyes that he had bested Maidana thoroughly.
Then, Mayweather fought him again in order to silence all who dared speak to the notion that Maidana had even come close to winning. This kind of attitude is good in a fighter, but only so long as it is consistent.
Why was this attitude missing when it came to making a bout with Pacquiao? Clearly, the doubt of Mayweather’s claim of being the greatest is present and in his face nearly all the time.
MMA didn’t exactly make hay while the sun was shining, either. The biggest fight to be made in WMMA—Ronda Rousey vs. Cris “Cyborg” Justino—went unrealized as the UFC hid behind the notion that the weight divide between them was too great to negotiate.
Coming from an organization that created an entire women’s division for one fighter (Rousey), this smacks of bad theater.
Instead, Zuffa sold us on the notion that Conor McGregor is the next great thing by promoting him up the featherweight ladder past others who could mop the floor with him at this early stage in his career. Staying true to a theme, they also bought the right to exploit the destruction of a popular WWE figure (CM Punk) while selling it as the wish fulfillment of Phillip Brooks, who appears to be a good guy.
And if all that was not enough, Zuffa LLC has seen the announcement of one humdinger of a lawsuit aimed at their head, with a growing list of fighters tugging with all their might on the chain that is pulling the hammer back.
Then, there were canceled fights due to PED issues—which has proven to be a plague on both houses over the past years—and countless other obstacles that saw the world of combative sport crawl along rather than run.
But all is not lost. 2015 is a new year and with that comes new possibilities.
Here are my top 25 wishes for the sports of MMA and professional boxing. What are yours?
No. 25
1 of 25
Re-Retirement for Stephan Bonnar
Being a professional fighter is not as easy as most fans would think, especially when it comes to the day of retirement.
For Stephan Bonnar, who is forever linked in glory with Forrest Griffin, he probably feels as if his career still lacks that one notable victory over a big-name fighter.
After all, Griffin defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Tito Ortiz and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. That level of accomplishment eluded Bonnar his entire career and the fact that being awarded a place in the UFC Hall of Fame could not prevent his move to Bellator is telling.
I have always loved watching Bonnar fight, since the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. He was funny, gutsy as hell and didn’t mind swimming through a sea of his own blood in order to find the win.
But in his bout with Ortiz this year, he just looked old.
Granted, Ortiz didn’t look so good, either, but Bonnar doesn’t seem to have the severe ego issues of Ortiz, so seeing his return unfold so disappointingly was sobering.
I honestly hope Bonnar will retire for good and can look back upon the entirety of his career and smile with confidence, because Lord knows I do.
Watching that first fight with Griffin never gets old, and when the sport needed him most he stepped up and delivered, with a vengeance.
No. 24
2 of 25
Tito Ortiz vs. King Mo
Speaking of ego issues…
It doesn’t seem all that long ago to me that Tito Ortiz was calling out Ken Shamrock for a showdown at UFC 40.
The fact that he was trying to pick and choose his opponents from the older-and-damaged bin of the MMA world was lost on his fans who lived vicariously through his every deed and opponent-bashing T-shirt.
As much as they loved being fans of Ortiz, he loved it more.
When the going got tough and he was re-signed to the UFC, he tried to draw from the same bin again, this time against an aged Mark Coleman.
Thankfully, that didn’t come to pass and Ortiz had to resume fighting against competition his own speed.
Now, the tables have turned and the fighters of today are calling out Ortiz to try to make a name off his defeat; most recently, King Mo. Ortiz shouldn’t be surprised as he basically gets royalties off the move anyway.
Normally, I wouldn’t advise this for anyone, especially a fighter who has retired once before, but if Ortiz wants to keep on fighting with any dignity at all he should accept this challenge.
Odds are, King Mo will crush him flat and make him look terrible. But since Ortiz has moved to Bellator, he has precious few choices left.
For Ortiz, avoidance is no longer an option. The competition was too much for him in the UFC and he can’t afford to look like he’s afraid in the minor leagues, as his ego would never recover.
It is time to either step up or walk away.
No. 23
3 of 25
Carl Froch vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
It’s been said so many times that I often feel like a plagiarist every time the adage falls out of my mouth, but when thinking about a fight between Carl Froch and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., styles make fights and this looks like it could be a dandy.
And if the fight were to happen in England, at Wembley Stadium, we could see the best of both fighters as they rise to the occasion.
For Froch, a fight against Chavez Jr. would earn him a well-deserved payday as it would do some very respectable numbers on pay-per-view, not to mention the live gate.
For Chavez Jr., the bout would finally see him given a chance to step out of his father’s epic shadow and establish something for himself. He sorely needs this if he is to continue to grow as his own man. Given that he basically played the part of rebellious teenager leading up to his bout with Sergio Martinez, it’s been hard for many fans to take him seriously.
It’s a reward for one and redemption for the other, and if both fighters want it bad enough it could be one hell of a fight, as long as the promoters can come to some kind of agreement for Chavez Jr. and his last fight, which Bob Arum believes is due.
Froch is clearly the superior boxer and he has clear KO power. Chavez Jr. is clearly the bigger puncher and he is younger and possesses an underrated set of whiskers.
Add approximately 60,000 in attendance and the national pride of two nations and you have all the makings of an excellent night at the fights.
No. 22
4 of 25
Continued Retirement for Fedor Emelianenko
So, rumor has it that Scott Coker is planning on traveling to Russia to coax Fedor Emelianenko out of retirement, possibly in order to face Brock Lesnar should Bellator manage to put together a lucrative enough package to lure the latter away from the WWE and the UFC.
I could say much about this, but it doesn’t deserve the time it would take.
No. Just…no.
No. 21
5 of 25
Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone II
I can hear many of you moaning and can imagine you shaking your heads in confusion, but I don’t care.
I want and am wishing for a rematch between Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone.
Why?
Two reasons, honestly.
One, because I hate MMA math and revel at any chance I get to see it disproved and its supporters educated…or infuriated (take your pick, both work well for me).
Two, because these fighters have changed enough that the outcome could be different, but not so much that the fight won’t be fantastic.
Even riding as high in the saddle as Cowboy will be should he win at UFC 182 against Myles Jury, there is still that wounded warrior in him that remembers the Diaz fight and wants to set things right.
On the flip side, Diaz, while seeming to be in the midst of a career crisis of direction, drive and desire, is still a fighter to be reckoned with and would love to leapfrog back into the top 10. Another win against Cowboy would give him that very thing.
And it would drive his detractors insane, which is an added bonus.
It’s a fight-lovers fight, and even if you dislike either man you cannot deny the level of violent intentions both bring to the cage, or how said intentions bring out the best in them.
These guys could fight 10 times and I would pay to see it each time, but for 2015 I’ll settle for wishing for a rematch.
No. 20
6 of 25
Retirement for Bernard Hopkins
When Bernard Hopkins beat the dreams out of Felix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden in New York City, it was Sept. 29, 2001, 17 days after the fateful days of 9/11. Hopkins was a sizable underdog, 36 years old with a hardened record of 40-2-1-1.
Now, all these years later, Hopkins is a legend and the greatest Methuselah the sport of boxing has known for many decades (perhaps ever).
His record now stands at 55-7-2-2. With the latest loss to Sergey Kovalev—a bout in which he lost every single round—it looks like it is finally time for Hopkins to take a last bow before a standing ovation crowd and then proudly exit stage left, with no regrets to be had at all.
Hopkins has succeeded in rendering tame one of the most violent and demanding sports on the planet. As he grew with age, he adjusted masterfully, implementing new weapons and working on his defense and movement.
It got to the point that it seemed Hopkins was reinventing himself for every fight after his 40th birthday, and each invention was a master class in how the old-timers got things done.
He broke Carlos Monzon’s record for consecutive title defenses (14) and set a new benchmark, defending his IBF Middleweight crown 20 times before finally falling to Jermain Taylor. Some of the biggest names of his generation have tasted defeat at the hands of “The Executioner,” and many years from now, when most of us are old and gray, historians will take a long and serious pause when reflecting on one of the greatest middleweights the sport has ever seen.
With so much already accomplished and the second half of his life ahead of him, I hope for a long overdue retirement for Bernard Hopkins.
I think we can all agree that he’s earned it.
No. 19
7 of 25
A Spirited Debut for Phillip Brooks
Fans of the WWE have always seemed—at least to me—to be a misunderstood bunch of people.
They openly embrace the fact that it is scripted entertainment, live theater where the journey matters just as much as the predetermined ending.
They know it’s fake, but it’s so damn entertaining and transparent that suspending disbelief is just part of the magic. No one is standing outside of movie theaters, heckling fans that go to watch The Hobbit or The Avengers, but WWE fans get hit with the whole bag of bricks.
So, it was pretty satisfying to see Phillip Brooks, the man behind the character known as CM Punk, deftly handle the pressure and the hard questions that come anytime someone steps off the stage and onto the battlefield.
Yes, he is getting paid a great deal more than he or the UFC would like anyone to know, but that is to his credit. If any blame is due for that, it is the UFC. He has the one thing many men these days seem to be lacking: the courage of their convictions.
He could have sat around talking about how he could fight in MMA and hiding behind his injuries and later years, but he didn’t.
He shut up and put his money where his mouth used to be, and that is damn impressive, win or lose.
Personally, I don’t think the UFC should be affording Brooks any special treatment, but they will. They will give him a great deal of special handling, but not because he is asking for it.
Brooks could be the shot in the PPV arm the company has been needing for a while, and if he begins to win the UFC can keep milking him for all he is worth.
It’s not fair to the guys who make $8,000 to fight and $8,000 to win, but he cannot be blamed for the current pay scale Zuffa has set in place.
All he can do is come out ready to fight, put in his mouthpiece and step out onto the harshest stage, under the brightest of lights, and receive an honest accounting of himself in a way few ever understand.
So, I hope for a spirited and inspired debut for Mr. Phillip Brooks in 2015. I hope his first fight is everything he hoped it would be, and more.
And if that is all she wrote, I hope he can look back on it fondly because it was his because he stepped forward and claimed it.
No. 18
8 of 25
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Urijah Faber
I do not often take an unsympathetic stance on any issue that is directly tied in with fighters and their careers because they risk so much for the fans, often with little thanks and little coin to show for their efforts.
But if there is one thing I cannot sympathize with, it is fighters who are teammates, in the same weight class, declaring they will not fight each other.
It’s not that I am offended by the allegiance fighters show one another when training in the same camp, it’s that I cannot understand how they think that forming such bonds should allow them to circumvent the basis for the competition that is supposed to be their greatest passion.
And what is the fact in basis, you ask?
That is easy and obvious. When a fighter decides upon a weight class, he knows he should be ready to take on all comers. This is especially true when fighters get to the top 10. Friendships are fine as long as they do not foil the best fights available.
Case in point is reigning Bantamweight champion, T.J. Dillashaw, and his training partner, mentor and current No. 4-ranked contender, Urijah Faber.
Dillashaw is the reigning king after thrashing former champion Renan Barao in such a manner that a rematch so soon after the fact almost seems doomed to failure for the Brazilian.
In order to compete with the style problems he faced against Dillashaw, it seems Barao would need at least a few more training camps in order to eliminate the holes in his game that the current champion found so damn easy to exploit.
Thus, without Barao seemingly deserving of a rematch and Dominick Cruz now back on the sidelines with yet another ACL injury, the next in line is Faber.
And you know what? Even though Faber has fought for the UFC belt three times and lost three times, he is still the obvious choice as the next in line.
Yet according to Dillashaw, he would not really be open to such a fight, which is baffling to me. When he joined Team Alpha Male as a bantamweight, he had to know his aspirations would demand that he take any fight with any fighter in his division—including Faber.
The same could be said for Faber. If offered another fight for the title, what does it matter who is holding the belt? Faber has never looked like a placeholder to me, and it would be shocking and disappointing if he chose to be so now.
I utterly sympathize with fighters about their pay, sponsorships, fair contracts and so on. I have never wavered on this and never will.
But I also think fighters should sign a code of competition that makes sure they are open and honestly aware of the cold requirements of a UFC contract.
Such a code would not prohibit friendships of any kind, it would just keep such friendships from interfering with the fights that need to happen in order for due process to continue forward, which is in the best interests of all fighters who want a fair shake.
Yeah, I want to see Dillashaw vs. Faber and I don’t apologize for that. I think it would be one hell of a fight that would see the title fought for by the two best fighters available, and that is what it is all about.
I hope it happens in 2015 and I hope it is glorious.
No. 17
9 of 25
Tyson Fury vs. Wladimir Klitschko
Over the past years, more than a few boxing fans have bemoaned the state of the heavyweight division, and honestly, that is understandable.
The crop of heavyweight greats that came before included legends like Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, David Tua and others—any of whom could clean out the current division except for Klitschko.
This is perhaps the weakest we have seen the heavyweight division in many years, and I do not say such a thing lightly. I honestly like both the Klitschko brothers. I just think they have reigned over the division in an era that has demanded less of the big men than any other in my lifetime.
In their primes, men like Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Tyson, Lewis and Holyfield would have beaten both Klitschko’s and made it easier than most would think.
With no real contenders out there, we have been left searching for the tallest nail, no matter how crooked or soft the metal. The fight game is still about salesmanship to some degree, and as long as there are big men out there willing to take a lump in order to fill their wallets, there will be promoters looking to sell us anything in the absence of the real thing.
Enter Tyson Fury: a big man with a big mouth and big ambitions to back it all up. He is now the WBO’s No. 1 contender for Wladimir Klitscho’s title after his boring victory over Dereck Chisora in late November.
Fury could sit on the sidelines and wait for his crack at the crown, but in a move pulled straight out of the eras when fighters fought for “bragging rights” in addition to money, Fury has opted to risk his No. 1 contender status in order to stay active. He will face Christian Hammer on February 28, 2015.
While Hammer (17-3 with 10 KO) is not exactly a force to be reckoned with, he could still upset Fury’s plans with a surprise win because let’s face it—Fury isn’t within shouting distance of the level of fighters like the Klitschko’s, Lewis, Holyfield, Bowe, Tyson and so on.
All that is to say that he’s far from unbeatable, and given that he sometimes backs up with his hands down and his chin out and up…well, you get the idea.
But I am still impressed that for once, a fighter isn’t willing to rest on his laurels. I fully expected a fighter like Fury to just sit around and wait, but he isn’t, and I must say I think that is a good thing.
If he gets past Hammer in February, he’s going to have his hands full against Klitschko, and that is one fight you don’t want to show up to rusty.
Sadly, if Klitschko is motivated to finish the fight, I doubt Fury will last six rounds. But I’m glad he’s taking it seriously, and I hope we get to see them fight in 2015.
No. 16
10 of 25
A Healthy Return for Dominick Cruz
There are some fighters out there who just cannot seem to catch a break at all.
After more than two years recovering from multiple injuries, Cruz finally got back to action in September 2014. After steamrolling Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178, it looked like he was finally back and in prime form to boot.
Then, another leg injury sees him taken away from us just as we were beginning to remember why we missed him so much in the first place.
As the missing piece in a four-piece title puzzle, Cruz looked to finally be in a position to reclaim a belt he never lost in a fight. In doing so, he would have given the Bantamweight division a series of important fights that provided answers to the question “Who really is the best?”
His continued presence as an active fighter would have been the catalyst for big things in the 135-pound division. When coupled with Renan Barao, T.J. Dillashaw and Urijah Faber, Cruz could have completed a picture that strongly resembled that of Four Kings.
During the 1980’s, boxing enjoyed a slew of fights among Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard—fights with true meaning that brought a gravitas to the sport not normally seen outside the heavyweight division.
Now, Cruz is back on the shelf, and the sport is missing one of its more dynamic fighters. It has to be very hard for him to watch the sport continue on without him and even more painful to know that he is falling behind.
In order for a fighter to remain sharp, he must remain active. The gifts that made him so dominant and watchable in the Octagon will not return easily as the years continue to pass.
So a speedy and healthy return for Dominick Cruz, if you please.
No. 15
11 of 25
Chris Weidman vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza
I am not taking anything for granted when saying I hope for a bout between Chris Weidman and current Top Five contender Ronaldo Souza.
Weidman may not make it past Vitor Belfort. People like to dismiss the latest streak of wins owned by Belfort as nothing more than the byproduct of TRT. Sadly, there is much more to it than that.
Belfort is every inch the athlete that Weidman is, and he’s much more dangerous standing.
Yet I cannot help but think Weidman is going to rack up another victory and push his tally against Brazilian fighters to 4-0 in championship bouts.
Weidman isn’t just good; he is damn good, and he’s incredibly determined. People may think he’s beginning to grow too cocky, but I don’t believe that at all. I think he’s just beginning to explore the promotional aspect of his career in the hopes of making as much money as he can while he still has both youth and health on his side.
One of the great things about the middleweight division now is that it seems wide open. Before, when Anderson Silva reigned supreme, it seemed like a long stretch of highway—Interstate 185—where the speed limit was 60 miles an hour, and if you dared to break the law, the sheriff was going to run you down with ease, eating a Burger King Whopper while making you look like a toddler behind the wheel of a go-cart.
Now, it looks more like a scene from a Mad Max movie, and that is encouraging for fight fans.
With the division seeming so wide open, we can look around and let the actions of fighters speak for themselves. Ironically enough, it is another Brazilian who is putting forth the best argument as to why he can be the next king, and that is Souza.
I cannot begin to contain the glee I feel at imagining what a contest on the ground will look like between Weidman and Souza should the fight hit the floor. Obviously, Souza has a submission advantage that makes Weidman’s look like simple math compared to algebra.
But Weidman has a damn good corner and knows enough to implement his underrated wrestling skills. He could keep Souza on his back and pound on him all night long.
Or, he could misjudge a scramble and end up getting tapped out in any number of ways. When you play the submission game with a sharpshooter like Souza, you cannot make mistakes.
On the feet, both men seem about even. Each guy has his strong suits, but both are still growing and discovering exactly how they want to mold their style.
But both men have acquired an understanding of how to deliver force, which is what knockout punching is all about. People like Joe Rogan like to say that KO power is something you have to be born with and that it cannot be acquired in a gym.
I think he is really talking about fighters with savage KO power—men like Earnie Shavers, Mike Tyson, Johny Hendricks and Tommy Hearns. In reality, the next level down in KO power is based greatly on technique and timing, and both Weidman and Souza are exploring that territory.
Given that 2015 looks like it could be the Year of the Middleweights, a fight between Weidman and Souza could be the best we’ve seen in a long time.
No. 14
12 of 25
A Vintage Return to Form for Anderson Silva
The man suffered one of the nastiest leg breaks you can see in combative sport, and that was following the loss of his title, via legitimate KO.
The former was damaging to his psyche, the latter to his body. When coupled together, most normal people would see the writing on the wall and begin looking for greener pastures. But fighters are not normal people, and exceptional fighters like Anderson Silva cannot so quickly wave goodbye to their days of greatness.
Silva is coming back, and I really do hope he is in vintage form. He’ll probably be quite rusty and a little gun shy, which is why Nick Diaz is an ideal comeback opponent.
Diaz isn’t a one-punch killer, and he’s not exactly the fastest fighter in the game at all. In fact, he’s a very hittable target, and Silva needs a fighter like that to help him work the kinks out.
This fight really is Silva’s to win or lose. He loves to have fighters come to him, and Diaz is going to do that.
But no matter how often his fans say that Silva hasn’t slowed down at all or that he can keep fighting at his standard, elite level for many more years, they’re wrong.
Ever since fighters like Randy Couture and Dan Henderson foiled Father Time, fans think that everyone can do it, and not everyone can.
I know that’s hard to believe since Silva was always magical to watch, but Weidman really seemed to pull the curtain back and dispel some of the myth that had many fighters beaten before the fight even started. Should Diaz manage to defeat Silva emphatically, it will honestly be time for “The Spider” to go home and enjoy the second half of his life.
No. 13
13 of 25
Gennady Golovkin vs. Andre Ward
This fight seems like a no-brainer given that the two fighters are separated by a single weight class, and both men need a dangerous opponent to test them and elevate their names.
But thus far, Gennady Golovkin would rather fight a lesser fighter with a bigger name, for the bigger money.
Really can’t blame the guy for that. It doesn’t seem like he is afraid but more eager to get the first taste of a really big payday. Fighters from America may take that kind of thing for granted, but if you come from another country that has known true economic hardship, the dollar becomes important for a whole new set of reasons.
Sadly, I don’t think anyone with so much to lose is going to step up and fight him because he’s young and has knockout power to burn.
Andre Ward, for his part, needs to get some distance between himself and that leather chair in his lawyer's office. Contract struggles are the bane of a fighter’s existence, but a fighter cannot let them become the entirety of his career.
It would seem the time has come to bite the bullet if at all possible (and I don’t know, maybe Dan Goossen had such an oppressive contract that Ward cannot bring himself to acquiesce) and put it behind him by placing the ring in front of him.
For a fighter as incredibly talented as Ward, there are a lot of people who seem to have forgotten about him; probably because they are busy watching Golovkin knock people senseless with his softest shots.
Very soon, fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will be retired, and fans will be looking to spend their money on the next big name and the next big pay-per-view.
I cannot think of two more deserving fighters, and it would be nice to see them get that ball rolling by collaborating in 2015.
No. 12
14 of 25
Conor McGregor Lives Up to the Hype vs. Jose Aldo
In January 2015, Irish MMA sensation Conor McGregor will be stepping into the Octagon in Boston, Massachusetts, to try to eliminate the final obstacle in his bid for a shot at the featherweight division's King of Kings, Jose Aldo.
Should McGregor defeat Dennis Siver, it is all but certain that the UFC will announce McGregor as the next challenger for Aldo’s belt.
While I can think of much easier ways to go about losing the ability to walk for weeks on end, McGregor has been doing everything he can to get the world to pay him a greatness tax, short of saying that God loves the Irish more than Brazilians.
McGregor is not short on confidence or salesmanship, and his fans will tell you that he’s the greatest thing they’ve ever seen and that anyone else who can’t see that greatness is just blind.
And people wonder why McGregor is making a chunk of change and moving up the ladder past more than a few fighters who could spread him across the Octagon floor like warm butter steamrolled over concrete.
McGregor knows how to do two things: fight and sell the fight. Those two things should see him become just about the richest Irish fighter in the history of four-leaf glovers and rightly so.
People seem to read too much into his words instead of appreciating the subtleties. I love that during a post-fight press conference, he picks up the microphone to spit fire, then sets it gently back down on the table, totally respectful of property that does not belong to him.
McGregor isn’t a bad guy—not in the least bit. He’s a man who’s lucky enough to have discovered what he loved to do early on in life and dedicated enough to reach out and shape his dreams in his own image.
He’s created such a buzz in the fight community that the word “polarizing” fails to do justice to the effect he’s had on fans. If he defeats Siver and then, somehow, defeats Aldo, I wouldn’t be surprised if both the Irish Catholics and Irish Episcopalians nominate him for Sainthood.
But he better live up to the hype, because he’s talked himself into a mighty hazardous corner.
McGregor fans are honestly far too dismissive of Aldo’s ability and the razor edge he brings to the Octagon. This is probably because they secretly know how terrifying he is and would rather not call rain clouds over their own parade.
For such a big fight, McGregor has a shockingly shallow resume. He poses nearly no credible takedown threat, so he will be facing an Aldo who is fully focused on striking.
That should give McGregor and his fans reason to take a long pause for the cause, because it means something.
The only real times Aldo has looked hindered, let alone human, have been against accomplished wrestlers with a damn good takedown game. Said fighters managed to land blows on Aldo by keeping the threat of a sudden takedown front and center at all times.
That is one weapon McGregor does not have. I am not saying he cannot execute a takedown; I am saying he cannot do it well enough to give Aldo pause.
Also is also much faster with his strikes, and his overall movement is superior. Fans of McGregor get up in arms when either claim is made, but it is honestly true. McGregor is more “sudden” than fast.
He’s capable of bursts of speed in certain moments when he is ready to pounce. This is perfect given his style of fighting, and as styles do make fights, I think he has a chance. If he won, it would probably be the feel-good moment of the year and would be the shot in the arm the UFC needs.
I think Aldo will take a round or two to adjust to McGregor’s style, but after that, I think the champion will wipe his feet all over McGregor’s predictions and tall talk.
But in the end, McGregor doesn’t actually have to defeat Aldo in order to keep his star rising. But he does need to put on a performance equal to the hype, especially since he is going to be the one doing all the talking to sell the fight.
And I really hope he can, because if the fight is half as enjoyable as the talk, McGregor could be the man Irish fight fans have been waiting so long for.
No. 11
15 of 25
Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum
Like many fights on this list, a bout between Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum seems like a done deal just waiting for an official date.
But given how the injury bug has not been shy about biting a fighter two or more times, I don’t feel certain about anything lately.
This is a very important fight for the heavyweight division. Velasquez is poised to break the record for consecutive title defenses, and the interim belt owned by Werdum will no longer be needed.
The division needs clarity and a return to normalcy, which in this case is the reign of the first ever fighter who can claim any kind of Mexican heritage. It’s terribly important for the cause of MMA in Mexico and MMA in general.
More importantly, it is also a good fight. Werdum is as dangerous as Velasquez, and a victory on either side serves the best interests of the sport.
This bout may not seem as exciting as others, but it is every bit as important, and it needs to go off smoothly in 2015.
And that is exactly what I am hoping for.
No. 10
16 of 25
Miguel Cotto vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
There is probably not a lot that needs to be said about this fight for boxing fans but rather for MMA fans who might benefit from a greater appreciation of the sweet science.
Miguel Cotto is in the middle of a career resurgence; he’s an older fighter who’s done some great things, and he looks good again, like he might have one more run.
Saul Alvarez is one of the young lions of the sport, a fighter poised to do big things once fighters like Cotto, Mayweather and Pacquiao exit the stage in glory.
Quite simply, these men need to fight because in sharing the stage, they will also allow fans of the old guard and the new a chance to see what the fuss was all about on the other side of the fence.
If Cotto defeats Alvarez, he can build up to bigger fights that continue to pull in crowds of all ages. That’s what happens when an older fighter will not go quietly into the night; he inspires.
If Alvarez wins, it is seen as a passing of the torch in the grand traditions of the sport.
Both fighters are good men in a tough sport, and if they really do meet in 2015, fight fans will be rewarded, and there will be new hope that boxing is still about facing better opposition rather than simply “opponents.”
And that has always been what the fans want.
No. 9
17 of 25
Matt Brown vs. Nick Diaz
Assuming that Anderson Silva defeats Nick Diaz (and he should), a fight against Matt Brown could be the exact thing Diaz needs in order to get another crack at the welterweight title.
Once upon a time, in a promotion long ago, Diaz knocked out the current 170-pound king, and that is the kind of fodder perfect for generating high pay-per-view sales.
Diaz wants big fights or a title shot. This could be both but only if he can defeat Matt Brown.
As for Brown, a fight against Diaz is sure to be a barn burner and candidate for Fight of the Year, and the UFC knows it and would promote it as such.
With a win, Brown could become a fighter in high demand, which is never a bad thing with constant talk about how important it is to “move the needle.”
It’s a win-win for the fighters and the fans. Even the detractors of both men would be hard pressed to say their heart wasn’t beating out of their chest with excitement during the staredown.
This is an interesting clash of styles when it comes to striking, yet both are hard-nosed enough to refuse to back down from the fight.
And it’s the fight that matters most. In 2015, Brown and Diaz could remind us of that to the betterment of the sport.
No. 8
18 of 25
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier II
On January 3 of this year, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier are going to christen the new year in a bout of epic proportions.
Theirs is a fight that, on paper, walks and talks like a shining example of why we as fans watch this excellent and growing sport.
Assuming that it lives up to the moment, to deny the fans of a rematch would be criminal.
This is an easy call, and the UFC should move with all haste to make it happen after the dust settles on January 4.
Seriously, this is like Ali-Frazier, and to think that it could grow into a compelling trilogy is not a stretch of the imagination.
If the first fight is a stinker, then this hope is dead in the water, but I doubt that comes to pass. Either way, Jones or Cormier is going to walk out of the cage in January with the first true loss on his record. That man is going to be burning for redemption, and he will have a better measure of his opponent the second time around.
When two men in a division stand so much taller than all the rest, it is a given that they will meet more than once, baring injuries.
It would be great for MMA if they met twice in 2015.
No. 7
19 of 25
Winner of Cotto-Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin
Yes, once again Gennady Golovkin is on my list and for good reason. This time, it’s against the winner of Miguel Cotto-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
If it is Cotto, he will once again be facing a young lion who hits harder than anyone else in the division and is dying to be involved in a big fight, which is his due.
If it is Alvarez, we have honest due process toward seeing who is the best fighter between two young lions who have grown too large to ignore each other.
Quite simply, it’s a great fight that answers questions, and the more we have of that in 2015, the better.
Who knows? Maybe it will set a crazy trend of fighters fighting to see who really is the best.
Wait a minute—fighters fighting for the bragging rights? Yeah, I’m a dreamer.
No. 6
20 of 25
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Amir Khan
For a while now, fans and pundits have been saying that Amir Khan has a speed in his punches and movement that rivals Floyd Mayweather Jr. and thus could give him some serious problems.
Quite simply, I want to see if that is true in 2015, before Mayweather gets any older and slower.
I don’t think so. Khan is fast, no question, but I don’t think he’s as fast as Mayweather.
I think if these two fighters met, Mayweather would make Khan look uncertain and overrated; it’s a harsh perspective, I know, but I am just being honest.
Then again, I’m the bonehead who thought Zab Judah had the right stuff—and the mentality—to beat Mayweather all those years ago. I also thought Pacquiao was going to knock out Marquez in their fourth fight, so, you know, take it with a grain of salt.
Anytime I imagine Khan trying to land on Mayweather, visions of Diego Corrales getting blasted off his feet time and again keep popping into my head.
Khan fights nothing like Corrales. I know this, but I don’t know why I keep on making that grossly inaccurate parallel.
On the obvious side, Khan has looked great lately and has shown an ambition that I really like. If he could beat Mayweather, it would be a staggering moment for the sport and could set up a mega-bout between Khan and Pacquiao, which would be terribly interesting.
If not, it would be a great primer to whet the appetites for Mayweather-Pacquiao.
No. 5
21 of 25
Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez V
Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez have had four great fights, and after 42 rounds, we’re still not 100 percent sure who is the better fighter.
Aside from their first fight, which ended in a draw, Pacquiao has two razor-thin wins over Marquez, and Marquez has one crushing knockout victory over Pacquiao.
It would be great if they met one last time in 2015 to give us one last fight that can hopefully provide an answer.
As both fighters are nearing retirement, it would be a fitting conclusion to their storied rivalry, harkening back to the days of the 1950’s, when fighters might fight three, four, five or even six times.
If I am honest, I want to see this fight for purely selfish reasons. After all, it’s not like either man owes us any more sweat or blood.
There was just something about each man that brought out the best in the other. Their fights were so spirited and fierce that each man forced the other to give his very best.
And that is the kind of drama you just can’t find anywhere else outside of the squared circle.
No. 4
22 of 25
Ronda Rousey vs. Cris "Cyborg" Justino
I know, it’s the fight that is never going to happen for any number of reasons, yet I still have hope.
Ronda Rousey and Cris “Cyborg” Justino are the two greatest female fighters in MMA today, hands down. As of right now, they are only separated by one division, yet Cyborg has given up on trying to bridge that great divide.
But just as B.J. Penn moved up in weight to challenge Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94, I still hope that a similar situation might come about for Rousey and Justino.
With so many fights left unrealized in 2014 and 2015 looking full of promise, I keep crossing my fingers that White and Rousey can get on the same page with Cyborg and set up the biggest fight in WMMA history.
Also, there is the one prickly yet proven fact that fighters are remembered by history mainly in association with great fights against their closest rivals.
It would be a service to the legacies of both women to find a way to make it happen. If not, they might suffer the same harsh criticisms that could hinder the legends of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
It’s a big fight and for the UFC, which is all about making the big fights, finding a way to make it happen would say the right thing about a promotion mixed up in a lot of the wrong kinds of conversations.
No. 3
23 of 25
Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis
As often as the term “superfight” is thrown around in MMA, one would think that a bout between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis would have been realized by now.
But it hasn’t, and 2015 would be a perfect time to rectify that problem.
Hands down, Aldo and Pettis represent the two best strikers in the sport. There is no debate to be had about anyone else being ranked above these two in that category.
And when I say none, I mean none—no debate, at all.
Thus, should Aldo defeat Conor McGregor, a mega-bout between Aldo and Pettis would be the perfect way to close out the last quarter of 2015, ending the year with a bang rather than a whimper.
Both fighters want that fight because they both realize how a victory over such dangerous opposition would elevate their names. The fans want it because it’s the closest MMA has been to a fight the caliber of Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales—which is one of the greatest fights in boxing history in the past 30 years.
Fights like this are exactly the kind of bouts the UFC should be breaking its back to make, and the payoff would be worth all the time, money and effort required.
Then, there is the aspect of time. 2015 will be one of the last years that Aldo is in his prime. To wait until 2016 may be too late for the fight to have true significance.
Both fighters are in the same promotion and have the desire to face each other. That alone is a rare commodity in the world of combative sports.
It's best to get the fight made sooner rather than later. Who knows what problems might arise later on?
No. 2
24 of 25
A Fair Conclusion to the UFC Lawsuit
When news hit that the UFC was being hit by a serious lawsuit, wielded by some very dangerous lawyers and empowered by more than a few current and former UFC fighters, I can’t say I was surprised.
As a fan, I felt torn. On one hand, I felt the UFC had done so much to grow the sport that its long-term plans would probably rectify many of the current problems fighters had long been complaining about.
On the other, it’s hard not to think that the newer fighters, starting at the bottom and trying to work their way up, are being severely underappreciated. Even a promotion as big and dominating as the UFC is built upon the work of such fighters, and they do represent a sizable portion of the stable of “workers.”
I find that too many fans take the attitude of “You signed a contract—if you don’t like it, go flip burgers at McDonalds!” This has always been shocking to me. It’s as if these fans have never realized that fighters are a rare breed.
I don’t want those men and women hanging up their gloves in search of different jobs because they are damn hard to replace. Honestly, if making the decision to be a fighter were as easy as getting another job, big or small, every fan of MMA would be fighting instead of trying to live vicariously through those who have the courage or a set of convictions most fans will never possess.
Men and women willing to risk so much (public humiliation on the biggest scale) in order to gain victory over another human being are worth more than $8,000 to fight, even if they lose, in my opinion.
The training required to do this at even the lowest levels is expensive, as it should be. These people are not doing something as risk free as flipping burgers or filing documents. They are putting their health on the line against others who must hurt them in order to get to the next level.
And so, it seems that both sides are right, and both sides are perhaps wrong.
The lawsuit is probably not going to be settled in or out of court in 2015. These things tend to take a long while when hundreds of millions are on the line.
And the more fighters who come forward, the deeper and harsher the water gets. Still, one can hope that what is best for the sport also happens to be what is best for the fighters and that both sides embrace that without any future resentment.
After this case is resolved, odds are that some bad feelings will remain. I believe that if Zuffa wins, it needs to be as magnanimous as it can be in order to further the cause of MMA that it has fought to claim ownership of.
Either way, I hope both sides are well represented at the conclusion and can move forward with getting back to the business of MMA in 2015.
As if that weren’t hard enough for both sides as it is.
No. 1
25 of 25
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao—what else can be said about a fight that has been dreamed of and debated for going on five years now?
It would be the biggest PPV event in all of combative sport history. Nothing else would even come close in either sport.
They are the two best fighters of their generation, and both are nearly at the edge of their primes. Time is a cruel mistress, and she is watching the clock, just about ready to move on.
Sadly for boxing purists and fight fans in general, we still want to know who is the better man, even if this fight is four years too late.
If the fight is not made, it will be the first time in my memory that a fight between the two best fighters of very similar weight did not meet in the ring. Every generation prior has seen this situation arise, and the fighters have answered with vigor.
Rumor has it that Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Tommy Hearns was set up by Angelo Dundee meeting up with Emanuel Steward. The managers talked about the particulars and had come to terms inside 20 minutes, sealing the deal with a handshake.
Those days may be long gone, but the fights remain.
It would be a tragic statement about the current age of boxing if this fight does not come to fruition. To say the least, it would leave the legacies of both boxers in serious doubt as the years pass and new stars take the stage.
What is sad is that even though the fight seems closer to realization than ever before, there is still much to be settled. Once the purse split, broadcasting rights and drug testing have been agreed upon, next will come ring size, glove size (and perhaps even what brand of glove), referee selection, who walks into the ring last (as befitting the “champion”) and who will be introduced as the man “recognized as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world” and so on.
Yes, there is still a long way to go.
But even with such long odds, I feel this is the most important fight to be made in either sport, and 2015 looks to be the last chance.
This fight means more than any other, and I hope it happens, above all else.
