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I've been quiet about this situation, but after reading Kalib's comments I feel it necessary to vent. It's no secret I'm a huge Tito Ortiz fan, I credit him with getting me into organized MMA and the UFC, and I totally agree with and support his claims that the UFC does not pay its fighters anywhere near the amounts they deserve for putting their lives on the line by fighting. I also haven't said anything because Kalib Starnes did something I'll never have the opportunity to do (and that's fight in the UFC)...
But his performance in the fight with Quarry was despicable. I understand it was his game plan to try and stick and move, and I admire him admitting that Quarry was stronger than him and a hard hitter. But the fact of the matter is that Kalib Starnes robbed people at UFC 83. Hundreds of thousands of people paid their hard earned money to see fighters FIGHT. Thousands paid for a ticket to see fighters FIGHT. At a certain point, I think fighters owe it to the fans to at least engage with their opponent and try to win. I wouldn't have thought bad about Kalib if he was KO'd after an honest effort. Now, I lost a lot of respect for him as a fighter and as a human being. A professional athlete must consider their fans. Fans pay the bills. Although most MMA fans (especially those on this forum) are highly critical and disrespectful to fighters, the money they pay to see the fights entitles them to do this. And so what if a crowd boos a boring fight? It's their given right.
Sorry.
The bottom line is that a fighter owes it to his fans to go out and put his best effort forward. That's what being a professional is all about. If this trend of running away from another fighter just because you are afraid of getting KO'd continues for long enough, it will be detrimental to the sport.
People are always looking for ways to bad mouth MMA, and lets face it, there are a lot of arguments against it to begin with. Let's not give them any additional arguments by allowing them to say that the athletes rob fans by refusing to engage.
However, I don't know the entire story, only Kalib Starnes does. With that said, I wish him the best in his future endeavors. I truly hope he can rebuild his image.
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Always Supporting:
Ortiz, GSP, Faber, Franklin, Rampage, Sherk, F. Griffin, Koscheck, Couture, Diaz Bros., Brian Stann (NEPA represent)
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