Football season is over, but there's no need for you football fans to pack it up and leave sports behind until next year.

In fact, there is a season that never ends, and it can bring you endless enjoyment: UFC season. 

Now that your team’s 2017-18 campaign is over — or may have been over for some time — let us give you a suggestion of who you can root for based on your favorite football team. Trust me, these picks will have you feeling right at home as you transition into the wild and wonderful world of MMA. 

AFC East

New England Patriots - Daniel Cormier

Since you’re a Patriots fan, you need your team to be winning all the time. We got you covered there. “DC” never seems to lose a fight, and he is undefeated in his title fights… that is unless that title fight was against Jon Jones. But then again, you know what it’s like to have trouble with the same people in championship games. 

Miami Dolphins - “Thug” Rose Namajunas

Rose Namajunas is perfect for you as a Dolphins fan. Similar to the Dolphins, she faces the best of the best in her division pretty regularly. Plus, she surprised champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk with a vicious knockout this past November at UFC 217. And who would know more about beating the best in the division regularly than the Fins, who have beaten the Patriots in four out of the last five years?

Buffalo Bills - Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone

For you members of the Bills Mafia who have no regard for your own safety or well being (read: all of you), you’re going to love the man they call "Cowboy." Donald Cerrone is a guy who has been in absolute wars inside the cage but still managed to heal up enough to get back out there and fight time and time again. In the past four years, he’s fought a staggering 15 times, and only four of those fights didn't end via knockout or submission. If that doesn’t get your table-breaking blood flowing, I don’t know what will. 

New York Jets - Will Brooks

Some years (maybe not this one) your precious Jets come in pretty highly touted. Maybe it’s been Rex Ryan’s bravado or maybe it's been some unwavering faith in a new quarterback, but it hasn’t really worked out recently. Meet your match in Will Brooks. Brooks was highly touted when he signed with the UFC, but since then, he’s only won one of his four fights. Kind of like how your boys have only finished out of last place once in the last four years. 

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers - Frankie “The Answer” Edgar

You Steelers fans are going to dig rooting for Frankie and not just because he’s got that Pittsburgh, blue-collar workman style. He’s a champion, much like your fine team, and even when he’s not winning the strap, he’s right there year in and year out. Let him be “The Answer” to your need for a winner. 

Baltimore Ravens - Francis Ngannou

My Ravens fans: You got used to winning at a steady clip this past year. A record of 9-7 is nothing to frown at, but you did it without really covering much ground. The squad was 27th in the NFL in yardage and 29th in passing yardage. So, you’re going to want a fighter who can pick up the wins without having to fill up the stat sheet in doing so. Look no further than Francis Ngannou, who has picked up five of his six UFC wins in the first round. Plus, he's ultra-violent, so that should resonate well. 

Cincinnati Bengals - Jussier Formiga

This flyweight is about to give you that "oh, so familiar feeling." In the UFC, Formiga has been right there on the cusp of something big. Unfortunately, in title eliminator fights, Formiga is 0-4. When compared to your recently re-signed coach’s playoff record, that doesn’t even seem so bad. It might even be a cause for optimism. 

Cleveland Browns - Rashad Evans

Your Cleveland Browns won four NFL championships. Not too bad! But, like my suggestion here, those titles came quite a long time ago. As of late, things haven’t been pretty for the Browns or for "Suga" Rashad Evans, but that doesn’t take anything away from their track records.

AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars - Josh Emmett

If you asked yourself how far you’d make it this year, you wouldn’t have said “one possession away from the Super Bowl." Well, here’s your guy. Emmett went from an unranked lightweight to a top five featherweight seemingly overnight. That quick rise to the top and his promising future will give you all the feels that you’ll be missing now that the season is over.

Houston Texans - Justin Gaethje

Nobody took more hits than the Texans this year. After a few injuries to the defense, Houston allowed a league-worst 436 points this year. In order to feel that lack of defense, we’re going to have to bring out the big guns for Texans fans. Check out Justin Gaethje, who pretty much doesn’t have much in the way of defense either. However, unlike your favorite team, he seems to have a choice in the matter. 

Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Pettis

After losing your quarterback this year, the Colts turned to a young gun in Jacoby Brissett. Sadly, the protection wasn’t there for the newbie, and he got sacked a league-leading 52 times. So, Indy fans are going to need a fighter who has had some past glory but who has been taken to the ground a bit too much lately. Pettis has been taken down nearly four times per fight in his last seven bouts — a few less than your quarterback but enough to make Pettis look familiar.

Tennessee Titans - Darren Elkins

Nobody came back in the fourth quarter more than the Titans this year. Marcus Mariota brought your team back four times during the regular season and one incredible time in the playoffs. If there’s anyone who will quench your thirst for a remarkable comeback, it’s Darren Elkins. His comeback against Mirsad Bektic is the comeback of the century. 

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs - John Dodson

OK, so Chiefs fans aren’t going to feel at home with a UFC fighter unless he/she can handle your need for speed. Dodson, like Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt, is insanely fast. The way he jumps around the cage will give you flashbacks to some of Hill’s fly routes. You just better hope your skills players don’t try any of his patented backflips after they score. 

Los Angeles Chargers - Gunnar Nelson

Your beloved Chargers had a season that surpassed all of their wildest dreams this year. However, they seemed to get overshadowed by their in-city neighbors, the Rams, who enjoyed an amazing year. It's no different than our boy “Gunni,” who continues to rise up the rankings but who gets a small fraction of the publicity compared to his gym partner. It's some Irish guy. You probably never heard of him. 

Oakland Raiders - Nate Diaz

You don’t have to be one of the guys who goes to Oakland games in the face paint and spiked shoulder pads. We know that all Raiders fans defend their team with a fervor that few others can mimic. That’s why we paired you up with Nate Diaz. He’s tough as hell, and he takes no shit. And if his fans feel he’s being disrespected, they come out in droves. We feel you guys can relate.

Denver Broncos - Michael Bisping

With Peyton Manning at the helm, the Broncos achieved the glory they'd been searching for since 1999. Bisping knows a thing or two about reaching a long-awaited career apex. But even more similar to your squad, it hasn’t been all roses after winning the title, and the decline seems to have happened faster than anyone could have expected.

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles - Nicco Montano

When the season started, I don’t think anybody envisioned you hoisting the trophy. And when the last season of the UFC's reality TV show, "The Ultimate Fighter," started, nobody envisioned Nicco Montano grabbing the belt. Here we are though. Like the Eagles, Montano was perhaps not the most likely champion, but she defeated the odds and now she holds gold. 

Dallas Cowboys - Colby Covington

When you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan, it doesn’t matter if you are winning or losing or if your owner is just doing an interview — it seems to piss everybody off. Well, meet Colby Covington. He’s going to make you feel right at home. 

Washington Redskins - Dominick Cruz

The past glory of your favorite team was sweet. However, as of late, the injuries have piled up. This year you placed a whopping 23 players on injured reserve. If there is anybody who understands being held back by injuries, it’s your new favorite fighter, Dominick Cruz. He seems on the cusp of being great again if he could just get his health in order. 

New York Giants - Jon Jones

Well, since the Patriots are Daniel Cormier, it only makes sense to pair Giants fans up with the one fighter who seems to have his number. You might not be in the big game every year (although Jones isn’t for very different reasons), but when either of you makes it, you make it count. Neither Brady nor Cormier envies lining across from you in the competitive realm. 

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings - Robbie Lawler

Vikings fans know a thing or two about injuries. With your first two quarterbacks heavily injured, you just kept on keeping on all season, and look where you made it. There’s something to be said for perseverance like that. So, you are going to need an MMA star who understand that level too. Robbie Lawler had a knee injury just like Bradford and Bridgewater — only he finished the fight before being sidelined. 

Detroit Lions - Mark Hunt

Since drafting Matt Stafford in the 2009 draft at No. 1 overall, the Lions have been living and dying by the deep ball. And for good reason: He’s got a cannon. You know who else likes throwing one bomb right after another? Mark freaking Hunt. That’s who. Like your QB, Hunt's going to make sure every moment of the fight is exciting, regardless of how it turns out for him. 

Green Bay Packers - Stipe Miocic

When you think about your franchise, you think fondly of the idea that it it the everyman’s team. Hell, the team used to be owned by the fans themselves. That’s why we had to pair the Packers up with another everyman, Stipe Miocic. Also like you Cheeseheads, Miocic carries a strong championship legacy and does so while still working as a fireman on the side. What’s more everyman than that?

Chicago Bears - Andrei Arlovski

If you’re a Bears fan you, much like the cast of "Saturday Night Live," are probably used to referencing the glory days. So we got you a fighter who’ll be down to reminisce with you. Not only is Arlovski a champion who’ll love to turn back the clock, but he’s also back and making a new run under a young coach in Mike Brown. Sounds similar to your plan with Matt Nagy.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints - James Vick

Who dat? Is that the question Saints fans are asking, or is that what people say every time James Vick wins a fight? The correct answer is “yes." Just like the Saints, people seem to keep selling Vick short as he rises up the rankings, but they won’t be able to for long. He's on the cusp of something big. 

Atlanta Falcons - Mirsad Bektic

Like your team as of late, Bektic is clearly one of the best in his division. He’s dominant and violent. Nobody wants to call him out. However, also similar to your team, when people talk about him, they tend to only mention him losing to an amazing comeback. The loss wasn't really indicative of his overall skill, but it's damn hard to shake. 

Carolina Panthers - Edson Barboza

In the last couple years, nobody has had a more effective kicking game than your Panthers squad. Graham Gano was 29 of 30 on the year kicking field goals, including being perfect inside of 50. So we needed to pair you with a fighter who also loves to kick and who is effective when doing so. Edson Barboza checks those boxes. To this day, he’s the only UFC fighter to win multiple fights via leg kick.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Frank Camacho

For a last-place team, your Bucs pack a whole lotta firepower. This season, Tampa Bay racked up 335 points, which was more than the Bills, who made the playoffs. All that scoring doesn’t necessarily translate to wins, though. Frank “The Crank” knows all about that, having won two Fight of the Night bonuses in his first three fights due to his violent output (and he would've gone 3 for 3 on bonuses if not for a weigh-in blunder). Unfortunately, Camacho only won one of those three fights, so he'll make the perfect companion for you.

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams - Khabib Nurmagomedov

After struggling in his second season, NFL Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley returned to form in 2017 and got it done on the ground. You know who else gets things done on the ground? Khabib Nurmagomedov. He holds the record for most takedowns in a fight, a robust 21 against Abel Trujillo. And his ground and pound is the thing nightmares are made of.

Seattle Seahawks - Santiago Ponzinibbio

Nobody was more closely watched and penalized than the Seahawks last season, as opponents accepted a league-leading 148 penalties against you. For that reason, we’re giving you some relief: the equally scrutinized but less penalized Santiago Ponzinibbio. He takes some crap for committing fouls, but he keeps on winning. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Arizona Cardinals - Demian Maia

Probably the hardest part about being a Cardinals fan last year was dealing with the fact they were old. In fact, you were the oldest team in the league last year. So even though you fielded a decent squad, the fact that you aren’t getting any younger makes your long-term chances pretty bleak. Demian Maia is in the same boat. He's on the wrong side of 40 and he lost a recent title challenge. That doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Nevertheless, you know the talent is there; the time frame just isn’t.

San Francisco 49ers - Yancy Medeiros

This past year didn’t start real pretty for San Francisco. One win in the first 10 games makes for an ugly outlook. Then the team closed the season with gusto thanks to a little changeup at the QB spot. Niners fans are going to need a fighter with that same upbeat look on a career. Yancy Medeiros started his UFC career at 3-4, nothing to write home about. Since then he’s won three in a row and is ranked in the top 15. Plus, he’s headlining a card against a big name in Cerrone. If Jimmy Garoppolo returns the way he did last year, the 49ers will make some headlines too.

By Daniel Vreeland