« Evaluating Yahoo’s hiring of Dave Meltzer | Home | A new Japanese MMA organization is coming next week »
Thursday trash talk: Questionable business decisions
By Zach Arnold | October 10, 2007
Kimbo Slice has reportedly signed a deal with Elite XC.
Xyience will remain a main sponsor of UFC for at least the next three years. (Hat tip: Mikeinformer.)
In a statement just released by Tito Ortiz, he says the following: I’m currently working very closely with the UFC to plan my next fight, which you can be sure will not disappoint my fans. It looks like I will fight again in early 2008, and when I do I will be 100% prepared to crush my opponent.
Daisuke Naito beat Daiki Kameda today in Tokyo at Ariake Colosseum. Here was the backstory going into the boxing match.
Here is an interview with young M-1 prospect Kiril Sidelnikov.
Some great information from Shu Hirata on the latest Japanese happenings.
Charles Jay has two must-read articles (here and here) about the sale of The Ring magazine to Golden Boy Promotions.
The future of Fedor seems resolved. Frank Trigg talks about the move. Is Dana White to blame? Luke Thomas is not happy. The MMA Analyst is a little bit excited. Personally, I’m happy if Fedor can continue to make a high salary in such a fickle MMA industry. Good for him. As Jeff Thaler and I debated on the latest edition of Fight Opinion Radio, MMA is at constant conflict between being a business first or a sport first.
Check out the letter the IFL sent to Jay Larkin when they hired him to become IFL President.
The MMA California web site is looking for new contributors.
Why was the great Takanori Gomi interview deleted from Sherdog’s main page? I thought it was a tremendous write-up and one of the best articles that site’s ever produced.
Sam Caplan talked to Monte Cox about the IFL’s latest business tactics.
Interviews with Josh Barnett and Houston Alexander. Steve Cofield has an interview with Blake Bowman from The Ultimate Fighter. Matt Hughes has further thoughts on the latest edition of TUF.
A brand new edition (right here) of Total MMA is now online.
Binky Jones is headed to Russia for the November 30th Bodog Fight event.
Nick Diaz is staying with Elite XC long-term.
Herb Dean is coming to Winnipeg.
Comparing pro-wrestling to MMA. Also, analyzing drama in MMA.
The Stockton Record (CA): MMA at Stockton Arena this Friday night
Sprawl ‘n Brawl: The Middleweight Muddle
The Decatur Daily (Alabama): Local cage fighters insist regulations ensure there’s method to the mayhem
Jeff Monson booked for Super Challenge Grappling
From the event promoter
The show will invite seven more foreign fighters for their Absolute tournament this December.
Former ADCC champion and PRIDE, UFC, & Cage Rage competitor Jeff “The Snowman” Monson is coming to Brazil this December to compete in the biggest Absolute submission tournament in Brazil. The Super Challenge Grappling tournament organizers announced that Monson was one of the eight foreign fighters that will battle eight Brazilian fighters for prize money totalling $15,000 USD in Sao Paulo. West Promotions has already announced the participation of three ADCC champions: Fabricio Werdum, Demian Maia, and Robert Drysdale.
Topics: Boxing, IFL, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Pro Elite, UFC, Zach Arnold | 57 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Barnett didn’t seem to have any problem standing with Aleks, whose hands are LIGHT YEARS better than either Sylvia or Arlovski.
Again, he doesn’t NEED to have better striking b/c its not boxing. He’s got perfectly acceptable striking as well as a great ground game. He combines all of those skills into a package that exceeds what any of those guys bring to the table.
Couture is making a cash play. A “rising career” in acting? Please. He’s way too soft spoken to anything more than an actor in B-movies. He’s opting out now so whomever gets Fedor can drop a ton of cash on Randy for the fight.
So, if Randy sticks to his guns & Dana & the Fertita boys can’t convince him to change his mind over the course of the weekend, what do they do about the Heavyweight Championship?
With their just ressurected Lighweight Title already in a state of limbo, do they leave their most prestigeous title vacant until the winner of Nog vs Kongo can get into the cage with the Vera – Sylvia winner ( which could mean a belt without a champion for up to six months )? Or do they make Vera vs Sylvia for the vacant title with the caviat that they’re first title defense be against the Nog-Kongo winner?
I’d opt for the latter scenario.
With all these shocking things going on, I’d tend to think that Dana & the boys would be reluctant to have the UFC appear to be in a state of disarray with a bunch of vacant titles.
I’m also in on the “McMahon bought M-1”-theory. It’s a well known fact that Vince wants to get into MMA, that Shane’s a huge MMA-fan AND that he’s only only the Nr.2 in the “McMahon-rankings”. Stephanie’s the one who’s going to get WWE when Vince decides to hang it up, which more or less would leave Shane hanging there. Sure, he would own a percentage of the company and make some serious money, but it wouldn’t be HIS company. So it wouldn’t be that far fetched to assume that Vince bought M-1 to both get his hands into the MMA-game, but also to give Shane his own company.
I hate to disappoint anyone who thinks that Randy is going to be able to jump into the MEGA DREAM MATCH with Fedor.
Unless Zuffa is incredibly stupid or naive, he’s not in some kind of “at-will” contract w/o some sort of exclusivity clause. He’s going to have to sit on his butt and wait it out.
My money is on the fact that he’s going to re-negotiate his deal and really put the screws to them for one last shot at some big paydays. In light of the current landscape Randy is their only sure fire, short term PPV draw that they can bank on pulling in the big bucks.
Rampage is out until sometime in ’08, Liddell is a shell of his former invincible self coming off 2 big losses, Sherk is facing a big suspension, Franklin could very well get destroyed for a 2nd time by Silva, Tito’s in contract limbo and wearing out his welcome with fans, Fedor signed somewhere else not to mention some of their big signings or next big things (Shogun, CC and Bisping) have stumbled leaving them with no “Face of the UFC” to pull them thru tough times.
He’s tied up for 9 months.
I agree with everyone here who thinks Randy is waiting for a big pay day. He has no acting career other than gigs as a cameo. Randy is waiting for the Fedor-like guaranteed contract that he feels he deserves. It’s renegotiation tactic.
Dana, show him the money.