SBNation.com User Blog: hobbie

Silva vs. Sonnen II: The Controversy, and Why it Doesn’t Matter Anyways

hobbie — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:50:38 -0000

Well, we're only a couple days removed from "the most anticipated fight in UFC history" and the feeling among fans is...well, hard to put into words, really.

UFC 148 was like going on the worst date ever with the most beautiful girl in the world. Yeah, she looks fantastic - but you have to endure hours of inane conversation, the food tastes bland, and your waiter is a Korean guy who injures himself seconds into the meal trying to throw Demian Maia.

Yeah, it's kind of like that.

Silva vs. Sonnen II arrived on a wave of hype and anticipation, but it departs in the wake of controversy galore. Yet despite that, the consensus amongst most MMA fans is "nothing to see here, case closed, Anderson is the man." In a sport where referees are burnt in effigy and we love to stomp our feet and cry over every injustice...how can this be?

There’s a lot to pick apart here, and opinions are rapidly crystallizing on both sides. So this is my attempt to be fair to either side. I'm going to examine all the various controversies of UFC 148's main event as straightforwardly as possible - and explain why (it seems) none of them actually matter.

So let's dive in shall we, starting with the first bit of controversy from the day before.

The Shoulder Check of Doom!

What Happened: At the pre-fight weigh-ins, Anderson "chin checked" Chael with his shoulder during the face off at the end.

This is important because: Getting physical at the weigh-ins is wrong, yo! It can potentially affect the outcome of the fight. It sets a bad example. The commission should fine Anderson for getting so violent!

But it actually doesn't matter because: Fans aren't morons and know that world-class cage fighters aren't hurt by the kind of shoulder check a mosquito could probably walk away from. All this did was give Sonnen fans ammunition to attack Silva as a classless fraud because he came face-to-face with the man who insulted his family and home nation in the press repeatedly and had the audacity to bump into him.

Greasegate, Round 2

What happened: After Silva entered the Octagon but before the first round, he took the Vaseline applied to his face by the cut men, and liberally rubbed over his arms and torso.

This is important because: It's a straight shot of cheating, no chaser, right in front of the camera. GSP must be infuriated because he had to fight the commission tooth and claw not to have to take a BJ Penn-supervised shower before each fight, but Silva can literally slather himself in front of millions of PPV viewers with no consequences.

But it's not important because: The referee wiped Anderson down with a towel before the fight! BUT JUST WIPING WITH A TOWEL DOESN'T GET RID OF VASELINE! Yes Mrs. Penn, however...

It's also not important because: Anderson got killed that first round. If he was greasing himself intentionally (and it's pretty hard to argue he wasn't) it clearly didn't work out too well for him, as he was dominated the whole round. So no advantage gained...no problem...right?

And it's REALLY not important because: This isn't the first time Anderson has done this, and nobody seemed to care before. If a stink gets raised now than the UFC, the commission, and even fans will seem like huge hypocrites for not calling him on it any of the other 15 times.

Chael-bows of DOOM!

What happened: While riding out in Silva's half-guard, Sonnen threw an elbow to the back of Silva's head. Silva complained to the ref about the illegal strike. Sonnen, in his compassion, decided to throw another for good measure.

This is important because: Elbows to the back of the head, along with 10-6 elbows and knees on the ground, is one of those things that's definitely illegal - depending on how you interpret the rules. There's the "mohawk" interpretation, the "headphones" variation, and the "Vitor Belfort" exemption. All we know is it's wrong, and something oughta be done, damnit!

But it's not important because: Anderson Silva is the God of Violence and nothing you do to him matters. Yeah, Sonnen landed some borderline illegal elbows, but it's Anderson Silva - if you land a punch on him it's only because he allowed you to out of boredom. The back of his head must have been itchy. Nothing to see here.

Eye See What You Did There

What happened: No idea, but at some point in the latter half of the first referee Yves Lavigne admonishes one of them (likely Sonnen) to "watch the fingers in the eye." It's a bad shot, so we don't really see what was going on.

It's important because: Eye poking is serious business. Just ask GSP what happens when you poke a world-class fighter in the eye. He gives up rounds to Jake Shields, that's what happens.

But it's not important because: did you skip the part about Anderson Silva being an unstoppable lord of destruction? Unless it stops the fight, don't expect fans to care too much about run of the mill fouls against ol' Anderson.

Grab N' Go Special

What happened: Early in the 2nd round, Anderson grabbed a hold of Chael's trunks while Sonnen was pressing him up against the fence. He didn't really let go even as the two men separated and started throwing strikes, until Yves Lavigne admonished him.

It's important because: This is, to my mind, the most egregious instance of Silva "cheating" to be found in the whole fight. Whether his shorts grab helped prevent a Chael Sonnen double-leg is arguable; whether it helped him land strikes shortly thereafter is equally so. The point is you can make either argument, which adds a taint to Anderson's victory whether you like it or not.

But it's not important because: The same reason none of the above fouls have Dana White, the media, or fans to riled up. The same reason we're willing to overlook all this weirdness. The same reason (most) folks view this as a clean (and clear) win for Silva.

Chael Screwed Chael

What happened: With the two men at striking distance, Chael threw a very badly considered spinning back elbow that completely whiffed Silva, but planted Sonnen right on his bewildered butt. The end came shortly thereafter.

This is important because: This is the reason Chael Sonnen lost Saturday night. There are absolutely cases to be made about ALL the above complaints. There is. But the simple fact of the matter is at this point, Chael is standing in front of Anderson more or less okay, and on even ground. He was ahead on the cards, and holding his own striking. NOTHING that Silva did compelled him to bust out his Jon Jones impersonation at the worst possible moment.

That's what most fans see, and they're pretty much right on the money. Anderson had some downright questionable moments in this fight, and Chael is hardly a stranger to controversy either. But whatever happened, it (probably) didn't contribute much to what actually ended the fight - Hurricane Chael.

Chael Sonnen is an elite fighter. In both fights, he acquitted himself better than most UFC opponents of Anderson ever managed to. All he did, really, was make two mistakes in two fights against Silva - but when you're fighting the greatest of all time, two mistakes is two too many.

The 5 Ways Silva vs. Sonnen II Can Play Out (And How Fans Will React)

hobbie — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 22:49:26 -0000

With the possible exception of this summer’s Batman vs. Bane “Gothamweight” battle, I haven’t looked forward to a fight more in 2012 than Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II.

And I’m certainly not the only one who feels this way. Heck, Dana White said this fight was on track to do UFC 100-esque numbers on PPV! That’s huge! And it would only require about a million more households, give or take, tune into this fight than the last one. Which…could totally happen. Hey, after the 2012 the UFC has had thus far, I think a little boundless optimism is in order, wouldn’t you say?

In that spirit, I’m going to go ahead and completely ruin UFC 148’s main event for you. See, this fight has had some dramatic build-up, but I see the actual bout playing out one of only a few ways.

So not only am I going to break down how this fight ends, I’m going to predict how said ending would effect fan perceptions of Anderson, Chael, and whatever else I feel like elaborating on. Like Utau the Watcher (gotta stop with the nerdy references!), Jacob from “Lost” (whoops) or Nostradamus himself (I give up) let’s explore all the possible realities of Silva/Sonnen II, starting with:

Scenario 1: Silva Crushes Sonnen

How the Fight Plays Out: Anderson Silva, unhindered by a rib injury as he was the first time around, comes out mad as a hatter against a non-roiding Sonnen. Combining expert Muay Thai with bullet-time physics, "The Spider" enters the Matrix and makes Chael another notch on his highlight reel. With the recent "knock out all your teeth, break all your bones" tirade from Silva, this is the version of the fight most fans seem to be expecting.

Anderson Silva is: The man. The myth. The greatest of all time. If Silva starches Sonnen in spectacular fashion, it will more or less signal the end of the "Greatest Ever" debate amongst most MMA fans (if it wasn't already). Silva will become to MMA what The Beatles are to rock and roll: most agree they're the best ever, and those that disagree can't seem to agree on their candidate. Until Jon Jones wins a few more, that is.

Chael Sonnen is: Donesky. A second loss to Anderson Silva - especially a total thrashing - would force Sonnen to eat a load of crow so huge, no mortal man could survive. Two losses to the reigning champ would shut him out of the title picture, and keep perhaps the UFC's best "promo guy" on the sidelines of irrelevancy.

Other factors are: Anderson Silva will never sell a PPV again. Seriously, if he can smash his greatest rival with ease, he will have a tough time convincing Joe E. Public that his titles defences are worth tuning in for anymore. Unless a superfight with GSP or Jon Jones is in his future, a convincing win here could see the Anderson Silva retirement rumours given new life.

Scenario 2: Sonnen smothers Anderson for the decision

How the fight plays out: Same as their first fight, only Sonnen doesn't pull a Sonnen, avoids any last minute submission attempts, and takes a wide unanimous decision. It's a one-sided pounding match, and for 5 full rounds Chael's the guy swinging the hammer.

Anderson Silva is: Exposed as a mofo. If Chael can replicate the success he found last time - without falling victim to a Hail Mary triangle in the closing moments - than Anderson's stock plummets faster than Roy Nelson trying to base jump. His wrestling was always a weakness, the critics will say, and Andy's UFC resume is nearly devoid of world-class wrestlers. They'll say he fought the perfect competition. Oh sure, people will still speak of him as an all-time great - the same way Fedor gets props for his career in the same breath as folks claim he's a can crusher who always fought hand-picked opponents.

Chael Sonnen is: Ric Flair in 4 oz gloves. If the gangster from Oregon can stretch his effective 23 and-a-half minute performance from the first fight into 25 minutes, than get ready for the "Sonnen Era" to begin. Seriously, you thought he was annoying, overplayed, and downright grating now - just wait until he's the UFC Middleweight champion of the world. Every MMA blog will be renamed "The Adventures of Chael Sonnen, featuring those other guys in board shorts who also sometimes fight, too!"

And the really bad news is: this will be the defining moment for the "wrestling is killing MMA!" Crowd. If the most proficient and effective striker this sport has ever known is ground out like a cigarette butt on the Octagon floor for 25 minutes, expect to hear lots of complaining about the boring, point fighting, sweaty man-wrestling spectacle MMA is becoming.

Scenario 3: Repeat of the last fight

How the fight plays out: Like the title says, in this possible outcome, nothing changes. Sonnen's wrestling is still a big problem for Anderson, while Andy's BJJ is still a big problem for Sonnen. Silva takes another beating before pulling out the miraculous W.

Anderson Silva is: Done. Though he once again overcame adversity and showed his champion's heart, another dismal showing against Chael will have fans speculating that Silva has "lost it" and isn’t the same fighter he once was. Having set the bar so high for himself in previous fights, his status as "the greatest" will be severely challenged by the nearly 1 hour of footage of him being crushed by Sonnen. Let the retirement talk commence.

Chael Sonnen is: Down, but not out. While a second loss to Silva will eliminate him from the title picture for some time, we all saw his remarkable ability to spin victory from defeat following his first loss to Silva. A second loss - via one-sided crushing, followed by miracle submission - will only add fuel to those flames. Chael may be out of the title hunt, but there's still plenty of big fights for him out there. Perhaps he can continue the feud with Team Nogueira vs. Lyoto Machida or Little Nog at LHW.

But the X factor is: IT'S A CONSPIRACY! Seriously though, remember how many folks thought the ending of the first Anderson/Chael fight was a "work" when it first happened? Those rumours have been mostly put to bed, but another "fluke" finish and watch them spring up all over again. Chael is the true champion! The UFC is protecting Anderson! I know it's absurd but give folks two miracle fights in a row and I guarantee they'll believe anything.

Scenario 4: Dance Dance Revolution!

How the fight plays out: Remember the last time Anderson Silva got angry before a fight? Remember how awesome a spectacle the outcome was? No, I’m not talking about the Vitor fight – I’m talking Demian Maia, baby! This outcome assumes that Andy is so mad about everything Sonnen's said that he refuses to engage, runs around the ring, hides behind the ref, and generally amuses himself and no one else.

Anderson Silva is: SO. F*CKING. F*CKED. That's my impression of Dana White, talking to Anderson in his dressing room after the fight. If Anderson pulls off another Ultimate Staring Contest world title victory, Dana will be put in the uncomfortable position of having to stay true to his word, and fire the reigning 185-pound champion and dominant P4P king. Hey, it’ll make for some interesting (read: gossipy as a mofo) headlines at least.

Chael Sonnen is: Either King of the World, or equally as f*cked – I haven’t quite made up my mind. Demian Maia came off like a hero when Anderson danced around in front of him, but he also hadn’t talked reams of trash about Anderson’s wife and country, either. Combined with the Bisping fight, a lacklustre performance in this fight will likely have fans saying he was overrated all along.

If this does happen, thank God that: This fight didn’t happen in Brazil. Dana White was furious when Anderson gave his interpretative dance lesson during the main event to the first ever Abu Dhabi card – could you imagine his reaction in front of 70,000 screaming Brazilians? On second thought, that might be the only crowd that would give Andy’s antics a standing O.

Scenario 5: Steven Segal finally teaches Anderson the secrets of Dim Mak

How the fight plays out: A minute or two of feeling out, followed by Anderson unleashing a howl worthy of Bruce Lee, and THEN unleashing the ultra secret Dim Mak/Touch of Death/5 Point Palm Exploding Heart technique Steven Seagal finally decided to reveal to him. Not only is Chael instantly killed, his entire being is absorbed by Silva Shang Tsung-style. FATALITY!

Anderson Silva is: great sure, but nothing more than a disciple at the feet of the true “baddest man on the planet” – Mr. Under Siege himself. Yep, turns out Seagal isn’t just some crazy, over-the-hill movie star looking to inject his name in the conversation any way he can – he’s actually a legit badass who imparts incredible wisdom to seemingly accomplished MMA fighters. Who knew?

Chael Sonnen is: best not to speak ill of the dead.

And you just know that somewhere out there: Greg Jackson, Javier Mendez, and Matt Hume are looking up Chuck Norris' phone number.

By Elton Hobson, who can’t really see through time. Otherwise, he’d know exactly what kind of reaction this article is going to get and be ready with quippy comebacks like “too long, eh? Funny, that’s what your Mom said about me as well.” OH SNAP! Also, I’ve been off getting married/having a honeymoon/being lazy after that craziness, so…welcome back everyone!

Bellator Season Six: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

hobbie — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:52:14 -0000

This FanPost Was Promoted to the Front Page By Anton Tabuena

With Bellator’s sixth season (technically the seventh season overall if you count last summer’s "Summer Series) wrapping up this past weekend, I thought I’d take a couple of minutes to reflect on the season that was.

As we’ve come to expect from Bellator, this season offered us quite a roller coaster ride as fans – and I don’t necessarily mean that in a positive way .

We got everything from all-out wars, to contenders for "snoozer of the year." We got dynamic, exciting tournaments right along with some headscratchingly-poor matchmaking decisions. We got excitement, fun fights, and a big ol’ dollup of weird – pretty much what we’ve come to expect from MMA’s "little promotion that could".

And since I’m such a Clint Eastwood type of guy myself (I too, enjoy wearing colorful ponchos and not telling people my name) I thought I’d go all spaghetti western for our stroll down (recent) memory lane. So without further ado, let’s look back on the season that was, and recall "the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" of Bellator’s sixth season.

This FanPost Was Promoted to the Front Page By Anton Tabuena

As we’ve come to expect from Bellator, this season offered us quite a roller coaster ride as fans – and I don’t necessarily mean that in a positive way .

The Good

Pat Curran Arrives: Few wins were more gratifying this season than watching Pat Curran go from "perennial contender" to "bona fide champion". A victor of two Bellator tournaments in two different weight classes (the only man to ever do so) Curran seemed destined for the "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" role within Bellator.

That he finally won a major world title was a great story; that he won via spectacular KO was even better; and that said KO was over the legendarily arrogant Joe Warren is the icing on the cake. Curran is a polite, well-spoken champion with unbelievable KO power for a 145’er – his win was a win for MMA fans everywhere.

Alvarez Trumps Aoki: It might not have been a world title, and it may have featured two former greats now well outside the lightweight top 5. But there’s no denying that the Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki fight was the biggest main event Bellator put on this year, titles or not. And there’s no denying Alvarez put some much needed wind back in his sails with the smashing victory.

If the rumors of Eddie’s imminent departure for the UFC are true, this could end up being a bad proposition for Bellator in the long term. Still, it was great to see the "Chuck Liddell of Bellator" not only avenge a previous defeat, but get a signature win over credible competition after the shock of the Mike Chandler loss.

Cole Konrad Is For Real!: If you heard that statement in Joe Rogan’s voice, a’la "Houston Alexander is for real!" (oh, sweet irony) then you’ve accurately captured the spirit of this post. Ok, so we’ve always known Konrad has "the goods". Two NCAA division 1 national championships in wrestling is no small feat. Neither is going undefeated in your MMA career, including six straight wins in the Bellator cage.

But they say you aren’t a true champion until you defend your title, and Konrad more than answered that criticism with a terrific kimura finish of Eric Prindle at Bellator 70. If there was anyone in the MMA world who wasn’t taking Konrad seriously, they certainly are now.

The Bad

Ben Askren Cures Insomnia: Speaking of uber-talented amateur wrestlers with unbeaten records and all the potential in the world – Ben Askren is a former U.S. Olympian, and the reigning Bellator welterweight champion. He’s young, ~~good looking~~, has a unique (some might say "funky") look and demeanor, and oh yeah – he’s a U.S. freakin’ Olympian. Sorry, had to channel my inner Kurt Angle.

The only problem: it turns out he’s about as fun to watch fight as paint is to watch dry. His fight with Douglas Lima at Bellator 64 was a particular low-light of this season, with not much drama or action but a whole lot of positional grappling and stalling. Now me personally? I don’t mind Askren, and I chalk up his style to his still being a relative newb in MMA. But as far as most folks are concerned, Askren is officially the least interesting champion in Bellator, which is a crying shame for someone of his potential.

Chris Horodecki Falls Apart: Now maybe I’m just a Canadian fanboy (I totally am), but I had high hopes for Chris Horodecki when he made the jump to Bellator. Here’s a fighter with plenty of experience, well-rounded skills (mostly), and still a young guy at just 23 years old (at the time). I saw no reason why the future shouldn’t be bright for the "Polish Hammer."

Well I guess we’re getting the "Polish Hammer" circa 1939, because since his Bellator debut Horodecki has been anything but impressive. With a 1-1-1 record in the promotion overall, Horodecki isn’t exactly tearing up the charts. This season was perhaps his lowest moment yet – against Mike Richman, a fighter who lost his entry bout on the GSP vs. Kos season of the Ultimate Fighter, Horodecki was brutally put to sleep in under 90 seconds. Whether it’s the untimely death of mentor Shawn Thompkins or something else, here’s hoping Chris can right his ship and start getting back into the win column.

Akihiro Gono Gets Embarrassed: I know, I know, I seem like a big hypocrite for showering the Aoki/Alvarez fight in praise, only to crap on Chandler/Gono a few paragraphs later. The big difference to me is that while Alvarez and Aoki were both in similar points in their careers – former champions on the comeback trail – and had previous history with one another, Mike Chandler and Akihiro Gono…well…didn’t.

Let’s face facts: saying Gono is past his moment is like saying the sky is blue and the grass is green at this point. Coming into this fight, he was 3-5 in his last 8, which isn’t exactly a sterling record to put up against your champion of the world. And this fight played out like everyone knew it would: with Chandler separating Gono from consciousness in the time it takes you to read this paragraph. This was a make busy fight and a waste of everybody’s time – Chandler’s, Gono’s, and especially the fans.

The Ugly

The Prindle/Santos Mess: In just about all the way’s something can be classified as "ugly" in MMA – the Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos drama/controversy was exactly that. It started at Bellator 59, where the most advertent inadvertent groin kick in MMA history (just kidding, Cheick Kongo) ended the affair in a frustrating No Contest. Seeing Eric Prindle writhing in pain following what amounted to an in-cage game of Roshambo with Thiago Santos was an absolutely terrible way to end last season – and the heavyweight tournament.

Then over the course of this season, repeated attempts to make the Santos/Prindle rematch fell apart. They were set to rematch at Bellator LXI, before "flu-like symptoms" forced the last-minute delay of the bout to the following week. Then Santos misses weight, and after all this root and confusion, the tournament is simply awarded to Prindle by default. Hardly a satisfying end – especially when you consider that Prindle would go on to get flattened by Cole Konrad a few weeks later.

Too Many Failed Debuts: One of the big reasons I was looking forward to this season was the debut of so many well-known former UFC fighters. We had already seen what drama and excitement a guy like Ben Saunders was able to bring to his Bellator fights, and I couldn’t wait to see how some other former UFC alum would fare inside Bellator’s cage.

Only it never happened. War Machine was forced out of the welterweight tourney for the slightly inconvenient fact that he was in prison. Brian Foster was another former UFC fighter who had to back out of the season six welterweight tournament because of medical issues. Kurt Pelligrino had to cancel his Bellator debut because of a knee injury, and was replaced by "the next Anderson Silva" Phillipe Nover – who was himself scratched from the event.

No End to Bantamweight and Welterweight Tournaments: I don’t know how Bellator screwed this one up exactly. A simple look at the schedule would have revealed a very serious problem when it came to Bellator’s welterweight and bantamweight tournaments this season. See, here we are, with season six over and behind us – yet both the bantamweight and welterweight tournaments haven’t technically ended yet.

We’re told that the resolution to these tournaments will be this summer, so maybe this is a clever marketing ploy to get viewers to tune in to the 2012 "Summer Series". I hope it is – because if not, this is a pretty serious mistake that shows how "bush league" Bellator can be sometimes. When your brand is anchored on building stars through your tournaments, it might be a good idea to actually resolve the tournaments before the season is out, would it not?

By Elton Hobson

What Every MMA Fan Should Remember

hobbie — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:26:38 -0000

Imagine if right now, this moment, you were told you were going to be in a fight.

I know, I know – the internet tough guy immediately comes back with “Bro, dude, I fight all the time! I get in fights every day. I’m like a living legend on these streets. JUMP IN MY GUARD, BRO!”

Ok, so now that the knee-jerk reaction has been taken care of for you and the whole internet knows what a bad man you really are – if you could, think a bit harder for me.

Think about the times you knew you were going to be in a fight.

If your experiences are anything like mine, your mindset didn’t resemble the UFC’s version of what a “fighter” thinks about before a fight. You weren’t getting ready to “bear witness to the fitness of the modern warrior”. You weren’t amped to “face the pain”. You certainly weren’t looking forward to your noggin being in the way as “BOOM another hit is landed.”

Chances are you were feeling pretty damn apprehensive. Not scared per se, not afraid – but damn, damn nervous.

See, fighting is the most naked activity a human being can participate in. Wait, that sounded wrong. Let’s try again: Fighting is the frothy lubricant for our emotional…ah damnit! One more time: the act of combat causes us to grope uncomfortably into the darkest deepest cracks of…oh forget it!

Simply put: fighting is definitive in a way other sports simply aren’t.

I bet you can’t remember every game of basketball, or golf, or rugby, or whatever that you’ve ever played. Even the “big” games – championships, rivalry games, that sort of thing – fade in time.

But I’m willing to bet that you remember, with picture-perfect clarity, every single fight you’ve ever been in.

To use the example of Brett Favre, his interception against the Saints in the NFC championship game made him one of the most despised guys in sports – for a brief time. Oh, and he also took pictures of his junk and sent them to people. That was kind of a smear as well.

But it doesn’t matter. He’s retired now, and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats. And as many times as he screwed up (and he did) he always had another season to redeem himself.

Each season, the slate was wiped clean – for the team, and for the players on it. No New Orleans Saints fan still claims their team is the best because they won the Superbowl almost three years ago.

Forrest Griffin is a former world champion, a PPV headliner, and an all-time great with 14 UFC fights to his name. How much you want to bet that every time his name is brought up with fans, in the media, wherever – the first thing that comes to mind is Anderson Silva. That fight was in 2009, the same year/season the Saints went all the way to the Superbowl, yet in one sport the slate is completely wiped clean.

In the other sport, our sport, the stigma of defeat will hang around Forrest’s neck forever.

He’ll never get another season to rectify that. There isn’t a tour coming up where they’ll meet again. They won’t meet every 2 months, like tennis stars. His only chance for redemption is a rematch. And with Forrest’s career winding down and Anderson newly busy at middleweight, that’s not likely to happen.

All the respect Forrest earned before the Silva fight – like winning a world championship, or being in the most important fight in MMA history – was all but erased in the minds of many fans with that one, smashing defeat.

It’s not right, it’s not fair, but it’s the cold, hard truth about MMA. About combat sports. About fighting.

I could blame mentality. I could blame the “winning is everything” mindset of the American fan. I could blame Vince Lombardi. I could blame “Mortal Kombat” or “Bloodsport” or “Highlander” for inspiring this “victor vanquishes the defeated” mindset in combat sports. I could blame Obama – that seems to be in style with you Yanks right now.

But the simple truth is: it’s human nature. Being better at a silly children’s game is fleeting, trivial, and next to meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

But being better at a fight? That goes right back to our most primal instincts. That’s some “law of the jungle” sh*t. When one person beats another person in a direct, violent physical confrontation, it’s akin to an evolutionary statement that says to everyone watching “I am better. My genes are superior. I am a better mate, provider, and specimen of human being.”

Are there exceptions? Of course. We’ve all seen those fights that were all out wars, where the announcers proclaim that “neither man really lost this fight,” or something similar. The Gatti vs. Ward trilogy in boxing is a great example of that rare instance where the winner of the fight isn’t as important as the fight itself.

But these are the exceptions, rather than the rule. 90% of the time, in life as in combat sports, one guy beats the other, and now the winner>the loser. Case closed, let’s move on.

Now I ask you again: imagine you were told, right now, that you were going to be in a fight. And your friends, family, and everyone you ever knew would all be watching this fight. Imagine 20,000 people were gathered ‘round to watch this fight. Imagine there were whole blogs, news sites, and articles devoted to looking at whether or not you were going to get your ass kicked. Can you possibly imagine the total vulnerability – emotional, mental, physical – such a situation would force in you?

That’s what a fighter faces every time he gets in the cage. And he faces something else, too – the possibility of complete humiliation and defeat, that unless he is a big name in a big money fight, he’ll likely never get the chance to avenge.

In every action you take as a fan, in every critical word you write, in every insult you drunkenly hurl at a boring fight, in every dismissive, critical notion that a fighter is “done”, “overrated” “exposed” or anything else – never, ever forget this.

It’s pretty much the least we can do, don’t you think?

By Elton Hobson, who's decision to go all sentimental with this post and wax poetic about the unfair nature of combat sports hopefully makes him sound humble and insightful, instead of shallow and whinny. Worst-case scenario, talking about himself in the 3rd person ought to bring back all the tough guy MMA fans he just turned off with this little "3 hanky surprise".