UFC 135: 5 Fights to Look Forward to After Jones vs. Rampage

If UFC 135 didn't live up to the hype, there will be plenty of UFC cards for MMA fans to tune into throughout the rest of 2011.

Both Jon Jones and Anderson Silva successfully defended their titles in the last month with Jones getting his win over Quinton Jackson earlier tonight. The five remaining champions in the UFC will be defending their titles, including Dominick Cruz, Cain Velasquez, Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar and Georges St. Pierre.

Those five make up some of the best fights left in 2011, but which ones make the top five?

These are the best five UFC fights left in 2011.

No. 5: B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz was supposed to face Georges St-Pierre in the main event of UFC 137, but a back-to-back absence from pre-fight press conferences led Dana White to removing him from the fight and replacing him with B.J. Penn's opponent, Carlos Condit.

Now, Penn will fight Diaz in the co-main event that has a lot of fans amped up to see. Penn probably doesn't like the changes to his fight, and he will look to take out his frustrations on the former Strikeforce welterweight champion.

This fight will be so competitive, it might even end in a draw. Both are well-rounded and very hard to finish, but are always looking to end the fight quickly.

No. 4: Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard

UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard will finally meet for the third and final time at UFC 136.

Edgar (13-1-1) and Maynard (10-0-1) last fought to a split-draw at UFC 125 in one of 2011's best fights. Edgar was knocked down numerous times during the first round and was dominated so much, he lost it by 10-8 margins on the judges' scorecards.

He fought back valiantly for the next four rounds to earn a draw in what was an impressive showing for both fighters.

The third probably won't have the type of excitement the second bout had, but it is definitely an important fight in taking the lightweight division to a whole new level. There are many contenders out there waiting for their chance.

No. 3: Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit

Carlos Condit (27-5) is quite the challenge for UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (22-2), and their fighting styles show why.

Condit, who has finished 26 of his 27 opponents in victory, is considered to be one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC.

St-Pierre is often criticized for taking his fights the distance when it doesn't seem he has to. He has gone 29 rounds in his past six fights and has arguably never lost a single round in those fights.

The Canadian brings a nine fight win-streak into the fight while Condit has won his last four, including impressive knockout victories over Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim.

It all goes down in the main event of a stacked UFC 137.

No. 2: Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will return to the Octagon on Dec. 30 to take on former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.

Lesnar brings a 5-2 record to the cage, but he has already won, defended and lost the title. That is a big accomplishment for him considering his time in the sport.

Compared to Overeem, who has over 50 MMA and kickboxing bouts combined, and this makes for a very special matchup that could be the defining moment in both fighters' careers.

Some are even more excited for this heavyweight matchup than the one for the title.

No. 1: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos

UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez (9-0) returns to the Octagon for the first time since defeating Brock Lesnar to take on Junior dos Santos (13-1) on Nov. 12. It will headline the first UFC event on FOX.

Both are extremely skilled and well-rounded. Both have knockout power. Velasquez has finished eight of his nine opponents while dos Santos has finished 11 of his 13 opponents. With those types of statistics, this is one fight you can expect to go the distance.

On the other hand, there hasn't been a heavyweight fight this evenly matched in quite some time. It could make for one of the most competitive heavyweight fights in years.

Neither fighter has seen anyone quite like each other up to this point in their careers, and that makes for many surprises.