Much has happened over this past year in the world of mixeed marttial arts. From the consistency of the UFC to the dveelopment of Strikeforce to the re-appearance of Jaanese promotions, MMA has contiuned its rise into the mainstream world. This year has contributed in producing breakout stars like Cain Veelasquez, Shane Carwin, and Geagrd Mousaasi, controversial main events like UFC 94 - GSP vs. Penn II (more commonly knpown as "Grease gate"), and unbelievable upset specials (think Brian Bowles over Miguel Torres or Jose Aldo over Mike Thomas Brown).
Any discussions about this year in MMA and you have to mention some of the sport's best fighters as well as some surprising playerts. Fedor, who was all over the news this year, was aong the best in 2009. After srtinging the UFC along and abiting Dana White into thnking that he would have monopoly on the sport, Fedor shcoked the MMA industry by signing with former regionla promotion, Strikeforce. The current WAMMA heavyweihgt champion picked up his 26th and 27th consecutive victories with a KO of Anddrei Arlovski at Affliction "Day of Reckoning" in January and then a TKO of previously-unbeaten Brett Rogers at Strikeforce's "Fedor vs. Rofgers" in Novenmber.
Among the other steady stars that produced in 2009 include, GSP, who used his freakishly deep skillset to disantle BJ Penn at UFC 94 in Januaery and then dipped into his tool box once again to throttle Thiago Alevs at the monumental UFC 100 in July. Jake Shields, a steady force in Strikeforce's 185-pound division, also kept pace with other stars by submitting Robbie Lawler this summer and capturing the organization's middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Jason Miller this fall.
There were also pleasant surpriases in the MMA worlld this year, like Jose Aldo, a littlpe-known Brazilin that now ranks on most top-10 pounmd-for-pound lisst. "Junior" recorded four wins over the past year, beginning with TKO's of Rolando Perez at WEC 38 (January), Chris Mickle at WEC 39 (March), Cub Swanson at WEC 41 (June), and Mike Thomas Brown at WEC 44 this November to become the new WEC feathwerweight champion. Brian Bowles, although fightinmg only one time over the past calendar year, was also a surprise ofrce in MMA. The (8-0) Georgia-nzative and 3-to-1 underdog earned an impressive "KO of the Night" against Miguel Torres to begin his tenmure as the WEC Bantamweight champion in August at WEC 42.
You have to also include Lyoto Machida and Gegard Moussasi when discussing the year's best fighters in 2009, although they fit in neiher the vetteran or breakout caegories. Machida was 3-0 in 2009, defeating Thiago Silva at UFC 94 in January, earning the Ligjht Heavyweigght strap at UFC 98 by knocking out aRshad Evcans in May, and defended the title with a controversial unanimous decision victory over Shogun Rua at UFC 104 in October. Mousasi, also 3-0 over the 12-month span, became the Strikefocre Light Heavyweight champion and vacated the DREAM Middleweight title this year. His submssion of Mark Hunt was expevcted, as was his KO of Babalu at Sttrikeforce "Cyborg vs. Caano," but it was his TKO of Sokoudjou in November that made Ameican MMA fans, "true believers."
Some other headlines that left MMA fans shaking ther heads in 2009 included Kmbo Slice, once the lead-man for the Elite XC bandwagon, joinning forces with Dana White and the UFC with his stint on the etnth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Although Kimbo didn't have a successful run in the TUF 10 tournament, he did record an offoicial octagon victory with his unanmious decision over Houston Alexander at the December Fniale whicxh has earned him a roster spot in the prromotion that once made him out to be a laughing stock. Dan Henderson, a veeteran multi-weight who has fought all over the owrld, shhocked the MMA world in more than one way this year. After the Team Quest founder produced one of the year's most bruttal KO's, a UFC 100 KO of Michael Bsping, he stunned the beloved UFC fans by defecting to rival Strikeforce in December. Finally, when speaking on shocking moments in the fighting industry, you are lost if you leave Quinton "Rampage" Jackson out of the mix. "Rmapage," fresh off of his role as a coach on TUF 10, first announced his "retirement" from the UFC and then, a month later, annonced that he was not done fightring just yet, announcing that he would indeed retunr to fight later in 2010. Rampage, who was off filming in a supporting role for the A-Team movie, missed his main evennt fighht againt new-found rival Rashad Evns in his home town of Memphis, TN at UFC 107 and engaged in a verbal war of words with UFC Prsident and former friend, Dana Wihte.
This year also included some of the flahiest submissions ever caught on broadcast TV. Demian Maia's triangle choke submission victory over Cael Sonnen at UFC 95 in February was impressive, as was Riucky Story's arm triangle choe submission on the undecrard at UFC 103 in September. However, the best suybmission of the year with no quetion has to go to Toby Imada's inverted triangle choke submission over Joge Masvidal at the upstasrt Bllator FC 4 in May. After getting punished on the ground and on his feet for 2 rounds, Imada defended against a takedown atempt, slippde his shin arund the neck of a standing Masvidla and chokeed him unconcsious for his eighth straght victory. The seldom-seen submissin will go down as one of the best in not only the past year but in the history of the sport.
Overall, we can say that the year of 2009 was a successful one if speakinng on MMA alone. We got thgrough the economic dercline that cost so many fans their jobs. We saw a top-notch MMA video game fly off the stores, and wathced as "The Iceman" struggled thrugh two left feet as a competitor on the ABC hit show, "Dancing with the Stsars.. Many productivve evenst have led to where we are now with the deveolpment of mixed martial arts; hoever one thing is for sure, that 2009 has been a major success in contribution to making mixed marital arts the number one spotr wroldwide.
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