If Boetsch wins on Saturday, would you consider him in the mix for fighter of the year? He'd have 3 decent wins. It definitely would've helped his case a lot more though if he'd have been fighting Weidman I think Boetsch: Okami, Lombard (controversial), Philippou Henderson: 2x Frankie (both controversial), Diaz Jones: Rashad, Vitor (MW) Hendricks: Koscheck (controversial), Kampmann Can't really think of who else should make the list off the top of my head. Oh and I didn't include Cormier as he only fought once, Silva as he only had 1 real fight, and I didn't include Ronda as I consider her the Fighter of the Year for WMMA It's a tough year to decide, almost everyone had some controversy in their fights
lol, Bendo vs Edgar 1 was close but NOT controversial. Second fight was totally controversial though. Even if Boestch beats Costa by KO, Bendo deserves it imo. If Boestch would have KO's Weidman though, it might have been a diff story.
Hendricks for sure IMO. He beat Fitch (top 5), Kampmann (top 10), and Koscheck (top 10). Doesn't get much better than that.. But to answer your question, I'd say Boetsch is a close 2nd.
Uh....no. No she's not. Beating Tate and Kaufman isn't amazing at all. Ronda's just a big fish in a little pond
The Edgar fights just left a bitter taste in my mouth. Henderson did a lot to erase it though with his whooping of Diaz. I agree though that if Boetsch had been fighting Weidman and dominated him or put down a beatdown he'd have a very good claim. If not fighter of the year though, I definitely have him for breakthrough fighter of the year if he wins
He's got to be up there. Bendo would have my vote if he had finished any of those fights (and I'm a Bendo fan). Other Honorable Mentions would be Mike Pyle and Johnny Hendricks. Comeback fighter would be GSP IMO, to come off an ACL and put on a great title defense like that.
Using Condits patented leg-kick n run strategy to win a robbery decision over Lombard cuz you are scared of his punches doesnt earn you FOTY, it earns you something else.
WMMA should have separate awards. In fact Fighter's Only does have a female fighter of the year and that's clearly Ronda. Just because she armbarred 2 people this year does not make her fighter of the year. She's a big fish in a small pond and it's hard to stack up her accomplishments against the male division as there's actually established male fighter's and not just 5 female fighters that are known. She win female fighter of the year, leave it at that until there's actually competition in WMMA
