Guest Brian Posted December 20, 2005 Report Posted December 20, 2005 (edited) Just based on records, doing this sans numbers on Japan (which I used via Maltz for Chuck): Fighter of the Year – Statistical Discussion Matt Hughes (2-0) Def. Frank Trigg at UFC 52 Top Ten Fighter Def. Joe Rigg at UFC 56 Accomplishments Held UFC welterweight Title for calendar year Notes FOTYC vs. Trigg Georges St. Pierre (4-0) Def. Dave Strasser at TKO 19 Def. Jason Miller at UFC 52 Def. Frank Trigg at UFC 54 Top Ten Fighter Def. Sean Sherk at UFC 56 Top Ten Fighter Rich Franklin (3-0) Def. Ken Shamrock at Ultimate Fighter Finale (Fought at 205) Def. Evan Tanner at UFC 53 Top Ten Fighter Def. Nathan Quarry at UFC 56 Accomplishments Won UFC Middleweight Championship vs. Evan Tanner Notes Won all fights in dominant fashion Chuck Liddell (2-0) Def. Randy Couture at UFC 52 (4/16/05) Top Ten Fighter Def. Jeremy Horn at UFC 54 Accomplishments Won UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship vs. Randy Couture Notes Major Draw at UFC events (Refer to Observer Observations) Andrei Arlovski (3-0) Def. Tim Sylvia at UFC 51 Top Ten Fighter Def. Justin Eilers at UFC 53 Def. Paul Buentello at UFC 55 Top Ten Fighter Accomplishments Won UFC Heavyweight Championship vs. Tim Sylvia Takanori Gomi (4-0) Def. Luis Azeredo at Bushido 7 Top Ten Fighter Def. Jean Silva at Bushido 8 Def. Tatsuya Kawajiri at Bushido 9 Top Ten Fighter Def. Luis Azeredo at Bushido 9 Top Ten Fighter Hayato Sakurai (4-0) Def. Milton Vieira at Bushido 7 Def. Shinya Aoki at Shooto “Alive Road” Def. Jens Pulver at Bushido 9 Top Ten Fighter Def. Joachim Hansen at Bushido 9 Top Ten Fighter Notes FOTYC vs. Joachem Hansen Dan Henderson (2-1) Loss to Antonio Rogerio Noguiera at PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 Def. Ryo Chonan Def. Akhiro Gono Mauricio Rua (5-0) Def. Hiromitsu Kanehara at PRIDE 29 Def. Quinton Jackson at PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 Top Ten Fighter Def. Antonio Rogerio Noguiera at PRIDE Critical Countdown Top Ten Fighter Def. Alistair Overeem at PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 Def. Ricardo Arona at PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 Top Ten Fighter Accomplishments Won PRIDE Middleweight Tournament Notes FOTYC vs. Noguiera Fedor Emelianiko (2-0) Def. Tsuyoshi Kohsaka Def. Mirko Filopovic at PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 Top Ten Fighter Accomplishments Held PRIDE Heavyweight Championship for calendar year Notes FOTYC vs. Mirko Filopovic Gilbert Melendez (2-0) Def. Naoya Uemetsu Def. Rumina Sato at Shooto “Alive Road” Top Ten Fighter Accomplishments Won Shooto Edited December 20, 2005 by Brian
RavishingRickRudo Posted December 20, 2005 Report Posted December 20, 2005 It really sucks that Liddell will probably pick up Fighter of the Year in a lot of circles (I'm looking at a poll on TheFightNetwork site that has him at 60% in the voting), considering he only fought twice. Listen to the LAW in the next few weeks and you'll probably hear me on the line bitching about it (these are the same people who had Randy Couture as their 2004 Fighter of the Year). Whoever wins in Gomi vs. Sakurai has a legit claim of being #2 Fighter of the Year. GSP deserves a look at, given the way he beat Trigg and Sherk, and his performance against Miller. Has there been anyone as dominant as GSP has been this year? Ok, Arlovski. Against the same quality of opponents, though?
Lei Tong Posted December 20, 2005 Report Posted December 20, 2005 Out of curiosity, what is the standard used for ranking the previously listed fighters as "Top Ten" or not? It must be hilarious.
AboveAverage484 Posted December 20, 2005 Report Posted December 20, 2005 Out of curiosity, what is the standard used for ranking the previously listed fighters as "Top Ten" or not? It must be hilarious. Well, considering it had Azeredo as a top ten and not Kawajiri, it was probably MMAWeekly's
Lei Tong Posted December 20, 2005 Report Posted December 20, 2005 All snydeness aside, Shogun, GSP and the winner or Gomi/Sakurai are the best contenders.
AboveAverage484 Posted December 20, 2005 Report Posted December 20, 2005 Even if Sakurai loses, he's still probably the comeback fighter of the year. I thought he was finished, but he's looked great since dropping weight. I couldn't believe it when Crosley subbed him last year.
Guest Brian Posted December 20, 2005 Report Posted December 20, 2005 (edited) No consideration, I was just sorting through things real quick and knew I had missed a few. Likewise, I probably forgot a few FOTYC. Edited December 20, 2005 by Brian
AboveAverage484 Posted December 20, 2005 Report Posted December 20, 2005 No consideration, I was just sorting through things real quick and knew I had missed a few. Likewise, I probably forgot a few FOTYC. YOU MUST DIE!!!!/just kidding. I thought you might have lifted the lists from a site or something.
Guest Brian Posted December 20, 2005 Report Posted December 20, 2005 Nah, I just punched it off really quick, mainly looking for records.
Guest Amy Ace Posted December 22, 2005 Report Posted December 22, 2005 For FOTY I'd have to go with Fedor for sheer dominance. Followed closly by Shogun, and then Liddell. Then AA, Franklin, and Hughes. Just my humble rankings, tho.
Lord of The Curry Posted December 22, 2005 Report Posted December 22, 2005 I loves me some Pitbull but I'll be first in line to challenge whether or not he's done anything worthy of being considered for FOTY.
Guest Amy Ace Posted December 22, 2005 Report Posted December 22, 2005 (edited) I loves me some Pitbull but I'll be first in line to challenge whether or not he's done anything worthy of being considered for FOTY. I understand what you're saying. He really hasn't had many difficult match-ups, but I put him in the group because he did have a very succesful year with 3 pretty dominating wins, and winning the title. Edited December 22, 2005 by Amy Ace
Lei Tong Posted December 22, 2005 Report Posted December 22, 2005 - Fedor's going to go 3-0 this year, but with only 1 win really meaning something (Filipovic). Uh-uh. - Andrei's resume looks slightly more balanced (though Mirko is more proven than anyone on his resume), but he's dominating good fighters in a rather mediocre division. I mean, Buentello and Eilers are good for what they are, but the fact that either has ever approached the Top 10 speaks volumes of the state of the division. - Franklin's resume looks similar to Andrei's, with a dominant win over a mid-Top 10 level guy (Tanner), a KO over a borderline guy (Quarry) and Shamrock thrown in for hilarity. Decent ledger, but nothing mind blowing. - Hughes only has two wins this year: one over Trigg (who St. Pierre utterly bitched months later), and one over Riggs, who is still highly unproven at WW. As for MY candidates: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua - Managed to defeat 2 Top 10 caliber LHW's , one former and one current Top 5 LHW's (Jackson & Arona, respectively), and Kanehara to boot, stopping all but one of them. Georges St. Pierre - Easily defeated the also-ran Strasser, then completely dominated the Top 5 Trigg in one of the most one sided fights you'll ever see between guys of their caliber, and then took out former #2 guy Sean Sherk in similar fashion as well. Takanori Gomi - Started off shaky, looking vulnerable against Azaredo and lackluster against Silva, but then managed to defeat PFP fighter and #1 LW Tatsuya Kawjairi in decisive fashion, and added another win over Azaredo. Though only the Kawajiri win really sticks out, a win over the rejuvinated Sakurai (now currently viewed as Top 5) would add a bit of luster to his ledger. Hayato Sakurai - Started off by a little shaky with a JD over the game Viera, then moved back up to WW temporarily to defeat the underrated Aoki, and then managed to defeat the criminally undersized Pulver & proven Hansen. Like Gomi, only one win really sticks out (Hansen), but if he manages to defeat Gomi, now widely recognized as the best LW in the world, his claim to the FOTY title grows immensely.
I like Forums Posted December 22, 2005 Report Posted December 22, 2005 I think undeniably Shogun Rua has had the best year. Beating tough competition. The next person to mention is GSP. He's been running a tear through anybody who is willing to face him. Although I'd say his opponents, while very talented, not the same level as Shogun's opponents. Now to add a certain different dimension to the arguement I'd say Joachim Hansen has been the most entertaining fighter this year with a a surprizing amount of FOTYCs... win or lose.
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