The 411 MMA Year-End Awards 1.09.12: Part Three - The Breakout Fighters of 2011

Posted by Larry Csonka on 01.09.2012

From Jon Jones, Donald Cerrone and Michael Chandler to Ben Henderson, Daniel Cormier and more, the 411 staff continues their year-end awards by breaking down the top 5 breakout fighters of the year 2011!



Welcome:
Welcome back to the MMA Top 5, year-end awards edition! What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 MMA will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, and the end, based on where all of these topics rank on people's list, we will create an overall Top 5 list. It looks a little like this…

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

At the end we tally the scores and get our overall top 5! It's highly non-official and final, like WAMMA. What we are going to do over the next few weeks is run the column twice a week to crown our best of 2011. From best and worst fight to best fighter and KO of the year, the staff will come together to share out best. Thanks for joining us, and lets get down to work.


And now…



THE BREAKOUT FIGHTERS OF 2011!


Robert Winfree
5.Michael Chandler - Chandler engaged in possibly the best round of fight in his first round title fight with Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez. Alvarez was highly thought of, and had looked very good in all his fights for Bellator, and Chandler was a pretty serious underdog going into the fight. Chandler took the first round in pretty dominant fashion, and choked out Alvarez in the fourth round to become the new Bellator lightweight champion. For someone not really on the radar before his title shot, Chandler made sure we all know who he is now.

4.Luke Rockhold - Rockhold was an underdog plagued by injuries coming into his title fight with Jacare in Strikeforce. Most figured the more experienced and polished Brazilian would beat Rockhold. Rockhold had other ideas, as apart from the first round he controlled the champion and walked away with the decision and the biggest victory of his career. Rockhold went from unknown to the middleweight champion of the second biggest MMA promotion in the states in the space of one year. Definitely broke out.

3.Daniel Cormier - The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix has been plagued by delays, fighters withdrawing, and other issues. Cormier entered the tournament in a reserve bout where he displayed much improved striking over veteran Jeff Monson. He then fought in the semi-finals against Antonio Silva after Alistair Overeem moved to the UFC, and was considered an underdog against the much larger Silva. Cormier again displayed his standup skills and KO'd Antonio Silva in the first round. At the start of the year Cormier was a prospect fighting on Challengers cards, now he's one fight away from becoming the grand prix champion and moving onto the UFC with a ton of momentum.

2.Ben Henderson - Ben Henderson ended 2010 on the receiving end of the SHOWTIME kick and losing the WEC lightweight title in the last fight ever under the WEC banner. Henderson was always viewed as a good fighter, with good wrestling, possibly the best submission defense in all of MMA, and a tremendous upside. That said, there were some questions about how he would handle the level of competition in the UFC. His UFC debut was against veteran and submission expert Mark Boeck, but Henderson came into that fight with a serious chip on his shoulder and controlled the second and third rounds easily earning the decision. His next fight was against Jim Miller, a fighter on a big win streak and looking for a title shot. Henderson made Miller, easily a top five lightweight at the time, look like a one-dimensional fighter who was never really in the fight. Next Henderson fought Clay Guida. Guida was riding a pretty good win streak and had just beaten the last guy to beat Henderson in the form of Anthony Pettis. It was known going into the fight that the winner would get a title shot against Frankie Edgar. Henderson proved better than the talented Guida in every aspect of MMA. 2011 was a great year for Ben Henderson, and he next fights Frankie Edgar for the lightweight championship in Japan in 2012.

1.Jon Jones - No one had a better year than Jon Jones. In fact Jon Jones may have had the single best year in MMA history. So why does he qualify as a breakout fighter? Because of where he started the year. Coming into 2011 Jon Jones was a can't miss prospect who'd only lost once by DQ in a fight he was dominating. His first fight of the year against fellow prospect Ryan Bader would determine who took the next step up towards being a contender. The fight wasn't even close, and Jones choked out Bader in the second round. After Rashad's injury and Jackson knowing he wouldn't make weight, a title shot against Shogun Rua went to Jon Jones. Rua was coming off of a big knock out of Lyoto Machida and was thought to be the champion for some time. What followed was the single most dominant performance of Jon Jones' career, and the most dominant anyone has ever looked against the Brazilian supernova, as Jones stopped Rua in the third with a brutal left punch to the liver that would make Bas Rutten proud. Jones has now become the first person since Chuck Liddell to successfully defend the light heavyweight championship more than once when he beat Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida, both by submission. In the space of twelve months and four fights Jon Jones went from can't miss prospect and future champion to one of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet. For my money that is the definition of breaking out.

---

Mark Radulich
5. Ronda Rousey - Even if you don't give a hoot about women's MMA, you know who Ronda Rousey is. This is her first year as a pro and she's fought 4 times. In all of her fights she won by armbar in under a minute. She's gone from a nobody in a who cares division to one of the most talked about personalities in MMA. It helps that she's pretty damn hot and has at least an elementary understanding of shameless self-promotion. I'd say that all things considered, Rousey deserves a spot on this list of breakout fighters.



4. Dan Cormier - Dan Cormier is on his way to being the next breakout star in the MMA heavyweight ranks. He's undefeated in 9 fights and in 2011 he devastated his toughest competition yet when he took out Bigfoot Silva, claiming a spot in the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. The word on the street is that win, lose or draw, at some point, barring an unforeseen calamity, Cormier will be UFC bound. Not bad for the former King of the Cage HW Champion.

3. Michael Chandler - In all honesty, before Chandler done murderized Eddie Alvarez nobody knew what a Michael Chandler was. Sure he was good and maybe some considered him a threat to the now former Bellator Lightweight Champion but nobody thought he'd put on a fight of the year performance like he did. Chandler went from nowhere to top lightweight in the world all in one fight. That's impressive, I don't care who you are. Beating Patricky Freire and winning this years LW tournament to even get the shot obviously didn't hurt either.

2. Donald Cerrone - Greg Jackson told this man to get him some, and he did…in spades. The Cowboy came over from the WEC as just another lightweight and quickly dismantled everyone that got his way, winning 4 fights this year, three of which were bonus award winners. As if that wasn't enough, he demanded a fifth fight before years end and got his wish against the less crazy Diaz brother, Nate.

1. Jon Jones - Even if everyone knew he'd be a superstar, nobody thought that he'd get so much so soon. After he choked out Ryan Bader it was assumed he'd step up in competition but fate apparently didn't think a mere step up was good enough for Bones. Where Rashad Evans has the worst luck of anyone still employed by the UFC, Jones' luck is extraordinary. Jones got a title shot because Evans was injured and it was too soon for Rampage to make weight. That was all he needed to begin to cement his legacy. He went on to crush Shogun Rua, outclass Rampage and finally dominate the enigma Lyoto Machida. It's one thing to go and take out everyone that gets in your way. It's a whole other bit of business to take out three Light Heavyweight champions all in one year and do it like the guys he fought were bums. Jon Jones didn't simply have a good year, he went from a top prospect to the number 2 pound for pound fighter in the year. He broke out all right…out of the comic books because that dude is Superman!

---

Jon Butterfield
5. Jake Ellenberger - Prior to 2011, Ellenberger was 2-1 in the UFC after a razor-thin defeat to Carlos Condit and wins over Mike Pyle and John Howard. Prior to that, he was 9-4 in his last 13 and had been beaten by Rick Story, Jay Heiron and Delson Heleno. Needless to say, he looked pretty beatable at this level when he entered the UFC, and that first defeat hardly helped (as close as it was). In 2011, however, Ellenberger became a top contender at 170 after wins over Carlos Eduardo Rocha, Canadian Sean Peirson and (most impressively) Jake Shields. Though Shields can be forgiven that performance due to the tragic circumstances surrounding it, Ellenberger still had to go out and beat a world-class welterweight, and he did. In under a minute. Welcome to the dance, Jake, you have arrived with a career-best year and a career-best win.

4. Mark Munoz - The best opponent Mark Munoz had beaten before 2011 was Aaron Simpson. As talented as Simpson is, he's not a patch on Demian Maia or Chris Leben, wins over whom have propelled Munoz into top contender status at 185. Yes, Munoz's progress this year has been extremely impressive; throw in an early win over CB Dollaway and I'd say he deserves to be here with a solid trifecta of victories over high level opposition.

3. Donald Cerrone - Cerrone fought five times in 2011 and picked up three UFC bonuses. A Fight of the Night award followed an impressive UFC debut win over Paul Kelly, with a KO of the Night coming after a comfortable win over Charles Oliveira, and then a Submission of the Night for another easy win over Dennis Siver. Throw in a decision win over Vagna Rocha, and that's a pretty damn tasty 2011. It's not just the opponents he beat, either: it was the style and content of the fights. Few men ever score Fight, Submission and KO of the Nights in an entire career, let alone in a single year – and it's not like he struggled to get them, either. And against good opposition. Of course, people will question this pick in light of Cerrone's dismantling at the hands of Nate Diaz, but I firmly believe that that was one fight too many and I'm sure Cerrone will be back stronger than ever in 2011 (after a good ol' rest). Make no mistakes, this Cowboy is still a top contender.

2. Daniel Cormier - A win over Devin Cole was pretty impressive for a 6-0 rookie. An incredibly dominant performance over veteran Jeff Monson who had absolutely nothing for Cormier was something else. But then, one bizarre turn of events later, that rookie is matched up with Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in a tournament bout. Unwinnable, right? Fresh off wins over Andrei Arlovski and Fedor Emelianenko, Silva had proven himself as one of the most talented monster-heavyweights in the world. He was, let's face it, considered one of the top five or six on the scene today. And Cormier wipes the floor with him. A fight with Josh Barnett in the finals is even tougher for Cormier, but they said the same before the "Bigfoot" fight…

1. Michael Chandler - Marcin Held, Lloyd Woodard and Patricky Freire are three very tough opponents. Now imagine fighting them back-to-back over a three-month period, and beating them all. Yes, you deserve all the credit in the world for becoming Bellator Lightweight Tournament winner. Now imagine beating the phenomenal Eddie Alvarez to become Champion before the year's end in a serious Fight of the Year contender and there aren't many, if any, who can claim the Breakout Fighter of the Year award ahead of you.

---

Dustin James
5. Johny Hendricks - This one was a late bloomer, but when you look back at things, Hendricks had a fantastic year in 2011. He started things off with an impressive win over T.J. Waldburger at UFC Fight Night 24. He next fought Mike Pierce at UFC 133 in August and managed to squeak out a split-decision victory. Pierce is a tough dude and any kind of victory over him is huge in my book. Just when Hendricks thought things couldn't get any better in 2011, he managed to score a fight with the man who was widely regarded as the #2 welterweight in the world, Jon Fitch. Hendricks shocked the world when he became the first man to finish Fitch in 11 years at UFC 141. Not only that, but he also managed to do it in twelve-seconds and something tells me that clip is going to be shown on UFC shows for years to come. 2011 was definitely a great year for Johny Hendricks.

4. Jake Ellenberger - Perhaps no one in the UFC's stock rose as much as Jake Ellenberger's in 2011. He started the year off with a 2-1 record in the UFC and finished the year with his name near the top of the UFC's welterweight division. When you are the first person to knock out Jake Shields in 11 years, and you also manage to do it in 53 seconds...you know you are having a fantastic year. Ellenberger could have an even better year in 2012 if he manages to defeat Diego Sanchez in February. We are going to need new challengers for GSP's title once he comes back from injury and takes out Nick Diaz ya know....

3. Daniel Cormier - It seems like Daniel Cormier has been a "prospect" in the heavyweight division for along time now. In 2011, he finally made the jump though and became a serious threat to anyone who stands in his path. He started the year off by taking out Devin Cole and Jeff Monson, and he finished the year by upsetting Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva when he stepped in as a replacement for Alistair Overeem in the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix. Cormier showed that he has an excellent mixture of wrestling skills along with some great stand up and it's going to take a lot for anyone to beat this guy. He's now set to face Josh Barnett in the finals of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix and the winner will be moved over to the UFC and could possibly get an immediate title shot. We'd better not sleep on Cormier yet folks, he may have an even better year in 2012.

2. Michael Chandler - Chandler had a fantastic year in Bellator. He took out Marcin Held with an arm-triangle at Bellator 36 in the opening round of the 2011 Bellator lightweight grand prix. He then took out Lloyd Woodard at Bellator 40 and advanced to the finals of the grand prix against Patricky Freire. Chandler was the underdog coming into the fight against Freire, but "Pitbull" had no answer for anything that Chandler threw his way. By winning the 2011 Bellator lightweight grand prix, he earned a shot at Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Alvarez was one of the top-ranked lightweights in the world and was expected to walk through Chandler, but the Xtreme Couture product had other plans as he managed to submit Alvarez in the fourth-round with a rear-naked choke to become the new Bellator lightweight champion. At the beginning of the year, there's no way I could have picked Michael Chandler out of a line up. Here we are twelve months later and I think I know more about the guy than he'd like me to know. And I mean that in the least creepiest way possible for the record......

1. Jon Jones - This one's pretty obvious to me. There's not a single soul in MMA who had more of a "breakout" year in MMA other than the current UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon "Bones" Jones. Jones went 4-0 in the UFC In 2011 with wins over Ryan Bader, "Shogun" Rua, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and Lyoto Machida. He captured the UFC light heavyweight title in the process, brought down a thug who was caught breaking into a car right before his fight with "Shogun", had one of the greatest feuds of the year with a guy he hasn't even fought yet, and his star looks to shine even brighter in 2012. At the start of 2011, "Bones" Jones was a highly touted prospect. At the end of 2011, he's become one of the most dominating fighters in all of MMA

---

Stewart Lange
5. Donald Cerrone - With the UFC absorbing the WEC at the end of 2010, there was an influx of 155 pound fighter suddenly looking to make their mark in the worlds biggest MMA organization. While many were looking towards Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson, the former has disappointed so far, while the latter can hardly be described as a break out star. In the shadows, Donald Cerrone was starting a phenomenal run of wins, including the perfect hat-trick of awards, He took one fight too many in 2011 and lost to Nate Diaz, but 2011 was the year Donald Cerrone made himself as star, and regardless of the Diaz fight people will have warmed to him.

4. Daniel Cormier - From being a debatable Strikeforce Grand Prix alternate to being a genuine threat to favorite Josh Barnett, you know Daniel Cormier has done something pretty special. Wins over Devin Cole and Jeff Monson were big, but the knockout of Antonio Silva made Cormier a contender and a star overnight.

3. Luke Rockhold - When it was announced that Jacare Souza would take on relatively little-known contender Luke Rockhold, the world sighed as Strikeforce looked to be feeding Souza a gimmie fight before the eventual showdown with someone like Tim Kennedy. It was not to be, however, as Luke Rockhold showed the world how to tool someone with the skills of Souza, proving he's so well rounded that he may even keep the belt for some time.

2. Michael Chandler - The Bellator Lightweight champion went from pretty much complete obscurity to having four huge wins and a Bellator title. Throw in a Fight of The Year candidate against the consensus number 1 non-Zuffa Lightweight and you could say it's been a big year for Michael Chandler.

1. Jon Jones - The year this guy has had, it seems insane that before 2011, Jon Jones had only fought on the main card of two UFC pay per views. The biggest names under his belt were Brandon Vera and Stephan Bonnar. Now, he's not only the youngest Champion in UFC history, he's also a shoe-in for fighter of the year, having defeated not only one, but THREE ex-Champions. Through in fellow prospect Ryan Bader, and Jones looks scary good right now. I'll understand if people are upset about naming Jones Breakout fighter of the year, but in my mind, he's still made the quickest ascension, whether or not he was on that path anyway.

---

Jonathan Solomon
5. Tony Ferguson - The TUF 13 champion has emerged as a legitimate prospect in the UFC's lightweight division with a 3-0 record in the promotion since last year. After becoming one of the more controversial members of The Ultimate Fighter season 13 due to insensitive comments towards another fighter, he has done nothing but fight with power. He knocked out Ramsey Nijem in the finals to win the UFC contract. In September, he broke Aaron Riley's jaw and he most recently won a unanimous decision against Yves Edwards. Now on a six-fight win streak, if he improves his groundwork in unison with his dangerous striking, do not be surprised if he becomes a threat by the end of this year.

4. Donald Cerrone - Cowboy Cerrone's big white whale in years past has been Ben Henderson, going 0-2 again him in WEC championship fights. However, with the news that WEC was being merged into the UFC at the end of 2010, it appeared the new year would bring a slew of new options for the big lightweight. Indeed, Cerrone made his UFC debut early in the year for the first of five fights in 2011. He dominated Paul Kelly, finishing him with a second round submission. Next, he fought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vagner Rocha and beat him in a unanimous decision. Next, against a major lightweight prospect in Charles Oliveira, Cerrone outclassed him by knocking him out in just three minutes (Oliveira is now dropping down to featherweight). Cerrone finished off the year by choking out Dennis Siver, one of the top lightweights in the UFC, in just over 120 seconds. Cowboy has emerged as one of the most popular lightweights in the UFC and wants to keep active by taking as many fights as he possibly can. While the loss to Diaz may have proved it was one fight too many, Cerrone still had a great year.

3. Luke Rockhold - Luke fought one time in 2010 due to injuries and became a bit of an afterthought when the calendar turned to 2011. He was named top contender for then Strikeforce middleweight champion Jacare Souza in September and was given absolutely no chance by most at the upset. What transpired was one of the best top to bottom performances of the year as Rockhold simply out manned Jacare to win the unanimous decision. Most impressive was the fact that Jacare, considered one of the most dangerous grapplers in the sport, had no success in doing anything of the kind. Rockhold would fight off takedowns or if he was taken down for a moment, get back up like a spring. Right now, Rockhold is on a seven-fight win streak and is a legitimate top 10 middleweight. Undefeated in Strikeforce, expect him to continue fighting there in 2012 and see whether he can improve his standing.

2. Daniel Cormier -Perhaps, Cormier should not be among these names because he has been hyped since his professional debut in 2009. However, entering 2011, he was 6-0 and fighting on and off Strikeforce cards. This changed at the start of the year with word of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, which Cormier would act as one of the potential reserves. He defeated Devin Cole in January and then Jeff Monson in June to officially become a reserve. The Monson fight was an impressive showing because Cormier relied heavily on his striking which looked quick and crisp against one of the most experienced heavyweights in MMA. The tournament reshuffled a bit later in the year with Cormier taking the spot left void when Alistair Overeem left the promotion. In the grand prix semifinals, he fought Antonio "Big Foot" Silva who was last seen destroying Fedor Emelianenko. What happened? Cormier went right up to the big man and KNOCKED HIM OUT with pristine combinations in the first round. If there was any hesitation to label Cormier a legitimate top heavyweight in MMA previously, that was all gone. Now entering 2012, Cormier is in a position to enter the top five as he is slated to take on Josh Barnett, one of the very best heavyweight grapplers in the sport.

1. Michael Chandler - Chandler is another one of the successful collegiate wrestlers to make the jump to MMA and have just as much success, if not more. 2010 saw Chandler win fights in Strikeforce and Bellator by submission and TKO. 2011 meant Chandler, one of the major lightweight prospects in the sport would be entered into Bellator's season four lightweight tournament. First, he met European prospect Marcin Held and won with a first round arm triangle choke. In the semi's, he matched up against Lloyd Woodard and won by decision. In the much-anticipated finals, he fought Patricky "Pitbull" Friere, who was the favorite after smashing his way past Razor Rob McCullough and Toby Imada. However, it was Chandler who controlled the fight with his mix of wrestling and striking, winning a unanimous decision. With the win, he earned a $100,000 payday along with a title shot against Eddie Alvarez. Naturally, most expected Alvarez to take care of the 8-0 Chandler, feeling he just could not compete against Alvarez's experience against great competition. Not so. In one of the best fights of the year, Chandler and Alvarez went blow for blow over four rounds. Chandler rocked Alvarez early and did not let up throughout the 18+ minutes the fight lasted. Ultimately, he finished Alvarez with a rear naked choke to become the new Bellator champion. There is no better way to cap off a year than beating one of the world's best and Chandler did just that.

---

Scott Kuczkowski
5. Chad Mendes - Mendes quietly flew under the radar during his WEC stint, racking up four straight wins. It wasn't until his UFC 126 win over Michihiro Omigawa that people took notice that the undefeated wrestler could potentially challenge for Jose Aldo's Featherweight title. A win over Rani Yahya at UFC 133 cemented his place near the top of the division and he looks to challenge for the title at UFC 142.

4. Douglas Lima - Coming from Maximum Fighting Championship where he was the Welterweight Champion, Douglas Lima joined the Season 5 Bellator Welterweight Tournament. After dispatching Steve Carl, Chris Lozano, and Ben Saunders, Lima has earned a shot at Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren. Lima's striking skills have allowed him to put fighters like Terry Martin, Lozano and Saunders to sleep while his submission skills got him wins against Eric Davila and Ryan Ford.

3. Michael McDonald - Only 20 years old, McDonald is the youngest fighter on the UFC roster. With only one loss on his 15 fight record (which he later avenged), this former Tachi Palace Fights Bantamweight Champion is a rising star in the UFC's 135-pound division. With only two decisions on his record, he's finished the likes of Manny Tapia and Cole Escovedo, and his last outing at UFC 139 saw him win Knockout of the Night honors in his win over Alex Soto.

2. Daniel Cormier - Not too long ago, this former Olympian was fighting on the Strikeforce: Challengers series and was only known by die-hard MMA fans. After a dominating performance against Jeff Monson, Cormier replaced Alistair Overeem in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, where he knocked out Antonio Silva in the first round. In just over 9 months, Cormier went from fighting on the second-lowest rated Challengers card to fighting in the co-main event of a major Showtime card. How good is Daniel Cormier? People are already predicting the undefeated wrestler will challenge for the UFC Heavyweight Title in 2012.

1. Michael Chandler - With just 9 professional fights, this undefeated wrestler burst onto the MMA scene at Strikeforce: Challengers 5 and then Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery, where he finished both opponents. Chandler then joined the Bellator roster and entered the Season 4 Lightweight Tournament. With wins over Marcin Held, Lloyd Woodard, and Patricky Friere, Chandler won the tournament and the right to face Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez. In a bout that is a Fight of the Year contender, Chandler finished Alvarez in the fourth round at Bellator 58 to win the Lightweight Title.

---

Jeffrey Harris
5. Johnny Hendricks - Hendricks ended the year on a bit of a sour note as he lost for the first time in his career against Rick Story. He followed it up with an amazing 2011. He started things off by knocking out TJ Waldburger. Then he fought Mike Pierce to a close decision, but the best was yet to come. Hendricks proved he'd truly arrived in the MMA world with his amazing knockout victory over top ranked welterweight Jon Fitch, a man who had never been finished in the UFC before. And it looks like with GSP out of the picture for the time being, the potential for someone like Hendricks to step up as a contender to the title is very likely.

4. Tony Ferguson - It was hard to gauge how good Ferguson could really be from The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 until he actually performed in the true Octagon. But so far he's done very well for himself. He started things strong by knocking out Ramsey Nijem in the finals for TUF. After that he knocked out Aaron Riley. He ended his 2011 UFC run at 3-0 by winning a tough fight against the experienced and extremely tough UFC veteran Yves Lavigne whose was 3-1 in his most recent UFC run. Ferguson while he may not make it to the title anytime soon showed there were still some good talents that could come out of TUF.

3. Daniel Cormier - Daniel Cormier earned a much deserved spot in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix when Alistair Overeem dropped out. Coming off a win over Jeff Monson over the summer, Cormier earned even more interest when he knocked out Antonio "Big Foot" Silva. Big Foot was the guy who earlier in the year had beaten Fedor Emelianenko who many thought would be hungry to get the win and be back on the comeback trail after a quick submission loss to Fabricio Werdum. Cormier is now set to face Josh Barnett in the finals of the tournament and could be poised to dominate the UFC heavyweight division as well. Cormier is without a doubt a guy to watch out for in 2012.

2. Mike Chandler - No one had ever heard of Mike Chandler when this year started. But over the course of a few months that all changed very quickly. The young Xtreme Couture product got some interest when he won the Bellator lightweight tournament beating the heavy favorite, Patricky "Pitbull" Freire. For the title though he was facing the extremely tough and highly touted Eddie Alvarez. A guy many argued was a top ranked lightweight in the world. After an insane back and forth bout, Chandler was able to submit Alvarez and win the title. Alvarez had not lost in eight fights and many thought he was unbeatable. Chandler overcame the odds and proved even a young prospect can become a force to be reckoned with. With a ton of talent and even more potential, it looks like the sky could be the limit for Chandler.

1. Ben Henderson - It's a little weird to put Bendo on this list considering how much of an impression he already made in the WEC where he became champion. However Bendo has definitely broken out in the UFC in 2011. Bendo entered the Octagon with somewhat of a chip on his shoulder. He lost the title to Anthony Pettis and was on the receiving end of the "Showtime Kick." But Bendo wasn't comfortable being a footnote in MMA history and in a short time has now become the #1 contender of the lightweight division and is now poised to fight Frankie Edgar for the title. Ben Henderson won a tough fight with Mark Bocek. After that he was facing the top ranked Jim Miller who had a ton of wins and had won 7 fights in a row. Bendo put on an amazingly inspired performance and dominated Jim Miller for almost the entirety of the fight. He followed it up with another amazing fight with Clay Guida in one of the best fights of the year. Now Bendo gets his title shot and has really arrived in many ways in the MMA industry.

---

Alex Watt
5. Donald Cerrone - Although he lost his UFC 141 fight against Nate Diaz, it would be harsh not to rank "The Cowboy" in the top five after a phenomenal 2011 which saw him go 4-1 in his debut year in the UFC. Proving (along with Ben Henderson) that the former WEC lightweights are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Octagon, Cerrone defeated Paul Kelly, Vagner Rocha, Charles Oliveira and Dennis Siver, before unfortunately dropping his fifth fight of the year to Diaz. Demonstrating the great kickboxing and slick submission skills that saw him a fan favorite in the WEC, Cerrone has made a name for himself in 2011.

4. Ronda Rousey - It's hard to believe that "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey only made her professional MMA debut in 2011, such is the hype that now surrounds the young female athlete. With a decorated Judo background, Rousey has translated her skills to the cage phenomenally with all her submission wins coming in under a minute. Her arm-breaking win over Julia Budd really got people talking and her fantastic self promotion has pushed her into a 2012 shot at Miesha Tate and the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship.

3. Daniel Cormier - Another product of the American Kickboxing Academy in California, Cormier looked to have a promising future in the sport as 2011 began. He followed a January win over Devin Cole with an impressive victory in June over the experienced Jeff Monson, showing improved striking throughout. However, what came next for the Strikeforce heavyweight saw his star rise tremendously. Installed in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix after Alistair Overeem dropped out, Cormier completely dominated his semi-final bout against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Dropping his gigantic opponent on several occasions, Cormier ultimately took the first round KO win. Cormier is now set to face Josh Barnett in the finals of the Grand Prix and with the heavyweights being brought into the UFC, he could be poised to dominate the UFC's heavyweight division in 2012.

2. Ben Henderson - It seems slightly strange to rank a former WEC champion as a breakout fighter in 2011, but "Smooth" truly has taken the UFC's 155lbs division by storm this year. Coming off that loss to Anthony Pettis (to that kick) in the final ever WEC fight, Henderson has gone on a great run with dominant wins over Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and Clay Guida inside the Octagon. Henderson has introduced himself to the UFC fans, who may have been unaware of his work in the smaller WEC, in style and now looks forward to a 2012 title shot against the UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar.

1. Michael Chandler - A relative unknown at the start of 2011, Chandler has had a phenomenal year which is the very definition of a "breakout". Yet another decorated amateur wrestler to make the transition into Mixed Martial Arts, Chandler opened eyes when he won the Bellator lightweight tournament by defeating heavy favorite Patricky "Pitbull" Freire in the finals. Still, going into his fight against Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez, few were giving Chandler a chance. After all, Alvarez was ranked in the top five 155-pounders in the world and was certainly the best lightweight outside of the Zuffa banner. What transpired was one of the most dramatic and thrilling contests of 2011. After a back and forth war, Chandler emerged victorious with a fourth round rear naked choke to capture the Bellator belt. With the biggest win of his career and a ton of talent, 2012 could see Michael Chandler go on to even bigger and better things.

---

AND 411's BREAKOUT FIGHTERS OF 2011 ARE…
In the case of a tie, I will break them since I am not involved in the overall voting.



5. Donald Cerrone – 10pts.




4. Ben Henderson – 13pts.




3. Jon Jones – 20pts.




2. Daniel Cormier – 28pts.




1. Michael Chandler – 36pts.


THE 2011 AWARDS
* The Biggest Story Of 2011: The UFC Signs Broadcast Deal With Fox - 32 pts.
* The Most Disappointing Fighter Of 2011: Fedor Emelianenko - 17pts
* The Breakout Fighter Of 2011: Michael Chandler – 36 pts.
* The Worst Fight Of 2011: TO BE ANNOUNCED
* The Best KO Of 2011: TO BE ANNOUNCED
* The Best Submission Of 2011: TO BE ANNOUNCED
* The Best Fight Of 2011: TO BE ANNOUNCED

Come back Thursday when we decide the WORST FIGHTS of 2011~!


TWITTER

Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it…TO CSONKA'S TWITTER!

http://www.twitter.com/411wrestling
http://www.twitter.com/411moviestv
http://www.twitter.com/411music
http://www.twitter.com/411games
http://www.twitter.com/411mma