IFL news of the weird
By Zach Arnold | October 3, 2007
By Zach Arnold
One of the early corporate sponsors for the IFL was Dale & Thomas Popcorn, one of the fastest-growing popcorn companies in the market today. Certainly, nothing could go wrong with this relationship, right?
The Thomas in Dale & Thomas Popcorn is Isiah Thomas, who (as an ‘agent’ of Madison Square Garden in the words of ESPN legal analyst Roger Cossack) lost an $11.6 million USD sexual harassment civil lawsuit filed by Anucha Browne Sanders.
Sexual harassment never tasted so sour. Will the IFL continue to do business with Dale & Thomas Popcorn?
Topics: IFL, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 77 & 78 card information
By Zach Arnold | October 3, 2007
UFC 77 (10/20 Cincinnati) card line-up:
- Rich Franklin vs. Anderson Silva
- Tim Sylvia vs. Brandon Vera
- Eric Schafer vs. Stephan Bonnar
- Alan Belcher vs. Kalib Starnes
- Jason MacDonald vs. Yushin Okami
- Alvin Robinson vs. Jorge Gurgel
- Josh Burkman vs. Forrest Petz
- Matt Grice vs. Jason Black
Michael Bisping vs. Rashad Evans was announced for UFC 78 (11/17 New Jersey). UFC’s press release says “Bisping vs Evans To TUF It Out.” This show will also feature Akihiro “Japanese Sensation” Gono vs. Tamden McCrory. Also on the 11/17 show is Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva, David Terrell vs. Ed Herman, Karo Parisyan vs. Hector Lombard, and Frankie Edgar vs. Spencer Fisher.
Breaking news: Kevin Iole is reporting that UFC fighter Anthony Torres failed an anabolic steroid test (boldenone – horse steroid). Torres has been cut by UFC. Ken Pavia responds.
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
10/3 CSAC news & notes
By Zach Arnold | October 3, 2007
Jon Fitch, Diego Sanchez, Mauricio Shogun, Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine, and Chuck Liddell all tested negative for anabolics, masking agents, diuretics, or drugs of abuse.
Adam Smith, who last competed for StrikeForce on September 29, 2007 at the Playboy Mansion, has been suspended for testing positive for Cocaine and Marijuana. He has been fined $1,500. His suspension period runs from the conclusion of the bout on September 29, 2007 through June 25, 2008.
All 23 other tests for drugs of abuse were negative.
All anabolic agent/masking agent test results are still pending.
Topics: Media, MMA, StrikeForce, UFC, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Wednesday war room: Bickering about UFC’s money
By Zach Arnold | October 3, 2007
Adam Swift has a new article about some alleged political tension between Zuffa LLC (UFC) and certain fighters. One thing I will comment on regarding the PRIDE fighters getting paid fairly well for guaranteed money is that the way UFC treated the top PRIDE guys is similar to how Vince McMahon treats outsiders he wants badly into the WWE fold. If you have the leverage, McMahon will pay more for something that he perceives is ‘harder to get’ than someone who has been loyal to him for a decade. In the case of UFC, it was hard to get guys like Mirko Cro Cop into the fold so, of course, the promotion paid more for the top outsider stars as opposed to maybe some of the homegrown fighting talent.
Bob Arum talks about UFC again:
“That’s what this sport should be all about and that’s what we need to do to counter this momentum you see with the UFC. We’re a much better, much more compelling sport. But they do a better job than we do of getting their matches made and making them into events.
“Boxing’s just been so fractured and a lot of that has been with the problems that existed between Top Rank and Golden Boy,” Arum said. “This really is the beginning of a new era that I think is going to end all this nonsense about UFC overtaking boxing. I really believe that.”
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, Zach Arnold | 6 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
We want entertaining radio
By Zach Arnold | October 2, 2007
We have a taping of Fight Opinion Radio this week. It needs to be entertaining and draw good quarter-hour ratings.
So, we’re turning the format over to you this week. You pick the MMA-related topics you want discussed. We listen to your suggestions and build a show around what you suggest.
Pick the topics for the main segments on the show. The format will be written Thursday afternoon.
Topics: Fight Opinion Radio, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 31 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
CSAC releases Strikeforce fighter salary figures
By Zach Arnold | October 2, 2007
Miguel Linares – $1,500
Anthony Figueroa – $2,000
Luke Stewart – $3,500 +$4,000 win bonus
Sam Liera – $3,000
Eddy Millis – $4,000
Daniel McWilliams – $1,000
Adam Smith – $500
Dewey Cooper – $500
Richard Dalton – $3,000
Daniel Puder – $20,000
Falaniko Vitale – $20,000
Ron Fields – $7,000
Bill Mahood – $1,000
Bobby Southworth – $10,000 + $10,000 win bonus
Matt Lee – $1,000
Jorge Masvidal – $18,182.50
Clint Coronel – $3,000
Billy Evangelista – $3,000 + $3,000 win bonus
Adam Lynn – $6,000
Josh Thomson – $14,500 + $10,000 win bonus
Joe Riggs – $14,500 + $15,000 win bonus
Eugene Jackson – $15,000
Tetsuji Kato – $6,000
Gilbert Melendez – $30,000
No attendance figures available at this time.
Topics: Media, MMA, StrikeForce, Zach Arnold | 36 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Worldwide October MMA Fight Cards
By Jeff Comstock | October 2, 2007
October should bring plenty of action for fight fans with FEG events bookending a month which sees Mark Cuban’s promotional debut, the Kimbo vs. Tank matchup, Aleks Emilianenko and Gegard Mousasi fighting in Canada’s HCF, the return of Brandon Vera and much more.
Send me an email to add an event or a change to an existing card. I’ll update the list as information becomes available.
P.S. Pro Elite owned King Of The Cage has four events in October:
- KOTC: Brimstone: October 6, 2007 in Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin at Lake of the Torches Casino
- KOTC: Point Of No Return: October 7, 2007 in San Jacinto, California at Soboba Casino
- KOTC: Hierarchy: October 13, 2007 in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Isleta Casino & Resort
- KOTC Arch Rivals: October 27, 2007 in Reno, Nevada at the Reno Events Center
The fight cards are kept under lock and key and available to only a small, secret cabal of insiders. If you are able to penetrate the KOTC fortress and liberate these fight cards, give me a shout.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Jeff Comstock, MMA | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Tuesday (10/2) reading material
By Zach Arnold | October 1, 2007
Kazuhiro Nakamura ended up being the only fighter (so far) from the UFC 76 show suspended for failing a drug test (marijuana). Anthony Johnson, Rich Clementi, Thiago Tavares, Tyson Griffin, and Ryoto Machida tested negative for anabolics, masking agents, diuretics, or drugs of abuse.
A third batch of testing results from fighters on the show is expected to released soon.
Adam Morgan at Sprawl ‘n Brawl needs some writers. E-mail him if you’re interested.
UFC has two new articles on their site about Wanderlei Silva (here and here).
Our good friend Denis Martins is now writing articles at Sherdog.
Sam Caplan has been hired by Pro Elite.
Is Tito Ortiz playing more games with UFC?
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, StrikeForce, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 20 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
10/1 CSAC news & notes
By Zach Arnold | October 1, 2007
According to the CSAC, the following fighters tested negative for anabolics, masking agents, diuretics, and drugs of abuse: Matt Wiman, Michihiro Omigawa, Christian Wellisch, Scott Junk, Jeremy Stephens, and Diego Saraiva.
Strangely enough, after receiving the latest news from the CSAC, a press release came into our mailbox from New Era Fighting, announcing a $500 million USD lawsuit against the CSAC.
Here’s the press release.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 12 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Monday meltdown: Bob Arum attacks UFC again
By Zach Arnold | September 30, 2007
Yoshihiro Akiyama is returning soon. It’s interesting to see just how hard K-1 is making a push in South Korea and not in Japan.
Bob Arum goes off on UFC once again, this time declaring Kelly Pavlik’s recent win “the biggest blow to UFC.” Money quote:
“I just think that he’s going to revive boxing in the Midwest and it’s going to spread to the rest of the country. I’ll tell you, this was the biggest blow to the UFC since the sort of competition began because all the young kids are going to come back to boxing. There is nothing in UFC or any of this martial arts bullsh*t that compares to this.”
Larry Merchant thinks the fans are boxing degenerates.
The next season of The Ultimate Fighter will be focusing on Middleweights.
Analyzing the MMA Heavyweight rankings.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, HERO's, K-1, Media, MMA, South Korea, StrikeForce, UFC, Zach Arnold | 35 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
A Look Behind the Curtain: Zuffa’s Finances Come Into Focus
By Adam Swift | September 30, 2007
By Adam Swift – Author, PAYOUT: The Business of MMA
As a privately held company, Zuffa is under no public reporting obligations. As a result very little financial information is made public. The numbers that do see the light of day are carefully screened and released only when convenient to tout the growth and success of the UFC brand. As result the company’s financial status and business model are largely left to speculation. But a recent series of reports by Standard & Poor’s, one of the leading financial services companies in the world, have provided a new insight into the finances of the undisputed leader of the MMA world.
The headline was a cut in the company’s credit rating outlook, from stable to negative, but the rest of the report revealed a still growing business. While profit margins are down substantially due to European expansion efforts, pay-per-view, the company’s key revenue source, is actually up 35 percent through the first quarter of the year. Furthermore, despite more than doubling operating costs from a year ago, the company remains profitable.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Adam Swift, MMA, UFC | 20 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is UFC bound
By Jeff Comstock | September 30, 2007
MMAMovement.com has discovered that submission grappling phenom Ronaldo Souza has signed a contract with the UFC.
A post made on the Portal do Vale Tudo forums claims that Jacare’s manager and Amazon Challenge promoter Andre Cabral made the announcement during yesterday’s Amazon Challenge event. The announcement was apparently big enough to make the rounds on Brazilian television news.
Ronaldo Souza boasts a BJJ world championship and placed second in the ADCC absolute division in 2005. His MMA record currently stands at 6-1, with all of his victories coming by way of submission. Jacare will certainly add needed depth and star power to the UFC’s middleweight division.
Topics: Brazil, Jeff Comstock, UFC | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
K-1 12/8 Yokohama Arena card line-up
By Zach Arnold | September 29, 2007
- Jerome Le Banner vs. Choi Hong-Man
- Semmy Schilt vs. Glaube Feitosa
- Badr Hari vs. Remy Bonjasky
- Peter Aerts vs. Junichi Sawayashiki
Topics: Japan, K-1, Media, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |