Wacky Wednesday: Zuffa takes over the world
By Zach Arnold | March 27, 2007
The IFL did a 0.8 rating for week three on My Network TV. 0.8, 0.7, and 0.8 for the first three weeks. I receive little to no feedback at all from readers about the IFL Battleground show. If you watch it, give me your thoughts about the program.
Softbank’s sponsorship tie-up with K-1 is drawing a lot of media attention in Japan today. It certainly is the kind of business move that gives K-1’s image a big boost.
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Topics: All Topics, IFL, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Pro Elite, UFC, Zach Arnold | 40 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Media wars
By Zach Arnold | March 27, 2007
By Zach Arnold
Gryphon points out two excellent items in the Japanese media today. The first one involves Sakakibara on Elite XC and the second one involves Ed Fishman. On the first point, Sakakibara claims that Gary Shaw wanted to do a reverse stock merger with DSE/PRIDE but that he wouldn’t do it because essentially Elite XC is a nobody.
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Topics: All Topics, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Tuesday media turmoil: MMA wars rage on
By Zach Arnold | March 27, 2007
Today, I ask all of you to help out in terms of gathering of stories, videos, links, etc. Please add your contributions in the comments section, especially on the K-1 press conference at the LA Coliseum. That should be an interesting media session.
Nobuyuki Sakakibara & Lorenzo Fertitta shake hands.
The Associated Press has already released a news wire story about UFC buying PRIDE. This story adds some very interesting details to the UFC/PRIDE deal.
To buy the company, the brothers created a new entity called Pride FC Worldwide Holdings LLC. The newly formed company will take over Pride assets, including its trademarks, video library and valuable roster of fighters, from Dream Stage.
In other words, an asset sale with the hopes of creating a subsidiary company to run events under the PRIDE banner. I love how the AP article says that the two PRIDE US shows were not a financial success, despite them both cracking the Top 10 all-time MMA gates in the state of Nevada. This AP article makes it very clear that The Fertitta Brothers believe the PRIDE fighter contracts are transferrable to a third party. Can someone find out the byline (author) of that AP article for me?
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Topics: All Topics, IFL, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 40 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
PRIDE at Roppongi Hills Arena
By Zach Arnold | March 27, 2007
Image credit: Livedoor
By Zach Arnold
Here’s a picture taken at 5 PM JST outside of Roppongi Hills Arena. The Livedoor article says that all of the seats are already filled up at the media session (and that some fans were waiting in line at 8 AM).
Stephen Martinez is at the press conference. MMA on Tap is also liveblogging the event.
From PRIDE’s Japanese HP (and I will paraphrase here):
PRIDE & UFC dream match, aiming at creating an MMA World Series
Nobuyuki Sakakibara has voluntarily retired and Lorenzo Fertitta assumes the position as PRIDE’s new owner. At a press conference held in Tokyo at Roppongi Hills Arena on March 27th, an astonishing plan that shook the world was announced. PRIDE and American MMA organization UFC will finally meet. A big first step is placed forward to aim at achieving an MMA version of the World Series. A long time dream for MMA fans is finally becoming a reality. UFC President Dana White and Nobuhiko Takada appeared today at Roppongi Hills Arena. Similar to baseball’s world series, soccer’s Toyota Cup, and American Football’s Super Bowl, “the strongest in the world” will be achieved.
For those who read my Insider Hardball article last night, it looks like option #2 was the one likely chosen here. It could definitely be a high-risk financial option.
Comments are on. Stay on good behavior.
Livedoor already has an article up about the ownership transfer. PRIDE grave announcement! All power is transferred to UFC owner! Reaction from Jake Rossen. Here’s the Sports Navigator article on the press conference. Lorenzo Fertitta talked about “PRIDE FC WORLDWIDE.” An estimated 3,000 fans attended the Roppongi Hills Arena event. Nobuyuki Sakakibara claimed that after his resignation from PRIDE on April 8th, his ties to the promotion will be cut. Photo time.
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Topics: All Topics, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 32 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
IFL on MNTV – Week 3
By Zach Arnold | March 26, 2007
Post your comments (if you saw the show) here.
First notes within the first 10 minutes – they are pushing 9 fights (again), they are using the old footage from last year pushing Renzo vs. Miletich (this was good), and they are pushing the New York Pitbulls team with Renzo doing a lot of talking (this is also good).
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Topics: All Topics, IFL, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Insider hardball – UFC’s options with PRIDE
By Zach Arnold | March 26, 2007
By Zach Arnold
Sankei Sports has a report today quoting a DSE employee, denying that UFC has bought PRIDE. The staffer claims that at the Tuesday press conference at Roppongi Hills Arena in Tokyo, PRIDE will announce a tie-up with UFC. The only thing consistently said throughout the various Japanese newspapers is that DSE’s last event is on April 8th at Saitama Super Arena.
With all of the conflicting reports at hand, let’s take a look at the four main options that Zuffa LLC and The Fertitta Brothers will have in regards to doing business with PRIDE.
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Topics: All Topics, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
Monday media mayhem: Chuck Liddell drug tested
By Zach Arnold | March 26, 2007
I am begging the fine readers of this site (and those who aren’t) to help us promote our coverage of the PRIDE & K-1 PR sessions to the blogs and other major sites. I’m amazed by the traction that the ‘big boy’ sites (and you know who you exactly are — not you, Jordan) are getting for reporting on items today that have been on good MMA blogs since Friday. It’s time for a pushback from some of the good MMA blogs here. Seriously. I know that I don’t have comments turned on (yet), but I do want to thank many of our readers who are very astute when it comes to analyzing big stories like the PRIDE/UFC situation. It’s hard to find that kind of level of conversation on the major sites right now.
Take a look at two images scans (from Kakutolog – here and here) of Nikkan Sports & Tokyo Sports newspapers yesterday.
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Topics: All Topics, Brazil, Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
K-1 4/28 Hawaii event
By Zach Arnold | March 26, 2007
4/28 Honolulu, Neil Blaisdell Arena (6 PM):
- K-1 Heavyweight Title match: Badr Hari vs. Yusuke Fujimoto
- Remy Bonjasky vs. Glaube Feitosa
- Randy Kim vs. Junichi Sawayashiki
- K-1 USA GP Tournament: Mighty Mo vs. Kim Kyoung Suk
- K-1 USA GP Tournament: Jan “The Giant” Nortje vs. Patrick Berry
- K-1 USA GP Tournament: Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge vs. Scott Junk
- K-1 USA GP Tournament: Alexander Pitchkounov vs. Tatsufumi Tomihira
- Reserve fight: Jerrel Venetiaan vs. Peter Graham
Topics: All Topics, K-1, Media, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Nikkan Sports: UFC & PRIDE will be like Raw & Smackdown
By Zach Arnold | March 25, 2007
By Zach Arnold
Today’s edition of Nikkan Sports has an article titled UFC & PRIDE adopting the WWE method. In short, the article claims that UFC is purchasing PRIDE and that the formula for Zuffa with UFC & PRIDE will be similar to Raw & Smackdown in terms of talent distribution and operations. In other words, you’ll see two separate operations in terms of rosters and staff but a similar flavor of MMA with the top stars from each brand facing each other at big events. The paper says that PRIDE will be the second brand under Zuffa, with the idea of having an all-star event between the two brands (the paper says likely in America) each year.
Gryphon has more potential details about what could be upcoming for the new shell company behind PRIDE. The new figurehead could come from Tokai TV, which is a Nagoya-based Fuji TV affiliate. The same TV network that Nobuyuki Sakakibara came from…
Eddie Goldman has a two-part radio interview with Japanese writer Tadashi Tanaka (part 1 and part 2 here) that I will listen to and see if there’s any news worth noting (other than Eddie saying of Tanaka, “He describes himself as the #1 journalist in mixed martial arts and puroresu in the world.”) Summary of interview here.
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Topics: All Topics, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, WWE, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
Sunday news grind: Brock Lesnar may draw some fans
By Zach Arnold | March 25, 2007
We could all use a vacation.
Very interesting comments from Dana White to Sherdog on Saturday night about a PRIDE asset sale. The words to focus on are “not a concrete deal.”
While some readers will take a stance that the various Japanese media outlets (like Yomiuri Hochi, Miruhon, etc.) are exaggerating about what will take place on Tuesday at Roppongi Hills Arena (DSE press conference), I want to look at Dana’s comments in another manner. I’ve written on this site over the past week that I didn’t think due diligence had taken place by lawyers (or accountants) from The Fertitta Brothers in regards to purchasing the assets of PRIDE from DSE. Dana’s comments somewhat cement my opinion on this. I still believe that it’s likely that a heads of agreement deal could be reached shortly, but it could be a legally non-binding agreement.
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Topics: All Topics, BoDog, HERO's, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Yomiuri: Fedor in BodogFight long-term
By Zach Arnold | March 24, 2007
By Zach Arnold
Today’s Yomiuri Hochi newspaper has a report claiming that PRIDE Heavyweight champion Emelianenko Fedor has signed a long-term deal with Calvin Ayre’s BodogFight promotion. The initial thought was that Fedor’s match against Matt Lindland on 4/14 in St. Petersburg, Russia would be on an individual fight contract. However, the Japanese newspaper says that Fedor has signed a longer deal to stay with BodogFight. The paper also claims that Bodog is aiming to book fights for Fedor against Wanderlei Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
If the report is true, it makes complete and total sense on all levels. BodogFight is closely linked to MFC, which is linked to the Red Devil fight team. Red Devil’s main power source is Vadim Finkelstein (along with Holland manager Apy Echteld), who is Fedor’s backer. Additionally, UFC is not going to pay old PRIDE-level salaries to Silva or Nogueira.
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Topics: All Topics, BoDog, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 28 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Saturday media slam – Japanese newspapers go wild
By Zach Arnold | March 23, 2007
I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on our interview with Ed Fishman. Post a comment if you get the chance.
Click full-page view to see what the Japanese newspapers and fight media are saying about UFC’s purchase of PRIDE.
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Topics: All Topics, Boxing, IFL, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 45 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Fight Opinion Radio #43: Ed Fishman
By Zach Arnold | March 23, 2007
We have an outstanding interview this week with Ed Fishman, former PRIDE USA President. In this 70-minute interview, Ed discusses the Fishman Companies lawsuit versus Dream Stage Entertainment. There are some very intriguing facts coming out of this interview that you have not heard anywhere else. We have interviewed a lot of power brokers in MMA, and I think this interview will certainly go down as a historic one in the annals of FOR archives.
Plus, we have business discussion about the IFL. What changes would be recommend take place for the IFL to succeed in North America? And to cap everything off, it’s the return of the world famous Grab Bag, the highest quarter-rated segment in all of MMA radio. 100% demographically tested and approved with anger and intensity.
Music on this week’s radio show is provided to us by Retaliate. Definitely check out their site and listen to their music. Thumbs up to them.
Add us as your MySpace friend.
Potential sponsors (web sites, fighters, teams, companies) – if you want to have ads on our show (paid or barter), e-mail us immediately. Use the e-mail also if you Want to write guest op-eds for the site.
Comments off
Podcasting Links
- iTunes subscribers – click here.
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- Podcast Alley subscribers – click here.
The 41st edition of Fight Opinion Radio is now online and available to download. Here are your options for listening to the show:
Broadband (MP3) | Dial-up/Streaming
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Topics: All Topics, Fight Opinion Radio, HERO's, IFL, Japan, Jeff Thaler, K-1, Luke Nicholson, Media, MMA, podcasts, PRIDE, Pro Elite, UFC, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |