The main event fight from Saturday night’s UFC 123 event surprised many when the judges scored the fight in favor of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson over opponent Lyoto Machida.
Machida’s manager, Ed Soares felt the fight should have gone in favor of his fighter and told Jackson that he thought the decision was “bullsh**” while in the octagon.
That moment was caught on camera and Soares has since caught some flack for the incident, but explained the situation on The MMA Hour today wasn’t meant as it sounded, and that he and Jackson were still friends.
“I had no idea the camera was on us, and I was just talking to him friend to friend. I thought it was bull—-. After the fact, I thought about it and felt bad and I apologized to him at the hotel. I thought Lyoto won the fight. He said, ‘You don’t have to apologize to me, man.’ I got mad love for Rampage, and I think he’s got love for me. We’re friends, and I feel that’s one thing about friends is that you can be honest with each other. By no means did I mean to disrespect him on national television. I had no idea the camera was on, to be honest with you.”