UFC star talks Michael Scott comparisons, Georges St-Pierre's missed boxing opportunity, cutman 'Stitch' talks Tim Tszyu's injury: MMA News Roundup
Would a UFC fighter have anything in common with a Dunder Mifflin branch manager, except perhaps their looks? Should Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora have been stopped?
Addressing the biggest burning questions from the world of combat sports today.
Steve Erceg addresses UFC fans calling him a Michael Scott doppelganger
Steve Erceg is often compared with other public figures or even fictional characters. One of the more common is the Japanese manga character 'Astro Boy', which is also his cage name.
In a recent exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Erceg told James Lynch that he has compared with Steve Carell's Michael Scott from the popular sitcom The Office, Ben Stiller's Derek Zoolander from the 2001 comedy movie Zoolander, and multiple-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, among others.
When asked what he thinks of the comparisons, Erceg joked:
"I get very angry with that sort of thing. I start breaking dishes and all sorts, so. I'm a very angry man."
Check out Erceg's comment below from 14:10:
Erceg is challenging reigning flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja for the belt at UFC 301 on May 4, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Jacob 'Stitch' Duran claims Tim Tszyu's head cut was mishandled
Jacob 'Stitch' Duran, a veteran cutman with years of experience, feels that Tim Tszyu's head injury during the recent title fight was mismanaged.
Tszyu was profusely bleeding from a gnarly injury on his head caused by an accidental elbow from Sebastian Fundora. Much to the fans' surprise, the fight was neither called off as a no-contest nor declared a disqualification. Tszyu eventually lost the fight via split decision but was gracious in defeat.
Speaking on the matter, Duran said:
"Unfortunately, the big vein that we have [in the forehead] - if you pop it, you're not gonna stop [the bleeding]. He got the cut in the same vein. It is important to have a good corner with you because they should've stopped it before the start of the fifth round. It would've been a no-contest. They would've had a chance for a rematch."
He added:
"I felt bad that all the techniques that were being used on him were not the proper techniques of how to handle a cut."
Dana White and UFC contract stopped Georges St-Pierre from boxing
Georges St-Pierre had an offer to box Oscar De La Hoya in 2021, but the plan fell through because of Dana White.
Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, St-Pierre revealed that the UFC CEO's well-known beef with De La Hoya nixed the deal. The former champion's UFC contract also played a role in the fight not coming to fruition.
St-Pierre said:
"It didn’t happen because Dana White told me no. Dana White hates Oscar De La Hoya... I still had ties with UFC and Dana."
When De La Hoya's name was mentioned, White went into an expletive rant, according to St-Pierre.
He added:
"And then he [White] called me after, he said he wanted me to fight Khabib, but Khaib already retired and I already retired so..."
Watch Georges St-Pierre's comments below from 38:10: