The Top 10 MMA Fights of 2011

By Alex Mattis

2012 has officially begun. Apparently, we are all living the last year of our lives so it’s time we live it up! Before we do that, however, it’s paramount that we reflect upon the last year in MMA fighting. By gosh, we had a plethora of news, fighters, and fights to discuss but which of rank amongst the best? Let’s take a stroll down Memory Blvd. and count down the Top 10 Fights of 2011.

10. Diego Brandao Vs. Dennis Bermudez – TUF 14 Finale (12/3)
While the main event of this show was an unsatisfying snoozer, this bout more than made up for it. Diego Brandao won the Ultimate Fighter’s first ever featherweight contract in one of the best fights in TUF history. Bermudez made a far more competitive fight than most were expecting, and nearly scored the upset when he floored Brandao with a flush punch, but was caught in a lighting fast armbar. Brandao got the tapout at 4:51 of the opening round.

9. Dan Henderson Vs. Fedor Emelianenko – Strikeforce: Fedor Vs. Henderson (7/30)
What was advertised as a battle of two icons, turned into Roadhouse in a matter of seconds. A swift touch of the gloves acted as a gun being fired off to signal the start of this slugfest. The two wildly exchanged before a clinch battle began. After several moments of recuperation, the two met back in the center of the cage. A patented wild flurry from The Last Emperor wilted Henderson. Upon swarming for the finish, Fedor left a brief opening. It was all that Hendo needed to drop the H-Bomb and close the show. This fight truly sealed the end of the Fedor legend and solidified Dan Henderson as Top 5 all-time fighter.

8. Nam Phan Vs. Leonard Garcia – UFC 136: Edgar Vs. Maynard III (10/8)
The first bout between these two left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth and became the most obviously example of why MMA needs judging reform. It was only natural that these two would meet again. Due to a card shakeup, the two were promoted to the PPV main card and delivered an incredible show for the crowd in Houston and the audience at home. The first two rounds displayed Phan’s technical superiority to Garcia, but the 3rd round turned in a war after Garcia floored Phan with a crazy haymaker. Phan weathered a barrage of slobber-knockers from Garcia and answered back with blows of his own. As the final 10 seconds hit, both men swung and left every ounce of their being in the octagon. Phan’s vindication came with the unanimous decision victory, but no one will complain if we get a third fight.

7. Jose Aldo Vs. Mark Hominick – UFC 129: St. Pierre Vs. Shields (4/30)
The UFC’s highly publicized trip to Toronto this past April boasted two title fights for the Canadian audience. While the main event of the evening was another forgettable GSP title defense, the co-main gave the crowd their money’s worth. Rolling into UFC 129, no one was giving Hominick much of a chance and from the opening bell it seemed accurate. Hominick took the champions best shots and, despite having a second head spawned from Aldo ground-and-pound, kept coming forward. The final round saw an exhausted Aldo dominated by the resilient challenger. Hominick wasn’t able to finish the fight, and wound up losing the decision, but gave an incredibly motivated performance.

6. Dominick Cruz Vs. Urijah Faber – UFC 132: Cruz Vs. Faber (7/2)
This grudge match turned into a 25 minute scramble of insanity and one of the most aesthetically exhausting title fights in UFC history. This rematch was back and forth and extremely close, but in the end the judges ruled Cruz winner; successfully defending his bantamweight title. Following respective victories for Faber and the champion, they are set to finish their trilogy in 2012. The MMA community waits in anticipation.

5. Clay Guida Vs. Ben Henderson – UFC on FOX 1 (11/12)
When this bout was initially inked, everyone knew it was going to wind up as one of the year’s best. It did just that. Clay and Benson were competing for a title shot at the first UFC on FOX event, so the pressure was clearly on. The two rose to the occasion and brought the best out of each other. Bendo had firm control of the 1st and 2nd round, Guida gave all that he had what looked to be a fight-finishing guillotine in the 3rd. Henderson gutted through and eventually was awarded the decision. It’s safe to say even the greatest of expectations were met with this fight.

4. Eddie Alvarez Vs. Michael Chandler – Bellator 58 (11/19)
November 19 delivered two incredible wars, the first of which came in this Bellator lightweight title fight. Perennial pound-for-pound fighter, Eddie Alvarez was starched by Michael Chandler in the 1st round and a 2nd was looking doubtful. In the 3rd, the champion began to rally and had Chandler in trouble. However, the intense aggressiveness of challenger prevailed in the 4th round. Chandler dropped Alvarez with a right hand and jumped on him, got his back, locked in a rear naked choke, and forced the tap. Not only one of the year’s best fights but one of its biggest upsets.

3. Nick Diaz Vs. Paul Daley – Strikeforce: Diaz Vs. Daley (4/9)
In a year of one-round classics, this fight stood head-and-shoulders above the pack. Very, very rarely do fights with a ton of trash talk pay off; this was a great exception. From the weigh-ins to the pre-fight stare down, the intensity was ready to be cut with the proverbial knife. The fight turned into all out chaos as both men threw wildly and ate punches one after another. As Daley landed his left hook of death, Diaz dropped face first and the fight appeared over. With the recuperating ability of Wolverine, Diaz rose from the canvas and within seconds took over the fight. At 4:57 of round one, a violent barrage of strikes from Diaz forced the bout to be stopped. Nick Diaz’s level of realness was never to be questioned after this.

2. Frankie Edgar Vs. Gray Maynard – UFC 125: Resolution (1/1)
2011 began with what will go down as one of the greatest title fights in UFC history. What was supposed to be a “boring wrestling match” turned into to an absolute battle of attrition where both sided refused to concede. Shortly into the opening stanza, Maynard landed a flush punch that sent the champion spinning backwards. Several short, brutal uppercuts followed and it looked as though Edgar’s ride was over. So how, so way Edgar stayed alive in the 1st and came back with an incredible 2nd round. The remainder of the bout was a seesaw battle the likes of which had never been seen in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As astounding as it was, the judges had quite the difficult time in deciding a winner and the bout was ruled a draw. The two eventually closed their book, but the classic from New Year’s Day will live forever.

1. Dan Henderson Vs. Mauricio Rua – UFC 139: Shogun Vs. Henderson (11/19)
Really, what is left to be said about this one? Two indomitable wills clashed in one of, if not the, greatest fight in combat sports history. Both men were in trouble at multiple points of the bout. Shogun ate punches that would kill a normal horse. Hendo was more exhausted than Triple H after his entrance. Both men were lumped up and battered as they came out of their respective corners for the final round, and still gave all they could. Grown men cried as the contest reached its final note. In the long scheme of things, it won’t really matter who won and who lost, what will matter is the fight. It forever deepened the lives of all those who were fortunate enough to be a part of it.

Honorable Mentions: Evangelista Santos Vs. Nick Diaz (1/29), Lyle Beerbohm Vs. Pat Healy (2/18), Marloes Coenen Vs. Liz Carmouche (3/5), Pat Barry Vs. Cheick Kongo (6/26), Matt Wiman Vs. Mac Danzig (10/1), Frankie Edgar Vs. Gray Maynard (10/8)