MMA - UFC - TUF LIVE

Days into the month on February the first major event of the month is just hours away from kicking off. The month has many top matchups to excite fans but with Bellator’s not starting until next month and no Strikeforce this month it just leaves the three UFC events to choose from. While the three events hold plenty of top fight, here are the top five fights in February.

Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit (UFC 143)

Sitting atop tonight’s UFC 143 card Diaz and Condit will fight for the interim welterweight title as “you know who” is recovering from a serious knee injury. Both fighters are finishers and their bout has the serious potential to be the fight of the year. Each fighter had their original opponent shuffled around before ending up against each other, but that won’t bother these two.

Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson (UFC 144)

Headlining the UFC 144 card in Japan, Edgar and Henderson will face off for the lightweight championship. Edgar is coming off back to back fights with Gray Maynard which was preceded by back to back fights with BJ Penn. Henderson is the former WEC lightweight champion and is 3-0 in the UFC since the WEC rolled into the UFC to start 2011. These two fighters rarely put on a boring fight but they do have the tendency to go the distance in their fights (16 decisions out of 33 total bouts).

Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen (UFC 143)

Jorgensen is looking to get another shot at the bantamweight belt and has won two in a row since losing to Dominick Cruz at the final WEC event. Barao hasn’t lost since his professional debut in April of 2005 but will be facing the toughest test in his career tonight. With Cruz and Faber set to coach TUF 15 starting next month the winner of this bout would likely position themselves for a number one contender’s bout later this year.

Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger (UFC on Fuel TV 1)

This welterweight bout will headline the first fight card on Fuel TV with the winner throwing his hat at a shot at the interim welterweight title should GSP not be ready to unify the titles. Sanchez has won two in a row and is 2-1 since moving back up to the welterweight division. Ellenberger is coming off a first round technical knockout of Jake Shields and has won five in a row.

Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader (UFC 144)

This light heavyweight bout will be the UFC 144 co-main event as Jackson returns to Japan where he fought many time for PRIDE. The top of the 205 lbs. division is a crowded one but the loser will find himself on the outside looking in at the crowd. Bader is facing his toughest challenge since loser to Jon Jones at UFC 126. He got back in the win column at UFC 139 with a knockout victory over Jason Brilz but will certainly have his hands full with Rampage. Jackson is coming off a submission loss to Jones at UFC 135 and has never lost back to back fights during his 41 fight career.

Honorable Mention goes to the welterweight bout between Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jake Shields at UFC 144, if the two weren’t each on multiple bout losing streaks it would be worthy of the top five.