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Last week was apparently good to say goodbye. In the space of 48 hours, the sport wanted happy tracks to a quartet of fighters who went from solid to excellent. Nick Hein, Jimi Manuwa, Muhammed Lawal and Alexander Gustafsson all decided that it was time to move on to the next chapter of their respective lives.
Some of these departures are more surprising than others. Gustafsson, for example, is only 32 years old and a fight is withdrawn from a UFC championship bout. There is no doubt that he is still able to beat the good fighters within the promotion. He could be leading European events and achieve healthy salaries for a few more years. He simply did not feel the burning desire to return to the top and instead decided to withdraw.
To that I say, good for him. At best, the MMA is dynamic, exciting, captivating. At worst, he is violent, dangerous, and changes his life. As fans, we mainly consider the first set of traits without any regard for the latter. But for fighters, this is a serious risk, which is only worth taking when you're all-in, when your body, your heart, your mind and your soul agree that is something that deserves to be pursued; that it is the worthy of being pursued. Too many fighters continue for too long and realize only a partial investment, resulting in disastrous releases that could affect them in the long run. They are not just athletes, they are fathers and husbands, mothers and wives. They have lives outside of their professional careers to consider. This is often ignored as we chart their way through the organization they call home. Most of the time, we focus only on the people they are fighting, the outcome and what it will mean for their career.
It's a good time to remind ourselves that each punch and foot added represents a toll that we probably can not understand and that we can only rarely see. This is something that every fighter must live in silence forever, sometimes wondering if there is a time bomb in it that is ready to explode. Hoping that this quartet came out unscathed.
In addition, this block of retirements reminds how small the window is to reach the top of the sport. Gustafsson seems to have been there forever, but it's been more than six years since he really broke in beating Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to win a run of six wins and win a UFC title. His first fight with Jon Jones, the legendary meeting of UFC 165, took place less than six years ago. I remember being in Toronto for the fight, running on a treadmill with two or three fingers of Gustafsson as he reduced the weight for the match and watch the burning intensity on his face. It was a man whose mission was impossible, but on the moment, he almost convinced me to be able to do it. And then, the night of combat, he almost did it. At that time, Gustafsson was only 26 years old and, after pushing Jones to the absolute limit, he seemed to have everyone before him – and his whole future. Yet, soon after that, it's over.
Lawal's years of glory have lasted a little longer, a solid decade in the spotlight of the MMA since his arrival at Strikeforce in 2009. He briefly led the championship title of this organization, beating the underrated Gegard Mousasi. He also holds career wins over Quinton Jackson and Cheick Kongo. He fought light, heavy and open heavyweights. Nevertheless, Lawal has never had the opportunity to test himself at the UFC even when his parent company at the time bought Strikeforce at the end of 2011. A few months later, Lawal was cut without explanation. In the defense of the UFC, he was under suspension for an unsuccessful drug test, but again, the UFC did not give the example of those who failed . There was a time when he had legitimately claimed to be one of the best 205 pounds in the world, but how good was it? We will never be quite sure.
Manuwa never reached the heights of Gustafsson or Lawal, but the man could crack, creating highlights KOs and participating in several memorable encounters. Yet his time as a high-level fighter lasted barely more than five years.
Hein's window was the shortest in the group. It debuted at the UFC on May 31, 2014. Almost exactly five years later, it was all over.
Imagine if you had a chance to pursue your dreams but the countdown started running the second you started. Imagine that you only had a few years to get there. It's not something the world's best fighters think about regularly, but the facts are they do not have all the time in the world. Opportunities come and go, time passes with or without you, titles change hands without regard for personal problems or injuries. The window begins to close as soon as it opens and you begin to slide. Longevity is primarily an illusion.
None of these guys were to their final destination, but their trips – as brief as they were – were something else. They fought, they entertained, they counted. Rather than achieving superstar status, leaving memories behind is a great way to say goodbye, and leaving everything at the same time is an even more pleasurable way to remember to take advantage of today's stream of fighters. as long as they are still there.
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