Piling on Greg Jackson is the new sport-within-a-sport: following Nate Marquardt’s slow-gear performance against Yushin Okami at UFC 122, UFC president Dana White labeled Marquardt coach Jackson as promoting “safety first” among his athletes. While that’s a common goal among fighters, White -- and many fans -- see some kind of ultra-conservative approach infecting anyone who comes from the camp.
Forget Marquardt for a second: frankly, very few people can look exciting against Okami. And Marquardt’s prior bouts weren’t lacking in energy. Is Jon Jones stinking up any arenas? Clay Guida?
There’s no question some Jackson athletes don’t take as many risks as they may have prior to meeting him. Melvin Guillard looked calm in his last bout; Georges St. Pierre is flirting with becoming a decision fighter. But you’ll find plenty of athletes who share the same reservations from other camps, and just as many from Jackson’s camp who can be thrilling. Jackson’s reputation for this isn’t deserved. But if he’s reminding his athletes they’ll one day have to use their heads for something other than fighting, good for him. There’s no reward for losing a record number of brain cells.