MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

INEXPERIENCE ASIDE, BROCK LESNAR EYES UFC GOLD

When Brock Lesnar signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the former collegiate wrestling champion and former professional wrestling superstar said he wanted to fight the top heavyweights. He was serious.

At UFC 91 on Nov. 15 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Lesnar will face Randy "The Natural" Couture for the UFC heavyweight belt in only his fourth mixed martial arts bout and third time in the Octagon.

"I've wanted a fight with Randy since before I signed a contract with the UFC," Lesnar told the media on Tuesday.

Despite his inexperience and Couture's year-long layoff from competition, expectations are high that the match-up will generate record numbers. "We actually do research on these things if you can believe it or not," said UFC president Dana White.

"Obviously Randy Couture coming back after all of the stuff that had happened. He's one of the most popular fighters every in UFC history. And after Brock Lesnar's beating of Heath Herring a lot of people are interested in Brock Lesnar now and not just WWE fans. But if you look at the amount of buzz and energy that will be created through this fight… When we really start breaking it down and looking at it, and the amount of WWE fans that would probably never watch a UFC that will that night to see if Brock Lesnar can beat Randy Couture… It's a big fight."

"From day one my whole goal was to take it one fight at a time and that's exactly what you have to do to get to the top," said Lesnar. "I'm very excited. Not a lot of people get this opportunity. But not a lot of people are me either. I had to win against Heath Herring, and that puts me in this spot.

"It's kind of ironic," commented the 280-pound heavyweight about how the bout came together. "After I fought Heath Herring, (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva and I were walking at the press conference, and he was like, we're thinking about having you fight in November. And I'm like (expletive), all I'm thinking about is taking my wife and getting on my Harley and heading to Wyoming.

"While I'm in Wyoming they propose this fight against Cheick Kongo. I'm like, uh, that's fine. I'll fight whoever. Then I'm sitting on my motorcycle and I have a split second thought of I wonder what the hell it would take to get Randy Couture back in business again, and I'd really like to fight Randy. And then the thought never crossed my mind. Like, six days later, Dana calls and says, 'hey, what about Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight title?' I'm like, ‘I'm in. Where do I sign?’"

"I think Randy's a smart guy. He knows how to fight at heavyweight," stated Lesnar. "Trying to compare me to Tim Sylvia or Gonzaga is like apples and oranges. Randy understands that he's up against a different beast in this fight."

Couture will have a distinctive advantage in experience over Lesnar, but Lesnar will be coming in with a 40-pound weight advantage. "Randy said earlier today that he's going to come in at 225 pounds. Well, I'm coming in at 265 pounds, so there's a huge weight difference," said the challenger. " He's a smart guy. He's going to train to beat me and I'm going to train to beat him, so we're both on the same page when it comes to that.

"I'm going up against a guy that's a lot more experienced than myself, which I have done every time since I've been in (MMA). We're not dummies here either. We're going to figure out how to beat Randy Couture just like we figured out how to beat Heath Herring. I will come into this fight well prepared and with a game plan to win the title that night."

With Couture's return to the UFC, a lot of attention has been paid to the unlikelihood of a match up between Couture and Fedor Emelianenko ever happening and Lesnar is tired of hearing about the consensus No. 1 heavyweight in the world. "I'm hearing all this talk about Fedor Emelianenko. Who gives a (expletive) about Fedor? I don't care. I'm fighting Randy Couture," said an agitated Lesnar.

"I don't give a damn about Fedor. I'm tired of hearing about (expletive) Fedor. Randy Couture is fighting Brock Lesnar Nov. 15. His number one concern should be Brock Lesnar. And Dana White could care less about Fedor. Everyone is beating around the bush. Yeah, you want that fight. I don't give a damn. I'm sick and tired of sitting on the phone listening about Fedor. He's not with the company. He might not ever be with the company.

"This is what's happening,” commanded Lesnar. “I don't know how many times you've got to say it. This is for real. This fight is going to happen. Randy Couture and Fedor, it might not ever happen, but this fight is going to happen."

Despite the agitation in fielding questions and comments regarding Fedor, Lesnar has no trouble seeing his fortune in attaining a bout against Randy Couture so early on in his MMA career. "Things happen in mysterious ways. And like I said, I'm fortunate. I'm honored to get in the Octagon with Randy, so it's very exciting all the way around.

"A win over Randy Couture for Brock Lesnar, that solidifies me as someone who is the UFC heavyweight champion after that... I've never turned down any fights that Dana has offered me. This is a super-fight. This is a fight that puts me closer to being the UFC heavyweight champion."

 

[Shogun Locc]

TKO SIGNS NEW TV DEAL, BEGINS AIRING FRIDAY

TKO Championship Fighting on Wednesday announced the signing of a television deal with the TQS television network in Canada.

The sport of mixed martial arts will be seen on network television in Quebec for the very first time beginning Sept. 5. TQS will air “TKO, Friday Night Knockouts” every Friday night at 9pm.

“For over eight years I have been working very hard to make the public understand and appreciate our sport and our athletes,” explained an elated Stephane Patry, president and founder of TKO Championship Fighting.

“When we first started in 2000, our events were held in small venues and TKO was available on DVD and on specialty sport channels only. In 2006, TKO Championship Fighting found a new home at the Bell Centre and our fans began to multiply. Now, thanks to this partnership with the Rémillard brothers and the team at TQS, I am confident that our sport will reach a whole new level of popularity which is exactly what the sport and our athletes deserve.”

“We strongly believe that TKO programming will be very popular with our viewers,” stated Louis Trépanier, Vice President of TQS Programming. “We have a total of 44 episodes and it all begins this Friday Sept. 5 at 9pm.”

 

[heyzel]

AFFLICTION CLEARS ROADBLOCKS, READY FOR MORE

by Tom Hamlin




By now, Affliction vice president Tom Atencio has become used to swimming upstream against the doubters of his company. Since he launched Affliction Entertainment as the new fight promotion on the block in early 2008, he has faced naysayers at every turn, despite assembling one of the most talent-packed MMA cards in the sport’s recent history with “Affliction: Banned” this July.

None have been more vocal than UFC president Dana White. Since Affliction’s emergence, his not-so-affectionate moniker for the company, “the t-shirt guys,” has often been followed by a prediction of the company’s approaching demise. In a teleconference on Tuesday announcing Randy Couture’s return to the UFC, he was true to form.

“In this economy right now, losing money is a really bad thing,” White said. “There’s nobody out there looking to fund anything, nobody’s spending any money, nobody’s investing in anything. When you’re losing the kind of money that these guys are losing, you’ve gotta sell a lot of t-shirts to get back that money.”

Until now, White’s attacks have been limited to verbal slings and arrows thrown at Affliction. But during Tuesday’s conference call, in response to questions about various legal disputes surrounding the Randy Couture case, the outspoken president also may have hinted that his company could take its opposition to the next level – possibly the courtroom.

“My dispute with Randy Couture is done,” White said. “I’m not saying that my dispute with anybody else is done.”

Atencio told MMAWeekly.com he had no knowledge of any forthcoming litigation against his company. He does, however, believe the UFC was interfering with his ability to promote in Las Vegas, though he wouldn’t say how.

“They’ve been messing with me every step of the way,” Atencio said. “There have been issues that I’ve been dealing with. So I can’t say it’s them, but there’s been things we’ve been dealing with that have never happened before, so I guess that’s why.”

Atencio declined to discuss the financial state of his company, but said their plans had not changed – promote three shows in July, October, and February, and assess future plans from there.

“Once I get past these first three events, then I’ll start talking about the next three,” he said.

White told reporters he doesn’t plan on stealing Affliction’s crown jewel, Fedor Emelianenko, for a fight with Couture, even though Emelianenko’s Affliction deal is exclusive only to the U.S. White remains unwilling to co-promote with Emelianenko’s management company, M-1 Global, preferring to wait for Affliction’s demise to pick up the Russian’s services.

“These guys are dying on the vine, they’ll be gone in a couple of months anyway, and Fedor will have to come here,” said the outspoken UFC president. “You’re not under contract if the company isn’t in business anymore.”

Atencio seems resolved to a dogfight with the industry-leading promotion in order to make his company’s Oct. 10 event a reality. If that means going to court to do so, he’s got a Zen attitude about it.

“It’s their town, so it wouldn’t surprise me,” he said. “It is what it is.”

Meanwhile, White issued another prediction of Affliction’s end.

“I would be (expletive) horrified if Affliction is still in business by January,” he declared. “They’re going to burn a lot of cash in the next few months, believe me. Good luck to ‘em. I’ll be sitting here waiting to see what happens.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jeremy Horn injured, replaced by Ryan Jensen at UFC Fight Night 15

Although a recent trip to the doctor did provide Jeremy Horn (80-18-5 MMA, 7-6 UFC) some good news -- his wrist isn't broken, as he first thought -- it also came with some bad: he won't be able to compete at UFC Fight Night 15 later this month.

Horn today confirmed his wrist injury with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), and sources close to the fighter said that Ryan Jensen (13-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) will return to the UFC to serve as his replacement.

Jensen meets Wilson Gouveia (10-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at the upcoming "Fight Night" event, which takes place Sept. 17 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb.

The event airs live on Spike TV.

"I have been having a problem with my wrist for about the last month," Horn told MMAjunkie.com. "I went to a doctor and had him look at it the other day, and he says I've got some tendons and ligaments and stuff torn in there. I thought I may have had a broken bone in there, but it was ligaments and tendons and stuff.

"I have no grip strength, I can't make a fist, and I can't punch anything. I'm pretty useless."

Although Horn won't go under the knife, he knows his recovery could keep him sidelined for a while.

"The doctor said the wrist is just one of those things that sometimes a break is actually easier because you fix it and cast it and let it heal," he said. "But with sprains and tears and stuff like that, there's nothing you can really do with except try and stay off of it and let it heal."

Despite being one of MMA's most-experienced fighters -- with more than 100 professional bouts -- he's lost his past two fights (both in the UFC) and three of his past four. Horn knows he's guaranteed nothing when it comes to his future in the UFC.

"I'm hoping [I'll return to the UFC]," he said. "I'm just going to keep training as much as I can around my hand. Hopefully they'll have somebody get hurt and fall out in a future show again and I'll be ready to go."

Jensen, meanwhile, will return to the octagon for his third shot at a UFC victory. The Omaha-based fighter posted a stellar 11-1 record to earn an invitation to the UFC, but he was dropped by the organization after first-round submission losses to Thales Leites and Demian Maia. Since then, he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Joey Villasenor at a Strikeforce/EliteXC show, but he's rebounded for first-round TKO victories over Mitch Whitesel and Aaron Praschak.

His opponent, Gouveia, had recently posted four consecutive victories in the UFC (three via submission and one via knockout) before a second-round TKO loss to UFC newcomer Goran Reljic in May at UFC 84. It was the American Top Team fighter's first loss since a unanimous-decision defeat to Keith Jardine in June 2006.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Paulo Filho going to USA tonight

A few days for his next fight against Chael Sonnen to try to continue the WEC middleweight champion, Paulo Filho goes do USA tonight to finish his preparation and stay focused on Sonnen. After getting the plane, Filho spoke to TATAME about the thoughts of the fight, his problems with depression, his training with André Galvão, the possibility to face Andeson Silva, a friend and UFC champion, and analyzed Rousimar Palhares’ bout against the former pride champion, Dan Handerson. “The depression is over and now is just happiness, I’m ready for the war”, guarantees the champion.

 

[heyzel]

UFC’s upcoming big-money run

UFC’s upcoming big-money run
Published September 3rd, 2008


By Zach Arnold

If Chuck Liddell is able to defeat Rashad Evans this Saturday night in Atlanta, Georgia at UFC 88, UFC could well be on its way to the company’s biggest three-month run in PPV business — ever.

That’s a bold statement to make, especially given how much of a party crasher Rashad Evans could be to the proceedings if he is able to pull off the upset against Chuck Liddell.

If Liddell is able to defeat Evans, UFC will have three major blockbuster events in four months. UFC 91 on November 15th will be headlined by Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar. UFC 92 on December 27th could feature Chuck Liddell vs. Forrest Griffin for the UFC Light Heavyweight title and Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson on the undercard. UFC’s ‘Super Bowl’ event will feature Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn in a clash between the UFC’s 170-pound champion and UFC’s 155-pound champion. That’s a lot of PPV buys at stake for a company that continues to get richer while everyone else (outside of Strikeforce) continues to lose a lot of money financially in MMA.

Dana White is so confident that Affliction will be finished by January 2009 that he said he would be ‘horrified’ if the upstart organization was still around by then. Given the amount of money lost on the first Affliction event and the complete lack of buzz for the promotion’s second event on October 11th at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, I’d say that White right now is on target with his assessment of the competition. The week before Affliction’s Vegas show, Elite XC has Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock in South Florida. Not only will both men essentially be putting their careers on the line, but Elite XC’s long-term business future will likely be on the line as well. If EXC fails to draw many eyeballs for the Kimbo/Shamrock fight on CBS, then it’s going to be hard for CBS to justify supporting Elite XC as a long-term MMA play.

There were a lot of MMA insiders who questioned how UFC would fare during the Summer months in regards to the outside challenges the company would face. Once Lorenzo Fertitta inserted himself into a full-time management role in UFC, everything else seemed to fall into place for Zuffa. Affliction started with a bang and looks like it could go out with a whimper. Elite XC has lost so much money so quickly that even one of their champions (KJ Noons) isn’t taking the company seriously. DREAM is on life support and could very well get the axe if they can’t pop a big rating for their Yokohama Arena event on September 21st. No one at this point is really serious competition for UFC, which is a very positive outcome for Dana White considering the heat he was under for not having Randy Couture or Tito Ortiz under full control just a few months ago.

The UFC-only climate for MMA fighters is going to be fascinating to watch. Politically-speaking, everyone is going to have to play the role of a good soldier and keep their mouths shut. If they don’t, they will be out of a job and perhaps out of the business for good. What does this mean for your average MMA fan/consumer? The average fan only cares about seeing the best and most marketable fighters, and UFC delivers on that front. Nobody else does at this point. A UFC-only environment is a plus for casual fans, who aren’t too interested in shelling out big bucks to buy PPVs from the competition. This is why Elite XC’s attempt to move into the PPV market for 2009 is too little, too late. It’s foolish. The company has little or no leverage to make people pay to see a product on PPV that they were watching for free on CBS. What big-money fights can EXC deliver on PPV that they haven’t delivered so far on CBS? The answer — none.

By the beginning of 2009, UFC (along with WEC) could conceivably control all the major talent in every single weight class in the world. Yes, there is Jake Shields with Elite XC. He’s their 170-pound champion. If Elite XC folds or sells it assets to UFC due to financial problems, we could very well see Shields fighting in the Octagon. Then there are the heavyweights like Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett. Barnett will never be in UFC and Arlovski may return, but certainly not at the salary that Affliction is currently paying him. The danger for so many non-Zuffa fighters right now is that without any serious competition or major alternatives happening in Japan, UFC has created themselves a pure buyer’s market where they dictate the price of fighters. Dana White was reportedly furious at the amount of money Affliction threw at fighters for their debut show because White supposedly felt that it would throw fighter purses off-kilter and cause certain fighters to be over-valued. Somehow, given Affliction’s current status, I have to guess and assume that UFC isn’t too worried about this situation right now.

While other MMA organizations have lost millions of dollars, UFC stands to make tens of millions of dollars at the gate, on PPV, and through sponsorships & merchandising over the next four months. It’s the kind of big-money run that a promoter can only dream about, and you have to tip your cap to UFC for being able to pull this off. They are going to deliver the big matc

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante Interview

Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante just needed three fights do get his main goal: the opportunity to win the EliteXC light-heavyweight belt. Scheduled to be on October 5th’s edition, the Brazilian fighter still doesn’t know who will he face, but he knows that it’ll be a title bout. In an exclusive interview to TATAME, he spoke about the next fight, his preparation and his great time in the event. Check below the complete interview with the Rafael Feijão.

Do you know who will you face in your next bout?

I don't know yet, but I know it’ll be for the title. I’m back to training with Josuel Distak, Rogério Camões, Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva… I’m ready.

How do you face this chance to be the first one to have the EliteXC light-heavyweight title?

That’s a goal that I had plan since the beginning of the year with my coaches, and thanks God we made it, and I hope I bring this belt to Brazil. I’m doing my best and I’ll get there in shape.

How many fights do you still have in your contract?

I just made a new three fights contract, so I’ll do this fight and I hope I do more two title defenses…

Is there anyone in your division that you wanna fight?

They can put anyone from my division, I’m ready. I’m well trained, in one of my best moments in career, with a good rhythm and I’m doing everything in the cage that I do on training… Now it’s time to do my game and go for a knockout or a submission, we train to do it.

EliteXC’s president told that you’re the best light-heavyweight in the world… How do you face it?

I don’t care much for this stuff… I do my job, train hard… I like to hear this kind of thing, but I don’t believe I’m the best of the world, not even close. I have the opportunity to train with the two best, Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva, and I know what they done to get where they are, but slowly I’ll get there…

Who do you consider the best in your division?

I think Liddell is a great fighter, Rogerio (Nogueira) is pretty good too, there’s a lot of tough fighters in this division… Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz, Rampage Jackson,a lot of tough fighters. This is the toughest division in MMA nowadays.

And now Anderson starts to fight in light-heavyweight too…

But he’s from middleweight and he likes to fight there. He just asked a Dana White request and it might happen again, Anderson is a tought guy and would fight well even in heavyweight. He’s technical and complete, and a guy like him can do well anywhere.

Do you see your future in EliteXC or do you think about going to other events?

This detail I leave with my managers… I wanna be where people threat me well, and Elite staff do it pretty well, give me opportunity to fight all the time and I think it’s great this way. They asked me to fight twice and now they gave me a chance for the belt, and that’s the way it goes…

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Zuffa End Around

It is often said that business ethics is an oxymoron, but that is the case only if you conduct yourself in such a manner. Rob Maysey details the increasingly questionable nature of the UFC’s push for merchandising agreements with it’s fighters:

Multiple sources have indicated that UFC officials are now sending letters to fighters who have not yet signed the Merchandising Rights Agreement. The letter warns fighters that if they do not return the executed Merchandising Rights Agreement by the end of the week, the offer will be rescinded, and the fighter will not be included in the UFC’s licensing program.

Even more outrageous, UFC officials are directly contacting fighters, instead of the fighters’ selected agents. Fighters are told that they are hearing only one side of the story from their selected representatives, and that the UFC’s Merchandising Rights program really is a great deal. By not signing the Merchandising Rights Agreement, fighters are told they are leaving money on the table.

The old saw “he signed the contract, he should honor it” line of thinking is a bit of a dodge and hard to defend if the signature is attained by subverting the fighter-agent relationship and without the advise and consent of legal representation, in effect, duping the fighter. Moves of this nature are more at home in the moral morass that is the boxing scene, and not something that MMA promoters should be mimicking.

 

[heyzel]

Unworthy: Brock Lesnar’s Title Shot

Unworthy: Brock Lesnar’s Title Shot
Posted on September 03, 2008 by Josh Stein
There are 18 fighters in the UFC heavyweight division, and every single one has more wins than Brock Lesnar.

Yet, somehow, with a UFC record of 1-1, coming off a decision win, Lesnar gets the opportunity to fight for a heavyweight title. Nevermind that Frank Mir beat him, nevermind that Fabricio Werdum has won two in a row (which is twice as many) over top contenders in Gonzaga and Vera, nevermind that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is the Interim title holder.

Lesnar certainly isn’t the least qualified fighter to take on Randy Couture, the returning heavyweight champion, but he is most definitely not the best choice. While it’s hard to fault Joe Silva for his matchmaking, putting together two world class wrestlers, it’s not as though Randy was his only other option (as far as I’m concerned, Cain Velasquez would have been a more interesting matchup, as would Shane Carwin).

I don’t like Brock Lesnar very much, and it’s not a secret, but the truth is, even if I leave my feelings out of it, this seems massively disrespectful to the guys who are working to earn their title shots. I’m well aware that there’s nobody in the heavyweight division on a five or six fight win streak (which is how we like contenders to be in other divisions), but to pick a guy only three fights into his professional career, one fight removed from a loss that wasn’t even controversial, is like saying “Hey, I know that these other guys have been building up their careers for years, but look at how big Brock’s muscles are.”

Shane Carwin, honestly, wouldn’t be a good contender either (as much as I think that’d be a better fight than Brock, since Carwin has much better standup and legit submissions), because he hasn’t been built up, and I understand that since Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira are shooting a season of The Ultimate Fighter that’s out of the question.

I’m basically talking about Fabricio Werdum, a fighter with finishes over two of the top contenders in the division. Heath Herring was not a contender, and nobody made that mistake. Brock Lesnar beat a fighter that had been beaten twice already in the UFC, and it’s not as though he did something different. He won a decision that, while physically more dominant than the others, doesn’t mean that much.

If any other fighter showed up in the UFC with only one win (and that win came over an opponent who he had 80 pounds on) and then lost, we’d call that myth busted and move on.

If any other fighter claimed a title shot with one decision win in the UFC, we’d call him an arrogant ass and go on looking at the real contenders.

We are letting the Lesnar matchup go, we’re letting Lesnar take his title shot, not because he deserves it, but because we understand why the UFC is doing it, and that’s been our problem for a while now.

The matchup with Randy and Lesnar is going to have a huge draw, that card is going to be massive and the pay-per-view numbers are going to make a statement. Because of that, I’m going to be one of the only people on the internet talking about how stupid this matchup is.

Don’t get me wrong, I like exposure as much as the next guy, but I like it better when a high profile bout should happen, not just when it does. I like my title contenders to work for

 

[Shogun Locc]

No Need To Panic: An Analysis of the MMA Industry

In recent days we’ve seen a flurry of MMA business activity that has forced everyone within the community to re-evaluate the health of the industry. Individuals like Dana White will be the first to tell you that MMA is going to be more popular than soccer or the Superbowl, worldwide, by 2016. Yet, others are far less optimistic and hailing 2008 as the beginning of the end of MMA. However, the truth of the matter is that neither side is accurate in their assessment of the industry.

Looking beyond the exaggerations and severe panic attacks, the truth can be found somewhere in between both extreme points of view.

Where does the market for MMA really stand?

If the UFC’s 2008 results are any indication, the market for MMA is quite healthy.

The latest S&P credit rating reports for the UFC’s parent company, Zuffa, indicate that PPV buy rates are largely flat, yet revenue is growing due to the increased number of PPVs in a year and also an increase in the prices of those PPVs.

This tells us that while the market is currently experiencing little growth outside of its current audience, MMA has yet to reach a saturation level that would make additional PPVs or higher PPV prices unfeasible.

However, the stalled growth in PPV buy rates also suggests that MMA has possibly reached a plateau in its development cycle. The pessimists are going to point to this as a sign that interest is in the sport at its highest level is flattening. I’d argue that isn’t neccessarily the case.

Growth in any expanding industry is rarely linear; you’re going to have your up and down years, just like anything else. And while the UFC’s numbers may be evening out, I’d like to remind everyone that there’s more to the industry of MMA than just promotions. The popularity of MMA clothing brands is growing at a quickening pace, so much so that it’s gained absolute mainstream acceptance well before the actual sport has. Furthermore, the wealth of MMA training facilities sprouting up across the U.S. and Canada suggests that the grassroots formation of MMA’s next generation of fans is already taking shape.

The tendency of growth industries to expand in spurts could be a trend that MMA follows; and really, any number of factors could propel the sport into the next level of popularity, acceptance, and most importantly from a business standpoint, revenue generating potential:

The UFC on major network television
Further sanctioning in media hotbeds like New York and Massachusets
A new PPV draw capable of captivating the American audience much in the same way that combat sport athletes like Muhammand Ali, Mike Tyson, and Oscar De La Hoya have in the past.
Compelling match-ups with storylines and human interest pieces also capable of grabbing the attention of the American public.

Why have so many large MMA promotions failed?

Mis-management.

North American failures like the IFL, ProElite, and possibly even Affliction and the AFL have all suffered from fiscal, promotional, and organizational mismanagement. While no two firms are exactly the same, their failures mirror one another in the way each failed to form a solid foundation from which they could build themselves.

The IFL jumped straight to television with little prior history and virtually no brand recognition, all the while spending millions of dollars in production and fighter costs.

ProElite put the proverbial cart before the horse by trying to buy its foundation before it had even secured and cemented its own brand, EliteXC, as a profit-earning player on the major promotional scene.

Affliction tried and failed to leverage its clothing line into an instant juggernaut - in the process over spending by anywhere from $2 to $4 million on their first event. The sad thing is, had Afflcition gone about leveraging their product into a promotion properly, they likely could have built themselves into a major player down the road.

What would have been wrong with targeting a condensed, MMA-crazy region in the U.S. and holding a few mid-sized shows a year? At the very least the increased local exposure would have strengthened their clothing line and broke them even. At the most, it builds Affliction’s name both as a clothing line and a fight promoter, gives the firm experience in running a fight organization, and enough of a reputation with fighters that it can slowly up the ante in terms of its level of competition.

And while the jury is still out on the AFL, I’d encourage you to read MMApayout’s Robert Joyner on the subject of the AFL’s voodoo economics.

What does this colossal management failure mean for MMA? It means that promoters and their investors need to be smarter with their money. Return tomorrow for No Need To Panic: A Realistic Future for MMA for a look at the true future of MMA, one that lies somewhere between the Superbowl and Doomsday predictions.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Exclusive: Affliction's Tom Atencio Comments On Randy Couture Re-Signing With The UFC

Since the news broke that Randy Couture was returning to the UFC all I could think of was how does Affliction's Tom Atencio feel about this? After all, one half of his dream match was now headed back to the competition.

I caught up with Atencio earlier today to briefly ask him about the Couture situation and, not surprisingly, he took it all in stride.

"Randy needs to do what he needs to do to handle his problems," Atencio said. "I'm happy for him."

Atencio later added that he doesn't feel Affliction lost the Fedor vs. Couture dream match because Couture never had a fight contract with his promotion.

"I think the biggest problem is people assume everything," Atencio said. "The bottom line is Randy is our partner with Xtreme Couture. Randy is sponsored by Affliction. He's been with us and we work with him. Randy needs to handle his legal problems with the UFC and he did so I am happy for him."

And what about Dana White's comments that Affliction wouldn't live to see January? Surely, that had to piss off Atencio, right? Think again.

"Dana has his right to his opinion and he is very open about it and that is completely fine," Atencio said calmly. "Since day one, I have always handled things this way. I don't need to bite my tongue because I don't need to talk shit about people."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 88: MARQUARDT SEES KAMPMANN AS UPGRADE

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.”

When Mick Jagger wrote the classic song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” he obviously had no idea that it would one day relate to the sport of mixed martial arts, but for Nate Marquardt there may not be a more perfect theme song.

In his last bout, he faced Brazilian Thales Leites in a middleweight showdown and despite the former King of Pancrase’s dominant performance two separate illegal strikes causing point deductions essentially cost him the match.

Leites got the win via a split decision victory, but far from a definitive performance, many fans instantly asked for a rematch to settle the matter. Marquardt also asked for that same rematch, but he was soon rebuffed in his request.

“I think they would have given me that fight, I asked for it and their response was (Leites) didn’t want to fight me again,” said Marquardt in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio.

Little did he know that his request for a rematch being denied may have led him to the bigger fight that he faces on Saturday night as he squares off against Martin Kampmann at UFC 88 in Atlanta.

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.”

Regardless of the rematch with Leites, Marquardt believes he is in a much better position than his last opponent, taking on a fighter that could be poised for a title shot in the near future. That’s exactly what the Colorado resident is looking for as well and he’s not looking back at past fights.

“My stock went up after that fight,” he commented about the Leites bout. “I’m getting a better fight than he’s getting. I’m getting a fight against someone that beat him, someone that’s undefeated. I’m trying to climb the ladder, I want to get to the top and I think if I had a rematch against him any time after this fight it would be kind of a step down.”

What he faces in Martin Kampmann is a tough as nails striker who has also shown a great ability to control the ground game as well. Marquardt knows he will have to be on top of his game to beat the Danish fighter at UFC 88.

“He is very well rounded, but at the same time I know I can beat him in any area,” he said about Kampmann. “I don’t necessarily know what his gameplan is, that’s going to be one of the biggest questions. I can assume some things from watching his past fights.”

Following his last bout, Marquardt traveled to Montreal to help good friend and training partner Georges St. Pierre prepare for his most recent bout before traveling to Greg Jackson’s gym in New Mexico and then closing out his training at his home gym in Colorado, giving him the best possible camp to get ready for Kampmann.

Always staying positive, Marquardt hopes that he gets to fight at least one more time in 2008, and he is also hopeful to get a second shot at champion Anderson Silva so he can “be the one that knocks him off there.”

First up on the agenda is facing Martin Kampmann in a feature bout at UFC 88 in Atlanta on Saturday night.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 88: IS PALHARES UFC CHAMP'S NEXT CHALLENGE?

Heading into this weekend’s UFC 88 in Atlanta, there will be an intriguing match-up in the middleweight division of two fighters headed in different directions at this point in their careers.

On one hand, you have former Pride dual titleholder Dan Henderson, nearing the twilight of his career and currently on a two-fight skid. On the other, you have Rousimar Palhares, in just his second year of fighting and on an impressive six-fight winning streak.

For Palhares in particular, this bout could very well be a turning point in his career. A win could springboard him towards title contention above the current logjam that is the 185-pound weight class.

“I am feeling very well and confident,” said Palhares entering the toughest task of his young career. “I worked hard for this moment.”

Coming from the legendary Brazilian Top Team, he is eager to showcase his skills, improve and further develop the foundations that his team preaches.

“I have been working the same; a lot of jiu-jitsu, takedowns and boxing,” he commented.

“I think I (am) getting better each fight, but I still have a lot to improve in my skills. That’s why I work so hard every day – I am hungry to learn everything I can.”

Along with his eagerness in training, Palhares also has the advantage of getting insightful information on fighting Dan Henderson from his coach and team leader, Murilo Bustamante.

“Yes, for sure, he has been giving me lots of advice,” he commented of Bustamante’s involvement. “He has been studying the strategy of me fighting Henderson, and what’d be best to use against him.

“It makes me totally confident in my game.”

Palhares seems intent to make the match-up an action fight by being aggressive.

“I think it will be a great fight,” he exclaimed. “I want to step in the Octagon ASAP and start the fight.

“I think he will try to fight standing – using his punches – but I am ready to fight everywhere. I can just promise I will push the fight all the time.”

With his focus squarely on UFC 88, Palhares doesn’t want to worry too much about his future in the promotion; but he does want to stay busy and continue to face high-caliber competition.

“I hope to fight again this year,” he said. “I am a professional, and I love what I do; I want to be in the Octagon as much as I can.

“I just want to fight the best opponents the UFC can give me.”

Currently the UFC’s middleweight division is in need of a clear-cut contender for champ Anderson Silva’s belt.

With a career that appears to be heading upward, Rousimar Palhares could very well find himself in a mix for the title shot, should he get past the waning Dan Henderson this Saturday in Atlanta.

“I would like to thank God, that has been helping me in my life; driving me on the way that made (it possible) to help my family,” he concluded.

**Special thanks to Murilo Bustamante for his help in making this article possible.

 

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UFC VET AND OTHERS ANNOUNCED FOR SENGOKU 5

Three more bouts have been added to Sengoku 5, which takes place at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium on Sept. 28, including the final two Sengoku middleweight tournament bouts.

In the first announced tournament bout, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura makes his debut in the middleweight division as he takes on longtime Dutch veteran Paul Cahoon. Nakamura comes off a disappointing stoppage loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 84, while Cahoon dropped a unanimous decision to British legend Ian Freeman at Cage Rage 26.

In the final tournament bout, Strikeforce middleweight tournament winner Jorge Santiago faces off with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran Logan Clark. Santiago comes off a submission victory over fellow tournament participant Yuki Sasaki at Sengoku 2, while Clark lost a close decision to newly signed Strikeforce middleweight Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku 3.

In a super fight, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu world champion Alexandre “Xande” Ribeiro makes his mixed martial arts debut against pro wrestler Takashi Sugiura. Ribeiro is one of the most decorated grapplers in the world with several Brazilian Jiu-jitsu world championships under his belt and being a former ADCC champion as well. Sugiura hasn’t seen action over two years since being stopped by Ryuta Noji at Pancrase Blow 3.

Already announced for Sengoku 5 include a tournament bout between Pancrase rivals Yuki Sasaki and Yuki Kondo and another tournament bout between Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos and Siyar Bahadurzada, while American lightweights Ryan Schultz and Jorge Masvidal meet in a super fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

European Throwdown

MMA seems reminiscent of boxing as of late in that superfights for true No. 1 status have been few and far between. Every time a mega bout does happen though, both fans and the industry are on the edge of their seats.

Polish promotion KSW has managed to put together such a dream fight for Europe at KSW “Extra” on Sept. 13 in Dąbrowa Górnicza.

In one corner Mamed Khalidov, the promotion’s superstar, has reeled off eleven straight victories and only had to go the distance once in doing so. The 27-year-old Chechen wrestler combines excellent submission skills with an improving standup game, earning his nickname “Cannibal” by aggressively going after his opponents in the ring.

Spanish standout Daniel Tabera (Pictures) will stand across the ring from Khalidov. The man from seaport city Valencia has been in the game for over six years and has fought all over the world, including Russia, the U.S. and Japan. Despite being a natural middleweight, Tabera has fought all the way up to heavyweight in the past and sported an undefeated record until judges handed him a dubious loss in Russia last spring when he faced Roman Zentsov (Pictures). Even Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures), a training partner to Zentsov, publicly said that he thought that Tabera had won.

Both fighters are recognized among the top five 205-pound fighters in Europe.

“I knew him from M-1 only, but when I saw his record on Sherdog.com, I thought I am glad we will see each other in the ring,” said Khalidov of Tabera. “He is a very good fighter and it will be a very tough bout.”

Tabera seemed in agreement.

“Khalidov has already demonstrated that he is a top fighter, not only because of his amount of victories, but also with the quality of them, so I am sure that this will be a very, very tough fight.”

 

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Overeem-Goodridge goes for Glory

Ever-expanding Dutch promotion Glory (formerly known as Ultimate Glory before a Zuffa lawsuit) is trying to arrange arguably the biggest fight in their two-year history by matching up reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (Pictures) with K-1 and Pride veteran Gary Goodridge (Pictures) at their Nov. 11 show.

Overeem will first face Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at Dream 6 on Sept. 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

“The fight is 90 percent sure,” Overeem said of the Goodridge tilt. “I plan on staying very busy this fall and winter with the upcoming fight against ‘Cro Cop,’ then the bout against ‘Big Daddy’ and a possible battle on New Year’s Eve to top off the year.”

The only stumbling block for a Overeem-Goodridge clash could be Dream offering an even more interesting bout for the 28-year-old kickboxer on the show they are trying to put together in November.

Other bouts also scheduled for Glory’s trail include:

• Dion Staring (Netherlands) vs. Markus Halkossaari (Finnland)
• Alistair Overeem (Pictures) (Netherlands) vs. Gary Goodridge (Pictures) (Trinidad and Tobago)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Evans Steps into Fire against Liddell

Call it the acid test. Gut check. Trial by fire.

Whatever best defines the concept -- that irrevocable moment when a fighter makes a stand and either shows he belongs among the elite or gets swept away by the pressures of the task at hand -- Rashad Evans (Pictures) is almost certain to get a dose of it Saturday night in the UFC 88 main event. For the emerging star of the UFC’s light heavyweight division, taking on Chuck Liddell (Pictures) in Atlanta is the ideal springboard to proving he belongs with the best of the 205-pounders.

For all his accolades -- unbeaten record, season two winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” good-guy image and blue-collar work ethic -- Evans will face unique challenges against the former champion, whose numbing blend of takedown defense and thunderous strikes have rendered many a foe senseless.

Still, Evans sees it as another day at the office, another chance to showcase the incremental progression in his game that helped him hang the first defeat on Michael Bisping (Pictures) and battle to a hard-fought draw with Tito Ortiz (Pictures).

“My wrestling is something I know I’ll be able to use in all my fights. I know Chuck’s good at what he does, and I’ve been working on that problem,” Evans says. “What it comes down to is me imposing my will, no matter what it takes. I can’t go into the fight worrying about what he’s going to do. If I’m worrying about what he’s going to do, then I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do.”

Coming off his triumph on the reality show, where he beat heavyweights on technique and conditioning, Evans has slowly added wrinkles to his game. Since besting Brad Imes (Pictures) by decision in the series finale, “Sugar” has shown steady improvement in each outing, solving various styles and showing a cerebral head for tactics.

His highlight-reel KO of Sean Salmon (Pictures) came thanks to a thundering kick to the head, while he used a ground-and-pound blitz to stop Jason Lambert (Pictures). He also decisioned Stephan Bonnar (Pictures) and Sam Hoger (Pictures), using his wrestling to control both bouts. A former Michigan State wrestler, Evans was rarely in trouble and always seemed to dictate instead of having to react to adversity. But there was always the underlying critical refrain -- how would he do in a battle?

Against Ortiz, Evans gutted out a draw in a back-and-forth scrap that raised almost as many questions as it answered. It was made even more controversial by the point deduction on Ortiz for grabbing the fence. After the Bisping bout -- which landed him another victory in albeit unexciting fashion -- it might be the best of both worlds for Evans to face Liddell. For all his technical prowess, he would pretty much be in the catbird seat and could wipe the slate clean with a win over the hard-hitting “Iceman.”

“I’d be foolish to go in there and think that I’m going to take him down every time,” Evans said. “My stand-up is something I’m always working on.”

Training at Albuquerque, N.M.-based Jackson’s Submission fighting, Evans is part of a team that includes UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (Pictures), Keith Jardine (Pictures) (who upset Liddell by split decision last year), Nate Marquardt, Roger Huerta (Pictures) and a host of other notables.

Jackson believes Evans’ attitude is a big part of why he has progressed since joining the team.

“He’s always been a very intelligent fighter. He’s a real smart guy,” Jackson says. “He had a lot of wrestling and kickboxing ability when I met him. He’s just trying to constantly improve. It makes it easy. He’s always positive. You see him, he smiles, and he’s just fun to be around. He’s fun to coach, and that brings out the best in a coach. When you’ve got an athlete that listens, thanks you and is just a good guy, it makes your job a lot of fun.”

As trainers are wont to do, Jackson demurred from answering specific questions on the tactics involved in taking on Liddell, but there are few mysteries here. You don’t throw fastballs to a homerun hitter, at least not until you’ve got him respecting -- and looking for -- something else. While Evans’ stand-up has progressed from nearly non-existent to serviceable, it’s hard to remember the last time anybody was remotely effective against Liddell without landing good shots.

A former college wrestler, Liddell’s ability to stuff takedowns and pop up from the floor like a jack-in-the-box is legendary. Throw in the wicked penchant for one-shot knockouts, and it can make for a long night, forever missing angles as Liddell circles adroitly, right hand cocked like Wyatt Earp’s six-shooter. Make a mistake, and it’s usually a short one.

While Jardine scored a win over Liddell with a herky-jerky style, mixing in unorthodox strikes and keeping him off-balance, Evans figures there’s only so much he can take from his teammate’s victory. It’s not really a blueprint, he explains, just an affirmation of the possible. He’ll do it his own way, riding the horse that brought him this far.

“I’ve got a pretty good chin. I’m not the type of person who worries about getting hit. I respect his power. If he catches me with a good shot, I’ll hear about it in the locker room,” Evans says. “Our styles are so different. [Jardine] has given me some pointers, but it’s all about execution. I have to go in there and find my own rhythm with Chuck.”

Jackson points to Evans’ last outing -- the three-round decision over Bisping -- as evidence his charge is ready.

“That was a real good fight. Rashad hit a fatigue wall and was able to push through it and fight through stuff,” Jackson says. “Chuck Liddell (Pictures)’s a legend. I have tons of respect for him, and he comes from a great trainer, too. Hopefully, we can do what we want to do.”

Ironically, both men are coming off long layoffs, thanks to a July bout that was nixed by a series of injuries. Originally slated to face Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Liddell saw that match evaporate when the Brazilian dropped out due to injury. Evans was brought in, only to be left without an opponent when Liddell tore his hamstring. James Irvin (Pictures) replaced Liddell and promptly broke his foot jogging. It’s been one of the more twisty paths two fighters have taken en route to throwing down.

Though Liddell looked lackluster in his loss to Jardine at UFC 76, he seemed to recapture the old fire in his high-octane throwdown against Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) in December, taking a unanimous decision in a brutal fight that was one for the ages.

At 38, he still punches with wicked effect and has the conditioning to carry him through a fast-paced battle. Couple that with Evans’ steady improvement with each outing, and you might have the makings of a memorable battle. There’s a special poetry to an up-and-comer trying to make his name on an aged ex-champion, a grizzled veteran unwilling to pass the torch unless it is taken and the price paid in full. Liddell has shown no inclination of leaving the game, and given his hard-nosed showing against Silva, he’s still one of the best -- and most dangerous -- fighters around.

“I love watching Chuck fight. I know how difficult it is to go in there and do something people are expecting you to do, and he was just automatic,” Evans said. “I’d be lying if I said I felt no pressure. You feel pressure every time you fight. I’m going to go out there and enjoy it. This is one of the legends of the sport. I respect Chuck, and I love what he does for the sport. At the same time, I still want to go out there and kick his ass.”

 

[RED HEAD STEVE]

HERE GOES THE COUNTDOWN TO UFC 88 VIDEO

HERE IS A LINK TO WATCH THE FULL COUNTDOWN TO UFC 88 VIDEO
http://mixedmartialartvideos.com/2008/09/03/countdown-to-ufc-88-video/

 

[Shogun Locc]

^^^^^nice

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jeremy Stephens vs. newcomer Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 91

Youngster Jeremy "Lil Heathen" Stephens (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), whose three-fight win streak was snapped with a recent unanimous-decision loss to Spencer Fisher, will meet UFC newcomer and Brazilian fight veteran Rafael dos Anjos (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in November at UFC 91.

The lightweights have agreed to the fight, and bout agreements are expected to be signed shortly, a source close to one of the fighters told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The bout is the latest addition to UFC 91, which takes place Nov. 15 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Stephens, a 22-year-old fighter who won over fans with high-energy victories over Diego Saraiva and Cole Miller, will fight for the first time since his June loss to Fisher. Other than that loss -- and one to Din Thomas in his UFC debut -- the Midwest-based fighter is 11-0 in his past 13 fights with 10 stoppage wins.

He's now preparing for dos Anjos, who's posted a nine-fight win streak competing in Pancrase and the Brazilian-based Fury Fighting Championship, where he holds the organization's lightweight title. Six of the nine victories have come via submission. In his most recent title defense, dos Anjos squeaked by Takafumi Otsuka for a split-decision victory.

The terms of dos Anjos' new contract with the UFC were not immediately available.