Top 5 Fights MMA Fans Can't Miss in June

June might as well have been dubbed MMA month. Every weekend in June has a fight card associated with it, and MMA fans couldn't be happier. Cards from UFC, Strikeforce, and Bellator are being shown in the United States, with many of the fights having title implications.

The featherweight division and welterweight division have a lot riding on these next couple of weeks, but the heavyweight division will gain the most from these fight cards. The number one contender match Saturday will determine who will face Cain Velasquez in Houston this October at UFC 136, and the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix's first round will conclude on June 18.

Many believe that the winner of the tournament will face off against the UFC champion sometime next year, as the UFC would have another opportunity to make a super fight. Fans have been wanting to see Alistair Overeem vs. Velasquez since Velasquez dethroned former champion Brock Lesnar, and winning the tournament might be Overeem's opportunity to face the current UFC champion.

These are my top five fights of June that I judged from potential excitment, intriguing storylines and impact on their weight divisions.  I got around to doing this slideshow later than I wanted, so I didn't get to include Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida. 

You can follow me on twitter @jakemartin67.

5. Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry (6/26):

If you're looking for a kickboxing dual, look no further. 

This has all the makings to be an absolute slug-fest, but I've said this before about Kongo fights.  I thought his fight with Paul Buentello would be an instant classic as well as his last fight with Travis Browne, but boy was I wrong.  Kongo started implementing more take-downs into his game plan, which isn't a bad thing, but he won't do much once he gets it to the ground.

Hopefully Kongo will stand and trade with Barry.  The fans want to see a kickboxing bout between these two because of their superior striking abilities and ground games that aren't exactly the best.  With all that said, I look for this fight to live up to the hype and stay on the feet to garner fight of the night honors.

4. Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes (6/11):

For some reason, this fight has really gone under the radar, and I have no idea why.  Sure, it's the co-main event and all, but fans just generally don't seem excited about this fight. 

Maybe fans are thinking, "here goes Florian climbing up the ranks of another division only to choke when the lights are shining the brightest."  Or maybe it's Nunes' relatively unknown status to common UFC fans.  Whatever the reason may be, fans need to give this fight the attention it deserves, and I'll tell you why.

If Florian wins, it's more likely he will face Jose Aldo Jr. before Chad Mendes will.  Florian brings star power and experience to the table, and MMA fans have a very short-term memory when it comes to fighters' performances. 

Just to prove my point about the short-term memory, before Florian was known as a "choke artist" he was known as a "finisher," but I don't hear fans chirping about that. If Florian wins in spectacular fashion,  MMA fans from all over will be wanting to see him mix it up with Aldo.  

If Nunes wins, he will get closer to a title shot with his training partner Aldo.  Both have said that if it's a big money fight, they would fight each other.  So, there will be no "friends won't fight friends" problems for the UFC to deal with.

Not only does this fight have good storylines attached to it, but it has the makings to be a great fight.  Both are great on the ground and on the feet, and I expect this fight to turn into a good technical stand up war.

3. Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story (6/26):

Here we go from one "choke artist" to another.  Like Florian, Marquardt has been known as a fighter that shrinks in the big moments.  (By the way, I don't think either of these fighters are choke artists, but I certainly didn't like their game plans going into those high-profile fights.) This fight is so intriguing because Marquardt is fighting at 170 pounds for the first time and Story is on a roll. 

Story gained a lot more fans with his performance over Thiago Alves at UFC 130, and with Anthony Johnson getting injured, Story has a chance to state his name as one of the division's best.  Story is already a contender, and Marquardt immediately becomes a contender due to his history at middleweight.

I expect this fight to have every aspect of MMA in it, as this fight will go everywhere.  I like the sheer unpredictability of this fight, and that makes this matchup that more intriguing.  Expect the unexpected.

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum II (6/18):

"Might as well throw the first fight out the window.  That was a completely different Overeem, and Overeem's recent performances and built-up muscles prove that. "

"There's no doubt about where both men want this fight.  Overeem will try to keep it standing, no matter how often he talks about wanting to submit Werdum, while Werdum will try to get this fight to the ground."

"Werdum has improved his stand-up, but is no where near the level of Overeem's.  I think this is a bad matchup for Werdum.  I don't think he will be able to take Overeem version 2.0 down, and he'll most likely get knocked out on the feet. "

"Nothing is for certain when it comes to MMA, and I wouldn't be shocked to see Werdum pull off another upset."

1. Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin (6/11):

Can you remember a fight recently that had this much punching power?  Both fighters are knockout artists with 22 of 24 of their wins coming by way of KO or TKO in the first round. Needless to say, fireworks are expected.

This fight might come down to who lands first.  Carwin will try to put the pressure on dos Santos and maybe drag it to the ground, while JDS will look to keep distance and use his speed to keep Carwin at bay. 

I would be shocked if this fight doesn't live up to the hype, and I would be even more shocked if both men were still standing by the third round.