Comments on: Playing with fire? Zuffa sues DSE http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:14:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rich Bergeron http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47318 Rich Bergeron Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:11:40 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47318 This puts the whole UFC/Xyience scandal in a new light. It appears Fertitta Enterprises might be making a trial UFC sale run by bankrupting Xyience and then selling it to the highest bidder. If they can get away with that, and if they can somehow avoid being brought up on any charges of illegal activity with that scandal, they might just do the same exact thing with the UFC. The whole $350 million Zuffa loan is a key indicator of their motivations. Dana White and the Fertitta brothers both got huge dividends from that transaction. I haven't seen any indication that any of that money actually went back into the brand. If they wanted to give the organization long-term staying power, they would have invested some of those millions back into the brand. Instead they lined their own pockets, probably because they knew they'd be passing the debt on to the next owner in some form or another. This puts the whole UFC/Xyience scandal in a new light. It appears Fertitta Enterprises might be making a trial UFC sale run by bankrupting Xyience and then selling it to the highest bidder. If they can get away with that, and if they can somehow avoid being brought up on any charges of illegal activity with that scandal, they might just do the same exact thing with the UFC.

The whole $350 million Zuffa loan is a key indicator of their motivations. Dana White and the Fertitta brothers both got huge dividends from that transaction. I haven’t seen any indication that any of that money actually went back into the brand. If they wanted to give the organization long-term staying power, they would have invested some of those millions back into the brand. Instead they lined their own pockets, probably because they knew they’d be passing the debt on to the next owner in some form or another.

]]> By: The Citizen http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47296 The Citizen Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:54:28 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47296 UFC is stepping into more dog-doo-doo here I think. UFC is stepping into more dog-doo-doo here I think.

]]> By: Zach Arnold http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47294 Zach Arnold Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:43:22 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47294 <blockquote><i>Zuffa is pissed because they paid 60mil for basically nothing. All they got was the name PRIDE and the debts. Most of the contracts were non-exclusive or too expensive and the video library had already been re-sold to whoever wanted to buy it (like Finkelstein, who bought Fedors matches). But it was Dana “I want it” White, the great business man, who strong armed Fertittas to buy it anyway. Thats why you guys are paying 50 bucks for Bisping-Evans now.</i></blockquote> Let's see... Personal service contracts that are not enforceable in third-party sales... check. Video library where some of the rights were supposedly disputed... check. Yep, I wrote about these issues before the asset sale happened. :)

Zuffa is pissed because they paid 60mil for basically nothing. All they got was the name PRIDE and the debts. Most of the contracts were non-exclusive or too expensive and the video library had already been re-sold to whoever wanted to buy it (like Finkelstein, who bought Fedors matches). But it was Dana “I want it” White, the great business man, who strong armed Fertittas to buy it anyway. Thats why you guys are paying 50 bucks for Bisping-Evans now.

Let’s see…

Personal service contracts that are not enforceable in third-party sales… check.

Video library where some of the rights were supposedly disputed… check.

Yep, I wrote about these issues before the asset sale happened. :)

]]> By: Halib http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47293 Halib Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:37:32 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47293 Zuffa is pissed because they paid 60mil for basically nothing. All they got was the name PRIDE and the debts. Most of the contracts were non-exclusive or too expensive and the video library had already been re-sold to whoever wanted to buy it (like Finkelstein, who bought Fedors matches). But it was Dana "I want it" White, the great business man, who strong armed Fertittas to buy it anyway. Thats why you guys are paying 50 bucks for Bisping-Evans now. Zuffa is pissed because they paid 60mil for basically nothing. All they got was the name PRIDE and the debts. Most of the contracts were non-exclusive or too expensive and the video library had already been re-sold to whoever wanted to buy it (like Finkelstein, who bought Fedors matches). But it was Dana “I want it” White, the great business man, who strong armed Fertittas to buy it anyway. Thats why you guys are paying 50 bucks for Bisping-Evans now.

]]> By: Zack http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47292 Zack Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:20:35 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47292 Sometimes this site really does stand all above the rest. Sometimes this site really does stand all above the rest.

]]> By: samscaff http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47288 samscaff Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:58:54 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47288 I still dont see answer to this question (or maybe i'm just dumb), but who exactly is Zuffa suing? DSE? Meaning the guys who still produce Hustle shows? Sakakibara? Do we have any real idea who Zuffa paid? DSE? Sakakibara? Yakuza? A conglomerate? I still dont see answer to this question (or maybe i’m just dumb), but who exactly is Zuffa suing?

DSE? Meaning the guys who still produce Hustle shows? Sakakibara?

Do we have any real idea who Zuffa paid? DSE? Sakakibara? Yakuza? A conglomerate?

]]> By: Aaron Crossen http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47285 Aaron Crossen Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:15:30 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47285 What a disgusting mess. What a disgusting mess.

]]> By: Dave http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47281 Dave Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:44:15 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47281 "I can’t believe the visceral hatred of PRIDE. You can hate DSE all you want but the PRIDE product was damn well entertaining. I watch both the UFC and PRIDE but PRIDE fights tend to be more exciting on average." How is that even the point of this? This has nothing to do with the PRIDE product (which most of us still love) and everything to do with the shady manner in which they did business. If anything this makes UFC look bad, as they are claiming ignorance to the way DSE did business. Really, this can't hurt whats left of DSE, as we all knew this is how they operated. You have to believe that Zuffa did as well, they were just naive enough to think that organized crime in Japan is like organized crime in America. “I can’t believe the visceral hatred of PRIDE. You can hate DSE all you want but the PRIDE product was damn well entertaining. I watch both the UFC and PRIDE but PRIDE fights tend to be more exciting on average.”

How is that even the point of this? This has nothing to do with the PRIDE product (which most of us still love) and everything to do with the shady manner in which they did business.

If anything this makes UFC look bad, as they are claiming ignorance to the way DSE did business. Really, this can’t hurt whats left of DSE, as we all knew this is how they operated. You have to believe that Zuffa did as well, they were just naive enough to think that organized crime in Japan is like organized crime in America.

]]> By: liger05 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47278 liger05 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:46:03 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47278 I dont have any sympathy for Zuffa. Just by reading Zach Arnold's articles regarding the whole DSE/Yakuza saga you could tell that Zuffa was playing a dangerous game getting involved with DSE. Once the deal was done it didnt take long to realise that Zuffa had paid money and didnt get much in return. Surely the people to blame for this is the one's who done due diligience. How could they not have seen this coming? The money is long gone and Mr X wherever he be must be laughing. I dont have any sympathy for Zuffa. Just by reading Zach Arnold’s articles regarding the whole DSE/Yakuza saga you could tell that Zuffa was playing a dangerous game getting involved with DSE. Once the deal was done it didnt take long to realise that Zuffa had paid money and didnt get much in return. Surely the people to blame for this is the one’s who done due diligience. How could they not have seen this coming? The money is long gone and Mr X wherever he be must be laughing.

]]> By: white ninja http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/comment-page-1/#comment-47276 white ninja Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:47:59 +0000 http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/02/05/playing-with-fire-zuffa-sues-dse/#comment-47276 After the Update - as Zach predicted, this could be a real problem (ie., gaming license issues) Any disclosures will prove that Sakakibara is indeed known to be connected (or a front man) for the Yamaguchi Gumi, which should interest the licensing bodies Zuffa could have saved a bunch of money if they only hired Zach to do their due diligence. Zach did a better job than all of Zuffa's high powered attorneys put together After the Update – as Zach predicted, this could be a real problem (ie., gaming license issues)

Any disclosures will prove that Sakakibara is indeed known to be connected (or a front man) for the Yamaguchi Gumi, which should interest the licensing bodies

Zuffa could have saved a bunch of money if they only hired Zach to do their due diligence. Zach did a better job than all of Zuffa’s high powered attorneys put together

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