Shlemenko Confirms With 100% Certainty That Fighters Fake Injuries To Avoid Bad Match Ups

“I can tell you for sure, 100%, I know why there are so many injuries. I personally find UFC fights not as exciting because of all those injuries. There are a lot of background tactics around who’s fighting who; fighters are trying really hard to have a good record in the UFC. If you’ve been offered to fight someone who’s considered a bad match-up, then it’s pretty easy to say ‘hey, I’m injured’.

For example, they offered Brian Stann to fight Hector Lombard. He got injured, and then the next thing you know – he’s fighting Michael Bisping. I can see the logic – for Brian Stann it makes more sense to fight Bisping, he’s simply more popular in the UFC than Hector Lombard. That’s why beating Bisping means more than beating Lombard, who’s a risky opponent.

You can fake every injury. Just tell [UFC doctors] about the symptoms and that’s it.”

In an interview with a ValeTudo.ru, Bellator middleweight stand-out, Alexander Shlemenko tries to blow the whistle on a number of fighters who pull out of scheduled fights due to injury.

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Not sure about Stann but he's right for the most part.

i think he probably right. i couldnt imaging that sort of thing NOT happening. i dont think every fighter does it.

if you think about it though, if a fighter has a nagging injury he's been dealing with for a long time but has never had a chance to fix it, he might use that injury to pass up a small fight. then he can get totally healed and back at 100% in order take on bigger named opponents . fuck this is a waste of time because shlemenko pretty much said it. oh well

It doesn't surprise me although not every Injury is for this reason. And I'm not real sure about the whole "you need a good record" to stay in the UFC. Look at guys like Hardy, Lytle, and Gurgel. They are proof that if you put on exciting fights and the fans love you your probably gonna be given the benefit of the doubt

To tell the truth, I would probably do it so I could obtain a favorable matchup. I mean... If you ask everyone in the world who they would rather fight - Bisping or Lombard - you would get 7.33 billion people voting for Bisping, and three for Lombard. And those three would be Mousasi, Gono and Boetsch .

Sinosic never did

A must read

(Yeah, I'm talking to you Hector)

I think there was a typo on the cover

I love the PG. It has become sort of my internet home away from home and I would do everything in my power to not let a sour apple or a rule be the reason to not post anymore. Having said that, I feel disrespected as a fan when I cannot theorize about the performance of a fighter or question a fighter's heart. Yet it is perfectly fine when a direct and or indirect participant of the sport questions the integrity of fighters.

IMO, the fans who follow MMA are the most crucial element to this business and yet we are told to not bash or refrain from bashing fighters which includes questioning a fighter's heart and integrity and so forth. They way I see it, if we don't call fighters out about their hearts and integrity, things like matches being thrown and fighters faking injuries are more likely to occur. We, the fans, have a stake in this business and if our voices aren't heard, we can expect MMA to slowly make its way to becoming a sport of a joke like Boxing.

The counter response I am anticipating is, " This is the rule of the site and if you want to bash and question fighters' hearts and integrity, do so at your own leisure or at another site."

While I can respect the rules of any given site, it pains me to know and see someone can write an article or do an interview and bash fighters while we, the fans, are not allowed to do so in most prestige mma sites including this one.

I have had my doubts about many MMA related things including fighters but my voice can't be heard because of this rule. I can almost guarantee if I made the same claim as the thread title suggested, I will have been warned or told to stop.

Again, I love this site and I would not want to jeopardize its growth in any way, but how is the opinion of one fighter, promoter, manager, reporter and or writer - more valid and more acceptable than the fans, who are an intricate part of this MMA equation? I truly believe this fighter basing rule needs to be re-evaluated. I think the Playground is filled with respectful and intellectual posters who can theorize about a fighter's performance without having to ridicule the fighter.

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Posted by KungFuMaster

I love the PG. It has become sort of my internet home away from home and I would do everything in my power to not let a sour apple or a rule be the reason to not post anymore. Having said that, I feel disrespected as a fan when I cannot theorize about the performance of a fighter or question a fighter's heart. Yet it is perfectly fine when a direct and or indirect participant of the sport questions the integrity of fighters.

IMO, the fans who follow MMA are the most crucial element to this business and yet we are told to not bash or refrain from bashing fighters which includes questioning a fighter's heart and integrity and so forth. They way I see it, if we don't call fighters out about their hearts and integrity, things like matches being thrown and fighters faking injuries are more likely to occur. We, the fans, have a stake in this business and if our voices aren't heard, we can expect MMA to slowly make its way to becoming a sport of a joke like Boxing.

The counter response I am anticipating is, " This is the rule of the site and if you want to bash and question fighters' hearts and integrity, do so at your own leisure or at another site."

While I can respect the rules of any given site, it pains me to know and see someone can write an article or do an interview and bash fighters while we, the fans, are not allowed to do so in most prestige mma sites including this one.

I have had my doubts about many MMA related things including fighters but my voice can't be heard because of this rule. I can almost guarantee if I made the same claim as the thread title suggested, I will have been warned or told to stop.

Again, I love this site and I would not want to jeopardize its growth in any way, but how is the opinion of one fighter, promoter, manager, reporter and or writer - more valid and more acceptable than the fans, who are an intricate part of this MMA equation? I truly believe this fighter basing rule needs to be re-evaluated. I think the Playground is filled with respectful and intellectual posters who can theorize about a fighter's performance without having to ridicule the fighter.

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the main reasonis to keep the keyboard warriors out. if you just scan through threads and see comments, you see the usually posters "bashing" fighters but they are doing it in way that has knowledgeable facts and uses intellect instead of just slander. while yes sometimes ppl cross the line but no one is prefect.

yes you do have a point but you have the free will to write articles and get them posted on websites and then post them here. but like i said the majority of the posters are doing what you said "I think the Playground is filled with respectful and intellectual posters who can theorize about a fighter's performance without having to ridicule the fighter"

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Posted by Manak



the main reasonis to keep the keyboard warriors out. if you just scan through threads and see comments, you see the usually posters "bashing" fighters but they are doing it in a with knowledgeable facts and intellect instead of just slander. while yes sometimes ppl cross the line but no one is prefect.

yes you do have a point but you have the free will to write articles and get them posted on websites and then post them here. but like i said the majority of the posters are doing what you said "I think the Playground is filled with respectful and intellectual posters who can theorize about a fighter's performance without having to ridicule the fighter"

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The reason I'm pretty adamant about this topic is because I have been told to stop a few times already and it is mainly because I forget I cannot question a fighter's motive. Do you remember the Vitor and Anthony Johnson fight? Johnson came in overweight and blah blah blah...he lost. Since I can't tell you exactly what I think happened, all I can say is - that fight did not look right to me. Saying anything more than that will probably earn me a warning. I think if some things don't quite add up, we should be able to discuss it.

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Posted by FlashyG



I think there was a typo on the cover

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took me a couple of minutes but I lol'd when I found it.

I suspect Shlemenko is making this sound like a bigger problem than it is. I'm sure it happens but I doubt its widespread.

i find this very true, fighters may not be 'ducking' each other..but they def would fight a opponent who is rankd higher..if u ask a majority of fighters if they wantd to fight the 4th rank fighter or the 7th rank fighter, and one of em happens to be more known and more favorable to ur style, u would def fight that fighter, then the lesser known rankd fighter..its all bout inching closer to that title shot and being champ..plain and simple..and by beating the higher rank fighter that's what it does..

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Posted by FlashyG



I think there was a typo on the cover

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I found two errors.

another reason to do this, would also to be fighting on a different fight card for the location or ppv numbers. makes sense i would want to fight on home soil (or don't wanna go 11 hrs in a plane) as well as be on one fight card that gets a lot of views to get better name popularity.

It's possible, but I think the biggest reasons are the UFC paid insurance that covers injuries during training, the high stakes of fighting with an injury ( even minor one) that might increase the likelihood of a loss, and possibly just that the camp isn't going as planned or they are behind schedule in training and need more time. Overall I think fighters/managers do avoid certain matchups, but they do it during the matchup phase not during training after a fight has been taken.