Five Ounces of Pain 01.04.07
Posted by Sam Caplan on 01.04.2007
411's Sam Caplan is starting off the New Year right by trying to correct Showtime's MMA wrongs. Sam also issues a public apology to one of MMA's biggest stars.
It's the New Year, a time for self reflection and resolutions. But let me start out the year of 2007 with a confession:
I'm not a fan of the UFC or PRIDE.
You read that right. The truth is I'm not a fan of companies; I'm a fan of mixed martial arts.
I want to see good fights featuring evenly matched competition in a reputable environment. I don't care whether it's in a cage or a ring; if it's an entertaining fight then I'm there. And I don't care what logo the fight takes place under. As such, I was really intrigued several months back by the announcement that Showtime was partnering with Pro Elite, Inc. in starting a new mixed martial arts promotion.
Unfortunately, the intrigue began to vanish shortly after the venture was officially announced in early-December.
In a short period of time, the company has made numerous mistakes; from the awkward naming of the promotion (Elite Fighting Combat) to taking Frank Shamrock at his word that he was free and clear to fight on the company's first show.
It's as if Pro Elite, Inc. has done everything in its power to make Dana White's proclamation ring true that the people behind EliteXC don't have a clue about MMA.
EliteXC wants to present itself as a legitimate competitor to the UFC but everything about the promotion screams "B Level." Nothing says small show more than a bout between Cabbage Correia vs. Antonio Silva, which was just recently booked for EliteXC's first show on February 10.
The hiring of former WFA president Jeremy Lappen as a consultant also sends a bad message. I don't know the depths of Lappen's knowledge of MMA. In fact, I know very little about him aside from the fact that he used to manage Ken Shamrock and that Dana White had him kicked out of UFC 61.
Oh, there's also the fact that the WFA lasted all of one show under Lappen's presidency.
I also don't know how much Elite is paying Lappen or their other consultants but I'm going to help them out by offering my services as a consultant, free of charge.
Here's my advice on how Elite can become a successful alternative to the UFC.
The Rules
EliteXC intends to hold its matches inside of an Octagon that they are referring to simply as "The Cage." Referring to the UFC's Octagon as "The Cage" is not the best way to differentiate your product from the market leader. In fact, it's a terrible idea.
Scrap the cage and go with the ring.
The basic idea is to re-create PRIDE on U.S. soil. I realize PRIDE is in the process of trying to re-create themselves in the U.S. but they aren't exactly doing a great job. EliteXC can beat them to the punch since they are U.S.-based and will be running shows more frequently in the states. Elite will win more fans by trying to be the anti-UFC as opposed to being UFC-lite.
I realize not having a "cage" takes away from the "extreme" nature of mixed martial arts but I think that's a good thing. The ring makes it feel more like a sport and not as barbaric as many of the critics of MMA claim.
I'm also not feeling the whole deal about the time limit on the ground. It makes the fights too contrived. If a fighter wants to take it to the ground he shouldn't have any problems in doing so as long as he's staying active. If Elite wants to discourage ground fighting then they should become a kickboxing promotion instead of a mixed martial arts promotion.
If Elite wants to create a quicker pace, similar to PRIDE, then allow referees to penalize fighters for not trying to advance a fight or if they purposely avoid engaging an opponent. Using the yellow card system employed by PRIDE is too blatant a rip off. So instead, why not allow open scoring? If a referee wants to penalize a fighter, they can do so by taking away a point from their score. Giving a referee that much power over the outcome of a fight is controversy waiting to happen, but a little controversy never hurt anyone.
The Roster
David Losieau and Joey Villasenor are good signings. Other than that, the current EliteXC roster needs a complete overhaul.
Instead of spending big money on mercenaries like Shamrock and Renzo Gracie, the company should be targeting younger fighters that the promotion can build around. If I was in charge of talent relations for Elite, here are ten available fighters I'd go out and sign:
Brandon Vera - With all the new talent being added to the UFC it seems as though Vera has become an afterthought. What better time to steal him away than now? Hell, he was even at the initial EliteXC press conference. Vera's ability to fight in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight division means he can give you marquee matchups in two divisions. Open up the check book.
Brock Lesnar - Lesnar has a one fight deal to fight for K-1's Hero's and after that will become the most sought after free agent in MMA. Lesnar was a franchise player when he was a pro wrestler and will be one for any mixed martial arts promotion he signs with long-term.
Paul Buentello - "The Head Hunter" may not be the most technically sound fighter in MMA but he isn't boring. The UFC made a mistake in letting him get away but very few people will notice unless he finds his way back onto television.
Daniel Puder - I'm not 100% sold that Puder is ready for big shows but he'd be a smart acquisition because of the attention he'd attract. According to polls, MMA is stealing more fans from pro wrestling than boxing. Signing Puder would be a great way to get the pro wrestling community talking about EliteXC.
Cung Le - Le's conversion from San Shou to MMA has been flawless thus far. He's got the pedigree and the look needed to become wildly popular at the top level. Currently fighting for Strikeforce, Le is ready for the big time.
Jason "Mayhem" Miller - "Mayhem" is simply electric. He's definitely a fighter who people would pay to see. Miller is already tremendously popular and will easily win over those watching him for the first time.
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza - Jacare most recently fought to a draw against Randy Couture at X-mission Grappling Unlimited. His skills on the ground are legendary and while his standup is lacking, Jacare could be the next big thing in MMA.
Matt Lindland - Lindland has been fighting for the IFL but also had a contract with the WFA. As of now, it appears as though the UFC has no plans to add his contract to their roster, making him a must grab for Elite. While his fighting style isn't the most exciting, he adds credibility to any fight promotion he's associated with.
Jake Shields - Shields is perhaps the best welterweight fighter not in the UFC or PRIDE. He's scheduled for the Gracie Fighting Championships on January 20 but seems to be available.
Nick Diaz - Since Diaz is scheduled to fight for the Gracie Fighting Championships we're going to assume the UFC allowed his contract to expire without renewing it. Diaz is a well-rounded fighter who became a forgotten man in the UFC's crowded welterweight division. He could really shine in a promotion like EliteXC.
Miscellaneous
I mentioned the idea is for Elite to be the anti-UFC, not UFC-lite. Well, another big step towards that goal is by decreasing Gary Shaw's public role.
Shaw is a former boxing promoter who appears to be a Johnny-come-lately trying to hop on the MMA bandwagon. He's not the man you want as the public face of your company. Go out and sign a trusted name to serve as a figurehead for the promotion. The figurehead should keep a low profile and not be someone who is going to steal the spotlight from the fighters. Basically, he should be everything that Dana White is not. Pat Miletich would be perfect for the job.
Something also has to be done about the plans for the announce team. I mean, Bill Goldberg and Mario Lopez?
Mauro Ranallo and Bas Rutten are both available, why in the World wouldn't you hire them to handle announce duties?
Mario Lopez?
Please.
News & Notes:
I owe Tito Ortiz an apology. My analysis of him in last week's UFC 66 Preview couldn't have been more off the mark. I still believe Tito has his shortcomings (he needs to become a more versatile fighter and more specifically, needs to learn to set up his shoot better) but he showed a lot of heart this past Saturday against Chuck Liddell. I made the claim that Tito didn't like to get hit but he weathered several storms from Chuck and made the fight more competitive than I had projected. He also showed a lot of class and maturity when addressing the crowd after the fight. It took me a long time to realize that Tito's immature antics over the years really were nothing more than a pseudo-wrestling persona he adopted to sell tickets and pay-per-views.
Rumors of Randy Couture coming out of retirement were still running rampant in Vegas the week leading up to UFC 66. I've also been informed that Couture is training as if he's preparing for a fight. Whether he's training for an MMA bout or another grappling match is not yet known.
Zuffa is already mismanaging one of its top new talents. I think it's very short sighted on the part of the UFC to sign Quinton "Rampage" Jackson for only two fights. He is an exciting fighter and equally entertaining on the microphone. Jackson is going to become a megastar in the U.S. and will emerge as a huge drawing card. He's the type of talent that Zuffa should commit to long term. Also, not allowing him to get some time on the mic after the Liddell vs. Ortiz fight was just stupid.
Am I the only one who noticed that UFC 68 is scheduled for March 3, the same day as Bodog Fight's super fight between Jeff Monson vs. Fedor Emelianenko? Coincidence? I think it's another example of UFC President Dana White doing whatever he can to stunt the growth of his competition. I can't say that I blame him because it's a smart move from a strategic business standpoint. The Fertittas aren't paying White to be an ambassador for MMA.
Three fights for vacant titles have been scheduled for first ever Zuffa-owned WEC card scheduled for January 20 in Las Vegas. Jorge Oliveira and Doug Marshall will fight for the Heavyweight Title; Rob McCullough and Kit Cope will vie for the Welterweight Title; and Urijah Faber and Joe Pearson will compete for the Featherweight Title. Lodune Sincaid is also expected to be on the card.
In case you hadn't heard already, the Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra fight scheduled for UFC 67 has been called off due to a knee injury that St. Pierre sustained. Serra has already turned down a chance to fight someone else on February 3 because he doesn't want to risk losing his title shot. GSP vs. Serra could be re-scheduled for early-April.
Sam Caplan is a Philadelphia-based sports talk show host and freelance sportswriter. He's also an amateur mixed martial artist (and we do mean amateur) who trains out of the Mixed Martial Arts Academy of Philadelphia. Sam can be reached via e-mail at SCaplan8@comcast.net or you can check out his blog at: caplanmma.blogspot.com
