Miguel Torres axed by UFC over rape joke tweet

bobyclumsyninja · 12/09/2011 8:46am

The UFC has released former WEC Champion Miguel Torres for tweeting a rape joke quote...

Torres tweeted: EDIT: From what I saw in articles, he first tweeted rape van, but then changed it.

"If a windowless van was called a surprise van, more people wouldn't mind going for rides in them....Everyone likes surprises."

Mild mannered and not controversial UFC President Dana White had this to say to SI.com:

"...I'm on [Michael] Landsburg's show, up here in Canada, and he hits me with the quote of what he tweeted," White explained. "Now there's no explanation for that. There's absolutely nothing I could say to make any sense of that. And the fact that he even thinks that's funny or that's a joke, it disturbs me. It bothers me. Again, you're dealing with a guy that's a smart guy, that owns his own business, that's been one of the top fighters in the world forever. And I cut him today. He's no longer with the UFC."

Other fighters have been in hot water lately for comments. Bullies, how do you feel about the axe falling over this?

Forrest Griffin caught flack for tweeting "rape is the new missionary" but managed to dodge harsh retribution by claiming it was commentary on how common rape is in the news.

Rashad Evans got in some trouble (none) for saying to opponent Phil Davis (who went to Penn State).

"I guarantee you'll be the first one to take a [wrestling] shot. Guarantee. Because I'm going to put my hands on you worse than that dude did them other kids at Penn State".

Thoughts?

***Tranquil Suit*** · Posted On: 12/09/2011 9:28am

Miguel Torres: Tasteless, but shouldn't lose his job ove this.

Dana: WTF is wrong with you?

**Bneterasedmynam** · Posted On: 12/09/2011 9:35am

I think Dana White is sending a clear message with this. He's telling his fighters you want your paycheck stop acting like fucktards.

**Shawarma** · Posted On: 12/09/2011 9:46am

Bizarre. I remember when Torres was touted as the best thing since sliced bread before he started dropping matches against top opposition and he's still undeniably an extremely high level fighter. Axing him over a non-issue like this makes little sense, especially considering how other top UFC fighters have been able to get away with murder without offending the suddenly delicate sensibilities of Mr. White. Rampage went on a rampage, Bisping behaves like a gigantic twat in the ring, Ortiz allegedly slapped his wife around, Nick Diaz acts like Nick Diaz, none of them lose their job. Torres sends an insensitive humourous tweet and he's gone.

Probably more to this than meets the eye.

**Odacon** · Posted On: 12/09/2011 9:56am

http://video.aol.com/aolvideo/aol-sp.../1317267145001

Dana White, in a somewhat rambling interview, discusses the cut, explains why he cut Torres and not Forest Griffen and Rashad Evans.

**Bneterasedmynam** · Posted On: 12/09/2011 10:43am

It might just e the fact that Dana got embarrassed by the whole thing hitting him by surprise and decided to make an example of him. Dana White can't stand being made out to look like the douche.

**Kintanon** · Posted On: 12/09/2011 11:19am

LOLWHUT? My boss at my OFFICE makes racier jokes than that.
That's not even offensive, doesn't mention the word rape AT ALL.

It's AT WORST a reference to the common molester van stereotype. Firing him over that is WAAAAAY overkill. Yeesh, give him a written warning and some sensitivity training like every other workplace on earth.

**Rudenoodle** · Posted On: 12/09/2011 11:39am

I didn't find it offensive at all, who would of thought a guy named Dana would be so sensitive?

**Devil** · Posted On: 12/09/2011 11:56am

This is fucking stupid. I agree with Kintanon. I may very well tell a joke that racy at work. What the ****, Dana? It doesn't matter anyway. He'll just backtrack like he did with Diaz, like he's probably going to do with Daley, etc.....

**W. Rabbit** · Posted On: 12/09/2011 11:59am

Dana White is, of course, also a known homophobe (and a UMass dropout, I'll never let him live that one down).

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/A-S...-Remarks-16853

http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/...ory?id=4038944

Dana White, the Ultimate Fighting Championship president whose comments referring to homosexuals, women and people with mental disabilities set off a firestorm of blog activity Thursday, is apologizing for his anti-gay comments.

0-2, Dana.

Obviously, he's a big ***** who is worried about his Fox deal and knows that any of his fighters doing anything embarrassing is a threat to that. He got caught in a gotcha on live radio, so he reacted. But of course, he should have fired himself long ago because he's a monstrous hypocrite.

So yeah, don't be surprised when he starts cutting heads in order to make sure his money train keeps on rolling.