ISIS is going after Special Forces soldier and UFC middleweight fighter Tim Kennedy. Kennedy is currently working with the FBI after some “recent credible threats” against him surfaced by the Islamic State group. “Just spoke to the FBI regarding some recent credible threats towards me by #ISIS,” Kennedy wrote Wednesday evening on his official Facebook
ISIS is going after Special Forces soldier and UFC middleweight fighter Tim Kennedy. Kennedy is currently working with the FBI after some “recent credible threats” against him surfaced by the Islamic State group.
“Just spoke to the FBI regarding some recent credible threats towards me by #ISIS,” Kennedy wrote Wednesday evening on his official Facebook page. “They were not overly thrilled with my response … ‘Let those cowards come.’”
Just spoke with the FBI regarding some recent credible threats towards me by #ISIS They were not overly thrilled with my response… “Let those cowards come”
Kennedy served in the 7th Special Forces Group and is now a sergeant first class with the Texas National Guard. He mentioned that he usually gets five to 10 threats a day on his social media accounts by the group.
The FBI reached out to Kennedy on Wednesday to inform him that they’re investigating the threats.
“Apparently a couple of them were legitimate in trying to, from what the FBI said, plan stuff,” Kennedy told Army Times.
“They said, ‘Are you aware of this stuff?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ They said, ‘We think this is somewhat credible,’” Kennedy said. “Then I said, ‘I’m kind of desensitized to this stuff, so maybe you should tell me what my level of alarm should be.’”
Kennedy explained that the definition of terrorism is, and he put it perfectly.
“What’s the definition of terrorism?” Kennedy said. “It’s to achieve an objective through the use of force and fear. These are just nasty, evil, disgusting human beings who disrespect human life. I teach people how to live with threats like this. Who would I be to be cowering to a bunch of gutless cowards acting like a bunch of tough guys online?”
Kennedy is 4-1 in his last five bouts and last competed in September of 2014 against Yoel Romero at UFC 178, which he lost by third-round TKO. He supposedly wanted to fight Vitor Belfort next, but with no fight announcement, it’s unclear when the next time we will see Kennedy back inside the octagon.
The MMA world got its first real look this week at how a new, exclusive outfitting deal between Reebok and the UFC might affect the sport’s athletes.
Thus far, it has been met with fairly unprecedented internal backlash. The vast majority of figh…
The MMA world got its first real look this week at how a new, exclusive outfitting deal between Reebok and the UFC might affect the sport’s athletes.
Thus far, it has been met with fairly unprecedented internal backlash. The vast majority of fighters to comment publicly about the fledgling arrangement—on social media and elsewhere—are not impressed and not amused, per MMAJunkie.com.
Fighters contend the tiered payout system outlined to them via email on Wednesday will amount to huge cuts in their pay. With roughly two months left before the deal takes effect, there is still a lot we don’t know, but if the first wave of public reaction is any indication of what’s going on behind the scenes, it’s nothing short of a talent relations disaster for the world’s largest MMA organization.
For the specifics of the deal and more on the initial response to it, you can read fellow B/R lead writer Jeremy Botter’s take. Or just look at this picture posted by UFC lightweight Myles Jury, which seems to succinctly capture the mood:
Now, the really hard part begins. Can the UFC convince its army of 500-plus independent contractors that the Reebok deal really is in their best interests? And if it can’t, will the fighters’ gripes ever advance beyond words into any kind of meaningful action?
To its credit, the fight company has been proactive to date in tooling and retooling the specifics of the new apparel deal, which frankly sounded more like an ambitious idea than a detailed plan when it was announced five months ago. An early notion to link fighter payouts with the UFC’s official rankings was scrapped after its many terminal flaws were quickly discovered and lampooned by the media.
There was near unilateral agreement that this new payment plan—a tiered system based on seniority and number of fights in Zuffa-owned organizations—was better. Once the exact numbers came out, however (and were revealed to be even lower than original reports indicated), the warm fuzzies quickly evaporated.
UFC and former Strikeforce middleweight Tim Kennedy joked that he would take a pass on what he considered a low-ball offer. Later, he tweeted at Bellator MMA, seeming to offer up his services to the UFC’s biggest competition. The next morning, Kennedy tweeted that his social media account had been hacked, though, that explanation soon revealed itself as just more of the Texas-based fighter’s dry humor.
Heavyweight Matt Mitrione, typically sort of a company man and a five-year veteran who has had all 13 of his fights inside the Octagon sarcastically congratulated Reebok on signing “the deal of the century.”
“Unfortunately, it was at the cost of the fighters,” Mitrione wrote. “Hope the bad press is worth it.”
The following day, he followed up with these sentiments:
So clearly the UFC is already out attempting to stem the tide of fighter complaints. Hopefully, the company is also trying to make amends. As UFC CEO Lorenzo Ferttita told selected media during a conference call on Wednesday, this whole thing is still a work in progress, and the organization will continue to make alterations as necessary.
These are minimums. We’re always going to continue to review this. Obviously we’re making a bet that this is going to be a successful retail launch, and we’re hopeful that there is going to be additional revenue associated with that, but what we’re able to guarantee at this point is based on the guarantee payments that will be given and flowed through to the fighters.
One of the more thoughtful responses so far has come from UFC middleweight Josh Samman. Samman, who fought four times as a competitor on season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter but has only two official fights in the UFC since, noted in a piece written on BloodyElbow.com that the new system as outlined would constitute “an enormous pay cut” for him.
Longtime MMA journalist Josh Gross notesSamman is represented by the same management team as retired fighters Cung Le and Nate Quarry, both of whom are involved in a class-action lawsuit currently pending against the UFC. But Samman’s column also struck a halfway hopeful tone, though, he admitted part of that optimism might come from sheer desperation.
“I get a lot of the things that they [UFC executives] are trying to do here, and most of it I can support,” Samman wrote, “but that may be only because I’m not sure what other option there is besides standing behind it and hoping for the best. I’d be lying if I said this one doesn’t sting a bit.”
The underlying point here should be obvious by now: Nobody asked the fighters about this.
Fertitta may contend that the UFC tried to “get as much intelligence as we possibly could by talking to managers and fighters over about an 18-month period” leading up to the implementation of the Reebok deal, but it’s clear most of UFC’s athletes feel as though they didn’t really have a say in the matter.
If they had—and knowing what they know now—many likely would’ve voted to stay with their traditional third-party sponsors.
But there was no vote, and regardless of how the Reebok deal ends up affecting fighters’ lives, a lack of any collective bargaining still puts a major gulf between MMA and other, more mainstream sports. So long as fighters continue to lack any formalized union or association to represent them, they’ll be all but powerless in these types of situations.
In our limited understanding of the Reebok deal thus far, it seems the UFC’s ability to replace fighters’ lost income might come down to secondary sponsors. As Fertitta explained this week, per Helwani, the fight company has the ability to showcase one additional sponsor on fighter garb on a per-event basis.
Most of that money won’t go to fighters, Fertitta says, but secondary sponsors will have the option to sponsor certain athletes—perhaps like when we saw UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson decked out in Bud Light gear and flying a Bud Light banner for his most recent title defense at UFC 186.
It’s possible those pick-and-choose sponsorships can make up the difference for fighters who feel they’re going to take significant losses under the new agreement.
Anyway you slice it, however, eliminating third-party sponsors only cedes more power to the UFC’s already immensely powerful owners. As their grip continues to tighten, it starts to feel more and more important that fighters find a seat at the negotiating table.
Perhaps the Reebok deal will turn out to be the boon for fighters it was promised to be. Perhaps everyone will come out ahead in the end. If that happens and everyone is satisfied, perhaps our sport can happily continue down its current path.
If not, though, or if the circumstances of how this outfitting deal came to pass seem bothersome to MMA’s labor force, then its ongoing complaints will eventually have to graduate to action.
Perhaps it’s time for fighters to question whether they should be more to the UFC than just independent contractors?
Perhaps it’s time for them to test the legality of the fight company’s notoriously prickly contracts?
Perhaps—as Kennedy first indicated—places like Bellator will suddenly start to seem more attractive, if fighters can get paid a comparable wage, compete in front of like-sized crowds and keep their third-party sponsors intact?
If any of those questions seem even remotely compelling to this sport’s athletes, then grumbles and moans aren’t going to cut it. It’s time for them to begin working through their differences and toward some kind of united body. It’s time for them to at least try to have a voice in the discussions that so greatly impact their lives.
Because if they don’t and they simply slump on with the status quo, nothing will ever change.
Then all their words will mean about as much as a hacked tweet.
Former three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen feels that middleweight contender Tim Kennedy has complained about his latest loss against Yoel Romero for far too long and it’s time to move on.
Of course, the silver-tongued “American Gangster…
Former three-time UFC title challenger ChaelSonnen feels that middleweight contender Tim Kennedy has complained about his latest loss against Yoel Romero for far too long and it’s time to move on.
Of course, the silver-tongued “American Gangster” said it with a little more colorful language than that on this week’s edition of his You’re Welcomepodcast (transcription per MMA Fighting).
Tim Kennedy is one cranky and bitter son of a b—h. Have you seen some of the stuff he’s saying lately? He’s threatening to never come back to the sport because he’s so upset about ‘stoolgate.’ This guy is one of these guys that, for me, he gets a pass. I’m an American, he’s an American hero. He served the country well. He did some things. He’s a hero. That’s where it ends. But the guy says some stuff that if he wasn’t a hero… Somebody needs to tell him to shut up. Tim, you gotta stop, man. You’re so bitter.
Fellow middleweight contender Michael Bisping, who lost a lopsided decision to Kennedy in April, was a guest on the podcast and stated that Kennedy should’ve taken the loss to Romero “like a man,” which Sonnen agreed with.
Kennedy, the No. 7 middleweight in the world, according to the UFC’s official rankings, entered his UFC 178 matchup against Romero riding a four-fight win streak and was knocking on the door of title contention.
Despite getting outwrestled and outstruck for the better part of the September contest, Kennedy landed a big flurry at the end of the second round that left the “Soldier of God” badly rocked.
In between rounds, Romero spent an extra 25 seconds or so on his stool to recover before rallying back to score a TKO early in the third frame.
In the aftermath of the controversial bout, Kennedy, a U.S. Army sergeant first class, said both referee John McCarthy and the Nevada State Athletic Commission dropped the ball and noted that he may not return to the Octagon following knee surgery, per MMA Fighting.
Romero, the No. 6 fighter in the UFC’s rankings, is scheduled to take on surging ex-Strikeforce champ Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at UFC 184 in February in what could be an unofficial title eliminator fight.
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
For Michael Bisping, every match is a grudge match. The TUF 3 winner never met a fellow fighter he couldn’t take the piss out of in his 21-fight (!) UFC career, and to be totally honest, I’m kind of starting to love the dude for it.
Truly the silver-tongued, tea-sipping Diaz brother is his highness Count Bisping, who has found himself in yet another war of words with former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold heading into their Fight Night 55 headliner on November 7th. Ben Fowlkes attempted to get to the bottom of Bisping’s seemingly endless dickishness in an interview published on MMAJunkie yesterday, and according to the Brit, pre-fight trash simply serves as his way of keeping the constant eat-train-sleep schedule from growing stale. According to Rockhold, however, Bisping is just “a prick that most people don’t like.” A regular Felix Unger and Oscar Madison these two are, I tells ya!
But as heated as Bisping vs. Rockhold has been thus far (see their “Counterpunch” segment above, their rooftop staredown, etc.), it doesn’t hold a candle to Bisping’s verbal sparring matches with Hollywood Henderson and that Bully Beatdown host guy whose life he destroyed. So it is through rage-filled, bloodshot eyes that we take a look back at Bisping’s most heated rivalries and rank them on a scale of Berk to Arselicking Plonker.
#9 — Charles McCarthy
So the saying goes, “Opinions are like assholes, and Michael Bisping is one opinionated asshole.” He’s also a guy who was never shy on confidence, which Charles “Chainsaw” McCarthy took issue with heading into their fight back at UFC 83. Oddly enough, it was actually McCarthy who attacked Bisping first through the media, telling CBS Sports:
(He’s) real arrogant, and, you know — not much else, really. He’s gonna get choked out April 19.
I have very little regard for that guy. I can’t wait to go in there and get my arm around his neck. It’s going to be a cool experience. I hope to put him to sleep before he decides to tap.
Bisping was quick to respond via his blog, The Countdown, with the following shot at McCarthy’s self-hyped BJJ credentials:
Next week’s Countdown will be filed after I’ve come face-to-face with the reigning BJJ uber-master of the galaxy. If anyone wants me to ask him for an autograph for you, please e-mail me, but keep your requests down to six per person.
When it came time to put words aside, Bisping was simply too much for his fellow TUF alum, overwhelming McCarthy with a barrage of knees (that in fact broke McCarthy’s arm) and forcing a stoppage inside of the first round. It was Bisping’s first true grudge match in the UFC, and one that would set the precedent for years to come.
For Michael Bisping, every match is a grudge match. The TUF 3 winner never met a fellow fighter he couldn’t take the piss out of in his 21-fight (!) UFC career, and to be totally honest, I’m kind of starting to love the dude for it.
Truly the silver-tongued, tea-sipping Diaz brother is his highness Count Bisping, who has found himself in yet another war of words with former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold heading into their Fight Night 55 headliner on November 7th. Ben Fowlkes attempted to get to the bottom of Bisping’s seemingly endless dickishness in an interview published on MMAJunkie yesterday, and according to the Brit, pre-fight trash simply serves as his way of keeping the constant eat-train-sleep schedule from growing stale. According to Rockhold, however, Bisping is just “a prick that most people don’t like.” A regular Felix Unger and Oscar Madison these two are, I tells ya!
But as heated as Bisping vs. Rockhold has been thus far (see their “Counterpunch” segment above, their rooftop staredown, etc.), it doesn’t hold a candle to Bisping’s verbal sparring matches with Hollywood Henderson and that Bully Beatdown host guy whose life he destroyed. So it is through rage-filled, bloodshot eyes that we take a look back at Bisping’s most heated rivalries and rank them on a scale of Berk to Arselicking Plonker.
#9 — Charles McCarthy
So the saying goes, “Opinions are like assholes, and Michael Bisping is one opinionated asshole.” He’s also a guy who was never shy on confidence, which Charles “Chainsaw” McCarthy took issue with heading into their fight back at UFC 83. Oddly enough, it was actually McCarthy who attacked Bisping first through the media, telling CBS Sports:
(He’s) real arrogant, and, you know — not much else, really. He’s gonna get choked out April 19.
I have very little regard for that guy. I can’t wait to go in there and get my arm around his neck. It’s going to be a cool experience. I hope to put him to sleep before he decides to tap.
Bisping was quick to respond via his blog, The Countdown, with the following shot at McCarthy’s self-hyped BJJ credentials:
Next week’s Countdown will be filed after I’ve come face-to-face with the reigning BJJ uber-master of the galaxy. If anyone wants me to ask him for an autograph for you, please e-mail me, but keep your requests down to six per person.
When it came time to put words aside, Bisping was simply too much for his fellow TUF alum, overwhelming McCarthy with a barrage of knees (that in fact broke McCarthy’s arm) and forcing a stoppage inside of the first round. It was Bisping’s first true grudge match in the UFC, and one that would set the precedent for years to come.
Bisping’s war of words with PRIDE legend Wanderlei Silva prior to UFC 110, if the Interwebs are to be believed, doesn’t seem like one that “The Count” actually started, hence its ranking on this list. By this point in his career, Bisping had already firmly established himself as one of the best trash-talkers in the business, whereas Silva was already being labeled by some people not named Michael Bisping as “a fading legend with a weird new face who is growing increasingly desperate for a win.” Still, Wanderlei struck first, stating how much he “didn’t like” Bisping (classic diss!) in several interviews during the lead-up, prompting Bisping to pretty much declare the same (albeit in slightly more comprehensible “English”). Words were shared between the two at the UFC 110 pre-fight press conference (see above), and a week later it was on, son.
The fight itself was a pretty back-and-forth affair, but thanks to a late knockdown at the end of the third and the most brutal guillotine attempt you will ever see in your life, “The Axe Murderer” had the last laugh, emerging victorious by unanimous decision.
Cung Le never had a bad word to say about nobody, and by all accounts appears to be an incredibly well-spoken, humble guy. Of course, this can only mean one thing (if you’re Michael Bisping): He’s a phony. A big, fat phony.
And because Le was/is such an obvious phony, Bisping felt obliged to tell every two-bit reporter in shouting distance how much of a phony Le was in the weeks before their Fight Night 48 scrap. Like during this fan Q&A, for instance:
I went to Macao for the launch press conference with Cung Le in June, and I was very polite, very professional. I exchanged all the pleasantries, gave him all the small talk as you are supposed to in these situations, and I even went as far as pretending to be absolutely blown away that he’s apparently friends with Channing Tatum. … Then I see him on UFC.com doing a Fight Club Q&A and he’s talking a load of bulls–t about me. Basically, he’s jumped on the same old, boring bandwagon everyone else who fights me does, which is to say what a smack-talker I am while, as always, they are the ones who talk crap first. What a phony. If he had a problem with me then he could have spared me all the boring anecdotes about Channing Tatum.
You see, in Michael Bisping’s mind, calling someone a phony who talks trash behind your back while simultaneously talking trash behind *their* back is in no way hypocritical. It makes total sense, actually, and somehow makes you appear as the victim in a situation that you are totally fueling. Have I mentioned how much I love this guy?
Anyways, the fight was nothing short of spectacular, and arguably Bisping’s best performance in the octagon to date. Both fighters trading heavy shots for four rounds and wobbled each other on multiple occasions, but it was Bisping’s renowned cardio and crisp boxing that ultimately sealed him the victory via TKO. Cung Le’s face has never recovered.
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about each of Michael Bisping’s rivalries (the most consistent, anyway) is how quickly they seem to spark from the smallest catalyst. Bisping’s ability to create something from nothing is second to none — like watching a small snowball roll down a mountainside, accumulating mass and gathering speed by the second, until it takes out a bus full of blind orphans who just happened to be taking that route for their yearly field trip. What Kseniya Simonova is to sand painting, Michael Bisping is to schoolyard displays of masculinity, and I say that not as a criticism, but as a compliment of his ability to sell a grudge match where none seemingly exists.
Take the genesis of his beef with Vitor Belfort, for instance. According to Bisping, the whole thing started when he heard through the grapevine that Belfort had called him “a hooligan.” Seems innocent enough, right? That word may have a bit more context behind it when applied to British folk, but being called a hooligan is way lighter than, say, being called an potato-faced little sh*teater with dicks for fingers, right?
Wrong. Bisping lashed out a Belfort almost immediately, telling him to stick the apologetic text messages he had been sent “up his ass” (Belfort’s ass, that is) and calling the Brazilian a “cheater” for hitting so many people in the back of the head over the years. Again, I should clarify that illegally kneeing an opponent while he’s down and spitting on his cornermen is one thing, but hitting people in the back of the head is entirely something else. To Michael Bisping.
In any case, pissing off “TRTor” turned out to be a huge mistake for The Count, and after a couple of intense staredowns, Belfort proceeded to channel his inner Major Payne and put his foot right upside Bisping’s head at UFC on FX 7. Surely this lesson in humility would mark the very last time Bisping engaged in pre-fight trash-talk…
JK, you guys! Bisping’s very next fight against Alan Belcher would be a particularly heated affair, rife with some of The Count’s most scathing insults to date. Hyeah!!!
Although Bisping originally dismissed Belcher’s callouts as yet another case of some a-hole trying to become famous off his good name, he simply couldn’t help himself after the two were paired together in the co-main event of UFC 159. Bisping first took to his blog to drop some sick burns about how Belcher had stunk up the joint against Yushin Okami at UFC 155 (a sentiment that Belcher would probably agree with) and how he had probably detached his retina due to watching too much Internet porn. He then dubbed Belcher “some retard from Mississippi” and threatened to “smack the stupid look” off his face during their pre-fight presser. While I don’t personally think that smacking a retard would be a great move from a publicity standpoint, such is Count Bisping.
While Belcher didn’t deliver much in terms of witty repartee, he did promise to knock Bisping out, which was something that fans has been praying to see ever since that time Bisping was knocked out in the fight before this one. But unfortunately, neither Bisping nor Belcher delivered on the hype, and the fight equated to little more than an above-average sparring session. Until Bisping rendered Belcher unable to continue due with a particularly vicious eye poke in the third round, that is, and secured a technical decision victory.
Accidental or otherwise, the eye poke earned Bisping even more heat than usual from irate fans, who could only take solace when the MMA Gods evened the scales a few months later.
Emblematic of what the UFC strives to accomplish day in and day out, September was a month to remember.
We were welcomed with a middleweight rematch between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Gegard Mousasi and a heavyweight clash between Ben Rothwell an…
Emblematic of what the UFC strives to accomplish day in and day out, September was a month to remember.
We were welcomed with a middleweight rematch between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Gegard Mousasi and a heavyweight clash between Ben Rothwell and Alistair Overeem.
We were walked toward the door with a highly anticipated featherweight tilt between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, as well as the return of the former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz as he begins his trek back to the title.
Alas, September has come and gone.
On the horizon is Gunnar Nelson’s latest attempt toward ascension, Rory MacDonald’s next try at proving himself worthy of a shot at the title and Jose Aldo’s heated rematch with Chad Mendes.
However, before we get started with October, it’s important we take a closer look at the month that was.
Scroll along to see who wins the performance bonuses for the month of September.
True story: After being forced to reign in my gambling habit (and temporarily flee the state) due to a particularly tough beat in the Dolphins-Pats game, I sheepishly made another go of it for UFC 178 last weekend, placing a harmless 100 dollar bet on an Ebersole-Masvidal-Zingano-Kennedy parlay. If all went according to plan, the bet would have netted me around $990, a.k.a enough to stop Hairy Mike and that bug-eyed goon Roscoe from throwing me out of another speeding car. (It’s the lack of respect that hurts the most. That and the road rash.)
At the end of the second round between Kennedy and Romero, I was never more sure that I would avoid another unfortunate roadside beatdown. Though I was bound to a chair with a gasoline-soaked rag stuffed in my mouth, confidence was flowing through every fabric of my being. “Mff iff i d,” I mumbled aloud, which is rag-speak for “This is my day.” When the allotted 60-second break between rounds had passed and Romero was still slunken on his stool, I came as close to jumping for joy as my constraints would allow. How could the fight *not* be over? Romero was out on his feet ass and Kennedy has already begun celebrating! Surely my moment of validation was at hand!
You could imagine my surprise when Big John McCarthy — he of MMA lore and Marvin Gaye lyric-stealing fame — not only *didn’t* call the fight right then and there, but actually allowed Romero to continue. The utter madness! In any case, the third round started, Romero channeled what I can only assume was voodoo strength, and the next thing I know, I’m being pushed out the back of an F-150 onto a crowded interstate highway. Life’s not fair sometimes.
The only person arguably more pissed at the controversial turn of events than myself was Tim Kennedy, who engaged in a heated debate with Romero’s corner backstage before filing an official appeal of the decision. Never one to shy away from telling it like it is, Kennedy appeared on The MMA Hour yesterday to air his grievances with what has since been dubbed “stoolgate” and took primary aim at none other than Big John himself.
I think John is the best ref in the promotion. He and Herb Dean, truly, I have respect for. He f—ed up majorly in my fight. He got owned. He got owned that night by a bunch of guys doing sh—y things. He got played by all three of them, and he just let it happen.
True story: After being forced to reign in my gambling habit (and temporarily flee the state) due to a particularly tough beat in the Dolphins-Pats game, I sheepishly made another go of it for UFC 178 last weekend, placing a harmless 100 dollar bet on an Ebersole-Masvidal-Zingano-Kennedy parlay. If all went according to plan, the bet would have netted me around $990, a.k.a enough to stop Hairy Mike and that bug-eyed goon Roscoe from throwing me out of another speeding car. (It’s the lack of respect that hurts the most. That and the road rash.)
At the end of the second round between Kennedy and Romero, I was never more sure that I would avoid another unfortunate roadside beatdown. Though I was bound to a chair with a gasoline-soaked rag stuffed in my mouth, confidence was flowing through every fabric of my being. “Mff iff i d,” I mumbled aloud, which is rag-speak for “This is my day.” When the allotted 60-second break between rounds had passed and Romero was still slunken on his stool, I came as close to jumping for joy as my constraints would allow. How could the fight *not* be over? Romero was out on his feet ass and Kennedy has already begun celebrating! Surely my moment of validation was at hand!
You could imagine my surprise when Big John McCarthy — he of MMA lore and Marvin Gaye lyric-stealing fame — not only *didn’t* call the fight right then and there, but actually allowed Romero to continue. The utter madness! In any case, the third round started, Romero channeled what I can only assume was voodoo strength, and the next thing I know, I’m being pushed out the back of an F-150 onto a crowded interstate highway. Life’s not fair sometimes.
The only person arguably more pissed at the controversial turn of events than myself was Tim Kennedy, who engaged in a heated debate with Romero’s corner backstage before filing an official appeal of the decision. Never one to shy away from telling it like it is, Kennedy appeared on The MMA Hour yesterday to air his grievances with what has since been dubbed “stoolgate” and took primary aim at none other than Big John himself.
I think John is the best ref in the promotion. He and Herb Dean, truly, I have respect for. He f—ed up majorly in my fight. He got owned. He got owned that night by a bunch of guys doing sh—y things. He got played by all three of them, and he just let it happen.
Everything [Romero’s corner] did was calculated, from the extra Vaseline, to throwing in the towels, to dumping bottles of water on the floor, to leaving the stool in there…that’s how pathetic this is. And the fact that they’re smug about it was even more tragic. It’s just that much more unprofessional.
And before the fight, I told John, I said listen, if I hurt him, he’s going to start playing cheap. I promise. His corner’s going to do it, and he’s going to do it.
It’s hard not to feel for Kennedy here — he rallied back from a ten minute ass-whooping to nearly finish the Cuban powerhouse with his only decent combination of the night, only to have his opponent rally from behind thanks to some undoubtedly sketchy tactics. Even Dana White admitted in the UFC 178 post-fight press conference that Romero’s corner pulled the oldest, dirtiest trick in the book by leaving him on his stool, so how are they seemingly getting away with it? Short answer: Because the Unified Rules of MMA are less actual “rules” than they are “guidelines to follow when most convenient.”
“If you get the 28 seconds to recover, imagine if I had the extra 28 seconds in the second round. The guy wouldn’t be walking for a month.” said Kennedy.
For what it’s worth, Romero’s coach, Ricardo Liborio, thinks that this was all one big misunderstanding that we should probably move on from:
I wasn’t inside the Octagon when it all happened. I was giving instructions outside the cage because Paulino (Hernandez), his boxing coach, doesn’t speak a single word in English. He only speaks Spanish. When they said seconds out, I went back to the corner and didn’t see what happened. “But when I was talking to Yoel, he was already back. He wasn’t out. He was talking to me. I told him ‘you have to go straight forward and win the round, you have to win the third round,’ and he said ‘I got it, coach.
I didn’t see anything going on there. I first heard about it when Joe Rogan asked him about it, and my Spanish isn’t that good either [laughs]. I don’t know how long did it take for the fight to restart, but Yoel wasn’t out and he never asked to stop the fight. The whole situation was a mess. Paulino never intended to win some time, and that’s not my style. I would never do something like that.
The tl:dr version:
My shattered tibia, on the other hand, is still calling bullshit on Romero’s win.
The 
