Midway through '09, MMA's elite stand out from pack

Lyoto Machida is SI.com's top male fighter so far this year. Al Bello/Getty Images Josh Gross's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Josh. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

A year's worth of action in six months time -- that is how the first half of 2009 felt for many mixed martial arts fans. With some of the most anticipated fights of the year looming large, now feels like the right time to pause for a breath.

Here's an early glance at the tops of 2009.

Best Male Fighter: Lyoto Machida

Machida is a clear favorite at the midway point. With two major wins in the bank -- over Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans -- and a potential third coming against Mauricio Rua in October, Machida's ledger might be too much for anyone to top this year.

His unique style and martial arts heritage make the 31-year-old Brazilian one of the most discussed fighters in the sport after his thrashing of Evans in May.

Runners-Up:

• Mike Thomas Brown
Brown is also 2-0 in the first six months of the year. Odds are, he'll get one more chance prove himself in 2009. If Brown can stop his next challenger, widely rumored to be the dangerous Jose Aldo, he'll have established himself as the clear-cut No. 1 featherweight in MMA.

• Fedor Emelianenko
Even if Emelianenko fights just twice in '09, wins over Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett, whom Fedor fights Aug. 1, could easily be enough for the Russian to stand alone as the sport's premiere competitor.

• Georges St. Pierre
A dominant win for St. Pierre over B.J. Penn kicked off this year's campaign. While allegations of improperly using Vaseline marred his victory against Penn, the No. 1 welterweight in MMA can reaffirm his status with a decisive win over Thiago Alves on July 11.

Of course, should any of the aforementioned fighters lose then a strong contingent of off-the-radar candidates might emerge. For now, Machida and the the rest of the quartet are clear frontrunners.

Best Female Fighter: Sarah Kaufman

Kaufman (10-0) has separated herself from the pack with three wins in three fights, but you can't make mention of fighter of the year honors on the female side without discussing Aug. 15's showdown between Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos. It doesn't take a genius to suggest the winner between those two stands a good chance of being MMA's top female fighter in '09. So let me suggest it.

Best Fight: Torres vs. Mizugaki -- WEC 40

It seems like every weekend a new fight video turns into a viral clip. Of the many entertaining and meaningful bouts that played out from January through June, Miguel Torres' unanimous-decision win over Takeya Mizugaki more than holds its own.

Hoping for a repeat of last year's honor when he and Yoshiro Maeda captured the award, WEC bantamweight champion Torres is joined this time by Mizugaki following a tremendous 135-pound title fight. Mizugaki wasn't expected to be a serious challenger, yet it was his determination against Torres' tenacity that makes this one special.

Runners-Up:

• Thierry Quenneville def. Doug Evans triangle/armbar 1:48 R2 -- XMMA 7
A contender for Round of the Year, Quenneville and Evans made for a tremendous battle.

• Mike Thomas Brown def. Urijah Faber II by unanimous decision -- WEC 41
This was a brutal contest in which Faber fought for more than 20 minutes with a busted right hand. He also dealt with a dislocated thumb on his left hand, all the while Brown pushed forward and never gave the former WEC champion an inch.

Worth Watching Again:

• Martin Kampmann def. Carlos Condit by split decision -- UFC Fight Night 18

• Jamie Varner def. Donald Cerrone by technical decision 1:58 R5 -- WEC 38