8. Justin Gaethje vs. Donald Cerrone
An MMA action hero if there ever was one, Gaethje poses an intriguing matchup for almost anyone in the lightweight division. The former World Series of Fighting champion made a dazzling first impression on Ultimate Fighting Championship audiences at “The Ultimate Fighter 25” Finale, where he moved to 18-0 with a stirring second-round technical knockout of Michael Johnson. Gaethje sports 16 finishes among his 18 career victories, 15 of them by knockout or TKO. The 29-year-old Trevor Wittman protégé will coach opposite Eddie Alvarez on Season 26 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and figures to meet the former Bellator MMA and UFC titleholder inside the cage in late 2017. Cerrone has a well-established reputation as an anybody-anywhere-anytime kind of fighter and has earned rave reviews for keeping one of the busiest schedules in MMA. His 19 UFC victories tie him with Georges St. Pierre and Demian Maia for second on the promotion’s all-time list. Only Michael Bisping (20) has more.
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