Ever since the Gracie family unleashed the famed Gracie Challenge, self-proclaimed tough guys have been coming out of the woodwork and going to gyms in an often vain attempt to test themselves against trained fighters.
A video recently surfaced featuring former UFC welterweight Josh Neer laying an absolute beating on a man who had allegedly challenged him on Facebook.
Apparently this practice isn't all that uncommon.
According to UFC lightweight Tony Ferguson, who faces Gleison Tibau at UFC 184 on Saturday, most fighters aren't going out of their way to throw down with a legion of internet trolls, but at the same time, they aren't going to run away from a challenge.
"These guys, they don't know who they're messing with," Ferguson said at UFC 184 media day, according to MMAFighting.com's Marc Raimondi. "We're not gangsters. We're not out there to hurt anybody. We're here to be professional athletes, but you have these internet trolls out there, they take pride in going out there and doing that stuff. Sometimes you gotta brush it off, but some things can get personal. That video is a message to all those guys out there that want to think they're big, bad and tough. We'll invite them to the gym, too. I'll give them a pair of gloves. Want to meet at the park? We'll do that, too. I'm gonna make you sign a waiver beforehand. You're gonna walk out the same way that Josh Neer finished that guy."
Also scheduled to fight at UFC 184, former welterweight title-contender Josh Koshcheck is no stranger to taking challenges from unknown fighters looking to prove themselves.
"I've been in that situation a long time ago where a guy showed up at my gym, he signed a waiver and wanted to fight me," Koscheck said. "Verbally, I said on video, 'Are you OK to do this?' He said, 'Absolutely.' It didn't go well for him. But I credit him a lot of respect for him wanting to try it."
For more fighter reaction to the developing Neer situation, click here.
