MMA News Thread

  • Wanna Join? New users you can now register lightning fast using your Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
UFC MAKING A PUSH TO OPEN UP NEW YORK STATE

In an effort to open one of the most potentially lucrative U.S. markets for mixed martial arts, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is making its plea to New York politicians in a language they understand – the economy.

With a national recession draining tax revenues in nearly every state of the union, an economic study released on Monday by the UFC shows the fight promotion could generate millions of dollars in economic activity and hundreds of thousands in tax revenue for the Empire State.

The study was authored by HR&A Advisors and commissioned by the UFC.

The study’s findings focused on two centers for event tourism in New York – Buffalo and New York City. The HSBC arena in Buffalo accommodates up to 19,200 people for events, while Madison Square Garden, the preeminent destination for combative sports, holds up to 20,000.

According to the study’s findings, a hypothetical event in Buffalo could generate $5.2 million in economic activity and produce $350,000 in tax revenues for New York State. An event in New York City, presumably at MSG, could generate $11.3 million in economic activity and $917,000 in tax revenues for the state.

The study’s economic figures were culled from data on the spending trends of local and out of town visitors, as well as the UFC and the 300 people it employs for each event.

The findings boast tax revenues from both events could buy textbooks for 15,000 New York schoolchildren and hire five new police officers in Buffalo.

Mixed martial arts has had a controversial past in New York. In 1997, near the height of the UFC’s battle with senator John McCain over its “human cockfighting” image, a bill to regulate the sport was repealed by legislators over controversy arising from UFC 12, which was scheduled to take place in Niagara Falls.

Since then, MMA shows have taken place in New York, but they are unregulated and generally confined to “underground” events promoted by word of mouth. One such event, Underground Combat League, has managed to thrive in New York City as an amateur competition for the last five years.

Recently, legislative bill 1-11485-A, a new proposal designed to regulate the sport, was delayed in June when the state assembly’s Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development committee could not come to a vote on the bill. The delay effectively scrapped the UFC’s plans to hold a December event at MSG.

The committee is scheduled to vote on the bill in January of 2009, and a public hearing to educate committee members and interested parties on its consequences is set for Wednesday. Marc Ratner, former Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and current Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the UFC, plans to be in attendance.

Kirk Hendrick, General Counsel to the UFC, said the idea for the study first arose five months ago after a meeting between UFC representatives and New York State legislators.

“We received not an ounce of opposition during any of those meetings,” Hendrick said.

Still, there appears to be a gap between the bill’s supporters and detractors in the legislature.

Ratner disputed a report on MMAPayout.com that traced June’s legislative difficulties to a labor dispute between Station Casinos and UNITE HERE, a union with strong roots in New York. Station’s former president, Lorenzo Fertitta, is a major stakeholder and executive in the UFC and retains an ownership stake in the casinos.

“Whatever the problem is in the state of Nevada has nothing to do with the sport of mixed martial arts being approved in the state of New York,” Ratner said. “It has no bearing.”

New York State Senator Joe Griffo, a proponent of the new bill who gained firsthand knowledge of the sport through UFC light heavyweight Matt Hamill, is one legislator who is bullish on its arrival in his state.

“It’s long past time to look into officially sanctioning this sport in New York,” he said. “More than two-thirds of the states commission mixed martial arts matches. There are significant tourist and tax revenue dollars flowing to neighboring states who are hosting these events. We need to immediately examine the potential for the sport to thrive here.”

Ratner hopes that a passage of the bill would put the UFC in the Empire State by the third quarter of 2009.

Without a doubt, a market exists for the UFC in New York. The troubled times of New York’s economy may provide the antidote to the reservations of its politicians.

“At a time when the New York economy is in crisis, it would be a mistake for the state to miss out on the considerable revenue that our events would generate,” said Ratner.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Nate Quarry expects UFC 91 fight against Demian Maia to end early

He’s just a great fighter. All of his fights, he’s just looking to finish the whole time. He brings that definite Jiu Jitsu coming at you, gotta tap him out, gotta be working the whole time attitude. I really respect everything he’s done. All his accomplishments in Jiu Jitsu and being undefeated in his fighting career. I think it makes for an exciting fight, especially for the fans. Nobody really wants to see decisions. They want to see the fights end and that’s what both of us are going to try to do.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Randleman may face Barnett at Sengoku 7

UFC and Pride veteran Kevin Randleman may face Josh Barnett at Sengoku 7 on January 4th, hsi team have told Fighters Only.

Having been forced onto the sidelines by various injuries in recent years, Randleman has recently stated that he intends to have as many fights as possible in 2009.

And rumour has it that one of those fights may be with Barnett in January, as Sengoku are struggling to match the Baby-Faced Assassin.

Speaking to Fighters Only earlier, a spokesman for Randleman said: “Kevin is going to focus on light-heavyweight for now.

“But I can see that Sengoku is having trouble getting opponents for Josh, so it is always a possibility.”

Randleman himself said: “After the last few years of setbacks due to injury I just want to fight. I am not picky and not one to turn down an opponent, so I am just looking forward to giving the fans some more great MMA memories to talk about.”

He added that he hopes to return to fighting in America in 2009, as he “cannot wait” to get back in a cage.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Stevenson’s One Angry Underdog

Joe Stevenson cannot understand why people view him as an underdog in his lightweight match with Kenny Florian at UFC 91 “Couture vs. Lesnar” this Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In fact, Stevenson says he has fought -- and beaten -- more formidable opponents in the past.

“There are a few people I fought when I was 17 that I think could beat him,” Stevenson told Beatdown Radio on Wednesday. “I fought people and beat people that are hands down better than him. I’ve got to prove that this weekend.”

Stevenson enters his bout with Florian holding a 29-8 record, with wins in five of his last six fights. Florian, meanwhile, sports a 10-3 mark and has won five straight. Despite a noticeable gap in mixed martial arts experience between the two, Florian remains the betting line favorite (as high as -200) and a popular pick among many fans. That perplexes Stevenson.

“I’m angry that people are making me such an underdog,” he said. “It’s upsetting -- not at Kenny because I think he’s a great guy -- just that the fans of maybe the ‘TUF’ era, as everyone always talks about, are so into what’s in front of them that they’ve forgotten what’s happened in the past.”

Florian raised his stock considerably at UFC 87 in August when he defeated Roger Huerta by unanimous decision. Stevenson, who submitted American Top Team’s Gleison Tibau at UFC 86, sees no comparison between himself and Huerta.

“They compare [me] trying to take the fight down to the ground to Roger and such,” Stevenson said. “Well, I’ve wrestled since I was 11 years old, and I’ve been doing jiu-jitsu since I was 13 years old. I just feel I have a more credible wrestling background than Huerta.”

Stevenson will enter his UFC 91 bout as a newly christened Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Robert Drysdale. Even with Stevenson’s ground acumen, both fighters have their share of submission victories, and Florian -- also a BJJ black belt -- has been known to deliver extensive damage using his elbows. One of those elbows opened a cut on former lightweight champion Sean Sherk during their bout in 2006, and while Sherk left the cage victorious, Florian made sure he did not walk away unscathed.

Interestingly enough, Stevenson views Florian’s reliance on elbows as a sign of weakness.

“It’s pretty cut and dry for me,” he said. “His elbows aren’t fight-ending because of the devastation. I look at it like he’s trying to end the fight with a cut, and I’ve been down that road before. I don’t see it being a problem. If he tries to cut me to win the round or win the fight via stoppage, I look at it as him trying to find a way out, and I’m going to turn it up harder.”

Another question lingers in advance of their lightweight tussle. What will happen if the two contenders exchange standing? Florian owns a definitive height and reach advantage, and he trains under Mark DellaGrotte, one of the world’s premier striking coaches. Stevenson, a man who knows his limitations, does not seem too concerned.

“If I try to reach with him, I’m going to have a tough time in there,” he said. “I think he’s a better outside fighter than a lot of people give him credit for. I’m sure the guy has me by a few inches, but if you sit there and fight the short man’s game, you’re bound to win. I think I’m a better inside fighter.”

Win or lose, Stevenson plans to spend time with his family after the fight. Besides, most eyes in the division are pointed to UFC 94 in January, when 155-pound champion B.J. Penn will move up in weight to challenge welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre. Stevenson, who was soundly defeated by Penn earlier this year, understands the Hawaiian’s motivations.

“B.J.’s a fighter, and he wants to avenge a loss,” Stevenson said. “So whether he comes back down or stays up, I have to focus on what’s in front of me. I give him props for doing that because that’s what fighting is all about. It’s the same thing that any true fighter talks about. We want to be remembered not for ‘What if?’ but for what we did.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Florian Wants Second Shot at Gold

videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Florian-Wants-Second-Shot-at-Gold-1831
Kenny Florian can smell another crack at the UFC lightweight championship, but he realizes he must go through Joe Stevenson first.

Florian will carry a five-fight winning streak into his showdown with Stevenson at UFC 91 this Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. A battle between two former title challengers, the bout figures to solidify the victor as the No. 1 contender for UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn’s belt.

“It’s definitely a big, big fight,” Florian told Sherdog.com in an exclusive video interview. “He’s one of the best fighters out there, I believe. That’s exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want to go out there and just fight anybody. If I was going to fight before a title fight, I wanted it to be against a guy like Joe Stevenson.”

The 32-year-old Florian (10-3) cemented his status as a top contender at 155 pounds when he outpointed the red-hot Roger Huerta at UFC 87 in August. The defeat snapped a 12-fight winning streak for Huerta, who had not been beaten in more than four years.

A Mark DellaGrotte protégé, Florian failed in his bid to capture the UFC lightweight crown in October 2006 when he dropped a unanimous decision to Sean Sherk in a five-round war of attrition at UFC 64. The loss deepened his hunger.

“You don’t realize how bad you want it until you lose an opportunity like that,” Florian said. “Leaving that fight, it hurt a lot. It hurt so bad that I was so close and wasn’t able to get it. All the training I did wasn’t enough. I really became a professional fighter after that fight. Going forward, I’m not going to let that opportunity pass me by now.”

The road to another shot at UFC gold runs through Stevenson (29-8), a former welterweight and a veteran of 37 fights. The 26-year-old rebounded from his bloody UFC 80 tapout loss to Penn with a submission victory against American Top Team’s Gleison Tibau in July.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
UFC 91's Dustin Hazelett finding comfort in cage

Dustin Hazelett is a true student of the fight game – a newly minted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who, instructor Jorge Gurgel will tell you, drills every aspect of his craft for hours on end.

But Hazelett (11-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who meets fellow prospect Tamdan McCrory (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at Saturday's UFC 91 event, hit a learning road block when it came to his professional fights.

Up until his June bout with Josh Burkman, everything that happened in the cage remained a blur. He could remember the outcomes, but what happened blow by blow, minute by minute was mostly a mystery after each contest.

Hazelett's instincts would take over. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing – Hazelett has won four of his six UFC fights – but the 22-year-old wasn't thinking clearly and adapting to the happenings unfolding right in front of him.

That changed when he defeated Burkman at the The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale. A clear-headed Hazelett dazzled as he transitioned from submission attempt to submission attempt, and he won Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses after finishing off Burkman with a slick arm-bar submission in the second round.

"Usually when I look back at fights, I can't remember anything because it's just so instinctive the whole time," Hazelett told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "But when I was thinking about the Burkman fight, I could actually recall things, which means I was thinking the whole time. I was consciously aware of what I was doing.

"That really is going to be a factor in continuing to climb the ladder."

In many ways, the victory over Burkman was Hazelett's break-out performance. Despite never appearing on a UFC televised main card, Hazelett garnered some new attention when the UFC made his fight with Burkman available for free at UFC.com.

But as pleased as Hazelett is about the performance, he knew it could have happened earlier in the year. He specifically points to his UFC 82 fight with perennial contender and former NCAA Division I wrestling champion Josh Koscheck. Hazelett staggered and edged "The Ultimate Fighter 1" alumnus in the first round of their March fight before Koscheck stormed back for a TKO victory in the second.

Hazelett was disappointed by the loss but encouraged that he was beginning to find comfort in the cage.

"In the Burkman fight, I really started finding home in the cage," Hazelett said. "I think some of that was carrying over from the Koscheck fight in that loss. Whatever it was, I really started feeling at home in the cage. I was thinking more. I was thinking more clearly. I didn't have any type of tunnel vision or blockage. I felt very natural in the cage like I do when I'm sparring.

"It was very pressure-less, if that's a word."

Hazelett, a former college student whose fighting career has put school on hold, now prepares for McCrory, a dangerous opponent who's proven resilient in wins over Pete Spratt and Luke Cummo and a loss to Akihiro Gono. Despite weighing 170 pounds, McCrory is a towering 6-foot-4. Hazelett knows the fighter's awkward style is going to require a sharp mine.

"With a guy like McCrory, when he's got the awkward style and awkward timing, it's [a fight] you really need to be able to think clearly about," Hazelett said. "It's like fighting good jiu-jitsu guys. You're going to get in predicaments that you have to think your way out of.

"I'm ready for it."
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
"UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II" officially announced

The Ultimate Fighting Championship today officially announced its Jan. 31 "UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II" event, which takes place Jan. 31 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The main event features a UFC welterweight championship fight between current title-holder Georges St. Pierre and UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn.

The fight, which airs live on pay per view, is a rematch of their March 2006 bout in which St. Pierre earned a split-decision win.

With a victory in the rematch, Penn could become the first fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold belts in two different weight classes.

"This may be the most anticipated rematch in UFC history," UFC President Dana White stated in today's press release. "Their first fight was an epic battle of two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. After that fight, St. Pierre would go on to win the UFC world welterweight title, and Penn would go on to win the UFC world lightweight title."

Although not officially announced, a light heavyweight bout between Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva is expected to take place at UFC 94. Karo Parisyan will look to reclaim contender's status against Dong Hyun Kim, and Stephan Bonnar also meets Jon Jones on the card.

Tickets for for the event go on sale on the UFC's fan club on Thursday. The general public can buy tickets beginning on Sunday.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Sadollah scratched from UFC 91; Hazelett-McCrory to main card

UFC 91 main card participant and "The Ultimate Fighter 7" winner Amir Sadollah has been forced out of his UFC 91 bout with Nick Catone due to a leg infection, the UFC today announced.

With the UFC unable to find a replacement, the middleweight bout has been scratched from the card, which takes place Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Taking the fight's place on the pay-per-view main card is an intriguing welterweight match-up between prospects Dustin Hazelett and Tamdan McCrory.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Jason Lambert latest fighter to drop off the UFC roster

With its fighter roster once again hovering above 180 fighters, the UFC once again finds itself looking to reduce the number of contracted fighters to the organization.

In recent days, news has broken that the company attempted to reduce Fabricio Werdum’s salary and when he did not accept their new offer, a decision was made not to make a counter offer.

In addition to Werdum departing the organization, FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned earlier today that middleweight Jason Lambert is now also a free agent. Soon after hearing the news from our initial source, we were able to confirm the development with Matt Stansell, Lambert’s manager with NCFC Management.

Lambert’s departure comes after he had sustained three consecutive losses while inside the Octagon. His most recent defeat took place at UFC 88 in September, where he was submitted in the second round by Jason MacDonald in his debut as a middleweight.

Prior to UFC 88, Lambert had competed as a light heavyweight and began his UFC career with a 3-0 record with victories against Rob MacDonald, Terry Martin, and Branden Lee Hinkle. His most notable win took place at UFC 68 in March of 2007 during that preceded Randy Couture’s upset unanimous decision victory over Tim Sylvia. Facing Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Lambert scored an upset of his own following a knockout punch delivered at 3:26 of round 2.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
MIKE BROWN: "IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO FOLLOW IN HIS SHOES"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3774.html?PHPSESSID=9686de0f8be85cedc83430dc6def90f1
"It's going to be hard to follow in his shoes. He was a great champion and I hope I can do as well as he did...my gameplan was to have a good defense and hit him hard if I got a chance. That was the plan and that's what I did," stated newly crowned WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown as he talked about his big win over Urijah Faber. Check out what he had to say about the fight, his future plans and much more.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
The Garcia - CSAC Rumor Mill Working Overtime

Since the announcement of Armando Garcia’s resignation as head of the California State Athletic Commission, the have been a multitude of reasons being surmised for his sudden departure. Fightlinker.com has an exhaustive look at the questionable decisions that the CSAC has made while under the supervision of Garcia. Be mindful, this is just for MMA, I imagine a similar list could be made for boxing. In addition to the actual sporting elements where Garcia’s leadership and judgment have been called into question, 15rounds.com has expounded on various ethical questions that have surfaced during Garcia’s tenure.

Garcia had been rumored to be under a “probation” or 90 day review at the time of the resignation, which would fall under the Department of Consumer Affair’s purview. The laundry list of bad boxing and MMA decisions, ethical questions, and a possible litigation situation coming out of the ProElite license suspension seems to have lead to an untenable situation where a move finally had to be made with respect to Garcia.

The rumor is that the interim contenders for his job are Frank Munoz or Bill Douglas. Dean Lohouse is a possible replacement as well, but he may be too closely associated with Armando’s reign to fill the role of interim leader.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
After police academy, Matt Grice expecting UFC return in early 2009

Matt Grice, a UFC lightweight who recently put his fighting career on hold to attend his local police academy, has graduated from the program and plans to return to the UFC in early 2009.

Grice (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), a former University of Oklahoma wrestler, hasn't fought since October 2007 and will likely take a warm-up fight in a smaller organization before his return to the octagon, Scott Newell, Grice's manager, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

"The UFC has granted him the ability to take a tune-up fight locally to help knock the rust off after the 13-month layoff," Newell said. "Then, they have told him, that as soon as he is ready to just let them know and they will have him a fight."

Grice, who attended OU on a full wrestling scholarship (but saw limited activity because of injuries sustained in a car accident), debuted in April 2007 at UFC 70, where he faced a patient Terry Etim. Grice was shot out of a canon at the opening bell, displaying the type of strength and speed that made him a rare four-time state wrestling champion in high school.

His ground and pound was relentless, but after returning to their feet, Etim locked in a standing guillotine choke that Grice barely survived. He wasn't as lucky a few seconds later; Etim was successful on the second attempt and forced the tap-out.

Grice, though, returned six months later to face highly touted PRIDE veteran Jason Black. The back-and-forth bout was initially ruled a draw, but after a recount, it was determined that Grice had actually earned the decision win. The 27-year-old picked up a $40,000 Fight of the Night bonus for the effort.

Soon after the victory, though, Grice spoke to UFC Vice President of Talent Relations Joe Silva. He had a request; the new and proud father of a baby girl had been accepted into the Oklahoma City Police Department academy, and thinking about his longtime future, Grice wanted to enter the nearly year-long program to become a police officer.

Silva and the UFC obliged, and a scheduled fight with Gray Maynard in January was scratched so Grice could pursue his new career.

"He is still under contract," Newell said. "[They just] froze it until he completed his job requirements."

Graduation from the policy academy came in July, and his additional training will tie him up until next month. But the law enforcer could be in the cage by year's end and back in the UFC early next year.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
BURKMAN SIDELINED INDEFINITELY WITH BACK INJURY

Following his third loss in a row in the UFC, Josh Burkman has decided to take some much needed time off to repair a serious back injury. The injury is similar to those suffered by other fighters such as Tito Ortiz and Nate Quarry.

Burkman spoke exclusively to MMAWeekly.com about the injury, which he originally suffered during his fight against Dustin Hazelett at the moment when he slammed his opponent to the mat. He then felt a numbness striking down his arm that lasted for a week after the fight was over.

“This is the first time in my career I’ve got to seriously be like I’ve got to get this better. I’ve got to take some time off,” Burkman said.

The injury consists of two bulging discs in his back and another bulging disc in his neck, and the Utah native is hopeful for a natural rehab, but may have to consider surgery if the healing doesn’t happen.

“I want to try to heal it naturally first so I’m going to do a lot of yoga, and basically going to do some physical therapy, and see what we can do with it,” commented Burkman. “It’s pretty bad, it’s causing me to have arthritis in my back.

“The rehab that we’re going to do is at least six weeks. And that’s six weeks of rehab and not going in and screwing my back up again. I’m going to start with that and it just depends on what option I go with.”

The constant pain and injury followed into his training camp for the fight against Pete Sell in which Burkman was unable to work any real ground training due to his problematic back.

“I wasn’t able to wrestle, because every time I wrestled I’d be out for two days,” he said.

Since his back problem was diagnosed, Burkman has stayed in close contact with friend and training partner Tito Ortiz, who suffered a similar injury that forced him into surgery last month after the nagging problem caused him ailment for years.

“I just talked to Tito Ortiz and Tito told me how he did his NuVasive, the same thing that Nate Quarry did, and he did that four weeks ago,” stated Burkman. “Tito’s rehab on that is about six months, but he’s really happy with it. He’s excited about how he’s feeling, and I think that’s the same thing that happened to Tito, the same thing that happened to me over the last couple fights.”

Ortiz’s back problems have stretched back all the way before his loss in the UFC to Randy Couture and Burkman noticed the changes in his training regimen even before he dealt with his own injury.


“I used to watch old videos of Tito training and when I was up in Big Bear I was like ‘why don’t you do this anymore, and why don’t you do this anymore’ and he was like ‘I can’t do that anymore,'” Burkman said. “We’d wrestle for one day and Tito would be out for two days (after that). Once those nerves get pinched and they get pinched over and over, it really starts to cause a lot of problems.”

The former “Ultimate Fighter” season two competitor is hopeful that his back will recover with regular therapy, but he will also have to eliminate much of his MMA training during that time because of the stress on his back. He has also stated that he plans to turn back to old friends Tito Ortiz and Nate Quarry for advice if surgery is called for.

As far as Burkman’s fight career, he is more focused on his health right now, but plans on coming back when the time is right.

“That’s something that’s in the air,” Burkman said about his future with the UFC. “I’m definitely probably not in the best position. I’ve lost three fights in a row. Even though I don’t feel like I lost to (Mike) Swick, and the crazy armbar (vs. Dustin Hazelett), the bottom line is I’ve lost three in a row.

“My contract’s up with the UFC, once I get healthy I’ll figure that out.”

Burkman promises his fans that while he may drop out of sight for a while, he will keep working hard and be back with a renewed body that’s ready for a fight.

“I think this injury is a blessing in disguise. I’ll go back, I’ll get healthy, and I’m going to come back stronger than ever.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
MANAGER CLARIFIES FABER'S "$14,000" PAY DAY

When Urijah Faber lost his fight to Mike Brown at WEC 36 last week, just about everybody saw their collective jaws drop as one of the top featherweight in the world fell to defeat for the first time in over two years.

Fans were just as stunned to see the official payouts from that event and learn that based on his contractually obligated fight agreement; Faber only earned $14,000 for his efforts.

On Monday night, Faber’s manager, Mike Roberts of MMA Inc. addressed the pay situation when appearing on MMAWeekly Radio.

“Absolutely not. Not even close,” Roberts answered when asked if $14,000 was all that Faber was paid. “That was an accurate statement of the check he received that night. Some contractual issues came up after the September fight was postponed and that $14,000 was the remaining balance of what was owed to him. That is not what he made.”

Payments are routinely paid to fighters for things such as “Fight of the Night” and “Knockout of the Night” not to mention extra bonuses paid to fighters for outstanding performances – such as that of Leonard Garcia who received an extra pay bonus for his win over Jens Pulver – despite not picking up one of the usual bonuses paid out following an event. In short, what is paid to a fighter on his bout agreement as filed with athletic commissions isn't always the total compensation that an athlete receives.

Roberts also explained that his fighter is still under an older contract signed with the promotion, but also that the WEC has always been good to arguably their most popular fighter in Urijah Faber.

“Keep in mind Urijah’s still fighting off an old contract, but Urijah’s been well taken care of for the last couple fights,” Roberts commented.

With an extremely marketable style and demeanor, Faber can also expect big things in his future contracts with the organization.

“They take good care of Urijah and going forward I know they’re going to take even better care of him,” Roberts said in closing.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Improprieties surrounding the impending resignation of Armando Garcia begin to surface

Explosive new allegations surrounding the impending departure of outgoing California State Athletic Commission executive director Armando Garcia are now coming to light.

CSAC will convene on Tuesday, November 18, and according to a meeting agenda posted on the commission’s website, Garcia’s resignation will be formally accepted at that time. According to a report by 15ounds.com, Garcia’s resignation comes under dubious circumstances, as he was given the ultimatum to either resign or be terminated.

In an article titled “Hi There, Welcome to Wal-Mart” authored by 15rounds.com writer Michael Swann, it is alleged that Garcia was the recipient of illegal gifts and is currently mired in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought forth against him by a formal employee.

At the root of the allegations that Garcia received illegal gifts is a claim made in a prior investigation by 15 Rounds that Garcia violation of Chapter 18, Article 6308 of the Professional Boxing Act of 1996. The site has spoken to former CSAC staffers that claimed it “was common practice for (Garcia) to accept gifts and lunches.”

While the accusations of accepting gifts on an illegal basis are serious, 15 Rounds indicates that Garcia is currently being sued for sexual harassment by a former CSAC office technician named Lily Galvez.

“…Galvez, was observed ‘hand feeding’ Armando and adjusting his attire at events, in the office, and in the field,” Swann writes. “She also accompanied him on trips. In itself this is third party harassment because others in the office could question perceived favoritism because they chose not to fulfill his every whim.”

Swann adds that Galvez broke off the relationship but that Garcia continued to pursue her.

Swann also raises allegations that Garcia operated a hostile work environment and that he irresponsibly handled state funds, placing as much as $350,000 without accounting in an unlocked filing cabinet.

Attempts by FiveOuncesOfPain.com to contact Armando Garcia through the California State Athletic Commission were unsuccessful.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Ratner Responds to UFC v. Unite Here

During yesterday’s conference call on the potential economic impact of UFC events in New York state, Marc Ratner commented on MMAPayout.com’s earlier report on Unite Here and their efforts to hamstring legalization of MMA:

Ratner disputed a report on MMAPayout.com that traced June’s legislative difficulties to a labor dispute between Station Casinos and UNITE HERE, a union with strong roots in New York. Station’s former president, Lorenzo Fertitta, is a major stakeholder and executive in the UFC and retains an ownership stake in the casinos.

“Whatever the problem is in the state of Nevada has nothing to do with the sport of mixed martial arts being approved in the state of New York,” Ratner said. “It has no bearing.”

The UFC’s decision not to recognize these efforts is understandable, but the record is clear regarding the union’s involvement. As MMAPayout.com reported in October, Unite Here, a hotel employees union with no discernible link to MMA, registered to lobby on the topic of MMA in NY. Furthermore, it submitted a letter opposing the legalization of MMA in New York, the only correspondence received by the committee, in addition to other less public efforts.

That being said, labor politics certainly shouldn’t have any bearing on the regulation of MMA in New York and as the endgame approaches on the issue the union’s role should be greatly diminished.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Cause for Concern?: Countdown to UFC 91 Rating

MMAPayout.com has learned that the premiere of Countdown to UFC 91 on Spike drew only 537,000 viewers last night. That number is 11.7% below the average of 608,083 viewers drawn by the first twelve editions of the series this year. The program aired at 11PM EST in hopes of taking advantage of WWE Raw as a lead-in.

Based on MMAPayout.com’s formula for predicting pay-per-view buys based on Countdown viewership, UFC 91 would be expected to draw only 468,801 buys. While the actual pay-per-view number is virtually certain to be well exceed that projection, the rating is a troubling early sign for the UFC’s hopes of surpassing one million buys given the past strong correlation between Countdown viewership and pay-per-view buys.

At the time of its announcement Couture-Lesnar was widely expected to top one million pay-per-view buys, however, in recent weeks questions have emerged concerning the UFC’s promotional push. Dana White has publicly stated that this fight sells itself and again predicted today on ESPN that the event would draw 1.2 million buys, breaking the company’s current record of just over one million buys for UFC 66.

The event has received more mainstream media coverage, particularly from ESPN, than most UFC events, however, not to the level of coverage UFC 66 or UFC 71.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Escape from EliteXC: The Legal Strategy

As the attempted auction of ProElite fighter contracts by Showtime on November 17th draws near, there are sure to be a flurry of legal proceedings and attacks being launched by all parties involved. MMAPayout.com has obtained documents detailing one fighter’s strategy for liberation from ProElite, using legal precedents and CSAC bylaws to make the case for the voiding of his ProElite/EliteXC contract.

The fighter in question is looking to use California law and past precedent in George Foreman Associates LTD vs George Foreman and Oscar De La Hoya vs Top Rank Inc, both of which require going before CSAC to obtain its approval of the contract and Section 230 of CSAC regulations which requires contracts to be done using official CSAC forms as well as any blanket contracts (multi-bout agreements) necessitating Commission approval.

According to the document obtained by MMAPayout.com, said fighter is arguing that such approval was never sought or obtained from the commission, ProElite never had the contracts executed before the commission, and never filed them with the commission. The fighters lawyers argue that such failure leaves the contract void and unenforceable.

The document also argues that the suspension of the ProElite license activates a CSAC code that prohibits a fighter from having any dealings with any person or club that is currently under suspension, thereby voiding the contract.

An alternative theory presented in the document is that the contract is a personal services contract and under California law cannot be assigned without the consent of the parties thereto, with case law being put forth that supports this contention.

On the other side of the coin, some things indicate the agents for the fighters may have an uphill battle. ProElite in its filings (PELE.PK) was Sarbanes-Oxley compliant. There was full PUBLIC disclosure about its financial situation. It used its fighter contracts as leverage and pledged them as an asset. This is all in the public files.

The argument for this tack goes that ProElite isn’t/wasn’t a private company that made these contracts in bad faith. The agents knew or could have known that the organization is in financial peril. How do you have a two year contract with a company that says it has less then 6 months of capital? The time to challenge the contract may have been when the company made that 8k disclosure.

However the contracts are adjudicated, lawyers are one sure-fire winner as there will doubtless be many billable hours put in between now and next Monday.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41
Schilt Wants MMA Fight On NYE

At the K-1 reserve fights press conference today FEG’s Sadaharu Tanigawa said that Semmy Schilt wants to fight in an MMA rules fight at Dynamite!! on December 31st. Schilt’s next goal might be to capture the DREAM Heavyweight belt.
 
Feb 7, 2006
13,049
2
0
41