UFC Fantasy Tournament: Light-Heavyweight Division, Round One

For many years now, the UFC's light-heavyweight division has been one of the most stacked and entertaining divisions in all of MMA. The Fantasy UFC Tournament will prove just that, as it will feature two upcoming UFC fights, a battle of Brazilians and the young lion against the old lion.

First up, the result for the finals of the middleweight tournament is in, and here it is:

It seems that the Chael Sonnen win over Nate Marquardt at UFC 109 doesn't weigh much in the heads of the fans. Marquardt wins the tournament against Vitor Belfort by a close 5-3 vote.

Now, let's get the light-heavyweight tournament underway.

First Round, Fight One: Quinton ''Rampage'' Jackson vs. Rashad Evans

These two rivals are scheduled to fight it out in the main event of UFC 114. After Jackson defeated Keith Jardine at UFC 96, the rivalry between Evans and Rampage has only increased, especially since both men were coaches on season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Both fighters bring a lot to the table. Quinton Jackson is a veteran of the sport who seems to be in the best shape of his life since training at the Wolfslair MMA Academy. He has a solid chin, brutal KO power in both hands, and some of the most vicious slams in MMA.

Rashad Evans is a talented wrestler under the tutelage of Greg Jackson. Rashad has also been working on his striking a lot and is now the owner of two of the most brutal KOs in UFC history.

Both guys hate each other. Both guys can't wait to shut the other one up, but who will get the job done? And with Rampage's new love for movies, will he be 100% dedicated to his upcoming fight with Rashad Evans?

Who advances?

First Round, Fight Two: Mauricio ''Shogun'' Rua vs. Thiago Silva

This battle of Brazilians would be very interesting.

When Rua arrived in the UFC, he didn't live up to the hype until fighting Chuck Liddell at UFC 97. Since then, he is the only fighter that has given current champion Lyoto Machida a run for his money. He has great Muay Thai skills and has a black belt in BJJ to accompany that.

Thiago Silva is probably the scariest fighter in the UFC's light-heavyweight division. Not only is he scary, but he backs it up in the octagon. Having suffered only two losses in his career, Silva has great strikes with KO power and also has a black belt in BJJ.

Even though both men have great Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills, it's safe to say that both guys would rather keep the fight standing and get a KO win. Both men have a great stand-up game and it's hard to say who would get the advantage. As far as power is concerned though, Thiago Silva could potentially have more KO power than Mauricio Rua.

Who wins this fight?

First Round, Fight Three: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Forrest Griffin

On the same night Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans do battle, these two fighters will also battle it out.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira took the UFC by storm at UFC 106 when he knocked out top light-heavyweight prospect Luiz Cane. He trains with his twin brother, Lyoto Machida, Junior Dos Santos, and Anderson Silva. He's a black belt in BJJ and has some great hands as shown in the fight against Cane.

Forrest Griffin has been on the receiving end of some brutal losses recently. He was TKO'd by Evans at UFC 92 and then was humiliated by Silva at UFC 101. With that said, Griffin has a lot of heart, an underrated ground game, and some good striking skills to sum it all up.

Griffin will be heading into this fight at UFC 114 as an underdog, but he is most succesful when he is the underdog, as displayed in his fights against ''Shogun'' Rua and Jackson. Rogerio Nogueira will try to continue his winning ways after his dominant win over Cane.

Who gets the win?

First Round, Fight Four: Randy Couture vs. Jon Jones

To say that Randy Couture is a legend would be an understatement. He is one of two fighters to have captured gold in two weight classes. He is currently the only Hall of Famer fighting in the UFC, and at 46 years old, still looks in good shape.

Jon ''Bones'' Jones came to the UFC as an inexperienced 22-year-old kid and he now is the hottest and brightest young star in the UFC. With dominant performances over Andre Gusmao, Stephan Bonnar, Jake O'Brien, and Matt Hamill, it seems that the sky is the limit for this young man.

Couture has had the ability in past years to create perfect game plans and win fights he wasn't supposed to win. Even though he is getting older, he is still in good shape and is dedicated to fighting. Unfortunately, Jon Jones has shown the skills to out-strike strikers and out-wrestle wrestlers. In four UFC fights, Jones hasn't shown any signs of weakness.

Who advances to the semi-finals?

There you have it—four very entertaining fights for the light-heavyweight division. Be sure to cast your votes for the winners and check in next week for what should be two phenomenal semi-final fights.