MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer</B><BR><BR>
I?ll be honest, I?m well aware that most of the match ups I?m about to list will never happen - let alone happen in 2011 - hence the word ?fantasy?. That said, it never hurts to imagine the wild possibilities in a world where politics don?t exist within combat sports.<BR><BR>
This is what I call imagining.<BR><BR>
<B>#10. Nick Diaz VS Donald Cerrone</B><BR><BR>
Not only are these two fighting for different promotions, they currently compete in different weight classes. However, Cerrone is a very big lightweight, and with an extra few hundred calories thrown in the diet, the Greg Jackson brawler could definitely climb to 170. These two are both born fighters with big egos and the skills to back up anything outlandish to escape their mouths. There is no possibility other than a vicious war were these two to clash.<BR><BR>
<B>#09. Tatsuya Kawajiri VS Sean Sherk</B><BR><BR>
Two savage wrestlers who have grown accustomed to letting their hands fly sounds like a fourth of July celebration if you ask me. These two are both in similar spots in terms of their overall career, and in many senses they?re virtually mirror images of one another. This is a bloodbath in the making, and if I?m making predictions, I?m betting on Kawajiri?s hands to be the deciding factor.<BR><BR>
<B>#08. Junior dos Santos VS Alistair Overeem</B><BR><BR>
Overeem's recent K-1 dominance is proof that this man is an elite striker. He?s also the size of a house with an abundance of experience and a devastating guillotine choke. Dos Santos on the other hand has the best pure boxing in the heavyweight division, and his willingness to release the uppercut has caught many opponents off guard. Both men have enough power to render the other unconscious, the only question is, who lands first?<BR><BR><!--more-break-->
<B>#07. Shinya Aoki VS George Sotiropoulos</B><BR><BR>
These two have some unsettled business, and while it?s nto likely to be resolved anytime soon, it can?t hurt to contemplate the possibilities. It?s been nearly five years since these first fought, and while I think Aoki?s finishing abilities are still superior to George?s, his overall skill set hasn?t evolved at the rate of Sotiropoulos?s. George possesses fair striking, pretty solid wrestling, and he?s become quite durable. Aoki on the other hand hasn?t really improved all that much. His submissions are still lethal, and he can force just about any man to tap the canvas, but his heart remains questionable, his wrestling is average at best, and his striking is hodge-podge. Should these two ever meet again, I see George controlling the bout, no matter where it goes.<BR><BR>
<B>#06. Gegard Mousasi VS Mauricio Rua</B><BR><BR>
Shogun has an edge just about everywhere this fight goes, but Mousasi has shown time and again the ability to snatch victory where defeat seems inevitable. Both men are very well rounded fighters, and both can take one hell of a beating. My mind tells me Rua earns a late stoppage were these two ever to clash, but my gut says Gegard pulls a shocking submission out of the bag midway through the fight. Perhaps one day we?ll be lucky enough to see two of the sports best light heavyweights collide.<BR><BR>
<B>#05. Hector Lombard VS Vitor Belfort</B><BR><BR>
These two middleweights could make for a legendary fight. Both are aggressive, heavy handed and damn fast. While Lombard?s striking may not be quite as crisp as Belfort?s, he?s proven on numerous occasions he?s effective. With big power in both hands, devastating ground and pound and a solid chin, he could pose major problems for Belfort. That said, Vitor has the ability to put anyone to sleep immediately if he can connect flush. I wouldn?t bet a dime on the fight, but I?d be first in line to witness it.<BR><BR>
<B>#04. Frankie Edgar VS Jose Aldo</B><BR><BR>
Here we have one of the few fights on this list that could actually happen. Edgar is a small lightweight, and should he lose his title when he fights Gray Maynard at UFC 125, an Edgar/Aldo superfight could become a reality. Who to pick is a whole new story, as Aldo likely possesses a few more tools, while Edgar?s agility and ability to navigate the octagon make him a nightmare for anyone he faces. I won?t sell Edgar short, as I think he?s an extremely talented fighter, I?m just not certain he?s quite as dynamic as Aldo.<BR><BR><!--more-break-->
<B>#03. BJ Penn VS Takanori Gomi</B><BR><BR>
This is a pure guilty pleasure match for me. At this point in their careers, it?s unlikely Gomi can topple Penn, who already beat ?The Fireball Kid? some seven years ago. Regardless, it would make a fun fight to watch, as Penn?s style has slowly shifted over the years, leaving the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom more striker than grappler. Should these two exchange in the center of the octagon we could see some truly devastating striking, from both men. Unfortunately for Gomi, I believe Penn?s chin is the stronger of the two.<BR><BR>
<B>#02. Fedor Emelianenko VS Cain Velasquez</B><BR><BR>
So Fedor isn?t the king of MMA anymore, so what? I for one haven?t forgotten the Russians accomplishments, and a clash with current UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez could prove a whole lot more entertaining than most think. Cain would not enter the bout with a significant size advantage, his striking is crisp and his ability to recover is impressive, but is he truly superior to Emelianenko in any one these areas? One area he is superior in is wrestling, which makes the fight even more interesting, as Emelianenko holds the advantage in the submission department, and he?s good off his back. The younger, fresher Velasquez would likely exit the cage with a W, but it?s definitely no guarantee.<BR><BR>
<B>#01. Georges St. Pierre VS Anderson Silva</B><BR><BR>
Here we have another fight that could, one day, materialize. St. Pierre will definitely face an issue with Anderson?s range, but Chael Sonnen proved the longtime middleweight champion can not only be taken down, but can be hurt while exchanging as well. If GSP can set his takedowns up with some effective striking, he could very well derail the seemingly unstoppable Anderson Silva. Silva may have some wicked submissions to fall back on, but at this point, I don?t see Georges falling into any wild triangle attempts.<BR><BR>
As I stated in the opener of this piece, these are simply fantasy match ups. I don?t expect to see many, if any, of these duels to unfold in the next year, but it?d be pretty damn exciting if we at least got a chance to see one, or maybe two of these dream matches come to fruition.<BR><BR>
Source: http://www.mmanews.com/home.php
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