Comments on: Report: Mayhem Miller now a free agent

By: hankd

hankd — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 05:10:13 +0000

HDNet has an offer on the table…they’re close…

By: Leland Roling

Leland Roling — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:10:16 +0000

Filho is a tough sell to bring to the UFC because he is good friends with Anderson Silva. Almeida was a great pickup considering that they could rematch him with Marquardt. They had a battle in Pancrase that ended in a “Babalu”-esque guillotine choke that Almeida did not let go of. Marquardt escaped finally, after the fight was over, and punches Almeida in the face. The corners charged the ring. Could be fireworks.

Miller should be picked up by Zuffa. He is self-promoting himself, he has already a solid fanbase, he’s eccentric and loud, and a bit nutty. He’s a marketing dream and I think he’s controlled enough not to talk about weed being good for fighters during live events.

By: Gabber

Gabber — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:04:49 +0000

Poor Mayhem. He was doomed from the word go when Joe Rogan talked about how GSP would have to worry about him and he would be a real challenge.

GSP annhilated him. Ever since, it replays on Unleashed and now to the casual UFC fan he’s that dude ” That did the Bruce Lee flip and GSP kicked him in the face” I hope he moves on to another organization. The UFC could really use him at Middleweight, Almedia is also a nice addition. Maybe the UFC’s Randy backlash will be a rash of signings of fringe fighters like Mayhem to beef up the divisions they can cash the cheques for.

Silva is just going to prove again this weekend why he is the man. He needs some competition.

By: Sam Caplan

Sam Caplan — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:42:41 +0000

Adam, I agree with you 100%. Because Zuffa didn’t make Mayhem, it would be hard to break him. Mayhem doesn’t rely on a fight promotion to market him.

Matt, as I mentioned in the story, it could be a “procedural” issue. We haven’t seen a copy of a release so who knows if he was truly released? What if this is a cover for a transfer? I’m not saying I have any reason to believe that’s the case, but it could be one possibly solution to move Mayhem into the UFC without jeopardizing the credibility they’ve been trying to build with the WEC.

By: Mr. Takedown

Mr. Takedown — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:20:37 +0000

If Zuffa released Miller from his WEC deal, then why would he get resigned by Zuffa for the UFC?? He cannot be controled (I agree) he has too much personality and is also kind of a nut job. His interviews for other promotions under a Zuffa contract is another reason they wont resign him. Come on guys, we’ve all witnessed how they do not treat fighters who are not 100% loyal to the company. He’s not going to end up with the UFC.

I hope EliteXC signs him. They have other “characters” in Kimbo and NickDiaz and Baroni, why not add one more!

By: Adam Morgan

Adam Morgan — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:51:10 +0000

I don’t think the UFC wants anything to do with Mayhem because you can’t control his popularity.

By: Dayzah

Dayzah — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:47:51 +0000

I dont uderstand .. Why would they move Paulo Filho over too WEC and then think about moving Mayhem too UFC? Why not just take the better fighter too begin with?

By: Macdaddy

Macdaddy — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:32:43 +0000

Why in flaming blue farts would the UFC’s owners want to promote their own competition? They put all that money into branding and cornering the best talent, and then they promote this other show as an equal product? That’s retarded from a marketing perspective.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:27:52 +0000

I have been preaching to anyone who would listen for the last six months that Mayhem is the most valuable fighter on the market to the UFC right now. I was saying that when Fedor was still available.

My reasoning is as follows:

1) Mayhem’s contract isn’t worth that much, compared to a lot of the top free agents right now. So it’s a value almost no matter what, as opposed to most of these Pride guys who are getting paid huge money and then totally busting in the UFC.
2) He happens to be a top quality fighter in the one division they need challengers in more than any other. They are DESPERATE for Middleweights. For the sake of selling PPVs, they don’t need Gomi. They don’t need Diaz or Shields (though he’s going to be an awesome pick-up when they get him). They don’t need Barnett. But they NEED Mayhem. It also doesn’t hurt that they can immediately put him over by telling everyone he beat up EliteXC’s champ.
3) Mayhem is one of the most instantly marketable American fighters. Probably top 3. A moron can market that guy. And he’s a love him or hate him dude. Unlike both Jason McDonald and Yushin Okami, you can’t feel midddle of the road about Miller. And the best thing about Miller is that he actually markets himself…you don’t even have to spend money doing it.

By: Davey D

Davey D — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:13:49 +0000

I hope to see Miller in the UFC soon. Maybe they could put him and Rampage on TUF 7 as coaches. That would be cool.

By: ttt

ttt — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:15:14 +0000

i can see it being an alternative w/ the lower weightclasses which is fun, but when they have overlapping weightclasses (which is inevitable) and fighers like Paulo Filho and Robbie Lawler who will probably move to bigger things, it’s hard to take UFCs stand on the WEC seriously

By: Sam Caplan

Sam Caplan — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:53:12 +0000

As a legitimate stand-alone alternative to the UFC.

By: ttt

ttt — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:50:18 +0000

so how does the UFC want to present the WEC if not a feeder league ?