Fighter of the year

[ColinBollocks]

I know we've still got a few crucial shows to go before folk can truly make a clear opinion, but we're close enough to the end of a brilliant year for the UFC. Potentially their best ever. I thought we can have an ongoing discussion because it's something that can very much change in a few months.

 

Anyway, there are a number of contenders you can make a grand case for.

 

Bisping has had his greatest year, which featured one of the biggest upsets in modern sports history. Certainly, no one lived a better story than Bisping.

 

McGregor continues to break all sorts of records and if he becomes a two weight champion he's surely on your list. Similarly, if Alvarez pounces (and I expect as much) he's a good shout.

 

Stipe maybe lacks the flash and flair of some, but there is no doubting he's an incredible fighter; three first round KOs this year while picking up and retaining his heavyweight title. What's most impressive about this run he's on is he won the title from a bloke many were talking up as potentially the best ever, while also wrecking an Overeem that was a monster contender for FOTY before Stipe smacked him into an awkward Joe Rogan interview.

 

On the women's side, there has only been a few consistent performers fighting at a top level, with J Double only fighting once so far. However, Nunes will have just as an impressive win streak as anyone, should she end the year beating the biggest star in the division. Nunes has wins over the deadly Shevchenko and the usually always excellent Tate. 

 

Other challengers include the likes of Cowboy Cerrone who responded to his title loss last year and weight change with three deadly finishes on the way to picking up Performance of the Night all three times (his Rick Story combo being something you only usually see on a video game).

 

Anyway, who do you think deserves it?

[jimufctna24]

Bisping is perhaps not the best fighter of the year, but he's the most impressive. 

 

He's got the best resume. He's beaten Anderson, Rockhold and Hendo in the same calendar year. Sure Anderson and Hendo were not at their best, but they were still live threats. Both fights were 5 round wars in which Bisping prevailed. The victory over Rockhold was a complete shocker. Perhaps the biggest upset in a UFC title fight since Serra vs GSP 1. 

[theringmaster]

I can't see past Bisping for this, what he has achieved is unbelievable, when it was announced on Christmas Eve he was facing Silva in 2016 nobody could have predicted that it would be the start of a streak that would see him beat the GOAT, win and defend the World title and avenge his 2 biggest defeats along the way. On top of that 2 of those 3 fights are contenders for fight of the year and the other is a contender for upset of the year/of all time.

 

He's the real life Rocky, living proof that it's not over till it's over.

[wandshogun09]

Ringmaster's nailed it.

 

Bisping should run away with this for all the reasons above. No-one else comes close this year at all for me. No-one. McGregor's done massive business but Fighter Of The Year is much more about what you did in the cage for me. And despite the quality of the two Diaz fights, he went 1-1 in results and was stopped in the first one. And the likes of Jedrzejczyk and Mighty Mouse haven't been active enough this year to top the list.

 

I'd say the runner up to Bisping, and he's distant runner up, is Dominick Cruz. Cruz has looked so good since coming back that I think it's kind of been an underrated return and people have kind of forgot what he's come back from. It wasn't long ago we all thought he was finished. This year he's took the title from Dillashaw then won the trilogy against his biggest career rival in Faber. If he adds a win over a dangerous young lion like Garbrandt to that in December then that cements his year.

 

Although if Eddie Alvarez beats McGregor at 205 you could make a bit of a case for him as well. That'd be wins over Pettis, Dos Anjos and McGregor in one year plus winning the title with the upset in the Dos Anjos fight. There's an argument for Alvarez then...

 

...but only for second place.

 

Nobody is topping Bisping's 2016 for me. They're all fighting for silver.

[AdamTH17]

Echoing the comments of others, Bisping runs away with it this year. It's a genuine fairy tale story, that's yet to end. Three times he's stepped into the Octagon this year and three times I've been doubting his ability to come out victorious. Three times he's gone to prove me wrong. Imagine if he'd retired, as I recall a fair few suggesting after beating Anderson? 5 round war victory there, then Pillowhands goes onto knock out Rockhold, whom was looking like a killer beforehand, winning the belt in the process, before defending it in his home-town with another 5 round war, against a legend of the sport no less. It doesn't get much better than that. He could go out in his next fight and get smacked around and be knocked out within a minute, and it wouldn't bother me. 2016 has been nothing short of a dream for Bisping.

 

If I had to form up a top 5, it would look like:

5) Alvarez - Yeah, he could lose to McGregor, but he's had a great year nonetheless. Smothers Pettis for 5 rounds, then smashes RDA up within a round to win the belt. Very realistic chance of him retaining the belt at 205, which would have him even further up the list.

4) Cerrone - 3 finishes in a new weight class, could have another victory at 205 against Gastelum.

3) Garbrandt - Three first round finishes, rapidly climbing the rankings, fights Cruz for the belt at 207.

2) Miocic - Three first round finishes, against Arlovski, Werdum and Overeem, winning and succesfully retaining the heavyweight belt in the process. 

1) Bisping - Obvious reasons.

 

Notable mentions:

Thomson - Batters Hendricks, and dominates McDonald in a decision.

Maia - Yeah, he's only fought twice but he's looked scary. Dominates Matt Brown, then submits Condit in 2 minutes.

Johnson - Two first round finishes, against great opponents in Bader and Glover. Fights for the belt at 206.

Lineker - 3 victories, including notable wins against Dodson. Likely to fight for the title soon.

Perry - Fuck it, why not? Came out of obscurity with his antics at 202, which he backs up in finishing Kim, then proceeds to win a proper slugfest at 204. 

[ElCece]

Yeah Bisping is the winner in my opinion and others as well thankfully. 3 fights I was certain he would lose and he won.I actually think he should sports personality of the year as well. My favourite mixed martial artist off all time is GSP my favoirite " fighter " is Bisping. Smart, skilled, tough and unapologetic but still with weakness. Hes geniuenly the poster child to how aa athlete should be

[Supremo]

Michael fucking Bisping. What a man. What a story. I'll never get over everything that he's achieved this year. I feel so lucky to have been there live for both the Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson fights. The type of stuff that makes you remember why this is such a boss sport to be a fan of.

 

It's not just what he's done in the cage though, there's been loads of moments outside of the cage that were just as good. That passionate interview in a Taxi with Ariel Helwani, which was like the greatest go-home promo of all time,. The hilarious, "Weak As Piss!" interview with Rockhold. What a delightfully sore winner he was after beating Rockhold, taking the piss and acting like a complete prick to Luke throughout the post-fight press conference. The genuinely emotional interview he gave on the MMA Hour the Monday after winning the belt. The incredible promo he cut on the whole division after winning in Manchester.

 

I thought he was winding down last year, and I was convinced he'd never get a title shot. Everything that's happened, whilst he might not be the best fighter when it comes to skill or ability or endurance or whatever, and there's a list of four guys below him in the rankings that'll likely murder him, but in terms of entertaining me, getting me emotionally invested and making me jump for sheer fucking joy at 5am on a Sunday morning, he's my fighter of the year by miles and miles.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

I thought he was winding down last year, and I was convinced he'd never get a title shot. Everything that's happened, whilst he might not be the best fighter when it comes to skill or ability or endurance or whatever, and there's a list of four guys below him in the rankings that'll likely murder him, but in terms of entertaining me, getting me emotionally invested and making me jump for sheer fucking joy at 5am on a Sunday morning, he's my fighter of the year by miles and miles.

 

So, the bold is how I feel, and I also think Bisping's a complete twat (I'm sure that was popular opinion before this year when he found all this success). Plus by rights, Anderson stopped that fight at the end of the third. Bisping went as limp as my cock after finishing a Pornhub session.

 

But... in terms of sheer accomplishment and being an active fighter in 2016, it has to go to the cunt. Anderson, Rockhold and Henderson, with a big KO and title win in there, no-one's had a better year than that. McGregor's box office, but he got choked out by a LW gatekeeper. Donald Cerrone has often been my pick for fighter of the year, and he's looked great in 3 welterweight fights this year, but they weren't as high profile as Bisping.

 

So, yeah, Michael Bisping, right now, is Fighter of the Year, as much as it pains me to say. Even though he was kneed into oblivion by Anderson, and put on his arse twice by a 46 year old, even a hater like me can't ignore the results. And he wants to jump in to boost UFC 206 and fight GSP or Nick Diaz, respect for wanting to fight those guys on short notice.

 

But, if Dominick Cruz beats Cody Garbrandt on Dec 30, I'll gleefully award him the title. I'm not the biggest fan of Cruz, either, but fuck it.

 

Also (and this could be bias kicking in, because I love the guy), if McGregor beats Alvarez to become a two weight champion, would that be a big enough accomplishment to supersede the loss to Diaz?

[Guy Bifkin]

It's definitely Bisping. At the start of the year I assumed he was being fed to Anderson Silva to get his opponent back into the title picture as easily as possible. I was expecting him to retire after getting beaten. It was an incredible fight on reflection. The win against Rockhold was the biggest title upset in my time of watching MMA. You could see a route for victory for Holm against Rousey however unlikely. I couldn't see one way Bisping would beat Rockhold, let alone by knock out and coming off a two week camp. He avenged the loss against Henderson in his hometown, but I would imagine if there's one blot on the year he would have wanted to do so in a more emphatic fashion. He's just called out Nick Diaz for 206 so the fun may continue still. 

 

Second place is clearly Miocic for me. He's dispatched 3 top heavyweights in the first round and won the title. I think when he fights Cain it's going to be one hell of a fight. Any other year he takes it. 

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Second place is clearly Miocic for me. He's dispatched 3 top heavyweights in the first round and won the title. I think when he fights Cain it's going to be one hell of a fight. Any other year he takes it. 

 

Shit, I forgot about Miocic. There's something about him, where I feel like he's achieving more than what his actual ability is. Werdum rushed in like a fool and got countered, and Overeem had the weirdest strategy where he forgot what sport he was involved in and started doing the 100m sprint until he got caught. But the Arlovski finish was straight up brutal, and when he was screaming at Dana White for a title shot, that was a hell of a moment. Between scaring Dana and pranking his wife on the phone, I'm starting to think Miocic has a good personality. Used to think of him as Blandy McBlanderson, and while I'm still shaking that stigma (it's why I initially forgot him), he's on the way.

 

It's too bad he's not fighting Cain this year. If he were to beat Cain, he'd easily eclipse everyone else, Bisping included. 3 KOs and a title win, as you said, and beating one of the greatest heavyweights ever in Velasquez? Hell yeah. It's not his fault his opponents had shit strategies, the man has delivered in 2016.

[Egg Shen]

I actually think with a win at 205, Eddie Alvarez pips Bisping for the title. It'a close though.

[PowerButchi]

Don Frye

[DJM]

Don Frye

What has he done this year (other than be Don Frye, which I guess will be your answer, and if it is then fair enough)?

[jimufctna24]

I wonder how Don is doing at the moment? Last we heard, he was in bad shape. I can't find any further information sadly. 

[PowerButchi]

He looked great at 200. Seemed sober.