Issue 113
April 2014
Which were your favorite fighters, figures and firms in mixed martial arts from October ‘12 through to December ‘13? The results are in...
Charles 'The Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year
CHRIS WEIDMAN
RUNNERS-UP: Vitor Belfort, Urijah Faber, Demetrious Johnson, Cain Velasquez
Regardless of your opinion on the nature of his victories, etched forever on Chris Weidman’s pro MMA record are two wins over the man deemed the greatest fighter ever: Anderson Silva. No one on the planet can claim the same.
His famous left hook from July that stunned ‘The Spider’ and the world, and gave him the UFC middleweight belt, will never be forgotten. Nor will the rematch in December, when he rocked the Brazilian and rained punishment before the leg kick check the New Yorker had planned for his entire camp was followed by the shin break no one could have predicted.
Some truly believed Silva would never be beaten. Chris Weidman did it twice in six months. That’s why he’s ‘Fighter of the Year.’
Female fighter of the Year
RONDA ROUSEY
RUNNERS-UP: Joanne Calderwood, Alexis Davis, Jessica Eye, Holly Holm
The only fighter to earn the same title they picked up last year is Ronda Rousey. She won the fan vote by adding two more names to her amazing armbar win streak, Liz Carmouche and Miesha Tate, in two of the biggest bouts in women’s MMA history.
All between filming roles in two Hollywood flicks, mobilizing an army of haters after coaching on The Ultimate Fighter and promoting the sport by doing more mainstream media than perhaps anyone else in the UFC.
Clearly the new ‘Queen of Mean’ isn’t as unpopular as some would have you believe.
Breakthrough fighter of the Year
TRAVIS BROWNE
RUNNERS-UP: TJ Grant, Conor McGregor, Nick Newell, Khabib Nurmagomedov
The awkward, haphazard Travis Browne that joined the UFC in 2010 is not the same athletic, calculated Travis Browne who knocked out three MMA veterans in 2013.
After starting the eligibility period with a KO loss to ‘Bigfoot’ Silva in October 2012, ‘Hapa’ replied with back-to-back-to-back, first-round stoppages of former title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga, ex K-1 king Alistair Overeem and accomplished former UFC champ Josh Barnett. The fact he’s now fighting for number-one contendership says it all.
Comeback of the Year
TRAVIS BROWNE (VS. ALISTAIR OVEREEM, UFC FIGHT NIGHT 26)
RUNNERS-UP: Blagoi Ivanov (career), Robbie Lawler (career), Michelle Waterson (vs. Jessica Penne, Invicta 5), Tom Watson (vs. Stanislav Nedkov, UFC on Fuel TV 7)
The big Hawaiian’s second award this year. Playing punch bag against the cage in August, the former college basketball player looked to be just a few more Alistair Overeem right hands from TKO defeat. Until he pushed through the attack, rose to his feet and powered an Anderson Silva-esque straight kick into the former Strikeforce and Dream champion’s jaw, sending the Dutchman to the floor and an early shower. Victory from the jaws of defeat.
International fighter of the Year
ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON
RUNNERS-UP: Shinya Aoki, Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Alexander Shlemenko
The tall Swedish striker may have only earned one win and one loss during the Sixth Annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards eligibility period, but then none of his shortlist peers can claim to have given one of the greatest fighters in the sport the best fight of their career. Respect for Alexander Gustafsson surged after he came within a round of beating UFC 205lb champion Jon Jones on two judges’ cards in September last year. Match that with a manhandling of former UFC title holder and Pride great ‘Shogun’ Rua and you have an award-winning 15 months.
Fight of the Year
JON JONES VS. ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON (UFC 165)
RUNNERS-UP: Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann (UFC on Fuel TV 8), Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez II (Bellator 106), Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez (UFC 166), Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva (UFC Fight Night 33)
Only those few people with enough confidence in Sweden’s Alexander Gustafsson expected this to be a competitive bout, let alone so evenly matched it would be deserving of ‘Fight of the Year.’ It had a little of everything: the unexpected (Alex taking down champion Jon Jones), the unbelievable (enough back and forth to have you thinking Gustafsson could take a decision after all) and tons of heart (Jones struggling through his toughest test and ‘The Mauler’ surviving a late blitz). Rematch, gentlemen?
Knockout of the Year
VITOR BELFORT (VS. LUKE ROCKHOLD, UFC on FX 8)
RUNNERS-UP: Junior Dos Santos (vs. Mark Hunt, UFC 160), Emanuel Newton (vs. ‘King Mo’ Lawal, Bellator 90), Julio Cesar Neves Jr (vs. Dener Dos Santos, WOCS 28), Chris Weidman (vs. Anderson Silva, UFC 162)
Any of former UFC champion Vitor Belfort’s three head kick knockouts in 2013 could have landed him on the shortlist for ‘Knockout of the Year,’ but it’s his most spectacular – a spinning heel-kick over Luke Rockhold in May – that beat a highly competitive field to the silverware. The blow epitomized Belfort’s 2013: explosive, forceful and impressive.
Submission of the Year
URIJAH FABER (VS. IVAN MENJIVAR, UFC 157)
RUNNERS-UP: Olivier Fontaine (vs. Sofian Benchohra, Lyon FC), Josh Burkman (vs. Jon Fitch, WSOF 3), Rose Namajunas (vs. Kathina Catron, Invicta 5), Kenny Robertson (vs. Brock Jardine, UFC 157)
The fact Urijah Faber made a run-of-the-mill rear naked choke hold deserving of ‘Submission of the Year’ says much about how he executed it. A combination of his eye-popping primate-like climb onto a standing Ivan Menjivar’s back before the fight-winning hold, and then ‘The California Kid’s proud, fists-raised celebration, while forcing his opponent to still wear him like a backpack, made this tapout an immediate fan favorite.
Lifetime Achievement
ROYCE GRACIE
Royce Gracie celebrated the 20th anniversary of his legendary first UFC tournament win in 2013. And, frankly, if he hadn’t submitted his way to the winner’s medal and oversized check, mixed martial arts would be markedly different today. But he didn’t stop two decades ago; he won UFC 2 and 4, engaged in historic clashes with Kazushi Sakuraba and Matt Hughes and became a global ambassador for jiu-jitsu, the UFC and mixed martial arts. He’s had a lifetime of achievement.
Trainer of the Year
MIKE DOLCE
RUNNERS-UP: Doug Balzarini, Jake Bonacci, Jonathan Chaimberg, Joel Jamieson
Nutrition guru Mike Dolce takes the inaugural ‘Trainer of the Year’ prize. Established to honor “the leading strength and conditioning coach and/or nutritionist in top-level MMA,” there’s no debate Dolce, with his work as body fuel expert to the game’s best combined with his gym experience as a former power lifter and fighter, deserves the statuette.
Coach of the Year
DUANE LUDWIG
RUNNERS-UP: Henri Hooft, Ray Longo, Andre Pederneiras, Duke Roufus
Hard to believe that just a year ago Duane Ludwig was a novice in the full-time coaching game. Now he’s the man who turned around the patchy win record of one of mixed martial arts’ most athletic teams, Team Alpha Male – and without any proper experience. The Muay Thai specialist coached the group through a near flawless 2013, where it barely tasted defeat, and took several of his charges to title fights, both regional and international. Impressive.
Gym of the Year
TEAM ALPHA MALE
RUNNERS-UP: American Kickboxing Academy, Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA, Nova Uniao, Roufusport
The last of three trophies on the mantelpiece for California’s Team Alpha Male from this year’s Fighters Only World MMA Awards. Considering Urijah Faber and Duane Ludwig’s band of brothers didn’t even make the shortlist in this category last time out, you can appreciate how far the group must have come to take the ‘Gym of the Year’ title for 2013. Faber and Joseph Benavidez might have missed out on two recent opportunities for UFC gold but Team Alpha Male is still a more than worthy winner of Fighters Only silver.
Leading man of the Year
DANA WHITE
RUNNERS-UP: Victor Cui, Lorenzo Fertitta, Bjorn Rebney, Ray Sefo
It seems there are only two ‘locks’ for the fan vote at the Fighters Only World MMA Awards: the UFC winning ‘Best Promotion’ and the company’s president, Dana White, adding another ‘Leading Man of the Year’ trophy to the mantelpiece. And he’s done it again, this time following another rollercoaster year at the controls of the biggest and boldest fight organization in combat sports.
Ringcard girl of the Year
BRITTNEY PALMER
RUNNERS-UP: Jade Bryce, Arianny Celeste, Kat Kelley, Mercedes Terrell
Who’s the fairest ring girl of them all? UFC Octagon beauty Brittney Palmer. The Californian model and artist repeats as your ‘Ringcard Girl of the Year.’ She wrestled the trophy away from newcomer nominee Kat Kelly (WSOF) as well as returning challengers Arianny Celeste (UFC), Jade Bryce (Bellator) and Mercedes Terrell (Bellator), proving there’s only one princess of pugilism.
Personality of the Year
CHAEL SONNEN
RUNNERS-UP: Bruce Buffer, Kenny Florian, Joe Rogan, Bas Rutten
In taking his second Fighters Only award (after sharing ‘Fight of the Year’ with Anderson Silva in 2010), the UFC standout and Fox Sports TV personality Chael Sonnen breaks commentator Joe Rogan’s two-year grip on this particular ‘silver striker.’ Beating other established and beloved names, such as Bruce Buffer and Bas Rutten, proves how brilliantly he plays the roles of fight night competitor, trash talking entertainer and television sports analyst.
Referee of the Year
HERB DEAN
RUNNERS-UP: Marc Goddard, Yves Lavigne, John McCarthy, Mario Yamasaki
With four wins in four years, Herb Dean is the only owner this award has ever known. Despite his recent controversial curtailing of the Urijah Faber’s attempt at Renan Barao’s UFC 135lb belt, that occurred a month after the eligibility window for the 2013 Awards closed, Herb Dean has always proven himself one of MMA’s most reliable and scrupulous officials.
Best technical clothing brand
VENUM
RUNNERS-UP: Bad Boy, Clinch Gear, Hayabusa, Jaco
Venum shorts have become a mainstay in the UFC’s Octagon over the past year, and it seems the French company’s compression wear and jiu-jitsu gis have taken pride of place in your gymbags, too. Quality that’s tested at the highest level of competition – you can’t ask for much more. Venum’s Mathieu Soulie collected the award.
Best promotion of the Year
UFC
RUNNERS-UP: Bellator MMA, Cage Warriors, One FC, World Series of Fighting
The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes it six wins in six years to reclaim ‘Best Promotion.’ More events than ever hosted some of the sport’s best fights and knockouts, while another successful year in the boardroom saw even bigger business deals inked across the globe and a first event in Singapore. Shanda Maloney, Rich Hollis, Dave Sholler and Hugo Coreas picked up the silverware.
Journalist of the Year
ARIEL HELWANI
RUNNERS-UP: Mike Chiapetta, Gareth A Davies, Ben Fowlkes, John Morgan
A fourth win in a row for Ariel Helwani was just rewards for the most recognized reporter in the entire industry. Another year of exclusive interviews with the sport’s biggest names was backed up with a track record of breaking news on Fox Sports’ UFC Tonight show and his own MMA Hour podcast.
Media source of the Year
MMA FIGHTING
RUNNERS-UP: Inside MMA, MMA Junkie, Sherdog, UFC Tonight
Using top writers with a habit of getting scoops before anyone else has earned MMA Fighting its very first silver statuette. From digital print to video, it made maintaining consistent, accurate and unique coverage of one of the world’s fastest moving sports look easy. The award was collected by executive editor Bryan Tucker.
Best lifestyle clothing brand
BAD BOY
RUNNERS-UP: Fear the Fighter, Headrush, Roots of Fight, Torque
We asked again, you told us the same thing for the second year running: Bad Boy makes the best lifestyle threads. Between its range of signature tees for massive names such as Chris Weidman, and forward-thinking apparel like the Bad Boy onesie, the eyes have it – again.
Best technical equipment of the Year
BAD BOY
RUNNERS-UP: Century, Everlast, Hayabusa, Venum
Bad Boy, the American-born, Brazilian-inspired brand, does the double thanks to its attention to detail and placing priority on giving the fighters what they need from the gear they punish inside the gym every day, and then putting all that expertise into gear for you. Execs John-Paul Gardner and Robin Offner celebrate.
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