April News Part 2
Quote
of the Day
"A man
on a mission is far different from a drone on a deadline."
Rheta Grimsley Johnson |
AFC
2
Amateur Fighting
Competition 2
http://www.afchawaii.com
Thursday, May 23, 2002
7:00 PM
Blaisdell Center
Honolulu, Hawaii
$25
in advance
$27 on the day of the event
$40 ringside
Hawaii's toughman contest returns in its second event. Come see
amateur boxers and tough guys battle it out in exciting stand
up matches! Buy your tickets now!
|
Super
Brawl Match Up #5
Jason Lambert
10-2
5-11, 245, Apple Valley, Ca.
Ted Williams Combat Grappling
Vs.
Ron Faircloth 5-3
5-11, 235, Madison, WS
Freestyle Academy of MA
Lambert's impressive record is matched only by his talent. Fighting
out of Ted Williams Combat Grappling, look for him to be a seasoned
pro who will be amongst the favorites to make the finals.
Faircloth is another Dave Strasser trained fighter. He is rough
and can do damage from both the top and bottom. What he lacks
in weight (235lbs is light in this behemoth field) he makes up
for in heart. |
International
Martial arts Boxing
Seminar with
RICHARD BUSTILLO
A member of
the Black Belt Hall of Fame - Instructor of the Year Award, the
World Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Pioneer Award, and the Filipino
Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Life Time Achievement Award, has
the distinction of being certified as a law enforcement defensive
tactics instructor with the FBI, LAPD, and the LASD. Sigung Bustillo
is a senior instructor of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do and a recognized
9th degree rank and Grandmaster with the fame Cacoy Doce Pares
Eskrima of Cebu, PI.
Saturday &
Sunday, June 1 & 2, 2002
Gold's Gym
(across Advertiser Building)
768 South St., Honolulu, Hawaii
The hands-on
training is not designed to compete against your style but will
compliment all levels from beginner to advanced. We will not
teach you only martial art techniques. We will teach you to be
able to develop it. We call this process Jeet Kune Do. Evolve
with change for a simple and practical seminar. Under age 18
must have prior approval to attend. No spectators or video allowed.
Come see why Richard Bustillo is one of the most acclaimed and
sought after martial artist and Instructor.
Jeet Kune Do
Saturday Morning @ 9 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.
Bruce Lee's basic footwork, hand/foot speed, explosive power
and strength drills, philosophies, and training concepts to enhance
the three combat ranges below.
Muay Thai/Boxing
Saturday: 1 P.M. to 3:30 PM
Offense/defense/counter drills on Boxing and Muay Thai techniques.
Understand knee/elbow/punch/kick techniques with Thai pads for
self defense and sport.
Cacoy Doce Pares
Eskrima
Sunday Morning @ 9 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.
Bring double stick and single stick for training drills for Pangamot
(empty hand), Agaw (disarming), Dumog (grappling), and Pormas
(forms).
Kali/Eskrima/Arnis
Sunday Afternoon @ 1 P.M. to 3:30 P.M.
Dangerous edge weapon awareness, Standing grappling against weapons,
Ground grappling against weapons.
Fee:
$75.00/Pre-registration by June 1, 2002
$85.00/Door fee, $55.00/per day
(Special Rates for Law Enforcement Personnel, HAMA & Brazilian
Freestyle JJ Members: $65/both days; $45/per day)
Contact:
Honolulu Academy of Martial Arts
Sifu James Tanaka
(808) 223-9363
jkt@lava.net
|
HISTORY
IS MADE IN LONDON
Dana White and Dale Adams sign the UK UFC contract,
17th March 2002
Just
a little after eleven thirty in the Sports Café, Haymarket,
London, after an impressive video presentation about the history
of the UFC, Dana White and Dale Adams did what many people feared
would never happen here in the UK - they signed a contract allowing
the UFC to be held in the United Kingdom on Saturday 13th July
at the Royal Albert Hall and thus securing themselves a place
in the history books. The UFC joined forces with BAMMA, a UK
MMA association, headed by Dale Adams and Mark Woodard, with
all fights sanctioned under the BAMMA professional fighters rules
and code of conduct.
I
remember a number of years ago, talking to fighters and promoters
alike at events in the UK, of how they would long to see an event
such as the UFC in the UK; many voiced their concerns stating
that the local authorities would never grant such an event, and
as for the fights being held in a cage, no way Jose. In 2002,
all this has changed, thanks to promoters such as Paddy Mooney,
Andy Foreman and Andy Jardine, whose respective shows Cage Wars
and Millennium Brawl are now being held in the very creations
many people were confident UK fans would never get to see - who
says we have not made progress?
The
press conference was filled with broadsheet and tabloid journalists
and all the major UK lifestyle magazines, as well as many MMA
reporters and players, all eager to say that they were there
for such a historic occasion; Dana White was joined on stage
by Ian Freeman, Leigh Remedios, Mark Weir and Carlos Newton,
who answered questions from the audience and it was Leigh Remedios
who stole the limelight. When asked about his fight with Sudo,
Remedios brought down the house answering in typical fashion,
'on paper he's a lot better than me and seems some kind of superman,
so I'm just going to go out there and bang him out.' After an
excellent display of MMA fighting by Rough House gym fighters
Paul Sutherland and Mark Collett. It was also refreshing to see
that strange breed of creature, the managers and promoters, put
their differences to one side and make a united effort, by actually
communicating with one another and, dare I say, getting on with
one another.
A
number of fights were confirmed at the press conference, namely
Mark Weir versus Eugene Jackson; Leigh Remedios versus Genki
Sudo; Ian Freeman versus Frank Mir, who was absent from the conference
and a rematch between Carlos Newton and Matt Hughes; will we
see a double knockout once more in the Octagon?
In
his opening speech, Dana White said 'We are very excited to be
holding our first UFC event here in the UK at the legendary Royal
Albert Hall; my company Zuffa bought the UFC a year and a half
ago and we have been very aggressive in not only making it the
premier event in the US, but also around the world. We have just
had our first event in Japan the last weekend and was more successful
than we'd anticipated and now we plan on having the same success
in the UK.'
So
there you have it; Dana has set out his stall and with an aggressive
marketing campaign now set in motion, Zuffa are confident that
the Royal Albert Hall will be at full capacity; Sky Box Office
are working closely with Zuffa and the show will be available
on PPV for £14, but for the best experience, garb your
tickets now and be part of history in the making.
INTERVIEW:
Ricardo Pires (Frank Mir's Manager)
Submitted by: Marcello Tetel
Ricardo
Pires is well known nowadays as the coach of a real good fighter:
Frank Mir. Since Mir started training with Pires 2 years ago,
Mir fought NHB 3 times and his fights lasted less than 15 minutes
all together, with two victories in under a minute. Mir credits
Pires for this work so let's get to know Ricardo Pires.....
Starting
from the beginning, when did you start to teach Jiu-Jitsu?
I started with Marcus Soares (Carlson Gracie student) back in
1978 in Copacabana.
Where
are your roots?
I have trained with few different guys like Marcus Soares, Jorge
Vazenlota, Ricardo Cavalcanti, Ricardo Liborio and Aloisio Silva
but I've learned and got my black-belt from Sergio Penha.
Did
you compete or coach more?
I competed and I am 2x times Pan American Champion, 2x times
brazilian nationals champion and 2x times Rio de Janeiro Champion
and l am not mentioning smaller tournaments!
When
did you move to Vegas?
I moved to Vegas in 2000.
Why?
I was tired of the brazilian economy and I talked to Penha about
open a school and he told me to go to Vegas, he has all his in-laws
living here. So I decided to come.
How
long has Frank Mir trained with you?
He is training with me for 2 years now, like 4 hours a day for
all those two years.
Do
you have other young guns coming?
Yes.
Who
are they?
Chad Davis is the one to keep eyes on.
How's
your team doing competing?
We competed most of the west coast tournaments last year and
we did very well.
Is
it true UFC board is training with you?
Yes, but they are not coming too often right now, due to a lot
of work with the UFC.
How
do you Frank's fight against Freeman in London?
I've been preparing Frank to be closer as possible to a complete
fighter, so we only decide during the fight.
Is
there any other UFC fighter training under you?
Yes.
Which
rules do you feel better, Pride or UFC?
I thing that they should combine both rules, they both have thinks
to be changed.
Do
you feel nervous when Frank is fighting?
Man, you have no idea how nervous l get.
Frank
was the first Jiu-Jitsu guy to fight another BJJ guy. how do
you feel about that?
Not good at all! You know that we, brazilians, think as one and
have an american fighting a brazilian in the same style is not
good.
Did
you receive any criticism on it?
Yes, but it's over now.
Few
people know but Frank is like a son to you, training with you,
sharing most part of his day with you and even more, living in
your house. Describe what feelings you have when he fights.
I am not that old (37) but l like Frank like a son. When he fights
l feel like my responsibilities triple so my feelings on his
wins is not like a trainer, it's more like a family.
How's
your academy going?
Students are already asking me to get a bigger place so l guess
is doing very well.
What's
the future plans?
I really don't think about the future that much, l try to make
sure that l do the right thinks in the present so what l am doing
in the present will reflect somehow in the future.
With
Barnett probably leaving UFC, Frank is closer to a title shot
than before. Do you think it will happen within this year?
In order for him to get in there l have to say like l said, let's
take care of the present and the present now is Ian Freeman.
Any
other words?
I'd like to thank all my students that showed a lot of team work,
without them this could not happen and I also would like to thank
Sergio Penha for sharing with me all his techniques.
Source:
Abu Dhabi |
Macaco's
Return
By Eduardo Alonso
Photos by Joel Gold
Jorge
Macaco Patino is one of the most controversial and charismatic
NHB fighters in Brazil, and has been this way ever since his
first battles with Pele Landi several years ago. Wherever Macaco
is fighting, he brings excitement to the event. The last MECA
event in Curitiba, where he fought RVT member Gustavo Ximu, was
no exception. In a conversation held before his fight at MECA,
Macaco shared a lot of his views on fighting, training and a
fighter's behavior. Unfortunately, Patino ended up losing his
fight against Ximu by submission, but it was still very interesting
to review this interview and share it with FCF's readers, because
Macaco is really an interesting character and he surely will
be around the NHB game for a long time. The Octagon awaits...
FCF:
You are already a well known fighter abroad, but you spend a
good amount of time without fighting in the major events, only
training and helping your students. How was it for you to stay
away from the ring for such a long time?
JMP: Well, the last event that I fought was Deep, in January
2001. Then I suffered an injury on my left hand, I broke the
capsule of my hand hitting the opponent's face and the also hitting
the ring. From then on, I have been working with my students.
I have been working on my cardio, my techniques, and focusing
on my students. But, if something came up, I would fight! I already
had a fight abroad scheduled for this year and the MECA invitation
came about. MECA is very important here in Brazil, and my students
can watch me, so I need to work here inside Brazil too. It's
here that I make my money. When you go to fight abroad, you don't
have students there. But here I have students. So I have to put
my neck on the line! I make a living out of this, and I like
it. Besides, MECA is for sure the biggest NHB event in Brazil,
and if I'm not in it, I'm losing! Rudimar [Fedrigo] opened the
doors for me, and got me a very tough fight against Ximu. So,
may the best man win!
FCF:
You have been to some previous MECA editions, bringing your students
over to fight. This is the first time that you will actually
fight in the event. How can you compare both experiences?
JMP: I can only congratulate Rudimar on the event's organization,
and the Chute Boxe team for the great reception they always give
us! We always participated in the event, from the first MECA
to the fourth! We only haven't been here in the fifth. Now we're
back to MECA, with Luiz Azeredo and myself. Azeredo already won
two times in MECA, and he's coming for his third fight at the
event. My students have been working very hard, and you know
that it's not easy to step inside the ring. It's very tough!
You need very tough psychological work. There are some days that
everything will go right for you, and there are others that nothing
will go right. As a fighter, I know that, because it happens
to me a lot of times! I trained the whole year, I'm more than
ready, but when I step into the ring I get kind of locked. But
I'm relaxed, and I'll try to do a good work there. I have Jesus
in my heart, and thank God we had a great reception once again.
All the guys from the Chute Boxe team gave us a great support,
and we're here to add something to the event.
FCF:
Everybody knows what you're capable on the ground, but you have
been training a lot of Muay Thai lately. Are you already feeling
more comfortable to trade now?
JMP: Since I have been training Muay Thai with Luiz Azeredo for
more than a year and a half now, we have been hitting each other
for that long, I could do a good showing of my stand up in Japan.
I traded a lot of strikes with my opponent at Deep, I was able
to hit him with several punches and kicks, but I couldn't knock
him out because he was very tough indeed! He was a real Samurai.
He was much bigger and stronger than me. As for my fight with
Ximu, let's see what happens. It'll be like a major test. He
is also a stand-up fighter, which I wasn't in the past, but I'm
becoming one now! So I'll look for the stand-up fight. I'll look
to fight in his style... let's trade! It'll be all or nothing,
let's do the event's show. I came here to give a show! Let's
brawl standing up and the best will win! If I have the chance
to take the fight to the ground, I'll take it to the ground.
But I'll trade standing up first.
FCF:
What do you expect for your career after this fight at MECA 6?
Do you have any plans to fight abroad?
JMP: First of all I would like to thank everybody at the Cleber
Luciano academy for all the support. Every time that I go there
they treat me very well. My cousin Lili is married to Cleber
Luciano, and we do good work there. My cousin is my manager,
and she always gets the fights abroad for me. As a matter of
fact in 2000 I had 17 wins, and I fought seven times abroad.
In 2001, I fought 3 times abroad, and I won the Pan-American
Jiu-Jitsu Championship. So, MECA gives you the opportunity to
go to PRIDE, and I already have a fight signed with the UFC.
I'm only waiting to finish my work here to be able to work on
that.
FCF:
You had a big rivalry with Pele in the past, but nowadays you
two get along very well. Do you fear that the fans from Curitiba,
Pele's hometown, will be all against you in the fight?
JMP: We're, Pele and I, both professionals. Inside the ring we
will try to beat the hell out of each other, we hate each other!
But outside of the ring we're professionals. We talk, eat together,
and shake hands and stuff like that! This is the life of a real
fighter. Outside the ring we're regular people just like anyone.
And inside the ring we do our work. Since I'm a very charismatic
fighter, I don't worry about the crowd. I have a very good psychological
aspect. I'm sure the crowd will scream and call me names, because
this is part of the event. But as much as they scream, it gives
me even more strength in the fight. I like it! But I'll also
have my supporters here. There are some buses with my supporters
coming from Sao Paulo to watch the show. I love when the crowd
from Curitiba calls my name! This is part of the event, and it
helps promote the sport, and this proves that I'm alive in the
sport. I'm not the sort of guy who talks a lot but doesn't put
his neck on the line. Currently I have 25 fights, with 20 knockouts
in under a minute! I also have 4 losses and a draw. If you take
a close look among the Brazilian fighters, I'm one of the fighters
with more fights on their records. Besides that, my defeats only
helped me to learn from my mistakes and improve my game.
FCF:
The best of luck for you, and thanks for the interview!
JMP: It was my pleasure.
Source:
FCF |
Quote
of the Day
"Advice
is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we
didn't."
Erica Jong |
Super
Brawl Updated TV Schedule on K5
Friday, April
19, 12pm Super Brawl 23 part 1 (including Cabbage/Bruzzi, Wang/Tsuruya,
Demotta/Light)
Friday, April 26, Super Brawl 23 part 2 (Including Inoue/DaSilva,
Vitale/Drexel, Tyler/Matsune)
|
Super
Brawl Match Up #4
Ben Rothwell
12-1
6-5, 270
Knsh, WS
Freestyle Academy
vs.
Curtis Crawford 1-1
6-2, 240,
Portland, OR
Team Quest
Rothwell earned a spot in Super Brawl 24 by winning the 8-man
qualifying tournament in Des Moines, Iowa in March. Trained by
Dave Strasser, he is well rounded and will certainly be one of
the favorites to win it all.
Crawford is a kick-boxer who trains with former UFC Heavyweight
Champion, Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and the rest of Team Quest.
With lethal hands and wrestling and submission instruction from
some of the best in the business, he will be a formidable opponent
for anybody in this tourney. |
UFC
Official Press Release
LAS VEGAS, April
9: Officials of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today
announced that tickets, £100, £75 and £50,
will go on sale Wednesday, April 10, for its first European fight
show to be held Saturday, July 13, at the Royal Albert Hall in
London, England. Tickets are available at the Royal Albert Hall
box office, at all Ticket Master outlets in the United Kingdom,
by calling Ticket Master at 011-44-020-7316-4709, or on the internet
at www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
The event also
will be available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, North America
and Brazil on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), iN DEMAND, DIRECTV,
Dish Network, Bell ExpressVu , Viewers Choice Canada and Globosat
Programadora LTDA pay-per-view television. It also will be televised
on WOWOW-TV in Japan. The fight will be televised live at 7 p.m.
(BST, British Summer Time) on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB)
and on a tape-delayed basis in the other countries. Viewing dates
and program schedules will be announced. The suggested retail
price in North America is $29.95.
A full fight
card will be announced but Heavyweight Ian Freeman (10-4-1 in
Mixed Martial Arts) of Sunderland, England, will meet Frank Mir
(4-0-0) of Las Vegas, Nev., and Middleweight Mark Weir (12-0-0)
of Gloucester, England, will fight an opponent to be named.
“We are
really excited about bringing the UFC to the United Kingdom for
our first fight in Europe. The viewership for our weekly television
show on Sky Sports since February has been excellent and we are
looking forward to bringing the UFC live to thousands of U.K.
fight fans,” said Dana White, UFC president.
The UFC airs a one-hour show, Ultimate Fighting Championship,
at 11 p.m. (BST) each Thursday on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB).
It is soon to be expanded to two hours.
The Ultimate
Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., is the
world’s leading mixed martial arts sports company. It is
owned and operated by Zuffa LLC and has distribution agreements
with WOWOW, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan, British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB)
in London, England, and Globosat Programadora LTDA and Sportv
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Ultimate Fighting Championship
is a sport that brings together the world’s most talented
mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes from disciplines such as karate,
jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, sumo and others in a quest
to become an ultimate fighting champion. |
Gardner
faces long odds, but no submission
By
Vicki Michaelis, USA TODAY
Rulon Gardner holds the snowmobile boots that were cut from his
feet after his ordeal in the forest. Mount Wagner, shown in the
background, was his destination.
AFTON, Wyo. — Jessica Gardner leans into the driver's side
window, glances toward the floor and asks her uncle the question
he always hears first. "How's your foot?" "It's
good," he says. "Wanna see my toe?" Rulon Gardner
reaches toward the back of his extended-cab pickup for a plastic
container sitting in a cupholder. In it is his right middle toe.
Gardner also keeps his 2000 Olympic gold medal in the truck,
in a handmade, wood-framed glass case cloudy with hundreds of
fingerprints. The medal used to be the main attraction in this
diesel-powered traveling museum. The story of how Gardner won
it by wrestling seemingly unbeatable Russian Alexander Karelin
into submission was his calling card. Two months ago, through
a night spent in unforgiving darkness and Jack London-like cold
and darkness, that changed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stories Relive Gardner's
triumph in Sydney
2001 World Championship: Another gold
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On
Feb. 14, Gardner and two friends went snowmobiling in the Salt
River Range, a rugged group of mountains that run south of Wyoming's
famous Tetons and rise to the east of Afton, Gardner's hometown.
One
friend, Danny Schwab, turned back early to attend his daughter's
basketball game. Schwab was the only one carrying matches and
other survival equipment. Gardner and the third man, Trent Simkins,
became separated about 4 p.m. Soon after, Gardner steered his
snowmobile down a steep ravine and, inadvertently, into the Salt
River.
More
than 17 hours later — hours marked by creeping time and
fears as well as temperatures that dipped to 20-below —
a helicopter lifted Gardner out of the snow. His body temperature
was 88 degrees when he arrived at the hospital. His boots were
caked with ice. His feet were so severely frostbitten doctors
immediately feared he would lose all of his toes and, perhaps,
part of his feet.
Instead,
Gardner has lost only one toe and none of the bullishness that
turned this dairy farmer's son into a 285-pound world-beater.
Grappling with
comeback obstacles
"I
intend to watch him at the next Olympics," says Timothy
Thurman, the plastic surgeon doctor overseeing his care at Eastern
Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, a two-hour drive
from Afton. "I don't think we're going to hold him back."
Wrestling's
world championships are in Moscow this year, in September. Gardner,
30, would like to be there, defending the world title he won
in December. He doesn't know if he'll make it because since he
must compete at world team trials in June to qualify. He does
know this: Determination alone cannot carry him.
"My
feet will determine when I wrestle again. My mind — even
though I want to and even though it's strong — is not the
one in charge here," he says.
Thurman
is hesitant to predict when Gardner will be able to return to
the mat. The only thing definite is that Gardner, a four-time
national champion, will miss the U.S. championships next week
in Las Vegas.
"A
lot of guys would have quit after they beat Karelin. You can't
get much better than that," says Steve Fraser, USA Wrestling's
national team coach.
Gardner's
mom, Virginia, says what everyone thinks when they hear of her
son's desire to return to heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestling.
She points to a picture hanging on the wall in the family's living
room. Gardner and Karelin are standing in a clutch.
"You
use your feet," Virginia says. "You've got to have
that for traction."
Says
Fraser: "The toes are very important, but how important,
I don't really know. If he gets on them and they're really painful
for pushing, that might affect him. If there's no pain, and he's
just missing that middle toe, I don't think he's going to miss
a beat."
Seven
of Gardner's toes have undergone skin grafts to replace dead
tissue. The right big toe still has a 2-inch pin in it, to restrict
movement while it heals. It is the toe that has Thurman the most
concerned. He said he doesn't expect Gardner to lose any more
toes.
Gardner's
right foot is worse than his left because he removed the sock
from his left foot before it froze. His hands got so cold while
doing it that he decided to leave on his right sock.
Rulon's experience
In the early afternoon of Feb. 14, Gardner and two friends drove
into the foothills of the Salt River Range. Their goal was to
snowmobile to the top of Mount Wagner. They didn't make the peak.
Gardner spent the night alone in 20-below temperatures:
1
p.m.: Gardner, Danny Schwab and Trent Simkins set out along the
banks of Cottonwood Creek.
3:30
p.m.: Schwab turns back to go to his daughter's basketball game.
He is the only one of the group carrying matches and survival
equipment.
4
p.m.: Gardner and Simkins become separated when Gardner decides
to navigate a steep ravine.
4:20
p.m.: Gardner plunges through ice into the Salt River and spends
the next 25 minutes pulling his 800-pound snowmobile out. He
then finds that his cell phone has no signal.
4:45
p.m.: Simkins senses Gardner is in trouble and goes back for
help.
4:45-6:45
p.m.: Gardner works his way southwest along the river but must
stop as darkness falls.
7
p.m.: Gardner takes a soaked sock off his left foot, but that
leaves his hands so cold that he decides to leave his right sock
on.
8:30
p.m.: First search party sets out. Gardner checks his watch and
decides not to check again until he thinks daylight is near.
12:30
a.m.: Gardner checks his watch, thinking eight hours have elapsed.
2
a.m.: Gardner hears snowmobile search team. But it's stalled
by beaver dams about 2 miles north. At 2:45, Gardner hears the
team turn back.
6:30
a.m.: At daylight, Gardner starts walking before realizing he
should stay in one place.
7:10
a.m.: Gardner sees search plane. A coat is tossed down, but Gardner
never reaches it, instead drifting in and out of sleep.
9:20
a.m.: A helicopter lands. Gardner crawls to reach it.
9:40
a.m.: Gardner arrives at Star Valley Medical Center in Afton.
Doctors use a cast saw to take off his boots, which are caked
in ice.
He keeps both feet bandaged and wears cast shoes while walking
gingerly — "like a penguin," he says. Several
times a week, the bandages come off and a team of wound-care
specialists poke and prod at his toes before changing the dressings.
"It hurts, but it's one of those things where you accept
your punishment. I made a bad mistake," Gardner says.
Gardner
had no coat the night he was stranded. He had tights and snowmobile
bibs on his legs, and a ski mask on his face. On his upper body,
he was wearing a T-shirt, a sweatshirt and a fleece top. His
feet were the only parts of his body to get frostbite.
The
T-shirt, full of holes and tears, has become a symbol of his
survival. He sometimes wears it during it while getting his treatments
on his feet.
"There
were some mistakes made," says Gardner's dad, Reed, who
has spent nights in the Wyoming backcountry while on hunting
trips, "but he did lots of things right or he wouldn't be
here."
When
Rulon took cat naps through the night, he positioned himself
uncomfortably against trees so that he would wake up from the
pain. He stood as often as he could, to maintain circulation
in his toes.
"I
just said: ‘Hey, you're in for a challenge, you're in for
a battle. You do or you don't. You survive or you don't.' I said,
‘There's no way that I'm going to die on this mountain,'"
Gardner says.
Near
the spot where Rulon was found, Reed says, rescuers discovered
a Hereford cow who had starved to death, with her calf, still
alive, at her side.
Rulon
didn't see the cow. He remembers waking up after seeing visions
of Jesus and of an older brother who died more than 20 years
ago. He remembers wanting a hot shower, repeatedly. He remembers
"just letting myself think of my wrestling career and the
future I had to go back to."
His
wrestling future rests on the recovery of his scarred, inflammed
toes. His present is spent shuttling between treatments, keeping
his schedule of motivational speeches and revisiting the warm
embrace of his small-town upbringing.
Most
days, he's in Idaho Falls, calling a Hampton Inn home. For several
weeks, he also made trips to Pocatello, to sit in a hyperbaric
oxygen chamber. The oxygen helps stimulate healing.
Carrying
Olympic message anew
By
early March, he was back on the speaking circuit, addressing
the National 4-H Council in Washington, D.C., and the National
Pork Industry in Denver while in a wheelchair. Gardner mentions
his night in the mountains during his motivational speeches,
but it hasn't become central to his message.
The
victory over Karelin, who before the 2000 Games had not lost
in 13 years, still is his hook. His University of Nebraska degree
in physical education, earned despite learning disabilities,
still is his prime example of his doggedness.
"I
haven't overcome this obstacle yet," he explains.
When
he can, Gardner drives home to Afton, home to 1,818 people and
the "World's Largest Elkhorn Arch," which spans a section
of Main Street.
Situated
in sprawling Star Valley, Afton has all the welcome trappings
of a small town. In the spring, it's hard to imagine what a cold
shoulder winter in western Wyoming can be.
Benton
Smith, a natural resource manager at the local U.S. Forest Service
office, calls the part of Bridger-Teton National Forest that
Gardner and his friends ventured into "mean, high country."
Last
week, Gardner made his first trip since the fateful night to
an overlook of the area. "It doesn't seem like I'm back
here, because I'm not in the situation," he says. "Now
it's springtime. It's a little eerie."
The
sun is warming the snow into rivulets. The thousands of snowmobile
tracks that crisscross the Salt River Range are fading into the
greening groundcover. The signs that welcome "sled heads"
to Afton, a town with a snowmobile in every yard, are out of
season.
They'll
come down, but the ones that proclaim Afton to be the "Home
of Rulon Gardner, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist" won't. Throughout
town, banners stretch across fences and restaurant fronts. One
greets visitors to the Gardner's farm, south on the southern
edge of town.
"We're
just lazy around here. We don't take 'em down," Reed Gardner
says.
Rulon
sees no need. After he wins the 2004 Olympics, he says, everyone
simply can replace the last zero in "2000 Olympic Gold Medalist"
with a four.
"I
have nothing to lose," Gardner says. "I've lived my
whole life reaching for a dream. Why stop reaching now?"
Source:
USA Today
|
BUSH,
GABLE, AND CAEL
We
usually don't make it our business to comment on partisan political
activities on this site, but sometimes there are exceptions.
This here thang called the Internet has, oh, several billion
other places to do so, and in every language known to humanity
and then some. But once in a long while something comes along
at one of these events that demands our attention and comment.
In
this case, it is a welcome occurrence.
President
George W. Bush spoke Monday at a dinner for Greg Ganske, Republican
candidate for U.S. Senator from Iowa, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
in Cedar Rapids. This hotel, by the way, is part of a complex
including the U.S. Cellular Center, formerly known as the Five
Seasons Center, which was the site of UFC 26 on June 9, 2000,
when Kevin Randleman defeated Pedro Rizzo, and also UFC 21 on
July 16, 1999, when Pat Miletich successfully defended what was
then the lightweight title.
But
that incidental piece of trivia is not why Bush's remarks caught
our eye. (By the way, Bush mentions in his speech that he made
this trip without his wife, so I wonder if he visited that same
joint that I did when we were in Cedar Rapids with Gary Myers,
Al Gattullo, Joel
Gold, and
several others. Somehow I doubt the, er, dancers got security
clearance.)
Bush,
of course, was playing the local angle in his speech because
I doubt he imagined a web site in Abu Dhabi or anywhere else
outside of Iowa would pay too much mind to his remarks. So he
went about saying all the right things about all the important
local people, at least the Republicans.
'I
want to thank Greg's colleague, Jim Leach for being here tonight.
Jim Leach is one of the true class acts of the United States
Congress,' the President said, followed by applause. Then he
joked, 'He still reminds me that he was a fine wrestler in high
school and college, but not nearly as good as Dan Gable, and
I want to thank Dan Gable for being here tonight, too.' There
was more applause -- they do love wrestling and wrestlers in
Iowa.
But
Bush wasn't done. 'I know Greg is proud to call you friend and
supporter, and I know Iowa is proud to call you son. And they're
also proud of Cael Sanderson, and his incredible accomplishments,
as one of the finest college athletes ever. Cael, thank you for
being here tonight, as well.' And yet more applause.
Let's
see. Cael was eating Italian food with us in New York on Saturday
night and now at a political dinner with Bush in Iowa on Monday.
I wonder if Cael whipped out that raspberry tart he said he would
get to take out from Ferrara's. I don't think they have many
cannolis in Cedar Rapids, either.
Now,
does President Bush know something more about the importance
of Cael Sanderson, Dan Gable, and the sport of wrestling than,
say, the so many so-called journalists who have short-changed
their coverage of the sport? Here is the most powerful man in
the world honoring not only the legendary Gable, but also this
22-year old lanky kid from Heber City, Utah, who just single-handedly
rewrote the college wrestling record book.
Bush
was elected President, after all (I will try to listen to my
own advice and avoid the politics, if you Floridians know what
I mean), and certainly has a high approval rating now. Whatever
your political slant, even if you hate politics in general, when
the President of the United States takes the time to single out
a pair of wrestlers, people in the combat sports world should
look up and take notice.
Maybe
some of these pencil-necks in the mainstream sports media can
learn from the respect Bush has given to wrestling, and themselves
give honor where honor is deserved. Maybe he just knows something
about communicating with people that these alleged professional
communicators don't.
If
you must read the whole speech (and I haven't), 'Remarks by the
President at People for Ganske Dinner,' here is the link to it
on the official White House page:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020415-10.html
We
shall also return to report on the Adventures of Cael Sanderson
and Chris Bono in New York very soon.
Source:
Abu Dhabi/Eddie Goldman |
Quote
of the Day
"Imagine
all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer,
but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and
the world will be as one."
John Lennon, 1940-1980, British Rock Musician |
Super
Brawl Match Up #3
Travis Wiuff
5-1 (Pictured Above)
6-2, 270 lbs.
Minn. MN
Lion's Lair
vs.
Ernest Henderson
6-3, 390 lbs.
Ellensburg, Washington
Unattached
Nearly 700lbs will test the ropes at the Blaisdell Arena in the
7th bout of Friday nights preliminaries! Wiuff (pronounced "VIEW")
carries about 5% bodyfat on his 270lb frame and scored a brutal
6 second knock out in the Des Moine, IA qualifying round. Henderson
is a load! He was robbed of a performance in the Utah qualifier
when he was pushed over the ropes just 30sec into the 1st round
and suffered a major concussion.
|
CANNOLIS,
CHRIS, AND CAEL
(AND WRESTLING)
Part Two
Submitted by: Eddie Goldman
'Cary
Kolat flat out got robbed, and will win a world title next year.'
-- Chris Bono, on Cary Kolat's streak of bad luck, at the 2000
Olympics, on Chris's web site, at: http://www.chrisbono.com/.
NEW
YORK -- It will not be easy for either Chris Bono or Cael Sanderson
at this year's U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling Championships,
coming up April 26-27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Although
Chris is ranked number one at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in TheMat.com's
U.S. Senior Freestyle rankings, this is a brand new weight class
for him and everyone else in it. When FILA, the international
wrestling federation, had to reduce the number of weight classes
from eight to seven under what were essentially orders from the
International Olympic Committee, they fiddled with the weight
limits a little in some weight classes, but had to collapse two
of them into one somewhere. Thus, this new weight class was made
in-between the old 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and 69 kg/152 lbs. limits.
This meant that the wrestlers in these weight classes had to
choose to go up or down several pounds, like it or not, and most
of them plain didn't.
Bono
had wrestled at 150 pounds back in college, when he won an NCAA
national championship at Iowa State in 1996 under coach Bobby
Douglas. Now he would be wrestling almost five pounds lighter
than he did all those years ago.
'I
had a choice to go up to 163, but I decided to go down to 145
because it's more suitable to me,' said Chris. 'It's just been
a lifestyle change, and I'm in better shape and ready to go.'
But
going to this new weight class also puts him against some pretty
fair competition who had to move up -- including the same Mr.
Kolat who Chris argued, and not alone on his behalf, was robbed
at the 2000 Olympics.
Kolat
was a U.S. national freestyle champion in 1997, 1999, and 2000,
and an NCAA national champion in 1996 and 1997 at Lock Haven,
where he now is an assistant coach. He sat out 2001 after, for
the fourth time in four years, having a seeming victory overturned
on what appeared to be the road to a gold medal.
In
the 1997 world finals, his opponent untied his shoes on the mat.
In 1998, his second-round victory over eventual world champion
Serafim Barzakov of Bulgaria was overturned by protest, and Kolat
lost the rematch. In 1999, Kolat thought he had won his semifinal
match with Elbrus Tedeev of Ukraine 4-2, but that, too, was protested,
and then Tedeev won in overtime, 2-1. And in the 2000 Olympics,
Kolat beat Iranian world champion Mohammad Talaei 3-1, or so
he thought, only to have yet another match overturned by protest,
and only to lose yet another rematch, by a score of 5-4.
The
hungry and apparently snake-bitten Kolat, now ranked number two
at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., is not the only accomplished wrestler chomping
at Chris's heels. Bill Zadick, a 1996 NCAA champion at Iowa under
Dan Gable, and a National Team member last year at 63 kg/138.75
lbs., has also made the move up.
Chris
recalled that this will be his seventh trip to the U.S. Nationals
-- all without a national championship. Last year, he made it
to the finals, only to lose to Ramico Blackmon by a score of
6-3. Chris did not give up then, but went on to win the Challenge
Tournament at the World Team Trials, and face Blackmon again.
This time Chris would not be denied, and he won that best-of-three
series in just two matches, 3-0 and 4-3.
While
Blackmon has gone up to 74 kg/163 lbs., where he is ranked fourth,
the new 66 kg/145.5 lbs. weight class is one of the most stacked
divisions.
'I'm
excited,' Chris said. 'With all these good guys in the weight
class, it's made me train a little different, a lot smarter,
a lot harder. I'm prepared and I'm ready to go. I'm looking forward
to the national tournament out in Vegas here in the next ten
days.'
While
Cael's weight class in freestyle, 84 kg/185 lbs., will not have
changed much since last year, when it was 85 kg/187.5 lbs., remember
that during the previous college seasons he had wrestled at 184,
but moved up to 197 this year. But as he admired his raspberry
tart at Ferrara's and prepared to order another to take out,
he said he did not think cutting this weight would present any
problem.
What
Cael did not take lightly was his competition. Last year, he
won the finals of the Nationals by defeating 2000 Olympian Charles
Burton, 4-1. In the semis, Cael defeated Brandon Eggum, a three-time
NCAA All-American at Minnesota and now second-ranked in freestyle
in the U.S., 7-4. Cael also faced Eggum in the World Team Trials,
where the Minnesotan won the Challenge Tournament. This time
Cael shut him out, and twice, 9-0 and 4-0.
So
how good was Eggum? It was he who replaced Cael in the World
Championships when Cael decided to pass on that event when it
was rescheduled following the Sept. 11 attacks, and conflicted
with Cael's final college season. In his first World Championships
appearance, Eggum walked off with a silver medal, only losing
in the finals to Russia's world champion Khadshimurad Magomedov,
3-0, who was also a 1996 Olympic gold medalist.
Cael
is well aware that he, too, has his work cut out for him in the
Nationals. Besides Eggum and Burton, there is also Lee Fullhart,
a 1997 NCAA champion at Iowa, and, more importantly, the holder
of a victory over Cael in freestyle.
'It's
a real competitive weight, as are all of them,' Cael remarked.
'There are five world class athletes in every weight. You can't
really look at one individual. There are a lot of real good guys.
I'm going to have my hands full. It's a tough tournament.'
While
Chris and Cael are as focused as can be on the Nationals, they
also were learning about the state of wrestling in the New York-New
Jersey area. Chris commented how impressed he was by the wrestlers
at the clinics he helped run. (See 'CANNOLIS, CHRIS, AND CAEL
- Part One.')
'It
was unbelievable,' he beamed. 'We had a great turnout, and the
talent level was very, very good. When you do these clinics,
you usually deal with the real low skill level, and then occasionally
you have two or three kids that are real tough. But we had a
real high skill level today and a big turnout, so it was very,
very encouraging to see that kind of wrestling going on.'
I
also explained to Cael the dreadful situation in New York City
wrestling, particularly in the public high schools. There are
not many teams, only about 19, and most do not even have the
use of their own gymnasiums. I never fail to mention the plight
of Midwood High School Wrestling, whose Coach George Hero has
had to coach that team as well as one from a Catholic school,
at the same time, to get use of the Catholic school's downstairs
cafeteria for practices and meets.
This
revelation left Cael somewhat distressed, annoyed, and almost
in disbelief. He had grown up in Utah, and was a four-time high
school state champion at Wasatch High, with his father as coach,
Steve Sanderson, himself a former wrestler at BYU. I get this
reaction a lot from wrestling's elite, who are just unaware of
the dreadful lack of resources in so many places. And we were
talking about the state of wrestling in the town in which he
was then present, so I think the point got across.
But
Cael, as we all know, is no quitter, and neither are those who
make up the backbone of New York City wrestling.
'Just
keep working hard,' he encouraged them. 'It's going to come around.
It's going to pick up. Wrestling's a great sport. As soon as
people get a chance to see its beauty, they're going to get hooked
on it real quick.'
Dinner
time was ending, the cannolis and raspberry tarts were history,
and Chris and Cael had to get some sleep, do another clinic on
Sunday, and fly back to Iowa later that night. I asked Cael when
he was bound for Las Vegas.
He
replied that it was a few days before the tournament, but he
wasn't sure, since 'I just let Bono' do that. 'He does all the
arrangements. He tells me when to be at the Rec. center, and
we take off from there.'
There
also seemed to be a certain chemistry that worked between Chris
and Cael. Chris is older, more extroverted, now an assistant
coach, and a top wrestler, but not with the Superman-like qualities
on the mat that Cael displays. Maybe no one is. But these guys
work well together, which is also a tribute to the system head
coach Bobby Douglas has established at Iowa State.
Now
that he has finished his undergrad career, Cael has been offered
a position as an assistant coach at Iowa State himself. I asked
him whether or not he would accept, and he said that he was not
sure, without dropping a hint one way or the other. Clearly he
is pondering his many options.
Wrestling
is not often blessed with someone who can potentially be a superstar,
whose ability and charisma and skill and charm can just run right
over all the negative stereotypes and obstacles that keep wrestling
out of the headlines and top stories. Cael may help change that,
but we do not really know. We also are not sure just what options
he is weighing, just what affect his marriage next month will
have on his next move, how long he wants to be known primarily
as a wrestler, and how important art is to him. Perhaps he does
not yet have solid answers as to which road he will take. And
why should he? Is it fair or sensible to expect any 22-year-old
to have such a clearly charted roadmap for the future, especially
when it may involve two areas that promise uncertainty more often
than not, wrestling and art?
Whatever
Cael does, he WILL always remain a wrestler at heart. As he advised
the New York wrestling community, 'Wrestling's a great sport.
As soon as people get a chance to see its beauty, they're going
to get hooked on it real quick.' He is already hooked, and alongside
Bono, expect to see a whole lot more of him on the mat.
Source:
Abu Dhabi/Eddie Goldman
|
INTERVIEW:
FERNANDO VASCONCELLOS
of rAw TEAM
There
are many insiders in the business buzzing about the 'secret weapon'
of the rAw TEAM - Fernando Vasconcellos. A BJJ Black Belt WORLD
CHampion (defeated Jose Marcello in the finals, also defeated
ALLIANCE's Jamelao) now training with rAw Team. Our Brazilian
correspondent interivewed Fernando recently -
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- How's your life in the USA?
Vasconcelos- It seems that everything has or is about to fall
into place. I feel that I've surrounded myself with a group of
reliable people that are very competent and if I do as they say
I think I'll be set to do good things in the ring. My BJJ classes
are the biggest I have ever had. The group seems very enthusiastic
about training and even about competing which makes teaching
very rewarding to me. The whole gym seems to be growing a lot
which is cool because it's way more fun to take the wrestling
classes or go to the fighting training sections (that we've daily)
when there are more people to train with. The gym is fun to me,
and that means things are cool since I spend all my time there.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Is there anything that you miss about Brazil that you
can't find in the USA?
Vasconcelos- My family and relatives in Brazil.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- After your ADCC2001 fights and NHB debut will you abandon
the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition?
Vasconcelos- Everything is secondary to the goal of becoming
better at fighting. I'll do gi when that does not interfere with
that goal. As a matter of fact after ADCC 2001, I did a Judo
tournament in Brazil, and the US Open (BJJ) placing first in
both.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- And now are you representing the RAW team?
Vasconcelos- Yep
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- How're your takedowns?
Vasconcelos- Hopefully they're getting better
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Who from the RAW team do you do most of your training
with?
Vasconcelos- I train with all the guys about the same.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Was ADCC 2001 your first participation in Submission
events?
Vasconcelos- ADCC 2001 was my second ever sub event.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Caol Uno was your first opponent, did you know his submission
game? Vasconcelos- I can't answer this question until I fight
him.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- That suplex that you gave to Uno did you learn that from
the RAW Team?
Vasconcelos- I think Chad had shown me that one as a possible
finish to a duck he was teaching me.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Uno is a great fighter in SHOOTO, did you think that
his Submission game is not as good as his NHB game?
Vasconcelos- I shouldn't judge the guys fighting ability only
on the limited grappling experience that I had with him. Grappling
is really important but is only an aspect of fighting .
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Your second fight was against Márcio Feitosa,
what did you think about your performance?
Vasconcelos- Not up to the standard that I expect out of myself.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Do you think that position of thorax triangle, was an
advantage for you?
Vasconcelos- He told the GRACIE Magazine it was working... to
tell you the truth, I had just learned the move and I thought
it wasn't working at all. I think had I known I was doing it
right I'd put a great deal of more power into it.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- You won the best take down award of the competition,
would have it meant more if you would have made it to the semi
finals?
Vasconcelos- The take down thing was cool, it brought me recognition.
As far as meaning, I'll say that getting the type of decision
that I got on my last match meant a lot .
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- What did you think about the ADCC2001 event?
Vasconcelos- It was good for me, I thought I came out of it with
valuable experience.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- The rAW team and the Brazilian teams have a good rivalry
and the rAW fighters always give Brazilian fighters a hard fight,
now that you're teaching the rAW team, will they be even more
dangerous?
Vasconcelos- I hope that my presence at the gym has helped someone!
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- You had your debut in NHB in King of the Cage 12, how
did this opportunity show for you?
Vasconcelos- I told Rico what I wanted and he got it!
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Were you training NHB before or only started this kind
of training when your NHB debut was marked?
Vasconcelos- Specific training started around 6 weeks before
the fight
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- You beat John Chrisostomo convincingly, were you pleased
with your fight or what do you feel you need to work on?
Vasconcelos- Denis, I did enough to win, but I still have a lot
of room for improvement
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Were you worried to fight a guy who had alot of NHB experience
(4-8-0)? Vasconcelos- When Rico first said something about the
guy I'd be fighting, he said the guy would be a begginer like
myself. Then things happened and I ended up matched with John
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Chrisostomo is from Grappling Unlimited, so he's a BJJ
stylist. What did you think about his ground game, does he really
have an effective guard?
Vasconcelos- I've not seen the tape yet and I can't really tell
you with any detail how the fight went
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Do you think that still there's a big difference between
Jiu Jitsu from Brazil and from other countries?
Vasconcelos- I think it's increasingly becaming an individual
thing rather then a country thing
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- And right now, after your victorious debut, what're your
goals?
Vasconcelos- To be the best I can at this fighting thing.
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Do you've any intention to fight in the UFC?
Vasconcelos- When time comes...
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Is there any contact for you to fight in next KOTC, which'll
be shown in PPV?
Vasconcelos- I was told I'd be fighting June 22 at KOTC
FIGHTWORLD.com
Brazil- Ok man, thanx for your time and HuG.
Vasconcelos- Thanx for the opportunity
Source: Abu Dhabi/Martins Denis |
Quote
of the Day
"Do
not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no
path and leave a trail."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
|
Super
Brawl Match-Ups!
Check
back for upcoming match-ups for the Heavyweight tourament.
Match Up #2
Gabe Beauperthuy 6-3
6-2, 265 lbs, Colorado Spring, CO
Unattached
vs.
Brian Stromberg 5-1
6-2, 235 lbs, Portland, OR
Team Quest
Beauperthy
was convicingly beating undefeated Tim Sylvia (Extreme Challange
47,Utah Qualifier Champion) for over 10 minutes before finnally
getting caught. He will face Team Quest's Brian Stromberg who
recently beat Gladiators Challenge Heavyweight Champion, Kauai
Kapuhea. THis ex-arena football star has no fear and is not afraid
to trade bombs!
Match Up #1
Wesley
"Cabbage" Correira 12-3
6-3, 291 lbs, Hilo, Hawaii
Grappling Unlimited
vs.
Chad Neal 20-1
295 lbs, Fresno, CA
This match up puts Hawaii heavy Cabbage against Chad Neal of
Fresno, Ca. Neal, who tips the scale at 295, has a mixed martial
arts record of 20-1. These two monsters will battle in the final
preliminary fight on Friday night. Although Cabbage is one of
the many favorites to win the tournament and has gone 5-0 in
the last year, he will have no easy task with Fresno's brawler
Chad Neal. |
Official
SHOOTO: Results
Date: April 14
Promoter: Paraestra
Kitazawa Town Hall - Tokyo, Japan
The
Paraestra Dojo produced an all day SHOOTO event that took place
in two waves. Their was an afternoon and evening show which featured
an influx of European fighters. It was primarily Class-B match-ups
thereby allowing these foreign competitors a chance to get valuable
ring experience. However, there was one Class-A bout on the evening
card which was the return of, fan-favorite, Mamoru. This was
a big match for him after having lost the Featherweight title
in his first title defense to Masahiro Oishi. He is young and
very talented and has a long exciting career ahead of him, and
he intends to make the Championship a part of that. Additionally,
while HOOKnSHOOT was holding an all women card half a world away,
this show featured Marloes Coenen, who is being touted as one
of the best female fighters on the planet. She earned a decision
victory and now the stage is set for her to take on one of the
winners from HOOKnSHOOT evolution. She was originally supposed
to fight Erin Toughill on that card in Indiana, and many would
like to see it happen in light of her Marloes’ win. Also,
as is the tradition with Paraestra, there were three Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu matches that took place.
Below
is the full card with results:
Part
1:
Bout
#1: Class-B (154 lbs):
Seiki Ucimura [Paraestra] draw Kenichiro Togashi [Paraestra]
Majority Draw 0-1 (19-19, 19-20, 19-19) 5:00 rd2
Bout #2: Class-B (167 lbs):
Akira Kikuchi (K’z Factory) def. Jani Lax (Team Scandinavia)
Sweden Armlock 2:51 rd1
Bout #3: Class-B (154 lbs):
Masato Fujiwara (Paraestra) def. Vincent Latour [Tatsujin Gym]
Holland Arm-triangle 3:53 rd1
Bout #4: Class-B (Ladies 158 lbs contract):
Merlos Coenen [Tatsujin Gym] Holland def. Miwako Ishihara [Zendo
Kai] Majority Decision 2-0 (20-19, 20-19, 19-19) 5:00 rd2
Bout #5: Class-B (132 lbs):
Kentaro Imaizumi [SK Absolute] draw Shuichiro Katsumura [K’z
Factory] Majority Draw 1-0 (20-19, 19-19, 19-19) 5:00 rd2
BJJ Match: Takahashi Watanabe [Paraestra] def. Jiro Wakabayashi
[SK Absolute] Points: 2-2 / Advantages: 2-0
Part
2:
Bout
#1: Class-B (167 lbs):
Toru Nakayama [Impress] def. Yoshifumi Dogaki [Paraestra] Unanimous
Decision 3-0 (20-17, 20-18, 20-17) 5:00 rd2
Bout #2: Class-B (167 lbs):
The Babanba [Paraestra] def Mario Stapel [Power Academy] Germany
Unanimous Decision 3-0 (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) 5:00 rd2
Bout #3: Class-B (154 lbs):
Yohei Suzuki [Paraestra] def. Patrick Rahael [Tatsujin Gym] Holland
TKO 3:20 rd1
Bout #4: Class-A (132 lbs):
Mamoru [STG] def. Hiroaki Yoshioka [Paraestra] Unanimous Decision
3-0 (30-27, 30-28, 30-27) 5:00 rd3
BJJ
Matches:
Ikuma Hoshino [Very Good Man] def. Ayumu Sato [Paraestra] Points:
0-0 / Advantages: 1-0
Martijn de Jong [Tatsujin Gym] Holland def. Kazuhiro Kusayanagi
[K'z Factory] Point: 0-0 / Advantages 1-1 (Judges’ Decision)
Source:
Abu Dhabi |
Chute
Boxe Team
Looking to Take Over K-1!
Text & Photos by Eduardo Alonso
With
the huge success achieved by the Chute Boxe Academy athletes
in NHB over the years, with Vanderlei Silva, Pele Landi, Murilo
Ninja, Anderson Silva, among others winning fights and titles
in the world's most important events, many could have wondered
why a Chute Boxe fighter was yet to step into the K-1 ring. The
Chute Boxe team is originally a Muay Thai team, and K-1 is the
biggest stand-up fighting event in the martial arts world, so
it was natural that many Chute Boxe fighters would have the desire
to compete and test their skills in K-1. Finally the chance has
materialized, and just one week before PRIDE 20, K-1 will host
the debut of a Chute Boxe fighter in the event. The man selected
for the job is Nilson de Castro [pictured]. A Chute Boxe fighter
who got his black belt on the same day that Vanderlei Silva got
his, and has already fought some tough NHB battles. Nilson is
an IVC veteran, and he was away from the ring for a while. However,
after some incentive from his teammates Nilson decided to come
back to the hardcore training at the academy, and resume his
fighting career! The decision proved to be the right one, and
Nilson de Castro came back with an impressive win at MECA 6 in
January, and he is now welcoming his chance in K-1, hoping to
open the doors to his teammates at the event and possibly start
an NHB career in Japan as well, much like his long-time friend
Vanderlei Silva. FCF had the chance to catch-up with Chute Boxe
coach Rudimar Fedrigo, and the man himself, Nilson de Castro,
just before they left for Japan!
FCF:
You have been dedicating yourself to NHB again, and even won
at the last MECA. Did this opportunity to fight in K-1 surprise
you?
Nilson: To tell you the truth I was expecting an invitation from
PRIDE, but since the K-1 invitation appeared, it was great! It's
every Muay Thai fighter's dream to fight in K-1! I welcomed this
opportunity very much, and it was a surprise -- a very good surprise.
I was expecting an invitation, but it was a surprise that it
came from K-1!
FCF:
Since you have been dedicating yourself to NHB, how long have
you been away from stand-up only fights?
Nilson: Well, to be honest with you I fight standing up every
day! [Laughs]
FCF:
[Laughs] Of course, but I meant not counting the Chute Boxe academy
training!
Nilson: [Laughs] I know! In terms of official fights, well, I
believe I haven't competed in Muay Thai since 1998, or 1999.
I have been doing only NHB lately.
FCF:
Finally a Chute Boxe fighter will be fighting in K-1. This could
be considered the realization of another Chute Boxe academy's
dream…
Rudimar: Without a doubt, Nilson's fight will be very important
to us! This is something that we have been waiting for a long
time and he's very happy to be fighting at the biggest "Muay
Thai" event in the world.
FCF:
Considering that the Chute Boxe team is originally a Muay Thai
team, was it an old dream for the academy to have someone fighting
in K-1?
Rudimar: Yes, this was an old dream of the academy!
FCF:
How did this invitation for Nilson to fight in K-1 come about?
Was Nilson the first fighter that the promoters invited to fight
at the event?
Rudimar: Well, what happened was the product of a group of things:
The success of the Chute Boxe fighters in Japan, Vanderlei Silva's
good performances there, and also Nilson's excellent fight at
the last MECA. All those things lead to the invitation for Nilson
to fight in K-1, and I think it's going to be excellent!
FCF:
But Nilson, how did you get the news about this fight? Do you
remember how it was?
Nilson: Oh Yeah! I was training and the master came up to me
and said, "You were invited to fight in K-1!" Man!
It was really something you know. It was a huge happiness! I
mean, I got very happy!
FCF:
Was it tough to prepare a fighter to compete in K-1, and at the
same time prepare other fighters to fight at PRIDE?
Rudimar: No, we didn't have any extra difficulty because of it.
We were always working a more specific Muay Thai training with
Nilson, and he is feeling very well. He is prepared for this
fight, and I'm sure it'll be a great fight!
FCF:
How was the preparation for this fight? Did you train only Muay
Thai?
Nilson: Of course, I train exclusively Muay Thai for this fight.
FCF:
And how was the physical preparation? How much will you have
to weigh for this fight?
Nilson: The fight is under 90kg, and I'll fight at around 88,
or 87kg. The physical preparation was just my regular preparation,
nothing unusual. But the Muay Thai training, I mean, the technical
part of the training was very strong. We trained a lot!
FCF:
Whom did you train more with this time?
Nilson: I trained a lot with everyone here. I trained with Anderson,
with Vanderlei, with Ninja, Pele, Rafael, Cunha... all the guys
helped a lot! I would have a different guy to fight every day,
and sometimes I would have to fight them all in one day! [Laughs]
Nobody would take it easy on me! [Laughs]
FCF:
Nilson, do you think that being a Chute Boxe fighter, and having
the opportunity to train with fighters with very different styles,
like Anderson and Vanderlei, helps you to be an even more complete
fighter?
Nilson: A lot! It's a complete training. There's no way you won't
end up being good. It's impossible [not to] learn something.
There's no other way!
FCF: And what about Anderson Silva's jab? Is it still terrible
to deal with?
Nilson: Man! It's annoying! It's still terrible! [Laughs] With
those little "mosquito's" arms of his! Man! And a stronger
mosquito now! Because he's gaining some weight [Laughs] His jabs
are very strong! His reach is very long! It's always horrible
to train with him! [Laughs]
FCF:
Do you expect that this opportunity will open the doors for other
team members, such as Anderson Silva, who has this desire, to
fight in K-1 in the future?
Rudimar: Without a doubt. It's very important that Nilson will
have a good showing, because we have other athletes, such as
Anderson, who can and will fight in K-1 in the future!
Nilson: I want to be the guy that opened the doors for our team
there! I want all the guys to fight in K-1 too! Because everybody
on the Chute Boxe team wants to fight at least one fight in K-1,
so I want to open the doors in the best possible way! I'll grab
this opportunity with everything I've got!
FCF:
What do you expect from Nilson's fight? How do you see the fight
unfolding?
Rudimar: I think that Nilson will look for the knockout from
the start. He will look for the knockout in all the rounds. And
we are expecting him to win by knockout!
Nilson: Look, honestly speaking I don't like to comment on how
a fight will go or things like that. My only perspective is that
I want to knock him out! I don't have any strategy; I'll go after
him and look for the knockout. I'll look for the knockout from
the start.
FCF:
Do you know anything about your opponent?
Nilson: I know that he is Japanese, and he weighs 88kg, nothing
more.
FCF:
and you don't care about knowing more…
Nilson: I want to fight my game there! This thing of analyzing
your opponent in the end will only prevent you from fighting
your game. I'll go there and do my game, and see what happens.
FCF:
Do you believe that Nilson's future will be on K-1 from now on,
or will he come back to NHB?
Rudimar: Well, as of now he has this fight in K-1, and maybe
a fight in the next MECA. But everything will depend on his fight
in K-1, because only after this fight we'll see what will happen.
Nilson: Well, I want to fight! Anywhere they invite me to fight
I'll fight! If I can continue doing both things, K-1 and NHB,
I'll do both things.
FCF:
Does the fact that Vanderlei Silva will be in your corner for
this fight, and that he helped a lot in your training, motivate
you even more for your fight?
Nilson: Of course! Without a doubt! When you train with Vanderlei,
you know that you're training with the best fighter in the world
today, so it's always an amazing training session.
FCF:
The fact that Vanderlei will face a K-1 fighter at the next PRIDE
helped his, and Nilson's, preparation in some way?
Rudimar: It helped for sure! They trained a lot together.
Nilson: Of course, for sure! We're going to fight different fights,
but the training ended up being good for both of us in fact.
But Vanderlei always trains a lot of Muay Thai anyway.
FCF:
Speaking of Vanderlei, what do you expect from his fight against
Cro Cop?
Nilson: Honestly speaking, Cro Cop will go down! Sincerely. He
will be knocked out. If he will trade with Vanderlei, he won't
end up standing. I'm sorry to say it [Laughs], but the man is
hitting very hard! There's no way! The guy always enters in Vanderlei's
game! When he comes right at you and start to trade, he dictates
the rhythm of the fight. He is really a very complete fighter.
Besides being technical he knows how to impose his rhythm.
FCF:
Will you stay in Japan to be in Vanderlei and Ninja's corner
for their fights in PRIDE, or will you come back to Brazil after
your fight?
Nilson: I'll stay and help Vanderlei and Ninja.
FCF:
By the way Nilson, what are you expecting from Ninja's fight
against Sperry?
Nilson: Man, Ninja is sincerely impressive! His ground game is
very strong, his Muay Thai is great and he is hitting very hard!
I wouldn't want to be in his opponent's place, he is going to
face hell in the form of a fighter.
FCF:
What can the K-1 fans -- who maybe don't know the Chute Boxe
Academy work that well yet --expect from the team in K-1?
Rudimar: They can expect that our fighters will give their best
in the ring, and all three athletes from the team that will be
fighting in Japan, Nilson in K-1 and Ninja and Vanderlei at PRIDE,
will fight very hard. They can expect a lot of dedication and
heart for sure! All the fighters know the meaning of these fights
in their lives and careers, and what they can represent to them.
So, they'll put their heart in the ring. I also believe that
there's a big chance of seeing other Chute Boxe fighters in K-1
in the future.
FCF:
Nilson, this will be your first fight in Japan, how are you facing
this experience, and what do you expect from fighting there?
Nilson: I'm facing it as my golden opportunity. This is my big
chance, and I want to establish my name there and sign a big
deal to fight there. I want to become Japanese! [Laughs] I expect
to be welcomed there like my friends, but I want to write my
own history there too!
FCF:
Any final message for the Chute Boxe fans?
Rudimar: They can count that those three fights will be three
really memorable fights! Fights that the fans will remember for
a long time. The guys are going to really make an impact. They
are going to Japan to win.
Nilson: I want to say that I'll try to trade from the beginning
and I want to knock him out very fast! I'll try to do a great
fight, a fight that the fans will enjoy watching. So I'll mark
my presence and please the fans. I want to show my value to the
fans and I hope they'll appreciate my fighting style. You can
bet that I'll always fight my heart out on the ring. This will
be my trademark.
FCF:
Thanks a lot for the interview, and the best of luck for the
team.
Rudimar: Thank you very much.
Nilson: Thanks a lot.
Source:
FCF |
Mixed
Martial Arts Media Top 10
March 11, 2002
Heavyweights
- 205 lbs. and up (93 kg and up)
Rodrigo "Minotauro"
Nogueira 189
Josh Barnett 167
Heath Herring 142
Randy Couture 140
Pedro Rizzo 102
Mark Coleman 100
Igor Vovchanchyn 69
Mario Sperry 47
Ricco Rodriguez 42
Kazuyuki Fujita 14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Light Heavyweights
- 185 - 204.9 lbs. (92.9 -83.9 kg.)
Tito Ortiz 186
Vanderlei Silva 175
Dan Henderson 147
Chuck Liddell 131
Vitor Belfort 101
Ricardo Arona 71
Sanae Kikuta 59
Murilo "Ninja" Rua 51
Kevin Randleman 44
Alex Steibling 30
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Middleweights
- 170 - 184.9 lbs. (77.1 - 83.9 kg)
Murilo Bustamante
178
Kazushi Sakuraba 177
Matt Lindland 144
Dave Menne 142
Andrey Semenov 95
Paulo Filho 91
Renzo Gracie 56
Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons 51
Ikuhisa Minowa 41
Pat Miletich 26
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welterweights
- 155 - 169.9 lbs. (70.3 - 77.1 kg)
Matt Hughes
182
Anderson Silva 172
Carlos Newton 160
Hayato Sakurai 130
Frank Trigg 100
Tetsuji Kato 83
Gil Castillo 62
Sean Sherk 56
Shonie Carter 48
Nathan Marquardt 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lightweights
- Up to 154.9 lbs. (up to 70.3 kg.)
1. Jens Pulver
190
2. BJ Penn 166
3. Takanori Gomi 143
4. Caol Uno 133
5. Din Thomas 107
6. Dokonjonosuke Mishima 93
7. Rumina Sato 90
8. Ryan Bow 52
9. Fabiano Iha 23
10. Franca "Cromado" Barbosa 15
10. Matt Serra 15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Featherweights
- Up to 144.9 lbs. (up to 65.9 kg)
Alexandre "Pequeno"
Nogueira 190
Tetsuo Katsuta 165
Katsuya Toita 140
Baret Yoshida 107
Joao Roque 101
Mamoru 98
Stephen Palling 58
Norifumi Yamamoto 56
Masahiro Ohishi 36
Jin Akimoto 34 140 |
One
on One with Frank Shamrock!
I
had the pleasure of chatting with Frank Shamrock a few days ago
and when the interview was done, I had even more respect for
Frank. Arguably one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, fighters
to step foot in the Octagon, let alone mixed martial arts in
and of itself, I got to the bottom of more than a few rumors
that have been floating around in various MMA news circles. During
our conversation we talked about a return to the UFC, his past
personal quarrels with big brother Ken, serial killers, Tito
Ortiz and why exactly he stepped away from the MMA spotlight.
Mike
Sloan: Hey Frank, what's up? I have about 50 questions for you.
Is that too many?
Frank
Shamrock: (laughing) No that's alright. No, it's always 50 questions,
don't you know? (laughs) Don't even worry about it. I do this
all the time. I'm pretty good at it, actually.
Mike
Sloan: So what have you been doing lately?
Frank
Shamrock: Well, I'm working out a little bit. I've been working
a lot, eating a lot. That's about it (laughs).
Mike
Sloan: Do you still train hard even though you haven't been fighting?
Frank
Shamrock: Yeah, I train every day. I always train every day.
That's kind of what I do. I don't have the 4 hours to put in
every day like I used to. Now I get the 20 minutes to an hour,
hour and a half sessions. I still get those in about 3 or 4 days
a week.
Mike
Sloan: You fought in last year's K-1. Will you participate in
this year's K-1?
Frank
Shamrock: Nah. That stuff hurt. It was far too painful.
Mike
Sloan: But your fight only lasted about a minute and a half.
Frank
Shamrock: Yeah, but it's the training for it. You know, it's
always the training. It's never the fight, it's always the training.
I really wanted to do it and I have always wanted to be a professional
boxer and kickboxer, but it was real damaging. I got all beat
up from all the kicks and knees. You're just standing there throwing
your bones at each other and trying to hurt each other. I found
that in kickboxing, I got a lot more damaged than in grappling.
Mike
Sloan: How did that happen, with you going into the K-1?
Frank
Shamrock: They (K-1) asked me. Well, we were doing business together
at the time. Then they asked me if I wanted to fight and I said,
"Yes." Then they asked if I'd rather do kick boxing
in Vegas or no holds barred in Japan. I was like, "Oh, I'd
rather kickbox in Vegas," plus I was real excited about
kickboxing, so it worked out good.
Mike
Sloan: Wasn't your first appearance in the K-1 against Elvis
Sinosic an NHB-ruled bout, though?
Frank
Shamrock: Um, that is, that's true. I did fight for the first
time in the K-1 like that. That's where we developed our relationship
and I started working with the K-1 guys. But it wasn't under
the K-1 rules; it was under the new no holds barred K-1 rules.
We grappled and did all kinds of other stuff besides just the
kickboxing. The K-1 that I fought in, in Vegas, was just professional
kickboxing. It was a big difference.
Mike
Sloan: How difficult of a transition was it to change from training
in mixed martial arts to just strictly kickboxing?
Frank
Shamrock: It was difficult, but I didn't forget about it while
I was in the ring. I didn't think about doing anything different,
it just didn't feel as comfortable because I know so many ways
to counter what's going on. I was like, "Why am I being
kicked?!" because I know how to counter. I was like, "I
don't want that to happen!" but you have to stand there
and follow the rules, so it makes it a little different. I enjoyed
testing the rules and participating in it because it's a challenge
doing that.
Mike
Sloan: There are a lot of rumors floating around that you are
making a comeback to the UFC or some other MMA event. How true
are these rumors?
Frank
Shamrock: Well, I'm trying (laughs), so they're pretty true.
I moved back to San Jose from LA to go back to camp and start
training to fight. I haven't fought since then so I did the kickboxing.
That's the last thing I did. But the market's kind of changed;
it's a little different. There's really no one I care to fight.
There's nothing bigger and more exciting going on, so I'm just
hanging out and training and working on my businesses. For me,
I'm a martial artist. I look at it as a professional martial
artist athlete. I go there and do my job and that's it, then
I go home. (Laughs) Put ice on my elbows. I'm a regular guy.
Mike Sloan: Saying you do return, are you willing to battle it
out with Tito Ortiz again? That was, in my opinion, the best
fight I've ever seen in UFC history.
Frank
Shamrock: Yeah, that was a good one. It was a good one. I don't
mind mixing it up with Tito again. He's kind of big. He might
fall on me and hurt me. But at this point, fighting Tito is like
reading the same book again, but if there's big money in it,
I'll do it. But for the most part, I've already done that. That
one's done so hopefully I can move on to something bigger and
better. That's the way I hope it works for me.
Mike
Sloan: Does it make you want to return to the UFC a little bit
more because Tito is the man right now? When you left, you were
the man and you already beat Tito.
Frank
Shamrock: No. I still feel like the man (laughs) so I don't worry
too much about it. It's fun to go and watch and hang out. I had
my fighter, Kelly, in there who fought, but I've been to 20 UFCs.
It's different now.
Mike
Sloan: Are there any guys in any organizations that you would
like to fight?
Frank
Shamrock: Well, I like Sakuraba. I've been trying to get Sakuraba
to fight me for about 2 years.
Mike
Sloan: That'd be a good fight right there.
Frank
Shamrock: Yeah. I've always wanted to fight Sakuraba because
he's a guy who I always thought could beat me with my own techniques.
And that really exhilarated me into training and I actually started
preparing for that fight on two separate occasions, but they
never happened. That's a guy I'd like to fight. I'd like to fight
Vanderlei Silva because he's kind of scary.
Mike
Sloan: Yeah, he's wild.
Frank
Shamrock: He's scary looking. I'd like to fight him because he's
scary and if he whacked you, he'd kill you. That would be a big
incentive and really exhilarating to start training and to try
it.
Mike
Sloan: And besides, he's beaten Sakuraba twice.
Frank
Shamrock: And in convincing fashion both times.
Mike
Sloan: What is your take on the UFC these days, with Zuffa taking
over and changing the rules?
Frank
Shamrock: I think it's good. I mean, it's a step in the right
direction. Everyone's trying to legitimize the sport and I think
they're doing the best job they can. They've done great things.
They're back on cable, the sport's pumping, you know.
Mike
Sloan: You haven't fought in the UFC since Zuffa took over and
you said in an interview in FightSport Magazine that you like
the soccer kick. What other rules would you like to see come
back or be altered in the UFC, or other organizations for that
matter?
Frank
Shamrock: (Laughs loudly) That's funny! It's true, though. But
I look at it from a different standpoint. When I'm looking at
combat, I think to do the most amount of damage in the shortest
amount of time possible, utilizing maximum potential of your
body, that's really the goal in my job. I just see some techniques
that it would be so much easier if the guy was just passive like
that, whatever, just kick him in the head, knee him in the neck,
knee him in the kidney (laughs), you know, DO damage. I understand
the necessity for the rules and the presentation of all these
things, but I also understand from a combat point, from training
police or military, that sometimes you just gotta take people
out. There are just some very efficient ways and some of them
are not clean and they're not pretty, but they work. The soccer
kick is one of them. The gut stomp, the head stomp, these are
just some of the things that go on in combat, but perhaps don't
go on in sports, if you know what I mean. I'm in support of the
shortest, quickest way possible of handling business, but you
have to tailor that to whatever you're doing.
Mike
Sloan: What happened in there with Kelly Dullanty against Matt
Serra? How frustrating was it to see your guy lose like that?
Frank
Shamrock: I don't know. I wasn't that frustrated. (laughs) I
don't know. It was a learning experience for Kelly. He's a phenomenal
athlete with phenomenal talent, but he doesn't train. He's one
of those guys who skates by on athletic ability. He beat Duane
Ludwig and he trained for like six days. I haven't seen him for
like five months. So he has some issues that keep him from training
and if he addressed those and trained all the time, he would
be a phenomenal athlete. But he's lacking in certain areas. I
think it was a great learning experience for him. I had a great
time in Vegas and I got to go watch Kelly fight. See, to me it
doesn't matter if they win or lose. It matters, to me, what lesson
they learned. If they didn't learn anything, I mean they've got
smart guys in their corner (laughs), because this is a life's
lesson at the highest level. You're answering questions about
yourself and who you are and what you're doing, and there should
be a proper presentation. If you're going to go there, then you
should show up and show your all. He realized that wasn't his
all and that he could do more and do better. I appreciate that
and I loved the show. I thought Josh winning the heavyweight
title was huge. I'm glad I didn't bet (laughs).
Mike Sloan: Yeah. I actually picked Couture to win that one.
Frank
Shamrock: Well, I knew, mechanically, that Josh could beat him.
It just wasn't conceivable because of the past record of Couture.
If I was gonna bet money, I would have bet it over there. I ended
up not doing it because I had the job over there. It was a good
show, though. I enjoyed it.
Mike
Sloan: It was. It was even better because we were all sitting
together down there.
Frank
Shamrock: Yeah. It was good and I was able to enjoy it. I wasn't
trampled or bugged too much. I was kind of incognito and, for
me, that's a very rare experience that I could go there and watch
it. Because, you know, everybody wants to come over and talk
and, you know, hang out with Frank Shamrock and see what's going
on. While that's cool and all, I rarely get the chance to sit
down and watch the show. So, for me, that was cool.
Mike
Sloan: Besides Kelly, who else do you train?
Frank
Shamrock: I train Bob Cook, Josh Thompson and I train Eric Deuce.
Well, I would like to say that I actually train these people,
but Bob Cook actually trains them all and Javier Mendez oversees
their training. I go in there three days a week and try and beat
them all up.
Mike
Sloan: Nice.
Frank
Shamrock: (Laughs loudly) Yeah, I'm like the little rattlesnake.
They call me the rattlesnake because they all go in there and
do their training and, you know, I work. I do whatever I have
to do, like doing my appearances and run around, then I like
to sneak in and train a little bit. I'm like the nemesis, so
they always try and get me.
Mike
Sloan: How often do you beat them all, every time?
Frank
Shamrock: No. I have devised ways of handling everybody so they
don't hurt me. I don't win every time, but I'm always efficient,
always safe and always doing more damage than receiving.
Mike
Sloan: Well, that's the way it has to work.
Frank
Shamrock: Yeah (laughs). That way, I have longevity.
Mike
Sloan: Okay, you've been saying forever that the Gracies are
dead. Can you-
Frank
Shamrock: (Interrupting with loud laughter) Can I say something
on that comment?
Mike
Sloan: Sure, go ahead.
Frank Shamrock: I just said that because I was talking, and I
can't even remember the context of the conversation or whatever
we were talking about, but it was quite some time ago. I remember
saying the sentence and recalling that it was going to have lasting
effects, but I meant that in the arena that everybody is competing
in currently. In the UFC, the modern UFC fan today, to them,
the Gracies are dead. They don't understand. They'll be like,
"Oh you mean that guy from whatever?" They're a different
era. They're the next generation of fans, viewers and participants
and that's what I meant by that. If you talk to the first martial
arts fan who watched UFC #1, he is a Gracie fanatic. He completely
understands. If you watch the new fans who've jumped on at UFC
20, he is a Mark Coleman, submission fighting, wrestling, Tito
Ortiz fan. It's a new fan and I meant that to those people, the
Gracies are dead. They don't get it. They're like, "…what?"
To the martial artists of the world, the Gracies are still the
kings of that sport, of that area because those are the people
that they touched first. Martial artists are loyal and, you know,
they've been down.
Mike
Sloan: Well that explains it now.
Frank
Shamrock: Yeah, but in modern combat, in this arena in the UFC,
the Gracies are dead. Like Pride, the technique, the approach,
the style, the discipline, everything has moved to the next level.
It just has evolved. And you either evolve with it or move to
the next level behind it.
Mike
Sloan: If you could take on one Gracie, which one would you take
on?
Frank
Shamrock: Um…I don't really have a preference. (some thinking)
I doesn't really matter to me. I guess I would like Rickson.
Rickson's probably the biggest or most popular. I would fight
the guy who would bring me the most money at the gate. They're
all pretty much basically the same style, just different ages
and variances. Truthfully, it's the style and that's why I think
fighting Sakuraba would be so fun; he's the same style. If I
threw out three combinations, he would know it and be able to
move and counter. That's a big thing. That's like a lightweight
boxer throwing an 8-punch combination. That's just exciting to
watch. But I think that system's (Gracie system) an older system.
I think modern systems can combat those. But I would love to
fight the Gracies or any of those jiu jitsu stylist guys.
Mike
Sloan: Many people, myself included, felt that you left the UFC
and the sport too early. Did you leave because of your shoulder
injury or for other reasons?
Frank |