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Opinion: The Myth of Poverty Forging Greatness

John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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Among both casual and hardcore fans, there is a commonly held belief that a fighter from an impoverished background has an advantage, that the tough guy or girl from “the streets” should beat up a foe with a comfortable middle-class or upper-class upbringing. Intuitively, it makes a certain degree of sense.