Whenever you think the bar couldn’t get lower, someone comes along and shatters your expectations. The latest to sink well below the lowest common denominator is Kimo Leopoldo. If you thought taking a fight with Bas Rutten, talking smack about him, then popping for steroids was all class, just wait. Kimo is helping to start a new MMA organization called New Era Fighting and boy does it suck. Notable quote:
A. The NEF is different on many levels. First of all, we will take 50% of the gate and divide the remaining money between the fighters. It’s like they have an equity stake in the company and we believe this will instill pride in them. Unlike most organizations, we are taking a non-greedy approach. There’s a lot of money in MMA and we want to share it with the fighters. They are the ones putting it on the line for us.
Secondly, we are going to have competitors that you can get to know and follow. We will have the same violence in the ring as MMA, but with characters like you see in wrestling. Guess you could say it’s WWE meets MMA. NEF is not just brutal fighting, it’s sports entertainment as well.
Also, our rules will ensure that the matches are action-packed so the fights don’t get boring like the UFC has become. You know, if you lose a few fights in the UFC, you’re basically out. But with the NEF, win, lose, or draw, you still have a place to fight.
Is there anything to say about this, really? Kimo is basically grasping at this point. And given the rumors of his fixed fights with Sakuraba and Bam Bam Bigelow, combining MMA and “sports entertainment” shouldn’t be that difficult. Hell, Kimo basically admits it himself. From the same interview:
A. The same man I have trained with for the last 9 years, Joe Morriera. He choreographs all my moves, gets me training partners, and takes good care of me. He will be with me for life.
Emphasis mine.
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