The Sports Business Journal reports on Leslie Smith and her efforts to organize UFC fighters with Project Spearhead. The effort “by fighters, for fighters,” seeks to collect enough signatures by fighters to obtain an National Labor Relations Board vote to determine the fighter employment states. Via SBJ: In order for the NLRB to look at […]
ESPN Top Rank Boxing Saturday night scores highest overnights this year
Saturday night’s ESPN Top Rank event drew the highest overnight ratings (in terms of market rating) for 2018 according to the network. It was the prelim fight between Andy Vences and Arick De Leon that scored a 0.8 metered market rating. Last week’s Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz drew a 0.7 rating on Showtime and 1.055M viewers. […]
Cro Cop’s end around his USADA drug suspension
Should Cro Cop have served his USADA suspension in full? Bellator announced that Mirko Cro Cop would be facing Roy Nelson at Bellator 200 in London on May 25th. Cro Cop “retired” in November 2015 in lieu of serving a two-year ban for violations of the UFC’s anti-doping program. Cro Cop admitted to the use, […]
Alliance MMA settles in principle with plaintiffs in securities lawsuit
The parties in the Alliance MMA lawsuit have filed a Notice of Settlement filed in the class action lawsuit filed in federal court in New Jersey. The lawsuit was premised upon an accounting irregularity in Alliance MMA’s 10-Q filings in 2016 could no longer be relied upon. As a result, two lawsuits were filed against […]
USADA issues 6 month sanction for Calvillo
Cynthia Calvillo has accepted a six-month suspension from USADA for testing over the limit for marijuana in an in-competition test from UFC 219. Her suspension may be reduced if the strawweight completes a USADA-approved drug awareness and management program. The 30-year-old lost a close decision to Carla Esparza on December 30th. Her in-competition drug test […]