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Friday fight notes: Fedor coming to Japan
By Zach Arnold | November 16, 2007
If you have not listened to the latest edition of Fight Opinion Radio, go download the show.
Dana White says that he will meet with Randy Couture next week. Alex Marvez has more information.
There has been strong rumors about an MMA event happening at Saitama Super Arena on NYE (it would allegedly happen at night while a Hustle pro-wrestling show takes place during the day). There is a report that it will end up being an M-1 Global tournament show with Fedor fighting on the card. The event would be carried on SkyPerfecTV PPV and not on free-to-air television in Japan. As for who is backing the Japanese event, I’ve heard a possible name that is quite the eye-opener (and was a name in PRIDE’s past)…
Pro Elite’s stock price, which was at $15 USD/share a few months ago, is now down to $8 USD/share. Furthermore, the company filed a notice with the SEC that they could not file their 10Q (quarterly report) in time (just like the IFL). Pro Elite also filed a notice with the SEC detailing a new business arrangement they have with IMG Media Ltd.
A preview of the upcoming StrikeForce show. Plus, Dave Meltzer has a profile article on Cung Le.
Fightlinker has created a new MMA sanctioning body. Speaking of sanctioning bodies, I was given an invitation and have accepted it to appear this Tuesday on Fight Network Radio to debate Bill Goldberg about the new WAMMA sanctioning body. Mauro Ranallo (who is involved with the WAMMA) will be the moderator, so in fairness I will be heavily asking for your participation during the segment by calling into the show at 1-888-942-7326. Here is a columnist that is skeptical about the WAMMA.
Kimbo Slice will return to action in February.
Kevin Iole on Rashad Evans. Plus, is UFC 78 a rip off or not? More UFC 78 coverage here
Oscar De La Hoya sued for $100 million USD.
Butterbean is coming to Edmonton on 12/28. Plus, Royce Gracie is currently making the rounds on the East Coast. Anderson Silva will be in Arizona.
Topics: Boxing, Canada, Japan, M-1, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, StrikeForce, UFC, Zach Arnold | 24 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The Fedor NYE report is gone from the website now.
Sports Navigator in Japan has three stories (here, here, and here) about the M-1 global event (using material already publicly discussed).
Mauro is just part of the rankings portion of the commission. He probably has no clue what the hell is going on besides what loads of lies they’ve told him.
Debating Bill Goldberg will be like playing chess with Terri Schiavo
Are we talking about Sakakibara here Zach?
Why, please tell me why, is Goldberg a figure in the MMA scene??
Dont actually tell me, because I know the reasons, but its just pathetic. Its embarassing for the sport. He has no credibility as a fighter, a trainer, a commentator, or even a knowledgable fan.
If he were any one of those things, his expertise would come through during his EXC broadcasts, which they obviously do not. The guy is a pro wrestling moron who happens to own a MT gym. Give me a break. This guy is a joke and a terrible post-fight interviewer. I’m sure all the fighters like a 260 pound man leaning all over them and asking stupid questions rright after theyve fought a grueling fight.
Get rid of him!!!
I have always been curious about Sakakibara’s rights as far as promoting/staging MMA events in Japan post Pride.
Zach, did the Pride purchase come with some sort of no-compete clause for Sakakibara? Any idea?
Zach debating Goldberg is radio gold, no pun intended.
I support AMMOMMA “Assholes Making Money off Mixed Martial Arts” as they have Well known Sherdog user “GraciezNuts” as their pollster. I’ve heard they are attempting to get a living pro wrestler to join Ravishing Rick Rude’s rotting corpse to sit on the board of directors.
And I just appointed myself as Senior VP in charge of being awesome!
A vote for Tomer is a vote for freedom!
The yuckiest item yet about WAMMA is selling title belts to corporate sponsors. Who wants to win the fucking Toyota belt, or Hooters belt for shit’s sake.
Personally, I think “GraciezNuts” should be working with Scott Hall on being pollsters given Mr. Hall’s legendary surveying practices in WCW…
It’s something out of EA Sports Fight Night.
I am just wondering how long it is till we get to see that “185-pound Condomdepot.com Championship”. That will be the greatest day EVA!!
Secondly, under WAMMA, are fighters allowed to come to the ring looking like a NAS-CAR. I can’t wait to see Brock Lesnar fight with a mountain dew logo on his chest that is just above his penis tattoo (yes, I know he got it removed but I just wanna run with it for awhile), a malboro man on his left arm, xyience logo on the other, and on his back, a big SPIKE tv logo. God Bless capitalism.
one side of M-1 does not know what the other side is doing. that’s why there is major in-fighting in the organization right now.
And people express surprise that Dana and company weren’t able to work out a deal with Fedor’s management.
“And people express surprise that Dana and company weren’t able to work out a deal with Fedor’s management.”
Yeah, every day I find the “crazy russians” comment that much less offensive.
They may or may not have an event on NYE 07, but I can GUARANTEE they won’t have one on NYE ’08- cause they will be defunct by next june.
[…] this is the second time it’s happened, and Zach Arnold has the beef to back up the word on another Japanese New Year’s show: There has been strong rumors about an MMA event happening at Saitama Super Arena on NYE (it would […]
An event in Japan on NYE?
well, they have 1.5months to
1. put a fight card together
2. arrange visas for foreign fighters
3. sell tickets
i wonder what the CEO of M1, good old Monte Cox, thinks about all of this
Zach
in your posting of the sportsnavi article, today Saeki denies any knowledge of an MMA event on NYE – saying its impossible
http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/headlines/etc/20071116-00000016-spnavi-fight.html
could that Saeki, who is not the smartest guy in Japan, is bit smarter than some of the other idiots supposedly putting this event on 🙂
“Dana was right. These Russians are crazy.”
The UFC 78 Male Review:
Ryo Chonan & Akihiro Gono looked to be in the best shape I have ever seen them. The Welterweight Class is really the proper weight for them.
Frankie Edgar looked to be slightly bulkier then his fight against Tyson Griffin.
The Strikeforce Card didn’t go very well for the promoter, minus the Le fight. Salmon was bady injured. Buentello looked bad against an a Heavyweight who hasn’t done much as of late. The Tournament was a bust, with one guy going just a few seconds and the other fighter going 2 full rounds with a weird ‘refs decision’.
45, are you sure you don’t want to rename your UFC tradition to the “UFC Male Revue” instead?
😉
Regarding Chonan and Gono, your comment just brings up the real point that the majority of PRIDE fighters were fighting in a higher weight class than would have to in the UFC (because the higher level of weight cutting in the US). Even someone like Filho I think will have to drop to 170 if he’s ever to make it to the UFC. He looked like a midget next to Doerksen and Joe’s probably averaged-sized for a UFC MW.
Hey, burlesque is burlesque.