Author Will Gray (Contributor)

Greatness is an accomplishment everyone wants in his or her life, no matter what you do or what your good at, you should always want to be the greatest at it. Daniel Cormier is great, no doubt there. Frank Mir has achieved greatness, another truth that cannot be denied. In a perfect sense, this fight can be billed under numerous ways: The young gun taking on the veteran champion; UFC & Strikeforce co-promotion becoming the next big attraction; Olympic wrestling vs. World class BJJ. Whichever way this is served, it will be a delightful treat indeed.

Known as “the baddest man on the planet” to some and a joke wrestler coming to make a fool of himself inside of a cage to others, the legacy Brock Lesnar will be remembered with will be personal to each individual. Many have mixed emotions about the former WWE superstar and former UFC champion, some stating it was hype and a money scheme while others were in his corner to watch him break free of the stigma he wanted to rid himself of. Now with his retirement announced following consecutive and brutal finishes, the NCAA champion should be remembered not how he came to MMA but how he left it and what he did while in its presence.

Heavyweights. That right there can bring up men of goliath proportions who have decimated opponents with brute force and size, where some have used years of training and technique to cut down someone to their size. Ranging in fighters from Pat Barry to Stefan Struve, the heavyweight division in MMA is always entertaining and explosive for all to enjoy.

In a division that has birthed some of the most recognizable and popular faces in the UFC and MMA all over the world, light heavyweight fighters are some of the most impressive, dangerous and naturally talented athletes in the sport today. Zuffa has always been able to promote the best of the best in any weight class but it’s most familiar alum is among the likes of Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz.

Anderson Silva is the king of the MMA middleweight division and the best pound for pound fighter in the world. He disposed two opponents this year alone, one by dazzling face kicks, the other by sheer dominance to avenge his last loss by beating Yushin Okami last August.

The welterweight division has long been the middle road of MMA; three divisions before it and three after it. A weight class that has given fans and the sport, legends, epic battles and examples of what training, dedication and tenacity can do for an individual. When those skills become so dominant you get the current UFC welterweight champion GSP* who has held the belt since April 2008.

When you are the smaller in the fight and still manage to come out victorious, being the best has a greater sense of accomplishment; the UFC lightweight division is undoubtedly the “best” division in MMA; home to legacy fighters, rising stars and men capable of their own hall of fame status one day.

Explosive, decisive and a division that saw potential threats from the upper weights drop down and be sent home puzzled, the featherweight division inside the UFC was strong this year and looks to be the same going into 2012. Dominated buy the Brazilian champ, Jose Aldo, nobody has presented him with any significant trouble or means to see the belt exchange hands in the near future.