January News Part 3
|
Quote
of the Day
The
man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself
away.
Charles
Schwab |
IGJJF
Line Up Announced - O Bicho vai pegar -
The Big Cats are on the prowl
GENERAL EVENT INFORMATION
DATE:
February 1-2, 2003
Starts at 10am
Doors open at 9am
EVENT LOCATION:
California State Dominguez Hills
Main Gym - Torodome
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson, Ca. 90747
For a map, click
here
There
are many reasons to attend the inaugural IGJJF Open Tournament
this Saturday and Sunday at the Cal State Domingues Hills. You
will have the opportunity to perhaps witness the birth of a new
Jiu-Jitsu revolution with the new IGJJF 'motion' rules. Of course
you also will be seeing the legendary Grandmaster Helio Gracie
in person. As if that was not enough, organizer Rorion Gracie,
the man that created the U.F.C. has given the most compeling
one of them all . . . the greatest line-up of fighters ever seen
outside Brazil! Rorion released the names of the competitors
already signed up and stated: 'I am very excited that these World
Class fighters stepped up to the plate, demonstrating they have
embraced this new concept. These pioneers have come to test themselves
under the most exciting set of rules, that reward attacking and
submissions and the ultimate goal is of course benefitting Jiu-Jitsu
as a sport and a fighting style! We have no less than 5 World
Champions, the best in the World , competing here!' And he continues:
'We also have many of the top schools sending strong teams: Ralph
& Charles Gracie, Relson Hawaii, Caique, Cleber/Paragon just
to name a few!'
The
line-up: (so far)
Lightweights:
1-
Antonio 'Nino' Schmebri
2- Cleber Luciano
3- Ricardo Muller
4- Rodrigo Antunes
5- Cameron Earle
Heavyweights:
1-
Marcio 'Pe de Pano' Cruz
2- Saulo Ribeiro
3- Gabriel Vella
4- Fabio Leopoldo
5- Jorge 'Macaco' Patino
6- Van Damme
Yes
my friends, if you are not there you'll miss all the fireworks!
Imagine: Pe de Pano and Saulo - No time limits - go for broke
match! If you miss it, the only option left will be buying the
OntheMat DVD when they release it. Of course ADCC News, Grappling
Magazine and Gracie Magazine will be there documenting every
move. Be there!
Source:
ADCC/Kid Peligro |
Super
Brawl Super Stars
"Egan Inoue Returns"
Airs in Prime Time!
A one hour special featuring an in depth look into the life of
Mixed Martial Arts fighter Egan Inoue will air 5 times in the
next week. Hawaii local WB affiliate, K5 will be airing Super
Brawl Super Stars "Egan Inoue Returns" on Saturday
night at 9pm, immediately following the much anticipated University
of Hawaii basketball game versus rival Tulsa. K5 will also air
this special on Wed. night at 9pm. The show will be repeated
Tuesday, Wed., and Thursday night at 12:30pm.
The one hour show will feature interviews, lifestyle segments
on Egan Inoue, as well as three complete fights including the
never before aired battle between Egan Inoue v Martijn De Jong.
The show will also have a short feature on Super Brawl Super
Star, Falaniko Vitale.
All airings should help fill the Blaisdell Arena on Saturday
night, Feb 8, when Egan Inoue will fight Japan's Yukiya Naito.
Source:
Promoter |
2002
Shooto Official Awards
SHOOTO
released their end of year awards for 2002. Another great year
for Japan's most respected MMA organization.
[MVP]
Takanori Gomi
[Semi-MVP]
Hiroyuki Abe
[Best
Tecnicque]
Masahiro Oishi
[Most
Improved Shooter]
Tatsuya Kawajiri
[Best
Foreign Fighter]
Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro
[Rookie
of the Year]
Kuniyoshi Hironaka
[Best
Bout in Japan]
Takanori Gomi vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima
[Best
Bout outside Japan]
Stephen
Paling
vs. Kazuhiro Inoue
[Best
KO at standing]
Hiroyuki Abe
[Best
KO on the gound]
Norifumi 'KID' Yamamoto
[Best
Submission]
Alexandre Franca Nogueira
[Best
Bout in Amateur Shooto]
Seigi Fujioka vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
[Best
KO in Amateur Shooto]
Kenji Osawa
[Best
Submission in Amateur Shooto]
Takeshi Sato (= Heat Takeshi)
[Distinguished
Persons] *Persons of Merit
Kazuhiro Kusayanagi
Hiroshi Tsuruya
Richard Santoro
Martijn de Jong
Source:
ADCC |
Pre
Notes: ADCC Brazil Trials Champion
Ronaldo JACARE
This
young man will be the next big thing. Mark my words.
Mike
The
fans and critics alike are calling Ronaldo JACARE the phenomenom
of the competition. A highly decorated brown belt, with a reputation
for 'submitting everybody', JACARE showed an attacking style
that wore out his opponents.
The
highly anticipated match between Maragarida Pontes and Jacare
developed in the second round. Pontes came thru a very hard bout
against the game Pitbull, but was still the favorite going in.
Jacare met Pontes head on. A long feeling out process saw no
give in either fighter. Pontes tried the first shoot, and Jacare
sprawled and held him off. Maragarida would lose a point for
going to his back, but the match came to it's feet quickly -
a mistake by Margarida that Jacare would never give back.
When
it went to the ground, a mad scramble resultsed in a full 30
seconds of action off the mat. The reset when the action slowed
resulted in no points, with the match working it's way back to
the feet. JACARE would hold of Pontes desparate attacks until
the end and advance. In the finals he met rugged Bruno Bastos,
but JACARE is known for his full tank of gas - you could see
him wearing Bastos out in the long bout, and he earned points
and stayed active until the end of the 20 minute time limit.
Your
resume, please?
Three times BJJ World Champion
Three times BJJ National Champion
What
are your expectations regarding the trials, besides being champion,
of course?
I expect to fight against the best fighters and make good fights.
What
do you think of the ADCC's effect on the Martial Arts rivalries
in Brazil?
I think these rivalries depends a lot on the fighter. Some fighters
just don't care about the rivalry, for them it never exists.
On the other hand, there are some guys who really enjoy the rivalry
and won't do anything to make this situation better.
Who
do you think is the man to beat in your weight class?
I have heard that Fernando 'Margarida' Pontes is in. I think
everyone will be tough however.
Talk
about your training regimen?
In the morning I work 1 hour and 40 minutes working on weights.
In the afternoon I train judo and jiu-jitsu. At night I train
2 hours without the gi.
Source:
ADCC
|
LINEUP
SET FOR COLLEGE WRESTLING
ALL-STAR CLASSIC, FEB. 3
By: Eddie Goldman
College
wrestling's all-star meet is almost here. On Monday, Feb. 3,
top wrestlers from all around the U.S. will gather at the University
of Delaware for the 2003 Cape Cod Potato Chips/NWCA All-Star
Classic.
There
will be an Internet pay-per-view delayed webcast of this event.
LiveSportsVideo.com will be showing all the matches from this
event on Wednesday, Feb. 5, as a 'Pay-2-See' event for $10. They
will also show the Midlands Tournament as a bonus. For more information,
go to: www.LiveSportsVideo.com.
Here
is the current lineup for the NWCA All-Star Classic, with the
wrestlers' rankings from W.I.N. Magazine included:
2003
CAPE COD POTATO CHIPS / NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC
February 3, 2003
Bob Carpenter Center, University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
125
- #1 Chris Fleeger (Purdue) vs. #2 Travis Lee (Cornell/Hawaii)
133 - #5 Kevin Black (Wisconsin) vs. #6 Witt Durden (Oklahoma)
141 - #6 Mike Maney (Lock Haven) vs. #5 Dylan Long (Northern
Iowa)
149 - #4 Jake Percival (Ohio) vs. #7 Dustin Manotti (Cornell)
157 - #3 Scott Owen (Northern Illinois) vs. #2 Keaton Anderson
(Ohio State)
165 - #3 Troy Letters (Lehigh) vs. #5 Johnny Clark (Ohio State)
174 - #1 Greg Jones (WVU) vs. #2 Chris Pendleton (Oklahoma State)
184 - #1 Jessman Smith (Iowa) vs. #2 Clint Wattenberg (Cornell)
197 - #3 Jon Trenge (Lehigh) vs. #1 Muhammad Lawal (Oklahoma
State)
285 - #1 Steve Mocco (Iowa) vs. #2 Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State)
285 - #9 John Testa (Clarion) vs. #10 Matt Feast (Penn)
Coaches:
Craig Turnbull (West Virginia), Russ Hellickson (Ohio State),
Jeff Swenson (Augsburg), and Ray Kowatch (Ashland)
Here
is the official press release issued by the National Wrestling
Coaches Association (NWCA) about this event:
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2003
NWCA
Announces Cape Cod Potato Chips / NWCA All-Star Classic Tentative
Lineup
NCAA Champions Jones and Rowlands headline lineup
The
National Wrestling Coaches Association is pleased to announce
that an impressive lineup of Division I wrestlers have accepted
invitations to compete at the 2003 Cape Cod Potato Chips / NWCA
All-Star Classic. The 37th Annual All-Star Classic, which is
being hosted by the Delaware Wrestling Alliance, will take place
at the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center on
February 3 at 8 p.m. The event will also feature a marquee high
school event at 5p.m. featuring the defending Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Delaware State team champions.
The
Cape Cod Potato Chips / NWCA All-Star Classic pits the nation’s
top collegiate wrestlers against each other in challenge matches
that is often seen as a preview of the upcoming NCAA finals.
The 2002 All-Star Classic at Hofstra University saw three wrestlers
go onto capture NCAA titles in March.
This
year’s lineup will feature two returning NCAA Champions
and five current number one ranked wrestlers. There are currently
five matches featuring the number one and two ranked wrestlers
in the nation according to Amateur Wrestling News. The lineup
is tentative and could be subject to change in case of injuries
to participating wrestlers.
Headlining
the lineup is returning NCAA Champions Greg Jones of West Virginia
University at 174lbs and Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State University
at 285lbs.. Jones is currently ranked one nation with a perfect
15-0 record this season. Jones will meet second ranked Chris
Pendleton of Oklahoma State University, who is also undefeated
at 14-0. Rowlands, who is making his third consecutive appearance
at the NWCA All-Star Classic, is currently ranked second in the
nation with a 23-2 record. He will renew his rivalry with Steve
Mocco of Iowa. Mocco is currently ranked first with a 16-0 record
and defeated Rowlands at the Midlands Championships 4-2. Rowlands
and Mocco is a repeat of last year’s NCAA finals, which
Rowlands won on the tiebreaker.
There
will be three other matches that will see the number one versus
number two wrestlers meet. At 125lbs, number one ranked Chris Fleeger of
Purdue will meet Cornell University’s second ranked Travis
Lee. Fleeger is currently undefeated at 15-0 while Lee is 18-0
on the season. At
184lbs, Jessman Smith of Iowa will look to defend his number
one ranking versus Cornell’s second ranked Clint Wattenberg.
Smith defeated Wattenberg in the finals of the Midlands 5-4.
The final number one versus two match will take place at 197lbs.
Number one ranked Muhammad Lawal of Oklahoma State will battle
Lehigh’s second ranked Jon Trenge.
Cornell’s
Dustin Manotti at 149lbs and Lehigh’s Troy Letters at 165lbs
were the lone freshmen selected to compete in this year’s
event. The fifth ranked Manotti will meet fourth ranked Jake
Percival of Ohio University while fourth ranked Letters will
wrestle fifth ranked Johnny Clark of Ohio State.
The
remaining lineup includes: Second ranked Witt Durden of Oklahoma
meeting fourth ranked Kevin Black of Wisconsin at 133lbs, third
ranked Dylan Long of Northern Iowa meeting fourth ranked Mike
Maney of Lock Haven at 141lbs and second ranked Keaton Anderson
of Ohio State wrestling third ranked Scott Owen of Northern Illinois
at 157lbs.
In
keeping with the tradition of a local feature match, the Delaware
Wrestling Alliance invited Clarion’s John Testa to meet
Penn’s Matt Feast at 285lbs. Testa grew up in Newark, DE
and went to school at St.. Mark’s High School.
“On
behalf of the NWCA Board of Directors, I would like to thank
the athletes and coaches for competing in this signature event,
we truly could not make these events a success without their
support,” stated Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National
Wrestling Coaches Association
This
year’s Cape Cod Potato Chips / NWCA All-Star Classic is
unique as it marks the first time the event is being brought
to a campus that currently does not sponsor wrestling. The Delaware
Wrestling Alliance is presenting the event to help bring wrestling
back to the University of Delaware. The DWA’s success is
predicated on their ability to demonstrate a strong commitment
from the wrestling community in the Middle Atlantic Region.
“The
NWCA BOD will be forever grateful for the relentless efforts
of the DWA to host our signature event in an attempt to restore
an intercollegiate wrestling program to the campus of University
of Delaware. We would like to ask that the entire wrestling community
in the mid-Atlantic region supports the DWA's efforts by ensuring
that we have a sell-out crowd,” commented Moyer.
A
special prelude to the Cape Cod Potato Chips/NWCA All-Star Classic
will be six-team high school event at 5p.m. The feature match
will be Pennsylvania State Champions, Easton High School versus
New Jersey State Champions, Abesgami High School. The two other
duals meets will highlight four Delaware schools as Delaware
State Champions St. Marks High School will meet William Penn
High School while Delaware State Runner-up, Caesar Rodney High
School will meet Sussex Central High School.
Tickets
can be purchased for the Cape Cod Potato Chips / NWCA All-Star
Classic by visiting the DWA’s website at www.beastwrestling.com.
For more information, please call 717-653-8009.
Source:
ADCC |
Q&A
with Pedro Rizzo
MF:
How has your recovery from your broken nose gone?
Pedro Rizzo: Well, my fight was on September 27, and I had surgery
October 10. The bone of my nose was totally separated from my
face. When the surgery was done, the doctor said one month without
training, because I couldn't breath much due to an inflammation
of my nasal pathways.
MF:
So it wasn't hurt too badly?
PR: I broke my nose, but I didn't split it. The bone that was
broken is a bridge to the brain. The punch that Gan McGee landed
was straight, but it had a side pressure such as a cross. When
the first round finished, I felt my bone totally free and then
I said: 'Marco Ruas, I cannot proceed.'
MF:
Was it difficult facing a taller opponent?
PR: I trained with taller sparring partners who put pressure
all over me. I trained Muay Thai, wrestling, Luta Livre and boxing
with many people who were taller than me. That was a lucky punch,
and it happens with anyone who enters the Octagon. I think McGee
didn't realize he'd landed, because when I ate that punch and
when I collided against the fence, he still was in the center
of the Octagon with a look on his face like, 'I did that?'
MF:
Do you consider McGee a tough opponent?
PR: He's a good fighter, but technically he's limited. He needs
to improve if he wants to be a UFC champion. He's still young
and he'll improve.
MF:
Did you feel like you were in your best shape for the fight against
him?
PR: After the fight against Andrei Arlovski, I had surgery on
my hand and I had taken some medicine and had trouble losing
weight. I think I wasn't at an ideal weight, but I had trained
hard like always. It happens. I only hope this lack of luck ends
soon.
MF:
What was your strategy in the fight?
PR: I didn't know much about him. I thought he'd try to take
me down. I landed some low kicks as bait to see what he'd do,
and, to my surprise, he didn't block my low kicks. I know my
kicks are hard, and, when he accepted them, I thought I'd play
this type of game. But he got that lucky punch. McGee said he
was looking for my kicks to land that punch, but I don't believe
that.
MF:
Now that the fight is over, do you feel that your strategy was
a good idea?
PR: I never imagined that in the remaining 10 seconds I'd eat
that punch.
MF:
Did you know after the first round that you wouldn't be able
to continue?
PR: When the round finished I walked to my corner and I put my
hand on my nose. It was on the right side of my face and then
it passed to the left side, so I felt I was out of action. Leon
Tabbs said I was in no condition to fight.
MF:
How frustrating was that loss?
PR: All defeats are frustrating but that was especially. I was
growing, and, if I had won, I would have fought against the winner
of Randy Couture versus Ricco Rodriguez, I think. I lost the
opportunity of fighting for the title in February and now I fight
against the tough Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko.
Once more I'll have to prove my value.
MF:
Will your training change because of the loss to McGee?
PR: I do not think my training was bad. Everything was hard and
my sparring sessions were tough. I just lost. I will keep my
head raised, and I will try to revamp at UFC 41.
MF:
Did you expect to return to the UFC so soon?
PR: The UFC promoters asked me if I'd be OK by February, and
because I have determination in my veins, I wanted to fight as
soon as possible.
MF:
What should fans expect from you in your return?
PR: I learn with the defeats and for some reason it helps me.
I'll step in the Octagon more relaxed.
MF:
How much longer do you plan on fighting?
PR: I am 28 years old and I can fight the top heavyweight fighters
around the world. I am at the same level of the top fighters
from the UFC and PRIDE, so while I am feeling like that, I will
continue fighting.
MF:
What is your goal in mixed martial arts?
PR: My goal is, of course, the UFC heavyweight belt. I still
have many things to show in the Octagon.
MF:
Do you believe that it is still possible to become the UFC heavyweight
champion?
PR: I've been in the UFC since 1998. I think that I am always
among the best fighters. I want to give excellent performances
to the fans, but I want to be champion too.
MF:
Whom would you like to fight after your match against Matyushenko?
PR: Of course, I would like to fight whoever has the heavyweight
belt. In my opinion, Rodriguez is the favorite against Tim Sylvia,
but if something does not run like it should, my goal will be
to fight Sylvia.
Source:
Maxfighting |
J.G.’s
“Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell” Mailbag
Compiled
and Edited by Josh Gross (January 28, 2003)
In
the wake of Chuck Liddell’s response directed at Tito Ortiz’s
refusal to ink his name to a contract that would secure an April
25 title defense versus the UFC’s light heavyweight perennial
number one contender, many of MaxFighting’s faithful responded
with their take on the situation. Most, as you’d imagine,
labeled Ortiz a chicken (or worse). A handful showed limited
support for the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” but they
were few and far between.
For
the most part, you guys simply wanted to state your disappointment
that the best match up currently possible in the UFC appears
like it won’t be taking place for a while, if at all. What
are the ramifications? Where do Ortiz and Liddell go from here?
If they did fight, what would happen? Those questions, along
with a few non-Liddell-Ortiz queries are explored in the latest
edition of J.G.’s Mailbag.
GRADE-SCHOOL
TACTICS?
I
just wanted to compliment you on a great article. Its apparent
that Tito has been ducking Chuck for a long time now and Chuck
has just been sitting back waiting his time while Tito has been
acting like the fourth grade bad kid when you would have a substitute
teacher. Zuffa of course, is the substitute teacher letting the
little unruly student play Mr. Bigshot. This is the reason I
have such a problem with Tito. It isn't because he doesn't fight
well or anything like that, the guy is like an out of control
kid who always has to be in the spotlight. When someone challenges
his spotlight he doesn't know what to do and he comes up with
crazy excuses and Zuffa backs him up. I am a hardcore fight fan
and I know we are why the sport is where it is at right now.
It is not where it is at because ESPN documentaries, Carmen Elektra
or Tito Ortiz. I hope Zuffa gets some back bone and gives Tito
an option fight Chuck by June or leave. This is unfair to all
the hardcore, pay-per view buying fans like myself. Tito acts
like he cares so much about pleasing the fans but he will not
even fight in the fight everyone wants to see. O well Sorry Josh
I get carried away, not to many people to talk too about NHB
in western PA. -- Charlie Smith
What’s
up Western, PA! Hello from sunny Los Angeles. It was a balmy
80 degrees on Super Bowl Sunday. Anyhow, enough gloating.
Don’t
be so sure that Zuffa is turning their back to Ortiz’s act.
A year ago I was the first to say that Ortiz was clearly their
flag barer and that the UFC went above and beyond the call of
duty to coddle him.
While
Tito was laid up following surgery, Liddell should have faced
Belfort for an interim title last June. When I suggested the
idea in an article, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva shot me down. He
said it was a silly idea and that the UFC would never have interim
titles. Well, Joe, never say ‘never.’ Had he listened
then, Ortiz would have far less leverage to play the schoolyard
bully.
Think
about it, why should he be concerned that his actions would be
penalized? There is no sanctioning body forcing him to face Liddell.
It’s already proven that the UFC titles have little value.
A champion today is gone tomorrow -- at least that was the blueprint
in 2002. It’s simply a money issue. He thinks his name is
as big as the UFC’s. Of course, he’s wrong. As much
as I look forward to the day when the fighters’ names are
larger than the promotions they fight in, the sport’s not
there yet. Tito fails to realize this.
In
the end, I think we’ll see some kind of deal. Chuck will
wait and he’ll get his fight.
MOTIVES
MAKE THE WORLD GO ‘ROUND
Hi
Josh: I just finished reading your article on the fight (or lack
thereof) between Liddell & Ortiz. I can't believe that Tito
is showing a little bit of bitch in his heart. I've never viewed
Ortiz as the greatest UFC fighter (not by a longshot), but I
expected him to except the best possible challenges, as a way
to show support to the fans who support his chosen career, as
well as proving to himself that he's the top fighter in his division.
I'm
incredibly disappointed. Is Tank still fighting Frank Mir in
February? I suppose that'll be my highlight for the UFC in the
foreseeable future, since Tito is pretending to be injured. :::Shakes
head in disgust::: Take Care Josh -- MJM
Ortiz
may have disappointed a lot of people by not accepting the bout
versus Liddell, but he’s not a bitch. Come on man. He’s
got his reasons for not wanting to fight Chuck -- fear isn’t
one of them, though reality might be -- but on any given night
the guy is still one of the most dominant mixed martial artists
on the planet.
Styles
make fights, and fights make careers. For Ortiz to be the fighter
he thinks he is, he must fight Liddell this year. The crappy
thing for him: he’s got a serious shot of losing should
he finally accept to fight “The Iceman.”
RESPECT
THE MOHAWK
I
have been a fan of MMA and the UFC ever since it started. I have
seen all of Chuck’s fights as well as Tito's. I have read
the articles and seen the press and the hype and tend to agree
with Chuck. In that I believe that Tito is genuinely afraid and
his over inflated ego will not allow the most public and brutal
beating of Tito's career to take place. Chuck has a lethal stand
up game and is an awesome wrestler. Not taking anything away
from Tito... but he is no Liddell!! TITO SHOULD BE MADE FIGHT
LIDDELL AND TAUGHT SOME RESPECT. -- Bruce
Tito’s
not afraid of Chuck. The guy isn’t afraid of anyone. He
may be afraid of losing. He may be afraid of getting hurt. But
he’s not afraid of any fighter. Wary? Concerned? Hesitant?
Sure. But you really think Tito is scared to step in the ring
with anyone? Come on, the guy fought Vanderlei Silva, Vladimir
Matyushenko, Evan Tanner and other tough dudes.
That
said: Tito, do us all a favor and sign the damn contract.
FINALLY,
AN E-MAIL (MOSTLY) ABOUT THE IN-RING FIGHT
I've
noticed Tito's biggest weakness is his chin. Chuck's best weapon
is his punching power. I think Tito knows that Chuck is more
than capable of beating him and I don't think Tito wants to fight
Chuck because it will be Chuck digging Tito's grave after the
fight. -- Ken
I
think it’s fair to say that Tito’s chin has been exposed
in the past, though he’s very similar to Vanderlei Silva
in that he recovers well after taking a solid shot. He took a
huge flying knee from Yuki Kondo and acted as if he hadn’t
been touched. He took a shot square on the button from Ken Shamrock
and instantly recovered. And he also took a hard punch or two
from Silva.
That
said, “The Iceman” is infinitely more dangerous than
any of those guys because not only can he KO you with either
hand, he can stay on his feet long enough to hit you more than
once.
Chuck’s
biggest danger to Ortiz is his ability to wrestle and stay standing
in striking range. Because it’s on his feet that he’ll
beat Tito. I don’t doubt that he’s skilled from the
bottom and could survive a fight from his back but Liddell won’t
win the fight from there, just like Tito won’t win a fight
fought primarily on the feet.
APRIL
FOOLS
I'm
such a lemming. I read Tito's rebuttal and started believing
it is just a timing issue, but going back over your article,
I realize that Tito would have one more month to recover and
two full months to train. Hopefully your article, and others
like it, will anger the Champ enough to bring him out. Fact is,
injuries happen, but he could solve everything now by signing
for June. You guys do good work. -- Morgan Washick
Morgan,
injuries happen and should be dealt with properly when they do.
As my old high school football coach once asked me: “Are
you injured or are you hurt?” Being sore is part of the
business, and I’m sure no one knows that better than Ortiz.
However, using soreness as an excuse in January for a fight in
April is shoddy at best.
His
right hand was very swollen when I saw him after his fight versus
Shamrock in November, but it wasn’t broken. Hell, he wasn’t
close to 100 percent following ACL surgery prior to his fight
versus Shamrock and he still stepped in to fight. During the
rehab period he boasted at how quickly he was recovering. Tito
is an elite athlete, which is why his injury claims raise serious
doubts as to his motives surrounding a Liddell fight.
If
it takes Liddell calling Ortiz out to compel the UFC champ into
taking a fight he should want, Tito has more serious problems
than a sore hand and knee.
ENOUGH
WITH THE COMPLAINING…SOMEONE FIGHT ALREADY
Not
to say I am Joe Pro MMA fan-but I personally think Tito Ortiz
can beat Chuck. Not saying it wouldn’t be a great fight,
but recently he hasn’t fought anyone as good as Ortiz. Although
Ortiz hasn’t had many fights recently either. But rather
than complaining about belts and #1 contenders, why don’t
Chuck try to get a match with Wanderlei Silva. I mean I think
Liddell, Silva, and Ortiz could be the top 3 at that weight in
MMA. Plus fighters don’t get more aggressive than Silva,
so rather than complaining why don’t he put on a great fight
with one of the best out now. Thanks and I'm out like Tank Abbott
will be in UFC 41. -- No Name Given
Chuck
hasn’t fought anyone as good as Tito? Come on. Are you really
going to make me type out a list of their opponents the past
eighteen months. Fine
Understanding
that Ortiz missed most of 2002 here are their respective opponents…
Tito
Ortiz: Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ken Shamrock
Chuck
Liddell: Guy Mezger, Murilo Bustamante, Amar Suloev, Vitor Belfort,
Renato “Babalu” Sobral
Of
course Tito could beat Chuck. If they fought ten times I say
they split the results right down the middle. Would a Liddell-Silva
fight be just as great? Sure it would. But Liddell has more than
earned his shot at Ortiz and the UFC light heavyweight title,
and he needs to do that first.
If
Silva continues to win in Japan -- and that’s not a sure
thing considering potential 2003 bouts versus Ricardo Arona,
Quinton Jackson and/or Kevin Randleman -- it would be excellent
to see him face the winner of Liddell-Ortiz, assuming it happens
soon.
WHOLE
LOTTA “BLACK”
Just
wanted to write and tell you that I enjoyed your article today
about Jason Black. He is a fighter that I have heard of often
and wondered about, but he never really gets much press. It was
nice to learn a little about his background. I have a few questions
about the article I hoped you could answer. Did Black place nationally
in wrestling at the D-III level? What is the bad blood between
him and Antonio McKee? This is the first that I had heard anything
about that. Also I would like your opinion on something. You
made a statement about a Miletich-trained fighter always being
prepared. Well, what happened to Pat against Lindland? He not
only got embarrassed, but he cost me some money. It seems that
everyone's opinion is that Matt was just too big. I just don't
buy that. Remember he wrestled in the Olympics at 167.5 lbs.
not to long ago, and I have read where Miletich walks around
at 190 lbs. I don't think there was that much of a weight difference
on the night of the fight. Thanks for taking the time to read
my email and keep up the good work. Also congratulations on the
editor's position at Fightsport. It is a great magazine. I just
wish it was monthly. -- Justin
Justin,
thanks for the props on the article. Monte Cox e-mailed me and
mentioned that Black isn’t the most talkative guy in MMA.
He didn’t hold back when I spoke to him. Maybe I have a
magic touch or something.
Anyhow,
from what I remember I believe he was an All-American at the
D-III level at least once and maybe twice. The bad blood between
he and McKee stems from their fight at WFA I. By most accounts,
Black fought the worst fight of his career. McKee is extremely
frustrating to face. The guy can hold down anyone and I guess
his style and demeanor didn’t sit well with Black. He says
he doesn’t care about fighting McKee again; something tells
me he’s not being entirely honest.
When
Miletich faced Lindland he was completely overmatched. Sometimes
it’s not your day, and clearly Lindland has Pat’s number
last March. In reality, Miletich was forced to 185 because of
Hughes. While it’s true that Lindland wrestled at 167.5
pounds, he’s much larger than Miletich. When you see the
two stand next to each other you quickly realize that.
Oh,
and thanks for mentioning the FightSport gig. It’s something
I’m really excited about and, if all goes the way I hope
it does, I think you guys will really love the direction of the
magazine in 2003. If you do, I have a good feeling we’ll
go monthly in 2004. Of course, your input is always appreciated!
MORE
“BLACK”
Josh,
great article on Jason Black! This guy doesn't get enough press!
Thanks for your efforts to keep us posted! By the way, I believe
it's Ottumwa, IA. Cheers! -- Mike
I
think you're right about Ottumwa -- I must have been trying to
fill my weekly quotient of errors. Useless fact time: Did you
know that “Radar” from the television series M.A.S.H
is supposed to be from Ottumwa? Anyhow, Black is the real deal
and his win over John Alessio on Saturday should propel him into
the top 10.
MILK
CARTON ALERT
I’m
a loyal follower of MMA but was curious about three fighters
in particular that seem to have fallen off the face of the earth.
One of these is Tre Telligman. It seems that he finally got his
career on the right path by defeating Igor Vovchanchyn but then
I haven’t heard about him since. Also, what happened to
Mikey Burnett? He seemed to be a force to be reckoned with out
of the Lion’s Den, giving Pat Miletich all that he could
handle plus scoring two victories in other UFC competitions.
Lastly, Ausserio Silva, whom I believe is 2-0 in Pride competition.
Do you know the whereabouts of these three athletes? Thanks in
advance! -- Eric Sczublewski
Tra
shifted his focus from MMA to boxing, and had some success. He
was featured on at least one or two televised cards. The last
time I spoke with him was this summer while I was in Dallas to
watch Ken Shamrock prepare for his November bout versus Tito
Ortiz. He was in good spirits and is definitely still involved
in the fight game.
I
saw Mikey Burnett at UFC 36 and he said that his fighting days
were more than likely over. Mikey’s life has not gone without
its share of problems, but he seems to be in a good place these
days. He currently lives in Oklahoma.
Ausserio
Silva is scheduled to return to action soon. He tore up some
knee ligaments and had surgery, which is why you haven’t
heard from him in a while. I saw him fight live twice and the
guy is a wrecking machine. Hopefully the knee surgery doesn’t
slow him down too much.
Source:
Maxfighting |
|
Quote
of the Day
The
secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.
Mark
Twain |
Relson
Gracie in Austin, then on to the IGJJF
Relson
arrived in Austin, Texas for two seminars. The first one at Dell
computer company and the second at The Hills Fitness Center.
Relson will then fly the Rorion's International Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
Tournament. Relson will meet up with Harris Brumer (Relson Gracie
Hawaii), Phil Cardella (Relson Gracie Texas) and Lionel Perez
(Relson Gracie Jacksonville, Florida) who are confirmed to test
their skills and lead the Relson Gracie team in this tournament.
Good luck guys!
I
will also be in California for the tournament. I will be there
for business and am leaving early to catch the tournament and
support our team.
Mike
|
More
BOB SAPP News
We reported last
week that Japanese celebrity, Bob Sapp, was preparing for a musical
release. This week, more details have surfaced about the CD.
A monstrous push
is being planned for Bob Sapp's debut album/CD.
Is Japan ready for
a 350lbs version of James Brown? Apparently they are, according
to Sapp's producers in Tokyo.
Neptune, a major
player on FujiTV, says their television hosts are ready to hype
up the album of Sapp's 'musical skills' on their highly rated
TV show.
Neptune is also
a partner with Sapp in the venture and says they expect to sell
over 1,000,000 copies of the CD entitled 'Sapp Time!'. Sorry
Hammer.
For Life Music Entertainment
will release the CD in early March are expecting it to win several
music awards...yes, you just read that right.
The CD will run
about $9 U.S. dollars and features songs written by Sapp himself.
Source: ADCC |
Post-Fight
Q&A with Duane "Bang" Ludwig
Maxfighting:
Congratulations on a huge victory, what does this mean for you?
Ludwig: It means that now I'm finally a world champion. It feels
good to be a world champion and it felt good to beat Pulver.
Maxfighting:
You said after the fight that you had fulfilled a promise you
made a while back?
Ludwig: My mother passed away when I was 16. No one in my family
has really done anything with their lives, and I wanted to be
the first to make something of myself. So I made a promise to
her, through prayers, that I would win a world title for her.
And I did, so that one was for my mom, it felt good.
Maxfighting:
Does this win change your focus from K-1 to MMA?
Ludwig: My goal from the beginning has always been to win K-1
and I still want to do that. I started MMA as a hobby just to
mess around and try it, but now I'm a world champion in MMA.
So maybe I just shouldn't try so hard in kickboxing and I'll
win a world championship. I want to win the K-1, but after that
I'll probably just do MMA.
Maxfighting:
Did Pulver being such an accomplished world champion ever intimidate
you?
Ludwig: Actually no, I was pretty comfortable. I knew he was
going to try to stand up for a while, at least until I hit him
a few times, so I knew I had a minute or two. I felt pretty confident
that I would be able to land a couple punches. He's one of the
best fighters in the world, but I knew he couldn't stand up with
me.
Maxfighting:
Were you ready for the ground?
Ludwig: Yeah, I've been working on the ground a lot, with Shane
Pitts and Nathan Marquardt, and one day a week with Jeff Badard
and the wrestlers down at the Olympic Training Center. I still
would have had a hard time with him on the ground, of course,
but I would have been comfortable.
Maxfighting:
Your ground game has been in question for a long time, ever since
your loss to Eric Payne. How much has your style changed since
then?
Ludwig: I'm a lot better on the ground. For that fight I did
a lot of stand up, I was still kind of arrogant at the time,
but now I'm on the ground like a motherfucker. If any of you
guys think you can take me down and submit me, you're going to
have a lot more trouble than you think.
Maxfighting:
How did you improve your standup for this fight?
Ludwig: I hooked up with Trevor Wittman (a pro level boxing coach)
about four or five months ago. He's really brought a lot to my
game, there's just so much more to boxing that I didn't know,
and I've been striking for years. He's opened my eyes to different
elements of the sport. I feel a lot stronger and more confident
with my hands. My speed has always been there and my timing too,
but the power has not been there in my hands. Now it's all there,
I feel a lot better.
Maxfighting:
Will your new skills help you in K-1?
Ludwig: It will change things a lot. Before, I used to use my
hands to set up kicks and knees or score points but now I can
knock 'em out. So it may change my game a little bit. In my last
Thai boxing match in December I almost KO'd the guy with my hands.
Maxfighting: You showed your power against Pulver, is that your
fastest KO?
Ludwig: Yeah, I think so! In MMA or kickboxing that's my fastest
KO, and it's only the second from punches, all my others have
been from knees or kicks.
Maxfighting:
So what went through your head during that minute?
Ludwig: It's funny, I'd been boxing for four months, training
to circle left, then the first thing I do is circle to my right.
I'm going into his power, which is the wrong thing to do, but
because I did that, it gave him a chance to throw his power hook.
That was a blessing and a mistake, I'm not supposed to go that
way, but it made him open up with his hook so I could counter
with the right cross. So we circled and he throws the left hook
and I lean away, I see the opening. Then he throws it again and
I threw my right and he went down. Then I try to get away but
he grabs my feet so I sprawl out into a north south position.
I tried to control his hips with my right hand while I was delivering
shots with my right. I must have thrown 20 or so but I didn't
want to tire myself out. I didn't want to punch myself out so
I thought about choking him, but then I thought I better not
so we stood up. He got both under hooks on me so I pummeled in
and got my hips back. He was just stalling cause he was still
rocked so the ref separated us and I could see he was wobbling.
I knew right then that I could get the KO, so I threw a right
cross to the stomach and a left head hook, then I clinched for
a knee, but he got out. So I threw a left high kick and a right
cross after that, and the cross landed for the KO.
Maxfighting:
And then you did the jump splits?
Ludwig: They don't call me "lil Bas" for nothing! That
was a tribute to one of my favorite fighters and trainers, Bas
Rutten, just a way thank him and joke around.
Maxfighting:
How did it feel to have Bas in your corner?
Ludwig: It feels real good, it makes me feel confident and believe
in myself a little more. Everything Bas tells me I believe because
he's been there, he done it. If someone's trying to tell me a
combo or something that works and they've never fought before
I don't believe in it as much, even from a good trainer. But
if someone has been there, I trust in what they have to say,
I take it to heart more.
Maxfighting:
Bas says you learn like a machine, you catch on really quick
standing and on the ground, what makes that possible?
Ludwig: I've always been shown a lot of techniques and I just
take what I feel will work for me. I think Bas and I fight similarly,
so whatever combos he shows me feel comfortable right away. In
fact, we were practicing the right cross left hook combo in the
dressing room just 10 minutes before the fight, and then it actually
worked. I have a lot of confidence in what Bas says and when
you have confidence in something it will usually work. As for
the ground game, I'm an athlete and I pick things up quick when
I put my mind to it.
Maxfighting:
You beat the top 155 lb fighter in the world, there are going
to be a lot of guys wanting a shot at you. Are you ready to take
on the likes of BJ Penn, Matt Serra, and other top grapplers?
Ludwig: If they don't stand up with me, if they're always trying
to shoot or stay away, then of course it's going to be harder
for me to throw my strikes. My grappling isn't world-class caliber
yet, but I think it will be there shortly. As long as I work
the sprawl I'll be fine. I'll strike with anybody, but it could
be dangerous for me to fight those guys. If they have a good
shot I could be in trouble, but if they don't, then they're in
trouble. But styles make fights and that's what happened the
other night. Jens tried to trade with me and it didn't work out
for him. A better game plan might have been for him to take me
down, but he said he would stand up with me and he did and I
respect that because I could have gotten KO'd just as easily.
If my timing was off he would have gotten me with the left hook
instead of me hitting him with my right, and I would have been
the one sleeping, but it didn't happen that way, so I'm thankful.
Maxfighting:
Who do you want to fight next?
Ludwig: It's not about fighting a person to me right now, it's
about winning the K-1 max. I'd like to fight Masato again, I'd
like to fight Gong again, and that's really it. I'm not really
gunning for anyone, they're gunning for me, I think I just signed
a death warrant.
Maxfighting:
So did you like fighting in Canada?
Ludwig: I had a good time, but it was cold as hell. I think I
left the hotel room four times. I was surprised at how good the
Canadian fighters are. Some of those guys should be in the UFC
or Pride, they are definitely world class fighters. The UCC was
a good production too, they treated us really well. I was a little
worried going up, but turned out they had a good thing going
and I'm glad I was a part of it.
Maxfighting:
Do you have anything else to say to your fans?
Ludwig: To my fans… thanks for supporting me. Hopefully
I made some new fans out of the people who doubted me. If not,
hopefully I will in the future. I'd also like to thank all the
people who have gotten me here: Octagon.com, they have been there
since the beginning; Hybrid fight wear; GLC 2000, that stuff
really works; Fairtex equipment; Dakota Steakhouse; Brothers
Barbeque; Martialartsradio.com; GoldenPalace.com; the UCC and
Jens for giving me the opportunity; all my training partners,
Nathan Marquardt, Jeff Badard, Shane Pitts, Bas Rutten, Trevor
Wittman, my manager Sven Bean, all my fans, my family, and of
course the man above, Jesus… thank you.
Source:
Maxfighting |
TUNE-IN
ADVISORY
UFC HEAVYWEIGHT RANDY COUTURE TO FLEX BRAIN POWER ON 'WEAKEST
LINK,' FRIDAY, JANUARY 31
Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship Two-Time Champion To Test Trivia
Brawn On Syndicated Spin Off Of Popular NBC-TV Game Show
LIVE EVENT TICKETS NOW ON SALE!
Will
brushing up with FCF help Couture's chances on Weakest Link?
Las Vegas, January 28, 2003…Former two-time Ultimate Fighting
Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture of Portland,
Ore., will flex his trivia brawn Friday, January 31, as one of
six contestants on the syndicated, daily version of the popular
NBC-TV game show "Weakest Link." The show airs nationally
at different times in all major U.S. television markets.
Viewers should check local listings for the time in their market.
As a UFC fighter, Couture will compete as part of the show's
"dangerous jobs" theme against five contestants whose
occupations put them in at-risk situations. Contestants first
work together to answer a series of general knowledge questions
to reach a money goal within a time limit each round. At the
end of each round, they vote to eliminate the fellow competitor
they deem to be the weakest link in the chain. Those eliminated
leave with nothing. In the final round, the two players left
battle it out head-to-head in a best-of-three shootout until
one wins. The other leaves with nothing. In Friday's show, Couture
will compete against a rodeo cowboy, a female fire-eater, a drag
racer, a female stunt person and a female boxer who is also a
sheriff.
Couture, 7-4-0 in mixed martial arts fighting, held the UFC Heavyweight
Championship from December 1997 to October 1998 and from November
2000 until March 2002. He is a former four-time national champion
in Greco-Roman wrestling and was a three-time All-American wrestler
at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., where he earned
a bachelor's degree in foreign language (German) and literature.
Source:
FCF |
LUTA-LIVRE'S
MASTER, JOAO RICARDO (BUDOKAN)
After
our last interview with Master Joao Ricardo, FIGHTWORLD Brazil
received 26 emails from fans asking for more about Master Ricardo.
So here is a second interview!
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: How did you do in ValeTudo events when you fought? Joao
Ricardo: When I began in ValeTudo I had only background on Karate,
so I liked to fight on the feet. I trained a lot on the punching
bag, so when I stepped into the ring I would like to fight free.
I liked fighting what I trained, so I never was submitted by
anyone. My victories were always via KO, TKO or doctor/referee
stoppage
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Which was your record in ValeTudo? Joao Ricardo: I fought
18 times with 2 defeats, 1 draw and 15 victories.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: What happened in your two defeats? Joao Ricardo: When
I lost my first fight I did not know what ValeTudo was. I had
gone to do a Karate exhibition and in this same place there was
a ring where it would happen to be a ValeTudo event. I had started
my Karate exhibition and one of the fighters who was supposed
to fight did not show up. So I replaced him, I think that I did
good, but with one minute left in the fight, my opponent got
the mount position and my corner threw the towel. The second
one I lost via decision against a fighter who was 15kg heavier.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Did not these events have weight class? Joao Ricardo:
Nope. I never fought against anyone who had the same weight as
me. I was always the lightest and shortest guy there.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: What about the rules? Were they always like IVC rules?
Joao Ricardo: Each event had its own rules. When I lost to the
guy who was 15kg heavier, in the rules meeting it was confirmed
the punches would be legal. However when I stepped in to the
ring things changed and palm strikes were only allowed, no punches.
Now, can you imagine landing palm strikes when you are the lightest
fighter... ...it is hard to do any damage. That was very bad
for me.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Out of your victories, which was the most important?
Joao Ricardo: I like my all victories, but there is one where
there was alot of pressure on me because I was going to fight
a local idol in Goiania who had beat everybody he had fought.
He was higher and heavier than me and everybody who saw me was
expecting me to get massacred but when the fight began I landed
a jab and a straight, followed by a huge knee which broke his
nose and the fight lasted less than 1:30
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: You said you first trained in Karate, so how did Luta-Livre
come into your life? Joao Ricardo: A funny thing is I did not
like to train Luta-Livre [laughs]. I had an academy with Johil
de Oliveira's father and I did not like when he called me to
train on the mat with him, I was practically forced trained by
him. However when I started to fight ValeTudo, I realized that
I needed to train Luta-Livre.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: I thought that Roberto Leitao Sr had introduced you to
Luta-Livre. Joao Ricardo: I met Leitao Sr first time at a Karate
event where a student of mine already knew him, so he introduced
me to Leitao Sr. We set up a traning session in Pedro Gama Filho's
academy where Leitao Sr gives classes. When we I began our training,
Leitao Sr beat me 5/6 times in 5 minutes. That was so strange
for me since I thought I knew something, so I kept training with
him and I started to lose less to him. After I gained more background
in Luta-Livre an impressive thing happened. Nobody want to train
with us, we had to expand after only 6 months because everybody
from Luta-Livre, Judo and Jiu Jitsu came to our academy and when
they did not tapout for me they tapout for Leitao Sr. In 1977
I formed BUDOKAN Academy and Leitao Sr came to my academy to
train sometimes and it was during that time that I formed a good
team.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Was there a rivalry with Jiu Jitsu guys? Joao Ricardo:
Nope, there was not rivalry. This began with other generation
of Luta-Livre and Jiu Jitsu, and it was nonsense.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: So, was there close doors matches and brawl in the street,
which was common with the Generation that had this rivalry? Joao
Ricardo: I never had this problem. When I trained Wrestling,
great Jiu Jitsu names were from the same team as me, such as
Peixotinho, Rolls Gracie and Carlos Gracie Jr.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Master Ricardo, can you explain what Leitao Sr means
to Luta-Livre? Joao Ricardo: He is kind of Luta-Livre's scientist.
anybody who does not think and say this does not know his past,
well go to train with him nowadays, he is still in action. Leitao
Sr knows everything about Luta-Livre/Submission. He tales great
pleasure in teaching, he knows a lot and Luta-Livre is his flag.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Is it true that a good part of Ruas VT system's fighters
trained with you? Joao Ricardo: Marco Ruas prior UFC 7 had trained
at
BUDOKAN, Renato 'Babalu' Sobral won a 8 man tourney training
at BUDOKAN and Antoine Jaoude also trained here.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: BUDOKAN was basically Luta-Livre taught by you and Muay
Thai with Luiz Alves. Why did Alves leave, to form Boxe Thai
Team? Joao Ricardo: Alves and Narani had an Academy named NAJA
and they called me to teach Luta-Livre because they did not know
nothing on the mat. So I started giving classes, after sometime
I stopped and they closed the academy's doors. Alvez formed a
new academy named Boxe Thai and then, he came with his students
to train Luta-Livre here at BUDOKAN and my Luta-Livre students
trained Muay Thai with him. We got several champion, mainly at
the Universal ValeTudo Fighting. Alvez already was Luta-Livre
black-belt and Muay Thai coach and he decided to form his own
team. There was not any misunderstanding between us, he only
preferred to be alone, we are friends still.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Do not you think both team were weakened by this? Joao
Ricardo: The fighters who were champions during that period,
they did not fight again. Boxe Thai team is standing out from
the others because Rodrigo
'Minotauro' Nogueira, Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira and Jose Mario
Sperry are training there.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Who these champions(BUDOKAN/Boxe Thai union) were? Joao
Ricardo: Dario Amorim, Angelo Sergio, Artur Mariano and 'Pinguim'.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Why not THE PEDRO? Joao Ricardo: THE PEDRO never represented
BUDOKAN/Boxe Thai in any competition.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: THE PEDRO was a very strange fighter, good size and good
weight. However sometimes he was horrible to watch. Why was he
like that? Joao Ricardo: THE PEDRO was considered a weak fighter
when he came to train with me. After sometime he became regular
fighter with some skills, because I adopted some of the moves
to fit his style of fighting. He wasn not strong on the feet
- nor with kicks or punches - however he had strength on the
mat. So he won 4x UFV and IVC 3 champion, and I think he was
robbed at IVC 1. If we make were to make a graph about his fighting
career, he did very well at first and then he dropped off. I
did not get to train with him again and he began to perform week
again.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Did not he like to train? Joao Ricardo: He had left BUDOKAN
and he did not have a coach. He needed a coach, because his mind
was weak. I knew how to support him and what to say to him to
get him to train hard.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Why did he leave? Joao Ricardo: Because he did a fakefight
against Carlos Barreto (BTT) and I did not know at the time.
But when I found it out, I kicked him out of BUDOKAN because
it was not good for our team to be associated with such fights,
we only fight real fights. I fought in a ring, where I bled,
so I cannot accept such an attitude like that.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: You have a new pupil who showed himself to be very skilled
in Copa BUDOKAN 12. Can you introduce him to the fans? Joao Ricardo:
His name is Alessandro Leal and he is 1-0 in NHB. He is one of
our top Luta-Livre fighters, I knew that he would fight well
at Copa BUDOKAN 12, but he surpassed my expectations. He fought
alot of tough fighters who could not put him in danger. He beat
the experienced Carlos Danilo in the final easily and for sure
Leal was the most outstanding fighter of the competition.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: If someone was to watch the Copa BUDOKAN for the first
time, they would probably say that Luta-Livre is basically takedowns
and when the fight hits the mat you try to be on top. Joao Ricardo:
Well, in reality almost all martial arts were created with the
intention of self defense and Luta-Livre is no exception. So
if Self Defense is your goal fighting on the bottom would be
a place where you would want to end up. I'm just following this
reasoning with my rules.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Is this the reason Jiu Jitsu never won a tourney in Copa
BUDOKAN? Joao Ricardo: I never realized that, but it can be.
If you pull to the guard it is -1 point and body-slams are allowed.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Are not body-slams dangerous in a Submission event like
Copa BUDOKAN? Joao Ricardo: Not really because you only need
to open your guard. We have never had problems with these kind
of issues in 12 years of hold the event
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Luta-Livre and Jiu Jitsu are always compared, mainly
in Submission events. Can you to do any comparison between both?
Joao Ricardo: I do not know how to compare. Luta-Livre was always
without any gi, so it is so hard to grab your opponent due to
perspiration. I do not know if the best fighters from are Luta-Livre
fighting in these events and the rules are not good for us.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Why is Copa BUDOKAN so popular with the fighters if it
does not pay money? Joao Ricardo: I would like to run a Pro Copa
BUDOKAN event where all fighters would receive prize money. However
I do not get sponsors to do that, the event has gotten better
lately due to the press like ADCC News, TATAME Magazine, GONG
Kakutougi and Kakutougi Tsushin who are always covering our competition.
Of course the fighters are better too, they train Wrestling and
they do not stall the fights, that had been a problem in the
past.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Besides Leal, who really stepped it up in this last event
and showed their stuff? Joao Ricardo: All the champions, Antoine
Jaoude, Gesias Cavalcanti, Marcelo 'Zulu' Santos and Maicon Alarcao.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Do not you think Luta-Livre is lacking role models? Joao
Ricardo: There are a lot of reasons. The main is that some fighters
who were from Luta-Livre do not represent this martial art as
much as they could. Ruas and Rizzo always trained Luta-Livre
but they never spoke about it, the same for Gustavo 'Ximu' Machado
and 'Babalu'. Our only representatives who speak on Luta-Livre
do not fight any more, they were Hugo Duarte and Eugenio Tadeu.
I hope Alexandre 'Pequeno' Franca Nogueira does not change his
fight style for another name and forget his Luta-Livre roots.
Here in my academy we train Muay Thai and Boxing, but we are
representatives of Luta-Livre.
FIGHTWORLD
Brazil: Last words Master? Joao Ricardo: I want every new Luta-Livre
fighter to keep himself training alot. The fighter who train
much will grow in his physical power and fighting ability, his
personal life and family life. I, such as a Master, do not want
only fighters, I want pupils with character and GOD bless everybody.
Source: ADCC |
Pre
Notes: ADCC 88-98.9 KG
Brazilian Champion CACARECO
Returning to the Submission Wrestling Wolrd Championships in
2003 will be Alexandre Cacareco Ferreira. The stand out finished
3rd in 2001, and entered the Trials this year to assure his spot
back in the rugged 88-98.9 KG weight class.
Talk about why you
think you were invited?
Twice I have wont the Campos Submission Wrestling Championship,
and I think my recent performance against Paulao Filho in another
Submission Wrestling Championship also helped me a lot.
Did you expect to
be invited to fight in the trials?
Yes, I did. Actually I had my hopes to be invited right thru
the main event, but I respect the rules and I'm here.
What are your expectations
regarding the trials, besides being champion, of course?
I hope I can win against a big name via submission and I also
hope that the trials are be better than ever.
Did you think that
an event such as this could be responsible for the end of the
rivaries that went on between martial arts in Brazil?
I feel very happy about the end of this rivalry, but I think
it finished a long time ago between top fighters.
Out of all of the
opponents in your category, who do you see as the toughest?
I'm not afraid of anyone. A rematch with Paulo Filho could be
really good. Fabio Leopoldo is a great fighter too.
How is your training
routine for the event?
Really hard. Technical trainings in the morning and cardio condition
improvement in the afternoon.
Pre
Notes: ADCC Qualifier & UFC Competitor
Alexandre Dantas 'CAFE'
Returning to the
UFC at UFC 41: Onslaught will be Alexandre 'CAFE' Dantas. He
had an exciting debut against Yuki Kondo in his debut UFC bout,
and this time he ruturns as a heavyweight.
He fought in the
ADCC Trials, in the over 99 KG division. Despite a loss in round
one to Antoine Joaude insiders are saying that Cafe looked good
with the added weight. Cafe is walking around at 230 lbs, and
retains his HIGHLY technical style in JJ. Just 24, the young
fighter has been training in Boxing for his UFC debut, and has
been working on his competition mind set.
Your resume, please.
2x BJJ World Champion
BJJ Cyclone Cup Champion
2x BJJ Panamerican Champion
Did you expect to
be invited to fight in the trials?
Yes, I did.
What are your expectations
regarding the trials, besides being champion, of course?
Besides being champion I expect to be part of good fights.
Out of all of the
opponents in your category, who do you see as the main one?
They are all good fighters. I can't tell you just one.
How is your training
routine for the event?
I prepare my cardio conditions three days a week and I train
a lot of jiu-jitsu in the remaining days. I have been boxing
a lot for my UFC match coming up , as well.
Source: ADCC
|
Ultimate
Fighting Championship's Dan "The Beast" Severn to be
honored by the HMAIS
January
21, 2003, It was announced today that legendary UFC Competitor
Dan "the Beast" Severn will be honored by the Hawaii
Martial Arts International Society in Las Vegas , NV on July
12, 2003. He will be inducted in the Hawaii Martial Arts International
Society's prestigious "International Martial Arts Hall Of
Fame". "His background is nothing less than amazing
and we are honored to have him among our elite group" Stated
HMAIS Chairman Professor Jaime Abregana Jr.
Dan
Severn is among several well known martial artist that are being
honored at the HMAIS Banquet. Each honoree is chosen from a sizeable
group and then examined thoroughly by the Hall of Fame Committee
before chosen. Other dignitaries to be honored are Professor
"Bud" Estes, Dr. T.R. Crimi Ph.D, Master Jorge Penafiel,
Dr. Gaudiosa Linda Ruby and many others.
The
Hawaii Martial Arts International Society 2003 4th Annual Hall
of Fame Awards Banquet , you'll see the new inductions into the
"International Martial Arts Hall of Fame" take place,
it will be a who's who in martial arts event. This is part of
an action packed weekend of events including the ever popular
Legends & Masters Seminar, where you can learn from the most
accomplished Pioneers, Grand Masters and Masters around today,
also to top off this incredible weekend is an Open martial arts
tournament entitled the "International Martial Arts Classic"
this all takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada , USA July 12 &
13, 2003 at the Sahara Hotel & Casino.
For
more information contact call (808) 271-0225
www.hmaisociety.com www.ufc.tv
Source:Louis
Velazquez, Karate Kidz Online
www.karatekidzonline.com
info@karatekidzonline.com
|
Travis
Lee Continues His Winning Ways
COLLEGE
WRESTLING WRAPUP: THOUSANDS WATCH OKLAHOMA STATE WIN TWO AND
REMAIN UNBEATEN
By: Eddie Goldman
Wrestling before crowds of 2,862 fans on Saturday and 3,202 on
Sunday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the top-ranked
Oklahoma State Cowboys remained unbeaten on the season with lopsided
wins of 29-9 over Oregon State and 33-5 over Oregon.
Oklahoma
State University (OSU) 33
University of Oregon (UO) 5
Sun., Jan. 26
133- Johnny Thompson (OSU) dec. Jason Harless (UO), 15-8
141- Zack Esposito (OSU) fall Casey Hunt (UO), 3:36
149- Jerrod Sanders (OSU) dec. Tony Overstake (UO), 9-3
157- Shane Roller (OSU) fall Chet McBhee (UO), 2:15
165- Tyrone Lewis (OSU) dec. Luke Larwin (UO), 10-4
174- Shane Webster (UO) dec. Chad Reid (OSU), 7-3
184- Brett Munson (OSU) dec. Tony Rolen (UO), 3-0
197- Muhammed Lawal (OSU) fall Elias Soto (UO), 2:54
285- Michael Christian (OSU) vs. Neil Phillips (UO), 8-3
125- Martin Mitchell (UO) dec. Skyler Holman (OSU), 8-6, sudden
victory
Oklahoma
State (OSU) 29
Oregon State (OS) 9
174- Jake Huffman (OS) dec. Chad Reid (OSU), 11-5
184- Jed Pennell (OS) dec. Jake Rosholt (OSU), 12-11
197- Muhammed Lawal (OSU) m.d. Jason Lovell (OS), 19-7
285- Andy Bowlby (OS) dec. Willie Gruenwald (OSU), 3-2
125- Skyler Holman (OSU) dec. Michael Delaney (OS), 3-0
133- Johnny Thompson (OSU) dec. Tim Norman (OS), 10-5
141- Zack Esposito (OSU) m.d. Mike Unger (OS), 18-5
149- Jerrod Sanders (OSU) dec. Tony Hook (OS), 6-2
157- Shane Roller (OSU) fall Brian Kuhrkoop (OS), 3:27
165- Tyrone Lewis (OSU) fall Matt Ellis (OS), 4:06
The
Cowboys return to action on Feb. 1 when they travel to Cedar
Falls, Iowa, to take on Northern Iowa. For more information,
go to OSU Athletics at: http://www.okstate.com
IOWA
CLOBBERS #8 ILLINOIS AND #22 WISCONSIN
Second-ranked
Iowa won nine of ten matches in dual meets against both Illinois
and Wisconsin this weekend. Both matches were held at home, in
Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa
40, Illinois 4
Sun., Jan. 26
133 Cliff Moore (I) dec. Mark Jayne (IL), 10-4
141 Luke Moffitt (I) maj. dec. Cal Ferry (IL), 11-3
149 Ty Eustice (I) pinned Tony Pedrosa (IL), 6:46
157 Joe Johnston (I) dec. Alex Tirapelle (IL), 4-2
165 Matt Lackey (IL) maj. dec. Jason D'Agata (I), 18-6
174 Tyler Nixt (I) dec. Brian Glynn (IL), 8-4
184 Jessman Smith (I) pinned Pete Friedl (IL), 1:54
197 Ryan Fulsaas (I) dec. Tyrone Byrd (IL), 10-9
Hwt. Steve Mocco (I) pinned Chris Little (IL), 3:59
125 Luke Eustice (I) won by forfeit
Iowa
34, Wisconsin 3
Fri., Jan. 24
197 Ryan Fulsaas (I) maj. dec. Lee Kraemer (W), 12-4
Hwt. Steve Mocco (I) maj. dec. Justin Staebler (W), 16-6
125 Luke Eustice (I) dec. Tom Clum (W), 10-4
133 Cliff Moore (I) dec. Kevin Black (W), 5-0
141 Luke Moffitt (I) dec. Tyler Laudon (W), 12-7
149 Ty Eustice (I) dec. Ed Gutnik (W), 3-1
157 Joe Johnston (I) pinned Chris Borchardt (W), 2:23
165 Kelly Flaherty (W) dec. Jason D'Agata (I), 10-4
174 Tyler Nixt (I) maj. dec. Ryan Flaherty (W), 21-9
184 Jessman Smith (I) maj. dec. Ralph DeNisco (W), 9-1
Iowa
will resume competition Friday, February 7, at Michigan State.
Top-ranked wrestlers Jessman Smith and Steve Mocco are scheduled
to compete in the Cape Cod Potato Chips/N.W.C.A. All-Star Classic,
Monday, February 3, at 8 PM EST, at the University of Delaware.
Smith is set to face Cornell's Clint Wattenberg at 184, while
Mocco is scheduled to face Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State at heavyweight.
Smith is 3-0 against Wattenberg, while Mocco is 4-2 vs. Rowlands.
OKLAHOMA
FALLS TO MISSOURI, 25-20
Third-ranked
Oklahoma split five of the ten matches with #20 Missouri Sunday,
but fell 25-20 as Missouri combined three pins and a major decision
to earn the victory on bonus points.
125
Pounds: Bo Maynes (30-4), OU dec. Mark Bader (7-6), Missouri,
4-1
133 Pounds: Witt Durden (16-3), OU tech. fall Chris McCormick
(5-5), Missouri, 23-8
141 Pounds: Teyon Ware (21-4), OU dec. J.P. Reese, Missouri,
8-3
149 Pounds: Jeremy Spates (8-3), Missouri maj. dec. Danny Rubenstein
(3-7), OU, 16-5
157 Pounds: Kenny Burleson (13-1), Missouri dec. Rafael Maturino
(15-14), OU, 3-1
165 Pounds: Tyron Woodley (11-3), Missouri fall Wes Roberts (15-12),
OU, 2:47
174 Pounds: Robbie Waller (23-5), OU fall Matt Turner (5-7),
Missouri, 6:08
184 Pounds: Scott Barker (6-1), Missouri fall Derrick Brown (2-6),
OU, 1:29
197 Pounds: Tom Grossman (14-1), OU dec. Dante Stone (8-6), Missouri,
7-4
Heavyweight: Kevin Herron (12-2), Missouri fall Jake Hager (1-3),
OU, :56
The
Oklahoma Sooners will travel to East Lansing, Mich., to take
on Michigan State Feb. 2.
#6
OHIO STATE BEATS #7 CORNELL FOR SECOND TIME IN A WEEK
Ohio
State traveled to Ithaca, NY, on Sunday, Jan. 26, to face Cornell
for the second time in a week. They had defeated Cornell in the
National Duals last week in their own hometown, Columbus, Ohio.
But the end result wasn't much different this time, as Ohio State
won six of ten matches to take the dual meet by a 22-15 score.
No.
6 Ohio State 22, No. 7 Cornell 15
125 pounds
– Travis Lee (Cor/Hawaii) maj. dec. Rob Rosenfeld (OSU),
16-5
133 pounds - Alejandro Alvarez (Cor) maj. dec. Nathan Costello
(OSU), 19-7
141 pounds - Jeff Ratliff (OSU) maj. dec. Byron Warner (Cor),
17-7
149 pounds - Dustin Manotti (Cor) dec. Josh Daugherty (OSU),
9-4
157 pounds - Keaton Anderson (OSU) dec. Gabe Webster (Cor), 5-0
165 pounds - John Clark (OSU) dec. Scott Roth (Cor), 14-8
174 pounds - Anthony Magistrelli (OSU) dec. Tyler Baier (Cor),
6-4
184 pounds - Clint Wattenberg (Cor) maj. dec. Casey Kaputska
(OSU), 7-2
197 pounds - Anton Talamantes (OSU) dec. Matt Greenberg (Cor),
5-3
285 pounds - Tommy Rowlands (OSU) pinned Buck McLamb (Cor), 3:58
Ohio
State will return home for matches with #24 Indiana on Thursday
at 7:30 PM EST and two-time defending Big Ten and NCAA champion
#4 Minnesota on Sunday at 2 PM EST.
Cornell
will return to action at the Friedman Wrestling Center on January
31, when it opens the 2003 Ivy League season against defending
champion #23 Pennsylvania at 7 PM EST.
#8
ILLINOIS DROPS TWO
Before
losing to Iowa on Sunday, #8 Illinois also lost to # 10 Michigan
Friday night at home. Michigan won six of the ten matches.
No.
10 Michigan (6-4, 1-1) def. No. 8 Illinois (6-2, 1-1)
133: Foley Dowd (UM) dec. Mark Jayne (ILL), 10-4
141: Clark Forward (UM) dec. Cal Ferry (ILL), 7-1
149: Ryan Churella (UM) major dec. Tony Pedrosa (ILL), 16-7
157: Alex Tirapelle (ILL) dec. Ryan Bertin (UM), 3-2
165: Matt Lackey (ILL) major dec. Mike Kulczycki (UM), 20-8
174: Brian Glynn (ILL) dec. R.J. Boudro (UM), 3-1
184: Pete Friedl (ILL) dec. Willie Breyer (UM), 9-5
197: Kyle Smith (UM) dec. Tyrone Byrd (ILL), 4-1
HWT: Greg Wagner (UM) dec. Chris Little (ILL), 6-2
125: A.J. Grant (UM) dec. Kyle Ott (ILL), 3-2
(All
rankings are from W.I.N. Magazine's rankings of Jan. 21, 2003.
Compiled from various press releases and college wrestling sources.)
Source:
ADCC |
|
Quote
of the Day
I
believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe
it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it
is better to know than to be ignorant.
H.
L. Mencken |
Matt
Serra Interview
UFC:
What are your thoughts on the fight with BJ Penn? Do you agree
with the judges’ decision?
Matt:
It was a tough fight. I definitely thought that I pushed the
action in the fight and I thought I should’ve got the decision
because if I fought the fight that he wanted to fight, we would’ve
just been staring at each other across from the cage. There wouldn’t
have been a fight. I thought I pushed all the action. But, I’m
not going to sit here and b**** about it and whine about being
robbed. It’s not like that at all. But, I think after they
gave him the decision, he should’ve handled himself better
afterwards.
UFC:
BJ recently made some comments on the internet about how he only
trained one week for his fight with you. What do you have to
say to that?
Matt:
BJ has a problem giving credit to anybody else. If something
goes wrong, it’s not the real BJ Penn. It’s always
some excuse. Look at his fight with Pulver, he said he over-trained.
Now with me, he says he under-trained. I found his comments really
disrespectful. It was a really close fight, a lot of people thought
it should have gone the other way. The crowd, the online voters…
I think I did the right thing after the fight. I gave him respect
and I though I did the right thing by him. And then for him to
go online and say ‘Oh, I only trained a week for the Serra
fight,’ he sounds like a little punk. Is it just me or every
time this guy has a tough fight, he whines like a little b****.
UFC:
What are your thoughts on Din Thomas?
Matt:
Din Thomas is tough as hell. He was doing great with Uno. He’s
been working with the American Top Team, so I think he switched
up his game plan and showed he has good jiu-jitsu. He almost
had Uno in that triangle in the second round. But, I think with
the right gameplan, every round would have been like the first
and he would have taken Uno out. He’s very dangerous. He
definitely has more balls than BJ Penn. He could definitely hurt
me given the right opportunity. It’s going to be a very
exciting fight. I don’t need to trash talk this fight at
all. The fight will sell itself. We’ve got our backs against
the wall, so we’re going to try to take each other’s
head off.
UFC:
How does it affect your preparation knowing that a loss could
set you back?
Matt:
That depends on what you mean, and it depends on what you’re
in it for. Myself, I’m in it for the fight. I love to fight
and I love fighting for the UFC. If something goes wrong…
And, in this game, no matter how prepared or confident you are,
and I am confident… Anything can happen. You have to know
that going in. If you go in there worried about not making mistakes,
you’re going to look like Penn lately – concentrating
too much and letting your ego get to you. That’s not me
man. I’m there because I love to fight. Regardless of what
happens, I’m still going to fight. I never let that get
to me. If you let that happen, you’re not having fun any
more. I’m in there because I like to fight. I go through
hell in training, and when I get in that cage, I’m ready
to fight. Once you start letting the pressure get to you and
you start thinking ‘I have to win. I can’t make any
mistakes,’ it can really affect your performance.
UFC:
How have you been training to prepare for your upcoming fight?
Matt:
I’m training with all my guys at Serra Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
in Long Island. I’ve got a lot of tough guys out here I’m
rolling with. My brother, my students… I’m seeing Renzo
Gracie in Manhattan. I’ll be working with him a lot over
the next couple of weeks. I’ve also got my cardio, conditioning,
and striking coach Ray Longo in Minneola. He’s been getting
me in really good shape. We’ve been doing some really hard
sparring. You know, it’s the same routine. It never gets
easier. We always up the ante. I always try to improve on my
last fight. I know I’m not perfect. I’m not BJ Penn
who walks around trying to think ‘I’m the prodigy.
I can do no wrong.’ I can look at my last fight and point
out some mistakes. And I’m going to work on those. I’m
just constantly trying to improve.
UFC:
Who do you think will win the lightweight title fight between
Penn and Uno?
Matt:
Talent-wise, BJ’s got him. But, when it comes to heart…
Uno’s definitely got the bigger heart. I think the longer
it goes, the worse it will be for BJ. Uno’s best chance
is in the later rounds. On paper, I would say BJ. But then again,
I thought Din Thomas was going to take out Uno. A lot of times
I see Uno fight, I think he’s going to lose. I love the
guy and I think he’s amazing. He’s always fighting
tough guys, and usually he comes out on top. It’s a hard
one. If BJ doesn’t get too mental, he should be able to
win it.
UFC:
What do you think about Genki Sudo?
Matt:
Ah dude, I’m waiting for that one. I hope all goes well
with my next fight, and I’m not looking past Din Thomas,
but that’s a fight that people want to see. Crazy stuff
will come out of that fight. That guy’s a wild one. I think
that would be a sick fight.
UFC:
Are you still looking to do more grappling competitions, or are
you focused totally on fighting now?
Matt:
I love fighting and I love improving in all different aspects
in the fighting game. I’m definitely up for Abu Dhabi. I
believe I’m going back this year. I’ll already be in
shape from my upcoming fight, so I’ll just do more jiu-jitsu
and jump in there. But, right now, I’ve got Din Thomas.
That’s one guy you don’t sleep on. So, I’m just
concentrating on him right now.
UFC:
What did you think of Din Thomas’ improved jiu-jitsu skills
against Uno? Were you surprised?
Matt:
I wasn’t that surprised. I saw their first fight, and I
figured the second would be the same. I thought he was going
to sprawl and brawl. That’s what he’s going to try
to do to me. That’s basically the game plan of everybody
I fight. He definitely showed his skills have improved on the
ground. The reason I didn’t think he had the right game
plan was because Uno’s fought Rumina Sato and he’s
been in just about any submission you can think of. He’s
pretty hard to submit. I’m sure Din’s going to make
the proper corrections though. He’s going to be tough, and
I know he’s going to try to stay on the feet and take me
out. But, he’s got balls, so it wouldn’t surprise me
if he tried to take me down or even go for a flying triangle.
UFC:
What are your thoughts on the return of Tank Abbott?
Matt:
I think it’s fun. If he’s in shape and he’s been
training, who knows? Even if he did drink the week before, he
always adds a little bit of fun to the game. It’s good to
have that. It would be great if he trained properly and did the
right thing. He’s a funny guy. It should be fun. They should
have him do some more commentary. I was always a big fan of his
commentary.
Source:
UFC.tv |
UFC
Pre Fight Interview:
Heavyweight Contender TIM SILVIA
Tim
Sylvia is busy preparing for his title shot in UFC on February
28th against Ricco Rodriguez. Although Tim won the Extreme Challenge/Super
Brawl Heavyweight tournament series last year most fans are only
familiar with his debut in UFC 39 and question Sylvia getting
a title shot after only one fight in the UFC, but as he explains
below people that hold that perception are in for a surprise.
KM:
Are you going to be with the rest of Team Extreme in Canada this
weekend for UCC? TS: No, I’m not. I need to stay here and
train.
KM:
Yeah, you only have about a month or so left before UFC. Your
fight is against Ricco Rodriguez? TS: Yes it is.
KM:
This will be your second UFC fight. TS: Yes, it will be.
KM:
What are your thoughts on where you are in training right now?
TS: My training is going excellent. I train with the Miletich
guys so everyone here is awesome. They are really putting me
through the ringer right now getting me ready for this fight.
KM:
You are Heavyweight and pretty tall, it seems like you’d
have a hard time with training partners. TS: Not at all. We got
Justin Eilers who is the middle linebacker for Iowa State who
just moved here, been training with us pretty hare. He lives
with me now. He’s 6’3 245. He’s been helping me
a lot. Unfortunately he just broke his hand last week. Andre
Roberts is in town, the Big Chief. He’s a big body which
helps. He’s not the skill level that we are all right now.
We have Matt Hughes who has no problem with me on the ground
at all.
KM:
Really? Even at his 170 to your, what, 240? TS: I’m 250
right now. Matt Hughes is incredible, no-one has any idea how
strong this kid is. Matt is incredible, just amazing. Of course
Jeremy Horn, everybody knows about Jeremy Horn. Then my roommate
Robbie Lawler (speaking in background) is saying he’s amazing.
You know how exciting he is in the ring? Times that by two living
with the kid.
KM:
So you don’t have a problem with training partners at Miletich’s.
Sorry, that was a misperception on my part. I’ve only seen
you fight once at IFC “Battle On The Boardwalk”. TS:
I’m sorry about that.
KM:
(laughs) I remember that was a really short fight: that you were
the towering giant that had to stoop down to get in the gate
and didn’t seem to have any problems with the Randy Durant.
TS: No, none at all. The guy was really really low skill. He
actually came out here: he was out here for one day, couldn’t
take it. It was too hard for him.
KM:
That was only your third fight? TS: Yeah. My second pro fight.
KM:
Was the loss to Jorge Rivera, which I believe is your only loss,
your first pro fight? TS: That was an amateur show. I had to
pay to get in that event.
KM:
You are kidding me. TS: No, my first two fights I had to pay
to get in and it was all amateur stuff. Open hand standing up
and on the ground, no knees or elbows whatsoever, basically a
grapplers (show). If you didn’t grapple you weren’t
going to survive those kinds of events. Grappling with open-hand
strikes.
KM:
So really you are undefeated as pro. TS: Absolutely, yes.
KM:
Where are you originally from? TS: I’m from Maine.
KM:
And now you are living in Iowa. TS: Yeah, I’m living up
in Iowa. It will be two years in March.
KM:
You hit the world stage in the Extreme Challenge Return Of The
Heavyweights tournament series. I was at the first one where
you had a single bout, not part of the tournament. TS: I wasn’t
even in the tournament at all. What happened was Meat Truck and
Tom Sauer had come down to Iowa to train with us and get ready
for those. Kerry Schall was in the Iowa one and Tom Sauer was
in the Utah one. Meat Truck and I were beating on Tom pretty
good and he just realized he wasn’t ready for it and he
pulled out. That’s when Monte put me in the Utah show at
the last minute.
KM:
And you won that one. TS: Yeah, I walked through everybody.
KM:
Can you help us identify what it was that made it so easy for
you…was it the height advantage or the training? TS: The
training. Like I said, I didn’t even know I was in the tournament
until three weeks out. I was just training really hard. We work
on you really hard five to six hours a day most of the time five
days a week and then maybe once on the weekend. You are always
ready for anything at anytime. I didn’t realize how good
I was: I thought I’d have problems in Utah and I walked
through it pretty quickly and then I thought ‘Hawaii is
going to be pretty tough’ and I walked through everybody
in Hawaii as well.
KM:
And that was one fight on the 26th and three fights on the 27th,
so that was four in two days and made it look like a warm-up.
TS: Yeah, it was all TKOs and one KO.
KM:
What were you thoughts on winning that? Were you relieved it
was over with, surprised it was easy… TS: Both. It is the
biggest highlight of my career, winning the Super Brawl tournament.
KM:
More of a highlight than the UFC debut? TS: Yeah, because it
was a big stepping stone for me. The winner of that was going
to go to UFC or Pride.
KM:
Was UFC your first fight in a cage since IFC? TS: No, right after
Hawaii Monte put me in one more show to get me used to a cage
again and I fought in a cage about a month and a half before
the UFC. I fought in Gladiators Challenge out in California in
a cage as well.
KM:
I’m sorry, that is one that I didn’t see on your record.
TS: I won the Gladiator Challenge Super Fight championship.
KM:
Do you still hold that? TS: Yeah, I do. I never defended it.
They tried to get me to defend it a couple times and they tried
to pay me crap money. We’re not going out there for $500.
KM:
So what are your thoughts on fighting in the next UFC? TS: Looking
forward to it. Everybody has been criticizing me for getting
a title shot so soon and only being in the UFC once but my record
speaks for itself. Right now I’m probably one of the highest
decorated Heavyweights in the UFC. I have more wins than Ricco
has I believe and Ricco has one or two losses. I’m looking
forward to fighting Ricco, I’ve wanted to fight Ricco for
a while. He’s a tough guy, he’s earned his respect
in the ring, but I have problems a little with him outside the
ring. Not to me directly but towards my team: he’s disrespected
my team and he’s been real cocky around me and stuff. He’s
great on the ground, he won Abu Dhabi, but stand-up skills are
definitely questionable and is he going to be able to get me
down. That is the question.
KM:
He went from a string of submissions and decisions until he got
in the UFC and went on a string of TKOs. Does that affect your
training at all, that he has such a solid submission background?
TS: No, doesn’t affect my training at all. I’m working
on the ground a lot but I’m still going to punch his ears
off.
KM:
I haven’t heard of you going for submissions but training
at Miletich I can’t imagine Ricco surprising you. TS: He’s
not going to have anything for me I haven’t seen before.
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