Possible fights?

So looking at the current roster and trying to read Joe Silva's mind, here's some thoughts I came up with. Let me know what excites you, what's probable and what's just crazy.

Lyoto Machida vs Tito Ortiz II (A rematch in light of Ortiz's firts win in 6 years? Machida needs a win anyway)
Chael Sonnen vs Brian Stann (New number one contender's match perhaps)
Jon Fitch vs Carlos Condit (I know people were talking about Fitch-Penn II but this makes more sense for active competition)
Matt Mitrione vs Shane Carwin (Mitrione keeps winning, could be a good test or get Carwin back on track)
Frankie Edgar vs Clay Guida (I know Edgar vs Maynard is in the works, but I think Guida has earned a title shot)
Gray Maynard vs Rafeal dos Anjos (Only if the previous fight happens)
Thiago Silva vs Ryan Bader (Silva is 2-2-1 in last five and Bader is 3-2.)
Mark Munoz vs Chris Leben
Martin Kampmann vs Anthony Johnson
Roy Nelson vs Gabriel Gonzaga
Jorge Santiago vs Nick Ring (Santiago relaly needs at least 1 UFC win)
Matt Serra vs BJ Penn II (I just wnat to see the rematch. Could be exciting because they are very similar)
damian Maia vs Chris Weidman
Josh Koscheck vs Rick Story
Sam Stout vs Anthony Pettis
Matt Hamill vs Brandon Vera
Dennis Siver vs Melvin Guillard II

It must be something bad, because he hasn't fought in close to a year and I haven't read a thing about him.

I don't see the value in using a prospect like Mitrione to get Carwin back on track. Carwin needs to fight someone in the top 20 to prove he has what it takes to compete in the UFC.

and I wouldn't be surprised if Mitrione was in the top 20 HW in the UFC, but you get what I'm sayin.

I know Sherk was injury riddled.  As far as Mitrione vs. Carwin... I would probably pick Mitrione tbh at this point.

That's crazy how much Carwin's stock has dropped. A year ago I wouldn't give Matt a chance against him, now I'm not so sure.

Agreed 100 percent.  Carwin is being exposed as pure power with not much MMA to offer.  I like him too.. great person.  I hope the UFC starts his career over the next year and let him build back up b/c his potential is still very high.

i thought when carwin fought mir, that shane would be exposed for the no mma, bruce banner's green side fighter that he is...however, as mir has a suspect chin, carwin steamrolled through him...if meathead beats carwin, i'd put him up there with the top 10 ufc hw....right now though, he's looked impressive..although, if morecraft had followed the perceived gameplan of takedowns galore, he would of won a decision imo..thats why a fight with a huge wrestler like carwin might not go great for meathead..

I let this thread go for too long, been busy over here, so I'll try and contribute to some opinions.

I think Koscheck-Story is more likely because Joe Silva typically likes to match people off of wins. I think it's a way to weed out fighters when they're on a losing streak. (Of course there's been exceptions, but I've noticed he does like to do that) I'm really not excited about Fitch-Penn II because Penn came out with a surprise attack which is the main reason he won the first round. But seriously, Fitch won the second and easily 10-8 the third. You can argue it all you want, but watching the fight you saw it, and the statistics back it up.

Dana White wants Tito out of the UFC, and I really think he’ll ask Machida to take him out again.

I’m a little impatient when it comes to the LW division. Edgar had to fight Penn, twice, and now Maynard twice. Let’s have someone else get a crack at it. Guida has grinded out enough wins and he’s always putting on a show (if you‘re not excited about Edgar-Guida then you‘re not a real fan of the LWs because that fight would get crazy). And if Maynard starts to whine, remember the Emerson fight when he was so clearly knocked out and still protested…come on Gray, you whine too much.

Mitrione is not a prospect. He’s too old. He has a interesting personality, but he just will never get to the upper echelon. And Pettis, after losing to Guida, he does need a win and Stout has earned another chance to get back up the rankings. To say Siver shouldn’t get a top ten fighter because he barely beat Wiman, that’s messed up. Wiman is a good fighter. 3 fight-of-the-nights in a row and wins over Tavares, Danzig and Miller, he’s not a stepping stone (the only time he’s ever been put away was before he even went through TUF and he was a last minute replacement for Leonard Garcia)

Looking at it a few days after posting, they all seem like great fights to me. Kampmann vs. Johnson, Guillard vs. Siver, and Nelson vs. Gonzaga are the ones I’m most excited about. For anyone who says Siver-Guillard is not a good fight because of the last time they fought, then you didn’t see the fight. Siver got rocked very early (I think the first punch) and I just think it’ll be a tighter fight than Guillard vs. Pettis…though I would like to see Pettis cracked.

i like kos/story, but i think i might go anthony johnson/kos II...i think johnson was winnin that fight before kos started his ***** ****. i like kos more than most ppl but that was weak.

i think munoz/stann needs to happen, and that should be the #1 contender fight...does anyone actually think the bisping/miller winner stands a chance w/ anderson? i'm sincerely hope not

i would put condit/story together, i know story's coming off a loss...but as i said before he only had 1 day notice as well and he just went thru 3 tough rounds with alves i think story beats brenneman 8/10

i like mitrione/carwin that seems like a good fight, and i think i have to go mitrione in that one...good footwork, carwin fights like his feet are stuck in cement

hamill/vera sounds like a decent prelim fight....i was a huge fan of vera, but for whatever reason he's just not getting it done at lhw and hamill's "great wrestling" looked extrememly sloppy against rampage

I have heard rumors that KOS is going up in weight and he is already targeting Stephen Bonnar, http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=88388 , Bonnar has already made some pretty funny shirts making fun of Kos eye pokes. Pre fight talk would be funny if the fight happens.

In fairness to Brenneman, Story was scheduled to be the main event and Brenneman was on an undercard fight. His fight with TJ Grant was pulled so it was actually 1 day notice for both of them. Though Story had less time to prepare as he was actually a replacement for Anthony Johnson.

Well I got the Sonnen-Stann fight right, but I'm not too thrilled to watch it.

Well, it was a good call.  I hope Jackson prepares him well.

I don't see Bonnar being able to make 185. He's big at 205. Kos should stop throwing a ***** fit and fight Carlos Condit. I think that would be a great fight and it would tell us more about if Condit is ready for a title shot.

 

Torres vs. Faber or Wineland. Make it happen Joe!

i think benevidez is fighting wineland

@Todd

you're right! I'm from Northwest Indiana where they both live so I'm extremely hung up on seeing who would win that fight. But i train with Torres so my pick would be obvious!

I said in my blog it would be a shame if Faber and Yamamoto never end up fighting..but for now I think it will be Faber/Torres or Faber/Bowles

@bassist , thats cool. im from chicago area so my pick would be obvious as well.  q; )
Faber vs Kid will never happen imo.   but it would be an exciting fight.