Chapter 73 - Chapter 72 – Multi-party Melee

Another commentator – the outspoken older brother of DC Cormier – was even blunter on his show:> "I'm telling you, Anjos' pressure fighting and heavy kicks are strong, but his opponent is Yogan!A monster with such fast reaction speed that even peak-form José Aldo couldn't touch him!Anjos wants to kick him, knock him down, control him on the ground – but for that he has to touch him first. And I don't think he can touch him!"His words struck like thunder across the MMA community. For months the narrative had been simple: Rafael dos Anjos was the unstoppable force at lightweight. But now, with every passing day, more people were beginning to believe that the immovable object waiting for him at UFC 196 might be Yogan.Even more striking was the sudden appearance of a set of blurry training-camp videos from Thailand's famed Phuket Tiger Muay Thai gym. Despite the shaky footage and low resolution, the clips went viral within hours. It was still obvious that Yogan was demonstrating astonishing new techniques during his sessions with the legendary Muay Thai king Buakaw.In the grainy clips, Yogan's movements seemed impossibly light – footwork like a butterfly, evasions as incomprehensible as a ghost slipping through walls. Most shocking of all was a strange low-kick technique no one had seen before, a method of striking the shin and supporting leg at oblique angles. Each strike landed with a sharp, heavy thud on Buakaw's planted leg, causing the battle-hardened king of Muay Thai to momentarily lose his balance and adjust his stance."Revolutionizing the Muay Thai circular striking technique!" screamed the headline of one popular breakdown.In a video titled "Breaking Down", a veteran fight analyst enthused:> "Look at this combination. It borrows the low-kicking angles of traditional Chinese martial arts but fuses them with the power generation of Muay Thai. The result is a far more formidable and harder-to-defend attacking method. This isn't just a technical tweak; it's a revolution in stand-up fighting!"Suddenly there was a shocking reversal in public opinion.> "So Yogan didn't go on vacation in Thailand," wrote one top-liked comment on a forum. "He was secretly building an arsenal!"> "Oh my gosh, he's incorporated the essence of Muay Thai into his style – who can resist that?"> "As I said before, Yogan is no ordinary fighter; he's a true martial artist!"What was even more surprising was that from the moment the fight had been officially announced, the bookmakers were already slightly tilting toward Yogan as the challenger. With the release of those Thai training videos and the ferment of public opinion, his odds skyrocketed – dropping from an initial 2.15 to 1.65 in just one week. That created an almost one-sided betting situation, completely eclipsing the reigning champion Anjos.This was extremely rare in the history of UFC title fights. This was no longer simple market optimism; it was practically a declaration: the capital of the world was betting that this new Featherweight king could perform a miracle.Fight fans realized with a shiver of excitement that what they were about to witness might not be an ordinary "super fight" at all. They could be watching the birth of an unprecedented double champion in UFC history – the first fighter to hold two divisional championship belts simultaneously while still at his physical peak.The UFC's promotional machine roared to life like a high-speed war engine, bringing the "Fight of the Century" between Yogan and Anjos from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to every corner of the sports-following world. Giant posters covered the most prominent places in Times Square, Yogan's sharp eyes and Anjos' bulging muscles forming a dramatic contrast that stopped pedestrians in their tracks.Every day ESPN's flagship program "SportsCenter" devoted at least five minutes to analyzing this matchup and invited various experts to comment on Yogan's mysterious new tactics. Other networks followed suit. News anchors spoke of "the ultimate clash of Eastern wisdom and South American power," a "battle of spiritual agility versus overwhelming pressure."Prediction threads on major forums updated around the clock, with fierce debates raging between supporters of both sides. No one conceded an inch.Rafael dos Anjos himself was at the very peak of his career – the new lightweight king after knocking out "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone with overwhelming force in the first round and dominating Anthony Pettis before that.In an exclusive interview with renowned reporter Ariel Helwani, he made no secret of his disdain for Yogan:> "He's an excellent Featherweight fighter, and I respect what he's done in that division.But at 155 pounds, it's a grown-up world. Every man here can take heavy punches and give you a high-intensity wrestling match for five rounds.Under my power and relentless pressure, his little tricks will be as fragile as a house of cards.I'll crush him against the cage and, with knees and elbows, welcome him to Lightweight."His words, full of arrogance and confidence, also expressed the fears of many neutral observers. Yogan's technique was dazzling, but could he withstand the power and heavy blows of true lightweights?Yet what was supposed to be a simple duel between two kings soon turned into a chaotic, explosive four-way affair thanks to two uninvited guests – almost robbing the main event of its singular aura.First came Conor McGregor. Instead of remaining silent after being almost humiliatingly finished by Yogan, he escalated the conflict, moving directly to a higher division and turning into an even more ferocious beast after his injury layoff. In an almost frenzied manner he attacked every potential lightweight opponent in public appearances, trying to maintain his popularity and the rumor mill.At a fan meeting in Dublin he even tore a T-shirt with Yogan's picture printed on it.> "That Brazilian farmer is the most boring champion I've ever seen!" he shouted, pointing at a cardboard cut-out of Anjos.Later, while drinking whiskey on a highly rated podcast, he growled into the microphone:> "He hugs people's legs like a clumsy bear! The way he wins fights is by dragging opponents down and then smothering them with his bad breath. His fights are a crime against the audience's time and money!> And what happened to that Chinese kid who stole my victory from me?"McGregor's tone shifted, his eyes burning with the fire of revenge:> "He doesn't even dare give me a chance at payback! Why is he fighting Anjos? Because he knows Anjos is easier to deal with than me! He's scared! He's afraid my powerful left hand will find his jaw again! He's a fugitive!"At the very same moment, a shadow from Stockton silently entered the fray. UFC's most famous "Middle-Finger God of War," Nate Diaz, uploaded his classic "Stockton Slap" workout video to his millions of followers.In the clip he and his brother Nick slapped a sparring partner left and right with open hands in a deliberately humiliating fashion. At the end Nate turned to the camera, flipped his middle finger and muttered "son of a b****."The caption under the video was simple and crude, reflecting the Diaz brothers' signature street style:> "A bunch of clowns in fancy suits are playing house. Come join a real street fight if you dare. Y'all are terrible."These three overlapping storylines – Yogan vs. Anjos, McGregor's provocations, and the Diaz brothers' taunts – drove interest in UFC 196 to an unprecedented level. The event had become more than a title fight; it was a multi-party melee of egos, styles, and fan bases.Within weeks ticket demand broke records. Las Vegas hotels sold out. Betting houses reported volumes not seen since Mayweather–Pacquiao. Social media hashtags combined fighters' names into wild match-ups. Memes of Yogan's phantom calf kicks chased gifs of McGregor tearing shirts and Diaz slapping people.Inside his camp Yogan stayed silent, sharpening the new weapon he had forged in Thailand. For all the noise outside, he remained the calm hunter, waiting for the cage door to shut and the real fight to begin.---