Derrick Lewis once called out former opponent Travis Browne for allegedly hitting women, and now he’s calling out former NFL player-turned-mixed martial artist Greg Hardy. Lewis recently discussed Hardy’s upcoming professional MMA debut, which will be under Dana White’s Contender Series with TMZ Sports, and as usual, he didn’t hold back when it came to Hardy’s […]
Derrick Lewis once called out former opponent Travis Browne for allegedly hitting women, and now he’s calling out former NFL player-turned-mixed martial artist Greg Hardy.
Lewis recently discussed Hardy’s upcoming professional MMA debut, which will be under Dana White’s Contender Series with TMZ Sports, and as usual, he didn’t hold back when it came to Hardy’s history of domestic abuse.
“He’s a wife beater, I’d like to get in there with him. I like knocking wife beaters out. I’ll fight Greg Hardy. It’ll be like vice versa him beating on a woman. I’ll be beating him like he was a woman.”
”I grew up watching my mom and my stepdad fight just about every single damn day. Fist fighting every day for stupid stuff. I don’t tolerate stuff like that at all.”
Hardy was infamously charged with domestic violence against a girlfriend back in 2014, which ultimately cost him his NFL career. Lewis had brought up Browne’s history of violence towards women leading into their February 2017 fight. There, ‘The Black Beast’ knocked out ‘Hapa’ with punches in the second round.
Hardy is 3-0 as an amateur with all three victories coming by way of first-round knockout.
Would you be interested in a Lewis vs. Hardy fight should Hardy continue his ascent up the MMA ladder?
Watching Dana White’s recent appearance on “Fox Sports Live” paints a very clear picture: Dana White does not want you to compare him to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“I can tell you this, I wouldn’t want to be Roger Goodell,” White says, after being asked about his reaction to the video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking out then-fiancee Janay Palmer. No surprises there, given that the NFL is in the middle of a domestic violence crisis built on the foundation of years of denial and reframing the issue. What is surprising is that he follows up his statement by resorting to the same strategies that the NFL employed to downplay Ray Rice’s assault in order to justify the UFC’s decision to resign Thiago Silva.
You don’t even have to wait for the parallels between how the UFC is choosing to handle Thiago Silva and how the NFL has attempted to cover up domestic violence to become apparent, they’re observable in the very first sentence White speaks once Silva’s name comes up:
“If you believe in the legal process, they came, they arrested him, and he wasn’t brought up on any charges.”
Watching Dana White’s recent appearance on “Fox Sports Live” paints a very clear picture: Dana White does not want you to compare him to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“I can tell you this, I wouldn’t want to be Roger Goodell,” White says, after being asked about his reaction to the video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking out then-fiancee Janay Palmer. No surprises there, given that the NFL is in the middle of a domestic violence crisis built on the foundation of years of denial and reframing the issue. What is surprising is that he follows up his statement by resorting to the same strategies that the NFL employed to downplay Ray Rice’s assault in order to justify the UFC’s decision to resign Thiago Silva.
You don’t even have to wait for the parallels between how the UFC is choosing to handle Thiago Silva and how the NFL has attempted to cover up domestic violence to become apparent, they’re observable in the very first sentence White speaks once Silva’s name comes up:
“If you believe in the legal process, they came, they arrested him, and he wasn’t brought up on any charges.”
Let’s take a look at the actual documents detailing why the prosecutors decided to drop the charges against Thiago Silva. As Deadspin puts it, “The memo outlines how in this case, as in so many domestic violence cases, the key witness went from working with investigators to uncooperative to eventually abandoning the legal process, instead getting physically as far away from her alleged attacker as she could.” This wasn’t an issue of the police believing that Thiago Silva was innocent – if that were so, this case would have never made it past the pre-arrest investigation. This was the police acknowledging that without cooperation from the alleged victim, there isn’t enough evidence to press charges at this time; as Sydnie pointed out, the announcement of a nolle prosequi makes it possible for the police to re-indict him if Thaysa Silva decides to cooperate with them.
White’s justification gets much uglier from there:
“Plus, I know a lot more of the story and what went on. You take his side of the story, her side of the story and the truth lies somewhere in the middle. But he went through the process and he wasn’t charged with anything. The guy should have the ability to make a living.”
This statement on Thaysa Silva’s accusations is the exact same strategy that the Baltimore Ravens used in an attempt to undermine Janay Rice: Toe the line of “Don’t trust what you’ve seen,” but don’t explicitly say that the alleged victim is lying. The police reports make Thiago Silva look like some kind of monster, but Dana White knows a lot more about what really happened. And Thaysa isn’t lying, but the whole truth lies somewhere between her version of the events and Thiago’s proclamation of innocence. By that logic, Thiago only kind-of held a gun in Thaysa’s mouth, and what kind of hot-head bans someone from the UFC over that?
The “make a living” remark at the end is equal parts misdirection and gaslighting. Nobody is trying to say that Thiago Silva shouldn’t be able to make a living, but a lot of fans are questioning whether it’s really appropriate for an alleged domestic abuser whose charges were dropped on a technicality to be punching people for money. White wants the offended parties to ask themselves how they can let a human being starve, while those opposed to his decision are wondering when “UFC fighter” became the only occupation on the planet.
And how did White’s justification end? With perhaps the most Goodellian stance possible:
“And obviously if some tape surfaced [Silva would be fired] but the police have already investigated this entire thing, and they let the guy go.”
Then again, perhaps he isn’t ignorant towards this – notice how he never directly says that he believes that Thiago Silva is an innocent man, like he did for Sean Sherk when Sherk failed a drug test following UFC 73? He’s not so much telling you that Silva has never been abusive towards Thaysa as he’s telling you that the charges were dropped, so move past it.
Perhaps the most disturbing correlations between the UFC and the NFL come while observing how the UFC plans on strengthening their domestic violence policy going forward. The organization takes a page directly out of the NFL’s playbook: Deny that there’s any problems with the current policy. [Author Note: The NFL’s “new” policy of suspending players for six games is nothing more than a slight re-wording of the old policy. “Mitigating factors” can still shorten the suspension as the NFL sees fit.] White kicked off the process:
“We have a track record of getting rid of many people that have done bad things, and we’ve been human beings in letting other guys make up for things and come back. There’s one thing you never bounce back from, and that’s putting your hands on a woman. It’s been that way in the UFC since we started here. You don’t bounce back from putting your hands on a woman.”
“We are no different than any other sport,” she says. “Some individuals will do things that don’t reflect well on our organization.” She pointed to recent domestic violence cases involving NFL players as evidence the issue is not specific to the UFC or MMA.
For the sake of this argument, let’s assume that the NFL in fact has a worse problem than the UFC does with athletes committing domestic violence. What does that have anything to do with the UFC’s stance on domestic violence? How does downplaying the issue as a whole – it happens in football, too, you guys! – change the fact that it’s still happening in your organization? How does “at least we’re not the NFL” change the fact that the UFC claims to ban all offenders, yet only does so when they’re disposable commodities? Why is “don’t change until we’re as bad as the worst organization” a good strategy moving forward?
The answers, of course, are: Nothing, It doesn’t, It definitely doesn’t, and It isn’t.
You wonder why people say our sport has a sexist, toxic culture? It’s because the UFC’s current policy on domestic violence depends on how many fans know who the abuser is, and White’s biggest concern about male fighters beating women revolves around the usage of “Ex-UFC Fighter” in the headlines. You can’t even have a discussion about fixing the problem, because that requires acknowledging that a problem even exists. The UFC has been hard on domestic violence since Zuffa took over, pay no attention to the man assaulting his wife behind the curtain.
A culture of denial in regard to athletes and domestic violence is exactly what created the scandal that the NFL is currently facing, and it’s hardly unreasonable to worry that the UFC’s similar approach will lead to an equally tragic result. The decision to resign Thiago Silva is troubling for a number of reasons, chief among them being that the UFC – like the NFL before them – is choosing to ignore the problem and pretend that they’re tougher on domestic violence than they are. Given how compliant the MMA media is with pushing the UFC narrative at all costs, the organization may very well be able to do this for as long as it wants to.
“If Roger Goodell saw that video, knew that’s what happened, knew Ray Rice did that to his fiancee, he should just get up and leave on his own,” White says at the end of his segment on “Fox Sports Live.” He seems offended that the NFL chose to deny that a problem existed, then chose to cover it up once they were forced to confront it. If only he felt that way about the UFC.
(Thaysa Silva) and victim #2 Pablo Popovitch were inside the center when she observed the defendant driving his vehicle, a 2012 Dodge Charger bearing FL TAG G7ARY. She could see the defendant pull up to the center because the entire store front is clear glass. The defendant then started honking the vehicle horn continuously. She then went outside to speak with him to avoid a confrontation since victim Silva and victim Popovitch are in a romantic relationship. The defendant is aware of this relationship and this fact contributed to his actions. She approached the defendant which was driving, and when she was approached the driver side, he rolled down the window. She immediately noticed that he had been drinking and extremely intoxicated. He then produced a black glock firearm and pointed it at the victim. He stated, You have ten seconds to bring Pablo outside and if he does not come out, I will go in the gym and start shooting everyone. It should be known there was a class in session with approximately 25 students inside. Victim Popovitch then exited the center to protect victim Silva from harm. He then approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and observed the defendant pointing the firearm above the door frame at the victim Silva. The defendant threatened to kill both victim Silva and victim Popivitch. Popovitch then ran back into the gym, locked the front door, and called 911. The defendant then drove away.
And then, on September 5th, the UFC re-signed Thiago Silva in a dazzling demonstration of ignorance, tone-deafness, and who knows what the fuck. The decision is almost entirely incomprehensible, despite Dana White’s meager efforts to explain it:
“But he was acquitted of all charges. How do you not let the guy fight again?
“He went through the legal process and came out of it untainted. He deserves to be able to make a living again. He’s back under contract.”
A) He was not acquitted of all charges. The charges have been dismissed with the announcement of a nolle prosequi, which is not an acquittal. Nolle prosequi is the decision not to prosecute those charges at that time. It doesn’t necessarily mean never, and it is possible to re-indict someone on the same charges.
B) The UFC isn’t some benevolent foundation dedicated to all that is fair and just, as White’s appeal seems to suggest. Otherwise, Ben Askren would be currently fighting in the UFC, and Anthony Johnsonwould’ve been banned from the promotion long ago. To re-sign Silva with that rationale is disingenuous and hollow.
C) Silva did not go through “the legal process.” He got out on bail, Thaysa Silva fled the country, and the charges were dropped.
(Thiago Silva and Thaysa Kamiji Silva in…happier times, I guess? / Photo via Ryan Loco)
(Thaysa Silva) and victim #2 Pablo Popovitch were inside the center when she observed the defendant driving his vehicle, a 2012 Dodge Charger bearing FL TAG G7ARY. She could see the defendant pull up to the center because the entire store front is clear glass. The defendant then started honking the vehicle horn continuously. She then went outside to speak with him to avoid a confrontation since victim Silva and victim Popovitch are in a romantic relationship. The defendant is aware of this relationship and this fact contributed to his actions. She approached the defendant which was driving, and when she was approached the driver side, he rolled down the window. She immediately noticed that he had been drinking and extremely intoxicated. He then produced a black glock firearm and pointed it at the victim. He stated, You have ten seconds to bring Pablo outside and if he does not come out, I will go in the gym and start shooting everyone. It should be known there was a class in session with approximately 25 students inside. Victim Popovitch then exited the center to protect victim Silva from harm. He then approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and observed the defendant pointing the firearm above the door frame at the victim Silva. The defendant threatened to kill both victim Silva and victim Popivitch. Popovitch then ran back into the gym, locked the front door, and called 911. The defendant then drove away.
And then, on September 5th, the UFC re-signed Thiago Silva in a dazzling demonstration of ignorance, tone-deafness, and who knows what the fuck. The decision is almost entirely incomprehensible, despite Dana White’s meager efforts to explain it:
“But he was acquitted of all charges. How do you not let the guy fight again?
“He went through the legal process and came out of it untainted. He deserves to be able to make a living again. He’s back under contract.”
A) He was not acquitted of all charges. The charges have been dismissed with the announcement of a nolle prosequi, which is not an acquittal. Nolle prosequi is the decision not to prosecute those charges at that time. It doesn’t necessarily mean never, and it is possible to re-indict someone on the same charges.
B) The UFC isn’t some benevolent foundation dedicated to all that is fair and just, as White’s appeal seems to suggest. Otherwise, Ben Askren would be currently fighting in the UFC, and Anthony Johnsonwould’ve been banned from the promotion long ago. To re-sign Silva with that rationale is disingenuous and hollow.
C) Silva did not go through “the legal process.” He got out on bail, Thaysa Silva fled the country, and the charges were dropped.
So what is White thinking? Maybe they want to set him up as a can so everyone can watch him get destroyed in the Octagon while capitalizing on his infamy. Does White actually believe his own line of bullshit? I mean…he can’t, right? Did Silva send some threatening text messages promising to have him killed?
During an interview with Ariel Helwani, Thiago Silva has a lot of nothing to say for himself. After taking offense to Helwani asking about that whole SWAT team standoff thing (c’mon Helwani, can we just move on? it’s in the past), Silva says he wanted a divorce but his wife demanded money, and then when he wouldn’t give it to her, she “set (him) up. That’s it.” Seriously.
Unsurprisingly, Silva is painting himself as a man victimized by a crazy, lying, gold-digging woman set on personal vengeance. I doubt White is dumb or sexist enough to believe that, but by allowing Silva back in the UFC, he’s co-signing that narrative, to a degree. How nice that Dana could change this poor man’s life, after Silva was beset by multiple instances allegations of domestic abuse and scary-as-shit behavior that seemed to be escalating. Deadspin points out there were three separate instances. It’s so inspiring when these hard-luck cases can regain their self-confidence and right the wrongs done to them and get to fight for the most prominent, elite promotion in the world.
Let’s pretend Dana does think he’s doing the honorable thing. Does he endorse his fighters saying super sexist, smug things like, “I learned…don’t trust girls”? Of course, Silva chuckles and says he’s joking. No doubt. After some daffy girl trying to profit off his simple desire to be free of her, it must be very easy to be totally joking about how women are untrustworthy.
“People will forget. They always do,” Silva says, which I can personally guarantee will not be true in this instance. Also, does he use the internet? The Internet never forgets.
Later on in the MMA Hour, Helwani also interviews Anthony Johnson, who entered a nolo contendre (no contest) plea for domestic violence in 2010. Johnson, who is somehow still in the UFC despite what White describes as a strict policy enforced since “day one,” was rehabilitated by the penal system with the following: one day in county jail, eight hours of community service, three years’ probation, and 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling. Boy, what a penance.
Following the premiere of TUF 20 on September 10th, Fox Sports Live decided to seize a golden PR opportunity for the UFC to demonstrate its morals and policies around domestic violence with a brief interview with White. What followed was so patently and verifiably false it bordered on humorous. Here’s what the UFC president said when host Dan O’Toole asked him how he justified re-signing Silva:
“If you believe in the process, if you believe in the legal process, they came, [police] arrested him and he wasn’t brought up on any charges. Plus, I know a lot more of the story and what went on. If you take his side of the story, her side of the story, the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but he went through the process and he wasn’t charged with anything.”
So, rest easy, everyone — Thiago gave his bestie Dana the lowdown, and you don’t need to worry about it anymore. Silva would have no reason to lie about what happened or anything, because he’s a good guy and his wife fleeing the country is just what happens in this type of situation. It pretty much all makes sense and is believable. IF you believe in the “legal process” and assume that it doesn’t falter.
When O’Toole asked if the UFC would follow the NFL’s lead and strengthen its stance on domestic violence, White had this to say:
“We’ve been like that since day one, anyway. Obviously, when you’re dealing with human beings, there’s going to be things where guys are going to test positive for all different types of drugs. Guys are going to do stupid things. Guys are going to say stupid things in social media. There’s going to be all these things that happen. We have a record, a track record of getting rid of many people that have done bad things.
“We’ve been human beings in letting these guys, other guys make up for what they’ve done and come back. There’s one thing that you never bounce back from and that’s putting your hands on a woman*. Been that way in the UFC since we started here. You don’t bounce back from putting your hands on a woman*.”
Since this was on television, White couldn’t actually say “asterisk” and list the exceptions to that rule who currently fight in the UFC. Like Anthony Johnson and Abel Trujillo. Yeah, that’s an unimpeachable policy, Dana. Strictly defined and rigorously enforced.
Apparently, White still thinks his audience is dumb enough to believe the lines he’s feeding them. It’s White’s prerogative and responsibility to shape his company’s relationship with domestic violence, and re-signing Silva is a serious misstep that isn’t going to go away. People can change. But when domestic violence offenders have a recidivism rate of 62% within two years post-release, is gambling your company’s reputation on on those odds worth it?
*****
Follow Sydnie Jones on twitter at @syd1138, and read her two-part series on sexism, misogyny, and domestic violence in MMA here and here.
(Thaysa Silva) and victim #2 Pablo Popovitch were inside the center when she observed the defendant driving his vehicle, a 2012 Dodge Charger bearing FL TAG G7ARY. She could see the defendant pull up to the center because the entire store front is clear glass. The defendant then started honking the vehicle horn continuously. She then went outside to speak with him to avoid a confrontation since victim Silva and victim Popovitch are in a romantic relationship. The defendant is aware of this relationship and this fact contributed to his actions. She approached the defendant which was driving, and when she was approached the driver side, he rolled down the window. She immediately noticed that he had been drinking and extremely intoxicated. He then produced a black glock firearm and pointed it at the victim. He stated, You have ten seconds to bring Pablo outside and if he does not come out, I will go in the gym and start shooting everyone. It should be known there was a class in session with approximately 25 students inside. Victim Popovitch then exited the center to protect victim Silva from harm. He then approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and observed the defendant pointing the firearm above the door frame at the victim Silva. The defendant threatened to kill both victim Silva and victim Popivitch. Popovitch then ran back into the gym, locked the front door, and called 911. The defendant then drove away.
And then, on September 5th, the UFC re-signed Thiago Silva in a dazzling demonstration of ignorance, tone-deafness, and who knows what the fuck. The decision is almost entirely incomprehensible, despite Dana White’s meager efforts to explain it:
“But he was acquitted of all charges. How do you not let the guy fight again?
“He went through the legal process and came out of it untainted. He deserves to be able to make a living again. He’s back under contract.”
A) He was not acquitted of all charges. The charges have been dismissed with the announcement of a nolle prosequi, which is not an acquittal. Nolle prosequi is the decision not to prosecute those charges at that time. It doesn’t necessarily mean never, and it is possible to re-indict someone on the same charges.
B) The UFC isn’t some benevolent foundation dedicated to all that is fair and just, as White’s appeal seems to suggest. Otherwise, Ben Askren would be currently fighting in the UFC, and Anthony Johnsonwould’ve been banned from the promotion long ago. To re-sign Silva with that rationale is disingenuous and hollow.
C) Silva did not go through “the legal process.” He got out on bail, Thaysa Silva fled the country, and the charges were dropped.
(Thiago Silva and Thaysa Kamiji Silva in…happier times, I guess? / Photo via Ryan Loco)
(Thaysa Silva) and victim #2 Pablo Popovitch were inside the center when she observed the defendant driving his vehicle, a 2012 Dodge Charger bearing FL TAG G7ARY. She could see the defendant pull up to the center because the entire store front is clear glass. The defendant then started honking the vehicle horn continuously. She then went outside to speak with him to avoid a confrontation since victim Silva and victim Popovitch are in a romantic relationship. The defendant is aware of this relationship and this fact contributed to his actions. She approached the defendant which was driving, and when she was approached the driver side, he rolled down the window. She immediately noticed that he had been drinking and extremely intoxicated. He then produced a black glock firearm and pointed it at the victim. He stated, You have ten seconds to bring Pablo outside and if he does not come out, I will go in the gym and start shooting everyone. It should be known there was a class in session with approximately 25 students inside. Victim Popovitch then exited the center to protect victim Silva from harm. He then approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and observed the defendant pointing the firearm above the door frame at the victim Silva. The defendant threatened to kill both victim Silva and victim Popivitch. Popovitch then ran back into the gym, locked the front door, and called 911. The defendant then drove away.
And then, on September 5th, the UFC re-signed Thiago Silva in a dazzling demonstration of ignorance, tone-deafness, and who knows what the fuck. The decision is almost entirely incomprehensible, despite Dana White’s meager efforts to explain it:
“But he was acquitted of all charges. How do you not let the guy fight again?
“He went through the legal process and came out of it untainted. He deserves to be able to make a living again. He’s back under contract.”
A) He was not acquitted of all charges. The charges have been dismissed with the announcement of a nolle prosequi, which is not an acquittal. Nolle prosequi is the decision not to prosecute those charges at that time. It doesn’t necessarily mean never, and it is possible to re-indict someone on the same charges.
B) The UFC isn’t some benevolent foundation dedicated to all that is fair and just, as White’s appeal seems to suggest. Otherwise, Ben Askren would be currently fighting in the UFC, and Anthony Johnsonwould’ve been banned from the promotion long ago. To re-sign Silva with that rationale is disingenuous and hollow.
C) Silva did not go through “the legal process.” He got out on bail, Thaysa Silva fled the country, and the charges were dropped.
So what is White thinking? Maybe they want to set him up as a can so everyone can watch him get destroyed in the Octagon while capitalizing on his infamy. Does White actually believe his own line of bullshit? I mean…he can’t, right? Did Silva send some threatening text messages promising to have him killed?
During an interview with Ariel Helwani, Thiago Silva has a lot of nothing to say for himself. After taking offense to Helwani asking about that whole SWAT team standoff thing (c’mon Helwani, can we just move on? it’s in the past), Silva says he wanted a divorce but his wife demanded money, and then when he wouldn’t give it to her, she “set (him) up. That’s it.” Seriously.
Unsurprisingly, Silva is painting himself as a man victimized by a crazy, lying, gold-digging woman set on personal vengeance. I doubt White is dumb or sexist enough to believe that, but by allowing Silva back in the UFC, he’s co-signing that narrative, to a degree. How nice that Dana could change this poor man’s life, after Silva was beset by multiple instances allegations of domestic abuse and scary-as-shit behavior that seemed to be escalating. Deadspin points out there were three separate instances. It’s so inspiring when these hard-luck cases can regain their self-confidence and right the wrongs done to them and get to fight for the most prominent, elite promotion in the world.
Let’s pretend Dana does think he’s doing the honorable thing. Does he endorse his fighters saying super sexist, smug things like, “I learned…don’t trust girls”? Of course, Silva chuckles and says he’s joking. No doubt. After some daffy girl trying to profit off his simple desire to be free of her, it must be very easy to be totally joking about how women are untrustworthy.
“People will forget. They always do,” Silva says, which I can personally guarantee will not be true in this instance. Also, does he use the internet? The Internet never forgets.
Later on in the MMA Hour, Helwani also interviews Anthony Johnson, who entered a nolo contendre (no contest) plea for domestic violence in 2010. Johnson, who is somehow still in the UFC despite what White describes as a strict policy enforced since “day one,” was rehabilitated by the penal system with the following: one day in county jail, eight hours of community service, three years’ probation, and 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling. Boy, what a penance.
Following the premiere of TUF 20 on September 10th, Fox Sports Live decided to seize a golden PR opportunity for the UFC to demonstrate its morals and policies around domestic violence with a brief interview with White. What followed was so patently and verifiably false it bordered on humorous. Here’s what the UFC president said when host Dan O’Toole asked him how he justified re-signing Silva:
“If you believe in the process, if you believe in the legal process, they came, [police] arrested him and he wasn’t brought up on any charges. Plus, I know a lot more of the story and what went on. If you take his side of the story, her side of the story, the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but he went through the process and he wasn’t charged with anything.”
So, rest easy, everyone — Thiago gave his bestie Dana the lowdown, and you don’t need to worry about it anymore. Silva would have no reason to lie about what happened or anything, because he’s a good guy and his wife fleeing the country is just what happens in this type of situation. It pretty much all makes sense and is believable. IF you believe in the “legal process” and assume that it doesn’t falter.
When O’Toole asked if the UFC would follow the NFL’s lead and strengthen its stance on domestic violence, White had this to say:
“We’ve been like that since day one, anyway. Obviously, when you’re dealing with human beings, there’s going to be things where guys are going to test positive for all different types of drugs. Guys are going to do stupid things. Guys are going to say stupid things in social media. There’s going to be all these things that happen. We have a record, a track record of getting rid of many people that have done bad things.
“We’ve been human beings in letting these guys, other guys make up for what they’ve done and come back. There’s one thing that you never bounce back from and that’s putting your hands on a woman*. Been that way in the UFC since we started here. You don’t bounce back from putting your hands on a woman*.”
Since this was on television, White couldn’t actually say “asterisk” and list the exceptions to that rule who currently fight in the UFC. Like Anthony Johnson and Abel Trujillo. Yeah, that’s an unimpeachable policy, Dana. Strictly defined and rigorously enforced.
Apparently, White still thinks his audience is dumb enough to believe the lines he’s feeding them. It’s White’s prerogative and responsibility to shape his company’s relationship with domestic violence, and re-signing Silva is a serious misstep that isn’t going to go away. People can change. But when domestic violence offenders have a recidivism rate of 62% within two years post-release, is gambling your company’s reputation on on those odds worth it?
*****
Follow Sydnie Jones on twitter at @syd1138, and read her two-part series on sexism, misogyny, and domestic violence in MMA here and here.
(” do love him. I can get past that if he can get the help. I know it can get better, because I know who he is.” / Photo by Scott Eisen for The Enterprise)
But in a somewhat depressing development, Kaitlyn Grispi has now come out publicly to downplay the incident, and says she’ll take her husband back if he gets help. (Keep in mind that the August 4th incident occurred while Josh was out on bail for his previous assault and battery arrest on Friday; Kaitlyn chose not to renew an emergency restraining order because she “thought Joshua would be better.” He wasn’t.) From a new report on WickedLocal/TheEnterprise:
Despite the documented abuse and her reported and visible injuries, [Grispi] said Monday that she loves her husband, who is being held without bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility. The two have been talking by telephone nearly every day while he is in prison, she said.
“My husband’s a great father and my kids miss him so much,” said Kaitlyn, 25, a mother of two children, ages 1 and 3, as she broke down crying. “It’s hard. My son’s birthday is tomorrow. It’s just rough.”
Standing on the porch of her Middleboro home Monday afternoon, Kaitlyn Grispi said her situation has been blown out of proportion in police and media reports.
“It’s sad because they’re making it out to be way crazier than what it was,” she said…
(“I do love him. I can get past that if he can get the help. I know it can get better, because I know who he is.” / Photo by Scott Eisen for The Enterprise)
But in a somewhat depressing development, Kaitlyn Grispi has now come out publicly to downplay the incident, and says she’ll take her husband back if he gets help. (Keep in mind that the August 4th incident occurred while Josh was out on bail for his previous assault and battery arrest on Friday; Kaitlyn chose not to renew an emergency restraining order because she “thought Joshua would be better.” He wasn’t.) From a new report on WickedLocal/TheEnterprise:
Despite the documented abuse and her reported and visible injuries, [Grispi] said Monday that she loves her husband, who is being held without bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility. The two have been talking by telephone nearly every day while he is in prison, she said.
“My husband’s a great father and my kids miss him so much,” said Kaitlyn, 25, a mother of two children, ages 1 and 3, as she broke down crying. “It’s hard. My son’s birthday is tomorrow. It’s just rough.”
Standing on the porch of her Middleboro home Monday afternoon, Kaitlyn Grispi said her situation has been blown out of proportion in police and media reports.
“It’s sad because they’re making it out to be way crazier than what it was,” she said…
Monday afternoon, visible were a bruise on her upper left arm and two small puncture wounds on her legs. Two days earlier, she said, she got a spray tan “just so I can cover up.”
“I went to Walmart the other day and I was sitting there and I noticed everyone staring at me,” she said.
After agreeing to be photographed by an Enterprise photographer Monday, she briefly went inside her home, applied face makeup, and came outside again.
Kaitlyn – with big, blue eyes and long, dark hair – said her domestic situation has only made headlines because of her husband’s involvement with the UFC.
“It’s about his name with the UFC. It’s not Kaitlyn Grispi with my picture getting domestically abused,” she said. “I would like to see how many domestic abuse (cases) happen in Middleboro. How come they don’t get any of this (attention)?”
Kaitlyn believes her husband’s aggression may be a result of concussions he suffered during his fights.
“I told him today that he needs to be evaluated with a CAT scan to see what is going on up there,” she said...
She declined to discuss how much abuse she may have endured in the past, leading up to her husband’s recent arrests.
“Yes. What he did is wrong. That is wrong to put your hands on a girl, and I understand that and I know that,” she said…
At times, she defended her husband, saying he is “a good person.” She downplayed the accusations of his abuse.
“Behind closed doors, everyone has a fight,” Kaitlyn said. “Maybe not that far, but everyone’s gonna fight. Every marriage has its problems. Does that mean you give up on it?”
She said she won’t go back to her husband if he doesn’t get help. “I need to actually see the change in order to make that decision,” she said.
Standing near Kaitlyn, Joshua Grispi’s brother, Jesse Skeffington of Plympton, said there is “a lot of confusion in the family” about the charges lodged against his brother.
“No one can picture Joshua doing this. The family can’t picture him doing this,” Skeffington, 31, said. “I can’t picture the scene that was painted, and obviously the family loves her.”
Skeffington said he has been visiting Kaitlyn regularly to check up on her. Her two children were placed in the custody of Kaitlyn’s parents after his brother’s arrest.
Kaitlyn is concerned about her dog, Buddy, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier that was taken into custody by Middleboro Animal Control last week. Buddy is currently under a 10-day quarantine to observe the dog for signs of rabies, and may have to be euthanized.
“I want my dog back,” said Kaitlyn, who told police last week that her husband would often choke the dog unconscious and that he did so during the Aug. 4 incident.
Kaitlyn said she has met with a woman who counsels domestic violence victims. Wearing a silver bracelet bearing a Cross, she said she is looking to God to get her through everything.
When asked why she’d consider staying with her husband, a man accused of physically harming her repeatedly, Kaitlyn replied: love.
“I love him,” she said. “I do love him. I can get past that if he can get the help. I know it can get better, because I know who he is.”
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Your reaction to this story will inevitably be influenced by your previous experience — or lack of experience — as a victim of domestic abuse. Like most men, I can’t relate to it personally. And while I’ve never been the kind of person to blame victims of domestic violence for the atrocities inflicted upon them, I’ve certainly been guilty of judging them. “What self-respecting woman would stay with a man who beat her?,” I think. “What kind of person would publicly defend her own horrific assault? Doesn’t she know what kind of example she’s setting for her children?”
It’s easy for someone completely removed from Kaitlyn’s situation to sit back and throw stones. Sure, maybe she’s not thinking logically, and maybe she needs more help than even she realizes. Maybe there are psychological reasons why she can tolerate abuse in the context of “love.” Writing off her assault by saying “Every marriage has its problems” is cringe-worthy, but let’s not lose sympathy for Kaitlyn Grispi as a human being.
That being said, her faith that Josh can “get better” has already brought her more suffering. My only hope is that Kaitlyn Grispi puts her own recovery first.
(Josh Grispi and Buddy the Pitbull, back in June 2011. / Photo via @joshgrispi)
In the wake of yesterday’s initial report about Josh Grispi‘s pair of arrests for assaulting his wife Kaitlyn — including the already-infamous detail about Grispi training his pitbull to attack her — WickedLocal has released an updated report about the situation, which paints the UFC/WEC veteran as a stone-cold sociopath. This is how it all went down, in chronological order…
– On Friday, Kaitlyn Grispi sent her mother Karen Fava a photo of herself with multiple bruises on her face and bleeding lips, taken after Josh had allegedly beaten her the day before. Fava showed the photo to the Middleboro Police Department, and officers visited the Grispis’ home that day to speak with Kaitlyn, who agreed to get an emergency restraining order against her husband and temporarily give custody of their two children to Fava.
– Grispi was then arrested for assault and battery, as well as multiple counts of improperly storing firearms near minors. “Inside the house police found handguns, rifles, an assault rifle and ammunition all belonging to Joshua. Most of the guns were unsecured and some were sitting in boxes inside their bedroom, police said. Next to their bed was a playpen with their 1-year-old daughter inside.”
– On Monday, Grispi posted $2,000 bail after his arraignment, and returned to his home. We’ll let WickedLocal take it from here:
Kaitlyn was supposed to extend the restraining order but didn’t do so because she “thought Joshua would be better,” court records show…
Things deteriorated quickly as Joshua began to yell at Kaitlyn about a pile of wood he had been looking for.
“Kaitlyn said she ran down the street and hid under a bush and Joshua found her. Joshua then began punching her in the head and forced her into the home,” court documents show. “Joshua got her inside the house and kept punching and kicking her over and over. Joshua was yelling at her, ‘You want me to (expletive) kill you?’”
(Josh Grispi and Buddy the Pitbull, back in June 2011. / Photo via @joshgrispi)
In the wake of yesterday’s initial report about Josh Grispi‘s pair of arrests for assaulting his wife Kaitlyn — including the already-infamous detail about Grispi training his pitbull to attack her — WickedLocal has released an updated report about the situation, which paints the UFC/WEC veteran as a stone-cold sociopath. This is how it all went down, in chronological order…
– On Friday, Kaitlyn Grispi sent her mother Karen Fava a photo of herself with multiple bruises on her face and bleeding lips, taken after Josh had allegedly beaten her the day before. Fava showed the photo to the Middleboro Police Department, and officers visited the Grispis’ home that day to speak with Kaitlyn, who agreed to get an emergency restraining order against her husband and temporarily give custody of their two children to Fava.
– Grispi was then arrested for assault and battery, as well as multiple counts of improperly storing firearms near minors. “Inside the house police found handguns, rifles, an assault rifle and ammunition all belonging to Joshua. Most of the guns were unsecured and some were sitting in boxes inside their bedroom, police said. Next to their bed was a playpen with their 1-year-old daughter inside.”
– On Monday, Grispi posted $2,000 bail after his arraignment, and returned to his home. We’ll let WickedLocal take it from here:
Kaitlyn was supposed to extend the restraining order but didn’t do so because she “thought Joshua would be better,” court records show…
Things deteriorated quickly as Joshua began to yell at Kaitlyn about a pile of wood he had been looking for.
“Kaitlyn said she ran down the street and hid under a bush and Joshua found her. Joshua then began punching her in the head and forced her into the home,” court documents show. “Joshua got her inside the house and kept punching and kicking her over and over. Joshua was yelling at her, ‘You want me to (expletive) kill you?’”
She ran into a bathroom, and Joshua sent the dog after her before she managed to get out of the bathroom and run out of the house to her neighbor’s home, police said.
Police responded and arrested Joshua again Monday night. Another search of the house found more ammunition, 20 marijuana plants, 15 grams of cocaine and two teacup pot-belly pigs being kept as pets in the basement.
The dog and pigs have been put in the custody of animal control.
Kaitlyn told police her husband had been abusive to her for the past two years in their three-year marriage.
“She had been afraid to come forward because she has been threatened that he would kill her and her family,” court records show.
– Kaitlyn Grispi suffered bite marks on her legs during the dog attack, as well as bruises and scratches all over her body. And then there’s this: “Joshua would often choke the dog unconscious after the attacks, court records show.”
– Kaitlyn also has proof of the death threats that Josh had made against her. Court records reveal text messages that Josh sent to his wife over the last week:
“UR (expletive) dead and if u even try n bring my kids into it the worse it will b for u and if u try and make a seen (sic) I’ll choke u unconscious and smash ur throat and if u get worse n run around after I’m goin to let Buddy have at u and I’ll walk out of the room.”
“Don’t cure (sic) you whore, That’s all u think abor (sic) ur a (expletive) scum bag piece of (expletive) who I’m goin enjoy choking to death.”
“U better not b bluffing about cops cuz I don’t joke ur dead when I see u… Literally. I don’t care I’m going to beat u n throw u to buddy, Ur dead.”
Grispi is currently being held without bail (thank God), and will be due back in court October 3rd.
Of all the harrowing falls from grace in MMA history, Grispi’s story might be the worst of all time. In October 2010 he was set to face Jose Aldo at UFC 125 in the UFC’s first-ever featherweight title fight, following an incredible stint in the WEC. A month later, Aldo pulled out of the fight due to injury, and Grispi stayed on the UFC 125 card against Dustin Poirier. Grispi lost the fight by unanimous decision, and his title hopes went up in smoke.
Grispi would go on to lose three more consecutive UFC fights against George Roop, Rani Yahya, and Andy Ogle, and was released by the UFC in February 2013. But now, instead of being a footnote in MMA history, Josh Grispi will be best known for siccing his dog on his wife and then choking the dog. What the hell is wrong with people.
