5 Best MMA Fighters of 2018

It's that time of the year again when year-end listicles saturate our news feeds. Why should we miss out on the fun then, eh? So let's kick things off with the most generic one of the lot -- Best Fighters of 2018.

2018 was a groundbreaking year for the UFC. The most popular MMA promotion in the world completed 25 years since its very first event -- UFC 1 went live on PPV on November 12th, 1993. There was no shortage of exciting cards and upsets all throughout the monumental year that only helped increase a bludgeoning fan base of the sport in general.

From a financial standpoint, the Dana White-led organization broke the record for the highest PPV buys for a single event when they raked in 2,400,00 for UFC 229. While the company owes their success to the entire roster, a handful of names stood out and made 2018 their own.

These exceptionally world-class mixed martial artists rose to the occasion and did more than enough to warrant their inclusion on this list. So let's not waste any more time and see the best of the year.

Honorable Mentions:

Max Holloway (Ended the 14-fight undefeated streak of Brian Ortega to retain the Featherweight title)

Kumaru Usma (Undefeated in the UFC in the UFC, 13-fight win streak, 3 wins in 2018)

#5 Israel Adesanya (15-0)

The Last Stylebender may hate the comparison to Jon Jones, but you can't help but think of a young version of Bones whenever Adesanya steps inside the Octagon.

The Nigerian-born New Zealander's explosive and highly inventive style of fighting had already attracted tons of fans even before he was signed up by the UFC.

He was brought on board by Dana White and co. in December 2017 and he made his debut in February against Rob Wilkinson. Adesanya took home a performance of the night bonus in his debut fight by finishing off the Australian with a combination of knees and punches.

He went on to have three more fights in April, July, and November respectively and added two more performance of the night tags to his name. While his undefeated record was momentarily in jeopardy against a resilient Marvin Vettori, Israel remained focused and got a split decision victory against the Italian.

In his first year, Israel already boasts of 4 consecutive wins in a span of 10 months with three performance of the night bonuses while also rising to be the #6 ranked Middleweight in the official UFC rankings. The uberly confident 29-year-old is scheduled to face the legendary Anderson Silva at UFC 234 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on February 10th, 2019 and a win could grant him an immediate title shot. Will 2019 be the year of the Stylebender?

#4 Derrick Lewis (21-6-1)

As admitted by the man himself, Derrick Lewis isn't your typical mixed martial artist but is a proper fighter with incredible heart and unmatched grit. The Black Beast became everyone's favorite fighter when he famously took his pants off after his last-gasp victory against Alexander Volkov at UFC 229. The man's balls were hot for god's sake! Lewis' meme-worthy reply during the post-fight interview made him an overnight sensation and rightfully so, he was granted a shot at Daniel Cormier's Heavyweight title.

However, Lewis's hilariously nonchalant demeanor wasn't what earned him a deserved crack at the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

For a fighter whose cardio isn't his strongest asset, the Texas native fought four times in 2018. Two of those fights were emphatic third round finishes against Marcin Tybura and Volkov and the less we talk about his decision victory against Francis Ngannou the better.

Three victories on the trot and his transparent yet naturally jocular persona were enough to convince the UFC matchmakers to give the towering giant a push. He may have come up short against superior opposition in Cormier but Lewis ensured that his stock rose to unshakeable heights in 2018.

Currently ranked #2 amongst the Heavyweights, Lewis is on a much-deserved break and if you haven't checked out his Instagram handle yet, go do it right now. We bet it will be better than your favorite meme page.

#3 Henry Cejudo (13-2)/ Valentina Shevchenko (16-3)

2018 was the year when two Perennial title contenders -- Henry Cejudo and Valentina Shevchenko upped their game and finally won the big one in their respective divisions.

Let's first look back to Shevchenko's year. After an unsuccessful attempt at capturing the Women's Bantamweight title from Amanda Nunes, Bullet made a sensible decision by going down to the Flyweight division. She began the year with an impressive rear-naked choke finish over Priscila Cachoeira in February and ended the year by getting hold of the vacant flyweight strap by defeating the once unconquerable Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

Shevchenko surely has Jędrzejczyk's number as she has beaten the former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion four times (3 amateur Muay Thai bouts and 1 MMA fight). Shevchenko still has a long way to go but it's undeniable that she was one of the biggest winners of 2018.

Coming to the other success story of the year, Henry Cejudo just fought once in 2018 but the result and subsequent implications of the said fight were colossal.

The former Olympic gold medalist not only ended Demetrious Johnson's 11-fight title win streak with a controversial split decision win at UFC 227 but also gained retribution for his earlier loss in 2016 against Mighty Mouse. The loss was Johnson's final bout in the UFC as he left for ONE FC, possibly marking the end of the UFC Flyweight division.

Cejudo will take on Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw in a Flyweight title fight at ESPN +/ Fight Night 143 on January 19th, 2019.

#2 Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0)

The Eagle truly soared as his nickname suggests in 2018. And we mean literally; did you see him jump off the cage right into the crowd after his UFC 229 win?

While his post-fight hysterics may have deflected the attention from his dominant performance, Nurmagomedov undoubtedly shut all his naysayers up in what was termed as the biggest fight in UFC history.

Despite mercilessly demolishing all of his opponents prior to the McGregor fight, the Russian always had to deal with the criticism of having built his record by beating 'tin cans'. I'm no fanboy of the 2-time Sambo World Champion but credit has to be given where it's due.

Khabib won the title against Al Iaquinta in April and then moved one onto one of the most hyped and personal rivalries in UFC history with the Notorious One. It was a classic striker vs. grappler bout but Khabib surprised everyone by showcasing an improved stand-up game against one of the best strikers in the UFC.

He may have won via submission but his improvements were a notable feature against the predictably rusty McGregor. Khabib got richer in all aspects of the game in 2018 -- whether it was the money, star power or his overall skill set.

He could face sanctions for the post-fight chaos at UFC 229 but 2019 promises to be another defining period in the career of the UFC Lightweight Champion. If he manages to beat Ferguson next year and remains unbeaten, he will inarguably cement himself as possibly the greatest Lightweight in UFC history.

#1 Daniel Cormier

A double champion who refreshingly defends the titles.

While we were tempted to give Nurmagomedov the top spot, DC's historic feats throughout the year made it tough for us to do so.

The unforgettable image of DC in tears after his loss against arch-nemesis Jon Jones at UFC 214 briefly seemed like the end of a legendary career. Thankfully for everyone involved, DC was handed the title after Jones was stripped of the title yet again. Cormier has not looked back ever since.

The Lightweight Champion defended the strap at the beginning of the year against Volkan Oeademir that earned him a performance of the night bonus for his second-round TKO finish.

We reached the mid-way phase of 2018 and DC and the UFC management seemed to be in the mood to pull off a Conor McGregor. On the night of July 7th, 2018, Cormier finished off Stipe Miocic to become only the second man to hold titles in two different weight classes by becoming the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion. And how can we forget about the pro-wrestling inspired showdown between Brock Lesnar and Cormier after the iconic win?

Nonetheless, Cormier's first defense came against a red-hot Lewis, who despite his explosive power, didn't seem like an equal match for the champion.

The wins and accomplishments were always a regular feature of DC's illustrious career but 2018 was the year when the fans finally started appreciating the 'champ champ' after years of directing brickbats at him for no concrete reason.

DC will turn 40 next year and has mentioned he may have only a couple of fights left in him. Whether he faces Lesnar, Jones or anyone next year and irrespective of the possible outcomes, 2018 consolidated DC's status as one of the greatest of all time.