Paulo Fihlo is a bad bad man. In last fight, he took a beating, stayed relaxed and pulled out an arm bar from his ass that would have ripped Chael Sonnen arm off if the ref did not stop it. I know many people believe his performances in the WEC are nowhere near the destruction he caused in his Pride days. Maybe that’s because he is bored? It cannot be easy going from fighting top tear talent in front of audiences in the thousands to the gymnasium that is Hard Rock. So why is Fihlo shoved off into the corner of the WEC when he is ranked #2 in the world? Because he will not fight his friend, the #1 185er in the world, Anderson Silva.
Friend’s fighting each other is not something I thought I would ever support. But when you think about in terms of a sport then it becomes ridiculous for these athletes not to square up, man up, and get it on. Can you conceive of the Patriots saying, “We’re so sorry, we can not play against the Cowboys. They are our friends.†Or if Dale Earnhardt refused to race Richard Petty because they were drinking buddies. It would never happen.
When friends do get in the cage together we are treated to some of the greatest fights of the sport. Watching the passion that both War Machine and J-Rock put out during the TUF Finals was awe-inspiring and a gorgeous display of heart. Scott Smith and Pete Sell high-fiving each other after brutal exchanges and ending in a Hollywood moment last effort punch. Even Rampage and Henderson pushing each other to the edge, brought out rousing performances from both friends. These fights made you jump off your seat and scream. Not for a fighter, but for the fight, for leaving it all on the floor and in the cage. They’re better friends for doing it.
Could you imagine the cage wars that would be Wandy Vs Shogun, Franklin vs. Hughes (I know they are not in the same weight class, but they said they would never fight each other) or Fihlo vs. Silva, talent and friendship mixed with rage in a cage, guarantees to have limits pushed in an electric atmosphere where friends or not, they will leave no doubt who the better fighter is on that night.
I know the comparison of all sports to MMA is difficult, if not down right impossible to do. But this is a sport and must be treated like one. If MMA were just about fighting it would not have come this far. The rules, regulations and efforts across the country to enforce these standards have made it clear that MMA is not just about fighting. It is not simply two guys kicking each other’s faces in. It is a sport that involves huge amounts dedication and commitment to compete at the elite level. When the best fighters in the world are best friends its time to remember this is a sport. Lets get it on guys, have a beer afterwards; we will all be better friends for it.
Christopher Shultz
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December 18th, 2007 at 3:10 am
All they have to do is convince one of them to take the fight. Tito and Chuck used to say they would never fight each other (at least that is what I have read, ha ha), until Chuck wanted the fight.
December 18th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Once you’ve convince one friend to fight you most likely will get the other to go. Nobobd likes to back down from a challenge, firends or not. as far as Chuck and Tito, Chuck always wanted that fight. He knew he had his number and they were never tight no matter how Bobble Head wanted to spin it. Tito used the friend excuse just to dodge him.
The more I think about this situation i belive all of this is solved with money. I bet the best of friends will hope in the cage for the right price. I guess thats what sports is today, its all about the money.
Sidenote: If i hear another fighter say “i dont want to take food out of his mouth” i’m going to stab myself with a fork and puke.
December 19th, 2007 at 9:37 am
It’s funny that you mention Filho’s refusal to fight his friend when we have all of these friends and relatives in other bigger sports like baseball and football. Remember the whole Ronde Barber vs. Tiki Barber matchup in the NFL? Or how about the battle of the Manning’s? I could go on for a little while, but I think my point is clear. When it comes down to it, some guys just value their friendship over money when they have the choice.
Dan Henderson and Rampage Jackson went at it and they were/are friends. While Henderson managed to sneak a little smile during the staredown to signify his relationship with his opponent, Jackson didn’t dare think about the whole idea of fighting his friend. Guess who won? Conincidence? Perhaps.
Not only have friends fought in the past, there’s the potential of a Shamrock vs. Shamrock bout looming in the near future. Brother vs. (adopted) Brother makes everything even more interesting.