March is another big month in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.  There are multiple events being held by multiple promotions, but we’re here to help. Here is a list of the top ten fights in March to help you sort through the events and let you know what fight you shouldn’t miss this coming month. 

Martin Kampmann vs. DiegoSanchez

Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann will square off on March 3^rd, live from Kentucky at UFC on Versus 3 and it should be a great fight.  Diego Sanchez is coming off of his finest performance in an awe-inspiring victory over the highly touted Paulo Thiago at UFC 121 which was so good, it was awarded fight of the night.  Martin Kampmann is a very exciting fighter and two fights ago also defeated Brazilian Paulo Thiago before losing his last outing to Jake Shields, also on UFC 121.  Nobody however would have confused the two fights.  While Thiago and Diego had a war, Shields and Kampmann were underwhelming in a fight that saw a completely ineffective gameplan by Kampmann that included continually going for submissions against a grappling specialist.

This fight should be very exciting as Martin loves to stand and Diego doesn’t back down from anyone.  Both fighters also have extensive ground skills and if the fight goes there, neither man will stall or evoke a boring fight.  This is a can’t miss fight when it comes to its ability to cause fireworks, it’s going to be good, and it could easily be great!

C.B. Dollaway vs. Mark Munoz

This fight is a true clash of future stars of the sport.   On the undercard of Diego and Martin, this fight will elevate the winner to a new level in his career.  Both fighters are outstanding wrestlers, and many fail to recognize Munoz’ pedigree that includes a national championship at Oklahoma State.   Dollaway, who wrestled at Arizona State along with Ryan Bader and Cain Velasquez, is often thought to have the superior wrestling pedigree but in this case, it’s not the case.

Wrestling aside, this fight should be a barnburner.   Mark Munoz has spent the last few years becoming a very well-rounded and complete martial artist.  He will certainly provide some issues for CB standing.  This fight could very well earn Fight of the Night honors on a very solid card.  This fight will be the most important to date in both men’s careers, so the heat is on to get the victory.

Tim Kennedy vs. Melvin Manhoef

Tim Kennedy is a warrior in and out of the Strikeforce cage.  He’s a very tough fighter who was very nearly the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, but lost a razor-thin decision to “Jacare” Souza.  His life outside the cage involves his being an Army Ranger and true American hero.

If you’ve never seen Melvin Manhoef fight, first hit yourself over the head with something heavy and when you recover, hit youtube and check out some of his fights.  He’s a killer.  He sports a 24-8 record and some of the best kicks in the sport.  He’s lost two in a row coming into this pivotal fight with Kennedy and he’s going to be ready to throw the leather.  This fight takes place on March 5^th, on Showtime and if you miss it, you’ll be sorry.

Rafael Cavalcante vs. Dan Henderson

Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao”  Cavalcante will have his hands full with Dan Henderson when he defends his Strikeforce Championship on March 5^th in Columbus, Ohio.   Feijao won the title in a clash with King Mo by TKO in the third round.  He’s a talented fighter and somewhat underrated by the fans, despite being the Strikeforce Champion.  His fights are usually very exciting, with his past six wins all being by either TKO or KO.

Dan Henderson is known as one of the best of the best in the MMA World.  He’s been a champion in two weight classes at the same time in Pride, and will be looking to add another title to his trophy room on March 5^th.  Henderson is coming off of a highlight reel KO of “Babalu” Sobral and he’ll undoubtedly be looking to knock out “Feijao” as well.  This could be a standup war or a battle of wills on the mat.  Either way, it’s hard to believe these two amazing fighters won’t have a tremendously entertaining fight.

Mauricio Rua vs. Jon Jones

This fight just screams fight of the year.  The main event at UFC 128 on March 19^th, this one will be epic.  Everyone is absolutely high on Jon Jones right now and rightfully so.  He’s been so good it’s been scary.  You know what else is scary?  Shogun Rua!  You don’t need a magic eight ball to know this fight is going to be amazing.  Jon Jones might be a little early to the dance getting a title shot this soon, but something tells me he’s ready.

This fight was originally supposed to be Shogun facing Rashad Evans, but when Rashad injured his knee, they announced it would Jones and the internet nearly imploded.  The issue with most fans is they never saw Shogun fight in Pride and as such they aren’t sure exactly what he’s capable of.  He’s capable of doing great bodily damage and will be looking to do just that when this fight goes down March 19^th.  I question whether Jones is seasoned enough or has faced tough enough competition for a fight with Shogun, but I don’t question that it’s going to be an awesome fight.  There’s no fight currently scheduled that I’m more excited for.

Mirko ”Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub

Some people might not understand why this fight is on my list.  It’s simple.  This fight could well be the last time we see Cro Cop on the big stage.  Mirko’s transition into the UFC hasn’t been a smooth one, and he’s gone 4-4 inside the Octagon.  You don’t usually get to stick around once your losses outweigh your wins in the UFC.

Brendan Schaub is a tough guy who entered the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter and has looked good since losing to Roy Nelson at the TUF 10 Finale.  He’s won three in a row, and this will be a huge test for him.  Brendan struggled against Gabe Gonzaga’s leg kicks, and those are nothing compared to the kicks Cro Cop has at his disposal.  You can watch this on the main card of the Shogun/Jon Jones card on March 19^th.  This will either be a highlight reel performance from Cro Cop or his swan song.  Either way, it’s compelling enough to make the list.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Phil Davis (originally Tito Ortiz)

When this fight was booked, it was “Diet Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira taking on Tito Ortiz in Tito’s win or go home fight in the UFC which is why it made the list.  Now that Tito has had to pull out due to stitches, Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis steps in and makes this a very compelling fight.   We all know that Davis’ wrestling is on another level.  He brings perhaps the very best wrestling into MMA, and he’ll need it, because Nogueira has a well-rounded attack and excellent submissions.  This fight takes place in the UFC’s first trip to Seattle on March  26^th.

Nogueira is a legend in the sport, much like his twin brother.  However, in his last outing, he was controlled by wrestling as Ryan Bader took him down and controlled him completely despite Nogueira’s success standing.   Phil Davis is a much better wrestler, so it looks like a big concern for Nog, but Nog is also going to have a massive experience edge and that makes this an excellent fight.

Dan Hardy vs. Anthony Johnson

UFC Fight Night in Seattle, you can shine up two trophies, Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night and present them to the winner of this fight.  Hell, the loser will get one too.  This fight screams KO and it is one of the rare fights in the sport that you know will be exciting.  It has to be, there’s no other result.  Dan Hardy is coming off of a KO loss to Carlos Condit, and will be looking to rebound, and he’ll have his chance here as Anthony Johnson won’t run.

Johnson had knocked out three of his previous opponents before losing a tough fight to Josh Koscheck.  With both men coming off of loses you can bet they will swing for the fences here.  Come on, can two guys named “Rumble” and “The Outlaw” have a bad fight?  Not a chance!

John Hathaway vs. Kris McCray

Let me start by saying, I LOVE this fight.  Two young fighters, needing wins to keep their UFC careers going, squaring off.  Kris McCray is a great talent, who hasn’t yet tasted victory inside the Octagon.  He’s lost both his fights, but he’s shown promise and has a ton of fan support behind him.  A loss here would be disastrous for the charismatic member of The Ultimate Fighter Season 11.  This fight is on the undercard of UFC  Fight Night Seattle.

John Hathaway was an undefeated fighter, just having defeated star Diego Sanchez when he had a less than stellar performance against Mike Pyle and lost at UFC 120.  While he shouldn’t be in any danger of being cut after another loss, it would be devastating to his climb up the Welterweight ladder.  That said, in today’s UFC, when one loss is enough to get you fired, two losses in a row is cause to nervously sit by the phone waiting for UFC’s Grim Reaper, Joe Silva to call.  When the stakes are that high, and the fighters this good, the result is a great fight!

Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate

We’re heading back to Strikeforce on March 5^th for this title fight between Miesha Tate and Marloes Coenen.  Marloes is 2-2 in her last four, but became Strikeforce Welterweight Champion when he submitted Sarah Kaufman with a slick armbar in the third round of their clash in October.  She had lost her previous fight to Cyborg Santos, and was rewarded with a title shot at Welterweight.  Interesting to say the least, but she made the most of it, and now wears the belt.   She’s a very tough fighter, and sports a record of 18-4.

Miesha Tate sports an 11-2 record and enters this fight on a five fight winning streak.  Her last loss came to Sarah Kaufman, a fighter obviously that Coenen defeated.   This is going to be an interesting fight, between two very tough women, who sport contrasting styles.   Miesha is a popular fighter, and Coenen is all business.   This fight could steal the show and be fight of the night.