Report: UFC In Talks To Purchase The IFL
The UFC is in talks with the International Fight League (IFL) regarding a potential acquisition, according to MMAPayout.com.
The IFL was formed in early-2006 and became known for it’s team-based MMA format. The promotion’s first event took place in April 2006 and the company went public later in the year. Despite signing a television deal with Fox Sports Net the promotion failed to become profitable and was recently forced to cancel an August event due to the company’s financial problems.
The primary acquisitions of a potential purchase include the IFL’s contracted fighters, such as IFL champions Roy Nelson, Vladimir Matyushenko, Dan Miller, Jay Hieron, Ryan Schultz, and Wagnney Fabiano as well as other fighters including Chris Horodecki, Deividas Taurosevicius, Bart Palaszewski, and Jim Miller, as well as the promotion’s library of fights, which would primarily be used to promote the acquired fighters.
The UFC has previously purchased rival promotions World Fighting Alliance and PRIDE.
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thats a great idea dana will wait for them to have finacial difficulties and then swoop in on his private jet and buy the company i am pretty excited to see Horodecki in the ufc i dont know to much about the rest of the fighters.
this will be awesome again vladimir matyushenko will be a force at 205………not to mention ryan,jay roy and dan will be great fighters!
UFC is the GOD of MMA promotions. This is cool. IFL should be bought to grab the best and most promising talent and spread them out between the WEC and UFC.
Might cost what 1.5 million for Nelson and Horodeck thats a bargain.
Dietrich,
The whole IFL should cost $1.5 million or less.
does this mean we got Bas Rutten as an announcer too? idk there should b a few good names that come over but if its anything like the pride buyout then the biggest stars will b lost(fedor,gomi,kang etc)
heurtaroger,
Pride had guys with bigger reputations, better records and more history than most of the IFL guys. I don’t think the UFC will let the “stars” from the IFL go elsewhere. It’s just a different situation.
Kouch,
That’s what I meant even though my writing was bad. Those two contracts alone are worth the cash.
My typing is bad too…KOuch
i agree with you guys the whole promotion will probably sell for …. i dont know a night out on the town with dana thats about it and maybe a big mack lol
i do like the team idea though its getting us set up for what the olympics will be like
Dietrich,
I don’t even know how to type. That’s why I write everything.
im really looking forward to seeing these guys in the mainstream, they deserve it, im a big horodecki fan i hope this is a quick process for them
I think that most of the IFL fighters that I’ve seen will be better served with a year or two in the WEC. Maybe some veterans like Matyushenko could get some action in the UFC, but most of these fighters are not on the level to fight UFC fighters, yet. That’s my opinion.
I really don’t see any point in the UFC buying the IFL, they could sign any IFL fighter they could possibly want. They must have alot of money to throw around.
UFC,
I think it is smart to buy up the IFL. They have a lot of great young talent so why give EliteXCrap or Affliction a chance at signing some of these guys. It’s just smart bussiness. I would love to see Horodecki drop to 145 and challenge Urijah Faber in the WEC. That would be a fight for the ages!
I Think this is a pretty good move by the UFC. They can really sure up the talent and competition in the WEC by puchasing the IFL talent and dispursing it in the WEC and a select few cam be brought into the UFC but not to many. The reason I say that, is because they already just cut a bunch of guys because they had way to many fighters and wasn’t able to keep all the fighters busy enough and give them enough fights. Bringing the IFL talent well make that problem even worse. But they easily bring alot the guys into the WEC and have make the league just much much stronger!
The UFC and WEC could easily add 20+ decent fighters to both rosters by buying out the IFL. Even thought the IFL was run by morons, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a good amount of young talent. Most of the veteran fighters in the IFL are not getting any better but could be used a good challenges against younger WEC and UFC guys to prove themselves. Most of the IFL fighters are not UFC ready but could still be worth the long term investment.
This is a very smart move by the ufc. Picking up a lot of young talent to put into Wec. I want to see horodecki take on the top lightweights in the ufc to see what he can do. And if he can’t make it there off too Wec. Does the Ifl have big country still under contract cause he is rumored to fight kimbo.
CV,
I’m no sure. I did however hear that Brett Rogers was suppose to be Kimbos next fight but then I read(can’t remember where) Brett Rogers was released by Elite…..I don’t know….too many rumors.
Thats funny if they released rogers. there babying kimbo… on mmalive on espn they said kimbo is supposed to fight in october but have not release an opponent.
My opionion this is an excellent move on negotioating with IFL. this is whats gonna make UFC stand out more… i wouldn’t be surprised if elitxc and affliction get together to team up on ufc…
If they want to win with Kimbo he has to lose like all the early greats in the UFC did. Right now they are treating him like Leon Spinks was treated.