Baculus

Yeah, when I saw the figures from UFC 79, I was pretty shocked. It must really be tough to be a lower-rung fighter and make any sort of living. Which, I suspect, they don't; they are pretty much poor, but live to fight. Even if they make 50,000 a year, they have to pay everything we have to pay, plus their trainers, so it must be really tough, as you mentioned.

I love it like a fork in my eye. :laugh:

That was one funny video; Rampage is a really witty guy. The Chuck impersonation was great!

I stilll miss PRIDE FC, but that image is just wrong.

UFC 79 was a interesting event: Some good fights. I was happy to see GSP beat Hughes, since I am not a big fan of the guy (though he is an excellent fighter, of course). The Liddell vs. Silva fight was the slugfest I expected; it was epic to see those two fighters in the same ring. The Fedor was entertaining, to say the least. He looked like a little kid next to that huge fellow. Henderson vs. Silva would definitely be an cool event. Silva has pretty much demolished everyone he's met, but Silva has fought some top notch competition in two weight classes and fighting organizations. I'd give it a push at this point, but will probably favor Henderson.

Yeah, he is probably trying to use Fedor's pride in some way. After all, how is Fedor going to prove his worth in M-1? Also, what about HW's such as Josh Barnett? Is White going to work on getting the rest of the Pride fighters with the UFC?

Yeah, he is probably trying to use Fedor's pride in some way. After all, how is Fedor going to prove his worth in M-1? Also, what about HW's such as Josh Barnett? Is White going to work on getting the rest of the Pride fighters with the UFC?

That Akiyama vs. Kang fight was not impressive. A lot of dancing and such, and then Kang went down after a small flurry of blows. You can watch the fight on YouTube for those who are interested.

That Akiyama vs. Kang fight was not impressive. A lot of dancing and such, and then Kang went down after a small flurry of blows. You can watch the fight on YouTube for those who are interested.

Actually, they didn't let Fedor walk: Fedor signed with someone else, namely M-1, which is also run by his manager. And, if this wasn't evident during this discussion, it wasn't about the money for Fedor. If you look at Fedor's competition record, you'll notice that he fights Sambo every year and it is pretty important for him (and his record). I have a feeling that some UFC fighters also participate in grappling matches, though I am not sure if they have a clause in their contracts, or what. (At least some of the Brazilian fighters probably still fight in BJJ matches...) Now, you may be correct on your point that White and the UFC couldn't make special accomodations for Fedor, or they'd have to do the same for other fighters. But maybe they do and we just don't know it. And perhaps I have over-stated the "arrogance" angle of Dana White, but you have to admit that he does come across that way, at times. (Don't get me wrong: I like Dana White and I appreciate what he and Zuffa has done for the sport....) Of course, there are two sides to the story and it takes two to tango, so it is probably wrong, either way, to blame one side or the other. But I was just presenting a certain angle of the whole discussion with Fedor, and what I felt was invovled with it.

Yeah, I found that article to be very enlightening. To me, a lot of this screams "DANA WHITE!" Fedor and his manager had a few requirements and Dana and company, with a bit of arrogance, probably felt they didn't have to meet their needs. I bet the UFC negotiators were thinking, "What are they going to do? Sign with someone else?" Dana White and the UFC probably just had to bend on a few points and they were unwilling to do so. Sometimes, in negotiations, this can be a strong tactic, if you are negotiating from a position of strength. And sometimes this can blow up in your face. For example, I don't see why a UFC in Russia would be a bad idea. I enjoyed the whole "US vs Russia" Bodog events, and Russia, with a large population that enjoys combat sports, is a HUGE untapped market for the U.S. Considering that M-1 was unhappy in the way they were treated by Bodog, Finkelstein probably wanted to ensure they received a little better treatment by the UFC. I dunno - this is only one side of the story. But, from my observations, Dana White does have a side of him that is a bit arrogant at times, and I can see some of the issues being caused by the UFC and White's negotiations. Especially since Russians are proud - you can sense this in the interview - and Western arrogance never sits well with Russians. In particular if the Westerner's attitude is, "No, you have to sign with us, and we won't accomodate you."

I just read a couple of articles and found some interesting information regarding Fedor and M-1. For one, Fedor's mananager, Vadim Finkelstein, also oversees M-1, so from the start, in a sense, the organization and Fedor were joined at the hip vis-a-vis his manager (who also manages the Russian Red Devil team). Also, the Bogdog MMA organization also appeared to have made a bad impression on Finkelstein and Fedor, in addition to the demands being made by the UFC, so I think part of the issue has to do with the Russian's impressions of Americans. Combine Russian pride and the fact that Fedor competes yearly in Sambo competitions, along with other UFC demands, and you have the making of a deal gone wrong. At one point, in an article with either Finkelstein or one of Fedor's trainer, a comment was made along the lines of "We'll never see eye to eye with the Americans." I just think there are philisophical issues between the two sides, which isn't surprising. I don't think this (older) article has been posted, but I thought it was a bit enlightening: http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=2951422

Heh, ya, use away - Drunk Fedor will put them in their place!

Ok, I had a little fun with Fedor's picture. Hopefully he doesn't get my home address.

LOL - what a great picture. I feel sorry for the guy that picks a fight with a drunk Fedor: that is the last thing that you will see. :-P

A disappointing turn of events, but I suppose it had to eventually happen, though the events surrounding Couture's retirement are a little questionable. First, I wonder why they could not sign Fedor - do you think he is scared? Second, is Randy really the second best paid fighter in the UFC, or is Dana White incorrect? Also, is this similar to a situation in football, where you play the contract you have and that you signed? Perhaps Randy could have renegotiated the contract?

I was also annoyed and a little miffed to see Bisping handed the win, and then to see his classless behavior. The judges decision was definitely questionable. I am not sure what's happened to Mirko. He just hasn't seemed the same the last few fights - I hope he can recover back to his former form, because I miss seeing him kick butt! Overall, it was a good event, and I look forward to the next couple of events that promise to have some good match-ups.

I also enjoyed UFC 75 - the event had some good fights. I am a bit confused about UFC75, though: I've heard it is being broadcast on-air for free, but I've also seen the event advertised as a pay-per-view event.

I used to watch Wrestling during the 80's - some of the storylines were entertaining, especially when it was stuff such as "Sgt. Slaughter vs. the Iron Sheik," and I used to like the British Bulldogs, since they seemed so business like. But I was a teen-ager. Especially after watching MMA, pro-wrestling just seems a little silly. And I don't mean this as a bust on wrestling fans; to each their own. But it is pretty brutal the amount of work these folks put into their business, and for that, I respect them.

Yeah, I was not impressed by UFC 69. The next even should be much better. I am not crazy about Diaz, but I really don't like Koschek. That man seems like the type of ass that I cannot root for at all. Serra is a cool guy, so it was kind of neat to see him get that win against GSP. And he was very gracious in victory, telling GSP that he's "the future." I'll say that I am happy to see so many American collegiate wrestlers doing so well in MMA. (Of course, dating back to Frye and Severn, American wrestlers have done well since the early days...)

This is a very interesting article, covering the PRIDE-UFC merger annoucement event, from Sherdog. This is the best part: "Fertitta has the microphone and said PRIDE will continue world-wide. He discusses his love for the style of MMA PRIDE promoted, and wants to make the sport of MMA like baseball or soccer. Fertitta discusses a mixed martial arts "Super Bowl" with UFC fighters like Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Diego Sanchez, B.J. Penn facing PRIDE stars such as Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio Rua, Dan Henderson, Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Takanori Gomi and Hayato Sakurai." One word: Incredible. That would be one of the greatest atheletic events in history. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=7086

This has been rumored for months, but perhaps indeed this will actually take place. The deal has yet to be 100% completed, so we will see what will happen. I actually prefer PRIDE's rules and ring format, so I hope they do not make any changes. But I don't see PRIDE actually being changed that much - that fighting organization has too many fans for drastic changes to be made. And as someone mentioned, just think about the fantasy MMA match-ups. Wow. This will be either the best or the worst thing that has ever happened for Mixed Martial Arts.

Awesome, Sebowski; thanks for posting that interview.

You can find UFC 68 via torrents, if you poke about. I am also a bit worried about PRIDE was well; I really do enjoy their shows and the quality of their fighters. I'd be a terrible shame for MMA around the world if that league folds.

He hasn't fought that much in a cage, at least in the past, but he has had to deal with takedown attempts while clinching and pinned against the corner and ropes of a ring (ala PRIDE). Just last night, I was watching the second CC vs. Silva fight, and he was clinching a decent bit against the ropes in that fight (when he wasn't smashing Silva...). I think his TD defense, and past fight experience in PRIDE, is good enough to translate well into the Octagon in the UFC. And I am he is getting lots of practice in the Octagon while training for the UFC. But, point taken on your observation - that is probably one of the few advantages that Randy may have against CC.