Thursday trash talk: Freak show fights
By Zach Arnold | May 24, 2007
Bodog has posted their betting lines for the UFC 71 event. Rampage is at +145 now.
Brock Lesnar vs. Tank Abbott, Ruben Villareal, Butterbean, or James Thompson as your headliner for the K-1 Dynamite LA Coliseum show? Butterbean would be, by far, the best option both as a local drawing card and for the Japanese TV viewing audience.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Canada, HERO's, Japan, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 37 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: PRIDE fighters sue DSE
By Zach Arnold | May 23, 2007
By Zach Arnold
MMA Weekly has the latest twist in what is amounting to a complete implosion of Dream Stage Entertainment Inc. and the PRIDE asset sale.
According to sources, DSE requested that Pride fighters assign their contracts to “Pride FC Worldwide†(the new company created in the wake of Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta’s proposed buy-out of Pride), and most of the fighters refused to do so.
Read this paragraph carefully. If this information is accurate, it reflects positively upon what I have been arguing online for a couple of months now — that the deals PRIDE fighters had with DSE were personal service contracts. PSCs are usually not transferrable to third parties in asset sales. Meaning, if DSE sold the PRIDE assets to UFC, the PRIDE fighters would technically be free agents because the PSCs are not enforceable in court.
A class-action lawsuit by fighters against DSE Inc. in an American court is going to further complicate any sort of PRIDE asset sale agreement between DSE & UFC. Such a lawsuit would be yet another liability for UFC to consider in an asset purchase. The biggest lawsuit liability is the Ed Fishman lawsuit, in which Fishman Companies is asking for $10 million USD. Witness depositions (which is expected to include members of Zuffa LLC, the parent company of UFC) are set to begin next Wednesday, May 30th.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 26 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Wednesday notes: The K-1 Dynamite Titanic
By Zach Arnold | May 23, 2007
The Fight Network is reporting that Choi Hong-Man has been denied a license to fight in the state of California for the K-1 Dynamite June 2nd event at the LA Coliseum. Kevin Iole at Yahoo Sports has more details. I find this news interesting because Hong-Man fought Mike Malone in Hawaii on April 28th. Without Hong-Man in the main event, there is no way (in my opinion) that K-1 will run their June 2nd event. He’s their only real TV ratings drawing card for the TBS telecast.
MMA California has a report about the latest changes going on with the California State Athletic Commission.
NHB News (Japanese) notes that the PRIDE Lightweight GP 2007 tournament show in July at Nagoya Aichi Rainbow Hall has been canceled.
Does anyone know if UFC will have TV in Japan for the Rampage vs. Liddell UFC 71 event? Their deal with WOWOW expired recently. At least UFC got a new VP today.
Colin Cowherd and Eric Allen discussed MMA today on ESPN Radio. You’ll be pleasantly happy with the commentary.
Chuck Liddell was on the Rome is Burning show on Wednesday (ESPN). Your typical, boilerplate Liddell interview. He said that fighting someone like Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be dependent on the rules – in a boxing fight, he would lose. In MMA, he would win. Rome then discussed whether or not MMA was killing boxing with Chicago Sun-Times writer Rick Telander (who has bashed MMA before in his paper) and Jemele Hill of ESPN.com. Telander said that the MMA/boxing war has been happening since 1976 when Muhammad Ali faced “kickboxer” Antonio Inoki. At least he has the right concept about the history of where modern MMA came from…
Onto today’s headlines.
- UFC HP: Terry Martin – Breaking the Mold
- MMA On Tap: Duane Ludwig vs. Paul Daley added to Strikeforce event
- Sports Illustrated: The new main event (they call MMA “Ultimate Fighting” like every other mainstream media outlet)
- KTTC (Rochester, MN): The fight taking place outside the cage
- Radio (Eddie Goldman: Is the PPV TV business model dead?
- The Houston Chronicle: Rampage ‘doesn’t give a damn’
- China Combat: Art of War 6 event this Saturday
- The Fanhouse: SI cover makes it official – UFC is a mainstream sport
- Game Spot: UFC calls out Take-Two (files lawsuit)
- The Lantern (Ohio State University): Former Buckeye wrestler Sean Salmon latest in UFC
- The Canadian Press: Randy Couture’s gym packs ’em in
- Variety: Vertigo enters Cage Rage arena
- The Halifax Daily News (Canada): ECC gives fighters ultimatum over KOTC
- Radio (Komikazee): MMA Smackdown #24 (covering the latest with the IFL and UFC 71)
Topics: Canada, HERO's, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
High stakes at K-1 Dynamite
By Zach Arnold | May 22, 2007
By Zach Arnold
Loretta Hunt has more details about what is turning out to be a major implosion of the K-1 Dynamite show. For those of you who studied the DSE yakuza scandal carefully, compare and contrast the way DSE & K-1 do business.
Two hours following the story, the CSAC says they received documents from FEG, though after careful review, the state agency announced this afternoon the paperwork is far insufficient to accommodate a request for a promoters’ license and is “not what we asked for.â€
“We have drawn a line in the sand,†says Bill Douglas, CSAC Staff Analyst who has handled the majority of the last two month’s interaction with the Japanese company trying to bring its first MMA event to the US. “If they do not deliver us the financial information by the end of this week, this is going to be a big problem.â€
There are big implications for K-1 if the California show is canceled. A damaged brand image and losing face is the least of their troubles.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: HERO's, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 24 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: K-1 Dynamite show may not happen
By Zach Arnold | May 22, 2007
By Zach Arnold
If you want a perfect example of why Japanese fight promoters act like total marks and are clueless when doing business outside of Japan, look no further than this report at The Fight Network web site in regards to the upcoming K-1 Dynamite event. Audio of Loretta Hunt report here. MMA Weekly has an update on the story. Every problem listed in the TFN report reads like it is right out of the ‘Japanese fight promoter 101’ playbook.
- FEG not granted a promoter’s license by the California SAC. (In Japan, there’s no regulation to get into the fight business.)
- FEG won’t reveal financial paperwork regarding their company. (Typical of how Japanese fight promoters operate – like PRIDE. This is why you’ll never see a Japanese fight company being publicly-traded on any stock exchange.)
- FEG hasn’t put up the bond money to cover fighter’s salaries, despite the fact that they will likely make millions of dollars in Japanese TV revenue. (This bond stipulation never exists in the Japanese fight game, an industry dominated by the theory of honor-among-thieves.)
- FEG is advertising fighters that will not appear on their big show. (A standard Japanese fight promoter practice.)
- The CSAC has not reportedly received paperwork for 19 of the 22 fighters scheduled to fight. (K-1 has been in trouble before in regards to paperwork with fighters, as they got caught in South Korea using fighters on tourist visas instead of working visas.)
When it comes to Japanese fight promoters who have generated tens of millions of dollars in their home country but can’t generate much money outside of it, the laundry list is pretty high (New Japan Pro-Wrestling was the hottest company in the 1990s and they accomplished nothing globally, PRIDE ran two shows in Las Vegas thanks to the help of casino boss Ed Fishman who promoted the events, and K-1’s continued failures in Las Vegas and now Los Angeles).
The reality is that the rules of doing fight-related business activities in Japan are entirely different than they are in any other country. A first-class image with third-world politics behind the scenes. There is a thuggish lawlessness and taint of criminal activity that has all but self-destructed the Japanese fight industry as being a major global player. The various Japanese power brokers have brought this onto themselves and they have no one else to blame for it. A culture of corruption turned a $60-75 million USD-a-year Japanese fight business (the MMA side) into total extinction overnight.
K-1 is the same organization that suffered from a corporate tax evasion scandal in late 2002-early 2003, producing a net result of Kazuyoshi Ishii sitting in a jail cell right now. I personally expect every excuse under the sun to be used in the Japanese media to shift the blame as to why the LA Coliseum show is a disaster, including the race card. The tactic still works in Japan in 2007.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: HERO's, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 13 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
ProElite.com & OnTheMat.com tie-up
By Zach Arnold | May 22, 2007
PROELITE.COM partnership with onthemat brings together the best of Online MMA and grappling
Renowned Journalist, Entrepreneur and Jiu-Jitsu Champion, Scotty Nelson, to Help Build ProElite.Com Grappling Fan Base with OTM Cross-Promotions
(LOS ANGELES) – May 22, 2007 – Continuing its growing number of alliances and partnerships within the world of combat, ProElite.com, the comprehensive and inclusive online community for MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters, fans and organizations, announced today its exclusive licensing and content partnership with MMA media and retail company, OnTheMat (OTM).
During this multi-year commitment, ProElite.com will use its comprehensive user tools for the MMA community to enhance OTM’s world famous grappling fight brand through promoting its retail fight gear and clothing business and its online destination, OnTheMat.com. The two companies will share resources including OTM’s database of fighters and fight schools and ProElite.com’s database of registered users. In addition, ProElite.com will leverage OTM’s thousands of hours of grappling event videos for programming and promotional purposes.
“Scotty Nelson has built one of the most iconic and authentic businesses in our industry,†said Kelly Perdew, President of ProElite.com. “Scotty Nelson and his brand are world renowned and his partnership with ProElite.com opens up a rich pipeline of grappling content featuring some of the biggest names in MMA, as well as branding possibilities for our organization and MMA fans.â€
Founded in 1997 and led by jiu-jitsu champion and renowned grappling journalist, Scotty Nelson, OTM is a media and retail company that, through OnTheMat.com, produces 20-30 video magazines, instructional and tournament compilations a year. The site offers its users thousands of free online videos, a discussion forum, a jiu-jitsu related encyclopedia and an online shop. The OTM brand has also produced many of the world’s greatest grappling events, such as Grappler’s Quest and Abu Dhabi Combat Club’s championships. In addition, OTM’s six retail stores in California, Las Vegas and Hawaii, will promote ProElite.com services to their customer base.
“There is no one in the industry I trust more with the OTM brand than Kelly Perdew and ProElite.com,†said Scotty Nelson, OTM founder and CEO. “The convergence of technology and ProElite.com’s growing popularity among MMA fans made the timing of this partnership right. I am anxious to tap into the vast network that ProElite.com provides.â€
ProElite.com’s brand neutrality in growing the MMA sport is demonstrated by its recent deals. For example, ProElite.com will be the exclusive online social networking destination for SMP, Inc. that will distribute promotional video for SMP-produced reality shows, MMA videos, photographs and editorial content from Tapout Magazine and MMA Worldwide magazines. In April, ProElite.com integrated popular MMA online destination, MMAMix.com, into its lineup of partners.
ProElite.com and OTM are headquartered in Los Angeles.
# # #
About ProElite, Inc. (www.proelite.com)
ProElite Inc. (PELE:PK) delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM
About OnTheMat (www.onthemat.com)
OnTheMat (OTM) is comprehensive retail and media company that serves the world of combat grappling. As a media company, OTM, through its website, OnTheMat.Com, produces 20-30 video magazines, instructional and tournament compilations a year while offering its users thousands of free online videos, a discussion forum and a jiu-jitsu related encyclopedia. As producers of grappling events around the world, OTM is involved with sponsorship, promotion, competition and media coverage of each event. As a retail company, OTM serves grappling fans and fighters with a line of clothing and gear offered through OnTheMat.Com and its six retail stores in Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii. OTM was founded in 1997 by grappling champion, entrepreneur and journalist, Scotty Nelson. OTM is headquartered in Los Angeles.
Press Contacts
For ProElite, Inc.
David Glaubke/ Whitney Ashley
(310) 280-3710
[email protected] / [email protected]
Topics: Media, MMA, Press Releases | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
HERO’s 6/2 LA Coliseum fight card
By Zach Arnold | May 22, 2007
- Brock Lesnar vs. Choi Hong-Man
- Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Royce Gracie
- Mighty Mo vs. Choi Mu Bae
- Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoon Dong-Sik
- Javier Vazques vs. Katsuhiko Nagata
- Brad Pickett vs. Hideo Tokoro
- Johnnie Morton (former NFL star) vs. Bernard Ackah (Japanese TV personality from the Ivory Coast with one pro. fight)
- J.Z. Calvan vs. Nam Phan
- Antonio Silva vs. Jonathan Wiezorek
- Jake Shields vs. Ido Pariente
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: HERO's, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Tuesday talk: Kimbo Slice is Miami’s hottest star
By Zach Arnold | May 21, 2007
Kimbo Slice gets more big press in Miami, this time with CBS 4 in a piece called Backyard fighter goes legit at South Florida gym. Luke Thomas has a defense of Kimbo Slice in MMA.
Michael David Smith over at The Fanhouse will be live-blogging the UFC 71 event. Michael is one of the better sports bloggers online, so I am positive that we’ll see some good MMA coverage coming shortly.
Gryphon has some very interesting site updates today. Read them all. The headline that will grab attention is the TUF one, but the more important one involves Dana White’s views on agents in MMA.
Stock market wizards — here’s the latest on the IFL front.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, HERO's, IFL, K-1, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, UK, WEC, Zach Arnold | 12 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
One Brit, One Punch
By Mark Pickering | May 21, 2007
The traits instilled in a family’s latest lineage often energise the youth of today into wondering about the vocation of their ancestors.
For Brad Pickett it was palpable.
With his ancestors including an uncle who boxed in the navy and a bare-knuckle prizefighter the London native was destined to lace up his gloves.
Pickett, 28, took up the sweet science with humble intentions. In search of fitness the young Englishman entered the squared circle and looked a natural.
Inside three months he made his pro debut and demonstrated knockout power, steamrolling through his first set of opponents to earn his now infamous moniker, one punch.
After a friend proposed a switch to mixed martial arts Brad was intrigued and bid farewell to the noble art to enrol at the local mixed martial arts gym.
London’s Elite Fighting Gym, founded by Cage Rage co-promoter Dave O’ Donnell in 1997, become the scene of his exertions, honing his skills ahead of making his professional debut in 2004.
Today ‘One Punch’ stands as a two-time former Cage Rage Featherweight Champion and one of Britain’s most decorated combatants.
His performances in Cage Rage against the likes of PRIDE veteran Hiroyuki Abe earned him worldwide recognition and a host of bouts abroad including a triumphant first appearance in BodogFight this year.
Now he’s set to feature in K-1’s hotly anticipated first foray into the American mixed martial arts scene on Saturday June 2nd at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
“I was over the moon to hear about the chance to compete in K1â€, said Pickett.
The 145-pound standout, who sports a 10-3 record, will compete on a star-studded card alongside the legendary duo of Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba who will renew acquaintances in an eagerly awaited rematch of their classic bout in PRIDE.
While competing alongside the stars who helped pioneer the sport is sufficient motivation in itself the popular Londoner has the added incentive of being the first ever Brit to grace the Hero’s circuit. The KO artist has returned to the world-renowned American Top Team to prepare for the biggest bout of his career.
“To me, ATT is one of the best camps in the world – full of great talent from my weight class. I also have a lot of good friends there and they can help me in all areas of my gameâ€.
The Cage Rage veteran can expect a baptism of fire after being matched against K-1 mainstay Hideo Tokoro.
Japanese submission specialist Tokoro is a seasoned veteran who’s stepped toe to toe with some of the sports finest fighters and more often than not emerged victorious.
But, ever the competitor, Brad is undaunted by the prospect of facing one of K-1 Hero’s most acclaimed fighters.
“It will definitely be my toughest challenge to date but I believe I would put up a good fight against anyone in the world in my weight class.â€
“Tokoro is a first class, very exciting fighter, and I’m very much looking forward to having a scrap with him. Hopefully it will be a very good fightâ€.
Showman Pickett, who’ll be sporting his trademark string vest, cut-off jeans and trilby hat has an additional target to victory on June 2nd.
“It will be an enjoyable and exciting bout. Hopefully, he’ll want to stand and trade with me because that would make it a more exciting fight for the crowd to watchâ€.
The fight fraternity can be assured that within fifteen minutes of his elaborate ring entrance the Englishman will have indelibly introduced and preserved the Pickett name to the legions of fans watching around the world.
Topics: HERO's, K-1, Mark Pickering, Media, MMA, UK | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
IFL/Kurt Otto radio interview
By Zach Arnold | May 21, 2007
By Zach Arnold
Update: More IFL stock shares to be made available? A stock split? Tomer weighs in.
On Sherdog.com yesterday, IFL co-founder Kurt Otto did a 30-plus minute long radio interview (audio here – time mark is from 31:00-1:02:30).
Here is a summary of the interview (and we’ll focus on the questions regarding the company’s finances).
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: IFL, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 40 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Monday media: Rampage Jackson’s big week
By Zach Arnold | May 20, 2007
This is certainly one of the more memorable matches in PRIDE’s history, featuring established Japanese ‘ace’ Kazushi Sakuraba against (at that time) relative newcomer Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. I’ll never forget the storyline that DSE established to introduce Jackson to the Japanese public. In newspaper and TV outlets, DSE pushed a storyline in which Jackson was a homeless fighter from Memphis who lived in a bus and talked to pigeons while wearing a chain like a junkyard dog around his neck. What made the angle intriguing was that the Japanese fans completely bought into the storyline.
Gryphon takes note of a Kami no Puroresu report that a new company for PRIDE has not been started yet. Kakutolog notes a report in Tokyo Sports where sources have told the paper that while the DSE/UFC PRIDE asset sale transfer negotiations are still ongoing, the hope is that the ‘shinsei’ (newborn) PRIDE promotion will run its first event in the Kanto (Tokyo) area in August.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: IFL, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 6 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Sunday snark: A new Zuffa Myth for 2007
By Zach Arnold | May 19, 2007
By Zach Arnold
Last year (and still ongoing), American newspapers push(ed) the dreaded original Zuffa Myth (more here). We need to make a wikipedia entry for the various myths soon. This year, the new Zuffa Myth appears to be that the PRIDE asset sale between UFC & DSE has already happened — except that it hasn’t. Point out the errors you can find in the following paragraph alone. From today’s Boston Herald:
Is there anything else to talk about in the world of mixed martial arts but Saturday night’s light heavyweight title bout? The rematch between Chuck Liddell and Quinton “Rampage†Jackson is the type of blockbuster fight the UFC can now produce, thanks to the purchase of rival organizations such as the World Fighting Alliance and Pride.
There’s no contact information listed for the Herald article. The only contact information I could find on their site was this post and [email protected].
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Canada, IFL, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 40 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Saturday media splash: Another Tito Ortiz PR blunder?
By Zach Arnold | May 18, 2007
The Andy Wang remix from The Ultimate Fighter
Angry Andy Wang discussion between MMA fighters online.
Day 54 since the March 27th handshake deal between UFC & DSE for the PRIDE asset sale… with no sale finalized at the moment. Tickets for Hustle’s 6/14 Korakuen Hall show are on sale through ‘Hustle Entertainment’, but the web site still says DSE Inc. on it. Also, there is news today that Wanderlei Silva is reportedly taking this year off.
The latest edition of the Fox News Fight Game video segment features a short interview with David Mamet, the director of the new MMA movie project Redbelt (starring Tim Allen).
Headline from the Mad Squabbles site — Randy Couture is not training Tito Ortiz.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Canada, HERO's, K-1, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, UK, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |