Assuming a fighter can retain his or her motivation, physical health and chin, there is one more obstacle to overcome. When an opponent has 30 or so fights worth of tape to watch on you, it becomes a tad difficult to show them something new which they won’t have prepared for. Chuck Liddell has suffered from this problem of late, as maestro of violence Greg Jackson seems to have figured out how to pick apart his style. Once opponents figured out how to avoid Mirko Crocop’s left head kick and Wanderlei’s wild barrage of hooks, they both started to look devoid of a plan B. Another old adage proves true here- you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Ego, or reasoning that your style brought you success in the past, can prevent a once great fighter from evolving their style and learning new techniques. It has never been more important than in the modern game to have a tool box brimming with skills, and sticking to what you know just doesn’t cut it these days. Without wanting to sound like a cliché soundboard, styles make fights, and if you know what style your opponent will bring, you can tailor your style to make the fight in your favor.

If your idol can somehow dodge the pitfalls I’ve outlined, then guess what, it’s still not going to be good enough! The new breed of up-and-comers are unbelievable fighters. There are the supergrapplers, the superstrikers, the supertough and the superathletic. They are hungry for success, aggressive, technically proficient, have fresh bodies and minds and there are thousands of them. When you are at the top you are the target and it’s simply inevitable that sooner or later you will falter and the pack will descend on you. Once the first loss slips through, your aura of invincibility is gone and everyone wants a piece of you. They say a champion’s worth is determined by how they bounce back from a defeat, and many of the elite now coming a cropper haven proven their mettle time and again. However, sooner or later, just resolve will not be enough to make it back to the top.

With reflection, next time I see one of my heroes brought down to earth, rather than despairing at them coming up short, I will think just how miraculously good they are to have even strung a couple of wins together at the top level.

On a final note, I will boil the blood of Dana White and many UFC fans, by mentioning one person who still remains untouched by all comers. Over 30 fights and 8 years into his career he is still (in theory) undefeated. I for one still place my faith in Fedor Emelianenko.