2011 Fight of the Year

[INDYjon22]

2011 saw some of the craziest and most exciting fights in the history of the sport. From quick finishes to absolute wars, we saw it all in mixed martial arts this year. We saw legends battle and we saw the heart of a true champion carry them on to victory. Some of the greatest fights ever took place in 2011 and it was a pleasure to watch.

Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua- UFC 139

Hendo vs. Rua was an absolute war. These two legends fought until the bitter end and when it was all said and done both guys were still standing, well standing as best as they could. This was one of the best back and fourth fights I have ever seen. Hendo looked like he was dominating, until suddenly the momentum changed and Rua took control. This lead to an incredibly controversial finish, but also for one of the finest fights I have ever seen.

Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley- Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley

Diaz vs. Daley was an absolute slugfest. These two dudes just banged on one another. When it looked like one was about to get knocked out, the other would get rocked. It turned into one the greatest finishes I have ever seen between two great strikers.

Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II- UFC 125

This was the first time that Edgar showed what the heart of a champion looked like. He took an absolute ass beating in the first round of this fight, only to come back and work his way toward a draw. This also showed that Maynard wasn't as one dimensional as people tried to make him out to be, he could bang. I myself had to shut up, I was a naysayer about this fight, and it ended up being a ton of fun to watch.

Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III - UFC 136

The long awaited finale to this feud. Once again Edgar showed what true heart and determination can do for a fighter. He weathered another early storm and came back swinging, eventually catching Maynard and knocking him out. It was the first finish for Edgar in a long time and was definitely a statement to the rest of the Lightweight division.

Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler- Bellator 58​

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In what was possibly the biggest upset of the year, Michael Chandler took the fight to Eddie Alvarez, Bellator's biggest star, and actually ended up submitting the champion. This was another well fought fight that showed what heart and will can do for someone. Chandler overcame the odds and also became a champion in the same night.

Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Katsunori Kikuno- Dream: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011​

Nagashima vs. Kikuno was a war. These two went to hell and back and showed off some awesome tenacity and durability. There isn't a whole lot I can say about this fight, but check it out in the January MMA thread in the GSD. Definitely worth a watch.

Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann - UFC on Versus 3

My memory is a little bit hazy on this one, but I remember enough. This was another awesome three rounder from earlier in 2011. The only issue I had with this fight was that it was only a three rounder, why wasn't 5 round non-title fights instituted sooner? This fight was also riddled in controversy, I remember believing that Kampmann one the fight in the end, but that's not how the judges saw it. Either way, this was a great fight between two very solid Welterweight's.

Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry - UFC on Versus 4

This was probably my favorite fight of the year. Holy cow was this a fun one to watch. Never in my life had I ever seen a guy get knocked out twice in a fight and then come back to win it. Barry and Kongo may not win Fight of the Year but they sure as hell have a shot at KO of the Year. Props to both guys.

 

[jmt225]

Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua and it's not even a debate, IMO.

We had a lot of great fights this year in MMA, but Henderson vs. Shogun will be the only one to go down as one of the greatest fights to ever take place. It had everything you could ever want in a fight... non-stop excitement, knock downs, submission attempts, comebacks, etc. And it lasted for 25 minutes.

When ever you order an MMA pay-per-view, Shogun vs. Hendo is the kind of fight you hope to get. This fight represents everything that is great about the sport, and no doubt should go down as the absolute best fight of the year in 2011.

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua and it's not even a debate, IMO.

We had a lot of great fights this year in MMA, but Henderson vs. Shogun will be the only one to go down as one of the greatest fights to ever take place. It had everything you could ever want in a fight... non-stop excitement, knock downs, submission attempts, comebacks, etc. And it lasted for 25 minutes.

When ever you order an MMA pay-per-view, Shogun vs. Hendo is the kind of fight you hope to get. This fight represents everything that is great about the sport, and no doubt should go down as the absolute best fight of the year in 2011.

I agree, this very well maybe the best fight I've ever seen. I was watching it with some friends at the bar who are usually anti MMA and even they were on the edge of their seats for the fight. Like you said it was an absolute war and this is definitely one of the first fights I would show to anybody if I wanted to get them interested in this sport.

 

[Khalifa]

You have to go Shogun vs Henderson. It was an absolute slug fest that went on and on. Both guys showed why they are one of the best to ever enter the MMA business and put on one hell of a show. I think alot of people thought Shogun was gonna come out on top somehow, whether it was knockout or decision but Henderson came through. Definately set a bench mark for UFC fights to come and will be considered an all time great match.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Accidentally hit Diaz-Daley on the poll, but my true pick is Henderson-Shogun. There were alot of fights that were contenders for #1 and Edgar-Maynard 2 starting off the year was not something I thought anyone could follow but sure enough Dan and Mauricio beat them out IMO. Absolutely incredible fight that went back and forth, totally in fbor of one and then back to the other and I thought it would be stopped several times but goddamn did those men put on a war. I already had immense respect for both guys but after a war like that they have my undying love as a fan.

 

[Fizzy]

Hendo/Shogun was a fight between two legends of the sport throwing everything they had at eachother. Both guys had eachother hurt multiple times during the fight, but powered on through sheer will, heart, and desire. The fact that they went twenty minutes at the pace they did is unbelievable. Is it the best fight of all time? Not in my opinion, but it was easily the best fight of the year, and my hate of Hendo can't make me deny it.