Morning Report: Jessica-Rose Clark says Dominick Cruz’s call out of Hans Molenkamp ‘put all of us on the chopping block’
Earlier this year, following his win over Casey Kenney at UFC 259, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz made headlines by calling out Monster Energy business development representative Hans Molenkamp. Monster is a longtime sponsor of the UFC and several of its fighters and Cruz went on to explain that his beef with Molenkamp was based on Molenkamp allegedly making unreasonable demands on fighters backed by the threat of withholding sponsorship money. Ultimately, the two buried the hatchet with Cruz saying last week that things are all good, but now Cruz may have another party to make amends with.
Jessica-Rose Clark is another Monster-sponsored UFC fighter, currently competing in the women’s bantamweight division, and though Cruz and Molenkamp have kissed and made up, Clark says she still takes issue with Cruz’s outburst.
“His whole argument was that Hans is a clout chaser but Hans isn’t using Dom’s name for f—king anything,” Clark told Drake Riggs of MyMMANews. “Dom’s the one who brought him up in that interview and was all, ‘Ah, I’ll still fight him for charity.’ Who’s clout chasing now, Dominick Cruz?
“I don’t know, that whole thing pissed me off because one, I’ve been friends with Hans since before I was ever on the Monster team. He was one of the very first friends I made when I moved to the U.S. His kids call me ‘Auntie Jessy,’ I’m super close with his wife. He’s such a f*cking great man and he goes out of his way to help everyone that he can. And for Dom to turn around and do that because I don’t know what his reason was, he was still contracted by Monster, he was still getting paid by them every month. I don’t know what created that.”
Following Cruz’s public airing of grievances, Cruz’s teammate Angela Hill spoke out about Molenkamp and former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping also backed up some of Cruz’s allegations. Then there was San Diego-based photographer Courtney Henderson who claimed that Molenkamp had him black-balled from working with Monster-sponsored fighters. But even though Cruz wasn’t the only person to speak out against Molenkamp, merely the first, Clark blames Cruz for the backlash that ultimately didn’t just affect him, but nearly cost her the sponsorship as well.
“He put all of us on the chopping block,” Clark said. “I nearly lost my job, we all almost lost our jobs because of him. Because he was f*cking selfish. I’m glad that they’ve worked stuff out because I don’t care about Dominick Cruz at all. But I’m glad for Hans’ sake that they’ve worked it out because it put so much stress on him because him and Dom have been friends for years. That was heartbreaking to have someone that you thought was a friend call you out publicly like that when you hadn’t done anything to them. That was f*cked up, that was a dick move.
“I’m glad that it’s kind of washed away now because I don’t know that many people understand how much damage Dominick did, not just to Hans but to all of us, every single person on the Monster team. He jeopardized all of our jobs and I’ll forever be angry at him about that.”
Clark is set to compete this weekend at when she takes on Joselyne Edwards on the main card of UFC Vegas 41.
TOP STORIES
Changes. Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori verbally agree to 195-pound catchweight fight at UFC Vegas 41.
Charges. Italian DJ files charges against Conor McGregor following alleged assault: ‘He is dangerous, he needs to be stopped’.
Chances. Fedor Emelianenko says there is ‘a chance’ that Bellator 269 will be last fight.
Feud. Jan Blachowicz doubles down on Corey Anderson: ‘He’s just a coward and quitter’.
Suspension. UFC’s Kevin Lee gets temporary suspension for positive test for banned stimulant.
Escape. Afghan promoter, MMA fighters flee country with help of UFC, Save Our Allies after Taliban takeover.
VIDEO STEW
The MMA Hour.
Best finishes of Fedor Emelianenko and Timothy Johnson in Bellator.
Daniel Cormier interview Kamaru Usman.
Free fights.
LISTEN UP
We Got Next. Interviews with Jake Hadley and Joseph Holmes.
Heavy Hands. Discussing UFC Vegas 41, Bellator, and ONE Championship.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Reaction.
Wine is a hell of a drug ! https://t.co/zllixhLVZ9
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) October 20, 2021
I think if Vettori agrees to face Costa at 195lbs, he should still get 50% of his purse, and at least five bottles of red wine from Costa’s fight week stash.#UFC #RedWine #BodyBuilding
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) October 21, 2021
I feel like Costa is playing mind games and regularly cuts 20~ in water. I wonder if he will be one of the first to the scales on Friday morning
— Louis Smolka (@LASTSAMURAIUFC) October 20, 2021
Gaming the system
— Brian BOOM Kelleher (@brianboom135) October 21, 2021
Im not fighting for 6 1/2 weeks and Costa weighs more than me smh.
— Brendan Allen (@BrendanAllenMMA) October 20, 2021
I’m here! Said that million times ♂️ https://t.co/lpH7zV6dhh
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) October 20, 2021
Corey Anderson.
This guy still talking bout me and the "b league".... since when has someone so confident in their greatness worried more about someone in "lower" league than the person they have to fight in a week.... whos last lost might I add was to ME as well... you better not lose this one.
— Corey 'Overtime' Anderson (@CoreyA_MMA) October 20, 2021
Prospect exchange.
Damn you ride fat boys nuts harder than his warts. Jump off and breathe bro, life is good. You makin people think you Paddy behind the account
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) October 20, 2021
Will u be in NYC for ufc 268? U can get a pic with me then if ya want bro
— Paddy Pimblett (@PaddyTheBaddy) October 20, 2021
Embarrassing himself ♂️
— Paddy Pimblett (@PaddyTheBaddy) October 20, 2021
You been fighting 6 years longer than me and you just got into the UFC at the same time. Weird.
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) October 20, 2021
And? I proved my worth in other organisations I didn’t have to go on the contender series like a bum to get signed! I got signed off my own back off my own name I didn’t have to get knocked out on the contender series to get signed
— Paddy Pimblett (@PaddyTheBaddy) October 20, 2021
In cage warriors? That's like me hanging in lfa in for 7 years
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) October 20, 2021
I turned down the ufc twice while u had to get knocked out on worldwide television an everyone feel sorry for u to even get signed don’t ever compare LFA to the biggest organisation in Europe either
— Paddy Pimblett (@PaddyTheBaddy) October 20, 2021
Bro you been fighting since 2012 I got in ufc within 4 years of fighting ugly boy we are not the same nothing special about yah you just got noticed this year we are built different took you almost a decade to get to ufc lol your trash #seeyousoonboi
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) October 20, 2021
My next opponent is on a 3 fight win streak lad, a better fighter than Terence ♂️
— Paddy Pimblett (@PaddyTheBaddy) October 20, 2021
Good luck, I legit want you to win. If you don't win we don't get to fight. I want you to be successful, dont confuse it. Make your
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) October 20, 2021
Same to u lad I don’t wish anyone bad luck, hope u come home with a nice bonus it’s what we fight for. But let’s see what the future holds for the pair of us ya never know we cud have punched each others faces in by this time next year ♂️
— Paddy Pimblett (@PaddyTheBaddy) October 20, 2021
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Jonathan Martinez (13-4) vs. Zviad Lazishvili (12-0); UFC Vegas 41, Oct. 23.
Sergio Pettis (21-5) vs. Kyoji Horiguchi (29-3); Bellator 272, Dec. 3.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow.
EXIT POLL
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