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Oh yeah, absolutely, in a non-competitive environment. I'm just saying, it is relevant to assessing Joe's ability or lack thereof on the ground. I mean, even given all the necessary caveats and qualifiers, I still think that's impressive on some level or at least suggestive of a certain level of ability. I mean, take into account the context but also still take it into account. IMO.Yeah it happened and in a non competitive environment. Muhamad Ali got brutalised more than once in sparring. Guess what their sparring partners would never brag about "beating" him.
UFC and their employees was always a strange macho relationship kinda like pro wrestling. Either they elevated themselves to comical levels like with Rogan "I would beat mma fighters if I only wanted" and esp. Dana White stories or they would put down mma fighters to compensate their insecurities. This is part of these storylines.
As far as never bragging about beating someone sparring, I think we both know that isn't necessarily the case. I've run into it in grappling plenty and I've witnessed it when it came to sparring with others as well. It shouldn't be the case, because practice is practice, but it isn't. I mean, I know all about James Page allegedly knocking down DLH in sparring because he talked about it. How did the world know about Ernie Terrell breaking Ali's ribs in sparring? Might not have been Terrell that publicized it, but it got out. I actually know a guy who trained at Jackson's and brags about having tapped Greg Jackson of all people. I had a student that used to brag about his practice taps all the time. That's neither here nor there though. Just saying, plenty of people violate the "don't talk about it" rule.
As far as Rogan, do you really think he markets himself as superior to fighters? I think that might more be the way people talk about HIM, than how he talks about himself. Maybe I just haven't seen enough of his show, but from what I've seen, he's more into pumping up the abilities of the UFC fighters than into trying to present himself as on their level. For example, in describing a time where he hung out at a UFC after party, he said that he was in a room full of guys that "could rape me if they wanted to." I didn't get the idea that Rogan was trying to stroke his ego rolling with Rampage; the way he acted afraid before they started rolling suggests otherwise, for one. I think it was just a situation they were put into because it was part of what the UFC decided to record them doing.
That said, I think that making your staff seem on par with the fighters is horrible marketing. I think you want to sell the public on the elite, nearly superhuman level of the athletes you are asking them to invest their money in. I think to the extent the UFC does do what you're talking about them doing, it is a mistake. They probably think it is a good idea to invest in their brand over fighters because fighters come and go, win and lose, etc., but their brand is something they can control.