The 411 MMA Year-End Awards 1.26.12: Part Seven - The Best Fights of 2011

Posted by Larry Csonka on 01.26.2012

From Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson at UFC 139 and Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard at UFC 136 to Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler at Bellator 58 and more, the 411 staff continues their year-end awards by breaking down the top 5 fights 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 BEST FIGHTS OF 2011!


Jonathan Solomon
5. Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson - UFC on Fox 1 - With a title shot on the line in the UFC, Bendo and Guida went to war on the undercard of the first UFC on Fox show. They fought standing, on the ground, with takedowns, submissions, everything you could imagine. Watching it, you could almost feel the dire urgency behind Henderson needing to prevent Guida from securing takedowns, which he was able to do. Both men were moving throughout the 15-minutes allotted and there was almost no down time allowing them to gather their minds and return to action. It was three rounds of reaction fighting with two men known for working as hard as any other fighter.

4. Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley - Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley - While Paul Daley and Nick Diaz only fought for five minutes, it was as glorious a first round as you will ever see. Both men talked trash back and forth and both men were fine with standing and going for knockouts. Diaz was dropped twice with strikes, but somehow was able to stay cognizant of his surroundings and stand up. Finally, at the end of the round, it was Diaz who rocked Daley and finished him off with seconds to spare. Some may debate whether Diaz was given too much leeway by referee Big John McCarthy or whether it was stopped too soon when Daley was knocked down. Despite that, it was action packed and with both men going for the finish, what more could you ask?

3. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard - UFC 125 - There is no better way to kick off a new year than how Edgar and Maynard fought on January 1, 2011. Maynard walloped Edgar early to the point it looked as though the fight would be stopped in short order. Instead, Edgar somehow stayed in it and came back in round two looking like everything was okay. He was down 10-8 on the scorecards but came on strong in the second half of the fight, going toe to toe with "Bully" Maynard. Although the fight would finish in a draw, both men gave everything they had and jut could not finish the other. It would take another fight for their score to be settled and Edgar would cement his spot as the best lightweight in the world.

2. Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler - Bellator 58 - Eddie Alvarez has been as dominant a champion as any during his run in Bellator. His challenger in November was in the form of tournament winner Michael Chandler and most expected him to perhaps put up a fight but ultimately fall short. Instead, Chandler pushed the pace and made it a point to keep throwing strikes at Alvarez, who had a tough time avoiding them. Additionally, whenever Alvarez tried to avoid the strikes and shoot for a takedown, he was denied. They slugged it out and Alvarez put together some nice combinations in the third round making you assume he got his second wind. In the fourth round, Chandler landed a big right hand that sent Alvarez to the ground and shortly after, Chandler took his back and choked him out. It was a masterful performance from the underdog.

1. Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson - UFC 139 - There are fights were a fighter will gas and everything goes down the crapper. Well, at UFC 139, both Shogun and Hendo gassed during their five round war and it only added to the entertainment value. Henderson had the advantage early, picking Shogun apart on the feet. Unfortunately for him, he gassed more than halfway through the fight and Shogun was back from the dead. With a face that was bleeding, he began taking Hendo apart and was nearly able to finish him. Both fighters showed why they're considered legends of the sport and despite instances of getting beat up, persevered through trying to fight back as best they could.

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Jeffrey Harris
5. Dan Henderson vs. Fedor Emelianenko - Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson - Surprisingly, Fedor does manage to crack my top five list. This was a historic fight since many had this fight in mind at one point when both guys were in Pride. Many believed for a long time that Fedor should've attempted a cut down to 205 lbs., but that never panned out. Dan Henderson still came into this fight basically a light heavyweight with Fedor still the heavyweight. Both guys came ready to bang, and even Fedor looked like he stunned Henderson at the outset. However, Henderson's legendary toughness and chin came through as he managed to scramble and get Fedor's back. One patented uppercut later and it was all over for The Last Emperor. It was a historic fight as Hendo had finally vanquished the legend that was Fedor perhaps for good.

4. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard - UFC 125 - Many whiny keyboard warriors bemoaned this fight which just goes to show how spoiled fans can be at times. Both guys proved in this fight why they are top-level professional athletes and fighters. Edgar proved why he deserves to be champion and why he's the toughest in the world today. Maynard absolutely battered and took Edgar to the limit at the outset, however Edgar was barely able to hang on. It seems Maynard had a mental hiccup after the first round to see his opponent come back from a beating like that, not to mention an opponent Maynard had already beaten before. Edgar recovered and managed to bring the fight back to his favor. But by the end it was too close to call as the fight was ruled a draw. It was not totally unjust as many outlets and fans agreed with it and a rematch was booked to yet again settle the score. Frankie Edgar would later prove yet again why he is a true champion.

3. Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler - Bellator 58 - Many people probably wouldn't have favored an underdog such as Michael Chandler going into this bout. Eddie Alvarez had not lost in almost three years and had won his last seven fights. Chandler came extremely prepared and gave Alvarez a war for the ages at a time when Bellator really needed one. Chandler didn't leave the fight in the hands of the judges and in the end was able to submit Alvarez in what was likely a star making performance for the young lightweight fighter.

2. Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson - UFC on fox 1 - It is truly a shame this fight did not make it to the Fox broadcast as it would've been the perfect way to open the show and get people psyched and jazzed for the heavyweight title fight later in the show. Despite that being able to see such an awesome and historic fight as this live was an amazing treat and an outstanding spectacle. And from the looks of things, it seemed as if both guys probably could've gone another two rounds *AT LEAST*. This was a significant battle as it likely could've determined a title shot for both guys. But Bendo was just a little bit better that night and was able to outwork Guida and defend the submission attempts and dominate the overall fight. In the end Bendo got the decision nod and now is set to face Frankie Edgar for the title in Japan. But what a fight this was.

1. Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson - UFC 139 - In coming up with the greatest fight of 2011, there was only one choice. This fight was it. And not only was it the greatest fight of 2011, it is quite possibly the greatest MMA fight in the history of history. This was a dream fight for many MMA fans. Rua and Henderson were both already legends in the sport. Rua a former Pride and UFC champion and Hendo a former double Pride and Strikeforce champion. Both coming off solid knockout wins and looking to get ahead in the rankings. Henderson had the edge for most of the bout until Shogun finally started to come back but it was not enough. Needless to say both men left everything in the cage and perhaps even a little more than that of themselves. But it will be a day long remembered.

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Stewart Lange
5. Nick Diaz Vs Paul Daley-Strikeforce: Diaz Vs Daley - Very rarely we see a five minute fight that is able to tell the story and hold the excitement of a 25 minute war, but the frenetic pace that these men fought at for the 4 minutes and 58 odd seconds was insane. Both men had the other rocked on at two occasions and Nick pulled a stunning finish out of the bag right at the end of this crazy round.

4. Clay Guida Vs Benson Henderson- UFC on Fox - Before the UFC made their network debut on Fox, many people bemoaned that this fight was not on the televised portion of the card as it was destined to be a classic. Low and behold, the two highly ranked lightweights put on a fantastic showing with Henderson taking the decision. We actually got this fight on the UK broadcast on the UFC website, but had they shown this on the US card the live ratings may have been even higher.

3. Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler - Bellator 58 - Now and again, a relatively unknown fighter will shock the world with a fantastic performance. This was almost the case with Michael Chandler, who had been making his way through the Bellator Lightweight ranks without anyone giving him, or anybody else, much hope against the dominant Alvarez. When the two collided, we were witness to a star-making performance from Chandler and one of the best fights of the year.

2. Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson - UFC 139 - Two of the most famous, loved and decorated MMA fighters of all time finally stepped into the cage together at UFC 139 with the world expecting fireworks and that was exactly what we got. Both men showed amazing heart and ability to keep going through everything that the other could throw at them with the crowd both live and at home watching with baited breath. While both men tired late on and as a result, technique suffered which is the only thing keeping this from the top spot on my list.

1. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard - UFC 125 - The very first main event, on the very first card of the year provided us with my favorite fight of 2011. Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar threw down in a closely fought draw that saw Maynard knock Edgar loopy in the very first round, but failure to capitalize meant that Edgar was able to come back from losing the first round 10-8 to last the remainder of the fight. The fact that history repeated itself in their second (third) encounter proves just how tough Frankie Edgar is, as he was able to not only recover again, but also finish Maynard properly. If you're in any doubt about my number one pick, re-watch this fight, followed by my number two pick and tell me which is more exciting on a second, or even third viewing.

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Scott Kuczkowski
5. Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar II & III - I picked both of these fights because I consider #3 just a continuation of the action in #2. Both of these bouts showed fans around the world just how much heart both of these guys have. Edgar was badly rocked by Maynard in the first round of each fight and still recovered to come back and continue fighting. As much as I have given Gray Maynard a ton of shit for being a somewhat boring wrestler in the past, he made me a fan in these bouts by coming out and swinging away. Despite Edgar eventually walking away with the title, I think these performances cemented both guys at the top of the Lightweight Division.

4. Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida - This fight was unadulterated mayhem from the start. Both of these guys brought everything they had into the fight and left it all in the octagon. While Henderson was able to thwart all of Guida's takedowns and wrestling, Guida never slowed down and kept up his typical frenetic pace. I think this fight was the perfect "coming out" party for Henderson, who definitely established himself as a #1 contender for the Lightweight title with this win. The only unfortunate thing about this fight was that it wasn't included on the Fox broadcast.

3. Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez - I'd always figured Eddie Alvarez would stay the big fish in the little pond in Bellator, but Michael Chandler proved me wrong. Chandler marched through the competition in the Lightweight Tournament and then took Eddie Alvarez's title by finishing him in the fourth round. Chandler didn't just outwrestle Alvarez; he outworked him and outstruck him to remain undefeated and become the Bellator Lightweight Champion.

2. Jon Jones vs. Mauricio Rua - I was very interested to see what type of gameplan Shogun would have to deal with Jon Jones (and vice versa). While I knew Shogun was coming off an injury and a long layoff, I respect him as one of the best Light Heavyweight fighters on the planet and figured he would be a stern test for the young challenger. I was wrong. Jon Jones demonstrated absolutely no fear of Shogun ad really had his way with him. Jones' performance, especially against a veteran like Shogun, was about as perfect as could be, as he dissected Shogun both on the feet and on the ground to stop him and become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. The fight was the textbook definition of brilliance.

1. Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua - Guts and perseverance are the two simplest words to describe this fight. Henderson was able to hurt Rua in the first round and had him in trouble again in the second, but Rua refused to crumble and stayed in the fight. As Henderson began to slow down, Rua seemed to hit his stride and began dominating the wrestler on the ground. The best part of this fight was that I think it validated the Pride fighters, many of whom arrived in the UFC and were less than stellar. This fight, particularly for Shogun, demonstrated that he's still one of the toughest guys out there and won't be a walk in the park for any future opponent. Henderson showed the world that Randy Couture wasn't the only bad ass that would still rule after 40.

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Robert Winfree
5. Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez - Bellator 58 - This fight featured probably the best first round of action all year as Chandler rocked the champion Alvarez on the feet and pushed towards a finish. Alvarez recovered and did a good job in the second and third rounds. In the fourth Chandler again caught Alvarez and followed up with wrestling to secure a choke and become the new Bellator lightweight champion.

4. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard - 2&3 - I'm stealing a bit from Kuch here, but I can't fault his logic. The first title fight was a closely contested back and forth affair that saw Edgar get totally dominated in round one only to rally and control enough of the latter rounds to get a draw. The second one was essentially a continuation, again Edgar got rocked badly in the first round but came back. This time though he caught Maynard and finished him to conclude the fight. Great drama and great fighting.

3. Jon Jones vs. Mauricio Rua - UFC 128 - This fight was dominated by Jon Jones, but it was very intriguing when it went down. People were interested in what would happen, and the fight had a buzz about it. Even though Jones completely dominated Rua in every aspect of the game it remains a good fight to watch and one of the best of the year.

2. Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida - UFC on FOX - This fight had a bit of everything in it. Striking, wrestling, submissions, a great pace, and a title shot on the line. Ben Henderson proved superior to Guida in every way over the fifteen-minute fight, and it's one of the few I wish had had the extra two rounds to see what would happen.

1. Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua - UFC 139 - I'd love to put something else here just be different and to annoy Harris, but I really can't. This was two legends of the sport going out and giving us everything they had. Though incidentally this also makes Jon Jones look like a beast because he was able to finish Rua, but I digress. Hendo came out looking to land his incredible right hand, and did so on more than one occasion, but Rua wouldn't stay down and rallied in the fourth and fifth rounds. He took down Hendo more than once and showed great control, and I was personally cheering for him to get the stoppage in the fifth round. I personally scored the fight a draw, and was actually a little annoyed it wasn't officially one, that's how good this fight was.

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Alex Watt
HM – In trying to work out my top 5 fights of the year I ended up ranking an entire top 10 (there were a lot of fantastic fights this year). So, just so you know I haven't forgotten about some of these other classics, take a look at my picks for #10-6:

10. Nam Phan Vs. Leonard Garcia II (UFC 136)
9. Diego Brandao Vs. Dennis Bermudez (TUF 14 Finale)
8. Diego Sanchez Vs. Martin Kampmann (UFC on Versus 3)
7. Nick Diaz Vs. Paul Daley (Strikeforce: Diaz Vs. Daley)
6. Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson (UFC on FOX 1)

5. Eddie Alvarez Vs. Michael Chandler (Bellator 58) - On the same night as the stunning Henderson Vs. Shogun battle, Bellator saw two men wage a classic war of their own. Alvarez, at the time, was considered one of the top 5 lightweights on the planet with wins over some of the top 155-pounders in the sport. Chandler, meanwhile, was considered a tough challenge for the champion due to his high level wrestling skills but at a relatively inexperienced 8-0 this was expected to be a fairly comfortable defense for Alvarez. Not many people were predicting an upset in this one but, in a star making performance, it was Chandler who emerged victorious. In a thrilling opening round, Chandler had Alvarez rocked and close to being finished but the defending champion held on. The second round was a closely contested one before Alvarez turned in an impressive round 3 in which he had Chandler on wobbly legs. Just as the tides seemed to be turning in Alvarez's favor, Chandler again rocked Alvarez in round 4 and finished him on the ground with a rear naked choke. A bloody battle with a shocking result, which stands as the greatest fight in Bellator's history.

4. Dominick Cruz Vs. Urijah Faber (UFC 132) - This was the first ever UFC Bantamweight championship fight and it didn't disappoint. Faber was the only man to ever hold a victory over Cruz and this was "The Dominator's chance to avenge that loss from early in his career. This fight went the full five rounds and really showed why the 135-pounders are arguably the most exciting in the sport. The contest went back and forth and was fought at a furious pace with Cruz using his constant movement style to frustrate the challenger and land effective combinations. Faber had the champion wobbled on a few occasions but was unable to capitalize. In the end it was Cruz who emerged victorious with a unanimous decision. The two will now coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter and fight once more in the summer to finish out their trilogy, in a fight which could well be another phenomenal one.

3. Jose Aldo Vs. Mark Hominick (UFC 129) - I'm shocked that no one else has mentioned this fight because, in my opinion, it was an absolute classic. On the biggest show in UFC history and held in challenger Hominick's hometown, the atmosphere for this one made the UFC's first ever 145lbs title fight feel like a very special affair. Prior to the fight, Aldo was expected to completely dominate this fight en route to a stoppage. However, despite Aldo controlling the first 20 minutes of this fight due to superior striking and wrestling, the champion just could not put the gutsy Hominick away. "The Machine" weathered two knockdowns and gutted through the nastiest haematoma ever seen in the Octagon. Then, with Aldo exhausted (as a result of a bad weight cut and illness prior to the fight), Hominick reversed a sloppy guillotine attempt from the champ to secure top position and batter the Brazilian in the most dominant round of the fight. Hominick couldn't put the champion away but the closing minutes of the fight were some of the most dramatic of the year. After the final bell both Hominick and Aldo performed the Canadian's patented post-fight push-ups, which made for a beautiful moment to close out a historic contest.

2. Frankie Edgar Vs. Gray Maynard II & III (UFC 125 & UFC 136) - Again, I've stolen this idea from Kuch but it makes sense to include both of these classic fights here since they are both important parts of the Edgar Vs. Maynard story (plus, it freed up another top 5 space for a different fight). Their contest at UFC 125 was anticipated to be a dull, wrestling based affair. Instead, in the first UFC main event of the year, the two Americans went to war in an instant classic. Maynard landed numerous heavy punches on Edgar in the opening round and was moments from finishing the champ. Somehow, however, the gutsy little man from New Jersey was able to weather the storm and survive. Edgar then, incredibly, won the second round comfortably. The fight went back and forth and when a draw was announced as the result, for once, very few people could argue with it. An instant rematch was ordered between the two men and the final fight of the Edgar-Maynard trilogy at UFC 136 was nearly as good as their battle in January. In almost a carbon copy of their first fight, Edgar was forced to weather the storm in round 1 before coming back strong in round 2. On this occasion though, after three and half rounds of yet more closely contested action, we got a definitive winner. As Maynard shot for a takedown, Edgar countered with an uppercut and followed up with a flurry of punches to score the fourth round TKO win. Two classic back and forth fights with the icing on the cake at the end being Edgar silencing those critics who claimed he was a points fighter who didn't finish fights.

1. Dan Henderson Vs. Mauricio Rua (UFC 139) - Well, it couldn't be anything else really could it? "Hendo" Vs. "Shogun" was not only the best fight of 2011 but has a legitimate claim of being the greatest fight in the history of Mixed Martial Arts. As a clash of two legends finally going toe to toe, this fight was a highly anticipated one, but few anticipated the manner in which it would play out. Early in the fight Henderson rocked Shogun with his patented right hand and the fight looked to be over in quick fashion. Shogun, however, showed his heart and toughness to battle through the adversity and keep fighting. Rounds 2 and 3 went much the same way, with the third stanza being perhaps the closest you will ever see a fight come to being stopped with a combatant somehow holding on. Then, in rounds 4 and 5 Shogun turned the tides; he dropped Hendo in the fourth round and then turned in an incredibly dominant fifth in which he had an exhausted Hendo mounted and was raining down ground and pound, despite being gassed himself. Hendo, this time, showed his toughness to battle through adversity and hold on until the final bell. Shogun's performance in that last round should have earned him a 10-8 round and the fight scored a draw as a result, but it was tough to begrudge Hendo his win after such a brutal battle. An instant classic featuring two of the most gutsy and inspiring performances you are ever likely to witness in Mixed Martial Arts.

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

HM: Jon Jones vs. Shogun Rua from UFC 128 - *7pts.



5. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard – UFC 136– *7pts.




4. Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson - UFC on Fox 1 – 13pts.




3. Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler - Bellator 58 – 15pts.




2. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard – UFC 125 – 17pts.




1. Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson - UFC 139 – 29pts.


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: Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum From Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum – 35 pts
* The Best Submission Of 2011: Frank Mir rips off Big Nog's arm at UFC 140 – 25pts
* The Best KO Of 2011: . Anderson Silva's Front Kick vs. Vitor Belfort, UFC 126 – 28pts
* The Best Fight Of 2011: Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson - UFC 139 – 29pts

Thanks for checking out 411's 2011 MMA Awards!


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