This year, MMAFighting.com covered virtually every major UFC and Strikeforce event. And as we’ve been known to do, we talked to a lot of people along the way.

Below is a highlight reel of our most memorable interviews and moments of the year, shot and edited by E. Casey Leydon.

That’s not my opinion, necessarily, though I don’t exactly disagree. That’s what mixed martial arts (MMA) trainer to the stars, Greg Jackson, told Inside MMA last night.

Jackson, who trains Carlos Condit and is getting him ready for his interim welterweight championship bout atUFC 143 on Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, had this to say about the match-up:

“It really is (going to be an interesting fight). You know, Diaz is so tough, and he’s really turned it on this last year or two. He’s looked amazing. Carlos has too, so I think it’s going to be a real barnburner with those two guys. They’re both tough as nails and I’m expecting a huge five round war. I’d like it to go short in our favor but Nick’s so tough, it’s going to be a big five round war.”

Not exactly going out on a limb with a prediction like that but what did we expect, right?

Really, Condit and Diaz will have reason to get inside the cage with an extra zest to tear the other’s head off. That’s because they’ve both been on a veritable rollercoaster these past few months, especially Condit.

They both had title shots against Georges St. Pierre ripped away, by insubordination and injury, and Diaz had to fight a friend (B.J. Penn) while “The Natural Born Killer” has been left sitting on the sidelines twiddling his thumbs.

Sounds like a recipe for a “big five-round war.”

Hear more from Jackson in the full entry, including his thoughts on his stable of fighters, which includes such elite fighters as the previously mentioned St. Pierre, Condit and Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.

Strikeforce fighter payouts for those who competed at the “Melendez vs. Masvidal” event this past Saturday night (Dec. 17, 2011), which aired on Showtime from the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, Calif., were released to MMAmania.com this evening by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

Unsurprisingly, lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez led the payout pack, earning $150,000 for his five-round unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal in the main event of the evening.

“El Nino” was adamant after the fight that he could compete against the cream of the crop in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 155-pound division; however, he might want to reconsider based on his payday, which was $48,000 more than the base salary that Frankie Edgar took home for his performance at UFC 125earlier this year.

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi was also rewarded handsomely for his 15 minutes of work, defeating Ovince St. Preux via unanimous decision to inch himself closer to another championship opportunity.

That’s not all.

Here is the complete list of Strikeforce: “Melendez vs. Masvidal” salaries and payouts:

Gilbert Melendez: $150,000 (no win bonus)
Jorge Masvidal: $23,000
Melendez defeated Masvidal via unanimous decision

Cristiane Santos: $66,000 ($33,000 to show, $33,000 to win)
Hiroko Yamanaka: $8,000
Santos defeated Yamanaka via knockout in round one

Gegard Mousasi: $150,000 (no win bonus)
Ovince St. Preux: $17,000
Mousasi defeated St. Preux via unanimous decision

KJ Noons: $ 65,000 ($35,000 to show, $30,000 to win)
Billy Evangelista: $20,000
Noons defeated Evangelista via unanimous decision

Caros Fodor: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Justin Wilcox: $12,000
Fodor defeated Wilcox via knockout in round one

Roger Bowling: $14,000 ($7,000 to show, $7,000 to win)
Jerron Peoples: $2,000
Bowling defeated Peoples via knockout in round one

Devin Cole: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win)
Gabriel Salinas: $3,000
Cole defeated Salinas-Jones via unanimous decision

Eddie Mendez: $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win)
Fernando Gonzalez: $3,000
Mendez defeated Gonzalez via split decision

Herman Terrado: $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win)
Chris Brown: $3,000
Terrado defeated Brown via submission (armbar) in round three

The total disclosed payroll for Strikeforce: “Melendez vs. Masvidal” was $580,000.

Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc.

For complete Strikeforce: “Melendez vs. Masvidal” results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here.