UFC on Fox 5

[Kris P Lettus]

Benson Henderson vs Nate Diaz for the LW Title
Shogun vs Gustoffson with LHW Title implications
BJ Penn vs Rory McDonald

Why are they giving away what could be the best card of the year??

http://www.sherdog.com/events/UFC-on-Fox-5-Henderson-vs-Diaz-23169

[MoFo]

Really looking forward to this and UFC 155

Yagin/Siver is sleeper for FOTN

[Kris P Lettus]

UFC on Fox 5 Main Card:

Ben Henderson (17-2) vs. Nate Diaz (16-7) [LW Title]
Alexander Gustafsson (14-1) vs. Mauricio Rua (21-6)
Rory MacDonald (13-1) vs. B.J. Penn (16-8-2)
Matt Brown (15-11) vs. Mike Swick (15-4)

UFC on FOX 5 Preliminary Card:

Lavar Johnson (17-6) vs. Brendan Schaub (8-3)
Michael Chiesa (8-0) vs. Marcus LeVesseur (22-6)
Dennis Siver (20-8) vs. Nam Phan (18-10)
Mike Easton (13-1) vs. Bryan Caraway (17-5)
Scott Jorgensen (13-6) vs. John Albert (7-3)
Ramsey Nijem (6-2) vs. Joe Proctor (8-1)
Daron Cruickshank (11-2) vs. Henry Martinez (9-2)
Tim Means (18-3-1) vs. Abel Trujillo (9-4)
Yves Edwards (41-18-1) vs. John Cholish (8-2)

[Kris P Lettus]

Nam Phan is replacing an injured Yagin..

[MoFo]

Bendo
Gustafsson
BJ upset
Swick

ftw

[Kris P Lettus]

Diaz
Shogun
Penn (by DOMINATION)
Swick

[Next Big Thing]

This card is pretty sick. Even the prelims have the potential for fireworks.

[Kris P Lettus]

Yeah :heart: Mike Easton..

[Kris P Lettus]

Also, pretty sure someones gonna get KO'ed in the Big Johnson/Shaub fight..

[Krimzon7]

Let's talk about how Bendo is gonna beat the shit out of that stockton punk diaz.

[Crimson]

Yea I'll pick Bendo, should be a sick fight though.

[Krimzon7]

yeah the fight is gonna be amazing. Im just having a little fun with the whole Diaz thing.

[YOUR Hero]

isnt Diaz suspended?

[Kris P Lettus]

Nick Diaz is, Nate Diaz isn't..

[Kris P Lettus]

Lavar Big Johnson pulled his groin and can't compete.. Dunno who should/could replace him..

Kongo??

[Kris P Lettus]

UFC Road to the Octagon is coming on at 2pm CST today on FOX..

[Next Big Thing]

Sick night of fights coming up. UFC on Fox 5 then Pacquiao/ Marquez IV. Fuck what you think about boxing, that fight is going to be great.

[Kris P Lettus]

Just watch the first 3 and you will see the 4th..

[weather vane]

cannot wait for these fights!

[MoFo]

UFC Road to the Octagon is coming on at 2pm CST today on FOX..


Watched it on Youtube and it was great, best build up show Ive seen apart from Cotto/Margarito 24/7.

BJ looks an absolute beast, best shape Ive seen him in even including his 155lbs days.

[Kris P Lettus]

A motivated BJ Penn is a scary, scary dude..

[Kris P Lettus]

They also did some hour long special about Benson last night on Fuel but I missed it.. Hopefully it will pop up online today..

[Kris P Lettus]

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Tg7OKJj4L4Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Kris P Lettus]

The Benson Henderson Special isn't online yet but it is coming on again tomorrow at 7 cst right after the weigh-ins on Fuel..

It also comes on tonight at like 2am but fuck that..

[Next Big Thing]

I hated the narrator for that Road to the Octagon special. It's the same dude that does all those shitty "Worst Accidents Ever/Faces of Death/Look at These Idiots" clip shows so every time he spoke I was expecting a car accident or something. It definitely gave a better perspective than the typical UFC Countdown shows. Seeing a killer like Shogun, essentially be butter in his daughter's hands was cool to see. I still think the HBO 24/7s are the best though.

Love B.J. Penn, but it seems like B.J.'s last three fights were fights where B.J. was "motivated", "determined", "in shape", etc... I think Rory will smash him and B.J. will retire.

[Kris P Lettus]

Hated the narrator too.. Should have had Anik do it..

Or Mike Rowe..

[Kris P Lettus]

Diaz weighed in at 155.6lbs.. He has two hours to lose the .6 cause you can't be any over in a title fight..

[Crimson]

Hope he doesn't get high and get the munchies..I have money on him

[MoFo]

Isnt weed legal in Washington?

Odds on Nate failing a drug test post fight?

[Kris P Lettus]

He has never failed a drug test..

He went to the bathroom and came back out and weighed without trunks and was at 155.2, meaning he had like an hour and a half to drop the final .2..

[Next Big Thing]

I don't think Nate will fail a drug test. Nick has always been the one who tries to skirt the rules or ignore them altogether. Nate plays the game and goes along with the system well. No reason to believe he'd start fucking up now that he's so close to the top.

[Kris P Lettus]

Anyone know if he made weight?? Henderson said he'd fight him no matter what weight he was at but the commission would not allow it to be a title fight..

[Next Big Thing]

He hit 155 on the third attempt. It's a title fight baby!

[Kris P Lettus]

I figured he would..

I love Benson but WAR DIAZ..

[Kris P Lettus]

Prelim starting on Fuel..

Pretty pumped..

[Kris P Lettus]

Brian Stann is a natural as an analyst..

p.s. :heart: Yves Edwards

[Next Big Thing]

Siver is looking great so far.

[Next Big Thing]

Even the prelims have fights that could be compelling matches on a PPV undercard. I really hate Goldberg on commentary though.

[Kris P Lettus]

stfu Goldberg is awesome..

Siver looked awesome.. WHo was his first fight at 145?? Last I saw him was the Cowboy fight..

[Kris P Lettus]

siccccc knees

[Next Big Thing]

I love Cruikshank's kicking and knee game. These prelims have been fucking sick.

[Kris P Lettus]

Yeah, this is the best card I've seen in a while..

[Kris P Lettus]

holy shit

[Next Big Thing]

Lights out. Damn.

[Kris P Lettus]

This is another good fight..

[Kris P Lettus]

HULK :love:

[Kris P Lettus]

GnP

[Kris P Lettus]

fuck

[Kris P Lettus]

Edwards coming out to LL's I'm Bad..

:love:

[Kris P Lettus]

There you go old man!!

[Kris P Lettus]

This Albert kid has some slick BJJ..

[Next Big Thing]

Jorgensen at the buzzer. Amazing.

[Kris P Lettus]

That Jorgenson/Albert fight was bonkers..

[Kris P Lettus]

they better have couture or sonnen on the prefight show

[Kris P Lettus]

Couture and Stann is A O K..

[Next Big Thing]

Sick ground fighting right now.

[Next Big Thing]

KTFO!

[Kris P Lettus]

Good night, Swick..

[Kris P Lettus]

Brown is grimey as fuck..

[Hanso Amore]

You should get twitter krispy....

[Kris P Lettus]

i have one

WAR BABY J

[Next Big Thing]

MacDonald is just too big for B.J.

[Hanso Amore]

Rory has roads backne

[Next Big Thing]

They both did voluntary drug testing via VADA throughout their camps so he's clean.

[Next Big Thing]

Rory should definitely fight Hendricks next.

[Kris P Lettus]

:wavesad: BJ

[Next Big Thing]

Rory Macdonald's a disrespectful homo. I hope he gets booed to hell and knocked the fuck out in his next fight.

If Jon Jones pulled some shit like that at the end of his fight against a legend people would be ready to lynch him.

[Kris P Lettus]

I don't like Rory.. Firstly, he is meterosexual and prolly full on homo with Mike Ricci.. Secondly, he called out a retired legend from a lower weigh class..

He is a punk..

[owenbrown]

Are the Fox censors hot on the button tonight or is Fox or maybe my local station having audio issues?

[Kris P Lettus]

It's the national censors..

[Next Big Thing]

Pretty sure that shuffling and shit at the end against B.J. cost dude some fans. His new name is White Jon Jones.

[Kris P Lettus]

Yep

[Kris P Lettus]

Gustafson only has a 1/2 inch reach advantage..

[Kris P Lettus]

Come on Shogun..

[Krimzon7]

Holy Shit what have I missed??? Rua and Gustaffsen are having a good little scrap

[Krimzon7]

National Censors gonna have their hands full with a Diaz in the building

[Krimzon7]

Oh Shogun...I will miss you as a contender.

[Kris P Lettus]

Gustafson 30-27

[Next Big Thing]

Holy Shit what have I missed??? Rua and Gustaffsen are having a good little scrap

You missed Rory MacDonald become White Jon Jones by being a disrespectful punk bitch against B.J... and a great fucking card in general.

[Kris P Lettus]

So pumped for Bendo/Diaz..

[Next Big Thing]

I don't think Gustafson is ready for JBJ.

[Kris P Lettus]

Really, Rogan's not gonna interview the new LHW #1 contender after the beiggest win of his career?? If it was for time restraints then why the fuck are they doing a comercial for metro pcs with Faber and Bones..

Bullshit..

[Krimzon7]

No Gussy isn't. I think they went to commercial because they don't need to build up a contender for JBJ. Gus doesn't need to shoot a promo to get us to buy a LHW title PPV

[Next Big Thing]

Hendo is getting fucked pretty bad. He fights Machida in February which means he definitely would have been healthy enough to fight Jones in April and now Gustafson is the #1 contender which means he'll probably be waiting another year for a title shot.

[Krimzon7]

Yup

[Next Big Thing]

Peeps love Diaz.

[Krimzon7]

I was in a Nyquil coma...but I woke up for BENDO

[Kris P Lettus]

this fight is gonna be awesoem

[Krimzon7]

NBT and Kris P:

I want it to be known that I fucks with yall. You two are awesome posters, and I love watching MMA with yous guys. Maybe we can do a meetup when the Falcons and the Saint's play in the playoffs this year.

[Next Big Thing]

Much love for you too bro.

[Kris P Lettus]

I will def holler at youssss guys if I ever get up to ATL..

[Krimzon7]

NO HOMO: Ben Henderson is massive below the waist. How does he cut to 55?

[Kris P Lettus]

Nothing like Mike Easton..

Looked like he had a nerf bat in his compression trunks yesterday at the weigh-in..

[Kris P Lettus]

Oh you weren't talking about penis size..

:shifty:

So yeah, this is gonna be an awesome fight..

WAR DIAZ

[Krimzon7]

Nate Diaz has put together one hell of a career so far.

[Krimzon7]

Buffer's gonna have a stroke in there one day.

[Krimzon7]

The Diaz Strategy is enacted early. Leg Kicks fuck them up

[Next Big Thing]

That's because they never bother to check them. So frustrating to watch. Nick would have beat Condit if he checked half the leg kicks Condit threw.

[Kris P Lettus]

The technical term is the Rampage Defense..

aka

no check leg kicks

[Krimzon7]

Yes, the Terms are synonymous. I thought that the lighter weight class would lead towards another name.

[Krimzon7]

That's because they never bother to check them. So frustrating to watch. Nick would have beat Condit if he checked half the leg kicks Condit threw.

That would've broken Condit's leg. Holy Shit I look at the Screen right when I hear the crowd Scream

[Next Big Thing]

Henderson is fucking Gumby.

[Krimzon7]

amazing jits

[Nicky Fives]

Diaz is such a punk.....glad he is getting destroyed....

[Krimzon7]

Diaz got pwned

[Kris P Lettus]

How is he a "punk"??

[Next Big Thing]

Henderson is legit. I would have loved to see him versus B.J. Penn in his prime. Both guys have great jits, balance and flexibility. Would have been a war.

[Kris P Lettus]

Mos def..

I'd like to see him at 170lbs vs Thiago Silva..

[Kris P Lettus]

Guess we'll see Melendez come in at 155 now instead of 145..

[Krimzon7]

Melendez is looking for that Get Back. I like Nate more than Nick definitely. Wouldn't call Nate a 'punk'. He's more like the snotty little brother

[Kris P Lettus]

He's never failed a drug test, never missed weight, etc.. Don't hate just cause he talks shit..

[Kris P Lettus]

FLYING TRIANGLE

[Kris P Lettus]

Oh well..

[Next Big Thing]

Melendez should get next, maybe Cerrone. Benson Henderson is definitely the man at 155 and will probably have a decent reign.

[Kris P Lettus]

He and Migeul Torres were my favs out of WEC..

[Kris P Lettus]

Judges handing out 10-8 rounds like hot cakes..

[Kris P Lettus]

OK, Fuel TV, let's cut this breakdancing shit and show the fucking postfight show..

[RoXer]

Pretty funny when Benson was in the splits, Diaz realized he couldn't do anything, flipped him off and started to say "fuck you" before they cut away

[Kris P Lettus]

Roxer, as a casual fan, what did you think of the whole card??

[Kris P Lettus]

Jorgenson is gonna get Sub of the night..

Dunno who will get KO of the night cause all 3 were brutal..

Jorgensen might get fight of the night too cause of the comeback and how close to the end of the round it ended..

[RoXer]

I'm not a Diazeses's brothers fan because of their stupid faces. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the idea of a cocky asshole who taunts and talks shit. I can be all about that. But I don't like his stupid face so I was rooting for Benson (who trains not too far from where I live now) to knock the fuck out of Diaz (who trains not too far from where I used to live). There were times where it looked like Benson could have thrown a right uppercut and surprise Diaz but I suppose you can only know the distance when you're in the <S>ring</S> --CAGE, sorry-- and not from TV.

Missed a lot of the Rua fight. Dunno what to think of B.J. Penn if it's age catching up to him or if it's just difficult opponents. A mixture of both, obviously, but you wonder how much longer he can contend with the best.

[Kris P Lettus]

BJ was actually retired after his loss to Nick Diaz and Rory called him out..

It was a bitchlike power play on Rory';s part cause sure, Penn looked good against Hughes (cause Hughes was a small 170er) but other than that, Penn gets his ass kicked at welterweight.. Rory calls out a much smaller/older retired fighter who already had trouble with GSP (who trains Rory) for a squash.. It was cheap heat and Rory was eating it up..

p.s. there was a big hooplah during the post fight of weather Benson had a toothpick in his mouth during the fight.. It is well known he chews on them during interviews etc but someone said he was fighting with one tonight, he hinted that is was true, and all hell broke lose.. The UFC official (Dave something who I had never seen before, dunno where Dana was) had to step in during questioning all serious like "Benson clearly was joking and DIDN'T fight with a shard of wood in his mouth"... When a reporter asked Diaz, who was late cause of medical, about it, he was like "I dunno if he had one in his mouth but if he did, that's pretty weird"...

[Kris P Lettus]

Jorgenson did get sub and fight of the night

Dunno who got KO

[Nicky Fives]

How is he a "punk"??

middle finger during a fight he was getting destoryed in = Punk....

[James Steele]

middle finger during a fight he was getting destoryed in = Punk....

Naw, bro. You just a fkn H8r.

[Krimzon7]

<script src="http://player.espn.com/player.js?pcode=1kNG061cgaoolOncv54OAO1ceO-I&width=576&height=324&externalId=espn:8728500"></script>

[Krimzon7]

holy shit

[Crimson]

It's cool when there are clear cut heels like Rory and Diaz. Makes the casual fan more interested.

[Next Big Thing]

<script src="http://player.espn.com/player.js?pcode=1kNG061cgaoolOncv54OAO1ceO-I&width=576&height=324&externalId=espn:8728500"></script>

Called that shit. I've been saying forever that Pacquiao was doing nothing but beating up on Floyd's sloppy seconds. Now he gets knocked the fuck out by a guy who fights the same style as Floyd and also got his ass beat by Floyd after Money took a year off. All the Pacquiao dickriders can put away their vaseline now.

Great night for combat sports in general.

[Kris P Lettus]

middle finger during a fight he was getting destoryed in = Punk....

So is Rashad a "punk" for jaw jacking, blowing kisses and grabbing his crotch during a fight?? Or Chuck Liddell for calling a Tito a "pussy" during a fight?? Or Randy Couture for spanking Tito?? Or for Tito to put on a "I just fucked you ass" shirt after beating Guy Mezger?? Or Anderson Silva for talking shit and dacning like a cat during fights??

It's a fight and emotions run high.. Diaz was frustrated with Hendersons wrestling and had an emotional moment..

Not really a reason to call him a "punk"..

Pauly Daily is a punk for swinging on Kos after the fight, not Kos for talking shit during it..

[Kris P Lettus]

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ad7l25QODjA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

More disrespectful than flipping someone off..

[Kris P Lettus]

Thoie were all during/after fights, not to mention what guys like Chael Sonnen say building up fights about people's families, home countries, etc..

[Kris P Lettus]

then there is this

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MBnbDvnu9PQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

and

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oKkrO3jMRyY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Kris P Lettus]

http://www.pictureshack.us/images/13897_cruiko.gif

http://www.pictureshack.us/images/51859_swickbrown2.gif

http://www.pictureshack.us/images/20766_yvesko1.gif

Serra/GSP 2

http://www.pictureshack.us/images/24659_Sequence_01_1.gif

[Kris P Lettus]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/122641053/pacquiao-ko-marquez.gif

[MoFo]

Haven't watched yet but read that Bendo fought the whole fight with a toothpick in his mouth, what?

Also fuck Rory McDonald, hipster faggot.

[itsmeJD]

Also fuck Rory McDonald, hipster faggot.

Agreed. I hope Condit buries him.

[Crimson]

Alright Krispy stop slowing this damn page down

[Krimzon7]

KRIS P...Rashad Evans is no Punk.

[Kris P Lettus]

Crimson, get real internet..

[James Steele]

Justifying bad behavior with other people's bad behavior is retarded. All that kind of punk-ass shit is why MMA is going to struggle with truly being mainstream and getting the "respect" you think it deserves from the mass media.

[Next Big Thing]

Justifying bad behavior with other people's bad behavior is retarded. All that kind of punk-ass shit is why MMA is going to struggle with truly being mainstream and getting the "respect" you think it deserves from the mass media.

The idea that MMA will ever be truly mainstream or behavior like that of Nate Diaz will keep it from being mainstream is a bit off.

First of all, combat sports in general were never "mainstream." Boxing in its heyday was still based around the idea of it being an "event" as opposed to something fans tuned in every week to see. People paid attention to two or three pay per views a year and the rest of the time it went pretty much unnoticed by the general public and mass media.

Go back and look at the stars of the 80s and 90s in boxing and you will probably be able to count on one hand the number of true draws. Dana and the UFC are trying to fight a trend that they can't overcome. They've got three or four guys who will do at least half a million buys guaranteed and the rest are filler, just like boxing's biggest draws were essentially De La Hoya, Tyson and Holyfield in the 90s and maybe Roy Jones Jr. to a lesser extent.

I don't think Nate Diaz's behavior is what will ultimately keep the sport back either. In fact, having someone like him or his brother is good because at the end of the day, polarizing guys are better draws. GSP, Jones, Diaz are all great draws because people either love them or hate them and they're all different in terms of their personalities. A roster full of dudes flipping the bird wouldn't be good for promotions, but neither would a roster full of babyfaces. This Henderson/Diaz matchup was the perfect dichotomy because if you didn't care for the dude flipping the bird, you could cheer for the good Christian son of a Korean immigrant who also happens to be the champion.

Also, the biggest draws in the history of boxing and combat sports in general are Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mike Tyson. Not exactly choir boys inside or outside of the ring, yet Mayweather does Wrestlemania numbers every time he fights.

[James Steele]

UFC doesn't want to be like boxing though. The NFL, MLB, NBA, etc. do good numbers without having guys flip the bird or call people mother fuckers. Yes, there are "good guys" and "bad guys" but 99% of the athletes don't act like fucking thugs on national TV. If the UFC wants to be treated like all the other sports on ESPN or get decent major media coverage, then they need to come off like an elite sports organization and not the clusterfuck of boxing. MMA is already in a better spot that boxing because their is a clear promotion that is "elite" and above all others. The UFC brand has more weight than any boxing organization ever did because it has no equals in their sport.

Yes, boxing and UFC draw and the sideshow acts get coverage but how much of it is positive coverage that will entice new viewers to watch the sport? UFC has grown too fast and tapped out its core demo. UFC needs to entice new viewers and new demos. Some guy flipping off his opponent while getting his ass beat will not accomplish that.

[James Steele]

UFC has taken advantage of modern media with having a reality show, weekly highlight shows, buildup specials, and cards on normal TV. Boxing has always had to be on HBO/Showtime or on at 11pm on ESPN2 on a Friday night. I don't think it is impossible for MMA/UFC to be talked about as casually and as mainstream as other professional sports. Their athletes are starting to get endorsement deals from Nike and things. Guys who pull shit like Diaz and others will only hinder that growth.

[Next Big Thing]

Yes the UFC has a reality show, but look at the ratings over the last 4 or 5 seasons. They're only attracting hardcore fans. Those shows aren't making stars. The weekly highlight shows are filler for Fuel TV which no one watches and aside from the major Fox cards, which have been hit or miss in terms of ratings, their other t.v. cards do worse numbers than wrestling.

Just my opinion but, there's only so much MMA the mainstream public will tune in for and it will take dynamic "faces/heels" and/or stacked cards to bring them in. The UFC will never be on pay with the NFL/NBA/MLB just due to the fact that the graphic nature of the sport won't appeal to everyone, but the "event" like status of certain fighters and cards will still allow it to be must see t.v. on certain occasions. And I don't see how having a "bad boy" like Nate Diaz hurts the growth when him and his brother are one of the most popular fighters on the roster. The reception he got shows that and part of the reason why this matchup was so appealing was because he was the challenger. I agree that fighters like those guys should be few and far between, but not everyone in the mainstream wants a good guy like GSP to cheer for either.

[Kris P Lettus]

JamesSteele are you serious??

You are acting appalled by Diaz flipping the bird when you've had fist fights during NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL games, can clearly hear cussing during any NFL or NBA game, have pro athletes getting caught with drugs and guns, have murders, have NBA players attacking and choking coaches during games, having player stomp on opposing players/kick them in the groin.. Even had that soccer player headbutt an opposing p;layer during a game.. Not to mention fan beatings and riots, which has NEVER HAPPENED during an MMA event.. The list goes on..

The are "bad seeds" in any sport but you are a ridiculous hater who looks for reasons to hate..

I would rather my kid see someone flip the bird during a CAGE FIGHT than to see a coach choke a kid or throw a chair at players during an NCAA basketball game..

[Kris P Lettus]

Tanya Harding tried to have her opponent kneecapped during the Olympics..

Find something to worry about, you whiney bitch..

[MoFo]

Yeah, comparing them to other sports is slightly disingenous, these guys beat the fuck out of other guys for a living so I wouldn't exactly be surprised theres a few bad apples in the pack.

Plus, look at the guys behavior outside the company. I heard a guy in the NFL shot his gf over a domestic dispute and killed himself, when do you hear of guys like that in UFC? At worst youve got a guy like Rampage or Mayhem who spazzes out and gets naked.

[Kris P Lettus]

Another NFL player crashed his car this past weekend killing his teammate while drunk..

The list goes on..

JamesSteele likes to talk out of his ass so much he needs to wipe in between posts..

[Kris P Lettus]

Also,

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRPGeGn5ynXq1ur2mC88oiLtOsgtWiheve7oa_3ULVt41bahWteHbmH4EsW

He almost killed the WWE with those type of antics!!1!

:roll:

[James Steele]

Once again, you miss the fucking point because you are so damn defensive about MMA. Of all those bad behaviors you mentioned, how many were viewed as positive publicity for the sport? UFC is trying to establish itself and its identity to the world at large still while the other leagues were well established in the fabric of sports culture long before such negative things occurred/got made public.

[Crimson]

Maybe it's because those sports got established in an era where there was no twitter, cellphones, or anything else besides newpapers.

The UFC is doing fine, flipping the bird isn't killing anything. All they have to do is not put any Diaz fight on broadcast tv and done.

Dana is the only one that might want to tone it down a little with the cursing.

[Next Big Thing]

Apparently, Henderson did have a toothpick in his mouth during the fight:

UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson apparently fought with a toothpick in his mouth during his entire 25-minute title fight against Nate Diaz this weekend.

Henderson successfully defended the 155-pound title for the second time Saturday, defeating Diaz via unanimous decision in the headlining fight of the UFC on Fox event at KeyArena in Seattle.

Henderson declined to answer directly in an immediate post-fight interview when asked whether or not he had a toothpick in his mouth during the fight. Asked again at a press conference later that night, Henderson admitted he regularly trains that way.

"I can not confirm or deny that," Henderson said with a smirk. "I normally do, yeah. I have it in practice (and) when I spar. It's a bad habit, but whatever. I've gotten away with it so far."

Internet videos that later surfaced confirmed the presence of what appeared to be a toothpick sticking out of Henderson's mouth at the conclusion of the fight.

UFC president Dana White stated he saw a toothpick in Henderson's mouth in between rounds.

"Let me tell you what, I saw a toothpick pop out of his mouth when he walked back to the corner," said White, during a post-fight interview on Fuel TV. "That is the craziest thing I have ever seen. That is so not legal it's not even funny."

White added he did not expect Henderson to receive any punishment.

The Washington State Department of Licensing told ESPN.com on Monday it was determining whether or not to release a statement. Representatives from Henderson's camp declined to comment further when reached Saturday night.

Mixed martial artists are searched prior to competing, including the mouth area. Officials also verify that contestants wear a mouthpiece.

Diaz, when asked for his thoughts on the toothpick at the press conference, gave a long, puzzled stare across the podium towards Henderson before responding.

"I don't know if he did, but that's weird," Diaz said.

http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/8733786/internet-videos-show-benson-henderson-chewing-toothpick-ufc-title-fight

Fighting with a toothpick in his mouth was insanely stupid and kind of badass at the same time.

[Kris P Lettus]

They made a huge deal about it, when he joked about it at the post fight presser..

[Stickman]

Diaz bros are punks, love seeing either get punched in the face.

[Kris P Lettus]

It's a good thing they are both professional fighters then..

[weather vane]

Are you and the Diaz brothers friends?

[Kris P Lettus]

no

Have met Gilbert Melendez but no one else from their camp..

[Kris P Lettus]

Hey, guess what, James Steele is wrong again..

The Diaz brothers are no mystery. When they show up to compete, they offer 100 percent effort from opening bell to closing horn. When they speak, they say some things that make you think, and others that make you scratch your head. Any other time, they are liable to do something controversial.

Over the last week, Nate Diaz offered up a bit of everything. On Saturday night, it was a small dose of controversy. On at least two occasions during his UFC on FOX 5 lightweight championship matchup with Benson Henderson, Diaz offered up a middle finger to Henderson in an attempt to rattle him. Viewers at home might not have noticed the gesture as the broadcast immediately cut to a shot of an empty arena, but it did appear on screen, if just for a split-second.

The incident caught the attention of many, including mainstream media like The Los Angeles Times and Deadspin.

Such things have happened on national television before, as recently as February's Super Bowl XLVI, when singer M.I.A. flipped the bird during a halftime performance on NBC. The network was not ultimately fined for it, and several broadcast attorneys have argued that such a gesture isn't even illegal under Federal Communications Commission rules, although it tends to generate public complaints. Most of the time, such incidents are handled by the individual sports leagues, which have a history of fining athletes who make the gesture on the air.

The response to this one has been fairly muted -- probably because people who watch mixed martial arts aren't the types to be rattled by something so mildly offensive -- and in a statement to MMA Fighting, a FOX spokesperson credited the UFC for its fast reaction to the incident.

"It’s not appropriate for air, but the folks in the UFC’s production truck were on the ball. They cut away so quickly that it was virtually indiscernible to the naked eye. We regret even a small fraction of a second snuck through."

Diaz suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss in the five-round main event. And despite his earlier one-finger salutes, he exhibited proper sportsmanship at the final bell, congratulating Henderson and lifting the champion's arm in the air to indicate he was the better man.

[MoFo]

Apparently 6m people watched the main event, niceee.

[James Steele]

What did you prove me wrong on, Kris P? It is still a douche move that makes a growing sports organization look like a bunch of thugs when they are trying to shed the image of being a bunch of violent thugs.

[Next Big Thing]

I don't see how one fighter can make an entire organization look like thugs. First of all, if you're watching two guys fight in a cage, you can't be that squeamish or sensitive. If that turns off someone to MMA, they probably weren't going to like the sport anyway. Secondly, anyone taking Nate Diaz flipping the bird as a sign that an entire roster is full of thugs had that impression before they watched that fight.

The UFC did several character profiles that night including that of the champion, Benson Henderson, a devout Christian and Matt Brown, a recovering heroin addict who seems to be turning his life around. Someone assuming the whole organization is nothing but thugs is either naive or had that view from the beginning.

[Kris P Lettus]

Apparently 6m people watched the main event, niceee.


4.4 average for the whole show, 6 million for the main event..

:cool:

[Kris P Lettus]

What did you prove me wrong on, Kris P? It is still a douche move that makes a growing sports organization look like a bunch of thugs when they are trying to shed the image of being a bunch of violent thugs.

It says the UFC did a great job of quality control, cutting away when it happened and FOX wasn't mad at all..

What are you talking about "shed the image of being a bunch of violent thugs"??

It's cage fighting for fuck's sake..

[James Steele]

You can't say "FFS it's cage fighting!" and then complain when people don't treat it with respect.

[Kris P Lettus]

I don't see how one fighter can make an entire organization look like thugs. First of all, if you're watching two guys fight in a cage, you can't be that squeamish or sensitive. If that turns off someone to MMA, they probably weren't going to like the sport anyway. Secondly, anyone taking Nate Diaz flipping the bird as a sign that an entire roster is full of thugs had that impression before they watched that fight.

The UFC did several character profiles that night including that of the champion, Benson Henderson, a devout Christian and Matt Brown, a recovering heroin addict who seems to be turning his life around. Someone assuming the whole organization is nothing but thugs is either naive or had that view from the beginning.

[Kris P Lettus]

You can have Nate Diaz' in the UFC the same way you can have Ndomakong Suh's and have the NFL thrive.. The audience they are geared after are predisposed to violence and aggression.. If the are against it, they will not watch the product anyway..

[James Steele]

The percentage of high profile fighters acting like Diaz is higher than high profiler players acting like Suh. Once again, you are acting like Suh's action are looked upon with indifference. Far from it.

[Kris P Lettus]

What other fighters (minus Nick Diaz)??

You are acting like this is gonna ruin the UFC when clearly there have been much worse incidents in ALL other major sports and they all do just fine..

[James Steele]

All other major sports aren't unsanctioned in multiple states. Don't help people keep MMA from expanding and being able to be in MSG.

[Kris P Lettus]

MSG has NOTHING to do with fighting and EVERYTHING to do with the server union in New York..

If your are going to argue something, atleast know what you are arguing about..

[Next Big Thing]

That's got less to do with the behavior of the fighters and more to do with how the sport is viewed. In New York, it's not about how the sport is viewed at all and more about the certain legislatures who oversee sanctions being in the pocket of unions who have a personal grudge against the Fertitas for how they run their casinos.

[Next Big Thing]

MSG has NOTHING to do with fighting and EVERYTHING to do with the server union in New York..

If your are going to argue something, atleast know what you are arguing about..

Fuck you Kris P. You should have known I was in the middle of typing. It's the culinary union by the way, not the server union so BOO YAH you thunder stealing ass.

[Kris P Lettus]

Same diff..

It boils down to the Fertittas not using union employees in their casinos and not allowing said employees to unionize.. The culinary union in NY is powerful and has keep the bill from passing for sanctioned MMA..

Bottom line, it has NOTHING to do with Nate Diaz flipping off an opponent..

[Kris P Lettus]

p.s. amateur MMA has been sanctioned earlier this year, FYI..

[Next Big Thing]

They sanctioned amateur MMA in New York? Damn. Now you know it's blatantly hate against Zuffa/UFC, the biggest professional organization in the sport.

[Kris P Lettus]

The non-sanction could never had stopped amateur MMA, but they would crack down on venues, merch sales, alcohol licensing, etc.. then this:

The TNT Fight Series, is set to take place this May in Tonawanda, New York, just north of Buffalo and will be sanctioned under the USMTA. The USMTA is one of the organizations that New York State allows to regulate “martial arts” competitions, which amateur MMA falls under according to the legal definition of the term. Many sanctioning bodies have known that they can regulate amateur MMA shows but have been intimidated by possible conflicts with state and local authorities. Yet, according to Herbert, convincing the USMTA to sanction his event was no great effort.
…
When Herbert was forced to approach the state athletic commission, where the everyone thought the real conflict would lay, there appeared to be no big fuss. While Herbert felt that “easy” was the wrong word to describe the process, he did say that “they’ve been cooperative.”
“They’ve given us the green light for everything, provided we abide by the rules of the sanctioning body,” Herbert said of the State Athletic Commission. “They told us they would have to let officials in our town know what we were doing. So, they sent a letter to our local government warning them that there was a risk of rioting and all kinds of things that were not going to happen.”

[James Steele]

That's got less to do with the behavior of the fighters and more to do with how the sport is viewed.

The behavior of the fighters have nothing to do with how the sport is viewed?

Also, even with the political bullshit they can easily feed to people who will be against it by overamplifying the violence and such because they will show two dudes covered in blood, Diaz flipping them off, and Lesnar looking like he took bath salts and went after the camerman. We all know most fights aren't bloodbaths and most fighters aren't shitheads, but that is the perception. Perception is reality. Football is violent and has shitheads, but they make sure the overall perception is that it is about elite athletes doing incredible feats in athletic competition. Marketable superstars. UFC needs more of them and they can't be losing their shit.

[Kris P Lettus]

Did someone fart??

Oh, it's just good ole James Steele talking out of his ass again..

[James Steele]

Brilliant counter-point. Right up there with "Nuh-uh."

Do you think UFC has plenty of marketable superstars right now to maintain their rate of growth? UFC can't keep putting on more PPV cards and TV special cards if they don't get more marketable fighters. While UFC did a good job cutting away from Diaz, I imagine Fox won't be begging to see Diaz on another UFC on FOX show for more reasons than him getting his ass beat.

[James Steele]

Seriously, am I saying anything that is all that farfetched? I'm not saying UFC sucks. I'm not saying MMA sucks. I'm saying that UFC is getting in its own way from being even bigger and better over stupid shit like fighters and executives acting like petulant manchildren and thinking that they are fine where they are.

[Kris P Lettus]

You are nitpicking about ANYTHING you consider the UFC does wrong.. Do you think they wanted Diaz to flip him off?? NO.. Will it effect the UFC in ANY way shape or form?? NO..

stfu

[James Steele]

But it has. It got coverage. It got publicity even if they cut away from it on live TV. It isn't good publicity for a sport trying to get more and more people to quit viewing it negatively. If this was the only time a UFC fighter/owner looked like a raging jackass, then yes it wouldn't matter but this happens more often than it should and it has hurt UFC. Has it made them bankrupt? Of course not, but it happens consistently enough to hold them back from where they clearly want to be.

Nitpicking? It is discussing about the only notable thing in a headline fight of a major UFC network broadcast. What else is there to talk about from that fight? "Diaz got his ass beat." "Yup." "Uh huh." "I agree. Man, that was rough."

So, you shut the fuck up if you can't handle any sort of MMA discussion that isn't just blowing fighters and the sport in general.

[Kris P Lettus]

I think the fight itself and the outcome was pretty important..

That got 6 million viewers and I doubt even 1% turn the fight off because of this..

FOX is happy, UFC is happy, but James Steele is upset..

[Kris P Lettus]

p.s. I've heard MUCH more about the toothpick than the bird..

[James Steele]

Still missing the fucking point. I'm not "upset" or anything. I'm just saying that all these little flashes of stupidity keep UFC from having Monday Night Football type ratings. There is no reason UFC can't do that for a network special card. The crossover potential between NFL and UFC is pretty damn big and the one of things preventing that is the image of the sport moreso than the sport itself.

I haven't really seen anything about the toothpick. Of course, I don't visit MMA sites or anything. If anything, I figure that would be more of a hindrance to a fighter than anything. I don't like hitting speedbumps with a toothpick in my mouth after leaving a restaurant let alone getting my skull caved in.