If you watched The Ultimate Fighter 5 Episode 8, you saw, as TUF contender Cole Miller put it, the “most technical street fight ever.” Lightweights Noah Thomas and Marlon Sims put their MMA careers in jeopardy when they decided to settle a score outside the ring after drinking a bit too much. And by “outside the ring”, we mean in the backyard on top of concrete porches and flower gardens. Ultimate Fighting Championship’s President Dana White didn’t like the idea of two of his lightweights making fighting look bad; an irony in itself. White removed both fighters from the TUF 5 house and in his words, banned them from UFC. Typical of White, there was a lot swearing, his uncertain look, and a controlling mind that was already made.
I can’t disagree with White for removing the two street-fighters away from professional fighting, but the UFC has already made it known that profit is priority in the business, not professionalism. It’s not that professionalism is wholly disregarded, but as White understands, it certainly doesn’t sell. What else could bring even more viewers other than another bad blood matchup made right in the octagon? These extra viewers mean more potential pay-per-view subscribers and more UFC fans.
UFC isn’t known for placing their morals above the money. Let’s face it, we are cheering for one man to physical dominate another in a contest where people get hurt inside of a cage. We’re not here to act morally superior just to pretend that the UFC is something that it’s not. The critics have continued to criticize as long as they pretend to be morally superior and above the art of grappling and fighting. Let’s not drop to their level. We see that UFC fighters on TUF 5, especially Miller and his recent opponent Joe Lauzon, can still act like compassionate humans.
So, c’mon Dana, let the two talented fighters fix their mistakes and show their real fighting skills in the octagon.
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