Adrenaline Debut Show Announced

Russow eyes biggest test in debut of Adrenaline MMA

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- As a Chicago policeman, Mike Russow has become accustomed to dangerous situations.

So, it is understandable when Russow only smiles and refers to fighting veteran Jeff Monson in a professional mixed martial arts bout as a "great opportunity." Russow, 9-1 in his pro career, takes on Monson, 23-7, in the heavyweight main event of Adrenaline MMA on June 14 at the Sears Centre.

A total of 13 pro bouts are scheduled in the inaugural Adrenaline event. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and fights begin at 6 p.m.

"Monson is far more than just a veteran," said Adrenaline CEO Monte Cox. "He has fought in every major event in the world and competed for countless titles, including the UFC heavyweight title. He comes into the event having won 18 of his last 20 bouts and is looking to prove Russow is not yet ready for the big time.

"Russow, on the other hand, has been crushing opposition and has been tested twice in major events... losing to then No. 6 ranked Sergei Kharitonov in Pride, then crushing Roman Zentzov in Japan's Yarennoka event last New Years Eve. He's ready to show he should be considered among the world's best."

Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Sears Centre Box Office, online at www.searscentre.com or by calling 1-888-SEARSTIX.

A foursome of UFC veterans make up the two feature bouts. Chicago's Terry Martin (16-4) will face Japan's Daiju Takase (7-11) while Chicago's Brian Gassaway (25-17) takes on Las Vegas' Tony Fryklund (14-9).

Martin is a knockout artist, but will need to be cautious of the submission ability of Takase, who owns wins over UFC champion Anderson Silva and former UFC champ Carlos Newton.

Gassaway and Fryklund are two of the sport's true veterans and both prefer the standup game, which should make for an exciting bout.

The International Fight League has allowed two of its standouts with Chicago ties -- Bart Palaszewski and Mark Miller -- to compete on the card as well as Zac George. And EliteXC provided striker Aaron Rosa and all-around standout Hector Urbina.

Other Chicago area fighters include Rory Markham, Herc Hayes, Kerry Schall, Clay French, Mike Stumpf, Ryan Williams and John Hosman.

For more about Adrenaline MMA, check out our website at: www.adrenaline-mma.com.

Billboard Rec Sports DVD Chart - 5/17

1. WWE: Triple H: The King Of Kings
2. NFL: Super Bowl XLII Champions New York Giants
3. UFC: Best Of 2007
4. UFC 79: Nemesis
5. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008
6. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
7. WWE: No Way Out 2008
8. 2001 FedEx Orange Bowl National Championship
9. TNA: Best Of TNA 2007
10. UFC: The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes Vs. Team Serra

TUF 7 Rating - Week 6

This week's episode of the Ultimate Fighter on Spike drew a 1.0 rating (1.2 million viewers). The program drew quarter hours of 0.93, 1.1, 0.96, and 1.06. The key demographic numbers were a 1.20 in M18-49 and a 1.34 in M18-34.

Dion-Vera Suit Accuses Zuffa, White, & Silva of Interference with Contract

It appeared that the management dispute between Mark Dion and Brandon Vera was resolved in an arbitration hearing in front of the CSAC earlier this year. However, MMAPayout.com has learned that Dion filed suited against Vera and his new management team in civil court in California on May 1.

The complaint closely follows the contours of the arbitration proceedings, except for the inclusion of Zuffa, White, and Silva for allegedly interfering with Dion's management contract with Vera. Specifically the complaint alleges that Zuffa and its officials encouraged Vera to breach his contract with Dion and provided him with confidential emails to use in that effort.

News Wrap

• UFC Tackles Long Term Growth Issues - The last five pay-per-view events have produced three of the company's top ten events according to Dave Meltzer. UFC 79, 81, and 83 all drew between 525,000-650,000 buys and at $44.95. UFC 79 and 83 also produced the second and third largest gates in company history.
  
• Golden Boy Sticking to Boxing - Oscar de La Hoya recently said that Golden Boy will stick to boxing when asked about MMA.
  
• Viacom CEO Praises Iron Ring - Q1 profits for Viacom were up 33%. CEO Philippe Dauman said, "content creation is our central mission and our ongoing investments in programming are paying off as we see our television ratings continue to improve. Successful new programming across our networks during the first quarter included MTV's Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew, TV Land's High School Reunion and BET's Iron Ring among others, which joined new seasons of several proven audience favorites."
• Another Affliction Deal Falls Through - Negotiations with HDNet have reportedly fallen through. The promotion is now less than two months from its proposed first show and without a venue or television partner.
• UFC Targets Show for Latino Audience - El Octagono will debut on Galavision as the UFC attempts to expand MMA's demographic reach outside of 18-34 white males.
• WWE Q1 Results - Wrestlemania XXIV produced $31.3 million in revenue and $7.1 million in profits ($4.6 million net). The event drew 1,058,000 buys (including international).
  

Counter Programming

In case you were wondering whether or not the UFC believes that a rising tide lifts all ships:

On Saturday, May 31, the best mixed martial arts programming on television will be on Spike TV, as the network presents a special night dedicated to UFC® superstar Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. The homage to Liddell will feature two Spike TV premiere events not to be missed by true UFC fans.

At 9:00pm ET/PT, Spike presents the world television premiere of "Ultimate Iceman: Chuck Liddell," an hour-long documentary which chronicles the life of one of the sport’s true titans, in and out of the Octagon™.

Spike debuts a special, "Liddell vs. Silva: UFC® Unleashed™-Special Edition" at 10:00pm ET/PT featuring the never-before-seen on cable battle between Liddell and Wanderlei Silva, which was fought last December at UFC 79: NEMESIS.

Strikeforce on NBC 4/27 Rating

MMAPayout.com has learned that the 4/27 edition of Strikeforce Saturday Night drew a 0.4 rating on NBC. The program was the 28th highest rated sports program on network television for the week ending 4/27. The top rated sports broadcast of the week was NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing from Talladega on FOX which drew a 5.7 rating.

On Vacation

I am on vacation through Friday, May 9. There may be some light, informal posting, but I'm not making any promises.

MMAPayout.com Experiences Record Traffic in April

MMAPayout.com experienced record traffic in the month of April. The site set new records for page views, visits, and unique visitors, which were up 63%, 53%, and 23% respectively from last month. Coverage of Affliction's promotional plans on April 25 generated the highest single day traffic in the site's history.

MMAPayout.com is the only website devoted to the business of MMA.

Friday Afternoon Quick Hits

Three articles worth reading that I haven't had time to cover fully this week:

• 411Mania.com Interview w/ Jay Larkin - A very candid conversation with IFL CEO Jay Larkin on the state of the industry and the IFL.
  
• The Future of Golden Boy Promotions - Opinion and Analysis from CBSSports.com on the future of the company after Oscar de La Hoya retires which might explain the company's interest in MMA.
  
• Kevin Iole Defends the UFC Pay Scale - A defense of the UFC's pay scale, particularly compared to boxing, including some of the most detailed sponsorship figures that have been made public to date.