What is Knockdown?

by Sassan Sirot

WHAT IS KNOCKDOWN?

We watch sports because competition runs through our genes. Since the early days of humanity, we have been comparing our skills against each other. The oldest Olympic games date back to 776 B.C where a cook named Coroebus won a 192m footrace to become the first Olympic champion. Over the centuries we have created countless variations of competitions, from chess boxing to ball games to cheese roll. There is something fascinating about two parties trying to impose their will on each other and seeing who succeeds. The goal is always to win within the parameters of the sport. And that is the entertaining part for spectators. Two parties, putting it all on the line to win. Elevating to new levels, overcoming adversity, while ignoring the pain, fatigue and mental warfare just to be victorious at last. That determination of knocking your opponent down, literally or figuratively, is one side of the coin of our name Knockdown. It represents athletes that succeed because they were willing to put in the work before the actual competition, the athletes that were working when their opponent was resting. As an athlete myself, I understand this mentality and Knockdown stands for those who are able to show their best when the bell rings, the whistle blows, and the clock starts ticking.

It’s Your Fit

But opponents who go down or are knocked down are not always finished, they find the strength to comeback and we all love comeback stories. This is what makes an athlete great. How do they react when they face adversity? Matt Hughes is widely regarded as one of the best MMA fighters to ever compete. But that is not only due to his pure domination during his prime, but also because he has faced adversity and still was able to come out on top. In his second fight against Frank Trigg, Hughes was knocked down after the referee failed to recognize an illegal strike that Hughes was hit with. Trigg followed up with vicious “ground and pound” and threatened with a “rear naked choke” for a considerable amount of time. But Hughes showed no quit. Somehow Hughes was able to create space, pick Triggs up and carry him across the octagon, slam him and finish the fight with a “rear naked choke” himself. This was by far not Hughes’ most dominant performance, but one of his greatest fights and possibly the biggest in- fight comeback in UFC history. And like every great comeback, it showed us what Hughes was made of. We wish Matt Hughes all the best during his recovery from recent events.

Another example is Tom Brady. Brady is widely regarded as the American Football goat. With 10 appearances in the Superbowl, he came out victorious in 7 of them – NFL record. Some of these wins were dominant, but the comeback victory against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 will always be a special one. The New England Patriots were down 28-3 in the third quarter. No team had ever come back from a deficit like that in Superbowl history. But Tom Brady would not be Tom Brady if that would have impacted him. The Patriots made the biggest comeback in Superbowl history, and this title will always be part of NFL history for some time to come.

As Rocky Balboa said ‘’It ain’t about how hard you’re hit, it’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward’’. This is the other side of the coin the name Knockdown represents. We are all athletes in our own right. We find that inner strength and do not quit. We believe in ourselves, especially when others do not. As athletes, we face adversity and become stronger from it both physically and mentally. We have all faced both sides of Knockdown in life, so however it fits, just remember that It’s Your Fit and only you can determine the outcome.

Sassan Sirot

Chief Executive Officer / Co-Founder

Competitive sports athlete with 15+ year experience across soccer and Muay-Thai with an MBA background. Originally focused on sports related business activities but now turned entrepreneur.