Gym instructor on Neer vs. Martin: 'It's better to be in the gym in a safe environment'
Former UFC welterweight Josh Neer set the internet ablaze this week when he posted the following video on Youtube:
According to Neer, he was teaching Patrick Martin (the unfortunate man on the other end of the beating) a lesson. Martin had apparently disrespected Neer on social media, and challenged "The Dentist" to a fight at RoundKick gym in Urbandale, Iowa, where Neer is an instructor and Martin had recently joined to train for an upcoming MMA bout.
"Basically the guys a dumbass and been talking shit about MMA fighters for a month," Neer wrote in a statement to BloodyElbow.com. The statement continued:
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."
Martin has since said the video doesn't accurately portray the fight, insisting he had the advantage until Neer attacked him following the end of the round.
RoundKick head instructor Pete Peterson didn't think the video was a correct representation of what happened, either. According to Peterson, Martin threw a few strikes and grappled with Neer a bit before Neer took control and unleashed his hands.
"It's better to be in the gym in a safe environment where it can be stopped than out in the street somewhere," Peterson told MMAjunkie.com's Steven Marrocco. "I've been in martial arts for 25 years. Back in the old-school days, you hear about people walking into a martial arts school challenging the instructor and getting beat down. I've never, ever seen that happen in my life.
"I think this is the first time anybody's actually challenged and been disrespectful to one of our coaches here, or even to myself or anybody. He just wouldn't let it go. He has, my gosh, 70, 80 pounds on Josh, about nine inches on Josh - he’s a bigger guy. So I let it go."
Although the video looks like a brutal attack, Martin was apparently not only fine afterwards, but he immediately stood up and starting talking trash.
"I don't know why he wasn't defending himself with the hands better, but he was not unconscious," Peterson said. "I was right there, and he got up and started running his mouth again. Then we kicked him out of the gym."