Tag: awkward interviews

Behold: The Most Awkward Cat Zingano Interview of All Time

The 2014 Potato Award for “Most Awkward Interview” has been clinched, folks. An aspiring (read: totally untrained and unqualified) MMA journalist named Paulie G interviewed Cat Zingano at the UFC 178 media day yesterday, and came away with the anti-masterpiece of cringeyness you see above. My God, it is so awful. Some highlights.

– “Are you nice and relaxed? You seem relaxed.” — Already, it’s feeling like a BangBros scene. And the title of the video places it squarely in fanboy territory to begin with.

– “You had a long layoff. You had a little taste of it, right, with the Miesha Tate fight. And now you’re back. Right? And uh, do you think Amanda Nunes’s opponents were tough, that she faced, her first two opponents, in UFC?” LMFAO!!

– Zingano officially checks out of the interview at the 0:51 mark.

The 2014 Potato Award for “Most Awkward Interview” has been clinched, folks. An aspiring (read: totally untrained and unqualified) MMA journalist named Paulie G interviewed Cat Zingano at the UFC 178 media day yesterday, and came away with the anti-masterpiece of cringeyness you see above. My God, it is so awful. Some highlights.

– “Are you nice and relaxed? You seem relaxed.” — Already, it’s feeling like a BangBros scene. And the title of the video places it squarely in fanboy territory to begin with.

– “You had a long layoff. You had a little taste of it, right, with the Miesha Tate fight. And now you’re back. Right? And uh, do you think Amanda Nunes’s opponents were tough, that she faced, her first two opponents, in UFC?” LMFAO!!

– Zingano officially checks out of the interview at the 0:51 mark.

– Paulie G. on Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis: “It was so fast, right? I was there live, at UFC 175? And I was just like ‘holy…’ you know. If it woulda went 30 seconds, I thought Alexis Davis would have really been hurt, you know? So.” WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION, SIR. Meanwhile, Zingano is just sitting there staring at this dummy. Excuse me, this credentialed dummy.

– Paulie G. thanks Zingano for the interview, and a wave of relief washes over her face. Then, he asks if she saw the Amanda Nunes vs. Sarah D’Alelio fight from Invicta FC 4. Zingano says no — she never watches tape on her opponents, and trusts her coaches to tell her what she needs to work on. Paulie is disappointed: “Okay, well. I saw the fight. I thought there might be some things you could take from that, to beat Amanda Nunes.” Zingano thanks him, showing remarkable restraint. Paulie G. hits the stop button on his iPhone video recorder, and walks away thinking that yes, this needs to be shared with the world. Journalism in the year 2014, everybody.

ICYMI: Franklin McNeil’s Incredibly Awkward Interview of Chris Weidman at UFC 169

(Watch Chris try not to laugh at 0:09-0:12. That almost makes this whole thing worth it.)

It’s only February, but UFC 169 has already given us some strong nominees for the 2014 Potato Awards. Worst Event of the Year? That’s pretty much a lock. Nick Catone vs. Tom Watson and Abel Trujillo vs. Jamie Varner will at least be honorable mentions in the Worst Fight and Best Knockout categories, respectively, and we may have to create a brand-new category for Most Pointless Post-Fight Callout. (Thanks, Alistair).

Even though we linked to it on Saturday night, there was another Potato Award candidate from UFC 169 that you may have missed: Most Awkward Interview, which could very likely go to Franklin McNeil for his not-ready-for-the-Internet ESPN Q&A with Chris Weidman.

Not since Ed Bassmaster’s run-in with Dana White has a UFC interview been more cringe-inducing. The difference is, this is not a joke; Franklin McNeil is really this uncomfortable. From the way he stares at the camera while addressing Weidman, to his “I can barely read these damn cue cards” verbal delivery, it’s a Tito vs. Fedor-caliber train-wreck. Wisely, the cameraman makes the executive decision to keep the focus on Weidman once the conversation gets going. My goodness. Is this the level of talent we can expect from backstage interviewers in the post-Helwani era?

After the jump: Two more brilliant spots from McNeil, this time with Jose Aldo, Ali Bagautinov, and their translators. If you can watch both of them in their entirety, you are officially qualified to be a Navy SEAL.


(Watch Chris try not to laugh at 0:09-0:12. That almost makes this whole thing worth it.)

It’s only February, but UFC 169 has already given us some strong nominees for the 2014 Potato Awards. Worst Event of the Year? That’s pretty much a lock. Nick Catone vs. Tom Watson and Abel Trujillo vs. Jamie Varner will at least be honorable mentions in the Worst Fight and Best Knockout categories, respectively, and we may have to create a brand-new category for Most Pointless Post-Fight Callout. (Thanks, Alistair).

Even though we linked to it on Saturday night, there was another Potato Award candidate from UFC 169 that you may have missed: Most Awkward Interview, which could very likely go to Franklin McNeil for his not-ready-for-the-Internet ESPN Q&A with Chris Weidman.

Not since Ed Bassmaster’s run-in with Dana White has a UFC interview been more cringe-inducing. The difference is, this is not a joke; Franklin McNeil is really this uncomfortable. From the way he stares at the camera while addressing Weidman, to his “I can barely read these damn cue cards” verbal delivery, it’s a Tito vs. Fedor-caliber train-wreck. Wisely, the cameraman makes the executive decision to keep the focus on Weidman once the conversation gets going. My goodness. Is this the level of talent we can expect from backstage interviewers in the post-Helwani era?

After the jump: Two more brilliant spots from McNeil, this time with Jose Aldo, Ali Bagautinov, and their translators. If you can watch both of them in their entirety, you are officially qualified to be a Navy SEAL.