Tag: UFC gym

The “Fake Black Belt Gets Exposed at UFC Gym” Video — An Explainer

By now, you might have seen this video circulating around Facebook or various MMA forums. In short, we have a chubby man writhing around on a mat, complaining of an injured leg, while the person behind the camera calls his jiu-jitsu credentials into question. Essentially, you’re witnessing the live debunking of a fraud — the BJJ equivalent of those Stolen Valor videos. But the story is a little hard to follow at first glance. So…

Who is that guy on the mat?
His name is Jeremy Varney, an alleged martial artist and former MMA promoter from Hawaii. Varney was in the news four years ago when an event he was promoting was robbed under very mysterious circumstances. Varney claimed that “the purse money for the fighters had been stolen out of one of the inspector’s vehicles…and then we gave them the option [that] if they wanted to fight, they could fight and I would pay them at a later date, or they could just walk if they wanted to.” Most of the fighters walked, and the event was canceled.

At some point, Varney was hired as the head BJJ coach for the UFC Gym in Flower Mound, Texas. Here’s a bio for Jeremy that listed him as a “brown belt in BJJ GI from Gracie Bara [sic] Hawaii.”

Who’s the guy behind the camera and doing most of the speaking during the video?
That’s a BJJ purple belt and amateur MMA fighter named Justin Farwell, who trains at North Texas MMA, close to the UFC Gym in Flower Mound.

So how did Varney and Farwell come into each other’s lives?

By now, you might have seen this video circulating around Facebook or various MMA forums. In short, we have a chubby man writhing around on a mat, complaining of an injured leg, while the person behind the camera calls his jiu-jitsu credentials into question. Essentially, you’re witnessing the live debunking of a fraud — the BJJ equivalent of those Stolen Valor videos. But the story is a little hard to follow at first glance. So let’s break it down…

Who is that guy on the mat?
His name is Jeremy Varney, an alleged martial artist and former MMA promoter from Hawaii. Varney was in the news four years ago when an event he was promoting was robbed under very mysterious circumstances. Varney claimed that “the purse money for the fighters had been stolen out of one of the inspector’s vehicles…and then we gave them the option [that] if they wanted to fight, they could fight and I would pay them at a later date, or they could just walk if they wanted to.” Most of the fighters walked, and the event was canceled.

At some point, Varney was hired as the head BJJ coach for the UFC Gym in Flower Mound, Texas. Here’s a bio for Jeremy that listed him as a “brown belt in BJJ GI from Gracie Bara [sic] Hawaii.”

Who’s the guy behind the camera and doing most of the speaking during the video?
That’s a BJJ purple belt and amateur MMA fighter named Justin Farwell, who trains at North Texas MMA, close to the UFC Gym in Flower Mound.

So how did Varney and Farwell come into each other’s lives?
The prologue to this story is the most confusing part. Around Thursday of last week, Varney visited North Texas MMA (according to Farwell’s account) looking to “confront” Tery Corkran and Matt Lary. Eventually, “words were exchanged” between the three men, though we’re not clear on how the conflict originated. On Sunday afternoon, Farwell wanted to get a roll in, but he had missed the open mat at his gym. So Farwell called the UFC Gym inquiring about the jiu-jitsu program and the manager told him that they had a guy who had just received his black belt, and would be happy to work with him for a half-hour. That “black belt,” of course, was Jeremy Varney. During their initial meeting, Varney came off as “real sketchy and fishy” according to Farwell, but they rolled anyway.

Judging from the video, Farwell must have heel-hooked the hell out of Varney, right?
Nope. As Farwell describes it, he first tapped Varney out with a rear-naked choke after 15 seconds. During that 15 seconds, Varney failed to demonstrate even the most basic of defensive techniques. Varney then started complaining that he had banged his foot on the stairs just before they rolled. They go at it again, and Farwell easily moves to mount and is about to sink an arm-triangle choke, when Varney freaks out and says he hurt his leg. Farwell was immediately convinced that Varney was a fake black belt. “I was shocked,” Farwell said. “I’ve never tapped any belt-level that fast.” Which brings us to the actual video…

So what exactly is happening here?
Farwell and the gym manager (a guy named Jeff) are gathering around the fallen Jeremy Varney, as he feigns agony about a fake leg injury. There’s this exchange:

Farwell: “Where did you get your black belt at?”

Varney: “Hawaii.”

Farwell: “This guy’s saying he’s got a black belt, he clearly doesn’t have a black belt…he clearly does not have a black belt.”

Varney: “Are you smoking crack??”

Farwell: “No, I’m not smoking crack, dude…I’ve trained with black belts, this guy’s not a black belt. Why would he say he’s a black belt? Who’s your black belt coach?”

Varney: *silence*

So yeah, that’s pretty damning, despite Varney’s claim that he could totally go home and get his black belt and show it to them. Here’s another great exchange:

Varney: “I swear to God, If I could get up right now, we would definitely…”

Farwell: “We would definitely what? It doesn’t matter, we just did it right there, man.”

Jeff: “I mean, what is it that you want? What is it that you’re asking?”

Farwell: “What I want, sir, is for you to tell this man, don’t say he’s a black belt when he’s not a black belt. To earn it just like all of us did. It’s not fair.”

Jeff: “What is it that he needs to produce to show you that he’s-”

Farwell: “The ability, sir. And it’s not there, sir.”

Through all of this, Jeremy Varney is moaning due to fake pain and (we hope) genuine shame. At the 2:34 mark, Varney is literally playing dead.

Why did Farwell decide to film it?
After Varney went down with his “injury,” Farwell said he felt uncomfortable and wanted to document the scene so he wouldn’t be blamed for anything. And it’s actually not him filming it. He asked a female member of the UFC Gym to film the scene while this was happening, and she agreed.

And now, the shocking twist…
Justin Farwell knew that Jeremy Varney he was a fraud before he even stepped into the gym. Remember that initial confrontation that Varney had with Farwell’s coaches? During that exchange, Varney gave them the name of the guy who had allegedly promoted him to black belt. Tery Corkran emailed that guy, and that guy told Tery that Jeremy Varney had never trained with him. That’s a fraud folks. Case closed.

A final thought from Justin Farwell:
“I encourage everyone out there, if you know a guy that says he’s a black belt and he’s not, confront him…just tell him, man, let him know, expose it. Keep the sport pure.”

Let’s Count the Cringe-Worthy Moments in This Amazing/Awful News Segment About a UFC Gym Opening

(Mad props to Nick Newell for sending this to us!)

1) The official name of this news segment is “Ruben takes on the ‘Black Beast’ at the new UFC gym.” The Black Beast in question is a large African-American dude who is never referred to by name. When you are the Black Beast, you don’t need a real name. [Update: The Black Beast has been identified as UFC heavyweight prospect Derrick Lewis.]

2) We hear Ruben before we see him. But once we do…holy crap, it’s wonderful. Ruben is going for the knockout, baby. He is dressed in male yoga pants, a sleeveless zip-up, and fingerless gloves, because he’s a real reporter. He sounds like a young, Latino Richard Simmons.

3) Close-up on a replica UFC belt, held by some kid. “Here it is, it’s the official UFC belt. I’m not lying! Seriously! Right, Randy?” Randy: “That’s correct, it is the actual UFC championship belt.”

4) After a whole lot of chest pummeling, the white guy with the dreads flips his female partner, and Ruben’s like “OH MAH GAWSH, HE JUST TOOK HER DOWN.” Ruben did not see that one coming.

5) Ruben after witnessing a triangle choke: “I wanna try that before I hit the ring with the Black Beast.” Patience, Ruben.

6) White guy with dreads: “Get on your back.” Ruben: “No, I don’t want to get on my back, you get on your back.”


(Mad props to Nick Newell for sending this to us!)

1. The official name of this news segment is “Ruben takes on the ‘Black Beast’ at the new UFC gym.” The Black Beast in question is a large African-American dude who is never referred to by name. When you are the Black Beast, you don’t need a real name. [Update: The Black Beast has been identified as UFC heavyweight prospect Derrick Lewis.]

2. We hear Ruben before we see him. But once we do…holy crap, it’s wonderful. Ruben is going for the knockout, baby. He is dressed in male yoga pants, a sleeveless zip-up, and fingerless gloves, because he’s a real reporter. He sounds like a young, Latino Richard Simmons.

3. Close-up on a replica UFC belt, held by some kid. “Here it is, it’s the official UFC belt. I’m not lying! Seriously! Right, Randy?” Randy: “That’s correct, it is the actual UFC championship belt.”

4. After a whole lot of chest pummeling, the white guy with the dreads flips his female partner, and Ruben’s like “OH MAH GAWSH, HE JUST TOOK HER DOWN.” Ruben did not see that one coming.

5. Ruben after witnessing a triangle choke: “I wanna try that before I hit the ring with the Black Beast.” Patience, Ruben.

6. White guy with dreads: “Get on your back.” Ruben: “No, I don’t want to get on my back, you get on your back.”

7. Ruben: “So what if I go like this to the Black Beast?”

8. Ruben literally shoves Randy aside after Randy shares some info about the gym. “I’M NOT FEELIN’ THE ENERGY, GET OUTTA HERE GET OUTTA HERE, COME ON GUYS, COME ON, LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR THE BLACK BEAST.” Ruben really wants that Black Beast, y’all.

9. Ruben takes a running start, jumps onto the Black Beast, and starts humping him. Back in the newsroom, the female anchor shrieks with glee. At 2:28, Ruben is basically grinding on the Black Beast like a hood stripper, and the female anchor feigns shock. “I feel like I saw that move up in the club,” she says.

10. Eventually, the Black Beast slams Ruben to the mat and Ruben squeals while the anchors freak out. What a great moment in local news.

11. “I think you won, Black Beast.”

12. The female anchor: “I like [that] the Black Beast’s face is just like, neutral…Poor Ruben. He is gonna be sore tomorrow.”

13. Afterwards, Ruben posts this photo to his twitter page:

14. Ruben has already been booked on the prelims of the TUF: Latin America Finale.

UFC Purchases ‘LA Boxing’ Chain; Over 60 Gyms to Be Re-Branded This Year

(OH SNAP, THEY GOT THOSE ROPES THAT YOU WIGGLE UP AND DOWN?? I’M SO IN, SON. / Props: UFCgym)

Since the first UFC Gym opened in Concord, California, in January 2010, the branded fitness chain has expanded in slow, humble fashion — three more locations popped up in Cali, followed by the recently opened UFC Gym BJ Penn in Honolulu, and a Long Island outpost slated to open this spring. With the first wave now complete, it’s time for phase two of the invasion. Dana White confirmed today that the UFC has purchased the LA Boxing franchise, and will re-brand all of its gyms — more than 60 locations in 23 states — as UFC Gyms in the coming year.

“UFC Gyms has been huge for us,” said White. “It’s been an incredible, incredible business for us.”

Although the re-branding might increase the number of douchebags in your neighborhood who claim that they “train UFC,” this is a positive development for MMA awareness. Not only are the existing UFC Gyms massive (some up to 40,000+ square feet) and well-outfitted with the latest training equipment, they also feature a crapload of classes that help introduce members to the basics of MMA. For example, the class list for the Concord facility includes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai, Judo, MMA Wrestling, San Shou, and “Hot Hula,” the art of mesmerizing an attacker with your gently swaying hips before savagely kicking them in the balls. Children welcome!

No, these are not legit MMA training camps, and they don’t promote themselves to be. But for MMA fans who just want to burn some calories and learn a few techniques, these places look pretty sweet. I can’t speak from personal experience, though, so if any of you have had good/bad experiences with UFC Gyms that you’d like to share, please drop ’em in the comments section, or e-mail [email protected] to protect your anonymity.


(OH SNAP, THEY GOT THOSE ROPES THAT YOU WIGGLE UP AND DOWN?? I’M SO IN, SON. / Props: UFCgym)

Since the first UFC Gym opened in Concord, California, in January 2010, the branded fitness chain has expanded in slow, humble fashion — three more locations popped up in Cali, followed by the recently opened UFC Gym BJ Penn in Honolulu, and a Long Island outpost slated to open this spring. With the first wave now complete, it’s time for phase two of the invasion. Dana White confirmed today that the UFC has purchased the LA Boxing franchise, and will re-brand all of its gyms — more than 60 locations in 23 states — as UFC Gyms in the coming year.

“UFC Gyms has been huge for us,” said White. “It’s been an incredible, incredible business for us.”

Although the re-branding might increase the number of douchebags in your neighborhood who claim that they “train UFC,” this is a positive development for MMA awareness. Not only are the existing UFC Gyms massive (some up to 40,000+ square feet) and well-outfitted with the latest training equipment, they also feature a crapload of classes that help introduce members to the basics of MMA. For example, the class list for the Concord facility includes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai, Judo, MMA Wrestling, San Shou, and “Hot Hula,” the art of mesmerizing an attacker with your gently swaying hips before savagely kicking them in the balls. Children welcome!

No, these are not legit MMA training camps, and they don’t promote themselves to be. But for MMA fans who just want to burn some calories and learn a few techniques, these places look pretty sweet. I can’t speak from personal experience, though, so if any of you have had good/bad experiences with UFC Gyms that you’d like to share, please drop ‘em in the comments section, or e-mail [email protected] to protect your anonymity.

Art Jimmerson is Back in the UFC … Sort Of

(Jimmerson’s Plan B was to close his eyes and count to 50, but when he opened them the bad man was still there. PicProps: MMA and Me)
In the nearly 20 years after Art Jimmerson spent all of two minutes, 18 seconds as a UFC fighter, he’s kin…


(Jimmerson’s Plan B was to close his eyes and count to 50, but when he opened them the bad man was still there. PicProps: MMA and Me)

In the nearly 20 years after Art Jimmerson spent all of two minutes, 18 seconds as a UFC fighter, he’s kind of become the gold standard for bad decision-making in our sport. Jimmerson’s choice to wear just one boxing glove during his fight against Royce Gracie at UFC 1 is now the stuff of legend in the same way Harold Howard’s mullet, Scott Morris’ ninjitsu and Teila Tuli’s flying tooth have become synonymous with epic failure during the early days of “no holds barred” combat. Heck, Jimmerson’s folly even inspired Tom Lawlor’s most recent wacky (and kind of uncomfortable) entrance to the UFC 121 weigh-ins. If getting spoofed by Lawlor doesn’t mean you’ve etched your name into the history books, I don’t know what does. For Jimmerson however — a former Golden Gloves champ who put together a mostly successful 17-year career as a professional boxer — being remembered primarily as “the idiot who wore one boxing glove to an MMA fight” has to be a little infuriating.

That’s why it makes for such a syrupy, schmaltzy happy ending to his roundabout history in MMA that Jimmerson is now once again gainfully employed with the UFC: Teaching boxing at the newly opened UFC Gym in Rosemead, Calif. Scumbag blogger turned respected reporter Ben Fowlkes has the scoop, sitting down with the boxer to get a full report on Jimmerson’s fight with Gracie (“I was like, I’m going to kill this man. I never heard of no Royce Gracie … ”) and his fateful decision to strap that glove onto his left fist before heading out to the cage. As it turns out, Jimmerson says there was actually some strategery involved.

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