Sad day in MMA...Fedor Signs With M-1

[Anthony Cissell]

PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko has committed exclusively to the new ownership of M-1 Mix-Fight Championship, which has been purchased outright by an undisclosed America entertainment-related company, according to a source close to the deal who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Established in 1997, the St. Petersburg-based M-1 held over 30 events under the ownership of Russian businessman Vadim Finkelstein, also the long-time manager of the much-sought-after Emelianenko. Finkelstein is also the proprietor of the Red Devil Sports Club, a facility and team that houses numerous Russian fighters, including PRIDE veteran Roman Zentsov and former UFC middleweight Andrei Semenov.

The source confirmed the new ownership has infused a substantial amount of capital into the organization. Finkelstein and others will stay on to assist in running the company, which will continue to promote under a variation of the M-1 name. The new M-1 will take more of a global stance, and Emelianenko (26-1) will headline its inaugural event as early as January or February, possibly in the U.S., the source said.
On March 27, Ultimate Fighting Championship majority owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta bought the assets of PRIDE, only to discover Emelianenko had previously signed a non-exclusive, non-transferable contract with its former owners, Dream Stage Entertainment.

As late as September, UFC president Dana White had insisted a deal with Emelianenko was imminent, though repeated negotiations between Finkelstein, colleague Apy Echteld and the Las Vegas outlet could not produce an agreement to bring the Stary Oskol resident to the famed Octagon. A major point of contention was White’s insistence Emelianenko sign an exclusive contract with the American promotion, which would exclude Emelianenko’s participation in Sambo competitions. Emelianenko is a three-time World Combat Sambo champion and ambassador for the sport in his homeland.

Undefeated in 24 fights (including one no contest), Emelianenko is widely received as the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter. The 31-year-old former Army firefighter rose to the top of PRIDE’s ranks by besting standouts like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (30-4-1) and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (22-6-2). Emelianenko submitted 2000 Olympic Greco-Roman silver medallist Matt Lindland (20-5) at Bodog Fight “Clash of the Nations” on April 14 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has not competed since.

A formal announcement of the purchase, as well as plans for the new organization’s first event, is expected by the end of this month.
http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=5076

Well Fedor wont be UFC bound after all. This sucks

[Mike Martello]

I actually think this is great. when I fought IF you got paid it wasn't worth what you were putting forward other then just the fight itself.

I'm glad he is getting a sum of money he is worth.

[Josh Kamins]

UFC was offering him tons too, he just didn't want that non-exclusive contract

[Keith Stenerson]

Fedor is good and all but he has not been up against the other top fighters in the world yet. So I guess we will never know how good he truly is.

[Dan Montague]

While I'm sad to see Fedor going away from Pride, I am grateful he isn't a part of the UFC.

[rogersmith]

Rumor has it Mark Cuban is behind the company that bought him. That would be great for the sport IMO...

[Josh Kamins]

Fedor is good and all but he has not been up against the other top fighters in the world yet. So I guess we will never know how good he truly is.

Oh please, he did fight the best. Nog, Crocop, Hunt, all top 10 heavyweights...and at the time Nog and Crocop were clearly 2 and 3 regardless of what has happened since then. Its pretty clear he's the best heavyweight thus far in MMA, if not the best fighter period. However, it is a shame we don't get to see him against some of the heavyweights the UFC has these days. Hopefully M-1 picks up Barnett, who is the other guy Fedor really needs to face...

[Matt Schumann]

It would have been awesome if fador went to the ufc... He would have been in alot of high profile fights and he definitly would become famous. I was really interested to see randy coutore go up against Fedor... or atleast wel known top heavyweights... Who else is out there for randy to fight now?

[Alex Klotz]

Is Josh Barnett still a free agent? If they could set that fight up it would be awesome. He's the only top heavyweight from Pride that Fedor never fought, and also the best heavyweight besides Fedor who's not in the UFC.

I really want to see Fedor/Randy though.

[Easton Taylor]

It would have been awesome if fador went to the ufc... He would have been in alot of high profile fights and he definitly would become famous. I was really interested to see randy coutore go up against Fedor... or atleast wel known top heavyweights... Who else is out there for randy to fight now?

Jeff "The Snowman" Monson baby!!!!!!!!! Fedor is the best fighter in the world. Bar none. He is a freakin animal.

[Matt Schumann]

I dont know.. i guess arloski might be a good fight, that guy Kongo that just beat crocop, maybe cropcop if he can have some type of miracle come back... I was just waiting for Fedor but maybe not.... i dont know alot about the other pride heavy weights so mayb there are other good fights out there that i dont know bout

[Josh Kamins]

After Monson lost to Rizzo, nobody cares about him really

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

Fedor won 24 fights by accident, then got an elbow in the face and it cut open, cause he sucks. He never lost [because he never fought the AWESOME fighters in the UFC (who don't have to fight him to be considered AWESOME)] and because of that he's an overrated fighter. There, take that.


Feel free to neg rep me, but that's the arguement against Fedor's greatness.

[Easton Taylor]

Cause Fedor never fought anyone?.......Sobral, Nogueira x3, Coleman x2 , Randleman, Crocop, Hunt and Lindland.............most of those WINS were by submission........Accident my ass. He is the best, and as much as I love Randy.........Randy gets a beat down in a fight against Fedor. PERIOD.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fedor_Emelianenko

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

Cause Fedor never fought anyone?.......Sobral, Nogueira x3, Coleman x2 , Randleman, Crocop, Hunt and Lindland.............most of those WINS were by submission........Accident my ass. He is the best, and as much as I love Randy.........Randy gets a beat down in a fight against Fedor. PERIOD.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fedor_Emelianenko

I'm a quarter Irish, I wonder what my sarcasm would be like if I had no Irish heritage. :P

In short, Fedor is my favourite fighter and I'm being sarcastic, just not funny.

[DaneGarreau]

I actually think this is great. when I fought IF you got paid it wasn't worth what you were putting forward other then just the fight itself.

I'm glad he is getting a sum of money he is worth.

Can't say I agree with you here.

We now are going to see Fedor fight guys like Wes Sims or the like. Not Randy Couture,Nog, Gonzaga, CroCop, etc.

O well, hopefully Josh Barnett signs with them too and we at least to see him fight 1 top 10 fighter again.

[Keith Stenerson]

Oh please, he did fight the best. Nog, Crocop, Hunt, all top 10 heavyweights...and at the time Nog and Crocop were clearly 2 and 3 regardless of what has happened since then. Its pretty clear he's the best heavyweight thus far in MMA, if not the best fighter period. However, it is a shame we don't get to see him against some of the heavyweights the UFC has these days. Hopefully M-1 picks up Barnett, who is the other guy Fedor really needs to face...

At the time those were some of the best the fight game has to offer. However we have seen how most Pride stars fare in the UFC because of the cage and the use of elbows. Cro Cop is a prime example. Nog almost lost to Herring which is not supposed to happen. The two different organizations merged into one and the rules were different. Now alot of the Pride guys have to retune their game for the UFC it's cage and elbows.

The question in my mind is how is Fedor going to handle the difference in rules with the elbows and being mashed up against the cage?

I guess we will never know.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x2/kingkrs/gif/randleplex.gif http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x2/kingkrs/gif/armbar.gif

[Easton Taylor]

I'm a quarter Irish, I wonder what my sarcasm would be like if I had no Irish heritage. :P

In short, Fedor is my favourite fighter and I'm being sarcastic, just not funny.
:mag: You had my sold homey..........I am irish too.........And Fedor is the man!!!!

[D.J. Satterfield]

Who is Fedor's one loss to?

[DaneGarreau]

Who is Fedor's one loss to?

Tyoshi Kasaka(i probably murdered that name)(most call him TK).

It was actually due to an illegal elbow, that the ref didn't see, and was stopped due to a cut.

[Easton Taylor]

Who is Fedor's one loss to?

Click the widipedia link in my earlier post...it will tell you everything you want to know about Fedor.

[Kevin Cronin]

At the time those were some of the best the fight game has to offer. However we have seen how most Pride stars fare in the UFC because of the cage and the use of elbows. Cro Cop is a prime example. Nog almost lost to Herring which is not supposed to happen. The two different organizations merged into one and the rules were different. Now alot of the Pride guys have to retune their game for the UFC it's cage and elbows.

The question in my mind is how is Fedor going to handle the difference in rules with the elbows and being mashed up against the cage?

I guess we will never know.


Are you kidding me? How about Rampage coming in and winning the LHW belt? How about Dan Henderson giving Rampage a much better fight than the previous champion, Lidell, gave him? Anderson Silva may have come to the UFC before PRIDE was bought, but regardless, this was a guy who was what, one fight (Leben) removed from PRIDE who SMASHED Rich Franklin (who, by the way, was being touted as invincible - and not without reason - after two convincing wins against the top ufc competition at the time, evans(?) and louiseau(?) ... probably murdered both those names)

But no, Cro Cop goes over the hill and all of sudden theres this nonsense that PRIDE wasnt that much better than UFC :BB:

[Matthew White]

While I'm sad to see Fedor going away from Pride, I am grateful he isn't a part of the UFC.

Agreed, I think UFC has brought alot of degredation to the sport myself. I always thought Pride was the way to go, but now that there is becoming more money in it you pretty much gotta go where the money is.

[Josh Kamins]

Let's see, UFC is less honorable than Pride.

Pride failed because their Fuji TV deal fell through for their dealings with the Yakuza.
There have been numerous accusations, including fighters who competed there, of fixing fights.

Yes, Dana isn't the most honorable man, and he sure loves the F word, but c'mon. Pride wasn't this heavenly company.

[Mike Martello]

UFC is total crap I agree 100%. They are the kid’s gloves version of cage fighting. By the way I hate the term MMA - I think it is for commercialization of a non-commercial sport. It’s also for some random guy to put on his Dojo front door because he once worked out with a Gracie brother for 15 minutes and now has a BJJ black belt.

I don’t know if anyone knows this but ultimately those who own UFC also own Rage in the Cage and King of the Cage. These are NOT kid’s gloves fight at all.

As far as Pride goes, I liked it a lot, but some of the rules made no sense to me what so ever, I also hate fighting in ropes.

However I haven’t been watching much of anything anymore. It’s all sensationalized now and the sport is missing a lot of the time.

Franklin beating Shamrock was a scam. I also think by watching the slow-mo, Cro Cop getting knocked out was also total nonsense. If you watch he goes for a really poor block for a body kick and doesn’t just shut his eyes, he closes his eyes pretty hard and makes a face.

Does that sound like a world renowned and experienced fighter getting ready to block or BRACING HIMSELF FOR A HEAD SHOT?

It was fighting now it is marketing and then it will be killed by its own orgs.

[lhprop1]

Randy leaving the UFC? (http://mmajunkie.com/2007/10/11/report-after-ufcs-failure-to-sign-fedor-emelianenko-randy-couture-leaves-ufc/)

Wow!

[DaneGarreau]

I also think by watching the slow-mo, Cro Cop getting knocked out was also total nonsense. If you watch he goes for a really poor block for a body kick and doesn’t just shut his eyes, he closes his eyes pretty hard and makes a face.

Does that sound like a world renowned and experienced fighter getting ready to block or BRACING HIMSELF FOR A HEAD SHOT?




Lol, this just made me laugh.

Believe it or not one of the goals of fighting is to "fake" your opponant out. No one is successful when they telegraph their next move.

Also, this isn't the first time CroCop was knocked out, heck he was knocked out by far less opponants such as Randleman.

[Josh Kamins]

Randy leaving the UFC? (http://mmajunkie.com/2007/10/11/report-after-ufcs-failure-to-sign-fedor-emelianenko-randy-couture-leaves-ufc/)

Wow!

If thats true, they just royally screwed up...

As for Mike's comments, I really don't think any UFC fights have been fixed...especially Mirko's. For one, they paid him a LOT of money, it made no sense for them financially. Two, he said it was because he was blinded by the elbows that GG gave him on the ground, he just didn't see what was coming at him.

Where's your source that Zuffa owns Cage rage and King of the cage? As far as I know EliteXC/Showtime now owns them.

[lhprop1]

If thats true, they just royally screwed up...

It's true. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=9455

[Josh Kamins]

Something really must have gone wrong for him to do it like that instead of in a more official UFC manipulated way. I wanted to see Nog vs Couture though...too bad

[Mike Martello]

I assume you guys are actual fighters then right?
I mean, right?

No offence but you're going to have to be a little bit more then a fan and maybe something other then a BJJ suppliement class for me to take anything seriously. Would you listen to someones opinion insofar as them finding things laughable in Strongman if they've never really done it?

[Kevin Cronin]

I assume you guys are actual fighters then right?
I mean, right?

No offence but you're going to have to be a little bit more then a fan and maybe something other then a BJJ suppliement class for me to take anything seriously. Would you listen to someones opinion insofar as them finding things laughable in Strongman if they've never really done it?

Mike has a really good point here guys.

I must admit though, I'm skeptical. I mean taking a dive is one thing, I'd more readily believe it if cro cop had fought poorly or maybe got hit by a not-so-hard punch and then just flopped around a few seconds, but he got KTFO. I mean LETTING a guy kick you in the head? You'd have to pay me an OBSCENE amount of money for something that potentially serious.

If Randy had stayed in the ufc couldnt ufc just fix up a one fight contract with M-1? The way they were going to with PRIDE for Wandy vs. Chuck? With Randy saying that he's focusing on "other endeavors" does anyone think that its likely that he'll go to m-1 and fight the cyborg?

[Billy Wolt]

Mike has a really good point here guys.

I must admit though, I'm skeptical. I mean taking a dive is one thing, I'd more readily believe it if cro cop had fought poorly or maybe got hit by a not-so-hard punch and then just flopped around a few seconds, but he got KTFO. I mean LETTING a guy kick you in the head? You'd have to pay me an OBSCENE amount of money for something that potentially serious.



i was screaming "fix" when that fight happened.

There are motives for having him throw the fight, the main being that Dana is trying to prove that his fighters are the best in the world....how do you do that, by brining in the big names and having them get beat.

oh well....i really could care less however. Fedor didn't come to UFC because Dana didn't want him in the UFC.

[darrell baker]

wow. ufc can't sign the best fighter on the planet & now their heavyweight champ leaves? wow. i'm interested in this m-1....maybe couture goes there, maybe barnett, hunt, ???

who fights for the vacant ufc heavyweight title now? nog vs who???? gonzaga is still a 1 win wonder, kongo is unimpressive in the 3 fights i saw, crocop's head is not in it lately (i got faith in comeback though). maybe sylvia? or arlovski? definitely nog, but other than that, i'm not sure.

[DaneGarreau]

i was screaming "fix" when that fight happened.

There are motives for having him throw the fight, the main being that Dana is trying to prove that his fighters are the best in the world....how do you do that, by brining in the big names and having them get beat.




Sorry. I don't buy it.

Sometimes in baseball a player will swing at a 3-2 pitch in the dirt. Was he throwing the game???

NO! The pitcher fooled him, just like Gonzaga fooled CroCop.

This is MMA, where 1 mistake is all it takes. This makes the sport both good and bad, because upsets can happen more easily(which is both a good thing and a bad thing). Unlike boxing where you are using giant gloves and can take a punch on the chin without being knocked out.

Either way, it is a sad day for MMA, especially for the fans.

[Billy Wolt]

do you seriously believe that all sporting events are legit? No fixing takes place at all?

Look at that nba ref recently. sure, that's just one example, but it's enough to prove that it happens. he was just unlucky enough to get caught.

there are probably hundreds, or thousands of incidents for every one that gets caught.


Sorry. I don't buy it.

Sometimes in baseball a player will swing at a 3-2 pitch in the dirt. Was he throwing the game???

NO! The pitcher fooled him, just like Gonzaga fooled CroCop.

This is MMA, where 1 mistake is all it takes. This makes the sport both good and bad, because upsets can happen more easily(which is both a good thing and a bad thing). Unlike boxing where you are using giant gloves and can take a punch on the chin without being knocked out.

Either way, it is a sad day for MMA, especially for the fans.

[Josh Kamins]

I can't believe anyone would seriously believe crocop tried to get knocked out. He lost, he made a mistake and didn't train properly with elbows, he got screwed up, and then because of it he miscalculated a kick. I don't have to be a pro fighter to understand this, nor do I have to be a pro fighter to understand the business of what it means to Dana that he lost. Dana spent a LOT of money on him, and when he lost he did not push the whole UFC is better than Pride at all. In fact, Crocop was meant for a title shot after that, not GG. Now, he's lost his motivation. He's always been somewhat of a mental case, and he just doesn't have the desire anymore or some other supplements were missing, who knows.

[Josh Kamins]

oh well....i really could care less however. Fedor didn't come to UFC because Dana didn't want him in the UFC.


Thats definitely not true. Dana wanted an exclusive contract, he didn't want him fighting in Sambo tournaments, getting hurt or losing, and risking the multimillion dollar contract that they were working on. I think Dana wanted to wait until after the November Sambo World Tourney before announcing a January or february Fedor v. randy bout. Both Fedor and Dana had legitimate desires, they just didn't match eachothers wishes.

[Kalle Beck]

This is very very WHEY

No Fedor and now no Couture :(

[Easton Taylor]

wow. ufc can't sign the best fighter on the planet & now their heavyweight champ leaves? wow. i'm interested in this m-1....maybe couture goes there, maybe barnett, hunt, ???

who fights for the vacant ufc heavyweight title now? nog vs who???? gonzaga is still a 1 win wonder, kongo is unimpressive in the 3 fights i saw, crocop's head is not in it lately (i got faith in comeback though). maybe sylvia? or arlovski? definitely nog, but other than that, i'm not sure.


MONSON!!!!
MONSON!!!!
MONSON!!!!

[Kevin Dunkerton]

You're right Josh, you don't have to fight to have a opinion on the topic. But, I think if someone watches enough fights they would see that there is at least a possibiltiy that something is up as far as fixed fights. We know that the UFC ran guys like Lindland out to build up there poster boy Franklin. They have excluded many other top fighters in the past. How concerned with the integrity of the sport could they be if having the best fighters doesn't really matter to them?

There has also been a number of questionable recent events. The Bisbing Hamil decision and the super quick stand up in the fight between Okami and Swick both left a lot of people scratching there heads. Guys from The Ultimate Fighter have constantly been involved in weird stuff. Tito is fighting Forrest and all of a sudden he just stops fighting after a round. Watch the Burkman Fickett fight closely. It was on one of the Fight Night's. At one point Fickett actually flys through the air without being touched and then falls into a Burkman choke. Burkman doesn't close his guard to secure the choke and for some reason Fickett doesn't jump to the side to escape.

Anyone who has seen Shogun or Crocop fight in the past knows what they are capable of as fighters. Crocop's only offence in his last two fights has been a body kick. Why would one of the best kickboxer's in the world all of a sudden stop punching people in the face? Shogun all of a sudden makes lazy takedown attempts and then turtles up and gets punched in the back of the head. When he fought in Pride he was always going for submissions and strikes, all of sudden this guy is listless. How could the elbows have messed him up when he comes from a Muay Thai backround. It can't be drugs either because Shogun fought at Pride events in the US and was drug tested. He looked incredible as usual. I don't know for sure that the UFC is fixing fights, but the evidence is strong enough for me not to watch again. Even if I am wrong and these fights are completely on the up and up, they were terrible fights anyway. Shogun and Crocop were crowd favorites because they put on exciting fights in Pride. Now there fights are boring. Even if I'm crazy and the UFC doesn't fix fights, they do manage to turn gold to crap.

[DaneGarreau]

Guys from The Ultimate Fighter have constantly been involved in weird stuff.

It can't be drugs either because Shogun fought at Pride events in the US and was drug tested. He looked incredible as usual.

The showgun looking great in the US with drug testing is alittle funny, he was fighting randleman after all.

Also, concerning the TUF guys. I'm sure the UFC was thrilled to see Houston Alexander knockout Jardine, we all know how much they had invested in Alexander. I mean, Jardine had just beaten Forrest and was on his way to a title shot, absolutly the UFC paid him to throw the fight.

Having said all that, you can look at sports optimistically and enjoy them, or you can sit back and claim that it is all fake. I prefer to give the benefit of the doubt to the athletes.

[Josh Kamins]

Most of those just do not make financial success, there is no reason at all. Besides the fact that refs and judges are not hired by the UFC, they are hired by the sporting commission if the event is in the US.

Did crocop throw the Kongo fight too? He looked like crap in that. I'm sure that Dana wanted Kongo, a nobody to most people, to beat a guy they are paying a half mill a fight to.

Lindland is a jackass and talks a lot of crap about the UFC, plus he is boring as hell to watch. What motivation does Dana have to go get him?

Shogun is having knee surgery, he took Forrest lightly, and he didn't have a good game plan. Forrest came in big and strong and was Couture trained and had a great game plan.

Why the hell would these guys accept a small bonus to throw a fight in their entrance to the UFC where they can make many millions more from being successful? Your theories are just ridiculous

[Kevin Cronin]

do you seriously believe that all sporting events are legit? No fixing takes place at all?

Look at that nba ref recently. sure, that's just one example, but it's enough to prove that it happens. he was just unlucky enough to get caught.

there are probably hundreds, or thousands of incidents for every one that gets caught.

Wait a minute - theres a big difference between shaving points/messing with the over-under and THROWING a competition.

There's a big difference between purposely losing a fight and LETTING SOMEONE HIGH KICK YOU IN THE HEAD. One I can easily see. The other I would want to see some pretty hard evidence of

Tito is fighting Forrest and all of a sudden he just stops fighting after a round.

I'm not understanding this. So if it's a fix FOR forrest, why did the refs go the other way? they can pay off tito but not the judges? Then why not let yourself get caught in a submission and tap.

This reminds me of teh franklin-shamrock conspiracy. Which is more likely: that shamrock got paid to take a dive or that he just SUCKS now?

[Mike Landrich]

I just read that Couture retired, since the only fight he wanted was Fedor. That is a loss for MMA

[Kevin Dunkerton]

The showgun looking great in the US with drug testing is alittle funny, he was fighting randleman after all.

Shogun also looked really good against Overeem in the US. Another high quality opponent. My point isn't to engage in mma math, because fighting is all about match ups and fighters can obviously have bad days. Shogun and Crocop were respected and their debuts were anticipated because of the way they fought, not just who they fought and beat. It was impressive to watch Shogun throw a lighting fast punch and knockout Overeem. Forrest is very tough and his ground game is great. However, I don't think it is good enough to control a BJJ champion. Particularly one as dynamic as Shogun. Shogun didn't get caught. He didn't lose a hard fought fight. He didn't seem to be fighting at all. It is possible that he just had a bad day, but based on all the other evidence I have seen I believe that there is more at work. As far as the Houston Alexander Jardine fight, I didn't find it questionable so I didn't bring it up. It is funny though, because there isn't really a lot of other examples of guys from the Ultimate Fighter losing is there. Did you ever wonder why some many guys who fight Diego Sanchez claim he was greased up post fight? I have been consistently ordering UFC's up until very recently to see guys like Guida and Edgar fight, I don't doubt every fight. Just a few. I will watch other mma events optimistically Dane. I haven't sworn off the sport.

Most of those just do not make financial success, there is no reason at all. Besides the fact that refs and judges are not hired by the UFC, they are hired by the sporting commission if the event is in the US.

The refs and judges are hired by the same athletic commision that is in charge of appointing judges and refs for boxing matches. You can believe what ever you want, but I always thought there was consensus about the level of corruption in boxing. If it can happen in one sport, why not another? Marc Ratner who was a higher up in the Nevada State Athletic commision now works for the UFC. I think that is a bit of a conflict of interest. But, I guess I could be crazy.

Did crocop throw the Kongo fight too? He looked like crap in that. I'm sure that Dana wanted Kongo, a nobody to most people, to beat a guy they are paying a half mill a fight to.

The fact is that Dana White isn't appealling to people who know who Crocop is. If Crocop and all the other guys from Pride came over and started cleaning house it wouldn't really look to good for the UFC. People would think " what the hell was going on before that we never heard of these tough fighters". Crocop was as much of a nobody to a large percentage of the UFC audience as Kongo was. Except now Crocop was the way overrated nobody that shows how good the UFC is. I guess it depends on your business model, but I think it's a good idea to make yourself look like you were and always will be the best.

Lindland is a jackass and talks a lot of crap about the UFC, plus he is boring as hell to watch. What motivation does Dana have to go get him?

People always say this kind of thing about Lindland and I always find it terrifying. I don't know about you, but I prefer watching the New York Knicks to the Harlem Globe Trotters. I prefer the Knicks because they are competing at the highest level. It may not be as flashy as the Globe Trotters, but they are the best at their chosen field. Lindland has proven himself to be one of the best in the world at his weight class, even if he was boring he belongs in the UFC. The fact is that Lindland showed he is not a boring fighter in his fight against Rampage. I base this on the fact that many people were calling this the fight of the year, not my own opinion. Lindland lost a razor close decision fighting up a weight class to a current UFC chamption. You really think that guy shouldn't be in the UFC? As far as Lindland talking crap, maybe you should listen to what Lindland says. He trained with Quarry and Tanner, who both had title shots against Franklin. It is very telling when Lindland says that Franklin is fighting all cans. On this note, I think if strongman is ever going to go mainstream we are going to need to forget about the strongest guys winning and get more charismatic strongmen. Maybe we could find the strongest guys who are also good dancers or singers. I hear thousands of people try and get on American Idol. Some of those people have to be strong.


Why the hell would these guys accept a small bonus to throw a fight in their entrance to the UFC where they can make many millions more from being successful? Your theories are just ridiculous

I don't think fighters would except a small bonus to throw a fight. I think they would accept a large bonus to throw a fight. The Fertittas with all there casino money are just the people to offer the money up. Don't you think it is worth large amounts of money for the UFC to preserve the image of the Ultimate Fighter as a money making entitiy. Wouldn't it be worth whatever amount of money to make people believe that the UFC was actually always superior to Pride. If it is plausable is it not possible.

I'm not understanding this. So if it's a fix FOR forrest, why did the refs go the other way? they can pay off tito but not the judges? Then why not let yourself get caught in a submission and tap.

Again, it doesn't really look good for the UFC and Spike if a guy from the Ultimate Fighter gets crushed by a title contender. This was one of the first times a guy from the show stepped up and was going to fight tough competition. All of the "hardcore" fans were sure that Forrest would get killed. It didn't really matter if Forrest won, but if he went to a close decision it would validate him and the television show. How could the show be a joke if Forrest beat Tito in many peoples eyes? Tito demolished Forrest for a round and than all of a sudden stops fighting. Than in the third round the two are talking to each other while they are grappling, and seconds later Forrest escapes.

I have no concrete evidence to support any of this. But, as I said I have enough doubt to not watch a sport I really enjoy watching.

[JohnCook]

At the time those were some of the best the fight game has to offer. However we have seen how most Pride stars fare in the UFC because of the cage and the use of elbows. Cro Cop is a prime example. Nog almost lost to Herring which is not supposed to happen. The two different organizations merged into one and the rules were different. Now alot of the Pride guys have to retune their game for the UFC it's cage and elbows.

The question in my mind is how is Fedor going to handle the difference in rules with the elbows and being mashed up against the cage?

I guess we will never know.





LOL......you're failing to see one monumental fact here.


Cro Cop....Nog.....Fedor.....Shogun....THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT FIGHTERS. With completely different styles. Cro Cop is a horrible example. The dude couldn't differ more from Fedor....Mirko is a pure striker with good takedown defense....that's it. Not to mention, he's been known to have both a shaky mental game and suspect chin in the past during his reigns in both K-1 and Pride. Fedor suffers from none of the above. Point being, trying to relate other fighters' failures in a cage with elbows to what Fedor's fate might be is very naive. The way Fedor fights, elbows would be a ASSET to him.....not something detrimental. Fedor has one of the nastiest GNP's around....add elbows into the equation and it's lights out for whomever is on the bottom. The cage can be looked at as two-fold, it can be used as a tool considering how Fedor fights but then again he has had problems with cuts in the past which could be an increased worry in a cage. Either way, Fedor is a professional who always comes prepared with an excellent game plan. You don't make it to 26-1-0 (only loss coming from a cut caused by an illegal blow, loss was later avenged) by accident.

[Kevin Cronin]

The fact is that Dana White isn't appealling to people who know who Crocop is. If Crocop and all the other guys from Pride came over and started cleaning house it wouldn't really look to good for the UFC. People would think " what the hell was going on before that we never heard of these tough fighters". Crocop was as much of a nobody to a large percentage of the UFC audience as Kongo was. Except now Crocop was the way overrated nobody that shows how good the UFC is. I guess it depends on your business model, but I think it's a good idea to make yourself look like you were and always will be the best.

So then how does anderson silva come out of nowhere to beat franklin? Besides Couture, Franklin is probably the dude that the ufc would most like as their face of the franchise. He's well-spoken, clean cut, good looks, etc etc. In fact, I think that's where he was headed - remember when he and dana were on fox news for, what was it? O Reilly or somebody? Then Anderson Silva doesnt just beat him he DEMOLISHES him. EMBARRASSINGLY. So this big fight-fixing machine somehow lets a guy who doesnt even speak english (and I bring that up only because it means he's harder, or impossible to market) beat their champion to the point that he needs reconstructive surgery ... I'm just not buying.

Also, and I'm not saying I disagree with you on this, I'm not saying I agree with you, but how do people not know who cro cop is? I mean you would almost have to be COMPLETELY without access to teh internet not to know these guys. Even Rogan has MENTIONED Emelianenko on air, do one video google search and you can find a ton. This and t-bag are the only two forums I post on. I may check another one or two, but I'm never on sherdog or any other mma website, so its not like im in possession of some esoteric data...

I'm not understanding this. So if it's a fix FOR forrest, why did the refs go the other way? they can pay off tito but not the judges? Then why not let yourself get caught in a submission and tap.

Again, it doesn't really look good for the UFC and Spike if a guy from the Ultimate Fighter gets crushed by a title contender. This was one of the first times a guy from the show stepped up and was going to fight tough competition. All of the "hardcore" fans were sure that Forrest would get killed. It didn't really matter if Forrest won, but if he went to a close decision it would validate him and the television show. How could the show be a joke if Forrest beat Tito in many peoples eyes? Tito demolished Forrest for a round and than all of a sudden stops fighting. Than in the third round the two are talking to each other while they are grappling, and seconds later Forrest escapes.

I have no concrete evidence to support any of this. But, as I said I have enough doubt to not watch a sport I really enjoy watching.


so they sorta fixed it, but not really? they fixed teh way the fight was fought, but not the outcome? If you're going to pay people off, why not just go the whole hog and have them take a dive? Going in for a little bit of fight-fixing is like going in for a little bit of murder, it just doesnt even make sense

I can understand setting the TUF fighters up against a few sacrificial lambs. But if the WHOLE ENDGAME was to promote them, then why have them pick each other off, vis a vis griffin vs. jardine, bisping vs hamill (this one I could kind of see, if it sets up a rematch)

Basically, any of the outcomes of these fights could be equally explained through greed (fight fixing) or incompetence (cro cop getting caught, blind judges scoring the bisping hamill decision.) And I believe it's dangerous to underestimate either avarice or stupidity in your fellow man - the levels of each can be appallingly high.

[Kevin Dunkerton]

So then how does anderson silva come out of nowhere to beat franklin? Besides Couture, Franklin is probably the dude that the ufc would most like as their face of the franchise. He's well-spoken, clean cut, good looks, etc etc. In fact, I think that's where he was headed - remember when he and dana were on fox news for, what was it? O Reilly or somebody? Then Anderson Silva doesnt just beat him he DEMOLISHES him. EMBARRASSINGLY. So this big fight-fixing machine somehow lets a guy who doesnt even speak english (and I bring that up only because it means he's harder, or impossible to market) beat their champion to the point that he needs reconstructive surgery ... I'm just not buying.

Roger Huerta and Micheal Bisbing haven't proven themselves to be elite in their weight classes. Despite this fact the UFC has pushed both guys into the spotlight as of late. The reason for this is that the UFC has tons of money to make moving into the Mexican and European audiences. UFC management realizes that having a mexican star and a english star is going to attract whole new groups of fans. There is many mexican and european fight fans. These fans are more likely to be attracted to the UFC if they have a star they can cheer for. Boxing is a very ethnic sport, promoters are constantly trying to find "a great white hope" to attract more white fans. Dana White does come from a boxing backround after all.
The situation in the UFC isn't too different. Their fan base is made up mostly of young white people. Having more black fighters is definetly going to make more black people want to watch the UFC. Anderson Silva had losses in Pride, Quinton Jackson literally lost out of Pride. These guys came into the UFC and destroyed respective champions. I do not believe these fights were fixed. Anderson Silva is on a different level than Franklin, and Quinton is just a bad match up for Chuck. Shogun destroyed Rampage, and now Rampage is going to be built up as a unbeatable champion. At the same time that Shogun is going to be called a stepping stone for Griffin. The UFC has a lot to gain by having Anderson Silva as a champion, he can help reach many demographics. I am not taking anything away from Silva and Jackson. But, these two guys seem to be the only recent additions from Pride who are fighting as they have in the past. At that level, they are superior to the fighters the UFC has promoted as elite for years. I find it interesting that the only Pride guys doing well also help the UFC make more money by attracting new fans.

Also, and I'm not saying I disagree with you on this, I'm not saying I agree with you, but how do people not know who cro cop is?

I can only go from my own personal experience. The vast majority of people I talked with about UFC in the past year or two didn't know about Pride. Before the UFC bought Pride Dana White made fun of the pay per view numbers Pride got. He said nobody watched. I don't really know much about basketball, but I do know a few key figures. I think a lot of UFC fans probably knew who Crocop was, but didn't really watch his fights or now who he beat.