UFC Best Of 2016 Awards

9. Male Fighter Of The Year - Cody Garbrandt

There are four men who can make a viable argument that they deserve to be crowned Fighter of the Year, where as in 2015 there was one clear-cut winner. Despite a crowded field of credible contenders, my pick for this award is new bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt.

When choosing this honor, what happens inside the cage is the most important criteria. In fact, that’s the sole reason why Conor McGregor – the man most other media outlets are gifting with the designation – is not the choice here. I just can’t agree with naming someone the year’s top fighter when they ended up with one in the loss column. That’s not to discredit his immense success, but he never defended the first championship and didn’t work his way to a title shot for the second belt.

The other contenders are Michael Bisping and Stipe Miocic, and of the two, Miocic’s year ranks higher on my list.

But for my money, Cody Garbrandt is the real winner here. The thrilling young bantamweight has a crowd-pleasing style comprised of swagger and knockout power, and his year was magical. He fought four times during 2016, beginning with three straight first round stoppages and then capped off the year with a masterful performance in his first championship fight, taking the belt from the most dominant 135er ever, perennial pound-for-pound giant Dominick Cruz, doing so in a way that assures the UFC has a new star on their hands.

Honorable Mentions: Stipe Miocic, Michael Bisping, Donald Cerrone & Conor McGregor