2014 saw a lot of mayhem inside the Octagon and a bit of chaos outside of it as well thanks to the Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier brawl. Like each and every year careers were made and some faded into the abyss. The fight game is not for folks seeking a twenty year career. Father time is undefeated so fighters have to make the most of their small windows of opportunity.
2014 had its share of fighters showing dominance in the UFC. These are the top fighters of the past year. Take note as they could disappear as fast as they came on the scene.
- Dominick Cruz – Coming back after a near three year layoff from fighting is basically impossible. But Cruz is not your average fighter. He beat Takeya Mizugaki easily and will get a shot at becoming a champion once again in 2015.
- Fabricio Werdum – A true underdog story, this man is somebody you can get behind. He upset a huge favorite in Travis Browne last April to shock the UFC world. Then he topped that by beating a dangerous Mark Hunt for the Interim Heavyweight belt.
- Matt Brown – If you could only watch one fight per year it would be a good choice to see Matt Brown. His fights are never boring and he is as tough as they come. He had two 2014 fights that rank in the top ten of the year.
- T.J. Dillashaw – This exciting young fighter came to prominence by beating one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world at the time. The kid whipped Renan Barao to take his belt and make his way to the best pound for pound list himself.
- Jose Aldo – A champion for a long time now, there is no sign of the champ going down anytime soon. He wrapped 2014 with a nice win over a very tough Chad Mendes. He is 25-1 and I assume he lost the one when he was like 12 years old.
- Robbie Lawler – Dude is just a pure fighter who loves to brawl. He fought four times in 2014 and two were epic title bouts with Johny Hendricks. He also went toe to toe with Matt Brown in one of the best fights I have ever witnessed.
- Jon Jones – The best pound for pound fighter in the UFC only fought once in 2014. But until someone shows different, he is the baddest man on the planet. Daniel Cormier gets his shot at Jones at UFC 183.
- Demetrious Johnson – Mighty Mouse is the most athletic fighter in MMA today. There is nothing he can’t do inside the Octagon. He doesn’t get the press of the heavier divisions, but he is just as exciting as any other mixed martial artist.
- Ronda Rousey – She is the most polarizing name in MMA today. The UFC is fortunate to have a beautiful champion that is great with the media. It would be nice if she had stronger challengers, but she can only fight who is in front of her. The competition needs to up their game.
1. Chris Weidman – The man that beat Anderson Silva twice is a legend based solely on that fact. But Weidman is more than a two fight wonder. He won a great fight with Machida in 2014 and he continues