Yes, Dexter and your experience with Bustamante? Also, any experience with Belfort? Huge fan as he's the very last of the original UFC first generation fighters.
Hey Guys,
I have been asked about several people in terms of my own experiences with them. I offer the following as only MY experiences and MY opinions which,
are just mine, limited and not exhaustive. However, here they are:
1) You are correct in that Dexter did give Craig advice on dieting for his first show after bombing out at his first Night of Champions (Victor won that his first time).
Craig ended up taking 3rd place in Orlando. Dexter did not compete in that show.
Craig then offered to pay Dexter to help him for the next show and Dexter refused with a bullshit response that Craig was competition for him and he couldn't do that
to himself. Complete bullshit. Dexter was at this point rising to the top and Craig was a mid-level pro at best. Dexter could've been honest with his "friend". Or, he could've
offered to help but not to as much time as would interfere with his own schedule. Bottom line is, he just didn't care enough to help someone else.
I also had a debate with Dexter after an Olympia contest where ALL competitors MUST appear at a Banquet IMMEDIATELY after the actual night show ends. I somehow, always sneak
in. Actually, Robin Chang sits at the door and checks attendance and welcomes me and lets me right in. It is closed to the fans. Well, Dexter had a 16 button Steve Harvey yellow
as a bee suit on and insisted his suits were better than mine. Craig informed Dexter that he was wrong but Dexter insisted on rubbing me further. Finally, Craig told him that I
own 82 custom made suits with a thread count of at least 160. Dexter didn't even understand that. I just laughed an walked away.
I will say this about Dexter. I spent some time with him immediately after he had just won the Mr. O and he was genuinely elated and humbled. He felt honored and carried himself
very well that night. He was gracious with the fans for photos and comported himself well the entire year.
2) Murilo Bustamante was, in the end, another stereotypical Brazilian in the sense that he was ungrateful and had a sense of entitlement.
I went to him for private lessons at his Brazilian Top Team academy in Rio. That is not something most Gracie guys do but to me, Jiu-Jitsu is an open book and I am free to study
with anyone whom I choose. Well, I went and the very first thing is that he doesn't take me seriously until I mention I will pay more than his usual fee. Now he has all the time for me.
I begin every single first private lesson with whomever I am training with the same question: You are me. I can not get away from a guy and I know we are going to fight.
What is MY first move? Remember, I am 5 foot 7 inches tall with NO reach. Bustamante tells me to throw a right cross to the face!!! Really!!! Have you seen the reach on Bustamante?
I express my doubts and ask him why he took up BJJ if his first move is what every idiot on the planet can do after never training a single minute. I don't get a coherent answer. In
attempting to have him assess my physical attributes and discuss what I feel comfortable doing, I still get nowhere with him.
Let me say this; he was very nice. The training was very good.
The following Christmas I had someone deliver to him and one of his students who lived in a favela a very nice Michael Cross watch.
Did he ever email me a thank you? No. In fact, he was right there at the World Championships the next summer while I was competing, saw me, saw I had no
coach or anyone with me and never even came up to me. That sealed the deal on my opinion of Bustamante.
3) Vitor Belfort: I have never had any interaction with him at all. I only know of the omnipresent rumors in Brasil that he is bi-sexual. I don't like rumors about me and that
is why I don't usually follow up on rumors about others. I really don't know anything about him.
Harley