(Matt Brown: Knockout artist, foxy-boxing aficionado. / Photo via Getty)
On Wednesday, we gave our CagePotato Seal of Approval to Matt Brown‘s new podcast Legit Man Shit, featuring the “hilarious, borderline sexist musings” of the tough-as-nails UFC welterweight contender. As Jared wrote, “head over to the podcast’s SoundCloud page and check out episode one before Brown is inevitably stifled by his superiors like every forward-thinking philosophizer before him.”
The quote that wound up getting Brown in trouble with his bosses was a rant about women’s MMA that featured the line, “If I’ma pay 60 dollars for a pay-per-view to watch women fight, they should at least be topless.” Soon after that quote began circulatingaroundthe MMAblogosphere, the UFC released the following statement:
“Matt Brown has apologized for the comments made on his podcast, and we have addressed the matter with him. His comments don’t reflect the views of the UFC. There’s no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. The UFC is built on principles of respect [Ed. note: LMFAO], and any statements to the contrary are not acceptable.”
The UFC is understandably touchy about its female fighters being publicly disrespected by its male fighters; featherweight Conor McGregor was previously smacked down after he released a sexually-charged tweet about Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. And now it’s the Immortal’s turn to put out a forced apology:
(Matt Brown: Knockout artist, foxy-boxing aficionado. / Photo via Getty)
On Wednesday, we gave our CagePotato Seal of Approval to Matt Brown‘s new podcast Legit Man Shit, featuring the “hilarious, borderline sexist musings” of the tough-as-nails UFC welterweight contender. As Jared wrote, “head over to the podcast’s SoundCloud page and check out episode one before Brown is inevitably stifled by his superiors like every forward-thinking philosophizer before him.”
The quote that wound up getting Brown in trouble with his bosses was a rant about women’s MMA that featured the line, “If I’ma pay 60 dollars for a pay-per-view to watch women fight, they should at least be topless.” Soon after that quote began circulatingaroundthe MMAblogosphere, the UFC released the following statement:
“Matt Brown has apologized for the comments made on his podcast, and we have addressed the matter with him. His comments don’t reflect the views of the UFC. There’s no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. The UFC is built on principles of respect [Ed. note: LMFAO], and any statements to the contrary are not acceptable.”
The UFC is understandably touchy about its female fighters being publicly disrespected by its male fighters; featherweight Conor McGregor was previously smacked down after he released a sexually-charged tweet about Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. And now it’s the Immortal’s turn to put out a forced apology:
“I have spoken with the UFC about the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy and what is required and expected of me as a professional athlete under the terms of my promotion agreement. The UFC has a policy of inclusion and respect for all people and I understand the importance of being more aware of my actions and words.”
So will Legit Man Shit become just another one-episode wonder, like Quarterlife, Emily’s Reasons Why Not, and Heil Honey I’m Home? Has Matt Brown’s promising broadcasting career been snuffed out before it could even get started? And what the hell has happened to free speech in this country, anyway? I miss the days when you could discuss your preference of vagina to anus without losing your job, but that’s just me — a real American who bleeds red, white & blue, and only does sex with WOMEN, thank you very much. [*solemnly spits mouthful of dip-juice*]
MMA podcasts are a dime a dozen. MMAFighting has one. Sherdog has one. BloodyElbow pays a lunatic to drive around in a Ford Fiesta and rant about stuff, which is kind of the same thing. Hell, even we used to have one, until Dana White & Co. shut us down for being “too real” and “too in your face.” At least, that’s what we keep telling ourselves. But thankfully, the short list of MMA podcasts worth listening to (mainly, The Co-Main Event Podcast and The Joe Rogan Experience) is about to get a little longer, Nation.
A few days ago, UFC fighter, grizzled badass and 2014’s surefire welterweight champion, Matt Brown, announced (via the UG) that he was starting a podcast to keep himself busy while rehabbing his back. Appropriately dubbed the Legit Man Shit Podcast — not to be confused with Alpha Male Shit — and featuring Brown’s friends Jeremy Loper (radio host) and Travis “The Terror” Clark (pro fighter), the Legit Man Shit Podcast debuted on New Year’s Eve with special guest Dorian Price.
If you don’t know much about Brown and his cohorts, then prepare yourself for an hour of hilarious, borderline sexist musings such as,“If you can’t rip somebody’s face open with elbows, it is not Muay Thai” and “If I’ma pay 60 dollars for a pay-per-view to watch women fight, they should at least be topless.” Brown also shares some MMA tales from “before the sport got all pussied up” by things like “sanctions” and “rules”, so head over to the podcast’s SoundCloud page and check out episode one before Brown is inevitably stifled by his superiors like every forward-thinking philosophizer before him.
MMA podcasts are a dime a dozen. MMAFighting has one. Sherdog has one. BloodyElbow pays a lunatic to drive around in a Ford Fiesta and rant about stuff, which is kind of the same thing. Hell, even we used to have one, until Dana White & Co. shut us down for being “too real” and “too in your face.” At least, that’s what we keep telling ourselves. But thankfully, the short list of MMA podcasts worth listening to (mainly, The Co-Main Event Podcast and The Joe Rogan Experience) is about to get a little longer, Nation.
A few days ago, UFC fighter, grizzled badass and 2014′s surefire welterweight champion, Matt Brown, announced (via the UG) that he was starting a podcast to keep himself busy while rehabbing his back. Appropriately dubbed the Legit Man Shit Podcast – not to be confused with Alpha Male Shit — and featuring Brown’s friends Jeremy Loper (radio host) and Travis “The Terror” Clark (pro fighter), the Legit Man Shit Podcast debuted on New Year’s Eve with special guest Dorian Price.
If you don’t know much about Brown and his cohorts, then prepare yourself for an hour of hilarious, borderline sexist musings such as,“If you can’t rip somebody’s face open with elbows, it is not Muay Thai” and “If I’ma pay 60 dollars for a pay-per-view to watch women fight, they should at least be topless.” Brown also shares some MMA tales from “before the sport got all pussied up” by things like “sanctions” and “rules”, so head over to the podcast’s SoundCloud page and check out episode one before Brown is inevitably stifled by his superiors like every forward-thinking philosophizer before him.
Whether you agree with or appreciate Brown’s Diaz-esque brazenness and southern-ish drawl, I think we can all agree that it will be a goddamn tragedy if Don Frye doesn’t become an integral part of this podcast in the immediate future.
No one likes the guy who can put you in the corner — the disciplinarian. As such, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission Keith Kizer gets the brunt of any and all criticism from fans, fighters, coaches and promoters with almost anything related to boxing and MMA.
Despite the target on his back from being the chief regulator of the most important fight commission in the world, Kizer never seems to shirk away from questions and accountability. Long one of the most accessible major figures in combat sports, Kizer furthered this reputation by sitting down for nearly two hours with The Conversation to discuss a wide range of topics, from his life and career to controversies in sport regulation.
Kizer may be the public face of your favorite fighter getting suspended for weed or roids or what have you, but he also, for example, was instrumental in putting together the rules that helped make MMA legal. Always thoughtful and deliberate, even when disagreeing with you, Kizer also never takes himself too seriously despite his position.
Whether you love or hate the NSAC, or if (gasp) you simply want to learn more about fight regulation and the people who do it, chances are you’ll get something out this week’s episode of The Conversation. We hope you enjoy it after the jump.
(Note: Sorry for the gap in episodes. We’ve been a bit under the weather for the better part of a month. Check back tomorrow for another episode where Phil Nurse — the Muay Thai coach of Georges St. Pierre, Frankie Edgar and Jon Jones — visits The Conversation for the most in-depth interview of his career.)
No one likes the guy who can put you in the corner — the disciplinarian. As such, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission Keith Kizer gets the brunt of any and all criticism from fans, fighters, coaches and promoters with almost anything related to boxing and MMA.
Despite the target on his back from being the chief regulator of the most important fight commission in the world, Kizer never seems to shirk away from questions and accountability. Long one of the most accessible major figures in combat sports, Kizer furthered this reputation by sitting down for nearly two hours with The Conversation to discuss a wide range of topics, from his life and career to controversies in sport regulation.
Kizer may be the public face of your favorite fighter getting suspended for weed or roids or what have you, but he also, for example, was instrumental in putting together the rules that helped make MMA legal. Always thoughtful and deliberate, even when disagreeing with you, Kizer also never takes himself too seriously despite his position.
Whether you love or hate the NSAC, or if (gasp) you simply want to learn more about fight regulation and the people who do it, chances are you’ll get something out this week’s episode of The Conversation. We hope you enjoy it after the jump.
(Note: Sorry for the gap in episodes. We’ve been a bit under the weather for the better part of a month. Check back tomorrow for another episode where Phil Nurse — the Muay Thai coach of Georges St. Pierre, Frankie Edgar and Jon Jones — visits The Conversation for the most in-depth interview of his career.)
(“We’re such social creatures. No one is really worried about getting hurt, we’re worried about being shamed. We’re worried about being embarrassed, about being shown up as not a man.” / Photo via Sam’s official website, WorldIsMadeofFire.com)
Sam is a Harvard-educated visual artist who went on to be a merchant marine and fire fighter, and then traveled the world to train and fight. He lived and battled in Thailand, became a part of the Team Miletich family in Iowa, traveled to Brazil to train with members of the legendary Brazilian Top Team like Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, and accompanied them to Japan for PRIDE events. Sam has himself conversed with the best competitors in the world, from top combat athletes like Dan Gable and Randy Couture to ultra-marathoners and chess champions.
Yeah, Sam has stories to tell. We spend an hour and a half with him going over some of his favorites. Enjoy after the jump, and then please tune in next week for episode 3 of The Conversation with Randy Couture.
(“We’re such social creatures. No one is really worried about getting hurt, we’re worried about being shamed. We’re worried about being embarrassed, about being shown up as not a man.” / Photo via Sam’s official website, WorldIsMadeofFire.com)
Sam is a Harvard-educated visual artist who went on to be a merchant marine and fire fighter, and then traveled the world to train and fight. He lived and battled in Thailand, became a part of the Team Miletich family in Iowa, traveled to Brazil to train with members of the legendary Brazilian Top Team like Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, and accompanied them to Japan for PRIDE events. Sam has himself conversed with the best competitors in the world, from top combat athletes like Dan Gable and Randy Couture to ultra-marathoners and chess champions.
Yeah, Sam has stories to tell. We spend an hour and a half with him going over some of his favorites. Enjoy after the jump, and then please tune in next week for episode 3 of The Conversation with Randy Couture.
Hey ‘Taters. I’ve been working on a new MMA podcast called “The Conversation” over the past few months, and we’re finally ready to debut it. The concept is simple — in depth, retrospective conversations with the most fascinating people in the fight world.
The production is basic and it’s something that I’ll be working to improve over time. What I hope shines through are the incredible stories that the remarkable people we speak with share during these honest and intimate conversations.
For this episode I traveled to New York to visit with everyone’s favorite Gracie, Renzo. In fact, it was just about a week or two before his now famous mugger smackdown tweet-a-thon. In my own head, I like to think that Renzo discussing self-defense and street fights during this podcast recording got his old-school juices flowing again. That, of course, is nonsense.
Renzo is always Renzo. He has deeply held convictions and stories that would make the fictional “World’s Most Interesting Man,” look like a mail room clerk in comparison.
And if you thought you’ve heard all the crazy stories Renzo had to tell before, I guarantee you have not before now. Renzo details a very independent childhood that had him fighting drug dealers on beaches to living in an Amazon brothel, experiencing lots of firsts. He goes on to talk about his pioneering family and a bit about his own time in Pride and the UFC.
He also opens up about the direction his careers have gone, possible regrets, and looking towards the future. If you love fight stories, life philosophy, and laughing your ass off, join us after the jump for this informal conversation with Renzo Gracie. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Hey ‘Taters. I’ve been working on a new MMA podcast called “The Conversation” over the past few months, and we’re finally ready to debut it. The concept is simple — in depth, retrospective conversations with the most fascinating people in the fight world.
The production is basic and it’s something that I’ll be working to improve over time. What I hope shines through are the incredible stories that the remarkable people we speak with share during these honest and intimate conversations.
For this episode I traveled to New York to visit with everyone’s favorite Gracie, Renzo. In fact, it was just about a week or two before his now famous mugger smackdown tweet-a-thon. In my own head, I like to think that Renzo discussing self-defense and street fights during this podcast recording got his old-school juices flowing again. That, of course, is nonsense.
Renzo is always Renzo. He has deeply held convictions and stories that would make the fictional “World’s Most Interesting Man,” look like a mail room clerk in comparison.
And if you thought you’ve heard all the crazy stories Renzo had to tell before, I guarantee you have not before now. Renzo details a very independent childhood that had him fighting drug dealers on beaches to living in an Amazon brothel, experiencing lots of firsts. He goes on to talk about his pioneering family and a bit about his own time in Pride and the UFC.
He also opens up about the direction his careers have gone, possible regrets, and looking towards the future. If you love fight stories, life philosophy, and laughing your ass off, join us after the jump for this informal conversation with Renzo Gracie. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
(Little did Zach Galifianakis know that this would be the most awkward episode of “Between Two Ferns” to date.)
As has become public knowledge by this point, there are two sides to Chael Sonnen. Two sides that, while vastly different from one another, combine to form a charismatic, well-spoken, yet incredibly polarizing mixed martial artist. The fact that Sonnen manages to effortlessly shift between these two paradigms when hyping a fight, giving a post-fight interview, or relentlessly tearing apart a Canadian reporter is only a testament to his ability to enthrall while repelling, to pique one’s interest while simultaneously drawing their ire. This may sound like a bit of “nut-hugging” as the MMA blogosphere likes to so eloquently put it, but there’s no denying that Sonnen is truly a unique individual, and one who could sell a ketchup Popsicle to a woman in white gloves without batting an eye.
But the Chael Sonnen that sat down with Joe Rogan as part of his infamous (as far as podcasts go) “The Joe Rogan Experience” was not the fight-hyping, pro rasslin’ “Oregon Gangster” that many fans can’t bear the sight of. Instead, for over two and a half hours, Rogan managed a feat that perhaps no other interviewer, journalist, or low-level blogger has even come close to: He managed to bring out the sincerity in Chael Sonnen.
And it was nothing short of fascinating.
Not fascinating in a “what’s he going to say next?” kind of way, but rather in a “man behind the myth” kind of way, and to put it simply, it stands above any other Chael Sonnen interview I personally have ever seen. The two dished on everything from Sonnen’s turning point as an MMA fighter (which came as a result of hypnotherapy, believe it or not), to Dan Severn’s infamously terrible work against Shannon Ritch, to Chris Leben’s batshit crazy childhood. But none of it felt forced, or fabricated. The Chael Sonnen that sat down with Rogan was endearing, empathetic, and above all else, realistic, and a kudos is due to Rogan for managing to bring that out of him.
Check out the full podcast after the jump.
(Little did Zach Galifianakis know that this would be the most awkward episode of “Between Two Ferns” to date.)
As has become public knowledge by this point, there are two sides to Chael Sonnen. Two sides that, while vastly different from one another, combine to form a charismatic, well-spoken, yet incredibly polarizing mixed martial artist. The fact that Sonnen manages to effortlessly shift between these two paradigms when hyping a fight, giving a post-fight interview, or relentlessly tearing apart a Canadian reporter is only a testament to his ability to enthrall while repelling, to pique one’s interest while simultaneously drawing their ire. This may sound like a bit of “nut-hugging” as the MMA blogosphere likes to so eloquently put it, but there’s no denying that Sonnen is truly a unique individual, and one who could sell a ketchup Popsicle to a woman in white gloves without batting an eye.
But the Chael Sonnen that sat down with Joe Rogan as part of his infamous (as far as podcasts go) “The Joe Rogan Experience” was not the fight-hyping, pro rasslin’ “Oregon Gangster” that many fans can’t bear the sight of. Instead, for over two and a half hours, Rogan managed a feat that perhaps no other interviewer, journalist, or low-level blogger has even come close to: He managed to bring out the sincerity in Chael Sonnen.
And it was nothing short of fascinating.
Not fascinating in a “what’s he going to say next?” kind of way, but rather in a “man behind the myth” kind of way, and to put it simply, it stands above any other Chael Sonnen interview I personally have ever seen. The two dished on everything from Sonnen’s turning point as an MMA fighter (which came as a result of hypnotherapy, believe it or not), to Dan Severn’s infamously terrible work against Shannon Ritch, to Chris Leben’s batshit crazy childhood. But none of it felt forced, or fabricated. The Chael Sonnen that sat down with Rogan was endearing, empathetic, and above all else, realistic, and a kudos is due to Rogan for managing to bring that out of him.
Take this tidbit, in which Rogan asks Chael what he honestly would have expected had his rematch against Anderson Silva taken place in front of the eighty-some thousand fans in Rio as originally planned:
It would’ve been a scene. I don’t think they could’ve controlled it. They swore that they could, they’d have presidential security there, they were planning on having the President of Brazil there, so they’d have their secret service. It’s like, ‘guys, you can’t do it.’ There was just a soccer game and 73 were trampled to death. You can’t control a crowd when they decide to storm, you just can’t. It’s displaced responsibility. You can’t control that, especially when I’m the main event. And the relevance to that is, it means the beer started pouring five hours earlier. So now your not only talking about an insightful crowd, you’re talking about a drunk crowd.
Rogan pushed on, asking Sonnen what he thought would have happened had he beat Silva in his home country, and it was here that Sonnen truly opened up.
I think it would have been bad. I think it would have been very, very bad. And I would not have backed off one bit. Because I’m not gonna change; I’m gonna dance with the one that brought me. I’m going to be aggressive, I’m going to be in your face…I’m going to do my job as soon as Bruce Buffer gets out of my way. And I can’t change, I don’t know how to change. This is what I’m programmed to do. I hate to talk like one of those maniacs, ‘I’d have given my life blah blah blah,’ but Joe, I swear to you, hand to God, I’d have given my life to win that championship if I had to.
Let’s not forget, this isn’t tough guy talk. I signed the contract to go to Brazil to do the fight, and in my heart I thought, ‘I don’t know how this is gonna go.’ I made my mother promise she wouldn’t go. My mother doesn’t get it, she’s an older woman. She’s got a ruby or a diamond on every finger, you know, you don’t go into South America like that, let alone a fight. It was just one of those deals, but look, this is what I’m gonna do.
Check out the full podcast below. The conversation in question starts somewhere around the hour and a half mark, but I’d recommend you check out the whole thing.
