MMA gosip 22/12/07 Mayweather,Fedor

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[SIZE="7"][FONT="Century Gothic"]Floyd Mayweather Considering a Move to MMA?[/FONT][/SIZE]
Posted by Performify on December 22, 2007 at 4:20 am ET


Floyd MayweatherAccording to a report on ESPN.com, “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. — universally regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet — may be considering lacing up the 5-oz gloves and stepping in to the world of MMA with Mark Cuban’s HDNet Fights.

The article quotes Cuban, saying:

“Floyd is considering fighting with HDNet Fights,” Cuban told ESPN.com. “We are going to let him visit some gyms to talk to some folks about what it would take to learn. He knows it won’t be easy. But he is getting involved with MMA and HDNet Fights one way or another. He is pumped about it. He wants to go on to the next big thing. Floyd is a brilliant marketer. He follows the money.“

“If I said there’s a guaranteed $30 million payday, Floyd would be lacing them up,” Cuban said, optimistic that Mayweather would eventually participate in an MMA match. “If not, I could see him working to train and develop and invest in MMA fighters, knowing the upside. He can teach them how to be a better boxer and add to their other skills.“

Mayweather is currently taking “a vacation” after his most recent fight, a dramatic and dominating dismantling of previously-undefeated Ricky Hatton on December 8, 2007 via a 10th round TKO. However, it appears Mayweather will be looking seriously at mixed martial arts upon his return from the break. The article quotes Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s adviser and best friend, on the subject:

”(MMA is) definitely something (Mayweather) is interested in, and when Floyd makes his move, obviously it’s going to be a mega event,” Ellerbe said. “We don’t have a timetable. Floyd is taking some time off, but Floyd understands what is involved. You have to take time to go out and understand what you’re getting involved in, and he’s ready to do that. But it’s something he’s definitely interested in doing.

This isn’t Mayweather’s first MMA-related headline. Back in early May — during the buildup for his highly-anticipated fight with Oscar De La Hoya — Mayweather made disparaging remarks regarding mixed martial arts, stating that any boxing champion could easily transition into MMA and become a champion. In response, Dana White called out Mayweather, offering him an immediate fight against then-champion Sean Sherk. Mayweather later apologized for the remarks (see: Floyd Mayweather Jr. Victorious, Apologetic).

According to the ESPN.com story, Cuban first approached Mayweather regarding participating in an MMA event after the two “struck up a friendship… during their participation this season as contestants on the ABC reality series Dancing with the Stars.“

Mayweather holds a 39-0 professional boxing record and has won six world boxing championships in five different weight classes. Since July 2005, he has been rated the #1 boxer pound-for-pound by Ring Magazine. Mayweather currently boxes at welterweight (147 pounds) but his fight against De La Hoya was for the junior middleweight title at 154 pounds.

A move to MMA would certainly require a significant amount of training for the veteran boxer to round out his fighting skills and be competitive with a true rounded mixed martial artist. However it is unarguable that Mayweather would bring a significant ratings draw to the table regardless of his experience level.


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[SIZE="7"][FONT="Century Gothic"]HDNet Fights to Televise all of “Fedor Returns” Card[/FONT][/SIZE]
Posted by Performify on December 21, 2007 at 2:08 pm ET

HDNet has officially announced a broadcast time and fight card for the December 31 presentation of “HDNet Fights: Fedor Returns.”

The broadcast will be coming to viewers live from Tokyo, Japan starting at 6:00 a.m. ET. Improving on a tradition started with HDNet’s December 15 card “Reckless Abandon” (see: HDNet Fights to Televise Most of “Reckless Abandon” Card), the entire eight-fight card will be broadcast as part of the event.

The event will also be re-broadcast on Monday, December 31 at 3:00 p.m. ET, Friday, January 4 at 10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, January 5 at 3:00 a.m. ET (late night Friday), and Saturday, January 5 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

A full fight card for the event has not yet been officially announced, but HDNet has confirmed that some of the world’s top lightweight fighters will appear on the card, including Hayato Sakurai, Gilbert Melendez, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Shinya Aoki and Gesias “JZ” Calvancante.

The latest rumored fight card includes:

* Fedor Emelianenko vs. Hong Man Choi
* Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Kazuo Misaki
* Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Luis Azeredo
* Mitsuhiro Ishida vs. Gilbert Melendez
* Ricardo Arona vs. TBA
* Hidehiko Hasegawa vs. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai
* Shinya Aoki vs. Gesias “JZ” Calvancante
* Luiz Azeredo vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri

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