Jordan Kimball blamed Christian Estrada for the fight that went down on Bachelor in Paradise that got them both kicked off the show. Not one to back down, Kimball apparently hasn't stymied his pugnacity even when discussing the impetus for the fight.
Kimball and Estrada first argued on the Men Tell All episode of The Bachelorette, during Becca Kufrin's season. Clay Harbor, who somehow wound up as an innocent bystander in this whole fight, was also a part of Kufrin's season. Estrada was a night-one boot, and Harbor removed himself from the competition early on after an injury that threatened the future of his professional football career. Kimball coasted all the way until the dreaded two-on-one date, largely as a comedic foil to fellow contestant David Ravitz. When Kimball entered into season six of Bachelor in Paradise, following a failed engagement to Jenna Cooper the previous year, he seemed more interested in offering up one-liners to the cameras and stirring up drama than actually pursuing love. That all came to a head when he messed with Estrada's piñata in an alleged effort to defend his friend Harbor, who wanted more time with Nicole Lopez-Alvar.
In an interview on The Betchelor podcast (via: People), Kimball said that he did not enter into the confrontation with Estrada looking for a physical altercation. Kimball added, "Things happened between Christian and I much quicker than I thought they were going to." He claimed that Estrada tried to "strike" him multiple times. That's when Kimball threw Estrada onto the sand. Kimball said:
“That was the number one self-defense move of all time. He went down pretty hard and fast. I feel really bad, but I was defending myself. I didn’t pop him in the mouth, I didn’t go after him, it was over. I did what I did to protect myself.”
Kimball said he was having fun on the show, but once the fight happened, "it just went south." There were concerns once Kimball returned home about what those close to him would think. He called his father and friends and told them, "It is what it is." He said he tried to act as maturely as he could given the situation, and he knows that not everyone will agree with how he behaved.
While the fight cost both Estrada and Kimball another shot at love, it was actually one of the more entertaining scenes of the week. Rarely does an argument on reality television become physical. So, while the two shouldn't be applauded for trying to flaunt their manhood for all of America to see, they have no need to apologize. It was fun to watch while it lasted.
Bachelor in Paradise airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm EST on ABC.
Source: The Betchelor, People