The Ultimate Fighter has been chugging along for 27 seasons now. Some have been fantastic; others were not so much. But the original cast of characters from “TUF 1” still holds a special place in MMA fans hearts.
The UFC has been working overtime as of late compiling a ton of new content in lieu of the promotions 25th Anniversary. One such program will feature a where are they now style documentary revolving around the original cast from the groundbreaking first season of TUF back in 2005.
Only Josh Koscheck, Lodune Sincaid, and Jason Thacker missed out on the “TUF 1” reunion. All of the other fighters and coaches from the inaugural season took part in the get-together.
Retired fighter and “TUF 1” cast member Mike Swick shared an interesting side by side comparison photo via social media.
“TUF 1” middleweight winner Diego Sanchez is the only fighter still competing inside the octagon 14 years later. Although, a number of other fighters and coaches from TUF 1 are still active in the sport. Namely, Chris Leben who recently came out retirement to fight Phil Baroni in a bare-knuckle boxing match later this year.
Here are some more social media posts via Instagram:
In the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), the concept of ‘ring rust’ is frequently used, with fighters who have been out of the cage for an extended period of time often seen as being at risk of not performing to the best of their abilities. There have been plenty of examples of this phenomenon, […]
In the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), the concept of ‘ring rust’ is frequently used, with fighters who have been out of the cage for an extended period of time often seen as being at risk of not performing to the best of their abilities.
There have been plenty of examples of this phenomenon, and whether it’s a fighter coming back after a long spell due to injury, suspension, or just an extended hiatus, the belief is that it can lead to sluggish performances in which they are slow to start, struggle to find their range and timing, and generally seem to be missing a step.
However, there is an opposing school of thought among some fighters that ring rust is in fact a myth, and that the real problem lies with either a mental block or a lack of preparation.
In this article, we’ll seek to find evidence to back up that theory by recounting 10 examples of UFC stars who have gone against the grain and shown no sign of ring rust and excelled at the highest level after returning from particularly lengthy layoffs from the sport.
Georges St-Pierre
UFC fans waited four long years for the return of former welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre, who vacated his title in late 2013 after citing the need to take time out from the sport.
At one stage it looked like he might be gone for good, but finally, a comeback fight was announced, and rather than just looking to conquer his old weight class, the Canadian superstar opted to move up to challenge Michael Bisping for the middleweight title instead.
Despite having been the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport a few years beforehand, there were concerns as to whether the now 36-year-old had waited too long to return and how he’d cope with stepping up a division and carrying extra muscle and so the odds were very close leading into his fight with Bisping.
St-Pierre seemed confident though, claiming that he was now a better fighter than ever, although he did acknowledge that ‘ring rust’ could be a factor, particularly in the early stages of the fight.
However, there was little sign of that at UFC 217 as he started brightly, showing off a more diverse striking arsenal, increased punching power, and sharpened submission skills.
That would lead to him dropping Bisping with a left hook in the third round and then sending him to sleep with a rear-naked choke to earn his first stoppage victory in over eight years and seize the 185-pound title.
Mike Swick is doing all he can to ensure Matt Hughes’ opponent for a potential return is him. The last time Swick was seen in a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) bout was back in July 2015. He fell short against Alex Garcia in a unanimous decision loss. A few days later, “Quick” announced his […]
Mike Swick is doing all he can to ensure Matt Hughes’ opponent for a potential return is him. The last time Swick was seen in a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) bout was back in July 2015. He fell short against Alex Garcia in a unanimous decision loss. A few days later, “Quick” announced his […]
Greetings, Nation. If you haven’t noticed by the all but complete lack of posts this week, I’ve been away from the office (and in fact out of the state) to deal with some legal issues pertaining to a…gambling snafu. Yeah, let’s go with that.
My recent absence aside, the cutbacks across the board here at Castle CP have forced us to severely limit the amount of posts we can put up per day. So I, in my infinite wisdom, figured a John Oliver-esque recap of the week’s events in a single post would be the best way to keep you in the know moving forward, should CP happen to be your lone source of MMA news. Which if it is…
But let us begin with perhaps the biggest story of the week…
Greetings, Nation. If you haven’t noticed by the all but complete lack of posts this week, I’ve been away from the office (and in fact out of the state) to deal with some legal issues pertaining to a…gambling snafu. Yeah, let’s go with that.
My recent absence aside, the cutbacks across the board here at Castle CP have forced us to severely limit the amount of posts we can put up per day. So I, in my infinite wisdom, figured a John Oliver-esque recap of the week’s events in a single post would be the best way to keep you in the know moving forward, should CP happen to be your lone source of MMA news. Which if it is…
But let us begin with perhaps the biggest story of the week…
-In news no one — I repeat, no one — could have seen coming (except us, like, a month ago), Rampage Jackson has been forced out of his UFC 186 co-main event matchup with Fabio Maldonado. OH THE SHOCK AND TERROR AND ALSO AWE. If you recall, Bellator filed a lawsuit against Jackson back in March following the news that he had re-signed with the UFC while still under one of those “crazy contracts” that the Rebney Era became infamous for.
On Tuesday, New Jersey judge Karen L. Suter granted Bellator an injunction that successfully blocked Rampage from fighting at UFC 186 at the end of the month. When asked why she backed Bellator in this case, Suter claimed that “Equities plaintiff legal talk legal talk peas and carrots.” I’m paraphrasing, but you can read the bullet points here.
-In a more positive story, the UFC announced the hiring of “anti-doping crusader” Jeff Novitzky as vice president of athlete health and performance, a huge step forward in light of the promotion’s newly-instated drug testing policies. Novitzky is the perhaps best known for leading the investigation against both Barry Bonds and BALCO back in 2002 and Lance Armstrong in 2010 while working for the FDA. Why Chael Sonnen, who called out Armstrong years before any of us were ready to hear it, has not yet been brought onto the UFC’s new anti-steroid A-team remains a complete mystery.
-Speaking of steroids, Jorge de Oliveira became the most recent UFC fighter to get nailed for stanozolol, following his loss to Christos Giagos at Fight Night 62. Oliveira has been suspended for a year retroactive to the March 21st event, and his name will likely never be spoken on our tongues again.
-Alexis Dufresne (relationship status to Andy Dufresne: Uncertain) was also caught by a pre-fight medical…for pregnancy! You see how I turned that around on you like that? Bow down to the master, bitches!!! (But seriously, pregnancy is a beautiful thing and should not be trivialized.) Following her 0-2 run in the UFC, Dufresne was set to make her Bellator debut at Bellator 137 in May until a pre-fight medical exam revealed that she was with child.
-In fight-booking news, Mike Swick has been greenlit to return to the octagon for the first time since his 1-1 run in the promotion back in 2012, which itself followed a two year absence due to injuries. The inventor of The Swickatine, Swicks Cheese, and The Swick-ffer will face off against dangerous striker Alex Garcia at UFC 189.
-For its first trip to Poland, the UFC has booked an absolutely abysmal card in Fight Night 64, as is tradition. Barring the main event rematch between Mirko Cro Cop and Gabriel Gonzaga, the four fight main card features three fighters without a Wikipedia page, one of whom is named Sheldon. Sheldon, you guys. UFC Krakow does feature the long-awaited debut of Alexandra Albu, however, which makes this a good a time as any to remind you that she is smokin’ hot…er…incredibly marketable.
-And finally, this photo. My God, this photo. (via r/mma)
Former Ultimate Fighter competitor and UFC welterweight title challenger Mike Swick seems poised to return to 185 pounds.Swick replied to a fan’s tweet to indicate he would be returning, but not at 170 pounds.”I wanna come back at a big and healthy 185…
Former Ultimate Fighter competitor and UFC welterweight title challenger Mike Swick seems poised to return to 185 pounds.
Swick replied to a fan’s tweet to indicate he would be returning, but not at 170 pounds.
“I wanna come back at a big and healthy 185. No more sickly 170 for me! 😉 @ChrisWhite209 Making that UFC return?”
Swick hasn’t competed at middleweight since losing to YushinOkami at UFC 69 in 2007. One fan was quick to bring up the size difference Swick could be facing by jumping up a weight class.
“Yup. I was 182, in ring, when I fought Okami. I am 200 now. 😉 @the_lunchbucket don’t you think you were undersized with okami?”
It appears the stomach/throat ailments combined with age have made the cut to 170 pounds increasingly hard for the American Kickboxing Academy standout. The fact Swick was knocked out (and in brutal fashion) for the first time in his career at 170 pounds probably played a role in his decision.
Swick entered the UFC as a middleweight contender on The Ultimate Fighter and won five straight matches in the Octagon to begin his UFC career. The loss to Okami sent Swick down to 170 pounds where he racked up four-straight victories before hitting a rut in his career.
He not only missed out on the chance to challenge for the 170-pound title, Swick dropped two straight bouts and also faced some serious health problems that kept him out of action for over two years.
Swick didn’t present a timetable as to when he’d be back or who he’d like to face, but it seems as though he’s had enough of the tough weight cut at this point in his career.
(I had to downgrade from my platinum toothpick for this shit?!)
The UFC recently released the figures for UFC on FOX 5, and suffice it to say, it pays much better to be a fading legend than it does a rising star, or a lightweight champion for that matter (Author’s note: I guess Bisping was right after all *dials revolver*). Check out the full list of figures below, then get our thoughts on the matter after the jump.
Scott Jorgensen: $41,000 (includes $20,500 win bonus)
def. John Albert: $10,000
Thoughts…
(I had to downgrade from my platinum toothpick for this shit?!)
The UFC recently released the figures for UFC on FOX 5, and suffice it to say, it pays much better to be a fading legend than it does a rising star, or a lightweight champion for that matter (Author’s note: I guess Bisping was right after all *dials revolver*). Check out the full list of figures below, then get our thoughts on the matter after the jump.
Scott Jorgensen: $41,000 (includes $20,500 win bonus)
def. John Albert: $10,000
Thoughts…
Overpaid: Is Nate Diaz really so hot of a commodity that he deserves a higher show rate than the champion of the division? Methinks not, homie. We’re also kind of shocked that Mike Swick, who has fought just twice in the past ever, is still making damn near 50k to show. And that takes us to our next item on the agenda…
Underpaid: Look, we know these figures are void of any locker room bonuses, end of the night bonuses and yada yada, and we know that Ben Henderson doesn’t exactly deserve the kind of money a legend like Shogun makes per fight, but come on. Forty thousand to show for a champion is absolute rubbish. Nick Diaz throws more dough at freakishly deformed homeless people on his way to the airport for fuck’s sake. But like we said, we’re pretty sure Bendo got a stack of undisclosed cash so high that not even Rain Man could count all the toothpicks he plans on purchasing.
@UFC @DanaWhite Via: https://t.co/smIsnf7Xru pic.twitter.com/NSTLKJIFWT
Former Ultimate Fighter competitor and UFC welterweight title challenger Mike 