Report: Franklin vs. Lutter could happen in Montreal
A planned middleweight bout between Rich Franklin and Travis Lutter that had been scheduled for March 1 in Columbus, Ohio at UFC 82, could be re-scheduled for the UFC’s anticipated show on April 19 in Montreal at the Bell Centre.
The story was first reported by Loretta Hunt of The Fight Network on Wednesday morning.
The report does not say the match has officially been added to the card, as Franklin’s agent, Monte Cox, indicated that Franklin’s recovery from surgery last week coupled with the recent loss of his father due to a heart attack could effect the scheduling of the bout.
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Sam Caplan is the President of Combat Sports Media, LLC, the parent company of FiveOuncesOfPain.com. CSM is a B-2-B outsource solution in the MMA industry and provides PR, web management, and other consulting services to MMA companies. Clients of CSM include the Combat Sports Championships and Showtime.
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Monte needs to decide what he wants to do, manage or run M-1. Seems like such a conflict of interest.
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For contract negotiations between a client of his and M-1 Global, Monte is not representing those fighters.
The problem is that Cox is too good of an agent in an industry where there isn’t enough of them. Some people on the outside feel its a conflict of interest but if you ask most of his clients, I bet they’d tell you they don’t care.
Cox has an open door policy with his clients. If they don’t like working with him they can change representation. Not many guys take him up on that offer.
If there was a better selection of agents out there, Cox wouldn’t have the option of being an executive or agent. But good agents in MMA are able to accumulate 40-55 clients because there isn’t much competition out there. It’s about getting fighters paid, and guys like Cox, Ken Pavia, and Dean Albrecht do that very well.
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Sam how much of a percentage are the big time Managers asking from the fighters?
That’s what I’d like to know.
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ok but what happens when a client of his asks where he should go to the UFC, WEC or M-1? He won’t give an opinion?
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Evan I’m sure who ever is offering the most money is where the fighter will go.
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Dizzle…I think Hughes said he gives him 10%.
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Thats not always the case though. Sometimes opportunities can mean more than simple pay in the long run. Fedor didn’t take the most money.
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true, but I thought we were talking about up in coming fighters.
I’m sure that the fighter will have his wants and needs. Monte is the guy who goes after and trys to do that for the fighter.
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“Some people on the outside feel its a conflict of interest but if you ask most of his clients, I bet they’d tell you they don’t care.”
Whether his fighters say they care or not, what Cox is doing right now is almost a textbook definition of conflict of interest. Beyond that, though, I’d be concerned if I was one of his lower tier guys. You’re telling me he has time to manage all these big name fighters, operate as the CEO for a competing MMA org, and look out for my interests at the same time? I’d be concerned.
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dizzle your right. Still….money is not always the best situation and if he is my manager I want him to make my decisions. Thats why he is my agent. I don’t want anyone else to handle it. They may be ok with it now but things change as M-1 gets it together.
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Now is M-1 really just a management team for the fighers or an ORG.?
I just dont know what their deal is.
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considering the fans knew about Fedor fighting Choi before they did, I doubt they even know.
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They say they’re going to hold their own events, which would make them an org. Right now they just look like a Fedor rental company.
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“For contract negotiations between a client of his and M-1 Global, Monte is not representing those fighters”
So Monte will have who negotiate them? Will he find them another agent or are they hung high and dry? One of Monte’s assistants will handle it?
What happens here when someone signs with M-1 and it goes bad from top to bottom. Then they are left feeling something along the lines “I think I would have been better off with IFL, WEC etc….” and they question where Monte’s loyalty is. All it would take is one complaint to the NSAC or CSAC for there to be a big problem.
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“All it would take is one complaint to the NSAC or CSAC for there to be a big problem”
Evan, that’s one of several reasons why M-1 will likely never hold an event in California or Nevada. In fact, Cox told me at the Fedor presser that he didn’t know where they’d go, but it definitely wouldn’t be CA. M-1 seems more like an offshore barge kind of operation at this point.
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Well…thats not shady at all….
Thanks Ben, I suspected that but wasn’t sure.
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Is Monte a licensed attorney? If so, the conflict issues could get really hairy.
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Monte is not an attorney.
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No Mike…His entire life has been in combat sports…he used to be a boxer. With a nice mullet!
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Actually, I believe Monte was originally a local sportscaster in Iowa. I think he got introduced to MMA when he did a story on it for his station. But he’s been in the game for a long time and has represented some of the biggest names around.
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Thats true Sam, but he used to box as well.
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Evan, are you sure you don’t have him confused with Dana White?
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I am very sure. I clearly remember a pic of him in real fighter with a huge mullet throwing down. Might be the issue with Franklin with a white background or maybe the one with Randy with a red background from sometime early last year. 4th or 5th issue they ever released.
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Good for Monte. Lots of guys have law degrees, but only a select few can claim a truly awsome mullet. Much respect.
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Actually it was issue 9 with Tito. The article is called “The Full Monte” .On pg 40 There he is in full glory giving a nice right overhand to someone who looks like Bill Paxton. Send me an email Sam and I will send you the magazine if you want to read his story. Its very good.
And dizzle Hughes is quoted in this write up as giving Monte 20%, not 10% like I said before
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