Conor McGregor is a Sensitive Artist in New Irish Heineken Ad [VIDEO]

(Yeah, but can he do *this*? via HeinekenIRE)

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 the fuck 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.

Check out the commercial above, then let us know where you think it ranks among the likes of such classic MMA ads as “Jon Jones Brutally Kicks Child” and “ANDERSON SILVA SPEAKS ENGLISH?!”

J. Jones


(Yeah, but can he do *this*? via HeinekenIRE)

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 the fuck 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.

Check out the commercial above, then let us know where you think it ranks among the likes of such classic MMA ads as “Jon Jones Brutally Kicks Child” and “ANDERSON SILVA SPEAKS ENGLISH?!”

J. Jones

In the Wake of Matt Brown’s Sexist Comments, Has the UFC’s Image Finally Grown Up?


(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.

For proof, look no further than motorboat-gate. Rampage Jackson acted lecherously towards a female reporter (and this wasn’t the first time he’d done such a thing). Nothing happened. When Yahoo’s Maggie Hendricks lambasted Rampage and the MMA media, Joe Rogan called her “cunty” and MMA fans thought it was the cleverest comeback since Lord Palmerston verbally thrashed his enemies in parliament.

CagePotato’s own Ben Goldstein got to the crux of the issue:

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.)

By Matt Saccaro

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.

For proof, look no further than motorboat-gate. Rampage Jackson acted lecherously towards a female reporter (and this wasn’t the first time he’d done such a thing). Nothing happened. When Yahoo’s Maggie Hendricks lambasted Rampage and the MMA media, Joe Rogan called her “cunty” and MMA fans thought it was the cleverest comeback since Lord Palmerston verbally thrashed his enemies in parliament.

CagePotato’s own Ben Goldstein got to the crux of the issue:

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?

On the surface, it appears that way.

Conor McGregor was forced to apologize after a particularly offensive tweet in which he said he wanted Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey to ride his dick and lick his toes. And recently, Matt Brown‘s podcast was pulled off the air for saying that he’d only pay to watch a women’s fight if the athletes were topless. He also issued an apology.

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.

Remember when Ronda Rousey tweeted the “interesting” Sandy Hook hoax video? People were understandably upset. Dana White didn’t demand an apology though; he derided critics as “pussies” and told them to “get a life.” A year later, how much has changed?

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 buries his own fighters (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.

Meet Robert Whiteford, The UFC’s First Scottish Fighter in Promotional History

(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.

J. Jones

Regrettable Tweet of the Day: Conor McGregor’s Three-Way Sex Fantasy, Featuring the TUF 18 Coaches and Toe-Oral [UPDATED]


(Like a BOSS. / Screen-cap via @TheNotoriousMMA)

Irish rising star Conor McGregor is having quite an eventful year: He’s already had his first UFC victory and his first debilitating knee injury — and his first forced apology might be right around the corner.

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?

Update: And here’s that apology


(Like a BOSS. / Screen-cap via @TheNotoriousMMA)

Irish rising star Conor McGregor is having quite an eventful year: He’s already had his first UFC victory and his first debilitating knee injury — and his first forced apology might be right around the corner.

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?

Update: And here’s that apology

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.

Sexy Miesha Tate GIFs, Old-School Nick Diaz Photos, And More Highlights From the CagePotato Tumblr


(Hey, is that a Timex?)

We’re celebrating something special today, Potato Nation: CagePotato’s Tumblr has surpassed 100 followers!

We’re very grateful that our fans and many members of Tumblr’s MMA community have followed us. If you haven’t yet, here are some of the highlights from our first few weeks that you missed — and that you’ll still be missing on a regular basis until you follow us right here.

– To start off, we have an excellent GIF set of Miesha Tate from this season of TUF. This, for obvious reasons, is our most successful post to date.

– There exists a statue of one kid armbarring another kid. It’s in Germany although I’d have expected something like that to be in Brazil instead (or even Japan because of their Judo connection).

– World champions Renan Barao and Jose Aldo in a sparring match. They’re likely not going 100%, but it’s still pretty cool to watch.

See what Conor McGregor was doing with his money, as well as some sick, old-school UFC artwork after the jump.


(Hey, is that a Timex?)

We’re celebrating something special today, Potato Nation: CagePotato’s Tumblr has surpassed 100 followers!

We’re very grateful that our fans and many members of Tumblr’s MMA community have followed us. If you haven’t yet, here are some of the highlights from our first few weeks that you missed — and that you’ll still be missing on a regular basis until you follow us right here.

– To start off, we have an excellent GIF set of Miesha Tate from this season of TUF. This, for obvious reasons, is our most successful post to date.

– There exists a statue of one kid armbarring another kid. It’s in Germany although I’d have expected something like that to be in Brazil instead (or even Japan because of their Judo connection).

– World champions Renan Barao and Jose Aldo in a sparring match. They’re likely not going 100%, but it’s still pretty cool to watch.

– Legendary video maker NickTheFace made an unbelievable trailer for UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2 that puts the UFC’s recent video efforts to shame.

– Another fan-made piece of UFC 168 content, this time a poster, dwarfed the UFC’s official efforts. The poster was made by Dan Goland. The same artist made a truly epic poster for UFC 166. Yeah, “epic” gets thrown around a lot but the poster he made captures the gravity of Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez III.

– Conor McGregor shows off how much cash he has in his wallet. I think this is what he was using all that money for.

– Various members of the UG photoshopped the picture of Joe Rogan in Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s Cossack hat. We put together some of the better ones from the original thread.

– This is what Nick Diaz was doing instead of going to school so he could learn to buy houses.

– Remember that photo from UFC Magazine featuring Dana White mean-mugging as if he were a real fighter? So do we.

– Artist Chris Rini made woodwork pictures of the bout between Royce Gracie and Kimo Leopoldo at UFC 3. These are amazing. If you’re an MMA fan with loads of disposable income, pick these up.

Those are just a few of the highlights from CagePotato’s nascent tumbls, or tumblerings, or what have you. Thanks to all our readers that follow us, and a pox on all of our readers who don’t!

Matt Saccaro

Scratch That: Conor McGregor Suffered a Torn ACL in Last Fight, Won’t Be Fighting Anybody for 10 Months


(So…back to taking public transportation, then? / Photo via Conor McGregor’s Facebook page)

Well, it looks like the Conor McGregor hype train has pulled into the station for extensive repairs. Though the Irish featherweight was originally reported to have suffered a minor ACL sprain during his decision victory over Max Hollaway last weekend,  an MRI has revealed that McGregor actually sustained an ACL tear, an MCL strain, and a posterior horn meniscal tear. (Aye…da dreaded O’Donoghue’s triad.) He will be out of action for approximately 10 months.

So no, he won’t be fighting Diego Brandao — or anybody else — at UFC 168. It’s a shame, because McGregor was on a roll, in terms of trash-talking other fighters on Twitter. A couple of nights ago, he dissed the majority of the UFC’s featherweight contenders, calling them boring (Guida, Lentz), old (Swanson, Siver), undersized (Mendes, Edgar), or unpopular (Lamas, Koch). And then, he got into a twitter-beef with Diego Sanchez, telling The Dream “You’re the fattest, sloppiest, slowest Martial Artist i’ve ever laid eyes on. I’d go up to 170 to whoop your fat ass. EASY.”

McGregor won’t be able to back up any of his words until next summer. Still, he tried to put a brash spin on his knee injury this morning, writing: “I celebrate adversity. Congratulations. Your favourite fighter is safe. For 10 months. #AintNothing I’ll do it on my back. EASY!!!!”

Our advice to Conor? Sell your watches and start shopping at Men’s Wearhouse.


(So…back to taking public transportation, then? / Photo via Conor McGregor’s Facebook page)

Well, it looks like the Conor McGregor hype train has pulled into the station for extensive repairs. Though the Irish featherweight was originally reported to have suffered a minor ACL sprain during his decision victory over Max Hollaway last weekend,  an MRI has revealed that McGregor actually sustained an ACL tear, an MCL strain, and a posterior horn meniscal tear. (Aye…da dreaded O’Donoghue’s triad.) He will be out of action for approximately 10 months.

So no, he won’t be fighting Diego Brandao — or anybody else — at UFC 168. It’s a shame, because McGregor was on a roll, in terms of trash-talking other fighters on Twitter. A couple of nights ago, he dissed the majority of the UFC’s featherweight contenders, calling them boring (Guida, Lentz), old (Swanson, Siver), undersized (Mendes, Edgar), or unpopular (Lamas, Koch). And then, he got into a twitter-beef with Diego Sanchez, telling The Dream “You’re the fattest, sloppiest, slowest Martial Artist i’ve ever laid eyes on. I’d go up to 170 to whoop your fat ass. EASY.”

McGregor won’t be able to back up any of his words until next summer. Still, he tried to put a brash spin on his knee injury this morning, writing: “I celebrate adversity. Congratulations. Your favourite fighter is safe. For 10 months. #AintNothing I’ll do it on my back. EASY!!!!”

Our advice to Conor? Sell your watches and start shopping at Men’s Wearhouse.