The ending of Netflix’sThe Cagewas a roller coaster of highs and lows, and with all the chaos of Taylor Keita’s (Melvin Boomer) final fight against Ibrahim Ibara (Bosh), some of the show’s final moments need explaining.The Cagefollows Taylor’s journey from a nobody in the world of French MMA to the next rising star of the UFC. Such a massive rise in fame came with quite a few setbacks, however, and Taylor took more than a few hard knocks. It’s precisely because of those setbacks and its similarities to themost inspiring sports moviesthatThe Cageis one of thebest shows on Netflix.
By the final scenes ofThe Cage, Taylor had experienced both his greatest victory and the beginning of his greatest defeat. Though he defeated Ibrahim, Taylor gained a new adversary. The show’s final scenes saw Niko (Antoine Simony) take on an even more villainous role than he had been playing throughout the series, and he seemingly sabotaged Taylor’s entire career. It may not be clear exactly what Niko did to Taylor’s water and why he put something in it, butThe Cagehad a few clues that show exactly how devastating his betrayal was.
Why Did Niko Put Steroids In Taylor’s Water In The Cage’s Ending?
Niko Was Jealous Of Taylor’s MMA Success & Wanted To Drag Him Down
The big twist at the end ofThe Cagesaw Niko, Taylor’s best friend, betray him. After Taylor had won his fight, a group of ARES officials were about to test him for steroids.Niko, however, convinced them to visit Taylor last, which gave him time to slip steroids into the water Taylor had asked him to get. Niko was taking steroids throughoutThe Cage, so he had some on him already. The white powder on his fingers proves that he crushed one of the pills and poured the powder into Taylor’s drink.
Niko’s betrayal was a shocking moment to endThe Cageon, but there’s a fairly simple explanation for his actions.Niko spiked Taylor’s drink with steroids because he was jealous of his friend’s meteoric rise to MMA fame. He wanted to be the best, and he wasn’t going to sit around while Taylor completely outshone him. Niko wanted to be on the same level as Taylor, and since he couldn’t rise up, he dragged Taylor back down the only way he could: by invalidating his fight against Ibrahim and ruining his credibility.
Niko wanted to be on the same level as Taylor, and since he couldn’t rise up, he dragged Taylor back down the only way he could: by invalidating his fight against Ibrahim and ruining his credibility.
Taylor’s rise to MMA fame was about to be complete after his fight with Ibrahim. He was offered a chance to fight in the UFC, which is the Holy Grail of the MMA leagues, and there seemed to be no stopping him.The only way Niko could make sure Taylor stayed with him was by ruining his chances of joining the UFC, so he spiked the water. After sipping the steroids in the water, there was no way Taylor would pass his dope test. His fight against Ibrahim would be disqualified, and Taylor would be disgraced, sending him back down to the same level as Niko.
Is Boss Alive At The End Of The Cage?
Boss (Franck Gastambide), the owner of Taylor’s gym and his longest-running coach, was stabbed by someone at the underground fighting ring in the suburbs of Stockholm, and he didn’t appear in the final episode ofThe Cage. Given his injury and complete absence from the finale, many viewers could assume he died from the stabbing.As Bilal (Yanisse Kebbab) revealed, however, Boss wasn’t actually dead, he was in a coma. Since he couldn’t attend the final match against Ibrahim, Georges St-Pierre made the trip from Canada to France and filled the role of Taylor’s coach instead.
Boss' actor, Franck Gastambide, also co-createdThe Cageand directed several episodes.
Boss' health wasn’t the only potentially confusing thing about his attack, though, and even the circumstances leading up to it were a bit odd.Boss threatened to release evidence that Ibrahim had abused his former girlfriend, which would have ended his MMA career and potentially put him in prison, so Ibrahim had one of his followers stab him. Ibrahim’s plan ultimately backfired, though, as Taylor told him during the fight that he would give Boss' photos to the police.
How Isabelle’s Reveal Prepared Taylor For His Final Fight
Isabelle’s Betrayal & Cruelty Gave Taylor The Eye Of The Tiger
Another major twist that happened earlier in the finale ofThe Cagecame from Isabelle (Camille de Sablet), Taylor’s mother. InThe Cageepisode 3, Isabelle had convinced Taylor to enter the tournament because she needed money to pay off her boyfriend, Régis' (Vini Vivarelli), loan shark.However, after Taylor left the arena to check on her, Isabelle revealed that she was fleeing to Majorca with Régis, and that she was never actually in any real danger. Isabelle had Régis give her a black eye to make it look like she was in danger of being killed, but she was just scamming her son all along.
Jon Jones told Taylor that he needed to find “the eye of the tiger,” or his fighting spirit, in order to succeed as an MMA fighter. “Eye of the Tiger” is a reference to Sylvester Stallone’s boxing movie,Rocky III, where the Survivor song plays a major role and was written as the film’s theme song.
Isabelle explained that she played Taylor because she had always resented him as a son, and she blamed him for not being smart enough and not doing enough to provide for her. Those were incredibly cruel and hurtful words, but they actually ended up helping Taylor.Isabelle’s cruelty finally gave Taylor the aggression and the “eye of the tiger” that he needed to beat Ibrahim. The anger and betrayal he felt after talking to his mother were the final things he needed to truly become a fighter, not just a guy who fights.
Why Taylor Didn’t Stop Fighting After Ibrahim’s Illegal Hit
During the final fight inThe Cage, Taylor had a golden opportunity to win. Ibrahim made yet another illegal blow on Taylor by kneeing him in the head after the round had ended, and as Georges St-Pierre explained, Taylor could have won by simply not returning to the ring and letting Ibrahim be disqualified.Taylor didn’t want to win by disqualification, though, and as he explained to Elena (Edwige Ahonto), he didn’t want Ibrahim to be able to claim he had “stolen” his victory. Taylor had become a true fighter by that point, and a win by disqualification just wouldn’t have been satisfying.
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There was another reason Taylor wanted to keep fighting even though he could have won by sitting out: Boss.Taylor still needed to make Ibrahim pay for what he did to Boss, and he couldn’t do that if Ibrahim was disqualified. Simply having him arrested wouldn’t have been enough, since Bilal pointed out that a criminal investigation would have taken months at best. Taylor needed to beat Ibrahim that night, both literally and figuratively, to get Boss the revenge he deserved.
What The Cage’s Ending Really Means
The Cage Is About Perseverance & Finding The Fighter Within
The ending ofThe Cage, like many sports movies, was largely about the importance of perseverance. Everything about Taylor’s journey from an “outsider” to the next rising star of the French MMA exemplifies how important it is to never give up. Almost every character inThe Cage, including Boss, Isabelle, Niko, and more, wanted Taylor to give up at some point, but he never listened to them.It’s because he kept going even when it looked like there was no hope that Taylor was able to win. As Georges St-Pierre said, Taylor’s greatest enemy was himself, and he learned to overcome all of his limitations.
Without the MMA fighters' techniques and training, and without life experiences that gave him the “eye of the tiger,” Taylor would have faded into obscurity.
Perseverance isn’t the only thing that makes a champion, though, andThe Cageset itself apart from other sports movies by highlighting that fact. A large part of Taylor’s journey was focused on showing that Taylor couldn’t win through determination alone.It was only after Taylor had gotten a lot of help from some of the best MMA fighters in the world and experienced real-life moments that hardened him that he was able to become great. Without the MMA fighters' techniques and training, and without life experiences that gave him the “eye of the tiger,” Taylor would have faded into obscurity.
Niko’s betrayal in the final moments ofThe Cage, however, highlights a shortcoming of perseverance and an important theme of the series. In many ways,Niko represents the fights that happen well beyond the confines of the cage. No matter how hard Taylor trained and how much determination he had, his real life always found a way to follow him into the Octagon. Niko was a bad part of Taylor’s life, and one that ultimately came back to haunt him. IfThe Cagereturns for a second season, Taylor will have to figure out how to manage his personal life to win again.
The Cage
Cast
The Cage follows a young fighter aiming for professional success, who faces challenges in gaining recognition until a chance opportunity pits him against a fierce rival in the competitive arena. Released in 2024, the film explores themes of ambition and rivalry in the world of combat sports.
