2014 was a solid year for MMA. It was a year that saw the first time since 2007 that the UFC Welterweight champion was not named Georges St Pierre.
It was also the year which saw the triumphant return of Dominick Cruz as well as the emergence of TJ DIllashaw as the top dog at Bantamweight.
It saw a change of President at Bellator, a sponsorship deal between UFC and Reebok, the retirement of Chael Sonnen and a life ban for Wanderlei Silva by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
With 2014 nearly over, we at Fight of the Night have looked at three things to watch for in MMA in 2015.
Will anyone stop Jon Jones?
Jon Jones has firmly established himself as the top pound for pound fighter in the world today.
He has dominated almost everyone who has been put in front of him and at 27, is still well and truly in his peak as an MMA fighter.
However, the Light Heavyweight division has seen some strong contenders emerge in 2014, which include Daniel Cormier, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson and the continual presence of Alexander Gustafsson.
Jones will face the first of those tests in Daniel Cormier just after the New Year. While Cormier will be turning 36 next year, he has fought like he is a young gun, having dominated everyone he has faced in the UFC and Strikeforce, which has helped lead him to a 15-0 record.
The former Olympic wrestler may also be the strongest (literally and figuratively) grappler Jones has faced in his MMA career so far.
That is an important point given that the majority of his fights have been fought on the feet, where Jones has enjoyed (with the exception of the Gustafsson fight) a massive reach advantage over his opponents.
Should Jones be successful in beating Cormier, he will likely face the winner of the upcoming match between Gustafsson and Johnson.
While Johnson has only had two UFC fights as a Light Heavyweight, they have both been flawless, dominant performances against strong fighters in Phil Davis and Antonio Rogerio Noguiera.
Beating Gustafsson will be no simple task though, given that the Swede has shown constant and remarkable improvement since his UFC debut over five years ago.
Gustafsson gave Jones his most challenging fight by far in one of the top fights of 2013 that showed the Light Heavyweight champion is, in fact, human.
With some strong challengers emerging, 2015 will be a year to see whether someone will be able to stop the force that is Jon Jones.
