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Wednesday notes: The K-1 Dynamite Titanic
By Zach Arnold | May 23, 2007
The Fight Network is reporting that Choi Hong-Man has been denied a license to fight in the state of California for the K-1 Dynamite June 2nd event at the LA Coliseum. Kevin Iole at Yahoo Sports has more details. I find this news interesting because Hong-Man fought Mike Malone in Hawaii on April 28th. Without Hong-Man in the main event, there is no way (in my opinion) that K-1 will run their June 2nd event. He’s their only real TV ratings drawing card for the TBS telecast.
MMA California has a report about the latest changes going on with the California State Athletic Commission.
NHB News (Japanese) notes that the PRIDE Lightweight GP 2007 tournament show in July at Nagoya Aichi Rainbow Hall has been canceled.
Does anyone know if UFC will have TV in Japan for the Rampage vs. Liddell UFC 71 event? Their deal with WOWOW expired recently. At least UFC got a new VP today.
Colin Cowherd and Eric Allen discussed MMA today on ESPN Radio. You’ll be pleasantly happy with the commentary.
Chuck Liddell was on the Rome is Burning show on Wednesday (ESPN). Your typical, boilerplate Liddell interview. He said that fighting someone like Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be dependent on the rules – in a boxing fight, he would lose. In MMA, he would win. Rome then discussed whether or not MMA was killing boxing with Chicago Sun-Times writer Rick Telander (who has bashed MMA before in his paper) and Jemele Hill of ESPN.com. Telander said that the MMA/boxing war has been happening since 1976 when Muhammad Ali faced “kickboxer” Antonio Inoki. At least he has the right concept about the history of where modern MMA came from…
Onto today’s headlines.
- UFC HP: Terry Martin – Breaking the Mold
- MMA On Tap: Duane Ludwig vs. Paul Daley added to Strikeforce event
- Sports Illustrated: The new main event (they call MMA “Ultimate Fighting” like every other mainstream media outlet)
- KTTC (Rochester, MN): The fight taking place outside the cage
- Radio (Eddie Goldman: Is the PPV TV business model dead?
- The Houston Chronicle: Rampage ‘doesn’t give a damn’
- China Combat: Art of War 6 event this Saturday
- The Fanhouse: SI cover makes it official – UFC is a mainstream sport
- Game Spot: UFC calls out Take-Two (files lawsuit)
- The Lantern (Ohio State University): Former Buckeye wrestler Sean Salmon latest in UFC
- The Canadian Press: Randy Couture’s gym packs ’em in
- Variety: Vertigo enters Cage Rage arena
- The Halifax Daily News (Canada): ECC gives fighters ultimatum over KOTC
- Radio (Komikazee): MMA Smackdown #24 (covering the latest with the IFL and UFC 71)
Topics: Canada, HERO's, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Is that cancelled LWGP event the rescheduled 1st round or the previously scheduled 2nd round?
Inoki was a kickboxer? lol!!
The K-1 show gets worse. If Choi Hong-Man is really off the show then they got some big problems!!
While I’m sure there will be criticism of the SI article in the days to come, let me say that I think it’s a well-written introduction to the sport for SI’s readership. Hopefully people will tune in this weekend and enjoy what they see. Hopefully after that, they’ll pick up a few MMA DVDs and catch up on some of the better fights of the last decade. The explosive growth of MMA isn’t over yet, with ESPN coverage beginning en masse this weekend.
It won’t just be the UFC taking advantage. EliteXC seems to have a solid head on its shoulders in Gary Shaw and the Showtime team. Strikeforce has grown slowly but surely. Of course, the IFL is in the best position of all would-be-UFCs with its television arrangements, provided they can straighten out their business model.
It’s a good time to be an MMA fan(atic). Let’s just hope that, as MMA ascends to the big stage in US sports, they can avoid disaster (major scandal, a death in the ring/cage, NHL-style over-expansion by the UFC, etc).
UFC discussed on ‘Around the Horn’ today. It was pretty postive for the most part, although you could tell the most of the panel was a little bit clueless about the sport.
Poor PRIDE… looks like Sakikabara’s “daughter” got ‘fucked ‘n chucked’ by her American suitor.
Wow, UFC also discussed on ‘Pardon the Interuption’. 3 back to back shows on ESPN where UFC (specifically) was a topic.
Praise from Wilbon, Negativity from Kornheiser, both think it’s the next big thing, according to Wilbon it’s already arrived.
lol Mike (Wilbon) raved about Chuck Liddell, Reali talked up Quinton Jackson. It was weird.
correction: the cover of SI calls it ultimate fighting, the article itself calls it mixed martial arts.
[…] FightOpinion.com – Your Global Connection to the Fight Industry. (This adds more to the rumor that I talked to you about ealier Gygax) __________________ http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZKhA7KlSEdw […]
Those PTI guys make me wonder. They were so against MMA. I wonder if their has been pressure from the head offices for them to talk about it like a sport. This is supposed to be the first big fight they cover with at least some respect.
What happens is Sakuraba fails his medicals now. I have a feeling he will. Then the card will be completely tanked.
Combine that with the IFL’s .5 to .6 ratings the last 3 weeks….
And this sport is hurting on all level for any company not known as the UFC.
MMA Weekly is reporting that some Pride fighters are suing DSE. Something tells me Trigg and Barnett are involved.
Most rational fighters wouldn’t be stupid enough to do this, as it would piss of the UFC. But Trigg & Barnett are already not well liked, so it wouldn’t shock me.
“And this sport is hurting on all level for any company not known as the UFC”
I bet there are promoters running shows around the country and world who are doing fine. It’s the ones who try to grow to fast who have trouble.
PRIDE FIGHTERS PLAN CLASS ACTION AGAINST DSE
Being a local promoter is a whole different ball game. None have been able to compete with the UFC on the national stage. Not even close. If you are a fighter that skills demand a full time type of pay, their are only very few options for you.
It’s always good to see UFC on ESPN, the more people that get exposed to it, the bigger it grows.