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NYE MMA fallout
By Zach Arnold | January 4, 2008
Ratings-wise for the K-1 Dynamite show on Tokyo Broadcasting System, the first round of Kid Yamamoto vs. Rani Yahya drew the highest quarter-hour rating of the night, drawing a 20.9%. The Fedor vs. Hong-Man fight on South Korean cable drew a reported 13.4% rating.
Hong-Man’s active fighting career is also reportedly on hold due to mandatory enlistment in the South Korean military.
Topics: HERO's, Japan, K-1, M-1, Media, MMA, PRIDE, South Korea, Zach Arnold | 11 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
If I had any say in the Korean military I would give Hong-Man a pardon lol. He totally could have dominated Fedor in the positions that he was in, which makes me think either the fight was staged, or he really has no idea what hes doing!
Did anyone catch the two illegal kicks by Kid to Rani? Instead of DQ, Kid got the win for the KO. How could MMA be a sport over there if the organizations own the referees?
Is KID really that big in Japan to out-draw everyone on that card?
“How could MMA be a sport over there if the organizations own the referees?”
Before the UFC was state-sanctioned, they contracted the referees too. Then when New Jersey introduced the Unified Rules, SEG started having sanctioned UFC’s starting at 28. Unfortunately Japan is over seven years behind on this issue. This is always going to be a potential problem when the refs are hired by the promotion. I’d agree that they need some sort of third-party body to pay and assign referees over in Japan.
But there’s another thing. When the UFC went to the UK in 70, 72 and 75, did they hire the referees and judges themselves because there is no sanctioning in the UK. If the UFC hired them, that would explain why Bisping was given a SD over Hamill in London.
Ratner hired the judges and refs for the UK shows. He’s also highly respected, and from what I hear, untouchably so.
Watching the Bisping fight, I honestly thought Bisping might have won the last two rounds. I didn’t really think he did, but it was close enough in my mind that I saw it as a distinct possibility. I was a little unprepared for the backlash.
Just because you’re “highly respected” doesn’t give you a free pass. It’s exactly the same as the situation in Japan. They also didn’t do drug testing for those events, irrc, but I guess they should get a free pass at that while we chide the Japanese circuit for using juiced up fighters.
The UFC hatred is in full effect tonight. To question Ratner is basically grasping at straws.
Nothing to do with hatred. Everything to do with the ridiculous double-standard that guys like you seem to have.
Japan promotions hire referees/judges=crooked
Ratner/UFC hire referees/judges = above board WITHOUT QUESTION.
I’d hate to see what happened if one of the Zuffa management members stopped short b/c I’m sure 45 et al. would be able to tell us what they ate for breakfast.
“The UFC hatred is in full effect tonight. To question Ratner is basically grasping at straws.”
So, just because Ratner has been around for a while, means that we aren’t allowed to criticize him? What’s you point? Why put him of all people on a pedestal? Is it really cool and trendy to blindly praise UFC and Zuffa and everything affiliated with them on message boards?
The funniest part is that NO ONE questioned Ratner in the first place. The only issue that was raised is that it’s more common place than some people would like to let on (to suit their stances).
But look how ridiculously defensive some people – obviously 45 – get when you mention their precious UFC did it too! It’s blasphemy to suggest that they’re criticizing other organizations for doing something their darling organization still does.
All you need to do is refer to it as “UFC hatred” in order to dismiss it as a valid observation.
Not to mention Ratner was one of the key people on the NSAC at the time the UFC was barred from operating in Nevada and depending on who you listen to, refused to sanction UFC in Nevada. Then magically they were sold for pennies on the dollar and Ratner was later named a senior executive.
This is the type of character i consider to be “untouchable”. You really are clasping at straws to even mention that the man may not be of the soundest moral fibre.