Karim Zidan delves into the shady promotion that signed Bigfoot Silva and the oligarch who will pay his $500,000 purse.
On Tuesday evening, it was announced that Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva had signed with Titov Boxing Promotions to fight on November 18 in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Given Bigfoot’s downward career trajectory, the decision to sign the Brazilian came as a surprise until it was evidently clear that the long time UFC heavyweight is set to compete for the same promotion that took advantage of Jeff Monson several months ago.
Back in May, Monson was scheduled to complete against Ivan Shtyrkov, the same undefeated opponent now scheduled to face Silva. However, Monson tore his right bicep several weeks before the scheduled bout and attempted to withdraw from the event. Promoter Alexi Titov insisted that Monson fly out to Ekaterinburg, where negotiations would commence to ensure Monson’s participation in something apart from an MMA fight. Monson obliged and ventured across the continent to renegotiate.
Over the course of the next few days, Titov convinced Monson to commit to an “entertainment” bout against Shtyrkov that would serve as a prelude to the actual fight several months later. Monson was required to do nothing more than an exhibition performance this time around. He agreed to the stipulation, though noted that the promoter’s behaviour was suspicious as best.
“He wouldn’t let me see his guy,” Monson told BloodyElbow several months ago. “He kept making excuses. During the weigh-in, we met with my opponent for a few minutes and that was when he said that he wasn’t really in agreement with doing this. I told him that I don’t have any experience doing an entertainment thing but we would just show some positions and stuff for the crowd. He said he was not comfortable doing this. So we talked to the organizer, who continued to put it off.”
Aware of the risk that he was being set up, Monson attempted to pack his bags and leave. He was stopped by Igor Altushkin, the majority shareholder of the Russian Copper Company (RMK) and the promotion’s financial backer. According to Monson, the oligarch “said what was going to happen and that we would go out for a couple of rounds and show some stuff.” Both agreed to the stipulation.
However, when the bell sounded for the opening round of the main event, Shtyrkov sent Monson tumbling to the canvas, targeted his injured arm, and forced him to tap in particularly violent fashion.
“I held on five seconds longer than I would have in a real fight. I was just expecting him to let go. He didn’t.”
Monson later “bitch slapped” Titov for his shady tactics. The promoter vowed to release a statement with an apology explaining the events. Instead, he proclaimed Monson a liar to Russian media.
The oligarch who set up the exhibition fight was nowhere to be found.
**
While Bigfoot Silva may not necessarily be faced with a similar situation when he arrives in Ekaterinburg, his case does not inspire confidence. According to reports from Russian media, the Brazilian is scheduled to make $500,000 to fight an undefeated 4-0 local. Silva’s fight fee will be covered by Altushkin, the same oligarch who funded the Monson fight and paid for Kovalev’s boxing bout in Ekaterinburg as well.
So why would a relatively unknown promotion spend such an exorbitant figure on a former UFC fighter with a 1-6 (1 NC) record in his last eight fights?
Bigfoot, who is being billed as Fedor Emelianenko’s vanquisher, is being brought over to face local talent, Ivan Shtyrkov. A victory for the Ekaterinburg native would help increase his overall value, and to do so in front of his fellow countrymen would only help increase ticket sales and the development of the sport in a region better known for boxing. Whether Bigfoot will be tricked into a similar situation as Monson is yet to be determined. Until then, he remains optimistic about the new opportunity in a foreign land.
“I’m very excited about the upcoming fight against Shtyrkov,” Silva told MMAJunkie. “I have made many fans in Japan, Brazil and the U.S., and I will make amazing fans in Russia. Thank you to all my fans, RCC Boxing Promotions from Russia and to Alex Davis and Narcis Mujkic, who made this fight happen.”
The aforementioned RCC Boxing Promotions appears to be a mistake on Bigfoot’s part, though it highlights the relationship between Titov Boxing Promotions and Altushkin’s Russian Copper Company. While oligarchs backing sports organizations is typical behaviour in Russia, Altushkin’s affiliation with Titov remains fascinating. According to Forbes, Altushkin is the 50th richest man in Russia ($1.68 billion) and earned the majority of his wealth as the main shareholder for Russia’s third largest copper company.
In a likely attempt to reap the political rewards for sports diplomacy in Russia, Altushkin became involved in combat sports in 2014. He began funding Alexi Titov’s promotion, which garnered more attention over time, particularly following Kovalev vs. Chilemba. Over time, Altushkin was able to use the stars he funded to help promote economic improvement in the Ural region of Russia.
For example, Altushkin timed the Kovalev fight around the opening of the International Industrial Exhibition “Innoprom 2016” in Ekaterinburg so that they he could use the event as an opportunity to network with businessmen and politicians visiting the region. The long term goal is to use combat sports events like boxing tournaments to attract major Russian figures to his region for political and economic gains.
Unfortunately for Bigfoot, he is merely a pawn in a Russian oligarch’s chess game.
Karim Zidan delves into the shady promotion that signed Bigfoot Silva and the oligarch who will pay his $500,000 purse.
On Tuesday evening, it was announced that Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva had signed with Titov Boxing Promotions to fight on November 18 in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Given Bigfoot’s downward career trajectory, the decision to sign the Brazilian came as a surprise until it was evidently clear that the long time UFC heavyweight is set to compete for the same promotion that took advantage of Jeff Monson several months ago.
Back in May, Monson was scheduled to complete against Ivan Shtyrkov, the same undefeated opponent now scheduled to face Silva. However, Monson tore his right bicep several weeks before the scheduled bout and attempted to withdraw from the event. Promoter Alexi Titov insisted that Monson fly out to Ekaterinburg, where negotiations would commence to ensure Monson’s participation in something apart from an MMA fight. Monson obliged and ventured across the continent to renegotiate.
Over the course of the next few days, Titov convinced Monson to commit to an “entertainment” bout against Shtyrkov that would serve as a prelude to the actual fight several months later. Monson was required to do nothing more than an exhibition performance this time around. He agreed to the stipulation, though noted that the promoter’s behaviour was suspicious as best.
“He wouldn’t let me see his guy,” Monson told BloodyElbow several months ago. “He kept making excuses. During the weigh-in, we met with my opponent for a few minutes and that was when he said that he wasn’t really in agreement with doing this. I told him that I don’t have any experience doing an entertainment thing but we would just show some positions and stuff for the crowd. He said he was not comfortable doing this. So we talked to the organizer, who continued to put it off.”
Aware of the risk that he was being set up, Monson attempted to pack his bags and leave. He was stopped by Igor Altushkin, the majority shareholder of the Russian Copper Company (RMK) and the promotion’s financial backer. According to Monson, the oligarch “said what was going to happen and that we would go out for a couple of rounds and show some stuff.” Both agreed to the stipulation.
However, when the bell sounded for the opening round of the main event, Shtyrkov sent Monson tumbling to the canvas, targeted his injured arm, and forced him to tap in particularly violent fashion.
“I held on five seconds longer than I would have in a real fight. I was just expecting him to let go. He didn’t.”
Monson later “bitch slapped” Titov for his shady tactics. The promoter vowed to release a statement with an apology explaining the events. Instead, he proclaimed Monson a liar to Russian media.
The oligarch who set up the exhibition fight was nowhere to be found.
**
While Bigfoot Silva may not necessarily be faced with a similar situation when he arrives in Ekaterinburg, his case does not inspire confidence. According to reports from Russian media, the Brazilian is scheduled to make $500,000 to fight an undefeated 4-0 local. Silva’s fight fee will be covered by Altushkin, the same oligarch who funded the Monson fight and paid for Kovalev’s boxing bout in Ekaterinburg as well.
So why would a relatively unknown promotion spend such an exorbitant figure on a former UFC fighter with a 1-6 (1 NC) record in his last eight fights?
Bigfoot, who is being billed as Fedor Emelianenko’s vanquisher, is being brought over to face local talent, Ivan Shtyrkov. A victory for the Ekaterinburg native would help increase his overall value, and to do so in front of his fellow countrymen would only help increase ticket sales and the development of the sport in a region better known for boxing. Whether Bigfoot will be tricked into a similar situation as Monson is yet to be determined. Until then, he remains optimistic about the new opportunity in a foreign land.
“I’m very excited about the upcoming fight against Shtyrkov,” Silva told MMAJunkie. “I have made many fans in Japan, Brazil and the U.S., and I will make amazing fans in Russia. Thank you to all my fans, RCC Boxing Promotions from Russia and to Alex Davis and Narcis Mujkic, who made this fight happen.”
The aforementioned RCC Boxing Promotions appears to be a mistake on Bigfoot’s part, though it highlights the relationship between Titov Boxing Promotions and Altushkin’s Russian Copper Company. While oligarchs backing sports organizations is typical behaviour in Russia, Altushkin’s affiliation with Titov remains fascinating. According to Forbes, Altushkin is the 50th richest man in Russia ($1.68 billion) and earned the majority of his wealth as the main shareholder for Russia’s third largest copper company.
In a likely attempt to reap the political rewards for sports diplomacy in Russia, Altushkin became involved in combat sports in 2014. He began funding Alexi Titov’s promotion, which garnered more attention over time, particularly following Kovalev vs. Chilemba. Over time, Altushkin was able to use the stars he funded to help promote economic improvement in the Ural region of Russia.
For example, Altushkin timed the Kovalev fight around the opening of the International Industrial Exhibition “Innoprom 2016” in Ekaterinburg so that they he could use the event as an opportunity to network with businessmen and politicians visiting the region. The long term goal is to use combat sports events like boxing tournaments to attract major Russian figures to his region for political and economic gains.
Conor McGregor was recently fined $75,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for his role in the bottle throwing incident at the UFC 202 pre-fight press conference prior to his rematch with Nate Diaz, which he ultimately won via unanimous decision. The “Notorious” one essentially launched two Monster energy cans as well as a
Conor McGregor was recently fined $75,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for his role in the bottle throwing incident at the UFC 202 pre-fight press conference prior to his rematch with Nate Diaz, which he ultimately won via unanimous decision. The “Notorious” one essentially launched two Monster energy cans as well as a few water bottles at Diaz and his team, while the Stockton native returned fire.
While McGregor undoubtedly won’t have a problem paying the fine, it looks as if he may use the cans he threw to get the job done. The reigning 145-pound king took to his official Instagram account to announce that he was selling the two cans at $75,000 a piece:
A photo posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on
McGregor is next scheduled to challenge lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at Nov. 12’s UFC 205 from the famed Madison Square Garden in hopes of becoming the first man in promotional history to hold two titles at one time.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight standout Alan Jouban is gearing up for his Mike Perry fight at the upcoming UFC on FOX 22 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which takes place on Sat., Dec. 17, 2016 inside Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
Sorry, no funnel cake or guidos in “The Golden State.”
But that won’t stop Jouban from face-punching Perry, who reminds him of a wannabe “Jersey Shore” reality show creep as “Platinum” continues to gore “Brahma” on social media, to lukewarm results.
“I definitely watched all the seasons of ‘Jersey Shore,’ I was a fan. He reminds me of all the ‘Jersey Shore’ guys. He didn’t make it into the house. He talks a lot of trash. We’ve been going back-and-forth on Twitter. But at the end of the day, it’s bringing attention to the fight. It’s making me want to punch him in the face a lot more than when I found out I’m going to be fighting him.”
Jouban (14-4) is looking to go 3-0 during his 2016 fight campaign, having already secured consecutive wins over Brendan O’Reilly at UFC Fight Night 85 and Belal Muhammed at UFC Fight Night 90.
In fact, it’s been a great year for both combatants.
Perry (9-0) remains perfect in his pro career and already has a pair of wins under the UFC banner. After stopping Hyun Gyu Lim at UFC 202, the embattled welterweight finished Danny Roberts at UFC 204.
Don’t expect this one to go the distance.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight standout Alan Jouban is gearing up for his Mike Perry fight at the upcoming UFC on FOX 22 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which takes place on Sat., Dec. 17, 2016 inside Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
Sorry, no funnel cake or guidos in “The Golden State.”
But that won’t stop Jouban from face-punching Perry, who reminds him of a wannabe “Jersey Shore” reality show creep as “Platinum” continues to gore “Brahma” on social media, to lukewarm results.
“I definitely watched all the seasons of ‘Jersey Shore,’ I was a fan. He reminds me of all the ‘Jersey Shore’ guys. He didn’t make it into the house. He talks a lot of trash. We’ve been going back-and-forth on Twitter. But at the end of the day, it’s bringing attention to the fight. It’s making me want to punch him in the face a lot more than when I found out I’m going to be fighting him.”
Jouban (14-4) is looking to go 3-0 during his 2016 fight campaign, having already secured consecutive wins over Brendan O’Reilly at UFC Fight Night 85 and Belal Muhammed at UFC Fight Night 90.
In fact, it’s been a great year for both combatants.
Perry (9-0) remains perfect in his pro career and already has a pair of wins under the UFC banner. After stopping Hyun Gyu Lim at UFC 202, the embattled welterweight finished Danny Roberts at UFC 204.
Bellator 170: “Ortiz vs. Sonnen” comes to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Jan. 21, 2017. The main event is a light heavyweight showdown between two legends of trash talking with prior experience in UFC: the “Bad Guy” Chael Sonnen and the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz.
No other fights have officially been announced by Bellator MMA, which isn’t surprising given the card is still months away, but that didn’t stop Brett Okamoto of ESPN from getting a scoop on the debut of a fighter from a famous family.
As reported on Sportscenter’s TKOkamoto, Ralek Gracie has signed a deal with Bellator MMA. Targeting a fight on Jan. 21 in California.
At only 31 years old, Gracie has plenty of time to step into a Bellator cage and go on a run through the promotion, and as the nephew of both Rickson and Royce Gracie, he’ll have plenty of family to back him up.
Gracie’s opponent has not yet been named so stay tuned for further developments.
To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.
Bellator 170: “Ortiz vs. Sonnen” comes to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Jan. 21, 2017. The main event is a light heavyweight showdown between two legends of trash talking with prior experience in UFC: the “Bad Guy” Chael Sonnen and the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz.
No other fights have officially been announced by Bellator MMA, which isn’t surprising given the card is still months away, but that didn’t stop Brett Okamoto of ESPN from getting a scoop on the debut of a fighter from a famous family.
As reported on Sportscenter’s TKOkamoto, Ralek Gracie has signed a deal with Bellator MMA. Targeting a fight on Jan. 21 in California.
At only 31 years old, Gracie has plenty of time to step into a Bellator cage and go on a run through the promotion, and as the nephew of both Rickson and Royce Gracie, he’ll have plenty of family to back him up.
Gracie’s opponent has not yet been named so stay tuned for further developments.
To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.
UFC 206 goes down in Toronto, Canada this coming December 10, and its causing quite a stir. Currently headlined by light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and his rematch with Anthony Johnson, the penultimate PPV of the year has been in the headlines for other reasons. Earlier this year reports of former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre finally
UFC 206 goes down in Toronto, Canada this coming December 10, and its causing quite a stir. Currently headlined by light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and his rematch with Anthony Johnson, the penultimate PPV of the year has been in the headlines for other reasons. Earlier this year reports of former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre finally returning spread like wildfire. Having teased a comeback for many years now, this time around it seemed like it was actually for real.
With the promotion headed to GSP’s home country for UFC 206, rumours of a rematch with rival and fellow returning star Nick Diaz cropped up. Middleweight champion Michael Bisping uttered St-Pierre’s name after his UFC 199 title win, and again following the rematch with Dan Henderson at UFC 204. St-Pierre seems to be locked in a legal dispute regarding his UFC contract, claiming he is a free agent although the promotion has since denied it. Yesterday ‘The Count’ revealed he’d signed the contract to fight GSP at UFC 206, and now UFC president Dana White has responded.
Dana White’s Response
Having already told fans that Georges St-Pierre ‘didn’t want to fight anymore,’ UFC president Dana White has responded to the rumours surrounding UFC 206. As reported by Brett Okamoto, White shoots down the reports of GSP vs. Bisping in December:
Text from @danawhite: There is no Bisping vs. GSP fight in Toronto. I know Mike wants it, but it's not happening.
The Reebok deal was apparently the biggest sticking point in relation to GSP’s comeback to the UFC. We’ve seen it happen before, but is the UFC really going down the route of a contract battle with one of their pioneering champions? Randy Couture warned St-Pierre about the longevity of a court fight with the UFC this week.
GSP Coming Back?
Right now, it looks like the answer is a resounding no. On the other hand, ‘UFC Tonight’ is on later, and we all know how the promotion likes to toy with us in the lead up to huge announcements.
After months of trash talk, current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and top prospect Cody Garbrandt are finally going to fight as they will co-main event UFC 207. Early betting odds for the fight have been released. Cruz is a -220 favorite over Garbrandt, who is a +177 underdog. Cruz (22-1) hasn’t lost since March
After months of trash talk, current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and top prospect Cody Garbrandt are finally going to fight as they will co-main event UFC 207. Early betting odds for the fight have been released. Cruz is a -220 favorite over Garbrandt, who is a +177 underdog.
Cruz (22-1) hasn’t lost since March 2007 and is coming off a win over Urijah Faber in June to successfully defend the 135-pound title once again.
On the other hand, Garbrandt (10-0) is 5-0 inside the world famous Octagon with four of his five wins coming by TKO and is fresh off a win over Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 202 in August.
It will be interesting to see how Cruz handles the much younger Garbrandt and his fighting style. Cruz, who is a veteran and the best bantamweight fighter in the world, will attempt to stay on top in a division that is getting stronger and stronger each year.
UFC 207 takes place on December 30th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The prelims will air on UFC Fight Pass and FOX Sports 1 while the main card will air on pay-per-view event.
This event will be headlined by the return of Ronda Rousey against newly-crowned women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.
