WAMMA Goes Out With A Whimper
WAMMA Logo
From the beginning people have doubted that WAMMA, or the “World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts”, would ever actually amount to anything. WAMMA first showed up on most peoples’ radar around June 14, 2008 with the announcement that the “Affliction: Banned” headlining bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia would be contested for their heavyweight belt. The sanctioning body had a stated goal to create “an environment where fighters from all organizations have the opportunity to openly compete to be the one true, undisputed champion in their respective weight classes based on WAMMA’s objective MMA Rankings.”
Since that time, they have only added one other WAMMA champion, in Shinya Aoki, despite the fact that he is not even his promotion’s (DREAM) champion in his weight class, even their own rankings had BJ Penn ranked higher. As a result, people have questioned their decision making, as far as who was named WAMMA champion, and why there were never champions at welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight. The reasons for the absence of champions at those three weight classes has been presumed to be the fact that there was no possible way that WAMMA could justifiably name anyone not in the UFC as their champions at those weight classes.
The writing seemed to be on the wall for the sanctioning body when the original COO, Mike Lynch, stepped down and was replaced by Sam Caplan, in an interim role. The most questionable part about that move was the fact that Caplan would remain in his original role as Vice-President of Fighter Ranking, while still serving as the COO. This took place in April.
It was just one month from Caplan taking the role as COO, before both he and then Vice President of Fighter Relations Pat Miletich resigned from their roles with the company. Both men cited differences with the company’s board, as well as doubts about the sanctioning body’s ability to bring about it’s stated goals, as their reasons for leaving.
Since Caplan and Miletich left the organization on May 19, they have not released any of their rankings, which should have come out twice by now. After the company was non responsive to multiple attempts by members of the press (including Brent Brookhouse) to reach them, both via phone and email, a Sherdog Forum member by the name of Heavyweight decided to pay their offices a visit. (Credit to Fightlinker for digging this up.) What he found was empty offices. He went on to post a few pictures as proof, and then had this to say:
I actually chatted with the building manager before heading out. She said the WAMMA folks moved out of the building a couple months ago with everything of value in hand. What’s even more surprising is that she also said that everyone from WAMMA stopped returning their calls when they asked what to do with everything left inside. Too bad. I was really hoping to work with them.
In my own personal research I found that they haven’t even bothered to remove Sam Caplan and Pat Miletich from their website as officers. I also found that besides a few ads promoting Emelianenko vs. Barnett the most recent activity on the website seems to be a June 5th post about Emelianenko’s appearance on Sports Science.
As a result, this author has decided to join some of the others in the online MMA community in declaring WAMMA (unofficially) dead.
Loading ...
lol…nice piece
Wamma reminds me of my wife…why you laugh? She dead.
Wait just one cotton-picking moment here…
A “sanctioning body” which self-described itself as holding the “one true championship belt” went under because none of the best fighters in the world could compete for it?? What sort of Bizzaro-world are you living in, Justin?
“”F~WAMMA”-FR”-Etherbunny
F~WAMMA
….
F-WAMMA, what ever it is
World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts, was well a hobbile corrupt little nonprofit “orginazation” or “sanctioning body”, that just simply was there to give Fedor a belt and was just a worthless waste of time, honestly I don’t want to go on a rant but they were just making stuff up as they went along to justify not reconizing a single UFC fighter as the best in said weight class, amongst sooo much more.. I for one am relieved that they are gone.
F~WAMMA
cool, thanks fr
From now on the only known wamma is a game where you wack gophers on the head.
“Whammy” , just to clarify was the catch phrase of the sports guy in will ferrell’s anchorman
They were also the evil little creatures on Press Your Luck in the late 70s/80s
“Big Money, Big Money, Big Money STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!”
F~WAMMA
Those were always the best animations…
So what’s going to be your new catchphrase, FR?
haha I don’t know, I truly believed in F~WAMMA and now well they F’D themselves I’m slightly at a loss for the moment!?
That show still comes on GSN, in a new updated version, I believe.
sounds like its over ….. unless they moved the operation to trumps guesthouse .
How can a group call itself a “sanctioning body” is no one recognizes it? If that’s the case, why don’t we here, as a panel, create the MMA Frenzy Rankings?
Rest in peace.
over in the forum section I do some rankings, and I definately listen to the posters opinons on the rankings and such, but as far as rankings go I guess I just do them and then we have conversations blah blah blurrr
*And I’am working on those rankings just been rather busy with business and such and we are soo close to UFC 101 I would like to wait til after that fight card, then when StrikeForce on Aug 15th happens do a little cut and edit type thing… Feel free to message me and such I have no issues hearing peoples thoughts on the ranking of certain fighters….
**A few things, Nick Diaz will not be in the rankings even at WW, simply because he hasn’t fought at WW and his performances have been catch weight i.e. lets wait til after the 15th… I’m still not sure how to treat Barnett but he will no longer be the #2 HW in the world, tho he maybe #1 in my heart (cuz his loan act retired AfflictionMMA).. Those were just some of my thoughts, and if you gents (perhaps ladies,if youre around) wish to see a womens list let me know, yet I will tell you that it would be difficult to have a true womens list due to the lack of proper talent in some weight classes….
Very fitting that fr702 gets the last word on the odiousness of WAMMA.
I also used to wonder if over on some WAMMA board there was a guy posting F-fr702, but thats neither here nor there.
I was always surprised that a man like Pat Miletich would be a part of this trainwreck, but now that the last train car as run off the track, maybe we in the MMA community can move onto more serious matters.
I think Miletich was on it because their goals were laudable and good for the sport. Competition regardless of affiliation, true, organized rankings, I think we all agree these are good things to some extent. The last thing the sport needs, though, is a “sanctioning” body that won’t recognize one org for whatever reason, uses a non-standard sized paying surface, and lobbies for a different set of rules than most others.
It would be like playing football in a steel cage, two hand touch and trying to be a sanctioning body over the NFL.
didn’t I JUST say does this mean the end of FR saying F-WAMMA on another post the other day… hahaha I’d call it a sad day but I am laughing too hard at WAMMA…
The sad part is now the UFC has an even bigger hold on MMA . What I mean by sad is it becomes more like pro wrestling with only one solid venue for fighters . Otherwise you fight for these unstable 1 -2 year wonders and get shafted . Strikeforce is doing a good job with becoming no.2 but they need more talent at all weights . catchweight fights are cool but you cant have a catchweight champion .
WAMMA did have a good idea but when the UFC wouldnt play along with all the talent they have it just doesnt work . Which now gives the UFC the power to smash ideas and tell us who we should buy our merchandise from as long as they bow to the UFC and pay 100,000 for a spot .
Ha, catchweight champion, I like that. Diaz would definitely hold that title
Also, I have always liked the shows that Pride/ DREAM have put on. I also love the fact that the crowd is almost completely silent during the entire match so you can hear the corner’s instructions to their fighter and you can also hear the strikes landing. But, I heard that they are in financial trouble, any truth to this?