- Shine Fights Dismisses Threat of Don King Legal Action Against Ricardo Mayorga
- UFC to Offer UFC 113 PPV to FLO TV Mobile Devices
- M-1 Global, Strikeforce come to terms; Emelianenko vs. Werdum set for June 26
- Zuffa Files Suit for ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Domain Name TV census ad
- “TUF Canada” targeted for 2011; UFC seeks TV deals in China, India, South Korea
Shine Fights Dismisses Threat of Don King Legal Action Against Ricardo Mayorga
Despite demands from Don King Productions to “cease and desist” promoting Ricardo Mayorga, Shine Fights Promotions CEO Devin Price is assuring fight fans that the May 15th MMA event “WORLDS COLLIDE: MAYORGA VS. THOMAS” will go forward “without a doubt.” Price also added, “Shine Fights has a valid and exclusive promotional contract with Ricardo Mayorga for mixed martial arts. We are pleased to offer both MMA fans and boxing fans a great night of MMA action on Saturday, May 15th.”
“When we announced this fight I said that we think Mayorga’s fans are just that, his fans, and that they will follow him to MMA,” said Price. “Our target is to convert many boxing fans into fans of both sports.” (PRESS RELEASE)
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Don King Productions issues Cease and Desist
Don King Productions has a valid promotional contract granting the right of exclusive representation of Ricardo Mayorga and has advised Shine Fight Promotions accordingly.
Shine Fight Promotions’ conduct constitutes tortious interference with Don King Productions’ agreement with Ricardo Mayorga, and Don King Productions has requested they immediately cease and desist promoting Ricardo Mayorga at one of their events to avoid the need for legal action in this matter. (Max Boxing)
UFC to Offer UFC 113 PPV to FLO TV Mobile Devices
Purchase UFC Machida vs. Shogun 2 for $44.99. Watch the action live May 8 on your FLO TV Personal Television or FLO TV Auto Entertainment System. Tune in starting at 6:30pm pst. Don’t miss light heavyweight champion Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida and challenger Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua settle the score. (FLO TV)
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Twitter Updates from UFC and FLO TV:
@UFC : Have you guys seen FLO TV? Live programming on a TV the size of an iPhone. Watch UFC 113 on the go Saturday night! http://www.flo.tv/
@FLOTV : The UFC promo channel airs this week on FLO TV. MMA fans can check out previews for upcoming UFC 113 : Machida vs. Shogun 2. #ufc
M-1 Global, Strikeforce come to terms; Emelianenko vs. Werdum set for June 26
After months of anticipation, the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-1), will make his eagerly awaited return to the cage to face two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and top-ranked superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (13-4) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, June 26, live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
The Fedor-Werdum match will headline an event which will feature up to five televised fights on SHOWTIME and several non-televised undercard bouts that will be announced in the coming weeks.
A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the event will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://strikeforce.com/insider.html) from 10 a.m. PT Monday, May 10, until 10 p.m. PT on Thursday, May 13. Insiders will receive an e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.
Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, May 14, at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) as well as www.strikeforce.com. For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.
For M-1 GLOBAL’s Fedor, it is a means of gaining revenge three and a half years after the 32-year-old Werdum defeated Fedor’s brother Aleksander Emelianenko, via submission (arm triangle choke) in the first round (3:24) of a bout in Rotterdam, Holland, on Nov. 12, 2006. (PRESS RELEASE)
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MMAPayout Rumored 6/26 Strikeforce – Fedor vs Werdum Event:
Fedor Emelienenko (31-1) vs Fabricio Werdum (13-4)
Cung Le (6-1) vs Scott Smith (17-6)
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (9-1) vs TBA
Luke Rockhold (7-1) vs TBA
Zuffa Files Suit for ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Domain Name TV census ad
Dana White has made it no secret over the past several months that the UFC intends to use “The Ultimate Fighter” series and online distribution to fuel the growth of the UFC’s brand around the globe.
“We’re trying to get these television deals in all these countries, major TV deals exposing the fans to it, then you bring a live event to those places,” White said at a recent news conference. “Then the virus spreads and people start training at it, trying to make a living at it, eventually becoming professional athletes. That’s what we’re going to do over the next 10 years.”
The recent acquisition of UltimateFighter.com and the legal efforts to obtain TheUltimateFighter.com appear to be part of the UFC’s plan for international growth.
Anton Resnick, the domain name’s registrant, expressed complete surprise that a suit had been filed when contacted by Sherdog.com.
“I’m not at all aware of the suit,” said Resnick. (Sherdog) … (MMAPayout Perspective)
“TUF Canada” targeted for 2011; UFC seeks TV deals in China, India, South Korea
In fact, White said an international version of “The Ultimate Fighter” may focus on Canadian athletes as soon as 2011, and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta will soon set out across the globe with the intention of netting TV deals in China, India and South Korea.
“Our model is you go in with television – the right television – and then you bring the live event,” White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “After this fight, Lorenzo is going to get on a plane, and he’s going to be gone for 14 days. He’s going to China, India and South Korea. Those are the three countries we’re focused on next. (MMAJunkie)
QUICK HITS
- Alvarez Subs Neer, Curran Decisions Huerta (Sherdog)
- Bellator 17 recap: Curran shocks Huerta, meets Imada in lightweight final (MMAJunkie)
- Strikeforce champ Cristiane “Cyborg” moved to June 26 “Fedor vs. Werdum” event (MMAJunkie)
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Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 11” draws 1.7 million viewers for episode No. 6 (MMAJunkie)
- Dana White: UFC 113’s Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck winner gets title shot (MMAJunkie)
- Kevin Randleman good to go for May 15 Strikeforce fight with Roger Gracie (MMAJunkie)
- PVT Mag Analyzes Anderson Silva (Sherdog)
- Bellator Books Fujii for June 10 Event (Sherdog)
- Dana White Discusses His Relationship With Machida, Kimbo Slice’s Future (MMAFighting)
- DREAM EP Keiichi Sasahara on Shinya Aoki, the Cage and Future of DREAM (MMAFighting)
- BELLATOR ADDS ULYSSES GOMEZ TO 135 LBS TOURNEY (MMAWeekly)
- UFC 113 PREFIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE PHOTOS (MMAWeekly)
- MMA Moms, Part I: The women behind the fighters (Yahoo! Sports)
- UFC 113 Pre-Fight Press Conference Highlights (Heavy)
- Win VIP Tickets To Strikeforce With Backstage Fighter Meet And Greet (Heavy)
TV LISTINGS
- HDNet Fights Vault: Head Kick KO’s at 8 PM ET on HDNet (05/07/10)
- Fighting Words with Mike Straka (feat. John McCarthy) at 8:30 PM ET on HDNet (05/07/10)
- InsideMMA (Stephen Bonnar, Jens Pulver, Reed Harris) at 9 PM ET on HDNet(05/07/10)
- HDNet Fights: MFC Vindication at 10 PM ET on HDNet (05/07/10)
- UFC 113 : Machida vs Shogun 2 at 10 PM ET on PPV (05/08/10)
UPCOMING EVENTS
- HDNet Fights: MFC Vindication at 10 PM ET on HDNet (05/07/10)
- UFC 113 : Machida vs Shogun 2 at 10 PM ET on PPV (05/08/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XVIII at 7:30 PM ET on FSN(05/13/10)
- Strikeforce St. Louis: Overeem vs Rogers at 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime(05/15/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XIX at 7:30 PM ET on FSN(05/20/10)
- UFC 114 : Rampage vs Evans at 10 PM ET on PPV (05/29/10)
Although Strikeforce may feel the need to sign Fedor (or renegotiate) so they can claim some form of credibility as the #2 organization, I feel they would have been best served holding out. Fedor and M1 have nowhere to go at the moment as the Japanese promotions are in flux and the UFC will never sign a co-promotional deal (at least in the near future). I sure hope that Coker was prudent in his negotiations and did not give away the “house” in his efforts to the sign the #1 HW in the world. Like it or not, where Fedor has settled ORGs have fallen. I’m not saying there is a direct correlation, but there is a lesson to be learned. Don’t bet the “house” on any one fighter and build the brand first. I’m a big fan of Strikeforce as they put on great shows (even the last CBS show was good in my opinion) so I just want to see them around a bit longer. My message to Coker is to build talent, not outbid for them.
Good advice.
I think they should have never signed Fedor and also think they should not resign him. Here is the problem with Fedor besides the huge cost of using him for a upstart promotion. Fedor could leave at anytime. If he does what are you left with? Without Fedor SF can go ahead with their HW division and establish a champ. Over time people will start to believe the champ is one of the best in the world wether he is or isnt. Its just how fans are. The big figh in a small pond is hyped to the level of a big fish in a big pond. It always happens as you only have small fish to compare them to. This would give their HW division credibility without the huge pay of Fedor who they cant depend finishing a contract let alone sign mulit contract extensions. When Fedor leaves and hasnt been beaten then SF is left with a bunch of guys that have no credability because they lost to him and other contenders. Their belt is meaningless and the divisions is useless for a few years.
Also Fedors contract allows him to fight anywhere in the world for anyone else. He is only exclusive to SF in north america. BUt if Fedor ever wants to leave and not finish his contract he isnt hurt one bit. SF has no leverage on him. Fedor in north America has no fan base or popularity. HE is popular over seas. So if he ever refused to fight for SF he would go back to Russia, Europe, Japan and fight and never miss a beat. SF has to kiss his ass because he can walk at anytime. They cant depend on him to fight in a timely manner. He can pull out of fights and do anything he wants and SF would be scare to say anything to him. So SF is more or less controled by Fedor. So what does Fedor bring SF for them to deal with this situation? Nothing. They get to claim to have the best fighter to the very few people who watch them. But that dont pay the bills.