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Beyond the Octagon: Robert Drysdale returns, UFC vets Rin Nakai, Okami pick up wins
- Updated: July 30, 2016
Among all the things MMA fans like to chew over, the matter of wasted talent is probably one of the tastiest. Vitor Belfort and B.J. Penn are, of course, perennial favorites for this dubious honor. There was a time that Robbie Lawler, currently the UFC’s most successful welterweight champion since Georges St. Pierre, would’ve been found on such a list, too. And once in a while, you might find BJJ luminary Robert Drysdale crop up on the margins of the conversation.
Drysdale’s UFC career was about as disappointing as it gets for a highly anticipated prospect: his debut was pushed back three months due to a staph infection, and the follow-up bout was scrapped when Drysdale showed elevated testosterone levels. Despite this inauspicious beginning, Drysdale was given a third shot inside the Octagon, finally making his debut at the TUF 19 finale, where he made short work of Keith Berish. Drysdale’s subsequent drug test would see that victory turned to a no-contest and finally result in his release from the UFC. Now, nearly two years to the day since his lone UFC appearance, Drysdale has returned to MMA competition.
At Legacy FC 58, Drysdale faced Ryan Spann (9-3-0) in a main event bout for the organization’s light-heavyweight title. And while Spann’s own record implies a fair amount of grappling savvy (seven of his nine victories have come by submission) Drysdale’s fearsome ground game once again won out, as Spann tapped to a rear-naked choke mid-way through …
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