Opinion: Let’s Not Forget Half the Sport

Editor's note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

It’s time for mixed martial arts to accept that defense wins championships.

The sport rose to prominence in America thanks to winging punches mixed with takedowns and whatever that stuff is when they hit the ground. Needless to say, the education process has advanced a long way since 2005. While they still may boo clinch stalls or restful grappling, fans have also come around to cheering dogged takedown pursuits that pay out, scrambles and sweeps. Today, crowds generally are better than they are worse at comprehending what techniques they are watching and how much those techniques entertain them. Defense is the last frontier for MMA appreciation.

Other sports have accepted and even celebrated defense for its critical nature to any contest. The Pittsburg Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” of the 1970s and Ray Lewis’ Baltimore Ravens millennium Super Bowl defenses are renowned in football. The Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boys” smash-mouth defenses of the 1980s and their 2004 spiritual extension are lauded in basketball. The San Francisco Giants’ 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series wins were largely the result of stellar pitching.

Fight sports are ruled by the knockout, so it’s an uphill climb for defense to have its proper respect and acceptance. The fight game is compelling because of how unforgiving it can be. The challenge in garnering esteem for defense is that it falls outside combat’s normal attention span. People are watching fights for primal reasons that result in someone hitting the floor unconscious. What defense has going against it is that no one is concussed when a shot doesn’t land.

After Dominick Cruz’s redemptive return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight throne on Sunday in Boston, it’s time once and for all to appreciate defense’s brilliance in the game’s grand scheme.

Cruz was ahead of his time defensively before spending virtually four years on the bench. For all the headaches and heartaches, Cruz got one incredible benefit from it: Distance made the heart grow fonder for “The Dominator.” Before injuries started to define Cruz’s career, his four title defenses between World Extreme Cagefighting and the UFC went the maximum 100 minutes. Those four 25-minute contests demonstrated Cruz’s exemplary defense. Perception incorrectly painted him an outlier instead of outstanding champion.

In Cruz’s return, he added 25 minutes with T.J. Dillashaw. Suddenly, Cruz’s ahead-of-his-time defense resonated in the moment. That he appeared as proficient as he did five years prior reminded us of the incredible nature of his fighting acumen. When Cruz was excelling in a young champion’s role prior to injury, the lower weight classes were still being established in MMA and the UFC. Now, with Cruz’s comeback complete thanks to the incredible back-and-forth with Dillashaw, the bantamweight division has caught up, further cementing the lower weights. In the process, perhaps we arrived at a time in which we recognize the value of defense.

Trainer Duane Ludwig told MMAJunkie.com in a post-fight interview that Dillashaw threw shots to prompt reactions they strategically wanted to coax from Cruz. That may be true -- that’s what feints are for -- but Dillashaw still whiffed with many ill-intentioned shots. It’s impressive to land 100 punches; it should be deemed equally impressive to evade 100-plus strikes the way Cruz did, especially at the highest level with the highest stakes.

Cruz played the cerebral bully role on camera leading up to the Dillashaw bout. It gave him a love-him-or-hate-him slant necessary to be a star. Boxing’s biggest star -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- is a defensive wizard and hated for it. Cruz was well on that path, until his misfortunes developed his underdog story. Fans relished empathizing with him as he vied for the championship he never lost.

Cruz’s time away made us appreciate his greatness -- defensively and overall -- but he’s not the only high-level defensive fighter in MMA. Anderson Silva’s defensive abilities were recognized yet considered more an afterthought since his knockout-laden highlight reel pumped up his title run. The difference between Silva and Cruz is 50 pounds that enable “The Spider” to pack more knockout power. Cruz only has technical excellence in communicating with fans, which for all its virtues might be the hardest sell in fight sports. Still, Cruz continuing to convey defense’s integral nature upon his return has shined through for the MMA world.

Another fighter to contribute to MMA’s defensive progress is former UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar. “The Answer” has knockouts against Gray Maynard and Chad Mendes on which to lean in pushing his popularity. However, he’s well-known for getting bounced around by Maynard’s clubbing hooks to the tune of a 10-8 first round in their second bout in January 2011. Edgar’s heart is recalled because it allowed him to force a draw in that 25-minute classic at UFC 125. His defense is not talked about related to that memorable title clash, even though it’s how he worked his way back into the fight.

Cruz and Edgar have been called point fighters, or scared, or coasters -- the go-to shots that demean defense-oriented fighters. The talent curve in MMA has evolved enough to leave those misguided notions behind, and it’s time to acknowledge it. Cruz and Edgar reached the championship level with innovative defense five years ago, while most fighters were still figuring out straight punches in MMA. Since they were ahead of the curve then, they are still top-flight now. They represent the truth that defense wins championships.

Cruz’s return to action makes him the fighter with the second most consecutive wins (12) among current UFC champions, trailing only Conor McGregor (15). He remains undefeated in 11 bantamweight appearances -- six of those were title fights -- and therefore is recognized as the winningest fighter at 135 pounds. Cruz was the UFC’s first bantamweight champion and is undeniably the best 135-pound fighter in the sport’s history based on all meaningful measures. He has also avenged his only career defeat, a submission loss to Urijah Faber that occurred when Cruz was just 22 years old.

It’s critical to throw down the gauntlet and declare that defense should get its due in the sport, because there’s a glaring reason why Cruz’s artful defensive showcases weren’t appreciated five years ago and may still be misunderstood now. During Ultimate Fighting Championship broadcasts, the UFC’s own graphic doesn’t include the word “defense” when explaining judging criteria from the unified rules system. However, the word is officially listed in the unified rules, even on the UFC’s website, referring to the laws that govern the Octagon.

Article 14, Section C states: “Judges shall evaluate mixed martial arts techniques, such as effective striking, effective grappling, control of the ring/fighting area, effective aggressiveness and defense.”

Walking forward is aggressive but not always effective. Forward motion indicates aggressiveness, but a fighter can move forward into traps set by opponents. Footwork doesn’t equate to running. It equates to defense, and defense should be incorporated into the UFC’s explanatory graphic since it is part of the rules. That way, there’s no discrepancy in what judges and observers should look for in fights.

The goal of fighting is to score the most efficient, damaging output while incurring as little damage as possible. That’s not possible without defense. In a sport that prizes well-rounded skills, it’s backward to only celebrate the offensively savvy. After all, sometimes the best offense is a good defense. People may not cheer defense the way they do offense, but the most important quality to that component is it allows fighters to live better lives once their careers are over.

Defense constructs major moments in winning championships and retaining championships, and it aids in retaining faculties in time beyond professional fighting. That’s always worth cheering.

Danny Acosta is a SiriusXM Rush (Channel 93) host and contributor. His writing has been featured on Sherdog.com for nearly a decade. Find him on Twitter and Instagram @acostaislegend.