The rise of the internet and social media, together with the explosion of mixed martial arts (MMA) as a major global sport, has meant that today’s fighters are under intense scrutiny not just in the cage, but at all times – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
As such, some fighters have managed to ignite a storm with politically motivated remarks and motivations, while others have infamously gone as far as to rub shoulders with some of the world’s most powerful and influential leaders.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at 10 MMA stars that have courted controversy and hit the headlines by stepping out of the Octagon and into the all-too-often murky waters of politics – for better or worse.
Tim Kennedy
Kennedy captured global media attention earlier this month when he became the willing participant in a demonstration about the controversial interrogation technique known as ‘Waterboarding.’
Kennedy, a special-forces soldier and ex-UFC contender, live-streamed himself being waterboarded off-and-on for 40 minutes in an attempt to prove that it was not a form of torture, and instead was simply just ‘uncomfortable’.
There was a political motive behind the demonstration though – to support Gina Haspel, who was coming under fire for having overseen ‘black-sites’ in which waterboarding had been used during the ‘War On Terror.’
“Right now, an amazing hero has been appointed to be director of the CIA and because of that, some of the things she has done are being attacked,” Kennedy wrote alongside the video feed.
If I can change one person’s mind about what torture is and what I would do to protect American freedom, I will do this for years.”
As the UFC’s longtime color commentator, Joe Rogan is well known for his infectious enthusiasm, passion and deep knowledge of mixed martial arts (MMA), and is highly respected by both fighters and fans alike. However, having called thousands of fights over the course of his 15 years in the hot seat, not to mention also having
As the UFC’s longtime color commentator, Joe Rogan is well known for his infectious enthusiasm, passion and deep knowledge of mixed martial arts (MMA), and is highly respected by both fighters and fans alike.
However, having called thousands of fights over the course of his 15 years in the hot seat, not to mention also having one of the most successful podcasts on the internet, it’s inevitable that he’s ruffled a few feathers along the way.
In this article we’ll look back at some of the most memorable examples of MMA stars lashing out at Rogan after something that he’s said or done over the years.
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson has never been afraid to speak his mind, and so when he had a problem with Rogan questioning the lack of kicks in his striking game, he let the whole world know about it.
“I just want to tell [Rogan] to shut the f*** up,” ‘Rampage’ ranted during a 2012 interview with Fighters Only. “Let’s see you do it. Let’s see you come in here and kick this mother-f***er who wants to take you down. Shut the f*** up.“
’Rampage’ also claimed he’d “beat the sh**” out of Rogan if they fought, while also accusing him of being so biased towards Jiu-jitsu specialists during fights that he, “might as be playing the rusty trombone.”
Rather than engage him in a war of words, Rogan wisely opted for the diplomatic approach after spotting Jackson backstage at a UFC event.
“I always want you to know that, if I ever say anything it’s never out of disrespect,” Rogan told him. “I like you and I root for you and I always thought you were a cool guy.”
To his credit, ‘Rampage’ then admitted he’d been wrong to call him out for doing his job and they put the matter behind them.
Bellator is where the bad UFC castoffs go and, from what we’ve seen so far, World Series of Fighting is where the good UFC castoffs go—the ones who shouldn’t have been fired because they were legitimately talented or were in the UFC’s own top-10 rankings when they were let go.
But at WSOF 6, the tried and true formula of putting ex-UFC fighters with name value against fighters without Wikipedia pages failed. Nearly all the fighters that you’re reading this recap for lost.
Miguel Torres lost too, sadly. The unheralded Pablo Alfonso dispatched the former WEC champ in the first round. He rocked Torres with punches which ultimately set up a guillotine choke finish at 3:05. Torres was once 37-1. Now he’s 40-7 and just lost decisively to a no-name (who’s record was 7-5 heading into the fight) on the prelims of a minor league show. Can it get much worse? Torres doesn’t have a comeback in him. And at age 32, the problem is both the years and the mileage. If Torres doesn’t retire, he might be in for a rough, Jens Pulver-like future.
Remember Joe Lauzon‘s younger brother Dan who was in the UFC back in 2006 at the young age of 18, losing to Spencer Fisher? Remember when he returned in 2010 and lost to both Cole Miller and Efrain Escudero. After the two failed stints in the UFC, Lauzon won five fights in a row on the regional scene. His luck didn’t continue at WSOF 6. The man with the hardest to pronounce last name in MMA, Justin Gaethje, cut Lauzon’s legs out from under him throughout the first round. In the second round, Lauzon was slow and immobile enough for Gaethje to capitalize on it with a right hook and an uppercut which put Lauzon’s lights out.
Find out what happened to Jon Fitch and Josh Burkman, as well as the complete results of the card after the jump.
Bellator is where the bad UFC castoffs go and, from what we’ve seen so far, World Series of Fighting is where the good UFC castoffs go—the ones who shouldn’t have been fired because they were legitimately talented or were in the UFC’s own top-10 rankings when they were let go.
But at WSOF 6, the tried and true formula of putting ex-UFC fighters with name value against fighters without Wikipedia pages failed. Nearly all the fighters that you’re reading this recap for lost.
Miguel Torres lost too, sadly. The unheralded Pablo Alfonso dispatched the former WEC champ in the first round. He rocked Torres with punches which ultimately set up a guillotine choke finish at 3:05. Torres was once 37-1. Now he’s 40-7 and just lost decisively to a no-name (who’s record was 7-5 heading into the fight) on the prelims of a minor league show. Can it get much worse? Torres doesn’t have a comeback in him. And at age 32, the problem is both the years and the mileage. If Torres doesn’t retire, he might be in for a rough, Jens Pulver-like future.
Remember Joe Lauzon‘s younger brother Dan who was in the UFC back in 2006 at the young age of 18, losing to Spencer Fisher? Remember when he returned in 2010 and lost to both Cole Miller and Efrain Escudero. After the two failed stints in the UFC, Lauzon won five fights in a row on the regional scene. His luck didn’t continue at WSOF 6. The man with the hardest to pronounce last name in MMA, Justin Gaethje, cut Lauzon’s legs out from under him throughout the first round. In the second round, Lauzon was slow and immobile enough for Gaethje to capitalize on it with a right hook and an uppercut which put Lauzon’s lights out.
Jon Fitch was the only “mainstream” fighter on the card to win his fight, but his split decision victory was somewhat questionable (the fans booed it, for whatever that’s worth). Marcelo Alfaya—whose claim to MMA fame is getting knocked out by a young Jake Ellenberger at Bellator 11 in 2009—took Fitch down several times and even had Fitch’s back at one point. Fitch eventually landed some takedowns of his own and demonstrated some marginally improved striking, but he didn’t look great. In fact, he looked embarrassingly mediocre against a guy he should’ve destroyed. Fitch wrestle-f*cked Erick Silva yet had serious difficulties with a C-level fighter in Alfaya. Based on this performance, you’d have never thought Fitch once fought for a world title.
In the main event, Josh Burkman fought Steve Carl for the WSOF welterweight championship. Burkman fought well enough in the first round, but faded in the second and third rounds, and was ultimately choked unconscious in the fourth.
It wasn’t a good night for the “established” fighters—the fighters that the WSOF brought in to get you to watch the show in the first place.
Here are the complete results, for the guys you were interested in reading about and the guys you’re just hearing about for the first time:
Main Card
Steve Carl def. Josh Burkman via Technical Submission (Triangle) Round 4, 1:02
Marlon Moraes def. Carson Beebe via KO (Punches) Round 1, 0:32
Jon Fitch def. Marcelo Alfaya via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Justin Gaethje def. Dan Lauzon via KO (Punches) Round 2, 1:40
Preliminary Card
Pablo Alfonso def. Miguel Torres via Submission (Guillotine) Round 1, 3:05
Luiz Firmino def. Jacob Volkmann via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Chad Robichaux def. Andrew Yates via Technical Submission (North-South Choke) Round 2, 4:09
Josh Rettinghouse def. Alexis Vila via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Nick LoBosco def. Fabio Mello via KO (Head Kick and Punches) Round 1, 1 2:02
Alexandre Pimentel def. Jade Porter via Submission (Triangle Choke) Round 3, 3:05
Oh, so you didn’t find Jacob Volkmann‘s latest win at WSOF 3 completely thrilling? Well, nuts to you and your judgement, hot shot, because it turns out that “Dr. Feelgood” may have had a near-death experience the very same day the fight went down.
According to a recent interview Volkmann did with Sherdog, the lightweight blacked out, hit his head and had seizures on the floor of his Las Vegas hotel room before weighing in for his fight against Lyle Beerbohm. Volkmann, a chiropractor, decided to not tell anyone, weigh-in and fight anyway.
Goodness gracious.
“The maid knocks on my door and keeps on knocking, and I [thought], ‘I’d better not get up too fast.’ So I got up and walked toward the door, and by the time I got my hand on the door, I blacked out,” Volkman told Sherdog. “Next thing I remember, I was shaking on the floor, having seizures.”
“I banged my head, and I must have hit my back on the door handle,” Volkmann went on. “I didn’t tell anybody, because I didn’t want them to say I couldn’t fight because I just had a seizure. I had bills to pay, so I really didn’t have a choice.”
Off the record, Volkmann then proceeded to call Phillipe Nover a “complete pussy, even for a male nurse, bro.”
Oh, so you didn’t find Jacob Volkmann‘s latest win at WSOF 3 completely thrilling? Well, nuts to you and your judgement, hot shot, because it turns out that “Dr. Feelgood” may have had a near-death experience the very same day the fight went down.
According to a recent interview Volkmann had with Sherdog, the lightweight blacked out, hit his head and had seizures on the floor of his Las Vegas hotel room before weighing in for his fight against Lyle Beerbohm. Volkmann, a chiropractor, decided to not tell anyone, weigh-in and fight anyway.
Goodness gracious.
“The maid knocks on my door and keeps on knocking, and I [thought], ‘I’d better not get up too fast.’ So I got up and walked toward the door, and by the time I got my hand on the door, I blacked out,” Volkman told Sherdog. “Next thing I remember, I was shaking on the floor, having seizures.”
“I banged my head, and I must have hit my back on the door handle,” Volkmann went on. “I didn’t tell anybody, because I didn’t want them to say I couldn’t fight because I just had a seizure. I had bills to pay, so I really didn’t have a choice.”
Off the record, Volkmann then proceeded to call Phillipe Nover a “complete pussy, even for a male nurse, bro.”
Fighting really is a tough way to make a living, folks. Not only did Volkmann feel the need to conceal his experience, he says that even now he won’t necessarily seek medical treatment.
“Mentally and physically, I felt fine. I didn’t feel cloudy. I kind of did a self-analysis based on my medical background. I just wanted to make sure that my cognitive was there and my mental state was up to par,” said Volkmann. “I was mentally able to fight, still. The thing about chiropractic education is that the first two years are the same as an M.D.’s education. You just branch off after two years.
“It was a byproduct of being dehydrated. I don’t think I need a CAT scan or [anything],” Volkmann said. “There’s nothing cloudy. My memory is fine. I don’t feel sluggish at all. I’m good to go.”
We give Volkmann grief from time to time for being a loudmouth, whining goofball outside of the cage, but we must not forget that when it comes to the business of training and fighting, the man formerly known as “Christmas” is a top fighter and a straight OG gangster.
What’s so significant about that date? It was the last time that Jon Fitch lost via submission. The last time, until his World Series of Fighting debut in the main event of WSOF 3 on Friday night, where Fitch was swiftly put to sleep via guillotine choke by Josh Burkman. Yup, that Josh Burkman. The Josh Burkman who was little more than average during his UFC stint, going 5-5 with one of those losses from being choked out by who? You guessed it, Jon Fitch.
Even though the World Series of Fighting announcer called the Fitch vs. Burkman rematch “years in the making,” nobody who has watched MMA believed that nonsense. It was supposed to be Jon Fitch snuffing out Burkman and then grabbing the microphone and telling the UFC to kiss his grits. You know, with Jacob Volkmann lurking over his shoulder mumbling some nonsense about a fighter’s union. But, as they always say, there’s a reason why they actually fight.
Burkman, meanwhile, continued his surprising run of upending former UFC fighters in the WSOF, as he is now 3-0 in all three World Series of Fighting events with victories over Gerald Harris, Aaron Simpson and now Jon Fitch. But who the hell expected him to beat Jon Fitch? I’ll tell you, nobody…except Josh Burkman. And of that nobody percent, who thought that Burkman would choke Fitch to sleep in 41 seconds? Nobody…not even Josh Burkman.
“Who thinks they are going to choke out Jon Fitch?,” Burkman said through a wide smile after the shocking main event that capped off a fairly ho-hum third outing for WSOF.
Prior to the jaw dropping main event, WSOF trudged along with a string of relatively boring fights that yielded very little excitement for those in attendance at The Joint inside of the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. After the first few matches, most fans drowned themselves in spirits and had loud (mostly drunk) conversations that could be heard throughout the venue. The first five fights of the night are barely worth mentioning. Dan Lauzon beat up on a John Gunderson who looked lifeless in the cage. Carson Beebe earned a controversial unanimous decision despite being completely outclassed on the ground by Joe Murphy. The other disgruntled former UFC employee, Jacob Volkmann, put such a snoozer of a performance in a unanimous decision victory over Lyle Beerbohm that Ben Askren tweeted “That fight had less strikes than one of my fights!” So, you know, when Ben Askren pretty much calls your fight boring, you are in trouble.
(“Hey, sorry I’m late, the beer line was crazy, did I miss anyth-OH SHIT.” — Steve Mazzagatti / Photo via Sherdog)
What’s so significant about that date? It was the last time that Jon Fitch lost via submission. The last time, until his World Series of Fighting debut in the main event of WSOF 3 on Friday night, where Fitch was swiftly put to sleep via guillotine choke by Josh Burkman. Yup, that Josh Burkman. The Josh Burkman who was little more than average during his UFC stint, going 5-5 with one of those losses from being choked out by who? You guessed it, Jon Fitch.
Even though the World Series of Fighting announcer called the Fitch vs. Burkman rematch “years in the making,” nobody who has watched MMA believed that nonsense. It was supposed to be Jon Fitch snuffing out Burkman and then grabbing the microphone and telling the UFC to kiss his grits. You know, with Jacob Volkmann lurking over his shoulder mumbling some nonsense about a fighter’s union. But, as they always say, there’s a reason why they actually fight.
Burkman, meanwhile, continued his surprising run of upending former UFC fighters in the WSOF, as he is now 3-0 in all three World Series of Fighting events with victories over Gerald Harris, Aaron Simpson and now Jon Fitch. But who the hell expected him to beat Jon Fitch? I’ll tell you, nobody…except Josh Burkman. And of that nobody percent, who thought that Burkman would choke Fitch to sleep in 41 seconds? Nobody…not even Josh Burkman.
“Who thinks they are going to choke out Jon Fitch?,” Burkman said through a wide smile after the shocking main event that capped off a fairly ho-hum third outing for WSOF.
Prior to the jaw dropping main event, WSOF trudged along with a string of relatively boring fights that yielded very little excitement for those in attendance at The Joint inside of the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. After the first few matches, most fans drowned themselves in spirits and had loud (mostly drunk) conversations that could be heard throughout the venue. The first five fights of the night are barely worth mentioning. Dan Lauzon beat up on a John Gunderson who looked lifeless in the cage. Carson Beebe earned a controversial unanimous decision despite being completely outclassed on the ground by Joe Murphy. The other disgruntled former UFC employee, Jacob Volkmann, put such a snoozer of a performance in a unanimous decision victory over Lyle Beerbohm that Ben Askren tweeted “That fight had less strikes than one of my fights!” So, you know, when Ben Askren pretty much calls your fight boring, you are in trouble.
Yup, it was not a memorable night for WSOF.
But things did perk up a little when the co-main event took place. Tyson “Man Of” Steele threw about a million kicks in the first sixty seconds of his fight against Steve Carl that left the former Bellator welterweight tournament fighter looking rather unimpressed. So Carl stuffed an ill-fated takedown attempt and rear-naked-choked Steele to earn the stoppage victory at the 1:32 mark. The crowd perked up for that.
By the time Fitch vs. Burkman took place, most of the writers in press row were either bored or increasingly annoyed by the spilled drinks landing on them courtesy of the drunken fans above us. We needed something fun to write about and this was it.
In the opening seconds of the fight, Burkman clipped Fitch with a right hand that sent the former UFC welterweight title contender stumbling forward in an attempt to secure a takedown. Burkman took the opportunity to snare Fitch’s neck and applied a standing guillotine. Perhaps aware that Fitch isn’t so easy to choke out (ask Erick Silva), Burkman went all WWE on Fitch and damn near DDT-ed him through the canvas. But Fitch was still awake and struggling. The Ultimate Fighter 2 contestant put all he had into the choke and Fitch eventually went limp and everyone, including referee Steve Mazzagatti, stared in shock. Unfortunately, refereeing and fighter safety is Mazzagatti’s job and if it wasn’t for Burkman letting Fitch go, the AKA fighter would have probably needed medical attention because he’d be nearing death. Great job Mazzagatti. But I digress…
As Fitch lay motionless on the canvas, the ghost of a snickering Dana White could be felt hovering over the venue. Maybe Dana knew that Fitch — who is now 1-3-1 in his last five fights — was damaged goods. Fitch, who seemed more embarrassed than distraught summed up his loss as “a mistake” and began talking about having a rubber match.
“I got a little overconfident with my choke defense,” Fitch said. “I was going to slam him but he locked it in too tight, a mistake on my part.”
You know who didn’t make a mistake? The UFC. With Fitch’s loss and Volkmann looking very Volkmann-like in his victory, Dana White and Co. won’t be losing any sleep after parting ways with the two fighters. Perhaps White was right, Fitch’s best years are behind him.
As for Burkmann, his resurgence as an MMA fighter will continue as he will now likely face Steve Carl for the first-ever WSOF welterweight title. Clearly, this victory was the most significant of Burkman’s career.
“I think it does validate my win streak,” he said. “I think it also comes full circle. My career kind of went up and down after I lost to Fitch. To get this one back is big for me, and big for my career.”
Ultimately, WSOF 3 lacked the excitement and finishes the first two installments had and it will be interesting to see if the fighting organization can snare away some attention from the UFC and Bellator.
WSOF 3 Results
MAIN CARD
Josh Burkman def. Jon Fitch via 1st round submission (0:41)
Steve Carl def. Tyson Steele via 1st round submission (1:32)
Jacob Volkmann def. Lyle Beerbohm via unanimous decision
Justin Gaethje def. Brian Cobb via 3rd round TKO (2:19)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Jerrod Sanders def. Jeff Smith via unanimous decision
Dan Lauzon def. John Gunderson via unanimous decision
Carson Beebe def. Joe Murphy via unanimous decision
Krasimir Mladenov def. Kendrick Miree via unanimous decision
Brenson Hansen def. Josh Montalvo via unanimous decision
(“[Beerbohm’s] not even close to being able to stop my takedowns. This is going to be a ground battle and I’m hoping to finish it.” / Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
Volkmann was recently cut after a loss to Bobby Green at UFC 156 back in February despite having a 6-2 record in the Octagon as a lightweight, after starting his UFC career with an 0-2 run at welterweight. The walking papers came as a shock to Volkmann who couldn’t understand how he could be sent on his merry way. However, Volkmann’s departure came secondary to the shocking announcement that Jon Fitch had also been released despite having had a crack at Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title and holding a stellar 14-3-1 record in the UFC. If you ask Volkmann, he’ll tell you that it is because the UFC is looking to condition their fans into watching guys who stand and bang instead of crafty ground competitors.
“That was the biggest reason why I was released,” Volkmann says of his fighting strategy, which often sees him bringing fighters to the canvas rather than trading punches. With only one of his UFC victories coming by way of stoppage, Volkmann has often been labeled “boring” by the type of fans who prefer their MMA fights to look like bar brawls. And though Volkmann’s success should speak for itself, he says that the UFC prefers its fans to see mindless clubbing rather than a ground game of chess. “They are making their fans like the stand up fighters. They could put more ground fighters on the card but they are dictating who watches and what is considered [exciting]. The mainstream isn’t promoting the ground game.”
Whether Volkmann’s declaration is true depends on the viewer. But what most fans don’t understand is the disparity in pay between the UFC’s top-tier fighters and the rest of the bunch. Volkmann has fought on his fair share of main cards but says that the perception that the UFC takes care of its fighters financially is completely false.
“They don’t take care of their fighters all that well,” Volkmann says, while citing that he made $50,000 last year while going 3-0. But the money isn’t the entire issue. “I’m talking about benefits. Their health care is a joke. There is no retirement. If you get injured, you don’t get paid. I’d like to see you get paid something when you are injured.”
You may have heard about Volkmann’s idea of starting a fighters’ union as well to ensure that fighters are protected. “I’d like to see a two-year contract with two fights a year minimum, where the minimum pay is $15,000 for the fight and $15,000 to win,” Volkmann explained. “At least you get paid a minimum of $30,000 a year and I think the UFC can afford to pay their fighters that.”
(“[Beerbohm’s] not even close to being able to stop my takedowns. This is going to be a ground battle and I’m hoping to finish it.” / Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
Volkmann was recently cut after a loss to Bobby Green at UFC 156 back in February despite having a 6-2 record in the Octagon as a lightweight, after starting his UFC career with an 0-2 run at welterweight. The walking papers came as a shock to Volkmann who couldn’t understand how he could be sent on his merry way. However, Volkmann’s departure came secondary to the shocking announcement that Jon Fitch had also been released despite having had a crack at Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title and holding a stellar 14-3-1 record in the UFC. If you ask Volkmann, he’ll tell you that it is because the UFC is looking to condition their fans into watching guys who stand and bang instead of crafty ground competitors.
“That was the biggest reason why I was released,” Volkmann says of his fighting strategy, which often sees him bringing fighters to the canvas rather than trading punches. With only one of his UFC victories coming by way of stoppage, Volkmann has often been labeled “boring” by the type of fans who prefer their MMA fights to look like bar brawls. And though Volkmann’s success should speak for itself, he says that the UFC prefers its fans to see mindless clubbing rather than a ground game of chess. “They are making their fans like the stand up fighters. They could put more ground fighters on the card but they are dictating who watches and what is considered [exciting]. The mainstream isn’t promoting the ground game.”
Whether Volkmann’s declaration is true depends on the viewer. But what most fans don’t understand is the disparity in pay between the UFC’s top-tier fighters and the rest of the bunch. Volkmann has fought on his fair share of main cards but says that the perception that the UFC takes care of its fighters financially is completely false.
“They don’t take care of their fighters all that well,” Volkmann says, while citing that he made $50,000 last year while going 3-0. But the money isn’t the entire issue. “I’m talking about benefits. Their health care is a joke. There is no retirement. If you get injured, you don’t get paid. I’d like to see you get paid something when you are injured.”
You may have heard about Volkmann’s idea of starting a fighters’ union as well to ensure that fighters are protected. “I’d like to see a two-year contract with two fights a year minimum, where the minimum pay is $15,000 for the fight and $15,000 to win,” Volkmann explained. “At least you get paid a minimum of $30,000 a year and I think the UFC can afford to pay their fighters that.”
For him, the pay is fair considering the amount of money that he has to shell out on everything ranging from training camps to medical expenses.
“They don’t pay our training bills,” Volkmann continued. “Last year alone I spent $16,000 on medical expenses and health care premiums. I pay $1,000 to my gym per fight. Then I pay my boxing coach so that varies. I pay for my own equipment. I pay for gas and travel as well.”
Volkmann says that his new deal with World Series of Fighting doesn’t pay as well as the UFC, but that is mainly because the organization is still new. He chose to fight for WSoF rather than Bellator because WSoF offered him a fight every 4-6 months, and the opportunity to compete for their inaugural lightweight title was appealing. As for the UFC, Volkmann says that he has no plans of returning regardless of whether he puts together enough wins for the leading fight organization to give him a call. He figures that he’s said more than enough to put him in the permanent doghouse but that won’t prevent him from working his ass off to ensure that a fighters, union will exist.
“Other sports leagues have them so it is only a matter of time before there is one in the UFC,” Volkmann says. “I’m hoping it happens within my lifetime. It would be nice to see it in the next ten years. The UFC is trying hard to fight it and anybody that speaks against them or says that they want to form a union, the get rid of like Jon Fitch.”
With all the talk of the UFC and unions, the battle Volkmann has to focus on is inside of the cage against Beerbohm. After all, if he is unable to win, he may have a hard time finding a place to fight in the first place.
“I’ve been working on my standup every day and getting more confident just in case somebody has the power to stop my takedown attempts,” Volkmann says of his approach to Beerbohm. While his strength has always been in his ground game, Volkmann knows that he needs to become more well rounded if he wants to be considered an elite fighter. However, the man who now calls himself “Dr. Feelgood” believes that Beerbohm won’t have much to offer when it comes to stopping Volkmann from what he does best.
“He’s not even close to being able to stop my takedowns,” he said when asked how the fight will end up. “This is going to be a ground battle and I’m hoping to finish it. He seems to give up his back pretty easily and that’s nice for me.”
Considering that Volkmann is one of those fighters who more often than not leaves the fight in the hands of the judges, he’s keenly aware that he needs to become a finisher in order to excel in the World Series of Fighting. And aside from the standup, the other thing Volkmann says that he has worked on is keeping the Obama slander out of his post-fight interviews.
“Unless somebody brings something up about Obama, I have nothing more to say,” Volkmann says. “I have had enough of that. Besides, I stopped saying stuff because he stopped forcing foolish policies. He has been doing pretty well at doing absolutely nothing.”
