UFC Best Of 2016 Awards
5. Round Of The Year - Robbie Lawler Vs. Carlos Condit (5th Round - UFC 195)
Anyone who has seen this fight - one that I just asserted was the greatest MMA contest of all-time - is well aware that the 5th round walked away with this award with very little competition. While the 2nd round of Cub Swanson/Doo Ho Choi is a respectable runner up, the stakes of this bout in the final round of what had already been a war for the ages put it over the top.
Too often we see fighters go into the closing frame of a bout in need of finishing strong, yet lacking the killer instinct and desperation required to pull out the victory.
That was not the case here.
The two warriors left their stools for the climactic round of their championship fight with focus and rage in their eyes; two gladiators waging war with the sole intent of putting their opponent down.
That five minutes of violence will go down as the greatest single round in UFC history. Neither man coasted or played it safe in hopes of sliding into a decision win; they each swung, kicked, elbowed and bled in a desperate attempt to walk away with that coveted championship.
That's what MMA is all about.
Honorable Mention: Cub Swanson vs. Doo Hoi Choi (2nd Round - UFC 206)