Top 5 fights of 2020

Another year has passed featuring tons of fights in the UFC, Bellator, and beyond, and a few stood out from the rest.

Here are theScore's top five bouts of 2020.

5. Dan Hooker def. Paul Felder

Event: UFC Auckland
Date: Feb. 22

Hooker and Felder made their first UFC main event count. As soon as the five-round clash wrapped up in New Zealand, fans knew it would be in the "Fight of the Year" conversation.

The lightweight contenders battered each other for 25 minutes, with Hooker landing from range and Felder scoring up close. Hooker got the better of Felder in the early rounds, but "The Irish Dragon" rallied late, busting his opponent up with leg kicks.

Hooker won a razor-thin split decision, but the case could've been made for Felder. Both warriors walked away with bruised faces, and Hooker earned a big-time showdown with former interim champion Dustin Poirier.

4. Josh Emmett def. Shane Burgos

Event: UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Volkov
Date: June 20

This fight stands out because it's the only one on this list that was scheduled for three rounds, meaning Emmett and Burgos were given 10 fewer minutes to work than the other eight fighters noted here. Their featherweight clash still exceeded expectations in a massive way.

The two traded thunderous shots for the entire battle. Emmett's best punch was his overhand right, while Burgos - who boasted a significant reach advantage - did his most effective work from a distance.

Emmett secured a unanimous decision win after dropping Burgos in the third round, putting the stamp on this back-and-forth scrap between two rising featherweights.

3. Dustin Poirier def. Dan Hooker

Event: UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker
Date: June 27

On paper, there was violence written all over this Poirier-Hooker clash. And the pivotal lightweight bout delivered.

Hooker started strong and nearly finished Poirier late in the second round. But the former interim champ took over during the final three frames, landing the better shots and controlling Hooker on the ground. This was the definition of a tight contest, and Poirier showed a ton of heart by coming back in the second half of the fight.

The two fighters battled to remain top contenders in the stacked 155-pound division, giving their full efforts. Hooker and Poirier swung for the fences from start to finish in this instant classic, with that latter earning a narrowing decision victory.

2. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno

Event: UFC 256
Date: Dec. 12

Figueiredo and Moreno ended the UFC's 2020 run of pay-per-views with a bang.

The two flyweights displayed an incredible amount of heart and durability during their wild title fight, which resulted in a majority draw.

They slugged it out on their feet for five rounds, with Figueiredo going to the body and Moreno finding a home for his overhand right. Moreno ate several shots that would've knocked most fighters out, and the same was true for Figueiredo, who appeared to slow down in the third round but found a second wind over the last two frames.

This is now the greatest tilt in flyweight history. The performances of Figueiredo and Moreno were even more impressive because they both took the fight on short notice after competing three weeks earlier at UFC 255.

1. Zhang Weili def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Event: UFC 248
Date: March 7

All eyes were on the Israel Adesanya-Yoel Romero middleweight title fight, the main event for UFC 248. But Zhang and Jedrzejczyk stole the show in the co-headliner.

Zhang's first strawweight title defense came against the longest-reigning champion in 115-pound history. The fight would determine if Zhang was as good as she seemed, as the 31-year-old was only 4-0 in the UFC at the time, and Jedrzejczyk presented her toughest challenge to date.

"Magnum" proved she deserved to be champion, but Jedrzejczyk was also game. The women threw the kitchen sink at each other in this epic clash, resulting in a perfect 25 minutes of fighting.

An enormous hematoma formed on Jedrzejczyk's head in the later rounds, yet the former champ refused to back down. Zhang earned a split decision, but the fight easily could've gone Jedrzejczyk's way.

What separates Zhang-Jedrzejczyk from the other bouts on this list is that neither fighter slowed down. The fifth round of Figueiredo-Moreno featured far less action than the other four rounds, and Poirier-Hooker also slowed toward the end. But the strawweights bit down on their mouthpieces until the final horn, knowing that the fight - and the title - was still up for grabs.

Not only did Zhang-Jedrzejczyk exceed expectations, but it's the best fight in women's MMA history to date and one of the greatest battles ever.

Honorable mentions: Alexander Volkanovski def. Max Holloway rematch, Marvin Vettori def. Jack Hermansson