There is a mostly unavoidable cycle in sports where the young rookie takes aim at the veterans, garners experience, and hits a peak all before becoming the very same veteran they sought to take out in the early phases of their career.
In fighting, that cycle consumes just about all fighters, with only a few great exceptions getting out on top. For the rest of the pack, the story ends in a not-so-favourable fashion, completing the cycle by becoming the thing they fought to replace.
Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk clash postponed after Briton suffers ‘freak cut’
The battle between the old guard and the new is not fresh to this landscape, however, it is an especially prevalent theme for the UFC in the first quarter of 2024.