SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- After the morning’s pro practice, Chris Holdsworth’s forehead dripped sweat in front of Urijah Faber’s Ultimate Fitness gym. Standing next to the bike rack, he smiled and parroted old school LL Cool J: “Don’t call it a comeback.” However, he did not spit the follow-up line: “I’ve been here for years.” Instead, Holdsworth told Sherdog.com, “I haven’t left. I’m still here.”
Combat sports are an out-of-sight-out-of-mind gig. For a fighter who is not on television or lacks a scheduled bout, staying in the collective conscience can be a stern challenge. That is Holdsworth’s current opponent.