A week ago, Nate Marquardt was sitting on top of the world. While he hadn't yet made his debut as a welterweight, a main event tilt versus Rick Story on Versus was on the horizon, and the argument was that the winner of the fight could very well be the next in line for a shot at the 170 lb. strap. Today, Marquardt is at a crossroads in his career, being released by the UFC following a failed medical clearance for the event, which was shuffled around and was turned into a headliner featuring kickboxers Cheick Kongo and Pat Berry, which provided one of the greatest finishes in Mixed Martial Arts history.
Following that came the revelation from Marquardt, that like Chael Sonnen, he suffered from testosterone deficiency and needed to undergo Testosterone replacement therapy (TPT) to repair it. We also heard from Dana White, and his belief during a press conference this week regarding the situation that he believed Marquardt's hormone therapy might be "performance enhancing", as well as him going tooth and nail defending Sonnen yet again, claiming Sonnen had all the paper work but he hadn't seen a thing from Marquardt's camp, who had 6 weeks to file the paper work. He referred to whether or not the Greg Jackson product would return, saying that "Nate's Done" and his release was his "Fourth Chance".
Brett Rogers yesterday was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife and released from Zuffa-offshoot Strikeforce. Which again, I can understand. Publicity for a sport like Mixed Martial Arts, especially negative, presents a bad eye for marketing (though it probably doesn't help Rogers has lost 3 or his last 4 fights).
In the past we've seen Dana White have a video blog tirade (stemming from a Loretta Hunt article on Sherdog), going so far as to deny the veteran MMA writer media credentials while she attempted to report on the "Strikeforce : Diaz vs Daley" event earlier this year. We've seen him criticize Fedor Emelianenko's management, tweeting they "are the worst in the world" following "The Last Emperor's" defeat at the hands of Bigfoot Silva in February. We've seen White critique notable trainers like Greg Jackson and fighters like Anderson Silva, going so far as to say he'd "cut him" following another performance on par with the one against Demian Maia in Abu Dhabi (Silva would next fight Sonnen, who pushed him to the brink, no doubt aided by his testosterone boost).
I'm not saying that Dana White isn't a leader. His passion is unparalleled and his actions are based on pure emotion. What I'm saying is while he can stay installed as President of Zuffa, the truth of the matter here is that as a de facto commissioner, he does as he pleases and there are none that can question his decisions. I feel that if the sport of Mixed Martial Arts is to go forward, there is a dire need for a sport governing body, to separate the promotional side of the sport from the rule breaking side. At the head of it there needs to be a commissioner, be it whomever it is, that can not only make tough decisions, but is brave enough to kick out a rule breaker and a criminal (such as Sonnen), despite the fact that his loyal following keeps him inside the cage. One that if the need arises and rampant abuse takes over, is able to clamp down.
White is able to do that for some, but not for others. Favoritism needs to be thrown to the wayside.
-In other news, MMAJunkie reported that 2 more fights have been added to the "Strikeforce : Fedor vs Henderson" card set for July 30th. Both involve female fighters, with a 145 lb. fight between Ronda Rousey & Sarah D'Alelio, and 135 lb. tilt between Julie Kedzie and Alexis Davis. The card is set to air on Showtime.
-UFC color commentator Joe Rogan has been slated to host the relaunch of reality show "Fear Factor" on NBC. Rogan, if you remember, was the host of the show during its original run from 2001 to 2006, as reported by MMAJunkie.
-ESPN.com/Sherdog is reporting that the UFC is planning an event in Japan sometime this year, according to president Dana White. White has been quoted as saying the rumors regarding the Japan event speculated by numerous MMA sources are "true", and if it happens will be the first card in Japan since UFC 29 back in 2000.
-ProElite is back. The former match fixing, controversial MMA promotion has announced they will host their first event since resurrection in Hawaii on August 27th, reported by ESPN.co.uk. Wonder if they can find another "Street Brawler" to rest their hopes on. Or maybe Phil Baroni. That will be interesting.
-And I normally don't cover Boxing on this blog, but, Junkie has reported that Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has signed up to make his professional boxing debut on August 13th. This in my view, is definitely a good thing. Based on his cardio, he might be able to take over Butterbean's crown as the "King of the 4 rounders".
Though based on heavyweight boxing nowadays, he might be a contender.
Questions? Comments? drop one at the bottom here or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com. Also feel free to follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!.
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