With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best fights from January to December. Here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Year” award for 2019.
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Honorable mentions
5. Henry Cejudo def. Marlon Moraes at UFC 238
Henry Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) made more combat sports history when he defeated Marlon Moraes (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) to claim the vacant bantamweight belt after a stunning turnaround.
Cejudo, who came into the event as flyweight champ, became the fourth simultaneous two-division titleholder in company history with a third-round TKO victory over Moraes to claim the 135-pound strap.
4. Vicente Luque def. Bryan Barberena at UFC on ESPN 1
Vicente Luque (17-7-1 MMA, 10-3 UFC) continued to show he’s among the most dangerous fighters in the welterweight division when he came out on the winning end of an all-out war with Bryan Barberena (14-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC).
Luque kept his perfect UFC stoppage rate intact when at the end of a wild, thrilling, back-and-forth fight with Barberena, he put together a combination of knees that finally dropped his opponent and led to the stoppage with just six seconds remaining in final round.
3. Kamaru Usman def. Colby Covington at UFC 245
The highly anticipated welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) and Colby Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) surpassed all pre-fight expectations, but in the end it was the champion who came away with his title reign intact.
Usman and Covington went toe-to-toe for nearly five rounds, exchanging strikes on the feet and not once putting a wholehearted effort into a takedown attempt. Usman proved more dangerous on the feet in the matchup of wrestlers, breaking Covington’s jaw before dropping and stopping him in the fifth for the fight-ending TKO.
2. Paulo Costa def. Yoel Romero at UFC 241
Paulo Costa (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) validated himself as a true middleweight contender when he defeated Yoel Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) in a bout that was every bit as exciting as it was billed to be beforehand.
Costa joined reigning 185-pound king Robert Whittaker as the only fighters to beat Romero in UFC competition when he earned a unanimous-decision victory in a matchup that was deemed “Fight of the Night” on one of the best cards of the year.
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The Winner: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236
In one of the best fights in recent memory, Israel Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) claimed the UFC’s interim middleweight title in a classic five-round thriller with Kelvin Gastelum (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in the main event of UFC 236 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Gastelum moved quickly to the center at the start of the fight, while Adesanya was content to study from range. A few probing kicks and punches just touched the mark for Adesanya before Gastelum rushed forward with a pair of leaping power punches that missed. Gastelum looked comfortable in the pocket with Adesanya, and his left hand did land clean, leaving his opponent off-balance for a few tense steps away from the fence.
Adesanya continued to be the more accurate striker with his flicking shots, but Gastelum was finding the mark on occasion with his powerful blows. Adesanya’s movement saw him avoid Gastelum’s biggest shots, but he certainly wasn’t untouchable.
Adesanya was a little more aggressive to open the second, kicking at the body and then punching up top. Gastelum continued to press, looping the left hand over the top when in tight. Adesanya tried to attach high, but Gastelum’s defense was solid, and he countered with a beautiful straight punch down the middle. The big left followed shortly after, as well.
Adesanya did his best to slip and move on the outside, but Gastelum was undeniably finding the mark. As he gained confidence, Gastelum pressed, and Adesanya made him pay with a counter right that sent him crashing to the floor. Adesanya followed, but Gastelum was able to crawl back to his feet and reset.
Adesanya’s punches were beginning to land with more authority as the round unfolded. He countered well and again saw a right hand snap his opponent’s head back. A slick reverse elbow stunned Gastelum, who shot for the takedown unsuccessfully after being wobbled. Gastelum grabbed the body again in the final seconds but couldn’t get the fight to the floor.
Gastelum appeared energized to start the third, bouncing lightly on the outside and loading up on the big left. The crowd started chanting Adesanya’s name, and he looked confident on the outside. A brief Thai clinch saw Adesanya land a knee up the middle, but Gastelum pulled away and remained upright. Gastelum leaped forward with a few right hands, but Adesanya’s counters were well-timed and proved the more effective blows.
Adesanya’s right hand really started to find a home as the round unfolded, and Gastelum’s face showed the wear of the blows. In the final 90 seconds, Gastelum was able to drive forward and score a clean takedown, but Adesanya was instantly scrambling and back up on his feet, looking to strike. The two traded a few low kicks before the bell, and the round ended on the feet.
Gastelum came forward quickly in the fourth, and his punches came with bad intentions. Adesanya was forced to move laterally to avoid the chase, but he eventually found his way back to the center of the cage. Adesanya’s right hand again found a home, but Gastelum was able to shake it off and resume his pressure attack, eventually getting inside and briefly holding a clinch, though he wasn’t able to capitalize.
Adesanya tried to turn up the heat late in the frame, though his punches were met with powerful replies. Each time Adesanya tried to completely unload, Gastelum would swing back with menacing responses. A Gastelum high kick landed clean and stunned Adesanya in the final minute, and he couldn’t hide the repercussions. Gastelum charged to capitalize, but Adesanya was able to avoid the follow-ups and scamper to safety. Adesanya pressed inside at the bell, and the round ended against the fence.
With the fight in the balance in the final round, the crowd rose to their feet. Gastelum was incredibly aggressive again to open, but Adesanya shifted left and stayed out of trouble. Adesanya chopped the leg and then delivered a few straight punches that landed clean, but Gastelum would not go away. Gastelum continued to stalk from the center before shooting inside and looking for the takedown. Adesanya countered with a guillotine, but Gastelum slipped out of it after several very tense moments. As they hit the floor, Gastelum slipped to the top, but Adesanya threatened with a triangle choke and then an armbar in an amazing scramble. Gastelum pulled free, and the two returned to the feet.
On the restart, Adesanya went to work, peppering his opponent with stiff punches to the face. Gastelum absorbed them all and swung back, but it was clear the strikes were having an effect. Adesanya’s quick punches continued to score, and Gastelum failed on a takedown attempt. With time winding down, Gastelum moved forward. However, it was Adesanya’s punches that were true, and he again dropped his opponent with a little more than a minute remaining.
Gastelum refused to go away that easily, crawling to his feet and looking to attack. However, Adesanya was there to deliver more damage, bloodying Gastelum and sending him crashing to the canvas. Gastelum stood once again, but Adesanya was unrelenting and dropped him once again, finishing the final round with a barrage of punches on the floor. In the end, Adesanya was awarded the decision win and the interim title with scores of 48-46 across the board. He would then go to successful unify the titles with a second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in October.
MMA Junkie's 2019 'Fight of the Year': Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum
