Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro is getting frustrated with being kept out of the loop regarding his Strikeforce debut:
Ribeiro was set to make his debut at "Strikeforce: Evolution" this past December, then at "Strikeforce: Miami" in January, but he was scratched from both Showtime cards.
"I really, really try to push for information but it's not so easy," Ribeiro told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on Wednesday. "I hope I can fight in April. I don't know what card.
"I'm training a lot, but I don't know any more information about opponent or the date."
"Sometimes the guys run the show this way, so I keep training and stay in shape so I have time to do the right strategy," Ribeiro said.
"My motivation can grow much more if I know when the fight is going to take place," Ribeiro said. "Sometimes, if you're training but you're not sure, you're not going to do your best. So for me to have a date in my head, I'm going to train much harder."
over 2 years ago
Scott Haber
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Someone tell Will he's fighting in March
Or at least that’s what I heard.
Before the flamers begin their assault, try to remember that Strikeforce has grown exponentially over the course of the last year. Literally. They are bound to experience some growing pains, one of which seems to be keeping their guys in the loop. I don’t know if many people really just how SMALL this promotion was in ‘08 and how giant they’ve become in less than 2 years. It’s not easy to do everything right when you grow that fast. Just ask my knees during puberty.
Inland Empire MMA Examiner
http://www.mmarecap.com
http://www.throwthembows.com
Think for yourself. Your perspective is infinitely more valued than anyone's opinion.
Not trying to flame so please don’t read this like I am.
There have been rumblings that fighters aren’t happy with Strikeforce as their deals call for X amount of fights per year and that isn’t be upheld by the promoter. Growing pains means you don’t have the staffing or infrastructure to handle what you need done day to day, and yes, Strikeforce is extremely understaffed. Historically speaking when you try to expand beyond your breaking point, you will end up losing it all. There are options that Strikeforce as a promoter doesn’t want to explore such as having these guys headline the Challenger shows. To keep a guy like Ribeiro on the shelf for such an extended period of time isn’t fair to the fighter.
They have deals for co-promotion. Lend him out to M-1 Challenge or Dream. The other option is fulfill the contract and give him fights. If not then release him and let him sign elsewhere.
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by Matthew Roth on Feb 18, 2010 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
If exponential growth means scrambling for opponents a week before the fight and keeping fighters out of the loop (and thus affecting their ability to feed their families), then maybe exponential growth wasn’t the best idea.
by Shaun32887 on Feb 18, 2010 3:04 PM EST up reply actions 9 recs
Right
But Zuffa is always the asshole when it comes to fighter compensation, not Strikeforce who can’t keep their fighters busy, or a promotion like Affliction who cancelled half the cards they ever announced.
I don’t think it has as much to do with their growth as it does with their limited open slots. To save money StrikeForce is only really booking the main card fights – the ones that make broadcast. All of the prelims are basically local fighters booked at the lowest rate possible. Their whole prelims probably run less than $40,000 on average. So if StrikeForce only books 3 cards from September-January, instead of four, that means a lot of good (expensive) fighters like Vitor, KJ Noons, Lawler, Raddach, Villasenor, Babalu, Galvao, Kennedy, etc. don’t get to fight or have long waits for their next match. That also means saving $100,000 or more by not putting any good fights on the prelims. Understandable from their current position, but it still sucks.
I’m hoping they start to show a rise in viewers (and revenue) and at least can start booking 6,7, or 8-fight deep cards and putting on the 12 full shows they supposedly plan on doing. If they can’t pull off that many shows with more than a main card, I don’t know how they’re going to build up a roster to stay relevant in the future.
Calling fighters and keeping them in the loop should be the easiest thing not to overlook. It’s not like they have hundreds of fighters. So having a large or small staff and growing pains is no excuse for not picking up a phone for five minutes and telling someone what is going on.
Strikeforce should be getting criticism for not planning events ahead of time. They should have at least some idea who is fighting on at least their next 2 or 3 events and be conveying that to their fighters. That way the fighters can be getting prepared properly.
Just BE.
If exponential growth means scrambling for opponents a week before the fight and keeping fighters out of the loop (and thus affecting their ability to feed their families), then maybe exponential growth wasn’t the best idea.
Exactly.
Meanwhile, the sky is falling for the UFC because decisions are on the rise. “LOL”, as they say.
Strikeforce should have thought about these issues before they signed the number one HW in the world. Moreover, let’s not mistake “growing pains” for straight up incompetence. I’m still baffled as to why the media doesn’t jump on Strikeforce over this kind of stuff. People bitch about the UFC over Dana comparing MMA to the NFL, where the sport will be in the next 10 years, and how many more decisions there are which the sport itself has no control over (and something that signifies something more positive if anything), but Strikeforce not getting world class fighters matches despite convincing a lot of fans that they’re capable of competing with the UFC…this isn’t an issue?
Growing pains are when you lose money on your first show. Incompetence is when you sign great fighters (like Shaolin) you’re unable to put on a show despite the space you’re giving to Craig Oxley and Herschal Walker. Incompetence is when you sign great fighters and ignore the foresight of providing them with interesting competition.
A middle tier fighter bitching about how much he’s paid despite terrible showings (ala Herring) is one thing. Talented fighters bitching about simply being active (ala Shaolin, and to a much lesser extent, Lawler) is entirely another.
by David Castillo on Feb 18, 2010 3:51 PM EST reply actions 9 recs
It is what it is
The beauty of our opinions is just that…beautiful and opinionated. Where one person may see the lack of competent matchmaking, another sees a lack of staff or know-how in all areas of running a big time promotion.
I won’t argue that SF are making some pretty big missteps, but things are improving and will continue to do so as they grow into their new role in MMA.
Remember, it’s not exactly SF who decided to grow at this pace, it is their higher authority in Showtime/CBS.
I just tend to take a more forgiving stance because I like what they are doing. Those fighters that “have to feed their families” aren’t (for the most part) locked into exclusive contracts either so that isn’t as a profound an argument as it may seem at face value.
Inland Empire MMA Examiner
http://www.mmarecap.com
http://www.throwthembows.com
Think for yourself. Your perspective is infinitely more valued than anyone's opinion.
they decided to get in bed with the higher authority.
Also, it’s not just people not getting fights, it’s people being told their getting fights, and then not getting those fights. That’s a bigger problem, because if you’re told you have an upcoming fight, most people won’t (or can’t) take advantage of the non-exclusive portion of their contract.
Growing pains are a real issue that could eventually kill the organization. Strikeforce was always the company that grew slow and steady and made money off their shows, it was working really well for them. Now that they have gone in the complete opposite direction with the Showtime deal they are having lots of problems. Sometimes when you bite off more than you can chew you choke to death on it. Strikeforce needs to address their problems and take care of their business. Excuses won’t keep them in business. Our opinions on the matter don’t mean squat either way (although a lack of competence and a lack of staff and know-how are pretty much the same thing) but they better find out a way to keep the fighters happy because their opinions do matter in this.
Remember, it’s not exactly SF who decided to grow at this pace, it is their higher authority in Showtime/CBS.
They knew what would happen and they decided to go ahead and sign Fedor and join up with Showtime/CBS.
I don’t like pushing the blame around, as far as I’m concerned, if I’m at the head of an organization, everything good and everything bad that happens within the organization is my responsibility.
Lets also not forget that up until the signing of Fedor, people were praising Strikeforce for their “slow and steady” growth plan, saying that they were taking the time to build their organization well and would soon become a very successful and entertaining “minor league” to the UFC, something the sport desperately needed.
THEN they signed Fedor, THEN they joined up with CBS, and THEN the exponential growth began.
I won’t argue that SF are making some pretty big missteps, but things are improving and will continue to do so as they grow into their new role in MMA.
This is the thing though.
The very steps they should be taking to improve and grow into their newfound role as “second fiddle” are the very steps they’re ignoring. Prospect hunting? anti-check. Allowing good fighters to be active? Anti-check. There’s a very simple formula for Strikeforce to follow which is to match your ambitions with your methods. If you’re signing guys like Hendo and Fedor, a competent staff should be the least of your worries. Either sign these guys with the intention of giving them stable, consistent competition or don’t sign then at all. They seem to have a very ad-hoc system in place, and nobody calls them on it (except for Jordan Breen, who is the only media guy in MMA worth listening to).
I agree about the issue with Showtime. But nobody put a gun to their head to sign with Showtime. I just get tired of listening to some of the dumbest, most trivial shit to be criticized over when it comes to Dana and the UFC, yet everyone puts the kid’s gloves on when Strikeforce shits the bed even as the fighters themselves call them on it.
by David Castillo on Feb 18, 2010 5:17 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
Because it deserves to be repeated
I just get tired of listening to some of the dumbest, most trivial shit to be criticized over when it comes to Dana and the UFC, yet everyone puts the kid’s gloves on when Strikeforce shits the bed even as the fighters themselves call them on it.
When Zuffa comes out with a “Best of Pride FC” TV series everyone pisses and moans because they won’t show certain fights. But when Strikeforce won’t even schedule a guy they HAVE HAD UNDER CONTRACT FOR ALMOST FIVE FUCKING MONTHS it’s just “growing pains”. What a joke.
by ufc4 on Feb 18, 2010 11:47 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
the problem seems to be this lurching from event to event, its now Feb 18 and we don’t know when this april CBS card will be, if you are worried about competing with the UFC their schedule seems pretty much set up until August in Boston so you should be able to plan a few cards in advance and maybe use one card to promote another, its the disorganisation that seems to be causing a lot of these unnecessary problems
by davec84 on Feb 18, 2010 7:15 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
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