Jacob Volkmann (right) | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Despite a visit from the Secret Service and a video appearance on “The Tonight Show” in which an edited-in Barack Obama rammed his head into a picture frame, Jacob Volkmann doesn’t regret his comments about the U.S. president.
In a video interview with MMAFighting.com after UFC 125, Volkmann had said he’d like Obama to be his next opponent. He criticized Obama’s health care plan, called him an idiot and said someone had to “knock some sense” into him.
Volkmann then got to clarify his comments to a Secret Service agent. Next was “The Tonight Show” spoof in which Obama handled Volkmann himself. With the national and local media attention, however, Volkmann has found a platform.
“I’m getting the message out, finally,” he said. “It just took a few days.”
Volkmann is a chiropractor who has his own business. He believes Obama’s health care bill has hurt the industry.
“I deal with a lot of insurance, and the bill gave insurance companies quite a bit of power,” Volkmann said. “But it forced them to also give insurance to everybody, which I’m not against that at all; I’m just against the power that they got to deny claims and to deny coverage to health care providers. So that’s why I was speaking: I was speaking through the provider’s standpoint, not the insured’s standpoint.”
Of course, not everyone wants to hear Volkmann’s thoughts on the matter. He’s received plenty of negative phone calls and e-mails.
“Mostly it was people looking me up, saying I should be ashamed of myself, that I’m not even a real doctor, I’m just a fighter, I should keep my mouth shut,” Volkmann said. “That was really irritating: people calling and telling me I’m just a fighter, I should keep my mouth shut.”
Volkmann has vowed to keep talking.
“What are they going to do? Somebody’s got to bring up these issues because who else is going to do it?” Volkmann said. “I’ve already got the attention on me. I might as well keep going with it.”
In fact, Volkmann said his next fight would be dedicated to “the Obama lovers” who called him. He’s not worried that his continued stance will generate criticism from fans either.
“They should know how I stand,” Volkmann said. “I’m going to stick with what I said. I have no regrets about what I said.”
Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:29:55) with Volkmann, who also discussed his win over Antonio McKee.