411’s Fighter Of The Month: May

Posted by  on 06.01.2009

May has come and gone, and now the 411 MMA staff comes together to crown the fighter of the month! Joe Warren scored a mammoth upset over "Kid" Yamamoto, Frank Edgar shocked many with his victory over Sean Sherk, and oh yeah, Lyoto Machida destroyed Rashad Evans! But who took home the fighter of the month award and how did it impact the overall rankings? Check out the full column for all the details!

We've seen some excellent MMA action from all over the globe, so now comes the time for the staff of the MMA zone to pick their top five performances of the month! You probably already know who's taking home the top prize this month, but the rest of the top names might surprise you.

How It Works

Each staff member picks five fighters and ranks them. I'll assign a point value to those rankings. Points are determined as:

1st - 5
2nd - 4
3rd - 3
4th - 2
5th - 1

The fighter with the most points is our Fighter of the Month and then new points are assigned that will go towards Fighter of the Year. Those points are:

1st - 15
2nd - 12
3rd - 9
4th - 6
5th - 3
6th - 1

The Voting

Jonathan Solomon

1) Lyoto Machida
The unanimous choice should be Lyoto Machida. The man appears to be as dominant a fighter as there is in the UFC. We'll see how much of a champion he is after his first defense, but he dominated Rashad Evans. Dominated. KARATE~!

2) Joe Warren - I am still amazed the rookie American wrestler-turned MMA fighter was able to win a decision against one of the most popular Japanese fighters...IN JAPAN. My how things have changed. Warren had a war with Kid Yamamoto and inflicted as much damage as he took. With wins over Chase Beebe and Yamamoto, his career has launched like few others.
3) Frankie Edgar - The dude has boxing skills, to match his wrestling skills. He made Sean Sherk look bad in a fight that turned into a kickboxing match. With the win, Edgar is in prime position to receive a title shot in the near future.
4) Sarah Kaufman - One of the best female strikers in the sport, she defeated Miesha Tate at the Strikeforce Challengers show. She even contended with the strong wrestling ability of her opponent.
5) Ikuhisa Minowa(man) - Despite giving up over 100-pounds to Bob Sapp, Minowa quickly beat the former NFL player. Sapp was in great shape and was still tapped out in less than 90 seconds. Only one giant remains in the Super Hulk Tourney, Minowa may be the giant killer.

Jeffrey Harris

1) Lyoto "La Cheetah" Machida
I think its a perfect nickname and Machida should use it in addition to "The Dragon." Because Machida is quick. Machida pretty much answered all his doubters in his last two fights and looks to be on the cusp of what could very well be one if not the most dominant UFC title runs ever even more so than Matt Hughes and Anderson Silva. Despite how awesome Machida looked in his last two fights in knocking out two very strong, unbeaten opponents, the history of MMA has proven that can all go away in just one fight. Heck, look at Rashad Evans. Machida will have a tough challenge ahead in Rampage, and a victory over Quinton Jackson would firmly cement Machida as being "for realz."

2) Joe Warren - ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! It seems everyone wrote off Joe Warren for this fight except Joe Warren, Team Quest, and Dan Henderson. The announcers wrote him off. Sherdog wrote him off. I think Guy Metzger even said before the fight that Warren's management probably shouldn't have allowed him to take the fight against Kid Yamamoto. This once again proves that no matter how awesome, no one in MMA is unbeatable. I look forward to seeing Warren's next fight and hope his hot streak continues.
3) Frankie Edgar - Edgar just scored the biggest win of his career with a unanimous decision over proven veteran and former UFC Lightweight Champion, Sean Sherk. This came at a time when people were saying Edgar was too small of a lightweight and needed to move down to featherweight, and he soundly beat a former welterweight contender as well as a former lightweight champ. This puts Edgar's record a 5-1 in the UFC and 10-1 overall and I'd say definitely in the top 5 running for a title shot. However Edgar would still have strong challenges ahead in possibly facing the winner of Diego Sanchez/Clay Guida or a possible rematch with Gray Maynard. Not to mention who ever wins Penn/Florian.
4) Krzysztof Soszynski - The UFC light heavyweight and former TUF hopeful proved he is indeed a f****ing fighter by fighting back to back on two consecutive UFC PPV shows. At UFC 97, Kryzsztof finished former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, Brian Stann, in the first round by submission. And a few weeks later, Krzysztof stepped back into the Octagon and knocked out Andre Gusmao in the first round. This now puts Soszynski at 3-0 in the UFC and on a six fight winning streak overall after moving down from heavyweight in the IFL. While this more than likely doesn't put Soszynski in line for title contention or anything, it proves he's a game and ready fighter and puts him in line to fight with more higher level talent in the deepest and most competitive division in mixed martial arts.
5) Brock Larson - Securing the submission of the night for UFC 98 gave Larson a nice chunk of bonus to take home and help pay off his house. Larson's strong winning streak cements him as being among the MMA world's welterweight elite with his only career losses to Carlos Condit and former UFC welterweight title contender, Jon Fitch.

Jeremy Lambert

1) Lyoto Machida
If he had lost and cut the same post fight promo, I still would have picked him #1. But he knocked Rashad Evans out cold, captured the UFC Light Heavyweight title, remained undefeated, and then cut the best promo ever. So he's not just my fighter of the month, he's my fighter of the year.

2) Joe Warren - Upset highly touted Featherweight and Japanese legend "Kid" Yamamoto in a fight where no one gave him a chance.
3) Frank Edgar - Picked up the biggest win of his career and showed improved boxing, movement, and sprawl along with a great gameplan to defeat former Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk.
4) Tatsuya Kawajiri - Dominated "JZ" Cavalcante with superior wrestling and ground control and possibly earned a shot at the DREAM Lightweight title.
5) Toby Imada - Submitted Jorge Masvidal with an inverted triangle choke in what should go down as the submission of the year.

Scott Kuczkowski

1) Lyoto Machida
The Dragon soundly trounced Rashad Evans to capture the most sought after title in MMA. The Machida era has begun and right now no one on the horizon appears able to give him a run for his money.

2) Frankie Edgar - I expected Frankie to lose this match in the same manner he lost to Gray Maynard. Instead Frankie out-boxed and out-smarted Sean Sherk for the win and climbed further up the lightweight ladder.
3) Krzysztof Soszynski - Soszynski scored another quality victory over a game opponent. If Soszynski can continue on his current path, he could be a force in the already stacked Light Heavyweight division.
4) Hong Man Choi - Hong Man Choi was the proverbial bat that knocked Jose Canseco to the ground and out of action (hopefully for good) at DREAM 9. He also delivered the message that a steroid-using has-been like Canseco needs to stick to his own fuckin' sport.
5) Bobby Lashley - In a fight that almost looked like a work, Lashley scored his third victory and remains undefeated. Why is he on my list? Because he doesn't let the naysayers get him down.

Larry Csonka

1) Lyoto Machida
Machida DESTROYED Evans. Knocked him the fuck out, domination. Evans basically landed nothing on him, and he supposedly had this masterful game plan coming into the fight. Now sure, the plan changes once you get hit, but Rashad had NOTHING for Machida, nothing but a silly look when he fell to the mat. But that's what happens when you get knocked out. Machida is the man of the month.

2) Joe Warren - Right now, this is the upset of the year, as the previously 1-0 fighter defeated Japanese legend "Kid" Yamamoto via decision. Warren's young career is off to a great start, and while I thought he would give Kid problems with his wrestling, I never saw the win coming. Warren could be a very dangerous man.
3) Hideo Tokoro - Had the match of the night, and an early match of the year contender against Abel Cullum at DREAM.9. An insane pace was kept, and the triangle spot where Cullum kept fighting and Tokoro would posture up and Cullum was hanging there, trying to escape, was beyond sweet. This is just one of those fights where you sit back and watch and enjoy because it is so great.
4) Gegard Mousasi - This man is awesome, we all knew that, but he took Mark Hunt to the ground and made him tap like he was fighting for the first time. An awesome performance.
5) Bobby Lashley - Bobby Lashley continues to win, now 3-0 as he heads into the battle of the giants with Bob Sapp.

Samer Kadi

1) Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Machida won the UFC light heavyweight title in what will go down as one of the most impressive performances of the year. He totally outclassed Rashad Evans, dropping him in the first round before knocking him out in the second. Machida just solidified himself as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world.

2) Joe Warren - Not a lot of people realize this, but Joe Warren produced one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. Kid Yamamoto hadn't lost a fight since 2002 and was generally considered a top ten pound for pound fighter. Despite a long layoff due to injury, Yamamoto was expected to walk through Warren (who had just one MMA pro fight to his record). Warren managed to pull the upset in what was a very close fight.
3) Frankie Edgar - With Machida's stellar showing in the main event and the grudge match between Hughes and Serra, Edgar's performance kind of got lost in the shuffle. Make no mistake about it, this was a huge win for Frankie Edgar. Prior to this fight, Sherk had only lost to three men in his 40+ fight career, Hughes, GSP and Penn. Edgar's name now joins this elite group as one of the men to have beaten Sean Sherk. Frankie used his reach, superior footwork and faster hands to outbox Sean Sherk for three rounds for the biggest victory of his career.
4) Tatsuya Kawajiri - Dominated fellow top ten lightweight Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante and earned a shot at the DREAM lightweight title.
5) Toby Imada - Imada was the underdog in the semi final of the Bellator lightweight tournament against Jorge Masvidal. In a stunning come from behind effort, Imada submitted Masvidal with a third round inverted triangle in what was undoubtedly the submission of the year.

Dan Plunkett

1) Lyoto Machida
This man will be on top of the light heavyweight division for a long time. Rashad Evans was the top light heavyweight in the world, and Machida completely destroyed him to the point where Rashad looked like he didn't know what he was doing. After that performance, there is no doubt Machida deserves the #1 spot this month.

2) Joe Warren - Not only did Warren defeat one of the best fighters in the world at Dream. 9, he did it in only his second fight. It was an incredible upset, and a great performance by Warren no matter who you thought won the fight. Now he moves on in the featherweight grand prix, and looks to take home the title in September.
3) Tatsuya Kawajiri - Kawajiri scored a big win over "JZ" at Dream. 9, earning him a title shot and showing many why he's one of the best lightweights in the world.
4) Frankie Edgar - Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn, and now Frankie Edgar. Those are the only men to defeat Sean Sherk. Aside from the elite company, Edgar now throws his name into the lightweight title picture.
5) Toby Imada - YouTube views of his submission victory over Jorge Masvidal at Bellator V: 346,817.

Matt Welch

1) Lyoto Machida
In perhaps the easiest pick for Fighter of the Month in recent memory, there's no question that Lyoto Machida's absolute beheading of Rashad Evans makes him the prime standout for the month of May. Evans entered the contest with a world of momentum, having slain a pair of top-10 light heavyweights in his two previous fights, and despite having strategist extraordinaire Greg Jackson in his corners, Evans and Co. had nothing for Machida. What this title reign will lead to remains to be seen, but all signs are pointing to the 205-division's first legitimate championship era since Chuck Liddell touted the gold two years ago.

2) Joe Warren - He may not have put his kneecap through Norifumi Yamamoto's temple, but hopefully a razor-thin split decision victory over the vaunted "KID" will be enough to please Joe Warren. At only 2-0, Warren has knocked off Yamamoto and Chase Beebe, two fighters who not too long ago were top-10 material in their respective weight classes. I'm not sure he's got the tools to win the DREAM featherweight grand prix, but Warren's emergence onto the MMA scene is easily one of the most intriguing stories of 2009 thus far.
3) Frank Edgar - Before UFC 98, the only fighters to lay claim to a win over Sean Sherk were Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn. As out of place as he may be, Frank Edgar now sits alongside the aforementioned company. We've all beat Sherk's horrendous gameplan into the ground, but Edgar took what "The Muscle Shark" dealt him and rode out an unquestioned unanimous decision win to put him in the thick of things in the UFC lightweight title picture. A bout with the winner of Diego Sanchez/Clay Guida could very well create the division's next number one contender.
4) Toby Imada - Nearing the end of it's first season, Bellator has been chugging along and gaining notoriety with a series of YouTube-worthy, highlight reel finishes. Toby Imada gave the upstart promotion one of it's prime highlights thus far, choking out Jorge Masvidal with an inverted triangle choke to win him within one victory of winning Bellator's lightweight tournament. Much easier said than done, as 155-pound stalwart Eddie Alvarez awaits the rising Imada in the tournament final.
5) Michihiro Omigawa - Lest we forget perhaps the comeback fighter of the year so far, as Michihiro Omigawa is a man not to be denied these days. After a one-sided decision over L.C. Davis earlier this year, Omigawa trumped that performance with a one-sided TKO victory over another featherweight grand prix favorite in Nam Phan at Sengoku 8. The win puts Omigawa just one victory away from an infamous .500 record that has eluded him since 2007. Next up: undefeated Brazilian submission specialist Marlon Sandro.

Adam Tool

1) Lyoto Machida
In the weeks leading up to UFC 98, dozens of analysts and fighters tried to pick the winner of the main event and wound up saying it was too close to call. Machida went out there and left no doubt that he belongs on another level in the light heavyweight division. Now everyone is asking the same question and wondering who is out there that can take the title from him. With each fighter he beats the legend grows even stronger, and I'm just happy I get to watch it happen.

2) Frank Edgar - When making my picks for UFC 98, I was a little surprised to find that I was the only one around that liked Edgar to win against Sean Sherk. Perhaps it's due to the fact that we've already seen Edgar out-muscled by a bigger wrestler before. Maybe it has something to do with the very exclusive club of guys that have beaten Sherk (Hughes, GSP, Penn). Frank Edgar has been underrated for awhile now, but that's due to change with the biggest win of his career.
3) Joe Warren - It's almost unthinkable. We knew Warren was a world class Greco-Roman wrestler, but nobody expected him to become a top ten featherweight after just two fights. The win over Chase Beebe was impressive enough, but then Warren goes out and hands "Kid" Yamamoto his first loss in seven years. At this point, it would seem that the DREAM Featherweight GP is his to win.
4) Toby Imada -

5) Sarah Kaufman - She was on the winning end of the most exciting fight on the premiere of Strikeforce Challengers, and it's even more impressive considering she took the fight on short notice against a very talented Miesha Tate.

The Results

Honorable Mention: (TIE) Sarah Kaufman/Hideo Tokoro

5th Place - Krzysztof Soszynski (5 points)

"The Polish Experiment" moves to 3-0 in his UFC career with a stellar KO win.

4th Place - (TIE) Tatsuya Kawajiri/Toby Imada (7 points)

Kawajiri gets the hard-fought win over a tough JZ Cavalcante while Imada pulls off an early favorite for Submission of the Year.

3rd Place - Frank Edgar (25 points)

Dana White didn‘t even think Edgar could beat Sherk, but that‘s what he did and now "The Answer" finds himself right back in the title hunt.

2nd Place - Joe Warren (31 points)

In just his second MMA fight, the Team Quest standout shocked everyone but himself by scoring a mammoth upset over "Kid" Yamamoto.

Fighter of the Month for May - Lyoto Machida (45 points)



In less than ten minutes, Machida kept his undefeated record intact, won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, gained legions of new fans, and secured his spot atop the 205 lbs. division.

2009 Fighter Of The Year Standings

Lyoto Machida - 24 points

Miguel Torres - 15 points
Mike Brown - 15 points
Demian Maia - 15 points
Georges St. Pierre - 15 points

Joe Warren - 12 points
Nick Diaz - 12 points
Shane Carwin - 12 points
Nate Marquardt - 12 points
Fedor Emelianenko - 12 points

Frank Edgar - 9 points
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua - 9 points
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal - 9 points
Paulo Thiago - 9 points

Tatsuya Kawajiri - 6 points
Toby Imada - 6 points
Martin Kampmann - 6 points
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson - 6 points
Diego Sanchez - 6 points
Dan Henderson - 6 points

Krzysztof Soszynski - 3 points
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai - 3 points
Matt Hamill - 3 points
Cain Velasquez - 3 points
Jorge Santiago - 3 points

Sarah Kaufman - 1 point
Hideo Tokoro - 1 point
Scott Smith - 1 point
Bobby Lashley - 1 point
Anthony Johnson - 1 point
Satoru Kitaoka - 1 point