Dana backflips off of Tito's giant head: The UFC Press Conference

[Dead Crow 370]

The much-anticipated UFC press conference is taking place shortly. It should be streamed on UFC.com, but nothing is up yet.

 

Expected discussion points:

 

-- Tito Ortiz resigning with UFC

-- Affliction now being sponsors of the company again

-- UFC 100 buyrate update and whether Dana will backflip off of the Mandalay Bay as promised if the PPV did more than 1.5million buys (which it has)

-- News on Fedor negotiations.

 

Will update as news comes in.

[Dead Crow 370]

News thus far:

 

-- Fedor has not been signed by UFC. Dana said the UFC offered everything but co-promotion and feels that Fedor will never be offered a deal like the one they had on the table.

 

-- UFC have signed Vitor Belfort, and he will fight Rich Franklin at UFC 103. The Franklin/Dan Henderson fight is now off.

 

-- UFC is now part of ESPN's new UK channel starting Aug 13th. Available in HD. Deal lasts for 3 years.

 

-- Tito Ortiz is officially back in the promotion and will probably return to action in November/December.

Edited July 31, 2009 by DraVen

[Chris2K 176]

UFC Twitter:

 

More Dana on Fedor - They did not want to take the deal. I guarantee they won’t be offered a better deal.

 

Dana on Fedor - We tried everything that we could possibly do to get Fedor in the UFC – we went above and beyond.

 

Dan Lauzon, Ben Rothwell, Chase Gormley, and Paul Daley all coming to the UFC.

 

"We're talking about Tito vs. Mark Coleman in (Tito's) first fight"

Edited July 31, 2009 by Chris2K

[Dead Crow 370]

No network TV deal yet, but Dana feels the right offer will come soon and that UFC will take it when it arrives.

 

Dan Henderson is next in line for a title shot against Anderson Silva for the Middleweight title.

 

Dana doesn't like the idea of M-1 co-promoting with them. "They're going to help US?.. That shit probably works in Russia. Not here."

 

UFC is planning to go to Japan.

 

Production control is not an issue with the networks - just HBO.

 

UFC have no interest in either Andrei Arlovski or Tim Sylvia.

 

Dana WILL jump off Mandalay Bay.

Edited July 31, 2009 by DraVen

[Paul 584]

Dammit. The thought of Brock/Fedor had me very happy. Oh well.

[Dead Crow 370]

Dana is still open to Fedor if M-1 are willing to make a deal. "I wanted this thing so bad. I was so confident this was going to happen"

 

Tito is open to the idea of fighting Brock Lesnar down the line.

 

The announcement that will change the UFC forever is "very close".

 

Dana buried the hatchet with the Affliction guys and apologised to Bud Light over the Lesnar controversy. "All worked out in the end."

 

 

The stream of this conference will be up post-conference, by the way, at http://www.ufc.com/bk

Edited July 31, 2009 by DraVen

[Paul 584]

Tito is open to the idea of fighting Brock Lesnar down the line.

 

 

:lol

 

 

RIP Tito.

 

 

But the hype will be out of this world.

[Dead Crow 370]

The hype will do 2m buys alone.

 

Dana is making Fedor out to be as bad as possible. Saying they offered Fedor everything they possibly could have, at any cost, but that Fedor just won't take it and doesn't want to fight the best.

 

Dana is now talking about Fedor a hell of a lot, considering he initially said he didn't want to discuss it more.

 

Dana is now saying that the fans want Fedor vs. Brock and it's his job to make it happen. So despite the burial of Fedor, he is still desperate for the deal.

 

Tito nearly signed with Strikeforce and likes Scott Coker, but felt there was no competition there.

Edited July 31, 2009 by DraVen

[Dead Crow 370]

Dana is now losing his mind. Has buried Fedor for nearly half the conference, followed by noting that he HAS to make the fight happen, followed by more burial and saying he offered them an ASSLOAD of money and that Fedor can work sambo fights every Thursday for all he cares now. Seems that Dana is so close to getting Fedor that he just can't let go and will probably push even harder now to make it happen. It's that McMahon "the more I can't have you, the more I want you" mentality.

[Dead Crow 370]

And the call is now done.

[Guest Colm]

Tito is open to the idea of fighting Brock Lesnar down the line.

 

Why?? He would be murdured!! The only person I really think who can challange Brock is Lashley if he ever gets a contract with the UFC.

Edited August 12, 2009 by Colm

[Guest Dusty Finish]

The only person I really think who can challange Brock is Lashley if he ever gets a contract with the UFC.

 

Seriously? You don't think there's a chance that Carwin could knock him out, Nogueira could submit him or Velasquez could take his best shots, gas him out & grind out a decision? Outside the UFC, Brett Rogers would have a shot at knocking him out, and Fedor... well, take your pick from the above. Not that it's been evident on TWO (thankfully), but I find all this "Fedor is ducking Lesnar" talk absolutely laughable.

 

In honesty, of the five divisions in the UFC, I see Lesnar as the most vulnerable divisional champion (which is more about the calibre of the other four than a knock on Lesnar).

[Fidel Cashflow 130]

Dana is now losing his mind. Has buried Fedor for nearly half the conference, followed by noting that he HAS to make the fight happen, followed by more burial and saying he offered them an ASSLOAD of money and that Fedor can work sambo fights every Thursday for all he cares now. Seems that Dana is so close to getting Fedor that he just can't let go and will probably push even harder now to make it happen. It's that McMahon "the more I can't have you, the more I want you" mentality.

 

From what he's said about the issue, I think Fedor is just fundamentally against going to the UFC. Dana likes control. To be in the UFC now you have to sign a lifetime likeness deal, which is why Sylvia, AA, and Mirko (wasn't in the company at the time, ditto Tito) are in the UFC game despite not being in the UFC. For a guy who wants to do things with a company he has stake in (M1) as well as compete in just about anything he wants, the all inclusive nature of a UFC deal just can't be appealing.

 

Not to mention, Fedor doesn't NEED it. A fighter will never got more money in the US than in Japan.

 

Also, Strikeforce has an alliance with both M1 and DREAM, with Fedor announced for their show in October. It really wouldn't make sense for him to go to the UFC when he has other companies giving him everything he wants.

 

Seriously? You don't think there's a chance that Carwin could knock him out, Nogueira could submit him or Velasquez could take his best shots, gas him out & grind out a decision? Outside the UFC, Brett Rogers would have a shot at knocking him out, and Fedor... well, take your pick from the above. Not that it's been evident on TWO (thankfully), but I find all this "Fedor is ducking Lesnar" talk absolutely laughable.

 

In honesty, of the five divisions in the UFC, I see Lesnar as the most vulnerable divisional champion (which is more about the calibre of the other four than a knock on Lesnar).

 

Can't agree there. Light-Heavy is the deepest division in the UFC, with heavyweight (as always in the UFC) being the weakest. He just ate Mir, Randy is never beating him in a million years, and Big Nog can't see. Everyone else in the division is right around Tim Sylvia status, a clear notch below.

 

----------------

Now playing: Chester French - Country Interlude

via FoxyTunes

Edited August 13, 2009 by Fidel Cashflow

[Paul 584]

Not to mention, Fedor doesn't NEED it. A fighter will never got more money in the US than in Japan.

 

Other than the ones who do you mean?

 

 

But yeah, Fedor should go to UFC if he was interested in his 'legacy', but he isnt. And for that I damned well cant blame the guys.

 

As far as Brock goes, I cant see anyone in the UFC bar Nog beating him, and I think he would struggle. Outside the UFC I belive Fedor would beat him PROBABLY, but I honestly think Brock has a better chance than anyone Fedor has ever faced up to now. And Im a big fan of Fedor.

[Guest Colm]

Seriously? You don't think there's a chance that Carwin could knock him out, Nogueira could submit him or Velasquez could take his best shots, gas him out & grind out a decision? Outside the UFC, Brett Rogers would have a shot at knocking him out, and Fedor... well, take your pick from the above. Not that it's been evident on TWO (thankfully), but I find all this "Fedor is ducking Lesnar" talk absolutely laughable.

 

In honesty, of the five divisions in the UFC, I see Lesnar as the most vulnerable divisional champion (which is more about the calibre of the other four than a knock on Lesnar).

 

Carwin could not knock out Brock for a start, Brock would have him on the ground before he could get any shots in.

 

Nogueira submitting Brock?:lol:lol Not likely. Nogueira could'nt submit a teabag.

 

Cain Velasquez couldnt beat him because he just doesnt have the ko power let alone the phsical power to keep Brock in a defensive position.

 

I stand by my guns. Bobby Lashey is the only MMA fighter who could take Brock Lesnar!!!:good222:

[Paul 584]

Nogueira submitting Brock?:lol:lol Not likely. Nogueira could'nt submit a teabag.

 

Wel, that alone shows you know sweet FA about MMA. Big Nog has a record of 31 wins, 19 by submission.

 

And you think Lashley has a better shot of beating Brock than Fedor!? :lol

[Guest Colm]

Wel, that alone shows you know sweet FA about MMA. Big Nog has a record of 31 wins, 19 by submission.

 

And you think Lashley has a better shot of beating Brock than Fedor!? :lol

 

Brock is Undisputed Champ for a reason, and I do know know sweet FA about MMA, I never said he couldnt submit him, I just said he wouldnt get a chance. Just so's you know I'm not a big fan of Brock, I was hoping Mir would beat him.

 

And yes Lashley would beat Fedor!! No doubt:xyx

[Paul 584]

I do know know sweet FA about MMA

 

Glad you embrace your ignorance.

 

Hold on, you think Lashley could beat Fedor?!?! HAHAHAHA. Oh you have to be kidding me. :lol

Edited August 17, 2009 by Paul

[Fidel Cashflow 130]

Fedor would beat Lashley now for the same reason he'd beat Brock. Zero standup game. Neither of them would get a chance to take him down. He's much too quick with his hands.

 

Quite honestly, I think Brock needs to spend the majority of his time working on his boxing. He's already arguably the best wrestler in all of MMA. Once he has a discernable standup game, the world is finished.

[ViciousPrism 177]

Brock is Undisputed Champ for a reason, and I do know know sweet FA about MMA, I never said he couldnt submit him, I just said he wouldnt get a chance. Just so's you know I'm not a big fan of Brock, I was hoping Mir would beat him.

 

Ermm.. I believe you said... And I quote...

 

Nogueira Couldn't Submit A Teabag.

 

That is basically saying he can't submit anyone.