Author: Levi Nile

If Silva Blasts Weidman in Rematch, What Does That Say About the 1st Fight?

As the most anticipated rematch in many years comes our way at UFC 168, Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman will finally meet again in 2013.
Their rematch looks to be the crown jewel for one of the biggest MMA events since UFC 100, and once again, it all …

As the most anticipated rematch in many years comes our way at UFC 168, Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman will finally meet again in 2013.

Their rematch looks to be the crown jewel for one of the biggest MMA events since UFC 100, and once again, it all seems to revolve around a single question.  

Was the last time a fluke, or is Weidman really better than Silva?

When a fighter like Silva comes along, we as fans are given a chance to watch a fighter with nearly no limitations; they can do almost anything they desire, and they do it with such an ease that each bout seems less like a fight and more like an exhibition of their artistic skills.

But even the greatest can be broken against the rock of age; on a long enough timeline, everyone loses.

At UFC 162, Silva was soundly defeated for the first time in his UFC career by Weidman, a fighter who had only nine professional MMA bouts. To say it was an upset in the hearts and minds of many fans is an understatement.

Silva was supposed to be timeless—a fighter who wasn’t going to lose to any opponent or to the specter of age. His fans felt he was just too great at all areas; Silva wasn’t just a fighter, he was the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.

Given his dominance, their perspective is an easy one to understand. The longest title run by any UFC fighter pre-Silva had been five title defenses—a record held by both Matt Hughes and Tito Ortiz. Silva shattered that record by doubling it and was looking for lucky No. 11 when Weidman decked him and pounded him unconscious.

The legacy of Silva wasn’t really diminished by the loss; most waived it off dismissively, citing that it was really nothing more than an anomaly. In their minds, Silva defeated Silva; Weidman just happened to be lucky enough to be in the cage on the night it happened.

Some even went to so far as to claim Silva threw the fight in order to generate interest in what would surely be the biggest rematch in UFC history.

But the simple fact is, for whatever reason, Silva ignored the lessons of history and paid a heavy price.

Believe it or not, he is not the first incredible champion to get beat by a younger, greener fighter. The same thing happened to Muhammad Ali in 1978 when he lost his title to Leon Spinks, who boasted a record of 7-0-1.

The question is, how will Silva come back? Ali came back, took Spinks seriously the second time around and won back the heavyweight title for the third time in his career in a rematch that was anything but easy.

We honestly have no idea how Silva is going to fight come Dec. 28. Sure, he’s lost before but never has the fall been so far and so pronounced. The early losses in his career happened before he was great—before he was “the greatest MMA fighter in history.”

And the second time around looks like it is going to be much harder than the first. Weidman clearly hasn’t let his previous victory go to his head, via Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie. Weidman is the champion, and he got the belt by defeating Silva when he was at the height of his power.

Now, Silva walks into the rematch without any momentum, all notions of his invulnerability crushed by the man who took his belt by force—without really breaking a sweat.

But he’s still arguably the best striker in all of MMA, and he is still the exact same man who set all those UFC records and crushed so many opponents. Sometimes we forget that all the accolades and praise afforded to him are based on results.

Saturday night, there’s going to be a fight between two very capable and dangerous men. One is older and may honestly be nearing the end of an excellent career; the other is a young lion on the rise that seems all about the business of earning everything he wants, and it looks like he wants it all.  

We already know that one man has the tools and the power to defeat the other because we saw it all in July. What we don’t know is if the defeated can reclaim the throne. That is the question that looks to make UFC 168 one of the biggest events ever.

But, should Silva not only win but blow Weidman out of the water, it will be a victory that speaks to two very different things. First, it will show that Silva still wants to be the champion and that he is still every bit as great as he ever has been, because it is going to take a great fighter to defeat Weidman.

Second, it will directly address their first bout, and it will say one simple thing: When you’re fighting for the title, showboating doesn’t bring the belt home.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Diego Sanchez or Someone Else? 3 Options for Conor McGregor’s Return Fight

Although he may have been on the sidelines for a while, Conor McGregor hasn’t been idle.
Taking to Twitter, the Irish fighter wasted no time in giving his opinion on the fighters in the featherweight division.
Granted, McGregor isn’t the fi…

Although he may have been on the sidelines for a while, Conor McGregor hasn’t been idle.

Taking to Twitter, the Irish fighter wasted no time in giving his opinion on the fighters in the featherweight division.

Granted, McGregor isn’t the first fighter to talk himself into the spotlight, but he may be one of the few so openly dismissive of an entire division, especially since he has just two fights under his belt in the UFC.

Chael Sonnen used his gift of the gab to promote his first fight with Anderson Silva, and since then he hasn’t taken his foot off the gas. Most recently, Sonnen managed to fan the flames of his rivalry with Wanderlei Silva to the point that he earned a coaching position on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, opposite Silva.

But Sonnen had seven Octagon appearances under his belt before he fought “The Spider” for the first time, and he was ranked in the Top 5 of the division prior to UFC 117.

McGregor has two victories in the UFC, but neither opponent was in the Top 10.    

And still, he tweeted his opinions of the featherweight division, earning the ire of Diego Sanchez. He wanted to get people to say his name, and he succeeded.

Soon, McGregor will be heading back into the cage to try to capitalize on the spotlight, but who should he fight? Being a UFC fighter means that you have to be ready to fight anyone the promotion throws your way, no matter who you’ve lobbied to face.

While some opponents are clearly out of his class in terms of what they have earned, there are other fighters out there, on the rise, who could make an exciting matchup with McGregor. These three men would not be sacrificing all that much in terms of ranking if paired against McGregor, and such a bout would certainly land somewhere on the main card of any UFC event.

 

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Although there is probably no bigger fan of Conor McGregor other than Conor McGregor, a bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov would be a huge test for him; a win could see him catapult himself into the Top 10 at 155, and a loss could be crushing.

It would be the kind of fight that separates the chaff from the wheat, as they say, and he would certainly be coming in as a big underdog. Still, with the claims McGregor has made about the fighters comprising the lighter divisions, it would give him ample opportunity to walk all his talk, and that seems to be exactly what he wants.

It’s interesting to think about how McGregor would deal with the dogged takedown attack of Nurmagomedov; could he keep stuffing those shots, time and time again and get the room needed to let his strikes fly? Or would he succumb to the pressure and get pounded out before the end of the final frame?

Finally, there is something about both men that speaks to the fact that when the going gets tough, they dig down deep. Both are hard-nosed fighters, and while Nurmagomedov is quickly gaining acclaim as a future title contender, McGregor has managed to finish 13 opponents, winning via decision only once.

A fight like this could raise both of their stocks if both men come out as hard and aggressive as their reputations suggest.

 

Dustin Poirier

Having been bestowed the title “peahead” by McGregor, Dustin Poirier has gone 2-2 in his last four fights and is just inside most Top 10 rankings at featherweight.

If he were to get a fight with McGregor, he could avenge the slight in person on the stage that matters most: the Octagon.

All the talk aside, Poirier and McGregor make an intriguing matchup; Poirier has six wins via submission on his record and, wrestling aside, would probably own the advantage on the ground.

He also has five wins via KO/TKO, which makes him just dangerous enough in a stand up fight to keep things interesting against the heavy handed McGregor.

With eight fights in the UFC under his belt, Poirier has faced some of the bigger names in the featherweight division, so a bout against McGregor wouldn’t make him shrink in the big lights. In Poirier, McGregor would have an opponent with a known name who is dangerous enough to keep the fight competitive without being overwhelming physically; a notable consideration given McGregor’s leg injury.

A win over Poirier would put McGregor in the Top 10.

 

Diego Sanchez

While neither man is currently ranked in the Top 10 at lightweight or featherweight, a fight with Diego Sanchez is still a very viable option for McGregor; especially as he has fought at lightweight before.

Both men have been engaged in a war of words on Twitter, and the stock of Sanchez is still high given his Fight of the Year candidate bout with Gilbert Melendez. But is McGregor ready for a fighter like Sanchez?

An edge in submissions would have to go to the Greg Jackson fighter, not to mention power and experience. While both fighters are durable, McGregor has yet to be tested in an all-out battle in the trenches; something Sanchez is all too familiar with.

Sanchez has been in bloody battles with Melendez, Martin Kampmann, Clay Guida and others; McGregor has not, but that could be part of his reasoning in calling out Sanchez.

With as many times as Sanchez has engaged in Fight of the Night contests, eventually it catches up to a fighter. If that happens in the cage with McGregor, the Irishman could end up looking very good.

Conversely, coming back from an injury usually brings with it ring rust, and a fight with an angry Sanchez is not the place to try to work the kinks out. It’s hard to put a price tag on experience, and Sanchez has been fighting in the UFC since before McGregor had first slipped on a pair of gloves.

So, how much would a win over Sanchez advance McGregor’s name? Even though Sanchez isn’t a Top 10 man, he’s incredibly well known as an action fighter; a win would probably see him make it into the rankings as the man who beat the man who almost beat Melendez.

That may not seem just, but fights like Sanchez-Melendez are worth their weight in gold and extend by way of association an elevation of status.

And if we know one thing about McGregor, it’s that he is all about the business of raising his star very high, even if he has to push it uphill.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

MMA in 2003: A Retrospective Look at the Sport a Decade Later

We all have moments in time that stand out to us as great periods in our lives: when we had our first child, fell in love or, as the case usually is for fight fans, got to enjoy some truly excellent moments in combative sport.
Consider: 2003.
Outside o…

We all have moments in time that stand out to us as great periods in our lives: when we had our first child, fell in love or, as the case usually is for fight fans, got to enjoy some truly excellent moments in combative sport.

Consider: 2003.

Outside of all things having to do with the ring or cage, Metallica released St. Anger, Black Label Society released The Blessed Hellride, Nickelback was being jammed down our throats on the radio and Kill Bill: Vol. 1, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were dominating movie theaters.

And in the world of MMA, Pride FC (and not the UFC) was the top promotion in the sport.

It really was a different world back then. You had two premier organizations fighting to get the best fighters under their respective banners while proving theirs were the only championship belts that mattered.

The competition between the UFC and Pride was fierce back then, and you would never have guessed in a million years that the UFC would actually buy Pride; the Japanese-based organization just seemed too large.

But here we stand, 10 years later, and I for one enjoy the view of what was a great year in MMA.

Here is a list of the events, from both the UFC and Pride, for 2003, along with the fighters of note. With it all will hopefully come a realization and appreciation for what once was, and what is.

 

Begin Slideshow

3 Reasons We Still Want to See Ronda Rousey vs. Cyborg Justino

While Miesha Tate may be Ronda Rousey’s rival at the moment, there is still another woman out there that poses a very real threat to Rousey’s crown: Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino.
On September 20 of this year, Cyborg stepped out of…

While Miesha Tate may be Ronda Rousey’s rival at the moment, there is still another woman out there that poses a very real threat to Rousey’s crown: Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino.

On September 20 of this year, Cyborg stepped out of the world of MMA and into the ring (at Lion Fight 11) for a Muay Thai bout with undefeated Jennifer Colomb, who boasted a perfect record of 10-0 with 10 knockouts.

And Cyborg mauled her with a mixed bag of clean punches, elbows, knees and hard kicks before finally stopping her with a storm of body punches that left her doubled over against the ropes. Colomb was in her element and Cyborg was fighting out of hers for the first time since 2006. Yet Cyborg took her apart with ease.

It was her third victory in 2013 and her third stoppage. While Rousey continues her life as the shining star of WMMA in the UFC, Cyborg continues to fight and win. In many ways, Cyborg is like a wolf prowling the lands outside the UFC kingdom, waiting for a chance to devour the queen.

But can she beat Rousey? That remains the final question waiting to be answered, and we do want to know the answer.

No matter what many think of Cyborg due to her history of failed drug tests and missing weight, she is still the wrecking machine of WMMA, and until Rousey faces her in competition, we won’t know who is honestly the best.

And make no mistake about it, the combative sports are all about answering that question, above all else. The reasons why we still care and want to see it are simple and speak to the heart of the sport.

 

Does technique still matter above all else?

Many want to believe that technique trumps all and that Rousey could take Cyborg down and submit her just as she has done with everyone else.

It a time where TRT usage and drug-test failures are rampant, the possibility of Rousey submitting Cyborg speaks to the idea that the sport is not just about size and unfair advantages—that it is still about who is honestly better.

But then again, many were of the same mind when Michael Spinks fought a terribly young Mike Tyson, and Tyson destroyed Spinks in the first round.

Like a young Tyson, there is more to the technique of Cyborg than her detractors would care to admit. She has little defense, to be honest, but she has grown into a fighter who can attack with all eight points of contact with a polish that isn’t normally seen unless a fighter has twice as many fights on their record.

If we are willing to accept that a fight between Rousey and Cyborg would happen in the Octagon and, further, that Cyborg can pass all drug tests (as she has done the majority of her career) and make weight, then we are forced to look at the skills both fighters bring to the table; we are forced to consider the fight itself.

We do so not because we are dismissing Cyborg’s questionable past but because no matter what happens post-fight, inside the cage a very real fight is going to happen, and that is where the true story unfolds. Rousey may indeed have some legitimate concerns about the means by which Cyborg prepares for a fight, but they all become secondary concerns once the gate closes and the bout is about to begin.

Once that happens, her chief concern is proving that her grappling skill is so great that she can nullify the striking of Cyborg, take her down and submit her in short order, just like she has everyone else.

Right now, Rousey owns the most coveted belt in professional WMMA. Forget the notion that her professional record in the sport is small; she has earned her belt because she has stopped all competition in the first round, which speaks to her dominance.

But to automatically lump Cyborg into that list of the seven women Rousey has defeated would be presumptuous. Rousey is not the only fighter to claim a throne before finding their greatest adversary.

Evander Holyfield took the belt from Buster Douglas, who had basically been binge eating as a preparation for his first title defense. It wasn’t until later in his career as champion that Holyfield began to run into his biggest threats.

Until we see them fight on a fair and level playing field, we honestly do not know if Rousey’s mastery of grappling can overcome the violent design of Cyborg; but as long as both women are claiming to be the best, we want to find out.  

 

Which style is best?

Perhaps nothing is more fundamental to combat sports than the clash of styles that is seen when two dominant fighters of different backgrounds finally meet in competition.

In the case of Rousey vs. Cyborg, it’s incredibly simple: Rousey is the top grappler in WMMA, and Cyborg is arguably the top striker in WMMA.

While their conflicting personalities have proven to be “entertaining,” especially when they are taking aim at each other, it is their fight itself that matters above all, and at the heart of that is a tried-and-true clash of styles.

And until they fight, we simply can never know which fighter implements her style best; and that is a question that should not go unanswered.

 

Is it hype or substance?

There is a saying in the fight game that goes: “Show me a fighter with a large undefeated record and I’ll show you someone that hasn’t been fighting the right people.” While it might seem unduly dismissive, there is some truth to it.

More often than not, fighters with undefeated records simply have not been fighting among their true peers. Great fighters seek out these tests with passion, knowing their worth can only be found on the other side of such fights.

Muhammad Ali had bested Sonny Liston, but he longed for a bout with Joe Frazier for two reasons: 1) He knew Frazier had the ability to beat him, and 2) he knew he had the ability to beat Frazier. In the end, great fighters need to fight other great fighters to know the fullest measure of victory.

It is this quality that separates pretenders from legends. Had Ali never faced Frazier or Foreman or Norton, his legacy would not be nearly as large as it is now, because greatness isn’t realized on paper—it’s realized in the ring or, in the case of Rousey-Cyborg, the cage.

When looking at both Rousey and Cyborg, there is a question that surrounds them both that can only be answered through a victory over the other.

“Has it been nothing more than hype all along, or is it something deeper, something we can stand on?”

Both women have been shockingly successful at imposing their aggressive styles on their opponents but never against anyone as capable, violent and as confident as each other. By now, the reputations of both fighters come into play when facing opposition, and the only opponents I can think of who would be intimidated by such a moment are Rousey and Cyborg.

If these fighters never face each other, then odds are that their legacies will forever be questioned because their legacies never answered the question of most importance: Who was better, Ronda Rousey or Cyborg?

And if that is a question that cannot be answered because the parties responsible cannot come to an agreement, then no one—not Dana White, not Ronda Rousey, not Cyborg—has the right to claim anything with any certainty.

Except perhaps the critics of the sport, who would be right in pointing out that MMA is not so different than boxing, which has been harshly criticized for not pitting the best against the best.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Fight Night 33: If Shogun Rua Loses, He Should Start Considering Retirement

It is hard to believe that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a man seen by many as the future of the light heavyweight division in 2007, has lost six out of 11 fights in his UFC career. Once an explosive and unpredictable fighter, Rua is now looking s…

It is hard to believe that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a man seen by many as the future of the light heavyweight division in 2007, has lost six out of 11 fights in his UFC career. Once an explosive and unpredictable fighter, Rua is now looking slower and more hittable than ever before, like a man a beat behind the music.

Add to that the degree of punishment he has taken since losing his title to Jon Jones in 2011, and you have a fighter who really cannot afford to receive more damage than he gives.

I know, I know, it sounds terribly disrespectful to say such things in that tone, and you know what tone I am talking about. We hear it most often from people who talk dismissively about a fighter’s career without ever really having seen it. To give such fighters their proper due seems to take the fun out of being a critic.

But I have seen the career of Shogun, and it was glorious. And now we are seeing that the saying is true: The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and Shogun’s candle burned so very, very brightly.

I remember when news broke that the UFC had bought Pride. When I first read it, I thought it was some epic joke. Then I read it again, and again. It was everywhere you looked, and as soon as I reconciled the fact that the UFC had more money than I thought, another realization hit me.

A lot of those Pride fighters are going to be coming to the UFC.

That alone was an exciting moment, never mind the fact that Fedor Emelianenko eluded the Octagon. It wasn’t soon after that Dana White began to announce some big signings: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mirko Cro-Cop Filipovic, Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

It was one of those moments where fantasy and reality seemed to collide in improbable ways. We were used to seeing Shogun flying all over the place, soccer kicking people in the head, kneeing them in the face, soccer kicking them in the head, dropping hammerfists across their nose, soccer kicking them in the head; you get the idea.

But he was going to be fighting in the UFC, so the whole boot-to-the-head of a downed opponent thing wasn’t going to fly. What was he going to look like in the cage without all those weapons that made him so famous and fearsome?

As it turned out, he looked pretty good after his first loss and the surgeries that followed. He had a big 2009, stopping both Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell via TKO before dropping a unanimous decision to then-champion Lyoto Machida in what many considered a robbery.

He was given a chance at a rematch in 2010, and he put a stamp on it this time, knocking Machida out in the first round and claiming the UFC light heavyweight title at the same time. Given that he wasn’t even 30 years old, the future was looking pretty bright for the man called Shogun.

And then Jon Jones came along and gave him a two-degrees-of-separation-from-Randall-“Tex”-Cobb-versus-Larry-Holmes-sized ass whuppin’, and suddenly he was the former UFC light heavyweight champion, just like that.

Shogun would bounce back from this loss, defeating the man who defeated him in his UFC debut, creaming Forrest Griffin in the first round, and looking like he just might be gearing up for another run at the title.

And then came Dan Henderson, who, for damn near three rounds straight pounded the hell out of Shogun. This wasn’t your average loss that sees one man defeating another in a passive contest; not even close.

This was one man defeating another man by the closest of margins in a fight that leaves both men looking like they were shipwreck victims, fighting to the death on their raft over the last can of SPAM before the rescue chopper picked them up.

I shudder to think how badly they would have hurt each other if they had met in Pride. They near killed each other without knees and soccer kicks to the head of a downed opponent. Had those rules not been imposed, they probably would have had to transport each man to the hospital in a sponge.

As bad as that beating was, Shogun still looked impressive and in truth, he gave Henderson a good number of lumps as well. He also showed incredible heart in staging that comeback in Rounds 4 and 5. Nearly any other fighter would have been looking for another line of work after UFC 139, content in the fact that they had gotten to do something most fighters do not—be involved in a Fight of the Year.

But not Shogun. He took some time off and jumped right back into the saddle, stopping Brandon Vera via TKO in Round 4. He didn’t look great in that bout, but he won, and sometimes winning is more important than impressing.

But since then, he’s dropped back-to-back fights, losing a unanimous yet spirited decision to Alexander Gustafsson and then getting quickly choked out by Chael Sonnen in just about 13 seconds of the opening frame.

Now, none of this is to say Shogun isn’t a great fighter, because he is. But the simple fact remains that he took some hellish damage in his fights with Jones and Henderson, his body (especially his legs) has been put through the wringer, his competition is just getting younger and bigger, he’s getting slower and older and, lastly, his style of fighting is predicated on taking shots to land shots.

This coming Saturday, December 7, he will be taking on James Te Huna in a fight that may very well be the most telling bout of his career. Te Huna is equal to Shogun in age, but he hasn’t taken nearly the same level of damage; nearly all of his losses are via first-round submissions.

Granted, even this version of Shogun should be good enough to best Te Huna, at least on paper; there is a skill deficit between them that cannot be denied. But once again, we return to the fact that Shogun employs a style that is not based around the idea of safety or defense.

Could Te Huna catch him with a shot and end the bout? Yes. Te Huna has won 10 out of his 16 victories via KO/TKO, and given that Shogun is in no way, shape or form an elusive fighter, Te Huna has a puncher’s chance for as long as he remains upright.

Now, if Shogun wins, I firmly believe he should take some time off to do everything within his power to rejuvenate his body, much like Arturo Gatti had to do before his second career resurgence that helped him win the trilogy with Micky Ward. If the fountain of youthfulness cannot be found, then perhaps the next step is to adjust his style of fighting so fist and face are not on the front lines at the same time.

But if he loses, I honestly believe he should consider retirement, and there would be no shame in it.

He’s done so much as it is: He won the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, and he won the undisputed UFC light heavyweight title. Both of those accomplishments are incredibly impressive alone, but together they are remarkable.

He has also been involved in the Fight of the Year for 2011: a feat that most fighters can only dream of. There are many excellent fighters out there. Few of them see themselves tested in a way that is recognized as a Fight of the Year; few of them capable of enduring the pain that is required of such a privilege.

And as glorious as the combative sports are, they are still very much about pain. Should Shogun lose and decide to retire, no one could say he hasn’t suffered enough for his position in history.

And we will have been so very lucky to have seen him at all.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Fight Night 33: If Shogun Rua Loses, He Should Start Considering Retirement

It is hard to believe that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a man seen by many as the future of the light heavyweight division in 2007, has lost six out of 11 fights in his UFC career. Once an explosive and unpredictable fighter, Rua is now looking s…

It is hard to believe that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a man seen by many as the future of the light heavyweight division in 2007, has lost six out of 11 fights in his UFC career. Once an explosive and unpredictable fighter, Rua is now looking slower and more hittable than ever before, like a man a beat behind the music.

Add to that the degree of punishment he has taken since losing his title to Jon Jones in 2011, and you have a fighter who really cannot afford to receive more damage than he gives.

I know, I know, it sounds terribly disrespectful to say such things in that tone, and you know what tone I am talking about. We hear it most often from people who talk dismissively about a fighter’s career without ever really having seen it. To give such fighters their proper due seems to take the fun out of being a critic.

But I have seen the career of Shogun, and it was glorious. And now we are seeing that the saying is true: The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and Shogun’s candle burned so very, very brightly.

I remember when news broke that the UFC had bought Pride. When I first read it, I thought it was some epic joke. Then I read it again, and again. It was everywhere you looked, and as soon as I reconciled the fact that the UFC had more money than I thought, another realization hit me.

A lot of those Pride fighters are going to be coming to the UFC.

That alone was an exciting moment, never mind the fact that Fedor Emelianenko eluded the Octagon. It wasn’t soon after that Dana White began to announce some big signings: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mirko Cro-Cop Filipovic, Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

It was one of those moments where fantasy and reality seemed to collide in improbable ways. We were used to seeing Shogun flying all over the place, soccer kicking people in the head, kneeing them in the face, soccer kicking them in the head, dropping hammerfists across their nose, soccer kicking them in the head; you get the idea.

But he was going to be fighting in the UFC, so the whole boot-to-the-head of a downed opponent thing wasn’t going to fly. What was he going to look like in the cage without all those weapons that made him so famous and fearsome?

As it turned out, he looked pretty good after his first loss and the surgeries that followed. He had a big 2009, stopping both Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell via TKO before dropping a unanimous decision to then-champion Lyoto Machida in what many considered a robbery.

He was given a chance at a rematch in 2010, and he put a stamp on it this time, knocking Machida out in the first round and claiming the UFC light heavyweight title at the same time. Given that he wasn’t even 30 years old, the future was looking pretty bright for the man called Shogun.

And then Jon Jones came along and gave him a two-degrees-of-separation-from-Randall-“Tex”-Cobb-versus-Larry-Holmes-sized ass whuppin’, and suddenly he was the former UFC light heavyweight champion, just like that.

Shogun would bounce back from this loss, defeating the man who defeated him in his UFC debut, creaming Forrest Griffin in the first round, and looking like he just might be gearing up for another run at the title.

And then came Dan Henderson, who, for damn near three rounds straight pounded the hell out of Shogun. This wasn’t your average loss that sees one man defeating another in a passive contest; not even close.

This was one man defeating another man by the closest of margins in a fight that leaves both men looking like they were shipwreck victims, fighting to the death on their raft over the last can of SPAM before the rescue chopper picked them up.

I shudder to think how badly they would have hurt each other if they had met in Pride. They near killed each other without knees and soccer kicks to the head of a downed opponent. Had those rules not been imposed, they probably would have had to transport each man to the hospital in a sponge.

As bad as that beating was, Shogun still looked impressive and in truth, he gave Henderson a good number of lumps as well. He also showed incredible heart in staging that comeback in Rounds 4 and 5. Nearly any other fighter would have been looking for another line of work after UFC 139, content in the fact that they had gotten to do something most fighters do not—be involved in a Fight of the Year.

But not Shogun. He took some time off and jumped right back into the saddle, stopping Brandon Vera via TKO in Round 4. He didn’t look great in that bout, but he won, and sometimes winning is more important than impressing.

But since then, he’s dropped back-to-back fights, losing a unanimous yet spirited decision to Alexander Gustafsson and then getting quickly choked out by Chael Sonnen in just about 13 seconds of the opening frame.

Now, none of this is to say Shogun isn’t a great fighter, because he is. But the simple fact remains that he took some hellish damage in his fights with Jones and Henderson, his body (especially his legs) has been put through the wringer, his competition is just getting younger and bigger, he’s getting slower and older and, lastly, his style of fighting is predicated on taking shots to land shots.

This coming Saturday, December 7, he will be taking on James Te Huna in a fight that may very well be the most telling bout of his career. Te Huna is equal to Shogun in age, but he hasn’t taken nearly the same level of damage; nearly all of his losses are via first-round submissions.

Granted, even this version of Shogun should be good enough to best Te Huna, at least on paper; there is a skill deficit between them that cannot be denied. But once again, we return to the fact that Shogun employs a style that is not based around the idea of safety or defense.

Could Te Huna catch him with a shot and end the bout? Yes. Te Huna has won 10 out of his 16 victories via KO/TKO, and given that Shogun is in no way, shape or form an elusive fighter, Te Huna has a puncher’s chance for as long as he remains upright.

Now, if Shogun wins, I firmly believe he should take some time off to do everything within his power to rejuvenate his body, much like Arturo Gatti had to do before his second career resurgence that helped him win the trilogy with Micky Ward. If the fountain of youthfulness cannot be found, then perhaps the next step is to adjust his style of fighting so fist and face are not on the front lines at the same time.

But if he loses, I honestly believe he should consider retirement, and there would be no shame in it.

He’s done so much as it is: He won the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, and he won the undisputed UFC light heavyweight title. Both of those accomplishments are incredibly impressive alone, but together they are remarkable.

He has also been involved in the Fight of the Year for 2011: a feat that most fighters can only dream of. There are many excellent fighters out there. Few of them see themselves tested in a way that is recognized as a Fight of the Year; few of them capable of enduring the pain that is required of such a privilege.

And as glorious as the combative sports are, they are still very much about pain. Should Shogun lose and decide to retire, no one could say he hasn’t suffered enough for his position in history.

And we will have been so very lucky to have seen him at all.

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