Josh Neer Releases Statement On Controversial Gym Beating

Last night (Mon., February 23, 2015) UFC veteran and current Victory Fighting Championships (VFC) welterweight champion Josh Neer made headlines by destroying a random student in the gym and then posting it online:

While the beating appeared to be a vicious and brutal attack, Neer spoke up to Bloody Elbow with an official statement, noting that the victim of his aggression, a man named Patrick Martin, had been routinely bashing MMA fighters at his gym and simply acting like a bully overall:

“Basically the guy’s a dumbass and been talking shit about MMA fighters for a month. On and on, I usually ignore him but this Saturday he wrote me on Facebook the message I gave. He had written 10 messages to me talking shit, which I ignored, but this time I said if you really want to fight come to the gym Monday at 5:30.

I don’t know what his problem is but he’s a big guy, like 6-6 and 270 pounds and just acts like a bully. That what he seems like to me, just a bully.

He showed up at 6:10, 40 mins. into my practice. And then I asked him if he wanted to fight Rakim or me and Rakim is bigger then me so of course he chose me.”

Neer also provided some screen shots of text messages Martin had sent him talking a big game about how he was going to beat Neer up, perhaps lending some credibility to Neer’s actions.

Many are up in arms over the controversial video, but MMA is a violent sport, and if you talk trash to a veteran of over 50 professional fights and then go to his gym, you can probably expect a certain amount of physical backlash.

What is your stance on the controversy? Did Neer take things too far, or did Martin get just what he deserved?