I began covering mixed martial arts events in late 2005, but it wasn’t until UFC 98 that I began reporting from live events.
That was on May 23, 2009, an event that featured Lyoto Machida becoming the new light heavyweight champion by knocking Rashad Evans into a Photoshop-inspiring heap on the canvas.
Since that time, I’ve lost count of how many live events I’ve attended and covered while working full time in the MMA industry. I’ve attended plenty of bad cards, but I’ve also seen a few truly historic moments first-hand.
I’m very lucky to do what I do, and I realize that every single day. It’s the best job in the world, and I can’t imagine that I’d enjoy doing anything as much as I enjoy writing and interacting with all of you here at Bleacher Report.
And I’d like to be able to provide all of you with detailed summaries from every single day I’m on location covering fights, but my schedule doesn’t often allow it. But today, I’m going to recap some of my favorite moments from live MMA events over the course of 2012.
Some of these are fight-related, and some happened in the hazy area that surrounds the actual fights or in the week leading up to the cards that most of you watch religiously on Saturday nights.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane together, shall we? I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you share your own favorite experiences with me in the comments.
Thank you, as always, for reading what I have to offer, and I look forward to another great year in 2013. Hopefully one without as many injuries as 2012.