Upcoming
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
11/21/03
SuperBrawl
(MMA)
Neil Blaisdell Arena
11/9/03
Pride: Final Conflict
(MMA)
(Toyko, Japan)
10/4/03?
Pac Rim Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling Tournament
(Sub Grappling & BJJ)
(Klum Gym, UH Manoa)
9/28/03
1st Annual Kauai "Grappler's Paradise" 2003 Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu tournament
(BJJ, Sub Grappling)
(Kauai)
9/26/03
UFC 44: Undisputed
(MMA)
(Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV)
9/21/03
3rd Annual Gracie Kauai Longman Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
Kauai Veteran Center, (BJJ, Sub Grappling)
(Kauai)
9/20/03
SuperBrawl
(MMA)
Neil Blaisdell Arena
9/13/03
NAGA - Hawaiian Grappling Championships
(Sub Grappling & BJJ)
(Farrington HS?)
In The Gym,
Monthly Smokers
Giraldi Muay Thai Gym
(Muay Thai, Halawa) |
|
August News Part
2
Quote
of the Day
"A man who doesn't stand for something will fall for anything."
Peter Marshall |
Baret
to Open School in Ewa
One of the best grapplers in the world happens to be born and
raised in Hawaii, Baret Yoshida. He is a two-time 2nd place finisher
in the Abu Dhabi World Submission Wrestling Championships, a
numerous Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Wrestling Tournament Champion,
a BJJ black belt, a ranked Shooto MMA fighter, and he even has
instructional video tapes!
Baret
will be opening a school very soon in the Ewa area right after
St. Francis West. The tentative days will be Monday and Wednesday
nights at 6:30 pm (I think). More details such as the start date
will be coming soon as they become more concrete.
Many
people were waiting for Baret to open a school to teach his patented
triangles from everywhere or submissions from the back as well
as his many other battle proven submissions and techniques which
is the reason people call him the finisher.
For
more info, please send an e-mail to jkdu@hotmail.com.
Mahalo!
Burton Richardson
|
3rd
Annual Gracie Kauai Longman Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
Kauai Veteran Center, Lihue, Kauai
Sunday, September 21, 2003
Weigh-ins: 8:00 AM same day
Tournament starts: 10:00 AM
Cost: $40 includes a tournament shirt
Gi & No Gi divisions
Gi - Standard BJJ weight classes & rules
No Gi - One division, 4 weight classes (< 160lbs, 161-180lbs,
181-200lbs, 201lbs+)
Cash prizes will be given out to the winners of the No-Gi divisions.
Other
prizes will be given out at the tournament.
Tournament packets will be sent out to the academies shortly
or call Bruno Ewald @ (808) 645-1265 for more information. |
ADCC
2003 DVDs - UDPATE!
There
is a lot of activity surrounding the production of the 2003 Abu
Dhabi World Submission Wrestling Championships DVD Series. Del
Management secured the rights to the video and they are working
furiously to get what many believe to be the most exciting ADCC
Championships ever to market.
At
this point, Del Management has cataloged the event footage and
is in the process of having the originals transfered from the
native PAL format to NTSC -- working closely with a transfer
house to guarantee that no quality is lost in the process. The
production team anticipates a late October release date for the
2003 ADCC DVD set.
There
has been no down-time for the production team though. In a year
where the 2003 ADCC Championships marked the emergence of a 'new
breed' of grappler, it is only appropriate to highlight the events
from where competitors like Eddie Bravo, Dean Lister, Jacare,
and Marcello Garcia emerged. For the first time ever, fans of
ADCC will be able to see many of the competive submission wrestling
action from the 2003 ADCC Qualifier Tournaments from Brazil,
the United States, and Europe. A tentative release date of September
29th has been set for the project.
Additionally,
Del Management has been actively protecting their distribution
rights. It appears that at least one individual has been selling
and distributing video from the 2003 ADCC Championships illegally.
What has been most disappointing is that at least one individual
responsible has been a competitor in past ADCC events. Del Management
has issued a cease and desist letter, as well as sought financial
damages stemming from the sale of unauthorized videos and DVDs.
The
punitive action against the individual responsible for the unauthorized
ADCC products may be in for another unpleasant surprise. There
has been speculation that the individual responsible will be
banned from participating in future ADCC events -- a ban that
may extend to the entire team. An entire JJ team banned from
all ADCC competition because of the actions of 1 individual?
It could happen...
More
updates on the 2003 ADCC DVDs will follow soon.
Source: ADCC |
A
New Power in Brazilian Vale Tudo!
photo:
up - Wallid, Olegário, Magno, Ebenezer, Tigre, Pantera,
Leopoldo, Cyborg, Ricardão and Sakada
down - the trainers: Arthur Mariano, Darrell Gholar, Luis Alves,
Paulo Caruso and De La Riva
Early
this week, Wallid Ismail made the official presentation of Brazil
Dojo (BD), the New Vale-Tudo Team that represents Inoki Dojo
in Brazil. The team consists of several famous Brazilian names
like Ricardo Moraes, Marcelo Tigre, Ebenezer Braga, and Evangelista
Cyborg , but also features young talent such as Sakada (Italina
fighter living in north Brazil), Magno Penha, Luis Pantera Manaus'
latest fighting phenom Leopoldo.
'They
will have the best we can provide in Brazil. Luis Alves and Arthur
Mariano training Muay Thai, Darrel Gohlar training Wrestling,
Paulo Caruso taking care of the physical training and De La Riva
teaching ground skills. Some of them get financial support and
I also purchased an apartment for them' said the leader of the
Team.
Wallid
also announced some changes in the card of Jungle Fight. Instead
of Magno Penha, Rico Chaipareli will face Luis Pantera, student
of De La Riva. 'The only thing I know about Rico is that he is
technical, but I don´t believe in technique when punches
to the face are allowed. I hope he is well trained because I´m
not going there to lose guaranteed Pantera.
The
veteran Marcelo Tigre (42 fights and 2 losses) also promised
a return to the ring. 'We are like missiles. Each one of our
fighters is pointed at a top fighter. My goal is Chute Boxe.
It can be Ninja, Shogun or Assuério I want any one of
them' challenged Tigre during a heated training session.
On
Wednesday Wallid is traveling with Antonio Inoki himself to the
Amazon to take care of the final details. 'We will finish the
card for the event on the airplane. After taking care of the
final details of the event we are going to Xingu (the biggest
native indian village) in the middle of Amazon Forest', finished
Wallid.
Source: ADCC |
IFC
'Global Domination' Update!
Saturday, September 6th, 2003
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
IFC: GLOBAL DOMINATION
Though
an official press release has not been issued by the IFC as of
yet, word is trickling out of some attrition. Mike Van Arsdale,
long rumored to be trying to trying to work his way thru nagging
injuries, is officially out. His original opponent, Hawaii's Falaniko Vitale pulled out last week
for family reasons.
Forrest
Griffin v. Chael Sonnen appears to be the newest bout signed
to fill the bracket. Sonnen, a top shelf wrestler training with
Randy Couture's TEAM QUEST represents Oregon and another west
coast fighter. In Griffin, from Atlanta, GA. the IFC gets a HOT
name on the MMA scene, as few expected Griffin to so convincingly
defeated highly rated Ebenezer Braga at July's HEAT event in
Natal, Brazil.
The
tournament stands as follows:
TOURNAMENT
BRACKETS:
- Renato “Babalu” Sobral v. Trevor Pringley
- Paulo Filho v. Shogun
- Michail Avetisyan v. Jeremy Horn
- Forrest Griffin v. Chael Sonnen
ALTERNATES:
- Tom Sauer v. Sean Gray
Source: ADCC |
Tyson
challenges Sapp at K-1 battle
Tuesday,
August 19, 2003 at 05:00 JST
LAS VEGAS — Tensions reached a new high last weekend at
K-1's "Battle at the Bellagio" when former NFL player
and Japan-based K-1 superstar Bob "The Beast" Sapp
made his U.S. fighting debut and received a challenge from former
heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson.
While
Sapp was celebrating his victory after knockingd out Hawaiian
heavy-hitter Kimo Leopoldo in the second round, Tyson surprised
the roaring crowd by jumping into the ring and challenging the
K-1 favorite to a match. Tyson who watched the event from a ringside
seat even suggested they fight on the spot.
"I'll
do it right here, get me a pair of shorts and I'll fight him
tonight," shouted Tyson. "Sign the contract. Sign the
contract!"
Sapp
replied, "I'll do it, I'll fight Tyson with all my heart,
spirit and technique. I'll sign the contract to fight you today.
The Beast is coming for you!"
Rumors
of the match-up have been stirring over the past couple of weeks.
Sapp's recent press coverage had him talking about this possibility
on national television and radio.
K-1,
with its customary eight-man, single elimination tournament swept
into North America three years ago and its popularity continues
to grow. The Aug 15 event allowed regional participants from
all over the world a final opportunity to capture this year's
K-1 World Grand Prix Championship which will take place at the
Tokyo Dome on Dec 7. (PR Newswire)
Source: Japan Today |
2003
Featherweight Black Belt World Champion:
Mário Reis Interview
By André Araújo
The
new black belt champion from South
On
the cover of this TATAME issue, Mário Reis (Behring),
the great name of the BJJ in the featherweight category, spent
almost forty hours driving from the southern city of Porto Alegre
to Rio de Janeiro to rule the mats at the BJJ tournaments held
on July. Check out a little more about our BJJ champion and what
has changed after the gold medals in the II World Cup and VIII
World Championship.
During
the last World Championship, you got the bronze medal as a brown
belt. You were defeated by Marco Joca (Barra Gracie)... what
has changed since that time?
That
was an absurd. For two times I got the perfect submission position
and he dragged himself away from the mat. The referee told us
to continue the fight on the feet and I lost for both times an
arm lock position. I finished losing by an advantage. It drove
me too upset. Well, I graduated as a black belt about seven months
ago and my training completely changed after that. I run for
40 minutes in the sand and I train eight hours a day, three teaching
and other five in the specific training one. Actually, now as
a black belt I can do things I couldn't do as a brown belt.
You
won two of the four gold medals of Behring Jiu-Jitsu Team. This
makes you the major black belt of the team...
This
is the result of my training. I just think about Jiu-Jitsu. I
even sleep early to wake up early, because I wonder my opponent
is doing the same. I trained a lot to be what I am.
Why
didn't you fight the open class category?
I
had my two knees injured. In Rio, four weeks before the World
tournaments, I got my left knee hurt at the State tournament.
During the first World Cup, I injured the other knee. I couldn't
handle the open class area.
Which
fights did you stand out?
The
fight I got more tired was against Frédson Paixão
(Gracie Barra). I got really apprehensive at the final with Soca
(Gracie Barra), because he scored four times and I sincerely
think the referee made it up the points. I don't understand what
happened. I even didn't want to risk the submission when I had
a chance to catch his arm. I opted for the mounting that guaranteed
four points and the gold medal.
And
in the World Cup?
It
was the victory over Michel Maia (Nova União), that besides
it was a hard fight, I usually face him in the final of several
tournaments. I beat him at the blue belt final, was defeated
in the purple and brown final and I won this time as a black
belt. We are tie now. Even though, the hardest combat was against
Reynaldo Ribeiro (Castello Branco). He is such a strong guy and
I cannot stabilize any position of submission against him.
In
the World Championship, did you have a previous strategy to beat
Frédson?
No.
I stepped inside the mat to get him and submit. Fortunately I
got the triangle choke and submitted him. I was so happy after
that.
How
did the Southern people receive you after those medals?
It
was great. Now I have other new fans, pretty much because the
fight against Frédson. The kids in Porto Alegre like him
a lot and they got proud of my victory. I remember while driving
back home of many moments I got emotional, thinking of what had
happened.
What's
the secret that Porto Alegre has developing such BJJ champions
as Márcio Corleta and Fabrício Werum?
I
guess is because we don't have a beach and there is nothing to
do... so we just practice and have all the free time to train.
And
about the future? Where we gonna be able to see you in action?
Now,
I wanna apply Desafio Black Belt. Maybe at next edition, hold
in January. I also wanna fight Abu-Dhabi. This year I got invited,
but I couldn't make it. I didn't have enough time to get ready
and I was kind of sick. I also had a seminar trip scheduled to
Spain. Anyway, I wanna badly participate those both events.
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what
we give."
W. A. Nance |
1st
Annual Kauai "Grappler's Paradise" 2003 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
tournament
Hello everybody, this is your formal invitation to the 1st Annual
Kauai "Grappler's Paradise" 2003 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
tournament. I will be sending you all official tournament flyers,
competitor packets, etc. in the next couple of days. We are looking
to make this a great tournament and an annual event. Hopefully
we can get enough support locally to make this a very fun and
worthwhile experience for competitors as well as spectators.
We are in the process of putting together packages for all outer
island and out of state competitors. If you know of anyone willing
to help in this area, your help would be appreciated. Any kind
of help at this time would be greatly appreciated. I'm always
looking for volunteer judges, score keepers, etc, and I would
be willing to make your volunteering worthwhile, if you know
what I mean. So, spread the word, it's on for Sunday September
28th. We're looking into other venues, so keep your weekend open.
Hopefully we'll be able to switch to Saturday the 27th to make
it more "travel friendly". Also, that way we can try
to have an official "after party" somewhere! Alright,
take care, and I hope to hear from you guys soon. Please feel
free to call me about any questions or suggestions to make this
thing awesome. You can call me at 823-6650 or email me at kendallg15@hawaii.rr.com
Thanks for the support.
Kendall Goo
|
Checking
in with....DEAN LISTER
On
September 5th City Boxing’s Dean Lister makes his second
King Of The Cage Middleweight title defense, this time against
MASH’s James Lee. Lee was supposed to be Lister’s opponent
on June 29th but became injured about a week out and Brian Sleeman
took his place. Lister holds the belt at KOTC after defeating
Brendan Seguin at KOTC 16 last August. He didn’t defend
it until June due to a knee injury sustained at the ADCC trials
in San Diego last October. Dean recovered and although he lost
in his division at ADCC this year he went on the win the Absolute
Division at the Submission Wrstling World Championships. Leading
up to his June fight when he thought his opponent was Lee he
talked about his new emphasis on boxing and renewed focus on
NHB. Now he is set to face Lee again.
KM:
How do you look back at your last fight, your first title defense?
DL: I look back at that as a little frustrating. It’s part
of the sport, it happens, but its frustrating when you have a
couple opponents change. I had a guy step in in the last week.
That took some courage. It good of him to do that, otherwise
I wouldn’t have had a fight. I’m glad to get in there
at least and get my warm up match back because I’ve been
out for a long time from injuries and then Abu Dhabi. After Abu
Dhabi it was difficult to snap back into no holds barred focus.
Feeling good.
KM:
Would you rather have done anything differently? DL: This time
I felt more relaxed in the match. It looked like one time he
threw me off of him with force. I wasn’t really trying to
hold him so bad; I was trying to hold him against the cage and
work my stance from there. I wanted to work on that a little
more in my fights, get more experience. Being that his style
is very aggressive he ran in to knock my block off. Either you
are going to get your head knocked off, you are going to knock
his head off, or you are going to grab him. I grabbed him, that
is my instinct. I don’t know if my next opponent will do
that to me. There is always a chance you can get hit by something
like that. There is also a big chance that your opponent is going
to fall on the ground and that’s where I hope it ends up.
So yeah, I was a little surprised it went to the ground that
fast.
KM:
Were you disappointed because in the previews you were talking
about your work in striking at City Boxing but you didn’t
really get a chance to showcase that. Was that in any way a disappointment?
DL: A little bit but if someone wants to knock my block off you’re
not really being a technical boxer. Maybe that’s not the
case; if you trade blows then you are a slugger. Being a slugger
is not my ballpark. I can do it ok but my forte is the ground.
On my feet I’m used to guys trying to take me apart with
technical boxing. They aren’t trying to rush in and knock
my block off. It wasn’t a disappointment, it was just the
way the match ended up. That’s ok, I’ll accept that
and let that happen.
KM:
We are a couple weeks out (note: September 5th). Is there anything
else you want to get across at this point? DL: Just training
hard and hope my opponent is healthy and I’m healthy and
we put on a good show for the public.
KM:
Any sponsors to thank? DL: My friend Ron at Marina Mortgage and
Sycuan Casino here in San Diego and Bad Boy Fightwear. They’ve
been helping me out and got me on a big billboard in Japan.
For
more on Dean Lister and his training partners check out City
Boxing’s website at http://www.cityboxing.com/. For more on this
fight card check out http://www.kingofthecage.com/.
Source:
ADCC
|
Hallman
Out; Radach In... Or Is He?
There
aren’t many things worse then being told you’ve just
lost your job, but that’s what happened this past weekend
to Dennis “Superman” Hallman. In a voicemail message
received from Joe Silva, UFC Director of Talent Development,
Hallman was informed he was off their September 26 card.
Although
his fight was not officially announced by Zuffa Sports Entertainment,
Hallman was scheduled to fight Nick Diaz of Team Cesar Gracie
at “UFC 44: Undisputed” in Las Vegas, Nevada. The decision
to drop Hallman is likely a direct result of his loss to Drew
Fickett Saturday night at KOTC in Reno, Nevada. “The pressure
is off,” Hallman said, who can now concentrate on personal
matters.
Diaz
replaced Jeremy Jackson of Team Freedom with his Referee Stoppage
win over Jackson on July 19. “It’s funny,” Hallman
said, “I was the one who asked for Jeremy.” Now neither
is scheduled.
In
the voicemail message, Benji Radach, a 185-pound fighter managed
by Hallman, was offered the opportunity against Diaz “if
he would cut to 170,” Hallman said. The offer wasn’t
enticing -- a 1 fight contract and 3/3 -- doesn’t make for
a valid offer, as Radach is coming off a spectacular 1:31 KO
win where he dominated “Ximu” Machado on the same KOTC
card. “The choice is his,” Hallman said, but it is
unlikely Radach will drop to 170. Radach spoke candidly today
“I won’t be dropping again,” he said, “but
if Diaz wants to come up to 185... we’ll fight.”
According
to graciefighter.com there are a number
of options (for Diaz at UFC 44) including another possible rematch
with Jeremy Jackson.
“UFC
44: Undisputed” is scheduled for Friday, September 26, 2003,
at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Check out www.UFC.tv for more information.
A
Look At The UFC Welterweight Class - More Hallman Fall Out!
The
UFC Welterweight Class is in disarray. Certainly, there is no
question that Matt Hughes is the top fighter in the class, but
beyond the champion there is little to get excited about. The
lack of excitement isn't the fault of Hughes -- his workman like
effort in the Octagon is always good for a slam or two, some
serious ground-n-pound, and even the occasional submission attempt.
No, the problem is that there appears to be no one within the
weight class to threaten Hughes for the title.
Before
this weekend, many were excited about the prospect of Dennis
Hallman entering the UFC and setting up Hallman vs. Hughes 3.
Hallman,
having submitted Hughes in their two previous fights, provided
an intriguing matchup that offered a built-in revenge plot line
that makes for an exciting UFC battle.
But
Hallman's loss to Drew Fickett in this weekend's King of the
Cage derailed Hallman/Hughes 3 indefinitely -- as well as any
compelling match-ups to challenge Hughes for the title in November,
when reportedly his contract requires he defend his title.
Who
remains? Frank Trigg? Maybe, if he shows any real desire to sign
a contract. But even then, Hughes would be a heavy favorite.
Carlos Newton? After Hughes completely dominated Newton in their
title rematch the 'buzz' for this fight has died out. Pete Spratt?
A logical choice given his defeat of Hughes' teammate Robbie
Lawler. Gil Castillo or Sean Sherk? More recycling within the
division with neither bringing a marquee matchup that the UFC
needs for the weight class.
The
other option is to lure a major player back into the mix. There
have been rumors Zuffa is trying to get Royce Gracie back into
the Octagon. A Gracie return would generate the excitement the
UFC desperately wants. But a Gracie return begs the question
-- could Royce fight at 170lbs?
Another
option would be for Hughes to retire the Welterweight Championship
and move up to 185lbs. and attempt to win the title left vacant
by Murilo Bustamante. That would allow Lawler, Spratt, Newton,
and others to battle it out for the vacated title. The danger
is that would leave the UFC with three championship openings
(155lbs/170lbs/185lbs) and a potential publicity nightmare to
explain and rectify.
The
direction of the Welterweight Division reflects a crisis for
Zuffa to overcome. Hughes is a draw, but lacking a legitimate
contender to his belt. Leaving to a higher weight class may alleviate
some of the problems in the Welterweight Division, but creates
new (and possibly larger) problems for Zuffa to overcome. The
only consistent within the equation is that the UFC would still
have a tremendous talent in Hughes fighting in the Octagon.
Source:
ADCC |
DEEP
12th Impact: the end of story?
DEEP
has announced their full card for their next show, scheduled
for September 15th in Ohtaku, Japan. Despite rumors swirling
that this is DEEP's last event, there was no mention of this
in the press conference.
The
card comes with an several intriguing matches. SHOOTO stars Dokonjonosuke
Mishima and Tetsuji Kato will face each other on the card. In
addition, SHOOTO star Hayato 'Mach' Sakurai returns for his 2nd
DEEP appearance, facing Ryo Chonan.
The
main event for DEEP 12th Impact will feature a title match for
the middleweight champion, Ryuki Ueyama. He will defend his belt
against challenger and SHOOTO light heavyweight champion Masanori
Suda.
The
event will also feature the return of UFC veteran Brad Kohler,
taking on Mexican Lucha-Libre fighter Dos Caras Jr.
COMPLETE
CARD - Subject TO Change:
- Jun Ishii (Chojin Club) x Hagane Samurai (Hatenko)
- Ryuta Sakurai (R GYM) x Hirohide Fujinuma (Aramusha)
- MAX Miyazawa (Aramusha) x Yoshinori Momose (Zendokai)
- Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Cobrakai) x Tetsushi Kato (Purebred
Omiya)
- Dos Caras Jr. (AAA) x Brad Kohler (Team Extreme)
- Hayato 'Mach' Sakurai (Mach Dojo) x Ryo Chonan (U-File Camp)
DEEP
middleweight title match:
- Ryuki Ueyama (U-File Camp/champion) x Masanori Suda (Club-J/challenger)
Source:
ADCC |
Why
Ricco Rodriguez Wasn't Robbed
By Joe Hall (August 18, 2003)
The
stakes were high.
Ricco
Rodriguez against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Two top heavyweights.
Former UFC champ against former Pride titleholder -- seen by
some as essentially UFC versus Pride.
World-class
fighters with a history. Revenge was on the line; respect was
up for grabs.
The
buildup was rich, the anticipation strong, but in the end, the
fight fell far short of its thrilling expectations.
After
20 minutes the fighters moved to the center of the ring and the
judges’ decision was announced. Judge 1: Nogueira. Judge
2: Nogueira. Judge 3: Nogueira.
Ricco’s
jaw (an unofficial judge): wide open.
Then
came the maelstrom from some North American fans on the Internet.
Some
felt it was so clear that Rodriguez deserved the decision, they
charged Pride as corrupt for screwing a fighter from the UFC
-- apparently the enemy promotion -- and giving “their”
fighter the nod.
Other
critics chuckled incredulously and scoffed at the decision. It
was shady. Treacherous. Rodriguez had won, in their opinion,
and it was obvious. Just look at Nogueira’s dreary eyes
before the winner is announced, they said. How could a judge,
as underhanded as one might be, award Nogueira the decision in
that fight? Unbelievable.
The
first mistake these critics made was to think their opinion was
that of the majority. Wrong. As MaxFighting’s man in Japan
Keith Vargo pointed out, the Japanese media and fans agreed with
the decision. Thirty-five thousand in attendance and many, many
more watching from home felt Nogueira won. That my friends is
the majority.
They
must be blind though, right? Or, no, they’re in on the collusion.
Perhaps they’re ignorant of how to score a fight.
Or
maybe the Japanese, widely considered the most knowledgeable
of MMA fans, do know how to score a Pride bout? Maybe it’s
the critics of the decision who formed inept opinions?
I
confess that I initially figured Rodriguez probably deserved
the decision. Just seemed like he stopped all of Nogueira’s
subs, scored a couple takedowns and that should somehow make
him the winner. Ground control or something, I don’t know.
Rodriguez
was also on top. Whether it’s a subconscious inclination
we’re not aware of or something else, it’s difficult
to give the guy on the bottom the nod no matter what he does.
After all, we didn’t grow up watching kids win fights from
their back in the schoolyard.
Even
if you know MMA and can comprehend the effectiveness a fighter
can achieve from his back, you’re probably still a little
partial to the guy on top. I know I am, but at least I’m
aware of it. And if you’re mindful of your biases, you can
attend to them.
As
debate flared on the Internet, I watched the fight again. First,
though, I went to PrideFC.com and printed a summary of their
judging criteria. I watched the bout as though I were a Pride
judge, and, suddenly, the decision wasn’t so awful. (Note:
I did this before making any comments or accusations.)
Then
I took the time to learn the minutiae of Pride’s criteria.
I looked into how Pride officials developed their system, which
is far different from the UFC’s, and the philosophy behind
it. I researched how reversals, takedowns, submissions, escapes,
damage, ground control, striking and other things are scored
or not scored, and why a fight is scored by its entirety rather
than round-by-round. It actually didn’t take long, though
its something every MMA fan should do.
And
then I watched the fight again. On the third viewing, it was
clear that Nogueira had won.
Still
don’t believe me? Let’s go through the criteria.
Pride
judges score fights based on six criteria, which are listed in
descending priority:
1.
Effort to finish the fight by KO or submission
2.
Damaging your opponent
3.
Standing combinations and ground control
4.
Takedowns and defense
5.
Aggressiveness
6.
Weight differences
Judges
use a scorecard with the criteria listed beside accompanying
boxes. They score fights by making a mark in the appropriate
box when merited. For instance, if a fighter sinks in a solid
guillotine, he’ll get a mark beside the first criterion.
If he sinks in an armbar, he’ll get another mark.
If
the guillotine isn’t sunk deep or isn’t close to finishing
the fight, it may not quite warrant a mark. In that case, a judge
will make a note of it instead. If the notes for submission attempts
add up, they’ll make a mark in the first category. This
method applies to each criterion, which is weighted in descending
order. At the end of the fight, the marks, and if needed, the
notes are used to determine the winner.
Let’s
start with No. 1, the most important criterion: effort to finish
the fight by KO or submission. For each of Nogueira’s numerous
submission attempts, a judge would have noted his effort to finish
the fight even if it wasn’t close to tapping Rodriguez.
With as many omoplata, triangle and armbar attempts as Nogueira
made, the notes would have eventually earned some marks. Some
of Nogueira’s submission attempts would likely have single-handedly
earned a mark, like his kimura attempt in the third round. (Escapes
are not efforts to finish the fight; they do not earn marks.)
Rodriguez,
on the other hand, made no effort to finish the fight. If you
punch like Fedor does in the guard that would count. Pecking
away body-body-head does not.
#1:
Nogueira by a large margin.
Let’s
move on to No. 2: damage. A mark for damage can come from a single
strike, a deep submission, a hard takedown or even the accumulation
of effective offense. Rodriguez failed to do any damage with
his strikes. On the ground he never postured up and unloaded,
never cut loose a punch that really connected.
Nogueira
didn’t do any damage either, though his kimura attempt in
the third could have possibly caused some damage and warranted
a mark. Let’s say it didn’t.
#2:
No marks.
The
first part of the third criterion is standing combinations. A
fighter would need to strike effectively to earn a mark in this
category, but neither fighter did much on the feet. I would award
no marks.
The
second part is ground control. Ground control is considered achieving
advantageous positions. For instance, passing the guard to side
control would earn a mark. However, Pride judges view the guard
-- where Rodriguez spent the fight -- as a neutral position,
which, I think, makes sense.
Rodriguez
was on top, but he did not pass; he did not achieve advantageous
positions. On the other hand, it could be argued that Nogueira
dictated the action on the ground. He put Rodriguez into several
positions he did not want to be in. Even though I didn’t
hold my breath for a tap during Nogueira’s submission attempts,
they forced Rodriguez to defend, to move out of positions where
his arm or shoulder was somewhat trapped.
Forced
reversals -- when a fighter fights to avoid being reversed --
also count toward ground control. Reversals that aren’t
fought or are scored off of transitions would not warrant a mark.
For example, in the second round, when Nogueira swept Rodriguez,
he would have earned a mark. After the sweep he immediately tried
to improve position and, during the transition, Rodriguez rolled
him back over. A Pride judge probably would not have considered
that a forced reversal.
Even
if it had counted, it wouldn’t be enough. Overall, I think
the clearest illustration of ground control is the fact that
Rodriguez spent almost the entire fight reacting to Nogueira.
If you’re reacting, you’re not in control -- the other
guy is.
#3:
Nogueira by a few marks.
The
remaining criteria are a little easier to score. Next is takedowns
and defense. I’d give Rodriguez three marks for three clean
takedowns. Nogueira gets one for the takedown that opened the
fight.
#4:
Rodriguez by a couple marks.
The
fifth criterion is self-explanatory: aggressiveness. With all
of his submission attempts, Nogueira was clearly the more aggressive
fighter. He was also more aggressive on the feet. From the bout’s
beginning, Nogueira took the center of the ring and moved forward
throughout the fight.
#5:
Nogueira.
The
final criterion, weight differences, did not apply in this fight.
To be taken into account, the weight difference between heavyweights
must be 15kg or more.
Let’s
review (keep in mind the criteria is listed in descending priority):
1.
Effort to finish the fight by KO or submission: Nogueira by a
large margin.
2.
Damaging your opponent: No one.
3.
Standing combinations and ground control: Nogueira by a few marks.
4.
Takedowns and defense: Rodriguez by a couple marks.
5.
Aggressiveness: Nogueira.
6.
Weight differences: Did not apply.
Nogueira
won, folks.
Still
don’t believe me? Don’t even start barking that the
judging criteria must be off. I understand how the UFC scores
their fights, too, and Pride’s system is much, much better.
For
one, scoring a fight by its entirety and following criteria is
much better suited for MMA than round-by-round scoring. A quick
example:
Round
1: Smith lands a couple more punches than Jones, though it’s
not much.
(Smith
10-9)
Round
2: Jones floors and bloodies Smith, and nearly submits him with
a rear naked choke. (Jones 10-8)
Round
3: Smith recovers and lands a couple more punches than Jones,
though it’s not much.
(Smith
10-9)
The
result: a draw (28-28). The result as judged by Pride’s
criteria: Jones wins.
Pride’s
system encourages fighters to fight, to really win. If you sit
in the guard and try to win a decision instead of a fight, you
will lose.
It
is the product of trial and error, and it is the best judging
system in the sport. Every fan would be wise to learn it and
every promotion would be wise to adopt something similar. In
the case of Nogueira-Rodriguez, it produced an accurate decision
where other systems would have made an unfortunate mistake.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"The moment may be temporary, but the memory is forever."
Bud Meyer
|
Ninja
confronts Babalu in the next Meca
After
the success of IX Meca World Vale-Tudo, held in Teresópolis,
Rio de Janeiro, the promoter of the event, Jorge Guimarães,
talks about the next edition of the show:
“Probably,
Murilo 'Ninja' (Chute Boxe) and Renato 'Babalu' (Ruas Vale-Tudo)
will be the main fight”, says Guimarães. If it comes
true, the confrontation will shake the ring. Ninja fought in
the first five editions of Meca, and collected five victories.
However, the teammate of Vanderlei Silva comes off of two defeats
(Ricardo Arona and Kevin Randleman) in Pride. Looking at the
other corner, Babalu is a specialist in MMA. He fought four UFCs:
two victories (Maurice Smith and Elvis Sinosic) and two defeats
(Kevin Randleman and Chuck Liddell). The X Meca edition is arranged
for next December 19th.
Guimarães
doesn’t know if it will happen in Porto Alegre (south of
Brazil) or in Ibirapuera (the same gymnasium as ADCC 2003), in
the city of São Paulo.
Source: ADCC
|
Pancrase
Star Ikuhisa Minowa Now With Brazilian Top Team!
PIC:
BTT Stars Murilo Bustamante and Mario Sperry present their newest
member - Ikuhisa Minowa.
While
the attention of fans around the world was focused on the PRIDE
GP middleweight tournament held last August 8th in Japan, Brazilians
who follow the BTT's training session were seeing a Japanese
fighter among the Brazilians. Hey!?
Yes,
Ikuhisa Minowa has been training in Brazil since the start of
July, after breaking up with Pancrasism. He was without a team
in Japan, and since he has friends who handle BTT in Japan, he
was introduced to Jose Mario Sperry.
The leaders of BTT (Bebeo Duarte, Sperry and Murilo Bustamante)
had a meeting and they accepted Minowa as the newest BTT member!
About
this new international BTT member Sperry stated:
'Since Ms. Motoko (BTT matchmaker in Japan) and myself are partners,
her request for Minowa was a special request. He came to train
with us, and maybe the first step for an international jump for
BTT. We have the intention of making BTT-Japan and Minowa is
our first representative. But it does not mean that we will have
an BTT-Japan academy very soon. This's a new concept for us and
we need to procede with caution to make it long term.'
Minowa
is training hard - with a gi and without - and already is scheduled
to debut representing the BTT next September 19th in Brazil.
Minowa will put his skills in action against the WVC, UFC and
Deep veteran, Brazilian Jorge 'Macaco' Patino in th Brazilian
Super Fight event.
Here
is the rest of thae card:
BRAZIL
SUPER FIGHT [card subject to changes]
September 19th Tesourinha, Porto Alegre – Rio Grande do
Sul
MMA:
- Marcelo 'Grilo' Alfaia (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Jose Ricardo
'Dragao' (Gaviao Team)
- Loke 'The Duke' Piclum (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Eduardo Simoes
(Ruas VT System)
- Haroldo 'Cabelinho' Bunn (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Fabricio
'Morango'
Camoes (Gracie Tijuca)
- Eric Tavares (Ruas VT System) vs. Mau (Gold Team)
- Helio Dipp (Boxer) vs. Luis 'Beicao' Ramos (Ruas VT System)
- Roan 'Jucao' Carneiro (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Luis Azeredo
(Gold Team)
- Fabiano Capoane (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Brand (Gold Team Canada)
- Jorge 'Macaco' Patino (Gold Team) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (Brazilian
Top Team)
MUAY
THAI:
- Gerson Silva (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Eduardo Verissimo (Boxer)
Source: ADCC
|
Silva
Wins twice, Belfort Looking forword to November and Event's Extravaganza
in Brazil!
The
Brazilian Beat:
After more than twenty days of wait the Brazilian Beat is finally
back at FCF, trying to recap things from where we left. After
the so awaited PRIDE Middleweight GP 1st round became history,
things are geared towards the next shows in Brazil as plenty
of events are about to happened, and times has been changing
for our sport in the country. Needless to say Full Contact Fighter
is always up to date with all those news in this very country,
so after all that wait allow me not to hold you for a long time
with this introduction text, and let's head straight to the news
as we send our most sincere congratulations to "The Axe
Murderer" Wanderlei Silva for the birth of his son, wishing
all the best for the baby as FCF delivers the beat in lullaby
style hoping that deadly Silva will keep up the rhythm!
Fresh
from his PRIDE GP first round win, Chute Boxe superstar Wanderlei
Silva got back to Brazil this past Tuesday as happy as he ever
was. With his KO win over eternal rival Kazushi Sakuraba and
the birth of his first male son, Silva is truly enjoying success
in all areas of his life. His son was born two days before his
fight against Sakuraba, when he was already in Japan, and those
news got Wanderlei by surprise as the child was just expected
to come to this world near the end of August! "The Axe Murderer"
told FCF he entered the ring even more motivated with those news,
and the kid was born with more than 3kg of weight and in perfect
health. Silva and his wife, Tea Ariadne Silva, are still deciding
the name of the baby, and the PRIDE Middleweight champion is
just taking the rest of this week to enjoy his family, going
back to full-time training next Monday. Wanderlei also told FCF
he believes he is currently on the best shape of his life and
with Mirko Cro Cop's recent series of wins a rematch between
the two will end up happening sooner or later, and he is eager
to face the Croatian again.
MMA
events continue to pop-up all over Brazil in 2003, and one of
the most distant and less populated capitals of the country is
also going to have their share of our sport in the coming days.
The city of Boa Vista, in the state of Roraima, up in the North
of Brazil, is going to hold the 1st Octagon Vale Tudo, a small
show intending to bring MMA action to the city's population and
develop the sport in that area as well. The most important attraction
of the event is going to happen outside of the ring, with the
presence of UFC fighter Vitor Belfort as a guest, as well as
cornering his teammate Fortaleza, a young fighter out of Brazil
Fight Club who will be facing a local fighter called Adriano
Soares. The show takes place this Friday, August 15th at the
Vicente Feola arena.
Speaking
of Vitor Belfort, "The Phenom" already started his
training for his November UFC appearance. Belfort has been training
hard at the ADPM facilities, his training center, and wants to
prove the fans he is still focused on the fighting game and intends
to enter the octagon in November in the same type of shape he
was for his fight against Marvin Eastman. Vitor is still waiting
for confirmation on his opponent, but Rich Franklin continues
to be the likely one.
The
last edition of MECA World Vale Tudo took place this last August
1st in the city of Teresopolis in Rio de Janeiro. Although it
has been two weeks since the show happened, we decide to bring
you the results of the show here, since this is the first time
The Brazilian Beat is coming out since the date of the fights.
Needless to say, the highlight of the night was the amazing performance
put on by Chute Boxe prodigy Mauricio Shogun Rua against dangerous
fighter Evangelista Cyborg. In a action-packed fight Shogun was
taking the worst of the stand-up action, receiving numerous blows
from Cyborg, but showed incredible guts and endurance to withstand
the pressure and reverse the fight, taking it to the ground and
giving Cyborg a Jiu-Jitsu class, going from one submission to
the other and using his trademark aggressiveness to unleash punishment
to his opponent, until the referee stopped the fight. Here are
the complete results from the 9th edition of MECA:
Petterson
Mello defeated Marcelão by submission
Alessio
Sakara defeated Rafael Tatu by Doctor Stoppage
Ivan
Batman defeated Rafael Capoeira by judges' decision
Marcelo
Grillo defeated Claudinho das Dores by knockout
Roan
"Jucao" Carneiro defeated Adriano Bad Boy by submission
Daniel
Acacio defeated Delson "Pe de Chumbo" by forfeit
Gabriel
Napão defeated Brandon Lee Hinkle by submission
Assuerio
Silva and Fabiano Scherner fought a No Contest
Mauricio
Shogun Rua defeated Evangelista Cyborg by TKO
If
the north of Brazil is going to have its own show, the south
of Brazil couldn't be left behind and the newest show in the
country is going to be Brazil Super Fight, at the city of Porto
Alegre, one of the biggest in the country, and the capital located
more to the south in the entire nation of Brazil. Behind the
show, scheduled for September, is non-other than fighting legend
Mario Sperry, so you can expect nothing but a good spectacle
coming up. The project began as a show geared more for newcomers,
but things evolved to a point that some well-known names from
the fighting scene are going to be performing in the promotion's
inaugural event. Heat FC veteran Eduardo Simoes, out of the Ruas
Vale Tudo team, is going to be making his second MMA showing
against Australian fighter Luke Piclum. Other interesting names
on the card will be MECA veteran Marcelo Grillo and Haroldo Cabelinho
Bunn, Storm Veteran Helio Dipp and most importantly the main
event between former Pancrase star Ikuhisa Minowa against Brazilian
veteran Jorge "Macaco" Patino. FCF will keep following
the developments.
Speaking
of Japanese fighter Ikuhisa Minowa, the former Pancrase star
has been living in Brazil for quite a while already, training
in the Brazilian Top Team headquarters! Minowa joined the team
willing to have better training partners and a chance to evolve
in his technique, showing how serious the fighter is taking his
career. Language barriers aside, word is that Ikuhisa has been
training hard and doing well. His fight against Macaco at Brazil
Super Fight will be his first outing under the Brazilian Top
Team.
Speaking
of the Brazilian Top Team, Mario Sperry is still recovering from
his broken hand, but is expected to resume his ground training
in the coming days. From there on he will start to practice Muay
Thai again, but this, of course, will take a bit longer. Anyway,
Sperry has been busy with numerous affairs lately, so as usual
the "Zen Machine" has plenty of work in his hands.
Sperry's pupil, Ricardo Arona, is also recovering from his shoulder
injury that prevented him from participating on the PRIDE GP.
Arona is expected to do exams to check his recovery in the end
of this month, and then he will be able to know when he will
be ready to resume his training. Murilo Bustamante, on the other
hand, is living a great phase after his good showing against
Quinton Jackson on short notice on the PRIDE GP, replacing Arona.
Bustamante secured a multiple fight deal with the Japanese organization,
and is expected to fight again in PRIDE still this year since
the promoters got very happy with his performance.
Scheduled
for 13th of September Jungle Fight is still promising a solid
card, breakthrough concept and interesting production for the
MMA fans worldwide. The partnership effort between Antonio Inoki
and Wallid Ismail is trying to attract everybody's attention
to the devastation problems in the Amazon Forrest, and holding
the show in such a scenario promises to bring a gorgeous stage
for fighters to compete. As the show approaches, some names are
being confirmed as part of the card, and among those are two
awaited MMA debuts, from rAw team master Ricco Chiapparelli,
likely to face Magno Penha, and Jiu-Jitsu stand out Ronaldo Jacare.
Other famous names competing will be Carlos Barreto, Ricardo
Morais, Marcelo
Tigre and
Fabricio Werdun. FCF will keep following the developments.
Chute
Boxe prodigy Mauricio Shogun Rua didn't have time to celebrate
his emotional victory over Evangelista Cyborg at MECA 9, as he
immediately started his training for the coming IFC tourney this
next September 6th. Shogun is scheduled to face non-other than
Brazilian Top Team fighter and PRIDE veteran Paulo Filho, in
match-up that promises to heat up the famous rivalry between
Chute Boxe and BTT even more. Mauricio has been training hard
and expectations are high under the Chute Boxe headquarters regarding
his participation. His brother, PRIDE veteran Murilo Ninja Rua
has also been training very hard everyday in the academy, and
is ready to fight again as soon as needed, as he told FCF he
is eager to fight.
After
the success of the first edition of Heat Fighting Championship,
the promoters are already working on the second edition of the
show for late November. The show will once again take place in
the city of Natal, and expectations are high as the promise is
to deliver an even better card for the second show, and provide
a even shaper production. According to the promoters the card
for HEAT FC 2 is almost done, as fights are being signed since
the 1st of August. The first bouts of the next card are intended
to be announced in the coming days, as well as some other surprises
from the show. FCF will continue to follow the news, as well
as provide a late Heat FC 1 review in the next days.
Source: FCF
|
MIRKO
CRO COP NEWS
Despite allegations of worked fights in K-1 made by Mirko "Cro
Cop" Filipovic, the K-1 promoters have offered him a fight
for the 10/11/03 show at the Osaka Dome.
Sadaharu
Tonigawa, K-1's matchmaker, extended the offer to fight Francisco
Filho after a major fiasco in the Japanese press caused by Mirko's
"fixed fight" comments.
Many
believe Mirko is the #1 heavyweight in the world and a big money
match with Fedor is on track in PRIDE. Those inside his camp
have also said that he wants to focus exclusively on MMA. It
is not known if he will accept the offer to fight in K-1.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Frank
Shamrock’s ShootBox, 08/23/03
Orlando, FL Tickets NOW on sale!!!!
Frank
Juarez Shamrock rocks the combat sports arena with a whole new
sport for a whole new generation with “Shootbox”.
http://www.shootbox.com/
Shootbox
is more than your mixed martial arts event as this revolutionary
sport, In this arena it is up to the athletes, their skills in
mixed martial arts, physical endurance and strength, as well
as outthinking their opponent that will get them the win. In
this new “Box” gone are the days where an opponent
can utilize a fence or rope to gain position over his opponent.
In this new arena, The “Shootbox” truly tests the skills
of mixed martial arts practitioners as combatants will rely strictly
on speed, balance, strength, agility in true MMA combat.
“If
you have ever seen great champions compete in MMA, positioning,
use of your environment and patience were keys to success that
one combatant had over another” - Shamrock stated –
“In SHOOTBOX, I developed an arena that removes 2 main elements
that assists in favoring one over another, the cage and the ring
itself. In this new arena there are no rings and there are no
cages.
The
athletes themselves will be challenged both physically and mentally
to compete at this level.
Aside
the physical characteristics that make up the Shootbox (no ropes
or cage), a new element that includes deduction of points outside
the “out of bounds area” will bring into action the
“human chess match” component. By deducting points
to combatants that look to tie a match up in stalemate, fighters
are penalized for those stall attempts resulting in more a planned
attack with your opponent. This will revolutionize the sport
of mixed martial arts as we know it now. SHOOTBOX is destined
to be the biggest sports entertainment development since the
inception of wrestling in our culture and “cagefighting”
that became so popular in the 90’s….Welcome to Shootbox
!
Source: ADCC
|
Quote
of the Day
"A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so
good,
and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad."
Arnold H. Glasow
|
Rexie
Survives!
For those of you that attended Rex's "going off" party
last night, we wanted to report that Rex did survive it (just
barely). After uncountable beverages, luckily Ian and Chris were
in the condition to "assist" Rex out of Oceans and
Firefox Ross and Chris "assisted" Rex up to the room.
We wanted to thank all the brotha's that made it to the party
and put an APB on a Neal T. who was supposed to be there, but
is currently missing and not answering his phone (we will find
you Neal, it is only a matter of time).
Pictures will carefully reviewed and if approved (that's a big
if), we will post some on the page once we get them from Official
Casca Grossa photographer Papa Pimp Les.
|
Susumu's
got the pix!
Susumu's Gallery Update
Hello,
We
have added 19 photos from Pride 27 and 20 photos from a Shooto
show held on August 10th including 3 championships. Please enjoy!
Visit
Susumu's gallery at http://come.to/susumu.
Source:
FCF
|
The
Bob Sapp (And Mike Tyson) Experience
By Josh Gross
LAS VEGAS,
August 15 -- Bob "The Beast" Sapp did something for
K-1 -- 'the new fighting sport' as the Japanese fight organization
likes to call itself -- tonight that it couldn't do in several
years worth of promoting events in the United States: create
a sensation that undoubtedly will raise the attention of mainstream
sports media (if only for a moment, but long enough to get on
the radar screen).
Upon
knocking out Kimo Leopoldo with a heavy straight right to the
back of the head, K-1's lynchpin, who was dropped to the mat
by a series of punches (and pure exhaustion) at the end of the
first period, found himself joined in the ring by combat sports
most infamous character: Mike Tyson.
Tyson,
who lives in Las Vegas, held meetings with K-1 brass last night
in advance of Friday night's fight card from the Bellagio. Clearly,
those meetings proved fruitful for a fight company in need of
a boost in the United States.
Sitting
ringside, Tyson had to be salivating at the thought of trading
punches with the wide-open and slow Sapp. If Kimo could deck
the big guy, I'll destroy him, Tyson must have been thinking.
The former heavyweight champion of the world watched as Sapp,
with his 109-pound weight advantage plodded around the ring.
Tyson -- and the other of the 4,108 people in attendance -- saw
Sapp, with one heavy shot from Kimo, bounce off the ropes, desperately
trying to get his land legs back. Tyson, like the rest of us,
stood as the big man fell. And, like the rest of us -- save Kimo
-- he must have cheered (inside or out -- doesn't matter) when
Sapp rose.
Between
rounds, a battered and cut Sapp sat on his stool. Chaos reigned
in his corner. "There was a bit of confusion on the rules
on whether you could sit down or not," said Sapp at the
post-fight press conference. The standard one-minute break approached
two and after everything was cleared up, the doctor allowed Sapp
to continue the fight took a different tact.
Sapp
came out clubbing -- literally. He followed downward-type hammerfists
with a double-fisted strike to both sides of Kimo's quickly discoloring
face. Sapp was swarming now, wildly swinging to ensure the fight
portion of his night would soon lead into circus act. Kimo had
no place to go under the influence of the bombardment, so he
turned his back hoping to escape or catch his breath.
A
slow-motion missile of a right straight connected to the back
of his skull and he crashed to the mat. Referee Nobuaki Kakuda,
who let Sapp escape with infraction upon infraction, waved his
hands, the crowd roared, then booed, then roared. "The Beast"
had won at the 1:11 mark and then came "Iron" Mike.
"The
issue is not between Bob Sapp and Mike Tyson, though there may
be some bad blood, the issue is which is stronger between the
two striking sports: K-1 kickboxing or American-style boxing,"
noted Sapp, when asked about his possible bout versus the boxing
star.
In
addition to the Sapp/Tyson-related hysterics, K-1 actually put
on an excellent event encompassing some of their rising stars
and fighting veterans.
Culminating
the card were Remy Bonjasky and Michael McDonald, who traveled
almost identical paths en route to meeting in the "Battle
at Bellagio" eight-man heavyweight tournament finals.
Bonjasky
used his height and reach to score with knees and kicks in the
bout's first period. McDonald, meanwhile, was forced to work
from the inside -- and he did effectively. The pattern continued
into the second period as McDonald fired lightning-quick combinations
on the inside. Though few landed, the Canadian K-1 star did have
his moments. Bonjasky adeptly made use of his considerable height
advantage and peppered his foe's lead leg through much of the
period.
As
the fight moved into the third round, it was even on two of the
judges' three scorecards. Only Dalby Shirley had McDonald up
a point and a half. Back and forth the two fighters went at each
other, though McDonald was never able to hurt or score effective
power shots versus the Dutchman. His aggressiveness quickly waned
as Bonjasky racked up points with inside and outside kicks to
McDonald's lead leg.
As
the round closed, Shirley and Jeff Mullen scored it 10-9.5 for
the Dutch fighter, while Nelson Hamilton had the same score the
other way. With the fight that close through three rounds, K-1
rules allow for a fourth sudden-death period.
Both
men came out hacking to open the championship period. As the
round played out Bonjasky took the lead with aggressive combinations
to McDonald's face and legs. Hamilton and Mullen gave the ground
to Bonjasky, while Shirley had it slightly in McDonald's favor.
The young Dutchman was named the victor just before the pay-per-view
broadcast came to an end. With the win Bonjasky advances to the
next stage of the K-1 Grand Prix tournament.
In
the semi-finals, the tournament winner faced Jeff Ford, who lost
a decision to Rick Roufus in the opening round but stepped in
against the younger and much more explosive Dutchman when Roufus
couldn't continue. He had little trouble in dispatching the stand
in by TKO, to move into the finals.
McDonald
had a similar route. Knowing a quick win would put him in the
finals unscathed and fresh, he exploded out of the gate, peppering
the bigger, slower George Randolf with strikes to the body and
hooks to the head.
The
barrage continued until Randolf, who replaced Abdelaziz Khattou
after he couldn't continue following a grueling contest versus
Raul Romero, was put to the mat with a combination. Randolf stood
and asked to continue. Cecil Peoples let him and McDonald greeted
him with a vicious left hook to the chin that stoned Randolf
to the mat 0:55 of the first.
Bonjasky
started his march towards victory by stopping veteran mixed martial
artist Vernon "Tiger" White. It was clear early that
Bonjasky was too big, and too strong for White. White, who was
hurt to the body (it was called a slip), fell victim to a Bonjasky'
flying roundhouse. He fell to the canvas and could not rise to
meet the 10-count. Officially, Bonjasky moved on by knockout
1:55 round one.
McDonald
fired out of the gate, landing a straight right that dropped
Jefferson Da Silva to the canvas. The Brazilian could not continue
and the referee waved off the fight 2:22 round two.
In
superfight action Carter Williams, who won last May's K-1 USA
tournament at the Mirage, had only one bout on his mind tonight.
Facing him was fellow May tourney participant, Dewey Cooper.
Williams, who had nearly 40 pounds on Cooper, looked huge next
to the crafty and quick Las Vegas-based fighter.
Williams
stalked Cooper around the ring, waiting for power-shot opportunities
to present themselves. Conversely, Cooper danced his way around
much of Williams' early thunder. While he couldn't escape all
of the crowd-pleasing strikes, Cooper's strategy kept him from
absorbing damage in the early going.
Williams
landed a heavy straight right to open the second, but Cooper
responded well, displaying the quickness he showed in round one
with a period-ending combination that scored.
As
the fight moved into the final stanza, Carter's power shots piled
up. However, Cooper continued to score, making a fight some thought
would be relatively easy for Williams a bit more difficult. After
three rounds, Williams earned the unanimous decision victory.
Cung
Le, who's become synonymous with walkover fights over the course
of his San Shou fighting career, faced Phil Petit to open the
event's pay-per-view action. Over the course of the four two-minute
periods Le fought his typical fight: throw a kick, score a takedown.
Historically,
it's worked beautifully for him, and the fans have responded
in kind. But the fans in attendance had a different reaction
for Le after the fight ran its course: a chorus of boos. While
Petit never represented any sort of danger for Le, he stood his
ground when given the chance and even landed a punch or kick
of his own. In the end, despite the reaction of the crowd, Le
earned a unanimous decision victory.
Dark
Matches:
Heavyweights
Kelly Leo faced George Randolf in the evening's tournament alternate
bout. Leo, quicker and more mobile than the big-boned Randolf,
opened well, scoring with heavy punches in the first minutes
of the fight.
Randolf
fired back with strikes of his own, hurting Leo and backing him
towards his corner when Leo fired a looping left hook that landed
on his opponent's jaw. Randolf tumbled backwards, the canvas
greeting him at the end of his fall. The blow, however, was not
enough to deter the hefty fighter.
If
the first period was Day's, the second belonged to Randolf, who
managed to exploit his size and strength advantage as Day slowed.
By the third period Randolf had figured Day out and started to
landed heavy punches and high kicks with regularity. Less than
a minute into the final period, Randolf backed Day into a neutral
corner and unloaded a barrage of strikes that opened a large
cut above his challenger's left eye. Several Randolf shots followed
and the blood flowed from the gash. At the advice of the doctor
at ringside, referee Al Wichgers halted the bout 0:53 of the
final period.
Veteran
Full Contact Karate fighter Brian Schwartz continued his roll
and cruised to a lopsided unanimous decision victory over a game
but overmatched Zack Day.
Throughout
the five-round fight Schwartz dominated from the outside, landing
almost everything in his arsenal. The shorter, slower Day was
nothing but Schwartz-bait from the outside and tried numerous
times to score on the inside. To his credit, Schwartz never allowed
the fight to stay there for extended periods.
In
the second period Schwartz landed several more damaging blows
from the outside. In spite of that Day's corner asked their fighter
to continue attacking from that range. At the end of the period,
Day walked back to his handlers a battered, bloodied fighter
-- his nose and upper lip colored crimson.
The
onslaught continued in the third and forth periods, though Schwartz's
output in the second to last round dissipated. Knowing he had
no chance other than a knockout, Day came out bombing in the
fifth and final period. To his credit, Schwartz stood his ground
and fired back ill intended punches and kicks of his own.
Brian
Warren and Albert Torres put on the night's first quality contest
that, in the end, resulted in a split decision for the Eddy Millis-trained
fighter. In the first period Warren employed quick and powerful
combinations to get the better of Torres, but as the fight moved
into the middle round both fighters managed to land effective
blows.
In
the third period Warren, who appeared to get the better of Torres
in the first two periods, slowed. With his combinations slowing
and his power waning, Warren allowed Torres back in the fight.
Torres pushed forward but his late efforts weren't enough to
inflict the type of damage he needed to come back. With his performance,
Warren earned a split decision.
Amanda
Pera out-quicked her way past blonde bombshell LaTasha Marzolla
to win a unanimous decision. Ahead through two periods where
she consistently beat Marzolla to the punch, Pera started the
third period knowing that the fight was hers. Marzolla, however,
did not give in so easily. Scoring with punches and knees for
the first time in the fight, the former Playboy lingerie model
tried to make a fight of it. In the end, though, she could not
put Pera to the mat and left the ring a loser for a second consecutive
bout.
Travis
Johnson overpowered Adrian Foster, scoring two knockdowns, before
referee Steve Mazzagatti called a halt to the contest 1:57 of
the opening round.
Source:
Maxfighting |
KING
OF THE CAGE RESULTS
Dennis Hallman was upset, Benji Radach makes a logical choice
for Hallman's replacement if they need one for the UFC, as Radach
proves once again he deserves to be on the big show, and other
exciting fights make it an interesting night from Reno, Nevada
and King of the C | |