Strikeforce Pays Deray Davis and Mark Miller Win Bonus Following Cancellation

by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 10, 2009 7:35 PM EST in News Comment 39 comments

Bloody Elbow spoke to Mike Afromowitz of Strikeforce this evening and was informed that Strikeforce has decided to pay both fighters their contracted win bonuses.

The quote on the resolution:

..the resolution to this is that both fighters got paid their appearance fees and we're paying them their win bonuses.

On Strikeforce's attempts to follow through on the match-up:

Just so you know, we made every attempt to put the fight back on in another Chicago area fight so they could fight in front of their hometown fans but neither fighter was available on the date proposed for a local card there.

Mike went on to explain that if the fight would have been moved to a local show Strikeforce would have paid them the appearance fee for that fight as well, but when they weren't able to commit to that date both fighters were paid their win bonuses. Also, Mike was quick to point out that this was the first time a fight has been pushed of a card like this in Strikeforce history and they feel that in the end this resolution was fair.

Links for backstory:

Original Bloody Elbow post: What Happened to Mark Miller v. Deray Davis?

Follow up Bloody Elbow post: New Details on the Mark Miller / Deray Davis Cancellation

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OK...............

But did he ever explain WHY it happened? Is there a reason it couldn’t have happened before the televised portion started (where there apparently was a 30 minute break) or after the main event?

by ufc4 on Nov 10, 2009 7:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

He did say that he would give a full write-up of what happened exactly but that it was a time concern.

I would assume (and this is me talking not anything Mike said) that the fighters were ready to go, got pushed to make sure the women got in (they were supposed to go on before the women’s fight), and went back to the locker rooms. Once that happens they would have had to go from getting warmed up to cooled down back to warmed up, get to the cage, if the fight went the full 15 minutes (17 with round breaks) and then add in 3-5 minutes for a decision we’re up to 22 minutes. Plus the time to get them back out there and you’re close to the 30. I assume they felt they couldn’t get it in. There may have been building contracts in place that the fights were to end at a set time in the eveing. I don’t know but I’ll ask Mike to confirm that all.

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 10, 2009 7:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

OK cool.

There may have been building contracts in place that the fights were to end at a set time in the eveing.

I don’t think this would be a concern because they would have had to allow them enough time for all 4 fights to go to a decision and since the Mousasi and Fedor fights both ended in round 2 there should have been plenty of time left after the main event.

by ufc4 on Nov 10, 2009 7:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

After the Fedor fight the cage was occupied for quite a long time with all the celebrations, interviews etc. Just saying.

- mixed, not shaken
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by mikser on Nov 10, 2009 7:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So tell them to GTFO, there’s other people who need to make a living.

by ufc4 on Nov 10, 2009 8:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I know and I agree. Like I said: “just saying”.

- mixed, not shaken
Editor-in-Chief: All About Russian Mixed Martial Arts (Fedor Emelianenko, Aleksander, M-1 Global,etc)

by mikser on Nov 10, 2009 9:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

According to Snowden people just plain forgot about the fight and the TV guys started breaking down their gear before someone realized.

A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

by iiowyn on Nov 10, 2009 10:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow that’s pretty pathetic.

by ufc4 on Nov 10, 2009 10:44 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

I was told this is not true. I’ll let you know when I have more information. But I’ve been told by reliable people that it did happen, and by reliable people that it did not happen.

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 10, 2009 11:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This is 100% true. I heard this exchange with my own ears. Keep in mind, I’m not saying everyone forgot about the fight. I’m sure some people didn’t. But these particular TV people forgot all about it. The exchange went something like this:

“Great job guys, let’s wrap it up…”

Brief Pause

“Isn’t there supposed to be another fight?”

Awkward pause

“They never announced anything in the building and everyone is leaving.”

Minute or so pause; talks on headset

“Go ahead and tear it down.”

This is not incompatible with the idea that Strikeforce made a conscious decision to cancel the fight. But if that was the case, why? This was the swingbout. It’s designed to be put off until after the main event in the case of time issues. That’s not unusual.

But if they didn’t just forget, or remember too late to communicate with their partners, why did they cancel the fight?

by JonathanSnowden on Nov 11, 2009 9:24 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Right. I’m not saying you didn’t hear it. I’m simply saying maybe the organization canceled it and didn’t communicate it down to those TV people.

Regardless…your point stands that how the hell did the fight not go off and I am still waiting for the story on exactly how it all went down.

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 11, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

what win bonus...i hope not the Fight of the night.

but IMO i think its a fair share, at least they don’t have to spend any money for the doctors.

by OnewayTiket on Nov 10, 2009 7:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I believe SF isn’t doing Fight/KO/Sub of the night bonuses. Only UFC does.

by bawzz on Nov 10, 2009 7:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Other promotions have....

i’m not sure about SF

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 10, 2009 7:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ok. I just follow the main ones aka UFC/SF/Dream/Sengoku/WEC and Bellator.
Does any one of them beside the UFC does special bonuses ?
thanks

by bawzz on Nov 10, 2009 7:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

also i would like to know how much?

by OnewayTiket on Nov 10, 2009 7:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Illinois doesn’t release salary information. I can ask but I believe both Strikeforce and the involved fighters would have to agree to release the payment information.

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 10, 2009 7:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

im sure they are happy with the payoff

because other wise it would have been all over the “INTERNETS”

by OnewayTiket on Nov 10, 2009 7:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Can you ask for attendance/gate figures?

by ufc4 on Nov 10, 2009 7:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Props to Brookhouse for making the issue public

i doubt the same outcome would have happened if this story wasn’t followed up on.

The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering BROCKLESNAR; to the last I grapple with thee.

by judonerd on Nov 10, 2009 8:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

agreed…get the feeling they wouldn’t have done bonuses or anything if it hadn’t become public…

by Reaser16 on Nov 10, 2009 8:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I disagree.

Sounds like SF was either going to book a new time/venue for the fight or pay the win bonuses. Plan A didn’t work, straight to plan B. I wouldn’t automatically assume the worst from them.

by pdl on Nov 10, 2009 8:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

never worked in PR, have you?

The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering BROCKLESNAR; to the last I grapple with thee.

by judonerd on Nov 10, 2009 9:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually...

I have experience working in PR/marketing, and also currently work within the MMA community, so I’d like to think I have a feel for the pulse of what’s going on. I won’t go holier-than-thou and scream that I have insider information or anything (particularly because I don’t in this case), but I assure you that my credentials are not an issue.

And again, I’m not exonerating Strikeforce. Just disagreeing with somebody else’s gut feeling and waiting to hear more information from more sources. The fighters themselves, perhaps?

by pdl on Nov 10, 2009 11:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My bad, Im just surprised someone in PR has faith in the truth of any public statement.

The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering BROCKLESNAR; to the last I grapple with thee.

by judonerd on Nov 11, 2009 12:32 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No worries. But you’ll also notice I’m checking my language. I’m adding qualifiers, and certainly not putting myself firmly in the camp of “Oh, this was their plan all along, good job Strikeforce!” Supremacy can do that, no need for me to.

I’d like to hear from their agents regarding the talks they had with Coker about rescheduling, if there were any negotiations towards a more creative compromise, potential for legal action based on failure to hold up to a bout agreement, infamous ‘locker room bonuses’… there are a lot of things that could have been going on that we don’t know anything about. Until we have that kind of info, which we may never get, we’re mostly spewing out our biases and impulses.

by pdl on Nov 11, 2009 12:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Doing what a good journalist (I know you’re bloggers) is supposed to do – keeping them honest. Take note Mr. Iole.

by nottheface on Nov 10, 2009 8:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks Brent!

I too think SF wouldve been straight up honest, but I really appreciate what you’ve done for both fighters. It keeps others motivated to enter the fight game.

by JAYGK95 on Nov 10, 2009 9:15 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

This seems like a fair resolution, considering how both fighters trained and the fight was pushed off the card through no fault of their own. Good stuff. Kudos to Brent for following up with this issue.

I love me some Sexyama!

by pud333 on Nov 10, 2009 8:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It sucks that it took a couple of days to give them their win bonus. i guess it is easier to come up with a good excuse when you have three days to figure it out.

by joseph. on Nov 10, 2009 8:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

P.R. Move if it hadn’t been a story these guys wouldn’t of got jack. Plus they still was local guys with 200+ fans in attendance who didn’t get to see these guys who trained and went threw the agony that is camp only to be told before walkout your fight is cancelled. My fight in the cage might of been off but i be damn if i wouldn’t have hit somebody upside the head that night

"Frank Mir had a horseshoe up his ass. I told him a year ago. I pulled it out of him and I beat him over the head with it." Brock Lesnar

by pitbull187 on Nov 10, 2009 8:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Good job on keeping this story at the forefront Brent. You know a lot of things do not go according to plan when in comes to putting on live fights like we just saw over the weekend, but regardless the fighters did at least get their bonus money, even though they lost their sponser money. I’d like to think Strikeforce changed their minds because of the fans and the added pressure by reporters like Brent, good job.

by Joselana on Nov 10, 2009 8:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It's cool Strikeforce gave them both their win bonuses.

Did their sponsors go ahead and pay them also?

Just BE.

by mattman73 on Nov 10, 2009 9:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

One got paid by sponsors, the other didn’t.

by ufc4 on Nov 10, 2009 9:32 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Well. We know for sure that Miller did not. I haven’t spoken to Deray to know if he got paid by all, some or none of his sponsors.

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 10, 2009 9:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think it is total BULLSHIT that people are now saying 'Oh, It's Cool.....'

This situation totally sucks. It is about the money, but it is more about the time lost and opportunity lost. You can never get that back.

by joseph. on Nov 11, 2009 9:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Now what about their sponsorship money...?

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by themachiavellian on Nov 11, 2009 12:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think the sponsorship money gets filed under “lost forever”

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 11, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Whose idea was it to can the fight> CBs or Strikeforce? I rememeber lots of poeple blaming CBS but i get the feeling strikeforce is the promoter and should be held accountable.

by Beren on Nov 11, 2009 6:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs