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[Cat--Smasher]

Bob Sapp Denies Throwing Fights, Calls Himself 'a Pioneer' of MMA

"Am I throwing these fights? No. Will I go into that ring and receive large amounts of damage for small paychecks? No," Sapp vehemently explained on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour.

"I will receive no damage to my body that will be long-lasting for a small, insignificant amount of cash. I think we've now seen that with examples in the NFL, and the fact that some of these guys are coming back and saying ‘hey, we want some money, we have brain damage.' I'm getting paid well underneath what a professional boxer would, or Manny Pacquiao. So in no means ever will I sustain long-lasting damage for a small paycheck. Never will that happen."

Obviously, it wasn't always like this. There was a time, however far off it may seem now, that Sapp was a generally respected fighter. Before the losing streaks and the turtling up, "The Beast" announced his arrival by brutalizing legendary K-1 champion Ernesto Hoost not once, but twice, and nearly doing the same to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

According to Sapp, nothing has changed since then. Nothing, of course, except the stage on which he plies his trade.

"When it came to K-1, at the time, when K-1 was doing well, they did pay significantly enough to have you go into that ring and, hey, any kind of injury you get, they're going to pay," Sapp said. "Let me give you an example. Mirko Cro Cop, he cracked my eye socket. Mirko Cro Cop, he received his paycheck. I received my paycheck. They also paid for my entire hospital bill. These small organizations that you see that look so wonderful, they pay none of your bills if you get hurt. Period. Period. Period. If you would like to get hurt for small amounts of money, we call that the military."

Now the big shows no longer come calling, and Sapp has become a metaphorical mercenary to be bought for the highest bidder. Need a proven name to slap on the banner or give your top prospect a notch on his résumé? For anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000, "The Beast" is at your services.

It may boil the blood of MMA fans, but Sapp seems to have uncovered a loophole in the system. His new niche has seen him travel the world over, from Solvenia to Kazakhstan, all the while expanding his brand and preaching the book of the "The Beast." If losing helps grease the wheels, then so be it.

"I am No. 1 in every media category," Sapp declared. "No. 1 in the entertainment. No. 1 for the views, for the fights, for that organization. I'm No. 1, and I have a losing record. So if I was to even come in on a winning record, obviously these small organizations, the last thing they would be able to do is afford my services. And on top of it, what am I going to do? Be No. 1 (in fighting) and No. 1 (in entertainment)? Okay, if I am, they're no longer going to be able to afford me, so I've just won myself out of a job. Congratulations Bob."

The audaciousness of Sapp's philosophy has led an army of detractors to cry foul about how "The Beast" is tarnishing the sport, one regional show at a time. But the 37-year-old former offensive lineman doesn't concern himself with any of that noise, and really, the way he sees it, the public only has themselves to blame.

"Let's talk about a sport," Sapp rationalized. "An outside governing body, rules, regulations, and statistics. That's far from what (MMA) has. Now when you say, ‘Hey Bob, it's developing and it's crawling.' You're absolutely (right). I am a pioneer of this sport. I currently hold every record for this MMA. That is correct? I have more commercials, more movies, more endorsements, and more viewerships than anyone has.

"You blame yourself. You go over there, you get the tickets. You go over to Kazakhstan, and you sit in that seat, and you go in that arena, and you bring your people all across the world, and you sit them in that stadium, and you say, I will enjoy (this)."

If you're wondering if this transition from fighter to sideshow happened overnight, Sapp won't entertain the notion. For him, it's about something bigger. It's about a perceived injustice in the promotional system, and the fact that athletes can spend their whole lives entertaining us, and still be abandoned with nothing but a closet full of accolades as soon as the party is over.

"Are you asking me, hey Bob, when did you come to the epiphany that Gary Goodridge has brain damage, and no one is paying for that?" Sapp mused. "Hey Bob, are you talking to me about the fact that a lot of these K-1 fighters went unpaid, and now all of a sudden you want to say that, you've got to be here collecting your paycheck? When did I have that epiphany? Well I will tell you. It was when the bill collector came and I said, ‘Well hey, I'm Bob Sapp. Look at my YouTube videos. Look at these people reporting on me, and here, will this work? Can I take that belt, can I take those trophies and melt them down?' Hey, you say go for the gold, are they gold? No. Those things are worth about a dollar.

"So you're asking me, hey Bob, go ahead and put it on the line. You said it yourself, you have UFC fighters who are fighting more, and who are doing harder fights, and are getting less money. So you know what? I guess you better rally up your troops my brother, and you better start paying them. Because I do the same thing as everyone else, just as a promoter. They say fight business, and I am in the business of making money. How do I judge whether I have a successful fight? Success is judged by the measure of improvement. The measure of improvement in business is money."

Bob Sapp Denies Throwing Fights, Calls Himself 'a Pioneer' of MMA - MMA Fighting

[Sakara=Excitement]

Great read.

[Bearded Big Country]

Still hate Bob Sapp, hes a liar in it just for the money, if you paid Bob Sapp enough he'd find a way to lose an ass kicking contest to a one legged man

[rob_bills]

I'm gonna get my brother to book me vs Sapp in a few months haha. Worth a shot. I think I can take him :P

[Pasha K]

What a pathetic joke he is.
He does not take anything seriously, he knows that he is a clown and promoters continue to hire him despite that he does not belong in the Top 100. He comes, loses in 30 seconds without taking any serious damage and happily goes home with his paycheck waiting for a new call from some other dumb promoter.

He is not a pioneer of MMA, he is a disgrace for the sport.
I admit that he is a good entertainer, why he does not just stick to Pro wrestling? MMA is supossed to be a serious sport.

[KevoOnTheRadio]

Originally Posted by sakara=excitement

great read.

c.r.e.a.m.

[rob_bills]

Originally Posted by KevoOnTheRadio

c.r.e.a.m.

Dolla dolla bill y'all

[joeodd2]

As much as I despise his attitude....he's not entirely wrong....you have alot of broken fighters out there who dont gave a dollar to there name, all kinds of injuries including some with brain damage, and absolutely nobody gives a fuck. When they are done we forget about them and move on to the next healthy fighter. Its not our faults either its just the nature of sports and entertainment in general. Where the fans for whitney Houston and Amy Whinehouse when they started their ride through living hell? So in a way Bob's not entirely wrong...looking at it by whats best for him. But I'm a sports and entertainment fan. I dont care about his welfare I just want to see a good fight. The consequences are his problem. Hes playing the system and he may be s smarter and richer man for doing so.....cause at the end of the day..prude and honir wont pay your bills. And if he can live with himself then its a in for Bob Sapp no matter what the outcime of a fight us....

[Y2JUBAE]

Why I clicked on this, I don't know, I must just want to be pissed off.

Is that idiot saying that he loses so the small organizations can afford him?

I do not think he is number one in anything, movies, etc.

He DOES throw fights.

He IS a fraud.

[Sniggles]

Sell your soul.


Get money.


Realize money means nothing.


Waste money in a vicious downspiral of depression.


Die a worthless bum because you didn't realize the worth of a human being is not a monetary number.