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Fighting and Entertainment Group president Sadaharu Tanikawa has fired back at Bob Sapp (11-6-1) for comments made earlier this week to MMAjunkie.com.
A report issued today by Fighters Only translates Tanikawa's response to Sapp's claims that FEG pulled a bait and switch on him prior to his ill-fated appearance at DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010."
Unsurprisingly, Tanikawa is angry with Sapp.
Sapp, he said, "should not be considered as a normal person," and is "the worst, most lamentable dust man."
The massive heavyweight on Monday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he had been promised $30,000 to fight Shinichi Suzukawa in a modified-rules bout at the year-end show in Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. But when he arrived in Japan, that number was halved to $15,000. His counter-offer of $25,000 was denied, and he backed out of the fight just prior to showtime.
DREAM subsequently announced on-air that Sapp had tried to renegotiate his contract and he had "lost his fighting spirit."
The executive also threatened to sue the fighter, according to today's report, though Sapp's accusations are not directly addressed.
In an earlier interview with "Sports Graphic Novel" translated by Japanese MMA Blog Nightmare of Battle, Tanikawa gave a bleak assessment of FEG's future.
"The current course is that FEG will die," he said. "There are probably staff members that will leave as well. The event name will be left but the promotion will change. If the current structure remains as it is it will be impossible to continue. If many investments from companies overseas do not come in, we can't survive."
The promotion has been looking for investors since this past July when it partnered with Japanese investment bank PUJI Capital in an effort to raise $230 million. So far, it appears that push has been unsuccessful.
Sapp claimed the promotion no longer has an office and is holed up in the office of a longtime advertising partner.
While the fighter said he's written off the purse he was supposed to receive – he claims his sponsors paid his full purse prior to his departure from Japan this past week – the interview was given because he feels he has been unfairly blamed for the no-show.
"(Tanikawa said), 'Bob walked out because his fighting spirit wasn't good,'" Sapp said. "And I'm just like, 'You know what? I'm done with all the talk about me. I'm done with them stiffing the fighters. I'm just done with it. I've seen too much. Start paying people to show up.'"
A report issued today by Fighters Only translates Tanikawa's response to Sapp's claims that FEG pulled a bait and switch on him prior to his ill-fated appearance at DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010."
Unsurprisingly, Tanikawa is angry with Sapp.
Sapp, he said, "should not be considered as a normal person," and is "the worst, most lamentable dust man."
The massive heavyweight on Monday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he had been promised $30,000 to fight Shinichi Suzukawa in a modified-rules bout at the year-end show in Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. But when he arrived in Japan, that number was halved to $15,000. His counter-offer of $25,000 was denied, and he backed out of the fight just prior to showtime.
DREAM subsequently announced on-air that Sapp had tried to renegotiate his contract and he had "lost his fighting spirit."
The executive also threatened to sue the fighter, according to today's report, though Sapp's accusations are not directly addressed.
In an earlier interview with "Sports Graphic Novel" translated by Japanese MMA Blog Nightmare of Battle, Tanikawa gave a bleak assessment of FEG's future.
"The current course is that FEG will die," he said. "There are probably staff members that will leave as well. The event name will be left but the promotion will change. If the current structure remains as it is it will be impossible to continue. If many investments from companies overseas do not come in, we can't survive."
The promotion has been looking for investors since this past July when it partnered with Japanese investment bank PUJI Capital in an effort to raise $230 million. So far, it appears that push has been unsuccessful.
Sapp claimed the promotion no longer has an office and is holed up in the office of a longtime advertising partner.
While the fighter said he's written off the purse he was supposed to receive – he claims his sponsors paid his full purse prior to his departure from Japan this past week – the interview was given because he feels he has been unfairly blamed for the no-show.
"(Tanikawa said), 'Bob walked out because his fighting spirit wasn't good,'" Sapp said. "And I'm just like, 'You know what? I'm done with all the talk about me. I'm done with them stiffing the fighters. I'm just done with it. I've seen too much. Start paying people to show up.'"
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