SI

Rockhold, Philippou headline UFC redemption card

That guarantees us observers nothing, of course. Fighters putting everything on the line are as likely to hold back as they are to let loose. But it doesn't

Jeff Wagenheim

Rockhold, Philippou headline UFC redemption card
Rockhold, Philippou headline UFC redemption card /
Luke Rockhold (right) got knocked out by this Vitor Belfort blow during their May bout in Brazil.
Luke Rockhold (right) got knocked out by this Vitor Belfort blow during their May bout in Brazil / Getty Images

That guarantees us observers nothing, of course. Fighters putting everything on the line are as likely to hold back as they are to let loose. But it doesn't take much on these nights to trigger something special. Sometimes a vision of the future -- a glorious one, not just the dim one they've feared -- can be the spark. Rockhold already has mentioned his goal of getting back in the cage with Belfort, and Philippou has respectfully called for a fight with Michael Bisping. The road in that direction passes through this Georgia night, and it's not wide enough for both of them.

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Jeff Wagenheim
JEFF WAGENHEIM

Paradoxically, Jeff Wagenheim considers himself a pacifist (except when driving in traffic) but nonetheless writes about mixed martial arts, the world's most combative sport (other than driving in traffic). As a veteran of three decades in magazines and newspapers, he's a bit grayer than most who attend UFC fights, even along press row. (A fan watching an MMA media panel show recently referred to him as "that crazy hippie uncle," to which Jeff responds, "Groovy, man!") Wagenheim also has tackled pro football for SI.com, and writes about sports and the arts for The Boston Globe. When he's not on the road chasing the UFC, Jeff spends Sunday afternoons spinning Sleepy LaBeef and Boozoo Chavis records for a popular (but not pop) radio show in western Massachusetts.

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