It has been a crazy week for rumours and literally yesterday's front page news is today's garbage.
Yesterday we reported that a well placed "source" from inside Mirko 's camp reported that Filipovic had come to a decision to move to the UFC.
Here is an update... and for the sake of journalistic integrity I suppose we had better add a big fat Allegedly to the following...
Mirko Filipovic has spoken out about the current rumours plastered over all the MMA media sites. In his statement he said (Translated):
"I repeat, I've got an offer from UFC and some others organizations. However, I haven't promised anything.
I haven't signed any contract.
Soon, I will choose the best offer and I will inform the public and the media on the same day.
I don know who is claiming to be this "source inside the Croatian's camp" because no one has more insight than me in my sport and business career decisions."
Subsequent rumours have come to our attention today that Cro Cop is in fact actually in the final stages of re-signing with Pride. These unconfirmed sources claim that the contract on offer is rumoured to be worth $2.5 Million per fight.
It is likely that if they have re-signed Cro Cop, Pride will make their intentions clear at their big end of year show Pride: Shockwave 2006.
The Korean video games developer Cykan who recently used Fedor Emelianenko as a character model for one of their latest titles have made their desire to invest in Pride Fighting Championships very clear.
The massive software moguls have reportedly proposed pumping a lot of cash in to the biggest show on earth and are particularly keen to support the USA events.
Cykan is also rumoured to be a pivotal driving force behind the rumoured Pride Seoul show that is expected to take place in the first half of 2007.
I'm sooooo torn. I want PRIDE survie & Mirko fight Fedor, but then agian, I soooo want C.C. to come to the UFC and wear the STRAP that Sylvia currently sleeps with.
For the fans at least, there is much more potential for Mirko being in the UFC rather than Pride. If Mirko fights Fedor again and loses, there's not much really left for him other than a rematch with Nog.
Besides, it makes me giddy inside anticipating watching Silvia fall like a big tree over and over again in a fight with CC.
Can we all agree that Pride's pockets might be just a little bit deeper than the western MMA "media" have been spouting all along?
While I'm sure the domestic television deal was important... I think that Pride must pull in enough internationally that they're not worried about going under anytime soon.
what does Mirko know about anything? Sherdog's website made it perfectly clear that an unnamed source from his camp has said he'll sign with the UFC, so let's get back to discussing whether he should fight Sylvia or Arlovski first.
Couple of things. 1) I agree with the "I'd love to see Cro Cop in the UFC" but at the same time rematches with Fedor and Nogiera are 2 of the best batches i could dream of in this wonderful world of MMA. Cro Cop would dominate in the UFC, fun to watch as well.
2) Can you really see Pride going under. Just as this sport is exploding in America all Pride need is a well thought, well placed reality show and they will have all the US MMA upstarts running for cover. Even the mightly UFC will quake a little under the depth of their talent pool. I just think they should keep the fights in Japan and just broadcast them here. Then we keep the soccer kicks!!