Poor Royce Gracie.

Let me say something first:

No, I didn’t expect Royce Gracie to beat Matt Hughes. I was rooting for him in my heart, but my intellect told me otherwise – which doesn’t make his loss any less disappointing.

It’s the Monday Morning Locker Room Question that’s being asked all over. Well, at least all over locker rooms whose denizens care about mixed martial arts:

“Why did Royce get beaten so soundly?”

I’m sure I will get a ton of flame-mail for this, but I’m certain of the reason Royce lost -

LACK OF PROPER CONDITIONING.

It’s not “the evolution of MMA and jiujitsu”, unless you call conditioning part of that evolution. Watching Royce during the fight, he was sluggish and made many mistakes in his strategy that I feel were due to his not being in fighting shape. Others have argued Royce was “outwrestled on the floor, where he’s supposed to be the expert,” but I feel it to be that he was dominated on the ground, mostly because he was too tired to make anything happen.

Matt Hughes is in top shape – he’s got a wrestler’s build, and conditioning, to boot. He is powerful and very aggressive (I hesitate to use the word “explosive” even though no other term seems quite as appropo). A man with this much firepower needs to be handled by redirecting that energy or subduing that energy – both strategies require a great deal of mental fortitude, patience, and physical strength. It is my belief that if Royce had come in stronger and better prepared conditioning-wise, he would have lasted the entire bout (although I make no bones about the outcome. As much as I’d like it to be, I just can’t see Royce being able to overcome the power gap in the course of five 5 minute rounds to win the match).

The standup phase of the bout saw both fighters eager to engage in combat but neither one seems to want to commit to any real gameplan. Both fighters (as can be seen from their stances and movements) are looking to take this fight to the floor.

When they finally clinch, Hughes is much too powerful for Gracie. With superior strength and great technique, he is able to control Gracie in the clinch and take him to the ground, landing in side control.

The standing portion of a clinch, prior to a takedown, is arguably the most exhausting range to fight in. It’s possible Royce lost some of his steam here. The knee strikes to the abdomen probably didn’t help.

They work in side control with Royce making one or two attempts to get to guard, use high-leg escape, etc. Hughes works an armbar attempt, nearly cinching it (were it not for Gracie’s incredible flexibility). Gracie gets and loses half-guard. Hughes rear mounts him. It’s all over but the shouting.

Arguably, the end of the fight was when Hughes rear mounted Gracie. Francisco and I were dumbfounded. How could a BJJ black belt let himself get rear mounted? It seems impossible until you watch the replays. Royce, visibly tired, was turning onto his side in transition out of side control. Matt Hughes simply interrupted his spin and slipped a hook in. Royce was turning so slowly that I know he must have been quite tired (to be expected after fighting off an armbar attempt) and when Matt Hughes started slipping the hook in, Royce registered no physical reaction (too tired to fight?).

If Royce came in more conditioned, better able to exhibit anaerobic bursts of power, he might have lasted the round. Maybe rounds 2 through 5 might’ve gone differently. We’ll never know.

In all sports, he who is most conditioned may not reign supreme, but he’s up there. Unless there’s a tremendous gap in technique or skill, conditioning generally factors in as the major player in sports success. It won’t guarantee you the medal (only you as an individual can do that), but it will certainly put you in the running. Conditioning is all-encompassing:

-Strength
-Speed
-Stamina
-Spirit

Royce Gracie is a true warrior. And it is a sad thing when a warrior’s body fails his spirit.

Good luck to Professor Gracie in his next bout.

P.S. Hey, wasn’t this asshole supposed to get Royce into shape? C’mon!