UFC 75: Rampage and Hendo titles not on the line

Well at least PRIDE is still on the line, right? Anyone? Is this thing on? Hello?

Dana needs to make up his damn mind. He’s just winging this thing by the seat of his pants and we’re all along for the see-saw ride. If this is the case then I think it takes a whole lot of wind out of the sails. Even though at almost 40 henderson would have to fight about 6 times per year to effectively defend the belts. Not happening. Maybe the should just create a title for both orgs. and have them face off once per year in that superbowl event. I think this was just a hairbrained idea that was not thought out. Dana was overzealous just to give us one of these PRIDE-UFC matches. I would have rather waited for something that made more sense.

This is BS. It dosnt mean anything to me then. Nothing on the line, just for fun? What is that?

This is BS. Once again Dana is so anal about protecting the UFC name.

Who here wants to bet that White is doing this just so he can gloat that the UFC is better than Pride “LIKE IVE BEEN SAYING FOR YEARS” if Rampage wins this thing? He prob. thought Chuck was going to destroy Hendo when he cooked this shitty plan up.

Who here wants to bet that White is doing this just so he can gloat that the UFC is better than Pride “LIKE IVE BEEN SAYING FOR YEARS” if Rampage wins this thing? He prob. thought Chuck was going to destroy Hendo when he cooked this shitty plan up.

Yeah, exactly when did Dana and company make this plan? Before or after the Chuck/Page fight? I mean wtf is going on? Did Dana think PRIDE was gone when they made the match up, and now that Pride may be alive they are having second thoughts…

I thought from the start having Hendo and Page fight was a bad idea. I thought it seemed too hasty. Lots of UFC fans didn’t even know who Page was… and then to bring in another fighter that the ave UFC fan doesn’t know didn’t make sense at all.

I’m going to cut Dana and company some slack because things have been moving at break-neck speed, but still, damn.

HAHA, I sorta laughed when I actually saw my name on the front page, thanks UFCMania for the recognition. Yeah it is pretty ridiculous how they told everyone after a PPV Main Event (Liddell-Ramgage) that the belts will be on the line in one fight, and then only to be about 100% hyped down because of the recent news.

However it is a good idea by Dana White. Why you ask?

Lets say hypothetically, that the belts are on the line. If either Rampage or Hollywood Henderson win each others belt, that would mean that the UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship would have to be defended whenever an upcoming challenger deserved it.

Do not forget the fact that, PRIDE IS NOT DEAD. Which means if Henderson won the title bout, he would not only have 2 belts from 2 organizations, he would be holding the, Pride Welterweight, Middleweight, and UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion ship.

These MMA fighters are the best athletes in the world, but no champion can fight every month, and still expect to hold onto all of them

yeah not very excited about this fight, but hey its a fight…i just want to see rampage slam some one on thir head…is that to much to ask?!

If this is true its a load of $hit. This would be the worst move UFC could make. In the Main Event……..Champion vs. Champion…but just for fun! lol!

i dont know i would rather see that then them unifing the title that would leave either pride or ufc without a title holder for that weight class. so i like the move. the way i see it the more title the better!(to a point, not like boxing)

I dont know my feelings on this one yet. I’m glad there respecting the titles independently but I think atleast one of the titles should be on the line. Since they are fighting in the cage on a UFC event. It should be the UFC title

i honestly dont understand it at all. why he would risk rampages title this soon. he has everything, one of the most charismatic fighters to ever fight, who won an upset win to take the title, and he’s going to throw him against henderson? why wouldn’t he put him against anderson silva, a guy who can’t even speak english? and put that title on the line. you would have hendo who carries himself with class and grace, reminds me a lot of couture. build up his fanbase and then throw him against rampage?

i dont know, i just see white profiting more from that. anderson silva is great, don’t get me wrong, but in terms of marketability? he can’t even speak english, and in my opinion, i think hendo would rip him to shreds…

This is different. Never expected anything like this to happen. But they need to square this out and how it will work. So UFC and Pride fighters can fight, for title fights. It’d be much more interesting.

This SHOULD be a title match, it i being fought in the UFC like Stafo said and there should be a title match. This is such a let down.

i think its quite simple, and a very good idea by dana to have them keep their respective belts, ill explain

if hendo won and got the belt he could not defend them all without burnout, also if QRJ won then he would have to either:

1) have to fight twice as often to defend twice the amount of belts.

2) fight the normal amount of fights, in which case we lose becuz they are too far apart.

they will keep their belts and have one total mma 205lb champ

aw man this totally screws the last blog for fedor

This SHOULD be a title match, it i being fought in the UFC like Stafo said and there should be a title match. This is such a let down.

Damn I wanted five round this would have been a war.

BOOOOOOO!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

This is shit,we thought that this event in London was gonna make history,looks like I was wrong.Im not going to it now.

First of all its easy to say UFC is better than Pride now that UFC has bought most of there fighters.

Plus to me Rampage grew up in pride and the fact he and Silva have come to the UFC and taken the gold from fighters who have grown up in the UFC (Rich Franklin and Chuck Lidell)sends a clear message.

To settle who is the best company (or more accurately who was the best company) you would need two people who have represented each company for many years to go at it. Not just buy someone from the other company and then say oh UFC runs through his veins if he wins it proves we have always been the best company.

This is good news for PRIDE as if they intend to act like Dan is a champion, they will have to create an arena for him to defend it in. Which means more PRIDE events.

Whether or not Dana will try to roll a Rampage win into some kind of PRIDE vs UFC thing, remains to be seen.

All in all, I can’t wait to see the next PRIDE event, and I hope this isn’t the start of the UFC adopting PRIDE’s form of title defenses.

It is a far better way of introducing your champions image to the public for marketing however, but of course Dana isn’t interested in that, only creating the best fights possible.. right.. right..

FREE PAULO FILHO!!

Dana White is consistently inconsistent. Not even a month ago he said he wasn’t sure what to do with Pride- whether it should even exist. Now he’s talking about maintaining the sanctity of the organization. Come on. I know you have to be open-minded and flexible when your running a company. But you also should stand for something and have some conviction. He does that with fighters too. Pre-UFC 71: “Chuck Liddell is one of the greatest ever”; after: “Chuck has a lot to prove before he gets another title shot”.

He’s said before they want to avoid the things that made boxing bad. Well didn’t Don King have an ego the size of Manhatten and screw his fighters on their pay? Sounds familiar.

Back when I used to follow boxing in the 80’s I remember guys would have acronyms tacked behind their name for the various organizations under which they held titles- WBC, IBF… can’t remember them all. I thought the “alphabet soup” was one of the bad things about boxing- that you had multiple champs criss-crossing organizations. Fans will have to keep track of “Ohh the Pride champ is the real middleweight champ and the UFC light heavyweight is the real champ at that weight…”. It’s probably not unlikely that some competing organizations (eliteXC, IFL maybe, Bodog) will eventually increase their talent pool to become competitive with the UFC/Pride (assuming MMA isn’t just a fad that will go away soon as critics charge) and then we’re going to have the alphabet soup. What’s the solution to that problem? As pointed out above, if you unify belts there is no way one guy can adequately defend them all without bringing the event schedule down.

aw man this totally screws the last blog for fedor

White is saying Fedor would get an immediate title shot if he agrees to fight. He is the current Pride heavyweight champ. So why does he get to be co-UFC/Pride champ and not Henderson? Henderson is being punished for being great.

The super fight just turned into a stupid fight.Damn this just seems counter productive for any future ufc vs pride showdowns.So can any ufc fighter ever win a pride belt or vice versa?this is bollocks, and dana should know it

Yeah sure…
you mean yes sir
Yeah…
What?
What I said was..
yeah sure..
But what I MENT was…
yes sir..
yes sir..

I hate to see a champion fight in a non-title match. Exhibitions are for the contenders, a champion should have to earn the right to keep the title in every fight. The belts should be unified under this fight with the unified champion defending his crown on UFC events until Pride re-emerges. If/once Pride begins to run again the belts should be split up and the champ would stay in one organization, with a tournament being held to decide the new champion for the vacant title of the other organization.

i honestly dont understand it at all. why he would risk rampages title this soon. he has everything, one of the most charismatic fighters to ever fight, who won an upset win to take the title, and he’s going to throw him against henderson? why wouldn’t he put him against anderson silva, a guy who can’t even speak english? and put that title on the line. you would have hendo who carries himself with class and grace, reminds me a lot of couture. build up his fanbase and then throw him against rampage?
i dont know, i just see white profiting more from that. anderson silva is great, don’t get me wrong, but in terms of marketability? he can’t even speak english, and in my opinion, i think hendo would rip him to shreds…

I agree 100% mike, this is exactly what I’ve been saying since Dana made the initial announcement in the octagon after rampage/liddell. Dan Henderson is a 185lb fighter. If I remember correctly, Henderson defeated Wanderlei Silva weighing in at 198lbs, and back then I had read that the only reason he even weighed that much is because PRIDE and thier commissions literally forced him to. Given the choice of 185 or 205, Dan Henderson said that he wanted to fight for the UFC 205lb title. I don’t know why he would want to introduce himself to the casual UFC fan by coming into a fight with a disadvantage (size and weight). If both belts were on the line and Hendo beat Rampage, and then a few months later he beat Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight championship. He would then have 4 world titles, Pride and UFC 205 and 185. Would this make him the greatest mma fighter of all time? Would he even be considered the hands down best pound for pound fighter ahead of Fedor? Or would he have to successfully defend each of the 4 belts one time? What do you guys and gals think?

I personally think that it would be very hard to argue. But of course, I’ve been a Hollywood Henderson fan for years now, so my opinion is somewhat biased. But I would have to say that if there was a fighter from some backyard organization that we never heard of that held titles at 205 and 185, and decided to come to the UFC and defeated both of the UFC champs for the belts, it would be hard not to consider him/her the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

I think this is the way it should be, I for one do not want to see any more of these Pride guys being taken in and given immediate shots for titles. I think it is ridiculous and am glad that it is a non title bout. For the past 3 years the UFC has poured money and time in to these TUF guys and now they have to sit at the rear of the bus, along with other UFC veterans because Dana wants to sell some more PPV’s and make more money for him and the Zuffas ?

Thats right I said it !!!

We should all hope that Rampage wins convincingly so that there is no debate as to if Henderson should be the UFC champ if he manages to win. Pride guys who want to fight in the UFC should immediately move to the middle of the pack and work their way up. I am looking forward to seeing the Forrest Griffen’s, Rashad Evans’s, Joe Stevenson’s, and even Joe Lauzon’s make their mark in the UFC and fight for title belts.

By bringing in these Pride guys to fight in high profile matches, for titles or not, is a short term growth plan. The UFC has to know this and only is in this for the PPV and gate sales. Anyone have any other thoughts on the matter ?

Kevin “cuts” Kelly

Would he even be considered the hands down best pound for pound fighter ahead of Fedor? Or would he have to successfully defend each of the 4 belts one time?

If anyone can be that great and win 4 belts, in two organizations, at two different weight classes, I don’t care if they lose their all four belts in their first title defense to blind quadriplegic senior citizens, they would be considered the best fighter ever if you ask me.

For the past 3 years the UFC has poured money and time in to these TUF guys and now they have to sit at the rear of the bus, along with other UFC veterans because Dana wants to sell some more PPV’s and make more money for him and the Zuffas ?
Thats right I said it !!!

Did you mean to say the Fertitas?? or are the Zuffas like people that own stock in the company or something??

Meant Fertitas …

Dana white ,can go kiss my Irish ass,have my tickets for ufc 75 only wanted to see the title fight ,Dana should step down ,he is clueless ,

I think this is the way it should be, I for one do not want to see any more of these Pride guys being taken in and given immediate shots for titles. I think it is ridiculous and am glad that it is a non title bout. For the past 3 years the UFC has poured money and time in to these TUF guys and now they have to sit at the rear of the bus, along with other UFC veterans because Dana wants to sell some more PPV’s and make more money for him and the Zuffas ?

Thats right I said it !!!

Kevin “cuts” Kelly

Uhh yeah, its called running a business. Money is what its all about for the owners. The more high-profile fighters, that we all want to see, means more money.

Uhh yeah, its called running a business. Money is what its all about for the owners. The more high-profile fighters, that we all want to see, means more money.

I think the titles are not on the line because chuck lost to QRJ and hendo even though he has competed in the ufc represents pride because he has two of their belts , it would be different if chuck beat rampage. I hope it is still 5 rounds though this would be a war.

This is shit,we thought that this event in London was gonna make history,looks like I was wrong.Im not going to it now.

True i think it would be different if it was in Vegas.

If anyone can be that great and win 4 belts, in two organizations, at two different weight classes, I don’t care if they lose their all four belts in their first title defense to blind quadriplegic senior citizens, they would be considered the best fighter ever if you ask me.

Bollox to you Dana White… I booked tickets, flights and a fuckin hotel to come and see this apparent “TITLE FIGHT” This is the 3rd show in England and Ireland this yr and not a single title fight yet.. Why did the "GREAT WHITE " not mention this a month ago before the tickets went on sale???? Get a grip dana, pretty soon people on this side of the atlantic will get pretty sick of your silly games, you will lose fans if you keep this BS up.. WE WANT A TITLE FIGHT

Anyone think of this? Maybe the Pride belt is not on the line because Zuffa is thinking of dissolving Pride. Just saying that its a possibility. But that wouldn’t explain why Hendo can’t win the UFC belt.

Ufc are just protected anderson siva what would it say if the spider had lost to hendo in his first title defence, not saying henderson cant beat rampage I just think he is better suited at 185 if hollywood went through silva not saying he would but if he did how many contenders would there have been to dethrone dan henderson

Its about keeping the fans, both loyal and the new mainstream ones happy. You make plenty of money do right by the fans is what I say. And how about doing right by the guys who have worked their tail off in the UFC ? Immediately Griffen, Tito, and yes even Chuck Lidell have moved way down the ladder. Here comes Dan Henderson, Mauricio Rua, and company. Its pathetic.

Cany anyone say Mirko Filipovic? As Chris Tucker would say “he got knocked the fuck out” and wasnt he one of Pride’s finest or the world’s for that matter. With a performance like that in the octagon, Dana should re think just handing OUTSIDERS big fights like this.

Its about us fans

BULLSHIT this is complete bullshit i am really starting to dislike dana white right now it seems like i could run shit better im not sayin that dana white couldnt do things better im just saying he isnt

THIS IS REALLY MAKING THE UFC LOOK SLOPPY. for real like. when dana white speaks, he needs to be clear man. like he blows stuff up so much and then doesent follow through. SILVA VS. LIDELL? nah, even the whore white vs ortiz thing. he just wanted ratings so he aired bad blood. its stupid. he cant just reverse his wording now either. THINK IT THROUGH BEFORE YOU TALK YOU SHINEY HEADED BASTARD

Its about keeping the fans, both loyal and the new mainstream ones happy. You make plenty of money do right by the fans is what I say. And how about doing right by the guys who have worked their tail off in the UFC ? Immediately Griffen, Tito, and yes even Chuck Lidell have moved way down the ladder. Here comes Dan Henderson, Mauricio Rua, and company. Its pathetic.

Cany anyone say Mirko Filipovic? As Chris Tucker would say “he got knocked the fuck out” and wasnt he one of Pride’s finest or the world’s for that matter. With a performance like that in the octagon, Dana should re think just handing OUTSIDERS big fights like this.

Its about us fans

Yeah, giving us the dream-matchups of the UFC’s best vs. Pride’s best is serving the fans. The TUF guys are working their way up. Griffin and Tito have lost two fights in the last couple of years. Niether deserves another title shot until a few others have had a chance. Also, Chuck just lost the title. He hasnt even fought again yet and you assume he has dropped off the radar? NAY.

Secondly, “OUTSIDERS”?. Are you serious? MMA is bigger than the UFC and much bigger than TUF. The guys who are coming over here have extensive careers and are at the top of their games. I say bring them on.

i just heard on another site that this will infact be a title fight!(mmaplayground)

its a business ,but we buy the tickets and ppv that makes the business the best out there ,being a UFC fan since the early years yeah there have been 2 ufc events in the uk both not exactly great shows its cost me over €1,000 on these events ,so why do they let the fans down like this ,pride or ufc dosent matter to me,im a all out MMA fan ,but a bit of loyalty and respect from white would go a long way ,a title would be good in ireland or uk ,but a proper fight card ,not just tuf finalist and average joe’s

This is BS. Once again Dana is so anal about protecting the UFC name.

If Rampage wins does Henderson hand over his Pride belt. See its not fair if Rampage puts his belt on the line and Hendo doesn’t. The only fair way to do it is neither risks their belts.

First of all its easy to say UFC is better than Pride now that UFC has bought most of there fighters.
Plus to me Rampage grew up in pride and the fact he and Silva have come to the UFC and taken the gold from fighters who have grown up in the UFC (Rich Franklin and Chuck Lidell)sends a clear message.
To settle who is the best company (or more accurately who was the best company) you would need two people who have represented each company for many years to go at it. Not just buy someone from the other company and then say oh UFC runs through his veins if he wins it proves we have always been the best company.

You mean like CC and GG.

I think this is the way it should be, I for one do not want to see any more of these Pride guys being taken in and given immediate shots for titles. I think it is ridiculous and am glad that it is a non title bout. For the past 3 years the UFC has poured money and time in to these TUF guys and now they have to sit at the rear of the bus, along with other UFC veterans because Dana wants to sell some more PPV’s and make more money for him and the Zuffas ?
Thats right I said it !!!
We should all hope that Rampage wins convincingly so that there is no debate as to if Henderson should be the UFC champ if he manages to win. Pride guys who want to fight in the UFC should immediately move to the middle of the pack and work their way up. I am looking forward to seeing the Forrest Griffen’s, Rashad Evans’s, Joe Stevenson’s, and even Joe Lauzon’s make their mark in the UFC and fight for title belts.
By bringing in these Pride guys to fight in high profile matches, for titles or not, is a short term growth plan. The UFC has to know this and only is in this for the PPV and gate sales. Anyone have any other thoughts on the matter ?
Kevin “cuts” Kelly

This is a good point ,you come in win 1 fight and you’re champ. Who earned their title more Serra or GSP? Who’s more likely to be holding the belt in 2008? Styles make fights, so only beating the champ proves very little. Beat the same 3 or 4 tough guys the champ had to go through, then beat the champ, only then you earned to be called " Champion". At least in my book anyhow.

Hmm If they want to respect the U.K market they best put at least one title on the line and not just have the match for nothing!
Sheesh….

The titles mean nothing to me and this will be a great fight regardless, so all you guys should get your panties untwisted and kick back. mellow out.

The titles mean nothing to me and this will be a great fight regardless, so all you guys should get your panties untwisted and kick back. mellow out.

No way, fights for fun are not nearly as good or motivated as fights that have to do with the rankings and titles.

who cares about marketability, who cares if the champion speaks english, portuguese, chinese, spanish, etc.
  This sport is just to see who is the best fighter in the world & if you want to hear comedians on the stage then just go to a comedy club because this is not boxing, I think having pride fighters in the UFC its only making the sport grow but at the same time the UFC is taking advantage of it and is grabbing the best fighters from pride or the world, but everybody knows that the NEW CHAMPIONS are from PRIDE FC.

I grew up watching Dan wrestle in High school. I just saw him in the fall and he looks like a champion even at our old ass ages. I believe the first round will be tough but Dan will begin dominting in the second and before the end he will start submission and then the talkers will see who the champ is