CAMP OF THE YEAR: Jackson's Submission Fighting

It's not usual for one to write about nipple tweaking with such enthusiasm under the backdrop of combat sports.  Jackson's Submission Fighting is not your usual camp, though.  Jackson's team found reams of success in 2008, starting the year with Georges St. Pierre regaining his welterweight title from Matt Serra and popping the New Year's cork with Rashad Evan's TKO of light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin.

MMA fans struggled to figure out the story behind the mysterious nipple tweaking first witnessed in Georges St. Pierre's bout with Serra (St. Pierre apparently did it spontaneously.  Evans decided to show solidarity after the rest of the team prodded the Canadian).  Greg Jackson himself wishes the practice would disappear, but it's hard to argue with the results.  Jackson fighters own a 4-0 record post-nipple tweak.

The Jackson team enters 2009 with two-fifths of the UFC's championship belts.  The upcoming year has potential to be even better than the previous one.  Leonard Garcia will get the ball rolling with a fight against Mike Thomas Brown for the WEC featherweight title.  Evans won't be able to rest easy with a bout against former champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.  And St. Pierre has the opportunity to cement his legacy with a potential murderer's row of B.J. Penn, Thiago Alves, and Anderson Silva.

The biggest question of all: Who will be able to stop the Nipples of Doom?

2nd PLACE: American Top Team
3rd PLACE: Xtreme Couture

Joe Rogan continues his run as hardcore MMA fans favorite commentator.  In his eleven years with the UFC (and six as color commentator), Rogan has combined an ability to articulate the technical aspects of fighting with a fan's enthusiasm for the sport.

Fans espeically notice Rogan's value when he misses a show because of other commitments.  While Kenny Florian, his usual replacement, has improved his on-air abilities (and has a bright future on TV when his fighting career ends), the product noticably suffers when Mike Goldberg must pick up the slack.  Rogan makes up for his partner's shortcomings while also lacking inhibitions to correct him when warranted.

Rogan will have few challengers in the new year.  Bas Rutten has seemingly become disinterested and uninformed since the demise of Pride FC.  Kenny Rice reminds most viewers of a zombine - in ability and appearance.  Gus Johnson, a legitimate big time play-by-play guy, won't have many opportunities for MMA with EliteXC's downfall.  Rogan's biggest test should come from up-and-coming Frank Mir.  This year's second place finisher should see his fanbase grow as the WEC continues its growth in addition to his own resurgence as a fighter

2nd PLACE: Frank Mir
3rd PLACE: Bas Rutten

DISGRACE OF THE YEAR: Junie Browning and the Ultimate Fighter 8

Want evidence MMA is here to stay?  In 2008, the sport continued its ascent to legitimacy despite a laundry list of black eyes including the Starnes/Quarry debacle, contract squabbles of K.J. Noons and Jon Fitch, and the entire Kimbo Slice fiasco.  Ten years ago, this menagerie of events would have crippled the industry.

One story became an extended sore sport for MMA fans.  The latest season of the Ultimate Fighter featured the actions of one Junie Browning over the last quarter of 2008.  Browning's behavior ranged from the typical Chris Leben-esque drunken meltdowns to jumping into the Octagon following a fight in which he had no part to assaulting housemates with glassware on more than one occasion.

What may be more disturbing than Browning's antics are the actions of UFC president Dana White (who, to be fair, may have been under the influence of the show's producers).  White bemoaned and belittled EliteXC's use of Internet sensation Kimbo Slice, ultimately arguing Slice's media following hurt the integrity of the sport.  Yet White allowed a clearly unstable adult not only to remain on the show after each infractions, but booked him on the TELEVISED PORTION of the season's finale sending a message to all future cast members that idiocy pays off.

The problems, unfortunately, weren't limited to Browning.  Producers desparate for ratings focused the bulk of the season on the back-and-forth game of pranks between the two teams.  As a result, viewers were subjected to the consumption of urine soaked fruit plates and semen topped sushi rolls, not to mention the degradation of MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.  The Ultimate Fighter may have improved its ratings, but at what cost?

2nd PLACE: Kalib Starnes vs. Nate Quarry
3rd PLACE: World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts