Five Ounces of Pain - A Column About MMA 12.14.06: The PRIDE Buyout
Posted by Sam Caplan on 12.14.2006
New MMA 411 columnist Sam Caplan handicaps the field of potential suitors that could acquire the Pride Fighting Championships. Who's the odds-on favorite to take over one of the most prestigious mixed martial arts promotions in the World?
Handicapping the Field to Buy the Pride Fighting Championships
By now it's no secret that Dream Stage Entertainment has explored the idea of selling the Pride Fighting Championships. While DSE has denied reports that Pride is being shopped some of its rumored suitors have made contradictory statements.
For entertainment purposes only, let's handicap (and speculate) who might end up the owners of one of the premier mixed martial arts promotions in the World.
Bodog Fight
Internet gaming billionaire Calvin Ayre no doubt has the dough needed to acquire Pride but does he have the credibility? Really, is there a more annoying, self-indulgent man in MMA than Ayre?
I've watched some of the Bodog Fight webcasts and the production quality was slightly above that of some pornographic movies I've seen (I sure hope my wife isn't reading this). I can't really comment on the pay-per-view because I refused to pay for it. If that makes me less of an MMA fan then I apologize for being unwilling to get ass raped by Calvin Ayre.
Additionally, why buy the cow if you are already getting the milk? Bodog Fight's rumored $1 million, one-fight deal with Fedor demonstrates that Bodog can land Pride's top fighters without having to pony up for the entire promotion. Unfortunately, the deal also brings to light the fact that big-time fighters don't take the company seriously enough to commit long-term.
Bodog will be around as long as Ayre is willing to hemorrhage money but it will never succeed. Even if the Fedor deal is legit I'm still not going to pay $29.95 to see him fight because I'm more interested in seeing good fights as opposed to watching great fighters in lopsided affairs. A Fedor vs. Jeff Monson matchup isn't enough to yank my crank because the fight will be similar to that of the UFC 65 Heavyweight Title tilt between Monson and Tim Sylvia. However, Fedor vs. Calvin Ayre is one fight I'd gladly pay to see.
Odds of completing purchase: Infinity-to-1
Pro Elite, Inc. and Showtime
After getting cock blocked by the UFC in regard to getting their hands on some of the WFA's fighters, you know Pro Elite and Showtime would love to get access to some of the fighters in Pride.
Signing David Loiseau and Joey Villasenor is a nice start but if Showtime wants to see a spike in their subscription-base then they're going to have to sign a major name or two. However, a major acquisition doesn't appear to fit into the business model of what Pro Elite and Showtime are looking to accomplish. They want to operate in a similar fashion to how Showtime's boxing operation works. Meaning, Showtime and Pro Elite will focus more on televising fight cards as opposed to building an entire company from the ground up.
I can see Showtime maybe executing contract buyouts of some of Pride's fighters but a full-fledged acquisition just isn't in the cards.
Odds of completing purchase: 750-to-1
The International Fight League
What's a startup company like the IFL doing on this list? Well, the company's already worth $150 million, according to "60 Minutes."
I'm going to have to call shenanigans because that report is about believable as Lindsay Lohan's claim she hasn't taken a drink in over a week. Look, if someone from the IFL feels like they're being slighted then I'm more than willing to issue a retraction if they can produce some substance to support the claim.
The IFL most certainly is not in acquisition mode, as it remains to be seen if the company will even be standing a year from now. Many within the industry want the IFL to succeed simply for no other than reason than they've been screwed by Dana White. The tremendous grass roots support the company is getting is great but they need to make a bigger splash in 2007.
As an amateur fighter who trains at a large school I understand and appreciate the IFL's innovative team concept. However, I'm not sure the team concept will resonate with the masses who haven't trained in martial arts or amateur wrestling.
The IFL's odds of acquiring Pride might be longer than those of the Steelers repeating as Super Bowl champs.
Odds of completing purchase: 500-to-1
World Wrestling Entertainment
You'd think that Vince McMahon would be satisfied with being the greatest wrestling promoter of all time but it's just not enough. McMahon's previous attempts to broaden his business horizons have been dismal failures (i.e. the WBF and XFL). Between his incessant body building and his unquenchable thirst to make his mark outside of sports entertainment it's as if he's spent all these years trying to compensate for a small penis (not that I care about the size of Vince's dick). But never mind the idea that the WWE buying Pride could be a disaster -- if McMahon decides he wants to venture into MMA then logic be damned!
According to various reports, the WWE explored the idea of purchasing the UFC before Zuffa bought it from the previous ownership making the possibility of WWE buying Pride very realistic. In fact, WWE has confirmed talks with DSE on its very own web site.
If the company decides it seriously wants to acquire Pride (as opposed to just using them to get some headlines) then the only thing that will prevent the WWE from completing the acquisition is being outbid… which is precisely what I believe will happen.
The WWE will never buy Pride because the UFC won't let it happen. UFC President Dana White probably got moist while watching the MMA piece on "60 Minutes" this past Sunday. I can't remember MMA ever getting so much positive press on such a high-profile show. If McMahon enters the MMA business in such a big way then White and everyone else that has worked so hard to legitimize the sport can kiss their efforts goodbye.
Odds of completing purchase: 25-to-1
Dream Stage Entertainment
It seems like that out of all the possibilities being talked about the most overlooked scenario is DSE continuing its ownership of Pride.
Granted, the company is in dire straits but the ship could be righted with great ease. Yes, Fedor and Cro Cop have pulled out of the all important New Year's Eve show and Fedor has a one-fight deal with Bodog. But neither fighter has yet to sign long-term with another promotion so DSE still has an opportunity to retain both for the foreseeable future.
Not having a television deal hurts but the reason why they aren't on TV isn't because MMA's popularity in Japan is waning but because of DSE's alleged ties to the Yakuza. In case you didn't already know, the Yakuza is the Japanese equivalent to La Cosa Notra (wow, just writing about them has me on the verge of a panic attack). If DSE severed its ties to the Yakuza and underwent an image makeover then business doors that had been closed could re-open.
Odds of retaining Pride: 5-to-1
Zuffa, LLC.
Unlike most of the promotions highlighted in the field, Zuffa is indeed in acquisition mode having acquired the WEC and select assets from the WFA. Don't worry, Zuffa still has plenty of money to spend on Pride in spite of its recent purchases. The WEC was acquired for a nominal price and the WFA assets were probably obtained for nothing more than an agreement to pay off the company's debt along with free UFC 66 tickets for ex-WFA CEO Jeremy Lappen.
It appears Zuffa is going to run the WEC as a separate entity from the UFC and it would make sense to do the same with Pride. The company will look to expand its international operations in 2007 after years of focusing primarily on doing business in North America. In order to succeed outside of the U.S. then Zuffa will have to break from its current practice of shying away from fighters who aren't necessarily marketable to American and Canadian audiences. The company has done a better job in recent months of signing more international talent but will need to further beef up its roster. And is there a better way of accomplishing such a fete than to acquire Pride?
Acquiring Pride would mean that Zuffa wouldn't have to try and prove itself in markets where the UFC isn't as established like it is in the states. They could just assume ownership with Pride continuing to operate in a state of autonomy.
By not killing off Pride, Zuffa would also retain the ability to promote an annual UFC vs. Pride card that could generate millions in revenue.
Odds of completing purchase: 4-to-1
Other
No, there's no such company known as "Other;" I'm merely lumping any business group not listed above into one category.
I'll admit that I know nothing about the Asian business landscape. However, I do know that mixed martial arts is a viable business in the "Far East" and that it makes little sense for Asian corporations to allow an entity from across the globe to just come in and scoop up Pride. With that in mind it wouldn't surprise me if Pride ended up in the hands of a Japanese or South Korean corporation.
Odds of completing purchase: 2-to-1
News & Notes:
- I had the pleasure of attending an MMA seminar conducted this past weekend by Pat Miletich that was hosted by the Mixed Martial Arts Academy of Philadelphia (where I train). Pat conducted a Q&A session at one point and I had the chance of asking him about former NCAA and WWE (should I be using both in the same sentence?) Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. Miletich confirmed that Lesnar had indeed spent some time in Iowa at the MFS training center. When I asked whether Lesnar had a future in MMA he looked at me as if I was high (for the record, I wasn't). I re-clarified the question by saying he obviously had the wrestling skill but asked whether he had the other skills needed to succeed? Miletich indicated that Lesnar's standup was pretty good and that he was surprisingly light on his feet for such a big guy. He concluded the answer by saying, "The guy is scary." Lesnar is currently training with the University of Minnesota wrestling team in preparation for his K-1 Hero's debut sometime in early-2007.
- Just to reiterate, Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Cro Cop have both pulled out of Pride's New Year's Eve show. Fedor is claiming he has a toe injury while Cro Crop says he has a previous ankle injury that has been slow to heal. As mentioned above, Fedor has a one-fight deal with Bodog Fight. Cro Crop has also been negotiating with promotions other than Pride, including the UFC. According to reports, Cro Crop has made a decision and is waiting to announce it. Both still are contracted to Pride for one more fight.
- UFC President Dana White announced Tuesday that the fighter contracts picked up following the acquisition of select assets from the WFA include Heath Herring (heavyweight), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (light heavyweight), Urijah Faber (145 lbs.), "Razor" Rob McCullough (lightweight), and Ivan Salaverry (middleweight). More WFA fighters could be added at a later date including Matt Lindland.
- UFC's Spencer Fisher is at least two fights away from a shot at the Lightweight Title. Potential future opponents for Fisher being talked about are Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon.
- Plans are in the works for a second edition of "Fight Girls," a documentary chronicling the lives of women involved in Muay Thai that aired on the Oxygen network earlier this year. The first documentary focused on fighters based out of legendary Muay Thai trainer Master Toddy's gym in Las Vegas. This time around the focus will be on fighters training out of gyms from around the country.
- After losing the UFC Welterweight Title to Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes didn't immediately return to training. In fact, he's expected to take an extended break until the start of next year. He is currently spending most of his time hunting. Hughes is expected to get his rematch against GSP this April in Montreal, Canada.
- Former Olympic Gold Medalist and current TNA wrestler Kurt Angle announced on the "Bubba the Love Sponge Show" last week that he'll likely make his MMA debut on a TNA pay-per-view scheduled for the spring. The odds of this happening are slim. TNA is unlikely to allow Angle to compete in an MMA match because it has so much invested in him. Panda Energy, the parent company of TNA, stands to lose a lot of money if Angle is either injured or loses. A loss would severely hurt his credibility as a professional wrestler. The only scenario that would make any sense would be a fight between Angle and Daniel Puder in order to capitalize on the infamous WWE "Tough Enough" incident from several years back. If TNA signed Puder to a long-term deal and he ended up winning then they could possibly build him into a new star. Any other possible opponent mentioned by Angle (Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, and Randy Couture) makes no sense whatsoever.
- The rumored UFC Heavyweight Title fight between Tim Sylvia and Brandon Vera scheduled for UFC 68 on March 3 is not a lock to happen. According to rumors, Vera believes he needs 2-3 more fights before he's ready for the title. Whether that's truly the case or he's filibustering in an attempt to get a new contract remains to be seen.
Next Week: We'll preview the ten biggest matches likely to happen in 2007 and ten matches we'd like to see that probably won't happen.
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
