A Fighting Champion

A Fighting Champion: How Champions should face adversity
Posted by: Marcus
As an MMA fan, and a fan of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, you probably have assumed by this point that I was disappointed by the finale of UFC 104. I was sitting in the home of my closest friend, both of us on the edge of our seats, as we saw Shogun pick apart one of the pound for pound greatest fighters on the planet. Lyoto Machida, who many had assumed would destroy Shogun after annihilating Rashad Evans, was systematically weakened and beaten up by the vicious leg and body kicks of a man who is a master of Muay Thai. After five rounds had finished, Lyoto looked like he could barely walk, and Shogun looked ready to fight another five rounds if he had to. It was quite possibly the most technical battle ever seen in MMA, and easily the fight of the year. However, the judges must have been watching some other fight, because they gave Lyoto Machida the win, followed by a crowd booing the judges for their faulty decision.

However, in regards to this blog entry, that wasn't what caught my ear. Machida could have easily walked away from another fight with Shogun and fought someone else, like the winner of Evans vs Thiago Silva, or the winner of Griffin vs Ortiz. Instead, he agreed to a rematch as soon as he could fight again, and the fans will get to see the two best light heavyweight mixed martial artists battle again. It is my belief that this is how a true champion acts.

Too often in other sports do we see champions not face the best competition in the world, simply because their camps won't allow it to happen, or because of fear. Floyd "Money" Mayweather is a shining example of this. If you're not familiar with Mayweather, he's a coward. This is one of the two best boxers in the world right now, and he refuses to fight the one man who could beat him. That person is Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao. Truthfully, I might be a little harsh with Mayweather, but I know I'm not the only one who thinks that a fight between the two won't happen. Many boxing aficionados have also been quoted as saying "Mayweather would fight Cotto, but never Pacquiao. Pacquiao can defeat him."

When it comes down to it, a true champion is a tested champion. To call yourself the best in the world, you must fight the best in the world, and win. Anderson Silva is easily the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world because he has never backed down, and annihilated the best in the world in two weight divisions. B.J. Penn has fought in two divisions, held titles in two different divisions, and never backs down from a challenge. Matt Hughes is called the most dominant champion the UFC has ever have because he's defeated every single UFC Welterweight Champion sans Pat Miletich. Do you, the reader, see the pattern?

I know that many people say that Dana White is MMA's anti-christ, but you all know for a fact that he's correct when he says, "the best in the world fight the best in the world." Fact of the matter is, can people who don't fight the best really be called the best? Fedor Emelianenko passed up on the chance to fight Brock Lesnar to fight in Strikeforce, where his first fight is against Brett Rogers, and his inevitable ending will be fighting Alistair Overeem. In the UFC, he could have fought Lesnar, Mir, Minotauro, Velasquez, Carwin, etc. The same goes for Mayweather. Floyd is not the best in the world, because he's backing down from fighting the best in the world, whereas Manny doesn't have that issue. In the world of Boxing, look at why Ali is considered the greatest of all time. Not only has he fought some of the all-time greatest fighters, he defeated them, some by KO.

To finish it up, I have to say that though I disagree with UFC 104's decision, I do agree that Machida acted like a true champion afterward. He's willing to fight the best, and I think that's the way that the best should act. Truth be told, I think that sports businesses like the UFC are good for fighting. If look look at lists of the top ten in every division, notice how most of the people on those lists are in the UFC or WEC (which is owned by Zuffa) and the rest, truth be told, are over-hyped to degrees. I think that a champion is forged in the hottest fires, and is never scared of being there. Georges St. Pierre once said, "I'm always ready for the fight." That, I think, sums up what true champions think.