The Quarterly Report: Q1 2016

What happened, what mattered

Welcome to the first installment of my new series, The Quarterly Report. It’s a way for MMA fans to view this sport without a season and to appreciate the moments that will resonate throughout the year. Some of these moments I’ve chosen to highlight may be debatable, while others will go on to affect careers, legacies, and the history of the sport. I anticipate hearing from those who both agree and disagree with my selections.

As the year comes to a close, you’ll be able to look here and feel like you have a good overview of what happened and aren’t thinking about year end awards, wondering “what happened?”

Some of you will be familiar with my work already, I have written and made artwork for Fightland, mmafighting.com, The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, and The Tommy Toehold Show. Now my work is being made directly available to the public via Patreon. For more information on MMA artwork, and where the woodwork is, see the bottom of this article.

UFC 195 : Lawler vs Condit

Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit start the year off with a bang, some controversy and an iconic moment.

Exhaustion, Chris Rini, pencil & ink, 9x12" 2016

Fight of the year contenders, take note because the title fight between Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit has set the bar. It also sparked heated discussions between fans and among the media as to the value of striking quality versus quantity.

Beyond the cries of bad judging and the still looming threat of Carlos Condit leaving MMA for good, a truly satisfying and nearly transcendent moment occurred that night. When the final bell rang, both fighters immediately grabbed the top of the octagon and retreated to an interior world where the goal of life is to suck down as much oxygen as possible and stay conscious.

There was no parading around the Octagon, arms raised and feigning a certainty that they’d won. These men had given all they could and pageantry was unnecessary.

Porier vs Duffy

Dustin Poirier continues to find success in his new weight class, performs a deft maneuver signaling the evolution of MMA, and spearheads Fightpass’s viability as a platform for fighters who are popular among hardcore fans, but not necessarily needle movers.

The Meta Game, pencil & ink, 9 x 12" 2016

In the opening days of 2016 the placement of this anticipated bout drew shouts and murmurs which were placated with a curious explanation: It was originally booked as a Fightpass main event, so to put it on a PPV card would be doing a disservice to the fans who’d originally expected to see it on Fightpass.

This rationale has evolved into a more tangible 2016 storyline : Good Fights on Fightpass.

Dustin Poirier continues to win and his slow burn at lightweight is becoming an important component to the division. Cerrone, Diaz, Dariush, Iaquinta, Barboza, Ferguson… these are the guys Poirier could be facing before the year’s end.

Listeners of the Heavy Hands podcast will be familiar with the term ‘the meta game of mixed martial arts’ and a chess match did play out against the fence as Poirier outfoxed the Irishman; goading a seated Duffy into thinking he had an opportunity to stand up, Poirier unloaded a slicing elbow to Duffy’s face while the Irishman’s hands were planted on the ground.

What played out here is best explained on the Monday Morning Analyst, hosted by Luke Thomas.

credit: @SBNLukeThomas @HeavyHands_MMA