April was once again an action-packed month within the world of mixed martial arts. The UFC and Bellator presented a number of important fights across all weight classes. Champions defended their belts and new contenders were crowned. In the end, these events have been selected as the best moments from MMA in the month of April.
Knockout of the Month: KJ Noons sends Sam Stout to “Sleep Village”
KJ Noons was once a name that garnered attention within the Strikeforce promotion. Since moving over to the UFC he has not received the same type of treatment, but he still displays flashes of excitement. His fight against Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout at the TUF Nations Finale quickly reminded the fight community that he possesses high-level striking skills.
Noons and Stout had a clear respect for each other heading into the fight. Their pairing was a sleeper choice for “Fight of the Night” because both men enjoy striking exchanges. However, Noons needed only 30 seconds to put Stout to sleep in the middle of the Octagon. In a year that had a long list of “Oh My God”-type knockouts, Noons did a great job of adding this finish to his highlight reel.
• KJ Noons vs. Sam Stout: K.J. Noons def. Sam Stout via knockout (punches) at 0:30 of Round 1.
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Submission of the Month: Luke Rockhold creates submissions on the fly
Luke Rockhold is a special fighter. In 2014 he delivered knockouts and submissions in a manner that made his stock rise after nearly every outing. When he faced Tim Boetsch at UFC 172 he was the favorite going in, and he made good on that position. In just over two minutes he had Boetsch on the ground and finished by what has been classified as an inverted-triangle kimura. Just like that Rockhold pulled another submission victory out of the hat to make grappling in the Octagon look “cool” again. This submission deserves recognition as one of the best of the year, and it is clearly tops for the month of April.
• Tim Boetsch vs. Luke Rockhold: Luke Rockhold def. Tim Boetsch via submission (kimura) 2:08 of Round 1.
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Fight of the Month: Tim Kennedy defeats Michael Bisping
If nothing else was made clear after their April matchup, Tim Kennedy and Michael Bisping proved that they knew how to back up pre-fight promotion in the Octagon. For 25 minutes they put on an impressive back and forth contest in which Kennedy was able to get the victory. It was interesting to see how he was able to control Bisping, as he scored takedowns at will. However, “The Count” wasn’t completely outclassed in this fight, as he landed combinations during the moments that he could keep this fight on the feet.
Tim Kennedy vs. Michael Bisping was one of the best main events in 2014. They were competitive from the very start, and even though it was impossible for both men to have their hands raised at the end of the night, both Kennedy and Bisping deserved recognition for their battle.
• Michael Bisping vs. Tim Kennedy: Tim Kennedy def. Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45).
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Fans’ Choice for Fight of the Month: Shaj Haque vs. Martin McDonough, Cage Warriors 67
Beatdown of the Month: Bethe Correia batters Jessamyn Duke
Bethe Correia has made it a point to let Ronda Rousey know that she’s coming for her and that
bantamweight title. At UFC 172, Correia fought one of Rousey’s “Four Horsewomen” stablemates in Duke, and her message was clear. Duke found a way to survive the 15-minute affair, but Correia took it to her from start to finish, in every facet of the fight game. “Pitbull” continued her winning streak, and grabbed Rousey’s attention with this performance. While a title shot has still eluded her, Bethe Correia delivered one of the most brutal performances in the month of April.
• Bethe Correia vs. Jessamyn Duke: Bethe Correia def. Jessamyn Duke via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).
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2014 was packed with a large amount of mixed martial arts action in cages across the world. Looking back at one of the busier months of the year, these moments are the best of this past April.
Do you agree with these choices for April 2014? Rate these fights and others, and be sure to make your voice heard!
The 3 variations on the guillotine that immediately preceded Rockhold/Boetsch deserve at least honorable mention.