The Most Underrated MMA Fights of 2014

Every year the still-blossoming sport of mixed martial arts attracts flocks of new fans who fill arenas, balloon demand and entice promotions like the UFC to saturate the calender with events.

And since the days of expecting a few major shows per month have long since passed (the UFC has already had 33 events in 2014), it's only natural that some fans only tend to remember the year's blockbusters.

This countdown's not about all the marquee scraps that got the proper pre- and post-fight attention from fans and members of the mass media. This list serves as an homage to the handfuls of unforgettable clashes that stayed under the radar for one reason or another in 2014.

Here are the most underrated fights of the first 8.5 months of 2014.

All stats gathered via Fightmetric.com.

Honorable Mention

Fans at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino expressed extreme displeasure when the bout's doctor told Michael Chiesa that he couldn't continue due to a cut in what was a tooth-and-nail battle against Joe Lauzon at UFC Fight Night 50.

The duo went back and forth engaging in striking and grappling exchanges in the first round before Lauzon gained an advantage toward the end of the stanza on the strength of his ruthless clinch game.

Lauzon landed several clean knees to Chiesa's brow, one of which opened a gorging cut over the right eye of the winner of season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Nearing the midway point of the fight, and just as the action began to hit its climax, the bout's ringside doctor noticed the severity of the gash and intervened at the 2:14 mark of the second round.

Although Chiesa suffered his second setback in four fights, "Maverick" pocketed his first $50,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus. Lauzon, who's also 2-2 in his last four bout, moved ahead of Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz for most UFC post-fight bonuses with 13.

They got their dues from this thriller because of bonuses from the UFC's brass, but because it was the first fight on the main card, it didn't get the pre-fight attention it deserved.

Lauzon and Chiesa always put on entertaining scraps, and sans the early stoppage, this bout would have landed higher on the countdown.

5. Rick Story vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Matt Strasen/Associated Press

Rick Story didn't have many answers for Kelvin Gastelum until he landed a solid left hand late in the second round of their preliminary-card bout at UFC 171.

Story wobbled the winner of season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter with a straight left with 19 seconds left in the second round.

The two traded haymakers for the next eight seconds before Story dropped Gastelum with another straight left to the chops. 

Gastelum survived the round and emerged from his stool in the third round looking like a determined man.

Story outstruck Gastelum, 20-14, in the final round, but the Washington native surrendered a takedown, a guard pass and a reversal in the round.

While Gastelum did just enough to earn a split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29), it almost didn't matter to fans at the American Airlines Center.

The over 19,000 in attendance that night will always remember the seesaw battle that ensued between Story and Gastelum, even though the bout didn't garner the "Fight of the Night" bonus.

4. Alan Jouban vs. Seth Baczynski

In the only one-round fight on the countdown, Alan Jouban came alive late in the first round of his promotional debut against 10-fight UFC vet Seth Baczynski at UFC Fight Night 47.

Baczynski landed the harder strikes and scored on his first takedown attempt to take control of the action early.

But Jouban didn't waiver as Baczynski continued to open up with strikes. And as the Blackhouse MMA stalwart withstood some of Baczynski's best shots, he opened up with an array of strikes of his own roughly four minutes into the fight.

Jouban started the sequence that ended the fight by grazing Baczynski with a spinning back elbow with 54 seconds to go in the round.

Jouban then landed a five-punch combination that ended with a knee strike to Baczynski's chin. Baczynski survived but the flurry set up pair of thunderous left hooks, the second of which landed flush on Baczynski's jaw, sending him crashing to the canvas unconscious.

Despite the fact that the fight didn't generate the attention merited from the mass media, Baczynski and Jouban pocketed "Fight of the Night" honors for this one-round barnburner. 

3. Jamie Varner vs. Abel Trujillo

Tim Larsen/Associated Press

Apparently Abel Trujillo didn't take too kindly to getting locked up in an air-tight north-south choke by Jamie Varner on the first fight of the main card at UFC 169.

Trujillo responded by swarming Varner with combinations at the end of the first round, and it was a trend that continued early in the second.

Varner obliged Trujillo in a brawl that resembled Rocky vs. Apollo Creed, and the former NCAA Division I wrestler had the Blackzilians standout on the ropes.

Then, just when it appeared that Trujillo was heading for an epic fail, the 31-year-old Iowa native landed a lethal counter-right that rendered Varner unconscious with 2:28 left in the second round.

Trujillo took home both "Fight of the Night" and "Knockout of the Night" bonuses for his efforts, while Varner pocketed $50,000 for his part in the classic brawl.

But like the bout between Chiesa and Lauzon, Varner and Trujillo had the unlucky distinction of opening the action on the main card.

In this case, a superb fight was overshadowed by less entertaining UFC 169 main event fights between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir; Urijah Faber and Renan Barao; and Ricardo Lamas and Jose Aldo.

2. Yoel Romero vs. Derek Brunson

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Derek Brunson appeared in the driver's seat against Yoel Romero until midway through the final round of their main card bout at UFC Fight Night 35.

It didn't take much for the extraordinarily explosive Romero to turn the tides and make a competitive fight a one-sided beatdown.

Just as Romero sensed Brunson beginning to fade, the Cuban wrestler made his move and began stunning the Jackson's MMA standout with heavy punches to the head and body from close range.

Romero then got on top and landed enough solid shots from the top position to cause Brunson to turtle up. Knowing the end was near, Romero landed 13 unanswered elbows to Brunson's body, causing referee Blake Grice to intervene and call the bout at the 3:23 mark of Round 3.

While Romero and Brunson deservedly pocketed $50,000 "Fight of the Night" bonuses, talk at the post-fight press conference revolved heavily around the lopsided thrashing Luke Rockhold handed Costas Philippou in the night's main event.

1. Pat Curran vs. Daniel Straus III

The featherweight title fight between Pat Curran and Daniel Straus at Bellator 112 gave fans every element that any memorable title bout should give.

And yet the performances of Curran and Straus were greatly overlooked in March, and that's primarily because the event took place a day before Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler faced off for the welterweight title at UFC 171.

But even with the spotlight shining on Hendricks and Lawler, Curran and Straus put on a mesmerizing show in their third scrap against one another and second for the Bellator featherweight title.

A determined Straus fought back after dropping the first two rounds to grind out Rounds 3 and 4 over what appeared to be a fading Curran.

However, with time running out, Curran took Straus' back and cinched up a fight-ending rear-naked choke with 14 seconds left in the final round to reclaim the belt he once wore from March 2012 to November 2013.