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


Elsalvajeloco

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

17 members have voted

  1. 1. Who had the most impressive campaign of 2013?

    • CHRIS WEIDMAN
      7
    • CAIN VELASQUEZ
      1
    • ANTHONY PETTIS
      2
    • DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON
      6
    • RENAN BARAO
      0
    • ROBBIE LAWLER
      1


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CHRIS WEIDMAN

 

Wins: KO2 ANDERSON SILVA (July 6, 2013), TKO2 ANDERSON SILVA (December 28, 2013)

 

Chris Weidman spent the better part of a year between fights before getting a crack at his division's crown jewel. A torn labrum put the Long Island native out of commission and his title hopes on the shelf. In addition, Hurricane Sandy ravaged his home and left the undefeated fighter in a rough financial position. Weidman faced some condemnation in his run up to UFC 162. His record did not feature a murderer's row of other contenders or familiar faces of the past like Yushin Okami, Nate Marquardt, or Dan Henderson. Perhaps the most impressive win in retrospect besides current welterweight Demian Maia would have been now TUF alum Uriah Hall.

 

Nevertheless, Weidman charged into his UFC 162 performance as if he was the long awaited number one contender all along. Weidman's confidence and poise in his shocking second round knockout over Anderson Silva showed he was the rightful heir to the middleweight throne. It was much more than a return to normalcy. The antics and overall experience of the longtime champion were not enough to guide him to another stellar title defense. Weidman fought a brilliant tactical fight with few errors and took advantage of Silva's most critical mistake.

 

Weidman continued to show growth in his maturation as an elite fighter in the return match with "The Spider" at UFC 168. Matching wits with Anderson had not yielded great results for other fighters, but Weidman's fight IQ allowed him to win both fights. Silva had prepared mostly in LA while Weidman prepped with his training partners in Long Island and New Jersey for any possible adjustments. One adjustment Weidman did make that paid dividends was checking leg kicks. Silva's leg kicks had proven to be a big transition for his other attacks, and Weidman successfully countered to take another victory over the man who once sat atop of the pound-for-pound list.

 

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CAIN VELASQUEZ

 

Wins: DEC5 Junior Dos Santos (December 30, 2012), TKO1 Antonio Silva (May 25, 2013), TKO5 Junior Dos Santos (October 19, 2013)

 

The UFC heavyweight division has been an odd duck for a number of years. A more specific timeframe would be since spring of 2007. With the purchase of PRIDE in 2007 and a number of their fighters heading to greener pastures, the UFC seemed to be in full control of their manifest destiny. MMA fans began fantasy booking the UFC's remaining slate for the next several months as well as proposed PRIDE tournaments. Much to the chagrin of the fanbase of the two MMA promotional titans, talent began to scatter in several directions. K-1 Hero's/FEG  pulled up and passed Dream Stage Entertainment in the race for Japan while later doomed companies like Strikeforce, Affliction, and EliteXC ate up contract-after-contract. Free agency had never been so sweet for the sport.

 

Fast forwarding to the spring of 2012, free agency had become a much different term in the sport. Fedor Emelianenko, the most glaring omission from the UFC's buyout years earlier, was on the eve of retirement. In the time since, Zuffa had failed to nab the services of the stoic gentleman from Stary Oskol. Fedor had taken his losses and was no longer an invincible force. His retirement was escalated by the fact M-1 no longer had a different and diverse platform for the former PRIDE heavyweight champion. Fedor had went from performing on shows with Takada hitting percussion in diapers to events with Megadeth three song medleys serving as intermissions. Fedor had been adapt at being the lone star in the small ponds, but was not as big a factor in the expanision of the sport across the globe since April 2007.

 

The UFC had been making moves though. UFC 70, the show where the entire heavweight landscape changed with a kick to the head, was the first UFC show overseas in a good bit. Five years later, the UFC was in the midst of their expansion to increase their Latino and Brazilian fanbase. An average UFC PPV show now in Las Vegas has a bigger Brazilian atmosphere than a Gracie vs. Luta Livre show in 1992. Part of the expansion can be attributed to their two heavyweight stalwarts, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.

 

After quickly toppling Velasquez in November 2011 on the first ever UFC on Fox show, Dos Santos fell prey to  a much healthier fighter in their UFC 155 rematch. Velasquez beat the Brazilian from pillar to post without much resistance. Much like the first matchup, both fighters were not up to snuff when they stepped into the cage. Dos Santos was dealing with health issues and a rocky marital split. At UFC 160, the two heavyweight behemoths grabbed two decisive wins to put them both on the collision course again. Not to the surprise of anyone, a trilogy was in order to decide the true successor to the Fedor era.

 

The American Kickboxing Academy product wasted no time in putting a stamp on the action by beginning the rubber match much like the second bout. Dos Santos, now with longtime coach Yuri Carlton finally in his corner on fight night, spent much of his time on the defensive. What was so impressive about Velasquez's performances in fights two and three was Dos Santos had never been a shrinking violet in his career, but  Velasquez made the much more offensive minded fighter into a passive and timid participant. While "Cigano" surely got his licks in and busted Velasquez up at points, the third bout was never really up in the air outside of a puncher's chance. Velasquez secured the win and his spot in the pantheon of elite fighters.

 

OTHER NOMINEES:

H/T Patrick L. Stumburg (http://www.mmamania.com/2014/1/1/5240400/ufc-mma-top-5-fighters-2013-pettis-barao-lawler-belfort-johnson)

 

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ANTHONY PETTIS

 

Wins: TKO1 DONALD CERRONE (January 26, 2013), SUB1 BENSON HENDERSON (August 31, 2013)

 

 

It was a long time coming, but Anthony Pettis finally got a chance to take a run at the UFC Lightweight title this year.

And what a run it was.

 

He started the year by utterly thrashing fellow World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran Donald Cerrone, handing him the first knockout loss of his career courtesy of a rib-crushing liver kick. It took him all of three minutes.

 

When September rolled around, "Showtime" faced longtime rival Ben Henderson for the 155-pound strap. After controlling the majority of the first round on the feet, landing a series of vicious body kicks before an errant head kick resulted in "Bendo" taking him down.

 

That's when Pettis did the unthinkable, locking up a tight armbar from his guard and forcing the rubber-limbed champion to submit.

 

Injury may keep Pettis off the shelf until midway through 2014, but I, for one, will be awaiting his first defense with bated breath.

 

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DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON

 

Wins: DEC5 JOHN DODSON (January 26, 2013), SUB5 JOHN MORAGA (July 27, 2013), KO1 JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ (December 14, 2013)

 

Demetrious Johnson earned the Flyweight belt in 2012. In 2013, he proved that he was a true champion.

 

His first defense pitted him against The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 winner and athletic freak John Dodson, owner of perhaps the biggest punch at 125 pounds. Though he ate some big shots early, Johnson demonstrated his determination and ability to adapt, brutalizing Dodson from the clinch in the later rounds to wear down "The Magician" to earn a close unanimous decision for "Fight of the Night."

 

He had no such trouble against John Moraga, handily outgrappling the wrestling standout before locking up a bonus-earning armbar.

 

He capped the year off in tremendous fashion with a one-punch knockout of Joseph Benavidez, the first stoppage loss of the Alpha Male vet's career and Johnson's first knockout since 2010. This also completed his bonus collection, earning Knockout of the Night.

 

Three title defenses, two finishes and all three fight night bonuses. Rock on, "Mighty Mouse."

 

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RENAN BARAO

 

Wins: SUB4 MICHAEL MCDONALD (February 16, 2013), TKO2 EDDIE WINELAND (September 21, 2013)

 

 

Barao just keeps finding new ways to impress.

 

After his dull defense against Urijah Faber in 2012, Barao spent 2013 earning back the fans' good graces, starting with his submission of young gun Michael McDonald in February. After surviving the young puncher's power, Barao began finding more and more success with his kicks and takedowns, eventually locking up an arm-triangle in the fourth frame.

 

His September bout with Eddie Wineland was even more impressive, as Barao uncorked a vicious spinning back kick to the face early in the second round to earn his first UFC knockout.

 

He faces Dominick Cruz in February at UFC 169 in a clash to determine the best Bantamweight in the modern era. That ought to be something special.

 

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ROBBIE LAWLER

 

Wins: TKO1 JOSH KOSCHECK (February 23, 2013), KO2 BOBBY VOELKER (July 27, 2013), DEC3 RORY MACDONALD (November 16, 2013)

 

 

Robbie went 1-3 from 2010 to 2011. He's fighting for a UFC Welterweight title early next year.

 

Undoubtedly the "Comeback Fighter of the Year," Lawler returned to 170 pounds for the first time in almost a decade in February, starching Josh Koscheck in one of the year's biggest upsets.

 

He was next scheduled to face final Strikeforce 170-pound champ Tarec Saffiedine in July, only for "The Sponge" to pull out. When replacement Siyar Bahadurzada pulled out as well, Lawler settled for wrecking fellow import Bobby Voelker, sleeping him in two with a head kick.

 

His most impressive performance yet, though, came at UFC 167, where he out-dueled hot prospect Rory MacDonald. Lawler showed significantly-improved takedown defense and ability to scramble to his feet, which allowed him to bring his heavy leather to bear and drop Macdonald in the third round.

 

After taking a well-earned split decision, Lawler is set to take on Johny Hendricks for the recently-vacated UFC welterweight title, more than one decade since he first debuted in the world's largest fight organization.

 

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Voting for Chris Weidman, he ended Anderson Silva's UFC undefeated record and the longest title reign in UFC history. Silva getting KTFO in their first fight and THAT injury in the second fight. Weidman in doing this kept his perfect record. I'd have Anthony Pettis second and Mighty Mouse in third place.

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Had Vitor been an option, I would've voted for him.

 

To me it was a toss up between Weidman and Cain, but I voted for Weidman simply because his first win over Anderson is a lot bigger than Cain's 2 wins over JDS even though they were complete dominations Weidman however gets the nod because he did what no one else thought was possible and dethroned the greatest middleweight of all time.

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Robbie Lawler should not be in this poll over Urijah Faber. 4 wins. 3 finishes. 3 of the 4 wins are all over guys ranked in the current top 15. Not only is it crazy that Faber isn't in the poll. I think he should win. Although, you could make a case for Vitor if he were in.

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I voted Weidman. His victories over Silva are some of the biggest stories of the year, but it's hard to argue against Zero's Mighty Mouse argument/point. 3 defenses is impressive; I hadn't realized/remembered he got 3 separate win bonuses. 

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Yeah. If she was included, it'd be hard to not vote for her as well. Even in terms of "story of the year" she's certainly right there at the top. Her two fights/championship defenses gathered tons of attention, and her coaching/TUF season got more TUF attention that several recent, and even current seasons of the show. 

 

I'm a big Valesquez fan and even see Barao at the top of a P4P rankings; crazy/weird/surprising to see that they both have zero votes thus far. 

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Considering Weidman beat twice and KO'd one of the top 2 greatest fighters of all time, I don't see why anyone would vote for Cain or Ronda over him.

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Weidman's wins over Silva still stink.  1st one appears to be a lucky strike against the GOAT who was inexplicably not defending himself / not taking Weidman seriously.  2nd one appears to be him standing there while the GOAT breaks his own goddamn leg.  Both times the dude ran around a celebrated like he won Miss America and raising the American flag like he's fucking Rocky in Rocky IV.  Sure, he may have been winning those fights, but the way he won still looks fluke-ish.  He's got a perception problem. 

 

And the way he chooses to wear a hat makes him look like a douchebag.  Weidman is Bo Dallas.

 

Yeah, Ronda's got her own perception problems, but at least she's Stone Cold instead of Bo Dallas.

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Weidman's wins over Silva still stink. 1st one appears to be a lucky strike against the GOAT who was inexplicably not defending himself / not taking Weidman seriously.

This argument has been beaten do death already, but have you seen any other of Anderson's UFC title fights? He always fought like that, but since he got caught that time people try to use it as an excuse that doesn't really work.

Both times the dude ran around a celebrated like he won Miss America and raising the American flag like he's fucking Rocky in Rocky IV.

Yeah, God forbid fighters raising their hands and celebrating their wins. How dare they?

Sure, he may have been winning those fights, but the way he won still looks fluke-ish.

A lot of Bendo's decision wins were fluke-ish, but he still won. What's your point?

And the way he chooses to wear a hat makes him look like a douchebag.

That's as lame as grown men envying Justin Bieber.
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The reason I couldn't vote for Weidman is, the first knockout was a clean KO he caught him & the second was a nice defensive move that ended the fight. I just don't give it enough credit. Fabricio Werdum didn't win FighterOTY after tapping Fedor. The circumstances were just 2 weird, and I just don't think what he did matches up to a guy like DJ. 

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So much of this award is volume, at least for me. I can't vote for anyone that only won two fights. When there are guys out there that have 3 or 4 high level guys in the year, that holds so much weight. That's why I'm voting for DJ out of these choices. Him starching Benavidez to close out the year was the perfect icing on the cake.

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Ronda Rousey.

 

 

Yeah. If she was included, it'd be hard to not vote for her as well. Even in terms of "story of the year" she's certainly right there at the top. Her two fights/championship defenses gathered tons of attention, and her coaching/TUF season got more TUF attention that several recent, and even current seasons of the show.

 

Ronda's wins were not good enough. Yeah, she would be up there in the voting for "Most Polarizing Figure of the Year". Fighter of the Year? Not this year. She beat Carmouche. Carmouche then beat a fighter who should be at 115 or 125 and then looked very unspectacular against Alexis Davis, Then, Rousey beat Tate again. It's a good win but Tate was coming off a loss to the person Ronda should've been facing. Her competition for 2013 is a combined 1-3 in the UFC. Even though she contributed two of those losses, the strength of schedule definitely isn't there compared to the others. She would have been like the ninth or tenth out of all the available candidates. If I included a seventh person, does her two wins beat out Belfort? Faber? Aldo? Browne?

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Weidman's wins over Silva still stink.  1st one appears to be a lucky strike against the GOAT who was inexplicably not defending himself / not taking Weidman seriously.  2nd one appears to be him standing there while the GOAT breaks his own goddamn leg.  Both times the dude ran around a celebrated like he won Miss America and raising the American flag like he's fucking Rocky in Rocky IV.  Sure, he may have been winning those fights, but the way he won still looks fluke-ish.  He's got a perception problem

 

 

KO's Silva cold in a fight he was already winning up to that point.  Dominates Silva in the rematch until Silva snaps his leg.  Clearly has Silva's number.  If you saw it twice and still say "fluke" you're the one with the perception problem. 

 

Also in no way, shape, or form could or should Ronda Rousey be considered fighter of the year.  One of my favorite fighters by far but two wins that weren't really even over her top competition.  Shit, the Tate fight shouldn't have even been against Tate but Zingano tore her knee up.  Tate was coming off the loss. 

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It's perception.  If Weidman is perceived to be the new GOAT, then his fight with Belfort should do gangbusters.  If he's perceived to be a fluke, it won't.  Hell, Anderson doesn't think his wins are legit.

 

Weidman is Matt Serra.  I hope roided out Vitor kicks his head off, and I hate roided out Vitor.

 

Rousey dominates everyone they put in front of her.  She's the biggest positive news story of the UFC.  She's spearheading a new division that is catching on with more than just her fights.  The TUF women's fights, as flawed as they were, beat the TUF men's fights.  And unlike Weidman, she has personality and no question marks about her wins.

 

Although I think I can make an argument that Aliens should be fighter(s) of the year.  They took out GSP.

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Weidman is Matt Serra. 

 

Weidman is not Matt Serra. Serra was a veteran at the end of his career that had to win the comeback season of TUF to get a title shot and then had his rocky moment and lost horribly in the rematch. 

 

Weidman is an undefeated champion that's still early in his career. He could very well end up a dominant champion for years to come. The jury is still out on Weidman...

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Rousey dominates everyone they put in front of her.  She's the biggest positive news story of the UFC.  She's spearheading a new division that is catching on with more than just her fights.  The TUF women's fights, as flawed as they were, beat the TUF men's fights.  And unlike Weidman, she has personality and no question marks about her wins.

 

And all that has nothing do with Fighter of the Year

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It's perception.  If Weidman is perceived to be the new GOAT, then his fight with Belfort should do gangbusters.  If he's perceived to be a fluke, it won't.  Hell, Anderson doesn't think his wins are legit.

 

 

 

Those things don't go together at all.  Silva has been the best fighter in the sport for quite a while now and even when he was he was at his prime he wasn't a consistent top draw.   But yeah, the fight is on the July 4th weekend card.  It will probably do ridiculous numbers, it should be a pretty stacked card. 

 

You've seen Silva and Weidman fight each other for about 13 minutes now.  It's pretty clear to most people what's going on in that 13 minutes. I'm not sure why it escapes you.   

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