UFC 110 Main Event Illustrates Changing of the Guard

It first happened at UFC 65 when Georges St. Pierre took the title from Matt Hughes. We saw a changing of the guard when the younger fighter defeated the legend. We are approaching an epoch in this young sport where the pioneers and legends are reaching retirement age. I believe we will see more marquee fighters retire in the next two years than in all of MMA past combined. As that happens, we will see more fights like the upcoming UFC 110 main card bout of Nogueira vs Velasquez. As hardcore fans continue to bet on and pick fights, they will start having to gauge how talent and athleticism weigh against experience and technique; intangible attributes with no easy conversion scale. On February 21st will Nogueira teach the younger fighter a lesson, or will Velasquez show us that Nogueira’s wars have finally caught up with him?