M-1 Official: UFC Is WWE of MMA
(mma.fanhouse.com)M-1 USA Vice President Jerry Millen says M-1 is only asking for what is best for the sport.
"The closest thing to it, you've got a basketball and you're at a basketball court -- and I know this sounds silly, but you go to the basketball court with your basketball," Millen tells FanHouse. "And there's a guy there with a pocketful of money and goes 'Hey man, I'm going to buy your ball and you're going to sit in the bench and watch me play ball with your ball.' To me that's a sell-out."
It's not about the money, Millen says, it's about the growth of the sport.
FLORIAN READY TO PROVE EVERYBODY WRONG
(mmaweekly.com)"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying." – Bruce Lee
Steadily climbing the ranks over the last year, top lightweight contender Kenny Florian has stayed as humble as any fighter in the game despite reeling off six wins in a row, and becoming one of the top 155-pound fighters in the world. Still, Florian believes that he had a lot to learn after his win over Joe Stevenson before facing lightweight champion B.J. Penn on Aug. 8 at UFC 101 in Philadelphia.
The future of Tito Ortiz's career "will be made today," UFC media call a coincidence?
(mmajunkie.com)Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, one of the biggest stars in UFC history, hasn't fought since May 2008, but according to a recent MySpace bulletin from the fighter, "The future of my career will be made [today]."
Ortiz posted the bulletin on Thursday night teasing a big announcement that will be made today.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the UFC has a media call planned today in which company president Dana White promises to "break the latest UFC news."
Dan Lauzon and Rafaello Oliveira Sign With UFC, Square Off at UFC 103
(bloodyelbow.com)Two more Affliction cast-offs have found a new home with the UFC, as lightweights Dan "the Upgrade" Lauzon and Rafaello "Tractor" Oliveira have signed with the organization, and will face each other in the Octagon at UFC 103 in Dallas in September. Jason Benfari at FiveKnuckles.com has the report:
A source close to the event has informed FiveKnuckles.com that Dan Lauzon will square off against long time B.J. Penn training partner Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 103 in Dallas, TX. The fight is expected to be announced by Dana White as part of a UFC press conference tomorrow.
M-1: Fedor Not Offered $30 Million
(sherdog.com)M-1 Global is denying a report that Fedor Emelianenko turned down a six-fight $30-million deal this week to join the UFC’s heavyweight ranks.
CBS Radio host Carmichael Dave reported Wednesday that Emelianenko had turned down an agreement that would have paid him $5 million per fight. However, Joost Raimond, CEO for M-1 Global, called the report “completely ludicrous” and said negotiations never even reached the point where the number of fights contracted for Emelianenko was decided.
“I can say that the guaranteed -- and the word ‘guaranteed’ is of great importance here -- the guaranteed offer made by the UFC is less than what Fedor made before,” Raimond said. “The five-million (per fight) is way, way, way out of range. Half of that is even way out of range of what they offered.”
Raimond was not present at the meeting that took place between UFC and M-1 management in Los Angeles earlier this week, but he said he was debriefed shortly afterward. M-1 and UFC officials, including president Dana White, reconvened the next day via teleconference call, where M-1 presented a counteroffer that included co-promotion. No written contact was ever presented.
M-1 President Vadim Finkelstein and Emelianenko were en route to Russia Thursday and could not be reached for comment. UFC officials told Sherdog.com that White is also traveling and their earliest comment would come Friday during a media conference call.
Raimond confirmed that M-1 Global had been presented with the possibility to receive a cut of pay-per-view profits in addition to Emelianenko’s guaranteed pay, but he said no other profit-sharing incentives were presented.
“And there were a number of provisions attached to that offer that made it very much less interesting,” Raimond said.
Many of those provisions involved the branding of M-1 within the UFC organization, according to Raimond.
“We made it clear that Fedor, now and forever is part, even part owner, of M-1 and those two cannot be separated,” Raimond said. “If the rest of M-1 is excluded from any kind of deal, it makes the deal difficult.”
This is from Loretta Hunt... so you take it however you want to.
Bigfoot back at Sengoku 10; eyes the title
(tatame.com)
Owner of three heavyweight belts (EliteXC, Cage Rage and Cage Warriors), Antônio "Bigfoot" Silva is training to return to the Sengoku on September 23, and will have another motivation for the victory. "I have two more fights in Sengoku and, winning this one, that still have no opponent, I should fight for the belt in December. They will create the belt and I will fight for the title", says the American Top Team heavyweight
----I remember mention of this a few months ago...again I say that I would not be happy if they just created a HW belt....they need...correction...MUST do a HW grand prix...and its got to have 16 guys in it...I will sorely dissapointed otherwise
Tamdan McCrory May Move To Middleweight
(411mania.com)Evidently you can't just have a growth spurt as a kid, even as an adult you can have them-they just call it a "man spurt". UFC Welterweight Tamdan McCrory evidently had one recently and he's at that point in life where he's having one, and thus he is considering a move up to Middleweight. And even possibly Light Heavyweight at some point, but he plans to stay at Welterweight as long as possible.
Ishida replaces Thomson, meets Melendez , at August 15th Strikeforce
(mmajunkie.com)Earlier this week MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) conducted an interview with Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson in which we learned the fighter's lingering leg injury could cost him an Aug. 15 fight interim champ Gilbert Melendez.
Despite subsequent reports stating that Thomson (16-2) wouldn't be pulled from the card, a source close to the negotiations today told MMAjunkie.com he hasn't been medically cleared for the fight, and Melendez (15-2) will instead meet Mitsuhiro Ishida (18-5-1).
Update on Fedor offers
(mixedmartialarts.com)According to Chad Dukes of The Lavar Arrington Show With Chad Dukes on 106.7 The Fan and announced on air today, a source apparently is telling him that the deal Strikeforce has offered Fedor Emelianenko and M-1 would be for $1 million per fight: $500k from Strikeforce and $500k from CBS for 6 fights (not sure about what happens when he doesn't fight on CBS or perhaps these are all CBS fights?). Any fight would be co-promoted with M-1 and the contract would be non-exclusive. While I was adamant yesterday about the UFC's offer being excellent for Emelianenko, if these details are true the Strikeforce deal is excellent as well. It certainly isn't as financially lucrative as what the UFC has put together, but the clear obstacle of co-promotion is entirely removed.
Fedor Emelianenko Turns Down Three-Fight UFC Contract
(mma.fanhouse.com)Fedor Emelianenko said on Wednesday that he does not intend to sign a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship unless the UFC agrees to promote fights jointly with Emelianenko's promoter, M-1 Global. Since then, several Web sites have reported that Emelianenko had turned down a six-fight contract with the UFC worth $30 million.
Finkelstein on UFC Talks, Fedor’s Future
(sherdog.com)Vadim Finkelstein discusses negotiations with the UFC and the terms it will take to lock up Fedor Emelianenko in this exclusive video interview conducted after Wednesday's M-1 Global press conference.
Finkelstein also talks about future options for the world’s top heavyweight mixed martial artist.
Doesn't sound good... and what is with not letting Fedor have the contract with Affliction, but have M-1 have the contract with Affliction?
Fedor Emelianenko rejects statement from brother Aleks about true motives of Vadim Finkelchtein
(mmamania.com)By now it’s no secret that former Pride FC Heavyweight Champion and Affliction headliner Fedor Emelianenko is being vigorously pursued by most of the world’s mixed martial arts promotions following the untimely demise of his previous employer, Affliction MMA.
Topping the list of potential suitors is Dana White, president of The Ultimate Fighting Championship, who no doubt sees the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) of all time in his company’s future should he somehow finagle a heavyweight superfight between the Russian Rancor and Zuffa’s pale powerhouse, Brock Lesnar.
Paul 'Semtex' Daley Still in Negotiations with UFC, Others
(mma.fanhouse.com)British welterweight Paul "Semtex" Daley is still in negotiations with a number of promotions and a deal with the UFC has not yet been finalized, contrary to the reports Wednesday of a four-fight deal.
"These reports are premature, we have signed nothing," Daley's manager told FanHouse Thursday morning. "We're in talks with groups, one of whom includes the UFC."
STRIKEFORCE IN THE RUNNING FOR FEDOR
(mmaweekly.com)The CEO of Strikeforce recently returned from a vacation in Italy to find Emelianenko a sudden free agent after the collapse of Affliction. His own event, “Carano vs. Cyborg” on Aug. 15, had encountered a few hiccups as well with injuries and drop-offs, but he is happy with the almost-finalized product.
Jeff Monson Pleads Guilty, Could Get Jail
(411mania.com)MMA Heavyweight Jeff Monson has entered an Alford plea on charges stemming from an incident of spray-painting an anarchist symbol on the Washington State capitol. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes there would be enough evidence to convict if the case went to trial. In addition to paying nearly $22,000 in restitution, prosecutors will recommend 90 days in jail for Monson, who will be sentenced October 1.
The Case Against Fedor Emelianenko Signing With the UFC
(bloodyelbow.com)It’s the David Axelrod graduate school of marketing here, but it also helps to have willing participants ready and able to carry your water. (Carmichael Dave is on KHTK in Sacramento and Dana White is a frequent guest.) Have you noticed how the campaign of information and misinformation online is working to discredit Fedor and try to paint him in a bad light? Look, we know he’s isolated and nothing is going to change and whatever happens for the rest of his career, it will be on him in regards to why he didn’t fight in UFC. If that offends you, then it offends you. Obviously he seems happy with his current business arrangements, so let him go off and do whatever he is going to do.
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