MMA FanHouse

Dana White on Alphabet Soup: 'The U.F.C. Will Not Fall Into the Boxing Trap'

Michael David Smith — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:02:00 EST

On Saturday, fans of MMA will have a rare opportunity: They can watch the best fighter in the world on television without having to buy his bout on pay-per-view.

That fighter, the Ultimate Fighting Championship star Anderson Silva, will have a match on basic cable because the established UFC wants to deliver a knockout blow to the upstart Affliction MMA organization, which will show its first pay-per-view program that night.

At first glance, this looks like welcome news for consumers: Fans are accustomed to paying $50 to watch high-caliber fighters like Silva, and competition has led UFC to cut its prices. But none other than Donald Trump, who is promoting Affliction, says the head-to-head match-up between UFC and Affliction may portend something few fans want to see: a time when the sport's best athletes fight for separate organizations.
Trump called UFC's decision to go head-to-head with Affliction on Saturday night "not great for the sport," for the same reasons that the phrase "alphabet soup" has become synonymous with the decline of boxing: Different sanctioning bodies with names like W.B.C. and I.B.F. have kept the best boxers apart and led to confusion about the sport's true champions.

The rise of MMA has coincided with the decline of boxing, in large part because MMA has more clearly defined champions, and UFC President Dana White says his organization knows it can't follow the same path as boxing.

"When I built this company, I used boxing as the road map of what not to do," White told me in an interview this week. "I was able to take boxing's 100-year history, look at the things they did wrong, and not make the same mistakes. One of those mistakes is hooking up with sanctioning bodies. ... I don't need the W.B.C. or the I.B.F. to tell me which fights to put on."

MMA doesn't yet have boxing's alphabet soup problem because the UFC is the sport's gold standard, as even its competitors will attest. In addition to Silva, the UFC champions in most weight classes are generally recognized as the best in the world. UFC has intelligently marketed its stars and has helped up-and-coming fighters achieve name recognition through its Ultimate Fighter reality show. It has also been at the forefront of regulating the sport to make it safer and more palatable to casual observers.

UFC also bought some competitors, including Japan's Pride organization, which was once its chief rival, and World Extreme Cagefighting, which has become a showcase for smaller fighters, and something of a minor league.

"UFC is No. 1 without a doubt, there's no question about it," said Mike Afromowitz, the vice president of the smaller Strikeforce promotion. "They've done a phenomenal job of making the sport what it is today. If it weren't for them it wouldn't be so big. They took a risk and it paid off."

But after UFC, several other organizations are vying to be No. 2. Strikeforce was the first to garner a network television deal, teaming with NBC to show taped fights late at night. Soon after, EliteXC secured a deal with CBS to show fights in prime time. Affliction is putting its show on pay-per-view and therefore will reach fewer viewers, but its deep pockets have allowed it to sign several top fighters. Those organizations, plus smaller promotions in the United States and some in Japan and Europe, have created signs of the alphabet soup effect in MMA, particularly in the heavyweight division.

Saturday's Affliction show features Fedor Emelianenko, the Russian who is considered by many to be the world's best heavyweight. Emelianenko's opponent, Tim Sylvia, is widely regarded as one of the sport's top 10 heavyweights, as are Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett, both of whom will fight on Affliction's undercard.

Another of the world's top heavyweights, Randy Couture, cannot fight anyone right now because he's in a legal entanglement with the UFC And then there's EliteXC's Kimbo Slice, who is nowhere near as good a fighter as the top heavyweights, but who fought in the main event of the only MMA show to appear on network television in prime time, and is therefore probably the sport's most recognizable name with the public.

If all those heavyweights - plus UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - would fight one another, it would give MMA fans a series of great matches. But their various exclusive contracts mean many of the biggest potential heavyweight fights won't take place.

"When there are too many organizations, like there are now, it becomes a problem," Afromowitz said. "The sport becomes too watered down, too segmented, and the best fighters don't always fight each other."

The fighters themselves aren't complaining because they want the rival organizations to compete for their services.

"I think it's great for the sport," said Muhsin Corbbrey, who has fought for multiple organizations and is currently under contract to EliteXC. "Fighters have options on where they want to go, and it gives fighters a chance to be seen on TV. I think it can only be good for the sport and it's going to continue to grow our sport. So I think it's awesome."

But while it may be awesome for a fighter who can use a contract offer from one organization as leverage with another organization, it's less so for a fan who wants to see the best fighters face one another. In the heavyweight division of MMA, that's not possible.

White, however, says that while the sport's heavyweight division might look a little like boxing now, he's committed to steering his promotion clear of boxing's problems.

"The UFC will not fall into the boxing trap," White said. "I don't know what the rest of MMA is going to do, but the UFC will not."

Dana White on Alphabet Soup: 'The U.F.C. Will Not Fall Into the Boxing Trap' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Affliction vs. UFC on July 19: Who Has the Better Promotional Video?

Michael David Smith — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, MMA Videos, Affliction for MMA

Here's the promotional video for the July 19 UFC Fight Night on Spike, featuring a main event of Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin:

After the jump is the promo for Affliction: Banned on pay-per-view the same night, and we ask: Who's got the better video?

So who has the better video?

Affliction obviously spent a lot more money on the production, and the finished result is slick. But I actually like the UFC video better because it promotes UFC Fight Night as a sporting event, whereas the Affliction video treats the fighters more as spectacles.

Ultimately, I want to watch Silva or Fedor Emelianenko for the same reason I want to watch Peyton Manning or Kobe Bryant: They're great athletes and I like watching the competition. That's the way MMA should be promoted.

Affliction vs. UFC on July 19: Who Has the Better Promotional Video? originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Affliction Announcers: Jay Glazer, Frank Trigg, Big John McCarthy, Michael Buffer

Michael David Smith — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:25:00 EST

Filed under: MMA Media Watch, Affliction for MMA

Affliction has announced the TV broadcast team that will work its debut show on July 19, and it's a good one.

Jay Glazer, best known as the NFL information man for Fox Sports, will do the blow-by-blow commentary. In addition to being perhaps America's top sports journalist, Glazer has long been a mixed martial arts enthusiast, and he's a great choice.

Joining Glazer in announcing the fights will be Frank Trigg, the veteran UFC and Pride fighter. Big John McCarthy, the original UFC referee, will work as a commentator and conduct post-fight interviews, and Michael Buffer will make the introductions and lend his signature "Let's get ready to rumble" to the festivities.

All in all, it's clear that Affliction assembled its announcing team the same way it assembled its card of fighters: Paying as much money as necessary to get the best people available. We'll find out in two weeks whether that translates to a successful show.

Affliction Announcers: Jay Glazer, Frank Trigg, Big John McCarthy, Michael Buffer originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Affliction VP Tom Atencio on UFC's July 19 Show: It's Flattering

Josh Alper — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, UFC, Affliction for MMA

UFC's decision to run a live show on Spike opposite Affliciton's PPV debut on July 19th has nothing to do with Affliction. That's Dana White's spin on things, anyway. He told SI.com that he's simply giving the fans what they want and that Anderson Silva wants to fight more and that it is in no way, shape or form counter-programming.

He's also got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. UFC isn't giving away a Silva fight for free because they love their fans so much. The first light heavyweight fight for Silva, one of the biggest names in MMA, would be a draw for a future PPV and the choice to put it on Spike is clearly meant to drive a dagger into the heart of Affliction. Tom Atencio, Affliction's VP, spoke to MMARated and sees it the same way.

"It's just an example of how they want to control everything but at the same time it's flattering as well. I guess they do view us as threat...absolutely."

It's damn hard to see it any other way. UFC ran their own offerings against Elite XC's first CBS show and are now doing the same thing against Affliction. It didn't hurt Elite's ratings but that was free against free. When you're choosing to spend $50 or not, the decision is much different. Flattered as Atencio may be, he can't be thrilled about the hit his company is going to take because UFC feels threatened by them.

Affliction VP Tom Atencio on UFC's July 19 Show: It's Flattering originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hard-Core Mixed Martial Arts Fans Love Him, but Fedor Emelianenko Is Not a Star

Michael David Smith — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:21:00 EST

Filed under: Affliction for MMA

Every time I point out how much money the Affliction mixed martial arts promotion is going to lose with its debut show on July 19, I get responses from passionate MMA fans telling me how I don't understand, how much great talent there is on the Affliction show, and how Fedor Emelianenko is the best MMA fighter in the world.

To which I say: I do understand. I'm well aware that an undercard featuring Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett and Matt Lindland is outstanding. I know all about Fedor. I got up early on New Year's Eve to live blog his last fight. You don't have to convince me that Affliction is going to give us a night of great fighters.

What you have to convince me of is that people are going to buy the show. The last time Fedor was on pay-per-view, 12,000 Americans bought it. Let's say this Affliction show is so good that they get five times that many pay-per-view buys. That's still 60,000. That represents a huge loss of money for Affliction. And now that Anderson Silva is going to be on Spike the same night, 60,000 is very optimistic.

Maybe Affliction is willing to lose a fortune on this card. Fine. Good for them. I'm all for companies pouring money into MMA. But if you're heading into a show knowing you're going to lose a fortune, why not put it on basic cable, where you'll at least expose a larger number of fans to your product? Fedor is a great fighter, and it's a shame that hardly anyone is going to see him.

Hard-Core Mixed Martial Arts Fans Love Him, but Fedor Emelianenko Is Not a Star originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UFC to Put Anderson Silva on Spike July 19, Affliction Might as Well Cancel

Michael David Smith — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:53:00 EST

Filed under: Breaking News, UFC, Affliction for MMA

UPDATED: UFC appears ready not just to take on the upstart Affliction mixed martial arts organization, but to try for a first-round knockout.

MMARated.com and F4Wonline.com are reporting that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva -- widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world -- will fight on Spike on July 19, the same night that Affliction has a pay-per-view show.

The reports say it will be Silva's first fight at light heavyweight, and that his opponent will be James Irvin. According to MMA Rated, Silva is not planning to relinquish his middleweight belt. He'll fight Irvin at 205 pounds and then cut back down to 185 for a middleweight bout down the road. Hermes Franca vs. Frankie Edgar is reportedly part of the undercard.

The event will apparently be part of the Spike UFC Fight Night series.

Affliction's July 19 show is in serious trouble. Although Affliction has put together a good card, headlined by Fedor Emelianenko, it's going to lose a fortune if there's a UFC show headlined by Silva simultaneously. Very, very few people will pay to see Affliction if Silva is fighting for free. Affliction may want to consider canceling.

UFC to Put Anderson Silva on Spike July 19, Affliction Might as Well Cancel originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Wanderlei Silva Turns Down July 19 Spike Show; Will UFC Still Take on Affliction?

Michael David Smith — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:23:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Affliction for MMA

This morning I noted the report that UFC wants to put a live fight between Wanderlei Silva and Brandon Vera on Spike on July 19 in an effort to undermine Affliction's pay-per-view debut.

But Dave Meltzer of Yahoo reports that Silva's camp has turned it down, saying the Axe Murderer, who last fought at UFC 84 in May, can't be ready to fight in a month. So it appears that Silva won't be on a Spike card -- unless UFC President Dana White can find a way to persuade him.

But that doesn't mean the Spike card won't happen, as Meltzer reports that other fighters are being approached about the possibility of doing the show. It's not clear how likely it is for a live UFC show on Spike is, but it certainly hasn't been ruled out.

If it does happen, the Affliction show will be a bust. I don't know if I'm quite as pessimistic about Affliction as Michael Rome of Bloody Elbow, who says Affliction is likely looking at less than 40,000 pay-per-view buys, but I do think that the folks at Affliction had better be prepared to lose a lot of money on their first show.

If getting good talent, headlined by Fedor Emelianenko, is seen as the first step in a long-term effort to create a strong MMA organization, fine. But if Affliction thinks it's going to turn a profit on its July show, Donald Trump is in for a very unpleasant surprise.

Report: Wanderlei Silva Turns Down July 19 Spike Show; Will UFC Still Take on Affliction? originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UFC Undercutting Affliction? Spike Could Show Wanderlei Silva vs. Brandon Vera

Michael David Smith — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:51:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Affliction for MMA

Last week I noted that UFC could put a serious hurt on the upstart Affliction mixed martial arts promotion by putting a show on Spike on July 19, the same night that Affliction has its first pay-per-view.

I suggested that Brock Lesnar would be a good headliner for such a card, but that is apparently not going to happen: UFC says it's committed to keeping Lesnar on the UFC 87 card in his hometown of Minneapolis.

However, there are more indications that UFC is, in fact, getting ready to put a show on Spike July 19. Sherdog is reporting that UFC has tentatively scheduled a show on Spike in Las Vegas, with Wanderlei Silva taking on Brandon Vera in the main event.

For UFC, it makes perfect business sense to take on Affliction in this manner. Affliction is going to have an awfully hard time selling Fedor Emelianenko for 50 bucks when UFC is offering Silva for free.

UPDATE: Report: Wanderlei Silva Turns Down July 19 Spike Show; Will UFC Still Take on Affliction?

UFC Undercutting Affliction? Spike Could Show Wanderlei Silva vs. Brandon Vera originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Live Chat: Elite XC in Honolulu

Josh Alper — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: MMA, MMA/Boxing, UFC, Elite XC, IFL, Affliction for MMA

Elite XC returns from its trip to network television tomorrow night with a card from Honolulu on Showtime. The main event will feature lightweight champion K.J. Noons against the veteran Yves Edwards. That match will be preceded by an undercard featuring Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey, Murillo "Ninja" Rua vs. Tony Bonello, Rafael Feijao vs. Wayne Cole and Dave "Pee Wee" Herman vs. Ron Waterman.

We'll be talking about that card at 1 p.m. today during a live chat. We won't limit the discussion to that show, however, so feel free to drop by to talk about Donald Trump's foray into the MMA world via a stake in Affliction, Dana White's still mysterious announcement, the potential demise of the IFL and anything else on your mind.

So drop by at 1 where we'll be chatting after the jump.

MMA Live Chat: Elite XC in Honolulu originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UFC Could Crush Affliction, Put Brock Lesnar on Spike vs. Fedor Emelianenko on PPV

Michael David Smith — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Affliction for MMA

UFC is the undisputed champion of mixed martial arts promotions, but there are a few organizations that are trying to put some chinks in UFC's armor. EliteXC got a prime time network TV deal, and Affliction has a pay-per-view show next month -- headlined by Fedor Emelianenko -- that will have every bit as much MMA talent on display as a typical UFC pay-per-view show.

But UFC President Dana White could take a huge step to undercut Affliction and show that UFC is still the dominant dog: He could take the Brock Lesnar-Heath Herring fight, which is currently scheduled for UFC 87, August 9 on pay-per-view, and move it to July 19 on free TV or basic cable (most likely Spike), head to head with Affliction's pay-per-view show.

That would crush Affliction. Although I was skeptical about Lesnar when he first signed with UFC, he's undeniably a big draw. He's well-known from his days in the WWE, and MMA fans respect his background as an NCAA wrestling champion. Emelianenko is a much more accomplished MMA fighter than Lesnar, but among American fans, Lesnar's name is bigger than Fedor's, and if the choice is between watching Lesnar on basic cable or paying $50 to watch Fedor, for most fans, that's an easy choice to make.

Removing Lesnar from UFC 87 probably wouldn't even hurt UFC much in pay-per-view revenue. Even without Lesnar, UFC 87 is a strong show, with welterweight champion Georges St.-Pierre defending his title against Jon Fitch in the main event, and a good undercard featuring Roger Huerta vs. Kenny Florian and Cheick Kongo vs. Dan Evensen.

Putting Lesnar on free TV would be a smart business move, and I expect it to happen.

UFC Could Crush Affliction, Put Brock Lesnar on Spike vs. Fedor Emelianenko on PPV originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donald Trump Buys Stake in Affliction, Signs Andrei Arlovski and Wants Tito Ortiz

Josh Alper — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, Affliction for MMA

Today's press conference at Trump Tower was filled to the brim with news that is sure to make Affliction a bigger player in the MMA scene. Donald Trump announced that he'd purchased a "significant" equity stake in the company, a cash infusion that should enable the promotion to play with some of the bigger boys when it comes to acquiring and keeping talent going forward.

On that front, Trump also announced that former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski had signed with the company and would appear on the July 19th pay-per-view headlined by Tim Sylvia and Fedor Emelianenko. Arlovski will meet Ben Rothwell on the card. Along with Sylvia and Arlovski, Affliction also has Josh Barnett under contract, giving them three former UFC champs to go along with Emelianenko in a very strong heavyweight division.

Trump also said that he'd like to sign Tito Ortiz, star of his Celebrity Apprentice, to fight under the Affliction banner. Ortiz has expressed interest in starting his own promotion but Trump's involvement with Affliction is likely a game changer for him and many other fighters. The light heavyweight roster isn't quite as star-studded but good fights could be had with Renato Sobral and Antonio Rogerio Noguiera.

There's no doubt that Trump's involvement will spread Affliction beyond the hardcore MMA audience, the latest jump in name recognition by the competitors to UFC. None have had quite so strong a roster of fighters, however, which should make July 19th a big day in the sport's history indeed.

Donald Trump Buys Stake in Affliction, Signs Andrei Arlovski and Wants Tito Ortiz originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson Tells Jimmy Kimmel All His Kids Are Named Rampage

Michael David Smith — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, MMA Videos, Affliction for MMA

Former heavyweight boxing champ George Foreman is well known for having five sons named George and a daughter named Georgetta. But get a load of this: In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Rampage Jackson says all of his kids are named Rampage:

According to Jackson, sons D'Angelo, Raja and Elijah all have the middle name Rampage. Unfortunately, his wife wouldn't allow daughter Naname to have the middle name Rampage, so he just calls her Paige.

A couple of interesting notes from the interview: Jackson was wearing an Affliction T-shirt even though the Affliction clothing line has been banned from UFC events because Affliction is trying to start up its own MMA promotion. I assume UFC President Dana White isn't thrilled about seeing one of his biggest stars giving some free advertising to a competitor.

Also, Jackson denied rumors that he'll be playing 'B.A.' Baracus, the Mr. T character, in an upcoming A-Team movie.

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson Tells Jimmy Kimmel All His Kids Are Named Rampage originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donald Trump and Affliction to Announce Partnership Tomorrow

Josh Alper — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, Affliction for MMA

It looks like Mark Cuban won't be the only loquacious billionaire to throw his hat into the MMA ring. Affliction issued a press release yesterday to drum up interest in a press conference that they will hold at noon on Thursday. Interest should be sufficiently drummed up when you catch that the presser will be held at Trump Tower and by this quote from Donald Trump, via MMAFrenzy.

"I am particularly excited to partner with Affliction and become a major player in promotion of MMA; the youngest and fastest growing sport to emerge in the last century."

No specific information is given about what The Donald's involvement might be with the promotion or the July 19th event. It does give Affliction a major publicity shot in the arm to go along with the highly anticipated Tim Sylvia-Fedor Emelianenko main event. If he's truly thowing his hat in the ring it will have a huge impact on the sport.

One thought is that it may impact Tito Ortiz's future in the sport. He's a free agent and is friendly with Trump after appearing on The Celebrtity Apprentice. If Trump is looking to invest in MMA, he'd probably want someone he knows as part of the effort and Ortiz would bring Affliction mainstream star power.

One thing is for sure. If Trump is making a serious play into the world of mixed martial arts, his feud with Cuban will continue and a feud with Dana White will surely erupt down the line.

Donald Trump and Affliction to Announce Partnership Tomorrow originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Schedule: UFC, EliteXC, Affliction, WEC, IFL, StrikeForce, More

Michael David Smith — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Elite XC, IFL, WEC, Dream, Affliction for MMA

Here's a look at the upcoming events in mixed martial arts:

Saturday, June 14
EliteXC: Return of the King, K.J. Noons vs. Yves Edwards, Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey, Honolulu, 10 p.m., Showtime.

Adrenaline: Jeff Monson vs. Mike Russow; Daiju Takase vs. Terry Martin Chicago, 7 p.m., no American TV.

Sunday, June 15
Dream 4: Shinya Aoki vs. Katsuhiko Nagata, Japan, HDNet.

Saturday, June 21
The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale: Evan Tanner vs. Kendall Grove, Diego Sanchez vs. Luigi Fioravanti, Las Vegas, 9 p.m., Spike TV.

Friday, June 27
Strikeforce: Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson, San Jose, 11 p.m., HDNet.

Saturday, July 5
UFC 86: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin, Las Vegas, 10 p.m., pay-per-view.

Saturday, July 19
Affliction: Banned: Tim Sylvia vs. Fedor Emelianenko, Anaheim, pay-per-view.

Monday, July 21
Dream 5: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Joseph Benavidez, HDNet

Saturday, August 9
UFC 87: Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch, Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring, Minneapolis, 10 p.m., pay-per-view.

Saturday, September 6
UFC 88: Chuck Liddell, Atlanta, pay-per-view

MMA Schedule: UFC, EliteXC, Affliction, WEC, IFL, StrikeForce, More originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Live on Kimbo Slice, Robbie Lawler, UFC 84, WEC, Affliction and More

Michael David Smith — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:13:00 EST

Filed under: ESPN, MMA/Boxing, Elite XC, MMA Videos, MMA Media Watch, WEC, Affliction for MMA

I continue to be impressed with ESPN's MMA Live. Here's episode 3:

The show started with an examination of Kimbo Slice, and it was refreshing to see that even though Slice is the cover boy on the most recent ESPN Magazine, they didn't pretend that he's a great mixed martial arts fighter. Kenny Florian pointed out, correctly, that Robbie Lawler -- not Slice -- is EliteXC's best fighter.

They also went over some UFC 84 highlights, looked ahead to future UFC events, discussed the Randy Couture contract situation and previewed this weekend's WEC show and the July Affliction show.

MMA Live on Kimbo Slice, Robbie Lawler, UFC 84, WEC, Affliction and More originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 29 May 2008 19:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UFC President Dana White on Other MMA Promotions: 'They're the Farm League'

Michael David Smith — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:07:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, IFL, Dream, Affliction for MMA

UFC President Dana White gave an interview to USA Today in which he shared some interesting thoughts about other mixed martial arts organizations such as Affliction, the IFL, Dream and Mark Cuban's HDNet Fights.

Although White doesn't think highly of those rival groups, he says he tends to see them more as a feeder system than as a legitimate threat for fans' attention and dollars:

They don't compete with us for pay-per-view money. We're just competing for talent, no doubt about it. It's all good.

Listen, I can't have every fighter in the world under contract and I only want the best. I don't want the lower level guys.

All these guys who jump into this game, I need them. The IFL has spent a lot of money. These guys have spent upwards of high-20s to $30 million in the last year of half, we have these other guys coming in spending millions of dollars, Cuban's talking about spending millions of dollars. I love it. We need all these guys. Bring all your money and jump into this thing and spend it.

Because I need guys to get a bunch of experience. Got to keep guys getting paid. And whether they like it or not, they're the farm league.

Is White right about that?

I think White is basically correct that the other organizations aren't competing for pay-per-view money: No matter whether or not Affliction does well with Banned, its Fedor Emelianenko show, I don't think the people buying that show will be any less likely to buy UFC 86 two weeks earlier or UFC 87 two weeks later.

But I'm not sure I'd agree that the other organizations are farm leagues. After all, when you look at the guys fighting on that Affliction: Banned card -- Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Matt Lindland, Josh Barnett, etc. -- you see a lot of names who could be contenders or even champions in UFC. Dream also has some very good fighters.

What those organizations don't have is UFC's loyal fan base. White deserves a lot of the credit for the fact that UFC is at a point where any UFC card will get more pay-per-view buyers than even a card as good as Affliction: Banned. But if Affliction can consistently put together shows like Banned, no one will be calling it a farm league.

UFC President Dana White on Other MMA Promotions: 'They're the Farm League' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 29 May 2008 16:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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