MMA Hot Stuff

UFC Media Call Updates - Dana White talks Tito, Fedor and more!

Here are some updates from Dana White today about the UFC!

1. No deal with Fedor.

"We offered this guy an amazing deal, we were open to everything but a co-promotion".

"We tried everything to make this happen. We didn't hold back anything. To turn down a deal like this, you don't care about proving your the best in the world, you don't care about competing against the best talent, you don't care about money. Why in the world would I let these guys come in and promote wtih us?"

"Also the Fretita brothers have a gaming license, you don't just come in and jump right into it. You have to go through background checks and all kinds of sh*t, it just doens't happen."

"I went out and tried to make this happen, I did everything we could possibly do, and they didn't want to do it. They just don't want to sign with the UFC... I garauntee you he will not be offered a better deal in MMA."

"It's not about competition for this guy. The heavyweight class in the UFC is stronger than it's ever been before with Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Randy Couture, Shane Carwin..."

What does co-promote mean?

Dana essentially said that M-1 had nothing to offer. What were they going to co-promote? What would they bring to the table? Nothing. "Maybe that shit works in Russia, but it doesn't work here".

Is Dana done trying to sign Fedor?

"I want to make a deal! I wanted this thing so bad and I was so confident this was gonna happen. If they want to make a deal they can call me right now and we'll make a deal."

If co-promotion was off the table would you have a deal with Fedor?

"We'd be done. We'd be announcing a fight for him right now".

Dana reiterated MULTIPLE times, Fedor's people can call him RIGHT NOW and they can do a deal. He was miserable that this deal didn't get done. But the UFC is still open to a deal (other than co-promotion obviously).

This is great... Dana states, "I wasn't a dick at all in these negotiations. I was the nicest Dana White ever in these negotiations... we went in there to make this deal. I went down to Huntington Beach and walked into Tito's front door to make a deal. There were a lot of emotional and financial sh*t to work through. When I tell you we caved on EVERYTHING with Fedor to make this deal, I mean we caved on everything to make this deal. I can tell you that this deal didn't fall through because of me and Lorenzo."

"We have a standing offer out to Fedor. We have not pulled anything back. I'm ready to roll. The fans want to see this fight, it's my job, it's my job to make this happen."

"For anyone to call this guy the best fighter in the world is insanity. He got offered an assload of money, he can go fight in Sambo every Thursday night if he wants to. We held nothing back. The guy doesn't want to fight the best in the world".

"We have 300 guys that want to fight the best in the world 3 times a year, a guy that doesn't, f*ck him, I don't even want to talk about him anymore".

2. Vitor Belfort signs with the UFC, will headline UFC 103

"When we announced Franklin VS Henderson for Dallas, fans were pissed."

Rich Franklin VS Vitor Belfort headlines Dallas show, UFC 103

Dan Henderson is still next in line for a shot at Anderson Silva

3. UFC 101 will be free for English and Irish fans via ESPN

UFC signs a 3 year deal with ESPN for England and Ireland

Is there a bigger deal with ESPN in the US in the works?

"Once we get the right offer, we will be on network television. We haven't gotten the right offer yet."

"If we get a network deal, we're putting serious fights on TV. That's what's wrong with the boxing model. If we get a network deal, it's gonna be good for the fans, good for network, and good for the UFC."

4. Tito Ortiz joins the Conference Call and is back in the UFC!

"Tito is a guy fans still want to see fight..."

"One way or another people give a shit about him, so he's back... "

"Tito Ortiz will retire in the UFC."

Tito says:

"For me personally it was about competition. My fans deserve the best Tito Ortiz. It's not about the money, I'm fine there... Competition was my biggest factor."

"I'm healthy, I'm 100%. I'm very excited. The hell with all the money, it's about competition. I look at the past UFC champions. Forrest Griffin, I beat. Rashad Evans, they called it a draw but I felt I beat him. Machida, I gave him the best fight of anyone out there."

"The best fighters are in the UFC, it's the best promotion, and that's why I'm here."

"Dana and I are like boyfriend / girlfriend, Dana being the girlfriend."

"I just started working last week, I'm looking towards November / December. I want to fight before end of the year. It's up to Dana. I'm excited to be back in the UFC, and I know my fans are."

"You will never hear anything about money out of my mouth again." (WHAT???? Someone please file this quote away for future use)

How far away from title contention is Tito?

"Tito's not getting an easy road. We're talking about him fighting Mark Coleman for his first fight."

"Ring rust is real, and Tito's gonna have it..."

Will Tito and Chuck possibly fight again?

Dana says "I don't know, I just don't know. Chuck hasn't asked me for it". Tito says "I asked Dana about that when I first signed and he said "no way", so since he's now saying "I don't know" that's huge for me. Thank you!"

Does Tito have any interest in moving up to heavyweight?

"If I dominate the light heavyweight class like I once did, and have run through everyone in that weight class, then I'd consider it".

Tito wants another 4 to 5 years of competition, so he's not going to rush into a comeback. He'd love to fight in his hometown of LA, but he's not going to rush back before he's ready and risk injury that might cots him his career. He's willing to hold off another month or two if it means gaining another 4 to 5 years of competition for his career.

Does Dana think Tito is still only interested in being a movie star, and that he's not a fighter? "The best in the world to me are the guys that compete 3 times a year against the best in the world. These guys challenge themselves 3 times a year against the best in the world. Tito Ortiz, no matter what I've said about him over the years, he's got his surgery done, he's gonna come back and fight the best in the world. Tito's gonna come back right now and he's gonna go for it. He's coming into the UFC and he's gonna fight the best 205 pounders in the world. PERIOD".

Tito says... "I'm gonna get that belt back. People forget I was the longest reigning champ in UFC history."

5. Affliction Fighters

Dana mentions quite a few names of Affliction fighters that are now with Zuffa and will be going to the UFC and WEC. They are still working with 8 or 9 fighters.

Dana has no interest in Arlovski or Tim Sylvia.

6. Dan Henderson

Where does this leave the winner of Nate Marquardt and Damien Maia?

Hendo is definitely next in line for a shot at Anderson Silva, and Marquardt and Maia are in the mix. This is a good problem to have according to Dana, Silva has been so dominant for so long that it's good to have a group of guys lined up that pose a threat.

How soon will Henderson and Silva fight?

According to Dana it depends in what happens between Silva and Griffin next week. If he doesn't get too busted up, it should be fairly soon.

UFC 101 Pay Per View Locations

Here's a list of bars/restaurants showing UFC 101 as Pay Per View sorted by city and state.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its Philadelphia debut on Saturday, August 8th for UFC 101: Declaration. In the main event, the two best 155-pound fighters in the world finally meet when UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn looks to defend his crown against number one contender Kenny Florian. Penn has never lost at 155-pounds, and Florian is looking to change that stat this summer.

In the co-feature, the pound-for-pound king of mixed martial arts, middleweight champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva, tests the waters at 205 pounds once again when he battles former light heavyweight champ and Ultimate Fighter season one winner Forrest Griffin.

UFC 101: Declaration - Saturday, August 8th, live on Pay-Per-View from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

7:30 pm ET Wachovia Center doors open
8:15 pm ET First Bout
10:00 pm ET Live on television and online

If you haven't already done so, don't forget to fill out your fantasy picks! fantasy.ufc.com

BJ Penn Supporter

While walking my puppy (in san francisco) I saw this bumper sticker. Obviously I did what any good website owner would do and left my business card on his/her windshield.

Kenny do you have bumper stickers?

Can't wait until ufc 101!!

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Josh Thomson Out - Strikeforce

It looks like its been confirmed Josh Thomson is out and Gilbert Melendez will now be fighting Mitsuhiro Ishida. To quote gil, he "didn't train for nothing.WAR!!!"

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Open Letter From Kimo Leopoldo

Open Letter from KIMO

I’d like to thank all the members of the media, my fans, friends, and especially my family members with regards to their concern and support about me. 

I went to sleep late Monday (July 20) and woke-up to my promoter, Ron Kort, shaking me sometime between 12-1 PM/PT on Tuesday, telling me that the media is going crazy over my death, and that he and others had been looking everywhere for me. 

I had spent the night with a friend and my phone was turned off like it normally is overnight.  I’m used to people spreading weird rumors about me, but I didn’t think this one was funny.  So, I blew it off, but when Ron looked at me with that serious face of his, I knew this wasn’t a joke. 

I got up and looked on my friend’s computer, read through some of the media reports, and couldn’t believe my eyes.  From the time I went to sleep to the time I woke-up, the rumor of me dying had spread like wildfire.  All I had done was go to sleep.  I kind of felt as important as Michael Jackson, considering the media hoopla.  While reading articles, I had to stop and look in the mirror.  The overwhelming power of the media almost felt like my death was being predicted. 

I was a little taken back and, as I attempted to compose myself, Ron informed me that Brandt Stebbins (New Era Fighting’s Business Development Manager) all day had been dealing with consoling my family and friends over this issue.  Ron immediately got on the phone with members of the press and the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s office about getting a press release out immediately. As I was piecing the puzzle together, I had various friends yelling at me as if I set this up as a publicity stunt. 

I woke-up to being told I was dead and getting yelled at.  This wasn’t a fun wake-up.  Before I go any further, I want to let everyone know that we are investigating this matter and have a good idea of how it originated, and that NONE of this came from me or anyone around me.  I am sorry to all who know me for your grief and am amazed to see that I can make front page news in the press for negative items but not for anything good I have done.  The media has always been quick to jump on negative rumors about me without verifying the truth.

I consider myself one of the founding fathers of MMA and an important figure in this industry.  I was in this sport before it was a sport.  I have seen the many ups-and-downs of this industry and have dedicated the last few years of my life to trying to making a difference by running for California State Athletic Commissioner, trying to get fighters paid what they are worth, and getting fighters more exposure even when they are not fighting.  Given my contributions, it is amazing to me that I can get this kind of press on negative items, yet, not on my accomplishments. 

In the last few months I have been called a Meth addict in the media and now I am dead.  Both items are obviously proven not to be true.  The power of the media is strong and it is the responsibility of the media to verify the information they post; it isn’t about being the first one on the scene.  TMZ confirmed that I was dead.  Well, that’s weird because they did that without a body or autopsy report.  In my opinion, TMZ just became the next Inquirer.  Why didn’t TMZ just confirm my body was abducted by Aliens? 

No offense to TMZ or anyone else, but how about you guys in the media giving me a real chance at making a difference in this industry? Let’s try to use your power for some good.  For example, I registered on the Bob Sapp www.FightEngine.com website. If I get enough hits, I will be able to fight whomever the fans want.  No one will dictate who I fight except for you, the fans.  I will fight whomever you guys want, not what promoters want.  You guys decide.  I want my last fight to be a freak show of a fight.  I want to go out the same way I came in.  I came in carrying the cross, but lost my path along the way, and didn’t want to be a hypocrite by carrying the cross if I wasn’t living that life style.  I always believe that through Christ Jesus, all things are possible, and I believe Jesus Christ himself is my guiding angel with everything that has happened in my life. 

I was pronounced dead and now I am resurrected.  This is my second chance and I don’t want to let fans down.  I am here to help train fighters for combat in the ring. I will train and walk fighters to the ring at any event. I am here to help fighters get paid their worth, I am here to entertain my fans and the whole MMA community, win or lose, and I am here to help make this fun and enjoyable for everyone.  If I hit a certain number of votes on www.FightEngine.com, I will be a main event fighter for one of their scouting events, and you will be the ones to vote about whom you want me to fight.  I would appreciate just as much attention as was given to me in these last few days on google.com, yahoo.com and other media sources to also occur on fightengine.com.  Show me you guys really believe that I am as exciting to watch fight as everyone tells me to my face and I promise to live the right life style, train hard, and walk to the ring in my last fight with the cross on my back and with a real aggressive fight for the fans to watch.  I’ve been known to head-butt guys in the back of the head, slap my opponent in the face, and even in Tank’s case, kiss my opponent on the cheek after I wipe the floor with them.

So, please vote for me on www.FightEngine.com and e-mail your interview and business relationship request for me to my promoter at RonKort@NewEraFighting.com.  I am currently being approached to do cartoon voice-overs, interviews, and more.  I am eager and happy to accommodate all of your requests.  So, please, let’s try to keep this fun and entertaining but, most of all, truthful and positive. 

Remember, it isn’t necessarily about being first in the media, rather, being accurate.  I love my fans, family and even the media for all you have given me and will drive my focus on the positive, not the negative.  Thank you all.

God Bless, 

 

KIMO

Affliction Trilogy Press Release

This is the press release I received:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Affliction Trilogy Cancelled

Seal Beach, California (July 24, 2009) – The highly anticipated fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett at the Affliction Trilogy MMA show has been cancelled. The mega fight was scheduled to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim on August 1^st.  The unforeseen license denial of Josh Barnett gave Affliction limited time to find a replacement and adequately promote the new main event.

“Finding an opponent for the number one ranked MMA heavy weight champion in such a short period of time was a huge endeavor and I’m thrilled at the amount of fighters willing to take on this challenge,” said Tom Atencio, vice president of Affliction Entertainment. “But in the end, we just didn’t have enough time to promote a new fight to our standards.”

Affliction is deeply disappointed that the under card is also cancelled through no fault of its own. Affliction stands behind the company’s brands and delivers premium products to the most passionate and loyal customers. Affliction’s first priority is to ensure that all future events live up to the company’s high standards.

Ticket holders for the canceled event should contact Ticketmaster or ticketmaster.com for a refund.

Affliction Cancels Trilogy Card

In the wake of Josh Barnett failing his drug test for the Affliction "Trilogy" card, Affliction Entertainment vice president Tom Atencio started notifying the media that the event is now canceled.

Again, this is the second time Josh Barnett has failed a drug test, the first time was when he was fighting for the UFC in 2002.

Barnett Fails Drug Test

Guest writer: Sal DeRosalia

The main event of the biggest Affliction card to date is in jeopardy as WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko will no longer be fighting Josh Barnett on the August 1st "Affliction: Trilogy" Card.  Barnett failed a drug test this month by testing positive for an anabolic steroid and the California State Athletic Commission denied Barnett a license to fight on the Affliction Trilogy card. Rest assured there WILL be a fight but who it will include remains to be seen. It will not be Fedor Emelianenko VS. Josh Barnett. 

This news has Affliction looking high and low for a new opponent to fight Fedor in the main event.  Affliction vice president Tom Atencio said this week they have been talking with three fighters since the news broke. Reports speculate that the three fighters are most likely former WWE star Bobby Lashley, Strikeforce's Brett Rogers and former UFC light heavyweight champ Vitor Belfort who is already scheduled to fight Jorge Santiago on the August 1st card.  

Stay tuned as this will be interesting to see what transpires... My vote is for Brett "The Grim" Rogers.  He most recently KOed Andrei Arlovski 22 seconds into the first round of their Strikeforce bout in early June.

Update by Rachel: To note, this failed drug test was confirmed by the California State Athletic Commission. This is the second failed drug test for Barnett, he also failed a drug test in 2002 while fighting for theUFC . Barnett has gone on record to say he's going to appeal. While he only has a few days left to clear his name and hope to get his license reinstated for this fight, I highly doubt that's going to happen. Given Strikeforce has said Brett Rogers and Fabricio Werdum are both unavailable for the match up against Fedor that really only leaves Vitor Belfort in my opinion.

Brothers From Different Mothers

Just a funny post to get us through hump day...

Don't these two look like they could be brothers from different mothers?

Jon Anik (ESPN MMA Live Host)                          Matt Lauer (Today Show Host)

UFC 100 Provisional Numbers

As confirmed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission's Executive Director Keith Kizer; here are the provisional numbers for UFC 100.

Live gate    $5,128,490
Tickets sold    9,793
Comp tickets    1,078
Unsold tickets    0
Closed circuit gate    $312,800
Tickets sold    6,256
Comp tickets    575

We knew UFC 100 was a success and now we see just how much of a success it really was. What I'd like to know is how much did the scalpers make off of the tickets that were resold.