Revenge can be a powerful motivator, but it can end up doing more harm than good.

When it comes to the sharpest and most excited action thrillers there’s nothing like a good revenge story line to latch onto. The same could be said for combat sports as well. The rematch between Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold was set to be a battle of epic proportions. Leading up to their title rematch there was no shortage of trash talk and bad blood, most of it being spewed by Weidman, and who could blame him. After all, Rockhold was the man who was victorious in their first bout, so it’s only natural that the former champ would hold a grudge. But that same passion for revenge could be the exact thing that caused Weidman’s injury and the eventual cancellation of the UFC 199 main event. The concept of “you win some, you lose some” isn’t treated the same way in combat sports as it is in other sporting endeavors. It’s easy for a basketball team to lose a game and comeback stronger next game or even next season. Losing a fight eats away at a fighter’s pride and could prove to either bolster them to improve or crush them forever. Chris Weidman seems more like the former than the latter, but the problem with that passion to improve is that it can often blind you. The nature of Weidman’s injury, a herniated disc in his neck, is very severe to say the least. But one has to wonder if he was pushing himself past his limits in preparation for the rematch. Weidman is tough guy, a person who is willing to wade through the fire in order to obtain victory. But that very approach often times can lead to unforeseen injuries in the gym. It’s good to see that Weidman was smart enough to know when he should fight on and when you have to take a step back and reassess things. Weidman is a mature fighter who understands his body and surely wants to remain healthy. Once he’s healed it will be interesting to see how his approach changes, if he’ll be less emotional in his next training camp and if he can avoid injury. Here’s hoping that he heals up well and hopefully has an opportunity to fight on the historic NYC event that the former champion has been anticipating. Do you think Weidman pushed himself too hard or was this injury inevitable? Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.