Issue 112

March 2014

In this month...the history of mixed martial arts retold through the pages from FO’S archives - MARCH 2007

In July 2008 the International Fight League (IFL) ceased to exist after two years of ridicule and indifference from mixed martial arts fans. Its unique format, where veteran coaches trained teams of competitors to fight an opposing legend’s group each week, hadn’t appealed to casual fans and for the hardcores wasn’t an intriguing enough counterfoil to the UFC’s less convoluted product. 

The IFL is remembered as a punch line in the saga of failed attempts on the UFC’s dominance. But in fact, what it has left MMA is anything but a joke. 

Our March 2007 issue is a snapshot in time of when the attitude around the publicly traded company was more optimistic. We covered the IFL Championship Final 2006, which saw former UFC champion Pat Miletich’s Quad Cities Silverbacks, ostensibly his Miletich Fighting Systems camp, win a second IFL team title. 

And our news pages reported a major coup for the promotion: earning a TV deal with Fox Sports Net – the cluster of regional stations operated by Fox, the UFC’s future home. The IFL became the first MMA organization to be broadcast regularly on mainstream US television. 

It was already the first to offer fighters health benefits, although the UFC’s insurance still gave unprecedented cover when it debuted in June 2011. 

But there remains a chance the cloud of discontent about fighter payments that has stalked the UFC for several years could be solved by another IFL trump card. When the promotion came on the scene in 2006 it paid its fighters a salary. Official figures were never made public but it was said competitors got $2,000 a month for being on the roster and extra when they fought.

Regular income ticked the fighters’ boxes and, if it were ever introduced under the Zuffa umbrella, the chance for additional dollars based on wins and impressive outings could satisfy the UFC’s preference for performance-related pay.

What’s certain is the success of ex-IFL fighters in the UFC. The league’s heavyweight champion Roy Nelson has been in several number-one contender contests. Tim Boetsch and Tim Kennedy have made names for themselves as middleweights, while Jake Ellenberger has done the same at 170lb, equally Pat Healy at lightweight and Ben Rothwell at heavyweight. And the list of IFL alumni still winning at the highest level goes on. 

The IFL was different, and odd, and it did certain things badly, but it wasn’t wrong to pioneer what it did. The organization was unsuccessful, but its legacy is still here six years after its death. It must have been doing something right. 

NOSTRADAMMAUS: 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The 4-2-1 UFC career resurgence of heavyweight kickboxer Mark Hunt has surprised many. But it’s not the only time he’s exceeded expectations. 

The Pride Shockwave 2006 report in our March 2007 issue commented that in his challenge for Fedor Emelianenko’s Pride heavyweight strap “very few gave Hunt a chance of surviving the first five minutes.” Adding: “He didn’t win, but he did give Emelianenko one of the toughest fights of his career.” 

The big Russian eventually got the kimura tapout, but not without us noticing “this fight more than proved Emelianenko really is human.” 

Six fights later that was validated when his 27-fight streak was snapped by a Fabricio Werdum sub’ in 2010.

Elsewhere in the March 2007 issue

WEIGHT GAIN

You know us, always indulging in a bit of ultra-accurate foresight. Like in our issue on shelves during March 2007. While relaying the results of UFC 66, which included Chuck Liddell’s second win over Tito Ortiz in the headliner, we remarked that Michael Bisping’s first post-TUF bout, against Eric Shafer, provided some clues as to his future. “Small for 205lb,” we said, “Mike suffered a visible height and overall size disadvantage, which begs the question of whether he could drop to 185lb.” The striking Englishman did just that in 2008, going 10-4 since. 

FIGHT GIRL

One of the many female MMA trailblazers fighting in the early 2000s, Debi Purcell made our news pages in the March 2007 when she became the first female International Fight League coach, being made Marco Ruas’ assistant. Which makes you wonder: surely it’s not out of the question for a female head trainer to make the ‘Coach of the Year’ shortlist one day. 

FINISH STRONG

Former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk was one of the many MMA retirements in 2013. When he spoke to us for the March 2007 issue, shortly after earning his UFC title, he said: “Ultimately, when my career is over I want to look back and know I fought the best guys in the world, I want to know that I beat the best guys in the world and I want to know that I was the best guy in the world.” Having scrapped with Georges St Pierre, BJ Penn and Nick Diaz, he certainly didn’t get an easy ride.