Updated: Who Lost a Fighter's Paperwork and Forced a Last-Minute Cancellation of a Strikeforce Challengers Undercard Fight?
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 14, 2010 2:53 PM EDT
in MMA News
Email
Print
A friend of Christian Grosinsky, who was scheduled to fight late replacement John Wood on the undercard of last night's Strikeforce Challengers 10 event, e-mailed Bloody Elbow to report that Grosinsky's fight did not take place due to yet another screw up from Strikeforce. It appears that Grosinsky's fight did not happen after Strikeforce lost Wood's blood test results.
Of course, this is not the first time that Strikeforce has had a similar situation happen. on the undercard of the Rogers vs. Fedor show an undercard bout did not take place before the main card due to time concerns and was moved to after the main event, only to not take place because the promotion simply forgot about it. There has been at least one other case of a fight on the undercard not happening because of time concerns, and now this.
From Christian's Facebook page:
Guys my fight got canceled. They lost the records of his bloodwork so he can't fight. I'm so sorry guys
This is mostly upsetting to me because Strikeforce has now shown a pattern of not letting guys fight after going through full training camps, weight cuts..etc. Even if they're paying the fighter's full pay and win bonus (which I've not yet been able to confirm, but they absolutely should) they're still taking away the ability for a guy to get a win that could help them build their career.
I have reached out to Strikeforce for comment but they have not yet responded. I will update the story with their response if they provide one.
Update #1 - A source from inside John Woods' camp tells me:
John took the fight on 4 days notice and had his bloodworked faxed to the arena. They told John they couldn't find his bloodwork and scrapped his fight. Then they refused to pay him. John drove from Vegas to Phoenix on his own and didn't get paid a dime. Strikeforce told John to talk to the local promoter and the local promoter told him to talk to Strikeforce and he didn't get paid.
John also cut 23 pounds the day of the weigh in (due to being a late replacement) only to not fight and not get paid.
From how the situation is being explained to me from different sources Woods sent his bloodwork to Strikeforce a few days before the weigh-in only to have them say they didn't have it, so the bloodwork was then faxed to the arena and John was told again that they didn't have it. It's unclear to me on the day-of-event fax if this was an athletic commission drop or the promoter, but it's clear that the initial loss of bloodwork was on Strikeforce.
And to make things worse it sounds like the fighters are not getting paid because the undercard was farmed out to Rage in the Cage rather than handled entirely in-promotion by Strikeforce.
52 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Strikeforce: As Weak as it Gets
Follow me on Twitter @kkelchner621
watchkalibrun.com
by Kaleb Kelchner on Aug 14, 2010 3:00 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
It’s nice to see fighters recognizing that contacting you could make a difference for them. That being said, how the fuck do you lose blood records? Dog ate their homework? Someone should get fired for this, but probably won’t. They don’t have very professional standards.
"I'm gonna go after number one, whoever it is. If it's Anderson, or I gotta go up after the guys at 205, or go on a diet and go after Jose Aldo-- it doesn't matter." -Chael Sonnen
Confused it for ketchup, perhaps?
"Jesus, did somebody dip a baby in jalepenos?" - My Girlfriend
by Earl Montclair on Aug 14, 2010 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
lol why does every promotion besides the UFC have to make them selfs into a huge joke
Affliction-Elite XC-Strikeforce
that promotion down in Texas that signed Jardine is probably next to take the ‘#2’ spot in MMA and fuck up some how
at least bellator is doing alright but they are distancing them selfs by doing the Tourny style which i think is interesting cause at this point anyone competeing with the UFC has about as much of a chance of over taking them as the UFL does to the NFL
Don't forget Shine Fights and Sengoku
These promotions continually let us, and themselves, down.
"I'm gonna go after number one, whoever it is. If it's Anderson, or I gotta go up after the guys at 205, or go on a diet and go after Jose Aldo-- it doesn't matter." -Chael Sonnen
by Charles Awad on Aug 14, 2010 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions
What’s your beef with Sengoku? Just curious, don’t remember any specific debacles with them. I’ve only just started watching them the last few events, so there might be something I missed.
by Horselover Fat on Aug 14, 2010 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Beef?
I don’t have any beef with Sengoku, but they’ve been tanking. They’re pretty much zombified at this point.
"I'm gonna go after number one, whoever it is. If it's Anderson, or I gotta go up after the guys at 205, or go on a diet and go after Jose Aldo-- it doesn't matter." -Chael Sonnen
by Charles Awad on Aug 14, 2010 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
So you’re let down by the fact that they aren’t profitable?
a kitten dies every time you compare an individual sport to a team sport.
by Marvin Malehooves on Aug 14, 2010 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions
They aren't giving fighters fights
Do I have to put two and two together for you?
"I'm gonna go after number one, whoever it is. If it's Anderson, or I gotta go up after the guys at 205, or go on a diet and go after Jose Aldo-- it doesn't matter." -Chael Sonnen
by Charles Awad on Aug 14, 2010 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Basically ever fighter on their roster wants to go to Strikefore and Strikeforce can’t even book all the fighters they have. That is not a good sign.
Not at all
I wish Strikeforce was able to put on more events. Riggs’ comments in his interview with Helwani (and others) this week were very troubling, and I don’t agree with the way he says he’s being dangled (if it’s true or he’s not embellishing).
"I'm gonna go after number one, whoever it is. If it's Anderson, or I gotta go up after the guys at 205, or go on a diet and go after Jose Aldo-- it doesn't matter." -Chael Sonnen
by Charles Awad on Aug 14, 2010 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Care to elaborate?
Although, upon quick research I discovered that their rate of events have slowed considerably, with only two completed this year. I guess maybe this is what your referring to.. (as I mentioned I haven’t kept up with them as much as other orgs)
by Horselover Fat on Aug 14, 2010 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Why would Strikeforce handle the records instead of the athletic commission? And why wouldn’t this have been taken care of long before the fight?
This really makes no sense at all.
by mma_critic on Aug 14, 2010 3:19 PM EDT reply actions
It doesn’t, because SOP is fighters are on the hook for their own license. Maybe someone should have asked the fighter or his manager what’s up and gotten a statement before putting on the gumshoe journalist costume this long before Halloween.
by VirtualBalboa on Aug 14, 2010 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Even if they’re paying the fighter’s full pay and win bonus (which I’ve not yet been able to confirm, but they absolutely should)
Strikeforce undercards are often filled out with amateur fights, does anyone know if this was one of them?
He's a professional from what I understand...
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 14, 2010 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, this was one of the three pro fights scheduled for the non-televised prelims.
by Chris Nelson on Aug 14, 2010 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
This kind of inane behavour on the part of clearly unprofessional fight promotions
just further lends creedence to the belief that the UFC is the only place to be. Losing bloodwork? Forgetting about fights? WTF? I wish I could get away with being that incompetent at my job.
I would like to hear that it was definitely strikeforce because murdering them. The commission losing the papers isn’t out of the question when put into context with the refs from last nite and the last minute rule changes to the tournament.
Either way, stupid for whoever lost the paperwork.
damnit Buster
"How do you shoot the devil in the back? What if you miss?"
by DamnSevern on Aug 14, 2010 3:47 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Make sure you read the full update...gives much more info on the situation.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 14, 2010 3:48 PM EDT reply actions
Leave Strikeforce alone!
Honestly, I’ve seen dyslexic orgies better organized than Strikeforce.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Aug 14, 2010 4:03 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Strikeforce farms out undercard to Rage in the Cage. Dude sends in bloodwork to “the arena” to someone (????), no one knows if whoever is supposed to get it gets it. Hell, we don’t even know who was supposed to get it – the commission? RITC? In any case, Strikeforce isn’t managing this guy’s fight, that much seems pretty clear. But its still their fault. That’s an interesting conclusion.
In defense of Strikeforce
On the issue of farming out responsibility to RITC.
That’s a common Strikeforce practice and makes a ton of sense. SF has a minimal staff and rely on local promoters with knowledge and connections to the local market to make key impacts. SF does their homework here, too. They don’t go to anything but the local brand leader. I’m not suggesting RITC did nothing wrong, but they are by a mile the longest running org in Arizona. They’ve done hundreds of successful shows. If you need an organization that’s got Arizona grassroots MMA by the balls, you go to RITC.
Follow me on Twitter: @MMANation.
By that logic, BP isn't responsible for the gulf getting flooded with oil...
They only hired the people that worked there. There is something to be said for the transitive property when it comes to responsiblity for things. Strikeforce was responsible for hiring RitC to do their undercard, and RitC was responsible for taking care of the sanctioning of the fight, and taking care of the fighters if there were “problems”. If RitC didn’t do their job and things went upside down on them and it wasn’t resolved, then Strikeforce also didn’t do their job because they weren’t making sure RitC was resolving the problem.
Associate Writer - WindyCityGridiron.com - Artist formerly known as Sklz711
This assumes that any sort of similar situation in which operations are farmed out assumes that the parties have equal risk and responsibility morally or legally, which of course is not true. I’d bet good money Strikeforce has no legal responsibility here, because they weren’t paying the guy and had no agreement with the fighter in particular. The people who did do, and even then, who even knows if they assumed any liability in getting the guy a license? That’s a healthy jump to conclusions.
by VirtualBalboa on Aug 14, 2010 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions
It's hardly a jump...
It’s the obvious conclusion, you’re paying someone else to provide you undercard fights. The people you paid to do so acted in bad faith towards someone in the course of fulfilling their obligation. So, either Strikeforce makes it right, or they are just as culpable as the people they paid.
Associate Writer - WindyCityGridiron.com - Artist formerly known as Sklz711
get real
are you seriously comparing this blood test thing to the BP oil spill? seriously? get real dude. This isn’t even close, and as the facts are coming out its clear that SF wasn’t really responsible.
Scale of problems?
No comparison. Illustration of transitive culpability in a corporate enviroment? It works just fine.
Associate Writer - WindyCityGridiron.com - Artist formerly known as Sklz711
Strikeforce should take the brunt of the blame because their name is on the show but I thought I should correct some missinformation: the prelims are not Strikeforce bouts. Most of those fighters are not Strikeforce fighters. Strikeforce only worries about the aired portion, because that is the portion Showtime pays them for. They cut cost by farming out the prelims to local promoters.
That being said this still sucks.
by John Nash on Aug 14, 2010 4:13 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Strikefarce.
Because that’s all there is to it. This is shockingly unprofessional and I feel sorry for Wood.
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
Also this isn't a Strikeforce story without mmalogic
Where are ya, logic?
Nick Garcia is the Brian Russell of MLS but 10 times worse.
Strikeforce is a joke period.
The only reason they have a FEW decent fighters is because of the UFC’s (smart, see this article) to co-promote and do not allow fighters to fight for other organizations while under UFC contract. Get a grip or get out.
This just goes to show the difference between a professional organization such as the UFC, and the piss poorly run Strikeforce. Strikeforce can be made to be pitied upon because they are short staffed and a regional promotion. But Strikeforce chose to buy the contracts from EliteXC and to sign/co-promote with M1-Global and Fedor, if you are going to act like a big company, you need to be prepared to run like a big company.
I told you not to f*ck with me.
by Romoesbueno on Aug 14, 2010 4:36 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Read the new article
Hey guys, new quick article posted about this issue featuring an email clip from a Strikeforce spokesman. I think we all need to cool our jets here and realize that Strikeforce may not be responsible for this mixup (regarding the blood tests).
Overreact much?
Wow, everyone’s ready to sh*t on Strikeforce, what a surprise. Has the organization had its ups and downs? Yeah. But is this story legit? Not really – look at the new article posted on bloodyelbow.
Ya’ll are way too quick to jump to conclusions, and apparently are just Strikeforce haters.
Fighters Fault
Everyone knows you should bring a copy of your paperwork with you when fighting. He should of had it the day before at the weigh ins and handed it to the athletic com then.
Do you show up to a job interview and not bring a copy of your resume?
This guy should be paid on the simple fact that he cut 23 lbs in one day!!!
Good for him for stepping up on short notice and I know how hard it is to cut 5 or 10 lbs. Cutting 23 lbs must have damn near killed him. Thiago Alves could take a tip or two from this guy.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bloody Elbow
Related FanShots on Bloody Elbow
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
