Alistair Overeem leaves Golden Glory
September 23, 2011
MMA Fighting reports that Alistair Overeem has left the managing stable of Golden Glory. Overeem’s decision to leave was due to “a breach of trust.”
Via MMA Fighting:
With Overeem only stating that “a breach of trust” was the reason for his departure, details behind the split are up for speculation and many people may be quick to point the finger at the recent issues between Golden Glory and Zuffa.
Overeem’s former manager, Bas Boon, indicated that Overeem’s departure was not related to the recent Zuffa-Golden Glory squabble which saw Zuffa cut Overeem, his brother, Valentijn, and Marloes Coenen. In a press release, Boon cited the current state of the fight business (outside of Zuffa we presume) as the culprit as he cited the fact that Golden Glory fighters are owed money from FEG and K-1. Boon cited the fact that Overeem is fighting in the UFC this December as a sign that the Zuffa-Golden Glory relationship is not fractured. But it appears that the money owed Overeem from other fight organizations may be the reason for the split.
Payout Perspective:
Overeem’s departure is interesting considering it occurred after Golden Glory negotiated his contract for the Lesnar fight. This is another example of the tenuous business of fight management. We will see if Overeem decides to sign with another agent and, if so, whether the agent will make an effort to collect the past debt from the organizations.
HDNet to Televise FEG’s “Dynamite!! 2010″ NYE Event Live
November 20, 2010
HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon that the Japanese MMA blockbuster NYE event, “Dynamite!! 2010″ will air live in the U.S. on HDNet.
MMAJunkie and HDNet report:
HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon confirmed the plans with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com)… The event takes place Dec. 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Currently, officials have announced only one fight for the card: a featherweight title bout and grand-prix-finale rematch between champion Bibiano Fernandes and Hiroyuki Takaya. However, as MMAjunkie.com recently reported, the show could feature an MMA-rules bout between DREAM champ Gegard Mousasi and K-1 kickboxing legend Jerome Le Banner, and many other notables are rumored for the show.
Payout Perspective:
HDNet subscribers will once again be treated to another NYE combat extravaganza as the network will continue to televise the Japanese end-of-the-year combat festivities this year.
FEG’s rival promotion, Sengoku Raiden Championship who also has a U.S. TV deal with HDNet, is also expected to host their own NYE event, “Soul of Fight” they day before FEG’s Dynamite event, which is part of a end-of-the-year martial-arts festival which will also host fights ranging from kickboxing, MMA, grappling, and other martial arts and combat disciplines. Arrangements to air the MMA portion of the event in some form on HDNet is currently in discussion.
K-1 World MAX GP 2010 Final Japan Ratings
November 11, 2010
FEG held this years K-1 World MAX GP 2010 Tournament Finale in Tokyo, Japan, which aired on the Japanese network Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) on November 8th.
The event did a 7.6 rating on TBS, compared to the 10.7 rating it was able to pull for last year’s event. Though it is typical for MAX events to receive lower ratings than K-1 GP events, which features most of the company’s biggest stars, the number is still considered to be low and disappointing for FEG.
Though the quality of fights the MAX events typically provide, we have to take into account the absence of Japanese K-1 great Masato (who retired last year), which surely impacted the ratings for the night. Just a few weeks ago, FEG’s MMA promotion DREAM, was able to pull an 11.9 rating on TBS for the DREAM.16 event.
Payout Perspective:
The K-1 World MAX GP produced some of the best combat sport bouts all year, and its a shame that the ratings for the event weren’t better. FEG was well aware of a potential ratings disaster for the event without Japanese K-1 great Masato, forcing them to book Japanese Olympic gold medalist and go-to ratings grabber Satoshi Ishii, placing him against Japanese fan-favorite Katsuyori Shibata in a MMA bout. The strategic move paid off for FEG, as the bout between Ishii and Shibata topped the event with a 12.1 peak rating.
As usual, FIELDS was the main sponsor for the event, but with ratings on the decline, FEG needs to put on some great shows for the remainder of the year to maintain a healthy and happy relationship with their sponsors and TV partners (TBS and Fuji TV). FEG has two huge shows coming up, where Strikeforce HW Champion Alistair Overeem will be featured on the K-1 World GP 2010 Final event on December 11th. The Japanese promotion will finish 2010 with a splash when they host their annual Dynamite!! NYE event on December 31st, which typically does great rating numbers for the company.
K-1 World GP 2010 Japan Ratings
October 5, 2010
FEG held this years K-1 World GP 2010 Final 16 in Seoul, Korea along with the World Max 2010 event, which took place the following day. The event was aired on Japanese network station Fuji TV as part of FEG’s two-day event titled “Double Impact F 16″.
The event did a 10.0 rating on Fuji TV, compared to the 13.2 rating it was able to pull last year for the 2009 event. That number has to be seen as disappointing, considering the great quality of fights the events produced during the two day stint in Korea. The week before, FEG’s MMA promotion DREAM, was able to pull a 11.9 rating on TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) for DREAM.16.
Payout Perspective:
For the time slot, K-1 World GP 2010 on Fuji TV finished in 4th place (in last place) behind shows televised on Nippon TV, TBS, and TV Asahi. The event was also said to have less than usual attendance and a much cheaper price-per-ticket in Korea than what they typically charge in Japan. Dan Herbertson from MMAFighting stated that the cheapest ticket in Korea was worth around $15, while the same ticket in Japan would go for around $80.
The two day event produced some of the best combat sport bouts all year, and really brought a sense of optimism for the kickboxing scene after watching the events. You can’t help but think that FEG is a bit disappointed with the rating and attendance numbers it garnered for the event, though we have to remember that they are missing K-1 favorites Remy Bonjasky and Badr Hari in this years event. Remy Bonjasky vs Errol Zimmerman pulled in peak ratings for the 2009 event.
FEG Announces Partnership with PUJI Capital
July 19, 2010
Daniel Herbertson of MMA Fighting is reporting that FEG has reached an agreement with Chinese investment bank PUJI Capital that plans for PUJI to raise nearly $230 million in funds for the beleaguered organization’s newest international expansion plans.
Tanikawa stated that changes should start from 2011 and that Japanese events will continue with K-1 on Fuji TV and DREAM and K-1 MAX on TBS. PUJI will not be involved with the day to day operations regarding the actual promotions but will instead be in charge of fund raising and leading the global expansion and have forecast that they will gather 20 billion yen ($230 million).
Payout Perspective:
This is not an announcement of an immediate capital injection; FEG has not yet secured the $230 million in funding. PUJI Capital is forecasting that it will be able to raise $230 million for FEG, but that is anything but a foregone conclusion.
Normally, you don’t make an announcement like this unless you’re sure you can get the money, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this announcement is more of a PR stunt than anything else. The news has been well-received by the entire MMA community – many of whom long for the “glory” days of Pride and more competition in a landscape dominated by the UFC – and FEG is definitely looking to generate some renewed interest in its fight brands to help it raise new money.
However, FEG has yet to prove that it can manage its assets with any sort of fiscal responsibility. I’m skeptical that PUJI can raise $230 million in the first place, but further question the notion that more money, and an ambitious international expansion plan, is going to solve FEG’s current problems.
If FEG does manage to raise significant funds, it should focus on its home market, first: establishing a strong foundation in Japan with a solid fan base and predictable revenue streams. Yet, rebuilding Japanese MMA is also a tall order. Many believe that much of the success MMA has had in the country is linked to professional wrestling (cross-over and freak show fights were the real draws on many nights); with pro wrestling on the decline, it may be difficult to bring MMA back to where it once was.
If, and only if, FEG can establish a strong fan base, with a solid fight product and firm financial footing, can it look to expand beyond Japan and into other markets. The Asian-Pacific is the most logical destination (Korea, China, Australia); likewise, South America (Brazil) remains relatively untapped. But I’m not sure how much success they, or anyone else, will have in Africa at this point.
This is definitely something to keep an eye on. The MMA fan in me wants to get excited, but FEG and Dream/K-1 still have a long way to go.
MMAterial Facts (01/18/10)
January 18, 2010
- Boxer’s treatment costs spur look at injury fund
- One on One With Shari Spencer
- Looking at Japan in 2010
- Get an inside look at how Illinois legalized UFC
- Fighting for MMA
Boxer’s treatment costs spur look at injury fund
The creation of a fund earmarked for catastrophic injuries to boxers and martial arts fighters is being studied by the Nevada Athletic Commission, its chairwoman said Tuesday…
Lundvall said to prevent taxpayers from paying the medical bills of fighters in the future, she is asking some of the “best minds in insurance” to devise ideas “along the lines of an annuity.”
Lundvall, a Reno attorney, said she envisions a monetary pool for catastrophic injuries being funded through a small percentage of both ticket sales and pay-per-view sales in Nevada.
How much that percentage would be, she said, “needs much more study.” She said the question of how to fund a catastrophic medical pool will be on the commission’s agenda in February.
A recent study done by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on the nongaming economic effect of 20 major fights since 2005 found that nearly $200 million was poured into the community by visitors… (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
One on One With Shari Spencer
Just as his accomplishments inside of the UFC’s Octagon can be attributed to hard work, dedication, and the continuing improvement of a skill set that is already amongst the most formidable in any weight class, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre’s accomplishments outside of the cage can almost exclusively be attributed to the efforts of his personal manager, Shari Spencer. Aside from defending his title twice in 2009 against two of the best fighters in the welterweight division, St-Pierre became the first MMA fighter to truly break into the mainstream of sports advertising when he signed exclusive sponsorship agreements with marketing juggernauts Gatorade and Under Armour last year, two of the largest sports-related advertisers in the world… (Tapology)
Looking at Japan in 2010
Michael Schiavello: I think 2010 will be a resurgence year for K-1. We’ll see K-1 do some big things in Europe, such as the rumored four European shows including possibly a European Grand Prix in a major European city (I can’t say which city just yet, but if the rumor comes true, it’s a city K-1 hasn’t been in yet and one that would be very exciting). Also I believe we’ll see K-1 return to mainland USA this year, with at least one show but maybe as many as three, which is big in itself and has a lot to do with the enormous popularity K-1 has garnered on HDNet.
Michael Schiavello: I don’t think it’s easy for anyone to do a show in Japan unless you’re working in with FEG. They’re the big power in Japan. They hold all the aces in their pockets with television, marketing, the best fighters, venues, etc. Scott Coker is a smart cookie and has tremendous experience with the Japanese market from his many years working with K-1. A Strikeforce show in Japan done with the blessing and partial assistance of FEG could be successful depending on which fighters were utilized. The key to capturing the Japanese fans is using Japanese fighters, not American fighters. Strikeforce and FEG have a working relationship which I believe is very healthy. My dream scenario would be for a joint Strikeforce/Dream series doing one show a piece in the USA and in Japan, not unlike Dynamite was a DREAM/Sengoku series… (MMAFighting)
Get an inside look at how Illinois legalized UFC
It didn’t take any punches or kicks or choke holds for mixed martial arts to be legalized by the Illinois Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, just the usual mix of political clout and a little campaign cash, according to a portion of Blagojevich’s new book, The Governor.
Other key players declined to talk about Blagojevich’s version of the story, but public records back up key portions.
Blagojevich writes of his distaste for the sport, which takes place in an octagonal steel cage and combines boxing, karate, jiu-jitsu and other martial arts. But he says he put that distaste aside and signed the legislation legalizing mixed martial arts to score points with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s brother, Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel, the real-life model for the character Ari Gold in the HBO series “Entourage.”
And why might Ari Emanuel care about mixed martial arts? Among his Endeavor Talent Agency’s clients: Zuffa LLC, the Las Vegas company that owns UFC… (Chicage Sun-Times)
Fighting for MMA
According to mmafacts.com, a website devoted to spreading the word about MMA, an HR&A study conducted in 2008 analyzed the economic impact one Ultimate Fighting Championship (a company that hosts MMA caged bouts) event would have in Buffalo and Downstate New York.
According to the study “$1.7 million of direct spending is leveraged three times to result in $5.2 million of total activity in the local economy,” which means one event “could increase direct sports-related activity in Buffalo by 20 percent.”
Every dollar spent planning, promoting and staffing the event, along with every dollar spent on ticket sales, merchandise, food, travel, hotels, and entertainment will has a three-fold impact on the community.
By attracting event-goers and employing locals to work at the event, just one UFC or MMA event will bring money in to the community and keep it there. The money is leveraged because it will continue to circulate within the community even after the day of the fight.
Furthermore, the direct revenue benefits, or taxes, to New York State could total $320,000, and that’s from just one event.
The impact on Downstate New York is even greater: findings indicate potential for $11.3 million of economic output,” which is 15 percent of the [region's] economic activity over a single weekend.”
“The Times Union Center in Albany anticipates a single MMA event generating close to $1 million in economic impact for Albany businesses and an additional $100,000 in tax revenues for Albany County” the study reported… (Saratoga Today)
QUICK HITS
- Herschel Walker isn’t joking about MMA (ESPN)
- Expectations rise for Strikeforce’s Bobby Lashley (USA Today)
- Report: Floyd Mayweather to fight on May 1st, would go head-to-head against UFC PPV (Fight Opinion)
- UFC president says May 1 card in Montreal could be moved to another date (The Canadian Press)
- Sanchez contemplates return to 170 (Yahoo! Sports)
- Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione targeted for UFC 113 in Montreal (Yahoo! Sports)
- Derrick Noble vs Yves Edwards Heads MFC 24 (MMAWeekly)
- Weekend Rundown: Monson Wins; Houston Alexander Loses (Sherdog)
- ESPN to air UFC: Best of 2009 on free-to-air weekend (Mirror.co.uk)
- Kongo vs. Buentello, Ludwig vs. Fisher Added to UFC on Versus (MMAFighting)
- Kampmann vs. Saunders set for UFC 111 main card, two bouts official for prelims (MMAJunkie)
- Bellator Signs GSP Training Partner Mike Ricci (MMAWeekly)
- Koscheck vs. Daley at UFC 113 in Montreal (MMAWeekly)
- Update On Bobby Lashley’s Strikeforce Opponent (MMANews)
TV LISTINGS
- HDNet Fights Presents K-1 Classics (Asian GP 2008) at 8 PM ET on HDNet (01/22/10)
- InsideMMA (Ed Soares, Jose Aldo, Jon Fitch, & Randy Couture) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (01/22/10)
- HDNet Fights Presents Best of 2009 K-1 World MAX at 10 PM ET on HDNet (01/22/10)
- Best of Pride FC at 10 PM ET/PT on Spike (01/22/10)
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Strikeforce Miami: Diaz vs Zaromskis at 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime (01/30/10)
- FCF 39: Women’s 135 lbs Grand Prix: Opening Round on TBD (01/30/10)
- KOTC: Toryumon from Okinawa, Japan on PPV (01/30/10)
Dynamite!! Likely to Return in 2010
January 7, 2010
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer writes that Dynamite likely did enough with its ratings on NYE to secure a slot with Japanese TV station TBS next year.
It is the rating for the big matches that the network is most concerned with, and it was considered a success, being in second place for what is traditionally the most-watched night of television of the year in Japan. While Sadaharu Tanigawa of K-1 seemed disappointed, hoping to be more competitive with the concert, particularly during the Masato and Ishii matches, TBS president Toshimi Ichihara did a press interview talking about the success of the show in beating a comedy show on NTV that featured a lot of big names. After last year, the tradition was in trouble, but this rating guarantees TBS doing it again next year. The problem is when you look at what drew the rating, Ishii’s debut was a one-time thing and he didn’t look good, and got destroyed in all the newspapers, and Masato, who ended up being the star of the show, was retiring. I could easily see a big push next year to bring him out of retirement because they’ll need him.
Payout Perspective:
The news is good, but Meltzer does hint at the larger problem which still clearly exists in Japanese MMA: the sport’s reliance on the non-traditional matches to draw viewership. Masato’s retirement bout will not be available and Ishii’s star is fading, so what will the organization do next year?
In fairness, you have to give FEG credit for this year’s show; it was the first in a long time that didn’t feature any freak show bouts (even if it did feature the final of the Super Hulk tournament). Moreover, even the regular MMA shows routinely draw 20-40k at the gate, which in many cases is far greater than what MMA is doing in North America.
However, as we move into the future, the one big issue surrounding MMA in Japan will continue to be whether the sport, itself, will take in the country.
Ratings: FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009
January 2, 2010
The numbers are in, and FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009 drew a 16.7%.
Fightopinion with the translation:
The final numbers: NHK’s Kohaku music show – 40.8% (37.1% and 40.8% for the two parts), Dynamite!! with Masato’s last match drew a 16.7%, and Nippon TV’s Downtown comedy special (hotelman 24 hours) did a 16.4%. Fuji TV did a 9.2% rating for it’s program.
Payout Perspective:
The event finished second in the annual NYE ratings battle, which is a good showing. The result tops what Dream and Sengoku were able to do all year, and is the best Dynamite!! result since 2006.
A list of the Dream and K-1 ratings on the year can be found at Nightmare of the Battle.
Payout Perspective: FieLDS Dynamite!! 2009
December 31, 2009
The last major card of 2009 was held just outside Tokyo, Japan last night as FEG held its annual FieLDS Dynamite!! card from Saitama Super Arena. The event drew a strong 37,000+ people and featured a host of interesting MMA bouts including Shinya Aoki, Gegard Mousasi, Melvin Manhoef, and Kid Yamamoto.
Attendance
The crowd was great – at one point the announced attendance was 45, 406 – and there’s still very much something to be said for the ability of Japanese MMA to draw 37,000 people to an arena. The feeling is that a great deal of the support for this event surrounded the retirement of Masato, but the showing is nonetheless a good one for MMA as a whole.
That panoramic television view showing the huge crowd really gave the event a big time feel, and it’s undoubtedly something that North American MMA events will be shooting for in the coming years. It’s the kind of picture that communicates a thousand words, and something that would surely signal to a larger audience that MMA is legitimate. It’s hard to think that the UFC won’t try to accomplish a massive event like this within the next two years; either with GSP in Canada or BJ Penn in Hawaii.
Ratings
Expect the ratings late this week or early next.
Business Story Lines
- Kid Yamamoto and Masanori Kanehara put on perhaps the fight of the night with a spirited back and forth affair. It would appear that Kid will have to re-tool his game in order to compete in the more well-rounded and competitive bantam and featherweight divisions. His ability to draw in Japan – and the appeal of him crossing the pond to fight in the WEC – will now be called into question. However, his lack of wrestling/ground game could fuel the fire for him to join a camp like Xtreme Couture.
- Alistair Overeem looked impressive, but faced a clearly over-matched opponent in Fujita. He remains committed to K-1 until late March, but Strikeforce has been adamant about getting him into the cage in time for their CBS show in April. The organization would then look to setup a bout between the behemoth and Fedor Emelianenko on PPV later in the year.
This strategy isn’t without its risk, however. Not only might there be issues surrounding the status of Overeem’s contract in the future, but the swirling allegations surrounding PED use at Overeem’s gym in Holland are also a concern. Strikeforce could invest a lot of time and money in this big fight – not really having any other clear alternative at this point – and then have it crumble as the result of a contract or a bad test. There’s always some risk involved in any fight, but it seems to be heightened in this case.
- Gegard Mousasi mentioned about a week ago that he’d likely be a part of the Strikeforce card in April, which bodes well for the CBS event that’s already likely to feature Fedor and Henderson.
- Shinya Aoki was very impressive, but the lack of respect he displayed at the end of the fight took away from the performance. It was reminiscent of Lesnar’s antics after the Mir fight, only worse because Aoki was taunting a downed opponent that wasn’t getting up any time soon.
On one hand, these gestures at the end of the fight are the types of thing that MMA’s opposition – or even the fence sitters – look at and use as ammunition as to why the sport is brutal savagery. On the other hand, it’s something that a promotion can use to fuel interest in a fighter – people like to see bad guys get beat.
- Melvin Manhoef is always so impressive on his feet. It’s a real shame that he’s stated he has no desire to work on the ground, because he could be a force in MMA with some solid take down and ground defense. That’s the real danger as a promoter, too: the guy wants big bucks, but you risk flushing that investment down the drain. Manhoef is far too one-dimensional and that just doesn’t cut it in MMA anymore.
Fields Dynamite: Dream vs. Sengoku Finalized
December 28, 2009
The last major card of the year, Fields Dynamite: Dream vs. Sengoku, has been finalized with the addition of Melvin Manhoef vs. Kazuo Misaki and will air on NYE morning in North America on HDNet. The 11 fight event will feature five Dream vs. Sengoku matches, in addition to the final of the Super Hulk tournament.
Sherdog’s event coverage if you haven’t already read up on the event:
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Masanori Kanehara
Satoshi Ishii vs. Hidehiko Yoshida
Shinya Aoki (No. 2 LW) vs. Mizuto Hirota (No. 9 LW)
Alistair Overeem vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
Melvin Manhoef vs. Kazuo Misaki
Tatsuya Kawajiri (No. 5 LW) vs. Kazunori Yokota
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Akihiro Gono
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Michihiro Omigawa (No. 6 FW)
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hiroshi Izumi
Marlon Sandro vs. Hideo Tokoro
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Ikuhisa Minowa
Now, according to Dave Meltzer early indications are fairly positive for the show in Japan, which bodes well for this last second alliance between former competitors. It might also be a good sign for the future of MMA in Japan as discount store Don Quijote is rumored to be interested in acquiring FEG’s MMA division which includes Dream and K-1.
The New Year’s Eve advance is strong largely due to the Masato retirement. They’ll draw 35,000 at the Saitama Super Arena for the show, which will be the biggest MMA crowd of 2009.
