MMA: The Top Ten Fights of the Summer

At this time last year, MMA fans were looking forward to fights like Rampage vs Rashad, Lesnar vs Carwin, and Fedor vs Werdum.

While those fights did deliver, the undercards for those events were lacking due to an influx of injuries and lack of real contenders.

We don't have that problem this year.

We knew that the WEC-UFC merger would make every card a little bit better, and this summer, the effects of the merger will be in full effect.

10. Kenny Florian vs Diego Nunes

Event: UFC 131

Kenny Florian has one last shot to become a world champion.

After two failed title runs in the lightweight division, Kenflo has decided to shed an extra ten pounds and work towards a title shot in the UFC's new featherweight division.

Florian was consistently ranked in the Top 5 at 155lbs, and has the marketable fighting style and name to help push him to a 145lb title shot, but he has a tough fight in his featherweight debut at UFC 131.

Diego Nunes is coming off of the biggest win of his career, a decision win over former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown that saw Nunes effectively use his kicks to batter the favorite.

Nunes is a relative newcomer in a featherweight division suddenly loaded with young talent, and a win over Florian would be a eagle-sized feather in his cap.

This should be a fun technical striking battle, and if Florian gets the win, he'll likely get a featherweight title shot.

9. Nate Marquardt vs Anthony Johnson

Event: UFC Live 4

Another UFC veteran who just couldn't seem to get over the hump in his old weight class is Nate Marquardt, who makes his welterweight debut this summer.

Marquardt lost his first middleweight title fight to Anderson Silva back in 2007, and has worked his way back into title contention numerous times only to lose in a No. 1 contender bout.

Hoping that shaving an extra 15 pounds off of his weight will get him the UFC gold he desires, Marquardt will face Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson, the only welterweight in the division bigger than Marquardt .

Johnson simply out-grappled Dan Hardy at March's UFC Fight Night 24 after missing over a year due to injury, and is looking to get back into the title picture at 170.

It will be interesting if Johnson can take Marquardt to the ground, as he will actually have to pick on someone his own size for a change. If he can't, we may get to see a highlight reel knockout for one of these two men, who both have knockout power in their hands and feet.

8. Frank Mir vs Roy Nelson

Event: UFC 130

It's hard to imagine that a two time UFC champion could be underrated, but Frank Mir seems to get blasted by the fans no matter what he does.

Although his last fight against Mirko Cro Cop left a lot to be desired, Mir is still a contender in the heavyweight division and a win over Nelson could bump him into a title eliminator.

Nelson finally got his contractual issues figured out and fresh off of a beat down at the hands of Junior dos Santos, 'Big Country' needs a win to stay relevant in the heavyweight division.

It's unusual to have a heavyweight fight where both fighters are legit BJJ blackbelts, but both Nelson and Mir can pull a submission off at anytime and are decent enough on the feet to make the stand up game worth watching.

This is an exciting fight that can be finished by either fighter in any position.

7. Clay Guida vs Anthony Pettis

Event: The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale

Anthony Pettis gave us one of the best highlights of all time back at WEC 53, when he hit the "Showtime" kick on Ben Henderson.

Now Pettis is a win away from challenging for UFC gold.

Inpotentially one of the most exciting fights in recent memory, Pettis will take on the always entertaining Clay Guida in the main event of the TUF 13 finale. 

Guida has a three-fight win streak he's looking to build on, finishing all three via submission. A win over Pettis will push the fan favorite closer to the title than he has ever been.

6. Wanderlei Silva vs Chris Leben

Event: UFC 132

By the time UFC 132 actually rolls around, this fight will have been a year in the making. Chris Leben first called out Wanderlei Silva after defeating Yoshihiro Aikiyama at UFC 116 last July, but Silva was still months away from returning due to numerous nagging injuries.

Leben instead fought Brian Stann at UFC 125 and was knocked out in the first round after eating several big punches. Shortly after, Wanderlei started calling to fight Leben on his Twitter account.

After being penciled in to fight both Stann and Vitor Belfort, Silva finally got his wish and while it may not have as much drawing power as a rematch with Belfort, this is definately a fight the fans can look forward to.

Both men love to stand inside and throw punches, and with the knockout power they possess, don't expect to see a second round.

5. Forrest Griffin vs Shogun Rua 2

Event: UFC 134

The first time these two met back at UFC 76, Rua came in as the clear favorite but Griffin walked away with the victory, beating down the Pride superstar for the majority of three rounds before locking in a fight-ending rear naked choke.

Rua is likely to step into the cage as the favorite once again, but there is a lot more faith in Griffin this time around. 

Shogun was outclassed by Jon Jones in March, but Jones has beaten down everyone at this point. Still, Rua needs a win over Griffin to get back into contention for the opportunity to win his belt back.

Griffin used a win over Rua to earn himself a shot at the title last time, and the same could happen if he is able to solve Shogun again. For someone who fans completely wrote off after his loss to Anderson Silva, a second light heavyweight title would be as surprising as it is impressive.

4. Brock Lesnar vs Junior dos Santos

Event: UFC 131

Honestly, I don't think the world needed an entire season of The Ultimate Fighter to get pumped for the return of Brock Lesnar.

The most polarizing fighter in MMA returns to the Octagon this June to try and earn a shot to reclaim the heavyweight title from Cain Velasquez, but his opponent is one of the scariest strikers in the sport. 

Junior dos Santos has an impressive streak of victories inside the UFC, with wins over top guys such as Werdum, Cro Cop, Struve, and Nelson on his resume. Only one of his opponents has made it to the judges' score cards.

With Lesnar's questionable chin on display against some of the heaviest hands in MMA, the fight could come down to whether Lesnar can take the fight to the mat before Junior can land a hard punch to Lesnar's dome. 

The fight may not last more than three minutes, but it is easily one of the more intriguing bouts of the summer.

3. Alistair Overeem vs Fabricio Werdum

Event: Strikeforce: Overeem vs Werdum

The biggest Strikeforce fight of the summer, the only reason it is number three is because these two should be on opposite sides of the bracket for the heavyweight tournament.

Werdum handed Fedor his first real defeat of his career last June and is generally considered a top ten heavyweight, but he'll be the underdog heading in to this showcase fight.

Overeem has destroyed everyone since he moved up to heavyweight and hasn't lost a fight in almost four years. After (finally) defending his title against Brett Rodgers last May, Overeem has stated he is returning to Strikeforce full time, something that will immensely help the heavyweight division.

On the feet, Overeem has the definitive advantage, but the same can be said for Werdum on the ground. Whoever dictates where the fight ends up will probably win.

2. Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber

Event: UFC 132

The first Bantamweight fight to headline a pay-per-view is going to be a good one.

Aside from Dominick Cruz beating everyone he's come across at 135lbs and Urijah Faber being one of the biggest stars in MMA, these two flat out don't like each other.

The rivalry started back in 2007, when Faber handed Cruz the only loss of his career via first round submission. Since Cruz won the title, he has traded verbal blows with Faber for months.

Faber earned the first shot at the UFC bantamweight title with his win over Eddie Wineland at UFC 128 in March.

It will be the first-ever UFC Bantamweight title fight.

1. Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard 3

Sometimes a picture just doesn't do it justice.

Event: UFC 130

These two gave us one of the best fights of all time on New Years Day and we get another five rounds less than six months later? I'm giddy.

Maynard is the only man to ever defeat the current UFC lightweight champion, beating Edgar by decision back in 2008. 

After being knocked down four times in the first round of the second fight, Edgar looked to be dead on his feet. Instead he came roaring back, and made the fight close enough that one judge even gave him the final four rounds and the victory. 

The first fight between the two was lackluster, the second was an instant classic, and hopefully the third can eclipse even that one.