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An MMA Christmas: 10 Fights We Want Santa to Bring Us for 2017
- Updated: December 25, 2016
One age-old question arises every year in late December: What do you want for Christmas? For MMA fans, the answer is often the same: great fights. The past 12 months in mixed martial arts have given rise to plenty of unforgettable showdowns. There was the five-round war between Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit at UFC 195 on Jan. 2, the shocking back-and-forth struggle between Miesha Tate and Holly Holm at UFC 196 on March 5, the epic UFC Fight Pass encounter between Marco Polo Reyes and Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 199 on June 4, the blockbuster rematch between Conor McGregor and Nick Diaz at UFC 202 on Aug. 20 and the remarkable war of attrition between Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206 on Dec. 10. Even the regional scene got in on the act, with the 25-minute classic between Angela Lee and Mei Yamaguchi giving the One Championship organization a legitimate “Fight of the Year” contender on May 6.No one knows what the next year will bring, except perhaps for the jolly old elf who occupies the North Pole. As we barrel towards 2017, Sherdog.com examines 10 fights — rematches are excluded — we want Santa to leave under the tree, one for each of the 10 major weight classes.Heavyweight Cain Velasquez vs. Stipe Miocic: One can only hope Velasquez can stay healthy enough to make waves in a heavyweight division that desperately needs him. The 34-year-old American Kickboxing Academy ace returned to form at UFC 200, where he battered Travis Browne to a first-round technical knockout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Velasquez has been slotted opposite Fabricio Werdum, health permitting, at UFC 207 on Dec. 30, where a victory would allow him to avenge his June 2015 submission loss to “Vai Cavalo” and leave him as the clear-cut No. 1 contender for the heavyweight crown. Miocic has not fought since he knocked out Alistair Overeem to retain the title at UFC 203 in September.Light Heavyweight Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson: With all due respect to Daniel Cormier, this has been a dream matchup at 205 pounds for quite some time. It would pit Jones’ all-around brilliance against Johnson’s kill-switch power. Of course, several roadblocks remain, from Cormier occupying the top of the division to Jones’ inability to keep himself out of trouble. When and if Jones returns to the cage from suspension, he will do so on a 13-fight winning streak and as the almost universally recognized pound-for-pound king. Johnson has knocked out Jimi Manuwa, Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira in succession since submitting to a rear-naked choke from Cormier at UFC 187.Middleweight Michael Bisping vs. Nate Diaz: Imagine the promotional possibilities with this one. Bisping has parlayed a late-career surge into an unexpected title reign at 185 pounds, as the 37-year-old bested Anderson Silva in a UFC Fight Night headliner on Feb. 27, captured the middleweight championship in a stunning upset of Luke Rockhold some three months later and then …
