Fights To Look For: Heavyweight Division

At UFC 188 we will see the return of the Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. The main event title fight is being dubbed a "Champion vs. Champion" affair as his opponent Fabricio Werdum is currently the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion. Werdum won the title when he defeated Mark Hunt at UFC 180, the event that would have seen Velasquez and Werdum headline if it weren't for a right knee injury suffered by Velasquez. Since the interim title fight we have not seen much from either champion but MMA will be treated to a Heavyweight fight that might not be a quick knock out but rather a fight where we will see wrestling vs jiu-jitsu on display. Regardless of the outcome however, it will create an opportunity for some interesting match-ups and fights to look for.

1. Junior Dos Santos vs. Alister Overeem
With a victory at UFC 188, Fabricio Werdum would be the new heavyweight champion but would not necessarily be undisputed. On his road to the title he has suffered two defeats that fans would love to see him avenge. The shot at the title wouldn't come that easy for the two men who have defeated the current interim champion but it would make a great #1 contender fight.  Both Alister Overeem and Junior Dos Santos have defeated Werdum and would almost certainly use that as a rationality for a title shot.  

2. Andrei Arlovski vs. Stipe Miocic 
At UFC 187 we MMA fans saw the return of one the now top 5 contenders for the heavyweight title. Andrei Arlovski came into his fight with Travis Browne as an underdog. The fact that he had not been in the octagon since 2008, or that he would be facing a training partner did not seem to hinder his ability to put on an amazing performance. The heavy hitter made short work of Travis Browne who refused to stop fighting leaving referee Mark Smith no choice but to stop the heavyweight match. With such an impressive victory, a fight with another top 5 heavyweight is in order; enter Stipe Miocic. With an equally impressive fight against heavy hitter Mark Hunt and a fight against Junior Dos Santos that some MMA fans feel he won, Miocic is on his way to the title fight he deserves. A match between Arlovski and Miocic would make for a great #1 contender battle.

3. Travis Browne vs. Mark Hunt
The only thing harder than coming back from a loss is coming back from a pair of loses. Mark Hunt has been in the main event in his last two fights. The fan favorite stepped up on short notice to challenge Fabricio Werdum for the interim title then went into a battle with Stipe Miocic. Unfortunetly for the Super Samoan he did not come out victorious; he did however show the MMA fans that he still has no quit left in him. Another great warrior with the ability to withstand punishment and continue to fight is Travis Browne. A fight between these two would not only keep them relevant in the division, but give fans an amazing heavyweight fight. 

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