10 MMA Fighters Who Need a Big 2015
By most accounts, MMA didn't see its best year in 2014. For the first time in a long time, the sport had to march forth without any of its biggest stars.
Anderson Silva was mending his broken leg. Georges St-Pierre was taking a leave of absence. Brock Lesnar was busy making history elsewhere, pinning the Undertaker under the WrestleMania lights for the first time in The Deadman's storied pro wrestling career.
Even the stars who fought in their stead couldn't remain healthy enough to carry the load.
But now we embark onto 2015, a year that should already excite most fans—so long as the following fighters have big years of their own. Scroll on as we list the fighters who need to have a big 2015.
Travis Browne
1 of 10
Fabricio Werdum has looked pretty impressive as of late. Since his return to the UFC, Vai Cavalo has dispatched five quality opponents on his route to becoming the division's interim champion. He's good, but is he Cain Velasquez good? History would give us a resounding "No."
That "no" is the reason the sport needs Travis Browne to do well in 2015.
Browne may not be the guy destined to dethrone Velasquez either, but it would be nice to have another proven big guy take center of the Octagon with the champion. Having won four of his last five fights, Browne may be one or two solid victories away from punching his ticket to the dance.
Renan Barao
2 of 10
The former UFC bantamweight champion started 2014 on top of the world. He was riding high off a dominant performance over Urijah Faber, only to lose his championship throne to T.J. Dillashaw.
That was just the first bit of bad news for Barao in 2014. Then came the weight-cutting fiasco before the immediate rematch between the former and incumbent champion. After that came the former champion's underwhelming return to the Octagon against Mitch Gagnon.
He's back to his winning ways, but he's not back to his former glory just yet. According to Ariel Helwani of UFC Tonight, rumor has it Barao is getting his rematch at UFC 186 in April. That'll be a good opportunity for him to have a huge 2015. A win would put him back on top of the mountain, likely forcing a trilogy between the rivals.
A third fight wouldn't be an awful idea, considering bantamweight contenders Raphael Assuncao and Dominick Cruz are currently mending their injuries.
Ben Askren
3 of 10
This guy belongs in the UFC. You know it. I know it. Dana White, no matter how much he'd like to deny it, knows it too.
Ben Askren first signed a two-year, six-fight contract with One FC back in December 2013. One full year and two fights later, Askren is just one year away from rekindling any sort of hope for his UFC debut.
But given his current, grim relationship with the UFC president, Askren's professional record will likely need to remain unscathed to maintain his value to the sport's biggest promotion.
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Anthony Pettis
4 of 10
For several inconvenient reasons, MMA fans were unable to watch the UFC lightweight champion fight more than once in 2014. That was the case for a few other champions, but it didn't quite hurt any other division much like it did the 155-pounders.
Khabib Nurmagomedov had to sit and wait before getting hurt as he prepared for a bout with Donald Cerrone. Cowboy had to extend his crazy 2014 record to 4-0.
Now that 2015 is upon us, the UFC has anointed a challenger: Rafael dos Anjos. If Pettis wants to remain champion, he'll need to get past Dos Anjos and at least one of the two previously mentioned fighters. If he wants to remain one of the top fighters in the top promotion on the planet, Pettis will need to dominate each and every challenger in his wake in 2015.
Cris 'Cyborg' Justino
5 of 10
How hopeful we were for the fight that might never be.
It's been a few years since MMA fans started thirsting for a bout between the two most dominant female fighters in the history of the sport. It was a thirst that didn't seem quenchable for a number of reasons—the most prevalent one being a difference in weight.
We were told it couldn't happen several times, only to finally get somewhat of a committed effort from the challenger. But after an ankle injury forced her to withdraw from her bantamweight debut, Cris "Cyborg" Justino decided to swim in comfortable waters at 145 pounds.
The door on this MMA superfight may not be closed yet. Considering Rousey is two or three fights away from effectively clearing out the division, the UFC might not have a choice but to develop some sort of a catchweight bout. But that only happens if Cyborg regains her dominant form—at whatever weight.
Cain Velasquez
6 of 10
Yeah, this guy. You remember this guy. He's supposedly the baddest man on the planet, but he hasn't had the chance to prove it in more than a year.
It'll be about 602 days in between title defenses for Cain Velasquez. Ask anybody you want—that's far too long of a gap in between bouts.
Luckily for him, only one guy managed to step up as a viable challenger to his crown. One challenger or not, Velasquez will need to get back into the swing of things by having a big year. It won't hurt his profitability that his return to the cage is taking place south of the border, either.
Carla Esparza
7 of 10
Just ask Demetrious Johnson—being a UFC champion doesn't automatically guarantee you any sort of popularity.
Even with a season's worth of The Ultimate Fighter to help publicize her and her fellow strawweight fighters, it doesn't look like the general public is ready to embrace Carla Esparza and Co. That's probably why the UFC decided to make her first title defense the co-main event behind a lightweight title tilt between Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185. High-profile bouts that include Alistair Overeem, Roy Nelson, Johny Hendricks and Matt Brown are also supporting it.
Still, it won't be long before the UFC will want to let the strawweight fighters fly solo. And what better way to prove the company right than by Esparza dominating her competition (but not completely dominating, if you catch my drift, Mighty Mouse). She needs to prove herself. Now.
Chris Weidman
8 of 10
Ah...another UFC champion who struggled to get past nagging injuries to defend his title at least twice in 2014.
Like his heavyweight counterpart, we'd like to see more of him. Like his lightweight counterpart, he has way too many challengers waiting for their turn. Between Vitor Belfort, Jacare Souza, Yoel Romero, Luke Rockhold, Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva, Chris Weidman should have enough to keep busy for the foreseeable future.
Remaining healthy is likely the key to a big year for Weidman, especially now that he's proved he has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the best at 185 pounds.
Anderson Silva
9 of 10
Closing in on 40, it's probably unfair that we ask Anderson Silva to have a big 2015. But when you consider, outside of two fights, that he looked unstoppable in his late 30s, who's to say he can't come back and create some much-needed fireworks for Dana White and the Fertittas?
But the firework plans are there for White and Silva. Should the former champion get past Nick Diaz at the end of the month, he will get a second chance to regain his gold.
Is The Spider in store for a big 2015? Who knows? But we've all had our seat belts fastened for far too long to shrug off the idea.
CM Punk
10 of 10
The UFC has some pretty lofty plans for 2015. A big part of those plans? This guy right here. Phil "CM Punk" Brooks.
It's not certain if Brooks will make his highly anticipated debut by year's end, but we can all pretty much agree that he has to look solid if we're to make any sort of future MMA plans for the former pro wrestler.
There's no reason to believe he'll ever be anywhere near the title, especially as a 36-year-old newcomer to a sport that takes years to become skilled in. But if Brooks can manage to look like a decent enough fighter who's capable of entertaining inside of the cage, the UFC should be in good shape to keep the ball rolling.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report MMA. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University's student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
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