Five fights I want to see in the UFC in 2015

The UFC had a great 2014 lined up before injuries submarined a preposterous amount of (primarily) PPV events. By the end of this weekend we should be talking about the aftermath of Jon Jones/Daniel Cormier, which would instantly make 2015 a bigger "big fight" success than this year.

With the new year just hours away -- heck, it's already 2015 for some of you as of this 11 AM ET publish --  I've brought out my own list of UFC fights I want to see as soon as possible.

Two notes here:

1.) My suggestion is limited strictly to fighters on the UFC roster. So no speculative matchmaking involving Bellator or WSOF fighters, because there's a limit to how much you can rosterbate, or else you'll go blind.

2.) Any bout that has already been booked for an upcoming show is immediately disqualified. Also, these are not necessarily the 5 best fights to be made. It's all down to personal preference and interest, which is what makes this both fun and completely subjective debate in the comments section.

Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown. Even acknowledging his losses are to top 5 fighters, I am slowly wondering whether or not Carlos Condit has peaked as a fighter and we're about to witness his decline. He's only 30 years old but has been fighting professionally since 2002, and even his inhuman ability to absorb punishment is going to crack at some point. Matt Brown is slated to face Tarec Saffiedine in February, and if he wins that it will provide him his first win over a top 10 opponent. I assume Condit will take an "easy" fight when he returns from his knee injury, and if he wins that and Brown beats Saffiedine, then it's time to get Condit vs. Brown rolling. Constant offense, forward pressure, absurd cardio, incredibly good chins, and *starts drooling*.

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson II. I contend that the only person who can defeat Demetrious Johnson in the flyweight division is John Dodson, the same man who was ahead on the scorecards after 3 rounds of their 2013 title fight before Johnson took over and won a decision. There's literally no one else at flyweight who is capable of being competitive with Mighty Mouse other than Dodson. Unfortunately, Dodson is out for a few more months with a knee injury, but there's really no better option for Johnson than a Dodson rematch.

Lyoto Machida vs. Luke Rockhold. For what it's worth, these are the only two fighters I think are capable of beating Chris Weidman, but since I don't wholeheartedly buy the notion that you have to keep contenders away from each other so that they don't "kill each other off", this is the bout I absolutely want to see. I'm ecstatic just fantasizing about the body kicks that will be thrown and the fascinating tactical aspect of the game that could play out over the course of (presumably) 5 rounds. This is a bout that would tell us a lot more about where Rockhold stands in the division than Machida, particularly because Rockhold is only 30, has a dozen fewer fights than Machida, and figures to be a factor in the top 5 much longer than the 36-year-old Machida.

Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira. Not every "great" fight has to involve top 10 fighters, and this is a perfect example of it. Max Holloway has more or less "grown up" in the UFC, with 10 of his 14 career fights taking place inside the Octagon. He's developed some serious power to his striking game and significantly improved his takedown defense, and he's still only 23 years old. Meanwhile, Oliveira seems to be breaking through at featherweight (except for the "making weight" part), with a 3-0 record in 2014 and a very impressive win over Jeremy Stephens on his docket. The 25-year-old has a deadly submission game that even felled the once-mighty Hatsu Hioki, as well as a solid Muay Thai background that is essentially his secondary offense. If Holloway beats Cole Miller then I'm all-in on a fight with Oliveira.

Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes. "What to do with Frankie Edgar?" is a never-ending discussion. Edgar erased any doubts about his status as an elite featherweight when he destroyed Cub Swanson, but is that enough to just set up a rematch with Jose Aldo? In theory yes, but these are my fantasy bookings so I'm rejecting several bits of reality to make it work. Chad Mendes is just about the new Urijah Faber of 145 lbs in the sense that he probably beats the whole of the featherweight division -- yes, that means Conor McGregor -- without beating the champion. But there is still the matter of whether or not Mendes can beat Frankie Edgar. Mendes poses completely different problems for Edgar than Swanson ever presented, namely his wrestling, his rapidly improved boxing, his punching power, and his speed. Conversely, Edgar is the best wrestler Mendes has faced and now is developing a killer instinct that he was lacking at lightweight. Put this on the Fox card in New Jersey, and I really don't give a damn whether or not this muddles up the featherweight title picture.

Here's to a great 2015 in MMA and for Joe Silva and Sean Shelby to make my requests all come true.