MMA's 10 Commandments

10.) Thou Shalt Not Lay n' Pray

We have all seen amazingly boring fights—Sean Sherk vs. Kenny Florian for the vacant LW title. Watching someone continuously take someone down and lay on them for 15-25 minutes is just horribly boring MMA. Effective, but boring.

9.) Thou Shalt Not Be Machidaesque

This goes hand-in-hand with Lay n' Pray. Machida's run-'n'-gun style makes for some of the most boring matches I have ever seen. The only reason I watch Machida lately is because I want to see someone actually catch and knock him out.

Some people disagree and love his fighting style. To each his own. While it is effective, I can guarantee you that his style is the reason why he hasn't gotten a title shot yet.

8.) Thou Shalt Not Starnes

If you don't understand where I'm getting this from, then go watch Kalib Starnes vs. Nate Quarry. Kalib ran away from Quarry the whole fight. I don't mean Machida-type running, either.

I mean sprinting away from Quarry when he would come at him to the point where he was boo'ed unmercifully and mocked by Quarry at the same time. Starnes was released from the UFC the day after that fight. He said he requested to be released from his contract, but I have my sneaking suspicions.

7.) Thou Shall Make Weight

This should be a no brainer, but some fighters just don't understand it. Travis Lutter will be kicking himself for the rest of his life for missing weight in his fight against Anderson Silva. If he had made weight, then it would have been a title fight.

Once you miss weight and lose a shot like that, there is no chance that you're going to fight the same in that particular fight.

It also reflects poorly on your character. It will be quite a while before he gets back to the top of the ladder in his weight division, even if he was on a hot streak. Thiago Alves is another one who did it recently in a big fight with Matt Hughes. One can argue that he would have gotten a title shot sooner if he hadn't slipped up.

6.) Thou Shalt Not Use WWE Practices in MMA

This is the MMA purist in me talking, but let's be real here for a second. This isn't professional wrestling. Organizations like EliteXC cannot have someone the likes of Kimbo Slice headlining over a title fight or Andrei Arlovski.

Kimbo has proven absolutely nothing and will continue to prove absolutely nothing when he faces a washed up Ken Shamrock. I understand that he is their main freak-show attraction at the moment, but putting him anywhere on the televised portion of the card is going to get you ratings.

Take notes from the UFC and what they did with Brock Lesnar. They didn't give him easy opponents at all and he was No. 2 on every card he was on, right behind the title fights. I don't feel he deserves a title shot yet, but money is money. And that is just what Couture vs. Lesnar is going to make.

5.) Thou Shalt Not Count Out Randy Couture

This one is self-explanatory. If you have ever watched a biography on Randy Couture or followed his early career, you'd know that he was an underdog in pretty much every fight. Even when he became champion, they still counted him out against Pedro Rizzo twice.

How many people do you know come back to the sport of MMA at the age of 43 to defeat the heavyweight champion and then defend it against a Brazilian monster named Gabriel Gonzaga? None.

He didn't just defeat these two behemoths; he dismantled them. I have faith that Randy will do away with Lesnar in November, and I know I'm not the only one.

4.) Thou Shalt Not Leave A Fight Decision In The Judges Hands

Countless times we have seen fighters get completely screwed over by the judges. A perfect example was the fight in London between Matt Hammil and Michael Bisping. Hammil won two of the three rounds without a shadow of a doubt, and the judges gave the fight to Bisping.

I could also reference last night's episode of TUF, but I won't post any spoilers (Season Eight, Episode Two). If you want to win a fight, then get it done within the time limit so your fate is in nobody's hand but your own.

3.) Thou Shall Expect The Unexpected

Matt Serra, Rashad Evans, and Gabriel Gonzaga. What do all of these people have in common? They shocked the world with the outcome of their fights.

Matt Serra defeated Georges St. Pierre (the #1 Welterweight in the world) with a blistering barrage of punches early in the first round after he won the title shot on a reality TV show.

Rashad Evans became the first person to truly knock out Chuck Liddell with one punch. It will be showed on highlight films until the end of time because of its brutality. And Gabriel Gonzaga?

Well let's just say that he "Cro Copped" Cro Cop. The same vicious head kick that Cro Cop made famous in PRIDE was what Gonzaga used to defeat the former PRIDE Open Weight GP Champion.

Never count anybody out in the sport of MMA.

2.) Thou Shall Uphold the Sport's Integrity

MMA already gets a bad rap. It has since the very beginning. Amongst other things, it has been known as "Human Cock Fighting." The sport has evolved from the no-holds barred days when groin stomps were still allowed. It is a legitimate sport, and we need to prove that to the world.

I'm not going to name names for this one, but fighters with their drug problems and brushes with the law do nothing but shed bad light on a sport that is trying to become accepted. Show them that MMA fighters aren't the common thugs that they are portrayed to be. They are professional athletes in one of the most demanding sports in the world.

1.) Thou Shall Keep The Fans Happy

You are making money and gaining fame as a MMA fighter because of the fans. People like Dana White and the Fertitas may be signing the checks, but the money from those checks comes from the fans of the sport. You could be one of the worst fighters on the roster and still have legions of fans because you put on a great fight every time and give the fans their money's worth.

Be that fighter and your career will continue to flourish.