UFC 97: Chuck Liddell’s Fait accompli
By Zach Arnold | April 18, 2009
In both the English and French-written media coverage of the event, the word ‘retirement’ is the one being used often the most. RDS, Quebec’s French-language version of TSN or ESPN, ran with the headline “The Iceman is frozen” after Mauricio Shogun knocked out Liddell in R1 on Saturday night in Montreal at the Bell Centre. Making Liddell’s recent losing streak anguishing to watch is seeing the punishment he is taking after some brutal knockouts from the likes of Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans.
The ghosts of PRIDE’s past are back in full force at 205 pounds — Shogun and Rampage. Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans are the ghosts of TUF’s past. Shogun’s victory gives UFC many new matchmaking options that they previously didn’t have to offer, and Liddell’s loss all but cements him into either retirement or a legends match against Randy Couture. If Liddell moves to heavyweight, he will have to contend with the likes of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. A match against Lesnar might draw some attention, but the odds would be heavily stacked in favor of Lesnar to win the fight.
Some big questions now have risen to the surface about the careers of both Frank Shamrock and Chuck Liddell.
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 17 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 97 Redemption (4/18 Montreal) card line-up
By Zach Arnold | April 18, 2009
Event Results: Sherdog | MMA Weekly | MMA Junkie | AOL Fanhouse | USA Today
PPV, 10 PM EST
Venue: Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Dark matches
- Lightweights (155 pounds): Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman
- Welterweights (170 pounds): Ryo Chonan vs. TJ Grant
- Lightweights (155 pounds): Mark Bocek vs. David Bielkheden
- Middleweights (185 pounds): David Loiseau vs. Ed Herman
- Middleweights (185 pounds): Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry
- Middleweights (185 pounds): Denis Kang vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam (France)
Main card
- Light Heavyweights (205 pounds): Steve Cantwell vs. Luiz Cane
- Heavyweights (206-265 pounds): Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk
- Light Heavyweights (205 pounds): Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann
- Light Heavyweights (205 pounds): Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio Shogun
- Middleweights (185 pounds): Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 61 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
One “MMA event” I won’t be attending any time soon
By Zach Arnold | April 18, 2009
Now Divisions for So You Wanna Fight In “Boxing” & “Mixed Martial Arts”, No Pros – Just Average Joes – That Can Fight
Naturally, these events are taking place on Indian casino land in the States. Does anyone watch this promotion? Well… they have had full houses every time they’ve ran at Cher-Ae Heights…
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Seth Petruzelli: I did nothing wrong
By Zach Arnold | April 17, 2009
After all this time, he can’t figure out why a bigger MMA promotion won’t book him. For someone who runs his own business(es), he’s either obtuse about the MMA industry or he knows exactly what the reasons are but is in denial.
Oh, and he can’t figure out why Scott Smith hates him. I figured out the reason, oh, last November.
Scott who??? Isn’t he the guy who fought Duane Ludwig in KOTC with Vans on his feet???? Scott=clown shoes! Seriously why would you talk crap about a guy who’s trying to do the same thing you do for a living? I have delt with a lot of haters since the fight, I’m used to it.
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The final media heat-up for UFC 97 in Montreal
By Zach Arnold | April 17, 2009
UFC 97 will be facing some interesting challenges this weekend from both the NHL and NBA with the leagues both having playoff series games on TV. ESPN will be wall-to-wall with NBA games (along with TNT), while Versus and Comcast Sportsnet networks across the States will be carrying hockey games. The main UFC 97 storyline can be summed up by this one USA Today article: Celebrity status safe, Liddell needs win to stay elite fighter. Jason Bent has a preview of Liddell vs. Shogun and what you should be paying close attention to.
Even though UFC 97 is sold out in Montreal at the Bell Centre, Game 2 between the Boston Bruins & Montreal Canadiens airs on Saturday at 8 PM EST (Versus TV & NESN in the States, CBC & RDS in Canada). The game is happening in Boston. Imagine if the roles were reversed and the Canadiens were the higher-seeded team, then there would have been a definite scheduling conflict. Thankfully, that has been avoided here. Suffice to say, UFC will not be the main story in the French media on Sunday.
As for the NBA playoffs, you can view the TV schedules here. Luckily, the two big Eastern teams (Boston and Cleveland) have afternoon games and not evening games.
Speaking of Boston, there are two articles (here and here) about implementing MMA legislation in the state of Massachusetts.
As for Montreal, everyone in the UFC crew seems to be enjoy this week in Quebec. One person in Montreal who is especially happy is David Loiseau.
Dan Wetzel, the Yahoo pretzel, has a column on Anderson Silva’s greatness. A full-court press this weekend from the Yahoo media army for UFC in Montreal. The Canadian Press has an article covering UFC’s push to sell Thales Leites as a serious threat to Silva.
Finally, The Toronto Star has an article profiling MMA’s future on Canadian television.
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Dana White gives Fedor the Playboy Buddy Rose treatment
By Zach Arnold | April 16, 2009
Update (4/17): Dana White channels the spirit of McMahon and Bobby Heenan in this new interview on Fedor. The most striking thing about this interview is how eager White is to hawk the “Liddell’s finished” angle here to generate heat:
Carmichael Dave: Thanks for your time. We’re two days out from UFC 97 in Montreal, and I know you’re slammed. Anything you want to say to the fans about this weekend?
Dana White: Might be the last time you ever see Chuck Liddell fight live or on television. The legend, the iceman, the man who helped build Mixed Martial Arts.
Carmichael Dave: Jesus, you really want to say that?
Dana White: Yes. He’s one of my best friends, but this could be it. He helped build this business, but this might be his last fight ever.
—
Remember that media interview I alluded to earlier today from Toronto featuring Dana White? He lost his mind several times during the interview, but this quote gave me a much-needed laugh during the day:
They show a clip of Georges St. Pierre calling Fedor Emelianenko the best fighter in the world. Landsberg calls GSP the best fighter in the world. White disagrees with GSP and Landsberg and calls Anderson Silva the best in the world at any form of fighting. GSP is number two and the blemish on his record is the loss to Matt Serra. White says it’s a crock to call Fedor the best in the world because he hasn’t been fighting the best fighters in the world like his guys – and “he’s fat and out of shape.”
White went on to say that MMA web sites don’t get credentialed by UFC because they’re not real journalists, but then continues taking potshots at all sorts of MMA web site writers throughout the interview.
Is there a show this weekend?
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 36 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Don’t mess with lawyers in MMA
By Zach Arnold | April 16, 2009
I knew a few agents who used to be in the MMA business who were lawyers and sharp as hell. Rob Maysey is someone who I classify in that category as well. Don’t mess with the legal fraternity.
On another MMA ‘journalistic’ side note, Sam Caplan is now the head of WAMMA.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Reports: Xyience founder Russell Pike indicted on tax evasion charges
By Zach Arnold | April 16, 2009
Update (4/17): A day after Russell Pike’s indictment, Xyience issues this press release. Celebrate.
—
Rich Bergeron has a report, which includes a link to the indictment document. Bergeron’s article is a fascinating read and is a continuation of his long foray into covering the problems Xyience (at one time, UFC’s biggest sponsor) has had over the last several years.
I guess this should be dismissed because MMA bloggers aren’t real journalists. 🙂
What is it about UFC and their track record with corporate sponsors?
Related articles
- Adam Swift: Bevanda Magica — Xyience Bankruptcy Filings Reveal Deep Ties to Zuffa
- Leland Roling: PRIDE, Xyience, Zuffa, and you
- The Las Vegas Sun: Energy drink company founder charged with tax evasion
- KLAS-TV: Founder of Nevada energy drink indicted
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Odds and ends for the start of UFC 97 weekend
By Zach Arnold | April 16, 2009
Big John McCarthy will be in Hawaii this weekend to referee Mayhem Miller vs. Kala Kolohe Hose in Hawaii. UFC sure could use BJM as a referee sooner rather than later if referee issues continue to creep up…
UFC’s Undisputed: 2009 video game will have a demo version available on April 23rd. IGN has a preview of coming attractions here.
There will be a state meeting in Massachusetts this afternoon to discuss MMA legislation.
The Las Vegas Sun has a profile article on Steve Cantwell, who is fighting in Montreal this weekend. Steve’s been spending some time in the gym:
Master kickboxer Nick Blumgren of One Kick’s Gym on East Flamingo needed to add a makeshift bedroom to his gym. So he cleared out his 10-foot-by-10-foot storage closet, threw in a futon and television set and called it good.
Welcome home, Steve.
“Everything I tell him not to do, he does anyway,” Blumgren said. “When he got here I told him to stay away from my secretary and he turned her into his girlfriend. It’s just like any time you spend that much time with someone, we’ve got a father-son thing going where I’ll tell him, ‘Don’t touch the oven, it’s hot,’ and he touches it.”
I was going to do another UFC 97 heat-up post. Problem: Not much media coverage for the show. Less coverage, less links.
And finally, The Charleston Gazette in West Virginia says that Bully Beatdown on MTV is an all-time reality show low:
When I went to MTV’s Web site to learn more about the show for this column, I was even more appalled. Here’s an excerpt: “With the fight set, Mayhem [the host] makes sure the victims and the bullies get what they deserve. The bully gets the real experience of what it’s like to fight someone who is more than capable of fighting back, along with the nervous fear that comes from waiting for the big fight. For the victims, it’s the satisfaction of seeing their bully face someone who can make him suffer for his past actions.”
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 97 media heat-up – part one
By Zach Arnold | April 15, 2009
According to someone I talked with in the Toronto area, Dana White made a media appearance on Rogers Sportsnet yesterday to hype up the Montreal event. The same source says that UFC is flooding the Ontario and Montreal markets with radio ads non-stop. The media blitz is all-out.
Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio Shogun
Sherdog: Shogun approaches UFC 97 crossroads
“All my fights were important in my life, but I see this fight as the most important,” Rua said. “Liddell is a guy who deserves respect, a top fighter, but I see myself victorious in this fight.”
Todd Martin (CBS Sports): Liddell, Shogun battle each other at UFC 97
For his part, Liddell doesn’t view his recent struggles as part of a greater trend. He dismisses the notion that his style has become predictable.
“I think I just got a little impatient and overexcited and got in a bad position,” Liddell said of his most recent knockout loss to Rashad Evans. “I’m predictable in that I’m going to throw punches at you.”
Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse): Shogun focused on Chuck Liddell
This is all tough to say. I trust my ground skills, and in theory I would have a better chance if the fight hits the ground. But how often do you see Chuck on his back? Many things can happen in a fight, and I expect him to come very well trained, so I have to be ready for all aspects of the game and take my chances.
Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites
SLAM! Sports: Jason MacDonald says Anderson Silva casts a shadow over the middleweight division
Kevin Iole (Yahoo Sports): Anderson Silva has something to prove this time
“The Spider” isn’t a braggart and isn’t the sort to make outlandish predictions. But it’s obvious that he’s aware of the criticism he received following the Cote fight and that he intends to make a statement and, in essence, set the world straight.
Other links
Fight Ticker: Strikeforce does decent numbers for Showtime debut event
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
“Dana White and Vince McMahon are so much alike, it’s uncanny.”
By Zach Arnold | April 15, 2009
35,000 views in less than 24 hours for the tape-loving, attention-seeking UFC President who reportedly less than two weeks ago was not going to do Youtube video blogs for a long time after his infamous Youtube rant on Loretta Hunt.
With great power comes great responsibility. In Dana White’s world, he doesn’t have to play by the conventional rulebook as long as he is rewarded for what he does. No damage, no foul, right? Let’s just hope the UFC boss doesn’t have a Stephanie McMahon 9/11 moment any time soon on camera.
In an interview with The Canadian Press on Tuesday, Dana White says that he is a victim and that the media took advantage of him after his Youtube comments.
“I went directly to the people that I offended. And the reality is I have gay friends, I have gay people that I respect, that I work with and do things with. And I reached out to them and the people who could be offended by what I said, and I apologized and I told my side of the story.”
As to the rest of the media? White uses the F-bomb to describe what they can do to themselves.
“Because it has nothing to do with them. They used me, that’s the way I look at it.”
As for the future of additional Youtube video blogs?
“I’m still on the fence with the whole blog thing,” he said Tuesday. “I have a blog right now that we shot yesterday (Monday) and now we’re all sitting around wondering if this is too controversial.”
“I’m me, I’m who I am. That’s not going to change, you know. Maybe who I am is too much, too much for the real world,” he added with a chuckle. “But I’m not going to deal with all the bullshit.”
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 16 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: UFC to be featured on ESPN’s E:60 show in May
By Zach Arnold | April 14, 2009
This according to Dave Meltzer, who says that ESPN camera crews will be in Montreal this weekend at UFC 97 to tape an interview with Dana White. The show will focus on his Youtube rant against Loretta Hunt and they will ask the question that a few of us did after the incident took place: What would happen if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell displayed the same public behavior?
The UFC edition of E:60 will air on May 12th.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 16 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Video interview: David Bielkheden
By Zach Arnold | April 13, 2009
Brazilian Top Team’s David Bielkheden finished his last week of preparation for his UFC 97 bout against Mark Bocek. The Swedish fighter, who loves the Brazilian culture and considers himself half-Brazilian as well, is going into his second fight at Lightweight in the Octagon.
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