It’s an atmosphere that’s difficult to build and harder to maintain, but it does speak to what the team tries to continue to preach over the years. Longevity helps, too. To no fault or credit of any fighter, it’s common to see athletes move from gym to gym on their journey to the Octagon and even more so after exposure to the highest level of competition and coaching.
Unsurprisingly, Cannonier isn’t all too interested in exploring any of that.
“You know how they say the grass is greener on the other side, but I’m not interested in all that,” Cannonier said. “One thing that keeps drawing me back here (is) it’s hard for one to see one’s growth. It’s really hard to analyze yourself and say, ‘Yeah, I’ve gotten better here, I’ve gotten better there.’ Being on this team is like standing in front of a mirror at every turn, and that mirror is better than you at every turn. Me having to be better than that person in the mirror, reflecting off of this team, that’s what’s helping me get better, and I see that all the time.”
While Cannonier and the rest of The Lab’s current generation of UFC athletes seems on the cusp of reemphasizing its spot among the elite in the MMA landscape, it’s not something Crouch gets too caught up with often.
“In times when you go out to dinner after a fight and you reflect a little bit, it’s awesome, and it gets you warm and fuzzy,” Crouch said. “Then the next day, somebody is ready to kick your butt again, and if you’re not in the gym working and trying to better yourself – if you’re staring in the rearview mirror, you’re going to run into something ahead of you. It is cool, and I’m proud of what we’ve done, and I’m so happy to be a part of it, but our focus is really on the future and the things that we’re going to accomplish in the next 13 years.”
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