Sherdog.com’s 2015 Fight of the Year

2. Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino
World Series of Fighting 19
Saturday, March 28
Comerica Theatre | Phoenix
If the World Series of Fighting has given us nothing else in its over three-year existence as perhaps the worst-run major promotion in MMA history, at least it gave us Justin Gaethje-Luis Palomino. That may seem like little solace, but for those who tuned in for just another card on a Friday night in March, it was thrilling to get to see one of the damndest fights you are ever going to see. The fact that it came out of seemingly nowhere made it feel even more special.

Gaethje-Palomino was on paper just another main event. Gaethje is one of the most underappreciated fighters in the sport, a wrestling standout who has added excellent striking and submissions to build up a 22-0 amateur/pro record with 19 finishes before his 27th birthday. He is a likely threat to anybody in his division, and he does not even have a Wikipedia page. If Gaethje does not command the attention he deserves, Palomino commands little attention at all. A winner in three of his previous five fights, he was presented as simply the opponent for Gaethje. If anyone was overlooking him, that was a big mistake.

In front of a friendly crowd in his native Arizona, Gaethje looked to put away Palomino early. He caught Palomino with hard punches and a head kick very early in the first round, and it appeared he might be able to secure a quick knockout victory. However, Palomino had other ideas. He fired back on Gaethje and forced the champion to respect his power. By the end of an incredible first round, Palomino and Gaethje had mostly thrown defense out the window and were alternating attempts to put one another away.

By the third round, a weary Palomino had slowed down noticeably. Gaethje, the aggressor for most of the fight, saw his opportunity to finally bring the bout to a close. A leg kick sent Palomino to the canvas and additional punches finally led to the referee stoppage. An electric crowd that had been standing and chanting for Gaethje celebrated wildly, and he added an exclamation point to the festivities with a back flip off the cage.

Gaethje-Palomino flew under the radar relative to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s biggest offerings, but it offered up excitement on par with the UFC’s very best. It was a fight on which the WSOF could hang its promotional hat, and to the organization’s credit, it tried to capitalize on the success of the fight by scheduling an immediate rematch. Gaethje-Palomino 2 was a good fight in its own right but could not live up to the first bout, much like Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar 2 or Dan Henderson-Mauricio Rua 2.

Gaethje is still a fighter on the rise. Given his youth and success level, he will have the opportunity eventually to show how he compares to the best 155-pound fighters in the world. Whether he sinks or swims at that level is a very intriguing question yet to be answered. Until then, putting on thrilling shows like he did with Palomino is a worthy product of his time and effort.

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