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 February 2012:
Fight of the Month: Amen as the Answer
Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson, UFC 144
The high point of February fightwise was the lightweight championship showdown between scrappy underdog Frankie Edgar and holy warrior Benson Henderson. Both men took part in Fight of the Year candidates in 2010 and 2011, and this matchup had the same expectations. However, although it took place atop the UFC’s much-ballyhooed return to Japan at UFC 144, it did not receive the full brunt of the UFC’s promotional heft, coming less than a month after both the promotion’s inaugural Fox card and its well-publicized Super Bowl Weekend card, UFC 143. However, those that did buy the fight were treated to a back-and-forth contest that saw Henderson wrest the title away from Edgar in a razor-thin decision. Though a subsequent rematch did nothing to settle the score, there’s no denying that the five rounds of Edgar-Henderson were 25 minutes of blistering action.
Honorable Mention: Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez, UFC on Fuel TV 1
Knockout of the Month: Showtime, Bedtime
Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon, UFC 144
It wasn’t a springing kick off of a cage, but after the two underwhelming performances by the former WEC Champion in the Octagon, the fans’ enthusiasm for the lightweight title fight Anthony Pettis was promised upon the promotion’s absorption into the UFC had waned. However, with one well-placed first round head kick, “Showtime” closed his fight with Joe Lauzon on a high note, and added a sizzling highlight to his reel. He has spent the remainder of 2012 on the shelf, but for one shining moment in February, he was right back “in the mix,” and on track for a rematch with the man he became famous against, Benson Henderson.
Honorable Mention: Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami, UFC 144; Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Hunt, UFC 144
Submission of the Month: Triangles and Diamonds
Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway, UFC 143
Dustin Poirer astounded the viewing audience on FX during the preliminary card for UFC 143, stringing together a series of submissions on the overmatched Max Holloway, before locking in a mounted triangle/armbar in the first round. The victory, his fourth in a row in the UFC, earned him a Submission of the Night award, and catapulted him into what was then billed as a title eliminator with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung at UFC on Fuel TV 3. Though it was one of only a few submission victories in the month of February, it was far and away worthy of remembering throughout the year.
Story of the Month: Condit vs. Diaz, and its Aftermath
When the UFC 143 main event ended with a disputed win by the underdog Carlos Condit, who claimed the UFC Interim Welterweight Championship, UFC brass did what it could to line up a rematch with Nick Diaz, whose rabid fanbase raged against Condit’s “running,” and proclaimed the Stockton, California Bad Boy as the rightful champion. Despite “The Natural Born Killer” insisting that he had nothing to prove, eventually, money talked, and that rematch was due to be announced. However, when Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer announced a failed drug test, MMA fans and analysts alike knew that the rematch had gone up in smoke. Diaz, who had come to the UFC from Strikeforce to face Georges St. Pierre, ended up having to endure disciplinary action at the hands of the NSAC, and despite appeals and legal action throughout 2012, has spent the year on the shelf. Luckily for him, his absence has only served to strengthen his status as a cult hero among his most ardent fans, and lingering bad blood between him and GSP has preserved his matchup with the longtime welterweight ace, this time scheduled for UFC 158 in Montreal, Quebec.
All in all, the month of February had it all: International events, drug scandals, behind-the-scenes machinations, and even a purported “robbery” or two. But above all, it had exciting MMA action. It crammed two incredibly PPVs in the year’s shortest month, and the ramifications of the month’s contests reverberated throughout the year. What more could an MMA fan ask for?
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.
