A recent UFC Tonight panel was composed of Karyn Bryant, Tyron Woodley, and Yves Edwards. It’s an inspired grouping.
Bryant brings a wealth of experience in media including CNN and MTV, and graduated from the renowned Lawrence Academy and Brown University. For the purposes of this blog, it’s relevant that she’s biracial. UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley was raised in Ferguson, Missouri, notorious for the shooting Michael Brown which led to nationwide protests. He, too, is brilliant in front of a camera, and has appeared in Olympus Has Fallen (2013), Straight Outta Compton (2015), and Sultan (2016). The Bahamian- American Yves Edwards had 21 fights in the UFC, a wealth of experience across combat sports, has worked for years as a stuntman, and brings unique insight into the sport.
It’s a fight media dream team. Unfortunately, former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub saw one thing.
Sometimes you are looking at UFC Tonight and you’re like alright ‘Is that the best panel possible? Or are you just trying to check off the boxes?’ We get it, UFC Tonight on FOX, you’re not racist, we get it you have an all-black panel,” he said. “Whoa, we get it. We get it man. Now I’m going to ask you again, are those the best brains and speakers for the art, for the general audience?
To answer Schaub’s question, yes. Yes, those are the best brains and speakers for the art, for the general audience.
Edwards was not impressed.
“Yo Brendan Schaub what’s this bulls*** you running your mouth about?” he tweeted.
Schaub caved quicker than Bob Sapp in a cage.
“Meant zero disrespect to you,” he replied. “I spent 30 mins praising Daniel Cormier and said he’s the best in the world besides Rogan. Kevin Lee and I were discussing black fighters & entertainment. Bad job on my part. That’s on me. I love you guys. Watch all of the shows. My bad. I’m sorry.”
Then Edwards characteristically took the high road.
“I appreciate your apology,” he replied. “I wasn’t talking about race but when you say someone isn’t good enough to do the job and you don’t say who, I want to know if you’re talking about me. I wasn’t assuming or insinuating you are racist. Don’t sweat that, that’s not a thing.”
That should have been the end of it, but Schaub doesn’t know how to apologize. During a recent appearance on The Luke Thomas Show, Schaub indicated Edwards had admitted a mistake and suggested Edwards response was fueled by insecurity over getting his job due to race.
It’s a blip on the radar, it’s UFC Tonight,” replied Schaub. “I love all those guys. They’re great. I watch the show. DC, I talked to DC actually the day that all happened. I’m close with DC. I meant no ill regard towards any of them. I talk to Karen Bryant, I talk to Yves Edwards, Woodley, they’re all my friends. I think someone was upset on there.”
I think Yves was upset because of something that he sees in himself, so when I made that comment he thinks it’s about him in particular and he lashed out. I woke up like, ‘Yves, come on.’ And then when we spoke, he was good. He was like, ‘Dude, I was emotional, my bad’ and I was like, ‘Come on, obviously, I’m not racist.’
I have some brain farts, and that was one of them. The thing that bums me out was, they’re my friends. Karen’s a good friend. … People think I have animosity towards UFC Tonight, I’m in a different lane, man. If that was my goal, I would take it over, trust me, I’d figure out something and get in there.”
Yves Edwards was not impressed.
“Hey friend given this is the entirety of the communication you and I had on this issue show me where I admitted to being emotional and blah blah blah, he tweeted. “Don’t pretend your opinion of me is mine of myself. It makes you look like a self-righteous a**hole.”
https://twitter.com/thugjitsumaster/status/970379527175090177
Schaub has failed here.
The Inside MMA team of Bas Rutten, Mauro Ranallo, Ron Kruck, and Kenny Rice weren’t selected because they were all Caucasian. They were great at what they did. The same thing is true with UFC Tonight. Schaub doesn’t seem racist here, he seems stupid.
We get it, Brendan Schaub, you have black friends. Whoa, we get it. We get it man. Now I’m going to ask you again, are you stupid?
