The mixed martial arts world has seen its fair share of action throughout 2012. So many memorable fights and moments stand out in each of the 12 months that have passed. As we look back at this year in the sport, we at MMA Ratings are picking out particular moments from every month that stand out amongst them all. These are some of the highlights that came from May 2012:
When the weather gets nice, fight fans look forward to action-packed events from the world of mixed martial arts. And action is exactly what everyone received in May, as multiple events from both the UFC and Bellator were featured week in and week out. At the end of the month, the sport had a number of important moments to look back at in fond remembrance.
Fight of the Month: The Start of the Zombie Apocalypse
Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier, UFC on Fuel TV 3
The lack of availability of Fuel TV across cable has made it quite difficult to catch some of the UFC’s more interesting fights throughout the year. One of those standouts was the featherweight matchup between Chang Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier that went down at UFC on Fuel TV 3. Poirier went into the event as the favorite in the bout and jumped out to an early lead. He was able to capitalize on his technical striking to control the distance for the first two rounds of the contest. However, the momentum began changing in the third round, when the “Korean Zombie” began to land some shots on what seemed to be a tiring Poirier. In the fourth round he caught Poirier in his own favorite move, the Brabo choke, forcing the submission a little more than one minute into action.
With that victory Jung placed himself near the top of the ladder within the 145 weight class. Just that quickly, fans were calling for him to fight Jose Aldo at the earliest opportunity. A shoulder injury has kept him out since then, however, but expectations are that with one victory, he’ll be slotted into a title shot.
Knockout of the Month: Pointless Punishment
Michael Chandler vs. Akihiro Gono, Bellator Fighting Championships 67
Bellator has slowly grown into the second most important fight promotion in the world of mixed martial arts. While it doesn’t have the star power that the UFC brings to the table during each of its events, it has developed a stable of fighters that generate interest within the sport. Michael Chandler has been one of those individuals since breaking onto the scene with his 2011 Fight of the Year performance against Eddie Alvarez. In his first fight since that win, he dispatched MMA veteran Akihiro Gono in highlight reel fashion in under one minute. What makes this victory so interesting is that in one fell swoop, Chandler both retired Gono and set into motion the changes that Bellator has now implemented for title defenses.
As Bellator MMA moves to Spike next year, Chandler is one of the main fighters that can be promoted to the masses. This knockout victory over Gono was the highlight of the month and will most likely find its way into Bellator’s promotional highlight reel.
Submission of the Month: There’s A First Time For Everything
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 3
When UFC on Fox 3 was announced, fight fans looked forward to what was at that point the most stacked card that had ever been televised. Airing on the same night as Floyd Mayweather’s fight with Miguel Cotto, the UFC hoped that the event would serve as a good lead-in for combat sports fans. While the viewership numbers weren’t what the UFC had hoped, the card was still action-packed and the main event didn’t disappoint.
Nate Diaz and Jim Miller met for an opportunity to move up the ladder and potentially face Benson Henderson for the lightweight title. Right out of the gate Diaz pushed the action, pummeling Miller with his boxing. Towards the end of the second round Miller got rocked, and made the mistake of diving for a desperation double leg, which Diaz rolled into a mounted guillotine. The image of Miller’s bloody tongue sticking out of his mouth added to Diaz’s impressive submission highlight, and the victory earned him a shot at the lightweight title at UFC on Fox 5. While he was unsuccessful, this submission earned a permanent place on his highlight reel, and remains the best within the sport in the month of May.
Event of the Month: UFC Stacks Free TV
The announcement that the Ultimate Fighting Championship had aligned itself with Fox was viewed as an opportunity for the two companies to push the sport towards the next level of growth. However, most of the year has been disappointing at best for the events that have been presented through the platform. UFC on Fox 3 was the first step towards “correcting” that issue, presenting an event that was stacked with important bouts throughout most of the main card.
Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson was the slugfest that got fans excited from the very start, as both heavyweights showed up with the intention to end the night quickly. Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares was a grappling fest that was amazing and exciting, as Belcher decided to play the dangerous foot game with the Brazilian, and still pulled out a victory. Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck fought to a split decision that allowed Hendricks to begin to stake his claim to number one contendership at welterweight. And Nate Diaz became the first individual to stop Jim Miller by submission in the main event.
From top to bottom, this was the type of event that was designed to catch fans’ attention. And while it was placed up against tough competition in the form of Floyd Mayweather, UFC on Fox 3 still succeeded in many ways, and was easily the most important event of the month.
Staying inside to watch mixed martial arts was a viable option for mixed martial arts fans during the month of May. Spring was in full swing, and so were the fists and feet of popular combatants throughout the sport. And with so many fights and events to choose from, these were the moments and events during the month that stood out the most.
What do you think the Fight of the Month was? Be sure to rate these fights and others, so that your favorite fight can be considered for the 2012 Fans’ Choice award.
