2022 Ass Whoopin’ of the Year Award
Every site does their own awards. It’s always the basics: Fighter of the year, Knockout of the year, Submission of the year, blah blah. I’ve always wanted to do my own award but those were just too basic for me. So now I’m making my own annual award. So, without further ado, I bring to you the first annual Ass Whoopin’ of the Year award brought to you by MyMMANews.com!
Some fights not mentioned in the honorable mentions are Stephen Thompson vs. Kevin Holland, Chito Vera vs. Rob Font, Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kevin Holland and Ilia Topuria vs. Bryce Mitchell. Better luck next year!
Honorable Mention #1: Alexander Volkanovski defeats The Korean Zombie
Alexander Volkanovski had a perfect year. His two wins over Max Holloway and Korean Zombie put him on top of the pound for pound list. Volkanovski beat The Korean Zombie at UFC 273 in April after Holloway pulled out of the fight. It was no sweat off Volkanovski’s back as he battered Zombie from the first bell. There was no point in the fight that Volkanovski was in trouble. At the end of the third round, many wondered if Zombie and his corner should throw in the towel. Spoiler alert: they didn’t. But Volkanovski came out and put Zombie away in the fourth round. This fight did not win the Ass Whoopin’ of the Year because Volkanovski put on a good performance but should have finished it earlier.
Honorable Mention #2: Calvin Kattar defeats Giga Chikadze
This one you may have forgotten. It happened in January of this year and Kattar was coming off of the what would have been 2021’s Ass Whoopin’ of the Year should I have done the award when he was battered by Max Holloway. (“I’m the best boxer in the UFC, baby!”). I totally counted Kattar out on the account of Chikadze being a kickboxer and there’s no way Kattar could stand with him. Instead, Kattar came out and beat the breaks off Chikadze and showed the world that he’s the second best boxer in the UFC. This one, however, was beat out because Kattar, while he beat up Chikadze, the first round was a little too competitive for the award.
Honorable Mention #3: Khalil Rountree vs. Karl Roberson
Khalil Rountree is a scary dude. He took on Karl Roberson in March and got out with a win in round two. When he rocked Roberson with an overhand right, Rountree opened a can of whoop ass on Roberson that scared even me. After Rountree kicked the knee out from Modestas Bukauskas in 2021, I feared Rountree. He had no regard for human life. Rountree knocked down Roberson and promptly kicked him in the body on the ground and tried to spartan kick him back down. Eventually he got the finish. Unfortunately for Rountree, this didn’t win Ass Whoopin’ of the Year because the first round was entirely too boring. But the finish was an ass whooping and one of my favorites of the year.
2022 Ass Whoopin’ of the Year: Alexander Volkanovski defeats Max Holloway
Alexander Volkanovski might have set a record that won’t be broken for a few years in the first ever Ass Whoopin’ of the Year award. He not only won the award but also notched an honorable mention as well. Volkanovski had a perfect 2022 which has earned him a date with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. But it was Volkanovski’s win over Holloway that was the best whooping of the year. Don’t let the score cards confuse you, Alexander Volkanovski beat up Holloway for five rounds at UFC 276.
This fight wins the award because of how close the first two fights were. Volkanovski and Holloway’s first two fights were close as it gets. But the third closed the door on any doubts of who was the better man. Alexander Volkanovski really was just that much of a better fighter and there’s nobody who can handle him at 145, hence the move to lightweight in the attempt for glory!
Thanks for reading the first annual Ass Whoopin’ of the Year award! Congrats to Alexander Volkanovski for the win and tune in next year on December 31st for the second annual award!
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In addition to covering MMA for My MMA News, Blaine Henry, the author, also analyzes fights from all combat sports across the globe.
Blaine Henry can be found on Twitter, on his Substack, an YouTube.
