When the global pandemic hit, so did boredom. Creative combat sports content was needed more than ever since there was nothing to report on for a period of time. While quarantined, The Scrap’s staff decided […]
Category: MMA
The Scrap’s 2020 Male Fighter of the Year: Kevin Holland
When it came down to choosing The Scrap’s award for the Male Fighter of the Year, UFC middleweight Kevin Holland was a no-brainer. “Trailblazer” fought five times in 2020 and managed to earn just as […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Regional Submission of the Year: Vanessa Demopoulos’ inverted triangle at LFA 85
In 2020, the regional women really brought the show. At LFA 95, a main event for the inaugural strawweight title took place that made history in more ways than one. The Scrap’s Regional Submission of […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Knockout of the Year: Cody Garbrandt’s buzzer beater KO at UFC 250
Cody Garbrandt (12-3 MMA) burst onto the scene in 2015. He left a trail of unconscious opponents in his wake before finally getting his shot at the bantamweight title at the end of 2016. Garbrandt […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Brandon Royval
In 2020, approximately 123 fighters made their UFC debut, many of which entered the promotion with a heap of hype behind them. While those with said hype routinely amass a bright spotlight, some athletes do […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Regional KO of the Year: Alex Pereira’s devastating left hook at LFA 95
The regional scene is perhaps the greatest when it comes to emphatic knockouts in mixed martial arts, with the year 2020 continuing this tradition. From Josh Fremd’s brutal knee at LFA 89 to Nathais Frederick’s […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Retirement of the Year: Khabib Nurmagomedov
Hundreds of elite fighters have stepped into the UFC octagon since the inception of the company. A select few became legends, even less retired on top. In 2020 Khabib Nurmagomedov was added to this shortlist. […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Submission of the Year: AJ McKee’s modified neck crank at Bellator 253
2020 was a strange year for a lot of fighters, with event cancelations, fight pull outs, and short notice opponents. Some fighters were still able to prevail against all odds, and AJ McKee Jr. is […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Performance of the Year: Justin Gaethje vs. Tony Ferguson
Technical masterclasses. Short-notice schoolings. Bloody bruisings. All were witnessed inside the cage during 2020. But none compare to Justin Gaethje’s sole triumph of the year that featured all three. Honorable mentions: Brian Ortega vs. Chan […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Newcomer of the Year: Khamzat Chimaev
2020 was an unprecedented year in too many ways to reflect on here. With the world on hold as the Coronavirus ran rampant, the UFC announced its plans to push onward. Of course, as with […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Upset of the Year: Shana Dobson vs. Mariya Agapova
Upset [noun] – an unexpected result or situation. The story of the underdog is as old as fighting itself and is commonly an outcome that stays close to the heart of fans over time. Who […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Fight Card of the Year: UFC 249
For a while, MMA was the only sport that was running. The UFC was first to resume sports during the pandemic, putting MMA in the spotlight. With many cards being cancelled, there were many cards […]
The Scrap’s 2020 Fight of the Year: Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
2020 was an extraordinary year for mixed martial arts competition. Aside from a momentary hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sport continued its winning ways, producing firefight after firefight. Over 100 hours of entertainment […]
Part 2: Predicting every UFC champion at the end of 2021
2020 saw three new UFC champions crowned, with Petr Yan, Deiveison Figueiredo and Jan Blachowicz all claiming gold, respectively. Despite just three changes this calendar year the challengers continued to line up one after the […]
Part 1: Predicting every UFC champion at the end of 2021
2020 saw three new UFC champions crowned, with Petr Yan, Deiveison Figueiredo and Jan Blachowicz all claiming gold. Despite just three changes this calendar year, the challengers continued to line up one after the other, […]
The Wildcard: Michael Chandler could shake up the lightweight division
For years the UFC has been set on a pedestal as the number one mixed martial arts promotion globally. With undefeated lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov announcing his retirement, this now leaves the stacked UFC lightweight […]
Regional Prospects to Watch in 2021: Western & Southern United States
It was a challenging year for MMA with the global pandemic putting a halt to sports for the beginning of 2020. But COVID couldn’t stop some promoters from putting on multiple shows a month once […]