UFC 83 Rundown

Strange days these are in the weeks after UFC 83. Zuffa's debut in the Great White North went as well as it could have with amped up fans and fights that... well, that's where things went awry. So let's take a look at some of the odd antics post-UFC 83!

Captain Miserable throws in the towel

"The Count" MIchael Bisping made a victorious move down to middleweight with a victory over Charles McCarthy, normally "The Chainsaw" but redubbed on TUF 4 as "Captain Miserable" for being the most emo fighter in the house. An emo fighter? Is that some kind of oxymoron? I do not like to fighter bash but McCarthy has never seemed to really want to give it his all, perhaps in his mind though he has put out his best each time but gives up on himself too easily.
In his retirement announcement that he told mmaweekly.com, he writes "I have achieved many of the goals I set out to accomplish in this sport and found others just out of reach... My goal in my career was always to be the best, and you know it just didn't work out this time. I'm okay with that. I kind of hit the whole glass ceiling in my career and I don't feel like dwindling on past my usefulness." Even in his statement, we get that same defeated attitude viewers saw during TUF 4. It is unfortunate that a professional fighter thrust into the limelight can not seem to overcome his own demons, or at least let them motivate him towards success.
He also writes that he is looking forward to focusing on teaching his students, so I wish him much success with that. Some guys are better as teachers than fighters and McCarthy will be one of those. At least he could say he threw his hat in the octagon and gave it a go, but it has always seemed like his heart is never in his fights. Nonetheless, misery loves company...

Lutter makes weight and hates his fans

Travis Lutter is another problematic fighter for UFC fans. A very good fighter who has blown some big changes. "The Serial Killer" had his biggest shot when he went against Anderson Silva for the UFC MW title... that is, if he had been able to make weight. Nonetheless he put on a good display against Silva but gassed out and was trounced upon by "The Spider".
At UFC 83, Lutter found himself up against the former MW champ, Rich "Ace" Franklin. Again, a very good start against the Jim Carrey stunt double, but Lutter gassed and was picked apart by Franklin. After this loss, what should Lutter discover but that his UFC contract was cut. Now putting himself in the hotseat, Lutter inserted his foot deep into his mouth during an interview with 411mania.com, explaining his disgust over some breed of fans.
"The other crazy thing you didn't bring up is – and you can post this or not post this – fans of this sport just suck." Lutter said while stretching his hamstrings so he could get his foot deeper into his face rectum, "I think most of them are dumb-ass kids. I'm not saying MMA fans. I'm saying the people that are writing me this shit. I think the average MMA fan rules... But, the guy who is taking the time out of his day that lives in Kentucky to email me to tell me what a piece of shit I am. You really have to question, what is his motivation? How sad of an individual is that? ... It's like, "I saw you on TV so you suck. As a fighter you suck. You've got no cardio, blah blah blah." What motivates these guys to send hate mail? I don't understand it."
This puts MMA fans in a strange place, some feel alienated by these remarks, others angry and others apathetic over a man who has missed so many big opportunities. I can see what he means, but this comes back to something Pete Sell recently said about GSP, calling him " a mental midget". As a professional fighter you will be in the spotlight over every minute thing you say or do, and the hate mail goes hand in hand with the nut hugging emails. The question is which are more important to you? It can be very tolling on the psyche to read so much negativity when you train so hard to go from fighting in barns to an octagon on PPV.
In the worst case scenario, Gary Shaw can pick him up and send him to fight with Gina Carano, pending one of them makes weight.

Nate Quarry: So you think you can dance? AKA Canada hates Kalib

The most talked about piece of UFC 83 may not be GSP outwitting Serra, it might not be how great Ben Stiller... er, Kenny Florian's commentary was. It might not even be Demian Maia getting a super sweet triangle choke on Ed Herman. Kalib Starnes, one of the Canadian's thrown onto this card, matched up against "The Rock" Nate Quarry. Starnes spent the duration of the three rounds circling away from Quarry, not willing to make any sort of contact with Quarry. "The Rock" did his best to push the action but reached the point of boredom where he played back 90's dance music and began doing his most well rehearsed hip hop dance routines. Starnes contract would also be cut after the fight, where an irate Dana White had the usual F-bombs for the Surrey native.
Starnes has answered the criticism back as well, equally as harsh but shedding some light on the situation and still leaving me dumbfounded. He brings up some good points though in his defense, saying he has been mistreated by the UFC and they show some favoritism in who they take care of and who they do not, who gets paid better and who does not. Kalib came into this fight injured and was not willing to get hurt more, even though he inevitably did, so his strategy was just to stay away. Is this a let down to the fans? Yes. Was Kalib selfish in what he did? Yes and no.
Yes, the fans did not get the fight they wanted to see and the hometown hero got booed. If he did not want to fight, he could have backed out. But he fought and in my mind he did it not just for himself but everyones rights. MMA fighters need to have a larger voice in the proper treatment of fighters, its the only way the sport will mature. Starnes and his lack of fighting was a strategy, almost a negotiation tactic. It said if you will not meet my demands, then I will make the people who bought this as angry as I am. Kalib mentioned the amount he was paid did not include his medical bills, transportation, and by the end of the night, he is lucky if he makes it out with $20 in his fight purse. How many fighters fight in the small shows and say that, let alone the big shows?
MMA is starting to peak and hit a grander stage and the rights of fighters (as well as those who make the industry go round which i will hit on another day) are being infringed still. Is a fighters union necessary? Perhaps, but how will it get started?
UFC 83 was a good event for Zuffa and to push MMA into Canada. It was definitely a good event, albeit an odd one. UFC 84 is sneaking up on us fast! I am not sure what to make of all these odd happenings after this event though, how should a fan feel? What are we truly entitled to? How much do we idolize these fighters and put them on a pedestal only to tear them down and disrespect them moments later? I wish I could answer this and in time I hope I will.
I will be at the IFL this weekend in Uncasville, Connecticut, shooting the event for Sherdog so if you see a sideburned kid hanging out ringside, say hi to me! To quote Tim White, "CAN YOU FEEEEEL IT?!"