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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
2012 has come and gone, but before we turn our attention to the new year, we'll look back this week on the best of last year in my 2012 MMA awards. Today we continue with the Fight of the Year.
2012 Fight of the Year: Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon (UFC 155)
This is why I hesitate to put together any true "year-end" list until the year has ended. 2012 featured a lot of good fights, but there weren't any true classics, and very few that transcended past the "good" label. The final event of 2012 provided one of those that moved past that label, and a career-best performance from Jim Miller, combined with one of the gutsiest in Joe Lauzon's career, made for what I feel was the best fight of the year. That it came most recently on the final fight of the year may weigh it more positively than others, but my two favorite fights of the year featured Joe Lauzon, and this one featured the better opponent in a much more technical and equally exciting fight. Speaking of...
The Best of the Rest
Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner (UFC on Fox 4): I wrestled with this pick for some time before settling on Lauzon's bout with Miller for the top slot, but this fight was a very close second on the year. This fight, much like the Lauzon-Miller fight, featured every aspect of the sport, and featured an insane finish, but it falls just shy for me because of the stakes involved and the level of opposition. Varner might be the comeback fighter of the year, despite losing this fight to Lauzon, as he returned to the UFC with a surprising stoppage of Edson Barboza, and closed the year with a win over Melvin Guillard. He was winning the fight into the third round with a great combination of striking and wrestling, and he just needed to hang on as he was hurt and tired in the final frame. But Lauzon took advantage of a weakened and tired out Varner in the third round, and locked on a triangle choke on the ground to earn the stoppage win. The entire fight was thrilling, and though it may not go down as an all-time classic, it was fantastic nonetheless.
"The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier (UFC on Fuel 3)
What a fight this was. "The Korean Zombie" has been a part of some of the biggest moments of the last two years, from his Twister against Leonard Garcia to a seven second KO over Mark Hominick, and then this fight, and he has never looked better than he did against Poirier. There was added drama in how the fight played out as well, with Poirier as the favorite, expected to pick up a win to set up a title fight against Jose Aldo. Well, Zombie had different ideas, and caught Poirier off guard in the first round both standing and on the ground. Poirier came back in an incredible back and forth second round that was easily the best of the year, and then after a slower third round, Zombie picked things back up at the outset of the fourth. The finishing sequence was incredible as well, as he landed a jumping knee that dropped Poirier, then set up a D'Arce choke to force the submission. It was an excellent fight, and it's just unfortunate it wasn't seen by more people live.
Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva (UFC 153): After almost a year out of action, a two fight winless streak for the first time in his career, and his most recent bout being a 12-second KO loss to Johny Hendricks, Jon Fitch had lots to prove. Taking on rising welterweight Erick Silva, their bout at UFC 153 in Brazil could have been a stepping stone for Silva, but instead it represented the reemergence of Fitch as a force at 170 lbs. After a great first round from Fitch and a fairly strong comeback from Silva in the second, it was the third round that showcased once again just how good Fitch can be, and it was easily one of his most exciting fights inside the UFC.
Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier (Strikeforce "Barnett vs. Cormier"): This is easily the best five-round heavyweight fight in the sport's history. It isn't often that fighters in the division go the distance, and even less often in a fight with five rounds. However, what we got from Cormier and Barnett in May was the very best example of that rare occurrence, especially after seeing the final three rounds of Cain Velasquez vs. JDS II. Barnett is a very savvy veteran fighter, and Cormier showed off just how far he's come in this sport in a short time. Cormier's wrestling advantage was clear throughout, as he kept the fight standing for some time, out-striking Barnett and using his speed to get in with his strikes. Additionally, he also scored some big takedowns and did a lot of damage on the ground as well. It was a sustained, mostly one-sided performance, and it was fascinating to watch through all five rounds. Awesome fight, and the best heavyweight fight you'll see without a finish.
Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson (UFC 144): Frankie Edgar fought in two instant classic fights with Gray Maynard in 2011, which followed two fascinating - if not entirely exciting - fights with B.J. Penn in 2010. Suffice it to say, his track record in five round fights is pretty stellar, and his bout with Ben Henderson in Japan was no exception. This time, however, he came up on the losing end of a judges' decision, and the fight wasn't quite at the epic level the Maynard fights were. Still, 25 minutes of close action between two world class fighters is fun to watch any day, and though the rematch in August wasn't quite as thrilling, the first bout was great.
Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC 152): This fight had no business being one of the best of the year, because Jones was expected to completely roll through this late booking, which saw Belfort move up from the middleweight division to face Jones after the cancellation of UFC 151. However, Belfort decided to make things interesting, catching Jones in an armbar that did some very real damage in the first round. Jones was able to survive the very bad spot he was in, but Belfort's near upset elevated things as Jones controlled for the next three rounds before securing an americana submission in the fourth round.
Other notable fights from 2012:
--Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall (UFC on FX 2)
--Donald Cerrone over Melvin Guillard (UFC 150)
--GSP vs. Carlos Condit (UFC 154)
--Pablo Garza vs. Mark Hominick (UFC 154)
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_15516.shtml
Randy The Natural Couture Dan Cramer Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz
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