On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bob Meyrowitz, whose new mixed martial arts league, YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF), will be debuting Friday, April 11, 2008, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a pay-per-view show. Bob is the former CEO of Semaphore Entertainment Group, which produced the original, classic UFC events from 1993 to 2001.
Among the topics Bob discussed were the format of tournaments and masters super fights which will be used in this organization; incorrect speculation about their new fighting surface; how they plan to persuade viewers to buy their pay-per-views; the lack of understanding by many of the early, classic UFC events; his opinion of the present-day UFC and the quality of their fighters; some of the newer MMA organizations; the need to produce stars; the reasoning behind and history of the marketing strategy of the early UFC’s, including the use of humor; how a pro boxer would do in MMA; the relation of the early UFC’s to various state athletic commissions; the experience with the New York commission and politicians in 1996 and 1997; the importance of ring girls; and more.
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The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
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NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com), the undisputed arena fighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment, producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information, check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com).
IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, at http://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html.
Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/).
BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/).
FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
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This is the beginning of a new MMA event with some mystery behind it. I think it is definitely worth 35$ for a ppv event. Who knows it might just become popular and you'll be the first to see it. Just as I remember watching the first UFC and every one thereafter. If the ring is done properly I believe it will be a step above what is offered out there. A new fighting environment will show different concepts and techniques in fighting. It's only $35 and it's not like we have the opportunity that often to see butterbean and Taktarov fight (other than 1 winning fight it's been 10 years since we've seen the sambo expert fight for real and not just in the movies) And the whole tournament concept coming back. If we see enough money thrown at the purses you could see some big names in the future ... like RIcco Rodgriguez fresh off of celebrity rehab!Of course you can always watch it on www.dojotube.com but it is definitely worth viewing on the big screen.
Yamma pit fighting, in my opinion, turned out to be a spectacular event. I sat ringside watching the event which proved above the hype. One thing I didn't notice was the push into the cage entrapment to just beat the crap out of someone. This environment was not conducive to that. As a lifetime martial art enthusiast I felt that it showcased more skills and gave the wrestler a fighting chance. The 28 degree angle of the dojotube surrounding seemed to bring people back to the ring. It also seemed to maximize take downs. A slighter degree angle may decrease that scenario. All in all I think we watched more exciting fights. Let's hope Bob Meyrowitz has the insight to bring in big named fighters that would attract more viewership and ultimately be good for the sport. We've got interviews with every fighter after their victory and some clips you just can't see anywhere else at www.dojotube.com Dojoe.