UFC Media Conference
Hey all PWBites, this is my first post on the blog and man what a crazy time to start. I honestly don't remember a more insane time to be an MMA fan. In 2 weeks we've seen a failed drug test, a PPV cancelled, a promotion fold and some of the most bizarre contract demands and offers since...well the last time Fedor was a free agent.
Anyway, after all of this chaos, the UFC announced a press conference on Friday 31 July to make some big announcements and deal with the numerous rumours. Following M-1's news-free conference and the UFC's history of over-hyping announcements I wasn't expecting much today but man this one delivered. Here are the highlights:
- Tito Ortiz is back, after Dana announced on Twitter that they had made up it was all a matter of time before Tito returned, like him or not he is a massive draw so the UFC were always interested and realistically were the only promotion ever capable of matching Tito's huge wage demands. No opponent or return date has been set, though he is rumoured to be facing Mark Coleman in his return fight.
- Rich Franklin v Dan Henderson 2 has been scrapped, due to the apathy amongst MMA fans over this fight. This was always a horrible main event because it happened recently on a European card and a win wouldn't help either man as they are both in different weight classes and Hendo seemed on the verge of a title shot at 185. The fact that UFC 103 is competing with Mayweather-Marquez so it would get killed in the buy rate with this as a main event. However, the replacement fights are both big surprises.
- Vitor Belfort is also back, which is no surprise seeing how him and Dana were publicly courting each other back when Affliction seemed to have a future, though what shocked me was that his first fight is against Rich Franklin at UFC 103, in the LHW division. Seeing how Vitor rejected a fight with Gegard Mousasi at Affliction: Trilogy because he doesn't want to fight at 205 again, I'm amazed that his first fight is at this weight class.
- Dan Henderson is now getting the next shot at Anderson Silva's MW title and this is the new main event for UFC 103. Whilst it's a far more marketable fight than a rematch with Franklin, it's not one that I have ever wanted to see again. Anderson won the first fight in dominating fashion and I don't see how this fight can go any differently, whilst Hendo is still a great fighter I don't think that he will be competitive. I'd have much rather have seen the Demian Maia-Nate Marquardt winner get the next title shot, as Maia especially would be a more interesting and arguably dangerous opponent for Anderson than Dan.
- Fedor Emelianenko was offered a great contract but it was turned down because of M-1's co-promotion demands. As great a fighter as Fedor is, he is making a horrible choice as a fighter and a businessman by rejecting this offer, there is no way that he will make more money and fight better opponents in any other organisation, unless he fights a roided-up Josh Barnett in Japan. I'm a big fan of him as a fighter and he seems like a nice guy but choosing these crooked Russian promoters over a fantastic contract is mind boggling and a letdown for all of his fans as well as general fans of the sport.
- ESPN have signed a deal with the UFC to show all of their programming on their new UK channel, which is first being broadcast on Monday 3 August, so we are getting it in time for UFC 101. The channel will be available on Sky and Virgin, with a free trial during August, and will cost £12 for Sky Digital customers (£9 for Sky Sports subscribers) and £10 for Virgin M/L customers (£8 for Sky Sports subscribers), whilst being free for Virgin XL customers. ESPN will be broadcast on channel 529 for Virgin (530 HD) and 417 for Sky (430 HD). ESPN HD is for no extra charge but is only available to Sky HD and V+ subscribers.
Mixed news for me personally, though it'll be interesting to hear what everyone thinks. I'm still gutted about the protracted Fedor-UFC deal and the whole Affliction debacle in general but at least Vitor and Tito are back and 103 looks like a much better card than it did yesterday and best of all I can watch UFC for free again through Virgin.
Is Silva REALLY going to try to outbox Roy Jones Jr after his UFC contract is up
? What an idiot?
JSN, you won’t find a bigger Anderson Silva fan on this blog than me, I haved defended everything that he has done in his career, including his last 2 fights and I’ll never have a bad word to say about him, but this fight worries me as it could be another Sylvia-Mercer moment. That fight was an embarrassment for MMA, as a washed up boxer KO’d a former UFC champion and I fear that a Silva-RJJ boxing match will end the same way. Even world class MMAsts like Silva don’t have the boxing technique required to compete with legends, no matter how old, just as boxers wouldn’t last a minute under MMA rules as none of them have the wrestling or BJJ to compete with them.
Unfortunately the UFC hasn’t given Silva the fights that he wants and given unworthy opponents title fights so he is disillusioned right now. The fact that he has been publicly criticised for his performances despite winning by the likes of Dana White won’t have done any good either. If he was kept pleased then this fight won’t ever happen but right now the UFC is driving him towards RJJ.
Update: Franklin-Belfort is the UFC 103 main event and will be fought at a 195lb catchweight, makes more sense to me seeing how Vitor wants to stick to 185 (last minute fights with Fedor aside) and Rich is staying at 205.
Anderson-Hendo II isn’t on a card as yet, it all depends on what condition Silva is in after facing Forrest. A dominant win over Griffin could mean that that fight takes place pretty soon.