The 2020 Heavies Awards - Fighter of the Year - Winner: Deiveson Figueiredo

Who's your 2020 Fighter OTY?


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  • Poll closed .

Gingerdead Man

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The Heavies Awards
-2020-
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

While 2020's Fighter of the Year (FrOTY) could be summarily awarded en masse to frontline medical workers tackling COVID-19, we're here to spotlight a different frontline -- one on either side of which this past year has stood a gladiator in pursuit of prize and pride alike and in battles as mental as they are physical. Whom you're voting for is to take seat at a small, oaken table given the breed of person it takes even to be considered. While a contest in dynamic as old as time, the sport of mixed martial arts is not for everyone as it without frill and at great expense celebrates the strong.

'You have to remember something: everybody pities the weak; jealousy you have to earn.'
Arnold Schwarzenegger

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Meet your FrOTY candidates:


Deiveson Figueiredo
Deus da Guerra/God of War
Brazil
107_Deiveson_Figueiredo.jpg
'I grew up with all the wild animals and think I got something from them.'
re: On his power being unique for the division
  • Grew up in a tropical monsoon climate working animals and land under his father until early teens
  • Originally a capoeirista, the diverse background he brings into the cage includes a local grappling style called Marajoara of island Marajó, a style of engagement inspired by time-old observations on the interactions of the area's buffalo
  • Fought four times this year, winning the vacant Flyweight title (UFC) and defending twice with only 21 days between
Kevin Holland
Trailblazer
USA
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'I turned my nightmare into a dream tonight.'
re: Ronaldo Souza
  • A late-starter, orthodox striker Kevin did not pick up combat sport until aged 16 and found MMA icon Georges St-Pierre a motivating factor in doing so
  • Only the third fighter in UFC history to go 5-0 in a calendar year, three of those five being Performances OTN and first of which not even taking place until May 2020
  • Put an exclamation point on 2020 with December KO of grizzled veteran Jacaré
Jan Blachowicz
Prince of Cieszyn
Poland

Jan-Blachowicz-UFC-1024x640.jpg
'This is a historic moment for me and for Polish fans.'
re: What the LHW belt means to Poland's growing MMA scene
  • Grew up admiring Jean-Claude Van Damme and began his journey into martial arts with judo in mountainous hometown of Cieszyn on the Czech border, home to Poland's top-selling candy company
  • Went 2-0 in 2020 vs. Corey Anderson and Dominick Reyes by (T)KOs in dual Performances OTN
  • Captured vacant albeit no less coveted LHW belt (UFC)
Charles Oliveira
Do Bronx/The Ghetto
Brazil
1290965335.jpg

'2021, I'm coming.'

re: LW belt aspirations
  • Grew up very poor and whose nickname, Do Bronx/The Ghetto, originates in him being called 'that kid from the ghetto' when introduced to impressed gym patrons; he is this year a 10-year black belt in BJJ and has a giving-back project to help at-risk youth grapple instead of turn to crime
  • Currently in LW title contention (UFC) after besting Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson
  • A veteran of both MMA and UFC, his career leading into 2020 counted almost 40 professional fights and a decade in the sport's premier organisation
Poll locks in seven (7) days but you can see right now before deciding which way Sherdog.com Staff went by reading the main-page write-up here.

So, who you got?
 
Brilliant thread, love the layout. It gives all the info summarised nicely along with the quotes. Good shit man.

btw going with fig, gave 2 of the best championship performances this year against poor joey B, got a lovely first round sub and gave a foty contender 21 days later a day after being sick. He is a killer, super exciting and has been excellent (and very active) all year. Dude fights ever fight like a hungry contender which I love. I hope he holds the belt for a while.
 
Fig hands down.


But that being said, Adesanya should also be included in the poll since he won it at the World MMA awards



Would be nice to have the poll reflect how much more fans feel Fig to be deserving of it, even over Adesanya
 
Figgy for me. I always believe he already had it in the bag even if he didn't fight Moreno on a quick turnaround. 3 fights in 2020 with all vicious finishes and the undisputed belt, I think that earned him the award already. He's an exciting, violent fighter and dig deep in his last fight against Moreno and showed he is a fighting champion until the end of the year. He wins this imo.
 
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Voted Oliveira. Beating T Ferg is the equivalent of winning a belt in my book. And he should get a title shot off that.

and that submission on Fighter Kevin Lee was so smooth and satisfying.
 
Div deserves it but my personal fav is Jan
 
Voted Oliveira. Beating T Ferg is the equivalent of winning a belt in my book. And he should get a title shot off that.

and that submission on Fighter Kevin Lee was so smooth and satisfying.
Same. Kevin missed weight too, coming in heavy, iirc. Besting him and madman wonder Tony in one calendar year (at shark-infested LW) is something in talking careers one can hang a hat on. Be it poverty or opponents in-cage, Oliveira has proven himself a fighter in every sense of the word. Respect.
 
There is a poor area in São Paulo that is called Bronx. Do Bronx means from Bronx. So the better translation would be from Bronx or from the ghetto.

But great work on the thread!
Thanks for the info on Bronx being a hard location, brother; did quite a bit of reading to call together and confirm background bits but hadn't seen reference to this at any point. On 'The Ghetto' versus 'From...', I think in monikers preference for an article lead-in over preposition is in keeping with norms the vein of fewest-moving-parts-as-possible so I'm chalking that up to English-language stylistics than inaccuracy rather. Who are you pulling for, BTW?
 
To be honest Blach and Fig deserves it most. But since we got rocky story behind Jan Blach, Im gonna go with him. Fig a beast but in manlet div... sorry gents.
 
To be honest Blach and Fig deserves it most.

That was where I was stuck pondering my pick (of the given choices).

Went with Jan because LHW/HW are my "favored" divisions and Jan dismantling the guy who many felt beat Jones was pretty significant. Plus the fouls in the Fig match vs Moreno were a strike as well as missing weight vs Bena.
 
1.Fig
2.Holland
3.Jan
4.Moreno
5.Burns
 
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