6 MMA Stars and How They Might Have Spent Their Summer Vacations
Welp. There goes Labor Day. And there goes the summer. Time to crack the books, roll out the footballs and get back to business.
But first, what did you do for your summer vacation?
Everyone loves a little time off. And the hard-working folks in mixed martial arts are no exception. In fact, according to myself and my own imagination, several prominent MMA fighters enjoyed totally made-up summer vacations, participating in totally made-up activities for totally made-up reasons.
Here are seven reports to the metaphorical class, which are not real and were made up by me. What were the highs of the summer? The lows? The middles? These are the questions before us. Do you have the inside scoop on another completely fictional MMA summer vacation? If only there was a way, like a special discourse area or something, for you to share that. Ah well.
Jon Jones: Drama Camp
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This spring, Jon Jones got a strong taste of life in the tabloid lane. And you know what? It just whetted his appetite for more.
It all happened innocently enough. Jones' phone was maliciously hacked by a dastardly and as-yet-unapprehended criminal who posted disparaging and homophobic social media comments under Jones' name during the crime spree. Thankfully, nothing was reported stolen during the hacking.
But by the time the horror was over, it was already too late. The new Jon Jones is undoubtedly down for drama, and as such, the best fighter in the world spent his summer honing and polishing his craft at drama camp.
The proof is already in the pudding. In early August, Jones and Daniel Cormier brawled on the set of a media event for their scheduled title fight at UFC 178. That led to extended verbal battles, both on camera and off camera and on camera when they thought they were off (NSFW) camera.
Then the whole thing reached a new drama level when Jones, in a singular and spectacular flourish, got injured, delaying their September grudge match to January.
Who knows what Jones will be up to between now and the time he returns to the public eye? Something saucy, methinks. And something awesome.
T.J. Dillashaw: Titletown, Top of UFC Rankings
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The MMA story of the summer—inside the cage, anyway—came at the very start of the season when T.J. Dillashaw grabbed the UFC bantamweight title from Renan Barao over Memorial Day. The title officially changed hands in the fifth round by way of butt-whipping or TKO, depending on preferred parlance.
Barao was primed for his shot at redemption in late August until he passed out and hit his head in the bathroom while cutting weight. Dillashaw went on to defeat a game but overmatched Joe Soto, again by knockout and again in the fifth round.
Though people were aware of Dillashaw's talent and potential before the summer began, they were definitely a lot more cognizant as the season drew to a close.
Entire MMA Fanbase: Ireland
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The global takeover has been halting, but UFC Fight Night 46 was a giant step for MMAkind.
I won't attempt to recreate the endless inches of high school poetry churned out around the UFC's first event in Ireland since 2009. The important point is that Fight Night 46 delivered on every centimeter of hope and promise. OK, that's really it on the poetry.
I'll be shellacked if the crowd shoehorned into Dublin's O2 Arena doesn't turn out to be the most boisterous of the year. Fighters, reporters and industry professionals alike lit up social media over the sold-out arena's rollicking atmosphere, which was almost as evident from the couch as it was in person.
It would have all been meaningless had the Irish fighters not shown up to match the fans. But they did and then some. At the tip of this entire spear was (and is) human vapor trail Conor McGregor, who tore through a tepid Diego Brandao in under one round. But each of the card's five Irish fighters (including Northern Ireland's Norman Parke) won that night (and all but one by stoppage at that).
A memorable night for a country with long fighting memories. Here's to many happy returns. I suspect the sport will be eager to fulfill that toast.
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Alistair Overeem: Florida to Albuquerque to ???
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Are we there yet?
Apparently not, Alistair Overeem. And if you keep causing problems, I'm going to pull this slideshow right off the road.
In the spring, Overeem left the Blackzilians, the Florida camp kingpinned by light heavyweight standout Rashad Evans. Allegations soon surfaced that the departure came about because Overeem, in a fit of anger, intentionally injured a teammate.
Regardless, a soft landing appeared in the offing when The 'Reem linked up with the revered Jackson-Winkeljohn team in New Mexico. But that bad-teammate specter reappeared when news came out that Overeem played a direct role in injuring Jon Jones and, by extension, derailing Jones' UFC 178 title match with Daniel Cormier. Dana White was among those who chided Overeem for the incident.
Jackson-Wink closed ranks, but the damage was done. Plenty of fresh criticism emerged, perhaps most notably from Blackzilian Anthony Johnson, who called Overeem a "bully."
The summer didn't end with a smiley face for the Dutch kickboxing ace, as he was knocked out by Ben Rothwell in the first round. If he's not careful, his next vacation could be to another promotion. And with three losses in his last four fights and an ever-decreasing line of good will, he could be making such a journey with precious few travel companions.
Vitor Belfort: Weight-Loss Resort
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Vitor Belfort is an inspiration to us all.
Seriously, so many congratulations go out to Belfort for reaching his weight-loss goals. He's really turned things around. It was only February when the middleweight was failing a drug test. But in July, he was receiving a license to fight Chris Weidman for the strap in December. Quite a life turnaround, no?
But the story doesn't end there. A former unabashed user of testosterone replacement therapy, Belfort has been getting lean and mean since receiving the license, by his own description replacing that nasty TRT with TNT. That's a pretty "dynamite" development, if you take my meaning.
And the hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. Weidman himself called out Belfort's amazing slim-down on Instagram. Now that's a true champion's move. Thank you so much, Chris, for acknowledging Belfort's inspiring journey. Thank you.
BJ Penn: Hawaii
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Compared with the rest of it, BJ Penn's career ended pretty quietly.
Maybe people saw it coming, but that's no reason not to take a moment to mourn the MMA community's biggest loss of the summer and the retirement of one of its greatest champions.
Penn's meteoric rise to jiu-jitsu black belt to the first American to win a world title in the discipline to two-division UFC champ is well documented. But the guy was just as well known as the fighter. You can't say that of most people.
Maybe even more than his accomplishments, Penn was known for running toward every challenge and deftly walking the fine line between brashness and an abiding respect for his sport and opponents. Imperfect, born into privilege but with a chip on his shoulder, always struggling with weight and focus, always fundamentally viewing MMA contests like the fights they really are, always candid and generous with his opinions and the fans who valued them, it was easy for any observer to find something of themselves in Penn.
The Prodigy poured all his trademark courage into one last go this July, waging his first and only featherweight bout against Frankie Edgar, an old rival from the lightweight days. Edgar picked him apart and then knocked him out, marking the third time Edgar had defeated Penn.
That night, Penn made it official, noting he felt compelled "to find out" before he retired for good whether he could still get it done at the highest level. He couldn't, and that was it.
Penn had a pretty good sunset to ride into, back to his native Hilo, Hawaii. Some gut instinct indicates he's not missing MMA at all. But MMA should certainly miss him and nod its collective head toward the best lightweight to ever do it.
Scott Harris writes about MMA and other things for Bleacher Report and other places. If you feel so inclined, follow Scott on Twitter for more of this kind of thing.
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