Tuesday, February 23 4:22 pm PT: Brand is everything in business: when Lorenzo Fertitta got into the fight game in 2001, he could’ve saved himself a few million and started his own promotion instead of acquiring the UFC label. But that was the trademark ubiquitous with MMA, and he knew it. It was money well spent.
Thanks to a spectacular meltdown in late 2008, ProElite has become synonymous with inept promotion, talent development, production, and bungling in virtually every facet of promotion. This is a brand you would pay not to be associated with -- yet Stratus Media Group announced Tuesday that they had “assumed control” over the board of directors and management of the thought-dead company.
“A focal point of ProElite's live event promotions is Elite XC. Running its first show in 2007, it quickly became one of the most visible brands in mixed martial arts in the United States,” reads the release. “Prior to the sale of specific assets which produce ongoing financial considerations owed from Strikeforce and King of the Cage, ProElite recorded $13.5 million in MMA event and television revenues for the 18 months ended June 2008.”
While it’s true EliteXC enjoyed a brief stay on network television, any recognition came from the interest in Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano: the property itself was of no consequence to viewers whatsoever. ProElite appears to have control over a vast library of footage, and there may be value in repurposing it. But if Stratus believes their banner holds any sway over fans -- particularly with all of their recognizable draws signed elsewhere -- they are a new and special kind of delusional.
Tuesday, February 23 3:14 pm PT: It was not that long ago Paulo Filho was considered one of the most durable and difficult opponents at 185 lbs. A smothering style and capable defense made him hard to damage: in a ten-year fight career, he has lost only once, a decision dropped to Chael Sonnen in the WEC following rumored issues with substance abuse.
Filho followed up that 2008 defeat with three straight wins, but indications of past problems returning have cropped up again with news that he dropped out, then back in, against Yuki Sasaki in a Brazilian event this Thursday.
At his worst, Filho was alleged to have serious issues with painkiller and/or sleeping pill dependency, addictions that takes considerable time and effort to beat. Erratic behavior over the fall -- he pulled himself out of a fight in Dream -- would indicate he still has personal issues to resolve.
Filho, like Mark Kerr before him, might be serving as a warning beacon for other athletes who push their bodies so strenuously that the only answer to climbing out of bed in the morning is chemical assistance. Perhaps Filho’s personality would have led him in this direction if not for fighting; perhaps fighting left him with few options. Either way, his situation points to a serious need for promoters and athletic commissions to address the mental health of fighters as seriously as they scrutinize their physical status. It’s not as important -- it’s more important.
“Did you think George Sotiropoulos was wearing an illegal uniform at UFC 110? I didn't really pay attention to it at the time, but now that I have seen pictures, it looks like to me that he is basically wearing grappling pants. What is the official rule on how much skin on the legs
has to show? He wears long spandex, a knee brace and then long ankle supports, and makes pants out of them?”
That’s the gist of an email from reader Joseph H, and it brings up a valid point. The Unified Rules state only that “each contestant shall wear mixed martial arts shorts, biking shorts, or kick-boxing shorts.” It does not specifically preclude spandex leggings, which could potentially help secure a sweat-soaked appendage later in a fight. This is nothing if not a sensible fashion choice.
Does it matter? Is it “unfair”? Only if Stevenson was unable to do the same thing. And having that much wrap around the legs and ankles certainly opens Sotiropoulos to offense from his opponent: lack of sweat could have helped Stevenson grab a leg submission, though those typically aren’t as easy to secure.
But if the attire opens up dialogue about a little rules reform -- that’s a good thing. This sport is still very much a work in progress.
Oh, boy. In a blog post highlighted by Fighter’s Only, British welterweight Dan Hardy is offering up the idea he needs only “one shot” to dispatch champion Georges St. Pierre.
Hardy’s striking is nice and clean, and he’s been showing improvement in every bout. Even though he’s a significant underdog in the eyes of the linemakers, the fight is by no means a Tyson/McNeely bit of snuff. But one punch? What’s in the water in the UK that’s turning good fighters into delusional knockout artists?
Part of this bravado likely stems from GSP’s surprising beheading against Matt Serra in 2007, but Serra and Hardy have little in common. Being shorter in stature, Serra was able to use a powerful lower body to project more power behind his punch; St. Pierre, just like most of the audience, had little idea Serra’s striking had come such a long way under the guidance of Ray Longo. Bad combination -- literally and figuratively -- for the champ.
None of these factors are at play in the Hardy fight. I feel like we’re being fed an increasing bucket of slop to help justify a match that’s happening purely because St. Pierre has destroyed just about everyone else in the division. He’ll hold the title for as long as he cares to. And I think he cares too much to drop it to Hardy.
Tuesday, February 23 12:05 am PT: You might have some mixed feelings accompanying a viewing of the Tapout short film below featuring Giovanni and Carlos Ruffo, two sawed-off MMA stylists who train in Las Vegas. The Ruffo boys are seven and eight years old, give or take, wear fringe-sport-worthy Mohawks, and absorb regular instruction from Mark Coleman, Randy Couture and Vinny Magalhaes. And yes, they’re pretty good on the pads.
“When I punch somebody when I’m sparring,” says one, “it’s really good.”
The Ruffos are not the first pre-pubescent practitioners of a sport that frequently chews up adult frames, but they are the first to be endorsed by an apparel company, complete with their own manager. (Negotiating Pokemon card swaps is going to look good on his CV.) The thinking is that if they’re training this early, they’ll probably be outstanding competitors in 10 years -- St. Pierre 3.0 or 4.0.
That’s the optimism talking. The pragmatic in me is reminded of the endless examples of children who lacked the emotional maturity to realize that they were being used as vicarious funnels for their parents’ interests. In addition to the precocious child actors who grew out of their novelty-act status, there was Richard Sandrak, “Little Hercules,” who was prodded by his overzealous father to be a freakishly sculpted 12-year-old bodybuilder. In all of these cases, children were given heaps of attention before a growth spurt left them rudderless.
The Ruffo boys are different: the skills they’re accruing now could see them through some very intriguing careers in athletics. Unlike Gary Coleman or Sandrak, they’re not going to outgrow their niche: they’re going to grow into it. But the problem of implanting such enormous expectations remains. What happens if Carlos turns 16 and finds out he wants to be a chemist instead? How does someone adapt to a life with the spotlight shut off? There are more Bobby Fischers in this world than Jodie Fosters.
Best of luck to the kids, though. Living in fear of a 10 year old being able to kick my ass is just what I needed.
