ROUNDTABLE (pt. 1 of 2): What specific fight didn’t happen so far this year that you most wish would have that realistically was possible but didn’t happen?

I’d love to see Donald Cerrone fight Conor McGregor. Cerrone was ready to take the fight when Rafael Dos Anjos dropped out of UFC 196, but the fight eventually went to Nate Diaz, of course. I feel that the dichotomy of the working man’s Cerrone against the bombastic millionaire McGregor would be fantastic to watch play out in the weeks leading up to the fight. In the cage, it would almost have to be a great fight. I would favor Cerrone, but it would be a hell of a fight to watch.

ADAM TINDAL, MMATorch contributor

“Cowboy” Cerrone vs. Robbie Lawler would have been one for the record books. Everything happens for a reason, though.

MATTHEW PETERSON, MMATorch contributor

Hands down, it would be Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone in New York.  That fight could have headlined that card with no title on the line and fans would have still tuned in.  Both men are two of the top strikers in the UFC currently and a fight between them would have been guaranteed fireworks.  A fight between the two is still realistic, but the fight game has no mercy for fantasy match-ups. 

JARED DODDS, MMATorch contributor

This might be the obvious answer, but it has to be Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier II from UFC 200. There has been so much lead up to this rematch, with all of the hype that went into their first fight at UFC 182, as well as all of the promotion that went into their first attempt at a rematch at UFC 197. Cormier had to pull out of the UFC 197 card with a foot injury, and Jon went on to win the Interim UFC Title against Ovince Saint Preux. So when UFC 200 suddenly needed a main event due to Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II being pulled, they looked at this fight that they had already poured so much money and time into promoting and thought they had lucked out! Of course, Jones ended up getting pulled from the fight due to a potential USADA violation, and we still have not seen what could happen in a rematch between these two giants of the sport. Cormier claims to have the recipe to beat Jones, but it is hard to believe that anyone can beat the possible greatest of all time other than himself. Hopefully we will finally get a conclusion to this saga in the coming months, but I’m not sure I’ll believe it until one of their hands is raised.

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