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Fox Sports: "Zach Arnold's Fight Opinion site is one of the best spots on the Web for thought-provoking MMA pieces."

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Yahoo Sports should give credit to MMA Payout on the UFC/360 deals story

By Zach Arnold | January 27, 2009

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MMA Junkie and MMA Payout are two great MMA web sites. One is a content partner with Yahoo Sports (Junkie) and one is not. One site wrote about UFC looking into the idea of ‘360 deals’ on January 5th. Steve Sievert (formerly of the Houston Chronicle) wrote about this topic yesterday on MMA Junkie. We’ve had Steve on our radio show several times and I consider him to be a very reputable writer.

So, given these facts, it should be of no surprise that Yahoo Sports would choose to give credit to MMA Junkie for this news item discovery instead of MMA Payout. It is not as if it was a big secret that MMA Payout was the first site to discuss the possibility of UFC using 360 deals, as I wrote an article on this topic on January 21st. My article essentially was adding a new layer to the discussion started by the Payout web site.

Yahoo Sports owes Adam Swift, Robert Joyner, and the rest of the MMA Payout crew the credit they deserve for mentioning this story several weeks ago. They don’t deserve to get the shaft here.

Why I covered the second Affliction MMA show the way I did

To make a long story short, read this article by me today and find out why I am not enamored with the Affliction MMA promotion. I realize that I name-dropped a two-decades old pro-wrestling reference when talking about UFC getting into the gym business, so be prepared to read the new article on Affliction and discover which wrestling analogy I used this time to describe what (in my view) Affliction’s MMA operation resembles.

(And, yes, I don’t know why the MMA Memories web site is attaching Dave Sholler’s name to my articles over there.)

Topics: Affliction, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 96 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

96 Responses to “Yahoo Sports should give credit to MMA Payout on the UFC/360 deals story”

  1. 45 Huddle says:

    5oz’s has an article about Affliction. They are now saying the 3rd event is not until July or August. Didn’t they say just a few weeks ago that it would be about 4 months between events?

    I have a feeling they aren’t having a 3rd card.

    Fantastic article on Affliction. The paragraph that should be quoted on every MMA website started with: “For those of you who chirp that you should watch the fights or care about the fighters only…”

    I couldn’t agree with you more. Let’s look at EliteXC. All those fighter contracts are now being held up. Some of the guys are able to compete here or there, but the UFC can’t even touch them due to potential lawsuits. It’s been over 3 months since they shut down. That is way too long of a time frame. It’s a shame tht Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields are not competing in the UFC to see how good they really are against the elite of the sport.

    Something about Affliction erks me the wrong way. Perhaps it is like you said in the article, about them getting guys like Trump & ODLH. I like to see the fights speak for themselves. Yes, some pre-fight hype is necessary, but I can’t stand it when guys like Trump or ODHL pose with the champions. It feels like a cheap attempt at getting publicity.

    I won’t be sad if Affliction falls. Many of the fighters will have a hard time finding paydays for even close to the amounts they received. And guys like Arlovski & Sylvia will have a hard time finding work because I doubt the UFC will take them back. I hope guys like Buentello, Belfort, Nelson, Rothwell, Barnett, and others find a home either in the UFC or in DREAM. And who knows what will happen to Fedor. He will likely go to Japan and continue to fight freak show fights.

  2. D.Capitated says:

    Where do I even begin?

    -Affliction didn’t “poach” anyone, and if you want to argue they did, about the only name that’s legitimate is Arlovski. And boohoo for that guy! He only made more money than he ever had in his career and got a chance to beat the biggest name in the history of the MMA Heavyweight division!

    -Fans don’t consider fighters with Affliction “sellouts”, or anything close to it.

    -Arguing on the basis of “compelling storylines” when the stories are entirely manufactured by the media is hilarious.

    -Arguing that what killed organizations like the XFL is the lack of “compelling storylines” is even funnier. The XFL failed because it provided a product no one wanted, and additionally, the product sucked to boot. There’s clearly interest in MMA organizations outside the UFC given that the most watched event in US history wasn’t their’s and the most recognizable star for some time wasn’t signed to them.

  3. Chuck says:

    Good article about Affliction Zach. I have seen my fair share of SWS and knew Tenryu was behind it, but I had no idea about how it got started up. A glasses company started up SWS? Damn. I want Affliction to stay afloat, but it’s not going to happen.

    My prediction? They will have a third show….. then that’s it.

  4. Zach Arnold says:

    -Affliction didn’t “poach” anyone, and if you want to argue they did, about the only name that’s legitimate is Arlovski. And boohoo for that guy! He only made more money than he ever had in his career and got a chance to beat the biggest name in the history of the MMA Heavyweight division!

    What has been the main story discussed about both Sylvia and Arlovski going into their fights against Fedor? The sheer amount of cash they took for those fights. We’ve been talking about how UFC saw the Affliction offer made to Arlovski and absolutely balked at it.

    -Fans don’t consider fighters with Affliction “sellouts”, or anything close to it.

    What do you think all the back-and-forth between Fedor, Affliction, UFC, and fans has been about the last 8 months in regards to why Fedor won’t fight in UFC? We’ve gone back and forth on the whole ‘crazy Russian’ angle, the fact that Fedor fights for promoters who overpay for him, and… oh, by the way, every single company Fedor has been an ‘ace’ for has gone bankrupt.

    For as much as anyone with common sense understands that Fedor is the best heavyweight ever in MMA, the fact is that the casual mainstream fight fan wants to see him win in UFC and be successful there.

    -Arguing on the basis of “compelling storylines” when the stories are entirely manufactured by the media is hilarious.

    There was absolutely nothing compelling about Fedor vs. Arlovski.

    • Very few people felt that Andrei could win that fight, so that’s a strike against him.
    • You have people talking about how much cash is being thrown at these guys. Is that compelling enough for you to want to pay to watch the fight?
    • Third, there just simply wasn’t any real, truly competitive heat between the two that was displayed?

    What it boils down is that Affliction has no sense of continuity or regularity — and that starts with the fact that they do not have a legitimate TV deal to promote their fights. They just put on two shows, both that more than likely burned a lot of cash.

    -Arguing that what killed organizations like the XFL is the lack of “compelling storylines” is even funnier.

    You totally are misrepresenting what was stated in the article. Re-read the article and you’ll come away with the conclusion that 45 understood immediately:

    You can’t expect the MMA fan base to simply watch a promotion push a big fight and then have no plan on what to do next. Why? Because the dominant storyline then becomes about the promoter or the promotion and whether or not they will stay in business, as opposed to the attention needing to be on the fighters. The XFL was a poor product and a poor business plan. You can’t expect fight fans to blindly put their trust and faith into fight promoters like Affliction when they’ve been burned for emotionally supporting groups like PRIDE & Elite XC.

    You’ve been a cheerleader for Affliction on this site and on Bloody Elbow, so I don’t expect anything less out of you in terms of misrepresentation of what I’ve argued. I’ve allowed you to post comments over here, so the least I would expect out of you is some accurate representation of what I am arguing.

  5. Mr.Roadblock says:

    .45 do you think it’s cheap when UFC puts Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Cindy Crawford, Shaq, Jason Stratham, etc on camera or when they’d have them make fight predictions (that my have been before your time)? Not to mention the fact that UFC has put Donald Trump on during their broadcasts several times.

  6. 45 Huddle says:

    Zach body slammed the correct with his response. I think D. Cap is not understanding the main points Zach is making.

    If you think nobody cared about Fedor/Arlovski…. Wait for Fedor/Barnett. There is even less interest in that fight. The interesting fights for Fedor are against Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, & Alistair Overeem (based on style). Two of those 3 are in the UFC. Overeem might be signing with them.

    By the way, I figured out why Affliction is waiting that long for their third event. They are waiting for Tito Ortiz to heal up. They are hoping to sign him and have him fight for their third event. That is the only way they think they can make money. That is my guess, but I could be wrong.

  7. 45 Huddle says:

    Mr. Roadblock…. Showing celebs in the crowd is done for boxing. It is also done for all other major sports. Heck, Monday Night Football has celebs visit the booth to do commentary during games. What the UFC does is no different. If you notice, they interviewed Kevin James during one UFC. He is also a MAJOR fan. And he is a friend of Joe Rogan’s. ODLH is not a MMA fan.

    What Affliction does with ODLH posing with Fedor would be like the New York Yankees posing with the trophy and tom Hanks during the post game celebration. It’s just weird and out of place.

  8. appreciate the kind words, zach….

  9. D.Capitated says:

    What has been the main story discussed about both Sylvia and Arlovski going into their fights against Fedor? The sheer amount of cash they took for those fights.

    Who’s fault is that? I didn’t tell people to write a billion stories about that instead of how Fedor was facing two of the UFC’s top three heavyweights from this decade.

    What do you think all the back-and-forth between Fedor, Affliction, UFC, and fans has been about the last 8 months in regards to why Fedor won’t fight in UFC?

    You consider the fact that he didn’t come to terms with the UFC and him walking out for what may actually be less money elsewhere to be the same as “selling out”? The only person who says that is 45 Huddle.

    Very few people felt that Andrei could win that fight, so that’s a strike against him.

    Is that Affliction’ fault? How would the UFC have changed that? Would they birth some miracle fighter?

    You have people talking about how much cash is being thrown at these guys.

    You are the “people”.

    Third, there just simply wasn’t any real, truly competitive heat between the two that was displayed?

    Most of the UFC’s fights lack any “competitive heat”. Who are we kidding? Did anyone think that Henderson and Franklin were gonna kill each other at the presser?

    You totally are misrepresenting what was stated in the article.

    I read the article. You know what? I remember that over 6 million people tuned in for EXC’s hail mary in May with the main event being some guy with literally no long term plan determined for him. That Fedor doesn’t have the name brand recognition of Kimbo or even Frank Mir among US fans doesn’t make the event bad or the fights noncompetitive.

    You’re choosing to look at this as something that is not. You made sure to bring up Mosley/Margarito, a fight that had no long term direction for either guy. Given the aftermath, I’m surprised you don’t call it the worst possible conclusion.

    You can’t expect the MMA fan base to simply watch a promotion push a big fight and then have no plan on what to do next. Why?

    So instead they need to invest their PPV time in creating another PPV months away? But wait, Zach, they’re apparently gonna go under any second and cease existing, thus requiring that they try and throw for the end zone. Furthermore, your point does nothing to diminish whether or not the fights were actually good.

    The XFL was a poor product and a poor business plan. You can’t expect fight fans to blindly put their trust and faith into fight promoters like Affliction when they’ve been burned for emotionally supporting groups like PRIDE & Elite XC.

    By your own repeated admission, no one in the US watched PRIDE and I don’t see anyone crying in the streets for EXC’s apparent departure.

    I forgot to add this. Feel free to tag it on.

    You’ve been a cheerleader for Affliction on this site and on Bloody Elbow,

    You’re right. I thought the Affliction card was a well matched event with a worthy headliner. I freely admitted it was poorly promoted and would probably not be a runaway success. Guess what? you can do that. It doesn’t matter to me if Atencio stops running shows because someone else will, just as they have ALWAYS DONE. You yourself brilliantly point out, by accident mind you, that in the death of the SWS came WAR. It didn’t end anyone’s careers or somehow annhilate puro.

    MMA over its short history has a long, long list of failed promoters going back even to the days of the sport when no one made money. The death of the IFL and EXC haven’t opportunities for Strikeforce, Bellator MFC, XFC, just as the end of PRIDE didn’t kill MMA in Japan.

    Here’s a better question: Why do you care more about the business dealings of people involved in an sport that does not employ you in any capacity more than the actual sport itself? Don’t give me this, “I care about both equally,” because that entire rant is evidence against that.

  10. Mr.Roadblock says:

    I think you’re really going pretty far out of your way to whine about Affliction.

    Oscar is a partner with Affliction. What’s the difference between him posing for a pic w/ Fedor and Dana and the Fertitas posing for a pic with every UFC fighter they take pics with after the fights?

  11. Zach Arnold says:

    You have people talking about how much cash is being thrown at these guys.

    You are the “people”.

    Look at the media coverage (both MMA sites and broadsheet) and look at how much of it revolves around the financial status of Affliction and what the fighters are making. It’s the media’s main storyline for this group right now!

    You’re choosing to look at this as something that is not. You made sure to bring up Mosley/Margarito, a fight that had no long term direction for either guy. Given the aftermath, I’m surprised you don’t call it the worst possible conclusion.

    That fight drew over 20,000 to the Staples Center and was sold out before the day of the event. There clearly is fan interest there, and afterwards Mosley said that a match against Cotto was on the table (said this during an ESPN interview).

    Both Mosley and Margarito drew fans and media attention for their event. Why? Because people want to pay to see them. With two Affliction events so far, they’ve lost money on both.

    So instead they need to invest their PPV time in creating another PPV months away? But wait, Zach, they’re apparently gonna go under any second and cease existing, thus requiring that they try and throw for the end zone. Furthermore, your point does nothing to diminish whether or not the fights were actually good.

    What is the business plan for Affliction other than putting on SWS-type shows with bloated fighter salaries, high production costs, and no consistent long-term plan in sight? They have no television deal, so they can’t build momentum for both the promotion and for fighters like UFC can. Everything that is being mismanaged by Affliction negatively affects the fighters and takes away from the actual fights themselves.

    You spent a couple of years arguing and bitching me out when I said that PRIDE was in major financial trouble. I remember some of the rather choice comments you made towards me then and how what happens behind the scenes should be ignored in favor of talking about good fights. I guess I should give you credit for being consistent, even if it means being consistently wrong.

    You yourself brilliantly point out, by accident mind you, that in the death of the SWS came WAR. It didn’t end anyone’s careers or somehow annhilate puro.

    Let’s talk about WAR. When Tenryu took his boys (Orihara, Fuyuki, etc.) to start his own promotion, his brother-in-law was in charge of a lot of the operations. They ran some big shows at Ryogoku Kokugikan (the 11,000-seat Sumo arena) and on the shows that they did sell-out, they were the events mostly aligned with New Japan (J-Cup, Chono vs. Fuyuki feud, etc.) The shows with a WAR-only focus did around 6,000-8,000.

    That promotion lasted about 5 years, and during the majority of that time Tenryu had to co-promote with New Japan, with UWF-International, in order to make money. He did his usual ‘splits’ with New Japan (beat Inoki, lost to Choshu) and with Takada (lost at Jingyu Stadium in September ’96, won at Ryogoku in December ’96) for top programs, but WAR was hardly a raging financial success by any means.

    WAR was a group that had no television deal, either, BTW.

    The death of the IFL and EXC haven’t opportunities for Strikeforce, Bellator MFC, XFC, just as the end of PRIDE didn’t kill MMA in Japan.

    You could not be more wrong about the death of PRIDE not impacting the Japanese fight game. The death of PRIDE to Japanese MMA is the equivalent of WCW’s death to the American pro-wrestling scene. Approximately 75% of the fan base that watched the Monday Night Wars in the 90s for pro-wrestling in America is gone. It’s not coming back. The same exact deal happened in Japan. When PRIDE died, their fans vanished away. They didn’t want to support K-1 on a massive level.

    Why do you care more about the business dealings of people involved in an sport that does not employ you in any capacity more than the actual sport itself?

    It’s like watching incredibly self-destructive behavior and instead of being a cheerleader for it, I’m going to criticize it and point out what’s wrong. Why should I celebrate or tolerate bad business practices? The damage that groups like PRIDE and Elite XC and Affliction will cause in the long-term are not good, and there is damage being done whether or not you want to admit it. It’s all about building trust. As a promoter, the fans have to trust what you are selling in order to get them to buy your product. UFC has the trust of fight fans right now. From PRIDE’s mafia scandal to Elite XC’s stand-up scandal to Affliction being all about throwing reckless amounts of money to fighters, this is all negative in the end to the image of the business. It also throws the basic economic fundamentals of the industry out of whack.

  12. ajz123 says:

    “There was absolutely nothing compelling about Fedor vs. Arlovski”

    This statement says SO MUCH about you Zach its amazing. This is why you almost always seem to miss the greatness of this sport. I can’t imagine why you watch MMA if not for fights like this. You harp on storylines and such, assuming that most fans are like you in needing “something else” other than the simple reality of the fight. The “storyline” was simply Fedor vs. Arlovski. Arguably the best heavyweight fight on paper to this point. They were going to fight, and we the fans were going to see what happens. It’s extremely simple. For those who insist on more, join Zach in following the WWE, and NJPW, and whatever other fabricated sports entertainment show you can find.

    Storylines in legitimate sports do not have to be fabricated. The competition/game/fight itself is the storyline. What will happen? Who will win? What gameplan should be implemented? These all come from the simple reality of competition. This is enough for me.

    If this was Affliction’s last show, it sucks, but so be it…..there will be another organization or person willing to attempt to take its place. MMA is a worldwide sport of individuals like tennis or golf. There is no way one organization can accomodate the sport effectively. The growth that is happening now will make it possible for multiple large organizations to exist and provide great fights.

    Ed. — You couldn’t possibly have a more crystal-clear contrast in terms of two ‘big’ fights and the amount of interest one has versus the other when you compare Fedor/Arlovski to St. Pierre/Penn. It is laughable to compare how much heat one fight has right now versus the other.

    I am looking forward to watching St. Pierre/Penn. I had zero interest in Fedor/Arlovski and I definitely feel that I wasn’t alone in this category, either.

  13. Chuck says:

    “Oscar is a partner with Affliction. What’s the difference between him posing for a pic w/ Fedor and Dana and the Fertitas posing for a pic with every UFC fighter they take pics with after the fights?”

    I think the difference is that, allegedly, ODLH was paid mucho money to pose with Fedor and the like and to go to the show. And it seems like Oscar has very little if no interest in MMA. Personally, I have no problem with Oscar and his schmeil with Affliction, but many do, because of the alleged $5 million he made from them to merely appear with them.

    Let’s forget about the alleged millions that OLDH is getting from Affliction. This isn’t much different when Oscar, Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, etc. pose with Golden Boy Promotions fighters after if they win their fights. Those crystal-blue eyes and smile of Mosley’s stick out like a sore thumb. Seriously, even when he is hidden amongst thirty or so guys, I can STILL point him out. Because he is always smiling at the camera. But that’s beside the point. There’s no difference is what I am getting at. It’s annoying and distracting (those damn eyes of Mosley’s!) but hardly hurtful.

  14. D.Capitated says:

    Look at the media coverage (both MMA sites and broadsheet) and look at how much of it revolves around the financial status of Affliction and what the fighters are making.

    What “broadsheet coverage”? No one is covering it outside of the MMA media, who, well, happens to be you. Again: does that make the fights bad?

    That fight drew over 20,000 to the Staples Center and was sold out before the day of the event. There clearly is fan interest there, and afterwards Mosley said that a match against Cotto was on the table (said this during an ESPN interview).

    And somewhere, they found 13,000 people for the Affliction show. Really, who cares? How does this affect whether or not fights are entertaining or competitive? You refuse to answer this.

    BTW, no one there was thinking “gee guys, if Mosley wins, he’s clearly in line for A) B) C).” He wasn’t the crowd favorite, nor was he given even as good of odds as Arlovski. He’s also an older fighter and his previous bout with Cotto was considered a commercial disappointment.

    What is the business plan for Affliction other than putting on SWS-type shows with bloated fighter salaries, high production costs, and no consistent long-term plan in sight?

    Why do you take it upon yourself to hoist this cross around rather than discuss the fights?

    You spent a couple of years arguing and bitching me out when I said that PRIDE was in major financial trouble.

    Go ahead and post some. In the meantime, tell everyone again how Japanese MMA is on the verge of collapse. I must have imagined DREAM already putting out their 2009 schedule.

    Let’s talk about WAR.

    Let’s go ahead and cut this so that we can reasonable comparisons. WAR went on to fail also and again, the wrestlers all found work elsewhere in the universe of Puro. Affliction, by virtue of having a small roster, is currently woefully prepared to do any sort of TV programming, much less something comparable to weekly pro wrestling TV. Puro did not die because of WAR. No one went hungry. It did not affect NJPW’s ability to draw at the Dome. They ran a bunch of bizarre matches and eventually petered out.

    You could not be more wrong about the death of PRIDE not impacting the Japanese fight game.

    Did I say it didn’t make any impact? Of course not. However, you have two promotions running shows in large arenas and a bunch of smaller promotions that are still able to make a living. They may never be what they once were, but it is hardly dead and gone.

    It’s like watching incredibly self-destructive behavior and instead of being a cheerleader for it, I’m going to criticize it and point out what’s wrong.

    Why the hell do you care? It is not your money, Zach. The sport is not irreparably damaged because Fedor Emelianenko fought Andrei Arlovski last Saturday. Some guy spent money and made what was a dream match in 2006 happen in this country with our nation’s drug testing policies and unified rules. Remove Affliction and Fedor may very well be fighting James Thompson in DREAM. Would that be less damaging to the sport?

  15. D.Capitated says:

    You couldn’t possibly have a more crystal-clear contrast in terms of two ‘big’ fights and the amount of interest one has versus the other when you compare Fedor/Arlovski to St. Pierre/Penn. It is laughable to compare how much heat one fight has right now versus the other.

    Penn/GSP II BETTER have more of a buzz about it. That fight is being run by the industry leader and they’ve gone so far as to spend a ton of money to do a multi-part fight hype series for Spike TV. They want that show to do over a million buys. Affliction was optimistically dreaming they’d get 250,000.

  16. Chuck says:

    “Affliction was optimistically dreaming they’d get 250,000.”

    Yeah, but there’s no way there are getting anywhere near that number. I will say they will get about 50,000-60,000 buys.

  17. samscaff says:

    Zach Arnold:

    “First, I never felt that the end result of the fight was in question. Second, there was no heat between the two fighters that made it a compelling bout to watch.”

    Who are you? Are you still a pure wrestling fan hellbent on the destruction of MMA? Are you actually an MMA fan at all? whatsoever? I really dont understand why someone who clearly has a deepseated hatred for the sport of MMA would choose to write about it for a living.

    The #1 heavyweight in the world vs. the #2 or #3 heavyweight in the world and you are not satisfied?? Again, I ask, who the F*&K are you?

    First of all, let me get this straight. You’re complaining that you did not think the fight result was in question? I really dont understand this. You mean that you thought that fedor is so dominant that he had a guaranteed win over another top 5 heavyweight?….and how exactly is this a criticism of the fight promotion that put on the fight? Seriously I would like you to explain this to me. Are you saying that the promoters of the fight pushed Fedor as the guaranteed winner? And you believed it? And this is a problem?

    Second of all, you need “heat” between ultra-elite top level fighters fighting for THE championship of the world? This brings me back to the notion that you are so entrenched in the FAKE, TRITE, BULLSHIT drama of professional wrestling that you cannot enjoy a title match for the heavyweight championship in the world between possibly the two best heavyweights in the world.

    Let me tell you this…that is your problem my friend, not Affliction’s.

  18. Dave says:

    I think the point Zach is missing with Affliction is that it is Atencio’s vanity promotion. I think once you get that, the rest of it falls into place and you don’t need a few thousand words on ‘the business’ anywhere. Affliction sells t-shirts, Affliction pays fighters to hang out with them and fight for them. They don’t have a fucking business model to critique because it isn’t supposed to be a viable business.

    There will be no broken hearts when they stop running shows.

    Ed. — Good comment.

  19. IceMuncher says:

    “Penn/GSP II BETTER have more of a buzz about it. That fight is being run by the industry leader and they’ve gone so far as to spend a ton of money to do a multi-part fight hype series for Spike TV. They want that show to do over a million buys. Affliction was optimistically dreaming they’d get 250,000.”

    Isn’t that Zach’s entire point? UFC built up the Penn vs GSP fight with UFC Primetime on top of the usual media push, whereas Affliction just put Arlovski vs Fedor out there and hoped it’d sell itself.

  20. Zach Arnold says:

    Who are you? Are you still a pure wrestling fan hellbent on the destruction of MMA? Are you actually an MMA fan at all? whatsoever? I really dont understand why someone who clearly has a deepseated hatred for the sport of MMA would choose to write about it for a living.

    I’m not old, but I’ve followed wrestling, MMA, and the fight business for a significantly long time. I’ve poured a *lot* of money into watching all sorts of shows, going to events, and so forth. Now, I certainly do not spend as much time as the exquisite Mr. Jordan Breen who is the King in this department, but don’t think that I just watch a few shows and that’s it. I have a very passionate love for wrestling and MMA on both a personal and professional level. People have been questioning that since the early 90s, and they’ve left the scene while I’m still here plugging away every day.

    The #1 heavyweight in the world vs. the #2 or #3 heavyweight in the world and you are not satisfied?? Again, I ask, who the F*&K are you?

    Andrei Arlovski is not the second or third best heavyweight in the world, I’m sorry. When I say that I had little interest in Fedor vs. Arlovski, I’m amazed at how some people are taking this as a personal attack. To me, it just isn’t a fight that sells itself. Hell, if you want to argue that Barnett vs. Fedor features 2 of the top 3 heavyweights in the world, I’ll agree with you! Even then, I still don’t think that fight sells itself in the American marketplace, either.

    First of all, let me get this straight. You’re complaining that you did not think the fight result was in question? I really dont understand this. You mean that you thought that fedor is so dominant that he had a guaranteed win over another top 5 heavyweight?

    I’m trying to figure out what Andrei Arlovski did to earn a shot against Fedor in the main event of Affliction’s second PPV show. His last two fights consisted of beating up Ben Rothwell and fighting Roy Nelson in Elite XC. This is supposed to impress me?

    I really didn’t see any outcome where Arlovski was going to beat Fedor. Arlovski doesn’t have a physical advantage, and he wasn’t going to submit Fedor or out-skill him other than in stand-up boxing technique. That was it.

    Second of all, you need “heat” between ultra-elite top level fighters fighting for THE championship of the world?

    Last I checked, they fought for a WAMMA belt. This wasn’t even for Fedor’s PRIDE Heavyweight belt or for the UFC Heavyweight belt.

    Think about competitive sports on an international level and how much heat exists between the Yankees and Red Sox, the Ravens and Steelers, and many top sports rivalries. Is there legitimate heat between those squads? You bet. In the fight business, people want to pay to see two people fight (and to have a reason as to why those two people are fighting) and for there to be a conclusive outcome.

  21. D.Capitated says:

    Isn’t that Zach’s entire point?

    And realistically, what could Affliction have done about it to please fans? If they ran Fedor/Buentello to help hype up a future title defense and got a TV deal with someone, would they be printing money overnight? Would MMA bloggers suddenly decide to not criticize them for minor business items? Look at the article about UFC Gyms. They’re test marketing an idea that will cost little to implement on the scale they’re going to work with and you’d swear that the UFC is on the verge of losing millions the way people are talking about it.

  22. D.Capitated says:

    Andrei Arlovski is not the second or third best heavyweight in the world, I’m sorry.

    Who is? He’s as good a candidate as any, frankly. You state that he’s only beaten Nelson and Rothwell. Yes, he beat them, Werdum, O’Brien, and Pe De Pano in his prior 5 fights and left the UFC the top contender in the division. He beat guys he was supposed to beat when you looked at the rankings while Noguiera and Couture failed miserably, particularly Noguiera. You want to penalize Arlovski for doing his job when others hadn’t? Fine. Don’t expect it to make significant sense.

    The fact that no one is even close to even money with Fedor Emelianenko doesn’t make him fighting the former UFC heavyweight champion a bad fight any more than it made GSP/Fitch or Silva/Marqhardt bad fights.

    Think about competitive sports on an international level and how much heat exists between the Yankees and Red Sox, the Ravens and Steelers, and many top sports rivalries.

    The Yankees and Red Sox have a hundred years of history, Zach. I hate to tell you, but Penn/GSP ain’t Federer/Nadal on the world scene, much less Red Sox/Yankees, Pakistan/India, McLaren/Ferrari, etc. Its not even in the same universe. Arguing that an MMA promotion that’s been in existence for about 9 solid months can’t produce the equivalent to an all-time rivalry is insanity.

  23. Mr.Roadblock says:

    Tough to put Barnett over Arlovski in any legitimate Top 10 list. I think Barnett has done less in his last two fights (Rizzo and Yvel neither guy is Top anything) to match up against Fedor than Arlovski has.

    Rothwell and Nelson were the top heavyweights in the IFL. They fought often there and could definitely be recognized as the AAA guys to use a baseball comparison. Them fighting Arlovski was a good test for what he IFL title amounted to and how a couple young lions would do against an established star.

    The heavyweight class looks something like this.

    Fedor

    Brock Lesnar, Mir

    Nogueira
    Arlovski, Sylvia, Barnett
    Kongo, Couture, Overeem, CroCop, Gonzaga

    Carwin, Velazquez, Mighty Mo, a bunch of other guys.

    Fedor/Arlovski is a fight people salivated over in 2004/2005. It’s also a great barometer of how he destroyed Arlovski and Sylvia plus what he’d done to a prime Nogueira that he is head and shoulders above the world.

    Henderson/Franklin didn’t have any kind of a great storyline. But it’s a fight fans wanted to see for a long time. They have similar bruiser styles.

    There are really no storylines going into the Super Bowl other than Kurt Warner winning way past his prime (he has the best wide receiver in history though) and people that like football will be all over that. MMA is a sport. The two best fighting each other will bring out fans consistently when MMA truly arrives. The storyline fights will happen once or twice a year like they do with boxing.

  24. mattio says:

    I knew none of you guys attacking Zach would take the time to explain why the “number two MMA heavyweight”‘s last two opponents before Fedor were Rothwell and Monson. Let alone why beating those two guys puts him in second place. Does that mean Rothwell and Nelson are #3 and #4 in your top ten?

    What has he done that is so impressive since he lost the UFC title? Why is he leaving MMA if he is so good at it?

  25. Jeremy says:

    Dave,

    That is a very interesting comment.

    It certainly would explain why they would waste money buying up tickets to make the event look more successful. Tom wants everyone to think he is an MMA success.

    Not saying that is the case, but it does make sense.

  26. Mr.Roadblock says:

    Actually, Mattio, I did explain that.

    In reality until December 27th Noguiera was the #2 Heayweight in the world. Fedor beat him twice. Obviously Mir and Lesnar are new to the rankings (in Mir’s case his post accident self is just getting established).

    I think I laid out a pretty realistic view of the tiers in the HW division. You can’t really rank guys across promotions where they aren’t’ fighting the same competition.

    Arlovski is a top flight heavyweight. If you didn’t want to see Arlovski vs Fedor as a fight I don’t think you’re a fan of MMA. I never make statements like that. I think people can like or dislike whatever they want. Just please have a legitimate reason. But if you have a problem with Arlovski vs Fedor you either don’t understand MMA and sports or you are an a**hole.

    You can make the same arguments about Barnett vs Fedor and say Barnett has one impressive victory since he got caught on steroids the night he beat Couture. And that victory is in a shortened fight that was dead even against Noguiera. If you really watched that fight and you were aware of what was happening in Japan, it’s pretty clear that the ‘judges’ gave the fight to Barnett to protect CroCop from Noguiera whom he’d already lost to.

    Here’s the point one day when we look back on this age of MMA we’re going to look at all these fights and say Fedor fought Nog this is what happened, he fought Arlovski, he fought CroCop, he fought Barnett, he fought … and same with the other guys.

    I’d love to see Fedor fight Mir and Lesnar. I bet we get to see at least one of those fights by this time next year.

    I’d like to see Arlovski fight Fedor again one day. Going in I said to myself one shot from Fedor and Arlovski is out cold, if Fedor puts Arlovski on his back, Arlovski will be done in less than a minute’s time from when he hits the canvas. But if Arlovski can stay away and pot shot Fedor then land combos he can win. He has the speed, reach and power. CroCop gave Fedor trouble early and clipped him with the kick, had Fedor wobbled (Fedor got helped by the ref checking his cut), Fujita had Fedor on queer street. The seemingly invincile Russian has been hurt before but no one could put together a barrage to drop him. Arlovski has that talent.

    Mir won’t be able to stand up to Fedor and I doubt he can submit him. I don’t think Lesnar can take Fedor’s punch. Lesnar was visibly shaken by Couture punching him. Fedor hits a lot harder. Now maybe that’s just the first time Brock’s ever been hit for real. We’ll see.

    Really Arlovski/Fedor was the best fight out there. If Brock can dominate Mir then Brock/Fedor becomes a dream fight.

  27. Zach Arnold says:

    But if you have a problem with Arlovski vs Fedor you either don’t understand MMA and sports or you are an a**hole.

    You’re not the first person to call me that, I suspect.

  28. IceMuncher says:

    “And realistically, what could Affliction have done about it to please fans? If they ran Fedor/Buentello to help hype up a future title defense and got a TV deal with someone, would they be printing money overnight? Would MMA bloggers suddenly decide to not criticize them for minor business items?”

    You’re looking at the situation from the viewpoint of “What can Affliction do to make their second show work?”. And you’re right in that regard, there were probably no “realistic” solutions that would make the second show work out well for them, given the situation. However, the fault for that lies entirely on their own poor business model. You can’t build a mansion on a broken foundation. All the problems with the second show originated months ago, even before their first show, and there’s nothing anybody can do really about it now other than hope for a miracle TV deal to get them out of the gutter.

  29. klown says:

    I wonder if most people who agree with Zach’s piece on Affliction are fans or former fans of pro-wrestling, and if most people who disagree are not or have never been serious fans of pro-wrestling.

  30. Mr.Roadblock says:

    In this case, I know you’re working a heel reporter angle.

  31. jr says:

    Tom has the sheeple trained well. Remembering economics teaching means you hate MMA

  32. Schwarzbart says:

    Zach, if you truly weren´t interested in AA fighting Fedor, then I have to agree with some of the others and say you aren´t a true MMA fan. It´s sad because this is an MMA Website, obviously run by somebody who isn´t even a true fan. Over the years I´ve come to enjoy your articles on financial situations regarding some of the promotions, but you´ve let your pants down with that comment now. Obviously you enjoy “exposing” business models AND ridiculing perfectly ok matchups. Guess what, you can complain about AA not deserving a chance against Fedor all you want, fact is he proved many wrong by actually putting up a good fight until he decided to get sloppy with the greatest MMA fighter of all time. I´m perfectly comfortable saying that the AA that stepped into the ring with Fedor on Saturday, could put Mir`s, Lesnar´s, Couture´s, Kongo´s, CroCop´s, maybe even Overeem´s lights out. Sure, maybe it should have been Barnett´s turn first, but I didn´t see you complain too much when Lesnar got to fight Couture first. It´s probably because deep down in your heart you remain a pro wrestling fan, which is ok, but please don´t start injecting pro wrestling wisdom into MMA. MMA has come a long way to stay, and the last thing it needs are stupid story lines like in professional Wrestling, one is entertainment, the other is a dead serious sport, with athletes trying to concentrate on their fights. Look at EliteXC and that BS with the Diaz brothers and KJ Noons.. ridiculous. Bringing WWE like antics into MMA might be something you would want to see, but not me. I am sure there are people who won´t disagree. You can talk about the UFC´s dominance and how well they put shows together all you want, fact is the UFC has 15+ years in the making and the name itself carries the organisation somewhat. Bagging on a promotion that has been around for 9 months is ridiculous. You´re a good reporter, who covers many aspects of the Sport.. but I´ve lost respect for you after that article.

  33. mattio says:

    Where are the top ten lists with O’brien, Rothwell and Nelson on it? The #2 heavyweight in the world beat those guys on his way to the Fedor fight, so they must be damn good. I just can’t seem to find any at the moment.

    Maybe if we are lucky Arlovski will put in one more MMA fight before he goes into boxing. I want him to face Gilbert Yvel, who Barnett had to put away to face Fedor. He must be top ten too.

  34. Zach Arnold says:

    Zach, if you truly weren´t interested in AA fighting Fedor, then I have to agree with some of the others and say you aren´t a true MMA fan. It´s sad because this is an MMA Website, obviously run by somebody who isn´t even a true fan.

    The ad hominem attacks are borderline hysterical here. I’m thinking klown may be onto something here…

    It’s interesting that as I’m reading this reply that I just finished reading what Bryan Alvarez had to say about the Affliction show in his newsletter, and he basically had the same reaction that I did towards the main event in terms of having little interest going into the show.

    Look – Andrei Arlovski is not a bad heavyweight fighter at all. However, he’s facing the best heavyweight fighter in the world. What were his chances of winning the fight? Generously, I suppose you could peg it at 5-10%. The purpose of booking Arlovski in the second fight, in my opinion, was simply based on what the promoter thought would draw the best given what he had at his disposal. That’s not that much different than how UFC handled the Brock Lesnar situation when they threw him right into the wolves in the heavyweight division and booked him for business reasons against Randy Couture. And, hey, he won the fight. He will get a chance for revenge against Frank Mir shortly. By no means am I a cheerleader for Brock Lesnar, but he gave Mir a run for his money, he smacked Heath Herring around, and he pummeled Randy Couture. Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson were good fighters in the IFL, but I’m not ready to qualify wins over either man as a suitable way to build up a fight against MMA’s Superman.

    It´s probably because deep down in your heart you remain a pro wrestling fan, which is ok, but please don´t start injecting pro wrestling wisdom into MMA.

    I would say that I’m more than simply a fan of both sports. (Really.) The analogy of Affliction to SWS is about as close as I could find for an accurate assessment of what the company represents on so many levels. That’s focusing on business practices.

    MMA has come a long way to stay, and the last thing it needs are stupid story lines like in professional Wrestling, one is entertainment, the other is a dead serious sport, with athletes trying to concentrate on their fights.

    Who said you can’t have both? I love it that the critics of my article keep using the same misrepresentation against me — that I demand manufactured storylines in order to heat up fights. That is not what I said about Fedor/Arlovski at all. You can create real buzz and real heat for real fights if you happen to be a real promoter that has a media platform to make it happen. I am very surprised that there is such a reflexive defense of Affliction here and not a reflexive attack against the promotion in regards to blaming them for not giving Fedor and Arlovski a harder media push.

    Look at EliteXC and that BS with the Diaz brothers and KJ Noons.. ridiculous.

    That could have been an amazingly hot feud, but Noons’ manager had issues with the company, so it was ended.

    Bagging on a promotion that has been around for 9 months is ridiculous.

    What is there to be commended about the way Affliction has produced their two MMA events?

  35. D.Capitated says:

    I knew none of you guys attacking Zach would take the time to explain why the “number two MMA heavyweight”’s last two opponents before Fedor were Rothwell and Nelson

    I fixed this for you, but let me go ahead and do it.

    -Rankings do not have to be linear. Noguiera as #2 was based in large part over Couture’s departure, as he was the #2 in the world according to most until declaring that he was leaving to try and fight Fedor somewhere under another banner.

    -Once you recognize that facet of rankings, you begin to realize how ridiculous some of it is. Frank Mir is a good example: Nobody had him in the top 10 except 45 Huddle. For a lot of people, he was barely top 20. Yes, he won. But he was so much further down the rankings that its punitive to put him *and* Noguiera ahead of him. Arlovski lost, yes, but it was to the best heavyweight in the world. When matched against guys ranked similarly to Mir, he had won.

    Same goes with Couture. Where was he ranked in the world? It was tough to realistically say he was certainly anything given the circumstances (age, immense period of inactivity). That’s not to say that Brock Lesnar’s win doesn’t mean anything, but its very different to beat Couture in November 2008 to November 2007, unless you imagine that Randy has completely gotten around the aging process.

    So getting back to Arlovski, he left the UFC at least the #5 or 6 heavyweight in the world. The jumbling of the heavyweight scene in the postscript of that creates a fully logical world in which Arlovski is among the top three.

  36. D.Capitated says:

    I wonder if most people who agree with Zach’s piece on Affliction are fans or former fans of pro-wrestling, and if most people who disagree are not or have never been serious fans of pro-wrestling.

    By the same token, I wonder if most people who agree with the piece realize that pro wrestling and MMA are not the same thing?

  37. D.Capitated says:

    You’re looking at the situation from the viewpoint of “What can Affliction do to make their second show work?”. And you’re right in that regard, there were probably no “realistic” solutions that would make the second show work out well for them, given the situation. However, the fault for that lies entirely on their own poor business model.

    I’m not looking at it as that. Its not my job to. I’m not some mindless drone that needs to be fed trash talk to think a fight is good. Affliction was never going to be accepted by the pro wres fans because it didn’t operate in any way similar to a pro wres entity, and thus you get things like how it “offended” Zach Arnold through lack of supporting TV programming. Its an incredibly stupid way to look at it.

  38. Leslie says:

    The SWS analogy is apt, but I still don’t care. I’m not looking to put my “faith” into Affliction the same way I am ROH.

    Fallout from failed MMA and failed wrestling is much different. Affliction folds, Fedor will still be Fedor and he’ll just fight somewhere else. ROH folds, and guys will be scrambling to TNA to be ruined, Bryan Danielson retires and joins the peace corps, etc.

    On top of that, everyone knew going in this was a, I believe the term is money mark situation. If there’s ever a time to turn your brain off and enjoy how some rich fanboy decides to blow his money, it’s now.

  39. D.Capitated says:

    It’s interesting that as I’m reading this reply that I just finished reading what Bryan Alvarez had to say about the Affliction show in his newsletter, and he basically had the same reaction that I did towards the main event in terms of having little interest going into the show.

    Bryan Alvarez is hardly some sort of MMA guru. Why not just cite some fan on the ROH Boards?

    By no means am I a cheerleader for Brock Lesnar, but he gave Mir a run for his money, he smacked Heath Herring around, and he pummeled Randy Couture. Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson were good fighters in the IFL, but I’m not ready to qualify wins over either man as a suitable way to build up a fight against MMA’s Superman.

    How is Heath Herring significantly better than Ben Rothwell or Roy Nelson? What is there to establish that? His sloppy decision win against Brad Imes? Losing to Sam Greco? You’re completely dismissing his prior 3 fights in the UFC. He fought in the UFC in 2008! He won! Against a guy that completely dominated Herring!

    I would say that I’m more than simply a fan of both sports.

    Pro wrestling isn’t a sport. Its a performance art.

    Who said you can’t have both?

    Why do you need them? You do, in essence, admit that this is necessary for you to care about a fight. Do you even actually care about the *sport* of MMA? Like, I have a hard time picturing you sitting down and watching anything other than the major promotions (Zuffa’s two entities, DREAM, Strikeforce on occasion). This may be because I don’t think you do.

    What is there to be commended about the way Affliction has produced their two MMA events?

    Why are you so hung up on the production?

  40. 45 Huddle says:

    “On top of that, everyone knew going in this was a, I believe the term is money mark situation. If there’s ever a time to turn your brain off and enjoy how some rich fanboy decides to blow his money, it’s now.”

    That seems to be what many people have been saying. They said the same thing about EliteXC. And now the fighters who are signed to them can’t even fight.

    When an MMA company goes under, there is always the potential for it to create large gaps in fighters competing. It happened when Zuffa bought Pride. It happened when EliteXC folded. To just be a fanboy, when I know there is a solid chance many fighters may not be competing for a while if Affliction goes under…. Is something as a fan I do not want to see.

    Not to mention that if Affliction DOES stay in business, they are talking about potentially August being their next show. Lot’s of fighters not fighting. Not good for the sport.

  41. D.Capitated says:

    That seems to be what many people have been saying. They said the same thing about EliteXC. And now the fighters who are signed to them can’t even fight.

    Does Affliction have exclusive contracts? It sure doesn’t seem that way. If not, then what the hell are you pretending to worry about?

    Not to mention that if Affliction DOES stay in business, they are talking about potentially August being their next show. Lot’s of fighters not fighting. Not good for the sport.

    Who isn’t going to fight? Names. Now.

  42. 45 Huddle says:

    EliteXC didn’t have exclusive contracts, and look at how many fighters are stuck in limbo right now. Zuffa won’t even begin talks with them because of the legal mess it could put them in.

    Who isn’t going to fight?

    Most of the people on their roster we won’t see again until their next event, which sounds like it could be August. 7 Months between fights is horrible. The UFC does it with the TUF Coaches, and people complain to no end about it. But Affliction does it, and somehow it is acceptable?

    An organization needs to be putting on more then 2 to 3 events a year. If they don’t, they shouldn’t be in the business.

  43. D.Capitated says:

    EliteXC didn’t have exclusive contracts, and look at how many fighters are stuck in limbo right now.

    What we’ve seen thus far from fighters signed to Affliction is that Atencio has done nothing to prevent them from fighting elsewhere. You’re worrying about absolutely nothing.

    Most of the people on their roster we won’t see again until their next event, which sounds like it could be August.

    Who? And are they choosing to not fight? I’m guessing its not Atencio’s fault that Fedor isn’t fighting, as the whole promotion is about him.

    7 Months between fights is horrible. The UFC does it with the TUF Coaches, and people complain to no end about it. But Affliction does it, and somehow it is acceptable?

    I see the complete opposite. I see lots of people (you included) justifying the 7 month absences and then complaining that Affliction does it too. Rashad Evans will probably be on the shelf as long as Fedor. Where is the manufactured outrage?

  44. 45 Huddle says:

    Rashad Evans is one fighter. And I’ve never said it was acceptable. I’ve always been vocal about fighters competing 3 to 4 times a year. The only time i justified such a long layoff was for Mir/Nogueira. And the reasoning was simple. Their Heavyweight Division was weak, and I felt like it would give the division time to grow and build a title contender. So I didn’t see the harm in it, as even Mir (at the time), was considered to be a joke of a challenger.

    Affliction is basically delaying their entire roster. What’s the point of naming names when basically it’s all their fighters. It’s not like we have seen anybody from their organization fight elsewhere…. UNLESS they lost their previous Affliction fight.

    I always question the motivation of people who follow a sport and only put down the biggest organization in the world. It would be like me being a baseball fan and bashing MLB and praising the Japanese Leagues.

  45. 45 Huddle says:

    One more point…. The UFC does delay their champions to a certain degree. I don’t agree with it, but I understand the promotional logic behind it.

    If you look at their rumored cards for the first 4 months of the year, the vast majority of contenders are fighting. Most guys are on pace to be competing 3 times a year in 2009 (which would be once every 1/3rd of the year).

    The champions are the exception.

    In Affliction, not giving a fighter even the chance to compete sooner isn’t very good practice. Like I said before (and which you ignored)…. If a company is only going to be putting on 2 to 3 events per year, they shouldn’t be in the business. Companies like DREAM, who put on 6 to 8 cards a year, is really the blue print for the MIMIMUM amount of MMA that a company should be engaging in, and still be a serious player in the sport.

  46. Ultimo Santa says:

    Couture vs. Lesnar:

    A retired WWE performer with a 1-1 UFC record, vs. a 45-year-old, semi-retired fighter who is now a direct-to-DVD movie actor

    Fedor vs. Arlovski:

    The undisputed #1 fighter on the planet vs. one of the only top contenders in the division who he’s never fought and defeated

    WHY was the UFC’s fight a bigger deal?

    – they have TV exposure
    – they told everyone it was a big deal
    – people believe what they’re consistently told

    and one other big factor:

    – bloggers, even those who consider themselves ‘hardcore fans’, subscribe to the Zuffa hype machine as much as the casual viewer

    This ALWAYS blew me away as a wrestling fan, and now as a WWE fan. Small promotions like Dragon Gate and ROH would put on incredible shows, but 99% of the internet media would only discuss the WWE (as if they need the additional press).

    Why not root for the little guy who’s busting their ass to put on a good show? If they don’t have 20,000 fans in the crowd and a million PPV buys, does that mean the product is worthless?

    If/when Affliction goes under, and UFC truly becomes the only show in town, I know that many ‘hardcore’ fans will be cheering in their e-z chairs. I will not be one of them.

  47. D.Capitated says:

    In Affliction, not giving a fighter even the chance to compete sooner isn’t very good practice.

    Who are they refusing the ability to fight? Name some names. Nick Diaz had to fight tooth and nail to be in DREAM, but Atencio was happy to book Arlovski on an EXC show and pay him out of their pockets. They’ve refused no one the ability to fight elsewhere. Hell, even the EXC guys are out signing to various promotions for one offs or more in the case of the guys bailing to Bellator.

  48. D.Capitated says:

    If they don’t have 20,000 fans in the crowd and a million PPV buys, does that mean the product is worthless?

    The answer seems to clearly be “yes”, unless you are Strikeforce. Then you have plenty of mediocre shows with poor fighters and nothing booked for any time in the future and be the measuring stick for everyone that is not the UFC.

  49. 45 Huddle says:

    Why was Lesnar/Couture a bigger deal then Arlovski/Fedor?

    1. Styles make matchups. Couture vs. Lesnar on paper was a 50/50 fight. Fedor/Arlovski on paper was still Fedor winning in the minds of many. Was Lesnar the #1 Contender in the UFC? No. But he was one of the Top 5 Heavyweigbhts in the UFC due to his win over Herring? Yes.,

    2. Fedor has the personality of a brick wall. This hurts to hear it, but that matter in selling a fight.

    3. Arlovski, for as much as certain fans have tried to pump him up, has the jaw made of glass, and a ground game that has many holes in it. That makes him suspect against any elite level fighters.

    As for your comparison to Pro Wrestling…. If anything, the MMA Media is rooting against Zuffa and have always tried to pump up other organizations. The IFL had a suspect talent pool, but got UFC level press coverage. EliteXC got tons of press due to being on CBS, despite a less then stellar stable of fighters. They had a few gems, but not enough to get the press they did. And now with Affliction. They have put on 2 shows in 7 months, and the amount of press they have received is off the charts. In some cases, more then the UFC. It’s insane and irrational.

    D Cap,

    Arlovski/Nelson was an Affliction fight that happened to be on an EliteXC Card. It’s not like they loanded their fighters out for other promoters to use.

    As for EliteXC, the fighters are only able to get one off fights. It has been well documented that the agents involved with the fighters have filled suit against EliteXC so they can let their fighters go. You can try and spin that any way you want, but that is not a positive for the sport. Guys like Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields are stuck.

  50. Jeremy (not that Jeremy) says:

    Meanwhile Strikeforce has two reasonably good TV deals, an event deal with HDNet and a syndication deal with NBC that also rebroadcasts on Universal HD.

    Strikeforce is a promotion that lives within their means. Plus Babalu is their LHW champion right now, a title that doesn’t mean anything, but a fighter that definitely does.

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