The smirky dude above is Kristopher “Kit” Cope, a former Muay Thai champion with an unfortunate MMA record of 1-4. You might know him as the dude who used to be engaged to Gina Carano, or the guy who got hit with a steroid suspension after getting steamrolled by Rob McCullough at WEC 25, or as one of the subjects in MTV’s True Life episode “I’m a Muay Thai Fighter.” According to his Wikipedia page, “He once armwrestled a warewolf [sic] and won.”

Anyway, you’ll be seeing him again if you watch the MTV, as the network has enlisted him for their upcoming special “True Life: I’m An MMA Fighter.” According to MMA Junkie, Cope’s segment of the show will focus on his World Fighting Championships match against Dave Cochran, which takes place May 30 in Atlantic City. EliteWrestling.net reports that Frankie Edgar is also being filmed for the show, which will premiere in August.

Despite the fact that it’s produced by MTV — which is largely responsible for the collective plummeting of our nation’s IQ (don’t get me started) — I’m not ashamed to say that I’m a big fan of True Life, particularly their episodes “I’m a Meth Addict,” “I’m an Alcoholic,” “I Have O.C.D.,” “I’m Back From the War and Also a Meth Addict,” and “I’m a Teenager and Pregnant Again and a Heroin Addict.” The train-wreck quality of the subjects is endlessly compelling. Usually, the show follows three subjects in varying degrees of their shared personal crisis. At least one winds up rising above their challenges, and at least one falls deeper into them; part of the attraction in watching the show is trying to figure out how everyone’s story will end.

So if you’re asking yourself why they’re using Kit Cope, of all people, as a standard-bearer for mixed martial arts in the sport’s first appearance on MTV, just chill. Depending on how he performs on May 30th, the editors might use Kit as an object lesson for the pitfalls of trying to make it as a professional fighter, especially when one is haunted by steroid abuse and losing your really hot and famous fiancee; or, he could be portrayed as a guy who’s finally getting his career on track. Either way, it’ll almost certainly be a more genuine portrayal of MMA than you’ll find elsewhere on basic cable…

(BG)

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