UFC Fight Night Live – Play By Play
By Mike David | January 23, 2008
UFC Fight Night Live, from The Palms in Las Vegas, NV
Televised Card:
- Diaz vs. Robinson
- Omigawa vs. Tavares
- McFedries vs. Cote
- Swick vs. Burkman
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, Mike David, MMA, UFC | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
How to lose 60% in one day
By Zach Arnold | January 23, 2008
Just ask the folks at Pro Elite, who watched their stock today plunge from $7.50 USD/share to $3.00 USD/share.
The stock was once at $15.00 USD/share.
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro Elite, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: WWE star Bobby Lashley gone from company
By Zach Arnold | January 23, 2008
Why bother reporting this story on Fight Opinion? Because Bobby Lashley has great amateur wrestling credentials, and it has long been rumored that he will get into MMA.
Interesting that three of the top amateur wrestling stars that Vince McMahon recruited (Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and Bobby Lashley) all are interested in MMA. Lesnar is the most serious candidate of the three, but Lashley will certainly be no slouch, either, when he gets into the fight game. (Especially given where he is located in Colorado and will likely be near some great training partners if he gets into MMA.)
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, WWE, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Bas Rutten named IFL VP of Fighter Operations
By Zach Arnold | January 23, 2008
Topics: IFL, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Previewing tonight’s UFN event on Spike TV
By Zach Arnold | January 23, 2008
There’s some show called Ultimate Fight Night live happening tonight on Spike TV. Weigh-in results. Jesse Holland of MMA Mania appeared on Jarry Park’s radio show to preview tonight’s event. Make sure to get your predictions for the show in at MMA Predictions. Here are Bloody Elbow’s predictions.
Patrick Cote is looking for his fourth straight win. Here is a profile article on Josh Burkman. Here is a profile article on Drew McFedries, who also talked to Steve Cofield and was discussed in this Canadian Press article. Here is a profile article on Cole Miller.
If one of the regulars here on the site is interested in doing PBP of tonight’s UFN event, e-mail me and let’s talk.
Someone thinks the UFC-TNA promotional deal is useless.
An ESPN writer thinks UFC has been a positive influence on boxing.
Paul Kelly is getting some press coverage after his UFC 80 win.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Timeout time
By Zach Arnold | January 23, 2008
Starting with posts today, comments will be turned off for the next week.
A message has to be sent that I expect commenters to be on their best behavior. Obviously, as the site has grown in popularity, so have the trolls.
This is not something that I wanted to do, but consider it a necessary break.
Topics: Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: Xyience files for Chapter 11 protection
By Zach Arnold | January 22, 2008
UFC’s largest corporate sponsor in 2007, Xyience, has filed for bankruptcy (according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal).
The meat of this story comes on allegations that Xyience founder Russell Pike supposedly threatened Xyience management. Given the close nature between UFC and Xyience, it is important that Zuffa makes a public statement about this matter. It was UFC that gave Xyience the most public exposure, pushed the company the hardest, and also reportedly got financing for the operation.
A question that I want to see answered: If Xyience paid UFC $15 million USD/year for being the company’s largest corporate sponsor, why was UFC so intimately involved in helping the company get financing and having fighters featured in prominent sponsorship deals? Let me phrase this differently… why would UFC, the largest company in their respective sport, take money from a sponsor, then prop up that ailing sponsor financially, and then have their top fighters sign sponsorship deals with that company? There are many legitimate questions that should be asked here and need to be asked. Will others ask the tough questions?
Whether UFC likes it or not, the fact is that their company is associated with Xyience in the eyes of many media writers. Just look at the LVRJ headline in the first place. UFC has to be candid and open (read: talk to other media writers besides Kevin Iole) to any and all questions relating to Xyience. They opened up pandora’s box by helping Xyience get financing.
The LVRJ article is must-read material and certainly puts the company’s $25 million USD lawsuit against writer Rich Bergeron into a whole new perspective. Keep a close eye out for future articles on this story at MMA Payout.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 15 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Akira Maeda’s new project, The Outsider
By Zach Arnold | January 22, 2008
In Japanese MMA online circles, this item I posted on January 10th drew a lot of attention. I didn’t think a lot about the news item at the time I made it, but apparently a lot of Japanese readers did.
So, today’s news about Akira Maeda running an amateur MMA tournament show called The Outsider on 3/30 in Tokyo at Differ Ariake is interesting to pay attention to.
The amateur tournament will use HERO’s rules. Participants must be in the age bracket of 16 ~ 35.
Topics: HERO's, Japan, M-1, Media, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Misaki vs. Akiyama fight ruled a no-contest
By Zach Arnold | January 22, 2008
According to God Bless the Ring (hat tip: Hiroshi), the finish of the Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Kazuo Misaki fight has been overturned.
Misaki was declared the winner by brutal KO in the fight. However, the decision has been officially changed.
Speaking of Misaki, check out the next fight he is booked for.
Topics: HERO's, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 13 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Strange, ugly heavyweight match-ups arising in 2008
By Zach Arnold | January 22, 2008
According to The Sun in the UK, Brock Lesnar will headline UFC’s June event at the 02 Arena in London. The Sun has a ton of MMA articles, but no RSS feed. If someone can find or produce an RSS feed of Sun MMA articles, please let me know.
Bob Sapp vs. Jan “The Giant” Nortje booked for StrikeForce’s Tacoma Dome event? What a useless match. Sounds like a Kazuyoshi Ishii special.
Meanwhile, details about M-1’s first event in the States. If Fedor vs. Schilt happens, that would certainly indicate a mending of fences between Apy Echteld and Bas Boon. More thoughts here.
Mike Sawyer and Oliver Copp have an interview with Phil Baroni. Eddie Goldman has audio clips of an interview with Fedor.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: BoDog, HDNet, IFL, K-1, M-1, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, StrikeForce, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 20 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Doing the hard sell for Ken vs. Frank Shamrock
By Zach Arnold | January 21, 2008
The most interesting item in Steve Sievert’s article is this:
While they have had their differences, the Shamrocks are finding common ground to make their mega-fight a reality — money. Tearing a page from the business playbook of boxing superstar Oscar De La Hoya, Frank will control the purse strings and promote the bout himself.
“All the power in our sport has been with the promoters,” he said. “This is a unique business model. My company will hire the team to promote the fight. We’re currently in our second round of financing and working on finding partners for the pay-per-view and arena.”
This would explain why http://www.bloodbrothersppv.com is registered to Frank Shamrock USA in San Jose. Interesting that neither Strikeforce or Elite XC will be promoting this fight.
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 37 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Sunday news review (1/20/08)
By Zach Arnold | January 20, 2008
Yeo Jong-Hoon reports that Choi Hong-Man made his national TV debut as a singer in South Korea. His first single is “Beast and Beauty,” which you can see here.
Oscar De La Hoya will have a retirement tour in 2008. Check out more stories on this topic on the boxing page.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Japan, Media, MMA, South Korea, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 68 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 80 (Newcastle, England)
By Zach Arnold | January 19, 2008
Steve Cofield has some audio interviews with John McCarthy, Sam Caplan, and Loretta Hunt.
Previews/news: MMA HQ | Mike Coughlin | MMA Betting | MMA Analyst | Pramit Mohapatra interviews Dana White | Harley Davidson signs deal with UFC | Is UFC 80 a Dana White rip-off?
Reports: Sherdog | Observer | The Fight Network | MMA Junkie | Bloody Elbow | UFC Daily | MMA on Tap | Fightlinker | Cage Potato
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 36 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |