According to a Jan. 2 report from Yahoo! Sports, the fight between Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort is one of the top five must-see MMA fights slated for January.
It's hard to argue with that logic, as Bisping will get a shot at UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva with a win. Bisping is a heavy favorite to defeat Belfort, but he heads into hostile territory for the tilt.
Belfort has a wealth of experience, and he'll have the hometown crowd behind him. Belfort fights Bisping on the Jan. 19 UFC on FX card in Brazil.
- Alexis Davis vs Shayna Baszler
In the bantamweight (135 pounds) co-main event of Invicta FC 4, exciting submission ace Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (15-7) of Sioux Falls, S.D. will battle top-ranked striker Alexis Davis (12-5) of Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.
The winner is likely to get a shot at Ronda Rousey in the UFC, or perhaps a shot at the inaugural Invicta FC bantamweight belt sometime in the near future. Davis fights Baszler on Jan. 5 at Invicta FC 4.
- Donald Cerrone vs Anthony Pettis
Cerrone fights Pettis on Jan. 26 on the UFC's upcoming FOX card. These men are two of the most exciting young warriors in the UFC's lightweight division, and the winner will instantly be thrown into the conversation for a UFC title shot against Benson Henderson.
- Quinton Jackson vs Glover Teixeira
Jackson vs Teixeira is set for Jan. 26 on the UFC's upcoming FOX card. This fight is supposed to be Jackson's last with the UFC, but it would be hard for the promotion to not bring him back if he can get past a rising star like Teixeira.
Teixeira was better than advertised in his UFC debut against Fabio Maldonado, and Jackson may be on the decline at age 34. Jackson dropped back-to-back fights, and he hasn't won in the UFC since May 28, 2011. However, if there's anyone who can dig down deep for a stunning knockout win, it's Jackson. He'll have at least a puncher's chance to take out Teixeira.
- Bec Hyatt vs Carla Esparza
Hyatt is an Aussie MMA legend, but she hasn't yet fought any of the top contenders from around the globe. She'll be making her U.S. debut on Jan. 5 at Invicta FC 4, against the heavy-handed Carla Esparza.
Esparza was supposed to fight Claudio Gadelha, but Hyatt stepped up to the challenge when Gadelha went down with an injury. Hyatt has been getting a lot of great press lately and her marketability is absolutely through the roof. A win here would make her the first ever Invicta FC strawweight champ.
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