My fellow desk-jockeys of BloodyElbow, I'm sure we can all relate to the times where we don't work at 100% and just cruise by closer to 50% but "look busy". We all do it, there's no shame in it, we're not thinking about the promotion and know that the top performer bonus is probably out of reach so we just do what needs to get done.

Therein lies the problem, we get away with it.

I won't name names, but you're intelligent readers, you've all seen someone with top control, not passing guard, smothering them like a security blanket to keep them safe from being stood up so you don't have to take them down again, the ref will say "I need to see work! Get busy!" and they do just that, enough to maintain the position. Why advance, you're not getting the KOTN bonus by TKOing a guy from half guard. You know you're not going to get that armbar or take back control, there's far too much work to be done to get SOTN, and FOTN? Yeah that would mean I have to do more and might lose my win bonus, the only guarantee I have!

Somewhere between Chuck Liddell getting knocked out repeatedly while actively looking for a finish even though he was up on the scorecards, and Jon Fitch being robbed of title shots for his "exhilarating performances" (oops I named names), it became justifiable to evoke a gameplan where you'd just outpoint your opponent and get the win.

It's easy to say this from behind my desk as I adjust the my armrests and lean back as I write this, but I would ask the fighters to please stop treating fighting like a job, start looking for those bonuses and start realizing that every fight is a step towards a "title run" you don't need to formally state "Today I will try harder and my run for the title begins when I get a real opponent"

Written from the desk of Hashmo on company time.