MMA in 2014: The Best and Worst Moments
2014 was a year with some high highs and some very, very low lows for MMA.
Fighters committed multiple ghastly offenses. They said and did things where the only proper response is a hard rolling of the eyes. And on top of all that, they just...kept...getting...injured.
There were some positives, however. Several fighters established themselves as elite-level talents. Multiple promotions added numerous intriguing young talents and comeback stories were aplenty.
So what were the five best stories of the year? What were the five worst? Find out here!
Best: TJ Dillashaw Outclasses Renan Barao
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What Happened?
Just a few months after dropping a throwaway fight to Raphael Assuncao, a perfect storm of unfortunate events resulted in a title fight between the unheralded TJ Dillashaw and the seemingly unstoppable Renan Barao. While Dillashaw entered as a huge underdog, according to Odds Shark, he shocked the MMA world by not just beating Barao, but absolutely dominating him.
Why Was It Great?
Seeing a young, talented fighter actually realize his potential is always a treat. Seeing a top pound-for-pound talent emerge right in front of us, however, is quite a rare treat.
Dillashaw, almost overnight, went from being a good-but-not-great fighter in the UFC's worst division to being one of the most dominant in the sport. His wrestling base was combined with a slippery striking game, making him a unique, potent threat who can likely defeat any and all competition. While he has an uncertain future in terms of contenders, he is in a strong position to claim a spot among the top 10 fighters in the game.
Worst: Everything About The Ultimate Fighter Season 20 (Except for the Fights)
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What Happened?
The Ultimate Fighter season 20 was a unique departure from the series' norm. While TUF is traditionally about taking unseasoned prospects and seeing how far they can develop over a six-week span, TUF20 took 16 (more-or-less) established fighters and pitted them against one another in order to determine the UFC's first 115-pound champion. However, while the season was incredibly important from a true sporting perspective, it was among the worst in the series' history in terms of pure melodrama.
Why Was It Awful?
The "easy on the eyes, but hard on the face" buildup was embarrassing for the sport. The non-stop cattiness was difficult to watch at times. The condescending post-show interviews...ugh.
While TUF20 was the groundbreaking of an exciting new division, it was an ugly affair. Sure, there were many positives that could have been focused on: Randa Markos established herself as a top-10 fighter with two impressive upsets, Rose Namajunas transformed from an athletic submission specialist to a stone cold killer and the season featured one of the strongest coach pairings we've seen. Ultimately, though, the season will go down as the one where everything always came back to asking "who was the biggest bully?"
Best: Crackdown on TRT, PED Use Actually Takes Place
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What Happened?
The cloud of performance enhancing drug abuse has long lingered over MMA, and the UFC's willingness to not just accept it, but actively attack anyone who would question the status quo has long made the idea of a cleaner sport feel out of reach. However, a few things in 2014 gave fans a glimmer of hope.
First, enhanced drug testing made it harder to get away with using HGH and EPO. Secondly, the controversial use of Testosterone Replacement Therapy was banned after an incredibly controversial 2013.
Why Was It Great?
This is pretty obvious. A cleaner sport is better from both a competitive and ethical standpoint. The near-encouragement of aging stars to seek chemical help, regardless of past steroid use, and the UFC's willingness to help fighters obtain that chemical help was profoundly disappointing. While PED use isn't a thing of the past by any stretch of the imagination, things have gotten better, at least a teeny, tiny bit.
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Worst: Multiple Fighters Accused of Domestic Violence
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What Happened?
2014 was bad in a lot of ways, but out-of-the-cage violence against women was easily the year's lowlight. Jon "War Machine" Koppenhaver's alleged vicious attack on Christy Mack was the highest-profile case, but the examples were disappointingly plentiful.
Anthony "Rumble" Johnson was called into court to discuss yet another issue with yet another woman. Michael Johnson was suddenly reinstated by the UFC following a mystery domestic dispute arrest. Will Chope's particularly ugly history of domestic violence came to light. Thiago Silva was cut from the UFC (then brought back, then cut again) after a SWAT standoff that started with him pulling a gun on his wife. Former UFC and WEC fighter Josh Grispi allegedly sicced his dog on his wife.
Why Was It Awful?
Domestic violence is awful all on its own, but it's something that has long been ignored in the realm of sports. It became a hot topic in 2014 and while the UFC (and its sister promotions) had once shown signs that it was legitimately progressive when it came to violence against women, it has since shown itself to be every bit as cold and indifferent as the NFL. Not only that, but in the one incident where the UFC cracked down on somebody, UFC President Dana White showed precisely how high the well-being of non-popular-fighters lies on his priority list, saying, "we've got sponsorship partners, we have television partners, and the list goes on and on. As tolerant as I may be, some of our partners may not."
That's bad. That's very bad. And the UFC needs to be held accountable for it.
Best: Fighters Return from Injuries/Tragedy
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What Happened?
Many great fighters have had their careers derailed by injuries or serious health scares. While nothing can change that fact, 2014 saw many fighters overcome that adversity.
Dominick Cruz returned after three years out of the cage to defeat Takeya Mizugaki. Cat Zingano bounced back from serious injuries and the loss of her husband with a come-from-behind win over Amanda Nunes. After being diagnosed with a potentially career-ending heart condition, Stefan Struve reentered the Octagon in a losing effort against Alistair Overeem. Josh Samman returned to the cage after 20 months, a stretch that included the death of his girlfriend and a serious hamstring injury, and posted one of 2014's most savage knockouts at UFC 181. The list goes on, if you can believe it.
Why Was It Great?
Who doesn't love a good comeback story?
Many fighters overcame personal and physical adversity and returned to the cage. While not all were successful in their returns, these are the kinds of stories that serve as reminders that the folks in the cage are, indeed, something special.
Worst: Jason "Mayhem" Miller Live Tweets Police Standoff
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What Happened?
Jason "Mayhem" Miller is a fighter who has recently been involved in much more bad news than good. However, while he has faced charges of assault and domestic abuse, he one-upped himself in a big way by getting into a massive standoff with police. The kicker? He live-tweeted the whole darn thing.
Why Was It Awful?
Sitting back and looking at the big picture, Miller's fall from grace is every bit as spectacular as those of Tom Cruise or Mel Gibson. The man reached a level of popularity and visibility the vast majority of fighters will never be able to achieve and became one of MMA's most recognizable fighters before ever stepping into the UFC's Octagon. Unfortunately, the last two years have seen him on a steady descent into madness, interrupted by occasional glimmers of possibly false hope.
That said, Miller has long felt like somebody that can, theoretically, turn things around. Here is hoping he can get the help he needs.
Best: Robbie Lawler Completes Cinderella Story, Captures Belt
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What Happened?
Robbie's Lawler's return to relevance after years of futility in Strikeforce was one of the most surprising stories of 2013. His rise to championship status, however, was one of the greatest stories of 2014. Lawler found himself with an improbable title shot at UFC 171, and while he would come out on the wrong end of a questionable decision, the veteran was unphased. He battled back with wins over Matt Brown and Jake Ellenberger to get back into title contention then, at UFC 181, would defeat Johny Hendricks in a blockbuster rematch.
Why Was It Great?
Lawler has been linked to so many names throughout his career. He was coached by Pat Miletich. He trained alongside Tim Sylvia and Matt Hughes. During his first UFC run, he fought Nick Diaz and Evan Tanner, and when he left, he fought the likes of Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Frank Trigg, Melvin Manhoef and Jake Shields.
The man has been around the block many times, and if that name-dropping session didn't do it for you, consider this: He won the UFC belt 10 years and two months after the final fight of his first UFC run.
Lawler may or may not hold the belt for a long time, but it's ultimately irrelevant. It took a while, but the man climbed to the top of the mountain.
Worst: (Insert Fighter Here) Withdraws from Fight Due to (Insert Reason Here)
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What Happened?
The UFC's 45-event schedule was ambitious, no doubt about it. But while many predicted things would go poorly, nobody could have foreseen so many cards going from decent to dreadful. From main events to top contender bouts to hearty scraps to debuts for hyped-up prospects, if there was a fight you were excited for, it was probably cancelled.
Why Was It Awful?
This is pretty obvious, no? Being a hardcore MMA fan is already a full-time job, given the UFC, Bellator, WSOF and Invicta FC putting on a combined 80 events in 2014. But taking on that sort of workload and having those few bouts that really show how great the sport can be get taken away? That borders on inhumane.
2014 was a brutal year, and that stems not just from what bad did happen, but from what good didn't happen. You can check out my list of "The Best Fights That Didn't Happen" here.
Best: Next Generation of Stars Get Their Shots
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What Happened?
The evolution of the "mixed martial artist" has played out as many predicted. With the talent pool growing and the level of athleticism increasing, we are seeing more and more prospects emerge on the regional and international scenes. Just as important, we are seeing these talented newcomers rapidly climb toward the top of the sport.
Why Was It Great?
Check out "The Beaten Path" top-25 prospects entering 2014. Marlon Moraes, Lance Palmer and Justin Gaethje have all cemented themselves as the best World Series of Fighting has to offer. Holly Holm and Henry Cejudo could easily be contending for UFC titles by the end of 2015. Close to all the others have joined the UFC, WSOF or Bellator and had some level of success.
Seeing fighters grow fight-over-fight is always a great thing, especially when you can pick out a special talent early. Make sure to check out this year's list of prospects so you can brag about being a big fan before they went mainstream.
Worst: People Just Keep Saying/Doing Stupid Things!
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What Happened?
Fighters, managers and promoters alike made fools of themselves in 2014. While there are plenty of examples to choose from, here are the highlights:
- Matt Brown said that women's MMA should be fought topless.
- Jon Jones went on a homophobic tirade on Instagram. While his manager initially said Jones' phone was stolen, according to BloodyElbow.com, that didn't stop Jones from posting selfies.
- Conor McGregor called Dennis Siver a Nazi, then offered the halfest of half-hearted apologies.
- Dana White critiqued Roger Goodell's handling of the Ray Rice situation but defended the UFC's re-signing of Thiago Silva. But don't worry, folks! He stated the UFC would be totally cool with taking action if a tape surfaced...which it did.
Why Was It Awful?
Wackiness is a part of the fight game. Always has been, always will be. From the carnival days where audience members would challenge wrestlers to Don King waving around miniature American flags to today where somebody five years removed from the sport was nearly given a title shot against the UFC's most dominant champion.
That said, there is a fair bit of difference between "wackiness" and openly insulting your fellow martial artists and/or fans and/or the intelligence of your fans. As with any other year, 2014 contained way too much sighing and head-shaking.
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