The Best Eva'

It was reported yesterday that mediocre welterweight fighter Phil Baroni signed with the UFC after nearly 5 years away from the organization, a report confirmed by Baroni today.

My favorite part of this story are the comments by his former boss, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker. After the rumors started coming out that Baroni had a new UFC contract, Strikeforce came out and announced the release of Baroni. Coker said, "We wish Phil the best of luck and hope he can revive his career. If he can, maybe one day, he can return and fight for us."

That's absolutely laughable. That would be like DKV Joventut telling Ricky Rubio that they hope he can improve his game in the NBA and one day return to the Spanish leagues. Moving to the UFC from Strikeforce, Icon, and the other organizations Baroni was fighting for is far and away an improvement. The UFC is the major leagues, the big show.

True, Baroni was 0-2 in Strikeforce, but his two fights there sandwiched a 3-2 record. In any case, it's nothing like his first release from the UFC where he lost 4 fights in a row. No one (other than Phil himself) is claiming that he's anything special. There is no career to revive, he is what he's always been and what he will be until he retires: a poorly conditioned striker who likes to put on a show and run his mouth. Everyone, especially the UFC and their talent directors, knows this full well.

I really don't know who Coker is trying to fool. When someone moves from a bigger show to a smaller show, it's because they're a castoff who couldn't cut it. When someone moves from a smaller to a bigger show, it's either because they've proven themselves or the bigger show just wants to siphon away talent. In this case, it's probably a little of both. Baroni is not an elite fighter, but he would serve as a good test for young talent and a good showcase bout for fighters the UFC want to promote. His personality makes him marketable as he's one of those guys you hate to love or love to hate. UFC president Dana White has already declared war on Strikeforce and sadly, Baroni is one of their few legitimate talents both his new weight class at 170 and his old one at 185, although that loss was slightly mitigated by Strikeforce's signing of Matt Lindland. Coker's got to be hoping that this doesn't become a developing trend.