Tag: fighter interview

Bold Statement of the Day: Matt Riddle Will “Probably Say No” When the UFC Comes Calling in a Few Years


(And this is the face he will make after he does.) 

Since being released from the UFC following his second positive test for marijuana in his past three fights, TUF 7 alum Matt Riddle has been doing his damnedest to burn every last bridge that might possibly connect him to the organization he has literally built his entire professional MMA career in. And while Riddle succeeded in raising some interesting questions regarding the UFC’s policy of hiring and firing fighters during his recent interview on The MMA Hour, he also succeeded in completely sabotaging any potential of a return trip to the sport’s highest promotion, which according to him, is something he would prefer:

What I see happening is, a year or two from now the UFC calls me back after I’ve won probably like five or six fights, hopefully. And I’ll probably, at the time, say, ‘No.’ Because I really don’t like the direction they’re taking the company. They’re firing high-level talent so they can have lower level talent just scrap, and they’d rather have a brawl than a good technical fight. I think that’s going to be their downfall, because the fans are getting more educated. They’re getting smarter, and they don’t want to just see a slugfest and two retarded guys with brain damage bleeding everywhere.

Dana White’s response was expectantly blunt. Get it? Blunt? Be honest, that pun is so great you’d probably beat your kids in a fit of jealous rage if you weren’t so goddamn stoned.

Much more from this interview after the jump. 


(And this is the face he will make after he does it.) 

Since being released from the UFC following his second positive test for marijuana in his past three fights, TUF 7 alum Matt Riddle has been doing his damnedest to burn every last bridge that might possibly connect him to the organization he has literally built his entire professional MMA career in. And while Riddle succeeded in raising some interesting questions regarding the UFC’s policy of hiring and firing fighters during his recent interview on The MMA Hour, he also succeeded in completely sabotaging any potential of a return trip to the sport’s highest promotion, which according to him, is something he would prefer:

What I see happening is, a year or two from now the UFC calls me back after I’ve won probably like five or six fights, hopefully. And I’ll probably, at the time, say, ‘No.’ Because I really don’t like the direction they’re taking the company. They’re firing high-level talent so they can have lower level talent just scrap, and they’d rather have a brawl than a good technical fight. I think that’s going to be their downfall, because the fans are getting more educated. They’re getting smarter, and they don’t want to just see a slugfest and two retarded guys with brain damage bleeding everywhere.

Dana White’s response was expectantly blunt. Get it? Blunt? Be honest, that pun is so great you’d probably beat your kids in a fit of jealous rage if you weren’t so goddamn stoned.

Self-sabotage aside, Riddle did raise some interesting points about the UFC’s non-existent policy when it comes to releasing fighters. Most notably, that of fellow stoner marijuana enthusiast Dave Herman:

But you’ve got to look at guys like Dave Herman. Three fight losing streak, gets knocked out like three times in a row, fails two drug tests for weed, and he’s still in the UFC. And I don’t take anything from Herman, I’m sure he’s a great guy. But I don’t know. I think that’s very hypocritical, and those are politics right there. That’s not good business. That’s you guys getting together, doing a little pow-wow, and being like, ‘Let’s get rid of Riddle. He’s fighting more conservative. He’s going out there for wins. He’s fighting more educated. And I’d rather hire a couple guys from Australia or the U.K. that just brawl, and pay them half as much.

It’s hard to disagree with Riddle’s theory given what Dana White stated about Jon Fitch following his exit from the promotion. And while Herman was forced to attend rehab to keep his job, Riddle was offered no such option. Not that he wouldn’t have taken it.

Obviously, we’re not going to retread the same sub-arguments that inevitably come hand-in-hand with the topic of marijuana in MMA (marijuana vs. TRT, the legality of marijuana in America, etc.). While Riddle points out some obvious flaws in the UFC’s policy of firing and hiring fighters, he fails to realize (or just neglects to mention) that until the fighters of the UFC form some sort of union, DW and friends will continue to hire and fire whoever the hell they want, when they want.

Of course, no bridge-burning ceremony would be complete without a conspiracy theory or two, and thankfully Riddle has us covered there:

A lot of lawyers think I have a lawsuit for wrongful termination. And, you know, I’m not really trying to go that route, because I like to fight and I’m not really trying to bellyache about it. But at the same time, if didn’t fail a drug test, and something was added to my urine, like Creatine and THC, or something like that, then I would like to know. Because I just think it was just really convenient.

Then even after my fight, Dana White was making comments, ‘Oh, maybe if people started fighting more exciting, unlike Riddle lately.’ He did a couple interviews and mentioned how I haven’t been fighting exciting, and then just so happens, a couple days later I fail a drug test and I get fired. There’s just a couple variables, it just seems really fishy.

Perhaps the most hilarious thing to take away from this statement is the idea that Matt Riddle talks to not one, but multiple lawyers in between bong hits — lawyers that we should probably assume received their degree from the same law school as Frito and Charlie Kelly. But his Rafael Cavalcante-esque conspiracy aside, does anyone agree with the inconsistencies in the UFC’s mentality regarding releasing fighters as pointed out by Riddle?

–J. Jones

Obvious Statement of the Day: Stefan Struve is “A 265-Pound, Seven-Foot Monster”


(Demetrious Johnson had never seen a giraffe in person before this photo was taken. He still hasn’t, but don’t tell him that.) 

Despite being a relatively humble guy by fighter’s standards, Stefan Struve isn’t afraid to make a bold statement every now and again. Or in today’s case, a couple obvious ones. First, Struve spoke to UFC.com about his upcoming UFC on FUEL 8 tilt with PRIDE legend Mark Hunt (check out an awesome promo for the event here). After making such straightforward statements as “[Hunt] will not try and take me down” and “I’m fine when I keep my distance,” Struve ended the interview by declaring that “I’m not a boy among men anymore, you know? Now I’m a 265-pound, seven-foot monster.” Which is fine, until you see how he made that statement.

One thing’s for sure, it will be interesting to see how Struve is accepted by the people of Japan, who have a somewhat rocky history with creatures his size.

After the jump: Struve makes some more obvious statements about the implications of a win on Saturday. What do you mean it’s a slow news day?


(Demetrious Johnson had never seen a giraffe in person before this photo was taken. He still hasn’t, but don’t tell him that.) 

Despite being a relatively humble guy by fighter’s standards, Stefan Struve isn’t afraid to make a bold statement every now and again. Or in today’s case, a couple obvious ones. First, Struve spoke to UFC.com about his upcoming UFC on FUEL 8 tilt with PRIDE legend Mark Hunt (check out an awesome promo for the event here). After making such straightforward statements as “[Hunt] will not try and take me down” and “I’m fine when I keep my distance,” Struve ended the interview by declaring that “I’m not a boy among men anymore, you know? Now I’m a 265-pound, seven-foot monster.” Which is fine, until you see how he made that statement.

One thing’s for sure, it will be interesting to see how Struve is accepted by the people of Japan, who have a somewhat rocky history with creatures his size.

After the jump: Struve makes some more obvious statements about the implications of a win on Saturday. What do you mean it’s a slow news day?

Speaking of obvious revelations, Struve recently spoke to MMAFighting about where he believed a win this weekend would place him on the list of contenders in the heavyweight division. The Dutchman was both confident and competent in his analysis of his situation:

When I win this fight, and I finish this fight yet again, then I’m on a five-fight win streak with five finishes in the heavyweight division. Nobody else in the heavyweight division is on a five-fight win streak. I think I have a pretty strong bid to call myself No. 1 contender. 

While Struve has’t exactly been knocking off world-beaters in his current four fight win streak, his TKO victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC on FUEL 5 showcased a smarter, more disciplined version of Stefan Struve. Or at least one that wouldn’t leap face first into the fists of his opponents. And like Struve said, he’s riding a win streak that no other heavyweight in the division can claim at the moment.

In either case, when you combine Struve’s ever-improving striking with his already stellar ground game, it’s hard to deny that he could pose a legitimate threat to whomever emerges victorious from the Cain Velasquez/Bigfoot Silva rematch at UFC 160. We’re just kidding, Velasquez is going to treat Silva like a turtle in Cannibal Holocaust come May 25th. Again. Would anyone like to see Struve get a crack at him next?

–J. Jones 

Oversight of the Day: King Mo Doesn’t Think His Droopy Hands Played Any Part in His KO Loss Last Thursday

He might only be a few days removed from his shocking Bellator 90 upset at the hands of Emanuel Newton, but it doesn’t appear as if Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal has learned a damn thing from it yet. Mo has been training with renowned boxing instructor Jeff Mayweather ever since signing his groundbreaking Bellator/TNA double contract last May, and has even knocked out the occasional training partner or two in his time there. But King Mo is not Floyd Mayweather, and this fact was never made more obvious than in the moments leading up to his KO loss last Thursday.

In an attempt to mimic Mayweather’s “shoulder roll” technique, Mo’s hands could be spotted closer to his waist than his face for the majority of the fight, which would have been fine had Mo counterbalanced that disadvantage with sharp combinations and head movement. Since Mo did nothing of the sort, he wound up losing his spot in the light heavyweight tourney finals and costing me over 2200 dollars on a eight-fight parlay yousonofabitchbastardWHYGODWHY. But if you were to ask Mo, the knockout was not the result of his own arrogance and was in fact quite the opposite:

I didn’t even see the shot. A lot of people saying that I was fighting cocky and with my hands down, but if you watch it, when he missed with his right hand, I threw a right hand and then he came with the spinning backfist.

He might only be a few days removed from his shocking Bellator 90 upset at the hands of Emanuel Newton, but it doesn’t appear as if Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal has learned a damn thing from it yet. Mo has been training with renowned boxing instructor Jeff Mayweather ever since signing his groundbreaking Bellator/TNA double contract last May, and has even knocked out the occasional training partner or two in his time there. But King Mo is not Floyd Mayweather, and this fact was never made more obvious than in the moments leading up to his KO loss last Thursday.

In an attempt to mimic Mayweather’s “shoulder roll” technique, Mo’s hands could be spotted closer to his waist than his face for the majority of the fight, which would have been fine had Mo counterbalanced that disadvantage with sharp combinations and head movement. Since Mo did nothing of the sort, he wound up losing his spot in the light heavyweight tourney finals and costing me over 2200 dollars on a eight-fight parlay yousonofabitchbastardWHYGODWHY. But if you were to ask Mo, the knockout was not the result of his own arrogance and was in fact quite the opposite:

I didn’t even see the shot. A lot of people saying that I was fighting cocky and with my hands down, but if you watch it, when he missed with his right hand, I threw a right hand and then he came with the spinning backfist.

So he kind of caught me in the act of punching, but no excuses, I’m good, and I will be back and hopefully I get to fight him again in the future. It was the first time I had been knocked out, and the good thing is I came to pretty quick. When I saw the ref standing over me, I just said, ‘Damn!’

Hey, at least Mo didn’t go with the “I am too talented to train” routine, right? Anyone?

If you lost more money that I did an account of Mo, feel free to vent your frustrations in the comments section. As for me, I’m sure these legs will unbreak themselves any…day…now…

–J. Jones

The UFC is Still Screwing With Rampage Jackson, According to Rampage Jackson [SAD STORY BRO]

It’s really tough being Rampage Jackson these days, you guys. Sure, the boatloads of cash, the film and rap “careers,” and the endless string of Bengal tigers just waiting to be dry-humped are nice and all, but they don’t come close to filling the bottomless chasm left behind in Page’s soul by the swindlers and snake oil salesmen over at the UFC. Because beneath Rampage’s tuff (we imagine that is how he would prefer we spell it) exterior lies a kind, sensitive mixed martial artist that just wants his boss to pat him on the head and tell him that he’s proud of what he’s done. And then stop matching him up against fighters who utilize “gameplans,” “strategies,” “takedowns,” and other facets of modern MMA that are best left for trifling bitches.

And even though we haven’t been covering it as extensively as some, Jackson has been vehemently venting his feelings lately. Like, a lot. And by lately, we mean the past two years or so. And wouldn’t you know it, just a couple weeks out from his final contractually obligated fight at UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson, the UFC is still screwing with the poor guy. Jackson’s most recent lament was passed along by 5thround:

I’m sponsored by Reebok now and the UFC said I’m not allowed to wear Reebok in the cage, when the other fighters are sponsored by Nike and stuff. Why can’t I have Reebok?

It’s really tough being Rampage Jackson these days, you guys. Sure, the boatloads of cash, the film and rap “careers,” and the endless string of Bengal tigers just waiting to be dry-humped are nice and all, but they don’t come close to filling the bottomless chasm left behind in Page’s soul by the swindlers and snake oil salesmen over at the UFC. Because beneath Rampage’s tuff (we imagine that is how he would prefer we spell it) exterior lies a kind, sensitive mixed martial artist that just wants his boss to pat him on the head and tell him that he’s proud of what he’s done. And then stop matching him up against fighters who utilize “gameplans,” “strategies,” “takedowns,” and other facets of modern MMA that are best left for trifling bitches.

And even though we haven’t been covering it as extensively as some, Jackson has been vehemently venting his feelings lately. Like, a lot. And by lately, we mean the past two years or so. And wouldn’t you know it, just a couple weeks out from his final contractually obligated fight at UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson, the UFC is still screwing with the poor guy. Jackson’s most recent lament was passed along by 5thround:

I’m sponsored by Reebok now and the UFC said I’m not allowed to wear Reebok in the cage, when the other fighters are sponsored by Nike and stuff. Why can’t I have Reebok?

[Reebok] support me. They know that I’m probably gonna be doing more movies and stuff in the future. Who knows, I might go into boxing or somewhere else. They’ll still hang out with me. They’re not worried about the UFC. They don’t care. They’re not upset. 

When assessing the troubled life of Rampage, I am oft reminded of Sisyphus, who was condemned to roll the same boulder up a hill for all eternity, only to have it come rolling back down when he had made it to the top. Except instead of boulders, Page is forced to express the same complaints over and over again, only to injure himself and be forced to remain under his UFC contract until the day his osteoporosis-ridden body can no longer support the oversized bike chains that dangle from his neck. It almost makes me want to cry.

Jackson has also taken aim at his upcoming opponent at UFC on FOX, Glover Teixeira, and how he is being a two-faced doo-doo liarpants in his interviews leading up to their clash:

Glover is a guy who is just like everybody else, they say they are going to stand with me when most of his training camp is taking me down and fighting me on the ground just like the other guys. These cowards needs to do what they say they’re going to do and stop trying to confuse me and have me training in other areas but I’m smarter than that now. Now I see his game plan.

Good for you, Rampage. It has only taken you 10+ years in the business to figure out what the average child could piece together before their first ever dodgeball match at gym class. My opponents might use deception to mess with me? SHOW ME WHERE THE MAGIC BEANS ARE, WIZARD.

This of course brings us to the age-old question: If Rampage complains in the forest (or about him, amiright?) and no one is around to hear it, should we continue to give a fuck?

–J. Jones

Daniel Cormier Would Still Like to Pulverize Frank Mir’s Brain in 2013, If That’s Cool


(“Psssh, you best drop that tough guy shit right now, Bigfoot, because I can see the future and it doesn’t look good for you.”)

I feel really bad for Frank Mir’s brain. While it is quite an impressive brain when compared to many of its MMA counterparts, it is clearly beginning to wear under the stress of some pent-up, masochistic desires. It has been beaten into unconsciousness in every one of Mir’s six MMA losses, including two particularly brutal/carried-out beatings at the hands of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin — both of whom have hands bigger than the average newborn deer — yet it still keeps coming back for more. Most recently, Mir’s brain stepped in on short notice to get kneaded like a fresh Arepa by Junior dos Santos at UFC 146, to the point that its host body was shooting invisible free throws by the end of the night. Twas a sad sight indeed.

Mir’s brain was scheduled for concussion #7 against Daniel Cormier in November, but was granted a temporary reprieve from the injury Governor shortly thereafter. Where one would think that Mir’s brain would go the Paul Daley route and call out someone way below its level for a gimme fight, it instead insisted on calling out Cormier again, CTE be damned.

And it appears as if Cormier is more than willing to play huckleberry to Mir’s twisted desires, as the champ recently stated that — once he gets past Whatshisname Iknowthis at the final Strikeface event in January — he would still like to settle some unfinished business with Mir’s masochistic brain.

FighthubTV has the scoop after the jump.


(“Psssh, you best drop that tough guy shit right now, Bigfoot, because I can see the future and it doesn’t look good for you.”)

I feel really bad for Frank Mir’s brain. While it is quite an impressive brain when compared to many of its MMA counterparts, it is clearly beginning to wear under the stress of some pent-up, masochistic desires. It has been beaten into unconsciousness in every one of Mir’s six MMA losses, including two particularly brutal/carried-out beatings at the hands of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin — both of whom have hands bigger than the average newborn deer — yet it still keeps coming back for more. Most recently, Mir’s brain stepped in on short notice to get kneaded like a fresh Arepa by Junior dos Santos at UFC 146, to the point that its host body was shooting invisible free throws by the end of the night. Twas a sad sight indeed.

Mir’s brain was scheduled for concussion #7 against Daniel Cormier in November, but was granted a temporary reprieve from the injury Governor shortly thereafter. Where one would think that Mir’s brain would go the Paul Daley route and call out someone way below its level for a gimme fight, it instead insisted on calling out Cormier again, CTE be damned.

And it appears as if Cormier is more than willing to play huckleberry to Mir’s twisted desires, as the champ recently stated that — once he gets past Whatshisname Iknowthis at the final Strikeface event in January — he would still like to settle some unfinished business with Mir’s masochistic brain.

FighthubTV has the scoop below.

Well, right now, Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen are fighting on April 27th. If I come out of this fight un-injured and victorious, I will take a little bit of time to chill and then get back into training for my next fight. When I come in, I am going to stay at heavyweight and I really want to fight Frank Mir. That is the fight I want. I would love for it to be on the FOX show here in San Jose. April 20th, fight Frank Mir, on FOX have it be a free broadcast and that will help expose me and get more fans behind me who may not know me.

That is what I want right now. That is the fight I have trained for, and would be excited to train for it again; Mir wants the fight, I think it would be a great fight. It’s like we are doing Joe Silva’s job for him.

Although it was previously rumored by none other than Dana White that Cormier could possibly be next in line for Jon Jones, it seems like the man himself has quite the opposite in mind. Then again, who are we kidding? Cormier will likely break both his hands on the face of whoever he’s fighting next, so let’s just prepare ourselves for that scenario before we get concerned with anything else.

Cormier also stated in the interview that he “wasn’t intimidated” by the kickboxing background of his opponent, who I now see is named Dion Starling. So there’s that.

So…anyone see any good movies lately?

–J. Jones

Understatement of the Day: Junior Dos Santos Says He Used “The Wrong Strategy” Against Cain Velasquez


(“Don’t worry, Junior! I can see him growing weaker with every punch! Three more rounds of this and he’ll be all yours!” / Photo via Getty Images)

We hate to even say this because he’s such a nice guy and all, but the beating Junior Dos Santos took at UFC 155 may have been the most deflating, one-sided ass-kicking in the history of UFC heavyweight title fights (other than the time that senior citizen beat the tar out Fatty McGoo, of course) and is being labeled as such by many MMA pundits out there. As one of you pointed out in our salary recap, Junior’s face mirrored one of those faces of meth posters over the course of the five round affair, yet the sumbitch still posed for photos afterwards.

As you can probably tell by now, my New Year’s resolution was to use more hyperlinks. SUCK IT, TOUCH PHONE USERS!

Aaanyway, Junior couldn’t even make it to the hospital before he was bombarded by SporTV, who thought the best time to ask a professional fighter strategy-based questions was while he was determining how much blood he had lost just hours earlier. You know, kind of like how CNN often waits until a soldier in Iraq steps on a landmine to drill him on the ins and outs of The Pincer Movement. Junior’s broken English response was as you would expect:

It (he) was better and deserved to win, but I used the wrong strategy. I was very worried about his entry in my legs and left face unprotected. So he hit me. When I was on the floor, I should have used more jiu-jitsu, I trained so much. But I tried to (get) back up, and it hurt me too, but on the ground it (he) is very good, very strong. I did not connect any punches good, even. It was bad because I was feeling very well, did a great training camp, everything was just right. But the fight is (over) anyway.


(“Don’t worry, Junior! I can see him growing weaker with every punch! Three more rounds of this and he’ll be all yours!” / Photo via Getty Images)

We hate to even say this because he’s such a nice guy and all, but the beating Junior Dos Santos took at UFC 155 may have been the most deflating, one-sided ass-kicking in the history of UFC heavyweight title fights (other than the time that senior citizen beat the tar out Fatty McGoo, of course) and is being labeled as such by many MMA pundits out there. As one of you pointed out in our salary recap, Junior’s face mirrored one of those faces of meth posters over the course of the five round affair, yet the sumbitch still posed for photos afterwards.

As you can probably tell by now, my New Year’s resolution was to use more hyperlinks. SUCK IT, TOUCH PHONE USERS!

Aaanyway, Junior couldn’t even make it to the hospital before he was bombarded by SporTV, who thought the best time to ask a professional fighter strategy-based questions was while he was determining how much blood he had lost just hours earlier. You know, kind of like how CNN often waits until a soldier in Iraq steps on a landmine to drill him on the ins and outs of The Pincer Movement. Junior’s broken English response was as you would expect:

It (he) was better and deserved to win, but I used the wrong strategy. I was very worried about his entry in my legs and left face unprotected. So he hit me. When I was on the floor, I should have used more jiu-jitsu, I trained so much. But I tried to (get) back up, and it hurt me too, but on the ground it (he) is very good, very strong. I did not connect any punches good, even. It was bad because I was feeling very well, did a great training camp, everything was just right. But the fight is (over) anyway.

Ahh, the modern marvel that is Google Translate. If you were to read that statement on its own, it would sound like the woeful tale of Monica Belluci’s character in Irreversible, but thanks to fabulous, space age technology, the man labeled as simply “Gypsy” was able to offer such eloquent expressions as “I had no fracture, I’m just bloated. ’m Beautiful?”

Yes Junior, you are beautiful, no matter what they say. And words can’t bring you down, oh, no. So we won’t bring you down today.

Unfortunately for Junior, the words of Dana White might bring him down a notch or two, as The Baldfather stated in the aftermath of UFC 155 that the Dos Santos/Velasquez rubber match, although intriguing, will not be happening in the foreseeable future:

I think trilogies are always awesome, especially when both these fights went the way that they did. I mean, I want to see the third fight. It will be interesting.

But this isn’t like losing a regular fight. He got beat up pretty bad. It usually takes a little longer to recover from what he went through.

Honestly, it’s hard to disagree with White here. Velasquez was the victim of a one-shot KO in the pair’s first meeting — one that came after a ridiculous slew of injuries — and he still had to destroy something…uh…what’s the word I’m looking for here…well, he had to beat down Antonio Silva before he got his rematch. To assume that Dos Santos would receive an immediate rematch after being thrashed for five straight rounds would be preposterous to say the least. Then again, crazier things have happened.

And speaking of Antonio Silva, it appears as if the UFC has zero confidence that he will be able to get past Alistair Overeem at UFC 156, as Overeem is already being billed as the next challenger to Velasquez’s newly regained throne. That is of course until Alistair tests positive for horsewhatever in the pre-fight drug test, in turn leading Dana White to go on an epic rant about “that fucking sport killer Keith Kizer.”

Oh, MMA in 2013, please tell us that you’ll be different than you were in 2012. Because unlike Chris Leben, I can’t just mock you on Twitter while silently masking how depressing your plight has truly become.

–J. Jones