You can’t please everybody.
Foothills Composite graduate cage fighter Nick Ring learned that lesson recently at his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in UFC 127 in Sydney, Australia.
In what can be described as an improbable comeback to mixed martial arts the oft-injured Ring (11-0) defeated Riki Fukuda (17-5) of Toyko in a tight but unanimous decision by all three of the judges Feb. 26 in Sydney.
Fighting on the under card of the main event which featured BJ Penn and Jon Fitch, Ring was credited with winning each of the first two rounds while Fukuda claimed the third.
While the Calgary-based welterweight fighter was officially declared the victor, much vitriol was directed at him following the match.
Even UFC president Dana White did not hide his discontent with the decision.
“Fukuda got robbed!!!” White said, via his twitter account.
UFC legend Chuck Liddell chimed in as well, also on twitter.
“Wow what fight were they watching??? I thought he lost all three rounds damn,” he said.
Ring said he was baffled by much of the criticism, particularly the ire directed at him.
“I don’t bother to listen to it,” he said. “Save it for the judges, I don’t want to hear it.”
Despite the objections from others, Ring insisted he did all he could and was pleased with the result.
“I held up my end of the bargain, I got in there and fought,” he said.
He also credited Fukuda for his technique, which resulted in several takedowns.
“He definitely gave me the fight of my life,” Ring reflected.
The victory represented an impressive comeback story for the 31-year-old Ring.
After tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee on the Ultimate Fighter reality television show just 10 months ago, Ring’s re-appearance in the octagon was unexpected, to say the least.
Although he had yet to lose on the reality show, the injury represented an end to Ring’s quest to become the “Ultimate Fighter”.
Now, he is back in the ring with UFC.
With nothing on the horizon, Ring said he expects he will be returning to competition soon.
After all, he is a fighter. That’s what he does.
“It will be happening soon enough, I’m sure,” he said.
