Bouncing Back

Leave a comment

January 14, 2014 by JJ Saddington

Few will forget Vitor Belfort’s show stopping spinning heel kick finish of Luke Rockhold – a knockout of the night winner and, for many, knockout of the year. By contrast, few will remember Francis Carmont’s 3 round blanketing of Costas Philippou. That both were emphatic, albeit in different ways, is undeniable.

It takes remarkable strength of character to successfully bounce back from being on the end of a highlight reel KO – just ask Benson Henderson – but that’s something former Strikeforce middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold will have to do if he’s to alter the public perception of himself. Despite having been on an impressive ?-fight win streak prior to the Belfort defeat, including victories over ‘Jacare’ Souza, Keith Jardine and Tim Kennedy, for the casual UFC fan, Rockhold is simply the 2nd of 3 Belfort head kick victims. Arguably the most memorable of the hat-trick. Recurring injury problems and prolonged periods of inactivity have left Rockhold, at least in the mainstream consciousness, frozen in time, forever on the receiving end of that spinning heel kick. With no follow up fights until now to redress the balance, there has been no chance to show Rockhold novices the reason behind the anticipation that preceded his octagon debut or justified his top ten ranking.

Despite avoiding anything remotely resembling a KO in his last outing, Costantinos Philippou suffered a similarly damaging defeat to that of Rockhold. Damaging in an entirely psychological sense – very little physical harm was actually inflicted – for 3 long rounds, Carmont grounded Philippou and, by way of a succession of failed elbow attempts and theatrical grunting, managed to hold him there for the duration. Though a largely uneventful ‘spectacle’, it was nonetheless impressive. Carmont managed to do what Boetsch and numerous others had failed to do before him – beat Philippou. And he did it convincingly. This defeat ended a 5 fight win streak and, momentarily, halted the ambitions of Philipppou. Carmont didn’t just beat him, he embarrassed and very visibly frustrated him.

While a win for either guy may do little to advance their title aspirations, it may go some way to repairing the damage done in their last octagon appearances. Sometimes the most important battles are those following a significant defeat. Again, ask Benson Henderson. Henderson’s journey from the unwitting co-star of an iconic moment in MMA history, to fighting for a UFC title was far greater than just the 3 victories in-between, and it started long before he stepped into the octagon to face Mark Bocek. The psychological damage of a defeat often lingers on, while wounds and injuries are long rehabilitated. It’s a long way back to the top, (or as near as you may have come), and for Luke Rockhold and Costas Philippou, the road back should have begun long before they step back into the cage.

Make no mistake, this is a must-win fight for either man.