Power Ranking the Top 10 MMA Fights to Watch in June

June will be jam-packed with fights every MMA fan doesn't want to miss. There is at least one event every weekend for four weeks in a row!

June 4: The first major card of the month will feature a potential fight of the year candidate between two lightweights who are contending for a title shot in the UFC, and it's free on Spike! It will also feature the final fight to determine the next Ultimate Fighter winner.

June 11: The major card of the month will be UFC 131, when late replacement, Shane Carwin, takes on dangerous striker Junior dos Santos.

June 18: Strikeforce also returns with it's second stage of the Heavyweight Grand Prix, which features a heavyweight bout between two top 10 heavyweights.

June 26: UFC returns to Versus to end the month with the welterweight debut of Nate Marquardt and three other very exciting matchups.

No. 10: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman, UFC 131

Out of the all the leftover heavyweight contenders, including Matt Mitrione, Pat Barry and Christian Morecraft, Dave Herman may just be a step above them in terms of potential and skill.

He is a young, aggressive, tall and very powerful fighter who has only been to a decision once in his entire 22-fight career. He has won 20 of them, including 14 by knockout.

The 26-year-old was originally scheduled to face Joey Beltran but will now be fighting Shane Carwin's original opponent, Jon Olav Einemo, on the main card of UFC 131.

Einemo hasn't fought since 2006, but he does have grappling credentials that include winning the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in 2003.  He is also the only man to defeat Roger Gracie in the Abu Dhabi Combat Club tournament.

No. 9: Martin Kampmann vs. John Howard, UFC on Versus

Danish kickboxer Martin Kampmann takes on dangerous muay-thai striker John Howard on June 26 as part of the UFC Live on Versus card.

Kampmann (18-4) is coming off two back-to-back defeats, including close split-decision losses to Diego Sanchez and Jake Shields.

Howard (14-6) is also coming off two losses to Thiago Alves and Jake Ellenberger.

Their four defeats are all to very good competition, and they are still in the mix to make a run for the title.

Expect them to take our their frustration on each other, especially Kampmann. He came up short in both of his last fights so don't expect him to want this one to go to decision again. That's good news because Howard is a tough guy, and fans will get to see a great fight.

No. 8: Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry, UFC Live on Versus

When you get two dangerous strikers with kickboxing experience inside the Octagon together, expect to see a very technical stand up war.

Pat Barry (6-2) makes his return to the Octagon since defeating Joey Beltran earlier this year, while Cheick Kongo (15-6-2) looks to get back on the winning track. Kongo is currently 1-2-1 in his last four fights.

Expect fireworks in this one—and don't blink. Both have accurate and lethal striking that can lead to many surprises and big KOs.

No. 7: Demian Maia vs. Mark Muñoz, UFC 131

This is an interesting fight with a contrast in styles as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Demian Maia takes on NCAA Division I wrestler Mark Muñoz.

Maia (14-2) is one of the top middleweights in the world, and Muñoz (10-2) wants to be considered one also. If he makes it past the fourth-degree black belt, he will finally break into the Top 10.

Maia is currently on a two-fight win streak since losing to Anderson Silva, defeating Kendall Grove and Mario Miranda. Muñoz is also on a two-fight win streak with wins over C.B. Dollaway and Aaron Simpson. He is 5-1 in his last six fights with his only loss coming at the hands of Yushin Okami.

This is an intriguing matchup because Muñoz will have control of where it takes place, and while Maia has improving stand up, Muñoz has a big advantage in power. If Maia can’t get Muñoz to the ground—and that’s no easy task—expect to see some dangerous exchanges between both.

No. 6: Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes, UFC 131

Former lightweight contender Kenny Florian makes his debut at featherweight against Brazilian fighter Diego Nunes.

Nunes (16-1) is coming off a very impressive win over former WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown at UFC 125. He also has a win over Raphael Assuncao.

Florian (14-5) is coming off a loss to Gray Maynard but had back-to-back victories against Takanori Gomi and Clay Guida before that.

This will be a tough test for Nunes, but it will also be uncharted waters for Florian. His entire career has been fought at heavier weights, and the featherweight division brings new challenges to the Ultimate Fighter season one finalist.

The winner of this fight will next in line for a title shot against Jose Aldo.

No. 5: Nate Marquardt vs. Anthony Johnson, UFC on Versus

Former middleweight contender Nate "The Great" Marquardt (31-10-2) continues his quest for a title, but no longer at 185 lbs.

He will be dropping to 170 to face Anthony Johnson (9-3) in the main event of UFC on Versus, June 26.

There are many questions that will be answered by both fighters as they work diligently to make the hardest weight cuts of their career.

Johnson has missed weight several times and Marquardt was big for 185. It will be interesting to see if they can beat the scales before they try to beat each other in what should be an exciting fight that accelerates by the minute, as both like to stand and knock their opponents out.

No. 4: Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers, Strikeforce

Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett will get his biggest challenge since losing to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2006 when he takes on Brett “The Grim” Rogers for a spot in the semifinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament.

Barnett (29-5) has been active since the loss to Nogueira, going 6-0 against heavyweight veterans, including Pedro Rizzo, Jeff Monson and Gilbert Yvel.

Rogers (11-2) has been fighting the better competition, but he has not been winning. He dropped two losses in a row to Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko and rebounded with a decision victory over Ruben Villareal last October.

Rogers’ power has led him to knocking out 10 of his 13 opponents, but does he have the ground game to contest with Barnett, who has a strong pedigree in Combat Submission Wrestling and has won gold in 2009’s World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championships?

Whichever way this fight ends, it's going to be explosive. Don't count on it going the distance.

No. 3: Clay Guida vs. Anthony Pettis, Ultimate Fighter Finale

This may turn out to be the best fight of the year, as it features two of the most exciting fighters in the UFC's roster.

WEC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis (13-1) meets Clay "The Carpenter" Guida (28-11) on June 4 to figure out who deserves the next shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship.

Both have exciting styles that make for great fights, and they proved it time and time again in previous bouts. Pettis is on a four-fight win streak, including wins over Ben Henderson, Shane Roller, Alex Karalexis and Danny Castillo.

Guida recently defeated Takanori Gomi to increase his win-streak to three.

If it's not spinning back kicks off the cage from Pettis or Guida's relentless pressure that makes for a good fight, then I don't know what is. This is going to be a back-and-forth war.

No. 2: Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum, Strikeforce

Fabricio Werdum finally returns since defeating Fedor Emelianenko last June to take on kickboxing and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem.

The bout will be for a spot in the semifinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament, and they are no strangers as they have fought before. Werdum (14-4-1) defeated Overeem (34-11) in 2006 in the opening round of the Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix.

Overeem may very well be the most exciting heavyweight fighting right now, and it's his extensive kickboxing experience that makes him that way. Fans know what they are getting when they watch Overeem fight, and that's someone who knows how to put people away. He's been doing it in two sports simultaneously.

Overeem has also improved tremendously since losing to Werdum, but so has the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

Don't expect a decision in this fight. Both fighters will be looking to finish early.

No. 1: Junior Dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin, UFC 131

Everyone wanted to see Brock Lesnar take on Junior dos Santos, but after a second battle with diverticulitis, Lesnar was forced to pull out of the bout, leaving Santos with a new opponent in Shane Carwin.

It may actually turn out to be the better fight. Carwin (12-1) presents many challenges that Lesnar didn't, and he also has the ability to knock anyone out with one punch. There is a guaranteed finish in this fight, and both will be looking for it.

Dos Santos (12-1) has knocked out eight of his opponents, and many of them were in highlight-reel fashion. One big advantage dos Santos has is speed, and that is something that may make Carwin try to take down the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt.

However this fight plays out, it will still be fun to watch knowing what both fighters are capable of doing.