Dave Herman tested positive for marijuana in his system which led to his fight being yanked off the UFC 136 card, but Herman told MMAFighting‘s Ben Fowlkes that he doesn’t actually smoke weed. Herman said:.
Dave Herman tested positive for marijuana in his system which led to his fight being yanked off the UFC 136 card, but Herman told MMAFighting‘s Ben Fowlkes that he doesn’t actually smoke weed. Herman said:
“I do not smoke marijuana. I can’t say I’m not around it. I live in California. Pretty much everyone out here smokes weed. Maybe I need to pick my friends a little better. I don’t know.”
This lead me to wonder if maybe Herman who has probably been cutting weight recently, may have gotten a late night sweet tooth which lead him into a buddy’s kitchen where a delicious plate of brownies on a counter got the better of him. Or maybe… he was in a car with a bunch of potheads. I did some intense research which consisted of me googling the question i actually titled this post with: “can a contact high get you a positive result on a drug test?” and I found this answer from what I will put my reputation on the line for and say is a reliable resource called Drugs.Blurtit.com and it says:
Generally, no you cannot test positive for marijuana if you didn’t smoke it. Second-hand smoke is not concentrated enough to show up in your system; however if you are in an air-tight environment such as a car or even a closet where companions are smoking and you inhaled deeply, then yes you can test positive.
So there you have it. Poor Dave Herman got smoked out in a car. Life is unfair.
(You know who had that look in his eyes? Chris Benoit.)
Dave Herman’s recent failed pre-fight drug test and subsequent removal from his bout with Mike Russow has sparked debate across the web in regards to marijuana’s power (or lack thereof) as a performance enhancing drug. Some are saying Herman should have been pulled from the fight based on the illegality of the drug alone, a tough issue to deny. However, several studies have shown that certain strands of marijuana can provide a healing effect to the nervous system and could dramatically expedite the healing process of inflamed joints, which could prove incredibly beneficial to someone in the fight game.
Annie Appleseed Project, an alternative treatment foundation, has furthered research on the healing effect of marijuana, particularly to that of damaged nerves. They concluded that marijuana, in fact, can aid the nervous system beyond that of even morphine. Andrew Rice, a senior lecturer in pain at London’s Imperial College, had the following to say about marijuana’s ability to rehabilitate:
(You know who had that look in his eyes? Chris Benoit.)
Dave Herman’s recent failed pre-fight drug test and subsequent removal from his bout with Mike Russow has sparked debate across the web in regards to marijuana’s power (or lack thereof) as a performance enhancing drug. Some are saying Herman should have been pulled from the fight based on the illegality of the drug alone, a tough issue to deny. However, several studies have shown that certain strands of marijuana can provide a healing effect to the nervous system and could dramatically expedite the healing process of inflamed joints, which could prove incredibly beneficial to someone in the fight game.
Annie Appleseed Project, an alternative treatment foundation, has furthered research on the healing effect of marijuana, particularly to that of damaged nerves. They concluded that marijuana, in fact, can aid the nervous system beyond that of even morphine. Andrew Rice, a senior lecturer in pain at London’s Imperial College, had the following to say about marijuana’s ability to rehabilitate:
It’s known that if you injure a nerve, the morphine receptors in the spinal cord disappear and that’s probably why morphine isn’t a very effective pain killer for such conditions as shingles, people who have had an amputation or perhaps if cancer has invaded the spinal cord…But what we’ve shown is that the cannabinoid receptors do not disappear when you injure a nerve. So this could offer a therapeutic advantage over morphine for treating such pain.
There is no doubt of the possible benefits marijuana could provide an injured fighter, and with the ever increasingly legality of medical marijuana, why should those who sacrifice their bodies for a living be denied a possible means of rehabilitation? Now, I want to make something clear, I am not saying that painkillers should be legalized across the board based solely on the fact that they can aid the healing process. But unlike other forms of painkillers, marijuana does not mask the pain completely, it rather helps speed up the healing process while providing minor stress relief. Another issue, though perhaps a fickle one, is that of cost. Struggling fighters often cannot afford the necessary treatment to rehab their injuries, and could turn to marijuana as a financially reasonable means of aiding any nagging afflictions.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission, responsible for the decision in the infamous Nick Diaz/Takanori Gomi debacle, was one of the first to put forth the sentiment that marijuana was considered a performance enhancer. NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer, when questioned about the issue immediately following the incident, had this to say:
The main issue with marijuana is it slows the reflexes, putting the fighter at much greater risk. We would not let a fighter compete who is coming off arm surgery and has not fully recovered his reflexes, or who is under the influence of alcohol because of the same issue. Additionally, it may also deaden some pain. That could hurt the fighter… he may not tap out when he should and he suffers broken bones or torn ligaments as a result… or that could unfairly help him if he can trade punches more easily with his opponent.
Herein lies the issue; can marijuana significantly alter a fighter’s performance on the same level as a true PED like steroids, or should fighters that test positive for the substance be given a lighter sentence? And if marijuana were legally allowed for rehabilitative purposes, what kind of restrictions would have to be instilled (ie. time a fighter would be allowed to consume marijuana before a given fight) in order to ensure the fighter’s safety?
I ask you, Potato Nation, to stake your claim on the issue in the comments section, using as much profane language as necessary, of course.
Filed under: UFCDave “Pee Wee” Herman said he was “surprised” to learn he’d failed a pre-licensing drug test before his scheduled UFC 136 bout with Mike Russow, and while he insists he never ingested any banned substances, he’s readying himself for a s…
Dave “Pee Wee” Herman said he was “surprised” to learn he’d failed a pre-licensing drug test before his scheduled UFC 136 bout with Mike Russow, and while he insists he never ingested any banned substances, he’s readying himself for a suspension just the same.
“I do not smoke marijuana,” Herman told MMA Fighting. “I can’t say I’m not around it. I live in California. Pretty much everyone out here smokes weed. Maybe I need to pick my friends a little better. I don’t know.”
When asked if it was his belief that simply being in the presence of marijuana smoke might have caused the positive test result, Herman replied, “Like I said, I see people smoking weed every day.”
Susan Stanford, of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, told MMA Fighting that medical privacy laws prevented her from disclosing any information about Herman’s drug test results, but confirmed that “he was denied a license.”
Herman initially told Clinch Gear Radio that he’d been asked to take a second drug test after the lab where he was tested told him that it had lost his first sample. Stanford explained that the testing is done entirely through private labs, and the commission never has possession of the sample, but would have likely been informed if a sample had been lost.
On Thursday, Herman told MMA Fighting that the lab had asked him to submit two separate samples so that it could test one for drugs of abuse and another for steroids.
“When I talked to Texas they said that there wasn’t enough of the first sample to do both tests,” said Herman. “The first sample they just tested one thing and the second sample they tested something else. …They just said the first one was positive for marijuana. The second one wasn’t positive for anything.”
What surprised Herman most, he said, was when he read internet reports that claimed he had tested positive for both marijuana and steroids.
“It got worse and worse. The first article I clicked on just quoted me from my interview and it looked pretty much right. The second one was like, ‘[Herman] denies use of steroids.’ Then the third one was like, positive for marijuana and steroids. I’m like, how did you jump from that to that to that?”
The UFC’s Marc Ratner said he had no information as of yet, and hadn’t seen anything on paper regarding Herman’s tests or what possible repercussions he might be facing.
For his part, Herman is expecting to be suspended on top of losing his chance to fight Russow in Houston on October 8.
“I don’t think there’s anything I can really do,” he said. “Obviously, this fight’s already gone. Even if I go in today and pass everything, this fight’s already done. Pretty much I guess I just wait. They said I’ll probably have a short suspension. From researching other guys who have tested positive, the max suspension they’ve ever seen is 30 days. So I guess I wait 30 days and pass a drug test and try to get another fight lined up.”
In the meantime, Herman said he’s struggling to get over the disappointment of spending weeks preparing for the fight only to see the opportunity disappear and get replaced with the threat of disciplinary action.
“I was feeling good, was in really great shape,” he said. “I didn’t really want to get up and go to practice this morning, but I did anyway. I guess I just have a little extra time to hone everything and get better.”
(Come on. You’re telling me that’s not a pothead? / Photo via Sherdog)
Update:Herman only tested positive for marijuana. The report that originally stated he also tested positive for steroids came from a misinterpretation of his interview.
UFC heavyweight Dave Herman has confirmed that his scheduled UFC 136 main card bout against Mike Russow has been canceled, after his pre-fight drug tests came back positive for marijuana. Herman denies using the illegal substance. As he explained to Clinch Gear Radio:
“I went in to get in my drug test (on Sept. 15), and a week later, they called me and told me they lost my urine specimen. I had to come in and redo it. That was last week. I went back in that day. And [on Wednesday], they told me I failed. I said, ‘That’s impossible.’…[now,] Texas said they never lost it and the first one [tested positive] for drugs and the second was for steroids. I don’t even smoke…I haven’t even had a beer in two months.”
(Come on. You’re telling me that’s not a pothead? / Photo via Sherdog)
Update:Herman only tested positive for marijuana. The report that originally stated he also tested positive for steroids came from a misinterpretation of his interview.
UFC heavyweight Dave Herman has confirmed that his scheduled UFC 136 main card bout against Mike Russow has been canceled, after his pre-fight drug tests came back positive for marijuana. Herman denies using the illegal substance. As he explained to Clinch Gear Radio:
“I went in to get in my drug test (on Sept. 15), and a week later, they called me and told me they lost my urine specimen. I had to come in and redo it. That was last week. I went back in that day. And [on Wednesday], they told me I failed. I said, ‘That’s impossible.’…[now,] Texas said they never lost it and the first one [tested positive] for drugs and the second was for steroids. I don’t even smoke…I haven’t even had a beer in two months.”
To our knowledge, this is the first time that an MMA fighter has been flagged for performance enhancing drugs by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. We’ll update you when we learn more about Herman’s potential punishment for the botched test, and his inevitable appeal.
At this point, it doesn’t appear likely that the UFC will find a replacement opponent for Mike Russow, who’s a perfect 3-0 in the Octagon. UFC 136′s preliminary-card rematch between Leonard Garcia and Nam Phan has been promoted to the main card to fill the space. The current lineup for “Edgar vs. Maynard 3″ is below…
Main PPV Card
Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (for UFC lightweight championship)
Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian (for UFC featherweight championship)
Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann (MW)
Joe Lauzon vs. Melvin Guillard (LW)
Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan (FW)
Spike TV Prelims
Demian Maia vs. Jorge Santiago (MW)
Anthony Pettis vs. Jeremy Stephens (LW)
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Joey Beltran vs. Stipe Miocic (HW)
Zhang Tie Quan vs. Darren Elkins (FW)
Aaron Simpson vs. Eric Schafer (MW)
Steve Cantwell vs. Mike Massenzio (MW)
Filed under: UFC, NewsA heavyweight tussle at UFC 136 next week has been scrapped from the main card, and a featherweight rematch has been bumped up to take its place.
The UFC announced Wednesday that a bout between Dave “Pee Wee” Herman and Mike Russ…
A heavyweight tussle at UFC 136 next week has been scrapped from the main card, and a featherweight rematch has been bumped up to take its place.
The UFC announced Wednesday that a bout between Dave “Pee Wee” Herman and Mike Russow is off because Herman had to withdraw, and Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan has moved up from the preliminary card to the pay-per-view slot.
But later Wednesday, Herman told Clinch Gear Radio that it was a failed preliminary drug test that knocked him out of the bout, saying he tested positive for marijuana – but denying any use of the banned substance. Additionally, a source close to Russow’s camp told MMA Fighting that marijuana was indeed the culprit.
“I’m still trying to figure it out myself,” Herman told hosts Jeff Dotseth and Stephen Quadros. “Basically, they said I failed my drug test. I went in to get my drug test. A week later, they called and said they lost my urine specimen and I had to come back in and redo it. And I came back in and they said I failed it. It’s impossible.”
Herman (21-2, 1-0 UFC) denied any use of marijuana: “I don’t even smoke. I haven’t even had a beer in two months.”
Herman told the show the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which regulates MMA in the state, initially said he failed a first test, then failed a second for steroids. He also said the commission asked him to take a second test because it lost his first sample.
Herman won his UFC debut in June with a comeback win over Jon Olav Einemo that won Fight of the Night honors. The Indiana native has been training with Team Quest. Herman started his MMA career 15-0 with 15 stoppages – 14 in the first round, including a 3-0 stint in EliteXC.
Russow (14-1, 1 NC, 3-0 UFC) beat Jon Madsen in March after a long injury layoff. A source close to Russow’s camp told MMA Fighting the heavyweight does not yet have another fight booked.
Garcia and Phan’s rematch moves from the prelims up to the pay-per-view. The two fought at the TUF 12 Finale last December with Garcia winning a controversial split decision and Fight of the Night honors. Garcia was unsuccessful in March in another rematch from a controversial split decision win when he was submitted by Chan Sung Jung. Phan is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Mike Brown at UFC 133 in August.
UFC 136 takes place Oct. 8 at the Toyota Center in Houston. It will be the promotion’s first trip to Houston since UFC 69. The show, which will be preceded by a UFC Fan Expo on Oct. 7-8, features a pair of title fights – the rematch between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, plus a featherweight title bout between champ Jose Aldo and Kenny Florian.
Due to technical difficulties, Falling Action comes to you a day later than usual, and for that we apologize.
But as long as you haven’t pushed all recollection of UFC 131 out of your mind in order to make room for the beautiful new memories you made on Sunday and Monday – in other words, as long as you have greater brain capacity than a golden retriever – we figure most of you ought to still be able to enjoy a thorough discussion of this past weekend’s winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Junior dos Santos
We knew the big Brazilian could box even before he turned Shane Carwin’s face into ground beef. What we (okay, I) wondered was, could he stay on his feet and out of the clinch enough to put those skills to work? Against former Division II national champion wrestler Carwin, the answer for dos Santos, much like it is for every question asked of the Kool-Aid Man, was: ohhhhh yeah. He picked Carwin apart with his jab and kept the fight at a safe distance (well, safe for him, extremely dangerous for Carwin). He even showed off some spiffy defensive wrestling on the few occasions where Carwin got in close enough to test him. UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is quicker and more explosive than Carwin, so that will be a different kind of challenge, but dos Santos showed us on Saturday that he’s more than deserving of the shot. Now if only we didn’t have to go six months between major heavyweight fights, this division might actually get somewhere.
Biggest Loser: Shane Carwin
It was as gutsy a performance as you’ll ever see, and with it he proved that he has the cardio and the heart to go the distance. At the same time, the closest he came to being competitive in this fight was when he landed one solitary left hook that made JDS go wobbly, and even then he couldn’t get close enough to follow up. Carwin did the one thing he couldn’t afford to do in this fight, which was hang out at the end of dos Santos’ jab. He got into a boxing match with a superior boxer, and the results were about what you’d expect from such a strategy. Again, any man who can take that kind of a beating and still keep coming is so tough that he borders on being mentally ill, so give Carwin his props for that. At the same time, he’s 36 years old and in the past eleven months he’s lost one title shot and one no. 1 contender fight. It’s starting to look like that interim title might be the only UFC belt he’s ever going to own.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Demian Maia
The Maia of three years ago would have gone into the fight with Mark Munoz looking to pull half-guard right away just to avoid the terrifying world of stand-up fighting as much as possible. That Maia was very good at what he did, but he was also limited. In a losing effort against Munoz he showed that he’s a much more complete fighter now, and he’s only getting better. You could make the argument that he’s a little too content to fight on the feet these days, which leaves his best weapon – his submissions game – tragically under-used. I wouldn’t argue with that, and maybe neither would Maia. My hope is that what we’re seeing now is just the swing of the pendulum as his overall game evolves. Maybe this loss will convince him to find a better balance in the future.
Least Impressive in Victory: Krzysztof Soszynski
In fairness, Mike Massenzio didn’t give him much to work with, but what did we expect? Massenzio took a short-notice fight in the weight class above his own and Soszynski still couldn’t do much more to him than stuff his takedowns and try to set up an offense that came only in short, tentative bursts. True, Massenzio didn’t make for much of a dance partner, but if Soszynski can’t do more with a size advantage like that against a short-notice opponent, that’s a little troubling. He got the decision win, but didn’t bump his stock much higher in the process. Let’s hope his next opponent gives him more to work with.
Most Frightening: Yves Edwards
It wasn’t so much the punch that put him out, but the way he went down that made me cringe. The back of Edwards’ head thudded off the mat with a sickening sound and he lay there motionless for several minutes afterward. That always makes for an unnerving sight, but the 34-year-old Edwards is such a beloved character in this sport that it made it even tougher than usual to sit there and wait for him to show signs of recovery. Those kinds of knockouts are the scariest and probably the most dangerous. The blow Edwards took to the back of the head as a result of the fall seemed much worse and more damaging than the punch itself, and yet there was really nothing anyone could do to prevent it or soften the impact. The referee – or in this case, a compassionate opponent like Stout – can stop a fighter from taking needless punches after he’s out, but nobody can do anything about the effects of gravity on a suddenly unconscious man.
Most Surprising: Dave Herman
Giving up nearly thirty pounds to a monstrous jiu-jitsu specialist, all while claiming that jiu-jitsu “doesn’t work,” didn’t seem like a recipe for success. But to Herman’s credit he took Jon Olav Einemo’s best shots and gave back more than the big man could handle. Less surprising than Herman’s victory was just how fun the fight was to watch. It had so many ups and downs and ebbs and flows that it made eight minutes of fighting feel like twenty. Only, you know, in the good way. Enjoy your Fight of the Night bonus money, gentleman. You both earned it.
The ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ Award: Kenny Florian
The move down to featherweight sounded like a pretty hellish, but business-savvy one for KenFlo. He saw the writing on the wall at lightweight and realized that if he didn’t want to turn into a gatekeeper, he needed to find a fresh start in a new division. The win over a very tough Diego Nunes at 145 pounds accomplished that. He has a new life as a featherweight and will “more than likely” get a crack at Jose Aldo now, according to Dana White. At the same time, a five-round fight with Aldo is going to be a tough night of work. I know Florian wants the challenge, and he might as well find out sooner rather than later if he’s up for it, but I hope he knows what he’s in for when he starves himself for a chance to get in the cage with that little buzz-saw.
Most Charismatic: Mark Munoz
The great thing about Munoz is that he’s a powerful, smash-mouth kind of fighter, but with a Labrador’s enthusiasm for life and everything in it. Even when he’s talking about getting rocked by Maia, his tone and expression suggest that he thought it was kind of fun, like going down a scary water slide. That kind of zeal for everything is infectious, and it makes it impossible not to like him. With the decision over Maia he has three straight victories under his belt, with each win more impressive than the last. He might not ever be champion, or even a top contender, but I can’t honestly say that I care. He’s just so fun to have around. And yeah, he’s a pretty good fighter, too.
Due to technical difficulties, Falling Action comes to you a day later than usual, and for that we apologize.
But as long as you haven’t pushed all recollection of UFC 131 out of your mind in order to make room for the beautiful new memories you made on Sunday and Monday – in other words, as long as you have greater brain capacity than a golden retriever – we figure most of you ought to still be able to enjoy a thorough discussion of this past weekend’s winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Junior dos Santos
We knew the big Brazilian could box even before he turned Shane Carwin’s face into ground beef. What we (okay, I) wondered was, could he stay on his feet and out of the clinch enough to put those skills to work? Against former Division II national champion wrestler Carwin, the answer for dos Santos, much like it is for every question asked of the Kool-Aid Man, was: ohhhhh yeah. He picked Carwin apart with his jab and kept the fight at a safe distance (well, safe for him, extremely dangerous for Carwin). He even showed off some spiffy defensive wrestling on the few occasions where Carwin got in close enough to test him. UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is quicker and more explosive than Carwin, so that will be a different kind of challenge, but dos Santos showed us on Saturday that he’s more than deserving of the shot. Now if only we didn’t have to go six months between major heavyweight fights, this division might actually get somewhere.
Biggest Loser: Shane Carwin
It was as gutsy a performance as you’ll ever see, and with it he proved that he has the cardio and the heart to go the distance. At the same time, the closest he came to being competitive in this fight was when he landed one solitary left hook that made JDS go wobbly, and even then he couldn’t get close enough to follow up. Carwin did the one thing he couldn’t afford to do in this fight, which was hang out at the end of dos Santos’ jab. He got into a boxing match with a superior boxer, and the results were about what you’d expect from such a strategy. Again, any man who can take that kind of a beating and still keep coming is so tough that he borders on being mentally ill, so give Carwin his props for that. At the same time, he’s 36 years old and in the past eleven months he’s lost one title shot and one no. 1 contender fight. It’s starting to look like that interim title might be the only UFC belt he’s ever going to own.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Demian Maia
The Maia of three years ago would have gone into the fight with Mark Munoz looking to pull half-guard right away just to avoid the terrifying world of stand-up fighting as much as possible. That Maia was very good at what he did, but he was also limited. In a losing effort against Munoz he showed that he’s a much more complete fighter now, and he’s only getting better. You could make the argument that he’s a little too content to fight on the feet these days, which leaves his best weapon – his submissions game – tragically under-used. I wouldn’t argue with that, and maybe neither would Maia. My hope is that what we’re seeing now is just the swing of the pendulum as his overall game evolves. Maybe this loss will convince him to find a better balance in the future.
Least Impressive in Victory: Krzysztof Soszynski
In fairness, Mike Massenzio didn’t give him much to work with, but what did we expect? Massenzio took a short-notice fight in the weight class above his own and Soszynski still couldn’t do much more to him than stuff his takedowns and try to set up an offense that came only in short, tentative bursts. True, Massenzio didn’t make for much of a dance partner, but if Soszynski can’t do more with a size advantage like that against a short-notice opponent, that’s a little troubling. He got the decision win, but didn’t bump his stock much higher in the process. Let’s hope his next opponent gives him more to work with.
Most Frightening: Yves Edwards
It wasn’t so much the punch that put him out, but the way he went down that made me cringe. The back of Edwards’ head thudded off the mat with a sickening sound and he lay there motionless for several minutes afterward. That always makes for an unnerving sight, but the 34-year-old Edwards is such a beloved character in this sport that it made it even tougher than usual to sit there and wait for him to show signs of recovery. Those kinds of knockouts are the scariest and probably the most dangerous. The blow Edwards took to the back of the head as a result of the fall seemed much worse and more damaging than the punch itself, and yet there was really nothing anyone could do to prevent it or soften the impact. The referee – or in this case, a compassionate opponent like Stout – can stop a fighter from taking needless punches after he’s out, but nobody can do anything about the effects of gravity on a suddenly unconscious man.
Most Surprising: Dave Herman
Giving up nearly thirty pounds to a monstrous jiu-jitsu specialist, all while claiming that jiu-jitsu “doesn’t work,” didn’t seem like a recipe for success. But to Herman’s credit he took Jon Olav Einemo’s best shots and gave back more than the big man could handle. Less surprising than Herman’s victory was just how fun the fight was to watch. It had so many ups and downs and ebbs and flows that it made eight minutes of fighting feel like twenty. Only, you know, in the good way. Enjoy your Fight of the Night bonus money, gentleman. You both earned it.
The ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ Award: Kenny Florian
The move down to featherweight sounded like a pretty hellish, but business-savvy one for KenFlo. He saw the writing on the wall at lightweight and realized that if he didn’t want to turn into a gatekeeper, he needed to find a fresh start in a new division. The win over a very tough Diego Nunes at 145 pounds accomplished that. He has a new life as a featherweight and will “more than likely” get a crack at Jose Aldo now, according to Dana White. At the same time, a five-round fight with Aldo is going to be a tough night of work. I know Florian wants the challenge, and he might as well find out sooner rather than later if he’s up for it, but I hope he knows what he’s in for when he starves himself for a chance to get in the cage with that little buzz-saw.
Most Charismatic: Mark Munoz
The great thing about Munoz is that he’s a powerful, smash-mouth kind of fighter, but with a Labrador’s enthusiasm for life and everything in it. Even when he’s talking about getting rocked by Maia, his tone and expression suggest that he thought it was kind of fun, like going down a scary water slide. That kind of zeal for everything is infectious, and it makes it impossible not to like him. With the decision over Maia he has three straight victories under his belt, with each win more impressive than the last. He might not ever be champion, or even a top contender, but I can’t honestly say that I care. He’s just so fun to have around. And yeah, he’s a pretty good fighter, too.