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 August 2012:
Fight(s) of the Month (tie): Julie Kedzie vs. Miesha Tate, Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman; Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar 2, UFC 150; Jamie Varner vs. Joe Lauzon, UFC on Fox 4
August 2012 was filled to capacity with amazing MMA moments; it’s a shame that so few people got to see them. At UFC 150, Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar had an epic rematch that only served to reinforce that the two men were more evenly matched than any two UFC lightweights to date. The fight’s controversial decision may have left a bitter taste in the mouths of most people who watched it, but it saved the division from the stagnation of these fighters likely trading wins in perpetuity, a prospect that would thrill fans of breakneck action, but frighten fans of fresh faces and new contenders. The box office, however, likely told the tale here, as the card had a buyrate of 190,000, and it was unlikely that a third fight would be lucrative for the promotion, no matter how great the first two matchups were. However, if you were one of the few who saw it, you were treated to a classic — albeit one marred by bad scorecards.
The UFC on Fox 4 card was airing against the Olympics, and predictably, ratings suffered. The fans who tuned in got an incredible night of fights, and the standout showdown featured Jamie Varner, fresh off his Upset of the Year victory over Edson Barboza at UFC 146, taking on Joe Lauzon. For almost three full rounds these two men threw down, warring on the feet and the floor in a back and forth bout. Lauzon eventually got the better of the former WEC champion, finishing him in the third via triangle, but Varner was game and fought hard, and both men came out looking like winners.
Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman was the continuation of women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey’s ascension to stardom, but it was the fight that anchored the Showtime Extreme preliminary card that stole the show on that night. For nearly 15 minutes, the former champion Miesha Tate withstood the offensive onslaught from Julie Kedzie, firing back with offense of her own even after being dropped with head kicks on multiple occasions. After splitting the first two rounds, Kedzie almost finished Tate in the third, but Tate was able to suddenly and dramatically transition to an armbar, securing the submission with 92 seconds left in the fight. It was a world class performance from a world class fighter, and both women displayed guts and grit that far outpaced the minor platform they had been given. Before the fight, many people were criticizing the decision to have this fight anchor the preliminary card rather than be featured on the main card, and this fight only reinforced the folly of that decision.
Each of these fights were legitimate Fight of the Year contenders, and they all took place within a two weeks of each other.
Honorable Mention: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Brandon Vera, UFC on Fox 4
Knockout of the Month: Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida, UFC on Fox 4
UFC on Fox 4 was an amazing card, anchored by the intrigue of who would be deemed the next contender to face light heavyweight champion Jon Jones after Dan Henderson, who was due to face Jones at UFC 151 on September 1. (More on that later.) The four candidates were Mauricio Rua, Lyoto Machida, Ryan Bader, and Brandon Vera, all of whom had been defeated and finished at the hands of “Jonny Bones.” However, UFC President Dana White declared on the broadcast that whoever “looked the most impressive” would be awarded the title shot. And with that edict in mind, Machida stopped Bader’s clock at 1:32 of Round 2 with a right hand that landed just as the former TUF 8 winner was lunging forward. “Impressive” was an understatement. Having adequately set the bar, all that remained for him was to wait out the outcome of the main event, but for “The Dragon,” his “Can you top this” moment was registered loudly and clearly, and when the night was through, his ticket to top contender status had been thoroughly punched.
Honorable Mention: Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard, UFC 150
Submission of the Month: Ronda Rousey vs. Sarah Kaufman, Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman
We all know how this works: “Ronda Rousey by armbar.” Hardcore fans used to joke that Rickson Gracie or Fedor Emelianenko would be likely to armbar anyone in the ring or cage with them, but Ronda has turned this forum meme into reality, dispatching victims in the first round with video game boss-level ruthlessness and efficiency. And Sarah Kaufman fell to that inevitable result in 54 seconds. Rousey clinched, inside tripped, mounted, and finished Kaufman before the announcers could finish their first round of superlatives. And then fans got ready for the Real Main Event, Rousey’s post-fight interview, where she called out Cristane “Cyborg” Santos, and continued to cement her claim as The Baddest Woman on the Planet, exuding star power every step along the way.
Honorable Mention: Julie Kedzie vs. Miesha Tate, Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman, Jamie Varner vs. Joe Lauzon, UFC on Fox 4
Story of the Month: The UFC 151 Cancellation
Card Killer. Sport Killer. Problem. Primadonna. So many words have been written about the saga of Jon Jones and the UFC 151 cancellation. There was the injury that Dan Henderson tried to fight through, leading to a withdrawal less than ten days before the fight was to go down. There was the war of words on Twitter between Jones and Chael Sonnen, after Sonnen had announced that he was moving up a weight class, but before the “feud” came to a head when Sonnen offered to step in for his teammate. There was “Shogun” Rua and Lyoto Machida unable or unwilling to fight after competing earlier in the month for a prize that was up for grabs just over two weeks later. And of course there was Jon Jones himself, the Lebron James of the sport, so talented yet so polarizing, ascending to greatness even as he maintains a legion of detractors, and committing PR snafu after PR snafu as he attempts to “build his brand.”
Jones, who had recently secured a Nike sponsorship deal, was not about to play the “Dana says ‘Jump,’ fighters reply, ‘How high?'” game; he needed time to prepare for a new opponent, and that was that. Cue the Dana White profanity-laced tirade with eminently quotable sound bites. That the UFC followed up that conference call with a scorched Earth press release formally cancelling UFC 151 (“killed” by Jon Jones and Greg Jackson, if you recall) was a slightly unexpected development, especially since the promotion moved the Jon Jones title defense to UFC 152 just a few weeks later, and was to return to the game of promoting him as possibly the sport’s best, even as they did their best to turn the fanbase all the way against them. Media, however, looked at this as a Rorschach test of sorts, evidence of the dilution of the product, fighters being too powerful, fighters not being powerful enough, Dana losing control, Dana showing his incompetence, injuries taking their toll, the change from “fighters” to professional athletes, the UFC having peaked, and any other issue that could be tied to the direction that the sport has moved to in 2012. Jon Jones may not have achieved the goal of being the sport’s top draw in terms of PPV buyrates, but when it came to polarizing MMA fans, he is now without peer, and we have one 48-hour period in August to thank for that.
August 2012 was by far the wildest month of the year, with amazing fights, whirlwind developments, political wrangling, fight announcements, fight cancellations, superstars emerging, and the sport changing before our very eyes in real time, across the 24-hour MMA news cycle. That it all happened below the radar of the mainstream and casual fan made this month that more insane. When the story of 2012 is told, the chapter on August needs to be twice as long, if not spun off into a saga unto itself.
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.
