A Year To Remember: The Five Best Fights Of 2018
2018 is coming to a close, and what a year it was for the UFC.
The world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion had another tremendous year of fights. Across all weight classes, the best athletes in the world stepped inside the ultimate proving ground, not only to solidify themselves as the best in the world, but for our entertainment.
Several bouts this year left fight fans’ jaws on the ground after it was all said and done, so let’s run through some of the best of 2018. Here are our five best fights from 2018:
Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero II
My goodness, what a war this was. Whittaker and Romero headlined UFC 225 this past summer. It was slated to be the Aussie’s first-ever middleweight title defense. However, the Cuban missed weight for the contest and the fight was changed to a non-title five-round main event.
Both men left it all in the Octagon, with each rocking the other several times. Romero very well looked like he could’ve finished the fight on multiple occasions. However, Whittaker’s technical precision allowed him to give it all back to Romero, and survive to the judges’ scorecards.
Whittaker was awarded the split decision win, and in turn was one-half of one of the best middleweight fights the UFC has ever seen.
Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis
Lightweight is
This was certainly one of them. Tony Ferguson, the former interim UFC 155-pound champion, made his return to the cage this past October. After suffering a torn ACL earlier in the year, Ferguson made a spectacular recovery in time to be part of the biggest card of 2018 – UFC 229. He fought in the co-main event, facing off against the former lightweight champion of the world, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis.
Pettis and Ferguson are two of the most innovative combatants the UFC has ever seen. They put on a hard-fought affair that could have gone either way had it gone the distance. However, Pettis suffered several significant injuries during the fight and his corner stopped the contest. Ferguson picked up an emotional victory, as he was awarded a second-round TKO.
After having many tell him he was crazy for returning as soon as he was, Ferguson had silenced his doubters. It also marked his eleventh straight victory in the UFC. Ferguson is now sitting in a nice spot at lightweight, but what he and Pettis did inside the Octagon on October 6 was nothing short of spectacular.
Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier
One thing you can be sure of when either Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier step into the cage – you’re going to get a helluva scrap. When they shared the cage this past April, fight fans were not disappointed. Gaethje entered the contest fresh off his first defeat of his career.
As for Poirier, he came in hot off a victory over former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Both men had quite a lot to prove inside the cage, and put on an extremely violent back-and-forth brawl. However, Poirier managed to put a stop to the gritty Gaethje in the fourth round. It was arguably both men’s best showings their UFC careers.
Poirier would go on to have yet another impressive showing inside the cage that would propel his stardom in the lightweight division. But more on that later…
Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega
It’s a rare instance in MMA when the two best in the division are locked into a cage and told to fight for the title. That’s exactly what happened when Max Holloway and Brian Ortega met in the main event of UFC 231 earlier this month. Holloway made his second career featherweight title defense against the then-undefeated Ortega.
Holloway clearly had the advantage in the striking department, as he picked Ortega apart for the four rounds they shared the cage. However, Ortega got off some hard shots himself and showed a toughness rarely seen inside the cage. Holloway was able to get a fourth-round stoppage win, but only because doctors forced the fight to end.
It was an incredible showing of heart and toughness unlike any other by Ortega. But by doing so against one of the most skilled challengers in the division, Holloway showed just how far ahead he is of everyone at 145 pounds.
Eddie Alvarez vs. Dustin Poirier II
We promised we’d get to Poirier’s second fight on this list. Here it is. “”The Diamond” rematched former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in his last outing. The pair initially met back in May of last year in a fight that ended in a No Contest. Alvarez threw an illegal shot that caused the fight to come to an end.
In their rematch at UFC on FOX 30 in July, the score was finally settled. Despite both men putting on an epic slugfest in which they each ate the other’s best shots, Poirier was able to emerge victorious. Poirier finished Alvarez in the closing minute of the second round. It was quite a statement from Poirier, who earned his second victory over a UFC champion in the past year.
As for Alvarez, that was his last fight on his UFC contract, and he would eventually opt to sign with ONE Championship, in what’s likely the last big contract of his MMA career.
