“By an act of will, a man refuses to think of the reasons for fear, and so concentrates entirely on winning the battle.”

Richard Nixon, American politician, 1913-1994,

It has become a forgotten truth that fighters don’t always lose when they lose. Learning lessons in defeat can prove more valuable than the apparent affirmation of victory; punishing the lazy, or the arrogant and affording perspective to those willing to listen to the truths defeats present, losing can be a gift.

A fighter beaten can still return stronger and better for the setback. In the past fighters accepted this and as a result, at least in part, they fought more often because the worry of defeat wasn’t as troublesome as it has become in era when being unbeaten was the preeminent narrative.

Daniel Dubois became a refreshing example of the value of fighting tough opponents and the catharsis of defeat. Against the cocky Croatian Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, in the midst of the latest lurid carnival of lost integrity from Saudi Arabia, he fully delivered on his physical gifts, years of hard work and the humility required to learn from defeat once considered a crippling weakness.

Conversely, Hrgovic finally paid the price for a relaxed outlook which this week appears to have mutated into hubris.