UFC: 25 Bold Predictions for MMA's Top Fighters in 2012

The bus does not stop in 2011.  In fact, it's going faster.

The UFC has done nearly everything right over the past 12 months, including signing Alistair Overeem and Nick Diaz.

But despite these pound-for-pound newcomers, current champions and respective contenders are poised for big campaigns entering the new year.

With that said, here are 25 bold predictions for the top MMA fighters in 2012.

Sorry, but these guys failed to make the list:

Kenny Florian, Donald Cerrone, Shane Carwin, Daniel Cormier, Josh Koscheck, Wanderlei Silva, Mark Munoz, Gray Maynard, Ian McCall, Phil Davis, and Minotauro Nogueira.

25. BJ Penn

BJ Penn will agree to fight Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, only to lose then officially retire from the sport of MMA, again.

24. Rampage Jackson

Following his stint in the UFC, Rampage Jackson will retire from the sport and move on to a speculated boxing career.

23. Joseph Benavidez

Despite his bantamweight division contender rights, Joseph Benavidez will capture gold at 125 lbs. and become the first UFC flyweight champion.

22. Carlos Condit

Carlos Condit will KO Nick Diaz at UFC 143 to win the UFC interim welterweight championship, only to lose it when he faces off against current champion Georges St. Pierre later in the year.

21. Frank Mir

Frank Mir will lose his next fight in devastating fashion and maybe ruin his chance to reclaim the heavyweight title.

20. Lyoto Machida

Lyoto Machida will fight Mauricio Shogun Rua for a third time towards the end of the year, with No. 1 light heavyweight contender rights on the line.

19. Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen will beat Mark Munoz, get dominated by Anderson Silva in their middleweight championship rematch and then decide to move up to light heavyweight.

18. Benson Henderson

Benson Henderson will beat Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 in Japan to win the UFC lightweight championship, prompting an eventual showdown with Strikeforce's Gilbert Melendez.

17. Brock Lesnar

Following his decisive victory over Alistair Overeem at UFC 141, Brock Lesnar will lose to heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos via TKO, sparking a three-fight losing streak to round out 2012.

16. Jon Fitch

Jon Fitch will once again receive a well-deserved shot at the UFC welterweight title.  But an uncharacteristic KO loss with prove that Fitch just doesn't have what it takes to best Georges St. Pierre.

15. Urijah Faber

Shaved head or not, Urijah Faber will beat Dominick Cruz for the UFC bantamweight title. 

The championship victory will catapult Faber into mainstream America and revamp "The California Kid" as the face of the UFC.

14. Rashad Evans

Despite Phil Davis not making this list, the young wrestler will dismantle Rashad Evans at UFC on FOX 2. 

Evans will contemplate moving down to middleweight, but a matchup against the previously mentioned Chael Sonnen will keep him at the 205-pound division.

13. Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez will drop two of three fights in 2012, prompting fans to question his ability as a small heavyweight in a stacked division.

12. Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz will get knocked out by Carlos Condit at UFC 143, resulting in a showdown against Josh Koscheck later in the year. 

Koscheck will consequently hand Diaz another KO loss.

11. Alistair Overeem

After getting beat by a less-experienced Brock Lesnar at UFC 141, Dana White and company will pin Alistair Overeem against Frank Mir. 

Overeem will win that fight and prompt another shot at the UFC heavyweight title.

10. Mauricio Shogun Rua

On top of knocking out Ryan Bader at some point during 2012, Shogun Rua will once again fight Dan Henderson inside the Octagon. 

This time, he'll win.

9. Gilbert Melendez

Gilbert Melendez will destroy BJ Penn in a Strikeforce lightweight bout, resulting in his UFC debut later in the year against Benson Henderson, Clay Guida, Gray Maynard, Donald Cerrone or Frankie Edgar.

8. Dan Henderson

Dan Henderson will secure first-round KO victories over two top five light heavyweights not named Jon Jones.

7. Dominick Cruz

Dominick Cruz will lose his UFC bantamweight title to Urijah Faber after he loses his cool on The Ultimate Fighter debut on FX. 

Cruz will then face rising star Michael McDonald, only to lose via KO.

6. Junior dos Santos

Junior dos Santos will be victorious over Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir in 2012, resulting in a possible showdown against Alistair Overeem or Fabricio Werdum by the end of the yer.

5. Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo will absolutely destroy his competition over his next two featherweight fights. A move up to lightweight to face either Frankie Edgar or Benson Henderson isn't out of the question. 

Neither is a showdown with the winner of Joe Warren vs. Pat Curran following their upcoming Bellator championship fight.

4. Frankie Edgar

Frankie Edgar will lose his UFC lightweight title to Benson Henderson at UFC 144 in Japan.  But a bout against either Jose Aldo or Gilbert Melendez will keep Edgar on the championship radar.

3. Georges St. Pierre

Georges St. Pierre will comeback strong in 2012.  He'll beat the winner of Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz, presumably Condit, and secure another welterweight victory towards the end of the year. 

The only problem?  Fans will start calling for a legendary bout against Anderson Silva, which is something that doesn't bode well for St. Pierre's legacy.

2. Jon Jones

Jon Jones will not lose in 2012.  In fact, nobody in the light heavyweight division will push the champion past the third round. 

Who knows?  By the end of the year, Jones could go down as one of the best UFC light heavyweights of all time.

1. Anderson Silva

Along with Jon Jones, Anderson Silva will be victorious in every single one of his 2012 bouts.  That includes a championship fight with either Chael Sonnen or Mark Munoz, a probable light heavyweight bout against either Rashad Evans or Shogun Rua and a potential showdown with Georges St. Pierre.

By the end of the year, "The Baddest Man on the Planet" will still be the baddest man on the planet.

Follow @DHiergesell