Here is my latest article about Pain in Combat Sports

[The Fight Wolff]

AUG 24 2015 by Dwayne Wolff, Senior MMA Editor

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One of the least talked about aspects of sports is the amount of pain the average athlete endures. I do not just mean sports like fighting or football where the impacts and the damage they cause are easy to observe. Even a sport like tennis or running ultimately comes down to how far an individual can push themselves.

If you doubt that a sport like tennis is not about pain then I recommend you read Andre Agassi’s excellent biography Open. It is a great look into the world of a world-class athlete. One who has paid the price;
Pain: One of the Costs of Greatness in Combat Sports » Last Word On Sports

 

[RickStorm]

great article!

 

[The Fight Wolff]

great article!

Thank you!

 

[Jonny Quest]

Nice read.

 

[kneeblock]

Good read. Joyce Carol Oates talks a great deal about the inherent sadism of the crowd and masochism of fighters in her book On Boxing. It's that dynamic that makes all of us complicit in a fighter's suffering, but also profoundly empathetic.

I remember Sam Sheridan's passage about how easy it was to love Nogueira because of his ability to absorb punishment in A Fighter's Heart.

"Love has given him belief in himself. It's what makes a dog fight past forty-five minutes. Love is what makes us great, and this display of strength, heart, and love is what brings us all to the fights" (p. 159).

 

[kingdazy]

Fan-fucking-tastic piece!
I especially liked your quip re: MacDonald and perception. He's been a favorite of mine for some time, and I've received a bit of flak for it. Now? People can't wait for his next tilt.
A great majority of "the average fan" is motivated (often soley) by a show of "heart", a display of willingness to engage in the face of danger. And he put that doubt to bed quite handily.

 

[The Fight Wolff]

Good read. Joyce Carol Oates talks a great deal about the inherent sadism of the crowd and masochism of fighters in her book On Boxing. It's that dynamic that makes all of us complicit in a fighter's suffering, but also profoundly empathetic.

I remember Sam Sheridan's passage about how easy it was to love Nogueira because of his ability to absorb punishment in A Fighter's Heart.

"Love has given him belief in himself. It's what makes a dog fight past forty-five minutes. Love is what makes us great, and this display of strength, heart, and love is what brings us all to the fights" (p. 159).

Thank you for reading it and your kind words. Those are two of my favorite writers. I love the Sheridan quote!

 

[The Fight Wolff]

Fan-fucking-tastic piece!
I especially liked your quip re: MacDonald and perception. He's been a favorite of mine for some time, and I've received a bit of flak for it. Now? People can't wait for his next tilt.
A great majority of "the average fan" is motivated (often soley) by a show of "heart", a display of willingness to engage in the face of danger. And he put that doubt to bed quite handily.

Thank you my friend! I agree on Rory, part of the problem in a fight is your partner can make all the difference. Robbie is the first guy to engage him and be able to push Rory. If Ellenberger could have gotten past Rory's jab then maybe we would have had an exciting fight. Also, no one was saying that early in his career when he was finishing fighters, or destroying BJ and the Condit fight was a classic too.