Bloody Elbow reports that the UFC will end its sponsorship with the European Judo Championships due to threats that the entire event would be cancelled as a result of its affiliation. However, it appears from its web site that the event scheduled for Glasgow has been cancelled according to the official web site of the organization.
The partnership was to help facilitate the development of future fighters. David Allen, the UFC’s senior vice-president and general manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) indicated the reason for the sponsorship: “People practice tae-kwon-do, karate and judo individually but if you want a career to earn a living, and you’re good enough, MMA is the sport where you can become a professional athlete.” (via Sky Sports)
But it appears that the European Judo Union does not approve of the sponsorship.
Allen via Bloody Elbow:
“We love to see sport thrive and athletes prosper, which is why the UFC prides itself on supporting all combat sports both mixed and individual disciplines. Our aim was to help Judo reach a new audience, increase promotion, help to sell tickets and create a buzz around the European judo Championships. It is disappointing to see that the European Judo Union cannot see the benefits of collaboration and celebration of all sports.”
The Eurpoean Judo Union posted a message on its web site indicating the cancellation of the event:
The European Judo Union has come to the realisation that the British Judo Association does not fit the EJU criteria to host the EJU flagship event.
The BJA had entered into a sponsorship agreement which did not meet the EJU values. BJA persisted in this, notwithstanding that it had been warned on a number of occasions that this arrangement was unacceptable to the EJU, which has a right under the event contract to approve or disapprove any sponsorships of EJU events.
In their several e-mails and telephone conversations the BJA refereed to a loss of funding. In addition, the BJA missed the agreed deadline to pay the event license fee, which is also a breach of contract.
Taking all of the above into consideration, and given the limited time to the staging of the European Championships, in order to protect the interests of the EJU national federations and European judoka, EJU Executive Committee have unanimously taken the decision to withdraw the event from Glasgow and designate as quickly as possible an alternative host who is willing and able to stage these continental judo championships.
Payout Perspective:
It appears that EJU does not like the UFC based on the statement of cancellation. While it does not call out the sponsorship agreement, it certainly sounds like it was not pleased. One might infer that despite the UFC’s global expansion, there is still room to educate the greater martial arts community.
Who would want to be associated with an organization that is ridden with rampant drug use, anti-trust issues, ticking time bombs like; brain damage, domestic abuse, etc. Just take a look at the UFC’s trashy production values and it almost seems like they promote the stuff. I think the EJU is well educated on this and the reason they were appalled by it. Unfortunately the UFC represents MMA for most and people need to be educated on the difference.
You think that stuff isn’t in Judo too? Lol it’s just another outdated martial art that closed it’s mind and isn’t very effective in the fight game. This is proof of their closed kind. Also why few judo people have success in MMA.
“You think that stuff isn’t in Judo too? Lol ”
I can see how an Olympic sport commission would be riddled with anti-trust lawsuits, brain damage and drug use.
Oh, and European Judokas are world famous for their domestic abuse problems…
LOL your poster girl Rousey has a exclusive Judo background, funny how no one can beat her. BJJ is now outdated too if we follow BS’s reasoning. if it wasn’t for bad news there wouldn’t be any UFC news DAMMM
Rousey fights woman you jackass! In case you are uneducated in this sport. The woman’s division isn’t not on the technical level as the men’s. Men come from would class backgrounds of many styles that have millions of participants. They are the cream of the crop that has risen to the top of wrestling and striking. Where woman have been doing it for a very short time and in sports with very few participants. Woman’s wrestling is almost nonexistent. Woman’s boxing is even worse. So we see the huge drop in skill and ability from the men’s. This is why the woman are always rolling around. The wrestling sucks, ground control sucks, no knock out power. This is why Judo can work for Rousey. She doesn’t have to fight high level wrestlers that has made Judo useless in the men’s. But even then we saw her avoid grappling with Olympic medalist McMann and has had to go to the Gracie’s to fix flaws in her bottom game.
Sounds like you follow womens mma a bit too much, you totally missed my point and obviously don’t understand fighting other than on paper. Your points are typical and feeble at best. Here is a point you missed and don’t understand because you are fat and out of shape and never wore a jock in your pathetic life! Rousey is champ because of her athletic ability, dedication, training and determination, very little of it has to do with “style” And that goes for 99% if not 100% of any fighter! I laughed my balls off with the UFC 184 add saying some bullshit about history being made, what utter crap. Just let them fight and stop with all the unnecessary hype.
I would be willing to bet I would beat you in any sport you choose! I have trained in BJJ, wrestling, and Boxing. I also am willing to bet I am light years stronger than you. Yes Rousey wins because of her ability. But its not just that. Its the short comings of her opponents, She isn’t anything special. She isn’t head and shoulders above other greatest athletes. She is above the woman in mma that seriously lack ability. This allows her to use a less effective style. IF there was just a few on her level in ability then her Judo would be exposed.
In the mens we had Machida who was able to use a less effective art but look impressive because he was way faster than anyone he was facing. He also used wrestling and BJJ to win also. But everyone went crazy over karate when the style is not what was winning fights for him. When he fought guys even close to is speed like Rua. He got tested and failed. There was always a handful of people to test even the most gifted of athletes. WMMA doesn’t have anyone. Woman are not likely to go into a combat sport which makes it almost impossible to find the athletes that are out there. So it part her ability and part shallow sport that keeps everyone else lacking in ability. That is the difference between her being a good fighter and her being great and unstoppable. Plus her throws and style doesn’t work against properly trained fighters. But woman do not have proper game plans and cant execute when they do. Judo gets shuts down very easily in the mens by basic fundamentals that the woman are just not using.
You forgot to mention B.S that you still believe pro wrestling was real when everybody already knew it was fake….
Just adding that to your credentials in case you forgot. Hahaha
Didn’t Fedor do Judo?