Tag: Bryan Caraway

Ronda Rousey: ‘Crazy’ Like a Champion


(Ronda Rousey after successfully defending her UFC bantamweight title against Liz Carmouche in February. | Photo via Getty)

By Elias Cepeda

There seems to be a lot of chatter about Ronda Rousey’s mental state lately. The UFC women’s bantamweight champion has always gotten attention for her intensity and arm-snapping viciousness, but ever since Rousey the TUF 18 Coach began appearing on television a few weeks ago, the notion that the undefeated fighter is mentally unstable has started to pick up steam.

There was Ronda becoming infuriated when Meisha Tate dared to celebrate her own fighter’s win over Team Rousey’s Shayna Baszler. There was Ronda getting in the face of and taunting Tate’s coach/manager/boyfriend Bryan Caraway. There was Ronda kicking open the UFC gym door and screaming Tate’s team out because they’d gone approximately 30 seconds over their scheduled time. In last week’s episode, Ronda launched some of her trademark hostility against UFC vet and Team Tate assistant coach Dennis Hallman.

And then, of course, there’s Ronda crying. A lot. Like, all the time.

Not your normal, boo-hoo type of crying, either. Hers is an angry, motivated and terrifying type of cry. Former Strikeforce champion and would-be Rousey rival Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino called Rousey “mentally sick” after watching her on The Ultimate Fighter. Recently, Hallman did an interview where he recounted a story of an incident he said happened on the TUF set where Rousey told a producer of the show to shut their mouth while she was speaking to her, and then said that he believed that Ronda had mental health issues.

I’ve already written in partial jest that Rousey’s mind is evidently a dark and scary place, but is the two-time Olympian “crazy?” The simple answer is, “no.”

If Ronda Rousey is crazy, it’s the type of crazy that has become familiar to us in great competitors. Rousey isn’t an out-of-control head case, she’s a competitor. She’s not crazy, she’s a champion. And like many champions before her, Ronda is a fiercer competitor than most professional athletes. Her hyper-competitiveness, her apparent need to establish dominance in almost every and any situation, and her ability to used even perceived slights as fuel are traits Rousey shares with the likes of Michael Jordan and Anderson Silva.


(Ronda Rousey after successfully defending her UFC bantamweight title against Liz Carmouche in February. | Photo via Getty)

By Elias Cepeda

There seems to be a lot of chatter about Ronda Rousey’s mental state lately. The UFC women’s bantamweight champion has always gotten attention for her intensity and arm-snapping viciousness, but ever since Rousey the TUF 18 Coach began appearing on television a few weeks ago, the notion that the undefeated fighter is mentally unstable has started to pick up steam.

There was Ronda becoming infuriated when Meisha Tate dared to celebrate her own fighter’s win over Team Rousey’s Shayna Baszler. There was Ronda getting in the face of and taunting Tate’s coach/manager/boyfriend Bryan Caraway. There was Ronda kicking open the UFC gym door and screaming Tate’s team out because they’d gone approximately 30 seconds over their scheduled time. In last week’s episode, Ronda launched some of her trademark hostility against UFC vet and Team Tate assistant coach Dennis Hallman.

And then, of course, there’s Ronda crying. A lot. Like, all the time.

Not your normal, boo-hoo type of crying, either. Hers is an angry, motivated and terrifying type of cry. Former Strikeforce champion and would-be Rousey rival Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino called Rousey “mentally sick” after watching her on The Ultimate Fighter. Recently, Hallman did an interview where he recounted a story of an incident he said happened on the TUF set where Rousey told a producer of the show to shut their mouth while she was speaking to her, and then said that he believed that Ronda had mental health issues.

I’ve already written in partial jest that Rousey’s mind is evidently a dark and scary place, but is the two-time Olympian “crazy?” The simple answer is, “no.”

If Ronda Rousey is crazy, it’s the type of crazy that has become familiar to us in great competitors. Rousey isn’t an out-of-control head case, she’s a competitor. She’s not crazy, she’s a champion. And like many champions before her, Ronda is a fiercer competitor than most professional athletes. Her hyper-competitiveness, her apparent need to establish dominance in almost every and any situation, and her ability to used even perceived slights as fuel are traits Rousey shares with the likes of Michael Jordan and Anderson Silva.

Joe Rogan shared a keen observation about high-level competitors on his podcast once. He spoke about legendary athletes like Jordan, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson and how traits of theirs that could be considered flaws, actually helped make them the champions they were.

“A lot of success in athletics comes down to almost, like, a psychosis,” Rogan said. “At a real high level of anything, there’s a certain amount of crazy behavior to get to this incredible position like Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson in his prime. There’s a madness.”

Joe Rogan on the madness of excellence

MJ not only held on to grudges longer than anyone and turned them into fifty-point games, he was also so ruthlessly competitive that he punched his own teammates in the head during practices. Ali literally, and arguably criminally, stalked Sonny Liston outside his home, and before their first fight doctors came close to not even allowing the brash young star to compete because of his erratic behavior at the weigh in and because his heart rate and blood pressure were at dangerous levels afterwards. Anderson Silva has spent more time talking and taunting and pantomiming during some fights than actually fighting. He has worn masks, kissed and shoulder-checked opponents in the face during weigh-ins.

We don’t really have to detail Mike Tyson’s crazy behavior for you, do we?

Ronda Rousey’s craziness is becoming part of her persona, but it is clear that she’s often times acting out on purpose. She’s already said that a chief part of her strategy in her rematch with Tate is to get her opponent so angry and agitated by her antics leading up to the fight that she will not fight smart — something that Rousey believes happened in their first fight and helped her win so fast.

As for how legitimately touchy Ronda appears to be at times, her mind might very well be wired differently, but it is also likely a key to all her success. Like Silva and Jordan, Rousey appears to be a master at being able to use anything to fuel and motivate herself.

And, if Rousey couldn’t manufacture extra things to motivate her in fighting Tate again, there simply might not be enough there for her to be sharp. Think about it. Ronda beat Tate already and did so quickly and decisively. Most recently, Tate went out and lost to Cat Zingano in her UFC debut. Ronda, still undefeated, now has to fight a woman who she’s already beaten and who has lost two out of her last three fights.

Chances are that Ronda needs a little extra motivation to fight Tate again and so she’s giving it to herself on this season of TUF. In the sense of living a happy and healthy life outside of or after your competitive career, are traits like hyper competitiveness, a need to dominate, and an ability to make mountains our of mole hills great for a person’s emotional health? Maybe not. Would Rousey have become a champ without those traits, though? Unlikely.

Rousey is exactly what she has needed to be to succeed. That isn’t to discount how good, dedicated and hard fighting even someone as even-tempered as Meisha Tate can be and is. Tate is an excellent fighter, but how many of Rousey’s personality critics would be willing to put their money up against the champ in their rematch? All other things being equal in a fight, this writer will always bet on the meaner, madder dog.

So far, Ronda Rousey hasn’t met anyone meaner or madder and that’s a big reason why she’s the champ.

TUF 18 Episode 3 Recap: Romance, Liquor and Mad-Dogging Are in the Air

(Chicks. Pro fighters. Bar. Fighting. Sweet)

By Elias Cepeda

Last night’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter 18 kicked off with some delicious fatness as Coach Miesha Tate delivers treats to last week’s fighters. Her BFF Julianna Pena gets a milk shake and, remembering that she told her how much she loves cake, Miesha brings Team Rousey’s Shayna Baszler some chocolate cake.

Miesha keeps it classy and magnanimous, boys and girls. Though she doesn’t look too happy when Shayna, her former roommate, tells her that Ronda Rousey has won her over a bit.

Julianna doesn’t seem to be making many friends in the house. The underdog won big last week and helped her team, but almost everyone interviewed seems to say that she annoys them.

Maybe it’s the fake British accent she’s adopted and refuses to drop. This week, Julianna’s teammate Chris Holdsworth is taking on Chris Beal, who was chosen by Tate to fight next because he has an injured hand.

Ronda is still furious at the pussy-ass bullshit move and insists that Beal will beat Holdsworth with one hand. Before that can happen, however, Cody meets with Coach Tate and her mascot/assistant coach/boyfriend/manager/suitcase pimp/fellow UFC bantamweight Bryan Caraway to tell them that he believes there’s a mole on their team.

He thinks that it is Julianna. Bryan seems to agree.

Apparently Team Rousey’s Jessamyn Duke guessed all the matchups that Team Tate had laid out as their number one choices. Of course, this means that Julianna, who is friends with Tate and trains with her, told Team Rousey the plan.

Why? Well, she’s already fought so she doesn’t care about what happens to the rest of the team, according to Cody.

When he confronts Julianna with the accusation, which he somehow says isn’t an accusation, she denies it but when others pile on, she suggests that perhaps Roxanne Modafferi, who rooms with Team Rousey ladies, shared the top secret info.

Roxanne flatly denies it and her team jumps to her aid, one of them calling her “a fucking Samurai” who would never stoop so low.

The Part Where We Learn Chris Holdsworth is a Smooth Operator


(Chicks. Pro fighters. Bar. Fighting. Sweet)

By Elias Cepeda

Last night’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter 18 kicked off with some delicious fatness as Coach Miesha Tate delivers treats to last week’s fighters. Her BFF Julianna Pena gets a milk shake and, remembering that she told her how much she loves cake, Miesha brings Team Rousey’s Shayna Baszler some chocolate cake.

Miesha keeps it classy and magnanimous, boys and girls. Though she doesn’t look too happy when Shayna, her former roommate, tells her that Ronda Rousey has won her over a bit.

Julianna doesn’t seem to be making many friends in the house. The underdog won big last week and helped her team, but almost everyone interviewed seems to say that she annoys them.

Maybe it’s the fake British accent she’s adopted and refuses to drop. This week, Julianna’s teammate Chris Holdsworth is taking on Chris Beal, who was chosen by Tate to fight next because he has an injured hand.

Ronda is still furious at the pussy-ass bullshit move and insists that Beal will beat Holdsworth with one hand. Before that can happen, however, Cody meets with Coach Tate and her mascot/assistant coach/boyfriend/manager/suitcase pimp/fellow UFC bantamweight Bryan Caraway to tell them that he believes there’s a mole on their team.

He thinks that it is Julianna. Bryan seems to agree.

Apparently Team Rousey’s Jessamyn Duke guessed all the matchups that Team Tate had laid out as their number one choices. Of course, this means that Julianna, who is friends with Tate and trains with her, told Team Rousey the plan.

Why? Well, she’s already fought so she doesn’t care about what happens to the rest of the team, according to Cody.

When he confronts Julianna with the accusation, which he somehow says isn’t an accusation, she denies it but when others pile on, she suggests that perhaps Roxanne Modafferi, who rooms with Team Rousey ladies, shared the top secret info.

Roxanne flatly denies it and her team jumps to her aid, one of them calling her “a fucking Samurai” who would never stoop so low.

The Part Where We Learn Chris Holdsworth is a Smooth Operator

The episode returns from a break and goes straight into the first co-ed massage of the season. Roxanne is rubbing Chris Holdsworth’s shoulders and neck. He says they should do this more often. She replies that all he needs to do is ask and does he want some more right now?

Nah, that’s good for now, babe but I’ll let you know when I need you again, he replies.

From there, we hear more from Holdsworth about his youth. His older brother, who he looks up to a great deal, was shot and killed when Chris was just eight years old.

His brother was a kick boxer and when he received his black belt posthumously at his funeral, Chris decided he too would get into martial arts. And now, here he is, fighting on national television in the world’s top MMA organization.

His brother “would be real proud of me,” Holdsworth says. No doubt.

Holdsworth is a Jiu Jitsu guy and Beal looked like a dangerous striker in his first bout. Tate thinks that Beal’s only weapon is his left hook and says that they are looking to capitalize on his over-committing on hard punches with take downs.

Back at the TUF house, Holdsworth continues to make time with the ladies poolside. He lays out in the sun next to Julianna. She says that Chris is a leader and starts asking him about his past relationships. Chris explains that he’s always had trouble finding a girl who can accept his fighter lifestyle.

Later, Holdsworth tells the camera that he might need a little company during this “lonely time.” Back at the pool, Chris floats the idea of “friends with benefits” to Julianna. She says that she’s “all about it.”

We have a consensus, then.

In her bedroom, Julianna apologizes to Roxanne for accusing her for being a mole. Roxanne seems to totally understanding and tells the cameras later that she just wants “peace and harmony” on their team. And that, folks, is why they call this woman The Happy Warrior.

On Team Rousey, Jessamyn denies even “knowing” about Team Tate’s match up preferences and says she was basically just guessing and trying to mess with them. She claims that she told this to the men on Team Tate but that they told her, no matter, they were going to use it to go after Julianna.

Julianna says “to hell with them all,” which seems like an appropriate attitude for a fighter to have.

We come back from commercial and Beal talks about appreciating running after nearly losing his leg to cancer. “I run to love now. I run six to seven miles every day,” he says.

We learn that Beal’s older brother was also shot and killed. Beal says he is motivated to show his own son that hard work is the way to succeed.

“I’m not going to let nobody take this away from me…I want this as much as I want to breathe,” he says to himself on the treadmill.

He also wants to “put a smile on Coach Ronda’s face.” Presumably because she scares the heck out of him and everyone else when she’s got her game face on. A competitor like Rousey can’t be fun to be around when she’s in a fighting mood.

Tension at the Watering Hole

The fighters and their coaches are taken to the Fertitta-owned Red Rock Hotel and Casino to watch a UFC event on television. Rousey decides to go to the bar to wet her whistle.

While doing so, she gets too close to Tate’s boyfriend Caraway, according to Miesha who tells her to get away from her boyfriend/manager/assistant coach/henchman/etc. Rousey denies trying to make moves on Tate’s man saying, “I don’t think anyone with a half a brain would desire a man like that.”

And, it’s on.

Rousey insults Caraway’s pad-holding and coaching abilities. Tate says that Rousey doesn’t even know how to throw punches.

At this point Ronda calls her own head coach Edmond Tarverdyan over to tell him what the Tates are saying about her striking ability. Keep in mind that Edmond is a proud, successful fighter and coach himself. And that Caraway once threatened (on twitter, like a real man does) to knock Rousey’s teeth in. And keep in mind that Edmond is Armenian and looked pretty drunk at this point. But mostly, Caraway threatened to hit Rousey a while back, and that’s enough of a reason for tensions to escalate.

“As long as I live, no one’s going to break Ronda’s teeth,” Edmond says to Caraway, who stays sitting, looking down and saying nothing.

“There’s too much cameras here [but] I’ll get you some day.”

Edmond is pulled away and lil Bryan offers that he has already “apologized for that.”

As is the custom for courageous people everywhere, after Edmond walks away Caraway mutters under his breath. “Act tough now,” he whimpers.

“We are tough. Always,” Ronda responds.

“You act tough on twitter.”

Then she walks away. Hard to argue with the girl.

The argument continues with Edmond and the Tates across the room from one another. “She’ll beat you standing any day,” Edmond shouts at Tate. “Then, she’ll break your arm after that. You and your boyfriend. Both of you together,” he specifies.

Rousey says to Caraway, “You never say shit to my face but you talk on twitter. That’s fucking bitch behavior.” Again, the lady makes a strong case here.

As for Miesha, Ronda respects her abilities. “She’s a legit fighter,” she tells cameras later. “She’s got balls…but I don’t feel the least bit sorry for breaking her arm in half.”

Remember, that isn’t hyperbole. Ronda snapped Tate’s arm in half once before. It was nasty.

After it is all said and done, Ronda goes right back to the bar, next to Caraway and orders another drink. The girl is a gunslinger, plain and simple.

Fight Day

Both Chris H. and Chris B. make weight and it’s time to wait and fight now.

Rousey says that Beal asked her to fight first. Tate is confident that Holdsworth will take Beal down and submit him.

Back in the house, Holdsworth channels fourth grade boys everywhere and shares a private note that Julianna wrote to him. “I believe in you,” it begins.

“Believe in yourself…be primal but stay in control.”

It is read out loud by a roommate in a mocking voice and they all laugh and make sex jokes about cardio, being primal and enchiladas.

Julianna signs the letter, “VV,” prompting the former male model of the bunch to say, “she wants that PP.”

Chris promises to give Julianna “the best two minutes of her life.”

While Holdsworth and his buds have a good ol’ fashion sausage party, Beal is in a room, laying on the floor talking to himself. He talks to himself a lot.

Beal walks out to the cage. The mask is back.

Round one begins and Holdsworth kicks Beal low. He recovers and they are back on.

From the start, Holdsworth is the aggressor with Beal looking to slip and counter. Holdsworth lands the first big strike of the fight a minute in – a stiff right hand.

Beal follows with a hard left hook and jab. Holdsworth lands another right hand and then a double leg take down.

Beal gets back to his feet quickly but Holdsworth gets him down again. Beal immediately reverses positions but Holdsworth locks on a triangle then arm bar. Beal escapes and gets up. The two are back on their feet.

Big right hand from Beal. A one two from Holdsworth and the two lands. He tries for another take down and gets stuffed. He goes for another and gets stuffed again by Beal.

Holdsworth keeps pushing forward, undeterred. He lands another big right hand that drops Beal to the mat. Holdsworth jumps on him and then locks up an arm-in guillotine and pulls guard.

Beal taps out.

I’m not sure but I’m pretty sure a Team Tate male member then shouts out, “That’s what you get for eating biscuits at breakfast!”

I have no idea what it means but I plan to use that phrase as much as possible from now on. Unless it was a racial thing. In which case, I’ll write a column criticizing Chael Sonnen for something shortly.

Chris Holdsworth earns five grand for the submission and a home-made enchilada dinner from Julianna. All he has to show for the effort is a small shiner under his left eye. And just like that, Team Tate is up 2-0.

In the Team Rousey locker room, Beal apologizes to his coaches for his first ever loss. He calls Holdsworth the better man that day.

Fight pick time and Team Tate has dibs. Miesha chooses to have Rousey’s Jessica Rakoczy fight her own Roxanne Modafferi. Who ya got, ‘Taters?

Team Rousey Women
Shayna Baszler (eliminated by Julianna Pena in the quarterfinals, episode 2)
Jessamyn Duke
Peggy Morgan
Jessica Rakoczy

Team Rousey Men
Chris Beal (eliminated by Chris Holdsworth in the quarterfinals, episode 3)
David Grant
Anthony Gutierrez
Michael Wootten

Team Tate Women
Julianna Pena
Sarah Moras
Raquel Pennington
Roxanne Modafferi

Team Tate Men
Cody Bollinger
Chris Holdsworth
Josh Hill
Louis Fisette

CagePotato Roundtable #25: Who Is the Most Despicable Person in MMA?


(Joe Son: The “Too Obvious to be Eligible for Inclusion” Pick.)

In celebration of the possibility that deplorable scumbag Joe Son may be getting the death penalty, we’ve decided to update our blatantly outdated “Most Despicable People in MMA” list in the form of our newest roundtable discussion. Read on for our picks, and please continue to send your ideas for future Roundtable topics to [email protected].

Matt Saccaro


(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)

MMA can be a sordid, awful business — a wretched hive of scum and villainy, as Obi-Wan Kenobi would say. Some characters are worse than others though. The classless fighters and “let me bang bro” douchebags that litter the landscape are only small time. The real people you need to watch out for are the promoters, for they’re the ones pulling the strings, greasing the wheels, and killing the dogs.

Yes, killing dogs. You read that right. And that’s the main reason why I have to throw Bjorn Rebney’s name into the “who is the most despicable person in MMA” discussion: He was allegedly involved in the brutal murder of a rival’s dog.

It’s quite a tale so here’s the abridged version: Back in Rebney’s boxing promotion days, he was partners with a man named Seth Ersoff. Eventually, they found themselves at odds and a lawsuit developed. As Ringtalk noted, the situation escalated and somehow Ersoff’s dog wound up with a metal spike through its head.  

But there’s no definitive proof of Rebney murdering this poor, innocent dog, so I can’t judge him solely on that action — something that he might not have been responsible for. But there are other bad actions that make him a perfect candidate for CagePotato’s “Worst Human Being in MMA” award…


(Joe Son: The “Too Obvious to be Eligible for Inclusion” Pick.)

In celebration of the possibility that deplorable scumbag Joe Son may be getting the death penalty, we’ve decided to update our blatantly outdated “Most Despicable People in MMA” list in the form of our newest roundtable discussion. Read on for our picks, and please continue to send your ideas for future Roundtable topics to [email protected].

Matt Saccaro


(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)

MMA can be a sordid, awful business — a wretched hive of scum and villainy, as Obi-Wan Kenobi would say. Some characters are worse than others though. The classless fighters and “let me bang bro” douchebags that litter the landscape are only small time. The real people you need to watch out for are the promoters, for they’re the ones pulling the strings, greasing the wheels, and killing the dogs.

Yes, killing dogs. You read that right. And that’s the main reason why I have to throw Bjorn Rebney’s name into the “who is the most despicable person in MMA” discussion: He was allegedly involved in the brutal murder of a rival’s dog.

It’s quite a tale so here’s the abridged version: Back in Rebney’s boxing promotion days, he was partners with a man named Seth Ersoff. Eventually, they found themselves at odds and a lawsuit developed. As Ringtalk noted, the situation escalated and somehow Ersoff’s dog wound up with a metal spike through its head.  

But there’s no definitive proof of Rebney murdering this poor, innocent dog, so I can’t judge him solely on that action — something that he might not have been responsible for. But there are other bad actions that make him a perfect candidate for CagePotato’s “Worst Human Being in MMA” award.

First, he sued Sugar Ray Leonard’s company, Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing, into oblivion in 2004. Like all legal struggles, this one was kind of messy and each side claimed they had the right of it. Leonard said that Rebney was “a cancer” and that the company could’ve blossomed but Rebney ruined it. Rebney asserted that it was Leonard’s fault. Rebney said that Leonard turning his back on the promotion bearing his name to sign a deal with NBC’s The Contender is what made the company come crashing down.

Second, Rebney seems to love the questionable oddities of the Bellator roster, the ones that lack moral turpitude. The most egregious example is War Machine. Remember the “rape tweet” debacle? Remember Bjorn Rebney’s pathetic, flaccid statement about it? Oh, and did you see Rebney’s reaction to War Machine’s tweet about how glad he was to pass by a cop’s funeral the other day? No? Well that’s because he didn’t respond to it all. Apparently, Rebney is cool with it.

Third, Rebney is just as petulant as Dana White, if not more so. I mean, claiming that an imposter is offering contracts to guys who don’t want to fight for you? Kind of jerk-ish, Bjorn!

Then, of course, there’s the whole Eddie Alvarez thing. Personally, I don’t demonize Rebney for this since it was just a business move. Why would he let one of his only known, talented fighters slip away to a competitor?

Even without the Eddie Alvarez lawsuit, that’s still some pretty strong evidence for Bjorn being a real d-list: He allegedly murdered a dog, he’s got a history of shady litigation, he doesn’t care that there’s a weird, brash criminal in his employment making his company look bad, and he can be a bit of an asshole sometimes.

Anthony Gannon

Word association is a fun and educational game that can be used to deepen the bonds of family and friendships — well, unless you drunkenly blurt out “My filthy whore of a wife” when the word ‘skank’ is in play. In that case it could create quite a tense situation. For the most part though, it’s a constructive activity that unites, not divides. And because the possibilities are endless, it can be applied to any genre and is great fun for all age groups.

In MMA, for instance, if we said “unevolved cranium,” you might think of Tito Ortiz. If we said “self-righteous Bible thumper,” you might choose Matt Hughes. You get the point.

Now, who immediately comes to mind when we say “festering dickbag?”

If you said Michael Bisping then you’ve been paying attention and win a prize. Well okay, no you don’t actually win a prize, but dammit you do merit a prize. So the next time you’re at the boardwalk arcade and you spend $300 collecting those stupid little prize tickets and all you can get with them is either a back scratcher or a Velcro wallet, just think of it as a gift from your good pals here at CP. We care.

So, why is Bisping a dick? Oh you jest. Everyone from the no-nonsense Dan Henderson, to the batshit crazy Jason Miller, to the old man Jorge Rivera has put Bisping on blast as a total dick. Hell, Rivera even made a YouTube video about it. Guys Bisping hasn’t even fought, such as  Hector Lombard, have described Bisping as a dick after “The Count” attacked his height.  Little did Bisping realize at the time though that he was about to be served with a vicious comeback. Lombard described an encounter where he shook Bisping’s “little girl hands,” which everyone knows is just an indirect way of implying that a guy has a crayon dick. Game. Set. Match.

Bisping deserves every bit of hate he receives. The man is simply incapable of talking smack like a regular fighter. He even took aim at the 125 pounders for having the temerity to respond to his initial attacks — and that’s really the story of Bisping. He loves to dish it out but he can’t take it. Plus, he’s arrogant and hypocritical about his dickishness. Before his loss to Vitor Belfort, Bisping became enraged when Vitor called him a  “hooligan” in a press conference, and used that as a justification to take the customary shit-talking down a few notches — as if Bisping could even come close to taking the moral high-ground when it comes to bad-mouthing an opponent.

But what really set him apart from the crowd was UFC 127. Calling Jorge Rivera a “faggot mother fucker” was the least messed up thing he did that weekend. There was the blatantly intentional knee to a downed Rivera’s grill, spitting at Rivera’s corner, then getting in his defeated foe’s face and demanding an apology for making him act like a such a gargantuan dick. Granted, Jorge instigated the situation with his YouTube videos mocking Bisping. And a response was certainly in order. But the knee, the spitting, I mean shit, who does that?

You see, there is a huge divide between a garden variety asshole and being a dick. Being a dick is a natural state and requires intrinsic features that not everyone possesses. You just have to have a way about you; a smugness; an aura of douchiness that’s difficult to explain but impossible to miss, that makes likeability a virtual impossibility. An asshole has to put forth some effort. For a dick, it just comes naturally.

Bisping came up in an era when TUF winners were coddled with main card billing and hand-fed opponents to build them up as contenders. Yeah, he’s a very good fighter — 14-5 in the UFC — but he’s fallen against every top tier opponent they’ve put him against. In fact, the only Top 10 fighter Bisping has beaten is Brian Stann, and Stann’s placement on that list was largely due to a victory over the supremely overrated Jorge Santiago. Yet still, Bisping has this dickish sense of entitlement about where he actually stands in the division, often saying he’s paid his dues and deserves a title shot. Forget that he loses to every great fighter he faces. That’s an inconvenient fact, and those are easily brushed aside by dicks the world over.

Lately ”The Count” has been employing a less pugnacious strategy. He’s kind of like a psychotic Eddie Haskell – saying the right things in front of the right company, but you just know that innate dickishness is lurking very close to the surface, dying to get out.  My guess is someone got in his ear after the Rivera incident and basically told him that it’s good to be kind of a dick. Hell, Bisping is one of highest paid guys in the UFC because of it. But being such a humungous, ooze festering dick may not be the best way to proceed.

Luckily we have this to watch over and over and over again to make it all okay. Thank you, Dan Henderson, for providing us with this beautiful highlight, especially the totally unnecessary diving forearm smash. Because hey, one dick move deserves another.

Jared Jones

Really, you guys? You think Baby Bjorn or Count Bisping are the most despicable people in MMA because they what, intentionally destroy the occasional fighter’s career or say some nasty things about flyweights?

In 2010, Jarrod Wyatt got high on mushroom tea, cut out his friend’s heart and tongue and peeled the skin off his face. Police described the scene as “Like Lost Highway but with significantly less eroticism.” Wyatt had just one amateur fight to his credit, but that didn’t stop every newspaper, online publication, radio station, television station, train station and Brownsville Station song from referring to him as “an MMA fighter.” Therefore, he is one of us. The living embodiment of Stephen Crane’s “In the Desert” is one of us. And he makes Joe Son look like a pussy.

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;

“But I like it
“Because it is bitter,
“And because it is my heart.”

Ben Goldstein


(Photo via CombatLifestyle.com)

Quinton Jackson is a villain who’s convinced he’s a superhero. Never in the history of the sport has there been a bigger bully with a bigger persecution complex. He’s an excuse maker, a tormentor of the weak, a failed comedian, and a self-proclaimed fan-favorite who hasn’t put in an impressive performance in almost five years. (Seriously. Since his knockout of Wanderlei Silva in 2008, his only stoppage victory has been against a door.) Rampage’s best-known interviews involve humping a reporter and humping another reporter and slapping a reporter and motorboating a reporter in front of her husband. His close loss to Forrest Griffin in July 2008 blew his mind so thoroughly that he temporarily went insane — or “dehydrated,” as celebrities call it — which led to a vehicular stampede that ended with a woman accusing him of killing her unborn child. Not that any of that shit was his fault or anything.

Among MMA stars, Rampage’s profound level of self-delusion is only matched by Tito Ortiz and Nick Diaz. And while those guys have done plenty to embarrass themselves and the sport, Quinton Jackson has always come across as a broader threat to humanity, because he has a history of being actively hostile to those around him. His reaction to seeing a tiger in captivity is to hump it, for God’s sake, egged on by the ever-present giggles of his sidekick, Tiki.

I have a separate theory on Rampage’s unearned “funny guy” persona. At some point early in his career, terrified Japanese people and terrified white people began laughing nervously at everything Jackson said or did, in order to avoid a potential raping. Emboldened by the laughter, he became convinced that he’s a comic genius. (Mike Tyson’s post-boxing career has followed the same arc, by the way.) Still, that doesn’t explain how in the fuck Rampage ever thought he had musical talent.

Bobby Green recently told a story about how he met Rampage and told ‘Page he was a big fan; Rampage responded by talking shit about Green as soon as he left the room. He’s a crybaby, a conspiracy theorist, a candy cheat, the polar opposite of everything that comes to mind when we think “fighter.” Viacom bought a lemon. Professional wrestling can keep him.

Nathan Smith

I am breaking a pseudo-CagePotato ban right now, but this is NOT a troll piece by any means. This is the elephant in the room that nobody wanted to mention, and because a wise man insinuated that I probably have “nothing to lose and no reputation to worry about,” I will be the one jumping on this grenade. So allow me to just come right out and say it: Fallon Fox belongs on the list of despicable people in MMA.

This is neither a case of gender equality nor equal opportunity, and it hardly has anything at all to do with the fact that Fox is a transgender fighter competing in women’s MMA. It also has nothing to do with my personal beliefs concerning her punching other women for a living even though she still has both X&Y chromosomes. The reality is that Fox came out publicly on March 5, 2013 just prior to some confusion about her licensing between the California State Athletic Commission and the Florida Athletic Commission.

Did she come out publicly on her own accord? Maybe.

Was her hand forced because she lied/incorrectly claimed on her Florida MMA licensure that she was already licensed in California and the information was going to become public due to the licensing issues? Possibly.

Did she already (T)KO two opponents who had no knowledge that she was born as Boyd Burton? Absolutley, and that is the part that is despicable.

Although she has been licensed in Florida since her revelation — and she claims to be in compliance with the International Olympic Committee’s rules on postoperative transsexuals — it doesn’t change the fact that two competitors had no idea that she walked around as a man for 31 years prior to her medical procedures. Fox beat both Alisha Helsper via TKO (injury) and Ericka Newsome via KO (knee) when neither had any inclination of Fox’s past. Sure, Hesper and Newsome may have still fought Fox had they known all the facts, but it is appalling that they were never given a chance to weigh all the variables and make that decision themselves.

After The Queen of Swords made her medical history public, her next opponent, Peggy “The Daywalker” Morgan, promptly backed out of their upcoming bout — making it clear that she was under the impression that Fox had a physical advantage. In a previous CP post, Morgan is quoted in a statement from Relentless Sports Marketing saying:

Until I am presented with conclusive evidence that a fight with Fallon would, in fact, be fair, I will not be entering the cage with her.

Morgan was replaced by willing participant Allana Jones.  Jones lost to Fox via third round submission, but sprinkled into that bout were several Koscheck-esque eye pokes by Fallon as well as a perceived cheap shot by Fox during a “mutual” glove tap. Several weeks after Fox defeated Jones, Invicta FC strawweight Bec Hyatt came forward with an interesting story about Fox doing a decent Nick Diaz impression at the hotel some of the fighters were staying at prior to the Invicta FC 5 event.

Though these last few details are trivial in comparison to Fox’s lack of full disclosure during the beginning of her MMA career, I believe a picture has already begun to paint itself and it isn’t pretty. Albeit I have never “wrapped her in my arms,” Fox seems to have earned her spot on this list even if there are those that turn a blind eye to her prior indiscretions and simply want to champion her efforts as progress. That is pretty despicable, too.

Seth Falvo

I don’t know why I’m even bothering to contribute at this point. For one, I’m pretty sure that everyone stopped reading after Nate picked Fallon Fox and ran straight for the comments section. I could write pretty much anything here, throw in a semi-related GIF (as I often do), and no one would call me on it. And even if anyone actually is still reading this, as far as I’m concerned, the “Who is the most despicable person in MMA?” mystery was already solved months ago by none other than…Nate Diaz?

Yes, even though he conveyed his opinion in a profoundly Diazian manner, Nate Diaz was 100% correct in naming Bryan Caraway the most despicable person in MMA.

I mean, just look at that tweet up there. What sort of douchebag justifies battery as “the consequence for acting like a dude?” If you answered “that rare breed of douchebag who elbows a woman in the back of the head at a UFC weigh in,” then go ahead and pat yourself on the back, because you figured out exactly where I was going with that one.

Granted, there’s no concrete evidence that he intentionally elbowed Cat Zingano in the back of the head before the TUF 17 Finale, but Caraway’s complete lack of an apology — or even an explanation of what actually happened — paints a pretty ugly picture: We have a guy who elbowed a woman in the back of the head who openly admits that he thinks it’s okay to hit a woman who “acts like a dude.” No wonder there are whispers that he might be abusive towards Miesha Tate (who, let’s be real here, is way too hot to be stuck with him).

Add on his painfully holier-than-thou attitude towards marijuana usage (which may be complete bullshit, by the way), and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Nate Diaz hit the nail on the head when he pegged Bryan Caraway as the biggest fa-

Do you have a dishonorable mention? Let us know in the comments section.

Invicta Strawweight Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt Shares Her Triumphant Story of Overcoming Domestic Violence; Is Miesha Tate Soon to Follow?

We all know “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt as the scrappy yet undeniably adorable Invicta standout currently competing in the strawweight division. A regular poster on the UG, Bec’s self-effacing sense of humor, bubbly charm and sardonic wit (not to mention her killer instinct in the cage) has quickly earned her a reputation as one of WMMA’s most popular up-and-coming stars despite her somewhat modest record.

But what you might not know about Bec is that prior to her Invicta 6 bout with Mizuki Inoue, she announced via her Facebook that she would be separating from her husband, Dan Hyatt. Although reasons were not specified, Bec promised to continue “dishing out ridiculously stylish violence,” and we assumed that she would be no worse for the wear. That was until recently, however, when Bec again took to Facebook to pass along a “horrible/embarrassing story of my personal life…in the hopes that others may be inspired to share their stories.”

Teaming up with Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia, this mother of two laid out in horrifying detail the atrocities she suffered while in a relationship with her ex-husband. Along with the UG, we felt compelled to pass her harrowing story along.

We all know “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt as the scrappy yet undeniably adorable Invicta standout currently competing in the strawweight division. A regular poster on the UG, Bec’s self-effacing sense of humor, bubbly charm and sardonic wit (not to mention her killer instinct in the cage) has quickly earned her a reputation as one of WMMA’s most popular up-and-coming stars despite her somewhat modest record.

But what you might not know about Bec is that prior to her Invicta 6 bout with Mizuki Inoue, she announced via her Facebook that she would be separating from her husband, Dan Hyatt. Although reasons were not specified, Bec promised to continue “dishing out ridiculously stylish violence,” and we assumed that she would be no worse for the wear. That was until recently, however, when Bec again took to Facebook to pass along a “horrible/embarrassing story of my personal life…in the hopes that others may be inspired to share their stories.”

Teaming up with Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia, this mother of two laid out in horrifying detail the atrocities she suffered while in a relationship with her ex-husband. Along with the UG, we felt compelled to pass her harrowing story along.

Bec Hyatt is more then a fighter, she is also a survivor of domestic violence. 

This is her story, written by her in the hopes that others may be inspired to share their stories or use it as inspiration to get out of the horror of domestic violence and live the happy lives away from fear that they deserve. 

It probably seems like a little bit of a contradiction that the past three years have been the best and at the same time, the worst time of my life. I’ve heard before that it’s the journey that shapes someone and not necessarily the destination. I wouldn’t give up where I am in life at the moment for anything but sometimes I wish that the journey I took to get here was a little different.

It was January 2010 when I started training. I’d just gotten out of a bad relationship and needed to do something for myself, so I began kickboxing as I was desperate to lose weight and begin the new chapter of my life with my son Zake who was 18 months old at the time. This is where I met Dan Hyatt, he showed me a lot of attention and went out of his way to hold pads and train me, it was nice to have that little bit of extra attention.

This friendship soon led to more and before I knew it we were in a relationship. At first he was very kind and caring. He would tell me that I was beautiful and deserved to be treated right and that my ex didn’t deserve me for the way he had treated me. We would do everything together, I felt safe and happy for the first time in a while.

Two months had passed and I started seeing a side to Dan that I didn’t like. He would lash out saying harsh things about Zake, saying he didn’t like the kid because he reminded him of Zake’s father. That’s when the arguments began.

Another month passed and I fell pregnant. Dan was happy and so was I, but now I see why Dan was happy. He had his power now. He owned me because no way would I leave him to be a single mum of two. He would remind me of that and tell me that no one would want me. He would tell me that I have “two kids to two different dads” and I “should be thankful that he wants me”. He would say that I’m “used and abused” and that I was “damaged goods”.

This is when he started to abuse me physically. We would have arguments over Zake and he would shove me into walls, hold me down and smother me with pillows, he would spit on me and pour things like milk and tomato sauce on my head, this wasn’t the worst of it and there is so much more that I had to deal with. He literally made me feel like the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. Sometimes he would break down in tears and apologize saying he “didn’t wanna do it but he had no choice – that I have given him no choice”.

He made it out as if it was my fault he’d hit me, if I “wasn’t so tarnished he wouldn’t feel resentment like he did and he wouldn’t have to hurt me”.

The worst thing was that I believed him. It was my fault and I deserved to be hit and spat on, I thought that I couldn’t leave and that nobody would ever want me. He had me believing that I really was “used goods”.

Fast forward a year and I had given birth to Enson. We had gotten married and moved to Queensland because Dan got kicked out of his gym for hitting me in front of his coach. I still can’t believe I went ahead with the marriage and moved my whole life to Queensland after everything he had done to me. I just kept telling myself “everything will be okay up here and we will have a clean slate, a fresh start,” and the reminders of my old life as well as Zake’s dad will be gone so he won’t hurt me anymore. I was wrong though, and the abuse got worse.

I was isolated; there were no family or friends to see the bruises except our housemate Mitch who acted like a social worker most of the time, trying to convince Dan to calm down and not to hurt me. Mitch was only a kid so when Dan did get out of control he couldn’t do anything except hide the kids from it.

The abuse would get more extreme; he would kick me, pin me down and elbow me, grind his elbow down my face and choke me unconscious. This is when I got serious about training.

I used my training as my escape; I could finally be me and forget about everything at home. I had my debut fight six months later, training twice a day, breastfeeding and having absolutely ZERO help from Dan. Looking back, this camp was by far the hardest that I have ever had. I had to fight to escape him to prove I can do something with my life, to prove I was worth something!

I got knocked out in the first round and to have my husband walk straight past my unconscious body on the ground to congratulate my opponent was the last straw for me. My love for him was dying and my need for him along with it. But in an almost clichéd fashion, I hung around in hope that he’d change.

He didn’t.

He just found new ways to hurt me and control me. One day I finally called the police and left for a week. I came back with a DVO in place hoping I had woken him up. But he just found new ways to hurt me. He knew if he physically hurt me he’d go to jail so he would destroy the things I loved and things that we needed. The carpets were destroyed with cordial, the walls kicked in, the couches slashed, my clothes bleached and cut up, and the list goes on.

A day like Mothers Day is when we, as mothers are supposed to be recognized for doing what many feel is the most important job in the world. I’m not sure if that was a part of why things went the way they did but on Mothers Day in 2013 it was when I finally got the courage to leave. I packed the kiddies into the car and went to my mums. When Dan woke to find us gone – the house, my clothes and furniture were all destroyed, he moved to Tassie and I was left with no home, no furniture and no clothes. I was left to pick up the pieces once again.

I knew that this was the last time I’d ever go through that. I just wish I had of got the courage to leave sooner. What the boys have seen and heard can never be erased from such innocent minds. I can only hope I teach them what is right and wrong and they never grow up to follow in his footsteps.

Because of Dan I have to learn how to love and learn how to be loved again. I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same, but I will be okay, I’ll fight another day.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank FACAA for firstly encouraging me to tell my story and being there to help me through a very trying time and secondly for giving me a platform to share my story so that it may help and encourage others to write down their stories or to stand up to their abusers and say enough is enough and have the courage to leave. I did it and you can too ! 

FACAA has kindly offered to share the stories of other survivors of domestic violence. If you would like your story shared on their page either anonymously or with your name just inbox it to FACAA or email Adam at [email protected] it will really help you and others. Like me you will fight another day ! 

Now, the reason we are passing along this story is not purely to suggest that you and a group of angry villagers (preferably the pitchfork-carrying type) find Dan Hyatt, tar and feather him and exile him to the darkest, dankest cave in all of Queensland, but to point out the shocking rate at which this scenario seems play out (on both sides of the coin) in the world of mixed martial arts.

At the risk of providing the Culinary Union with more ammo for their propoganda attacks on the UFC, domestic violence is an underreported issue that needs to be immediately called out when it leaks into our sport. The reason we say this is that a similar situation could potentially be developing between Miesha Tate and her boyfriend/coach/manager, noted douchebag Bryan Caraway. At least, that’s according to Ronda Rousey, based on her experience working alongside Tate on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. 

Rousey recently held a Google hangout with several members of the MMA media, during which, she instigated that Tate might be suffering from a similar (albeit less violent) form of domestic abuse/control in her own relationship:

I don’t think [Tate] really has terrible juju, but her boyfriend has terrible juju.

I think what bothers me most about her is she’s kind of a very weak, suggestible and malleable person. Whoever she’s around, you can tell. I really believe you’re the average of the five people you hang around the most, and I think that Cara-douche takes up her top-five. Like, all of her top-five. It’s just, it’s not healthy. It’s not. He’s her coach, he’s her manager, he’s her boyfriend. There’s a lot of control that that guy has over her life, and I think that her lack of individualism and her complete dependence on him is what really irks about her the most. She’s a strong woman, she should act like it. 

While Rousey is about as far from an unbiased observer as one can be in this situation, she also has incurred the wrath of Caraway in the past, who once threatened to “knock her teeth down her throat” on Twitter. Considering the rumors that Caraway also elbowed Cat Zingano in the head (possibly at Miesha’s request) before her scrap with Tate at the TUF 17 Finale, it’s not like Rousey’s observations are completely unfounded either.

At the end of the day, what may or may not be transpiring between Tate and Caraway behind closed doors is none of our business. Until the day it becomes our business. And for the sake of women like Hyatt and Tate, we’d rather it came before too much damage is done.

–J. Jones

Pat Healy Admits to “Dumb” Decision That Cost Him UFC 159 Win, Tentatively Calls Bryan Caraway a “Good Guy”


(“We both see the green goblin dancing in the corner of the room, right Ariel?” Photo via MMAFighting.)

Without beating the dead horse that is the marijuana in MMA debate any further, it’s safe to say that Pat Healy’s positive test for marijuana following his UFC 159 win over Jim Miller was, at the very least, a costly mistake. The same can be said for Nate Diaz‘s response to the situation, albeit for entirely different reasons. But being the relatively straightforward guy that Healy is, he was quick to admit to his mistake in a recent interview with MMAFighting:

I wish I could go back in time and slap myself. It was a dumb thing to do. 

It was about three and a half, four weeks out. I was at a friend’s birthday party, just hanging out. To be honest I didn’t even think it would be an issue, you know? It was a huge mistake and I just didn’t even think.

While Healy’s admission of guilt is a bit of fresh air in today’s “take no responsibility” MMA landscape, we’re kind of left wishing he had been managed by Mike Kogan, if only so we could learn about how marijuana in the state of Oregon, which is where Healy is from, is considered an off-brand form of Advil.

As for all the controversy that spilled out of Healy’s positive test in the form of Bryan Caraway?


(“We both see the green goblin dancing in the corner of the room, right Ariel?” Photo via MMAFighting.)

Without beating the dead horse that is the marijuana in MMA debate any further, it’s safe to say that Pat Healy’s positive test for marijuana following his UFC 159 win over Jim Miller was, at the very least, a costly mistake. The same can be said for Nate Diaz‘s response to the situation, albeit for entirely different reasons. But being the relatively straightforward guy that Healy is, he was quick to admit to his mistake in a recent interview with MMAFighting:

I wish I could go back in time and slap myself. It was a dumb thing to do. 

It was about three and a half, four weeks out. I was at a friend’s birthday party, just hanging out. To be honest I didn’t even think it would be an issue, you know? It was a huge mistake and I just didn’t even think.

While Healy’s admission of guilt is a bit of fresh air in today’s “take no responsibility” MMA landscape, we’re kind of left wishing he had been managed by Mike Kogan, if only so we could learn about how marijuana in the state of Oregon, which is where Healy is from, is considered an off-brand form of Advil.

As for all the controversy that spilled out of Healy’s positive test in the form of Bryan Caraway?

I feel bad that my poor choices spawned more trouble for anybody, for Caraway and Nate.

Bryan’s a good guy. Sometimes, I think, you know, he got into some trouble with comments about Ronda Rousey in that past. Sometimes I think when he talks to the media he just doesn’t think about what he’s saying 100 percent through. I think it was a poor choice of words by him, but I know he’s a good guy and didn’t mean anything toward me personally. 

Healy has always come off as a stand up guy, but holding yourself personally responsible for the rants of an alleged woman-hitting steroid peddler and a semi-literate ignoramus who weren’t even involved in your situation to begin with? Do not test this man’s politeness.

–J. Jones

Nate Diaz Manager Mike Kogan Won’t Stop, Can’t Stop, Making His Client Look Bad


(Mike Kogan’s profile pic courtesy of FindABearTonight.xxx)

At this point, we all know that Nate Diaz has been suspended and fined for calling Bryan Caraway a “Fag” through his twitter account. Other than deleting and re-wording his original tweet, Diaz has been silent on the matter since originally criticizing Caraway for accepting the Submission of the Night bonus cash that was originally designated for Pat Healy until “Bam Bam” tested positive for marijuana metabolites after choking out Jim Miller at UFC 159.

Diaz’s new manager Mike Kogan, however, just can’t seem to shut up about it all — and he’s making his client look even worse in the process.

Immediately following Diaz’s tweet, Kogan issued a ridiculous justification to MMA Junkie that showcased a stunning lack of self-awareness.

“Guess what? The word faggot, at least in Northern California, and where Nate is from, means bitch,” Kogan said. “It means you’re a little punk. It has nothing to do with homosexuals at all. So when Nate made the comment that he made, he didn’t make it in reference to homosexuals or calling Caraway a homosexual. He just said it was a bitch move.”

Separating the word “faggot” from its many historical applications for insulting gay people, as Kogan tried to do, is a stretch. But let’s say that it was possible to separate them. We’d still be left with Diaz publicly calling someone a “bitch” — another word commonly used to insinuate homosexuality, and far more often used to insult women — and Kogan defending the usage of that word just as strongly.

Even if we recognize the obvious fact that Diaz’s tweet was insensitive, few people would crucify him simply for using those slurs in a moment of frustration. All we’re asking for is a little reflection, and some recognition of the fact that, though you may not be a bad dude deep down, that was an insensitive thing to say and a sincere apology is warranted. Or, again, to at least shut up about it all.

Kogan seems far too dense to do that. The manager was recently on MMA Fighting’s MMA Hour and went out of his way to insist that both he and Diaz are offering no apologies.


(Mike Kogan’s profile pic courtesy of FindABearTonight.xxx)

At this point, we all know that Nate Diaz has been suspended and fined for calling Bryan Caraway a “Fag” through his twitter account. Other than deleting and re-wording his original tweet, Diaz has been silent on the matter since originally criticizing Caraway for accepting the Submission of the Night bonus cash that was originally designated for Pat Healy until “Bam Bam” tested positive for marijuana metabolites after choking out Jim Miller at UFC 159.

Diaz’s new manager Mike Kogan, however, just can’t seem to shut up about it all — and he’s making his client look even worse in the process.

Immediately following Diaz’s tweet, Kogan issued a ridiculous justification to MMA Junkie that showcased a stunning lack of self-awareness.

“Guess what? The word faggot, at least in Northern California, and where Nate is from, means bitch,” Kogan said. “It means you’re a little punk. It has nothing to do with homosexuals at all. So when Nate made the comment that he made, he didn’t make it in reference to homosexuals or calling Caraway a homosexual. He just said it was a bitch move.”

Separating the word “faggot” from its many historical applications for insulting gay people, as Kogan tried to do, is a stretch. But let’s say that it was possible to separate them. We’d still be left with Diaz publicly calling someone a “bitch” — another word commonly used to insinuate homosexuality, and far more often used to insult women — and Kogan defending the usage of that word just as strongly.

Even if we recognize the obvious fact that Diaz’s tweet was insensitive, few people would crucify him simply for using those slurs in a moment of frustration. All we’re asking for is a little reflection, and some recognition of the fact that, though you may not be a bad dude deep down, that was an insensitive thing to say and a sincere apology is warranted. Or, again, to at least shut up about it all.

Kogan seems far too dense to do that. The manager was recently on MMA Fighting’s MMA Hour and went out of his way to insist that both he and Diaz are offering no apologies.

“Nate doesn’t feel remorse for what he said,” Kogan told MMA Fighting.”I don’t feel remorse for what he said. I don’t feel remorse for defending what [Diaz] said or elaborating on what he said. Because it was not a homophobic statement. It was not intended to offend homosexuals. We weren’t even talking about homosexuals. One can debate the multiple uses of this term. We can sit here and debate in the English language, there’s a lot of words that mean a lot of different things, but whatever. As it is, it wasn’t intended to be used the way people tried to twist the way it was being used. So therefore, what does he have to feel bad about?”

Yes, Mike, we can sit here and “debate in the English language,” which makes sense because that’s the language we’re using, and it is true that there are “lots of words that mean a lot of different things.” None of that seems relevant in any way to the discussion at hand, though.

“If we would have made a homophobic statement, or a statement that was clearly intended to insult homosexuals, that’s one thing,” Kogan went on, unbelievably.

“You come out and say, ‘Hey, you know what, I’m really sorry it hurt people. We didn’t mean to do that.’ But to me, and this is just my philosophy, and I’m sure it’s going to be disagreed with by many people. This is how I think, and how Nate thinks. The mere fact that there is a protocol to deal with these crisis situation implies its lack of sincerity.”

Like all of Kogan’s statements, the above one deserves a second read-through, if only for how unintentionally funny it is. Kogan actually says that, if you say something that is “clearly intended to insult homosexuals,” then you should go out and disingenuously apologize for hurting people, lying by saying, “we didn’t mean to do that.”

Kogan misses a couple key points — if you hurt people, it doesn’t matter much if you intended to or not. Also, no one is asking for false apologies from Diaz or, now, Kogan.

Mike, you aren’t waging some continued war against b.s. What folks are hoping for is some recognition that, intended or not, Diaz insulted and hurt people, and some basic consideration of that fact.

You know, because he’s an adult and all.

From his public statements thus far, it seems unlikely that Kogan will change his mind about the need for reflection and apologies. For the sake of Diaz’s career, however, we hope that he changes his approach to managing the public relations of his clients.

Maybe we’re judging Kogan prematurely. Mike, if you want to come here and, “in the English language,” actually discuss these issues with folks willing to ask you serious questions, we’ll welcome it.

If you’re interested in saying something different or better explaining yourself and your client, we’re interested. Because, lashing out at others and not taking responsibility for hurtful actions is kind of a bitch move, you know?

– Elias Cepeda