I was cageside at Madison Square Garden, drawing during the fights. It was a cool experience that I’d love to do again. While Rory Macdonald vs Neiman Gracie was an excellent technical fight and part of an ambitious tournament, there were two pivotal moments that have to be noted.
First: Chael Sonnen retired. Long before Conor McGregor, Sonnen revolutionized how fights could be promoted. Yes his shtick was lifted from Billy Graham and various other WWF era wrestlers, but his pivotal contribution to MMA was to establish the dynamic that “personality goes a long way.” While retirements in MMA are rarely kept, I’ll acknowledge it this time and not the next.