Tag: video interviews

Backstage Interview: Renato Laranja, The Unofficial Rabbi of Metamoris 2 [VIDEO]

(Props: YouTube.com/CagePotato)

While attending the Metamoris 2 pro jiu-jitsu invitational in Los Angeles on Sunday, CagePotato reporter Elias Cepeda had a backstage run-in with 27-time BJJ World Champion Renato Laranja, who gave his thoughts — if you can call them that — about Rickson Gracie, “poonchang,” Eddie Bravo’s facial hair, somebody named Señor Aoki, and how Andre Galvao vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. looked like two guys fighting for the covers in bed. It’s a moral victory for Elias, just for surviving to the end.

Stay tuned for more of Elias’s Metamoris 2 interviews, and subscribe to CagePotato on YouTube for all of our latest vids.


(Props: YouTube.com/CagePotato)

While attending the Metamoris 2 pro jiu-jitsu invitational in Los Angeles on Sunday, CagePotato reporter Elias Cepeda had a backstage run-in with 27-time BJJ World Champion Renato Laranja, who gave his thoughts — if you can call them that — about Rickson Gracie, “poonchang,” Eddie Bravo’s facial hair, somebody named Señor Aoki, and how Andre Galvao vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. looked like two guys fighting for the covers in bed. It’s a moral victory for Elias, just for surviving to the end.

Stay tuned for more of Elias’s Metamoris 2 interviews, and subscribe to CagePotato on YouTube for all of our latest vids.

The UFC 156 Post-Fight Media Scrum Video In Which Dana White Basically Bans Randy Couture From the UFC

Wow. We all knew that the fallout from Randy Couture’s deal with Bellator would be swift and harsh, but if Dana White’s words during the UFC 156 post-fight media scrum were any indication, the UFC HOFer might find himself SOL (Author’s note: I get paid by the acrostic) when his son makes his promotional debut as well.

But before we get into that, lets talk about what went down during the UFC 156 post-fight press conference first (video above). Following his parlay-destroying victory over Alistair Overeem earlier in the evening, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva was not afraid to add insult to injury when questioned on his strategy heading into the third round, stating almost matter-of-factly that Overeem lacked heart:

I work a lot in the gym and I had a good strategy, because we know Overeem [doesn’t] have good cardio and no heart. When he punches, he’s a lion, but when [you] punch him, he’s a cat, you know? 

That’s right, Antonio freaking Silva just used the power of metaphor in English to call Ubereem a pussy. Might I direct you to this Scanners gif?

For obvious reasons, Dana White remained noncommittal to the idea of a Silva/Velasquez rematch, but simply stated that he “wouldn’t be opposed to that.” While it’s a decent idea in theory considering Silva’s most recent win, putting a guy who got taken down by Overeem on multiple occasions against the best wrestler in the division — one who practically killed Silva when they first fought, by the way — does not exactly scream “necessary matchup.” Then again, crazier things have happened in heavyweight rematches.

Now, let’s move on to Dana White pretty much banishing Randy Couture from all future UFC events…

Wow. We all knew that the fallout from Randy Couture’s deal with Bellator would be swift and harsh, but if Dana White’s words during the UFC 156 post-fight media scrum were any indication, the UFC HOFer might find himself SOL (Author’s note: I get paid by the acrostic) when his son makes his promotional debut as well.

But before we get into that, lets talk about what went down during the UFC 156 post-fight press conference first (video above). Following his parlay-destroying victory over Alistair Overeem earlier in the evening, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva was not afraid to add insult to injury when questioned on his strategy heading into the third round, stating almost matter-of-factly that Overeem lacked heart:

I work a lot in the gym and I had a good strategy, because we know Overeem [doesn’t] have good cardio and no heart. When he punches, he’s a lion, but when [you] punch him, he’s a cat, you know? 

That’s right, Antonio freaking Silva just used the power of metaphor in English to call Ubereem a pussy. Might I direct you to this Scanners gif?

For obvious reasons, Dana White remained noncommittal to the idea of a Silva/Velasquez rematch, but simply stated that he “wouldn’t be opposed to that.” While it’s a decent idea in theory considering Silva’s most recent win, putting a guy who got taken down by Overeem on multiple occasions against the best wrestler in the division — one who practically killed Silva when they first fought, by the way — does not exactly scream “necessary matchup.” Then again, crazier things have happened in heavyweight rematches.

Now, let’s move on to Dana White pretty much banishing Randy Couture from all future UFC events…

To be fair, Dana White was forced to wade through a shitty selection of topics in the post-fight scrum — everything from Vitor Belfort’s positive test rumor to Stephan Bonnar’s totally positive UFC 153 test was covered — but to see the look that comes across DW’s face when he’s asked about Randy Couture at the 8:43 mark is downright hilarious. You can literally see the gears of war turning in The Baldfather’s head, as if he’s trying to express all his pent up rage and frustration by forming a completely new curse word (Cuntangular-pumpionfucker!), before calming down and declaring that Couture “is only a man when he steps into the octagon.” And if Dana White isn’t completely bullshitting the details of Couture’s signing with Bellator (and that’s an Emmanuel Yarborough-sized “if”), then it seems our beloved Captain America is a little more like Two-Face than we’d like to imagine. I’m not great with superhero puns.

However, it wasn’t until the subject of Randy’s son, Strikeforce veteran Ryan Couture, came up that things really got interesting (emphasis mine):

Interviewer: So how might this affect Ryan’s future?

Dana: So (sighs)…the day after I talked to you guys, I called Ryan Couture and I said ‘Ryan, let me put it to you this way, this is probably the weirdest conversation you’re ever going to have. [Author’s note: Oh God, I know how this ends.] You signed a deal with us in the UFC. I want you to be here. But I need you to understand this: me and your dad are not good, me and your dad are never going to be good, ever, ever again, as long as I walk this fucking planet.‘

[Randy’s] not cornering him. Randy Couture can’t buy a ticket to this motherfucking event. So I said, ‘He’s not going to be around and I just want to be upfront with you’…and he said to me, ‘Every kid who’s ever strapped on a pair of gloves is dreaming about fighting in the UFC, and if they say they’re not than they’re either lying or stupid.’ He said, ‘This is my dream. I want to fight with you guys.’ 

We’re not exactly sure which “motherfucking event” White was talking about, but there you have it: the most literal case of “out with the old, in with the new” that MMA has ever witnessed. No pressure, Ryan.

–J. Jones

[VIDEO] Full UFC 154 Pre-Fight Press Conference

(Conference starts at the 4:15 mark.) 

Here are the three most noteworthy pieces of information I learned at the UFC 154 pre-fight press conference:

1. Carlos Condit is very handsy when answering questions.

2. Whoever was in charge of controlling the levels on Jon Anik’s microphone needs to be fired ASAP, then shot, then dragged to a park to make it look like a suicide. Either that or Anik is suffering from the worst case of voice immodulation I have ever heard.

3. People are still up in arms about the Condit/Diaz decision, and based on the CagePotato “I Miss Old Dad” scale of emotional hoarding, they will continue to do so for…*enters figures into calculator*…ever. I guess the fact that Diaz’s win/title shot would’ve been revoked anyway makes little difference in this meaningless debate. I say this as a Diaz fan: Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.

No, I do not know if this information will heighten your viewing experience or not, but what I do know is that the flu medication I’ve been on for the past few days causes more violent hallucinations than that cup of punch I drank at a Phish concert last summer, so just applaud the fact that I was even able to bring you this video today. I SAID APPLAUD DAMMIT!

Now if you will excuse me, I have a date with the insides of my stomach, which should be arriving any moment now.

–J. Jones


(Conference starts at the 4:15 mark.) 

Here are the three most noteworthy pieces of information I learned at the UFC 154 pre-fight press conference:

1. Carlos Condit is very handsy when answering questions.

2. Whoever was in charge of controlling the levels on Jon Anik’s microphone needs to be fired ASAP, then shot, then dragged to a park to make it look like a suicide. Either that or Anik is suffering from the worst case of voice immodulation I have ever heard.

3. People are still up in arms about the Condit/Diaz decision, and based on the CagePotato “I Miss Old Dad” scale of emotional hoarding, they will continue to do so for…*enters figures into calculator*…ever. I guess the fact that Diaz’s win/title shot would’ve been revoked anyway makes little difference in this meaningless debate. I say this as a Diaz fan: Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.

No, I do not know if this information will heighten your viewing experience or not, but what I do know is that the flu medication I’ve been on for the past few days causes more violent hallucinations than that cup of punch I drank at a Phish concert last summer, so just applaud the fact that I was even able to bring you this video today. I SAID APPLAUD DAMMIT!

Now if you will excuse me, I have a date with the insides of my stomach, which should be arriving any moment now.

–J. Jones

[VIDEO] Bob Arum Accurately Sums Up the Marijuana in Combat Sports Debate in One Profanity-Laden Rant


(…and don’t even get me started on that damned Bubonic plague business.) 

We’ve talked a lot about marijuana in MMA around here lately, mainly as a result of the recent statements made by UFC VP of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner, who declared that Dave Herman might be forced to undergo a rehabilitation program following his second positive test for cannabis in just four fights at UFC 153. Simply put, Ratner’s belief (although he didn’t state it outright) that marijuana was a bigger concern to the various athletic commission governing the sport than that of PED’s, is a load of horseshit. Pure, unadulterated, horseshit.

Enter boxing promoter Bob Arum, a dusty old geezer with an intellect rivaled only by garden tools who feels that the sport of MMA is rampant with homosexual skinheads that couldn’t throw a punch to save their life. He’s not exactly phone-a-friend material if you catch our drift. But when it was revealed that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. had tested positive for marijuana following his unanimous decision loss to Sergio Martinez on September 15th, fans and members of the media alike were anxious to see how Arum would react to it.

Simply put, his response would have made Dana White proud.


(…and don’t even get me started on that damned Bubonic plague business.) 

We’ve talked a lot about marijuana in MMA around here lately, mainly as a result of the recent statements made by UFC VP of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner, who declared that Dave Herman might be forced to undergo a rehabilitation program following his second positive test for cannabis in just four fights at UFC 153. Simply put, Ratner’s belief (although he didn’t state it outright) that marijuana was a bigger concern to the various athletic commission governing the sport than that of PED’s, is a load of horseshit. Pure, unadulterated, horseshit.

Enter boxing promoter Bob Arum, a dusty old geezer with an intellect rivaled only by garden tools who feels that the sport of MMA is rampant with homosexual skinheads that couldn’t throw a punch to save their life. He’s not exactly phone-a-friend material if you catch our drift. But when it was revealed that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. had tested positive for marijuana following his unanimous decision loss to Sergio Martinez on September 15th, fans and members of the media alike were anxious to see how Arum would react to it.

Simply put, his response would have made Dana White proud.

As Bob told FightHub:

I’m sorry that it happened, that he tested positive, but I’m not going to condemn a kid for smoking a joint a month before a fight to go to sleep. What the fuck is happening? I mean, let’s be real about it, let’s not be hypocrites about it.

Performance enhancing drugs, that’s wrong. Smoking a joint a month before a fight, take a poll here, what kind of percentage do you think of people [have] smoked a joint in the last month? So let’s be fuckin’ real!

Even more revealing than that, Arum told ESPN in an interview that took place shortly after the news broke that, “I can’t really get excited about it. There’s no promoter in boxing who could pass the marijuana test, including myself.”

Wait, so not only is Bob Arum way more in touch with current affairs than we previously determined, but now he’s the hip grandparent who blazes up with the best of us?

I’m sorry, I can’t resist.

–J. Jones

[VIDEO] Rampage Jackson, Eddie Alvarez, + More React to Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman’s Positive UFC 153 Tests


(If this man does not strike you as the kind of person who spends most of his free time getting stoned, playing Xbox, and waxing poetic about the flaws of Jiu-Jitsu, then we don’t know who does.) 

When we first heard word that Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman failed their UFC 153 drug tests — for Drostanolone and Marijuana respectively — we couldn’t help but reflect on the timeless words of George W. Bush when he stated, “Fool me once…..shame on………..shame on you. Fool me, I can’t get fooled again.” Unfortunately for Bonnar and Herman, they failed to fool the piss test even once while in the UFC (at least to our knowledge) and have felt the unforgiving wrath of the Interwebs as a result of their insolence. Hearts were broken. Tears were shed. Butts were hurt.

And in an effort to gauge their fellow fighters feelings on the issue, FightHubTv recently interviewed such fighters as Travis Browne, Eddie Alvarez, and Tyrone Spong to get some perspective on the issue. Also, Rampage Jackson threw in his two cents and actually managed to do so without turning the interview into another “Dear Diary” entry aimed at the UFC. Good for him.

Video after the jump. 


(If this man does not strike you as the kind of person who spends most of his free time getting stoned, playing Xbox, and waxing poetic about the flaws of Jiu-Jitsu, then we don’t know who does.) 

When we first heard word that Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman failed their UFC 153 drug tests — for Drostanolone and Marijuana respectively — we couldn’t help but reflect on the timeless words of George W. Bush when he stated, “Fool me once…..shame on………..shame on you. Fool me, I can’t get fooled again.” Unfortunately for Bonnar and Herman, they failed to fool the piss test even once while in the UFC (at least to our knowledge) and have felt the unforgiving wrath of the Interwebs as a result of their insolence. Hearts were broken. Tears were shed. Butts were hurt.

And in an effort to gauge their fellow fighters feelings on the issue, FightHubTv recently interviewed such fighters as Travis Browne, Eddie Alvarez, and Tyrone Spong to get some perspective on the issue. Also, Rampage Jackson threw in his two cents and actually managed to do so without turning the interview into another “Dear Diary” entry aimed at the UFC. Good for him.

Video below.

Go figure, the general sentiment seems to be that penalizing a fighter for smoking marijuana is overkill. That being said, no one is exactly quick to forgive a so-called professional like Herman who has tested positive for marijuana twice now in just a four fight UFC career.

When asked on the issue of Mary J, Tyrone Spong can only nonchalantly remind us that “I’m from Amsterdam,” with a smile. Point taken, Tyrone. Eddie Alvarez, on the other hand, couldn’t give a fuck if your were huffing cat piss and lighting off fire crackers in your ass before you fought him, because it probably wouldn’t improve your chances anyway.

Although the general public reaction to Bonnar’s second failed test has been that he was simply going honey badger for his final UFC fight, you have to imagine that “The American Psycho” suffered some undisclosed injury in training that forced him to hit the juice. Why else would he cheapen the value of the final fight of his career, especially when he asked for such a big fight to begin with? If it turns out that Bonnar was just juicing for the hell of it, it will really call into question what exactly he was thinking heading into UFC 153.

Look at me, trying to to understand the mind of this man. It’s like asking your dog why he chases his own tail. Or why your favorite prostitute will never say “I love you” back.

–J. Jones

[VIDEO] Dana White, Jon Jones, and Chael Sonnen Rub Elbows, Answer Fan Questions in MetroPCS Live Chat


(Let’s just say that their Chat Roulette session with fans quickly took a turn for the worse.)

When it was first announced that Jon Jones would be coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Chael Sonnen, then beating him into dust defending his light heavyweight strap against him at the season’s end, the general public reaction seemed to be that of bewilderment. Even those who were quick to defend the pairing didn’t have the cojones to claim that Sonnen had earned a title shot (because how could you), but rather that he stepped up when no one else would and it would make for great television so we should just all STFU. We have officially entered the Rollerball phase of the UFC, people. And although Sonnen made sure to break out the WWE trash-talk in the days following the announcement, if you are expecting all-out verbal warfare on next season’s TUF, you might want to start preparing yourself for disappointment.

Last night, Dana White, Jones, and Sonnen sat down for a 40 minute video chat with fans to answer questions about ranging from the upcoming season of the reality show to what Dana White thinks of Fedor, which was apparently asked by a fan who had been living underground for the past 3 years. After Dana was done berating anyone who had the gall to ask him anything other than how he would describe his perfect Sunday, he called in an uncharacteristically laid back and terrorist beard-free Jones, who was immediately asked how he viewed Sonnen now that the show had begun shooting. His response was surprising to say the least.

Full story and video after the jump. 


(Let’s just say that their Chat Roulette session with fans quickly took a turn for the worse.)

When it was first announced that Jon Jones would be coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Chael Sonnen, then beating him into dust defending his light heavyweight strap against him at the season’s end, the general public reaction seemed to be that of bewilderment. Even those who were quick to defend the pairing didn’t have the cojones to claim that Sonnen had earned a title shot (because how could you), but rather that he stepped up when no one else would and it would make for great television so we should just all STFU. We have officially entered the Rollerball phase of the UFC, people. And although Sonnen made sure to break out the WWE trash-talk in the days following the announcement, if you are expecting all-out verbal warfare on next season’s TUF, you might want to start preparing yourself for disappointment.

Last night, Dana White, Jones, and Sonnen sat down for a 40 minute video chat with fans to answer questions about ranging from the upcoming season of the reality show to what Dana White thinks of Fedor, which was apparently asked by a fan who had been living underground for the past 3 years. After Dana was done berating anyone who had the gall to ask him anything other than how he would describe his perfect Sunday, he called in an uncharacteristically laid back and terrorist beard-free Jones, who was immediately asked how he viewed Sonnen now that the show had begun shooting. His response was surprising to say the least.

Full story and video after the jump. 

From the mouth of the champ:

[Chael’s] actually, he’s not too bad. I thought it was going to be all trash-talk, but he’s actually being pretty decent and pretty classy. So, I think it’s going to make for a great show. 

I actually don’t hate Chael anymore. He’s actually turning out to be OK. I’m not sure if he’s setting me up to really hate him (Dana nods “yes”) but right now, he’s being a pretty decent human.

So you mean to tell me that not only are Bones and DW back to chummy-old-pal status, but so are Bones and Sonnen for the time being?

*Removing episodes 1 and 2 of TUF 17 from my DVR….NOW*

And indeed, once Sonnen enters the room around the 29 minute mark, the two start horsing around and shooting the shit like old high school buddies who bumped into each other at the airport bar. Chael even admits that he thinks Jon is a “pretty nice guy” and jokes with the champ about how delicious the “Jon Jones Special” pizza is at his pizzeria.

We can already hear the peeeewww noise of the TUF 17 ratings making their descent back to earth. You better have some tricks up your massive sleeves, Chael.

–J. Jones