Cage Force 12/1 Differ Ariake event results
By Zach Arnold | December 1, 2007
Results from today’s event at Differ Ariake in Tokyo:
- Middleweights: Yukiya Naito defeated Takenori Sato in R1 in 4’45 by TKO.
- Lightweights: ISE and Takahito Iida went to a draw after 2R.
- Takeya Mizugaki defeated Seiji Otsuka after 2R by a 3-0 judges’ decision.
- Bantamweights: Kenji Osawa defeated Punchy Yamauchi after 2R by a 3-0 judges’ decision.
- Lightweights: Mizuto Hirota defeated Sing Do Gi in R1 in 16 seconds by KO.
- 57 kg: Jesse Taitano and Yasuhuri Urushitani went to a draw after 3R (1-0 judges’ decision).
- Cage Force Welterweight tournament finals: Yoshiyuki Yoshida defeated Dan Hardy in R2 in 4 seconds by disqualification. Yoshida suffered a low blow from a Hardy low-kick and the rule director got on the house microphone and announced that the doctor at ringside stopped the fight.
- Cage Force Lightweight tournament finals: Artur Oumakhanov defeated Kotetsu Boku after 3R by a 2-1 judges’ decision.
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC and corporate sponsorship
By Zach Arnold | December 1, 2007
There’s good news and there’s bad news.
The good news is that, according to an article in Broadcasting & Cable, Spike TV is helping UFC attract some corporate sponsors.
The network has found a gentlemanly solution. A subset of its sales force is now devoted to making the league more palatable to those advertisers. A three-man sales group wines and dines the clients, shuttles them to live events in Las Vegas and Florida and holds special sessions with UFC athletes at gyms and training centers, all in the name of quelling their skittishness.
Now, the bad news. UFC’s main sponsor, Xyience, has reportedly fired its sales staff.
But this week the company notified much of its approximately 70-member sales force that it would be firing them due to financial setbacks, and this has led to speculation it would soon file for bankruptcy.
For as much effort as Spike is apparently making in helping UFC obtain corporate sponsorship, the fact that UFC could possibly have two of their biggest corporate sponsors (Amp’d Mobile and Xyience) file for bankruptcy within a calendar year is likely not positive news in the eyes of Corporate America. (Especially since there is already a media report with allegations that Zuffa was helping Xyience raise funds to help support the company.)
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Saturday headlines: The future of Marcelo Garcia
By Zach Arnold | December 1, 2007
Sad news, as Sam Vasquez has reportedly been moved to Hospice in the Houston area.
There is a big story developing, involving Marcelo Garcia.
The Palm Beach Post is reporting that no charges will be filed against Din Thomas for hosting illegal cage fights at his school have been dropped.
Oleg Taktarov won his comeback fight.
Eddie Goldman recently talked with Lou DiBella about MMA. Fun listening.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Pro Elite inks deal with IMG Media
By Zach Arnold | November 30, 2007
In a story that went under the media radar on Thursday, Pro Elite issued a press release announcing a new content distribution deal with IMG Media.
Under the terms of the deal, IMG will help utilize ProElite’s vast live and archived MMA video content offerings, including live television rights to future events as well as over 800 hours of fight footage from ProElite-branded promotions such as EliteXC, King of the Cage, Icon Sport, Rumble World Entertainment, UK-based Cage Rage, South Korean-based SpiritMC, and Grapplers Quest.
The most interesting part of the press release, however, is this:
“Mixed-martial arts is one of the fastest growing and most dynamic sports around, and IMG Media is excited to work with a market leader like ProElite to bring the company’s world-class programming and related content to an international audience,” said Chris Albrecht, President, IMG Global Media.
Does the name Chris Albrecht ring a bell to you? If not, it should. Albrecht was the major influence at HBO who attempted to spearhead a deal between the network and UFC for Zuffa to get programming on the premium channel. However, the deal fell apart after Albrecht was forced out of his HBO position due to some personal and legal issues.
Albrecht is now aligned with IMG Media, making this deal with Pro Elite something to pay close attention to in the near future.
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro Elite, Zach Arnold | 7 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Quote of the Day – Japanese MMA
By Zach Arnold | November 30, 2007
My perception of the Japanese fight game over the last half decade has always been one of a culture of smiling and bowing short men in black suites lying to foreigners and their own people for some bizarre pleasure while fronting organized crime. I’ve often thought of writing Dave Meltzer after reading a weekly Observer and begging him to explain this odd rift in accountability. Surely respected business men can’t use the media to make up things that will rarely happen and not be held accountable. Why would any man – No, a whole group of men – put on huge shows and pay people millions to fight only to give the idea of success, when really lots of money is being lost by bad business practices?
Unless, of course, the goal is to launder a lot of money or blackmail certain individuals into doing activities they normally wouldn’t do in the first place.
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Yakuza, Zach Arnold | 6 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Friday fight notes: More CSAC drug suspensions
By Zach Arnold | November 29, 2007
Sober analysis (audio here) about the MMA business this year. Plus, the IFL’s stock price continues to plunge, as it is now down to $0.15 USD/share.
This is going to be a very busy weekend for MMA events. There will be a big MMA show tonight at the Patriot Center (George Mason University). Kit Cope and Dean Lister will supposedly make an appearance at tomorrow’s Revolution Fight League event in Louisville, Kentucky at the Gardens. Also, there will be the Blood & Sand III event in Biloxi, Mississippi at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Pramit Mohapatra looks at The Ultimate Fighter as UFC’s farm system for talent.
It looks like BodogFight will be focusing more on putting their MMA content online:
Bodog Fight has definitely grown in the last year. We’ve had major events held across the globe and have filmed six seasons, five of which have already aired on major networks across North America. Additionally I think we’ll be increasing the broadband Bodog Fight content we provide online to a much larger extent in the near future.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: BoDog, Boxing, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, WEC, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Thursday trash talk: Is Mayweather the king of PPV?
By Zach Arnold | November 28, 2007
News of the day is Kid Yamamoto vs. Rani Yahya apparently being booked for K-1’s 12/31 Osaka Dome event.
The London Free Press has a feature article on Shawn Tompkins. Just who is calling Chris Horodecki the Sidney Crosby of fighting (other than the writer of the linked column)?
Bad news on the Canadian front – Roger Hollett is going to need reconstructive knee surgery, this according to a report in The Chronicle Herald. Hollett has a torn ACL and MCL.
Tim Leidecker talks about the politics of MMA in Japan.
Golden Boy Promotions thinks that Mayweather Jr. vs. Hatton will draw 1.5 million PPV buys on 12/8.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Canada, HERO's, IFL, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 19 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
TMZ stirs the pot with Rampage Jackson
By Zach Arnold | November 28, 2007
By Zach Arnold
TMZ.com has an interview with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, talking about the death of Washington Redskins’ safety Sean Taylor.
Brandt at MMA Opinion is not happy with Jackson’s comments.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 25 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Dana White on CNBC
By Zach Arnold | November 28, 2007
By Zach Arnold
Tonight on CNBC, Dana White made an appearance on the Conversations with Michael Eisner show. Some of the focus of the interview was on UFC’s new Octagon pricy picture book. Watching the duo of Eisner and White together was quite the odd combination, but intriguing television to watch.
During the interview, CNBC aired a promo for a new show on December 13th called Ultimate fighting: From Blood Sport to Big Time. They did, in fact, use the term ‘ultimate fighting.’
Adam Swift has the latest on MMA being on American network TV. More thoughts on this topic here. Speaking of quality UFC programming…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: Zuffa’s credit rating goes down
By Zach Arnold | November 28, 2007
Adam Swift of MMA Payout fame has a new report on Sherdog talking about Standard & Poor’s cutting Zuffa LLC’s credit rating from BB to BB-. We’ve discussed Zuffa’s credit rating recently on the web site and with Adam Swift on past editions of Fight Opinion Radio.
Here’s an interesting paragraph from Adam’s story on Sherdog:
S&P expects most of that surplus will be used to pay down debt. The report also noted that dividend payments to the owners — Station Casino magnates Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta own 90 percent of Zuffa, and UFC president Dana White owns 10 percent — will be increasingly limited due to the company’s disappointing returns.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Crisis management seminar held for K-1 employees
By Zach Arnold | November 28, 2007
By Zach Arnold
A couple of days ago in a site news update, we alluded to the fact that K-1 was going to read the riot act to both fighters and company staff regarding personal conduct both in and out of the workplace. Two recent incidents involving Masaaki Miyamoto (going to jail for marijuana) and Hiromi Amada (assault charges) spurred K-1 into action mode.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: HERO's, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Wednesday war room: The politics of Japan
By Zach Arnold | November 28, 2007
DSE/Yarennoka announced Shin’ya Aoki vs. JZ Calvan and Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Hidehiko Hasegawa for their 12/31 Saitama Super Arena event. Calvan, of course, is a K-1 fighter and two-time HERO’s Middleweight tournament champion. A lot of people in Japan were wondering if we were going to see Takanori Gomi vs. Calvan on NYE for K-1. Instead, he’s on a DSE show? It is awfully curious to see why K-1 would be helping these people out, especially given the fact that Aoki vs. Calvan is not that big of a money draw whatsoever in Japan. Sadaharu Tanigawa (K-1’s matchmaker) apparently showed up (along with Saeki of DEEP fame) at the Yarennoka press conference today.
Update: Here’s the mugshot of Tanigawa, Takada, Monte Cox, and Saeki together today. Another photo here.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Canada, Japan, K-1, M-1, Media, MMA, Pancrase, PRIDE, Pro Elite, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Quote of the day – Kevin Iole on Matt Lindland
By Zach Arnold | November 27, 2007
Kevin Iole does not like Matt Lindland:
I don’t think the chances are good of Lindland returning to the UFC. Lindland’s not what I call an exciting fighter. I guess that’s what you happens when you’re stuck watching that pitiful Ravens offense for so long, you begin to think Lindland is exciting. And to say that Lindland would wipe the floor with Anderson Silva is like saying Kyle Boller is a better quarterback than Tom Brady. Lindland is one of the world’s elite middleweights and is one of the few 185-pounders who would have a shot to defeat Silva. It would be a highly competitive bout and neither guy would wipe the floor with the other.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 22 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |