Friday headlines (1/18/2008)
By Zach Arnold | January 17, 2008
First, I wanted to let everyone know about a new site called MMA Memories. Check it out.
Onto today’s headlines:
- Yahoo Sports (Dave Meltzer): Gonzaga vs. Werdum a battle for position
- The Honolulu Star-Bulletin: UFC is not coming to Hawaii until at least 2009
- The Liverpool Echo (UK): Meet Paul Kelly
- CBS Sports: UFC 80 predictions
- The Telegraph (UK): BJ Penn set for Joe Stevenson UFC showdown
- MSNBC: Dana White – ‘I don’t think there is anything profitable about the European market’
- Setanta Sports: Network signs long-term deal with UFC
- The Republican (MA): Gabriel Gonzaga opening new school in Cambridge
- Yahoo Sports (Kevin Iole): Joe Stevenson wants to be daddy of the 155s
- The Telegraph (UK): UFCs are here to stay
- MMA Junkie: Interview with Brad Imes
- Jarry Park: Q & A with Frank Shamrock
- MMA Analyst: UFC 80 in-depth show preview
- MMA Madness: Interview with Dan Henderson
- TKO Xtreme: Pele coming to TKO 32 event
- Fightlinker: Zuffa owns the words “Cagefighting” and “World”
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 63 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
About that pro-wrestling crossover…
By Zach Arnold | January 17, 2008
If you don’t think UFC takes pro-wrestling’s cross-over appeal seriously, well…
TNA has made a business deal with UFC regarding promotion of UFC’s 2/2 PPV show, and in particular the Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir match.
Next week’s Impact will include a Brock Lesnar training package, as well as a Kurt Angle interview, where he breaks down the Lesnar vs. Mir match.
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, TNA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 23 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Thursday news and notes (1/17/2008)
By Zach Arnold | January 17, 2008
- 15 Rounds: Conference call quotes from Kimbo Slice, Tank Abbott, and Gary Shaw
- The Belfast Telegraph: Slog on the Tyne – Colin Robinson
- Sports Illustrated (Pramit Mohapatra): Fight Night in the UK
- Yahoo Sports (Kevin Iole): Maturing BJ Penn ready to claim crown
- KSBY 6 Action News (San Luis Obispo, CA): Hackelman’s Dream Team helps train UFC hopefuls
- The Memphis Commercial Appeal: Profile of David Ferguson, owner of Memphis Judo & Jiu-Jitsu LLC
- F4W Online: Interview with Zach Arnold
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 25 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Ground & Pound Awards 2007
By Zach Arnold | January 16, 2008
Press Release
The die is cast and the vote for the Third Annual Ground & Pound Awards is over. Fans, fighters, managers, promoters and trainers from all over the world have decided on the winners in the sixteen categories.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, Press Releases, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Cage Force 2008 calendar
By Zach Arnold | January 16, 2008
The promotion announced their upcoming schedule for the year and there are some very interesting fights about to be booked. The event schedule:
2/11 – Tokyo, Differ Ariake
4/05 – Tokyo, Differ Ariake
6/22 – Tokyo, Differ Ariake
September – TBA
They will have Featherweight (65.7 kg) and Bantamweight (61.2 kg) tournaments. The featherweight tournament will feature Armando Sanchez, Antonio Carvalho, Adrian Pang, Akiyo Wickey, Daikai Ozaki, Yuji Hoshino, Tsuyoshi Yamazaki, and Kim Jong-Man. The bantamweight tournament has the following fighters booked so far: Daichi Fujiwara, Taiyo Nakahara, Takeya Mizugaki, and Paul McVeigh.
The 2/11 Differ Ariake show will feature Ozaki vs. Yamazaki and Wickey vs. Jong-Man, along with Nakahara vs. Motonobu Tezuka and Tetsuo Seto vs. Toshinari Takahashi.
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 7 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: Stefan Leko out 7 months due to knee injury
By Zach Arnold | January 16, 2008
Pro Fight Store is reporting that Stefan Leko will be out of action for 7 months due to knee surgery. Leko fought this past weekend.
Mauro Ranallo and Don King interview each other. Heaven help us all.
Frank Trigg was the color commentator for yet another Fox Sports Net Best Damn Toughman presentation on Monday night. The show was taped at the Hard Rock in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Rich Bergeron has filed a motion to dismiss in the civil lawsuit filed against him by Xyience. The next court hearing is on 2/14 at 9 AM.
Other headlines:
- Dave Meltzer (Yahoo Sports): Anatomy of a promotional fiasco (talking about the WCO situation)
- Press Release: Directed Electronics becomes exclusive mobile audio partner with UFC
- Monsters and Critics: National Geographic’s Fight Science is can’t-miss TV
- The Canadian Press: Colin Robinson from Northern Ireland relishes second chance to ‘do the business’
- 15 Rounds: Mac Danzig Q & A
- The Sacramento Bee: ‘California Kid’ Urijah Faber stands tall
- The Canadian Press: The patient Punisher (Jason Lambert) looks forward to finally fighting again at UFC 80
- The Victoria Times Colonist (Canada): Victoria MMA card dealt knockout blow
- The Oregonian: Wrestling poised to feed off MMA
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, UK, WEC, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC sues Randy Couture
By Zach Arnold | January 15, 2008
According to The Las Vegas Review-Journal, Zuffa LLC (the parent company of UFC) filed a lawsuit on Monday against Randy Couture in Clark County District Court.
UFC claims that Couture’s statements about the company last year caused ‘irreparable damage’ and that he breached his UFC contract.
This is alluding to the fact that Couture now has a camp-based team in the IFL. (Nothing seems to anger Dana more than the IFL, does it?)
If anyone can provide me with the case number of this civil suit, please let me know (as I would be interested in keeping track of legal developments).
Topics: IFL, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 62 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Phil Baroni’s next fight
By Zach Arnold | January 14, 2008
I saw this post by Luke Thomas talking about the politics behind Phil Baroni’s next fight. The long and the short of it – Sengoku announced Baroni vs. Kikuta last week for their 3/5 Tokyo show (as we noted on the site), Ken Pavia said Baroni was fielding a number of offers, and now there’s a report that American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose brokered the Japanese fight.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Does anyone care about a Mayweather/De La Hoya re-match?
By Zach Arnold | January 13, 2008
I was reading the boxing page and saw the BBC headline stating that Joe Calzaghe vs. Bernard Hopkins is supposedly finalized. April in Las Vegas, apparently. Plus, discussion of De La Hoya vs. Mayweather re-matching.
The whole story behind the canceled WCO event in San Diego over the weekend.
An interview with Frankie Edgar.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, StrikeForce, UFC, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Fight Opinion Radio #73: Start of 2008 MMA season
By Zach Arnold | January 13, 2008
We kick off the 2008 MMA season by recapping the major NYE MMA events with Adam Swift of MMA Payout and Mike David, who did a remote with us from Tokyo after watching the K-1 Osaka Dome event in person. Everything you ever wanted to know about the major NYE MMA events and the fallout from the shows is discussed on this week’s show.
Plus, Caleb from MMA Predictions stops by to talk about his recent interview with Brock Lesnar and what Lesnar’s chances are against Frank Mir at UFC 81. Plus, we talk about the upcoming UFC 80 event with BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson and what Stevenson needs to do to win the fight.
The 73rd edition of Fight Opinion Radio is now online and available to download. Download this week’s show here.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Fight Opinion Radio, HERO's, IFL, Japan, Jeff Thaler, K-1, M-1, Media, MMA, podcasts, PRIDE, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Saturday headlines (1/12/08)
By Zach Arnold | January 12, 2008
An update on the Xyience Inc. vs. Rich Bergeron $25 million USD lawsuit: Pamela R. Lawson, the new attorney for Xyience, has filed an application for a default judgment on 1/8 in Clark County, NV. and also submitted an affidavit in support of the application.
Dave Meltzer takes a look at UFC’s Light Heavyweight division. Steve Cofield has a new article, talking about UFC being MMA’s dominant organization and what Gary Shaw intends to do to combat this situation with Elite XC.
Here is a glimpse at one person appointed to Minnesota’s boxing commission to regulate MMA.
The more Sean Sherk talks about his steroid case, the bigger the issue is going to become and will haunt him forever. He really needs a PR person guiding him right now.
Glad to see Gabriel Gonzaga get his name mentioned in the press, but what a weird way for it to happen.
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Thursday night notes (1/10/08)
By Zach Arnold | January 10, 2008
More on the story of the day in full-page mode (read on)…
World Victory Road announced Sanae Kikuta vs. Phil Baroni for their 3/5 Tokyo, Yoyogi National Stadium Gym I event.
K-1 announced a “World Youth 2008 ~ International Team Competition” format for their 2/2 Nippon Budokan event, with the theme of Japan vs. Holland. HIROYA is one of the Japanese fighters announced. The 2/2 Budokan show is a World MAX event.
Kevin Iole lays the hammer down on Roy Jones Jr. and Don King. Wonder if the tone would have been as harsh if Top Rank was promoting the fight?
Luke Thomas talks about Randy Couture. Audio here.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, HERO's, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, WEC, Zach Arnold | 32 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Wednesday news update (1/9/08)
By Zach Arnold | January 9, 2008
Here are some more details about Larry Hazzard’s lawsuit against New Jersey’s attorney general.
Pro Fight Store is reporting that Mirko Cro Cop has hired his old K-1 coach, Marijan Zizanovic.
Pramit Mohapatra at Sports Illustrated has a preview of things to come in 2008 in MMA. Pramit also has a Q & A session with Melvin Guillard.
Here is a profile article on Marcus Davis.
Much in the same mold as WWE doing their “Smackdown your vote” campaign, Spike TV is working with UFC to launch a voter registration drive.
The Chicago Tribune has a profile article on cut-man Jeff Perez.
The Contra Costa Times has a profile article on Eric Lawson and his chance encounter with Urijah Faber in 2002.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |