Det Kimble
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If you guys vote, please post in the thread who you voted for and why. Thanks.
With Cain's victory on Saturday, I think he is the clear winner for Fighter of the Year 2012. To be fair, however, let's take a look at some of the potential candidates for Fighter of the Year. This thread will list the accomplishments of this year's champions + other potential contenders for Fighter of the Year.
Note: A loss automatically disqualifies a fighter from being a contender for FOTY.
Champions
Heavyweight (265lbs)
Cain Velasquez
Record: 2-0 (W Antonio Silva; W Junior Dos Santos)
Short Bio: After losing his belt to Junior dos Santos in 2011, Cain vowed to bring the belt back to AKA in 2012. Cain's first step to reclaiming his title was facing a fighter who beat the likes of Andrei Arlovski and Fedor Emelianenko: Antonio Silva. Cain returned with a vengeance and left Bigfoot in a pool of his own blood. This victory earned him a rematch against Junior dos Santos. The two heavyweights met on December 29. Cain showed why many considered him the next big thing in the heavyweight division. From dropping JDS, to scoring multiple takedowns, there was nothing JDS could do to stop the relentless Velasquez from reclaiming his title. Cain closes the year with a perfect 2-0 record and a new UFC belt.
Light Heavyweight (205lbs)
Jon Jones
Record: 2-0 (W Rashad Evans; W Vitor Belfort)
Short Bio: The 2011 Fighter of the Year looked to be on pace to become the 2012 Fighter of the Year. After outworking his rival, Rashad Evans, he was scheduled to face off against the legendary Dan Henderson at UFC 151. Unfortunately, the injury bug struck, and Dan Henderson had to pull out of the fight. The injury plus other factors led to the cancellation of the event, a first in (Zuffa) UFC history. Vitor Belfort stepped in on short notice to fight Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 152. Despite being a significant underdog, Vitor Belfort secured an armbar early in the first round. The invincible Jon Jones nearly tasted defeat, but he managed to defend the armbar and took control of the fight. Jones racked up another submission victory, making Vitor tap to an Americana in the 4th round.
Middleweight (185lbs)
Anderson Silva
Record: 2-0 (W Chael Sonnen; W Stephan Bonnar)
Short Bio: Chael Sonnen's victory over Michael Bisping earned him a rematch against middleweight champion Anderson Silva. In their first fight, Chael dominated Anderson for four rounds, only to let it all slip away in the last couple of minutes of the fight. Following the first fight, fans clamored for the rematch. After nearly two years, it was time for Anderson and Chael to meet again.
In the rematch, Chael started strong, dominating the first round. It seemed like it was going to be a repeat of the first 23 minutes of their UFC 117 fight, but Silva proved why he is one of the top P4P fighters in MMA. Anderson was able to stuff Chael's takedown attempts in the 2nd round. Chael threw a spinning back fist that Anderson effortlessly dodged, causing Chael to stumble to the mat. Here, Anderson threw what many at the time thought to be an illegal knee. Of course, this was not the case. Anderson showed why he is the best striker in the game by throwing a pin-point accurate knee to the solar plexus, crippling the gangster from West Linn. This victory improved Anderson's title defense record to 10-0.
Anderson's final fight of 2012 came against TUF 1 alum Stephan Bonnar. Although many felt Bonnar was outmatched in this fight, Anderson still managed to impress us. Saying Anderson effortlessly TKO'd Bonnar would be an understatement.
Welterweight (170lbs)
Georges St. Pierre
Record: 1-0 (W Carlos Condit)
Short Bio: One phone call could have prevented this amazing comeback. Georges St. Pierre revealed that he was ready to retire after suffering a knee injury that put him out of action for nearly two years. Georges returned to the Octagon to face one of his most dangerous tests to date: Carlos Condit. Many criticize GSP's fighting style, but this fight was anything but boring. Georges looked to be in control for the first two rounds. Then, in the third round, Condit shocked the world by dropping GSP with an unorthodox high kick. Since the first Matt Serra fight, many have questioned GSP's mental strength and physical ability to recover from a hard shot. GSP silenced his doubters by recovering and dominating the rest of the fight. With this victory, GSP has racked up seven consecutive title defenses.
Lightweight (155lbs)
Benson Henderson
Record: 3-0 (W Frankie Edgar; W Frankie Edgar; W Nate Diaz)
Short Bio: Benson started the year off by winning the title from Frankie Edgar in a competitive fight. Some felt Frankie should have been awarded the decision, so the UFC granted Edgar an immediate rematch. The two met again in August at UFC 150. Once again, the two fought a competitive fight; however, most scored this fight for Frankie Edgar. Still, Benson was awarded the decision. With two questionable victories, Benson needed to make a statement to show why he was the true #1 lightweight in the world. He did so by decimating Nate Diaz at the UFC on Fox 5 event. The highlight of this fight was not the punch that dropped Diaz; it was not Bendo's leg jabs...Nope. The highlight was the fact that he did all of this with a toothpick in his mouth!
With Cain's victory on Saturday, I think he is the clear winner for Fighter of the Year 2012. To be fair, however, let's take a look at some of the potential candidates for Fighter of the Year. This thread will list the accomplishments of this year's champions + other potential contenders for Fighter of the Year.
Note: A loss automatically disqualifies a fighter from being a contender for FOTY.
Champions
Heavyweight (265lbs)
Cain Velasquez
Record: 2-0 (W Antonio Silva; W Junior Dos Santos)
Short Bio: After losing his belt to Junior dos Santos in 2011, Cain vowed to bring the belt back to AKA in 2012. Cain's first step to reclaiming his title was facing a fighter who beat the likes of Andrei Arlovski and Fedor Emelianenko: Antonio Silva. Cain returned with a vengeance and left Bigfoot in a pool of his own blood. This victory earned him a rematch against Junior dos Santos. The two heavyweights met on December 29. Cain showed why many considered him the next big thing in the heavyweight division. From dropping JDS, to scoring multiple takedowns, there was nothing JDS could do to stop the relentless Velasquez from reclaiming his title. Cain closes the year with a perfect 2-0 record and a new UFC belt.
Light Heavyweight (205lbs)
Jon Jones
Record: 2-0 (W Rashad Evans; W Vitor Belfort)
Short Bio: The 2011 Fighter of the Year looked to be on pace to become the 2012 Fighter of the Year. After outworking his rival, Rashad Evans, he was scheduled to face off against the legendary Dan Henderson at UFC 151. Unfortunately, the injury bug struck, and Dan Henderson had to pull out of the fight. The injury plus other factors led to the cancellation of the event, a first in (Zuffa) UFC history. Vitor Belfort stepped in on short notice to fight Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 152. Despite being a significant underdog, Vitor Belfort secured an armbar early in the first round. The invincible Jon Jones nearly tasted defeat, but he managed to defend the armbar and took control of the fight. Jones racked up another submission victory, making Vitor tap to an Americana in the 4th round.
Middleweight (185lbs)
Anderson Silva
Record: 2-0 (W Chael Sonnen; W Stephan Bonnar)
Short Bio: Chael Sonnen's victory over Michael Bisping earned him a rematch against middleweight champion Anderson Silva. In their first fight, Chael dominated Anderson for four rounds, only to let it all slip away in the last couple of minutes of the fight. Following the first fight, fans clamored for the rematch. After nearly two years, it was time for Anderson and Chael to meet again.
In the rematch, Chael started strong, dominating the first round. It seemed like it was going to be a repeat of the first 23 minutes of their UFC 117 fight, but Silva proved why he is one of the top P4P fighters in MMA. Anderson was able to stuff Chael's takedown attempts in the 2nd round. Chael threw a spinning back fist that Anderson effortlessly dodged, causing Chael to stumble to the mat. Here, Anderson threw what many at the time thought to be an illegal knee. Of course, this was not the case. Anderson showed why he is the best striker in the game by throwing a pin-point accurate knee to the solar plexus, crippling the gangster from West Linn. This victory improved Anderson's title defense record to 10-0.
Anderson's final fight of 2012 came against TUF 1 alum Stephan Bonnar. Although many felt Bonnar was outmatched in this fight, Anderson still managed to impress us. Saying Anderson effortlessly TKO'd Bonnar would be an understatement.
Welterweight (170lbs)
Georges St. Pierre
Record: 1-0 (W Carlos Condit)
Short Bio: One phone call could have prevented this amazing comeback. Georges St. Pierre revealed that he was ready to retire after suffering a knee injury that put him out of action for nearly two years. Georges returned to the Octagon to face one of his most dangerous tests to date: Carlos Condit. Many criticize GSP's fighting style, but this fight was anything but boring. Georges looked to be in control for the first two rounds. Then, in the third round, Condit shocked the world by dropping GSP with an unorthodox high kick. Since the first Matt Serra fight, many have questioned GSP's mental strength and physical ability to recover from a hard shot. GSP silenced his doubters by recovering and dominating the rest of the fight. With this victory, GSP has racked up seven consecutive title defenses.
Lightweight (155lbs)
Benson Henderson
Record: 3-0 (W Frankie Edgar; W Frankie Edgar; W Nate Diaz)
Short Bio: Benson started the year off by winning the title from Frankie Edgar in a competitive fight. Some felt Frankie should have been awarded the decision, so the UFC granted Edgar an immediate rematch. The two met again in August at UFC 150. Once again, the two fought a competitive fight; however, most scored this fight for Frankie Edgar. Still, Benson was awarded the decision. With two questionable victories, Benson needed to make a statement to show why he was the true #1 lightweight in the world. He did so by decimating Nate Diaz at the UFC on Fox 5 event. The highlight of this fight was not the punch that dropped Diaz; it was not Bendo's leg jabs...Nope. The highlight was the fact that he did all of this with a toothpick in his mouth!
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