No sport provides a better opportunity for an underdog to become an instant legend than the UFC. A career can be launched into the stratosphere in the blink of an eye inside the octagon, and thus that is how a legend can truly be created.
Think about the major 4 sports, can you really think of a moment that transformed any of them? More importantly, can you think of a moment of that magnitude that was the result of a bench player who’s name you’ve never heard before? Sure, there are highlights that will be replayed on Sportscenter for 24 hours, but are those moments truly career defining? Even a crazy buzzer beater, the fact that they occur fairly often means they get lost to the sands of time.
But that’s what truly makes the UFC different, in the blink of an eye, a career can be transformed and a legend can be made. Look no further that Joaquin Buckley who in October had one of the most epic knockouts in UFC history. Buckley wasn’t even on the main card of a UFC Fight Night Event (non-ppv), it was basically a throwaway fight that was booked to fill the fight card…..and it will be remembered forever.
But it’s not just the fighters that have an epic moment like Buckley that become legends, it’s also the fighters that rise to the challenge and show that being an “underdog” is just a mindset.
Every once in a while, a fighter steps into the cage and even though they are a major underdog, they believe they are going to win. There was Holly Holm knocking out Rhonda Rousey, Bisping beating Rockhold, and this past weekend Moreno fighting to a draw vs Figueiredo. You see, Moreno walked into the cage a +280 underdog, but nobody told him that. Figuiredo had already been crowed the division’s G.O.A.T. and analyst were talking about who eventually could dethrone him.
But from the opening bell, Moreno made it known he was there to take the belt. In what has to be considered the frontrunner for Fight of the Year, Moreno never backed down, and proved he belonged with the best. After 5 Rounds, the “judges” ruled the fight a draw but we all know who won. The only bright side to the suspect decision is that we get to look forward to the sequel.
In the NFL, they talk about “Any Given Sunday” anything can happen, but while upsets occur, the better team has 60 minutes to get the Win. In the UFC, one mistake in any given second can leave you on the wrong side of a decision. More importantly, that single second can leave you being on the wrong side of a legendary moment. And that’s why we watch, we want to see the birth of a legend.
