2018 was one crazy year. We cried, laughed and watched some fantastic moments of MMA history. These superstars left no any stone unturned to entertain us. Here are the 5 Best MMA Fights from 2018.
Knockout of the Year: Yair Rodriguez KOs (elbows) Chan Sung Jung
Some moments are special and you don’t know what’s coming next. Rodriguez caught everyone by surprise when he pulled a miracle comeback and knocked “The Korean Zombie” out with a backward upward elbow.
The best part is this happened at 4:59 of the fifth round in the thrilling main event of UFC Denver making it one of the best MMA fights from 2018.
Zabit Magomedsharipov Crazy Submission Over Brandon Davis at UFC 228
This was some night for all those who watched UFC 228! It was as good a fight-card that you can ever wish for. Even the fans had an unparalleled level of excitement before the start of the main event.
And tell you what, viewers got their money’s worth. Zabit Magomedsharipov performed one of MMA’s rarest submissions. Some call it banana-split, others call it kneebar, the Suloev stretch but it was really hard to know what it was. Even Zabit himself wasn’t sure about what exactly it was that he did in beating Brandon Davis in such spectacular fashion, one would assume he’ll be set for a top-10 opponent next.
Demetrious Johnson Taps Ray Borg for Historic Win at UFC 216
It was Johnson in the early going as he worked with whipping legs and body kicks. Borg tried to regain a little momentum in the second round by pinning the champ against the cage. He pressurized him with submission attempts to secure a timely takedown.
Johnson got back to his feet and dumped Borg off his back. “Mighty Mouse” then assaulted Borg with sharp elbows before locking him in an arm bar. This fight counts as one of the best MMA fights of the year 2018.
Submission of the Year: Donald Cerrone Armbar Mike Perry
You would hardly witness breaking the UFC record for most wins and finishing the same night.
But that was Cerrone’s night in Denver. We know Mike Perry isn’t a BJJ black belt but he was not up to the mark. Cerrone’s armbar was still exquisite work.
Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis – UFC 229
Coming into UFC 229, it was all hype for long-awaited UFC Lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. The tremendous co-main event at 155lbs between Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis largely flew under the radar –
Until the night of the fight.
Boy, it was a war that kept going for ages. The fight confirmed only Ferguson’s status as probably the best 155lber in the game. It also moved Pettis to an iconic position after losing the UFC title back in 2015. Neither man could really be called a loser in a fight of this quality.
Honestly, it didn’t matter. Both men earned the respect of the other – and of every single fan who was watching, too. This was one of the best MMA fights for the year 2018.
