An update on our radio co-host’s surgery
By Zach Arnold | March 8, 2009
For those of you who listened to last week’s radio show, you know by know that Caleb of The Fightworks Podcast was set to have major knee surgery for injuries suffered during training.
An update on what is happening with Caleb… He had surgery on Tuesday to repair his ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament), his LCL (lateral ligament), meniscus, and the femoris tendon. These were not tears, but rather parts of the knee that were severed completely. Prognosis? Recovery time will be from 12 ~ 18 months.
If you want to send Caleb any get well wishes, you can contact him right here.
Update (3/8): Check out Caleb’s bionic leg. Plus, hear him talk about on his newest radio show episode.
Topics: Media, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Media coverage of UFC 96 fallout
By Zach Arnold | March 8, 2009
The one major headline coming out of UFC 96 is whether or not Rampage Jackson will accept the fight against Rashad Evans on May 23rd in Las Vegas. The turnaround time would be around two months for Rampage, so it would be a quick fight to take on short-notice. However, the heat for Rampage vs. Evans seems red hot, so I don’t see how this fight doesn’t take place given what kind of business is at stake. Conversely, Machida really does deserve a title shot against Evans. Not as marketable as Rampage vs. Evans, but still a good fight and the undercard could always be bolstered as well. It’s not the end of the world if Lesnar vs. Mir takes place at UFC 100 in July. Plus, the 5/23 show will have Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra, and Hughes was a hated man by that Columbus crowd.
Dave Meltzer reported late Saturday night that Georges St. Pierre was asked by UFC to work the 5/23 date, but GSP turned it down.
Question of the day: Does UFC need to do any damage control after selling tickets for Mir/Lesnar II last Thursday and then news breaking the next day that Mir had knee surgery and would likely postpone his fight? In other words, is criticism towards UFC warranted or were they put in a no-win situation?
Now, a look at some headlines coming out of last night’s show from Columbus:
- The Canadian Press: Nationwide Arena watches several brutal knockouts and questionable refereeing
- MMA Junkie: Rampage, Jardine, and Hamill earn $60,000USD UFC 96 bonuses
- New York Newsday: Pete Sell loses twice in same fight
- The Dayton Daily News (Ohio): Easy to see why UFC continues to thrive
- The Vallejo Times-Herald (CA): Frightening finish to Munoz’s UFC debut
- Josh Gross (SI): Rampage dominates Jardine at UFC 96
- Maui News: Kendall Grove pounds Jason Day in first round
- Michael David Smith: What was Yves Lavigne thinking? One of the most horrendous displays of refereeing I’ve ever seen
- Ben Fowlkes (SI): Rampage controls Jardine, sets stage for title shot against Rashad Evans
- The Associated Press: Rampage – “Keith is tough. I didn’t expect him to be that tough.”
- Bleacher Report: ‘UFC would do much better without Dana White running the show’
DREAM 7: On a sidenote, results from a show that drew very little attention in Japan or anywhere else. The claimed attendance for the show was 19,528. Well…
Topics: DREAM, Japan, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 29 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 96 (3/7 Columbus, Ohio) card line-up
By Zach Arnold | March 7, 2009
Event results: AOL Fanhouse | MMA Weekly | Sherdog | MMA Junkie | Observer
Steve Cofield addresses the referee issue in Aaron Riley’s fight.
Dark matches
- 170 pounds (Welterweights): Tamdan McCrory vs. Ryan Madigan
- 185 pounds (Middleweights): Kendall Grove vs. Jason Day
- 205 pounds (Light Heavyweights): Tim Boetsch vs. Jason Britz
- 205 pounds (Light Heavyweights): Brandon Vera vs. Michael Patt
- 155 pounds (Lightweights): Aaron Riley vs. Shane Nelson
Main card
- 155 pounds (Lightweights): Gray Maynard vs. Jim Miller
- Heavyweights: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane Carwin
- 170 pounds (Welterweights): Pete Sell vs. Matt Brown
- 205 pounds (Light Heavyweights): Matt Hamill vs. Mark Munoz
- 205 pounds (Light Heavyweights): Quinton Jackson vs. Keith Jardine
You’ll be watching this show. Admit it.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 45 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The obligatory “will it or won’t it” post on Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar II
By Zach Arnold | March 6, 2009
It was set to happen this May, but Sam Caplan said not so fast my friend. MMA weekly says that the focus is on the knee, not Mir’s back. MMA Mania says that it was minor knee surgery.
Dana White, through Kevin Iole, is claiming ignorance currently as to what is happening. Dave Meltzer says that it’s a touch-and-go situation.
Update (3/7): The fight appears to be probably postponed until the Summer. July in Las Vegas at UFC 100 (with Georges St. Pierre on the card) probably makes the most sense at this point.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 31 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Question of the Day – UFC in the UK
By Zach Arnold | March 6, 2009
What would happen to their television situation if Setanta Sports collapses?
The London Telegraph: If British sport wants to keep the good times rolling then Setanta must survive
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 96 media heat-up: Take two
By Zach Arnold | March 6, 2009
Yesterday, I struggled to get show content. Today… better. For my thoughts on last night’s Countdown to UFC 96 show that aired on Spike TV, click here. BTW, the Ohio Athletic Commission presented Dana White with a lifetime matchmaker’s license.
The Columbus Dispatch has a preview of coming attractions for what is happening this weekend for the Arnold Sports Festival.
Onto media previews for tomorrow’s event in Columbus, Ohio:
- MMA Junkie: Jackson vs. Jardine a cut above rest of the card
- Franklin McNeil (ESPN): Quinton Jackson knows not to look past Keith Jardine
- Ben Fowlkes (SI): Stakes remain high for Keith Jardine at UFC 96
- The Associated Press: Jardine says he’s ‘probably the third person asked to the prom on this one’
- The Canadian Press: Rampage is back and is a better fighter with plenty of people watching his back
- New York Newsday: Pete Sell can breathe a bit easier, maybe, at UFC 96
- Sherdog: Shane Carwin, the nicest monster you’ll ever meet
- Setanta Sports (UK): Package of links previewing each UFC 96 main fight
- Maui News: Kendall Grove may be fighting for his future in possible loser-leaves-town match
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Media heat-up for UFC 96 this Saturday in Columbus
By Zach Arnold | March 5, 2009
I tried to find what I could. Let’s hope media coverage picks up steam.
- AOL Fanhouse: Matt Hamill on fighting Mark Munoz – ‘it’s going to be a war’
- ABS-CBN News Online (Philippines): Fil-Am Mark Munoz ready to show his amateur wrestling skills at UFC 96
- USA Today: No matter who wins UFC 96, only Quinton Jackson has crack at Light Heavyweight title
- 2TheAdvocate (Baton Rouge): Which Keith Jardine will show up on Saturday night?
- Sherdog: Keith Jardine’s trainer, Greg Jackson, talks about his fighter’s expectations
- Setanta Sports (UK): If Rampage can bullrush Jardine, the fight will be over quickly
- The Sunbury Daily (PA): Tim Boetsch talks about his upcoming fight against Jason Britz, that guy ‘who hasn’t lost in 8 years’
BetUS odds for UFC 96
- Quinton Jackson (-350) vs. Keith Jardine (+250)
- Gabriel Gonzaga (-170) vs. Shane Carwin (+140)
- Matt Hamill (-170) vs. Mark Munoz (+140)
- Pete Sell (-140) vs. Matt Brown (+110)
- Gray Maynard (-170) vs. Jim Miller (+140)
- Kendall Grove (-200) vs. Jason Day (+160)
- Brandon Vera (-600) vs. Michael Patt (+450)
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 20 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
FILA Grappling second world committee meeting notes
By Zach Arnold | March 4, 2009
Press release
The second World Grappling Committee (WGC) annual meeting took place at the FILA headquarters in Corsier-sur-Vevey (Switzerland) on February 28th, 2009. The members of the newly structured WGC were brought together to discuss and establish the standards that will guide the sport of Grappling and its organization for the next four years. Attended the meeting Mr. Raphael Martinetti (FILA President), Mr. Jean-François Court (WGC Coordinator), Mr. Jason Towsend (Head of Grappling Pan-America), Mr. Rafael Perlungher (Head of Grappling Europe), Mr. Lazaros Papadopoulos (Head of Grappling Oceania), Mr. Hideo Kamaga (Head of Grappling Asia), and Mr. Willem Putter (Head of Grappling Africa). Under the new WGC structure, the continental representatives will be responsible for supporting the growth and development of the sport in the countries within their respective continents, as well as promoting the organization of FILA sanctioned events and Continental Championships. Contact details of all Committee members are available on the FILA website under “Grappling”.
After conducting an analysis of the first World Grappling Championship that took place in Lucerne (SUI) on 20-21 December 2008, the Committee decided to bring some modifications to the International Grappling Regulations. The following changes are in effect as of February 2009 and will remain in force until the end of 2012:
- New weight classes for males: 60, 66, 74, 84, 96, 120 kg and Absolute (open weight category).
- New weight classes for females: 55, 59, 63, 67 kg and Absolute (open weight category).
- The referees will no longer be able to declare a technical submission (“catch”) for senior competitions.
- The duration of senior matches will be 5 minutes with 1 minute overtime.
- The half guard restart position will no longer be used and half mount will no longer be considered a dominant position
- 1 point will be awarded for takedowns (if there is top control for 3 seconds).
- 1 point will be awarded to disadvantaged grapplers if they manage to escape and go to neutral or top position.
- In overtime, the choice of position, either top or bottom, will be given to the grappler who received the most passivity infractions, and if there is a tie in this criterion, to the grappler who scored the lowest value of points. If no grappler can be decided between by these two criteria, the red grappler will get the right to choose the position.
- Sweeps shall now be considered escapes and will be awarded points as so.
Other minor changes were made and can be consulted by downloading the complete International Grappling Regulations here.
Another major decision made in this meeting was to held the second World Grappling Championships in the United States, the American National Grappling Committee will soon announce more details of the competition which will be held in the second semester of 2009.
Tiago Okamura
For the World Grappling Committee
Topics: Media, Zach Arnold | 6 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
ESPN marketing gone wrong: Their new concept for synergy to promote boxing
By Zach Arnold | March 4, 2009
Mike Greenberg of Mike & Mike in the Morning will be sparring with Teddy Atlas tomorrow for pre-taped segments for Friday Night Fights. I hope this is kept to a minimum on TV…
Topics: Boxing, Media, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Dana White’s UFC 96 Youtube vlog
By Zach Arnold | March 4, 2009
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
Reports: Boyd Gaming offers to buy Station Casinos’ assets
By Zach Arnold | March 3, 2009
Update (3/4): Station Casinos has turned down Boyd’s asset purchase offer. The message? Don’t call us, we’ll call you. Hostile takeover coming?
Update (3/3): Station Casinos issued a press release regarding new deadlines on outstanding bonds.
That’s the big gambling-related news headline today. Boyd made an unsolicited offer of $950M USD to purchase company assets, which would effectively mean that the Fertitta family would exit the company. The caveat? The offer would be good only after bankruptcy reorganization.
Boyd Gaming has competed with Stations for local Las Vegas players for years. To finance such an asset purchase, Boyd would reportedly have to tap into a $2B USD line of revolving credit to make it happen.
Topics: Media, Zach Arnold | 6 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Bloody Elbow: Expect Ken Shamrock vs. Bobby Lashley
By Zach Arnold | March 2, 2009
On paper, it sounds like a great fight to market.
But consider the following — WWE had a hard time generating fan interest for Lashley until they put him in the Donald Trump angle against Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania a couple of years ago. What you are essentially banking on with putting Lashley in a high-profile fight like this is that he will be able to show more charisma than he ever did in WWE (think what happened to Brock Lesnar in UFC).
The big question going into this fight is what size Lashley will be when he faces Shamrock. Ken’s fighting at around 205 or 210, so if Lashley is 250 or more this could be big trouble for Ken. Then again, he could pull a Frank Mir and submit the big guy while taking a beating in the process.
It is an interesting fight on paper to market.
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 19 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
William Holmes: Josh Koscheck — From Villain to Hero
By Zach Arnold | March 2, 2009
The author (William Holmes) can be contacted at [email protected].
Josh Koscheck has a public relations problem. From his first day on The Ultimate Fighter, he’s been fighting an uphill battle in trying to win the respect and support of the MMA fan base.
Take away the individual components of this sport, and view it as a whole. A great baseball player has to be able to hit, bunt, steal, field, and throw (five-tool player). A great baseball player also has to be able to anticipate the type of pitch a pitcher will throw to him. A great fighter has to be able to strike, grapple, submit, avoid submissions, and keep his wits about him after getting rocked. A great fighter also has to know his opponent’s weakness, and take advantage of that deficiency.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 20 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |