.The Ultimate Athlete
The world of mixed martial arts received a slap in the face this past week when The Wall Street Journal released a list of the world’s top ten athletes. From one to ten, athletes from various sports had representatives who combined to compile the list of thee world’s elite performers. The athletes were selected by a panel of judges was assembled to judge the athletes in six separate categories. Those categories consisted of six criteria: speed; vision and reflex; stamina and recovery; coordination and flexibility; power, strength and size; and success and competitiveness. In the end, the one sport that truly combines each one of those characteristics did not have one representative among the world’s top ten athletes. The Wall Street Journal simply ignored all mixed martial artists across the globe.
The list was as follows:
1.) Roman Sebrle, Decathlete
2.) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3.) Floyd Mayweather, Boxer
4.) LaDanian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
5.) Roger Federer, Tennis
6.) Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
7.) Liu Xiang, 110 meter hurdler
8.) Jeremy Wariner, 400 Meter Sprinter
9.) Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, FC Barcelona
10.) Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
After reading this list, anyone who follows the sport of mixed martial arts has to be left scratching their head. Not one lone representative from the UFC or WEC managed to crack the top ten. Perhaps the judges didn’t take into consideration the training that essentially takes up the entire life of an mma fighter. Initially, an argument for a single mixed martial artist would not have to be pointed out, but rather the community of mixed martial artists as a whole. For even those fighting on less prestigious stages still spend an endless amount of time peparing for a fight. Furthermore, that preparation is arguably the most grueling of any sport.
Boxing vs. MMA
Floyd Mayweather climbed all the way up to number three on the list. At the beginning of this year, there were rumblings about Mayweather venturing into the cage and testing the mma waters. Early rumors leaked about a possible match-up with WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Such a bout would be ludicrous to even ponder and would likely end in less than a minute.
There is no disputing Mayweather’s skill in the ring, but the sport of mixed martial arts is another animal altogether. Faber’s training regimen alone might be too tough for Mayweather to handle. Boxers are extremely well conditioned athletes, but they only have to worry about being attacked by their opponents’ hands. MMA fighters must prepare for attacks from every angle. Simply pondering such a spectacle is only one more insult bestowed on the sport of mixed martial arts.
In addition to the rigorous physical training mma fighters endure, they must be mentally tough as well. For in the sport of track and field, there is no one trying to fade a runner’s world to black with vicious elbows as they race towards the finish line. On the clay at Wimbledon, athletes are not trying to put their opponents to sleep with some kind of chokehold. And it would be futile to even ask Alex Rodriguez about mental toughness. A-Rod has made a reputation of not being able to deliver in the clutch. Yet, he rounds out the list of the world’s top ten athletes.
Not mainstream enough?
Perhaps the sport of mixed martial arts is not yet mainstream enough to validate having one of its athletes make such a list. Yet, decathletes and hurdlers aren’t exactly household names. And the sheer premise of jumping over some hurdles seems a lot less strenuous than being locked in a cage with a mixed martial artist. Moreover, pay-per view crowds do not flock to see javelin tosses.
Even the sport of hockey is tough to find on televisions nowadays. And no matter how rugged football players claim to be, they step on to the field protected by a multitude of padding. Lastly, what can really be said about a soccer player being named to the list? Instead of kicking a ball, maybe they should attempt to take just one muay thai kick to the leg.
Such a list cannot be given too much credence, yet it still insinuates that the sport of mixed martial arts is not worthy enough to be considered among the world’s top sports. In all actuality, mma fighters could probably fill out the entire list from one to ten. But then, what would become of world class athletes like Ronaldo de Assis Moreira? Moreira nudged ahead of A-Rod to snatch the number nine spot, yet more of the mass public could probably identify Randy Couture before Moreira.
As the world of mixed martial arts continues to grow, the mass public will have to dish out more respect for the sport. For what other sports combines strength, agility, stamina, skill and mental toughness to such a degree? A closer look at the sport should demand respect even if the audience isn’t too fascinated with the product. So while lists like this continue to insult the sport of mixed martial arts, fighters like Faber and Couture will continue to train longer and harder than most other athletes in the sporting world.
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