For many in the fight game, career success is built on a constant drive to move forward. Don’t look back, don’t regret the past, don’t dwell on what you can’t change; move ahead and focus on what’s next. Of course, every now and then that ethos is at direct odds with what is necessary. You can’t fix mistakes if you’re not willing to take stock of exactly what those mistakes were.
That’s where Anthony Johnson found himself after UFC 187 back in 2015. Johnson had been on a 3-year, 9-fight unbeaten streak heading into his first bout with Daniel Cormier at UFC 187.