Was a nasal inhaler used at the UFC Sacramento show?
By Zach Arnold | December 15, 2013
It’s been an interesting week for the California State Athletic Commission. As you are reading this, they are having a year-end meeting at Consumer Affairs HQ. At that meeting, a boxing manager/chief second named Rodrigo Mosquera is supposed to appear. He was suspended by Andy Foster on November 21st for his role in having a fighter named Ricardo Rodriguez wearing altered gloves at a September 20th show (Quiet Cannon) in Montebello, California.
On Friday night at the Golden Boy FS1 event in Indio (Fantasy Springs resort & casino), Mosquera showed up on television as a chief in-ring second for fighter Francisco Vargas. He did so while being on suspension with the commission. Mosquera could clearly be seen on television in between rounds with Vargas. Complicating matters is that apparently the athletic inspectors on the ground allegedly did not know Mosquera was suspended. The public only found out about the November 21st suspension when CSAC published a 150-page document dump on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, up North in Sacramento for the UFC event, everything on the surface appeared to go smoothly for the Arco Arena show. No judging controversies. No referee screw-ups. However, behind the scenes, the dirt (and complaints) were flying on Sunday in many conversations I had with sources from all different factions (fighters, regulators, staffers).
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, CSAC, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Three focal points in the aftermath of the UFC 12/14 Arco Arena (Fox 9) event
By Zach Arnold | December 15, 2013
First, the event results:
- Flyweights: Alptekin Ozkilic defeated Darren Uyenoyama after 3R by split decision.
- Lightweights: Abel Trujillo defeated Roger Bowling in R2 in 1’35 by TKO.
- Lightweights: Sam Stout defeated Cody McKenzie after 3R by unanimous decision. McKenzie showed up wearing basketball shorts with a price tag on them.
- Flyweights: Zach Makovsky defeated Scott Jorgensen after 3R by unanimous decision.
- Lightweights: Bobby Green defeated Pat Healy after 3R by unanimous decision.
- Lightweights: Edson Barboza defeated Danny Castillo after 3R by majority decision.
- Welterweights: Ryan LaFlare defeated Court McGee after 3R by unanimous decision.
- Lightweights: Joe Lauzon defeated Mac “Not For Sale” Danzig after 3R by unanimous decision.
- Featherweights: Chad Mendes defeated Nik Lentz after 3R by unanimous decision.
- Bantamweights: Urijah Faber defeated Michael McDonald in R2 in 3’22 by submission (choke).
- UFC Flyweight title match: Demetrious Johnson defeated Joe Benavidez in R1 in 2’08 by KO.
Brian Knapp takes a look at the matches to book given these card results.
Arco Arena had a very solid crowd for the show. It was a success, undoubtedly. I think the only regret was Faber not fighting in the main event and giving the fans a nice send-off home. Other than that, really, you couldn’t complain about the card and the way it played out. Demetrious Johnson came through in the clutch and was coming off a 3-plus month training camp with Bibiano Fernandes & Tim Boetsch. Matt Hume remains one of the elite coaches in MMA.
Joe Rogan acted like he bet a ton of money on Chad Mendes because he was riding that guy’s ass the whole time during his fight with Nik Lentz. Lentz is not a pushover and you had to expect the fight to play out the way it did. Mendes claimed he was dealing with a serious sinus infection.
The UFC likes to pay to bring in an out-of-state judge for events. In California, Derek Cleary from Georgia seems to get that nod. This has not gone unnoticed amongst other California judges, who (on background) are pissed at what they see as cronyism. That said, it’s hard to find one criticism to level against the judges who worked Saturday’s show. They did their job in not screwing up. They made the right calls.
Dan Collins, the controversial Northern California boxing referee who yells at Andy Foster, was on camera a lot because he was the main timekeeper. He wore a striped shirt. He looked like a grinning goof the whole time. There were others cageside who should have been paying attention to fights but were busy on their cell phones. They know who they are (and probably are reading this right now). You know better.
Three focal points in the show’s aftermath
What’s next for Demetrious Johnson? He’s cleaned out the Flyweight division. And I don’t think many saw Scott Jorgensen losing. The name John Dodson keeps getting mentioned, but DJ just finished him. DJ is one of the best talkers in the UFC and really comes off well on camera. And yet it seems like UFC is kind of boxed in as to where to go next with him. Ironically, given what he did to Joe Benavidez, DJ’s best option for a money fight would be a catch-weight bout at 130 pounds versus Urijah Faber. That doesn’t appear to be in the cards, however.
Urijah Faber wants the winner of Renan Barao vs. Dominick Cruz. Can Faber break his Susan Lucci curse of being second-place by beating either guy for the title? I’m not sure the fans will feel confident enough to shell out PPV cash to see a rematch on this front. If he could make 130, a fight with DJ would give him a match that I think fans would be interested in paying to watch. But that’s not where this is heading.
No talk about the Welterweight division. A day after GSP announced his hiatus from the UFC and vacating of the Welterweight title, not a word on the Fox broadcast about this development. No real discussion about Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown being canceled and what’s next for Condit. No discussion about whether or not he’s re-matching with Nick Diaz. No mention of Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler on March 15th in Dallas, Texas to crown a new champion. Kind of strange for the UFC to go silent on this topic given the fact that FS1, Sportscenter, and other major media outlets spent Friday discussing GSP’s exit from the company. Dana was busy doing damage control over whether or not he tried to prevent GSP from attending the UFC 167 post-fight press conference. That’s how bad UFC management handled that situation. They’re still trying to put out forest fires they created.
Al Haymon’s Adrien Broner creation goes down
Marcos Maidana, you magnificent bastard. I guess Broner declaring himself as the heir to Floyd Mayweather wasn’t such a smart idea.
I don't think this tweet ever came thru from the center of the ring pic.twitter.com/rLyLqMKvTX
— Jimmy Lennon Jr (@TheClassyJr) December 15, 2013
Exit question: If there’s anyone who has exposed the Ali Act as impotent, would Al Haymon fit the bill? Ask Paulie Malignaggi. Marcos Maidana signed a deal with Haymon in order to get a fight with Haymon’s creation, Adrien Broner.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Suspended California boxing manager/second works Golden Boy fight 3 weeks later
By Zach Arnold | December 14, 2013
This is the type of story that has Southern California officials buzzing tonight — and a story that makes me angry. It is a story that justifies why I’ve spent so much time being concerned about the quality of regulation in the state of California.
On Friday night in Indio, California at Fantasy Springs resort & casino, Golden Boy held a Fox Sports 1 card that aired live. The show was hosted by Rich Marotta. Veteran athletic inspectors Brian Morris & Larry Ervin worked the event. The top two fights on the card featured Josesito Lopez vs. Mike Amaoutis and Francisco Vargas vs. Jerry Belmontes. Listed as a chief second on the Fox Sports telecast for fighter Francisco Vargas was the name Rodrigo Mosquera. Mosquera worked the corner alongside Mike Rodriguez and Guillermo Becerillo.
Rodrigo Mosquera has a (protected) Twitter account at @rmosquera1 where he calls himself a boxing expert from Los Angeles. He has one professional fight on his record.
Three weeks ago, Mosquera was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission. He was suspended, along with a fighter he was working with, for using illegally manipulated boxing gloves for an All Star Boxing show on September 20th in Montebello, California at Quiet Cannon. Both the fighter and Rodrigo Mosquera were given notices to appear at the December 16th (Monday) California State Athletic Commission hearing in Sacramento.
Despite being suspended by the commission, Mosquera worked the Golden Boy event in Fantasy Springs. Loophole? The suspension letter to Mosquera is regarding his manager’s license. He worked as a second for Francisco Vargas.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, CSAC, Media, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC won’t have GSP to push around any more
By Zach Arnold | December 13, 2013
GSP announces he vacates the UFC welterweight title and will take a hiatus from MMA. He has held the UFC 170 lb title since April 19, 2008.
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) December 13, 2013
The trigger has been pulled and the UFC just lost their top PPV draw. The behavior of Dana White towards Georges St. Pierre, which wasn’t admonished publicly by Lorenzo Fertitta, helped nudge everyone to this predicament.
Fightline: UFC Got What They Deserved With GSP Leaving
I guess that article I wrote about GSP leaving being the best thing came to fruition. There’s a reason why the UFC does not want the Ali Act to cover MMA.
GSP: "Every fight you add weight. Every fight you add weight. At some point it becomes so heavy I have a hard time carrying it myself." #UFC
— Mike Chiappetta MMA (@MikeChiappetta) December 13, 2013
On a conference call Friday, GSP pretty much laid out why he was vacating the UFC Welterweight title and moving on. He’ll still be training but not enduring the pressure of preparing for title fights.
And what did Dana White, who helped encourage this scenario, have to say?
Dana White: "You have to be 100% mental, physical, emotional. If you're not you should get out. I think it's the right move." #UFC
— Mike Chiappetta MMA (@MikeChiappetta) December 13, 2013
Sure, he’s saving face by claiming that he was consistent all along in GSP either staying active or else vacating the belt. But the level of disrespect he dished towards his number one money draw was incredible. And today is karma.
Is anyone going to ask Dana why he was so adamant about GSP not having any real issues & him being confident GSP will cont to fight? #ufc
— MMA Supremacy (@MMASupremacy) December 13, 2013
And meanwhile, Uncle Dana is busy railing against Holly Holm’s “lunatic” manager.
Jeff Wagenheim: Future uncertain, legacy is not for Georges St. Pierre
As for the Welterweight title, UFC has booked Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler on March 15th in Dallas, Texas. That same show will feature Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira.
WHAT!!!!! Lawler for the title, he is 4-3 in his last 7. Condit got screwed on this deal.
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) December 13, 2013
Quite a historical day for the UFC.
Exit question: What now about UFC’s Canadian plans now that Rory MacDonald suffered a loss to Robbie Lawler and GSP is out of the picture?
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 46 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Amidst good news on future plans, UFC’s PR machine not keeping up with the times
By Zach Arnold | December 12, 2013
It’s been quite an interesting week of announcements & declarations by Zuffa.
The bad news: You won’t have Cain Velasquez to run away from for the next year due to surgery & rehab. Fabricio Werdum will face the winner of the Josh Barnett/Travis Browne fight that takes place on December 28th in Las Vegas.
Now, onto some less stressful headlines.
First, the news that had everyone buzzing yesterday: 115 pound female fighters now headed to the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter. Here’s the roster.
11 strawweights from @InvictaFights to compete on #TUF20; winner becomes first UFC 115-lb. champion http://t.co/TTqJYIuWCr
— UFC News (@UFCNews) December 12, 2013
The reality show’s in the tank but we learned last season that amongst the now-limited viewership that the women draw better TV ratings than the men. So, for the UFC, it’s a no-risk proposition. For non-135 pound female fighters, it’s a win. For Invicta, they lose fighters while gaining credibility as a feeder system. And with Carla Esparza, they naturally have multiple aspects on the program to discuss (her being a champion, her friendship with the late Shane Del Rosario). The emotions should be really high. It all depends on how UFC editors handle the situation and if they do so in a tactful manner.
One thing is for certain — we’re definitely going to see a growing amount of women’s MMA content on the proposed UFC online internet channel. Zuffa will reportedly unveil all their plans during the weekend of the NYE show in Las Vegas. There have been a lot of comparisons made to the upcoming WWE Network that is expected to a broadband-based channel. The differences between the two projects in scope are dramatic. With the WWE Network, the company will be moving a lot of their B-level PPVs to the net and will be relying on over 60,000 hours of archived footage from different promotions over the past decades to try to lure in old wrestling fans to pay $15 a month. WWE management is pushing a number of 1 million subscribers a month needed in order to make the math work, although I suspect that it’s just a high number they aspire to reach and not the bare bones number they need to break even.
With UFC’s new online channel, they seem to be aiming more towards a hybrid MLB TV model where there will be some feeder shows that will allow the promotion to lock in even more prospects and build them up the way they want. There will be an emphasis on UFC as a “worldwide” league rather than the American/South American dominated company that it is right now. Bryan Alvarez recently talked about the challenges that the new UFC channel will bring in terms of matchmaking. Joe Silva & Sean Shelby will now have to figure out matchmaking for the Internet shows, the Fox Sports cable shows, The Ultimate Fighter, and the PPV circuit. In other words, UFC’s new channel could morph into something big or it could just be another nice revenue stream. Nothing more, nothing less. Potential for upside with not a lot of downside. The WWE Network proposition, on the other hand, carries some real risk. It may be foreward thinking but perhaps the wrong time to pull off the project. That’s why there’s so much more buzz about what the WWE Network could or could not turn out to be.
The UFC does have an excellent point man at the helm of the project and that point man is Marshall Zelaznik. The UFC will be make their online network geo-specific for America, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Last Friday’s Brisbane show featuring Mark Hunt vs. Bigfoot Silva was a total success on all accounts. The only negative happened to be some nasty anti-UFC press that American fans have long experienced in putting up with.
UFC had Tom Wright handle the public relations to deal with the criticism. Memo to UFC: Don’t have your representatives talk about MMA being something children can learn from. Don’t have your representatives claim that MMA doesn’t have a raging steroids problem when it’s as dirty as horse racing right now and your staff lobbies athletic commissions to let fighters get permission slips to use testosterone (anabolic steroids). Kind of like an endocrinologist reportedly showing some doubt about Chael Sonnen’s hypogonadism diagnosis but now saying he needs testosterone because he’s been using it for years.
Claiming “our doctors don’t work for us” when you have a point man in Dr. Jeff Davidson overseeing the regulation of fighters using testosterone on overseas shows isn’t a good look. It opens the door up for UFC to, rightfully, get shredded.
And one more thing: stop with the “fastest growing sport in the world” tagline when it’s utterly false. The UFC needs to step up it’s PR game in relation to their expansion attempts. It’s 2014, not 2008.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 31 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
After two failed attempts, Andre Ward directly sues Dan Goossen to void contract
By Zach Arnold | December 9, 2013
The on-going saga between Andre Ward’s camp and promoter Dan Goossen continues to get uglier by the minute. Ward wants out of his deal with Goossen-Tutor Promotions, which lasts until 2016.
So, TMZ (presented by UFC) published a screaming headline titled Andre Ward — I’m Suing My Boxing Promoter … YOU DON’T OWN ME!!
Now… the rest of the story.
During the Summer, Ward’s camp asked for an arbitration hearing with the California State Athletic Commission & AG’s office in Los Angeles to ask for Ward’s contract with GTP to be voided because Antonio Leonard, a close ally of manager James Prince, alleged that he was a co-promoter of Andre Ward with Dan Goossen. Leonard alleged that since he had a verbal deal with GTP and that such a deal wasn’t disclosed with CSAC that therefore the Ward/GTP deal should be terminated. The argument is as laughable as it sounds and Andy Foster smacked Ward’s camp down by rejecting their request to void the Ward/GTP agreement. That agreement was approved by Ward, his lawyer & manager, Goossen, and the California commission. So, there were no grounds to terminate such a deal based on Leonard’s claim. Strike one.
Upset that arbitration didn’t go well in Los Angeles, Leonard (and Prince) sued Goossen in a Houston trial court over the same allegations of Leonard allegedly being a co-promoter of Andre Ward with Dan Goossen on a verbal agreement. Leonard asked for a temporary injunction to withhold money and for an emergency court hearing. Goossen’s attorney asked for the suit to be removed to Federal court, where GTP has legal action pending against Leonard over his alleged claims of a verbal agreement to be Andre Ward’s co-promoter. Leonard & Prince had their TRO lifted on the money and haven’t been able to get a hearing in court. Strike two.
With arbitration in California and a trial hearing request in Houston falling flat, Ward has now directly sued Dan Goossen in Los Angeles Superior Court (case no. BC529798) and asked a judge for declaratory relief. His attorney, Alan Rader, is asking for the contract to be finished. The argument this time in court? That Ward’s dealings with Goossen have lasted longer than 7 years and therefore is illegal according to California Labor Code.
Nicole Duva of Main Events succinctly points out one legal problem for Ward’s camp:
This: http://t.co/r8kZnixHIo poses a problem for this: http://t.co/oi1Yk8flih @boxingscene @RMaq28
— Nicole Duva (@nicoleduva) December 10, 2013
@RMaq28 @boxingscene @NiteshDutt The filing itself is evidence of the facts surrounding the signing of a new promotional agreement in 2011.
— Nicole Duva (@nicoleduva) December 10, 2013
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, CSAC, Media, Zach Arnold | 19 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Good news: Mark Hunt & Bigfoot Silva survive five rounds of zombie hell
By Zach Arnold | December 7, 2013
Bad news: They took years off their lives and could re-match. Look at this heart-warming picture by Glover Teixeira of the men involved:
Click the picture to view the enlarged version on Twitter
Bigfoot Silva vs Mark Hunt..good Gawd almighty ! What a F'N fight. An announcer's dream. @FOXSports1 @ufc Amazing drama!
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) December 7, 2013
Nobody goes after knocked down opponents with the enthusiasm of picking up the morning paper better than Mark Hunt.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 7, 2013
The UFC Brisbane event was night-and-day better than last week’s Ultimate Fighter finale. The crowd was terrific & vocal. The veterans fighting let it all hang out. There was plenty of violence and good sportsmanship. This show likely won’t draw the TV rating that Ronda’s TUF Finale did last weekend, but this was so much better in terms of delivering the right finishes. The unfortunate downside is now that Shogun won, he’ll probably fight at least five more times before retiring. Fighters never seem to retire when they have a chance to go out with a healthy win.
UFC Fight Night at Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Middleweights: Caio Magalhaes defeated Nick Ring after 3R by unanimous decision. Ring announced after the fight that he has a torn ACL.
- Ladies: Bethe Correia defeated Julie Kedzie after 3R by split decision. Julie announced her retirement.
- Heavyweights: Soa The Hulk Palelei defeated Pat Barry in R1 in 2’09 by KO.
- Light Heavyweights: Ryan Bader dismantled Anthony Perosh after 3R by unanimous decision cheese grater beatdown.
- Light Heavyweight: Mauricio Shogun defeated James Te Huna in R1 in 63 seconds by KO.
- Heavyweights: Super Samoan Mark Hunt and Bigfoot Silva went to a majority draw after 5 rounds. The odds of the fight going the distance were 10-to-1.
Good momentum heading into next weekend’s UFC Fox 9 card at Arco Arena in Sacramento. Over 10,000 fans expected at the building. The original main event was Anthony Pettis vs. Josh Thomson. The “new” main event of Demetrious Johnson vs. Joe Benavidez is a big plus for the card. They didn’t have to fight in the empty Mandalay Bay and Benavidez will have huge crowd support. Plus it’s a very good fight.
The only bad news is that I hear a few big name Sacramento politicians are considering making their appearance known at the event. The same ones who helped push idiots in the Department of Consumer Affairs to run down the California State Athletic Commission. Wonderful.
The top matches on the Arco Arena card:
- Flyweight title match: Demetrious Johnson vs. Joe Benavidez
- Bantamweights: Urijah Faber vs. Michael MacDonald
- Featherweights: Chad Mendes vs. Nik Lentz
- Bantamweights: Scott Jorgensen vs. Zach Makovsky
- Lightweights: Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo
I did not list Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown due to injury rumors & the fact that the fight isn’t being advertised (as of Friday night) on local Sacramento television unlike other fights.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 20 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
How Bellator (and others) should view the World Series of Fighting
By Zach Arnold | December 4, 2013
An update to this article (Thursday, 12/5) can be read at the bottom.
I was just on this article on TMZ and there is this huge button beside the headline that says "Presented by UFC." Umm http://t.co/qE58h6aAMB
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) December 4, 2013
TMZ, the web site that floated a story about Georges St. Pierre having a dying father and baby mama drama, happens to have UFC ads on their web site via DoubleClick. A screen capture:
TMZ articles being presented by UFC is only slightly less awkward than the proposition of having Fight Opinion advertise the UFC Store, which we recently were solicited to do and to name a price. (I declined.)
Speaking of things that look strange on the surface… now that UFC appears to be taking a pass on signing Ben Askren, there’s hand-wringing online about his future. Chad Dundas is spot on about the situation in this article. Bellator seems to be closed off. Dana White was pushing World Series of Fighting. There’s One FC. For a fighter who is all about wanting to face the best competition, the league that has it doesn’t want his talents gracing their cage. Given a choice between WSOF and One FC, One FC is the equivalent of a working vacation with some travel to nice locales.
There’s a reason why Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta never say a bad word about World Series of Fighting and actually push it as an alternative for fighters who they don’t deem worthy of being under contract to Zuffa. Hint: this link will give you some of my past voluminous answers on why.
I'm convinced that the media is feigning ignorance about WSOF being UFC's unofficial bastard child & who the political fixers involved are.
— FightOpinion (@FightOpinion) December 3, 2013
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Bellator, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 40 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Nevada’s judging problems: It would help if judges appear to watch fights they’re scoring
By Zach Arnold | December 2, 2013
Monday’s Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting was interesting, to say the least. A local BJJ trainer appeared for open comment and pleaded for more transparency from the judges when it comes to scoring fights. The trainer stated that Nevada needs more MMA-focused judges rather than using boxing judges and also encouraged the half-point scoring system. When prodded about the issue of transparency, the man said that nobody is sure which judges apply what kind of weight behind certain scoring criteria other than the fact that it seems takedowns and top position rather than transitions & submission attempts always get weighted more heavily.
Which then led us to the officials selection for the upcoming Anderson Silva/Chris Weidman II fight. Herb Dean will be the referee. The judges booked: Junichiro Kamijo, Chris Lee, and Patricia Morse Jarman.
After hearing the comments made by the trainer and the officials booked for Silva/Weidman II, one thought popped into my head regarding the current crop of judges Nevada is using.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 25 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The ghost of MMA’s past: Will California adopt PRIDE-style judging rules?
By Zach Arnold | November 29, 2013
Black Friday Beatdowns isn’t my beat, so let’s focus on another story.
A couple of days ago, the estimable Jim Genia asked me to write on whether or not I thought UFC could fade away like PRIDE given Zuffa’s decreasing ratings & PPV buys. The short answer is no. The long answer? UFC won’t die like PRIDE but the rest of MMA might. Such a scenario would require Viacom to pull the plug on Bellator and for other promotions to be swallowed up in a UFC-type developmental system. Not entirely impossible given how many promotions have failed over the last decade.
As I was writing about that topic, MMA Mania published this open letter from California State Athletic Commission Executive Officer Andy Foster: Judging system used to score MMA requires evolution.
Andy Foster’s proposal is simple: Keep the 10-point must scoring system for MMA judges but make those scores non-binding. Have judges pick a winner based on which fighter they thought overall won the bout. If there’s controversy (and there would be plenty), then the 10-point must system scorecards could be reviewed to see why judges picked the winners they did.
There are some good and bad consequences of shifting away from the 10-point system to the PRIDE scoring system. However, one thing is clear — since that open letter was published on Tuesday, Sacramento has been reportedly overwhelemed with reaction to the idea of going to a PRIDE-style scoring system. I can’t give a percentage on how much of the feedback has been positive versus negative, but I know the positive feedback has been high.
This point made by Andy Foster hits home to the heart of the debate:
For example, like we have recently seen, one competitor can win two rounds with a much larger margin, and the judges see the other competitor winning the other three rounds at a very close margin. The result is the winner on the scorecards is not the winner of the actual fight.
Examples discussed include the Gilbert Melendez/Ben Henderson and Eddie Alvarez/Michael Chandler fights.
Andy Foster, finally a commissioner who sees flaws in MMA's scoring system and who wants to make changes to it. Good to see.
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) November 27, 2013
What makes the argument complicated is that judges are often discouraged in certain states from issuing 10-8 or 10-10 rounds. If there wasn’t such hostility to issuing a 10-10 round, we’d see a lot more of them. But they are hardly used by judges because of fear of retribution from their political bosses. Nelson Hamilton proposed the half-point scoring system and it’s essentially dead in the water because the major commission states view such a scoring system, as used in CAMO, as muddying the waters even further. The logic goes as follows: if judges are bad enough at scoring fights with the 10-point must system, how on Earth would they not screw up even more if they judged fights on the half-point system?
So, the half-point judging system is basically dead in the water (politically-speaking). And there’s growing frustration with the 10-point must system. Which leads us to Andy Foster’s proposal. He pointed out the positives in his open letter.
However, adopting a non-binding 10-point must system combined with the PRIDE “pick a overall winner” system presents its own issues. It won’t stop incompetence or corruption. It might help both out to a degree but it’s not foolproof. Judges who come in bought off or with a bias towards one type of style over another will figure out a way to screw over fighters using the PRIDE system. When PRIDE was active as an organization, a lot of influencers at ring side were betting on fights and you can bet the pressure was palpable on judges in certain fights.
If a fight is very close to score, most judges will just fall back on their 10-point must system score cards to pick a winner. You can’t fix incompetence. Judges either know the sport and/or adapt to the learning curve or they don’t, no matter what scoring system is in place.
What isn’t in dispute is that there is a strong appetite to change the status quo and going to a PRIDE-style scoring system can’t make things worse. Right?
Exit question: We know that boxing dominates the revenue that California’s commission takes in but the energy on the regulatory side has been on the MMA side of the equation. Boxing people behind the scenes are completely confounded by this. Do people understand the significance of California, the largest commission in the United States, becoming an MMA-first entity on a historical level?
Topics: CSAC, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Jeremy Wall on the historic rise & fall of GSP in UFC’s Welterweight division
By Zach Arnold | November 27, 2013
Jeremy Wall is the author of UFC’s Ultimate Warriors: The Top 10. He can be reached at jeremydalew at gmail dot com or followed on Twitter @jeremydalewall.
At UFC 167, Georges St-Pierre retained his Welterweight title in a controversial split-decision victory over Johny Hendricks. The decision was controversial as a vocal contingent of the MMA community, notably UFC colour analyst Joe Rogan, felt Hendricks won the fight. It was decided in the first round, as the other four rounds were clearly split between the two fighters. Two judges gave round one to GSP, giving him the decision.
A second controversy ensued after St-Pierre’s post-fight interview with Rogan, where GSP reluctantly intimated that he wanted to “step away” from MMA for awhile. Many took this as a retirement announcement, although Georges never used that word. Dana White conducted an interview with the LA Times on November 18th, saying that a rematch between the two is on schedule and a date should be announced within a few weeks. TMZ reported stories about GSP’s father being sick, or Georges and an unknown woman having an unplanned pregnancy. Georges denies all of this. Hendricks has been interviewed saying that if Georges can no longer stand the heat, it’s time for him to step down as Welterweight champ.
Georges has been the Welterweight champ for years now, and in his prime was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in history. But he no longer seems to be in his prime, as Hendricks, a top-flight wrestler, was able to take Georges down like no other opponent and gave the champ the hardest fight of his career. I feel Georges won the fight, giving him the first round, but the odds of winning a rematch have to be against him.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC | 11 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Details on court battle between Andre Ward’s camp & Dan Goossen in Texas
By Zach Arnold | November 25, 2013
Several months ago, Andre Ward asked for an arbitration hearing with the California State Athletic Commission to try to get out of his promotional contract with Dan Goossen. Both Ward & Goossen are California licensees. The contract was approved in California. So, it was hard to imagine on what grounds Ward’s camp had for convincing Executive Officer Andy Foster to terminate the promotional contract. Foster ruled in favor of Goossen.
Given Ward hanging out in Las Vegas and being a little bit more chatty to various boxing interviews, one could come up with an opinion that he and his Houston hip hop manager, James Prince, would perhaps be interested in working with Top Rank & Bob Arum. Arum and Goossen used to work together a long time ago.
After that attempt failed, news broke before the weigh-ins of the Andre Ward/Edwin Rodriguez fight in Ontario, California that Dan Goossen received a FAX notifying him that he had been sued by one of James Princes’ associates, Antonio Leonard. Questions immediately were raised as to why such a lawsuit was filed. The lawsuit was filed in a Texas state court in Houston.
Bay Area boxing writer Ryan Marquinana summarized the lawsuit news by noting that Leonard was claiming he had an oral agreement with Dan Goossen to be co-promoters. Leonard claimed that Goossen was going to ice him out as a co-promoter for future fights. The Boxing Scene link includes a link to the PDF of Leonard’s lawsuit filing.
The obvious question to ask here is why Leonard never had a written co-promotional agreement with Dan Goossen. If he had a written agreement, it would have been signed off/approved by the California State Athletic Commission. No written agreement meant no real basis for an arbitration case.
Leonard filed for a TRO (temporary restraining order) against Goossen in Houston. Why would Leonard think he has standing to file suit in Texas given that both Ward and Goossen do business in California? Leonard states in his own lawsuit filing that he is/was/tried to be licensed in California. Then what was he asking for at the arbitration hearing: to void Ward’s promotional agreement with Goossen because he, as a California licensee (or not), failed to disclose an alleged co-promotional agreement with both Andre Ward & Dan Goossen? No wonder Andy Foster ruled in favor of Dan Goossen.
@FightOpinion If Leonard wasn't a co-promoter, why was he listed on any promotional items in previous fights as one?
— Mark E. Ortega (@MarkEOrtega) November 26, 2013
Leonard further claimed that he got his tie-in originally to be a co-promoter of Andre Ward before and after buying out Square Ring Promotions from Roy Jones and that Ward wanted him as a co-promoter, therefore a supposed oral agreement for co-promotion was consummated. When Goossen said Leonard wasn’t his co-promoter, Leonard filed suit in Houston claiming breach of contract.
Punching back twice as hard
In response to Antonio Leonard’s lawsuit, Dan Goossen filed suit against Leonard in Los Angeles Superior Court for declaratory relief. The filing claims Ward & Goossen entered into an exclusive promotional rights agreement on April 6, 2011 and that Antonio Leonard isn’t licensed to be a promoter in California, the business venue where transactions between Ward & Goossen take place.
The filing reveals what happened at the California arbitration hearing. It quotes Andy Foster as stating that it appeared Antonio Leonard “deliberately kept Mr. Goossen uninformed about Mr. Leonard’s discussions with HBO” and that his interference led to a breakdown of relations between Ward & Goossen. The ruling also noted that any claims of co-promotional dealings were unenforceable because they weren’t disclosed and approved by California’s commission.
The Superior Court lawsuit asks for an entry of judgment to declare that any alleged contracts between Goossen and Leonard are null or must be dealt with in the jurisdiction of the California State Athletic Commission. Furthermore, the court is asked to issue an injunction against Leonard for engaging in interference in business matters between Ward & Goossen.
Houston, we have a problem
There was a hearing by a trial judge in Houston on Monday. A temporary 10-day TRO had been given to Leonard and money was kept aside in a trust account. Goossen’s side argued that Leonard was forum shopping. The trial judge removed the case from state court into Federal court. Now the next decision is whether the battle plays out in a Texas Federal court or if it gets pushed to a California federal court. Goossen went the offense after the Leonard suit was filed in order to ask for relief from Leonard’s alleged interference.
Bottom line? Leonard & Prince aren’t on solid legal footing here. The relationship between Ward & Goossen is further strained and yet contractually they are supposed to work together until the end of 2016.
Topics: Boxing, CSAC, Media, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Two concessions the UFC could make to get New York MMA legislation passed
By Zach Arnold | November 25, 2013
The UFC’s charm offensive in New York isn’t working with the politicians or the state’s voters. Writers like Dave Doyle can try to spin Dana White’s rhetoric, backed by Lorenzo Fertitta’s good cop/bad cop routine, as refreshing when it’s anything but. How can you expect New York politicians, who aren’t inclined to be favorable to MMA, to support your sport when you’re trashing your biggest fighters? You don’t need to be a “non-credentialed pseudo-journalist” to figure that out.
Assemblyman Hevesi further clarified that no, the MMA bill hasn't been getting killed by Silver. IT'S BEEN A LACK OF VOTES.
— jim genia (@jim_genia) November 21, 2013
…that there hasn't been at least 76 Assemblymen in favor of MMA each time the Democratic Conference has met. This is both bad and good.
— jim genia (@jim_genia) November 21, 2013
The UFC held a presser in New York City on Thursday to stomp their feet once again about not having MMA legislation in the state of New York. Getting legislation passed in New York is part of their plan for “World Fucking Domination.” A Democratic state assemblyman claims that the reason MMA legislation hasn’t passed in the state is because the members caucusing don’t have enough votes to get it passed on the Assembly floor.
Lorenzo Fertitta: Our sport & UFC has grown, so the impact has grown
With UFC grinding their way through the courts with their lawsuit against the state for regulation, Lorenzo Fertitta is hinting at using a third party to sanction a UFC event in the state of New York. That should tell you pretty much everything you need to know right now about the New York State Athletic Commission. The regulatory body is a disaster and easily one of, if not, the most dangerous “major” commissions in America overseeing combat sports. It’s only rivaled in horrific quality by Florida & Texas. Nevada is dangerously getting close to that category as well.
Some athletic commissions can’t do the job right. New York’s is one of them. MMA legislation sounds great on paper for New York but if the regulators aren’t motivated to do the right thing when it comes to protecting the health & safety of fighters, then perhaps it’s best not to have NYSAC overseeing MMA regulation at the moment.
With all of that said… if the UFC really wants the state of New York to give them full-blown MMA legislation, then we all know what has to be done politically to get the votes. Buying off the politicians with political contributions isn’t cutting it. The quickest route to UFC getting legislation in New York would be to settle their differences with the Culinary Union and that ain’t happening any time soon.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 6 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |