So there’s a reason certain moves have been deemed illegal in the MMA handbook. It’s easy to do some major damage in a fight by just simply tweaking your ankle or shifted the wrong way and pulling something. And yes, the punches, kicks, knees, and elbows certainly help to do some major damage as well, but all of those blows require a certain level of finesse. Then there are soccer kicks and stomps.
So there’s a reason certain moves have been deemed illegal in the MMA handbook. It’s easy to do some major damage in a fight by just simply tweaking your ankle or shifted the wrong way and pulling something. And yes, the punches, kicks, knees, and elbows certainly help to do some major damage as well, but all of those blows require a certain level of finesse. Then there are soccer kicks and stomps. They look awesome in terms of spectacle, but you have to wonder when, if ever, is it cool to use those attacks in a professional MMA match.
Road FC featured a bout that ended due to one of those illegal techniques. Here’s a reminder of why stomps are so frowned upon.
(Nothing like starting a fight on camera to avoid looking bad.)
At the risk of inciting his well-documented wrath, we feel compelled to say that TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao might be a bit of a loose cannon. Aside from the short fuse he displayed while in the TUF house, the man has also threatened to stab Dustin Poirier with a pen and attacked a Carnaval reporter on camera in the recent past, which doesn’t exactly speak to the zen-like qualities that martial arts is supposed to inspire.
Brandao’s latest arrest, however, is like something out of a War Machine fan fiction novel.
(Nothing like starting a fight on camera to avoid looking bad.)
At the risk of inciting his well-documented wrath, we feel compelled to say that TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao might be a bit of a loose cannon. Aside from the short fuse he displayed while in the TUF house, the man has also threatened to stab Dustin Poirier with a pen and attacked a Carnaval reporter on camera in the recent past, which doesn’t exactly speak to the zen-like qualities that martial arts is supposed to inspire.
Brandao’s latest arrest, however, is like something out of a War Machine fan fiction novel.
Details after the jump.
Over the weekend, details started to leak that the TUF 14 winner had been arrested outside of a strip club in Albuquerque for allegedly striking an employee with a gun. According to MMAJunkie, Brandao was arrested on Friday, charged with aggravated battery and three counts of aggravated assault, then released on Saturday after posting the $15,000 bond.
Last night, however, the nasty details of the incident were laid out when Brandao’s public arrest warrant was released (again via MMAJunkie), so strap yourself in for this mess…
According to the warrant, a doorman from Knockouts, Anthony Romero, told police Brandao had been arguing with the club’s DJ and appeared to be intoxicated. He left the bar and attempted to return, but was denied because of his intoxication.
“Hey puta, the next song that comes on better be Scatman John or I’m going to lose my shit!”
It was then that Brandao allegedly tried to punch his way back into the bar and wound up fighting four employees – including the DJ – before Romero pushed him out and then locked the door into the club.
Another bouncer, Lavon King, identified Brandao as “the UFC guy” that had previously visited the club several times and confirmed his identity when a dancer showed him a picture on her phone. The bouncer was outside Knockouts with another bouncer, Patrick Otero, and he saw Brandao drive his car off the parking lot and move it to a nearby street corner.
Wait, the club is called Knockouts? I’m going to assume that this whole incident can be traced back to Brandao’s inability to understand double entendre, then.
Then, Brandao allegedly exited the car carrying a gun and pointed it at the group.
(Brandao) pointed the gun at (King’s) chest and yelled at the group. Lavon stated that Diego then pointed the gun at Patrick’s face and then struck him in the face with the firearm.
Lavon stated that (Brandao) pointed the gun at the three of them again and then went back to the vehicle. Lavon did state that he was in fear of losing his life during the altercation.
Romero told police as soon as he heard Brandao allegedly had a firearm, he escorted other bar patrons inside to take shelter.
Man, how long do you think it will be before MMA is re-banned in Albuquerque? “You’re not safe on the roads, you’re not safe in the strip clubs…what’s next, a turf war inside the Stop n’ Shop?!”
Patrick stated he tried to calm Diego down and reason with him, but Diego turned the firearm to him and pointed it at his head. Patrick stated he put his hands up and noticed the other two subjects run behind Patrick’s car for cover.
Patrick stated that Diego asked him why he didn’t help him and hit him with the butt of the firearm on his chin. Patrick stated Diego then walked back to his vehicle, and pointed the firearm at the three of them one more time prior to leaving the area.
The UFC has of course released their obligatory statement on Brandao’s arrest, which you can check out below.
“We are aware that UFC featherweight Diego Brandao was arrested Friday following an altercation at a business establishment in Albuquerque, N.M. We are in the process of gathering more information at this time. While we are concerned by the nature of the reported allegations, it is important to note that Brandao is entitled to due process in a court of law. We will have no further comment until more information can be gathered.”
(Nothing like starting a fight on camera to avoid looking bad.)
At the risk of inciting his well-documented wrath, we feel compelled to say that TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao might be a bit of a loose cannon. Aside from the short fuse he displayed while in the TUF house, the man has also threatened to stab Dustin Poirier with a pen and attacked a Carnaval reporter on camera in the recent past, which doesn’t exactly speak to the zen-like qualities that martial arts is supposed to inspire.
Brandao’s latest arrest, however, is like something out of a War Machine fan fiction novel.
(Nothing like starting a fight on camera to avoid looking bad.)
At the risk of inciting his well-documented wrath, we feel compelled to say that TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao might be a bit of a loose cannon. Aside from the short fuse he displayed while in the TUF house, the man has also threatened to stab Dustin Poirier with a pen and attacked a Carnaval reporter on camera in the recent past, which doesn’t exactly speak to the zen-like qualities that martial arts is supposed to inspire.
Brandao’s latest arrest, however, is like something out of a War Machine fan fiction novel.
Details after the jump.
Over the weekend, details started to leak that the TUF 14 winner had been arrested outside of a strip club in Albuquerque for allegedly striking an employee with a gun. According to MMAJunkie, Brandao was arrested on Friday, charged with aggravated battery and three counts of aggravated assault, then released on Saturday after posting the $15,000 bond.
Last night, however, the nasty details of the incident were laid out when Brandao’s public arrest warrant was released (again via MMAJunkie), so strap yourself in for this mess…
According to the warrant, a doorman from Knockouts, Anthony Romero, told police Brandao had been arguing with the club’s DJ and appeared to be intoxicated. He left the bar and attempted to return, but was denied because of his intoxication.
“Hey puta, the next song that comes on better be Scatman John or I’m going to lose my shit!”
It was then that Brandao allegedly tried to punch his way back into the bar and wound up fighting four employees – including the DJ – before Romero pushed him out and then locked the door into the club.
Another bouncer, Lavon King, identified Brandao as “the UFC guy” that had previously visited the club several times and confirmed his identity when a dancer showed him a picture on her phone. The bouncer was outside Knockouts with another bouncer, Patrick Otero, and he saw Brandao drive his car off the parking lot and move it to a nearby street corner.
Wait, the club is called Knockouts? I’m going to assume that this whole incident can be traced back to Brandao’s inability to understand double entendre, then.
Then, Brandao allegedly exited the car carrying a gun and pointed it at the group.
(Brandao) pointed the gun at (King’s) chest and yelled at the group. Lavon stated that Diego then pointed the gun at Patrick’s face and then struck him in the face with the firearm.
Lavon stated that (Brandao) pointed the gun at the three of them again and then went back to the vehicle. Lavon did state that he was in fear of losing his life during the altercation.
Romero told police as soon as he heard Brandao allegedly had a firearm, he escorted other bar patrons inside to take shelter.
Man, how long do you think it will be before MMA is re-banned in Albuquerque? “You’re not safe on the roads, you’re not safe in the strip clubs…what’s next, a turf war inside the Stop n’ Shop?!”
Patrick stated he tried to calm Diego down and reason with him, but Diego turned the firearm to him and pointed it at his head. Patrick stated he put his hands up and noticed the other two subjects run behind Patrick’s car for cover.
Patrick stated that Diego asked him why he didn’t help him and hit him with the butt of the firearm on his chin. Patrick stated Diego then walked back to his vehicle, and pointed the firearm at the three of them one more time prior to leaving the area.
The UFC has of course released their obligatory statement on Brandao’s arrest, which you can check out below.
“We are aware that UFC featherweight Diego Brandao was arrested Friday following an altercation at a business establishment in Albuquerque, N.M. We are in the process of gathering more information at this time. While we are concerned by the nature of the reported allegations, it is important to note that Brandao is entitled to due process in a court of law. We will have no further comment until more information can be gathered.”
The UFC’s recently-implemented, USADA-partnered drug-testing program has been quietly gaining steam at a predictable-but-still-scary rate since it was officially implemented last October, most recently catching Frank Mir in what may very well be a career-ending mistake earlier in the month and busting Viscardi Andrade just earlier in the week for a similar violation.
While the anti-doping agency’s settlement with Yoel Romero shows that the system is not exactly fool-proof yet, it’s still doing a respectable job of cleaning up the sport’s dirtiest fighters and hitting them where it hurts the most.
One of the last fighters that you would ever expect to be lumped into that category, however, is former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.
The UFC’s recently-implemented, USADA-partnered drug-testing program has been quietly gaining steam at a predictable-but-still-scary rate since it was officially implemented last October, most recently catching Frank Mir in what may very well be a career-ending mistake earlier in the month and busting Viscardi Andrade just earlier in the week for a similar violation.
While the anti-doping agency’s settlement with Yoel Romero shows that the system is not exactly fool-proof yet, it’s still doing a respectable job of cleaning up the sport’s dirtiest fighters and hitting them where it hurts the most.
One of the last fighters that you would ever expect to be lumped into that category, however, is former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Over the course of his near-10 year career in the UFC, “The Dragon” has displayed nothing less than the epitome of class and professionalism both inside and outside of the octagon, serving as a true ambassador for a sport with only a handful of guys that you’d ever want to give such a title to. But just as Anderson Silva did before him, Machida once again reminded us that
Scheduled to rematch Dan Henderson in the co-main event of this weekend’s UFC on FOX 19 card — a card which has already taken its fair share of hits, for what it’s worth — Machida shocked the MMA world this afternoon by admitting that he had used a banned substance while being administered an out-of-competition drug test.
“The UFC organization was made aware today by U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, that Lyoto Machida declared the usage of a banned substance during an out-of-competition sample collection last week,” UFC official stated on Wednesday.
“Machida stated that he was unaware that the substance was prohibited both in and out of competition and, in accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, his disclosure of usage will be taken into consideration by USADA during any potential results management and adjudication process.”
And this right here is why my only heroes are ghosts, Nation. I guess we could give props to Machida for being up front with his banned substance use (though which one he used specifically has not been revealed yet) instead of belittling our intelligence by blaming his positive test on the sauna or the guy testing your samples, but at the same time, Machida is the one guy I would have believed was the victim of some crazy mix up. WHY YOU GOTTA BREAKA MY HEART, LYOTO?! WHYYYY!!!!
As a result of his admission, Machida’s scheduled bout with Henderson has been pulled from UFC on FOX 19, and Henderson is PISSED.
A video posted by Chris Weidman (@chrisweidmanufc) on Mar 22, 2016 at 3:51pm PDT
(“Everybody in the car, we’re going out for some celebratory gabagool!!” via Chris Weidman’s Instagram)
The struggle to bring MMA to New York has been a long, frustrating, and well-documented one. It’s a battle that has largely been fueled by a general ignorance of what the sport actually is, a corrupt union, and a group of even more corrupt politicians. First it was Bob Reilly comparing it to dogfighting, then it was that literal fraud Sheldon Silver shooting the MMA bill down at every turn. It’s been nothing short of a Sisyphean struggle since day 1.
As the years passed, so did the hope that our beloved sport would ever be legalized in one of the country’s biggest markets. And for the majority of yesterday’s absolutely bonkers Assembly meeting, it seemed like the bill was destined to fail once again.
But somehow, someway, it did the opposite of that.
A video posted by Chris Weidman (@chrisweidmanufc) on
(“Everybody in the car, we’re going out for some celebratory gabagool!!” via Chris Weidman’s Instagram)
The struggle to bring MMA to New York has been a long, frustrating, and well-documented one. It’s a battle that has largely been fueled by a general ignorance of what the sport actually is, a corrupt union, and a group of even more corrupt politicians. First it was Bob Reilly comparing it to dogfighting, then it was that literal fraud Sheldon Silver shooting the MMA bill down at every turn. It’s been nothing short of a Sisyphean struggle since day 1.
As the years passed, so did the hope that our beloved sport would ever be legalized in one of the country’s biggest markets. And for the majority of yesterday’s absolutely bonkers Assembly meeting, it seemed like the bill was destined to fail once again.
But somehow, someway, it did the opposite of that.
Full story after the jump.
The first person to speak up in this kangaroo court was Daniel O’Donnell, who began his argument against MMA in New York by comparing the sport to gay porn, stating “Two naked hot men rolling around on top of each other trying to dominate each other. …that’s gay porn with a different ending.”
We kid you not. Those are literally the words O’Donnell — who it’s worth mentioning is an open homosexual — used to *begin* his argument against MMA.
This fucking sport, you guys…it really brings out the weirdest in people.
Next on the floor was Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, who attempted to scale things back a bit by displaying the more common ignorance of the sport that we have become used to. After comparing MMA to “fight clubs” as part of a point that I still haven’t been able to determine and breaking out the classic “WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?!!” argument, Glick then put her ignorance on full display with the following statement.
“No headgear. No gloves. Bare knuckles on the side of your head. That seems like a pretty serious situation.”
Glick then took to Twitter and verbally argued with an Edmund Tarverdyan parody account because this sport and everything it touches is pure lunacy.
Next up was Charles Barron, who likened mixed martial arts to slavery-OH COME ON NOW!!
But when the dust had settled, the bill to legalize MMA in New York had passed 113-25, lifting a 19-year ban on the sport. The UFC sent out a press release on the unbelievable news shortly thereafter, stating their intentions hold four annual events in New York for the next three consecutive years.
Per @ufc press release, New York can expect four annual events for first three years after Gov. Cuomo approves. pic.twitter.com/emXfoeq1Ad
Speaking with reporters afterward, Lorenzo Fertitta was the closes thing to ecstatic as we’ve ever seen from him. (via MMAFighting):
“I think it’s gonna be an epic moment for the sport and for our company,” Fertitta said. “Obviously, right now all of our focus is on trying to put together the matches for UFC 200, but when we go to New York and we eventually debut at Madison Square Garden, me and Dana [White] and the rest of the team are gonna be very focused on delivering for the fans. We’re gonna put together the best available matches that we can. You’ll have the biggest names that we can possibly put on, the biggest names that are available at the time. Believe me, we want to knock it out of the park and we want to deliver for New York in a big way.”
“We are hopeful that we will be holding one, possibly two events [in New York] before the end of the year here in 2016,” Fertitta said. … “We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to get in at least two in before the end of the year.”
While the MMA bill has made it through the State Senate many times before, yesterday marked the first time that it ever passed on the Assembly floor. Now, we wait for NY Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign the bill into law, which he is expected to do.
It’s finally happening, you guys. It’s finally happening.
At this point, there are few jokes left to be made at the expense of Jason “Mayhem” Miller, whose downward spiral over the past five years has seen him arrested for severalacts of assault and engage in a standoff with Los Angeles SWAT members (a standoff which he live-tweeted) among other crimes and misdemeanors. It’s been nothing short of heartbreaking to witness, and made all the worse by the knowledge that the path on which he is currently traveling seems destined to end in only the darkest of ways.
Yet despite the many, many warning signs Miller has given off in recent years, the former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight was inexplicably booked in a match against fellow UFC alum Luke Barnatt for Italian promotion VenatorFC this coming May — a story that was immediately undercut by Miller’s subsequent arrest for driving under the influence.
As you might expect, we are not about to deliver the news that Miller has made a miraculous recovery and has rededicated himself to the sport that made him such a notorious and likable personality to begin with. No, we’re here to tell you that “Mayhem” has been arrested YET AGAIN, and the best thing we can say is that thankfully no one was hurt.
At this point, there are few jokes left to be made at the expense of Jason “Mayhem” Miller, whose downward spiral over the past five years has seen him arrested for severalacts of assault and engage in a standoff with Los Angeles SWAT members (a standoff which he live-tweeted) among other crimes and misdemeanors. It’s been nothing short of heartbreaking to witness, and made all the worse by the knowledge that the path on which he is currently traveling seems destined to end in only the darkest of ways.
Yet despite the many, many warning signs Miller has given off in recent years, the former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight was inexplicably booked in a match against fellow UFC alum Luke Barnatt for Italian promotion VenatorFC this coming May – a story that was immediately undercut by Miller’s subsequent arrest for driving under the influence.
As you might expect, we are not about to deliver the news that Miller has made a miraculous recovery and has rededicated himself to the sport that made him such a notorious and likable personality to begin with. No, we’re here to tell you that “Mayhem” has been arrested YET AGAIN, and the best thing we can say is that thankfully no one was hurt.
Details after the jump.
According to FOX Sports (via TMZ), Miller was nabbed yet again by Orange County police following “an incident that took place in January where the former UFC middleweight allegedly vandalized a tattoo shop with graffiti.” Due to the apparently extensive nature of the damage he inflicted (and the fact that he was out on bail when he committed the crime in question), Miller is currently being held on a bail of 1 million goddamn dollars.
One would imagine that this latest arrest will serve as the beginning and end of Miller’s expected return to the cage, but given how fiercely Venator FC president Frank Meranda defended Miller upon signing him, who knows what will happen to the former Strikeforce star.
What’s that? You say that you didn’t hear about Meranda’s defence? Well strap in for this one, Nation, because not only did the Venator president pen a (poorly-worded) press release condemning those of us who thought that putting Miller back in the cage was an inhumane cash grab as “idiots,” but he also personally took to Twitter to tell our buddy The Naked Gambler to “suck his dick.”
No joke. Here’s a sample of said press release:
Be fined (sic) does not make Miller a criminal to my eyes. I will not cancel any match for this reason. Indeed, I find it absolutely disgusting the some press rage against a person who is working hard in the gym to get back doing what he loves: Fighting in the cage.
For all the poor idiots who continue to speak of the mental condition of Miller. Miller is a born actor. These days he’s proving his qualities with never ending jokes on the internet and twitter. He was not “drunk” when he said Josh Barnett instead of Luke Barnatt. He is just doing with great skills his PR job, above all with no trash talk and without offending anyone as it’s quite normal in modern MMA, but with subtle irony, playing the character of “mental devastated” that every stupid in this world lightly gives to him without actually knowing him.
Jason Miller is not a saint. We do not defend what he has done wrong in the past. But we are happy and honored to give him the chance he deserves to show how the MMA can be a vehicle for the rebirth of a person.
For all who would like to see him alone and abandoned by everyone, I only have one word for you: be ashamed of yourself. I believe in Jason Miller. I’ll give this guy his chance.
Right, because we and the state of California have not given Miller enough chances already. The shame…it’s constricting my heart like a boa.
Venator has decided to opt for a less aggressive response this time around, though, writing on their official Facebook page that “Venator FC is aware of the situation involving Jason Miller” and “We take this matter seriously and we will act accordingly once we gather more information.”
“Act accordingly.” Oh, I can see Meranda’s statement now…
“In my eyes, spray-painting a tattoo shop does not make you a criminal. If it did, then Banksy would basicly be Hitler. Everyone knows that there are only two *real* crimes in this world: rape and murder. Jason Miller is not a saint, but he hasn’t committed either of those yet, so I c no reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to fight. In fact, we here at Venator FC our fully prepared to pay Miller’s legal fees, and think that all of you MMA media pussies should just shut the fuck up already and quit your bitching.
