MMA 2010 Fighter of the Year: Five Candidates So Far

Fighter of the Year is always a difficult subject in MMA.  With so many ways to win, there is a constant stream of fighters having great showings in the cage and proving to the world that they have what it take to climb to the top of the sport.  Every year, there are many fighters who consistently put on great performances that stuck out in the minds of fans everywhere.

Now, perhaps more than ever before, the Fighter of the Year is especially difficult to pinpoint.  With the continued rise of the WEC and the shaping of the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, tough fighters from all over the world are proving that they belong in these discussions as well. 

While the base of fighters who can potentially qualify for Fighter of the Year candidacy has certainly expended, the qualifications have largely remained the same.  Becoming a top contender, winning a world title, repeatedly defending a championship, beating the odds with an upset victory, or simply defeating high-level opponents consistently and impressively are all ways of being considered Fighter of the Year.

Here are five top fighters who have so far this year met some or even all of the qualifications for Fighter of the Year:

Dominick Cruz

Following his recent title defense against Joseph Benavidez, Cruz extended his winning-streak to seven in a row since his lone career loss to Urijah Faber in March of 2007. 

Cruz began 2010 by winning the WEC bantamweight championship last March, and the title of top bantamweight in the world along with it.  He took the belt from Brian Bowles in a fight where most expected him to come up short.

The story of the fight was Cruz's movement and striking speed.  He frustrated Bowles by evading everything he threw, while responding with sharp low kicks and crisp punch combinations until the doctor haulted the action after thte second round.

In his first title defense, Cruz was set against top contender Joseph Benavidez in a rematch of a bout that had taken place less than a year before.  Although Cruz had won the first encounter, Benavidez was seen as a serious threat to the champion, as he had rebounded from that fight with two consecutive stoppage victories before earning the title shot.

The fight was a five-round, back-and-forth war in which both men displayed serious tenacity and skill.  Despite being bloodied by a brutal knee from Benavidez, Cruz was able to control much of the striking and completed several takedowns, which proved to be the difference in the affair as Cruz came out with the decision victory.

Cruz has certainly garnered respect and fans with the performances he has put on in 2010, and if he is able to defend his title once more in this year he would almost seem a shoe-in for Fighter of the Year.

Ben Henderson

Thus far in 2010, Ben Henderson hold two victories, both by guillotine choke.  What is even more impressive was the opposition: former WEC lightweight champion Jaime Varner and the popular contender Donald Cerrone. 

Henderson earned a fight with Varner following a razor-thin decision over Cerrone to win the interim lightweight title in October of 2009.  The following January, Henderson defeated Varner for the championship with a guillotine choke in the third round. 

Three months later, Henderson made his first title defense in a rematch with Donald Cerrone.  The first bout between the two men had been considered by many to be one of the best fights of 2009.  Many felt that Cerrone had won the fight, and so he seemed the logical choice for Henderson's first defense of the championship.

This time, the judges would not be called on to render a decision as Henderson caught Cerrone in a guillotine choke in the very first round for the victory.  The impressive victory significantly elevated Henderson in the eyes of fans and in the lightweight rankings.

With Anthony Pettis making a clear statement with his win over Shane Roller at WEC 50, hopefully fans will see Henderson defend his title once more in 2010.  Should Henderson win again in convincing fashion, he will have cemented himself almost undeniably as the 2010 Fighter of the Year.

Jon Jones

By the time 2009 drew to a close, Jon Jones had already gained a reputation as one of the UFC’s most exciting prospects.  So far in 2010, Jones has only further electrified MMA fans with two dominant first-round stoppages. 

Last March, Jones was featured in the main event of the UFC’s first ever event on Versus.  His opponent, Brandon Vera, was viewed by many as more than a tough enough test for the young man widely considered to be the UFC’s most talented up-and-comer. 

Jones was able to take Vera down with ease and keep his posture inside the guard.  Following a brutal foul from Vera, Jones resumed his top control before catching Vera with an elbow right on the eye that echoed with a sickening crack.  Vera immediately covered his eye and the fight was stopped just moments later.

Jones’ latest foray into the Octagon occurred on the first day of this very month, against long-time 205 contender and UFC veteran Vladimir “the Janitor” Matyushenko.  Despite having nearly three times the professional experience as Jones, Matyushenko had nothing to offer his younger opponent. 

With a well-timed trip, Jones had Matyushenko on his back and on the defensive.  Jones beautifully passed Vladimir’s guard into side control and then secured the mounted crucifix position.  From there, Jones rained down elbows on a defenseless Matyushenko until the referee pulled him off. 

Having taken little or no damage in his most recent fight, many are clamoring to see Jones fight once more in 2010.  Should he put on another stellar performance, it will be difficult not to consider him Fighter of the Year.

Anthony Pettis

Anthony Pettis is on an absolute tear through the WEC’s lightweight division in 2010 with a three-fight win streak stretching back to WEC 47 in March.  Following a devastating head kick knockout victory over Danny Castillo, Pettis returned to rack up two submission victories in a row, both of which were via triangle choke. 

After catching Alex Karalexis in a second-round triangle choke, Pettis was matched up against the formidable wrestler/grappler Shane Roller at WEC 50.  Many expected Roller to utilize his takedowns and positional grappling to control Pettis from bell to bell. 

However, the fight quickly became a showcase for Pettis’ skills in all areas of the fight.  He totally shut Roller down, utilizing both kickboxing and jiu-jitsu to wear him down before submitting him late in the final round. 

Following this dramatic win, many have called for Pettis as the next challenger to Ben Henderson’s lightweight belt.  Should Pettis defeat Henderson and take the championship, he must seriously be considered as a deserving candidate for 2010 Fighter of the Year. 

Jake Shields

Although Shields has only fought once in 2010 so far, his lone appearance in the cage was against a true legend of the sport.  Having fought most of his career at welterweight, Shields had moved up to middleweight for a Strikeforce title fight against Jason Miller in November of 2009. 

His first title defense was set for April of 2010 against Henderson.  Henderson was a heavy favorite, as many doubted that Shields would be able to implement his grappling skills and would be unable to survive on his feet.  Many critics thought that Shields would need to get the fight to the ground or Henderson would knock him out, and they were very nearly proven right.

Less than a minute-and-a-half into the fight, an overhand right from Henderson dropped Shields flat on his face.  For much of the first round, the action was the same: Henderson moving forward throwing knockout punches with Shields struggling to defend while trying to recover. 

However, from the second round on, Shields took over.  He was able to take Henderson down almost at will and domnate him on the ground en route to a sizeable upset.  After the Henderson fight, Shields’ name appeared in the pound-for-pound discussion almost overnight.

Shields has since vacated the Strikeforce middleweight title and signed with the UFC.  He is set to make his UFC debut at welterweight against the extremely skilled Martin “the Hitman” Kampmann.  Should he defeat Kampmann, Shields will have vaulted himself directly into title contention and almost certainly earned the right to be called the 2010 Fighter of the Year.

Fighters Who Can Steal It

Frankie Edgar: If Edgar repeats his victory over BJ Penn this Saturday, he will have cemented himself as the top lightweight in the world and as a true pound-for-pound top fighter.

 Cain Velasquez: With a win over UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in October, Velasquez will have taken the spot as the number one heavyweight in MMA. 

Nick Diaz:  On October 9, Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz will have the opportunity to avenge his last career loss against KJ Noons.  A win over Noons will make Diaz the undisputed top welterweight outside of the UFC.