Charlie Brenneman To Be Viciously Knocked Out One Final Time in the UFC

(Looks like someone should have pulled mummy guard.)

As a huge Pros vs. Joes fan back in the day, I’ve always had a soft spot for Charlie Brenneman*. This fact has made it all the more difficult to watch his last four UFC appearances, which have seen “The Spaniard” dominated by Erick Silva, TKO’d by Kyle Noke, rocked, then submitted by Beneil Dariush, and brutally knocked out by Danny Castillo (see above) in his last appearance at UFC 172. Even worse, all but one of those losses have occurred in the first round, with two of them happening in under two minutes. There was also that Anthony Johnson KO, but I think we should all just forget that ever happened. Brenneman probably has.

It is perhaps unfair to declare that Brenneman is one of those “raw” fighters who is talented enough to dominate the local scene while simply not being up to snuff at the UFC level (although his out-of-UFC record would support that argument). He has picked up 4 UFC wins in his career, after all, but his past handful of appearances have resulted in anything but triumph. They’ve been downright difficult to watch, if I’m being completely honest.

Regardless, it looks like Brenneman will be receiving another shot in the UFC. That’s according to Brenneman’s manager Mike Constantino, at least, who recently told MMAJunkie that, “Charlie’s going to get another chance. Charlie will be back and will get another chance. We’re looking at the fall for him.”

And once again, the strange, almost indecipherable dichotomy of the UFC’s hiring/firing policies is revealed…


(Looks like someone should have pulled mummy guard.)

As a huge Pros vs. Joes fan back in the day, I’ve always had a soft spot for Charlie Brenneman*. This fact has made it all the more difficult to watch his last four UFC appearances, which have seen ”The Spaniard” dominated by Erick Silva, TKO’d by Kyle Noke, rocked, then submitted by Beneil Dariush, and brutally knocked out by Danny Castillo (see above) in his last appearance at UFC 172. Even worse, all but one of those losses have occurred in the first round, with two of them happening in under two minutes. There was also that Anthony Johnson KO, but I think we should all just forget that ever happened. Brenneman probably has.

It is perhaps unfair to declare that Brenneman is one of those “raw” fighters who is talented enough to dominate the local scene while simply not being up to snuff at the UFC level (although his out-of-UFC record would support that argument). He has picked up 4 UFC wins in his career, after all, but his past handful of appearances have resulted in anything but triumph. They’ve been downright difficult to watch, if I’m being completely honest.

Regardless, it looks like Brenneman will be receiving another shot in the UFC. That’s according to Brenneman’s manager Mike Constantino, at least, who recently told MMAJunkie that, “Charlie’s going to get another chance. Charlie will be back and will get another chance. We’re looking at the fall for him.”

And once again, the strange, almost indecipherable dichotomy of the UFC’s hiring/firing policies is revealed. One week, we’re being told that the UFC’s roster is too bloated to support the likes of say, Ben Askren, and the next, we’re being told that guys like Brenneman and Bobby Voelker will fight another day despite four fight skids in their respective weight classes. Even Paulo Thiago was recently granted a four fight extension, having dropping six out of his past eight UFC contests. Meanwhile, guys like Jake Shields, Yushin Okami, and Jon Fitch are being written off as has-beens on their way out the door.

Today’s lesson in UFC hypocrisy: ‘Tis worse to be a has-been than a never-was.

*What? You didn’t forget that he was the season one winner of that long-forgotten show, did you? Well he was, and that honor is tantamount to winning a season of TUF nowadays, IMHO.

–J. Jones