5 UFC Fighters Who Will Fight for a Title This Year
The UFC's revolving contender door opens and closes on queue.
From budding superstars to red-hot veterans, there's really no telling who will rise to prominence in just one year of action.
Most of them will only have one shot to capture promotional gold, which is why their journey to the top is one full of purpose, perseverance and praise.
Others have the ability to withstand the test of time and make it back to the promised land more than once, but those fighters are truly a rare breed.
Here are five UFC fighters who will do enough in 2015 to earn a shot at their respective divisional titles.
Paige VanZant
1 of 5
The UFC strawweight division is as unpredictable as a Sharknado superstorm.
With No. 3 Jessica Penne fighting No. 13 Juliana Lima, No. 4 Rose Namajunas fighting unranked Nina Ansaroff, and No. 5 Tecia Torres fighting No. 14 Angela Hill, the promotion's newly introduced weight class is truly up to speed.
But through the thick fog that has blanketed the Top 15, No. 7 Paige VanZant has clearly separated herself from the pack.
With a 2-0 UFC record, the captivating 21-year-old has already established her worth.
With another victory like the one she recently put forth opposite Felice Herrig at UFC on Fox 15, she'll easily wiggle her way into a title shot by year's end.
John Dodson
2 of 5
In a division dictated by the fastest fighter in the world, a contender like John Dodson is looked upon to counteract the dominance.
While Dodson has already lost to current flyweight kingpin Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson, his combination of athleticism, power and speed always put him a few moves away from finishing a fight.
The only problem is The Magician's ability to remain healthy and active inside of the cage.
Scheduled to take on Zach Makovsky at UFC 187, the former winner of The Ultimate Fighter finally seems ready to make another run at the title.
And considering he's still riding a two-fight win streak and possesses the divisional respect to stay afloat in the rankings despite missing almost one year of action, Dodson may only be one win away from a rematch with the champ.
Miesha Tate
3 of 5
Say what you will about the idea of Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate again, but Cupcake will have earned her shot at the UFC women's bantamweight championship should she defeat Jessica Eye at UFC on Fox 16.
A victory for Tate in July will extend her win streak to four, including victories over former top contenders Liz Carmouche and Sara McMann.
While it would be silly to sit here and say a trilogy fight with Rousey would end differently, Tate is the only fighter to last more than one round against the champion.
It will be difficult to promote such a matchup, but that's what you get when a well-rounded contender like Tate fights in a division dominated by greatness.
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Luke Rockhold
4 of 5
There's no arguing that Luke Rockhold is the next man in line to fight for the UFC middleweight championship.
As the proud owner of a four-fight win streak (all finishes), the former Strikeforce standout has transformed into the superstar the UFC knew he could become.
From his dominating performance over Lyoto Machida at UFC on Fox 15 to an evenly impressive outing opposite Michael Bisping at UFC Fight Night 55, the 30-year-old grappling specialist has certainly paved his own road.
Whether it's current middleweight champion Chris Weidman or the infamous Vitor Belfort, Rockhold will be waiting with open arms for an end-of-the-year showdown.
Donald Cerrone
5 of 5
Undefeated lightweight dynamo Khabib Nurmagomedov is going to give Donald Cerrone all he can handle at UFC 187.
With some of the best wrestling skills seen at 155 pounds in years, The Eagle has the talent and tenacity to pierce The Cowboy with his talons.
But as the quintessential professional fighter who competes for the love of the sport, Cerrone is the last you'll ever want to overlook.
With recent victories over Benson Henderson, Jim Miller, Myles Jury and Eddie Alvarez, the 32-year-old has displayed the well-rounded skill set to deflect and defuse any attack that comes his way.
In addition, Cerrone has never been taken down more than once in any of his 17 UFC appearances.
Needless to say, the wily veteran is just one victory away from finally fighting for promotional gold.
For more UFC news and coverage, follow @DHiergesell
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