What was worse?

[EmpireWF]

It's a problem, but the punishment didn't fit the crime. Also, anytime something like this happens in MMA everyone blows it out of proportion, they act like these type of things never happen in any other sport.

When has a player in another sport sucker punched an opponent after their game was over?

I'll admit, he probably didn't deserve to be canned but I won't open up a charity for the guy. Perhaps a stiff fine would have been fine (and NSAC suspension...didn't they end up suspending him anyway?) and they could have moved on.

Oh well, too bad Daley couldn't keep his emotions in check.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I don't have a problem with firiing Daley, because Dana has already set a standard by firing Babalu for holding onto a choke after a fight was over.

But steelmamba is right. Hockey fights are considered a part of the game, the media eats that up. Baseball brawls are considered noble, and treated with kid gloves. But in MMA, Daley gets fired, and the Diaz idiots attacking Mayhem Miller has basically killed the CBS/SF deal.

[Liquidrob]

Of course SteelMamba is right

lol @ setting a standard by firing Babalu, just like BJ Penn holding onto a choke to long?

Dana fired Daley because a couple weeks before he was talking out of his ass as usual about the CBS 'Brawl' and painted himself into a corner, never mind they had a brawl with Tank in his crew years before

Or maybe the standard of Chael failing a durg test but than last week a fighter on the undercard failing a drug test getting cut for it, I can't believe you rubes fall for his antics and eat them up

[Bigpapa42]

A sucker punch is a bit of a different situation from a regular fight, guys. The Oregon football player got suspended for a good long time last year. A junior hockey player here in Canada threw one a couple years ago and got suspended for a good long while as well.

I do agree that MMA fighters, like boxers, are held to a slightly higher standard. I don't think that's wrong. The reality is that MMA as a sport is still fighting negative perception and stereotypes - its still illegal in many states due to that. Every time there is some incident like Daley or the Diaz-Mayhem brawl, it reinforces those negative perceptions. NASCAR, NHL, and other mainstream sports are not dealing with the same resistance that MMA is. As a pure fan who just wants to be entertained, those are fun. As a fan who wants to see the sport grow, those things bother me.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Of course SteelMamba is right

lol @ setting a standard by firing Babalu, just like BJ Penn holding onto a choke to long?

Dana fired Daley because a couple weeks before he was talking out of his ass as usual about the CBS 'Brawl' and painted himself into a corner, never mind they had a brawl with Tank in his crew years before

Or maybe the standard of Chael failing a durg test but than last week a fighter on the undercard failing a drug test getting cut for it, I can't believe you rubes fall for his antics and eat them up

Wait one darn second sir, you mean to tell me that stars get preferential treatment? You don't say?! Welcome to the real world. That's how shit works. And you call other people rubes?

[Liquidrob]

Um, you're the one that Dana is setting standards, gimmie a break

sidenote: Dana White cleaning up the sport of MMA! Thanks Dana!

[Warner2BruceTD]

Um, you're the one that Dana is setting standards, gimmie a break

sidenote: Dana White cleaning up the sport of MMA! Thanks Dana!

You can't tell me firing Daley was some knee jerk PR stunt when Babalu was canned for the same thing.

Mailroom dweeb is late to work, he gets fired. CEO strolls in 15 minutes late, nobody cares. Welcome to life.

[Liquidrob]

w2b the master of extreme's, maybe you can tie Obama into this thread next

You're the goofball who brought up Dana setting a standard, not me

[Warner2BruceTD]

w2b the master of extreme's, maybe you can tie Obama into this thread next

You're the goofball who brought up Dana setting a standard, not me

He did set a standard, when he fired Babalu. And then he fired Daley. Where is the disconnect here?

[EmpireWF]

There is no standard for drug tests, besides if you are a low level guy...don't or you'll get axed.

[Steel Mamba]

Setting a standard and having preferential treatment are contradictory to each other. No one bats an eye at Leben's DUI's, which can kill someone, but one punch that didn't hurt anyone gets a guy kicked. Why? If we're battling negative perceptions, don't you want to punish a guy racking up DUI's? What about those getting into fights outside of the Octagon? There's no standard here whatsoever.

Dana criticizes Barnett for his steroid usage, but we all know Sonnen will be right back in the spot light once he's cleared. What type of standard is that?

[Warner2BruceTD]

I'm not sure what the point of this thread is supposed to be. Dana is a sleazy fight promoter who plays favorites based on star power? Um, ok. Is this a revelation of some sort?

Paul Daley intentionally hit a man after the fight was over, and wasn't a big enough star to get away with it. But we already knew that.

[Steel Mamba]

A sucker punch is a bit of a different situation from a regular fight, guys. The Oregon football player got suspended for a good long time last year. A junior hockey player here in Canada threw one a couple years ago and got suspended for a good long while as well.

I do agree that MMA fighters, like boxers, are held to a slightly higher standard. I don't think that's wrong. The reality is that MMA as a sport is still fighting negative perception and stereotypes - its still illegal in many states due to that. Every time there is some incident like Daley or the Diaz-Mayhem brawl, it reinforces those negative perceptions. NASCAR, NHL, and other mainstream sports are not dealing with the same resistance that MMA is. As a pure fan who just wants to be entertained, those are fun. As a fan who wants to see the sport grow, those things bother me.

Suspended, which is a lot more reasonable than banning someone for life. The Oregon situation is also far worse, one it's college, two they're not fighters and have less business getting in a physical altercation like that, and finally he tried to fight someone in the crowd which was absolutely ridiculous.

If that's not a black eye for college football, what Daley did shouldn't be one for the UFC. I know there are people who still view the sport as barbaric, but are we ever going to win them over? I think we're much better off just being honest about the situation instead of trying to appease those types.

[Bigpapa42]

Suspended, which is a lot more reasonable than banning someone for life. The Oregon situation is also far worse, one it's college, two they're not fighters and have less business getting in a physical altercation like that, and finally he tried to fight someone in the crowd which was absolutely ridiculous.

If that's not a black eye for college football, what Daley did shouldn't be one for the UFC. I know there are people who still view the sport as barbaric, but are we ever going to win them over? I think we're much better off just being honest about the situation instead of trying to appease those types.

Daley was banned for life from MMA? News to me. So far as I knew, he was simply cut from the UFC - one of many MMA organizations he could fight for - and is unlikely to be resigned. His suspension by the QAC was 30 days.

In truth, Daley could get back into the UFC in time. For all his tough talk, Dana White knows money talks. Look at the situation with Ortiz. If Daley puts himself into a position where the UFC feels he can help them, he'll be resigned.

I'm not sure what punishment by the UFC would have been more appropriate. A suspension from the UFC would be a joke - how much does a six-month suspension mean when a fighter might not be fighting for another six months regardless. A fine maybe. But cutting the fighter is a definitive statement that such antics will not be tolerated. It was a touch heavy-handed, but with some reason.

I don't care about appeasing those who oppose the sport. Appeasing them would probably mean no more MMA. No, I'm concerned with incidents which give ammunition for those to use to convince the neutrals that MMA is some actually a nasty bloodsport. Its not simply those who oppose MMA who are keeping it from being legalized in so many states, but that they are able to convince those neutrals that MMA is not a good thing.