Nine Events, 31 Days: A Scorching August MMA Schedule Awaits

After all the build up for the well-received UFC 116 earlier this month, I hope you are enjoying the few weeks off between major MMA events.

Much like sitting in the Vegas desert in the middle of summer, you're not going to be able to catch your breath once August hits.

The Big Four of UFC, WEC, Strikeforce and Bellator will all have a presence in August, mixing two PPVs with plenty of free televised MMA for all. Best yet? There are plenty of big fights and great stories to be told —something this writer can't get enough of considering just how many events there are.

So where do we begin? How about the first day of the month? Get your sunscreen ready and prepare for more summer-related puns!

Sunday, August 1st -- UFC on Versus 2

Otherwise known as the Jon Jones show, this event will feature the latest progressive step for the hottest 205-prospect in years as he battles grizzled vet Vladimir Matyushenko in the main event.

But this whole card features guys looking to take the big jump (Mark Munoz, DaMarques Johnson, John Howard, Jake Ellenberger) and those that desperately need a break from the heat (Takanori Gomi, James Irvin, Brian Stann). While only four fights are scheduled for TV, I hope we see a lot more of this 11-fight bout.

Saturday, August 7th -- UFC 117

The talk of this event will surround two topics. The first is whether Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva will cause UFC Prez Dana White to have a case of heat stroke with another bad performance, while the other is whether challenger Chael Sonnen will be able to back up his talk and give Silva a real challenge.

Junior dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson for the No. 1 contender's spot in the heavyweight division is also going to be a newsworthy tilt, while I'm wondering if Jon Fitch can make people care about him in his bout with Thiago Alves.

And let's not  forget about that Matt Hughes guy as he battles Ricardo Almeida, while the sizzling Clay Guida returns to PPV against Rafael Dos Anjos, rounding out a very, very good five-fight event.

Thursday, August 12 -- Bellator 24

The third season for the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships kicks off with the beginning of the women's 115-pound tournament in Hollywood, FL.

Friday, August 13 -- Strikeforce Challengers 10

One night later, Strikeforce will kick it old school and go with a one-night, four woman tournament to determine the No. 1 contender for the belt of 135-pound champion Sarah Kaufman. Meisha Tate, Maiju Kujala, Hitomi Akano and Carina Damm will all vye for the honor.

Joe Riggs vs. Louis Taylor will also be on the card.

Wednesday, August 18th -- WEC 50

Arguably the most exciting organization out of the four from top-to-bottom, WEC returns to action in Las Vegas, NV, with 135-pound champ Dominic Cruz defending his belt for the first time against Joe Benavidez.

It's too bad Urijah Faber had to exit the card due to injury, but Anthony Pettis vs. Shane Roller is going to be well-worth the price of admission. Add in Scott Jorgensen, Cub Swanson and an untelevised group of fights that will provide some must-see moments and there's plenty of reason to look forward to the 18th already.

Thursday, August 19 -- Bellator 25

More Bellator goodness as Chicago gets another taste of MMA with more 115-pound women's tourney action (Zoila Frausto, y'all) while former TUF competitor John Kolosci takes on Kenny Robertson.

Saturday, August 21st -- Strikeforce Houston

The third event of the week will feature 205-pound champion King Mo, in his first defense of the gold, against Rafael "Feijão" Cavalcante. Tim Kennedy and "Jacare" Souza will do it up to determine the group's next 185-pound champion, eschewing the original concept of a title tournament. Boo. Hiss. Sunburn.

Two other fights to watch in Houston: KJ Noons vs. the always exciting Jorge Gurgel and the next fight for heavyweight prospect and former WWE'er Bobby Lashley. Lashley needs to win quick and win impressively to keep the shine going.

This is an important date for Strikeforce, the first major event they will put on after the Fedor defeat. They need to keep creating reasons for people to watch their next show, but that has yet to be announced.

It's quite simple. They need to announce whether Fedor's next opponent will be Fabricio Werdum or Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, the location and the date on the 21st.

Thursday, August 26th -- Bellator 26

Kansas City, Missouri! That's all I know about this card! Alright!

Saturday, August 28th -- UFC 118

Now we're talking.

After years of waiting, Boston will finally get its first UFC event and quite an event at that with a mix of local talent and a loudmouth who is trying to prove boxing is better than MMA.

Oh and BJ Penn is also looking to get his Lightweight title back in the main event against champion Frankie Edgar. Just saying.

It will especially be interesting to see the build for Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture and boxing great James Toney.

For anyone that has seen Toney's recent interviews, he's been quite disrespectful of both Couture and the sport, making no bones about the fact he's going in to win for boxing. Quite a subplot there if you ask me, especially considering Couture's legacy in the sport.

Between that, Edgar's attempt to prove his win in Abu Dhabi wasn't a fluke and Massachusetts native Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard battling it out for a shot at the winner of Penn/Edgar, Boston is going to be CRAZY on the 28th.

Lucky for you, B/R will be right there to cover that event and the entire slate of MMA action. Stay in the A/C or take us out to the beach! (Actually on second thought, we might not be beach ready. We're bloggers, you know.)

9 events in 31 days. Can you feel the heat?

Josh Nason is a freelance MMA journalist that has published Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to FIGHT! Magazine, Apollo Magazine and Bleacher Report, appearing regularly on The Fight Show with Mauro Ranallo . Follow him on Twitter, will ya?