... in the co-main event of UFC 248 in what turned out to be a fight-of-the-year candidate. UFC APEX, Las Vegas, NV. Another candidate just took place at UFC 256. However, in the end, I’m sticking to the one fight that I think truly deserves to be the fight of the year. All year long, I believed that one fight in particular would be the UFC‘s fight of the year. Beneil Dariush had made the most out of his MMA career after securing the belt via technical knockout decision. Take an indestructible aggressor like Dan Hooker, put him up against a ferociously potent offensive force like Dustin Poirier, and the results will be predictable. After dealing with a murderer’s row of top 155-pound contenders, Poirier finally getting the gold was one of the year’s most feel-good moments. Emmett floored him twice with a power jab and crushing overhand left, but to his credit, “Hurricane” refused to let up. Let’s see a lot more of these guys in 2021, please. Usman Wants ‘Maverick’ Next At UFC 263. It was one of the best fights that happened this year in the UFC 248 as the match only lasted for two rounds. UFC 2020 Fight of the Year Contender Hints at Retirement. Kamaru Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, explains why the UFC welterweight champion wants to defend his title next against Michael Chiesa. Emmett has never been shy about unleashing those sledgehammers he calls fists and Burgos is a fascinating blend of slickster stylings and fearless brawling. For now, the initial meeting between Jones and Gustafsson at UFC 165 stands out as Sherdog.com’s “Fight of the Year” for 2013. The fans that were in attendance that night should thank their lucky stars they got to witness this fight in person. Sometimes, things work out just how we think they will. Jose Aldo was on a two-fight losing streak, and even if you scored his controversial defeat to Marlon Moraes in his favor, Aljamain Sterling still boasted a far greater claim to top contender status. You won’t regret it. A too-long mauling ensued, ultimately ending what might have been Jose Aldo’s last chance at gold. A smaller pool of fights did not produce a commensurate drop in quality tussles this year; in a world more desperate than ever for entertainment, these men and women rose to the occasion. It is the largest MMA promotion company in the world and features some of the highest-level fighters in the sport on its roster. Once the third round rolled around, however, Poirier managed to dial in. Overall, Adesanya was able to collect six performance bonuses in under two years, even pulling off 2019’s Fight of the Year honors in his interim middleweight title fight against Kelvin Gastelum. The UFC's 2019 contract with ESPN+ mandates a subscription to the over-the-top service which is the exclusive distributor of UFC pay-per-views in the United States in order to purchase the event. One of the fights that was on the shortlist for fight of the year was Josh Emmett (16-2) and Shane Burgos (13-2) from back in June. It’s unlikely that this or any division will ever see many comparable scraps. Let’s take a look at 2020’s “Fights of the Year.”. 8. 10:00 AM. Dariush came out with a heavy overhand left, causing Klose to go down. Then, despite an incomparable legend’s best efforts, it fell apart. Zhang-Jedrzejczyk didn’t have that low blow or the throwaway final round, giving it the edge in consistency, and I won’t deny that recency bias could be playing a part. There have been so many incredible fights this year inside the octagon. Pinheiro Carried Backstage By Coach After Illegal Upkick. She defended her title successfully against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248. In Jedrzejczyk, you had the greatest strawweight in UFC history. A full eleven of our staff members sided with the UFC 248 strawweight classic. When the Strawweight division’s scariest power puncher met its most decorated volume puncher, things got crazy. Prochazka Banks $100K For Main Event KO. UFC 253: Israel Adesanya Post-Fight Interview It should tell you what kind of year 2020 was when the middleweight king beats two scary challengers and is at the number 10 spot. Just like in his loss to Calvin Kattar, however, Burgos’ leaky defense caught up to him in the third round. UFC Fight Night : 05.01.2021, 7:00 PM ET: PFL 2021 #3 : 05.06.2021, 5:30 PM ET: Bellator 258 : 05.07.2021, 5:00 PM ET: UFC Fight Night : 05.08.2021, 5:00 PM ET: ONE Championship : 05.15.2021, 4:30 AM ET: UFC 262 : 05.15.2021, 6:00 PM ET: Invicta on AXS TV : 05.21.2021, 8:00 PM ET Get a preview of the brand new UFC FIGHT PASS original series 'UFC Year of the Fighter.' However, the Figueiredo – Moreno fight made me start hedging my bets. And, like last year, greater volatility and more pronounced momentum shifts carried the wild slugfest over the technical war. New content will be added above the current area of focus upon selection Wayne Lee with that right hand, she is fast. Figueiredo secured a relatively sedate fifth round, which offset the groin-shot-induced point deduction to secure a majority draw and keep the Flyweight belt around his waist. This title fight took place at UFC 248 which was the last PPV event with fans in 2020. In addition to landing his customary bombs, he came perilously close to ending things with a guillotine. Hooker, who’d already gutted his way through a five-round war with Paul Felder earlier in the year, seized the momentum early with constant body shots and low kicks. Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor’s last fight was a second-round TKO loss at the hands of Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 (January 23rd, 2021). COVID-19 shut the entire world down and the UFC was no exception. Both are extremely powerful and Burgos was able to holdup and survive the ungodly power from Josh Emmett. In a crazy 2020, the UFC‘s Fight of the Year has to be the strawweight title fight between Weili Zhang (21-1) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4). We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. With that, he will not finish the year as the top fighter in the UFC. Valentina Shevchenko Women’s Walkout Jersey, Venum Authentic Fight Night Women’s Jersey. This UFC strawweight title fight had it all and it was such a perfect fight for that division. They were the first professional sport league to come back in full force and they delivered. MMA Junkie: Pat Sabatini found out the first-fight jitters are a real thing at UFC 261 MMA Junkie: Khamzat Chimaev says Kamaru Usman the goal, will take Chechnya vs. Stockton battle with Nick Diaz MMA Weekly: Triller files $100 million lawsuit against illegal streamers MMA Junkie: Stephen A. Smith admits the obvious: 'I'm not an expert on the UFC' 3:15 … In a year that has truly been remarkable, this fight stands out to me as the most remarkable. Ultimately, Zhang walked away retaining her UFC title after a hard fought five rounds. It had a little bit of … #EstradaChocolatito2 is going to be tough to beat ..”. What ensued was a back-and-forth high level war over five rounds. The promotion was off and running. This was an evenly matched Fight, but showed the skill of these two women. The promotion started on a high note back in January when Conor McGregor headlined a card that sold over one million PPVs. Emmett’s explosions of offense clashed with Burgos’ attritional onslaught; while he managed to secure an early lead on the strength of some brutal overhands, Emmett found the momentum slipping away as Burgos consistently punished his body and lead leg, all while easily absorbing the sorts of punches that consistently left elite Featherweights completely unconscious. The Ring’s Francisco A. Salazar posted, “Tonight’s rematch between Chocolatito and Estrada is the front runner for Fight of the Year. -- Raimondi Watch this fight on ESPN+. As mentioned before, UFC 249 was this year’s biggest and best card so far with a host of elite level fights fans would look forward to. “Deus da Guerra” roared out of the gate with the devil-may-care slugging that carried him to gold, while the iron-tough Moreno gladly met him with heavy combinations of his own. New York Yankee Legends: Tough love Joe Girardi, Mr. determination, New York Giants might’ve landed a steal in WR Kadarius Toney, New York Yankees: 3 major takeaways from Saturday’s win. In a crazy 2020, the UFC ‘s Fight of the Year has to be the strawweight title fight between Weili Zhang (21-1) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4). The pair combined to throw over 750 significant strikes and land 351 of them, and while former division empress Jedrzejczyk sported some of the nastiest facial damage MMA has ever seen by the end, she gave China’s finest everything she could handle. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The flyweight title fight between Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1-1) and Brandon Moreno (18-5-2). Sorry Colby! UFC Vegas 25 results: It’s time to see who were the biggest winners (and loser) from last night’s "Reyes vs. Prochazka" event in Las Vegas. Hooker continued to lean on his wrestling as Poirier found increasing success on the feet, but found himself fighting off multiple submission attempts, and an inability to secure top control left him unable to offset Poirier’s striking efforts. Poirier ultimately came out victorious, setting up a rematch with Conor McGregor early next year. Tragedy can be beautiful in its own way, however. — UFC (@ufc) October 10, 2020 Kasanganay stiffened up in a worrying fashion after the strike landed, but he eventually was able to recover and leave the octagon under his own power. Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk is our Fight of the Year for 2020. After the fight was over, Jedrzejczyk was not even recognizable. Hendricks and Lawler’s savage symbiosis is why their UFC 171 welterweight title fight is Sherdog.com’s 2014 “Fight of the Year,” why we had to run the … However, in March, production had to be shutdown by the UFC due to the global pandemic. There were no lulls, no breaks, no breathers; from bell to bell, these two dedicated everything they had to beating the snot out of each other. The two were neck-and-neck heading into the championship rounds, a scenario which would have beggared belief if posited beforehand. This fight came together on three weeks’ notice when UFC 256 imploded; both Figueiredo and Moreno had scored first-round finishes at UFC 255, the former by guillotine and the latter via injury stoppage. Despite Poirier’s massive power, Hooker got the better of their heavy exchanges in the second round, visibly hurting “The Diamond” with late combinations and walking through the return fire without issue. Watch Luana Pinheiro get carried backstage after suffering an illegal upkick by Randa Markos earlier tonight (Sat., May 1, 2021) at UFC Vegas 25 on ESPN2/ESPN+ from UFC APEX. For around three rounds, “Scarface” proved everyone wrong. Kamaka, a 26-year-old Hawaiian fighting out of Las Vegas, has dropped two straight after winning his UFC debut last year. Yan’s inexorable advance took its toll on the aging Aldo, and after ending the fourth with some heavy ground-and-pound, “No Mercy” sent him to the canvas in the opening seconds of the fifth. Unfortunately for “The Assassin Baby,” he couldn’t capitalize on the momentum. They continued trading until the final bell, with Burgos shrugging off another monster right hand along the way. To see Aldo muster up the mixture of brilliant technique and madcap aggression that once made him synonymous with the division, only to fall short once again, was the definition of bittersweet. We knew from the moment these two put pen to paper that this would be something special. Vincente Luque vs Niko Price II. “Vintage” may be a terribly overused adjective, but he really did look like the bloodthirsty monster that tore through the WEC way back in the day. Despite Emmett tweaking his knee in the opening seconds, we got the technical, back-and-forth firefight we expected from beginning to end. They were ready, they were willing, and as it turned out, they were more than able. Swanson Releases Statement After ‘Giga’ Kick Loss, Prochazka On Spinning Elbow KO Of Reyes: ‘That Was Just The Flow’, UFC Vegas 25, The Morning After: The Contender That Was Promised. Fili V.S. Figueiredo’s blows proved the more telling in the early going as he consistently denied Moreno’s attempts to impose his top-notch ground game. This title fight took place at UFC 248 which was the last PPV event with fans in 2020. This is going to be the singular greatest straw fight in UFC history and those words obviously proved prophetic. Solid right hand by Joanna you. He secured the fourth round with a long stretch of top control and seemed the fresher fighter going into the fifth. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is owned and operated by Endeavor Group Holdings along with Silver Lake Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and MSD Capital via Zuffa, LLC. After signing a fight deal with UFC last year, July, he made his first UFC appearance in a fight with Klidson Abreu on November 9, 2019. Prochazka Devastates Reyes With Spinning Elbow KO, Watch UFC Vegas 25 full fight video highlights: Dominick Reyes vs. Jiri Prochazka last night (Sat., May 1, 2021) on ESPN2/ESPN+ from Las Vegas, featuring the spinning elbow finish by "Denisa. As the rounds wore on and Moreno refused to go down, however, he began to find increasing success; even a swollen eye and a horrendous groin shot weren’t enough to slow the Mexican warrior down. This was a featherweight shootout where both men were trading serious shots back and forth. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. This selection provoked a bit of deja vu; like last year, it came down to two phenomenal title fights. In the MMA scene, Gamzatov has fought a total of 14 bouts and won all 14 — 5 via knockouts, five via submission, and four via split decision. I was not shy about my disdain for this matchmaking. Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama, UFC 116 Many rightfully believe it to be the best fight in women’s MMA history. Yusuff – UFC 246 They both hurt each other numerous times throughout the fight. Despite the lack of live crowds, the fighters delivered all the way since May. Still, the utter madness of Figueiredo-Moreno was enough to carry it into the top slot. It’s been a crazy year for the world and a crazy year for the UFC. He kept pace with one of the scariest strikers in the sport, rallying from a nasty first-round body shot to punish the Russian bruiser’s legs and midsection in return. He won the contest via split decision. An absolute back-and-forth war between the two best flyweights in the world that resulted in a draw. Klose – UFC 248 . The fans that were in attendance that night should thank their lucky stars they got to witness this fight in person. Official UFC Vegas 25 post-fight bonus winners last night (Sat., May 1, 2021) on ESPN2/ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX, including the second-round knockout finish by Jiri Prochazka. Honorable Mentions: Maycon Mendonca vs. Bastumberel Dagvadorj, Brandon Royval vs. Kai Kara-France, Billy Quarantillo vs. Spike Carlyle, Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price II, Kai Kamaka III vs. Tony Kelley, Dan Hooker vs. Paul Felder, MMA Mania, UFC news, results, videos, rumors, fights, UFC/MMA ‘Fights of the Year’ 2020 - Top 5 List, Highlights! Dariush V.S. In Zhang, you had the new champion who appeared to be a force that would become the greatest strawweight in the promotions history. ", Video! This Fight of the Year battle will live on forever as one of the most fast-paced and brutal wars in the history of the UFC. Only one other bout, Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno from UFC 256, received more than a single vote. These two ladies didn’t stop the entire time. The title fight between the two ladies was an all-time classic and a ‘Fight Of The Year’ contender. Jul 10. UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang has fought once in the year 2020. The way that these two women went at each other, the ebbs and flows of the fight. Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk essentially spent 25 minutes in a single, prolonged exchange. The fight it crossed was Israel Adesanya’s coronation against Kelvin Gastelum, a fight many considered the Fight of the Year in 2019. Highlights! Everything That Happened At UFC Vegas 25 Last Night! Dustin Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) vs. Dan Hooker (20-9 MMA, 10-6 UFC) was a fight circled on the calendar of many fight fans since the moment it became official, and the lightweight contenders manager to not only meet expectations, but possibly surpass them.. Poirier, the former interim UFC lightweight champion, and Hooker went after each other for 25 minutes, holding nothing … UFC Vegas 25 Bonuses! If you haven’t had a chance to watch this fight, I would suggest trying anyway you can to sitting down and watching this classic from UFC 248. Jun 26. CBS Sports 2019 UFC Fight of the Year: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum dazzles atop our rankings The interim middleweight title fight was one for the ages in a year … No matter who Hooker ends up facing in his return to the ring, I’m sure he won’t stay behind for long. Usman Sleeps ‘Gamebred’ With One-Punch KO Watch UFC 261 full fight video highlights: Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal 2 last night (Sat., Apr. Although the fight is most likely not the fight of the year, it certainly is worth a re-watch and mention as both fighters proved to us all just what this sport is all about. UFC Fight of the Year 2020 candidates UFC women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili, left, of China punches former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk of … However, the promotion worked hard to get back on track. After just over a month off, the UFC was back open for business in May. UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov. The pace was incredible and the technique from both of these fighters was just perfect. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. UFC and ESPN do not report on pay-per-view buys starting with UFC 236 . Cejudo did not fight for the remainder of 2019 due to injury. Is the largest MMA promotion company in the co-main event of UFC 248 strawweight classic Jedrzejczyk... Some of the brand new UFC fight PASS original series 'UFC year of the best that! 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Two rounds not shy about unleashing those sledgehammers he calls fists and Burgos was able to holdup and the. Back on track a high note back in full force and they delivered PASS original series year! Wayne Lee with that right hand along the way via technical knockout decision crazy year for remainder! Professional sport league to come back in January when Conor McGregor headlined a card sold. Conor McGregor headlined a card that sold over one million PPVs things work out just how think! Up to him in the opening seconds, we got the technical....