MMA Fighting reports Bellator’s response to light heavyweight champion Attila Vegh’s report that he was not injured and could fight on the Bellator PPV card. Bellator produced Vegh’s medical report to rebut the claim that it misrepresented that Vegh was injured.
The theory was that Bellator wanted an Emanuel Newton-King Mo rematch. In order to do this, it would have to postpone Vegh’s title defense as is customary Newton, the winner of the tournament, would have faced Vegh. Vegh claimed that he was not injured and could fight on the Bellator PPV. Bellator has produced Vegh’s medical report (via MMA Fighting). The report indicates that due to a kick in training, Vegh was instructed to sit out 6-8 weeks.
A portion of the Bellator press release is below:
..Attila has confirmed that his statements were not translated correctly and were not accurate. Attila was fully aware that Bellator made numerous attempts to schedule his world title defense vs. Emmanuel Newton, and that his injury prevented that bout from occurring and that Bellator was going to schedule an interim world title fight because of the delays.
Attila will be facing the winner of the Newton vs. Mo Interim World Title fight in early 2014.
Payout Perspective:
Another public relations issue that Bellator has to handle. It seems that Bellator is hanging the issue on a perceived miscommunication on the original web site which had a Polish reporter interviewing Vegh in Slovakian. While the issue appears to be over considering the production of the medical report, it still looks like Bellator could have handled this better. It could have promised Veigh a non-title fight on the PPV card or told him the rationale for taking him off the card. Also, why is the Newton-Mo fight for the “interim” title if it sounds like Vegh would only have to sit out a couple months?
Certainly, Vegh wanted a shot on PPV as it would have been good exposure for him. However, the rematch between Newton and Mo would likely draw more interest based on their previous fight. Calling it for the “interim” title makes the fight appear a little more important. It definitely is unfair to Vegh considering he is the champion and it appears he will not make the big show.
They really should have just made the fight a number one contenders fight, the last two cards to have 3 title fights were UFC 33 and Strikeforce Nashville, both had 3 boring title fights that all went the distance.
I’m guessing the main event will be 3 rounds but if the same thing happens again, you probably don’t want Rampage & Tito trying to save a PPV.
Its very shady of bellator to actually put any portion of atilla’s medical record out there.
If he give his permission then there is nothing wrong with it. We don’t know if he did or not. You are right if they didn’t have his permission. Also illegal.
Bellator is clearly in the wrong here and obviously manipulating the fights like it is pro wrestling. The medical report is dated for April. That means the 2 months he was told to sit out would have been up in June. So how this medical report means he cant fight in November is anyone’s guess. Even so they have him booked for January. How is that grounds to create a interim title? Bellator doesn’t want their champ fighting so they can put on King Mo in his rematch. They are also scamming the public so they can create an unneeded interim belt to make King Mo and his opponent seem more important. They got caught red handed and used a doctors note from 5 months ago. I also highly doubt Vegh was misquoted. Vegh was only re-enforced what the shady doctor excuse and the fans have suspected all along.
I will not buy this PPV and I am on the fence as to whether or not to watch Bellator at all on Spike. People complain about things the UFC does. But nothing approaches what Bellator has been able to pull off in a very short time. The lower levels of MMA are full of scumbag promoters. I never though any of them would reach the level of Bellator. I guess I was wrong.
A large portion of the story is missing from the above article:
“While the issue appears to be over considering the production of the medical report,”
Actually, the medical report only further muddles the situation: the date of the medical report is “15/4/13”, which means April 15, 2013, so 6-8 weeks would’ve meant he could resume training in mid-June.
The medical report also says nothing about a SHOULDER injury, which is what was stated in Bellator’s original Aug. 15 press release.
Furthermore, Wojslaw Rysiewski, the reporter who conducted the original interview, disputes Bellator’s claim about a mistranslation, outright stating that he was indeed translated correctly and that “anyone who speaks Polish or Slovakian can attest he says he’s not injured,” and added this tidbit as well: “Also the entire Nastula Team and reporters saw him train and spar 100% with some of the best Polish fighters last week.”
Someone’s obviously lying here…
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/9/1/4683610/bellator-releases-statement-attila-vegh-injury-mma-news/in/4448527
Pawal Nastula! id forgotten about him. no wonder atilla is so tough.
anyway at best i would hope that atilla bashed bellator through the reporter in order to leverage something out of bellator; Rather than bellator threatening him to change what he said. Man mma is a scummy sport full of liars and cheats.
I dont think this is illegal as someone mentioned. Bellator arent healthcare workers or providera so i don’t think hipaa applies here.
Neither was the NJSAC. But the commissioner said it was illegal for him to talk about Nate Marquardts health issue. In fact Nate himself had to tell everyone what the problem was. But then again he said it was due to their state laws of releasing medical information. We don’t know what the state laws are for Bellator. But ti still wasn’t smart to release that info when the info really had nothing to do with what they were claiming. Nothing like using fake evidence to support you calling your own fighter a liar in public.
Def shady, they put out a report from April saying he is out 2 months, that means June he is ok, he said he was ok in Aug, the fights in Nov.
Bellator wanted Mo/Newton cause its a revenge fight and a bigger fight than Vegh and since Newton beat Mo and won his tournament first they felt they couldnt push him aside to give Mo the shot cause it would be bad PR.
Now Vegh opened a can of worms for them by saying he is being pushed aside as the champ cause Bellator wants Mo/Newton.
They also couldnt make Mo/Newton a regular fight for a title shot cause both won tournaments and were promised a title shot so now they have to make an interim title even though the champ is healthy. Even if lets say he wasnt they say Vegh will fight the winner in Jan. So they need an interim title when the champ is gonna fight two/three months after the PPV?
Its just really weak. Lets be honest here, Mo/Newton is gonna be at best 3rd fight on the PPV, maybe 4th. WOuld it really have mattered if they did Mo/Vegh for the title? Do they think Mo/Newton is gonna add that many more buys?
Machiel Van, someone had it translated on another site by a non mma fan.
(I – interviewer, S – Slovak guy)
I: I want to ask you about your career in Bellator. You are champion of this organisation. But lately it was said that you had an injury, your fight can’t happen. You are here on the training and everything looks great. What’s up with that injury?
S: It was due to Bellator’s business. Cause people want to watch the fight Kimo (Keemo?) versus Newton revenge. So my fight will be postponed to January, in November will be fight of Kimo and Newton and I will be with the winner – whoever wins, Kimo or Newton. So this isn’t injury, everything is all right, but (??? they have to?) write.
I: Aren’t you annoyed with such attitude? You are champion of this organisation and here you are moved away.
S: It can be (not sure if the meaning of “it can happen” or “I can tolerate it”). I’m not at home. At home they want me to be American champion, but (???) for free.
I: Can you fight in the meantime, somewhere else? Did you ask about it? Usually Bellator requires a permission. But I think if they postpone your fight, then they should allow you some performance in the autumn. Do you have such plans?
S: I don’t have plans. (???) that in September will be fight. Then they called me that in January. Now I will have a bit of relax. (???). In October we will start (??? to prepare?), but I’m not going on any fight, I will fight on January.
tl;dr: Bellator wants to make more money, so they organise fight in November between two other popular fighters and postponed the fight of the Slovak guy to January (he will fight with the winner of November’s fight).
I don’t mind so much they want to do the Mo fight. But what they have done is a disgrace to the sport of MMA. They disrespected their own champ and they discredited him. Not to mention them not letting the champ fight. Then to further kill their champ and the meaningfulness of their own belts. They create a interim title for all of 3 months. Its one thing to promote fighters and hype them. But its another when it is so blatant and you are treating the fans like morons. So if they don’t like a champ they just push him to the side and hand pick who they do what the belt? This is as close to pro wrestling as you can get without scripting the actual fights. But sicne they match ups are manipulated and they have shown they don’t care about actual talent or putting on meaningful fights. It may as well be scripted. I have never seen a promotions structure even close to being as messed up as Bellator. You have to win a tourney to fight the champ except when they can choose then you don’t have to. IF you are not a draw they don’t want you even if you are champ. Crazy!!! Now the real 205 champ is a joke because he has to split his belt and his promotion doesn’t want him on their big show. Then their 170 champ they tald they don’t want him back. IS there anyone who has fucked over their champs and fighters for no apparent reason as Bellator?
If I was the fighters over at Bellator I would walk out as a group and refuse to fight. Its the only way to get better treatment. Why would anyone want their title and look forward to be treated like that and locked up in a never ending contract?