From “Mayhem” to “New York Bad Ass”.
VICE TV’s hit mixed martial arts (MMA) documentary series, The dark side of the cagecontinued its second season earlier this week with a spotlight on the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) knockout Phil Baroni.
The full episode titled “Phil Baron: The Fall of a New York Badass” is now available to watch online for free.
Watch it in the player embedded above.
Baroni was one of MMA’s most colorful and explosive personalities in the early years of the sport. The proud New Yorker made his UFC debut in 2001 and quickly became a fan favorite thanks to his aggressive fighting style, bodybuilding persona, outrageous interviews and unforgettable “New York Bad Ass” persona.
His 18-second knockout of the former UFC middleweight champion Dave Menn is one of the most memorable finishes of his career. Baroni later competed around the world for PRIDE FC, Strikeforce, EliteXC, Bellator, ONE Championship and several other promotions, sharing the cage with names such as Frank Shamrock, Nick Diaz, Evan Tanner, Matt Lindland, Yoshiyuki Yoshida and The Life of “Mach” Sakurai.
But Baron’s life outside the cage ended up being much darker than anything that happened in his 35-fight career.
In January 2023 Baroni was arrested after his death in Mexico of his girlfriend in a hotel room in San Pancho, Nayarit. The former UFC fighter was subsequently charged by Mexican authorities aggravated by femicide. Baroni remains in jail in Mexico while his case is pending. He has not been convicted and the charges against him remain pending.
The 44-minute documentary follows Baron’s rise through the early UFC, his thunderous strikes and the creation of his larger-than-life identity. It also explores how the line between Phil Baron and “New York Bad Ass” gradually faded before culminating in the is the most serious charge of his life.
Friends, family members and figures from Baron’s fighting career try to reconcile the charismatic fighter they once knew with the shocking murder charge he now faces.
The dark side of the cage debuted in early 2025 exploring stories Kimbo’s slice, Diego Sanchez, Evan Tanner, Nick Diaz, Ronda Rousey, Matt Hughes, War machine and the rise and fall of PRIDE FC. Season 2 will also be included Barons, Don Frye, Chael Sonnen, Tito Ortiz, Mark Coleman and a bitter rivalry at UFC 229 Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The dark side of the cage Season 2 airs Tuesday nights at 9:00 PM ET on VICE TV.
