Tag: Rankings/List

What a year for the sport of MMA. After a humdrum 2014 defined by injuries and weak events, 2015 delivered every kind of drama that a fan could hope for.

There were scandals. There was comedy. There was tragedy. There was romance. There was betrayal.

From both competitive and business perspectives, the sport changed from top to bottom. Stars were born, legends faded, and more than a dozen major titles changed hands over the last 12 months. Big names took over the sport in a way never seen before, and promotions courted fans in bold, new ways.

Through all that, however, the centerpiece of MMA remained the fighting, and there was a lot of glory to be had during the year.

But which fight was the most suspenseful? Which finishes were the most satisfying? What moment touched the most people? And who dominated the sport like none other? Bleacher Report MMA writers Jeremy Botter, Mike Chiappetta, Sydnie Jones, Steven Rondina and Scott Harris teamed up to figure out the answers to these questions. 

Read on to find out the best fighter, fights, finishes and moment of 2015.

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It finally happened.

After plowing through all other opponents, after a buildup lasting more than a year, after an injury pushed it back, after a world tour and enough sound bites to power Moldova for 11 days, Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo finally fought Saturday for the featherweight title.

It went down at UFC 194, where it served as the culmination of a ludicrously stacked card. Maybe the best MMA card of 2015.

You know McGregor as the most famous MMA fighter currently alive on planet Earth, Non-Rousey Division. You know Aldo as the top-rated MMA fighter on that same planet, in his own or any other division.

Ireland vs. Brazil. Brash vs. Stoic. Offense vs. Defense. Interim champ vs. lineal. Whatever kind of storyline you like, this fight had it.

The real kicker, though? This was just one part of the intrigue.

In the co-main event, middleweight champion Chris Weidman put his belt on the line against challenger Luke Rockhold.

One fight down from that, terrifying finishers Yoel Romero and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza did battle to see who would face the co-main event winner next.

There was intrigue all across the 12-fight card, from Fight Pass to finale. And as always, the final stat lines only reveal so much. These are the real winners and losers from UFC 194.

For the literal-minded among us, full results appear on the final slide.

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The appetizer is served.

And it’s not some bush-league appetizer, either. No spinach and artichoke dip here. Not a raw bell pepper in sight.

No, the first course of perhaps the best tripleheader in UFC history—culminating Saturday with the scrumdiddlyumptious UFC 194—began Thursday night with UFC Fight Night 80, which went down from Las Vegas and was available to the American audience only through Fight Pass, the UFC’s subscription streaming service.

Headlining the action were two fighters UFC leaders have tabbed as future stars.

In the main event, California blonde Paige VanZant squared off with Rose Namajunas—a short-notice replacement who definitely stood a chance to beat her. 

Earlier on the main card, 19-year-old human Ken Doll Sage Northcutt met Cody Pfister. Northcutt is also a pretty good fighter, going 6-of-6 in his young career in pro MMA. 

There was plenty of intrigue up and down the full card, and as usual, the final stat lines only reveal so much. Here are the real winners and losers from UFC Fight Night 80. Dig in.

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UFC 194, UFC Fight Night 80, The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale. Pay-per-view, cable TV, Fight Pass online. The weekend on which we are about to embark is unprecedented in its sheer density. This is a super-massive black hole in the center of MMA in 2015.

Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo, for the undisputed featherweight title, is the main event of not only UFC 194, but the entire weekend. And it’s only one of two title fights, with Chris Weidman defending his middleweight strap against Luke Rockhold in Saturday’s co-main event.

But there are so many great matchups across these three events, all of which go down in Las Vegas. There are 31 UFC bouts total this weekend from Thursday’s Fight Night 80 all the way through Saturday’s big pay-per-view showstopper.

Keeping up with those 31 fights might be pretty overwhelming. So, with that in mind, let us now delve beyond the main events and beyond the headlines to find the 10 best fights of this long UFC weekend (and a few honorable mentions to boot).

Consider this your overarching guide to the action. These are the must-see engagements. They are ranked based on the stakes involved and the records and skill sets of the fighters.

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‘Tis the season for MMA prospects.

Aw yeah. In the world of cage fighting, there’s a lot of not-so-silent nights coming up, if you get my meaning. UFC 194 and UFC 195 bookend a packed slate of MMA that will take us all the way through the winter holidays.

That includes plenty of smaller and international shows, as well as solid events from organizations like Bellator and World Series of Fighting. And you know what all of that means. It means prospects.

It’s a good thing for you that you’re keyed into The Beaten Path. That’s our series covering MMA prospects here at Bleacher Report. We give you the info, you absorb the info and BOOM, you’re the smartest person at your next family gathering. Although in all reality, they’re probably just going to ask you about Ronda Rousey, if anything. 

Right, so check out these prospects. They’re all very good. They are all in action in December. As always, no UFC fighters allowed, and we include Bellator and WSOF only sparingly—though this month may provide an exception.

They are ranked based on skills, record and potential. As always, record and event information courtesy of Sherdog.

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November 2015 could be a month that is remembered as a turning point for the UFC and MMA as a whole. 

Yes, there were several events, but two stories will carry on into the future.

First and foremost, Ronda Rousey—the biggest star in the history of the sport and the first mixed martial artist to truly transcend the moniker of “UFC fighter”—lost to Holly Holm at UFC 193. Not only did she lose to Holm, but she was viciously knocked out.

Rousey remains a pioneer, introducing MMA to demographics that fans never expected and promoters never would have dreamed of reaching. She will likely come back to MMA and face Holm in an immediate rematch. Still, this fight changed how casual fans see Rousey and, in kind, changed how popular culture views MMA.

Second, Benson Henderson has fought out his UFC contract and intends to try his hand as a free agent in the most competitive marketplace since the heyday of Japanese MMA. While there have been noteworthy free-agent signings in 2015 already, most notably Josh Thomson and Phil Davis defecting from the UFC to Bellator, Henderson is a different animal.

Henderson, despite the skid he hit following his run as UFC lightweight champion, remains an elite-level talent at 155 pounds and could well prove to be one at 170 pounds too. Just as importantly, he is a relatively young 32 years old. That makes his free agency very interesting.

The first few days have been, in a word, hectic. According to MMA Junkie, he has reportedly received an offer from Road FC, the biggest MMA promotion in South Korea, while Bellator President Scott Coker has thrown his hat into the Henderson sweepstakes, per Sherdog (h/t Bloody Elbow). One FC will likely join in on the fun as well, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Rizin Fighting Federation floated something his way. How this ultimately shakes out could be one of the most important stories of 2016.

As usual, the rankings of each panelist are available on Twitter.

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