One of the best things about mixed martial arts is the sport’s stubborn refusal to fit in a box. To steal a line from Roddy Piper, every time you think you have all the answers, MMA goes and changes the questions.
Think jiu-jitsu is going to dominate the cage forever and ever? Here comes top-control wrestling to seize the day. Cool. So, Mark Coleman and Mark Kerr will surely be long-time champions, dominating like no one else? Not so fast. Enter strikers with a sprawl and a defensive guard.
Just when you think you have it figured out, the MMA gods laugh at your hubris. There is nothing static about this sport. Anything can happen in the UFC’s Octagon. Legends can fall, heroes emerge, and a spilled bag of ice can take center stage.
Paradigms shift on the dime—and that makes bold predictions particularly tempting.
My colleague Chad Dundas and I have taken the challenge to let our unconscious out into the world. But, lest our predictions be too bold, we have also taken on the solemn duty to keep each other grounded. In other words, I’m here to talk trash about his nuttiness, and he about mine.
These are the boldest predictions on the block. Disagree with either of us? Both of us? How dare you? But, if you must, do so in the comments!