MMAjunkie's 'Fight of the Year' for 2014 – a rematch tops our list

With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMAjunkie takes a look at the best fights from January to December. Here are the seven nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMAjunkie’s “Fight of the Year” award for 2014.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for “Fight of the Year.”

And there’s still time to vote on the 2014 MMAjunkie “Knockout of the Year” and “Submission of the Year,” as well.

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The Nominees

Abel Trujillo def. Jamie Varner via knockout at UFC 169

Abel Trujillo and Jamie Varner

Lightweight sluggers Abel Trujillo (12-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC) and Jamie Varner (21-11-1 MMA, 3-6 UFC) went to war in the UFC 169 main card opener in a bout that produced one of the best knockouts and overall fights of February.

Neither fighter displayed any regard for their consciousness as they traded heavy bombs for nearly eight minute before Varner ate a huge right hand on the chin that put him out cold for the first time in his career. While both men were nearly finished with strikes in the fight, it was Trujillo who landed the spectacular fight-ending blow.

Johny Hendricks def. Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision at UFC 171

Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler

Short of a knockout, Johny Hendricks (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and Robbie Lawler (25-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC) gave spectators everything they could hope for and more when they squared off for the vacant UFC welterweight championship at UFC 171.

After five rounds of toe-to-toe action in which both men set a UFC title-fight record for significant strikes landed, Hendricks walked away with the narrowest of decision victories in the memorable UFC championship contest.

Matt Brown def. Erick Silva via TKO at UFC Fight Night 40

Erick Silva and Matt Brown

The UFC’s return to Cincinnati in May featured a whirlwind of a main event between Matt Brown (19-12 MMA, 12-6 UFC) and Erick Silva (17-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC).

Both fighters are known for their fan-friendly fighting styles, and on this night, neither man disappointed. Silva nearly won the fight with a body kick in the first row, but the always durable Brown charged back to stop the fight in the third round for his seventh consecutive win inside the octagon.

Chris Weidman def. Lyoto Machida via unanimous decision at UFC 175

Lyoto Machida and Chris Weidman

There were expectations for a competitive fight between Chris Weidman (12-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Lyoto Machida (22-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC), but few predicted such a highly dramatic middleweight championship affair on July 4th weekend.

Weidman controlled the first three rounds of the fight, Machida stormed back to take the fourth and the American closed out of the show and the fight in the fifth, giving him the unanimous decision victory and his second 185-pound title defense.

Kyung Ho Kang def. Michinori Tanaka via split decision at UFC Fight Night 52

Michihiro Tanaka and Kyung Ho Kang

Kyung Ho Kang (13-7 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Michinori Tanaka (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) got things started right out of the gate in Japan – and neither fighter let up for the entirety of the 15-minute affair. There were knockdowns, takedowns, submission attempts and just about everything else one could hope for out of a quality fight.

Both men had high points and appeared on the verge of victory, but neither could pull away on the scorecards. It came down to the wire after three rounds, and ultimately Kang walked away with the split-decision win.

Jose Aldo def. Chad Mendes via unanimous decision at UFC 179

Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes

Jose Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) kept his distinction as the UFC’s lone Brazilian champion when he defeated Chad Mendes (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) for the second time in a memorable featherweight championship affair.

Aldo has gone nearly 10 years without a loss on his record, but during that stretch no one gave him a fight quite like Mendes. “Money” tested the champion’s heart and determination, but Aldo rose to the occasion and retained his belt.

Junior Dos Santos def. Stipe Miocic via unanimous decision at UFC on FOX 13

Junior Dos Santos and Stipe Miocic

Former UFC champ Junior dos Santos (17-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) returned from a career-long layoff to earn a unanimous decision over top contender Stipe Miocic (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a brutal, bloody affair.

The 25-minute contest saw the two heavyweights throw heavy leather in hopes the other would go down. Surprisingly, though, neither of them did, which brought it to a decision that all three judges saw in Dos Santos’ favor.

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The Winner: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes

The first rematch in UFC featherweight championship history delivered the goods as Aldo and Mendes beat the snot out of each other for five thrilling rounds. Aldo ultimately emerged with the win and his 145-pound belt, but Mendes earned all the respect by pushing the champion to his limit for 25 minutes.

Each round was a story of its own, as the pendulum of momentum frequently swung back and forth. Both men were taken down, knocked down, beaten, battered and bruised, but neither would quit until the final bell rang.

While all three judges scored the fight in Aldo’s favor, scorecards from media members ranged from a clear-cut win for “Scarface” to a razor-thin edge for Mendes.

Mendes fell short in his first opportunity to take the title from Aldo in January 2012, and while he was far more competitive in the rematch, he still failed to achieve his ultimate dream of becoming UFC champion. If there’s any positive to take from the situation, though, it’s that he was more competitive than any previous challengers and left the champion with so much damage he could hardly recognize himself.

“I’ve never been hurt this much,” Aldo said in an interview with Esporte. “It’s strange to see myself in the mirror. (I) do not ever want to look like (this again), it’s hard.”

Despite the fact Mendes already has suffered two losses to Aldo, the champion is not opposed to the idea of running it back one more time in the future.

“It’s not (like) because he lost … he’s no good anymore,” Aldo said. “He’s very good. He’s got great potential, and in the future, we could meet again, and I hope that we have another great fight.”

Mendes aspires to earn that rematch, and he’s willing to take any path necessary for another shot at UFC gold.

“Whether it’s for a title shot, or it’s the next fight to get me to a shot, I’m just going to keep training hard,” Mendes said. “I’m going to keep doing what I love to do and just enjoy the ride. I’m loving every second of this.”

While 2014 was a year filled with solid action, the UFC 179 title fight was arguably most arguably one of the most significant contests of the year and most spectacular of them all.