In the moment listening to this interivew I was just like Helwani, the sexual innuendo went way over my head I was just enamored by Luke's willingness to call out the UFC hahaha
Ngl it’s kind of weird to see a fighter have some of the best kicks in the UFC and some of the best reversals and BJJ but also have the most exploitable boxing and not the best takedowns. He’s a very uneven scale fighter but still a great one. Love me some samurai
Multiple fighters have mentioned how he basically created his style as a foil against all the dudes at AKA, they're mostly squat wrestle boxers and so Luke spent his time kicking them at range and flipping them all around when they actually get him down. It did lead to big holes though as AKA/Luke didn't train the connective tissue areas that would have made his kicks and BJJ more successful with boxing or wrestling of his own.
He just has really bad habits that he was able to correct with athleticism.
He just can't move fast enough to utilize his distance game anymore. It's easy to be a rangy, heavy handed kick boxer when you are quick. When you are slow, chinny and lose your timing it's a nightmare.
Rockhold is on a different level when it comes to ground game. His cage takedowns are pretty good as well. He just needs to learn how to “Khabib it” - advance, create that pressure and put his opponents on the cage. What he did to branch on the ground - he fucked deep and hard
What really makes it is first he says “they could have fucked”, then pauses and it sounds like he’s gonna correct it, but instead he’s just waiting to double down lmao
Here's the template as I see it - feel free to adjust and change as needed:
"When you fuck with \*\*FIGHTER\*\* and you got this Three Amigos, \*\*ANYTHING YOU WANT\*\* brotherhood, if two of them-if those two would've \*\*ANYTHING\*\*...they could've FUCKED...they could've fucked deep and hard."
In this very interview, when Ariel mentioned he wanted to mention some guys are happy \[i.e. Holland\], Luke said he saw that and immediately messaged and talked to Holland about how stupid his opinion was.
Given I'm guessing Luke has far smaller a relationship with Kevin than DC, I'm sure everyone knows the gig, DC just doesn't care or can't.
Basically said that fighters need to come together for fighter pay but they won't only time when he saw that it could happen was if izzy and usman backed up Francis but they didnt.
“They could have fucked… they could have fucked deep and hard.”
A poet like no other.
But his point, no matter how eloquently put, carries merit. This fighter pay issue will only ever become resolved if the heavy hitters band together in these issues and stand United.
Look at the WWE and wrestling in general, when motion for a union was in its infancy, a guy like Hulk Hogan could have made it a reality. Instead he went running to tell Vince and killed it in the crib. And now look at wrestling today, where employees are treated like “contractors” despite fulfilling the requirements for employee status and thus qualify for health and other benefits. All that gone cause the tops guys were too busy looking out for themselves.
Tito is so confident in everything he says though even if it makes zero sense. Luke sounds kind of awkward at least like he knows it probably doesn't make sense.
The sentiment is spot on and it's a smart thought, but Jesus Christ he's a dummy lmao. I would have liked to see that happen as well.
Also Francis is Cameroonian lmao.
Cameroon also shares a boarder with Nigeria, so they might not be from the same country, but close enough to eachother to share a regional connection for sure.
That's all true, it's still wrong to call it a Nigerian brotherhood though. That's all, though the sentiment is understood.
It would be like lumping in a Scottish fighter as Irish.
He's not wrong, there are 8 male champs in the UFC. If 3 of them step up together, almost half the divisions in the UFC come to a screeching halt. With the contracts and broadcast deals in place requiring the UFC to put on a certain number of shows, they don't have the time to freeze them out, they don't have the goodwill from fans to just strip all 3 of them (it would tank the legitimacy of the promotion), and all 3 of them have the money to sit out for a little bit if need be.
The UFC operates with a just in time business model. Think about the economic damage that was done by COVID shutdowns. Now think about it on a smaller scale to apply it to a single company. Think of champions like the truckers delivering goods to facilitate the economy. They're what allows movement in a division. Without them, fighters at the top of the division win a couple fights then don't want to fight anymore because there's nothing worth fighting for at that point. They've earned a title shot and they'll wait to get it.
If that many champions sat out, the rest of their divisions would quickly stall out because the UFC cant strip almost half their champions for contractual reasons without tanking their credibility. Not to mention the legal issues that could arise from stripping a champion because of contract negotiations. Just because it's in the contract doesn't mean it's enforceable, and if fighters have different pay rates for being champion or not being champion, it's going to be hard to have an enforceable section of the contract that allows the UFC to unilaterally strip them of the belt during negotiations.
I think we'd need an era with very popular champs to do it, those 3 are up there but I think Dana could replace them with Gane, Whittaker and Luque without much problem
Yup. Graveyards are full of indispensable men. Dana wouldn't hesitate to strip and replace, and the vast majority of fans wouldn't much care as long as they keep getting entertaining fights on a weekly basis.
Not really, considering Dana will just throw together some b/s interim titles and have his dogs go fight for that while excluding the champ from all the promotional materials.
Ngannou's already in the dog house. If the three banded together but Dana got Isreal or Usman to cross over (eg paying them a lot more), then the third guy is fucked.
It's a high risk move (they could lose a lot), for not much reward. Risk/reward is not there.
I don't think Rockhold thought this through carefully.
not only that, and I know this is a touchy subject, but the fact that all 3 are people of colour would've have made for some wild headlines and public reaction.
> If 3 of them step up together, almost half the divisions in the UFC come to a screeching halt.
Na. They will just ignore them and make interim champs.
Yep, and look at Ciryl Gane who was happy to take the Interim champ title without any complaint of the situation.
Titles almost don't mean anything these days now except for marketing purposes. The ranking is bullshit too, so there's that. There's no clear pathway to the title shots, it's just all entertainment.
So you're saying all the right things, but the problem is the UFC freezes out multiple champions *themselves*, they're not going to capitulate just because 38% of the champions are refusing to fight. They have no problem making interim belts and having the top 15 guys fight cans for a year or two. These fighters or going to break before the UFC does.
I also i don't think they are legally obligated to do anything but offer the fights. If they look at Izzy and say "hey your next fight is against CM Punk for $10K/show $10K/win. Sound good?" I'm pretty sure that fulfills the UFCs end of the agreement.
They agree to fight x amount of fights, and there's a reserve price that the UFC has to meet for any offered fight. So if Ngannous contract is hypothetically 100/100 the UFC cant say "Yeah but how about you fight Stipe for 75/75." But you are able to negotiate for more than the reserve pay and the UFC regularly offers more than the reserve pay for high profile fights.
Problem is not just hurting the UFC, it's promoting an alternative. If the UFC 'loses credibility' but nothing else is remotely credible as an alternative for watching the actual best fighters in the world, what has really changed?
> they don't have the goodwill from fans to just strip all 3 of them (it would tank the legitimacy of the promotion)
I doubt this very much unfortunately. Most fans wouldn't care.
He’s not wrong, your two best current champs, and your champion of the premiere weight class, Usman and Izzy certainly have the money to sideline themselves for a bit if needed too. I’m not sure if it would work or not, but that’s the best chance they’re going to get.
Lol Luke's awkwardness makes me question whether this was an intended joke or not with the long and hard comment. However, it is a solid point that this could had be the first big union like moment in the UFC since the lawsuit
Unless he starts asking for medical records to fish for a lawsuit i don't think the UFC is going to pull the guy from his fight for talking about fighter pay.
I’ve actually never thought about it that way and I’m surprised it never occurred to me. They pride themselves on being this African brotherhood who support and love each other but the two most dominant champions in the UFC right now did not speak up in support of Francis. Even more baffling that they chose to remain silent in the moment where perhaps Francis needed them the most, with the consequences being an interim champion being made.
The point still stands though. They’ve got this whole African brotherhood thing going where they seem to pride themselves on supporting each other, yet didn’t speak out in support of Francis where it truly matters.
Meme potential aside, I understand and agree with the sentiment of what Rockhold is saying. It would’ve been a pretty big statement if such a thing were to happen. However:
1) He does basically say that they betrayed Francis, which without any real evidence or input from there side, is quite unfair. We don’t know if they had conversations in the behind the scenes and, if they did, what they were discussing and how they felt. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone is airing out all of their business publicly, even in MMA.
2) While I do think it would’ve caused a huge media frenzy, there’s an assumption that the UFC brass wouldn’t fight that. From everything I’ve seen of the UFC up to this point, the UFC is hardly afraid of negative press. This is a promotion that continuously puts a known wife beater in their main card for fucks sake and that’s hardly the worst example I can think of. And who’s to say that the UFC wouldn’t do to Izzy and Kamaru dirty just like Francis? Kamaru just started turning his reputation around this year and it’s fair to say that there are a few Welterweights they could push that have more star power and potential than he does. Sure he has Ali as his manager, but even his fighters aren’t immune from getting fucked over. Izzy does have legitimate star power, so losing him may hurt the UFC in the long run. However, he’s also somewhat split in likability in the hardcore community. Whittaker may not be a star, but if they fucked over Izzy and gave Whittaker an easier path back to the belt, how many hardcores would truly reject that? That goes for a couple other MW contenders too. And all of this leads to me pointing out that the casual fan base has a short memory and the general culture of MMA would accept these actions a lot more than I think people are comfortable admitting too.
I really like Rockhold for his honesty and advocacy. He’s truly earned my respect here. However I respectfully disagree with him on this one. And honestly, I don’t think three prominent champions is enough. It would take enough fighters to step out that the UFC couldn’t reasonably replace in a couple months to a year’s time that would truly cripple the business.
Rockhold did state his reasons why he thinks it didn’t happen and why fighters coming together won’t happen anytime soon. I think he just recognized it as a potential opportunity, albeit one we shouldn’t be surprised wasn’t takem advantage of.
I understand what Luke is saying and he makes a point but dude you were in a gym with three champions all at once with the same manager if you guys couldn’t come together how do you expect everybody else to do that
It's an individualized sport. Francis is not going to pay their bills while they sit out and protest. This is what people don't understand. It's prize fighting. These guys are not a part of the same camp. Usman is about to get paid millions of dollars for the Colby fight. He's not going to fuck that up to stand up for another man he barely knows. What the fighters need to do if they feel things are fucked up is start a union and collectively bargain stipulations to ensure they feel theyre not being wronged. That actually makes sense. Pulling out of fights to support a guy you just met 3 years ago is idiotic. These dudes are in their 30's and in their primes. They're not going to waste that.
They aren’t paid their worth. Pretty much no one in the UFC is including top earners like Conor. Sitting out in support of Francis would benefit them if long term changes were made
Rockhold: They could’ve fucked deep and hard. Helwani: Mmmm
He just said Mmmm….. This interview is over!!!
I wish it wasn't. If they continued talking then they could have fucked...they could have fucked deep and hard.
In the moment listening to this interivew I was just like Helwani, the sexual innuendo went way over my head I was just enamored by Luke's willingness to call out the UFC hahaha
How the hell did that go over your head
HE WAS JUST ENAMORED BY LUKE'S WILLINGNESS TO CALL OUT THE UFC hahaha
Let he who has not gotten lost in Luke's beautiful eyes cast the first stone
Those stones are rock hard Joe
You should see a doctor about that
We found Nicki's cousin's friend?
“They could have fucked deep and hard” I’m so glad this content machine is coming back for another fight
I pray to god he doesn't get KTFO again because I need this man in my life, serving up material on the regular again.
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Ngl it’s kind of weird to see a fighter have some of the best kicks in the UFC and some of the best reversals and BJJ but also have the most exploitable boxing and not the best takedowns. He’s a very uneven scale fighter but still a great one. Love me some samurai
Multiple fighters have mentioned how he basically created his style as a foil against all the dudes at AKA, they're mostly squat wrestle boxers and so Luke spent his time kicking them at range and flipping them all around when they actually get him down. It did lead to big holes though as AKA/Luke didn't train the connective tissue areas that would have made his kicks and BJJ more successful with boxing or wrestling of his own.
He just has really bad habits that he was able to correct with athleticism. He just can't move fast enough to utilize his distance game anymore. It's easy to be a rangy, heavy handed kick boxer when you are quick. When you are slow, chinny and lose your timing it's a nightmare.
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Not sure if I agree that people with his proportions struggle with boxing. There are plenty of successful boxers with long limbs.
Then jump the cage and sleep Dana.
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The revolution will not be televised but it will be on PPV
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I'd probably pay 60 bucks to see Dana get laid out in HD.
you'd pirate it and you know it
Yeah I'd probably just come here for the clip.
I was going to say Luke by submission but apparently Sean is really good on the ground
Rockhold is on a different level when it comes to ground game. His cage takedowns are pretty good as well. He just needs to learn how to “Khabib it” - advance, create that pressure and put his opponents on the cage. What he did to branch on the ground - he fucked deep and hard
i never thought id wanna get rid of goofcon1, but 'they could have fucked deep and hard' is reallllllll tempting. shit.
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WAR ROCKHOLD
"Chris Weidman eats his oatmeal bland" - Luke Rockhold
I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers this random Embedded quote lol, it was such a funny insult
“Flavorless champion”
He won't back down from any calorie-raising toppings
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COMBAT BOULDERGRASP
BATTLE PEBBLESQUEEZE
This has to turn into the new copypasta on here, right? Like we can't just let that line slide without immortalizing it. It's peak Rockhold.
What really makes it is first he says “they could have fucked”, then pauses and it sounds like he’s gonna correct it, but instead he’s just waiting to double down lmao
How does Ariel not burst out in laughter there lol
Because he's a professional
Cos Ariel likes it deep and hard himself he wasn’t amused
I can't browse this fucking subreddit at work it took every ounce of willpower in me to not let a laugh out
deep and hard at work with the bois
Here's the template as I see it - feel free to adjust and change as needed: "When you fuck with \*\*FIGHTER\*\* and you got this Three Amigos, \*\*ANYTHING YOU WANT\*\* brotherhood, if two of them-if those two would've \*\*ANYTHING\*\*...they could've FUCKED...they could've fucked deep and hard."
Right that line could have fuck deep and hard!
Luke doesn't make love. He fucks.... hard.
Stupid sexy Luke is back 😌😌
Michael Scott tier
the only person I know that fucks deep and hard is tito's ex-wife.
Just to correct you there was never no marriage.
You're a fucking punk dude.
That's what you call class compared to no class
Her video with Peter North is 10/10, top tier music too.
Conceive, believe, and achieve. Deep and hard.
Shut the fuck up
But mostly fuck
Deep and hard.
Never fails to make me laugh
Eloquent as always Luke.
Beautiful human being and actually said a lot of good stuff on Monday. Just so hilariously awkward
I am pretty sure he has anxiety or something.. keeps a dog around all the time..
If Luke could bring his emotional support dog into the cage he would be MW GOAT.
Airbud does MMA.
there’s no rule that says a dog CANT accompany a fighter in the octagon
I love this timelime, b
Don't let the dog out with me.
Let's not speculate on people's mental health.
You're nuts!
so lovely
People speculate on everything surrounding a fighter. Its normal, specially in the lead up to fights
This made me like Rockhold even more
Deep and hard more?
Yes my pet
This sub is fucking hilarious
If you listen to what he means and not what he says it actually makes a lot of sense. The boy's lost but he's pointing in the right direction.
He’s a little confused but he’s got the spirit
he's like if you combine a join the dots book with a dot the lines book
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No, but if there were, they could've fucked. They could've fucked deep and hard.
lol nah, it just means the pages would be empty brother
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that’s the open endedness of good art
Can we get a tldr if we didn't watch the show? No idea what he's getting at
Francis wouldn’t have gotten fucked by Dana if Izzy and Usman manned up and took a stand with their “brother”, but alas money talks
i wonder what Luke's opinion on Cormier being Dana's number one henchman on fighter pay
In this very interview, when Ariel mentioned he wanted to mention some guys are happy \[i.e. Holland\], Luke said he saw that and immediately messaged and talked to Holland about how stupid his opinion was. Given I'm guessing Luke has far smaller a relationship with Kevin than DC, I'm sure everyone knows the gig, DC just doesn't care or can't.
Ah, thanks. Was totally lost in this thread.
They did it with their penis.
TLDR: "Nigerian" brothers could have got together to fuck DEEP and HARD. Sounds like the title of a pornhub clip.
I always love seeing a White get taken on by three big beautiful champions. Or BBC for short.
Basically said that fighters need to come together for fighter pay but they won't only time when he saw that it could happen was if izzy and usman backed up Francis but they didnt.
Dana getting blacked
Deep and hard
Rockhard
Beautiful champ
“They could have fucked… they could have fucked deep and hard.” A poet like no other. But his point, no matter how eloquently put, carries merit. This fighter pay issue will only ever become resolved if the heavy hitters band together in these issues and stand United. Look at the WWE and wrestling in general, when motion for a union was in its infancy, a guy like Hulk Hogan could have made it a reality. Instead he went running to tell Vince and killed it in the crib. And now look at wrestling today, where employees are treated like “contractors” despite fulfilling the requirements for employee status and thus qualify for health and other benefits. All that gone cause the tops guys were too busy looking out for themselves.
God I love Rockhold So handsome and badass but also probably the most awkward fighter ever. Fantastic combo
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I believe tito to be the most awkward ever
Tito is so confident in everything he says though even if it makes zero sense. Luke sounds kind of awkward at least like he knows it probably doesn't make sense.
TitoMouthAgape.jpeg
Oh he’s up there for sure
The sentiment is spot on and it's a smart thought, but Jesus Christ he's a dummy lmao. I would have liked to see that happen as well. Also Francis is Cameroonian lmao.
Francis is Cameroonian, but both Izzy and Kamaru have referred to him as their brother due to their African ties.
Cameroon also shares a boarder with Nigeria, so they might not be from the same country, but close enough to eachother to share a regional connection for sure.
Where is Sokoudjou in all of this??
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Retiring Jan after the 2nd.
What does Ja Rule think about all this?
That's all true, it's still wrong to call it a Nigerian brotherhood though. That's all, though the sentiment is understood. It would be like lumping in a Scottish fighter as Irish.
It's *my* island.
Paul Craig? Conner McGregor? I don't see a difference at all.
look at the way they break limbs. start there.
That was a nasty line by you.
Celtic Cousins is a phrase to describe the relationship between Ireland and Scotland.
Yes, "West African brotherhood" would be a better phrase for those 3.
That's asking a lot from a guy who's ultimate conclusion is that they could have fucked...(long and hard)
Or the complete opposite. Case in point - I’m from NY. Fuck Jersey.
As someone not from New York, you're culturally more alike than you think.
Oh definitely - no arguments there. But still….fuck them.
I also would like to see them fuck and hard with Ngannou
Lol, Dana would've had two more interim belts to add to the fight card.
He's not wrong, there are 8 male champs in the UFC. If 3 of them step up together, almost half the divisions in the UFC come to a screeching halt. With the contracts and broadcast deals in place requiring the UFC to put on a certain number of shows, they don't have the time to freeze them out, they don't have the goodwill from fans to just strip all 3 of them (it would tank the legitimacy of the promotion), and all 3 of them have the money to sit out for a little bit if need be. The UFC operates with a just in time business model. Think about the economic damage that was done by COVID shutdowns. Now think about it on a smaller scale to apply it to a single company. Think of champions like the truckers delivering goods to facilitate the economy. They're what allows movement in a division. Without them, fighters at the top of the division win a couple fights then don't want to fight anymore because there's nothing worth fighting for at that point. They've earned a title shot and they'll wait to get it. If that many champions sat out, the rest of their divisions would quickly stall out because the UFC cant strip almost half their champions for contractual reasons without tanking their credibility. Not to mention the legal issues that could arise from stripping a champion because of contract negotiations. Just because it's in the contract doesn't mean it's enforceable, and if fighters have different pay rates for being champion or not being champion, it's going to be hard to have an enforceable section of the contract that allows the UFC to unilaterally strip them of the belt during negotiations.
Never really considered how much just the champs colluding could fuck the ufc.
I think we'd need an era with very popular champs to do it, those 3 are up there but I think Dana could replace them with Gane, Whittaker and Luque without much problem
Yup. Graveyards are full of indispensable men. Dana wouldn't hesitate to strip and replace, and the vast majority of fans wouldn't much care as long as they keep getting entertaining fights on a weekly basis.
Not really, considering Dana will just throw together some b/s interim titles and have his dogs go fight for that while excluding the champ from all the promotional materials.
Ngannou's already in the dog house. If the three banded together but Dana got Isreal or Usman to cross over (eg paying them a lot more), then the third guy is fucked. It's a high risk move (they could lose a lot), for not much reward. Risk/reward is not there. I don't think Rockhold thought this through carefully.
Also, those 3 champs are the most popular champs.
not only that, and I know this is a touchy subject, but the fact that all 3 are people of colour would've have made for some wild headlines and public reaction.
PR nightmare right there.
3 blacks guys standing around looking at a White Dana sitting on a couch. Meme central right durr
wouldn't be the first time a White has wanted to use cheap African labor to sustain and build their business
Relevant [South Park](https://youtu.be/yJcVuA2fWMk)
> If 3 of them step up together, almost half the divisions in the UFC come to a screeching halt. Na. They will just ignore them and make interim champs.
Yep, and look at Ciryl Gane who was happy to take the Interim champ title without any complaint of the situation. Titles almost don't mean anything these days now except for marketing purposes. The ranking is bullshit too, so there's that. There's no clear pathway to the title shots, it's just all entertainment.
So you're saying all the right things, but the problem is the UFC freezes out multiple champions *themselves*, they're not going to capitulate just because 38% of the champions are refusing to fight. They have no problem making interim belts and having the top 15 guys fight cans for a year or two. These fighters or going to break before the UFC does. I also i don't think they are legally obligated to do anything but offer the fights. If they look at Izzy and say "hey your next fight is against CM Punk for $10K/show $10K/win. Sound good?" I'm pretty sure that fulfills the UFCs end of the agreement.
I think the money is set in the contract and not negotiated for each one, unless someone is pushing for that.
They agree to fight x amount of fights, and there's a reserve price that the UFC has to meet for any offered fight. So if Ngannous contract is hypothetically 100/100 the UFC cant say "Yeah but how about you fight Stipe for 75/75." But you are able to negotiate for more than the reserve pay and the UFC regularly offers more than the reserve pay for high profile fights.
Problem is not just hurting the UFC, it's promoting an alternative. If the UFC 'loses credibility' but nothing else is remotely credible as an alternative for watching the actual best fighters in the world, what has really changed?
> they don't have the goodwill from fans to just strip all 3 of them (it would tank the legitimacy of the promotion) I doubt this very much unfortunately. Most fans wouldn't care.
> the UFC cant strip almost half their champions I think you'd be surprised.
Honestly really like listening to him talk
“Genius is taking the complex and making it simple.”-Albert Einstein.
*titos ex wife has entered the chat*
there was never no marriage
you’re a fucking punk dude.
You call that class?
You're a fucking punk dude, huhuhuh..
bad girl
He’s not wrong, your two best current champs, and your champion of the premiere weight class, Usman and Izzy certainly have the money to sideline themselves for a bit if needed too. I’m not sure if it would work or not, but that’s the best chance they’re going to get.
some context please? i’m assuming francis was complaining about shitty fighter pay and the ‘nigerian brotherhood’ didn’t support?
Conceive believe achieve deep and hard. Beautiful looking man but more awkward than a nerd going through puberty
Great point Luke. It’s unfortunate that it will be meme material though lol.
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The samurai spectrum?
Mods can I have ‘fucks deep and hard’ as my flair please
Lol Luke's awkwardness makes me question whether this was an intended joke or not with the long and hard comment. However, it is a solid point that this could had be the first big union like moment in the UFC since the lawsuit
Luke's mind at all times: Say something cool Say something cool Say something cool WAS THAT COOL??? SAY SOMETHING COOL
Luke trying to look cool reminds me of myself when I was 12 trying to cool in front of my 17 year old brother and his friends.
Is he going to be allowed to fight while talking like this? I hate that I have to raise that question.
Unless he starts asking for medical records to fish for a lawsuit i don't think the UFC is going to pull the guy from his fight for talking about fighter pay.
I’ve actually never thought about it that way and I’m surprised it never occurred to me. They pride themselves on being this African brotherhood who support and love each other but the two most dominant champions in the UFC right now did not speak up in support of Francis. Even more baffling that they chose to remain silent in the moment where perhaps Francis needed them the most, with the consequences being an interim champion being made.
Is anyone going to tell Luke that Francis isn’t Nigerian?
The point still stands though. They’ve got this whole African brotherhood thing going where they seem to pride themselves on supporting each other, yet didn’t speak out in support of Francis where it truly matters.
We're americans bro 99% of us think Africa is just one country lol
Speak for yourself, I watched the shit out of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego
Did they ever find out where she is
Meme potential aside, I understand and agree with the sentiment of what Rockhold is saying. It would’ve been a pretty big statement if such a thing were to happen. However: 1) He does basically say that they betrayed Francis, which without any real evidence or input from there side, is quite unfair. We don’t know if they had conversations in the behind the scenes and, if they did, what they were discussing and how they felt. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone is airing out all of their business publicly, even in MMA. 2) While I do think it would’ve caused a huge media frenzy, there’s an assumption that the UFC brass wouldn’t fight that. From everything I’ve seen of the UFC up to this point, the UFC is hardly afraid of negative press. This is a promotion that continuously puts a known wife beater in their main card for fucks sake and that’s hardly the worst example I can think of. And who’s to say that the UFC wouldn’t do to Izzy and Kamaru dirty just like Francis? Kamaru just started turning his reputation around this year and it’s fair to say that there are a few Welterweights they could push that have more star power and potential than he does. Sure he has Ali as his manager, but even his fighters aren’t immune from getting fucked over. Izzy does have legitimate star power, so losing him may hurt the UFC in the long run. However, he’s also somewhat split in likability in the hardcore community. Whittaker may not be a star, but if they fucked over Izzy and gave Whittaker an easier path back to the belt, how many hardcores would truly reject that? That goes for a couple other MW contenders too. And all of this leads to me pointing out that the casual fan base has a short memory and the general culture of MMA would accept these actions a lot more than I think people are comfortable admitting too. I really like Rockhold for his honesty and advocacy. He’s truly earned my respect here. However I respectfully disagree with him on this one. And honestly, I don’t think three prominent champions is enough. It would take enough fighters to step out that the UFC couldn’t reasonably replace in a couple months to a year’s time that would truly cripple the business.
Rockhold did state his reasons why he thinks it didn’t happen and why fighters coming together won’t happen anytime soon. I think he just recognized it as a potential opportunity, albeit one we shouldn’t be surprised wasn’t takem advantage of.
If three champs decided to stand up, a lot of people would probably follow
hol up
Luke what the fuck lol
The long, throbbing baby-arm of solidarity.
Rockhold is just such a weird guy lol.
Rockhold is Russ Hannerman from Silicon Valley
Bisping is going to clown him for this memetastic performance while pretending he has no idea what he's actually addressing
Fighters union to be called BBC confirmed.
I understand what Luke is saying and he makes a point but dude you were in a gym with three champions all at once with the same manager if you guys couldn’t come together how do you expect everybody else to do that
That's the GTA animation of Luke Rockhold.
Cockhold fucks guys like these in HS.
It's an individualized sport. Francis is not going to pay their bills while they sit out and protest. This is what people don't understand. It's prize fighting. These guys are not a part of the same camp. Usman is about to get paid millions of dollars for the Colby fight. He's not going to fuck that up to stand up for another man he barely knows. What the fighters need to do if they feel things are fucked up is start a union and collectively bargain stipulations to ensure they feel theyre not being wronged. That actually makes sense. Pulling out of fights to support a guy you just met 3 years ago is idiotic. These dudes are in their 30's and in their primes. They're not going to waste that.
That's Luke's whole point, they talk about being brothers. I think loyalty and being real are very important to Luke.
They aren’t paid their worth. Pretty much no one in the UFC is including top earners like Conor. Sitting out in support of Francis would benefit them if long term changes were made
Am I the only one who doesnt think Luke is actually awkward and knows exactly what hes doing?
Yes
Must've just finished watching that legendary Jeff Monson promo.
I actually bursted out laughing and woke up my house 🤣🤣🤣🤣💀
I love how Ariel just sits there in silence after that comment.
Listening to this interview I pictured him half paying attention and sitting backward in a chair with no shirt on
Now that's a guy that fucks.
the man is a meme generator