“There’s no doubt [Houston Alexander needs to turn things around]. He needs a way. He desperately needs a win. Another loss and he’s going to have to go out and start working his way back up to the UFC.”
– UFC President Dana White tells Yahoo!Sports.com that Houston Alexander’s job could be on the line tonight when he takes on Eric Schafer in a light heavyweight bout at UFC Fight Night 15. Talk about compounding the pressure — Alexander is the hometown favorite who will likely receive raucous applause from the Nebraska fans inside the Omaha Civic Auditorium. “The Nebraskan Assassin” is on a two-fight skid after bursting onto the scene with two impressive knockout wins. He recently signed a five-fight contract extension, which the UFC apparently could dismiss if he does not impress the evening on Spike TV.
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I guess they just gave him a 5 fight contract to get him at a low price….smart business but big time pressure with little gain for Houston
Nice job Dana. I was more than confused about Houston getting a five fight extention given his recent performances. This makes more sense.
this has to be one of the dumber things Dana has said in a while. Her must be talking to the fans who don’t realize he just extended Houston’s contract by like 5 fights. You don’t necessarily do that if you plan on firing the guy after another loss. I personally hope he loses (or is it looses?? LMAO)
Isn’t this the way most of the UFC contracts are set up? No matter how many fights you have on your contract, if you loose (or even if you win and are really boring), the UFC can cut you. I’m pretty sure that a lot of NFL contracts are set up the same way (based on performance, with a right to terminate the contract). Sooo… I’m not sure why you think this is a dumb comment by DW, Kevin. To me, he’s trying to light a friggin’ bonfire under the guy in order to “help” get him back on his winning ways. Perhaps it’s overkill, considering he’s fighting in his hometown but as we all know, at times DW can, let’s say, “push the envelope”.
I know how contracts work buddy, usually when someone signs an extension or offered an extnsion, the company wants you. An example of what your saying is like when John Lynch signed with the pats, but didn’t make the final cut, this is diferent because it was a try out, not an extension. I hear what you’re saying, but and extension and an initial contract are indeed two different entities. why sign a guy to an extension if you’re going to turn around and cut him? makes no sense…extend him after he wins.
Can’t be cut for being boring, otherwise why is Machida still fighting?
Because Machida isn’t boring?
BTW – NFL contracts are oxymorons. Teams can cut you for any reason, that’s why players ask for gigantic signing bonuses. That’s the only guaranteed money out there.
This contract extension clearly has stipulations based on performance. If Houston wins, he stays. If he loses, the contract obviously terminates.
I thought he was “technical?”
can’t lose when fighting “no one” either!!
exactly OJR, thats why players say their hurt when rumors about them being cut go around (there was an article earlier this year). They can’t cut an injured player, so a player (Jerome Bettis did this) will fake an injury to avoid being cut and continue to get paid!
“why sign a guy to an extension if you’re going to turn around and cut him? makes no sense…extend him after he wins.”
Kevin, I think the answer to your question is actually posted above. The reason they sign him now is because he’s coming off two losses. He wins this one (especially if it’s in spectacular fasion) and the price of said extension goes way up.
I’m with OJR on Machida. The guy is not boring and personally I can’t wait until his next fight.
WAR HOUSTON!
I personally hope he loses , and I think he will get taken down and submitted in the first round . I picked Shafer on my fantasy picks.
And I hope hes gone after that , he should already be on the undercard of events..
Glass chin and no ground game = bad news in the UFC.
What site do you go to for fantasy picks?
mmaplayground is where i go.
UFC.com
Thanks!
lmao , id say enjoy WEC but they are moving too UFC ..
Enjoy being a DJ.
Alexander took Sakara and Jardine by suprise. After those fights, the playbook on Alexander was exposed, and it’s a pretty simple one: Don’t let him punch you first.
as long as he stays on his feet.. he is gonna be alright. I remember alessio sakara took him down, but he is so strong he jumped right back up, and “red” is not the most athletic guy ever…
Sakara has no ground game and is not as strong as Schafer. That being said Houston is the only fighter I know that I will always be excited to see fight but will never be surprised if he lost every time he fought.
Lets go Houston! This fight is a must-win.
maybe he should just GO and look for a new job
The Only thing is if red lands a punch on alexander he will buckel. Every fight of Houston’s if he gets hit it Staggers him he has got to have the worst jaw i have ever seen.Watch The Sakara fight he got rocked in it as well,Jardine rocked him out of the gate (not a slip).I am taking Houston in this fight but wouldn’t be suprised at all if red tko’s Houston.
Red is insanely jealous of Forrest’s punching power. If he wins it will be by submission.
lmao, I may have to agree there, but Houston does have a weak jaw.
He looked enormous yesterday at the weigh-ins. I think he will chaulk up another one in the win column. First time I had been to a weigh-in. Very Cool! Matt Hughes had a Q&A before the weigh-in and it was entertaining as well. He told some funny stories that you don’t hear anywhere else. He elaborated on the Tito, Lee Murphy incident which was neat. Can’t wait to see the fights tonight.
Hughes also said he has a deal set up with Spike TV that him and his brother will be involved with. He couldn’t say anything else about it though. I’ve heard rumors that his brother is trying to get back into MMA so it may be some sort of reality series of Matt training with him in preparation for his UFC fight.
I was under the impression that the UFC only signed Mark to keep other orgs from using the Hughes name. Mark is a great wrestler but he would have to be a phenomenal striker to come into the game this late.
Chainlink? Did Hughes add and more details about the Tito/Lee Murphy incident that maybe we haven’t heard? Please share I am very intrigued with that story….
He said that himself, his twin brother, Pat Militech, and Tony Frickland were at a bar in England. Matt admitted that he did not see this first hand but that his brother witnessed the whole thing. I guess a friend of Tito’s jumped on Frickland’s back and pretended like he was giving him a rear naked choke. Apparently Lee saw this and got in Tito’s freinds face and said you can’t be doing that kind of crap. Meanwhile Tito saw Lee in his freinds face and started in on Lee. I guess Tito had Lee walking backwards all the way across the street. Mark’s account was that as soon as Lee backed up and felt the curb of the street he let his hands go and with two punches Tito was out cold on the street.
I heard Pat Miletich explain it the exact same way a couple of years ago in a interview.
Funny Stuff
Don’t get too fired up about Lee beating down Tito. Matt was saying that the UFC provided a bus for their group of fighters to take them to the bars. I guess the bus dropped them all off and then never came back to get them. So you have to figure that they were pretty well lit up by the time this happened. I thought it was kind of funny that he said the UFC changed their policy on taking fighters to the bar after that. It is kind of silly to bus a group of fighters to a bar and then not pick them up. You are just asking for trouble.
Interesting. Lee Murphy must hit like King Kong because it took Chuck Lidell about 5 – 6 punches to TKO Tito Pez Head Ortiz.
yeea but Tito was obviously drunk.. i doubt that he was out! since he has a jaw of steel
had to been drunk….the dude has never been “out cold” at least not in the Octagon…
Yea What did He say bout tito and Lee
And isn’t he his twin brother? or does he have another one? bc if it’s the twin than how the hell can he do better in mma than matt? Hes getting old as well.
“He recently signed a five-fight contract extension, which the UFC apparently could dismiss if he does not impress the evening on Spike TV.”
I’m very surprised you didn’t know this: standard UFC contracts contain a clause which allows Zuffa to terminate the contract after a loss.
Or a win , ask Sobral.
I caught up with Houston on Monday as he worked on his ground game. I followed him for two days in Colorado before his loss to Irvin. I can tell you he looks to be in much better condition, leaner and has a different vibe to him. I don’t see him losing this one, especially not in front of his hometown fans.
Check out bodybuilding.com with the video interview I did with his trainers earlier this week.
I predict a Houston win via mauling. This one will be quick. Houston looked shredded at the weigh-ins. Isn’t this the first time he’s actually weighed 205 during the weighin? I’m pretty sure he’s been around 203 for his previous fights.
thats what i thought but mania said he came in like 202-203. so no change, the atheletic commision just rounded up
machida is a boring fighter period
I hope the fighters start putting it in the contracts if they don’t like how the organization is treating them. seems only fair to me if the athlete has the right to leave if they want to. make it a two way street. I don’t know about you guys but these contracts sound a bit like slavery to me. I would start a fighters union if i were a fighter.
He belongs in the UFC for the simplest of reasons…He puts bums in the seats…he’s exciting & comes to compete every time…He’s a good personality for the UFC as he’s a gent…the chicks & the kids dig him. The guys want to see him KO someone.
His appeal is widespread…
My wife likes him, my 13yo boy looks up to him & I approve.
The guy is a good role model.
If this is how a white-middle-class family thinks about him, imagine what kind of appeal he has on the whole.
UFC…I want to see every one of the 4 fights left on his contract!
Hope Dana keeps his word , he doesnt belong in the UFC unless he can win .. Its that simple.
houston needs a new trainer.. the guy got the drive but is lost when he’s on the floor.. some vet trainer needs to get houston then he will be unstopable. has anyone ever lost 3 fights in a row??? funny how everyone loves u when u win.. and hates u when u lose. no loyalty u people should be ashamed of yourselves