Sweet 16 Bracket of American UFC Fighters (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Ever wonder what would happen if the best four UFC fighters from each region in the United States met in a tournament-style competition?

While the league will never go back to the tournament format of the early '90s that featured wild brackets without weight classes, here's a look at what would happen if they did:

Northeast

1) Jon Jones

16) Jim Miller

8) Frankie Edgar

9) Rashad Evans

Midwest

5) Josh Koscheck

12) Clay Guida

4) Phil Davis

13) Rich Franklin

Southwest

6) Carlos Condit

11) Dominick Cruz

3) Ben Henderson

14) Joseph Benevidez

West

7) Dan Henderson

10) Cain Velasquez

2) Chael Sonnen

15) Urijah Faber

Round 1

1. Jon Jones vs 16. Jim Miller: Jon Jones, the clear favorite in the tournament, easily handles Miller by securing a Rear-Naked Choke in the first round to advance to the quarterfinals.

8. Frankie Edgar vs 9. Rashad Evans: Rashad Evans gets the best of a standup slugfest to earn a split-decision victory on the judge's scorecards.

5. Josh Koscheck vs 12. Clay Guida: Guida sets the tone early by pushing the pace of the offense with crisp jabs to set up punishing uppercut blows. He earns a stunning upset victory by TKO toward the end of the opening frame.

4. Phil Davis vs 13. Rich Franklin: The 37-year-old Franklin looks rusty in his first fight in over a year, falling short against a surging Phil Davis.

6. Carlos Condit vs 11. Dominick Cruz: Condit's tactical, deliberate style is no match for Cruz's speedy pace and frenzied attack. The Southwest sees its first major upset, as Cruz advances to the quarterfinals after a hard-fought opening round.

3. Ben Henderson vs 14. Joe Benavidez: Henderson earns a highlight-reel knockout via flying knee for his fifth straight UFC victory.

7. Dan Henderson vs 10. Cain Velasquez: 41-year-old Dan Henderson doesn't show any signs of slowing down against the bigger, stronger Cain Velasquez. Henderson gets a big takedown, works for side control, and gets a ref stoppage in the second round.

2. Chael Sonnen vs 15. Urijah Faber: "The California Kid" stuns Sonnen with a relentless flurry of strikes shortly after the start of the third round. Faber finishes the fight with a heavy-handed ground and pound attack.

Elite 8

1. Jon Jones vs 9. Rashad Evans: The No. 1-seeded Jones gets rocked with a powerful strike to the temple, and Evans earns a referee stoppage to advance to the Final Four.

4. Phil Davis vs 12. Clay Guida: The 27-year-old Davis, an elite wrestler, tries to take Guida to the mat, but the latter has none of it. Guida keeps the fight standing, and does enough to earn a split-decision victory.

11. Dominick Cruz vs 3. Ben Henderson: Two of the speediest fighters in the world engage in a spirited battle that easily earns the award for Fight of the Night. Henderson gets the best of Cruz and earns a unanimous decision victory to advance.

7. Dan Henderson vs 15. Urijah Faber: Faber struggles with the size disadvantage, as he weighs close to 70 pounds less than Henderson. The 41-year-old grinds out a unanimous decision victory that features a full arsenal of thunderous takedowns and precise counter-punching.

Final Four

9. Rashad Evans vs 12. Clay Guida: Evans stays cool and confident in the pocket until he finally sees an opening in the second round. He floors Guida with a shot to the temple to earn a spot in the championship match.

3. Ben Henderson vs 7. Dan Henderson: Much like his bout against Faber, Dan Henderson uses his size and strength to his advantage. The 41-year-old comes into the fight approximately 50 pounds heavier than his opponent, and he walks away with a convincing knockout victory.

Championship Round

9. Rashad Evans vs 7. Dan Henderson: Both heavy-handed strikers enter the cage weighing in at 205 pounds, so neither fighter has a clear size advantage. After little action through the first two frames, Evans secures a takedown in the third round and does enough damage to win a close split-decision victory.

National Champ:

Rashad Evans

Eric Holden is a lifelong UFC fan and supporter of the sport of mixed martial arts. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.

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