MMATORCH YEAR END AWARDS: Fight of the Year

By Michael Hiscoe, Managing Editor

Nov 10, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Yair Rodriguez (blue gloves) elbows Chan Sung Jung (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the final MMATorch Awards for 2018. MMATorch staff have voted in a wide array of categories, with the top vote-getters receiving the awards. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments or Tweet us @MMATorch. Be sure to check out our other awards thus far.

Fight of the Year

This one’s pretty simple, what was the most exciting, entertaining, or newsworthy fight of 2018. With so many events there are many fights to choose from. Our staff voted for a mix of pay-per-view main events and some under the radar, but excellent fights. This year’s fight of the year was an FS1 main event and was actually a late replacement for the original planned main event.

Winner: Yair Rodriguez vs. Korean Zombie – UFC 25th Anniversary Show, Nov. 10

When the same fight can win Knockout of the Year and Fight of the Year, you know we’re talking about an all-time classic. If you somehow haven’t seen it, Rodriguez and Zombie went to war for 24 minutes and 59 seconds until Rodriguez landed a last-second, blind elbow that put Zombie out cold. Had Rodriguez not landed the elbow he was likely to have lost the fight on the cards. With one crazy shot in the dark, Rodriguez was able to salvage the win and perhaps his UFC career in a fight that will go down as one of the craziest fights and finishes any of us have ever seen.

Honorable Mention

There were many great fights that got votes from our staff, but the two that got the most votes were:

Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega – UFC 231, Dec. 8

Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje – UFC on FOX, Apr. 14

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