2011 Mid-Year UFC Awards: Top 5 Breakthrough Fighters of the Year

After a long stretch of major MMA events ended with UFC 132, we are now midway through the calender year. As we wait for the MMA schedule to pick back up, Bleacher Report will be taking a look a several different mid-year awards.

This installment will focus on the UFC Breakthrough Fighter of the Year, which will be handed out to the fighter who has made the biggest move toward the top of their division in 2011. Already, there have been plenty of options for the award, but we had to narrow it down to five nominees.

Here are the top five UFC breakthrough fighters from the first half of 2011.

5. Phil Davis

As a four-time All-American wrestler at Penn State University, it was only a matter of time until Phil Davis became recognized as one of the best light heavyweights in the world.

With his win over Antonio Rogerio Nogeuira, Davis is now widely considered one of the top ten fighters in the division.

A win over Rashad Evans at UFC 133 would have practically guaranteed Davis the top spot on this list, but he was forced out of that bout due to a knee injury.

4. Melvin Guillard

Melvin Guillard has long been considered one of the most physically gifted fighters in the lightweight division, but he was never able to realize his full potential until this year.

In January, Guillard was given a big step up in competition to fight Evan Dunham. Although he was the underdog heading into the fight, Guillard ran through Dunham in a first round beatdown.

Another first-round victory over Shan Roller has Guillard in position to earn a title shot in the near future, but he will first have to defeat Joe Lauzon at UFC 136.

3. Brian Stann

After seeing his UFC record drop to 2-2 with a loss to Phil Davis, Brian Stann decided to make the move to middleweight in 2010. A win over Mike Massenzio in his 185-pound debut was promising, but few expected what was in store for Stann in 2011.

First, Stann was given a huge step up in competition against Chris Leben, who the former U.S. Marine was able to finish in the first round. Then, Stann was able to defeat highly-touted Jorge Santiago in the Brazilian's return to the UFC.

Now, Stann will likely have a chance to earn a title shot, as he faces Chael Sonnen at UFC 136.

2. Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson carried two straight wins into 2011, but nobody expected the undersized bantamweight to earn a title shot by the end of the year.

However, Johnson earned a third consecutive win at UFC 126, when he defeated Norifumi Yamamoto. Then, Johnson earned a title shot with a win over former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres.

If Johnson can defeat Dominick Cruz later this year, he will undoubtedly be the UFC Breakthrough Fighter of the Year for 2011.

1. Mark Hominick

Prior to 2011, Mark Hominick was a 19-8 fighter who wasn't really taken seriously as a threat to win a featherweight title. Even when it was announced that Hominick would have the chance to earn a title shot with a win over George Roop, many believed that the UFC was just looking for a reason to give a Canadian fighter a bout with Jose Aldo at UFC 129 in Toronto.

As it turned out, Hominick dominated Roop and proceeded to give Aldo one of the toughest tests of his career. With his valiant performance at UFC 129, Hominick has gained the respect of MMA fans and become recognized as one of the better 145-pound fighters in the world.

 

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.