Thanks for posting!
By the way....Fight Girls is a good show. No kidding. My gal and I catch it every week and its on tivo season pass.
UFC 73 conf call notes...Chuck vs Silva at UFC 76 not likely now...maybe later?
http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2007/06/...ll-highlights/
The UFC held a conference call for reporters today in preparation for next Saturday’s UFC 73 card in Sacramento, Calif. On the call were UFC president Dana White, Rashad Evans, o Ortiz, Sean Sherk, and Nathan Marquardt.
The call was entertaining and informative, which is always the case when White is on the call. Each time he does a media conference call it turns into an impromptu “state of the UFC” address.
Here are the highlights:
- Weigh-ins for UFC 73 will take place next Friday and will once again be televised on ESPNews.
- I asked Dana to explain the situation pertaining to the Pride contracts and whether they can be transferred to the UFC. He said the old Pride contracts are valid with Pride Worldwide, the new company that owns Pride. However, the contracts can’t be transferred to the UFC and that with Pride’s status being uncertain, a lot of the guys need to fight so they are also signing them to UFC deals.
White’s comments were interesting because if Josh Gross’ report last week about Sokoudjou signing with EliteXC are true, then the UFC might want to take legal action. Sokoudjou confirmed to me in an interview for CBS Sportsline last week that he has two fights left on his Pride contract. If that’s the case, how can he sign with EliteXC if he’s not a true free agent? The UFC can’t force him to fight for them but I’m not sure he has the freedom to fight for another promotion right now. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
- Dana was asked a lot of questions about his relationship with o. The two didn’t interact much together but were rather cordial when expressing their thoughts on one another. In other words, there were no fireworks. Dana even said at one juncture that o has matured both as a fighter and as a person.
- A question was raised about Sean Sherk having been out of the UFC for awhile a one point. White attributed the absence to issues with Sherk’s former management.
- White said that as far as he knows that drug testing was conducted at UFC 72 in Belfast, Ireland and he hasn’t heard about anyone testing positive.
- o tried to downplay his “nappy headed ho” comment a few months back on the Underground forum. Said it was just a joke and that he was trying to get his fans to laugh. Rashad was asked if he was personally offended by the comments and he sort of gave an answer that I would classify as non-committal. He didn’t say what o did was fine but he also didn’t sound like he was too upset about it either. Rashad said at one point though his uncle called him and was very upset and said he needed to make o “pay for all the years the black man was enslaved.” Evans told the story in annectdotal fashion as a way to get a laugh (at least that was my take on it).
- I asked o if it was true that he turned down a rematch with Forrest Griffin at UFC 72. o confirmed that he in fact had and said that he felt it would have been a step back. He said he felt a match with Rashad would be more challenging and made more sense.
- Evans was very lively at times during the conference call. He had some funny lines and came across pretty witty. He was definitely talking smack to o and said at one point that “ o isn’t half the man he used to be.” He also called out o’s recent history of wins and said he hasn’t beaten anyone besides Ken Shamrock. Evans came right out and said o got beat by Forrest. o talked a lot more smack than Rashad but Rashad had the better lines. I’d give the smack talk nod to Rashad.
- Dana said he was shocked when he heard that Royce Gracie had tested positive for steroids and that from what he saw, Royce didn’t look like he was on steroids.
- Pride was brought up several times. Dana said that Pride went out of business for a reason and the reason was because it was a mess. Said it was their intention when they bought Pride to actually run it but that there’s just a lot to sort out right now. He scoffed several times when reports about Pride running shows soon were brought up. I think it’s safe to say at this point that the rumors about Pride doing shows soon are being started by people that don’t actually own Pride.
- Another rumor/report that Dana scoffed at was that the HBO deal is dead. Dana said the deal is far from dead. Later he said that he felt they were actually “right about there with the deal.” Dana said that former HBO president Chris Albrecht was a supporter of the deal but that the UFC was talking to HBO about a deal with people other than Albrecht and that Albrecht only got involved later on.
- o said whether he fights Rampage depends on a conversation that the two would need to have. He said that when Rampage originally came to the UFC he told Dana White from the beginning that he wouldn’t fight o. o said that if the two talked and that it made sense for everyone involved, he’d be open to the fight.
- Dana said he feels he’ll get a new contract done with o. White said that he hasn’t lost a meaningful fighter to another promotion in six years. Kevin Iole from Yahoo! Sports asked who the last fighter he lost was and Dana said that it was B.J. Penn and that Penn ended up suing to get back into the UFC. Sean Sherk chimed in at one point and jokingly said it’s hard for anyone else to talk to any other promotions because Dana keeps buying them.
- Dana really backed away from the Wanderlei vs. Liddell talk. Said it was unlikely to happen in Anaheim at UFC 76 in late September and that Chuck’s next match could actually take place in November. Dana said that no opponent for Chuck is known yet. Dana said that people jumped the gun about Silva vs. Liddell. He said that after UFC 71 he was asked about the match and that all he said was that he told the media that “Yeah, Chuck vs. Wanderlei makes more sense now” and that people took the ball and ran with it.
- Dana confirmed that Paulo Filho was considered for the UFC and that he’s certainly worthy of fighting in the UFC. He said that the WEC is going to be a place to be for top talent and that we’d all be surprised who is being talked about for the WEC. I asked Dana if he could name specific names and he said that he couldn’t.
- Ken Shamrock and his recent release was brought up. Dana confirmed that Shamrock was let go with one fight left on his UFC contract. He said he had heard that Ken is taking it personally and is making all these statements about him. Dana said it’s nothing personal against Ken and that the decision was made based on Ken’s recent won/loss record. He said he doesn’t believe Ken is still a UFC-caliber fighter and that Shamrock should think about retiring. He said Ken as an opponent for Bisping was never discussed and labeled the people who reported it as “Internet knuckleheads.” Dana said he felt Matt Hamill will be a much tougher opponent for Bisping. I have to agree with him there.
- I asked Dana about Cro Cop vs. Cheick Kongo at UFC 75 once again and he yet again said the match is scheduled.
Thanks for posting!
By the way....Fight Girls is a good show. No kidding. My gal and I catch it every week and its on tivo season pass.
Last edited by Evan; 06-28-2007 at 08:55 PM.
I'd watch it, but I don't have the Oxygen channel...
New Dana White article...says MMA in the Olympics will happen someday, rumors of Pride resurfacing in Sept are false, and his thoughts on Sherdog.
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/ore...150.xml&coll=7
Mixed martial arts notebook The latest from UFC president Dana White
Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, recently discussed issues affecting his company and mixed martial arts in an interview with The Oregonian.
Foremost on most MMA fans' minds are the contract status of Fedor Emelianenko, considered to be the best fighter in the world, the return of Pride Fighting Championship, and the promised "Super Bowl of MMA" pitting the Pride champions against the UFC champions.
Unfortunately, there are no answers -- at least none that White is willing to reveal.
White said the UFC is negotiating with Emelianenko, who last fought for BoDog in April, but would not discuss terms. The virtues of a Pride vs. UFC "Super Bowl" are negligible at this point. The UFC has acquired nearly every top Pride star (Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Team Quest co-founder Dan Henderson) as well as former Pride star and current UFC lightweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. If Emelianenko comes to UFC, the event would be one-sided.
As for the return of Pride, Asia's top promotion, White said recent reports of it resurfacing in September are false.
"I'm not sure what will happen there," he said, acknowledging bad blood on both sides of the negotiation table. "The Pride deal took so long and the stigma became so bad."
So why not do away with Pride altogether and take the UFC to Japan and China?
"The fact is, Pride is a very popular brand," he said. "We're going to make it work."
WHITE ON THE UFC vs. SHERDOG: One of the more surprising feuds to surface in recent months has been between the UFC and Sherdog.com, the largest independent MMA Web site that recently partnered with ESPN.com.
White recently stated his disdain for Sherdog.com and other MMA Web sites on a Sacramento radio show. Given the importance of Internet buzz in creating the UFC juggernaut, the statement was surprising.
"I have had a lot of battles with those guys," White said. "I have no respect for Sherdog. Half their stories are a complete (expletive) lie. It's like a tabloid.
"Plus, they went and found out who the finalists were for season four of The Ultimate Fighter and ran them. Of all the s baggish things. When you burn me like that, it's forever. I will never trust them or like them."
Sherdog editor Josh Gross reacted with surprise, Just as he had reacted when the UFC pulled Sherdog's media credentials two years ago.
"I dare him to point to one story we reported that we had to retract or move away from. He can't," Gross said via email. "Regarding TUF, yeah well sometimes news happens to be something people don't want out. TUF 4 was different than every other season, as it was intended to crown No. 1 contenders in two weight divisions. We're not talking about some kids no one had heard of. These were veteran fighters. And so we had who was in the finals, and reported as discreetly as possible; we warned anyone that didn't want to know that they should turn down their radios.
"Also, that doesn't explain why we were denied in Oct. of '05 when the TUF news was reported in June of '06."
WHITE ON DRUG USE IN MMA: At the beginning of the month, MMA legend Royce Gracie and former NFL receiver Johnnie Morton tested positive for steroids after K-1 Dynamite, a pay-per-view event at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Two months earlier, Nick Diaz tested positive for THC following a Pride fight. Veteran fighter Jorge Ortiz tested positive for steroids following a fight June 8. And the latest drug issue: former K-1 USA Grand Prix champion Carter Williams tested positive for cocaine following a loss last weekend during Elite XC-Strikeforce "Shamrock vs. Baroni."
"When human beings are your products, there will always be issues," White said. "Steroids are a problem in sports today. I was blown away by the Gracie thing. Morton? Come on. He's been in the NFL."
WHITE ON THE OLYMPICS: Speculation is increasing about the possibility of mixed martial arts as an Olympic event. The Olympics already award medals for a variety of wrestling and martial arts events, but mixes martial arts would take Olympic combat sports to a new level.
"That's always been my goal, and it will happen," White said. "It will be awesome. I know there have been talks, but no one has approached me."
Dana rips o
http://ufcmania.com/2007/06/29/ufc-q...e-slams-ortiz/
http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slu...2807&prov=yhoo
“There’s a billboard of his big ugly gorilla face at the busiest point in Las Vegas … where it can scare kids who are riding by in their cars. Guess whose ugly head is on our billboard in Times Square? He’s a moron: A complete and total moron. His whole career, he’s stepped over a dollar to pick up a dime. I’m sick of him. It’s time he started beating up someone other than a nearly 50-year-old Ken Shamrock.”
Chuck vs Wand Silva not happening now??
http://www.sprawl-n-brawl.com/2007/0...happening.html
Weak...
I'm getting tired of Dana doing NOTHING to push Rampage...anytime he's mentioned the subject ends up on Chuck...
if it's a compe ion boxing is winning right now.
Boxing has had the biggest PPV event by a large margin and boxing has had the best fights. Cotto vs Judah was the best fight I've seen in atleast a year. 40 minutes of high drama.
Now that Chuck has lost, I sense some of MMA's momentum has slowed.
As for boxing, Paul Williams vs Margarito is going to be an absolute war.
Cotto vs Delahoya would be fun, because Cotto would try to knock out Oscar.
you're blinded, but that's not a surprise to anyone here.
Big Nog and Paulo Filho (and others?) leave Brazilian Top Team
http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/06/29/n...ties-with-btt/
Paulo Filho says Dana White is scared to have him fight in the UFC...also says that the UFC doesn't "like Brazilians"...
http://www.mmanews.com/ufc/Paulo-Fil...im-In-UFC.html
speechless too? doesn't really matter because I'm just stating the obvious. Boxing is having a much better year than MMA so far.
Not speechless, just tired of the boxing vs MMA stuff really...
Boxing is having a better year so far based on what?
I disagree...
Yes, Mayweather vs Oscar was big $$$, but the boxing match didn't deliver. What about undercards that night? Uhhhh. And when is the next "super fight"?? (using the term fight loosely)
I guess I missed all the buzz about these great boxing matches? And how well boxing is doing in general for that matter...
Who vs Who?
How was the rest of the card?
Chuck losing was the best thing that could've happened to the UFC. People need to realize that he's just one of the best in the world...not THE best. He's a terrible poster boy. The rest of 2007 will be sick...just look at UFC 73 and UFC 74's cards...stacked cards from top to bottom. Definitely not slowing down any with more Pride guys signing with the UFC...
Who vs Who?
If by "war" you mean 12 rds of the "sweet science" to see who wins the punch count contest at the end of the night, then I'm sure it will be a war...
I agree about being tired of the MMA vs Boxing stuff.
The WHO vs WHO argument can be said about both sports.
Intelligent "Sports" fans know who Cotto and Judah are. Mayweather is flat out boring and always has been.
Next boxing superfight could be Delahoya vs Cotto. I would bet $1000 that that fight will not be boring.
Paul Williams vs Margarito will be a war. Hatton vs Mayweather is intriguing cuz Hatton could press the issue more than Delahoya.
No my friend, the boxing fans are the ones blinded. MMA has overtaken boxing and the only ones that cant deal with it are the boxing purists. Sorry man, but boxing is dead and no one really cares anymore
Last edited by mardigan; 06-29-2007 at 03:35 PM.
There are some good boxing matches in the coming months that will hopefully bring it some momentum.
The Mayweather De la Hoya was a snoozefest and I for one felt ripped off. I'll never order another one of Mayweather's dance parties again. I missed the Juda Cotto fight but I've heard it was very exciting, although one sided. Can't wait to see Kelly Pavlik get his shot against Taylor. This is the guy boxing should be marketing.
As a fan of both sports, there's an interesting dilema on the horizon. 7/7/07 is not only one of the best UFC cards in recent memory, but it is also the Klitscko vs. Brewster card. I know where my loyalties run the deepest; with o's elbows, Nog's triangle, and Silva's thai clinch. What will you be watching?
Not even remotely close to a valid theory. Granted boxing is not dead, nor is it as close to being dead as some MMA forums will claim. But it is very unhealthy and most importantly it is not growing nor has it been for a very long time. It’s a growth stunted sport where most fans are in their 30’s and up with huge gaps in heydays between generations. Not good. MMA (notice I did not say UFC) is growing and gaining legions of fans across every demographic. Do not judge its health on the inability of mainstream media outlets grasping it. For crying out loud ESPN had to farm out its reporting to sherdog.com.
Your hanging the health of a sport on one single PPV that had months and months of hype and was labeled as “the savior of boxing?” How often does boxing put on such a show? What does that tell you about the health of a sport? It took that much effort for boxing to put on a good card and the fight itself disappointed the greater masses. They need one of these every few months to remain relevant. MMA average a big show every month now and puts on countless smaller free shows in an effort to grow.
Not even one bit.
The UFC is a marketing machine never before seen in sports. 6 years ago they were dead and look at them now. Never in sports has a sport so successfully marketed itself. It can certainly survive Chucks loss. Since Chuck lost they have replaced him with three fighters already, Rampage (yes he counts), Dan Henderson and Shogun Rua as the current hyped fighters and that is simply ones in his weight class. And thats just established fighters. The list wraps around the building if were talking about up and comers.
MMA has awesome fighters and with an organization behind it like the UFC it will not fail. MMA has what boxing does not, depth and legit fighters with legit records. Sure they have some cans here and there with inflated records but they won’t be putting on a BS show like Showtime did with Nikolai Valuev as a desperate attempt to lure new fans.
And where do you gather this “sense” from? What indications? They only aspect of MMA that you can possibly point to and say it has lost momentum has been the UFC reality TV show and the ratings have simply dipped, not crashed. Every other indication from PPV buy rates (the golden rule of measuring a combat sports health) TV rations and PAID gate attendance has skyrocketed. And I would argue that TUF has declined simply because there is so much live MMA to chose from and prerecorded fights just aren’t that great as an alternative.
How is “The Contender” doing?
Meh. For the die hard masses and not the casual sports fan. That does nothing to help the sport. Boxing cannot give fans what they want in match ups, the rarely ever have. And yet it happens in MMA EVERYTIME it’s needed, very fast if possible. At UFC 73 will be an awesome rematch of two of the biggest names in the MMA heavyweight division. Heath Herring Vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. MMA is so healthy the UFC isn’t even having to hype this fight, it’s not even a main event. It’s third down. Another fight some fans were clamoring for and they got it before they even realized they wanted it.
Sometimes due to previously promised rematches and le fights they can’t but a fan rarely has to wait a year to see a fight they want. There is only two fights the fans desperately want right now that hasn’t happened, yet. Fedor Vs Cro Cop, and the UFC is trying to get Fedor so this will happen. And Chuck Vs Wanderlai Silva and this will happen, we just don’t know for sure win. Boxing has always let the fans down so don’t put too much on Williams Vs Margarito.
Based on what? Again desperately clinging to that one PPV this year?
Absolute non-sense. I am a boxing fan and I can’t even fill out a top 3 list in every weight class. I could do a top 30 in every weigh class in MMA without having to look up a record on the internet. Granted I am a die hard MMA fan but as I stated I also follow boxing.
Big name boxers simply do not fight enough to stay relevant and they all too often fight cans in le defense of some various belt that nobody has heard of before when they do indeed fight. They have lost so much credibility.
But that’s the problem, that’s you. Nobody else feels that way except you and Larry Merchant. And to be honest I am not sure Larry even knows what decade were in. Unless whatever bottle he is tipping back has a calendar of course….
And just for the record I have been following boxing since the late 80’s when I was a wee little lad. I typed all of the above being a boxing fan. One reason boxing is so unhealthy is because they had nothing like the UFC to make them thrive and unify the sport. Every sport needs and anchor to grow around.
Last edited by Evan; 06-29-2007 at 05:37 PM.
GSP vs. Kos at 74.
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=even...htCard&eid=760
god, this argument is stupid. why does one have to chose one over the other? can't you just be a fan of both and enjoy the quality each sport has to offer? i like considering myself a fan of both boxing and MMA equally.
btw, Pacquiao-Barrera on Oct. 6! should be a good one.
don't get me wrong, i'm an MMA fan but this statement is not close to being true. i personally know several people who are still into boxing, myself included.
Your also not included as one who is trying to tear MMA down, which was all Im addressing. Many of my best friends love boxing, which is great even though Im not a fan. But they also realize that MMA is a great sport that is making huge strides. My statement was directed more towards those still trying to trash and bring down MMA, especially when they dont have a clue about MMA
Plus boxing is damn boring to watch.
Gracie vs Shamrock again...?
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/...4235&zoneid=13
that's all hogwash and can be summarize in one statement you made "Granted I am a die hard MMA fan but as I stated I also follow boxing."
first boxing is dead, and then your best friends love boxing. Maybe you're just retarted and don't know what to think.
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