Defeat can either be a blessing or a curse.
Wow. One huge upset at a UFC event is pretty spectacular. For it to happen twice is truly surreal. Being honest I picked both Holly Holm and Conor McGregor to walk away with victories at UFC 196. The fact that both lost, both by rear naked choke, was certainly mind boggling to watch. Both were hyped as being the next best thing since sliced bread and in reality they still are. Both Holly and Conor are impressive talents who are a win away from being on top of the mountain again. The problem is that MMA is a what have you done for me lately kind of sport and until they get back into the win column they’ll have to put up with some bashing from fans and pundits. Holly Holm’s defeat was shocking mostly for the fact that she may have been moments away from defending her title for the first time against a game and hungry Miesha Tate. A tactical error on Holm’s part and a gutsy and impressive performance from Tate would prove to be the former champion’s undoing. It was a horrible moment for Holm who was looking for validation and a triumphant moment for Tate who doesn’t get near as much credit as she deserves. It was a bittersweet moment to say the least. Both girls are truly worthy of being champion in both ability and conduct in and outside the cage. Now, everyone knows that the meat and potatoes of this article will center around Conor McGregor’s defeat at the hands of Nate Diaz. McGregor’s hype train took a major hit with the loss and really it may be the best thing to ever happen to the brash Irishman. Speaking on the performance it wasn’t an entirely poor one for McGregor. He landed a bevvy of blows against the durable Diaz in the first round. The only issue was that McGregor was employing a game plan that he utilized at a weight class where competitors weigh thirty pounds less. He was overly aggressive which usually works in his favor, but not against the bigger opponent. Against the bigger opponent you must be economical with your movement and strikes. McGregor was looking to KO Diaz as fast as possible rather than just chipping away at the bigger man until an opportunity presented itself. Then the Diaz one-two landed. After that McGregor sucummed to a rear naked choke and the flood gates of internet hate was opened wide. Suddenly McGregor has become a joke, a man who flew to close to the sun, a fool who should have known better than to take challenges outside of his weight class. It’s up to opinion on whether or not that’s true, but the great thing about this turn of events is to see where McGregor will go from here. Conor has a real opportunity to show the masses just exactly what he’s made out of. So far he’s taken his first UFC defeat with class and poise and has refused to make excuses for the loss. It’s good to see this more humble side of McGregor, to see that despite tasting defeat that he isn’t discouraged. The reality is that this loss could be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to him. Now rather than being the unbeatable threat he has become a sympathetic figure, a human being like anyone else. That reminder will likely fuel him to to train even harder, to prepare differently, to adjust his game and come back stronger. One thing is certain, when Conor McGregor returns to the octagon he’ll have the opportunity to show the world exactly what kind of man he is. What do you think Conor McGregor should do next? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter to keep up with his antics.
