Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks rematch:
In the main event of UFC 167, Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defeated Johny Hendricks in a controversial split-decision. Some believe St-Pierre did just enough to pull out the win, however, a majority of the MMA community, including UFC President Dana White believe Hendricks clearly came away with the victory. Aside from St-Pierre wanting to take time off, nothing should keep this rematch from happening. If St-Pierre decides to step away for a while, Hendricks should take on the winner of Matt Brown vs. Carlos Condit.
Rashad Evans vs. Alexander Gustafsson/Jimi Manuwa winner:
In all honesty, a Gustafsson vs. Evans match-up seems like a much more intriguing fight than Gustafsson vs. Manuwa and would make for a great title-eliminator. Although Gustafsson has been promised another title fight with a win over Manuwa, we all know how these situations work. If Gustafsson doesn’t look impressive against Manuwa, he can always be skipped over by guys like Daniel Cormier or Phil Davis. We also have a situation where Manuwa comes away with a win, if that were to happen he would probably be one fight away from a title shot, an Evans-Manuwa fight would also suffice as a title-eliminator.
Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva:
This was an easy one considering this fight is already booked. Sonnen and Silva will coach opposite of each other on season three of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” and will fight when the season comes to a close. Their rivalry should make for a great show and fight.
Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit/Matt Brown winner or Jake Shields:
Since it’s very likely that we will be seeing a rematch between St-Pierre and Hendricks the title will be on hold for a while. So what makes more sense than Robbie Lawler taking on the winner of Condit vs. Brown in a number one contender fight? Lawler has been on a tear since his return to the UFC, going 3-0, winning upsets over top ranked guys in Josh Koscheck and Rory MacDonald. A fight against the winner of Condit, who is one of the best in the division and Matt Brown, who is currently on a six fight win-streak makes perfect sense. However, if that doesn’t come to fruition, Jake Shields, who most recently defeated top ranked Demian Maia is also another viable option.
Rory MacDonald vs. Carlos Condit/Matt Brown loser:
Since I just said Lawler should get the winner of Condit vs. Brown, why not give MacDonald the loser? If Brown loses, it’s still a good fight to give MacDonald to see where he’s really at. On the other hand, if Condit loses, this will be the rematch that MacDonald has been waiting for. Condit was the first, and up until losing to Lawler, the only man to defeat MacDonald.
Tyron Woodley vs. Dong Hyun Kim or Hector Lombard:
If I had the choice, I would match Kim up against Lombard, however, I would also be happy if either one of them was paired with Woodley. All three of these men are coming off knockout victories and are all just outside the UFC’s top ten Welterweights. A win over Lombard or Kim would be huge for Woodley and vice versa for Kim and Lombard.
Josh Koscheck vs. Nate Marquardt: Both of these men on at the tail-end of their career. Both men have also lost their last three, being finished by strikes in their last two. This would be a good “loser leaves town” match-up, a loss for Marquardt here would very likely result in his release from the UFC and a loss for Koscheck would likely result in his retirement.
Ali Bagautinov vs. John Lineker or John Dodson/Scott Jorgensen winner:
Bagautinov’s win over number seven ranked UFC Flyweight Tim Elliot was huge for him. He is now 2-0 in the UFC and is proving he has what it takes to compete with the upper echelon of the division. Bagautinov could be one or two more impressive wins away from a title shot, if the UFC wants to fast track him, they could put him up against John Lineker, who has won four straight, stopping his last three opponents with strikes. Another good match-up for Bagautinov would be the winner of John Dodson vs. Scott Jorgensen; a win in either of these fights would likely put him into title contention.
Tim Elliot vs. John Moraga/Darren Uyenoyama loser:
All three of these guys are in the top ten of the UFC Flyweight division and the loser of Moraga-Uyenoyama will likely wind up at the lower end of the top ten along with Elliot. Whoever would come out on top between Elliot and the loser of Moraga and Uyenoyama will remain relevant in the division. Another reason this match-up makes sense is because Elliot has yet to fight either of these two men in a very thin division.