UFC Fighter Pummeled His Opponent by Imagining He Was a Racist: ‘I Know You Think I’m a Monkey’

Alonzo Menifield
Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Dylan Gwinn

A UFC fighter used an unconventional method to put himself in the right mindset for pummeling his opponent over the weekend: He imagined he was a racist.

UFC light heavyweight Alonzo Menifield left no doubt in the Octagon at the UFC Apex Saturday night as he relentlessly beat his opponent Askar Mozharov with elbow strikes from the crucifix position.

However, in his post-fight interview, Menifield left several reporters perplexed as he revealed how he got himself in the right mindset for beating his Ukrainian opponent.

“When I was fighting this guy in the fight, he was talking like, ‘I don’t feel that. That’s soft’,” Menifield said. “And then he started talking to me in a way that was disrespectful. So, you know, the gangster came out, old school.

“So right there and then, I was like, ‘Okay Alonzo, he is trying to throw you off this grappling thing.’ So you know what, I am going to grapple and wrestle him more. And yeah, that’s kind of why I was so crazy.”

But, it got even crazier. Menifield then said he imagined Mozharov calling him racist names.

“I told myself, ‘He thinks you’re a monkey,'” Menifield explained. “Seriously. I know it’s kind of crazy, but he is from Ukraine and me knowing what I know, it’s a mindset.”

According to reporters who were covering the fight, Menifield could in fact be heard telling Mozharov that he knew he thought Menifield was a “monkey.”

Say what you will about his methodology for getting himself in the right mindset, it worked. Menifield’s spectacular display improved his MMA record to 12-3. It must be said, however, there is no evidence that Mozharov said or did anything racist towards Menifield during the fight.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.