Dana Signs Cro Cop For UFC 99 On Verbal Agreement, No Contract
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 9, 2009 7:56 PM EDT
147 comments
I wrote a post last week about Mirko Cro Cop not being officially signed to the UFC yet to fight for the upcoming UFC 99 fight. This is what Meltzer wrote previously, before Mirko was confirmed for UFC 99:
--We've been flooded with e-mails on this one in the last 24 hours. The Mirko Cro Cop deal for the 6/13 UFC show is that Cro Cop has not yet signed his contract so the fight isn't being advertised, but everyone is still under the impression Cro Cop is fighting on the show in Cologne, Germany.
...
They were hopeful it could be signed by tomorrow but there is a holdup that doesn't have to do with Cro Cop/UFC negotiations.
Well, it seems that Mirko and the UFC agreed on a verbal agreement for Mirko to fight on UFC 99 against Al-Turk, but beyond that, Mirko is not obligated to fight for the UFC since there is no contract between the two, although Mirko gave his word to fight for the UFC more than once . According to MMA Fanhouse:
When the UFC negotiates fighters' contracts, it's usually careful to make sure that all the i's are dotted and all the t's are crossed, and that nothing slips through the cracks. But in the case of Mirko Cro Cop, who a couple weeks ago agreed to fight atUFC 99 on Saturday, it was just a verbal agreement with UFC President Dana White.
When asked on a conference call Tuesday how many fights Cro Cop had on his new UFC contract, White said it was up in the air.
"Mirko and I are working on that still," White said. "Mirko Cro Cop ended up on this card last minute, weeks before the event, and this whole deal was done verbally over the phone with me and him."
Obviously, that's not how the UFC usually does business.
"I've never done this in the history of the company with anybody, ever," White said. "I respect Mirko. He knows how I feel about him and I know how he feels about me and I know what his goals are as far as the UFC and the heavyweight title. We did this over the phone. I've never done that, ever, in nine years of being in this business."
Mirko previously mentioned that he has a non-exclusive contract with the UFC, and I guess technically he is correct since there is no contract. This means that Mirko basically verbally agreed to a 1 fight deal, and is non-exclusive to the point where he can fight on the DREAM.10 card if he chooses to, since he is on the flyer and all.
It will be interesting to see what kind of contract Dana and Mirko end up agreeing to, and whether Mirko will be able to compete for DREAM while that is being negotiated. So most people will ask, why Mirko and not Fedor? I guess the answer to that is that Mirko is far from fighting for a belt, while Fedor would most likely fight Lesnar right away, and the UFC would not like their champ to be beaten by Fedor on a verbal agreement and go somewhere else right after. If Mirko looks anything like his old self and wins big, the UFC will be forced to come to an agreement with Cro Cop and have a contract, if they want Mirko to make a run at the UFC belt.
Mirko assured everyone that he would agree to additional fights for the UFC after his UFC 99 return:
For his part, Cro Cop said White explained their agreement correctly, but he was quick to add that he's sure he'll agree to additional fights with the UFC down the road.
"As Dana explained, we talked just on the phone, we didn't meet," Cro Cop said. "But this is definitely not my last fight in the UFC. You have my word for it."
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
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If CC loses, he’ll go to DREAM, and if he wins, he’ll stay. Very weird that Dana decided to do this – maybe he was as disappointed as the rest of us by CC’s first UFC trip and wants to give him the chance to redeem himself. And if not, he’ll be free to do whatever.
Dana and Mirko must have some kind of actual relationship for Dana to take him at his word regarding more fights.
by subo on Jun 9, 2009 8:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Mirko is a straight shooter. He probably doesn’t know what he wants to do except if a ground breaking card is in Germany he wants to be on it.
by bignerd on Jun 9, 2009 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wow…never thought I would ever see this. I’ve heard of Zuffa having agreements to let some people fight on some lower shows for 1 or 2 fights and come back but never anything like this.
Maybe after the Barnett fight they can get Fedor to…um…nevermind.
by Tonley on Jun 9, 2009 8:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
CONFIDENTIAL UFC CONTRACT!!!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
……………………Mirko Filipovic
Keep firing Assholes!
Out out, you demons of stupidity!
by Ubernoober on Jun 9, 2009 8:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
by MMAEruption on Jun 9, 2009 8:58 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Very odd. 1 fight deal or not……Surely the UFC would have presented him with a contract. If they did and he wouldnt sign it……why is he fighting or why wasnt it revised? If they didnt offer him an official contract, why on earth not?
by GeeDub on Jun 9, 2009 11:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It might very well just be that him and Dana White have a very good relationship and Dana trust him enough to give him a shot on a verbal agreement. It says a lot about what Dana thinks of him as a person that he would put him in a fight when they don’t even have a contract hammered out yet.
by who me on Jun 9, 2009 11:58 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Maybe, but even if they are best friends, I still dont see why theres no contract, if only to maintain standards and consistency. Oh well, no biggie, just a bit strange.
by GeeDub on Jun 10, 2009 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
For all we know there is a contract now or one that will be in place soon. That was just how they put this deal together.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 1:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
UFC is desperate to have Mirko on the Germany card, so they pretty much agreed to the verbal agreement because they can’t come to agreement on a written contract due “outside” sources.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 3:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They are so desperate to put him on the card last minute that they actually answered the phone when he called and asked them to put him on the card? You are really trying to hard to swing this into something anti-UFC and it’s really a bit silly. Cro Cop was the one who contacted the UFC about fighting in Germany, Cro Cop is the one who keeps talking about wanting to go back to the UFC and Cro Cop was the one willing to take the fight based on a verbal telephone agreement alone. The card was going to happen with or without him and at this late date him being on the card is only going to have a limited impact on ticket sales because they didn’t even have enough time to advertise his fight properly. This is more of Dana White doing Cro Cop a favor than it is the UFC desperate to have Cro Cop on a card in Germany.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 4:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They have been in negotiations for much longer than the 2 weeks that was mentioned here, and I am not sure how me stating that the UFC really wanted Cro Cop at their Germany card is anyway anti-UFC. Rumors of Cro Cop fighting for the Germany have been going on for 2 months or so, and you think it isn’t odd that they don’t have a deal, and this is just a big favor from Dana to Mirko?
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 4:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mirko Offered UFC Contract and UFC 99 Spot on January, 2009
Croatian website Sportal is reporting that Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic has been offered a fight contract with the UFC to fight on the upcoming UFC 99 fight card this summer in Cologne, Germany.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 5:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And the source for all that talk was Cro Cop.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes and that is the point, all the talk about Cro Cop in Germany going back to the very first rumor was sourced from Cro Cop. This was something him and his manager were going around saying from the very start and that does fit in with it being Cro Cop that was pushing to be on the card not the other way around.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So you are saying they made up the fact that the UFC offered him a contract and to fight on UFC 99?
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
February 18, 2009
Interviewer: Where will you make your comeback?http://blogs.chron.com/fighting/2009/02/cro_cop_ufc_99_comeback_very_l.html
Cro Cop:There is a great possibility that I will be fighting for the UFC in Cologne, Germany. I don’t know my opponent yet. But I’m very confident that we’ll come to an agreement with the UFC and that I’ll fight for them in June. There are other offers on the table also.
Just because they started talking back then doesn’t mean that they had a contract back then or that it wasn’t Cro Cop’s idea to start with. Your making an assumption that it was the UFC that approached Cro Cop when the only information that has ever come out of this is that Cro Cop made first contact. The whole thing flies in the face of this being some kind of desperation move on the UFC’s part, this has very obviously been Cro Cop wanting to get on the card for a very long time now.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Forget desperation, I said the UFC wanted Cro Cop on the card, and they were not able to come to a deal (they were obviously negotiating for months) due to some outside factors preventing Mirko on signing a contract. That is what I was implying, rather than what you think I am doing, and that is trying to make it seem that the UFC was extremely desperate to get him there.
Meltzer does give out the impression that Dana and the UFC have been trying to get a contract done with him though, so I don’t believe this is all a giant favor Dana is doing for Mirko. The UFC would definitely gain from having him on the card.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You above:
UFC is desperate to have Mirko on the Germany card, so they pretty much agreed to the verbal agreement because they can’t come to agreement on a written contract due "outside" sources.Wonder where I got the idea that you were trying to say that the UFC was doing this because they were desperate to have Cro Cop on the card?
Yes the UFC will get something out of Cro Cop being on the card, that’s how the entire sport has worked from the very first second it became a sport, both sides are in this for mutual gain. Cro Cop wanted on the card and Dana White was very excited about that, that was the whole point that came out of the conference call. There is nothing to see here, the only news at all was that Dana White has enough faith in Cro Cop to cut the deal on the phone.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I mentioned that, but that wasn’t my whole point. The inability of being able to sign a contract in 6 months due to outside sources is what no one is really looking at. Everyone is just saying the UFC is doing a big favor for Mirko, which isn’t entirely true.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes completly unknown outside issues that were not discussed at all, that was the point…….
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They are so desperate to put him on the card last minute that they actually answered the phone when he called and asked them to put him on the card?
they obviously called him. theyve been calling him for months. i mean, you think its not desperation to make a huge exception for one guy, for a lot of money, and on like 2-3 weeks notice?
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 7:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Of repeated interest were the events that led up to CroCop’s return to the UFC. Upon learning of the event being held in Germany, Filipović was the one to initiate contact with Dana White. White expressed that "when Mirko and I talked on the phone and he said he wanted to come back, I’ll tell you what he was all fired up and basically said ‘I got my surgery, I’ve been training, I wanna come back and I wanna win that title’… I’ve talked to a lot of different fighters at a lot of different points of their careers and when I talked to Mirko and we started talking about putting him on the Germany card he was fired up." .
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great find
I’m highly surprised by this, but in a good way. Especially since Cro Cop didn’t set the world on fire in his debut with the UFC and there’s a school of thought that he might be a shot fighter. Course, maybe Dana wants to check out the goods and kick the tires before HE signs a contract. And the many injuries on this card and the need to put on a good show may have been one of the factors.
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who
by thetakeover on Jun 9, 2009 11:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Actually there is a “contract”…
Its called the “Payment”.
There’s no signed contract for more fights and there’s no signed contract for a payment.
Crocop is offering a “try before you buy” special and Dana decided to try.
If he shows a glimmer of his old self a deal will be worked out… if not he’ll be sent to dream where he can take out the rest of their japanese cans.
by mmalogic on Jun 9, 2009 11:58 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
good insight as always.
You no fight.. you no get dollars.
"Like a ballet of violence clothed in fine Brazilian silk." ~ MMASuPreMaCy
by Benicio on Jun 10, 2009 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeh you can put it that way
It’s basically a one fight contract. Verbal contracts are binding in most states in the US anyway.
But I think it’s definitely because of Crocop’s relative bargaining power that Dana did this with him. In one sense Crocop is a huge addition to the Germany card, but in the other sense, if he really is shot there’s no point in Dana keeping him on a 4 fight contract.
by rainmaker6 on Jun 10, 2009 2:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yup
UFC wants him on UFC 99 bad.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 3:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So bad that Zuffa didnt even make a written commitment to pay him… that’s what a contract is you moron.
You think because Zuffa doesnt have a written contract for more fights that is a weaker position?
NO – not being obligated to pay is the stronger position than having some written contract that is hard to enforce with overseas boundaries.
Zuffa has larger brains than the chickpeas you carry around with you.
by mmalogic on Jun 10, 2009 3:40 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Hahaha…another outburst by mmalogic?
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 4:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, I mentioned that the UFC wanted Cro Cop at the event to help sell the event and get people from Croatia to come over, to advertise the card with a famous European fighter, and Mirkos manager himself mentioned a few months ago that they had a special contract with the UFC. I am sure Zuffa didn’t want him to take part of UFC 99 and just did a big favor for him.
“ordinary contract to UFC is domination contrast.but Mirko’s contract will be special…(He can fight japanese promotion too?)”.
You argue that the UFC not being obligated to pay is the stronger position, really? You think that Mirko is going to fight in Gernany, not get paid, and he won’t happen to mention that to the public, which would tarnish the image of the company? Although there is no contract, Mirko has more leeway to not fight on the card if he doesn’t want to compared to Zuffa having the option not to pay him.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 4:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I Will Post This Again
Mirko was offered the UFC contract and a spot on UFC 99 on January, 2009.
http://sportal.vecernji.hr/vld/sportal/ostalo/borilacki/3215571/showPhotoSerie.do?fotoIndex=1
Meltzer than recently reports this:
They [UFC] wanted Cro Cop to sell tickets to people coming in from Croatia, but the longer they wait to announce it, the harder it’ll be to get people to travel in. They were hopeful it could be signed by tomorrow but there is a holdup that doesn’t have to do with Cro Cop/UFC negotiations.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 5:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It is always fun watching you and your friends spazz out after mmalogic posts something and then go pat yourselves on the back. Go read up on Crocop’s leaving the UFC in the first place.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 10, 2009 5:15 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I read it. They left in good terms, and fought with DREAM shortly after.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 5:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Said he wanted to get a couple of quality wins and return to the UFC (no contract, just his word, which he didn’t do winning a UD over Choi, getting a DQ from Overeem, and beating a sub par fighter his first fight.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 5:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
crocop asked to leave so he could go back to japan and fight cans. so yeah, i bet he wants to go back to the ufc. but then again, if dream throws him and fedor a bunch of money to fight on new years, then the ufc might have just given that fight new life.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 6:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There is no one, on this planet,
that wants to see another Fedor/CC fight.
by subo on Jun 10, 2009 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
apparently there was enough interest in japan that they tried hyping it last year.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 10:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have to say I don’t really want to…
by rainmaker6 on Jun 11, 2009 5:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I Will Post This Again :D
From the Cro Cop conference call:
Upon learning of the event being held in Germany, Filipović was the one to initiate contact with Dana White.http://mmaspot.net/news.php?id=405
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, that is what is being said now, but we already know that he was offered a contract from the UFC on January, several months ago.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That is what Cro Cop is saying now and all the older reports were sourced from Cro Cop too. Who do I believe Cro Cop or you?
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cro Cop and his managers said both, so who do you believe? Cro Cop from 6 months ago or Cro Cop quote from the conference recently.
Odd that he would have known he was fighting at UFC 99 6 months ago.
He should tell us all lotto numbers, quick! =)
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What does that have to do with it being Cro Cop that was the one wanting to be on the card? We don’t know that they were offered a contract back in January we just know that Cro Cop was talking about it back then too. The fact that Cro Cop has been wanting to get on this show for months now is the entire point, this isn’t the UFC pushing to get him on a card it’s Dana White giving Cro Cop what he was asking for. If it’s Cro Cop that has been pushing for this then it changes what your whole arguement here is.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What no one is asking is why could they not agree on a contract within 6 months? Meltzer said they were trying to get a contract done, but they couldn’t do to outside sources, so they probably just settled on this verbal agreement for the fight to take place. I am not sure why that is so hard to believe. Meltzer has already written how much money having Cro Cop on the UFC 99 card will make for them, so its not like the UFC is doing a huge favor to Mirko letting him fight on the card.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You in this discussion:
UFC is desperate to have Mirko on the Germany card, so they pretty much agreed to the verbal agreement because they can’t come to agreement on a written contract due "outside" sources.<?blockquote>
The UFC is so desperate for Cro Cop to be on the card that they actually talked to him when he called and asked to be on the card? Your making some really odd assumptions here that this was some kind of desperation move on the UFC’s part and that just doesn’t fit with what we have been told(by both sides). It has nothing to do with them not getting a contract signed it’s that you are making a huge deal and drawing out all sorts of assumptions out of something that is not a big deal at all, Cro Cop asked to be on the card and Dana White made it happen and that is all there is to this story. Will they make money off each other, sure they will that’s how the entire sport works there is nothing at all new about that that.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fine by me. I’m just letting yo know that Meltzer said there was more behind the negotiations than that.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Pivotal point: Who cares? Who cares about the method of negotiations as opposed to the outcome, which is CC on UFC 99 with an option for more?
by subo on Jun 10, 2009 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There is no option for more. The would have to agree on a contract or try to do another verbal agreement.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Cro Cop wants more, he’ll get more – assuming he wins
by subo on Jun 10, 2009 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
All that was said was that the contract hasn’t been completed not that this fight was outside of it, for all we know the damn thing is 99% complete at this point and just hasn’t been signed. They aren’t cutting two separate deals they are cutting one deal and have only verbally agreed to it so far.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
so you think if there isnt a signed contract by saturday mirko isnt fighting? you gotta be playin’ man.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No I am saying that there not being a signed contract at this point in time isn’t as big a deal as people seem to making it out to be. Why do people want to try and make some huge conspiracy theory out of something so irrelevant? The fight is happening the contract will eventually get signed and this whole digging for some kind of deeper meaning here is a bit on the silly side.
Hell I’m not even sure where you got that I was even implying that he wouldn’t fight if a contract wasn’t signed? That isn’t even remotely close to what I was saying.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So bad that Zuffa didnt even make a written commitment to pay him
lololol you are trying to spin this and it is awesome. youve been sitting here for months talking about how one fight deals and the like are completely not in the promoters favor and the ufc would be stupid to do them, but now paying some guy a bunch of money with no commitment was a strategic, well planned move?
sure it is. so what happened with carano? deal fell through? lol
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 6:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I mean...
In all actuality it itsn’t that bad of a move by the UFC, because they aren’t entering into a long-term situation with Mirko until after they see his performance. He is only facing Mustafa Al-Turk (someone Kongo beat down) so if Mirko wins and leaves it isn’t as if he beat Brock, and he will still have been on the UFC’s first fight in Germany…
You guys have to look at this as a case by case basis…. In this instance if everything went wrong (Mirko lost, and left the promotion) how would it really hurt the UFC? If everything goes right however, they have another fighter with a fanbase, who, if successful, could end up a main attraction on cards…
Also, if successful Mriko could in fact be one of Fedor’s first fights if he were to ever sign to UFC (to avoid the title shot initially).
by Loot on Jun 10, 2009 7:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
they have to sell tickets because they sold, what. 7000 out of 18-19000? so from that perspective, theyre gotta do what thye gotta do. but here the ufc is literally tearing apart their playbook for this guy and giving him all the leverage in the world and they did all of this on really short notice. if they didnt care about mirko and this was a real test, hed be fighting kongo instead of cain. its obvious what it is. its obvious why people want to frame it like something else.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 8:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ok wait
So there’s this guy who went 0-2 in his last 2 UFC fights. One of them was getting KTFO by this other guy who went 2-3 since. That first guy has some star power. So Dana calls him up and says “hey come make me some money but no strings attached, because you haven’t looked so good lately and I don’t want any obligations to give you more fights”.
Worst case scenario what happens? He beats Al-Turk and never comes back.
Ok now explain to me why this situation screams desperation from the UFC at you. Go.
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Jun 10, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and I don’t want any obligations to give you more fights
they could have set that up in the contract. thing is that crocop was in the drivers seat. if the ufc had the position of power hed be on a 3 fight contract like everyone else theyve ever signed. he basically got the best terms ever from the ufc for a contract with a couple weeks to go before an event they want him to sell tickets for, but you still think its the ufc doing crocop a favor? LOL.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
3 fight contract? Ok. So CC comes in and gets beat by Al-Turk. How good is that 3 fight contract then?
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Jun 10, 2009 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the ufc can cut guys after they lose. its written into basically every contract. they could sign him to a 30 fight deal but if he loses once in his debut, they dont have to honor every fight. jeez.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh and elaborate on how those are the best terms ever form the ufc. I seem to remember a certain 1-0 fighter who came in and signed crap-load-of-money contract.
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Jun 10, 2009 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and now that brock is a megastar, he cant get up and leave, right? well, mirko is a big enough star to demand 6 figures from anyone, and after saturday, he can. no questions asked.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and who’s gonna give him 6 figures besides the UFC? Dream so he can keep ducking competition? Affliction?
Here’s the thing. If he loses, he goes somewhere else. If he wins the UFC throws some (probably well worth) money at him so he sticks around. I am struggle to find the desperate part.
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Jun 10, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and who’s gonna give him 6 figures besides the UFC? Dream so he can keep ducking competition?
probably because hes a star in japan.
if he wins, the ufc might throw money at him. i mean, they already are because he wont come cheap for this. but so can everyone else. thats why the ufc wont give a one fight contract to anyone. havent there been like years worth of arguments about why it would be stupid for the ufc to give one fight contracts out? now theres a sudden reversal.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah to a guy like Fedor who could come in and beat the HW champ, not to a guy who comes in and might beat Al-Turk.
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Jun 10, 2009 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that talk only ever came up recently with fedor because he never signed over that. but when there was talk about him getting a one fight contract to fight randy this summer, people crapped on that too.
a contract for more fights doesnt mean anything if they arent guaranteed. and in the ufc theyre only guaranteed if you win. its been that way for a long time. apparently crocop is special enough that they change the rules for him. funny how that works for a guy who apparently doesnt mean anything to the ufc or draw any fans.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
How did they change the rules for Cro Cop? Both sides here say this isn’t a one fight deal, I don’t understand where all this talk is coming from? The only thing “special” about this is that White put the deal together on the phone before they actually had a contract hammered out.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
both sides do say they have a one fight deal. promises dont mean anything till theyre on paper.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Point out where either side has said 1 fight deal.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
every journalist covering this calls it a one fight deal and dana wont refute it. i dunno, what do you think it is?
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Both guys said there would be more fights in this very fan post, just because random bloggers are calling it something else does that change what both guys that are actually involved in this are saying?
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 11:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
it'll be a one fight deal
If crocop loses.
Guys – this bickering is so unnecessary. It’s funny how there’s the pro-Zuffa camp and anti-Zuffa camp and both camps try to ‘spin’ the ‘news’ in favour of whoever’s side they’re on.
The reality is this:
Neither side is desperate. Crocop wants back into the UFC. The UFC wants Crocop back in.
Crocop has a verbal contract. He’ll fight one fight. He’ll get paid for that one fight. If he wins he wins and he probably stays. If he loses he goes elsewhere.
Crocop DOES have a pretty advantageous position as compared to most people who sign with the UFC. Generally in the UFC if you win you are forced to stay. In this case that doesn’t apply. Hence it is justifiable to say that Crocop has a pretty advantageous contract.
by rainmaker6 on Jun 11, 2009 5:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Crocop DOES have a pretty advantageous position as compared to most people who sign with the UFC. Generally in the UFC if you win you are forced to stay. In this case that doesn’t apply. Hence it is justifiable to say that Crocop has a pretty advantageous contract.
first, people need to take themselves a lot less seriously. second, the reason im laughing about this is just seeing people completely reverse direction about it. the same thing happened with kimbo slice – one week people say the ufc would never promote anyone like they had ken shamrock on tuf 3 again because the brand is strong and theyre all about sport. the next week, its a coup to get kimbo slice. like i expect dana to lie or exaggerate or whatever. he promotes the fights. watching other people toe the line though that dont get anything out of it though is funny as all get out.
by nigelzackit on Jun 11, 2009 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not taking it seriously, I just found it very odd that anyone else would. This is such a non-story that is getting blown way out of proportion.
by who me on Jun 11, 2009 9:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
TThe arena is 85% sold out already and Cro Cop was so late getting on the card that they didn’t even have time to properly advertise he was on it. This wasn’t some desperate move to sell tickets they have already almost sold the place out. Hell the reason they had the conference call with Cro Cop is that he won’t even be at the press conference for the show, if the point of him being on the show was to sell tickets then it’s a bit late for them to be pushing that.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
they had sold 7200 tickets in a 18000 seat arena as of about 2 weeks ago. either cro cop sold 10000 tickets or they decided to cut out half the arena.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
just in case you need links to prove it, heres meltzer saying they sold 7200 tickets less than a month out from the event:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-ufcwoes051809&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
and here’s the wiki for the arena:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6lnarena
i guess strikeforce lying about selling out arenas is a joke but the ufc doing it is legit, amirite?
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes that was three weeks ago that Meltzer said “More than 7,200 tickets have been sold for the event” and now it is “about 85 percent sold out.” Where is the lying? Where is any mention of them cutting seats out? What is your point? Yes a month out it wasn’t a sell out, that would of been odd in Vegas but in a country where they are visiting for the first time they just might not sell every single ticket the same day the went on sale.
MMApayout said that Strikeforce’s last event was near capacity when it wasn’t even at half capacity for the arena, which is a very misleading statement butI never heard Strikeforce say anything like that though. There is a difference between “sold out” and “at capacity”. I am assuming that is what you are talking about, if not I have no clue there.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
either they sold a ton of tickets after crocop got on or they cut out half the seats in the last week or two. i guess its not lying if you can move the measuring stick at will.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well it could just be that ticket sales could be ramping up as the show gets closer. I mean yea it could be some crazy conspiracy theory or it could be that the show is selling more tickets the closer it gets to happening.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nah, only Strikeforce cuts arena in half and claims 'near capacity' sales
by subo on Jun 10, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That was MMAPayout, not Strikeforce.
Nice try. =)
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
they UFC can always cut you after lose a fight, and if they are worried about Cro Cop, then they can really make sure it is in the contract, which it was last time. So, this whole thing about it not being a bad move because they can test drive Mirko is pretty dumb when they can renegotiate a fighters pay and drop you after a loss anyways.
Also, you want a test drive? Check out what he did against Overeem and HMC at DREAM.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
In general its 2 fights lost at this level – not one fight.
Lets do a common sense exercise:
Company A offers a contract to freelancer B for 2 fights… no matter what freelancer A is gauranteed show money for 2 fights.
Freelancer B offers to work for Company A without a contract and a guaranteed payment. After the work is done Company A can then use payment for that work in the negotiations if they then want to offer a contract.
So which scenario is more appealing to company A?
Believe me if more fighters offered to fight without any written commitment from Zuffa to pay you would see these deals more often.
by mmalogic on Jun 10, 2009 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They could just as easily signed him to a 1 fight contract, with extra bouts being an option to UFC. Don’t see why that would be so hard. There is no law in stone that it has to be two fights.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Or they could be doing what mmalogic says, and considering he has much better information about this than you, I would listen to him.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 10, 2009 9:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
his insider info is awesome. the ufc will be running monthly international shows and signing another 200 fighters any day. he said it would happen! just like how gina would never go to strikeforce LOL.
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So you think that was gonna happen overnight? I kind of assume people who read my comments have some common sense and a modicum of IQ.
When did I say Gina was never gonna sign with strikeforce? again – some IQ is necessary here. I said strikeforce will have to pay to get her.
Heres a mental exercise for you:
OK, Zuffa doesnt have a contract for more fights with Mirko…
Doesnt this also mean that Mirko doesnt have a contract to get paid for his UFC 99 fight?
So Mirko agreed to fight on UFC 99 without a contract…
So I can spin this and say: “Mirko was so desperate he was willing to fight on UFC 99 to prove himself and without even having a contract guaranteeing his pay”
But the truth is he wanted to fight and he has an ego so because he lost face in the first run he said let me fight and we’ll cross the I’s and the T’s later when we have more time.
Can Mirko go somewhere else after this fight? sure… Can Zuffa not pay him for this fight? Sure…
Who has more leverage here?
If you still have trouble understanding please print this and go to the nearest clinic for the mentally retarded and they will help you.
by mmalogic on Jun 10, 2009 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No Zuffa cannot not pay him
If Mirko fights you can bet your ass that Zuffa is bound to pay him. Mirko would win in court every time.
Sorry I usually respect your posts but you’re totally wrong on this account.
by rainmaker6 on Jun 11, 2009 5:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Whatever amount was verbally agreed upon. Duh.
by FRANKIE on Jun 11, 2009 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
when did I say Gina was never gonna sign with strikeforce?
you said that about a week ago. like last tuesday or wednesday in one of the 100 fedor threads. i believe your exact quote was “just wait when people find out gina isn’t signing with strikeforce :)”
by nigelzackit on Jun 11, 2009 8:40 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Like the beating he put on Overeem?
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 3:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
any Dream card he was in would make it STACKED for you though.
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Jun 10, 2009 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You guys go ahead and keep saying that if it makes you guys happy.
=)
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Calling you on your bullshit always makes me happy, just as watching you and your buddies circle jerk each other after mmalogic posts when you try and refute what he says.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 10, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Funny, since you guys do that same when the anti-UFC chants start coming.
=)
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The anti-UFC chants have been pretty quiet lately. Hard to bash on them with multiple PPV’s selling over one million, exciting new champions and the Kimbo signing.
by subo on Jun 10, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i think its as simple as a popular fighter being put on a struggling card to booster hype and positvie attention. There were very few people outside of cro crop that could have realistically been added to the card and made a marked improvement.
by Corey N on Jun 10, 2009 12:42 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The card was already done, and with such little time CroCop's addition only adds a buzz on the internet...
by Loot on Jun 10, 2009 8:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What the fuck is the internet?
a la Jay and Silent Bob
by ANance on Jun 10, 2009 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well except that the card wasn’t struggling( they are already nearing a sell out) and Cro Cop’s addition to the card came so late that they wouldn’t be able to properly advertise it to any extent locally even if it was.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed with this. Particularly given that Crocop has no PPV points therefore he’s the ideal candidate to put on a foreign card. Particularly in Europe.
by rainmaker6 on Jun 10, 2009 2:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
So most people will ask, why Mirko and not Fedor?
I just noticed that in there. Seriously is anyone thinking that? Unless Cro Cop plans on dicking the UFC over just so he could get a fight with Mustapha al-Turk I don’t see what the comparison is, both sides say it’s not a one fight deal. This is completly irrelevant to Fedor and the UFC’s negotiations/issues.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 4:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Fedro would never be allowed to talk to Dana White directly on the phone. Everything has to go through Finkie, which is against the advice of just about every single fighter, manager, and promoter in the sport.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 10, 2009 4:33 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Also
Fedor is too valuable a property to give him a one fight deal. One fight deals can only be made when the opponent is a scrub. And Fedor’s not going to fight a scrub.
by rainmaker6 on Jun 11, 2009 5:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And Fedor’s not going to fight a scrub.
Fedro’s career says otherwise.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 11, 2009 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
+
=
Fedro
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 11, 2009 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Amusing
that not everyone understands simple business. It’s a win-win for Zuffa, win-lose for Cro cop. It is really that simple.
by Riney on Jun 10, 2009 1:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
so why dont they do more one fight contracts if its a win-win? with anyone, not just crocop?
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why don’t you do some more research before you continue to make yourself look silly.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 10, 2009 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
who else have they offered a one fight contract to? any names? if its such a smart move, why didnt they start mirko on a one fight contract?
by nigelzackit on Jun 10, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Name another
fighter of Cro Cops stature that the UFC wants. Dana will give Fedor a 1 fight deal if he fights Congo. Mirko is fighting a can, he want to PROVE himself to Dana. If he is washed up, he can save face, not get cut, and leave the UFC. If he wins he can fight another day.
by Riney on Jun 10, 2009 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why don’t you stop going on and on about this contract that you have no clue whatsoever about?
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 10, 2009 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why do you think this is a one fight contract when neither side is saying that?
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why, on God’s green Earth, does it matter what kind of contract Cro Cop has?
by subo on Jun 10, 2009 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe because mmalogic and Dana have been talking about how verbal agreement are the devil and the UFC would never do that. =)
Although, I like it, IMO.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
win-win for Zuffa you say?? So why is Dana so pissed off that CC left for Dream??
by GeeDub on Jun 14, 2009 7:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t ever remember Dana saying that verbal agreement’s were the devil they just aren’t a smart move most of the time but as always there are exceptions to the rules. Dana and the UFC only roll the dice when all it’s win-win for them as is this situation CC is a man of his word and a name fighter if he wins he’ll be back for another run. If he losses than he can wash his hands of CC and make a name out of Al-Turk either way the UFC as usual wins while the anti-UFC crybabies bitch about it on the internet sounds like another typical day to me.
by Raker on Jun 10, 2009 5:14 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Since when has Cro Cop been such a noble man and a man of his word?
This is the same Mirko that had contract disputes with PRIDE in the middle of the OWGP and demanded more money to continue?
Also, there is no lose-lose here for the UFC. They could have easily signed him for a 1 fight deal, and optioned for more fights after the fact. I am assuming there is a reason why there was no contract signed, in which they had 6 months to iron all that out, and it has nothing to do with the UFC being in a winning or losing scenario.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 10, 2009 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The thing is that there is nothing here, I don’t understand why you are trying to read a bunch of hidden meaning into any of this or making it to be something special, they made a deal the guy is in the UFC they just didn’t put it on paper yet. Unless you have something that actually points to some kind of odd ulterior motive or secrets dealings then this whole discussion really is just making a mountain out of a mole hill.
by who me on Jun 10, 2009 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Bottom line:
What has more leverage:? The paycheck for work done or a piece of paper that says you have to fight x amount of times for a fighter in an overseas jurisdiction?
If Zuffa wants a contract a contract will be made so shut the fuck up.
by mmalogic on Jun 10, 2009 6:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Nice picture of how you spin everything, positive for non-Zuffa, and negative for Zuffa.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 10, 2009 9:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I got to this thread late so probably nobody will read this
But it was a damn good read.
The fact of the matter is that both sides win in this situation and that’s why BOTH Dana and Mirko accepted this deal.
Neither side will come out a loser. mmalogic is absolutely wrong if he thinks that there is even the slightest possibility that Mirko won’t get paid for this fight. However the deal isn’t particularly amazing for Mirko either. It’s basically a ‘show us what you got’ deal where he gets paid for the first fight and only gets to stay if he wins and wins big.
by rainmaker6 on Jun 11, 2009 5:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
mmalogic is absolutely wrong if he thinks that there is even the slightest possibility that Mirko won’t get paid for this fight
It is not that he won’t get paid, just that the amount is not set until after the fight.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 11, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
meltzer says he has a one fight deal and speculates that affliction might be interested along with k1. meanwhile, internet poster guy says he has inside info that crocop isnt guaranteed money for a fight hes taking on short notice? who will i trust, guys?
by nigelzackit on Jun 11, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I already know what you will say, your bias is pretty damn obvious in this case.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 11, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You calling somebody biased is utter hilarity. Right up there with MMASupremacy, mmalogic, or subo doing the same.
by FRANKIE on Jun 11, 2009 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes I am biased, i am hugely biased in favor of Machida, Dustin Hazelett, Frankie Edgar, well run businesses such as Zuffa, websites that allow free commentary and intelligent discussion, charismatic thieves and deceivers who use skill and intelligence to get away with things, and these new cookies I found at IKEA.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 11, 2009 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Really?
Me too. See, were not so different after all!
=)
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 11, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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