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April News Part 3
 

    
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 4/30/02

    
Quote
    of the Day

    

    "Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they
    will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them...they
    are liable to spring upon you; but...if you look them squarely
    in they eye, they will slink out of sight." 



    Orison Swett Marden, 1850-1924, American Author, Founder of Success
    Magazine

    
Warriors
    Quest 5

    "New Blood"

    June 7,2002 

    Blaisdell Arena

    Fights start at 7:30pm


    
Tenative Card!!


    
Main Event


    
Lightweight
    65.0kg Shooto Class A 

    Stephen Palling (Jesus Is Lord)

    #3 Rank Shooto,Warriors Quest Champion

    Vs.

    TBA

    Due to Palling fight in Shooto May 5, Opponent has not be named


    
Warriors
    Quest Light Heavyweight Championship

    Shooto Class A 91.0kg

    David Pa'aluhi (Hard Knocks Hawaii)

    # 2 Rank Warriors Quest

    Vs.

    Sean Gray

    #1 Rank Warriors Quest


    
Feature
    Fights


    
Welterweight
    70.0kg Shooto Class B

    Dave Yueng (HMC)

    #2 Rank Warriors Quest

    Vs.

    Jon Weilder (Team Hybrid)

    4-1,Warriors Quest Debut


    
Light Heavyweight
    83.0kg Shooto Class B

    Bob-O Ostovich (Jesus Is Lord)

    Warriors Quest Veteran

    Vs.

    Mark Moreno (Bulls Pin)

    Warriors Quest Debut


    
Welterweight
    70.0kg Shooto Class B

    Abe Rodrigues (Grappling Unlimited)

    6-1,Warriors Quest Debut

    Vs.

    Roland Fabre (Team Renzo)

    3-1,Warriors Quest Veteran


    
Welterweight
    70.0kg Class B

    David Padilla (Gamebred)

    3-2,Warriors Quest 

    vs.

    Ikaika Tiger (Team Tiger)

    1-0,Warriors Quest Debut


    
Heavyweight
    110.0kg Shooto Class B

    Garret Viernes (Freelance)

    Warriors Quest Debut

    Vs.

    Doug Sulp (808 Fight Factory)

    Warriors Quest Debut


    
Welterweight
    70.0kg Shoot Class B

    Jacob Vela (Koden Kan)

    Warriors Quest Debut

    Vs.

    Shannon Kira (Freelance)

    Warriors Quest Debut

    
"Cro
    Cop" Draws the Best out of the "Axe Murderer";
    Brazilians Shine at Pride 20

    by Josh Gross


    


    YOKOHAMA, Japan, April 28 -- There was talk leading up to Pride
    20 of a developing rivalry between Brazilian powerhouse mixed
    martial arts gyms: Chute Boxe and Top Team. After Sunday night,
    however, members from both camps quieted their rhetoric, focusing
    more on the success -- as Brazilians -- they shared versus the
    other competitors on the evening's card.


    
Pride
    middleweight champion Vanderlei Silva gave Croatian K-1 star
    Mirco 'Cro Cop' Filipovic just what he wanted: a chance to fight
    against a fighter willing to mix it up. Lost in the shuffle of
    previous mixed rule fights featuring Pride, K-1, and Japanese
    pro-wrestlers, the Silva-Filipovic showdown was truly the first
    contest to boast top competitors from different organizations
    facing one another; the outcome was indicative of that.


    
Prior
    to the fight from the sold-out Yokohama Arena, it was thought
    by many that Silva would be foolish to stand with 'Cro Cop' and
    play his kickboxing game. But Silva, and the rest of his Chute
    Boxe teammates and coaches, didn' t agree. If he was smart, they
    felt, he could stand with the Croatian -- and that's exactly
    how he fought: smart.


    
Shedding
    his brawl-for-it-all mentality for the second consecutive fight
    (he KO'd Kiyoshi Tamura at Pride 19 after 10-plus minutes of
    intelligent action in the ring), Silva refused to stand toe-to-toe
    with Filipovic. Rather, the Brazilian stayed outside punching
    and kicking range until he felt he was ready to fire a combination
    of his own.


    
In
    the early rounds, both tested each other's game. It was obvious
    that 'Cro Cop' wanted no part of any grappling action, and Silva
    was patient enough not to force anything. Sporting a nasty bruise
    to the right side of his midsection thanks to a lightning-fast
    Filipovic kick in round one, Silva didn't panic and scored a
    takedown after catching another kick later in the second.


    
Silva
    effectively worked the ground-and-pound in round two, and it
    seemed to bother Filipovic. In the third, Silva was the more
    aggressive fighter, landing a solid overhand right and high kick.
    The key for Silva was his ability to keep distance, and it forced
    'Cro Cop' to push forward in the later rounds.


    
His
    assertiveness paid dividends in round four as he blasted Silva's
    midsection twice more with kicks; the bruise from round one turned
    a deeper red. Realizing that his opponent had found a good range
    to strike from, Silva closed the distance with a left-right combination
    and worked from the clinch.


    
In
    the fifth and final round, 'Cro Cop' landed yet another hard
    shot to Silva's ribs. It was apparent that the kicks were taking
    toll, and the Pride champion scored a double-leg takedown just
    at the right time. After a referee standup, Silva worked inside
    and fought the remaining moments from the clinch. While Filipovic
    seemed tentative, it was Silva's ring intelligence that made
    'Cro Cop' frustrated and, in the end, resulted in a draw -- automatic
    under the agreed upon Pride versus K-1 rules.


    
Silva's
    Chute Boxe teammate Murilo 'Ninja' Rua, 21, won an impressive
    unanimous decision over Top Team captain Mario Sperry, in a fight
    most considered the best of the event. During the course of the
    20-minute fight, Rua wore down the elder Sperry to the point
    of near exhaustion.


    
Round
    one was amazing. Both fighters exhibited incredible skills --
    on the feet and on the matt -- and toughness that had the crowd
    cheering with delight. In the 10-minute frame, 'Ninja' almost
    knocked out Ze Mario on two occasions, but Sperry recovered well
    enough to pursue an almost fight-ending Kimura. Rua, however,
    began to impose his will as the round wore on and tirelessly
    grounded-and-pounded until the bell sounded.


    
Sperry,
    who's left knee seemed to trouble him from the second round on,
    survived another huge exchange as round two started. 'Ninja'
    never stopped pursuing action on the ground and relentlessly
    worked to pass the 35-year-old's guard, which he did several
    times. Rua's youth and aggressiveness hampered most of what Sperry
    tried to do throughout the bout.


    
In
    round three, Sperry was stunned by a solid 'Ninja' lead punch,
    but managed to reverse the Chute Boxe dynamo. However, it only
    gave Rua more of a chance to ground-and-pound from Sperry's guard,
    and he was more than happy to oblige.


    
Another
    gem for the Brazilians on Sunday night was the performance of
    Ricardo Arona, who won a well-deserved decision over American
    Dan Henderson. Round one featured good offense, reversals and
    defense from both men.


    
Highlighted
    by a bodylock takedown to side control, Henderson hurt Arona
    with knees in the first five minutes. Undeterred, Arona scored
    a solid right that put Henderson on his butt. After a sloppy
    Henderson armbar attempt, Arona passed to side control and mounted.
    Still fresh, Henderson reversed the Brazilian before both men
    flurried towards the end of the first.


    
Action
    slowed in the second save a solid Henderson right punch, which
    opened a cut about Arona's left eye, and two guillotine choke
    attempts from the wrestler. Arona, however, was not entirely
    outgunned as he shifted the grappling momentum in his favor.


    
Arona's
    energy continued into the third round, and, much like his fight
    versus Guy Mezger, Arona dominated the final five minutes by
    controlling the fight from the mount position. The bout was close,
    but Arona's second half domination sealed the deal for him and
    he earned the split-decision win.


    
Speaking
    of Brazilian dominance, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (brother to
    Pride heavyweight champ: Rodrigo) made quick work of Yusuke Imamura.
    Locking in a guillotine choke after an Imamura single-leg takedown
    attempt, Nogueira seemed to exert more energy than his brother,
    but was just as successful in victory. Imamura tapped 0:35 into
    the fight.


    
In
    non-Brazilian action, Pancrase star Sanae Kikuta returned to
    Pride for the first time since October 1998. In two previous
    Pride appearances, Kikuta was party to drawn out fights, and
    this time wasn't much different -- although he's much better
    these days.


    
Kikuta
    outmaneuvered and outclassed Alexander Otsuka on the mat every
    which way, however he was unable to submit the tough Japanese
    veteran. Controlling from the side, mount, and back throughout
    most of his 20-minute unanimous decision victory, Kikuta nearly
    submitted Otsuka several times.


    
Otsuka,
    to his credit, refused to tap and Kikuta was almost forced to
    break his opponent's arm in the closing round. Spinning for the
    straight armbar from the mount position, Kikuta fully extended
    Otsuka's right arm for what seemed like a torturous period of
    time. Otsuka refused to give Kikuta the satisfaction of a submission
    win, and gutted it out.


    
Returning
    to Pride for the first time since his infamous clash with Daijiru
    Matsui last December, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson impressed
    as he easily handled Masaaki Satake to earn a KO victory 7:07
    of round one.


    
Satake's
    only offense came during an early exchange of punches, but Jackson'
    s strength was too much for him. Like many other "Rampage"
    opponents, Satake was soon picked up and slammed viciously to
    the mat. Once there, Jackson owned Satake with punches and knees
    from side control.


    
When
    the two managed to get back to their feet for the second time,
    Jackson quickly made sure it wouldn't stay there long. From behind,
    Jackson suplexed Satake onto his side and head and the Japanese
    fighter almost immediately asked for the fight to stop.


    
On
    a side note: It couldn't be a Jackson fight in Pride without
    some controversy. "Rampage" was given a yellow card
    -- and subsequently fined 10% of his purse -- following his domination
    of Satake, for wearing eye black (similar to what baseball players
    to counter the effects of the sun) on his face as he walked to
    the ring, and for sporting an advertisement stenciled in ink
    on his back. Needless to say, he was upset.


    
The
    night's opening bout featured 370-pound Bob Sapp against a much
    smaller Norihisa Yamamoto. As expected, Sapp completely overpowered
    Yamamoto, landing uppercuts and brutal body shots. A short right
    hook dropped Yamamoto to the matt for good 2:44 of round one.


    
Source:
    Maxfighting

    
Lifelong
    Wrestler Thrives in MMA

    By Joe Hall


    


    Dan Henderson's dad took him to watch the 1984 Olympics in Los
    Angeles. At 14 years old, Dan had already been wrestling for
    nine years. When he watched the pinnacle of wrestling in person,
    however, something changed. He knew at that moment that he would
    not be just another good wrestler; he knew that he would one
    day be on the U.S. Olympic team, like the wrestlers competing
    before him. Eight years later, he was.


    
Henderson's
    competitive fire for wrestling slowly withered over time and
    recently died. "I'm pretty much done wrestling," he
    said plainly. "Nationals are this week coming up, so I'm
    not going to those. I'm going to make some money instead."


    
Henderson's
    father didn't just create a future Olympic caliber wrestler that
    trip nearly 18 years ago; he instilled a desire in his son that
    has driven him to the top of mixed martial arts. And it is Dan
    Henderson's interest in MMA that has helped him let go of his
    childhood passion. "I didn't fulfill all my goals that I
    had [in wrestling], but that's okay," he said. "I set
    new goals in fighting now. Fighting probably helps a little bit
    because I didn't quit cold turkey. I'm still doing a combative
    sport."


    
Nearly
    five years ago, Henderson traveled to Brazil to begin his MMA
    career. At the Brazil Open 1997, he conquered a four-man tournament
    by stopping Crezio de Souza in the first round and choking fellow
    wrestler Eric Smith unconscious in the finals. Henderson knew
    little about fighting then and simply clasped a guillotine choke
    on Smith until his opponent slumped backward asleep.


    
Next,
    it was the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Henderson won another
    four-man tournament there, defeating quality opponents Allan
    Goes and Carlos Newton. Struggles between his management and
    then-UFC owners SEG kept Henderson from returning, and it would
    be well over a year before he fought again.


    
Unable
    to wait any longer, Henderson separated from his management and
    landed in Japan. It was for another tournament, but this time
    the field was 32 competitors, and there were no weight classes.
    Over the course of two events, Henderson would have to win five
    fights to claim the 1999 King of Kings championship and the accompanying
    $200,000.


    
Outweighed
    in every fight, Henderson overcame the odds and won. It was a
    miraculous victory, and while no one could question his heart,
    some did question a decision over Rodrigo Nogueira that sent
    Henderson to the finals. Adding fuel to the fire were Henderson's
    two decision victories in the UFC and a subsequent nickname,
    "Decision Dan."


    
"Being
    there and seeing how things happened in the ring is different
    than when you watch it on tape," said Henderson. "Being
    at a fight, watching it, you can say, 'Wow, he really thumped
    on him.' But when you go watch it on tape, it can seem a lot
    closer on tape than watching it live. It happens a lot. A lot
    of fans don't like their guys to lose the decision. I don't know.
    There's judges, and that's why they're there. I have no control
    over what they're going to say. I try not to worry about it too
    much. There's going to be people who think I lost any fight that
    goes down to a decision. There's guys that think I won all those
    decisions."


    
"I
    think I won all those decisions," he continued. "The
    only one that I thought could have gone either way was against
    Nogueira because I don't think either one of us did that much
    in the fight."


    
Clutching
    the coattails of his championship run in the King of Kings and
    his undefeated MMA record, Henderson's next battleground became
    Pride. A showdown against Vanderlei Silva brought Henderson face-to-face
    with the Brazilian brawler for a now famous stare down. Silva
    glared violently at Henderson as the Japanese audience awed in
    anticipation. Henderson smirked in return. Although Silva's fierce
    gaze has since become an intimidating ritual acclaimed by fighters
    and fans alike, Henderson contends it didn't faze him. "The
    stare -- no," said Henderson of whether he was unsettled.
    "I had a tough time keeping a straight face. Next time I'll
    probably kiss him or something."


    
Henderson
    wasn't just the target of Silva's famous stare down, he was the
    focus of his adversary's merciless onslaught. But it was Henderson
    who would gain the upper hand first, opening a nasty cut over
    Silva's eye. The "Axe Murderer" recovered however,
    and as he gathered his wits, the tides violently turned. For
    the first time in his MMA career, Henderson lost. "It came
    down to conditioning," said Henderson of his inability to
    put Silva away and the momentum reversal that ensued. "And
    I just hadn't fought in nine months. I was out of it a little
    bit. I didn't give myself enough time to train for it; I was
    just out-of-shape. That happens sometimes, but against somebody
    like him, you can't do that."


    
Though
    most fighters seek to avoid an encounter with Silva, Henderson
    awaits a second meeting with the Chute Boxe competitor, who has
    since won the Pride middleweight championship. "I'm sure
    it'll happen," he said. "It's not a fight that I've
    been saying, 'I want a rematch, I want a rematch.' I know that
    it'll happen, especially if he keeps winning, and I keep winning.
    It's pretty much inevitable."


    
Henderson
    likes his odds in the rematch. "Obviously, I think I'd win,"
    he said. "Otherwise I wouldn't fight him. I think he's shown
    to not have the best chin in the world. He's also shown that
    he recovers really quick.. I don't think he's that great of a
    fighter. He has some big, heavy bombs that he throws. He doesn't
    do any submissions. He just tries to beat the hell out of the
    guy, which is what the sport is. He's kind of on the sloppy and
    wild side. He's definitely beatable. I have to be in the shape
    to do it is all. I'm looking forward to fighting him again. I'm
    not going to push it for another fight because I know it'll happen.
    If it doesn't, it doesn't, but if not, it's because he lost the
    title."


    
Henderson
    plans on continuing his collision course with Silva by overcoming
    Brazilian Top Team standout Ricardo Arona. Like his run in the
    King of Kings, Henderson will be outweighed by the Abu Dhabi
    champion. "Oh yeah, I' m sure he's going to be bigger than
    me," Henderson said. "He's supposed to make 205, so
    if he makes that then he's still 10 pounds bigger than me. At
    weigh-ins, he's probably cutting weight so he'll probably be
    heavier than that."


    
Although
    Arona is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Henderson doesn't
    feel his opponent's submission skills are a threat. "He
    doesn't seem to try very many of them," Henderson said.
    "He's more of a ground-and-pounder, I think. He only tried
    one submission against Mezger -- a kneebar. I'm not ruling those
    out, but I think I'm going to be able to stay out of them. I
    hope I will."


    
Rather
    than use his wrestling background to take down Arona, Henderson
    says his grappling skills will be used to keep the fight standing.
    "You can ground-and-pound a little bit, but it's kind of
    hard to do that much damage in Pride without the cage to push
    a guy up against," he said "I've only watched him fight
    against Guy Mezger. During that fight, he didn't look that skilled
    with his takedowns. He has lots of power, lots of strength. And
    yeah, you can get taken down by power as well, but I'm hoping
    to defend those."


    
Like
    his strategy against Renzo Gracie, Henderson plans on punishing
    Arona on the feet after stopping the takedown attempts. "Anything
    can happen," said Henderson of a standup fight. "Anybody
    can get caught with a lucky punch or even a good punch. Overall,
    I think I'm quite a bit better on my feet than him. I've been
    working a lot on my striking. He's going to be a tough guy, and
    I'm sure it will be a brawl."


    
What's
    next for Henderson after his bout against Arona at Pride 20?
    "I don' t know," he answered. "I'm just taking
    it year-by-year, contract-by-contract. I have this fight, one
    more single fight, and I'm supposed to do the Pride Grand Prix
    middleweight tournament."


    
The
    aforementioned tournament might provide the platform for a second
    confrontation with Silva or possibly a meeting with Sakuraba,
    though Henderson isn't sure who else will be competing. "I'm
    sure they're trying to get all the top guys they can," he
    told MaxFighting. The tournament format has slowly faded in MMA,
    and the thought of it reemerging doesn't interest everyone. Henderson,
    however, doesn't mind another grueling night. "I think I'll
    be okay," said the three-time tournament winner. "I'd
    rather just do single fights, but it may be kind of fun to do
    that."


    
Some
    would think "fun" is an odd way of describing multiple
    matches in one night against the world's elite fighters. Perhaps
    Henderson shines in tournaments because the format produces what
    he considers to be the best thing about fighting: "You're
    able to test how tough you are and get paid to do it." Sounds
    like a wrestler's dream. And if a young Dan Henderson knew this
    is what he would one day do for a living, would he find it fulfilling?
    "Definitely."



    Source: Maxfighting

    
RESOLUTION
    HONORING CAEL SANDERSON INTRODUCED IN U.S. CONGRESS 

    Submitted by: Eddie Goldman

    


    
Cael Sanderson
    added his second straight U.S. national championship to his growing
    list of wrestling accomplishments this past Saturday at the 2002
    U.S. National Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas. He triumphed
    in the 84 kg/185 lbs. weight class by defeating five opponents.
    He outscored them by a total score of 51-2, and won in the finals
    over Lee Fullhart 4-0. Next stop is the World Team Trials, June
    21-23, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he will face the winner
    of the two-day Challenge Tournament to earn the right to represent
    the U.S. at the 2002 Freestyle Wrestling World Championships
    in Tehran, Iran, September 2-5.


    
But last week
    also saw Cael become the recipient of an honor that few in wrestling
    or any other combat sport have received.


    
This past Thursday,
    Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) introduced a resolution in the United
    States Congress honoring Cael Sanderson, coach Bobby Douglas
    of Iowa State, and Cael's parents, Steve and Debbie Sanderson.
    While such resolutions are often formalities, the fact that Cael
    and his wrestling achievements are getting this much notice is
    good news for the world's oldest sport. Also, Rep. Latham and
    House Speaker Dennis Hastert, himself a former wrestler and wrestling
    coach, have invited Cael to come to Washington to witness the
    vote in the House, which is expected to take place soon.


    
Here is the
    text of the resolution introduced by Rep. Latham:


    
RESOLUTION


    
Honoring Cael
    Sanderson for his perfect collegiate wrestling record.


    
Whereas Cael
    Sanderson, continuing the storied tradition of Iowa State University
    wrestling, achieved a perfect collegiate wrestling record of
    159 wins and no losses and is the first person ever to finish
    undefeated in collegiate wrestling;


    
Whereas Cael
    Sanderson is a four-time national wrestling champion, a four-time
    National Collegiate Athletic Association championship outstanding
    wrestler, and a three time winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy;


    
Whereas the
    April 1, 2002, issue of Sports Illustrated ranked Cael Sanderson's
    perfect wrestling record second in a list of the top ten most
    impressive college sports feats ever;


    
Whereas Cael
    Sanderson is a 2 time Academic All-American, a champion in the
    classroom as well as on the mat;


    
Whereas Cael
    Sanderson's achievements have set a new benchmark for excellence
    in the sport of wrestling and will forever have an impact on
    college wrestling; and Whereas through his persistence, hard
    work, and dedication, Cael Sanderson has set an example for all:
    Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives”


    
(1) congratulates Cael
    Sanderson for finishing his career as the first ever undefeated
    collegiate wrestler; 

    (2) recognizes the contributions of Cael Sandersonâs parents,
    Steven and Debbie Sanderson, his coach, Robert 'Bobby' Douglas,
    the support staff of Iowa State University; and Cyclone fans


    (3) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit
    an enrolled copy of this resolution to 

    (A) Cael Sanderson; 

    (B) Coach Robert 'Bobby' Douglas of Iowa State University; and


    (C) Cael Sanderson's parents, Steven and Debbie Sanderson.

    
Source: Abu
    Dhabi

    
Javier
    Vasquez: 

    He's not a showboat, he's 'Mr. Showtime'!


    
Part
    1:


    
Born
    in Santiago, Cuba, Javier Vazquez came to the US at the age of
    four. His family settled in Baldwin Park and eventually moved
    to El Monte. Growing up, his favorite tv shows were comedies,
    like Three's Company and Married…With Children as well as
    professional wrestling. His favorite characters Hulk Hogan and
    Rick Flair are still around today as well as his new favorites,
    the Rock and the Hardy Boys. When he was 12, he became interested
    in building and racing remote controlled cars which he still
    continues to do. He started wrestling at 15 when he was a sophomore
    in high school where he was only one win away from achieving
    his goals when he lost at the state championships and didn't
    place. He continued his wrestling career in junior college but
    tore his elbow in the third week of practice. That year, he red
    shirted needing rest after being banged up and burned out. Toward
    the end of college, he continued to wrestle at night at Mt. San
    Antonio Junior College where he met Betiss Mansouri who introduced
    him to submissions. He started training jiu-jitsu with Rodrigo
    Medieros under who the 26 year-old now has a brown belt. He competed
    in every jiu-jitsu and submission tournament that he could and
    eventually found himself in the fight game. His first fighting
    tournament was Neutral Grounds in 1998 in which he had a controversial
    loss to Victor Hunsaker in the final round. Several more controversial
    fights in smaller (300-500 seat) shows followed and out of frustration,
    he took some time off from fighting but continued to train and
    compete jiu-jitsu. Javier says that when he first started 'the
    sport was still very one dimensional. I had a good balance. When
    you think about it, there're three elements to fighting. There's
    grappling, there's striking and then there's takedowns…wrestling.
    I had two of the three. So I could take people down and submit
    them and that's all I would do. I had no striking or interest
    in learning any striking at all. It wasn't until the last two
    years that I started striking.


    
'There
    was no need or it, but as the sport evolved I started doing that'.
    He met Terry Trebilcock who was putting together his first mixed
    martial arts show. Javier says Terry promised him 'it's going
    to be a big show. I'm going to take this sport to the next level.'
    When he got there, Javier, having previously fought in warehouses
    and nightclubs, was disappointed to find that 'it was in a tennis
    court in the middle of nowhere.' Again, the disappointed Javier
    took some time off. He was supposed to fight for Terry again
    in the first King of the Cage, but as a result of his disappointment
    over the tennis court, he proclaimed 'I will never fight for
    you!' When he got to the show (to watch), he was surprised and
    impressed by how big and nice the show was. He wasn't able to
    fight at the second KOTC but ended up on the card for the third
    King of the Cage. During that time, he found other small shows
    to fight in. One fight he found himself in occurred when he had
    just returned from a vacation in Florida and went to a bar where
    there as a show being put on by the Upland Gracie Academy. He
    had already had a few drinks in him when it was discovered that
    they needed someone to fight the teacher from the academy, Jerry
    Jenkins, for the main event. It was decided that the 145lb. blue
    belt was going to fight the 185 lb. Jenkins. He won the fight
    by armbar.


    
It
    has been a difficult transition for Javier to add standup/striking
    to his game. 'It's been hard for me, it doesn't feel natural
    to me. I'm working really hard to get better at it. Duane Ludwig
    taught me the basics. I don't like to do a whole lot of kicking
    because I just don't want to end up on my back. I think I'm real
    tough to take down if I have both of my legs under me. If I'm
    kicking, I'm giving them one of my legs. The way this sport is,
    you don't want to be on your back, even though I can submit people
    off my back, sometimes you get stuck, you can't get up, you might
    end up losing a round against a good opponent. It's hard to come
    back from stuff like that.


    
Javier
    started Millenia with Romie Aram and John Jensen. Up to that
    point Javier had coached kids' and high school wrestling. Those
    were different because they train to fight over the course of
    a whole season where fighters train for one day, one fight. At
    Millenia, to get ready for a fight, they become each others'
    coaches. For KOTC 2, Javier trained Romie but he 'trained him
    too hard and burned him out. It was two months out and it was
    too much. He ended up peaking two or three weeks before. Now
    we're getting a lot better at it…six weeks.' For Javier
    preparing for a fight usually starts eight weeks prior to the
    fight. This means 'no drinking, no partying and I start to do
    a little bit extra just to get my body braced for what we put
    ourselves through because we beat each other up pretty bad. Six
    weeks out, we start conditioning hard every day. We start sparring
    hard every day. I start running a lot more. I start drilling
    a lot more. I start taking every practice a lot more seriously.
    In addition to the 

    physical conditioning, Javier says 'I'll do a lot of visualization.
    I'm training and I'll see my opponent training harder. I'll go
    on runs and I'll see my opponent in front of me so I'm running
    to catch him. I go through that match a million times in my head
    and I know exactly what's going to happen. So far it's worked
    out pretty well. I've been able to control where the fight takes
    place. I've been kind of lucky, but not really because I train
    for it. On the day of, I try not to think about the fight at
    all. I relax. I try not to do a whole lot of walking. Then I
    start thinking about the fight, situations that could happen.
    But I'm good enough in the six weeks that the day of, I've kind
    of got it narrowed down. I start thinking of the positions I
    should end up in and just put it all together in my head. The
    whole fight, start to finish. I see myself winning every time,
    every time, every time, every time. Never see yourself losing.
    You're realistic. You see yourself getting hit, but always stay
    positive. Always, always, always. An hour to an hour and a half
    before my fight, I shut everyone out. I mentally prepare for
    what I have to do. I don't want to be talked to. I don't want
    to be bothered. You're going through the match in your head,
    over and over and over and over and over all the time.'


    
Preparing
    for a fight is much different from jiu-jitsu matches. Having
    competed so much in jiu-jitsu for almost eleven years, He says
    that 'as long as I'm not getting hit, I don't care. You can even
    put Rickson, you can put Royler, I'm going to go in there the
    same, for jiu-jitsu, for submission wrestling, for wrestling.
    I can go in there laughing, having a good time. I've done so
    many tournaments that I'm so relaxed when I get out there 'cause
    I'm not getting hit! When you're getting hit, black belts turn
    to blue belts and blue belts turn to black belts. I don't have
    to get mentally ready for jiu-jitsu tournaments. It's fun! I
    just go out there and have fun. I think fighting is a little
    more serious because there's a record on the line, there're sponsorships
    on the line, there's money on the line'


    
'I'm
    going to lose. Everybody loses. I'm not unbeatable. Nobody's
    unbeatable. But I just try to prepare myself the best I can for
    each particular opponent and I try my best. I know I'm going
    to get beat. I just don't want to lose to somebody I shouldn't
    be losing to. If I lose to a top ranked guy, I can live with
    that if I gave my best effort and I got knocked out or I got
    caught. If you prepare yourself, you shouldn't lose but things
    always happen.'


    
Source:
    Abu Dhabi


    
 4/29/02

    
Quote
    of the Day

    

    "Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity.
    They seem more afraid of life than death."



    James F. Byrnes, 1879-1972, American Judge, Secretary of State

    

    
EXCLUSIVE:
    Jens Pulver Released by the UFC!

    

    EXCLUSIVE NEWS! FIRST REPORTED BY FULL CONTACT FIGHTER.


    
Check
    out the article by Chris on the FCF site for the details.

    
Pride
    20: Armed and Ready

    Official Results

    By Aaron Crecy


    
Pride
    20: Armed and Ready

    Sunday, April 28, 2002

    Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan


    
Fight
    One

    Bob Sapp def. Norihisa Yamamoto

    by referee stoppage (strikes), 2:44 R1

    Sapp simply overpowered his unfortunate opponent with a series
    of kneebuckling uppercuts. The former Minnesota Viking lineman
    calmly stalked the retreating Yamamoto around the ring and knocked
    him silly whenever he was close enough to land a punch. Certainly
    a work in progress, Sapp did not throw any kicks despite the
    fact that he represents K-1.


    
Fight
    Two

    Quinton Jackson def. Masaaki Satake

    by referee stoppage (slam), 7:07 R1

    Jackson displayed a wider array of skills than in any of his
    previous fights. Now a member of Tito Ortiz's Team Punishment,
    Jackson incorporated newfound Muay Thai and groundfighting techniques,
    delivering an assortment of knees from both the clinch and the
    side mount. Old habits die hard, however, as Jackson ultimately
    stopped Satake--and sent him hobbling to the hospital with an
    injured back -- behind the strength of a suplay, his second high
    amplitude takedown of the fight.


    
Fight
    Three

    Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Yusuke Imamura

    by submission (guillotine choke), :35 R1

    The lesser known of the Nogueira twins barely broke a sweat as
    he applied a guillotine choke to defend against an Imamura single
    leg attempt. After the Brazilian adjusted his hips to cinch the
    lock even tighter, the latest Takada Dojo disappointment could
    either tap out or pass out -- he tapped.


    
Fight
    Four

    Ricardo Arona def. Dan Henderson

    by majority decision, 2-1

    This seesaw battle saw Arona bull his way forward to record strong
    takedowns, while Henderson scored damaging strikes and knees
    in the standup. On the ground, Henderson was able to score several
    escapes and reversals during the first two rounds. Bleeding from
    his right eye -- compliments of a crisp left hook -- Arona won
    the fight by controlling from the top position for almost the
    entire third round, gaining a full mount and nearly locking up
    a rear naked choke when Henderson tried to escape.


    
Fight
    Five

    Murilo Rua def. Mario Sperry

    by unanimous decision

    Save for two occasions when Sperry seemed closed to securing
    arm lock submissions, Rua dominated this fight. He landed a series
    of damaging left hands, dropping Sperry early in the first round
    with one such strike. Maintaining his trademark frenetic pace,
    the chubby young Chute Boxer scored from Sperry's guard with
    knees and strikes. Obviously spent, visibly battered and bleeding
    from cuts over both eyes, the Brazilian Top Team patriarch nonetheless
    willed himself to the painful finish.


    
Fight
    Six

    Sanae Kikuta def. Alexander Otsuka

    by unanimous decision

    Kikuta dominated the fight from beginning to end, demonstrating
    impressive grappling skills. However, Otsuka did nothing to test
    the Pancrase star, easily giving up the rear mount and the full
    mount several times. The most exciting moment of this bout occurred
    when Otsuka refused to shake Kikuta's hand before the opening
    bell -- after that, it was a yawner. Kikuta's striking was subpar
    while Otsuka's was nonexistent. However, a gruesome lump on Otsuka's
    bald skull did provide a certain amount of fascination.


    
Fight
    Seven

    Vanderlei Silva and Mirko Filopovic,

    Draw

    While this fight had the potential to be a memorable one, it
    did not unfold as such. Instead, both fighters proved cautious
    -- Silva was worried about Cro Cop's striking while the Croatian
    was worried about giving up the takedown. Silva was the more
    aggressive of the two, scoring several takedowns and trying to
    land strikes. Filopovic was content to kicks, delivering several
    to Silva's ribs; however, he rarely let loose his fists. At the
    end of five three-minute rounds, the contest was declared a draw,
    an unfulfilling finish to an evening that seemed to climax after
    the fifth fight.


    
Complete
    coverage of the event in the

    May 2002 issue of FULL
    CONTACT FIGHTER,
    subscribe now! 

    

    
Bustmante
    fighting finger infection - 

    Title Match in Jeopardy! 

    


    
With
    many members of the Brazilian TOP TEAM in Japan, word came out
    that UFC 185 lb. Champion Murilo Bustamante was back in Brazil,
    on antibiotics fighting off a massive finger infection. Late
    last week, the first calls were made to UFC, alerting them that
    Bustamante's appearance is in jeopardy. This harms the UFC, as
    there is very little chance of replacing this with another title
    match.


    
Other
    MAJOR UFC News:


    
Also,
    news is coming out that the UFC's title picture is about to get
    murkier - ZUFFA has officially released Lightweight Champion
    Jens Pulver from his contract, allowing him to pursue his potential
    match in Japan against Royler Gracie for Antonio Inoki's group.
    What the future holds beyond that for Pulver is unclear, though
    the payday is reportedly more than double the UFC's offer.


    
Rumina
    Sato or Takanori Gomi of SHOOTO and BJ Penn would be a credible
    title match for UFC, but Pulver would definitely be walking away
    with a lot of the prestige in the division. Sato has seemed to
    be past his prime in his recent bouts, but the matchup would
    certainly have appeal. Gomi, as SHOOTO Champion, has more credibiilty
    but it is not clear if Gomi wants this challenge!


    
Source:
    Abu Dhabi 

    

    
Last
    day of Copa Pacifica Rocked 

    


    
Day
    1


    
Day One of the
    2002 Copa Pacifica is now completed. Present at the event was
    the cream of BJJ Rickson Gracie, 'Macaco' Patino, Riga &
    Johnny Machado, Fabio Santos, Rodrigo Medeiros, Fernandinho Vasconcellos,
    Gersinho, Tinguinha, Franjinha, John Lewis, Megaton Dias, Marc
    Laimon, Pedro Carvalho, Rey Diogo, Joe Moreira, Wander Braga,
    Limao Heredia, Franco De Camargo, Randy Bloom, Ryron & Rener
    Gracie & I am sure I missed some names for which I am going
    to pay for dearly.


    
Pride &
    2 Hot to Handle Gilbert Yvel showed great ground skills learned
    from Lewis & Company. He submitted his first two opponents,
    a quick arm bar and a Guillotine and lost the final to a BIG
    17 year old from Gracie Academy Torrance by 2 pts. Congratulations
    to Yvel for competing, shows a lot of love for his profession!


    
Macaco Patino
    defeated James Boran by a takedown in a fight controlled by whoever
    was on top. Black Level matches are sometimes a slow chess match
    and this was one of those with the two fighters trading grips.


    
The big winner
    of the competition in my eyes was a student of Rodrigo Medeiros,
    whose name unfortunately I failed to get. The kid competes despite
    missing the lower half of his leg! He lost his fight but he showed
    everyone what courage and determination is as his opponent couldn't
    pass his guard! After the match we shook hands and this reporter
    got completely choked up! That is really the spirit of humankind
    at its best and we are lucky to have a person like him in our
    sport! Bro you are my hero!


    
Day
    2


    
The last day
    of the Copa Pacifica rocked with great Superfights and outstanding
    Blue & Brown Belt action. In the Superfights Alliance Black
    Belt 'Franjinha' Muller displayed the stuff that has made Alliance
    Team the powerhouse that it is. 'Franjinha' took down Oscar 'Japa',
    passed the guard, mounted, took the back, crucifixed and nearly
    choked his opponent for a great win. 'Japa' is no slouched and
    showed perhaps one of the strongest necks in town.


    
Following the
    great match Gracie Barra's Albert Crane faced Daniel 'Coyote'
    in another barn burner. Crane swept Coyote and almost passed
    the guard. 'Coyote' pulled a 'Kimura' out of nowhere and nearly
    reversed the fortune, but in the end, Alberto won by choke. Great
    match as well.


    
In the Brown
    Belt, Rickson Gracie Team Thiago Vella fought two great matches
    on his way to the victory. In the first one he exchanged vicious
    foot locks with Joao Silva on the way to a big win. In the final
    agasint Pedro Carvalho's brother another great win by points.


    
Fabio Santos
    Team Jeff 'Traingle' Higgs finally competed as well as he trains,
    winning his division with a quick submission in the final match.


    
In the heavies
    it was the Gracie kids sharing the podium. Using precise old-style
    Jiu-Jitsu (yeah right) both Rener & Ryron Gracie reversed
    early leads by the opponent to win the matches. Rener won by
    points over Mike Ross, and Ryron defeated Rafael Lovato by, what
    else, choke! Watch out for these two!


    
Team results
    saw Cleber Luciano take first place followed by Paragon &
    Rickson Gracie sharing second, Fabio Santos in third, Rodrigo
    Medeiros in fouth and Fernando Vasoncellos in fifth. A great
    event again!


    
Now on to Jean
    Jacques Machado June fest with great $$$ for the Black Belt Divisions.
    More details to come. Congratulations to everyone involved.


    


    


    
Source: Abu
    Dhabi

    
R.I.P.
    Lou Thesz 

    By: Sheldon Goldberg


    
Friends,


    
I just received
    word that we lost our greatest champion and one of our dearest
    friends, Lou Thesz at 7:35 this morning. He had been in the hospital
    for the last couple of weeks for heart surgery. His wife Charlie
    had kept us informed of his progress by e-mail and sent word
    of his passing this afternoon. Her words were upbeat and full
    of love.


    
In part of her
    message she said, 'With a full heart and clear head, I can tell
    all of you Lou died content and with no regrets!'


    
She continued
    by saying, 'Lou will be cremated here in Florida, I will take
    his ashes to St.Louis, we will have a simple memorial service
    (yet to be determined), and I will let his ashes go into the
    Merrimac River where his happy memories of life started. Later
    we will have a wake type party here in Winter Garden. Don't mourn
    - just love what he gave you. He loved and appreciated what you
    all gave him.'


    
In the meantime,
    have a glass of wine, or a beer for Lou...and pray you have a
    life as full or as happy!'


    
R.I.P. Champ.


    
Source: Abu
    Dhabi

    
Some
    Thoughts From King of the Cage Promoter Terry Trebilcock Jr.


    
King
    of the Cage is set to make it¹s pay-per-view debut on May
    17, 2002 from the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada.
    The show will feature the new KOTC World Heavyweight Champion
    Daniel 'The Bull' Bobish as well as Javier 'Mr. Showtime' Vazquez.


    
In a
    recent conversation with Terry Trebilcock, promoter for King
    of the Cage, he shared the following thoughts with me.


    
On expectations
    for the upcoming Pay-Per-View: 

    It¹s going to be a big thing for KOTC and mixed martial
    arts. We immediately jump on with a bigger viewership and a larger
    potential viewership than the UFC has for 5 years up until the
    last three shows. It could be very big for the sport and very
    big to create the fighters that we have that are arguably the
    best fighters in the world getting the exposure that they need
    to get a little bit more publicly for sponsorships, endorsements,
    things of that sort.


    
On reaching
    new viewers: 

    You just can't go out and spend the money and say come and watch
    the show. I mean, they¹re going to have their idea of what¹s
    going on before you even get out there. What you do is you build
    it on a personal basis. The same way KOTC was built. Some people
    want to go out there and spend millions of dollars and lose money
    and then hopefully, eventually, they'll catch up to their losses
    where if you build a business up to the level the business can
    grow to, and spend proper money, and build the sport at the route,
    you'll always stay ahead of the game and continue to grow. That's
    really the history at this time of KOTC. You could ask the fans
    who have been to our fights and maybe PRIDE and UFC and some
    of the other organizations worldwide and it would really be tough
    to argue that we're not putting on the most exciting fights in
    the sport right now.


    
On the
    transition from a sold out casino show to an international Pay-Per-View:


    We don¹t change a whole lot. There¹s a lot more hoops
    to jump through, especially in the state of Nevada. I think it¹s
    good for the sport that some of the major sanctioning organizations
    like the Nevada Athletic Commission and the New Jersey Athletic
    Commission are stepping up and getting control. I really think
    it's going to be important for California to step up. Realistically,
    I¹ve got to find the formula to be able to put on the same
    fights that I¹ve put on over the past 12 shows in KOTC and
    be able to get that out to people who are willing to watch it
    and I truly believe it will grow from there. We're branded highly
    in many foreign countries right now. We've had shows back in
    the mid-west, in Michigan. We look forward to probably doing
    a show later this year on the East Coast, we've continuously
    used fighters from the East Coast, from the South, and from the
    mid-west. KOTC is well branded and there are a lot of people
    out there waiting to see it. So that's why I think we can compete
    at any level. It's 

    distribution of videotapes, taking the show on the road, bringing
    fighters in from all over. People want to see exciting fights.
    They buy tapes, they see exciting fights, they buy more tapes.


    
On UFC's
    return to Pay-Per-View (UFC 33): 

    It's good and bad. You know, one of the problems is they're a
    little bit too much of fans of the sport and I think that hurts
    them a little bit. But at the same time, how can you knock and
    organization that's willing to put 40 or 50 million dollars into
    the sport. Sometimes I get frustrated. I get frustrated with
    the card that was put together in the first show. It¹s not
    my card to put together. It's not my investment. It's their investment.
    I think there could have been a lot of things that could have
    been changed and made better. They took their chances. They rolled
    the dice. Hey, they were in Vegas and sometimes you win and sometimes
    you lose. I think the biggest thing is that there was so much
    hype and so much money behind the first show that the people
    who haven't tuned in in five years that saw that, and it wasn't
    the direction the sport has gone, are not going to come back
    or are going to wait to come back. They need to see something
    new. They need to see something different. They need to see that
    a other organization is out there. And it's not that the UFC
    hasn't put on a good show since then because the way I look at
    it, if they've run four PPV shows since then, I think they're
    about two and two. Two really good shows and two that were kind
    of tough. It's obvious how many people are out there that are
    willing to buy every single show regardless of what happens.
    The key is getting the people who aren't buying those shows and
    you're only going to get one chance, most likely, and I think
    this Reno show is our opportunity.


    
On new
    mixed martial arts shows starting up: 

    The shows that you see showing up around the world is a big concern
    of mine. One, the athletic commissions not being able to get
    involved as fast. It's important that they get involved. We continue
    to run shows on Indian reservations and we follow the rules and
    regulations just as if the California Athletic Commission was
    running the show, even though they're not. We bring in Doc Hamilton,
    Cecil Peoples, and several people involved with the athletic
    commission. They help tell us the way the things should be done
    and the right way to do things. The big problem that we're really
    seeing right now is small shows are popping up, fighters are
    putting on shows ­ not that all fighters aren't capable of
    putting on shows, but I can tell you how many promoters I know
    that are capable of being professional fighters. There's really
    a difference between the two, you know. They see all the money
    coming into the sport and they don¹t see the money going
    out and they're not doing the proper things. That is a major
    concern. 

    Shows out there right now are not buying medical insurance for
    the fighters. For three or four thousand dollars a show you get
    medical insurance on every fighter regardless of what happens
    if they get hurt up to fifty thousand dollars. They¹re not
    buying general liability insurance for the crowd up to a million
    dollars that can be purchase for probably a thousand dollars
    a show. They¹re not providing proper medial care on staff.
    At KOTC, you¹ve got an emergency room doctor, two med-vac
    paramedics that fly in in helicopters ­ their daily work:
    when someone gets in a major accident, they fly in med-vac paramedics
    ­ right at the ring. So you¹ve got a doctor and two
    med-vac paramedics. Where the emergency transport unit is - that
    all these other small shows that are popping up everywhere don't
    have - you also have a life support system, a paramedic and an
    EMT. So you have five medical staff on site just based on what's
    going on inside the ring, not to count having an additional one
    with security to handle whatever happens in the crowd, somebody
    has a heart attack, somebody passes out, somebody drank too much,
    whatever it is. I probably spent close to $30,000 last year with
    the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and then you look at
    situations that happen like at Morongo. You know, I said wow,
    I probably could have cheated on a few shows and spent less money
    and put a few extra dollars in my pocket, and I realize that
    I did the right thing. The biggest concern is that the people
    putting on the shows now don't have anything to lose. If you
    have something to lose, you¹ll be more properly prepared,
    to make sure you do the right thing, to make sure the fighters
    have physicals before they fight. To make sure that the weights
    are the proper weights when the fighters come in. Those are just
    some of the things. When you¹re putting the fans, the fighters
    and the sport at risk every time you go out you go to an Oakland
    Raiders game, somebody probably gets stabbed once a show and
    nobody talks about it. It's not a big deal. It happens all the
    time. We're used to it. But it only takes one idiot to do something
    at a mixed martial arts event to end up on the front of the paper.
    And the first group they attack is the only one they know. King
    of the Cage. Ultimate Fighting Championship. On the press releases
    from the newspapers of what actually happened during that show,
    I saw King of the Cage get mentioned three times and I saw the
    Ultimate Fighting Championships three times. But neither one
    of those organizations had anything to do with putting the show
    on. That¹s obviously a big concern of mine. If the proper
    authorities aren¹t going to monitor the show and make sure
    safety is out there, they need to at least make sure that they¹re
    following the rules of doctors, paramedics, transport units,
    insurances, proper security. At least we can run a safe show
    because then if something happens, we'll have done everything
    that we could possibly do to make sure that we're covered just
    as if we were at a hockey game at the Anaheim Pond or we wre
    at a football game at the LA Coliseum. You do things properly.
    People who have something to lose do and people who don't, don't.
    That¹s a big problem. As the sport gets bigger, the guys
    that are running the underground shows like they're running right
    now, they won't be in the game. They'll go find somewhere else
    to steal. I think that will be much more beneficial to the fighters.
    I look at a show that costs well over $300,000 to put on and
    I look at what percentage is actually the fight purse and what
    percentage is actually to run the show. Then I realize some guy
    in the underground that's not paying any of those fees to anything
    else but the fight purse and paying a reasonable fight purse
    to a fighter out there. Most of the fighters don't understand
    that and they're willing to fight in shows like that cause they're
    willing to fight and people are willing to show up. And it's
    truly a snowballing effect. I've gotten to the point now where
    the guys that are fighting the illegal shows, I'm just not going
    tto use them anymore. We're strictly going to stay with people
    that are fighting at up to par shows KOTC, Ring of Fire, Gladiator
    Challenge, Cage Quest, World Vale Tudo, Extreme Challenge, Hawaii
    Superbrawl. Truly the shows that people are able to fight at
    on a regular basis and shows that have survived everything that's
    going on out there because they're doing it the right way.


    
Is the
    guy putting on a fight at an underground club in downtown LA,
    is he going to spend $3000 to insure his fighters because he¹s
    worried about a $50,000 medical bill? I had a fighter break his
    hand in the last show and it was a simple break and it was $12,000.
    Who¹s going to pay that $12,000 if that kid doesn¹t
    have insurance? It¹s definitely not going to be the promoter
    of that show. You have to get everybody to subscribe to it. If
    you could legitimately put a cost of maybe $10,000 to $20,000
    additional per show, it would make this sport legitimate. And
    the people that are running shows right now, most of them are
    not legitimate. That¹s the problem.


    
On the
    future of the sport? 

    What I'd really like to see is less shows, not because of the
    competition. I¹m not really concerned with it. But less
    shows, bigger shows, more legitimate shows. We've got to eliminate
    the backyard brawls that are getting all the bad press. I eventually
    see that happening, although I don't see it happening quite as
    fast as most people think. With UFC and KOTC both now on PPV,
    Pride doing their thing in Japan, I feel that we've got a pretty
    good chance at moving forward at a considerably faster rate.
    The more major organizations that end up out there, the more
    the general press ­ your ESPN's, your LA Times, the Detroit
    News, your Chicago Tribune, People Magazine ­ all you major
    news sources will start to get involved with something as it
    gets bigger. But truthfully, if it wasn't for the hardcore people
    that stuck with it all the time, we would have nothing because
    there's just not that many people involved at the present time.
    But anybody that gets involved in it, it's something that you
    get up every day and want to be involved with. That also sets
    up the fact that people want to be involved so bad they're willing
    to do stuff that's not on the level to be involved. Kind of a
    catch-22.


    
I think
    we're probably looking at a couple more years. I'd like to say
    it's sooner, I'd like to believe that it would just take one
    person, some famous person who's a fan of the sport to step in
    and do something with the sport, someone that would actually
    have some big weight to step in. Obviously the Fertittas getting
    in is a big push. Anytime somebody can put 50 million dollars
    into something, something is going to happen. It's been very,
    very good for the sport. It's probably going to take a hundred
    million dollars more before we really get the credit we deserve.
    Meanwhile, the ground level shows will be grounding it out.


    
On comparisons
    to Pride and mixed martial arts in the United States: 

    It's a different organization. We're shooting for the same thing.
    We have different views of what an exciting fight is. I think
    I relate better to the general public. They cater more to the
    underground forum and if there're a couple of hundred people
    that they have on the underground forum, they're definitely keeping
    those people happy. I'm a little bit more interested in the 350,000
    people that bought the UFC at one time that aren't buying it
    anymore. I'm sure they are too, but you've got to be able to
    find the middle between keeping one group happy and keeping the
    other group happy because right now, they're looking for two
    different things. Pride sells in Japan. I just don't feel that
    style of fighting is going to have the same success in the United
    States. They have some very exciting fighters, some very good
    fighters. I think the cage is really a big part of mixed martial
    arts here in the United States and I think it will continue to
    be a big part. Right now, from a safety factor, making sure that
    the opponent stays inside - they do have an extra rope in the
    ring - but when it boils down to it, I think a lot of states
    are only going to eventually allow the cage when they get to
    the point where they really get in and find out what's going
    on. It's appealing when somebody doesn't know anything at all
    about the sport. Somebody fighting in a cage is kind of extreme.
    It creates an interest in the beginning. It's good for marketing
    but at the same time it's way better for the safety of the fighters.
    So it really serves a great purpose for this type of sport. Anybody
    that's seen a wrestler shoot in on another wrestler, fly through
    the ropes, fall from a 42 inch platform and is six feet tall
    they're falling nine feet, landing on their head outside the
    ring on top of another 300 pound body, you'd understand that
    this sport has no business being fought in a ring unless there¹s
    an apron that's 6 or 7 feet long. And some of the people have
    gotten to the point where they've extended the apron making it
    a little bit safer. But the fact is, this sport was meant to
    fight in a cage, and that's where it¹s going to be fought,
    at least here in the United States.


    
(Predicting
    the future, e.g. Saturday nights Super Brawl? For the record,
    I like fights in a ring rather than a cage because of the better
    view that the audience gets and it becomes less of a pin against
    the cage and bang type of fight. It keeps the fights more exciting
    and allows for more action)


    
King
    of the Cage: Revolution will air in over 27 million homes in
    the U.S. on TVN Entertainment and the Dish Network. Internationally,
    King of the Cage will be shown on Globosat in Brazil, Multivision
    in France, SkyTV in New Zealand and Australia, JPS Sports in
    Israel and InDemand in Canada.


    
Source:
    Abu Dhabi

    
 4/28/02

    
Quote
    of the Day

    

    "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going
    to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity
    and its first chapter is New Year's Day." 



    Edith Lovejoy Pierce

    
Super
    Brawl 24 - Day 2 Results

    Tim Sylvia is the Tournament Champion

    Eddie Yagin chokes Charlie Pearson

    Return of
    the Heavyweights

    Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii 

    April 26 & 27, 2002

    By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com

    

    For more great shots of the fights, check out Superbrawl.tv. A big thanks to "The King."



    


    
Day
    2: The Final Round - April 27, 2002

    The big man from Iowa pounded his opponents to make it to the
    finals and Lambert fought two tough matches, showing a ton of
    heart by getting pounded by Sylvia. The scariest thing that happened
    was when Rothwell rushed in for a take down on Schall and Schall
    went right through the ropes and head first through a chair.
    Medical staff rushed to the scene and he was carried out on a
    gurney. Schall was found out to be okay later in the night. The
    Cabbage-Wiuff fight was the fight of the night, possibly the
    fight of the year. Wiuff did something that hasn't happened to
    Cabbage since he was around three years old, pick Cabbage up
    over his head two times! Wiuff picked Cabbage up like a sack
    of potatoes and slammed him to the mat. He then mauled Cabbage
    for the first round, but Cabbage's ground defense kept him out
    of danger and minimized Wiuff's damage. The second was Cabbage's
    payback, as he made Wiuff pay every time he attempted a take
    down. The score cards at the end of round 2 were a majority draw,
    which prompted an three minute over time. Cabbage took advantage
    of the winded and hurt Wiuff and finished him off. That was a
    tremendously exciting fight. Sylvia bloodied a tough Jason Lambert
    until finally finishing him off in the second round. Due to a
    broken hand, Cabbage was replaced by Mike Whitehead. Whitehead
    dominated position on Ron Faircloth for the decision. Pearson
    started off the fight with a solid thigh kick and followed up
    with numerous kicks. Yagin appeared to be slightly more cautious
    than his usual "go for broke" attitude. Yagin waited
    for his opportunity and seized it by catching one of Pearson's
    kicks and tripping him down. Pearson scrambled back to his feet
    for a double leg takedown on Yagin and ate a hard knee by Yagin.
    Yagin took the takedown, so that he could lock in a modified
    guillotine (one of Pearson's arms was inside). Pearson tried
    to pry open Yagin's hands but had to tap. Yagin is growing by
    leaps and bounds in every fight. It will be interesting to see
    which fighter will be next to test Yagin, because Yagin is taking
    out everyone placed in front of him. In a weird turn of events,
    Whitehead ended up facing Sylvia who beat him in the first match
    of the first round of the tournament. This time, Sylvia took
    a little under a minute less to beat Whitehead than the first
    time to become the Return of the Heavyweights Tournament Champion.


    
Tim Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, Bettendorf,
    Iowa, 6'8" 265 lbs., 12-0) 

    Def.

    Boyd Ballard (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA, 5'10"
    220 lbs., 2-1)

    KO via knee at 3:10 minutes in Round 1.


    
Jason Lambert (Ted Williams Combat Grappling, Apple
    Valley, CA, 5'11" 245 lbs., 12-2)

    Def.

    Brian Stromberg (Team Quest, Portland, OR, 6'2" 235 lbs.,
    6-2) 

    Submission via arm triangle choke at 4:59 minutes in Round 2.

    

    Ben Rothwell (Freestyle Academy, Knish, WS, 6'5" 270 lbs.,
    14-1) 

    Def.

    Kerry Schall (Meat Truck, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, 6'3" 270
    lbs., 12-5)

    TKO via injury (Schall fell out of the ring and through a chair)
    at 2:10 minutes in Round 2.

    
    

    Cabbage Coreirra (Grappling Unlimited, Hilo, HI, 6'3" 291
    lbs., 13-3) 

    Def.

    Travis Wiuff (Lion's Lair, Minneapolis, MN, 6'2" 270 lbs.,
    5-2)

    TKO via referee stoppage from knees at 1:40 minutes in Over Time.

    


    
Semi-Finals:

    Tim Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, Bettendorf, Iowa, 6'8"
    265 lbs., 13-0) 

    Def.

    Jason Lambert (Ted Williams Combat Grappling, Apple Valley, CA,
    5'11" 245 lbs., 12-3)

    TKO via referee stoppage from strikes at 4:11 minutes in Round
    2.

    

    Cabbage Coreirra broke his hand so Mike Whitehead replaces him.


    
Mike Whitehead (Medford, OR, 6'2" 260 lbs.,
    8-1)

    Def.

    Ben Rothwell (Freestyle Academy, Knish, WS, 6'5" 270 lbs.,
    14-2) 

    Unanimous decision after 2 rounds [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)].

    


    
Co-Main Event (Single Fight):

    Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited, Hawaii, 7-0)

    Def. 

    Charlie Pearson (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA)

    Submission via modified guillotine (10 fingers) choke at 4:01
    minutes in Round 1.

    

    Finals:

    Tim Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, Bettendorf, Iowa, 6'8"
    265 lbs., 14-0) 

    Def.

    Mike Whitehead (Medford, OR, 6'2" 260 lbs., 8-2)

    TKO via referee stoppage from strikes at 2:38 minutes in Round
    1.

    

    
 4/27/02 3:00 PM

    
Super
    Brawl 24 Return of the Heavyweights Day One

    April 26, 2002

    By Michael Onzuka

    Mike@onzuka.com

    

    


    
Hawaii fans
    got a taste of what the best of the unknown heavyweights had
    to offer with the first round being complete last night. With
    two of the favorites of the tournament, Meat Truck Shaw and Travis
    Wiuff (pronounced View) having no opponents and going to the
    second round fresh, none of the other fighters seemed to show
    any concern. By the looks and backgrounds of these two behemoths,
    the advancing fighters should take notice.


    
The Final Eight

    The first fight saw the giant, Tim Sylvia, all 6 foot 8 inches
    of him enter the ring by stepping over the top rope, very reminiscent
    of the WWF's Big Show. With UFC Lightweight Champ, Jens "Little
    Evil" Pulver in his corner, everyone was expecting Sylvia
    to put on a big show. His opponent, Mike Whitehead was cornered
    by Pulver's arch nemesis, Hawaii's BJ Penn. After a couple of
    minutes, it was obvious that Sylvia was the stand up fighter
    while Whitehead was a wrestler. Whitehead got the big man down
    a couple of times, but could not capitalize on anything and Sylvia
    as described in the fight descriptions, pulled out the win and
    was the first fighter to advance. After the fight, Sylvia told
    me that he was not concerned with his placement within the keys
    and is not worried at all about anyone taking him down.


    
The next man
    to advance was UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett and AMC's,
    Boyd Ballard. He is smallest fighter of the sweet sixteen, but
    showed that he has solid riding skills and controlled all aspects
    of the ground in his opening match with local boy, Kekumu Cambra.
    Ballard showed great conditioning by consistently punching, elbowing,
    and kneeing Cambra. Cambra showed his huge heart by not giving
    up and even telling the referee not to stop the fight even when
    he was in very bad positions, taking some major punishment. Cambra
    can keep his head up high by giving Ballard a tough fight, but
    Barnett's Boyd advances. Barnett and Ballard were very quick
    to point out that Ballard is in great shape and has no injuries
    going into day two. Barnett showed enough confidence for both
    of them and said that he can see no possible way his fighter
    can lose.


    
Ted Williams'
    Jason Lambert moves on and showed that while he was not as physically
    impressive as his first opponent, Ron Faircloth who was pretty
    tight at 235 lbs, he had the skills that may take him to the
    next round. Lambert has good wrestling skills which what was
    expected from a fighter from Williams' stable, but also showed
    he had the balls to trade a bit standing up.


    
Probably the
    most impressive, skill-wise, of the first round was Team Quest's
    Brian Stromberg. With Randy Couture and Dan Henderson heading
    Team Quest, everyone expected great wrestling skill, but what
    Stromberg showed was his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background by being
    comfortable on his back and finishing his first opponent, Gabe
    Beauperthuy, with a nice triangle from the guard. With all these
    huge wrestlers advancing, the skills that Stromberg has on his
    back will give him an advantage. Of all the first round fights
    except Stromberg's, it was clear to see, whoever takes the top,
    wins. It was a nice change to see a decent sized fighter (at
    6'2" and 235 lbs) who does not look like fish out of water
    on his back.


    
One of the favorites
    was the qualifier tournament winner, Big Ben Rothwell, who had
    a great shot and finished another Team Quest fighter, Curtis
    Crawford, with a well-placed forearm that convinced Crawford
    that he probably should take any more punishment and tapped very
    early in the fight. The Hawaii fans were very disappointed by
    the bad showing of Crawford and, like myself, wanted to see more
    of what Rothwell had to offer. Rothwell advances with little
    work, which may turn out to be an advantage because his next
    opponent, Kerry "Meat Truck" Schall had a bye in the
    first round.


    
Hawaii fans
    are in the dark about the Meat Truck, but with a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
    background with well-respected instructor "Jacare"
    Cavalcanti and a 12-4 record, he will be one to watch.


    
The incredible
    bulk, Travis Wiuff, is the fighter that I was probably looking
    forward to the most based on his reputation. Wiuff, who stands
    at 6'2 and weighs in at 270 lbs, was NCAA All-American Wrestler
    and is said to be at 5% body fat. MMA has seen highly touted
    amateur wrestlers have great results when entering the fighting
    game; Wiuff hopes to continue this tradition. Wiuff advances
    to the next round with a bye as well.


    
A man who has
    turned in to the savior of MMA in Hawaii, Wesley "Cabbage"
    Correira, brings hard punches and good upper body grappling skills
    to the tournament. Cabbage's last fights have brought the house
    down in Hawaii's Blaisdell Center. This night was no different.
    Due to the last minute no shows of two fighters, Cabbage faced
    Kevin Jordan, a Carlos Newton looking, agile fighter. Jordan
    caught Cabbage with a couple good leg kicks and attempted some
    takedowns, but Cabbage stuck to his normal game of keeping the
    fight standing and banging at every opportunity. The final seven
    fighters must respect the heavy hands of Cabbage. Correira will
    face a style that he has not faced yet and that could possibly
    give him the most trouble, a great wrestler. Cabbage has never
    had to prove himself on the ground while Wiuff's strength is
    the ground. According to co-promoter, Monte Cox, Wiuff hits like
    a horse and may have enough power to knock out the man who has
    the iron chin. Cabbage had proven his chin time and time again,
    against Brink, against Tiger, against Tynanes.


    
These last two
    fights may determine who will eventually win the tournament or
    bang up the favorites clearing the path to an unexpected champion.
    Bring on the final eight!


    
 4/27/02 12:00PM

    
Super
    Brawl 24 - Day 2 Preview

    

    Return of
    the Heavyweights

    Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii 

    April 27, 2002



    Tim Sylvia vs. Boyd
    Ballard

    Tim Sylvia is on a serious tear! He had little trouble in his
    first round, dispatching Mike Whitehead with a barrage of knees
    and punches. His 6’8” frame will be a big advantage.
    Boyd Ballard will have a distinct size disadvantage and will
    have to use his superior wrestling skills to defeat Sylvia.


    
Look for a Sylvia
    K.O. or a decision ground and pound victory by Ballard.


    
Jason Lambert
    vs Brian Stromberg

    Jason Lambert was without a doubt the most aggressive fighter
    in the first round. He just kept coming forward and dominating
    position throughout the fight. He will look to do damage to his
    opponent standing and on the ground. Stromberg had an impressive
    triangle choke submission in the first round. He will undoubtedly
    be on his back again and his best chance at victory will be by
    submission from the bottom.


    
Lambert in a
    brawling victory or Stromberg by decision.


    
Ben Rothwell
    vs. Kerry “The Meat Truck” Schall

    This is a rematch of a fight that happened in the qualifying
    tournament. Rothwell defeated an injured Schall in Des Moines,
    Iowa. Rothwell will not have the benefit of an injured opponent
    tonight. Rothwell is well rounded and may try to keep this fight
    on his feet. Look for Schall to push the action and look to use
    his tremendous ground skills to look for submissions.


    
Probably not
    going the distance. Rothwell by TKO or “Meat Truck”
    by submission.


    
Travis “Diesel”
    Wiuff vs. CABBAGE

    Hold onto your hats! Wiuff (pronounced “View”) is a
    monster. A tremendous wrestler with legitimate one punch K.O.
    power. Will he rely on his wrestling and look for the early takedown
    or will he test the chin of CABBAGE? Cabbage is certainly in
    for the toughest fight of his career in this round. On paper,
    CABBAGE is outweighed and out gunned by the young “Diesel”.
    But don’t count him out just yet; he may have a trick or
    two up his sleeve.


    
Diesel will
    dominate position to victory or CABBAGE will catch a Diesel low
    on fuel late in the fight.


    
Co-Main Event

    Charles Pearson vs. Eddie Yagin

    This has the earmarkings of an epic battle. Pearson defeated
    Yagin’s teammate Abe Rodriguez last year and Yagin brutally
    K.O.’d fellow Northwest fighter Ryan Diaz earlier this year.
    Pearson has the edge standing and Yagin on the ground. Both have
    an aggressive style. This will undoubtedly be a war. The deciding
    factor may be the size of these lightweights hearts. 



    Source: T. Jay Thompson

    
Universo
    Athletico

    

    Dear Chris Onzuka ,


    I would like to know you still remember me !!! I am partner,
    coach and friend of the athlete Allan Góes!!! Me, Allan
    and Vauvennargues "Marinho," have a team of athletes
    of the new generation of Brazilian fighters, we possess a Gym
    with good instructur and we work hard with our boys. I would
    like to know if anyone could receive the boys' tape and could
    invite our team to your events? Our team is directed by Vauvennargues
    "Marinho." It will travel to Russia on April 26 to
    participate in Mix-Fight M1. It will be an opportunity to show
    our new talents. My athletes Buscape and Miltinho won. The athlete
    Buscape gave a show and now he is the owner of the belt of 75
    Kg of Mix Fight M1!!!


    
" Um Grande
    Abraço "

    icq:84567507

    Keep in touch, 

    André Vinícius Aurnheimer

    academia@universoatletico.com.br 

    www.mmafighter.com



    Source: André Vinícius Aurnheimer

    
INTRODUCING
    THE 

    WORLD ORGANIZATION OF MARTIAL ARTS ATHLETES'

    W O R LD M A R T I A L G A M E S III 

    THE AMERICA'S WORLD MARTIAL ARTS CUP 

    MAY 10th, 11th, 12th, 2002 

    HAWAII CONVENTION CENTER, HONOLULU, HAWAII


    
To:
    Martial Arts Instructors/School Owners/Practitioners in the Hawaiian
    Islands


    
We
    would like to extend this Special Invitation to you and your
    students to come and compete in this World Class Event, with
    increased divisions for all stylists including Chinese, Wushu,
    Grappling/Jujitsu, TKD, Weapons, Traditional Japanese/Okinawan
    stylists, breaking and more. Over 360 Divisions in all. $11,000
    in cash and awards. Please check out the information below and
    contact us as soon as possible for early entry discounts.


    
WORLD
    MARTIAL GAMES I - Sydney, Australia, April 2000 - huge success


    
WORLD
    MARTIAL GAMES II - Killarney, Ireland, July 2001, The European
    World Martial Arts Games was an incredible success with over
    800 competitors from over 15 different countries. Everyone had
    a great time and left with a feeling of friendship and success
    in their accomplishments.


    
NOW
    ! ! the W.O.M.A.A. WORLD MARTIAL GAMES III (Honolulu, Hawaii)


    
The
    World Organization of Martial Arts Athletes (W.O.M.A.A.) is excited
    to announce that it's next International event, the WORLD MARTIAL
    GAMES III, the 2002 America's World Martial Arts Cup will take
    place in Honolulu, Hawaii, May 10th, 11th, 12th of 2002 at the
    Hawaii Convention Center. Everyone who accepts the challenge
    to compete in this exciting event, is in for the time of their
    life. The Hawaiian Islands are one of the most incredible and
    beautiful areas in the world. DARE TO MEET THE CHALLENGE ! !
    ! AND SHOW THE WORLD THAT WE WILL NOT LET THE SITUATION FROM
    SEPT. 11TH, STOP US,( THE WORLD'S MARTIAL ARTISTS), FROM COMPETING
    AND SHARING WHAT WE HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO ACHIEVE.


    
We
    would like to invite all countries, organizations and competitors
    to come and compete in this exciting event, represent your country
    and show the world just how good your Martial Arts really are.
    $11,000 in Cash and Awards for Grand Champions and Jr. Grand
    Champions, including special custom designed, limited and collectible
    Grand Championship awards, the Newly Custom Designed and Custom
    Made "America's World Martial Arts Cup" for Grand Championship
    Team competition. The new Tournament Patch given to each registered
    competitor. This will truly be the one international event you
    will not want to miss. Everyone is welcome. Countries showing
    interest so far include Australia, England, Canada, United States,
    Hong Kong, Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Venezuela,
    Philippines, China, Italy, France, Russia, Scotland, Ireland,
    Pakistan, Germany, Trinidad & Tabago and more. Please contact
    Mr. Bruce Smith, Pres/WOMAA. 410-742-2094, 443-366-6277, FAX
    (253) 830-1732, email: kenpo@shore.intercom.net, You can check
    out our website at: www.womaa.com


    
WOMAA
    International events are open to all styles and systems, all
    ages (4 yrs old and up), all belt ranks (white to black) both
    male and female. With new expanded events numbering over 350
    divisions at the international events, including Point Sparring,
    W.O.M.A.A. World Championship Continuous Sparring Events, Forms
    (Trad. Jap/Okin,, Tae Kwon Do & Korean, Traditional Chinese,
    Wushu, Kenpo, Open, Musical), Weapons (Bladed Weapons Divisions,
    Wooden Weapons Divisions, Chinese Weapons Divisions, Wushu, Open
    & Musical Weapons Divisions), Self Defense, Grappling/Jujitsu
    (Free Style Jujitsu-punches, kicks, grappling & straight
    grappling - no punches or kicks, etc.) Handicapable Divisions,
    Fitness "Aerobic" Kickboxing Team Competition, Team
    Weapons Forms, Team Synchronized Forms, Team Demonstration Style
    Forms, 3 Person Junior Team Sparring Challenge and the 5 Person
    World Black Belt Team Fighting Challenge - (5 Men and/or 5 Women
    Teams), 13 Grand Championships, an Opening Ceremonies, a Night
    time show that will astound everyone. The 2002 America's World
    Martial Arts Cup will surely be an event that has something for
    everyone and one you won't want to miss. The World Organization
    of Martial Arts Athletes (WOMAA - a non political organization)
    is growing by leaps and bounds, and we invite all countries to
    take up the challenge and become part of this International Organization
    which is dedicated to sporting competitions world wide. All WOMAA
    international member martial artists are Ambassadors of good
    sportsmanship for their country, with the goal of learning and
    experiencing other cultures, languages, customs, laws and traditions,
    so that we can expand our own life experiences and learn that
    the only true enemy is IGNORANCE. We look forward to welcoming
    you to the WOMAA Family of International Competitions and to
    the 2002 America's World Martial Arts Cup.


    
New
    for 2002, all judges/referees who participate in the WOMAA Int'l
    judges/referees Certification Course on May 9th & 10th at
    the Radisson Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel, will be paid. Pay is
    determined by number of divisions judged during the event.


    
For
    special tournament room rates please contact Mr. Jim Towns at
    Carmen's Sidekick Travel, 800-639-1643, 800-778-0831, 802-626-8176,
    FAX 802-626-8178, email: lsa@carmens.webmail.com .


    
Call
    or email now for information;


    
Thank
    you,


    
Yours
    in the Martial Spirit


    
Bruce
    Smith - Pres/WOMAA


    
T.Rondo
    Van Clief - V.Pres/WOMAA/Chief Judge/Referee Certification Instructor


    
Robert
    Everhart - V.Pres/WOMAA/Tournament Director



    Source: Bruce Smith


    
 4/27/02

    
Quote
    of the Day



    "Nothing
    can add more power to your life than concentrating all of your
    energies on a limited set of targets." 



    Nido Qubein, American Businessman, Speaker, Consultant, Author

    

    
Super
    Brawl 24 Day 1 Results

    Return of
    the Heavyweights

    Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii 

    April 26, 2002

    By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com

    


    
Number
    of competitors: 16 

    Total combined weight: 4,231lbs

    Competitor's average weight: 264.43lbs.

    Competitor's average height: 6'2"

    Combined record: 91-20

    Percentage of victories: 82%


    
I don't know
    about you, but when I see some statistics like that, I get excited.
    I had to sit down and calculate that just for fun. I was expecting
    a lot of…lets say competitors with excess girth visited
    by the "questionable conditioning" fairy, but these
    big boys were in shape and came to fight. Another surprising
    fact was the lack of bombs being thrown by these fighters. Don't
    get me wrong there were hard punches, but not the knock out punches
    that you would have expected. The technical level varied a bit,
    but most of them had a background in wrestling and knew at least
    one submission hold, the Americana key lock, even though only
    one of them was successful with it. These fighters represent
    the new breed of heavy or super heavyweights. They are not only
    big, but are using more and more technique and strategy to beat
    their opponents. The field has been thinned down to eight fighters.
    Three of the fighters have to considered favorites based upon
    their performance tonight; winner of one qualifier, Tim Sylvia
    for his punching ability and sheer size, Brian Stromberg for
    his quick submission, and from the guard no less, and of course,
    Cabbage who pounded his opponent. However, waiting in the wings,
    we have a fresh and uninjured Kerry Schall and Travis Wiuff,
    who received byes in the first round due to injured opponents.
    I can't wait for tomorrow. Well, now that I have picked five
    of the eight fighters, I think my odds are good enough for now.
    This is the great thing about MMA, there are so many factors
    concerning each competitor that only time will tell which prove
    to be more valuable than others.



    For great shots of the fights, check out Superbrawl.tv. Thanks to Anthony "The"
    King for the bracket.


    
Day
    1: The First Round Results - April 26, 2002

    Tim Sylvia (Miletich
    Fighting Systems, Bettendorf, Iowa, 6'8" 265 lbs., 10-0)


    Def.

    Mike Whitehead (Medford, OR, 6'2" 260 lbs., 7-0)

    TKO via referee stoppage from strikes at 3:46 minutes in Round
    1.


    
Boyd Ballard
    (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA, 5'10" 220 lbs., 1-0)

    Def.

    Kumu Cambra (Grappling Unlimited, Honolulu, HI, 6'0" 240
    lbs., 1-0) 

    Unanimous decision after 2 rounds.


    
Jason Lambert
    (Ted Williams Combat Grappling, Apple Valley, CA, 5'11"
    245 lbs., 10-2)

    Def.

    Ron Faircloth (Freestyle Academy of MA, Madison, WS, 5'11"
    235 lbs., 5-3) 

    Unanimous decision after 2 rounds.


    
Brian Stromberg
    (Team Quest, Portland, OR, 6'2" 235 lbs., 5-1) 

    Def.

    Gabe Beauperthuy (Colorado Springs, CO, 6'2" 265 lbs., 6-3)

    Submission via triangle choke at 1:43 minutes in Round 1.


    
Ben Rothwell
    (Freestyle Academy, Knish, WS, 6'5" 270 lbs., 12-1) 

    Def.

    Curtis Crawford (Team Quest, Portland, OR, 6'2" 240 lbs.,
    1-1) 

    Submission due to forearm choke at 1:03 minute in Round 1.


    
Kerry Schall
    (Meat Truck, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, 6'3" 270 lbs., 12-4)

    Bye due to injury


    
Travis Wiuff
    (Lion's Lair, Minneapolis, MN, 6'2" 270 lbs., 5-1)

    Bye due to injury


    
Alternate Match:

    Ron Faircloth (Freestyle Academy of MA, Madison, WS, 5'11"
    235 lbs., 5-3) 

    Def.

    Gabe Beauperthuy (Colorado Springs, CO, 6'2" 265 lbs., 6-3)

    Submission due to Americana key lock at 0:22 seconds in Round
    2.


    
Cabbage Coreirra
    (Grappling Unlimited, Hilo, HI, 6'3" 291 lbs., 12-3) 

    Def.

    Kevin Jordan (Ranger Jiu-Jitsu, Columbus, Ga., 6'3" 245
    lbs., 4-1)

    TKO via referee stoppage from strikes at 4:28 minutes in Round
    1.


    
Fighters that
    pulled out of tournament:

    Ernest Henderson (6'3" 390 lbs., Ellensburg, Washington)
    - Did not pass medical exam.

    Chad Neal (Fresno, CA, 6'0 290 lbs.) - No show.


    
Day 2: The Final
    Round - April 27, 2002

    Tim Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, Bettendorf, Iowa, 6'8"
    265 lbs., 10-0) 

    Vs.

    Boyd Ballard (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA, 5'10"
    220 lbs., 1-0)



    Brian Stromberg (Team Quest, Portland, OR, 6'2" 235 lbs.,
    5-1) 

    Vs.

    Jason Lambert (Ted Williams Combat Grappling, Apple Valley, CA,
    5'11" 245 lbs., 10-2)


    
Kerry Schall
    (Meat Truck, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, 6'3" 270 lbs., 12-4)

    Vs.

    Ben Rothwell (Freestyle Academy, Knish, WS, 6'5" 270 lbs.,
    12-1) 



    Travis Wiuff (Lion's Lair, Minneapolis, MN, 6'2" 270 lbs.,
    5-1)

    Vs.

    Cabbage Coreirra (Grappling Unlimited, Hilo, HI, 6'3" 291
    lbs., 12-3)


    
Alternate:

    Ron Faircloth (Freestyle Academy of MA, Madison, WS, 5'11"
    235 lbs., 5-3)


    
Single fight:

    Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited, Hawaii)

    Vs. 

    Charlie Pearson (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA)

    
 4/26/02

    
Quote
    of the Day



    "How
    you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine
    what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a
    loser." 



    Lou Holtz, 1937-, American Football Coach

    
Super
    Brawl 24 Tonight!

    Return of
    the Heavyweights

    April 26-27 - 

    Blaisdell Arena 

    Honolulu, Hawaii 



    Get your rears down to the Blaisdell Center to watch huge boys
    throwing some large punches!


    
Remember
    to come early to buy some killer t-shirts, hats, beanies, fight
    shorts, newspapers from Full Contact Fighter, the undisputed,
    undefeated NHB fight wear supplier! This will be the first time
    in Hawaii that such a wide selection of Full Contact Fighter
    clothing will be sold at a fighting event or one location!

    
Douglas,
    Brands to coach 2002 U.S. Freestyle World Team 

    


    
USA Wrestling
    has named its head and assistant coaches for the 2002 U.S. Freestyle
    World Team, head coach Bobby Douglas of Ames, Iowa and assistant
    coach Tom Brands of Iowa City, Iowa. The U.S. Freestyle World
    Team will compete at the 2002 World Freestyle Wrestling Championships
    in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 4-7. The team will be determined at the
    World Team Trials, set for Saint Paul, Minn., June 21-23.


    
*It has always
    been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to work
    with America*s athletes,* said Douglas. *Being back in the international
    arena is a motivation for me. It helps me as a coach, and I am
    excited for the challenge. We have some great wrestlers on Team
    USA.* Douglas has been one of the most successful and active
    freestyle coaches in the nation. He served as the head coach
    of the 1992 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team, that competed
    in Barcelona, Spain. The U.S. claimed six individual medals,
    led by gold medalists John Smith, Kevin Jackson and Bruce Baumgartner.
    He has served as head coach of two previous U.S. World Championships
    teams. He led the 1989 and 1991 U.S. World teams to second-place
    finishes at the World Championships behind the Soviet Union.
    In 1989, the U.S. had six medalists, including two champions:
    Smith and Kenny Monday. In 1991, the U.S. won six medals, including
    three champions: Zeke Jones, Smith and Jackson. He served on
    the coaching staff of the 1988 and 1996 U.S. Olympic teams. He
    coached the 1989 U.S. World Cup team as well as the 1991 Pan
    American Games team. He has been an assistant coach on numerous
    other U.S. international teams. He was named the 1992 USA Wrestling
    Freestyle Coach of the Year. Douglas is a club coach with the
    Sunkist Kids, the most successful wrestling club in the United
    States. He has helped coach numerous U.S. athletes to World and
    Olympic medals as part of the Sunkist Kids program.


    
Douglas works
    as head wrestling coach for Iowa State Univ., where he has led
    their powerful Div. I program for 10 years. His Cyclones placed
    second in the 2002 NCAA Championships, led by three individual
    champions: Aaron Holker, Joe Heskett and Cael Sanderson. Douglas
    guided Sanderson to a historic career, becoming the first wrestler
    to win four NCAA titles and complete his career undefeated. In
    10 years at Iowa State, Douglas has led the Cyclones to three
    second-place finishes at the NCAA Championships and nine top-10
    finishes. He coached five individual athletes to NCAA Div. I
    titles at Arizona State. Douglas became the first coach of a
    Western university to win an NCAA title when he led Arizona State
    to the national crown in 1988. He was named College Coach of
    the Year in 1988. During Douglas* 18 years at Arizona State,
    his teams won nearly 75 percent of their dual matches (225-77-6).
    For his efforts, Douglas was named conference coach of the year
    nine times. His ASU record included nine conference championships,
    10 top-10 NCAA team finishes and four top-two placings. As a
    wrestler, he was the captain of the 1968 Olympic team, and placed
    fourth in the 1964 Olympic Games. He earned silver and bronze
    medals in the World Freestyle Championships and competed for
    U.S. World Teams eight times. He was the USWF freestyle champion
    in 1970, and won five other national freestyle titles. He was
    inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1987. A
    true innovator, Douglas has authored a number of wrestling technique
    books and is one of the nation*s top clinicians. Douglas became
    the first black Ohio high school state titlist. He wrestled for
    West Liberty (W.V.) State College and won the NAIA title and
    was runner-up at the NCAA Championships. After transferring to
    Oklahoma State, Douglas won the Big Eight Conference 147-pound
    crown. Douglas earned his bachelors degree at Oklahoma State
    in 1967 and his masters degree at Arizona State in 1981. Douglas
    and wife Jackie have one son, Bobby. Brands was one of the greatest
    U.S. freestyle wrestlers of all time, claiming a gold medal at
    136.5 pounds at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. He also
    won a World gold medal at the 1993 World Championships in Toronto,
    Canada. Between 1993-96, Brands was the top U.S. wrestler at
    his weight class and represented the United States in numerous
    major international events. He won two World Cup gold medals.


    (1994 and 1995) and was the 1995 Pan American Games champion.
    He also claimed four U.S. Nationals titles (1993-96) and made
    four straight U.S. World or Olympic teams (1993-96).


    
Along with brother,
    Terry, he was named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, the
    1993 John Smith Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler, and 1993 Amateur
    Wrestling News Man of the Year. He was a member of the U.S. coaching
    staff at the 2001 World Championships, and has coached a number
    of other U.S. teams in international competition. Brands is a
    club coach with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Brands has worked
    for 10 years as an assistant coach for the Univ. of Iowa. He
    was named NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000.


    
He was a three-time
    NCAA Div. I champion at the Univ. of Iowa (1990-92) and was a
    four-time All-American and three-time Big Ten champion. He had
    a career mark of 158-7-2, including an undefeated season in 1991
    (45-0). Brands earned his B.S. degree in physical education from
    Iowa in 1992. He and his wife, Jeni, have three children, Madigan,
    Kinsee and Tom.


    
Source: Abu
    Dhabi

    
Heating
    up for PRIDE 20

    Arona is looking for the belt!

    By Eduardo Alonso


    
Brazilian
    fighter Ricardo Arona impressed all the fighting world with a
    great showcase of strategy and grappling skills at Abu Dhabi
    wining both the absolute and his weight division at the event
    at 2001! However, for his teammates this wasn't much of a surprise
    since he had already won his weight division at Abu Dhabi on
    the previous year, and used to show tons of skills at every Jiu
    Jitsu tournament he fought in! Combining a lot of power with
    good strategy and great technique, Arona quickly made the transition
    to NHB, where he found the same success at RINGS in Japan, and
    rapidly drawing the attention of PRIDE! With people like Mario
    Sperry helping his career, it didn't take long before Ricardo
    Arona was finally making his debut at Japan's biggest NHB event,
    facing the seasoned veteran Guy Mezger at PRIDE 16. Despite being
    ill he won the fight, and established his name among the contenders
    for PRIDE's middleweight belt. After some time away from the
    ring, due to a rib injury suffered at his PRIDE debut, Arona
    is now finally returning to action against another top fighter,
    non other than Team Quest's own Dan Henderson! The Abu Dhabi
    and RINGS champion is eager to fight again, and more importantly
    has a close eye on Vanderlei Silva's belt! In this interview
    during Arona's class he shared his expectations for this fight,
    and his views about the future of his career as FCF continues
    to get more and more heated for PRIDE 20!


    
FCF:
    You suffered an injury in your ribs that prevented you from training
    for a good period of time. How was your recovery? Don't you feel
    any pain right now? 

    RA: Nowadays I'm feeling 100% recovered! I don't have any problems
    during training, nor do I have any problems after training! I'm
    100% recovered from my rib injury. I stayed almost two months
    resting, because you can hardly breath correctly when you have
    a rib injury! But nowadays I'm 100% again! I don't feel any pain,
    and the recovery was great.


    
FCF:
    You're finally coming back to PRIDE after your win over Guy Mezger
    at PRIDE 16. Was it tough to stay away from the ring all that
    time? 

    RA: Without a doubt it was Eduardo! Because I had two more events
    to fight in, and I should already have three fights in PRIDE
    by now! And because of my injury I had to stay away from fighting,
    and wait till I was fully recovered. So it was tough for me because
    I wanted to be fighting regularly! But on the other hand, it
    was good for me because I could improve in other professional
    aspects that I was still lacking.


    
FCF:
    Did you get anxious to fight again? 

    RA: Yeah mean, because this time away from fighting is not really
    good for a fighter. You always have that adrenaline from the
    moment, so it's always good to be fighting regularly to be very
    used to this adrenaline and stuff, and to be in rhythm. But like
    I told you, I believe this time-off was also good for me because
    I could work and improve in another aspects that I was ne