Sherdog.com's 2011 Year-End Awards: The Complete List

For MMA fans, 2011 had plenty to cheer about. Now for the year's best, it's awards time. | Photo: Sherdog.com

From its very first day, when Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard staged a 25-minute classic for the ages at UFC 125 in Las Vegas, it was clear that 2011 would be a special year for mixed martial arts.

In a year full that was full of both high-flying knockouts and gruesome submissions in greater quantity than most years, MMA was no less devoid of big-ticket stories. 2011 was host to happenings that forever changed MMA, such as Zuffa’s purchase of Strikeforce in March and the inking of a seven-year deal between the UFC and Fox.

Now, with all 365 days of fighting accounted for, Sherdog.com is pleased to present its 2011 year-end awards.

2011 is the fourth year that Sherdog has handed out a full slate of 12 awards, honoring the year’s most exemplary athletes and extraordinary happenings. In the coming days, Sherdog will proudly unveil the entire dozen, crystallizing an enormous year with a series of essays to put a historic year of MMA action in context.

Without further ado, here is the full list of the 2011 Sherdog.com Awards, honoring the most exceptional moments and talents from the past year in mixed martial arts.

• Fighter of the Year by Tristen Critchfield
• Fight of the Year by Brian Knapp
• Knockout of the Year by Chris Nelson
• Submission of the Year by Jordan Breen
• Story of the Year by Jack Encarnacao

• Beatdown of the Year by Tristen Critchfield
• Breakthrough Fighter of the Year by Brian Knapp
• Comeback Fighter of the Year by Jordan Breen
• Event of the Year by Jordan Breen
• Robbery of the Year by Joe Ortiz
• Round of the Year by Chris Nelson
• Upset of the Year by Jordan Breen