Issue 059

February 2010

Things we hear, things we see, things we know.

Don't f**k with fighters on the way to the cage 

A word of advice: If you’re at a live UFC event, drunk and sat anywhere near where the fighters enter the Octagon, don’t, and I repeat don’t, steal their hat as they walk by. Both Mike Swick and Randy Couture were victims of hat thieves as they walked to the Octagon at UFC 105. The so-called fans got their comeuppance though; the bandits who swiped Swick’s cap kept it for all of 60 seconds before a member of security jumped the barrier and ejected them from the arena. Respect the fact they’re about to fight and leave them alone as they walk by. 

UFC to Abu Dhabi in 2010

The oil-rich Middle Eastern state of Abu Dhabi might not seem like an obvious place for the UFC to host a show, but that’s exactly what’s being looked at for 2010. Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, is a black belt in BJJ under Renzo Gracie and a big supporter of MMA. Dana White was in Abu Dhabi recently and had this to say: “They have 75,000 people turn up for concerts. I love Abu Dhabi. I don’t have a deal yet, but I’m confident it’s going to happen.”   

UFC staff hate flying!

Considering the amount of traveling that the core members of the UFC staff have to do, it’s surprising to hear that more than a few of them have a fear of flying! We spoke to a couple of crew members who make frequent flights and were shocked to find 

out about their condition. Fear of flying doesn’t stop them loving their job. 

GSP was a victim of bullying

He’s one of the most dominant fighters in the world, but Georges St Pierre had a rough time growing up, like millions of other kids. The UFC welterweight champ told UFC.com of his time being bullied in school. “Even though I trained karate, sometimes you just face too many bigger guys and have to take a beating,” he said. “That happened a lot at school. They would gang up on me and would often be much older and bigger. The funny thing is, a lot of the scars I have in my head are from my time at school, not from any of my experiences in mixed martial arts. People find that hard to believe.”