Renzo Gracie fought on the UFC 112 card where Anderson Silva infuriated most of the known MMA world with his taunting of Demian Maia during their main event bout. Gracie is also connected with #1 middleweight contender Chris Weidman, who challenges Silva in one week at UFC 162.
In case you were wondering if Gracie and Silva’s shared mother country would keep the Jiu Jitsu legend from talking smack about Silva – it won’t. Speaking to The Fight Network, Gracie said, “Anderson is a guy that rubs many people the wrong way. He’s not a humble guy.”
Alright, so it’s not exactly mother f_cking Silva, but Renzo does seem to mean it as a serious criticism.
“Even though he may speak humbly when he talks, when he’s in the ring he doesn’t act humble. He puts down his opponents. He acts in a way that again, we always know what is right and wrong, and by looking at that, we know it’s wrong. It’s like you can beat your opponent, but do it with respect,” Gracie continued.
Saying Silva isn’t humble is a bit like saying that Michael Jordan is arrogant. No kidding, and who really cares?
Renzo Gracie fought on the UFC 112 card where Anderson Silva infuriated most of the known MMA world with his taunting of Demian Maia during their main event bout. Gracie is also connected with #1 middleweight contender Chris Weidman, who challenges Silva in one week at UFC 162.
In case you were wondering if Gracie and Silva’s shared mother country would keep the Jiu Jitsu legend from talking smack about Silva – it won’t. Speaking to The Fight Network, Gracie said, “Anderson is a guy that rubs many people the wrong way. He’s not a humble guy.”
Alright, so it’s not exactly mother f_cking Silva, but Renzo does seem to mean it as a serious criticism.
“Even though he may speak humbly when he talks, when he’s in the ring he doesn’t act humble. He puts down his opponents. He acts in a way that again, we always know what is right and wrong, and by looking at that, we know it’s wrong. It’s like you can beat your opponent, but do it with respect,” Gracie continued.
Saying Silva isn’t humble is a bit like saying that Michael Jordan is arrogant. No kidding, and who really cares?
Looks like someone got a call from their boss. Former Strikeforce fighter Tim Kennedy is set to make his UFC debut July 6th against Roger Gracie but made news yesterday for an interview he recently gave in which he criticized UFC fighter pay.
“It’s a good thing I have another job because the UFC doesn’t pay very well,” he told GrappleTalk Podcast.
“Anybody who accepts [fighters being underpaid] as a reality of the sport is sad and pathetic,” Kennedy went on. “I hope this isn’t the reality of the sport. If it is I should probably go do something else, like empty trash cans. I’d make more money than I do now.”
It didn’t take the middleweight long to regret his words, however, and he issued an apology to UFC brass for the interview through his facebook fan page yesterday. “I recently made comments regarding fighter pay. The intent of these statements was to highlight that professional fighters incur significant expense associated with their preparations to fight and that fighter compensation is still not on par with other major sports,” Kennedy began.
(“Apologize or Dana will do WHAT to my butt?” Photo via OTM.)
Looks like someone got a call from their boss. Former Strikeforce fighter Tim Kennedy is set to make his UFC debut July 6th against Roger Gracie but made news yesterday for an interview he recently gave in which he criticized UFC fighter pay.
“It’s a good thing I have another job because the UFC doesn’t pay very well,” he told GrappleTalk Podcast.
“Anybody who accepts [fighters being underpaid] as a reality of the sport is sad and pathetic,” Kennedy went on. “I hope this isn’t the reality of the sport. If it is I should probably go do something else, like empty trash cans. I’d make more money than I do now.”
It didn’t take the middleweight long to regret his words, however, and he issued an apology to UFC brass for the interview through his facebook fan page yesterday. “I recently made comments regarding fighter pay. The intent of these statements was to highlight that professional fighters incur significant expense associated with their preparations to fight and that fighter compensation is still not on par with other major sports,” Kennedy began.
While I am fortunate to have various revenue streams associated with my business interests, most fighters do not have that luxury. When you spend training camps with great guys with amazing talents and you see them barely making ends meet, while simultaneously seeing athletes in other sports with far less character and a far smaller work ethic making exponentially more, you can get frustrated.
Unfortunately, I made statements that alluded to how the UFC in particular pays its athletes. This was particularly offensive as Zuffa has taken better care of me than any other organization, even giving me a bonus for being amusing on Twitter. My choice of words was poor, not properly informed, and did not match my intent. Additionally, my comments were taken out of context. I can tell you that I have been fighting longer than most people and I remember all too well the days when there was no regulation or standard for an MMA promotion. I fought many times in Mexico where the rules were negligible, there were no physicals, and being paid was a luxury we didn’t expect. Our sport was shunned and was considered ‘human cockfighting’. Today, we are on Fox. We have doctors and insurance. We make more money than the average American. And we get these things by playing a sport we love. The only reason this is possible is because of Zuffa. They have legitimized the sport and taken better care of the athletes than any other organization, and the trend is only improving, with athletes making three times what they made on average five years ago.
My comments were hurtful and inappropriate. I accept full responsibility for the statements and apologize to the UFC, Dana White, Lorenzo Fertita, & Joe Silva as well as anyone I might have offended with my comments. Fighting for the UFC is an honor and a privilege. I look forward to putting this situation behind me and focusing on my upcoming fight with Roger Gracie.
There are two sets of things to take issue with in Kennedy’s twenty four-hour public relations whirlwind. First, his notion that UFC fighters are not paid “on par” with other sports.
Assuming that we ignore the importance of the fact that MMA has only really existed in North America for less than twenty years, as opposed to over a hundred for all the major sports, Kennedy is still wrong.
Sure, athletes in unionized major sports leagues like the NBA, NFL and MLB get paid a lot more than UFC athletes, at the low-end, the middle range and at the top. But that’s not a great comparison. Those players bargain collectively, as associations and unions. More often than not, union work is higher-paid work in most fields. If UFC fighters want the benefits of unionization, they should unionize.
In comparison to boxers, however, it is a simple truth that UFC fighters get paid more than most of their counterparts in boxing. There are maybe three or four professional boxers in the entire world that get paid more than the top UFC champions. Other than that, fighters on a UFC card usually get paid more than boxers on top cable and pay per view boxing cards. Top level professional MMA has a much healthier middle class than top level professional boxing and the UFC has probably created more new fighter millionaires than boxing has in the past ten years.
Kennedy, no stranger to sounding out of touch, also said that he could make more money emptying trash cans. Listen, I’m not saying that fighters and athletes and everyone in the world shouldn’t get more money for honest work than they currently receive. Go for it. If you want to go that direction, see the above advice on banding together to get better wages and treatment. But Kennedy’s garbage man comparison and complaint is pretty silly for two reasons.
First off, let’s say that garbage collectors make more than a mid-card level UFC fighter. What’s wrong with that? We actually need functioning garbage collection in modern, healthy society. I like watching Tim Kennedy fight but I sure as heck don’t need him as much as I need the local garbage man or woman to come pick up my bags of filth every Friday.
Second, if Kennedy is complaining about low pay and has identified an alternate career path where he could earn more, then why in the world doesn’t he switch careers? Kennedy is a decorated, elite war veteran. Want to bet that he couldn’t walk into most cities in the U.S. and get a streets and sanitation job easier than most? Deservedly, government jobs often consider past military service quite favorably in evaluating potential hires.
If Kennedy were a garbage man, he could still train and fight MMA, like he loves. Then he’d have that high-paying job he’s always wanted and still be able to practice MMA. Chances are, however, that Kennedy likes fighting in the UFC for other reasons as well – notably the fame and opportunities to fight the best in the world.
All that is one set of issues with this Kennedy story. The bigger one, however, is how quickly he wilted under pressure, felt or anticipated.
Maybe Kennedy, in the midst of a training camp, thinking of lesser paid fighter friends of his, said some out of touch things in regards to UFC pay. But, there’s nothing wrong with him advocating for even better pay, overall. What’s really disappointing is that Kennedy is apparently willing to denounce important positions of his so easily. In his apology, Kennedy said, that his “choice of words was poor” and “not properly informed.”
Kennedy has been an MMA pro for years. Why wasn’t his opinion “properly informed?” And, what could have possibly happened in just a few hours to make Kennedy’s perspective more informed? Also, his apology wasn’t just a change in “choice of words,” it was a philosophical about-face.
Tim, does the UFC pay well or doesn’t it? You should have an answer, even if it’s a personal one. And, if the answer to the question is that, no, they do not, why back down from defending the low-paid fighters that you said you were concerned about in the first place?
For a more well thought out, balanced, and less likely to be so quickly denied view of UFC pay, check out Nate Quarry’s recent interview with BloodyElbow.
In it, Quarry provides a nuanced, first-hand perspective on the UFC being both cut throat and generous, the balance between what fighters give to the organization and what the UFC gives to them, the value of competition in the MMA promotions business, the value of sponsorship money and the possibility of unionization. Check it out.
(“I’ve always considered myself a human being first and a fighter second. Sometimes that isn’t the best thing for my career.” Photo via Getty)
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson got into a car in New York City one afternoon this week, headed to Connecticut. Shortly after he sat down I asked where, specifically, he was headed to in Connecticut and why.
“I’m going to a little place called, ‘None of your damned business.’”
A standard tongue-in-cheek answer from Jackson, really. He was headed to Connecticut to visit a doctor of his.
The former UFC champion is currently on the mend from a number of injuries. He’s also at the start of what he is optimistic will be a flourishing new career with Bellator and Viacom.
After walking out on the UFC earlier this year, Jackson announced in early June that he had signed with the Viacom-owned Bellator Fighting Championships. He will fight there, wrestle on the TNA pro wrestling circuit, appear in a reality show airing on Spike and, he hopes, star in Paramount Pictures films, also owned by Viacom.
Despite this windfall of opportunity, I was a bit concerned for Jackson as an outside observer. Increasingly, he’s sounded less like the terrorizing, hungry fighter that became a world champion and more like an aging veteran content to show up, take lumps and collect a pay check.
“I know that realistically I probably won’t win all my fights in Bellator. But I’ll be damned if I won’t entertain people. I’m going to come over and put on the most exciting fights.”
That sentiment sounded generous, surely, but also a bit unsafe. In response, I wrote that “When a fighter who used to once be driven to be the best now simply hopes to titillate spectators by hitting and being hit, however, it can be a bad sign of damage to come.”
My concern was unfounded, though, Jackson says. Either I wasn’t listening or I didn’t get what he was saying.
(“I’ve always considered myself a human being first and a fighter second. Sometimes that isn’t the best thing for my career.” Photo via Getty)
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson got into a car in New York City one afternoon this week, headed to Connecticut. Shortly after he sat down I asked where, specifically, he was headed to in Connecticut and why.
“I’m going to a little place called, ‘None of your damned business.’”
A standard tongue-in-cheek answer from Jackson, really. He was headed to Connecticut to visit a doctor of his.
The former UFC champion is currently on the mend from a number of injuries. He’s also at the start of what he is optimistic will be a flourishing new career with Bellator and Viacom.
After walking out on the UFC earlier this year, Jackson announced in early June that he had signed with the Viacom-owned Bellator Fighting Championships. He will fight there, wrestle on the TNA pro wrestling circuit, appear in a reality show airing on Spike and, he hopes, star in Paramount Pictures films, also owned by Viacom.
Despite this windfall of opportunity, I was a bit concerned for Jackson as an outside observer. Increasingly, he’s sounded less like the terrorizing, hungry fighter that became a world champion and more like an aging veteran content to show up, take lumps and collect a pay check.
“I know that realistically I probably won’t win all my fights in Bellator. But I’ll be damned if I won’t entertain people. I’m going to come over and put on the most exciting fights.”
That sentiment sounded generous, surely, but also a bit unsafe. In response, I wrote that “When a fighter who used to once be driven to be the best now simply hopes to titillate spectators by hitting and being hit, however, it can be a bad sign of damage to come.”
My concern was unfounded, though, Jackson says. Either I wasn’t listening or I didn’t get what he was saying.
“I have the same attitude now in fighting that I’ve always had,” he tells me from inside the car headed to his doctor in Connecticut.
“People misunderstand what I say. I’ve always fought to entertain the fans, and I think I have a pretty good record [of winning] doing that. A lot of times you win but sometimes you make a mistake. You get caught because you left yourself exposed. I think I’ve done good with that approach. I’ve always been a fighter to entertain, not just to win.
“But when I came to America it got to be a little different because of the fans. The fans here are different and only care if you win. If you lose, they don’t care if you were exciting, or fought injured. In Japan it was different. Maybe it’s just different because they are speaking Japanese and you don’t understand what they say to you [chuckles] but the feeling back there when I fought in Pride is different than what I found when I came to the U.S. and fought in the UFC. I started to care more about winning, and playing it a little more safe. Now I’m just getting back to my roots where my main objective is to entertain.”
His wanting to simply fight in exciting fashion isn’t a sign of Jackson being burned out on MMA, he says. The Memphis native still wants to win. It’s just that focusing on fighting hard and being exciting also makes him a better fighter.
“It takes the pressure off me,” he explains.
“I know when two guys step into the cage, there is a 50% chance that one is going to win and 50% chance that he’s going to lose. I know that. Both fighters can’t be winners every time. So, I can’t focus too much on that and put that pressure on my shoulders. At the end of the day, it’s about entertainment.
“I could go out there and put on boring ass fights for the fans, taking people down and humping them like Chael Sonnen [laughs]. I can go and fight that way but I don’t think people will buy my pay per views. How can you be a fighter named ‘Rampage’ and be taking people down, holding them down, pushing them against the cage? There are a lot of tricks that fighters do like that and I know them all. I just don’t want to use them and fight that way.”
Jackson’s rosy outlook on his new Bellator/TNA deal also sounded a bit naïve, considering how he’s eventually soured on so many prior business dealings in the past decade. “Rampage” once thought Pride was great, then got sick of them and said that Dana White had saved him before then ultimately falling out with the UFC President.
The fighter trusted an old trainer with managing his career and handling his estate, only to become disillusioned when he says he was taken advantage of. Jackson says that his affairs are in much better shape these days.
He’s got a good contract with Viacom and it is the result of solid management. “Right now I’ve got one of the best managers in MMA,” Jackson assures me.
“He’s really good. He’s honest, which is the one thing that is very important to me. A lot of times the public don’t understand that the fighters, when we training for a fight, that’s what we focus on. We don’t want to focus on business while we’ve got to train for a fight. So, a manager is very important. A manager know basically everything about you. My manager now, he’s the one that put together this deal right here and it is one of the best deals I’ve ever had. I’m back on Spike, I’m going to fight, I get to do pro wrestling and I have opportunities for movies. Athletes always say, ‘I could be making more money,’ but I have to say that I’m very happy with this deal and he did a great job. I’m happy with everything.”
Certainly, there is a lot of business to manage in Jackson’s world these days. In addition to fighting, Jackson has already appeared on a TNA wrestling telecast and is pitching a movie script that he’s written to Paramount.
As a matter of fact, “Rampage” says that he just had a meeting with a writer that Viacom sent his way to help him work on his script. “They are helping me write a script. I wrote one but I’m not a script writer. They already got me on TNA and they are working on a fight for me before the year ends. Plus, I’m going to start filming the reality show soon. And, the car they got for me is going to get dropped off Friday.”
Jackson says that pro wrestling has always been a dream for him but acknowledges that the business may be even tougher on one’s body than MMA is. “Pro wrestling looks like it is tougher on the body than MMA because they do it so often,” he observes.
“When I was young I used to fight six times a year. These guys can go six times a month. My style of pro wrestling is going to have to be a style that is not so hard on my body. Maybe it will be a little harder on my opponents. My body has been through it. I’m going to have to bring my own style to wrestling. I’m not going to do crazy high-flying stuff because that’s not me.”
Jackson says that TNA is providing him with a pro wrestling coach and that he will begin to learn how to run the ropes, take falls and everything else involved in the wrasslin’ biz soon. For now, Jackson has to get healthy.
He hasn’t fought since January and doesn’t say how much he weighs at this moment. In the past, however, Jackson has ballooned in weight in between fights — making for tough weight cuts.
“I’ve always considered myself a human being first and a fighter second,” he explains.
“Sometimes that isn’t the best thing for my career but no one is perfect. Ideally, my ideal weight in between fights would be 225 pounds. But that is in a perfect world. I’ve got a lot of muscle on my body. You add a little fat onto that and there you go.”
After filming “The ‘A’-Team” and before fighting Rashad Evans, Jackson had a particularly large amount of weight to lose. He enlisted the help of former fighter and current strength, conditioning and nutrition coach Mike Dolce.
Dolce now works on UFC products in addition to his own coaching business and recently gave an interview where he claimed that Jackson was his most challenging client because the fighter wasn’t honest about what he ate and showed little will-power. Secret stashes of chocolate bars were a constant hindrance, according to Dolce.
Jackson dismisses Dolce’s criticisms. “Mike Dolce is just promoting himself. All that guy does is talk shit,” he says.
“If you look at the Countdown show to fights before I worked with Dolce and while I was working with him, my face actually looked better before I worked with him…I did my last weight cuts myself. I got a chef and did it myself.
“When was the last time Mike Dolce won a fight himself? He says I didn’t win without him. My last three fights I lost because Jon Jones kicked my ass and I was injured for my last two fights. I didn’t lose because of my weight. I’m a human being first and a fighter second…I don’t eat, sleep and breathe this stuff. I nibble a little bit sometimes. All you have to do is eat clean to lose weight. He has the ‘Dolce Diet’ and tries to fool people into thinking it is something special. Everything in the ‘Dolce Diet’ you can learn yourself by searching on the internet.”
Feuds, new business deals and everything else aside, if Jackson is going to continue fighting and do so before the end of the year, he’ll need to properly motivated to do so. He insists that he is.
His hunger to compete is back. Once he heals up, Jackson says he’s eager to get inside the cage once more. “Yeah. I can’t wait,” he says.
“I just want my body to get as close to 100% as it can. I’ve been fighting injured for a while. Fans don’t see that. All they see is you losing. They don’t see you missing training. All they see is you getting your ass kicked. What I’ve got to do is get my body right.”
MMA fighters are typically quite good at talking about participating in the sport in philosophical terms. It is human chess, it is the ultimate competition, they feel peace in the cage or ring after the bell sounds, they get a thrill out of it, it is the most pure sport expression of martial arts, etc.
Most MMA fighters are pretty smart and since they participate in a constantly attacked and judged sport, many have come to see themselves as ambassadors for the sport on the whole.
It is important to remember, however, that professional fighters are prize fighters. That is, no matter what auxiliary benefits they get for fighting other trained athletes, they do it for money.
Fighters fight to put food on their plates and roofs over their heads. Joe Warren never forgets this.
The former Greco Roman wrestling world champion is in his car driving to his home state of Michigan on a recent afternoon. In tow, are the reasons he fights – his family. After winning a world championship, Warren was focused on making the U.S. Olympic team in 2008 and going to Beijing and winning gold.
A failed marijuana test and ensuing two-year suspension slammed that door shut for Warren. It was only then, at the relatively ancient age of thirty two, that he decided to follow in the footsteps of other world-class wrestlers turned fighters like Mark Coleman, Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland and fight MMA.
“I was training to win a world championship, I won a world championship and then didn’t get to wrestle in the Olympics,” Warren tells CagePotato on the ride to Michigan.
“While training for wrestling, some of the best fighters ever were in the room. Guys like Randy Couture, Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson. So, it was always in my mind. I started to do a little bit of color commentary but I didn’t have any credibility in fighting because I hadn’t fought. So, I decided to take some fights. I had some babies now and I needed to keep making cash.
So, I called Dan [Henderson] and they got me a fight instantly. In a month, I was in the Featherweight World Grand Prix. I flew out there starting fighting.”
Not only did Warren jump right into the fire against champions like Chase Beebe, “Kid” Yamamoto and Bibiano Fernandes in his very first three fights back in 2009, he did so with only a month of MMA training in his pocket. “I went in there strictly a wrestler,” Warren says.
“I flew out to Team Quest maybe a month before my first fight in Japan. I didn’t have a chance to learn the fighting aspect of it. It was just about safety – keep my hands up.”
Despite his lack of experience and, frankly, skills, Warren did well. He beat Beebe and Yamamoto before losing by submission to Fernandes. Then, he moved on to Bellator and won their featherweight title.
MMA fighters are typically quite good at talking about participating in the sport in philosophical terms. It is human chess, it is the ultimate competition, they feel peace in the cage or ring after the bell sounds, they get a thrill out of it, it is the most pure sport expression of martial arts, etc.
Most MMA fighters are pretty smart and since they participate in a constantly attacked and judged sport, many have come to see themselves as ambassadors for the sport on the whole.
It is important to remember, however, that professional fighters are prize fighters. That is, no matter what auxiliary benefits they get for fighting other trained athletes, they do it for money.
Fighters fight to put food on their plates and roofs over their heads. Joe Warren never forgets this.
The former Greco Roman wrestling world champion is in his car driving to his home state of Michigan on a recent afternoon. In tow, are the reasons he fights – his family. After winning a world championship, Warren was focused on making the U.S. Olympic team in 2008 and going to Beijing and winning gold.
A failed marijuana test and ensuing two-year suspension slammed that door shut for Warren. It was only then, at the relatively ancient age of thirty two, that he decided to follow in the footsteps of other world-class wrestlers turned fighters like Mark Coleman, Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland and fight MMA.
“I was training to win a world championship, I won a world championship and then didn’t get to wrestle in the Olympics,” Warren tells CagePotato on the ride to Michigan.
“While training for wrestling, some of the best fighters ever were in the room. Guys like Randy Couture, Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson. So, it was always in my mind. I started to do a little bit of color commentary but I didn’t have any credibility in fighting because I hadn’t fought. So, I decided to take some fights. I had some babies now and I needed to keep making cash.
So, I called Dan [Henderson] and they got me a fight instantly. In a month, I was in the Featherweight World Grand Prix. I flew out there starting fighting.”
Not only did Warren jump right into the fire against champions like Chase Beebe, “Kid” Yamamoto and Bibiano Fernandes in his very first three fights back in 2009, he did so with only a month of MMA training in his pocket. “I went in there strictly a wrestler,” Warren says.
“I flew out to Team Quest maybe a month before my first fight in Japan. I didn’t have a chance to learn the fighting aspect of it. It was just about safety – keep my hands up.”
Despite his lack of experience and, frankly, skills, Warren did well. He beat Beebe and Yamamoto before losing by submission to Fernandes. Then, he moved on to Bellator and won their featherweight title.
Warren underscores the fact that he is still essentially brand new to MMA – not having built up muscle memory in key areas like striking and submission grappling that his opponents have. On the strength of his wrestling and will, Warren has found success in MMA.
Still, in both victory and defeat, Warren has been in some brutal fights. Warren calls himself “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” but is still somehow humble in acknowledging his shortcomings and assessing his future.
“I got into MMA to provide for my family and strictly on being the baddest man on the planet in Greco Roman Wrestling at that weight,” he says.
“I felt I was the toughest in the world and so I took that attitude and went after it. It was dangerous but it worked out for me. I just showed up to win these tournaments. I jumped in the deep end with both feet and came out of it.”
That said, Warren would have taken more time to learn the craft, in a perfect world. “Definitely if I would have had more time to develop, I would have taken more time,” he says.
“Then again, maybe if I would have gone slowly, taken some fights as an amateur, I wouldn’t be at where I am. A lot of people are dying to make money fighting and I started making money fighting right away. I wish I had the technique I needed but instead of that, I’ve just used will power. I push with everything I have. And yes, because of that, I’ve taken some punishment. These guys [I fight] are as good at what I did in wrestling but in Jiu Jitsu or in Muay Thai.”
Perhaps it was that same confidence and refusal to respect obstacles led Warren to continue to pursue his Olympic dream. After serving his two year suspension from international wrestling, Warren continued to fight MMA but also vied for a spot on the 2012 U.S. team.
The fighter’s family didn’t need to eat any less than they had a few years earlier, so he couldn’t afford to stop competing in MMA while trying to make the U.S. Greco Roman Wrestling team.
Not only did Warren train in both MMA and wrestling simultaneously, he entered the U.S. qualifying tournament just a couple weeks after losing to Pat Curran in a Bellator title fight. If you’ve got a weak heart, don’t watch that fight.
Warren got caught by Curran and, by combination of his own incredible chin, conditioning and heart, and an irresponsible job done by the attending referee, went on to take some of the worst, most unnecessary punishment any top MMA fighter has in recent years, before a criminally late third round stoppage. This TKO was just months after getting knocked out by Alexis Vila.
Warren took whatever level of brain trauma that he had sustained in the past eight months or so with him to the Olympic qualifying tournament, cut weight and wrestled match after match. He started out very strong, earning a pin, before getting beat and eliminated.
(Warren’s 2006 Greco Roman Wrestling World Championship winning match)
Warren got back on the winning track in MMA last fall with a win at Bellator 80. He is also now one of four coaches on Bellator and Spike’s ‘Fight Master’ reality competition show.
Coaching and speaking television spots may take up more of Warren’s time in the future, he says, but he’s also still intent on fighting. Also, the wrestler isn’t ready to say he’s done with international wrestling competition, either.
“I still believe, right now, that I’m the best Greco roman wrestler in the world. I don’t believe that I’ve lost anything. I want to wrestle but I need to support my family,” he says.
“I’m using fighting as my job. Things happen. I fought about fifteen days before the Olympic team trials. They didn’t want to let me wrestle. But finally, they let me out of bed. I lost to a good wrestler that I’ve beat before. I believed that if I made the team I could have medaled. Still, I got a good opportunity to coach. Even after I began fighting, I always planned to go out and try for the Olympics again. Who knows? The World Championships are in Las Vegas in 2015. Maybe if I’m done fighting by then, I’ll walk over and show them that I’m still the best in the world.”
For now, Warren is excited about ‘Fight Master’, and prepping for his next fight. Watching fighters compete to get on ‘Fight Master’ on the debut episode last week was “like sitting on your couch watching fights with your buddies,” for Warren.
“I got so excited and animated watching because it just came naturally. You’re watching fights ringside – that’s always exciting. Especially when they are fighting for $100,000 and a contract. It was a lot of fun sitting up there with Randy Couture, Greg Jackson and Frank Shamrock. They are all good friends of mine and are so knowledgeable. I’m actually training with Jackson a bit now and it is great.”
Coaching wasn’t something new for Warren. He says he was able to bring a lot of teaching experience to his team on ‘Fight Master’.
“I coached for years and am still a coach. More importantly, I have been coached by top-tier coaches my whole life so it was beneficial to have me as a coach for these guys. Plus, I know how to fight in these Bellator tournaments,” he says.
Warren has certainly taken his MMA career seriously, and committed much blood and sweat to it these past four years. At the same time, he seems to do it soley to make a living.
Men of character use whatever talents they possess to provide for their families. Some collect trash, some work in mines, others ride a desk. Some few souls brave and capable enough, literally fight for their families.
Joe Warren loves his family and loves wrestling MMA is something he’s good at and can make money. One love has to be put aside while he earns for his other.
With that said, can his success in MMA ever make up for the Olympic void he has in his wrestling career. Randy Couture, perhaps the most accomplished MMA fighter in history, is still haunted by his failures to make the full Olympic team.
He tried four different times and four times he was relegated to being an alternate. Despite a hall of fame career behind him in MMA, with world titles won in multiple weight classes, Couture has said that wrestling Olympic void still stings.
Can a mere job like MMA ever fill the wrestling void for Warren? “I’ve never had anyone ask me that,” he says before pausing.
“We are wrestlers. We start wrestling as young kids. It is our first sport. Our whole life we want to be world champions and Olympic champions. I was able to do that – to win a world championship, which is tougher than the Olympics. I won Pan Ams, the World Cip. I understand what Randy is saying when he talks about those frustrations. But, I got to that pinnacle of wrestling. The one thing I didn’t get was the Olympics. That would have just been another cherry on top.
“I get what Randy talks about. It is so hard to work your whole life and never win that medal or make the team. When you wrestle for the Olympic team it is not for making money. It is for personal gratification. For you to have given all you have and not get what you want, is hard. But I got that opportunity to get a world championship. Then, I moved into a new sport and won another world championship. Whatever else I do, and I would like another belt, I am a realist.
“I can easily put my wrestling shoes and my MMA gloves in a closet when I’m done. I believe there’s a future in coaching and other things. I’m open minded to what the future will bring.”
Athe UFC 160 post event press conference Dana White announced that former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin was retiring from MMA. Now, less than a month later, Griffin has revealed that he’s at least open to the possibility of coming back should his body heal up well from recent injuries.
“I’ll start training again, September, August. Maybe if I’m just magically healed and like everything works great, then I’ll have to try [fighting] again. But, I’m not healthy now,” the TUF 1 winner told MMA Fight Corner.
Griffin last fought in July of 2012, when he beat long-time champion Tito Ortiz by unanimous decision. Griffin won three out of his last four fights but was forced to pull out of a scheduled bout with Phil Davis this year due to a torn MCL in his knee.
Griffin will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame July 6th at UFC 162 along with his TUF 1 co-finalist Stephan Bonnar. And, although the fighter sounds eager to get back into training and acknowledges the possibility of his return to competition, he warns not to read too much into his desire to be back in the gym.
“But, to say I’m unusual for that, most professional athletes have that,” Griffin explained.
“Most guys are like ‘Ok when can I start training again?’. I got into this because I like fighting, I like training. It’s fun, you know.”
Athe UFC 160 post event press conference Dana White announced that former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin was retiring from MMA. Now, less than a month later, Griffin has revealed that he’s at least open to the possibility of coming back should his body heal up well from recent injuries.
“I’ll start training again, September, August. Maybe if I’m just magically healed and like everything works great, then I’ll have to try [fighting] again. But, I’m not healthy now,” the TUF 1 winner told MMA Fight Corner.
Griffin last fought in July of 2012, when he beat long-time champion Tito Ortiz by unanimous decision. Griffin won three out of his last four fights but was forced to pull out of a scheduled bout with Phil Davis this year due to a torn MCL in his knee.
Griffin will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame July 6th at UFC 162 along with his TUF 1 co-finalist Stephan Bonnar. And, although the fighter sounds eager to get back into training and acknowledges the possibility of his return to competition, he warns not to read too much into his desire to be back in the gym.
“But, to say I’m unusual for that, most professional athletes have that,” Griffin explained.
“Most guys are like ‘Ok when can I start training again?’. I got into this because I like fighting, I like training. It’s fun, you know.”
The as of yet still retired champion also says that his next fight is more likely to come outside of the cage than inside it. “If we’re at the movies and some guy pours a drink on my wife, it’s going down,” he joked.
So, what do you say, taters? Do you think Forrest can really stay away from fighting or will he be back in the Octagon before his Hall of Fame plaque can even begin to collect dust on his mantle?
Athe UFC 160 post event press conference Dana White announced that former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin was retiring from MMA. Now, less than a month later, Griffin has revealed that he’s at least open to the possibility of coming back should his body heal up well from recent injuries.
“I’ll start training again, September, August. Maybe if I’m just magically healed and like everything works great, then I’ll have to try [fighting] again. But, I’m not healthy now,” the TUF 1 winner told MMA Fight Corner.
Griffin last fought in July of 2012, when he beat long-time champion Tito Ortiz by unanimous decision. Griffin won three out of his last four fights but was forced to pull out of a scheduled bout with Phil Davis this year due to a torn MCL in his knee.
Griffin will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame July 6th at UFC 162 along with his TUF 1 co-finalist Stephan Bonnar. And, although the fighter sounds eager to get back into training and acknowledges the possibility of his return to competition, he warns not to read too much into his desire to be back in the gym.
“But, to say I’m unusual for that, most professional athletes have that,” Griffin explained.
“Most guys are like ‘Ok when can I start training again?’. I got into this because I like fighting, I like training. It’s fun, you know.”
Athe UFC 160 post event press conference Dana White announced that former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin was retiring from MMA. Now, less than a month later, Griffin has revealed that he’s at least open to the possibility of coming back should his body heal up well from recent injuries.
“I’ll start training again, September, August. Maybe if I’m just magically healed and like everything works great, then I’ll have to try [fighting] again. But, I’m not healthy now,” the TUF 1 winner told MMA Fight Corner.
Griffin last fought in July of 2012, when he beat long-time champion Tito Ortiz by unanimous decision. Griffin won three out of his last four fights but was forced to pull out of a scheduled bout with Phil Davis this year due to a torn MCL in his knee.
Griffin will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame July 6th at UFC 162 along with his TUF 1 co-finalist Stephan Bonnar. And, although the fighter sounds eager to get back into training and acknowledges the possibility of his return to competition, he warns not to read too much into his desire to be back in the gym.
“But, to say I’m unusual for that, most professional athletes have that,” Griffin explained.
“Most guys are like ‘Ok when can I start training again?’. I got into this because I like fighting, I like training. It’s fun, you know.”
The as of yet still retired champion also says that his next fight is more likely to come outside of the cage than inside it. “If we’re at the movies and some guy pours a drink on my wife, it’s going down,” he joked.
So, what do you say, taters? Do you think Forrest can really stay away from fighting or will he be back in the Octagon before his Hall of Fame plaque can even begin to collect dust on his mantle?
