MMA News Thread
- Thread starter Shogun Locc
- Start date
The UFC Gives The Finger to Ancillary Rights
"The first time was an actual dispute over pay," he said. "They negotiated a contract for a fight with Bas Rutten. Then they came back and said they couldn't pay. I tried to get them to honor their commitment. They couldn't, so I chose to leave. Plus I was getting ready for the 2000 Olympics.
"This is different. This has been an accumulation of things: ancillary rights, use of my name, video games. A bunch of things. I had outside jobs that had nothing to do with the UFC and they wanted to control them. The inability to sign Fedor was the last straw."
It is incredibly cheap and almost unethical for the UFC to run roughshod over the ancillary rights of its fighters. In essence, without each fighter having said rights, the UFC can use their likeness, e.g. image, in deals with various outside manufacturers without the fighter's consent. So if the UFC wanted to allow Mattel to make Rampage action figures, Rampage wouldn't get a dime without ancillary rights.
As far as a I know, what the UFC is trying to pull wouldn't work in MLB or NFL and even the WWE. Even professional wrestlers would get a cut if their likeness was used. But fighters in the UFC? No chance.
Maybe when Couture speaks about "respect", he means more than money after all. I'm sorry, but the UFC should have more respect for it's fighters than this.
"The first time was an actual dispute over pay," he said. "They negotiated a contract for a fight with Bas Rutten. Then they came back and said they couldn't pay. I tried to get them to honor their commitment. They couldn't, so I chose to leave. Plus I was getting ready for the 2000 Olympics.
"This is different. This has been an accumulation of things: ancillary rights, use of my name, video games. A bunch of things. I had outside jobs that had nothing to do with the UFC and they wanted to control them. The inability to sign Fedor was the last straw."
It is incredibly cheap and almost unethical for the UFC to run roughshod over the ancillary rights of its fighters. In essence, without each fighter having said rights, the UFC can use their likeness, e.g. image, in deals with various outside manufacturers without the fighter's consent. So if the UFC wanted to allow Mattel to make Rampage action figures, Rampage wouldn't get a dime without ancillary rights.
As far as a I know, what the UFC is trying to pull wouldn't work in MLB or NFL and even the WWE. Even professional wrestlers would get a cut if their likeness was used. But fighters in the UFC? No chance.
Maybe when Couture speaks about "respect", he means more than money after all. I'm sorry, but the UFC should have more respect for it's fighters than this.
HEAVYWEIGHTS ROUND OUT UFC 84 FIGHT CARD
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has confirmed, via its website, several bouts for its May 24 event in Las Vegas.
The headline bout at UFC 84 features a lightweight championship bout between current champion B.J. Penn and former champion Sean Sherk. Following a suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for a positive test for performance enhancing drugs, Sherk was stripped of the title. Penn won the vacated championship in January by defeating Joe Stevenson.
Other bouts confirmed on Monday include Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry, Terry Etim vs. Jeremy Stephens, and Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch.
Carwin is a notable addition to the UFC’s heavyweight division. He is a Division II All-American in both wrestling and football. He is also undefeated, at 8-0, in mixed martial arts. Carwin should provide an athletic boost to a division that has seen the recent exodus of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, former champion Tim Sylvia, and, likely, Andre Arlovski, also a former UFC champion.
Wellisch is 8-3 as a professional, but hasn’t seen action in the Octagon since last September due to finishing up law school. He is 2-1 in the UFC defeating Scott Junk and Anthony Perosh, losing only to Cheick Kongo. The American Kickboxing Academy teammate of Jon Fitch, Mike Swick, and Josh Koscheck has a wealth of experience and should prove a difficult first bout in the Octagon for Carwin.
UFC 84 also features the returns of Keith Jardine and Wanderlei Silva, who will battle in a light heavyweight contest. Another notable bout is the last fight on Tito Ortiz’s UFC contract, which he says he will not renew, against No. 4 ranked and undefeated light heavyweight Lyoto Machida.
UFC 84 Bouts (officially announced):
-B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk
-Keith Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva
-Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz
-Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic
-Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes
-Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
-John Koppenhaver vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
-Dong Hyun Kim vs. Jason Tan
-Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry
-Terry Etim vs. Jeremy Stephens
-Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has confirmed, via its website, several bouts for its May 24 event in Las Vegas.
The headline bout at UFC 84 features a lightweight championship bout between current champion B.J. Penn and former champion Sean Sherk. Following a suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for a positive test for performance enhancing drugs, Sherk was stripped of the title. Penn won the vacated championship in January by defeating Joe Stevenson.
Other bouts confirmed on Monday include Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry, Terry Etim vs. Jeremy Stephens, and Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch.
Carwin is a notable addition to the UFC’s heavyweight division. He is a Division II All-American in both wrestling and football. He is also undefeated, at 8-0, in mixed martial arts. Carwin should provide an athletic boost to a division that has seen the recent exodus of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, former champion Tim Sylvia, and, likely, Andre Arlovski, also a former UFC champion.
Wellisch is 8-3 as a professional, but hasn’t seen action in the Octagon since last September due to finishing up law school. He is 2-1 in the UFC defeating Scott Junk and Anthony Perosh, losing only to Cheick Kongo. The American Kickboxing Academy teammate of Jon Fitch, Mike Swick, and Josh Koscheck has a wealth of experience and should prove a difficult first bout in the Octagon for Carwin.
UFC 84 also features the returns of Keith Jardine and Wanderlei Silva, who will battle in a light heavyweight contest. Another notable bout is the last fight on Tito Ortiz’s UFC contract, which he says he will not renew, against No. 4 ranked and undefeated light heavyweight Lyoto Machida.
UFC 84 Bouts (officially announced):
-B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk
-Keith Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva
-Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz
-Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic
-Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes
-Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
-John Koppenhaver vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
-Dong Hyun Kim vs. Jason Tan
-Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry
-Terry Etim vs. Jeremy Stephens
-Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch
STRIKEFORCE & ELITE XC FIGHTERS TEST CLEAN
The California State Athletic Commission tested every fighter on the recent Strikeforce and EliteXC co-promoted event in San Jose, Calif. for both drugs of abuse and performance enhancing drugs. The CSAC on Monday confirmed that every fighter also came back clean.
The main event on March 29 featured a Strikeforce middleweight championship bout between Frank Shamrock and Cung Le. Shamrock relinquished his title when he could not answer the bell for the fourth round due to a broken arm inflicted by Le’s continual kicks.
Two other fighters were recently suspended by the CSAC due to testing at other events.
Bobby Green, who last competed for the Total Fighting Alliance on March 22, 2008, tested positive for marijuana. His suspension runs from the conclusion of the bout through June 20, 2008. He has been fined $500.
Evan Thompson, who last competed for King of the Cage on March 27, 2008, also tested positive for Marijuana. His suspension runs from the conclusion of the bout through June 25, 2008. He has also been fined $500.
The California State Athletic Commission tested every fighter on the recent Strikeforce and EliteXC co-promoted event in San Jose, Calif. for both drugs of abuse and performance enhancing drugs. The CSAC on Monday confirmed that every fighter also came back clean.
The main event on March 29 featured a Strikeforce middleweight championship bout between Frank Shamrock and Cung Le. Shamrock relinquished his title when he could not answer the bell for the fourth round due to a broken arm inflicted by Le’s continual kicks.
Two other fighters were recently suspended by the CSAC due to testing at other events.
Bobby Green, who last competed for the Total Fighting Alliance on March 22, 2008, tested positive for marijuana. His suspension runs from the conclusion of the bout through June 20, 2008. He has been fined $500.
Evan Thompson, who last competed for King of the Cage on March 27, 2008, also tested positive for Marijuana. His suspension runs from the conclusion of the bout through June 25, 2008. He has also been fined $500.
Pequeno wants to beat Aldo at WEC 34
At Las Vegas, WEC 34 will have a fight between two Brazilian fighters. At his debut on the event, Alexandre Pequeno will fight against the Jiu-Jitsu black belt José Aldo, from Nova União team, and his ready to fight stand up. “My expectation for the fight is good. José Aldo has a lot of victories on MMA and is a thought guy. The crowd must wait for an excellent fight”, told Pequeno, that signed a contract of five events with the event. “My training is focused on the stand up part with Boxing classes, I wanna win stand up. I’ll search the exchange stand up, like K-1”, said the leader of Pequeno Team.
At Las Vegas, WEC 34 will have a fight between two Brazilian fighters. At his debut on the event, Alexandre Pequeno will fight against the Jiu-Jitsu black belt José Aldo, from Nova União team, and his ready to fight stand up. “My expectation for the fight is good. José Aldo has a lot of victories on MMA and is a thought guy. The crowd must wait for an excellent fight”, told Pequeno, that signed a contract of five events with the event. “My training is focused on the stand up part with Boxing classes, I wanna win stand up. I’ll search the exchange stand up, like K-1”, said the leader of Pequeno Team.
Bas Rutten Conserned About Kimbo's Ground Game
Our friends Chris Fries and The JDH of Tagg Radio's The Lights Out Show recently interviewed MMA legend Bas Rutten. He had some interesting comments on his prodigy, Kimbo Slice. It seems Bas doesn't think Kimbo is quite ready for the big time.
"Of course we've been training Kimbo on the ground. He just hasn't been going there yet...and throwing [Kimbo] up against a submission specialist is going to be trouble [for us]...God knows what Kimbo knows. Nobody knows yet, and we all keep it a big secret. We want to keep it a big secret."
To hear the rest of this interview, tune into The Lights Out Show on the Tagg Radio Network at www.TaggRadio.com. Live shows every Tuesday and Thursday 8e/5p. Archive shows available to listen to anytime afterward at www.thelightsoutshow.com, www.iTunes.com, and www.myspace.com/thelightsoutshow.
Our friends Chris Fries and The JDH of Tagg Radio's The Lights Out Show recently interviewed MMA legend Bas Rutten. He had some interesting comments on his prodigy, Kimbo Slice. It seems Bas doesn't think Kimbo is quite ready for the big time.
"Of course we've been training Kimbo on the ground. He just hasn't been going there yet...and throwing [Kimbo] up against a submission specialist is going to be trouble [for us]...God knows what Kimbo knows. Nobody knows yet, and we all keep it a big secret. We want to keep it a big secret."
To hear the rest of this interview, tune into The Lights Out Show on the Tagg Radio Network at www.TaggRadio.com. Live shows every Tuesday and Thursday 8e/5p. Archive shows available to listen to anytime afterward at www.thelightsoutshow.com, www.iTunes.com, and www.myspace.com/thelightsoutshow.
Chat Live With Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
The following was passed along from MMA-ID:
On April 09, at 8 AM Eastern Standard time (GMT-5), www.mma-id.com will host a LIVE online chat session with Mirko Cro Cop.
The chat will be available only for MMA-ID members and all questions and comments will be submitted to the chat moderators before appearing on Mirko's screen.
The chat session will last at least 1 hour.
MMA-ID is a proud sponsor of Mirko Cro Cop and we are excited to have one of the deadliest strikers in the world among our members (www.mma-id.com/CROCOP).
We are also happy to provide this unique opportunity for the fans around the world to talk to their favourite fighter.
So, tune in on April 09 and chat with Mirko Cro Cop!
The following was passed along from MMA-ID:
On April 09, at 8 AM Eastern Standard time (GMT-5), www.mma-id.com will host a LIVE online chat session with Mirko Cro Cop.
The chat will be available only for MMA-ID members and all questions and comments will be submitted to the chat moderators before appearing on Mirko's screen.
The chat session will last at least 1 hour.
MMA-ID is a proud sponsor of Mirko Cro Cop and we are excited to have one of the deadliest strikers in the world among our members (www.mma-id.com/CROCOP).
We are also happy to provide this unique opportunity for the fans around the world to talk to their favourite fighter.
So, tune in on April 09 and chat with Mirko Cro Cop!
Sorry I've been kind of skimming the last couple days so I didn't see if this was posted, but I just read this on a wrestling blog in an interview with Kurt Angle.
There’s been a lot of talk about you doing MMA. Is that still in your future, or is it too late at this point?
No, it isn’t [too late]. I just did a training session on Tuesday before I came here. I am in the process of signing an agreement to fight Randy Couture. We both signed a no-compete clause, which means the company that I’m not allowed to say who it is, signed us to a deal where we couldn’t go anywhere else to do this; we have to do it with this particular company. That’s the first step. The next step is signing the fight. And then after that it will be, instead of me training periodically, it will be me training more consistently. So, I’m open to it. If I’m going to do it, I don’t want any guys fed to me. In other words, I don’t need to make my name bigger in order to fight a top guy. I’m there already. I know my caliber of athleticism and what caliber of guy I want to go against – it’s Randy. I consider him one of the best fighters of all time. I think Randy and I would have a heck of a fight. We’re both very well-conditioned athletes.
It should be very exciting, but me wrestling fulltime and doing the fighting also, the advantage goes to Randy. He’s already established as a fighter. Even though I’m an Olympic gold medalist, it’s been years since I really competed. It’s just a matter of getting some training down. I’m not timid or scared of a large crowd – that’s not going to bother me. I’ve been in cages – I’m not worried about that. I know that when I get in there, I will be ready. Am I ready right now? No. I have to train to get ready. I’ve been working a lot on my technique more than anything. My conditioning will come down the road six weeks before the fight; that’s when I’ll really clamp down and train hard. As far as technique and stuff, that’s why I’m periodically going to the Pittsburgh Fight Club and training and making sure that I learn the proper technique so I don’t get myself in trouble.
There’s been a lot of talk about you doing MMA. Is that still in your future, or is it too late at this point?
No, it isn’t [too late]. I just did a training session on Tuesday before I came here. I am in the process of signing an agreement to fight Randy Couture. We both signed a no-compete clause, which means the company that I’m not allowed to say who it is, signed us to a deal where we couldn’t go anywhere else to do this; we have to do it with this particular company. That’s the first step. The next step is signing the fight. And then after that it will be, instead of me training periodically, it will be me training more consistently. So, I’m open to it. If I’m going to do it, I don’t want any guys fed to me. In other words, I don’t need to make my name bigger in order to fight a top guy. I’m there already. I know my caliber of athleticism and what caliber of guy I want to go against – it’s Randy. I consider him one of the best fighters of all time. I think Randy and I would have a heck of a fight. We’re both very well-conditioned athletes.
It should be very exciting, but me wrestling fulltime and doing the fighting also, the advantage goes to Randy. He’s already established as a fighter. Even though I’m an Olympic gold medalist, it’s been years since I really competed. It’s just a matter of getting some training down. I’m not timid or scared of a large crowd – that’s not going to bother me. I’ve been in cages – I’m not worried about that. I know that when I get in there, I will be ready. Am I ready right now? No. I have to train to get ready. I’ve been working a lot on my technique more than anything. My conditioning will come down the road six weeks before the fight; that’s when I’ll really clamp down and train hard. As far as technique and stuff, that’s why I’m periodically going to the Pittsburgh Fight Club and training and making sure that I learn the proper technique so I don’t get myself in trouble.
^^^ Kurt will be nasty in MMA, but damn Randy in his first fight? Kurt is one dimensional right now with his wrestling and Randy is at the same level as Kurt, if not better at wrestling, plus Randy's striking ability is sick. Hopefully Kurt doesn't get embarrassed and actually puts on a decent fight with Randy.
FRANK SHAMROCK JUST GETTING WARMED UP
Tuesday, April 08, 2008 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com
Despite suffering a broken ulna in his fight with Cung Le on March 29, Frank Shamrock told MMAWeekly Radio on Monday night, he’s hopeful that he might be able to get another fight in by the end of the year.
That might be pushing it a bit, unless his superhuman healing powers ratchet into full gear, at least according to his doctors.
“They’re going to do another x-ray next week and see how the bone is healing. They say the short estimate is four to six months and the long estimate is six to eight months,” stated the former Strikeforce middleweight champion.
From the sound of it, the short estimate might be a stretch. It’s not like the injury was a hairline fracture; it was a break that required six screws and a metal plate to repair.
“I don’t feel a lot when I’m fighting, but when something breaks or cracks, I get a little stabbing pain. I felt that in the first round,” said Shamrock as he detailed the injury. “The second round, he got me with another good one in the hand. It was real specific on the location, and that one, I got that stabbing pain again. Then in the third round when he kicked me, I could feel my bones separate and grind against each other.
“I have a really high pain tolerance … but it was really painful. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was like a 15 or so.”
Contrary to the judges, who had the fight scored 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 for Le following the third round; Shamrock felt that he was controlling where the bout was headed.
“I had him totally on the stand up. He was never going to make it another round or so. I was slowing him down, I was catching his timing, and I was starting to catch his chin. One of us never would have made it out of the fourth round and I don’t think it was going to be me if my arm didn’t break.”
That’s not to say that he is trying to discredit the new champ. Shamrock, in fact, has a lot of respect for Le, saying, “I was really impressed with his chin. He always had this real sharp look in his eye. He never wavered.”
Not at all looking to call it quits because of the injury, he said, “I’m just getting warmed up.”
Shamrock stated that a rematch is definitely in his sites, but it’s not yet his top priority. In a perfect world, he has another fight in mind once he heals up.
“I think the next one should be Ken (Shamrock),” he said of a proposed bout with his adoptive brother. It is a bout aptly christened ‘Blood Brothers.’ “The story is in place; the marketing is in place. I think it is a good moment to do the Ken fight, to tell the story.”
Regardless of what the next chapter is, Shamrock has no plans for it to be the final chapter.
“Fans can rest assured there will be more ass-kickings and there will be much from Frank Shamrock. This is just the beginning
Tuesday, April 08, 2008 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com
Despite suffering a broken ulna in his fight with Cung Le on March 29, Frank Shamrock told MMAWeekly Radio on Monday night, he’s hopeful that he might be able to get another fight in by the end of the year.
That might be pushing it a bit, unless his superhuman healing powers ratchet into full gear, at least according to his doctors.
“They’re going to do another x-ray next week and see how the bone is healing. They say the short estimate is four to six months and the long estimate is six to eight months,” stated the former Strikeforce middleweight champion.
From the sound of it, the short estimate might be a stretch. It’s not like the injury was a hairline fracture; it was a break that required six screws and a metal plate to repair.
“I don’t feel a lot when I’m fighting, but when something breaks or cracks, I get a little stabbing pain. I felt that in the first round,” said Shamrock as he detailed the injury. “The second round, he got me with another good one in the hand. It was real specific on the location, and that one, I got that stabbing pain again. Then in the third round when he kicked me, I could feel my bones separate and grind against each other.
“I have a really high pain tolerance … but it was really painful. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was like a 15 or so.”
Contrary to the judges, who had the fight scored 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 for Le following the third round; Shamrock felt that he was controlling where the bout was headed.
“I had him totally on the stand up. He was never going to make it another round or so. I was slowing him down, I was catching his timing, and I was starting to catch his chin. One of us never would have made it out of the fourth round and I don’t think it was going to be me if my arm didn’t break.”
That’s not to say that he is trying to discredit the new champ. Shamrock, in fact, has a lot of respect for Le, saying, “I was really impressed with his chin. He always had this real sharp look in his eye. He never wavered.”
Not at all looking to call it quits because of the injury, he said, “I’m just getting warmed up.”
Shamrock stated that a rematch is definitely in his sites, but it’s not yet his top priority. In a perfect world, he has another fight in mind once he heals up.
“I think the next one should be Ken (Shamrock),” he said of a proposed bout with his adoptive brother. It is a bout aptly christened ‘Blood Brothers.’ “The story is in place; the marketing is in place. I think it is a good moment to do the Ken fight, to tell the story.”
Regardless of what the next chapter is, Shamrock has no plans for it to be the final chapter.
“Fans can rest assured there will be more ass-kickings and there will be much from Frank Shamrock. This is just the beginning
HAYE EYEING MARTIAL ARTS FOR HIS THIRTIES
April 2008
By Jon Surtees
David Haye – who has previously said he will not ‘box’ into his 31st year – has given the given indication of what could be next in his career – Mixed Martial Arts.
With his move to Heavyweight currently being planned – and a fight against a world ranked heavyweight looking likely for November – he is rapidly moving through the next phase of his career plan.
However, looking beyond any potential world heavyweight fight Haye said: “In an ideal world, this is what my plan would be – I’ve accomplished one part of my plan, which was to be undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world, once I’m at heavyweight, I’m not going to box into my 31st year.
“You know, I’ve been boxing since the age of 10 years old, 20 years in the game is enough for me. But what I’d like to do then, I’d like to challenge whoever’s regarded as the number one mixed martial arts fighter.
“I’d probably have to train for a year and try and make that fight because I definitely feel that my reactions are good enough – and if I can get my ground game to a reasonable level… Obviously, I’m not going to be able to catch up with these guys who have been doing jiu-jitsu their whole lives.
“Believe it or not, I come from a martial arts background, my father was a karate teacher, so I’ve got good legs. I’ve done judo, so I know what I’m doing. I train at a gym called the Third Space in Piccadilly which has a jiu-jitsu dojo and I get in there from time to time and have a roll around with the guys. They tell me I’m at a decent level, if I put some focus into it and put some time and effort into it… I’m a natural athlete, I can do anything that I want to do and I think that it would be definitely worth my while getting in to do it.
“It’s just another challenge, I like to set myself goals and tasks and definitely fighting for the UFC heavyweight championship would be a real big thing for me and I’d do whatever was required to get that win. I’m a fighter, through and through – any kind of competition. I’d be a big underdog, and I’d actually like that. I like people writing me off.
“I used to fight in the street, I used to be a street fighter, so I’m not a traditional boxer, I’ve done martial arts since the age of three. I might surprise a few people with my ground game.”
The quotes come from an internet mixed martial arts website but have been stood up by Haye’s trainer and manager Adam Booth who revealed that both himself and the Hayemaker have actually had lessons in Brazilian jiu-jitsu – a key component of any mixed martial arts fighter’s skill set.
Booth also revealed that Haye is a huge fan of mixed martial arts but cautioned against getting carried away with any speculation adding: “David has enough mountains to climb in his boxing career first
April 2008
By Jon Surtees
David Haye – who has previously said he will not ‘box’ into his 31st year – has given the given indication of what could be next in his career – Mixed Martial Arts.
With his move to Heavyweight currently being planned – and a fight against a world ranked heavyweight looking likely for November – he is rapidly moving through the next phase of his career plan.
However, looking beyond any potential world heavyweight fight Haye said: “In an ideal world, this is what my plan would be – I’ve accomplished one part of my plan, which was to be undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world, once I’m at heavyweight, I’m not going to box into my 31st year.
“You know, I’ve been boxing since the age of 10 years old, 20 years in the game is enough for me. But what I’d like to do then, I’d like to challenge whoever’s regarded as the number one mixed martial arts fighter.
“I’d probably have to train for a year and try and make that fight because I definitely feel that my reactions are good enough – and if I can get my ground game to a reasonable level… Obviously, I’m not going to be able to catch up with these guys who have been doing jiu-jitsu their whole lives.
“Believe it or not, I come from a martial arts background, my father was a karate teacher, so I’ve got good legs. I’ve done judo, so I know what I’m doing. I train at a gym called the Third Space in Piccadilly which has a jiu-jitsu dojo and I get in there from time to time and have a roll around with the guys. They tell me I’m at a decent level, if I put some focus into it and put some time and effort into it… I’m a natural athlete, I can do anything that I want to do and I think that it would be definitely worth my while getting in to do it.
“It’s just another challenge, I like to set myself goals and tasks and definitely fighting for the UFC heavyweight championship would be a real big thing for me and I’d do whatever was required to get that win. I’m a fighter, through and through – any kind of competition. I’d be a big underdog, and I’d actually like that. I like people writing me off.
“I used to fight in the street, I used to be a street fighter, so I’m not a traditional boxer, I’ve done martial arts since the age of three. I might surprise a few people with my ground game.”
The quotes come from an internet mixed martial arts website but have been stood up by Haye’s trainer and manager Adam Booth who revealed that both himself and the Hayemaker have actually had lessons in Brazilian jiu-jitsu – a key component of any mixed martial arts fighter’s skill set.
Booth also revealed that Haye is a huge fan of mixed martial arts but cautioned against getting carried away with any speculation adding: “David has enough mountains to climb in his boxing career first
Roy Jones Jr. disappointed that matchup with UFC star is off
BY TIM SMITH
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, April 8th 2008, 4:00 AM
Smith for News
Roy Jones, Jr.
Roy Jones, Jr. said he was minding his own business, waiting for something to shake loose in the light heavyweight division, when someone called him and told him that he was being called out by Anderson Silva, one of the stars from the UFC.
Jones was told that Silva had challenged Jones to a boxing match. Jones said he made contact with Silva and his manager two weeks ago and they were moving forward with a deal for a fight at 180-188 pounds. Jones said Dana White, UFC President, stepped in and stopped the fight.
Jones said he was told that White stopped the match because he didn't want to embarrass the UFC if Jones were to KO Silva in the first round of a boxing match.
"I don't see how it could discredit the UFC," Jones said. "The guy has boxed before and he's a tall, slick, left handed fighter. That gives everybody problems. It would be a good fight. As fighters we're supposed to be trying to do things that amaze people and make history. This could have been something that people really wanted to see.
"I just think it's wrong not to allow him (Silva) to get the opportunity to live out his fantasy to be in the ring with one of his heroes. That's the kind of thing that boxing promoters usually do."
White did not return an email message seeking comment on why he would not allow Silva to box Jones.
"I think it's unfortunate," said John Wirt, a partner with Jones in his Square Ring Promotions company. "It could have been a good fight. It could have been a major draw for boxing and the MMA world."
While Jones thought a boxing match with Silva would be a good idea, it points to the fundamental differences in the two sports. From a business standpoint, the UFC participants are signed to exclusive promotional deals with the UFC. They don't even fight other mixed martial arts fighters outside of the UFC. Boxers are signed to different promoters, but they don't just have to fight boxers signed to their promoters. The sanctioning organizations mandate that championships have to be defended, no matter who promotes a boxer. The UFC sanctions its own championship matches as well as promotes them.
Silva (21-4 in MMA) has boxed before, going 1-1. But the 32-year-old Brazilian is noted as one of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the sport and is 6-0 in the UFC. Jones, 39, a former middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, said there was no way that he is going to try competing in mixed martial arts.
"If I had a high school wrestling background, I'd be willing to try that stuff (mixed martial arts)," Jones said. "But I'm lost on the ground."
"He's got a lot of heart and I have nothing but respect for him for wanting to take on the best in boxing."
Jones said he is moving on. He said he will await the winners of the light heavyweight title matches between IBF champ Clinton Woods and Antonio Tarver and WBC champ Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson that are happening this weekend in Tampa, and the light heavyweight match between Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe on April 19.
BY TIM SMITH
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, April 8th 2008, 4:00 AM
Smith for News
Roy Jones, Jr.
Roy Jones, Jr. said he was minding his own business, waiting for something to shake loose in the light heavyweight division, when someone called him and told him that he was being called out by Anderson Silva, one of the stars from the UFC.
Jones was told that Silva had challenged Jones to a boxing match. Jones said he made contact with Silva and his manager two weeks ago and they were moving forward with a deal for a fight at 180-188 pounds. Jones said Dana White, UFC President, stepped in and stopped the fight.
Jones said he was told that White stopped the match because he didn't want to embarrass the UFC if Jones were to KO Silva in the first round of a boxing match.
"I don't see how it could discredit the UFC," Jones said. "The guy has boxed before and he's a tall, slick, left handed fighter. That gives everybody problems. It would be a good fight. As fighters we're supposed to be trying to do things that amaze people and make history. This could have been something that people really wanted to see.
"I just think it's wrong not to allow him (Silva) to get the opportunity to live out his fantasy to be in the ring with one of his heroes. That's the kind of thing that boxing promoters usually do."
White did not return an email message seeking comment on why he would not allow Silva to box Jones.
"I think it's unfortunate," said John Wirt, a partner with Jones in his Square Ring Promotions company. "It could have been a good fight. It could have been a major draw for boxing and the MMA world."
While Jones thought a boxing match with Silva would be a good idea, it points to the fundamental differences in the two sports. From a business standpoint, the UFC participants are signed to exclusive promotional deals with the UFC. They don't even fight other mixed martial arts fighters outside of the UFC. Boxers are signed to different promoters, but they don't just have to fight boxers signed to their promoters. The sanctioning organizations mandate that championships have to be defended, no matter who promotes a boxer. The UFC sanctions its own championship matches as well as promotes them.
Silva (21-4 in MMA) has boxed before, going 1-1. But the 32-year-old Brazilian is noted as one of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the sport and is 6-0 in the UFC. Jones, 39, a former middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, said there was no way that he is going to try competing in mixed martial arts.
"If I had a high school wrestling background, I'd be willing to try that stuff (mixed martial arts)," Jones said. "But I'm lost on the ground."
"He's got a lot of heart and I have nothing but respect for him for wanting to take on the best in boxing."
Jones said he is moving on. He said he will await the winners of the light heavyweight title matches between IBF champ Clinton Woods and Antonio Tarver and WBC champ Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson that are happening this weekend in Tampa, and the light heavyweight match between Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe on April 19.
Monte Cox: Quality over entertainment
Monte Cox, former CEO of M-1 Global and agent to many of the top MMA fighters in the world, has recently been criticized for his poor business decision of moving to M-1 Global to help propel the new promotion to new heights in its infancy. Understandably, fans have jumped on Cox's past quotes that gave M-1 Global an optimistic outlook in the MMA scene. Monte answered back in an interview with Brawl Sports:
"I'm the CEO, so I'm going to make the matches. Well, they wanted a say. They wanted to be able to say, `we don't like that match ... we want to do something else.' ... I couldn't make money with him. There was just no way we could make money with that kind of overhead. That became apparent. To take all of our investors' money and put it around Fedor, it just didn't make business sense.... I think people understand that I tried everything possible to make this happen. In business, sometimes it just doesn't work. We bounced back, I think, very well. Getting Tim Sylvia is a huge coup for us. Without him, what would we have? We locked onto him. We locked onto Rothwell. Now, I actually feel better about where we're headed than I did before. I would trade Fedor for Rothwell and Sylvia every day."
It's interesting that Monte stuck around for so long when he didn't have power over the matchups like he had hoped, and the initial investment from the investors and many people involved was all banking on Fedor, an unproven draw in the United States in pay-per-view and live gate numbers. It was unrealistic to believe that M-1 Global would push the envelope on breaking a record in live gate and PPV numbers, but that was likely to be what kind of numbers they would have had to produce to gain a profit. It was some bad reasoning by Sibling Sports and Monte Cox, but they are now on the road to potentially making some sort of effort at becoming a long-term MMA promotion.
The one thing that still remains a huge likability factor for me when it comes to Monte Cox is the fact that he still remains adamant that quality overpowers entertainment value when it comes to MMA. Although I agree with him to an extent, entertainment does factor into some MMA bouts, specifically matchups in Japan. In the United States however, the higher drawing cards have mainly been quality matchups with the added bonus of both fighters hyping the bouts enough to produce big numbers. I hope Monte can eventually produce these types of fights for fans who appreciate the quality matchups, and it'll be interesting to see what he can do with a higher profile stable of fighters. Either way, keep an eye on Adrenaline MMA... maybe they can surprise us with some great matchups that actually appeal to the hardcore fans out there.
Monte Cox, former CEO of M-1 Global and agent to many of the top MMA fighters in the world, has recently been criticized for his poor business decision of moving to M-1 Global to help propel the new promotion to new heights in its infancy. Understandably, fans have jumped on Cox's past quotes that gave M-1 Global an optimistic outlook in the MMA scene. Monte answered back in an interview with Brawl Sports:
"I'm the CEO, so I'm going to make the matches. Well, they wanted a say. They wanted to be able to say, `we don't like that match ... we want to do something else.' ... I couldn't make money with him. There was just no way we could make money with that kind of overhead. That became apparent. To take all of our investors' money and put it around Fedor, it just didn't make business sense.... I think people understand that I tried everything possible to make this happen. In business, sometimes it just doesn't work. We bounced back, I think, very well. Getting Tim Sylvia is a huge coup for us. Without him, what would we have? We locked onto him. We locked onto Rothwell. Now, I actually feel better about where we're headed than I did before. I would trade Fedor for Rothwell and Sylvia every day."
It's interesting that Monte stuck around for so long when he didn't have power over the matchups like he had hoped, and the initial investment from the investors and many people involved was all banking on Fedor, an unproven draw in the United States in pay-per-view and live gate numbers. It was unrealistic to believe that M-1 Global would push the envelope on breaking a record in live gate and PPV numbers, but that was likely to be what kind of numbers they would have had to produce to gain a profit. It was some bad reasoning by Sibling Sports and Monte Cox, but they are now on the road to potentially making some sort of effort at becoming a long-term MMA promotion.
The one thing that still remains a huge likability factor for me when it comes to Monte Cox is the fact that he still remains adamant that quality overpowers entertainment value when it comes to MMA. Although I agree with him to an extent, entertainment does factor into some MMA bouts, specifically matchups in Japan. In the United States however, the higher drawing cards have mainly been quality matchups with the added bonus of both fighters hyping the bouts enough to produce big numbers. I hope Monte can eventually produce these types of fights for fans who appreciate the quality matchups, and it'll be interesting to see what he can do with a higher profile stable of fighters. Either way, keep an eye on Adrenaline MMA... maybe they can surprise us with some great matchups that actually appeal to the hardcore fans out there.
Dana White vs. Aflliction Clothing
By Luke Thomas
Posted on Tue Apr 08, 2008 at 01:54:45 PM EDT
As if there wasn't ample proof White is a (self-admitted) control freak, feast your eyes on this:
Affliction remains the gold standard in MMA clothing circles, although its has unwittingly butted heads with the UFC in recent months.
An Affliction photo shoot that depicted disgruntled UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture facing former Pride heavyweight star Fedor Emelianenko drew the ire of UFC president Dana White.
"I never had a problem with Affliction clothing until they took a picture of Couture and Fedor with no Affliction shirts on, but it looks like a fight poster," White told The Canadian Press.
"That was when I had a problem with Affliction. What happens is a lot of these guys start to lose their minds.
"Are you a clothing company or are you a fight promoter?"
The pairing is sensitive to White. Couture, who wants to fight Emelianenko, and the UFC are embroiled in a court case over Couture's contract. Emelianenko is perhaps the one megastar of the sport that has spurned the UFC.
Because the picture looks like a fight poster? Seriously, Dana? Seriously? One understands your position on the grounds that Affliction literally is trying to develop a new fight company, but not on the grounds that they are part of the pissing contest between you and your estranged heavyweight champion.
HT: MMA Payout
By Luke Thomas
Posted on Tue Apr 08, 2008 at 01:54:45 PM EDT
As if there wasn't ample proof White is a (self-admitted) control freak, feast your eyes on this:
Affliction remains the gold standard in MMA clothing circles, although its has unwittingly butted heads with the UFC in recent months.
An Affliction photo shoot that depicted disgruntled UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture facing former Pride heavyweight star Fedor Emelianenko drew the ire of UFC president Dana White.
"I never had a problem with Affliction clothing until they took a picture of Couture and Fedor with no Affliction shirts on, but it looks like a fight poster," White told The Canadian Press.
"That was when I had a problem with Affliction. What happens is a lot of these guys start to lose their minds.
"Are you a clothing company or are you a fight promoter?"
The pairing is sensitive to White. Couture, who wants to fight Emelianenko, and the UFC are embroiled in a court case over Couture's contract. Emelianenko is perhaps the one megastar of the sport that has spurned the UFC.
Because the picture looks like a fight poster? Seriously, Dana? Seriously? One understands your position on the grounds that Affliction literally is trying to develop a new fight company, but not on the grounds that they are part of the pissing contest between you and your estranged heavyweight champion.
HT: MMA Payout
Report: Trigg in Talks to Work for TNA Wrestling
Apr 08, 2008 10:47 AM John Chandler
seems that Frank Trigg’s recent appearance with TNA Wrestling might not be a one-time thing after all. The promotion is currently attempting to land Trigg as a full-time color commentator.
From Rajah:
TNA Wrestling sent out a text alert to their TNA Mobile subscribers saying the company is in talks with Mixed Martial Arts star Frank Trigg to become a TNA announcer. Trigg is said to be a big wrestling fan and will be at Lockdown to add some insight and analysis on commentary during the Joe vs. Angle match.
Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe will be wrestling a MMA-related match at the company’s “Lockdown” pay-per-view this Sunday. Trigg was on TNA’s weekly Impact show last week to give his take on the match. UFC welterweight Marcus Davis also did a promo for the organization recently as well.
Touch of gloves to MMA Mania for the find.
Apr 08, 2008 10:47 AM John Chandler
seems that Frank Trigg’s recent appearance with TNA Wrestling might not be a one-time thing after all. The promotion is currently attempting to land Trigg as a full-time color commentator.
From Rajah:
TNA Wrestling sent out a text alert to their TNA Mobile subscribers saying the company is in talks with Mixed Martial Arts star Frank Trigg to become a TNA announcer. Trigg is said to be a big wrestling fan and will be at Lockdown to add some insight and analysis on commentary during the Joe vs. Angle match.
Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe will be wrestling a MMA-related match at the company’s “Lockdown” pay-per-view this Sunday. Trigg was on TNA’s weekly Impact show last week to give his take on the match. UFC welterweight Marcus Davis also did a promo for the organization recently as well.
Touch of gloves to MMA Mania for the find.
MMA needs a real sanctioning system
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports
As Brazil’s Wagnney Fabiano decimated Shad Lierley on Friday night to keep his International Fight League featherweight title at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., he didn’t just live up to his reputation as the league’s best pound-for-pound fighter. It also brought up troubling questions regarding rankings and world championships in the sport of mixed martial arts.
Fabiano, 32, has won six straight fights since joining the IFL for the 2007 season, with only one fight making it into the early part of the second round. His prior five wins all ended with submissions. His sports background includes multiple championships in Brazilian jiu-jitsu before getting into fighting, and strong wrestling performances.
Friday night, Fabiano showed some major power in his punches and kicks.
Lierley proved he could absorb solid punches and kicks when he went the distance with Chris Horodecki last year in the best match in IFL history. But with Fabiano, he was nearly knocked off his feet right away with a blistering low kick, and seconds later was sent flying by a right hook that ended the bout in a scant 37 seconds.
Having that kind of power in his hands and feet to go along with his other skills is a scary combination. But the truth is, as impressive as Fabiano looked, there is no way to determine exactly where he should rank in the sport because of the current political makeup.
In late 2006, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship started putting up television ratings that shocked the sports world and threatened people in boxing, the belief was that one of its key advantages was that MMA had real championships, as opposed to boxing’s fragmented mess, and that in UFC, the fights the people want to see are the fights that are made.
But then, and even more so now, the people who really follow the sport know that is bunk. There are no true world championships, only company championships. And while the fights that the UFC audience wants to see the most are the ones that are most often made, those who follow the industry closely, like boxing reporters would in that sport, end up with the same frustrations. If the sport itself takes off with the greater exposure through the network television deals for groups other than UFC this year, more fans, and not just the hardcores, will see more than one organization and will start to have the same thoughts.
Even though he had a great year last year, Fabiano got precious little exposure. When the IFL had a weekly show on MyNetwork TV and the league tried to make some stars, it was Chris Horodecki, because he was 19 and had a flashy style with his great kicking ability, and Bart Palaszewski, as Horodecki’s major rival, who they promoted as the top two lightweights. They spoke better English and both had established themselves in 2006, before Fabiano joined the league.
Neither man crossed Fabiano’s path. But everyone who did had no luck, despite Fabiano fighting a weight class up. The IFL hurt its own cause, as after Fabiano earned a spot in the finals for the lightweight title, the league decided instead to add a featherweight division and moved Fabiano there, rather than have the two best fighters in their division face off.
On Dec. 29, Fabiano submitted L.C. Davis in 3:38 with an armbar to become the first champion, with Friday being his first title defense.
But where Fabiano stands on the world wide stage is impossible to say. He’s got the well-rounded tools and couldn’t have been more impressive over the last year plus. How he would match up with the most publicized featherweight champion, Urijah Faber of World Extreme Cagefighting, who is No. 7 in the current Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound ratings, is anyone’s guess. And due to exclusive contracts with rival companies, it will remain anyone’s guess.
That’s unlikely to change unless UFC and WEC owner Zuffa’s business domination over the sport in the U.S. ends. Or, unless the IFL, which has huge financial hurdles in its path to even last until the end of this year, ceases to exist and Fabiano winds up in the WEC.
The two have only one common opponent, Jeff Curran. Curran handed the 10-1 Fabiano his only loss on October 14, 2006, via split decision in a controversial call. Faber, in his most recent fight on Dec. 12, went to 20-1 beating Curran via second round submission. But while that’s a nice debating point for ratings, it really doesn’t give much of an answer as to what would happen if Faber and Fabiano were to face off.
Another issue when making comparisons is that while it is the same sport, when you change the rules, you change the game, and it can change the outcome with the same two fighters. Fabiano fights in a ring, not a cage. Fabiano fights without elbows being legal on the ground. He also fights with four-minute rounds instead of five, although with his record of fast stoppages, that time limit has rarely played a factor.
This past year has shown, when UFC signed many top stars from Pride and other organizations, that some who were world beaters in Pride like Mirko Cro Cop and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, came in and disappointed, losing matches to people that it was generally assumed were not even close to their league. Others, like Lyoto Machida, came into UFC with great records, but hardly with anywhere close to the same level of international reputation, and have been dominant.
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports
As Brazil’s Wagnney Fabiano decimated Shad Lierley on Friday night to keep his International Fight League featherweight title at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., he didn’t just live up to his reputation as the league’s best pound-for-pound fighter. It also brought up troubling questions regarding rankings and world championships in the sport of mixed martial arts.
Fabiano, 32, has won six straight fights since joining the IFL for the 2007 season, with only one fight making it into the early part of the second round. His prior five wins all ended with submissions. His sports background includes multiple championships in Brazilian jiu-jitsu before getting into fighting, and strong wrestling performances.
Friday night, Fabiano showed some major power in his punches and kicks.
Lierley proved he could absorb solid punches and kicks when he went the distance with Chris Horodecki last year in the best match in IFL history. But with Fabiano, he was nearly knocked off his feet right away with a blistering low kick, and seconds later was sent flying by a right hook that ended the bout in a scant 37 seconds.
Having that kind of power in his hands and feet to go along with his other skills is a scary combination. But the truth is, as impressive as Fabiano looked, there is no way to determine exactly where he should rank in the sport because of the current political makeup.
In late 2006, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship started putting up television ratings that shocked the sports world and threatened people in boxing, the belief was that one of its key advantages was that MMA had real championships, as opposed to boxing’s fragmented mess, and that in UFC, the fights the people want to see are the fights that are made.
But then, and even more so now, the people who really follow the sport know that is bunk. There are no true world championships, only company championships. And while the fights that the UFC audience wants to see the most are the ones that are most often made, those who follow the industry closely, like boxing reporters would in that sport, end up with the same frustrations. If the sport itself takes off with the greater exposure through the network television deals for groups other than UFC this year, more fans, and not just the hardcores, will see more than one organization and will start to have the same thoughts.
Even though he had a great year last year, Fabiano got precious little exposure. When the IFL had a weekly show on MyNetwork TV and the league tried to make some stars, it was Chris Horodecki, because he was 19 and had a flashy style with his great kicking ability, and Bart Palaszewski, as Horodecki’s major rival, who they promoted as the top two lightweights. They spoke better English and both had established themselves in 2006, before Fabiano joined the league.
Neither man crossed Fabiano’s path. But everyone who did had no luck, despite Fabiano fighting a weight class up. The IFL hurt its own cause, as after Fabiano earned a spot in the finals for the lightweight title, the league decided instead to add a featherweight division and moved Fabiano there, rather than have the two best fighters in their division face off.
On Dec. 29, Fabiano submitted L.C. Davis in 3:38 with an armbar to become the first champion, with Friday being his first title defense.
But where Fabiano stands on the world wide stage is impossible to say. He’s got the well-rounded tools and couldn’t have been more impressive over the last year plus. How he would match up with the most publicized featherweight champion, Urijah Faber of World Extreme Cagefighting, who is No. 7 in the current Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound ratings, is anyone’s guess. And due to exclusive contracts with rival companies, it will remain anyone’s guess.
That’s unlikely to change unless UFC and WEC owner Zuffa’s business domination over the sport in the U.S. ends. Or, unless the IFL, which has huge financial hurdles in its path to even last until the end of this year, ceases to exist and Fabiano winds up in the WEC.
The two have only one common opponent, Jeff Curran. Curran handed the 10-1 Fabiano his only loss on October 14, 2006, via split decision in a controversial call. Faber, in his most recent fight on Dec. 12, went to 20-1 beating Curran via second round submission. But while that’s a nice debating point for ratings, it really doesn’t give much of an answer as to what would happen if Faber and Fabiano were to face off.
Another issue when making comparisons is that while it is the same sport, when you change the rules, you change the game, and it can change the outcome with the same two fighters. Fabiano fights in a ring, not a cage. Fabiano fights without elbows being legal on the ground. He also fights with four-minute rounds instead of five, although with his record of fast stoppages, that time limit has rarely played a factor.
This past year has shown, when UFC signed many top stars from Pride and other organizations, that some who were world beaters in Pride like Mirko Cro Cop and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, came in and disappointed, losing matches to people that it was generally assumed were not even close to their league. Others, like Lyoto Machida, came into UFC with great records, but hardly with anywhere close to the same level of international reputation, and have been dominant.
Breaking News: Fedor Confirms Sylvia Fight
Top ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) will fight Tim Sylvia (Pictures) on July 19. The Russian mixed martial arts champion confirmed the bout to Sherdog.com on Tuesday.
"[Sylvia] is a good fighter, a strong fighter, the former UFC heavyweight champion, which is important," Emelianenko said via telephone from Stary Oskol, Russia. "I am looking forward to fighting him and training hard for this fight."
While Emelianenko was short on details, Sherdog.com has learned through sources close to the negotiations that Fedor-Sylvia would headline a card tentatively scheduled for the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, the home base of HDNet Fights.
HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon declined to comment on the report, however sources indicate the bout will air on the Mark Cuban-owned network and is rumored to be promoted by Affliction, a clothing brand closely tied to MMA.
Affliction had been connected with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, however a June 28 Las Vegas date has since been discarded.
Emelianenko, a 31-year-old sambo practitioner, has faced criticism from media and fans alike after a string of fights against less than stellar competition. Sylvia would represent the Russian's first ranked opponent since his unanimous decision over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic nearly three years ago.
Widely regarded as the top heavyweight fighter in the world, Emelianenko (27-1-0, 1 NC) was recently freed from a letter of intent binding him to the now-defunct M-1 Global promotion.
Sylvia, 32, is coming off a submission loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) in February at UFC 81. After a spirited performance that saw him batter his foe at will with strikes, Sylvia (24-4-0) eventually fell victim to a classic Nogueira come-from-behind performance and succumbed to a guillotine choke early in the third round.
Top ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) will fight Tim Sylvia (Pictures) on July 19. The Russian mixed martial arts champion confirmed the bout to Sherdog.com on Tuesday.
"[Sylvia] is a good fighter, a strong fighter, the former UFC heavyweight champion, which is important," Emelianenko said via telephone from Stary Oskol, Russia. "I am looking forward to fighting him and training hard for this fight."
While Emelianenko was short on details, Sherdog.com has learned through sources close to the negotiations that Fedor-Sylvia would headline a card tentatively scheduled for the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, the home base of HDNet Fights.
HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon declined to comment on the report, however sources indicate the bout will air on the Mark Cuban-owned network and is rumored to be promoted by Affliction, a clothing brand closely tied to MMA.
Affliction had been connected with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, however a June 28 Las Vegas date has since been discarded.
Emelianenko, a 31-year-old sambo practitioner, has faced criticism from media and fans alike after a string of fights against less than stellar competition. Sylvia would represent the Russian's first ranked opponent since his unanimous decision over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic nearly three years ago.
Widely regarded as the top heavyweight fighter in the world, Emelianenko (27-1-0, 1 NC) was recently freed from a letter of intent binding him to the now-defunct M-1 Global promotion.
Sylvia, 32, is coming off a submission loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) in February at UFC 81. After a spirited performance that saw him batter his foe at will with strikes, Sylvia (24-4-0) eventually fell victim to a classic Nogueira come-from-behind performance and succumbed to a guillotine choke early in the third round.
‘Shaolin' Back to Training After Eye Injury
VIDEOLINK: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1520
Sherdog.com's Martins Denis caught up with Vitor Ribeiro (Pictures) in Brazil, where the former Shooto champion recently returned to training after suffering a serious eye injury in his bout with Gesias Calvancante (Pictures).
VIDEOLINK: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1520
Sherdog.com's Martins Denis caught up with Vitor Ribeiro (Pictures) in Brazil, where the former Shooto champion recently returned to training after suffering a serious eye injury in his bout with Gesias Calvancante (Pictures).