The sport of MMA is ever growing and continues to put on more and more events each year. Whether or not that is a good thing, it’s a fact and there were a total of 80 MMA events in 2014 between the big three promotions with UFC putting on 46 events, Bellator putting on 23 events, and World Series of Fighting putting on 11 events. With so many more fights, this allowed more fighters to put on spectacular performances and there were plenty in 2014.
To narrow this down and for the sake of this list, quick finishes were not going to make the cut. So, although Dominick Cruz looked absolutely spectacular in his return against Takeya Mizugaki and Ronda Rousey looked flawless against Alexis Davis, these performances will not be making the list. Instead, the five fights that made the list are fights where a fighter looked next to perfect, but did so for a long period of time and their dominance over their opponent was evident.
So, without any other introduction, here are the top five performances of 2014.
5. Hector Lombard def. Jake Shields (UFC 171)
Coming into UFC 171, Hector Lombard’s UFC career was not what he had hoped for. Lombard was 2-2 in the UFC and was about to take on his toughest test to date in Jake Shields. Shields fought some of the best fighters on the planet for next to a decade and was nearing a second title shot within the UFC. Lombard would put an end to any title discussions for Shields and did so in spectacular fashion. Shields’ grappling is some of the best in the welterweight division and Lombard absolutely rag dolled him. The former Bellator Middleweight Champion was picking apart Shields on the feet and was tossing him around the octagon at will. This performance opened the eyes of many and let everyone know that Hector Lombard is a legitimate contender in the welterweight division because no one has ever treated Jake Shields that way.
4. Fabrício Werdum def. Travis Browne (UFC on FOX 11)
Coming into UFC on FOX 11, Travis Browne looked unstoppable and if he could get past Fabrício Werdum, he would be the next challenger for Cain Velasquez’s UFC Heavyweight Championship. This did not go the way many expected. Almost everyone thought that if Werdum would get the victory, he would do so on the ground where he was the far better man. Werdum proved everyone wrong and displayed how good of a striker he really is. Browne had Werdum hurt early, but the Brazilian would recover and outclass him for the entirety of the fight there on. The 37-year-old proved to be much more than a very dangerous grappler with a near perfect performance striking against one of the better strikers in the heavyweight division.
3. Anthony Johnson def. Phil Davis (UFC 172)
Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson made his return to the octagon at UFC 172 against Phil Davis. With a two-year hiatus from the UFC, ‘Rumble’ was able to compile a 6-0 record, but against competition nowhere near the level of Phil Davis. Davis was also nearing a title shot and was more vocal about Jon Jones the week of the fight than he was his own opponent Anthony Johnson. It probably didn’t play a factor in the fight, but Davis did not look good at all and suffered his second career loss. Johnson was the far better striker and had way more power in his punches. Davis’ only real hope was to take ‘Rumble’ down, but he could not do that at all. The former welterweight displayed his excellent takedown defense as well as his feared striking in a bout that made him look close to perfect and a real threat in the light heavyweight division.
2. Frankie Edgar def. Cub Swanson (UFC Fight Night 57)
Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson were set to headline UFN 57 in what was expected to be a possible ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate that could possibly result in the next title challenger within the featherweight division. This was about as one-sided as a fight could possibly get. Although Edgar may have not got the credit or attention he deserved for it, it was the best performance of his entire career. The former UFC Lightweight Champion was able to take Swanson down at will and would not let him up. Every single round was Edgar on top landing loads of punches and elbows until he was able to get the neck-crank submission victory at 4:56 of Round 5. It was truly a perfect performance and Edgar ultimately made a #1 contender look like he didn’t belong.
1. T.J. Dillashaw def. Renan Barão (UFC 173)
This should come as no surprise, but T.J. Dillashaw’s performance at UFC 173 is the ‘2014 Performance of the Year’. When it was announced that Dillashaw would be getting the title shot against the dominant UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão, many considered it a mismatch and almost no one was picking Dillashaw to win. Barão was considered to be one of the pound for pound best fighters in the world and was riding a 33 fight unbeaten streak that spanned over nine years. The Team Alpha Male bantamweight did not let any of that get in his head and was determined to become the UFC Bantamweight Champion. It was truly a magical night for all involved, as Dillashaw put on arguably the best performance ever in one of the biggest upsets ever. The Sacramento native was too quick for Barão and completely outclassed him from start to finish. Had the fight ended in the first round when Dillashaw dropped him with a vicious head kick, it may have not been the performance of the year, but since he dominated for over 22 minutes and was able to get the TKO victory at 2:26 of Round 5, it is without question the best performance of 2014.
Honorable Mentions: Jon Jones def. Glover Teixeira (UFC 172); Daniel Cormier def. Dan Henderson (UFC 173); Rory MacDonald def. Tyron Woodley (UFC 174); Michael Bisping def. Cung Le (UFC Fight Night 48); Max Holloway def. Clay Collard (UFC Fight Night 49); Phil Davis def. Glover Teixeira (UFC 179).
