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UFC Fires War Machine's Dumb Ass

War Machine Jon Koppenhaver MMA UFC
(Fail Machine. Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.)

Bad news for the fighter whose momma named him Jon Koppenhaver: The UFC has decided to fire "War Machine" due to an insensitive blog post he made in the wake of Evan Tanner's death, as well as his refusal to take a fight with an Octagon newbie. Machine confirmed his cut with MMA Junkie.

Following the tragic news of Evan Tanner's death, Machine posted the following on his infamous MySpace blog:

No one is sure yet but it sounds like it was a suicide. Sad thing is that it makes sense. What else is an UNDERPAID fighter supposed to do at the end of his career?
Cash in his 401K? Collect social security? Start to work some shitty job for 10 bucks an hour?
Shit ain't boxing and if you're not Chuck Liddell or Tito Ortiz you don't get paid dick.
Wasn't like he made MILLIONS and blew it all like Mike Tyson, this guy fought his entire life and didn't have shit.
No wonder why he took off to the woods.
Prolly reminisced on the days when he was champ, the days when growing old didn't matter and took his life.
Severe depression plagues MANY fighters at the end of their careers. Mark my words when I say that "HE MAY BE THE FIRST, BUT HE ISN'T THE LAST."

Machine removed the posting when it was reported that Tanner's death didn't appear to be a suicide, but he told MMA Junkie that he still kinda believes that it was:

"I still believe in my heart it was a suicide...maybe he didn't shoot himself in the head, but I think he went up there maybe with plans not to come back...He was depressed, guaranteed. He had just lost to Kendall [Grove]. He was getting older. He knows he has no retirement plan. He had nothing, dude. That could be the outcome for a lot of fighters, myself included. I for damn sure guarantee you that if I'm in my 40s and I didn't make enough money and I don't have my own gym to support myself or whatever, I'll probably kill myself too."

Of course, his firing appears to be equally motivated by an ill-advised clash with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva.

Coming off a 56-second choke-out loss to Yoshiyuki Yoshida in May, Machine was recently offered a fight against Rumble on the Rock/X-1 standout Brandon Wolff, a new signee to the UFC's welterweight division. As Machine tells it:

"I said, 'Who in the hell is [Brandon] Wolff?' So, I looked him up and made some phone calls. I've got a lot of friends in Hawaii — 'Rude Boy' (Troy Mandaloniz), Kendall Grove, my trainer. I got the same thing from everybody. They all said the guy is savage, sick, tough as hell, a really tough fighter and a really tough fight. Basically we all came to the conclusion that I have nothing to gain from the fight. He has no name, no fans other than the guys in Hawaii, and I thought that if I beat him, then no one is really going to care because I beat someone with no name. And if I lose, everyone is going to say I lost to a guy with no name, so I said [expletive] that.

"I want to fight someone with a name. I said, 'Give me Josh Burkman. Give me Dustin Hazelett. Give me someone with a name.'

"They went back to the UFC, and Joe Silva said, 'No. That's the best fight I've got for him; take it or leave it. It was kind of threatening -- like if I didn't take it, they'd kick me out of the UFC. So, I was kind of pissed off and decided to play hard ball too. I said I'd wait for another opponent.

"Joe Silva — he was pretty much on a power trip. He was like, 'I already told you that I already have Wolff for War Machine. I don't know who he is thinking he's negotiating with me. You know what? I'm sick of this guy.' Then he brought up the Evan Tanner thing. 'He made a dumbass comment on Evan Tanner. He's not supporting the UFC. You know what? War Machine is cut.' And they cut me."

In other words, War Machine felt that at this point in his career, he should be allowed to pick his opponents, and he doesn't need to prove himself by taking challenging fights. Makes sense, if you reside in WarMachineland. But don't cry for War, because he already has his next fight lined up, which will go down at a small show next month:

"[T]o be honest, I wasn't going to be a contender in the UFC anytime soon anyway. This is a way for me to go out there, maybe win a few smaller belts, get some more wins, get my skills up better, and before I know it, after a few years have passed, I'll be ready to fight anyone. ... Plus, I was really surprised by how much money they offered me for a small show."

Godspeed, young man.

Comments

DOES THIS MEAN HE WON'T BE IN THE VDEO GAME?

"I for damn sure guarantee you that if I’m in my 40s and I didn’t make enough money and I don’t have my own gym to support myself or whatever, I’ll probably kill myself too.”

Promise?

What an Ass.... after reading what he said I could care less about this kid than any other fighter... if he was on fire I wouldnt piss on him to save his life.
Fuck this kid. Just fade away already.... dumb ass.

that's right.
fight on the smaller shows, and work your way up to....? where the hell are you going to go? you had your big shot in the ufc and you shot yourself in the foot.

sounds like he was taking career advice from jesse taylor.

Dumbf%$#!!!

Sounds like he needs another anarchy tattoo. I hear those are very therapuetic.

it's funny, his points about the treament of fighters is spot on with what Randy is saying... he just choose a bad way to state it.

the uFC is fucking it's fighters and not even taking them out to dinner.

They will need to have some built in update for the new UFC game..you connect online, update fighters rosters...because we all know War Machine is in the game..but what happens when Chuck pulls the plug?

As I said over at BloodyElbow, he's not a dumbass. He's a fucking idiot.

Accusing Joe Silva of being on a power trip? He's like the third or fourth most powerful guy in the organization. He owns your worthless ass.

Eventually he will mature and learn.

Good luck getting back into the UFC even if you do string together a few wins. This has to be one of the stupidest things ever said by a UFC fighter. This ranks up there with Chris Leben's: "I'm going to send Anderson Silva back to Japan" remark.

He did change his name to War Machine. Can't be too smart.

Plus, it's well known that Evan Tanner kept everyone well informed of the risk involved with his trip.

The UFC isn't exploiting fighters. If you don't want to fight in the UFC on the UFC's terms, go fight somewhere else. If there's nowhere else to fight, go get another job. If you want a benefit plan, go sell life insurance. The notion that these guys deserve to be well-paid and fully covered just because they chose to fighters is insane. You're paid what you're worth. If the guys making $6,000 on the undercard of a UFC show think they're worth more, go fight for somebody who will pay more. If you can't find somebody who will pay you more, then sorry, that's all you're worth.

I think he's pretty intelligent for a guy who thinks it's a good idea to officially change his name to War Machine. I would love to be in a community college class with him as teacher is taking attendance:

Teacher: "Beansworth, Jeff?"
Jeff: "Here~"
Teacher: "Machine, War?"
War Machine: "Present..."

I hope this fuckin douchebag chokes on the coffe that he will now be serving at Starbucks for $9/hr.

WarMachine?! Ha!

try DumbMachine

Wasn't he going to move to the Philipinnes because that's where a man can be a man, because he can beat up anybody on the street who disrespects him?

Thank you Ted Nutmeg you made my day... I have been saying this since the start.
You dont like your pay you have 2 options....
1. Get better and finish fights, you'll get paid more.
2. Go some place else, you might get lucky

If you dont like the CONTRACT that is put in FRONT OF YOU, then dont sign it.

I bet you he was crying! Does anyone remember TUF 5? I forgot who he was fighting, but I remember he was like, what if I lose, I got nobody, he has his family, I don't have anyone-he was literally sobbing! Pussy shit! As Matt Serra said, "the kid's a nut case."

“I for damn sure guarantee you that if I’m in my 40s and I didn’t make enough money and I don’t have my own gym to support myself or whatever, I’ll probably kill myself too.”

do us the favor you son of a bitch..
that's muffed up..
even if someone you don't know dies it's still sad..
WM dind't seem to give a damn though..

WM, go eat a [expletive] sandwich.. :)

war machine is an idiot.
I agree with him about Tanner, and even if it wasn't self induced suicide, then Tanner died cause he was a fucking idiot, BUT I am not a fighter, nor am I part of the UFC, because IF I was I would have enough fucking sense to keep MY opinion to myself, and not blog about it to the world.
So war machine is alot like Tanner, hes another jacked up fighter, with no common sense, and the only reason he fights is thats all hes got. He will prolly end up dying worse than Tanner, cause he is even dumber than Tanner was.
I Don't give a shit what all you fan boys say, thats how I see it, and by God lifes harsh, to bad if you are offended, the truth hurts ,children.

First off, anyone who legally changes his name to "War Machine" isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. His comments were cold and callous, people like him should pray to someday be half the man that Evan Tanner was. He will never be a great fighter in the UFC or anyone elses WW div. And plus to think he's so great that he wants to hand pick his opponents after he was choked OUT in his last fight, Gimme a break. Happy Trails War, you couldn't be a bigger piece of crap, mediocre fighter.

yea, he looks really stupid

i totaly agree

Why the hell is war maching blogging in the first place? Does anyone really care what this scholar has to say? Prolly not. This kid is a total idiot and needs a parent/manager to reel him in, but it's prolly to late. Prolly, prolly, prolly...

I agree with him, fighters are underpaid in MMA and the UFC hasnt been giving credit where its due...

They need to give credit where its due and make fights based on who deserves it, not on what the fans want...

also whoever said go fight for someone else is an idiot, UFC has a monopoly on MMA
theyre doing the same thing the WWE is doing, youre obviously a moron who has never been in a professional fight...

Good Luck Whore Machine

go fight somewhere else guy is the same guy who says; "u don't like america? then move mother ff'rrrr"

brainless morons who don't understand that monoply is more than a board game....

well they are products of our failing school system... what can u say but.....it's sad.

Fuck that guy. I call open season on this jackass' kneecaps. Evan Tanner was a better fighter and a WAY better person.

you don't deserve to even say evan tanners name douchebag. he'll always be a legend and you'll always be the dipshit that mouthed off and got shit canned by the ufc.

You know this thread and those like it that connect with Evan Tanner are really surprising me. The surprise is the outpouring of complete sucking up to the legacy of Tanner.
The thing that bothers me is, where are the people who coined phrases like " captain weird beard" or said things like Tanner looks like an Old bum instead of a professional fighter. What happened to the people who made fun of him, and ragged on his ass after his last lose, and when he said in an interview how he was being a complete prick to the doctor and people around him when he lost? What about all the people who LIKE MYSELF , said he was fucking mental, and needed help?
Now all of a sudden, hes a "free-spirit" a great guy, a person who changed so many , blah blah yadda yadda, bullshit bullshit!
NOW hes suppose to be revered as the greatest of past champs, he needs to be in the MMA hall of fame?
wow, what a bunch of wagon jumping, hypocritical, 2 faced, fanboys you people are.
Remember the strange beer ad thing where hes holding a miners pick, before his last fight? remember all the shit that was said about that? Are these the same people who completely trashed him, now you turn around and try to make him a saint?
I'm not gonna do that, Tanner has acted weird, been a fuck up most of the time we all have known of his career, and I think if he didn't do this on purpose, which still hasn't been proven, then at the very least, every negative thing that was said about his character and his mental state, and weird ass behavior has been proven with his death. It was dumb, it was amateurish, it was something a crazed, unstable moron would do.
I am called a douche for daring to bring this up, but that's ok, at least I haven't flip flopped my view, and just cause hes dead don't make him any better, so fucking stop putting this crackpot on pedestal.

No Name??? the only reason why any knows who you are is because you were on TUF and i can't even say what season it was. and that you changed your name to War Machine because Rhyno used the nickname too. man you sure do got an ego for losing TUF and losing in an undercard match recently.

Also what makes you think you have the power to not take a fight when so many guys are willing to just jump up and take the fight after you... hell i am willing to get my ass kicked by Wolff for 1 to 5k sign me up.

don't be scared homie just take a fight when its offered to you.

Dumb guy, terrible fighter, delusional person.

Yeah, good luck getting that gym, or whatever.

Thank god they fired his ass. For a guy to refuse a fight after he couldnt even make it past 1 minute because he isnt a "name" fighter, give your head a shake dude. You should have shut your trap, taken the fight, beat his ass and then maybe you have some leverage to pick your fights.

Regarding the Evan Tanner comments, you my friend are among the lowest of the low. That family must be going through so much right not to mention his friends all over the MMA community and you make a stupid remake like that. I met Evan Tanner at UFC 84 and he was a total class act and a legend of this sport we love and you are a never will be.

@ ufc fan...

dude it bothers you that people are saying nice things about Evan Tanner after he died??? so it would have made you feel better if everyone who called him "Hobo" tanner before just got on some forums and talked about how much they thought he sucked and shit like that? You sir are fucked up, there is nothing wrong with saying nice things about a guy who just died.

If something as meaningless as this really bothers you. you must be pretty pissed off all the time. Grow the fuck up and stand on a soap box about something that really matters. not the fact some people flip flopped talking shit about Evan Tanner because he died. Saying nice things about him now is just respectful. Most people were probably joking before about him, not a sadistic piece of shit like you.

@ ufc fan.

pathetic. I'm sure you get off on shit like this so i'll make it short. tanner wasn't a saint but i don't ever recall him acting like like a fucking retard (warmachine) or being a cocksucker, bitching about someone's legacy (you). you've already proven he's a better person than yourself dickbreath.

hope you enjoy hell cock sucker.

2 ufc fan-

Your rant was on a "leave Britney alone!" level. But against Evan Tanner and MMA bloggers.

Maybe ufc fan is right, from now on when people give the eulogy at a funeral they should just focus on all the bad decisions and stupid choices the deceased made during there life, fuck all the good stuff. Because that's the way we want to remember them right? Wrong, ufc fan go do yourself (and the world) a favor and wash your mouth out with buckshot. People as stupid as you aren't worth the steaming excrement you spew out of your filthy face sewer.

seems like someone is suffering from cuddle deprevation...WAR TANNER!

wow, what a bunch of whiny bitches you all are.
No one sees the 2 facedness of it all, oh well, for the record, I have said its sad he died, I never said anything different unlike the load of you morons, buts that's ok, we all handle lose differently, your way is to attach the living (me) and give sainthood to the dead (Tanner)....whatever boys, it don't matter what your opinion of me is, it is how it is, and nothing can change it.
Most of you are extremists, you see it as black or white , nobody's sees the shades of grey.
with stupid talk like how I should kill myself for daring to have an opinion to eulogy's stating all the bad.
See that proves my point, everyone with any sense knows eulogy's are for the living, and we say lies and overblown truths to make the family members feel good....they are BS, and we all know it. all you guys are doing is creating that eulogy for your ONLINE purposes, whatever makes you feel better about your meaningless lifes. :)
Its funny how you can say "oh we were just fooling around when we called him names and made fun of him before", yet you will ride Kimbo or Brock lesner or any other person you don't like, like Dana white or whomever the person of the week is to jump on but if they died I guess you would all turn around and sing their fucking praises wouldn't ya...cause hey you were just joking, just playing, just talking shit.
What this tells me is all you have ever done on this forum is " play" or kid around", you haven't posted a single serious thing.....oh Until Tanner died, then that made it all so REAL! fuck you 2 faced assholes, go circle jerk each other and convince each other that because the majority agree, it was positive circle jerk, and the reason I got left out was because I'm bitter, and fucked, and wrong and not worthy of your circle jerk :)
pathetic sheep!

UFC Fan -
"Tanner died cause he was a fucking idiot" - ufc fan

"for the record, I have said its sad he died, I never said anything different unlike the load of you morons" - ufc fan

Listen to yourself...you don't even know what the fuck your saying...you keep on proving how much of a fucking dickless cocksucker you are. One thing for sure is you have no idea what respect is. Because if you had any you would show some. but instead you want to show everyone how much your parents fucked up in raising your retarted ass. (speaking of sheep - "UFC FAN" is about as mainstream as it gets cock sucker).

oh and speak for yourself when you say people talked shit on tanner. it was most likely you and your dick loving boyfriends. fucking tanner had a huge fanbase because of the person he was and his passing proves it even more.

WAR TANNER!

Regardless of what people may have felt about Tanner's past personal issues, he was still a pioneer in this sport, and he deserves our respect for that. He was a former champion and a fearless fighter in the Octagon, and it was a pleasure to have been able to see him compete for so many years. Anytime he stepped into the Octagon, he put it all on the line.
Yes, Tanner had troubles, but it seemed that he was finally starting to get his career and life back on track and overcome the problems that had been plaguing him. He may have had flaws, but he was a decent human being and a good man, and he absolutely deserves the accolades and praise he has received posthumously over the last week.
He was a deep man, who had a lot of ideas that deserved to be heard, and it often brightened my day to see an athlete with such a penetrating worldview and with such diverse interests.
I count myself as one of his biggest fans, and it was a crushing blow to hear about his death earlier in the week. I'm sure I speak for all of his fans when I say that the outpouring of praise for the man and for the fighter is most assuredly deserved.
R.I.P. Evan Tanner. We're going to miss you.

what a fucking prick....

UFC fan... you are so wrong. About six years ago in Seattle, Evan Tanner walked into the gym I was at and started working out. Of course he caused a crowd. Later, when he was showering, I snuck a quick photo of his gorgeous buns. Now that he is dead, I pull out that pic before bed each night and kiss it. UFC fan, everyone else is kissing his dead buns, so why don't you join us? I hope you see the light someday and realize that Evan Tanner was a most miraculous and perfect saint.

It was because Evan Tanner was so approachable that people loved him. He valued his fans and genuinely enjoyed spending time with them and making them feel important by the attention he paid to them. Not many fighters or celebreties take that trouble and extend friendship to their fans. Evan was unique and tried to help other people. Whatever his faults of failings he would pick himself back up and venture on. He was not a quitter. MMA fans lost a very special man when Evan died.

The media can really paint a picture. WarMachine, my friends doesn't deserve all this. The guy grew up tough. Had no family and no one to guide him. For him to have even reached where he is now is an achievement on its own.
The guy speaks his mind. And won't get pushed around by anyone.
I am not a WM fan, I am just speaking as someone that has observed both sides of the story.
It is very easy for you guys to sit in front of your computers and bash someone you don't even know a thing about.

If tanner did commit suicide he was damn fuckign good at hiding his depression. I seriously doubt it was a suicide, if you knew him you wouldnt be talkign this bullshit.
Oh how about the txt messages he sent when he was lost? I dont remember ewxactly what it said but something about getting help. Now if that was a suicidal man does?

Tanner did wonderful thigns for mma. One of the first down to earth fighters. Fuck all you tanner haters.

I totally agree with anonymous and bobred

A couple of points for all the whiners. 1) Nobody holds a gun to their head. If you don't like the contract, DON'T FUCKIN SIGN. 2) I wasn't aware that the UFC was a charitable organisation. If you don't win fights, finish fights or put on a show you won't get ahead. Chuck Liddell makes a shitload of cash because he did all three. Now he doesn't. He will still make a ton of cash because he is popular. Fighters have to prove themselves and they need to put asses in the seats as well as ppv buys. As for making shitty unclassy statements, that is just a testament to what an idiot War Machine is. All I ask is "Who in the hell does he think he is" good riddance. I hear affliction might need some fighters