Issue 169
August 2018
Awarded to the leading male MMA fighter for his contribution to the sport.
Ryan Bader left the UFC on a two-fight win streak, moving to Bellator for a generous contract offer and the chance to become a world champion for the first time. Within months of his signing, he took on Phil Davis in a rematch for the belt, and lightning struck twice as he once again defeated “Mr Wonderful” via split decision. To round off his year, he made a successful first defence against Brit, Linton Vassell, winning with a second round TKO to cement his status as kingpin.
Brazil’s Rafael dos Anjos left the lightweight division - one in which he had been a champion - on bad terms in 2016, with back-to-back defeats signalling the end of his time at 155lbs. Significantly less drained at welterweight, he tore through 2017 with a 3-0 slate that saw him defeat Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny, and Robbie Lawler in quick succession. The clinical outworking of former title holder Lawler in particular showcased exactly what a rejuvenated Dos Anjos is capable of.
For Australia’s Robert Whittaker, 2017 was a year of meteoric rise, as he finally got access to the top contenders in the middleweight division, and dispatched them. 5-0 at middleweight coming into the year and undefeated since 2014, Whittaker was on the cusp of a title shot, but didn’t have the biggest names under his belt to prove it. That all changed, and quickly. When he met Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in April, the second round TKO immediately skyrocketed him from potential superstar, to king in waiting. Defeating Cuban wrestling sensation Yoel Romero answered questions of his all-round skillset, before he was promoted to undisputed middleweight champion when GSP revealed he would not be defending his recently-acquired crown.
With 13 straight wins and a record-breaking 11 consecutive UFC flyweight title defences, there’s always the case to make that Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is the best of all time, let alone just any single year. That said, 2017 was another flawless one for the well-rounded athlete, and the first where he had finished all of the challengers to his throne. The unfaltering conditioning of “Mighty Mouse” saw him win with a pair of exquisite armbars over Wilson Reis and Ray Borg, the latter particularly impressive as he suplexed his opponent before immediately transitioning to the submission.
A real fighter’s fighter, Max Holloway entered 2017 with the UFC interim featherweight belt around his waist, and ended it as the undisputed champion by finishing Jose Aldo twice in June and December. Aldo, the most dominant fighter at 145lbs to date, desperately wanted to win back the title he lost to Conor McGregor, but unfortunately had a hungry Hawaiian stood in front of him. Holloway showed composure under pressure and supreme conditioning, as he stayed the course to TKO the Brazilian in the third round of both encounters, clearly showing that ‘The Blessed Era’ is here to stay.
