MMA Underdog

MMA. Love it or hate it, it's the sport that's taking the world by storm for the past decade. While it was breaking ground, and gaining momentum, you have to give Dana White credit for launching it into the spot light. Minus the hair, he really is the Don King of cage fighting.  But today I'm looking at one of my favorite fighters Big Country Roy Nelson.

Why? Because he is opposite of what people want in a fighter. He's not a big trash talker. That mantel has been taken by Chael Sonnen, and is continually targeted by many others. He isn't an arrogant, spoon fed, neanderthal. Brock Lesner not only got that crown, but is too stupid to realize it. Nor does he have the look that makes the groupies go nuts. I'm pretty sure GSP has owned that for a while now. No, he's a average guy, with a head for fighting, that's built like Dan Conner with a mullet. Essentially, he's carrying all the cards that make for a good underdog in that respect.

Here's a guy that's had quality training, and was an IFL Champion. But ended up in highly contested bouts, and in organizations that couldn't even make it through breakfast before they closed shop. Then he tried out for, and qualified for The Ultimate Fighter. Hey, a little recognition, great! But then that starts to get shot because here comes Dana White mocking him, and making it clear he doesn't like him. Basically Dana comes in and pulls a page one how to be a douche bag out of Vince McMahon's book by judging the book by it's cover. Now while the show went out of it's way not to promote Roy, it did have a few points where he got to show his mind. In one such scene he's at the TUF house explaining to the other fighters the concept of fight smarter, not harder. He explains you don't have to set out to hurt the other guy if you don't have too, you just have to keep working him over. Clearly it was brushed off by the others. In what I felt was a genius move to prove his point, he showed it in a fight against Kimbo Slice. Basically he laid on top of him in a crucifix position, and continually hit him in the head in a manner that was basically tapping him until the ref was forced to call the fight. Brilliant!

Then came the moment of truth, his fight for a contract. Knock out of the night! He made Dana White eat crow! The boss said, no way. And he showed him up big time. Then he says he's going out for some burgers while rubbing his belly. You have to respect that. Then, in order to try to wash him out of the UFC, Dana tried to feed him to a supposedly better fighter. KO of the night again! His legacy in the UFC has been highly understated in my opinion. The only three fights he's lost have been to decision, and even one of those was awarded fight of the night. And they were to other top rate fighters. Every single win however, has been via KO or TKO, with every KO and one TKO being awarded knockout of the night.

Any way you cut it, he's a dangerous guy to get in the cage with. Aside from promotion, his biggest flaw is typical of a big man. He gets gassed really fast. That's just my opinion though. He's an underdog if for no other reason than the fact that Dana White doesn't care for him and wants him gone. And I love an underdog.