MMA in 2014: Biggest Breakthrough Performances
For what the sport had at its disposal, 2014 was a fairly competitive and entertaining epoch for mixed martial arts as a whole.
Injuries certainly played a role in prohibiting a higher degree of excellence, but the handful of elite fighters leftover were able to efficiently suffice for the loss.
From memorable title upsets to unforgettable headliners, the past 12 months offered excitement of all shapes and sizes.
But for the fans who enjoy witnessing a fighter come out of his or her shell in effort to stake their divisional claim, certain fights stood out more than others.
Here are the biggest breakthrough performances of 2014 as new names have launched themselves to the front line of the sport.
Honorable Mention I: Paige VanZant at UFC Fight Night 57
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With a new UFC weight class comes new faces.
One of those faces is 20-year-old Paige VanZant, who captured a very impressive third-round submission victory over highly touted Kailin Curran at UFC Fight Night 57.
It not only marked the young strawweight's promotional debut, but more importantly her arrival within the sport.
Having trained with Team Alpha Male in the past, VanZant possesses the tenacity, dedication and youthful exuberance to excel in the UFC.
If that isn't evident by her finish over Curran, then what is?
Honorable Mention II: Ovince Saint Preux at UFC Fight Night 56
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Ovince Saint Preux knocked out Mauricio "Shogun" Rua with a slippery right hook while stepping back at UFC Fight Night 56, capturing a Performance of the Night bonus and the second-quickest finish of his career (34 seconds).
Now while the 31-year-old has been a fairly prominent light heavyweight in the sport throughout the years, having competed in Strikeforce before the UFC, he has never quite made a statement like he did opposite a MMA legend.
And even though Shogun isn't what he once was OSP still executed with enough precision and deadly force to make the veteran question his own retirement.
If St. Preux can improve his wrestling to elude the skill sets of the Ryan Baders of the division, then he should gain even more steam in 2015.
10. Yoel Romero at UFC 178
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Having racked off four straight victories inside of the Octagon, including three finishes, Yoel Romero was already on the right track before he met Tim Kennedy at UFC 178.
But to end the former Strikeforce standout in the third round of a back-and-forth affair the Cuban clearly demonstrated just how good he can be.
Sure there was a minor hiccup involving a stool, but the 37-year-old outlasted and outblasted one of the more durable fighters in the game today.
Romero is already one of the best wrestlers in the promotion so the fact that he's consistently finishing opponents is icing on an already popular cake.
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9. Myles Jury at UFC 171
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As one of the remaining ranked fighters in the UFC still undefeated Myles "Fury" Jury is starting to show his evolving potential.
On the ground, on the feet and against the cage, the young lightweight never seems out of place or outmatched.
That said, nobody knew for sure how he would fair against the upper echelon of 155-pound fighters.
Now while Diego Sanchez is a few years past his prime, he still remains one heck of a test for anyone, let alone a 26-year-old whose biggest divisional victory was over Michael Johnson.
Jury's destruction of Sanchez at UFC 171 allowed fans to understand his skill set and promise entering the best years of his fight life.
8. Carla Esparza at TUF 20 Finale
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Capturing world titles is something that Carla Esparza knows all about.
From winning Invicta FC's inaugural strawweight championship to hoisting the UFC women's strawweight strap at The Ultimate Fighter Season 20 Finale, Cookie Monster seems to find success wherever she may go.
With strong wrestling skills and an evolving striking game, Esparza is capable of prolonging her championship dominance against the younger women in her division (i.e. Rose Namajunas).
She just needed the right platform and calculated exposure to truly come into her own.
7. Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 180
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Kelvin Gastelum continues to prove his critics wrong.
From defeating Uriah Hall to capture The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 crown to successfully dropping down from middleweight to welterweight, the 23-year-old is making strides that many fighters only dream of.
His most recent fight opposite Jake Ellenberger shed some light onto how far Gastelum has come and how well-rounded he's become, ending The Juggernaut via rear naked choke late into Round 1 at UFC 180.
It is a candidate for Breakout Performance of the Year and subsequently landed Mini Cain a chance to take on No. 3-ranked Tyron Woodley at UFC 183 in January, which could very well lead to a title shot.
6. Will Brooks at Bellator 120
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Michael Chandler was essentially the face of Bellator.
He was an All-American kid with the wrestling skills and hard-nosed chin to make any fight worthwhile, especially when it involved the promotion's lightweight championship.
But at Bellator 120 this past March, underdog Will Brooks made Chandler pay for his overzealous attacks and early energy dump en route to capturing the division's interim title.
What made Brooks' victory even more impressive was the fact that he had been eliminated from Bellator's Season 8 lightweight tournament just one year prior by a Saad Awad first-round knockout.
So his victory over Chandler (which led to a rematch that Brooks won as well) not only served as a big breakout performance but more so a means for redeeming the only loss of his career.
5. Matt Brown at UFC on Fox 12
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Before his No. 1-contender's bout with Robbie Lawler at UFC on Fox 12 Matt Brown was already a fan favorite.
UFC onlookers were drawn in every time The Immortal took center cage because of the ferocity, violence and rage-induced attacks that he brought with him.
In other words, they enjoyed Brown's appetite for bloody destruction.
But that doesn't mean the tenured veteran was correctly positioned within the division, even despite a ridiculous seven-fight win streak that offered six memorable finishes.
So even though he failed to get past the current UFC welterweight champion back in July, Brown's efficiency and prominence throughout all five rounds more or less gave him the divisional respect that he had been looking for.
4. Luke Rockhold at UFC Fight Night 55
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Despite his Strikeforce track record and present ability to finish any opponent willing to exchange with him, Luke Rockhold's UFC stock plummeted after his defeat to Vitor Belfort back at UFC on FX 8 in 2013.
It took the 30-year-old a long time to regain the high praise and divisional momentum that he carried over when he initially made his debut.
But after capping off a punishing three-fight win streak with a second-round submission of Michael Bisping at UFC Fight Night 55, which remains the only time The Count has tapped, Rockhold has officially broken out in the big league.
He's easily one of the more promising top contenders in the sport today and could be in for a very productive 2015 campaign.
3. Conor McGregor at UFC 178
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To cash the check that his mouth wrote, Irish phenom Conor McGregor needed to put on a good showing at UFC 178.
Well, after finishing Dustin Poirier within two minutes of the first round, The Notorious did just that.
McGregor's effort rewarded him with his third promotional finish and the divisional outing that was needed to launch him towards an inevitable title shot.
He remains one of the fastest-rising names in the history of the UFC and a future champion who could escort Europe's fight scene into mainstream America.
2. Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 49
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Knocking out a former UFC lightweight champion is not as easy task.
Knocking out former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson, who has never been finished at the hands of another, is an even more daunting feat.
But to much surprise from around the MMA community, Brazilian Rafael Dos Anjos finished Smooth in just 2:31 at UFC Fight Night 49.
RDA's one-punch exclamation mark let fans and fellow lightweights know that he has evolved his game in every which way possible.
It remains the biggest notch on the 30-year-old's belt and the performance that has granted him access to champion Anthony Pettis' area code.
1. TJ Dillashaw at UFC 173
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Easily the biggest upset of 2014 and arguably the most surprising title fight in UFC history, TJ Dillashaw befuddled former bantamweight untouchable Renan Barao at UFC 173 with blazing footwork and unorthodox striking.
The Viper owes much of his success to head coach Duane "Bang" Ludwig and his scintillating game planning, but it should notated that Dillashaw has always possessed this sort of potential.
Sure he lost to John Dodson via first-round TKO at The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Finale and came up short opposite a vastly underrated Raphael Assuncao, but the Team Alpha Male standout has finally come full circle.
His footwork is easily the best in the business behind Dominick Cruz, Demetrious Johnson and even Travis Browne, and it showed in the midst of dethroning one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world who hadn't lost in over nine years.
More for UFC/MMA news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell
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