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By Wade Keller, MMATorch supervising editor This week MMATorch columnist Jason Bent wrote an article about how sometimes if someone criticizes a black athlete he's accused of being racist. Bent was accused of that earlier this week when he was critical of Evans, and he wrote a column disputing that assumption. Since then, some readers have said on the web-version of MMATorch in the reader comment area after Bent's column that Evans hasn't disrespected the sport. I think that's just an argument over terminology. Is it "disrespectful" to show poor sportsmanship and come across as a cocky ass? I'm not sure it disrespects the sport of MMA, but it logically would make some fans want to see him lose.
He comes across as having no sense of humility and no sportsmanship. MMA is a sport built on honor in many respects, and Evans doesn't act in accordance with that informal code of conduct. As a result, it's natural some fans would want to see him lose to knock him down a few notches. He acted cocky last Saturday against Forrest Griffin, he acted the same way in other fights, and he did it on TUF.
Rashad seems like a jerk. I'm not sure that disrespects MMA as much as it makes him someone you might want to see lose.
As pointed out by a reader, Kimbo Slice being pushed by EliteXC as a main eventer MMA fighter disrespected MMA more than Evans. I'd also argue that Rampage Jackson's extra few punches to the face of Wanderlei Silva after the ref stepped in disrespects MMA more than Evans does with his cocky dancing and arrogant showmanship.
I think Evans might be marketing himself as a bad guy to try to stand out and eventually become a bigger attraction, taking the approach of being the guy people pay to see lose. ( I think 90 percent would be rooting for Anderson Silva against Evans.) I doubt, though, that he's the nicest guy in MMA if you bumped into him in public, but you really can't know for sure from what someone does on TV in a fight.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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