It isn't often that a fighter gets a third shot at an opponent after coming up short the first two times. In mixed martial arts, the inability of former UFC featherweight champion - and fan favorite - Max Holloway to overcome current champion Alexander Volkanovski after three attempts is as poignant a story as Vokanovski's dominance over the division.
On the other hand, in the same league but years previous, light heavyweight Quinton Rampage Jackson was able to take advantage of a third contest with Wanderlei Silva to get a knockout victory after losing - viciously - to the Brazilian muay Thai specialist in their previous two encounters.
Would Pena v. Ryan 3 be a case of the former or the latter?
I enjoyed the contest. I saw a lot of good jiu-jitsu that I'll be referring back to - if only to see top competitors at work. The fact is that Gordon Ryan is the best in the business of no-gi grappling and there aren't many comers - especially at his size. So I'm grateful to see him against anyone who is both a top competitor and not physically overmatched.
That said, I'm pretty impressed by Chael Sonnen's take about what Pena v. Ryan 3 means in the bigger picture of creating a real, popular "grappling sport" that is enjoyed by more than just its competitors.
