Best of 2014: Yahoo Sports MMA awards. (Click to see gallery)
Story of the Year Runner-up: TRT eliminated; out-of-competition drug testing stepped up. Nevada banned the controversial testosterone replacement therapy early in the year, and other major commissions followed suit. The commission also upped out-of-competition drug testing. While many fighters were affected by these decisions, the results were tragicomic at middleweight, where headliners Vitor Belfort (who temporarily lost out on a title shot), Chael Sonnen (who retired after flunking two tests), and Wanderlei Silva (who was suspended after fleeing the country rather than take a test) all ran afoul of the Silver State.
Mixed martial arts news often seemed more bad than good in 2014. From drug test failures to fights canceled by injury to complaints about oversaturation to legal issues, the sport seemed shrouded in negativity.
But that didn’t stop truly memorable highlights from happening. From transcendent fighters to thrilling fights that will be remembered for years to come, 2014 also had a fair share of standouts. So let’s take a look at the best the year had to offer.
