*SPOILER* TUF4 Spoiler Discussion Thread *SPOILER*

[Sever]

As anyone with 'net access probably knows by now - last week, Sherdog's radio show broke the news of who the final four in season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback will be. Since the news is out, I think discussion of the fights, the fighters and whether or not Sherdog crossed the line with this will be interesting. However, due to the nature of the information, the fact that Sherdog's relationship with the UFC is very frosty right now which will almost certainly lead to more leaks over the coming weeks, and the fact that certain people seem unable to get their heads around the concept of spoiler tags, we're gonna have to have some rules:

1. What happens in this thread stays in this thread; ie, in a couple of months time when the series starts airing and the inevitable discussion thread starts, you do NOT go posting anything you've read or heard here in that thread, ruining it for anyone that's avoided that information thus far. Anyone doing so will find their post removed. No amount of whining will stop this. I will be very strict on this. Spoilers, discussion of final four, or any new information that gets leaked via other sources go in this thread discussions of episodes in that thread :)

2. As I've mentioned, the media's relationship with the UFC (Sherdog especially) is on the chilly side right now, which means there's the possibility of leaks springing left, right and centre over this season. I've personally got a little more info that I'm sharing right now but am holding it off because the source is a little funky, which brings me to the second rule - if you're going to post new info, credit your sources via a link. Linking to "My buddy's brother's boyfriend's girlfriend's ugly cousin's nephew was in a supermarket queue behind Frank Shamrock and he said..." style posts on other forums is not a source. Legit sources only, please :)

3. If you post a link to this thread in the inevitable TUF4 thread, PLEASE make sure you don't just put the link up, but make clear it's a spoiler. Due to the way I've named this thread, I don't think we need spoiler tags here, but if links of that nature start cropping up, I'll have to edit all the posts to put them in. This will probably take ages. Please don't make me do that :)

Providing those oh-so-simple rules are adhered to, I think this will be a good thread

For anyone who has somehow missed out on the news and is interested, here (http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/cyberia/BeatdownTUF4.mp3) is the pertinant section of Sherdog's Beatdown radio show

[Apotheosis]

It totally depends on how they got the information.

If the UFC made it clear that this was to be kept secret then they definetely did betray the UFC and if I was Dana White I would cut off our relationship.

I do not understand what Sherdog is thinking, they depend on the UFC a lot more than the UFC depends on them and as a result they should try to keep their relationship amicable if not downright lovey dovey.

[gornex]

That Sucks!

[Sever]

Everyone involved in the show has been made to sign non-disclosure agreements; fighters, camera operators, technical staff, the lot - the bottom line about this getting out is that someone is either A) losing their job and/ or B) getting their arses sued
As for the media, I don't know how much you know about the current MMA media situation, but for anyone that's not "in the know," so to speak: last year, the UFC stopped giving out press credentials to the majority of MMA websites, including Sherdog, MMAWeekly, Full Contact Fighter and Fightsport. The reason they gave was that they wanted to build up the UFC website as the source of UFC news on the net. This basically meant that reporters were welcome at events but had to buy tickets and were subject to all the rules fans are; no video, no backstage access, no spots in the press pit etc. This also applies to weigh-ins. Oddly, InsideFighting was granted credentials (possibly why you never see them criticising the UFC, who can say?) which, of course sparked a bit of an outcry. Most sites just boycotted the UFC for a week leading up to an event and then went back to providing as much coverage as they could. The UFC site still sucks for news.
The week all this TUF news broke was - coincidentally - the week after Sherdog got themselves kicked out of the weigh-ins for UFN5 (you can check their "article" on the matter here (http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=763)). It seems to me like their breaking of this news is just another dig at the UFC, which they've been doing in pretty much every one of their UFC articles lately. It's not really professional, but like I say, the news is out so we might as well discuss it

[Apotheosis]

Not sure what the UFC is thinking, would they kick out ESPN as well?

At the same time, it seems the news sites are fighting back by pre-releasing the news which may or may not be legal but its definetely unethical.

Makes me wonder why these sites don't try and black out the UFC and promote other organizations.

What choice do these sites have? They make their living off of MMA organizations and as such the UFC hurt them were it counts-the pocketbook.

[Sever]

Not sure what the UFC is thinking, would they kick out ESPN as well?No, ESPN, FSN etc (people who give the UFC ad space) stay, it's just the free-to-view websites that don't get credentials. As I said, they're still allowed in the events, they just don't get press pit access. Sherdog got kicked out of the weigh-ins because they tried to blag their way into the press pit with a video camera.
At the same time, it seems the news sites are fighting back by pre-releasing the news which may or may not be legal but its definetely unethical.

Makes me wonder why these sites don't try and black out the UFC and promote other organizations.They did. It lasted a week, their traffic took a nose-dive so they went back to providing what service they could. MMAWeekly still does OK without credentials; they still get interviews with fighters etc, they just don't get ringside pics or video anymore. It's only Sherdog that are releasing spoilers, airing all their dirty laundry and posting a series of very unprofessional "articles." A recent article they wrote on Stefan Bonnar would have gotten you banned from their forums for "fighter bashing" if you'd posted it

[Apotheosis]

So what choice do these sites have? Are they just doomed to be replaced by the UFC site?

[Sever]

This whole credentials thing sprung up in October, they're still doing pretty well so I don't see that happening. Like I've said, this whole thing has just been pushed to a head by Sherdog spitting the dummy after being kicked out of the press pit

[Apotheosis]

So basically Sherdog is just throwing a hissy fit?