Note to Patrick Cote: Nothing is Written in Stone

MMA is a very unique sport.  We have our champions, of course, as all sports do, but on any given night, the champion may slip in the ring, drop his hands, get caught when his chin is exposed and not tucked, or may have mental issues lying heavily on his mind.  Even our "best" champions can and frequently are beaten.

When Patrick "the Predator" Cote defeated Ricardo "Big Dog" Almeida on July 5, he became the contender for the 185 pound Middleweight title.

Most probably, this will see him fighting with Anderson "the Spider" Silva later this year.

Few fight fans can even imagine being in Patrick's shoes during this event, and most would suggest the Canadian hasn't got a chance against the lanky, long limbed Spider who most agree is the number 1 fighter P4P in the UFC.

But like Patrick, Anderson has a history of less stellar days during his association with Pride, and was not always been considered to be the unbeatable force he is today.

Like Patrick he has spent a lot of time sparring and training with partners who have better skills than his and has absorbed their skills and energies making himself a better, multi-skilled fighter with tons of experience gained by fighting with the best, to be able to defeat the very best.

Patrick showed his mettle by stepping into a bout with Tito Ortiz to headline the "War of 04" long before being ring tested enough to do so and made an excellent showing.  It was as pleasing to me as it was to him to see him knock Tito to the mat, and as a Tito Ortiz fan at that time, I really was not anticipating a battle, just a bloody rout of an undeserving upstart.  Who could have expected him to go the distance?

This is in Patrick's favor, although Anderson does not have a history of taking any of his opponents lightly, as Tito asking, "Who is Patrick Cote?" probably did.

My biggest fear for Patrick would be the plum clinch and knees that Anderson uses so successfully on opponents who are Patrick's height.  That and his reach greatly concerns me.

If I were to advise Mr. Cote how to train (and we all know I am not in any position to do that), I would tell him to go to Greg Jackson's gym with Georges ASAP and have work outs with Donald Cerrone.  Although Donald it not as tall as Anderson. he has a history of submissions and even though he is 155 pounds and change, he has ridden and fought with bulls in his rodeo days, a feat I am sure would give Anderson Silva pause. 

Unless someone knows of an Anderson clone somewhere who is willing to mix it up with Patrick, he could follow Georges' example and look for training partners in Silvas' neck of the woods.

It is my fervent hope that Patrick doesn't give too much credence to the prevailing "Anderson Silva is unbeatable" mantra, and as friend Georges St. Pierre did when he fought Matt Hughes, once considered an unbeatable foe, walk into the Spider's web and take advantage of his "striker's chance."

While observing nature close up I have seen a fly escape the spider's web a time or two.