Breathe Easy Alert: Ken Shamrock and Dana White Squash Beef, Hug it Out, Bitch


(One feud down, so, so many feuds to go. Via Shamrock’s Twitter.)

Dana White’s list of beefs, rivalries, personal vendettas and blood feuds is a long and storied one, and one that includes (but is not limited to): former employees, journalists/websites, and of course, all major competitors of the UFC*. Easily in the top five of that list is UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, who in addition to owing White/the UFC a shitton of money, has been using every possible media appearance over the years to bash his former promotion on everything from its fighter pay policies to its rumored uniforms. Toss in a failed lawsuit back in 2006 and it appeared as if Shamrock would forever be on the outside looking in.

However, now that Shammy has achieved financial security as a bodyguard to the stars, it appears as if he has entered the “making amends” phase of his 12-step recovery, so to speak. TMZ Sports is reporting that, following a 45-minute phone conversation, White and Shamrock have finally ended their long-standing feud.

Dana tells us, “Ken Shamrock and I spoke and we have squashed our beef.”

As for Shamrock … he says the call wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows — they addressed some tough issues — but in the end, were able to come to an understanding and decided to bury the hatchet. 

“It’s bigger than us. It’s good for the UFC. It’s good for the fans.”

You hear that, guys? This means Shamrock can finally get that UFC fight he is owed! I am on pins and needles waiting for the UFC to announce UFC 180: Shamrock vs. Liddell — sponsored by Enzyte, Activia, and the Committee to Stop Those Punk Kids From Skateboarding on the Sidewalks. WHO YOU GOT?


(One feud down, so, so many feuds to go. Via Shamrock’s Twitter.)

Dana White’s list of beefs, rivalries, personal vendettas and blood feuds is a long and storied one, one that includes (but is not limited to): former employees, sardonic journalists/websites, and of course, all major competitors of the UFC*. Easily in the top five of that list is UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, who in addition to owing White/the UFC a shitton of money, has been using every possible media appearance over the years to bash his former promotion on everything from its fighter pay policies to its rumored uniforms. Toss in a failed lawsuit back in 2006 and it appeared as if Shamrock would forever be on the outside looking in.

However, now that Shammy has achieved financial security as a bodyguard to the stars, it appears as if he has entered the “making amends” phase of his 12-step recovery, so to speak. TMZ Sports is reporting that, following a 45-minute phone conversation, White and Shamrock have finally ended their long-standing feud:

Dana tells us, “Ken Shamrock and I spoke and we have squashed our beef.”

As for Shamrock … he says the call wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows — they addressed some tough issues — but in the end, were able to come to an understanding and decided to bury the hatchet. 

“It’s bigger than us. It’s good for the UFC. It’s good for the fans.”

You hear that, guys? This means Shamrock can finally get that UFC fight he is owed! I am on pins and needles waiting for the UFC to announce UFC 180: Shamrock vs. Liddell — sponsored by Enzyte, Activia, and the Committee to Stop Those Punk Kids From Skateboarding on the Sidewalks. WHO YOU GOT?

Perhaps the hardest thing to believe about this, the end of the most bitter UFC feud of them all, is the idea that both White and Shamrock were (presumably) willing to admit some wrongdoing in the matter. Neither have exactly developed a reputation for being rational, empathetic thinkers over the years, so the idea that a near decade-long mutual hatred could be cleared up via a simple phone call is surprising to say the least. Something tells me that White’s eventual chat with Tito Ortiz won’t go as smoothly.

I guess all we can do now is wait and see whether Shamrock or White cracks first, unleashing a fury-filled tirade against the other through a celebrity gossip column of their choice. Until then, let’s just enjoy the dance…

*I like to think that The Baldfather keeps this list in his basement and, after crossing off each of his triumphs, puts on some nice rouge lipstick and takes a nap.

J. Jones

[VIDEO] Go Figure, Michael Bisping and Alan Belcher Could Barely Keep Things Civil at the UFC 159 Presser Earlier Today

If there’s one thing that Michael Bisping knows how to do, it’s convincingly sell each and every one of his fights as a “grudge match.” If there’s a second thing Michael Bisping knows how to do, it’s make a bunch of promises about said fights that he has no intention of following through with. Set to face Alan Belcher at UFC 159 this weekend, Bisping has already made sure to check both of those items off his list. First, he promised fans that he will knock Belcher out in the first round — something he has promised ad nauseum over the years yet hasn’t actually done since 2008 — and at today’s UFC 159 presser, he successfully convinced us that his fight with Belcher really is a grudge match. Touche, Mee-kale.

Granted, Bisping is facing a guy who has been calling him out for years now, but it’s starting to seem like Bisping needs to hate the guy he’s fighting in order to get motivated — commonly known as The Diaz Initiative. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if Bisping was truly confident that he could finish Belcher so easily, wouldn’t it have been nice to see him actually take Belcher and Wallace Gilberry up on their bet? Knocking out Belcher would be impressive, sure, but knocking him out and costing his buddy a $300,000 Rolls Royce? That is walking away from an explosion in slow-mo and not looking back levels of cool. 

In either case, Bisping and Belcher made sure to get the shit-talking started early at today’s presser, and we’ve thrown the video above for your enjoyment. So check it out, then let us know how many times you think Bisping will point at Belcher’s face and scream “You’re dead!” come weigh-in time. He seems to enjoy doing that.

J. Jones

If there’s one thing that Michael Bisping knows how to do, it’s convincingly sell each and every one of his fights as a “grudge match.” If there’s a second thing Michael Bisping knows how to do, it’s make a bunch of promises about said fights that he has no intention of following through with. Set to face Alan Belcher at UFC 159 this weekend, Bisping has already made sure to check both of those items off his list. First, he promised fans that he will knock Belcher out in the first round — something he has promised ad nauseum over the years yet hasn’t actually done since 2008 — and at today’s UFC 159 presser, he successfully convinced us that his fight with Belcher really is a grudge match. Touche, Mee-kale.

Granted, Bisping is facing a guy who has been calling him out for years now, but it’s starting to seem like Bisping needs to hate the guy he’s fighting in order to get motivated — commonly known as The Diaz Initiative. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if Bisping was truly confident that he could finish Belcher so easily, wouldn’t it have been nice to see him actually take Belcher and Wallace Gilberry up on their bet? Knocking out Belcher would be impressive, sure, but knocking him out and costing his buddy a $300,000 Rolls Royce? That is walking away from an explosion in slow-mo and not looking back levels of cool. 

In either case, Bisping and Belcher made sure to get the shit-talking started early at today’s presser, and we’ve thrown the video above for your enjoyment. So check it out, then let us know how many times you think Bisping will point at Belcher’s face and scream “You’re dead!” come weigh-in time. He seems to enjoy doing that.

J. Jones

According to Bec Hyatt, Fallon Fox is a Real Dick [RIMSHOT] and Got in Her Grill Before Invicta FC 5


(Somehow we have a feeling that this is not how things went down.) 

I know, I know, we already agreed to stop talking about this. But upon stumbling across the story of Fallon Fox allegedly terrorizing several Invicta fighters backstage at Invicta FC 5, I figured I had to break protocol just this once. Because, regardless of whether you support Fallon Fox’s right to compete in MMA as a woman or not, you should know that when all is said and done, Fox might be a tad bit unstable as a human being. Who saw this coming, amiright?

That is of course, according to Invicta FC strawweight Bec Hyatt, who recently posted the following parable on her Facebook page. As stated by Hyatt, Fox was spotted lurking around the hotel lobby that several Invicta fighters were staying at on the morning of Invicta FC 5, presumably looking for a fight or at the very least, to stir some shit up. I’ll let Becca tell the story:

It’s true that Fallon & I had a “run in” on fight morning in the hotel lobby. Nothing physical, just an unwelcome distraction from my fight later that night. Long story short… I was on my phone Facebook training, as I do, when my husband told me to look up to the second floor balcony. Sure enough I was greeted by Fallon (along with another female fighter??) staring meanie daggers at me & if looks could kill… boy would I be dead LOL!! A Fallon Fox mean mug makes Jasminka Cive’s look child’s play 😉


(Somehow we have a feeling that this is not how things went down.) 

I know, I know, we already agreed to stop talking about this. But upon stumbling across the story of Fallon Fox allegedly terrorizing several Invicta fighters backstage at Invicta FC 5, I figured I had to break protocol just this once. Because, regardless of whether you support Fallon Fox’s right to compete in MMA as a woman or not, you should know that when all is said and done, Fox might be a tad bit unstable as a human being. Who saw this coming, amiright?

That is of course, according to Invicta FC strawweight Bec Hyatt, who recently posted the following parable on her Facebook page. As stated by Hyatt, Fox was spotted lurking around the hotel lobby that several Invicta fighters were staying at on the morning of Invicta FC 5, presumably looking for a fight or at the very least, to stir some shit up. I’ll let Bec tell the story:

It’s true that Fallon & I had a “run in” on fight morning in the hotel lobby. Nothing physical, just an unwelcome distraction from my fight later that night. Long story short… I was on my phone Facebook training, as I do, when my husband told me to look up to the second floor balcony. Sure enough I was greeted by Fallon (along with another female fighter??) staring meanie daggers at me & if looks could kill… boy would I be dead LOL!! A Fallon Fox mean mug makes Jasminka Cive’s look child’s play ;)

As you’d all know though, I have a chip on my shoulder myself & am very stubborn, so I gladly partook in the silent staring contest for a minute or so until I inquired as to why she was actually staring at me. Fallon replied with “I’ll do what I want”, to which I laughed, said she is a joke & went back to my Facebook training in preparation of the nights contest. I can’t remember exactly what Fallon then said, but it was along the lines of “I’m coming down there” in an angrier tone & as she went to put on her jacket, Invicta Fighting Championships matchmaker Janet Martin came out of an elevator & started talking to me. When I looked back up, Fallon & her friend were gone. The second half of our exchange was caught on camera but I won’t be releasing it :)

To Fallon’s credit, she did apologize to me at the after party but it was an unwelcome distraction to my fight as when it all sunk in, I was actually more pissed off about what happened in the lobby then all the stuff my opponent had said to me LOL!! I couldn’t even enjoy my popcorn at the movies :( I’m only a 115lbs fighter but if I won’t back down to my much bigger & more skilled fighter husband, I certainly am not backing down to Fallon Fox!!

So what’s the moral of this story, kids? You can take the dick out of the girl, but…actually no, you can’t.

The story, which first started circulating on MiddleEasy’s Sunday Morning Rumor Mill last weekend, was quickly passed along to the UG by none other than Hyatt herself, who later stated that she only held off as long as she did to avoid giving Fox anymore publicity for her extracurricular activities than she has already received. Mission accomplished, you guys!

J. Jones

A Note To All Flyweights: Michael Bisping Can Make Fun of *You*, Not the Other Way Around

(Benavidez REALLY lets Bisping have it at the 4:05 mark. That is sarcasm, by the way.)

It used to simply surprise me each time someone raced to defend the actions of Michael Bisping after we had given him the public tongue-lashing he so rightfully deserved, be it for his coaching exploits, his insistence on insulting every middleweight he comes across, or his general dickishness when alcohol is involved. His supporters, whom I can only assume are as crass, doltish, and incoherent as the subject at hand, often label us “anti-British,” because clearly Bisping’s ancestry is at the forefront of our issues with the guy, not the relentless douchbaggery he displays at every conceivable opportunity. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that no matter how sound a given argument is, there will always be a minority rallying against it. It’s why Old Dad was recently lambasted by the readers over at MMAJunkie for declaring that Brock Lesnar and all 8 of his professional fights had not earned him a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame because he had helped the sport get some fans (bring it on, bitches!). And it’s undoubtedly why some of you — for God knows what reason — will always be quick to defend the hooley-hoo punk-ass jabroni known as Count Bisping (seriously, BRING IT ON!).

Take his recent squabble with the UFC’s flyweight division, for instance. With no clear motivation (other than being billed below them at UFC 152), Bisping decided to launch into a diatribe aimed at the 125-pounders, declaring that “no one cares about little flyweights.” Bisping continued his attack at the UFC 152 press conference, where, when forced to deal with a response from Joseph Benavidez, stated that “when you were a glint in your dad’s eye, I was kicking ass in the UFC,” which makes sense because AGE IS DETERMINED BY HEIGHT AND WEIGHT AND THAT’S IT SHUT UP. Benavidez, along with most of us who can subtract 28 from 33, dismissed Bisping’s comments as “ridiculous” and moved on. However, when Benavidez was asked by teammate Urijah Faber in the “fighter diary” above if he thought he hit harder than Bisping, he nonchalantly declared that yes, he believed he did.

This was the kind of insolence that Bisping would simply not tolerate.

After the jump: Bisping’s response, which is as eloquently phrased and intelligent as Winston Churchill’s epic pwnage of Nancy Astor.


(Benavidez REALLY lets Bisping have it at the 4:05 mark. That is sarcasm, by the way.)

It used to simply surprise me each time someone raced to defend the actions of Michael Bisping after we had given him the public tongue-lashing he so rightfully deserved, be it for his coaching exploits, his insistence on insulting every middleweight he comes across, or his general dickishness when alcohol is involved. His supporters, whom I can only assume are as crass, doltish, and incoherent as the subject at hand, often label us “anti-British,” because clearly Bisping’s ancestry is at the forefront of our issues with the guy, not the relentless douchbaggery he displays at every conceivable opportunity. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that no matter how sound a given argument is, there will always be a minority rallying against it. It’s why Old Dad was recently lambasted by the readers over at MMAJunkie for declaring that Brock Lesnar and all 8 of his professional fights had not earned him a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame because he had helped the sport get some fans (bring it on, bitches!). And it’s undoubtedly why some of you — for God knows what reason — will always be quick to defend the hooley-hoo punk-ass jabroni known as Count Bisping (seriously, BRING IT ON!).

Take his recent squabble with the UFC’s flyweight division, for instance. With no clear motivation (other than being billed below them at UFC 152), Bisping decided to launch into a diatribe aimed at the 125-pounders, declaring that “no one cares about little flyweights.” Bisping continued his attack at the UFC 152 press conference, where, when forced to deal with a response from Joseph Benavidez, stated that “when you were a glint in your dad’s eye, I was kicking ass in the UFC,” which makes sense because AGE IS DETERMINED BY HEIGHT AND WEIGHT AND THAT’S IT SHUT UP. Benavidez, along with most of us who can subtract 28 from 33, dismissed Bisping’s comments as “ridiculous” and moved on. However, when Benavidez was asked by teammate Urijah Faber in the “fighter diary” above if he thought he hit harder than Bisping, he nonchalantly declared that yes, he believed he did.

This was the kind of insolence that Bisping would simply not tolerate.

As is typically the case for shit-stirring fighters like Bisping, the TUF 3 winner truly cannot take it as well as he can dish it out. Bisping recently declared “Pepsi Challenge” war on Benavidez for his off-the-cuff remark, even going as far as to say that Benavidez had somehow started their whole verbal quarrel in the first place. He spoke with MMAJunkie radio:

That smug-faced little t— in a prepubescent boy’s body needs to shut the f— up because I’ll take the Pepsi Challenge with that short-ass any day of the week.

People are going to say that I’m talking crap, but he’s the one trying to start in with me. [Benavidez] needs to recognize his weight class because my 11-year-old boy will take care of him.

Those of us who maintain the ability to recall basic information from less than a month ago should see the main flaw in Bisping’s argument: He did in fact start it. He always starts it. It’s this kind of willful ignorance that makes you wonder if Bisping is suffering from a Leonard Shelby-esque syndrome where he convinces himself that each person he sees is really the man who fictitiously raped and killed his wife. Of course, an H-bomb as epic as the one he received could easily be responsible for such a condition, so perhaps we should stop making fun of Bisping’s shortcomings as a human being and start being concerned for his mental health. On second thought, fuck that.

And as is usually the case when arguing with a wall, Benavidez was short and to the point in his response, posting the following on his twitter:

Wow didn’t think a big, tough, secure guy like @bisping would get all butt hurt at my blog. Pretty funny.

It’s funny because Benavidez is saying the opposite of what he really means, something Bisping will surely overlook in his profanity-filled response.

J. Jones

Josh Koscheck Asshole Quote of the Day: “I Hope AKA Burns to the Ground”

Josh Koscheck Georges St. Pierre UFC 124
(When Mendez refused to kiss Koscheck’s boo-boo and make it all better, a rivalry had officially been started.) 

There are few things that are simply a given in the MMA world, and they are:

1. The ref cam is fucking awesome.

2. People will always hate Jon Jones, regardless of how great a fighter he is.

3. Bruce Buffer is fucking awesome.

4. Octagon > Ring (THIS IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE.)

5. Pat Barry and everyone he knows or comes into contact with is fucking awesome.

6. Knees to the head of a downed opponent and soccer kicks should be allowed.

7. Michael Bisping and Josh Koscheck are *not* awesome.

With that in mind, take a look at this video, in which Kos has a casual conversation with friend and former training partner Jon Fitch, and discusses the beef with former camp American Kickboxing Academy (specifically, coach Javier Mendez) that he apparently just can’t let go of. In the video, he admits that he hopes AKA “burns to the ground” with “maybe one person” in it. Hint: Mendez is the person he’s hoping for. To be fair, Koscheck also openly admits to being a D-I-C-K dick, so at least he’s willing to man up about that whole issue.

See Javier’s response, courtesy of MMAFighting, after the jump.

Josh Koscheck Georges St. Pierre UFC 124
(When Mendez refused to kiss Koscheck’s boo-boo and make it all better, a rivalry had officially been started.) 

There are few things that are simply a given in the MMA world, and they are:

1. The ref cam is fucking awesome.

2. People will always hate Jon Jones, regardless of how great a fighter he is.

3. Bruce Buffer is fucking awesome.

4. Octagon > Ring (THIS IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE.)

5. Pat Barry and everyone he knows or comes into contact with is fucking awesome.

6. Knees to the head of a downed opponent and soccer kicks should be allowed.

7. Michael Bisping and Josh Koscheck are *not* awesome.

With that in mind, take a look at this video, in which Kos has a casual conversation with friend and former training partner Jon Fitch, and discusses the beef with former camp American Kickboxing Academy (specifically, coach Javier Mendez) that he apparently just can’t let go of. In the video, he admits that he hopes AKA “burns to the ground” with “maybe one person” in it. Hint: Mendez is the person he’s hoping for. To be fair, Koscheck also openly admits to being a D-I-C-K dick, so at least he’s willing to man up about that whole issue.

Javier’s response, courtesy of MMAFighting, is below.


(the question comes up at the 1:25 mark.) 

“It’s who he is,” Javier states bluntly, laughing through the fact that his former student of eight years more or less just wished for him to die. At least they can agree on one thing: Josh Koscheck is a dick.

Thoughts?

J. Jones

Josh Koscheck Asshole Quote of the Day: “I Hope AKA Burns to the Ground”

Josh Koscheck Georges St. Pierre UFC 124
(When Mendez refused to kiss Koscheck’s boo-boo and make it all better, a rivalry had officially been started.) 

There are few things that are simply a given in the MMA world, and they are:

1. The ref cam is fucking awesome.

2. People will always hate Jon Jones, regardless of how great a fighter he is.

3. Bruce Buffer is fucking awesome.

4. Octagon > Ring (THIS IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE.)

5. Pat Barry and everyone he knows or comes into contact with is fucking awesome.

6. Knees to the head of a downed opponent and soccer kicks should be allowed.

7. Michael Bisping and Josh Koscheck are *not* awesome.

With that in mind, take a look at this video, in which Kos has a casual conversation with friend and former training partner Jon Fitch, and discusses the beef with former camp American Kickboxing Academy (specifically, coach Javier Mendez) that he apparently just can’t let go of. In the video, he admits that he hopes AKA “burns to the ground” with “maybe one person” in it. Hint: Mendez is the person he’s hoping for. To be fair, Koscheck also openly admits to being a D-I-C-K dick, so at least he’s willing to man up about that whole issue.

See Javier’s response, courtesy of MMAFighting, after the jump.

Josh Koscheck Georges St. Pierre UFC 124
(When Mendez refused to kiss Koscheck’s boo-boo and make it all better, a rivalry had officially been started.) 

There are few things that are simply a given in the MMA world, and they are:

1. The ref cam is fucking awesome.

2. People will always hate Jon Jones, regardless of how great a fighter he is.

3. Bruce Buffer is fucking awesome.

4. Octagon > Ring (THIS IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE.)

5. Pat Barry and everyone he knows or comes into contact with is fucking awesome.

6. Knees to the head of a downed opponent and soccer kicks should be allowed.

7. Michael Bisping and Josh Koscheck are *not* awesome.

With that in mind, take a look at this video, in which Kos has a casual conversation with friend and former training partner Jon Fitch, and discusses the beef with former camp American Kickboxing Academy (specifically, coach Javier Mendez) that he apparently just can’t let go of. In the video, he admits that he hopes AKA “burns to the ground” with “maybe one person” in it. Hint: Mendez is the person he’s hoping for. To be fair, Koscheck also openly admits to being a D-I-C-K dick, so at least he’s willing to man up about that whole issue.

Javier’s response, courtesy of MMAFighting, is below.


(the question comes up at the 1:25 mark.) 

“It’s who he is,” Javier states bluntly, laughing through the fact that his former student of eight years more or less just wished for him to die. At least they can agree on one thing: Josh Koscheck is a dick.

Thoughts?

J. Jones