So is it good for the UFC to have another man to help run the show? Apparently the organization thinks so as Dana White’s big announcement today was that Lorenzo Fertitta, one of two brothers (and one step-brother) who purchased Zuffa, has joined White to help promote worldwide growth for the successful fight company. Spain, Italy, and Dubai were just a few of the countries that the UFC hopes to break into. India, with it’s population of well over one billion and 350,000 within the target demographics for the fighting organization, was another.
For any of our older readers who know little about the men behind Zuffa and the UFC, the name Fertitta might bring back some memories. For our readers from Galveston, Texas, you may have heard of Lorenzo’s father, mobster Frank Fertitta Jr., from the Balinese Room casino. If you go back far enough, you may also remember Anthony Fertitta, the man who strong-armed the LIFE photographer after he had taken photos inside of the casino, a hotbed for illegal activity, without consent. Luckily, Lorenzo wasn’t even alive at the time. Not long after the incident with TIME, Frank Jr. moved to Las Vegas with his wife and his first son Frank III to begin his life as a bell boy in the Vegas casino’s. His rise to fame didn’t take long and his son Lorenzo began to learn the ropes. In 2001, he co-purchased the UFC with his brothers and ex-amateur boxer Dana White.
While it’s great that the UFC has another man to help steer the ship, will his reputation as the son of a mobster hurt the company? Or will the past fail to haunt the UFC even as a former casino owner takes over in hopes of expanding the company far past the shores of the United States? And why did the younger Fertitta join White in the first place? Were they tired of losing money with failed attempts to grow past the U.S.? The Pride acquisition in December of 2006 and the recent events in the U.K. have cost Zuffa quite a bit of money. Is Lorenzo moving over to the UFC to stop White from losing any more money? Meaning that this big announcement is really a demotion for White? Or is Fertitta merely resigning from his post as an owner of Station Casinos to help the UFC grow? Either way, will this move hurt the organization from a media relations standpoint?
Well, with the charity work and the money that the brothers have been throwing around Vegas, I don’t expect to hear too much grumbling from the press. We’ll hear references to Frank Jr., the man who inspired the movie “Casino” more than anything else. Lorenzo and Frank III have allowed White to take the limelight during most of the UFC’s announcements, but the men haven’t been hiding out. In Las Vegas, you can find the Fertitta Community Assistance Center, an organization that was created to help more than 50,000 residents annually. You’ll find his brother Frank III and his father Frank Jr. in the public spotlight. Donations to the Republican Party and a former seat on the Nevada State Athletic Commission have solidified Lorenzo as a reputable figure in the community and more importantly, MMA. This move should help the growth as long as the Fertitta’s continue to throw around legit money in the rest of the world.
Finally, not to be outdone, there’s Dana white himself taking shots at the blogging community before they could attempt to downplay his “big announcement”. I can understand that White doesn’t really have much love for the rest of the blogging world, but his comments about the news have reached a new low.
“The Internet may not consider this huge news, but what the people on the Internet think is huge and what I think is huge are two different things”
Well maybe it’s because most of the online community wants to see fights and could care less about business decisions. Luckily, enough people care and the news will be thrown around the MMA blogosphere for the rest of the week.
To learn more about Lorenzo Feritta, his brother Frank, and his father Frank Jr., visit FightSport 24/7. There are three parts to the Z-Files and it’s worth the read if you enjoy learning about the family and the past that hasn’t seem to hurt them much so far.
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June 18th, 2008 at 5:51pm
I have been to Spain, Italy, and Dubai and the UFC in all of those countries would be a great place to have a show!
This is a big deal for the organization. It isn’t huge in the eyes of many fans, but it is a big deal for the UFC. This may open even larger doors in the future for the company!
June 19th, 2008 at 12:27am
Curtis, I agree that it’s big for the company, but as a fan, I’m not exactly happy with Dana for saying that he was going to drop a huge announcement on us and going this way. I was expecting something a bit different.
Still, I do think it’s a good step for the UFC management, and I’m glad Lorenzo is on board.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:45am
The UFC ha$ yet to make it work in the UK, which is a hotbed for mma compared to the other countries listed, in how many shows now?
I just hope Lorenzo’s tactics doesn’t include b*tch slapping. Ahh ya boxercise instructor w/ some rich friends, Dana.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:46am
Laughing at the 3rd paragraph questions. They’re definitely valid because some people will think about it.
Did JFK’s father reputation hurt his chance for the seat at the big desk? His daddy was an ambition man. No. American business and criminal ties goes hand in hand. I really doubt the sins of the father will hurt future international deals. If there’s one thing that recent history has shown us is that an alleged or proven criminal history or activity has done little to deter the success of many individuals.
You never know how the past UK cards and the Pride acquisition (video library) will pay off in the future. The past UK shows can act as advertisements for the UFC brand and build MMA. Companies constantly spend millions on television ads to
keep their brand in the public awareness. Those past UK cards will also help keep fighter loyalty and possibly recruit the future stars of MMA who will dethrone BJ Penn, GSP, Silva, Jackson and Nogueira.
Admittedly I do not know the comprehensive numbers from the UK shows but if you’re defining the success of some of those shows solely on the immediate financial returns then you may be missing the bigger picture. In Hollwood there are many films that have performed poorly at the U.S. box office, only to then make a killing in the international market, DVD and merchandising.
Or is Fertitta merely resigning from his post as an owner of Station Casinos to help the UFC grow? Well hopefully Fertitta is doing his best to learn Spanish and Hindi. Learning the customs and etiquette will also be very important because we’re all familiar with Dana White’s brash and vulgar style.
Either way, will this move hurt the organization from a media relations standpoint? No, why would it?
Up until now, the UFC has been Dana White 24/7. With one of the UFC’s major stakeholders devoting more time and effort into making the company grow can only be good for the UFC brand and MMA at large.
From a fan’s standpoint if this means more and better cards, great other than that, I could care less about analyzing their business infrastructure.
As MMA blogger, journalist or someone in the MMA business, this is great because it means that the UFC will grow. If they grow the rest of the MMA industry will do good. Too bad Dana doesn’t care if everybody else eats and you already know how he feels about bloggers.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:41pm
Brandt,
I think the UFC expansion may actually help other mma organizations, like Elite XC. UFC expansion is going to lead to more mediocre fight cards. But the UFC will still try to make some of these shows PPV events, even if they more like Ultimate Fight Night quality, as opposed to PPV quality.
The UFC also runs so many shows, that a number of fans are starting to feel like they can skip shows because there is always another UFC right around the corner. I also know a number of fans that are actually more excited about the Elite XC product, because it’s not on television nearly as much. It’s almost like some fans are starting to become burned out on the UFC product.
June 21st, 2008 at 7:12am
Now the Fertitas are mobsters? I have read enough on this site. Bye Bye, Im off to mmajunkie.com, the best MMA site on the web!
August 1st, 2008 at 9:21am
To be quite honest, I find boxing to be more exciting than MMA. Yes, MMA has the takedowns, the submissions, and the knockouts. But, I can’t stand watching a fight that involves two fighters that are gassed by the second, or third round. The first round is probably all that an MMA fight is about. Passed that, it’s sloppy punches, sloppy takedowns, and sloppy kicks. I practice MMA myself, however, watching a boxing match is always exciting for me. Boxing exemplifies true skill. Even after an opponent gets caught, he still has a chance if he gets back up. In MMA, the fight ends right then and there. Although MMA can be exciting, Boxing still proves its a true SCIENCE.
August 1st, 2008 at 11:54am
Slasher, it’s clear that you just haven’t watched good MMA.
Watch Fedor vs. CroCop/Nogueira. Watch Liddell vs. Vernon White, or Wanderlei Silva. Watch BJ Penn vs. Georges St. Pierre.
The upper echelon of MMA provides fighters with the gas tank to make a three round bout exciting. The upper echelon of boxers appear to have a large gas tank because they spend the first six rounds not doing anything.
August 1st, 2008 at 11:57am
Oh, and as for whether or not MMA is a science, jiu-jitsu, judo, wrestling and muay thai are all more challenging to learn than boxing, because they integrate movements into the body that are counter intuitive.
I’ve gotten the opportunity to train with some of the best boxers of my generation, and I have to tell you, they could never be MMA fighters. Boxers, at this point, don’t fight, they box.
Boxing may be a science, but the difference between boxing and MMA is the difference between arithmetic and astrophysics.
August 1st, 2008 at 3:14pm
Slasher,
He beat me to it and he is exactly right. I have a good friend of mine that is a pro boxer and seen him fight several times, boxing matches can be just as boring. Two heavyweights hugging for 12 rounds sucks!
Sure Ali, Mayweather, The Golden Boy, and others are exciting but for every exciting one there are 3 boring ones.
Face it man. They are two different sports. Some people like MMA and some like boxing.
But MMA is far from boring.
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:17am
Of course boxing and MMA are two different sports. I never said otherwise. Anyway, Chuck Liddell dominated practically the best in his weight class. And he is a striker knocking out most of his opponents using his hands. Chuck is an effective striker in the MMA sense, however, if he goes toe-to-toe with even a mediocre boxer, he will get killed. All MMA fighters will get their ass knocked out if they were to stand and box with a boxer. That is to say, using fists only. Of course if its MMA rules, the boxer will be annihilated. But, majority of MMA fights these days end up not on the ground like before, but standing up. People are getting knocked out more than being submitted. The fans like knockouts.
Don’t get me wrong. Working and setting up submissions is a skill, but gets boring. Have you ever sat and watched a jiu-jitsu match? It bores the fuck out of me. I have attended many and don’t care for them anymore. What makes MMA exciting is the blood and knockouts. Boxing has both.
The reason MMA appears to be exciting is because it only has 3 minute rounds, up to five rounds. It is decided before every match to win as fast as one could. How many times do you hear a fighter say I want to just end it right there. Meaning knock the other guy out and go home with money. In MMA a nobody can go in there and knock out a champion with a winning streak. In boxing it is almost unheard of champions losing to overwhelmingly to a nobody; in MMA ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. That is right. Even LUCK can mean winning. In boxing, you may get lucky and knock the guy out, but if he gets up, he has a chance.
THERE IS NOTHING MORE EXCITING THAN WATCHING A GUY GET KNOCKED OUT ONLY TO GET BACK UP AND KNOCK THE OTHER GUY OUT THE NEXT ROUND OR LATER IN THE FIGHT. It rarely happens in MMA but happens more often in Boxing. Boxing IS skill.
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:32am
Ali, Maywheater, De La Hoya are just a few in a long history of awesome entertained buddy. You left out Hearns, Duran, Gatti, Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Rocky Marciano, Joe Lewis, Manny Pacquiao, Marvin Hagler, Whitaker…..and that is just a few.
I think you should face the fact that it kind of sucks to see a guy get punched or kicked, grazingly, fall to the canvas, and then the fight ends right there. Just one of many MMA examples is Liddell vs. Rampage. Calls by the ref are premature and leaves the sport open to fixing fights and frustration. In boxing, a spectator can know who really won or lost the fight.
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:37am
SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM ABOUT FIGHTS ENDING EARLY FROM KNOCKOUTS: ALLOW A STANDING 8 COUNT.
That’s right. Give the guy that’s knocked out time to recover. And the one that gets up for the count truly shows who is GAME and who isn’t.
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:58am
Your solution sounds like a recipe for brain damage. We don’t need to promote that in MMA to make a fight exciting. Once a fighter is done, the fight’s over.
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:38pm
Slasher, your posts are long, so I’ll keep my responses to the point.
If Chuck Liddell ever fights a boxer in a kickboxing match, he’ll eat the guy alive. No boxer understands how to deal with leg kicks, or the clinch. That’s why they look retarded when they hug each other.
I don’t know what jiu-jitsu you’re watching, but it’s ridiculous to assert that watching a 36 minute snoozefest like De La Hoya vs. Mayweather is more fun than sitting matside at the Mundials. Jiu-jitsu is way more exciting.
Yeah, in MMA anything can happen. The reason why that doesn’t happen in boxing is because fighters stall for twelve rounds.
If you think that Liddell vs. Rampage was a premature stoppage then you should watch that fight again. Liddell went down to a solid punch and then got pounded unconscious.
The standing eight count is the reason why boxers’ die regularly. In order to maintain the safety of MMA, the stoppages need to happen.
Boxing takes skill, and that’s fine, but if you took a boxer and an MMA fighter and put them on the street, it wouldn’t be a fight, it would be a massacre. Boxers don’t care about combat, they care about their sport, and that’s why they aren’t fighters anymore.
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:22pm
A standing 8 count only promotes more injuries. If someone is getting smashed and they are allowed to recover it will only worsen the injuries and increase head trauma… Who knows, maybe there is a reason boxers continue to have major head problems later in life….I am not sure that is a coincidence.
August 2nd, 2008 at 8:21pm
“If you think that Liddell vs. Rampage was a premature stoppage then you should watch that fight again. Liddell went down to a solid punch and then got pounded unconscious.”
“The standing eight count is the reason why boxers’ die regularly. In order to maintain the safety of MMA, the stoppages need to happen.”
Stein,
These two statements you made totally contradict themselves. MMA is dangerous and lethal. Many a fight, a guy is head down on the canvas and gets pounded while the impact is totally isolated in the head area. There is no give to the impact of the punch. THAT IS DEVASTATING. And almost all incidences like these, the ref stops it too late.
In Boxing, it will never happen….this is why I believe boxing is a truer sport than MMA. Getting punched while you are down is exciting and intriguing, but in reality, MMA is really a celebrity street fight. I don’t know how many times I’ve been in street fights and seen street fights that relates to what goes on in the cage. Fans like it. But, I’ve been in this game too long to know that I can say boxing is more exciting for me…it takes skill.
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:20am
Slasher, there’s absolutely no contradiction in those statements. Liddell was unconscious, and its in the best interest of the commission and the sport not to let his brain get shaken around again.
In boxing, guys die all the time. There are a half-dozen deaths a year. There are still 0 combat related deaths in the sport of mixed martial arts. You’re also disagreeing with all of the comparative studies and all of the expert opinions on the sport that have been released. All of them say MMA is safer.
Letting a guy getting his brain stirred around and then standing him back up so it can happen again is way more dangerous, and you’re contradicting the analysis of a huge portion of the medical community.
You think that watching two guys stand there and stall for thirty six minutes is a sport, you can pay forty bucks for it. I’m not going to.
If you think that boxing requires more skill, defer to my third comment. I’ve done this already.
If you’re going to compare MMA to a streetfight, then go out and work in the gym with any of the top pros. Show up at Xtreme Couture and tell those guys its a glorified street fight. It’s one thing to hide behind your delusions when you’re sitting at a keyboard, but no boxer would last a second in a jiu-jitsu match, or a wrestling match, or a judo match, or a muay thai match, and you know it. All of those things are sciences in their own right, and when you put them together, you’re dealing with the up-and-coming science in MMA.
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:26am
“In boxing, guys die all the time”. Um, you’re wrong again. And if you think there are no deaths associated with professional MMA, you are wrong again. Do your homework buddy. I would have to agree with you when you state that those disciplines are sciences in their own right. It is interesting to see Karo Parisian throw people around, but he definitely doesn’t win fights throwing people around. It is interesting to see Matt Hughes do multiple one-let and double leg takedowns, suplexes, and so on. It is also interesting to see Thiago Alves knock out his opponent via knee. The problem with MMA is that you don’t see the specific discipline at its best during an MMA match. Specific disciplines such as judo matches, wrestling matches, and muay thai matches are better to watch than MMA. These specific oriented matches show the true sport in and of itself. There are no ands, ifs, or buts. It is raw and just like boxing, it is a truer sport.
All these MMA professionals are of course going to support MMA. It is their living. And about hiding behind the keyboard….I’m not worried. It’s the truth. I am an MMA practitioner, a former wrestler, and I train boxing just to keep me in shape. So I think I can formulate a solid opinion when I say that boxing is really more exciting.