MMA Off-Topic

[DJ]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

But dont you have an obligation to check with the people involved in the story? For example, Ariel's sources couldve been Paul Heyman (who is a close friend of Lesnar) and a WWE employee (who would know because they granted Lesnar the right to fight at 200).

Neither one of those sources is directly involved with the story but both of them would be considered "credible." If you are trying to protect a relationsip that benefits you, wouldnt you want to give the UFC the oppurtunity to comment?

If they say "no comment", you report no comment. If they say "its a lie", you report it like ESPN did and say that its rumored but the UFC is denying it.

If they ask you to park it, you refuse but at least you've given the UFC a chance to respond.

The fact that Ariel was in the same building as the UFC brass makes the situation worse. All he had to do was ask for a comment. He had the news 3 hours before anyone else, so it's not like he was missing breaking the news if he took 5-10 min. to talk to UFC PR and/or Dana and see what they had to say. If UFC refused comment (which they would have) you put that in the story and the backlash from the UFC is dulled, because you at least extended them a courtesy to respond to the news.

I didn't realize he didn't check with UFC originally. You've got to give the organization a chance to confirm/deny. I don't care about past history, when they are in the same building, you ask.

Ariel seems like a good guy and has a lot of passion, but he has done some things that I can see where if I'm Lorenzo or Dana, I'm not a fan of his work. Ariel can spin that paycheck story however he wants, but at the end of the day he was paid by Zuffa. You can't get paid by them and then scoop them on stories or have leading questions on interviews and expect no repercussions.

I'm not defending the bullying policies of the UFC with the media. That is 100% wrong and needs to stop. If UFC wants to be treated like a real sport, then they need a thicker skin with what is put out in the media.

If the UFC wants to break its own news, they have every right to do so. They may want to look at stronger embargo with fighters/managers when it comes to fight contracts, because those are likley the sources Ariel gets his news from. I highly doubt someone at Zuffa is feeding Ariel stories.

Hopefully both sides learn lessons from this situation.

[p_rushing]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Ariel has no responsibility to the UFC. If the UFC wants to control announcements, they should fix their own leaks. Also asking for a comment is ridiculous when you are dealing with Dana.

If this was another person, he may hold it, but with the history with Dana there is no way you hold onto that info.

He also isn't posting facts, he is posting rumors that have been verified with sources, but still aren't true until announced.

Then the whole banning for who announced it is stupid. Did he really hurt any interest by letting people know?

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[aholbert32]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Ariel has no responsibility to the UFC. If the UFC wants to control announcements, they should fix their own leaks. Also asking for a comment is ridiculous when you are dealing with Dana.

If this was another person, he may hold it, but with the history with Dana there is no way you hold onto that info.

He also isn't posting facts, he is posting rumors that have been verified with sources, but still aren't true until announced.

Then the whole banning for who announced it is stupid. Did he really hurt any interest by letting people know?

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He didnt have to ask Dana. He couldve asked Lorenzo or Dave Sholler or any one the UFC PR team. He didnt even try.

[Dave_S]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Anthony Pettis moving to featherweight. Interesting, something had to change, but it seems most LW's haven't had much success in FW with exception of Edgar/McGregor

https://www.google.com/amp/www.mmafighting.com/platform/amp/2016/6/8/11882606/anthony-pettis-dropping-to-featherweight-hopes-for-august-debut#

[p_rushing]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

He didnt have to ask Dana. He couldve asked Lorenzo or Dave Sholler or any one the UFC PR team. He didnt even try.

I get that, but when you already know the answer you will get, you get to the point where you don't bother asking.

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[aholbert32]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

I get that, but when you already know the answer you will get, you get to the point where you don't bother asking.

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Thats not how it works when you are a journalist. You ask even if you already know the answer.

[The JareBear]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Anthony Pettis moving to featherweight. Interesting, something had to change, but it seems most LW's haven't had much success in FW with exception of Edgar/McGregor

https://www.google.com/amp/www.mmafi...-august-debut#

I like the move. Would love to see him fight Holloway

[Dave_S]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Thats not how it works when you are a journalist. You ask even if you already know the answer.

He was already fired from Fox and no longer on the Zuffa payroll. If I was a journalist I wouldn't ask Dana or UFC if I was in his shoes at that point in time, but I'm a jerk like that. IMO he has no responsibility at all to run anything by those guys, if anything I would think if he would have to run it by anyone it would be someone in his chain of command at mmafighting.com or Box.

I like the move. Would love to see him fight Holloway

I think there is quite a few fun fights for him at that division. Aldo, Oliveira and many others. Him vs Conor would be fun but I don't see Conor doing much more at 145.

[aholbert32]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

He was already fired from Fox and no longer on the Zuffa payroll. If I was a journalist I wouldn't ask Dana or UFC if I was in his shoes at that point in time, but I'm a jerk like that. IMO he has no responsibility at all to run anything by those guys, if anything I would think if he would have to run it by anyone it would be someone in his chain of command at mmafighting.com or Box.

And you would be a bad journalist who would likely have his credentials taken.

Look, you have to give them a chance to comment. You just do. When you dont have confirmation from sources directly involved in the situation, you get a comment. After that you can run the story even if the UFC asks you not to.

You would also think that he would do that given that 90% of the content he does is because the UFC grants him access. Ariel isnt a reporter like Brett Okomoto or Josh Gross or Mike Chiapetta. He mainly interviews people. Half of those interviews take place at UFC media days. The other half take place on the MMA hour. Now in most UFC contracts, the UFC has an approval right over the shows you appear on.

So if I knew just 2 weeks earlier that the UFC was upset about my Diaz interview and I knew that 90% of my work stemmed from the UFC granting me a press credential....I would give the common courtesy of asking for a comment.

[Dave_S]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Then you might as well still be working for zuffa.

Kind of curious how anyone could be defending Dana and company, considering most media outlets in the know with theseveral matters condemned the action.

You have inside information, or just a huge Dana/Lorenzo fan?

[aholbert32]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Then you might as well still be working for zuffa.

Kind of curious how anyone could be defending Dana and company, considering most media outlets in the know with theseveral matters condemned the action.

You have inside information, or just a huge Dana/Lorenzo fan?

Huh? Because you ask Zuffa for a comment? How is the that the same as working for Zuffa? Why was ESPN willing to ask for a comment when they had the same story?

How did you expect the media to react? One of their colleagues had his credentials pulled and was banned for life. The UFC did themselves a disservice by giving a no comment when reporters asked them about the Ariel situation on Saturday night. So through Monday afternoon, the only story anyone had was what Ariel tweeted (which wasnt the whole story). So Sunday and Monday, every article that was written was solely off of Ariel's tweets.

I have no inside information at all. I'm not even a Dana fan. I recognize what he's done for the sport but I've been very public about my dislike of the Reebok deal and how his ego has prevented several big fighters (Askren, Fedor) from coming to the UFC.

But I'm not a Dana and Lorenzo ***** either. I can look at the facts and see that they arent one sided. Go through my posts here and in the other thread in the UFC forum and I've stated that the UFC overreacted when it pulled the credentials (especially his colleagues credentials who had nothing to do with the story)

With that said, I dont think Ariel is completely innocent in this. In fact, he told on himself during his MMA Hour interview. He listed all the reasons (some justified) that the UFC had issues with him. He stated that he didnt even bother to ask for a comment.

So both sides did things wrong in my opinion. That doesnt make me a Dana/Lorenzo fan just because I see it that way.

[p_rushing]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Huh? Because you ask Zuffa for a comment? How is the that the same as working for Zuffa? Why was ESPN willing to ask for a comment when they had the same story?

How did you expect the media to react? One of their colleagues had his credentials pulled and was banned for life. The UFC did themselves a disservice by giving a no comment when reporters asked them about the Ariel situation on Saturday night. So through Monday afternoon, the only story anyone had was what Ariel tweeted (which wasnt the whole story). So Sunday and Monday, every article that was written was solely off of Ariel's tweets.

I have no inside information at all. I'm not even a Dana fan. I recognize what he's done for the sport but I've been very public about my dislike of the Reebok deal and how his ego has prevented several big fighters (Askren, Fedor) from coming to the UFC.

But I'm not a Dana and Lorenzo ***** either. I can look at the facts and see that they arent one sided. Go through my posts here and in the other thread in the UFC forum and I've stated that the UFC overreacted when it pulled the credentials (especially his colleagues credentials who had nothing to do with the story)

With that said, I dont think Ariel is completely innocent in this. In fact, he told on himself during his MMA Hour interview. He listed all the reasons (some justified) that the UFC had issues with him. He stated that he didnt even bother to ask for a comment.

So both sides did things wrong in my opinion. That doesnt make me a Dana/Lorenzo fan just because I see it that way.

It's all coming from his relationship with the UFC. There is a story in the article I saw about Rogan saying the UFC should have control of all news. Ariel was going to release news on a fight on FS1 that evening, but wanted to get a comment from the UFC before he did it. A few hours after contacting the UFC, someone else who didn't break MMA news is releasing the fight. Dana tells Ariel that he should have run with the story if he had it. He shouldn't have waited.

Dana plays both sides and if this was any other company, Ariel probably reaches out. Given the past, he new the UFC was releasing the info that night and might have thought they would give another news/website the story to scoop him.

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[aholbert32]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

It's all coming from his relationship with the UFC. There is a story in the article I saw about Rogan saying the UFC should have control of all news. Ariel was going to release news on a fight on FS1 that evening, but wanted to get a comment from the UFC before he did it. A few hours after contacting the UFC, someone else who didn't break MMA news is releasing the fight. Dana tells Ariel that he should have run with the story if he had it. He shouldn't have waited.

Dana plays both sides and if this was any other company, Ariel probably reaches out. Given the past, he new the UFC was releasing the info that night and might have thought they would give another news/website the story to scoop him.

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A couple of issues with that story:

1) Ariel was a Zuffa employee at the time. So he knew he would have to try to get a comment from the UFC before running the story.

2) Ariel doesnt have to get a comment from the UFC now. He has to TRY to get a comment from the UFC. I read tons of story everyday that say "We attempted to get a comment from _____ but he did not return our call"

3) Ariel was at 199. He was backstage. I promise you he walked past Dave Sholler or someone from UFC PR. All he had to do was find one of them and ask them for comment. Its that simple.

Ariel wanted to run it because it was big news and he wanted the credit for "breaking" the story. He didnt want to risk anybody else posting it before him. I get that. But that doesnt mean that he was justified in not asking for a comment. He even admitted that he thought the UFC would be upset he leaked the story. Like I said earlier, he didnt think the UFC would ban him and he was wrong.

Next time I hope he has the common courtesy to make one phone call or pull someone at UFC PR aside and ask one question.

[Dave_S]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Mendes flagged. I'd say more but these days there is only a few fighters that would genuinely surprise me if they failed test, and even then I wouldn't be totally shocked.

http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/ufc-chad-mendes-flagged-for-potential-anti-doping-violation-by-usada-061016

[The JareBear]

Re: OS MMA Random Thread

Ok so I fully admit I'm probably gonna get blasted for this take. I admit beforehand what I'm about to say is dumb.

Ok, so this is a "tin foil hat" kind of moment for me, but I swear I am not some paranoid conspiracy theorist. That being said, I find the timing of the Chad Mendes announcement somewhat intriguing considering the small blowback just recently concerning revealing the UFCs power to grant exemptions to the "4 month rule." What a time and what a way to remind everyone that USASA means business.

Do they disclose to the public when the test happened, and when the results were first known?

I just wanna make it clear I'm not calling for a super serious inquisition here, this is my equivalent of "bar stool bro science" talk, just thinking stupid stuff and saying it out loud.