If I Did It: UFC 209 flops, Ferguson gets stiffed

Welcome to If I Did It, the show where we handle PR kerfluffles from the world of MMA and beyond. This week we look at the disaster that was UFC 209 and more.

Alexei Auld is back with a brand new book available 7 Secret Sources of Inspiration: A Snappy Guide for Creative Procrastinators to grill Eugene S. Robinson (who’s pushing a GoFundMe to pay for the new Oxbow album) and myself with some PR stumpers from the world of combat sports.

For the audio only version check us out on SoundCloud and be sure to subscribe to MMA NATION on iTunes and subscribe to MMA Nation on YouTube so you’ll never miss an episode. This week’s kerfuffles include:

You’re WME-IMG. With your second main event pay per view title fight ending in controversy, how do you avoid the rematch now and forever? – 1:03

You’re UFC Fighter Tony Ferguson. Despite reports that you’d receive your show money for your cancelled co-main against Khabib Nurmagomedov, you claim you received half of your purse. Is it better for your UFC career to keep quiet and if not, what’s your PR plan for getting the rest of your money, live and in public, if you will? – 15:28

You’re Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson. While speaking to your workers about America being a “land of dreams and opportunity,” you lectured “There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters, might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.” After the internet exploded over your misapplication of the word immigrant, you doubled down. So are your critics. Now that it’s your turn at the table, is it time to hold em, fold ‘em, walk away, or run from this kerfuffle? – 19:20

You’re Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Noah Dyer. Explain the PR behind posting the following statement on your campaign website under a category you labeled “scandal and controversy”: “Noah has had both deep and casual sexual experiences with all kinds of women. He is an advocate of open relationships. He’s had group sex and sex with married women. He has sent and received intimate texts and pictures, and occasionally recorded video during sex.” – 25:18

You’re Apple. Wikileaks published thousands of alleged CIA documents last Tuesday which exposes the tools to hack your products and spy on Americans. What PR moves do you need to take to make your users safe from spying? – 32:58

You’re a Hollywood Casting Agent. Samuel L. Jackson questioned your decision making on Hot 97. “There are a lot of black British actors in these movies…I don’t know what the love affair is with all that, it’s all good. Everybody needs to work, but there are a lot of brothers here that need to work.” Explain to us why you don’t want to give that work to the brothers here that need it. – 37:48

TEACHABLE MOMENT. You’re Iron Fist actor Finn Jones. When British Pakistani actor and MC Riz Ahmed posted his House of Commons speech about the need for representation through diversity, you chimed in. And got smacked down for contributing to a white savior trope and depriving an Asian American actor a stereotypical kung fu master role. You deactivated your twitter account for a day before making a return like Danny Rand. What can we learn from your failed, but earnest attempt, to be an ally nobody wanted? – 46:05

KID NATE’S HEEL TURN – 53:12

EUGENE’S LOST BATTALION – 54:57

THANKS FOR JOINING US. FOLLOW US on Twitter @eugeneSrobinson, @kidnate@alexeiauld. PLEASE GIVE THIS A THUMBS UP and leave comments on YouTube, read Eugene at Ozydot.com and be sure and check out all three of us on Amazon.com

“We’ll be back next week with another installment of If I Did It and we don’t know what we’ll be talking about yet because the PR mistakes have yet to be made.”

Welcome to If I Did It, the show where we handle PR kerfluffles from the world of MMA and beyond. This week we look at the disaster that was UFC 209 and more.

Alexei Auld is back with a brand new book available 7 Secret Sources of Inspiration: A Snappy Guide for Creative Procrastinators to grill Eugene S. Robinson (who’s pushing a GoFundMe to pay for the new Oxbow album) and myself with some PR stumpers from the world of combat sports.

For the audio only version check us out on SoundCloud and be sure to subscribe to MMA NATION on iTunes and subscribe to MMA Nation on YouTube so you’ll never miss an episode. This week’s kerfuffles include:

You’re WME-IMG. With your second main event pay per view title fight ending in controversy, how do you avoid the rematch now and forever? – 1:03

You’re UFC Fighter Tony Ferguson. Despite reports that you’d receive your show money for your cancelled co-main against Khabib Nurmagomedov, you claim you received half of your purse. Is it better for your UFC career to keep quiet and if not, what’s your PR plan for getting the rest of your money, live and in public, if you will? – 15:28

You’re Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson. While speaking to your workers about America being a “land of dreams and opportunity,” you lectured “There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters, might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.” After the internet exploded over your misapplication of the word immigrant, you doubled down. So are your critics. Now that it’s your turn at the table, is it time to hold em, fold ‘em, walk away, or run from this kerfuffle? – 19:20

You’re Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Noah Dyer. Explain the PR behind posting the following statement on your campaign website under a category you labeled “scandal and controversy”: “Noah has had both deep and casual sexual experiences with all kinds of women. He is an advocate of open relationships. He’s had group sex and sex with married women. He has sent and received intimate texts and pictures, and occasionally recorded video during sex.” – 25:18

You’re Apple. Wikileaks published thousands of alleged CIA documents last Tuesday which exposes the tools to hack your products and spy on Americans. What PR moves do you need to take to make your users safe from spying? – 32:58

You’re a Hollywood Casting Agent. Samuel L. Jackson questioned your decision making on Hot 97. “There are a lot of black British actors in these movies…I don’t know what the love affair is with all that, it’s all good. Everybody needs to work, but there are a lot of brothers here that need to work.” Explain to us why you don’t want to give that work to the brothers here that need it. – 37:48

TEACHABLE MOMENT. You’re Iron Fist actor Finn Jones. When British Pakistani actor and MC Riz Ahmed posted his House of Commons speech about the need for representation through diversity, you chimed in. And got smacked down for contributing to a white savior trope and depriving an Asian American actor a stereotypical kung fu master role. You deactivated your twitter account for a day before making a return like Danny Rand. What can we learn from your failed, but earnest attempt, to be an ally nobody wanted? – 46:05

KID NATE’S HEEL TURN – 53:12

EUGENE’S LOST BATTALION – 54:57

THANKS FOR JOINING US. FOLLOW US on Twitter @eugeneSrobinson, @kidnate@alexeiauld. PLEASE GIVE THIS A THUMBS UP and leave comments on YouTube, read Eugene at Ozydot.com and be sure and check out all three of us on Amazon.com

“We’ll be back next week with another installment of If I Did It and we don’t know what we’ll be talking about yet because the PR mistakes have yet to be made.”