Its The Eye of the Tiger

Sometimes its amazing how people will take that shot at "something great" in their life, for something they love. Sometimes its their first shot, or it could be their very last. The physical, mental, or emotional risks can certainly be tremendous. In this post I will be using an extreme example. Although I'm certain everyone we know faces these kinds of chances I'll talk about something that recently happened that really stands out.

At age 43, Randy Couture exited retirement for one last shot. It was a decision that made people cringe, as he was reentering the sport of mixed martial arts (or "ultimate fighting"). His opponent? A 6 foot 8 inch, 265 pound 30 year old named Tim Sylvia that was the current heavyweight champion. Needless to say, the favorite was Sylvia. Despite being physically outmatched, Couture was able to defeat Sylvia without ever taking a serious punch. He proved all the naysayers completely wrong and gave everyone an unbelievable memory. Despite his age, his desire to compete allowed him to come back and shoot straight back to the top.

These things do not always work out. You do not always hear the stories where taking the chance backfired in the worst way. There is a realistic chance of being in over your head. Or maybe a higher chance of a freak occurrence. Again, using MMA as an example, Justin Eilers was a heavyweight who lucked into getting a title shot against Andre "The Pitbull" Arlovski. The result? Eilers suffered extensive injuries in this match, breaking both hands, his jaw, and tearing his ACL.

Eilers would subsequently leave the big leagues and fight in minor shows. His career at the top level is pretty much over. However, it could be argued that he can always say he stepped into the ring against someone few wanted to take on. Maybe all those injuries were worth the choice instead of possibly looking back years later and wondering, "what if?" It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and who knows, maybe he did understand fully that his career could end or significantly change from taking on a top fighter.

I just wanted to blog something about Randy Couture because this feat is absolutely amazing. No one expected him to come out and dominate. A few years ago, at age 39 he came in to defeat a top fighter in a lower weight class and everyone was amazed. When he did it again recently, well, he is certainly living up to his moniker "Captain America." Someone check and see if he is injected with the secret serum...