Why, why, why would Houston Alexander tap out with only 10 seconds left in the round?
Wednesday's Ultimate Fight Night is still a hot topic amongst many MMA fans and it was fairly evident during my radio show Thursday. Some harsh criticism towards Houston Alexander, Mac Danzig and Nate Diaz summed up the majority of the voices that make up the MMA fanbase.
Being a fan of Alexander, I could not help but shake my head when about three minutes into the first round in his bout vs. Eric Schafer, you could see Alexander's pace begin to take a serious nose dive. While I understand and can definitely respect his age (37) and the difficulty he must have in preparing for his bouts -- Alexander is a single father raising six kids -- I would hope that somehow, someway, he would have been able to display a stronger sense of stamina, cardio and internal body clock to pace himself in a five-minute round.
Alexander started off strong, rocking Schafer on numerous occasions, but as the expected knockout wasn't unfolding to his liking, you could see the frustration in his body language. Once Schafer was able to take the fight where he wanted it to be, on the ground, Alexander could not provide a consistent answer to reverse his fortunes. When he tapped out with less than 10 seconds left in the round, I could just sense and feel the frustration and sympathy for the legion of fans he has built over his tenure in the UFC with an overwhelming question of "Why"?
Why tap out when there are only a few seconds left in the round? Why not persevere just a little longer? How can a fighter's body clock not know that the end of the round is near? One would figure that after a long, grueling training camp of multiple five-round sparring sessions, the body would be aware of how long 300 seconds takes to tick during battle.
As disturbing as it may seem, I am still a fan of the "Assassin" and sincerely hope he can rectify the nuances in his game so he can at least make one last run in the light-heavyweight division. This of course, is pending whether or not the UFC decides to cut him from their roster.
Another fighter who seems to be feeling the brunt of criticism from the UFC fan base is Mac Danzig. Personally, I had no real qualms with Danzig and his overall performance. His striking was tight, his footwork was great. The only real issue appeared to be his mental state and difficulty with overcoming frustration. When I say frustration, I am referring to the incredible pace and rhythm his opponent Clay Guida forced upon him.
Guida is a bad match-up for the majority of fighters in the lightweight division. He is frantic, quick, relentless and at times awkward to figure out and overcome. To train for Guida is surely a difficult task as finding training partners to replicate his mannerisms is next to impossible. Couple that with the fact he is always in your face and is difficult to break, you are looking at a style of fighter that may not be championship calibre, but an opponent and fight that is a huge risk to take, considering the risks at hand.
I see Guida in the lightweight division similar to what Lyoto Machida is to the light-heavyweight division and what Cain Velasquez is in the heavyweight division. Fighters with styles and names that are very difficult to beat or if you do beat them, what does that do for your standing in your division.
There are differences, but there are similarities that pose a second opinion when a fighter's manager is weighing out the options on whether to take the fight or decline it altogether.
As for Nate Diaz, he too appears to be hearing a fair bit of negativity regarding his post-fight interview and unprofessional behaviour at the post-fight press conference. I for one am not surprised as history has proven that Diaz will drop an f-bomb, or seven, and his whole thug persona is not anything new to anyone that has been following his career; and for that matter, that of his brother Nick.
Both Diaz brothers have an exciting style whenever they fight. They push the pace and frustrate opponents into making mistakes until they eventually catch them in a fight of the night submission or suck the will to fight out of their opposition, eventually landing a knockout blow. It's when they open their mouths that controversy rears its ugly head.
There are various reports stating that both brothers conducted themselves in an inappropriate fashion at the post-fight press conference. After Nate answered a question, his brother began cursing in the background at which point Nate followed suit and left. They continued their tirade into the hallway forcing the UFC to do their best to calm the situation down, before it escalated any further.
How long will the UFC tolerate this type of behaviour? Is the risk really worth the reward? Do they want Nate Diaz to continue to rise up the lightweight rankings while further showcasing the misconceptions that many of the mainstream media and critics have about the UFC, that the fighters are all thugs and have no class? Have they, or will they try and put an end to Diaz's lack of professionalism?
The way I look at it, it may need to come from not only the UFC, but from the parties that Diaz looks up to. I look at Caesar Gracie, a true gentleman who trains and oversees much of Diaz's career. Perhaps a little discussion with Nate (and Nick) to curb their desire to wreak havoc and instead, think about their future and the benefits they can reap if they are considered ambassadors and corporate spokesmen.
There are charities and companies that would jump all over the Diaz brothers because they have an incredible story of survival and one filled with the spirit to never back down and fight for your right to represent what you believe. They could be role models to many of the youth in California and showcase that there is a better way to deal with things and other options one can choose to be a model citizen.
As professional athletes, their careers have such a short spectrum so why not maximize the revenue potential like a Chuck Liddell, GSP and Randy Couture. If I were Caesar Gracie I would continue to try and get them to understand the financial benefits of professionalism. With wins and media attention come monetary gain. You can think in the thousands or you can think in the millions. Another option is running out of money when it's all said and done.
Here's hoping they make the right choice.
Catch me weekly on 'Sportsnet Connected' and Friday mornings on 'The Showdown' at 12am on Toronto Sport's Radio, The Fan 590.
