It’s hard to complain about anything when you’re doing what you love. While serving as the sports editor and sports writer at the Nicholls Worth for four years, I’ve been granted a tremendous opportunity-writing a weekly column about Mixed Martial Arts. Though it’s been fun, it’s been challenging. Before this column became a cornerstone of the sports section, it faced adversity. When I first started writing about the sport in 2009, the UFC was popular, but it wasn’t as popular as it is today. In fact, a few mass communication professors questioned why I even wrote about it. Fast forward four years later, and I can’t pass one of those professors on campus today without him stopping me and asking me about the latest happenings in the sport. That’s the effect that this wonderful sport has on people. 
Actually, that’s why this sport has seen tremendous growth in the mainstream’s eyes. Just recently, The New York Times covered UFC 159. Yes, that prestigious newspaper that’s in one of the handful  of states that has not yet sanctioned MMA. A significant reason for its mainstream growth is a direct result of the FOX deal the company landed in 2011. For a year and a half, the UFC broadcasted live fight events on FOX, aired its reality series on FX and provided extensive amount of programming on Fuel TV. It’s much different than broadcasting to a limited Spike TV audience. So we made it, friends. This sport is finally getting the publicity that we knew it would eventually receive. So let’s reflect back on this four-year journey.
If you want to talk about best fights, there are a number of them that come to mind. Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis, Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II and III and Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua come to mind instantly. All of those bouts were incredible, but the fight that had everything was Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. At the time, and still today, Silva was the best fighter on the planet, dominating any opponent he faced. Sonnen was relatively unknown but hyped the fight immensely with his mouth. As I went and watched this fight with friends at W.O.W. in Thibodaux, I remember telling them that Silva was going to defeat Sonnen in the first round. Boy, was I wrong.
Sonnen came out, put the pressure on Silva and put a beating on him for four full rounds. He controlled the fight with his wrestling and dominated him up until the last few minutes of the fight. Silva, who was down four rounds to none, had to finish Sonnen to keep his championship belt. In a move of desperation he locked on a triangle chokehold and forced Sonnen to tap. It was unlike anything I have ever seen in sports. It’s like watching a football team getting beat 40-0 throw a Hail Mary to win the game in the last seconds of the contest. The moment was so exciting that I jumped up and down while standing in the booth at the restaurant. This might have looked strange if everyone else wasn’t running around W.O.W. like lunatics.
As far as best knockout in the past four years goes, it has to be Silva’s front kick on Vitor Belfort at UFC 126.  This was the first time anyone ever knocked someone out with a front kick to the face, and it got this type of reaction out of me-“He did what?! He kicked him in the face with the heel of his foot!!” There is only one Anderson Silva, ladies and gentlemen, and from the time I started writing at the Nicholls Worth up to my last paper with the student publication, he has not lost a single bout.
Through the years, we’ve seen great superstars emerge. Jon Jones went from being this flashy kid to one of the best fighters on the planet. Though Silva is the greatest of all time, admittedly, I might pick Jones to defeat him in a one-on-one bout. Jones has the complete package, and he’s shown it again and again by dominating every man who’s stepped in front of him. Though Silva is the greatest of all time, I believe Jones will take that title when his career is played out. He’s been an absolute joy to watch, and honestly, writing about all of these magnificent athletes in the Nicholls Worth was beyond satisfying. Sure, writing about a sport that you love is a personal dream come true,but not getting discouraged by professors and continuing to write about the sport I love brings me great pride. Quite frankly, it’s the coolest thing I’ve done, and I can’t thank the Nicholls Worth staff enough for allowing me to cover this sport on a weekly basis.