“Nogueira had some other problems too going into [UFC 92]. Nogueira had just gotten over a Staph infection and he had some other problems but when they fought in PRIDE, PRIDE put on such freak shows, guys fighting out of their weight class, things like that. That’s why I’m so against it. That’s how you ruin guys early. If you’re a professional athlete, time is not good to you. Time catches us all.”

-- Dana White on The Carmichael Dave show

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The Dean Lister fight was not Okami's fault. Let me say that first. Okami did everything he could to make an entertaining fight but Dean Lister's one million attempts at pulling guard and constant sitting in half-guard without really trying for any real submission was the reason this fight was not entertaining at all. At one point in the second round, with about 3:35 left, Okami even threw his hands up in disgust as Lister just sat on the octagon floor waiting for Okami to come down to him. So let's get one thing straight. Dean Lister made this a boring fight. It was not Okami's fault. Yushin Okami fought a guy who was not interested in fighting but rather interested in having a grappling match in the middle of the octagon. Sometimes that's fine but in this instance it was not.

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Before I unveil who I believe to be the 2008 Fighter of the Year, I figured I would run down the list of candidates who were considered for the award but fell somewhat short of their run for my prestigious (o.k. maybe not) award. Instead of just running down a top ten, I'll list the names and key victories which is why I considered them for the award. In compliance for my award, fighters had to have fought three times within the 2008 year or else they were not considered for the award. I don't think that fighting once every four months is too much to ask for in the grand scheme of things.

Thiago Alves: Holds dominant victories over Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck. All three are top ten welterweights and arguably top five at the time of the fight(s).

Kenny Florian: Holds dominant victories over Joe Lauzon, Roger Huerta, and Joe Stevenson. He handed Huerta his first loss and stopped Stevenson a full round earlier than Penn.

Miguel Torres: Destroyed Chase Beebe, Yoshiro Maeda, and Manny Tapia en route to becoming the most dominant 135-pound fighter in the world today. Arguably the top fighter in the world.

Demian Maia: Submitted Ed Herman, Jason MacDonald, and Nate Quarry which established himself as a legitimate contender (and threat) to Silva's 185-pound crown.

Eddie Alvarez: Had some major wars in 2008. Defeated the likes of Ross Ebanez, Andre Amade, Joachim Hansen, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. Can really make a legitimate case for Fighter of 2008 if he beats Aoki on New Year's Eve over in the Land of the Rising Sun. And if he does beat Aoki, he'll be the 1B fighter in the Fighter of the Year talk for me.

But none of these guys could top what my Fighter of the Year accomplished. So, without further ado, here he is.

Gegard Mousasi: In 2008, Mousasi fought a grand total of six times. In all six fights, he came away victorious. It wasn't just the fact that he won six times, either. It's the fact that he finished five of those fights. All five of those fights that he finished, he finished in the first round. Three by knockout and two by submission. The kid is the total package at 185 pounds. His list of victims was quite well-known. They were Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, Steve Mensing, Denis Kang, Dong Sik Yoon, Melvin Manhoef, and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. The last four guys took their losses to Mousasi in the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix. Those four guys are not easy opponents either. Each presents different challenges and are stiff competition. And he defeated them without too much problem in the grand scheme of things. In the final night of fights, Mousasi steamrolled through Manhoef (by submission) and Jacare (by knockout) in a grand total of 3:43. In those six fights, he fought a grand total of 28:19. Or, basically, 4:43 per contest. Unless Alvarez steamrolls through Aoki, which is possible, this pick for the 2008 Fighter of the Year will not change for me.

In an effort to bring more MMA to the American audience, HDNet has been putting on some great events. Some are the smaller name events that you rarely hear of while others are the bigger named events from Japan and all across the fighting world. However, the one event that they should have capitalized on has fallen to the wayside for them. They will not be covering Dynamite!! 2008 this year which is a big letdown not only in my eyes but in the eyes of a lot of people in the MMA community. I understand that there are seventeen (17) bouts that evening, but the fact remains that HDNet has covered live events from Japan that have lasted over an astonishing six hours. I've stayed up through the night to watch all of them, seeing some of the best MMA. Yes, even better than the UFC.

Think of the fighters (and fights) that we in America are going to miss out on because HDNet did not retain the rights to broadcast this live. We're going to miss out on the Hansen/Calvancate rematch from a highly entertaining (and controversial) fight from three-and-a-half years ago. We're going to miss out on the Alvarez/Aoki fight that should have taken place in the Finals of the Lightweight Grand Prix in DREAM. We're going to miss out on such guys as Gegard Mousasi, Cro Cop, Sakuraba, Overeem, and a host of other great and well-known fighters.

As most know, HDNet signed an exclusive deal with K-1 back in November to broadcast K-1 shows on HDNet. This is not a K-1 card although there are K-1 fights. That isn't the problem for me. The problem is that HDNet has gone to Japan without there being K-1 fights and still broadcast them live and free on HDNet. Well, what's the change now? Is it the contract that was recently signed or is it the fact that the show might run on for eight hours and make it difficult to keep peaked interest in the event and telecast? Either way, it's something that has me irked to high heaven.

Things could eventually change. The higher-ups at HDNet could work out some last minute deal with the organization and actually broadcast this event live but the fact that they haven't done so already is something that truly bothers me not only as a fan of Mixed Martial Arts but a fan of television overall. When you promise something, to bring North America the best in Mixed Martial Arts outside of North America, I think you should hold up to your end of the bargain. I'm not talking about going to the slums of Kolkata and broadcasting live from there. I'm talking about going to a hotbed for MMA (Japan) and broadcasting live from a place you have done so numerous times.

What has suddenly changed? Is it the economy? Highly doubtful. I just think HDNet needs to step up and get this done. Live up to your promise.

The few FanPosts that I have submitted in my time here on BE have been long, thought-out posts that were very time consuming and thought-provoking (at least in my eyes). So rather than do another one and feel emotionally drained, I've decided to make this one short and sweet. I now present to you the next big thing at 185 pounds in Mixed Martial Arts. His name is Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal and he is the baddest mofo this side of the second millennium.

He is a former National Champion Division-II wrestler and is still learning the ropes in MMA. But so far, his striking has come along very well. He's currently training out of Team Quest with Dan Henderson and the boys. The perfect camp for him to start out at considering his wrestling pedigree. He is the former winner of the 2007 Pan-American Games in wrestling. So you know he has the bloodline to be a successful MMA star. It's a near proven fact that wrestling might be the best base to come into MMA with. And he has that base.

He's won his first two fights, both my TKO stoppages. One in the first round (over Travis Wiuff) and the other in the third round (over Fabio Silva). The two opponents have a combined 65-17 record and Lawal seemingly dominated them. He now moves on to his third fight with the Sengoku organization at Sengoku: Rebellion 2009 on January 4th. He will fight Yukiya Naito (15-4-2). Should Lawal look dominant, again, I think the UFC would have to come calling. The guy is a stud. And to pass up on him would be a huge mistake by Dana White and Zuffa. This guy could really be a star in the UFC. And I hope he gets a legitimate look.

So say hello to the Next Big Thing at 185 pounds. He is Mo Lawal. And he is King.

It's a question that has been asked time and time again ever since Rashad Evans left the Iceman motionless in a heap of wreckage in the middle of the Philips Arena (Atlanta, GA). To this date, no definitive answer has been given. We've all been left here, twiddling our thumbs, wondering what was to be next for the future UFC Hall of Famer. And we all were left wondering how much he truly had left in his tank. Was this just a bump in the road? Or was this something more? Well, it's time to examine this and see if we can find out what the true answer really is.

On December 30th of 2006, Chuck Liddell defended his UFC Light Heavyweight championship by knocking out the Huntington Beach Bad Boy, Tito Ortiz. He was riding high. Living the life of a rock star. Partying all day, partying all night, training hard but not hard enough. He was caught up in the mystique that being one of the premier UFC icons brought him. Liddell forgot what got him to the top. Hunger. He had lost that hunger. The events that followed have shaped his life as we know it.

A mere five months later, Liddell was lying flat on his back, a common theme that will keep resurfacing, after being knocked out by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson early in their second fight. It was sort of an anti-climactic end to the reign of Chuck Liddell. A reign that had lasted two years. A reign that featured four knockouts. And it was a win streak that (in total) started back at UFC 47: It's On! against Tito Ortiz. He was the winner of seven straight fights, all by knockout. And then came along Rampage. The one man he always had troubled with. Going back to their fight in PRIDE, Rampage showed the model on how to beat Liddell. You wait him out and spring a trap for him. And it happened in their second fight. Liddell fell prey to the "waiting game" and he paid for it. With his belt. A payment he thought he would never have to endure.

Following that loss to Jackson, Liddell looked to rebound against a man who was also looking to come back from a vicious knockout. Ironically, both occurred on the same night. Both at UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson in Las Vegas (NV). Keith Jardine walked into his bout against Chuck Liddell as a heavy underdog. No one believed that Jardine could actually defeat the Iceman. Everyone except for Jardine himself and everyone in his camp. Beat Liddell is exactly what Jardine did. For the final two rounds of that fight, Jardine brutalized Chuck with kick after kick to the midsection. And even dropping him once in the second round. Chuck appeared to have lost it but regained his composure to stand right back up and continue the fight. However, it was apparent that Liddell was not all there. His eyes had a look in them that signaled defeat. A fighter at the end of his ropes. Almost like the same look that De La Hoya had in his eyes against Pacquiao earlier this month. A fighter who realized that the younger guys had finally caught up to the old man's game. Liddell left UFC 76: Knockout without a victory, losing by Split Decision to Jardine. And with Wanderlei Silva in attendance, it left us wondering if that fight would ever take place. Well, we didn't have to wait long.

At UFC 79: Nemesis, we got to finally see the fight that we had always wanted to see. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva against Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. And it was a fight that did not disappoint. But even in a fight that Liddell seemingly controlled with his sizable reach advantage and strategic takedowns, he still found himself in a spot he didn't want to be: on the canvas, looking up at Wanderlei after a good shot. Liddell sprung back up but had a different look in his eyes this time. A look of redemption. A look of how much he wanted to win this fight because of the long road it took to get here. And on this night, he strategically and smartly picked his way to a victory against his nemesis. But even in a fight that Liddell won, it did not seem that the fans were at all rooting for him. So even after Mike Goldberg shouted "Liddell is BACK!", the fans were left there in amazement of a great fight rather than wondering if Liddell truly was indeed back to his old form. He had hit Wanderlei with some huge shots, much like he had hit Jardine with, but Wanderlei, like Jardine, did not wilt nor go down. They both stood tall and banged with Liddell. Wanderlei wasn't as lucky in the decision aspect of things as Jardine was, but he stood toe-to-toe with Liddell and gave as good as he got. The fans even seemed to respond better to Wanderlei after the fight than they did for Chuck. It was almost as if the fans had lost a little bit of love for Liddell that night. Not because he won or because who he beat, but because they didn't see what they seemingly paid for. A signature Liddell win that was capped by a vicious knockout. Perhaps his next fight would deliver on that for the fans. Perhaps.

After a rumored (and scheduled) bout against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was put on the back-burner, Liddell accepted a fight against "Sugar" Rashad Evans at UFC 88: Breakthrough. And breakthrough is exactly what Evans did, right through Liddell's jaw. Literally. In a fight where many people wondered exactly what would Evans' strategy be, he surprised the world and did what no one thought he could do. He stood with Liddell. And at the end of the night, he was the only one of the two actually left standing. The first round was a back-and-forth affair that Liddell seemed to control, for the most part. The second round started with much of the same but then the unthinkable happened. One of Liddell's patent looping punches was dunked under and countered with the most vicious right hand this side of the Mississippi. Evans brought a fist straight out of the Stone Age and put it right to Chuck's jaw, sending him crashing to the cage floor without an ounce of consciousness inside of him. Even the look on Evans said it all. He stood there, somewhat worried and somewhat shocked. But somewhat in awe of what had just happened. The seemingly impossible to slay Chuck Liddell was not just defeated, but knocked into a state of emergency. And with that, Evans earned his title shot against champion Forrest Griffin. But it was with that right hand from hell that led to the main question. How much does Chuck Liddell really have left?

I think it's safe to say that no one truly knows. No one but Chuck himself. He recently stated that he wants to fight Keith Jardine in March at UFC 96, saying "We have Jardine listed. We want him in March." And the truth is, does Liddell really want that fight? He might say that he does, but does he really? Sure, he can avenge a loss. It's something he seems to do quite well, outside of his second run-in with Rampage. But is it really needed? Should Liddell lose for the fourth time in five fights, where would that leave him? He would be left with the mid-level guys at 205. He'd have ducked the likes of Lyoto Machida as well as never fought a guy like Mauricio Rua, Forrest Griffin, and others.

For his sake, and I say this because I want to see a man know when to call it quits, I hope he is finally done. It's not to say that Liddell does not have anything left in the tank. I'm sure he does. And I'm sure he knows that he does. But enough is enough. In the past four fights, Liddell has tasted canvas and three times it has led to a defeat. Twice by way of knockout. One by a knockout that could actually end a man's career. And it should. It really should. Liddell is an icon for MMA. The guy that every man can relate to, somewhat. And the guy that every man can relate to needs to know when to call it quits. You don't want to be like Riddick Bowe out there, looking to fight for the last few scraps of money you can get your paws onto. If sports teach us anything, it teaches us to accept our failures, as well as our successes, with quiet dignity and grace. That line is from the great Gene Wilder.

So, Chuck, know when to hang them up. I think now is a great time. Don't be like Mark Coleman. Don't come back when you have no purpose to. And do not think that you are Randy Couture because your body is not one that can handle itself the way that Randy's can. Be Chuck Liddell. I know that you do not want the (MMA) world to remember the last time you walked out of the cage as the time you were carried out of it. But think of how much worse it could get for you. You have a whole life ahead of you. I know you have money saved. And I know you live a good life. So do the smart thing, retire while you can and while you think you have a chance to live to the best of your abilities. You might go through the "What If?" syndrome, but it's just that. Going through that syndrome after a few more knockouts is not worth it. Your life is what is important. So go live it.

Those who know me best know that I've never, once, cheered for Liddell. I've always despised what he stood for. However, in this day in age, I think he needs to think about himself more than about the fans. He needs to be selfish. And walk away with his head held high. A victory over Jardine in a rematch might do that for him, but a loss would go a long way to destroying the career he helped create. That aura of invincibility will be long gone and all that will be left is a pot-bellied 40-year old man with nothing left but his memories of a time long ago. And none of us, mostly him, want to see that happen.

So how much does Liddell really have left? Like I said, I'm sure he has a lot left. But for his sake, I hope not. No one wants to go through this anymore.

Chuck, thanks for everything. Just hang them up. Please.

On December 27th, the biggest fight of the night will not take place between an Axe Murderer or a guy on a Rampage. It will not take place between a guy who is as sweet as Sugar or a high-flying Griffin. But rather, it will be taking place between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir. And it's not because of the fact that it's between the second best heavyweight in the world and a guy who is looking to reclaim what was once his. It's not because Nogueira has shown a penchant for getting floored in his last few fights either. It's not because it's a battle between two of the greatest ground Heavyweights to ever grace the octagon. There is an underlying reason why this fight is the biggest fight of UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008.

In order to legitimatize the hulking monster that is Brock Lesnar, Dana White and Zuffa needs a clear victor between Nogueira and Mir. And it's not the one that Brock wants to win. Lesnar stated that he wants to fight Mir again just to simply get his revenge for the loss he suffered during his octagon debut. However, Lesnar should be hoping for a different outcome. He should be hoping for Nogueira to defeat Mir. And I know you're all about to ask why. It's quite simple. Fedor versus Lesnar is why. Should Nogueira defeat the likes of Mir, and Lesnar defeat Nogueira when they hook up to unify the two Heavyweight titles sometime in 2009, it would set up arguably the biggest fight in the history of UFC's Heavyweight division.

Think about the ramifications that would come from Lesnar defeating Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in back-to-back fights.And just think about the ramifications if he were to finish Nogueira in the same kind of workmanlike fashion that he finished Couture. Could you just imagine the aura that would be coming off of Lesnar at that time? He'd hold three straight victories over legitimate (and dangerous) competition. The likes of Heath Herring, Randy Couture, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Nothing to sneeze at. Nothing to diminish whatsoever.

Of course, there is another side to this potential showdown. The side that features the presence of the unbeatable machine that is Fedor Emelianenko. A man who has defeated the top Heavyweights in the world today. A man who appears to be a mythological beast that cannot be tamed nor destroyed. And his side of the showdown will take place on January 24th, with another possible fight after that. Should Fedor, and he likely will, defeat the likes of Andrei Arlovski, it will set up a big showdown with Josh Barnett. And should Fedor silence the Babyface Assassin, what would loom next for this man? There would not be much out there for him. It would be himself and Lesnar at the top of the mountain, in competing organizations.

In a way, Dana White needs Fedor to win. He truly does. And if Fedor does win, it sets up the biggest payday in UFC history. The MegaFight of all megafights. The showdown of all showdowns. The hulking rhino, Brock Lesnar, against the fearless machine, Fedor Emelianenko. Think of the buyrates this fight would bring. It would be just like the fight that never happened. Remember the fight that needed to happen, Couture versus Fedor? Well this would trump that fight. You would have the two biggest icons in the Heavyweight division clashing inside the world's greatest proving ground, the octagon. In a five round affair that would settle it once and for all, who is the greatest Heavyweight in the world today? Is it Fedor or is it Lesnar?

Lesnar, at the time of the potential fight, would have defeated Nogueira and Couture, the second and third ranked Heavyweights in the world. The only guy that would be left standing in his way would be Fedor. A very tough task for the greenhorn Lesnar. But a task that he would be ready for. And after his remarks regarding Fedor, I'm sure Fedor would be up for it as well. So when could this fight take place, you ask. How about in December of 2009? By that time, Fedor and Lesnar will have finished up their next fights. Lesnar with Nogueira, sometime in the spring-summer of 2009, and Fedor with Barnett, around the same time.

So by this date next year, we could be looking forward to a different kind of Ultimate climax to the year inside the octagon (and MMA). We could be looking forward to the meeting of the (arguably) two best Heavyweights in the world. We could be looking forward to the biggest Pay Per View in the UFC's history. And we could be looking forward to the one fight that makes the world stop. The one fight that begs the question, are you indeed ready? I know I am. What about you?

So here is to the idea of Lesnar-Fedor. Here is to the idea that all things can be settled inside the octagon. And here is to the idea that all men are not created equal. So let this fight happen. It wants to happen. It should happen. It could happen. And it needs to happen.

5.) Gabriel Gonzaga: To be fair, he was fighting a man who had no business even being in the same building let alone the same cage as him. But that still doesn't mean that he wasn't impressive. Gonzaga's only problem lies not in his striking or submissions, but his cardio. As fights tend to go on, he blows his wad and has nothing left. It happened against Couture and it happened against Werdum. But in this fight, he did not need that cardio. He systematically battered Hendricks on the feet with body shots and perfectly placed precise fists to the face. Another win and perhaps Gonzaga is looking at another title shot.
Possible Next Opponent: Junior dos Santos

4.) Dustin Hazelett: At just 22 years of age, Hazelett is already a rising star in the UFC's Welterweight division. He already has seven fights inside the UFC and is 5-2 in those fights. His only losses in that span are to Josh Koscheck and Tony DeSouza. But in his fight against Tamdan McCrory, he displayed some of the best jiu-jitsu that the UFC has ever seen. His use of the rubber guard was flawless and the way he controlled the fight on the ground was the most impressive thing I have seen in quite a while. With a few more wins, we might have GSP's next challenger (outside of Alves).
Possible Next Opponent: Dan Hardy

3.) Demian Maia: When he came into the fight against Nate Quarry, Maia entered to the song "Encore". And that's exactly what he delivered. An encore of his first ever performance in the UFC. A dominant first round submission (Rear Naked Choke) victory. And man did he look impressive. Maia is on the fast track towards stardom in the UFC. He is the first man since Royce Gracie to open up his UFC career with four straight submission victories. And get this crazy piece of information. Maia has won fights in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 1st rounds. But, the crazy part is that all four have come in the third minute of each round and two have come at the same time (2:44) while another was four seconds shy (2:40) and the other wasn't far behind (2:27). Talk about picking your time and working towards it.
Possible Next Opponent: Michael Bisping

2.) Brock Lesnar: This was a very impressive title fight performance for Lesnar. He didn't let Randy Couture do anything of note in the fight. At one point, Couture reversed Lesnar's takedown attempt and appeared to be poised to take Lesnar's back. But Lesnar simply just twirled him around and tossed him to the mat like a rag doll before winning the rest of the first round. At no point was Lesnar in any trouble. And if Lesnar can take anything away from this fight it's that he had his chin tested multiple times and walked away fine. That's a scary thought now for the rest of the Heavyweight divison.
Possible Next Opponent: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira/Frank Mir

1.) Kenny Florian: Destruction. The only word that can be used of Kenny Florian's four minute fight with Joe Stevenson. But the most impressive part of Florian's performance was the fact that he looked much stronger than he has in the past. I mean physically stronger. And he was. He stuffed everything Stevenson wanted to do with relative ease. Florian is now riding a six-fight (and dominant) winning streak inside the UFC. His muay thai skills are pretty unrivaled at 155 while his jiu-jitsu game is top notch. And now we'll get to see if he truly can kill the master.
Possible Next Opponent: B.J. Penn