Issue 099

March 2013

The Fighters Only Awards isn’t just a document of achievement, it’s a document of history, as we discovered in the FO archives.

You won’t find a single name on the shortlist for ‘Fighter of the Year’ at the 2009 Fighters Only World MMA Awards amongst the leading candidates from 2012. Not one. It’s just a single indication of a remarkable shift in the MMA landscape, forced by a mere 36 months worth of MMA history – all documented in the March 2010 special Awards issue of Fighters Only.

UFC 170lb champion Georges St Pierre took home the ‘Fighter of the Year’ silverware in ‘09, but due to inactivity didn’t get a sniff of any shortlist this time. 

Brock Lesnar (then UFC heavyweight king) and Mike Thomas Brown (recently dethroned as WEC 145lb leader in late 2009) were in the running for the ‘Charles Lewis’ back then. As were Lyoto Machida (then UFC 205lb champ) and Anderson Silva (UFC middleweight ruler). Again, none of them were shortlisted in any category at the ceremony in Las Vegas in January. 

“It’s an honour to be recognised by the fans with their votes,” St Pierre noted to FO exclusively in the March 2010 issue, “and it is not every day you receive that honour in front of so many figures from the MMA industry. It was also a reminder to me about what I need to do to stay at the top. Basically, to get better with every fight. In this sport it is hard to be at the top, but very easy to slide down.” Perhaps some things haven’t changed at all.

But, take a look at the rest of our Awards coverage from the March 2010 issue and there are more stunning shifts. Greg Jackson did the double in 2009, taking both ‘Best Coach’ and ‘Best Gym,’ after a legion of his and Mike Winkeljohn’s fighters had ripped through the UFC. 

But, the steady rise of competitor supercamps meant Rafael Cordeiro and Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu won out this year. Fascinatingly, neither were even nominated three years ago. A testament to their achievements in recent times.

In the same issue we stated our hopes that, for Toby Imada, his inverted triangle ‘Submission of the Year’ trophy would be “the break the veteran deserves.” And although he made a second visit to the Bellator lightweight tourney later in 2010, he’d taste split decision defeat and, unfortunately, has gone 3-2 since.

Elsewhere, in ‘09 dominant Cris ‘Cyborg’ Santos was crowned ‘Female Fighter of the Year.’ But in January she had to watch new nemesis Ronda Rousey pick up her first-ever Fighters Only Awards statuette at the Hard Rock Hotel, whilst she emerged from under a year-long suspension due to a positive drugs test, which also nixed a spot on the 2013 shortlist.

Four significant figures at the top of the tree three years ago; four people now no longer there. Concrete proof, as brought to you by FO, that mixed martial arts is always changing – in every way.

STEALING THE SILVER

There weren’t just four eye-popping differences between the 2010 and 2013 winnners. ‘Media Source of the Year’ Sherdog deservedly tallied enough votes to take 2013’s silver, after four years playing the bridesmaid to MMA Junkie, including in 2009. As did triple ‘Journalist of the Year’ winner Ariel Helwani, who wasn’t among even amongst the runners-up three years ago. 

ELSEWHERE IN THE MARCH 2010 ISSUE

OLYMPIC MEDALLIST 2012, GEORGES ST PIERRE?

Georges St Pierre, then ‘Fighter of the Year,’ had said his mind was “still not made up” about dropping his UFC 170lb title to pursue a spot wrestling for Canada at the London 2012 Olympics, noted Gareth A Davies in an interview with GSP in the March 2010 issue. At the time, there was serious debate amongst fans as to whether this unprecedented move would help or hinder MMA. A crystal ball could have saved all the faff, because, as we know, he was recovering from ACL surgery during the 2012 Games anyway. 

THE REEM!

Just like with the FO Awards, there have been seismic changes in the life of Alistair Overeem. He exclusively told FO three years ago: “Sometimes I’ve thought about training at new camps. I was supposed to do some training in the US, but I decided against it. Golden Glory is my home.” Overeem had a highly publicised split from Golden Glory in late 2011. Nothing’s forever, as they say. 

GARETH A DAVIES: GENIE IN A BOTTLE

Veteran journalist Gareth A Davies made 10 wishes for 2010 in his column that issue. His 10th? To see “the top WEC contenders added to UFC events.” UFC president Dana White went one better seven months later and announced the WEC’s remaining 135lb, 145lb and 155lb divisions would be absorbed into the UFC. Perhaps special foresight comes with Davies’ special haircut.