Fighters Only

Issue 040

August 2008

With the nomination period due to close at the end of July, this is your chance to have your say in who is put forward for Fighters Only’s World MMA Awards.

Twelve months is a long time, and sifting through all the amazing fights that have taken place in that period is no easy task, so we asked a cross-section of experts and insiders their thoughts on who deserves recognition across the core categories.

Hywel Teague, editor of Fighters Only since 2005

Hywel has been a fan of the sport for many years and blends his enthusiasm for MMA with a keen professional eye.

“Huerta’s come from behind submission win was absolutely tremendous, especially given he had nearly been KO’d in the second round.”

Kevin Iole, veteran boxing writer, Yahoo Sports

Been involved with MMA since 2007. The main MMA reporter for Yahoo! Sports, Kevin has quickly risen to be one of the sport’s leading journalists.

“Anthony Johnson’s KO of Tommy Speer. It was fast, efficient and brutal.”

Loretta Hunt, news editor for top MMA website Sherdog

As well as being a long-standing journalist she is also the co-writer of Randy Couture’s forthcoming biography, Becoming the Natural.

“At the age of 26, its almost unfathomable that Georges St. Pierre has become our closest model to fighter perfection, but he has.”

Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran, top UFC cutman

Quite possibly one of the best cutmen in the business, Stitch is a mainstay of MMA, working with fighters in major organisations around the world.

“...for Forrest to come back from such adversity...it’s kind of a Rocky Balboa ending!”

Mark Gilbert, deputy sports editor, The Sun Online

One of the main people responsible for helping make MMA reach a mainstream public audience.

“Despite what Karo Parisyan and others say, there’s definitely a place for women in mixed martial arts.”

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

TEAGUE: Anderson Silva

It’s hard to pick anyone else, although BJ Penn and GSP both come close for me. Silva’s domination at middleweight continued through 2007 and into 2008, and his move up to light heavyweight only cemented his position as a fighter’s fighter. I want to pick BJ for his return to lightweight, but Silva’s got it by a nose.

IOLE: Anderson Silva

He had a big win over Rich Franklin, and another over Dan Henderson – I think really big, really significant wins over top guys. Dan Henderson has been in the top ten every month and Franklin in there a lot. Just thinking off the top of my head Georges St Pierre would be there too, but definitely Anderson.

HUNT: Georges St Pierre

At the age of 26, its almost unfathomable that Georges St. Pierre has become our closest model to fighter perfection, but he has.

DURAN: Anderson Silva

Obviously you’ve got Georges St Pierre, who gave a masterful performance, but then I also like Anderson Silva, and these are the two I would consider to be awesome, awesome fighters. If I break it down who’s going to have the better skills, who is the one who has created the most damage physically, I’ve got to give the edge to Anderson, just for being more precise with everything.

GILBERT: Anderson Silva

Georges St Pierre and BJ Penn have had an incredible year, but you can’t look past Anderson Silva as being the best MMA fighter on the planet right now. Comprehensive victories over Franklin and Henderson prove he is at the top of his game right now, and it’s difficult to see who could take the title from him. The scary thing is, Silva’s still only 33, which is the age Randy Couture first started fighting in the UFC! If he can match The Natural’s staying power, The Spider could dominate the sport for years to come.

EUROPEAN FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

TEAGUE: Michael Bisping

Flying the flag high and proud for the UK, Michael Bisping went from light heavyweight to middleweight via a series of intriguing fights. His fight with Matt Hamill was controversial but still a win, and many thought he at least deserved a draw against Rashad Evans, myself included. His destruction of opponents McCarthy and Day left little doubt, Bisping is the real deal.

IOLE: Michael Bisping

I would say Bisping, even though he had a couple of tough fights, he is fighting at the highest level of competition at 205lb. He had a great fight with Rashad Evans, the controversial win over Matt Hamill, but it was a win and Matt Hamill is a highly respected opponent. His last two performances he really showed by moving down to middleweight that anyone who thought he was just hyped, you saw he is the real thing.

HUNT: Gegard Mousasi

An Armenian who lives in Holland – he’s my pick for the Dream tourney win. He has ‘it’. Mark my words.

DURAN: Michael Bisping

He’s matured to the point where you’re talking about Euro’s he’s the one at the forefront. Guys like Hardonk and Overeem and all these guys in DREAM, but the guy that has shown tremendous maturity is Michael Bisping. I think he’s learned from different adversities and in the last couple of fights he’s been really composed.

GILBERT: Michael Bisping

Only one choice for me: Michael Bisping. Despite suffering his first loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 78 and a controversial win over Matt Hamill at UFC 75, Bisping has improved his all-round game and is now fighting at his preferred weight class. An improved sprawl, faster hands and increased punching power saw him score back-to-back middleweight victories over Charles McCarthy and Jason Day.

FEMALE FIGHTER OF THEYEAR

TEAGUE: Megumi Fujii

She may look like a pixie but this tiny submission specialist is actually one of the pound for pound world’s best fighters. An absolute terror on the mat, her blend of wrestling, jiu-jitsu and Sambo make her a dangerous opponent, and she is unbeaten with five of her 15 career wins coming in the last twelve months.

IOLE: Tara la Rosa

To use a boxing analogy, there were all those years that Christy Martin was the best boxer, when the best fight was Lucia Rijker. I think Tara is a much more complete fighter and has a much stronger all-around game than Gina. Gina’s a good-looking girl, she gets a lot of attention. All that stuff has helped build her profile, but Tara is the girl, I think if you asked Gina, she would say it’s a tough fight for her. Tara would be a handful for any woman at any weight.

HUNT: Gina Carano

For her accomplishments in breaking down barriers and dragging women’s MMA into American homes by the hair, it’s hard not to give Gina Carano the nod. If it was just her gorgeous face and infectious smile, we would all write Carano off as a novelty. But her bout with Kaitlin Young at EliteXC’s May 31st coming-out party on CBS showed a deep personal drive and a tenacity that you can’t deny.

DURAN: Gina Carano

I think it’d have to be her probably hands down – she’s the one that pops up into my mind.

GILBERT: Gina Carano

She’s now 6-0 in her MMA career and is a credit to female fighters everywhere. Impressive victories over Tonya Evinger and Kaitlin Young have seen her add a more aggressive streak to her game where she can now be classed as a fight finisher – four of her wins have been stoppages. Despite what Karo Parisyan and others say, there’s definitely a place for women in mixed martial arts.

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

TEAGUE: Clay Guida vs Roger Huerta – TUF 6 Finale

A terrific back and fore tussle that was exciting, dramatic, shocking and entertaining in equal measures. I was on the edge of my seat through almost the entire fight. Huerta’s come from behind submission win was absolutely tremendous, especially given he had nearly been KO’d in the second round. An instant classic.

IOLE: Miguel Torres vs Yoshiro Maeda – WEC 34

Hands down to me it was fight of the year. It was a phenomenal fight – Torres is one of the most underrated fighters in the sport. I think he is a terrific talent the world really doesn’t know about yet. Maeda came out and pushed him and made him show his incredible talent.

HUNT: Joachim Hansen vs Eddie Alvarez – DREAM 3 Lightweight GP

Everybody loves an underdog, especially a ferocious pitbull who nips at the heels of one of the sport’s most vaunted competitors. The break-neck pace of this fight had me jumping up and down in my living room.

DURAN: Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva – UFC 79

The one fight I still feel the pain of is Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. That’s got to be it for me, hands down. You’re looking at Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver, that was an awesome fight but to look at these guys and see them go as a cutman, Chuck vs Wanderlei, hands down.

GILBERT: Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva – UFC 79

Unquestionably, Chuck versus Wanderlei. We’d waited years for this fight to happen, and despite both men being past their best, it was still a huge treat for the fans. This was a three-round war that showcased the punching power and resilience of the two men. Wanderlei kept coming forward despite being on the receiving end of some of the most devastating punches you’ll ever see inside the Octagon, but Chuck’s superior punching power proved to be the deciding factor and he rightly won the contest on the judges’ decision.

KO OF THE YEAR

TEAGUE: Yves Edwards vs Edson Berto – EliteXC, 16th February 2008

I had to choose from a ‘short’ list of eight possible finishes to find my favourite KO. I was in awe of Jorge Rivera’s swift beating of Kendall Grove, amazed by Anthony Johnson’s mugging of Tommy Speer and thrilled by Jamie Varner finishing Razor Rob McCullough, Tim Boetsch blasting out David Heath and Wilson Gouveia sending Jason Lambert face-first to the mat, but I could only choose one, and Edwards’ amazing flying knee did it for me. Defending a single leg takedown by balancing on one leg, Edwards hopped his supporting leg up into Berto’s face, putting him out cold with one shot. Sublime.

IOLE: Anthony Johnson vs Tommy Speer – UFC, 2nd April 2008

I’m going with Anthony Johnson’s KO of Tommy Speer. It was fast, efficient and brutal. Second would be Tim Boetsch’s demolition of David Heath – unreal.

HUNT: Wagnney Fabiano vs Shad Lierley – IFL, 4th April 2008

A massive right hand from a featherweight jiu-jitsu guy – amazing.

DURAN: James Irvin vs Houston Alexander – UFC, 2nd April 2008

Tommy Speer vs Anthony Johnson, he was on Queer Street – that one pops out into my head, but James Irvin when he knocked out Houston Alexander… That was an awesome knockout. When I evaluate both of them, for fan favourite, I would have to say James vs Houston. Probably because it was a superman punch!

GILBERT: Wanderlei Silva vs Keith Jardine – UFC, 24th May 2008

Some people may question this selection, but they have to remember how much pressure Silva was under going into the fight. Jardine had scored big wins over Forrest and Chuck and his awkward style looked like it could upset the former Pride champ. Wanderlei responded in the best way possible, blitzing Jardine with a 36-second assault we hadn’t seen from him since his glory days in Japan.

SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR

TEAGUE: Nate Diaz vs Kurt Pelligrino – UFC, 23rd January 2008

Not only one of the slickest triangles I’ve ever seen (Diaz locked it on while in midair as Pelligrino prepared to slam him) but also one of the cockiest. Flipping off your opponent (or in Diaz’s case, I think just the world in general) may not be the wisest of moves, but busting out a double bicep flex, flipping the bird and finishing your opponent all at once sends things off the cool scale. Genius in a very twisted way.

IOLE: Miguel Torres vs Chase Beebe – WEC 32, 13th February 2008

If I can have him again, Miguel Torres vs Chase Beebe. The way he went from submission to submission to submission! I would put Frank Mir’s win over Brock Lesnar as my number two choice. The way he came back to win that fight in the manner that he did, that would be my number two choice.

HUNT: Dustin Hazelett vs Josh Burkman – TUF 7 Finale, 21st July 2008

It’s moments like these where ingenuity can unlock a whole new room with a view. That’s a beauty of this sport – constant evolution.

DURAN: Forrest Griffin vs Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua – UFC, 22nd September 2007

Under the circumstances, Forrest having a major cut, and me going in there and working the cut – actually that was my best piece of work – but for Forrest to come back from such adversity, that cut could have stopped the fight at any moment with it going to Shogun. With him coming through, it’s kind of a Rocky Balboa ending!

GILBERT: BJ Penn vs Joe Stevenson – UFC, 19th January 2008

I’ve gone for a surprise choice with this one: BJ Penn against Joe Stevenson at UFC 80. Penn was dominant throughout and cut the plucky Stevenson in the first round. Penn put on an exhibition in how to wear an opponent down in this fight, and despite the rear naked choke which finished the contest not being overly surprising, it was a credit to the Hawaiian’s skills that he was able to lock it on securely enough in spite of the blood and sweat seeping from Stevenson’s body.

UP FOR GRABS...

Fighter of the Year

This award is for the Fighter who has embodied the ‘never say die’ spirit of Mixed Martial Arts and has shown composure in the face of adversity during the last 12 months. The Fighters of the Year award is not necessarily for the fighter who went undefeated throughout the year but the fighter who has put it all on the line in every outing.

European Fighter of the Year

With a rapidly developing European scene it’s only fitting that we allow fans to vote for their favourite European Fighter. Nominations can be for any fighter from a European country regardless of where they have fought throughout the year.

Female Fighter of the Year

The steady increase in the number of female bouts on fight cards is allowing women in MMA more exposure than ever before. Vote to acknowledge the performances and achievements of your favourite Female fighters in the last twelve months.

Fight of the Year

Everybody has one or two fights that they will show someone who isn’t a fan of MMA that will ‘convert’ them into fans. This award goes to the fight that voters believe will stand out as one of those types of matches for years to come and the winners of this award should be considered future classics, inspiring fans and fighters alike.

Breakthrough Fighter of the Year

Watch the under card of any big show and you’ll be guaranteed to see fighters who may lack finesse but make up for it with their hunger to impress and succeed. This award acknowledges the up and coming talent in the world’s toughest sport – the champions of the future. The Breakthrough Fighter of the Year is the award for fighters who have been professional for less than three years and have impressed voters the most with their performances in the last twelve months.

KO of the Year

A clean knockout can be a thing of beauty and highlight reels the world over are full of slow motion punches, kicks, knees and elbows that find their mark putting their recipient into a sound slumber. This award goes to the fighter who has delivered the KO blow that has stopped their opponent in the manner that impressed the voters the most.

Submission of the Year

Submissions will always be potent weapons for any fighter to have, and when employed well can stop a fight as decisively as a well timed strike. Some submissions come seemingly out of nowhere, whereas others are the result of a careful and meticulous set up. This award is for the Submission finish that voters have enjoyed the most in the last 12 months.

Ring Girl of the Year

Ever watched a ring girl parade around between rounds and afterwards ask your friends ‘what number was she carrying?’ This award goes to the Ring Girl whose work you’ve enjoyed the most in the last 12 months.