UFC's Big End to 2008

RearNakedNews.com

It is time to get ready for the UFC's final month of 2008. By the end of it, we will have seen nearly 30 fights and two of the four belts on the line. There has never been a month like this in UFC history and there may never be one again. Consider this the kickoff to our coverage.

Fight for the Troops

Dec. 10, 2008

Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs Josh Koscheck
Frankie Edgar vs Matt Wiman
Mike Swick vs Jonathan Goulet
Steve Cantwell vs Razak Al-Hassan
Nate Loughran vs Tim Credeur

• The Edgar/Wiman fight is the main event in my eyes.
• Koscheck could go from title contender to gatekeeper in less than two months. That almost beats out his training partner Jon Fitch who went from title contender to unemployed with one phone call.

Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale

Dec. 13, 2008

Wilson Gouveia vs Jason MacDonald
Kevin Burns vs Anthony Johnson
Lightweight Final
Light Heavyweight Final

• This show badly needs a main event. The Okami/Lister fight at UFC 92 would be my choice.
• I'm hoping the finals are Vinny/Bader and Phillipe/Efrain. It's been a weird season. The quality of the top guys (Phillipe, Vinny, Krzysztof, Bader, Eliot) is better than most casts. The bottom fighters are worse, though. The first round of the Light Heavyweight tournament was an embarrassment. All those guys got destroyed. The Lightweights are mediocre once you get passed Phillipe. You'd think with only eight fighters from each weight class they could have found a better group top to bottom.

UFC 92

Dec. 27, 2008

Rashad Evans vs Forrest Griffin (LH Champ)
Frank Mir vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (HW Champ)
Quinton Jackson vs Wanderlei Silva
Mike Massenzio vs CB Dolloway
Mustafa Al-Turk vs Cheick Kongo
Dean Lister vs Yushin Okami

• Okami went from possibly fighting Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 90 to facing Dean Lister in a dark match. The lesson here for young MMA fighters is to be careful with your fists. They are your life and breaking one of them can ruin your future.
• Thank God! I have been praying daily that somehow Matt Hamill vs Reese Andy would not be televised and it must have worked. When the card was first posted, the fight was listed in the No. 4 spot. Now it is way down at No. 8, which means I will not rip my eyes during the UFC 92 Live Blog. I think all of the readers of RearNakedNews.com should send a letter of thanks to Dana White.