I apologize for the lack of site updates and maintenance, but I assure you there’s a good reason - a new and improved layout! The new site will feature 3 rotating articles with much larger images, a cleaner layout, better advertising spots, and improved SEO (that’s Search Engine Optimization for your non-tech folks) for even more search engine results from the big guys like Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com. Here’s a low-resolution sneak peak pic of the new layout. Expect to see it rolled out in a week!

MMA Opinion would like to welcome MMA sponsor Griffon Fight Gear to the site! Now you can look good without selling out to Affliction and those $50 t-shirts! Check out Griffon Fight Gear online and forget about those shipping charges. Simply use the promo code: MMAOPINION when you check out and save yourself a few bucks just for supporting MMA Opinion. All proceeds from any advertising sponsorship will be given back directly to the writers (excluding myself, of course) of MMA Opinion.

Here’s the official press release from Griffin Fight Gear!

Griffon Fight Gear is an upstart line of MMA apparel which specializes in stylish apparel while keeping prices below the market norm. Griffon will also be adding an equipment line, featuring fight shorts, gloves, and rash guards, in the near future. Currently, Griffon features four designs of apparel with new designs on the way.

All Griffon Fight Gear apparel contains a theme that pays tribute to the world of mixed martial arts. Each piece of apparel pays homage to the history of MMA and the heart of the MMA warrior, as well as looks forward to the bright history of this combat sport.
Griffon Fight Gear is unique in the fact that it is not just an apparel company, but an actual living representation of the pride and commitment of the mixed martial artist.

“I want to bring the fans and fighters of the MMA world the best looking apparel and gear possible without charging a fortune. We love this sport and want that to show that through our line,” states Griffon F.G. founder Chris Ivey. “We want everything we produce to have an emotional impact on those who pour their heart and souls into MMA.”

Griffon F.G. can be found at their website www.GriffonFightGear.com, as well as eBay.

Back on December 6th, I wrote an article detailing Videosfight.net and their theft of online MMA blog content. I had noticed that the site was receiving trackbacks (people clicking links from other sites that pull up MMA Opinion articles) from one site in particular nearly every day. After simply opening one of the links, I saw that the site was taking works from many other MMA sites in the midst of what seemed like 20 Google Adsense advertisements. Obviously someone wanted to make some money off of our work.

The owner of the site, Jeff Hudson, was contacted via email. No response. I pleaded my case to Yahoo! after receiving word from a few other bloggers (Zach Arnold of FightOpinion and Kris of UFC Daily), but nothing happened. After talking back and forth with Kris, he mentioned contacting Google since Jeff Hudson and his site were violating the Google Adsense policy of stealing content and placing advertisements where they could be mistaken for literary content.

It looks like Google was able to do something to help us out. Although they haven’t yet contacted me in regards to the site being taken down, but Videosfight.net is no longer taking our content. If you look at one of the trackback links (the link for “Putting Fighters on a Pedastal is here) you can see that it has become another one of those bland “search” spam sites which just links MMA sites. The site was up and running last week and now it has been reduced garbage within a matter of days. Thanks Google and thanks to everyone for their support.

MMA Opinion and the MMA blogging community: 1 VideosFight.net: 0

I’m sure you have noticed that we have some new MMA Opinion writers on the site! I’d like to thank everyone who showed their interest in writing for the site because we were able to pick up a slew of writers who were interested in sharing their opinion on the sport of MMA.

We are always looking for more writers with diverse backgrounds in the world of MMA. So if you are a fighter, promoter, author, or fan and would like to write about MMA, please contact me using the Contact page. I really want to turn MMA Opinion into a successful site where aspiring MMA writers can begin blogging their thoughts and ideas in a productive environment.

Please keep checking back for more great content from all of the writers and have fun MMA-filled holidays.

Round 1 begins.

After my initial article about VideosFight.net stealing MMA content, I was given enough information to begin the process of stopping this useless website from stealing more of our hard work and tossing it onto a visually inadequate website with an overabundance of Google Adsense banners.

Not only is VideosFight stealing the content of MMA Opinion and other MMA news/blog sites, they are abusing Yahoo! MMA content as well. While I do not have enough time or money to approach someone in Chicago with a cease and desist letter, the lawyers at Yahoo! have plenty of experience with this kind of stuff. Many thanks to Zach at FightOpinion for the information.

So, the battle begins. I have sent an email to Yahoo! regarding the theft of their material. I have also sent an email to Mr. Jeff Hudson kindly asking him to stop using our content without my permission. After all, the bottom of the site says that all material is copyright MMA Opinion. I certainly did not give Jeff any rights to our hard work.

I will keep everyone up to date on what happens.

I’m going for a first round submission or knockout. Nobody wants a judges decision these days anyway. There could possible be a Cecil Peoples in the legal system out there and that could just be bad.

If this goes to the second round, I’ll be looking to do some damage of my own. After all, this is an opinion site and spreading the word of a literary thief is perfectly legal.