UFC 109 Analysis
This Week in Combat Sports Feb 5th, 2010:
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Mayweather/Pacquiao in Jeopardy (Update)
(UPDATE #3)
But wait…there’s more…Manny Pacquiao has filed a defamation suit against Mayweather and his camp for comments made about Pacquiao using performance-enhancing-drugs. This is getting a bit out of hand. I wish these 2 camps would be quiet, train and then let all their anger out in the ring. Just sign the [...]
Haitian Tragedy hits MMA
This Week in Combat Sports Jan. 15th, 2010:
Don Frye Done with MMA…Next up: Acting
Don ‘The Predator” Frye has decided to leave the world of MMA and head to Hollywood.
Thank You to EA Sports
Jay Heiron and Joe Riggs might not be fighting on Showtime come this Saturday, but they will at least be seen, just as long as you have some way of streaming the fight. While Herschel Walker and Greg Nagy will be on the main card of the Strikeforce: Miami card, two fighters who not too long ago where originally supposed to be fighting one Nick Diaz for the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight Championship, was seemingly pushed to the back burner, to make room for Herschel Walker and his MMA debut.
UFC Gym Grand Opening Concord, CA
On January 23rd of 2010 the UFC formally announced to the world that they were going to revolutionize fitness. Integrate all the training techniques that are used by the Mixed Martial Arts pros under one roof for the all to experience. The gym itself is huge and the equipment is top of the line. I had a chance to interview a couple of fighters and a San Francisco 49er legend.
TUF Season 5 Alum Corey Hill Returns to MMA
This Week in Combat Sports Jan. 29th, 2010:
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Judging in MMA Needs a Change
It is nothing new in the early stages of this sport to question some of the judging during MMA events, whether it’s the UFC, Strikeforce, and even some regional promotions. It’s come to the point where a major change is needed. After last weeks Fight Night 20, the forums and blogs were up in arms about the Tom Lawlor vs Aaron Simpson fight, many fight fans and reporters feeling that a robbery had just occurred and the police should have been called. The judges in the fight scored the contest in the favor of Aaron Simpson, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29, but many fans disagreed, voicing their disapproval in the arena when the scores were announced. A respected judge in Doug Crosby posted on the Underground that he would have scored the fight in favor of Lawlor(29-28), with the rounds being broken down in the manor of 10-8, 10-10, and 9-10.
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M-1 Global in Talks with UFC…again.
Things are getting really interesting. Here is what I mean. MMAJunkie is reporting that M-1 Global, the company that manages Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi, and the UFC have entered into talks again.
This is what I find interesting, Dana White has always said that he will not negotiate with a fighter that is still under contract. Both these fighters are under contract. Fedor with Strikeforce and Mousasi with Dream. While details are scarce, Vadim Finkelstein said via his Twitter account that talks have started again with the UFC.
I have sent an email to Strikeforce, but have received a response to the news of M-1 Global and the UFC back in talks.
I think it is a bit messed up for both the UFC and M-1 Global to be talking about contracts of fighters that are currently under contract to another promotion. That being said, the UFC and M-1 could be working on partnership details in anticipation of Fedor and Mousasi’s contracts ending with Strikeforce. I don’t know and the only people that do know will not give any details any time soon.
If Fedor and Mousasi do jump ship before their contracts are up, I would bet…this is my opinion here…that Strikeforce would have all the ammo it needs to go after M-1 Global and the UFC in court and win.
Let’s up everything is on the up and up.
(Update) According to Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated, the Vadim Finkelstein Twitter account that posted the news that talks were on between M-1 and the UFC is a fake. This statement is on Josh Gross’ Twitter account.
Gotta love Twitter…
Here are the posts from Josh Gross’s Twitter account (http://twitter.com/SI_JoshGross) in regard to the latest M-1/UFC news:
Re: this M-1/UFC rumor, Jerry Millen from M-1 denied any new talks. W/Fedor and Mousasi under contract to Strikeforce, doesn’t seem likely.
Jerry Millen just called and said @vfinkelstein is a fake twitter account. He vehemently denied any new talks between M-1 and UFC.
Of course Millen denied the Pride sale to UFC a million times. But I’m not buying anything brewing between UFC/M-1. Guys are under contract.
—
Until we hear a denial from the UFC and from Finkelstein himself…questions are still there about whether or not something underhanded is going on.
(Update #2)
MMAJunkie has now been in contact with M-1 Global Exec Jerry Millen and Millen is saying that there is absolutely ZERO communication between the UFC and M-1 Global. I would say look at the final comment from Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated on the reliability of Jerry Millen, but we now have a strong denial. Let’s see what happens in the next year or so. Fedor has a couple fights left on his contract and I am not sure what Mousasi’s contract is like. This is going to be fun.
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Gomi Signs with UFC
Big news coming out of the UFC. Former Pride Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi has signed with the UFC. Gomi, at one point, was a top 5 lightweight and ruled Pride with an iron fist. Since Pride’s demise, Gomi is 4 and 2 with one of the losses coming to Satoru Kitaoka in Gomi’s bid for the Sengoku Lightweight title.
The signing of Gomi means that BJ Penn may have another dance partner if Gomi can make his mark in the UFC by taking out a couple of the UFC’s top fighters. I think Gomi’s first fight should be against Clay Guida. If he can get past Guida, maybe Sean Sherk should be next. Now, this is where things should get interesting…Many believe that Frankie Edgar should be Penn’s next opponent. I tend to agree. Gray Maynard has a good shot to follow Edgar, providing Penn beats Edgar. So, who would Gomi face to win the chance to face BJ Penn, providing Penn still have the title? The winner between Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez. No, that fight has not been booked, but the fans want to see it. Florian wants that fight and I am pretty sure Sanchez wants that fight. Do not be surprised if we see that bout sometime in April or May.
What do you think? Guida, Sherk, Sanchez and/or Florian as a path toward the title for Gomi? Maybe bouts with Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard?
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