Tony
22-07-2008, 08:45
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Jesse Taylor — the first-ever finalist from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) to be kicked out of the house before the Finale — is perhaps in jeopardy of losing his job with the UFC once again, according to Steve Cofield.
“Mr. Sunshine” has the scoop, saying the Taylor has irked management with some disparaging remarks directed toward former light heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson in the wake of his recent troubles.
Taylor had this to say last Thursday on the situation:
“What goes around, comes around, I guess.”
He apparently made that remark after he caught wind that Jackson had told UFC President Dana White that the company doesn’t need a guy like Taylor representing it. That’s because Taylor was booted from the 16-main tournament-style competition after he went on a drunken rampage (no pun intended) in a Fertitta-owned casino after the show wrapped.
Taylor then approached White at the Finale last month and pleaded his case, saying he had cleaned up his act and was ready for a second chance. White was convinced and offered him an opportunity to return against CB Dollaway at UFC Fight Night 14 this past weekend.
He lost via first round submission.
According to the report, Taylor has since backpedaled on his Rampage remarks and “feels bad about what he said.” However, it may be too little too late.
Here’s a snip from Cofield:
“Taylor clearly felt badly about what he said on Thursday especially considering that he’d just found out that Jackson was hospitalized for mental evaluation. From the tone of the UFC official who spoke with Yahoo! Sports at the event, the apology may not matter. The lesson here may be to make sure you choose your targets carefully. Jackson is tight with UFC higher-ups and is the last guy any fighters on the roster should be cracking on right now.”
It doesn’t seem good for Taylor if this report is indeed accurate. Stay tuned for more details.
Jesse Taylor — the first-ever finalist from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) to be kicked out of the house before the Finale — is perhaps in jeopardy of losing his job with the UFC once again, according to Steve Cofield.
“Mr. Sunshine” has the scoop, saying the Taylor has irked management with some disparaging remarks directed toward former light heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson in the wake of his recent troubles.
Taylor had this to say last Thursday on the situation:
“What goes around, comes around, I guess.”
He apparently made that remark after he caught wind that Jackson had told UFC President Dana White that the company doesn’t need a guy like Taylor representing it. That’s because Taylor was booted from the 16-main tournament-style competition after he went on a drunken rampage (no pun intended) in a Fertitta-owned casino after the show wrapped.
Taylor then approached White at the Finale last month and pleaded his case, saying he had cleaned up his act and was ready for a second chance. White was convinced and offered him an opportunity to return against CB Dollaway at UFC Fight Night 14 this past weekend.
He lost via first round submission.
According to the report, Taylor has since backpedaled on his Rampage remarks and “feels bad about what he said.” However, it may be too little too late.
Here’s a snip from Cofield:
“Taylor clearly felt badly about what he said on Thursday especially considering that he’d just found out that Jackson was hospitalized for mental evaluation. From the tone of the UFC official who spoke with Yahoo! Sports at the event, the apology may not matter. The lesson here may be to make sure you choose your targets carefully. Jackson is tight with UFC higher-ups and is the last guy any fighters on the roster should be cracking on right now.”
It doesn’t seem good for Taylor if this report is indeed accurate. Stay tuned for more details.