Bob Sapp Returns After a Three-Year Hiatus and Makes a Hasty Exit

Saturday night saw ROAD FC make their return to China in Changsha's Hunan International Conference and Exhibition Center for ROAD FC 032.

China has been kind to the Korean promotion and July 2 saw ROAD FC return to the country for the third time since their inaugural Chinese show on December 26 for ROAD FC 027.

ROAD FC's first visit to China was marred by controversy. Giant Korean kickboxer Hong Man Choi, the centrepiece for ROAD FC 027, earned a questionable "knockout" victory over bloated Chinese fighter Aorigele—a comical ending to a fight which drew claims of a fix.

Despite that questionable finish, ROAD FC's popularity hasn't stifled. Saturday's event was broadcast on China's CCTV5 network and the ratings were astronomical for any MMA show, let alone for a regional promotion. CCTV5 is the nation's main sports network and is free-to-air on Chinese TV, reaching in the region of 360 million homes. It's been reported over 40 million tuned in to watch ROAD FC's third show in the country.

ROAD FC appear to be paying homage to some of the odd Pride FC match-making in their forays into the Chinese market. The rotund Aorigele, who fell to Choi and isn't a stranger to controversy himself, has become somewhat of a cult hero on the Chinese MMA scene and he needed a big-name opponent to draw in casual eyes and build his own star. ROAD FC obviously plumped for Pride FC staple and in-ring tearjerker Bob Sapp.

Simply, Bob Sapp should stop fighting. It looked like fight fans' prayers had been answered as he hadn't appeared in the cage for little under three years before Saturday night's showing. But, if you want to get all nostalgic for freakshow fights from the Far East, ROAD FC 032's 40-second headliner delivered in that regard.

Swinging wildly, the boulder-shaped Aorigele barrelled forward and caught the American behemoth with some looping, wide arm punches before sending the former Minnesota Vikings linebacker with a shot which somewhat resembled a left cross, though it would appear the Chinese brawler has little semblance of technique in his striking repertoire.

Despite his swift loss, Sapp didn't do himself much of a disservice in his performance compared to his previous MMA outings—which says a lot. Sapp has attained a reputation for throwing fights or taking a dive to earn a quick buck. Despite the innocuous left hand which finished Sapp off, no one was calling this a fixed fight as he actually tried to engage with Aorigele, the self-styled "Kung-fu Panda of China" in the bout for a change.

Four years ago, MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani interviewed Sapp and called him out for his lackadaisical showings in a number of fights. It's an interview which should go down in MMA folklore as Sapp responded with some bizarre outbursts of nonsensical ramblings which attempted to justify his performances without really admitting he had deliberately thrown a fight before. "I am a pioneer of this sport. I currently hold every record for this MMA. That is correct? I have more commercials, more movies, more endorsements, and more viewerships than anyone has.

"Am I throwing these fights? No," said Sapp. "Will I go into that ring and receive large amounts of damage for small paychecks? No. I will receive no damage to my body that will be long-lasting for a small, insignificant amount of cash. I think we've now seen that with examples in the NFL, and the fact that some of these guys are coming back and saying 'hey, we want some money, we have brain damage.' I'm getting paid well underneath what a professional boxer would, or Manny Pacquiao. So in no means ever will I sustain long-lasting damage for a small paycheck. Never will that happen."

Pawing out a jab like a curious cat, Sapp never appears to truly want to be in the ring. Is this because he is out there to make a quick buck, or is it that age, years of head trauma, steroid abuse and a simple lack of fighting skill has caught up with him? To be fair, he never liked being hit. But, then he is the fighter who had MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in huge trouble after piledriving the Brazilian on his head in Pride.

At 42-years-old, Sapp isn't a competitive fighter and is merely a stepping stone for young or local talent promoted by irresponsible match makers—benefitting from the Asian and European MMA scenes lacking in official combat sport sanctioning bodies.

Do we still live in a world where MMA fans are impressed by a fighter beating a giant, hulking man on a 13-fight losing streak? A man who visibly doesn't want to fight back and will fold at the first sign of pressure? I certainly hope not.

Whether Sapp has been throwing these fights or is showing the effects of a long, abusive fight career, the message remains the same. Please, Bob, hang your gloves up.