Wes Watson, a fitness influencer who rose to prominence after serving time in prison, has ignited controversy with his dismissive comments about professional combat sports athletes, calling them “squares” and questioning their abilities outside the controlled environment of a sanctioned match.
In a video that has spread across social media, Watson expressed his unfiltered opinions about professional martial artists, claiming they lack real-world effectiveness.
“Pro fighters are pus***s, okay? They’re only good in the ring,” Watson stated in the viral clip. “People I know will not accept a loss, okay? If a pro fighter took, did his jujitsu on him, then the guy’s going to come back and duct tape his family.”
Watson continued his critique by suggesting that professional fighters operate in an unrealistic bubble: “You guys live in a fantasy world where pro fighters aren’t the biggest squares on the planet.”
The fitness entrepreneur, who has built a following through his Watson Fit brand and motivational content, went on to dismiss organized combat sports entirely, saying, “UFC fighting is gay. Like all that stuff, like MMA fighting and all that stuff is for people who never really were in fights.”
According to Watson, his approach to confrontation differs fundamentally from trained athletes. “Like they never whooped [people] their whole life. So they’re always like, ‘I’m going to train and fight.’ Like I’ve always just handled stuff very easily. I never had to think about fighting because I always just extinguished the problem.”
Watson’s comments have sparked significant backlash from the combat sports community. Currently, the fitness influencer is reportedly facing legal challenges in Miami, with felony battery charges stemming from incidents in late 2024 and early 2025.
The controversy highlights the often contentious relationship between traditional martial arts training and claims of “street effectiveness” – a debate that has persisted for decades in combat sports circles.
Many professional fighters and trainers maintain that structured training provides both the skills and discipline needed for self-defense, while critics like Watson argue that formal training doesn’t prepare individuals for the unpredictable nature of real-world confrontations.
ADCC winner Gordon Ryan was among the first to put Wes on blast, along with UFC veteran Dean Lister:
