MMA in 2015: 8 UFC Superfights That Could Happen by Year's End
What is an MMA superfight?
Is it one that crosses promotional barriers, like Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva? Is it one that involves champions defying weight classes, as BJ Penn and Georges St-Pierre once did? Is it one that spans generations, like Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie? Is it one that captures the imaginations of people outside the exclusive sphere of MMA fandom, like Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier?
Who's to say? Either way, 2015 is a year where numerous interesting fights could happen.
So what are the most compelling, superest fights out there? How must the stars align for them to go down? Can they happen?
Read on to find out the answers!
Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko
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Why It's Special
Fedor Emelianenko is a fighter who owns a near-mythical reputation courtesy of his ahead-of-the-game techniques and approach to the fight game. Brock Lesnar was one of MMA's few pied pipers, building a following in the WWE with his supreme athleticism and inhuman strength and bringing those disciples to MMA. In both cases, the men became cults of personality, with fans attaching unrealistically high expectations to them to the point where the idea that they could be competitive with today's elites still persists.
Even today, a fight involving either man would a true event. In today's MMA world, where the UFC, Bellator, World Series of Fighting and Invicta FC combine for over 80 cards per year, that is a special distinction.
Could It Happen in 2015?
There have been hints from UFC President Dana White of a fight between Lesnar and Emelianenko coming very, very close to fruition. Is that true? Your guess is as good as mine. That said, the fact that such a story can get the attention of so many shows how big that fight still is.
Could it happen, though?
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via MMAJunkie.com) the WWE is convinced that Lesnar's days as a pro wrestler are winding down yet again, and he will return to MMA once his contract expires following Wrestlemania 31. Emelianenko, on the other hand, has not fought since 2012 and says it would take divine intervention for him to come back. Because of that, Lesnar vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira or Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley feels far more likely than a bout involving The Last Emperor.
Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre
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Why It's Special
Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre are two fighters who have long been in the middle of the "greatest of all time" discussion. A bout between the two has been teased on multiple occasions but has failed to come together due to issues on both sides. However, even in 2014, both men are regarded among the best in their respective divisions (or, in GSP's case, the best), and a fight between the two would be a rare pairing of elite-level talents.
Could It Happen in 2015?
Silva is returning to MMA at UFC 183, where he will face Nick Diaz. St-Pierre, however, is still out of the game, and as his IMDB page grows, the chances of him returning to MMA shrink. If St-Pierre does opt to return to MMA, this is by far the biggest fight he could get. Not only that, but if his friend and training partner, Rory MacDonald, actually gets his title fight, it's very likely St-Pierre refuses to return to the welterweight division.
At this time, it feels like there is a decent chance of this fight happening one day. Once again, though, those chances lessen by the day.
Ben Askren vs. Robbie Lawler (or Johny Hendricks)
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Why It's Special
A strong argument can be made that One FC welterweight champ Ben Askren is the best 170-pound mixed martial artist in the world. Not since Fedor Emelianenko's early days with Affliction has anyone outside the Zuffa umbrella had such a strong claim to being the top dog of any division therein. Because of that, seeing Askren join the UFC and actually prove where he lies in the division would be most welcome.
Could It Happen in 2015?
Askren's time outside the UFC is something of a joke at this point. It is a running gag made only sillier by Dana White's name-calling and insistence that Askren doesn't want to fight in the UFC (in spite of the fact that this whole hubbub started with the UFC turning him away at the bargaining table). Fans, fighters and Askren himself all want to see the UFC get funkier.
The open secret for why he isn't in the UFC is, of course, his rare blend of mouthiness, elite-level skills and an unwillingness to play his part in the UFC's script. While Conor McGregor and Chael Sonnen have gained notoriety for their in-cage skills and their mic work, they are (or were) both UFC-approved personalities. You won't hear White refer to Askren as a friend or give him a high-five in his Ferrari. You also won't hear McGregor take the UFC to task for lax drug testing or hear Sonnen rip White for trashing his teammates.
Ultimately, there is a point where Askren's drawing power will eclipse the PR-related negatives of potentially having him as champion. Unfortunately, that time likely won't come in 2015 but will hopefully arrive sooner than later.
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T.J. Dillashaw vs. Demetrious Johnson
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Why It's Special
Demetrious Johnson is, quite possibly, the single most dominant male champion in the UFC. With the shallow state of the flyweight division, however, he has wiped out almost every legitimate potential contender he could come up against. That could leave him looking for new challenges in his old stomping ground, the 135-pound division. Who better to challenge him than the bantamweight champion, T.J. Dillashaw?
Could It Happen in 2015?
While Dillashaw's title reign isn't nearly as lengthy or successful as Johnson's, he finds himself in an awkward position. Dominick Cruz, who was to be Dillashaw's challenger, is out of the cage yet again. Cruz knocked off another potential challenger, Takeya Mizugaki, before getting fitted for a new full-leg cast. Meanwhile, fellow contender Raphael Assuncao is nursing an ankle injury that could keep him out for a bit.
In that way, the fight makes a deceptive amount of sense. Neither fighter has a particularly big fight in front of him (unless the UFC splurges to set up Dillashaw vs. Urijah Faber), and neither man has an obvious, strong contender waiting on him.
Unfortunately, neither man has anything resembling drawing power. Committing both champions to one fight with no major payoff is, essentially, the UFC burning a solid second-tier main event fight for naught. Because of that, expect both men to be put opposite uninteresting contender after uninteresting contender for the foreseeable future.
Anthony Pettis vs. Jose Aldo
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Why It's Special
The featherweight division, just a few short years ago, was devoid of talent. Fighters like Erik Koch and Hatsu Hioki, now long forgotten, were once considered to be among the best 145-pounders in the business. Today, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson likely rank among the top 20 pound-for-pound fighters in the business.
The one steady presence in all that has been Jose Aldo. The longtime champion has reigned over his minions with an iron fist, but that success has long begged the question of how he stacks up against the current crop of lightweight talent.
Could It Happen in 2015?
Ever since the UFC absorbed the WEC, there have been rumbles that Aldo wants to leave the featherweight division. While the whispers of a jump up in weight get louder and quieter almost at random, they are completely silent now, which, of course, is because of Irish hotshot Conor McGregor.
McGregor is the money fight for Aldo. Any discussion of Aldo moving up in weight will come after he cashes in on that fight.
That said...who the heck will he fight after McGregor? Aldo has already beaten the entire Top Five, and while a rematch with Edgar makes sense in some ways, Edgar can't draw crickets to chirp at his cards. After McGregor, there is a fair bit of incentive for Aldo to move up.
Jon Jones vs. Chris Weidman
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Why It's Special
Chris Weidman has gone from "next big thing" to "the big thing" in a remarkably short period of time. His established wrestling game combined with a striking game that has seen him both knockout Anderson Silva and outpoint Lyoto Machida leaves him in a position where it's unclear if anybody can actually challenge him. Naturally, when that is the case, questions beginning with "what would happen if..." start getting asked.
What would happen if Chris Weidman faced off with Jon Jones?
Could It Happen in 2015?
Both fighters have expressed interest in this fight, which is something. Unfortunately, it almost certainly won't come to fruition.
Jones may have a huge payday ahead of him in the form of a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson. Even if that doesn't shake out, a fight with Anthony "Rumble" Johnson would make for one of 2015's best headlines. That will likely keep him occupied through the end of 2015, and while there are no other fast-rising contenders at this time, somebody is bound to pop up, whether it's a familiar face like Rashad Evans or a newcomer like Jan Blachowicz or Patrick Cummins.
Weidman, on the other hand, has contenders in abudance. Should he get past Vitor Belfort, Luke Rockhold may be awaiting him, and the winner of UFC 184's Yoel Romero vs. Ronaldo Souza isn't far behind (that isn't even considering the possibility of Anderson Silva cutting in line).
Ronda Rousey vs. Cris "Cyborg" Justino
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Why It's Special
Since the very beginning of Ronda Rousey's stardom, her omnipresent rival has been Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino. A battle between the two leading ladies of MMA has always been the "biggest" fight in front of either one of them. Unsurprisingly, fighting in different weight classes and for different organizations has been a tough hurdle to overcome, but that has not stopped fans from clamoring for a match between the two. With both fighters set to go separate ways, Rousey vs. Cyborg could easily become the new Lesnar vs. Emelianenko.
Could It Happen in 2015?
Alas, almost certainly not. After causing a great deal of hubbub by announcing her intention to drop to 135 pounds, Justino unceremoniously gave up on the move. Unless that changes, the fight simply will not happen.
The notion that the UFC should put together a particularly difficult fight for one of their top draws with somebody destined to return to Invicta FC (or, potentially, poised to jump to Bellator) is just silly. Sure, they would enjoy a short-term gain in the form of a high-selling pay-per-view, but the risk of Rousey losing is simply not worth taking on with no guarantee of a long-term payoff. As such, do not expect this fight unless Justino joins the UFC in full.
Cain Velasquez vs. Jon Jones
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Why It's Special
Much like Jose Aldo's reign over the featherweight division, Jon Jones' time as 205-pound champion has been lengthy, largely defined by a domination that has been exercised over the majority of ranked fighters at 205 pounds, leaving Jones in a position where he must seek out new challenges.
Perhaps the greatest challenge in the UFC is that of Cain Velasquez.
Could It Happen in 2015?
As with most fights on this list, almost certainly not. Jones will face the winner of Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson. Velasquez will face Fabricio Werdum in a title-unification bout one of these days. That will likely keep both men occupied long enough for a compelling, more realistic opponent to rise up.
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