Matches, And Contenders, and Titles! Oh, My!- What Lies Ahead In 2010?

As the anticipated heavyweight clash between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin draws near, there are some other intriguing matchups that are sure to keep the heat going beyond summertime.

UFC 118—B.J Penn vs. Frankie Edgar

The UFC Lightweight championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting the former champion B.J Penn against the newly crowned titleholder, rising star Frankie Edgar.  These two lightweight competitors last met in the octagon at UFC 112 where we saw Edgar beat Penn via unanimous decision, a bout some fans saw as controversial. Certainly this did not look like the same B.J Penn who dominated Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian and Edgar took advantage of the opportunity. Edgar out struck Penn on the feet and surprisingly took him down twice.

Frankie Edgar will look to go into this bout proving that his win at UFC 112 was not a fluke, while B.J Penn will see to it that Edgar’s title reign is a short one and place the title back around his waist.

Nevertheless, the rematch has been set and both fighters will look to make a stand in the 155 lb division.

UFC 121—Vitor Belfort vs. winner of Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen

UFC middleweight contender Vitor Belfort will step back inside the octagon following an injury that forced him to pull out of a middleweight title bout with middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva. Belfort will be looking to go 2-0 in his recent stint in UFC after his deposed of Rich Franklin a year prior in a catch weight bout at UFC 103.

However, Chael Sonnen will be an interesting test for the Brazilian. Silva has never fought a wrestler like Sonnen, who takes down his opponents at will and adds instant pressure and aggression once he’s in their guard.

Assuming Silva gets past Sonnen, Belfort vs. Silva will indeed be a match up fight fans crave to see. For one, this could be Silva’s last fight at middleweight, as he’ll have cleaned out the entire division and ascend to the UFC’s light-heavyweight class where more fascinating fights potentially await the Curitiba native.

Secondly, Belfort will be the last legitimate threat to Silva’s middleweight title. The Brazilian holds incredible knockout power, which will put any fighter to the canvas, and throws lightning-fast combinations that catches his opponents off guard.

Whether Silva reigns atop the 185 lb division or if Belfort can dethrone the champion remains to be seen. Regardless, at UFC 121 we could witness the end of an era.

UFC 121—Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson

This is a match-up Pride fans surely have been dreaming of. According to MMAFrenzy.com, both fighters have reportedly verbally agreed to face each other at UFC 121, although no official bout has been announced. A win for either fighter would add a win to their resumes and it would certainly propel them into the 205 lb title mix.

Nogueira is currently riding a two-fight win streak over the likes of Luiz Cane and Jason Brillz. ‘Lil Nog' is well-rounded fighter and displays strong boxing skills—definitely a fighter who wouldn't mind to stand and trade with Jackson.

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson is coming off a disappointing loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 114. It was the first time Jackson entered the octagon in 16 months. Following the bout, Jackson blamed ring rust as a cause for the loss and wanted to fight again as soon as he could.

This would be the bout that could motivate Jackson to come back and pick up the win. Last time he disappointed UFC fans—'Rampage' quickly won them over again after he knocked out rival Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92.

However, should Jackson lose to Nogueira at UFC 121, blaming it on ring rust will not be accepted by UFC fans this time around.

UFC 122—Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St-Pierre

It seems only fitting to put one of the biggest fights of the year on the last card of the year. This bout will take place following the new season of The Ultimate Fighter and it will feature a rematch between the two coaches, St-Pierre and Koscheck. They first squared off at UFC 74.

Koscheck is coming into this fight full of confidence, rounding off three straight wins.  The four-time NCAA Division One wrestler will look to be avenging his loss to St-Pierre, occurring three years ago.

The champion, St-Pierre, has run through UFC Welterweight division knocking off seven straight victories in dominating fashion. Like Anderson Silva, St-Pierre is only a few wins away from cleaning out his division. MMA fans are asking for a super-fight between Silva and St-Pierre, the two top-pound for pound fighters in the world, likely to take place at a catch weight bout.

Noise for the highly anticipated bout only seems to be getting louder, but in order for it to happen St-Pierre can't look any further than Josh Koscheck at UFC 122.