The last thing in the world I wanted to do was to write about mixed martial arts again.

We've already had our trial by fire over the UFC, its barbarians and people who think I'm a wimp, a wuss, a jerk, etc.

Honestly, I wanted to leave it alone, at least until I took some people up on an invitation to see a fight in person during the State Fair.

But, I can't. The reason is a picture. Or rather, two pictures.

One of my favorite pictures of all time, maybe my all-time favorite, is the one of Cassius Clay standing over Sonny Liston. It's the first round of their rematch in Lewiston, Maine. A young, brash Clay has just knocked Liston down and is standing over him, shouting "Get Up! Get Up!" It's a picture that captures everything great about sports: competition, victory, defeat, battle, power, good, evil and grace.

The other picture is from late last year. It was taken in Las Vegas. It shows Brock Lesnar on the ground pounding the living crap out of a 45-year-old man named Randy Couture, who was the reigning UFC champ when Lesnar crushed him.

I saw a video of the match last week, and it got me thinking about MMA again. I just can't leave it alone, and that might be my problem, but after weeks of reflection, television viewing, deep profound thought and a visit to a shaman, I am moved, once again, to indict this thing as a barbaric freak show that is attractive to our lowest common denominator.

Let's talk about the first picture first.

Clay hit Liston and down he went. Some called it a phantom punch. Clay, full of himself, taunted Liston, then he raised his hands in glee. Then he went to a neutral corner.

In the second picture, Lesnar hit Couture with a hard right hand and the champ went down. Instead of going to a neutral corner, Lesnar pounced on him and started to pummel him in his head and everywhere else. It was brutality on display.

The crowd at the Clay-Liston fight was about 2,500. They were a little confused at the ending and full of applause and amusement for the new heavyweight hope.

There were almost 18,000 people at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the Lesnar fight, plus a big pay-per-view audience. They were, to put it charitably, bloodthirsty after the fight. Watch the crowd at this fight and you wouldn't be surprised to see them foaming at the mouth.

The MMA fans and defenders can say what they want. They can talk about all their college wrestlers and civilized fighters. They can talk about how they've got rules galore and nobody gets seriously hurt.

But, you know what? First of all they fight in a cage, which is normally where they put wild animals. Secondly, in boxing, when you knock a man down, you go to your corner.

In this farce of a sport, you knock a man down, jump on him and pound him bloody until he either surrenders or the referee stops the fight.

Yeah. Right.

One more thing.

There will be a time when Wisconsin is asked to establish some rules for these fights. Lobbyists will point to all the regulations in all the other states and how it makes the sport "safe." I know some of the people involved in this and love them almost like brothers.

When the movement starts, I will be standing on the other side, pushing as hard as I can, to not only refuse to establish rules but to establish one rule that says, NONE OF THIS CRAP IN OUR STATE!

We did it for capital punishment and it makes me proud. We can do it again.