Issue 045
January 2009
Of all the titles up for grabs in the World Mixed Martial Arts awards, the Fighter of the Year is certainly among the most prestigious. Fighters can be eligible regardless of nationality, weight category, or organisation – the only qualifying factor is that they’ve impressed the fans with their exploits in the ring. Predictably, the UFC champions dominated the running, with the Brazilian super-striker Anderson Silva taking this year’s honours. In honour of the five men who were nominated, we take a look at what makes each man worthy of competing for Fighter of the Year.
Anderson Silva
22-4-0
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Georges St Pierre
19-2-0
Montreal, Canada
Forrest Griffin
16-4-0
Las Vegas
BJ Penn
13-4-1
Hilo, Hawaii
Fedor Emelianenko
29-1-0 (1NC)
Stary Oskol, Russia
In Brief
Anderson Silva
A whopping 3-0 in the voting period (which runs from June 07 to June 2008), Silva toppled Rich.Franklin, Dan Henderson, and James Irvin in less than a year, moving from middle to light heavyweight in the process.
Georges St Pierre
Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a speeding locomotive – GSP may not quite have super powers, but you’d be forgiven for thinking so. The Canadian went 3-0 in the voting period, narrowly missing out on the award to Silva.
Forrest Griffin
The self-described “quiet jerk” Forrest Griffin is not the same man we saw win The Ultimate Fighter back in 2005. With big wins over Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson during the nomination period, Griffin shot to the top of the light heavyweight tree by taking Rampage’s title.
BJ Penn
The hyper-talented BJ Penn is the true personification of his nickname, ‘The Prodigy’. With his focus firmly set on being the best fighter he can (and not upon the worldly distractions he had succumbed to in the past), Penn looks set to be one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Fedor Emelianenko
The Russian heavyweight has near-mythical status among hardcore fans, and is up there with figures such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. Truthfully, he’s a badass wrecking machine who may well be the very best heavyweight the sport has ever seen.
Why the Fans Nominated Him
Anderson Silva
Apart from remaining unbeaten during his time in the UFC, Silva’s weight division-hopping marked him out as a fight-anyone kind of guy. Add to that his pin-point striking and solid submission game, and it’s easy to see why he walked away with this year’s award.
Georges St Pierre
He didn’t just beat Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes, and Matt Serra during the nomination period: he annihilated them. A subsequent win over the tough Jon Fitch marked him out as a true champion. Every fighter has his haters, but even GSP’s are in awe of his greatness.
Forrest Griffin
Though he’s not a huge fan of his own celebrity, Griffin is undoubtedly hugely popular, but it was his ascendancy through the 205lb ranks that impressed voters. Submitting Shogun in a knockdown drag-out brawl was only the beginning. Beating Jackson over five rounds was the icing on the cake.
BJ Penn
He didn’t just beat Joe Stevenson and Sean Sherk during the nomination period – he outclassed and dominated both of them. Add to that his constant calling-out of GSP and you’ve got a very appealing fighter on your hands.
Fedor Emelianenko
Apart from doing so probably to wind Dana White up (who vehemently stated “Fedor sucks” last year), fans ignored his freak show fight with Hong Man Choi and recognised the fact he defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in only 36 seconds.
THE GOOD
Anderson Silva
Listing Silva’s strong points would fill an entire page of this magazine. Everyone knows about his extraordinary striking skills and capable grappling, but the real defining aspect of Silva’s greatness is his mental fortitude.
Georges St Pierre
He’s the model for MMA fighters to aspire to (incredibly athletic and skilled in every range) and the kind of fighter that fans love to watch. He improves every time we see him, and the scary thing is he doesn’t look like he’ll stop any time soon.
Forrest Griffin
Griffin is the kind of fighter you have to describe as ‘durable’. Though he fights smart he’s been in plenty of wars, and carries himself through on a combination of determination and stubbornness.
BJ Penn
Sublime grappling skills, a punching power far above his weight, and a deep technical knowledge of every single facet of the fight game. Many consider Penn among the true greats.
Fedor Emelianenko
Utterly focussed and ruthless when in the ring, Fedor’s physical attributes include incredible acceleration, ridiculous power in both fists, and unshakeable balance.
Chance of Winning in 2009
Anderson Silva
Strong. A rumoured match with Chuck Liddell at 205lb could be a barnstormer, though Silva keeps teasing us with claims he will retire in 2009.
Georges St Pierre
Good. He meets BJ Penn in January, so how his year starts will depend on the outcome of that fight.
Forrest Griffin
Uncertain. The 205lb division is one of the most competitive, and he has to fend off the challenge of Rashad Evans on Dec 27th before he can even look at 2009.
BJ Penn
Strong. Should his fight with GSP go well in January, Penn will hold two titles. Should he lose, he still has a tonne of high profile fights at 155lb ahead of him.
Fedor Emelianenko
Slim. He meets Andrei Arlovski in January, but unless he finds a home where he can fight legitimate competition with some kind of regularity, he will always be an outside bet.
