Last October, Josh Burkman, fresh off the biggest win of his career over former UFC contender Jon Fitch, lost a fight for the World Series of Fighting welterweight title to the relatively unknown underdog Steve Carl. A huge favorite, Burkman was caught in a triangle choke in the fourth round and ended the night unconscious rather than victorious.
Burkman rallied with a win in a follow-up bout against Tyler Stinson and, with a 9-2 record since being released from the UFC in 2008, was invited back to the promotion to compete against Hector Lombard at UFC 182. It was a piece of matchmaking many in the MMA community found curious. Lombard is the sixth-ranked welterweight in the promotion and on the short list for a title shot.
Matching him with a promotional outsider, particularly one with a recent high-profile loss, seemed unusual for the normally meticulous UFC matchmaking team. Ben Askren, himself a welterweight star and a vocal UFC critic, went after the bout on Twitter, writing:
Get beat up by Steve Carl then get to fight the #3 guy in the world. Makes perfect sense :) #ufclogic
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) October 3, 2014
That was all par for the course. It was only when Burkman responded to the jibe, calling the Carl loss into question, that things took a strange turn. In a tweet since deleted (h/t Brent Brookhouse of Bloody Elbow), Burkman claimed he lost the fight on purpose in order to make a UFC return possible:
Evrybdy knws I lost that fight to get out of my contract. No 1 releases champions. Only one belt counts, that's why ur bitter; )
On the surface, it may not make sense that losing a fight would open the doors to a premium organization like the UFC, but losing the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) title may have done just that. Like many promotions, including the UFC, sources tell Bleacher Report that WSOF had an option allowing them to extend the term of his contract for at least one additional fight if he was champion.
This means that beating Carl would have delayed Burkman's ability to make a UFC return up to a year as he finished out his contract and the extension. Many MMA promotions allow fighters an "out" to go to the UFC. WSOF, however, does not have a UFC "out" in its contract.
"I encourage you to review Josh's subsequent comments to other members of the media," UFC spokesman Dave Sholler told Bleacher Report. "He admitted it was an attempt at sarcasm."
@mmaencyclopedia #sarcasm 2 Askren 4 saying I got beat up. I won my next fight and signed a new 3 fight deal after that. Think about?
— Joshua Burkman (@JoshBurkman) October 5, 2014
@mmaencyclopedia Because sometimes as a fighter you try to disguise the heartache of a big loss w excuses or sarcasm.
— Joshua Burkman (@JoshBurkman) October 5, 2014
Though Burkman has indeed claimed his tweet to Askren was "sarcasm," it could have major implications if others look into it. The Nevada State Athletic Commission takes a fighter's integrity seriously. According to Nevada Code, knowingly throwing a fight would be grounds for disciplinary action:
The Commission may suspend or revoke the license of, otherwise discipline or take any combination of such actions against a licensee who has, in the judgment of the Commission:
1. Violated the laws of Nevada, except for minor traffic violations;
2. Violated any provision of this chapter;
3. Provided false or misleading information to the Commission or a representative of the Commission;
4. Failed or refused to comply with a valid order of a representative of the Commission;
5. Conducted himself or herself at any time or place in a manner which is deemed by the Commission to reflect discredit to unarmed combat;
6. Knowingly dealt or consorted with any person who:
(a) Has been convicted of a felony;
(b) Engages in illegal bookmaking;
(c) Engages in any illegal gambling activity;
(d) Is a reputed underworld character;
(e) Is under suspension from any other Commission; or
(f) Is engaged in any activity or practice that is detrimental to the best interests of unarmed combat; or
7. Had personal knowledge that an unarmed combatant suffered a serious injury during training for a contest or exhibition and failed or refused to inform the Commission about that serious injury.
Watching the fight over again is inconclusive. Personally, it looked like a standard fight to me. But with jaded eyes, some things certainly stand out. The fight, despite Burkman's status as a feared striker, occurred mostly on the mat. Even in real time, reporters at Sherdog noted some irregularities during their live blog of the event:
Burkman has Carl back on the canvas, but “The People’s Warrior” this time backs out and allows Carl to stand. Neither man seems willing to commit fully on their strikes early in the frame.
At Bloody Elbow, Nate Wilcox noted things didn't look quite right, especially with Burkman in top position in the third round:
Burkman is on top in full mount and isn't really doing anything. So Carl is able to explode to his feet. then he almost dives into the choke again. This is a weird fight.
At the very least, it's another lesson to athletes that Twitter can be a dangerous game, especially when the message is subtle. Burkman maintains he was poking fun at Askren and not actually admitting to losing on purpose to Carl. He told Bleacher Report that fighters often use sarcasm "to disguise the heartache of a big loss" and puts the blame on social media's inability to convey humor or emotion.
"I would phrase it a little different if I could," Burkman said. "It seems most people got it and others are looking for a story."
Officials from World Series of Fighting did not immediately respond to request for comment.
