The were many incredible moments in the UFC in 2015 and with 2016 quickly approaching it’s the perfect time to reflect on some of the more memorable ones. Sportsnet staff writer Mike Johnston plus MMA contributors James Lynch and Paolo Go have been looking back at the year that was. Today they debate about who the most exciting fighter was and who made the best comeback.
Most exciting fighter of the year
JOHNSTON: Conor McGregor
Inside or outside the cage, fighters don’t get much more entertaining than the featherweight champion. He opened the year with a dismantling of Dennis Siver, followed that by beating Chad Mendes to earn the interim title and capped off his year with a 13-second KO of Jose Aldo — he was awarded Performance of the Night bonuses for each of those wins. His time competing was a joy to watch and his soundbites from his world tour with Aldo were pure gold.
Honorable mention: Nate Diaz
LYNCH: Tony Ferguson
Ferguson went undefeated in 2015 including wins over Gleason Tibau and former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson. The 31-year-old most recently submitted Edson Barboza at the TUF 22 Finale in a very entertaining lightweight affair. His unorthodox style which includes flips, kicks and slick submissions makes him one of the most likeable fighters at 155 pounds. Add in the fact he’s 10-1 in the UFC with seven stoppages, fans always know they are going to get their money’s worth when they’re watching “El Cucuy” compete.
Honorable mention: Carlos Condit
GO: Tony Ferguson
Three fights. Three wins. Four post-fight bonuses. Ferguson has quickly become the lightweight division’s most consistently entertaining fighter and with more than 100 active fighters in the division that speaks volumes. Ferguson is never predictable. There is always something new and fun to watch when he steps into the Octagon. He’s won seven in a row with five finishes. Whether he gets to the title fight or not, he’ll continue being in memorable fights.
Honorable mention: Thomas Almeida
Comeback fighter of the year
JOHNSTON: Tamden McCrory
He’s certainly not the biggest star in the organization but it had been more than half a decade in between Octagon appearances for “The Barn Cat.” McCrory submitted rising contender Josh Samman with a triangle choke on Dec. 19, which was 2,325 days after he fought John Howard at UFC 101. He took a five-year hiatus from MMA following that Howard fight, however he never stopped training. After picking up two impressive wins in Bellator he returned to the UFC and put the middleweight division on notice.
Honorable mention: Dustin Poirier
LYNCH: Evan Dunham
Dunham had lost three straight fights heading into 2015 and another setback likely would have prompted his exit from the UFC. Instead, the 34-year-old proved doubters wrong by racking off three straight victories over Rodrigo Damm, Ross Pearson and most recently Joe Lauzon. On the verge of entering the UFC’s Top 15 rankings, expect big things from Dunham in 2016.
Honorable mention: Frank Mir
GO: Alistair Overeem
For all his years in the UFC, the “Reem” was considered a bust after constantly being knocked out by opponents he was favoured to beat. His chin had become the butt of the joke when it came to measuring fighter durability. But with his surprising knockout of Junior dos Santos, he fulfilled an uncommon role for him: the underdog winner. Overeem has now won three in a row (2-0 this year) and could potentially be one win from a title shot.
Honorable mention: Robert Whittaker
