If all those fighters knew it was this easy, there would probably be a lot less tension in the locker room.
When Bryce Harper, the Washington Nationals’ 21-year-old all-star center fielder, decided he wanted to go after a UFC belt, he employed a new method: He tweeted the UFC and asked for one. And what’s more, the UFC appeared to oblige him.
UPDATE: Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 3:35 p.m. ET
Looks like Bryce Harper received that UFC championship belt he was after:
.@Bharper3407 trains like a champ in the offseason. Look forward to seeing you hit a HR w/ the belt on, Bryce! @MLB pic.twitter.com/JL8gMVe0px
— UFC (@ufc) January 7, 2014
Stay tuned for the latest developments in Harper’s UFC story.
—End of Update—
Here is the original tweeted exchange (h/t The Washington Post):
I need to get a belt, everybody has WWE ones, I want a @UFC one! Anyway we can make that happen? @danawhite @joerogan @lorenzofertitta
— Bryce Harper (@Bharper3407) January 4, 2014
@Bharper3407 Only if you promise to hit a home run while wearing the UFC belt ;). Seriously we’ll send you one if you send us a pic with it!
— UFC (@ufc) January 4, 2014
Clearly, the UFC wasn’t going to just hand over the company’s physical symbol of supreme achievement with no strings attached. That would be just plain strange. No, they asked that Harper hit a home run with it on. Or, you know, maybe just send them a snapshot?
Harper, ever clutch in the heat of the moment, found a middle ground, pledging to hit a batting-practice home run while wearing the UFC belt.
@ufc that’s a no brainier! I’ll hit a homerun in BP with it on!
— Bryce Harper (@Bharper3407) January 4, 2014
@Bharper3407 Love it! DM us the address and we’ll get one out to you.
— UFC (@ufc) January 4, 2014
We shall see what pans out when Harper, who shares his Las Vegas hometown with the UFC, and the Nationals begin their spring training schedule on Feb. 28.
If it does indeed come to pass, perhaps this is just the beginning. Maybe LeBron James could wear the belt while executing a dunk in practice. Aaron Rodgers might be willing to strap it on for one of his insurance commercial shoots. Kelly Slater could sling it over his shoulder while warming up in the wave pool. The publicity possibilities for the UFC here could almost be endless.
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