UFC Talks

dillion so then u are gay 2007/12/12 140051 209.174.124.212
dustin taff if i wasnt gay, id date meagan garcia!! o 2007/12/12 135910 209.174.124.212
cameran gross im gay and i like to eat snack cakes and masturbate with them 2007/12/11 143710 209.174.124.212
ur mom billy i am gonna kick ur ass 2007/12/11 143555 209.174.124.212
dustin taff i love to watch those ufc guys in their short outfits while im in the nude!!! lol lol 2007/12/11 143503 209.174.124.212
darren kerrick i sucked dillon's **** last night it was bigger than my dads!!! 2007/12/11 143301 209.174.124.212
hahahhah message twisted 2007/12/11 143215 209.174.124.212
have you ever been with another man 2007/12/11 143147 209.174.124.212
hey ass munch blow me 2007/12/11 143024 209.174.124.212
weiner dillion needs to get a life and grow up 2007/12/11 142450 209.174.124.212
bobo whats the matter dillion dont u want to play with me lol 2007/12/11 142421 209.174.124.212
bobo come and get some big boy 2007/12/11 141937 209.174.124.212
don't even do it yall can kiss my a** 2007/12/11 141610 209.174.124.212
justin dillion i love u 2007/12/11 141541 209.174.124.212
dillon justin shut up you don't even kno how to spell my name 2007/12/11 141429 209.174.124.212
bobo hey dillon i hear u ike it up th pooper shock shock shock shock 2007/12/11 141402 209.174.124.212
dillion b im a fag p 2007/12/11 141325 209.174.124.212
dillon yall dumb as hel* 2007/12/11 135554 209.174.124.212
fusk you hahahhahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahaha 2007/12/10 143847 209.174.124.212
djb your duymb 2007/12/10 143746 209.174.124.212
**** you hey ****es blow my left one 2007/12/10 143723 209.174.124.212
djb type me back 2007/12/10 143540 209.174.124.212
dillon u all r dumb 2007/12/10 143419 209.174.124.212
****o hii 2007/12/10 143211 209.174.124.212
dustin ken shamrock rules twisted 2007/12/10 142804 209.174.124.212
dillon helloo 2007/12/10 142643 209.174.124.212
dillon hey all whatz up p 2007/12/10 142557 209.174.124.212
rachel **** ortiz 2007/12/04 090003 209.7.63.70
rick jensen 2007/10/31 204014 70.165.104.3
anthony hi 2007/09/19 191418 24.56.169.238
gary the judges just gave ucf a bad name. if i was matt i would not fight for ucf again. that is a bunch of b/s. matt beat the crap out of hamell, i guess the judges had a bathroom break during the fight x 2007/09/10 095645 74.193.85.38
angie i want to know how in the hell the judges could say that bisbing won. his own people gave him a huge boooo. i am starting to think that the ufc is about like wwf. matt won every round of that fight. 2007/09/10 094814 74.193.85.38
vegetavsanakin i was sick to my stomach after that hamell fight,hamell won that fight hands down,thats the reason i quit watching boxing,cause of that b/s like that,i dont bisbing even won one round. 2007/09/09 173430 74.61.111.231
truckinbuzzard that is suck crap. there is no doubt that hamill did win hands down. completely and totally dominated the fight 2007/09/09 070231 98.199.174.227
courtney all i gotta saw is the split with bisping was such crap. i agree with ssegrub. hamill won it hands down. 2007/09/09 010906 68.127.146.250
melissa send dana white a message and let him know that crap is losing fans. 2007/09/09 000406 70.126.242.155
ssegrub no more 39.95 pay for views from me 2007/09/08 235553 68.203.87.232
ssegrub i dont think i can pay for that kind of bs politics 2007/09/08 235449 68.203.87.232
ssegrub i am having serious doubts of the ufc after that split with bisping, hamill won no doubt. c'mon ufc call it fair. i like bisping but he lost that fight , all 3 rounds. get it together 2007/09/08 235350 68.203.87.232
bryon white is a sell out 2007/09/08 233403 24.45.228.179
bryon i will never pay for ufc ever again lost all faith 2007/09/08 233250 24.45.228.179
sam hamill knew the fix was in- he behaved - and watch, he will get paid off in the long run 2007/09/08 232202 70.19.20.185
eman fixxxxxx!! bisping got his **** whopped - and they gave him the victory cause it was in england- i've lost faith in the integrity of ufc 2007/09/08 232124 70.19.20.185
eman eman 2007/09/08 232012 70.19.20.185
ace both from the looks of it....what a load of s*&ampt 2007/09/08 221701 74.67.218.30
ace message twisted 2007/09/08 221556 74.67.218.30
ace matt hamill got robbed!!!!!!!!! 2007/09/08 221535 74.67.218.30
bigj how did they get bisbing beating hamil in ufc 75? were the judges asleep or just paid off? 2007/09/08 221534 71.62.216.100
idk gsp kicks ass!!! 2007/08/31 225058 207.200.116.74
d roger huerta is soooo hott, and a great fighter...anyone have any good pictures of him?? haha d d 2007/08/27 001642 76.176.180.10
shawn byg white rampage is the next big thang noone can stop it maybe kimbo 2007/08/19 160222 72.230.100.47
ufc lova wwe sucks d 2007/05/28 075057 85.176.223.176
mario ufc 4 life 2007/05/21 025139 217.169.231.2
james brasil o melhor lutador que ja houve foi vitor belfort 2007/05/03 130839 200.168.177.73
randie i am a big fan of danny abbadi 2007/04/24 000222 70.7.231.252
q &quotrampage jackson i meant yall all suck not me 2007/04/23 072515 165.138.95.74
q &quotrampage&quot jackson yall i suck 2007/04/23 072440 165.138.95.74
polaris congrats koschump you are now the most boring fighter on your feet as well as the ground hope i dont have to pay my hared earned money to watch you again 2007/04/14 225257 66.233.245.33
dana white good thing that next event is free, because after that ****o vs dana rip off last night, i'm not sure if i trust you enough anymore to keep handing over my money. what a rip off... 2007/04/13 084116 74.128.192.200
matt hughes ur a pimp...from matt tingle and double d 2006/12/09 110713 66.242.198.14
romessiah why won't it let me say ti+o?? 2006/12/03 171516 69.47.121.137
romessiah i hope chuck liddel is ready to get his ass handed to him by ****o ortiz this time twisted twisted 2006/12/03 171418 69.47.121.137
the man you fear i'll find you u know who i am and you know why well im waiting for the frog to jump, nothing between us but space 2006/12/03 005720 74.245.18.23
rusty jenkins looking for u 2006/12/02 222149 74.245.18.23
cio who do you thinks is the best fighter in ufc? 2006/11/21 015953 202.52.162.118
pitt i will fight chris liban soon 2006/11/19 222145 24.22.60.227
pitt im a fighter 2006/11/19 222048 24.22.60.227
pitt he sucks d 2006/11/19 221859 24.22.60.227
shaun come on twisted 2006/11/17 000252 74.193.113.54
shaun are you not going to say you can twisted 2006/11/17 000219 74.193.113.54
shaun charlie you can not beat me twisted 2006/11/16 235903 74.193.113.54
shaun do you have anythang to say x 2006/11/16 235636 74.193.113.54
shaun mark colman is the best evil 2006/11/16 235305 74.193.113.54
shaun mark colman 2006/11/16 235211 74.193.113.54
me jkoer 2006/11/06 014902 71.201.119.21
poop i pooped 2006/10/29 121707 69.242.157.206
chuk hi their 2006/10/28 115150 196.206.101.221
charlie i will beat anybody in mma 2006/10/25 150604 208.27.112.134
****okillslidell gay 2006/10/25 150306 208.27.112.134
jt boring cry 2006/10/25 042410 195.14.211.17
igor vovchanchyn igor vovchanchyn 2006/09/22 213450 201.50.203.132
admin hi to all enjoy chatting 2006/09/22 014928 210.213.213.201
beast_ee any 1 know how to register to be a fighter 2006/08/14 164004 72.197.115.116
famous ufc! 2006/08/01 114211 206.104.20.18
jake any ufc fans here? 2006/07/27 044120 125.212.123.37

More dream matchups, MMA sanctioning, payouts and more

With mixed martial arts taking a back seat to boxing this weekend, it's a good time to catch up on emails on a range of topics. Also, I moved apartments this week and haven't had a chance to write much. Not to worry, things will pick up next week with The Ultimate Fighter 8 finale on Dec. 13 (Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET).

Would MMA benefit from having sanctioning bodies similar to boxing to establish rankings and mandatory matchups?
-- "Big" Al Preston, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

The best mixed martial artists must fight one another. There's a lot wrong with the business of boxing, but the bottom line is top fighters, who maintain much more control over their careers than many of their MMA counterparts, can, and do, clash if they so desire.

The idea was cultivated that the best always meet the best in MMA. Unfortunately, that's not quite true. If you're a mixed martial artist fighting under a UFC contract you know tough matches are waiting for you -- including thsoe against the very best in the game from time to time -- but Zuffa does not control all the greats. No one does, nor will they. Not in an individual sport like this.

That's a problem since the UFC refuses to co-promote. In reality, it can get away with it. The UFC stable is very deep and talented, and Dana White has, and will, put together more monster fights than anyone else. But he can't put ALL the fights together. Thus, some of the game's top talent across all weight divisions are on the outside looking in for now.

Odds are we'll never see Randy Couture-Fedor Emelianenko, for example, because the UFC actually fought to ensure it didn't happen under terms they couldn't control. That's not sport. When promoters work to prevent fights -- important fights -- MMA moves into murky waters. The prevailing principle should always focus on determining the best. There's no good reason to think differently, unless it would negatively impact your wallet -- and I'm not convinced a co-promotion would.

So back to your original question: Does the answer reside in sanctioning bodies and mandatories? Doubtful. As a practical matter, the UFC won't recognize a sanctioning group. They've ignored WAMMA and would likely do the same to similar groups. (Perhaps this isn't bad thing. The entry of sanctioning groups -- if there's one, there will be more -- will lead to titles that mean nothing and, inevitably, shenanigans. File under "doomed to repeat," please.)

What to do, then? While fans generally feel powerless in these situations, it's always been my position that you possess much more control than you realize. If a big enough group makes itself heard, and they're amplified by the media echo chamber, even the most powerful promoters could be held accountable. Remember, fight fans don't want politics to get in the way of a great bout.

I am curious: If you could match-up any two fighters in the world, what fight would you like to see most?
-- Jeffrey, Toronto

Lots of great fights to be made, including Georges St. Pierre-Anderson Silva, which I understand is in the works and has the potential to be the biggest fight UFC can promote in 2009, presuming GSP gets past B.J. Penn in January. Since you mentioned it, I'll preclude it in my list -- though it belongs near the top, for sure.

I'm going to bend your rules and mention five fights I'd pay money to see. I'll rank 'em for you as a matter of compromise, and you'll notice Silva and Emelianenko are mentioned more than once.

5) Brock Lesnar vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

A win for Nogueira finally delivers the recognition he deserves from casual MMA fans. Nogueira has waged war with enormous heavyweights during his stellar career, and he continually found a way to pull out amazing submissions. However, wear and tear from a decade's worth of pounding might be too much for him to overcome against a physical freak like Lesnar. (Incidentally, I don't mean to discount Frank Mir, who fights Nogueira on Dec. 27 for the right to battle Lesnar, but we've seen that clash already. Plus I don't think "Minotauro" will lose to the former UFC champ.)

4) Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia

Maia might not be there yet, but give him two or three more fights and the Brazilian might have the right game to give Silva problems. He's the best jiu-jitsu based fighter I've seen in a long time -- a mixture of suffocating control, precision and execution. Can he get it to the ground? If he does, he's got as good a shot as anyone. But Silva is Silva, and he'd be a hefty favorite in the UFC middleweight title clash.

3) Miguel Torres vs. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto

Kid-Faber was the fight hardcore fans wanted to see. With Urijah taking a tumble, the battle of the little big men now pits Yamamoto -- an explosive, athletic and, unfortunately, injury-prone striker/wrestler -- at his true weight against the best bantamweight in the world. Torres' length and subs would be issues for Kid. They're problems for anyone. But he could offset those with speed and power.

2) Fedor-Arlovski winner vs. Josh Barnett

Fedor-Barnett is the heavyweight fight I've wanted to see for quite some time. Stylistically and physically Barnett poses real threats to the best heavyweight in the world. But if the Russian loses to Andrei Arlovski in January -- and it could really happen, though I'm saying it won't -- a bout between the "Pitbull" and Barnett could be as competitive. Just not as compelling.

1) Fedor Emelianenko vs. Anderson Silva

With No. 1 pound-for-pound on the line, who wouldn't want to see it? Anderson walks around at 215 pounds. Emelianenko fights at 230. Height and reach favor Silva. Power in the clinch and grappling scenarios go to the Russian. Speed, believe it or not, is a toss up. Emelianenko is a decent favorite if I'm booking the fight, maybe 3-1, but if we're talking dream matchups, this is at the top of my list.

I know HDNET has broadcast deals with Dream and K-1, but is the K-1 Dynamite!! show going to be broadcast on HDNET or anywhere else in the states?
-- Billy, Wichita Falls, Texas

HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon told me it's "possible," which is more than he usually says. Makes me think it'll end up on the network.

Just this weekend alone on HDNet there's the M-1 Challenge (surprisingly good fights, broadcast by the entertaining and informative announce team of Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith -- not the ex-Jacksonville Jaguar); a Maximum Fighting Championship card pitting welterweights Paul Daley and John Alessio; and the K-1 World Grand Prix Finals, which, while not MMA, should be a fun watch.

I never hear anybody questioning the payouts for these huge UFC events. Did Lesnar and Couture make $700,000 combined? The payout for all fighters was about 60 percent of the gate. Who is getting all the pay-per-view money? What about the money from Spike? Not to mention clothing, action figures and the video game money. These fighters are getting taken advantage of. These paydays are way too small. Please let me know what you think?
-- Bob Crawford, Jerseyville, Ill.

UFC does very well, though there's a lot of money paid out that isn't made public (which it should). For instance, Couture received pay-per-view bonuses, which can be significant. If the reported numbers are correct, and UFC 91 sold between 700,000 and 800,000 subscriptions, Couture made somewhere close to $1.5M in bonuses alone (that's if my math's right and no one has ever accused me of that before).

Under terms Couture revealed during a press conference in October 2007, his PPV bonuses breaks down like this:

100,000-175,000 buys: $1 per buy

175,000-300,000 buys: $1.50 per

300,000-330,000 buys: $2 per

330,000+ buys: $3 per

The debate over ancillary rights and their worth is raging right now. UFC and managers/fighters are at odds over who gets what and for how much. With the perception lingering that there are few options outside the UFC right now, Zuffa is pushing hard to obtain rights that could be used in every layer of merchandising, including video games.

Some fighters, like Couture, fought to retain their rights. That could pay off big time for "The Natural," as Couture signed an exclusive agreement with EA Sports for an MMA video game. Not many guys have the leverage he does, but these are things he fought for back in 2002 when Jeremy Lappen and Peter Levin represented him. You think Couture's glad he didn't let those rights go?