UFC: 15 Contenders Who Could Rule Their Divisions in 2012

The UFC is more stacked than it's ever been.

With the emergence of Jon Jones, Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz as perennial champions, a lot of fighters are being overlooked heading into 2012.

But along with the UFC's dynamic capitalization of the WEC's Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions, the sheer evolution of the modern day mixed martial artist has given fans and experts the privilege in witnessing top-notch bouts on an event-to-event basis.

With that said, beyond the explosive knockouts, come-from-behind victories, unprecedented upsets and toe-to-toe battles of 2011, it's time to reign in the new year.

Wily veterans, top prospects and near-contenders are continuously fighting for their chances to revenge a championships loss, or spark a new era of excellence in their respective divisions.

Here are 15 fighters who have the opportunities to shock the UFC community and capture 2012 gold.

15. The Unknown

As previously mentioned, the UFC has never looked this rich in talent, heart and potential.

Fighters are constantly growing in all aspects of mixed martial arts, whether it's wrestling, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing or just plain old ass-kicking.

To understand the relevance of these handful of elite talents, and their capabilities to win on any given night, it's a true testament to where the sport is going and how deep the contender pool really goes.

Here's a dozen fighters who could easily prove me wrong, by not making this list, and capture UFC glory in 2012: Kenny Florian, Lyoto Machida, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Rashad Evans, Cain Velasquez, Renan Barao, Frank Mir, Alistair Overeem, Gray Maynard, Nick Diaz and Mark Munoz.

14. Chad Mendes

To be honest, I don't have a single inclination that's telling me Chad Mendes stands a chance against Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo at UFC 142. But regardless of how the 26-year-old fares in his upcoming bout with one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, he still deserves to be on this list.

Mendes is currently undefeated in his MMA career, posting a 11-0 record overall, including two consecutive wins inside the Octagon.

The problem with Mendes' potential in out-dueling the other elite talents on this list is the fact that he has yet to showcase championship ability in the UFC.

His two victories over Rani Yahya and Michihiro Omigawa may look nice on his résumé, but both fights lasted all three rounds, which is something a "future champion" never likes to see.

At this point, there's a slim chance Mendes dismantles Aldo. But if he does, it's time to consider him one of the best fighters in the UFC.

13. Vitor Belfort

People have to remember that Vitor Belfort is still one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC, let alone the Middleweight division.

His unlikely demise at the hands of an Anderson Silva front-heel kick at UFC 126 has seemingly supplanted the 34-year-old veteran as an afterthought at 185 pounds.

But why?

Belfort has always been regarded as one of the most explosive and consistent strikers in the world, so why would his hands and willingness to throw bombs suddenly disappear?

Following his most recent KO of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133, it's evident that Belfort has enough left in the tank to make one more run at the Middleweight Championship.

Whether Silva, Chael Sonnen or Mark Munoz holds that belt when he gets there, has yet to be seen.

Belfort's next bout comes against Anthony "Rumble" Johnson at UFC 142 in mid-January, in which a victory could launch "The Phenom" back into contention for a shot at one of the three fighters mentioned above.

12. Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier has been tearing through the UFC featherweight crop.

The 22-year-old is currently 3-0 inside the Octagon, posting impressive wins over a highly touted Josh Grispi, Jason Young and his most recent victory, which came against top prospect Pablo Garza via a second-round submission.

Poirier is one of the best kickboxers at 145 pounds. and currently trains with one of the best strikers in the division—Yves Edwards.

"The Diamond" has one of the brightest futures among any up-and-coming fighter in the UFC today.

He's young, hungry, well-rounded, aggressive and could in fact have the perfect submission remedy to halt Jose Aldo's stranglehold on the Featherweight division.

Another Octagon victory and Poirier will be fighting for No. 1 contender rights.

11. Donald Cerrone

Can Donald Cerrone get some love?

The guy has been absolutely lights-out in the UFC since coming over from the WEC.

He's 4-0 with a first-round TKO, first-round submission, and second-round submission.  His only Octagon bout that lasted all three rounds resulted in Cerrone landing double the strikes that Vagner Rocha did.

"The Cowboy" is currently slated to fight Nate Diaz later this month at UFC 141, which is a bout that could finally land Cerrone some respect amongst average UFC fans.

If Cerrone is victorious, and Benson Henderson has what it takes to knockoff Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar, both men could be in line to face off for the third time, after Henderson won the first two title matches at WEC 48 and WEC 43.

With all that said, the next 12 months could prove that Cerrone is a future champion at 155 pounds.

10. Gilbert Melendez

The only reason why Gilbert Melendez is not in the top five is because he's currently fighting for Strikeforce.

It's as simple as that.

Because besides his current employment, Melendez is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. It's only a matter of time before Dana White and company pull the trigger and sign the 29-year-old to the big leagues.

Melendez is currently riding a five-fight win streak, all title bouts, with three of them resulting in TKO.

His only two loses, credited to his superb 19-2 overall record, were at the hands of Josh Thomson and Mitsuhiro Ishida. 

Well, guess what? Melendez revenged both of those losses over his last four fights, knocking out Ishida and unanimously dismantling Thomson in five rounds.

At this point in his career, testing the waters as a UFC lightweight seems to be the only option.  Considering his resume and shear excellence inside the cage, Melendez would ultimately have to win only one fight in the Octagon in order to receive a title shot.

Let's hope it's against Frankie Edgar, because that would be one of the sickest fights possibly ever.

9. Anthony Pettis

Anthony Pettis simply caught the wrong end of a Clay Guida takedown clinic back at TUF 13 Finale.

What many people took from that fight was that Guida seemingly wanted nothing to do with Pettis' dynamic striking, despite being known as one of the most stand-and-bang-ready lightweights in the game.

Remember, Pettis was the WEC champion when he came over to the UFC, after beating down Benson Henderson with a barrage of knees and spin-kicks off the cage at WEC 53.

The fact of the matter is that you can't base Pettis' potential in 2012 off the outcome of the Guida fight. He tends to wear down lightweights on a regular basis, so Pettis has nothing to be ashamed of.

If the tides had turned, and Guida was on the short end of the leash, it would of been Pettis fighting Henderson at UFC on FOX 1 in a rematch for the rights to take on Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 in Japan next year.

Besides that loss, Pettis' victory over Jeremy Stephens, and the fact that he's still 24 years old, proves that "Showtime" is more than capable of going undefeated in the new year.

To be honest, he should probably be higher than ninth.

8. Michael McDonald

I absolutely love Michael McDonald.

How can you hate a 20-year-old kid from California, with the nickname "Mayday," who's simply dominating the Bantamweight division?

It's impossible, and so is ignoring McDonald's elite potential heading into 2012.

Mayday recently cleaned Alex Soto's clock at UFC 139 Live with one of the most vicious TKO performances of the year. The finishing product from 2011 is fairly easy to recognize. McDonald has unmatchable power at 135 pounds.

In a division where Dominick Cruz reigns supreme, a champion who doesn't necessarily possess KO abilities, the young phenom could potentially punch his way to a title shot over the next six months.

If McDonald can maintain his power and aggressiveness inside the Octagon, his victories over top prospects like Soto, Chris Cariaso and Edwin Figueroa should be enough to persuade Dana White and Joe Silva to give him a chance at a top-five contender in the division.

Think about it now. There could be a 21-year-old UFC Bantamweight Champion, who provides one-punch power, by the end of 2012. 

Does anything get better than that?

7. Joseph Benavidez

Joseph Benavidez is a force to be reckoned with. I think every bantamweight knows that, even UFC Champion Dominick Cruz.

These two guys have fought twice before, which ultimately resulted in Cruz handing Benavidez the only two loses of his career (15-2).

Cruz captured the bantamweight title at WEC 50 via split decision, leaving Benavidez wondering if the fight could have ended differently if he was able to defend the takedown.

All in all, that always seem to be the case in Cruz's fights. Opponents can't seem to stop his repetitious take-downs and he never seems to end the fight short of five rounds.

Call it boring. Call it strategy. Call it what you want. It works.

Regardless, Benavidez is currently on the hot track towards a vengeful third installment with the bantamweight champ. The 27-year-old is undefeated in the UFC at 2-0, lastly taking care of top contender Eddie Wineland at UFC Live 5 via unanimous decision.

Add to the mix that Benavidez trains with Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes, and it's easy to recognize the Texan's potential going forward into 2012.

6. Carlos Condit

To say Carlos Condit folded at the opportunity of fighting Georges St. Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship, in order for Nick Diaz to get his shot at the belt is downright ignorant.

Bottom line, the UFC tricked one of their best fighters into thinking he was getting the shot he deserved. Instead, they gave it to a guy who doesn't even show up for PPV press conferences.

Regardless of how things went down with Condit, Dana White, Joe Silva, St. Pierre and Diaz, the fact remains that Condit will once again get his opportunity to prove that he's the most dangerous 170-pound fighter in the UFC.

Quite frankly, I'm nearly convinced that Condit would knock out either Diaz or St. Pierre. With the way Diaz brawls, and with St. Pierre looking for a significant Octagon decision to reshape his image of producing boring bouts, it's possible that either guy would get tagged within a five-round fight with Condit.

Besides a split-decision loss to a talented Martin Kampmann back in 2009, the 27-year-old Condit hasn't lost a fight since 2006, in which he went three rounds with submission specialist Jake Shields at ROTR 9. So when you consider his ability to knock out anyone in the division, along with his most recent fight ending efforts against Dong Hyun Kim, Dan Hardy and Rory MacDonald, putting Condit on this list made perfect sense.

Once he gets his chance to lay gloves on the welterweight champ, Condit's strength and conditioning will ultimately pay off.

5. Benson Henderson

Benson "Smooth" Henderson has always had a bright future in MMA.

But since his arrival into the UFC from WEC glory, Henderson's potential for Octagon excellence has never been more noticeable.

His recent victory over Clay Guida in a No. 1 contender fight showcased the 28-year-old's ability to adapt to different scenarios and weather the storm from one of the wildest yet consistent fighters in the Lightweight division.

Frankly, besides his losing efforts against Anthony Pettis at WEC 53, Henderson hadn't faced someone of Guida's caliber. But he withstood the challenge, nonetheless. Not to mention that Guida had already dominated Pettis in his previous fight.

Henderson's next opportunity in the Octagon comes in Japan at UFC 144, against lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. This fight is obviously going to be his true test, and will let us know where he stands for the rest of 2012.

4. Brock Lesnar

This may come as a surprise, but I truly believe that we haven't seen the true capabilities of Brock Lesnar in the UFC.

Sure, he has already impressed critics around the sport. Sure, he has already won the heavyweight title. Sure, he has already knocked-off some of the greatest fighters in UFC heavyweight history.

But the fact of the matter is that Lesnar is just learning the sport. The guy's second fight in his career came against Frank Mir. That's crazy. Name me one other UFC fighter that made that much of a jump to start out his career.

Lesnar's résumé is unreal. A KO over Randy Couture and Mir in their second fight, not to mention an eye-opening submission victory over Shane Carwin at UFC 116.

Somehow, mixed in with Lesnar's inability to stay healthy from diverticulitis, fans have forgotten how special this guy is.

An 265-pound All-American wrestler who races the Octagon with the speed of a middleweight.  An animal of a fighter who has already won three title fights in just seven career bouts.

Now healthy, Lesnar has to prove himself again. Amid the aftermath of getting shelled by Cain Velazquez, which some consider a fluke, the 34-year-old is due to meet one of the most popular fighters in the world today, Alistair Overeem.

Sparks will fly, but Lesnar's strength and wrestling ability should allow the former champion to get back into No. 1 contender discussions.

3. Phil Davis

Maybe it's his absence from the Octagon since early 2011, or the emergence of Jon Jones as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the universe, but it seems as if people are forgetting that Phil Davis is still an undefeated light heavyweight at 9-0.

Davis was set to face Rashad Evans at UFC 133 back in August, but an apparent knee injury cut his opportunity short.

Well, Davis is healthy, and he's currently scheduled again to fight Evans at UFC on FOX 2, a bout that could crush the previous ratings of UFC on FOX 1. But besides the glitz and glamour of fighting on broadcast television, the MMA world needs to get re-acquainted with "Mr. Wonderful".

The 27-year-old was easily the No. 1 light heavyweight prospect before his first scheduled fight with Evans.

Davis had demolished Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via unanimous decision, submitted fellow-wrestler Tim Boetsch in the second round at UFC 123 and had also secured early UFC career victories over touted fighters such as Alexander Gustafsson and Brian Stann.

Basically, his résumé is stacked.

Heading into this bout with Evans, Davis could supplant himself as the No. 1 contender to take on Jones (if he beats Machida this weekend). And honestly, I don't think there's a better fighter than Davis, who's a talented wrestler with solid ground and pound, to dismantle the elusive Light Heavyweight champ.

2. Urijah Faber

Urijah Faber is still the most marketable fighter between the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions.

Jose Aldo may be close, but Faber controls his own destiny for now.

What this means is that no matter how he fares inside the Octagon, Dana White and the UFC are always going to do their best to make sure Faber gets the title shots he deserves, or doesn't.

But is this the sole reason why he's destined to run the Bantamweight division in 2012?

Not even close. Faber's most recent demolition of top contender Brian Bowles via a first-round submission has once again launched him into title talks.

A rematch with Dominick Cruz is currently in the works. One that will ultimately settle once and for all, who the better champion is through three title fights. The scary thing for Cruz, and other bantamweights with the dream of one day capturing UFC gold, is that Faber looked like his old self in the Bowles victory.

He looked faster, hungrier, most versatile on his feet and willing to take the fight to the ground.

Despite going five rounds through in their last fight, I highly doubt a Faber-vs.-Cruz rematch would go the distance.

Food for thought. Cruz has never finished a fight early in his career, besides his victory over Bowles at WEC 47, which was due to doctor's stoppage in the second round.

1. Chael Sonnen

Here he is. The loud-mouth power wrestler whose made more noise out of the ring than in it.

But beyond his crude interviews, on-camera antics and true hatred for UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen has the skills to backup his brash one-liners.

Sonnen is ready to take on Silva. He said it before and will say it again. But the UFC has decided to pin Sonnen against fellow middleweight contender Mark Munoz, at UFC on FOX 2. The winner of that fight will presumably earn the right to take on the baddest man on the planet.

In their first fight, Sonnen mad Silva look like a rag doll through four rounds, which is something that no other fighter had done beforehand, or afterwards. However, Sonnen's inability to secure the victory provided Silva with the opportunity to sink in a triangle choke. That choke came in the latter minutes of Round 5 and was something that Silva himself didn't expect.

If you were to show the first four rounds to a nine-year-old boy, he, too, would proclaim Sonnen victorious.

The reason why the 34-year-old contender comes in at No. 1 is because nobody is hungrier.  Nobody has had that type of fight wrapped up, against he pound-for-pound greatest MMA fighter ever, and have it slip away in literally five seconds.

Sonnen will beat Silva and govern the middleweight division in 2012. Guaranteed.

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