Best of 2016 ( So Far)

[Captain_Dammitt]

With the first half of the year behind us, and such a monumental event in UFC 200 right around the corner, I wanted to make a thread honoring the best of the year so far and encourage everyone to add theirs. Maybe I will revisit this tread at the end of the year to see what has changed.

Round of the year
Lawler vs Condit round 5

Round 5 of Lawler vs Condit gets it for me. I was going to add some gifs but I believe this image says enough.

Fighter of the year
Michael "The Count" Bisping

Without question, this year's fighter of the year so far is Michael "The Count" Bisping. Not only did he beat the greatest middleweight of all time but then he went on to capture the mw title in emphatic fashion.
-"That was the easiest fight of my life."

HM - Stephen Thompson

Fight of the year
Dillashaw vs Cruz
Maybe not the most popular opinion here but, to me, this was the best fight of the year so far. The two men fighting were of the highest caliber, both in technique and in skill. It was a beautiful display and a very evenly contested fight.

HM - Lawler vs Condit

Upset of the year
Bisping vs Rockhold

No one thought Bisping was going to win this fight. Coming off of a movie set to step into the octagon on barely a two week heads up, as a big underdog (+550 on some sites), no one gave Bisping much of a chance. In reality, however, Bisping had spent the past decade preparing and two weeks was more than enough for "The Count" to pull off the biggest upset of the year.

HM - Holm vs. Tate, McGregor vs. Diaz

Knock out of the year
Stipe Miocic kos Fabricio Werdum

Werdum was all smiles, er, troll face, leading up to UFC 198. It only took Stipe two minutes and fourty-seven seconds to knock that look off of Fabricio's face in one of the biggest crowds in UFC histroy and to end the 52 year Cleveland championship drought.

HM- Hunt vs Mir, Johnson vs Bader

Submission of the year
Diaz vs McGregor

I think most would be in agreement here that Nate Diaz's submission of the Irishman was either one of the most satisfying or one of the most heart breaking finishes in recent mma history. McGregor was, and still is, one of the biggest stars this sport has ever produced and he was riding a high like none other. Diaz was figured to be a sacrificial lamb to feed the hype machine. However Diaz, along with the unforgiving mma gods, would have none of that and he showed what it means to be a Diaz brother.

HM - Holm vs Tate, Barnett vs. Rothwell

Beatdown of the year
Hendricks vs Thompson

From the sound of the bell until "Big" John McCarthy stepped into to stop Thompson, Hendricks looked outmatched and bewildered. Quite the display for "Wonder Boy".
That kick tho...

HM - Dos Santos vs Rothwell, Cerrone vs Cote, Jacare vs Belfort, Johnson vs Cejudo, Lombard vs Magney

Card of the year
UFC 199

Most cards fall apart when the main event is reshuffled at the last minute. UFC 199, however, turned out better than anyone could have imagined. Not only did we get to see Dustin Poirier return to form, Max Halloway pick up his 9th straight victory over a top contender, Dominic Cruz assert himself as the true alpha male, and Dan Henderson give the middle finger to father time one more time, but we witnessed one of the biggest upsets in mma histroy.

Feel free to add your favorites or add any category I may have missed.

Here's to the rest of the year, which seems to be shaping up to be one of mma's best!

 

[MMAViewer]

I don't agree with your list here but hell of an effort

 

[Arm Barbarian]

You nailed it TS.

Bisping / Luke & McG / Nate were pure Gold.

 

[Captain_Dammitt]

I don't agree with your list here but hell of an effort

It's all good, share your own man. That's what forums were made for.

 

[MrMightyMouse]

p4p GOAT post/thread homie!

 

[Captain_Dammitt]

p4p GOAT post/thread homie!

Thank you sir, greatly appreciated!

 

[sirmorbach]

Man, awesome thread. I even like the most controversial pick in your list (fight of the year).

I'd consider Reyes vs. Kim as an honourable mention for fight of the year and I'm not sure if I woudn't pick UFC 189 instead of UFC 199 for card of the year. But then again, it's just like Mr. Arm Barbarian said. You nailed it.

 

[Captain_Dammitt]

You nailed it TS.

Bisping / Luke & McG / Nate were pure Gold.

The best. Both were so satisfying.

Man, awesome thread. I even like the most controversial pick in your list (fight of the year).

I'd consider Reyes vs. Kim as an honourable mention for fight of the year and I'm not sure if I woudn't pick UFC 189 instead of UFC 199 for card of the year. But then again, it's just like Mr. Arm Barbarian said. You nailed it.

Thanks. I knew I'd miss some fights here and there.

 

[UseARubberGuard]

The only thing I'd change is putting Yair vs. Fili for KOTY

 

[saugeye killah]

I like it TS. Well done, can't argue with anything there, really.

 

[Evangelion]

Really solid thread, agree with your picks and well written as well, like for sure

 

[Epicness]

Disagree with foty but the rest are all solid candidates.

Personally I'd give KO of the year to Hendo/Lombard and beatdown of the year to Magny/Lombard

man lombard has been on the receiving end of some awful brain trauma recently lol

 

[SocraticMethod]

Good thread. Hard to argue with much at all. I thoroughly enjoyed Cruz vs Dillashaw, although I think we may be in the minority there.

I haven't seen Lawler/Condit yet. #sadface

 

[ronin707]

I really liked hendo/lombard. That was pretty good

 

[HueyLewisFan24]

Great thread. Loved Cruz/Dillashaw as fight of the year. Great fight and honestly I felt TJ won! But that was a super close decision. Nice work.

 

[ronin707]

Worth every penny fight - mcgregor/diaz
Maybe not in danas eyes

 

[deathxbyxstereo]

Cruz vs Dillashaw was good but there were plenty of others that were better. Lawler vs Condit was better.

 

[I see stiffness]

With the first half of the year behind us, and such a monumental event in UFC 200 right around the corner, I wanted to make a thread honoring the best of the year so far and encourage everyone to add theirs. Maybe I will revisit this tread at the end of the year to see what has changed.

Round of the year
Lawler vs Condit round 5

Round 5 of Lawler vs Condit gets it for me. I was going to add some gifs but I believe this image says enough.

Fighter of the year
Michael "The Count" Bisping

Without question, this year's fighter of the year so far is Michael "The Count" Bisping. Not only did he beat the greatest middleweight of all time but then he went on to capture the mw title in emphatic fashion.
-"That was the easiest fight of my life."

HM - Stephen Thompson

Fight of the year
Dillashaw vs Cruz
Maybe not the most popular opinion here but, to me, this was the best fight of the year so far. The two men fighting were of the highest caliber, both in technique and in skill. It was a beautiful display and a very evenly contested fight.

HM - Lawler vs Condit

Upset of the year
Bisping vs Rockhold

No one thought Bisping was going to win this fight. Coming off of a movie set to step into the octagon on barely a two week heads up, as a big underdog (+550 on some sites), no one gave Bisping much of a chance. In reality, however, Bisping had spent the past decade preparing and two weeks was more than enough for "The Count" to pull off the biggest upset of the year.

HM - Holm vs. Tate, McGregor vs. Diaz

Knock out of the year
Stipe Miocic kos Fabricio Werdum

Werdum was all smiles, er, troll face, leading up to UFC 198. It only took Stipe two minutes and fourty-seven seconds to knock that look off of Fabricio's face in one of the biggest crowds in UFC histroy and to end the 52 year Cleveland championship drought.

HM- Hunt vs Mir, Johnson vs Bader

Submission of the year
Diaz vs McGregor

I think most would be in agreement here that Nate Diaz's submission of the Irishman was either one of the most satisfying or one of the most heart breaking finishes in recent mma history. McGregor was, and still is, one of the biggest stars this sport has ever produced and he was riding a high like none other. Diaz was figured to be a sacrificial lamb to feed the hype machine. However Diaz, along with the unforgiving mma gods, would have none of that and he showed what it means to be a Diaz brother.

HM - Holm vs Tate, Barnett vs. Rothwell

Beatdown of the year
Hendricks vs Thompson

From the sound of the bell until "Big" John McCarthy stepped into to stop Thompson, Hendricks looked outmatched and bewildered. Quite the display for "Wonder Boy".
That kick tho...

HM - Dos Santos vs Rothwell, Cerrone vs Cote, Jacare vs Belfort, Johnson vs Cejudo, Lombard vs Magney

Card of the year
UFC 199

Most cards fall apart when the main event is reshuffled at the last minute. UFC 199, however, turned out better than anyone could have imagined. Not only did we get to see Dustin Poirier return to form, Max Halloway pick up his 9th straight victory over a top contender, Dominic Cruz assert himself as the true alpha male, and Dan Henderson give the middle finger to father time one more time, but we witnessed one of the biggest upsets in mma histroy.

Feel free to add your favorites or add any category I may have missed.

Here's to the rest of the year, which seems to be shaping up to be one of mma's best!

Round of the year: conor vs aldo round 1

KO of the year: conor on aldo

Submission escape of the year: Conor guillotine escape against mendes

Fighter of the year: Conor

Upset of the year: hall on artem

Biggest news of the year: Brock returning and conor facing mayweather

Sorry I did financial year.

 

[MCscratchNsniff]

Is this only UFC? I agree with everything but darrion Caldwell destroying joe warren is a candidate for beatdown of the year as well

 

[kingcillo24]

Honorable Mention for Knockout -Wasn't Johnson vs Bader a standard tko from back mount? I know Rumble does stuff violently, but that is a finish sequence we see on almost every card.