UFC 137 Results: What Fight Fans Have to Look Forward to for Rest of 2011

MMA is growing, whether people choose to accept it or not, and it's shown for most of 2011 so far. We've seen knockouts come forth in stunning fashion, we've seen legends take hard shots while other legends gave hard shots, we've seen non-traditional submissions win fights, and of course, we've seen Jon Jones' "Bonejitsu". The current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion is 3-0 in 2011 bouts, by the way.

The wild, crazy, insane, and unfathomable have all taken place in 2011, but we still have quite a ways to go before we're done with the year, and as combat sports fans in some respect, we're not just leaving it at MMA either—though, an entire section could be dedicated to what's left in the boxing world in 2011. With all that being said, what exactly can we expect in the last few months of 2011?

Part I: The Month of November

Bear with me here, folks, because we're kicking it off with what you're in for in the upcoming month, and this one is definitely going to be a long one.

Bellator, UFC, and a touch of The Sweet Science all in the month that makes us thankful that great fights have not been outlawed in our world.

So, here's how this breakdown of what's up next works out:

We're going to go week by week and break down each fight that goes down in the month of November, with the date included so that you all can keep up.

Before you guys ask, YES, I am going to say a piece about Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as UFC on FOX, so get comfy.

Here's the getting-downs about the get-downs this Novemeber in the Fighting World.

UFC 138: Chris Leben vs. Mark Munoz (11/5/11)

Chris Leben heads a star-powered UFC 138...well, sort of.

You won't find many polarizing names on the UFC 138 card, but you won't find any lack of exciting fighters on the card either.

Anthony Njokuani, Renan Barao, Paul Taylor, Brad Pickett, Thiago Alves, Chris Cope—they're all on the card.

There's a little bit of something for everyone on the card, and November 5 is when it all goes down.

Where does the main event's winner go from here?

What happens to each fighter on this card with a win or a loss?

We'll find out next weekend...stay patient, my friends.

Alfredo Angulo vs. James Kirland (HBO Boxing After Dark, 11/5/11)

HBO analyst Max Kellerman probably said it better in his own original words than anyone ever could (except for Howard Cossell in his day, or perhaps Jim Lampley now), but if any fighter did not ever have to make Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo worry about finding him inside of anywhere up to 12 rounds, it would be James Kirkland.

Both guys are forward fighters that attack everywhere from the head to the body and they don't stop until it's over.

Nobuhiro Ishida and Kermit Cintron know plenty about the styles of Angulo and Kirkland, as Ishida laid Kirkland out before Kirkland even knew he got hit, and Cintron outpointed Angulo in their bout.

Both men have delivered since their losses, however, and while many question if this has earned main event status, even for an HBO Boxing After Dark event, nobody has questioned if this fight would provide entertainment from any perspective.

It's not what we all hoped Timothy Bradley vs. Devon Alexander would be, but it might be much better than what we had hoped that fight would be.

Lucian Bute vs. Glen Johnson (Showtime Boxng, 11/5/11)

Lucian Bute is the current IBF Super Middleweight Champion, BoxRec's No. 1-ranked Super Middleweight, and The Ring Magazine's No. 3-ranked Super Middleweight. On paper, the only trouble he might have with "Road Warrior" Glen Johnson is in the form of the endurance of Johnson, because with Bute's perceived speed edge, the size of Johnson is expected to not be a problem.

However, Johnson is a man who has defied the misconceptions about age up until now, and despite a loss to Carl Froch in his last fight, Johnson will look to make the most of his opportunity against the IBF 168-pound titleholder in what will be a very intriguing affair but by no means an easy task.

Bellator 57 (11/12/11)

Bellator 57 comes to you next week with an expected Welterweight Final featuring UFC veteran Ben Saunders and MMA prospect Douglas Lima.

Zoila Frausto-Gurgel was slated to face Carina Damm on this card as well, but injuries forced her out of competition, and Damm has not been lined up with a new foe as of this time.

The card has yet to be reshaped and finalized, but when the card becomes official, fans can rest assured that Saunders vs. Lima will not be the only fight worth getting amped about.

UFC on FOX 1: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos (11/12/11)

Any word used to describe this card is mere sugarcoating; that's how good this card looks, even with the number of up-and-comers on it.

The Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos fight, Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida, the debut of Darren Uyenoyama (pronounced WHEN-OYAMA) against the legendary Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto, Alex Caceres puts his career on the line against former WEC Featherweight Champion Cole Escovedo, DaMarques Johnson returns to action, and a whole lot more will take place on the night of November the 12th on FOX. The best part about it all is that it will only cost you the amount of energy needed to turn your TV over to FOX.

Don't believe that it's worth that amount of energy?

Wait until November 12th, and prove me wrong.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, Chapter 3 (11/12/11)

Manny Pacquiao is an eight-division world champion, and while it's probably premature to put him anywhere close to the level of a Muhammad Ali, the Filipino southpaw slugger has made a case for being considered one of the most prolific boxers in the history of the sport. If nothing else in Pacquiao's career is remembered when he finally hangs the gloves up, his classics with Juan Manuel Marquez will stick with the boxing community for ages to come.

That said, the consensus among most boxing pundits is that, despite the closeness of the first bout, and despite the knockdown that was the deciding factor in a split-decision victory for Pacquiao, Marquez is a true 2-0 against the Fighting Pride of the Philippines.

Many will say out loud that Pacquiao has not yet beaten Marquez, while others will believe that Pacquiao will settle the score as he did even it out on November 12th. The key thing to recall from this bout is that Marquez, the lineal Lightweight Champion at the moment, will be fighting above his normal weight in a circumstance not that significantly different from Marquez's fight with Floyd Mayweather.

At the end of the day, though, the hopes for a Pacquiao win will be centered away from the truth of Marquez not being a natural Welterweight as Pacquiao has appeared to be, and centered away from the cases of Marquez's age and preparation.

If Pacquiao should chalk up a victory again at the expense of his rival, the hope will be that Pacquiao leaves no doubt in anyone's mind that he earned the win this time.

Marquez knows as well as Pacquiao that many believe Marquez has not lost to Pacquiao yet, but Pacquiao equally knows that come November 12th, an argument for a win will not cut it in the third meeting.

In the minds of both men, they either won for sure, or they lost for sure.

If you're a heavy sleeper, shotgun some 5-Hour Energy, because this one will keep you awake just as the first two did, and it will not let you turn away until an ultimate victor is determined.

Bellator 58 (11/19/11)

Bellator 58 just might be an MMA-only fan's favorite non-Zuffa card to enjoy on November 19th, and for great reason as the card features two of the sport's most underrated champions as well as one of the most prominent and currently non-Zuffa-branded Featherweights in action.

"The Monster From Rio" wants to earn his spot back in the mix of the Bellator Featherweight picture and cement his stature as once again the best Featherweight in the world besides teammate Jose Aldo and Sengoku Featherweight successor Hatsu Hioki, but for Marlon Sandro, the 12-8-1 former WEC veteran Rafael Dias poses more of a threat than he appears on a piece of paper. Dias is facing a former Sengoku Featherweight Champion and arguably one of the best Featherweights in the world circa 2011, even in light of his heartbreaking knockout loss to Pat Curran in the finals of the Bellator Featherweight Summer Series. Dias has not won a fight since an April 2009 win at WEC 40 over Mike Budnik, and a three-fight losing streak serves as quite the motivation to get back on the winning track in itself.

In other action, Bellator's reigning Middleweight kingpin Hector Lombard is seen as one of the most underrated Middleweights in the world, considering he has not lost since his 2006 loss at PRIDE Bushido 13 to Gegard Mousasi, but his 30-2-1 (1) record has been under fire because of his underground level of competition.

Fans on both sides of the spectrum will be vocal if Strikeforce veteran and Shark Fights Light Heavyweight Champion Trevor Prangley should fall to Lombard on this night, and Lombard has the power to make Prangley fall.

Finally, Eddie Alvarez hopes that a recent injury will not hinder him as he takes on undefeated Season 4 Lightweight winner Michael Chandler, the latter of whom defeated Patricky Freire in the finals of the Bellator Lightweight Tournament last season.

Chandler is a great wrestler, but Alvarez always pushes a pace that few can keep up with, making this bout a must-DVR, if not a must-watch-live event.

Strikeforce Challengers 20

Every few months or so, Strikeforce has featured an edition of Challengers in order to showcase the young talent meant to be the future of the sport of MMA, and in the mix of young talent has always been Antwain Britt, who faces Lumumba Sayers the night before UFC 139.

Underneath the bout are two other feature fights: one pitting Ronda Rousey against Julia Budd, and the other featuring Adlan Amagov, a Russian prospect looking to make his mark and some major moves in the states.

The rest of the card will be confirmed as soon as we know it, but if up-and-coming Derek Brunson makes it on the card, and if unbeaten Matt Ricehouse makes it on the card, it'll be tough to hate on what might be a card stacked up to provide a true night of prospects.

UFC 139: Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson (11/19/11)

What more do you want to know about this card that we haven't already told you?

Questions will be answered, and the best of the best in the UFC's multiple divisions will be represented on this night.

What will happen when Wanderlei Silva faces Cung Le?

Can Brian Bowles earn the toughest win of his MMA career against Urijah Faber?

What does Rick Story do when he's up against an elite Welterweight fighter like a Martin Kampmann after beating Thiago Alves this past May, only to lose to Charlie Brenneman this past June?

Does Kyle Kingsbury deserve a top-flight contender with a win over Stephan Bonnar?

Is it realistic to think that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua can actually knock Dan Henderson out, especially when the whole world knows that Shogun can be finished on his best of days in his own respect?

These questions and more will be answered when UFC 139 on Bleacher Report MMA comes to you next month.

Bellator 59 (11/26/11)

Last time Alexis Vila was in the cage, he was in a hard fought battle against Marcos Galvao, which he narrowly succeeded in winning, even if the crowd didn't agree.

The time before that, he and Eduardo Dantas were creating five-star Bellator knockout moments at the expense of Wilson Reis and Joe Warren.

The winner of the Bellator Heavyweight Tournament is expected to compete on this card, and also slated for this card are two Lightweight bouts, with Marcin Held facing Phillipe Nover and Patricky "Pitbull" Freire vs. the returning Kurt Pelligrino. Further, a certain lock for a fight fans can expect is the long awaited clash between the unbeaten Cuban Flyweight-turned-Bantamweight and arguably the hottest Brazilian Bantamweight prospect outside of the Zuffa banner.

Bellator rarely disappoints, if it ever disappoints, and proof of that will show itself on the Season Finale of Bellator Fighting Championships live on MTV2 and Epix in HD (not Pat Barry)!

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Peter Manfredo Jr. (11/26/11)

Two sons of former Boxers compete with the WBC Middleweight belt on the line, but as tough as 37-6 (20 KO) Peter Manfredo Jr. might be, all eyes will definitely be turned onto Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the son of Julio Sr., the 115-fight veteran who had 1990's Fight of The Year (according to Ring Magazine) with Meldrick Taylor.

The junior of "Mr. KO," Julio Jr. is an undefeated 45-fight veteran who trains with Freddie Roach, Jorge Linares, Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan, and the like at Roach's Wild Card Gym, but apart from a draw and a majority decision win, both of which came against Carlos Molina, Chavez Jr. has caught criticism for rolling 45 fights deep in his career without a legitimate test.

Manfredo Jr., the former IBO Middleweight Champion, is not in any less of the same boat as Chavez Jr., but Manfredo Jr. is relatively unknown for anything not related to his 2007 loss to Joe Calzaghe.

Chavez Jr. is in The Sweet Science, and not even that Sweet Science is immune to unpredictable outcomes. But if Chavez Jr. has his way, he'll do what he's supposed to and he'll make Manfredo Jr. look considerably worse than he actually is.

Saul Alvarez vs. Kermit Cintron (11/26/11)

On a night when Cincinnati hosts a great HBO-televised fight for the vacant WBO Junior Lightweight belt between Adrian Broner and Vicente Rodriguez, as well as the always-exciting Featherweight prospect Gary Russell Jr., it will be Saul "Canelo" Alvarez that takes center stage as he takes on Kermit Cintron.

Cintron has lost to Paul Williams via controversial decision, and he's also fallen to Antonio Margarito as well as Carlos Molina, but Cintron has also found success in the form of wins over Alfredo Angulo and Antwone Smith.

Alvarez, on his side of the coin, has been a nightmare for the Light Middleweight division so far, and the WBC Light Middleweight Champion brings wins over Carlos Baldomir, Matthew Hatton, Ryan Rhodes, and Alfonso Gomez into this defense against the veteran Cintron.

Alvarez is in for a difficult task ahead, but when he's on, he brings it and he breaks spirits with the shots he lands. Anyone doubting Alvarez would be advised to watch with caution, as Alvarez can put a guy out on his feet without warning.

Part II: The Month of December

Jon Jones, the most creative fighter in MMA, has a fight that shares a month with the return of Mr. Brock Lesnar.

Jones' UFC 140 bout with Lyoto Machida takes place on December 10th, while Lesnar's bout with Alistair Overeem takes place on December 30th at UFC 141.

What falls in between those two fights, besides Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal, and what precedes UFC 140?

You'll see.

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Finale (12/3/11)

So far, only a Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards bout accompanies the Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller bout, but within time, we will know who was one fight away from becoming the inaugural 145-pound and 135-pound winners of The Ultimate Fighter.

TUF Finale cards aren't always as loaded as PPV cards, but in their own way, they have a method of delivering, and when this card is complete, fans should expect no different.

Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto II (12/3/11)

The first time that Margarito and Cotto fought, Cotto had already brought the whooping to Shane Mosley and Alfonso Gomez, but the then-undefeated Cotto didn't know what to expect from Margarito, who put Cotto's fire out in Round 11.

Some time afterwards, Mosley fought Margarito.

Enough said on that subject.

Fast forward past Manny Pacquiao's destruction of Cotto and Margarito respectively, and past Cotto's wins over Yuri Foreman and Ricardo Mayorga, and we're back to where Margarito really got it started.

Whether Margarito had loaded wraps when he beat Cotto or not, Bob Arum has made it clear that he will ensure that history doesn't repeat itself in that sense, even if Margarito does still wind up beating Cotto.

However, what if the shorter, quicker Cotto evens the score with Margarito?

Abner Mares-Joseph Agbeko II (12/3/11, Showtime)

All you need is to watch what happened here with Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares in their most recent bout, and then you'll know why Russell Mora's officiating and Abner Mares' hopefully unintentional nut-shots elevated the need for a rematch on December 3rd on Showtime.

UFC 140: Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida (12/10/11)

Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, and the case of the UFC Light Heavyweight title belt gets the spotlight at UFC 140 on December 10th.

The winner would be a lock to face Rashad Evans somewhere down the line, but there is more...

Both Nogueira brothers are in action, as Rodrigo rematches Frank Mir and Rogerio faces Tito Ortiz; Mark Hominick returns to face Chan Sung Jung, fast-rising Rory MacDonald faces Welterweight dark horse Brian Ebersole, and the prelims feature fighters ranking from John Makdessi to Krzysztof Soszynski to Dennis Hallman and Strikeforce veteran John Cholish.

Before Mir and Nogueira collide again, the card is a true "Canada vs. The World" affair, and if Jones vs. Machida isn't enough to make fans want to see this card live and in living color, the rest of the card provides more than its full share of conviction.

Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson (12/10/11)

On the same day as a Heavyweight bout which is honestly nothing more than a mandated title defense from Wladimir Klitschko against a hopefully competitive Jean-Marc Mormeck, Amir Khan faces Lamont Peterson with Khan's WBA/IBF Junior Welterweight Title.

Peterson rebounded from a draw against Victor Ortiz to defeat Victor Cayo, while Khan is carrying momentum from a win over Zab Judah earlier this year.

Khan might be more technical than Peterson and he may be able to cut the ring off better, but Peterson will make it anything but a simple feat for the defending champion.

Strikeforce: Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal (12/17/11)

One of the last Strikeforce events in the promotion's history is already shaping up to be a big one in itself, despite only having three confirmed fights.

In addition to the clash of Strikeforce's UFC-bound Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez and challenger Jorge Masvidal, former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi tangles with touted prospect Ovince St-Preaux, and Cris Cyborg, the ever-dominant Women's Featherweight Champion, welcomes Hiroko Yamanaka to the Strikeforce cage as well.

If Caros Fodor's fight with Justin Wilcox joins the card, as well as a collision course of KJ Noons and Billy Evangelista, Strikeforce fans can expect this to be yet another Strikeforce-branded MMA card that exceeds its set of expectations.

Andre Ward vs. Carl Froch (12/17/11)

The road to the Super Six Finals has been a crazy one, and it's one that's seen Carl "The Cobra" Froch lose his WBC Super Middleweight crown only to regain it, while Andre Ward has managed to remain untouched as a professional boxer (record-wise) while making it to the finals.

The original Super Six lineu—-Ward, Froch, Jermain Taylor, Mikkel Kessler, Andre Dirrell, and Arthur Abraham—saw injuries and withdrawals take place, shaking up the lineup to include the likes of Allan Green and Glen Johnson.

Taylor withdrew after Group Stage 1, getting some much needed rest in the process. while neurological issues caused Dirrell's withdrawal, and a worsened eye injury forced Kessler's withdrawal.

Ward, leader at the end of the group stages with two decision wins and an additional forfeit win due to Dirrell's withdrawal, defeated Arthur Abraham by a unanimous decision to retain his WBA Super Middleweight crown, while Froch capitalized on his title-reclaiming win over Abraham—a win partially due to Kessler's withdrawal—by taking a Majority Decision against Johnson.

Interesting of note is that this fight hits Showtime on December 17th as well, with Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal slated for 10 p.m. ET on the same night. As such, fans can definitely anticipate getting their fix of good fights on this night for sure, along with an undisputed Super Middleweight Champion.

UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem (12/30/11)

It doesn't get any bigger than this.

Brock Lesnar has not fought since his UFC 121 loss to Cain Velasquez, and Alistair Overeem hasn't fought since his dominant three-round win over Fabricio Werdum in Dallas.

A shot at either Velasquez or Junior Dos Santos awaits the winner of this bout, which headlines a UFC 141 card with only a Fight of The Year contender between Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Nate Diaz preceding it, as well as Alexander Gustafsson vs. Vladimir Matyushenko, a Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks bout, a Dong Hyun Kim vs. Sean Pierson bout, and a Jacob Volkmann vs. TJ Grant bout—and despite the public consensus on Fitch, the aforementioned Welterweight and Lightweight contests promise their share of excitement.

Of course we know that by the time we approach UFC 140, the UFC 141 fight card will further shape up to be a fitting end to the year 2011 in MMA, aside from the already announced fights, and when it does, the anticipation will be the greatest it's been in quite a long time.

Will Alistair Overeem find himself on a collision course with Velasquez or Dos Santos by then?

On that, many will believe it so, but we're not answering that one until The Reem enters The Octagon on Friday, December 30th.