2015 Awards: Most Noteworthy Match of the Year
Most Noteworthy Match of the Year:
Luke Rockhold TKO(4) Chris Weidman
The “most noteworthy” match of the year is a pretty basic calculation — a sum of quality if you will, taking a look back at the fights within the calendar year using the standing of the fighters involved at the end of the year. In this case, it wasn’t close. What more can you say? The twice conquerer of Anderson Silva against the current Middleweight champion and top P4P fighter. Not much else to say.
Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Thursday, December 31st 2026: Rizin FF Super Rizin 6: Shiwasu no Owarinagoya Gekokujo Matsuri | |||
 [#1 W105] Natalia Kuziutina |  [#4 W105] Saori Oshima | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/10/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#18 W105] Rena Kubota Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 7/18/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#13 W105] Ye Ji Lee Last 5: L W L W W | ||
| Sunday, December 13th 2026: Deep - 135 Impact | |||
| [#3 SW] Sukai China | [#4 SW] Jo Arai | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 5/04/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#6 SW] Sora Sugiyama Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 9/13/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#23 SW] Daichi Kitakata Last 5: L L W L W | ||
| Sunday, December 13th 2026: Deep Tokyo Impact 2026 6th Round | |||
| [#6 SW] Sora Sugiyama | [#10 SW] Goal Makino | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/20/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [NR] Musashi Musashi Last 5: W W W L W | Last Fight Date: 9/06/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#42 SW] Toshiya Takashima Last 5: W W W W W | ||
Featured Fighters
| [#18 W125] |  Lucia Szabova | [#1 WW] | Islam Makhachev | |
| [#18 LW] |  Renato Carneiro | [#1 FW] |  Alexander Volkanovski | |
| [#13 LW] | Tom Nolan | [#26 WW] |  Jacobe Smith | |
| [#102 W125] | Tainara Lisboa | [#1 LW] | Justin Gaethje | |
| [#2 LW] |  Ilia Topuria | [#8 HW] | Josh Hokit |
2015 Awards: Comeback Fighter of the Year
As a refresher, our “Comeback” award is about coming back from inactivity or major injury (that we know about) and in doing so, really impressing. You can see more details at the bottom of the post about specific qualifiers.
In this category, it was fairly slim pickings this year…
Comeback Fighter of the Year: Sergio Moraes
Nearly two years off from the sport, he had two UFC fights in the calendar year of 2015 and was victorious in both of them. Now ranked within the Top 50 in his division, it’s tough to argue against Moraes as the top selection for this award.
To qualify, fighters must be in an active status at the end of the award year and did not have a fight in the previous calendar year or are coming off of a known major injury that caused an inactive period of 15+ months.
Current MMA Rankings Updated (12-31-2015)
Notable Info
- End-of-year rankings update.
Fight Matrix Program: UFC 195 (01-02-2016)
Welterweight Championship (170)
[#1/#9DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (26-10-0, -110) vs. [#7] Carlos Condit (30-8-0, -112)
Robbie Lawler is the All-Time #4 ranked Welterweight and #25 ranked Absolute fighter.
Carlos Condit is the All-Time #5 ranked Welterweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Robbie Lawler (3-0-0)
2015-07-11: W vs. [#3WW] Rory MacDonald (18-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:00 of round 5
2014-12-06: W vs. [#2WW/#10P4P] Johny Hendricks (17-3-0) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)
2014-07-26: W vs. [#9WW] Matt Brown (20-13-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
Last 3 Fights: Carlos Condit (2-1-0)
2015-05-30: W vs. [#23WW] Thiago Alves (21-10-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 2
2014-03-15: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via TKO (Leg Kick) in 2:00 of round 2
2013-08-28: W vs. [*] Martin Kampmann (20-7-0) via TKO (Punches and Knees) in 0:54 of round 4
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Robbie Lawler 175, Carlos Condit 217
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Robbie Lawler leads 5-4
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Heavyweight (265)
[#3] Andrei Arlovski (25-10-0, +186) vs. [#6] Stipe Miocic (13-2-0, -227)
Andrei Arlovski is the All-Time #8 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Andrei Arlovski (3-0-0)
2015-09-05: W vs. [#10HW+] Frank Mir (18-10-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
2015-05-23: W vs. [#9HW+] Travis Browne (17-3-1) via TKO (Punches) in 4:41 of round 1
2014-09-13: W vs. [#13HW+] Antonio Silva (19-8-1) via KO (Punches) in 2:59 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Stipe Miocic (2-1-0)
2015-05-10: W vs. [#7HW+] Mark Hunt (11-10-1) via TKO (Punches) in 2:47 of round 5
2014-12-13: L vs. [#5HW+] Junior dos Santos (17-4-0) via UD (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)
2014-05-31: W vs. [#36LHW] Fabio Maldonado (22-9-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:35 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Andrei Arlovski 119, Stipe Miocic 237
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#21] Lorenz Larkin (16-4-0, +208) vs. [#27] Albert Tumenov (16-2-0, -256)
Last 3 Fights: Lorenz Larkin (2-1-0)
2015-06-27: W vs. [#49WW] Santiago Ponzinibbio (21-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:07 of round 2
2015-01-18: W vs. [#40WW] John Howard (23-12-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:17 of round 1
2014-08-30: L vs. [#15MW] Derek Brunson (14-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Albert Tumenov (3-0-0)
2015-10-03: W vs. [#82WW] Alan Jouban (12-4-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 2:55 of round 1
2015-01-24: W vs. [#45WW] Nicholas Musoke (13-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-10-04: W vs. [#166WW] Matt Dwyer (8-3-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 1:03 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Lorenz Larkin 189, Albert Tumenov 91
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit – Who’s Getting Paid?
UFC 195 kind of crept up on the MMA world a bit, and one only needs to blame the whirlwind of the “UFC Vegas” week that wrapped up the 2015 combat sports calendar. However, the holiday MMA break officially ends with the first pay-per-view bash of the new year, and this upcoming headliner is a damn good one.
In what can only be anticipated as a top-tier, world-class match for the ages, Robbie Lawler defends the UFC Welterweight Championship against Carlos Condit, while a number of contenders, journeymen, and prospects fight for various stakes on a very solid card. Let’s take a look at the money trail one last time for 2015, and dive into the previous UFC fighter salaries (plus most-recent Reebok payouts) for every main card talent at UFC 195 this weekend.
Note: Divisional rankings via Fight Matrix. UFC salaries and Reebok figures via MMA Payout and MMA Junkie.
Robbie Lawler [#1 WW]
$340,000 = $150,000/$150,000 + $40,000* [UFC 189]
Carlos Condit [#8 WW]
$110,000 = $55,000/$55,000 [UFC 143]
Analysis: Robbie Lawler is going into his 19th Zuffa bout here, and his disclosed pay continues to hover slightly above the last-known salaries of most non-superstar UFC champions. Aside from the obvious bonus of retaining his title, it would be interesting to be how high Lawler could push his value with a few more victories — especially given his history as Zuffa’s revived golden boy.
For Condit, this will be his first salary reported since his infamous fight with Nick Diaz in 2012, where Condit took home $110,000 in victory — barely more than half of what Diaz made to lose ($200,000). At a 2-3 stretch since then and despite a short interim title reign, it’s worrisome to think that a past-prime Condit may have already hit his financial peak.
Fight Matrix Program: Rizin 2 (12-31-2015)
Heavyweight (265)
[*] Fedor Emelianenko (34-4-0, -1431) vs. [#182] Jaideep Singh (2-0-0, +832)
Fedor Emelianenko is the All-Time #1 ranked Heavyweight and #3 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Fedor Emelianenko (3-0-0)
2012-06-21: W vs. [*] Pedro Rizzo (20-11-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:24 of round 1
2011-12-31: W vs. [#39HW+] Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1) via KO (Punches) in 2:29 of round 1
2011-11-20: W vs. [#491HW+] Jeff Monson (58-25-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Jaideep Singh (2-0-0)
2015-10-17: W vs. [#243HW+] Carlos Toyota (6-8-1) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 2
2013-06-07: W vs. [NA] Alireza Tavak (0-2-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 4:24 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Fedor Emelianenko 1288, Jaideep Singh 75
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (265)
[*] Peter Aerts (1-1-0) vs. [NA] Kaido Hoovelson (DEBUT)
Last 3 Fights: Peter Aerts (1-1-0)
2005-12-31: L vs. [#502HW+] Shungo Oyama (14-19-0) via Submission (Heel Hook) in 0:30 of round 1
2005-07-06: W vs. [NA] Yoichi Babaguchi (1-6-1) via TKO (Punches) in 1:36 of round 1
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Featherweight (146)
[#1454LW] Kron Gracie (1-0-0) vs. [NA] Asen Yamamoto (DEBUT)
Last 3 Fights: Kron Gracie (1-0-0)
2014-12-23: W vs. [#1388LW] Hyung Soo Kim (1-1-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 1:05 of round 1
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Fight Matrix Program: Rizin 1 (12-29-2015)
Welterweight (171)
[#19LW] Shinya Aoki (38-6-0, 169.7lb) vs. [*] Kazushi Sakuraba (26-16-1, 171.0lb)
Last 3 Fights: Shinya Aoki (3-0-0)
2015-05-22: W vs. [#62LW] Koji Ando (12-4-2) via UD ()
2014-12-31: W vs. [#397LW] Yuki Yamamoto (6-8-4) via Submission (Twister) in 1:21 of round 1
2014-08-29: W vs. [*] Kamal Shalorus (9-4-2) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:15 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Kazushi Sakuraba (0-3-0)
2011-09-24: L vs. [#122LW] Yan Cabral (12-2-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 2:42 of round 2
2010-12-31: L vs. [#138WW] Marius Zaromskis (20-9-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 2:16 of round 1
2010-09-25: L vs. [*] Jason Miller (23-9-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 2:09 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Shinya Aoki 221, Kazushi Sakuraba 1557
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (220)
[#39] Satoshi Ishii (14-4-1, 219.0lb) vs. [#49LHW] Jiri Prochazka (14-2-1, 211.5lb)
Last 3 Fights: Satoshi Ishii (2-1-0)
2015-08-29: W vs. [#128HW+] William Penn (8-5-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:07 of round 1
2015-04-11: W vs. [#94HW+] Nick Rossborough (25-19-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 4:22 of round 1
2014-12-31: L vs. [#22HW+] Mirko Filipovic (31-11-2) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 5:00 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Jiri Prochazka (3-0-0)
2015-11-21: W vs. [#229LHW] Evgeni Kondratov (5-2-0) via in of round 1
2015-05-22: W vs. [#84LHW] Michal Fijalka (14-5-1) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 1
2015-03-27: W vs. [NA] Rokas Stambrauskas (7-5-0) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Satoshi Ishii 122, Jiri Prochazka 38
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (220)
[#30LHW] Goran Reljic (15-5-0, 215.0lb) vs. [#112LHW] Vadim Nemkov (4-0-0, 219.5lb)
Last 3 Fights: Goran Reljic (2-1-0)
2015-10-31: L vs. [#24LHW] Tomasz Narkun (11-2-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:55 of round 1
2015-05-23: W vs. [#23LHW] Attila Vegh (29-6-2) via SD (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
2014-12-06: W vs. [#24LHW] Tomasz Narkun (11-2-0) via UD (29-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Vadim Nemkov (3-0-0)
2015-08-29: W vs. [#247LHW] Joaquim Ferreira (19-11-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:22 of round 1
2015-04-24: W vs. [NA] Isidor Bunea (0-1-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:00 of round 1
2013-08-05: W vs. [#270LHW] Michal Gutowski (8-8-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:32 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Goran Reljic 59, Vadim Nemkov 122
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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How does the Rizin two-night tournament stack up?
Rizin Fighting Federation has completed the field for their 100kg tournament. The tournament will start on the promotion’s first show on Dec. 29 and continue on the New Year’s Eve event. The field will feature representatives from Rizin’s partner promotions such as Bellator, BAMMA, Jungle Fight, Bushido Lithuania and KSW.
The history of MMA is full of impact tournaments such as the early UFC events and the Pride Grand Prix events. The sports seems to have grown out of tournaments for the most part, but they do still happen in the major leagues with limited regularity. At first glance, the Rizin tournament does not seem to stand up to some of the great heavyweight tournaments of the past. Does that hold up?
To compare the Rizin field to earlier tournaments, the contemporary ranking of each competitor in each heavyweight tournament under the Pride FC, Strikeforce and Bellator MMA since 2000 was reviewed. For the sake of this analysis, contemporary ranking means the Generated Historical Ranking from the quarter where the fight took place. For fighters that were not ranked at the time of the tournament, they are listed as 250th, which is the equivalent of last in the heavyweight division.