I’ll keep this brief, but it’s important to remember for everyone going forward (especially you readers here if you wish to retain the ability to be a part of the community on this site). Here’s the truth: It’s possible to talk about Fallon Fox without sounding deranged.
I know that’s hard to believe, but I assure you it’s true. Even crazier is this truth: it’s possible to criticize Fox without sounding deranged or as one whose erudition on medical issues doesn’t extend beyond treating one’s own athlete’s foot.
Because here’s the truth of the matter. There really isn’t any scientific consensus about whether Fox’s switch from man to woman confers any athletic benefits upon her. Some medical experts suggest it’s impossible or very unlikely. Yet others aren’t so convinced. In either case, though, the crowd of ‘It’s obvious she should fight!” and “No chance Fox should be allowed to compete!” are both wrong, insofar as expert opinion over the relevant issues are concerned.
All of which brings us to Matt Mitrione and the UFC’s Code of Conduct. I was shocked to see it employed so swiftly, but there it is. The more important issue is Mitrione’s comments, which, by any medical or ethical standard were abhorrent and the absolute worst example of trying to opine on subject matter far beyond one’s grasp of even basic, fundamental components. They scarcely need me to debunk them.
Mitrione’s problem, though, isn’t that he’s wrong for saying Fox shouldn’t be able to fight. His problem was that he dressed about his desire to not see her compete in outrageous bigotry and an embarrassingly poor understanding of gender issues as well as biology.
Word to the wise: speak your mind about Fallon Fox, but try to sound like you’re capable of living in civil society when you do.
7 MUST-READ STORIES
Matt Mitrione, in addition to being a UFC heavyweight, apparently fancies himself an expert in gender identity issues. It sounds like he also has a medical degree given the certainty with with his speaks of transgender fighter Fallon Fox’s condition.
UFC, employer to Mitrione, were none too pleased with Mitrione’s transphobic comments. Based on the UFC’s new Code of Conduct, they suspended him and claim to be investigating the matter.
And in case you missed the show where Dr. Mitrione made his comments, you can catch up here with the entirety of Monday’s The MMA Hour. Guests included Mitrione, Conor McGregor, Miesha Tate and many others.
UFC light heavyweight Rashad Evans sat down with MMA Mania and discussed his impending UFC 161 bout with Dan Henderson, getting his competitive fire back, Alexander Gustfsson and the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts association and much more.
While his foot still looks like a show, UFC lightweight Ross Pearson, fresh off of his win over Ryan Couture on Saturday, Tweeted his foot was not broken.
Colin Fletcher announced on Twitter he’d been cut by the UFC. While I admit to not liking his gimmick, I can’t insult a man who just lost his job.
Remember that story Ross Pearson told about George Sotiropoulos being knocked out in a street fight during the filming of TUF Smahes? The Aussie says it didn’t happen and that Pearson wasn’t even present.
MEDIA STEW
Luke Rockhold got to do the opening ceremonial kick for their local MLS team, the San Jose Earthquakes. Rockhold needs to work on his aim.
This has previously made the rounds, but if you have any sort of heart, this will make tear up as Anderson Silva visits a sick kid who didn’t know the UFC middleweight champion was coming.
Watch Invicta’s Rose Namajumas before, during and after his sensational 12-second flying armbar victory from last Saturday’s event.
Lose a card game? Dress like a maid. The latest in The Ultimate Fighter house shenanigans:
Uriah Hall had to see a doctor in the hospital for his shoulder. What does that portend for his ability to compete?
Last, but certainly not least, watch or listen to all of yesterday’s ‘The MMA Hour’:
SPARE ME
— malki kawa (@malkikawa) April 9, 2013
MUCH BETTER
Bravo 4 the @ufc suspending Mitrione. Bigotry at its finest. Some ppl will sell their soul just to buy some attention. He sold his for cheap
— Mackens Semerzier (@MackDaMenaceMMA) April 8, 2013
A DROP TO 170LBS?
Looking forward to be workingwith Mike Dolce!
— Hector Lombard (@HectorLombard) April 8, 2013
MOOSE SAUCY’S GOT JOKES
Hanging out with my friend Alex @arielhelwani @ufc @ufconfox twitter.com/mousasi_mma/st…
— Gegard Mousasi (@mousasi_mma) April 8, 2013
INSPIRE YOURSELF
Dragging my fat ass back to the gym tonight, back in bussiness #motivated twitter.com/StefanStruve/s…
— Stefan Struve (@StefanStruve) April 8, 2013
NOWHERE CLOSE
I’m far from retirement RT @irrelevantanth @joshlbarnett Are you fighting any time soon, or are you just going to retire?
— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) April 8, 2013
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
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FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s FanPost of the Day comes courtesy Jonscrazylife who wonders why UFC 159 is filled with fighters who are good enough to get to title eliminator bouts, but not title matches themselves…with one notable exception:
I bring up Sonnen because he’s really the Poster Child for this card. This entire card is made up of fighters who are good enough to get to title eliminators (Michael Bisping x 2, Roy Nelson, and Jim Miller x 2 and even Phil Davis) but are not quite good enough to get over that final hurdle. In other words and I can relate to this in my personal life and my own training. They’re just good enough to not be good enough.
Jim Miller is a perfect example. Jim Miller is good enough to beat almost anyone at Lightweight. The problem is that “almost.” He can’t beat any of the top guys you need to beat to become champion or even fight for a championship as evidenced by his losses to Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. To fight for a lightweight championship you’re going to need to be able to beat one of those guys and Miller can’t. He keeps getting to the number 1 contender fight and running into the next level up of talent in his division that he just can’t beat.
We all know about Bisping’s problems with guys on TRT but also circling into Knockout blows in number 1 contenders fights as well as being a jack of all trades but a master of none.
Roy Nelson’s weight issues, refusal to train with a real camp, and a tendency to fall in love with his striking when he has a grappling advantage on most guys he’s fighting explain why despite his “star power” he’s still in fights with divisional gatekeepers like Kongo.
Phil Davis is a powerhouse wrestler but has the worst, slowest, most predictable stand up I’ve ever seen. In fact if I had a dollar for every time he drops his right or forgets to pull back his jab I’d be way too rich to be writing MMA articles. I would take Jake Shields in a kickboxing match with Davis and that’s saying something.
Lastly we have Sonnen himself. Whether or not you believe he deserves this fight, he got it. And let’s be honest there’s not too many guys lining up to fight Jon Jones. But doesn’t it seem like Chael’s doing a little more talking on TV than actual training? He’s also not hyping the fight with the same kind of disrespectful vitriol he threw at Anderson Silva. That could be because he was forced to spend time with Jones during the filming of TUF and the worst kept secret in MMA is that Sonnen is actually one of the nicest/easiest to get along with guys in the game. But I think it’s more. I think it’s Sonnen trying to step away from the WWE persona and start coming across more legitimate for his inevitable retirement after this fight and full time move into media. Which is honestly where he belongs because while he may have never been good enough to get it done in the cage, he’s certainly good enough for the broadcast booth.