In MMA, Winning Isn't Everything...But Popularity Is: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Mixed martial arts.

It's the sport I love more than any other.

It's the sport I write about, think about, and, in about a month, will officially start training in.

At 16-years-old, it is a rare find to be able to date back my knowledge of a single sport to its beginning.

With MMA, I can.

My favorite part of MMA: The independence.

The ability to know that you, and only you, can decide your fate.

There is no teammate to save you if you're struggling, or screw you up if you're on a roll.

It doesn't take five—it takes just one.

Each athlete is measured by his/her own individual record.

Every single fighter can be measured up by who they've defeated, and how many times they've tasted victory.

Unfortunately, over the years, records have taken a backseat. It's not how many fights you've won, but how many fans you have.

My first example is the most recent: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.

Known by his fans as "Soko," he is "The African Assassin."

At just 24-years-old, he has become one of the more recognizable fighters in the world.

His trademark dreadlocks, his ripped physique, and his striking resemblance to Predator earned him worldwide acclaim.

His claim to fame: Consecutive KO victories over Rodrigo Nogueira and Rocardo Arona.

Seen as the heir to the UFC light heavyweight throne, Soko came into the UFC with a record of 4-1. Very impressive considering two of his victories were over big name opponents.

Soko would be released from the UFC after going just 1-2 in three fights, being finished by submission and TKO in his those two losses.

Seen as a "bust" to UFC fans, Soko would go on to fight seasoned vet Renato Sobral at Affliction: Day of Reckoning.

This doesn't seem like a big deal to the uneducated fan, but let me explain.

Sokoudjou was proved to be a "flash in the pan" during his time in the UFC.

But because he maintained his popularity, he was able to find a big-time fight with a big-name opponent.

That shouldn't be. His popularity is earning him fights, not his skill.

He would lose, again, this time succumbing to a Brabo choke midway through the second round.

This guy SHOULD be on his way back to fighting in smaller promotions. But because of his name, he is now rumored to be part of another big fight, this time with 24-2-1 Gegard Mousasi.

Why do I care? Because, believe it or not, this is hurting Soko's career.

He should be considered a prospect and should be trying to improve as much as possible. He should be fighting guys at his ability level.

Instead, he is being thrown to the lions to boost their popularity. Big name win equals big-time bucks.

Yes, it is good to have popularity. It is the only way to get recognized.

If you have no fan support, you'll be fighting on the lame event under cards your whole career.

But you should have to earn the popularity.

If Soko really cared about his career, he would decline this fight.

Why?

Because he needs to re-evaluate what he is trying to do in MMA.

He needs to talk to his Team Quest training partners, and try to improve as much as he can before stepping back inside the cage.

What does he need to work on?

Soko has absolutely horrendous cardio. My recommendation, leave Team Quest.

I will never say this again. Team Quest is an awesome camp. With Olympic caliber wrestlers, it is a great place to learn—wrestling.

It is a great place to train—for wrestlers.

You, Soko—are not a wrestler. You are a Judo practitioner.

Where should Soko train?

After about five minutes of deliberating, my expert panel (myself, my keyboard, and Wikipedia) have chosen Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting as the ideal place for him.

His combined excellence of Judo and his absolutely dreadful cardio, Greg Jackson is the perfect guy to whip Soko into shape.

Jackson is the creator of Gaidojutsu, which combines Judo, wrestling, and kickboxing into one fighting style.

Soko already has the Judo, he has to have some wrestling considering he's been training with Olympic wrestlers, and his striking is pretty good.

Combine all those things with a plethora of great fighters including two champions, GSP and Rashad Evans, and Soko can reinvent himself into a great fighter.

He is only 24, he already has the name recognition, all he needs is the talent, which I know he has the ability to achieve.

Never have I thought popularity could hurt you, but in MMA it is a strong possibility that it can.

You are expected to perform at an elite level every time you go out. You are expected to defeat high-caliber opponents every fight.

But what happens when your popularity isn't on the same level as your skill?

Just ask Sokoudjou.