Who Do I Want to Win?
Krause vs. Imada
An unbiased journalist wouldn’t be taking sides when it comes fight night. They’d list each fighter’s strengths and weaknesses and make predictions based off of them. Well, from the very first day I started Unlocking the Cage, I’ve tried to distance myself from that label and I’m a big believer in breaking the rules. When I interview someone for UTC, I really want to get at who they are and why they fight. Sometimes the interviews aren’t that long and we don’t get too deep, but I’d say the majority of the people really open up and I can’t help but like them. This is even more true for the guys that I get to train with. Something about sharing sweat and blood, punching each other in the face. Training with someone tells you so much about them. You get to see how hard they work, how well they work with others. I think this is where for many people their true self comes out.
When someone I interviewed has a fight, I want them to win and come out of it uninjured. Winning isn’t everything and someone has to lose, but if the fight’s between someone I know and someone I don’t, there’s no question who’s side I’m on and I do it openly like on this post which I wrote before Joe Lauzon’s last fight. But lately,I’m starting to run into a little problem. I’m talking with so many fighters that I’m beginning to see several facing off against each other. Who do I root for when I know they’re both great people, they both want the win, they’ve both sacrificed for it?
Tonight Toby Imada and James Krause battle in the RFA main event that can be seen on AXS TV. On Feb 1st, Andre Soukhamthath faces Kurt Chase-Patrick for CES. And last week, Dasha Hamilton and Stacey Scapeccia had their MMA debuts.
One thing that’s helped me put this in better perspective, is the number of times I’ve talked with fighters about their fights with other guys I’ve interviewed. Nearly every time, these individuals talk so highly about their opponents regardless of who won or lost. They remind me that it is just another sport, someone wins, someone loses, simple as that.
So for these men and women that battle each other, I’ll just wish you guys the best, that you come out of the cage a better person than when you walked in.
