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War of Words: Browning vs. Miller
As arguably the most hated fighter in the eight seasons of “The
Ultimate Fighter” reality show, his antics included everything from
a post-fight jump into the Octagon to throwing a glass at a fellow
cast member and everything in between.
Still, Junie Allen Browning parlayed his antics into a main card bout against David Kaplan at “The Ultimate Fighter 8” Finale, and now the 24-year-old finds himself on the main card again. This time, he will take on season five alum Cole Miller at UFC Fight Night 18 on Wednesday at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
And he’s bringing some pre-fight hype with him.
In an interview with FiveOuncesofPain.com, Browning (3-0) discussed Miller’s past bouts, particularly his victory against Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jorge Gurgel. Miller (14-3) submitted Gurgel with a triangle choke in the final seconds of their UFC 86 bout in July.
“It was more of a mistake on Gurgel’s part,” Browning said. “He hasn’t really shown me anything spectacular on the ground.”
The comments lit a fire under Miller, a BJJ brown belt under Ricardo Liborio at American Top Team.
“I don’t know,” Miller told the Sherdog Radio Network’s Savage Dog Show last week. “The guy’s a douche bag if you ask me. I don’t think he’s too smart, and I don’t really think a lot of him. That’s what’s going on. He runs his mouth too much.”
Junie Allen Browning exclusive
interview.
Asked whether or not Browning’s comments were just part of his
typical pre-fight antics, “Magrinho” -- which means “skinny” in
Portugese -- said it mattered not.
“I don’t care if that’s what he’s doing or not,” Miller said. “It’s personal to me. He pretty much told me that I’m not good at stand-up, I’m not good at wrestling and I’m not good at jiu-jitsu. Alright, I guess I’ll go back to college and find a new trade.”
Miller responded by questioning Browning’s jiu-jitsu credentials and believes his comments were disrespectful to Liborio.
“He’s the one running his mouth about how he doesn’t think my jiu-jitsu is anything to brag about, but I outrank him under a much more prestigious instructor,” Miller said. “So I don’t know where he’s getting off running his mouth on my jiu-jitsu skills.”
Miller did give Browning credit for at least one aspect of his game.
“I think that he’s tough, and I think that tough can go a long way,” Miller said. “But as far as what I think of his technical skills, I think that it’s very elementary and very subpar, especially compared to my skill set.”
Browning thinks his comments were blown out of proportion.
“I did an interview and they were asking me about guys he’s fought and stuff, and I said something about the Gurgel fight saying it was more a mistake on Gurgel’s part, not necessarily Cole’s slick jiu-jitsu, and for some reason he takes it as if I said he was lucky,” Browning told the Sherdog Radio Network’s Beatdown last week. “I never said anything like that, so I don’t know why he takes it that way. Maybe it’s just something to hype himself up for the fight. He took it completely the wrong way, and I actually said on that interview that prior to taking a fight with him and stuff, I was a fan of his.”
The self-proclaimed “redneck from Kentucky” chalks it up to his time spent on season eight of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
“Obviously, he doesn’t like me, but he probably DVR’d the season and watched it and now he doesn’t like me,” Browning said. “I don’t know. I never really started saying stuff either way until he started saying a bunch of stuff. But I don’t really let it get to me. I don’t care.”
Browning’s nonchalant attitude comes from his belief that Miller is just one of his many “fans.”
“I understand where people come from,” he said. “I even understand where Cole comes from. That’s why I’m not taking it personal as much. When 99 percent of the country hates me, it’s not hard to believe that he’s one of those guys.”
If you ask Browning to look back his TUF experience and determine whether or not it was worth the notoriety that resulted, his response remains steadfast.
“I mean, it wasn’t completely intentional,” Browning said. “Everyone thinks I did it all on purpose. It wasn’t that. I didn’t really care. When I went on the show, I said, if people are going to like me, they’re going to like me. There’s a demographic out there for everybody. There’s got to be a demographic out there for cranky drunken rednecks from Kentucky. So I said, I’ll just be myself and somebody will like me. I feel like I have the biggest fan base of anyone on the show so far. Just as many people probably hate me, but screw it. Who cares? I’m on the main card.”
Many believe Browning’s shenanigans on the show set a poor example for the sport. He claims he had MMA’s best interest in mind.
“I think that some of the prior seasons that weren’t as entertaining … that’s what brings the ratings down,” he said. “I think the better the ratings for the show, even if it’s for people that aren’t normally hardcore MMA fans, it gets a different demographic watching mixed martial arts, and I think in the long run they become MMA fans. The only people that don’t like the way the show is are hardcore MMA fans, but they’re going to be MMA fans regardless. We need to get new fans.”
Still, Junie Allen Browning parlayed his antics into a main card bout against David Kaplan at “The Ultimate Fighter 8” Finale, and now the 24-year-old finds himself on the main card again. This time, he will take on season five alum Cole Miller at UFC Fight Night 18 on Wednesday at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
And he’s bringing some pre-fight hype with him.
In an interview with FiveOuncesofPain.com, Browning (3-0) discussed Miller’s past bouts, particularly his victory against Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jorge Gurgel. Miller (14-3) submitted Gurgel with a triangle choke in the final seconds of their UFC 86 bout in July.
“It was more of a mistake on Gurgel’s part,” Browning said. “He hasn’t really shown me anything spectacular on the ground.”
The comments lit a fire under Miller, a BJJ brown belt under Ricardo Liborio at American Top Team.
“I don’t know,” Miller told the Sherdog Radio Network’s Savage Dog Show last week. “The guy’s a douche bag if you ask me. I don’t think he’s too smart, and I don’t really think a lot of him. That’s what’s going on. He runs his mouth too much.”
“I don’t care if that’s what he’s doing or not,” Miller said. “It’s personal to me. He pretty much told me that I’m not good at stand-up, I’m not good at wrestling and I’m not good at jiu-jitsu. Alright, I guess I’ll go back to college and find a new trade.”
Miller responded by questioning Browning’s jiu-jitsu credentials and believes his comments were disrespectful to Liborio.
“He’s the one running his mouth about how he doesn’t think my jiu-jitsu is anything to brag about, but I outrank him under a much more prestigious instructor,” Miller said. “So I don’t know where he’s getting off running his mouth on my jiu-jitsu skills.”
Miller did give Browning credit for at least one aspect of his game.
“I think that he’s tough, and I think that tough can go a long way,” Miller said. “But as far as what I think of his technical skills, I think that it’s very elementary and very subpar, especially compared to my skill set.”
Browning thinks his comments were blown out of proportion.
“I did an interview and they were asking me about guys he’s fought and stuff, and I said something about the Gurgel fight saying it was more a mistake on Gurgel’s part, not necessarily Cole’s slick jiu-jitsu, and for some reason he takes it as if I said he was lucky,” Browning told the Sherdog Radio Network’s Beatdown last week. “I never said anything like that, so I don’t know why he takes it that way. Maybe it’s just something to hype himself up for the fight. He took it completely the wrong way, and I actually said on that interview that prior to taking a fight with him and stuff, I was a fan of his.”
The self-proclaimed “redneck from Kentucky” chalks it up to his time spent on season eight of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
“Obviously, he doesn’t like me, but he probably DVR’d the season and watched it and now he doesn’t like me,” Browning said. “I don’t know. I never really started saying stuff either way until he started saying a bunch of stuff. But I don’t really let it get to me. I don’t care.”
Browning’s nonchalant attitude comes from his belief that Miller is just one of his many “fans.”
“I understand where people come from,” he said. “I even understand where Cole comes from. That’s why I’m not taking it personal as much. When 99 percent of the country hates me, it’s not hard to believe that he’s one of those guys.”
If you ask Browning to look back his TUF experience and determine whether or not it was worth the notoriety that resulted, his response remains steadfast.
“I mean, it wasn’t completely intentional,” Browning said. “Everyone thinks I did it all on purpose. It wasn’t that. I didn’t really care. When I went on the show, I said, if people are going to like me, they’re going to like me. There’s a demographic out there for everybody. There’s got to be a demographic out there for cranky drunken rednecks from Kentucky. So I said, I’ll just be myself and somebody will like me. I feel like I have the biggest fan base of anyone on the show so far. Just as many people probably hate me, but screw it. Who cares? I’m on the main card.”
Many believe Browning’s shenanigans on the show set a poor example for the sport. He claims he had MMA’s best interest in mind.
“I think that some of the prior seasons that weren’t as entertaining … that’s what brings the ratings down,” he said. “I think the better the ratings for the show, even if it’s for people that aren’t normally hardcore MMA fans, it gets a different demographic watching mixed martial arts, and I think in the long run they become MMA fans. The only people that don’t like the way the show is are hardcore MMA fans, but they’re going to be MMA fans regardless. We need to get new fans.”
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