War Machine Cut for Tanner Comments & Declined Fight

War Machine, formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver, recently found out the hard way that you don’t play hardball with the UFC and more specifically you don’t play hardball with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva.

The cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter 6″ recently spoke with MMAJunkie.com about why he was cut from the number one MMA organization citing comments about Evan Tanner’s recent death and a declined fight as the determining factors for his immediate release.

The first blow to the UFC came via comments that War Machine left in a Myspace bulletin about the possible cause of UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner’s death.

In his bulletin, which he inevitably took down, the 26 year old contributed Tanner’s death to depression and stated that he believed in his heart that Evan took his own life. He also took a stab at the UFC, citing Tanner’s lack of pay as one of the reasons for his depression.

“I still believe in my heart it was a suicide,” War Machine said. “Whether or not — maybe he didn’t shoot himself in the head, but I think he went up there maybe with plans not to come back. I just think he was a great fighter, he was a champion, and I guarantee you that he never made [expletive] for money. I guarantee you that he was at the end of his rope. There was no chance for a comeback. He was depressed, guaranteed. He had just lost to Kendall [Grove]. He was getting older. He knows he has no retirement plan. He had nothing, dude. That could be the outcome for a lot of fighters, myself included. I for damn sure guarantee you that if I’m in my 40s and I didn’t make enough money and I don’t have my own gym to support myself or whatever, I’ll probably kill myself too.”

War Machine believes that the final straw came when he declined to accept a bout with a relatively unknown fighter, Brandon Wolff. When Jon was told to “take it or leave it” by UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, he decided to roll the dice and told Silva he would wait for another opponent. That combined with what Silva called “a dumbass comment on Evan Tanner” was all the ammunition Joe Silva needed to cut War Machine from the roster.

“Joe Silva — he was pretty much on a power trip,” War Machine said. “He was like, ‘I already told you that I already have Wolff for War Machine. I don’t know who he is thinking he’s negotiating with me. You know what? I’m sick of this guy.’ Then he brought up the Evan Tanner thing. ‘He made a dumbass comment on Evan Tanner. He’s not supporting the UFC. You know what? War Machine is cut.’ And they cut me.” 

Despite being kicked out of the UFC, with which he originally signed a 10 fight contract, War Machine remains humble in his future options as a fighter.

War Machine admits that he still has a lot to learn and that he wouldn’t have made contender status in the UFC for while anyway. He plans on one day returning to the UFC but not at the cost of his integrity.

“I’m the kind of guy who’s real independent, and I don’t take [expletive] from anyone,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s Joe Silva or Dana White. I don’t care who it is. I’m not going to bow down to anyone. … I’m not going to be bullied by anyone.”

War Machine wasted little time sulking over his recent cut and has already lined up a main event bout with a smaller organization that will take place in mid-October. He says that he was surprised by the amount of money he was offered to fight at such a small show.