5. Rani Yahya

Rani Yahya also recently burst onto the scene with a big win over a notable MMA star (former WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown), but his recent return to Featherweight leaves this match as a remote possibility, which is why it’s starting us out. Both men are very quick on their feet and very good on the ground, so this would be a hotly-contested fight that would definitely entertain.

4. Takeya Mizugaki

Mizugaki may not be as big a name as “KID” Yamamoto, but he’s still a tough opponent for anybody and has more or less morphed into a bit of a gatekeeper, which is the kind of fight Johnson could use right now. Mizugaki is skilled in all major areas of the MMA game even though he’s not a master at any one particular thing, and on any given day he represents a pretty legitimate threat to any given fighter. And that includes Demetrious Johnson.

3. Scott Jorgensen

I’m picking this fight for one main reason: Jorgensen has cardio for miles and miles, and if Johnson wants to fight at a mile-a-minute pace, Jorgensen will be right there and waiting to match and maybe even surpass him. Expect the pace in this match to redefine the term “blistering” if it does ever get around to happening. Plus, Johnson would really benefit by having a big win over a former WEC Bantamweight Championship contender on his record.

2. Miguel Torres

At the time of this article’s publication, Miguel Torres has yet to lock it up with Antonio Banuelos as part of the main UFC 126 “Silva vs. Belfort” Pay-Per-View card. But whether he wins or lose, I’d love to see the former WEC Bantamweight Champion take on Johnson. Torres will always be a tough test for any fighter, and Johnson would prove a lot by beating the man who once ruled the WEC Bantamweight division with an iron fist.

But my top pick simply has to go to…

1. Urijah Faber

There is only one “California Kid”, and with Faber’s recent and successful debut at Bantamweight, this is “the” fight for Johnson. It’s not just against a big name, it’s against the man who basically put the WEC on the map. It’s not just a skilled fighter, it’s the man who once held a thirteen-fight win-streak that included five successful championship defenses, with four stoppages and three first-round stoppages. Faber is definitely the man to beat if Johnson wants to immediately cast himself into the role of a top-division fighter, so Faber easily gets the top spot on this list.

And what about you, fans and friends? Following his dominating performance over “KID”, who do you think “Mighty Mouse” Johnson should take on next?

Former champion Mike Brown stepped in for the injured Chan Sung Jung, and while the American Top Team product was the decided favorite, Yahya capitalized on the opportunity presented to him and earned a well-deserved decision win, capturing arguably the biggest win of his career.

Now that the future is looking bright for the Brazilian, who snapped a two-fight skid with the win over Brown, according to his coaches he is still looking forward to a potential bout with the Korean brawler.

“We have planned to fight the Korean, but the boy did a pretty good job on that fight”, said coach Ataíde Jr. who spoke with TATAME.com about Yahya’s performance over brown on Jan. 22 at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas for ‘UFC Fight for the Troops 2′.

He knew Mike could catch him so he used his Jiu-Jitsu, which is his origin, and managed to block him. I thought it was a great fight”

“Rani is on the right track, he’s a professional. He’s a UFC fighter, not a Jiu-Jitsu athlete”, explained Jr. who was referencing to Yahya’s transition from a world champion Jiu-Jitsu player to a well-rounded mixed martial artist, which was on full display in the fight with Brown when the Brazilian was able to control the distance with long jabs and kicks in succession.

However after a near full training champ dedicated to his bout with Jung, who pulled out at the last-minute due to injury, Ataíde suggests that a bout with Chan could be next for the 26-year-old.

“He was talking to Joe Silva and I think he’s on the mood for the Korean”.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the proposed match-up? How do you think Yahya will fair in his bout with the native Korean? Will he pull another submission out of his bag of tricks? Sound off in the comment section below.

One of the top 145-pound fighters in the world, Brown still has some proving to do under the big stage, though if there is anyone who could redeem themselves in a big way, it’s for sure the American Top Team product, who counts stoppage victories over Leonard Garcia, Urijah Faber, and Mark Hominick to his career highlights.

Most recently, Brown was last in action when he was bested by Brazilian Diego Nunes at UFC 125 last weekend. The two went toe-to-toe for the 15-minute affair, however the Nova Uniao protege edged Brown slightly to earn the split-decision win.

MMAJunkie.com initially reported Jung’s injury and have since been able to confirm Brown as his replacement with sources close to the organization.

Now the 35-year-old will have a chance to make his third-first impression in the UFC when he meets another Brazilian in Rani Yahya on Jan. 22.

Yahya’s original opponent, Chan Sung Jung who is more affectionately known by the fans as “The Korean Zombie” pulled out of their scheduled featherweight affair which was scheduled for the “UFC: Fight for the Troops 2″ event which takes place in Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex., due to injury.

Though Brown is now just one week removed from his last match up, he never hesitated in accepting the bout with Yahya, who is a heralded Jiu-Jitsu world champion and has recorded 14 submissions among his 15 career victories.

Rani is also looking for a strong footing inside the UFC, as the former title challenger fines himself on the heels of a two-fight skid as he now transitions to the worlds biggest mixed martial arts promotion.

His time spent in the WEC, which has since been fully assimilated into it’s sister promotion following a merger between the two in December of last year, has had it’s ups and downs. After debuting in the now defunct organization in June of 2007 with a first-round submission victory over Mark Hominick, Yahya dropped back-to-back fights against notables Chase Beebe (for the promotion’s 135-pound title) and “Kid” Yamamoto. He returned strong in 2008 when Rani rattled off a four-fight win streak, including another first-round submission over former bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland.

However, a TKO loss to Joseph Benavidez and decision defeat to Takeya Mizugaki (consecutively) has now spoiled a return to contender status for the Brazilian, and has also halted a three-peat in “Submission of the Night” honors.

A win for either man here will be detrimental for their careers here on out if they wish to continue inside the octagon.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the new match up? Can Mike Brown pull a Chris Leben and regain some traction in 2011? Or will Yahya, the more prepared fighter of the two, be able to walk away the winner? Sound off in the comment section below.

Yahya submitted John Hosman (15-5-1) in a north-south choke at WEC 42 in Las Vegas August 9.

On the same card, Benavidez lost a three-round UD to Dominick Cruz (13-1).

“Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-1) versus “Razor” Rob McCullough (16-5) made “Fight of the Night”.  Cerrone won the unanimous decision over McCullough.

Rani Yahya’s (12-2) guillotine choke on Yoshiro Maeda (23-6), which ended the fight at 3:30 of round one, was “Submission of the Night”.

Brown, Cerrone, McCullough, and Yahya each earned $7,500 in addition to their regular fight purse.

“Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3) was awarded a separate bonus of $7,500 for his performance versus “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1), according to MMA Weekly.  Garcia won via TKO at 1:12 of the first round.

Brown took the title decisively following a right hand that laid the former champ out. 

Chael Sonnen (21-9-1) won a surprisingly boring unanimous decision over Fighters.com’s third-ranked middleweight and WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (15-1) in a non-title fight that was heckled by fans throughout.  Official scores were 10-9 twice for Sonnen, 10-8 for Sonnen.

 ”Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3) dismantled “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1) in a 1:12 TKO shocker to move up the ranks in the WEC’s stacked 145-pound division.

Jake Rosholt (5-0) powered to victory over Nissen Osterneck (4-1) in the second round via TKO stoppage.

Rani Yahya (12-2), Danny Castillo (4-1), “The Fury” Carmelo Marrero (9-2), Jose Aldo (11-1), “The A-Train” Aaron Simpson (2-0) and “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-1) were all winners within the cage as well. 

Brown Shocks Faber To Take the WEC Featherweight Title

The arena was pumped for the title bout of the night as Mike Thomas Brown entered to a favorable home crowd.  The fight started quick as expected, but soon tied up into the clinch.  Both fighters threw leather, but Brown’s right hand set the tone for the surprise to follow. 

“I train with the best team in the world.  All I have to do is perfrom like I do in training each day.  I don’t have a lot of knockouts on my record, but I hit fucking hard, man,” announced the new WEC Featherweight Champion, Brown. 

Faber rushed in with a careless elbow attempt only to get tagged with a hard and heavy right hand from the challenger.  Faber went down to the mat and covered up as Brown plastered the champ with punches.  Referee Troy Waugh stopped the fight at 2:23 of the first round. 

Sonnen Glides To A Boring Victory Over An Overweight and Passive Filho

Filho’s entrance into the cage proved to be a metaphor for his performance to come as fans heckled loudly in disapproval in what most assume was a reaction to the veteran’s failure in making weight for the bout. 

The fight between Filho and Sonnen was an absolute deflation to an evening of otherwise exciting and fast-paced bouts.  Filho preferred to lay on his back for the majority of the fight resulting in continuous stand-ups by the referee.  During the fight, Sonnen definitely scored in the stand-up game, but showed hesitation at moments in answering Filho’s lackluster performance. 

Sonnen seemed satisfied to pepper his opponent with jabs and the occasional straight shot resulting in what appeared more as an exhausted round of western boxing set to a chorus of moans and vocal disappointment by the fans on hand. 

Sonnen took a unanimous decision win in this unfortunately boring mixed martial arts sequel. 

Garcia Stuns Pulver With Heavy Hands

Going into the fight,  Garcia hoped for a stand-up war with veteran “Little Evil”.  Although temporarily wobbled by a flurry of punches early from Pulver, Garcia weathered the storm to eventually land a strong right hand.

Pulver was immediately rocked falling to his knees and visibly hurt.  Garcia went in for the kill and unleashed a storm of punches resulting in a quick and surprising stoppage.  It was all over but the shouting at 1:12 of round one.

Rosholt Overpowers Osterneck

This middleweight challenge started out with the lightning fast pace of a typical featherweight affair.  Both fighters came out swinging with Nissen Osterneck (4-1) swarming Rosholt with a sloppy but continuous barrage of fists.  But, it wasn’t long before the superior wrestling skill of Rosholt took root and found Osterneck on the receiving end of pounding following numerous takedowns. 

Osterneck attempted a few submissions only to find himself mounted again and again by the feisty Rosholt. Momentarily in the second round Osterneck caught Rosholt with another flurry of punches, but the wrestler survived the clash only to get his hooks in again and score another strong mount.  The second round came to an official end via TKO stoppage at 3:48 with Rosholt pounding his way to victory.

The A-Train Railroads Avellan 

Pardon all the clichés here, but if ever there was an train wreck in the cage, this was certainly one for the ages.  “The A-Train” Simpson landed a devastating overhand right at 0:18 of the first round sending David Avellan (5-1) into the realms of unconsciousness.  It was a strong KO victory for Simpson augmenting his undefeated record in stunning fashion.

Yahya Chokes Maeda

Yoshiro Maeda (23-6-2) secured an early guillotine in what appeared to be a potentially tight and winning submission only to have Yahya escape and come back with a guillotine of his own.  Yahya hung on strongly to the choke, making Maeda tap at 3:30 of the first round. 

Castillo Stops Dias

Rafael Dias (12-5) was winning on the cards in round one with more technique all around against more wild shots coming from Castillo.  The fight was up and down with Dias looking the better of the two.

Round two found the two fighters in familiar exchange. Dias scored a takedown while Castillo attempted a guillotine. Castillo then tried for an armbar that proved too loose. Dias took Castillo’s back for a moment, but then wound up on the bottom.

But, it was a missed shoot by Dias that finally delivered the ending.  After missing the shoot, Castillo got on top and rained down punches until the fight was stopped at the 2:54 mark.

Marrero Wins The Split Over Steinbeiss 

Marrero’s wrestling skills came in handy for the UFC veteran in the bout against “The Hooligan” Steve Steinbeiss (4-2).

Taking Steinbeiss down often, Marrero avoided submission attempts.  The fighters utilized all weapons, exchanging body kicks in the second round before Marrero appeared gassed in the closing minutes.

Steinbeiss appeared fresh in round three, delivering shots to Marrero and temporarily stunning him.  Winning the round, Steinbeiss nearly got caught in a late guillotine attempt and took an elbow.  The final round ended with Steibeiss in the guard.

Marrero won a split decision with a 29-28 score twice against Steibeiss’ 29-28 third round score. 

Aldo Defeats Brookins In Late Round Stoppage

Aldo scored much better than Jonathan Brookins (8-2) through the first two rounds and winning on the cards.

Aldo came into the second round with a knot over his eye even though he handed out the worse of the stand-up punishment.  Brookins looked surprisingly crisp in the second, but eventually took a lot of damage via leg kicks.

In the third round, Aldo dropped Brookins with a left hook and laid down the leather.  Taking a lot of punches but also hanging in, referee Troy Waugh stepped in and stopped the fight at 0:45 of the final round. 

The Cowboy Disposes The Razor

“Razor” Rob McCullough (16-5) came out with strong low kicks against Cerrone, only to have them answered by the middle of the first round.  Cerrone dropped McCullough with a right and mounted the injured fighter.  An elbow cut McCullough and eventually resulted in a stop to inspect the cut.  The first round started back up; and, Cerrone dropped McCullough again, but was saved by the bell.

In the second, a right uppercut dropped McCullough yet again, but ended up with Cerrone on the bottom.  Cerrone then grabbed an armbar; but, McCullough escaped.

The third round found McCullough landing an overhand right; but, Cerrone soon answered with leg kicks.  There were equal exchanges, but Cerrone turned on the heat and scored a strong takedown.  Cerrone landed a combination of punches late in the final round that hurt McCullough yet again.

Cerrone won a very clear unanimous decision.

After submitting Cub Swanson (12-2) with a guillotine choke in 35 seconds at his WEC debut in December, Pulver lost the unanimous decision in his five-round battle with current Featherweight Champion “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-1) in June.

Garcia, who has been battling drug charges, most of which have been dropped, last fought at his WEC debut in February when he TKO’d “Streetfight Bancho” Hiroyuki Takaya (9-5-1) in the first round.

Also official on the WEC 36 card are:

“Indio” Danillo Villefort (8-2) v Jake Rosholt (4-0)
“Razor” Rob McCullough (16-4) v “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-0)
Rani Yahya (11-4) v Yoshiro Maeda (23-5-2)
Johny Hendricks (3-0) v “Russian Crusher” Alex Serdyukov (8-4)
“9mm” Ed Ratcliff (6-1) v Danny Castillo (5-1)

Headlining the event are Faber and Mike Thomas Brown (19-4) in a featherweight title fight, and a middleweight title rematch between Fighters.com’s third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) and Chael Sonnen (20-9-1).