You’re only as good as your last fight.
The underlying effect of this mantra on MMA fans is amazing at times. An upper-echelon fighter could put together a solid résumé over quality opposition, and the MMA world will adorn him or her with iconic praises and immortality.
If the fighter ever has a rough outing, fans and critics will claim the fighter was exposed and gear up the “over-hyped” bandwagon. When the fighter returns to form, everything will be right in the world again, and the praise will resume as if it had never left.
MMA isn’t special, and this particular type of banter is present in other sports as well.
After losing to the New York Jets in the 2010-2011 football season, the New England Patriots bounced back with five consecutive victories, including wins over tough teams like the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens.
The Patriots were starting to look like the team of destiny, but when they suddenly lost on the road to the Cleveland Browns, the aura of hype was ripped apart. They rebounded with significant wins after the loss, and once again, they were back to being the favorites in the NFL.
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre had already faced criticism about finishing fights, but the criticism was magnified in his tough unanimous decision win over Jake Shields. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo’s night wasn’t any easier. After gassing out in the early rounds, he was forced to gut out a unanimous decision victory over Mark Hominick.
Aldo is listed as third on most top 10 pound-for-pound publications. He is on a 12-fight win streak, and seven of those victories were stoppages.
Meanwhile, St-Pierre picked up his sixth consecutive welterweight title defense at UFC 129, which is one shy of tying UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes’ record. It’s been four fights since his last stoppage, but all of his victories have been completely dominant.
The sports world doesn’t allow any leeway for human error, and sometimes fans get so caught up in the present that they forget about the past, which is crippling in looking towards the future. As UFC champions, St-Pierre and Aldo are forced to face the best fighters in the world on a consistent basis. There aren’t any scrubs in between.
It’s asking a lot to expect these guys to completely dominate every opponent. Shields is listed in most pound-for-pound rankings, and Hominick could easily be considered a top ten featherweight.
This is where fighting deters from the rest of the sporting herd. In other sports, fans long for great matchups. They want to see the top dog tested and pushed like never before.
When UFC middleweight champion and proposed pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva fought Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, it was an incredibly tough and entertaining bout that ended with Silva pulling out the submission in the final round.
The backlash was incredible after the fight. For a long time, fans had claimed to want to see Silva tested, but when he actually was, the media horde blasted his in-ring abilities.
If you fast-forward a few months to Silva’s tremendous upkick victory over Vitor Belfort, you’ll see that he is back to being MMA’s messiah.
Former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida could also be included in this discussion. After coming off back-to-back losses to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, some began to question Machida’s fighting style and future as a title contender.
At UFC 129, he busts out the Karate Kid’s crane kick on a 47-year-old Hall of Famer, and the MMA world is already buzzing about a potential title bout between Machida and current champion Jon Jones.
Regardless of pound-for-pound placement, we all agree that guys like St-Pierre, Aldo and Silva are three of the best fighters in the world.
Why can’t we just enjoy special moments as they come?
People have become more occupied by watching these guys pull a rabbit out of their hat instead of actually enjoying the fights.
Yes, St-Pierre and Aldo looked mortal at UFC 129. They are only human. Isn’t that what propels the selling out of large arenas and big pay-per-view numbers. Just ask yourself. Why do you love MMA?
The unexpected keeps us on the edge of our seats. Sure, St-Pierre was a huge favorite against Shields, but if Shields managed to drag the fight to the ground, the possibility of an upset was real.
If Aldo made the slightest mistake against a savvy kickboxer like Hominick, his night could’ve been ended early.
Did anyone expect Matt Serra to knock out St-Pierre at UFC 69? What about Gabriel Gonzaga’s highlight reel KO victory over Mirko “Cro Cop?”
Even though the mantra has been used for years, it has never been true. Your last outing doesn’t determine your overall ability. If it did, every world-class athlete and team would all have been classified as overrated at one time or another.
Whether you see these fighters as Superman today or tomorrow, just remember, even Superman gets “exposed” every now and then.
(SportsHaze.com)
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