Okay, this isn’t a “guns saving lives” story. This is a story where having a gun might have made a big difference if the victims had been armed.

Mikey Burnette, who amassed a 5-2 record in the UFC before leaving due to a neck injury, was shot along with his son last night in an attempted robbery.

Tulsa police said, as the father, Mikey Burnett, and son, Freddie Burnett, got to their car, two men walked up and tried to rob them. We’re told Freddie tried to fight off the suspected robbers after they shot his dad.

Police said the Mikey was shot three times in the abdomen and Freddie was shot once in the leg. Police said Mikey was taken to the hospital for surgery. Both are expected to survive.

Police said the two men ran off to the other side of the parking lot where they got in a vehicle and drove away.

At this point, police aren’t giving a vehicle description or description of the men who carried out the shooting, but do say there are a lot of security cameras in the area.

Having world-class mixed martial arts skills is a great thing, but simply doesn’t put you in a good position against opponents armed with firearms. I hate to use Wayne LaPierre’s arguement again, but there’s a lot of truth to the saying that, “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

Both Mikey Burnette and his son are expected to survive, and I hope that they go and visit a friend of Mikey’s when they heal. Tim Kennedy is a former UFC fighter, former Green Beret, and current National Guardsman who runs the new integrated self-defense school Sheepdog Response.

Having unarmed self-defense skills is great, but there simply isn’t a substitute for having a gun and knowing how to effectively use it.