The Rukus Perspective- The Art Of The Walk-Off KO
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THE RUKUS PERSPECTIVE- THE ART OF THE WALK-OFF KO March 21, 2016
On October 15, 1988, a physically battered​ Los Angeles Dodger,​ Kirk Gibson ​approaches the plate to take on Oakland Athletics' Hall of Famer to be, Dennis Eckersly​,​ in what would be his only appearance in the World Series of Major League Baseball for that year. With the crack of the bat, Gibson would hit one of the gr​eatest walk-off home runs in MLB history.
(Mar 20, 2016; Brisbane, Australia; Mark Hunt (red gloves) competes against Frank Mir (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Mandatory Credit: Matt Roberts-USA TODAY Sports)
The American psyche is drawn to such super human feats, where athletes defy physics and suspend belief​, ​making​ it seem like they had planned it all along.
On Saturday​ night, Mark Hunt would face Frank Mir in a Heavyweight bout at UFC​ Fight Night in ​
Brisbane​, Australia​. ​W​ith one right hand​ nearing the final two minutes in round 1, Mir would crumble​ backwards to the​ canvas​.​ To the trained eye of an MMA fan, analyst or critic, we are accustomed to watching the opposing combatant barrel downward onto the fallen foe. Some of the time we look for the finishing blow, other times we expect to see a fighter regain his wits about him/her while the charging opponent lands in their guard. But for Mark Hunt, the way we've seen him do so many times before, simply walked away. Even the referee, who is also looking for Hunt to follow up, watched him walk away, glanced down at Mir, then waved off the contest. This particular walk-off KO is one that is not only fascinating, but confusing to some. This isn't a home run that determines Game 1 of the World Series, or a shot at the buzzer for a basketball game. What's missing from this one in particular is totality. It leaves interpretation and speculation open to all, except for the Super Samoan himself. Mark Hunt has probably forgotten more fight time in his career than some will ever get actually experience. Actually walking away from a knockout is a thing of mercy. When it is seen that an opponent no longer needs to sustain continued damage, he leaves them be. But here's the thing, he does it in a way as if it would be too much work to actually follow up. With no true post fight celebration, the KOs are usually met with a shrug, a smile and a wink.
​The response that followed ​after from media and fans was slightly puzzling, suggesting Mir was not completely out, or that Hunt should have followed up in order to give Frank the opportunity to recover while in his guard. There were some who got on the case of the referee for not knowing what to do in that situation. If anything, Mark Hunt should be commended for his exercising of fighter safety. In an era where many issues concerning late stoppages (See Magny vs Lombard on the same card), the fact that Hunt had the wherewithal to not engage further is a pretty noble thing. As he put it in the press conference "he was still in the dark lands", and with Mark, being as experienced as he is, with the fight time he has seen, should not even have to field a question suggesting that Mir was not finished. Many still long for the nasty follow up shots reminiscent of Dan Henderson's crushing late blow on an already snoring Michael Bisping at UFC 100. But as the sport continues to evolve and we learn more about brain trauma, we realize that maybe that follow up shot isn't worth it. Especially if it gives the fighter on the receiving end of the strike an opportunity to save a few brain cells for the next fight.
​Besides.....would anyone ever ask Kirk Gibson to run out to the stands to hit the ball again to make sure its completely out of the park?​
"Mikey Rukus is known as MMA’s Fight Music Producer, creating custom walkout music and theme music for fighters and organizations all over the world to include some of the UFC’s most well known athletes. You can catch him live tweeting with fans during MMA events. Follow Mikey on Twitter at @MikeyRukus."​​
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