(Was there ever any doubt?)

Thanks to all 426 of you who took the time to vote for your favorite finalist in our “CagePotato’s Next Top T-Shirt” design contest. The winner, with 32.2% of the popular vote, was Ben S.’s “Fryed Tater” design. Congrats bro! We’ll be in touch if/when we decide to make your funny little dream a reality. For now, we’ll send you one of our existing CagePotato t-shirts for your efforts. And what the heck, we’ll send CPtees to the 2nd and 3rd place finishers as well: Daniel S. (“Fightin’ Dudes,” 20.7% of the vote) and Bobby (“Nothing to F@%k With,” 14.6% of the vote). To see the full results breakdown, please consult this pie chart or this bar graph.

Now tell us the truth: If we produce those “Fryed Tater” shirts, you’d wear one, right?

(Props: YouTube.com/TrashTalkinKids)

The wait is finally over. After keeping you guys on pins and needles for like a full month, we have a winner in our Urijah Faber t-shirt design contest with Punch Buddies. Watch the stunning conclusion above, in which Urijah, Stephan Bonnar, and Rachelle Leah take the finalists out to the desert and eliminate the losers one by one in the most hardcore way possible.

When the dust settles, they’re left with two designs that they can’t decide between — so Punch Buddies is producing both of them. Since the surfing California Kid shirt was created by one of PB’s own artists, our congrats really go to CagePotato reader Peter Starwalt, who went all the way with his beach/shark-themed design. Congrats, man! Your design is going to be on an actual MMA t-shirt, and you might actually see Faber wearing it someday! We’ll be dropping you a line shortly, because your wild ride is only getting started.

Also: Remember when I said we had a surprise for everybody whose design was featured in this contest? Well check it out: Urijah printed out and signed all your designs, and I’ll be sending them out to you guys over the next couple weeks. Keep an eye on your inboxes; we’ll be in touch.

Thanks to everybody who entered our UFC 145 fight-picking contest last week! Many entered, but only three were skilled enough to claim the Fightville prize-packages, which include the movie’s official t-shirt from No Mas and a signed poster. The top three pickers were MoshuDragon, Alan K, and TheGangi, who predicted all three winners correctly, and picked unanimous decision victories for Jon Jones and Mac Danzig. Since MoshuDragon also guessed a first-round stoppage for Travis Browne, we’ll call him the unofficial first-place winner and throw in a CagePotato t-shirt.

If your name has been called, please send your real name, address, and shirt-size to contest@cagepotato.com and we’ll hook you up ASAP. Follow Fightville on Facebook and Twitter, and watch it now on iTunes.

(Click images for full-size versions.)

In honor of tomorrow’s release of our new favorite MMA documentary Fightville — look out for it in select theaters, video-on-demand, and iTunes digital download — we thought we’d give away some movie-related swag. We have in our possession three prize packages that include the official Fightville t-shirt produced by the geniuses at No Mas, as well as a Fightville movie poster signed by Dustin Poirier and Tim Credeur. To get it all, you’ll have to out-guess the competition in this weekend’s UFC 145 fight picking contest.

Along with the Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans main event, we’d like you to predict the results for two preliminary-card bouts: Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs, and Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero. Submit your predictions for all three fights in the comments section below, including the winner’s name, the method of victory, and the time/round of stoppage, if any. Your entry should be in this format:

(Hint: Incorporate gigantic women whenever possible.)

Great news, everybody: Our friends at Punch Buddies — who have produced such classics as the Chael Sonnen “I Want YOU Anderson Silva” shirt and Melvin Guillard’s historical revenge-fantasy tee — have just signed Urijah Faber to their roster. With the California Kid making his coaching debut on The Ultimate Fighter Live this Friday on FX, we thought it would be a perfect time to launch another t-shirt design contest on CagePotato.com. And the stakes have never been higher.

Your assignment is to design a new Punch Buddies-style t-shirt for Urijah Faber. (Check out some of PB’s past designs here for inspiration; they usually include a pun or phrase based on the fighter’s name/nickname/persona, and an insane, cartoonish illustration. Easy as pie.) E-mail your work to contest@cagepotato.com by Wednesday, March 21st. We’ll announce our favorite design by the end of that week.

The winner will get two tickets to watch Faber complete his trilogy against rival TUF coach Dominick Cruz at UFC 148, July 7th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. But wait, it (potentially) gets even better…

(You don’t *have* to cover your face when you wear this shirt in public — but it couldn’t hurt. Props: Punch Buddies)

After Tuesday’s pep-talk, I’m happy to report that you guys got your acts together and started to produce quality work. So after sifting through the most recent wave of submissions for our Punch Buddies photoshop contest, we’ve chosen five runners-up, as well as two winners who will score “Young Assassin” t-shirts. Check out the Melvin Gulllard-themed brilliance after the jump.

(This is the current front-runner. Seriously. This. / Props: Jeffrey T.)

Guys, we need to talk. Last week we launched a photoshop contest with Punch Buddies, asking our readers to brainstorm some other folks who need to feel the wrath of Melvin Guillard. Man is it not going well. After the jump, you’ll find four more recent submissions. These include: Two examples of Melvin dealing with folks who are already dead (classy!), Rupert Murdoch palming Melvin’s head like a basketball (not exactly what we’re going for here), and a photo-collage that looks like it was created by an insane person. So if you want a Punch Buddies Young Assassin shirt, it won’t take much effort to steal this thing. Please e-mail your entries to submission@ngaugeinc.com by Thursday night. Good luck.

(Did we say “safer than boxing”? We meant “usually safer than knife-fighting.” Photo courtesy of MMAWeekly)

Congrats to CagePotato commenter “PELF” for making the most accurate prediction in last week’s fight-picking contest. His predictions were:

- Junior Dos Santos def. Shane Carwin via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27 – one score correct)
- Kenny Florian def. Diego Nunes via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3 – one score correct)

Just one other commenter (“Fedor Penn”) predicted unanimous decisions for both Dos Santos and Florian, and the margin of victory couldn’t have been closer; PELF’s inspired decision to toss in a 30-27 for JDS clinched the win. So, PELF, if you’re reading this, send your name and address to contest@cagepotato.com and we’ll hook you up with a $50 credit to MMAOutlet.com. Everybody else, come back on Thursday for a chance to win something totally different in a Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum pick-off…

(The Albuquerque Hair Monster sucks Anthony Pettis‘s arm into its deadly grasp. Photo courtesy of UFC.com)

Congrats to CagePotato commenter “J_Spice” for making the most accurate prediction in last week’s fight-picking contest. His picks were:

- Clay Guida def. Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision 30-27 x3 [an exact match]
- Tony Ferguson def. Ramsey Nijem via K.O. 3:11 rd 1 [just 43 seconds away from the actual time of stoppage]

So, Spiceman, if you’re reading this, send your name and address to contest@cagepotato.com and we’ll hook you up with your $50 credit to MMAOutlet.com. The rest of you, be sure to swing on Thursday for another chance to win!

(Click for larger versions. And take some time to consider what this says about your personalities, you sadistic sons-of-bitches.)

After two days of voting for our Trash Talkin’ Kids t-shirt design finalists, the Potato Nation has made it clear that their two favorites are Chris C.’s “Lost Kos” shirt — which ended up way ahead of the pack with 23.4% of the vote — and Michael P’s “Wake Up Chuck!”, which collected 16.5% of the vote. Grease St. Pierre (15.7%) and Hematoma Hominick (15.2%) were close behind, if that makes you feel any better. The full results can be seen in handy bar graph form here.

So, Chris and Michael, you lucky, lucky boys, please e-mail contest@cagepotato.com with your address, shirt size, and choice of real Trash Talkin’ Kids t-shirts from the designs below. Thanks to TTK for making this happen, and for everybody who designed, voted, and commented. We’ve got more free swag to give away next week, so stay tuned…

Heads up, Potato Nation: The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale goes down tonight at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. central) on Spike TV, and we’ll be posting round-by-round updates from the broadcast. If you’re around for it, you should also check out our new buddies at Philo, a social media service that lets you discuss your favorite TV shows with other like-minded fans, discover what your friends are watching, and win awards and prizes just for sitting on your ass. 

Speaking of prizes, Philo and CagePotato are co-hosting an online viewing party for the TUF 12 Finale, and you are cordially invited. Here’s what to do: 1) Register at PlayPhilo.com, which you can do automatically if you’re a Facebook user. 2) Go to Philo’s Ultimate Fighter page and click that big yellow "Check In" button. 3) Share your thoughts in the page’s activity feed during the broadcast; your comments will also be posted to your social media accounts. Each comment will count as an entry for the night’s giveaway contest, with two winners scoring a UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights DVD set. The more you comment, the better your chances are.

Doing all that will spread awareness about the TUF finale, and (much more importantly) the site you’re reading right now, so help out if you can. Any questions, let us know in the comments section below. We’ll see you tonight…

The day is finally upon us. After a very fruitful submission period, we’re ready to announce the 12 finalists of our desktop wallpaper contest, presented by Throwdown. Check them out after the jump, and vote for your favorite in the poll over on the right. (If you have trouble using our poll, please e-mail contest@cagepotato.com and include which Internet browser and operating system you’re using.) Please get your votes in by Thursday at midnight ET. On Friday, we’ll announce the first-place winner, who will receive the following Throwdown gear, pictured above:

– an All Over Print Duffle Bag
– a Logo Flexfit Hat
– a pair of On Top Remix Shoes
– a Throwdown Hoodie or Thermal of your choice
– 2 Throwdown by Affliction "T"s of your choice
– 2 Large Throwdown Stickers

Now, on to the brilliance…

CagePotato Contest – Watch more Funny Videos

After considering all three (3!) of the submissions that came in for our UFC Fan Expo/2010 SuperFan of the World video contest, we are proud to present the winner. Thanks to his colorful accent, the subliminal shout-outs to the Potato Nation, the unexplained inclusion of a giraffe in the background, and the fact that he actually lives in Boston, we’ve decided that beloved commenter Viva Hate deserves our extra exhibitor pass for the Expo. (August 27-28 at the Hynes Convention Center! Booth #2017 bitches!) Hate’s hilarious entry is above. Congrats buddy, we’ll be in touch. 

Before we get to the runners-up, I’d just like to take the time to say that CagePotato’s appearance at the UFC Fan Expo is going to be amazing. We will have a punch machine at our booth, where you can test your might against other expo fans. We will be holding contests where visitors can win UFC 118 tickets, an MMAWarehouse gift card, Six Deuce gear, and BRAND NEW CAGEPOTATO.COM KEYCHAIN BOTTLE OPENERS!!!?!1111. You will get to meet BG and shake his hand. You will get to meet Viva Hate and kick him square in the balls. You may get to drink with us at the various pre-parties and viewing parties going on around town, assuming that you don’t give us the creeps.

Anyway, ReX13 and steampunk22 also submitted amazing videos, which you can watch after the jump. Since they don’t live anywhere near Boston, we felt that Viva Hate was the more worthy candidate — but there’s still hope for them. Read on…

(Above: Eric R.  /  Below: Dwayt W.  /  Click all for larger sizes.)

We’re one week into our CagePotato wallpaper design contest, and the submissions are rolling in nicely; you can check out some of our current favorites above and after the jump. Please keep sending your work to contest@cagepotato.com for the chance to win $250 in gear from the good people at Throwdown. Voting begins next Monday. 

(Image courtesy of UFCFanExpo.com)

We already know a few of you will be attending the UFC Fan Expo in Boston on August 27-28, and hopefully stopping by CagePotato’s booth (#2017), where we’ll be giving away loads of t-shirts and gear and hanging out with our fans. The question is, who wants to get in for free? CagePotato has one extra exhibitor badge on hand, and we’d like to award it to one of our devoted readers. So if you live in the Boston area and you’d like to help us spread CP’s message of positivity, here’s what you’ll need to do:

– Record a video of yourself explaining why you should be selected as CagePotato’s 2010 SuperFan of the World. Please describe how CagePotato has changed your life (for the better), and the ways you would help promote our site at the UFC Fan Expo.
– Upload the video to Break.com by next Thursday (8/19) at midnight.
– When the video’s live, send the link to contest@cagepotato.com.
– Come back Friday the 20th to see who we’ve chosen.

We only expect two or three of you to actually go through with this, so really, your chances of winning are pretty damn good already. Any questions, let us know in the comments section. Good luck.

Related: Keep submitting your CagePotato desktop wallpapers for our Throwdown contest!

(Put on the shoes and hat. Stuff the rest into the gym bag. Tell your wife that you don’t need her anymore. Get in the car. Drive.)

Because you guys brought it so hard in our MMA poster contest and t-shirt design contest, we thought we’d give you another shot to flex your creative muscles. Leading MMA gear supplier Throwdown has hooked us up with a very generous prize package (shown above) that consists of the following…

– an All Over Print Duffle Bag
– a Logo Flexfit Hat
– a pair of On Top Remix Shoes
– a Throwdown Hoodie or Thermal of your choice
– 2 Throwdown by Affliction "T"s of your choice
– 2 Large Throwdown Stickers

Total street value of this prize package: About $250. You want it, and it’s yours if you’re willing to work. Here’s how to win…

(Props: Brion S.)

We’ve reached the mid-way point in our massive MMA event poster design contest, and we’ve already gotten some amazing submissions. To inspire the rest of y’all into getting your asses in gear, we’ve decided to post some of our current favorites, which continue after the jump. Please send your poster entries to feedback@cagepotato.com by next Tuesday. We’ll pick some finalists for voting a week from today; the top vote-getter will score a big ass prize-package from Six Deuce, which includes MMA fight shorts, a Glorious Sweater of Absolute Victory t-shirt, Muay Thai training gloves, hand wraps, ankle supports, and a leather speed bag. Three runners up will score the shorts — a prize worth $45, just for losing. Please swing by 62gear.com and let ‘em know you care!

(Props: Brian R.)

(Props: Steve W.)

    
      
(Images courtesy of 62Gear.com)

You may remember Six Deuce as the brilliant gear and apparel company that gave us the Glorious Sweater of Absolute Victory t-shirt. Well, they’re rolling out some new product, and they want you to be the first person in your gym/book club to sport it. So shut up and listen for a minute: We have on our hands a grand prize training pack that consists of the following items, pictured above…

– These shiny red satin MMA fight/board shorts
– The Fedor-rific Glorious Sweater t-shirt
– These high-quality leather Muay Thai training gloves
– A pair of black hand wraps
– A pair of Muay Thai ankle supports
– This leather speed bag

Total street value of this prize package: About $179. But you’re not going to pay for it. No, child, you’re going to win it. Here’s how…

(That terrified white kid could be you! Photo courtesy of ufcfanexpo.com.)

Man, did you come to this site on the right day. We’ve received word that our homeboys at Break.com are giving away a kickass "UFC Ultimate Fan Experience" prize package, which includes airfare to Las Vegas, two nights’ stay at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, and a pair of tickets to the next UFC Fan Expo, which goes down May 28-29 in support of UFC 114. And unlike the contests on CagePotato, you don’t have to humiliate yourselves by writing awful photo captions that will be mocked by your peers later. Nope, to enter this contest, all you have to do is go here and plug in your name and e-mail address. That’s it. Watching the trailer to Sherlock Holmes — available now on Blu-Ray and DVD — is completely optional. Enter now, or regret it on your death bed!

If you haven’t already, you best hurry up and get your picks in for our No Fear/Strikeforce pick ‘em contest.  Though we are both sadly ineligible to win the No Fear prize pack, we still like to throw our own picks in just to give you chumps a chance to beat the Bens (as if).

Remember to come on back after the event is over and tally your own score in the forums (one point for every correct category, but only if you get the winner right).  If you wait for us to do it you will be waiting a looooong time.  We’ll verify the winners and let you all know who they are so you can begin griping about it.

Our picks are below.  Read ‘em and weep.