MMA in Retrospect: Can No One Learn From the Past?

There are many lessons to be learned in life, as there are in the MMA.

Dana White should learn to "Never say never" after changing his mind about Gina Carano fighting for the UFC.

He has since decided that she could fight in the WEC, the light weight branch of the Zuffa Company.

If she turns out to be the draw that she was on CBS he may suddenly decide the UFC is indeed the right placement for her.

"There is always someone who is tougher than you are."

A lesson being learned a lot lately in the octagon, quite a few times now by Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva,  Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Forrest Griffin.

"Just because your friends are doing it doesn't mean that you should do it."

I would currently use this in telling Josh Neer what I think about his high speed police chase.

Josh was picked up for a DUI after leading the police on a chase in excess of 100 mph, and after a PIT maneuver failed to stop him, a tire shredding strip was required to apprehend him.

Certainly he could have learned from Rampge's slow speed chase that running from the police when they have warned you to pull over, is never a good idea.

Look at Rampage's upcoming trials and the negative effect his problems have caused in his life; surely this is warning enough for any hard head.

Specifically Chris Leben, Junie Browning and Jesse Taylor, who are hopefully all paying heed to "the Dentist's" mistake and seeing the trouble drinking to excess can bring in making a quick judgement call.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira needs to learn from Diego Sanchez that in spite of desiring to "be a man" and "not disappoint the fans," it is not a good idea to fight with a bad infection.

The outcome will not be good no matter how experienced an athlete you are: the super germs of today show no mercy to athletes, regardless of their conditioning and nuitrition.

Surely Frank Mir is hoping to teach Brock Lesnar the lesson that "The bigger you are, the harder you'll fall," when they meet the next time.

Brock should remember that when he recalls how after almost pounding Mir into oblivion he was unwise enough to let Mir grab his leg which did bring the behemoth down.

BJ Penn may not remember "Not to count his chickens before they hatch," in regards to his UFC 94 fight with Georges St. Pierre, who will doubtlessly be remembering the eye gouging incident from their last octagon meeting and thinking prevention due to "Once bitten, twice shy," principle.

With the recent murder of Justin Eilers all fighters should remember what happened to the legendary Jesse James who was "shot in the back by a dirty rotten coward."

Family or friends, there is just something about wanting to best a stronger man that brings the worst out in people and you can't take a bullet back.

And from the other instance of Justin Levens who was an MMA fighter killing himself after first killing his wife Sarah McLean Levens, hopefully everyone will learn that: "Violence is not the answer," "Suicide is a  permanent solution to a temporary problem," and "Tomorrow is a new day."

After the horrible example set by Chris Benoit; who could ever forget that lesson?

Finally, "Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it."