June News Part 3
Quote
of the Day
Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
[Matthew 7:120] Sacred Scriptures of Christians and Judaism,
Bible |
KOTC
- Quick Results!
KING of the CAGE 'SIN CITY' - June 29th, 2003
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
-
Baki def Kauai
Kupihea 0:22
r1 by guillotine choke
- Buck Meredith def Harris
Sariento
3:41 r2 by TKO
- Chad Davis def Kevin Cook by split decision (2 rnds)
- Alex Rickards def Augie Garcia 2:08 r1 by ankle lock
- Wes Combs def Raul Delgadov 0:23 r1 by KO
- Shad Smith def Louie Vaith 3:53 r1 by TKO
- Jeff Newton def Allen Sullivan 4:06 r2 by ankle lock
- Randy Velarde def Marcos Santos TKO *
- Thomas Denny def Kyle Brees by unanimous decision (2 rnds)
- Greg Mayer def Jamual
Perkins 0:38
r1 by rear choke
- Jason Lambert def Brian Foster by unanimous decision (2 rnds)
- Gustavo 'Ximu' Machado def Nate Quarry by unanimous decision
(3 rnds)
- Dean Lister def Brian Sleeman 1:14 r1 by armbar
*Santos
had to quit between rounds due to a knee injury but the official
result was announced as TKO.
Source: ADCC |
"K-1
BEAST II " quick results
K-1
BEAST II 2003
Date : June 29, 2003
Place : Saitama Super Arena
Freshman
Fight
Manabu
Ito VS HIROSHI
(Japan / Iron AX) (Japan / Vos Gym)
Draw
9.21
JAPAN GP 2003 Participation Determination Match (3R x 3min)
Tatsufumi Tomihira VS Masahide Aoyagi
(Japan / SQUARE ) (Japan / Iron AX)
Winner
: Tatsufumi Tomihira by decision at extra R (10-9,10-9,10-9)
Nobu
Hayashi VS Tooru Ooishi
(Japan / Dojo Chakuriki) (Japan / Nisshin Kaikan)
Winner
: Nobu Hayashi by KO 1R 1:38
Hiraku
Hori VS Kazuhiro Nakamura
(Japan / Team Dragon) (Japan / Yoshida Dojo)
Winner
: Hiraku Hori by KO 2R 1:58
Hiromi
Amada VS TSUYOSHI
(Japan / TENKA 510) (Japan / Vos Gym)
Winner
: Hiromi Amada by decision (29-29,29-28,29-28)
Super
Fight (3R x 3min)
Hiroki Kurosawa VS Ivan Salaverry
(Japan / Kurosawa Dojo) (USA / AMC Pankration)
Draw
Team
Japan vs Team Beast (3R x 3min)
Montanha
Silva VS Musashi
(Brazil) (Japan / Seido Kaikan)
Winner
: Musashi by disqualification (Montanha took down Musashi and
mount punches)
Azem
Maksutaj VS Shingo Koyasu
(Switzerland) (Japan / Seido Kaikan)
Winner
: Shingo Koyasu by decision (29-28,29-28,29-28)
Butterbean
VS Yusuke Fujimoto
(USA / Team Butterbean) (Japan / Monster Factory )
Winner
: Butterbean by KO 1R 1:02
Manabu
Nakanishi VS TOA
(New Japan Pro-Wrestling) (JAPAN / New Zealand)
Winner
: TOA by KO 1R 1:28
Peter
Aerts VS Tsuyoshi Nakasako
(Holland / Mejiro Gym) (Japan / ZEBRA244)
Winner
: Peter Aerts by KO 2R 1:42
Source:
Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki |
Absolute
Fighting Championships
Gearing Up for A Big July!
Saturday,
July 19th, 2003 - Absolute Fighting Championships 4 returns to
the War Memorial Coliseum, Ft Laudersale, FL.
Tickets
available at www.ticketmaster.com. Enter 'ABSOLUTE' for the event!
The
Absolute Fighting Championships 4 returns to south Florida on
July 19th with another great card of Mixed Martial Arts. The
card will also feature several boxing matches, including Shannon
Briggs of the American TOP TEAM. 'We are trying to lure him into
an MMA match' confides AFC matchmaker Miguel Iturrate, 'but with
him on the card with his TOP TEAM teammates fighting on the MMA
side, it is going to be a great night at the War Memorial.'
Many
are saying the bout to watch on this card is VITOR 'SHAOLIN'
RIBEIRO versus KULTAR GILL. The matchmaker says 'It's a Jiu Jitsu
guy versus a stand up fighter, but it is more than that. Both
guys bring a skill level that is out of this world, and they
cross train. This is not a guy in a gi against a guy who only
kickboxes, the sport is beyond that. This match represents the
21st century version of the striker versus grappler.'
Another
bout to watch is DUSTIN DENES versus AKIRA SHOJI, in a match
where Denes looks to take on one of Japan's most resilient fighters.
'Shoji wants to fight in the USA, he is taking this bout seriously,
and he is very underrated. Shoji has fought only the top competition
in the world in his career, and that is where Denes wants to
be - so this match is definitely a measuring stick!'
The
main event of the event features a clash of UFC veterans - ATT's
highly regarded Din Thomas takes on Steve Berger, in Berger's
first bout at 155 lbs. 'There is a lot on the line here - Din
is coming off a great win at the UFC, and with his star on the
rise and this bout in his hometown, there is pressure on him
to keep on winning. With Steve, no one can deny that Berger has
paid his dues - he wanted a big fight at 155, he didn't want
to fight lesser competition. So there is tension for this one!'
describes the matchmaker.
COMPLETE
CARD - SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
3
ROUND MAIN EVENTS:
(155 lbs) - DIN THOMAS (American Top Team, Ft Lauderdale, FL.)
vs. STEVE BERGER (Vaghi JJ, St Louis, MO.)
(195
lbs) - DUSTIN DENES (American Top Team, Ft Lauderdale, FL.) vs.
AKIRA SHOJI (Tokyo, Japan)
(155
lbs) - VITOR 'SHAOLIN' RIBEIRO (Nova Uniao, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.)
vs. KULTAR GILL (Gibson Pankration, Vancouver, Canada)
2
ROUND BOUTS:
(125 lbs) - SHELBY WALKER (Freelance, Indianapolis, IN.) vs.
BETH WESTOVER (PKO School of MMA, Boise, ID)
(155
lbs) - JORGE MASVIDAL (Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami, FL.)
vs. DARRELL SMITH (ANIMAL HOUSE, Indianapolis, IN.)
(205
lbs) - WILSON GOVEIA (American Top Team, Ft Lauderdale, FL.)
vs. RON FAIRCLOTH (Freestyle Academy, Kenosha, WI.)
(185
lbs) - CHARLES MCCARTHY (Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami, FL.)
vs. JAY MASSEY (ANIMAL HOUSE, Indianapolis, IN.)
(170
lbs) - JORGE SANTIAGO (American Top Team, Ft Lauderdale, FL.)
vs. JUSTIN WIEMAN (Freestyle Academy, Kenosha, WI.)
BOXING
BOUTS:
- SHANNON BRIGGS (ATT, Florida) v. JOHN SARGENT (25-2, 18 KOs)
- JORGE 'CABALLO' JIMINEZ v. TBD
- ANDY WATSON v. TBD
Source: ADCC |
IFC
8 Man Tournament Pre Interview: PAULO FILHO
IfC
8 MAN TOURNAMENT - SEPTEMBER 2003
Brazilian
TOP TEAM's Paulo Filho is one of the stand outs going into the
IFC's eight man tournament. We spoke with Filho about his return
to the ring (he has not fought since September of 2002) and about
his thoughts on fighting in America. Up until now, Filho has
fought in PANCRASE, DEEP and PRIDE, keeping a perfect 5-0 record
against top Japanese competition. This tournament is a whole
different ballgame however!
So,
what are your initial thoughts about this IFC event? Of course,
it is an honor to be in this event. It is the American GRAND
PRIX! (laughs) The show will have great athletes. I'm just proud
to be one of them. The IFC promotion is doing a tournament packed
with talent, and I am ready to give my contribution as well.
This is good for the sport! Well, I'm very pumped to be in this
tournament. Anybody who knows me knows my feelings right now.
Why
did you take so long to be back to business? I had to take some
time off after my last fight, since I had to recover from several
nagging injuries. I'm ready, and I have been training hard for
some time. Since September is too long!
The
injury is due to your last fight? No, my fight lasted less than
3 minutes against Shoji, I'm talking about small injuries from
before my Pride apearance. I had to deal with them and give them
time to heal before they get worse.
Talk
about your fighting in Japan... I have 4 fights in Japan and
I have fought real tough Japanese fighters. Yamamiya, Minowa,
Kondo and Shoji. I think for the first few times, they thought
I would not win, but I kept my composure, and I learned a lot.
I was really sharp in my last one, submitting Shoji in PRIDE.
What
happened that Pride never asked you to return? Well, I don't
know what happened but it's time to be back in action. I don't
want to wonder about why my return took so long, or why PRIDE
didn't call me. I am here for the IFC right now.
People
used to say that you like to ground and pound people? Are you
affected by this talk? This is very interesting. People complained
that I was boring, a Ground & Pounder. Then I proved that
I have some ground skills during my last fight in Pride, don't
you agree? Lot's of GrEAT fighters have not finished Shoji, and
I did it quick. People sometimes forget that I'm a 3x BJJ World
Champion and 5 times BJJ national champion.
Who
would you like to face in the first round?
I don't have the right to choose my opponent! Of course, if I
could pick, I think I would like to be part another chapter of
the BTT X Chute Boxe rivalry. SHOGUN, from Chute Boxe.
Why?
I was supposed to fight Anderson Silva in my Pride debut, but
unfortunately I popped my knee during training and was not able
to do that. Now I'm ready and I think Shogun is a talented fighter.
This could make for good matchmaking - an exciting war.
And
what about the USA and the tournament format? I am ready and
in condition for 3 fights, for 3 hard fights, 3 wars. I think
the fans are gonna see me represent BTT for the first time in
the USA - hopefully they are not gonna forget!
Source: ADCC |
SHOOTO's
6/27 Hiroshima Event - Results
June 27th, 2003
Hiroshima Sun Plaza, Hiroshima, Japan
Sustain
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
Class
B 2 x 5 minutes rounds: Lightweight [-65.0Kg]: WILD Usami vs.
Naosuke Mizoguchi: Usami by TKO, RD 1.
Featherweight
[-60.0Kg]: Yoshihiro Fujita vs. Hiroyuki Tanaka: Tanaka by Judges
Decision.
Lightweight
[-65.0Kg] 2003 Rookie Tournament 2nd round
Masatoshi Kobayashi vs. Seigi Fujioka: Fujioka by Judges Decision.
Cruiserweight
[-91.0Kg] 2003 Rookie Tournament 1st round
The Great Naniwa vs. Yosuke 'M.D' Mikami: Mikami by Judges Decision.
Middleweight
[-76.0Kg] 2003 Rookie Tournament 2nd round
Hirofumi Hara vs. Shinobu Ito: DRAW
Welterweight
[-70.0Kg]: Masato Fujiwara vs. Takashi Nakakura: Nakakura by
Triangle Choke, RD 1.
Welterweight
[-70.0Kg]: Koutetsu Boku vs. Kenichiro Togashi: Togashi by Arm
Bar, RD 1.
Class
A 3 x 5 minutes rounds Middleweight
[-76.0Kg] Seichi Ikemoto vs. Akira Kikuchi: Kikuchi by Arm Bar,
RD 2.
[-68.0Kg]
Rumina Sato vs. Ryan Ackerman: Sato by heel hook, in RD 1.
Source: ADC |
Interview
(Part 2): SuperBrawl Middleweight tournament champ Joe Doerkson
KM:
Here you are winning the SuperBrawl/Extreme Challenge Middleweight
tournament. Congratulations. JD: Thank you.
KM:
Has the excitement worn off yet? JD: It never really hit me.
I got it done and the next day I was ready to go home. I had
a good time in Hawaii though, I got to stay there for two days
after and did all the tourist stuff.
KM:
Go ahead and rub it in. I missed it. How did you like Hawaii?
JD: I always like it there, it's nice. I got to hang out with
Denis Kang and Jason Miller for the two days we were there. Both
pretty good guys. We just kind of took it easy a couple days
and enjoyed the weather. Now I'm home and I'm getting ready to
go back to work. I signed up to do a pro kickboxing fight here
at home.
KM:
Is that your kickboxing debut? JD: Well, I did a semi-pro show
a while back. I did a pro boxing match earlier this year in February
or March. I'm going to do a kickboxing match in July and then
August 30th I may or may not be fighting in Minnesota. August
2nd I might be going to Mississippi for a grappling tournament.
KM:
August 30th would be MMA and you're not sure if you are in yet?
JD: August 30th. Brad Kohler's show Extreme Combat. I fought
for him about a week before Hawaii.
KM:
That was the Kyle Jensen fight, right? JD: Yeah.
KM:
I just noticed that on your record but I didn't even know about
that show. Sorry. Can you tell us a little about that fight?
JD: I don't know if it was an exciting fight. We were both a
little careful. It had rained that night and we were fighting
outside so the canvas was wet. We basically just spent a lot
of time in the clinch punching each other in the ribs and head
and stuff. We did trade a few punches but I don't think he really
wanted to stand up with me. Every time I threw…at one point
he covered and turned away and then clinched with me a second
time and took me down. Once we hit the floor after about a minute
I got his arm. It went 4:20. He's a tough kid, has a lot of experience.
KM:
He was in that Iowa Extreme Challenge qualifier also. JD: He
deserves credit for what he did there that night. He did pretty
good. He needs to keep fighting and training.
KM:
Just to finish up on the Hawaii show I should give you a chance
to say something. The week before in a preview I was saying something
like 'the odds favorites are going to be Jay Buck and Brendan
Seguin in the finals' since they were both finalists in the Iowa
qualifier. The finalists from the UT show didn't compete with
Tim Kennedy getting injured training and Cruz Chacon reportedly
dropping a weight class. I wanted to say to your face 'ooops,
I was wrong'. I'm pulling that foot out of my mouth. Is there
anything you wanted to say about that? JD: In an 8-man tournament
anybody can win. That's all I'm going to say. Jay Buck could
have won it, Denis Kang could have won it, Jason Miller could
have won it…those three guys would have been my…me,
Buck, Kang, and Miller had had the most experience and I figured
it was going to be one of us four. The two Hawaiians were unknown.
They could have been anything, we had no idea. Brendan Seguin
already lost to Buck so I didn't know how well he was going to
do. Johnathan Guilet is pretty young. Tough kid but young.
KM:
Did you get a chance to see much of the rest of the tournament?
JD: I didn't see any of the other fights.
KM:
I'm wondering how Miller did. JD: I don't know, I haven't seen
the fights yet. He had a cut over one eye and broke his thumb
or dislocated his thumb. He got hurt a little bit but the judges
gave it to him. It sounded like he was much more active but also
sounded like it was a pretty good fight, like really close.
KM:
I didn't know Kang was substituted in when I wrote that. He just
beat champion Keith Rockel in HOOKnSHOOT. Anyway, I at least
wanted to acknowledge as close to your face as I can you proved
me wrong. JD: I still say anything could have happened. Denis
Kang was supposed to be in the finals but he was injured and
had to pull out. I think he's a dangerous kid. I think that night
it was a good move for him because he was injured, there is no
doubt about it. He ate some big leg kicks and was pretty banged
up. He won which is all that matters but if he's not going in
there 100% it's probably not…if I was hurt I wouldn't have
gone in there either. My first two fights went pretty quickly
so I had a pretty good feeling going into the third round. It
didn't matter who I was going to fight, everyone was banged up.
KM:
Were you disappointed at all you didn't get a chance to rematch
Kang? JD: No. (Both laugh). We fought less than a year ago. It
doesn't benefit me at all to fight him again. I already have
a win. I'm sure it will happen eventually but when it does I'd
like it to be a bigger show. Something on PPV, a little bit of
money. (The UCC fight) wasn't a controversial loss, it was a
first round submission. Denis is tough, don't get me wrong. I
think he's the next one going to the UFC. I've never done a rematch
in my career so far.
KM:
With all this attention on finding Middleweights and the success
of the fighters from last year's show have you felt any additional
pressure or attention? JD: I don't really follow other shows
much. I live here in a tiny little town and I go to work every
day and go to the gym every day and I go home. I don't pay attention
to anything going on around me. I don't worry about a fight until
Monte calls me and says I'm fighting. Just one fight at a time.
I try not to get too excited. One day at a time and whatever
happens happens.
KM:
Anything else you want to get across to the fans? JD: I feel
the work I've been doing the last 6-8 months has been…I
think I'm on the right track trying to develop my weaknesses
into strengths and I think that is starting to happen. I got
my first knockout.
KM:
That reminds me, you're striking. You said you were working on
that and I noticed with the KO and TKO and now you say the boxing
and kickboxing shows, what did you change with your striking
training? JD: After losing to Potvin, Egan, and Loiseau all three
in a row (note: 10/19/01, 11/02/01, and 1/25/02 respectively)
I took a look at what I was doing. I knew my submissions were
good but that is pretty much all I had. I started sparring three
days a week with boxers and kickboxers and stuff. Started training
with coaches. Getting ready for the Denis Kang fight (10/11/02)
I started training with Giuseppi DeNatale, a K-1 fighter out
of Winnipeg. I've been working with those guys for about 10 months
now and I think it's all coming together. Until I tried it I
really didn't think I was going to be good at it but I'm finding
I really like punching people in the face. (Both laugh).
KM:
Has it changed the way you train in grappling? Are there things
you will no longer consider doing because you'd rather strike
now? JD: All that changed is I'm more comfortable in the ring.
I don't have to worry about taking the guy down. I'll just go
there and hit him and if he takes me down he's in trouble anyway.
I'm more well-rounded and more dangerous than I was before. That's
the idea, to improve ever time. I think things went really well
in Hawaii and when I fight again I want to have a little bit
more to show than last time. I want to be a little bit better
than the last time I fought. Once you think you are good enough
it's over. That's how I look at it.
Source: ADCC
|
Quote
of the Day
"When I look back on all these worries I remember the story
of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had a lot of
trouble in his life, most of which had never happened."
Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Statesman, Prime Minister
|
Jamual
Perkins to fight in KOTC and working his way to a title fight!
King of the Cage
25
Dean Lister vs. Brian Sleeman
Nathan Quarry vs. Gustavo Machado
Brian Foster vs. Jeff Newton
Jamal Perkins vs. Greg Mayer
Cipi Gamino vs. Joe Camacho
Art Santore vs. Kevin Cook
Shad Smith vs. Louie Vaith
Randy Velarde vs. Marcos Santos
Source: Shedog |
VITOR
VS COUTURE IN SEPTEMBER?
MMAWeekly.com has learned that the UFC was in hard negotiations
with Tito Ortiz about fighting Randy Couture this past week.
MMAWeekly has learned that after some negotiations that a deal
was not reached between Ortiz and Couture.
Negotiations
apparently broke down with Ortiz as of yesterday, so now it appears
the UFC is looking to go in a different direction. MMAWeekly.com
has now learned that Vitor Belfort was given the call as Zuffa
asked Vitor if he would be ready to fight in September. Vitor
said absolutely.
Belfort
apparently wants the fight really bad. It's not known at this
time if contracts have been sent out to Belfort or Couture, but
it seems the UFC is ready to go with a Belfort vs Couture rematch,
especially now that talks have broke down with Ortiz.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Pat
Miletich vs. Royce Gracie?
Pat Miletich appeared on Friday's MMAWeekly Radio Show to talk
about his future in the sport and the future of Team Miletich.
Miletich said that some people, including Jens Pulver, are going
to be relocating and opening their own facilities in a different
part of the country. Miletich said that he always knows from
the beginning that this is going to happen eventually, he would
never hold it against anyone.
Every
member of Team Miletich is still on good terms with one another,
and even the ones who are relocating will still be training with
the other fighters from time to time. Miletich said that it's
like an expansion of the Team Miletich family tree in a way.
Pat
Miletich also reiterated his previous statements that he would
love to fight Royce Gracie, and he thinks it would be great for
the sport. Pat said that he respects the Gracie family and everything
they have done for mixed martial arts. When asked about other
potential fights, Miletich said that it would probably take a
fight with Royce Gracie for him to fight again. Pat said that
he has been fighting for a very long time, and he is so involved
with training fighters that he may never fight again.
Miletich
said that if he never fights again, he will be satisfied with
the career he has had. Miletich also said that his injured neck
feels good enough that he is able to train harder than he has
in a long time. Miletich said that his neck is feeling great,
and he will soon be undergoing an MRI test to see if the condition
of his neck is as good as it feels to him.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Jens
Pulver Book
Jens Pulver gave a heartfelt interview about the ups and downs
of his career and life on Friday's MMAWeekly Radio Show. Pulver
said that he has been spiraling out of control and falling into
a deep depression for the past 14 months or so, right around
the time he left the UFC. Jens said that he hasn't really been
mentally there since the BJ Penn fight, but at the same time
he stressed that he is not taking anything away from his recent
opponents, and they both earned their victories over him.
Pulver
is now on a prescription medication for depression and said that
it has already made him feel much better and more happy in general.
Pulver said that he loves feeling happier and he hilariously
added, "I'm like an old man on Viagra... when I get a boner,
I want to go around showing everybody!"
Jens
Pulver said that the birth of his child and all of the support
he gets from fans every day also helped him get to where he is
now, with a feeling that he has turned his life around. Pulver
said that he can look back now and see where he made mistakes.
Most likely referring to his decision to leave the UFC in early
2002, Pulver said, "I reached a crossroads, and I made a
left turn where I should have made a right."
Pulver
said that he has co-written a book with Erich Krauss that takes
an in-depth look at his life from his childhood up to the present
day. Pulver said that they have given the manuscript for the
book to people who don't know anything about MMA, and those people
still enjoyed the book because of the life story that it tells.
Pulver said that the book eventually chronicles his rise to the
top of the UFC lightweight division, and also covers his fall
from grace.
Though
it wasn't mentioned specifically on MMAWeekly Radio, the book
is now available for pre-ordering at Amazon.com with the release
date being listed as October 1, 2003. The book is being published
by ECW Press, and the official book description is a chilling
example of what you can expect to see in the book.
"At
ten years of age, lined up alongside his two brothers in the
living room of their Seattle home, Jens Pulver stared down the
length of a shotgun into his father’s haggard face. Because
Jens was the oldest, the one constantly running upstairs to protect
his mother in the middle of the night, his father placed the
barrel into his mouth first.
Fear
taught Jens how to attack with his fists. Fear taught him how
to get what he wanted, by any means necessary. Fear put him on
the path toward becoming a world champion fighter, to prove wrong
all those who claimed he wouldn’t amount to any more than
his drunk old man. It was this path — the one that would
make him the most intimidating pound-for-pound fighter in the
ring — that eventually let him put his childhood demons
to rest and find an inner peace. But it was a long and painful
battle.
Little
Evil is a gripping and true tale of father and son, of what betrayal
does to the young and drives them to do, and of how one determined
man shattered the chains of his childhood and rose to the top,
becoming the lightweight champion of the UFC."
Source: MMA Weekly |
LINDLAND
HAS TO WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER
Possible Lindland vs. Royce Gracie?
During
the MMAWeekly Radio Show on Friday, Matt Lindland made a special
appearance in the Live Fighter Chat. Lindland said that he will
be fighting in November, This statement serves as confirmation
that Lindland will not be fighting on the UFC 44 card in September,
but he will be fighting on the UFC 45 card in November.
Lindland
didn't mention who his opponent might be, but he previously said
that he wants his next fight to be a rematch with Falaniko Vitale. If Royce Gracie does
indeed come to terms with Zuffa to appear on the UFC's 10th anniversary
show in November, Matt Lindland's name would have to be on the
list of potential opponents for Royce.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever
good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us."
Flora Edwards
|
Kickboxing
at the Blaisdell Tonight
We do not have the fight card, but Danny Steele, Rodney Joseph
and a string of other local fighters were last told to me to
be on the card. Check it out!
|
PRIDE
Grand Prix - Making Major Waves in Japan!
by: Booker K
PRIDE GP: TOTAL ELIMINATION - August 10th, 2003 - Saitama Super
Arena, Tokyo, Japan
The
word in Japan is all about the PRIDE Grand Prix. DSE announced
the first 7 fighters of the line up for 'PRIDE GP 2003' at a
press conference on June 25th.
COMPETITORS:
Ricardo Arona
Alistair Overeem
Chuck Liddell
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson
Wanderlei Silva
Kazushi Sakuraba
Hidehiko Yoshida
'X'
'There
is no truth to the rumors of Igor Vovchanchin' states PRIDE insider
Booker K, Koichi Kawasaki. 'I handle Igor's PRIDE appearances,
and he will not be in the tournament.'
He
goes on to reveal that the Gracie famlily member rumor is stronger,
but also not confirmed. During the press conference, Renzo Gracie
made an appearance and Renzo spoke with Mr. Takada (PRIDE General
Manager). He reportedly said 'Mr.Takada, you promised PRIDE GP
would take a member of my family! Why has a Gracie not been confirmed
yet? My brother Ryan, my cousin or me = we are all ready to fight!'
Mr.Takada
answered 'There are many good guys here, so please wait little
more.'
Mr.
Sakakibara stated later to the press that 'we really want to
have the final fighter be from Japan, We have a fighter in mind
who is experenced and has fought in PRIDE, and we are still under
negotiations.' So eveyone must wait little bit longer.
The
really big news, of course, is the presence of UFC/Zuffa president
Mr. Dana White. He attended the press conference, bringing UFC
fighter Chuck Liddell. Dana said 'I want to set up Chuck Liddell
vs Vanderlei Silva.' The talk since then has been strictly UFC
v. PRIDE!
Source:
ADCC |
Heightened
Activity:
McGee Tapped To Take On Heavyweight Champ Sylvia
By Loretta Hunt
It looks like the UFC has lined up a sizable main event for its
next installment proposed for September. After weeks of back
and forth negotiation, Gan McGee's camp confirmed late today
that he has been secured to meet heavyweight champion Tim "The
Maine-iac" Sylvia in the Octagon at UFC 44. It's a headliner
of astronomical proportions -- challenger McGee stands at 6'10",
while champion Sylvia is just shy of that mark at 6'8".
From
his home yesterday in California, "The Giant" remained
sober and focused, having this to say about his upcoming title
bout: "It's just another fight to me," he commented,
taking time out from video games to speak with FCF. "I'm
not going to get all caught up and get all silly about it being
a title fight. A fight's a fight. I'm just gonna get ready for
five rounds and go out there and 'do it to it'."
McGee
first appeared in the UFC at UFC 28, picking up his sole career
loss at the hands of Josh Barnett. He was absent from the promotion
for nearly 2 years until last September's UFC 39, where as a
highly regarded underdog, he knocked Brazilian veteran Pedro
Rizzo against the fence with a powerful overhand right late in
the first round. With a broken nose, Rizzo could not answer the
second round bell. McGee returned once again in February for
UFC 41, where he knocked out Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Cafe
Dantas in the first round.
With the announcement of this match-up, talk will inevitably
turn to how these two athletes' towering frames will translate
in battle. It's a thought that has not escaped McGee as he begins
preparation for September. "Actually, I think it's probably
going to throw both of us off a little bit. I'm gonna try and
find a couple of the tall guys to spar with. I probably won't
have anyone of Tim's caliber at that height, but I'll try and
get one of the tall guys for my timing and reach so I'm used
to that."
McGee
trains out of The Pit in San Luis Obispo with John Hackleman
and Chuck Liddell. Sylvia is a product of the Miletich Martial
Arts Team in Iowa and is 2-0 in UFC action. An official date
for UFC 44 has yet to be released.
Source:
FCF |
Matt
Hughes: Working Man’s Champion
By Jason Probst
Matt Hughes
is cut from a different cloth, and nobody knows it better than
his opponents. Fighting the two-time NCAA and reigning UFC welterweight
champion is invariably the beginning of taxing evening. In the
wake of four title defenses, he’s faced the gauntlet of
styles, and beaten all of them.
As
he improves with each outing, Matt Hughes may well be approaching
the unassailable “U” word -- unbeatable -- or at least
the closest manifestation to it in mixed martial arts. Since
winning the title over Carlos Newton in UFC 34, there have been
a lot of champions in other divisions. Hughes is the UFC’s
constant, its testament to continuity, something the sport can
never have too much of.
A
fighter’s cultural background shapes his thinking processes,
which in turn can influence his style. Hughes is a paragon of
the Midwestern farmer archetype, whose characteristic traits
do not lend themselves to sloth. He rises early and gets to bed
late when working his fields along with his twin brother, Mark.
He is humble, plainspoken, and unpretentious. It’s hard
work, and probably no small contributor to his dominance in the
Octagon. Bucking hay all day won’t help you defend against
the guillotine, but it might make your single-leg takedown so
explosive that you won’t need to.
For
the fine touches in his game, and refining the nuances, he’s
got Team Miletich. He returns to them in Davenport, Iowa, to
buck heads with the best mixed martial artists in the sport to
prepare for his challengers. Yet, often, he’s not there
until his opponent has been in camp for a month or two. The rumor
is that he doesn’t train that much for opponents. Various
figures spread around include a month, a few days, a few weeks.
Can this be true, especially for a guy that is unbeaten in 12
fights over the past three years?
“For
the Sherk fight I trained about three weeks, or maybe it was
four weeks,” Hughes told Maxfighting, taking the call on
his cell somewhere in the middle of his fields in Evanston, Illinois.
“For Carlos Newton I trained two weeks for the second match.
For Sakurai I trained two months, and for Gil Castillo I trained
maybe a week. I work out in the morning, and then I pass the
time and take a nap. In the evening I work out again. But when
I’m farming, I’m working all day. There’s no time
to rest. In a lot of ways, training is a lot easier.”
“When
I’m farming, it’s hard work. When I’m training,
I work out in the morning and have nothing to do in the afternoons,
there’s no farm in Iowa,” Hughes said. “Farming
is an all-day thing, as a matter of fact that’s what we’re
doing right now. Farming is a lot harder than working out.”
Hughes
took a unanimous decision over Sherk, whose own reputation as
a powerhouse left the champion impressed. He gives his challenger
high marks on the rousing scrap, which saw Hughes dominate the
first two rounds, Sherk come back in the next two, and then Hughes
take the final round. Sherk was gutty and put Hughes on his back
for extended periods, a rare occurrence. Hughes’ guard and
defense from his back was sufficient enough to survive Sherk’s
attack and take the fight back to standing up, at which point
he simply took the powerful Sherk down again.
Reflecting
upon it, his defeat of someone perceived so much like him, Hughes
realized that the best defense against Sherk was a good offense.
“He’s
a good fighter. I dominated the first round. It looked like I
cut him, and then I loosened up a little bit and maybe underestimated
him for the rest of the fight,” Hughes said. “ So he
ended up taking me down. He’s got a really quick shot. I
realized I had to take him down, not to really strike so much
as to keep him from taking me down.”
Hughes
says the UFC is considering matching him against a heavier opponent
in a non-title match, someone he would only describe as, “a
really big name, somebody that hasn’t been in UFC.”
He figures he’ll weigh in the low 180s for the fight. While
Randy Couture recently became the first fighter to capture titles
in two divisions with his defeat of Chuck Liddell, no one in
the UFC has been able to move up in weight and capture a second
title.
The
sport is tough enough with so many hungry fighters, so many ways
to lose against those your own size, to say nothing of challenging
bigger men. Hughes is as good a bet as anyone else to do it,
if for no other reason than he seems to become closer and closer
to invincible with each outing.
He
may have run out of opponents and moving up in weight could be
the kind of challenge, the accompaniment of danger, to test the
aura Hughes adds to with each textbook performance. He also has
no plans on giving up the family business of farming which is
no source of good news for future challengers.
Source:
Maxfighting |
UFC
44: BATTLE OF THE GIANTS
Two big giants will headline UFC 44. Gan McGee will fight Tim
Sylvia for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, as the match was
confirmed by McGee's trainer John Hackleman live on MMAWeekly
Radio yesterday. The two big fellas will bang in a matchup between
two men who are 6'8 in Tim Sylvia against 6'10 Gan McGee.
As
far as the rest of the card is concerned, nothing has been confirmed.
It's all speculation. Here's a rumored card that has NOT been
confirmed by the UFC, just some fighter camps who believe this
is how it could shape up.
UFC
44 Rumored Fights- September 26
-
Tim Sylvia vs. Gan McGee
-
Robbie Lawler vs TBA
-
Josh Thompson vs. Gerald Strebendt
-
Rich Franklin vs. Edwin Dewees
-
Dave Strasser v. Karo Parisyan
-
David Louiseau v. Jorge Rivera
-
Dennis Hallman v. Jeremy Jackson
-
Hermes Franca v. Caol Uno
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Kiyoshi
Tamura is the last Pride Grand Prix Entrant?
It's the question everyone wants to know. Who will get the last
spot for the Pride Grand Prix in August? MMAWeekly.com has learned
that Pride would like the last spot to go to a Japanese professional
wrestler named Tamura.
Tamura
is wanted by Pride to fill the eighth position. Tamura has a
pro wrestling background and fought in Rings. He is very popular
with the Japanese fans; in fact, so popular that he was recently
voted #1 over Sakuraba by Japanese fans of who they wanted to
see fight in the Pride Fighting Championships in a recent survey.
The
biggest obstacle for Pride right now is trying to work out a
deal. Some members of the Japanese Press believe a deal won't
be reached between the two because of some negotiation problems.
Pride
is pushing hard to sign him for the last spot in the Grand Prix.
Whether they can actually sign him for this tournament is another
story.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
BJ
Penn Teaches at Matt Lindland's Camp
Matt Lindland recently held a camp for all comers up in Oregon
a week ago and these are some of the pictures from the camp.
Guys like BJ Penn, Randy Couture, Trainer John Hackleman and
others put on a great camp to teach fighters the basics of MMA
fighting.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor
has been the reward for what he gave."
Calvin Coolidge
|
DEEP
10th Impact Results
Held June 25, 2003
at Korakuen Hall - Tokyo, Japan
By Mark Ginther
Here
are the results of DEEP 10th Impact (times are unofficial)
Crafter-M def. Shoichi Ichimiya by rear-naked choke in the first
round.
Testuya Onose def. Kazuki Okubo by KO (punches) 1:36 into the
1st round.
Hidetada Irie def. Hirohide Fujinuma by unanimous decision.
MAX Miyazawa vs. Yoshinori Oniki, draw
TAISHO def. Noboru Asahi by TKO (punches from in guard) 43 seconds
into the 2nd round.
Hayato "Mach" Sakura def. Dave Menne by doctor stoppage
(cut) 2:11 into the 2nd round.
Source:
FCF
|
DSE
Makes Seven Official;
One More Remains for PRIDE GP
By Yoshinori Ihara (www.boutreview.com ) (June 26, 2003)
Dream
Stage Entertainment held a press conference on June 25 in Tokyo
to announce new entries in the PRIDE Grand Prix eight-men middleweight
tournament scheduled for August 10 at the Saitama Super Arena.
Newly added are Ricardo Arona, Alistair Overeem, and "UFC
assassin" Chuck Liddell. The remaining competitor along
with the superfights will be announced in seven to 10 days. DSE
has offered the final slot to a Japanese fighter who's fought
in PRIDE. Said Nobuhiko Takada: "He is favorably compare
with the other members." If the Japanese fighter doesn't
accept to fight, a member of the Gracie family will be selected.
Save Hidehiko Yoshida, all the fighters officially on the card
attended the press conference.
"I'll
be back to UFC with PRIDE belt," Liddell said. "I want
to fight with Vanderlei Silva." UFC president Dana White
also attended and made a request for PRIDE fighters to compete
in the UFC. "It's no matter that PRIDE and UFC double title
match is held," Nobuyuki Sakikabara (president of DSE) said.
"UFC fighters will really feel the high quality of PRIDE
fighters after PRIDE-GP. This will be the good chance of sales
promotion of PRIDE to USA market." PRIDE-GP is televised
on Fuji Television in Japan in the night of the show. The U.S.
broadcast will be aired on iNDEMAND and satellite pay-per-view
just hours after the live fights in Tokyo.
Source:
Maxfighting |
Interview:
SuperBrawl Middleweight tournament champion Joe Doerkson
The
SuperBrawl 30 “size Does Matter” show earlier this
month contained the finals of the Middleweight tournament series
put on by Extreme Challenge and SuperBrawl. Just like the “Return
Of The Heavyweight” series last year this one was a series
of three tournaments, the first one held in Davenport, IA and
the second held in Salt Lake City with the original idea being
the two finalists from each qualifier and maybe one of the most
exciting fighters of each night moving on to the third tournament
in Hawaii. Jay Buck and Brendan Seguin were the finalists in
IA while Tim Kennedy and Cruz Chacon were the finalists in UT.
Tim
Kennedy had to drop out of the show due to a training injury
but is said to be recovering well. Cruz Chacon dropped out but
could not be reached for comment. Unofficial word is he dropped
a weight class, which could not be confirmed as of this writing.
Joe Doerkson earned a slot based on his record despite being
injured for the SLC show and not competing in a qualifier. Jason
Miller, Johnathan Goulet, and Denis Kang were the SLC vets to
get invited while 808 Fight Factory’s Desmond Miner and
Grappling Unlimited’s Kaipo Kalama Miller rounded out the
tournament.
In
the first round of the tournament Jason Miller got the decision
on Jay Buck, Doerkson submitted Miner, Kang submitted Seguin,
and Kaipo Miller KO’d Goulet. In he second round Doerkson
KO’d Buck and Kang picked up a decision over Kaipo. This
left Kang/Doerkson for the finals which would have been a rematch
of UCC 11 from last year where Doerkson pulled out a triangle
choke on Kang for the win, however Kang was injured in his 2nd
fight and Brendan Seguin was put back in for the finals only
to lose to Doerkson by TKO in 2:14.
KM:
You’re the man. You won the tournament. What are your thoughts
on winning? JD: I’m happy.
KM:
Last time we talked was right before the Davenport show when
you were injured. JD: Yeah, I pulled out because of my back.
KM:
The first round you beat Desmond Miller. What do you recall from
that fight? JD: He’s a real good standup guy so I was a
little worried about that but not too worried because I’ve
been working my standup like crazy. I thought it would be smarter
to take him down because that would be his weakness. He was a
little bit hesitant to throw so I think he threw a leg kick and
landed a little off balance with his left leg forward and I went
for a single leg takedown. Once I got on top of him he didn’t
really have much to give me so I threw a few punches. He gave
me his back and I worked a choke in. His defense on the ground
was allright but he didn’t really escape positions that
well. He’s a young kid, not a lot of experience. Another
year or two down the line he might be a bigger name in the sport.
KM:
That must have been a good start for the evening. JD: I came
out ad had a two and a half minute fight. I didn’t get hit,
didn’t get injured, so that was basically going into the
second fight fresh.
KM:
The second one must have been a little intimidating with Jay
Buck winning the IA qualifier but you knocked him out in something
like 40 seconds. JD: Yeah, with a kick to the head.
KM:
How did that feel at the time? JD: Pretty good. I wouldn’t
say I was intimidated going in. He’s a tough kid, there
is no doubt about it, but if I’m intimidated then I tend
not to do so well. My attitude has changed since the Loiseau
fight. I kind of just go in there and throw and whatever happens
happens. I don’t care. I’m not there to be safe, I’m
there to entertain.
KM:
Would you say you are more jaded now? JD: I think the experiences
I had last year with the losses gave me a little bit of a different
perspective. Number one I was forced to learn new things and
become more well-rounded. Number two I just kind of changed my
attitude about fighting. I’m not trying to be somebody special
or make a name for myself. I just want to go out there and do
what I do and whatever happens happens. Sooner or later I’m
going to get caught, I’m going to get knocked down or knocked
out. Maybe I’m a little bit crazier than I should be but
I’ll just come back and win again too.
KM:
The third round was Brendan Seguin, the other finalist from the
IA show. That one was your longest and ended with a TKO. JD:
I felt a little bit off at the beginning of the round. He’s
pretty quick with his hands, landed a few punches. He stunned
me a bit, we went to the floor, on the floor I was on the bottom
(and) he was real careful not to get caught. He didn’t throw
any punches from the top, I was the only one doing anything.
The referee stood us up for lack of action and he landed a couple
more punches. I guess at that time I found my timing. He threw
a couple more punches and I leaned back outside his range. He
punched and I drove in left/right/left. One of those must have
hit him because he went down. I got on top of him and started
swinging. I thought of going for a footlock but my cornerman
just yelled for me to keep punching. I think I landed 15-20 punches
without missing a single one. He didn’t really do much to
get away. He was a little upset with the ref afterwards but I
really don’t think he was going to go anywhere. Every single
one was finding it’s mark and I was swinging hard. I think
maybe he just didn’t have any time to recover because I
just kept the pressure on him. My strategy there was to keep
hitting him. I knew he was hurt so I wanted to keep hitting him
until the ref stopped it. I didn’t want to give him a chance
to recover. He’s a tough kid. If there is an opportunity
to finish it you want to take it.
In
part 2 we discuss changes to Joe’s training and what may
be on the horizon for this champion.
Source:
ADCC |
Interview
(Part 3): DEAN 'THE MACHINE' LISTER
ADCC Absolute Division Champion Dean Lister fights to defend
his King Of The Cage Middleweight belt this weekend. Here is
the third and last part of Dean’s thoughts.
KM:
You are training for your next fight while teaching at City Boxing.
Most fighters stop doing the serious high impact training about
a week before a fight and just do conditioning or low impact
cardio work. Are you going to be teaching up until the very end?
DL: Yeah, I’ll be teaching. I don’t have that luxury;
I’m not just a fighter, I’m a teacher also. I have
to put my work in, that’s just the way it is. It’s
no big deal, I’m used to it.
KM:
Both you and James Lee are teachers. James leads MASH and you
teach at City Boxing. Is there any kind of teacher versus teacher
rivalry or anything to prove? DL: No. In one interview I read
he mentioned we are friends. We are. It’s kind of funny
we are fighting…he’s one of the guys I wouldn’t
want to fight. I don’t like fighting people that I know.
There are enough knuckle heads to fight that you don’t know
I kind of figure you wouldn’t want to fight someone you
do know. That’s ok, we are both professionals, both teachers.
We both realize a lot of people look up to you if you win or
not. You gain a lot of students and lose a lot of students based
on your performance. You get to see who your friends are; who
stays with you through the hard times and who are the bandwagon
riders. I thin based on whoever wins this fight one guy is going
to get an upswing in students, one guy will get a downswing.
I think that’s unfortunate for one guy and fortunate for
the other but that’s not the driving motive for this fight.
There is no animosity. He’s going to try to knock me out
or make me give up and I’m going to go out and do the same
to him and afterwards the winner will probably buy the loser
a beer. There is no animosity from that team to my team or from
me to him at all.
KM:
Both you and James are friends with Vernon “Tiger”
White. How does Vernon fit into all of this? Would you fight
Vernon? DL: Vernon and I talked about it before. We didn’t
really want to fight each other. We almost did one time but it
actually never happened. I know Vernon better than I know James,
a lot more. Vernon by the way is being very neutral on the subject.
I haven’t even asked him what James Lee does. First of all
I don’t think he’d tell me and second of all that would
be messed up for me as a friend to put him in that situation.
I don’t think James Lee has tried to pick Vernon’s
brain.
KM:
You have a total of 64 wins and 9 loses, 51 of which by submission
or almost 80% by submission. That is a very high submission percentage.
I don’t know what the highest is off hand but how do you
feel about that? DL: I look at it like this: if someone can beat
me by a point I feel if the time went longer I’d submit
them eventually. Even if someone thinks they got close or they
were winning up until the time I submitted them I was going to
submit them anyways. If I can’t it just means the match
didn’t go long enough. They won, they beat me or they knocked
me out…that’s great. I don’t really look at me
winning or losing a fight based on a decision, I don’t count
it as a real victory or a loss. I don’t. It means I survived
and he survived. That’s all it means. They have to have
a winner officially and I understand that but that is not a real
win or a real loss. I want to win, I want to beat my opponent,
I want to work to have the better day and the way to prove that
is by finishing the fight. Even if your opponent is up by ten
points and you submit him you definitely won. You won by a landslide.
You made him give up or you knocked him out. That’s what
I’m going for. In the process I’m definitely open for
people going for submissions on me or knocking me out. I take
a lot of chances and over time I’ve gotten really good at
taking those chances.
KM:
Just this morning I was watching that KOTC “Cold Blood”
show and you took those chances. It looked like he almost had
you in that heel hook and then the triangle…you were taking
those chances and paying the price for them but you whipped out
the submission at the end to win that one. DL: I throw real hard
punches from the guard. They are going to open up arm locks and
triangles. When you take those kind of chances you get good at
landing hard punches from the guard or doing good takedowns.
You are going to run into knees and one can knock you out but
if he misses with the knee and you get in fast he’s going
to fall down for sure now that he’s off balance. You take
a chance but the more you take the chances the better you get.
If somebody wants to gamble with me and go chance for chance
the odds are in my favor usually.
KM:
I haven’t seen the fight with Seguin where you won the belt.
How do you look back on the Seguin fight? DL: It was a good fight,
a tough fight. I had to drop a lot of weight and I made 185.
A lot of people don’t think I made that weight. I dropped
so much weight…it’s pretty depressing for me to see
people say I wasn’t at the same weight. He was like 184
and I was bigger the day of the fight but I made 185. I was so
sick and weak and tired, I felt really heavy and sloshy the next
day. I made that weight and really sacrificed and cut a lot of
my energy out. It was one of those fight I had to push through
because I was physically so weak. My overall energy level was
terrible. Seguin is a tough guy and his gameplan was interesting
against me, just try to stay away. He landed two really good
shots on me the whole match; one knee, one punch. That is it.
I ran into a knee and I was fine, I got back to my feet and took
him down again. My shots were a little slow but I just pushed
through and won that match. If someone thinks that they tagged
me a few times in the face and got a few jabs in…they’re
not beating me. They may think they are but they have to knock
me out and then I’ll totally give them the props. That didn’t
happen in that match. I had an armlock on Seguin in the second
round and the bell rang. He was not getting out of that armlock.
No doubt in anybody’s mind the bell saved him there. He
had a lot of heart, he didn’t tap. His arm popped a lot
of times and it was going to break but time ran out. In the third
round I got him in the triangle choke and he had to tap because
he was going to fall asleep. I wish there was one fifteen minute
round to be honest so we wouldn’t have to keep getting up
off the ground but eventually I feel I’m going to finish
my opponent. If not it just means I have to work harder at something.
KM:
As far as the next ADCC if you had to choose would you choose
MMA or ADCC? DL: Well, both. I’m going to do the next ADCC
but that’s in two years. I’ll prepare for these grappling
tournaments but I’m a MMA fighter. My priority from now
on as a matter of fact will be in striking. Since people aren’t
engaging me in grappling I need to sharpen the tools that I will
be using against my opponent. If he’s running away from
me, back peddling, and circling I can’t just be shooting
in and try to ground my opponent…it’s going to wear
me out and get me tired. I need to be smarter. After this fight
my priority is going to switch to striking and hopefully people
are going to try to engage me in grappling a little more.
KM:
Any sponsors to thank? DL: My friend Ron at Marina Mortgage and
Sycuan Casino here in San Diego and Bad Boy Fightwear. They’ve
been helping me out and got me on a big billboard in Japan.
KM:
Any final thoughts like the ten months or so you’ve been
out of the cage? DL: I’m very glad to be back. I had a few
injuries I had to recover from. I’d say to the fans that
I will do my best and try my hardest to make sure one of us gets
knocked out or submitted. That’s my goal.
Source:
ADCC |
8
Man 205 LB Tournament News: IFC's MAJOR SEPTEMBER Offering...
Word
is getting out on the IFC's HUGE event for September.
Today,
we just confirmed that Brazilian TOP TEAM's Paulo Filho is returning
to fight in the amazing IFC 8 Man Tournament scheduled for September
6th at Pepsi Center Arena in Denver, Colorado.
After
his last win in Pride against Akira Shoji, Paulo took some time
off to recover from several nagging injuries and now is ready
for action again!
The
card looks awesome! It seems that we may see again the BTT X
Chute Boxe rivalry, as Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua is representing
the team from Curitiba.
Finally,
it looks like transplanted Brazilian Babaloo Sobral will also
fight in the tourney. Representing RUAS Vale Tudo, Babaloo enters
the ring for the first time since his UFC loss to Chuck Lidell.
The
IFC has 3 Brazilians from three of the bigest schools in Brazil
in the same tourney. Stay tuned for more developments.
Source: ADCC |
Holyfield
to face Toney
Evander Holyfield will fight IBF cruiserweight champion James
Toney in a 10-round non-title fight, maybe in Las Vegas, on 4
October.
Holyfield,
a four-time world heavyweight champion, had hoped to fight WBC
champion Roy Jones Jr. but negotiations for that fight stalled
over money.
The
40-year-old Holyfield, who has won 38, lost six and drawn two
of his 46 fights, continues to fight in a quest to become undisputed
world champion.
In
Toney, he faces a man who began his career at middleweight and
has since risen through boxing's divisions.
The
34-year-old has held world titles at three weights and has suffered
just four defeats in 72 contests.
Source:
ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"In my day, we didn't have self-esteem, we had self-respect,
and no more of it than we had earned."
Jane Haddam |
"TOTAL
ELIMINATION" IS COMING!
LOS
ANGELES, California - Today Dream Stage Entertainment announced
four of the official participants of the eight man middleweight
tournament, which will take place at the next PRIDE FC event
dubbed "TOTAL ELIMINATION."
The
brackets have not been finalized, but currently scheduled to
participate are: reigning PRIDE FC Middleweight World Champion
Wanderlei Silva, number one ranked middleweight contender Quinton
"Rampage" Jackson, Japanese fighting legend Kazushi
Sakuraba, and Judo Olympic gold medallist Hidehiko Yoshida.
The
four remaining tournament participants as well as the three scheduled
heavyweight bouts will be announced from Tokyo within the coming
weeks.
TOTAL
ELIMINATION features the opening round of the middleweight tournament
(4 tournament matches will take place that event, in addition
to 3 non-tournament heavyweight matches) and is scheduled for
August 10, 2003 from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The event
will also premiere on North American pay per view (through iNDEMAND,
DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, and TVN) on August 10th via same day delay.
The
final rounds of the TOTAL ELIMINATION tournament will take place
at the next PRIDE FC event---FINAL CONFLICT, which is scheduled
for November 9, 2003 from the Tokyo Dome.
Fight
Card
The
opening round of an eight man middleweight tournament, featuring:
Wanderlei Silva
Kazushi Sakuraba
Quinton Jackson
Hidehiko Yoshida
As well as three heavyweight matches.
(A
total of 7-8 bouts will be scheduled. Fight Card is subject to
change.)
Source:
FCF |
Brazilian
Beat
Assuerio and Saulo in Muay Thai, RN Vale Tudo 2 results, MECA
9 in the works, Cacareco with Barra Gracie, Minotauro ready to
fight and Belfort hitting the TV shows!
The
Brazilian Beat:
As June flies by, with no major events taking place in Brazil,
plenty of action is going on behind the scenes. New events are
in the works all the time and July will come bringing plenty
of action for all types of fighting fans. The next edition of
STORM Muay Thai is coming up, and MECA 9 is already taking shape.
Both events will have one fighter in common: PRIDE veteran Assuerio
Silva will be making his return to the NHB ring as well as competing
in Muay Thai for the first time in three years! If that may seem
amazing, how about July bringing Jiu-Jitsu great Saulo Ribeiro
in Muay Thai action as well? Yes, you read it right! Saulo will
be venturing into a new NHB and Muay Thai show to take place
in Rio de Janeiro, bringing NHB back to the Jiu-Jitsu capital
of the world. Now, this is not the only odd set of news for this
edition of this column, as long time Ruas Vale Tudo team member
Alexandre Cacareco is now with Barra Gracie, something that was
unthinkable in the past. In this edition we also bring you Vitor
Belfort news, Minotauro's plans, and RN Vale Tudo 2 results,
as well as plenty more, so get your fighting gear ready as Full
Contact Fighter once again unleashes "The Beat" in
odd style and as always full of Brazilian rhythm!
After
his quick work of tough KOTC veteran Marvin Eastman at UFC 43,
Vitor Belfort has been taking some time to make appearances on
numerous TV shows in Brazil. This past week "The Phenom"
could be seen on some of Brazil's most famous TV shows, which
target different types of audiences, talking about his last fight
and showing footage of it, mentioning his plans, and most importantly
talking about the sport of NHB, giving it a good exposure to
the general public. Vitor criticized the lack of support for
such a tough and exciting sport such as No Holds Barred, and
explained to the general audience the intense commitment and
tough training an NHB athlete must submit himself to in order
to succeed, helping to erase the image of pure brawlers and trouble-makers
that fighters usually have. Next Monday, Belfort is going to
get back to his training routine, and he told FCF he wants to
fight Couture as soon as possible.
After
a long hiatus due to knee problems and personal issues, Chute
Boxe heavyweight Assuerio Silva is now finally getting back to
action! In fact, he is going to get plenty of it, as he is set
to fight both Muay Thai and NHB in the near future. Assuerio's
adventure will start with a tough gig at the next edition of
STORM Muay Thai in Curitiba, where he is set to face Brazilian
Top Team member and STORM GP runner up Edson Drago, in a truly
heavyweight match. Assuerio hasn't fought a Muay Thai match in
three years, but is indeed excited about the chance and looking
for a knockout in the fight. After his STORM outing, the PRIDE
veteran is also scheduled to fight at MECA 9 in early August,
probably against another Brazilian Top Team member in Fabiano
Scherner.
Speaking
of STORM Muay Thai, the next show promises some entertaining
battles for the fans, showing the always-improving trend of the
event. STORM is scheduled for July 5th, as always in the gorgeous
Opera de Arame, one of the traditional landmarks of Curitiba.
Tickets are already on sale, and besides Assuerio Silva's fight,
the likely card will have 11 more fights, with the most important
ones being the return of Chute Boxe fighter Mauricio Amado facing
Wagner Nega, his teammate and STORM veteran Fabio Tigrao matching
up against Carlos, as well as the return of STORM GP stand out
Helio Dipp facing STORM veteran Urso.
Muay
Thai seems to be in vogue theses days in Brazil, and STORM won't
be the only action happening in this sport in the coming days.
In a very surprising move, Jiu-Jitsu great and Abu Dhabi champion
Saulo Ribeiro is going to make his Muay Thai debut in July! Following
Carlos Barreto's trend, Saulo is going to be yet another Jiu-Jitsu
fighter being brave enough to put his neck on the line in a Muay
Thai match, showing signs that he is probably preparing hard
for an NHB comeback in the near future. Ribeiro is going to fight
Muay Thai at a brand new event to take place in Rio de Janeiro,
mixing Muay Thai matches with NHB fights, called 1st Knock MMA
& Muay Thai. The show will happen, as of now, on July 23rd.
Among the 6 NHB matches scheduled for the night, fighters such
as Claudionor Fontinelli and RVT member Aloisio Barros are likely
to participate.
The
PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix, set to take place in August, is
still the main subject in NHB circles in Brazil. With names like
Wanderlei Silva, Quinton Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba and now Hidehiko
Yoshida confirmed, there is still a big question mark regarding
which Brazilian Top Team member is going to represent the team
in the big show. At this point, chances are high that Ricardo
Arona (who is now once and for all accepted as a BTT member again)
will be the team's representative at the GP, although there is
still a chance that UFC Champion Murilo Bustamante may be the
chosen one! Either way, look for the one that ends out of the
GP to do a single bout in PRIDE soon, likely in August as wel.
After
leaving the Ruas Vale Tudo team, Abu Dhabi 2003 Absolute and
up to 99kg division runner-up Alexandre Cacareco is now surprisingly
training with Barra Gracie! Cacareco was training under Master
Osvaldo Alves, who is on good terms with Barra Gracie, and received
an invitation from Marcio "Pe de Pano" Cruz to join
the training at the BG Academy. Alexandre not only accepted,
but he liked the training as well.
Speaking
of the Ruas Vale Tudo team, training in the academy is still
going strong after Pedro Rizzo's win at UFC 43. UFC, RINGS and
WEF veteran Renato "Babalu" Sobral is training hard
for his fight at Britain's newest NHB show, Extreme Force, scheduled
to take place on July 13th. Babalu has been feeling well and
is excited about his fight against Golden Glory member Khalid
Arrab. The Brazilian fighter is set to depart for England along
with his trainers on July 6th.
MECA
World Vale Tudo 9 is already in the works, with plans to take
place in early August! Promoters Rudimar Fedrigo and Jorge Guimaraes
are likely taking the show out of Curitiba for the first time
in MECA's history, bringing it to the traditional and gorgeous
small city of Teresopolis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The
show is likely to be held in the same venue where Carlson Gracie's
show HEROES took place, and the fight card is in the works promising
some exciting bouts, such as Assuerio Silva squaring off against
BTT fighter Fabiano "Pega Leve" Scherner, Chute Boxe
sensation Mauricio "Shogun" Rua against Carlinhos Lima,
and MECA 8 stand outs Daniel Acacio and Delson "Pe de Chumbo"
facing each other in what has the potential to be an energetic
and exciting bout.
Brazilian
promoter and K-1 representative in Brazil, Sergio Batarelli,
has a new weapon in his arsenal that he is going to unveil to
the Japanese audience soon. Montanha Silva is the newest Brazilian
fighter planning to take K-1 by storm, with the difference that
he has some peculiar characteristics. Montanha is a giant with
2.20 meters (approximately 7'3") and 180kg (397 pounds),
allegedly with only 5% of body fat. Even if those numbers aren't
entirely accurate, one thing is certain, he is huge! On June
29th, he will be making his K-1 debut against Japanese fighter
Musashi, at K-1 Beast 2, and has already signed a 2-year contract
to fight in K-1, NHB and do Pro Wrestling. The 26-year-old fighter
is being marketed as the Brazilian version of Bob Sapp, let's
see what the future holds for the South American giant.
Brazilian
Top Team legend and PRIDE idol Rodrigo "Minotauro"
Nogueira is already preparing himself to make his comeback to
NHB after his loss by judges' decision to Emelianenko Fedor.
The former PRIDE Heavyweight champion is fighting on August 10th,
in PRIDE as always, in a single bout with an as yet to be confirmed
opponent. Rumors are going strong that he may going to face Croatian
fighter Mirko "Cro Cop", but at this point this is
not certain. Minotauro was in Europe doing seminars recently,
and when asked about a fight against Mirko he, as his usual self,
said he welcomes the match. His manager Mario Sperry is going
to fly to Japan next Monday, and will likely come back with plenty
of deals for his fighters as usual.
The
second edition of RN Vale Tudo took place this past Friday, June
13th, in the beautiful city of Natal. The minor league show promoted
by Conrado Carlos, had two 4-man tournaments, one below 72kg
and the other below 82kg, serving as a qualifier for his next
big event. The Palacio dos Esportes Arena had a crowd of 1,200
spectators that witnessed Jiu-Jitsu fighter Magnus Decio defeat
both Renato "Mao de Pedra" and Loca to take the up-to-72kg
title, while Kimura/Nova Uniao fighter Fabio Bolinho cleaned
the house defeating Ary Marcel and surprising Bitetti Combat
veteran Rivanio Aranha in the final, getting the up-to-82kg title.
In the event's superfights, Junior defeated Chicao by TKO, while
Chute Boxe black belt and Kimura/Nova Uniao fighter Wallace defeated
Bambam by judges' decision. Both Magnus Decio and Fabio Bolinho
are likely to appear in Natal's next big show.
Source:
FCF |
World-Class
Group to Fight for IFC Belt
MaxFighting's Peter Lockley is reporting that the eight competitors
for the International Fighting Championship's World Light Heavyweight
Championship tournament set to take place September 6 inside
Denver, Colorado's Pepsi Center are Jeremy Horn, Trevor Prangley,
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Michail Avetisyan, Falaniko Vitale, Paulo Filho, Mike
Van Arsdale, and Renato "Babalu" Sobral.
The
purse for the tournament stands at $120,000, with $50,000 earmarked
to the eventual winner. Up for grabs will be the IFC World light
heavyweight belt, vacated because Chuck Liddell, the current
champion, is under contract with Zuffa and the UFC. Also participating
in single fights on the card are local products Nathan Marquardt
and Amanda Buckner. Stay tuned for more information from Lockley,
who is in Denver for today's press conference.
Source:
Maxfighting |
A
SOFT SPOKEN BARONI HAS PLENTY TO SAY ON MMAWEEKLY RADIO
Phil Baroni appeared on Monday's MMAWeekly Radio Show as himself
rather than the character of "The New York Bad Ass,"
but Baroni can be pretty controversial even when he's just being
himself.
Baroni
said that he considers himself the "top dog" in the
UFC's middleweight division now that Matt Lindland knocked himself
out. Lindland has beaten Baroni in the Octagon on two occasions,
but Baroni still said, "Lindland is good at what he does,
but I don't really think he's going anywhere. He's not a championship-level
fighter. He's a good competitor but now a world class fighter."
Baroni
said that he has defeated better fighters than Matt Lindland,
specifically Dave Menne and Amar Suloev. Baroni also took more
of a personal shot at Lindland by saying, "He needs to realize
that this isn't an amateur wrestling match. He wants to know
why he's on the prelims and why he has no fans? It's because
he's boring and no one cares about him."
When
asked to name the top-ranked five or six middleweights in his
opinion, Phil Baroni listed them in the following order (starting
with #1): Murilo Bustamante, Dan Henderson, Phil Baroni, Dave
Menne, Amar Suloev, and Matt Lindland. Baroni said that Menne
is the toughest guy in the division, and pointed out that he
has already beaten Menne.
When
asked about up-and-coming middleweight David Loiseau, Baroni
said he doesn't think Loiseau brings much to the table in terms
of being able to hurt him. Baroni also commented on two heavyweight
fighters. He confirmed that Ricco Rodriguez filed a restraining
order against him and called it a "smart move" on Ricco's
part, and he also said that Frank Mir doesn't really have anyone
good to train with.
Baroni
thinks that Mir needs to go to a different training center if
he wants to reach his full potential. (Baroni used to train in
the same facility before leaving under controversial circumstances.)
Phil
Baroni also said that he might one day move up to the 205-pound
weight class, due to the fact that he sometimes cuts weight from
as much as 225 pounds down to the middleweight division's limit
of 185 pounds.
Baroni
was planning to fight Chuck Liddell for the Light-Heavyweight
Title if he beat Lindland, but that plan went out the window
when he lost to Lindland. Baroni said that he could move up to
light-heavyweight anytime he wants, but he would first like to
win the Middleweight Title (which doesn't even exist right now)
and clean out the division. Baroni also said that he might be
interested in doing pro wrestling after he retires from MMA somewhere
down the road.
If
you can't listen at work today, then join us tonight and listen
at your leisure. We have already started to fix the forward and
rewind buttons on the players so we are starting with yesterday's
show and going back daily, so check it out as Coleman will be
featured today on the mmaweeklyradio.com program.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"I'm all for gun control, I just define it a little differently.
If you can put 2 rounds into the same hole from 25 meters, that's
gun control! If you're going to own a gun, you have an obligation
to know what you're doing with it. When the Constitution gave
us the right to bear arms, it also made us responsible for using
them properly."
Jesse Ventura |
Cassio
Cardoso Seminar
Next Tuesday and Wednesday!
*Correction:
it is not tonight & tomorrow
Carlson Gracie Black Belt and Brazilian National Champion, Cassio
Cardoso, will be doing a seminar at Relson Gracie's main academy
on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Do not miss this opportunity
to attend a seminar with a black belt that Roberto Traven, once
called the best guard in Brazil, said that he looked up to because
he has a good guard and Jacare Cavalcanti, one of the 5 black
belts of the legendary Rolls Gracie and founder of the powerhouse
Alliance Team, said that he has an exceptional guard.
When:
Tuesday, July 1 - No Gi
Wednesday, July 2 - Gi
Time: 7:30 - 9:30 pm (both days)
Cost: $35.00 per day
Where: Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
844 Queen St. 2nd Floor |
MMA
Back TO Rio: K-NOCK Muay Thai/MMA
Artur Mariano brings MMA to city of Rio de Janeiro again!
K-NOCK
Muay Thai/MMA, this is the chosen name to bring MMA back to the
state of
Rio de Janeiro, and the person responsible is the well known
Muay Thai/NHB
master Artur Mariano.
Mariano,
who is known as the first guy to defeat Vanderlei Silva, wants
to be known as an efficient headcoach and promoter too. For that,
first
he created the Champions Factory, a Muay Thai/NHB Team that is
in the early stages of formation, and he joined forces with Saulo Ribeiro and his students on
Ribeiro's headquarters, Heavy Duty gym.
Mix
Martial Arts:
Sandro 'Bala' (Champions Factory) x TBA
Johnny Eduardo (Boxe Thai) x Nigui (Carlson Gracie Team/CIAM)
Angelo Sergio (Boxe Thai) x Wagner Tulio (RFT)
Haroldo 'Cabelinho' Bunn (BTT) x Rodrigo Ruas (Ruas VT System)
Claudionor Fontinele (Champions Factory) x Aloisio Barros (Ruas
VT System)
Main
Event:
CYBORG (Champions Factory/BUDOKAN) x Luis Claudio das Dores (Bosco-Angra)
Muay
Thai matches – all fights are disputes for Brazilian titles:
Eduardo Maiorino (Champions Factory) x Everton 'Gigante' (Shotokan
Team)
Emerson Nunes (Champions Factory) x Eduardo 'Pedreira' (Ruas
VT
System)
State
of Rio de Janeiro titles:
Saulo Ribeiro (Champions Factory)
x Fabio 'Indio' (Shotokan Cabo
Frio)
Clovis Mileu (Champions Factory) x Rodrigo das Neves (CIAM)
Mike Tyson (Champions Factory) x Marcus Vinicius (Boxe Thai)
Source: ADCC |
REAL
PRO WRESTLING TELEVISION DEAL LIKELY WITH FOX SPORTS NET FOR
AUGUST
INDIANAPOLIS,
JUNE 23 -- As the multitudes from the wrestling community who
came to Indianapolis for the 2003 World Team Trials packed up
and prepared to return home Monday morning, news of a major breakthrough
for wrestling coverage on U.S. television was confirmed by Toby
Willis, founder of RealProWrestling.
This
group filmed a demonstration event last October in Los Angeles
that drew universal praise from those both inside and outside
of wrestling circles that witnessed it. That event featured real
wrestling matches with the aim of establishing a professional
league of real wrestling. Among those who wrestled in that event
were Rulon Gardner and many other elite wrestlers who just competed
here in the World Team Trials.
'The
next step is to get on television and show not only the wrestling
audience but also the general population what wrestling is all
about and what RealProWrestling is all about,' said Willis, the
group's founder. RealProWrestling was also one of the main sponsors
of the World Team Trials.
He
revealed that the group has been in talks with Fox Sports Net
about putting on three shows this August based on the showcase
event of last year. 'Things look pretty good to be on national
television come August,' he said, adding that the formal signing
of the deal and the issuing of a press release should come in
the next week.
'It
looks like we'll be on August 10, 17, and 24, as the primary
showing,' he explained. The first two shows will be one hour
each, with the third show running two hours. The time slot will
be Sunday afternoon to evening, probably next to the 'Sunday
Night Fights' boxing show. The actual schedule on each regional
Fox Sports Net also may vary because of local sports programming
airing in those times.
'Then
after that we'll probably have more events after the World Championships
in New York in September. So say, probably October, and looking
to be back on television on a regular basis, not just a trial
basis, come the end of this year or early next year. That will
lead us into 2004 and the Olympic year, and a lot of promotions
there,' he also said.
For
the future, he has a general plan, but more specifics need to
be determined. 'It's hard for us to look past a year down the
road,' said Willis, 'but ideally we'd love to see maybe right
after the Olympics the formation of a pro league.'
We
will have more about RealProWrestling, and the World Team Trials,
in days to come right here.
Source:
Eddie Goldman/ADCC |
INTERVIEW
(PART 2): DEAN LISTER
ADCC Absolute Division Champion Dean Lister fights to defend
his King Of The Cage Middleweight belt this weekend. In part
1 of this update we heard Dean speak about winning the Absolute
Division, now in part 2 we hear Dean speak more about his upcoming
fight.
Dean’s
most recent fight out on video is King Of The Cage 12 “Cold
Blood” from February of 2002 where he rematched Jason Flynn.
Flynn had been his only loss in a split decision from “Wet
and Wild” in February of 2001. In “Cold Blood”
Dean had Jason on the defense in the beginning of the first round
with an immediate combination and double leg, even getting full
mount before Flynn evened the odds and came alive. By the end
of a fantastic round 1 Jason actually instigated a trading of
leg submissions, neither of which succeeded before the end of
the round. In round 2 Dean was almost caught by a triangle choke
before finishing Flynn with a kimura. For most of the fight it
was Dean on top and Dean with most of the strikes, especially
forearms from on top of Flynn to set up guard passes.
In
KOTC 16 “Double Cross” Dean beat Brendan Seguin to
take the belt last August. Unfortunately that show is still not
available on video. With less than thirty seconds left in the
fight Dean managed to catch Brendan in a triangle choke for the
win. This show when it does come out on video is going to be
a must since Dean’s title fight was just the first of three
for the night with Javi Vazquez, Vernon White, and Jimmy Ambriz
all also fighting on the card.
Now
Dean takes on Brendan’s teacher from MASH James Lee in his
first title defense.
KM:
I’ve been hearing talk you might move up to 205. DL: We’re
seeing what is going to happen. To be honest I have to cut a
lot of weight to make 185 or 190 or whatever the case is. If
I drop below 200 pounds I’m cutting a lot of weight. I’m
actually a big guy. Starved down I’m like 198 and I drop
the weight to make 185 so everyone is really surprised when they
see me in my blown up state, when I’m drinking a lot of
water and I’m eating and I’m more healthy. I’m
meant to walk around around 210. We’re going to see where
the opportunities are better, at 185 or 205. That’s pretty
much up to my managers and me. We’re talking about it right
now so we’ll see what happens.
KM:
I was wondering when I heard you didn’t qualify for the
second day of ADCC in your weight division but then you won the
Absolute I was wondering did you cut too far down and gained
it back for the day you won the Absolute. DL: Actually I was
invited in a heavier division. I was invited in the 218 division
so I was actually at my good weight. To be honest a big factor
was I was relaxed the second day. Why? I think a lot of pressure
was off me, I was a wild card in the draw. Given the situation
the next day I felt really motivated. Nothing strengthens me
more than when someone says I’m going to lose but when someone
says ‘I think you can win this whole thing’ it puts
a lot of pressure on me. Up here in KOTC my opponent is the underdog.
I prefer to be in that situation.
KM:
Is the pressure you are facing for this next KOTC more equivalent
to the first day of ADCC or the second? Can you describe the
pressure you are facing? DL: This isn’t spectacularly more
pressure than I’ve had in the past. I’ve dealt with
it before. What I like about fighting is it’s harder to
stall. The guys that do better than me at Abu Dhabi are the ones
that maybe know how to avoid my submission attempts, avoid my
takedowns. I’m very aggressive. It’s kind of hard in
KOTC where they have a very fast-paced cage, it’s not a
very big area. Things are definitely going to happen. Someone
has to come back and fight fire with fire to have a chance. To
be very effective against my game they probably need more space.
I look at the cage as my cage, it’s almost built for me.
I feel like I’m going in to my home mat even though it’s
not at my gym. I’m used to training in those small areas
and my game is very aggressive, it’s hard to run away form
me. If I lose a match it’s usually from that, from people
that know how to evade me and they usually don’t go straight
in…attack to tackle me. If they do that it’s possible
I can make a mistake and they could beat me but it’s unlikely.
I feel very confident, very good going into this type of environment.
My opponent, he’s going to try to box me up. That’s
ok, we’ll see what happens. I feel good about my takedowns
and my game and overall forward pressure on my opponent. It’s
pressure but it’s something I feel I’m prepared for.
KM:
I’m speculating with what you said if the turning point
is going to be if he can |