The 20 Best MMA Moments of 2012 so Far

Hard to believe we're already rounding the quarter pole of 2012. And here I sit. Still haven't finished the novel. Still haven't gone sky diving. Still haven't taken the Forrest Gump tour. Box of chocolates, Forrest? How about a box of disappointments.

One thing I have been able to do, though, is watch a lot of MMA. So allow me to present this list of the 20 best MMA moments of the year, 25 percent of the way through 2012.

20. Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final

What a way to kick off the year! A charismatic veteran of the division tangled with a highly credentialed newcomer in what proved to be a...

huh?

Oh, right. Hasn't happened yet. For many reasons. It's now set for May. Put it this way: I'm just as excited about it as all the principals appear to be. They're all really taking a let's-get-this-over-with kind of attitude about the whole thing. And you know what? That's infectious. 

19. Stephen Thompson Excites, Tebows

After winning his UFC debut in February, "Wonderboy," just 28 years old but undefeated in 62 bouts as a kickboxer and MMA fighter, earned himself an instant cult following and even fostered a bunch of wacky Tim Tebow parallels. 

18. The Coronation of Paul Harris

After tapping Mike Massenzio at UFC 142, the walking meme that is Rousimar Palhares reached new heights of notoriety in MMA's online and actual universes, the latter of which is quickly running out of guys willing to fight him.

Dr. Harris is more than a punchline now; he's the best jiu-jitsu finisher in MMA. And if you disagree, take it up with him. 

17. Eric Prindle Wins Tourney Without Fighting

Maybe not so much a great moment as it was hilarious in that only-in-MMA sort of way.

The Bellator heavyweight tourney final between Prindle and Thiago Santos failed to launch on more than one occasion. Back in November, attempt No. 1 fizzled after a groin kick from Santos caused a no-contest ruling. Earlier in March, attempt No. 2 stalled when Prindle came down with the flu.

Apparently, though, as Prindle was hitting the chicken soup, Santos was hitting the chicken nuggets, as well as the chicken salad, chicken chocolate cake and chicken malt liquor. Because a week later, the dude missed weight by 12 pounds. Organizers called off the fight, and Prindle walked away with the tourney title. Not a bad way to earn 100k.

16. Nick Diaz Proves His Genius, Again

And to think I was worried about Diaz fading out of the public eye. I shouldn't have worried.

Diaz appealed his one-year drug suspension on a technicality, but it's a meritorious technicality, at least to this completely untrained eye. Because it's pot metabolites that they found in his drug test. Not actual pot.

Show me in the bylaws here where it says pot metabolites are a banned substance, counselor. What's that? Can't do it? NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOUR HONOR!

In any case, whatever keeps the inimitable Diaz in the news cycle—and, maybe, gets him back to action sooner rather than later—is a win as far as I'm concerned.

15. Diego Sanchez Tough as Nails, but Comes Up Short vs. Jake Ellenberger

In his third consecutive Fight of the Night performance, a battered Sanchez entered beast mode late in the game and nearly notched a monstrous win in the main event of February's UFC on Fuel TV 1.

Ellenberger controlled about 95 percent of the match, but Sanchez made that other 5 percent count, rising up over the final 1:30 to land dozens of unanswered shots and almost lock on a choke.

And then there was the cross thing.

Ellenberger survived Diego's fury, and emerged as the world's best welterweight not named Diaz, Condit or St-Pierre. However, Sanchez showed once again why he's one of the grittiest, excitingest, mind-bendingest customers in the sport. 

14. Shane Del Rosario Makes Long-Awaited Return

For a while there, it looked like del Rosario was on the road to UFC stardom. And he still might be, even if the road got a little more circuitous. 

A serious car wreck (in which del Rosario was rear-ended by a drunk driver) sidelined the undefeated Strikeforce heavyweight for more than a year. However, late last year he signed with the UFC; it was announced in February that he will debut soon, at UFC 146 against Gabriel Gonzaga. Hard not to root for a story like this.

13. Showtime KOs Joe Lauzon

At UFC 144, it took Anthony Pettis 81 seconds to show he still has a flair for the dramatic, and enter his name back into the lightweight title picture.

12. Tim Boetsch Storms Back Against Yushin Okami

For the majority of his fight with Tim Boetsch at UFC 144, predictions that Yushin Okami would pick apart a slower opponent seemed spot on.

Then Boetsch pulled one of the best comebacks in UFC history, bar none, knocking out the hometown favorite at Saitama Super Arena. 

11. Jose Aldo Vanquishes Chad Mendes

Getting harder and harder to see who might be able to slow the roll of the featherweight champ. But I know this much: It's probably not gonna be anyone from Team Alpha Male.

As if his first-round, whirling-dervish knockout wasn't enough, Aldo followed it up with a memorable foray into the adoring Rio de Janeiro crowd.

10. Pat Curran Silences Joe Warren

Joe Warren is the self-styled "most dangerous man in the world." Before his March fight with Pat Curran, Bellator's featherweight champ made sure everyone knew he felt that way. He worked the microphones and basically did that thing he's done so many times before—that Chael-Sonnen-before-Chael-Sonnen-was-Chael-Sonnen thing.

However, after Bellator 60, it looks like Warren should focus a little more on the walk and a little less on the talk. 

I realize the smack is all in good fun, fits the armchair public relations theories of the day, and so on. I don't begrudge Warren's right or ability to do it. However, I also don't begrudge Pat Curran's right or ability to stop Warren's mouth with a fist or two and a knee or six.

In other words, I enjoyed Curran's vicious and belt-winning knockout for the same reason I enjoyed Warren's smack (even if the stoppage was fairly late). In fact, one probably enhanced the other. Great times all around.

9. UFC Flyweights Debut

On March 3, Sydney, Australia hosted the first round of the UFC's flyweight tournament. Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall fought to a majority draw, which was originally and erroneously called a decision win for Johnson.

And in a far less ambiguous bout, Joseph Benavidez—the odds-on favorite to be the UFC's first flyweight champ—pasted Yasuhiro Urushitani. 

8. Jim Miller Sends Shout-out to Stricken Nephew

This one wasn't exactly front-page news on the big sites, but this is my list, and I found it touching, so here it is.

In the main event of January's UFC on FX card, Jim Miller tapped Melvin Guillard. It was a good win for the lightweight veteran, if somewhat unsurprising given Guillard's utter inability to fend off a submission.

The true moment happened post-fight, when Miller discussed the son of his brother and fellow UFC fighter Dan. Young Danny Miller is only two and fighting PKD, a life-threatening illness. Jim Miller also asked viewers to support the Daniel James Miller Foundation, which helps the family offset young Danny's medical bills.

7. Edgar-Henderson I

Another day, another instant classic, another rematch for Frankie Edgar. However, after UFC 144, he officially found himself on the challenger's side after dropping a unanimous decision to Ben Henderson. 

6. UFC Broadens TV Reach

Over the winter, the UFC debuted new events on FX and Fuel. No matter your feelings on the UFC and its globally expanding empire, you have to admit that getting more free fights is, as Martha Stewart would say, a good thing.

More recently, FX debuted The Ultimate Fighter Live, an interesting and needed twist on the tried-and-true TUF formula.

5. Rampage Jackson Slams Ryan Bader

Quinton Jackson kind of soured the moment in the minutes and days after, when he lost the fight in his old stomping grounds and then went on to loudly and repeatedly demand his release from the UFC.

But, man, was that a sight to behold.

4. Diaz Condit

It doesn't matter that Nick Diaz hates to talk about himself. He gets plenty of others to do that for him.

Diaz played his usual stalk-you-down game and, in the eyes of many, did enough to win the fight. Meanwhile, Condit, uh, stayed on the outside, but outstruck and, in the eyes of the judges and many others, outfought Diaz to earn the decision victory and the interim welterweight strap.

The fight was close enough for a rematch, but that one was put on ice after Diaz tested positive for pot. Or, pardon me, pot metabolites. 

3. Ronda Rousey Wins, a Star Is Born

And give the assist to the also-talented and equally appealing Miesha Tate, whose courage (if not overwhelmingly intelligent in-fight decision-making) led to the most dramatic submission of the year so far.

Rousey's victory doubled as a huge win for women's MMA, which found its new face in Strikeforce's undefeated new bantamweight champ.

2. The Spinning Wheel Kick

When Edson Barboza landed this action-movie knockout against Terry Etim at UFC 142, it was an immediate highlight-reel addition and one of the best KOs of all time. Maybe top five. Maybe top three. Seriously.

1. MMA Returns to Japan

Saitama Super Arena is the Fenway Park of MMA. So imagine if baseball left Boston, then came back for a huge All-Star Game. That was UFC 144.

Here's hoping the next happy return is not so far away.