(Video courtesy of zpzp420 on Vimeo)

If there’s one thing the UFC does well, it’s making its stars available to the fans. Well, actually, it’s probably putting on mixed martial arts fights, but the UFC is pretty good at making its stars available to fans as well. These fan Q&A sessions give us a chance to see a fighter’s true personality, sometimes even many of his personalities. Yesterday’s session with Rashad Evans is true to form: you’ve got the usual goofball fans asking for a staredown, the requisite racially insensitive remark (no, not from Rashad, this time), and even a frank, thought-provoking discussion on the very-real problem of in-cage urination.

If you don’t have time to watch, we took notes. Check out some quotes after the jump.

(Video courtesy YouTube/MMAFighting.com)

Somebody needs to explain to Ed Soares how a bet works. Unless you’re Pete Rose, you never make a wager that favors the other team.

MMAFighting.com reporter Ariel Helwani challenged the MMA manager today drink a cup of his own urine if his fighter, Lyoto Machida, retains his belt Saturday night in Montreal against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, which begs the question: Who is the winner in this bet?

(Lyoto and his father Yoshizo share a warm moment at their home base in Belem, Brazil. Photos courtesy of this set on Sherdog.)

If you have a dream — go ahead, it is possible! And if you have a glass of urine — pass that shit, son! Apologies if you’re seeing this during lunch, but here’s photographic proof that Lyoto Machida’s urine-drinking regimen is for real, and not something he made up to get inside the head of Rashad Evans. Yes, we’ve already debunked this quaint bit of folk-medicine as B.S., but the Machida clan stands by it. (And check out how healthy and happy they look!) As Machida patriarch Yoshizo explained to Sherdog:

(Ugh. Someone needs to tell this dude about Centrum.)

From Dr. Johnny Benjamin’s latest "Ask the Doc" column on MMA Junkie:

Dr. Benjamin: I was wondering if you would share your opinion on the supposed nutritional value of fighters drinking their own urine. Fighters such as Lyoto Machida, who claims to swill his pee every morning, is one example. I’ve heard it said that pee is full of nutrients that the body could not absorb on the first pass. Other then sounding like a gross thing to do with one’s waste, is there any validity to this? -Mitch

Mitch, thanks for the question — I think. I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve been asked this question. I’ve tried to ignore it. But I see that I cannot. So here we go. Damn.

Urine is 95 percent water, 2.5 percent urea, and a 2.5 percent mixture of minerals, salts, hormones, enzymes and non-toxic waste products.

The practice of drinking urine is certainly not new or limited to a few modern practitioners of combat sports such as world champions Lyoto Machida in MMA and Juan Manuel Marquez in boxing. China, India, the Middle East and Rome all have ancient and modern writings that discuss the willful consumption of urine.

(Just tell me you didn’t kiss him.)

Lyoto Machida recently talked with Brazilian website/magazine Tatame about his training and preparation for his title fight against Rashad Evans at UFC 98, and he decided to disclose a secret that he probably should have just kept to himself: “The Dragon” drinks his own urine.  Every day. 

Even worse, he learned it from his father:

“My father does that for a long time and bring it to us. People think it’s a joke (laughs). I never said it in the United States because I don’t know how the fans will react (laughs). I drink my urine every morning like a natural medicine.”

We’ll soon find out how American fans will react.  My guess is they’ll scrunch up their faces and say, with one loud, clear voice, ‘You nasty, Lyoto!’