Ups and downs: This photo was taken prior to chris weidman's first fight with Anderson Silva. After battling past all the other contenders for a title shot, Mr Weidman suffered a catastrophic injury to his shoulder in a training accident. I still remember getting the gut wrenching news from him via phone – it seemed his dream of a UFC title fight against the greatest middleweight of all time was gone. Soon after, Mr Weidman went through major reconstructive surgery. Shortly after the surgery, my good friend doug pelinkovic and I went to see him bring what money we had, food and talk to help. Soon after this he would experience terrible loss again, losing his house to Hurricane Sandy. To anyone in that room that night, it would seem impossible that this man would soon come back in the best shape of his life with near perfect preparation and decisively defeat Mr Silva to attain his dream. Looking at this photo now I remember the doubts and fears we all felt that night and marvel at the the outcome brought about by dedication to a program, a dream and unshakeable self belief. There will always be ups and downs in our lives. In those dark times it is crucial to keep your dreams alive by setting realistic goals in a program toward first recovery, then regaining your former level, and then moving forward to new levels. An odd twist to this photo is that Mr Pelinkovic would shortly afterwards suffer a terrible accident that required multiple reconstructive surgeries. I was already suffering from severe hip problems that ultimately required hip replacement surgery- so everyone in the photo went through problems requiring major surgery. As each man went through problems, he found inspiration and assistance in the actions and achievements of the other two in ways that helped him return to his place in the sport. This kind of mutual support is a crucial addition to the goal setting mentioned earlier. One of the few certainties that life offers us is fluctuation in fortune. Creating the needed conditions to create good times out of the darkness of bad times is critical to your longevity in the sport and indeed, life in general.
