As the UFC charges ahead with its jam-packed 2012 schedule, the need for consistent title challengers has never been more important.
While some things have gone according to plan, such as current No. 1 contenders Chael Sonnen and Rashad Evans earning cracks at current champions, others have not. Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre stated repeatedly that he wanted to face Nick Diaz, but Carlos Condit had other plans.
That upset could very spawn a trend of surprising contenders for UFC gold in 2012. Let’s take a look at the fighters who could play spoiler, and unexpectedly find themselves in position to challenge for the title.
Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com. For anything related to MMA, Follow @RobTatumMMA.