“Roger got into the UFC, and I was like, Holy shit, this kid is an animal. He’s got looks. He’s got smarts. He’s got an amazing story. And he fights like a dog. This kid is a home run, and he’s a big reason we’re thinking about [staging a card] in Latin America.”
– UFC President Dana White talks about lightweight Roger Huerta in a recent SportsIllustrated.com feature article. “El Matador” does indeed have quite a life story — check out the SI write up to learn more about it if for some reason you haven’t read it 100 times already (it’s good no matter how many times you read it). Huerta will fight Clay Guida during the main event of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 Finale on December 8.
***
“Tell Goldberg to quit fucking crying. Just because I do it bigger and better than everyone else does, doesn’t mean I’m trying to monopolize. This isn’t a monopoly. Everyone who can rub two nickels together is getting into this sport. Mark Cuban just jumped in. I’ll tell you what, there have been other people who have tried to compete with Vince and they couldn’t. there’s a big difference. They couldn’t compete with Vince because Vince would beat their ass every time someone tried to jump into his arena. And I’m doing the same fucking thing. If he’s saying that about me; thank you then, I look at that as a compliment.”
– During a one-on-one interview with TheMassMedia.com White talks about the explosive growth of mixed martial arts and the UFC in particular. He takes exception to claims from former pro wrestler and current EliteXC ringside announcer, Bill Goldberg, that White is similar to the WWE’s Vince McMahon in that he wants to monopolize his respective industry.
33 Comments »
Dana vs Goldberg UFC 79 or Dana vs Jack Lampley (HBO) Dana wins both fights..GnP..
Hey what’s up with UFC Brazil ?? Have an event in Rio..Maracana..fits over 100,000 imagine that.
I dont think he would want to monopolize his industry. Competition is always good for companies and especially for consumers. Bill Goldberg is just jealous he isnt announcing for the UFC and he has to settl for the EliteXC. Sux for him.
[quote post=”3551″]Dana vs Goldberg UFC 79 or Dana vs Jack Lampley (HBO) Dana wins both fights..GnP..[/quote]
lol.Thats joke’s!
I would like to see Joe Rogan fight Crazy Mark Cuban. That would be hilariousQ
ya and vince mcMahon is a billionair….Golberg is just pist he is not rogan…
I really like Huerta too, but I think Guida might be too much for El Matador. I’d like to see him prove me wrong though.
[quote comment=”171994″]ya and vince mcMahon is a billionair….Golberg is just pist he is not rogan…[/quote]
True that.
Goldberg is a complete tool. Couldn’t hack it in the NFL. Had his “unstoppable” persona created by a crappy wrestling organization (one that is now defunct, thanks to Vince MacMahon). Couldn’t handle being in the WWE because they wanted him to lose matches from time to time to advance story lines. Tried movies, but he can’t act and ended up costing some studio millions. Now he wants to be in the UFC, but Dana won’t let him into the big boy sandbox. STFU Goldberg, and just go away.
[quote post=”3551″]Dana vs Goldberg UFC 79 or Dana vs Jack Lampley (HBO) Dana wins both fights..GnP..[/quote]
LOL - yeah right. Goldberg would KILL Dana White. I hope you were kidding.
[quote comment=”172035″][quote post=”3551″]Dana vs Goldberg UFC 79 or Dana vs Jack Lampley (HBO) Dana wins both fights..GnP..[/quote]
LOL - yeah right. Goldberg would KILL Dana White. I hope you were kidding.[/quote]
Yup.
[quote post=”3551″]Now he (Goldberg)wants to be in the UFC, but Dana won’t let him into the big boy sandbox. STFU Goldberg, and just go away. [/quote]
I read the article, did any of you? Goldberg does not say that he wants to fight in the UFC. He simply compares Dana White to Vince McMahon - that’s it.
[quote comment=”171995″]I really like Huerta too, but I think Guida might be too much for El Matador. I’d like to see him prove me wrong though.[/quote]
Guida is a bad ass scapper and I love him but Huerta is going to pick him apart.
UFC 80 Roid rage.. main event bill goldberg vs brock lesner.. anybody else have undercards… josh barnet can be in theyr too.. (sorry for the spelling)
Bottom line: Goldberg was a big star in WCW before Vince McMahon crushed it and fired his no-talent two-move ass. Now he works for a small MMA outfit that Dana White could crush just as easily. This is just sour grapes on Goldberg’s part because he keeps aligning himself with the losing side.
Dana is trying to make UFC a monopoly. Isn’t one yet, but you can’t tell me that Dana wouldn’t be happier than a pig in slop if it became one.
At a certain scale, sports monopolies can be good (eg NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.) But the UFC has yet to reach that scale. I love the sport too much to sit around for one pay-per-view a month. If the UFC got to the point where it was showing fights every week, then it might be good to have one primary MMA organization, so that the best talent is concentrated in one area.
It is near criminal that Huerta gets this kind of push from the UFC and even more sickening that the media goes along with it. The guy has done very little to warrant this push. He has fought no top fighters and truthfully, hasn’t shown much technique wise. Guida is so superior a fighter. Hopefully Clay pounds this kid back to the minors.
I guess Goldberg is ignorant to the “American Freemarket idea” As long as Dana and the UFC put together a better product with superior talent, why should’nt they go after it all. If someone wants to out do the UFC go for it, the consumer will always get better products because of it.
For now there’s no question, the UFC is at the top, way at the top.
[quote post=”3551″]It is near criminal that Huerta gets this kind of push from the UFC and even more sickening that the media goes along with it. The guy has done very little to warrant this push. He has fought no top fighters and truthfully, hasn’t shown much technique wise. Guida is so superior a fighter. Hopefully Clay pounds this kid back to the minors. [/quote]
The only part that I would argue is that “Huerta hasn’t shown much technique wise.” I think he has. He showed off his stand up skills against several fighters, he beat a great wrestler in Doug Evans, and he showed amazing BJJ skills against Alberto Crane. Believe, I was always among the first to say that they need to give Huerta a real opponent. Now that they have, I’m very happy, and it’s Clay Guida - who I am a big fan of. However, I am a bit worried that if it goes to decision, the fight will go to Huerta NO MATTER WHAT. So I think that Clay is going to have to finish him!
[quote comment=”172068″]At a certain scale, sports monopolies can be good (eg NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.) But the UFC has yet to reach that scale. I love the sport too much to sit around for one pay-per-view a month. If the UFC got to the point where it was showing fights every week, then it might be good to have one primary MMA organization, so that the best talent is concentrated in one area.[/quote]
Comparing the UFC to the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc., doesn’t work because of the nature of MMA vs. those other team sports. Teams go on forever so they become traditions of sorts in families and neighborhoods, you can back then your whole damned life, but fighters come and go so there isn’t a way to market a brand in the same way. The Lakers were still the Lakers when Magic and Shaq left, but once a fighter stops fighting, that’s it. A lot of the money to pay these team sport athletes comes from marketing, which you generally can’t do on the same scale with a champion fighter because you never know when they will lose. You can still root for a losing team, but unfortunately a fighter is basically only as good as his last few fights in the larger public eye.
Part of the excitement of our sport is knowing that no matter how dominant any fighter is, there is always someone training in some gym somewhere in the world who is tougher, faster, more skilled. And creating a monopoly would do one of two things: prevent these guys putting so much on the line from getting paid what they deserve, or have just a few marketable guys (a la Huerta, GSP) making tons of money while not necessarily being the best fighter and closing off the sport to the bad-ass who won’t be given a chance. Basically terminal commercialization would occur and MMA would become a joke on the big scale, while the talent would be forced to tear each other up in smaller shows, barely eking out a living for the most part. Then what, young fighters would train with the mindset of earning money rather than winning? Man, that would suck for the fans. Fighting has always been the poor man’s sport. That would change.
I think MMA would be much poorer in many different ways if the UFC were ever to achieve monopolization, while only White and the Fertittas would benefit. I don’t think it’s possible, but I hope it never happens.
[quote comment=”172250″]It is near criminal that Huerta gets this kind of push from the UFC and even more sickening that the media goes along with it. The guy has done very little to warrant this push. He has fought no top fighters and truthfully, hasn’t shown much technique wise. Guida is so superior a fighter. Hopefully Clay pounds this kid back to the minors.[/quote]
Could not agree more. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought Dana White pulled a Vince McMahon and scripted out these cupcake fighters so he can build up his record, and market Huerta to the Latin market. I like Guida a lot, and we finally get to see if this Huerta kid can actually beat a guy we have heard of at least. I hope Dana doesnt pull the same stunt with Houston Alexander by putting him up against no name fighters so he can market him. I really want to see Houston fight a top ten guy….maybe Forrest Griffin.
[quote post=”3551″]I really want to see Houston fight a top ten guy….maybe Forrest Griffin. [/quote]
That would be a monumental step down in competition for Forrest. He just beat the #1 ranked LHW in the world, you now suggest that he fights someone that was completely unknown 5 months ago?
Forrest is going to be announced the #1 contender, or be put into a #1 contender fight against someone whether you all like it or not.
[quote comment=”172309″]
Comparing the UFC to the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc., doesn’t work because of the nature of MMA vs. those other team sports. Teams go on forever so they become traditions of sorts in families and neighborhoods, you can back then your whole damned life, but fighters come and go so there isn’t a way to market a brand in the same way. The Lakers were still the Lakers when Magic and Shaq left, but once a fighter stops fighting, that’s it. A lot of the money to pay these team sport athletes comes from marketing, which you generally can’t do on the same scale with a champion fighter because you never know when they will lose. You can still root for a losing team, but unfortunately a fighter is basically only as good as his last few fights in the larger public eye.
[/quote]
I definately agree with this section of your post. As for a monopoly being totally wrong for MMA I’m not so sure. Personally I think for most things having a monopoly is always going to short change the consumer in the long run, with no alternative you have to settle. However I hated the deal with UFC vs Pride and not getting the chance to see these fighters go at it (that is until UFC bought them out). In my opinion the UFC should split up and have national sub-companies, e.g UFC-UK, UFC-Japan, UFC-[insert country here], etc… These smaller Org’s could put on small weekly national events and the big monthly PPV’s events would just be made up of the best of the international talent. I think that would allow the UFC to penetrate almost every country and bring us the best fighters from all over the world.
However there are problems like how many belts would you have if there are 10,000 registered fighters can 5 belts be the only accolade?
However I’m just a dreamer I’ll ket the big boys iron out the problems with that idea.
By the way when I said I hated the UFC vs Pride situation, I meant I hated the fact that it seemed like we would never have a definate answer to those fantasy match-ups we all had going on in our heads. But I did like the rivalry
[quote comment=”172379″][quote post=”3551″]I really want to see Houston fight a top ten guy….maybe Forrest Griffin. [/quote]
That would be a monumental step down in competition for Forrest. He just beat the #1 ranked LHW in the world, you now suggest that he fights someone that was completely unknown 5 months ago?
Forrest is going to be announced the #1 contender, or be put into a #1 contender fight against someone whether you all like it or not.[/quote]
I think Forrest is great, but I dont think he is the #1 contender. Forrest lost to Tito and got knocked out by Jardine in the first round, not that long ago. So where does that put Jardine? Considering he just beat Liddell and Griffin?
[quote comment=”172308″][quote post=”3551″]It is near criminal that Huerta gets this kind of push from the UFC and even more sickening that the media goes along with it. The guy has done very little to warrant this push. He has fought no top fighters and truthfully, hasn’t shown much technique wise. Guida is so superior a fighter. Hopefully Clay pounds this kid back to the minors. [/quote]
The only part that I would argue is that “Huerta hasn’t shown much technique wise.” I think he has. He showed off his stand up skills against several fighters, he beat a great wrestler in Doug Evans, and he showed amazing BJJ skills against Alberto Crane. Believe, I was always among the first to say that they need to give Huerta a real opponent. Now that they have, I’m very happy, and it’s Clay Guida - who I am a big fan of. However, I am a bit worried that if it goes to decision, the fight will go to Huerta NO MATTER WHAT. So I think that Clay is going to have to finish him![/quote]
His stand up looked sloppy and wild against Garcia. Yes, he will stand and bang, but technically, he isn’t great. Doug Evans wasn’t a “great wrestler”, but he was ok. He was HS champion I believe and I don’t think he wrestled in college. Correct? Evans was also a 135lb fighter who went up in weight against a very big LW. I will really take issue with the idea that he dislayed amazing BJJ skills. He showed submissions defence against a sport JJ player. If this were the 1990s I would agree with you. Nowadays, it is tough to submit someone without strikes and wrestling to support your BJJ game. Huerta never came close to submitting Crane.
White isnt close to being the type of monopolized demon that Vince is. Vince has literally snorted up every good wrestling organization (what is there after ECdub?) But its still apples and oranges. Wrestling is FAKE… its entertainment, not a sporting event.
I’m gonna say what we are ALL thinking, NOONE and I mean NOONE gives a flying fcuk about EliteXX, M1, Bodog or the new one from Mark Cuban HD fight nights, IT IS A UFC WORLD, UFC is the one with all the fighters we like to see, all those other so called organizations have fighters who noone’s ever heard of, with 1 or 2 exceptions.
I firmly agree with everything you had tp say Lycan…Keep it coming lol.
Preach on Lycan!
sucks to be goldberg! if dana or zuffa wanted elite xc or there fighters,i think everyone knows they could probably buy them out.who would of thought they’ed buy out pride fc.anyway everyone knows the best fighters and the best show is the ufc. most of us mma fans will watch other fight shows but may not get the ppv.i used to get pride fc and the ufc,but i wouldn’t pay for the smaller shows on ppv.put them on THE FIGHT NETWORK and i’ll watch them.my dollars have to go so far so when i get ppv,it has to be the big show,with the best fighters that i like.i.e.GSP,ANDERSON SILVA,RANDY COUTURE,B.J.PENN, and the list goes on.the smaller shows are great to discover new talent,and give these fighters a payday.if these fighters were to be honest,i think they’d prefere to be in the ufc,unless they’re scared.i.e.gilbert melendez. of course they’ll make other excuses,but everyone knows,for the most part the best fighters and the best known fighters are in the ufc. so goldberg, SUCK IT UP PRINCESS!
what gets me as well is someone like FEDOR. he’s not interested in fighting the top heavyweights otherwise he’d want to fight RANDY COUTURE,but because the UFC won’t welcome the rest of the russian red devil team,who to be frank,are simply not good enough,FEDOR goes to bodog and fights matt “the law” lindlin,who should actually be fighting middleweight. what’s this say about fedor? he’d rather be fighting guys out of his weight class than to test himself against perhaps, the greatest heavyweight of all time, RANDY “THE NATURAL” COUTURE. randy issued the challenge to fedor right after he beat the shit out of gonzaga, not too long ago. having fun fedor, beating the smaller men, and still getting paid like you actually had a challenge? obviously you’re not as good as you want people to believe,or you would want some real heavyweights to fight! you’re just another gilbert melendez, want to fight guys that don’t really challenge you, get the easy win,get paid,go home bragging that you’re still the man.gilbert, fight, spencer fisher or joe stevenson, and i know you don’t want any part of kenny florian or bj penn. CHICKEN SHIT!
its gonna be nice seeing huerta fighting someone whos a good all round mmartist instead of one trick bums.didnt matt wiman fight huerta and get on the wrong end of a dodgy decision?someone holla back and let me know.
[quote post=”3551″]That would be a monumental step down in competition for Forrest (fighting Houston Alexander). He just beat the #1 ranked LHW in the world, you now suggest that he fights someone that was completely unknown 5 months ago?
Forrest is going to be announced the #1 contender, or be put into a #1 contender fight against someone whether you all like it or not.[/quote]
[quote post=”3551″] think Forrest is great, but I dont think he is the #1 contender. Forrest lost to Tito and got knocked out by Jardine in the first round, not that long ago. So where does that put Jardine? Considering he just beat Liddell and Griffin? [/quote]
I would put Jardine right up there in the Top 3 contenders to the belt. Yes, Forrest lost to Tito (but not in most people’s eyes), and yes, he lost to Jardine. However, Jardine then got laid out by Houston. Since then, Jardine has 1 win, and since Forrest’s loss, he has 2 wins. This is Forrest’s time to shine, like I said in my previous post, which you quoted (the first one I quoted in this post).
[quote post=”3551″]. I will really take issue with the idea that he dislayed amazing BJJ skills. He showed submissions defence against a sport JJ player. If this were the 1990s I would agree with you. Nowadays, it is tough to submit someone without strikes and wrestling to support your BJJ game. Huerta never came close to submitting Crane. [/quote]
You are 100% correct Shooto Fan. What I meant to say was he showed excellent BJJ DEFENSE against a MUNDIALS champion. That is a big deal. But I would think that you would have to at least have to have decent BJJ skills to stay out of trouble like Huerta did. Believe me, I am not a big fan of Huerta, but I do enjoy watching him fight. I can’t wait to see Guida beat him, but like I said, Guida better finish him if he fully expects to win.