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14/07/08 - MMA News: Baroni will not be pressing charges
Phil Baroni says he will not be pressing charges after being subjected to a cowardly assault by an associate of his defeated opponent Scott Jansen at Saturday night’s Cage Rage event.
“These things happen.” Said Baroni. “It must be tough to see a loved one get knocked out like that. Emotions ran high. I want to put this behind me.”
Baroni, who was making his welterweight debut, knocked Jansen out in the first round of their fight.
As medical staff surrounded Jansen, Baroni approached to check on his condition and was unexpectedly headbutted by Jansen’s associate, who then immediately fled the ring.
Insult was added to injury when Jansen’s girlfriend launched into a foul-mouthed tirade against Baroni.
But Baroni stayed calm and made no attempt to exact retribution for the assault – although his cornerman Mark Coleman was reportedly eager to do so.
The incident was broadcast live and once again calls into question Cage Rage’s policy of allowing friends and family into the cage after fights.
Cage Rage co-promoter Dave O’Donnell says that action has already been taken following the incident and that the organisation “has issued a ban on a member of Scott’s family attending future fights.”
He added that Cage Rage has also “launched an immediate investigation into cage side security”.
“This should not have happened. Baroni has shown a lot of dignity throughout,” he said.
John O’Regan
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