Miguel Torres was recently fired from the UFC quickly after making a rape joke on Twitter.He later apologized for the tweet which read, “If a rape van was called a surprise van, more women wouldn’t mind going for rides in them. Everyone loves a s…
He later apologized for the tweet which read, “If a rape van was called a surprise van, more women wouldn’t mind going for rides in them. Everyone loves a surprise.”
Not the most brilliant thing to put out there on the Internet.
Even though it might have been a bit harsh to fire Torres for such a comment, it wasn’t completely out of bounds to do so. Some other fighters have been given more slack than Torres, and though it is uncertain why, there is one thing that is obvious.
Torres is in need of a job because it doesn’t seem that this is going to be one of those things that Dana White, the president of the UFC, is going to reverse anytime soon.
Torres may not be a champion anymore as he was when he was the WEC bantamweight titleholder, but he is still an ex-UFC fighter coming off a win. His name still has a lot of clout.
The longer he stays away from the cage the more his name value drops. He needs to quickly get it back out there in the MMA world so that fans feel like keeping up with him. That said, if he doesn’t have a national medium in which he can show off his skills then it means nothing.
That is where Bellator comes in.
Not only are they the second-largest promoter in America and arguably the world, they were just purchased by Viacom. That means they also have economic stability in the rocky world of mixed martial arts.
They also seem to have trouble signing big names in an effort to compete with the UFC. That could be leverage for him to use to get serious paycheck.
He also might have an easier amount of competition in Bellator. That isn’t to say he could become champion without trying, but that it won’t be as difficult. A lot of the fighters in Bellator are unproven fighters who haven’t ever made it to the big show.
Some of this might be luck or timing, but some of it could be that they never measured up. Bellator could have a second shot at being champion.
Between a better potential paycheck and another shot at glory, Torres should take the opportunity in front of him. He may have made a mistake by tweeting an insensitive statement, but he can turn a negative and make it a positive.
Torres was removed as a main player from the WEC to be a cog in the UFC machine. He didn’t really stand out in the promotion. It is weak as an excuse, but it might have been what made him willing to send out such a shocking statement. He wanted to stand out.
Now that he is no longer there he still can do it.
So, it seems there might be life outside the UFC after all.
As each year passes in MMA, the sport grows exponentially and brings on new changes. The UFC seems to grow with each passing day, but in such a sport that is primarily run as a business, the variables in play can sometimes shock us when they change.&nb…
As each year passes in MMA, the sport grows exponentially and brings on new changes. The UFC seems to grow with each passing day, but in such a sport that is primarily run as a business, the variables in play can sometimes shock us when they change.
This is a look at what has happened in the recent months, closing out the 2011 year.
These are the five biggest, UNEXPECTED moments that left fans scratching their heads, stunned in amazement, or just plain upset.
Dana White recently released former bantamweight champion Miguel Torres in a shocking move less than 24 hours after Torres made a rape joke.The joke was offensive and though the punishment was harsh, it can be argued that it was fair.Personally, this w…
The joke was offensive and though the punishment was harsh, it can be argued that it was fair.
Personally, this writer would have liked to see Torres fined and forced to give a public apology. A suspension might have even been merited.
But White chose to fire him, and that is still within the bounds of what should have been done. It’s the inconsistency of who is punished that seems to smack either of favoritism or a lack of critical thought.
This isn’t a recent problem, as both Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans have made comments that were in bad taste.
It just doesn’t make sense why he would choose that topic.
And White’s reasons for defending Davis are absurd. Because a fighter wanted to sell a fight and talk trash, he was able to get away with making light of the alleged abuse of multiple children? That is the reason White is defending him?
And Evans in no way has to pay a fine. He hasn’t even apologized for the incident. To be honest, he doesn’t need to apologize to the fans, or even to the media. He needs to apologize to the victims of the Penn State proceedings.
But White has already shrugged those comments and that action off, even though it was said in the middle of a presser for a fight that will air on network TV.
Some might say that it is because Evans is such an important fighter in the UFC, unlike Torres, that White doesn’t want to cut him. It might be true, it might not be the case at all.
White was willing to fire Torres because he tweeted an insensitive joke, and that is understandable.
Evans willingly and knowingly said something that was offensive and was done to attack his opponent and is not only still with the company, but had no repercussions.
Dana White says he deals with smart people that do dumb things. He is smart himself. In fact he is so intelligent, it’s hard to believe that he didn’t think about the mixed message he sent.
So what did fans learn from this?
The next time a UFC fighter says something offensive, figure out what their standing in the company is, and that will tell you if they’re going to be cut.
It might not be the message White wanted to send, but fans received it loud and clear.
Let me preface this by letting everyone know I do not condone rape. I do not condone pedophilia. I do not condone domestic violence or violence against women of any kind. No man should force himself upon any other person, nor should a woman. With that…
Let me preface this by letting everyone know I do not condone rape. I do not condone pedophilia. I do not condone domestic violence or violence against women of any kind. No man should force himself upon any other person, nor should a woman.
With that said, let us delve into the Miguel Torres “rape van” issue.
“If a rape van was called a surprise van, more women wouldn’t mind going for rides in them. Everyone likes surprises.” This is the tweet made by Torres that has UFC brass, namely Dana White, so up in arms.
This tweet was enough to force Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, to cut bantamweight contender and former WEC titlist Miguel Torres from the roster immediately.
“Miguel Torres has been cut from the UFC and his career with us now is over,” White stated in an interview with SI.com.
This all comes in the wake of two very similar and equally politically incorrect statements made by former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin and former light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans. Both are winners of The Ultimate Fighter.
On Nov. 8, Griffin tweeted, “rape is the new missionary.”
The tweet, of course, came with it’s due backlash, causing Forrest Griffin to put himself on “Twitter restriction” as well as going to the Rape Crisis Center in the area to explain himself and make up for his comment.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Dana White talks about Griffin’s explanation that, while flipping through channels, all he saw on television were different stories of rape occurrences, prompting Forrest to make the comment.
This, for me, is easy to live with. It was a poorly constructed attempt at satirizing the fact that far more rapes are being exposed and/or exploited by television and news outlets than ever before.
The intent was not to offend, but to be more of a social commentary; however, a clear failure of the task.
What makes this entire issue dumbfounding is Rashad Evans’ comments directed at Phil Davis during a press conference for their upcoming main-event bout on “UFC on Fox 2.”
At the presser for the January 28 event, Davis made a comment about current light heavyweight title holder, and former Evans training partner, Jon Jones’ statement that Rashad Evans “doesn’t have a chin.” This was Rashad’s response;
“You’re going to have to find out for yourself. I bet you won’t be able to put your hands on me, though. I bet you’ll be the first one to take a shot. I guarantee you’ll be the first one to take a shot, ‘cause I’m going to put those hands on you worse than that dude did to them other kids at Penn State.”
This statement is in reference to the alleged pedophilia perpetrated by Jerry Sandusky, former assistant football coach at Penn State, where Phil Davis attended and was a champion wrestler.
According to Dana White, Evans’s explanation was that it was “in the heat of the moment” and that Evans was trying to get under the skin of Phil Davis by knocking Davis and his school at the same time.
In the interview with SI.com, White said, “…so we talked on the phone, he gave me his explanation, he said, ‘I’ll do whatever it takes, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend anybody. In the heat of the moment, that’s what I said to him because he’s from Penn State.’”
This holds absolutely no credence. Evans is sitting at a crucial press event promoting a main event on a card to be aired live on Fox and is basically saying “I’m going to do things worse than Jerry Sandusky.”
How is there any way to justify any part of Rashad Evans comments? How does Rashad’s realization that he was wrong bar him from ANY consequence for a comment as tasteless, insensitive and downright stupid as the comment made towards Phil Davis?
Apparently, Miguel Torres’s real mistake was explaining that it was just a joke. A joke that came from Season 4, Episode 2 “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” which is a staple show on FX, a company parented by Fox.
That is correct, the Fox network that just inked a huge seven year deal with the UFC. FX, being the daughter company of Fox, will be, going forward, airing The Ultimate Fighter.
This was tweeted by Matt Erickson of MMAfighting.com, “Just spoke to @MiguelTorresMMA via text. He assures me he was quoting from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and was watching it at time.”
After his firing, Torres released this statement on his website;
“I have a lot to be thankful for in my life, I have my beautiful wife and daughter, my family, my health, my gym, and in terms of my career, I succeeded to the biggest stage in the sport of mixed martial arts, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
“I am very sorry for upsetting my bosses at the UFC, and also to my fans and everyone else who was upset by the language in my tweets. I understand it was wrong, and I meant no harm or disrespect. Given the chance, I will do whatever it takes to make things right. I am going to learn from this.
“I think life throws you opportunities that can make you a better person, and so that’s what I’m going to do here. That is how I am going to react. I am going to use this to improve myself, and I hope that my fans will continue to support me.”
So, at a press conference, Rashad Evans can threaten to touch a man in a way that is worse than an alleged pedophile, but Miguel Torres cannot reference a show on a network that has a large contract with the company he works for? Excuse me, worked for.
Let us ignore the blatant hypocrisy in all this.
Dana White says that he handles everyone on a “case-by-case” basis. Well, those cases are full of money, and Rashad’s case has a lot more vested in it than that of Miguel Torres.
Rashad Evans is the headliner for the first UFC on Fox event officially within the new deal. Rashad Evans is a TUF winner. Rashad Evans is a big draw and polarizing figure that everyone wants to see finally face Jon Jones, so long as they both win their upcoming bouts.
Of course, Rashad Evans is not getting fired. And to fine him and make a big deal about it publicly will hurt numbers; it would hurt the bottom line.
In fiscal comparison, who is Miguel Torres?
Miguel Torres is expendable, that’s who. And I think that is b@!%$#!t…at least, the man apologized!!
Well if you’re disappointed ’cause you want to see naked pictures of the extremely well-adjusted actress celebrity young lady, Lindsay Lohan, I apologize we cannot show you the pictures on our site, because we would.
Well if you’re disappointed ’cause you want to see naked pictures of the extremely well-adjusted actresscelebrity young lady, Lindsay Lohan, I apologize we cannot show you the pictures on our site, because we would be ordered to cease and desist the leaked pictures, so instead here are some brave links that will show you: here and here. Meanwhile, if you want to find the latest MMA-related link dumps, keep reading below:
Mike Pierce to face Josh Koscheck at UFC 143.
Why Dana White released Miguel Torres from the UFC and not Forrest Griffin or Rashad Evans: here.
Miguel Torres apologizes for controversial tweet, will take the opportunity to better himself: here.
Scott Jorgenson vs. Renen Barao added to UFC 143 card.
Antonio Rodrigo “Big Nog” Nogueira is not exactly eager for a title-shot: here.
Frank Mir picks Brock Lesnar to beat Alistair Overeem: here.
UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida weigh-in results: here.
Kendall Grove vs. Ikuhisa Minowa at ProElite: Da Spyder vs. The Punk on January 21st.
The effects of concussions on Mixed Martial Artists: here.
Rape is certainly no laughing matter.Unfortunately, Miguel Torres had to learn the hard way. The former WEC bantamweight champion was released from the UFC on Thursday after “jokingly” posting a comment pertaining to rape on his Twitter.”If a rape van …
Rape is certainly no laughing matter.
Unfortunately, Miguel Torres had to learn the hard way. The former WEC bantamweight champion was released from the UFC on Thursday after “jokingly” posting a comment pertaining to rape on his Twitter.
“If a rape van was called a surprise van, more women wouldn’t mind going for rides in them. Everyone like surprises,” Torres posted.
Torres tried to rectify the situation by changing the word “rape” to “windowless,” but the damage had already been done.
UFC President Dana White made the decision to release the legendary bantamweight from his UFC contract.
“It wasn’t that I thought this was offensive. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous and stupid, and yeah, I’m sure offensive to many people,” White told Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com. “That’s not a funny joke to me. It’s just not something you tweet. If that’s your sense of humor, keep it at home around your buddies and yourself.”
While Torres is the only fighter to be fired after making such comments, former light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin have also come under heat for making light of rape.
“I guarantee you’re going to be the first one to take a shot because I’m going to put those hands on you worse than that dude did to them other kids at Penn State,” Evans stated.
In November, a controversial comment posted on Twitter left Griffin in hot water as well.
“Rape is the new missionary,” posted Griffin.
With similar instances involving major UFC superstars, why was Torres the only fighter released? Is there some form of meter that determines what comments are more offensive?
“We don’t come out in the UFC with these canned statements that are written by our lawyers. We handle everything on a case by case basis with the idea that people are gonna make mistakes, and it’s how you handle yourself after you make a mistake,” said White.
Griffin’s comment pertained to the media’s obsession with a plethora of rape incidents including the case of Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant coach at Penn State charged with child molestation.
In Evans’ case, his comments were directed at Davis, an upcoming opponent with a connection to Penn State.
Torres’ tweet came out of left field, and so far, his only explanation is that the comment was meant as a joke. It was certainly an outlandish comment that deserved some form of discipline, but did Torres deserve to lose his job?
The MMA community has lit up over the past 24 hours with passionate fans lashing out at the UFC and concocting petitions to bring back Torres. Despite the pleas of fans, White isn’t budging in his stance. The UFC has always done business a certain way, and a few petitions won’t change White’s business philosophy.
“I don’t give a (expletive) what people think. I really don’t. If you haven’t figured that out in the last 10 years, then you’re pretty thick headed,” White said.
“The bottom line is nobody is going to persuade me, and nobody is going to pressure me into attacking my own guys and going after my guys because I feel like it’s what should be done. I’m going to handle this thing the way that I want to. I’m not going to be pressured by the media, by the fans or anybody else to go in and attack my guys when they make a mistake.”
Miguel Torres was recently fired from the UFC quickly after making a rape joke on Twitter.