The 10 Best Title Fights to Come in 2015

This year has already treated us to some historic title tilts. There was the titanic Jones vs. Cormier clash to kick off the year, Ronda Rousey’s 48 seconds of work in two bouts, and the Lawler vs. MacDonald epic. I hesitate to say it may get better, but it may. Championship fights, at their best, feature the top two fighters in a division duking it out, and the final three-and-a-half months of a year certainly has those, with some action title fights thrown in.

A number of factors determined the following list. The fights had to be a planned title fight for 2015, which conveniently whittled it down to 10 fights between the top two promotions. After that, I determined their rank based on the quality of the fighters, the quality of the matchup, and personal preference. Without more introduction, let’s move on to the good part.

10. Bellator Light Heavyweight Title: Liam McGeary vs. Tito OrtizBellator MMA: Dynamite 1 – September 19, 2015

This fight has a firm grip on the ten spot. In the nine years since Tito Ortiz’s last title match – the landmark rematch between he and Chuck Liddell – he has won just three fights. But two of those three wins came in his most recent two fights, and because of the ratings he drew in his last bout, handing the 40-year-old Ortiz a title shot was a no-brainer. His opponent, reigning champion Liam McGeary, is 10-0 and should enter the cage as a sizable betting favorite. While the quality of the fight can be questioned, it is undeniably a boost to Bellator. A win for Ortiz guarantees at least one more big light heavyweight title fight, while a win for McGeary and the promise of an eventual matchup between him and the winner of that night’s tournament will give the division some steam.

9. Bellator Bantamweight Title: Marcos Galvao vs. Eduardo DantasBellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas 2 – October 23, 2015

There isn’t much separating the next three fights on this list. Galvao and Dantas were friends and teammates when they first fought in 2013. At that time, it was Dantas holding the strap and Galvao gunning for it. Dantas was anything but friendly in the bout – he sent Galvao to the mat in the second round for a knockout win. It was a decisive fight, with Dantas holding the advantage throughout with his superior speed and striking accuracy. Galvao has since taken the title from Joe Warren, who had taken the crown from Dantas in a major upset. Dantas, 26, will enjoy the same speed advantage he had last time around, while Galvao’s best bet lies on the ground.

8. Bellator Featherweight Title: Patricio Freire vs. Daniel StrausBellator 145: Vengeance – November 5, 2015

Lately, it seems as though rematches come around too quickly. However, a quick rematch is warranted in this instance. Freire and Straus clashed in January in a foul-filled contest that ended shortly after “Pitbull” hit Straus low and followed with a punch before referee John McCarthy could pause the action. The south-of-the-border shot and punch may not have influenced the takedown and rear naked choke Freire secured to finish the fight, but they occurred awfully close together. Prior to that point, Straus was getting the better of the champion. It’s a quick rematch – occurring thanks in part to an injury to top contender Georgi Karakhanyan that moved everyone in the queue up one spot – but it’s an opportunity Straus deserves. After all, it was Straus who gave former champion Pat Curran an immediate rematch after taking the belt in 2013.

7. Bellator Lightweight Title: Will Brooks vs. Marcin HeldBellator 145: Vengeance – November 5, 2015

Brooks and Held don’t match up as closely as Freire and Straus, but it’s a fresh pairing and Held, who will come in as the underdog, is always a fighter to watch. He is a threat on the ground to anyone in Bellator’s division and is particularly notable for his leg locks. Brooks, 28, may be Bellator’s best fighter and is likely a level above Held, but it’s still two interesting fighters meeting for the first time.

6. UFC Lightweight Title: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Donald CerroneUFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 – December 19, 2015

It’s been only two years since these two first fought and both have grown tremendously. Cerrone was a very good, if inconsistent fighter back in August of 2013. Dos Anjos was shy of being a top-10 caliber lightweight, but few predicted he’d make it to the very top of the division. In that meeting, dos Anjos took the first two rounds, and the fight, with impressive striking. After a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, dos Anjos hasn’t looked back. His dominant win over Anthony Pettis to take the lightweight crown capped an impressive four-fight streak. Meanwhile, Cerrone has won all eight of his fights since dropping the decision to dos Anjos, and his striking has caused brutal finishes of Adriano Martins, Jim Miller, and John Makdessi. Their first bout, although hardly bad, was nothing to write home about. Their second match, for much higher stakes, is can’t-miss.

5. UFC Light Heavyweight Title: Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander GustafssonUFC 192: Cormier vs. Gustafsson – October 3, 2015

I have rather enjoyed the mini round-robin tournament going on with Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, and Anthony Johnson this year. None of them are the best in the division – Jon Jones is clearly that guy – but it’s rare to have such a well-defined #2 for when the top guy returns. Of course, that can only happen if Cormier wins, because if Gustafsson, who lost to Johnson in January, wins, it creates a rock-paper-scissors scenario in which there is no clear-cut #2. I’m curious to see how successful Gustafsson will be at keeping Cormier on the outside. On the inside, a Cormier takedown is inevitable, although Gustafsson will make him work for it. This seems like a fight built to last, and it will be interesting to see how they hold up; fading late was an issue for both when they faced Jon Jones.

4. UFC Flyweight Title: Demetrious Johnson vs. John DodsonUFC 191: Johnson vs. Dodson 2 – September 5, 2015

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to dock this fight a couple of spots because Dodson looked off in his last fight, but I’ll give him a pass because it was his first fight back after tearing his ACL. Johnson is the most dominant male champion in the sport (I’d argue he’s further above his competition than even Jose Aldo), which is both a tribute to his skill and an indictment on the depth of the flyweight division. Johnson is tremendous, but the division, still in its infancy, hasn’t been able to churn out high level challengers. So seeing Johnson as against a high level challenger is a treat, particularly one that has already proven to be a threat. That’s why this fight comes in at #4. Dodson knocked Johnson down twice in their January 2013 meeting, one of which appeared to give him a real chance at finishing the fight, but he didn’t pursue the opportunity. The longer it goes, the more the odds swing in Johnson’s favor, but Dodson is the threat we’ve been waiting for since their last meeting.

3. UFC Welterweight Title: Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos ConditUFC 193: Lawler vs. Condit – November 15, 2015

I feel badly for Johny Hendricks. He had one of the year’s best fights against Lawler last year, then they did a rematch in a fight Hendricks probably should have won, but came out on the short end of the decision. He is easily the most deserving welterweight contender, but there isn’t much interest in a Lawler vs. Hendricks rubber match at the moment. However, my sympathy for Hendricks ends at my excitement for Lawler vs. Carlos Condit. I don’t know that it will be the best fight I’ve ever seen, but I suspect it may be.

2. UFC Middleweight Title: Chris Weidman vs. Luke RockholdUFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor – December 12, 2015

It’s a very special thing when the #1 fighter in the division is matched with the #2 fighter, and they both look excellent leading into the fight. That’s what we’re looking at with this fight. Weidman is 13-0, and he’s already the best middleweight there has ever been not named Anderson Silva. He was supremely efficient in his dismantling of Vitor Belfort in May. Rockhold has been untouchable since he lost to Belfort in 2013, and his dominant win over Lyoto Machida proved without question that he’s an elite middleweight. Normally, a fight like this would be at the top of a list like this, but this is a special circumstance.

1. UFC Featherweight Title: Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregorUFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor – December 12, 2015

Jose Aldo isn’t just the best featherweight there has ever been. He is one of the very best fighters of all-time, arguably the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, and at his peak at 28-years-old. To think that a challenger could come along and actually be favored over him – via the better odds, at least – is farfetched. But here we are.

We don’t know for sure that Conor McGregor is one of the top two featherweights in the world with Frankie Edgar lurking in the shadows, but he has assumed Chad Mendes’ spot up there after taking him out last month.

I don’t have a good idea of who is going to win between Aldo and McGregor, which, for an Aldo fight, says it all.

Dan Plunkett has covered MMA for 411Mania since 2008. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @Dan_Plunkett.