The Official UFC Thread!
#81
10-27-2010, 07:21 AM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
...yet i am too small for it now after losing some serious weight im gonna get his new Alchemist "nate the great" shirt....anyways im BIG fan..hes a good guy...love his attitude and fighting style...lets see him demolish Okami in couple week at 122 
Last edited by McRae; 10-27-2010 at 07:28 AM.
#82
10-27-2010, 08:26 AM
Like McRae said, unless you have sponsors and the other spiffs, it is not a sport that will make a fighter super wealthy. And the way White runs it, the fighters will never be the ones truly coming out on the winning end.
#83
10-27-2010, 08:58 AM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
I'm not a fan of White either, but wouldnt you say this applies to all businesses. Employees work hard all day and at the end of the year they are lucky to get a 3% raise and $5k bonus. Meanwhile the owner's, CEO's, etc get rewarded with multimillion dollar bonuses and huge salaries.
UFC Honcho's Ferrari Takes a Serious Beating | TMZ.com
#84
10-27-2010, 08:58 AM
UFC Fighters are treated sooooo much better than those in the WWE... At least UFC fighters can get paid by sponsorship and fight/knockout of the night. Just like in Baseball, it can take years of playing in the minors making pennies, but once you get your shot and prove you have what it takes, you can make some real nice coin.
#85
10-27-2010, 09:53 AM
I don't have a problem with the payouts the UFC is making to fighters. If you end up in the UFC, you will have an endorsement deal (even if it's just for that night). Plus, you will have name recognition that will carry over into your school (which a number of fighters have) or allow you to earn income through seminars or private lessons, fight overseas etc.
Ultimately, it's about supply and demand. There are a ton of fighters out there and this is the price the market dictates. Actually, it's probably more than the market dictates. There isn't anyone else out there that pays more (other than maybe for a key marquee guy).
Also, there are few fighters that have the name recognition or fan base or special skill to make them irreplaceable. For most casual fans, the only reason they know a fighters name is because they fight in the UFC. In other words, the UFC makes the fighters instead of the other way around.
The sport is still young. Salaries will increase, but you have to remember where the sport came from. As I'm sure Choke recalls, not so long ago (and still in many places), fight purses were a few hundred dollars, if that. There were even competitions where the undercard fighters paid to fight.
Fighters need to promote themselves. Build a following and reputation in order to get paid.
Ultimately, it's about supply and demand. There are a ton of fighters out there and this is the price the market dictates. Actually, it's probably more than the market dictates. There isn't anyone else out there that pays more (other than maybe for a key marquee guy).
Also, there are few fighters that have the name recognition or fan base or special skill to make them irreplaceable. For most casual fans, the only reason they know a fighters name is because they fight in the UFC. In other words, the UFC makes the fighters instead of the other way around.
The sport is still young. Salaries will increase, but you have to remember where the sport came from. As I'm sure Choke recalls, not so long ago (and still in many places), fight purses were a few hundred dollars, if that. There were even competitions where the undercard fighters paid to fight.
Fighters need to promote themselves. Build a following and reputation in order to get paid.
You summed this up perfectly.
And yea, I remember the days you were lucky to get a hundred bucks to fight. So it is certainly coming along.
The issue is that White risks making this more WWE, and less combat sport. But that is just a personal bias.
#86
10-27-2010, 09:55 AM
I'm not a fan of White either, but wouldnt you say this applies to all businesses. Employees work hard all day and at the end of the year they are lucky to get a 3% raise and $5k bonus. Meanwhile the owner's, CEO's, etc get rewarded with multimillion dollar bonuses and huge salaries.
#87
10-27-2010, 01:11 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
lol
#88
10-27-2010, 01:19 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
the Struve vs McCorkle fight is looking to be good...Clash of the Skyscrapers lol
YouTube - UFC 124: Stefan Struve Thinks Sean McCorkle's Trash Talk Is 'Funny'
YouTube - UFC 124: Stefan Struve Thinks Sean McCorkle's Trash Talk Is 'Funny'
#89
10-28-2010, 01:26 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
BREAKING NEWS!!!
UFC and WEC set to merge in 2011; events to air on Versus and Spike TV
UFC and WEC set to merge in 2011; events to air on Versus and Spike TV | MMAjunkie.com
"The Ultimate Fighting Championship plans to merge with World Extreme Cagefighting in January 2011.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the news earlier today with MMAFighting.com, and a formal announcement is scheduled this afternoon.
The merger's primary intent is to fold the WEC's bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight divisions into the UFC.
"The timing was right," White said. "The reality is we purchased the WEC, (and) we started getting these lighter-weight guys exposure on television. ... Now, as the UFC continues to grow globally, and we're doing more and more fights, now we're bringing in those lighter weightclasses."
WEC 52 and WEC 53, scheduled for Nov. 11 and Dec. 16, respectively, will be the final events under the existing promotion. In January, the lighter-weighted promotion will cede its talent to the UFC.
White said the WEC's featherweight champion, Jose Aldo, will become the UFC featherweight champion when he first fights inside the octagon in January. Current WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defends his title against top contender Dominick Cruz at WEC 53.
The WEC's lightweight championship will also be on the line at WEC 53 as current champ Ben Henderson takes on Anthony Pettis. It's currently unclear what will become of the WEC's lightweight title, but UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta hinted of a champion vs. champion superfight at the UFC Fan Expo London 2010.
"We'd love to see kind of a 'champion vs. champion' type bout with Ben and Frankie Edgar or something like that," Fertitta said. "Ben Henderson is a great fighter, and I think he could do really, really well against some of the top guys in the UFC at 155 (pounds)."
Zuffa, LLC, the UFC's parent company, purchased the WEC in 2006. The lighter-weighted promotion quickly found a new television partner, Versus channel, which aired all but a few of its events. WEC 48 also went to pay-per-view and was considered a rousing success.
According to White, four UFC events in 2011 will air on Versus, the current home of the WEC. Additionally, the UFC's longtime partnership with Spike TV will also remain in place."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCIWWLnJSN4&feature=sub
UFC and WEC set to merge in 2011; events to air on Versus and Spike TV
UFC and WEC set to merge in 2011; events to air on Versus and Spike TV | MMAjunkie.com
"The Ultimate Fighting Championship plans to merge with World Extreme Cagefighting in January 2011.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the news earlier today with MMAFighting.com, and a formal announcement is scheduled this afternoon.
The merger's primary intent is to fold the WEC's bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight divisions into the UFC.
"The timing was right," White said. "The reality is we purchased the WEC, (and) we started getting these lighter-weight guys exposure on television. ... Now, as the UFC continues to grow globally, and we're doing more and more fights, now we're bringing in those lighter weightclasses."
WEC 52 and WEC 53, scheduled for Nov. 11 and Dec. 16, respectively, will be the final events under the existing promotion. In January, the lighter-weighted promotion will cede its talent to the UFC.
White said the WEC's featherweight champion, Jose Aldo, will become the UFC featherweight champion when he first fights inside the octagon in January. Current WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defends his title against top contender Dominick Cruz at WEC 53.
The WEC's lightweight championship will also be on the line at WEC 53 as current champ Ben Henderson takes on Anthony Pettis. It's currently unclear what will become of the WEC's lightweight title, but UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta hinted of a champion vs. champion superfight at the UFC Fan Expo London 2010.
"We'd love to see kind of a 'champion vs. champion' type bout with Ben and Frankie Edgar or something like that," Fertitta said. "Ben Henderson is a great fighter, and I think he could do really, really well against some of the top guys in the UFC at 155 (pounds)."
Zuffa, LLC, the UFC's parent company, purchased the WEC in 2006. The lighter-weighted promotion quickly found a new television partner, Versus channel, which aired all but a few of its events. WEC 48 also went to pay-per-view and was considered a rousing success.
According to White, four UFC events in 2011 will air on Versus, the current home of the WEC. Additionally, the UFC's longtime partnership with Spike TV will also remain in place."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCIWWLnJSN4&feature=sub
Last edited by McRae; 10-28-2010 at 01:53 PM.
#90
10-28-2010, 04:37 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
Some feedback from Urija Faber, arguably the WEC biggest star commenting on the merger.
YouTube - Urijah Faber on WEC Merging With UFC
YouTube - Urijah Faber on WEC Merging With UFC