Bjorn Rebney linked to Fighters Association effort
A press release recently circulated announcing that there would be an ‘industry redefining’ announcement Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. A…
A press release recently circulated announcing that there would be an ‘industry redefining’ announcement Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. A number of prominent names are scheduled to take part:
•Georges St-Pierre
•Cain Velasquez
•Tim Kennedy
•TJ Dillashaw
•Donald Cerrone, and
•Bellator founder Bjorn Rebney.
One of these names is not like the others. Each of the fighters has in various ways indicated dissatisfaction with the UFC such that joining a players association or fighters union would make sense.
Rebney, however, is a promoter and not a beloved one.
He was the most anti-fighter promoter I ever met,” tweeted Jon Jones manager Malki Kawa. “Contract worse than UFC, and he was a nightmare compared to UFC to deal with.
Rebney founded Bellator MMA in 2008. Then he sold it to Viacom in 2011 when the UFC left Viacom property Spike for FOX, and went head to head with the world’s dominant MMA league. Rebney was pushed out in June 2014, and replaced with the popular Scott Coker.
So what was Reneyb doing on the list? Perhaps everything.
The press release reportedly came from his wife’s public relations firm, and a whois search for his name by Kevin Draper for Deadspin.com reveals the following urls:
mmaathletesassociation.info
mmaathletesassociation.net
mmaathletesassociation.org
mihsportsentertainment.com
mihsportsent.net
digiso-pr.com
mmaaassociation.com
themmaaa.com
The domains are largely inactive, but one, themmaaa.com, is password protected, with the following logo.
It lacks swords and barbed wire, but does have a fist on a shield. And the Untouchables was a cool movie!
So it appears at present in addition to the pioneering efforts by Robert Maysey’s MMAFA, and baseball agent Jeff Borris’s PFA, there is now an MMAAA, headed by Bjorn Rebney.
As the basis of a children’s folktale, this makes a lot of sense – “What big teeth you have, granny Bjorkie!”
But as the basis of a fighter’s association, it doesn’t make sense. Presumably, things will be clearer after 4:00 p.m. ET.