Jesus Christ, it hasn’t even been 24 hours since a notable MMA figure said something unbelievably stupid. Yet here we are again. This time the culprit is Roy Nelson, who called fellow UFC heavyweight Daniel Cormier an “Uncle Tom” during an interview with Ariel Helwani. As BloodyElbow summarizes:
Ariel brought up Daniel Cormier’s recent statements that he wants to kick Nelson’s ass in part “for Dana White.” Nelson went a bizarre direction with his response, stating “Having a lot of black friends. They would say that would be more of an Uncle Tom move.”
Pushed to expand on what made it an “Uncle Tom move,” Nelson laughed and said “That’s what my friends were saying. And I was just like ‘wow!’ Hey it is what it is. You gotta do what you can do for the boss.”
Wow, indeed. While I’m not one to try to rank the degrees of horribleness between different ways of denigrating an entire people…yeah, this is probably the worst thing that’s been uttered this week by pretty much any public figure in American sports. And Nelson — who is managed by Mike Kogan‘s RealTalk Entertainment, by the way — has no lackof competition.
If you’re unaware of what the phrase “Uncle Tom” means and what the implications of its use are, go ahead and brush up on that. Of course, this isn’t the first instance of “Uncle Tom” being used in pugilistic trash talk — Muhammad Ali famously taunted Joe Frazier with the epithet during their rivalry. Afterwards, Frazier would take pride in his contributions to Ali’s physical and mental decline. So despite the fact that Ali had “a lot of black friends” himself, even he couldn’t get away with it.
Jesus Christ, it hasn’t even been 24 hours since a notable MMA figure said something unbelievably stupid. Yet here we are again. This time the culprit is Roy Nelson, who called fellow UFC heavyweight Daniel Cormier an “Uncle Tom” during an interview with Ariel Helwani. As BloodyElbow summarizes:
Ariel brought up Daniel Cormier’s recent statements that he wants to kick Nelson’s ass in part “for Dana White.” Nelson went a bizarre direction with his response, stating “Having a lot of black friends. They would say that would be more of an Uncle Tom move.”
Pushed to expand on what made it an “Uncle Tom move,” Nelson laughed and said “That’s what my friends were saying. And I was just like ‘wow!’ Hey it is what it is. You gotta do what you can do for the boss.”
Wow, indeed. While I’m not one to try to rank the degrees of horribleness between different ways of denigrating an entire people…yeah, this is probably the worst thing that’s been uttered this week by pretty much any public figure in American sports. And Nelson — who is managed by Mike Kogan‘s RealTalk Entertainment, by the way — has no lackof competition.
If you’re unaware of what the phrase “Uncle Tom” means and what the implications of its use are, go ahead and brush up on that. Of course, this isn’t the first instance of “Uncle Tom” being used in pugilistic trash talk — Muhammad Ali famously taunted Joe Frazier with the epithet during their rivalry. Afterwards, Frazier would take pride in his contributions to Ali’s physical and mental decline. So despite the fact that Ali had “a lot of black friends” himself, even he couldn’t get away with it.
I doubt Roy Nelson has any idea what it was he actually said. And I doubt Daniel Cormier is going to take as much offense as Joe Frazier did. But this is entirely unacceptable. Nelson should expect to be hit hard by the UFC for this, maybe with the hardest punishment the promotion has ever handed down. I’m not so sure this is necessarily a fireable offense, or at least I don’t believe it should be, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it becomes one. Nelson’s contract is expiring soon and he’s never been Dana White’s favorite employee. If anything, he’s the perfect candidate for the UFC to make an example of if it wants to claim its personal conduct policy has some serious teeth.
Then again, maybe they’ll keep him around for one more fight. I bet Cormier wouldn’t mind.
Roy Nelson and Dana White don’t like each other very much. That’s pretty obvious to any outside observer. That said, “Big Country” hasn’t actually done anything to get in trouble beyond pushing buttons with MMA’s top promoter…until now. I…
Roy Nelson and Dana White don’t like each other very much. That’s pretty obvious to any outside observer. That said, “Big Country” hasn’t actually done anything to get in trouble beyond pushing buttons with MMA‘s top promoter…until now.
In a UFC 161 pre-fight interview with Ariel Helwani for MMAFighting.com, Nelson was asked how he felt about fellow heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier saying he wanted to fight him “for Dana White.” Nelson, unwisely, labeled the beef an “Uncle Tom move.”
For those not in the know, the label “Uncle Tom” is a reference to the abolitionist tome “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, which effectively humanized the struggle of slaves in the 1800s. Today, however, the label of an “Uncle Tom” is typically made to refer to someone (usually an African-American) who goes out of their way to be subservient to another (usually to a white person), or actively tries to conform to the standards of white society.
The term has come up in MMA in the past. Back when Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson were exchanging verbal jabs, both Evans and at-the-time Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “King” Mo Lawaltook issue with Jackson’s portrayal of himself as less-than-intelligent, labeling him in an interview with ESPN an “Uncle Tom” for playing into the “ignorant stereotypes some black men tend to get labeled with.”
The major difference between these instances, of course, is that Lawal and Evans are both African-American, while Nelson is not. The term carries racial weight, which makes it something public figures such as Nelson would be wise to keep out of their vocabulary.
Nelson has never previously said, done or been accused of anything racially-charged, has an ethnically diverse training staff and entourage, and is friendly with many prominent black mixed martial artists. There is nothing to indicate that this is anything more than a faux pas on Nelson’s part.
However, the UFC is actively trying to stamp out political incorrectness these days, and were quick to suspend former lightweight title contender Nate Diaz for using a homophobic slur. While what Diaz did is worse than Nelson’s allegation, this incident, in combination with his history of turmoil with Dana White, could reasonably get him a slap from the UFC’s disciplinary staff.
Nelson is scheduled fight up-and-comer StipeMiocic this Saturday. Look for any possible backlash from the UFC to come after the event.
Heavyweight Stipe Miociccame to the UFC in 2011 with an undefeated amateur and pro record and a penchant for knocking people out. Impressively, he continued his tear once in the world’s top MMA organization, winning his first three UFC bouts, two by stoppage, and earning a main event slot opposite Stefan Struve.
The fight was a step up in competition for the Ohio fighter but he appeared to be handling Struve well until the Dutch fighter staged a come back and TKO’d Miocic in the second round. Suddenly, the Croatian-American fighter’s hype-train was derailed and his undefeated streak snapped.
That was back in September of 2012. Miocic has not fought since then. This Saturday, however, he will be back in the Octagon at UFC 161.
“I took time to heal and then to improve,” Miocic tells CagePotato. “I definitely feel like I’m much better than I was back then.”
Heavyweight Stipe Miociccame to the UFC in 2011 with an undefeated amateur and pro record and a penchant for knocking people out. Impressively, he continued his tear once in the world’s top MMA organization, winning his first three UFC bouts, two by stoppage, and earning a main event slot opposite Stefan Struve.
The fight was a step up in competition for the Ohio fighter but he appeared to be handling Struve well until the Dutch fighter staged a come back and TKO’d Miocic in the second round. Suddenly, the Croatian-American fighter’s hype-train was derailed and his undefeated streak snapped.
That was back in September of 2012. Miocic has not fought since then. This Saturday, however, he will be back in the Octagon at UFC 161.
“I took time to heal and then to improve,” Miocic tells CagePotato. “I definitely feel like I’m much better than I was back then.”
Miocic must feel that way because he’s taken on a heckuva challenge for his return bout — “Big Country” Roy Nelson, who is on a three-fight win streak. Nelson has stopped each of his last three opponents with strikes and would seem to be a rude reintroduction to the UFC for anyone.
Miocic says that he didn’t hesitate to take the fight when it was offered to him, however. “Not at all,” he tells us.
“Fighting a guy like Nelson is another step up and an opportunity to jump right back into and ahead in the division. I couldn’t turn that down.”
Per usual, Miocic has set up camp in his home of Cleveland, Ohio, with his Strong Style Fight Team. The stable has been churning out wins not just from Miocic but also from the likes of Jessica Eye and Forrest Petz.
His team may not be the most well-known, but Miocic has confidence that it has prepared him to take out Nelson. “I get great work with everyone here. Plus, we bring in outside guys for sparring.”
The heavyweight has a quiet confidence and, as the fight draws ever nearer, seems completely focused on the task at hand. “No one likes to lose,” he says.
“The last fight was hard. I was on a run and then had to deal with that. It set me back but I feel good now. Beating Roy will put me right back in there. I can’t wait.”
(And with a snap of his fingers, Homeless Santa vanished from our lives, leaving behind only the crumpled wrapper of the Carolina BBQ Tendercrisp we had left for him on the armoire.)
It wouldn’t exactly be earth-shattering news to tell you that Dana White is not a fan of Roy “Big Country” Nelson. In fact, the President of the UFC has stated exactly that to pretty much anyone who will listen, time after time after “he’s a f*cking idiot.”
The fact that Nelson was one-half of the coaching duo at least partly responsible for the worst season of TUF in recent memory (at least ratings wise), surely doesn’t increase his stock in the eyes of The Baldfather, but with “Big Country” knocking out contenders left and right, it’d be insane to let him slip through your fingers, right? Well, according to DW, Nelson’s bout with Stipe Miocic at UFC 161 this weekend may be his last in the UFC:
UFC President Dana White used the contract circumstances as a way to explain the pairing of Nelson and Miocic, which looked odd when announced five weeks ago.
The fighters were headed in different directions. Nelson had just defeated Cheick Kongo and ascended to No. 5 in the heavyweight rankings two months ago while Miocic was coming off the first loss of his career and hadn’t fought in nine months.
Slated to fight newcomer Soa Palelei on the preliminary card, Miocic found himself promoted into the Nelson bout on late notice. It was a necessary move, according to White, because of the terms of Nelson’s contract.
“He’s on the last fight of his deal and we owe him a fight,” White said. “He’s not giving us any extensions.”
White reported that the UFC offered Nelson an extension that he turned down, prompting the boss to blast the fighter by referring to him as “the smartest guy on Earth” and “a (expletive) genius.”
(And with a snap of his fingers, Homeless Santa vanished from our lives, leaving behind only the crumpled wrapper of the Carolina BBQ Tendercrisp we had left for him on the armoire.)
It wouldn’t exactly be earth-shattering news to tell you that Dana White is not a fan of Roy “Big Country” Nelson. In fact, the President of the UFC has stated exactly that to pretty much anyone who will listen, time after time after “he’s a f*cking idiot.”
The fact that Nelson was one-half of the coaching duo at least partly responsible for the worst season of TUF in recent memory (at least ratings wise), surely doesn’t increase his stock in the eyes of The Baldfather, but with “Big Country” knocking out contenders left and right, it’d be insane to let him slip through your fingers, right? Well, according to DW, Nelson’s bout with Stipe Miocic at UFC 161 this weekend may be his last in the UFC:
UFC President Dana White used the contract circumstances as a way to explain the pairing of Nelson and Miocic, which looked odd when announced five weeks ago.
The fighters were headed in different directions. Nelson had just defeated Cheick Kongo and ascended to No. 5 in the heavyweight rankings two months ago while Miocic was coming off the first loss of his career and hadn’t fought in nine months.
Slated to fight newcomer Soa Palelei on the preliminary card, Miocic found himself promoted into the Nelson bout on late notice. It was a necessary move, according to White, because of the terms of Nelson’s contract.
“He’s on the last fight of his deal and we owe him a fight,” White said. “He’s not giving us any extensions.”
White reported that the UFC offered Nelson an extension that he turned down, prompting the boss to blast the fighter by referring to him as “the smartest guy on Earth” and “a (expletive) genius.”
Although White has had public beefs with fighters before, none of them have seemed as deep-seated and plain bitter as his current lover’s quarrel with Nelson. It doesn’t help that Nelson approaches his contract negotiations — and apparently life in general — with the attitude of a cynical, defiant adolescent, but “Big Country” does go on to make some solid points about White’s contradictory nature and fighter pay in general later in the interview.
A quick example of the former: If you were to click the “he’s a f*cking idiot” link above, you would be taken to an interview with White dated May 29th in which he claims that Nelson hasn’t earned a title shot because “You’re not going to get a title shot for beating No. 6 and No. 8. You have to beat the top guys.” Which is sound logic, except that just a few weeks prior, White promised that exact thing to Gray Maynard (ranked #3) were he to get past T.J Grant (ranked #7).
Clearly, White has an axe to grind when it comes to Roy Nelson. The problem is that rather than attempt to reconcile with his boss like a grown ass man, Roy has chosen to embrace to heel role and essentially commit career suicide. While Nelson may be able to walk away from UFC 161 with a moral victory, it won’t make his exit any easier to accept from a fan’s perspective. The man is a legitimate, unique draw who just so happens to be one of the top 10 heavyweights in the world, yet he appears all too willing to flush his future down the toilet for the sake of coming out on top in a pissing contest.
Is Nelson underpaid considering his talent level? You could surely make the case (FYI, Roy made 24k/24k at UFC 159), but then again, if Roy and fighterslike him are fed up with fighter pay, perhaps they should try proactively solving their problems rather than continuously venting them to any two-bit journalist who will listen. You know who complained a lot without ever accomplishing anything? Hippies, and if Nelson wants to be lumped in with those unkempt slobs, well…*looks at header image and withdraws argument*
Personally, I loathe the idea of Nelson being ousted from the UFC, if only because it means that we will be treated to interview snippets wherein he claims that “I could have totally beaten so-and-so IF the UFC weren’t such cheapskates” for the rest of his career.
This Saturday night, Zuffa heads up North to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for another injury-altered card which saw Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland cancelled due to an injury suffered by the interim bantamweight champion (you guessed it, the actual bantamweight champion was also unavailable due to injury) and replaced by Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson as your main event. So…who’s looking forward to all the excitement of 50+ takedown attempts? You guys? ANYONE?!
Join us now as we try to find a way into the winner’s circle by highlighting a few undercard and all main card bouts for UFC 161. All betting lines courtesy of BestFightOdds.
Undercard bouts:
John Maguire (-250) vs Mitch Clarke (+210)
Mitch Clarke will be looking for his first win in his third contest inside the Octagon against -250 betting favorite John Maguire. Both fighters are coming off back-to-back losses and may be fighting for the right to stay in the UFC, so to assume that both men will be giving an honest fight would be an understatement. John Maguire looked outstanding in his first two outings but clearly hit the wall when facing more well-rounded fighters in the 170lbs division. Playing MMA math is not always wise, but Maguire may win this fight due to the level of competition he has faced in the UFC compared to that of Mitch Clarke. Maguire to win.
This Saturday night, Zuffa heads up North to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for another injury-altered card which saw Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland cancelled due to an injury suffered by the interim bantamweight champion (you guessed it, the actual bantamweight champion was also unavailable due to injury) and replaced by Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson as your main event. So…who’s looking forward to all the excitement of 50+ takedown attempts? You guys? ANYONE?!
Join us now as we try to find a way into the winner’s circle by highlighting a few undercard and all main card bouts for UFC 161. All betting lines courtesy of BestFightOdds.
Undercard bouts:
John Maguire (-250) vs Mitch Clarke (+210)
Mitch Clarke will be looking for his first win in his third contest inside the Octagon against -250 betting favorite John Maguire. Both fighters are coming off back-to-back losses and may be fighting for the right to stay in the UFC, so to assume that both men will be giving an honest fight would be an understatement. John Maguire looked outstanding in his first two outings but clearly hit the wall when facing more well-rounded fighters in the 170lbs division. Playing MMA math is not always wise, but Maguire may win this fight due to the level of competition he has faced in the UFC compared to that of Mitch Clarke. Maguire to win.
Woodley hovering around -185 is compelling considering the UFC version of Jake Shields really has not offered much in terms of the dominating performances he had during his Strikeforce tenure as champion. Woodley’s only loss came at the hands of a talented striker in Nate Marquardt, who is perhaps the polar opposite of Jake Shields. Team Cesar Gracie has rattled off quite the losing streak in the Octagon and Shields may not be the one to break the trend, as Woodley closely resembles the same skill set as Jake Ellenberger, a powerful striker with a strong wrestling base. Woodley makes the parlay for the win.
After suffering his first UFC setback in his last contest, which saw the team Jackson fighter out Greg Jacksoned by Cheick Kongo in the hands down worst fight of the hands down worst card of 2012, Shawn Jordan bounced back into the win column with a second round TKO of Mike Russow at UFC on FOX 6. Barry at -125 territory is the slight favorite to win and put together his first winning streak in the UFC, and a bet on him may be the right one in this fight. “HD” has shown improvement in his wrestling in his past couple contests and this may be the difference maker here, as Jordan will look to press Barry against the cage and look for a takedown. Barry should be able to keep this fight on the feet and take advantage of his striking expertise to stop Jordan inside the distance. Barry to win.
Alexis Davis -400?! Rosi Sexton has only lost to Gina Carano and Zoila Gurgel, which means that this may not be the squash match that is reflected in the betting line. While I do not think Sexton is worth picking outright to win, there is a nice prop bet at -260 out there that this fight starts the second round, which may be the safest way to avoid a parlay buster in this one. Davis to win, but not at the inflated price.
The Canadian (hint: Not the guy named “Igor”) will be the favorite at -250 to take down the Croatian and find a way to win this fight on ground work. Pokrajac has shown in the past that a strong wrestler can find success by taking him down and grinding him out. Jimmo will not try to stand all that long with Igor, who to his credit is one tough SOB, so Jimmo to win via decision is +130 and a solid single bet and a parlay pick to win outright.
Miocic looked to be a rising star when he first came into the UFC, but at -260, “Big Country” will be out to prove that he is amongst the top of the HW division once and for all. It may sound odd, but after watching Miocic against Struve, I’d argue that Nelson may have the better gas tank of the two and this may lead to another late stoppage of Miocic. Stipe has KO power, but Roy has proved that against the most powerful strikers in the HW division he cannot be stopped (Ed note: Well, maybe not stopped, but beat todog shit on occasion.). Nelson also has the ground skills to end this fight on the mat, where Stipe has yet to prove he can deal with an experienced grappler the caliber of Big Country. Nelson to win makes the parlay.
So many questions surround this fight, but the pick’em-ish odds almost force Evans down the throat of bettors here. Many people scoffed when they heard Evans state that he would go for “50 takedowns” against Hendo, and perhaps rightfully so. However, while Evans may not come anywhere near reaching that goal, his ability to control Henderson should become easier and easier for the former champion as the fight goes on. It has been a while since we have been treated to an H-Bomb in the UFC and Rashad has the experience against heavy handed strikers to stay out of trouble, which leaves little room left for Hendo to win if you look at the alternative of Evans landing a takedown and maintaining top control. Rahsad -130 to win makes the parlay and Evans wins by unanimous decision is +180 as a prop bet.
Parlay 1
-Jimmo + Nelson
Parlay 2
-Evans+Woodley
Props
-Jimmo wins via decision
-Sexton vs Davis starts round 2
-Evans wins via unanimous decision
Please share your thoughts on who you like, CP nation.
Since joining the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter back in 2009, Roy Nelson has been a focus of Dana White’s criticism.During Nelson’s time on the reality show, “Big Country” was condemned by White for celebrating what the UFC president saw as mediocre per…
Since joining the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter back in 2009, Roy Nelson has been a focus of Dana White‘s criticism.
During Nelson’s time on the reality show, “Big Country” was condemned by White for celebrating what the UFC president saw as mediocre performances.
Since Nelson transitioned from TUFcontestant to bona fide heavyweight contender, White has shifted gears, criticizing Nelson’s physique and claiming that he is unmarketable because of his unkempt appearance.
So what is at the root of White’s animosity? Is it genuine dislike? Is it jealousy? Does it stem from a childhood fear of overweight mountain men?
According to Nelson himself, it’s all about the star-power.
“I think he’s star-struck,” Nelson told Ben Fowlkes of USA Today. “Some people get flustered when a bigger star is in the room.”
Nelson’s explanation apparently contains a measure of humor, but it is often difficult to size that measure when it comes to the heavyweight star.
Regardless, the animosity between him and White is coming to a head.
As Nelson readies for his UFC 161 match against Stipe Miocic this weekend, he finds himself at a career crossroads, and his confrontational relationship with White is taking center stage.
Saturday’s bout marks the final commitment of Nelson’s contract, and while he says that “Everyone wants to extend Roy Nelson’s contract,” there is some uncertainty over whether or not things will get done.
“Lorenzo and Dana White are in the UFC business,” Nelson notes. “Roy Nelson is in the Roy Nelson business.” According to Nelson, “the Roy Nelson business is doing very well.”
Obviously, it is in the best interest of both parties to reconcile and remain connected. For Nelson, the UFC represents the best way to stay in the limelight and collect a big check every few months. For the UFC, Nelson’s return keeps a legitimate top-10 heavyweight competitor on the roster—and a fan-favorite at that.
As importantly, a deal would be a coup for UFC fans, who enjoy Nelson’s lighthearted approach to competing, and the particularly vicious brand of knockouts that he has become known for delivering.
