Trading Shots: Henderson and Rua do it again, but then what?

In this week’s Trading Shots, MMAjunkie columnist Ben Fowlkes and retired UFC/WEC fighter Danny Downes take a look at the rematch between Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua at UFC Fight Night 38 and wonder who’ll pick up the torch when guys like Hendo and “Shogun” fade into MMA’s past.

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Fowlkes: It’s finally Sunday, Danny, which on this particular week means it’s time for Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua to do it again, brother. Here we have a rematch of one of the greatest fights in MMA history, and yet it feels like something we’re doing just because we can, and also because neither guy has anything better to do at the moment. I feel totally cool with that, as long as we can all manage our expectations for this thing. What say you? What’s really at stake in this bout, and how does the first one affect how you’ll view this do-over?

Downes: We briefly discussed the pros and cons of rematches after Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva vs. Mark Hunt, and while many of the same points apply, this fight feels different. First of all, it’s not an immediate rematch. Their classic fight at UFC 139 was in November 2011. Couple that with the fact that Henderson is on a three-fight losing streak and Rua has gone 2-2, and I think expectations aren’t necessarily at a fever pitch. Despite that, I’m still very excited for the fight. People love to talk about rankings and sorting out a weight class, but not every fight needs to have that goal in mind. Sometimes it’s OK to have fun matchups.

When I think about “Hendo” vs. “Shogun,” though, it makes me think about the future of MMA. All TRT talk aside (and I know that’s hard for you to do), we know that Henderson and Rua can’t do this forever. Once they leave, do we have anyone who can fill their shoes? I don’t mean in terms of fighting ability. I think we all can agree that the level of competition has risen the past few years. Rather, I mean in terms of star power. There’s so much young talent out there, but are there any personalities? Ronda Rousey has come on the scene, but who else has risen? A lot of the names that have built the sport aren’t competing anymore. Just think about the fact that Diego Sanchez is one of the last remaining competitors from “The Ultimate Fighter 1,” and every time he has a fight scheduled, half the fans wish he would just hang his gloves up.

The boom period of MMA was built by stars. Henderson, Rua, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Fedor Emelianenko and many others. This new generation, though, feels like it’s more about a specific league than individuals. Am I off base here?

Fowlkes: I see your fact about Sanchez and raise you another: Do you realize that Sanchez and Rua are almost the exact same age? Like, within a month of each other. How is that possible? Rua seems like he ought to be at least 57 years old by now, while Sanchez seems perpetually 24 to me.

But you’re right. Fights like Henderson-Rua are fun for a Sunday night, but it’s not something the UFC can build its future on. It needs to look a little further down the road. I would say it should reflect on how it got here, but “TUF” doesn’t churn out recognizable names the way it used to. There are just too damn many installments of them, for one thing, and they usually pull from the bottom of the pile for untested, ungroomed fighters willing to do anything for their shot. Good for the profit margin, bad for the overall talent level.

That’s my gripe with the UFC’s current strategy in a nutshell. It seems concerned with how to make the most money off a fight next month, but what about next year? Rousey is a good example. Is she the biggest star the UFC has? Maybe, but who is there for her to fight? Dana White treats “Cyborg” Justino like she’s a virus, and Holly Holm gets ruled out because the boss man doesn’t like her manager. Say what?

You don’t build stars by protecting them. You build them by taking the best fighters you have, throwing them in a jar together like insects, then shaking it up. Whoever doesn’t get eaten, that’s who you work with. That’s the whole point of this sport, right? You’re selling combat, not image.

Downes: I don’t think things are that simple. If it were all about combat and not image, then how come Demetrious Johnson isn’t a bigger star? I think you’re advocating for a, “shoot ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out,” matchmaking philosophy. That’s no way to develop talent. That line of thinking works for someone like you who considers himself a martial arts fan. The average consumer doesn’t subscribe to that belief. Sometimes you have to sell the sizzle and not the steak (ugh, I hate you for making me sound like a car salesman). I understand the Rousey point because the seemingly two greatest threats to her reign are being shunned, but that doesn’t apply to any other champion.

More than a discussion on matchmaking, I’m more concerned with the broader MMA scene  Before, it felt like there were individuals who were mixed martial artists. Today, we just have MMA organizations populated with individuals. It may sound like semantics, but it’s more than that. Fans of today tune in for events, not stars. Perhaps it’s merely a result of the growth in the number of events. If there are fights on every week and even the most active fighter competes four times a year, it’s hard to build a following.

On a fight team, it’s necessary for no one individual to be bigger than the team. Is this good for a sport as a whole? Superstars are the foundation of the NBA, NFL and other team sports leagues. Who’s waiting to carry the torch that Shogun and Henderson once held? Can MMA survive and thrive without superstars?

Fowlkes: Before we get too carried away mourning Rua and Henderson, let’s remember two things: 1) They aren’t gone yet, and in fact, Rua is only 32 (again, howwww?!?), and 2) They didn’t spring from the head of Zeus, fully formed as MMA stars. Those of us who have been watching this sport long enough to remember when Rua won the PRIDE grand prix or when Henderson knocked out Wanderlei Silva and invited everyone to his after-party (“or you can go to Wanderlei’s in the hospital…”), we look at them and see all their greatest nights trailing along behind them. That’s why we care about them now. That, and because they brutalized each other for our entertainment once already.

Point is, the superstars of tomorrow are formed by the fights of today. Fighters have to be given the chance to earn that status. I’d argue that UFC light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones did that in his last fight with Alexander Gustafsson, but he’s right when he says the UFC seems to be pushing Rousey instead of him. It also followed up by putting Jones in a fight few people care about while shuffling Gustafsson off to a UFC Fight Pass main event.

If the Henderson-Rua rematch reminds us of anything, maybe it should be of the fleeting nature of MMA stardom, even MMA relevance. The last time these two met, as you pointed out, they were both somewhere near the top. Less than three years later, it’s a contest to see who can cling to the edge longer before his fingers give out. Young fighters like Jones seem like they’ll be around forever, but they won’t. Is it me, or are we taking guys like him for granted?

Downes: I don’t know if it’s a matter of Jones being taken for granted as much as it’s the fact that people don’t like him. It’s interesting how you mention the fleeting nature of MMA relevance when the UFC 151 fiasco happened only a year after the first Rua-Henderson fight. Try to tell fans that event is irrelevant a year from now and I doubt you’ll get many takers. You can definitely argue that the misplaced rage over UFC 151 is a form of under-appreciation, but his situation is a bit more complex.

Again, I think this is a product of the fact that the number of ways to consume MMA has increased. If every week is fight week, it’s hard to place things in a larger context. We can still watch and enjoy great fights, but they resonate less and less because we’re treated to the same spectacle every week. Being on a UFC Fight Pass card does hurt a fighter’s chances of being seen, but there are so many fights on “free” TV than ever before, and that still hasn’t created a star. We can make fun of the “I train UFC” bros all we want, but that statement does reveal something about the mindset of that particular group in the MMA community (other than a penchant for fleur de lis and deep V cut T-shirts).

They watch UFC, they’re not looking for the next star or trying to place things in a larger context. The average fan watches MMA like they watch “Law & Order.” Oh, I missed an episode? Another one will be on soon. I’ll just catch it then. There’s a reason Spike TV counter-programmed a live UFC event with old “Unleashed” episodes. Because it works!

Perhaps I’m just making a big deal out of nothing. You’re right that the rise and fall of MMA stardom is short-lived. Who knows, one of those Russian fighters (excuse the faux pas) will make a meteoric rise, we’ll trade in ping pong diplomacy for an MMA varietal and live happily ever after. On the other hand, maybe the future of the sport is the ubiquitous, uniformed fighter. Which one do you think is more likely?

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 38, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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