Gegard Mousasi is the 2008 MMA Fighter of the Year

In a year where several MMA fighters were outstanding, Gegard Mousasi is the About.com Martial Arts 2008 MMA Fighter of the Year. First, the record.

2008 Gegard Mousasi Fights

1. TKO victory over Evangelista Santos at HCF Destiny.
2. TKO victory over Steve Mensing at M-1 Slam.
3. Triangle choke victory over Denis Kang at DREAM 2.
4. Decision victory over Dong Sik Yoon at DREAM 4.
5. Triangle choke victory over Melvin Manhoef at DREAM 6.
6. Knockout victory over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at DREAM 6 to win the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Championship.

The Argument for Gegard Mousasi

Before you ask how Mousasi, a man relatively unknown to casual MMA fans, could win this award, take a gander above. He went 6-0 in 2008 with nearly all of his wins coming against top flight opponents. On top of that, he won a true to life grand prix style tournament, stopped one of the best strikers in the game in Melvin Manhoef, and stopped one of the greatest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters in the game in Ronaldo Souza.

Mousasi also managed one of the best knockouts of the year against Souza.

Frank Mir, Rashad Evans, Miguel Torres, and Anderson Silva were all great and deserving of notoriety. Each of their two or three victories in 2008 were extremely significant. But it’s hard to argue with the resume of a man that posted six big wins in one year. If this award is about the man that posted the best year in MMA, then Gegard Mousasi is that man.