Issue 059
February 2010
Let me clear something up; I don’t mean old, I mean experienced (please don’t spank me Randy). MMA is a young sport (the UFC is only sweet 16) and records are continually being set for most submission wins, fastest KO, youngest champion and oldest competitor. If you asked fans at what age they think an MMA fighter is in his prime, you may get answers that span ten years or more. The truth is that primes and peaks are entirely subjective to each fighter. It is clear that to Randy Couture age is just a number, but this is not true for very many other fighters.
As a fighter your prime may last longer if you keep increasing your skill base as you grow older. Tactics and experience can often counter an opponent’s youthful gusto. But when the reflexes start to slow, when the weight cutting becomes too taxing, and your style becomes predictable: that’s when your prime is at an end.
It does not need to be the end of your career, but it must mean a change in tactics if you are to continue at the highest level. Put aside the notion of lightning-fast stand-up and start using some of those amazing moves you have perfected through many years of competition. That’ll surprise the young ‘uns.
Back before UFC 91, when people discussed the potential meeting between Brock and Randy, one of the most interesting considerations was when the fight would occur on their relative career timelines. People asked whether they would meet before Lesnar had gained enough MMA experience. Would it be after Randy’s (possibly mythical) prime had passed, or at some point between the two?
It could be argued that both Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell hit the evolution wall at a time that coincided with their passing of the torch to younger fighters. As fantastic as both former champions are, when the time came to adapt their game away from faster, upcoming stars they found themselves with limited options. Nobody could tell Chuck that there were those who could counterpunch faster than him, or convince Hughes his takedowns could now be sprawled upon. Ironically, Hughes himself had demonstrated the evolution of MMA when he quickly stopped Royce Gracie, the original UFC champion. It was a dominant fight, but one that brought little joy to witness.
Unfortunately, for every active and competitive veteran like Randy there are many fighters whose careers follow the path of Mark Kerr. Nobody wants to see an aging hero beaten yet again. Fights featuring these veterans can make uncomfortable viewing and prompt many fans to call for retirement. While nobody can take away the glorious victories of the past, there is a palpable sadness when watching yet another consecutive loss.
The UFC have realized that pleasing the fans with exciting matchups is sometimes more important than rigid-ranking battles. They have made a conscious effort to recruit the veteran stars of the past. Men who have not held recent titles but have a lot of past glory, a lot of fans and are not giving up anytime soon; men like Mark Coleman, Vitor Belfort, Phil Baroni, and if rumors come true, Pat Miletich and Renzo Gracie.
Veteran-star power, not fantastic records, excite fans. Catchweight fights can set up some legendary super-fights; one last run for glory or the title, and possibly the Hall Of Fame. A fight such as Phil Baroni vs Amir Sadollah may not be a UFC headliner, but it has that dramatic clash of generational representation, the young fighter against the veteran gladiator. When time-served experience collides with exciting new promise, there is bound to be a big smash. Coleman and Couture have been MMA trainers for many years. They have tricks up their sleeves just waiting to counter aggressive young fighters. Stephan Bonnar was one who found out the hard way that veterans should not be underestimated.
There is only room for successful and / or exciting fighters in the UFC; two or three losses in a row can see a contract quickly cut. Other large MMA promotions have traditionally picked up fighters who have been dropped by the UFC, welcoming them and their star power to help boost audiences. Some shows have been positively overrun with veteran fighters as if big names from the past were enough to guarantee great fights regardless of recent form.
This trend seems to be changing with the UFC now gathering up contracts so that certain veterans can finish their careers in the big show. Even if they fight low down on a UFC card, they are more useful to the organization here than headlining someone else’s show. Competing promotions may soon find their ratio of unknown fighters increasing dramatically.
New UFC fans are discovering the sport all the time, either through TUF, free-TV specials or a pay per view at a friend’s house. By re-introducing the old-school stars, Dana and the Fertitta brothers are gently nudging people towards the extensive back catalogue of DVDs and on-demand classic fights. The living legends of the UFC continue to represent the sport by competing, charming new fans with their dancing and helping to take the brand forward. Not bad for ‘old’ men.
