2015’s Best UFC Photos: A Wild Year In Pictures

Following a down 2014 that resulted in a 40 percent drop in UFC profits, the world’s biggest MMA promotion has rebounded well in 2015 with a hard-hitting schedule of blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) events boosted in no small part by the emergence of massive draws Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor, and also the support of their main stars largely staying healthy.

Also running fewer shows in 2015, the more concentrated talent has brought forth what many argue is the promotion’s best year ever. It certainly could be that way in financial terms. All of that has resulted in some absolutely beautiful and telling photos from the promotion’s biggest cards.

Let’s take a look back at 2015’s best UFC photos, starting with the most recent UFC 191.

UFC 191 – A Star Continues To Rise:

September’s UFC 191 from Las Vegas featured Demetrious Johnson’s latest one-sided title defense in the main event, but the real star power was concentrated on the bursting popularity of women’s strawweight Paige VanZant, who beat Alex Chambers in the main card’s opening bout.

This photo captures ’12 Gauge’ executing a picture-perfect judo throw on Chambers in mid-air, simultaneously showing her skills, beauty, and a sign of things to come.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea for USA TODAY Sports

UFC 190 – Ronda Rousey Is On Fire:

Already the UFC’s top star, Rousey’s popularity absolutely exploded in the aftermath of her scintillating 34-second knockout of heated rival Bethe Correia at August’s UFC 190 from Rio de Janeiro, an event that currently ranks as the highest-selling UFC PPV of the year.

Correia talked a ton of trash heading into the bout, even poking at the fact Rousey’s father had committed suicide, and she paid the ultimate price for it. A candid shot tells the whole story of the fight, with a loud, emotional Correia yelling in the face of a calm and stoic Rousey, the dominant champion who knew she would let her fists do her talking in the octagon.

Photo Credit: Jason Silva for USA TODAY Sports

UFC 189 – Conor McGregor Rises To A New Level:

This monstrous summer blockbuster may have been marred a bit by the fact that champion Jose Aldo withdrew with a rib injury, but ‘Notorious’ still got his first taste of UFC gold when he finished late replacement Chad Mendes in the second round.

But it wasn’t without resistance from ‘Money,’ who managed to take down McGregor at will and smother him before gassing after a short two-week training camp. It was a triumphant yet telling win for the Irish trash talker, and the emotion was captured perfectly in the photo above.

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale for USA TODAY Sports

UFC 188 – Fabricio Werdum Shocks The World:

Interim heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum was supposed to lose to returning champ Cain Velasquez at their second try at a championship bout in Mexico City, but ‘Vai Cavalo’ knew something his opponent did not.

Setting up shop and training for two months prior to the bout in the Mexico’s high altitude, the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu legend had a big surprise for Velasquez when he came to the cage ill prepared.

A third round submission spelled the end of the oft-injured and gassed champ’s reign, signaling that one of 2015’s biggest upsets was here.

UFC 187 – Chris Weidman Finally Ends His Feud With Vitor Belfort:

May’s UFC 187 finally saw UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman finally put his drawn-out, controversial feud with Belfort to bed. ‘The Phenom’ was supposed to be Weidman’s first opponent as champion that wasn’t Anderson Silva, but a drug test fiasco from Belfort and a host of injuries to Weidman resulted in the bout happening a full year later than it was originally planned.

Weidman cited more steroid controversy from some allegedly high levels of testosterone from Belfort before the bout, but in the end it didn’t matter. After n initial flurry from Belfort that had the champ cut and in trouble, Weidman took control with a takedown to finish the wild one-round brawl with ground and pound.

Bloody but undeterred, the iron-willed champ unleashed his pent-up anger on Belfort in this all-encompassing photo.

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale for USA TODAY Sports

 

UFC 186 – Demetrious Johnson Notches Latest Finish In UFC History:

It may have been far from the most high profile bout in a year full of them, but flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson extended his dominant reign with the latest finish in UFC history when he submitted previously undefeated Kyoji Horiguchi at April 25’s UFC 186 from Montreal.

‘Mighty Mouse’ will forever be viewed as a ‘boring’ fighter by the masses, but this photo shows his purely unmatched blend of dominance and precision.

UFC 185 – Anthony Pettis Gets Dominated With Surprising Ease:

Former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis came into March’s UFC 185 from Dallas, Texas, riding a big wave of momentum.

He had just recently returned from 15 months off to finish Gilbert Melendez in spectacular style at December 2014’s UFC 181, and wanted to make up for lost time by defending his belt as many times as possible in 2015.

But he was unable to make even one defense, as surging upstart challenger Rafael dos Anjos thoroughly destroyed with a five-round display of dominance that was set into motion by a single vicious straight left that broke his orbital bone in the opening minutes. Take a look at the beginning of the end of Pettis’ reign above.

Photo Credit: Tim Heitman for USA TODAY Sports

UFC 184 – Cat Zingano Feels Ronda Rousey’s Skills Firsthand:

The women’s bantamweight championship that served as the main event of February’s UFC 184 was supposed to be Rousey’s toughest test yet, as she was facing a motivated, undefeated contender in Zingano, who had come back off the heartache of her husband’s suicide and a long run of debilitating injuries. But the fight turned out to be far from a challenge.

Wanting to shake off her reputation as a slow starter, ‘Alpha’ rushed the champ early with a flying knee, and Rousey was waiting for it. She reversed the attempt with a throw, putting Zingano in this very compromising position, and immediately locked on another fight-ending armbar, further boosting her star power in another dominant bout that lasted only 14 seconds.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea for USA TODAY Sports

UFC 183 – ‘The Spider’ Returns For Triumphant Win That Doesn’t Count:

We saw the long-awaited return of all-time great former champion Anderson Silva when he took on Nick Diaz in the main event of January’s UFC 183. While the fight didn’t deliver up to the almost unattainable hype level, ‘The Spider’ did showcase some of his precision striking to outlast Diaz by unanimous decision for an incredibly emotional return victory.

The win was later marred by the fact that he failed multiple drug tests for banned steroids and other meds, which earned him a yearlong suspension rom the NAC and resulted in his win being changed to a no contest. And of course Diaz was dealt a crushing five-year suspension by the NAC this week for his third drug test failure for marijuana, making this the most controversy-laden fight of 2015 thus far.

We had no idea what was coming, but at the time, this emotional scene of ‘The Spider’s’ return was a compelling image to see after his devastating leg injury in late 2013.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

UFC 182 – Jon Jones & Daniel Cormier Settle Hyped Rivalry, But Won’t Face Off:

January 3’s UFC 182 from Las Vegas finally saw the culmination of perhaps the most hyped lead-in to a fight this year (that is, until UFC 194’s Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor actually happens, if it does), as Jones and Cormier finally squared off to put to rest the rivalry that basically overtook the web when they had their infamous UFC 178 Media Day brawl at the MGM Grand.

It was billed as one of the closely contested matches in UFC light heavyweight history, and while the champ’s size, reach, and all-around skills ultimately prevailed in the end, the bout undoubtedly produced one of the most newsworthy and invested feuds of 2015, if not ever, and this photograph of th two enemies refusing to face one another at the bout’s weigh-in captures the clear dislike the two had for another.

It also set the stage for a rematch in the future, as Jones was later arrested on felony hit-and-run charges in New Mexico, forcing the UFC to strip him of the title and opening the path for Cormier to defeat Anthony Johnson for the vacated belt at UFC 187. UFC 812 got 2015 started off right, and Jones vs. Cormier II could be one of the biggest fights of 2016.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea for USA TODAY Sports