Burt Watson Looks After UFC Fighters?
Posted on 24 May 2012
by MMAScoops.com Staff

Burt Watson spoke with MMA Junkie about an incident in Los Angeles where the fighters of the UFC looked after him for a change.

He has been called the "babysitter to the stars" because he's responsible for every fighter's health when they show up to a fight. He was the one who broke up a group of people going after Phil Baroni, Kevin Randleman and Mark Coleman in a bar at one of the first events under the new ownership (either UFC 30 or 31, he said).

At an event in Los Angeles, Watson said that he was at the fighter hotel when a group of Brazilian fighters tried to check in. They didn't speak much English and the hotel clerk was unable to speak Portugese. Watson tried to help.

He said: "I walked over to the lady (and said), 'Do me a favor and have these guys stand aside'."

One guest said that Watson was cutting in line, and started complaining. Watson apologized, but then he heard the man say, "If they can't speak English, then they don't need to be standing here in this line."

Watson continued: "I said, 'I apologize, but that was an offensive thing you just said.' The Brazilian fighters were standing behind him. So as he got close to me, wiggling his head, I saw them kind of dropping their bags and just circling around this guy. I could see it, but he couldn't see it. I looked at him and I said, 'You know what, sir? I'm sorry. I'm going to take my kids, and I'm going to get out of this line'. You can have it.'"

He has worked for the UFC for twelve years. He checks on fighters after the bouts and pumps them up before. And he still gets respect from the fighters, such as when Jose Aldo (UFC featherweight champ) tries to go into the crowd after a fight like he did in the WEC (and Watson wouldn't let him). He did it in Brazil at UFC 142, but hasn't since.