The Potato Awards: The Best and Worst of 2008

Okay, so all the headlines weren’t positive for “The Spider” this year, but when the worst complaint you can lodge against a guy is that he acted like a jerk in toying with an outclassed challenger, you don’t have that much to complain about.  He’s still the most dominant force in the MMA universe, and that doesn’t seem like it’s going to change any time soon.

Thirty-six seconds.  That’s all it took for Fedor to dispatch a former UFC heavyweight champ and earn himself a ride on “the big rollercoasters” in southern California.  A more satisfying and complete destruction you shall rarely see.

Best Pre-Fight Ritual: The Jackson Camp Nipple-Tweak

Yeah, you’re going to look like a creep if you do it.  You’re also going to look like a creep who just spent six weeks in Greg Jackson’s gym and is now fixing to kick some ass.  Rashad Evans claimed UFC gold without it, but given its track record this little ritual probably isn’t going anywhere.

“That ear popped!”  When this is your main event, you already know you’re bullshit.  When it ends like this on live network TV, the rest of the world knows it too.

Best Performance on a Reality Show: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Gnarliest injury: Corey Hill‘s broken leg
(Honorable mention: Kim Couture’s jaw)

Most disappointing fight: Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote

Breakout Fighter of the Year: Brock Lesnar
(Honorable Mention: Miguel Torres, Gegard Mousasi)

Comeback Fighter of the Year: Frank Mir

Best Event: UFC 92

Best Trainer: Greg Jackson

Biggest Head-Case: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
(Honorable Mention: Junie Browning)

Most Pathetic Performance: (tie) Lina Kvokov (against Kim Couture), Bob Sapp (against Jan Nortje)

Best entrance: Dave Kaplan

Biggest Interview Fuck-Up: Seth Petruzelli

“The promoters kinda hinted to me, and they gave me the money to stand and trade with him. They didn’t want me to take him down. Let’s just put it that way. It was worth my while to try and stand up and punch with him.”

Worst ref: “Regional” Donnie Jessup
(Honorable Mention: Steve Mazzagatti)

Worst Partnership: Affliction/Golden Boy

Best Free Event: WEC 34 (Faber vs. Pulver, Torres vs. Maeda)

Worst Value for the Money: Tim Sylvia, $800,000 for Affliction: Banned
(Honorable Mention: Kimbo Slice, $500,000 for EliteXC: Heat)

Best Value for the Money: Gina Carano, $25,000, including $10,000 win bonus, for Elite XC: Heat.

Best Internet Call-Out: Jeff Monson
(Honorable Mention: Dan Quinn)

Best Internet Call-Out Parody: Mike Brown