The MMA Journalist Guide to Scoring Free Stuff from Promoters

Zach Arnold over at FightOpinion has an interesting discussion going on the topic of promoters paying off the media (link: http://www.fightopinion.com/2008/10/22/dana-whites-admission-that-will-likely-not-get-much-attention-but-really-should/). Basically, he blasts the UFC for having various journalists in their pocket, and he blasts journalists for being there in the first place. Having been in this business for a while, I can honestly say that the practice of buying off reporters, bloggers, editors, publishers, etc. is about as commonplace as staph in a jiu-jitsu academy (i.e., it's freakin' everywhere). Want a personal example? When Zuffa first took over, Dana White liked my glowing UFC 34 write-up so much, he told my boss that my hotel would be paid for whenever I covered UFC events. (Incidentally, my boss told Dana to go scratch; he didn't want anyone having that kind of control over who writes what.) The truth is, promoters often buy up a block of hotel rooms for staff and fighters, and members of the media will get what's left over. Add to that equation the backstage food spreads at shows (the UFC's used to be huge but was pared down over time, BodogFIGHT's was epic, the IFL's just consisted of stacks of pizzas), and you have a lot of people getting free stuff. Does it affect the story at the end of the day? I can't speak for anyone else, but I can say that it's never colored what I write. If I think an event sucks, no amount of lodging or grub is going to change that - and that's the truth. Now excuse me while I go sell these ROC and UCL t-shirts on eBay.

TUF 8 Analysis: Episode 6

Last night brought us the sixth episode of the TUF 8 season, and we were treated to Junie Browning finally putting his money where his mouth is, coach Mir being a douche, and... wait for it... wait for it... STANKIE!

• Team Noguiera boxing coach Stankie is the best thing to ever happen to SpikeTV. Shouting "Fight, fight, kill, kill!" was just the tip of the iceberg. I just know he was out in the parking lot afterwards smashing windshields with a tire iron, and I have it on good authority that when the Team Mir van was shuttling the fighters back to the TUF house, Stankie tried to run it off the road with his beat-up 1974 Dodge Charger.
• Browning may never know how close to death he came for spitting on that black belt. Word is that Anderson Silva was mad as hell, and to release some of his anger, went over to one of the hanging bags and kicked it. The bag burst into flames.
• Based on his striking and wrestling ability, there's no question Roli Delgado is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.
• Although he snagged the split decision, Browning did not impress with that performance. If he ever fights Phillipe Nover, Nover is going to take his head clean off.

Patrick Cote: "Wait, I'm Fighting Who?"

Patrick Cote was finally told yesterday that his UFC 90 opponent is none other than middleweight champ Anderson Silva, a fact that was kept from the Canadian slugger since he signed the generic bout agreement months ago. Cote was reportedly kept in the dark by his management team because no one in their right mind would want to get in the cage with the man who destroyed former champ Rich Franklin twice and made short work of Pride champ Dan Henderson. Standing behind the podium at a press conference when he heard the news, Cote at first seemed shocked, then became dismayed. "Wait, I'm fighting who?" he said before throwing his UFC cap to the ground and storming off the stage. "Yeah, we didn't tell him who he was fighting," said Muay Thai trainer Mark DellaGrotte. DellaGrotte worked with Cote on possible strategies for the UFC 90 bout, including the "go fetal and cry" maneuver and the "tap out really, really fast" technique, and though DellaGrotte was successful in keeping the opponent's identity a secret, he feels strongly about Cote's chances. "If he does what we practiced, he may make it out of the cage alive. Unconscious, but alive." UFC 90 airs Saturday night on pay-per-view, and in addition to the Silva/Cote bout, it features a welterweight match-up between Thiago Alves and Josh Koscheck.

Official Statement from Showtime

Showtime, the cable network that was home to EliteXC and ShoXC, sent this statement to MMA Journalist yesterday. I guess they got a taste of MMA and liked it. "ProElite officials have advised us that they will not be able to put on the EliteXC event scheduled for exhibition on Showtime on November 8. In view of Showtime's leadership role in sports programming, including boxing and mixed martial arts, we intend to explore other opportunities."

But What About Eddie Alvarez?

The sudden collapse of EliteXC has left more than a few fighters wondering where their next paycheck will come from, but Eddie Alvarez - who was slated to fight Nick Diaz for a championship belt at EliteXC's November 8th Showtime event - isn't all that worried. After all, the dude was BodogFIGHT's big star before they crapped the bed, and he cleaned house in Japan's DREAM tournament not too long ago. He should have no problems finding work. Last night MMA Journalist caught up with the Philadelphia superstar, and got his thoughts on the whole EliteXC debacle. "It's unfortunate for the promotion and it's unfortunate for the fighters who put all their eggs in one basket," he said. "I spread myself out and didn't put all my eggs in one basket, so I'm not too concerned. I have a great manager (Monte Cox) and I'm confident he'll find something for me." Added Alvarez: "I've been through this with Bodog so it's nothing new to me."

Kimbo's Manager Speaks

MMA Journalist tracked down longtime Kimbo Slice manager Icey Mike yesterday to get his perspective on the sudden downfall of EliteXC. Here are some quotes.

• "I'm doing good, man. Who is this?"
• "I don't know, man, I just found out about it yesterday (Monday). I thought they had a good show coming up in November, and now this."
• "All this happened yesterday and I don't know what's going on until I meet with [ProElite] and figure out where we're at."
• "Our plan was to fight again in January or February but it doesn't look like that's happening now."
• "We gotta talk with these guys and see where we're at with the contracts and stuff. We've never been in this situation before."
• "When everything is said and done, we'll take offers from everyone."
• "It's going to be hard for anybody to start and organization from the ground up, now. These guys had a lot going for them and they couldn't make it work."
  
• "So this is for the New York Times, right?"
  

Newsday Article on ProElite's Demise

Pick up a copy of today's Newsday (a Long Island newspaper and the tenth largest newspaper in the country) for an article on ProElite's demise written by yours truly. And in case you ever wonder why there's a lull in MMA Journalist posts... yes, it's because I'm cheating on you with other news outlets. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. Link: http://www.newsday.com/sports/custom/boxing/ny-spelite1022,0,2422751.story

EliteXC is Dead

EliteXC, the promotion that brought Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano and a slew of other talented fighters to prime time network television, is dead. An official autopsy report won't be available for some time, but it is strongly suspected that the cause of death centered around financial woes. It's no secret that EliteXC had recently taken to begging and panhandling for loose change, with some speculating that the organization's nights were spent walking the streets to solicit "johns" and turn tricks. If true, this would've been a sad turn of events for the promotion responsible for the first and third most-watched MMA bouts in US history (Slice vs. James Thompson and Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli). EliteXC's unfortunate demise leaves quite a few fighters without a home, but more importantly, it leaves fans with fewer opportunities to watch fights. Without question, this is a loss everyone in the sport will feel. No details have been released yet concerning possible funeral services.

French Magistrate Issues Arrest Warrant for Jim Miller's Rape of David Baron

A French magistrate has issued an arrest warrant for AMA Fight Club/Team Renzo lightweight Jim Miller, which stems from Miller's three-round raping of Parisien judoka David Baron at UFC 89. The bout, which was not shown on Saturday's SpikeTV broadcast but is available for free at UFC.com, featured a dominant performance by the New Jersey native, with Baron tapping out to a rear naked choke in the third round. Said Magistrate Claude Tete-du-Merde: "Ze people of France will not stand for this outrage. All guilty parties will be brought to justice!" There are no extradition agreements between France and New Jersey, and it is unclear how this may affect Miller's international fighting career.

Observations from My Couch: UFC 89

• This UFC proved to be the most painful to watch ever, as there were no less than three groin shots requiring a brief recovery time. I will be wearing a cup when I watch UFC 90, thank you very much.
• Paul Taylor was robbed when that decision went to Chris Lytle. Where's Scotland Yard when you need them?
• Why does Sokoudjou all of a sudden suck?
• Chris Leben and Michael Bisping fought a fantastic fight and Bisping more than deserved that win. But it really says something when your opponent chases you around the cage with his chin out and hands down, begging you to trade punches with him, and still you can't knock him out. If Bisping ever faces Anderson Silva, he's going to get slaughtered.