For too long, our writers’ hyper-specific arguments have been confined to the private corridors of the Internet. Welcome to The List, where we take their instant message bickerings, add a little polish, and make them public. Today, three of our make an argument for their 2014 “Fighter of the Year.”

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Robbie Lawler

1. Robbie Lawler

Mike Bohn: Sorry, but Robbie Lawler’s (25-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC) argument for “Fighter of the Year” is undeniable. Not to say others don’t deserve mention when discussing the award, but the 2014 campaign put together by the new UFC welterweight champion solidified one of the most brilliant career turnarounds ever seen not only in MMA, but also in all of sports.

Less than three years ago Lawler was getting beat up in lopsided fashion by Lorenz Larkin. Yes, the same Lorenz Larkin who is 1-4 under the UFC banner and could potentially wash out of the organization with another defeat.

Even several weeks after his title-winning effort against Johny Hendricks at UFC 181, it’s still difficult to grasp “Ruthless” is champion of arguably the most stacked weight division in the world’s premier fighting organization.

Overall, Lawler fought four times in 2014, going 3-1 in that stretch. While some may use his March loss to Hendricks as a way to detract Lawler’s “Fighter of the Year” argument, it doesn’t hold much weight when he avenged that loss in the same calendar year.

Lawler’s 2014 campaign consisted of the “Fight of the Year” candidate with Hendricks at UFC 171, a thumping victory over Jake Ellenberger at UFC 173, a highly entertaining battle with Matt Brown at UFC on FOX 12 and, finally, the victory in the rematch with Hendricks at UFC 181.

The 32-year-old has spent more than 85 minutes inside the octagon this year. It was all worth it, though, as Lawler finally achieved the dream he’s chased since his UFC debut in 2002.

It took Lawler a record 14 UFC fights to finally capture the championship. He experienced many twists and turns during that period, but claims he always felt like his true potential would eventually burst from the seams.

That’s what happened over the past 12 months, and regardless of what my fellow writers argue below, there’s no one else with the story or quality of victories that supersede Lawler.

Donald Cerrone

2. Donald Cerrone

John Morgan: I wish I had the guts to sit here and make an argument for Neil Magny (13-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who came into 2014 on a two-fight losing streak and then promptly put together five wins in a span of a little more than eight months. Unfortunately, victories over William Macario, Alex Garcia, Rodrigo Goiana de Lima, Tim Means and Gasan Umalatov just aren’t the type of high-profile results you like to see when making a “Fighter of the Year” selection. Still, Magny deserves a little recognition for turning his career around in short order and earning more UFC wins in 2014 than Jon Jones, Anthony Pettis, Anderson Silva, Cain Velasquez and Chris Weidman – combined.

Instead, give me Donald Cerrone (25-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC). “Cowboy” put together an impressive 4-0 campaign that included victories over Eddie Alvarez, Jim Miller, Edson Barboza and Adriano Martins. Three of those wins came by way of finish, and Cerrone earned two “Performance of the Night” awards and one “Knockout of the Night” award along the way. Sure, T.J. Dillashaw and Lawler each earned themselves a UFC belt in 2014 and deserve serious consideration for this award, but Cerrone has established himself as must-watch TV, both in and out of the cage.

From wake boarding and shooting shotguns on fight week to his insistence on staying in his RV rather than the luxury digs of the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino to his Budweiser swigging at post-event press conferences, Cerrone is one of the true characters of the sport. And his intense, finish-driven fighting style means you know you’re in for something memorable when Cerrone steps in the cage.

Currently ranked No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, Cerrone returns on Saturday against Myles Jury. With a win, Cerrone could very well be in line for a title shot, but honestly, it really doesn’t matter if he challenges for the belt or not. Cerrone is now a proven “needle mover,” and he elevated himself to another level over the past year in terms of both competition and fan stature. For that, he gets my vote.

Ronda Rousey

3. Ronda Rousey

Steven Marrocco: Oh sure, Mr. Morgan, old Donny Cerrone is a real hoot inside and outside of the octagon. He’s run through some tough guys and done it in style. If he wins Saturday, he’ll have won six straight at the expense of opponent Myles Jury, who’s now tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the longest active win streak. He might not be Neil Magny, but given his list of victims, it’s a pretty impressive accomplishment.

What, though, are we using as the criteria for “Fighter of the Year”? Is it accomplishments in competition or out? I would argue it’s a mixture of both, a person who’s reached some sort of critical mass as both a fighter and a presence in the sport. And while Cerrone and his light American lager are certainly notable in MMA, I’m not sure their notoriety extends beyond the bubble, so to speak.

For that mixture of performance and charisma, I think you’ve got to hand it to women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC). For one, she’s decimated the competition. Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann? Gone in 66 seconds. Surging veteran Alexis Davis? Out in 16 seconds. Rousey’s performances reveal a gap between her and the rest of the pack. It ain’t even close.

Then there’s her repeated flirtations with mainstream culture. She booked a major role in The Expendables 3 — not Oscar material, for sure, but a springboard. She’s a co-star in the upcoming Entourage movie and set for a feature in Fast and Furious 7 next year. She’s done Kimmel and Rome. And she’s a Halloween costume.

Now, much of this is thanks to the promotional muscle behind her. Before Conor McGregor came along, she was the undisputed apple of Dana White’s eye. I’m betting, though, that if you stopped 10 people on the street, they’d know her before “The Notorious.”

While she can sometimes come across as petulant and diva-like under the spotlight, she’s far less wooden than predecessors – both male and female – who’ve worked the entertainment circuit in search of a career beyond MMA. She needs work to really break through to that next level of stardom, but give her some time, and she might do it. At the very least, she’s eclipsed the first face of women’s MMA.