Now that 2014 has officially begun, our eyes look forward with no small amount of anticipation to the future and the fights that could continue the pace that the tail end of 2013 provided.
Jon Jones had his excellent fight with Alexander Gustafsson, Diego Sanchez had his brawl with Gilbert Melendez and Antonio “Big Foot” Silva went toe-to-toe for five hard rounds with Mark Hunt; all excellent scraps that brought 2013 to a close in the best possible way.
Even though Georges St-Pierre was taken an indefinite leave of absence and Anderson Silva and Cain Velasquez are one the sidelines with injuries, 2014 can still be a noteworthy year. Often times, great fights can come where we least expect it, and that is why we watch the sport, after all.
Of course, if seeing a great fight realized was as easy as most matchmakers-from-the-sofa pretend, they would all be great fights; but that does not prevent us from pondering the possibilities, nor should it.
Imagination and anticipation are guilty pleasures for all fight fans, and in that spirit I offer 10 fights we would love to see in 2014.