Despite announcing that he had signed a “ground-breaking record” deal with Affliction, Tito Ortiz is now said to be negotiating with other organizations, including Elite XC and the crazy Kentuckians of the AFL. It seems only fair. Why should Affliction get to hog all the Tito crazy? Their contract negotiations with him are said to be troubled, so that could be the impetus for him looking elsewhere. He’s even said to be in talks with the UFC, which might be the source of this anonymous quote:

“I don’t know if we’re really negotiating, or simply helping Tito stroke his giant ego,” one frustrated company representative said Sunday, Aug. 17.

Why does it have to be an either/or situation? Why can’t it be both? This is Tito Ortiz we’re talking about. Most of his actions are designed to boost his ego.

The idea that Tito could end up back in the UFC is, in a word, insane. Not only is he not enough of a draw at this point to justify the price tag or the headache, but Dana White seems to genuinely hate him too much to give him any more money or TV time. It would seem more likely that the UFC is trying to drive the price up on Affliction, but that’s just one man talking sense.

If Ortiz does sign with the AFL — the organization known for giving huge contracts to lesser-known female fighters and putting many of their economic eggs into the AFL-brand dress pants basket — I think it’s safe to say that they will officially be the zaniest and least viable MMA organization in existence. Now that I think about it, that does seem like the appropriate home for Tito.

In an interview with MMAmemories.com, Winky Wright diagnoses boxing’s problem by contrasting it with what MMA is doing right:

“When I was coming up, more top fighters fought each other. They all wanted to prove they were the best in their weight class, not in the WBA, the IBF, but the best, period. But now the promoters and the networks get in the way and we’re losing a lot of fans because of it. The promoters milk the prospects, they don’t match them against top fighters. The networks allow too many easy fights.”

“I would definitely say (boxing is) declining as the best are not fighting the best. In the NBA they don’t just cancel the playoffs and have the Lakers against some sorry team. No one would watch. That’s why the UFC is gaining so much in popularity. The best fight the best and the fans love to see it.”

Winky is spot on, here. It just makes you wonder if we shouldn’t be interpreting this as a cautionary tale.

- In other news, Sherdog.com is reporting that Chris Horodecki has been officially released from the IFL, at his request, and is entertaining a couple different offers at the moment. The cockeyed financial optimists at the AFL have supposedly made a “very generous offer” (they know he’s not a woman, right?), but Affliction has said they’ll beat it in order to get “The Polish Hammer” on their October 11 show. The clock’s ticking…

Okay, you want to talk delusional? Then read this wild-ass Bizlex.com profile of William “BJ” Santiago, CEO of the American Fight League, that was recently dug up by MMA Payout. You may remember the AFL as the upstart Kentucky-based fight club that just signed Tara LaRosa to a monumental $500,000+ four-fight deal, as well as ex pro-wrestler Bobby Lashley and possibly Kim Couture. Anyway, Santiago has big, big dreams, and doesn’t foresee any difficulties in paying for them. Witness:

In its first year, the group forecasts revenues between $15 million and $20 million. By 2009, the AFL plans to double those revenues. The group will have events in 12 to 15 states this year. Within two years, there will be an AFL event taking place every week somewhere in the country.

Both Santiago and Hatton attribute this success [Ed. note: you mean *will* attribute this *projected* success?] to the organization’s pursuit of two unique agendas: a minor league or grassroots style professional circuit and a positive public image campaign…

Veteran, credentialed fighters will tour throughout the country in any of the 33 states where fighting is legalized. Rankings, as well as matches, are determined based on earned points, with fighters also competing for a predetermined purse…

Amateurs and pro-rookies are given an opportunity to prove their worth in the grass roots system. This local or “farm” system allows fighters to gain experience and reputation based on a point system. Such a platform allows fighters to move up in the sport, Hatton said.

Let’s skip ahead a bit because the details only get more convoluted from there. Hey guys, how about other revenue streams?

They added Sean McClure, also from Lexington, as director of marketing and athlete liaison. McClure also looks to the merchandising side of the business, which he says will yield about $350,000 the first year, “as we develop the line,” and over $1 million by the second year. Merchandising will be different from the usual hats and t-shirts, including a corporate line of dress shirts and pants, as well as a possible line of jeans. Instructional and workout videos are also in the planning stages.

Does anyone else find it funny that instructional videos are still in the planning stages, but they’ve already got the AFL-brand dress pants thing locked down? Makes sense. To put their numbers in perspective, the IFL made $117,544 in branded merchandise sales last year, while Pro Elite made $184,192 in merchandise, DVDs, and licensing fees. But sure, the AFL is going to light up America to the tune of $350k on the strength of its collared shirts and premium denim. Here’s my little projection: BJ Santiago crying into his beer, Jay Larkin-style, less than 18 months from now.

There’s so much brilliance in this article that I really implore you to read the whole thing, but I’ll leave you with one last excerpt:

In Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights, combatants use a series of martial arts including Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Krav Maga and traditional boxing, Hatton said. Athletes are usually expert in two to four of these arts and switch back and forth from one to another during a fight, he said.

So Krav Maga makes the cut, but not BJJ. Ouch.

Tara LaRosa — who you may know either as the best female MMA fighter in the world, or as that broad who can’t stand Gina Carano — just signed a landmark deal with the Kentucky-based American Fight League that could pay her between $500,000 and $750,000 for four fights over 18 months. LaRosa (15-1) holds notable wins over Shayna Baszler, Roxanne Modafferi, Amanda Buckner, and Julie Kedzie, and most recently competed in the Bodog Fight organization (if you can call it that); she reportedly negotiated with Affliction, the IFL and EliteXC before inking the deal with the AFL. “Since I definitely have a really big contract, it sort of raises the bar as to what others can get,” Larosa said in a Sherdog interview. “If I get paid higher, everyone else gets paid higher. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

The AFL’s new focus on their women’s division has caught the attention of Kim Couture, who makes her pro MMA debut next Friday in Las Vegas against Kim Rose. Couture told MMAWeekly that she’d also been in negotiations with the American Fight League and will likely sign with them soon: “There are a couple of leagues coming up that are building up the women’s league. The American Fight League, they just signed Tara Larosa “They’ve contacted me. And they’ve got a few other girls getting ready to sign with them, so I’m more headed that way.”

The AFL has only put on two small-scale events in its brief existence, which featured Diego Saraiva, Junior Assuncao, and Rory Singer. The league recently made headlines for signing former WWE pro wrestling star Bobby Lashley to a multi-fight contract.