Styles make fights—period.

I’ve written those words dozens of times on this website—so much so that more than one reader is undoubtedly tired of reading them. Nonetheless, there so few truisms in professional mixed martial arts that one must give the proper deference to the one undeniable statement of fact that dominates each and every fight card.

Putting on exciting fights is all about matchmaking. It’s an art, much like pairing food and wine. The components don’t necessarily need to be great on their own because the marriage of the sum of the pair is always, if matched correctly, better than the individual parts because they work harmoniously to magnify each other’s strengths, while often masking any shortcomings.

For example, barring some quick knockout, it was easy to predict that Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher would engage in a war for the ages. Their styles matched up perfectly. Stout was yin to Fisher’s yang. Both men strongly prefer to stand and bang it out, eschewing takedowns and transition jiu-jitsu in favor of fighting in a phone booth. Both have granite chins, thus neither shies away from eating a shot in order to deliver one in kind. And, most importantly, neither man has truly devastating knockout power. Thus, everything about the matchup screamed long, drawn-out slugfest.

In other words, Stout is perfectly grilled chingale steak (or succulent osso bucco) and Fisher is a 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. If you don’t like Italian, then Stout is a dry aged, prime cut rib eye and Fisher is a 1999 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (or a 1961 Chateau Latour Pauillac, if life has no price tags).

Aside from my addiction to the pain business, I’m consumed both by food and wine, so I can go on for days. But I digress.

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