Date: April 2nd, 2011 Location: Uncansville, CT Venue: Mohegun Sun Arena Broadcast: MTV 2 Broadcast Time: 9:00 PM ET
We are betting all the fights from this point on.
Main Card:
Bellator Lightweight Championship Bout: Eddie Alvarez (c) (21-2-0) vs. Pat Curran (12-3-0)
Welterweight Semi Final Bout: Lyman Good (11-1-0) vs. Rick Hawn (10-1-0)
Lightweight Semi Final Bout: Patricky Freire (8-1-0) vs. Toby Imada (29-15-0)
Welterweight Bout: Ben Saunders (9-3-2) vs. Matt Lee (13-9-1)
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Rules & Payouts:
1) This pool requires that you pick a fighter to win for each fight.
2) If 2 players are tied for 1st Place, they will split the 1st & 2nd Place awards, leaving only the 3rd Place award for any other player or players in 3rd Place.
3) If 3 or more players are tied for 1st Place, they will split the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place awards, and there will be no 2nd or 3rd place winner.
4) The pool closes April 2nd, 2011 at 9:00PM East Coast time.
"I want to be someone so I have some sort of leverage. I don't want to be the next disposable 155-pounder who can be thrown out the window if he has a loss or two. I want to make myself indispensable and make a name for myself before I ever negotiate with a company like [the UFC]... I'm one of the top paid 155ers in the world. I don't know if anybody knows that, but now you do... I can't tell my three kids, 'Hey, daddy's going to take a shot and take a risk and take a paycut and hopefully I make it. It's got to be more than that for me. I got to secure myself and secure my family... I'm going to do the right thing to become No. 1. That's one of my main concern, but it's also to protect my financial security with my family too."
In an interesting quote pulled from mmafighting.com's "The MMA Hour" current Bellator champion, Eddie Alvarez, gives us some rare insight into his thoughts and decision making process. While he remains one of the lone top 10 fighters not signed by ZUFFA he has opted to stick it out with his divisional home of Bellator instead of gain more main stream acceptance and test himself against the best fighters in the world.
In fighting, it appears there are two schools of thought. 1: Fight for the money or 2: Fight for the challenge. It appears that "Mr. Bellator" has opted for option one, which you can't blame him for. It will be interesting to see what his base salary from Bellator actually is and maybe one day they will put on a fight in a disclosure state that will require the release of paydays to fighters. Until that time comes, we can only take Eddie's word for it, that he is indeed one of the top paid guys in his division.
Still 13 weeks out from his rematch with BJ Penn at UFC 132, Jon Fitch has pulled out of the fight due to a training injury.
Sources close to the UFC confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Wednesday. Word of Fitch's withdrawal from the bout was first reported by MMA Weekly.
There is no word yet on a possible replacement for Fitch. The fight was expected to determine the top contender for the UFC welterweight title currently held by Georges St-Pierre.
Though sources could not confirm to MMA Fighting the nature of Fitch's injury, ESPN reported Wednesday it involved the welterweight's shoulder.
Fitch (23-3-1, 1 NC, 13-1-1 UFC) and Penn (16-7-2, 12-6-2 UFC) fought to a majority draw at UFC 127 in Sydney last month when two judges scored the fight 28-28, giving Penn the first and second rounds, and a 10-8 to Fitch in the third. One judge scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Fitch.
The UFC announced the rematch for its July 2 card in Las Vegas less than two weeks ago. It was expected to serve as the co-main event on a card that now features a bantamweight title fight between champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Urijah Faber.
But UFC officials told MMA Fighting no decision has been made regarding Penn on the UFC 132 card with a potential new opponent, or if he will wait to face a healthy Fitch at a later event.
Just one day after the NSAC officially issued a temporary suspension of Thiago Silva for his UFC 125 urine sample being "inconsistent with human urine", Silva has issued a statement admitting the use of a banned substance, as well as the use of an "adulterant" to falsify the results. In a statement given to MMAJunkie.com, Silva stated
"We make decisions every day of our lives," Silva stated. "Some are good and some are bad. When you make a bad decision, you can either make the situation worse by trying to cover it up or lie about it or just stick your head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge it even happened, or you can own up to it with an honest explanation, accept the consequences of your actions, apologize to the people affected by it, learn from it and move on. I'm choosing the second option."
"I used a urine adulterant when giving a sample following my fight with Brandon Vera," Silva said. "I did so in an attempt to alter the results of the test and knowingly broke the rules of the Nevada Athletic Commission. This was a terrible decision on my part for which I will be punished. I am prepared to accept this punishment, learn from it and move on. I apologize to the Commission, the UFC, Brandon Vera and the MMA fans."
Silva's "A" sample for his pre-fight drug screening at UFC 125: Edgar vs. Maynard, was under investigation by the NSAC as further testing on his "B" sample was done. Silva stated that he didn't want to offer an excuse, but would rather try to explain his actions and the decisions he made.
"I do want to explain the circumstances behind my actions," Silva said. "Please do not interpret this as an attempt to justify my actions. I know they were wrong and I know I made bad decisions and I know I deserve to be punished. That is why I began my statement with an admission and an apology before going into these details. This is not an excuse, only an explanation.
We all recall the dynamic Octagon Girl duo that kicked off our interest in the UFC promotion, Amber Nicole and Rachelle Leah. But somewhere along the way, Nicole dropped off and we got this threesome: Rachelle Leah, Arianny Celeste, Ali Sonoma
Then we sadly lost Leah to television hosting gigs and for some brief period that I don’t even recall, we got this threesome: Anne Rivera, Arianny Celeste, Ali Sonoma
Where Are They Now? — A Brief History of Zuffa Buying Its Competition
(“The world, chico. And everything in it.”) BY MATTHEW “THE FIGHT NERD” KAPLOWITZ The more I think about it, the less faith I have in it. “Business as usual” seems to be the motto for the UFC after their historic purchase of Strikeforce. It came as a surprise to all of us when Ariel Helwani held the mic under Dana White’s chin to reveal an acquisition that made many MMA fans’ stomachs tie themselves into knots. Some fans reacted positively to Zuffa’s latest splurge, citing that the best talent would now be under one roof and that all the fights we have been dying for can finally come true. Older fans like myself were more than skeptical; we had seen this before and we knew the chances of this situation being any different were as slim as Gina Carano making weight for a fight on her first attempt. Let’s take a quick jump into the way-back machine and look at the previous transactions of Zuffa and see what has happened to other companies that were scooped under its umbrella, starting with their most important purchase… Zuffa buys the UFC – 2001 Station Casino owners Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta joined forces with young entrepreneur (and former aerobics-instructor) Dana White in 2001 to make a purchase that would end up changing the course of sports history. White convinced the Fertittas to buy the assets to the UFC, which in 2001 was still black-listed from television and seemingly on its last legs. Bob Meyrowitz, owner of the UFC, along with Semaphore Entertaintment Group, sold Zuffa the rights to all of the intellectual properties of the UFC for $2 million. At the time, it was a risky investment at that price, but now, it’s more than a bargain. Nonetheless, Zuffa pushed on and begun the battle to legalize MMA around the country and get the sport back on pay-per-view. They finally returned to PPV with UFC 33, which turned out to be disastrous, as the show cut off during the main event. The company pushed on and began to find success with stars like Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture. Things took a turn in the right direction in 2005 when Spike TV aired the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. The reality show introduced a whole new audience to the sport (for better or worse, to many hardcore fans), and opened up opportunities that were once unfathomable for the company. With ‘UFC’ quickly becoming the household name for MMA, it was time for the strategic acquisitions to begin, along with the rest of our sordid tale. The WFA Purchase – 2006 The first company to be devoured was The World Fighting Alliance, which was originally run by former UFC fighter John Lewis. The WFA was one of the first officially sanctioned MMA shows in the state of Nevada, and initially ran shows in Las Vegas nightclubs. This plan did not work too well, and the company was thought to have gone extinct in 2005. Instead, a new batch of investors came on board, and in 2006 the WFA ran their comeback show, titled “King of The Streets.” The pay-per-view event was headlined by Quinton Jackson against Matt Lindland, and the comeback fight of Bas Rutten, who had not fought since he won the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 20. The show was enough of a success to warrant a sequel event, but plans were changed on December 11, 2006, when Zuffa acquired the assets of the company and select fighters contracts. Who were those fighters? Well, the most notable at the time was Quinton Jackson, whose WFA appearance was his first since his long stint in Pride FC. The UFC also grabbed a young Lyoto Machida, as well as Martin Kampmann, Marvin Eastman, and Heath Herring to name a few of the 30 contracted fighters who were up for grabs. Who was not absorbed by the UFC? Number one was Matt Lindland, who has had a tense history with Zuffa since 2005. Other fighters who were on the outs included Ricco Rodriguez, Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Bas Rutten, although Bas returned to retirement after his comeback fight. The UFC also acquired the WFA tape library, which was used to promote Jackson’s UFC debut but has never been seen since then. When you look at the history of Zuffa’s future purchases, the WFA seems like a drop in the bucket. Most speculated that the company was acquired solely to gain Jackson’s contract so they could eventually promote a rematch with Chuck Liddell. Another motivator was probably that Pro Elite was slowly on the rise and the UFC wanted to prevent them and Showtime from joining forces and becoming competition.
The IFL kicks the bucket- 2008 The IFL had a broken relationship with the UFC from day one, with many legal battles during their lifespan (partly based on Randy Couture’s involvement with them). Contrary to a popular conspiracy theory, Zuffa did not secretly buy out the IFL, which was run by Kurt Otto and Gareb Shamus. The IFL essentially died of natural causes, which in big business terms means lack of investors and funding. The most obvious ploy that showed their financial troubles was the promotion of their six-sided ring, “The Hex”, which never had an official debut. While many IFL fighters ended up being signed by the UFC or WEC, others later found themselves in Affliction’s MMA shows. But the assets of the company were actually purchased by Mark Cuban of HDNet in October, 2008. Cuban bought all the intellectual properties of the company, which included their tape library, trademarks, and TV deals for $650,000. Not much exists from the IFL anymore other than a terribly outdated Youtube page that reminds us of how awesome the company was, even with the team-based concepts. Besides, without them we would never have known about Roy Nelson, Dan Miller, Jay Hieron, Wagnney Fabianno, Chris Horodecki, Bart Palaszewski and many others. The Affliction debacle – 2009 Everyone’s favorite high-end T-shirt company and clothing trendsetter, Affliction had a falling out with the UFC in early 2008, which led the apparel brand to throw their hat into promoting MMA, beginning in July 19 with “Affliction: Banned”, a blatant poke at their sour relationship with Zuffa. For what they were worth, Banned and its sequel, “Day of Reckoning”, were good events, even if they were marred with poor TV productions. Their roster included many UFC alumni such as Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Matt Lindland, and Vitor Belfort, Pride FC outcasts like Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett, and others who had suffered from the death of the IFL and Pro Elite like Savant Young, Jay Hieron, Vladimir Matyushenko, and Paul Buentello. Affliction’s third and final show — which to be fair wasn’t actually their finale since it did not even happen — turned into an epic disaster. With Barnett testing positive for steroids and being forced out of the main event against Fedor Emelianenko, and the promoters not being confident they would have enough time to promote a new main event in a week, the show was cancelled at the eleventh hour. Many of the fights that were booked wound up in other companies as the fighters quickly found new homes elsewhere. Affliction and the UFC soon announced their intent to work together again, with Affliction no longer promoting MMA events and becoming an official UFC sponsor once again. Neither of Affliction’s two MMA shows were ever released on DVD or seen beyond their intial pay-per-views runs, although the UFC did run a snippet of Belfort’s fight against Matt Lindland to promote his return to the octagon at UFC 103. And that brings us to the present day… The Strikeforce Purchase – 2011 On March 12 of this year, the news broke that Zuffa had acquired Strikeforce. “Strikeforce is going to continue to run — business as usual.” White told Ariel Helwani, “There are contracts in place, and we honor contracts. These guys pull good ratings on Showtime, and all of those contracts are going to be honored. These guys are going to remain Strikeforce fighters.” As of now, there will be no co-promoting between the two leagues, and Zuffa will honor Strikeforce’s current TV deals. If Strikeforce remains successful, the company will allegedly live on. From a business perspective, this would make little sense even with Zuffa owning both entities. The goal is to brand UFC as the leader in MMA, and having another company vying for top talent works against them. In reality, Strikeforce became a viable option to add to Zuffa’s portfolio, being its most successful competitor since Pride FC. The future is still very uncertain, and we are now forced to just wait and see how things turn out. Are hardcore fans just being bitter and pessimistic, or are newer fans simply being naïve? Could be a little of both, but for the time being it really is “business as usual,” and we should enjoy it while we can.
Sneaky Americans! UFC buys Strikeforce behind Vadim Finkelchtein's back
Perhaps the cold war isn't over after all -- at least not between the MMA superpowers. After nearly three months of closed door negotiations, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker was able to find a suitable buyer for his San Jose-based fight promotion after his investors expressed an interest in getting out of the fight game and back to the business of ice hockey. UFC President Dana White shocked the MMA world back on March 12 when he revealed that Zuffa, parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), was the proud new owner of what was widely considered the world's number two fight promotion. Count M-1 President and Strikeforce co-promoter Vadim Finkelchtein among those taken by surprise. "All I can say is that everybody handles their business in their own way" Finkelchtein told Championat.ru (via LowKick.com). "This deal was a total surprise to me, since it was done behind our back. I didn't know anything about the course of any negotiation [between ZUFFA and Strikeforce]. Nevertheless, it wouldn't have any sort of effect on M-1 as a company, and on Fedor Emelianenko as a fighter. We will continue to operate in the same way we did before ... I didn't speak to Scott Coker about it. And to tell you the truth, I don't think the topic will surface up when we meet. If he ever wanted to discuss this deal, he would tell me about it a while ago, at its early stage ... [Co-promoting with the UFC is] not something that is up to us. If the UFC would like to work with us, we are ready to consider their offer. I said not once that we are interested in working with this company, so we'll see." At this time, no changes to either promotion are expected and Strikeforce will continue to operate as a separate entity from its new parent company. For now. "Business as usual," according to White, but that doesn't mean the wheels aren't still turning behind the scenes. Unfortunately there isn't much they can do with Finkelchtein's most valuable asset, heavyweight attraction Fedor Emelianenko, who is contracted by the Showtime network. Zuffa is not expected to pursue a renewal of the Showtime deal when it expires in 2014. What then? Will Finkelchtein head back behind the iron curtain to continue to push his M-1 brand of MMA across Europe? Will Fedor Emelianenko retire? And was Finky left out of the loop on purpose? What say you?
"There's one fight left on my UFC contract. I will have this fight, regardless of what the reporters think. However, there's a possibility that the UFC will insist on not allowing me to fight. I will accept their decision. It's time to retire, despite the fact that I want to continue. Next year, it will be 20 years since my first fight... I had a great career, and I don't regret anything. But I don't want to finish it defeated... I'm very sorry. I was more than ready for my last two fights, but still, I was unable to see the punches coming. I would like to apologize to all my fans. Believe me, I'm also very disappointed... There's no other options. UFC is a monopoly. Soon, they'll swallow Strikeforce, so I have basically nowhere to go. The Japanese market is dead, DREAM is dead, and the tragedy in Japan annihilated all the other Japanese MMA promotions."
Fresh off the heels of his UFC 128 defeat, Mirko Cro Cop tells the media (via lowkick.com) that he does not want to hang them up but if the UFC forces him out of the promotion (as Dana White has hinted at) than he will have no option other than retirement. Since the UFC's acquisition of Strikeforce many have called the MMA giant the NFL of MMA. Now owning the contracts of all top 10 fighters across all divisions with very few exceptions the UFC can control the fate of a fading fan favorite such as Mirko. While many say this is good for the sport, what about the fighters that feel they still have something to give to fans across the globe?
While the ‘Three strikes and you’re out’ philosophy holds true in many circles, it appears UFC president Dana White is leaning towards keeping Dan Hardy inside of his Octagon after posting his third consecutive loss. Exactly one year ago today, Hardy challenged welterweight king Georges St-Pierre for his crown at UFC 111. Fast forward 365 days and the slugger now finds himself in the midst of a three-fight skid. Although the likeable Brit hit the magic number following Saturday night’s unanimous decision defeat to Anthony Johnson, White suggested nothing is set in stone. “Not necessarily,” White told MMAJunkie of cutting ties with Hardy. “We’ll have to wait and see. I [expletive] love that kid.” Hardy owns an impressive 23-9 professional record, with 15 of his wins ending before the final horns have sounded. In addition to his charismatic ways, the 28-year-old also hails from Nottingham, England, and our neighbors across the pond love them some Dan Hardy. The former top contender didn’t attend the post-fight press conference. However, he did thumb out a message on his Twitter account. “Disappointed and angry, but physically ok. Thanks for the support everyone,” Hardy tweeted immediately following the loss
Chan Sung Jung submits Leonard Garcia with a never-before-seen Twister
Chan Sung Jung submits Leonard Garcia with a never-before-seen (inside the Octagon) "twister" at UFC Fight Night 24 (Pic). "The Korean Zombie" learned the technique watching Eddie Bravo on YouTube, saying that he practiced it often because it "just looks fun." Indeed
The Korean Zombie Bandwagon Reloads, And Other Fair-Weather Tales
The Korean Zombie Bandwagon Reloads, And Other Fair-Weather Tales
3/27/2011 1:55 PM ET By Mike Chiappetta If you think the stock market trades on emotion and snap judgments, what about the world of MMA, where this morning's prodigy is tomorrow morning's garbage? It would be comical to see the seismic opinion shifts that take place before and after events if it wasn't so sad. Complaints are plentiful about how quick the UFC and other organizations are to cut fighters who lose two or three in a row, yet is there any greater sense of loyalty shown from other quarters of the MMA world?
Here's the thing about being a pro fighter: it's hard. Your body gets beat down, your confidence betrays you at times. The media and fans openly question you, your commitment, you endurance, and your all-around game. Matchmakers stick you in the cage with opponents that are good at the things you're not so good at.
Where is a fighter's safe harbor? Look, we're not supposed to like everything shoved down our throats. There are performances that deserve to be booed, and fighters who are difficult to appreciate. There are style clashes that lead to stalemates. But the wild, overreactive swings from one fight to the next make me feel that a dramamine prescription wouldn't be a bad idea.
Let's take a look at a few examples, just from last night.
"Phil Davis Stinks" In the wake of Jon Jones' rousing title win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, everyone began looking to Phil Davis as the next "next big thing." He was going to be the man to give Jones a challenge, the one that could match his wrestling prowess and catch up to his creativity. Davis actually won last night, but the reaction around the MMA world seems to be somewhat negative.
Come again? The guy just beat a fighter with a decade of experience, and that's a step backward?
Keep in mind this was his fifth fight in 13 months. That's training camp after training camp after training camp. Regardless of the fact that he's just 26 years old, that's a physical grind the body just isn't designed to take. And all the while, he's been trying to improve his overall skills while preparing for an opponent's individual fight style. Kind of a tall order, don't you think?
Davis -- who took the fight on short notice, by the way -- said afterward he was "falling apart" in camp and didn't always know whether he would be able to go through with it. He's earned himself a long layoff to get healthy, work on his overall game and come back strong. If he just beat a fresh Little Nog on short notice with a beat-up body, how much better do you think he'll be after taking some time off to let his body heal?
Maybe in some ways this win is a blessing. When he returns healthy, the expectations will be more modest, and he'll have a better chance of exceeding them. Either way, Davis is going to be just fine.
"Anthony Johnson Lied about His Gameplan" Just a few days before their fight, both Anthony Johnson and Dan Hardy promised they'd stand in the cage and swing at each other until someone dropped. But once the fight started, Johnson threw a changeup, taking Hardy down four times in a fairly one-sided unanimous decision.
Not surprisingly, the reaction for it wasn't too positive. Sure, there is something to be said for Johnson planting the seed of expectation affecting the reaction, but let's be honest, how many fighters talk honestly about their game plans? Most fighters don't talk much about their plan at all, and Johnson isn't the first to say he was going to do one thing and then do something else. After all, misdirection is a valuable tool for fighters not just in the cage, but with words.
This is a guy who hasn't fought in 16 months. He wanted to feel winning again, and he was going to do whatever he needed to get it. Johnson has never been known as a boring fighter. In fact, this was the first time in his eight UFC fights that he's ever gone to a judges' decision, so cut him some slack.
"Dan Hardy Should Be Cut" On the flipside of Johnson's performance is Hardy, who one year ago was the UFC's No. 1 welterweight contender, and today is in the midst of a career-worst three-fight losing streak. Of course, anytime a fighter loses two or three straight, the rumor mill swirls regarding his future.
The Korean Zombie Bandwagon Reloads Chan Sung Jung was one of the sport's phenomenons of 2010. His three-round epic with Leonard Garcia at WEC 48 combined with his catchy "Korean Zombie" nickname made him a cult hero to fans, but after he was knocked out by George Roop a few months later, the luster seemed to fade, and the warwagon lost quite a few passengers.
Last night, Jung authored another moment for the ages, becoming the first UFC fighter ever to pull off a Twister submission in the waning moments of the second. Guess what? The bandwagon is back! Liking the "Korean Zombie" is cool again. But why did that change in the first place? Was he any less game when he traded with George Roop and came out on the wrong end of a knockout?
Tastes shift and change all the time in MMA and sports, but these extreme position shifts are unfair to the athletes who put their bodies on the line in search of a personal goal and for our entertainment. In this instant-update world where everyone has an opinion, the race to have the edgiest take is making critical thinking an obsolete practice. Everything's not so cut and dry, so right or wrong. Everyone has the right to an emotional reaction in the heat of the moment, but if you're going to demand an honest effort from MMA's athletes, they have a right to demand an honest evaluation.
New UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones took the title Saturday at UFC 128 with an absolutely jaw dropping destruction of Mauricio Rua - a man some consider to be the best LHW of all time. Jones has been touted by the UFC as their next breakout star, possibly their first to truly transcend the sport. But based on the early estimates of the PPV buy numbers someone forgot to tell the fans. We already knew that the gate and attendance numbers for UFC 128 were not incredibly strong. Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer (subscription required) reports the numbers and does some analysis:
For all the talk of what Jones could be, he is not there yet. The TV shows he headlined did not do well. He seemed to have momentum coming off the Bader win, but it seemed to dissipate. By the last week before the fight, people had almost willed Jones to win. And he was already signing autographs a week before the fight as "UFC light heavyweight champion." And his friendship with Rashad Evans fell apart and people were more talking about Jones beating Shogun and then facing Evans, before the first part of the equation took place. ... Our earliest PPV estimates, and keep in mind anything this early is just an estimate, have ranged from 415,000 to 470,000, with the average being 445,000. If those numbers hold up, that would be considerably lower than most estimates people had going in. Usually UFC outdistances the estimates people have going in based on strong late hype. This didn't have it. The Countdown special was very good, but it had less of an audience than usual. Plus, you have to look at the show from a PPV buyer perspective and going in it was known this was going to be a rebuilding year because of the lighter weight division additions. It did in the same range as when Rua challenged Machida, and Machida did have a unique appeal at the time of the first fight (the second fight did better, but there was controversy from the first fight, and Kimbo Slice was on the undercard). Faber was just being introduced to a new audience and his opponent meant nothing (although in the Countdown show they did a great job with both Faber and Wineland but again that show didn't seem to have the usual viewership). It was based around Jones winning the title and while he absolutely has potential to be the next GSP, it's happened so fast and nothing he's headlined has put up big numbers yet. ... Some of the lack of hype was because ESPN never touched it beforehand, like most mainstream sports outlets, which concentrated on the NCAA basketball tournament. Still, GSP fought Dan Hardy during the same time period last year, in the heat of March Madness last year and did 770,000 buys.
It's important to note that Meltzer's numbers are very early estimates and may change quite a bit (the estimates for UFC 117, for example, were much higher than the actual figures). But let's assume the numbers are reasonably accurate. The point of comparison most distressing to me is the fall from the last two events that Shogun headlined: UFC 113 (520,000 buys) and UFC 104 (500,000 buys). It's also notable that between 700 and 750K fans boughtUFC 126 and saw Jones beat Ryan Bader and get the surprise title shot. If these numbers are accurate it tells me that the UFC has over-saturated the market with PPVs, particularly with weak international cards like UFC 127 and weak domestic cards like UFC 119. The weakness of the UFC's "second marriage" with Versus has also hurt Jones. His two headlining appearances on UFC on Versus 1 and UFC on Versus 2 drew 1.24 million and 990K viewers respectively. Had those fights been held on Spike TV, I have no doubt more fans would have been ready to order a Jon Jones headlined PPV. The upside is that Jon Jones will unquestionably do better in his first title defense against Rashad Evans which is expected for August or September. The UFC is still making money hand-over-fist at these buy rates, but their growth has unquestionably slowed. Only by investing in the promotion of new stars like Jon Jones can they regain their momentum.
Japan Disaster Affecting the Livelihoods of Muay Thai Fighters
by James Schofield - @JSchoftraining
Thai boxing promoters and fighters alike are suffering economically after the huge earthquake and tsunami that soaked Japan have left much of Asia in disarray, as fights and promotions are cancelled. These fears have been heightened further by an earthquake striking the Myanmar / Thailand border in the early hours of yesterday that measured 6.2 on the Richter Scale, followed today by a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hitting Northern Thailand.
A sometimes overlooked factor of this terrible disaster is the economic effect on surrounding countries – Japan is the most economically developed country in the world and resultantly, tourism, trade, and the economy of the old ‘Tiger economies’ of Asia have been affected. For a country as poor as Thailand, this has serious consequences on their national sport, Muay Thai.
There are many Muay Thai promotions in Japan and Australia, with top Thai camps often sending their talent along. Pramuk Rojanatan, owner of the world famous Por Pramuk boxing camp located to the South East of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, said all of his fighters bouts on April 24th in Japan had been cancelled, losing wages of 100k baht, around £2000.
Por Pramuk superstar Buakaw is scheduled to fight in a Thai Fight tournament in Japan in August but fears it may be cancelled. Buakaw has been a star attraction in Japan since he won the K-1 title in 2004; paving the way for other Nak Muay’s to compete in Japan.
Buakaw, who reportedly earns around a million baht (£20,000) per fight, will fight in a charity event on Sunday to help raise money for Japan. Por Pramuk gym is famous for the fighters it has produced including numerous Lumpinee Stadium Champions such as Chokdee and Pornsawan and current WBC Light Flyweight Champion Saichon and Kompayak.
Boxing promoters in Thailand have noted fewer Japanese tourists coming to Lumpini recently and many are worried that if the trend doesn’t reverse they may have to find new income streams. “Without Japan, I may have to quit the boxing business in a few years,” Niwat said. “We can’t make decent money from organising fights in Thailand.”
Our wishes are with everyone in Asia affected in anyway by these tragedies.
The thrill is gone: Mirko Cro Cop has no more ambition to fight after UFC 128 loss
Any mixed martial arts (MMA) fan still chanting "PRIDE never die!" probably skipped the UFC 128: "Shogun vs. Jones" pay-per-view last Saturday night (March 19) in Newark, NJ.
I'm talking of course about Mirko Filipovic, who is five years removed from his reign of terror in the now defunct PRIDE organization. And while he left on a high note, winning the 2006 open weight grand prix with wins over Wanderlei Silva and Josh Barnett, his stateside run left a lot to be desired.
And speaking of desire, it doesn't sound like "Cro Cop" has much left after Brendan Schaub beat it out of him in "Brick City" this past weekend.
From the Croat (via Jutarnji.hr, courtesy of Tomislav Gacina):
"I feel like somebody stole something from me. I am disappointed by the result, but congratulations to Schaub and thanks to my fans for their support. It's clear that in this sport without hunger, wish and ambition to win there is no success, and its also clear that there is no more left of those in me. He surprised me with that strike, everything was same like against Frank Mir. It seemed to me like I was better. What am I saying? If I was better, I would have won!"
Following his March 19 loss to "The Hybrid," UFC President Dana White informed media members that "Cro Cop" was finished inside the Octagon.
The Schaub defeat was his second straight and the icing on his eight-sided cake, which was baked with a mediocre (at best) 4-5 record, was that both losses came by way of brutal knockout.
Live by the sword, die by the sword.
A lot of fans questioned his desire to fight as far back as UFC 99, after he hightailed it back to Croatia following his win over Mustapha Al-Turk in June 2009.
Filipovic was expected to finish his career under the DREAM banner until Zuffa boss Lorenzo Fertitta flew overseas to make the former member of Croatian Parliament an offer "he couldn't refuse."
And he didn't refuse it, but was the "hunger, wish and ambition" part of the deal? Or something that died with PRIDE back in 2007?
Only Cro Cop knows for sure.
For a career retrospective on Filipovic and a list of his greatest knockouts and fights click here.
---------- Post added at 09:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:11 AM ----------
"Right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery."
The idea has been alive since the beginning of the sport: take someone with excellent stand-up, be it boxer, kickboxer or a Muay Thai expert, make him competent on the ground and you have one hell of a fighter.
Mixed martial arts is chock full of fearsome strikers, human knockout machines that electrify audiences with their abrupt and violent endings to fights. Guys like Paul Daley, Melvin Manhoef, and Phil Baroni have made entire careers out of their ability to separate opponents from their consciousness.
Unfortunately, those fighters faltered against the truly elite of the sport because the biggest hole in their skill set, their lack of grappling proficiency, held them back.
After spending most of their life developing and honing their fists to be deadly weapons, not much time is left to become a world class grappler.
After spending time in K-1, trading punches and kicks with some of the world's greatest strikers, he decided to trade in the 10-ounce boxing gloves in favor of the four-ounce MMA gloves. But instead of trying to create a ground game overnight, "Cro Cop" decided to sidestep that predicament altogether by developing the best takedown defense this side of B.J. Penn.
He terrorized Japan for years before coming stateside and suffering from the effects of time and the sport's evolution. After his knockout loss at UFC 128 to Brendan Schaub, his second in a row, many feel it's time for "Cro Cop" to hang the gloves up. Should that be the case, the last chapter of one the greatest careers in MMA will have been written.
He first caught the eye of MMA fans at "Shockwave 2002," when he used his gameplan of sprawl and brawl perfectly to earn a technical knockout victory over Kazushi Sakuraba. He broke the Japanese legend's orbital bone in the process.
"Cro Cop's" real coming out party was against Heath Herring at "Bad to the Bone." He pummeled the former title contender for three minutes, forcing the referee to halt the beating after a barrage of punches and kicks. It was only his fifth MMA fight.
For the next two years, he made his left high kick the most feared strike in the sport. Filipovic became a human highlight reel. He even battered the living legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for 10 minutes before the Brazilian was able to employ the kind of come from behind victory that would make Rocky Balboa jealous.
He suffered his first real setback in the sport when he was knocked out by Kevin Randleman at "Total Elimination 2004." His dream of meeting the PRIDE Heavyweight Champion, Fedor Emelianenko, was put on hold as a result. When he returned, less than one month later, he came back like a man possessed. He rattled off seven wins, six by first round stoppage, including vengeance over Randleman.
He finally fought Emelianenko at "Final Conflict 2005," in one of the greatest fights of all time, but came up short. He then split his next two fights, defeating Josh Barnett by decision but dropping a bout to Mark Hunt. When Pride announced their Openweight Grand Prix, "Cro Cop" decided that this was it; this was his opportunity to cement his legacy.
Four fights, four first round stoppages, including a brutal knockout over the Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva. In the finals, he met Barnett again but this time, the Croatian beat him into submission. Mirko Filipovic was finally a champion.
He then signed with the UFC and made his much anticipated U.S. debut. A fight against the unheralded Eddie Sanchez was a mere formality and he was booked in a title eliminator against Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70. It was on this night, April 21, 2007, that "Cro Cop's" career took a turn down a road he could not come back from.
He suffered a first round knockout, the most brutal head kick I have ever seen in this sport. It was a sort of sick irony. The head kick that had become Mirko's signature had also become his undoing.
The fearsome striker was never the same after that. He struggled against or even lost to competition he would have annihilated just a few short years prior. His knockout against Schaub appears to be the final nail in his coffin.
But every funeral shouldn't be solely about mourning the passing of someone we cared about. It should also be a celebration of that person and what they accomplished. With that in mind, let's take a look at the top five biggest hits in Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's amazing career.
5. vs. Igor Vovchanchyn - PRIDE FC: "Total Elimination 2003"
4. vs. Ibragim Magomedov - PRIDE FC: "Critical Countdown 2005"
3. vs. Aleksander Emelianenko - PRIDE FC: "Final Conflict 2004"
2. vs. Bob Sapp - K-1: 2003 World Grand Prix
1. vs. Wanderlei Silva - PRIDE FC: "Final Conflict Absolute"
Feel free to share your favorite "Cro Cop" moments in the comments below. If this is, in fact, the end, what will you miss the most?
UFC has nine fights ‘televised’ at UFC 128, but where is Joe B?
The UFC began to fold in the roster of the WEC back in December. UFC 128 may be the first event where we really see the impact of adding all those fighters from the 135 and 145 pound divisions. It's so deep that even with nine fights officially scheduled for viewing on Facebook, Spike and pay-per-view, Joseph Benavidez's fight against Ian Loveland may be unavailable to the masses. The No. 2 bantamweight in the world according to the USA Today/Bloody Elbow rankings was even passed over on Facebook for the Kurt Pellegrino-Gleison Tibau and Ricardo Almeida-Mike Pyle fights. The slight snub has given Benavidez (on the right) extra motivation to get the win and score an impressive finish.
"I'm not scheduled to be on TV, but I'm going to be on TV. I'm going to finish this guy. That's one of the differences. We're both finishers. The only difference is he also gets finished," Benavidez told Sherdog. "That's what I'm looking to do. I think that was a strategic move by the UFC. Not to put me on TV knowing they could cheat the system and get me on TV when I get the finish. That's how I'm looking at it."
Eight former WEC fighters are featured on the card. You can watch UFC 128 right here on Yahoo! MAIN CARD (pay-per-view) Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Jon Jones Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus Nate Marquardt vs. Dan Miller Mirko Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV) Luiz Cane vs. Eliot Marshall Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook) Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau PRELIMINARY CARD Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland Raphael Assuncao vs. Erik Koch Nick Catone vs. Costantinos Philippou
Still 13 weeks out from his rematch with 
Chan Sung Jung submits Leonard Garcia with a never-before-seen (inside the Octagon) "twister" at UFC Fight Night 24 (Pic). "The Korean Zombie" learned the technique 
