MMANEWS.COM Fighter of the Year

[rivethead]

I have to go with Silva. He's good enough to make very good fighters look like amateurs. He subbed Lutter despite knee surgery, he owned Marquardt to the point where people have written him off as a fighter [?!?], he literally toyed with Franklin in the ring--in Franklin's hometown. And he's still healthy enough to fight whenever, no long layoffs.

Rampage looked great against Liddell, and I loved the fight with Hendo, but he wasn't as absolutely dominant as Silva was. Hendo is a far better opponent than Franklin, Marquardt or Lutter, but I'm also factoring in a) first fight in a cage in something like 10 years, and b) fighting on another continent while his wife was pregnant in the US. Plus Jackson's injuries prevent a title defense in the near future.

I can't even consider Couture until he fulfils his contract or retires.



I think it might help to narrow down the criteria for people's choices...as in How much:

does the number of fights count?
does the quality of competition count?
do dominating performances count?
does what they do outside of the ring/cage count?
etc...

or make catagories:
Most Improved
Most Dominating Performance
Best KO/Sub
Biggest Upset
Best Heart...

rh

[Ramma]

Anderson Silva did sooo much more than Rampage did this year. I think Couture did, even though he only fought twice.

Rampage - 3 fights (KO, TKO, Decision)
Anderson 3 fights (Submission, TKO, TKO)

Rampage - beat a guy he is leagues ahead of..
Anderson - beat a guy on the ground via submission who is ahead of him on the ground.
+1 for Silva.

Rampage - beat a guy he already beat who lost that fight before he entered the cage. It wasn't like he dominated Chuck either.. it was a whole bunch of feeling out and circling, and Chuck went down.
Anderson - not as impressive as beating Chuck, but he dominated Nate.
+1 for Rampage

Rampage - squeeked by in a decision that many (including myself, and loyal fans such as Afro), feel he lost.. very close fight.
Anderson - beat a guy he already beat, but who was focused and did better than he did the first time (Chuck, when compared to his first fight with Rampage, did 10x worse).
+1 for Silva

Anderson Silva looks like he can be stopped by 1 man (Hendo).
Quinton Jackson looks like he can be stopped by countless men.

Anderson Silva gets my vote.

[rivethead]

Originally Posted by Ramma

Anderson Silva did sooo much more than Rampage did this year. I think Couture did, even though he only fought twice.

Rampage - 3 fights
Anderson 3 fights

Rampage - beat a guy he is leagues ahead of..
Anderson - beat a guy on the ground via submission who is leagues ahead of him on the ground.
+1 for Silva.

Rampage - beat a guy he already beat who lost that fight before he entered the cage.
Anderson - not as impressive on beating Chuck, but he dominated Nate.
+1 for Rampage

Rampage - squeeked by in a decision that many (including myself, and loyal fans such as Afro), feel he lost.. very close fight.
Anderson - beat a guy he already beat, but who was focused and did better than he did the first time (Chuck, in his fight with Rampage, did 10x worse).
+1 for Silva

Anderson Silva looks like he can be stopped by 1 man (Hendo)
Quinton Jackson looks like he can be stopped by countless men.

Anderson Silva gets my vote.

I also feel Rampage lost as well, and would be stopped in a rematch with Hendo. I also think people discount the distractions and adaptations Hendo overcame in that fight.

rh

[singinkangaroooo]

IMO Silva takes this because he just looks like a machine in there... he has shown no signs at any point of vulnerability... he has looked dominant and in control of every situation in all 3 of his fights.. thre was no point in any fight where i thought DAMN THIS COULD BE IT!!!....

the fight with Hendo is what lost it for Rampage... now i know Hendo is really really good and is almost impossible to finish but that close of a fight makes u seem vulnerable and he doenst have the "mystique" or aura that Anderson has about him... for me whenever someone mentions Anderson i feel they have no shot despite the name (even Hendo imho) but when i hear Rampage i think people could come close or even beat him...

Rampage is a great fighter and had a great year but Silva takes it for me