Ring rust is a term in the combat sports community referring to the consequences of returning after a long layoff. Consistency is key for success, especially in combat sports. UFC Bantamweight great Dominick Cruz is notorious for his stance that ring rust isn’t real. Accruing an admirable list of accolades such as becoming the WEC Bantamweight champion, the UFC Bantamweight champion and beating top contenders through multiple generations, Cruz has become widely regarded as the greatest bantamweight fighter of all time. However, his success was not without adversity. Cruz was plagued with injuries keeping him out of competition for years at a time. Mixed martial arts is a young man’s sport and careers are generally pretty short, making a year layoff devastating for most fighters. After taking nearly three years off due to having ACL surgery and recovering from a torn groin, Cruz returned to put on a dominant performance over rising contender Takeya Mizugaki. Cruz won in emphatic fashion with a first round knockout. Unfortunately, Cruz then suffered another ACL tear; keeping him out of competition for the next year. Cruz has shown that it’s possible to put on great performances after long layoffs, however most fighters seem to diminish with time off.
Another fighter to make ring rust seem like a myth is the legendary George St. Pierre. Arguably the greatest fighter of all time regardless of weight class, the former welterweight king vacated his title in 2013, stating that he needed a break from mixed martial arts. The division moved on to showcase great champions such as Robbie Lawler, Tyron Woodley and the current title-holder Kamaru Usman. In 2017, four years after vacating his welterweight title, St. Pierre announced that he would be moving up a weight class to challenge Michael Bisping for the UFC Middleweight championship. St. Pierre won via rear-naked choke, adding the middleweight title to his impressive list of accomplishments.
In similar fashion to St. Pierre, former women’s bantamweight champion Meisha Tate recently made her return to the octagon after over five years away from competition. Tate retired after her 2016 loss to Raquel Pennington. During that time she became a mother to two children, established a popular podcast and worked as an executive for One Championship; a mixed martial arts promotion based in Singapore. She returned in this past July to face UFC veteran Marion Reneau. Tate put on a phenomenal performance, securing a third round TKO victory over Reneau. Tate managed to look like she never left and called out fellow former bantamweight champion Holly Holm for her next bout.
It’s impossible to discuss ring rust and time away from the cage without without bringing up fan favorite Nick Diaz. Diaz has shared the octagon with some of the most legendary names in the sport including Diego Sanchez, Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, Anderson Silva, George St. Pierre and BJ Penn. Diaz had gained a cult-like following for his thrilling fighting style and “bad boy” persona. A long-time advocate for cannabis use, Diaz received a harsh five year suspension due to testing positive for marijuana metabolites when tested after his 2015 bout with Silva. As mentioned earlier, a fighters career usually doesn’t surpass ten years. To be suspended for five years is essentially being forced into an early retirement. While Nick has been suspended, his younger brother Nate has taken the spotlight.
Always citing his brother as the best fighter in the world and proudly representing the “Nick Diaz Army”, the younger Nate has continued to grow the Diaz brand. There have been many teases for a Nick Diaz comeback over the years but nothing has come to fruition until now. Nick is currently scheduled to rematch former welterweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler on September 25th at UFC 266. The two had faced off in 2004 with Diaz winning by 2nd round knockout. Since then, Lawler has established himself as a terrifying force in the welterweight division. Diaz, 39 years old and Lawler, 38 years old are both in the twilight of their athletic careers. Although staying active, Lawler is on a 4 fight skid and it seems that age has diminished his once-elite skill set. Diaz hasn’t fought since 2015 and it’s unclear what condition he’ll be in for his return to the octagon. During the past six years, Nick Diaz has posted videos and pictures of himself in night clubs, partying and drinking. He has recorded interviews where he doesn’t seem to be mentally clear; slurring his words and speaking in hard-to-follow tangents. However in the past year he has shown his social media followers that he is in great shape again and claims to be training consistently.
This makes for an exciting matchup, both men are at a similar age with similar levels of experience. The question is; will Diaz’s absence from competition create ring rust for his return? Or will time away from the sport have him return fresher? Lawler’s consistent experience and cage time could serve him well, however each fight causes damage that can speed up the clock and wear on a fighter as they age. Diaz is known as someone who stays in shape year-round, competing in triathlons and being an avid swimmer and cyclist. Using his cardio as a weapon, Diaz gained a reputation for setting a pace that would wilt even the most seasoned combatants. He has spoken about helping his brother Nate prepare for his fights over the past five years, but it’s unclear as to whether that will be enough to keep his timing, accuracy and fight IQ sharp.
Lawler is another fighter who always shows up in shape. Known as a durable and powerful striker, Lawler has been treating MMA fans to exciting bloody battles for the duration of his career. Lawler will be coming into this bout with somewhat of a chip on his shoulder. Not only looking to snap his losing streak, Lawler is keen on avenging his 2004 knockout loss to Diaz.
“I’m not worried about that last fight.” Lawler confidently explained, “I’m coming out to show who I am today, not who I was.”
Any MMA fan familiar with these veterans of the sport will be eagerly waiting to see how both men look coming into this highly anticipated bout.
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About the Author
Oliver Swanson is a lifelong Hudson Valley resident and assistant boxing coach at Precision Boxing and MMA. He teaches kids and adults striking throughout the week. When he’s off the mats he enjoys writing about mixed martial arts, spending time in nature and relaxing with his family.
