January 2002 News Part 2
Please take some time and sign our guestbook!
|
Quote
of the Day
"Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness
is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving
is the following of that impulse."
Henry Van Dyke, 1852--1933, American Protestant Clergyman and
Writer |
Warriors
Quest 4
April 1, 2002
Blaisdell Arena,Hawaii
Main
Event Announcement
Warriors
Quest Champion and Hawaii's Phenom Ray "Bradda" Cooper
of the Jesus Is Lord Gym in Hawaii will take on Japan's star
Nathan Marquardt. Nathan is a highly decorated fighter who has
had much international sucess. One of Nathan biggest accomplishments
is the title of King of Pancrase. Cooper, when asked who he would
like to defend his title aganist, was quoted by saying, "I
want to fight the best." Also, fighting for the #1 contender
spot is King of the Cage Champion Chris Brennan as he takes on
John Chrsistomo from 808 Fight Factory. We promise to bring you
more updates.
|
WFA
adds Gilbert Yvel to their February 2nd Show !
WFA
strikes it BIG. The 'Bad Boy' of MMA, Gilbert Yvel will make
his USA debut in WFA2. The show scheduled for February 2nd. at
the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Yvel,
one of the most feared strikers in the business will face Tim
Lajcik in what will certainly prove to be a 'fireworks' fest!
Here
is WFA2 entire card:
Jermaine
Andre vs Joey Villasenor
Gilbert
Yvel vs Tim Lajcik
Frank
Trigg vs Shonie Carter
Aaron
Railey vs Duane Ludwig
Rich
Franklin vs Challid Arrab
Vitor
"Shaolin" Ribeiro vs Yves Edwards
Marvin
Eastman vs Sean Gray
Be
sure to get yourt tickets now as they are selling fast and they
will only go faster after this announcement! For details go to
WFA website at
http://www.wfa.tv
|
UFC
36: Worlds Collide
MATT HUGHES MINI INTERVIEW
Matt
Hughes is back at the MGM Grand to put his welterweight title
on the line for the first time since defeating Carlos Newton
at UFC 34: High Voltage. Hughes will face the Shooto organizations
top draw in Japan, Hayato 'Mach' Sakurai. As reported first by
ADCC NEWS, Sakurai had signed with the UFC. Hughes will train
leg locks and his boxing in preparation for Sakurai. This is
the first time Sakurai will compete in the US and in a cage.
'There are many things he hasn’t done,' said Hughes, 'I
just have to work on things that he probably won’t be familiar
with.' Sakurai sports a 15-1 record, where he lost his Shooto
title to Brazil’s Anderson Silva. I recently had a chance
to sit down with Matt. Here is what he had to say.
Your
win over Carlos Newton at UFC 34: High Voltage... strategy or
luck?
I would say kind of neither... that’s kind of what just
happened. I lifted him up. I didn’t plan on the slam...
the knock out actually. I was just trying to break the hold when
I slammed him down. We hit the ground. It was like I spun in
a circle... you know, countless times. You know how you are just
kind of dizzy? I was dizzy and didn’t know what was going
on. I didn’t plan on him getting the triangle, me lifting
him up and slamming him down. As far as luck goes, that’s
what happened. Is a one punch knock out luck? You have to look
at different things.
This
match is different than any other for you in the UFC because
you are defending your welterweight title. What affect does this
have your fight physiology?
None whatsoever. I like being the champion. My belt is home under
my bed in a bag. I don’t look at the belt everyday. I don’t
have that mentality. I don’t chant I am the champion and
this and that. I just don’t worry about it. I go out there
and I do what I want to do. I don’t put all that stuff together.
I have fun doing it. Generally, I come out the victor most of
the time.
Your
opponent has an impressive record in SHOOTO/Japan. Would you
train for him any differently?
I will definitely do some leg locks to prepare for him. He has
pretty good hands, so I’ll keep up with my boxing. He has
never been in a cage. That’s going to be to my benefit.
He has never fought in the US. That might help me out there.
So, there are a lot of things on my side. He has never fought
with elbows before. There are many things he hasn’t done.
I just have to work on things that he probably won’t be
familiar with.
You
have an apparent innate physical strength. How has this benefited
you?
I seem to get positions pretty easily. Combine that with my wrestling
background and I can dominate positions on the feet and the ground.
It’s a huge benefit to have.
We
talked about your wrestling background and your opponents good
hands. Do you also cross train?
Very much so. I do a lot of boxing... sparring with Pat (Miletich),
Jens (Pulver) and the guys in the gym. I work a lot on the ground
too. I was doing really good in the first period with Carlos
on my feet and on the ground. After that first period, my corner
asked me how does he feel. I said he feels weak. Which he did.
At that point and time, I got to thinking of things and we went
out for the second period. I didn’t feel threatened anymore
and that‘s how the triangle came on. I was kind of going
for the kill. I need to be more relaxed.
There
must be something in the water, as you come from a phenomenal
camp of world champions in Miletich Martial Arts. What do you
attribute your success?
You got all the guys in the gym... that’s what it is. I
open the door to the gym, and you have Jeremy Horn, Jens Pulver,
Tony Frickland, Pat Miletich... so many names out there. I don’t
know how anyone can go out there and not get better. It not just
me being able to learn things, it’s the environment we have
at the gym. It’s not one single person. Everyday there is
not one guy who is the best. We mix things up. If on Monday we
do sparring, Jens and Pat will probably be the best guys. If
on Tuesday we do takedowns, it’s probably my day to shine.
If we do submission the third day, then that’s Jeremy‘s
day to shine . Everyday we have a guy who will shine on the floor.
The talent we have there... everybody’s got a strong point,
and it’s not the same.
You
have had a busy career in MMA, competing in over 30 fights. Do
you see yourself slowing down?
Well, I see myself slowing down because I’m the champ for
the UFC... not because I want too. If I had the chance, I would
fight every other month. I’ve had a long break... from my
last fight. I’ve put on a little weight and I don‘t
like that... I like to staying fit. I like staying sharp and
I get that by fighting every other month or so.
Please
finish this line: Competing in MMA for me. . .
fulfills my need for my competition. It allows me to vent my
frustrations sometimes. It lets me get all that stuff out of
my body. All of my team mates are awesome. We have a great time
where ever we go. I wouldn’t change my lifestyle for anything.
Source: Abu Dhabi |
Quote
of the Day
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and
live out the true meaning of its creed; We hold these truths
to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
Martin Luther King Jr., 1929-1968, American Leader, Nobel Prize |
WFA
Pre-Fight Interview:
Yves Edwards
Catch
up with HOOKnSHOOT's Champion!
ADCC:
Yves, you had quite a year in 2001 with HnS, UFC, the Hawaii
show. How do you think this year will treat you?
YVES: Fortunately my career has gotten better and better as the
years go by, so I'm expecting 2002 to hold even bigger things
in store for me than last year.
ADCC:
What's up with your fight against Shaolin Ribeiro? The guy is
a masterful technician on the ground but so was Matt Serra. How
do you feel about him?
YVES: Well he's a little bit smaller than Serra and more athletic.
I think he will be a lot more intense and aggressive. He doesn't
wrestle like a Brazilian he wrestles more like an American, if
he misses a shot he turns corners or makes switches to get you
down, so it should be a high paced fight. I figure he's going
to come at me hard, and I'm planning on coming right back.
ADCC:
How does it feel to be fighting in Vegas for the WFA?
YVES: I'm pretty excited about this fight I loved Vegas the last
time and Mandalay Bay is a great place to stay and fight. This
is definitely a top notch card every fight on it has the potential
to be one of the most exciting MMA fights ever, I'm really happy
for John and really excited to be on the show.
ADCC:
Same Yves or new and improved?
YVES: Same Yves but definitely improved!
ADCC:
You and Aaron Riley have a rivalry but you both seem to have
great attitudes towards each other before and after your fights.
Is this something you have with all the fighters or is this different?
YVES: I respect pretty much everyone. There are very few individuals
in this sport that I don't have much respect for, and even then
I at least respect the fact that they're willing to risk everything
for something that they love by stepping in and fighting, but
if someone, anyone, wants to disrespect me then no I have absolutely
no respect for them.
ADCC:
Any chance you'll be back in HnS to defend your title?
YVES: I love HnS and I'd love to defend my title there, but I
also have some other plans should I fight at HnS again.
ADCC:
Is it true you want to drop down to 155lbs?
YVES: It's true. In Hawaii I fought at 155lbs and my match at
the WFA is at 155lbs also, but that's a part of my plans for
HnS I would like a shot at the 155lbs title. Phil Johns is a
great champion and I'm not calling him out or anything, but I
would love to be the only man in HnS history to hold 3 HnS belts.
ADCC:
How did you feel about the Jens/BJ match?
YVES: That was awesome. The first lightweight main event match
in the UFC and it's one of the greatest MMA matches ever. One
thing I didn't like was what happened after the fight, you know
all the talk about how Jens tapped. He did but it was after the
round was over. He definitely lost that round and possibly the
first but he won every other round. I just wish these morons
would see that by putting Jens down they also belittle all of
BJ's accomplishments. BJ stepped in and gave the #1 lightweight
in the world everything he could handle and almost took his place
as 'The Man' he just came up a little short.
ADCC:
Do you feel you can be more dangerous dropping weight and how
would you do against Jens Pulver?
YVES: Man I don't know. To fight Jens or BJ is an honor you have
to earn and is a goal I am working to accomplish. I will tell
you this though if I got to fight Jens it would be the kind of
fight no one would forget, because neither one of us will be
to interested in going to the ground and both have the skills
to finish it standing. It would be interesting.
ADCC:
What is your goal for the new year?
YVES: Same thing it is every night Pinky 'Try to take over the
World.' Just kidding. I just want to constantly improve as a
fighter and a person, but that's my goals for life.
ADCC:
Any thing you'd like to say to the WFA fans and MMA fans in general?
YVES: To the WFA fans make sure you come to the show, because
I promise a great fight. To MMA fans as a whole keep supporting
the sport and if everyday each fan can get one new person to
become a fan we will soon take over the world.
Source: Abu Dhabi |
TheMat.com
U.S. Women's College Rankings
TheMat.com U.S. Women's college rankings expanded to eight weight
classes; Missouri Valley maintains No. 1 team ranking for January
Due
to the change in women's international weight classes, and an
adjustment suggested by U.S. college coaches, there are now eight
weight classes under consideration for TheMat.com U.S. Women's
college rankings, released on January 21, 2002. Previous rankings
used the previous six international weight classes.
FILA,
the international wrestling federation, has changed the women's
weight classes for the Senior level, starting on January 1st.
The new weight classes will be 48 kg (105.5 lbs.), 51 kg (112
lbs.). 55 kg (121 lbs.), 59 kg (130 lbs.), 63 kg (138.5 lbs.),
67 kg (147.5 lbs.), 72 kg (158.5 lbs.). U.S. college coaches
also agreed to add an eighth weight class, 77 kg (169.5 lbs.),
which is a weight division used in Canadian colleges.
All
six of the top-ranked wrestlers from the December rankings are
still in No. 1 positions, even though their weight classes have
changed.
These
No. 1 ranked individuals who have retained the top ranking are
Clarissa Chun, a junior at Missouri Valley (105.5), Patricia
Miranda, a senior at Stanford (112), Erin Tomeo, a freshman at
Lock Haven (130), Sara McMann, a senior at Lock Haven (138.5),
Toccara Montgomery, a freshman at Cumberland College (147.5)
and Jenna Pavlik, a freshman at Lock Haven (169.5).
The
new No. 1 ranked individuals in the rankings, with the expansion
to eight weight categories, are Jessica Shirley, a freshman at
Cumberland College (121) and Samantha Branka, a junior at UM-Morris
(158.5).
U.S.
coaches have agreed to use these eight weight classes for dual
meet and tournament competition throughout the rest of this year's
competition season.
In
the team rankings, Missouri Valley College remains at No. 1.
The Vikings participated in a series of dual meets in Oregon
in January, and also had a strong team effort at the Guelph Open
in Canada this month.
Moving
up to the No. 2 ranking is the Univ. of Minnesota-Morris, which
won the team title at the Gord Garvie Memorial Festival in Canada
in early December, with four individual champions.
The
next teams in the rankings are No. 3 Lock Haven, No. 4. Pacific,
No. 5 Cumberland College and No. 6 Neosho County, All of these
teams were involved in competitions in the last month.
Holding
their rankings are No. 7 American International College and No.
8 Menlo College. Moving up to the No. 9 position is Messiah College
of Pennsylvania, followed by No. 10 the Univ. of Hawaii.
Complete
individual and team rankings are posted on TheMat.com, in the
rankings section.
TheMat.com
U.S. College Women's Wrestling rankings will be published monthly
on the following dates: Oct. 20, Nov. 20, Dec. 20, Jan. 20, Feb.
20, March 20, April 20, May 20.
Teams
who are considered for ranking include both college varsity programs
and college-affiliated club programs.
Athletes
who are considered for ranking are eligible full-time college
students, and are members of their college women's varsity or
club program, or a member of their college men's wrestling team.
TheMat.com
has created a composite schedule for women's college wrestling,
which includes events from the U.S. and Canadian programs. Results
from these events will be posted on a regular basis throughout
the season.
Media
outlets may reproduce these rankings only if they identify them
as TheMat.com U.S. Women's Wrestling College Rankings
For
more information on TheMat.com U.S. Women's Wrestling College
Rankings, contact Gary Abbott, Director of Special Projects at
719-598-8181.
TheMat.com
U.S. College Women's Wrestling individual rankings Released January
21, 2001
48
kg (105.5 lbs.)
1. Clarissa Chun, junior (Missouri Valley)
2. Katrina Betts, freshman (UM-Morris)
3. Kristen Fujioka, freshman (Pacific)
4. Audrey Carrasco, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
5. Kera Pemberton, freshman (Neosho County)
6. Becky D'Ambrosio, freshman (Cumberland College)
7. Rachel Bernardes, junior (Missouri Valley)
8. Liz Short, freshman (UM-Morris)
51
kg (112 lbs.)
1. Patricia Miranda, senior (Stanford)
2. Jenny Wong, junior (Lock Haven)
3. Jillian Yost, sophomore (AIC)
4. Katie Kunimoto, junior (Pacific)
5. Bior Guigni, freshman (Menlo College)
6. Keli Hinton, freshman (UM-Morris)
7. Patrice Crenshaw, freshman (UM-Morris)
8. Marianne Vollmer, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
55
kg (121 lbs.)
1. Jessica Shirley, freshman (Cumberland College)
2. Melina Hutchison, freshman (Menlo College)
3. Cheryl New, junior (Missouri Valley)
4. Lisa Ward, freshman (Missouri Valley)
5. Sarah Tolin, freshman (Neosho County)
6. Jill Remiticado, junior (Pacific)
7. Lisa Bisers, freshman (Johns Hopkins)
8. Lisa Neuberger, freshman (UM-Morris)
59
kg (130 lbs.)
1. Erin Tomeo, freshman (Lock Haven)
2. Malissa Sherwood, senior (Missouri Valley)
3. Tonya Evinger, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
4. Tela O'Donnell, freshman (Pacific)
5. Kiersten Hyatt, junior (Missouri Valley)
6. Katie Ross, sophomore (UM-Morris)
7. Leigh
Jaynes, junior (Missouri Valley)
Relson Gracie Aiea Academy Team member
8. Phoebe Liles-Wilkins, freshman (Menlo College)
63
kg (138.5 lbs.)
1. Sara McMann, senior (Lock Haven)
2. Sally Roberts, junior (Pacific)
3. Tori Adams, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
4. Tina Arnds, junior (Missouri Valley) at 62
5. Jennifer Wormwood, freshman (AIC)
6. Stephanie Bolton, sophomore (Cumberland College)
7. Emily Black, freshman (Neosho County)
8. Peggy Van De Mark, freshman (UM-Morris)
67
kg (147.5 lbs.)
1. Toccara Montgomery, freshman (Cumberland College)
2. Katie Downing, senior (UM-Morris)
3. Kaci Lyle, sophomore (Pacific)
4. Mollie Keith, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
5. Hillary Broad, sophomore (Hawaii)
6. Ashley Sword, freshman (Missouri Valley)
7. Brandi Golt, freshman (Missouri Valley)
8. Kelli Hewitt, freshman (Truman State)
72
kg (158.5 lbs.)
1. Samantha Branka, junior (UM-Morris)
2. Donnell Bradley, junior (Missouri Valley)
3. Randi Miller, freshman (Neosho County)
4. Emily Barna, junior (Messiah)
5. Issa Alvarez, sophomore (Cumberland College)
6. Katie Babits, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
77
kg (169.5 lbs.)
1. Jenna Pavlik, freshman (Lock Haven)
2. Nina Vernon, junior (Missouri Valley)
3. Alicia Wilson, freshman (UM-Morris)
4. Hillary Leith, freshman (Missouri Valley)
5. Wendy Hunter, freshman (Cumberland College)
6. Dana Tate (Messiah)
Dates
of publication: Oct. 20, Nov. 20, Dec. 20, Jan. 20, Feb. 20,
March 20, April 20, May 20
Eligibility:
Athletes who are considered for ranking are eligible full-time
college students, and are members of their college women's varsity
or club program, or a member of their college men's wrestling
team.
Copyright
2002 by USA Wrestling and TheMat.com.
Media
outlets may reproduce these rankings only if they identify them
as TheMat.com U.S. Women's Wrestling College Rankings
TheMat.com
U.S. College Women's Wrestling Team rankings released January
21, 2001
1. Missouri Valley College
2. UM-Morris
3. Lock Haven
4. Pacific
5. Cumberland College
6. Neosho County
7. American International College
8. Menlo College
9. Messiah
10. Univ. of Hawaii
Dates
of publication: Oct. 20, Nov. 20, Dec. 20, Jan. 20, Feb. 20,
March 20, April 20, May 20
Eligibility:
Teams who are considered for ranking include both college varsity
programs and college-affiliated club programs.
Copyright
2002 by USA Wrestling and TheMat.com.
Media
outlets may reproduce these rankings only if they identify them
as TheMat.com U.S. Women's Wrestling College Rankings
Media outlets may reproduce these rankings only if they identify
them as TheMat.com U.S. Women's Wrestling College Rankings
Source: Eddie Goldman/Abu Dhabi |
Ricardo
Arona Healed and Back in Training!
By Eduardo Alonso
Last
year, Ricardo Arona's star was on the rise in MMA, with numerous
wins at RINGS and a victorious debut in PRIDE, however, his debut
at PRIDE 16 took him out of of the game for a while. Arona injured
his rib fighting Guy Mezger and has not been able to compete
since.
The Abu Dhabi champion was forced to step back from PRIDE 17
and PRIDE 18 due to his injury. He attempted to return to training
abit too soon and he felt the injury again, so he decided to
take some time off and rest during the holidays. Finally, Arona
began to feel healthy again and he had an x-ray done last Friday
to check the status of the injury. Fortunately, the results were
positive, and the injury is practically healed! With that Ricardo
told FCF that he is back in training: "The doctor told me
to take easy at first, and then gradually start to get back to
full training. I almost don't feel any pain right now, and the
x-ray's results were very good. I'm already lifting weights and
doing some technical training."
Ricardo Arona is waiting to see how his training develops and
also on a contact from DSE to know if he will fight or not at
PRIDE 19, but he hopes he will be ready to fight by February
22.
Source:
FCF
Website |
Quote
of the Day
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in
moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times
of challenge and controversy."
Martin Luther King Jr., 1929-1968, American Leader, Nobel Prize
Sorry
a day late! |
AFC
Coming Soon!
Amateur
Fighting Competition (AFC)
February 2, 2002
Neil Blaisdell Arena
Fights start at 7:00 PM
Advanced Tickets $25
Ringside Tickets $40
$27 on the day of the event
Tickets available at Tickets Plus at 526-4400
Augie T. will be announcing the event.
The
weight classes are under 200 pounds and 201 pounds and up. The
event will be similar to a toughman so there will be exciting
stand up exchanges.
The weigh-in's will
be a 24-hour Fitness at Pearl Kai on Friday, Feb 1, 2002 at 7:00
PM. Come by to meet the fighter in this inaugural event. This
event may revitalize stand up fighting and the boxing scene in
Hawaii.
The card is full and
Linebred LLC has alternates on standby in the event that fighters
fall out so the fans can be sure of a full fight card. |
UFC
36: Worlds Collide
Friday, March 22, 2002
MGM Grand Garden Arena
Las Vegas, Nevada
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship is pleased to announce the addition
of two more matches to the UFC 36 card.
In
the welterweight division, Sean Sherk will be returning to face
Jutaro Nakao. In his UFC debut, at UFC 30, Sherk defeated Tiki
Ghosen by submission due to an injury suffered on a slam. Jutaro
Nakao knocked out Tony DeSouza at UFC 33 in his debut.
In
the middleweight division, 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Matt
Lindland will face off with former welterweight champion Pat
Miletich. This will be Miletich’s 185-pound debut. In his
last bout at UFC 32, Miletich knocked out Shonie Carter with
a roundhouse kick to the head. Lindland last fought at UFC 34,
defeating Phil Baroni by decision in an all-out war.
The
official card thus far is as follows:
Light
Heavyweight Championship Bout
Tito
Ortiz (champion) vs. Vitor Belfort
Welterweight
Championship Bout
Matt
Hughes (champion) vs. Hayato Sakurai
Heavyweight
Bouts
Pedro
Rizzo vs. TBA
Frank
Mir vs. Pete Williams
Light
Heavyweight Bout
Elvis
Sinosic vs. Evan Tanner
Middleweight
Bout
Matt
Lindland vs. Pat Miletich
Welterweight
Bout
Sean
Sherk vs. Jutaro Nakao
Lightweight
Bout
Matt
Serra vs. Din Thomas |
|
Jason
Gets Black Belt?
It
is rumored that Jason Izaguirre has just received his BJJ black
belt from Royler Gracie in the past day or so. If this is true,
congrats to Jason, he has been training for over 10 years and
is a great guy and a valuable member of the Relson Gracie Academy. |
Jay
R. Palmer says
"I won't fight in NHB anymore."
Jay R. Palmer, who
was one of Hawaii's NHB pioneers, recently told me that he will
not fight in NHB or Pankration matches anymore. This came about
after a recent fight against Jamaal Perkins (808 Fight Factory)
in the Warriors of the New Millenium 4 event in Maui. Palmer
received an illegal knee, which broke two ribs and he could not
continue the match. However, it was questionable if it was the
single knee that broke the ribs or something else, due to the
fact that Perkins was controlling the entire match from the first
bell. The referee discussed it with the promoter and they agreed
to rule it a No Contest. Palmer was upset because he felt that
he should have won the match via disqualification and received
the winner's purse. He told me that he is tired of getting screwed
by promoters and getting paid peanuts to fight. I asked him,
why does he fight for such low pay days? He did not really give
me a good answer to that one. Palmer was a terror when he first
started fighting and claims to have over 70 professional matches
(not all true NHB, some are Tough Man types of matches), but
recently he has been used by promoters as a proving ground to
test promising young fighters. For all that Palmer is or was,
no one can say that Palmer was not a tough competitor. |
|
1/21/02 Happy Martin Luther King Day! |
Quote
of the Day
"Those who believe that they are exclusively in the right
are generally those who achieve something."
Aldous Huxley |
UFC
Sets New Record!
There
was tons of bad press concerning UFC 34, way too many fights
that went to a decision, what a bad way to start out the first
event in Las Vegas. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
The UFC did set a record in attendence with 7,238 totalling a
gate (biz talk for money generated by ticket sales) of $816,660
approximately.
Well, UFC 35 had some great fights with two titles on the line.
One champ kept his title (at the expense of Hawaii fans) and
one champ was dethroned. Fightworld reported that UFC 35: Throw
Down in Conneticut broke the previously set record with an attendence
of over 8,700 totaling approximately $980,000 in gross ticket
sales. This makes UFC 35 the largest gate in US history for MMA.
Congrats Zuffa & the UFC!
Source: Fightworld |
Rockson
Remembered by Yori Nakamura
The
Global Training Report (GTR) just added the personal rememberence
of Rickson's eldest son by Yori Nakamura. For those who are unfamiliar
with Mr. Nakamura, he is a Shooto Champion and one of the first,
if not the first, to get a full instructor certification in Shoot
Fighting from Satoru Sayama (Tiger Mask). It is a touching piece
and offers insight into a number of seemingly isolated incidents
like Rickson's near defeat by Sergio Penha and Rockson on a person
level. Check it out:
GTR update January 21, 2002
Remembering
Rockson
http://www.geocities.com/global_training_report/rockson.htm
|
Lighter
Fluid on the fire
For
those of you that have been following the situation at the main
academy, you know how much this has been eating away at all of
us. On a personal note, one person is more stupid than I thought
and seems to think that the main academy staying open is going
against our wishes. We DO NOT want the main academy to close
its doors. From the first post and the beginning, we just wanted
to make a statement of our disgust with the current situation.
At the very least, we wanted everyone to continue to come to
the main academy and use the mats to practice drills, work on
techniques or just spar. It was never our intent to totally shut
down the academy and never will.
To prove this, I went to the academy on Friday night to free
train, which coincides with my normal training schedule. I am
ALWAYS there Mondays and Fridays, unless something comes up.
I should not be surprised by the ignorance of one, but when I
heard that my being there was taken as the giving up of our position
and standards, I had to laugh. I, along with a lot of others,
are firm in our beliefs and are doing what we believe is in the
best interests in the academy in the long run. We are sacrificing
now for a better tomorrow.
-
Chris
|
What
it is to be among the warrior class
I
stumbled upon J.T. Taylor's Oregon Combat site and saw this quote
from Tony Blauer that he had posted. It is extremely insightful,
inspiring and a must read.
"The
warrior class is a unique and rare group. A true warrior does
not concern himself with being a warrior. He just is one. Truth,
honor, loyalty and integrity are the cornerstone virtues of a
true warrior. Some people are born warriors; others are born
to be warriors. Both groups must strive to embody these virtues
through right action, courses, tenacity and iron will in the
face of temptation, especially in a society as violent, corrupt
and morally anorexic as the one we live in today. It is said
that when the student is ready the teacher appears... this is
true in many respects, but I know that I consider myself a student
always and that I embrace change - I am always willing to give
up who I am today for who I may become tomorrow. Believe in yourself.
Believe in change. Choose your path carefully."
Tony Blauer
|
|
SUSUMU'S
GALLERY:
Susumu's
Gallery had added 12 photos of UFC 35 held on January 11th and
Deep held on December 23rd.
Here
in Japan, Rings has vanished and some excellent fighters who
belonged to it like Kanehara or T. K. are assumed to participate
in Pride. Tamura who left Rings before this time will fight Vanderei
Silva.
This
situation is considered to be very good for Pride because they
have been worried the shortage of Japanese fighters after Sakuraba
and Fujita's injury. Also Pancrase fighters will be in Pride
soon.
In
this way, the trends of integrated martial arts in Japan are
all for Pride.
Please
enjoy.
Susumu's
Gallery: http://come.to/susumu |
Quote
of the Day
"Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness
is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving
is the following of that impulse."
Henry Van Dyke, 1852--1933, American Protestant Clergyman and
Writer
|
Huge
Hawaii MMA News
Promoters
look for stars in
'Return of the Heavyweights'
Pomoters
T. Jay Thompson and Monte Cox have announced the co-promotion
of a 3-part mega event that will conclude with a 2-day, 16-fighter
heavyweight elimination tournament in Honolulu.
"Return of the Heavyweights" is the largest Grand Prix
Tournament event in U.S. history. Including two 8-fighter qualifying
events -- scheduled Feb. 16 in Des Moines, Iowa, and March 16
in Orem, Utah -- up to 32 competitors will take part in the tourney.
The 16-fighter finale is set for April 25-26 at the Blaisdell
Arena.
The event will be presented by Full Contact Fighter, and will
certainly draw the attention of event promoters everywhere, including
the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the sport's most prestigeous
event in the U.S.
"Monte's and T.Jay's shows have discovered many young fighters
who have gone on to become big stars," said Joe Silva, UFC
vice president of talent relations. "I am looking forward
to seeing who wins this tournament. I am always looking for new,
talented heavyweight fighters."
In addition to providing exposure to UFC officials, the tourney
also offers a premium payday for the up-and-coming heavyweights.
The Grand Prix winner will receive $10,000 and the runnerup will
earn $2,500... not to mention exposure in Full Contact Fighter's
magazine and television show.
The heavyweight tourney is nothing new for Thompson, who promotes
Super Brawl events and produced one of the most exciting 8-man
events of time a year ago. In that event, six of the eight fighters
went on to compete in either the UFC, Pride or both. Those fighters
include: Josh Barnett, Travis Fulton, Heath Herring, Bobby Hoffman,
John Marsh and Ricco Rodriguez.
"After such an amazing tourney, we knew it would be tough
to duplicate it," Thompson said. "So, we decided to
double it... and spread it out over two days and find out once
again who are the biggest young heavyweights in the world."
Anticipating a long list of fighters wishing to take part in
the event, promoters decided to hold the two qualifying events.
In each of those tournaments, the winner and runnerup will earn
$2,000 and $1,000, respectively, and spots (all expenses paid)
in the final 16-man bracket. The other 12 fighters will be chosen
on their own merits.
Fighters interested in either the Feb. 16 event in Des Moines,
or the March 16 event in Orem, Utah, should contact Cox at Fiteiowa@aol.com or call (563) 332-2075.
Fighters interested in the 16-man finale should contact Thompson
at superbrawl@hawaii.rr.com or call (808) 524-6062.
|
WARRIORS
QUEST UPDATE
On
behalf of Warriors Quest, I have felt the need to make a statement
in order to clear up a couple of rumors that have been circulated
recently. Warriors Quest is NOT in financial trouble! We are
STRONGER than ever and you will see it in our next card. You
can look forward to a lot of new, explosive talent from Hawaii
as well as from the U.S. mainland and internationally. We have
searched the world for the best opponent for Ray "Bradda"
Cooper who will be defending his title that night. The match
between "Cabbage" Correira and Malcolm Ahlo is CANCELLED.
Cabbage's management pulled him out of Warriors Quest. Last but
not least, Hawaiian champion, Kawika Pa'aluhi makes his long
awaited return to the ring and has his sights set on the vacant
Warriors Quest Light Heavyweight Championship.
Brennan
Kamaka, Warriors Quest promoter
|
Arnold-World
Gracie Championships
Major Announcements
for the upcoming Arnold-World Gracie Championships:
John Cooper contacted
us and he was so excited that he almost couldn't speak. He had
spoken with the powers that be and he was told that the Arnold-World
Gracie Championships are going to be even better than he thought.
News #1: There will
be a Gracie Brothers Seminar on Friday February 22nd from 7:00
PM on in which not one, not two, not three but four of Helio
Gracie's sons are going to be teaming up to teach. Royler Gracie
along with brothers Relson, Rolker & Robin are going to be
showing everything there is to know about BJJ and more in this
one session. No need to mention the accomplishments of them,
but for those who don't know, Robin, who has been living in Spain
for the last few years, is a wizard of leg and foot locks so
expect the unexpected from this incredible seminar!
News #2: Grandmaster
Helio Gracie is all but confirmed his presence this year. Grandmaster
Helio will be bringing grandson Ryron for a challenge match:
A no time limits sports match against a top level Brown Belt
who accepts the challenge!
News # 3: Robin Gracie
will be competing in the No-Gi division against other top competitors.
Additional competitors for the No-Gi: returning Champion Vitor
"Shaolin" Ribeiro, Roger Neff and the Ruas Vale Tudo
Team featuring "Cacareco"!
News#4: Teams participating
in the Gi divisions: Already confirmed are Pedro Sauer Team,
Boca Black Belts, Silveira Brothers, Marcio Simas and Brazilian
Top Team. More names will be released soon.
For more information
on this great Tournament go to www.gracieworlds.com |
Pride
Rumors
Apparently
a working agreement is developing between Naoto Morishita, PRIDE
's promoter, and Masami Ozaki of Pancrase. There have been rumors
over the last few months that there could be a cross-promotion
involving fighters from Pancrase and PRIDE. Japanese insiders
feel this would enable higher-profile Japanese fights with more
drawing power in the land of the Rising Sun.
Talks
of Yuki Kondo, Sinae Kikuta and Ikuhisa Minowa entering into
PRIDE have become serious and looks to be close to a done deal.
PRIDE
promoters are looking for someone to fill the drawing power of
Naoya Ogawa, Kazayuki Fujita (out of action for several months)
and Kazushi Sakuraba (also on the injured list due to the broken
shoulder).
Kikuta
is probably the strongest drawing card coming off his "Wrestler
of the Year" award and Minowa can also be considered a "star"
caliber fighter. Makes for interesting matches if these three
are brought in.
Interesting
note on the Enson Inoue vs. Vanderlei Silva fight. Pride asked
Inoue to fight Nougiera but he insisted on fighting Silva. They
are also talking about Alex Steibling vs Murilo Ninja as well
as Bas Rutten vs. Vanderlei Silva (this may take a while). More
details in the weeks to come.
Source: Abu
Dhabi |
Quote
of the Day
"A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally
unknown to us."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery 1900-1944, French Aviator, Writer |
|
UFC
36: TIX ON SALE!!!
LAS
VEGAS, January 16, 2001… Tickets, $300, $200, $100, $60
and $30, go on sale Saturday, Jan. 19 at the MGM Grand Garden
Arena box office in Las Vegas, at all Ticket Master outlets,
by calling 702-474-4000 or at www.Ticketmaster.com for the all-new
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s UFC: Worlds Collide, Friday,
March 22, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
The
main event will be the long-awaited light heavyweight title bout
between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz (10-2-0 in
Mixed Martial Arts) of Huntington Beach, Calif., and top contender
Vitor Belfort (10-2-0) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fight had
been scheduled Sept. 28 at UFC: Victory In Vegas, but Belfort
was forced to withdraw due to an elbow injury in training. Ortiz
defended his title for the fourth time at UFC: Victory In Vegas
with a unanimous, five-round decision over Vladimir Matyushenko.
The
co-feature will be a welterweight championship bout. Welterweight
champion Matt Hughes (25-3-0) of Hillsboro, Ill., will defend
his belt for the first time against top ranked Japanese legend
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (16-1-2).
UFC:
Worlds Collide will be available on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish
Network, Cablevision, Bell ExpressVu and Viewer’s Choice
Canada pay-per-view at
10
p.m. EST\7 p.m. PST. The suggested retail price will be $29.95.
In
a heavyweight match, UFC veteran Pete Williams (8-4-0) of San
Diego, Calif., will meet new UFC fan favorite Frank Mir (3-0-0)
of Las Vegas, Nev., and in light heavyweight action, Evan Tanner
(6-1-0) of Gresham, Ore., will meet popular Sydney, Australia,
native Elvis Sinosic (4-4-1). Additional bouts will be announced.
UFC:
Worlds Collide Tix On Sale
A
two-time California State wrestling champion in junior college,
Ortiz got his first taste of the UFC thanks to his high school
wrestling coach, Paul Herrera. Herrera introduced Ortiz to Tank
Abbott, who needed a sparring partner. The rest is history.
On
April 14, 2000, in Tokyo, Japan, Ortiz faced the highly regarded
Brazilian fighter, Vanderlei Silva, for the vacant UFC world
middleweight championship. The UFC: Ultimate Japan 3 match featured
several heated exchanges. Ortiz’s takedowns and ground control
earned him a unanimous decision and the middleweight title following
25 minutes of intense action.
At
UFC: Battle On The Boardwalk on Feb. 23, 2001, Ortiz battled
Tanner at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. They tied
up immediately in the biggest fight of the evening. Ortiz got
inside on Tanner, wrapped him up, elevated him and slammed him
to the floor. The impact was enough to knock Tanner out, but
Ortiz made sure his opponent was finished. He landed two solid
punches to the head before referee John McCarthy stopped the
fight just 30 seconds in. Ortiz remained the UFC middleweight
champion.
Ortiz
is now recognized as the UFC light heavyweight champion due to
the restructuring of weight classes after UFC 30. He successfully
defended his belt with a technical knockout in the first round
of a bout against Sinosic at UFC: Showdown in the Meadowlands.
At
UFC: Victory in Vegas, due to Belfort’s late injury, Ortiz
had less than two weeks to prepare for Matyushenko. Given all
the odds stacked against him, Ortiz dominated Matyushenko from
beginning to end, winning a five-round unanimous decision.
Belfort
is a six-time UFC veteran, despite being only 23. His fists of
fury dazzled fans when he first appeared at UFC: Judgement Day,
a four-man heavyweight tournament. First, he defeated Lion’s
Den fighter Tra Telligman by verbal submission from strikes at
1:18. In the finals, Belfort defeated Scott Ferrozzo, a 300-plus-pound
behemoth, in less than one minute when the referee stopped the
contest due to punches. Belfort returned at UFC: The Ultimate
Force to take on well-known brawler/puncher Abbott. Belfort dispatched
him in 53 seconds, again by referee stoppage due to punches.
At
UFC: Collision Course, Belfort faced wrestling standout and current
UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture. The fighters battled
for more than eight minutes before the referee stopped the contest
and awarded Couture the win due to knees and punches.
Two
months later, Belfort returned at UFC: Ultimate Japan I. He defeated
judo practitioner Joe Charles by arm bar to get back on the winning
path. Belfort then fought in his homeland at UFC: Ultimate Brazil.
He destroyed highly regarded striker Silva in just 44 seconds
by referee stoppage due to punches.
Hughes
won the UFC welterweight championship at UFC: High Voltage on
November 2, at the MGM Grand. He defeated then-champion Carlos
Newton with a stunning knockout. Newton attempted to end the
fight with a triangle choke. Hughes scooped him up off the ground
and slammed him to the mat, rendering Newton unconscious.
"Mach"
Sakurai is one of the greatest lightweight fighters ever. With
a record of 16-1-2 overall in MMA, he has victories over UFC
veterans Caol Uno, Jutaro Nakao, Marcelo Aguiar, wrestling standout
Frank Trigg, and jiu-jitsu world champion Haroldo Bunn. Fans
have long-awaited his debut in the Octagon.
Wiliams
is a seven-time veteran, known for one of the most memorable
knockouts in UFC history. At UFC: Redemption, he knocked out
Mark "The Hammer" Coleman with a roundhouse kick to
the head.
Mir,
a popular Las Vegas native, made his UFC debut at UFC: High Voltage
on November 2. He submitted previously undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu
black belt and former world champion Roberto Traven with an arm
bar in just over a minute.
Tanner
comes into UFC: Worlds Collide hot off an impressive submission
victory at UFC: High Voltage. He defeated wrestler Homer Moore
by arm bar submission in the second round of a light heavyweight
preliminary bout. Tanner is 4-1-0 in the UFC, with two knockouts
and two submissions.
Australian
Sinosic makes his long-awaited return to the UFC after nine months.
His last bout was at UFC: Showdown in the Meadowlands, where
he took on Ortiz. Sinosic put up a fierce struggle, but could
not dethrone the champ. In his UFC debut at UFC: Battle on the
Boardwalk, Sinosic quickly submitted number-one contender Jeremy
Horn with an arm bar in the first round.
Source:
Josh Hedges, jhedges@ufc.tv |
|
Super
Brawl Tonight on K5
Check
out past Super Brawl action on K5 (Channel 5) at about 1:00 am! |
|
PRIDE
19: More on Newton-Pele!
ADCC
Brazil just got an e-mail from Mr. Koichi "Booker K"
Kawasaki regarding the status of the reported match between Carlos
Newton and Pele Landi. Although our sources are very reliable,
Kawasaki stated that the match is not confirmed.
DSE
is well known for presenting some dream matches and last minute
surprises. Many changes occur seemingly at the last minute! Many
may recall that Rodrigo Gracie was in the line for a chance to
fight Carlos Newton this PRIDE, and our sources told us that
negotiations went in another direction! Word is there are more
surprises on the way from PRIDE!
ADCC
Brazil would like to thank Kawasaki for staying tuned with our
news and for helping to make the news more accurate.
Source:
Abu Dhabi |
Quote
of the Day
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming
over the net, you can be sure I want the ball."
Billie Jean King, 1943-, American Tennis Player |
|
PRIDE
19 'BAD BLOOD' - More News
It
is confirmed! Jose Pele Landi of Chute Boxe fame is scheduled
to face Carlos Newton in the next PRIDE on February 24th in Saitama
Arena. The word last week was that Newton, who is a former UFC
champion would face Rodrigo Gracie in Gracie's MMA debut in Japan
but this turned in another direction. We received confirmation
that Pele will be the opponent for Newton as both fighters fulfill
their last fights on their current Pride contracts.
UFC
and PRIDE seem to be working well together,as it seems both organizations
unofficially agreed that while Newton was holding the UFC belt
he would not fight in PRIDE. Now that he's no longer the UFC
welterweight champion he will fulfill his contract with DSE PRIDE
and wait for a chance to rematch Matt Hughes or to face Hayato
Sakurai in UFC later in 2002.
Source: Abu
Dhabi |
|
MMA
and the Entertainment World
On the People's Choice
Awards last night, many were caught off guard as a former UFC
champion appeared. During the opening sequence of events, host
Kevin James (King of Queens star) was going through his monolog
when a "fan" asked for an autograph (obviously a plant
in the crowd).
James signed the autograph
and said "it's all about the people...keep the people happy."
Then, a man popped
up and introduced a familiar face. "This is Ultimate Fighting
Champion Bas Rutten and he wants to try and new submission hold
out on you". Bas stripped down to his fighting shorts and
King of Pancrase belt to slap an armlock on James who 'sold'
the move. Quite interesting to see an MMA fighter on a high-profile
event such as the People's Choice Awards!
On the same night,
the highly acclaimed series "OZ" on HBO had it's second
episode of the season. UFC judge, Douglas Crosby, is a regular
on the series playing a prison guard and can be seen throughout
the series. The most bizarre thing on OZ last night was a "Full
Contact Fighter" shirt being worn by a prisoner during one
of the prison fights last night.
In the past, John
Perretti, Jeff Blatnick, Pat Miletich, Randy Couture and other
UFC greats have made appearances as well.
Source: Abu Dhabi |
WFA
SPOTLIGHT:
SHONIE "Mr. International" CARTER
Team: Shidokan Karate
Height: 5’9 Weight: 169 lbs. DOB: May 3, 1972
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Fighting Style: wrestling, judo, karate, jiu-jitsu
MMA Record: 56-6-6 Manager: Tommy Rojas
Trainer: Eddie Yoshimura, Rolando Higueros, Brian Gassaway, John
Welch
Strengths: versatility
Titles/Awards: Shidokan Team
USA Middleweight Title, Extreme Challenge Lightweight Champion,
Collegiate All-American Wrestling, ’96 Greco-Roman Wrestling
Olympic Trials
Fighter’s Web Site: www.Shonievizion.com
Tell us about the fight scene
in Chicago. Are there a lot of places to train and get ring time?
Yeah. Chicago is primarily a boxing city. There are definitely
places for boxing and kickboxing. There’s also different
colleges for wrestling.
Are there places where you can
go to learn integrated MMA? You can go to different schools to
learn but there’s no mixed martial events right now because
its currently against the law.
What got you started in MMA?
It was something I felt was a challenge. As a wrestler, I always
felt there was something I could learn from it but I didn’t
think there was more out there so I could keep going on. I found
the situation of being a fighter and working out with the martial
arts. Originally it was judo, then I studied a Japanese form
of jiu-jitsu called "sugar thai jiu-jitsu." I left
Tennessee and came to Chicago and started to further my studies
there, especially with jiu-jitsu.
You compete in everything from
kickboxing to san shou to Shidokan. Why the diversity? The "Y2K"
mixed martial artist has to be versed in every aspect of the
fight. As we all know, when the first ultimate fighting came
out, it pitted single-style mentality artists against one another-
like karate versus kung-fu. Those that had a knowledge of the
ground game did well because about 90 to 95% of your fights end
up on the ground. For me, I understood that I had to study and
compete in as many martial arts because it would build a stronger
base for me. I don’t just study in the many styles, I compete
in the many mixed martial arts. It helps me to be a stronger,
more well rounded fighter.
Who has been your toughest opponent?
In mixed martial arts, I have a top three or five that come into
my head. One was Takafumi Ito from Japan. That was my first pancrase
fight. Then there was Dave Menne who I fought twice. I got a
split decision and draw with him. Then Kuima Kinioki, also from
Pancrase. Matt Serra, and also Pat Miletich.
Is there one of those guys that
stands ahead of the others as the toughest opponent? I’d
have to say the Dave Menne bell is ringing the loudest. The first
time I fought Dave early in my career, it wasn’t like I
had a lot of experience in the mixed martial arts, so I relied
mostly on my wrestling. The second time we fought we were both
more apt in the MMA game. At that time in our division, the guys
under me had to fight Dave first to get to my title. To see him
now winning in Saudi Arabia and getting the UFC title, makes
me proud to say I fought him to a draw.
Thoughts on the WFA? This is
my first time competing in the organization and I think it’s
great that there is more than one kid on the block giving mixed
martial artists a chance to compete. Being that I didn’t
get my chance to fight in Vegas with my time in the UFC, I think
its great there is one more venue now. I really dig this whole
"fight club meets night club" feel because I am a bit
of a party animal and I think it will be cool to mix the two
together. I think they’ll produce a really good show. This
is what American audiences want. And I’ll get to party-
win, lose or draw- after my fight.
You made a huge impression on
the public with your time spent in the UFC. I would like to clear
the air about that a little bit. It was said that I was fired
from the UFC. I was released from my contract because I took
a fight in san shou kickboxing with Cung Lee. I took the fight
as a charity event. They dropped me from the show in January
because of this charity event. It was 28 days from my UFC fight
and everybody thought I would be hurt. I wasn’t hurt though
and I was willing to fight Gil Castillo. They weren’t going
to have me fight in January and I make my living as a fighter.
They wanted me to be exclusive. Well, I’m not making enough
money to be exclusive. I have no ill feeling toward them and
as long as they have me fighting, I’m willing to not fight
somewhere else. But I’m not making enough money to fight
exclusively with anybody. The opportunity for a fighter, as we
all know, is a window that is open only so long and because my
last name is not "Gracie" or "Shamrock" or
whatever, I just don’t make that type of money. When I’m
retired from fighting, whether I make my mark or my money, they
will still be making money. If they want me to be exclusive,
they have to compensate me more for this.
Did you ask to be released from
your contract? I never asked to be released but when they did
release me, I asked if this was under terms where I would ever
be able to compete in the UFC again. They were very inconclusive.
I’m not going to beg anybody to fight for them. I enjoyed
my time with the UFC when I was with them. If they ask me back,
I would be more than willing to fight for them. But like I said,
I’m not going to beg anybody. I’m not going to cry
over it but if that’s the way they feel about it, that’s
their choice. I fight for the WFA. I fight for the Shidokan organization.
I have been asked by Shidokan Karate to compete in kickboxing
in Japan, which has been one of my dreams. I respect the UFC
and I’m glad they’re doing as well as they are. If
they want me back, they’ll have to come to terms with me.
But there are no hard feelings on my part. I can understand why
they were mad that I’m competing in a show that is one of
their rivals, but I have to look at it from my perspective. I’m
the one paying my bills. I’m not the owner of a nightclub
or ten different casinos, and the money I was going to make was
not going to suffice. If anybody wants me to be exclusive, I
have to make money off of that one fight so I don’t have
to go to others. Every fight I choose I treat like my last because
a detached retina or a severe concussion can end my career and
then what will be left for me?- other than the belt I’ve
got around my waist or the medals or trophies or certificates.
These things don’t pay the bills or put money in my pocket.
So, I’ve adopted the policy that I don’t do exclusive
deals unless its financially sound enough for me to do so.
The WFA might be a nice fit
for you. I am really appreciative that they came forward with
interest in me. After losing in the UFC and then turning around
and winning in the Shidokan, I have a fear of becoming one of
those fighters known for the quantity of their fights and not
necessarily the quality of them. I’m diverse. I’m not
just competing in MMA. I am sanctioned to box in New Jersey,
California, and Las Vegas. I can do whatever I want. That’s
the way I am.
What are you like right before
a fight. Nervous? Irritable? Any pre-fight rituals? I’m
very laid back now. I think in this time and age, the more experienced
you are the more of a commodity it is. I’ve had over 100
fights, not just in MMA, but my MMA record is 56-6-6. By that
alone, I’m relaxed.
What are your thoughts on your
last MMA fight against Pat Miletich? He was the better man that
time. I will say that never again will I be lethargic about fighting.
I was going through some things at home but I’m not going
to give that as the reason I lost. My training wasn’t right
but the fact is that no matter what, I am an experienced veteran
of MMA. I’d fought Pat previously and that had made it an
even more dangerous match. As far as that goes, he beat me that
time, but never again will I be in a situation where I was before.
What’s your plan of attack
for Frank Trigg? I treat it like a tough fight because he’s
a really good wrestler. He comes out of the RAW team. I heard
he’s really aggressive, really explosive- things that I
would expect of a wrestler. I’m sure that he’s watched
more footage of me than I of him. Just like Matt Serra, up till
the day of our fight, I had no idea what he looked like. I’ve
heard Frank has fought in Pride and he lost one fight to Sakurai.
That he’s lost to one of the top contenders below the UFC
champion is nothing to take lightly. I assume he must be a good
wrestler if he was able to make the cross over to MMA. Somebody
like that I treat as a tough fight, and I treat it like my last
fight because anything can happen on any given day.
If you could meet any celebrity,
who would it be? Are you sure they wouldn’t want to meet
me? Wow...I guess either Muhammad Ali or Roy Jones Jr. Because
100% of the time they exemplify what it is to a be a true champ.
I like Roy’s athleticism and showmanship and the fact that
he doesn’t take any crap from people. As far as Ali, a lot
of people may not agree with the decisions he has made but the
fact remains he is the most popular athlete in the world-even
two decades into retirement! I understand both of them because
they are athletes in the purest form like myself. I could learn
so much from Roy as a fighter. He is such a hard worker and has
such determination and tenacity. Both those fighters remind me
most of myself.
What has been the best moment
in your fight career thus far? From a personal side, winning
the Shidokan on December 4th. I remember being in it and thinking
‘no freakin way will I ever do something like this’
even though I had a working knowledge of it. Especially since
the guy I beat in the finals had knocked me out in Florida. That
was the most rewarding experience.
Richard Roundtree as "Shaft"
or Samuel Jackson as "Shaft." Which one would give
the man who perfected the "spinning bitch slap" a harder
time in the cage? I’m gonna have to go with Roundtree. They
both have strong cases though. Jackson carries himself as the
consummate professional and he’s a ladies man and all that.
Roundtree would get in your face and take no shit immediately.
He would give me more of a run for my money.
Any words for the fans? First
of all, I’m glad I’ve been given another opportunity
to compete. I can’t wait for the fighters that are deserving
of a chance to get one- Brian Gassaway, Rolando Higuero and a
lot of guys I see on the Midwest circuit. I’m not the only
bad ass guy in Chicago but maybe because I’m more flamboyant
I’m noticed more. I hope they get as much of a chance to
showcase their talents as I have.
Source: The Event Promoter |
Quote
of the Day
"Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may
be defeated, but they start a winning game."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
|
2002
BJJ Pan Am Dates are Confirmed:
Kid
has just received confirmation directly from the CBJJ, that the
2002 Pan Ams is scheduled for March 23 & 24, in Kissimmee,
Florida. The weigh ins are set for Friday March 22nd. The event
will take place at the same Arena as the last two years and registration
is already open for fighters living outside Brazil at the CBJJ
Website.
This
year, without the prospect of an ADCC World Submission event,
you can anticipate that some pretty big names may be willing
to make an appearance in Florida for the coveted Pan Am Title.
As the Pan Ams have been the preview of stardom, with Saulo Ribeiro,
"Nino" Schembri and "Margarida" Pontes, amongst
others serving notice of their arrival in the past, the big question
must be: Who is next ? ? ?
Good
luck to all competitors!
Source: Abu Dhabi |
Jhun
Out of WFA Main Event
I
heard this rumor about four days ago or so and it seems to be
coming to reality. I heard it that Monte Cox, who manages Andre,
stated that if Ron loses in Shooto, their match would be called
off. I can see his point because, whether there was controversy
regarding an early stoppage or not, Jermaine Andre was the winner
of their first fight. He did not have to give Jhun a rematch.
As stated in the news earlier this week, Jhun did lose his Shooto
match so his WFA match is supposedly off.
The
main event of Jermaine "Bam Bam" Andre against Ron
"The Machine Gun" Jhun may be on the brink for the
WFA show scheduled for 2/2/2002.
According
to Andre's manager Monte Cox, they took the rematch not because
Andre wanted it, but because Jon Lewis and/or Jhun's camp wanted
it.
"We
agreed to do a rematch with Jhun not because we have anything
to gain or prove, but because Lewis wanted it and it was going
to be for the title. When I saw Jhun was also fighting in Shooto,
I called Lewis and he was surprised. I told him, if Jhun loses,
it makes 2 losses in a row and we have zero to gain from fighting
him" said Cox on the Underground today.
"Lewis
agreed, saying his contract prevented the fight in SHOOTO. Apparently,
in the end, Jhun signed with SHOOTO first, so the WFA had to
allow the fight. The WFA told the Jhun camp that if he lost,
he was out. He then told us the same thing" said Cox.
While
it will be difficult in pulling in a last-minute replacement
for Jhun, rest assured that Jon Lewis is working on it!
Don't
forget the other fights on the show that could easily be crowd-pleasing
main events.
Duane
"Bang" Ludwig, one of the hardest hitting strikers
in the game, will face Aaron Riley, another of the sport's rising
young fighters who's willing to trade with anyone on the planet.
Frank Trigg, always puts on a topnotch performance, will take
on the crafty Shonie Carter. Yves Edwards vs. Vitor "Shaolin"
Ribiero and tons more!
The
card is approaching quickly and is sure to get interesting. Keep
reading ADCC news for the latest info.
Source: Abu
Dhabi |
|
Belfort
in Soap Opera
As
stated in the UFC, Vitor Belfort is supposedly in a Brazilian
Soap Opera. Here is a story from Abu Dhabi that details his role.
Carlson
Gracie Sr., Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros and Vítor
Belfort Starring in Top Brazilian Soap-Opera
As
reported here by everyone's Jiu Jitsu 'uncle' Kid Peligro about
1 month ago, the most important Submission event in the world
was noticed by a popular Brazilian channel. A Soap-Opera on Brazilian
TV called "O Clone" focused the story around actor
Marcello Novaes - "Xande" on the soap opera - who was
challenging to fight the Brazilian NHB star Vítor Belfort
under ADCC grappling rules!
The
fight occurred in a cage, like the first UFC events. Building
up to the match, Xande refused to fight Belfort because he had
seen Belfort training and thought it'd be impossible to win.
But Xande was motivated by his coach Miro (actor Raul Gazolla),
who was always speaking about how great the ADCC tournament is.
Xande accepts this challenge and steps up into the cage to fight
against Belfort. The referee was none other than "Comprido"
Medeiros. During the match Belfort dominates all the action,
taking Xande down and getting a huge suplex. Belfort works to
the back and tries a rear naked choke.
Observers
thought a big comeback for Xande might be in the script, but
things took a comedic turn Xande's mother, who was watching the
fight from the crowd, invades the octagon and with sandal in
fist starts pounding on Belfort's head. A frightened "Comprido"
couldn't impede her! Xande is disqualified, but don't worry a
rematch is in the works, with Xande rumored to be trained by
none other than Carlson Gracie Sr.
Regardless
of who will be Xande's coach, I pick Xande to win the next one. |
KING
OF THE CAGE 12
Action-packed, "no-holds-barred" competition
Saturday, February 9, 2002
7:00pm Soboba Casino
San Jacinto, California
HAPPY
NEW YEAR, KING OF THE CAGE STYLE!
Hosted by Eddie Bravo and Richard Norton, "King of the Cage
12" will start your new year off with a BANG!
See
13 total matches all together including hard-hitting 350-pound
Dan Bobish versus 340-pound wrecking machine, "Big"
Eric Pele as both giants battle it out for the vacant KOTC Heavyweight
Championship Belt. See Jiu-Jitsu superstar Dean Lister versus
stud fighter Jacen Flynn in the long awaited rematch from KOTC
"Wet n' Wild." There's also the "little giants"
as Charlie Valencia takes on David Velasquez for the newly formed
KOTC Featherweight Championship Belt.
Also
scheduled on the card---Combat Grappling's big man Jason Lambert,
"King of the Cage" veteran Betiss "Super"
Mansouri, fan-favorite Mike "The Rhino" Bourke, wrestling
phenom Joe Stevenson, Pride/KOTC veteran Shannon "The Cannon"
Ritch, and the ever entertaining Charles "Krazy Horse"
Bennet.
There
is no better way to start your year than with some hardcore mixed
martial arts action! This is the year of "King of the Cage"!
From: Team King of the Cage
GET
YOUR TICKETS NOW!
For ticket info call Soboba Casino at 909-654-2883
FIGHT
CARD
MAIN
EVENT FIGHTS
UNL. KOTC Heavy Wt. Championship Match
Eric Pele
Skip Kelp / Lewis JJ
vs.
Dan Bobish
Danger Zone
205 lbs.
Dean Lister
Fabio Santos / City Boxing
vs.
Jacen Flynn
Pat Miletich NHB
140 lbs.
KOTC Feather Wt. Championship Match
Charlie Valencia
Submission Factory
vs.
Dave Valasques
Extreme Sports
FEATURE FIGHTS
UNL. Jason Lambert
William's Combat Grappling
vs.
Jason Jones
RAW / Machado Jiu-Jitsu
UNL. Mike Bourke
Mollen Kramer Judo
vs.
Aaron Brink
Team Machine
180 lbs.
Shannon Ritch
Freestyle
vs.
Betiss Mansouri
Mansouri Combat Grappling
175 lbs.
John Alessio
Bad Seed Inc.
vs.
John Chrisostomo
Kamaka / Jhun
165 lbs. Joe Stevenson
William's Combat Grappling
vs.
Jerry Gummo
Team Bulldog
UNDERCARD FIGHTS
175 lbs.
Fernando Vasconcelos
RAW
vs.
Naassor Lewis
Kamaka / Jhun
200 lbs.
Paul Zilicius
Combat Grappling
vs.
John Hosegood
Team Cordeiro
170 lbs.
Thomas Denny
Wildman NHB
vs.
Ray Porales
Primal Tribe
160 lbs.
Brian Warren
Shark Tank
vs.
Tracy Hess
Next Generation
160 lbs.
Charles Bennet
Team Cordeiro
vs.
Randy Velarde
Millennia Jiu Jitsu
|
WFA
SPOTLIGHT:
FRANK "Twinkle Toes" TRIGG
Team: RAW Team
Height: 5’10 Weight: 170 DOB: May 7, 1972
Hometown: El Segundo, CA Fighting Style: RAW Wrestling
MMA Record: 7-1
Manager: Reality Management- Lou and Rico Chiapparelli
Trainer: Rico Chiapparelli
Strengths: "excellent corner"
Fighter’s Web Site: www.franktrigg.com
How did you get into mixed martial
arts? Money. I was actually taking judo, working my way towards
my black belt. I was wrestling as well- I still do. I haven’t
stopped through all this madness. My judo instructor asked me
if I wanted to make a couple hundred bucks beating some guys
up. I said ‘Sure. What do I have to do?’ So I went
down to this tournament down in Dallas, beat up a couple of guys,
and made a couple of hundred bucks. I had wrestled and coached
at the University of Oklahoma. I went back to training for wrestling.
Maybe a month or so later, someone else asked me if I wanted
to fight a couple of fights for a couple of hundred bucks. I
said ‘Sure’ and went down to Amarillo. I fought in
the USWF and won that tournament. I started fighting in and around
Colorado and Texas. I did a bunch of fights all over the place
till I had about 24 fights or so. Then, Lou and Rico Chiapparelli
asked me if I wanted to join the RAW Team. At that point, every
wrestler that was fighting was on the RAW Team. By default, you
have to go where the rest of your brothers are going so I joined
the team.
Why are you called "Twinkle
Toes?" I don’t know when Twinkle Toes started. It’s
something Lou came up with maybe three or four years ago. I was
in Japan fighting with a bunch of other RAW guys. Lou says a
fan came up to him and couldn’t tell him which guy she liked
the best. He kept asking her but she couldn’t make the translation.
Finally, she said ‘the one with the twinkle toes’ and
it stuck.
When did you start painting
your toenails? Do you do them yourself or get them professionally
done? My wife paints my toenails. I started painting them in
1995. My wife is an athletic trainer for the University of Oklahoma
and she got tired of having to fix my ingrown toenails. I would
go from judo with no shoes to wrestling with shoes and my toenails
were getting jacked up. She put clear polish on them at first
and that didn’t seem to be working as well, so we started
to paint them colors. One day, I walked into the wrestling room
and the guys caught me with my painted toenails. At that point,
you can’t take it off or you’ll get laughed at even
harder, so I left it on. It’s been that way ever since.
Who has been your toughest opponent?
Jean Jacques Machado. The reason I feel he was the toughest is
because anytime I did anything, I always felt like I was in danger
of...I always felt like I was a half step behind him the entire
fight. He never really had anything on me and as I look at the
tape I see I clearly dominated him the entire fight. But, as
I was in the fight, I didn’t feel like I was completely
dominating him. I felt like I had to be very cautious and careful.
Everyone else I have ever fought was relatively easy to pick
apart, to know what they were doing.
What about your fight with Sakurai?
There’s not much to tell. I was kicking the piss out of
him. He throws a "hay maker" to save himself and catches
me behind the ear.
What are your thoughts on the
WFA? I like it. I like the concept. I like the way it’s
run. It’s about time an organization gets run by a fighter
so he can understand what it feels like to be in those back rooms
waiting for your fight to come along. Where the UFC is geared
toward WWF, white trash type people that like that gimmick. The
WFA is geared more towards guys and girls in their late 20’s
and 30’s that like to go to clubs, that like the light show.
I wouldn’t say it’s a more sophisticated crowd but
it’s a crowd that’s willing to spend more money. It’s
a crowd that appreciates the showmanship a lot more. They’re
not afraid to have a good time. You won’t see a fight in
a WFA crowd but they’re still gonna be loud and rambunctious
so the fighters can feed off it. With John Huntington, he runs
these things all over the world with "Club Rubber"
and "Pimp ‘N Ho." I don’t see why they can’t
run it smoothly at the Mandalay Bay so you still have that club
feeling. Through my wrestling, I’ve been in major clubs
all over the world from China to Europe to the Middle East including
Iran and Iraq. I’ve been in big clubs and small clubs. If
you know what you’re doing, you can take a big venue like
the Mandalay Bay and make it into a club scene without losing
it in the size of the place. I have full confidence in John.
I think he’ll be able to give it the same feel even though
there will be three times the amount of people in the joint.
What are you like before a fight?
Nervous? Irritable? Any pre-fight rituals? Not so much rituals
but I’m nervous like any good athlete should be. If you’re
not nervous before a fight, you’re an idiot. The whole point
of fighting is for that rush- that nervous rush you get before
stepping out. I don’t have a ritual so much. I let my trainer
Rico handle my warm-up. I make sure I get enough sleep and enough
to eat the day of the fight. Other than that, I just let myself
go because I know I’ve trained well, so I don’t have
to worry.
Any thoughts on your last fight
with Laverne Clark at WFA I? He wasn’t as good a striker
as I thought he was going to be. I felt a little rusty, but I
hadn’t been in the ring for over a year. [My] shape felt
very good. I’m a high stress "type A" personality
and this fight actually felt like I wasn’t trying to run
through walls the whole time. I picked my punches as I saw them,
used my technique to my advantage, and tried not to use so much
strength. I didn’t feel in trouble at all the entire fight.
I threw him down right away and I was striking him. I let him
slip a little bit looking for some elbows. He got away and then
he shot in a single and gave me the guillotine. So I jump into
the guillotine thinking that he got choked out by Matt Hughes
in the guillotine a couple of months earlier. Of course, I thought
I’d pop him in the guillotine and end it now. I missed it
and ended up on my back with him in my guard trying to see what
he really had as far as punching ability. Now I’m sure I
got hit more because I haven’t seen the tape yet, but I
only remember three or four hits the entire fight. Two of them
were in the first round for sure, one was when I was shooting
in on him and he caught me in the ribs. Then he caught me when
he was in my guard but other than that, that was it. The whole
time that I was underneath, I was saving all my energy and he
was expending his. I was just trying to pick my moment to sweep
him. Basically, the same thing happened in the second round.
There’s no point in trying to defend the takedown the whole
time. It’s not a wrestling match. It’s easier for me
if he wants to take me down. I can play on my back just as well
as anyone else. I feel pretty comfortable there now. I got in
the corner between rounds and Rico asked me how I felt. I said
‘I feel really good. I’m gonna go out there and jump
to the guard and play it on my back again. I'm thinking this
is going to be five five-minute rounds because that’s what
I’ve trained for. But Rico says ‘No, you have to go
and finish it now because this is the last round. There are only
three rounds in this fight.’ So, I had to readjust in between
the second and third round to go ahead and finish it. I was just
having fun. I was playing around out there.
What’s your plan of attack
with Shonie Carter? I don’t have a plan of attack with any
of my opponents. I let the moment handle itself. I have certain
things that I’m gonna go for but what my opponent gives
me is what I take. I can’t say that I don’t, but I
try not to force anything on my opponent. If my opponent wants
me to go to my left, I go to my left. If he wants to get jabbed,
I’m gonna jab him. It just depends on what he gives me.
If he gives me an armbar, then that’s what he’ll get
beat with. If he let’s me use my conditioning and strength
to overpower him, then that’s what I’m going to use.
I have my manager study my opponents. I have complete faith in
Rico and let him measure my opponents. He’ll show me a tape
so I know what he is talking about for the day’s practice.
We’ll go out there and apply it. Given Rico and the way
he was raised in wrestling and his martial arts background, he
likes to say ‘Hey, let’s tell our opponent exactly
what we are going to do. Let’s show him what we’re
gonna do and let’s go out there and do it to him and see
if he can stop it.’ That’s half the fun for me. My
opponent knows I do this. Let’s see if he can stop it. That’s
how you trust in technique and really see which one is superior.
With Shonie, I don’t know him at all. In fact, I’ve
never really heard of the guy. I have no idea who he is and that’s
one of my deals about fighting. I don’t know most of the
fighters. I could care less about them. I don’t know them,
their styles, what they do and to be honest with you, I really
don’t care to. I’m a fighter but I’m not a fight
fan. It’s very strange ‘cause a lot of fighters are
fight fans but I don’t have a clue. I don’t care. I’m
more interested in wrestling. He may be a great guy but I don’t
care. I don’t hate him. I don’t dislike him. He just
happens to be next.
If you could meet any celebrity,
who would you want to meet? I really don’t care. In reality,
with all their money and power they still have to hire guys like
me to protect them. I’m not into celebrities. I just have
more passion for people that show up everyday to workout and
better themselves- people that do physical exertion as opposed
to other things.
Any hobbies besides mixed martial
arts? Politics, reading, business. In general, I’m always
looking for ways to run the business here better. (Frank is a
partner in the RAW training facility and has been with the organization
since 1996.)
The movie "Vision Quest."
Did you like it? I’ve never seen it.
What has been the best moment
in your fight career thus far? Going to Japan. It was one of
the places I always wanted to visit and my fight career has taken
me over there three times so far. They’re [the Japanese]
very nice to me. They’re very nice to my wife. From my standpoint,
they really care about us. I’ve fought with Japan Vale Tudo,
Pride, and Shooto.
Any final words for the fans?
Train more. If you like fighting, go learn more about it. The
reason why boxing, football, and hockey are so successful is
because the fans understand what is going on. It’s the same
thing that hurts wrestling. The people that watch this are a
very small but loyal group and they understand the rules and
what is going on. For all my fans, if you have the time and you’re
in Los Angeles, come down to the RAW gym and find out how fighting
really works. Don’t come out here to get beat up or be a
warrior. Just come out to learn the game and how it’s done.
So when you see a fight, you’ll be more educated about it.
If the fan base can be a bit more educated, it will make the
sport better. If you can’t get to a venue- rent the tapes,
get in on pay-per-view, go to somebody’s house- and do it
legally because the more that is pirated, the less the promoters
make and the less venues we’ll have for the fighters. Go
to your local school and take some classes. Go to local fights
if they have them in your area. If you’re a fight fan, but
you never go watch the fights- it doesn’t help us. You gotta
get out there, so we can be out there to entertain you.
Submitted By: The Event Promoter |
SHOOTO
- TREASURE HUNT
Kitazawa Town Hall January 25th, 2001
COMPLETE
LINEUP:
(Class
B 2 x 5 rounds minutes) - MIDDLEWEIGHT
Yoichi Fukumoto (Wajyutsu Keisyukai) x Akira Kikuchi (K'z FACTORY)
(Class
B 2 x 5 rounds minutes) - BANTAMWEIGHTS
Katsuhisa Akasaki (K'z FACTORY) x Masatoshi Abe (AACC)
(Class
B 2 x 5 rounds minutes) - LIGHTWEIGHT
Akitoshi Tamura (Tanaka Juku) x Jin Kazeta (Philoctetes Niigata)
(Class
B 2 x 5 rounds minutes) - WELTERWEIGHT
Takuto Hida (Impress) x Koutetsu Boku (K'z FACTORY)
(Class
B 2 x 5 rounds minutes) - BANTAMWEIGHT
Toshiteru Ishii (Tiger Place) x Junji Ikoma (Chokushinkai)
(Class
B 2 x 5 rounds minutes) - WELTERWEIGHT
Mitsuo Matsumoto (Wild Phoenix) x Takayuki Ohkouchi (PARAESTRA
TOKYO)
(Class
A 3 x 5 rounds minutes) - WELTERWEIGHT
Henry Matamoros (Sauer JJ) x Kohei Yasumi (PARAESTRA TOKYO) |