« New Jersey commission to use instant replay | Home | Bad boys, bad boys… »
Thursday news spread
By Zach Arnold | January 3, 2007
A new poll has been added to the right sidebar of the page. It’s an interesting one, given that all three situations are serious.
Poll results from our last site question: What is the biggest MMA-related story for 2006?
- UFC explodes in popularity, creates big business boom – 53%
- PRIDE gets negative campaign from Shukan Gendai, then loses Fuji TV deal, focuses on America – 37%
- Independent MMA (StrikeForce, Bodog, etc.) becomes more popular, more money marks want to jump into the scene – 6%
- California legalizes MMA events to take place in the state – 3%
- IFL starts running shows, becomes traded on the stock market – 2%
Onto today’s headlines!
- Nevada State Athletic Commission: Medical suspensions coming out of the UFC 66 event
- MMA California: IFL 1/19 Oakland card line-up
- Las Vegas Sun: UFC becomes a heavyweight in sports
- MMA Ring Report: BodogFight Teams with Randy Couture and Matt Lindland as sponsor of Sportfight
- Canadian Press (via CBC Sports): NSAC releases UFC fighters’ payscale for UFC 66
- UFC HP: UFC coming to Ohio with a Vengeance
- NHB News (Japan): Controversy swirls around Sakuraba vs. Akiyama (due to Sakuraba claiming that Akiyama cheated)
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 31 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
I voted for Chuck’s injuries. If he really is going to be out for a year, that may be long enough for UFC to create an interim champ opening up some interesting possibilities.
I really hope Chuck isn’t out a year. He’s getting up there in age, that would be a big set back. Does anyone know if he came into the fight w/ a torn ACL? He looked terribly out of shape and didn’t move well. The moving well is obviously because of the ACL, but him gassing and looking out of shape could be an indicator that the knee was hurt for some time. Kudos to Chuck for sticking to his commitment and helping UFC if he was hurt for a period of time before the fight.
Erin is right that if he is out a year you could have an interim belt. The problem is you can’t have Tito be part of it because that would likely preclude Rampage from fighting for it. You could do Rampage vs Jardine or Rampage vs Bispig for the belt. Or you could do a big money match between Rampage and Randy.
Or you could do Tito/Randy, knowing Randy will win and give you more time to build up Rampage with the new fans then do Rampage vs Randy as Champ. By then Chuck will be coming back. You’re talking in the range of $150mil of business at that point.
There was an interview and Chuck stated that he did injure his leg before the fight (dont know to what extent) so yea Chuick wasnt a 100%. I think if they do have an internship make it a mini 4 man tourny between Rashed, Jardine, Tito and Babalu (dont know how the match ups would be) but u have the top two new guys in the LHW (kinda sad actually) with two of the top vets in the LHW (both who have fallen short of LIddell). I would probably pair a young guy with a vet that way if one of the new guys wins it makes them holding the belt a little bit more legit. Then I would set up the winner of the tourny (sans Ortiz) against Rampage (I dont think Rampage would be ready to fight in the tourny plus the chance of facing Tito in the finals wouldnt be good).
BTW anyone see the rumors that UFC 68 is looking alot like this:
Slyvia Vs Gonzaga
Hughes vs Lytle
Franklin Vs MacDonald…..
yea Im not loving it and i want to know what the hell happned to VERA??!!!!
Josh where did you see those rumors from? It make confirm that Vera left the UFC. 🙁
Oh well, if Gonzaga does get the title shot I hope he really beats the shit out of Sylvia, and Gonzaga has the talent to do it.
Doesn’t Vera have just one fight left on his contract? Rumor was that UFC won’t give him a title fight until he signs a multi-fight deal.
MMAWeekly’s rumor section still has Vera against Sylvia for 68, but mentions the possible contract dispute, and also echoes the Franklin-MacDonald rumor.
Interesting that they have Assuerio Silva there too.
Link to the Liddell ACL news?
I see the NSAC has in out of action until June 30th (if I’m reading the report correctly). Where’s the news about being out the entire year? Thanks.
Those are some unappealing potential fights for UFC 68. Hughes/Lytle? I love Lytle, but c’mon. He doesn’t have any skills to finish a fight. Why not Karo, Diego or even Koschek? Those would all be intriguing fights. Even the Irish Steroid Guy.
Gonzaga/Sylvia is actually interesting in that Gonzaga could sub big Tim. But I don’t see how Gonzaga is deserving of a title shot quite yet. This has the potential to be extremely boring like Gonzaga vs Papa Shango.
Franklin/MacDonald is hands down the best match of the three. It’s actually a real good matchup and a great measuring stick for both guys. MacDonald has knocked off two of the most annoying guys from TUF and looked well rounded doing so. What does he have for the former champ? And what does the former champ have in his first fight back. This is actually a very dangerous fight for Ace because if he has the post knockout striker jitters MacDonald could make a it a long night for him.
I got the rumors from an article on Sherdog, the guy who wrote it (im blanking on the name but its not Mike sloan) is usually very reliable and talks to alot of people at the UFC shows, so I really trust his info.
Zach can you elaborate on this “Anti-korean” sentiment in the poll? i’ve always thought that Akiyama was Japanese as well?
Akiyama is actually Korean but he took up a japanese name (if im not mistaken or maybe he’s mixed). The key is though that (not many people know this) but the Japanese are VERY racist towards the other asian races. We are cool to everyone else (we especially love americans) BUT when it comes to Koreans, Chinease, Philipinos we have ahUGE superiority complex towards them. Post WWII we had a deep resentment towards Koreans especially and even though modern times its not as big a resentment (like with America and racisim) it still has some traces remaining. I dont think the Akiyama issue will be a big deal (i do believe the media is blowing it out of proportion) but its always sad when the race card is being played (it reminds me of the last Yokozuna who was Mongolian and the huge issues that brough about).
BTW here is the sherdog article by GReg Savage (the rumors are on pg 2)
http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=6478
The article linked to has only got one page and only mentions the Liddell knee injury in passing and says nothing about the duration.
I would doubt Liddell be out a year even with those injuries, I certainly hope not. What UFC need to concentrate on now is building their new fighters (Cro Crop, Jackson and Heath) so they have several ready made LHW and a few HW fights that will do numbers over the summer and autumn.
@John: It’s just like Josh said. Akiyama is a “Zainichi ChÅsenjin” (which translates to “Korean who resides in Japan”), sure there are also other Zainichi, like Zainichi chÅ«gokujin (chinese) but usually Koreans are meant by the term, since they make up the biggest percentage of foreigners in Japan. The term more or less refers to either Koreans who kept their old Joseon nationality (the undivided Korea, so it’s people over 50) or South Koreans (and in a few cases North Koreans) who became japanese citizens through naturalization. Usually Zainichis are frowned upon by “real” japanese, and more or less treated as 2nd class human beings (though you could easily use the term “subhuman”). That’s why most of them choose to take on japanese names, as it makes it harder to be recognized as a korean that way.
Especially in sports you’ll find many zainichi koreans who took on japanese names, apart from Akiyama people like Rikidozan, Riki Choshu and Akira Maeda come to mind.
If you’d like to know more about the situation of zainichi koreans in Japan, get the movie “Go” by Isao Yukisada. It’s a brilliant film.
I didnt know Chuck was going to be out for a year 🙁 That sucks.
The racism isn’t just from Japanese towards Koreans. It is reciprocal from the Korean side. There are also tensions between many Chinese and Japanese. There is some serious racism in Asia between Asians and here in the States amongst the various groups.
Well, in the case of the chinese and the koreans it’s more due to history than to racism. The Rape of Nanking and Unit 731 are things that have not been forgotten (whereas in Japan the people responsible are still being treated as heroes)
Yea the Japanese have done alot of bad things (some we have owned up to but ALOT we will never admit to) but IMO (and this in no way is an excuse to forget about it) the younger generation asians are becoming less and less spiteful to each other (sadly I feel its becuase of the younger gen, especially in the states, disintrest in history) so ther eis some light at the end of the tunnel (in a sad kinda way).
I recently read an autobiography by a Japanese-American named Lydia Minatoya. In it, the prejudice by the Japanese against the Koreans is mentioned. I found it strange, considering that Rikidozan was a huge hero in Japanese wrestling when he started beating men like Lou Thesz. But that’s where I first heard about it.
It does seem to mirror the tensions between European Americans and African Americans throughout US history. I guess nobody’s perfect.
Yes if u watch any Rikidozan documentary u’ll see that one of the reason Rikidozan became a wrestler was because he was being dicriminated in the sumo leagues for being Korean (he was always being held back from acheiving the Yokozuna title). Its really a sad issue but somethign that IMO will always be around as long as people are taught to believ certain things.
a gp with rampage, jardine, evans, forsest, babalu, ryoto, vitor, and bisping would be ideal, although highly improbable.
Hey Josh thanks for all that explanation, and for everybody who contributed. This an fascinating aspect of asian relationships that i’ve always been interested in. As someone said earlier, its reciprocal to some extent, although, the Japanese people who are don’t hold those old grudges, tend to be harder on their fellow Japanese, than a Korean would be his own.
Breaking news: Thiago alves caught with a banned substance…sigh…when will people learn. At least Thiago won his bout unlike Bonner, Pastul and Belfort.
I wonder if they’ll make the fight a NC then (just like in Boxing) or keep the decision (just like Barnett-Couture).
Good question, Tomer…didnt think of that.
Hahaha, some Sherdoggers are too dumb to read: “Alves Tested Positive for a diarrhetic…”
But back to the topic: so Spironolactone (which is a diuretic) is a banned substance and can be used to mask steroids? I’ve gained a lot of weight while nursing a back injury a few years ago, and my blood pressure went through the roof and i was on a diuretic for a few months (until i was back in my original weight class). Interesting to see that i would’ve tested positive in Nevada back then 😉
Ah Preach so does that mean ur aspiritaion to be an MMA fighter are done? Say it aint so!? lol jk
“This has the potential to be extremely boring like Gonzaga vs Papa Shango.”
Keep in mind that Gonzaga’s child died just before that match, which he took on short notice. Guy must have nerves of steel just to get in the ring after something like that happens.
Wow. I didn’t know that. My bad. The fight was still awful, but I’m impressed he even showed up. He has the strength and likely the size to sub Sylvia. He made Marrero tap while pulling on his forearm he didn’t even have the hand let alone point the thumb to the sky.
Something on Mirko CroCop. I don’t think anyone posted this yet, but if I’m wrong then please delete this post: http://www.jutarnji.hr/sport/borilacki_sportovi/clanak/art-2007,1,1,filipovic_ufc,56576.jl
Translation from MMANEWS.com
http://www.mmanews.com/ufc/Mirko-CroCop-Finally-Discusses-UFC-Leaving-PRIDE-etc..html
Very weird that the ref completely ignored the timeout request from Sakuraba.
Interested to get some translated info / updates on this Zach if you have the time or inclination.