|
|
|
Opinion & Analysis
PELKEY COLUMN: The First Annual MMATorch Awards!
By Matt Pelkey, MMATorch Columnist
Mar 5, 2008, 17:56
|
Well, well, well ladies and gentlemen... it's Wednesday, and you know what that means. Wait, you don't know what that means? Well for your information, it means your's truly has written another column. So be sure to check back every Humpday to read the newest genious (mediocrity) spewing from my brain (stumpy fingers). For that matter check back everyday, nay, five times a day for the best MMA content on the 'net here at the Torch. Alright enough sales pitch, onto the words!
Today I'd like to do something I've been meaning to do for a couple months now. I'd like to open the voting to you, TorchNation, for the first annual MMATorch Awards! Yes I realize its now March, and anything that happened before last week seems like ancient history, but I'm asking you (semi-nicely) to go back in time to the year 2007. It was a great year for our beloved sport; the best in it's existence, in fact. So let's hand out some awards, shall we?
Below is simply my opinion. My vote counts as one, same as everyone else. I'm asking for a top three in each category. A first place vote is worth 3 points, a second 2, and a third 1. You know the drill. I'd ask for a top five, but that might be a bit much seeing as how we're a couple months removed from the most recent events of last year. The voting will open up today in the forum, so sign up if you haven't already so your voice can be heard.
You can also email me your picks at matt6buckeye@hotmail.com if you have some weird phobia about letting your opinions be known to the public. I'll post the final results in my column in two weeks. That gives everyone fourteen days to refresh your memories and come up with your list. For now, here's mine.
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR:
3. Randy Couture- The Natural, Captain America, or My Hero to Joe Rogan had the best year of his career, and that's saying something. He only fought twice, but what a two fights it was. First up he came out of retirement and toppled the giant Tim Sylvia, shocking the world to become the heavyweight champion. It was one of the first giant upsets in the year of the upset (more on that later). Then in his second fight he came in as the defending champion, but a solid underdog again, nonetheless. This time he was even more dominating, manhandling the future of the division in Gabriel Gonzaga. Unfortunately, Couture's much ballyhooed walk out of the UFC tarnished his year a bit. Still he comes in at number three on my list
2. "Rampage" Jackson- Jackson debuted in the UFC early in the year, defeating Marvin Eastman in the second round. It was exactly a scintillating performance, but Chuck Liddell was riding high as the biggest star in the sport, and Jackson represented the only unavenged loss on Liddell's record. Jackson publicly stated he wanted another tune-up fight before taking on Liddell, but Dana White and the UFC decided to strike while the iron was hot with Jackson-Liddell II. Bad move for the UFC posterboy. Jackson put Liddell down and out with a right hook right on the "button" early in the first round, signalling the beginning of the reign of Rampage. Jackson closed out his year with a title-unifying win over friend and then-Pride champion Dan Henderson. Jackson has since started the new year as one of the coaches of the next installment of The Ultimate Fighter alongside Forrest Griffin. If the show is half as entertaining as it should be Jackson could be on his way to replacing Chuck Liddell as the face of the sport.
1. Anderson Silva- Unlike the other two fighters below him, Silva actually started the year out as the champ. During 2007 he defeated Travis Lutter, Nate Marquardt, and Rich Franklin for a second time. What he also did was establish himself, without a doubt, as the best fighter, pound for pound, in the world. GSP is STILL licking his wounds from the fight with Matt Serra, and Fedor has seemingly fallen off the face of the earth. It's not that Silva is better than everyone else, its that he's so much better than everyone else, the liveliest debate we've ever had on our message board is about whether there's anyone who can even pose a threat to his throne. Oh, and the debate basically spans four weight classes. This is Anderson Silva's world, folks. We're all just livin' in it.
FIGHT OF THE YEAR:
Just a quick note. There's so many different kinds/styles of fights, I picked the best of three different categories. It doesn't mean you have to.
3. Spencer Fischer vs. Sam Stout (Fight Night 10, 6/12/07)
This is my pick for best of the slugfests. If you haven't seen this fight, go find it. It might be the best striking display I've ever seen. For three rounds these guys hit each other with everything they had, and believe me they have a lot. This wasn't Frye-Takayama either. These guys were so technically sound. It was awesome. I've never seen two fighters take so many clean, hard shots and not go down. Spencer Fischer won a decision that I think was a lot closer than Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan would have you believe. It sounded like an infomercial for Spencer Fischer, but Stout was right there every step of the way.
2. Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (UFC 74, 8/25/07)
This is my pick for the best of the "Big Time" fights. I know I'm probably in the minority, but I liked this fight better than the Couture-Sylvia fight. Say what you will, but in my eyes Couture was an even bigger underdog against Gonzaga than Sylvia. This fight also had better action and a finish. The prevailing thought coming into this fight seemed to be, "well it was cute how Randy won the title at his advanced age, but Gonzaga is just a beast, and I just hope Randy doesn't get hurt too bad". At least that's what I was thinking. Couture dominated. Plain and simple. It was amazing to see. I really hope he comes back and goes out the right way eventually, but if this was the last time we ever see Randy Couture in the Octagon, it sure wasn't a bad way to go out.
1. Roger Huerta vs. Clay Guida (The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, 12/8/07)
This was the year of the upset, but to a slightly lesser degree, it was the year of the great lightweight fight. We saw Griffin-Edgar, Griffin-Guida, and Huerta-Garcia, but where this fight topped them all was that it had a finish. All of these fights had great striking, grappling, submission defense, and heart (I still can't believe Edgar didn't tap at the end of that fight), but no one seemed able to definitively beat his opponent. Finally Roger Huerta delivered. The best part....he was losing the fight. The UFC golden boy was on the verge of acquiring the first blemish on his professional record, but it wasn't to be. He came out strong in the third round and rocked Guida and locked on a fight ending rear naked choke. Great stuff.
UPSET OF THE YEAR:
It was the year of the upset, so let's see which ones made my list.
3. Mirko Filipovic vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (UFC 70, 4/21/07)
Remember when Cro Cop (that's his nickname, by the way, not his last name as the UFC would have you believe) was supposed to come in and run roughshod over the Heavyweight Division on his way to the title? Seems like a dream now. Well this is the fight that turned that dream into a nightmare for the Croation Sensation. At the time Gonzaga was basically seen as another can being fed to Cro Cop on his way to a collision with Randy Couture. Oh what a difference a head kick makes. Make no mistake about it, this wasn't a "one lucky shot" kind of an upset. Gonzaga controlled the whole fight, and the only reason the high kick even happened is because the fight was inexplicably stood up with about thirty seconds left in the round, after Gonzaga was controlling and punishing Cro Cop on the ground. I guess in hindsight he should thank the ref for that stand up.
2. Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio Rua (UFC 76, 9/22/07)
"Shogun" Rua was yet another Pride standout to make his UFC debut in 2007. Forrest Griffin was chosen as his opponent for one reason: Griffin had name value. Rua was expected to come in, dominate, and start training for his title shot. Didn't happen. Turns out, Griffin is pretty good. This is the fight where he broke the stigma of being a TUF alum. He showed that just because he was a name before he really proved himself as a fighter, it didn't mean that he couldn't become a legitimate title contender. Griffin used a brilliant gameplan and far superior cardio to eventually submit the BJJ blackbelt in the third round. Rua came in considered the best in the world in his weight class, but Griffin left as the #1 contender.
1. Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre (UFC 69, 4/7/07)
Matt Serra was never supposed to beat GSP. Hell, he was never supposed to FIGHT GSP. The only reason he even got the title shot was because he won his weight class in The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comback (easily my least favorite season of the show, but I digress). He was considered a speed bump for St. Pierre. GSP had just decimated the icon of the welterweight division in Matt Hughes, and everyone assumed he'd taken his rightful place atop the throne at 170. Serra isn't even a welterweight! He's a natural 155 and looked downright tiny compared to the massive St. Pierre. This fight came down to one factor: Serra took it seriously, GSP didn't. It's as simple as that. Serra staggered St. Pierre with a right hook and never let up. He pummeled him into unconsciousness before doing his trademark one-handed cartwheel and strapping on his newly won belt. It was the signature upset in the craziest and best year in MMA history. Let's just hope 2008 keeps the momentum going.
Well that's it for me folks. Ideally I would've had more categories, but then again ideally I would've posted this two months ago. If anyone wants to add their own categories just for funsies on the forum, be my guest. I may post up to the top five if we get enough responses. Like I said you have two weeks to let your voice be heard and be part of the first annual MMATorch Awards!
RETURN TO MMA TORCH'S MAIN LISTING
REACT TO THIS STORY IN OUR FREE MMATORCH FORUM
| 
(c) 1999-2008 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.
|
|
|
