Lawler vs. Brown and the rest of the UFC's stacked upcoming schedule

(A condensed version of this story appears in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

SAN JOSE – UFC officials are billing Saturday’s Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Brown headliner as a guaranteed Fight of the Year candidate, and it’s hard to find anyone in the MMA industry who disagrees.

Like many, UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin, whose 2005 win over Stephan Bonnar is widely considered one the greatest UFC fights in history, admits he can’t bear the thought of predicting a winner.

“I don’t want to call that,” Griffin tells USA TODAY Sports. “I remember watching Robbie Lawler on UFC 37.5. You can’t root against a guy like that, and you can’t root against a guy like Matt Brown. The amount he’s improved so late in his career is really impressive. That’s just a tough one to call.”

Lawler and Brown meet in the headlining bout of Saturday’s UFC on Fox 12, which takes place at San Jose’s SAP Center (Fox, 6 p.m. ET).

Both fighters boast fantastic stories. Lawler (23-10 MMA, 8-4 UFC) began his professional career as a teenager, and at just 32, he already a 13-year vet. Nineteen of his 23 career wins are knockouts.

Meanwhile, Brown (19-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC) is a gritty, blue-collar fighter who was hovering around the .500 mark just three years ago. Even then, “The Immortal” boldly contended he’d eventually fight for the title.

Both men prefer an offensive gameplan while looking to attack from the onset, so the UFC’s promise of a Fight of the Year seems a near certainty. Of course, the UFC has recently booked a host of high-profile matchups for the remainder of 2014. On the eve of the much-hyped Lawler vs. Brown matchup, here’s a look at the biggest fights left on the UFC’s calendar:

The only non-title fight on the list, McGregor (15-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) vs. Poirier (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) wasn’t even on fans’ radars one week ago. But after a big win in his native Dublin, the brash McGregor said he predicts he’ll be featherweight champion before the end of the year. Poirier, meanwhile, believes the Irishman is all hype. On Sept. 27 in Las Vegas, the two will find out who’s right.

Were it not for a Junior Dos Santos’ right hand to Velasquez’s temple, the UFC heavyweight champion would still be undefeated in his career. But Velasquez (13-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) has since moved on with two sound beatings of the Brazilian slugger and now meets one of Dos Santos’ countrymen in grappling ace Werdum (18-5-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC).

On Nov. 15, Velasquez looks to further clean out the division as he leads the UFC’s charge into Mexico, birthplace of his parents. Can he serve as the role model for an aspiring group of Mexican fighters, or will the veteran Werdum play the role of spoiler?

OK, so the fight hasn’t actually been booked yet, but UFC President Dana White insists that it will be, and it’s too big not to mention. Rousey is UFC women’s bantamweight champ and one of the biggest stars in the sport. Carano, who hasn’t fought in nearly five years, previously enjoyed that same status. Both have enjoyed some success outside of the cage with a handful of Hollywood roles, and both bring the attention of casual fans like few male fighters can.

Rousey (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) says Carano (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is the reason she got into the sport, but can “Conviction” still compete at a championship level five years after she walked away? Rousey’s recent destructions of Alexis Davis and Sara McMann would seem to suggest Carano is in over her head, but everyone loves a Cinderella story.

Jones is just 27 but would be a UFC Hall of Famer even if he retired today. Yet, despite his incredible in-cage accomplishments, he remains one of the sport’s most polarizing fighters. Fans and fellow fighters either love or hate him, and Cormier makes no attempt to hide the camp in which he belongs.

Jones (20-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) was expected to rematch Swedish standout Alexander Gustafsson at the Sept. 27 event, but an injury forced a change. Undefeated Cormier (15-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), a two-time Olympic wrestler, quickly stepped up. Jones contends that’s the fight he wanted all along, anyway. Has Jones bitten off more than he can chew, or is Cormier the real deal? Some bad blood could provide a memorable encounter.

Undefeated middleweight champ Weidman catapulted into superstar status with a pair of 2013 wins over MMA legend Anderson Silva. But with both contests ending in bizarre fashion, Weidman’s championship legacy wasn’t secure until a recent convincing win over ex-champ Lyoto Machida.

Meanwhile, Belfort’s UFC history dates back to 1997, yet at 37, he’s on one of the most successful stretches of his career. How much of that had to due with his disclosed use of the now-banned testosterone replacement therapy? The two meet on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas to find out.

A Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) victory would see him become just the third man in UFC history to win a belt in two weight classes. But if Weidman (12-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) can down “The Phenom,” it may prove the 30-year-old is on a path to greatness.

For more on UFC on FOX 12 and rest of the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.