When I was watching Conor McGregor put a thorough beatdown on Max Holloway at Fight Night 26 last summer, I remember thinking to myself, “I bet this guy can fold thefuck out of some .090 calendared matt machine coated G-Print.” I used to work at a paper mill.
In any case, I was right, surprise surprise. None other than the Irish phenom himself is featured in a new Heineken ad (entitled “Irish Legend Talent Search”) alongside TV and radio broadcaster Jennifer Maguire and former rugby star Shane Byrne, showcasing his hidden skills as an origamist. If the ad is to be believed, McGregor has apparently spent most of the down time he’s had since tearing his ACL last August folding origami swans (also, calling Diego Sanchez a “fatty”). A noble pursuit if there ever was one.
When I was watching Conor McGregor put a thorough beatdown on Max Holloway at Fight Night 26 last summer, I remember thinking to myself, “I bet this guy can fold thefuck out of some .090 calendared matt machine coated G-Print.” I used to work at a paper mill.
In any case, I was right, surprise surprise. None other than the Irish phenom himself is featured in a new Heineken ad (entitled “Irish Legend Talent Search”) alongside TV and radio broadcaster Jennifer Maguire and former rugby star Shane Byrne, showcasing his hidden skills as an origamist. If the ad is to be believed, McGregor has apparently spent most of the down time he’s had since tearing his ACL last August folding origami swans (also, calling Diego Sanchez a “fatty”). A noble pursuit if there ever was one.
(Dana White’s “I’m not the president of a massive company” pose, typically used by presidents of massive companies. / Photo via Getty.)
A few years ago, Matt Brown’s recent, sexist comments about women’s MMA wouldn’t have rocked the boat much. Some people would’ve complained, citing such infractions of decency as the reason why the UFC wasn’t where the NFL was in terms of mainstream appeal. Dana White would’ve simply responded “Fuck you, dummy” or some other dismissive, useless remark. The UFC is cool, and it’s cool because the fighters aren’t corporate, generic, and anodyne. They’re as real as it gets, as opposed to the walking-press releases that are athletes in other major sports.
Nine out of ten UFC fans will side with Quinton Jackson and Joe Rogan every time, because Rampage and Joe are awesome, and motorboating is hilarious, and who the fuck is Maggie Hendricks anyway? Seriously, here’s another representative comment from the UG thread from member ‘Bat21?:
“shitty cunty?!?!? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!! Fuck, I’m still laughing after 5 minutes. You’re the man, Joe.”
Jesus. If this is the mindset of the average UFC fan, then good luck being taken seriously, guys.
A high-profile commentator for the NFL or NBA couldn’t get away with throwing around slurs like this in public forums. I know that the fast-and-loose quality of the UFC’s frontmen and fighters has been part of the brand’s great success to this point. But there will come a time (we hope) when MMA is so popular that guys like Rampage and Rogan will have to behave like gentlemen — so they may as well start practicing for it now.
Has this time finally come? Do UFC employees finally have to behave, as Ben Goldstein put it, like gentleman?
(Dana White’s “I’m not the president of a massive company” pose, typically used by presidents of massive companies. / Photo via Getty.)
A few years ago, Matt Brown’s recent, sexist comments about women’s MMA wouldn’t have rocked the boat much. Some people would’ve complained, citing such infractions of decency as the reason why the UFC wasn’t where the NFL was in terms of mainstream appeal. Dana White would’ve responded to any criticism with “Fuck you, dummy” or some other dismissive, useless remark. The UFC is cool, and it’s cool because the fighters aren’t corporate, generic, and anodyne. They’re as real as it gets, as opposed to the walking-press releases that are athletes in other major sports.
Nine out of ten UFC fans will side with Quinton Jackson and Joe Rogan every time, because Rampage and Joe are awesome, and motorboating is hilarious, and who the fuck is Maggie Hendricks anyway? Seriously, here’s another representative comment from the UG thread from member ‘Bat21?:
“shitty cunty?!?!? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!! Fuck, I’m still laughing after 5 minutes. You’re the man, Joe.”
Jesus. If this is the mindset of the average UFC fan, then good luck being taken seriously, guys.
A high-profile commentator for the NFL or NBA couldn’t get away with throwing around slurs like this in public forums. I know that the fast-and-loose quality of the UFC’s frontmen and fighters has been part of the brand’s great success to this point. But there will come a time (we hope) when MMA is so popular that guys like Rampage and Rogan will have to behave like gentlemen — so they may as well start practicing for it now.
Has this time finally come? Do UFC employees finally have to behave, as Ben Goldstein put it, like gentleman?
However, the UFC’s stance against moral turpitude might only be a veneer.
McGregor and Brown objectified and downplayed the importance of top female fighters—ones that the UFC is banking on, especially now that they’re adding a women’s strawweight division and devoting an entire season of TUF to it.
The UFC also ignores slights against cultural decorum if they’re perpetrated by upper echelon fighters/big draws.
If we’re asking whether the UFC, in terms of conduct, is fast approaching the standards of the NFL and the other sports titans, the answer is no.
The UFC punishes people it can afford to. The major stars like Rousey can say whatever they want, and if they cross the line, a manager or some other underling will issue a feeble non-apology in their name (the only exception to this rule is dissing a sponsor, which not even Brock Lesnar can get away with).
Furthermore, Dana White burieshis ownfighters (a lot) and offers insultingly laconic explanations for important actions like raising PPV prices. The general public doesn’t expect such conduct from the figurehead of a major sports organization. Of course, some might argue that this unabashed predilection towards crass “honesty” is part of the UFC’s success (as I did way back in the day). But what helps it thrive on the fringes might be what keeps it from entering the realms of the mainstream, a feat which even Dana White said the UFC hadn’t accomplished yet.
For the time being, the UFC, save for a few forced apologies, is as real as it gets—even if that means we see some of the warts.
(Whiteford vs. Carl Fawcett, Supremacy Fight Challenge 6.)
Given their proclivity for turning soccer games into full scale, fight-for-your-life riots, you’d think the UFC’s roster would be packed to the brim with Scottish fighters by now. But you being you, would be wrong. While there’s a certain Irish phenom that’s been making a name for himself in the promotion lately, it turns out that the UFC has *never* signed a Scottish fighter. Ever.
(*movie trailer voice*) That is…until now.
BloodyElbow passes along the news that 10-1 Scottish up-and-comer Robert Whiteford has recently signed with the UFC, marking the most monumental occasion for the Scottish people since the release of Braveheart. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Whiteford will be debuting against submission savant Jimy Hettes. Oh, and he’ll also be stepping in as a last-second replacement for the injured Mike Wilkinson at this weekend’s “Fight Night 30” event. Oh, and he’ll also be fighting on the Facebook prelims. In other words…
(Whiteford vs. Carl Fawcett, Supremacy Fight Challenge 6.)
Given their proclivity for turning soccer games into full scale, fight-for-your-life riots, you’d think the UFC’s roster would be packed to the brim with Scottish fighters by now. But you being you, would be wrong. While there’s a certain Irish phenom that’s been making a name for himself in the promotion lately, it turns out that the UFC has *never* signed a Scottish fighter. Ever.
(*movie trailer voice*) That is…until now.
BloodyElbow passes along the news that 10-1 Scottish up-and-comer Robert Whiteford has recently signed with the UFC, marking the most monumental occasion for the Scottish people since the release of Braveheart. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Whiteford will be debuting against submission savant Jimy Hettes. Oh, and he’ll also be stepping in as a last-second replacement for the injured Mike Wilkinson at this weekend’s “Fight Night 30″ event. Oh, and he’ll also be fighting on the Facebook prelims. In other words…
Although the majority of Whiteford’s wins have come over journeymen at best and tomato cans at worst, at 5’10, he should hold a reach and size advantage over most if not all of the featherweight division. Having not lost a fight since his professional debut in 2009, Whiteford’s confidence, as well as the “nothing to lose” mentality a last minute fight can breed, should hopefully work to his advantage against a certified beast Like Hettes. Of course, Whiteford also has the luck of facing a Jimy Hettes who has been battling injuries ever since suffering the first defeat of his career to Marcus Brimage back in September of 2012. So maybe, just maybe this fight won’t be the one-sided slaughter that the bookies are predicting it will be.
We’ve thrown a video of Whiteford’s fight against Carl Fawcett from May of 2012 above. Let us know if it does anything to convince you that this man is Scotland’s answer to Conor McGregor, or at least someone who could walk away with his hand raised on Saturday.
The tweet above is what happened when a fan asked the fun-lovin’ featherweight a relatively harmless question about who he fancied more, Ronda Rousey or Miesha Tate. And man did he knock this one out of the park. Eric Holden is crying and masturbating in your honor, sir.
To be honest, the most offensive thing about this tweet is the way McGregor sticks all the extra S’s at the end of “toes,” like he’s some over-excited teenage girl who can’t wait to get the new iPhone you guyssssssss!!! I fucking hate that shit. The real question is, which TUF 18 coach would be on toe-duty?
The tweet above is what happened when a fan asked the fun-lovin’ featherweight a relatively harmless question about who he fancied more, Ronda Rousey or Miesha Tate. And man did he knock this one out of the park. Eric Holden is crying and masturbating in your honor, sir.
To be honest, the most offensive thing about this tweet is the way McGregor sticks all the extra S’s at the end of “toes,” like he’s some over-excited teenage girl who can’t wait to get the new iPhone you guyssssssss!!! I fucking hate that shit. The real question is, which TUF 18 coach would be on toe-duty?
“I would like to personally apologize to both Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. This morning I quoted a song on Twitter in an attempt to make a joke, which I now I see was totally unacceptable and offensive. I have infinite respect for Miesha and Ronda as individuals and as athletes. I have always been a big fan of women’s MMA and the incredible talented athletes that compete in the sport. I regret making this offensive comment and I sincerely apologize to anyone whom I offended, but especially Ronda and Miesha.“
