maartenjackie
06-08-2005, 12:50
leuk stukkie over de Nyba
I'm not part of any UFC-Pride exchange
Over the past few weeks, I’ve read several things in the media or on Internet forums that suggests that I somehow represent the UFC when I fight in Pride as part of some exchange program involving Chuck Liddell, Pedro Rizzo, Yves Edwards, Ninja Rua, and Kazushi Sakuraba or whoever.
That could not be farther from the truth. The fact remains that I’m fighting in Pride representing Phil Baroni. I am not under contract or obligation to the UFC in anyway and Zuffa did not have anything to do with me getting the opportunity to compete in Japan.
After the Pete Sell fight at UFC 51, Zuffa released me from their roster. It was a business decision, pure and simple. Dana, who is still a close personal friend of mine, actually told me as a friend that I should consider retirement, but I felt differently, so I decided to go out there and make new opportunities for myself.
What did I do? I flew out to Japan at my own expense for Mark Coleman’s fight against Mirko “Cro Cop� Filipovic. I went there to market myself to Pride. I didn’t even have a place to sleep, but I didn’t care. I was going to sleep in the lobby of the hotel if I had to. Luckily, Wes Sims let me sleep on the floor of his hotel room, and I got to workout twice a day with Coleman and the guys before his fight.
That’s when Coleman started talking with Pride for me to try and get me a fight. It wasn’t Zuffa because I wasn’t a UFC fighter any longer. It was Coleman, and they started talking about the idea of bringing me into Pride for a fight.
Then, when Kevin Randleman fought Kazuhiro Nakamura, Randleman flew me out to Japan as part of his corner. That’s when I finalized the deal with Pride and agreed to fight at Bushido 7.
Let’s be honest for a minute. Pride brought me in to lose. They labeled me a UFC guy to help get Ikuhisa Minowa over even bigger with the Japanese fans ahead of the 83-kg Grand Prix. Sakuraba is getting older and he’s been beaten up pretty badly recently, so Pride needed to start grooming new Japanese stars, particularly in my weight class.
It's unlikely that DSE brought Baroni in to beat Minowa, but things don't
always work out as planned
I was the perfect opponent to help make Minowa into an even bigger Japanese star – the muscular American who looks and talks the part and has good name recognition in from my UFC days.
But it didn’t workout that way, did it? When I knocked him out, I resurrected my career rather than being a stepping stone for someone else. And I did that again when I knocked out Ryo Chonan.
Now we’re approaching the Pride Welterweight Grand Prix, and I’m certainly going to be in the mix and plan on winning that tournament. When I do, it won’t be “Phil Baroni, the UFC representative, just won the Pride Grand Prix.� It will be “Phil Baroni, the New York Badass, just won the Pride Grand Prix.�
Even though I’m not on the UFC’s roster or under contract with them in anyway, I want to make something very clear because things tend to get taken out of context or blown out of proportion on the Internet: I might not have a business relationship with the UFC anymore, but Dana White is still a close personal friend of mine.
I continue to support Dana 100 percent in everything that he does, and I wish him nothing but success with the UFC and season two of The Ultimate Fighter. Similarly, he supports me 100 percent in my fighting career, and I know he’s pulling for me each time I fight overseas. Friends can remain friends even when they no longer work together.
So the next time you read that I’m in Pride fighting as a UFC representative, just know that is not true in any way. I’m a Pride fighter now, and I represent myself, my family, friends, and fans each time I step into a Pride ring, nobody else.
-Your friendly neighborhood Badass, Phil B.
Bron:http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?p=6682304#post6682304
I'm not part of any UFC-Pride exchange
Over the past few weeks, I’ve read several things in the media or on Internet forums that suggests that I somehow represent the UFC when I fight in Pride as part of some exchange program involving Chuck Liddell, Pedro Rizzo, Yves Edwards, Ninja Rua, and Kazushi Sakuraba or whoever.
That could not be farther from the truth. The fact remains that I’m fighting in Pride representing Phil Baroni. I am not under contract or obligation to the UFC in anyway and Zuffa did not have anything to do with me getting the opportunity to compete in Japan.
After the Pete Sell fight at UFC 51, Zuffa released me from their roster. It was a business decision, pure and simple. Dana, who is still a close personal friend of mine, actually told me as a friend that I should consider retirement, but I felt differently, so I decided to go out there and make new opportunities for myself.
What did I do? I flew out to Japan at my own expense for Mark Coleman’s fight against Mirko “Cro Cop� Filipovic. I went there to market myself to Pride. I didn’t even have a place to sleep, but I didn’t care. I was going to sleep in the lobby of the hotel if I had to. Luckily, Wes Sims let me sleep on the floor of his hotel room, and I got to workout twice a day with Coleman and the guys before his fight.
That’s when Coleman started talking with Pride for me to try and get me a fight. It wasn’t Zuffa because I wasn’t a UFC fighter any longer. It was Coleman, and they started talking about the idea of bringing me into Pride for a fight.
Then, when Kevin Randleman fought Kazuhiro Nakamura, Randleman flew me out to Japan as part of his corner. That’s when I finalized the deal with Pride and agreed to fight at Bushido 7.
Let’s be honest for a minute. Pride brought me in to lose. They labeled me a UFC guy to help get Ikuhisa Minowa over even bigger with the Japanese fans ahead of the 83-kg Grand Prix. Sakuraba is getting older and he’s been beaten up pretty badly recently, so Pride needed to start grooming new Japanese stars, particularly in my weight class.
It's unlikely that DSE brought Baroni in to beat Minowa, but things don't
always work out as planned
I was the perfect opponent to help make Minowa into an even bigger Japanese star – the muscular American who looks and talks the part and has good name recognition in from my UFC days.
But it didn’t workout that way, did it? When I knocked him out, I resurrected my career rather than being a stepping stone for someone else. And I did that again when I knocked out Ryo Chonan.
Now we’re approaching the Pride Welterweight Grand Prix, and I’m certainly going to be in the mix and plan on winning that tournament. When I do, it won’t be “Phil Baroni, the UFC representative, just won the Pride Grand Prix.� It will be “Phil Baroni, the New York Badass, just won the Pride Grand Prix.�
Even though I’m not on the UFC’s roster or under contract with them in anyway, I want to make something very clear because things tend to get taken out of context or blown out of proportion on the Internet: I might not have a business relationship with the UFC anymore, but Dana White is still a close personal friend of mine.
I continue to support Dana 100 percent in everything that he does, and I wish him nothing but success with the UFC and season two of The Ultimate Fighter. Similarly, he supports me 100 percent in my fighting career, and I know he’s pulling for me each time I fight overseas. Friends can remain friends even when they no longer work together.
So the next time you read that I’m in Pride fighting as a UFC representative, just know that is not true in any way. I’m a Pride fighter now, and I represent myself, my family, friends, and fans each time I step into a Pride ring, nobody else.
-Your friendly neighborhood Badass, Phil B.
Bron:http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?p=6682304#post6682304