Or Affliction can affliction just sell Fedor’s contract to the UFC? This way no copromotion but they negotiate a cut of the PPV buys.
[quote]dhickey wrote:
Or Affliction can affliction just sell Fedor’s contract to the UFC? This way no copromotion but they negotiate a cut of the PPV buys.[/quote]
If you ran the UFC, would you make this deal? Why or why not?
Dana has plainly stated that there is no way he will do a 1-fight deal with Fedor. No one can blame him for that.
So the only way this fight happens PERIOD is if Fedor fights with the UFC, i.e. a multi-fight contract. But I think Dana has unfortunately torpedoed any chance of this happening long ago, when he repeatedly public insulted Fedor (and his management), and he continues to do so. That kind of thing is not going to be taken as playful or “competitive ribbing” in other cultures, such as Russian culture. That translated to pure and blatant insults to Fedor, and he will see no reason to go to work for someone like that.
Randy v. Fedor I can’t see happening in UFC. However, Randy via GnP over Brock, rd 4.
Maybe I missed it . . . how is Nog not fighting Randy?
[quote]Vash wrote:
Maybe I missed it . . . how is Nog not fighting Randy?[/quote]
Because Dana King does whatever makes him the most $$$$$$$$ and apparently is being blown by Lesnar.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
dhickey wrote:
Or Affliction can affliction just sell Fedor’s contract to the UFC? This way no copromotion but they negotiate a cut of the PPV buys.
If you ran the UFC, would you make this deal? Why or why not?[/quote]
Depends on the deal and what I thought I could make off it. If Fedor shows he can bring in big PPV numbers and the deal is right then maybe.
It also depends on what happens in the UFC HW division and what their HW stars’ contracts look like. If there is no chance of Lesnar or Couture running the table in the HW division and then leaving for the fight with Fedor, then no I probably wouldn’t buy out his contract.
My guess is that the UFC holds all the cards right now. The are building a great HW division and have a lot of young guys are should be great. Nobody can market like they can. Others can offer bigger contracts but none have shown that they can honor them for the long haul.
[quote]Djwlfpack wrote:
Donut62 wrote:
Damici wrote:
So how on earth, pray tell, does anyone foresee this fight happening . . . ?
Affliction collapsing. That’s my guess as to what they are banking on. They are burning through a lot of cash and by the time Randy-Lesnar happens, Affliction’s second card will have gone down and their future should be more clear. Most signs point to that future not being all roses.
Yep. That’s the only likely way this thing ever gets done. [/quote]
Agree 100%
Well, I guess we were right.
[i]"Randy Couture is going to fight November 15,“�White said, as if referring to a predetermined timeline. �"He’s going to fight Brock Lesnar (Pictures) in the biggest fight in UFC history. The rest of the heavyweight division will be figured out in December. I would be fucking horrified if Affliction is still in business by January. They’re going to burn a lot of cash in the next couple of months, believe me. Good luck to them and I’ll be sitting here waiting to see what happens.”
“These guys are dying on the vine,” said White of Affliction. �"They’ll be gone in a couple of months anyway and then Fedor will have to come here. Listen, you’re not under contract if the company isn’t in business anymore. We’ll figure it out.�??[/i]
I really enjoyed Affliction’s first card, and support them fully, but I’ve been highly skeptical of their business plan since day 1. Running the most expensive fight cards in the world as a way to sell t-shirts makes no sense.
I know we’ve discussed this at length before, but there are lots of reeeally rich, smart people (including Donald Trump) behind Affliction’s MMA business. I’ve GOT to believe that they carefully ran the numbers before they even did the first show (although no one can predict PPV numbers for sure, but still – if the first show was a big money-loser, why on earth would they put on a second show??)
You might be completely right, and they might be on the verge of collapse. But something tells me that Dana’s expectation of their imminent demise might be wishful thinking. Especially if he expects them to be gone by January.
Just my hunch.
[quote]Donut62 wrote:
Well, I guess we were right.
[i]"Randy Couture is going to fight November 15,“�White said, as if referring to a predetermined timeline. �"He’s going to fight Brock Lesnar (Pictures) in the biggest fight in UFC history. The rest of the heavyweight division will be figured out in December. I would be fucking horrified if Affliction is still in business by January. They’re going to burn a lot of cash in the next couple of months, believe me. Good luck to them and I’ll be sitting here waiting to see what happens.”
“These guys are dying on the vine,” said White of Affliction. �"They’ll be gone in a couple of months anyway and then Fedor will have to come here. Listen, you’re not under contract if the company isn’t in business anymore. We’ll figure it out.�??[/i]
I really enjoyed Affliction’s first card, and support them fully, but I’ve been highly skeptical of their business plan since day 1. Running the most expensive fight cards in the world as a way to sell t-shirts makes no sense.[/quote]
So you would put revenue into your competitor’s pockets by splitting PPV with them? Does that make sense?
Wouldn’t it make more sense to wait for your competitor to file bankruptcy, so that assets can be purchased?
Not trying to be too snarky… Just wondering why you think it makes good business sense to help your competitor.
Whenever I see someone who pays Lindland lots of money, I see someone who doesn’t understand the business of MMA. (He made $300,000 for his fight.)
Is he really bringing in more than that in revenues?
And $250,000 for Rothell?
[quote]analog_kid wrote:
The UFC is turning into the WWE. I half expect Nog to do a run in and hit both Brock and Randy with a steel chair, which will result in a 3-way title match at UFC 100.
[/quote]
Ha! That’s pretty damn funny. I always love a good battle royal.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
dhickey wrote: Depends on the deal and what I thought I could make off it. If Fedor shows he can bring in big PPV numbers and the deal is right then maybe.
So you would put revenue into your competitor’s pockets by splitting PPV with them? Does that make sense?
Wouldn’t it make more sense to wait for your competitor to file bankruptcy, so that assets can be purchased?
Not trying to be too snarky… Just wondering why you think it makes good business sense to help your competitor.[/quote]
Well, it’s possible if you negotiate a good deal on the UFC’s side for the PPV split that it may be an ok option for them. I mean you hurt them in the long run— The UFC gets the lion’s share of the Uber fight with Couture, permanently takes away the biggest star and draw power their competitors have which hurts their revenue stream and fight cards down the long run, and gets the upside of at least one other Superfight PPV bonanza with their new acquisition and whatever no. 1 contender you have in your stable.
So, yeah, if bankruptcy is imminent it would be more prudent to wait, but if not on the immediate horizon (and as mentioned there are lots of very rich men behind Affliction) it makes the wait to get the new fighter a pain in the ass. Or you could do long term damage to your competitor by buying the contract out and splitting PPV.
I dunno, at least that’s one possibility. Maybe I’m wrong.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
dhickey wrote: Depends on the deal and what I thought I could make off it. If Fedor shows he can bring in big PPV numbers and the deal is right then maybe.
So you would put revenue into your competitor’s pockets by splitting PPV with them? Does that make sense?
[/quote]
Again, it depends on the deal. Maybe Affliction would be happy with a small cut and if you allow their brand back in the ring for sponcership.
Who says they are going to file bankruptcy? And do you want to risk the chance that he signs with another organization if the contract is not purchased?
[quote]
Not trying to be too snarky… Just wondering why you think it makes good business sense to help your competitor.[/quote]
If they are willing to sell Fedor, I doubt they plan on competing any longer.
You also have to assume that the PPV buying masses really care about Fedor. I would love to see him in the UFC fold but I can’t say that it would be a huge PPV event if he were to sign tomorrow. Maybe if he demolishes Barnett/Arlovski? Maybe if he fights Tito after that? Not fights the Fedor fan needs to see but it would probably help his PPV potential and make buying out his contract a bit more inticing.
Anyway, it’s fun to speculate. You get Fedor in the UFC and we have at least a good 2 years of great fights in that divsion just with the fighters we know now.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
Donut62 wrote: I really enjoyed Affliction’s first card, and support them fully, but I’ve been highly skeptical of their business plan since day 1. Running the most expensive fight cards in the world as a way to sell t-shirts makes no sense.
Whenever I see someone who pays Lindland lots of money, I see someone who doesn’t understand the business of MMA. (He made $300,000 for his fight.)
Is he really bringing in more than that in revenues?
And $250,000 for Rothell? [/quote]
They did drop some serious cash on fighter payroll. I think Sylvia landed $800k. And they paid Fedor…$400k if I remember correctly? That doesn’t seem quite right.
[quote]analog_kid wrote:
They did drop some serious cash on fighter payroll. I think Sylvia landed $800k. And they paid Fedor…$400k if I remember correctly? That doesn’t seem quite right.
[/quote]
Seems about right to me, since only one guy had to worry about having his ass kicked.
$400 = appearance fee
$800 = appearance fee plus danger pay
[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
analog_kid wrote:
They did drop some serious cash on fighter payroll. I think Sylvia landed $800k. And they paid Fedor…$400k if I remember correctly? That doesn’t seem quite right.
Seems about right to me, since only one guy had to worry about having his ass kicked.
$400 = appearance fee
$800 = appearance fee plus danger pay
[/quote]
They should have asked Timmah for some money back. He could have at least hung in there for a full minute.
[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
analog_kid wrote:
They did drop some serious cash on fighter payroll. I think Sylvia landed $800k. And they paid Fedor…$400k if I remember correctly? That doesn’t seem quite right.
Seems about right to me, since only one guy had to worry about having his ass kicked.
$400 = appearance fee
$800 = appearance fee plus danger pay
[/quote]
Hahahahahaha, that’s totally true, Fedor opponents should always make more than Fedor himself, it’s only fair. That is awesome 
Fedor was paid 300K… plus a 1 300 000$ bonus for his fight with Sylvia.
I can’t see why Randy vs Fedor would happen in the UFC. Too much craziness. Then again, I didn’t think we’d see Randy in the UFC again, much less againts Lesnar!
I predict we’ll see Randy go for SUBS in this one. Lesnar has raw power and wrestling, but his sub defense is probably really suspect.