This is the third in a new series of MMA commentary here on MMAPredictions called TKO: Tall Kid’s Opinion. Our commentator Eric Davidson is way too tall and way too brainy. Readers are encouraged to agree or disagree with his comments in our MMA Forum. - Caleb
Recent Events Begin to Paint Contrasting Colors
Recently, after EliteXC’s Return of the King, Nick Diaz appeared on the stage (and I emphasize stage) and blasted the recent victor, K.J. Noons, and his family in an apparent effort to promote their upcoming fight. What ensued made my stomach churn; Diaz’s provocations caused an uproar between the two families that exploded into a physical altercation that I was half expecting Jimmy from the Jerry Springer show to break up. Watching Noons’ father grabbing Diaz by the hair and conduct his own form of fighting was sickening.
Nick Diaz has come out saying that none of it was staged, that he was merely asked by producers to go out to the ring and promote their future fight. If you believe that then I have some cage-side seats to sell you for the Kimbo Slice/Jerry Lawler fight in August. This is the same group who use fireworks and dancing girls (see previous T.K.O.) to demonstrate the extreme nature that is their fighting atmosphere. Maybe Nick Diaz was right, maybe he really had no idea that he was walking into a Hatfield-McCoy type situation. In my mind’s eye, I can see an executive from CBS entertainment sitting in a large plush chair overlooking the events, stroking his long haired cat and slyly grinning to himself as a poster of Vince McMahon looms in the background. Okay, so maybe that’s a little dramatic, but it isn’t too far off from what the EliteXC is looking to become. I’m sure it was hard for Goldberg not to try and bounce off the cage and clothesline someone as they were running across the ring.
In the UFC, more specifically, The Ultimate Fighter, we see for the first time, a contestant kicked off the program after the show was over. Jesse Taylor, a fighter who looked promising going into the finals, was booted from broadcast following a drunken parade of poor behavior that is unbecoming of a professional fighter. In the video taken from what looks to be a hotel security camera, Taylor kicks out one of the windows of a limousine before running inside of the casino, wresting about with some of the other contestants, and hitting a slot machine. Forrest Griffin said it best after watching the video, “Alcohol is bad!” Dana White, who had a talk with the finalists before setting them loose in Las Vegas about proper conduct, kicked Mr. Taylor off of the show shortly after showing the video to the coaches.
I’ve been reading on the forums that some people have found this to be a case of punishment not fitting the crime. I couldn’t disagree more. Dana White is constantly fighting an uphill battle to keep a positive image (which has been discussed in this column more than once).
With groups like the EliteXC making a show of the sport, and the upcoming Affliction: Banned, which despite a decent fight card is having Megadeth perform at their event, the question becomes “what is the true face of Mixed Martial Arts on television right now?” (I, unlike my superior, and I use that term loosely, am not a huge Megadeth fan, sorry Caleb.) So, at the moment, I will continue to give my backing to the UFC and the WEC, despite the recent toy line…Mr. White. Winner by T.K.O.: the UFC and its subsidiaries.
- Eric 
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