One of the most exciting fighters in the UFC’s welterweight division is Thiago Alves. Alves is one of the most feared strikers in the division, and his ground game has developed quite a bit over the past couple of years. Injuries, however, have prevented him from really getting some momentum going, but Alves is poised to have a breakout year in 2014.

Alves was originally scheduled to face Matt Brown for UFC on Fox Sports 1, which was set to take place in Boston. But an injury forced him out of the fight, which was his fourth consecutive injury. He was last seen in the octagon with Martin Kampmann, who was able to submit Alves with just seconds to go in the third round. Despite the tough times, Alves is still an elite welterweight. And if he can get completely healthy, which seems to be the case right now, he’s still going to be a tough outing for anyone in this division.

Even though the Brown fight fell through, it makes sense for the UFC to revisit that match up. Brown suffered a groin injury, forcing him out of his anticipated bout with Carlos Condit. So, in terms of a timetable, a Brown vs. Alves match makes a lot of sense. The winner would take step up in the rankings, where Johny Hendricks is currently sitting at the top.

The fight would be an exciting one, as both Brown and Alves love keeping the fight standing, landing huge bombs that send their opponents to the canvas. Whoever the UFC matches Alves up with next, he’s set to have a breakout year in 2014.

Jeremy Green is a MMA and NFL contributor at RantSports. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus.