The correct answer to, “How do you fight a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest?” is not wrestling.
Andre Soukhamthath fought Sean O’Malley on the main card of UFC 222 on Saturday, in a battle for who’s the brighter prospect. In Round 2 Soukhamthath checked a low kick that left O’Malley unable to use the leg, or even put weight on it. Because Crane Kicks are not a real thing, Soukhamthath was able to drop O’Malley repeatedly with low kicks of his own.
Soukhamthath then decided to take the fight to the ground, eventually losing a unanimous decision. UFC president Dana White was characteristically blunt about the strategy.
“I couldn’t understand why he was laying on top of him instead of making him stand and get up,” said White post-fight, as transcribed by Greg Rosenstein for ESPN. “Not very smart.”
Others were less kind than calling it, “not smart.”
“I’m getting trolled right now by so many people,” said Soukamthath. “They are calling me the dumbest fighter in MMA. The dumbest fighter in UFC history. Even my friend Rashad [Evans]. Everyone is wondering why I decided to wrestle, and I’m wondering the same thing.”
Soukamthath has an explanation, and it’s an important thing to understand about this sport. The gameplan was to endure O’Malley’s strikes in the first, and then pressure his opponent in Rounds 2 and 3. But near the end of the first, a jab landed flush, and clouded his judgment.
“After he rocked me, I still stayed in the fight, but I was kind of dizzy and dazed afterwards,” said Soukhamthath. “That shot really threw me off the rest of the game plan in the fight. I really wasn’t there. I think I was just fighting with instincts. I definitely regret it, because I’m a striker first and a wrestler second. If I would have just done my thing out there, I easily would have won the fight.”
“Even if people are still talking about my fight, I’m not really hearing it. I know what I did wrong. I realize what I did. I’m going to capitalize on my mistakes and learn from this. I’m not going to let opinions of others get in the way of my life. I’ve been through this before, and I’m not going to let it bring me down.”
Soukhamthath fought four times in twelve months and now hopes to return to the Octagon in about five months.
