Last week we reported that Bellator had sued Arizona promotion Desert Rage Full Contact Fighting claiming the Arizona-based promotion interfered with contracted Bellator fighters for its upcoming event in Yuma on October 22nd as Desert Rage was set to hold its own event nearby on the same date.
The most recent movement in the case has Desert Rage filing a jurisdictional challenge to Bellator’s lawsuit. As a company in Illinois, Bellator filed its claim in Illinois. However, Desert Rage has opposed the filing and is requesting that the lawsuit either be dismissed or transferred to the district court in Yuma, Arizona. The hearing date to determine the jurisdiction issue will be held in December which is interesting considering that its well after the October 22nd events of both companies.
In its motion, Desert Rage includes the affidavit of Chance Farrar, the individual Bellator alleges to be the central person to have had contact with Bellator contracted fighters and had knowledge of its contracts as Farrar worked with Bellator this past spring. In his affidavit Farrar claims not having a contract with Bellator and worked as a “fight coordinator” for Bellator’s April 2011 event in Yuma. Notably, he states, “I did not have any written contract with Bellator in relation to this (April 2011) event.” He also states that Desert Rage had planned its October 22nd event in July which would trump Bellator as it claimed it started planning for its event in August.
Based on the affidavit, its interesting that Bellator did not have Farrar sign a non-disclosure, non-compete agreement prior to having him work with the company. Obviously this is Monday-morning quarterbacking and perhaps Bellator did not have a reason to suspect this could happen. But, as a fight promotion, planning is everything. Its interesting that some sort of instinctive relief (a request from the court to stop a party from doing something) was not requested by either party as both promotions are set to hold its events this Saturday. The hearing date for the motion is set well after the events and the effect of that would make the lawsuit about money. Or, just a moot point.
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I ATTENDED DESERT RAGE X ON SATURDAY NIGHT IN YUMA ARIZONA. THE FIGHT CARD WAS STACKED WITH ONE OF THE LOCAL MMA GYMS YOUNG UP AND COMING FIGHTERS. THESE GUYS CAME OUT DETERMINED TO IMPRESS THE FANS AND WIN THEIR FIGHTS . THERE WERE 10 ON FIGHTS ON THE MAIN CARD AND THEY WERE ALL GOOD. THE FANS SEEMED VERY PLEASED AND EVEN THOUGH BELLATOR HAD TWO CURRENT DESERT RAGE TITLE HOLDERS )CARLOS FLORES / ED WEST) FIGHTING IN THEIR EVENT ALONG WITH THE ONLY TWO FIGHTERS (EDGAR GARCIA / EFRAIN ESCUDERO) IN TOWN TO MAKE IT TO THE UFC OTHER THEN CAIN VELAZQUEZ IN WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ATTEMPT TO DRAW AS MANY MMA FANS TO THEIR SHOW AS POSSIBLE DESERT RAGE APPEARED TO HAVE A CAPACITY CROWD. IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE EVENT I HEARD ALL KINDS OF CRAZY RUMORS FROM FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS BY BELLATOR TO BELLATOR’S HOST COCOPAH CASINO THREATENING TO NO LONGER ADVERTISE WITH THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER IF THEY WROTE A STORY ABOUT DESERT RAGE OR ANYONE COMPETING IN THEIR EVENT. I GUESS THE BIG BOYS WERE INTIMIDATED BY DESERT RAGE WHO WAS GOING TO HOLD THEIR TENTH EVENT SINCE STARTING IN 2007. BOTTOM LINE BELLATOR MESSED UP AND COCOPAH MESSED UP. IF THIS WENT DOWN IN CHICAGO OR WHERE EVER THEY ARE FROM THEY MIGHT HAVE SUCCESSFULLY STOPPED THEM BUT WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT TAKES CARE OF OUR OWN AND I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE THIS WILL CAUSE BOTH OF THEM TO LOSE A LOT OF FIGHT FANS SHOULD THEY DECIDE TO HOLD ANOTHER EVENT.
UPDATE 12/1: Bellator voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against Desert Rage on 11/22.