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"I hate that guy. I think he's a jerk. I also think he's a terrorist sympathizer."
So, UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy isn't the biggest fan of Ronda Rousey's head trainer Edmond Tarverdyan.
Rousey has endured an incredible amount of abuse from fans following her knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193, but most of her contemporaries seem more bothered with the cornering she received following a troubling first round.
"There was coaching and then there was whatever happened with Ronda," Kennedy told Fight Night on 1300 The Zone. "I don't want to diminish that word and call it coaching because that's not what happened in Ronda's corner."
"You definitely have to adjust what you're telling your fighter depending who they are. You have to know who they are. None of us know Ronda well enough to second guess what her coach was doing. Maybe he was doing the right thing? Maybe he was giving her the confidence she needed? Maybe she's someone who needs to operate in confidence? That's just ludicrous, to me, though."
Returning to the stool bloodied and dazed after round one, Rousey didn't appear to receive much help from Tarverdyan. Holm went on to score a head kick KO 59 seconds into round two.
"Ronda had the brakes beaten off her for four and a half minutes," said Kennedy. "Her face is bloody, her nose and lip are bleeding and then you have her coach saying, 'Hey, do the same thing?' Not even like, 'Stick to the game plan. Change levels. Cut an angle and shoot a double leg. Push her up against the fence.' Anything! 'Keep getting punched more.'
Far from a lost cause, Kennedy believes Rousey still has a compelling future if she's willing to make some changes.
"I think she's amazing," Kennedy said of Rousey. "I think her skills are spectacular. I think she is an Olympian. I think her jiu jitsu is sick. I think she's done things in the Octagon that no one else has ever done. Going through No. 1 contenders the way she did has never been done. Anderson Silva would be a close second to her in the showcase of skill sets you can pack into 30 seconds.
"I think Ronda is one of those people like Jon Jones, like Holly. People who are just God's gift to pugilism. You put her with the right coaches, with the right training partners, her potential is limitless. You put her with the guys she's been training with? You get what you got."
All accolades for Rousey aside, Kennedy doesn't expect to see the former champ reclaim her belt from Holm.
"I don't see somebody beating Holly for a while. Until Holly says she's done. As I look through the roster of the 'Cris Cyborg's', who Holly would pick apart. That fight would be fun to watch because you'd finally get to see Holly demonstrate how good her boxing and kickboxing is against someone who thinks they're good. Holly would destroy Cyborg."
5 MUST-READ STORIES
'It's a high-emotion sport.' Holly Holm tells Larry King what she told Ronda Rousey after knocking her out.
Rats. UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is going after the snitch that's leaking information about his training camp to the media.
'It's very conflicted.' UFC commentator Joe Rogan says Holly Holm knocking out Ronda Rousey is "great for MMA."
Gym tour. Coach Mike Winkeljohn took MMAFighting.com on a tour of the new Jackson Wink Academy.
Jacare doesn't approve. Ronaldo Souza says he'd like to see his teammate Anderson Silva take a warmup fight before scrapping with Vitor Belfort again.
MEDIA STEW
Highlights from Neil Magny vs. Kelvin Gastelum and Ricardo Lamas vs. Diego Sanchez.
Holly Holm's tour continues.
Holm's teammates react to her win over Ronda Rousey.
Friend of the Morning Report Skylar Astin heads to the BMF Ranch.
Jon Jones doesn't need pro tips.
Holly Holm is the next Conor McGregor.
Long watches.
Fight Night Monterrey: Post-fight Press Conference
...
BMF Ranch Podcast: Ep 03 Special Guest Skylar Astin
...
...
TWEETS
Check out Pros React to UFC Fight Night: Monterrey and This Week in Struggle.
Victory lap.
Thank you to the 21% that believed in me, it wasn't pretty, but we did it #ag2g #fightlikeasoldier pic.twitter.com/Q5MPCRNQ8I
— Neil Magny (@NeilMagny) November 22, 2015
. @DiegoSanchezUFC was an honor sharing the cage with you,thanks 4 all you've done for the sport.I'm a big fan And thanks for the stitches
— Ricardo Lamas (@RicardoLamasMMA) November 22, 2015
Thanks, Monterrey! #SiCejudo
— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) November 22, 2015
Si Se Puede!! #GuerreroDeCristo Nunca Desistan a sus Sueños.#Peru.
— Enrique Barzola (@ElFuerteBarzola) November 23, 2015
Thank you master @parrumpaatt Sensei jeovaldobarreto and all coaches of @americantopteam https://t.co/vp2ZTIE1Ib
— Leandro Buscapé (@BuscapeMMA) November 22, 2015
¡Lo hicimos! Después de tanto tiempo de estar fuera regreso con un triunfo que no solo fue mío, un... https://t.co/2Krn35yKpO
— Erik Goyito Pérez (@Goyito_Perez) November 22, 2015
VICTORY!!! #UFCMonterrey #UFC #TheButcher #Fabinski pic.twitter.com/DGRy7eNyY2
— Bartosz Fabiński (@BartoszFabinski) November 22, 2015
Keep them coming #Eat1forFili pic.twitter.com/CkQ4sQrhfO
— Andre Fili (@TouchyFili) November 23, 2015
Better luck next time.
Tell you what I'll be back better on my feet better with my wrestling better with my weight cut I'm will not quit my destined path at 145
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) November 23, 2015
There are days when things do not work anymore thank God in the health and able to do what I do with love is now coming home to rest compose my pieces and train and train more thank you all for your prayers and the embrace family energy be in God
Tem dias que as coisas não funcionam mais agradeço a Deus na pela saúde e... https://t.co/Ss6FRSmSrS
— JussierFormigaUFC (@JussierFormiga) November 22, 2015
Pesaje correcto! He recibido mucho apoyo por parte de la gente de España, no os haceis una idea lo... https://t.co/jN5ajVPN1H
— Enrique Wasabi (@enriquewasabi) November 21, 2015
Really wanted to put on a show n throw down but silva did a good job at staying away... I'll be back soon no doubt about it!
— Efrain Escudero (@effyescudero) November 22, 2015
Merci a vous tous pour le soutien!!!! pic.twitter.com/gvTrx2KxeC
— Taylor Lapilus (@LapilusTaylor) November 23, 2015
He did not want any hands tho
— HECTOR URBINA (@WHATDAHECT) November 22, 2015
Well that sucks, was winnin a fight with one leg till it quit on me. Time to see if it's broke. #tillthewheelfelloff pic.twitter.com/ZLUw6wnXBa
— Scott jorgensen (@Scottjorgensen) November 22, 2015
I told the ref and my corners not to stop it between rds. I have full faith in my corners or they wouldn't be here with me.
— Scott jorgensen (@Scottjorgensen) November 22, 2015
No break in my foot or leg need a mri to find out more. Left hand has a small fissure in my metacarpals tho
— Scott jorgensen (@Scottjorgensen) November 22, 2015
Holm has some big fans.
:)
Posted by Holly Holm on Friday, November 20, 2015
Had a great time tonight at the fights :)
Posted by Holly Holm on Saturday, November 21, 2015
Be careful.
Sparring for UFC 194! #UNIFY pic.twitter.com/j0A98Gr0HZ
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 21, 2015
Get well soon.
Bad news: Busted my orbital last fight Good news: I'll be a cyborg after I get it fixed this morning #IllBeBack pic.twitter.com/jrkH6hpkTB
— Patrick Cummins (@OfficialDurkin) November 20, 2015
I had an ankle a week ago. Not sure what you'd call it now pic.twitter.com/u2qlvMWYze
— Jared Rosholt (@JaredRosholt) November 20, 2015
Recovery time. Восстанавливаемся. #khkmmateam @Reebok @ufc pic.twitter.com/A1sR4SWhAg
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) November 21, 2015
Tk you for all your messages! I never had so much positive responses coming from a defeat and I am... https://t.co/3G8CoWQbhH
— Valerie Letourneau (@ValTroubleMMA) November 20, 2015
Congrats.
Finally graduating pic.twitter.com/5aN4RpoqXC
— Sage Northcutt (@sagenorthcutt) November 21, 2015
Sensei JCVD.
Just got an offer for some training with this legend It was a pleasure to meet you @jcvd... https://t.co/ePD5cFLTj6 pic.twitter.com/UW8tLKQBE3
— Joanna Jedrzejczyk (@joannamma) November 22, 2015
Not happy. (check out her comments on the post)
At what point does the joke become bullying?My father called me from Brazil after hearing Joe Rogan's comments to tell...
Posted by Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos on Sunday, November 22, 2015
Semi retirement?
My exact feelings right now. @danawhite pic.twitter.com/2348K33vZB
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) November 23, 2015
Karate kids.
Size doesn't matter, the importance is technique! lol Não importa o tamanho o que vale é a técnica. Mostre para um...
Posted by Fabricio Werdum on Friday, November 20, 2015
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced this weekend (Nov. 20-22 2015)
Tsuyoshi Kosaka vs. James Thompson at Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2015
Found something you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we'll include it in tomorrow's column.
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