UFC on Fuel 9 from Stockholm, Sweden, featured three TKO/KO-related stoppages, but two of the fighters who tasted defeat should consider stopping their careers altogether.
This is not basketball or baseball where competing too long results in a low batting average or poor shooting percentage. Once you realize you don’t have it in mixed martial arts, the consequences of fighting too long are more severe.
Some fighters are defensively sound enough to defend against crushing strikes, but they don’t have a shot at beating any quality fighters, because they don’t mount enough offense.
Here are the fighters who should be considering a career change.
Phil De Fries
The big man from England has one hope when he gets into the Octagon: take his opponent to the ground and go for submissions.
Unfortunately for him, that plan hasn’t been working well lately. On Saturday night, Matt “Meathead” Mitrione became the third man in four fights to batter De Fries into defeat in the first round.
These losses have happened over a matter of just 14 months.
This beating took only 19 seconds, but it was brutal enough to have lasted 10 minutes. De Fries is done as a serious heavyweight contender. He should step away to save himself from any more damage.
He’s only 26 years old, but he simply doesn’t have the power or striking defense to usher him to the ground game, which is his only redeeming quality.
Michael Johnson
The man they call the Menace hasn’t been very menacing. He took another loss on Saturday night, when he was made to tap out by Reza Madadi via anaconda choke.
Johnson has only lost two in a row, but it’s not just the losing streak, it’s the way he’s losing. Again against Madadi, Johnson showed tentativeness, and he seemed content to try to survive on the ground.
Instead, he was choked out.
Johnson’s record dropped to 12-8, and even though he’s moving down on the UFC food chain, he isn’t looking better against lower levels of competition.
He’s become a name MMA fans frown at when they see it on an event card. That’s not a good thing.
Follow me, because Royce Gracie started me on this MMA path, and now I’m out of control.
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