I know Melvin a tiny bit personally, have been around him quite a few times in different (fight related) contexts & have rolled with him either once or twice (I can't remember which).
I also know some people who were instrumental in his early adult life.
He's not that bright and comes from a significant lack of privilege, and a social environment that's fucked, with very few people around him who really did anything to help him grow much as a human being (though they would claim otherwise) when in a position to do so. One housed him and made sure he made weight, but basically took a "Melvin's gonna be Melvin" approach with deeply stupid, racist undertones that were rooted in that person's own upbringing. There are people who were close to him before & during his UFC rise that, if you went to their house for a weekend barbecue, you'd go home with a fuckload of n***er this and n***er that on your bib, but who viewed themselves as great caretakers of him.
That's life in the South for you.
But I mostly saw him (and experienced him) being modest and respectful of others (including me), and doing a lot of stupid stuff (when fight related) as a consequence of feeling like he needed to please others.
What you see through the web lens is just a tiny shadow of reality.
I didn't watch the video. I don't need to see stupid shit that is disconnected from the whole of reality that just creates more stupid shit.
