Depending how you look at it, Chael Sonnen‘s offer to step in for Rashad Evans against Daniel Cormier at UFC 170 was either an act of extreme bravery or extreme cowardice — further proof that Sonnen is the most fearless man in the UFC or that he is one desperately trying to get out of Brazil in one piece A.S.A.P. Personally, I choose to believe the former, because if Chael Sonnen was brave enough to march head first into enemy territory to promote a reality show that no one watches, there’s no way a little on-set scrap would be enough to scare him away.
Sonnen’s valiance aside, Cormier would have demolished the Gangster From West Linn inside 3 minutes. You know this. I know this. Sonnen knows this. Chael P. was thoroughly overpowered by Evans and Jon Jones at light heavyweight, and against Cormier he’d be fighting an Olympian dropping down from heavyweight. They’d need a spatula to peel him off the canvas by the time all was said and done.
Realizing this, the UFC has denied Sonnen’s request, instead re-scheduling Evans vs. Cormier for UFC 172 (this is unconfirmed) and moving Sonnen vs. Wandy from UFC 173 in Las Vegas to a yet-to-be-named event in Brazil the following weekend.
As Happy Gilmore would say, “Talk about your all-time backfires.”
Depending how you look at it, Chael Sonnen‘s offer to step in for Rashad Evans against Daniel Cormier at UFC 170 was either an act of extreme bravery or extreme cowardice — further proof that Sonnen is the most fearless man in the UFC or that he is one desperately trying to get out of Brazil in one piece A.S.A.P. Personally, I choose to believe the former, because if Chael Sonnen was brave enough to march head first into enemy territory to promote a reality show that no one watches, there’s no way a little on-set scrap would be enough to scare him away.
Sonnen’s valiance aside, Cormier would have demolished the Gangster From West Linn inside 3 minutes. You know this. I know this. Sonnen knows this. Chael P. was thoroughly overpowered by Evans and Jon Jones at light heavyweight, and against Cormier he’d be fighting an Olympian dropping down from heavyweight. They’d need a spatula to peel him off the canvas by the time all was said and done.
Realizing this, the UFC has denied Sonnen’s request, instead re-scheduling Evans vs. Cormier for UFC 172 (this is unconfirmed) and moving Sonnen vs. Wandy from UFC 173 in Las Vegas to a yet-to-be-named event in Brazil the following weekend.
As Happy Gilmore would say, “Talk about your all-time backfires.”
But there is good news. In return for Sonnen’s chances of survival dropping from 90% in America to 0.05% in Brazil, the matchup will be given top billing at the TBA event. So at least Sonnen will be shipped back to America in the nicest casket available (a nice cabreuva, perhaps. Mmmmmm…)
Who am I kidding? Sonnen cannot be killed by conventional weapons or mere mortals. Submitted yes. TKO’d yes. But killed? Not in our lifetimes. Not in anyones. Chael Sonnen is so badass that he will start a fight while starting a fight. He’s like the Xzibit “Yo Dawg” meme wrapped in 200-odd pounds of pure machismo and violence, and the only thing that he’s heard you liked is getting your lily ass kicked. Chael Sonnen would fight Junior Dos Santos with *five* broken ribs, and walk sixteen miles in the snow both ways to get there.
Whether you’ll admit it or not, you would follow Chael to the gates of Hell. And once he had bitch-smacked Lucifer and told the nearest she-devil to make him a rusty nail sandwich, only then would you know true greatness. All hail Chael. All hail Chael.
Details on Evans’s injury are scarce, although UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta told Yahoo!’s Kevin Iole that Evans would need four weeks of rehab. (Iole’s report called it a knee injury, by the way.) Depending on Rashad’s recovery, the UFC may reschedule the Evans/Cormier match to take place at UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira (April 26th, Baltimore). We’ll update you if that becomes official.
Details on Evans’s injury are scarce, although UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta told Yahoo!’s Kevin Iole that Evans would need four weeks of rehab. (Iole’s report called it a knee injury, by the way.) Depending on Rashad’s recovery, the UFC may reschedule the Evans/Cormier match to take place at UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira (April 26th, Baltimore). We’ll update you if that becomes official.
A huge blow was just dealt to the UFC 170 card as Rashad Evans has announced that he suffered a leg injury and will be unable to compete in the co-main event. The development was first announced by Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole on Twitter:
Breaking news: …
A huge blow was just dealt to the UFC 170 card as Rashad Evans has announced that he suffered a leg injury and will be unable to compete in the co-main event. The development was first announced by Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole on Twitter:
Evans was slated to compete opposite former heavyweight standout Daniel Cormier. Cormier, per Iole, will be removed from the card entirely. A heavyweight standout, he was scheduled to make his highly anticipated light heavyweight debut.
“Suga'” most recently demolished former middleweight and light heavyweight contender ChaelSonnen at UFC 167. He easily outwrestledSonnen en route to a first-round TKO victory. That, combined with his win over former two-division Pride FC champion Dan Henderson, put him in the running for a possible bout with champion Jon Jones.
The bout is a huge blow to the UFC 170 card. While it features a strong headline in a title bout between Ronda Rousey and Sara McMann, Evans vs. Cormier was a very, very strong co-main event and was a critical bout for the 205-pound division.
UFC 170 has seen numerous exciting fights cancelled. A tilt between former Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez and rising Russian KhabibNurmagomedov was axed due to a contract dispute between Melendez and the UFC.
Additionally, a highly anticipated match between RustamKhabilov and Rafael dos Anjos was nixed last week due to an injury to Khabilov (dos Anjos is now set to face Nurmagomedov at UFC on Fox 11).
It is likely that the welterweight bout between Rory MacDonald and Demian Maia will be elevated to co-main event status.
Details are still breaking, so stay here for updates as they become available.
Update 1:Iole reached out to UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta and reported the following:
Just spoke to @lorenzofertitta. Rashad doesn’t need surgery. Needs four weeks of rehab.
Update 2: Brett Okamoto from ESPN is reporting that the Evans-Cormier matchup is still planned, but will be moved according to Evans’ timetable for return:
UFC’s Lorenzo Fertitta says Rashad‘s progress will be monitored and the fight will be rebooked, likely to either 172 or 173 in Vegas.
The team of analysts for the UFC on Fox Sports 1 and Fox broadcasts has been providing the most in-depth coverage that mixed martial arts has seen in its 20 years of existence.
With a collection of seasoned fight veterans and a handful of well-versed h…
The team of analysts for the UFC on Fox Sports 1 and Fox broadcasts has been providing the most in-depth coverage that mixed martial arts has seen in its 20 years of existence.
With a collection of seasoned fight veterans and a handful of well-versed hosts at the helm, the people working the pre– and post-fight shows for the UFC have consistently raised the bar.
For the next installment of the series, former heavyweight-turned-light-heavyweight title contender Daniel Cormier dropped in to share his thoughts on Saturday’s card for UFC on Fox 10 in Chicago. The former Olympian has proved to be one of the UFC’s brightest new stars, as he’s made a seamless transition from the Strikeforce cage to the Octagon.
The Louisiana native defeated former two-time champion Frank Mir and one-punch knockout artist Roy Nelson, respectively, before making the decision to drop down into 205-pound waters to chase his first UFC title.
“D.C.” will square off with former titleholder Rashad Evans next month at UFC 170, but before he scraps it out with his good friend “Suga,” the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner returned to this column to wreck a little more shop.
Cormier has quickly become one of the best analysts on the Fox Sports 1 team and has given some seasoned vets a run for their money.
Here is what Cormier had to say about the card for UFC on Fox 10.
Let’s start with the main event between Benson Henderson and Josh Thomson. You are very familiar with Thomson having trained with him a long time, but I’m sure you’ve done your homework on Henderson as well. They both have tremendously well-rounded skill sets, and what do you think are the keys to victory for each fighter on Saturday?
The biggest thing for Thomson is to use his feet. He needs to be very active like he was in the fight with [Nate] Diaz. He can’t stand still because Benson is a big guy and Josh normally doesn’t do very well against big wrestlers. He’s struggled against guys who can grab him, bear hug him, throw him down and hold him there. He needs to employ the same strategy he did against Diaz where he was moving nonstop. He would hit him then move, and Diaz was almost chasing Josh. But that’s OK because Josh’s striking is better from a technical standpoint and he’s tighter with his punches. He’s also fought a lot of five-round fights just as Benson has.
For Benson Henderson, he needs to move forward and get off to a quick start. In some of his past fights, he tends to eke into them. If he does that, Josh can start to get on a roll and he doesn’t want that because it kind of snowballs. Henderson will want to start early, get in his face and put a lot of pressure on him. Henderson needs to take the fight right to him and basically say, “I’m the guy who held the UFC championship and defended it three times. I’m supposed to beat you and win this fight. I’m going to show you why I’m picked to beat you.” If he does that, it will go a very long way in the picture that is going to be painted at the end of this fight because it will be Benson’s fight.
You just brought up the lightweight title. Your AKA teammate was supposed to get his shot against Anthony Pettis back at UFC on Fox 9 in December, but “Showtime” became injured and was forced to withdraw. Title opportunities in the UFC are coveted, but rather than wait around, Thomson decided to get back to work. Do you think a move like this shows just how game a fighter the former Strikeforce champion is?
I think to find how game Josh Thomson is, you just go back to his three fights with Gilbert Melendez. You can look at all his fights in Strikeforce or just look at the portrait of his career. You can ignore all the things he said in the media about a terrible training camp and things not going to plan. When Thomson steps into the cage—every time he steps into the cage—this is a guy who goes out there and competes at the highest level. He’s a former Strikeforce champion. He was one of the top fighters in the UFC lightweight division before they decided to scrap the weight class all those years ago.
Also, Josh Thomson has now spent more time in his fight career than his life outside of fighting. He spent 17 years of his life not being a fighter, but he’s been fighting for 18 years now. He’s more of a fighter than he is a regular person. That’s crazy.
There are a lot of rumors floating and nothing is official, but do you think the winner of this fight will get the next shot at Pettis?
This is where it becomes tricky. Dana [White] said because of the way Henderson lost to Pettis in their last fight, it will be very hard to tell people why these two guys are fighting for a championship again. So Benson Henderson’s situation is a little tricky. He needs someone to beat Pettis in order to get another championship fight.
Thomson, on the other hand, didn’t get his title fight. If he wins this fight, he would have beat Benson Henderson, the former champion, after losing out on his title shot in his last fight. He also beat Diaz, who challenged for the belt when Henderson had the title. With a win, Thomson will have the clearest claim to a title shot of any weight class in the UFC.
Moving onto the big boys. Gabriel Gonzaga will fight StipeMiocic in the co-main event. This is a strange situation because Gonzaga has looked better than he ever has and Miocic is a unique heavyweight who moves very well with his footwork. Do you think Miocic‘s footwork will be the difference, or do you see “Napao’s” ground game being his definitive advantage in this fight?
This is one of those situations where you have a smaller, more active heavyweight against a true heavyweight like Gonzaga. He has turned the corner because his commitment has changed in this sport. I’ve heard from people who have trained with him that he hasn’t always trained all that hard. People who know him have told me he wasn’t training very hard, but now he does.
That being said, if StipeMiocic shows up for this fight like he did against Roy Nelson, Miocic is walking away with this fight. If Gonzaga is able to make this a dirty fight, he’ll be in a great position to win. If Gonzaga leans on him and takes him down the way [Stefan] Struve did, it is going to be a much different fight. If Gonzaga is successful with putting him up against the cage and wearing him down, Miocic will get tired, and that will give Gonzaga more opportunities. Miocic will be able to fight him for 15 minutes if it’s just a boxing match. Gonzaga needs to find a way to get this fight to the ground and just whale on him. He needs to put his weight on him at all, Miocic is going to box him up because his footwork is just too good.
We spoke to Gonzaga this week, and he said he has put a lot of work into his striking. He acknowledged stopping Miocic‘s footwork is going to be tough, but Gonzaga said he needs to cut him off at angles rather than just following him. It also has the potential to give Gonzaga a lot of problems. Do you think it will cost him the fight if he can’t cut Miocic off?
StipeMiocic is the smaller of the two, and he’s so fast. If Gonzaga follows him, that’s trouble because that is exactly what Roy Nelson did at UFC 161. Watch the fight. When you break these fights down, watch that fight and look at how Nelson moved in that fight. Every time Miocic would move and give him an angle, Nelson would have to reposition both of his feet to go in the direction of the angle because he doesn’t have the ability to change angles as quick as Stipe did. And that is what could happen against Gonzaga.
He is a big heavyweight, and big heavyweights tend to follow. They don’t really get on their feet and move. They aren’t cutting angles, boxing and moving as fast as a guy like StipeMiocic.
I’m counting on you for this one, D.C. No one else seems to give me any credit on this, but I’ve discovered a stigma surrounding Gabriel Gonzaga. If you look at his record, the guys he has lost to have all gone on to some form of title contention or contender’s status. The only one who hasn’t is Brendan Schaub, and his journey hasn’t fully developed. On the other hand, the guys Gonzaga defeats all fall back into some form of irrelevance. This being said, can you see this stigma that beating Gonzaga makes you the real deal, and a loss means you need more time to reach the top tier?
The thing about Miocic is that he has plenty of time, but I don’t think we are at that point yet. But if the facts show that is how it has been, then that’s how it’s been. Gonzaga is a guy who will introduce you to that next level. Say you are a guy who is teetering on the line, then you beat Gonzaga and it pushes you into the next level. I could possibly see that stigma with him. It may be the case, but Miocic is so young, he has plenty of time, regardless of what happens.
The problem comes in when we talk about these contenders. You have to ask are they trying to just be contenders, or are they guys who could actually hold the belt? When you look at the landscape and then compare them to Cain Velasquez, there is no reason to really think—based on what we have seen—that these guys are going to be able to challenge him. Save for him getting caught in a submission by [Fabricio] Werdum or getting caught with another knockout punch the way he did against Junior dos Santos—which could happen because we are talking about heavyweights—it is just very hard to look at these guys as true title contenders. Velasquez just seems so far ahead of these guys right now.
There is another exciting lightweight scrap on this card between Donald Cerrone and Adriano Martins. How important is this fight for “Cowboy” and how huge is this opportunity for a fighter on the rise like Martins?
It is a huge opportunity for Martins. This is one of those situations that could push him into the higher level of what is already a stacked division to begin with. Donald Cerrone has put together impressive winning streaks before. For him, this is par for the course. He goes on these long winning streaks, gets to the top of the division, then gets knocked back down. He got knocked out by Pettis. He got beat by Diaz. But then he’ll go back down and put together these long winning streaks. It is up to Martins now to actually change that and not allow him to move back up into the upper echelon of the division.
Martins needs to make this his turn. It will be a very difficult fight if Cerrone shows up the way he did against Evan Dunham in his last outing. It will be a very difficult fight for Martins. Then again, we never really know which Cerrone is going to show up on fight night. It’s a very dangerous fight for Cerrone because no one knows who Martins is. Huge opportunity if he can win this fight.
While we’ve covered the big names on the card, are there any fighters or a particular bout you’ve come across in your research you think fans should keep an eye on?
People need to be watching Sergio Pettis. This is a kid that goes out there and does some amazing things just like his brother. There is also a heavyweight fight between Nikita Krylov and Walt Harris I think will be interesting. Krylov got tired in his last fight against SoaPalelei but was doing very good before he gassed. He has some good stand-up skills. He will be fighting Walt Harris, who is a guy who has finished nearly all of his fights. These are two young heavyweights who always come to fight, and it should be a great way to kick off the preliminary portion of the card.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
With Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Cain Velasquez all currently out of action due to injuries or bitter hiatuses, UFC executives will be scratching their heads trying to come up with marquee fights in 2014. But amidst this gloom, there are a few massive fights that could still happen. Some are more realistic than others, but if the stars align, these matchups would no doubt fill the void. Let’s run them down in order of probability…
Major fights within reach
Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson 2 or Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier: Very few gave Gustafsson the chance to last twenty-five minutes with the champ, let alone nearly dethrone him. The two engaged in a thrilling yet technical battle at UFC 165, which was as entertaining as it was controversial — making a rematch very interesting and potentially lucrative for the UFC. Prior to his first meeting with the Mauler, Jones had dominated every one of his opponents, which led to the New Yorker searching for his “Frazier”, the worthy rival who would define his legacy. Gustafsson could very much play that role as they look to meet again.
On the other hand, Daniel Cormier could play that role just as well. Unlike Gustafsson, Cormier has a genuine dislike towards Jones which would only add hype towards the fight. But, of course, the two potential challengers would have to get by Jimi Manuwa and Rashad Evans, respectively, to get their title shots. And of course there’s a hard-hitting Brazilian named Glover Teixeira who might derail these plans altogether.
Jose Aldo vs. BJ Penn: Incredibly, Penn is looking to become a three-weight world champion as he embarks on his unexpected new life as a featherweight. Before his year-long break from the sport, Penn had been fighting at welterweight without much success. (He hasn’t won a match since his quick knockout of Matt Hughes back in November 2010.) Penn will make his 145-pound debut against old rival Frankie Edgar as he looks to avenge, not one, but two defeats. Even though there is a connection between Penn and Aldo’s head coach Andre Pederneiras, the Prodigy would surely jump at the chance to compete for a belt.
With Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Cain Velasquez all currently out of action due to injuries or bitter hiatuses, UFC executives will be scratching their heads trying to come up with marquee fights in 2014. But amidst this gloom, there are a few massive fights that could still happen. Some are more realistic than others, but if the stars align, these matchups would no doubt fill the void. Let’s run them down in order of probability…
Major fights within reach
Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson 2 or Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier: Very few gave Gustafsson the chance to last twenty-five minutes with the champ, let alone nearly dethrone him. The two engaged in a thrilling yet technical battle at UFC 165, which was as entertaining as it was controversial — making a rematch very interesting and potentially lucrative for the UFC. Prior to his first meeting with the Mauler, Jones had dominated every one of his opponents, which led to the New Yorker searching for his “Frazier”, the worthy rival who would define his legacy. Gustafsson could very much play that role as they look to meet again.
On the other hand, Daniel Cormier could play that role just as well. Unlike Gustafsson, Cormier has a genuine dislike towards Jones which would only add hype towards the fight. But, of course, the two potential challengers would have to get by Jimi Manuwa and Rashad Evans, respectively, to get their title shots. And of course there’s a hard-hitting Brazilian named Glover Teixeira who might derail these plans altogether.
Jose Aldo vs. BJ Penn: Incredibly, Penn is looking to become a three-weight world champion as he embarks on his unexpected new life as a featherweight. Before his year-long break from the sport, Penn had been fighting at welterweight without much success. (He hasn’t won a match since his quick knockout of Matt Hughes back in November 2010.) Penn will make his 145-pound debut against old rival Frankie Edgar as he looks to avenge, not one, but two defeats. Even though there is a connection between Penn and Aldo’s head coach Andre Pederneiras, the Prodigy would surely jump at the chance to compete for a belt.
Lately, the UFC has had a hard time finding opponents for Aldo who are stars in their own right. Booking BJ Penn to challenge Aldo would certainly solve that problem, so don’t be surprised if Penn skips the entire featherweight contender line to get a shot at Aldo, if he manages to beat Edgar. Making this matchup more credible is that Aldo has once again been flirting with the idea of moving up to 155lbs. A fight against Penn would be a perfect way for Aldo to build interest before jumping up to lightweight himself for a super-fight against the reigning champion.
Stranger things have happened
Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber III: Its been over two years since Cruz has set foot inside the Octagon. Since then, the UFC has created two new divisions (flyweight and women’s bantamweight) with another on its way, and Cruz’s last opponent became the champion at 125 pounds. But through all the changes, one thing has remained the same: Urijah Faber is still the most marketable fighter south of 155 pounds. The UFC had been eager to book a rubber match between Faber and Cruz — it was supposed to happen at UFC 148 then got scratched — but Cruz’s injuries have turned it into a longshot.
The best word to describe everyone’s emotions connected to Cruz is “gutted.” Cruz has had a rough time of late with two back-to-back knee surgeries and now a groin tear which effectively forfeited his title to Renan Barao. If Faber can pull off the upset against Barao, a rubber match against Cruz (who is set to be only out for 6-8 weeks before resuming full training) could be the biggest “smaller” weight class fight in the promotion’s history.
It seems Diaz isn’t budging for anything other than a UFC title shot which would seem bizarre considering he’s on a two fight losing skid. But then again he got a title shot after losing a fight, and ended up generating nearly a million pay-per-view buys in his fight against GSP. In the business-first era of the UFC, the promotion may become desperate and just offer Diaz a title shot — especially if it’s against a guy that Diaz already has history with. Fans may complain that Diaz didn’t “earn” it, but it would be an intriguing fight. If there truly was an MMA God, we would see the sequel between Diaz and Lawler for the welterweight title in 2014.
Super-fights; very slim chances
Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg: Rousey is arguably the biggest star the UFC has right now. The polarizing figure attracts a ton of media attention, even in mainstream outlets that don’t normally cover the sport. There are virtually no fighters outside of the UFC who could compete with Rowdy inside the Octagon, but Cris Cyborg is definitely one of them. The bout would pose a classic stylistic match-up between the stand-up wrecking machine against the highly technical judo wizard.
The fight becomes even more marketable and hype-worthy when you add that Cyborg defeated the original face of WMMA, Cyborg’s past failed drug test, and the heel-manager known as Tito Ortiz. (Honestly, the matchup is like an awesome/terrible pro-wrestling storyline.) When you look for fights that could break the one-million buys barrier, Rousey vs. Cyborg could very well become the 8th UFC pay-per-view to do so. Now we just have to convince Cyborg’s doctor to sign off on it.
Anderson Silva vs. George St-Pierre: If and when either man does return to the sport, it would be huge news. If they did against one another, it would be monumental. Their superfight may be a year or two late, but you can’t deny the amount of interest and buzz this fight would generate. GSP is on an indefinite leave from MMA but is still training and could be lured back in with a super-fight with Silva. Anderson’s managers Ed Soares and Jorge Guimares have always been keen on the match-up against the former welterweight champion, and Silva’s recovery from the broken leg he suffered at UFC 168 has been remarkable so far, with Dana White recently tweeting that he will be off crutches by next month. The UFC normally ends the year with a bang, and Silva vs. GSP just might be that fight to end 2014.
With the UFC staging more events than ever in 2014 while spreading out globally, it would seem that before long every weight class will be bursting with talent, like coffers overfilled in a candy store.
Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a time when an…
With the UFC staging more events than ever in 2014 while spreading out globally, it would seem that before long every weight class will be bursting with talent, like coffers overfilled in a candy store.
Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a time when any fighter would be forced to compete in a specific weight class. To even entertain the question leaves fans scratching their heads as to why anyone would ponder such an improbability.
I confess that I never thought about it myself until I overheard the notion spoken of by a group of very demanding fans at a bar.
Consider the case of current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
When he comes back from his injury, it does not seem as though there will be anyone in his division with the style and skills to beat him.
That wouldn’t be the case if Daniel Cormier were fighting at heavyweight. Cormier is perhaps the only heavyweight that looks like he could match Velasquez from a style-versus-style perspective.
Imagine if the UFC had the power to mandate not only teammate vs. teammate fights, but the divisions in which a fighter fought?
If such were the case, the UFC could demand that Cormier not only stay at heavyweight, but that he fight his teammate for the heavyweight title.
Now, in this situation, would the best interests of the belt be served? Yes, they would—the belt deserves to be contested by the very best because it is both the ideal and the standard.
However, the best interests of the title are also really only served when the fighters are at their best, training with others who bring out the very best in them. That is where this hypothetical comes off the rails.
As it stands, fighters migrate toward camps that have the best trainers and training partners for obvious reasons. If the UFC had the power to make fighters fight at certain weights, then fighters would be looking to train at camps where they would not have to contend with the turmoil that comes from training with a probable opponent.
In doing so, they would see the level of their game diminished because their new training partners pose no true threat to them in a professional sense. Of course, this would also necessitate fighters to switch camps more often since today’s novice can quickly become tomorrow’s contender.
No longer would the option of switching weight classes in order to preserve a heightened level of training be an option. Thus, fighters would switch camps and have to start the process of integrating themselves into a new training dynamic all over again.
Forward progress would be stalled in favor of acclimation to a new environment, which would probably be temporary as the fighters in the new camp grew in skill and became the next big threat.
Stability is one of the most valuable things in a fighter’s life—at home and in the gym. It allows for fighters to be at their very best and also promotes ambition, which is one of the cornerstones of a great fighter.
If the UFC could control fighters so totally, their dreams of glory would be second to their need to simply survive in a profession that is in near-constant flux as it is.
Who can honestly assume that men like Velasquez and Cormier would be as good in MMA as they are now if they were constantly worrying about having to face each other?
In such a scenario, would they hide certain things from each other in order to have an advantage in the future? Would they really be about the business of sharpening each other to a razor’s edge when that razor may be used on them in the future?
Probably not.
The life of a fighter is hectic enough as it is. To assume that “necessity is the mother of invention” applies to all cases is terribly shortsighted. Fighters uprooting their lives to roam from camp to camp isn’t adaptation, it’s upheaval.
Ours is a sport that already demands a great deal from the men and women who ply it as their trade. To ask for more is to show that we don’t appreciate what we already have.
The team of analysts for the UFC on Fox Sports 1 and Fox broadcasts has been providing the most in-depth coverage that mixed martial arts has seen in its 20 years of existence.