Can UFC control their message in Japan?
By Zach Arnold | February 4, 2007
By Zach Arnold
To try to understand the Japanese politics of the fight game, you have to remember a lot of names and faces. As alluded to on the site last night, Ken Imai (who is Mirko Cro Cop’s PRIDE agent) showed up in Las Vegas for Mirko’s UFC debut against Eddie Sanchez. It is sources like Imai (and others politically connected) who often feed the Japanese newspapers information or try to float trial balloons in order to test the waters of public opinion. Gryphon explains further.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Japan, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Purses or: How the fighters get paid
By Tomer Chen | February 4, 2007
By: Tomer Chen
One of the biggest topics of discussion throughout the hardcore MMA fan base tends to be the topic of ‘How much did _________ get paid for his last fight?’. After all, as a sports fan, one wants to imagine the glory and the riches that sports players and fighters receive for doing activities that a (relatively) select group of people are capable of doing. In combat sports, since the Roaring ’20s era of Boxing, there has been the desire of fighters to get the $1,000,000 purse in order to say that they are millionaires in their profession of pounding others into submission and to exemplify that as champions (or top challengers) that they really are as successful out of the ring as they are in it. Naturally, of course, the big question that arises out of seeing the fighters’ salaries (such as UFN 8’s fighter salaries) is: how can a pathetically small $3,000 purse for a brutal KO loss in a main event (for Sean Salmon) or a $6,000 purse for a heavily hyped fighter (Heath Herring) be justified in the world of MMA, especially given the massive buyrates and gates that UFC itself has been drawing in the last year or so? There are a number of non cash factors that often play into the thinking of fighters with regards to accepted less money in order to get onto the big stage. Tommy Gibbons fighting Jack Dempsey is one such extreme example where a fighter was even willing not to get paid at all in order to fight for the Heavyweight championship (and the glory that came with it).
First, one needs to consider the pure economics of the matter. Technically speaking, the fighter market is similar to any other job market in that there is a supply side (fighters) and a demand side (promoters) who are trying to find an equilibrium salary to go ahead and make the fight. Of course, unlike unskilled labor (which generally has a wage level that is pretty much fixed besides years of experience in the field), fighting is considered a more skilled profession (due to the extensive teaching of the martial art(s) involved in order to succeed in the industry), with a combination of the success rate in the ring/cage as well as other intangibles such as pure skill, charisma and overall drawing power being additional determinants into the equation. The promoters, from a purely economic standpoint, are trying to negotiate a contract rate for the fighters that, at most, will be equal to the expected benefits that the fighter should bring to the organization (quality opponent, drawing ability and so forth). Of course, in the promotional business (and really any business) the goal isn’t simply to get the fighter to agree to the breakeven point, but to maximize ones’ own profits. After all, if you can convince a fighter to accept $3,000 instead of having to pay $10,000, wouldn’t you be saving $7,000 in salary expenses? Hence, there is always a level of negotiations present with the promoter trying to lowball the fighter and the fighter will usually ask for a higher base, so eventually they will meet somewhere around the middle (at a point that both the promoter and the fighter will think is reason – their equilibrium point).  Â
Another issue to consider, along with the economic basics is the social responsibility of promoters to do what is best for the fighters. After all, in most ‘big’ corporations, it is expected that even the most penny pinching owner will offer services such as 401k retirement plans and health insurance to their skilled employees (unskilled employees are generally not offered the same benefits). Legendary economist Milton Friedman, however, stated the primary purpose of a business is to maximize the wealth of the owners of the business (whether they are shareholders in a publicly traded corporation or a sole proprietor), with deception and fraud prevention being the only socially responsible goals that they should be obligated to follow. In the case of combat sports, however, the state athletic commissions have required insurance coverage for the combatants on the part of the promoters in order to ensure that the purse of a fighter is not spent only on hospital bills, thus leaving them penniless or even in debt. There is no real 401k program in combat sports such as Boxing and MMA, however, so many fighters who are not as fiscally responsible with their funds tend to end up broke at the end of their careers, often fighting way past the point that they should be and ended up physically (and sometimes mentally) broken down during their twilight years (if they’re ‘lucky’ enough to live that long).
Another reason to consider when seeing an eye opening salary for a fighter is the amount of sponsors a fighter may have. For example, Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin are examples of heavy sponsorship, in this case by Xyience. The sponsor will traditionally pay a fighter to place an advertisement on the trunks in order to (i) associate a winning fighter with a ‘winning brand’ and (ii) to get advertising during a fight when the camera zooms over the advertisement. Certain fighters of ethnicity may also be the targets of sponsors in order to try and reach out certain ethnic markets, as well. In addition, fighters often thank advertisers after winning a bout, giving them another shot in the arm. The contracts are generally given by smaller businesses for fighters on the rise while the big contracts typically will go for the establish stars who will bring a lot of viewers to watch him (and the advertisement as a result). As such, there is a (potential) supplementary income for the fighters in addition to their base purse (which, in the case of the UFC is the win, lose or draw standard rate and a bonus for winning, which usually is doubling the standard rate, but at higher pay levels, may be as low as 50% of the rate). Of course, a fighter who either fails to excite the fans win or lose (unlike an Arturo Gatti-style fighter)  or constantly loses without any real form of charisma will most likely not have a serious sponsor as an option (or will lose the sponsor very quickly).
Another type of compensation that fighters receive is the brand name association of the product (especially in the case of the UFC). Just like in Pro Wrestling where a worker can command a higher salary by having “WWE Veteran” attached to his fighting resume, “UFC Veteran” or “PRIDE Veteran” can give fighters a similar opportunity to command higher than average pay in smaller organizations. In addition, if the fighters are particularly successful in the ‘big leagues’, they may get more fight offers and as many of the smaller leagues do not have exclusivity clauses in their contracts (as most can’t afford to lock up fighters like in UFC, PRIDE, HERO*S and IFL), it is likely that a fighter can make some good money (even more potentially than in the UFC or PRIDE) fighting constantly in the smaller leagues. A Travis Fulton may potentially make more fighting 15+ times a year in MMA (and in Boxing) in various states where medical suspensions are not enforced and get more money than he would in the UFC (though in Fulton’s case he’s probably not making a ton of money each time as he often fights the same guy numerous times and tends to heavily pad his record when he does ‘step up’ and more often than not loses to the bigger name fighter). Nonetheless, a particularly successful star from UFC or PRIDE probably can command a pretty penny on the independent fighting circuit due to the name value he has attached.
Continuing on with this idea is the importance of TV/PPV spotlighting. TV exposure of a fighter is one of the most important ways to spread their own name value to fans. Sure, a fighter can build a hardcore fan base by having great ‘house show’ performances, but would an Arturo Gatti really have sold out the Boardwalk Hall numerous times if the Rodriguez, Ruelas, Ward & Robinson fights were non taped? It’s highly doubtful, especially since the profit base in Boxing changed with the advent of television from live gates to TV ratings and later PPV buyrates. Over time, many fans have slipped away from the live event picture, preferring to watch the combat sports product at home unless there is a huge, can’t miss fight or fighter. This fighter, of course, had to be hyped heavily both on TV and the in the mainstream press (such as in the cases of Ali, Leonard, Tyson & De La Hoya). With television, you could advertise yourself beyond the realm of word of mouth (and newspapers) as well as the occasional fight film that was made for theater release. A particularly eye catching fighter such as an Ali, Leonard, De La Hoya or Tyson who either had the gift of gab or true skills (or both) could set himself apart and make himself an icon to the public in his time. In MMA, this is true as well given the build up of Randy Couture as an icon by coming down in weight to Light Heavyweight at a time when most fighters in combat sports were either retired or shot beyond belief and defeated the big three of the division at the time (Liddell, Ortiz & Belfort) to have his last 2 title reigns (barring his potential win over Tim Sylvia at UFC 68). Chuck Liddell has also been built up as a bad ass-style champion, dominating the current Light Heavyweight division, beating Couture twice, Jeremy Horn, Tito Ortiz (again) and Renato Sobral (again) in winning and defending his belt. He’s also been involved in 5 out of 6 of the biggest drawing MMA gates in Nevada (as seen here) and (supposedly) helped draw by far the biggest drawing buyrate in MMA history to date with his rematch against Tito Ortiz at UFC 66, allegedly getting over 1,000,000 buys according to Dave Meltzer of the WON (amongst other sources).
Does this mean that every fighter who gets on TV will actually benefit from the exposure? Certainly not, as a fighter who is not particularly charismatic out of the ring or cage will have to prove his worth in it and if he a plodding fighter who enjoys getting the “W” in the books instead of providing the best contest possible (examples of this would be current UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia and Ricardo Arona), he may get the recognition from the press and hardcore fans as a quality fighter, but he will also be associated as being boring and not worthy of watching for fear of a snoozer. Even fighters who are not particularly amazing in terms of in ring excitement can still be large drawing cards if they can cut promos and build up fights to be epic battles (such as in Tito Ortiz’ case). And, of course, there are fighters like Arturo Gatti who will sell out venues like the Boardwalk Hall even in losing because of their fighting style and spirit (and the fans know they will get their money’s worth). The idealistic fighter for pretty much all fans is one who both carries excitement and charisma to the sport, but they will be willing to let go of the excitement variable if he can give good promos and know how to build himself up.
Another variable, although it probably does not exist anymore due to the (comparatively) heavy regulation in both Boxing and MMA, is the potential for getting a special bonus for doing a tank job (or, in other words, a dive). While in MMA the accusations of fixed bouts was primarily in Japan (during the early PRIDE events with Nobuhiko Takada’s wins and some other bouts such as Nathan Jones vs. Koji Kitao), the one major accusation in the US comes from the Don Frye-Mark Hall III bout, as Hall has claimed in the past (detailed in No Holds Barred: Ultimate Fighting and the Martial Arts Revolution by Clyde Gentry) that Robert DePersia, a lawyer who managed both Frye and Hall told him to take a dive for a bonus and future fight opportunities (supposedly with Frye encouraging the dive after DePersia threatened to blackball Hall). Hall claims he took a dive, tapping out a heel hook in about 20 seconds to allow Frye to not be tired for the finals of the Ultimate Ultimate ’96 against ‘Tank’ Abbott. Hall then reported his claim to Gentry (amongst others), supposedly because DePersia (and Frye) shortchanged him and denied that they ever told him to take a dive. Of course, the circumstances of the bout (such as two stable mates under one manager fighting each other) would probably be banned under today’s MMA scene by the athletic commissions (just like it is in Boxing), given the inherent issues it brings up. Nonetheless, this darker side of the fight business as a whole (given that Boxing had severe issues for many years with dives) is one other way that a fighter could make some extra cash or a better opportunity (such as Jake LaMotta getting a World Middleweight Championship title shot against Marcel Cerdan for taking a dive against Billy Fox for the Mafia), even though it is illegal.
A quick discussion of the UFC payment structure is as follows: There is a base purse given to a fighter, win, lose or draw. If a fighter wins, he will get a win bonus purse (often the same as the main purse, but at larger purses, can be around 50% of the original purse). There is also KO and Submission of the night prizes given out to fighters as a way to try and encourage a fight to the finish. Finally, the main eventers (or in some cases, co-main eventers) will split a percentage of the PPV buyrates in additional to their main purse. This bonus is nothing new, as Boxing had gate percentages for years. So, as it can be seen, there are a number of factors in addition to what is officially listed as a purse that can inflate what the final cash purse will be (although only the award is really available for the whole roster to potentially get).Â
With these additional factors that can inflate what the fighter truly is making, the next question that probably should be asked is: Even if a fighter is getting more than what the initial glance shows from both physical cash and intangible recognition, isn’t it possible that the promoters are still undercutting the fighters? And to this, I would simply say: yes. After all, the promoter is in business for only one person: himself. And there are countless historical examples of promoters using purses and using contracts in order to maximize their profitability to the detriment of their fighters.
Probably the most well known example of a promoter hurting his fighters through using highly questionable (if not illegal) contracts and basically coercing them to join him would be Don King. As seen in The Life and Crimes of Don King: The shame of Boxing in America by Jack Newfield (a book that I highly endorse as one of the best stories of the promoter’s side I’ve ever read), Mr. King was rather ingenious with his contract practices. One of the most detailed examples of his complex manipulations and financial abuse of his fighters would be the sad story of Tim Witherspoon (highlighted in detail in Chapter 11: Tim Witherspoon and the Lost Generation of Heavyweights).
The brief version of the story is: Don King bought out Mark Stewart (Witherspoon’s old manager), then had Witherspoon banned from fighting by the Cleveland Boxing commission (who were apparently in King’s pocket) as Witherspoon wanted to pull out of a fight against James ‘Quick’ Tillis because he had developed a serious ear infection that his physician had informed him not to fight on. King essentially starved out Witherspoon and forced him to sign 4 contracts without any legal counsel present under threat of a lifetime blacklist from Boxing (which legally probably could have been considered duress as well as predatory behavior): (i) Don King was Witherspoon’s exclusive promoter (which he wanted), (ii) Carl King (Don’s stepson) was entitled to a 33 1/3% cut of Witherspoon’s earnings as manager (which was the legal limit on manager cuts imposed by the state athletic commissions to try and end essential slavery of fighters like Primo Carnera who got virtually nothing from Mafia-run managers and promoters during his career), (iii) a contract that listed a 50% cut (the enforced contract that technically would have been thrown out of court if they tried to enforce it) and (iv) a blank contract that Don could essentially write in anything with Tim’s signature on it. While contract (i) was acceptable to Tim himself and contract (ii) was forced but not horrendous on its own (since Tim probably would have had to pay around that much for any manager worth his grain in salt), contracts (iii) and (iv) and the fact that Carl King was essentially Don King acting through a public agent (similar in practice to Al Weill using a public agent to manage Rocky Marciano in the early 50s while he was matchmaker for the IBC due to the conflict of interest it presented) were pretty damning items against Witherspoon having a fair shake. Eventually, Tim Witherspoon would be able to sue King for lost funds and was able to get a $1 million settlement out of King (a rather hefty sum considering he managed to get an apparently out of it Muhammad Ali who was in the hospital to sign a release on a pending lawsuit for $1.1 million for $50,000 in cash, which was King’s practice – he always believed that fighters were willing to accept $10,000 in cash for $1 million in a check), but squandered it all quickly.
Of course, in the context of the UFC and really MMA as a whole, there isn’t as easy a merger of promoter and manager functions as exemplified above. The UFC, for example, is owned by Zuffa LLC, a privately owned company run by Station Casinos owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta with a minor ownership stake by UFC President, Dana White. The Fertitta brothers would not likely be pleased with a potential situation like the above because (i) they have a publicly traded company in Station Casinos that is their bigger overall cash cow venture and (ii) they would be scrutinized more than Don King was (which actually was a fair deal given the number of trials and investigations King faced through his career as a fight promoter) and could potential lose their gaming licenses and go to jail for essentially committing restriction of trade practices. While King was and still is a Boxing promoter who did some music concerts as well early on in his career, the Fertittas are involved in two industries, with the comparatively smaller one being MMA. King’s entire business was Boxing and so he felt he had to get in money from any corner he possibly could (and given that Boxing as a whole is a relatively poor run sport from the aspect of manager and promoter influence, it wasn’t very hard for him to get away with it for years).
Another element of Don King’s business practices involved signing options for future fights into his contracts. One of the most notable examples would be Don King confirming with Donald Trump at the Mike Tyson-James ‘Buster’ Douglas fight that he held options on both fighters. The conversation, as taken from The Life and Crimes of Don King is:
At one point Trump said to King, “You have options on both guys. You can’t lose.”
“That’s right, I can’t lose tonight,” King replied.Â
Simply put, Trump (who had quite a few King cards run in his venues) was impressed with the fact that King had placed into the terms of the contract for the Tyson-Douglas fight that he was essentially going to be Douglas’ promoter if he was to win (thus landing into a win-win scenario, no matter who won the fight). In this manner, King was able to expand his stable of promotable fighters by taking hold of a title belt (the WBC being chronicled as his closest allies in this regard, as seen in the story of the WBC stripping Leon Spinks of his belt to give Muhammad Ali a rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship, splitting the sanctioning belts and the lineal claim) and forcing anyone that wanted a shot to work under him and under his rules, making himself wealthier by the fight. In virtually any other industry, this would be condemned as being monopolistic (and the 2000 Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act does in fact ban these types of options officially). Of course, King wasn’t the first to do so, as ‘Uncle’ Mike Jacobs, the legendary 30s and 40s Boxing promoter was able to secure 5 of the 8 titles through a ‘Carnival of Champions’ card where he ended up having the Bantamweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight (claimant) & Heavyweight champions by virtue of his own options that he would force contenders to sign in order to face his fighters.
Of course, unlike the Boxing industry, where the Boxers are essentially free agents who have to negotiate with other fighters and promoters in order to get a quality fight placed on TV or PPV (or to get a title shot), MMA is structured more like Pro Wrestling (for the last 20 or so years) in that there has been an establishment of exclusive contracts for fighters (at least in the bigger organizations such as UFC, PRIDE, IFL & HERO*S) and that each organization promotes their own set of fighters as champion rather than either a single recognized champion or even a set of sanctioning bodies being involved. The ‘option’ itself does not exist as it does in Boxing as the promoter of a fighter’s bouts has them (often for the long haul) in a single organization rather than in the big picture. Of course, this exclusivity clause that prevent fighters from trying to make extra money fighting more often in other organizations, but unlike an option clause that a Don King would employ, the promoter in MMA cannot change around the contracted salary at his whim in order to try and maximize his profit making.
Finally, there is the matter of training and living expenses. In the Boxing world, Don King became notorious for shortchanging fighters from their purses even further than signing essentially illegal managerial deals for 50% of their purses by having training expenses tagged on as bills for fighters (even when the fighters already paid the expenses or the original contract said King would cover the expenses). For example, in the case of Tim Witherspoon, there is a picture on page 236 of Don King’s numerous deductions, including a charge for $28,000 for training camp usage, even though it should have been $2,800 as the sheet lists 28 days at $100. In addition, there were claims made in the book that Witherspoon was charged for ‘loans’ which were really training expenses that King was obligated to cover (pay back to Witherspoon) and he was forced to pay for his own trainer rather than King. In addition, Witherspoon was forced to pay taxes at the base rate of the initial purse he was due rather than at a deducted rate given the deductions he had to pay (probably because King’s reason for pulling off these deductions from the papers he filed was to prevent anyone from finding out his strange deductions during a tax audit), leaving him with almost nothing.
Generally in MMA, however, the atmosphere is a bit different as the organization (UFC, PRIDE, etc.) isn’t acting as a pseudo-manager (or manager by agent as in King’s case) to the fighters and so the fighters generally will be in their own training stable (MFS, BTT, Golden Glory, Lions Den, etc.) to prepare for fights and try to limit those types of expenses. Whereas in Boxing trainers tend to be more nomadic with them sticking with a few guys here and there for the long haul, in MMA the trainers tend to create their own group of fighters that will work with, through thick and then. As such, while the trainers will get a fee for their services, they tend to maintain closer relationships with their fighters and are not simply the best guy for the money that the manager wanted to pay, thus lacking a real bond or understanding between the parties.
So, in the end, what does all of this mean in the context of Heath Herring accepting a seemingly paltry $6,000 with a $6,000 win bonus for his debut in the UFC after all of his experience in PRIDE and HERO*S (as well as overall in MMA)? Herring probably believed that even if he was getting shortchanged in terms of his first few purses, he would garner some good sponsors and TV exposure in the US so that he could either command a higher salary in the organization when it came time to renegotiate the contract or could get fights in smaller organizations elsewhere for higher purses. Unfortunately for him, the gamble did not pay off and he ended up losing a pretty one sided decision to Jake O’Brien, which probably will stifle his chances of getting big money unless he turns things around fast (which is unlikely, but you can never say never in combat sports).
While wrapping things up, I just wanted to bring up a nice clarification document issued by the NSAC with regards to their MMAÂ rules.Â
Addendum: As noted by AS below in the comments and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Heath Herring actually received $60,000, a significant amount above the initially reported $6,000 and a more reasonable purse given his experience level. Nonetheless, the premise of the article (that fighters are willing to take pay cuts for future dividends in name recognition, sponsorships, higher future contracts, etc.) still stands and you can easily replace Herring with someone like Sean Salmon to get the point across on why fighters are willing to take almost non-existent salaries in the big organizations.
Topics: All Topics, Boxing, MMA, PRIDE, Tomer Chen, UFC | 12 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC friendly to PRIDE
By Stephan | February 4, 2007
Ed. — The popular Game & MMA Japanese blog has picked up on Stephan’s Fight Opinion posting about UFC being friendly to PRIDE.
I knew this UFC 67 would be a turning moment for the UFC, I’ve even called it a “coming of ages”, which some people though was exagerated. I did exagerate though, as the booing has got to go tho! Anyways, we have heard rumours of the UFC buying PRIDE, we have heard Dana himself say that he is interested in buying PRIDE, but never I have seen a UFC show be so PRIDE friendly. You guys here are educated MMA fans, so I’d like to hear your opinions on this, as I like to say, this is fightopinion after all!
I am totally happy to see Mirko in the UFC, and I have a feeling that many more international fighters will come, but here are the points that really took me by surprise:
- Mirko coming out to the PRIDE theme and not to Duran Duran as he usually does. I was in total shock. The UFC must have approved of this, this would not have happened not such a long time ago.
- Joe Rogan actually mentioned the PRIDE organization. Is it me? I dont remember ever hearing the word “PRIDE” during a UFC show. They usually mention about fighters that fought in Japan, but no more. I thought mentioning the word PRIDE was actually taboo!
- In the same vein, Joe actually mentioned Fedor, Minotauro and I think also Josh Barnett (going from memory here) as the best heavyweights in the world. I also thought this was taboo, you were not allowed to mention better fighters in other organization, as the UFCs are supposed to have the top ones.
Am I the only taken aback by this? In the past (well since Zuffa has taken the UFC over from SAG I should specify), you would never hear about any other organizations. I am reading this as a sign of maturity for the UFC organization. Maybe I’m reading too much into this. Zach does not believe UFC would buy PRIDE, but the UFC is defintely more friendly towards it. I am aware of somebody else from America looking into buying PRIDE, but it is not confirmed yet, AFAIK.
What do you think? What do you read?
Topics: All Topics, MMA, PRIDE, Stephan Marceau, UFC | 12 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Sunday special report
By Zach Arnold | February 4, 2007
There is a lot of news.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 67: All or Nothing Recap
By Erin | February 3, 2007
Ed. — The Japanese media is already taking notice of Mirko coming to the Octagon with the PRIDE theme. And the Japanese person standing next to Mirko in the Octagon after the fight appeared to be Ken Imai, who is his Japanese agent in PRIDE. — Zach
Hmm, the Gladiator seems a bit different this time around. Did we get a Gladiator Update? Still not as cool as Rome though.
Eastman says that he will fight anyone, including Godzilla. Roommate Jen wants to know if that includes Mothra. Extra legs, ya know.
Lutter says that the fight won’t go to the fifth round as their styles are too different and someone will go down. Considering that you didn’t even make weight, Lutter, I’m betting that will be you.
If fighting for a world championship isn’t enough to get you motivated to loose the weight, you’re kinda fucked. ‘Cause it really doesn’t get any better than that.
I hear “Jump Around†come on, and then become disappointed that someone isn’t coming out to it. A much more entertaining song than half that stuff these guys come out to. Yes, I’m a dork.
Scott Smith vs. Patrick Cote
Wow, we just have a slew of new graphics tonight.
Damn I’m conflicted on this. Smith is from Sacramento, so home-town-love there. But Cote has the accent, and I’m an accent whore. Decisions, decisions…..oh GSP is in Cote’s corner, which works as a tie-breaker for me. God Dammit, Smith is coming out to Godsmack, now I’m confused again. Jen suggests that we can just be happy either way.
Goodness, Urijah Faber (Smith’s corner man) is tiny. Even standing on the box, he’s still barely taller than the cage.
Round 1. Both guys seem content to stick to the stand up with the occasional leg kick from Cote. They clinch against the cage until Smith gets a nice punch and they go back to circling. Back to clinching until Cote grabs a knee and gets a takedown. Smith gets back up and there’s more standup with brief activity by both guys until the end of the round.
Round 2. Both guys seem a bit more willing to engage this round. Cote gets a nasty hit, Smith is wobbly but Cote won’t go in to finish it. That was… odd. Though, Cote is much more confident afterward. Smith gets a kick as the round ends.
Round 3. Smith gets some good punches in before Cote manages to tie him up. Smith tries for a takedown but is less than successful at it. The ref moves them to the center of the ring where they continue the standup. Both guys take control of the punching at different times, then end up clinched against the cage. The ref doesn’t let them stay there for long though. Not too long before the go back and not much else happens.
Kinda boring opening match, but I think Cote did a bit more.
Tito Ortiz and his Really Ugly Tie are seen in the crowd.
Winner: Patrick Cote wins by unanimous decision.
Rampage Jackson vs. Marvin Eastman
Eastman’s song samples “Amadeus†by Falco. I’m not sure if I’m amused by that or horrified.
Rampage makes sure to stop at random intervals on his way to the cage in order to howl.
He also takes out his contacts right before the fight. Isn’t this something he could do before walking down? Was he afraid of getting lost, ala Spinal Tap, on the way down?
Do guys really not realize how bad it looks when they get THAT close during the stare down?
Round 1. Both guys are ready to exchange fists early on. They clinch up and both throw a few knees. Big John separates them after a few moments and moves them back to the middle of the ring. Big separates them a second time and both guys are swinging for the fences as the round ends.
Round 2. Rampage’s corner man is very big on the full body demonstrations for what action Quinton should take in the next round. Round 2 goes the same as round 1, but with Rampage getting a bit more of the hits in. Rampage then gets a series of uppercuts and Eastman hits the ground. Big John calls the fight.
Winner: Rampage Jackson via TKO.
I don’t think that anyone really expected a different outcome, but Eastman certainly wasn’t a pushover.
Chuck is shown in the crowd, unsurprisingly with a skinny blond. Jen suggests that he does have a type and it’s kinda like Pokemon: Gotta Bang ‘Em All.
Roger Huerta vs. John Halverson
Roger makes comparisons between bullfighting and his upcoming fight. Umm, dude? Matadors have all the additional help, aka Picadors, to “wear down†the bull first. There’s also a whole lot of stabination, so I’m not so sure about that comparison. Unless your corner men are planning a covert lockeroom attack.
Round 1. Halverson lands a kick early, but goes down. Huerta hits a possible illegal knee to a grounded opponent, gets Halverson’s back and drops punches on him until the ref calls the fight.
Winner: Roger Huerta via TKO
Upon repeat viewings with the Tivo, it looks to both myself and Roommate Jen think the knee hit the side of the head and shoulder.
I love you Mirko, but you need to learn that wearing a shirt that’s almost as long as your shorts looks pretty dorky.
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Eddie Sanchez
Goodness, there’s a lot of checkers in the crowd. That’s kinda awesome.
Sanchez seems to be going for “attack for all you are worth†while Cro Cop is going for “singular and nastyâ€. As expected a whole lotta stand up. After a few moments Sanchez gets wobbly and slides to the ground. Mirko gets a full mount and punches Sanchez until the ref calls the fight. Sanchez’s face is all puffy while Mirko looks like he’s been for a walk in the park.
Winner: Mirko Cro Cop via TKO
Anderson Silva vs. Travis Lutter
Lutter looks so depressed on his way down. Silva, on the other hand, looks positively upbeat.
Round 1. Silva’s very dancy, though there’s not a lot of action from either guy to start. Silva goes for a flying knee, though Lutter manages to catch it and move it into a takedown. Silva gets full guard and starts working for a triangle. Silva manages to get up for a second but Lutter grabs a leg and gets the fight back down. Lutter moves to side control and then manages to get a full mount. Silva gets back up, and looks annoyed when Lutter is content to lie on his back until the round ends. Or maybe that’s just me projecting, as I know I would be.
Round 2. Lutter gets a takedown and lands in Silva’s guard. Silva locks in a triangle and squeezes it until Lutter finally taps when Silva starts throwing elbows as well.
Winner: Anderson Silva via triangle choke (and strikes, either/or works)
Nice faux-cowboy shirt there, Diego. Did you steal that from Back to the Future 3?
Tyson Griffin vs. Frank Edgar
Frank “The Answer†Edgar? The answer to what? One hand clapping? The Chicken or the egg? If a tree falls in the forest……? Could we BE more vague?
Frank, don’t make the poor security guards run down to the octagon. That’s just cruel.
Tyson wins Bestest Song Ever, by coming down to “Eye of the Tigerâ€. Such points, and the only thing that would be better is if he “cabbage patched†down.
Round 1. Both guys come out aggressive. Tyson goes for a high kick but Edgar gets a takedown. Tyson snags a guillotine but Edgar moves to side control and slips out. Griffin gets his own slam and they end up tied up on the ground. I love the light weight fights, but damn are they hard to recap. Back to standing and after some exchanges Edgar gets a takedown and lands in Griffin’s guard. Back to standing as the round ends.
Round 2. Griffin gets Edgar down against the fence but Edgar gets back up and they clinch against the cage. They separate and exchange some punches before Edgar grabs a leg when Griffin goes for a low kick. Back to standing and Griffin hits three low kicks in a row. Edgar gets a takedown and Griffin goes for a kimura. Edgar gets a full mount as the round ends.
Good grief, this is a good fight. I suggest that this is a very good argument for both the lighter fighters AND ground fighting.
Round 3. Stand up fighting and Rogan comments on Griffin’s “ba-donk-a-donk†his words, not mine. I giggle helplessly. Edgar gets some knees in the clinch against the cage and it looks like Griffin might have taken a nut shot, but Mazzagatti tells them to keep going. Edgar gets a takedown against the cage, and eventually works to his back. Griffin rolls and grabs a knee bar and Edgar hangs in until the round ends.
Well, that was an awesome fight. I don’t really care who wins, they both deserve it.
Winner: Frank Edgar via unanimous decision.
Terry Martin vs. Jorge Rivera
Rivera goes for a high kick which Martin catches it and hits Rivera in the head. Rivera goes down and Martin punches him until the fight is called. Rogan makes a reference to “Queer Streetâ€. Which gives me visions of the octagon draped in rainbow flags.
Winner: Terry Martin via knockout.
Decent show, though most fights weren’t hugely exciting, minus the Griffin/Edgar fight.
Topics: All Topics, Erin Bucknell, MMA, UFC | 22 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 67 all-purpose post
By Zach Arnold | February 3, 2007
Anything and everything reader-wise goes here. Problems ordering UFC 67 in HD? Any and/or all complaints or compliments go here. If you want to do running PBP of the event, knock yourselves out.
Event reports: F4W | Observer | Sherdog | UFC Junkie
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 34 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
K-1 Unveils Reality TV Show
By Mark Pickering | February 3, 2007
K-1’s parent company, Fight Entertainment Group, has unveiled plans to launch a reality television programme aimed at discovering and developing fighters in Japan.
The concept, premiered in the first instalment of the hugely successful Ultimate Fighter series, has been adapted by an abundance of markets including Berlin-based MAX Fighters organisation, and American network, Oxygen TV’s Fight Girls series.
K-1’s adaptation will take the traditional form of an ongoing competition between two teams – one coached by four-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Ernesto Hoost, the second by South Africa’s three-time K-1 World Grand Prix semi-finalist Mike Bernardo.
FEG President Sadaharu Tanikawa said he hoped young Japanese fighters would flourish under the tutelage of two of K-1’s most prized veterans.
Viewers will follow their progress on the Fuji TV’s weekly flagship combat show, Special Ringside.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, K-1, Mark Pickering, MMA | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Saturday super links
By Zach Arnold | February 2, 2007
On Friday night, I saw several MySpace bulletins from fighters who are claiming that the Utah state legislature is trying to attempt to pass a bill that would curtail or ban MMA in the state. Does anyone have more informaton on this story (as to whether its true or not)?
Onto today’s headlines.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 19 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Travis Lutter fails to make weight.
By Luke | February 2, 2007
According to f4wonline.com, Travis Lutter has failed to make weight for his Middleweight Title match against Anderson Silva. The fight will now be three rounds, and won’t be for the MW Championship. The fallout here.
This is stunning. One would think that with a few months worth of notice that the fight was happening, he would’ve been able to diet down to 185, or a little below that in time for his fight.
If you’re a PROFESSIONAL~! fighter, and its your job to fight, and you’re in the main event on a PPV that will be watched by more than a million total viewers. It is incredibly irresponsible to fail to make weight.
Topics: All Topics, Luke Nicholson, MMA, UFC | 19 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
IFL 2/2 Houston event
By Zach Arnold | February 2, 2007
This is the post to add all show-related links.
Komikazee: IFL Houston All Access Day 1 | IFL Enters Reality Series Market | IFL Houston weigh-in | IFL Houston All Access Day 2
Show results: The Houston Chronicle | The Fight Network
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, IFL, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Friday media flyer
By Zach Arnold | February 1, 2007
On Sunday, we’ll have a brand new edition of Fight Opinion Radio available for everyone. Believe me, the show will come in handy during the pre-game and half-time ceremonies during the Super Bowl. Instead of spending your time watching six hours of pre-game American football coverage, spend some of that time listening to our new show when it is on the server. Some very interesting guests lined up on this week’s program.
- The Oregonian: UFC makes move toward domination (Dana White – We are going to war with everyone. This is a great article that flashes back to an October 2006 article that Luke Nicholson wrote on this site.)
- The Florida Times-Union: UFC star Chuck Liddell cancels Jacksonville visit (reason given is Liddell’s UFC contract won’t allow his appearance at the local MMA event — prepare for UFC criticism online for this story)
- The Edmonton Sun: This Kid has come a long way (article on Ryan McGillivray)
- The Newark Advocate: 12-year old son of Hammer House fighter Rob Wince dies
- The New York Daily News: Inner Tube (article about IFL being a centerpiece of MyNetworkTV’s new ratings strategy)
- Fox Sports: New MMA message board and a UFC 67 show preview
- MMA HQ: UFC 67 – All or Nothing Preview
- The UNLV Rebel Yell: UFC hosts big card Saturday
- The Knoxville News-Sentinel: Alex Marvez interviews Frank Shamrock
- The Canadian Press (via The Brooks Bulletin): Opportunity knocks for underdog fighters Saturday at UFC 67
- UFC HP: Sam Hoger – Back in the saddle again
- The Boston Herald: Lyrics and knuckles rap in Revere
- The Houston Chronicle: IFL hopes to deliver a knockout at Reliant Arena
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 33 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Thursday news blotter
By Zach Arnold | January 31, 2007
Today, PRIDE announced in Japan that Mauricio Shogun vs. Alistair Overeem has been added to their 2/24 Las Vegas fight card.
Sherdog is reporting that the Frank Shamrock vs. Renzo Gracie fight, scheduled for Elite XC on 2/10, is possibly up-in-the-air. Update: Gracie Fighter claims a settlement has been reached. One other note: Showtime sent out a press release stating that Showtime Networks Inc. has invested money into ProElite Inc.
Also, a report by Jose Mauricio Costa of Jornal do Vale Tudo states that Shooto will suspend all Brazilian fighters from Japanese events due to a title belt dispute. More here.
Open request – I try to link to as many news stories as I possibly can. Take this opportunity (as a reader) today and link me to some sites that provide news or commentary that perhaps I don’t link to often enough or never have before. Let’s get some fresh material here.
Onto today’s headlines.
- Billboard: Top list of recreational sports DVD sales (hat tip: Mikeinformer)
- 10 News: Hearing on Jim Lampley restraining order delayed again
- Radio: MMA writer Mike Coughlin responds to Eddie Goldman’s challenge to the MMA media (time mark – 1:18:00 to 1:33:15)
- The Edmonton Sun: ‘One of us is going to leave this fight bloodied up’
- Doghouse Boxing: Can ‘Lil Evil’ climb back to the top again?
- Infinite MMA: An interview with Elvis Sinosic
- On the Mat: Interview with Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga
- The Dixie Sun: UFC’s popularity growing with every hit (someone let the author know that you can get information on UFC outside of UFC.com)
- The Spartan Daily: Campus sorority holds violence awareness workshop today (representative from Shamrock Martial Arts Academy will be in attendance)
- The Green River Star: Taking the extreme into the ring
- The Bedford Today (UK): Kevin Anderson wins in K-1 rules fight
- The Houston Chronicle: A woman’s place is in the ring
- MMA California: First all-female MMA event in California
- UFC Mania: Josh Burkman cut 40 pounds to make weight?
- MMA Insider: Interview with Miletich fighter Sherman Pendergarst
- Boxing Scene: Ricardo Mayorga arrested for fraud
- ITN News: Boxer Scott Harrison in court on drug charges
- Engadget HD: UFC PPV hits HD this weekend
- UFC Junkie: BJ Penn book set for May 2007 release
- Los Angeles Times: Floyd Mayweather Sr. says $2 million USD demand was legitimate
Topics: All Topics, Boxing, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, Zach Arnold | 42 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 67 – Analysis
By Stephan | January 31, 2007
This card is called All or Nothing, well this could be the shortest main card for the UFC in awhile (in terms of fight time). Its a good thing GSP got injured or the PPV could have been mostly 1 rounders! People are looking for upsets here, but I dont think so. Nevertheless I am really looking forward to this card, really to see Mirko coming into the UFC, I believe he will leave an even bigger mark than Anderson Silva has. Then add to this that the UFC is also introducing Rampage to the UFC mix, and this is a fun card to watch. So here is my “fan” analysis (take with a grain of salt) of the main card:
Patrick Cote vs Scott Smith
Patrick is one of those guys that always win his middle of the road fights, but never comes through on the bigger ones. Scott is definitely a middle of the road fighter. Scott “desperation punch” Smith, had that great fight at TUF4 against Pete Sell, you can not doubt his heart. But frankly, I have a hard time getting excited about this matchup, PPV should not be for TUF washups, they should be in the undercard. So, I will go with Patrick by decision here.
John Halverson vs Roger Huerta
There is debate whether this fight should be on the main card or the undercard. The other fight that could have been here is Hoger vs Machida (which I would have preferred), but I understand, that both Hoger and Machida have had boring fights in the past. Talking about undercard, did you notice that the best paid fighter last week on UFN 8 was an undercard? Yes, Nathan Marquardt funny!! Anyways, back to this fight, John Halverson is making his UFC debut with a 13 and 4 record, and seems very versatile. He has won just as many by submission as by KO (or TKO). “El Matador” Huerta, has had one appearance in the UFC (won by decision against Jason Dent), has a similar profile to Halverson in terms of stats. This is a pickem fight; I kind of see it going to a decision, maybe to the UFC veteran (in this case) Huerta
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs Marvin Eastman
A match made to make sure Rampage makes a good initial impressions to UFC fans. The only thing here interesting is that Marvin’s claim to fame is that he actually did beat Rampage way back almost 7 years ago. Marvin “The Beastman” has appeared in the UFC and lost against Victor Belfort close to 4 years ago. The Rampage of 3 years ago would have no trouble disposing of Eastman, but his last few fights have been somewhat less than impressive. His last losses, one coming from “Shogun” Rua (Rua would dispose of anyone in the UFC) and Wanderlei Silva (Silva needed like 45 knees to make Jackson finally buckle) are not a sign of big losses, rather of facing really better opponents. Marvin does not have close to these credentials. I am hoping we are getting the old Rampage back here. If thats the case, Rampage will finally be a serious opponent for Chuck in the 205 class (I could write on how Rampage would win this too – but thats for later). Rampage did beat Chuck soundly in Pride (3 years ago – as all of Chucks’ fan point out). I, for one, am very excited to see Quinton in the UFC (I said the same of Heath Herring in the heavyweight last week, didnt I?). The UFC must think the same though, to acquire the WFA to get his contract. Rampage has the potential to be a star on and off the stage. I’d love to see Rampage’s slamming in the UFC. The guy has a solid chin, great standup, fantastic stamina and super strength. I’m picking Rampage by KO (from a slam, that would be so much fun!!).
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs Eddie Sanchez
Eddie Sanchez may have the biggest “cajones” right now in MMA, to go in your second UFC fight against Mirko, I say Wow is not for Windows Vista but for Eddie! Regardless of his wanting to beat Mirko, I dont think he will last long, Mirko is just in such a different league, just look at the fighters he has faced in both K1 and Pride, it looks like an MMA hall of fame: Wanderlei Silva, Fedor, Barnett, Coleman, Noguiera, Hunt. Totally different class. The other question will be whether the fence plays a role in Mirko’s game more than what his opponent can do. I still think its a non-issue, I’m looking for Crocop to make a big splash for his UFC debut by KO in the first round.
Anderson Silva vs Travis Lutter
The UFC fans were shocked and blown away at Anderson’s mastery of Muay Thai (specially in the clinch). What most dont know, and Anderson is not hyping it up, is that Silva has some fantastic Jiu-Jitsu. He’s a black belt under the Nogueira brothers. And I have seen him use it in Pride, he is very active on the ground and very versatile. Its funny how he even said, when interviewed at a UFN (I think it was) about facing Luther “I’ll have to learn some JiuJitsu”…I pretty much spilled my drink. Why do you think he’s called the Spider? For his standup? LOL Anyways, Luther does not have much standing up, his only chance is taking Silva to the ground, and I dont think he’s even got much a chance there either. I’d love to see Silva submit Lutter, he would show how well rounded he is, but I think he’ll prefer to knock him out quick. Besides the illegal kick to Okami, Anderson has not lost in a long time. I pick Silva by TKO, 1st round.
Regardless of how long the matches last (the last 3 specially), this is an exciting card to watch for the fact that the UFC is now coming of age, with finally legit world class fighters. In a couple months from now we could be looking at a much more international champions than ever before: Gomi (Japan – yes dreaming, but I did dream of Mirko too!), GSP (Canada), Anderson Silva (Brazil), Rampage (US), Crocop (Croatia).
Topics: All Topics, MMA, Stephan Marceau, UFC | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |