Time was a photograph was a rare and special thing. In the pre-digital era, photos were expensive to create, and therefore uncommon and valuable. Videos were rarer still, which meant that good photographs were almost the only visual records of the memorable moments of our lives.

Today the ubiquity of cell phone cameras and the rise of YouTube means we have such a surfeit of digital imagery that each individual one has become pedestrian. I'm old enough that I have only a couple of dozen childhood photos. That makes each one a special treasure. However in the past five years alone, I have probably appeared in literally thousands of digital photos, scattered around Facebook and the furthest reaches of the Internet like the seed of a promiscuous sailor.

Sports in particular were particular beneficiaries of the lost art of still photography. The best iconic sports photographs captured moments of triumph, drama, defeat and dynamic action, and froze them in breathless time for posterity. Even in this era of proliferating and plentiful media, our cherished sport of MMA has managed to capture some unforgettable moments in time. So I'd like you to share in the comments your favorite MMA photos: the ones that stirred your spirit, brought tears to your eyes, coaxed a smile from your reluctant lips, or trembled your heart with awe. The rules are simple:

• No gifs please. This is a tribute to the lost art of still photography.
• No captions or explanations with the photo. The best photos are truly worth a thousand words, and like a good joke are spoiled when you try to explain them.

I'll start with four of mine. One from boxing, and three from MMA: