Monday news review (2/11/08)
By Zach Arnold | February 11, 2008
There was a media announcement on Monday night that there will be a press conference at Hotel Metropolitan Edmont in Tokyo (Chiyoda district). At the press conference, PRIDE staff members and FEG/K-1 staff members will unite together to announce the name of their new MMA promotion (focusing on the ‘large coalition’ philosophy).
- Nightmare of Battle: Kevin Randleman signs with World Victory Road
- Setanta Sports (UK): An interview with Dana White
- The Montreal Gazette: Ultimate fighting bad news for NHL (this is a Fightlinker special)
- The Houston Chronicle: Carlo Prater finds spotlight in second Condit bout
- Bloody Elbow: MMA and marijuana – some answers
- MMA Payout: ‘Overworked’ – potential impact of year-round drug testing
- Dayton Daily News (OH): UFC 82 event in Columbus nearing sellout
- The Boston Herald: MMA’s growing appeal in Massachusetts
- The Fight Network: Patrick Cote off UFC 83 card
- ADCC News: Interview with JZ Calvan
- Steve Sievert: IFL TV – addition by subtraction?
- Total MMA: Discussing Liddell vs. Shogun
- MMA Opinion: Evan Tanner – from the depths of hell to the UFC
- K-1 HP: Results from mystery event in Budapest, Hungary
- Shu Hirata: Cage Force 2/11 Differ Ariake event results
- MMA Analyst: The war between BodogFight and M-1
Topics: BoDog, Canada, HERO's, Japan, K-1, M-1, Media, MMA, UFC, UK, WEC, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
WEC 2/13 Albuquerque card line-up
By Zach Arnold | February 10, 2008
- Carlo Prater vs. Carlos Condit
- Jamie Varner vs. Rob McCullough
- Miguel Torres vs. Chase Beebe
- Manny Tapia vs. Antonio Banuelos
- Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Leonard Garcia
- Josh Grispi vs. Mark Hominick
- Del Hawkins vs. Coty Wheeler
- Charlie Valencia vs. Yoshiro Maeda
- Micah Miller vs. Chance Farrar
- Scott Jorgensen vs. Jesse Moreng
Topics: Media, MMA, WEC, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
A question about the PRIDE asset sale deal…
By Zach Arnold | February 8, 2008
Adam Swift at Sherdog has an excellent article, talking about PRIDE FC Worldwide Holding’s lawsuit against Nobuyuki Sakakibara & DSE Inc.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Accusation by Nogueira trainer: Sylvia used skin creme
By Zach Arnold | February 7, 2008
On Tatame’s site in Portuguese (not in English), Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira trainer Luiz Alves made the claim that Tim Sylvia used some sort of skin lotion or creme.
This is the same kind of allegation that got Yoshihiro Akiyama (famously) in hot water when he fought Kazushi Sakuraba on NYE in 2006.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 32 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Bergeron vs. Xyience lawsuit update
By Zach Arnold | February 7, 2008
Rich Bergeron, the blogger who was sued by Xyience for $25 million USD, won today’s round of court hearings in Las Vegas. Bergeron comments here. Pamela Lawson, the attorney for Xyience, filed a motion for Xyience to win the case on a technicality. Judge Tim Williams ruled against Xyience. Here’s the summary ruling on the Clark County, NV. web site:
Mr. Bergeron inquired regarding his motion to dismiss. COURT ORDERED Deft to file an answer or responsive pleading pursuant to the rules and make sure it is filed and gets set with Master Calendar.
COURT FURTHER ORDERED the Motion to Dismiss will be heard on March 5th and Defendant is to make sure Pltf’s counsel gets a copy of his points and authorities within five business days (2/14); not be e-file.
Argument by Ms. Lawson regarding awarding sanctions at this time. COURT stated he will decide the issue on the merits and will not award sanctions at this time. Pltf’s Motion DENIED.
Bergeron’s motion to get the case dismissed will take place on March 5th. Fightlinker has more thoughts on the case.
Topics: Media, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
Flashback: Gaming license issues related to UFC/PRIDE asset sale deal
By Zach Arnold | February 6, 2008
As many long-time readers of this site know, I have been drumming the beat about PRIDE’s problems for at least two years. When the rumors first started that Zuffa was interested in doing a PRIDE asset sale purchase, I warned that there would be many problems that would arise if such a deal occured.
Those problems are surfacing right now.
I am going through some of the archived posts on this site in relation to warning signals about the PRIDE asset sale deal. One of the warning signals fired by me was that the Fertitta brothers were possibly putting their gaming license at risk by doing a business deal with Dream Stage Entertainment.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Yakuza, Zach Arnold | 18 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Update on Xyience bankruptcy situation
By Zach Arnold | February 6, 2008
Some interesting developments. Tomorrow, there will be a hearing in front of LV judge Tim Williams as to whether or not Xyience’s motion to win their cause against Rich Bergeron (based on a technicality) will work or not. If the motion fails, then there will be a hearing next week on Bergeron’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit altogether. Xyience initially sued Bergeron, a blogger who had been very critical of Xyience (long before anyone else online was), for $25 million USD. As we detailed last week on Fight Opinion Radio, the original attorney in the Xyience/Bergeron lawsuit backed out of the case and a new attorney, Pamela Lawson, has since taken over.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Playing with fire? Zuffa sues DSE
By Zach Arnold | February 5, 2008
Update: A source who has read the summary of the lawsuit filing sends this (case no: 08 A 556504):
Plaintiff purchased certain assets of defendant’s business under the Pride, Pride Fighting Championship and Bushido brand names. Because plaintiffs are involved in the gaming industry, defendants were required to cooperate with and submit to background checks and drug tests to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements of plaintiff’s gaming license. Defendants failed to cooperate with, submit to or pass such background checks, defrauding plaintiffs into entering the agreement for “millions upon millions of dollars.”
The judge assigned to the case is Mark R. Denton and the lawsuit was filed on the 1st. PFC worldwide’s attorney in the case is Daniel Polsenberg. If anyone can access the 29-page court filing, please let me know.
Update II: From Sherdog:
A source close to DSE told Sherdog.com on Tuesday that Sakakibara was preparing his own suit against the Fertittas for breach of contract stemming from the decision to shut Pride down last October.
Fightlinker sums up the mess UFC is in right now.
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A strange news item today from Dave Meltzer claims that PRIDE FC Worldwide, the company UFC set up for the PRIDE asset sale transaction, is going to sue Dream Stage Entertainment for fraud in relation to the PRIDE asset sale agreement.
Why is it a curious move? Because the lawsuit, if true, would likely justify the notion (in my opinion) that UFC’s due diligence on the PRIDE asset sale deal was inefficient in finding out what was real and what wasn’t. At the time the deal was made, it was extremely questionable on several levels.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 23 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Quote of the Day – Dana White on Fedor
By Zach Arnold | February 5, 2008
From a Q & A session in The Sun:
Fedor isn’t a real fighter, he’s a complete joke.
“He’s fighting middleweights and guys who have absolutely no business fighting – and he’s looking like s*** doing it.
“It’s 2008 and he hasn’t had a real fight since 2005. I don’t care about what he did in PRIDE years ago – he can’t live with anyone in the top five in the UFC and that’s why he’s not here.
“He’s not in the UFC because if he was he couldn’t avoid real competition like he’s been doing for years now.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 49 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Survey for Wushu Masters on CCTV
By Zach Arnold | February 5, 2008
Please read this post and, if interested in commenting, answer the questions seriously.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Tuesday reading material (2/5/08)
By Zach Arnold | February 5, 2008
- The Las Vegas Review-Journal: UFC show excites ‘quiet jerk’ Forrest Griffin
- The Canadian Press: Ontario commissioner Ken Hayashi says MMA is illegal under Criminal Code
- The Canadian Press: UFC delivers punch at the box office in first foray into Canada
- Todd Martin: Nogueira proves his mettle again
- The St. Petersburg Times (FL): Body in pond a victim of killer – kickboxer Tim Chipley found dead
- TMZ: Shots fired – Iceman flips out (I should just add the TMZ RSS feed for MMA nightclub stories on the page)
- Eurosport: Michael Bisping – “I ain’t getting in no sauna”
- The Tampa Tribune: Cauliflower ears – a badge of honor or unsightly? (comments from Randy Couture)
- Steve Sievert: M-1 fails to follow up its promising entrance
- Jeff Haney (Las Vegas Sun): A strong start (for Lesnar), then defeated, not down
- MMA Weekly: WEC to re-match Filho & Sonnen in Las Vegas
- Gryphon: A destiny about Judo vs. Catch Wrestling from 90 years ago
- Fightlinker: Andrei Arlovski has been officially buried
- MMA Analyst: UFC buries Arlovski, sends him to the prelims
- MMA Payout: Zuffa sale rumor goes public
- Charles Jay: When is a genuine competitor going to step up to compete with UFC?
- MMA HQ: UFC 82 – full fight card
- MMA Opinion: UFC pay issues
Topics: Canada, Japan, M-1, Media, MMA, UFC, WEC, Zach Arnold | 17 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Dana White on Choi Hong-Man
By Zach Arnold | February 4, 2008
Audio evidence here at the 6:20 mark…
Dana calls Choi Hong-Man “long duck dong.” Not since Phil Baroni mocked Yoon Dong-Sik as “pork fried rice” have we had quite an insensitive remark from a top MMA voice (outside of Japan, anyways — the garbage Yoshihiro Akiyama has had to put up with is ridiculous, as well).
Topics: K-1, Media, MMA, South Korea, Zach Arnold | 82 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Quote of the Day – comparing MMA to waterboarding
By Zach Arnold | February 4, 2008
What a job it must be to be the public editor of The Sacramento Bee:
“I strongly object to the glorification of the ‘sport’ of cage fighting,” said Hill-Weld’s e-mail.
As for the detailed description of the guillotine hold, he said, “This hold sounds a lot like ‘waterboarding,’ which most people consider torture.
“While this ‘sport’ may be legal, I do not think it is the type of sport we want to encourage our young people to take up. What could the editor have been thinking even assigning someone to write the article and then splashing it across the front of the Metro section?”
My take is the story was legitimate but belonged in sports. That’s where readers expect to find stories about boxing and cage fighting, and where gruesome details about the guillotine hold would be less shocking.
Topics: Media, MMA, WEC, Zach Arnold | 15 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |