UFC News

[MikeO]

OK, some UFC news I got.........
1) The HBO deal is in the works. On hold but will be done soon or at the latest by the fall.

2) PRIDE lost their TV deal in Japan and isn't getting much if any coverage over there. PRIDE is dying a slow and painful death. Expect many of their top guys to start making their way to UFC more on a full time basis. PRIDE does have a show scheduled for Vegas in October but many expect it to do poor business.

3) The future PPV lineup for UFC is looking real strong. The September 9/23 PPV is in Anaheim,CA will be headlined by Matt Hughes vs Georges St.Pierre. (they wanted to find a venue in Canada to make St.Pierre the young babyface going for the title and play off of Hughes "heel" character on TUF TV show 2 seasons ago. But they couldn't so it will take place in Anaheim.

In October they are running their PPV on 10/14 from Mandalay Bay. Rich Franklin will headline and be the main event if he is healthy enough. Opponent still unknown.

On 11/18 is the Lidell vs Silva from Mandalay Bay........but expect that date to be changed since there is a big boxing PPV that same night and UFC doesn't want to play 2nd fiddle to boxing for this contest in Vegas and on PPV with cable companies.

And the night before the Super Bowl Feb 3rd, expect to see Tito Ortiz vs Chuck Lidell 2 to take place from Vegas. That will do monster business and a huge PPV buy rate. They working out the details for this now.

 

[Motion]

Awesome! All great news, I'd love to see more of the Pride guys in the UFC, they could really use more heavyweights. Really looking forward to Tito/Chuck 2 as well. And I always love watching Hughes and Franklin fight. Good stuff!

 

[ckb2001]

OK, some UFC news I got.........
1) The HBO deal is in the works. On hold but will be done soon or at the latest by the fall.

2) PRIDE lost their TV deal in Japan and isn't getting much if any coverage over there. PRIDE is dying a slow and painful death. Expect many of their top guys to start making their way to UFC more on a full time basis. PRIDE does have a show scheduled for Vegas in October but many expect it to do poor business.

3) The future PPV lineup for UFC is looking real strong. The September 9/23 PPV is in Anaheim,CA will be headlined by Matt Hughes vs Georges St.Pierre. (they wanted to find a venue in Canada to make St.Pierre the young babyface going for the title and play off of Hughes "heel" character on TUF TV show 2 seasons ago. But they couldn't so it will take place in Anaheim.

In October they are running their PPV on 10/14 from Mandalay Bay. Rich Franklin will headline and be the main event if he is healthy enough. Opponent still unknown.

On 11/18 is the Lidell vs Silva from Mandalay Bay........but expect that date to be changed since there is a big boxing PPV that same night and UFC doesn't want to play 2nd fiddle to boxing for this contest in Vegas and on PPV with cable companies.

And the night before the Super Bowl Feb 3rd, expect to see Tito Ortiz vs Chuck Lidell 2 to take place from Vegas. That will do monster business and a huge PPV buy rate. They working out the details for this now.

Great info MikeO, but can you post a link, especially for #2? I'd like to see exactly what the deal is with PRIDE in Japan. If what you say is really true, that would be the best news for the UFC since Zuffa took over.

 

[ckb2001]

Awesome! All great news, I'd love to see more of the Pride guys in the UFC, they could really use more heavyweights. Really looking forward to Tito/Chuck 2 as well. And I always love watching Hughes and Franklin fight. Good stuff!

On a side note, who do you think would win if Hughes fought Franklin?? I mean Hughes is welterweight and Franklin middleweight, but I'm not so sure Franklin would be the favorite (probably no favorite).

I can understand why Franklin doesn't move up a weight class (he'd be outclassed in light heavyweight), but I'm not sure why Hughes doesn't move up one. Other than one more fight with St. Pierre (and maybe a rematch with BJ Penn) Hughes has NOTHING more to do in his weightclass (assuming, as is likely, he wins both of those).

Among current middleweights, I just can't think of anyone other than Franklin that would really give Hughes a hard time.

 

[MikeO]

Great info MikeO, but can you post a link, especially for #2? I'd like to see exactly what the deal is with PRIDE in Japan. If what you say is really true, that would be the best news for the UFC since Zuffa took over.

I can't link the telephone call I had!

 

[MikeO]

:wink: cause Im a nice guy:wink: ....here is some news on the PRIDE TV deal loss in Japan

http://www.boutreviewusa.com/FightNews/tbh/8pridefuji.html

 

[Motion]

On a side note, who do you think would win if Hughes fought Franklin?? I mean Hughes is welterweight and Franklin middleweight, but I'm not so sure Franklin would be the favorite (probably no favorite).

I can understand why Franklin doesn't move up a weight class (he'd be outclassed in light heavyweight), but I'm not sure why Hughes doesn't move up one. Other than one more fight with St. Pierre (and maybe a rematch with BJ Penn) Hughes has NOTHING more to do in his weightclass (assuming, as is likely, he wins both of those).

Among current middleweights, I just can't think of anyone other than Franklin that would really give Hughes a hard time.

I didn't mean seeing them fight each other, although that'd be an amazing fight, especially since they are in the same camp now.

I just meant seeing each of them fight, especially Franklin, he's such a great striker.

 

[MikeO]

I didn't mean seeing them fight each other, although that'd be an amazing fight, especially since they are in the same camp now.

I just meant seeing each of them fight, especially Franklin, he's such a great striker.

Franklin is pretty F'd up right now, he might not even make that October PPV. He is a mess health wise and physically from his last fight.

 

[ckb2001]

:wink: cause Im a nice guy:wink: ....here is some news on the PRIDE TV deal loss in Japan

http://www.boutreviewusa.com/FightNews/tbh/8pridefuji.html

Talk about providing a great link!!

WOW, so PRIDE is suffering from what seems to be an epidemic right now in Japan (or at least it's just more visible now than before): unethical practices by corporate management.

OK, so if they lose their TV deal (it does say they could get on cable, but that's not the same), it means they may not be able to pay on average nearly double the salary (for bigger names) than what the UFC pays.

Also, since UFC is poorly represented in Japan currently, the Japanese may be more open to a UFC expansion there in the future?

Of course, one thing going for any established MMA organization in Japan is the greater amount of interest in MMA among Japanese than among Americans (at least for now), but this is good news nonetheless.

 

[ckb2001]

I didn't mean seeing them fight each other, although that'd be an amazing fight, especially since they are in the same camp now.

I just meant seeing each of them fight, especially Franklin, he's such a great striker.

I know.. that's why I said "on a side note". But, it would be interesting wouldn't it if they did fight?

 

[MikeO]

Talk about providing a great link!!

WOW, so PRIDE is suffering from what seems to be an epidemic right now in Japan (or at least it's just more visible now than before): unethical practices by corporate management.

OK, so if they lose their TV deal (it does say they could get on cable, but that's not the same), it means they may not be able to pay on average nearly double the salary (for bigger names) than what the UFC pays.

Also, since UFC is poorly represented in Japan currently, the Japanese may be more open to a UFC expansion there in the future?

Of course, one thing going for any established MMA organization in Japan is the greater amount of interest in MMA among Japanese than among Americans (at least for now), but this is good news nonetheless.

What is killing PRIDE is even without the TV, the mainstream press in Japan is giving them alomst no coverage. Their last show was their best show to date from a card standpoint, and almost nobody covered it and it got no play in the newspapers, radio, or tv reports. It's almost like it didn't even take place. That won't change whether they are on TV or not.

PRDIE is dying.......just a matter of time.

 

[Mindwarp]

I also have news about UFC i can't share cause my boy is under contract

 

[tucker]

its shame b/c pride is pretty damn good too

 

[ckb2001]

I also have news about UFC i can't share cause my boy is under contract

Create a new username, go to another computer, and post!! :D :wink:

 

[Mindwarp]

no no no wouldn't do that.. still would be posting news that was told to him.