Another year on the calendar has turned; and it was one which saw some changes in the landscape of mixed martial arts.
The storylines were aplenty.
The WEC dropped weight classes (they’re moving to the UFC) while TKO dropped all of its (Stephane Patry said “au revoir” -- but will we see that league again?)
MFC struck a deal with Mark Cuban (River Cree shows in HD!) while EliteXC made a big splash... and promptly drowned (not even the sight of Gina Carano undressing could save it).
Affliction squared off with the UFC and lost… or at least was forced to call a timeout. And the Japanese MMA scene continued to seek the identity it has been missing since the fall of Pride. (Let’s just say it wasn’t a “Dream” year.)
The UFC ventured into many new territories, with mixed results. Chicago appeared more open to an outdoor hockey game at Wrigley than an MMA event. While Montreal showed it was as crazy for GSP as it is for its Habs (at least for one night).
Dana White continued to talk optimistically about bringing MMA to Ontario, and soon (if only I could be as optimistic). While Mark Pavelich boasted about finally bringing his MFC show to the U.S. in ’09. (Okay, I believe him.)
And then there was the stuff inside the cage.
We saw the UFC’s light-heavyweight belt change hands (or waists, as it were) not once, but twice. Quinton Jackson relinquished the title (and then seemingly his sanity) to Forrest Griffin, who then gave it up to Rashad Evans.
Speaking of whom, Evans was one of three undefeated light-heavyweights to remain so in 2008, along with Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva (the latter two beating Tito Ortiz and Antonio Mendes, respectively, in May; Evans also had that highlight knockout of the previously dominant Chuck Liddell.)
Some longtime champions were surprisingly unseated. WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber was stopped by Mike Brown. While legendary heavyweight champion Randy (The Natural) Couture was dethroned by a former WWE wrestler. Who saw that coming? (Okay, quite a few did.) And Anderson Silva was … okay he wasn’t beaten, but he was taken into the third round for the first time as champion by Patrick Cote. That’s something, isn’t it?
Two thousand eight also featured a Fedor Emelianenko sighting (Tim Sylvia, meet fist). Two other pound-for-pound stars won titles AND defended them in Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn, and two No. 1 contenders emerged for those belts in Thiago Alves and Kenny Florian. (Unfortunately for them, they’ll have to wait until St. Pierre and Penn to fight each other before they get those chances.)
We learned the difference between prospect and pretender as Kimbo Slice was exposed in about as much time as Brock Lesnar was exalted. And we don’t care which one Carano is, we just want to see more of her (and not on American Gladiator reruns.)
But of course, the biggest storyline of the year, especially for Canadians, was the UFC’s record-breaking debut north of the border. That, along with GSP’s dominance is the biggest reason the sport grew to what it is as we begin 2009.
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the new year. In the meantime, take a gander at Sportsnet.ca's New Year's Rankings, all as fresh as a Tim Horton's coffee (or at least as fresh as they claim).
