Anyone here watch UFC?

[wimic]

FEDOR

Do you want to collect all the belts in all major promotions?
-No. Unfortunately I learned that it's not possible to agree with every promoter. Pride now demands exclusive contract and wouldn't allow a fighter to perform anywhere else.

QUOTE]

Didn't the UFC buy Pride? Wouldn't that mean that they can merge the two now?? Did I miss something?

 

[wimic]

I'm starting to like Rampage. I think everyone was ticked off at him for beating Chuck, but he is a talented fighter. Same with Tito - I've started liking Tito as well. I've hated Tito since I started watching UFC since I knew he basically talked trash and ducked fighting Chuck, but man oh man would I love to see a Tito/Rampage fight...I can't imagine all the trash talking that would go on before that fight. Make it happen, Dana, make it happen!!! Although I also want to see a rematch between Forest Griffin and Tito because Tito should've lost their earlier fight.

I think Rampage is hilarious... he adds a certain light-heartedness to the sport which I think was way overdue. However it does worry me that his level of animation might catch on and before we know it guy will be coming out wearing feather bowas and hitting eachother over the head with collapsable chairs.... if the UFC becomes so commercialized that it sells out to commercialism (any more than it already has) i'm going to be very disappointed.

I would also like to see Tito and Rampage fight. I don't think Tito will ever be at the top of the light-heavyweight division again, but I think he is definitely a talented fighter that makes for some interesting and fun to watch matchups... mainly because he's a punk. (I'm pretty sure that him 'dating' Jenna Jameson is a publicity stunt... but who can blame the poor guy).

 

[stonyc]

Didn't the UFC buy Pride? Wouldn't that mean that they can merge the two now?? Did I miss something?

Yes, they finalized the deal a couple weeks ago.

Although from some of the recent signings, it seems like Zuffa is trying more to poach the top Pride fighters and just fold up operations in Japan eventually. With Big Nog, Shogun, Hendo and some of the other rumored arrivals (Kang, Filho, Wanderlei, Sok)... Pride is starting to look pretty bare.

Sounds like to me that the main holdup with Fedor is money.. which would be a shame considering how much money Zuffa is making nowdays.

 

[Dynamyk]

Zuffa pays its fighters crap in comparison to what they make. It's not even close to what it should be.

The main hold-up with Fedor is actually the fact he doesn't like that Zuffa wants to dictate everything and he doesn't think they care about the fighters.

"Did you sign any contract yet?
-No. We are in talks with k1 and Pride. UFC is now the biggest promotion, but they are dictating their conditions to us, this is not acceptable to us, their contract is only about what THEY want and not what the fighters need."

 

[rfrankl]

I have been watching UFC since #2. The formats were way different back then...you fought a few times in a night and there were no weight classes. It has definitely taken off in the last few years with the deal with Spike.

There are a lot of good fighters, but I have always said that the top 5 or more guys at each weight level in Pride would easily beat the top guy in UFC. Now that they are combined, Pride guys are going to take over. Dana White is just printing money now.

Cro Cop is my favorite, but that was quite a loss he took recently. I like to see Dan Henderson do well in UFC now...he is a tough little guy. Saturday night has a good PPV lineup so should be fun.