Poll: Which Early 2015 UFC Fight Are You Most Excited About?
With last weekend’s (Sat., January 3, 2015) UFC 182 pay-per-view (PPV) from Las Vegas in the rearview mirror, the eyes of MMA fans everywhere are firmly fixated on the bevy of blockbuster bouts set to grace our screens in the coming two months.
We could witness the crowning of the next featherweight title contender when Conor McGregor battles Dennis Siver in the main event of January 18’s UFC Fight Night 59 from Boston, Massachusetts; and don’t forget the freshly signed trilogy match between former lightweight champion Ben Henderson and surging challenger Donald Cerrone in that card’s co-main event.
Only one week later, No. 1-ranked light heavyweight Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson will take on rising No. 3-ranked Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in the main event of UFC on FOX 14 from his native Sweden. With the winner headed for an awaited showdown with polarizing champion Jon Jones, tensions will be running high for this potentially great slugfest.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Legendary former middleweight champion Anderson Silva will finally make his long-awaited return to the octagon when he faces off with fellow returnee Nick Diaz in the main event of January 31’s UFC 183 from Las Vegas.
That would seem like a shoo-in for the most anticipated fight of 2015’s first two months, and it could definitely end up with that title. However, four weeks later, the UFC 184 PPV from The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California features two pivotal title fights.
In the first, dominant women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will finally meet undefeated No. 1 contender Cat Zingano, who earned her shot at “Rowdy’s” belt way back at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 Finale in April 2013.
The other is the highly anticipated grudge match between middleweight champion Chris Weidman and controversial veteran Vitor Belfort, a bout that was originally scheduled for last May’s UFC 173 and then December’s UFC 181 before finally settling in on the February 28 card.
Also on the jam-packed event is another middleweight bout that can’t be underestimated, as No. 2-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will face No. 6 Yoel Romero in a match-up of two of the finest mat technicians in MMA. The winner could conceivably be matched up against the winner of the Weidman vs. Belfort main event.
It looks like the hangover of the injury-plagued 2-14 is finally being lifted for the UFC, and there are some absolutely huge fights set for the very near future. Which one are you looking forward to most?
