By Coach Tim Walker – Many Eastside readers are not particularly respondent to the UFC but you’ve got to respect a promoter who calls it like he sees it even if it means stick it to one of his stars.
UFC 112 was a blazing success financially. A reported gate of 3.5 million dollars in addition to hundreds of thousands tuning in via PPV. Who would have thought that with that kind of success that one of the sport’s biggest stars, the current pound-for-pound UFC king, fighting in the main event would find a way to virtually turn the attending crowd against him and leave UFC President, Dana White, seething with anger..
On the heals of a major UFC fight card that featured Anderson Silva against Demian Maia in the main event, White spoke harshly in the post fight press conference. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more embarrassed in 10 years of being in the business. It’s the first time I’ve ever walked out of a main event.” His blood pressure rising with every Q&A White didn’t stop there. “He (Anderson Silva) doesn’t deserve to fight GSP” referencing UFC standout Georges St. Pierre.
In boxing, when a match turns into a emotional let-down, fighters have the built in excuse that styles make fights. While styles do make fights that truth is sometimes used as an excuse to cover a lackluster performance. The UFC, which is an in-your-face, action packed, free-for-all, doesn’t have that luxury. Four ounce gloves and the use of knees and elbows insure that. At least we thought it did. Silva, the main who was in negotiations to fight ring legend Roy Jones Junior at one point, uncharacteristically, found a way to neutralize that mix. Making odd gestures, taunting his foe, refusing to mix it up with challenger Demian Maia were the embodiment of this main event.
Afterwards Silva was barely apologetic, “Unfortunately, not every fight turns out the way everyone would like.” He continued, “The way I feel, my mission was completed. I came in and dominated the fight and did what I had to do.” In all seriousness, he’s right. As a fighter your job is to win. The flip side of that coin is that he isn’t a boxer.
A good case and point would be Mr. Tito Ortiz. In the 2008 Ortiz, spilling over with complaints about White and the UFC, abandoned the entity. He soon learned there are very few places to go outside the UFC circle. In comparison, boxers are virtual free agents. They have managers, trainers and promoters but they really have the final say over their careers. Unlike boxing, UFC fighters learn that the UFC fully controls its own ship, and its fighters. Specifically, every fighter in the UFC fights other fighters signed to the UFC. That equates to a control mechanism. Couple this with the fact that the UFC is nearly 70-80% of the global mixed martial arts market then you get a clearer picture of how much power lies with this privately owned company.
White stated that he will find a way to discipline his star and did not rule out any possible disciplinary actions including the possibility of making his star an opening act or not allowing him his dream match with the aforementioned GSP.
Whether you are a UFC fan or not you simply have to respect it when a promoter stands up and says my show was crap! We get crap boxing matches more often than we’d like to admit but I can not recall any promoter openly stating disappointment in a fight card regardless of the amount of boos or the number of people who walked out. You have to respect that.
Coach Tim Walker is a contributing writer for Eastsideboxing.com and his own personal blog at boxing4life.blogspot.com welcomes comments. To suggest fighters for Monthly Stud and The Project please email tpwalker@hotmail.com. I welcome questions or comments.