Tom Atentio: Rumors are false; Affliction MMA here to stay
by MMAmania.com on Jan 30, 2009 2:16 AM EST
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Props: Hardcore Sports Radio
Quoteworthy:
"The rumors are just that, rumors, they're not true, there's no truth to it.... I have Donald Trump behind me, I have Golden Boy Promotions behind me, I have M-1, where are we going? People love to build you up, but they love to watch you fall even more and hopefully I'm not that guy. I've always maintained that I've taken the high road, I don't talk shit about people. I have a lot going on right now with Trump, Golden Boy and M-1 and things are moving forward.... Right now, I'm learning a lot about this business. I've been honest from day one and right now, I'm going to sit down with Golden Boy, M-1 and Mr. Trump and we're going to figure out how we're going forward. We're going to do events every three or four months. The bottom line is, this is only our second event, let me learn, let me do what I'm doing, but I must be doing something right because someone is starting these rumors."
Affliction Entertainment Group Vice President, Tom Atencio, today took to the late-night airwaves to squash rumors that pegged his promotion as being "done." Speculation has swirled that the upstart promotion is hemorraghing money after high-priced shows such as "Banned" and "Day of Reckoning" and is looking for a way out of the fight game. Not so fast, says Mr. Atencio, there is more to come.
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Don’t mind if they hang around. As long as I see Vitor and Fedor fight :P
by TheEder on Jan 30, 2009 2:37 AM EST reply actions
I like Atencio! At least he is honest with us (to a degree). Like he said, he is new to the business and he is learning on the fly,…… I respect that!
not to mention he is an mma fighter hi9mself! I like the way Atencio carries himself.
War Atencio!~
by john on Jan 30, 2009 7:11 AM EST up reply actions
I had no idea he was a fighter himself..
In the other thread about the Dana ESPN interview, I think he had a good point. THe WEC doesn’t do PPV and they have lasted a long time. Granted they are owned by ZUFFA, but still. If Affliction got a deal like the WEC with some special station, then I think they’d last longer than going the PPV route. Plus it’d be free fights, which means more viewers, better ratings, new fans, and all that. Atencio should take notice of that. Go the Strikeforce and WEC way. THey will NOT make it the way they are going. I like Affliction about as much as the next guy (meaning I don’t mind it, not a HUGE fan, but not a hater either).
Actually I just want them to last so Gegard Mousasi can make a name for himself in the States through them.
by Synyster [[2009 Year of Gegard Mousasi]] on Jan 30, 2009 7:42 AM EST up reply actions
Where has he fought? I can’t find any sort of record for the guy. If he trains that’s cool, but training is different than actually fighting. Dana and the Fertittas trained too.
by jay on Jan 30, 2009 7:47 AM EST up reply actions
I found his record. He fought once 5 years ago. He won a decision. So at least he has been in the ring, unlike Dana.
by jay on Jan 30, 2009 8:01 AM EST up reply actions
if they go the tv route, you can say good bye to fedor, arlovski and every other fighter making more than 100,000 per fight.
in other words, you can say good bye to affliction.
by JB on Jan 30, 2009 8:43 AM EST up reply actions
atencio actually has a fight lined up soon in Mexico!
by john on Jan 30, 2009 9:04 AM EST up reply actions
Me too John. Hopefully this is the start of a new and exciting organisation that can co-exist with the likes of the UFC and give options to those fighters who feel the UFC difficult to work with.
Atencio himself knows he has got a long way to go but to me he has showed a lot of improvement from the first to the second event.
Hopefully being a fighter himself too will make him fight all the way against these people saying they will fail.
Long live Affliction MMA.
by Ca$z on Jan 30, 2009 8:48 AM EST up reply actions
Why do you want the fighters to have options? As a fan, wouldn’t you prefer the fighters to be in a single organization so we are not stuck wondering what would happen if certain fighters fought each other (like back in the Pride days)?
I am not anti Affliction or pro UFC, but I do like the idea of there finally being only a single place where the fighters fight, so we can stop all the agonizing guessing about who the best is.
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 12:27 PM EST up reply actions
It’s much better to have one organization run by an egomaniac who can select which fighters you can and cannot see.
by Mak on Jan 30, 2009 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
Why do you think we dont get to see all the match-ups the fans wanna see??
Because the UFC doesn’t cross promote cos they want complete control. Eventually if there is an option for a fighter to be under contract and fight when they want / need to and still get paid the same I imagine they would make the right choice for them. But at least they will have that choice. Fighting for the UFC they dont get any choices.
by Ca$z on Jan 30, 2009 4:03 PM EST up reply actions
The UFC follows the money and has always put up the best fights and the fights that the fans want to see. You are delusional if you think there is any reason that the UFC would not permit you to see the best fighters if they were the last organization.
It works in every other sport, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, PGA, and yet you geniuses are convinced a single organization is a bad idea. My guess is that is comes from your disliking of Dana which if true is ridiculous.
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
I actually don’t dislike Dana at all. I just think he is a stubborn businessman before he is a fan of MMA.
The UFC is not as well established and organised as the other sports you have mentioned and they do not limit thier sportsmen / women in competing elsewhere if it doesn’t conflict with why they are there in the first place.
I think a lot of people, and I was too when I wanted everyone in the UFC is a bit selfish as we dont really understand all the aspects of being a fighter and having someone potentially playing GOD (i.e. Dana White) over the whole of mainstream MMA is definately not a good thing for the sport which is why these options exist in the first place.
by Ca$z on Jan 30, 2009 4:24 PM EST up reply actions
I think you are missing the point that the position for a single organization is not a vote for the UFC. I don’t care if its Affliction, UFC, or some new promotion. In the end, I only care about what fights I can see, and I do not want these continuous barriers between the top fighters to keep persisting. We had to put up with it with Pride/UFC, and now to a lesser degree we have to put up with it with Affliction/UFC.
You say its not about Dana but your comments speak otherwise. Read your last paragraph, your reasoning is entirely anti-Dana. Ok, so you don’t like him. Just admit that and move on because that is NOT the point.
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 6:28 PM EST up reply actions
If Affliction folds we will still not see Fedor or probably many other top fighters in the UFC. So, for practical purposes at least, Affliction is a good thing, even if you do want to see all the fighters under one banner(it’s merely a pipe dream). One thing to consider…one reason Fedor won’t fight in the UFC is because they wouldn’t let him fight Sambo. Did the NFL ever tell Bo Jackson or Deon Sanders or Bryan Jordan they couldn’t play in the MLB? These organizations you mention operate in a completely different manner than does the UFC. It’s apples and oranges. And you’re talking about sports leagues anyways, with separate teams with individual owners. This concept doesn’t translate to MMA at all(unless you want another IFL). If Roger Goodell or David Stern had complete control over NFL and MLB players contracts it would be a whole different ballgame(no pun intended). Noneedforname-your argument is simply based on illogical premises, and the comparisons don’t make sense.
by Diceman on Jan 30, 2009 9:35 PM EST up reply actions
The NFL has HUGE restrictive contracts. What you call a pipe dream is exactly what the PGA has accomplished, so your argument about individual owners or team sports is baseless.
The one thing we know for sure is with multiple organizations we DONT get to see certain fighters fight each other, and that sucks. You seem closed minded toward alternatives though which is senseless.
by noneed4name on Jan 31, 2009 1:26 AM EST up reply actions
It would be cool to see Vitor back in the UFC, what do you guys think of a Vitor / Cote fight?
by Barnack on Jan 30, 2009 9:57 AM EST up reply actions
vitor by being the better striker, probably go to a decision but i hope vitor would knock his head off !
by Jared on Jan 30, 2009 10:57 AM EST up reply actions
I really hope they stay around. As an economist I firmly believe that monopolies are bad and competition is good.
While I certainly would bet on UFC vs Affliction any day, I still think Affliction has had a very healthy influence on MMA in general.
by aman on Jan 30, 2009 2:41 AM EST reply actions
Mos def! And lest we forget, before we put this fledgling promotion asunder, Affliction the best heavyweights around, bar none!
by Syd[a.k.a."The Negation"] on Jan 30, 2009 7:23 AM EST up reply actions
I personally think that their stable is too shallow to say they have the best HW’s…the ones they have are fantastic, but they need more fight options.
by MM_Eh on Jan 30, 2009 10:52 AM EST up reply actions
He didn’t say they had a huge pool of HW. He said they have the best, which is true.
by Mak on Jan 30, 2009 12:54 PM EST up reply actions
“As an economist I firmly believe that monopolies are bad and competition is good.”
Yes, that is true for markets and prices, but in sports its the exact oppositie. Would you prefer to see the NBA and NFL broken into competing organzations so the best teams do not play?
Are you guys really thining this thorugh? Look at just the Fedor threads, they go on forver with people debating if he wodul beat so-and-so and the reason we don’t get to find out for sure is becuase of competing organxations. If there was only one organzation, it would be best for the fans.
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions
Have you thought this through? If the UFC was the only MMA organization, you wouldn’t see Fedor, period. Believe the economist; this is better for the consumers, and Dana White & Co. do feel pressure from Affliction and that will ultimately make their product better too. Dana trash talks everything he considers a threat.
by Mak on Jan 30, 2009 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
I personally wouldn’t care to never see Fedor again. He’s boring.
by Sean M on Jan 30, 2009 3:49 PM EST up reply actions
Mak – that logic is ridiculous. That is like saying because the NFL is the only major football network that we don’t get to see the top fighters.
If the UFC or organization was the only one left standing, that is where any decent fighter would HAVE to go to fight.
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
really Tom?? Rumors?? I seem to remember words from your mouth that are giving ppl reason to believe that Affliction MMA won’t be around very long. In fact it was only a few days ago. Well that, and the fact that you are losing money hand over fist. Those two things, along with the fact you are getting into bed with WAMMA which is absolutely what the sport doesn’t need.
I wish Affliction the best of luck, but there are reasons to doubt if it will stick around very long.
Boycott WAMMA
BJ BJ BJ BJ
by Crowls on Jan 30, 2009 2:56 AM EST reply actions
get over the whole Wamma thing! Who cares! I actually like Wamma (in theory)…. Affliction NEEDS to survive!
by john on Jan 30, 2009 9:06 AM EST up reply actions
I don’t see how their going to stick around on 3-4 shows a year. How do you build up new fighters/different weight divisions on that? Fedor is going to retire soon; their biggest draw only has 3-4 fights left in him; I’m not trying to be all doom and gloom here but 3-4 shows a year is just enough to recycle the same fighters over and over again, not enough to actually grow the organization. I say affliction goes bye-bye this year; just how i’m seein things right now.
by O damn he got caught on Jan 30, 2009 10:09 AM EST up reply actions
I dont know how you work that out. Fedor still has the potential to fight for years yet and has said he has no plans on retiring any time soon.
Your opinion is not FACT, its just your opinion.
by Ca$z on Jan 30, 2009 10:37 AM EST up reply actions
I never said it was a FACT, in fact when i say “just how i’m seeing things” that should indicate that it is MY OPINION, please read the post first before replying. thx. And John had told me that Fedor said he was retiring in 2 years, so thats where I got that; not sure if its true or not, I just tend to take John at his word when it comes to stuff like that especially concerning Fedor.
by O damn he got caught on Jan 30, 2009 2:21 PM EST up reply actions
You said:
Fedor is going to retire soon; their biggest draw only has 3-4 fights left in him;
I get your opinion on Affliction as we all speculate but it sounded like you were telling us something about Fedor which is blatantly not true.
by Ca$z on Jan 30, 2009 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
JOHN: Assisstance please; I could swear we were discussing future opponents for Fedor in one thread a while back, and you had told me Emelianenko was considering retirement. Has he since retracted that statement?
by O damn he got caught on Jan 30, 2009 4:46 PM EST up reply actions
John, I will not get over the WAMMA thing. You of all ppl should be against what they are trying to do. You are one of the most knowledgable guys on this site. Do you guys pay any attention to boxing at all?? All kinds of sanctioning orgs is one of the biggest problems. Let me try to explain my issue:
In the UFC/WEC/Strikeforce…etc, champions are called the UFC ?weight division champion. They may tack of the world onto the end of it, but they are the promotional champion. WAMMA does not promote fights. If affliction wanted a belt they should have the Affliction MMA champion. For WAMMA to represent themselves as the true cross promotional champion of the world is disingenuous. They can only boast one true “best in the world”.Fedor. They were going to crown Babalu and the winner of Vitor/Lindland as WAMMA champions. Come on…..no chance in hell. Then they said they would go to DREAM to crown AOKI, which showed a little optomism that they would be truly untied to any one org. But the fact remains, Anderson and Rashad are far better than anyone in those respective divisions in any other org. If they want me to be on board, they need to be there tomorrow night and hand a belt to the winner of BJ/GSP. But we all know that won’t happen. When other org’s start promoting guys as the WAMMA champion and true best in the world, in a few years this is really gonna hurt the sport. Think about when MMA really gets on ESPN and in national coverage. PPL will believe that this outside impartial org is crowning the best fighters. This is very representative of what goes on in boxing and scares me as a fan.
by Crowls on Jan 30, 2009 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
Aman I agree with you…i definetly like the stability other promotions bring to MMA. such as K-1, Dream, KOC, Strikeforce and Affliction…if it wasnt for affliction i would have never seen my first mid-air KO ala arlovski…but beside the uncalled for joke. affliction really should have figured out most of the business model before they put their first venue, they have done ok but not great so far(personally the shows have been great but im a big hardcore MMA fan) from the general public’s perspective. they had plenty to learn from the success of UFC and strikeforce to ridiculous mishaps on Elite XC and the downfall of pride. To have guys like trump, m-1, and golden boy productions is a real strong support and fallback in case things don go as planned on venues, but it shows they have big cracks that they trying hard to patch up by collecting all these “backers”. Affliction is a fine ship that put together to hastily by one financier and put on its maiden voyage only to see it sprung up many leaks not enough to sink it but to worry enough that they go back and find other financial means to try on keep it from leaking anymore while afloat. affliction is doing good enough but only to to buy them little time. its not like the UFC tries to overwhelmingly become a monopoly sometimes they just leave it up to the competing promotion to shoot themselves in the foot.
by Santiago69us on Jan 30, 2009 3:07 AM EST reply actions
I like them but i give them about 1 more show before thy call it quits
by The Philicutioner on Jan 30, 2009 3:25 AM EST reply actions
I definitely want them to stick around, the last 2 weeks have been awesome and with the addition of this weekend, will make it 4 great shows to watch…… Without Affliction, we would have only had 3.
by Luke in Shanghai on Jan 30, 2009 3:33 AM EST reply actions
I can see the smoke from the flames that are coming from this organizations wings, its going down in flames and there is nothing that can save it!
Its unfortunate that these organizations can’t put together a business plan ensure their survival.
You just can’t overpay your fighters or your bottom line will suffer, Affliction is done!
by Sofa-King-Toasty on Jan 30, 2009 3:57 AM EST reply actions
Perhaps Affliction is not really looking to make all that much money on these fights. Think about it, they are primarily a t shirt company and that is where the big money is for them. If Affliction MMA is sustainable (even with some early losses) then they have an amazing brand building mechanism. I suspect all the publicity these events bring to Affliction translate into increased t shirt sales, and any money made by the promotion is extra. Tom Atentio is looking at Affliction’s bottom line, not just the MMA section of his company. His decision to put on more fights will ultimately depend on this.
by Don "The Prophet" King on Jan 30, 2009 4:08 AM EST reply actions
I agree with the sentiment that Affliction hasn’t really thought through what they were doing. I get a feeling that they wanted to get in, make good money but didn’t have a good business-plan. It seems that they’ve been just trying to put together some good fights (and they definitely did, Thank You, Affliction), but did so without a good strategic vision of what kind of a business/tradition they wanted to build.
On the other hand, UFC looks like a monster right now. On one hand I can’t stand Dana White, for being so arrogant, cussing all the time and not giving much respect to fighters in general. But at the same time I’m so thrilled for the sport of MMA. With the help of UFC this sport is now mainstream in the States, it’s becoming one in Europe. Now they are announcing a series of UFC fitness centers throughout the country.
These times are very exciting for the sport of MMA….
by aman on Jan 30, 2009 6:21 AM EST reply actions
but I must be doing something right because someone is starting these rumors." Tom Atentio
Yeah Tom, everyone starts rumors about you closing down because you are doing something right.
by jay on Jan 30, 2009 6:49 AM EST reply actions
Elite said they weren’t going anywhere and even planned more shows up until the very last day.
by El Mexicutioner, formerly The Mexicutioner on Jan 30, 2009 6:55 AM EST reply actions
I actually don’t mind Atentio. He seems like a genually nice guy who wants whats best for MMA, but keeps his buisness’ interests as well. He knows MMA and probibly isn’t looking to make a quick buck off this sport.
by DB on Jan 30, 2009 7:08 AM EST reply actions
Atencio is a money-makin’ man. Nothin’ wrong with that I guess. Especially with the hard times looming…
by Syd[a.k.a."The Negation"] on Jan 30, 2009 7:24 AM EST reply actions
Trump, Golden Boy, and M-1 are eating revenue that Affliction is making. I don’t see how Affliction can continue to operate as it does, it’s just not fiscally responsible.
by Pat on Jan 30, 2009 7:30 AM EST reply actions
I don’t think anyone doubts Tom Anentio’s passion for MMA. I think it’s pretty obvious. The question is, what is their long run strategy? Quite frankly, I am not sure even they have a clear idea. It’s nice to have good fights, but you have to build a certain image, certain culture…I don’t know, find your place in this business and have some sort of motto.
by aman on Jan 30, 2009 7:53 AM EST reply actions
Yeah! I glad to hear that Tom sticks with Affliction MMA here to stay. I really don’t care what does Dana say. Who care!?! Tom doesn’t buy that rumor. That is bullsh*t! I knew that Dana tries to steal Fedor away from Affliction organization. That is why I doubt that He wants to see Affliction out of business. Although Tony have Trump, Golden Boy and M-1. They will have in meeting together and figure it out on his business marketing. Tony did good job on great fight cards. However I want to see more great fighter cards ASAP. If Affliction can afford to get Brock Lenser Organization have to pay to him more money.
by Dana White Hater! on Jan 30, 2009 8:13 AM EST reply actions
Well ur gonna hate Dana even more when u relize ur dream of Affliction staying around is just that a DREAM. Affliction is TOAST!!
by Fokman on Jan 30, 2009 9:26 AM EST up reply actions
top be honest if he keep up buying thoes fighters lot money
he is going down period , aa :1.500.000 barnet 500.000
right there is more than gate revenue , what the fuck he is thinking . he must take some business classes before start company i guess, i really like them to stay and succed because they bring good fights and good match up without them u will never see fedor #aa or tim sylvia
and for sure fedor he is not gonna sign up with ufc , he gonna end up fighting in japon
he should stop paying these fighters too much money
AA BEEN IN UFC FOR 8 years he never make more than 200.000$ per fight
u go figure
by hollaback on Jan 30, 2009 8:43 AM EST reply actions
I prefer the UFC’s product to Afflications. Having said that, last Saturday’s card/production was very decent (I still prefer the cage to the ring) and I’d certainly tune in again. Problem is, I’m not going to fork up cash every other week for PPVs as I bounce back and forth between promotions. I have no problem with Afflicaiton hanging around. At least it’s not that assclown Gary Shaw.
by BigRedOne on Jan 30, 2009 8:50 AM EST reply actions
DANA is full of it he DANA WHITE sent JOE SILVA the UFC’S MATCHMAKER to SEE THE LIVE EVENT AFFLICTION JJUST DID!!!!!
by GORANDY on Jan 30, 2009 9:05 AM EST reply actions
Yea because he knows they are going under and Joe was scouting who they should bring over to UFC. Belfort being one of them!
by Fokman on Jan 30, 2009 9:27 AM EST up reply actions
excuse me how u think they gonna succed if pay roll for AA AND BARNET ( WAYYYYYYYYYYYY TO MUCH GETTING PAY) MORE THAN GATE REVENUE
THEY PUTTING GOOD FIGHT BUT THEY PAYING THE FIGHTERS TOO MUCH MONEY
AA BEEN WITH UFC FOR 8 YEARS , HE NEVER DREAM OR THINK ONE DAY HE GONNA GET PAY 1.500.000 FOR A FIGHT LAST ONLY 3.14 MIN AND LOST
MOST HIS PAY ROOL WITH UFC IS 100.000 $ TO SHOW AND 100.000 TO WIN
by hollaback on Jan 30, 2009 9:18 AM EST reply actions
Im hearing differently from other MMA sites. Other sites are reporting that Affliction in indeed done but may have one more PPV in them. I dont know why they are just going to lose money on it!
by Fokman on Jan 30, 2009 9:21 AM EST reply actions
just like the WWF/WCW wars in the 90’s.. The powerhouse will win in the end, but the 2nd coming might give a good fight for a while.
by maddie on Jan 30, 2009 10:00 AM EST reply actions
Yup. And just like WCW, Affliction is gonna fail b/c they’re trying to buy talent instead of develop them. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
by Pat on Jan 30, 2009 12:17 PM EST up reply actions
Let’s see…Affliction + Trump + Oscar + M-1 =
Many millions (maybe billions) of $$$$$s.
Treat the fighters right, they will keep signing. I’d bet dollars to donuts that if Affliction continue to treat these guys how they were meant to be treated, they’d sign for less money to help enable the promotion to survive. It’s not all about the money.
Think about it. Would you work for a company who treats you like a king and pays you $25,000.00, or would you sell yourself out to work for a guy who treats you like dirt and would kick you to the curb in one second (ahem…Fitch) if he didn’t like you sticking up for yourself, for $30,000.00?
I’d take the $25,000.
All these fighter nowadays train in camps, and when these UFC guys realize that their training partner is being treated like a king, for comparable money, they will leave too. Just a matter of time.
If Affliction is willing to lose some money for the first couple years, they will gain alot of respect from potential fighters by treating fighters with respect. Keep your employees happy, in a matter of time, they will help your business thrive.
Side note…
GSP was at the end of his contract. Anyone know if he extended it before signing for the BJ Penn rematch?
by introvert on Jan 30, 2009 10:02 AM EST reply actions
I totally agree…and the fact is the premier fighters actually get paid more than they would ever get in the UFC so thats even more of a reason to work for the company that treats you like a king and this is at a stage where they are still growing.
When they are financially in the red they will be able to make even more money for thier fighters.
by Ca$z on Jan 30, 2009 10:43 AM EST up reply actions
“Let’s see…Affliction + Trump + Oscar + M-1 =
Many millions (maybe billions) of $$$$$s."
Those guys aren’t charities. They will jump off the ship if Affliction doesn’t start turning profits soon.
by Pat on Jan 30, 2009 12:20 PM EST up reply actions
And also, those guys don’t know crap about running an MMA org. You might argue M-1 does, but if I had Fedor in my company, I’d look more brilliant than I am too. The UFC succeeds b/c the guys funding it (the Fertitas) actually know the sport very well.
by Pat on Jan 30, 2009 12:22 PM EST up reply actions
It will be a very sad day and a great loss to the MMA sport if Affliction goes under! We as fans need Affliction to grow! Even more importantly, the fighters need it! Having another powerhouse promotion around will give the fighters choices and opportunities to survive and progress without having to sell their soul to Dana White! Both Affliction and UFC need to reevaluate their salary scale, though! In the end, it doesn’t matter if we are die hard UFC fans that refuse to watch any other promotion! Which is just plain silly! In the end, we as fans should be more supportive of Affliction so that they may grow. The UFC needs stiff competition to keep em’ on their toes and force them to keep their fighters happy! Happy fighters make happy fans!!!
by Dana's a Crossdresser on Jan 30, 2009 10:10 AM EST reply actions
I disagree that the UFC needs stiff competition , there are other fight leagues that are great to watch for any MMA fan but there is only room for one at the top that peaple will pay $45 for. Affliction has some names but they don’t have enough to make fair matchups that will have the crowd coming back for more. Even the camera work was brutal, As it was said before on this post you have owners involved that are after one thing and thats to make money no love for the sport, and their strategy is to pay out big dollars and hopefully break even to make the UFC look bad, the UFC’s only knock as a org. is they don’t pay their fighters enough? UFC has owners who love the sport and are fan’s of the sport = great fights for us fans. Affliction is trying to buy out the fighters because they see how good UFC is doing and want a piece but the problem is they are not fans, so the managers and fighters have more control = bad for fan’s. Any of you boxing fans? Look at that sport go into the dumps because of this. UFC is doing the right thing and building a powerhouse once they stop spending so much money marketing the UFC and its fighters they will be able to start giving the fighters more money. Any true MMA fan should support a the fan before a business man and It looks like we are?
by Beaver on Jan 30, 2009 11:56 PM EST up reply actions
ANTENCIO VS. WHITE FIGHT NIGHT! LETS GET IT ON!
by Mr. Vince McMahon on Jan 30, 2009 10:22 AM EST reply actions
Atencio by however he wants.
Unless of course Dana does some Billy Blanks kickboxercise shit on him.
by introvert on Jan 30, 2009 10:42 AM EST up reply actions
How about bringing them over to the WWE Vince for a steel cage matchup?
by Ca$z on Jan 30, 2009 10:47 AM EST up reply actions
Affliction has a great relationship with some of the best fighters in the UFC – GSP, Rampage, Couture, Nog, Silva etc… it’s matter of time (contracts) before they switch sides.
by ktown on Jan 30, 2009 10:46 AM EST reply actions
That’s why I’m wondering if GSP extended or not. I know Tito threw GSP’s name out there as a guy not happy with fighting under the “regime”.
Wouldn’t it be something if GSP was on his last fight of his contract, beat BJ, then said….“see ya”?
by introvert on Jan 30, 2009 10:51 AM EST up reply actions
Is Dana letting people complete their last contractual fight before signing a new contract? Or, is he gonna do like before and make them either re-sign or sit on the shelf? Dana “Don King” White may have done a lot with the sport, or, the sport may have been about to breakout anyway! Either way, he’s damaging the sport now with hi tyrant tactics he’s using against the fighters! And without them, there is no MMA!
by Dana's a Crossdresser on Jan 30, 2009 11:39 AM EST up reply actions
You can take Randy “I’m leaving the UFC….no, check that…I’m suing Affliction” Couture, and his idiot wife off of your list.
by introvert on Jan 30, 2009 10:54 AM EST up reply actions
Your right and you know that has got to play into the UFC new plan to take over the fighter’s sponcers.
I love the UFC but to be the only show in town would be bad for the sport.
I’m supporting Affliction as much as I can. 3 friends and I pitched in and ordered the last PPV and I have 4 of their overpriced by $20 t-shirts.
by natedogg77 on Jan 30, 2009 10:55 AM EST up reply actions
Good job! I hope more people step up and keep Affliction rolling! Their production was soooo much better this time around and they have some really good matchups! I’ve been a huge fan of the UFC since the beginning and I’m glad they’re doing well. But, Dana is greedy and the contracts he makes these poor guys sign in order to even get on the big stage is nothing less than enslaving! I like Affliction’s approach to the fight game! It obviously keeps the fighters’ well being in mind. MMA is the ONLY sport I watch and I hate that these guys make a small fraction of what NFL, NBA, NHL, etc. players make, yet sacrifice so much more! Maybe one day!
by Dana's a Crossdresser on Jan 30, 2009 11:31 AM EST up reply actions
Did he not just post an interview saying he might not be the guy to run an organization, no?
by Jared on Jan 30, 2009 11:05 AM EST reply actions
As a long-time MMA fan, I really hope that Affliction is able to stay afloat, thrive even. Their first two shows have had excellent cards — far deeper than most anything the UFC puts out. And I think that’s mostly due to Atencio, as he has really shown that he understands the fighters on his roster and, more importantly, what the fans want to see. The guy is a great matchmaker, even if he’s only had two shows worth of experience.
Competition is good. The UFC needs to be kept in check by something. If Dana White and the Fertittas are allowed to monopolize MMA in the western world, all fans will suffer. The quality of their shows will go down even further.
Anyway, Tom seems like a good guy and I am looking forward to the next Affliction card.
by hateburger on Jan 30, 2009 11:36 AM EST reply actions
How is competition good for fans if it prevents us from seeing many top fighters get to fight against each other?
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 12:31 PM EST up reply actions
Really. You at least get to see them? Are you new to the sport or do you just not recall the days when we only dreamt about fights between the top Pride guys and the top UFC guys.
Honestly, you people need to think it through. If all the top guys were in the UFC, we would see the best fights all the time. What we have instead is pure speculation on some fights like Fedor versus whoever. That part of MMA sucks right now.
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
Competition doesn’t prevent that….Dana does.
by introvert on Jan 30, 2009 2:38 PM EST up reply actions
Why don’t you stop spurting out what the haters tell you and use your own brain. Dana was a big part of the reason we got to see so many of the UFC/Pride dream matchups finally. He has made more huge fights happen than anyone in MMA.
The guy drops F-bombs in interviews and you girls all turn into hater. Unbelievable!
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 4:03 PM EST up reply actions
Actually you only saw some of those fights because Pride was ran by idiots.
by introvert on Jan 30, 2009 4:26 PM EST up reply actions
I am talking about the fights between top UFC fighters and top Pride fighters.
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 6:18 PM EST up reply actions
noneed, my theory on the subject is that if Dana has stiff competition, sooner or later he’ll have to play nice with others! That means he’ll have to allow UFC fighters to fight top guys from other organizations because he won’t have a monopoly on the fight game. He has let his fighters cross party lines before. Like Iceman vs. Rampage. But, he’s so greedy that he only wants to allow the other promotion to earn a very small percentage of the revenue. And right now, he’s strong enough to get away with that. I believe the UFC has the majority of the best fighters! But, that’s because they’re the only major league team! We need another! Affliction has some awesome fighters. It would be nice to see fighters from both organizations fight each other! That’s the only real way we’ll ever find out who is the best in each weight class!
by Dana's a Crossdresser on Jan 30, 2009 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
The only reason Affliction, Elite XC and many of the failing or failed organizations were willing to cross promote is because they were already inferior. IF the UFC has an equal competitor, there is just as much chance the competitor won’t share their fighters nor cross promote and then we literally are back to 50% of the fights not fighting each other like Pride & UFC.
Dana is so greedy? Yeah, but you overlook they are ALL greedy. Are you suggesting everyone in this business is not in it to make the most money? Dana just happens to be better at it, have better ideas (TUF) and gives us more free promotions than the others.
You suggest it would be nice to see the top fighters fight each other but then support the one barrier that prevents it!
by noneed4name on Jan 30, 2009 6:22 PM EST up reply actions
So far, Dana White appears to be the only tyrant that prevents fights from happening! He’s not good for the fighters, period! He has his pets and everyone else is just fodder! Everyone is in business to make money! But, you can bet that every pay per view Dana pockets more than all the fighters on the card combined! I don’t care who he is or what he’s done, that’s screwed up! I find it disturbing that anyone would think that was ok! Besides, if Dana white was to leave the UFC, I believe they would have all the top fighters in the sport! Fighters are all well aware of Dana and some do not want to deal with him because they know they’ll get the short end of the stick!
by Dana's a Crossdresser on Jan 30, 2009 7:13 PM EST up reply actions
The Fertittas and Dana White lost somewhere around 40 million dollars in their first two years of owning the UFC. To expect an organization to just instantly pop up and be on equal footing with the UFC is stupid. Give Affliction time, if they do indeed stay in business.
Also, competition is good because it forces each side to continually improve their product in all aspects or they risk losing out to their competitor. Better fights, better production, etc. This is a basic, and very easily understood, aspect of economics.
Good luck with your UFC-fanboyism/apologizing.
by hateburger on Jan 30, 2009 7:56 PM EST up reply actions
Please. The UFC was improving long before Affliction. Keep in mind, their goal IS to make money after all, and they are not going to sell PPVs if they have terrible promotions even if they are the only game in town.
The UFC started putting on quality shows when there was NO other competition in the US, so to suddenly expect they need that competition to put out quality is ridiculous.
by noneed4name on Jan 31, 2009 1:30 AM EST up reply actions
Are you for real hateburger?! what major sport has competition? and second Affliction PPV was not even comnparable to a UFC PPV. I agree to early KO’s hurt but the best matchup on paper before was Lindland vs Belfort, one of the main reasons they had hard time filling seats. The UFC is building and I beleive they will expand into Europe!? UFC has the monoply and the shows are awsome! were have you been? When fans are the owners fans will never suffer. And I think by Afflictions last card most MMA fans agree.
by Beaver on Jan 31, 2009 12:16 AM EST up reply actions
Hey guys,
Im loving the fights that afflication put on.
I cannot wait till barnett ground and pounds fedor.
I a big fan of the UFC and i cannot see why they shouldnt have Barnett, Belfort and Fedor on there books, Dana has to get over his self and sign these guys. Just because Dana doesnt like them i doesnt mean you cant work with them, i work work with guys i dont like but i still works.
I look forward to thoughts guys
by Toddy on Jan 30, 2009 1:27 PM EST reply actions
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