Pancrase rebuilding starts with new ownership
By Zach Arnold | June 1, 2012
Big changes are coming to the zombie promotion that’s about to be revived.
SMASH, which was the company led by Mr. Masakazu Sakai that backed professional wrestling shows operated by Yoshihiro Tajiri, has taken over Pancrase. The SMASH wrestling shows were doing relatively well in Tokyo (at Tokyo Dome City Hall & Korakuen Hall) but there was a conflict between Tajiri and Sakai over the direction of business. Tajiri wanted to continue the path he was on (as a wrestling company) and Sakai didn’t (he wanted a mixture of wrestling & MMA fights). The end result was the termination of SMASH as a wrestling entity.
Which leads us to Smash taking over Pancrase. There was a press conference today where Mr. Sakai talked about the reconstruction of Pancrase. Next year will be the 20th anniversary of Pancrase’s existence and new ownership has a four-point plan of what they would like to get in motion by next year:
- Set up an official Pancrase USA office.
- Creative business relationships with top foreign MMA gyms.
- Introduce the cage as a standard (as opposed to the ring). The idea is to run three cage-only shows in 2013 to see what the fan reaction is. Using the cage is controversial in Japan because of the negative image that it presents in the eyes of TV networks & sponsors.
- Send fighters overseas for extended periods of time to train and come back to Japan.
Expect Pancrase, given the past history of Mr. Sakai, to have a relationship with DEEP (Shigeru Saeki) and other players on the grassroots level.
For an example of such cooperation, here’s a layout of the proposed Japan MMA licensing system between the two entities. The weight divisions proposed are: 93 kg/205 pounds, 83.9 kg (185 pounds), 77.1 kg (170 pounds), 70.3 kg (155 pounds), 65.8 kg (145 pounds), 61.5 kg (135 pounds), 57.5 kg (125 pounds), 54.4 kg (120 pounds). There’s four different amateur classifications: A Class Rule (head gear, glove, knee pad, leggers, Pancrase gate open tournament/amateur DEEP), B Class Rule (glove, knee pad, leggers, amateur Pancrase open tournament, one match pass), C Class Rule (amateur open catch wrestling tournament/DEEP grappling), and M Class Rule (amateur one-fight pass). Once you have your JML license and do well, then you are given a professional license by the two organizations.
Names such as Ryo Kawamura, Yoshinori Umeki, and Yuji Shimada will be involved.
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Pancrase, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Dana White: This PED issue in UFC is not as big as it’s made out to be
By Zach Arnold | May 29, 2012
There have been many horribly frustrating interviews when it comes to media sycophants giving UFC President Dana White a pass on the issue of Performance Enhancing Drugs, but this recent interview by Ron Kruck really takes the cake.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — on certain issues, Dana White still sounds very reasonable and can communicate effectively problems that need to be addressed in the sport (such as bad officiating). However, on the drug issue, Dana is completely out of his league. The only people more out of his league are the media writers who follow him around covering the issue. The majority of said writers (not the Ben Fowlkes’ of the world) are either clueless/uneducated about the topic or tend to have a pro-legalization bent, so the end result is that you have power brokers in the fight industry who get a total pass. This interview is a perfect demonstration of this principle at work.
For anyone with a solid education on the drug crisis in MMA, this is a horribly frustrating interview to watch. Dana’s talking out of both sides of his mouth here. On one side, he’s saying that the drug problem is not nearly as bad as it’s made out to be. Later on, he praises the various state athletic commissions for their level of drug testing and praises the way they are handling the Testosterone issue. He puts over just how ‘strict’ the UFC’s drug testing protocols are and says that UFC, when compared to other sports, has the most stringent drug testing protocols of all. He keeps pushing the line that “The Government” regulates them, which is beyond obnoxious.
And, yet, out of the other side of his mouth he’s talking about how UFC needs to take drug testing ‘to the next level’ and that they are going to take steps to make sure guys aren’t using drugs once they get into the UFC. As the worst-case scenario, Dana is horribly undereducated on the issue and is lying out his ass. As a best-case scenario, the man is suffering from an extreme case of cognitive dissonance about the problem his sport is facing. I’m not sure which scenario reflects worse on the company.
Dana kept harping about how ‘we’re not the NFL, we’re not Major League Baseball’ and how he’s not out to punish guys but rather ‘more designed to help guys.’
“I’m not out to hurt guys. The Government does that.”
If there is anything intriguing about this interview, it’s the way his tone shifts when talking about Nick Diaz getting in trouble for marijuana usage as opposed to his attitude about Chael Sonnen getting a hall pass for TRT and Jon Jones getting in trouble for DUI. He genuinely comes off as feeling let down by Diaz and yet is making excuses in the same interview for Jones getting in trouble.
Mike Chiappetta: Jon Jones pleads guilty to misdemeanor, escapes major legal trouble
If you’re looking for an interesting news-ish takeaway from the interview, it’s the part of the interview where Dana talks about being ready to set up satellite UFC offices around the globe to run territories. This has long been rumored & discussed to the point of no return, but you get a real sense here that it really is about to go down no matter if it turns out to be a major success or a colossal failure.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 28 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
California charade: AB2100 dies in Appropriations
By Zach Arnold | May 27, 2012
- California Assembly Bill could give fighters new rights, challenge UFC contracts (April 11th)
- Lorenzo Fertitta’s letter in opposition to AB2100 amendments (April 18th)
- Recap of Sacramento AB2100 bill hearing; passes committee on 5-3 vote (April 25th)
- Layout of how AB2100 currently stands (April 29th)
- California’s heavyweight politicians & neutering of AB2100 (May 4th)
- An ugly, yet predictable slide for AB2100 (May 18th)
Assemblyman Luis Alejo’s bastardization of a bill one month ago that claimed to guarantee MMA fighters new contractual protections in California quickly turned into a toxic, execrable political mess that perversely became a perfect example of political symbolism involving the current state of affairs in the California political scene. How AB2100 transformed from a proposed fighter bill of rights to a bill that boxing power brokers were interested in manipulating is quite a story in and of itself.
Thankfully, the Appropriations committee in the California Assembly on Friday killed off AB2100.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Hell in a handbasket after UFC 146
By Zach Arnold | May 27, 2012
Think the fights were crazy on Saturday night in Las Vegas? Everything else surrounding the show is just as crazy. A cliff notes version of what to keep your eye on:
Vitor Belfort broke his hand, having surgery. He’s out for the UFC 147 Brazil card.
If there is any possible way for UFC to back out of that Brazil show, they should run from it as fast as they can. That and relying on Vitor Belfort for a top slot on a fight card at this point is something you do at your own peril.
Mayhem Miller reportedly had a backstage incident at UFC 146.
Mayhem Miller has had two of the most frustrating fights you could possibly imagine in the UFC. He looked awful against CB Dollaway, who himself also looked stagnant & stale. Get position, do nothing. That’s basically what happened here.
Darren Elkins exposed Diego Brandao’s gas tank.
Elkins did what Dollaway should have done on offense. He took a beating but administered one of his own. It was gritty, gutty, and awesome.
Dana would prefer not to have TUF Live on Fridays but Fridays is what works for FX.
Friday night is a death zone for MMA given the core audience. The major flaw for having live fights on Friday is that the only base of fans you’re going to attract are the hardcores. Given the fighters selected for TUF shows and the fact that the majority of fans watching the show don’t think any of the selected fighters have much of a long-term prospect of making it as a top-tier contender in the UFC, the show’s purpose is inherently paralyzed.
It’s also been strange to see the way UFC has promoted Urijah Faber. In WEC, he was the big fish in a small pond. Predictably, UFC presents him as just another guy. The aura of superstardom got stripped — and I’m not talking about just the losses to Mike Brown, either. I can’t put my finger on it, but something is badly missing here in terms of enthusiasm.
Dana and Brock may work out a deal for Brock to fight in UFC and WWE.
Brock/Mir III will do hot numbers on PPV. And then everyone will wonder why Lesnar didn’t draw well on PPV against John Cena.
First of all, WWE’s PPV market outside of Wrestlemania is fried like a bucket of KFC. Wrestlemania is the one PPV that draws for them now. Wrestlemania is as big, if not bigger than the WWE brand at this point. When WWE tried to push The Rock & John Cena against R-Truth & Miz in that tag match at Madison Square Garden for Survivor Series 2011, the PPV number there was way below expectations. If The Rock can’t save WWE’s PPV business, Brock Lesnar isn’t going to, either. It’s a company thing as opposed to being the fault of the stars.
Dana thinks Daniel Cormier should go to 205 but will honor him with a shot against the UFC big boys.
If Dana makes the offer to set up Cain Velasquez vs. Daniel Cormier, will the teammates split apart to make the fight happen?
Thoughts of the day from our friend MMA Supremacy:
“Not only will Overeem stick around, but he will most likely get a title shot… or close to one, when he returns.
“Regarding Lesnar coming back, it makes total sense. UFC is struggling big time selling PPV’s and Lesnar not doing great drawing on WWE.”
It looks like a Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos rematch is coming. Even money fight?
A truly illuminating (in a horrible way) moment for the Nevada State Athletic Commission when an NSAC official asked Frank Mir where he was after the first round and Frank said, “Mandalay Bay.” The fight happened at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Yes, the same commission that let Tito Ortiz fight Forrest Griffin while Tito said he had a ‘fractured skull’ and Forrest had a broken foot. The same commission that is letting TUF Live guys fight two or three times in three weeks in the State. Health & safety, kids.
I found the choice of Jamie Varner as Evan Dunham’s replacement against Edson Barboza to be mind-boggling and it was even crazier once Varner, a 4-to-1 underdog, pulled off the upset. I figured UFC would want a replacement for Edson in which if the upset happened, the replacement would be a prospect with a future. I don’t think anyone believes that Varner has a future against the top Lightweights in the UFC. It’s a really bad loss for Edson and hurts UFC.
I am happy to see Varner make the most out of his final chance with UFC. He was put in a tough spot and he won. Congratulations.
Arianny Celeste getting arrested in Clark County, Nevada (Vegas) based on allegations of domestic violence.
Whether she is guilty or not guilty, the legal system will sort that out. However, the wisecracks from (men) commenting online and joking about domestic violence because it’s a woman who got arrested for it is just stupid. We don’t celebrate domestic violence when men are the instigators, so what’s the point in celebrating women when they’re the instigators?
Dana’s full-throated defense of Arianny here is what it is.
When it rains, it pours.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 35 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson take care of business at #UFC 146
By Zach Arnold | May 26, 2012
Event: UFC 146 (Saturday, May 26th)
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: FX for prelims, PPV for main card
Dark matches
- Featherweights: Mike Brown (-150, 3 to 2 favorite) defeated Daniel Pineda after 3R by unanimous decision.
- Light Heavyweights: Glover Texeira (-220, 11 to 5 favorite) defeated Kyle Kingsbury in R1 in 1’53 with an arm-triangle.
- Lightweights: Paul Sass (+170) defeated Jacob Volkmann in R1 in 1’54 with an triangle arm-bar.
- Welterweights: Dan Hardy (-115) defeated Duane “Bang” Ludwig in R1 in 3’51 by TKO.
- Middleweights: CB Dollaway (EVEN) defeated Mayhem Miller after 3R by unanimous decision.
- Lightweights: Jamie Varner (+400) defeated Edson Barboza in R1 in 3’23 by TKO.
- Featherweights: Darren Elkins (+200) defeated Diego Brandao after 3R by unanimous decision.
Main card
- Heavyweights: Stefan Struve (-130) defeated Lavar Johnson in R1 in 1’05 by arm-bar.
- Heavyweights: Stipe Miocic (-160, 8 to 5 favorite) defeated Shane Del Rosario in R2 in 3’14 by TKO.
- Heavyweights: Roy Nelson (-220, 11 to 5 favorite) defeated Dave Herman in R1 in 51 seconds by KO.
- Heavyweights: Cain Velasquez (-400, 4 to 1 favorite) defeated Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in R1 in 3’36 by TKO.
- UFC Heavyweight title match: Junior dos Santos (-500, 5 to 1 favorite) defeated Frank Mir in R2 in 3’04 by TKO (punches).
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ARTICLE COMMENTS ABOUT THE EVENT.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 145 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
A word of caution about the latest Siena poll on NY MMA legislation
By Zach Arnold | May 24, 2012
On May 16th, Dr. Don Levy released information about the latest Siena poll (poll summary | crosstabs) which asked voters about MMA legislation in the state of New York. Here is how Dr. Levy phrased the two poll questions in the 5/16 poll:
Q36. Legalizing mixed martial arts – or MMA – in New York State. How much have you heard or read about it – a great deal, some, not very much, nothing at all?
Results: A great deal (8%), some (17%), not very much (22%), nothing at all (52%).
Q37. Do you support or oppose legalizing mixed martial arts – or MMA – in New York State?
Results: Support (32%), Oppose (26%), Don’t have enough information (38%), no opinion (4%).
If these results look wildly different than the results of polls in past years from Siena, there’s a good reason. Let’s review our April 13th item talking about a late March Siena poll on this subject. 38% support, 52% oppose.
So, what changed?
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Attacking the rubber-stamping of testosterone usage in MMA
By Zach Arnold | May 24, 2012
By now, everyone knows that Chael Sonnen got his hall pass to use testosterone while fighting in the state of Nevada. So, his fight with Anderson Silva on July 7th was a fait accompli.
Predictably, Nick Diaz got the book thrown at him with a year-long suspension for a second positive drug test (marijuana).
Boxing Insider: A crash course on testosterone, hypogonadism, and doping (in combat sports)
Ben Fowlkes at MMA Fighting adroitly pointed out that allowing testosterone while punishing marijuana use does MMA no favors. I’m reminded of this item at Pro Football Talk last week about how many football players use marijuana.
Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug. If you want to argue that it should be a banned substance, make your case. If you are concerned about a fighter being high during the actual fight, I’m with you. However, to continue making public claims (like Keith Kizer has) that ‘theoretically’ marijuana usage is a performance-enhancing drug in combat sports is beyond bizarre.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Urijah Faber & Renan Barao UFC line opens as a pick ’em
By Zach Arnold | May 23, 2012
Guests: UFC-146 Fighter: Stipe Miocic (Complete Episode Video), Jeremy Botter, Damon Martin
UFC-148: Jul 07, 2012
Las Vegas, Nevada
Urijah Faber -115
Renan Barao -115
(Interim Bantamweight Title)
StrikeForce: Jul 14, 2012
Portland, Oregon
Tim Kennedy +215
Luke Rockhold -285
(Middleweight Title)
StrikeForce: Jul 14, 2012
Portland, Oregon
Tyron Woodley -105
Nate Marquardt -125
(Vacant Welterweight Title)
UFC 149: Jul 21, 2012
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Thiago Silva +190
Mauricio Rua -250
Guests: Matty Simo (MMAOddsBreakers.com), pro-handicapper Luca Fury
Note: The lines below are what the odds opened at when they started hitting the the Sportsbooks.
UFC on FUEL TV 4: Jul 11, 2012
San Jose, California
Mark Munoz -105
Chris Weidman -125
UFC 149: Jul 21, 2012
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Erik Koch +285
Jose Aldo -385
UFC on FOX 4: Aug 04, 2012
Los Angeles, California
Brian Stann -120
Hector Lombard -110
UFC on FOX 4: Aug 04, 2012
Los Angeles, California
Ryan Bader +230
Lyoto Machida -300
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Keith Kizer’s ready to drop the hammer on Nick Diaz
By Zach Arnold | May 21, 2012
Original publishing date – Monday, May 14th
- Nick Diaz’s attorney uses Jonathan Tweedale’s marijuana defense
- Nevada amends complaint against Nick Diaz, shift strategy
- Keith Kizer: Sensitive, sanctimonious speech
- Text of Team Diaz rebuttal to Nevada commission
- Nick Diaz attorney Ross Goodman to Nevada: If you don’t give us our hearing on April 24th, your suspension is invalid
- Searchable text of Nick Diaz due process lawsuit against Nevada (April 26th)
- Searchable text of Nick Diaz preliminary injunction filing in Nevada (April 27th)
- Nick Diaz’s fight for freedom to fight again is now in court (May 13th)
Today, Nick Diaz (via his attorney Ross Goodman) lost their injunction hearing in a Las Vegas court room. Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission says that the commission will hold a hearing next Monday to give Diaz his suspension for a second positive drug test in Nevada (marijuana). Kizer is preparing to go for a full year suspension for Diaz.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 30 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
An ugly, yet predictable slide for AB2100
By Zach Arnold | May 18, 2012
- California Assembly Bill could give fighters new rights, challenge UFC contracts
- Lorenzo Fertitta’s letter in opposition to AB2100 amendments
- Recap of Sacramento AB2100 bill hearing; passes committee on 5-3 vote
- Layout of how AB2100 currently stands (April 29th)
- California’s heavyweight politicians & neutering of AB2100 (May 4th)
As we have noted over the course of the last couple of weeks, the path of victory for California AB2100 to give MMA fighters real, legitimate contractual rights is all but dead. MMA promoters wanted no part of the legislation. As we demonstrated through agenda-listed actions in our ongoing investigation into the California State Athetic Commission (here and here), none of the major players were exactly thrilled about the prospects of AB2100 passing. In fact, we demonstrated (through public documents) that boxing promoters were working with the California State Athletic Commission (Chairman John Frierson, ED George Dodd) & DCA legal eagle Karen Chappelle to get some of the provisions of AB2100 that applied to boxing to be changed or eliminated altogether. In other words, you know which way the political winds are blowing in California.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Is Andre Berto’s steroid test a turning point or point of no return?
By Zach Arnold | May 18, 2012
Yesterday, our friends at Fight Hub TV posted a curious interview clip with Andre Berto. In the clip, Berto repeatedly says that the fun has been drained out of boxing for him. He blamed the critics for taking the fun away from boxing and says that boxing is simply a business now. He complained about critics one day praising him and then trashing him the next day. Berto said that if you take this game personally, it will kill you… but that you have to take it personally to be the best.
“Sometimes you have no choice but to take this personally.”
He then cited Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, and Sugar Ray Leonard as boxers who have had their careers destroyed because they took the sport too personally.
Well, Andre won’t have to worry about this for too much longer. According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Berto tested positive for (19-)Norandrosterone, which is commonly known as nandrolone (an anabolic steroid). The proposed fight between Berto and Victor Ortiz, scheduled for June 23rd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, is now reportedly off.
Adding a huge twist to the story is that Victor Conte, a major proponent of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency, had supplied Berto with supplements. VADA contracted with both Berto & Ortiz to do supplemental drug testing for their upcoming fight. Mr. Conte says that it’s highly possible that Berto tested positive due to tainted supplements but that the supplements didn’t come from him.
To be fair, we don’t know what the exact nandrolone levels were in terms of what the VADA drug test revealed. Knowing the exact number would provide some clarity here.
To Victor’s credit, nandrolone can be found in tainted supplements and meat.
To Victor’s detriment, nandrolone is a rather common steroid found by athletes doping in combat sports. None other than Royce Gracie tested positive in 2007 for excessive levels of nandrolone in the state of California when he fought Kazushi Sakuraba. As Cage Potato noted in their extensive list of drug test results, nandrolone seems to pop up in a lot of the drug test failures in MMA. Nate Marquardt, Carina Damm, Sean Sherk, Pawel Nastula, Dennis Hallman, Edwin DeWees, Ken Shamrock, and Josh Barnett.
For Dr. Margaret Goodman and VADA, it has been a very high-profile time period for the new drug testing organization. In addition to Andre Berto testing positive (both A & B samples), Lamont Peterson also tested positive for synthetic testosterone (both A & B samples). What makes the drug test failures incredible is that both men sought out a contract to work with VADA to promote a clean sport and the end result is that these two men got busted. For VADA, their high-profile test cases so far indicate that they are on top of their game right now in terms of drug testing.
Which is exactly why I think this is an incredibly difficult, double-edged sword for both VADA & advocates of better drug testing in combat sports.
We saw the public reaction from Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy to what happened with Lamont Peterson. We saw the petty, pathetic swipe Keith Kizer took towards Dr. Goodman about testing both A & B samples for Peterson before the drug testing results became public knowledge. We also know the track record of current California State Athletic Chairman John Frierson, Governor Jerry Brown’s four-decade political ally who has voted on numerous times to cut drug suspensions in half. Mr. We Want Business is just more transparent than other politicians on this front.
Fights getting canceled means athletic commissions, promoters, and fighters making less money. It also means an acknowledgement of just how dirty the combat sports scene is when it comes to doping. For two high-profile boxers to test positive after contracting for voluntary drug testing is going to sound alarm bells throughout combat sports. With so much money on the line, will fighters who had considered working with VADA pull back their support for the organization and go back to the standard, boilerplate state AC drug testing protocols? Keith Kizer admitted in an interview with Boxing Scene that a Nevada drug test would not have caught Lamont Peterson using testosterone because he was under a 4:1 & 6:1 T/E ratio.
Lamont Peterson failing a VADA test was bad enough to rattle cages in boxing. Andre Berto following up that failed drug test with a positive VADA test result is enough to spook the major power brokers in boxing (HBO, Showtime, Golden Boy, so on and so forth). Will boxing open itself up in order to help flush out high-profile cheaters by continuing to cooperate with VADA or will all the power brokers in boxing close ranks and marginalize VADA?
I’m afraid past & recent history indicates that the latter is about to happen.
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 24 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Manny Pacquiao in damage-control mode over comments about gays, SSM
By Zach Arnold | May 16, 2012
Floyd Mayweather is heading to the pokey because of recent transgressions in Las Vegas. Despite Floyd doing some good things for boxing when it comes to raising public awareness about doping & drug testing protocols in combat sports, he’s not exactly the most sympathetic of characters. However, that didn’t stop 1.5 million people from buying his boxing PPV on May 5th when he fought Miguel Cotto.
As hopes diminish in regards to the prospects of Floyd fighting Manny Pacquiao, Floyd is probably relishing the fact that his arch nemesis has caused a public relations firestorm over the issue of same-sex marriage. There’s no better way to inflame the culture wars in America these days than to bring up the issue of same sex marriage. Just ask President Obama. Despite the campaign cash he has raised off of his current stance about same sex marriage, he has also suffered damage in 2012 Presidential horse race polls in swing states such as North Carolina. Furthermore, in states where traditional marriage amendments/propositions have been proposed, traditional marriage remains a political winner — even in California.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Media, Zach Arnold | 25 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Text of Dana White’s bizarre attack on Dave Meltzer
By Zach Arnold | May 14, 2012
“It’s about the ratings from the last Fox show. You get these reporters who go out there and say all this [expletive] about the ratings without knowing all the facts. Well, I’m going to lay out the facts for you guys who don’t know a lot about television ratings. Here it is.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 49 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |