MMA Thread (UFC/Bellator et al)

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Big Boss Man]

Well at least he tried and on the upside maybe he comes back to Pro Wrestling. I think a PPV fight was too big of a step up, they should have put his debut on a Fox fight night card. Id imagine he reevaluates now and since he didn't shock the world I think he should cut his losses and try and get a deal with New Japan or go back to ROH. Unless he squashes his beef with the WWE and he's a mystery entrant at the Rumble. I don't think it's wise for him to continue fighting, he goes up to heavyweight he will be in big trouble. Dropping down to 155lbs isn't really an option and Joe Silva won't match him with a higher level fighter because of the risk involved. Going to a lower league fight promotion could be an option with UFC ties but you either have or haven't go it. Again I like Punk and wanted him to prove folks wrong, especially those who put him down because of the pro wrestling connection, maybe if he does stick around he has not necessarily an easier fight but against somebody with similar skill set. Mickey Gall has a legit background and has been training for a lot longer so him winning isn't a surprise. He also has experience whilst Punk was just fighting in a gym. So the big night nerves might have got to him too. But Punk can hold his head up, he stepped into the Octagon and that alone is an accomplishment. He could have got badly hurt and carried out on a stretcher, he's a little beat up but I've seen tons worse. If he doesn't want to continue in MMA there's no shame in that either. Will be interesting to see where his career goes next.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Welcome to Bellator, CM Punk!

Dana White: CM Punk's next fight probably shouldn't be in the UFC

CM Punk vowed to fight again after his loss to Mickey Gall at UFC 203, but it doesn't look like it will be in the UFC if he does.

According to Live Audio Wrestling’s John Pollock, Dana White told him that Punk’s next fight probably shouldn’t be in the UFC if he chooses to continue to pursue his mixed martial arts dreams.

Punk tapped out to a rear naked choke just minutes into his fight against Mickey Gall at UFC 203. Gall immediately took Punk down, and Punk never once looked competitive in the fight. He was able to avoid being finished for a bit, but eventually was forced to submit

In a post-fight interview, Punk called it the second best night of his life (only behind his wedding night) even in defeat. He talked about following his dreams and said that you go big or go home in life.

Source: WON

[Bandit]

Punk called it the second best night of his life (only behind his wedding night)

How bad was his wedding?

Punk doesn't have it. If you get humiliated by Mickey Gall, you're going to have to work fights like Takada to look good.

[Big Boss Man]

Yea, you're right about Punk. His age is against him too and he doesn't have the physical characteristics or size to be outside the norm. Somebody like Brock succeeded because he's unique in terms of his bodytype and he has a wrestling background he can use as his base. If CM had trained MMA at a younger age, had some more fight experience I think he could have put on a better display. But when you consider this is a 37 year old, with no real martial arts background, no amateur background, it took a lot of guts to do what he did. It was more about proving a point to himself and I think going to Bellator or a small organization and having a few fights there and maybe getting a win or two would do great for his confidence. But as I said above, I don't think fighting is his game. It's kinda like when Michael Jordan went to play Baseball, he quit the Chicago Bulls to follow his other dream and once he was done with that he went back to basketball so I see CM coming back to pro-wrestling since it's something he can do for a few more years and not get too seriously hurt. He goes up against somebody with heavy hands in MMA, he could be in big trouble and he already has had concussion(s) so I wouldn't like to see him be another sufferer of CTE and all it entails. But maybe his stubbornness will work against him and he keeps pushing on and getting beat up. If I were Punk I'd give it 2 more goes and if I went 0-3 I'd hang up the gloves.

[Bandit]

Yeah, that is the thing. All of the pro wrestlers who were a success in MMA besides Brock trained in shoot fighting as long as pro wrestling (ie Shamrock, Severn, Sakuraba) and Brock is a genetic freak. So I hope this stops people saying "So and So won barfights, so he would win MMA Fights." It's only accurate to say "A 22 year old Rick Steiner could have been good if he went into MMA after college. " Rick could have been UFC Heavyweight champion at 27 in that scenario. But he couldn't walk off the street and beat anybody like wrestlers and fans think.

PS, Since Haku will come up: I think he could have made it to the tournament finals of UFC's 1-8 before being choked out by a guy like Royce or Severn. But when more skilled fighters started coming in at UFC 10 he would lose against a guy like Mark Coleman or Maurice Smith.

But of all the wrestlers who never did it, I really think Rick Steiner would be the biggest star. Amateur background, heavy hands, great core strength, tons of charisma, bad motherfucker attitude. UFC fans would love him.

[Big Boss Man]

IIRC Bad News was in the UWF/UWFi so maybe he could have transitioned into legit MMA too. But like you say, just because somebody can fight (ie bare knuckle/bar room brawls etc) doesn't mean they could cut it in the MMA world. I mean a guy like Kimbo (RIP) who was legit tough wasn't that big of a success when he competed in mixed martial arts. Back in the day when they had shooters like Stu Hart, Billy Robinson et al those guys could have succeeded but again that's a maybe because they were only one dimensional and they could be easily be beaten at their own game by not somebody necessarily bigger or badder but who could catch them in a leg lock, knee bar, chokehold and tap them out. Plus the knowledge of MMA in the modern age is expanded to the nth degree whilst back then only guys who were in the know knew about leg holds and such to hurt people. I mean it used to be a right of passage for a trainee to get their leg broke or arm broke when they got into the wrestling business to hold up the legitimacy of the sport back then. I think Bret talked about in his book that Stu liked to hurt ex-footballers and such to prove that their sport wasn't easy. But whether guys like Stu or Billy or even guys like Harley & Haku could step into the octagon and fight the likes of Couture, Liddell, Anderson Silva, GSP et al is debatable. Although if UFC was around in Haku's heyday that would have been a must see considering the stories going around about how tough a guy he is.

[Bandit]

2 problems with Bad News.

1) Only Ronda Rousey was able to make Judo work in MMA.

2) UWFi meant nothing since Sakuraba was a jobber there yet the best legit fighter of the bunch. So I don't put any stock in it.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Dr. Zoidberg]

-- CM Punk was the third highest earner at the UFC 203 PPV in Cleveland, Ohio this past Saturday night, where coincidentally enough, he fought third-from-the-top in a co-featured bout.

Punk was paid a $500,000 fight purse by the UFC for his debut against Mickey Gall, which he lost via first-round submission, according to figures released by the Ohio Athletic Commission (via MMAFighting.com.

Topping the salary list for Saturday's big event at the Quicken Loans Arena were Alistair Overeem, who earned an $800,000 payday and UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic, who earned $600,000.

It's worth noting that the fight purses do not necessarily represent all of the income a fighter generated per fight, but instead the figures paid to each fighter by the UFC themselves, and only those that are reported to the state athletic commission that is sanctioning the event/fights.

Below are the complete fighter salaries for Saturday's UFC 203 pay-per-view.

UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem Fighter Salaries

Main Card (Pay-per-view)
Stipe Miocic ($600,000 + no win bonus = $600,000) def. Alistair Overeem ($800,000)
Fabricio Werdum ($250,000 + $125,000 = $375,000) def. Travis Browne ($120,000)
Mickey Gall ($15,000 + $15,000 = $30,000) def. CM Punk ($500,000)
Jimmie Rivera ($24,000 + $24,000 = $48,000) def. Urijah Faber ($160,000)
Jessica Andrade ($23,000 + $23,000 = $46,000) def. Joanne Calderwood ($25,000)

Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)
Bethe Correia ($25,000 + $25,000 = $50,000) def. Jessica Eye ($25,000)
Brad Tavares ($28,000 + $28,000 = $56,000) def. Caio Magalhaes ($20,000)
Nik Lentz ($38,000 + $38,000 = $76,000) def. Michael McBride ($12,000)
Drew Dober ($19,000 + $19,000 = $38,000) def. Jason Gonzales ($10,000)

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Yancy Medeiros ($24,000 + $24,000 = $48,000) def. Sean Spencer ($17,000)

---

Punk could end up with $2m when the PPV buyrate bonus is added.

[Bandit]

If I was in WWE's main event spot I'd immediately walk out like Punk and Lesnar and call Dana for my $1 million a minute pay day.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Chael Sonnen returns to MMA with Bellator

Chael Sonnen is coming back to the cage, and he's doing it with Bellator.

Sonnen will return to mixed martial arts with the UFC's biggest competitor, the veteran fighter told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

The 39-year-old Sonnen signed a multiyear, multi-fight deal with Bellator, the promotion also confirmed to the AP.

Sonnen hopes to begin in November by taking on fellow UFC alumnus Tito Ortiz, but the talkative ex-wrestler known as the "American Gangster" says he has no other preferences about opponents, fight locations — or even weight classes.

"This is the only game I know how to play," Sonnen told the AP. "This is what I do. This is also my social life. Going into the gym and seeing the guys and training. Being around the coaches, and going out there and competing and having a goal, all the way from making weight to sacrifices in camp to going out there and shaking hands. This is just the only life I know."

Sonnen has fought for the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight titles during a tumultuous MMA career. The versatile, tenacious competitor became one of the sport's most popular fighters before he received a two-year suspension in 2014 for failing a drug test.

Sonnen announced his retirement after that most recent positive test, and he repeatedly denied interest in returning. When asked Thursday why he took that stance, Sonnen said: "I'm a heel. Heels lie."

"There might have been a blink of the eye where I thought it was time to transition behind a desk, but for the most part, I never meant it," Sonnen added. "I was never prepared for it. I knew I was coming back, and there were more guys to beat up. ... I appreciate that you all read the book, but I can see that I left a few chapters out, so it's going to continue."

Sonnen had been a devoted UFC fighter with two stints and 14 fights for the promotion since 2005. He remained vocally supportive of the promotion during his suspension, but Bellator apparently made a financial offer that the UFC didn't match.

When asked why he chose Bellator, Sonnen solemnly joked "Zero apostrophe S," referring to a large financial offer.

"Chael is an incredible athlete that has competed at the very highest levels of the sport, and I know that he is going to continue to do just that here at Bellator," said Scott Coker, the promotion's president. "He has that entertainer X-factor that can't be taught. When we were talking, Chael was adamant that he wants to compete in three divisions here. He already has unfinished business with Wanderlei Silva, but he also wants to fight Tito Ortiz, Fedor Emelianenko and even Rory MacDonald at middleweight. These are all fights that I'd be very inclined to watch, so hopefully we can put some, if not all, of these matchups together."

Sonnen said he won't ask for a specific opponent beyond Ortiz, but he intends to fight early and often with Bellator.

"I signed with Bellator a matter of minutes ago, they've got a card in Austin tomorrow, and I'm (mad) that I'm not on it," Sonnen said in reference to Bellator 161, which pits Cheick Kongo against Tony Johnson in the headlining heavyweight bout.

Bellator 161 and most of the promotion's fights largely air on Spike TV, although a Sonnen-Ortiz matchup seems to be a possible pay-per-view candidate. While the fight isn't set, Sonnen would love to take on the Huntington Beach Bad Boy, who has been with Bellator since 2014.

"The Bad Boy versus the Bad Guy in November, and that's a quote," Sonnen said.

Source: MSN

[Dr. Zoidberg]

-- Former WWE Superstar Ryback is reportedly considering making the move to the world of MMA.

Ryback, who recently parted ways with WWE, noted during a radio appearance on X1075 out of Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday that he is open to doing MMA and has been in talks with the Bellator MMA promotion.

Ryback, who has been using the name "The Big Guy" since parting ways with WWE, has trained in jiu-jitsu in the past.

[Bandit]

lol@Ryback passing a drug test.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

UFC ownership announces addition of 23 celebrity investors

Last night on his late night television show, comedian Conan O’Brien announced that he had become an investor in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) in a segment during the opening of the show. O’Brien went on to announce that he actually would be fighting in the UFC’s famed Octagon, first against Conor McGregor, then Ronda Rousey, then investor and tennis legend Maria Sharapova.



O’Brien fighting in the Octagon was of course just in jest, but the fact that he is a minority investor is actually true, as revealed in an article by the Wall Street Journal:

Less than three months after being acquired by a major Hollywood talent agency, the UFC is going A-list.

Twenty-three celebrities, including Ben Affleck, Adam Levine and Serena and Venus Williams, are investing in the rapidly expanding sports league, the UFC and its new majority owner WME-IMG said on Thursday.

Bringing on the celebrity investors who can provide promotional muscle for the brutal and fast-growing sport known as mixed martial arts is the most significant business move for the organization since being acquired for $4 billion by WME-IMG and a group of investors in July.

source: wsj.com

The move is an interesting one by the new ownership group at WWE-IMG. The addition of celebrity investors will obviously bolster the publicity the UFC receives and as investors, the celebrities are more likely to promote the organization than if they were just clients of the ownership group.

Early this morning, the UFC confirmed the addition of the investors in an official press release:

Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Adam Levine, Anthony Kiedis, Ben Affleck, Calvin Harris, Cam Newton, Conan O’Brien, Flea, Guy Fieri, Jimmy Kimmel, Li Na, LL COOL J, Maria Sharapova, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Bay, Rob Dyrdek, Robert Kraft, Serena Williams, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Brady, Trey Parker, Tyler Perry and Venus Williams are the latest to join UFC’s ownership group. In July 2016, global entertainment and sports leader WME | IMG – joined by Silver Lake Partners, KKR, MSD Capital, L.P. and MSD Partners, L.P. – announced it would acquire UFC®, the world’s premier professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organization.

“Expanding our ownership group to include this caliber of talent and entrepreneurs is a strong indicator of UFC’s fast-growing global presence,” UFC President Dana White said. “Our new investors bring an incredible depth of knowledge and experience to help us continue to elevate this brand and capitalize on its entertainment and sports crossover appeal.”

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/uf ... investors/

[Bandit]

Affleck is a pussy, I'm surprised he likes MMA.

[Bandit]

The Nevada State Athletic Commission fined Conor McGregor $150,000 (five percent of his UFC 202 purse) and issued him 50 hours of community service for his bottle-throwing incident at the press conference prior to his rematch against Nate Diaz. The Nevada Attorney General had recommended a $25,000 fine and 25 hours of community service.

McGregor tweeted about the fine: “I get fined more than these bums get paid”

How is he going to do community service when he's only in America 3 times a year?

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Tom Lawlor put on UFC suspension due to potential USADA violation

UFC light heavyweight Tom Lawlor was put on a provisional suspension Thursday by UFC due to a potential USADA violation from an out-of-competition drug test taken on October 10th.

Lawlor, a regular guest on our audio shows, has been a UFC regular since his 2008 run on The Ultimate Fighter reality show in 2008. He has a career 10-6-0-1 record and was last seen dropping a close decision loss to Corey Anderson on March 5th.

Before that, the 33-year-old was ranked in the top 15 in the light heavyweight division after coming off a knockout win over Gian Villante, his first match after missing two years due to knee surgery..

He had been out of action due to a training injury, and did not have a current fight scheduled.

From the UFC:

"USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC anti-doping policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case.

It is important to note that, under UFC anti-doping policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed.

Consistent with all previous potential anti-doping violations, additional information or UFC statements will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward."

Source: F4W

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Dr. Zoidberg]