Last weekend, Will Brooks was on the wrong end of an unfortunate situation when his opponent Alex Oliveira missed weight by five and a half pounds for their co-main event at UFC Fight Night 96. Brooks accepted the fight anyway and proceeded to lose in part due to a fracturing a rib in the first round. Then after the fight was stopped, Oliveira taunted Brooks as he was on the ground.
Oliveira's actions were not been well-received by many, least of all Brooks who recently went on the 5ive Rounds podcast with Brett Okamoto to discuss the entire situation, fighting Oliveira despite the weight issues, and his belief that Oliveira missed weight intentionally.
"I think those guys are scumbags. I think they're unprofessional and I think they're cheaters. In my opinion, at the end of the day, I think they purposely missed weight. I think they did that on purpose. I think they were looking for an advantage.
"For you to miss weight by five, almost six pounds -- that's something different. In my opinion, you didn't even try. You're looking for an advantage. And then during the weigh-ins and you're doing all this stuff, you guys aren't acting professional like you really wanted to make the weight. They were in the back dancing and laughing and doing all this other stuff, acting like everything was cool, which I guess everything was cool. They accomplished their goal and got their advantage."
After Oliveira's substantial miss, Brooks was under no obligation to accept the fight but did so because he felt compelled to earn both his show money and his win bonus, as well as the 20% of Oliveira's purse he received.
"I didn't know if I was going to get my win bonus. In my mind, I didn't know if I was going to walk out with just my show money, and I can't do that. If I have an opportunity to make both and not have to fight, I'll do that. I wasn't educated on the process. I was under the assumption that if I didn't take the fight -- and this was just me being uneducated on it -- you only get your show money. I've got to get out there and get both of my paychecks, that's how I approached it."
While the UFC could potentially have only paid Brooks his show money, the organization has shown a penchant for doing the right thing in situations like this, most recently paying Ian McCall his show money and his win money along with his Reebok sponsorship money for his failed attempt at a fight with Justin Scoggins at UFC 201 when Scoggins was seven pounds over the 125 lb. limit. In accepting the fight with Oliveira, Brooks made an extra $4,800 from the 20% of Oliveira's purse, but lost out on his $53,000 win bonus. The loss also resulted in Brooks dropping from the top 15 of the lightweight rankings.
While the size advantage likely played some factor, Brooks is more inclined to put the loss off on re-aggravating an old injury, saying that he felt he was having a lot of success despite giving up some weight.
"Honestly, I felt he was a little bigger and stronger but as the fight went on, I was able to take him down and pick him up and dump him. I felt I had plenty of control in the fight, honestly. I'm not trying to make excuses, it is what it is, but if I didn't have that injury ... I had fought through a rib injury in a previous fight but this time it was different. It stretched all the way to my back and spine. It felt like someone dropped a truck on my chest. I had a difficult time breathing."
The animosity that arose after the fight is particularly interesting because Oliveira has trained some at Brooks' home gym, American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida and has said he intends to continue training there. Brooks has other ideas though, in part because he intends to see Oliveira again down the road.
"I hold grudges when it comes to things like that. If they think they're going to come into ATT, you know, they'll have a fucking problem with me. Excuse my language but I'm not gonna sit around and let those guys be in my building. I've earned that time. These guys come and go. I'm a guy that has earned that opportunity to be here at all times.
"I'm not gonna sit here and be like, 'Oh, it's OK for you to disrespect me, come into a building where I've earned my space.' So, yeah, in the gym, if they're allowed to be here, am I going to associate with them? No. Am I going to look for another opportunity to compete against them? I'm definitely going to take that opportunity and I'm going to make him bleed. I'm going to hurt him."
Will Brooks lost to Alex Oliveira by TKO in the third round at UFC Fight Night 96. It was Brooks' first loss in the UFC and only his second career defeat. There is no timetable for his return.
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Gifts. Gegard Mousasi believes he will be UFC champion soon "thanks to USADA."
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EXTRA CREDIT
Wrestling to Warfare. Karim Zidan delves into why many Dagestani athletes eventually become Islamic insurgents.
MEDIA STEW
Embedded.
Cyborg talking to Jason Whitlock.
Mike Perry interview.
Dan Hardy interview.
Hendo on Conor.
Bisping.
LISTEN UP
Brit Pack
Fight Knights.
Three Amigos.
TWEETS
Class as hell.
~RIP brother!! We will finish our match in heaven or perhaps in another life. May GOD protect & bless ur family Oss~ https://t.co/GkbEI3FvjF
— Oluwale Bamgbose (@HolyWarAngelMMA) October 5, 2016
Tonya Evinger is the greatest
Just planning my next fight finish, don't mind me pic.twitter.com/6dMJRq0O3u
— Paige VanZant (@PaigeVanzantUFC) October 7, 2016
@PaigeVanzantUFC send me that pic w/o the outfit..
— tonya evinger (@tonyaevinger) October 7, 2016
Cool of him.
To the little lady who left her phone at home. pic.twitter.com/m0LmxCwoh5
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 6, 2016
This started a string of tweets between them.
@Anthony_Rumble I'm not sure ur gonna be able to get good enough wrestlers to help u. They will keep saying no. It's a brotherhood. pic.twitter.com/EfCm4ZsQQD
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) October 6, 2016
Twitter making fights.
Yoo @RaphaAssuncao? Im free to fight Dec 9 in Albany. If you're feeling froggy, this New Yorker will be waiting for u to leap my boy. @UFC
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) October 6, 2016
@FunkMaster_UFC @ufc you know it's already verbally agreed my end stop this "boy trying to hype" fãns wants to see it .
— Raphael Assuncao (@RaphaAssuncao) October 6, 2016
This is how I determine whose the best fighter on the planet.
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) October 6, 2016
Amazing tweet.
With UFC Manila being canceled, does make @GregJacksonMMA a 2x sport killer? #151neverforget
— Brandon Gibson (@SixGunGibson) October 6, 2016
If you know who these guys are, you probably follow this sport to closely.
MMA fighting world rocked by @Danielcormier & @JonJones cordial meetup. pic.twitter.com/lzqK7aOs66
— Alanna Cormier (@Alanna_Cormier) October 7, 2016
Like I said before @ufc fighters be like.... call @danawhite and tell him I can't fight pic.twitter.com/KPmFGJuL0i
— Derrick Lewis (@Thebeast_ufc) October 6, 2016
So true @ufc pic.twitter.com/EIC8jXHrD6
— Derrick Lewis (@Thebeast_ufc) October 6, 2016
This is unfortunate.
Hard 2 express HUGE losses of #UFCMANILA time/travel/money & especially 2 all 4,000+ family+fans who flew from #Guam 2 watch me fight live
— Jon SuperSaiyan Tuck (@JonCruzTuck) October 6, 2016
And another twitter spat.
@mousasi_mma shut your mouth before I shut it . I'm ranked ahead of you cause you lost to a guy I smoked. Id ko you. You should be 10 not 9
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) October 6, 2016
Relentless.
Joanna is ducking Matthew.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ed Ruth (0-0-0) vs. Mark Mangiardi (0-0-0); Bellator 163, November 4.
Tyrell Fortune (0-0-0) vs. Cody Miskell (0-0-0); Bellator 163, November 4.
Magnus Cedenblad (14-4-0) vs. Jack Marshman (20-5-0); UFC Fight Night 99, November 19.
Kyle Noke (22-9-1) vs. Dominique Steele (14-8-0); UFC Fight Night 101, November 27.
Tatiana Suarez (4-0-0) vs. Juliana Lima (8-3-0); UFC Fight Night 102, December 9.
Tiago Trator (20-5-1, 1 NC) vs. Zubaira Tukhugov (18-4-0); UFC 102, December 9.
Nikita Krylov (21-4-0) vs. Misha Cirkunov (12-2-0); UFC 206, December 10.
Sage Northcutt (9-1-0) vs. Mickey Gall (3-0-0); UFC on Fox 22, December 17.
TODAY IN MMA HISTORY
2005: Andrei Arlovski knocked out Paul Buentello with a punch 15 seconds into the main event of UFC 55 to defend the UFC heavyweight championship in the first bout since Arlovski was promoted from interim champion to undisputed champion following the prolonged absence of Frank Mir due to injury.
2006: One year later Buentello had a much better night, knocking out Tank Abott with a punch 43 seconds into the main event of Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It's here. Dan Henderson's last ride. And personally, I think it'll be Bisping's too. Bisping wins and walks off into the sunset. Enjoy it folks. And enjoy your weekends.
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