Updated K-1 12/31 Osaka Dome card
By Zach Arnold | December 7, 2006
- Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
- Masato vs. Choi Yong-Soo
- Akebono vs. Giant Silva
- Katsuhiko Nagata vs. “Real Tiger Mask” Shuichiro Katsumura
- Hideo Tokoro vs. Royler Gracie
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 16 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Friday media flash
By Zach Arnold | December 7, 2006
- Eworldwire (Press Release): World Pro-Fighting (WPF) makes US television debut with Chuck Zito (it’s an event from 9/15 at Orleans Arena)
- Hall of Fame Magazine: America’s New Love Affair – The Ultimate Experience
- San Francisco Chronicle: San Jose hosts event that makes football look tame
- IFL HP: IFL to be discussed on CBS 60 Minutes this Sunday
- Contra Costa Times: Mixing martial arts and football (article about San Jose SabreCats lineman Rex Richards fighting on the StrikeForce card in San Jose)
- PRIDE: 12/31 Saitama Super Arena show will air on the same day (12/31) in America on PPV (9 PM EST/6 PM PST), going against the IFL on Fox Sports Net (with their 12/29 Mohegan Sun Arena event).
- Hollister Free Lance: Daniel Puder Prepared for Knock Out
- A message from Daniel Puder on MySpace: I Daniel Puder have been trying to fight Kurt for the last year. Today on Bubba the Love Sponge that he was scard of me. I am just glad that he admitted before we got into the cage.
- ic CheshireOnline: Welcome to Wolfslair’s MMR professional MMA gym
- Cay Compass (Cayman Islands): Team Palaestra tough in USA
- Houston Chronicle: PRIDE gets serious about finding a partner
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, StrikeForce, Zach Arnold | 13 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Thursday media notes
By Zach Arnold | December 6, 2006
- Bodog: Team Colosseum fighter Matt Thorpe is in Russia competing for the BodogFIGHT season two tapings (facing Diego Gonzalez).
- Antigua Sun: Canadian billionaire Calvin Ayre looks beyond the gaming horizon (he’s flying to Russia for the BodogFIGHT season two series)
- Radio: Cung Le interview (Interview starts at 19:40 and ends at 36:40. Le says he was approached by Dana White & UFC a few times but couldn’t because he has a contract with Strikeforce, his trainer Javier Mendez says that PRIDE is interested in using him on the 2/24 Las Vegas event because of the relationship AKA/Phil Baroni has with PRIDE. Le says that he usually walks around at 193 pounds, and will fight in the 185 pound weight-class only. Also, Josh Gross on the show notes that Hideki Yamamoto & Yukino Kanda are gone from PRIDE, with Turi Altavilla & Jerry Millen as the US office bosses now.)
- PRIDE HP (Japanese): DMM.com (Digital Media Mart) aims to start airing kakutougi contents live on the Internet
- Jutarnji List (Croatian): Mirko Cro Cop receives offer from UFC (and is considering his future options regarding the PRIDE 12/31 Saitama show and upcoming fights – more here)
- GBRing: K-1 announces Masato vs. Yong Soo Choi (boxer) in a K-1 rules match for their 12/31 Osaka Dome show.
- MMA Weekly: WFA President suing owners for non-payment
- The Fight Network: Mario Yamasaki will referee the Chuck Liddell/Tito Ortiz UFC 66 fight
- UFC Junkie: Vitor Belfort misses hearing for failed drug test
- Business Wire (PR): IFL receives sanctioning approval from NSAC
- Fight Report: VIDEO: Missing Bodog PPV Bout – Alvarez Jacks Up Riley
- Baltimore Sun: TV Guie to upcoming MMA action
- New York Press: Will the UFC totally eclipse boxing?
- Univ. of Hawaii-Kaleo: MMA fighters need protection
- UFC Mania: Kenny Florian vs. Spencer Fisher in February?
- The Fight Network: BodogFIGHT Season Two information from Russia
Topics: All Topics, K-1, Media, MMA, WFA, Zach Arnold | 26 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Updated Man Festival card line-up
By Zach Arnold | December 6, 2006
- PRIDE Heavyweight Title match: Emelianenko Fedor vs. Mark Hunt
- Takanori Gomi vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida
- Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Mauricio Shogun
- Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Gilbert Melendez
- Joachim Hansen vs. Shin’ya Aoki
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Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 11 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Brazil gets a new MMA newspaper
By Zach Arnold | December 6, 2006
With MMA growing in Brazil, a new publication is being launched in Brazil next called the Jornal do Vale-Tudo.
A bi-weekly newspaper led by former Tatame Magazine editor Jose Mauricio Costa (and the coordination of Denis Martins) has arrived, focusing on specialized segments of MMA coverage. The newspaper will have 40,000 copies distributed per month. The newspaper will also have a strong internet presence, in partnership with the most famous forum in Brazil (Portal do Vale-Tudo). For more information, go to http://www.jornaldovaletudo.com.br.
Also, here is an interview with Vitor Belfort.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Brazil, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The MMA media is…
By Zach Arnold | December 6, 2006
Finding out how rough the online reaction is from the hardcore PRIDE fans when any sort of bad news is said about their promotion, which is treated more or less like a religion rather than a fight promotion.
My sentiments to the outlets covering PRIDE troubles: Be even-handed, but do your job right. And you haven’t endured the amount of heat that I have had to for well over a year on this issue. Good luck.
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Wednesday news & notes
By Zach Arnold | December 6, 2006
Comments closed
Our new MySpace Monster account (link here) is generating a pretty fast amount of friends. OK, not Mayhem Miller level, but we’re trying. Also, please donate to our web site if you haven’t already. November and December have been very busy months on the site in terms of bandwidth. Thanks for all of your support.
- Events: Throw Down in H-Town 2 (BJJ tournament on 12/16 in Houston w/ both gi and no-gi events), more information here (or use this e-mail contact).
- IFL: Ivan Salaverry will fight on their 1/19 Oakland, California show
- UFC Mania: The skinny on UFC mainstream press coverage
- A Different Take on MMA: Top 5 dirtiest fights in MMA history
- Ivan Trembow: Will DSE really sell PRIDE to the UFC or WWE?
- Radio: NHB – Kurt Otto & JD Penn
- Houston Chronicle: Pat Miletich sees star status for MMA in five years (this includes a link to an audio interview)
- MMA California: Kimo’s Resurrection In U.S.
- Lassen County Times On-Line: Iron pit fighters successful in Oregon
- PR Newswire: Launch of mymmaspace.com for MMA social networking
- UFC HP: Sizing up Sanchez vs. Riggs
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, IFL, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Tuesday media blotter
By Zach Arnold | December 4, 2006
Frank Trigg responds to the latest rumors regarding PRIDE’s future, more fallout from the Antonio Silva/Eric Pele fight from the BodogFIGHT show, Jeff Monson says his fight with Fedor is a done deal, and the Zuffa Myth surfaces again in a USA Today article.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, BoDog, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Updated Man Festival card
By Zach Arnold | December 4, 2006
- PRIDE Heavyweight Title Match: Emelianenko Fedor vs. Mark Hunt
- Shin’ya Aoki vs. Joachim Hansen
- Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
Topics: All Topics, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Russia becomes the hot spot
By Zach Arnold | December 4, 2006
By Zach Arnold
The last few days have been quite interesting in regards to Fedor and Bodog. Bodog and MFC are planning to run an event in St. Petersburg, Russia on 3/3. Fedor is scheduled to appear. This news, much like Gilbert Melendez announcing that he would face Tatsuya Kawajiri (instead of Shin’ya Aoki), appeared only on the Internet and in hardcore MMA media circles.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
PRIDE for sale
By Stephan | December 4, 2006
Well I dont have detailed access to Wrestling Observer, I came across this on the Underground, a thread smartly enough called “The Dream is Over: PRIDE for sale”.
From the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (http://www.wrestlingobserver.com):
“According to several different sources in both Japan and the United States, Dream Stage Entertainment has talked with various groups about selling the Pride Fighting Championships. Most of the prospective buyers are outside the country. Among them are a group from South Korea, as well as several different U.S. groups. It is believed WWE was approached and it is known UFC has been approached.
….
It’s really a shame, because Dream Stage Entertainment elevated the quality of MMA…to an incredible degree….All of this stems from losing the Fuji Network deal in Japan a few months back….”
It does totally make sense now, these discussions with WWE a couple weeks ago. Zach time to rejoice, you called it. Now selling a company does not necessarily mean that it’s the end of the world for that company, but with the scenario of DSE losing the TV deal, it is time for a restructure. Remember the UFC was also bought from SEG!…Many questions: how much will it fetch? That will tell a lot about the state of PRIDE. But really my first reaction was not good, in fact I sounded like Dana White!
If somebody buys it and revives it, lets hope it is the UFC and not a wrestling organization.
Topics: All Topics, MMA, PRIDE, Stephan Marceau | 28 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Monday morning media-tion
By Zach Arnold | December 3, 2006
Wacky talk about Mirko Cro Cop in UFC, Emelianenko Fedor in Bodog & PRIDE, K-1 drawing good TV ratings for the World GP, and reaction to the TUF 5 tryouts in Florida.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, BoDog, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Sunday media special
By Zach Arnold | December 3, 2006
For the last 48 hours, I have been suffering from an amazing amount of information overload as far as media coverage. Don’t suffer the same fate, but do keep yourself updated on the latest MMA news & notes. Full-post view will do the trick.
Also, if you haven’t already, listen to our newest edition of FO Radio.
Update: Regarding the Melendez/Aoki situation, Sankei Sports reports that Aoki is irritated with PRIDE management about the potential booking of his fight on the 12/31 Saitama show. What made the article interesting is that PRIDE has not announced Melendez vs. Kawajiri to the public yet. That was an announcement made by Gilbert himself. And yet here is an article talking about Aoki’s frustration with PRIDE.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Boxing, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 6 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |