Zuffa
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With the WEC’s next event just around the corner, media coverage has started to ramp up this week. As it does, the one thing that becomes increasingly clear is that the organization’s top fighters are mostly just pissed off that they aren’t in the UFC. USA Today wrote about the UFC’s uncertain attitude regarding the future of the promotion, including a quote from Marc Ratner that reflects what seems to the consensus opinion over at Zuffa:
“There is talk about having the heavier guys come on over (to UFC), and maybe anything under 145 (pounds, the featherweight limit) would be WEC and above 145 would be UFC,” says UFC vice president Marc Ratner. “It hasn’t been put into place yet.”
In the same article, Carlos Condit describes the UFC as “the big show” and says he hopes to move on up. Jamie Varner made similar comments to Sherdog, saying:
“I still got all the doubters out there, and that’s motivation to me,” Varner said. “All the people out there saying this guy in the UFC would beat you or this guy in Dream would kill you. I want to beat everyone that Zuffa puts in front of me and hopefully one day get my opportunity to fight a B.J. Penn and show the world what I’m made of.”
Ordinarily it would be a bad thing to have all your top fighters publicly stating their desire to go and fight somewhere else, but this only reinforces how smart it was of Zuffa to purchase the WEC and use them as a sort of minor league, as well as how dumb it would be to turn it into nothing but featherweights and bantamweights.
What I like about the WEC is that Zuffa has them available for free on a small cable station (Versus), but they still put on great fights between quality competitors. It’s a given that no one wants to stick around, much like minor league baseball. And just as there’s a very different, but still very real pleasure to watching minor league baseball, the same can be said of the WEC.
That’s why it would be a shame to see them turn it into nothing more than their repository for the lighter weight classes. That just privileges the larger fighters who would get to go to the big time simply because of their weight — Brian Stann, for example — while ignoring supremely talented guys like Urijah Faber.
I’d really like to see Zuffa go all the way with the minor-league format for the WEC. Keep all the weight classes, bring at least the top featherweights to the UFC, and make it a little more equitable across the board. That way people will really know what to think of the WEC. Instead of it being home to really great featherweights and lower, along with heavier guys who aren’t ready for the UFC, it could be all guys who aren’t ready for the UFC.
Imagine how much more fun it would be to watch guys mature in the WEC and then get called up to the UFC for their big chance. Not to mention, it’s much easier to promote them when you already own footage of their previous fights.
While they’re at it, maybe add a wacky mascot and some special theme events like “nickel beer night.” Just saying. It couldn’t hurt (yes it could).
Written by admin on July 31st, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Versus and Jamie Varner and Brian Stann and Marc Ratner and fight and Urijah Faber and Carlos Condit and UFC and WEC and Zuffa and Commentary and MMA.
A few weeks back
we took UFC brass to task for their ignoring possible additional revenue by not being more aggressive in their merchandising. They look to be addressing these areas in a big way, announcing a slew of deals via the
UFC website.
....fans of the Ultimate Fighting Championship will soon be able to collect Jakks Pacific UFC figures, use UFC-branded Bic lighters and Silver Buffalo watches, shop with a UFC credit card, and pick up UFC apparel at JC Penney stores.
The UFC has lost revenue by dragging their feet in this area but better late than never as they say. Similar deals to these should have and could have been struck over a year to eighteen months ago, based on the UFC's popularity. This should be the first of many announcements in this respect as Zuffa should look to stay aggressive in this area.
Written by admin on June 11th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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As the industry continues to wait with baited breath for Dana White’s major announcement on Thursday, here are a few more items of rumor and innuendo to add to the guessing game:
- MMAPayout.com has learned that financial giant Morgan Stanley has reportedly been working on a collaborative/financial deal between Zuffa and another party.
- Sources have told MMAPayout.com that a significant licensing deal may be part of the planned announcement. Licensing and merchandising has long been identified as a major untapped revenue stream for the UFC. Adding even more intrigue is WWE’s rumored involvement in the deal. The WWE also has a press conference scheduled for Thursday.
- Last night a poster on the Underground Forums added the following rumor “from a reliable source” to the mix: “a group of investors led by Dana White have agreed in principle to purchase the UFC from Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta for an undisclosed amount. Included in this investment group is WWE’s Vince McMahon who will now own a minority stake in the company. They also have plans on taking the company public by years end.”
It should be noted that none of the sources referenced are parties to the negotiations. As a result, this report should be considered rumor or informed speculation at best. 
Written by admin on June 10th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on financial and licensing and wwe and Zuffa and UFC and merchandise and MMA.
Dana White turned the MMA industry on its ear last week when he told ESPN the Magazine:
You have no idea some of the stuff that we have planned. I'm going to make an announcement next week that is going to blow people's minds. That deal is done, but my employees don't even know yet. I'm renting out a place next Thursday and I'm going to tell them. Then we'll make the announcement later that day. It's an indicator of where this business is going over the next five years.
Since then speculation has been rampant, everything from the Floyd Mayweather to network television has been suggested as the subject of White's announcement. One possibility that isn't receiving much play in the press is receiving more than its fair share inside the industry: namely that old
Zuffa sale rumor.
Inside the industry, the guessing game has advanced past *whether* the UFC's sale is Dana's big announcement and onto *who* such a sale might involve. Odds on favorites include FOX, Golden Boy, and WWE (
NOTE: For the conspiracy theorist in all of us, WWE has an ambiguous press conference of its own scheduled for Thursday).
A change in ownership is one of the few things imaginable that would warrant White's hype and circumstance. Of course this wouldn't be the first time the UFC over promised and under delivered on an major announcement. And there's always the possibility, perhaps even likelihood, that whatever White has in store, no matter how grand it truly is, will be overshadowed by the speculation that has proceeded it. But this feels different.
Regardless of what Thursday brings, the grand speculation proceeding it is a testament to how far the MMA industry has come, from the brink of death to a world of endless possibilities.
Written by admin on June 9th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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The long arm of Zuffa law apparently extends to estranged former champions who write books and wear their belts on the covers.
Tito Ortiz — who just satisfied the final fight on his contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) — has been served with a cease and desist because his recently released autobiography, “This is Gonna Hurt,” violates the intellectual property rights of the mixed martial arts promotion, according to MMAPayout.com.
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” according to the report, needed to get the stamp of approval from the UFC to sport the belt on the cover of the book. And he apparently did not get the green light or overlooked the clause in his contract.
Regardless, the move is just the latest salvo in an ongoing feud between the fighter an organization. Ortiz and UFC President Dana White have an epic, long-running distaste for one another.
This is certainly not going to help the situation.
Ortiz will soon be a free agent and has expressed his intentions of seeking greener pastures (literally) with an organization that can promote him properly, as well as be respectful and professional.
Even if he does it appears that Ortiz can’t break free from the UFC’s Kung Fu grip … for now.
He defeated Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision to earn the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 25: “Ultimate Japan 3″ back in 2000. Ortiz defended the 205-pound belt five times during a three-year span until he lost it to Randy Couture via unanimous decision at UFC 44: “Undisputed” in 2003.
Written by admin on June 4th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Zuffa and Tito Ortiz and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
There’s a rather revealing article on Forbes.com that delves into the history of Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta — majority owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) — and their rise to the top of the mixed martial arts circuit.
It’s laced with hyperbole; therefore, read with caution and consider these “facts” carefully:
Price the Fertittas paid for UFC in 2001: $2 million
Value today: $1 billion-plus
UFC estimated 2008 sales: $250 million
UFC is estimated to control 90% of the mixed martial arts industry.
UFC pay-per-view buys in 2001: 145,000
UFC pay-per-view buys in 2007: 5.1 million
The average UFC pay-per-view event draws 3 million male viewers between 18 and 49–often the same as a big college football GAME.
UFC employs 275 fighters.
Most make more than $100,000 a year.
Superstars make millions.
The average ticket price of a live UFC event in 2007: $250
That’s right, according to the feature the Fertittas say that they have turned down billion dollar offers for their promotion, which is rather remarkable if indeed accurate.
Check out the entire piece when you have some time.
Written by admin on April 16th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ufc owner mma and ufc owners zuffa and ufc ownership and Frank Fertitta and Lorenzo Fertitta and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Zuffa and MMA.
(Maybe this legal hottie can sort this shit out.)
It’s only been a couple of months since Zuffa/Pride FC Worldwide filed suit against the former heads of PRIDE because of their alleged defrauding of millions from Pride’s sell to the Fertittas. Dream Stage Entertainment’s president, Nobuyuki Sakakibara, has been silent in the case, but Dream Stage Holdings filed for dismissal since they were not a party to the previous contracts.
Now, Sakakibara, Ubon, and Dream Stage Holdings have sued Pride FC Worldwide — the Nevada and Japanese branches — and have laid down the legal to the Fertitta Bros, too. Ubon is a stock company in Japan owned by Sakakibara, who also owns 95% of DSH. The suit filing went down in Vegas on the 2nd of this month. Sherdog has a full rundown of the mess:
In an ironic twist, the motion accused Zuffa of including the DSE Nevada Corporation in an effort to defeat diversity jurisdiction. Zuffa is currently contesting a similar legal strategy employed by HDNet Fights in its suit against Zuffa for declaratory judgment on Randy Couture’s promotional contract.
The suit filed by the former owners of Pride in federal court, under diversity jurisdiction, seeks damages for breach of the asset purchase and consulting agreements that were part of the Pride transaction, as well as fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
The complaint alleges that Pride was sold to the owners of the UFC with the promise that the Pride brand would be maintained as a “global top-level brand.” This promise allegedly resulted in the former owners’ decision to sell to the Fertittas despite more lucrative financial offers from other suitors.
According to the complaint, Sakakibara also met with another “company which promotes martial arts related events, an operator of another sports-related business and investors in the entertainment industry, and received various offers to purchase Pride or to enter into business partnerships with plaintiffs.”
However, the suit alleges that the defendants had no intention of fulfilling that promise.
(more…)
Written by admin on April 7th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Fertittas and DREAM and lawsuit and Zuffa and News and Randy Couture and Pride and MMA.
Props: Forbes.com
Quoteworthy:
“Gambling is in his blood. Last year, with his brother Frank and private equity money from Colony Capital, he [Lorenzo Feritta] took Bingo Palace, the Las Vegas casino and bingo hall built by his father, private for $9 billion, including debt. In 2001 he purchased the professional mixed martial arts league Ultimate Fighting Championship, which gained mass appeal from the reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter.”
It must be nice. Interesting nugget that has been known for awhile and is never brought up much: If Frank and Lorenzo ever have to resolve a deadlock between the two it will be settled with a jiu-jitsu match with the winner having the final say. Oh … and the referee? UFC President Dana White. I doubt Bill Gates or any others on that list have clause like that.
Written by admin on March 6th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Lorenzo Fertitta and Zuffa and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
(The future centerpieces of the UFC.)
I don’t make a habit of reading askmen.com unless I’m researching how to properly organize my closet or how taking a cooking class can make me a better lover - my closet has never looked better by the way - but MMA News is directing attention to their article, 5 Things You Didn’t Know: The UFC. The article digs up some absurd stuff we knew and some we didn’t about the organization. Case in point:
1- It was supposed to involve alligators
If nothing else, you can’t successfully accuse the original promoters of the UFC of failing to think big. Specifically, in addition to such outrageous ideas as putting electric fences around the ring, one of their many schemes was to include live alligators thrashing around in moats. Fortunately, UFC doctors were a bit more practical in their thinking, advising against such plans because of the potential harm these could do to the fighters.
Was Bob Meyrowitz behind the curtain on this one? It doesn’t give an exact date as to when the gators were to make their appearance, but I’m guessing YAMMA’s showman had crocs and gators as an idea for a new “surface”.
Point number two details John McCain’s flip-flop on his stance concerning MMA, specifically the UFC. That we’re well aware of. As we are of point number five, which is that Dana White kept Tito in the UFC in 2006 by offering to go three rounds with him - a ploy that likely won’t work this time around.
(more…)
Written by admin on February 28th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on General and YAMMA and Meyrowitz and Funny Shit and Zuffa and UFC and Tito Ortiz and Dana White and MMA.
It’s time to get down and dirty.
Zuffa — the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) — has filed a lawsuit against its heavyweight champion, Randy Couture, for irreparable damage, breach of contract and numerous other “torts,” according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Here’s a snip:
“The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $10,000 and states that the amount of both compensatory and punitive damages would be proven at trial. It also seeks an injunction restraining Couture from participating in any way in any promotion competing against the UFC.”
This latest salvo comes on the heels of a flurry of recent statements from “The Natural” that his contract obligations expire when his deal is up later this year (October). However, the UFC contends that he is bound to the agreement until he satisfies the two fights remaining on his contract.
Couture abandoned his position atop the heavyweight division and “resigned” when it became clear he could not fight Fedor Emelianenko and there was some disagreement in terms of his compensation.
For the entire ball of wax feel free to hit up our Randy Couture archive right here — there’s more than enough content there to keep you busy.
UFC President Dana White — who has demonstrated a great deal of restraint throughout this entire soap opera (more than likely for legal reasons and because of his friendship with Couture) — of course commented on the latest actions.
Here’s a snip:
“What’s really tough for me, to be honest, is we have been friends for a very long time. The hard part is that he is not living up to his obligations. Captain America is not keeping his word….. I expect Randy to honor the obligations in his contract that he signed (a year ago). I tried to resolve it by talking to this guy that I’ve had a relationship with for eight years and was unsuccessful. Now this thing’s in the hands of the justice system.”
As expected, this situation is getting messier by the minute. In fact, the lawsuit could even effect the participation of his XTreme Couture fight camp in the upcoming International Fight League (IFL) season.
Put simply, things don’t look to snappy right now for Couture.
We’ll wait to hear his response to the lawsuit, which was unavailable at press time. Stay tuned for more details.
Written by admin on January 15th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Zuffa and Randy Couture and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
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