Starting on Saturday night, the MMA world will give fans six major events in six weeks before it takes a short summer break. Which fights will convince you to stay inside as the summer heats up?
Demetrious Johnson vs. Miguel Torres, UFC 130: I'll admit, I'm less than enthused about UFC 130. After injuries pulled Gray Maynard's championship rematch with Frankie Edgar, the card lost some luster, but I've also found that the cards I wasn't excited about have blown me away. This fight is exactly one of the bouts that will get me to change my mind. Though Torres has shown a more cautious style recently, he'll have to solve the problem of� Johnson's wrestling. For Johnson, it's another chance to move up the UFC's bantamweight ladder against the former champion.
Clay Guida vs. Anthony Pettis, "The Ultimate Fighter" Finale: Pettis was promised a UFC title shot after winning the WEC strap, but those plans were put to the side when Maynard and Edgar fought to a draw. Now, he can take out his frustration with waiting on Clay Guida, who is just as eager to make Pettis feel unwelcome in the UFC.
Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman, UFC 131: Einemo's debut in the UFC is sure to turn heads. He can win on his feet, as a 6-foot-6 fighter who trains with the famed Golden Glory camp in Holland, or on the ground, as he won an ADCC submission wrestling world championship. His MMA career is limited, but it will be fun to see how he can put it all together in the Octagon this June.
Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes, UFC 131: The interesting part of this fight will come at weigh-ins, to see how Florian can handle the cut down to 145 lbs. after fighting at lightweight for years. Once he actually gets to the Octagon, Florian will face a tough test in Nunes, who is on a three-fight winning streak.
Gina Carano vs. Sarah D'Alelio, Strikeforce: The last time we saw Carano fight, she was being beat on by Strikeforce women's champ Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos. She's spent time working on her movie career. How will nearly two years of ring rust affect her?
Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, UFC on Versus 4: One word comes to mind with this match-up: OWWWWW. Both fighters are capable of throwing painful, KO kicks. It will be interesting to see how the two defend each other, and how the massive height difference will come into play.
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Carlos Condit, UFC 132: I wish I had a well-thought-out reason why I'm so excited for this fight, but it's just that these two are capable of knocking people out. Hard. Kim hasn't had a KO win since UFC 84, but Condit has won his last two fights with a knockout and a TKO. I can't imagine this fight will go for three, full rounds.
These are the fights that are fight on my list. Which ones are you excited for? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.
Andre Amade Kevin Michael Harvick William Clyde Elliott Randy Joseph Lajoie Jimmy Button Michael Annett Jaroslav Huleš