Has there ever been a better year to be an MMA fan? Unlikely.
2015 in mixed martial arts has been something of a rollercoaster ride as we’ve seen an astonishing seven new champions crowned over the past 12 months.
We’ve seen shock knockouts, grimace-inducing submissions and future superstars bursting on to the scene in devastating circumstances.
Welcome to SportsJOE’s first annual MMA awards.
Male fighter of the year – Conor McGregor
We’re not just picking him because he’s Irish, we promise.
Among the top contenders for for this crown would have been Demetrious Johnson, Rafael dos Anjos, Tony Ferguson and Frankie Edgar but there really was only one winner.
Conor McGregor fought three times in 2015, winning all three inside two rounds and has turned himself into the promotion’s biggest star in the space of 12 months.
‘The Notorious’ claimed the interim featherweight title with a comeback victory over Chad Mendes in July before he stunned the world with a 13 second knockout of long-time champion Jose Aldo at UFC 194.
Female fighter of the year – Joanna Jedrzejczyk
It may be difficult to pronounce but Joanna Jedrzejczyk just about pips Holly Holm to the post as our female fighter of the year because where Holm looked a little bit underwhelming in her promotional debut, Jedrzejczyk has looked nothing but nasty throughout the year.
The Polish fighter competed three times in 2015 and has cemented herself as arguably the greatest striker in the sport with a toolbox of vicious Muay Thai that sets her apart from the rest.
She became 115 lb champion with a brutal demolition of Carla Esparza in March, rearranged Jessica Penne’s face in June and dominated Valerie Letourneau for five rounds in November.
She wasn’t an unknown last year but the feats that Jędrzejczyk has accomplished over the last year have been nothing short of extraordinary.
Coach of the year – Rafael Cordeiro
There was just one man who jumped straight to our minds when handing out this gong and it’s Kings MMA head coach Rafael Cordeiro.
The Brazilian master has somehow managed to recreate the magical atmosphere that he produced with the famous Chute Boxe academy in Curitiba.
He’s the mastermind behind both UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum so it’s safe to say he’s doing something right in California.
https://twitter.com/muaythai_rr/status/657976135653822464?lang=en
Fight of the year – Robbie Lawler v Rory MacDonald II
Is anybody honestly surprised that Robbie Lawler v Rory MacDonald II came out on top in this category?
Not only will the welterweight war go down as the best fight of the year but a case can be made that it’s the best fight in UFC history.
Both men left every ounce of their being in the octagon on a fateful July evening that came down to a battle of wills more than a technical contest.
In the end, it was Lawler’s will that held out as a straight shot to MacDonald’s already broken nose forced the Canadian to fall to his back and concede defeat.
It was epic!
Knockout of the year – Thomas Almeida v Anthony Birchak
Thomas Almeida could have been awarded this award twice because his last two finishes were two of the most bone-crushing knockouts that we’ve ever seen in the octagon.
As impressive as his stoppage victory over Brad Pickett was, we’ve plumped for his knockout of Anthony Birchak in November.
Almeida’s contribution to the smelling salts market have made him one of the most exciting young fighters to support and this combination was a thing of beauty.
Submission of the year – Dylan Ashburn v Donis Francois
He’s the only non-UFC fighter to make the honours list this year but, hey, we’re never going to ignore a Twister finish now are we?
Dylan Ashburn forced Donis Francois into tapping with one of the rarest submissions in the sport as he perfectly set up the Twister at Legacy Fighting Championship 38.
Breakout star of the year – Sage Northcutt
He’s only been fighting under the UFC banner for three months but he did enough in that time to make everyone realise that he’s more than a good looking, ripped marketing dream.
Don’t be fooled by his goofy persona … Sage Northcutt is legit.
The physical specimen tore Francisco Trevino to smithereens in October before he proved that his UFC debut was no fluke by finishing Cody Pfister with a vicelike guillotine choke at the end of the year.
Performance of the year – Holly Holm v Ronda Rousey
Possibly the biggest upset in MMA history didn’t come down to a lucky punch like that which ended Serra v GSP I.
Holly Holm’s second round knockout of Ronda Rousey in November was a systematic dismantling and masterclass in gameplanning.
The former pro boxer showed that the holes in Rousey’s game, which nobody thought existed leading up to the Melbourne title fight, were gaping tunnels that Holm sprinted through.
Holm’s performance was not only the stand-out performance of 2015 but it could well be the most intelligent and perfect fight ever fought by one competitor.
