Unknown MMA’s Best of 2020
Cover photos courtesy of Israel Adesanya and Valentina Shevchenko via Instagram
2020 has come and gone, while at times it seems to be trudging along, other times seem it has flown by. Either way, the year gave us some interesting MMA events. Unknown MMA’s Staff has voted for our favorite moments and fighters of this year. Below is our 2020 best of list! We look forward to sharing more moments and stories with you next year. We appreciate your continued support, Happy New Year, stay safe! –Amanda Sanchez (Chica)
Male Fighter of the Year: Israel Adesanya
Nominees:
Israel Adesanya (Chica, Jazz, Beto, Dimas)
Jan Blachowicz
Khamzat Chimaev
Deiveson Figueiredo (Castro, Wade)
Kevin Holland
A post shared by Israel Adesanya (@stylebender)
Female Fighter of the Year: Valentina Shevchenko
Nominees:
Cris Cyborg
Amanda Nunes
Valentina Shevchenko (Castro, Chica, Jazz, Wade)
Julianna Velasquez
Zhang Weili (Beto, Dimas)
A post shared by Valentina Shevchenko (@bulletvalentina)
Male Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Kevin Holland
Nominees:
Joaquin Buckley (Jazz)
Gilbert Burns
Khamzat Chimaev
Kevin Holland (Castro, Chica, Beto, Wade, Dimas)
Marvin Vettori
A post shared by kevin holland (@trailblaze2top)
Female Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Angela Hill
Nominees:
Angela Hill (Chica, Jazz, Wade)
Jennifer Maia
Lauren Murphy (Beto)
Julianna Velasquez
Yan Xiaonan (Castro, Dimas)
A post shared by Angela "Overkill" Hill (@angieoverkill)
Comeback Fighter of the Year: Robert Whitaker
Nominees:
Cody Garbrandt
Alistair Overeem
Dustin Poirier
Glover Teixeira (Castro, Wade)
Robert Whittaker (Chica, Jazz, Beto, Dimas)
A post shared by Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma)
Fight of the Year: Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 248)
Nominees:
Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 248) (Castro, Chica, Beto, Wade)
Josh Emmett vs. Shane Burgos (UFC Vegas 3)
Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker (UFC Vegas 4)
Jack Hermansson vs. Marvin Vettori (UFC Vegas 16)
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno (UFC 256) (Jazz, Dimas)
A post shared by Weili Zhang 张伟丽 (@zhangweilimma)
Knockout of the Year: Joaquin Buckley, vs. Impa Kasanganay (UFC Fight Island 5)
Nominees:
Francis Ngannou, vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (UFC 249)
Cody Garbrandt, vs. Raphael Assuncao (UFC 250)
Joaquin Buckley, vs. Impa Kasanganay (UFC Fight Island 5) (Chica, Jazz, Beto, Wade, Dimas)
Khaos Williams, vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (UFC Vegas 14)
Kevin Holland, vs. Jacare Souza (UFC 256) (Castro)
Submission of the Year: AJ McKee, vs. Darrion Caldwell (Bellator 253)
Nominees:
Ariane Lipski, vs. Luana Carolina (UFC Fight Island 2)
Jack Hermansson, vs. Kelvin Gastelum (UFC Fight Island 2)
AJ McKee, vs. Darrion Caldwell (Bellator 253) (Chica, Beto, Wade, Dimas)
Deiveson Figueiredo, vs. Alex Perez (UFC 255) (Castro, Jazz)
Jimmy Flick, vs. Cody Durden (UFC Vegas 17)
A post shared by Bellator MMA (@bellatormma)
Upset of the Year: Roxanne Modaferri, vs. Maycee Barber (UFC 246)
Nominees:
Roxanne Modaferri, vs. Maycee Barber (UFC 246) (Beto, Chica, Jazz, Wade, Dimas)
Justin Gaethje, vs. Tony Ferguson (UFC 249)
Shana Dobson, vs. Mariya Agapova (UFC Vegas 7)
Marlon Vera, vs. Sean O’Malley (UFC 252) (Castro)
Vadim Nemkov, vs. Ryan Bader (Bellator 244)
A post shared by Roxanne Modafferi (@roxyfighter)
Event of the Year: UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal
Nominees:
UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje
UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal (Castro, Beto, Dimas)
UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa
UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje (Chica, Jazz)
UFC 256: Figueiredo vs. Moreno (Wade)
A post shared by KAMARU USMAN (@usman84kg)
Team of the Year: Fortis MMA (Dallas, TX)
Nominees:
City Kickboxing (Auckland)
Elevation Fight Team (Denver) (Beto)
Factory X (Kansas City)
Fortis MMA (Dallas) (Castro, Chica, Jazz, Wade, Dimas)
New England Cartel (Boston)
A post shared by Amanda Sanchez (Chica) (@amandansanchez)
Coach of the Year: Eugene Bareman, City Kickboxing
Nominees:
Eugene Bareman, City Kickboxing (Beto, Wade, Dimas)
Mike Brown, American Top Team
Marc Montoya, Factory X (Chica)
Sayif Saud, Fortis MMA
Trevor Wittman (Castro, Jazz)
A post shared by City Kickboxing (@citykickboxing)
Analyst of the Year: Paul Felder
Nominees:
Michael Bisping (Beto)
Paul Felder (Castro, Chica,Jazz, Wade, Dimas)
Dan Hardy
John McCarthy
Josh Thomson
A post shared by Paul Felder (@felderpaul)
Personality of the Year: Laura Sanko
Nominees:
Jon Anik
Ariel Helwani
Laura Sanko (Chica, Jazz, Beto, Wade, Dimas)
Luke Thomas
Jimmy Smith (Castro)
A post shared by Laura Sanko (@laura_sanko)
Referee of the Year: Jason Herzog
Nominees:
Lukasz Bosacki
Marc Goddard
Jason Herzog (Castro, Chica, Jazz, Beto, Wade, Dimas)
Dan Miragliotta
Mark Smith
A post shared by Jason Herzog (@jasonherzogmma)
Looking forward to a new year of fights, bring it on 2021! ■