Starnes Hating, Fighter Bashing

**cyrijl** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 7:50am

He started running before he even got hit. That is the problem. I have less of a problem with someone running in round three than someone running 20 seconds into round one. And while I may not fight, if I did, I would take it like a man, fall down and tap out. This shouldn't even be a decision loss for him. The record should indicate that he failed to engage.

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 7:57am

Originally Posted by cyrijl

He started running before he even got hit

BINGO!!11

**Odacon** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 8:12am

He obviously couldn't get his head into the fight and got stuck on the back foot from the start, it happens.

**nameless44** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 8:13am

The only good thing about that whole fight is Nate Quarry's mockery at the end. If Starnes doesn't like it that people are deriding him for what he did, then he shouldn't mistake MMA for track and field next time.

And it wasn't just getting started off on his back foot either. He had two chances to sit, talk with his corner, get his head in the fight, and go out and do it the right way, and he didn't. In fact, third round when he knew he was behind on the scorecards, he should have gone out and done his best to finish. Instead, he let Quarry basically make a mockery out of him, with the running thing and the arm-pump, the latter being more damaging than the former because Quarry basically left himself open to attack to mock him.

His behavior was unacceptable, and I'm glad that he's in hot water with the UFC so I don't have to see him fight at a high level while other fighters that actually have heart languish in obscurity.

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 8:59am

Originally Posted by JohnnyCache

Here's an alternate take for you, Kempo, on athletes that don't perform or show no class or respect. You, as a fighter, empathize with fighters and from your point of view, a cage fight is this terrible ordeal - you understand it, you respect the work the fighters put in to get to that level and so it pisses you off when someone calls Kalib Starnes a "*****"

But all those fans . . . they're watching a guy get paid to play a sport. All that fucker has to do is work out, spar, fight, film an occasional commercial or interview, get paid. Professional atheletes are one in a million individuals, but still, they get paid to play games, and if they can't do that "right" and at a high level, I'm no more going to dole out respect to them then I would tell myself, "Hey it takes a lot of training to be a master plumber and I should give this guy respect not for what he did today but what he IS" on a day I called a plumber and he didn't bother to show up.

Kalib Starnes didn't just underperform in a way suggestive of a blatant fix, tarnishing himself and the sport, he gave his opponent the bird, protested an obvious decision, showed disrespect to his opponent's and his own coaches and corners, and made fighters look worse with grade-school name calling on live TV.

He put the work into becoming high-speed in bjj and he had my respect for that, but I guess now he thinks that means he wins by showing up, and that ain't so.

You make some good points.

**Matt W.** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 9:40am

They can deduct a point for lack of engagement,

I actually was surprised the Ref never did that, or even issued a warning. Although, in the end, the judges did it anyway. "30-24" LOL!

the latter being more damaging than the former because Quarry basically left himself open to attack to mock him.

Actually, that is the ONLY time I will give Starnes respect for. As bad as it was to run away the whole fight, it would have been even worse if he had taken a cheap shot that could have really hurt Quarry during some mockery I'm sure he knew he deserved. Instead, he knew what Quarry was doing and why, and chose (rightly) not to respond in a way that could potentially hurt someone.

But he's still a *****.

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 9:43am

I feel it's worth noting and making clear that I am not a fighter myself, as Johnny suggested above. I'm just another hobbyist MMA fan like probably most people reading this. I have fought in an MMA smoker, but that was more of an experiment than anything else. When I get the balls to jump onto a few cards in Jersey, and get myself a legitimate amateur record, then I'll call myself a fighter.

**mrblackmagic** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 9:52am

I'm amused when one of those whales or tapoutfags Hooters talk about anything even remotely athletic.

**Holy Moment** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 9:54am

Actually, that is the ONLY time I will give Starnes respect for. As bad as it was to run away the whole fight, it would have been even worse if he had taken a cheap shot that could have really hurt Quarry during some mockery I'm sure he knew he deserved. Instead, he knew what Quarry was doing and why, and chose (rightly) not to respond in a way that could potentially hurt someone.

I personally think it would've been awesome if Starnes chose to attack Quarry at that moment. One second you see Starnes backpedaling, and the next-BOOM! Massive surprise knockout punch.

Starnes really should've done it, for his sake. Surely, even if you weren't engaging through the entire fight, a 3rd round cheap shot kayo will look better on your record than a 30-24 decision lose.

**DSL** · Posted On: 4/21/2008 10:02am

I think he really just got his transmission stuck in reverse ;p.
That was one of the most bizarre things I've seen in an MMA fight, I kept waiting for him to switch it up and use Quarry's forward momentum into an attack... and waiting... and waiting...

I mean I was expecting it, then finally I just started hoping he'd trip and Nate'd knock him the **** out.

I can't imagine how much of a beating he's getting from his coaches now, if I did that I think the entire gym would tell me to get the hell out. Was his corner yelling anything at him?