A week ago, the Japanese promoters promising the largest North American crowd to ever watch a mixed martial arts fight card had not received their license to stage Saturday's Showtime and pay-per-view televised show at the Coliseum.
The promoters also have endured two fighters' failed medical results, and they've told state officials of plans to hand out more than 70,000 free tickets.
"It's been an interesting venture, to say the least," said Armando Garcia, executive officer of the California State Athletic Commission.
Japan's Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) is co-promoting the nine-fight card with Elite Xtreme Combat, the U.S.-based mixed martial arts organization formed last year by boxing promoter Gary Shaw and others. Elite XC has staged one prior show, in Mississippi, which lacks a commission that demands the licensing requirements of California.
FEG has promoted its K-1 kick-boxing shows in Las Vegas, but the licensing process was handled by the host casino-hotel, such as the Bellagio, Garcia said.
As the deadline approached for an FEG pay-per-view card that will feature former pro wrestler Brock Lesnar and former USC and NFL receiver Johnnie Morton in their mixed martial arts debuts, the Japanese organization was slow to produce financial statements proving to the California commission that the company could finance a show with estimated costs of $2 million in commission fees, site fees and fighter purses, Garcia said.
"This is very much different to [FEG]," Garcia said. "In many places throughout the world, the promoter \o7is \f7the commission. They have their own doctors, they set the fees....This much regulation is new to them."
The medical and ticket issues also have been affected by California's regulation.
The state athletic commission declined to provide medical clearance to two fighters scheduled to appear on Saturday's "Dynamite!! USA" card, including Lesnar's scheduled main-event opponent, 7-foot-2 South Korean kick boxer Hong Man Choi. The other rejected fighter, 300-pound Antonio Silva, was allowed to fight at the Elite XC show in Mississippi.
A source familiar with the medical results of Choi and Silva said each was found to have pituitary gland tumors. Choi was ruled out of the show last Friday, but he continues to appeal.
"We have very strict medical rules in California, they can't just accept out-of-country medical [reports]," Shaw said.
