2008 Awards: Fighter of the Year

The 2008 MMA HQ MMA Awards wrap up today with our final and most prestigious award: Fighter of the Year.

1. Gegard Mousasi - Gegard Mousasi burst into the mainstream of MMA’s middleweight division in 2008 winning a total of seven fights in the first nine months of the year. Mousasi started off the year by KO’ing “Cyborg” Santos and then moved on to the DREAM middleweight grand prix. Mousasi waltzed through the grand prix defeating Denis Kang, Yoon Dong Sik, and Melvin Manhoef on his way to the finals. In the finals, Mousasi KO’d Ronadlo “Jacare” Souza with a brilliant up-kick from his back. Mousasi finished a brilliant 2008 widely regarded as one of the top three middleweights in the world.
2. Thiago Alves - After a disappointing suspension for banned substances that kept him out most of 2007, Thiago Alves made the most of 2008 by becoming the No. 1 contender for Georges St. Pierre’s welterweight title. Alves defeated three top-10 welterweights in 2008 beginning with Karo Parisyan at UFC Fight Night 13 in April. Alves then took on former welterweight champion Matt Hughes and walked right through him. Josh Koscheck was next up for Alves at UFC 90, with Alves walking away with a unanimous decision victory. Alves' explosive style make him fun to watch and his young age means we will get to enjoy seeing him fight for many years to come.
3. Eddie Alvarez - Eddie Alvarez would have been our No. 2 ranked fighter for fighter of the year, but he lost a fight to close out the year. Sure that loss was to Shinya Aoki and probably shouldn’t count against him, but a loss is a loss and as such it is a blemish on Alvarez’s 2008 record. Alvarez was a man on fire in 2008 with key victories over Joachim Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Andre Amade. Alvarez also earned a spot in the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix finals but had to withdraw due to injuries suffered earlier in the night.