I've been having second thoughts about this.It seems like Jimmy and Anthony were supposed to fight first. Jimmy even said how focused he was to fight the next day.
I also remember: 1) how these guys have problems with their weight and 2) how Brent kept saying he didn't have anything.
Could it be that Brent had to lose a sh*t-load of weight at the last second (being that everyone agreed he was gonna fight Joey at the end) in order to fight? That seems like a real possibility.
He looked unsure of himself all the way until fight time. First he knows he's not going to be at full strength. Then he also knows that he's been matched over his head now instead of the "easier" fight he had been focusing on.
If Anthony did what he did in order to get a weaknened Brent (physically and mentally) while he himself knew he was going to be in tip-top shape...that ain't too cool.
I think it violated the honor system between fighters, who know the weight and match-up issues, and thus it is why he won't get any respect from his teammates.
I feel for Cooper cuz' he was supposed to get an easier/equal match where he would have a timetable to focus on his plan.
At least he would've been able to put on a decent account of himself in losing (perhaps by decision) against Joey. Being thrown in there in the state he was in against an obviously superior fighter at the last second and with the outcome it was...
I just feel for the guy.
I'll still stick with Anthony and his right to choice, but it is kind of tainted now. He should've spoken up earlier, like Miguel. Also, I think some of the guys on the forum are right in that some fighters are trying to make the matchups whose outcomes would benefit THEM. So Anthony does have a sense of this and, obviously, is refusing to be cooperative.