Those who have experienced military combat say a person can never know what the experience is really like - unless they’ve done it. After talking with a lot of our military, I came away with a new appreciation for the truth that some things in life must be experienced first hand. There is no substitute. 

That applies, as well, with fighting in the octagon. You can watch every UFC match recorded. But until you hear the octagon gate slam behind you, and stand barefooted on the mat looking into the eyes of your adversary… well, you just have to be there. 

I can tell you this – the octagon is, first and foremost, a very unforgiving place to spend some time. A moment’s lack of concentration, a mistaken punch here or missed kick there, and it’s over. Hopefully over for the other guy – but over. 

Fighting in the UFC is life exaggerated. That’s the best way I can put it. Daily, ordinary life sometimes presents all of us with harsh tests, with moments of do-or-die. But in the octagon it is unrelenting, every second – and many thousands are watching you. 

Fans ask me what it feels like to slip out of a Ken Shamrock foot lock or absorb an Anderson Silva strike. I can describe these situations in detail, but I know there is only so much I really can impart. 

At the bases in Iraq, I asked a lot of questions of our soldiers, trying to get a feel for their lives. What it’s like to risk dismemberment or death with every transport on every road? In the end, I knew I would never fully comprehend their anxieties, their emotions, and their struggles. 

The best we can hope for is to at least know that, try as we may, when circumstances are exaggerated, when life is extreme, the only way you can really know is to experience it yourself. Appreciating that we have limited understanding can keep us humble.