In this edition of Trading Shots, MMAjunkie columnist Ben Fowlkes and former UFC/WEC fighter Danny Downes turn their attention on one of MMA’s most loaded terms, which may or may not apply to the winner of the UFC Fight Night 47 main event. Fowlkes: Danny, with his win over Ovince Saint Preux last night, it seems to me that Ryan Bader has become the very definition of a gatekeeper. The only people to beat him (aside from Tito Ortiz, who I still suspect might have been the beneficiary of a temporary gypsy curse) are those who are or have recently been champs (Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida), or those who end up fighting for a title on the strength of the win (Glover Teixeira). Everybody else hits the Bader wall and is swiftly repelled back down the rankings. And by swiftly I mean gradually, over the course of several rounds. That’s a gatekeeper if ever there was one, yet something tells me that Bader would not like to hear us call him that
Originally posted here:
Trading Shots: Is Ryan Bader a gatekeeper, and is that really such a bad thing? – MMA Junkie