MMA in 2014: The Top 10 Fighters
2014 served as an unpredictable epoch for mixed martial arts.
From untimely injuries to championship upsets, Murphy's law seemed to engulf the cage at every turn.
But through the fiery turmoil stood countless fighters who were willing to exceed expectations in order to climb their respective divisional ladder.
Some performances were more riveting than others, but for the most part the best fighters over the past 12 months blazed common paths of destruction.
Based on win totals, finish rates, strength of opponent and overall impact, here are the top 10 fighters of 2014.
Honorable Mention I
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Neil Magny (5-0 record)
Magney has been added to this list after much B/R community outcry.
The fact of the matter is that we simply can not ignore the fact that the 27-year-old welterweight tied the UFC record for most wins in a calendar year with five in 2014.
But when you step back and address the level of competitors that Magny defeated it's difficult to confidently position him alongside any other fighter on this list.
Sure he defeated up-and-coming talent Alex Garcia and promotional veteran Tim Means, but those are hardly names you would bolster a resume with.
Therefore, Magny gets a soft honorable mention among other yearly standouts who faced more recognizable and dangerous foe.
Until the UFC actually gives him a noteworthy opponent, Magny will continue to destroy on-the-chopping-block welterweights.
Honorable Mentions II
2 of 14
Yoel Romero (3-0): The Cuban bruiser made a name for himself by capping off 2014 with a memorable knockout of Tim Kennedy. His wrestling should allow him to continue to punish foes on the feet as he works his way toward a title shot this year.
Brandon Halsey (3-0): Currently undefeated in his professional MMA career, wrestling standout Halsey put his name on the map in 2014 by submitting Bellator great Alexander Shlemenko this past September to capture the promotion's middleweight championship.
Justin Gaethje (3-0): Fairly unknown to the weekend MMA fan, undefeated Gaethje continued to dominate in 2014 by defending his WSOF throne and showcasing why he's one of the best 155-pound finishers in the world today.
Honorable Mentions III
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Emanuel Newton (3-0): Arguably the most underrated champion in MMA today, Newton prolonged his Bellator championship success by winning the undisputed light heavyweight crown and defending it twice within a 12-month period. Not to mention he landed yet another one of his infamous spinning backfists.
Matt Mitrione (3-0): Despite his relatively capped potential within the UFC's heavyweight division, Meathead has begun to showcase an elevated ability to knock people out, securing three first-round finishes in 2014. If he can continue to defy Father Time and become more versatile on his feet, then he could break through his current ceiling.
Will Brooks (2-0): With two victories over Michael Chandler in 2014, both in title fights, Bellator lightweight kingpin Brooks continues to rise among MMA's best. The 28-year-old will remain one of the promotion's biggest assets as he looks to improve with time.
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Honorable Mentions IV
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Rory MacDonald (3-0): Many people would have added MacDonald to their top 10 and for good reason; he's one of the best welterweights in the world. But his inability to finish, as well as the lack of high-profile opponents in 2014, prohibits Ares from beating out the other names on this list.
Rafael dos Anjos (3-1): With one of the most impressive runs in the UFC this year, lightweight top contender RDA conquered the likes of Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz with relative ease. But his lackluster performance opposite the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov back in April lands him just outside of the top 10. However, he'll have his chance to capture gold when he takes on champion Anthony Pettis in March at UFC 185.
Conor McGregor (2-0): If this list consisted of high-profile superstars on the rise, then McGregor would easily surpass his peers. But since he fought twice in 2014 and faced off against only one ranked opponent, Notorious will have to wait until next year to make such a prestigious list.
10. Max Holloway
5 of 14
2014 recap: 4-0 record with four finishes
Max Holloway did more than enough in 2014 to crack the top 10.
While the Hawaiian failed to defeat any well-known ranked featherweights in the UFC, he did finish each one of his four victories.
As part of a division drenched with athleticism and vast disciplines, the 23-year-old is consistently making strides to contend for a title one day.
While his name doesn't stand out among the rest of these elite warriors, Holloway's finish rate and Octagon command speak for themselves.
9. Fabricio Werdum
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2014 recap: 2-0 record and captured UFC interim heavyweight title
Long renowned as one of the best heavyweights in MMA, Brazilian Fabricio Werdum came full circle in 2014 by defeating Travis Browne and Mark Hunt en route to capturing the interim UFC heavyweight strap.
Obviously, that title doesn't ring as loud as it would have if Werdum had had the chance to dethrone champion Cain Velasquez, but he has to be happy with what he has.
Outside of winning promotional gold, the 37-year-old showcased his evolution as a striker this past year by befuddling Browne (who's widely considered the best striker in the division) over five rounds and knocking Hunt out with a come-from-behind flying knee.
If his grappling can stifle Velasquez's wrestling, then Werdum could be a serious problem for the champ when the two meet sometime in 2015.
8. Demetrious Johnson
7 of 14
2014 recap: 2-0 record while extending title defense streak to five
With exceptional speed, versatility and budding power, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson is the quintessential pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.
But despite his dominance inside the Octagon, Johnson's resume is undeniably weak.
His 2014 title defenses opposite Ali Bagautinov and Chris Cariaso were arguably his easiest ever, despite the UFC's best efforts to bill these championship fights as marquee matchups.
This is not meant to debunk Johnson's proficiency one bit because he's easily a top-five fighter in the sport, but his recognition and promotional rise will not come to fruition until a fighter of his equal rises from flyweight obscurity, or he makes a move back up to bantamweight.
7. Luke Rockhold
8 of 14
2014 recap: 3-0 record with three finishes
With other middleweight standouts like Lyoto Machida, Ronaldo Souza and Yoel Romero taking the division by storm, former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold's 2014 success may have been accidentally diminished.
As a fighter who has all the tools to challenge champion Chris Weidman for UFC gold, Rockhold truly came into his own this past year with finishes over Michael Bisping, Tim Boetsch and Costas Philippou.
The 30-year-old was so dominant in every facet that people have finally forgotten his disappointing UFC debut when he was knocked out by a Vitor Belfort spinning heel kick back in 2013.
The fact that he became the first person to submit The Count is just another feather in his growing cap.
6. Anthony Johnson
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2014 recap: 3-0 record with two first-round knockouts
Anthony Johnson's comeback story is one full of struggle and redemption.
As a former welterweight turned middleweight who got booted out of the UFC back in 2012 after missing a weigh-in for his UFC 142 showdown with Vitor Belfort by 11 pounds (which is a matchup he'd go on to lose via submission), Johnson's professional spirit has been rejuvenated at light heavyweight.
Near-perfect victories in 2014 over Phil Davis, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Mike Kyle have put Rumble back on the map and in his own driver's seat.
With a perfected weight-cutting regiment and a maturity that is three years overdue, the 30-year-old has become one of the most dangerous and determined forces in MMA today.
5. Jose Aldo
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2014 recap: 2-0 record while extending title defense streak to seven
While Jose Aldo defended his title the same amount of times as Demetrious Johnson did (twice), he comes in much higher on this list because he faced a higher quality of contenders.
Now while Aldo's controlling ways opposite Ricardo Lamas at UFC 169 was overly impressive, his rematch with Chad Mendes at UFC 179 ultimately displayed the grit and violent aggression that fans have been waiting for.
All in all, the young Brazilian added to an already heralded resume and has arguably never looked better.
His legacy will be forever solidified should he get past Frankie Edgar and Conor McGregor in 2015.
4. Ronda Rousey
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2014 recap: 2-0 record while extending title defense steak to four
Is it good when a champion spends only one minute, 22 seconds inside the cage for an entire year?
If you're looking to work on some new techniques and test your will, then no. But if you're looking to keep your UFC women's bantamweight title and get back to creating Hollywood success, then yes.
Either way, that's exactly what champion Ronda Rousey did in 2014 by defeating Sara McMann at UFC 170 in 66 seconds and Alexis Davis at UFC 175 in just 16 seconds.
Needless to say, Rousey has become the most dominant champion in MMA today. Let's just hope an unprecedented defeat doesn't spark a permanent move to entertainment.
3. Donald Cerrone
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2014 recap: 4-0 record with three finishes
Willing to fight at the drop of a well-bent cowboy hat, crazed lightweight Donald Cerrone is quickly becoming the most popular fighter in the world today.
After finishing 2014 with four ultra-suave victories, The Cowboy has successfully extended his divisional win streak to six.
But despite the slashes in Cerrone's win column, it has been his knack for knocking people out or clinging to their back like he was a thermal sweatshirt that has truly separated him from the rest of the pack.
He's already off to a ridiculous usage rate in 2015 as he knocked off former undefeated Myles Jury at UFC 182 this past weekend, only to fill in against Benson Henderson on Jan. 18 at UFC Fight Night 59.
2. T.J. Dillashaw
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2014 recap: 3-0 record while capturing the UFC Bantamweight Championship
T.J. Dillashaw burst into MMA superstardom after he pulled off arguably the biggest upset of all time by defeating Renan Barao for the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 173.
On the heels of a perfected game plan and some of the best footwork you'll ever see inside of a cage, the Team Alpha Male standout made Barao look like a flat-footed middleweight.
It was easily a top-five fight of 2014 and one of the best examples ever that anything is possible come Fight Night.
The fact that Dillashaw also defended his title against Joe Soto, who filled in for an overweight Barao at UFC 177, adds to a perfect year full of feints, swift jabs and butterfly movements.
1. Robbie Lawler
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2014 recap: 3-1 record while capturing the UFC Welterweight Championship
The always game Robbie Lawler did everything he could have in 2014 to earn his title as 2014's Fighter of the Year.
Guys like Dillashaw and Cerrone certainly impressed beyond expectations, but they can't hold a candle to what Ruthless accomplished this past year.
With victories over Johny Hendricks, Matt Brown and Jake Ellenberger, Lawler knocked off the most dangerous fighters the UFC welterweight division has to offer en route to capturing a title.
Now while it's unorthodox to give this No. 1 spot to a fighter who did not go undefeated for the entire year, Lawler's first encounter with Bigg Rigg was so competitive that it can be laid to rest with minimal hesitation.
For more UFC news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell
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