2014 was an eventful year in the world of mixed martial arts. There were quite a few memorable moments and fights in the last 12 months. Looking 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.
Fight of the Month: Alan Jouban vs. Seth Baczynski, UFC Fight Night 47
August 2014 was a pretty weak month as far as fights went, as two events — UFC Fight Night 48 and UFC Fight Night 49 — did not award Fight of the Night bonuses. Add in UFC 177, which was one of the least-purchased PPV events in recent memory, and you end up with a month that many MMA fans would like to forget.
The fight that ended up being the highlight of the month, then, slipped under the radar, and at only four minutes and twenty-three seconds, it packed a lot of action and drama into a short time frame. Jouban was floored early in the fight, but he was able to survive, and when he got back to his feet, he was able to land two big punches, the second of which landed cleanly on Baczynski’s jaw, dropping him to the mat. It was quite the exciting debut for Jouban, and put the capper on the best fight to happen in the Octagon in August.
• Alan Jouban vs. Seth Baczynski: Alan Jouban def. Seth Baczynski via knockout (punch) at 4:23 of Round 1.
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Fan’s Choice for Fight of the Month: Tyron Woodley vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Knockout of the Month: Tyron Woodley vs. Dong Hyun Kim, UFC Fight Night 48
For Dong Hyun Kim, it was live by the spinning strike, die by the spinning strike, as Tyron Woodley countered Kim’s spinning attack with a right hand that dropped him and set up the stoppage at just a hair over a minute into the first round. Woodley, who had stepped in on short notice to replace the injured Hector Lombard, got back to his winning ways after his UFC 174 loss to Rory MacDonald in March, and remains a part of the welterweight title “mix.”
Honorable mention goes to Rafael dos Anjos, who was the first man to knock out Benson Henderson in the main event of UFC Fight Night 49. Dos Anjos used a leaping knee to stun the former champion, and a left hook to stop the former champion with a flash KO. The stoppage was a tad controversial, but it was certainly spectacular, and it definitely solidified Dos Anjos’ place in the lightweight title picture.
• Dong Hyun Kim vs. Tyron Woodley: Tyron Woodley def. Dong Hyun Kim via TKO (punches) at 1:01 of Round 1.
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Submission of the Month: Ben Saunders vs. Chris Heatherly, UFC Fight Night 49
Ben Saunders returned from his Bellator exile with a vengeance, as it only took 2 minutes and 18 seconds to defeat Heatherly via the rarest of submissions — the omoplata. Long viewed as a transitional submission and little else, it would have been unthinkable to imagine a fight would end that way in 2014. But Saunders used a high guard and threatened triangle to sweep before transitioning to the hold, and he used his length and leverage to coax the tap.
For Saunders, this win afforded Saunders an opportunity for redemption after a Bellator run which ended via a knockout loss to Douglas Lima at Bellator 100. As a fighter with a highly entertaining style, he was welcomed back into the Octagon, and with his win over Heatherly, Saunders was able to pad his highlight reel with one of the more spectacular submission wins of the year.
• Ben Saunders vs. Chris Heatherly: Ben Saunders def. Chris Heatherly via submission (omoplata) at 2:18 of Round 1.
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Story of the Month: Eddie Alvarez released from Bellator
The contractual squabble between Eddie Alvarez and Bellator went on for nearly two years, but it drew to a close in August 2014 when the organization announced that Alvarez would be released from his contract. At the time, he was the organization’s lightweight champion, but rather than match him with Will Brooks, who had captured the Interim Lightweight Championship at Bellator 120, the promotion chose not to risk an Alvarez win in his final fight. For Alvarez, having been denied the opportunity for a rubber match with former champion Michael Chandler, there was little left for him to accomplish before making the inevitable jump to the UFC.
In the weeks before the official announcement, something was rumored to be in the works, as the MMA Twittersphere buzzed with talk of Alvarez taking on Donald Cerrone at UFC 178. This became his UFC debut, and although he was unsuccessful, he showed enough in defeat to earn himself another high-profile booking, this time against former WEC and UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson, which is due to take place next month at UFC Fight Night 59. In a lot of ways it’s out of the frying pan into the fire, but Alvarez has never been known for backing down from a fight, particularly a war. Win or lose, he will remain an asset to the UFC roster, and continue to prove himself against the best lightweights the sport has to offer.
Do you agree with these choices for August 2014? Rate these fights and others, and be sure to make your voice heard!
Woodley's KO over Dos Anjos KOing Benson?? Not no but hell no.