MMA on broadcast network TV

[GeneChing]

More MMA as a fallout of the Writer's strike?

First off, being a professional writer myself, I support the strike. This is an interesting fallout. I heard in a radio interview that the last major writer's strike was attributed as the inspiration for reality television in general; the interviewee commented that it could be marked by the premiere of Cops, a direct result of that strike. I haven't fact checked this because frankly, it's not that important to me. But if the strike creates an opening for more MMA on network TV, that is important.


TV Writers' Strike Could Put Mixed Martial Arts on Network Television (http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/11/19/tv-writers-strike-could-put-mixed-martial-arts-on-network-telev/)
Posted Nov 19th 2007 9:27AM by Michael David Smith

The Writers Guild of America's strike is causing much of network television to shut down, and the sport of mixed martial arts could benefit from it.

Media Daily News is reporting that NBC might join forces with an MMA organization to put together some shows, either in prime time or late night, during time slots that ordinarily would have gone to scripted programming. The best option might be to have MMA during the time slot that currently goes to Saturday Night Live, which will be in reruns until its writers return to work.

Meanwhile, UFC is reportedly talking to CBS about putting some of its shows on network television. That could help CBS appeal to the elusive young male demographic.

Whether it actually happens or not, the mere fact that multiple television networks are considering showing mixed martial arts is another sign of the sport's extraordinary growth. It was only a few years ago that mixed martial arts was in danger of being banned in the United States, and no respectable company would have dreamed of joining forces with it. And soon it could be available to every television household in America.


NBC Explores Airing Martial Arts Shows (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=71191)
by David Goetzl, Monday, Nov 19, 2007 7:45 AM ET
NBC HAS BECOME THE LATEST network to hold talks about airing mixed martial arts programming early next year, if the "Hollywood" writers' strike continues. A source said the network may link with one of the many operators of MMA events to air either prime-time specials or slot the few-holds-barred programming in late-night.

The reality programming, of course, would not require any members of the writers' union for production. NBC did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

The interest in MMA programming is coming from NBC's entertainment division and would seem to fit with Ben Silverman's (the network's new entertainment head) penchant for high-concept reality series. MMA --where contestants can use a range of techniques from kicking to punching and beyond, which some consider a sport, others entertainment--is booming amid a young male audience.

MMA, however, contradict NBC's carefully cultivated image as the network with high-quality programming targeted at upscale urban audiences. A previous effort in the pugilistic area, "The Contender," proved to be a flop.

Then again, throughout the 1980s, NBC aired "Saturday Night's Main Event," a late-night wrestling series produced by what's now known as the WWE. In 2006, the network resuscitated the franchise for two prime-time specials. This summer, NBC ran two more in the series' old "Saturday Night Live" spot. "SNL" has been in repeats since the strike began, so an MMA special could offer an alternative.

It's not clear which MMA operator NBC would ultimately cut a deal with. Possibilities run the gamut from brands such as newly formed M-1 Global to K-1 to the International Fight League (which airs on FSN and MyNetworkTV). On Nov. 3, MyNetworkTV aired a live IFL event; its deal is not believed to be exclusive to MNTV.

One thing appears clear: NBC won't be airing the most popular MMA events, which come from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The UFC is in advanced negotiations to air specials on CBS in the first quarter if the strike continues, the source said--adding that a deal could close as soon as this week, facilitated by Viacom network Spike, which holds UFC cable rights.

UFC President Dana White seems eager to take advantage of the writers' strike to offer his programming on a broadcast network. "We're talking to a lot of different networks right now," he says. UFC did not provide further comment.

UFC on CBS would be a curious fit, since MMA appeals to a younger and male audience; CBS tends to skew more to the 25-to-54 demo. Word of the negotiations between CBS and UFC was first reported by the Los Angeles Times. CBS declined comment.

Besides FSN, a slew of cable networks from Versus to Showtime to HD Net offer MMA programming.

[Becca]

Interesting. I'd noticed that Chanel 7 here in Denver started airing a show called UFC Wired (http://www.thedenverchannel.com/tvlistings/index.html) on Saturdays, and Channel 7's affiliated with ABC...

[sanjuro_ronin]

Obviously Dana White engineered the writers strike !!
:D

[GeneChing]

I just caught that out here this week. It was fairly entertaining. We get Bodog fights out here on late night, and IFL, of course.

[Becca]

Bodog started showing up a few months ago, but I',ve never been able to get into IFC. WEC has been on our local sport chanel for a while now. I was a bit shocked to see UFC on a main local chanel, though. Folks around here can be prudishly conservative, and Chanel 7 is one of the one's you can pick up with rabbit ears... I imagine that'll make those who refuse to pay for cable happy, though.:p

[AmanuJRY]

Obviously Dana White engineered the writers strike !!
:D

Nope, Dana's just a face-boy for the UFC...it was the Fertitta's...:D

[GeneChing]

I've always hated pay per view. It made me stop watching boxing.


CBS, NBC could televise mixed martial arts (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-mmanetworks113007&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports
November 30, 2007

CBS and NBC are talking with mixed martial arts promotions about becoming the first major broadcast network to televise the sport.

Nothing is official, but television and MMA insiders expect a deal between CBS and the Ultimate Fighting Championship to be announced shortly.

UFC president Dana White said he didn't want to discuss a deal that is still being negotiated, but White did say that UFC 80 on Jan. 19 would be a pay-per-view event. It had been rumored that would be the first CBS show if a deal was reached.

MMA insiders believe CBS is looking at a Saturday night prime-time slot. CBS averaged a 4.5 rating in prime time on Nov. 24, a number no UFC event has approached. However, major UFC events such as Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz in 2006 and this year's Dan Henderson vs. Quinton Jackson Pride vs. UFC title unification match have beaten all network programming in the highly sought 18-34 male demographic despite airing on basic cable's Spike TV.

The Henderson-Jackson fight did a 5.7 in that demo. In males 18-49, it beat everything on both cable and network for the day, including a slew of major college football games. The right fight with the right hype could be a strong vehicle for advertisers to target young males, which CBS, an older-skewing network, is looking to capture.

The highest rating a UFC event has ever drawn is a 3.1, for both the aforementioned shows. Otherwise, the highest-rated Ultimate Fighter finals on Spike have done 2.0 ratings. That's a big success for Spike, but it would be a failure on CBS.

While being on network television would in theory greatly increase the audience over Spike, there are other factors. For Spike, a major UFC event is the biggest event on the station and is promoted heavily. That would not be the case with CBS. But the event likely would get far more mainstream media attention, particularly a first-ever type of event.

UFC's balancing act

A network special would be something of a mixed blessing for UFC. A huge match would draw the best ratings, but the company would be sacrificing a lucrative pay-per-view headliner. Still, there is a prestige factor that comes with being on a network, and far more people would see the product than ever before, thus creating the best opportunity to make new fans. White has said repeatedly that a lack of big fights on free television kept boxing from developing its fan base.

Sacrificing one key pay-per-view match to allow the masses to see the product is a solid strategy. But it's important the show does well. If it doesn't, the networks could conclude mixed martial arts doesn't have wide enough appeal to do network-level ratings, as has happened with boxing. Given the unpredictable nature of sports, fights in particular, it is a roll of the dice.

UFC's current deal with Spike TV gives Spike basic cable exclusivity, but UFC can pursue deals with broadcast networks as well as premium cable, such as HBO.

UFC is working on four major early 2008 shows, but there is nothing on the schedule that looks like a potential CBS debut. A Jan. 23 date is confirmed for Spike TV. The Saturday night before the Super Bowl, which is expected to feature a heavyweight championship fight as well as the debut of former pro wrestler Brock Lesnar, is traditionally a major pay-per-view event. A March 1 date headlined by Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson for the middleweight title is also earmarked as a pay-per-view.

While CBS is focused on building a long-term relationship, NBC's interest is more tenuous. The network is looking for programming to fill the 11:30 p.m. Saturday Night Live time slot during the writers strike, the settlement of which could easily spell the end of NBC's interest in the sport.

Ben Silverman, the head of NBC's entertainment division, asked for a full study on the viability of MMA on the network, including contacting key advertisers to gauge their support. The results were positive, and even with UFC, the only group which has consistently delivered good ratings, out of the picture, they've continued talks with other promotions.

According to those familiar with the negotiations, a major issue with the NBC deal as it was structured is that NBC was offering commercial time to sell instead of a flat fee. None of the MMA promotions have the kind of advertising staff to be able to maximize revenue from that type of deal.

For MMA companies that in many cases are already losing a significant amount of money, a network deal would expose their brand to the largest possible audience. In doing so, the company would spend more money producing a major show, but every promoter is trying to reach UFC status, and the opportunity to close that gap is like manna from heaven.

"I come from TV, so we are exploring everything," said Jay Larkin, the CEO of the International Fight League, who previously worked with Showtime. "NBC and others have also been talking to different MMA organizations. MMA will absolutely be on major broadcast television. It is inevitable. It's just a question of who goes first, and at this point it appears it will be CBS with UFC."

But that puts IFL, whose primary goal is cutting financial losses ($17.5 million in the first nine months of 2007), and Elite XC ($20 million over that same time period) in a quandary: A network deal would give their brands more exposure than ever, but they will have to pay even more to get it.

Those two groups, along with M-1 Global, have engaged in talks with NBC. It has not been confirmed whether San Jose-based Strikeforce has as well.

[doug maverick]

bet you that deals gonna get killed now that they are back at the table. i hope not

[Seppukku]

I support the writer's strike, being a professional audience, myself. Man, does the stuff on T.V. suck nowadays. At least in the interim it isn't trying to suck. It just sucks, because it can't do anything but suck. Can't say I'm happy about the MMA, not that I don't like it. It's just kind of......effete.

[GeneChing]

There have been rumors of EliteXC's demise, but last Saturday's card was pretty entertaining. It certainly lit up our forum here, which had been growing a little stale lately.


CBS Remains Committed to EliteXC, Looks Forward to Fourth MMA Show (http://mma.fanhouse.com/2008/10/05/cbs-remains-committed-to-elitexc-looks-forward-to-fourth-mma-sh/)
Michael David SmithPosted Oct 5th 2008 7:27PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: EliteXC

Anyone who thought the fate of EliteXC on network television was tied to the fortunes of Kimbo Slice is "100 percent misinformed," a CBS executive told me today.

CBS Senior Executive VP for Primetime Kelly Kahl said that despite the dramatic knockout of Kimbo at the hands of Seth Petruzelli, the network has every intention of putting mixed martial arts on its airwaves again.

"We have a four-fight contract," Kahl said. "We certainly plan on coming back with fight No. 4."

I asked Kahl for his immediate reaction when he saw Kimbo go down.

"I think we all said, 'Holy,'" Kahl said, "and then you could insert a four-letter word."

But Kahl added, "It might not be the end everybody wanted, but that points out that the sport is unpredictable."

Kahl said the ratings -- which were similar to the ratings the last time Kimbo fought -- are impressive when you consider that sports fans had a lot of other options.

"The numbers last night were terrific," Kahl said. "The total viewer number was on par with May 31 and the demos were down just a little bit, but we were up against a couple good college football games and the baseball playoffs. ... Last night was a step ahead, not a step back. To do roughly the numbers we did in May against much steeper competition bodes pretty well."

When I told Kahl that some commentators suggested before last night's show that EliteXC could go off the air on CBS -- and maybe out of business altogether -- if Kimbo lost, he scoffed.

"That is 100 percent misinformed," Kahl said, "written by a lot of people who have very little inside knowledge into what's going on even though they might think they do."

Overall, Kahl said, CBS is proud to have broadcast the performances of Benji Radach, Jake Shields, Andrei Arlovski and Gina Carano. And the network's dedication to mixed martial arts on network television remains very much alive: "We're trying to put on good fights for free."

[yutyeesam]

Guess the true test lies in seeing what the ratings are for the next few broadcasts.

[GeneChing]

Of course, I'm personally very hopeful about Strikeforce since they are local.


Strikeforce MMA, NBC May Soon Strike Deal (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7012677574)
October 16, 2008 9:53 a.m. EST
AHN Sports Staff

San Jose, CA (AHN) - West Coast-based kickboxing and mixed martial arts promotion Strikeforce is nearing a deal with network giant NBC that would air live fights to national audience.

In his statement to MMAjunkie.com, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said the deal is heading to the final stages and that next year's first quarter is the earliest possible time for live telecasts to be on air.

Coker added that the two sides have been in dialogue over broadcasting deals. It started earlier this year on the heels of a programming agreement where NBC would show 30 minutes of previous Strikeforce fights.

The live telecast should only trigger a win-win situation for the two parties. Strikeforce had been wanting to expand its horizons nationally while the Pea**** Network remains keen on delving on the live MMA fights.

The taped "Strikeforce on NBC" have had decent ratings, according to MMAjunkie.com. The May 9 telecast reportedly drew 949,000 viewers, with other broadcasts also turning in hundred thousands in attendance.

The imminent deal should make NBC the second American network to carry primetime MMA fights, with CBS having already done it via EliteXC back in May.

[yutyeesam]

lol @ bleeping out Peac0ck! :D

But seriously, that's pretty cool about Strikeforce...that could mean Cung Le on prime time!

[GeneChing]

This doesn't surprise anyone who's been watching the industry that much. Rumors had been circulating for some time, even going into the Kimbo debacle.


Tapped out? EliteXC reportedly closing up shop (http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/8702128/Tapped-out?-EliteXC-reportedly-closing-up-shop)
by ARIEL SHNERER, The Fight Network

EliteXC and ProElite have filed for bankruptcy and are on the verge of folding, according to several published reports that surfaced late Monday evening.

All of the company's employees will be released from their respective contracts.

Officials from ProElite, CBS and Showtime could not be reached for an official statement, but all signs point to the demise of the mixed martial arts organization.

EliteXC's next show, headlined by Eddie Alvarez vs. Nick Diaz, was scheduled for Nov. 8 in Reno. That show now appears to be cancelled.

Reports cite negative feedback from CBS towards Seth Petruzelli's comments made on a morning talk show, in which he said he was told to stand with Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson in the main event of the third installment of "Saturday Night Fights" on CBS.

Upon hearing the negative feedback surrounding the investigation of EliteXC following Petruzelli's comments, CBS had halted negotiations with ProElite, leaving a $55 million deficit in their hands.

As a result of a lack of funding and impeding negotiations with CBS, EliteXC and ProElite will be left with no alternative other than to shut down.

The Fight Network will have more on this story as it develops.

[BoulderDawg]

I just read where that organization he was a member of has folded and now no one wants to sign Slice........Look out WWE!:p

[Three Harmonies]

His KO and subsequent folding of Elite XC is possibly the best thing to happen to MMA in years!
Jake

[GeneChing]

I'm sure the better fighters like Shields and Carano will find employment. We'll see where the rest end up.

EliteXC fighter faces toughest test yet: unemployment (http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=3656442)
By Franklin McNeil
Special to ESPN.com

The past few weeks were exciting for middleweight Joey Villasenor. He had prepared vigorously for his rematch with Robbie Lawler.

Though Villasenor was stopped in 22 seconds the first time they met, he was confident things would end differently Nov. 8 in Reno, Nev. Villasenor, who turned 33 on Friday, was feeling good.

Where to now? Joey Villasenor founds himself without a job after EliteXC closed its doors.

In a little more than two weeks, he planned to enter the cage and exact revenge on one of mixed martial arts' top middleweights. Plus, he could earn a much-needed $60,000 -- $30,000 for the fight and $30,000 to win.

Just two more weeks and Villasenor would put a few bucks into his savings account that serves as a retirement fund. But two weeks is a long time when the event's promoter is struggling to make ends meet.

And as luck would have it, time ran out on ProElite. The promotional company, and its subsidiary EliteXC, went out of business Monday. There are reports the company has also filed for bankruptcy protection.

Villasenor got word of ProElite's closure Monday afternoon. The news hit him hard. He is not only out of a possible $60,000 payday, but also finds himself without work.

"It really hurts," Villasenor told ESPN.com. "It bothers me that I won't get this fight. I have bills to pay.

"They basically had no backup plan."

Villasenor (26-6) likes to stay busy. He prefers to fight at least three times a year.

The bout with Lawler would have been his third this year. And it could not have come at a better time.

Villasenor needs the money. The $60,000 would have allowed him to pay bills, add to his savings and put some cash aside for a rainy day. ProElite's closure dashed those plans.

"To a lot of MMA athletes that's a lot of money," Villasenor said. "To the rest of the sports world that's peanuts. But I have to do the best I can to get that kind of payday.

"I was really counting on that money. Most of the money I make goes into my savings for my next life. This isn't like world-class boxing, where I'm getting $500K or $1 million."

Despite the difficult situation he finds himself in, Villasenor continues to hold his head high. He is very talented and trains with some of MMA's top fighters at Jackson's Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, N.M. -- Georges St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Nate Marquardt and Karo Parisyan.

His solid jiu-jitsu and boxing skills have helped him win three in a row, including a first-round TKO of Phil Baroni in May. With the skills Villasenor brings into the cage, another top-level promoter will likely come calling soon.

But Villasenor isn't free from worry. ProElite may no longer be in the MMA picture, but Villasenor is concerned about is contract status with the company.

"Now I find myself unemployed," Villasenor said. "I don't know what happened with my contract.

"I don't know if they sold my contract; I don't know if it becomes void. But my biggest concern now is going back to work."

Just when Villasenor will return to the cage isn't clear. While he might be sought by the likes of UFC, Affliction and Strikeforce, his contractual situation could keep promoters away.

Villasenor isn't alone. The contractual status of all ProElite fighters -- Gina Carano, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Jake Shields and Lawler to name a few -- must be resolved before other promoters can begin actively pursuing them.

"There are a lot of fighters I would be interested in at the moment," Affliction vice president Tom Atencio told ESPN.com. "But we have to make sure they are available.

"I don't know what kind of contracts they had or how it's working at this point. But I am definitely interested."

Maybe Affliction will find a place on its roster for Villasenor, but for now he is forced to play the waiting game. And in these tough economic times that is a game no fighter wants to participate in.

While ProElite had many critics, it did employ many people. All of those people, including some of MMA's best-known fighters, are out of work.

This is the harsh reality of ProElite's demise. Many fighters like Villasenor, who have worked hard to earn a living, now find themselves wondering where will their next paycheck come from and when?

"I was hoping to get this paycheck, winning [EliteXC's] belt and, with one fight left on my contract, having a strong bargaining chip," Villasenor said. "But luck just ran out on me."

Franklin McNeil covers boxing and mixed martial arts for The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J.


Mixed martial arts' Elite XC to file for bankruptcy (http://www.latimes.com/sports/boxing/la-sp-mma22-2008oct22,0,3542338.story)
By Lance Pugmire
October 22, 2008

It looks like Elite XC, the upstart mixed martial arts organization featuring Kimbo Slice, is down for the count.

ProElite, Inc., Elite XC's Los Angeles-based parent company, plans to file for bankruptcy, said T. Jay Thompson, an Elite XC executive consultant, whose Hawaii-based MMA organization was purchased by ProElite last year.

Elite XC has also informed fighters, office staff and others of immediate layoffs and has canceled fight dates, including a Nov. 8 card in Reno, Thompson said.

In an SEC filing Tuesday, ProElite said that Showtime Networks said it was in violation of a debt covenant because the MMA firm doesn't have enough cash on hand. ProElite has reported $55 million in net losses since January 2007, according to SEC filings.

Several ProElite executives declined to comment Tuesday.

"If I had to point fingers why this thing went bad, I'd have trouble, because I only have two hands," said Thompson.

ProElite, which opened two years ago, appointed boxing promoter Gary Shaw as president and he designated his son, Jared Shaw -- known by the nickname "$kala" -- a key executive with matchmaking powers.

Gary Shaw, who saw his role change from president to consultant this year, said Tuesday he "wasn't even a consultant anymore. I have no comment. I don't know anything about it. I don't know if they're done."

In another SEC filing, Pro- Elite acknowledged significant deficiencies in how it was operated, including wasteful spending by management and a finding that contracts it entered into were not adequately reviewed.

Thompson said he believes the company's fate was sealed when Slice, its biggest star, was knocked out in 14 seconds of the main event of a CBS show Oct. 4.

Slice was supposed to fight MMA veteran Ken Shamrock. Instead, a late injury replacement, Seth Petruzelli, was put into the cage. Petruzelli alleged in a later radio interview that Elite XC promoters told him he'd earn extra money by fighting a stand-up style that favored Slice's strength as a street fighter. A Florida commission is now investigating that claim.

Meanwhile, instead of gaining an investment by Showtime Networks that ProElite officials had said was vital for its survival, Showtime sent ProElite a default notice for $6.3 million last week, according to an SEC filing. "ProElite officials have advised us that they will not be able to put on the EliteXC event scheduled for exhibition on Showtime on Nov. 8," Showtime spokesman Chris DiBlasio said in a statement. "In view of Showtime's leadership role in sports programming, including boxing and mixed martial arts, we intend to explore other opportunities."

Thompson railed at what he called a cycle of wasted money by ProElite officials. Pro Elite would over-staff its fight cards with employees, bringing in "35 people who were running around, quite comically" at shows, he said. "It was mind boggling."

Earlier this year, in San Jose, a Pro Elite card generated a live gate of $1.2 million. Thompson, with 15 years of fight-promotion experience, said he advised ProElite officials to bring only a few employees north to maximize profits. Instead, he said, 23 employees worked the event.

A few Elite XC fighters, including champion Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz, may land at the top MMA organization, Ultimate Fighting Championship.

But Elite XC stars Slice and female fighter Gina Carano probably will have to look for fights elsewhere.

UFC President Dana White was not available for comment. But White's spokeswoman said he has previously insisted he wasn't interested in adding Slice to his stable of fighters because he didn't want to diminish the sport as "a freak show."

Carano's publicist did not return messages left for her, but the unbeaten female fighter, who has also performed as "Crush" on NBC's "American Gladiators," appears headed for a second-tier organization if she continues in MMA.

UFC's White has said that there isn't enough of a talent pool to start a women's fight league.

From day one of Elite XC's existence, White predicted a doomed effort.

"No one in that business has a clue how to do MMA," he said in December 2006. "These guys don't know the difference between MMA and thumb wrestling."

[couch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmTpMVcQlq4

[SimonM]

I'm sure the better fighters like Shields and Carano will find employment. We'll see where the rest end up.

It's a bit disappointing that the UFC is saying that there isn't a talent pool available for a women's league. I am aware of quite a few women these days who are rolling and boxing and doing well in their sports.

[GeneChing]

Some one will pick up Carano.


Xtreme Fight Championship Extends Offer To Gina Carrano and Cristiane Santos (http://xfcfights.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2283199%3ABlogPost%3A1748)
Posted by Aaron Bouren on October 22, 2008 at 6:00pm

Yesterday, October 21st, 2008, was a sad day for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and everyone associated with the fastest growing sport in America. ProElite, parent company of EliteXC and other MMA organizations, has thrown its final punch and tapped out of the MMA business. We at the Xtreme Fight Championship (XFC, www.xfcfights.com) lament the fall of a once great organization and the black eye sustained by the sport during EliteXC’s demise. MMA will survive this setback and the XFC would like to aid that healing process by extending a helping hand to the millions of MMA fans across the country that discovered this great sport via EliteXC’s promotion of two amazing MMA fighters, Gina “Conviction” Carrano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.
The XFC was the first Texas-based MMA organization to recognize the talents and strength female MMA athletes bring to their fights and everyday lives. The XFC boasts many firsts, none more prominent than being the first organization in Texas to hold a women’s professional MMA fight! With a commitment to displaying the talents of the finest MMA athletes, no matter the gender, the natural next step is to extend an open hand to the two greatest female MMA fighters on the planet today, Gina “Conviction” Carrano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos who now are without an “MMA home”.
MMA fans worldwide have long been shouting their desire to see “Conviction” and “Cyborg” launch their careers into the stratosphere by stepping painted-toenail-to-painted-toenail inside an MMA cage, the XFC shares this desire and wants to be the home of that MMA cage by featuring the biggest “superfight” in the history of the sport: Carrano vs. Santos, January 23rd, 2009, at the Travis County Expo Center in Austin, Texas. It takes the largest state in the Union to showcase the biggest “superfight” in the world! Ms. Carrano and Ms. Santos, please accept this as an official offer from the Xtreme Fight Championship! Reported terms of your EliteXC contracts can be mirrored by the XFC today!
Operating out of Austin, Texas, the XFC has long been viewed as the place for great MMA fighters to test their skills and become household names in “The Lone Star State”. Now, on January 23rd, 2009, the XFC breaks through the final barrier. The “glass ceiling” exists no more, as the XFC presents the first Women’s Title Fight In Texas History, featuring Deborah Garcia versus Jennifer Bab****! Exactly one fight in the world could push this amazing contest to “Co-Main Event” status, that fight is Carrano vs. Santos. Emanating from the 9,000-seat Travis County Expo Center MMA fans from around the globe are welcomed to view the “Texas Battleground Series” LIVE online at www.xfcfights.com, as always the events are available FREE OF CHARGE for all of our active duty service men and women, as well as all first responders worldwide!
Today the XFC is launching its new online community and offers fight fans the opportunity to join the XFC community and form the largest simultaneous scream in the sporting world, “WE WANT CARRANO VS. SANTOS!”. MMA fans are invited to join the XFC online community by visiting www.xfcfights.com and creating a profile, an avatar, and personalized XFC page. XFCfights.com should be your daily stop online for the latest breaking news, the coolest MMA Blogs, and the best place to support finalizing the biggest MMA fight in the world…”Conviction” vs. “Cyborg”, Carrano vs. Santos!
Xtreme Fight Championship is Texas’s most popular MMA organization and is the brainchild of “The Fight Boys”, President Aaron Bouren and Promoter Frank Frye. The XFC is dedicated to providing the most professional and exciting MMA experience possible for the enjoyment of fans, fighters, sponsors, and media. The XFC boasts Texas’s largest outdoor MMA event, the public weigh-ins in Austin, Texas which welcomed over 200,000 fans on Austin’s famed Congress Avenue; the XFC is the first and only MMA organization to provide affordable health care benefits and a continuing education program to all of its contracted athletes. The XFC is changing the face of MMA and welcomes all inquiries from fans, fighters, coaches, trainers, media, and sponsors via its website, www.xfcfights.com. To reach President Aaron Bouren or Promoter Frank Frye for comment please contact: info@xfcfights.com or 512.314.KICK.

[GeneChing]

And MK will probably pull up his Petruzzeli thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52213) later, we'll post this here.

ProElite cleared of fixing fight (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/24/SPMV13N4I6.DTL&hw=kimbo&sn=001&sc=1000)
Staff and News Services
Friday, October 24, 2008

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations, which oversees the state's boxing commission, concluded its preliminary investigation of the Oct. 4 heavyweight bout between Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Seth Petruzelli on Thursday and found no wrongdoing on the part of promoter ProElite.

While the investigation exonerates ProElite of wrongdoing, it comes too late. The California-based promotional company went out of business Monday.

The Florida State Boxing Commission and the Department of Business and Professional Regulations opened the preliminary investigation Oct. 8 after suggestions representatives for ProElite offered Petruzelli a chance to face Slice if he would agree to fight "standing up."

Petruzelli was approached hours before the fight to fill in for Ken Shamrock, who sustained a deep cut during a workout earlier in the day and was deemed unfit to compete. Petruzelli would stop Slice 14 seconds into the fight.

[GeneChing]

I'm surprised Strikeforce isn't courting X-EliteXC fighters...


Latest “Strikeforce on NBC” Episode Draws Record 1.1 Million Viewers (http://www.strikeforceusa.net/news/news.asp?story_id=106)
October 24, 2008

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Last Saturday’s episode of “Strikeforce on NBC” generated over 1.1 million viewers, a new high for the first-ever 52 week mixed martial arts (MMA) series in network television history, according to Nielsen Ratings.

The record number of viewers, which translates to a .8 rating in the Nielsen system, shattered the previous high of 949,000, which was recorded on May 9.

The all-new, 30-minute program showcased the drama-filled light heavyweight (205 lb. limit) rematch between former South African National Wrestling Champion, Trevor Prangley (18-5), and former world championship challenger, Anthony “A-Train” Ruiz (21-12), which took place at Strikeforce’s second event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, California on Sept. 20.

“It’s obviously great to see our product growing substantially on the network, but it’s more than just that,” said Strikeforce Founder and CEO, Scott Coker. “The consistently strong ratings we’ve seen are a sign that the sport of MMA is flourishing and continuing to gain new fans as its visibility grows on national television.”

"Strikeforce on NBC,” which premiered on April 12th, airs every Saturday, immediately following NBC’s hit poker tournament series, "Poker After Dark" (check local listings). MMA legend Ken Shamrock and award-winning ESPN announcer, Lon McEachern, co-host each program and provide expert, play-by-play commentary.

This Saturday’s “Strikeforce on NBC” episode will mark the premiere of the classic Strikeforce world lightweight (155 lb. limit) championship showdown between rival superstars Josh “The Punk” Thomson (16-2) and “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (14-2), which took place at San Jose’s HP Pavilion on June 27.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Don't know it is has been posted:

Exec: Mismanagement Caused Elite Collapse

Tuesday, October 21, 2008
by Loretta Hunt (lhunt@sherdog.com)

Though it had a platform that rivaled all others in mixed martial arts, EliteXC and its parent company, Pro Elite, couldn’t stop themselves from falling off the ledge.

Launched in December 2006, Pro Elite entered a booming market and quickly established a place behind perennial leader, the UFC, with the sheer magnitude of its size and scope. However, it was a combination of mismanagement, runaway personalities and frivolous spending that led to its demise, said one of its consulting executives, T. Jay Thompson.

“Mismanagement, it was mismanaged by people that didn’t know MMA, that didn’t have the proper years of experience,” said Thompson of the company’s cease of operations Monday after only 22 months in business. “It’s not an exact science. There’s not a book that you can write to learn how to promote shows.”

Thompson, who promoted 55 events under the Icon Sport and Superbrawl brands over 13 years, was one of the more experienced individuals brought into the Pro Elite fold, but he said he was under-utilized from the start.

Pro Elite paid Thompson $350,000 in cash, hundreds of thousands of shares in stock and signed him to a five-year consultant’s position in return for his Icon Sport promotion and all its assets, which included a 50-plus event tape library.

Thompson’s Icon Sport was not the only bold purchase made in that first year of operation.

Pro Elite also paid $3.75 million for longtime promoter Terry Trebilock’s regional juggernaut, King of the Cage, $5 million for the UK’s Cage Rage outlet and invested $1 million cash in South Korea’s SpiritMC –- all hefty price tags to ensure the fledgling promotion gained unfettered access into each respective region and had a healthy stable of farmed talent from which to pull.

Instead, SEC reports listed losses from all four acquired companies totaling over $20 million.

“They didn’t use it,” said Thompson of Pro Elite’s ill-fated farm system. “They bought too much too fast. To be in second place in five years, we needed to [still] be here in five years. First and foremost, we needed to find a way to make money.”

But instead of raking in the dollars, Thompson saw them fly out the doors of the company’s overpriced Wilshire Blvd. rental offices in Los Angeles.

“It had to be $100,000 in rent [a month],” said Thompson. “It’s a beautiful place to bring someone up and hold a meeting and try and impress someone, but who we trying to impress? It’s MMA.”

Thompson said the warning signs were apparent from his initial negotiations with Pro Elite in late 2007. A deal that was supposed to be signed a month before EliteXC’s inaugural event in Hawaii turned into a verbal tug-of-war between himself and former EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw a day before the announcement of Icon’s purchase was made. Once onboard, Thompson found he didn’t mesh with the outspoken Shaw, an import from the boxing world.

“I think Gary Shaw has a lot of positive traits as a promoter,” said Thompson. “I didn’t necessarily see him as someone morally or ethically that I wanted to learn from though.”

A frustrated Thompson found himself on the outside looking in, absent from the initial meetings with CBS that Shaw spearheaded and the company’s day-to-day decision making led by the Los Angeles office.

With the company showing signs of internal dissention, Shaw was downgraded to a consultant’s position in late July. Thompson does not believe Shaw’s pay was reduced in the demotion.

Shaw’s son, Jared, stayed on with the company as a vice president, though his role with the organization was never clear.

“It was my understanding that to get Gary out, they had to keep Jared in,” said Thompson.

Like his father, the novice Shaw seemed to have issues fitting in with Pro Elite and the sport in general.

“I think Jared Shaw is a passionate kid,” said Thompson. “I don’t think he knows MMA. I don’t think he should be making decisions in an organization of that size. I believe Jared Shaw’s heart was in the right place. I think Jared Shaw wanted badly to succeed and for what reasons I don’t know, whether to be in the front, to be the star himself. I think he tried his hardest and just did a rotten job.”

Nowhere was Shaw’s struggle more apparent than Oct. 4, when EliteXC made its second trip to Florida to promote its third card for CBS. Shaw, who didn’t hide his affinity for the promotion’s biggest star, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, caused more commotion outside the cage then Seth Petruzelli’s 14-second decimation of Slice inside it.

“When you have a high-level representative of our company in Jared Shaw on national television jumping up and screaming, it’s extremely embarrassing,” said Thompson. “To have people like that calling the shots, I’m not all that surprised that the company’s where it’s at right now, and I’m not surprised that CBS doesn’t necessarily want to put their eggs in that basket.”

Just who called the shots Oct. 4 -- which unknowingly became EliteXC’s swan song -- will remain a hot topic as the promotion’s death is dissected from every angle. The loss of Ken Shamrock just a couple of hours before his main event bout with Slice was a brutal blow, and the decisions that came afterward proved crucial to the company’s survival.

“It was a scarily run show from what I saw,” said Thompson, who said his attempts to assist the company in its most desperate hour were disregarded. “It’s really easy to be a promoter when your star’s winning fights, when everything’s going well. Crisis management is really what makes a good promoter.”

Thompson said he flew down to Florida on his own dime and was sitting cageside when he got word that Shamrock had sliced the skin above his eye and would not be cleared to fight. Unable to get clearance to head backstage, Thompson said he tried to relay suggestions to upper management through assistants and unanswered phone calls.

“Number one, they picked the wrong opponent,” said Thompson, who confirmed that light heavyweights Aaron Rosa and Petruzelli were considered for the opening. “Do I want my star getting his ass kicked by the unknown guy that’s a dropout from the UFC, or do I want his ass kicked by a guy that I can call Tito Ortiz’s number one student protégé and the next big thing in MMA?”

The second mistake proved poisonous, said Thompson, and pertained to alleged talks between Petruzelli and the promotion for the fighter to stay on his feet and in Slice’s comfort zone.

“I have no proof [but] I’d be amazed if he wasn’t paid to stand up,” said Thompson, who was absent from the last-minute negotiations but claims co-employees intimated to him their confidence in an arrangement that had been made prior to the bout. “I sent [Pro Elite CEO] Chuck Champion an e-mail basically telling him my concerns the day after, and after talking to him, he made it clear to me that isn’t what happened, and I had to go with his word.”

Once keen on purchasing and bailing out the EliteXC brand, Showtime, a subsidiary of CBS, terminated the nearly negotiated agreement with Pro Elite last week. Thompson doesn’t blame them.

“Watching the company from the inside out for this long, I don’t want them running my show if I’m CBS,” he said. “I don’t want that group running my show.”

Thompson believes the Icon Sport brand will be returned to him, but fears it, and many of the fighter’s contracts, could be held up in bankruptcy court for an extended period of time.

And as Affliction Entertainment and possibly others swoop in on the still-warm spot once held by the first promotion to score a live broadcast TV deal, Thompson hopes someone will succeed where his company has failed.

“I think CBS is deciding whether or not they want to be in the MMA game at all, and I think they’re leaning away from it to be honest with you,” he said. “If they do it, they’re going to go into business for themselves and bring a couple of key people on. I would love to be involved with that.”

[GreenCloudCLF]

Hopefully we can see Kimbo in some really bad D-level movies. Maybe where he plays a cop that goes undercover at prison. Or perhaps a criminal with a heart og gold.

[GeneChing]

I'm still hoping Strikeforce signs Carano.


MMA fights for prime-time exposure (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mma/2008-10-29-mma-prime-time_N.htm)
By Beau Dure, USA TODAY

The demise of EliteXC leaves prime-time network mixed martial arts in limbo, along with fighters such as Gina Carano, Kimbo Slice and Robbie Lawler. Yet the sport still has a presence on the networks.

Strikeforce announced last week that its Oct. 18 Strikeforce on NBC show drew more than 1.1 million viewers. The show airs late Saturday nights and is available in roughly 80% of TV markets, says the organization's director of communications, Mike Afromowitz.

What Strikeforce does not have is a nasty rivalry with UFC president Dana White, who danced on EliteXC's grave last week and jabs away at pay-per-view rival Affliction. White says Strikeforce, a slowly expanding California promoter that is building on experience in kickboxing and other martial arts, runs a great business.

"I hope they do 10 million viewers next week," White says. "Have you heard me say a bad word about Strikeforce? I wish them all the luck in the world. I have nothing bad to say about guys who are running the right promotion."

Says Afromowitz: "We have nothing but admiration for what (White) has done," he says. "He's overcome tremendous barriers. I've been in the sport for about 10 years, and I've watched UFC grow since Zuffa (White's company) took it over."

Another fighting company expanding out of California is thriving under Zuffa's umbrella. World Extreme Cagefighting, now focusing on lower weight classes, has several replays on Versus and live shows such as the Nov. 5 card with featherweight champion Urijah Faber and middleweight champion Paulo Filho.

"It went from a small, local/regional promotion in California to the second-best organization in the world," says WEC vice president Peter Dropick .

Neither White nor Dropick is interested in women's fights.

"Gina Carano's a talented fighter," White says. "She's a star. She should've been the main event (on CBS' last EliteXC broadcast). My thing with women and fighting is there isn't enough good women to create a whole division. Could I do some one-off fights here and there? Yeah, but that's not really what we do."

A Carano representative declined to comment on her future plans. She has fought on a Strikeforce card in the past.

"Carano's gotta be one of the bigger draws," says Strikeforce commentator Ken Shamrock, who was scheduled to fight Kimbo Slice on the last EliteXC card but fell injured. "That's gotta be one of their priorities."

Lawler said on his official site that he has talked with White, who professed interest in signing "top-10" fighters such as Lawler and Jake Shields.

One fighter who may have trouble finding a new organization is Slice. White offered him a spot on The Ultimate Fighter, UFC's reality show on Spike, but insists that he couldn't win the competition. Shamrock agrees.

"Kimbo has got one thing," Shamrock says. "He's got pretty good punch combinations for a big guy. And that's about it."

Cable has been good to MMA. Dropick is happy with the exposure in Versus, and Spike claims an average viewership of 1.6 million for The Ultimate Fighter's current season. Showtime, an EliteXC partner, plans to "explore other opportunities," says spokesman Chris DeBlasio.

Strikeforce's NBC programming is taped, but live shows such as the Nov. 21 card featuring lightweight champion Josh Thomson against Yves Edwards, are often on HDNet, which also carries international promotions.

"You can't beat, as far as exposure goes, being on prime time on one of the four majors," Afromowitz says. "That's hopefully where we're headed."

[GeneChing]

Is the MMA bubble bursting?


Troubles land like punch on MMA (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/sports/6109579.html)
Save for UFC, promoters have dropped like flies
By JARED BARNES For the Chronicle
Nov. 12, 2008, 10:58PM

With the breakout success of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s reality show The Ultimate Fighter in 2005, mixed martial arts was declared the next big thing. Everyone wanted a piece of the action.

But the recent rise and fall of high-profile MMA organizations such as the International Fight League and EliteXC prove it takes more than a TV deal to make it in the business.

“Back when we were hurting, when we were bleeding millions of dollars, it would have been pretty easy to put a freak show on and go out and get a TV deal; it would have been pretty easy to do,” UFC President Dana White said. “Just having a TV deal isn’t going to make you a success in this business.

“Companies like the IFL and EliteXC learned that.”

In January 2001, brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta bought the UFC for $2 million, created Zuffa LLC as the parent entity controlling the UFC and put White in charge.

With ties to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Zuffa secured sanctioning in Nevada in 2001. Soon , the UFC returned to pay-per-view television.

Bleeding money

Despite the increased visibility that PPV provided, the UFC lost more than $40 million in its first five years under Zuffa ownership and was about to go bankrupt before The Ultimate Fighter gave MMA the kind of exposure it needed to catch on with a mainstream audience.

Before The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC set its pay-per-view record at UFC 40 — an event featuring Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock — with 150,000 buys.

Though the number was respectable, after production costs and fighter purses, it was not high enough to garner a profit for the organization .

After featuring Ortiz and Shamrock as coaches on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter, UFC 61 featured their rematch and garnered 1,050,000 PPV buys.

Attributing the UFC’s success to The Ultimate Fighter , both the IFL and EliteXC secured television deals to try to emulate the success of the UFC.

A hit that fizzled

In 2007, the IFL made a television deal with Fox Sports Net and MyNetworkTV. Though IFL Battleground set MyNetworkTV ratings records among key male demographics, it wasn’t enough to keep the company afloat.

The IFL intended to surpass the industry-leading UFC.

But after heavy spending — the company burned through more than $30 million in two years — and an inability to break into the PPV market, the IFL collapsed and its stock value dipped to 2 cents a share (from a high of about $15) and went out of business.

EliteXC became the first MMA organization to secure a deal with a premium cable channel when it reached a deal with Showtime in July 2006.

Fifteen months later, EliteXC signed a contract with CBS and became the first MMA organization to be shown on prime-time network television.

Though EliteXC’s show EliteXC: Primetime on CBS produced the highest ratings in MMA history, mismanagement, rampant spending and controversy led to the demise of EliteXC in less than two years of business.

Before the EliteXC: Heat show, Pro Elite, the parent company of EliteXC, announced in its 10Q SEC report that the company lost an estimated $55 million in 18 months.

Funny business

After it was revealed that EliteXC organizers paid fighter Seth Petruzelli a bonus to not take the organization’s star Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson to the ground, where he was most susceptible to be beaten, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations launched an investigation into the legality of the situation.

Pro Elite announced it was going out of business days later.

Despite creating more mainstream media buzz than any other MMA organization , EliteXC was unable to make money in the business.

According to Lorenzo Fertitta, the UFC had an advantage over other MMA promoters because it was there first and established a strong brand.

But he attributes its success to a combination of factors.

“You can’t point to one thing that (differentiates) us,” he said . “We’ve created a fast-paced, edgy show.”

The gold standard

“Zuffa is the gold standard, the NFL of MMA,” said Bill Bergofin, senior vice president of marketing for Versus. “They understand what they have as entertainment and recognize the value of the whole experience from top to bottom, from the time they come on the air till they go off.”

It’s uncertain whether MMA can have more than one profitable organization at a time. But the IFL and EliteXC proved that having a TV deal isn’t enough if you don’t know what you’re doing.

It’s a tough business,” White said. “You want to learn how to do this business? Spend 44 million dollars to figure it out like I did.

“Maybe you’ll make it, maybe you won’t.

“Good luck.”

[sanjuro_ronin]

well, its probably going sort of the way of Pro Boxing, different sanctioning organizations but only one Major PPV, like boxing has with HBO, I don't know if it can handle two like HBO and Showtime.

[GeneChing]

...but I posted it here anyway. It's more MMA on TV, with a Latin spin...

New Mixed Martial Arts League Strikes National TV Deal, Breaks New Ground (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/new-mixed-martial-arts-league-strikes-national-tv-deal-breaks-newground,628817.shtml)
Posted : Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:08:40 GMT
Author : CA-BELLATOR-FIGHTING

LOS ANGELES - (Business Wire) Bellator Fighting Championships, a first of its kind Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, officially launched operations today from offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Three years in development, Bellator has an exclusive television agreement with ESPN Deportes. Bellator season #1 premieres on ESPN Deportes in April, 2009.

Bellator (Latin for warrior), marks a step forward in the evolution of professional Mixed Martial Arts with a business model unique in the fight industry, yet followed in every other major sport. At Bellator, a fighter’s wins or losses control his future. Bjorn Rebney, Bellator founder & CEO states, “We are implementing a tournament structure to determine champions and #1 challengers so that world-class fighters can control their destiny based on their performance.” Bellator events will showcase highly competitive fights between top competitors with each tournament bout winner earning substantially larger purses and moving closer to a championship fight. “Simply put, at Bellator, fighters fight their way to the title,” Rebney adds.

With a tagline that refers to its fighters as warriors that are on their way to becoming legends, Bellator differentiates itself by making its fighters the focus of the organization. “The fans’ connection to Bellator will be created through our fighters. That understanding will drive the promotion, publicity, marketing and advertising of Bellator’s fighters, making them the centerpiece of what we do,” says Rebney. On each telecast, leading up to tournament bouts, Bellator Fighting Championships will air back-stories on each fighter. “We will use the simple yet powerful sports programming philosophy of combining elite competition with compelling feature pieces that tell the story of who these fighters are, where they’re from and why they compete,” says Bellator founder & COO Brad Epstein. “MMA fighters have incredibly rich stories to tell, and we will bring these to MMA fans, allowing our audience to identify with who these warriors really are.”

Bellator’s nationally televised events will be highly competitive sports programming in its purest form and will have no connection to “reality television.” These events are structured as tournament competitions, crowning champions and top challengers at the end of each season. Bellator’s premiere season consists of 12 two-hour events to be broadcast weekly in primetime on Saturday nights. The nationally televised events will feature a combination of tournament and non-tournament special feature bouts. There will be four simultaneous tournaments taking place in season #1 over a three month period: one in each of the Featherweight (145 lb.), Lightweight (155 lb.), Welterweight (170 lb.) and Middleweight (185 lb.) divisions. Eight fighters from around the world will be represented in each division. To win the Bellator Championship, a fighter must win a total of three fights, each consisting of three five-minute rounds over a three month period. At the end of the initial three month, 12-event season, Bellator will have crowned four Bellator Champions and will have awarded each Champion $175,000. Opening round winners receive $25,000, semi-final round winners receive $50,000 and final winners receive $100,000.

“Mixed Martial Arts is becoming increasingly popular among Hispanics and we are thrilled to work with Bellator Fighting Championships to showcase these world-class athletes on a national platform,” says Lino Garcia, general manager, ESPN Deportes. “The structure of this championship will give fans a unique opportunity to follow their athletes as the tournament progresses.”

Bellator’s interactive Web site, www.bellator.com, featuring event and fighter information, behind the scenes video footage, fight clips and live interaction with Bellator fighters will go live in late December, 2008.

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Bellator’s founders, Bjorn Rebney and Brad Epstein, are experienced sports and entertainment professionals with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production (including Rob Beiner, winner of 12 Emmy awards for sports programming), fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

[TaichiMantis]

Bringing soccer back into things....

MMA should hold a sort of "Champions League" or "World Cup". All the different promoters/organisations should allow their "World Champions" to compete against each other to determine a real champion in each weight class. So even if you were a champion from a "minnow" league/promoter, you would have the chance to prove you were the best of the best. ;)

[GeneChing]

This might make a nice DVD someday.

Strikeforce “Greatest Knockouts” Premieres On NBC Saturday

SAN JOSE, Calif. A special 30 minute episode featuring a collection of the 10 greatest knockouts in Strikeforce mixed martial arts (MMA) history will premiere on NBC Saturday night.

The all-new “Strikeforce on NBC” episode will showcase the handiwork of some of Strikeforce’s most lethal competitors, including reigning world middleweight (185 lb. limit) champion, Cung Le; two-time world MMA champion, Frank Shamrock; and superstars Kazuo “The Grabaka Hitman” Misaki and Duane “Bang” Ludwig.

Le’s classic knockouts of old rivals Mike Altman and Brian “Mr. Unbreakable” Warren will be displayed as will Shamrock’s 21 second decimation of longtime, bitter adversary, Cesar Gracie.

The NBC program consists of the following bouts:

Cung Le vs. Mike Altman
Frank Shamrock vs. Cesar Gracie
Luke Stewart vs. Bryson Kamaka
Joe “Diesel” Riggs vs. Eugene “The Wolf” Jackson
Kazuo “The Grabaka Hitman” Misaki vs. Joe “Diesel” Riggs
Duane “Bang” Ludwig vs. Tony “The Freak” Fryklund
Terry Martin vs. Cory “The One” Devela
Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello vs. David “Tank” Abbott
Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello vs. Carter Williams
Cung Le vs. Brian “Mr. Unbreakable” Warren

Fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite knockout in a poll being hosted online at Strikeforce’s official website, www.strikeforce.com. Results of the survey will be displayed on the homepage next week.

"Strikeforce on NBC," the first 52-week mixed martial arts series in network television history, airs every Saturday, immediately following NBC’s hit poker tournament series, "Poker After Dark" (check local listings). MMA legend Ken Shamrock and award-winning ESPN announcer, Lon McEachern, co-host each program and provide expert, play-by-play commentary.

[MasterKiller]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34A19yZLEKg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy8Azg4gCks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a62WY4gPp38

[GeneChing]

I was wondering where those EliteXC fighters were going. I should have guessed this was the situation.


Fighters Seek Freedom From EliteXC Through MMAFA (http://mmapayout.com/2009/01/fighters-seek-freedom-from-elitexc-through-mixed-martial-arts-fighters%E2%80%99-association/)
January 13, 2009

MMAPayout.com has learned that a number of the fighters being held in limbo by the ProElite/EliteXC sale will seek to bring their case against the fight promotion collectively, under the auspices of the Mixed Martial Artists Fighters’ Association. The group of fighters have sought from the promotion confirmation that their duties and obligations to EliteXC have been released and terminated. The fighters (via the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters’ Association) have forwarded a draft of complaint to EliteXC officials and, without such acknowledgment of their release within a specified time period, will file the complaint in open court on behalf of its’ members.

The genesis of the group complaint was the collective action by multiple agents in the industry to block the sale of fighter contracts by Showtime/CBS at auction in early November. Sources indicate to MMAPayout.com that a subset of that group of agents have banded together with their fighters and MMAFA in an attempt to expedite the the contractual status of the fighters still beholden to EliteXC.

While freedom from their contracts seems to be the overarching theme of the collective action, a by product of the suit could be to force a swift conclusion to the sale of ProElite. The company has been on the market with rumored interest from the UFC, Affliction, King of the Cage, and Strikeforce in attaining its assets. The crown jewels of the company are seen to be the fighter contracts and TV deals that are in place. A deal for the company’s assets has been thought to be in the works, but whatever parties involved in the deal have dithered away at the EliteXC fighter’s detriment. The action by MMAFA seems to force the hand of what ever negotiations are taking place.

[GeneChing]

I went to search for more info, and found this.

Comcast To Buy NBC: Somewhere, Dana White Is Smiling (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/302393-comcast-to-buy-nbc-somewhere-dana-white-is-smiling)
by E. Spencer Kyte
Written on December 03, 2009

See that chair Dana White is sitting in?

Feel free to consider it the "Driver's Seat," because with the impending acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast , the network television deal the UFC has long been searching for might come looking for them and White could potentially get to name his price.

Somewhere, Dana White is smiling.

While the New York Times' coverage of the pending mega-deal focuses on Comcast's potential plans to make Versus into an ESPN alternative, they miss out on the MMA part of the story.

With the WEC having recently re-upped with Versus, there is a strong likelihood that Comcast would be hesitant to rip up a deal before the ink is even dry. Given that the eventual Comcast-NBC amalgamation will be the home of both Bellator and the WEC, outlets looking to get a share of the Mixed Martial Arts pie could begin lining up for a chance to score the biggest slice of them all.

For fans, the possibility is there for MMA to gain a stronger television presence. The WEC has routinely been one of the biggest ratings successes on Versus and the influx of NBC brand power could certainly give the lighter fighters the time in the spotlight they have long deserved.

As great as that sounds—and it sounds fantastic—it's the current availability of the UFC that is really intriguing.

Imagine the NBA or Major League Baseball not having a network television deal.

Now image the battle royal that would certainly ensue if suddenly everyone wanted to get in on the action and broadcast either sport directly into your living room with regularity.

It'd be like a group of multi-millionaires all bidding on the same country estate; the price would just keep going up and up and up.

That country estate is the UFC and the multi-millionaires are ESPN, Fox, and the new kid in town, Comcast-NBC.

Combine the emergence of the sport with the availability of the biggest brand in the business, and there is a chance we'll see a serious bidding war sometime in 2010 for a UFC network deal, and Dana White will be in the "Driver's Seat."

Wherever he is, there is a smile on his face...and rightfully so.