Pound For Pound Kings: The Future Champions Of the UFC

I have always been someone looking at the prospects, and the future of sports. I'm the guy who knows the entire Yankees farm system, and I'm the guy who can tell you who each team needs to take in the NFL draft.

So naturally I look forward to the future champions of the UFC. I try to anticipate months in advance what Dana White and Joe Silva are going to do.

Here, I plan to test my knowledge, and see if I can manage to predict who will be holding the belt in the near future in each division.

Lightweight: Gray Maynard

Gray Maynard will be fighting Frank Edgar for the Lightweight Championship at UFC 125 on New Year's Day (Eve? I'm not sure). Frankie Edgar is the current champion, and he has only one loss on his record... to Gray Maynard.

Maynard is undefeated, and many (myself included) feel he should have gotten a title shot before Edgar.

The reason that Maynard didn't get his title shot, is that he has a boring fight style, he is a grinder. He has 1 finish in the UFC, out of 9 fights (the double TKO is not a finish).

Edgar on the other hand has 2 finishes in 9 fights. Not much of a difference, but he was coming off a finish when he got his crack at BJ Penn. Finally at UFC 125, Maynard will be able to take the belt that he deserves.

Welterweight: Georges St. Pierre

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 14: MMA Fighter Georges St-Pierre arrives at the 2010 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on July 14, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images for ESPY)

Just look at him. He is the epitome of epic. He can't be defeated. And the only times he was, he came back and dominated them.

He isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He has decimated the welterweight division, and he's on his way through for a second time.

He's going to beat Koscheck for a second time at UFC 124, and he's going to beat Jon Fitch for a second time after that.

Once he beats them, there's nothing left for him but a superfight with Anderson Silva. But shockingly, Silva is not the next man on this list...

Middleweight: Nate Marquardt

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PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Nate Marquardt (L) battles UFC fighter Demian Maia (R) during their Middleweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty I

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it here first. Nate Marquardt will defeat Yushin Okami, and then he will beat Anderson Silva for the belt.

In Marquardt's last seven fights, he is 5-2. The first loss was a split decision loss to Thales Leites (Nate was docked 2 points, 1 for kneeing a downed opponent and one for strikes to the back of the head).

So I'm not sure of the math on it, but I assume without those point deductions he would have won, anyone can feel free to correct me. Nate's other loss was to Chael Sonnen who was probably using PEDs at that point (I'm a bit biased against Sonnen now).

Even without those victories though, Nate's last 5 wins have all been finishes. He last fought Silva at UFC 73, three years ago. Nate has very much improved since then, and Anderson Silva has aged since then.

Silva is four years older than Nate, and that could be major going into the Octagon 6-10 months from now. So when Marquardt wins the belt at UFC 132 (total guess) you can say you read it here first.

Light Heavyweight: Jon Jones

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LAS VEGAS - JULY 11: (R-L) Jon Jones connects with a right punch on Jake O'Brein during their light heavyweight bout during UFC 100 on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jones defeated O'Brein by second round tapout. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

I will not deny it, Jon Jones is my favorite fighter.

He will also be fighting for the LHW belt with two more finishes in his next two fights (Dana White said it). In his next fight at UFC 126, he takes on fellow 205 prospect Ryan Bader. After that he can fight the winner of Rampage/ Lyoto for a No. 1 contender spot.

The LHW division is the most stacked in the UFC, and there have been five champions over the past three years (nobody retook the belt). Rampage to Forrest to Rashad to Lyoto to Shogun. Only Rampage and Lyoto have defended the belt (Rampage against Henderson and Lyoto against Shogun).

Sometime in 2011, Shogun will face Rashad, so he'll either defend, or pass the belt back to Rashad. Jones could potentially fight for the LHW belt on the New Year's card of 2012, and then he could defend it against the five former holders I mentioned, who will still be relevant, and probably Bader.

Heavyweight: Junior Dos Santos

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DALLAS - SEPTEMBER 19: UFC fighter Mirko Cro Cop (L) is stopped by referee after losing to opponent UFC fighter Junior Dos Santo (R) during their Heavyweight bout at UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort at the American Airlines Center on September 19, 2009 in D

I think Brock will beat Cain at 121, but that's not what I'm here to discuss. dos Santos gets to fight the winner of Lesnar/ Velasquez, and I'm assuming it'll be Lesnar.

dos Santos can out-strike anyone in the heavyweight division, and he showed his takedown defense at UFC 117 against Roy Nelson.

While I admit that Nelson is no Lesnar, dos Santos could work his takedown D in preparation for Lesnar, and then he could out-box Lesnar and end his reign as king of the heavyweights.