MMA On Point - Podcast

Does it seem like the UFC is holding on to fighters longer than they ever have these days? Why are so many fighters being kept on the roster with insane losing streaks?

People love to put other is boxes and attach labels and this is doubly true of rivals who want to use these methods to mental defeat their opponent before they step into the cage. In some cases, like that of Justin Gaethje be labeled the Homer Simpson of MMA, well you could say that nickname has aged like milk, especially as he's achieved championship status. It's also true that fighter learn more from their losses, so you combine that with a humiliating nickname and it can see fighters like Sergei Pavolich crumble or others like "Decision Dan Henderson", well his name couldn't be any further from the KO artist he became.

Islam Machkhachev just broken some major records at UFC 330 against Ian Garry, but it was difficult, he didn't pull of much damage and at the end of the day, it's certainly impressive, but it also was lacking in a lot of ways. Can Islam keep this up against some of the giants at 170?

Sometimes a fighter appears to be unbeatable one moment and the next well, it's as if they've fallen off a cliff. There is no great example of this than when fighters have completely gassed out and have essentially become totally useless in the cage.

In most cases, the champion for any given division in the UFC or otherwise is certainly the best, but does that mean they are the scariest? Not necessarily. Sometimes there are contenders so utterly terrifying, their fellow contenders would literally rather fight and lose to the champ than have to face the consequences of going up against these terrors.