Fighters, pundits and fans have spent the week weighing the effects of Monday’s brawl between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, but commentator Joe Rogan says the incident will inevitably be used to disparage the sport.
“It was ridiculous,” Rogan explained on his podcast. “This can’t happen. You can’t do that. This is real bad for the sport. It’s real bad. It’s real bad for public perception. It’s a weapon to be used against MMA. It’s unfortunate.
“I think it’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. Some of it’s gamesmanship, but it’s just so bad for the image of the sport. It’s pretty rare, but that’s a high profile fight. I mean, Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate got head to head in each other’s faces and it was pretty hot, right? But they were professional about it. They didn’t do anything about it. These guys were not professional. You can’t do that. You can’t grab each other and f***ing slap.”
Rogan went on to explain how it’s imperative that onlookers not begin to associate street violence for the violent form of competition that takes place inside the Octagon.
“Nobody wants to give ground. They don’t want anybody getting any psychological advantage so they have to show each other, ‘I’ll f***ing fight you right here, b***h.’ That’s when s**t like this happens. The importance of that not happening is huge. It’s huge. It’s just such a negative connotation attached to what that is. Just violence. The difference between that kind of violence and the violence of a sport is that the violence of a sport, everyone is agreeing with that scenario.
“You’re agreeing to train for X amount of weeks for X amount of rounds. You’re going to fight this guy, he weighs what you weigh. Everybody prepares, you meet at this day and you compete. It’s a very dangerous form of competition and, yes, it is fighting, as a competition, but it’s not violence the same way that that is. That’s a street fight. That’s a world champion mixed martial arts fighter and an Olympic wrestler and they’re street fighting. That’s bad for everybody. That’s bad for wrestling. That’s bad for MMA. That’s bad for sports.”
Despite this entire line of thinking, Rogan admits that the unbridled chaos from Monday’s media event in Las Vegas makes him even more eager for the main event at UFC 178.
“It’s fun for people to watch. Part of me, I have two ways of looking at it. Part of me is like, ‘That’s bad for the sport’ but part of me is like, ‘How do I feel about it, though?’ Does it bum me out? No. No, it doesn’t make me upset. I’m not upset. I’m looking forward to watching this fight even more, now. Look, would I have liked it to not happen? Absolutely. Absolutely. I wish that they were very professional about this. They don’t need to do that.
“That fight is going to be amazing no matter what happens, but since it did happen and I got to see it I’m like, ‘Whoa!’ I’m not going to pretend like that’s not fun. I’m not going to pretend like that didn’t make everybody way more excited about that fight because it f***ing for sure did. It’s not good to do, but it was fun to watch and more people are going to be excited about the fight. That’s the catch 22. There’s no real black or white about this. As a representative of the sport I absolutely wish it didn’t happen.
“Part of me gets bummed out when I see s**t like that, but part of me is like, ‘Look, they’re going to fight eventually, anyway. So they fought a little here. Get a little taste.'”
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones defends his title to Daniel Cormier Sept. 27 at UFC 178 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
MMA Beat. The panel talks Jones-DC brawl, Chael Sonnen competing at Metamoris and the possible repercussions, Gina Carano’s fighting future, WSOF 12 and more.
First lady. Randy Couture argues Gina Carano facing Ronda Rousey in her UFC debut ‘doesn’t make a lot of sense.’
PRIDE. Wanderlei Silva wants a ‘title fight’ with Dan Henderson with the winner taking home the middleweight PRIDE belt.
GOAT. Roger Gracie will return to MMA and has signed a multi-year deal with ONE FC to compete as a light heavyweight. ‘I had given up in fighting MMA, decided to go back to jiu-jitsu, but I got this offer and it changed my mind.’
Bigfoot. Antonio Silva isn’t concerned about not being allowed to compete with TRT against Andrei Arlovski. ‘I had a major surgery on 2006 and I had great performances after that. Unfortunately, I had little success with TRT, the result wasn’t the expected.’
MEDIA STEW
Randy Couture answers fan questions and talks current UFC champions.
Jon Jones on Jimmy Kimmel.
Conor McGregor gives his take on the brawl and why he felt like taking some selfies.
Dustin Poirier with his own take on the brawl and on slowing McGregor down.
Fightography: Rashad Evans.
Nice interview with Neil Seery.
Breaking Sholler. [Possible final season BB spoilers?]
TWEETS
Random.
Random drug testing…….awesome. Just like the Olympics. @BrianStann it’s working 🙂
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) August 7, 2014
TNT.
Hang on for a second is this what happens when you replace TRT with TNT? http://t.co/Fvswzcs95W
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC) August 7, 2014
Ha laughable RT @mik3m518: @LukeRockhold disgusting isn’t it? pic.twitter.com/31XfJDK0bQ
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) August 7, 2014
Congrats.
Main event in Stockholm oktober 4th. Lets make it a night to remember!!
— Gunnar Nelson (@GunniNelson) August 7, 2014
The one & only @JoshKoscheck will be breaking down fights for #UFCFightNight Bader vs. Saint Preux on @FOXSports1 https://t.co/bWDXvHU0hg
— UFCONFOX (@UFCONFOX) August 7, 2014
@JonnyBones awh wish we had got a pic!!! Congrats on everything and go kill that fight u got.. But not literally 😉 ahaha
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) August 7, 2014
It’s Official I am back in the @UFC !!!! I wanna Thank @JAronsonTitanFC , Lex , & @TitanFighting for letting me go… http://t.co/hWltCbVpi9
— Ben Saunders (@bensaundersMMA) August 7, 2014
I’m happy to be part of this great organization @legacyfighting can’t wait to fight! / Estou feliz por… http://t.co/AVYQgi2XCr
— Augusto Tanquinho (@tanquinhojj) August 7, 2014
Get well soon.
Unfortunately I’ve had to withdraw from my fight with Akiyama in Japan due to a knee injury. Thank you everyone for the continued support
— Kyle Noke (@KyleNoke) August 7, 2014
Grimy Wrestling rounds today were to tiring to smile…Ima rip the head off sep.27th #wrestle #ufc178 http://t.co/XUZ0EOBxnJ
— Dominick Cruz (@TheDomin8r) August 7, 2014
Surgery went well. 🙂 my arm hurts and I’m a little drugged up lol. But the doc said surgery went perfect, thank you guys for your prayers.
— Michael McDonald (@MaydayMcDonald) August 8, 2014
Beef.
@GamebredFighter @MMAjunkie Wow well here we motherfucker I hope your ready your going to get exactly what your looking for
— Bobby King Green (@BobbyKGreen) August 7, 2014
@GamebredFighter @MMAjunkie I don’t think Jorge will make it to the fight he might get lost he is so dumb he can’t fill out his paperwork
— Bobby King Green (@BobbyKGreen) August 7, 2014
@GamebredFighter @MMAjunkie Just want u to know I’m going to check your chin and make u a wrestler u will fight u will squill and u will
— Bobby King Green (@BobbyKGreen) August 7, 2014
@GamebredFighter @MMAjunkie Lose!! U never been in the fire that I’m going to put u in #KingMe #KingArmy
— Bobby King Green (@BobbyKGreen) August 7, 2014
@norman_parke @GamebredFighter @MMAjunkie How about u worry about your punching power u got pillows for hands I’d rather watch paint dry lol
— Bobby King Green (@BobbyKGreen) August 7, 2014
@BobbyKGreen @GamebredFighter @MMAjunkie Ul see about that, mayb if u didn’t run ur mouth during fights an fight like a proper man.
— STORMIN NORMAN PARKE (@norman_parke) August 7, 2014
@norman_parke @ChungFKennedy @BobbyKGreen @GamebredFighter @ufc you all are great fighters but are acting like WWE divas lol
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) August 7, 2014
Meh.
Looks like my opponent has joined the worlds worst boy band. Guess it’s his back up career after I… http://t.co/qJpqXRkJFx
— michael (@bisping) August 8, 2014
Nice.
City of badasses! pic.twitter.com/qGlXtCTZ04
— Stipe Miocic (@smiocic) August 7, 2014
Me and my biggest fan. pic.twitter.com/gcCwGsVIac
— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) August 7, 2014
Hey.
Hello haters, it’s me again. pic.twitter.com/9q1HPaSk10
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 7, 2014
‘,:I
I wish I could put her in a never grow box, she’s are last baby and getting so big. Can’t wait to see… http://t.co/p0h8EJYL9Z
— Seth Baczynski (@Sethbmma) August 6, 2014
Cringe.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Aug. 7 2014)
Gunnar Nelson vs. Rick Story at UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Story
cancelled Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Kyle Noke at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via DirtyBird2.
The superHW phenom Chris “beast boy” Barnett is set to test himself against one of the best journeyman out there in Travis Wuiff at IGF 2. Wuiff fights between HW and LHW regularly and Chris Barnett has made 265 before. Not sure if this is an open weight fight or a HW scrap either way good fight and should be another impressive name to add to Barnetts record which already includes Jonathan ivey, Walt Harris, Kenny garner, and Daniel Parez.
Konstantin Erokhin won his last fight in May by first round tko. It’s time for the call up to one of the major promotions.
IGF 2 is also host to a HW contest between MMA and Kickboxing Legend Mirco Cro Cop and Japanese judo specialist Satoshi Ishii. Ishii looks to add cro cop to list laundry list of veterans on his record. With wins over the likes of Tim Sylvia, Pedro Rizzo, Jeff Monson, Sean McKorckle, Phelipe De fries, Le Banner, and Fujita. His only losses came in his pro debut to yoshia and to the Last emporer 3 years ago.
Should ishii be victorious he is rumored to Fight Segei Kharitnov at the next M-1 event after a HW clash between Damain Grabowski and Marcin Tybura that is a must watch fight!
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Check out the rest of the post here.
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