Boxing trainer and analyst extraordinaire Teddy Atlas does not mince words. He has a number of times lauded the UFC for consistently putting on fights between the best. It’s normal in mainstream sports of course, but in boxing, not so much. Atlas has received intense criticism for boxing fans for the comments, but on a recent episode of Fight with Teddy Atlas, responded.

“Those of you guys who have been giving me a little grief, you know what, first of all, you’re right, that I’ve been pushing UFC and I’m a boxing guy my whole life,” he began. “45 years, maybe a little more. You’re not wrong. I got you. But let me ask you a fair question.

I am here to report what’s going on. I am the weatherman. I’ve got to tell you if it’s raining, or if it’s snowing, or it’s gonna be sunny. Boxing hasn’t given us a lot of sunny days. I have news for you, it’s been rainy. … I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO REPORT THE RAIN?!”

I know they all said, ‘Teddy is giving love to the UFC, Teddy is betraying us.’ I ain’t betrayed no one. I never betrayed no one. And I’m not about to start at this point in my life.

“If you’re putting on [boxing matches] on ESPN … and they are all sparring sessions, and UFC is putting on fights that are fights, what am I supposed to say, not say it? And not say that I am interested in it? And that I don’t appreciate the competitiveness that they are giving us? Damn right I am going to say it.” 

The Charlos have been saying ‘Lions Only.’ Okay, beautiful! That represents boxing. It sounds good, it’s great, beautiful, if it’s ‘Lions Only,’ fine. I am there. But when it’s Lions in there with not lions, I don’t know. But there haven’t been a lot of lions with lions that I have been seeing. If you got lions in there with prairie dogs, you know what? If I wanna see that, I would go to the zoo.