Mma

[Randal Graves]

I wish you didn't have to be so cutthroat to be successful in business. Every company does everything they can to fuck the competition. Greedy motherfuckers don't want to share even a piece of the pie. It sucks, but's just the world we live in. If you aren't willing to pull out all the stops to be successful, you better believe someone else is. Then you end up broke.

[Randal Graves]

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Best news feed you've posted Buz. The guy does make some pretty interesting points especially the points directed at the fighters. I don't really know that I agree with the point about another promotion challenging the UFC's dominance at some point. The only way that will happen is if their contracts are deemed monopolistic and illegal in court.

The biggest reason the UFC has built on their success following TUF is because of their contracts. There are very few people who won't give up some rights to maximize their pay and reach the top of the food chain in their respective career. You need a fucking MBA and a law degree to truly understand what you are giving up. Most people are blinded by the cash and the prestige. Either that, or you need representation that are lawyers with MBAs to go to bat on your behalf. The only problem with that is the UFC is truly a monopoly in terms of top tier MMA promoting. The reason NFL players and other pro athletes can negotiate huge contracts is because there are 31 other teams who you can work for and at least make comparable pay. It would be the same if the NFL negotiated all contracts and you made the same no matter what team you played on. They could suppress the hell out of pay because there would be nowhere else to go.

[Goat Gosselin]

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i hate to bring up wrestling but when the late 90s and early into 2000s there was 3 promotions, one big (wwe) one close in size (wcw) and then a smaller but with a very loyal following (ecw). there was a great balance between the 3 and i have to say it was the most interesting time and all put on very good shows and storylines. then wwe bought out ecw then wcw and now its pretty much un watchable (except for the womens matches and thats just for jiggle factor) . granted there is tna now and they are making inroads and i think they put on a way better show than wwe but they are very small.

i see mma kinda going in this direction and i hope that it doesnt. there was ufc and pride and they were on other sides of the world and both had great fights and things were good, then ufc buys pride and does nothing with most of the fighters (like wwe did with ecw and wcw). then for a while we had other promotions starting and initially i thought were doing good but have now failed of been bought out by others and failed also. i got to watch some KOTC fights live and they did a great job in a way smaller city than most fights happen in. and while there is lots of small promotions around and some possibly starting back up (like KOTC) it still has ufc with the majority of power and control over who and where these fighters can ply their trade. i am really with there was a way that guys could go fight in other places to fight the most interesting fights. such as randy wanting to fight fedor, with out all the legal shit and constant blocking of the fights.

i guess i just can keep dreaming

[Randal Graves]

The biggest difference between MMA & WWE is that MMA is real. Once WWE took over, if a person doesn't like the storylines that the writers dream up they are pretty much fucked. With MMA, the storyline doesn't have to be written. All the UFC has to do is continue aquiring talent, putting on great fights, and destroying anyone who wants to compete with them.

[effjay]

The fighters need to get unionized, it would really really really do a lot for everyhting and get some of the contracts a little more in check.

[tlock]

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100% correct. fighters have little rights and their managers dont seem to have any power or sway with the ufc. it is a take it or leave it environment. With a union grievances will be handled in a sane manner, not like a child taking his toys back...I'm sure zuffa will do its best to fight this. I assume a group of fighters or managers will have to sue zuffa/ufc at some point to create

[Randal Graves]

There is one major problem with unions. You have to have bargaining power to make it work. The fighters have zero bargaining power right now. There is an extensive track record of guys trying to fight the power and getting squashed for it.

[effjay]

When's the next time Carlos Condit is fighting? I like watching that kid fight for reals.

[Goat Gosselin]

there isnt a way that there can be enough of Gina for my tastes. she is smoking and fights very well, it would be nice if she could find a place to keep fighting, besides out from under my blankets, j/k


Gina Carano 5th most influential woman in 2008 according to Yahoo!
By: MMAmania

Props: Buzz.Yahoo.com

Quoteworthy:

“Undefeated kickboxing champ Gina Carano upped her profile in her turn as Crush on ‘American Gladiators,’ then later made television history in the first primetime female fight. The TV venue died within a few months, but Carano’s appeal proved she was unstoppable…like so many other women in 2008.”

If the top dogs at Zuffa needed anymore reassurance just how big Gina Carano is then perhaps this is it. Please get her on a World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) card pronto (if legally possible). It’s crystal clear just how much she can single-handedly contribute to elevate a promotion in particular and the sport in general.

[Goat Gosselin]

an interesting article, may be a good read for some

Ask the Doc: Dr. Johnny Benjamin on the pitfalls of medical suspensions
by Dr. Johnny Benjamin on Dec 03, 2008 at 7:05 am ET
Dr. Johnny BenjaminAfter every major mixed-martial-arts event, you probably log on to MMAjunkie.com and read the list of "medical suspensions."

Fighters who suffer knockouts or cuts that require stitches – or more serious injuries like broken bones and muscle tears – often receive medical suspensions, but there's usually the caveat that a fighter can be cleared early by a doctor.

In his latest "Ask the Doc" column, noted combat-sports specialist Dr. Johnny Benjamin discusses the "clearance" process – and some of the glaring problems involved with it.

Q. What does it take to medically clear a fighter to compete? (from Anonymous)

A. On face value this may appear to be a simple question that should produce a simple answer. I agree. The question is straightforward, but the answer probably presents more questions than it answers. Confused yet? Let me explain.

What is "medical clearance," anyway? Well, a doctor must evaluate potential participants and determine if they have any medical issues that should reasonably preclude them from safe participation in a specific upcoming sanctioned event.

Medical clearances for professional combat sports usually include a history and physical examination, blood work (complete blood-cell count, HIV, hepatitis B & C, and coagulation tests PT/PTT), some level of eye exam, and possibly a brain scan depending on whether there has been a history of knockout losses.

Potential problem No. 1

The required elements of medical clearances are dictated by the host state's sanctioning body. Each state is free to decide what is necessary.

Do not assume that all states even have a specific athletic sanctioning body. Some states merely use their DPR divisions (Department of Professional Regulations). This is the same agency that issues licenses for most any public, service-oriented business (doctors, lawyers, pool cleaners, pet groomers, etc.) Some states have no sanctioning body at all.

Therefore, every state that requires a medical clearance has a different form with potentially different criteria. Consequently, the clearances are usually nontransferable.

Here's an example: You were cleared to fight in a specific state this week, but the fight got canceled. Your management team did its job and got you another fight in a bordering state for the next week. Guess what. You will likely be forced to undergo a portion, if not all, of the medical clearance again.

States are not required to share your medical information with other states. (Actually, due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, they are probably prohibited from doing so.)

Potential problem No. 2

It's the doctor.

Question: Who picks the doctor who performs the medical clearance?

Answer: The fighter's camp (management and promoter).

Need I say more?

As a doctor, you fail a fighter during his medical clearance, and all hell breaks loose. Not from the state but from the fighter's camp. They rarely address the problem. They just quickly change direction and find a more understanding doctor.

Remember, if this person doesn't fight, for any reason, no one gets paid – not the fighter, not the trainer, not the strength and conditioning coach, not the nutritionist and not the promoter. Well, the promoter will probably be fine because he'll just get rid of you and put another warm body in there (as long as the doctor didn't mess up the main event). After all, the show must go on – and the promoter must get paid.

And what is the background of the doctor who is responsible for the medical-clearance process? The only requirement that I am aware of is a valid medical license. And in some cases, I'm not certain that anyone ever confirms that the medical license is current.

And any specialty of medicine will work. Pediatrics, family practice, OB/GYN, dermatology, radiation oncology. It really doesn't matter. Kinda scary, I agree.

I am not disparaging any specialty of medicine, but just because you may be competent in one area of medicine does not automatically make you qualified to provide medical clearance for combat athletes. (My sister-in-law in Reston, Va., Tammy, is a wonderful OB/GYN. If you have a question regarding your pregnancy, she's the man! But if you need medical clearance for an upcoming bout, I'd humbly suggest that you get a second opinion.)

The morals to this story are numerous.

There should be a computerized, standardized national form and criteria. This standardized process should be required by every state and be transferable. This secure (since it will contain confidential medical info) database would then be accessible to the appropriate sanctioning bodies.

This database will make it easier to verify the licensure of physicians who perform and many times manage these vitally important clearances.

There also should be a greater minimum standard required for physicians who are involved in this process.

Most of all, the fighters must protect themselves. At the beginning and end of the day, it's a business, and money is involved. Money has a funny way of corrupting those who are supposed to have your best interest at heart – and not their own.

Dr. Johnny Benjamin is MMAjunkie.com's medical columnist and consultant and a noted combat-sports specialist. He was also recently appointed to the ABC's medical advisory team and will help review and refine the unified rules of MMA. Dr. Benjamin writes an "Ask the Doc" column every two weeks for MMAjunkie.com. To submit a question for a future column, email him at askthedoc [AT] mmajunkie.com, or share your questions and thoughts in the comments section below. You can find Dr. Benjamin online at www.drjohnnybenjamin.com, and you can read his other sports-related articles at blog.drjohnnybenjamin.com.