Awards: Fight of the Year…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(Rampage Jackson, left, and Forrest Griffin waged an epic battle in July)
Here we go. While I am more than confident with my choices for the boxing awards, I’m a little iffy on the mixed martial arts awards for 2008.
So I’ll make this qualifying statement: I don’t get to see nearly as much MMA as I do boxing. Therefore, these awards are a little skewed as I had to actually see the fights for them to be nominated.
With that said, I did not see the Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch fight from August. I’ve heard it’s great, but I can’t dare call it the best fight of 2008 without seeing it.
Same goes with B.J. Penn’s third round KO of Sean Sherk. Heard it was great, haven’t seen it.
But 2008 was a landmark for me as I’ve said before. It was the year I went from being a casual follower who watched fights when he could and followed MMA via the Web to being another sicko who can’t get enough of it.
With my limited choices, the Boneman’s pick for the 2008 MMA Fight of the Year: Forrest Griffin UD5 Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to win the light heavyweight championship.
Thanks to Spike, I got to see this fight. And it was a doozy.
Jackson dropped Griffin in round one, and had I not known what the result was, I would have sworn the fight was over.
But Griffin came back in round two with a tactic not seen too often in MMA: the low leg kick.
Everyone loves the high leg kick (normally brings about a spectacular KO), but Griffin utilized the low kick.
Jackson later said he’s never had someone attack him that way, and he was a little confused by the approach.
Rounds three and four are where things get tricky. These two rounds decide the fight because it’s common knowledge Jackson wins 1, Griffin wins 2 and 5 and that rounds 3 and 4 are up in the air.
Watching it the first time, I gave both rounds to Jackson. Watching it the second time, I still gave them to Jackson. But I also gave Griffin a 10-8 round in the second to score it a draw.
All three judges scored it for Griffin who went from being the first Ultimate Fighter winner to being the light heavyweight champion.
But as often is the case with MMA, this fight may not mean much in the end. On Saturday, Griffin lost his belt to Rashad Evans while Jackson put his name back on the map with a devastating knockout over Wanderlei Silva.
One loss doesn’t break a fighter, one win doesn’t make a fighter. I think all MMA fans can agree as long as the guys give it their all, a loss is nothing to hold against ‘em.
Wednesday: Fighter of the Year.
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