The 2008 UFC Awards: Part One

The year is coming to an end; we are in the final stretch. It's almost time to say good-bye and welcome in 2009.

The year 2008 has brought us new UFC pay-per views, new Ultimate Fight Nights, and a new season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Every sport has end of the season awards they give out, but MMA/UFC doesn't have seasons. So to solve this problem, I've came up with a great solution!

The First Annual End of the Year Awards (Part One)

There are 10 Awards to give out, so let's get the show started.

The Rookie of the Year Award

And the winner is...

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar made his UFC debut in UFC 81 against Frank Mir. Despite being dominant the majority of the fight, Lesnar made some rookie mistakes and got caught in an knee bar. Lesnar did bounce back with an impressive win at UFC 87 against Heath Herring.

He then was granted a title shot at UFC 91 against Randy Couture. Although many MMA fans thought he'd surely lose, he shocked the world and TKO'd the champ in the second round. He's now sitting on top the heavyweight ladder, waiting on his next opponent.

Runner Up (Demian Maia)

The Submission of the Year Award

And the winner is.....

Steve Cantwell

I know he's one of MMA's most hated right now, but he did break a guy's arm with an arm bar. Cantwell has four submission victories on his record and three by arm bar. Cantwell is up for one more award, so this may not be the last we see of him.

Runner Up (Demian Maia)

The Knockout of the Year Award

And the winner is.....

Rashad Evans

Rashad Evans had a highlight reel knockout at UFC 88. What makes this KO even better, he did it against Chuck Liddell. I know Chuck is past his prime, but he's still one of the biggest names in UFC history.

This knockout also led to Rashad's upcoming title shot against Forrest Griffin.

Runner Up-Tie- (Josh Koscheck) and (Junior Dos Santos)

The Upset of the Year Award

And the winner is.....

Forrest Griffin

Some may think this wasn't an upset, but there are many more who think it is. Forrest Griffin was the first Ultimate Fighter winner, he's had a good career in the UFC. When people heard he was facing "Rampage" Jackson for the belt, they thought he didn't have much of a chance.

Forrest proved everyone wrong and did what many thought he couldn't, he beat the champ by unanimous decision.

Runner Up (Junior Dos Santos)

The Card of the Year Award

And the winner is.....

UFC 84

Based on popularity and action. This card featured: Wanderlei Silva, Tito Ortiz, Keith Jardine, Sean Sherk, Lyoto Machida, Thiago Silva, and B.J. Penn. A lot of people thought this was the year's best card. It barely beat out the runner up. It was exciting and had alot of big names (as seen above).

Runner Up (UFC 91)

The Most Annoying Phrase of the Year (The Rogan)

And the winner is.....

"He Has Great Stand-Up"

This was a heated competition, but this one was declared the winner. Joe Rogan has a lot of knowledge when it comes to the ground and submissions. His stand-up knowledge is no better than mine, so he frequently states the obvious.

Runner Up ("He's Sooo Powerful")

The Biggest Disappointment Of The Year

And the winner is.....

Kalib Starnes At UFC 83

Kalib Starnes was an Ultimate Fighter alum, but had a subpar UFC career. He got the chance to turn it around at UFC 83. He already owned a win over Chris Leben, and a win over Nate Quarry wouldn't have hurt him.

Instead, he ran around the whole freakin' fight like a scared little girl. I remember watching it like,"What the hell is happening?" I was very,very disappointed, and this is why the award goes to him.

Runner Up (Brock Lesnar At UFC 81)

The Fight Of The Year Award

And the winner is.....

(Tie)

Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture

It was the biggest fight of the year; it had more hype surrounding it than any other fight this year. It was also entertaining, you couldn't help but root for Randy. But in the back of your head, wanting Brock to shock the world.

In the first round, you were on the edge of your seat, watching with anticipation.

Second round, you see Randy cut open Brock, you think It's Over! But then Brock lands a shot that sends Randy to the mat, he pounces on top of him and lands two dozen punches. Just then the ref steps in and it's over. You're shocked!

Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson

After watching the Ultimate Fighter 7, you couldn't help but want to see this fight. Forrest Griffin, the first TUF winner against the man who unified the belts and knocked out Chuck Liddell. It seemed like a sure win for Rampage, but Forrest had other plans.

That night Forrest came in with the perfect game plan and executed it perfectly. He then was crowned the Light-Heavyweight champion. A great fight with lots of action for five rounds, what more could you ask for?

Runner Up (B.J. Penn v.s. Sean Sherk)

The MVP Award

And the winner is.....

Thiago Alves

I know a lot of people will again disagree, but he is well deserving. He's fought three times this year and has proven himself to be the No. 1 contender for the welterweight championship. There have been a lot of fighters that've fought three times, but look at his opponents: Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck.

Many believe Thiago will be the champion in 2009, but for now, he'll have to settle for MVP!

Runner Up-Tie- (Kenny Florian) and (Anderson Silva)

The Fan's Choice Award

This award is up to the fan's, which means everyone on this site, I'm not picking it.

However, since I've put together this award show, my poll will show the 10 finalists. Whichever is ahead by the end of 2008 will be declared the winner!

Note: This Award  show maybe updated after UFC 92, but the poll will stay the same.

Part Two will focus more on Fight Nights and The Ultimate Fighter...