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A Matter of Heart
Michael Ehrhardt aka The "Cincy Assasin"
I was sitting at home watching the newest season of The Ultimate Fighter. I, along with most people, was surprised by Dana White's move. Instead of the normal 16 fighters they usually have at the show start, there were 32. They had to pair off and fight for their spots on the show. I personally loved the idea. I get bored really quick with the antics of the fighters and the little amount of actual fight time the show has. I want to see the fights. We all know that each and everyone of them have made BIG sacrifices to be there. Most leave family or jobs behind to be on the show. On the other hand, there is too much crying about what they gave up and not enough about what they stand to gain. Just being on this show gives the fighters exposure they would never be able to get. Many have moved on to rather well paying careers in MMA. Just adding the "Ultimate Fighter" to their names on posters and ads pushes them up to higher ground. In return they can demand higher pay for the notoriety that comes with the name. So one has to wonder what goes through the heads of some of these guys. One left the show because of a girl friend and others were given a chance to come back and fight again but incredibly, turned it down. You have to ask....where is their heart?
I keep going back to the old saying, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but, the size of the heart in the dog". Where is the drive, the killer instinct, the heart? These guys are in the most intense and fast paced sport on the face of the earth. How can you spend so much time training and preparing for a fight to just give up? It's not just how much you have invested in it either. You have to consider what friends, family, team mates, and trainers have given. They all put their lives on hold for you. They gave up a lot to make sure you were ready. So where does it go wrong?
Having been in the cage and other forms of combative sports, I know how it is. You make the decision to step into the cage or ring. You begin training heavily. In fact your life becomes your big tangle of work, home, and gym. Sometimes the gym becomes your home. The ones around you, who are there with you every step of the way, they believe in you and your ability. The closer the big fight comes the more all of this weighs on you. You are carrying your dreams and goals, along with everyone else's. It becomes more and more of a burden on you on top of the exhausting training that you are going through. Then before you know it, and it sometimes seems like a dream, you are at the entrance waiting for the staff member to give you the go ahead. You step out into a mass of people, all of whom are staring at you. Some are cheering for you, some are booing you, and others just want to see some blood. Your heart starts pounding so hard it seems like it will jump out of your chest. Every step seems to take an hour. At some point it just goes silent and your focus is on the fight and winning. You are stopped and checked by corner people, refs and officials. You strip down to your fight gear and are plastered with petroleum jelly (which by the way feels so gross to me). You take the steps into the cage and it all hits you. You are really there; you are about to be in the fight of your life. Your opponent is staring at you like a serial killer looking at his next victim. You are already exhausted, just from the walk to the cage, and breathing like you just ran the Boston Marathon. The fight instructions are a blur and before you realize it the ref is in the center asking you if you are ready. At that moment you have to know you are ready, you are going to win, and you are going to get through this.
That is why I am so disappointed to see the fighters give up for one reason or another. You can tell early on who has the heart and who doesn't. You know who realizes the opportunity they have and will not give it up. I personally witnessed this in four people recently.
Michael Ehrhardt, a.k.a. the Cincy Assassin, was the first. He was scheduled to fight for my promotions Lightweight Title. He called me about a week out and had a serious question. He had been given a chance to try out for the Ultimate Fighter. He was torn. Does he still fight for me, take a chance of being injured, or step out and prepare for this opportunity. He wanted my honest opinion. I, torn as well, had to think about it. I was upset about losing him from my card. I had advertised him heavily and a lot of people were looking forward to the fight. I finally told him, "I want you to fight" but, I understood the situation and was willing to back his decision. I told him to pray on it. He finally decided to step out and prepare for the try out. I feel he realized the opportunity and what it could do for him and his career. I still support his decision and we talk often. He is a good guy and has tremendous heart. I hope he goes far in MMA.
Davie Gayhart was the second example of the true drive. He was thrown into his teammate's spot for the title bout. He, not telling anyone, had suffered from the flu for a few days before the fight. Dehydrated and exhausted he entered the cage and fought his heart out. He wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to take the title. His decision hurt him in the long run. He was gassed early and suffered a brutal knock out in the first 19 seconds of the second round. Even with his health problem he was part of one of the most hard-fought fights I have seen in a long time. His body was drained, yet his heart and determination carried him forward.
Chris Bourdon was the next. He was the person that defeated Davie for the Lightweight Title. He was unknown, considered a heavy under dog, and had come a long way to fight. I had talked to him and, just from the way he expressed himself about MMA and his abilities, I knew he was going to prove everyone wrong. Win or lose I knew he was going to gain a lot of respect. Chris did not disappoint me and he did exactly as I thought he would. He fought an excellent fight and even when put into hard situations found his way out and back to his feet. He carried a champion's heart into the cage and brought home the title.
Cinque Williams is the last that I'm going to elaborate on for now. He was very untested and unknown. He had suffered the loss of his father the morning of his Heavyweight Title fight. He had the burden of the world on his shoulders. He didn't run from his problems, although no one would have said a word about it. He turned to his heart and found his drive. He suffered some heavy shots from Anthony Holder, and told me after the fight that he had to take it to the ground because Anthony was laying a beating on him. It all changed the minute they hit the mat. Even though he had been taken down and was on his back against an accomplished wrestler he poured on the power and took control on the ground. He ended the fight with a submission and took the title.
These are the kinds of guys that need to be on The Ultimate Fighter. They could have walked away and lived in the world of "what if". Yet they found that drive in themselves to get through all the adversity and proved how big their heart was. Theirs is the true spirit of MMA. They are why we all do it and why the fans pack the arenas world wide.
by John Poe
photo courtesy of Michael Ehrhardt's myspace page
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