Fighters getting exhausted early in MMA bouts because of a lack of proper training is something that should not be tolerated.
The recent poor display of stamina and cardio at UFC 93 is an embarrassment for mixed martial arts. If the sport wants to be taken seriously, then the athletes, managers and promoters should all learn a valuable lesson from Saturday's debacle.
Much of the focus appears to be surrounding the co-main event between Mark Coleman and Mauricio (Shogun) Rua, but there are other fighters out there who should not be pardoned for their inexcusable performances. This is a sport that still has its critics, many of whom point to MMA fighters as untrained, bar-room brawlers with no real boxing techniques in their striking. That is what we saw in the Coleman-Rua fight, as both fighters looked like amateurs in rounds two and three.
This type of striking and poor technique is generally seen in many grassroots events, as fighters learn what it takes to be a better mixed martial arts fighter. Striking technique appears sloppy, takedowns do not flow and their submission timing is not there yet. But to see this in a UFC co-main event is a black eye for the world's leading promotion.
Both Rua and Coleman stated they were in the best shape of their lives. Both had more than four months to prepare for this bout. Coleman looked like he was in fantastic shape and Rua talked a great game. At 27 years old, Shogun should have blasted through his opponent, but instead, was running on empty after one round. Coleman was there for the taking, but Rua could not muster up any power to finish him until very late in the final moments of the bout. How can a fighter in his twenties, who as once ranked No. 1 in the world, have a difficult time finishing off an opponent in his forties, in a rematch he has wanted for three years?
Some say jet-lag, but this was Rua's 17th fight away from home. It's safe to say he knows how to overcome jet lag. My initial reaction was that he was injured AGAIN in this training camp, similar to what occurred when he was prepping for Griffin. My theory was quashed the moment he immediately accepted the UFC's backstage offer to fight Chuck Liddell in April. If Rua was injured, he would have declined the fight to rest any damage he sustained during his training.
Was it his diet and poor nutrition choices? Was it incorrect preparation? Did he peak too early? These are questions that may be answered in future, but for the young Brazilian's sake, he needs to figure this out right now. Having met him before, I know he is a humble man, genuine in his words and there is no doubt in my mind he trained for this bout. But something, if not many things, went wrong. If he doesn't fix them, Liddell will likely have a cakewalk come April 18.
In Coleman, many longtime followers of the sport did not see his lack of stamina as any great surprise. "It's Coleman, we are used to it," but I for one cannot understand how months of training and prep can only get you four good minutes of fighting. A decade of being in the sport and there is still evidence that his jiu-jitsu and boxing techniques are sub-standard compared to others who have been in the sport for so long. Coleman will always be the "Godfather of ground and pound" but I will also remember him as a fighter who was never able to be a true mixed martial artist.
Another fighter whose performance appears to be getting negative reviews is Rousimar Palhares. While many are giving him a "get out of jail free" card for breaking his right hand during the first round of his bout with Jeremy Horn, I would like to know why he was huffing and puffing late in the second round as well as for the whole third round. There is no doubt Palhares is a physical specimen. Stamina wasn't much of an issue in his previous bout vs. Dan Henderson, so why was it an issue this time?
Did he take Horn lightly, thinking he can walk through him like Nate Marquardt, Jorge Santiago and Chuck Liddell? Why the lack of lungs when one or two solid victories puts you across the Octagon in a title shot vs. Anderson Silva? Let it be known that I have recently seen and heard of many fighters, on all levels, who have openly stated that they didn't train as hard as usual for a specific fight thinking they "can take this guy in the first round." In today's day and age, it simply makes me shake my head in disappointment.
Looking at UFC 93, I commend fighters like Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle. Professional athletes who consistently show that they take this sport seriously. The evidence is in their performance. Fight preparation is no longer a secret. There is a ton of information out there on what it takes to prepare properly for a fight, how to chart a six-week, eight-week or ten-week training schedule. What foods to eat, when, and at what times.
Gone are the days of training one hour a day. Nowadays, it's a two-a-days, striking, takedowns, grappling, coupled with weights, roadwork, sprints, calisthenics, ply metrics, kettle bells, proper nutrition and correct hydration techniques. The list can go on and on but my point is MMA fans deserve more for the money they are spending on tickets, pay-per-views, merchandising and more.
All promoters, from the UFC on down, should step in and let fighters know that they will not tolerate any fighters who perform as if they did not properly train for a fight. There is nothing worse than seeing two exhausted fighters slugging away at each other with sloppy technique in the second round of a fight. It makes for a bad product and fans should not have to pay to see that.
Injuries aside, there should be no excuse for any fighter to show up and look as if he hasn't trained at all for his opponent. Promoters, fans and even sponsors should make their voices heard when it comes to athletes who make the sport look as if it hasn't been here for the past 15 years. If fighters want to be the next GSP, Anderson Silva, or Rashad Evans, then they should do some research on what these guys do to prepare for their bouts. Even fighters like B.J. Penn learned from his errors and changed the way he looks at his training camp… and that was three years ago.
I guess for some fighters, it takes longer to wake up. Unfortunately for them, it may actually take a wakeup call for them to actually get it.
