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Penick's Take
PENICK: 2013 Year-End MMA Awards - Fighter of the Year
Jan 6, 2014 - 10:50:10 PM
PENICK: 2013 Year-End MMA Awards - Fighter of the Year
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

2013 was filled with fantastic knockouts and submissions, along with some excellent fights in general, some really fun fight cards, and some hugely successful fighters. We've been breaking it all down this week, and we finish the 2013 MMA awards tonight with the 2013 "Fighter of the Year."


2013 Fighter of the Year: Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson

The 27-year-old entered the year as the first-ever UFC Flyweight Champion. Still, despite defeating Joseph Benavidez by decision for that title following a win over Ian McCall in June of 2012, he seemed as a potentially more vulnerable Champ than any other on the UFC's roster. That proved to be far from the case, as he made significant strides in his overall game to showcase just why he might be the most well-rounded Champion in the game.

It started in January, where he took on a very good fighter in TUF 14 winner John Dodson. He took the best licks early from the hard-hitting challenger, but he fought through, and from the third round on he took control of the fight. In the fourth and fifth, especially, it was impressive to see him mix in a new wrinkle with a brutal series of knees, and he kept the pressure on to wear Dodson down. It ended with his hand raised, and he was brought back to Fox for his next fight in July.

Taking on John Moraga this time, the outcome was never really in question, which made a fifth round submission win all the better. Moraga just wasn't able to handle anything Johnson threw at him, and had the fight gone to a decision there would have been no doubt Johnson's hand would have been raised. Instead, he caught Moraga in an armbar in a great sequence and forced the tap.

He saved the best for last, though. A rematch with Benavidez was set to answer any remaining questions from their split draw the year before, as Benavidez went on an excellent three fight run of his own. Most expected another extended battle between two similarly great fighters, and instead, Johnson knocked him out cold just 2 minutes into the fight.

All three wins came in main events on Fox, showcasing different facets of his game, along with the improvements he's made everywhere. Though some others had some very good years, I think it's hard to argue against Johnson's being the best.


The Rest of the Top Five

2.) Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman beat Anderson Silva twice 2013. Let me repeat that. Chris Weidman beat Anderson Silva twice in 2013. It doesn't matter that the second ended by a leg break, or that the first left questions from Silva's clowning. Weidman knocked Silva out cold, then beat him up for at least six minutes in the rematch before the injury happened. Weidman had a fantastic year, and he's beginning a new age in the UFC's middleweight division in 2014.


3.) Urijah Faber

Faber won four straight fights in 2013, bouncing back from his loss to Renan Barao in 2012 for the Interim Bantamweight Championship. Faber's run last year included three submission wins, and the guillotine choke win over Michael McDonald after he blitzed him was incredible at UFC on Fox 9. That excellent series of wins has brought him right back to what put him on that path, as it was announced today he'll be stepping in for an injured Dominick Cruz to fight Renan Barao again at UFC 169. A worthy reward for one of the best runs in a long time.


4.) Vitor Belfort

Belfort also secured a title fight with his series of wins in 2013 after losing a title fight in 2012. His came on short notice a division above him, so the loss to Jon Jones wasn't held against him. Then he knocked out Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, and Dan Henderson, all by head kick. That just doesn't happen, and he's getting a fight with Chris Weidman in 2014 for the UFC Middleweight Championship.


5.) Ronda Rousey

Though Rousey fought just twice, and took a hit to her public image from The Ultimate Fighter 18, she still had one hell of a year as far as her fights were concerned. Wins over Liz Carmouche and Miesha Tate came in two thrilling fights, and she enters 2014 as perhaps the UFC's top star even after the negativity from TUF. That she added her seventh and eighth straight career armbar victories didn't hurt, either.


Bonus Honorable Mention: Eddie Alvarez

The once-again Bellator Lightweight Champion had one of the best fights of the year with Michael Chandler. Though it was a contentious split decision, the win was the most satisfying conclusion for Alvarez and his fans as could have come from the lengthy contract battle with Bellator.



DON'T GO YET... WE SUGGEST THESE MMATORCH ARTICLES, TOO!
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Penick's 2015 MMA Awards: "Submission of the Year" - Ronda Rousey's inverted armbar over Cat Zingano at UFC 184
Penick's 2015 MMA Awards: "KO of the Year" - Holly Holm's head kick over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193

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