Fighter of the year, starting with 1993

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up

D241

Banned
Jan 14, 2015
4,384
4,741
The premise of this thread is to highlight what fighter, year by year, had the most impressive year.
This will be a collective process where all I ask is you not only nominate your choice but give a reason as to why, who they fought, etc...., unless you agree with the first initial choice.

1993/1994- Royce Gracie.

While fighting 3 times in one year is average by today's standards, Royce completed this feat in one night, winning all three via finish on his way to becoming the first UFC Champion, while catapulting the sport into the millions of viewers who had never seen anything like that prior.
In 1994 he fought 8 times! Two times he fought multiple guys in one night, both UFC 2 and UFC 4, while competing one time in UFC 3 in a win against Kimo Leopaldo. In this two year time span, Royce went undefeated fighting 11 times, losing none, finishing all 11 fights. Add the fact he was the smallest man in an open weight tournament where the only rules were no biting, fish hooking, or eye gouging, this is a feat that may go unmatched in our lifetime.

1995-Ken Shamrock.

While I had first considered Dan Severn for 1995 having gone a respectable 6-1 beating guys like Tank Abbott, Paul Varelans, and Oleg Taktarov two times, he did lose to Ken Shamrock via guillotine choke. Ken went 5-1-2 with his loss being to submission expert Monoru Suzuki, his two draws were to respectable Royce Gracie and Oleg Taktarov. During this streak he beat Bas Rutten(who then went on a 21 fight win streak after losing to Ken) as well as Dan Severn.

1996-Don Frye.

Frye went 10-1 that year with his lone loss being to HW great Mark Coleman. In this streak Frye beat Gary Goodridge twice, Brian Johnston, and Tank Abbott. However it's arguable Coleman could be considered FOTY as he has a head to head win over Don Frye as well as wins over Goodridge and Johnston, Frye was more active which gives him the edge for me.(Feedback welcome on this)

1997-Randy Couture.

Making his mma debut this year, he went 4-0 beating Vitor Belfort(4-1 this year) and Maurice Smith. Smith was coming fresh off wins from Mark Coleman and Tank Abbott before being stopped by The Natural.
 

Disciplined Galt

Disciplina et Frugalis
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
26,030
30,881
The premise of this thread is to highlight what fighter, year by year, had the most impressive year.
This will be a collective process where all I ask is you not only nominate your choice but give a reason as to why, who they fought, etc...., unless you agree with the first initial choice.

1993/1994- Royce Gracie.

While fighting 3 times in one year is average by today's standards, Royce completed this feat in one night, winning all three via finish on his way to becoming the first UFC Champion, while catapulting the sport into the millions of viewers who had never seen anything like that prior.
In 1994 he fought 8 times! Two times he fought multiple guys in one night, both UFC 2 and UFC 4, while competing one time in UFC 3 in a win against Kimo Leopaldo. In this two year time span, Royce went undefeated fighting 11 times, losing none, finishing all 11 fights. Add the fact he was the smallest man in an open weight tournament where the only rules were no biting, fish hooking, or eye gouging, this is a feat that may go unmatched in our lifetime.

1995-Ken Shamrock.

While I had first considered Dan Severn for 1995 having gone a respectable 6-1 beating guys like Tank Abbott, Paul Varelans, and Oleg Taktarov two times, he did lose to Ken Shamrock via guillotine choke. Ken went 5-1-2 with his loss being to submission expert Monoru Suzuki, his two draws were to respectable Royce Gracie and Oleg Taktarov. During this streak he beat Bas Rutten(who then went on a 21 fight win streak after losing to Ken) as well as Dan Severn.

1996-Don Frye.

Frye went 10-1 that year with his lone loss being to HW great Mark Coleman. In this streak Frye beat Gary Goodridge twice, Brian Johnston, and Tank Abbott. However it's arguable Coleman could be considered FOTY as he has a head to head win over Don Frye as well as wins over Goodridge and Johnston, Frye was more active which gives him the edge for me.(Feedback welcome on this)

1997-Randy Couture.

Making his mma debut this year, he went 4-0 beating Vitor Belfort(4-1 this year) and Maurice Smith. Smith was coming fresh off wins from Mark Coleman and Tank Abbott before being stopped by The Natural.
If I don't see vovchanchyn I'm going to hunt you down and rape your pets.
 

RaginCajun

The Reigning Undisputed Monsters Tournament Champ
Oct 25, 2015
36,970
93,841
2002-2009
Fedor Emelianenko

During those years he was clearly the best heavyweight on the planet going 22-0 with wins over Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira x2, Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Matt Lindland, Mark Hunt, Mirko Filipovic, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman x2, Gary Goodridge, Kazuyuki Fujita, Heath Herring, Semmy Schilt, and more.
 

Disciplined Galt

Disciplina et Frugalis
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
26,030
30,881
hmmm maybe ur rite
Different eras it's like comparing pankration champs to gladiators to musashi to some fencer to a bare knuckle boxer to a karate dude to a TKD dude to a BJJ guy to a boxer. Some are the fucking best at some point though. Vovchanchyn is one of the greatest fighters ever @pelejons please, could you lend an opinion here?
 

Ted Williams' head

It's freezing in here!
Sep 23, 2015
11,283
19,102
Different eras it's like comparing pankration champs to gladiators to musashi to some fencer to a bare knuckle boxer to a karate dude to a TKD dude to a BJJ guy to a boxer. Some are the fucking best at some point though. Vovchanchyn is one of the greatest fighters ever @pelejons please, could you lend an opinion here?
i never thought about it like that b4 :cheers:

how would prime vov do in k1 u think?
 

Disciplined Galt

Disciplina et Frugalis
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
26,030
30,881
i never thought about it like that b4 :cheers:

how would prime vov do in k1 u think?
Sadly, I think poorly. He was imo the proto type of the sprawl and brawl style and he did it at nhb against huge guys. Now we're seeing more and more of a return to"civilized" That will also pass and soon there shall be toling. Toking. Fuck mosquito.
 

Ted Williams' head

It's freezing in here!
Sep 23, 2015
11,283
19,102
Sadly, I think poorly. He was imo the proto type of the sprawl and brawl style and he did it at nhb against huge guys. Now we're seeing more and more of a return to"civilized" That will also pass and soon there shall be toling. Toking. Fuck mosquito.
i liked when he caved kerrs head in with knees, shame it was against the rules but still a win in my books (like wes sims and mir)
 

Mix6APlix

The more you cry, the less I care.
Oct 20, 2015
12,918
13,449
2002-2009
Fedor Emelianenko

During those years he was clearly the best heavyweight on the planet going 22-0 with wins over Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira x2, Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Matt Lindland, Mark Hunt, Mirko Filipovic, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman x2, Gary Goodridge, Kazuyuki Fujita, Heath Herring, Semmy Schilt, and more.
He grabbed the ropes. GRABBED THE ROPES, BRO!!!
-TQN
 

so long

Posting Machine
Dec 16, 2015
1,282
2,035
I don't know - Shogun in 2005 and Jones in 2011 maybe ?
And TRT-Vitor in 2013 from an entertainment-standpoint