The 10 Best Fights of 2020

10 – Vicente Luque-Niko Price 2

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The rematch between welterweight standouts Vicente Luque and Niko Price was expected to be something special, and it was, as the two went to war on the feet for nearly three rounds before a cut suffered by Price brought a halt to the fight in the final frame, with Luque emerging victorious via TKO.

Price and Luque took no time getting acquainted again, Luque getting the better of the action in the early going as he landed several flush punches that barely moved Price. Price had some good moments later in the round, but it was Luque getting the last word as he rocked his foe just before the horn.

Things heated up in the second, with both fighters scoring as several exchanges broke out. Luque briefly dropped Price as the two traded against the fence, but “The Hybrid” got right back up and resumed his offensive attack. Price emerged with a cut under his right eye, but he was undaunted by the fight in the front of him, and the same could be said for Luque, who responded well to the pressure Price was putting on.

Price mixed up his attacks in the third, going to the body before going upstairs, Luque talking a little longer to get warmed up for the final five minutes. Once he did, the back and forth continued until a left hook by Luque floored Price with less than two minutes to go. Luque went to the ground for the finish, but Price recovered and rose to his feet, where he was checked out by the Octagonside physician for a new cut over his right eye. Unable to see, there was no choice for the doctor than to recommend a halt to the fight. The official time of referee Jason Herzog’s stoppage was 3:37 of round three.

9 – Jon Jones-Dominick Reyes

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In setting the record for most title fight wins in UFC history, Jon Jones’ 14th championship victory was his toughest, as he had to dig deep and take the fourth and fifth rounds to hold off the charge of Dominick Reyes and retain his light heavyweight crown in the main event of UFC 247 at Toyota Center in Houston.

“Dominick did a tremendous job,” said Jones, who extended his current unbeaten streak to 18. “That was a great fight. I think the difference in the fight were takedowns.”

Scores were 48-47 twice and 49-46 for Jones, now 26-1 with 1 NC. The No. 4-ranked Reyes falls to 12-1.

“I thought I won one through three,” said Reyes. “He was on me in four and five. But I’ll get better. And this just proves that I’m the real deal.”

Jones won’t argue, as he was pushed to the limit by the challenger from Victorville, California.

Reyes came up just short with a left hand to start the bout, eager to get the fight underway. Jones responded with kicks to the leg and Reyes responded with kicks of his own. With three minutes left, Reyes scored a flash knockdown, and when the champ rose, Reyes aggressively pursued him for a spell before the two settled in a less frantic groove. Reyes was not backing down, though, even as Jones rallied down the stretch.

Staying busy as round two commenced, Reyes soon had Jones on the run as he fired off punches and kicks. Jones didn’t get hit with any fight-altering shots, but Reyes was scoring points and gaining confidence. As the round progressed, Jones settled in and began landing his own shots, jabbing well as he marched forward. In the final 30 seconds, Reyes landed a hard left uppercut that got Jones’ attention just before the end of the frame.

Jones and Reyes took turns putting the pressure on each other in the third, mixing up their attacks well as they went back and forth at a fast pace. With a little over two minutes left, Jones attempted his first takedown of the fight but was turned away by Reyes, who added an elbow upstairs for emphasis. And while Jones closed strong, he was going to have to take things to another gear in the championship rounds.

Reyes stunned Jones early in the fourth round, prompting a takedown by the champion, and though Reyes rose to his feet quickly, Jones was able to keep him locked up until the challenger broke loose in the second minute. Jones went back in for the takedown, and while the tiring Reyes defended well, “Bones” kept pressing, landing solid shots as he did so.

In the opening minute of round five, Jones scored an important takedown, but Reyes got up and got loose. A close-range exchange followed, both fighters aware how important winning the final frame was. Jones, the seemingly fresher of the two, landed more punches and kicks, not hurting Reyes, but scoring more than the challenger was, and it proved to be the difference in the fight.

“I knew it was a really close fight,” said Jones. “That fifth round won me the fight.”

8 – Frankie Edgar-Pedro Munhoz 

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The legend of Frankie Edgar grew in Las Vegas on Saturday, as the former lightweight champion and featherweight title challenger picked up an important victory in his bantamweight debut, taking a close split decision over 135-pound contender Pedro Munhoz.

Scores were 48-47 twice and 46-49 for the 38-year-old Edgar, now 23-8-1. The No. 5-ranked Munhoz falls to 18-5 with 1 NC.

In the early going, Munhoz went after Edgar’s legs with his kicks, but every kick was met with rapid-fire combinations from “The Answer” who subsequently took a few hard right hands without issue while answering with sharp counters. But Munhoz kept pressing, landing crisp jabs down the stretch in a fast-paced round.

Edgar stayed busy in the second stanza, cutting Munoz over the left eye in the process while threatening takedowns. Munhoz’ forward motion was consistent, but he was eating shots on the way in. With three minutes left, Edgar scored his first takedown, and though Munhoz rose quickly, Edgar was still doing the most efficient work.

Dealing with a cut around his own eye in round three, it was clear that Munhoz was making mark with his heavy hands, but Edgar’s stick and move attack was unaltered, and when he threw, he was doing it with both hands, so if he missed the first two, the third would land. Munhoz’ leg kicks were making an impression, though, and Edgar was feeling them.

Edgar scored a quick takedown to start the fourth round, Munhoz scrambling right back to his feet. The combinations kept coming from the former lightweight champion, but Munhoz’s varied striking attack was giving Edgar plenty to think about.

Showing a sense of urgency in the final round, Edgar did some of his best work of the fight as he tagged his foe at range and in the midst of heated exchanges. Munhoz was an immovable force, though, as he gave as good as got, wrapping up a main event that was worth waiting for.

7 – Rose Namajunas-Jessica Andrade 2

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Former strawweight champions Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade met for a second time, with Namajunas evening the score with the woman who took her title in May 2019 by winning a three-round split decision.

Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for the No. 2-ranked Namajunas, now 10-4. The No. 1-ranked Andrade falls to 20-8.

Andrade made a concerted effort to use more head movement in the rematch, and it paid dividends in the first round, as she was able to dodge a lot of incoming fire while landing some hard shots. Regardless, the busy and varied striking of Namajunas still saw her taking the round from the Brazilian.

The action-packed second stanza also appeared to go Namajunas’ way, as her smooth striking kept Andrade at bay for the most part, but when “Bate Estaca” was able to get in range, she made Namajunas pay, making it clear that she was still one rally away from taking over.

MORE 2020 AWARDS: Best Submissions | Best Knockouts | Best Newcomers

Andrade bloodied Namajunas’ nose early in the final round, prompting “Thug Rose” to sit down on her punches in an attempt to even the score. That played into Andrade’s game, and after a hard right hand, she took Namajunas down. Namajunas looked for a submission from her back but when that came up empty, she kicked her way back to her feet and then rattled Andrade with a body shot followed by a punch upstairs. That just prompted the two to let their hands go to the horn, capping off a thrilling back-and-forth scrap.

6 – Justin Gaethje-Tony Ferguson

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Last month, Justin Gaethje said he likely only had 18 or 19 minutes of “pure hell” to give Tony Ferguson in their UFC 249 main event. He lied, as he gave “El Cucuy” 23:39 of it, stopping Ferguson in the fifth round to win the interim UFC lightweight title.

Gaethje, 31, replaced lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in a bout originally scheduled for April 18, and now after snapping Ferguson’s 12-fight winning streak, “The Highlight” will get his crack at “The Eagle.”

But first, Gaethje had to upset Ferguson, and he did just that.

Ferguson’s movement and kicks kept Gaethje from getting a read on him in the early going, but two minutes in Gaethje landed a couple hard lefts at close range. Ferguson took the punches well and kept throwing a variety of strikes from a variety of angles, while Gaethje stuck to a more conventional attack that was still working as he tagged his foe with accurate shots to the head. In the final 30 seconds, Gaethje landed a pair of lefts, getting Ferguson’s attention.

Both landed as round two opened, and Gaethje followed up with what was rapidly becoming his weapon of choice, a sweeping left hook. Gaethje made sure to toss in some leg kicks too to keep Ferguson guessing, and his confidence was growing by the second. To his credit, Ferguson’s chin was rock solid, but he was taking more and more shots from the Arizonan. It was Ferguson who got the last word for the round, though, as he dropped Gaethje with a right uppercut.

Gaethje kept the heat on in round three, and soon Ferguson was cut over the left eye and under the right eye. Add in a swelling under the right eye and Ferguson had to hope his skin wasn’t going to betray him. With a little under three minutes left, Ferguson got rocked by a right hand, and seconds later he ate another one, as Gaethje was clearly unaffected by the previous round’s knockdown. Ferguson stayed in the pocket with Gaethje, tripping him to the mat briefly in an attempt to turn the tide, but it didn’t happen in the third.

Gaethje remained in control in the fourth, and midway through, Ferguson staggered after getting caught with another hard right. A low kick by Ferguson brought a brief halt to the action with a minute left, but Gaethje jumped right back into the fray, and his kicks and punches kept coming.

With five minutes left, Gaethje could have sat on his lead, but that’s just not his style, and he kept the compact power shots coming, and few missed. To his credit, Ferguson’s heart and chin were still intact, but he just couldn’t get his offense going against an opponent fighting a perfect fight. And after Ferguson staggered from another flush power shot, referee Herb Dean had seen enough, stopping the bout at 3:39 of the final round.

5 – Dan Hooker-Paul Felder           

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Lightweight contenders Dan Hooker and Paul Felder were expected to deliver the goods in the UFC Auckland main event at Spark Arena, and that’s exactly what they did in a memorable five-round war that saw Hooker emerge with a split decision victory that propels him further up the list of elite 155-pounders.

As for Hooker’s rival for five rounds, he may have made his last walk to the Octagon.

“This might be it for me,” said an emotional Felder, who cited being away from his four-year-old daughter for his leaning towards retirement. That’s a final decision for another day, though. For today, fans will celebrate a fight to remember between two of the best in a stacked division.

Scores were 48-47 twice and 47-48 for the No. 7-ranked Hooker, now 21-8. The No. 6-ranked Felder falls to 17-5.

4 – Josh Emmett-Shane Burgos

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The co-main event between featherweight contenders Josh Emmett and Shane Burgos was expected to deliver fireworks, and it was like the Fourth of July at the Apex, with Emmett using two third-round knockdowns to break open a close fight and win a three-round unanimous decision.

Scores were 29-28 twice and 29-27 for the No. 8-ranked Emmett, now 16-2. The No. 10-ranked Burgos falls to 13-2.

Emmett was swinging his right hand with abandon in the early going, and he threw in the occasional short left hook for good measure. The bigger Burgos took the punches well as he moved forward, but he was taking too many of them, which only made Emmett more confident. Burgos stuck to the game plan, though, landing some hard calf kicks that were getting Emmett’s attention, and by the end of the round, both were trading bombs.

3 – Dustin Poirier-Dan Hooker

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Everyone expected the UFC Vegas 4 main event between Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker to be an instant classic. Then the two lightweight contenders went and delivered one, fighting tooth and nail for 25 minutes, with Poirier emerging victorious via unanimous decision in a clear Fight of the Year candidate.

Scores were 48-47 twice and 48-46 for the No. 3-ranked Poirier, now 26-6 with 1 NC. The No. 5-ranked Hooker falls to 20-9.

Hooker took an early lead as he worked his kicks to Poirier’s legs and body. Midway through the round, Poirier was able to negate his opponent’s reach advantage by locking up and taking Hooker to the fence. Hooker didn’t stay there long, but once the two separated, a fight broke out, with both landing hard shots in the pocket.

The two wasted no time getting back after it in round two, Hooker scoring with kicks and Poirier responding with punches until a brief stay against the fence. At close range, the two traded bombs, Poirier getting the better of it as he bloodied Hooker’s nose. Midway through the frame, the exchanges continued, Poirier now cutting Hooker over the right eye. Hooker returned the favor, neither backing down from the other. With under a minute left, Hooker rocked Poirier briefly, and as the round wore down, he poured it on, landing several shots until the horn intervened.

2 – Deiveson Figueiredo-Brandon Moreno

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A point deduction cost UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo a victory in his UFC 256 main event against Brandon Moreno, but in an epic five-round Fight of the Year candidate, he retained his title for the second time by way of a majority draw.

Scores were 47-46 Figueiredo and 47-47 twice.

Both champion and challenger were fighting three weeks after scoring wins on the UFC 255 card in Las Vegas, and despite the short notice, there was no let-up from either fighter for all 25 minutes.

Figueiredo (20-1-1) opened with a spinning back kick to the body and followed up with a hard punch upstairs which led to a takedown attempt. Moreno (18-5-2) eluded the attempt and brought the fight briefly to the mat, but soon it was back to the standup game, where Moreno scored some stiff jabs. Unbothered by the incoming fire, Figueiredo stalked his foe, digging to the body when he could. Moreno wasn’t backing down, though, and he stayed busy throughout the fast-paced first round.

The right hand of Figueiredo was on target in round two, and even though Moreno took them well, they were scoring points. The Mexican did even the score with a takedown, but the momentum was lost when Moreno was poked in the eye, bringing a momentary stop to the bout. When it resumed, Moreno was in the champion’s guard, but Figueiredo scrambled back to his feet and the two got into a heated exchange. Moreno continued to have success on his feet, and though Figueiredo jarred “The Assassin Baby” with a barrage of punches, Moreno responded with a takedown just before the end of the frame.

1 – Zhang Weili-Joanna Jedrzejczyk

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Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk delivered the greatest fight in women’s MMA history Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and when it was over, the result of the UFC 248 co-main event was almost secondary due to the epic nature of the bout, but it was Zhang retaining her UFC strawweight title for the first time via five-round split decision in a fight that raised the stock of both ladies and the sport.

Scores were 48-47 twice and 47-48 for Zhang, now 21-1. Jedrzejczyk falls to 16-4.

Both fighters were busy to start, but a minute in, Jedrzejczyk landed a hard right hand upstairs and her combinations at close range had the former champ smiling and in the lead. Zhang began to find her rhythm midway through the frame, though, and she was throwing with power every time, clearly getting Jedrzejczyk’s attention.