June News Part 1
Quote
of the Day
No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you
have the power to change anything about yourself or your life
that you want to change.
Barbara De Angelis |
Super
Brawl 30 This Friday!
Friday, June 13,
2003
Neil Blaisdell Arena
Super
Brawl 30 is fast approaching. Get your tickets now for the best
seats. Two of the hardest hitters to ever step in to the Super
Brawl ring are scheduled to fight and you know that both guarantee
some huge blows. Also, the 185 pound tournament looks very stacked.
If you have not seen fighters like Jay Buck and Joe Doerkson
fight, you are in for a treat. I am looking forward to seeing
Brendan Seguin and Dennis Kang. These are up and comers that
are already making their mark on the 185 lb class.
Fighters hope to continue Super Brawl history
In two previous Super Brawl tournaments, a total of 10 fighters
have used the exposure to advance their careers, earning berths
in either the Ultimate Fighting Championship or Pride -- the
sport's two biggest promotions.
The
eight competitiors in this Friday's 185-pound tourney at Super
Brawl 30 hope they can reap the same benefits.
"I dare anybody to pick the winner in this tournament...
I know I can't do it," said Super Brawl promoter T. Jay
Thompson. "We truly have eight guys capable of winning it
all and moving on to the UFC. It will be quite a treat for the
fans."
Thompson,
along with Extreme Challenge promoter Monte Cox, have assembled
the field through two qualifying events and some at-large berths.
Fans can bet on their favorites at Thegreek.com website.
Jay
Buck of Chicago and Brendan Seguin of Detroit finished first
and second, respectively in an 8-man qualifier in Iowa... Meanwhile,
the top two finishers in the Utah qualifier dropped due to injuries
and were replaced by fellow Utah competitors Jason Miller of
Los Angeles and Denis Kang of Vancouver, British Columbia.
The
last four spots were filled with at-large berths ... Joe Doerksen
of Winnipeg, Manitoba; Jonathan Goulet of Montreal, Quebec; and
Honolulu favorites Desi Minor and Kaipo Kalama.
In
addition to the tourney, a pair of heavyweight showdowns will
keep fans entertained at the Blaisdell Arena. Huge Andre Roberts
(380 pounds) of Tama, Iowa, returns to Honolulu to face veteran
Jonathan Ivey of Houston, Texas.
In
the Super Bout, Wesley "Cabbage" Correira will face
up and comer Justin Eilers, a member of Team Extreme and roomate
of UFC Champion Tim Sylvia.
The lineup:
A
bracket
Match 1: Joe Doerksen Vs. Desi Minor
Match 2: Jay Buck Vs. Jason Miller
B
bracket
Match 3: Jonathan Goulet Vs. Kaipo Kalama
Match 4: Denis Kang Vs. Brendan Seguin
Semifinals
Match 5: Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2
Match 6: Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4
Feature
bout
Match 7: Johnathan Ivy vs. Andre Roberts
Tourney
championship
Match 8: Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6
Super
Bout
Match 9: Justin Eilers vs. Cabbage
Source: The Promoter |
LINDLAND
DIDN'T REMEMBER WALK TO OCTAGON
 
Matt Lindland appeared on Monday's MMAWeekly Radio Show and talked
about the bizarre circumstances of his loss to Falaniko Vitale at UFC 43. In one of the most unusual
finishes in UFC history, Lindland's head hit the mat while he
was attempting to execute a throw on Vitale, and the impact rendered
Lindland unconscious.
Lindland
said that he has executed the same throw many times in the past,
and also landed on his head many times, but this was the first
time he has ever been knocked unconscious in his career. As a
result of the concussion he suffered, Lindland is also suffering
from memory loss, as he does not remember anything from the time
he walked out to the Octagon to the time he was in the ambulance
on the way to the hospital. Matt said it was scary to be knocked
out like that and he is glad he didn't suffer a more serious
injury.
Matt
Lindland was one of several UFC fighters to notice during pre-show
warm-ups that there were small holes all over the Octagon mat,
and several fighters actually tripped on these holes before the
show. The group of fighters, including Lindland, relayed this
information to the man who sets up the Octagon before each show.
The man replied that the mat hadn't been changed in at least
ten UFC's, but it would be okay because he put some tape on it.
Essentially,
there was nothing but the mat and some tape covering the steel
frame of the Octagon. Lindland said he gives Vitale credit, but
he also wants a rematch as soon as possible. Lindland said that
he would like to fight on every UFC show, and when asked about
the timetable for a rematch with Vitale, he said, "It's
going to be September. It's gotta be September." Matt has
still not seen the entire fight, but he did order a replay of
UFC 43 and see the clip of the knockout that aired on the pay-per-view.
A
Niko/Lindland II has the making of a Penn/Uno II. The first fight
was a quick finish, but Niko has already impressed the fans on
hand with his composure during the first part of that match!
If Niko comes out on top again, he may be the fighter with the
fastest rise to the top since Heavyweight Champ, Tim Sylvia,
another Super Brawl raised fighter.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
EASTMAN
DOING FINE
MMAWeekly.com tried to catch up with Marvin Eastman and he was
nice enough to leave a message with us. Eastman said "I
appreciate all the fans voicing their concerns for me. I am fine...
just a little heartbroken but I am fine."
Eastman
continued and said "There was a few factors going on outside
my life at the biggest moment of my fight career, but I had to
put that aside. I'm grateful that the UFC put me in their show.
I will regroup and unleash it on somebody else."
Marvin
concluded by saying "Please tell all the fans I say hello
and thank you again for your support. It means a lot to me. I
will come on mmaweekly radio this week and tell the fans what's
going on in my fight career. Thanks again and I will talk to
you soon."
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
43: The Meltdown of Wes Sims
Watching Wes Sims self-destruct in what should have been the
breakthrough fight of his career was disheartening. Instead of
capitalizing on the opportunity to emerge as a threat to Tim
Sylvia’s UFC Heavyweight Title, Sims experienced one of
the biggest mental meltdowns ever witnessed in the history Ultimate
Fighting Championships.
Many
of you may think I am crazy for seeing seems on the verge of
a breakthrough in his fight against frank Mir– but let’s
break it down. There is no arguing that Sims was being dominated
by Mir up to the point of the disqualification. Mir got the takedown,
controlled position, maintained mount, took the back and threatened
submissions – putting himself in position to win the round
with a 10-8 score. Sims was getting pounded but not getting knocked
out. Sims was being attacked with submissions but never tapping.
What
many fail to recognize is Sims has been in this position before
– and on numerous occasions. Sims trains with two of the
strongest men in MMA, Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman. Both
Randleman and Coleman will boast how they can dominate Sims with
their strength – but they both admit they cannot break him
mentally or physically. At the inaugural Absolute Fighting Championships
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Coleman told a group of fans that
Sims doesn’t quit – you can beat him, you can choke
him, you can humiliate him and he keeps coming. Quite simply,
Sims perseveres and finds a way to win.
In
his match at AFC we saw first-hand how getting abused in training
and fighting through the pain and punishment on a daily basis
paid off for Sims. In his AFC title fight, Sims was being dominated
by a stronger and more technical Conan Silveira. Silveira took
Sims down, dominated position, and even maintained an arm triangle
choke from mount on Sims for well over two minutes – and
Sims survived the attack, going on to knock Conan out on his
feet to claim the AFC Heavyweight Title.
That’s
where Sims found himself in his fight against Mir – getting
dominated in every aspect of the game. But in what can only be
characterized as a moment of insanity (or hubris depending on
how you look at it), Mir gave up the dominant position and control
by attempting the armbar. That was the opening Sims was looking
for to turn the fight. That was the moment Sims needed. That
was the moment Sims imploded.
Mir
took Sims’ arm and Sims power-bombed his way out of the
submission. Mir is visibly dazed and that’s where Sims looses
it. Instead of raining down serious punches to give Mir an Ian
Freeman flashback, Sims experiences a brain-freeze of sub-Arctic
proportions, forgetting the rules, grabbing the fence, and stomping
Mir’s head and neck. The result was justified – an
instant disqualification for sheer stupidity, and even more bonehead
points for the post-DQ temper-tantrum.
With
the DQ, Sims lost much more than a fight. Sims most certainly
fans, definitely the chance for an additional $5,000 paycheck,
but most dramatically, Sims lost an opportunity to emerge as
one of the three UFC Heavyweight “Giants.” Zuffa was
prepared to run with Wes “The Project” Sims and market
the sheer size and strength of the UFC Heavyweights – alongside
current champion Tim Sylvia and challenger Gan McGee.
Will
the three giants emerge given Sims’ meltdown? Only time
will tell. Zuffa has to gauge whether Sims made an isolated mistake
and will not repeat his actions in the Octagon. Also, Sims has
to decide if he wants to fight for the UFC, as he immediately
claimed he wanted to go to Japan and fight for Pride. Either
way, Sims needs to rebuild some credibility with fans and promoters.
An honest and contrite apology and explanation is the place Sims
must start. That’s where people will begin to re-evaluate
the status of “the Project.”
Source:
ADCC |
Foreman,
15 others inducted into Hall
CANASTOTA, N.Y. (AP) -- For once, George Foreman wasn't the dope
at the end of Muhammad Ali's rope. And he wasn't selling anything,
either.
And
it felt so good.
'It's
wonderful. Finally, I'm not the Grillman,' Foreman said Sunday
with a big smile, holding aloft his new ring signifying his induction
into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. 'I'm a boxing Hall
of Famer, and I love it.'
Foreman,
who ruled the ring in reigns separated by two decades and became
the oldest heavyweight champion in history during an improbable
comeback a decade ago, led this year's induction class.
Fifteen
other boxers, officials and ring personalities also were enshrined,
including: Mike McCallum of Jamaica, a champion in three divisions;
Nicolino Locche, a world lightweight champion from Argentina
with a reputation as one of the finest defensive boxers in history;
welterweight champion Curtis Cokes, one of Foreman's idols; Oscar-winning
writer Budd Schulberg; and journalist Jack Fiske.
Foreman
grew up in Marshall, Texas, and was a self-proclaimed mugger
and street brawler by age 15. He found the sport that would make
him famous after joining the Job Corps, where a counselor and
boxing coach redirected his life.
Foreman
won the National AAU heavyweight championship in 1968, then Olympic
gold at the Summer Games in Mexico City in just his 25th amateur
bout.
With
ex-heavyweight champ Sonny Liston as his sparring partner, Foreman
turned pro in 1969 and ripped through opponents, winning his
first 37 fights, 34 by knockout.
On
Jan. 22, 1973, the hard-punching Foreman claimed the heavyweight
crown by dropping champion Joe Frazier to the canvas six times
in two rounds before knocking him out in Jamaica.
After
successfully defending his title twice, Foreman met Ali in the
'Rumble in the Jungle' in Zaire, on Oct. 30, 1974. Ali KO'd the
seemingly invincible Foreman in the eighth round, using his famed
tactic to tire Foreman and pull off one of boxing's greatest
upsets.
'You
know about the rope a dope?' Foreman asked. 'I'm the dope.'
Source:
ADCC |
Gatti
Decisions Ward In Another Classic
June
08, 2003; 'The Final Chapter' was all that and a bag of chips!
Arturo 'Thunder' Gatti and 'Irish' Micky Ward provided the boxing
world with another battle for the ages, and for the second time
in a row, Gatti walked away with a well deserved unanimous decision
victory. This time around, Gatti overcame what could very well
be a broken hand, and he rose from the canvas in the sixth stanza
to win every round thereafter. This was going to be Ward's last
fight regardless of the result, and although the pride of Lowell,
Massachusetts did not finish his career on a winning note as
he planned to, Ward truly has nothing to hang his head low about,
because he is the definition of warrior. Thanks for the memories
Mick, we'll all miss ya. Official scorecards read, 96-93 twice,
and 97-92 Gatti, Boxingtalk.com scored it 96-94 Gatti. It's always
good for boxing when serious debates can be made over which bout
should be deemed, fight of the year. Well, here we are halfway
through 2003, and we already have two serious contenders, Toney-Jirov
and Gatti-Ward III. Read on to see Boxingtalk.com's round by
round breakdown of last night's action.
Source:
ADCC
|
Quote
of the Day
Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children
of your soul; the blue prints of your ultimate accomplishments.
Napoleon Hill |
Quote
of the Day
Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children
of your soul; the blue prints of your ultimate accomplishments.
Napoleon Hill |
PRIDE.26
REBORN - Complete Results!
Date: June 8th 2003
Place: Yokohama Arena
1st
Match:
Nino 'Elvis' Schembri vs Kazuhiro Hamanaka - Hamanaka judges
decision
2nd
Match:
Anderson Silva vs Daiju Takase - Takase via triangle 1 rd
3rd
Match:
Mike 'BATMAN' Bencic vs Alistair Overeem - Overrem Via Strikes
1 rd
4th
Match:
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs Mikhail Ilioukhine - Jackson via
strikes 1 rd
5th
Match:
Don Frye vs Mark Coleman - Coleman via judges decision
6th
Match:
Mirko Cro Cop vs Heath Herring - Cro Cop via strikes 1 rd
7th
Match:
Emelianenko Fedor vs Kazuyuki Fujita - Fedor via choke 1 rd
Source:
ADCC |
Ultimate
Cage Warriors Results
Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
June 7, 2003
Here are results courtesy of our good friend and Maui's former
bad boy, Lee Theros.
Dylan Clay (Brazilian Freestyle) def. Cruz Malaiakini (Koali
Fighting Systems)
3:42 rd.1 - Rear naked choke
Clay got the early takedown, delivered blows from the mount,
Malaiakini gave his back and was promptly choked out via rear
naked.
Makana
Albino (Grappling Unlimited) def. Vance Pu (Koali Fighting Systems)
4:27 rd. 1 - Heel hook
Very fast paced match with Pu controlling much of the early action.
Late in the round with Pu on top and landing some effective blows,
Albino quickly applied a heel hook and got the tapout.
Sam
Baff (Grappling Unlimited) def. Anthony Billianor (Lockdown Unltd.)
1:54 rd. 1 - Arm triangle choke
Baff got the quick takedown and exposed Billianors lack of ground
skills and quickly slapped on an arm triangle choke for the tapout.
Royden
Demotta (Nova Uniao) def. Jason "Rukus" Walker (Freelance)
1: 42 rd. 1 - Rear naked choke
Rukus came out fast and tried to utilize his very unorthodox
stand up style, but Demotta got the takedown, got to the back
and quickly applied the choke to end the match.
Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory) def. Shawn Boyler (Grappling
Unlimited)
(Submission Grappling only match) 3:12 rd. 2 Foot lock
Pretty evenly matched with both contestants displaying some smooth
transitions and submission attempts. Sarmiento got the late tapout
via footlock.
Kauai
Kupihea (808 Fight Factory) def. Ray "King Kong" Seraile
(Grappling Unlimited)
4:17 rd. 1 K.O. via strikes from the mount
Kupihea used his size advantage in controlling most of the action
although Seraile did hold his own and even landed a few good
shots of his own. Late in the round, Kupihea took down a fatigued
Seraile and landed several hard blows that ended the match.
Ross
"Da Boss" Ebanez (Nova Uniao) def. Tyson Coloma Nahooikaika
(Brazilian Freestyle)
Via Unanimous decision after 2 rounds
High adrenaline, furious paced match as both fighters went at
each other trying to impose their will on one another. Ultimately,
Ebanez's superior strength and size began to tell as he wore
down Nahooikaika with hard effective blows and 2 big bodyslams.
Nahooikaika to his credit, never stopped fighting hard.
|
LINDLAND
KO'S HIMSELF IN FIGHT
In the most bizarre fight of the night, a very rare accurance
happened. Matt Lindland while struggled to take Niko Vitale down,
basically knocked himself out while trying to take down his opponent.
Lindland
had a very difficult time trying to take Vitale down. Vitale
showed great balance and great strength early in the fight. Lindland
and Niko clinched for a bit up against the cage, exchanging a
few blows before Matt attempted a belly to belly suplex. When
he went for the throw, his body actually twisted a bit and instead
of completiting the throw, he fell straight back and spiked his
own head into the canvas with Niko's head colliding with his
in a fraction of a second later.
Lindland
was rendered unconcious and received immediate medical attention.
Many people were concerend about Lindland at the hospital, but
the good news was that Matt was able to get to his feet and walk
himself back to the locker room, and luckily the CAT scan results
came back negative.
There's
a bit more to this story as Lindland talked with MMAWeekly after
the fight and we will give you his story later in the weekend.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Naturally:
Randy’s the Man.
Couture Dominates Liddell En Route to Third UFC Title
LAS VEGAS
– Randy “The Natural” Couture, the only two-time
heavyweight champion in UFC history, added a third belt to his
stellar career as he dominated his way to a third round stoppage
of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell Friday night inside the
Thomas & Mack Center.
From
the opening bell Couture (8-2 in UFC bouts) owned the contest.
He consistently out-struck Liddell -- something most felt he
had no shot of doing despite defeating strikers the likes of
Maurice Smith and Pedro Rizzo (twice) in the past -- with jabs,
lead rights and left hooks.
Liddell,
the UFC’s perennial number one contender to Tito Ortiz’s
light heavyweight crown, appeared sluggish, never finding the
rhythm he displayed in recent victories. Riding a two-fight losing
streak, Couture moved down from heavyweight for the first time
-- and the impact was obvious. The almost 40-year-old champion
looked at home carrying less weight on his chiseled frame. More
importantly, fighting the lighter Liddell made for an easier
time scoring takedowns and imposing his will throughout the contest.
Slamming
Liddell to the mat in the first minute of the contest, Couture
signaled that he was unlike anyone the “Iceman” had
previously faced. Which should not have been a surprise considering
the pedigree he brought into the Octagon.
Liddell’s
only saving grace was the ability to scramble to his feet after
Couture takedowns. Twice in the first and once more in the second
he stood after getting put on the mat -- an unfamiliar place
for Liddell, widely considered, before tonight, to have the best
takedown defense of any 205-pound striker.
In
the third round a visibly tired Liddell (he placed his arms atop
his head between rounds hoping to gain some saving gasps of oxygen)
had no answer for Couture’s strikes. Lead rights. Left hooks.
Takedowns. That was Couture’s overwhelming response to anything
Liddell threw his way. It was a truly amazing performance for
a man that, by all rights, should be over the hill. Instead,
he continues to defeat the best and brightest mixed martial arts
has to offer.
Coming
into the bout, all of the hype centered on Ortiz’ refusal
to step into the Octagon versus Liddell. But none of that conjecture
mattered to Couture, a fighter who’s always let his actions
speak louder than his words. The mild-mannered man from Gresham,
Oregon did what so few thought he could do.
What’s
next? Most expect now that Couture did the improbable and stop
Liddell that Ortiz will step up to the plate. To that end, the
new champion -- the real champion – had something to say
to the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy”: “Tito, I don’t
know if you’re in the house,” he said, “If you
want [the belt], you have to come in here and take it.”
All
hail Randy “The Natural” Couture: The Greatest Champion
in Mixed Martial Arts History.
While
the night belonged to the new light heavyweight champ, several
others claimed a small part for themselves as well.
For
the first time in nearly a year, Vitor Belfort -- the man --
returned to the Octagon. For the first time since he faced Vanderlei
Silva in 1998, Vitor Belfort -- the “Phenom” -- returned
to the delight of UFC fans everywhere. Facing tough light heavyweight
Marvin Eastman, a champion for the WFA before it went belly up,
Belfort reminded those everywhere why at the age 25 he’s
more than a force to be reckoned with.
The
Brazilian fighter launched himself towards Eastman and delivered
a gruesome two-inch gash-inducing pair of knees while dropping
the local Las Vegas fighter to the mat. Without hesitating, Belfort
followed and propelled a volley of punches that bounced Eastman’s
head off the mat. Realizing that Eastman was done, “Big”
John McCarthy separated the combatants 1:10 into the fight.
“We
did it,” said Belfort, nearly in tears. “We’re
back! We’re back!” His words are clearly echoed by
his legion of fans that yearned for that kind of performance.
Not only did it propel him back into the mix of UFC light heavyweights
(a group rivaling any in the world), it rekindled the excitement
in Belfort that hasn’t been seen in years.
Tank
came. The crowd roared. The street fighter was taken down. He
was submitted. That’s not a misprint. For the second consecutive
fight, that’s how the story played out for the fighting
legend from Huntington Beach. Fellow old-school UFC fighter Kimo
followed the game plan laid out by Frank Mir in scoring a submission
victory.
Landing
the early takedown, Kimo passed, for lack of a better term, Tank’s
guard. From the mount he secured a side choke, and held on for
nearly half a minute in hopes that the grizzled vet would tapout.
He did 1:59 of the first.
One
can only wonder what kind of marketability Tank has left.
Over
the course of 15 minutes, UFC veteran Yves Edwards systematically
took apart newcomer Eddie Ruiz in a display that affirmed his
place amongst the top-10 lightweights in the world. While his
barrage of knees, kicks, punches and elbows, as well as his numerous
submission attempts weren’t enough to stop Ruiz, they clearly
were enough for him to walk away with a unanimous decision victory.
Meanwhile, Ruiz showed the kind of heart in defeat that’s
rarely seen. He could have succumbed and would not have been
looked down upon for the performance, but the warrior never gave
in and should be commended.
Ian
Freeman and Vernon “Tiger” White, who replaced mentor
Ken Shamrock when he injured an anterior cruciate ligament while
training, slugged it over three wonderfully close rounds en route
to a split draw (30-27, 28-29, 29-29).
White,
the quicker and lighter of the two heavyweights, opened smoothly.
After a double-leg takedown, “Tiger” grounded-and-pounded
Freeman for the first time in the fight. While his shots didn’t
have much power behind them, the pace and accuracy with which
they were delivered was impressive.
Freeman
turned the tables and scored a takedown of his own mid-way through
the period. Though he grounded-and-pounded in kind, Freeman’s
punches and elbows never hurt White. Toward the end of the first
period both men stood to their feet and White, using his speed
advantage, landed several shots.
Round
two appeared to be White’s as well. Capitalizing on his
quickness, White out-struck and controlled Freeman throughout
the period. In the third and final round, White’s speed
waned and Freeman was finally able to utilize is considerable
strength through numerous power punches. As the round came to
a close, Freeman and White let go a flurry consistent with the
tenor of entire bout. Though neither man stepped out of the ring
a winner, they definitely earned the crowd’s respect and
perhaps another bout in the UFC.
Never
before has a disqualification rendered such a good reaction from
ticket holders as UFC rookie Wes Sims fought disgracefully in
the opening contest on live pay-per-view. Fighting in front of
a hometown crowd, submissions wiz kid Frank Mir opened the contest
by slamming his six-foot 10-inch opponent to his back after the
giant lumbered across the length of the Octagon.
Moving
from side control to mount to back control, Mir dominated Sims
in ever facet of the ground game. Following a multitude of punches
and elbow strikes mixed in with the occasional submission attempt,
Mir finally moved for an armbar from the mount. Sims countered
and rolled to the top. Using every inch of his frame he lifted
Mir six inches above the mat and attempted to crash him down.
While the move didn’t hurt Mir, it freed Sims arm.
Standing
above his downed opponent, Sims raised his lanky right leg and
slammed his foot into Mir’s face. He repeated the illegal
maneuver several more times before referee “Doc” Hamilton
jumped in to call time. Sims moved to a neutral corner as Mir,
obviously affected by the stomps to his head, remained on the
mat.
Mir’s
supporters voiced their displeasure and Sims responded stupidly
by egging them on. His childish tactics proved just how immature
a fighter he is, and was rightfully disqualified when it was
deemed Mir could not continue.
Hamilton
called a halt to the contest at the 2:56 mark. Sims stormed off
like he’d deserved something better while Mir walked away
with a black eye.
UFC
veteran Matt Lindland was surprised when he was told that his
bout versus Faliniko Vitale would take place absent the live
cameras of pay-per-view. The contender for the 185-pound title
had hoped to continue his string over victories, the most recent
being a decision over rival Phil Baroni in February. In Vitale
he faced an athletic addition to the UFC’s middleweight
division, though most pundits had him pegged as a solid bet to
win.
So
much for sure things. Vitale, a native Hawaiian, smartly avoided
Lindland’s flailing punches in the opening moments before
moving into a clinch. Countering Lindland’s repeated attempts
to gain leverage for a takedown, Vitale looked to put Lindland
on his back. A surprising strategy given that it allowed Lindland
to maneuver into a position where he could score a throw of his
own.
As
he lifted and twisted Vitale into the air, Lindland appeared
to be in control. However, Vitale contorted his body in mid-air
and forced Lindland to alter the takedown. When the fighters
landed, Vitale found himself in the mount and his opponent unconscious.
Shockingly,
Lindland had knocked himself out 1:56 of the first round. Vitale
jumped for joy while the Olympic silver medallist struggled to
regain his senses. After several tense moments on the mat, Lindland
was able to get to his feet and walk out of the Octagon under
his own power.
From
the opening moments the crowd could sense that the fight between
Pedro Rizzo and Tra Telligman would live up the expectations
formed after their initial fight several years ago. The first
contest saw Rizzo -- then young and untarnished before bouts
versus Randy Couture and Gan McGee rendered him a non-factor
in the heavyweight division -- reign victorious by TKO in one
of the most action-packed contests in UFC history.
Tonight,
in the opening contest of the eight-fight card, Rizzo once again
came out on top as a beautifully placed Muay Thai knee opened
a nasty gash on Telligman’s face that forced referee Larry
Landless to look towards ringside physician Margaret Goodman
for advice. After diagnosing the cut, she put and end to the
fight 4:25 of the second round.
For
most of the contest both men battled it out on the feet. Telligman,
showing boxing skills he cultivated over the past two years,
impressed in the first round, countering Rizzo’s strikes
with combinations of his own. One such flurry weakened Rizzo’s
knees and forced his back to the cage. Telligman followed with
strikes, but Rizzo smartly clinched and used the time to regain
his composure.
In
the second frame, Rizzo was much more active with kicks, spinning
Telligman a full 360 degrees with his most powerful shot of the
fight. Hurt, Telligman moved into the clinch, but unlike Rizzo
in round one he could not use the position to recover. Instead,
Rizzo scored an outside trip to force the veteran to his back.
Uncharacteristically, it was Rizzo on the giving end of ground-and-pound,
the result of which saw Telligman absorb numerous punches and
elbows. With both fighters back on the feet and Telligman not
all there because of ground attacks, Rizzo clinched and landed
the cut-inducing knee.
Source: Maxfighting |
Chuck
Liddell on Ice
Start
in the mailroom. Do everything you're told. Stumble, then recover.
Impress your bosses. Go above and beyond the call of duty. Work
double shifts. Travel overseas and represent your company with
confidence. Don't complain. Don't make waves.
In
the end, maybe, you'll be sitting behind the nice oak desk, relaxed.
Feeling as though loyalty, hard work, and ambition pay off for
everyone in the end. Enjoying the room with a view.
Chuck
Liddell's journey started from scratch in the gruesome Vale Tudo
arenas of Brazil, moved on to one of the most successful runs
in the UFC's history, and comes to a penultimate climax on June
6 for a bizarrely implemented interim light heavyweight title.
So deserving of a trophy is Liddell that one is essentially being
created specifically for him to contend for. The obvious question
for him is, does this facsimile hold the same value as the real
thing? Is the desk oak, or particle board?
"Honestly,
I really don't care. It's for a title, so that's fine with me,"
Liddell tells Maxfighting one week before the Las Vegas-hosted
bout. The interim title holder will presumably be put in front
of Tito Ortiz should he come to terms with the UFC contractually.
"If that's what it is, it puts a little bit more pressure
on him to fight the winner," says Liddell, nonplussed by
Ortiz' public career defecation. Of that PR disaster, which has
most fans convinced Ortiz simply does not want to face him: "I
think it's helped me some. But at this point, it would help me
a lot more if I got to fight him."
Liddell
is clearly weary of all queries a la Tito, possibly aware that
no amount of public jabs will entice him into the fight unless
the money is exorbitant. For now, he's well aware that Couture
is clearly not someone to be overlooking, and any future bouts
are predicated on his performance Friday.
The
secular world of MMA prompted the two to actually share in a
training session not long ago. "We wrestled once, about
two months ago. When Matt Lindland was training with us, he came
down. He was supposed to be here a couple of days, but could
only be there one day."
One
would figure such an opportunity would do wonders to inform a
fighter's strategy. (Imagine Lewis and Tyson going at it sixty
days before their bout.) But Liddell didn't come away with anything
too valuable. "I don't think it matters. We wrestled one
round, maybe two. Training's training. We were just working on
stuff, so it wasn't real hard, and neither one of us had a fight
coming up."
Of
Couture, "His biggest strength is he's just tough, mentally
tough. He's gonna come hard, and he'll keep coming until you
take the fight from him." Not surprisingly, Liddell expects
to force a striking exchange. "I'm gonna stay on my feet
and strike with him. He's gonna have opportunities to take me
down, but it's my job to stay up or get back up if he does take
me down."
Couture,
the aging warrior, will stand in the Octagon with a variable
that may prove to be a blessing or a curse: he'll be cutting
weight for the first time after getting outworked by the burlier
Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez consecutively. Liddell won't
present a size advantage, but his speed could prove to be a challenge.
Couture
will retain two key strengths, Liddell opines. "His experience
and wrestling ability. He's able to stand in front of people
and strike with them. He's good at tying people up and doing
his striking inside."
While
he hopes for the knockout, Liddell doesn't like playing seer,
preferring to let the action dictate his pace. "I would
be surprised if it went the distance. I definitely wouldn't be
happy if it went there. He's a tough guy, and it's gonna be a
tough fight. I don't try to guess how a fight will play out,
because you'll go out there and start going, 'Oh, this isn't
how I thought it was going to go,' getting those thoughts in
your head. I just go out there to fight and let it happen."
With
three more fights on his contract post-Couture, Liddell still
hopes for an opportunity to challenge Pride title holder Vanderlei
Silva, although the politics involved could see him facing potential
Silva conqueror Quinton Jackson instead. "I'm open to any
fights," Liddell states. "I'm trying to prove I'm the
best 205 pound fighter in the world, so as long as I'm still
working toward that goal, I'm still motivated."
In
between contests, the soft-spoken contender has made an unlikely
foray into Hollywood, bizarrely popping up in full contact gear
in "How High," a 21st century ode to the Cheech and
Chong mentality. More impressively, Liddell donned a motion capture
suit for "The Hulk," the latest in Marvel's highly
successful string of comic adaptations.
"A
guy I knew from college was working on the tech portion, so he
called me up. I put on one of those motion capture suits and
did some stuff. It was really kind of fun. We did a few things.
This one scene where he's fighting the dogs that's in the movie,
and a couple other scenes where they captured me doing some moves."
(Despite the contributions, hoping to see the Hulk in grappling
gloves is pushing it.)
The
movie hits June 20, which is something for Liddell to look forward
to post-fight, along with another example of the insulated nature
of the sport. Some ten days after Couture and Liddell vie for
a title, they'll be holding a seminar together in Oregon. "It
was planned when he was scheduled to fight Andrei Arlovski. When
Matt Lindland was working with John Hackleman, they talked about
it and set it up."
Liddell
marvels at the circumstances, conceding that it is indeed a strange
series of events. "Of all the opponents out there, he's
probably the nicest guy," he observes with a degree of resignation.
May
the nicest guy win? Share that sentiment and you may as well
wish for a draw.
Source: Maxfighting |
EDWARDS
DOMINATES AGAIN
Put yourself in Yves Edwards situation for a moment. Your the
most favored fighter on the UFC 43 card by Las Vegas bookmakers....
your fiancee is at the hospital, getting ready to give birth
to the couple's first child and oh yea, you need to be focused
for a fight, that your supposed to dominate and some people tell
you it will be easy.
Well
Yves Edwards made it look easy as he put on a black cowboy hat,
got down to business and found our Eddie Ruiz has an iron jaw
as Edwards landed knee after knee in the fight, not to mention
a wicked kick in the second round that somehow Ruiz just shook
off.
While
it was clear early that Yves was the more talented fighter, Ruiz
did show a tough chin and a lot of heart that some MMA fans appreciated,
but this was all Edwards all the time.
Edwards
put on a sensational display of working well in the clinch, by
using some devastating knees, some solid kicks, and a wide range
of punching and kicking tatics that made Ruiz look foolish through
out the fight.
Edwards
sprawl was top notch and the athleticism he showed in the Octagon
Friday night shows he is the real deal and a top contender at
155.
Source: MMA Weekly |
RIZZO
VS TELLIGMAN...ANOTHER CLASSIC
In boxing tonight we will see an amazing matchup between Gatti
and Ward for a third time. Can we please see a Rizzo vs Telligman
matchup for a third time?
To
say that these two fighters bring the best out in each other
is an understatement. Once again Pedro and Tra put on an epic
stand up crowd pleaser that had the whole house rocking by its
foundation.
Tra
came out looking strong and threw some serious sledge hammers
that rocked Pedro and cut him under his left eye. Tra pressed
the fight and controled the entire first round with ease as he
dropped Rizzo with a vicious right hand and Pedro was holding
on for dear life.
It
seemed as if Tra was going to run off with the fight, and possibly
finish it early in the second round but Rizzo would rally. Pedro
was able to come up with a solution to Tra's aray of attacks.
Pedro
landed a few punches before countering a leg kick with a leg
kick that sent Tra spiraling to the canvas. Pedro quickly hopped
into the guard and unleashed a ground and pound assault. Pedro
then stood up and beckoned Tra to his feet. Tra came up and clinched
with Pedro and before Telligman knew it, he had caught a knee
square between the eyes that split him good. Blood began to actually
squirt from his head, and caused the doctors to stop the fight.
An amazing fight for an amazing night.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"In every person who comes near you look for what is good
and strong, honor that; try to imitate it, and your faults will
drop off like dead leaves when their time comes. "
John Ruskin |
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|
SuperBrawl
30 - Coming Up This Weekend!
Honolulu, HI - Friday the 13th is sure to be scary this time
around since it is the day the SuperBrawl “Size Does Matter”
show takes place in of Hawaii. With Andre Roberts facing Jonathan
Ivey and SuperBrawl Heavyweight Champion Wesley “Cabbage”
Correira facing Justin Eillers this is going to be a night of
heavy leather and unstoppable forces.
The
finals of the Extreme Challenge/SuperBrawl Middleweight tournament
series also take place as the undercard. Interesting to note
is both finalists from the Salt Lake City show, Tim Kennedy and
Cruz Chacon, are both out of the tournament. The rest of the
tournament is currently:
A
bracket
Joe Doerksen vs. Desi Miner
Jay Buck vs. Jason Miller
B
bracket
Amir Rahnavardi vs. Kaipo Kalama
Stephan Potvin vs. Brendan Seguin
Buck
is the early favorite, having won the February EC49 tournament
including beating Seguin in the finals. Buck’s first round
opponent Jason Miller is a vet of the Utah EC50 show and put
on arguably the fight of the tournament in his bout with eventual
winner Tim Kennedy as well as going through Denis Kang who just
KO’d HOOKnSHOOT champ Keith Rockel. Rounding out the A bracket
is 808 Fight Factory fighter Desi/Desmond Miner, a local fighter
fans outside Hawaii and California may not be familiar with considering
his 5-1 record was harvested mostly in Gladiator Challenge and
Warriors Quest. Miner’s first opponent is Canadian fighter
Joe Doerkson, at 18-5 not exactly an unknown talent sitting on
a loss to fellow tournament fighter Potvin and a win over Denis
Kang mentioned above.
Sitting
in the B bracket is favored to make it to the finals Seguin,
the man who lost to Buck in the finals of EC49. Itching for a
rematch he’ll have to go through Potvin and the winner of
Rahnavardi/Kalama to get it. Potvin holds wins over Ronald Jhun
and fellow tournament fighter Joe Doerkson who appears in the
A bracket, so look for this first round fight one of the ones
to watch. Kaipo Kalama fights out of local team Grappling Unlimited
with a 1-0-1 record while Pride and KOTC vet Rahnavardi has a
mixed record but above average experience for this group of fighters.
Source: The Event Promoter |
UFC
43 A Monster Meltdown:
Couture Becomes 3-Time Champion, Belfort Is Back
By Loretta Hunt
Liddell
In a triumphant return to Las Vegas tonight, UFC 43: Meltdown
tore through the Thomas & Mack Arena with a hurricane of
excitement. 9,464 hungry fans turned out to be wowed, amazed,
and most importantly entertained. Mission accomplished. 43 provided
a healthy mix of action-packed fights, complete with battles
of skill, tests of will, and surprise endings to boot. At the
top of the list, underdog Randy Couture's decimation of striking
king Chuck Liddell for the UFC Light-Heavyweight Interim belt,
a rousing performance by returning Vitor Belfort, and a boxing
slugfest compliments of Tra Telligman and Pedro Rizzo.
Here's
the breakdown:
In
a main event to end all others (until the next show of course),
Randy Couture proved that no one is ever out of the game if the
will is there to win. Turning 40 years old in a week and a half,
Couture made UFC history again tonight, earning the third title
of his already illustrious career. From the start, Couture looked
poised and on the attack of opponent Chuck Liddell, the number
one contender for the light-heavyweight title for almost the
last two years and one of the best strikers to grace the entire
sport. Former Olympic-level wrestler Couture got the takedown
early on, and as expected, the always-slippery Liddell escaped
almost immediately to his feet. But for every kick or punch the
Iceman fired off, Couture had an answer, landing jabs and crosses
that hit their mark. Couture took some damage closing in for
his clinches, but made it worth his while with some penetrating
knees. The result? An evenly-matched, gripping first round. Round
two saw Couture pick up even more steam, as he continued to land
punches and performed a beautiful trip that truly jarred the
Iceman. Unable to get up as quickly as he had in the previous
round, Liddell was starting to show damage and fatigue. Couture
shot it out of the park in the third, taking Liddell down with
a raw viciousness to gain mount and the TKO referee stoppage.
Liddell will be back, but tonight was simply not his night. Couture
takes home the belt at 2:47 in round three. Tito Ortiz, where
are you?
Kimo choking Tank
In the co-main event, UFC heavyweight veterans Kimo and David
"Tank" Abbott returned to the arena that brought them
both infamy. Abbott was coming off a disappointing showing at
UFC 41 after almost five years out of the Octagon. Kimo had not
fought with the event since UFC 16 and had turned in an unimpressive
performance in his last MMA fight over a year ago. It was a battle
based more on nostalgia than anything else, but it sure appealed
to the crowd present nonetheless. At the bell, Kimo immediately
shot in for the takedown but Tank's wrestling background served
him well as he defended with the sprawl. A scramble for position
brought both men to the ground with Kimo gaining half mount.
The determined Hawaiian worked to mount and then to side choke.
Abbott held tough for about thirty seconds, but a tapout came
before Kimo could put his trapped opponent to sleep. Tank's UFC
comeback has been an incredibly bumpy one and maybe it's time
to call this little experiment a day. To Kimo's credit, he was
the better man tonight, but if he is to continue a run in the
current heavyweight class, he's going to have to brush up, for
Abbott is not a fair representation of what is out there waiting
for him. Kimo improves his UFC record to 2-3.
For
the swing match tonight, Texan Yves Edwards had a much harder
time trying to finish unknown opponent Eddie Ruiz than most would
have thought. In fact, the tough-as-nails Ruiz rode out the storm
for a decision loss after three rounds, with Edwards throwing
everything but the kitchen sink at him. It looked like it was
over early for Ruiz in the first round, when Edward's overwhelming
experience and skill landed him in the mount. Ruiz gave his back
for the rear naked choke easily, but surprisingly, the teammate
of Tank Abbott defended it well. Into the second, Edwards was
landing kicks and knees that would have floored most other lightweight
opponents, but Ruiz again held on, working his wrestling when
he landed yet again in Edward's rear naked choke attempt. By
the third round, it was becoming obvious that Ruiz was one tough
SOB when he escaped a tight triangle choke, but both fighters
kept the action going and, more importantly, the audience entertained
to the bell. Edwards get the unanimous decision (30-27 all).
Although
their fight tonight ended in a draw, Ian "The Machine"
Freeman and Vernon "Tiger" White should have much to
be proud of. In a fast-paced three round odyssey, both men showed
what the pros can really do if given the chance. White showed
an especially aggressive round one, complete with takedowns and
strikes (diving) into Freeman's guard. Freeman later answered
with a throw of his own and worked his elbows and strikes from
above as well. Round two, both men enjoyed positional dominance
by taking each other's backs and attempting submissions, but
it was clear neither one was willing to give up the win. If anything
was going to get them, it would be the fatigue of keeping up
such a furious pace. With a bold spinning back fist to start
out round three, White showed unwavering confidence and eventually
got the mount. From the mount, they went to a showdown of the
heelhook attempts, and from there it was back to their feet to
finish out the round strong. The crowd loved it all, as they
should. Freeman and White share the split draw (30-27, 29-28,
29-29).
In
a fight that every diligent MMA fan had hoped and prayed for,
the Vitor Belfort of lore made his return to the Octagon tonight.
In his match-up with first-time UFC entry Marvin "The Beastman"
Eastman, Belfort came out calm, cool, and collected-- while opponent
Eastman seemed, quite simply, "jacked." Former Muay
Thai champion Eastman threw off a few high kicks, losing his
balance at one point to bounce right into his opponent's body,
but Belfort did not bite. Instead, he waited for Eastman to shoot
in for the takedown and firmly secured his arms around his lunging
opponent's neck. Delivering two knees that sent Eastman to the
ground and against the fence, the Brazilian finished the bout
with a slew of hard-hitting strikes from the guard. The Phenom
is back. Belfort by TKO via referee stoppage 1:10 into round
one.
From
strange to bizarre, the heavyweight stand-off between local favorite
Frank Mir and Wes "the Project" Sims proved another
perplexing fight in the end. Sims inexperience shown through
right off the bat, as he ignored the cordial glove tapping and
came charging in at his opponent. Mir scored an easy double-leg
takedown on his 6'10" adversary. From there, Mir went right
to the arm bar, but Sim's brute strength kept him alive. Transitioning
to side control and then the mount, Mir began to tee off, but
the tapout wizard wanted to finish with his weapon of choice.
From side choke to armbar again, it looked like Mir finally had
the resilient giant, but Sims responded by lifting Mir and slamming
him off his limb--clutching the fence as he intensely stomped
down on Mir on his neck and face. An outright intentional foul,
Sims was immediately separated from his downed opponent and handed
the disqualification. Sims true calling may be pro wrestling.
Mir gets the win via disqualification.
The
match-up between Matt Lindland- Faliniko Vitale, the second offering
of the evening, will go down as one of those oddities of the
sport, one of those fights that is referenced for its utter unlikability.
Both middleweights came out early on with some wild punches that
didn't land, but Vitale did get in close enough with one set
to warrant Lindland go in for the takedown. Vitale stabilized
himself nicely along the fence and both men literally wrestled
for position along the Octagon-side. Lindland eventually got
hold of the Hawaiian's upper body and went for a throw, with
Vitale fighting all the way. Unfortunately, Lindland landed on
his head, instantly knocking himself out. Vitale acquired mount
and fired off a shot, but the Olympic wrestler was long gone.
Vitale upsets in the first with a KO win.
Rizzo vs. Telligman
From his first punch, a clean right jab, it was clear that Tra
Telligman's last year and a half as a professional boxer were
going to work for him tonight. Round one hosted some of the most
technical stand-up action the sport has yet to offer, but what
made things even more appetizing was the fact that opponent Pedro
Rizzo, who had lost 4 of his last 5 fights, was giving out just
as much as he was taking. Telligman's striking combos enabled
the feisty Lion's Den fighter to put the Brazilian in the trouble
early on with a knockdown was against the fence, but Rizzo clinched
like his life depended on it and the fight moved on. Telligman's
demise came in round two with a looping left hook that sent him
off balance and against the fence. Rizzo was there to capitalize,
but "Trauma" got to his feet, turning the tables enough
with some shots for The Rock to go in for the takedown. In Telligman's
guard Rizzo worked his elbows and strikes, but his real intention
was tire his opponent out. Satisfied with his handiwork, Rizzo
disengaged and Telligman got to his feet. Rizzo landed some low
kicks and some connecting punches, while Tellgiman kept firing
back some great punches as well. A truly exciting fight, it finally
ended when a large cut down the bridge of Telligman's nose brought
on the doctor's stoppage. Rizzo is awarded the TKO via doctor's
stoppage 4:25 in round two.
UFC
43: Meltdown Results:
Pedro Rizzo def. Tra Telligman- 4:25 Rd 2 TKO (Doctor's stoppage)
Faliniko Vitale def. Matt Lindland- 1:56 Rd1 KO (due to Lindland's
head impacting mat)
Frank Mir def. Wes Sims- 2:56 Rd 1 Disqualification by intentional
foul (Sims stomped downed opponent in neck and face)
Vernon White drew Ian Freeman- Split draw
Vitor Belfort def. Marvin Eastman- 1:10 Rd 1 TKO (Referee stoppage)
Yves Edwards def. Eddie Ruiz- Unanimous decision (30-27 all)
Kimo def. David "Tank" Abbott- 1:59 Rd 1 Tapout to
side choke
Randy Couture def. Chuck Liddell- 2:47 Rd 3 TKO (Referee stoppage)
Source: FCF |
Picking
and Grinning:
The Sherdog Fight Picks for UFC 43
The countdown is ticking for PRIDE 26, where' fans are treated
to Coleman vs Frye, Emelianenko vs Fujita, Cro-Cop vs Herring,
and more. As with UFC 43, these professional fighters to pick
these fights:
Gil
Castillo
Tom Erikson
Robert Ferguson
Pete Spratt
Add to this list Mike Sloan, Mike Fridley, Freddie Defrietas,
Greg Savage, Brian Piepenbrink, Brett Herman, Tom Hogan, Garrett
Poe, and Jeff Sherwood - you've got a healthy dose of egos just
waiting to be buried.
Fedor
Emeliananko defeats Kazuyuki Fujita 13-0
Brian Piepenbrink: There is a season for all things, and in this
season Fujita's giant melon will be torn asunder.
Tom Erikson: Fedor over Fujita by stoppage, It is going to take
alot to stop a fight between these two guys but I think Fedor
will open a cut on Fujita and they will have to stop it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heath
Herring defeats Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic 7-6
Mike Sloan: In a classic war that's almost too close to call,
Cro Cop survives a punishing attack and steals a split decision.
Herring then becomes a trout and has to rethink his career.
Robert Ferguson: Heath Herring by Submission
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark
Coleman draws with Don Frye 6-6
Jeff Sherwood: The Rematch....I do not think Frye can keep it
standing. Coleman will use the old G&P.
Tom Hogan: Frye will put out Coleman's
lantern in the third round.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quinton
Jackson defeats Mikhail Illoukhine 13-0
Pete Spratt: Rampage -- KO Round 2
Garrett Poe: Even a chin to the eye won't stop Jackson.
Mike Fridley: Maybe Illoukhine's agent should have negotiated
with Quinton to let him borrow his chain for this fight , because
he will need it ..
Rampage by TKO rd 1 'knees'
Greg Savage: Look out Mikhail because you are about to get "Slampaged."
That is, as long as Quinton is not looking past Illoukhine towards
his eventual title shot with Wanderlei Silva. Don't think that
will happen so I will go with Jackson by TKO in the 1st.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anderson
Silva defeats Daiju Takase 13-0
Gil Castillo: Silva via Knockout
Brett Herman: KO, round 1.
Freddie Defrietas: Anderson is Pound for Pound one of the best
standing up, and will conduct a clinic with Takase. Silva by
TKO, round 1.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antonio
"Nino" Schembri defeats Kazuhiro Hamanaka 7-6
Mike Sloan: Was Schrembri's win over
Saku a fluke? Who knows? Maybe it was because Hamanaka steals
a decision in
the night's only true upset.
Greg Savage: I am going to go out on a limb here and pick the
newcomer, Hamanaka to avenge his team mates loss to Schembri.
I don't know why I am picking him, lets just call it a hunch.
I will say Hamanaka by decision.
Source: Sherdog |
Quote
of the Day
"There are two educations. One should teach us how to make
a living and the other how to live."
John Adams |
UFC
43: Meltdown
June 6, 2003
Pedro
Rizzo def Tra Telligman via TKO (Cut) at 4:24 in Round 2
Falaniko Vitale def Matt Lindland via TKO (Strikes) at 1:56 in
Round 1
Frank Mir def Wes Sims via DQ (Kicking a Downed Opponent) at
2:55 in Round 1
Vernon White drew with Ian Freeman via Draw after 3 Rounds
Vitor Belfort def Marvin Eastmanvia TKO (Strikes) at 1:07 in
Round 1
Yves Edwards def Eddie Ruiz via Decision (Unanimous) after 3
Rounds
Kimo Leopoldo def David Abbott via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke)
at 1:59 in Round 1
Randy Couture def Chuck Liddell via TKO (Strikes from mount)
at 2:39 in Round 3 |
|
Rio
State Tournament goes down this weekend
The
event is one of the last chances for most to qualify for the
upcoming Worlds, therefore it has attracted a lot of attention
fromup and coming BJJ talent in Rio. Additionally, may of the
best Masters and Seniors vie to compete for the title of State
Champion. Results later!
Source:
ADCC/Kid Peligro |
Southern
California Pro-Am Invitational Results
SCPAI - May 24, 2003
First
Round
Heavy Bracket
Jeff Newton vs. Cassio Werneck - Werneck
Joe Stevenson vs. Rener Gracie - Gracie
Sean Spangler vs. Mario Flores - Spangler
Jason Miller vs. Kenny Bond - Miller
Light
Bracket
Gerald Strebendt vs. Drew Fickett - Fickett
Joe Camacho vs. Andy Wang - Wang
Tyrone Glover vs. Dennis Asche - Glover
Anthony Tolone vs. Paulo Guillobel - Guillobel
Second
Round
Heavy Bracket
Cassio Werneck vs. Rener Gracie - Gracie
Sean Spangler vs. Jason Miller - Miller
Heavy
Bracket (consolation)
Jeff Newton vs. Joe Stevenson - Stevenson
Mario Flores vs. Kenny Bond - Bond
Light
Bracket
Drew Fickett vs. Andy Wang - Wang
Tyrone Glover vs. Paulo Guillobel - Glover
Light
Bracket (consolation)
Gerald Strebendt vs. Joe Camacho - Strebendt
Dennis Asche vs. Anthony Tolone - Asche
Third
Round
Heavy Bracket
Rener Gracie vs. Jason Miller - Gracie
Heavy
Bracket (consolation)
Cassio Werneck vs. Sean Spangler - Werneck
Kenny Bond vs. Joe Stevenson - Stevenson
Light
Bracket
Andy Wang vs. Tyrone Glover - Glover
Light
Bracket (consolation)
Gerald Strebendt vs. Jimmy Smith (Alt.) - Smith
Dennis Asche vs. Drew Fickett - Fickett
Fourth
Round
Heavy Bracket (consolation)
Cassio Werneck vs. Joe Stevenson - Stevenson
Light
Bracket (consolation)
Jimmy Smith vs. Drew Fickett - Smith
Fifth
Round
Heavy Bracket (consolation)
Jason Miller vs. Joe Stevenson - Miller
Light
Bracket (consolation)
James Smith vs. Jaime Walsh (Alt.) - Walsh
Heavy
vs. Light Bracket FINALS
Rener Gracie (Heavy Bracket winner) vs. Tyrone Glover (Light
Bracket winner) - Rener Gracie
Superfight
Ryron Gracie vs. Todd Margolis - Ryron Gracie
Keep
checking www.grappletv.com for availability of the tournament
DVD!
Source:
ADCC
|
Naturally:
Randy’s the Man.
Couture Dominates Liddell En Route to Third UFC Title
By Josh Gross
WLAS VEGAS
– Randy “The Natural” Couture, the only two-time
heavyweight champion in UFC history, added a third belt to his
stellar career as he dominated his way to a third round stoppage
of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell Friday night inside the
Thomas & Mack Center.
From
the opening bell Couture (8-2 in UFC bouts) owned the contest.
He consistently out-struck Liddell -- something most felt he
had no shot of doing despite defeating strikers the likes of
Maurice Smith and Pedro Rizzo (twice) in the past -- with jabs,
lead rights and left hooks.
Liddell,
the UFC’s perennial number one contender to Tito Ortiz’s
light heavyweight crown, appeared sluggish, never finding the
rhythm he displayed in recent victories. Riding a two-fight losing
streak, Couture moved down from heavyweight for the first time
-- and the impact was obvious. The almost 40-year-old champion
looked at home carrying less weight on his chiseled frame. More
importantly, fighting the lighter Liddell made for an easier
time scoring takedowns and imposing his will throughout the contest.
Slamming
Liddell to the mat in the first minute of the contest, Couture
signaled that he was unlike anyone the “Iceman” had
previously faced. Which should not have been a surprise considering
the pedigree he brought into the Octagon.
Liddell’s
only saving grace was the ability to scramble to his feet after
Couture takedowns. Twice in the first and once more in the second
he stood after getting put on the mat -- an unfamiliar place
for Liddell, widely considered, before tonight, to have the best
takedown defense of any 205-pound striker.
In
the third round a visibly tired Liddell (he placed his arms atop
his head between rounds hoping to gain some saving gasps of oxygen)
had no answer for Couture’s strikes. Lead rights. Left hooks.
Takedowns. That was Couture’s overwhelming response to anything
Liddell through his way. It was a truly amazing performance for
a man that, by all rights, should be over the hill. Instead,
he continues to defeat the best and brightest mixed martial arts
has to offer.
Coming
into the bout, all of the hype centered on Ortiz’ refusal
to step into the Octagon versus Liddell. But none of that conjecture
mattered to Couture, a fighter who’s always let his actions
speak louder than his words. The mild-mannered man from Gresham,
Oregon did what so few thought he could do.
What’s
next? Most expect now that Couture did the improbable and stop
Liddell that Ortiz will step up to the plate. To that end, the
new champion -- the real champion – had something to say
to the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy”: “Tito, I don’t
know if you’re in the house,” he said, “If you
want [the belt], you have to come in here and take it.”
All
hail Randy “The Natural” Couture: The Greatest Champion
in Mixed Martial Arts History.
While
the night belonged to the new light heavyweight champ, several
others claimed a small part for themselves as well.
For
the first time in nearly a year, Vitor Belfort -- the man --
returned to the Octagon. For the first time since he faced Vanderlei
Silva in 1998, Vitor Belfort -- the “Phenom” -- returned
to the delight of UFC fans everywhere. Facing tough light heavyweight
Marvin Eastman, a champion for the WFA before it went belly up,
Belfort reminded those everywhere why at the age 25 he’s
more than a force to be reckoned with.
The
Brazilian fighter launched himself towards Eastman and delivered
a gruesome two-inch gash-inducing pair of knees while dropping
the local Las Vegas fighter to the mat. Without hesitating, Belfort
followed and propelled a volley of punches that bounced Eastman’s
head off the mat. Realizing that Eastman was done, “Big”
John McCarthy separated the combatants 1:10 into the fight.
“We
did it,” said Belfort, nearly in tears. “We’re
back! We’re back!” His words are clearly echoed by
his legion of fans that yearned for that kind of performance.
Not only did it propel him back into the mix of UFC light heavyweights
(a group rivaling any in the world), it rekindled the excitement
in Belfort that hasn’t been seen in years.
Tank
came. The crowd roared. The street fighter was taken down. He
was submitted. That’s not a misprint. For the second consecutive
fight, that’s how the story played out for the fighting
legend from Huntington Beach. Fellow old-school UFC fighter Kimo
followed the game plan laid out by Frank Mir in scoring a submission
victory.
Landing
the early takedown, Kimo passed, for lack of a better term, Tank’s
guard. From the mount he secured a side choke, and held on for
nearly half a minute in hopes that the grizzled vet would tapout.
He did 1:59 of the first.
One
can only wonder what kind of marketability Tank has left.
Over
the course of 15 minutes, UFC veteran Yves Edwards systematically
took apart newcomer Eddie Ruiz in a display that affirmed his
place amongst the top-10 lightweights in the world. While his
barrage of knees, kicks, punches and elbows, as well as his numerous
submission attempts weren’t enough to stop Ruiz, they clearly
were enough for him to walk away with a unanimous decision victory.
Meanwhile, Ruiz showed the kind of heart in defeat that’s
rarely seen. He could have succumbed and would not have been
looked down upon for the performance, but the warrior never gave
in and should be commended.
Ian
Freeman and Vernon “Tiger” White, who replaced mentor
Ken Shamrock when he injured an anterior cruciate ligament while
training, slugged it over three wonderfully close rounds en route
to a split draw (30-27, 28-29, 29-29).
White,
the quicker and lighter of the two heavyweights, opened smoothly.
After a double-leg takedown, “Tiger” grounded-and-pounded
Freeman for the first time in the fight. While his shots didn’t
have much power behind them, the pace and accuracy with which
they were delivered was impressive.
Freeman
turned the tables and scored a takedown of his own mid-way through
the period. Though he grounded-and-pounded in kind, Freeman’s
punches and elbows never hurt White. Toward the end of the first
period both men stood to their feet and White, using his speed
advantage, landed several shots.
Round
two appeared to be White’s as well. Capitalizing on his
quickness, White out-struck and controlled Freeman throughout
the period. In the third and final round, White’s speed
waned and Freeman was finally able to utilize is considerable
strength through numerous power punches. As the round came to
a close, Freeman and White let go a flurry consistent with the
tenor of entire bout. Though neither man stepped out of the ring
a winner, they definitely earned the crowd’s respect and
perhaps another bout in the UFC.
Never
before has a disqualification rendered such a good reaction from
ticket holders as UFC rookie Wes Sims fought disgracefully in
the opening contest on live pay-per-view. Fighting in front of
a hometown crowd, submissions wiz kid Frank Mir opened the contest
by slamming his six-foot 10-inch opponent to his back after the
giant lumbered across the length of the Octagon.
Moving
from side control to mount to back control, Mir dominated Sims
in ever facet of the ground game. Following a multitude of punches
and elbow strikes mixed in with the occasional submission attempt,
Mir finally moved for an armbar from the mount. Sims countered
and rolled to the top. Using every inch of his frame he lifted
Mir six inches above the mat and attempted to crash him down.
While the move didn’t hurt Mir, it freed Sims arm.
Standing
above his downed opponent, Sims raised his lanky right leg and
slammed his foot into Mir’s face. He repeated the illegal
maneuver several more times before referee “Doc” Hamilton
jumped in to call time. Sims moved to a neutral corner as Mir,
obviously affected by the stomps to his head, remained on the
mat.
Mir’s
supporters voiced their displeasure and Sims responded stupidly
by egging them on. His childish tactics proved just how immature
a fighter he is, and was rightfully disqualified when it was
deemed Mir could not continue.
Hamilton
called a halt to the contest at the 2:56 mark. Sims stormed off
like he’d deserved something better while Mir walked away
with a black eye.
UFC
veteran Matt Lindland was surprised when he was told that his
bout versus Faliniko Vitale would take place absent the live
cameras of pay-per-view. The contender for the 185-pound title
had hoped to continue his string over victories, the most recent
being a decision over rival Phil Baroni in February. In Vitale
he faced an athletic addition to the UFC’s middleweight
division, though most pundits had him pegged as a solid bet to
win.
So
much for sure things. Vitale, a native Hawaiian, smartly avoided
Lindland’s flailing punches in the opening moments before
moving into a clinch. Countering Lindland’s repeated attempts
to gain leverage for a takedown, Vitale looked to put Lindland
on his back. A surprising strategy given that it allowed Lindland
to maneuver into a position where he could score a throw of his
own.
As
he lifted and twisted Vitale into the air, Lindland appeared
to be in control. However, Vitale contorted his body in mid-air
and forced Lindland to alter the takedown. When the fighters
landed, Vitale found himself in the mount and his opponent unconscious.
Shockingly,
Lindland had knocked himself out 1:56 of the first round. Vitale
jumped for joy while the Olympic silver medallist struggled to
regain his senses. After several tense moments on the mat, Lindland
was able to get to his feet and walk out of the Octagon under
his own power.
From
the opening moments the crowd could sense that the fight between
Pedro Rizzo and Tra Telligman would live up the expectations
formed after their initial fight several years ago. The first
contest saw Rizzo -- then young and untarnished before bouts
versus Randy Couture and Gan McGee rendered him a non-factor
in the heavyweight division -- reign victorious by TKO in one
of the most action-packed contests in UFC history.
Tonight,
in the opening contest of the eight-fight card, Rizzo once again
came out on top as a beautifully placed Muay Thai knee opened
a nasty gash on Telligman’s face that forced referee Larry
Landless to look towards ringside physician Margaret Goodman
for advice. After diagnosing the cut, she put and end to the
fight 4:25 of the second round.
For
most of the contest both men battled it out on the feet. Telligman,
showing boxing skills he cultivated over the past two years,
impressed in the first round, countering Rizzo’s strikes
with combinations of his own. One such flurry weakened Rizzo’s
knees and forced his back to the cage. Telligman followed with
strikes, but Rizzo smartly clinched and used the time to regain
his composure.
In
the second frame, Rizzo was much more active with kicks, spinning
Telligman a full 360 degrees with his most powerful shot of the
fight. Hurt, Telligman moved into the clinch, but unlike Rizzo
in round one he could not use the position to recover. Instead,
Rizzo scored an outside trip to force the veteran to his back.
Uncharacteristically, it was Rizzo on the giving end of ground-and-pound,
the result of which saw Telligman absorb numerous punches and
elbows. With both fighters back on the feet and Telligman not
all there because of ground attacks, Rizzo clinched and landed
the cut-inducing knee.
Source:
Maxfighting |
Quote
of the Day
None will improve your lot if you yourself do not.
Bertolt Brecht, 1933
|
A
Hard Rockin' Meltdown Weigh-In
By Loretta Hunt
A
substantially lengthy line of UFC fans snaked around the corner
of The Joint, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas,
to catch today's fighter weigh-ins for UFC 43: Meltdown. It was
an encouraging sight, despite (unofficial) talk that ticket sales
may be lagging just a bit for tomorrow night's event, to be held
at the UNLV Thomas & Mack Center. With pens and posters in
hand, the crowd watched their favorite fighters and teams slowly
congregate on the affair, almost like the kind of high-profile
red carpet entrance you might see at a Hollywood movie premiere.
Among the crowd, perennial favorite and Lion's Den patriarch
Ken Shamrock, who sported a knee brace after tearing his ACL
two weeks ago. Shamrock reported that he will go under the knife
shortly to correct the problem, opting for the surgery that will
take tendons from his hamstring to recreate the torn area. Although
somber, Shamrock was still willing to spend time with the throng
of fans eager to get a glance and a word from the living legend.
There is no indication of if and/or when he might return to compete.
Other
notes of interest:
Team
Quest's Dan Henderson is recovering nicely from his own ACL surgery,
and anticipates being back on the mats in a month's time. Henderson
chose the "cadaver" procedure to rectify his injury.
Lightweight
stud BJ Penn has become the latest member of the Pit, John Hackleman's
California gym that has churned out the likes of Chuck Liddell
and Gan McGee as of late. Penn is in town to lend his support
to his new teammates.
John
Hackleman, himself will be doing double-duty tomorrow night.
He will first corner middleweight Matt Lindland in his preliminary
match-up (Lindland starting training his stand-up with Hackleman
prior to his second encounter with Phil Baroni). Then, it's to
Liddell's corner, with Lindland across the way in Team Quest
teammate Couture's corner.
On
to the weigh-ins:
The
first pair to make there way to the stage -- masters of the game
Randy "The Natural" Couture and Chuck "The Iceman"
Liddell, who will battle it out for the organization's first-ever
"interim" title in tomorrow night' main event. Challenger
Couture was the first to step up to the scales, weighing in at
exactly 205 pounds. For those that are used to seeing the former
heavyweight at his usual weight of 220 to 225 pounds, his appearance
might be (dare I say) a bit jarring, but Couture has assured
all that he is very familar with the weight cutting process from
his years as a Olympic-level wrestler. The other challenger Liddell
(remember, Tito Ortiz still holds the title, despite his absence
from the promotion at this point to rehash out his contract)
weighed in at 205 as well. Both men, who have been with the promotion
since UFC 13 and 17 respectively and hold a staggering total
of 18 UFC fights between them, could do nothing but smile to
one another in their staredown.
For
those into nostalgia, opponents Kimo and David "Tank"
Abbott were the next two to make their way to the stage. The
35 year old Kimo slipped down to his jockeys to reveal his impressive
collection of tattoos that decorated his still youthful 248 pound
physique. As if to meet the challenge, Tank opted to take his
T-shirt off this time and came in at 251 pounds (He weighed in
at 248 pounds at UFC 41). With both coming off less than stellar
performances, the betting lines have the two fighters even at
this point, properly reflecting that this one will indeed be
a toss-up.
In
what could be a barnburner of the highest degree, slugger Marvin
"the Beastman" Eastman will make his UFC debut tomorrow
night against a focused-looking Vitor Belfort. Both men weighed
in at 203 pounds today and looked ready to roll. Eastman is on
a hot streak after knocking out PRIDE stand-out Alex Stiebling
at his last outing [WFA 3]. Belfort, sporting a wild haircut
and twelve o'clock shadow, will be looking to redeem his decision
loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 37.5.
Two-week
replacement and Lion's Den rep Vernon "Tiger" White
was the next to step up to the stage. He weighed in a light 208
pounds for his heavyweight match-up with British brawler Ian
Freeman, who came in at 220 pounds himself. Ironically, White's
last opponent Jeremy Horn (from a somewhat controversial fight
at KOTC 23 three weeks ago), will be in Freeman's corner tomorrow
night.
Oozing
confidence, heavyweight Wes Sims tipped the scales at 244 pounds.
His opponent, the reserved and poised local Frank Mir was a fit
248 pounds. At 6'10", Sims sticks out in a crowd, even among
the group of larger-than-average specimens you'd finds at such
affairs. Paired up against 6'3" Mir, the match-up should
be a visually pleasing one-- that's if Sims can remain standing.
Said "the Project" of his premiere tomorrow night,
"It's gonna be bloody and it's not gonna be my blood."
Chomping
on a Krispy Creme donut, lightweight Yves Edwards elicited some
laughs from the crowd as he made his fifth appearances atop the
official UFC scales. He weighed in on the mark at 155 pounds,
while challenger Eddie Ruiz made the cutoff at 154 pounds. Making
his UFC debut, Ruiz is the X-factor of the entire event. Not
many have had the chance to see this Tank Abbott teammate fight,
so the sky's the limit for this fighter to come in and impress.
This bout has been designated the "swing bout" for
the evening.
The
second Lion's Den member to make tomorrow night's card, always-confidentTra
Telligman weighed in at 218 pounds today. Adversary Pedro Rizzo
weighed in at 231 pounds and says he is unfazed by Telligman's
recent 4-2 foray into professional boxing. Stand-up fireworks
are almost a 100% probability for the bout.
The
final pair to weigh-in today were middleweights Matt Lindland
and Falinko
Vitale,
who are scheduled as the second preliminary bout tomorrow evening.
Consummate professional Lindland came in at 184 pounds. Hawaiian import Vitale did not make his first
call to the stage, however, and under NSAC regulations, was given
thirty minutes to make weight. He eventually made his way to
the scale and came in at 184. 5 pounds. Sixteen weights logged
in later, UFC 43 is a go.
Source:
FCF
|
Vitor
Belfort: Doing the "Possible"
When
Vitor Belfort steps into the Octagon tonight versus Marvin Eastman
it will mark only the third time in three years he'll have strapped
on gloves in competition. At 25 years of age the Brazilian is
on the cusp of what should be his prime. Instead, Belfort's career
has played out with more ups and downs than Martha Stewart's.
Freak injuries. Allergies. Game shows. What should have been
an already stellar career has been all too often marred by Belfort's
bizarre inability to come to terms with what made him famous.
You
name it he's probably dabbled in it; an all too frustrating fact
for his fans that continue to hope for the return of the gun-slinging
kid who took the mixed martial arts world by storm in 1997. Can
he again crack opponents on the skull with regularity and, in
turn, have fans clamor to watch him fight? More importantly,
is he even interested in any of that?
"My
life has been changed," says Belfort, who's always been
religious but now feels his relationship with Jesus Christ is
the most important thing in his life. "I'm getting married
at the end of the year. Everything is different. Even my struggles
are totally different because I know I'm going to recover. With
Him everything is easy.
"I
always trust Him, but it's hard to do what He wants you to do,
like give yourself up, [or] follow Him. And that's what I'm trying
to do now. I'm trying to follow His will."
Apparently
that means a recommitment to his fighting. But with Belfort there's
always been a caveat and it's usually centered on money. It's
what drove him to Japan to fight in PRIDE and it's what brought
him back to the states after signing a lucrative contract to
fight for the UFC.
"I
want to make more money," he freely admits. "I want
to take advantage of when I'm young. I have a chance. People
still want to see me fight."
Realizing
that, Belfort is faced with the fact that this bout versus Eastman
could make or break his moneymaking potential, though his current
deal with the UFC should provide him some comfort for several
more fights.
That's
not to say he's simply stepping into the ring with similar intentions
as Pete Williams, a heavyweight who closed out his deal with
the UFC by sleep walking through fights en route to a hefty payday.
Belfort, when primed and lucid, is one of the most dangerous
light heavyweights in the world. Unfortunately, those moments
have been far and few between.
Not
this time he says: "I did everything I could. I trained.
I set up my life like the old times. I'm focused. I'm hungry.
I have goals in my life. I did the possible. Whatever comes to
me now, even wins or losses, you have to keep going, never walking
backwards, always forwards."
Looking
forward could be the key for the fighter formerly regarded as
"The Phenom." Nothing good could come for Belfort should
he recollect on his checkered past -- the disappointment versus
Randy Couture; the debacle against Kazushi Sakuraba; the questions
surrounding his reluctance to let his once-lethal hands fly;
etc. -- so, he says, it's simply not done.
"It
doesn't matter the results," he insists, "but I'm going
to keep coming forward. I like to think the way I used to. It
doesn't matter the results, it matters what you think.
"I'm
young. People like to say things. Human beings like to predict
things. 'Oh, I think he's over.' That's the way human beings
are.
"People
used to say when I had my losses that 'Vitor is over,' but you
have to watch yourself as a professional. Some guys win, but
people don't want to see them fight. I just pray to God to do
what He wants me to do in my life. I'm very confident in this
fight and the next…and the next."
Standing
in front of him is Marvin Eastman, a Las Vegas-based fighter
who's more than ready to make the step up against world-class
competitors like Belfort. Coming off the only bad loss of his
career (succumbing to a Rich Franklin armbar early in the first
round of their WFA contest) Eastman rebounded in consecutive
fights to stop Tom Sauer and Alex Stiebling in a combined two
minutes 44 seconds.
Financial
troubles for the WFA and several cancelled fights have kept Eastman
out of the ring since November, and he's chomping at the bit
to get a crack at Belfort knowing a victory would give him instant
credibility amongst fight fans who may not have seen him compete
before.
None
of that, however, fazes Belfort. He's been there and done that.
"I'm looking forward to this fight now," he says matter-of-factly.
"I think of my opponent as a lion. It doesn't matter what
he has to offer, but for me he's the toughest guy in the world
right now."
For
all his troubles in and out of the ring, and the constant criticisms
of him as a fighter who refuses to attack with his best tools
(his fists), Belfort is an obviously improved fighter, as evident
by his performance versus Chuck Liddell last June. Though he
came up short, (He deserved it," Belfort says of Liddell.)
it was his most impressive performance in recent memory.
"In
the old times my hands were very good, and so was my ground game
but I didn't have time to use it," explains the Brazilian.
"Now I'm looking forward to whatever [my opponent] gives
to me. I will take it. I don't ha |