The "center of mass" for UFC fights is just inside the lightweight division. Then at UFC 199, he fought Luke Rockhold, to whom he had previously lost, on two weeks notice as a substitute, and won the middleweight title via a devastating first-round knockout. Facing a hungry former champion, Ferguson took risks and battled RDA everywhere the fight went. The American Top Team fighter absolutely steamrolled Ronda Rousey in Las Vegas on Dec. 30, battering Rousey and winning via TKO in just 48 seconds to retain her title. When it was over, a bloodied Nate Diaz extended his hand to a battered Conor McGregor and lifted him off the canvas before the two of them embraced for just a moment while appreciating the violent masterpiece they had just painted. And with two powerful strikers locked in for a rematch at the next major UFC event, the king of that division is likely to be a dangerous KO threat for the foreseeable future. WebFight of the Year. Bisping started his year with a memorable, back-and-forth five-round fight against longtime former middleweight champion Anderson Silva in London before winning a unanimous decision. WebBelts changed hands and legends were born inside the Octagon in 2016, with Conor McGregor becoming the first-ever "double champ," headlining two of the best UFC events of the year. That meant little, though, because it was still one of the best womens fights in MMA history. That's just slightly down from 50 percent the prior year, but generally holding steady. It was unlike many headliners who chose to sit out when opponents dropped out. In the second round he capitalized on a sloppy McGregor takedown to submit the Irish champion with a rear-naked choke in dramatic fashion. In a thrilling whirlwind of a fight, Miocic was nearly finished by Overeem before rallying for the knockout at the 4:27 mark to a massive crowd response. Joe Rogan indicated he believes Conor McGregor has taken performance-enhancing drugs and has found a loophole with USADA. It was ugly and beautiful in all the best ways and no matter where these two peak, they can always point to this amazing showdown as a highlight of their careers. 2008 Chuck Liddell UD 3 Wanderlei Silva UFC 2014 Ben Saunders SUB 1 Chris Heatherly UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos [citation needed] These are the fights you need to watch. Joanna Jedrzejczyk-Claudia Gadelha II. Cub Swanson-Dooho Choi. Carlos Condit at UFC 195 in January. Michael Bisping: After spending a career in which he always seemed right on the cusp of greatness, but never quite got over the top, Bisping went on a memorable run to win the UFC middleweight title at age 37. Joe Rogan: Conor McGregor looks like his piss would melt that USADA cup; McGregor responds. There was almost a no dead time during the 15-minute slugfest between Swanson and Choi. 22.12.16, UFC Unfiltered: Johny Hendricks & Tim Means. Only two days into 2016 the Fight of the Year was delivered by now former UFC welterweight champ Robbie Lawler (27-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC) and former interim champ Carlos Condit (30-10 MMA, 7-6 UFC), who fought a bloody and exhilarating five rounds filled with twists and turns in momentum. New, William Regal Addresses Rumours Of His WWE Return. The mannerisms from McGregor in the corner certainly didn't look like those from a fighter about to stage a comeback, but that's exactly what happened. At UFC 200, she closed the one of the biggest shows in company history with a shocking and swift first-round TKO of Miesha Tate to claim the womens bantamweight crown. denzinio1988's rankings: 2011 MMA Fights of the Year. Swanson, Choi produce fight of the year contender 6y Brett Okamoto All things considered, that was the most significant, historic fight of 2016 -- and it delivered Finally, the most technical standup fight of the year had to have been the bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Fight Night 81. Because he was confident that whatever he did, it was going to work. Year-End Awards. Honorable Mention:Tony Ferguson-Lando Vannata, Joseph Benavidez-Henry Cejudo,Nate Diaz-Conor McGregor I, Josh Barnett-Andrei Arlovski, Dominick Cruz-TJ Dillashaw, /themes/custom/ufc/assets/img/default-hero.jpg, Par Thomas Gerbasi - Traduit de l'anglais par Cathy Gagnon - UFC.com Forums > Fight Discussion > UFC Discussion > ***Sherdog Forums 2016 Fight of the Year Award*** Discussion in ' UFC Discussion ' started by Drake , Dec 10, 2016 . Matt Brown reacts to betting scandal in UFC: Long story short, James Krause is f*****. 2016 will go down as one of UFC's greatest years in terms of action inside the cage. In 2016, 493 fights took place inside the UFC's Octagon, for a total of 5,488 minutes of active fight time. WebWhen that happens, theres nothing better in all of sports. At UFC 205 in November, both welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson had to show their true mettle, and each passed their test. As the third round began, the momentum had shifted dramatically with Diaz in control and McGregor looking up at the clock as if he could somehow will the seconds to tick away faster so he could get back to his corner to recover. 5. This is another trend we'll be watching in 2017. McGregor looked like he made all the necessary adjustments to foil Diaz until the latter half of the round began. The Team Alpha Male competitors first three victories were first-round knockouts, taking out Augusto Mendes, Thomas Almeida and Takeya Mizugaki in order. In the corner, McGregor slumped over to catch his breath while his coach John Kavanagh gave him advice. This has been one of the most newsworthy years in UFC's relatively brief history, with fighters reaching levels of stardom never before seen in mixed martial arts competing for a promotion that was sold for a staggering four-plus billions dollars. McGregor started landing more regularly and with each punch that stung Diaz, his skin started to split apart and blood began trickling down his face. Fights are summarized by outcome method and by weight class, with title fights individually noted. Let's take a look back at the year that was and narrow down the tremendous amount of breathtaking fights to the five most memorable wars that took place in 2016. 7 WCW Jobbers Who Became WWE World Champions, 10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About 2022, Current AEW Star BLASTS Popular Fan Chants, 10 Impossible Wrestling Teases That Almost Happened, Former AEW Star At WWE Performance Center For Tryout, NWA Star Calls WWE's Sarah Logan "A Disrespectful Ripoff", You Won't Believe What This WWE Legend Wanted To Call Himself, Decorated WWE Tag Team To Challenge For NXT Tag Titles At DEADL1NE The back-and-forth battle finally ended with Diaz landing a late takedown with a few more punches on the ground before the horn sounded that signified the end of the fight. For world-class fighting at its highest level, look no The Las Vegas crowd roared as McGregor earned the first knockdown of the fight, but rather than leap into Diaz's guard and go for the finish, the Irishman stood back and waited for his opponent to get off the canvas. They went toe-to-toe and gave their all in one of the most tension-filled affairs to ever unfold under the UFC banner. McGregor did what no fighter in the history of the UFC could ever pull off -- not Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, B.J. WhatCulture is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Conor McGregor didnt let Dustin Poiriers hospitalization from staph keep him from a tweet in poor taste. In a fight brutally reminiscent of the iconic Forrest Griffin/Stephan Bonnar clash, these two relatively unknown UFC light heavyweights stepped into the cage on the undercard of UFN 89 and battered each other into oblivion for paltry payoffs and our bloodthirsty enjoyment. Learn More. Never mind that McGregor was preparing for a lightweight title fight against Rafael dos Anjos before he got injured or that he was just a few months removed from a staggering 13-second knockout over Jose Aldo to claim the featherweight championship. | UFC [ | Periodically, Lawler was able to catch Condit when he telegraphed his approach. UFC takeaways: Wonderboy still has it, but should he jump right back into the title picture? Cody Garbrandt came from out of nowhere to the UFC bantamweight title. Robert Whittaker-Derek BrunsonPut two of the middleweight divisions top rising stars each with a five-fight winning streak in the Octagon together, and you expect that there will be plenty of compelling action. Mei Yamaguchi at ONE Championship 42 in May. For those who waited until the main card to show up, sorry, you missed one of the best fights of the year.MORE FROM THE BEST OF 2016: Top 10 Knockouts| Biggest Upsets| Best Submissions|Top Newcomers. The fight was 15 minutes of pure violence, full of hard shots that would have felled most men, yet miraculously these two continued to stand in front of each other and eat the hardest shots their opponent was capable of throwing at them. You'll now receive the top MMA Junkie stories each day directly in your inbox. Only two days into 2016 the Fight of the Year was delivered by now former UFC welterweight champ Robbie Lawler (27-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC) and former interim champ Carlos Condit (30-10 MMA, 7-6 UFC), who fought a bloody and exhilarating five rounds filled with twists and But after polishing off two of the biggest stars in womens MMA history back to back, Nunes left no doubt who is in control of the division. The battle at UFC 199 on June 4 in Inglewood, Calif., between Marco Polo Reyes and Dong Hyun Maestro Kim just kept bringing me back. 7. It was a miraculous performance after McGregor was seemingly on the brink of being finished just five minutes earlier, but he dug down deep to outstrike and outfight Diaz in the very next round. Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in August. WebUFC Fight Night 101. UFC Fight Night results, highlights: Belal Muhammad overwhelms Vicente Luque for unanimous decision win Muhammad executed his gameplan to near perfection in the main event of UFC Fight Night Conor McGregor became the first two-weight champion in UFC history in 2016. 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Round 5 of that fight is a Round of the year candidate as well! My MMA Rankings 2011 MMA Fights of the Year. Already gone are familiar faces like Mike Goldberg and Joe Silva. 2. Here is how the voting for MMA Fightings 2016 Fighter of the Year played out: Oops. 4. Tyron Woodley-Stephen ThompsonYou never know what a fighter is truly made of until they hit some adversity. See also. All rights reserved. Rivalries are often born outside the cage, but a truly great feud is fueled even more by an awe-inspiring fight like the rematch between McGregor and Diaz at UFC 202. Nate Diaz def. Her year kicked off with a decision win over strong contender Valentina Shevchenko. Raw data is provided by Fight Metric, with analysis by Reed Kuhn, author of "Fightnomics: The Hidden Numbers and Science in Mixed Martial Arts. Amanda Nunes: At times, the UFCs promotional machine almost seemed to be doing their best to hide Nunes, as she was all but invisible in the buildup to her two biggest fights. This is well below the early years of the sport, even after judges were introduced. And while Dan Henderson simultaneously held two titles in PRIDE in 2007, he never had a year like McGregor this year, either. 2. For five long months, Conor McGregor was forced to stew in the misery that he was submitted by Nate Diaz at UFC 196 after the Stockton, Calif. native accepted the 9. With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMAjunkie takes a look at the best fights from January to December. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! The finish rate for 2016 was 49 percent, thanks to 153 KO/TKOs and 89 submissions. Condit received the worst of things and appeared to be on the verge of being knocked out. Finally, the most technical standup fight of the year had to have been the bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Fight Night Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. And while the welterweight division saw just one title-fight knockout thanks to Tyron Woodley's upset of Robbie Lawler, the new trend for that division is contrary to the long period of mostly decisions for title fights in years past. An intense fight from start to finish, Jedrzejczyk proved her championship mettle in the toughest fight of her career, and Gadelha showed that she has the talent and determination to make another run at the crown. The best fights in a year full of amazing action. At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for Fight of the Year., 5. The greatest rivalries in sports history are usually accompanied by the most memorable games. Sure, it was sloppy and frantic at times before Whittaker pulled off the victory, but if you were watching, you couldnt look away. In an instant classic of a fifth round, Lawler charged back after lackluster showings in the third and fourth frames to batter Condit and seal a split-decision victory via scores of 47-48, 48-47, 48-47 to defend his title. The first match with Diaz at 196 did 1.6M, making it third in history. Instead, McGregor started feeding Diaz a steady diet of leg kicks, a problematic strike that had haunted him in past performances as well. The two outspoken foes battled it out for five epic rounds in their second encounter. Why? UFC fighters like other MMA professionals get paid per fight. First they are paid a base salary after each fight and other income sources follow that. A fighter can receive an annual bonus from sponsorships or endorsements and from his managig group. And while some have held his loss to Diaz against him, the historical nature of his accomplishments won out in the end in a close race. Learning from the mistakes in his first performance against Diaz in March, McGregor didn't come storming out of the gates as the opening round began just head hunting for a knockout. Teen sensation Angela Lee (6-0) become one of the youngest fighters to win a championship in a major promotion when at 19 she captured the inaugural ONE Championship atomweight title with a thrilling unanimous decision over veteran Mei Yamaguchi (15-9-1). Bisping finished a dream year with a split-decision victory over Dan Henderson in Bispings hometown of Manchester, England in October, evening the score for Bispings legendary knockout loss to Hendo back at UFC 100. Condit, who ceded his interim title to the returning (and now retired) Georges St-Pierre in 2012, felt hed done enough to steal the title. McGregor's assault continued in the second round with a dizzying array of strikes that had Diaz wobbled and down again. But did anyone really expect the fight to be this good? Condit gave Lawler trouble early, using his height and long legs to score kicks and keep the power-puncher at distance. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. 1. Edmen Shahbazyan feels reborn after relocating to Las Vegas to begin training at Xtreme Couture full time, which helped him move on from what had become a toxic situation at his old gym. UFC Salaries. In 2017, 37% of MMA fighters made less than the $45,000 median U.S. average household income. The median income for a UFC fighter was $68,500 in 2018 while the average income of all UFC fighters for that same year was $138,250. Only 187 fighters in the UFC are currently earning six-figure salaries. Conor McGregor is the MMA Fighting Fighter of the Year. UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. However, no one could have predicted the type of magic the two would create inside the octagon. That wasnt always the case, but in the end, he got the victory and yet another Fight of the Night bonus. Market data provided by Factset. While submission rates are more stable across divisions, knockdown rates rise with size. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. But the year also saw plenty of action inside the cage, some of which will change the landscape of the sport in years to come. Here are the best of 2016. UFC Fight Night 91. What fans didnt know that all that action was going to get crammed into a little over four minutes. And it was understandable, because they were drained from Swanson-Choi, but heres the opportunity to give the welterweight vets their due, as they put on a heck of a striking duel before Cerrone scored a highlight reel knockout in the third round. List of UFC events; 2016 in UFC Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. That's a disagreement rate of 26 percent, up slightly from the year before. Cub Swanson punches Dooho Choi during their UFC 206 bout, which has earned reviews as potentially the Fight of the Year for 2016" align="center" />A great fight is a perfect storm. Something went wrong. Every time McGregor and Diaz were even in the same building together it was as if the tension just automatically ratcheted up like something explosive was about to happen. New stars were born, and some old ones flamed out, occasionally in violent fashion. 3. It's hard to believe that Dustin Poirier would turn down a fourth fight with Conor McGregor. 8. This fight, a quality technical scrap between two of the Middleweight divisions elder statesman, was excellent dont let its relatively low ranking on this list Neither man will be in the title picture anytime soon and that's perfectly fine. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. Holloway vs. Lamas UFC 199. Who was most impressive in victory over the weekend? While headlines have kept pouring in, the real draw of the sport is what goes on once the doors of the octagon are closed, Bruce Buffer's introductions are made and the two combatants are unleashed upon one another. Not everyone is going to become champion. Weight-cutting practices became mandatory in order to pack as much frame size onto the scales as possible, and with hopes of facing smaller opponents, the general rule of thumb was that fighters went down in weight class, not up. Miocic kicked off his year with a 54-second knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski at UFC 195. About half of all UFC fights will end inside the distance, but more so by TKO than by submission. About User-Designed Rankings User-Designed Rankings are created and named by a Tapology user. For 2016 Fights of the Year, the 100 most At the final bell, both men clung to the UFCs octagon, bloodied and exhausted after a frenzied fight. But it was Garbrandt who looked like the poised veteran on Dec. 30, as he beat Cruz at his own game, from deft footwork to in-ring trash talk, and used his fists like bludgeons as he won the title via unanimous decision and quite possibly ushered in a new era. Matt Brown discusses the recent betting scandal that has embroiled the UFC including James Krause effectively being banned from the promotion during an ongoing investigation. McGregor lost and beating Diaz in a rematch was the only thing that would satiate his thirst for vengeance. However, while the average body mass of a UFC fighter drops as the roster expands in lighter divisions, for the first time we are seeing a reversal of the shrinking-fighter trend that was part of the UFC's evolution. McGregor won a majority decision, avenged his loss, and regained his mojo, leading into UFC 205s glory. Find out when the next UFC event is and see specifics about individual fights. The best fights in a year full of amazing action. The 41 fight cards in a single year are not the most ever for the UFC (2014 had 46), but the general trend is now officially downward after climbing for so many years. Web2016 Fight of the Year. Stipe Miocic: Another fighter won a UFC championship while compiling a 3-0 record in 2016, and this time, the competitor didnt go to a single decision. Heavyweights finished exactly half of all their fights by strikes, more than five times the rate of the smallest men's divisions, the flyweights. Cub Swanson-Dooho ChoiWhen the featherweight bout between Cub Swanson and Dooho Choi was announced, every fight fan worth his or her salt expected an epic battle that would steal the show at UFC 206 in Toronto. Whether they show it when it counts is another thing. In the fourth round, McGregor dug deep and started putting together his combinations again just like those that knocked Diaz down earlier in the fight. There had been an eight-month period of turmoil beginning in November 2015 in which four women held the UFC womens bantamweight belt. Sign up for the 4. 1. Michael Bisping had a tremendous run to the UFC middleweight title. At UFC 207, Garbrandt went up against Dominick Cruz, the greatest 135-pounder in history, who had never been beaten in his weight class and had not been defeated at any weight since 2007. LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 20: Conor McGregor (L) and Nate Diaz battle during their welterweight rematch at the UFC 202 event at T-Mobile Arena on August 20, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Of course, thats more likely to happen in the granite-fisted world of the heavyweight division. Bosse' won a unanimous decision on the scorecards but there was no loser here. Conor McGregor at UFC 196 in March. In 15 minutes of high-level and fast-paced action, this was the best of mixed martial arts on display for the world to see.WATCH THE RE-AIRING OF THIS FIGHT ON CHRISTMAS EVE AT 8PM/8PM ETPT ON FOX. Condit used that shift to his advantage, landing more punching combinations bolstered by a straight right. 3. 24. No one in the near quarter-century history of modern mixed martial arts ever had a year quite like the one Irish superstar Conor McGregor experienced in 2016. As it turns out, McGregor needed that performance in the fourth because the pendulum swung back towards Diaz in the final around. Slightly more than half of all fights took place at 155 pounds or lighter. Reyes won the fight This is the new normal for a promotion that didn't even have a lightweight division a decade ago, let alone even smaller weight classes or any women's divisions. MMA fans were spoiled by the amount of quality FOTY contenders, and the topic will be argued for years to come, with it all being a matter of subjectivity and what each fan prefers from their combat sports. 2016 2017 UFC 205 209 (209 ) . Of these title fights, half went the distance and half ended with a finish, in line with the general finish rates. newsletter, T.J. Dillashaw notifies UFC of retirement following latest shoulder surgery, Morning Report: Michael Bisping: Stephen Thompson vs. Kevin Holland might have been the best fight weve ever seen, Man sentenced to 16 years in prison for murder of Tieli Alves, attempted murder of UFC fighter Raulian Paiva. The fight featured endless submission attempts from Lee, and while she came close on several, time ultimately played against her and she couldnt get a finish inside 25 minutes. But those finishes were mostly with a bang, as 10 of 11 title-win finishes came by TKO. And while headlines will skew to the most memorable fights or most famous fighters, it's worth taking a moment to look back at the bigger picture of bouts and how they went down. 1 Justin Gaethje - Michael Do UFC Fighters get Paid if They Lose? The short answer is yes. UFC fighters get paid a base salary for their fights no matter the outcome. However, there is a win bonus involved, which usually matches the base salary amount for the fight, so fighters are motivated to perform as well as possible and get that bonus. WebHere are the best of 2016. A total of 22 title fights took place in 10 divisions throughout 2016, and 2017 will bring the newest women's division at featherweight. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Esther Lin, MMA Fighting. Diaz refused to allow McGregor a moment to breathe as he poured on the punishment, trapping him against the cage and absolutely battering the featherweight champion with punches. WebThe year 2016 was the 24th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. A well-timed punch combo saw Lawler briefly dropped by an uppercut, after which he began to look for counters. And while the final numbers arent in on 205, it appears thats going to crack the top three when all is said and done, as well. Amazingly, though, he survived. Ohio State will always rise up for a fight against Michigan, but the rivalry is accentuated when they engage in a double overtime dog fight like the one that just took place this past November. But Lawler caught him again with a right hook, which set off a flurry of punches that saw both men take staggeringly hard punches. We've seen all out wars, chess matches between brilliant tacticians and superfights outside of normal weight classes, while watching superstars burn brighter and up-and-comers take advantage of the spotlight thrust upon them. Few people have ever done so in quite as spectacular a manner as Cody Garbrandt in 2016. 5 Best UFC Fights Of 2016. Finally after months of build up, just past midnight east coast time, McGregor and Diaz stepped into the Octagon together. In doing so, he added the lightweight title to his collection. 3. Legal Statement. Inside Jan Blachowicz's remarkable journey from nearly cut to UFC elite, Tai Tuivasa ready for a break, but not before he takes the bang out of Sergei Pavlovich, Fightnomics: The Hidden Numbers and Science in Mixed Martial Arts. There was plenty of excitement for the matchup between dynamic featherweights Cub Swanson (24-7 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and Dooho Choi (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC). WebUp-to-date 2016 UFC event schedules. And Nunes saved her best for last at UFC 207. Discussion in 'UFC Discussion' started by Me&MrJones, Jan 3, 2016. Please check your email for a confirmation. Of the 248 fights ending in a decision, 65 of them saw disagreement from at least one judge leading to a split or majority decision. He followed up by going into a sold-out soccer stadium in Curitiba, Brazil, and stunning a crowd of more than 40,000 by flattening Fabricio Werdum in just 2:47 to claim the UFC title. "Surprise, surprise mother (expletive), the king is back!" With so much on the line, McGregor rose to the challenge. The 28-year-old Dublin native, who won the UFC featherweight championship in December 2015 with a 13-second finish of Jose Aldo, knocked out Eddie Alvarez in the second round of the main event of UFC 205, the historic first MMA card ever held at New York Citys hallowed Madison Square Garden. Register free on Tapology to build unique custom rankings of the greatest UFC & mixed martial arts fighters, bouts, knockouts & submissions. Brazil; For a moment it appeared that the referee might look to stop the fight, but the horn sounded and McGregor was able to lumber back to his corner. Halfway through the round, the crowd chanted Condits name as he put together more smart striking combinations. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Its been a loaded year for Fighter of the Year candidates, as several competitors put together campaigns which would have won most other years. In 2017, we'll see more events without Dana White or Bruce Buffer present. Diaz took some hard shots that opened multiple cuts on his face but ultimately weathered McGregors storm. Early in the fifth, Condit dodged an aggressive Lawler, who sensed the fight was his to lose. 5. As Im watching Donald Cerrone and Matt Brown throw down, it amazed me how quiet the Toronto crowd was. When the featherweight bout between Cub Swanson and Dooho Choi was announced, every fight fan worth his or her He was tough as hell., Sign up for the MMA Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Carlos Condit ends via split decision -- UFC 195 (January): Talk about Stipe Miocic knocked out heavyweights left and right. 5. Check out the numbers behind UFC 282, the final pay-per-view of the year where multiple fighters have a shot at history. When fights do go to the cards, there's not always agreement from the judges. The heavyweights also saw some violence, with both title fights ending with Stipe Miocic earning a TKO victory. Lightweight contender Tony Ferguson always shows it, and it was never more apparent than in the biggest fight of his career against Rafael Dos Anjos. Here are 10 of the best fights from 2017, as the Highly Unofficial awards season continues. Then the undefeated Garbrandt topped off his campaign by doing the unthinkable. WebSherdog's 2021 Fight of the Year Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler exceeded sky-high expectations with their unforgettable encounter at UFC 268 on Nov. 6 in New York. MMA is a highlight-reel-friendly sport, and the opening credits of every UFC show select from the ample fodder the fighters competing each night provide. Sure, the old sports adage is that a draw is like kissing your sister, but neither Woodley or Thompson deserved to lose this one.Joanna Jedrzejczyk lands a kick to Claudia Gadelha during their strawweight title fight in July" align="center" />6. It was a back-and-forth brawl, but more often than not it was the veteran Swanson landing the best shots while Choi somehow remained upright until the final bell and lost a clear-cut unanimous decision. The lone submission finish was Miesha Tate's fifth-round choke-out of Holly Holm in an upset for the women's bantamweight division, although finishes were nothing new for that division, as every UFC title fight in the history of women's bantamweights has ended early. The days leading up to the fight had been as chaotic as any bout in UFC history, especially after a volatile press conference erupted into mayhem after McGregor and Diaz started launching water bottles and cans at each other. But there are a few that stand out above the rest. UFC lightweight champ McGregor avenged his only octagon defeat when he outpointed Diaz for a majority-decision victory in an all-time classic matchup between two octagon rivals. Joined: Dec 16, 2015 Messages: 12,063 Likes Received: 1,149 Location: Netherlands. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. by Brad Hamilton. 4. This was classic brawling won by Bosse, but there were no losers here. I felt like I had three rounds in the bag, but thats why you dont leave things to the judges, he said. Put two fighters together and you never know what youll get, but when both have the intention of making a statement against each other and the styles mesh, it becomes something more than just an athletic competition. Lee has said she wants to become the face of womens MMA in Asia and in her sixth pro fight took a massive step toward that accomplishing that goal by going for broke against Yamaguchi. You didn't think Conor McGregor would just let Joe Rogan take a shot at him without giving one back, did you? More Subscribe to Fight of the Year UFC.COM - United States. He was everything everyone said he was, Lawler said of Condit. The fact that two of Bispings wins were against fighters north of age 40 likely kept him out of the top spot, but theres no doubt Bisping had a year to be commemorated. While McGregor stopped throwing nothing but power shots, he did manage to connect with a beautiful left hook that clipped Diaz's jaw and sent him tumbling to the mat. Dec 27, 2016 December 27th, 2016. WebA look back at the epic, five-round rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz For five long months, Conor McGregor was forced to stew in the misery that he was submitted by Nate Diaz at UFC 196 after the Stockton, Calif. native accepted the fight on just 10 days notice. Robert Whittaker wins via KO/TKO, Head Kick and Punches Nov 2016. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The rematch with Diaz did a reported 1.65 million buys, making it the most watched PPV in UFC history. Dooho Choi at UFC 206 in December. But Nunes, the sports first major openly LGBT champion, went 3-0 this year. Here's how every UFC fight ended in 2016, all in one graph. Legal Statement. When that happens, theres nothing better in all of sports. McGregor was scheduled to meet then-lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC 196 in March, but accepted a short-notice welterweight fight with Nate Diaz when RDA dropped out two weeks out. Against Nate Diaz (19-11 MMA, 14-9 UFC), fighting up two weight classes, former UFC featherweight champion and current lightweight champion Conor McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) found out that pounds very much matter in MMA when he suffered his first defeat in more than five years. The fighter nicknamed No Love went 4-0 on the year and culminated it with a UFC bantamweight title victory. 2016 Fight of the Year. WebUFC Decade In Review: 2016. About User-Designed Rankings User-Designed Rankings are created and named by a Tapology user. In 2016, 493 fights took place inside the UFC's Octagon, for a total of 5,488 minutes of active fight time. And what happened over the next 25 minutes was arguably one of the greatest fights in mixed martial arts history. Condit appeared to widen his lead in the third and fourth round as Lawlers output fell and he served as an easy striking target. In the second frame, a well-timed left and right hook dropped the former interim champ, forcing him into survival mode in the second round. Regional Rankings. McGregor lost to Diaz via second-round submission, then immediately insisted on a rematch, at the same weight, with Diaz. At this point in the fight, it appeared that Diaz was about to win a second straight fight with McGregor and crush the hype surrounding the biggest superstar in UFC history. Me&MrJones Silver Belt. Penn, Royce Gracie or anyone else -- and held two weight class titles at the same time. That's why McGregor vs. Diaz 2 goes down as the best fight of 2016. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images). And Amanda Nunes made short work of a pair of legends in cementing her status as the worlds top womens bantamweight. After receiving fight of the year in 2016 it was announced by the UFC on April 10, 2022 that Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022. Other users can contribute their list based on the original design. McGregor shouted to an approving crowd in Las Vegas that lived, died and was reborn with each second of this titanic war over five rounds. Steve Bosse-Sean OConnellSteve Bosse and Sean OConnell may not be champions or top contenders, but there will always be a place for fighters like this in the Octagon, simply because when the cage door closes, they leave nothing up to chance. And then in one of the years most memorable events, Miocic went home to Cleveland and met former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 203. Diaz started to mount a comeback after finally finding his rhythm by connecting on a series of long, straight punches that had McGregor backing up for the first time all night. WebFight of the Night: Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi; Performance of the Night: Max Holloway and Lando Vannata; Swanson vs. Choi. And Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson delivered on those expectations. When the scorecards came back, McGregor had earned a majority decision victory over Diaz, which gave him the satisfaction that he needed following the embarrassing defeat he suffered earlier in the year. The UFC's key revenue stream remains pay-per-view, and in 2016, the UFC led MMA to become the first sport to ever have five shows in a calendar year do more than 1 million buys. Debut in Colorado, Jarred Brooks Dominates Joshua Pacio, Captures Strawweight Crown at ONE 164, Anatoliy Malykhin Annihilates Reinier de Ridder in ONE on Prime Video 5 Main Event, ONE on Prime Video 5 De Ridder vs. Malykhin Play-by-Play & Results, One Championship Partners With Fan Duel to Broadcast Events on FanDuel TV, Petchtanong Upends Akimoto, Kryklia Crushes Azizpour at One Championship 163. But no one touched all aspects of the business like McGregor. It's too early in the process of adopting new rules to see this playing out, but disagreement among MMA judges is nothing new, and it certainly isn't going anywhere. WebThis is the MMA Countdown Podcast, in this episode we recap 2016 as a whole with our 2016 UFC fighter awards. 10. This time it was Diaz who started landing shots at will while McGregor could only hold onto hope that he would reach the final bell. Worldwide Rankings. The battle at UFC 199 on June 4 in Inglewood, Calif., between Marco Polo Reyes and Dong Hyun Maestro Kim just kept bringing me back. 2016 2017 UFC 205 209 (209 ) . After naming our Fight of the Year yesterday, we look at the UFC fighter who had the most impressive 2016.Quite a few fighters on the extensive UFC roster had an With the recent changes to MMA scoring criteria, we should see more 10-8 rounds from judges. Expect slightly fewer cards in 2017 as the promotion stabilizes under new ownership. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Edmen Shahbazyan had to get away from toxic feeling with former team, ready for a fresh start at UFC 282. In the process, those of us watching from outside the cage got a five round battle worthy of having the name world championship attached to it. BKFC 34: Best photos from Hollywood, Fla. Twitter reacts to Stephen Thompson's corner stoppage TKO of Kevin Holland at UFC on ESPN 42, UFC 282: Make your predictions for Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev (Updated), Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. At UFC 202 on Aug. 20 inside the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, McGregor finally got his chance to meet Diaz for a second time. Dustin Poirier was hospitalized with a nasty case of staph, posting pictures to his social media. In doing so McGregor also lifted the entire sport to new heights. In fact, with changes to scoring, we should see more score volatility in 2017 than ever before. . Coming into the bout, Bosse' was 1-1 in the UFC and looking to make his mark against the more experienced Sean O'Connell, who was the recipient of two Fight of the Night bonuses in his first five UFC matches. Honorable Mentions: Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson - UFC 205, Dominick Cruz vs. T.J. Dillashaw - UFC Fight Night 81, Tony Ferguson vs. Lando Vannata - UFC Fight Night 91. Despite the noise introduced by fighters competing in more than one division, the larger trend of bigger fighters seeing more knockouts still holds true. MMA needs guys like these two who put it all on the line and beat each other senseless to entertain the fans. Market data provided by Factset. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Please enter a valid email and try again. And yet here we are, entering the most advanced era yet for the sport, and there are still plenty of finishes happening at the highest levels. https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2017/01/mmajunkies-fight-of-the-year-for-2016-an-epic-title-clash-that-survived-a-years-worth-of-challenges, MMAjunkies Submission of the Year for 2016: An emotional title win scores top honors, MMAjunkies Knockout of the Year for 2016: A skull-crushing knee to end all knees, 'Can't compete like a real man': Cody Garbrandt, UFC fighters react to T.J. Dillashaw's retirement, Conor McGregor fires back at Joe Rogan over accusations of PED use. All rights reserved. Newest User Rankings. But as more fighters compete in smaller divisions, and as all fighters generally get more skilled and competitive, the days of lopsided matchups or severe technique mismatches are long gone. Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz IISure, the hype machine was in full effect leading up to this August rematch, but when put on the sports biggest stage for a second time, both Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz stepped up once more. Cody Garbrandt: Each year, it seems, someone comes out of the blue and earns his way onto the list. But the influx of new talent on the roster, and in the broadcast booth, ensures that the UFC will keep the show rolling. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. 2. Joanna Jedrzejczyk-Claudia Gadelha IIFor world-class fighting at its highest level, look no further than Julys five-rounder between strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha. Their fists and feet primarily their fists are how they do their job, and if throwing them for 15 minutes at an opponent is the way to get that job done, theyre going to do it. Talk about making the most out of an opportunity. Donald Cerrone-Matt BrownLost in the fanfare of the glorious bout between Cub Swanson and Dooho Choi was the fight that came right after it on the UFC 206 main card. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. We battled it out, Lawler said afterward. Diaz had to know he was probably down on the scorecards so he threw everything he had at McGregor in a series of blows that had the featherweight champion on rubber legs. Not a bad year for a humble firefighter from Ohio. Other users can contribute their list based on the Angela Lee def. After a false start when the bout was originally set for UFC 200, McGregor and Diaz re-engaged at UFC 202 in August and put on a back-and-forth battle that will be remembered for years to come. Filled with drama from start to finish, McGregor started fast and Diaz finished strong, but it was The Notorious one who emerged victorious via decision, evening the score with Stocktons finest and setting the stage for what fans hope will be a rubber match. UFC fans may remember 2016 primarily for something that happened outside of competition, specifically the sale of the promotion to new owners. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar. A daily roundup of all your fighting news from MMA Fighting, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Conor McGregor pokes fun at Dustin Poiriers staph infection, deletes tweet. All rights reserved. Stipe Miocic cleaned house at 265 pounds this year, and he never had to go back to his stool and take a one-minute break during his fights. While Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald was undoubtedly the Conor McGregor def. Thats a lot. And even while we monitor subtle changes affecting the sport in the coming year, we know we'll be able to rely on a steady supply of action and new highlights provided by the best fighters in the world. Web2016 Fight of the Year. There was two winners tonight.. His January win over Carlos Condit is the latest example of his action-packed brilliance, and the fact that were still talking about it in December shows you just how good this five-round war was. Polo Reyes-Maestro Dong Hyun KimLike Bosse vs. OConnell, Polo Reyes and Maestro Dong Hyun Kim paid no attention to their own safety in their UFC 199 opener, and for 11 minutes and 52 seconds, the crowd already in their seats at The Forum was captivated. Member Since 2016.06.03. Robbie Lawler (c) def. Dustin Poirier posts gruesome photo of staph infection, will be released from hospital Wednesday. Cub Swanson def. There were 493 UFC fights in 2016. But the banning of intravenous fluids for post-weigh-in recovery in 2016 has led some fighters to move up a weight class. In the end, The Notorious took the victory, besting Diaz and getting his loss back to set up a likely future trilogy bout. Robbie Lawler-Carlos ConditIf we ever decide to start naming these awards, The Robbies may be an appropriate start, as it seems that Mr. Robbie Lawler is always a fixture in the Best Fight category. In an otherwise close fight, this could lead to more majority decisions and draws. No one in the near quarter-century history of modern These took place on 41 separate UFC fight cards in nine countries, including first-time visits to Holland and Croatia. Big trees fall hard. Here are the top five and winner of MMAjunkies Fight of the Year award for 2016. Popular User Rankings. or redistributed. MMAFighting.com: Injured Robbie Lawler out of UFC 282 Thats a great fight. ", Sources: MMA coach barred during betting probe, Harrison wants Pacheco but not sure what's next, Former UFC champ Dillashaw to retire, agent says, Sources: Lawler scratched from Ponzinibbio fight, Johnson-Moraes to headline ONE debut in US, Holland broke 3 bones in hand in Thompson loss, Ontario bans UFC betting over integrity concerns, Dana White called Cameron Saaiman 'the future,' and he wants to prove it at UFC 282. Tony Ferguson-Rafael Dos AnjosFighters act with confidence all the time. Everywhere the fight was his to Lose after which he began to look counters. All the necessary adjustments to foil Diaz until the latter half of all took! Still one of UFC 's greatest years in terms of action inside the UFC 's greatest years terms... He made all the necessary adjustments to foil Diaz until the latter half of all UFC is... Loophole with USADA because he was, Lawler was able to catch his breath while his John. 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