#5 - Joanna Jędrzejczyk vs. Claudia Gadelha II | UFC 'TUF' 23 Finale, July 8

This fight was satisfying for several reasons, though mostly because it gave us the big payoff of "The Ultimate Fighter" that we've been waiting for.

The back-and-forth bitching in the house was entertaining to a degree, and set up well for the final battle between the two. Many predicted before the fight that Gadelha would triumph the second time around, and it certainly looked like it for the first two rounds.

In round three, though, Jędrzejczyk came into her own and put the pressure on the noticeably fatigued Brazilian. It was an exciting fight that lived up to the hype, and for me, it's one of the best fights of the year so far.

#4 - Petr Yan vs. Magomed Magomedov | ACB 32, March 26

Here's one not a lot of you will have seen. Absolute Championship Berkut are big news over in Russia right now, and with a motto of "More fight, less show," you know what to expect.

This bantamweight title fight at ACB 32 encompassed everything the promotion is all about: blood, grit and talent. This was an epic five-round war that went one way and then the other. The fight had a controversial ending, so a rematch has been booked for ACB 47 later this year in October.

I don't want to spoil it for you, because you can actually watch it for free, in full on the ACB YouTube page. Enjoy, and thank me later.

#3 - Angela Lee vs. Mei Yamaguchi | ONE: Ascent To Power, May 6

Even further east, ONE Championship for the third-best fight of the year so far. Many thought this one would be a cakewalk for the young star Angela Lee, but they were stupidly discounting the chances of a very tough, wily veteran in Mei Yamaguchi.

This one turned out to be a five-round war, and Lee was put in deep waters like never before. After being knocked down and put in an armbar that couldn't have been any tighter, Lee prevailed and somehow took the pace to a whole new level in rounds four and five to edge the decision.

It was close and dramatic, and best of all, you can enjoy the full fight on the ONE Championship YouTube page:

#2 - Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor | UFC 196, March 5

This fight is different from all other fights in every way possible. Despite only having 11 days of promotional build, the lead-up to the fight was majestic. Press conferences, staredowns, satellite interviews, #TouchButt—just everything about it from start to finish was pure blood entertainment.

The fight itself was every bit as dramatic, and though it didn't even last two rounds, every second was just as breathtaking as anything else we've seen this year. McGregor, as promised, said he would come out of the gates fast, and he did by unloading every shot he had on Diaz in the opening seven minutes. I don't need to tell you the rest—we all know it ended with the line of the year: "I'm not surprised, motherf*ckers." It was a fitting end to one of the most exciting fights I've ever seen.

The beauty of this is we get to see the rematch in just over two weeks. Buckle up, everyone—that one should be just as epic.

#1 - Robbie Lawler(c) vs Carlos Condit | UFC 195, January 2

Robbie Lawler semms to be a "Fight of the Year" (FOTY) specialist. I remember almost being disappointed when I realized I'd likely already seen the 2016 FOTY and it was only January 2—that's how much of a war these two put on at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

While speaking to Carlos Condit before this fight, he said he was going out there to "finish Robbie Lawler." At the time, I remember admiring his confidence, but I didn't know he would go out there and do everything in his power to follow through on it. I should never have doubted him.

The image of the two side-by-side with their hands on the fence gasping for air in their lungs at the end of the fight says it all about how it went down.

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Round 5 was one of the craziest rounds ever seen in the UFC. It was a razor-thin decision that could've gone to either fighter. If this is a fight you've never seen, then please stop reading this and go watch it.

Lawler versus Condit is everything right about this sport today. Two warriors in their prime putting it all on the line and leaving it all in the Octagon. It's my FOTY so far—by a mile.

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***Editor's Note***

One fight that didn't quite make my list but I wanted to give a shout-out to is from this past weekend at Shinobi 8 FN.

It was the main event featuring Dylan Tuke, a very highly rated up-and-comer from SBG Ireland and Adam Ventre of Next Generation MMA in Liverpool, England.

It saddens me to hear Adam is even thinking of leaving the sport after such a good fight on Saturday night. He's obviously a great talent, and fights with a lot of heart. He could have a bright future ahead of him if he keeps working hard.

Also, hats off to Tuke for showing the heart that he did Saturday night. What is even more pleasing to see than his bravery on Saturday was the maturity he showed after by ruling himself out of fighting at BAMMA 26 in September. That's evidence of a sensible head on talented shoulders, which will serve him well.

Hats off to both lads, who have bright futures—watch out for them both.

Here are the highlights from their fight on Saturday night (Credit: SevereMMA)