New Year, New Fights, New Champs: Who Will Wear UFC Gold in 2009?

Happy New Year everyone, and oh what a happy new year it will be for MMA fights across the globe.

With one super-fight already set to happen in the UFC, and more than likely more to come, I can't wait for the ball to drop and the confetti to fly.

There are so many questions flying though the MMA world. Who will get the first crack at Rashad? Can Brock Lesnar get revenge on Frank Mir and keep his title?

Will Anderson Silva stay undefeated in the UFC for another year? Well, I'm here to answer those questions.

UFC Heavyweight Champion 2008: Brock Lesnar

The current champ is Brock Lesnar. Although he is NOT the undisputed champ. To be so, he will need to avenge his only loss and defeat Frank Mir.

Brock has looked better and better in each of his three fights in the UFC. All of the non-believers have disappeared, and many think he will stay champ.

I was recently scanning the Sherdog forums, and the question arose, "Who would win in a fight between Gabriel Gonzaga and Brock Lesnar?"

The consensus answer overwhelmingly favored Brock. Just remember, at this time last year, he was seen as just a marketing scheme to get the UFC more attention.

Many believe his wrestling and strength can overcome any obstacle that comes his way. I agree, that's why I'm saying that Brock keeps the title after his fight with Mir.

So what happens after Lesnar/Mir II? Who out there truly deserves a shot at the title? To me, there's really nobody.

I'm guessing that the winner of Carwin/Gonzaga gets the chance to go for gold. But here's the problem, has Gabe proven that he can deal with the upper echelon of heavyweights? To me that answer is a definitive NO.

Same thing for Carwin. Nobody knows who this guy is. Unless that fight is a co-main event and Carwin gets another first-round stoppage, (all 10 of his fights he's stopped in the first round, and only one has gone past the two-minute mark) he can't be put in a title match because he's not a big enough name.

All of the best heavyweights are fighting for WAMMA, so I ave no choice but to say that Brock keeps his belt through 2009.

2009 UFC Heavyweight Champion: Brock Lesnar

2008 UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: Rashad Evans

The best division in the UFC also happens to have the foggiest outlook for 2009 and beyond.

With Rashad the new champion, Chuck and Wand seemingly done fighting for gold, and numerous other contenders putting forth there best resume' for a shot, we are in for a lot of confusion and alot of debates.

First up in my opinion should be Rashad/Rampage. I know that Machida and Thiago Silva are both undefeated and that the winner should get the shot, but I also know that nobody would buy a PPV to watch Lyoto Machida fight for the title.

Why? Too many reasons to name here. But I'll give it a try.

He's a decision fighter that doesn't look to finish and he's a hit-and-run fighter, which is exciting in nobody's mind. Not to mention the old "out of sight, out of mind" saying.

He hasn't fought since May, and it was in a fight that in no way made him stand out as a true contender. (I'm doing this with the mindset that Machida beats Silva).

Rampage vs. Rashad: Rampage is more than willing to strike, and the same goes for Rashad. In a Fight of The Year candidate, Rampage takes his gold back in a five-round slugfest.

Machida vs. Forrest: Forrest has shown his willingness to get uglier in every fight by just slugging it out. Machida has never fought anybody with that kind of mindset. I see Forrest taking it to Machida and snagging a decision victory, giving Machida his first-ever loss, but at the same time registering Machida in the minds of the fans.

Forrest vs. Rampage 2: Rampage comes in with championship mindset and refuses to lose to Forrest again. Remember, Rampage is 2-0 in the UFC in rematches. Forrest comes in looking to do the same thing that won him the title the first time.

Forrest and Rampage put on a show and go the distance. This time though, the decision isn't worthy of a bashing and Rampage takes it.

I also see Rashad fighting Machida late in 2009 to determine a number-one contender for the champion. Shad takes it making 2009 a horrible year for Machida, and solidifying him as the Gabe Gonzaga of the LHW division.

2009 UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: Rampage Jackson

2008 UFC Middleweight Champion- Anderson Silva

Two years and counting. Anderson Silva came to the UFC in June 2006 as a relative unknown. He ran through Chris Leben in 49 seconds, then did the same to then champion Rich Franklin in October of the same year.

Since then he has successfully defended his title six more times, and none of those fights have gone the distance.

The newest challenger to the "Spider" is 27-year-old BJJ master Thales Leites. Leites earned my respect when he beat one of my favorite fighters, Nate Marquardt.

While it's true he needed help from Nate in the form of illegal blows, he did come away with the victory.

But that leads me to my next point. If Leites couldn't even defeat Nate in a decisive fashion, how does he expect to beat Silva, the same guy that TKO'd Marquardt in the first round?

Does anybody have an answer for that? If you do, please share it with me, because I don't. I see Anderson taking it to Leites in route to a decisive TKO/KO victory.

By the way, we will have to wait until April to see this fight. So by my count, Anderson could see at most two more fights in '09 barring any type of injury. That means Yushin Okami, being that Dana guaranteed we'd see him fight for the belt.

I don't see Silva having any problems with Okami, and doing the same thing he's done to everybody else that has come his way.

Then what? Demian Maia? Maybe. He has to beat Chael Sonnen first, and even then I doubt it. I see Anderson wrapping up the year with a LHW fight and keeping his Middleweight belt for an unprecedented three years.

2009 UFC Middleweight Champion: Anderson Silva

2008 UFC Welterweight Champion: Georges St.Pierre

For those of you that have read my articles before, you might know that I do not like BJ Penn. My first article on this site was written about how BJ always seems to get what he wants, and how I couldn't believe he was given a title shot at GSP. Then I though to myself, this is more of a punishment.

BJ Penn is walking into this fight with WAYYYYYYY too much confidence. Is he not aware of the fact that he is 1-2 in the UFC at welterweight?

Is he not aware that he has already lost to GSP? Is he not aware that GSP is 10 times the fighter he was then? I guess not, because if he knew that, he probably wouldn't have asked for this fight.

I shouldn't have to tell you who I'm picking for this fight. GSP goes in, retains, and moves on with his life.

Then what? Thiago Alves. This guy is my pick for the best fighter of 2008. He had very impressive victories over Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck.

He has definitely earned his shot at the belt. But the question is, will he pull a Jon Fitch? Will he pull a Gabe Gonzaga, and just be seen as a great fighter that can't handle the best of the best? I don't think so.

Yeah, I'm doing it. I'm predicting my winner, right now! On the first of the new year, I am predicting that Thiago Alves beats Georges "Rush" St. Pierre, becomes the new welterweight champion, and does so by the skin of his teeth.

Thiago is a great fighter. There is no reasonable way to dispute that. I will laugh at anybody that disputes that.

There is a reason why Thiago Alves was voted second in the first edition of the Bleacher Report MMA Rankings, and why he will probably keep that spot in the second edition (coming soon). He is, in the words of Dana White, "A (bleep)ing fighter."

He outwrestled one of the best pure wrestlers in MMA, Josh Koscheck. He TKO'd a guy that has never been TKO'd in his career, Karo Parysian (he has technically been TKO'd, but it was because his corner threw in the towel), and he also TKO'd a legend in Matt Hughes. He is that good.

I see him making weight, winning the title, and defending it until a rematch with GSP in 2010, but I'm in no way ready to predict a fight that far away.

2009 UFC Welterweight Champion: Thiago Alves

2008 UFC Lightweight Champion: BJ Penn

Ugh, BJ Penn. BJ "I win but don't defend championships" Penn. Yes, in the record books it says that BJ "won" the title when he beat Joe Stevenson, and then "defended" the title against Sean Sherk, but I don't read books, therefore I don't care what it has to say.

BJ has never "defended" a title in his MMA career. He won his first MMA championship when he beat Matt Hughes in 2004. Then he left. Then he came back to fight GSP for the number one contenders spot at the title. He lost. Then, he fights for the title anyway because GSP got injured. He lost.

Then, he moves down to lightweight. Beats Jens Pulver. Beats Joe Stevenson, and wins the lightweight title, although he didn't beat the champ.

Then, he beats the champ. Yayy BJ! (sarcasm). Then what does he do. Spits in Kenny Florian's face, spits in GSP's face, spits in Thiago Alves' face, and demands a shot at the welterweight title...... whoa. Sorry, I got a little off track. Back to the main point.

When BJ finally puts his title on the line, it will not be against a much smaller fighter. BJ had three inches on Sherk, factor in Sherk's tiny T-Rex arms, and you've got yourself a big problem.

BJ had two inches on Stevenson. Now, he will have to go after a guy that is taller, and isn't a wrestler.

Kenny Florian goes into fights with the mindset to finish that fight. He comes in with a fast pace, and a willingness to to do anything and everything he needs to win.

Kenny's last fight was against Joe Stevenson. BJ has also fought Joe. Let's compare. BJ choked Joe out four minutes into the second round. Kenny did the same thing, but in the first round. But for some strange reason, I'm not picking Kenny.

I'm picking Diego Sanchez. Late in 2009, he will earn his shot. Probably in December with BJ's fight schedule. Diego is what his nickname says he is. He is a nightmare. He has the same mindset as Kenny, but he has more to prove. Diego was seen as the next big thing when he won the first season of TUF, beating Kenny Florian in the finals. Since, he has fallen off the face of the earth.

I see Sanchez pulling a Frank Mir. He will go into 2009 with a two-fight win streak, and a need for UFC gold. The guy does it all. He will submit, he will KO you, or he'll just beat you on the scorecards.

He's never been finished, and he's only lost twice. He has what it takes. That's why I think he is the next UFC lightweight champion.

2009 UFC Lightweight Champion: Diego Sanchez

I can't wait to see what you all think of this article. Please, if you have something to say, say it. That goes for all articles on this site. Too many people just read articles and hold in their opinion.

Stop, there is no such thing as a wrong opinion. If you think somebody's an idiot, say it. Or maybe you really agree with what somebody had to say. Tell them. There's nothing better than reading a nice comment.

As always, thanks for reading, and please voice your opinion.

P.S. Be on the lookout for the B/R MMA Rankings Second Edition. Brian Oswald and I are currently gathering the votes of the top 30 writers, and if you were contacted, get your votes in.