2017: ReadMMA’s End Of Year Awards
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With 2017 over and done with, it’s time for a retrospective look at a truly bizarre year in MMA with the ReadMMA End of Year Awards.
2017 saw Jon Jones return to his role of public enemy number one after testing positive for a steroid; Conor McGregor went AWOL and held up the sports deepest division in the process; Georges St-Pierre ended a four-year hiatus and claimed a world title in his return bout while Fabricio Werdum hit Colby Covington with a boomerang.
There were great title bouts, shocking upsets and everything in between throughout the year so it’s time to celebrate the wacky brilliance of mixed martial arts and hand out some awards for the truly special moments and fighters we witnessed in 2017.
With eight awards to dish out, all of the nominees stem from the major MMA promotions (barring any truly exceptional piece of brilliance) so without further ado, here are the 2017 ReadMMA End of Year Awards:
Fight Of The Year
(2016 Winner: Cub Swanson vs Doo Ho Choi)
The Nominees:
Darren Elkins vs Mirsad Bektic (UFC 209)
For the best part of three rounds, Mirsad Bektic completely dominated Darren Elkins in every aspect of the fight. With two minutes left on the clock, however, Elkins turned the tables and secured one of the greatest comebacks in MMA history.
David Teymur vs Lando Vannata (UFC 209)
In a stand-up battle, David Teymur and Lando Vannata provided non-stop action over 15 minutes with an array of techniques on display before the underdog Teymur’s hand was raised.
Eddie Alvarez vs Dustin Poirier (UFC 211)
Throwing all that they could at one another, Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier staggered and wobbled one another before an illegal knee by Alvarez brought a premature end and no contest ruling to a great fight.
Max Holloway vs Jose Aldo (UFC 212)
In a true changing of the guard moment, Max Holloway displayed his adaptability, incredible work rate and power as the Hawaiian started the ‘Blessed Era’ by taking Aldo’s featherweight belt in his opponent’s backyard.
Justin Gaethje vs Michael Johnson (The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale)
Justin Gaethje came into the UFC with a 17-0 record and a penchant for violence. What followed was a two-round war with the lighting fast Michael Johnson and Justin Gaethje living up to his nickname of ‘The Highlight’.
Brian Ortega vs Renato Carneiro (UFC 214)
Coming off a big win against Jeremy Stephens, Renato Carneiro was looking for back-to-back scalps in the featherweight division. With a fellow incredible grappler standing opposite, Carneiro and Brian Ortega engaged in a tightly contested striking battle before Ortega capitalised with a guillotine choke in the final stanza.
Lando Vannata vs Bobby Green (UFC 216)
With both men showing a disregard for defence, Lando Vannata and Bobby Green whacked away at one another for three rounds before both men walked away with a split decision draw.
Dustin Poirier vs Anthony Pettis (UFC Fight Night 120)
In a bloody and exhausting contest, Dustin Poirier proved that diamonds are formed under pressure as the 28-year old defeated the former lightweight champion in a bout which took place in every aspect of the game.
Frank Camacho vs Damien Brown (UFC Fight Night 121)
Slugging away at each other with UFC commentator Dan Hardy providing a standing ovation, Frank Camacho and Damien Brown simply beat each other up for three excellent rounds of action.
Yancy Medeiros vs Alex Oliveira (UFC 218)
With the momentum of the fight sliding back and forth like a pinball caught between two bumpers, Yancy Medeiros outlasted Alex Oliveira in one of two fight of the nights at UFC 218 as the Hawaiian recorded a third round TKO.
Eddie Alvarez vs Justin Gaethje (UFC 218)
In the second fight of the night at UFC 218, Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje battled for the crown of the UFC’s most violent man. With a knee up the middle to Gaethje’s chin, Eddie Alvarez took his opponent’s undefeated record and the adulation of those in attendance.
Winner: Justin Gaethje vs Michael Johnson
Heading into his promotional debut against Michael Johnson, many hypothesised whether Justin Gaethje’s aggressive gung-ho approach to fighting would work against the elite in the UFC’s lightweight division.
After a just shy 10 minutes of breath-taking fighting though, Gaethje was left standing over Michael Johnson and secured himself as a fan favourite to those unfamiliar with his work in WSOF.
With both men biting down on their mouthpiece from the get-go, Gaethje and Johnson dug their roots into the canvas and remained firmly in the pocket. Swinging for the fences at a ridiculous pace, rocking one another and displaying masterful technique in a beautiful disaster of flesh and bone, Justin Gaethje vs Michael Johnson is without doubt fight of the year.
Knockout Of The Year
(2016 Winner: Michael Page – Flying Knee vs Evangelista Santos)
The Nominees:
Paul Daley (vs Brennan Ward) (Bellator 170)
Alistair Overeem (vs Mark Hunt) (UFC 209)
Edson Barboza (vs Beneil Dariush) (UFC Fight Night 106)
Marc Diakiese (vs Teemu Packalen) (UFC Fight Night 107)
Mike Perry (vs Jake Ellenberger) (UFC Fight Night 108)
Holly Holm (vs Bethe Correia) (UFC Fight Night 111)
Galore Bofando (vs Charlie Ward) (UFC Fight Night 113)
Tywan Claxton (vs Jonny Bonilla-Bowman) (Bellator 186)
Ricardo Ramos (vs Aiemann Zahabi) (UFC 217)
Matt Brown (vs Diego Sanchez) (UFC Fight Night 120)
Francis Ngannou (vs Alistair Overeem) (UFC 218)
Marlon Moraes (vs Aljamain Sterling) (UFC Fight Night 123)
Winner: Francis Ngannou (vs Alistair Overeem)
It may not have been as pretty as Edson Barboza’s jumping knee or as technical as Holly Holm’s head kick but Francis Ngannou’s uppercut to Alistair Overeem is possibly the most jaw-dropping moment of 2017.
With pure unbridled power, Francis Ngannou lifted Alistair Overeem off of his feet and snapped the head back of a former champion rendering him unconscious.
As terrifying as it was awe-inspiring, Francis Ngannou’s uppercut is a worthy winner in a sea of contenders.
Submission Of The Year
(2016 Winner: Mackenzie Dern – Omoplata/RNC vs Montana Stewart)
The Nominees:
Oleksiy Oliynyk – Ezekiel choke (vs Viktor Pesta) (UFC Fight Night 103)
Diego Brandao – Helicopter armbar (vs Murad Machaev) (FNG Fight Nights Global 58)
Iuri Alcantara – Kneebar (vs Luke Sanders) (UFC 209)
Demetrious Johnson – Armbar (vs Wilson Reis) (UFC on Fox 24)
Askar Askarov – Body triangle neck crank (vs Anthony Leone) (ACB 58)
Ovince Saint Preux – Von Flue choke (vs Yushin Okami) (UFC Fight Night 117)
Demetrious Johnson – Armbar (vs Ray Borg) (UFC 216)
Georges St-Pierre – Rear-naked choke (vs Michael Bisping (UFC 217)
Brett Johns – Calf slicer (vs Joe Soto) (The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale)
Brian Ortega – Guillotine choke (vs Cub Swanson) (UFC Fight Night 123)
Winner: Demetrious Johnson - Armbar (vs Ray Borg)
Demetrious Johnson’s throw to armbar may be the best piece of skill and technique in MMA history.
The skill itself is incredibly hard to even contemplate, let alone complete, but Demetrious Johnson is not only finishing these skills, he’s doing them in title fights where he is already dominating.
Moments like Johnson’s armbar just prove that ‘Mighty Mouse’ is operating at a different level to anyone in MMA.
Event Of The Year
(2016 Winner: UFC 205)
The Nominees:
UFC 210 (Cormier vs Johnson II)
UFC 214 (Cormier vs Jones II)
UFC 216 (Ferguson vs Lee)
UFC 217 (Bisping vs St-Pierre)
UFC 218 (Holloway vs Aldo II)
Rizin FF World Grand Prix 2017: Final Round (Horiguchi vs Ishiwatari)
Winner: UFC 217
Three title fights, three title changes.
The UFC’s second visit to Madison Square Garden had a tough act to follow after UFC 205 but MMA’s premier promotion may well have gone one step above in 2017.
Headlined by the remarkable return of Georges St-Pierre submitting Michael Bisping, the co-main event saw T.J Dillashaw knock out Cody Garbrandt in what will surely be chapter one of a great rivalry while Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s long reign as strawweight champion was ended by Rose Namajunas in shocking fashion.
Add in a Stephen Thompson masterclass against Jorge Masvidal, Paulo Costa stopping Johny Hendricks and a thrilling undercard and UFC 217 was the only possible winner of the event of the year.
Prospect Of The Year
(2016 Winner: Lando Vannata)
The Nominees:
Eryk Anders (10-0)
Making his UFC debut in July 2017, Eryk Anders made quick work of middleweight veteran Rafael Natal with an impressive first-round knockout of the Brazilian. The former college American football player would then extend his UFC record to 2-0 with another dominant win, this time a decision victory over Markus Perez. Anders is now set to face former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida in February.
Cynthia Calvillo (6-1)
Fighting five times altogether in 2017, Cynthia Calvillo went 3-1 in her debut year in the UFC and climbed as high as #6 in the women’s strawweight rankings. Showcasing fantastic grappling skills, Calvillo will look to bounce back from her first career loss at UFC 219 after a closely fought contest with former champion Carla Esparza.
Paulo Costa (11-0)
With comparisons to a young Vitor Belfort, Paulo Costa has blazed a trail through the UFC’s middleweight division in 2017. Ending every fight in his unbeaten 11 fight career thus far, Costa is still yet to see the third round and holds a win over former UFC champion Johny Hendricks.
James Gallagher (7-0)
Fighting out of SBG Ireland, James Gallagher went 2-0 in Bellator’s featherweight division in 2017 racking up rear-naked choke number four and five in his seven-fight career.
Zabit Magomedsharipov (14-1)
The latest in a long line of UFC fighters from Dagestan, Zabit Magomedsharipov possess the perfect blend of controlling grappling and scintillating stand-up skills. The 26-year-old 145 lber scored two submission victories last year claiming performance of the night bonuses in both bouts.
A.J McKee (10-0)
At just 22 years old and the son of former fighter Antonio McKee, A.J went 4-0 in Bellator’s featherweight division in 2017, all the while showcasing a diverse skillset.
Volkan Oezdemir (15-1)
Making his UFC debut with a win against Ovince Saint Preux on short notice, Volkan Oezdemir has gone from strength to strength in the light heavyweight division and has defeated Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa in a combined 70 seconds.
Dominick Reyes (8-0)
‘The Devastator’ Dominick Reyes is another true prospect in the light heavyweight division. With heavy-hitting and his kicks being a particular danger, Reyes will look to enter the UFC’s 205 lbs rankings in 2018.
David Teymur (7-1)
With a background in both Kickboxing and Muay Thai, David Teymur defeated two fellow rising stars in the lightweight division in 2017, Drakkar Klose and ReadMMA’s prospect of 2016, Lando Vannata.
Alexander Volkanovski (16-1)
Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski went 2-0 in 2017 with both of his victories coming in dominant unanimous decisions. The UFC featherweight pursues takedowns relentlessly before following it up with swarming ground and pound.
Winner: Volkan Oezdemir
With dynamite power in his hands, Volkan Oezdemir is living up to his nickname of ‘No Time’.
By recording massive back-to-back knockouts over Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa, Oezdemir will now challenge Daniel Cormier for the 205 lbs belt on January 20th after a meteoric rise in 2017.
Upset Of The Year
(2016 Winner: Michael Bisping vs Luke Rockhold)
The Nominees:
Marcel Fortuna vs Anthony Hamilton (UFC Fight 104)
Fighting as low as middleweight earlier in his career, Marcel Fortuna took a heavyweight bout with Anthony Hamilton and gave up over 40 pounds on the weigh-in scales. With one overhand right, however, Fortuna sent Hamilton to the canvas to record the first knockout of his career.
Darren Elkins vs Mirsad Bektic (UFC 209)
Seen as one of the brightest prospects in a talent-stacked featherweight division, Mirsad Bektic entered his fight with Darren Elkins as an 8-to-1 favourite. With the fight going as predicted into the third round, Elkins created a scramble with just two minutes left before knocking out Bektic with a head kick against the cage.
Brent Primus vs Michael Chandler (Bellator NYC)
Entering his first title fight off of the back of two split decision victories, Brent Primus was unfancied by all and rightly so against the dangerous Michael Chandler. With just over two minutes gone against the veteran champion, Chandler’s left ankle rolled gruesomely following a leg kick causing the bout to be stopped by the doctors.
John Moraga vs Magomed Bibulatov (UFC 216)
Undefeated and a 6-1 favourite, flyweight Magomed Bibulatov was expected to extend his UFC record to 2-0 against John Moraga. With a first-round left hook landing on the button though, Moraga handed Bibulatov his first loss in devastating fashion.
Darren Till vs Donald Cerrone (UFC Fight Night 118)
With just three UFC bouts under his belt, Darren Till was awarded a headline slot in Gdansk, Poland and one of the most talented strikers in the welterweight division as an opponent. What followed was a demolition job by the Scouser as he picked Donald Cerrone apart en route to a first-round TKO.
Rose Namajunas vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 217)
Holding a 14-0 record and racking up five title defences, Joanna Jedrzejczyk was seen as a step too far for Rose Namajunas. With a left hook and perfect distance management, however, ‘Thug’ Rose put a stop to the growing legend of ‘Joanna Champion’ and claimed the women’s strawweight title.
Georges St-Pierre vs Michael Bisping (UFC 217)
Georges St-Pierre had been on a four-year hiatus prior to stepping into the Octagon at UFC 217. With a move up in weight class and coming up against the middleweight champion Michael Bisping, GSP rolled back the years before securing a rear-naked choke to become a two-weight champion.
Josh Emmett vs Ricardo Lamas (UFC on Fox 26)
Coming in as a late replacement for Jose Aldo, Josh Emmett jumped at the chance of a lifetime to face off against the then #3 ranked Ricardo Lamas. With a monstrous left hook at the end of the first round, Emmett scored the biggest win of his career and rocketed up the rankings.
Winner: Rose Namajunas vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk
In the words of Daniel Cormier, “THUG ROSE” x50.
With barely anyone giving Rose Namajunas a chance against the dominant champion, Namajunas put in a flawless performance against Jedrzejczyk before a left hook put the champion down for the second time in the first round.
Piling on the pressure after the stinging shot, Jedrzejczyk was seen tapping to strikes on the replays as Namajunas implored everyone to “just be a good person” in her post-fight speech.
Female Fighter Of The Year
(2016 Winner: Joanna Jedrzejczyk)
The Nominees:
Cris ‘Cyborg’
2017 finally saw Cris Cyborg pick up UFC gold as the Brazilian fighter claimed the vacant women’s featherweight title at UFC 214 against Tonya Evinger with a flurry of knees in the third round. Cyborg would then successfully defend her title for the first time in the UFC’s final event of the year with a unanimous decision victory over Holly Holm.
Andrea Lee
Andrea ‘KGB’ Lee squeezed in four fights in 2017 and managed to pick up the inaugural LFA women’s flyweight championship in the process. Lee recorded a first-round knockout and two submission victories during 2017 and is expected to make her UFC debut in 2018.
Nicco Montano
After being ranked as the #14 seed in ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ process to crown an inaugural UFC flyweight champion, Nicco Montano ran the gauntlet in order to fight for UFC gold and successfully defeated Roxanne Modafferi to become the first women’s UFC 125 lbs champion in December.
Rose Namajunas
Rose Namajunas fought twice in 2017 and recorded two finishes against top opposition. With a rear-naked choke against Michelle Waterson in April, ‘Thug’ Rose went on to dethrone Joanna Jedrezjczyk with a first-round knockout.
Tecia Torres
After losing her lone bout of 2016, Tecia Torres bounced back from the first professional loss of her career to go 3-0 in 2017. The ‘Tiny Tornado’ climbed to #5 in the women’s strawweight division with wins over Bec Rawlings, Juliana Lima and Michelle Waterson.
Winner: Rose Namajunas
In the words of Daniel Cormier again, “THUG ROSE” x50.
With such dominant wins under her belt and by becoming the one to end Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s reign of terror at 115 lbs, Rose Namajunas is the only woman possible to be named female fighter of the year.
2017 was truly the year of Rose Namajunas.
Male Fighter Of The Year
(2016 Winner: Stipe Miocic)
The Nominees:
Rafael dos Anjos
‘RDA’ moved up to welterweight with the turn of the year and within 12 months can now lay claim to being the next in line to challenge the champion, Tyron Woodley. With dominant wins over former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny and former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, Rafael dos Anjos has given himself the chance to become a two-weight UFC champion.
Max Holloway
After becoming an interim champion at the end of 2016, Max Holloway successfully unified the UFC’s featherweight division at the expense of Jose Aldo in June and did so in Aldo’s backyard. Six months later, Holloway would repeat the result in nearly identical circumstances as the Hawaiian recorded a third round TKO victory for the second time against the all-time great.
Demetrious Johnson
2017 proved to be a special year for Demetrious Johnson as the UFC’s flyweight champion successfully defended his title for the 10th and a record-breaking 11th time. Holding the distinction of being the only 125 lbs champion in the UFC’s history, Johnson became the first man to submit jiu-jitsu black belt Wilson Reis in April before scoring the submission of the year against Ray Borg to break Anderson Silva’s record in breathtaking fashion.
Volkan Oezdemir
With pure knockout power at his disposal, Volkan Oezdemir has blazed a trail through the light heavyweight division since defeating Ovince Saint Preux in his UFC debut on short notice. The Swiss fighter nicknamed ‘No Time’ would then go on to knockout both Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa in a combined 70 seconds.
Robert Whittaker
Robert Whittaker entered 2017 with a six-fight win streak and ended the year with an eight-fight win streak and a UFC middleweight title to boot. With a TKO victory against Jacare Souza in February, ‘The Reaper’ followed up his stunning win with an interim title victory against Yoel Romero before being promoted to undisputed champion in December.
Winner: Robert Whittaker
You can make a real argument for any of the nominees to be male fighter of the year but Robert Whittaker’s year was truly special to behold.
Taking on the two most feared competitors at middleweight, Robert Whittaker bested them both in 2017 and did so in brilliant fashion.
Shirking off Jacare’s attempts to take Whittaker to the mat, ‘Bobby Knuckles’ would go on to finish Jacare in the second round, a fighter who has never been an underdog in his entire career.
With one perennial title contender knocked off, Whittaker would then take on Yoel Romero in an interim title fight in July.
Again, Robert Whittaker would consistently shake off his opponents attempts to take the Australian fighter to the mat but this time did so after suffering a medial knee injury in the first round. For the next 20 minutes, Whittaker would find a home for his strikes against the ever-dangerous Romero and became the first Oceanic UFC champion in history.
With a fantastic year already in the books, Whittaker would be promoted to undisputed champion in December with Georges St-Pierre vacating his title, allowing Robert Whittaker to take his rightful place as the king of the middleweights.