Rumor Mongering

by Michael Rome on Mar 2, 2008 10:11 PM EST in News Comment 8 comments

I can't resist passing this rumor along.

According to Media Takeout, a website that may or not be reliable, Ray Lewis is in talks to fight with the UFC:

According to a person who works at U.F.C., the Baltimore Ravens star linebacker and the league have been negotiating for months and are close to closing the deal. The insider told MediaTakeOut.com, "Ray Lewis was an All-American wrestler in high school, and he's just an all around bad a**. He'll fit in perfectly here."

And the insider claims that the deal wouldn't interfere with Ray's NFL career. He explained to MediaTakeOut.con, "We're not looking to sign him on full-time, just a match or two a year - and he can handpick the opponent ... He has such a big name that it will do wonders for the sport."

This would be so awesome, mainly to watch him get KO'ed in a widely watched fight. I am skeptical about this one, but who knows? It would probably be the most talked about fight in UFC so far if he came in.

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Re: Rumor Mongering

Even if there is not clause specifically restricting a player from engaging in combat sports, I am reasonably certain that every NFL player, particularly players that mean as much to their team as Lewis does to his, would have some verbiage in their contract restricting their off-the-field activities. See: Adam Jones's run in TNA Wrestling.

It works that way in other sports as well. I'm sure everyone recalls Aaron Boone violating his contract with the Yankees when he played pick-up basketball and tearing his ACL (or suffering some other similar injury), leading to the Yankee's acquisition of Alex Rodriguez.

Also, Dana White has made unflattering comments in the past regarding former NFL players' forays into MMA. Far be it from Dana to pass up a potential big payday at risk of being a hypocrite, but in this case, I feel like Dana would expect a little more out of Ray Lewis than a few months of training in MMA during the NFL off season before signing him to a contract. Even Brock Lesnar had to fight with K-1 before the UFC took a run at him. To me, you have to put Lewis in against someone who will crush him, and aside from a quick cash grab, what do you really gain? If Lewis wins, the popular opinion will be that mixed martial artists are little more than bare knuckled brawlers and certainly not high-level athletes on par with NFL players. And even if Lewis is defeated, then the pundits and critics will blast MMA for putting on a freakshow, degrading the sanctity of the sport for a few bucks.

Finally, Lewis seems to only win fights in which he can stab people to death, and I'm pretty sure most athletic commissions frown on the use of knives in MMA these days.

by Brett Jones on Mar 2, 2008 11:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rumor Mongering

While, I'm pretty sure you're right it won't happen, I don't think it would be that big of a deal if it did (other than the fact that it would do a ton of buys).

by Richard Wade on Mar 3, 2008 12:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rumor Mongering

Roethlisburger (sp?) smashed himself up on a motorbike and I don't think that was a violation. I think it's more of cross-sports appearances that they frown upon because it's a type of endorsement for that sport, by one of their clients, which is contradicting their goals. Understandable. So I can see it being a conflict of interest for the team to allow Ray to do this, and I am not so positive he would not just end up like Johnny Morton.

by DirtyML on Mar 3, 2008 7:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rumor Mongering

It is true that there was no clause in Ben Roethlisberger's contract preventing him from riding a motorcycle without a helmet. However, I don't think we can make a direct comparison between the risks involved in riding a motorcycle and those involved in professional fighting.

While it's true that one could argue the potential for risk being higher with the motorcycle (particularly when not wearing a helmet), it is, for all intents and purposes, a certainty that a professional fighter will suffer some manner of injury during a fight.

Again, if we recall Adam Jones's time in TNA Wrestling, where he was not allowed to fake fight, it becomes very hard to imagine an NFL franchise allowing their franchise player to fight in the UFC.

by Brett Jones on Mar 3, 2008 12:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rumor Mongering

Ray Lewis is hardly a franchise player at this point in his career.

by Richard Wade on Mar 3, 2008 5:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rumor Mongering

I think you're definitely over thinking it. If it happened, which I highly doubt is possible for the reasons you said, it would just be a hugely watched fight that makes them a ton of money and gets a bunch of new fans to watch.

by Michael Rome on Mar 2, 2008 11:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rumor Mongering

I think with MMA we still need to look at it in the worst case scenario when considering what sort of mainstream reaction it will receive.

For me, the headline "LEWIS ENGAGES IN BARBARIANISM" seems like an obvious response from the mainstream media. Nevermind that the headline could (read: should) be recycled for his involvement in professional football, but that's the unfortunate perception of MMA even in 2008.

It's like that line in Blazing Saddles, something about "maybe in another 20 years you'll be able to shake their hands in broad daylight." MMA really just arrived in Rock Ridge, and although the sport has it's supporters in the same way that Bart had the support of the "drunk in number two," it has yet to convince the masses to stop slurring it.

by Brett Jones on Mar 3, 2008 12:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rumor Mongering

He wants to hand pick his opponents. That right there tells me he won't fight in the UFC. There's no way he could beat Dana White in an ego match. No matter how much money he could make, Dana would never let something so audacious happen.

by Yasnian on Mar 3, 2008 2:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs