2012 Half Year Awards

By Raphael Garcia

We’ve passed the midpoint of the year, and we at MMA Ratings are taking a moment to look back over the first six months — January through June — to see who and what has stood out within the world of mixed martial arts. At this point of 2012, these fighters, fights and moments have distinguished themselves as the best among the best in this sport, and have the potential to win the overall awards once the year comes to a close.

Fighter of the Half Year: Martin Kampmann

It’s amazing to think that just two years ago, Martin Kampmann was a gatekeeper in the UFC welterweight division, and a fighter that many people believed was missing out on his true potential. Fast forward to 2012, and he’s emerged as a top contender for the welterweight championship. And he’s done so in dramatic fashion. Twice this year, his back was against the proverbial wall, in matchups against Thiago Alves and Jake Ellenberger. Alves had controlled much of their March bout, while Ellenberger had rocked Kampmann in their June contest. However, the Danish kickboxer dug deep and pulled off two impressive victories. Catching Alves in a guillotine choke after an ill-advised takedown attempt, and stopping Ellenberger with a thudding knee, he snatched victory right from the hands of both men. Now Kampmann awaits a November showdown with Johny Hendricks at UFC 154 to determine who will face the champion in 2013. Quite a turnaround for a fighter many would have overlooked just two years ago.

Event of the Half Year: UFC 144 

For the first time in more than a decade, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Japan, the land that is considered the birthplace of martial arts. This event was created with a host of talent from Japan, along with other personalities that had built their legacy while competing in the “land of the rising sun.”

The show started off with a thud, as Issei Tamura dropped Tiequan Zhang with a knockout punch just thirty-two seconds into the second round. Two unanimous decision victories followed on the FX preliminary card broadcast, and then Vaughan Lee stopped fan favorite “Kid” Yamamoto with an armbar in the first round. In addition, Japanese MMA star Takanori Gomi put on a show as he came from behind to defeat Eiji Mitsuoka by technical knockout in the second round of their bout.

On the main card, Anthony Pettis stole the show when he snapped Joe Lauzon’s head back with a “shin to chin” treatment in the first round of their lightweight bout, positioning himself as a top contender to the 155-pound belt. Hatsu Hioki proved that he was a formidable contender to the featherweight title when he dominated Bart Palaszewski for their entire bout. Tim Boetsch came from behind — and did so in such a way that has positioned himself as a contender to the middleweight title — when he dropped Yushin Okami with multiple uppercuts. Okami was in the driver’s seat for the majority of the bout, until he was caught in the third round, and presented the opening that the “Barbarian” needed to secure the win. Yoshihiro Akiyama put on a judo clinic as he tossed Jake Shields around the cage, but still found himself on the losing side of the ballot. Mark Hunt continued to steamroll his way towards a heavyweight title bout, as he dropped Cheick Kongo in spectacular fashion in the first round. Quinton Jackson earned the pop of the night by coming out to the old Pride music, but that was about the most impressive thing he did until he slammed Ryan Bader on his head. Even still, the Power MMA fighter defeated Jackson handily, and seems to have righted the ship within his career.

The card was topped off by the back and forth battle between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson which saw Henderson walk away with the title strap. Action-packed for 25 minutes, both fighters were not willing to relent in any fashion at all. While the judges all felt that Henderson was the winner, there was a large enough outcry over the decision that a rematch was set for UFC 150.

Fight of the Half Year: Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson 

Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson was a bout that many MMA fans and experts had been looking forward to for a long time. Once the two combatants were in the cage, they put on a battle of blistering pace that saw Henderson become the latest man to hoist the 155 title belt.. The major moment in the fight came when Edgar took a vicious up-kick to the face in round two. Edgar refused to be outworked, and Henderson was game to match his effort. When the fifth round came about, Henderson’s overflowing excitement had the crowd screaming in his favor. Though the judges awarded the bout to Henderson 49-46, 48-47, and 49-46, UFC President Dana White went on record in saying that he believed Edgar had won the fight, and after some posturing by the former champion, a rematch was set for August. Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson are both known for never having “boring” fights, so expectations are high for the second confrontation in Denver.

Knockout of the Half Year: Pat Curran smashes Joe Warren 

Since losing to Eddie Alvarez back in 2011 and dropping down to featherweight, Pat Curran has been an impressive fighter for Bellator Fighting Championship. This past March, he had the opportunity to capitalize on his victory in the 2011 featherweight tournament, and capitalize is exactly what he did. Facing champion Joe Warren, Curran went in looking determined to take the title, as he beat the champion to the punch multiple times. The end came in the third round, when Curran pressed Warren against the cage and ravaged him with multiple shots to the face. Warren was obviously out on his feet, but referee Jeff Malott didn’t step in, prompting Curran to continue to punch. In what was one of the more disturbing technical knockouts to watch, Curran dispatched Warren in an extremely violent fashion.

Submission of the Half Year: Nate Diaz submits Jim Miller 

Nate Diaz finally emerged out of the shadow of his older brother Nick, and did so in stunning fashion. At UFC on Fox 3, Diaz was due to face Jim Miller for a shot against the eventual lightweight champion later on this year. Right from the onset it was apparent that Diaz’s range would be a problem for Miller, who was taking shots without being able to get into his own striking groove. Miller went for a desperation double leg in the second round, which Diaz reversed into a rolling guillotine choke. Miller could only writhe in pain, as he was biting down on his bloody tongue. Diaz didn’t relent, however, putting another submission victory on his resume and being the first fighter to tap Miller during his near seven-year professional career.

Upset of the Half Year: Jamie Varner defeats Edson Barboza by Knockout 

UFC 146 was supposed to be a layup for Edson Barboza. The undefeated Brazilian striker was surging in the UFC’s lightweight division, and was looking to put another highlight reel knockout on his ledger. His bout with Evan Dunham was scrapped, and Jamie Varner stepped in — the same Varner who was cut from Zuffa employ when WEC was merged into the UFC, back at the start of 2011. However, the former WEC 155-pound champion was called upon to step in on short notice, and not only did he do so, but he put a stamp on the night when he became the first person to defeat Barboza. His first round technical knockout victory over Barboza caught a large segment of the MMA population by surprise, as well as even Varner himself. As he stated during the press conference, he was expecting to spend the night in the hospital after facing the “monster” Barboza had become in his mind. Well, Varner should look into adopting the new nickname, “The Monster Slayer.”

With half the year left, we can expect the sport to bring us many more moments with the potential to create memories we will hold on to for years to come. It remains to be seen whether the second half of the year, and the moments it will supply us, will overtake these first half memories. But even if they do, we should still acknowledge those fights and fighters who brought us a January to June to remember.