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UFC women’s flyweight fighter Jessica-Rose Clark, better known as “Jessie Jess”, is not happy with the UFC’s decision to sign domestic violence offender Greg Hardy. Transcript via MMAJunkie.com:
“I don’t believe people like that change,” the 30-year-old fighter said during an appearance on the “Phonebooth Fighting” podcast.
She has personal experience, unfortunately. Her former fiance Julian Wallace, also a professional MMA fighter, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault, receiving only a 15-month suspended sentence, and was allowed to keep his Australian passport. Wallace reportedly kicked her in the head while wearing boots, then put her in a Muay Thai clinch and elbowed her in the head repeatedly — all because she brought home the wrong noodles. The article describing the attack said she then escaped a chokehold and knocked him out with a headkick of her own before calling the police.
“They gave him his second chance, and I’m a firm believer that someone who is capable of going as far as he went with me – and I know he’s been further with other women before I met him – he’s not going to change,” Clark said. “He can do all the convincing and all the lying in the world, and he can convince you that he’s a really good person. But who he is at his core is someone who’s capable and willing to do stuff like that.”
She says that unfortunately, athletic ability seems to excuse any kind of behavior. Indeed, Dana White claimed that Hardy is a “great guy”, was never convicted (he was; the conviction was later thrown out when the victim didn’t show up to the appeal trial) and Hardy seemed to regard White as an “angel” for giving him a second chance.
“Athletic ability seems to supersede any negative thing you do in your life,” Clark said. “You see it time and time again, like Kobe Bryant. It happens so often, and it blows my mind that that’s where our society is at. That like, ‘Oh, he did all these really terrible things, but he’s an amazing athlete, so (expletive) it, let’s just let him keep going and keep making his millions and keep being on TV.’ There’s no punishment.
“What stops (Hardy) from going and doing it to the next girlfriend? I promise you that wasn’t the first girlfriend that he did that to. But he didn’t get punished for that one, either. He didn’t get punished for the first ones, and he didn’t get punished for that one, and now he’s going to be televised on one of the largest broadcasts in the world, for one of the most popular sports in the world. What’s stopping him from doing it to every girl that comes into contact with him?”
Clark blames an age of social media for overloading people with so much immediate information that no one takes the time to stop and care about this kind of issue.
“In the age of social media, it’s hard for people to care about it, because whether you react negatively or positively to something, now with social media and how quickly people have access to that, you get an immediate feedback,” Clark said. “So it’s like drinking or taking drugs – you say something, you get a reaction straight away, which is what I think people crave. So there’s no need to look into anything further, because you’re getting that quick fix all the time.”
Insomnia
Watch this master of incredible power apply his unbelievable skill in the ring against a real opponent
Joanna Jedrzejczyk training for her role in a future Tron sequel
The sign definitely says “no trucks”
Old school sparring between Matt Lindland and Evan Tanner (rest in peace)
CM Punk could beat these guys
Chad Mendes practicing to punch people really on the ground.
Nicco Montano responded to Valentina Shevchenko’s challenge, saying she’s targeting September 8th in Vegas.
No one quite does what Mike Tyson did
I went back and watched Yoel Romero’s Olympic gold medal match and this unimposing Russian, who kept wiping his nose with a tissue tucked into his loose singlet, straight pinned the fearsome Cuban. Apparently Saitiev is one of the greatest wrestling geniuses that ever stepped on a mat.
Georges St. Pierre is living proof of the adage the best never rest
Jose Aldo working pads
Apparently this guy actually works for Barstool sports, but this image of a callow youth supporting Conor is just too perfect.
A Conor McGregor fan awaits the arrival of the @TheNotoriousMMA at the courthouse in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/96K9lVPJVe
— Brian O’Donovan (@BrianOD_News) June 14, 2018
Real image of Robert Whittaker in the hospital after his fight with Yoel Romero. His circuits nearly shut down a couple times but you can’t stop a terminator
So much of karate is doing stuff because it looks cool.
Watching Cain Velasquez gas out in Mexico City at altitude was like watching Bane break Batman in their first encounter. “You merely adopted the exhaustion. I was born into it.”
Derrick Lewis— or whoever runs his account— finds the wildest clips. Seeing this outhouse spiral into the sky is both funny and scary.
When fighters get locked in 50-50 guard and just elect to hammerfist each other:
Israel Adesanya used the hashtag “bistancual” to describe his game
I’ve never seen anyone just hop over a takedown like Michael Chandler does here
“Chocolate Al” is Chuck Liddell’s name now.
Still the GOAT. pic.twitter.com/32EXPF4fdI
— Jack Slack (@JackSlackMMA) June 14, 2018
Slips, Rips, and KO Clips
This is one of those “f*** you” knockouts. It’s unbelievably emphatic.
This one is pretty nice as well.
Flying knees are cool too I guess
Gi chokes are the worst.
Did this judo competition take place in Alaska FC?
Podcasts and Video
Random Land
A good day
This is one for the Maniacs: real footage of Joben’s car getting smashed. No wonder he uses Uber now.
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