2013 Them's Fightin' Words Awards Nomination Thread: Comeback Fighter of the Year

[Elsalvajeloco]

RULES

 

1. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE OF QUALIFYING PERIOD
I don't care if you have to double check Sherdog, Tapology, the UG, the FCF Database or Wikipedia. Make sure the fighter, event, fight, or anything related fits into the qualification timeframe. NO EXCEPTIONS. I decided what they were based on certain events, but they are not biased toward one nominee. I tried to make those dates as fair as possible.

2. MAKE SURE THE FIGHTER QUALIFIES
In order to be eligible to win a fighter award, the fighter cannot have less than two wins in the qualification period. The fighter also cannot have more than one loss, draw, and/or no contest in the same period. If a fighter failed a drug test in the qualification period or was suspended during the period, the fighter is automatically ineligible. If the fighter missed weight during the qualification period, the fighter is automatically ineligible. It does not make the fighter has a TUE as long as the fighter was not punished for failing a drug test.

3. DO NOT GO BEYOND THE ALLOWED NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS
Only the Knockout and Submission of the Year awards are allowed more than six nominees. If you list more than six nominees for any other award, only the first six you listed will be accepted

4. ANY DISCUSSION FOR A SPECIFIC AWARD GOES INTO THAT THREAD
Don't bring any arguments about Knockout of the Year into the Submission of the Year thread or vice versa. Once the nomination thread closes for one category, any further discussion goes into the MMA Talk thread until the voting thread for the particular category opens.

5. YOU CAN GO BACK AND EDIT ANY NOMINATIONS BEFORE THE THREAD IS CLOSED
If you need to make changes, edit your nomination reply as many times as you would like before I close the thread. Once I close the thread, I am not looking back at who changed what and why.

6. THE NOMINATIONS ARE DONE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
It's best to list your nominees in no particular order because the actual voting will figure out who won the award.

7. EXPLAIN WHY THE FIGHTER, EVENT, OR FIGHT ACTUALLY BELONGS AS A NOMINEE
It is required that you provide at least 2-3 RATIONAL, COGENT, AND SUBSTANTIVE sentences to explain why you made a nomination for each nominee. If you want to change anyone's mind, this would be the way to do it. You don't have to specifically rally around and focus on one nominee.  Don't be scared to research and look back at fights. You might find a nominee makes absolutely no sense and choose another one. Parts of the best explanations will be used for the voting threads. Any reply with nominees without explanations will be disregarded.

8. STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE MATTERS
Since narrowing down nominees for certain categories is tough, think about the strength of schedule or opponent. A person getting Knockout of the Year award honors should not be someone who stopped an opponent with a losing record in the organization. The eventual winner should have beaten a person or people who actually have credible victories against other good to great fighters. The winner of Event of the Year should not be solely picked on just a great main card, but was excellent from top to bottom.

9. FOLLOW THE FORMAT
I put it there for a reason so follow it. Any reply with nominees not in the format will be disregarded.

10. PLEASE ACT LIKE ADULTS
All namecalling and trolling should be kept to a bare minimal. You guys disagree. We get it. Just move on.

 

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NOMINATION CRITERIA:
Qualification Period:  DECEMBER 8, 2012 to DECEMBER 28, 2013

min. 2 wins and max. 1 loss/draw/NC

ALLOWED # OF NOMINEES:
Minimum of three, maximum of six

FORMAT:
____________________________________________________________________________________
1. "FIGHTER'S NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS" ("Name of Camp *Use Sherdog or Wikipedia*")
Bouts:
Outcome (Method) vs. "OPPONENT'S NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS" (Event Name, Date)
Outcome (Method) vs. "OPPONENT'S NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS" (Event Name, Date)

"EXPLANATION"
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. "FIGHTER'S NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS" ("Name of Camp *Use Sherdog or Wikipedia*")
Bouts:
Outcome (Method) vs. "OPPONENT'S NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS" (Event Name, Date)
Outcome (Method) vs. "OPPONENT'S NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS" (Event Name, Date)

"EXPLANATION"
____________________________________________________________________________________

Example

____________________________________________________________________________________
1. DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON (AMC Pankration)
Bouts:
W-DEC5 (UNANIMOUS) vs. JOHN DODSON (UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson, January 26, 2013)
W-SUB5 (ARMBAR) vs. JOHN MORAGA (UFC on Fox 8: Johnson vs. Moraga, July 27, 2013)
W-KO1 (PUNCH) vs. JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ (UFC on Fox 9: Johnson vs. Benavidez II, December 14, 2013)

[Your explanation without the brackets]
____________________________________________________________________________________

 

You don't need to repost the rules, criteria, format, or example.

[epwar]

Damn, I wanted to nominate Eddie Alvarez and Antonio Silva, but they can't be listed due to Alvarez only having one fight and Silva's failed drug test.

 

1. TRAVIS BROWNE (Jackson's Submission Fighting)

Bouts:

W-KO1 (ELBOWS) vs. GABRIEL GONZAGA (The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale, April 13, 2013)

W-KO1 (FRONT KICK) vs. ALISTAIR OVEREEM (UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen, August 17, 2013)

W-KO1 (ELBOWS) vs. JOSH BARNETT (UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2, December 28, 2013)

 

Browne's 2010-2012 was fraught with inconsistency (examples: horrible draw with Kongo; spectacular KO of Struve; horrible decision win over Rob Broughton; gets knocked out by Antonio Silva). 2013 finally showed some consistency and when it mattered the most with three impressive KOs over top 10 opponents.

 

2. DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON (AMC Pankration)

Bouts:

W-DEC5 (UNANIMOUS) vs. JOHN DODSON (UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson, January 26, 2013)

W-SUB5 (ARMBAR) vs. JOHN MORAGA (UFC on Fox 8: Johnson vs. Moraga, July 27, 2013)

W-KO1 (PUNCH) vs. JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ (UFC on Fox 9: Johnson vs. Benavidez II, December 14, 2013)

 

The biggest knock on Johnson since he came to the UFC was that he was a decision machine (even if his fights were entertaining as hell).  He changed that in 2013 and was always going for the finish, resulting in the latest stoppage in a UFC title fight.  He followed that with what will long be considered one of the most brutal KOs in Flyweight history.

 

3. WILL BROOKS (American Top Team)

Bouts:

W-TKO2 (PUNCHES) vs. SATORU KITAOKA (Dream 18, December 31, 2012)

W-DEC3 (UNANIMOUS) vs. RICARDO TIRLONI (Bellator 87, January 31, 2013)

L-KO1 (PUNCH) vs. SAAD AWAD (Bellator 91, February 28, 2013)

W-TKO3 (PUNCHES) vs. CRIS LEYVA (Bellator 97, July 31, 2013)

W-DEC3 (UNANIMOUS) vs. JOHN ALESSIO (Bellator 101, September 27, 2013)

W-DEC3 (UNANIMOUS) vs. SAAD AWAD (Bellator 105, October 25, 2013)

W-DEC3 (UNANIMOUS) vs. ALEXANDER SARNAVSKIY (Bellator 109, November 22, 2013)

 

It might be weird to put a rookie as comeback fighter of the year, but Will Brooks gets a nod from me.  He burst onto the international scene in late 2012 and got signed by Bellator.  In a lightweight tournament, he suffered his first loss and it was an embarrassing KO.  So what did he do?  He got right back in the cage and entered another Bellator tournament, avenging his loss in the process to winning a title shot (and going 6-1 over a 12 month period).

[Robert S]

1. ROBBIE LAWLER (American Top Team)
Bouts:
W-TKO1 (KNEE AND PUNCHES) vs. JOSH KOSCHECK (UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche, February 23, 2013)
W-KO2 (HEADKICK AND PUNCH) vs. BOBBY VOELKER (UFC on Fox 8: Johnson vs. Moraga, July 27, 2013)
W-DEC3 (SPLIT) vs. RORY MACDONALD (UFC 167: St. Pierre vs. Hendricks, November 16, 2013)

Lawler was coming from Strikeforce having a 3-5 record there with a 1-3 in his last three bouts (coming of a loss against Lorenz Larkin). I would suppose most people (including me) thought that by the end of 2013 he would be gone from UFC losing twice or so due to being over the hill. Instead he knocked out former contender Josh Koscheck and upset highly groomed Rory MacDonald which puts him into a fight for the vacant Welterweight title (agains Jonny Hendricks).

[Hollywood Cibernetico]

1. MATT BROWN (AMC Pankration)

 

Bouts:

W-TKO2 (KNEE AND PUNCHES) vs. Jordan Mein  (UFC on Fox 7 - Henderson vs. Melendez, August 17, 2013)

W-KO1 (HEADKICK AND PUNCH) vs. Mike Pyle  (UFC Fight Night 26 - Shogun vs. Sonnen April 20, 2013)

 

This guy is on a 6 fight win streak in the UFC and has had a remarkable comeback from obscurity. He was going to fight 3 times this year but was sidelined. Brown vs. Condit was going to be great and with one more win would have placed him into title contention.

 

 

TRAVIS BROWNE (Jackson's MMA)

 

Bouts:

W- KO (Elbows) Vs. Josh Barnett (UFC 168 - Weidman vs. Silva 2 Dec / 28 / 2013)

W- KO (Front Kick)  Vs. Alistair Overeem (UFC Fight Night 26 - Shogun vs. Sonnen

Aug / 17 / 2013)

W-  KO (Elbows) Vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (UFC - The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale

Apr / 13 / 2013)

 

With 5 fights in the UFC, Travis Browne was just another Heavyweight in the top 15 until he lost to top ten fighter Antonio Silva. I don't know what Silva's hands knocked into Browne, but what followed was three decisive victories over a former UFC champion, former Dream/K-1/Strikeforce champion, as well as a former top contender (who is on a resurgence himself). All three of those fights I went in doubting Browne, but he has made me a believer. Do I think he will beat Cain? No. However, the fight between Brown and Werdum will be VERY interesting.

 

Honorable mention: Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.

[epwar]

Damn, can't believe I forgot Lawler.  Good pick.

[throughsilver]

Damn, can't believe I forgot Lawler.  Good pick.

He's pretty much the pick. I'm not sure how Mighty Mouse could even qualify, given that he started the year as champion, and just kept winning. Are you suggesting he has come back from a bad reputation?

[epwar]

Yes.