Fighters are a special breed of human being, willing to put their health – and quite frankly their lives – on the line for our entertainment. Which is why you’ve heard it countless times through the years that they must be protected from themselves.
That bears repeating and emphasizing when reflecting on Jared Gordon’s last-minute removal from UFC on ESPN 45 this week and UFC president Dana White’s absurd reaction to the news Saturday night.
Fighters must be protected from themselves.
In case you missed it, Gordon was slated to fight Jim Miller in Las Vegas, but when he showed up to media day on Wednesday, he made a startling admission.
“I had a minor concussion, but I got over the symptoms fairly quickly, and I did everything I could to recover – supplements, I was in a hyperbaric chamber for the last six weeks,” Gordon said. “And you know, at this point in my career, sometimes you’ve got to risk it a little bit to get what you want. I think a little bit of risk is not too bad. I’m risking it anyway going in there, even if I didn’t have that outcome six weeks ago.”
It’s important to note “that outcome six weeks ago” was Gordon getting put to sleep by repeated brain-rattling punches after an accidental clash of heads in a fight with Bobby Green.
Gordon continued, “I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ And this is what we do: We fight, I make a living doing this, so it’s another reason to do it. They gave me a new contract, the UFC, another deal and a bump in pay. And I think it was worth it.”
Sounds like a guy who may have been feeling pressure – either internally or from outside influences – to get back in the cage so soon after taking some serious damage.
Jared Gordon reveals he was 193 pounds when he got the call to fight Jim Miller on 17 days' notice and explains how he got over a "minor concussion" from the Bobby Green fight six weeks ago.#UFCVegas74 | Full video: https://t.co/5otfoypshC pic.twitter.com/FEuimmprQl
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) May 31, 2023
To establish a timeline of events:
- April 22: Gordon gets knocked unconscious by Green in a fight later ruled a no contest due to a clash of heads.
- May 19: The first reports of Gordon replacing Ludovit Klein to fight Miller surface.
- May 31: Gordon reveals recently having a “minor concussion” to reporters.
- June 1: Gordon is pulled from the fight with Miller after making his admission.
That brings us to Saturday and White’s assessment of the situation after the fact when asked about it during the UFC on ESPN 45 post-event news conference.
“When you come in here on press day and you announce that you had a concussion six weeks ago, and you healed yourself from the concussion, you’re done. I’m not gonna let you fight,” White said. “Yeah, we pulled him. He basically should’ve told us that six weeks ago. He should’ve showed at least the company and your opponent some respect and at least did that six weeks ago.”
Are you serious?
Can White and UFC matchmakers seriously claim they didn’t know – or at least seriously suspect – that Gordon was concussed by Green before offering him the Miller fight less than a month later? You want to talk about respect? Where’s the respect for Gordon’s health and safety?
White continued, “You’re not a f*cking doctor. You didn’t cure yourself from a concussion. And not to mention, so what did he do? Did he get a concussion? Was he self-diagnosed? Or did he go to a doctor, and did a doctor diagnose him with a concussion? You have to be honest when you get injuries.”
Maybe if you, as UFC president, don’t know the answer to those questions, don’t have your matchmakers go back to a fighter with an offer to compete so soon after he was obliterated in the cage.
"You're not a f*cking doctor": Dana White scolds Jared Gordon for not being up front about his health when booked on short notice vs. Jim Miller.
Full interview: https://t.co/Xg2Je2G5AI pic.twitter.com/cZBMSrnwKe
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 4, 2023
None of this is to let the Nevada Athletic Commission off the hook, either. But what can you expect when that governing body prioritizes the interests of the UFC organization over the fighters they’re supposed to look after.
Again, fighters must be protected from themselves.
Nobody was looking out for Jared Gordon with this booking, and the only reason he wasn’t subjected to more head trauma so soon is because he accidentally said too much without thinking about it. In the end, disaster averted, but what a massive failure by the powers that be.
