2019 Fighter of the Year
Jorge Masvidal weighs in for the BMF title fight versus Nate Diaz at Madison Square Garden.
Jorge Masvidal (3-0 in 2019)
This should come as no surprise. After nearly a year and a half layoff, Masvidal has had arguably the most impressive comeback year in the history of the UFC and is quickly becoming the biggest draw in the sport.
Masvidal’s first fight back from his layoff was versus Daren Till at the O2 Arena in London, England. After getting dropped by the first punch thrown by Till, Masvidal rallied back and secured a second round KO victory. This wasn't the only fight Jorge won on March 16th. During his post fight interview, Leon Edwards made some remarks toward Masvidal, interrupting the interview. Masvidal calmly walked over to Leon with his arms behind his back before delivering his famous “3 peice and a soda” combo.
Shortly after Gamebred’s impressive knockout victory over Till, Jorge stepped back into the octagon versus Ben Askren. This fight had a ton of build up and ill will between the two competitors, but that was all put to bed in 5 short seconds after Masvidal delivered a flying knee as Askren reached for a takedown attempt. This is the fastest, and maybe the most iconic, knockout in the history of the sport.
Following wins over Till and Askren, Jorge Masvidal fought Nate Diaz for the BMF title in Madison Square Garden on November 2nd. From the start, Masvidal was all over Diaz. In the first round, Masvidal landed an elbow followed by a high kick that dropped Diaz. It looked as if the fight could be stopped already. From this moment going forward, it was clear that Jorge had the power advantage. Masvidal continued to bring the fight to Diaz, making Nate react rather than push forward and use his signature pace and pressure. Diaz had is moments in bursts but ultimately the fight was viably ruled a TKO win via doctor stoppage after the third round.
What’s next for Gamebred? Dana White has been quoted stating that a fight between Mavidal and Usman for the welterweight belt would be huge. There is no question that he deserves a shot to be champion after this incredible streak. Another viable option for Jorge is a faceoff versus Conor McGregor. This is of course if Conor can get through Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. Jorge is in a great spot to choose his next move, I would assume that his decision will be made shortly after January 18th.
2. Israel Adesanya (3-0 in 2019)
Israel started the year as a contender and is now the Middleweight champion of the world. Izzy has had an amazing rise in the UFC; he is 18-0 in mma and 7-0 in the UFC. He has the camrisma, the talent, and the will to win. Izzy is not going away in 2020.
Izzy started the year with a fight that was quite fun to watch over one of the most accomplished mma fighters of all time, Anderson Silva. This was a great technical battle where the up and comer sealed the win via decision.
Israel than entered the octagon to face off against Kelvin Gastelum in one of the most entertaining fights in the company’s history. This was an all out battle where Israel faced some serious adversity. Ultimately, it was Israel’s will to win that made the difference in the fifth and final round of the fight. This crowned Israel the Interim Champ in the middleweight division.
Israel’s most recent fight was against Robert Whittaker for the UFC middleweight championship of the world at the Marvel Stadium in Docklands, Australia. Whittaker seemed to throw heavy in the first round, exerting a lot of energy. Right before the end of the first round, Israel landed a perfectly placed right hook knocking Whittaker to the canvas. It really seemed like this could have been the end of the fight. Israel continued to utilize his length and his near perfect technique to land another right hook that dropped Whittaker for the second time. Israel followed this up by throwing a couple more punches and winning the fight via KO.
The Last Stylebender is quickly becoming one of the biggest draws in the UFC and I don’t envision him going away soon.
3. Henry Cejudo (2-0 in 2019)
It almost seems wrong to have Henry Cejudo in the number three spot for our 2019 fighter of the year rankings. In 2019, Henry Cejudo won both flyweight and bantamweight title fights. It is very important to note what this guy means to the flyweight division, a division that Dana White considered ended until Henry Cejudo beat Demetrious Johnson and brought back excitement to the division.
Cejudo started the year off on January 19th with a bang. Henry faced off against T.J. Dillashaw for the UFC flyweight belt. In just 32 seconds into the first round, Cejudo retained the flyweight belt by defeating Dillashaw via TKO.
On June 8th, Henry then fought for the bantamweight belt versus Marlon Moraes. This was a fight where Henry faced serious adversity, losing the first round to Moraes. Henry responded beautifully, eventually winning via TKO in the third round.
Cejudo recently relinquished his flyweight belt and is expected to defend his bantamweight belt versus Jose Aldo. Henry is a guy who is constantly overlooked (probably due to his cringy interviews) but his ability inside the octagon makes him without a question one of the best fighters in the UFC today.