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 December 2012:
Fight of the Month: Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon, UFC 155
Some people call it “The V.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek term to be sure, but it captures the nature of the thrilling, visceral appeal that many mixed martial arts fans find in the sport when violence is being dispensed in the cage or ring. We appreciate the skill and technique of mixed martial arts fights, but sometimes a fight’s sheer brutality touches our brains in the more primitive places. Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon was one such fight. Lauzon is a fierce fighter known for meting out brutal and aggressive offense in his own right, but had engendered criticism for fading late in fights, and being somewhat lacking in durability. Although his August matchup against Jamie Varner at UFC on Fox 4 dispelled that notion slightly, it was still present enough that it factored into most fans’ and analysts’ pre-fight breakdowns. Lauzon would fade late, and Miller would either finish him, or coast to a one-sided decision. What happened in the fight, however, defied those expectations, as both men brought a tremendous pace from the outset, trading offense that left Lauzon bloodied, and Miller in control of the fight. However, instead of wilting, Lauzon instead ramped up the pace and aggression, almost daring Miller to meet his escalated violence and tenacity with his own. And meet it Miller did, as both men relentlessly pressed forward with their striking and grappling towards a finish that in 15 minutes never came, but always seemed moments away. In the end, Miller had proven himself the better man, but not before being pushed to his limits — and past the furthest reaches of violence he had achieved to date — by Lauzon. It was a definite Fight of the Year contender, gifted to fans just a few days before the 2013 changeover.
Honorable Mention: Scott Jorgensen vs. John Albert, UFC on Fox 5
Knockout of the Month: Rustam Khabilov vs. Vinc Pichel, The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale
There were countless knockouts in December; it seemed that nearly every other fight had a fighter trying to punch his ticket to the 2012 End of Year Highlight Reel. However, only one fight gave a debuting fighter whose name most fans couldn’t pronounce the chance to make a lasting impact with his first impression. At the TUF 16 Finale, former Combat Sambo champion Rustam Khabilov put UFC lightweights on notice with a triple German suplex combination that would have made Chris Benoit Kurt Angle proud, knocking Vinc Pichel cold with his third. As if the first-round knockout wasn’t enough, he followed it up with a quote for the ages via his Twitter: “My job is to throw him. How he lands is his business.” There were many fighters who took consciousness away from their opponents, but no one did it in such a memorable way.
Honorable Mention: Daron Cruickshank vs. Henry Martinez, UFC on Fox 5; Todd Duffee vs. Phil De Fries, UFC 155; Pat Barry vs. Shane Del Rosario, The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale; Hector Lombard vs. Rousimar Palhares, UFC on FX 6; Matt Brown vs. Mike Swick, UFC on Fox 5
Submission of the Month: Dustin Poirier vs. Jonathan Brookins, The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale
Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier was on the receiving end of a Submission of the Year candidate when he fell to “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung at UFC on Fuel TV 3 via D’arce choke. However, in his return to action at the TUF 16 Finale against Jonathan Brookins, he was able to remind fans that his version of the D’arce choke was something to contend with as well. In under a round, Poirier locked in the choke on the dazed Brookins, and sent him to the highlight reel in the same fashion that he had been sent seven months earlier. December was not as submission-heavy as other months, but it was notable for putting the former featherweight contender back on the winning track, and into the figurative “mix” for Jose Aldo’s UFC Featherweight Championship.
Honorable Mention: Jessica Eye vs. Zoila Frausto Gurgel, Bellator 83; TJ Waldburger vs. Nick Catone, The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale
Story of the Month: Nick Diaz gets the shot against GSP at UFC 158, shakes up the Welterweight Division
It had been rumored since right after the UFC 154 Post-fight Press Conference, but hardcore mixed martial arts fans had hoped that common sense would prevail, and that the UFC would not sanction a welterweight title fight between Georges St. Pierre and the man whose last fight was a loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, before he was served with a 12-month suspension for testing positive for marijuana metabolites. However, Nick Diaz, the former Strikeforce welterweight champion, whose unhinged bad boy persona made him a cult figure among certain factions of the fanbase, will return from that suspension to face the champion, in what many are calling a grudge match of sorts. Supposedly, St. Pierre himself requested this matchup because of disrespectful comments made by Diaz after GSP was forced to withdraw from their planned UFC 137 matchup due to injury. However, regardless of his motivation, this development set off a series of events that shaped the course of the UFC 158 card, due to take place in Montreal in March. Johny Hendricks, the rightful #1 contender, will be forced to put his top challenger status on the line when he faces Jake Ellenberger, who most considered a few steps off the pace by virtue of his knockout loss to Martin Kampmann at the TUF 15 Finale in June. Rory MacDonald, GSP’s protege, will get the opportunity to avenge his only UFC loss when he faces Condit, whose controversial win over Diaz that was due to require a rematch before Diaz was popped. As the card continues to fill out, the main card has a distinct welterweight flavor, no doubt due to the big contests atop the card.
Furthermore, the announcement of GSP-Diaz also had reverberations throughout the middleweight division, as the “superfight” UFC management and fans had been angling for between St. Pierre and Anderson Silva was deferred yet again, opening the door for Silva to defend his strap at 185 pounds sooner than expected. And with the spate of contenders falling at UFC 155, combined with Chris Weidman’s injury, Michael Bisping could be looking at a title shot if he can defeat Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 7. Whether that fight would take place in Bisping’s home country of the UK, or Silva’s native Brazil, remains to be seen, but as the GSP-Diaz matchup illustrates, the UFC will make these decisions based on business considerations more than anything else. All in all, the return of GSP brought divisional ripples, but just not exactly the way we expected.
December was one of the busiest and eventful months of the year, and there was often too many fights to count, and too much action to keep up with. Even with the holiday shopping season in full force, the UFC saw fit to gift wrap incredible matchups and deliver fast-paced fights with violent finishes that set message boards and social media timelines ablaze. The final month of 2012 saw fit to nearly overshadow the 11 months that preceded it, and set the bar high for the year ahead.
