The Way-Too-Early MMA Lifetime Achievement Awards

As Mixed Martial Arts continues to creep out of obscurity and into the mainstream flow of the North American sporting landscape, it is time to emulate the other major organization’s methods of dishing out yearly awards.

In the NHL, NFL, MLB, and NBA there are many awards named after the trailblazers of each specific category.

The Art Ross Trophy is handed out to the NHL player who accumulates the league lead in points. Arthur Howie Ross was a former general manager, head coach, and Hall Of Fame inductee as a player.

In Major League Baseball, the Cy Young Award is handed out to each league’s outstanding pitcher on an annual basis. Even to MLB’s most casual fans Cy Young needs no introduction. The Gilmore, Ohio, native virtually owns every meaningful pitching statistic by a landslide.

Although it may be far too premature for the current model of what is known as Mixed Martial Arts to be handing out lifetime achievement awards, many categories shall be named after active members of the sport.

As the sport has grown to mass acceptance by becoming more about sporting, less about “No Holds Barred” mentality, our Foot Stomping, Eye Gouging, Fish Hooking Forefathers will be omitted from this list.

I will describe the award then list who I believe to be the most deserving modern-day nominees. Please leave your votes in the comment thread. As always, if you feel a certain fighter has been omitted, feel free to leave your nominee in the comment thread.

On to the awards…

The Cro-Cop Award

This could be the one award that will withstand the test of time. Twenty years from now, I’m confident that there will be few people petitioning to change the title of this award.

Known for his thunderous knockout left-leg missile shots, Mirko Filipovic was the true original artist of the shin-to-temple sleep aid.

Current nominees:

Marius Zaromskis
Cung Le
Anderson Silva
Georges St. Pierre
Wanderlei Silva

The Shonie Carter Award

In honor of possibly the prettiest knockout in MMA history, Shonie Carter earns this trophy by his near decapitation of Matt Serra with the spinning back-fist.

One of Shonie’s favorite go-to moves, some announcers have become so accustomed to it, that they can telegraph when he throws it.

Current nominees:

Jon “Bones” Jones
Nick Diaz
Yahir Reyes
Urijah Faber

The Spencer Fisher Award

This one might be a little far-fetched, but the flying knee Fisher landed on Matt Wiman was one of my all-time favorites.

Many of the nominees are probably better suited to own the award rather than winning it, but here are the nominees:

Thiago Alves
BJ Penn
Jose Aldo
Frank Mir
James Irvin

The Wanderlei Silva Award

Rich Franklin might have been better off studying film of a different Silva before his destruction at the hands (more like knees) of Anderson before UFC 64.

The master of the Muay Thai Plum, Wandy was lucky his match with Quinton Jackson took place inside of a ring rather than a cage. Otherwise, he might have had manslaughter charges to deal with.

The current nominees:

Anderson Silva
Brandon Vera
Frank Mir
Miguel Torres

The Kevin Randleman Award

Perhaps the best ever at lifting his opponent off of their feet and planting them in a dazed and confused full guard, Randleman’s slam of Fedor Emelianenko engraved his name on the bottom of this trophy.

The current nominees:

Josh Koscheck
Matt Hughes
Mike Brown
Sean Sherk

The Fedor Emelianenko Award

On top of a downed opponent just wailing away with brutal ground and pound no matter what position. Fedor’s ability to posture up from full guard or wing punches in from back side control earns him this lifetime achievement award.

The current nominees:

Cain Velasquez
Georges St. Pierre
Jon Fitch
Thiago Silva

The Tank Abbott Award

Perhaps the source of many MMA fan’s nightmares. Tank’s opponents had nothing to worry about considering the majority of them don’t have any recollection of Tank’s devastating overhand right.

This award is saved for last because every fighter has one, yet few fighters make a living from it.

To the nominees:

Chuck Liddell
Dan Henderson
Quinton Jackson
Shane Carwin
Brock Lesnar