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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
July 9-12
BJJ World Cup (CBJJO)
(BJJ)
(SESC gym, Salvador, Brazil)
Sometime
between Arnold-Gracie & Pan Ams
Pac-Rim BJJ tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Hawaii)
2/15/04
First Maui Invitational of Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kahului, Maui, Hawaii)
3/5-7/04
Arnold
Schwarzenegger World Gracie Professional Submission Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Columbus, Ohio)
1/31/04
UFC 46: Super Natural
(Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV)
(MMA)
1/19/04
Second 2 None Submission Grappling Tournament
(Sub Grappling)
(Oahu)
2004
12/31/03
"INOKI BOM-BA-YE 2003"
(Kobe Wing Stadium, Kobe, Japan)
(MMA)
12/5/03
SuperBrawl
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
11/30/02
2nd
American National Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(Torrance H.S., Torrance, CA)
11/29/03
Punishment in Paradise
(MMA & Kickboxing)
11/28/03
Kick'n It 3
(Kickboxing)
(Campbell H.S. Gym,
Ewa Beach)
11/22/03
Ring of Honor
(Campbell H.S. Gym, Ewa Beach)
(MMA)
11/21/03
UFC
45: Revolution
(MMA)
(Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT)
|
|
November News Part
2
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
Quote
of the Day
"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty,
believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
Loisa May Alcott, 1832-1888, American Author |
Rumina
Sato and 'Pequeno' in SHOOTO Dec. 14th?
There are strong indications coming from Japan that Rumina Sato
will be named the substitute for injured Norifumi 'KID' Yamamoto
for the upcoming SHOOTO event scheduled for December 14th. The
match is against the owner of the SHOOTO lightweight belt, Brazilian
Alexandre 'Pequeno' Franca Nogueira.
SHOOTO
Japan has not confirmed this bout, but fans in Japan are already
anticiapting the amtch between the Brazilian and the Japanese
idol.
This
will be Runina's second fight at the Lightweight class of 143
lbs, and it certainly would be his most important. Sato attained
legendary status with daring submissions and a precise style
that made him one of the most exciting fighters to watch. In
his only title challenges, Rumina lost both times (at welterweight)
to nemesis , which started his slide at 155 lbs.
'Pequeno'
needs a good performance after his last title defense, when he
was roundly critized by SHOOTO fans for being far too cautious,
leading to a boring fight against American Stephen Palling.
Source:
ADCC
|
Royce
Gracie preparing for War
UFC
legend Royce Gracie has been in Miami preparing for his possible
rematch with Japanese sensation Hidehiko Yoshida. Royce has spent
a couple of weeks training hard at the Gracie Miami Academy with
his friends Pedro & Guilherme Valente.
Today
Royce leaves for Connecticut, to appear in UFC event and be inducted
in the event's hall of fame. He will then return to LA where
he will continue his training for the possible Decemder fight.
More news on this as it becomes available.
Source: ADCC |
2nd
American National Tournament -
Marcio Feitosa is in the house
Former
World and ADCC Champion Marcio Feitosa is in the house! Marcinho
along with Gracie Barra teammate Piu-Piu are coming to compete
in the 2nd American National Tournament. This is a great opportunity
for the top American Black Belts to test their stuff against
some of the World's best. Additionally, let's not forget that
Igor Gracie will be competing in the Brown Belt as well!
So
hurry up and sign up for the 2nd American National Tournament
and compete against teams from Charles Gracie, Ralph Gracie,
Cleber Luciano, Rigan Machado, Paragon BJJ, Carlos Valente, Gracie
Barra OC, Caique Team, BJJ Revolution & Renzo Gracie Academy
& Ricardo Pires' Las Vegas Combat Club competing to secure
their spot in Team America!
The
event is sponsored by MMAGear with their great grappling and
NHB lines and World Size Nutrition & will have a full feature
articles in Grappling Magazine along with, of course coverage
from ADCC News via Kid Peligro JJ and representatives from Gracie
Magazine & Tatame Magazine are making plans to attend and
cover the event.
A
Reminder from Marcello Siriema, Head Organizer of the IBJJF:
The 2nd American National tournament the IBJJF will debut its
weigh in procedure with the weigh ins being conducted the day
of the matches with allowances for the Gi. The entire group gets
weighed prior to their bracket at the event site, so be ready.
Additionally the event is open to all nationalities to compete,
but only Americans can qualify to be in Team America ! So if
for instance the first place finishers are not Americans, the
IBJJF will go and pick the highest placed American to be the
representative for that category!
Source:
ADCC |
World
Champion Fernando 'Terere'
launches his website
World
Champion Fernando 'Terere' has just recently launched his website
www.fernandoterere.com. Terere plans to expand
the site soon and add more pics and even products.
In
other Terere news, it appears he is heading for another showdown
against former teammate and ADCC Champion Marcelo Garcia. The
two are on opposite sides of the bracket in an upcoming event
in Sao Paulo. These two have been in a collision course, in 2003
ADCC Terere, while competing with separated ribs, lost his second
round match missing a chance to fight against Marcelinho, who
went on to win the event. Then in the finals of the '03 Worlds
Terere submitted Marcelinho with a triangle.
Now
Marcelinho is out for revenge and all things being normal they
will face each otehr again comes December 12 & 13 in Gi event
with many of the top BJJ fighters in the World! Stay tuned for
more details!
Source: ADCC |
“Ruthless”
Robbie Lawler ready for Chris “Lights Out” Lytle
UFC 45: Revolution
Friday, November 21, 2003
Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.
Tickets,
$300, $200, $100, $60 and $30, are on sale now at the Mohegan
Sun box office and at www.tickets.com or ordered by phone at
1-800-477-6849 or 860-862-8499. UFC 45: Revolution will be available
LIVE on pay-per-view on iNDemand, DirecTV, Dish Network, Bell
ExpressVu, TVN, Echostar and Viewers Choice Canada. The suggested
retail price is $29.95.
“Ruthless”
Robbie Lawler returns to the octagon this Friday, November 21
at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, when he
meets Chris “Lights Out” Lytle at “UFC 45: Revolution.”
Competing
since 2001, Lawler is coming off his only loss at “UFC 42:
Sudden Impact” to Pete Spratt. Lawler injured himself in
that fight throwing knees, which tore his left hip flexor, or
dislocated it “the doctors didn’t really know,”
he said, “they just said 6 to 9 months of rest.” The
7-1 Lawler went back to training, stretching out his hip and
doing therapy.
Preparing
for his come back to the octagon, Lawler has been training hard
at Miletich Fighting Systems, but this week he is in Connecticut
training with former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tim Sylvia “keeping
everything sharp and taking a little weight off,” he said.
Will recovering from the cutting process be a factor in this
fight? “I don’t think it’s a factor,” he
said, “I’ll be bigger... that’s what it comes
down to.”
The
21-year-old doesn’t know much about his opponent “I
have not seen his fight,” he said, “I just train myself
and try to better myself in every way possible; that’s all
I can do.” Lawler has dominant stand-up abilities and wins
by KO and TKO from strikes over Steve Berger, Tiki and Shogun
Kawakatsu, along with a Unanimous Decision win over Aaron Riley
in a 3-round slugfest that many still call one of the best fights
in UFC history. The Berger fight made Lawler an instant star
when it was selected to be the first UFC fight ever to air on
network cable television on Fox Sports Net’s Best Damned
Sports Show Period.
Stand
up is what the Des Moines, Iowa fighter brings to this welterweight
fight “yeah, I think that’s what I do (best),”
he said, “I train stand up and I think I’m better than
most at it.” Will submissions be a factor in this fight
“they might, but I really don’t think so.” Lawler
expects a good fight “I think my superior strength and speed
and power is going to be the factor that wins it for me,”
he said. We’ll see this Friday when Lawler meets Lytle in
his return to the UFC for the first time since November 17, 2000,
at “UFC 28: High Stakes,” where he lost a decision
to Ben Earwood.
Source:
ADCC
|
Extreme
Challenge 55 Press Release
FRIDAY, DEC 5th, 2003 - Lakemoor, IL.
Curran's
comeback highlights Extreme Challenge 55 in Chicago
You
can understand why Jeff Curran is excited to get back in the
ring.
The
Pedro Sauer black belt had moved up quickly in the world rankings
at 145 pounds. Four back-to-back wins over notables Bao Quach,
Ryan Ackerman, Todd Lally and Baret Yoshida got him up to the
world's No. 6 fighter and a 15-minute battle -- that he lost
by decision -- with Japanese superstar Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto
did nothing to slow Curran's momentum.
However,
a kick to the forearm in a tag-team match at ZST in Japan put
him on the sidelines. A plate and six screws later, Curran cannot
wait to get back into the ring and start where he left off.
'I
want to get my career going again... I'm excited about it,' Curran
said of his upcoming bout at Extreme Challenge 55 in Lakemoor,
Ill., a suburb of Chicago. 'My manager (Monte Cox) is telling
me to take it slow and work back into a groove... but I'm really
anxious to fight the top guys out there.'
Facing
Curran at EC 55 will be Iowa's Tim Gorman, a strong wrestler
with a ground-and-pound attack.
Extreme
Challenge 55 is scheduled for Dec. 5 at the Lakemoor Banquet
Facility in Lakemoor, Ill. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the
10-bout card beginning at 8 p.m.
Tickets
start at $25 and are available by calling Curran Martial Arts
at 815 356-0454 or Dan Lardy at 815 245-2066. For more information,
check out the event website at extremechallenge.tv.
Also
making a comeback on the show is Jason Reinhardt (7-0) of Decatur,
Ill., who has been sidelined for more than 2 years with a neck
injury. It is an especially big day for Reinhardt, who was told
by doctors he would never train, let alone fight again. His opponent
has not yet been determined.
In
one of the feature bouts, MMA veteran Henry Matamoros (14-7)
will take on Jason Medina (10-3) of Miletich Fighting Systems.
It will be the first EC bout for Matamoros in almost 6 years,
while Medina will be making his 10th appearance.
Also,
UFC, Deep and RINGS veteran Brad Kohler will take on Damien Decorah
in a heavyweight contest. The muscular Kohler, who replaces an
injured Kerry Schall, is starting a comeback after taking time
off to promote events in Minneapolis. Decorah has won 4 of his
last 5 bouts and is looking for the upset.
Local
favorite Bart Palaszewski will go for his 5th straight victory,
while two other local standouts -- Jay Estrada and Jason Bender
-- will battle each other.
Former
University of Iowa wrestling star Ben Uker, who trains with Miletich
Fighting Systems, will also compete, taking on fellow Iowan Nwanda
Bell.
Extreme
Challenge 55- Line-Up (Subject To Change):
Kain Rizzo vs. Brandon Adamson
Sebastian Helon vs. Mitch Darwin
Rory Markham vs. Kurt Illeman
Ben Uker vs. Nwanda Bell
Steve Dau vs. Jon Tarrh
Jay Estrada vs. Jason Bender
Bart Palaszewski vs. T.B.A.
Brad Kohler vs. Demien Decorah
Bill Hill vs. Brad Spent
Henry Matamoros vs. Jason Medina
Jeff Curran vs. Tim Gorman
Source:
ADCC
|
Ninja
to face Café in Upcoming Meca-Vale Tudo
The
main fight of the upcoming Meca Vale Tudo #10 event has finally
been settled: Pride veteran Murilo Rua - 'Ninja' will face UFC
veteran Alexandre Dantas - 'Café'.
Brazil's
largest and most established MMA event will be held in Porto
Alegre, in the south of the country, on December 20th. This will
be Meca's 3rd edition in 2003.
'Ninja'
has not fought in 2003. After his back to back losses to Ricardo
Arona in Pride 22 and Kevin Randleman in Pride 23 one of the
biggest stars of Chute Boxe sat on the sidelines and watched
the rise of his young brother Mauricio
'Shogun', whose performance in 2003 is considered great.
In
his only fight in 2003, Café (Gracie Barra Combat Team)
lost to Gan McGee, at UFC 41.
More
fights of Meca 10 are expected to be announced soon.
Source:
ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"The ultimate victory in competition is derived from the
inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and
that you have gotten the most out of what you had to give."
Howard Cosell, 1918-1995, American sports Broadcaster |
Ring
Of Honor Weigh-ins
The
weigh-ins will be this Friday, November 21st at 6:00PM at 808
Fight Factory. The UFC will also be played for anyone wanting
to come early and watch it. $2.00 is being asked in order to
help offset the costs. Tickets to the show can be obtained by
calling Kai at 330-9484 or the 808 Fight Factory at 671-4140.
Ring
of Honor
Campbell High School Gym, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
November 22, 2003
Doors open at 6pm , Fights start 7pm.
Adults $20 at the door, $15 in advance
kids 6-15 $10.
Tickets can be bought at all participating school or contact
the 808 Fight Factory at 671-4140.
Main Event Pro MMA Bout 3 x 5 minute rounds - 170lbs
Jeremy Jackson (Team Freedom) vs. Mark Moreno (Bulls Pen)
Semi-Main MMA Bout- 145lbs
Kelii Newalu (808) vs. Marcus Moreno (Bulls Pen)
Amateur MMA 2 x 3 minute rounds - 170lbs
Blake Hottendorf (Kodenkan) vs. Mike Bauer (HMC)
Amateur
MMA 2 x 3 minute rounds - 155lbs
Kevin Delima (Bulls Pen) vs. BJ Jones (Hauula Top Team)
Amateur
MMA 2 x 3 minute rounds - 185lbs
Corey Daniels (Kodenkan) vs. Caleb Price (Jesus Is Lord)
Amateur
MMA 2 x 3 minute rounds -
Tim Harding (808) vs. Casey Daniels (Kodenkan)
Amateur
MMA 2 x 3 minute rounds - 135lbs
Curtis Rivera (808) vs. Ryan Lee (Bulls Pen)
Amateur Kickboxing 3 x 1:30 minutes - 170lbs
Harris Sarmiento (808) vs. Paul Laga (Bulls Pen)
Amateur
Kickboxing 3 x 1:30 minutes - 200lbs
Gun Wheeler (HMC) vs. Andy Ahsing (Ewa Beach Fight Club)
Amateur
Kickboxing 3 x 1:30 minutes -
Russ Barr (HMC) vs. Jr. Yacup (Freelance)
Amateur
Kickboxing 3 x 1:30 minutes -
Oscar Okano (HMC) vs. Teddy Piko (808)
Kids Amateur Kickboxing 3 x 1min Rounds - 55lbs
Kai Kamaka III (808) vs. Chancen Kalua (Makakilo Kickboxing)
Kids
Amateur Kickboxing 3 x 1min Rounds - 50lbs
Tristin Kamaka (808) vs. Shea Soares (Waianae Kickboxing)
Kids
Amateur Kickboxing 3 x 1min Rounds - 65lbs
Keanu Kamaka (808) vs. TBA (Makakilo Kickboxing)
Source: Promoter
|
Punishment
In Paradise
Campbell High School Gym, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Sunday, November 30, 2003
6:00PM Fight starts
$15 advanced tickets
$20 day of the event
Tickets can be purchased at:
www.punishmentinparadise.com (website coming online in a few
days)
or
by calling (808) 542-5071
Weigh-ins to be announced soon. There are still a few more openings
for fighters for kickboxing and MMA matches. Call (808) 542-5071
if you are interested in competing.
Source: Promoter
|
K-1
WORLD MAX 2003 - Quick Results!
K-1 WORLD MAX 2003
Date- Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Place- Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
- Arslan Magomedov (Russia) defeated Magnum Sakai (Japan) Ko
1º R;
- Kazuya Yasuhiro (Japan) defeated David (USA) judges decision;
- Shin Nopadetsorn (Thailand) defeated Takashi Ono (Japan) Judges
decision.
- Marfio Canoletti (Brazil) Defeated Hiroyuki Doi (Japan) Judges
decision.
- Takayuki Kohiruimaki (Japan) defeated Tony Valente (USA) KO
3º R;
- Andy Souwer (Holland) defeated Takehiro Murahama (Japan) Judges
decision;
- Duane Ludwig (USA) defeated Toshio Matsumoto (Japan) TKO 2
R
- Albert Kraus (Holland) defeated Genki Sudo (Japan) Judges decision
- Daniel Dawson (New Zeland) defeated Kojiro (Japan) Judges decision
- Masato (Japan) defeated Vince Phillips (USA) KO 2º R.
Source: ADCC
|
SHOWTIME
CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING PRESENTS TRIPLEHEADER FROM HOUSTON
Showtime
Press Release - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WBC
No. 8/IBF No. 9 Featherweight Contender/Undefeated 2000 U.S.
Olympian Rocky Juarez vs. Featherweight Contender Hector Velazquez
WBC
No. 11 Super Lightweight Contender Francisco 'Panchito' Bojado
vs. Junior Welterweight Contender Juan Carlos Rubio
Undefeated
WBC No. 6/No. 13 WBA Lightweight Contender Juan 'Baby Bull' Diaz
vs. Lightweight Contender Joel Perez
Saturday,
Nov. 22, 2003, At 9 PM ET/PT*
From Reliant Park, Houston, Texas
NEW
YORK (Oct. 23, 2003) Three of boxing's most highly regarded young
stars - featherweight Rocky Juarez, junior welterweight Francisco
'Panchito' Bojado and lightweight Juan Diaz - will appear in
separate bouts on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday, Nov.
22, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Juarez, 23, the 2000 Olympic Games Silver
Medalist, will fight for his first title when he takes on former
World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion Willie
Jorrin in a 12-rounder for the WBC Continental Americas featherweight
crown. Bojado, 20, will attempt to avenge his only pro defeat
when he faces Juan Carlos Rubio in a 12-round bout for the WBC
Continental Americas junior welterweight title. Diaz, who turned
20 on Sept. 17, will square off against Joel Perez in a 10-round
lightweight match. SHOWTIME will televise the Main Events, Inc.-promoted
fight card from Reliant Park in Houston.
Juarez
(18-0, 14 KOs), of the north side of Houston, has won five consecutive
bouts by knockout, and nine out of his past 10 inside of the
distance. In his last start, the youngster regarded by many as
the top boxer from the 2000 class scored a dramatic first-round
knockout against David Murillo in Temecula, Calif. Juarez did
not take long to get comfortable against his opponent, unleashing
a monstrous left hook to the head of Murillo that sent him crashing
to the canvas. Referee Pat Russell started the count, but decided
instead to call a halt to the action and bring in the ringside
doctor to aid Murillo. During an outstanding amateur career,
Juarez compiled a 145-17 record. A controversial decision in
the championship bout cost the U.S. Olympian a gold medal and
ended his 68-fight winning streak.
Velazquez
(37-9-1, 27 KOs), of Tijuana, Mexico has won four consecutive
bouts, and seven of his past eight. His most noteworthy victory
during the winning streak was a 10-round split decision over
former World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight champion Guty
Espadas June 25, 2002, in Baraboo, Wis. In his last outing on
Sept. 12, 2003, Velazquez recorded a majority decision over Armando
Cordova in an eight-round bout scored 77-75 twice and 76-76 from
Las Vegas. Velazquez turned pro at age 18 on Dec. 16, 1993, and
won a four-round decision over Jose Guardado in Ensenada, Mexico.
Bojado
(13-1, 11 KOs), of Los Angeles by way of Guadalajara, Mexico,
will make his 11th SHOWTIME appearance, including highlights,
in 15 pro bouts. A talented, offensive-minded up-and-comer, Bojado
has won four consecutive contests since losing a shocking 10-round
unanimous decision to Rubio on SHOWTIME Feb. 16, 2002. The judges
scored the bout 96-94 twice and 98-92. Bojado captured the WBC
junior welterweight youth crown, on Oct. 13, 2001, with a second-round
knockout over Eleazar Contreras on SHOWTIME. The youngest member
of the 2000 Mexican Olympic team compiled an outstanding 168-15
amateur record with 85 knockouts.
Rubio
(29-6-2, 10 KOs), of Lakeside, Calif. by way of Colima, Mexico,
has won four consecutive outings, including two straight since
defeating Bojado in what Ring Magazine dubbed the '2002 Upset
of the Year.' A former California state junior welterweight and
International Boxing Association (IBA) Americas welterweight
champion, Rubio is coming off of a 10-round unanimous decision
over Jose Cruz on Aug.8, 2003, from Pico Rivera, Calif.
Diaz
(22-0, 10 KOs), of Houston, won a crowd-pleasing, 10-round unanimous
decision over Francisco Lorenzo in the SHOWTIME co-feature on
July 19, 2003. The youngest boxer (17 years old) to ever fight
on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, Diaz outpointed the game Lorenzo
by the scores 98-91 twice and 96-93. Diaz turned pro at age 16
on June 23, 2000, and scored a first-round TKO over Rafael Ortiz.
Too young to box professionally in the U.S., the crowd-pleasing
teenager fought his initial three bouts in Mexico. Diaz will
make his seventh SHOWTIME appearance.
Perez
(34-6-2, 19 KOs), of Houston, fought in more than 200 bouts as
an amateur, and capped his career by winning the 1991 Texas State
Golden Gloves Championship. After turning pro at age 20 on Aug.
10, 1992, Perez won his initial 23 starts. In his 24th outing,
Perez suffered his first defeat by dropping a close 12-round
decision to Jesse James Leija (32-3-2 going in) for the North
American Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight title on March
22, 1997, in Corpus Christi, Texas. In Perez' most recent start,
undefeated junior welterweight Miguel Cotto defeated the Texas
native via fourth-round knockout on April 19, 2003, in Fresno,
Calif.
SHOWTIME
CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING's Steve Albert and Al Bernstein will call
the action from ringside, with Jim Gray serving as roving reporter.
The executive producer of the SHOWTIME telecast is Jay Larkin,
with David Dinkins Jr. producing and Bob Dunphy directing.
For
information on upcoming SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and 'ShoBox:
The New Generation' telecasts, including complete fighter bios
and records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME
website at http://www.sho.com/boxing .
Source: ADCC |
FIGHTER
DIARY: "IT'S MONDAY MORNING AND I'M READY TO FIGHT"
MMAWeekly.com is proud to have Yves Edwards write a daily journal
of what is going through his mind as we lead you up until fight
night. Yves will give us an exclusive diary of what is going
on each day leading up until fight night right here on MMAWeekly.com.
Without further ado, here's Yves Edwards.
"Hey
guys, I've always enjoyed talking with the fans and I appreciate
your support. This is the best way to give you behind the scenes
info, while I prepare for my next big fight. I hope you enjoy
this exclusive look at my day the week of the fight"
MONDAY:
"It's Monday morning and I slept in a bit and woke up at
9am. I didn't have much of a breakfast, I just drank a protein
shake. Right now my weight isn't an issue and I want to try and
keep it that way this week leading up to the fight.
Right
now I'm feeling good walking around at 158. I want to try and
keep it there this week. It's time to hit the gym and work on
a few things. It's now close to noon and it's time to work on
my boxing for the next couple of hours. We work hard on my boxing
for two hours.
After
that it's time to work on some real MMA rounds. We work out for
an hour with some sparring, which was light, then get heavy into
grappling with hard aggressive takedowns. Even though the striking
was light, the grappling is hardcore as we really get after it
today. I have some of my wrestlers from Illinois and Texas working
very hard with me trying to take me down. We battle hard for
an hour and my morning workout is basically complete.
After
a great workout I spoil myself by getting something to eat. I
decide to hit Quiznos and eat a big lunch. I get the mesquite
chicken sandwich with a tropical fruit juice and carrot cake.
I never drink soda when I'm training and this week is no exception.
I
go home and chill out a little bit. I get some stuff done for
my travel tomorrow. Tuesday will be my travel day. I play a little
Playstation 2 as Madden 2004 is calling my name.
Now
it's 6:30 pm and it's time to go back to the gym and teach my
classes. I will be working out a bit with my top students as
I wind down my night. Since I ate a big lunch, I get into my
plastics as I need to keep my weight down. I'm probably over
160 or so.
After
teaching my students, I work on my wrestling again until 9pm.
After a couple of hours I wrap up some techniques with the guys
and go home for the evening.
I'm
going to call it a night and go to sleep right now and it's 11pm.
I'm only going to sleep for a couple of hours. I wake up at 2am
and start to pack for the plane ride. I do this on purpose because
I plan on sleeping on the plane. I hate plane's. I can't stand
flying, so I plan on sleeping the entire time on the plane.
I'm
going to stay up for a few hours this morning and pack all my
stuff. Tuesday is my travel day, so I will let you all know how
my Tuesday goes. See you later and thanks to all my fans for
supporting me. This is my way to say thanks and let you in on
the behind the scenes for fight week. Peace.
Source: Maxfighting
|
UFC
ON NATIONAL TELEVISION THIS WEEK
This week will be another good week for the UFC as they get some
great media exposure on national television. It starts with ESPN
News tomorrow. Here is the schedule for this week.
Wednesday
ESPN
NEWS with Brian Kenny – Matt Hughes Live in studio 4 pm
to 4:30 pm ET – Sometime within that time frame
Best
Damn Sports Show Period – Randy Couture Live in studio Fox
Sports Network – Check your local listings. Usually airs
at 8 pm & 11 pm.
Thursday
ESPN2
Cold Pizza Talk Show– Randy Couture and Lorenzo Fertitta
– 7 am to 9 am
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
45 PROFILES: Nick Agallar
Nick Agallar
Record: 11-2-0
Age: 24
Weight: 155 lbs.
Detailed Record (Source: FCFighter.com):
Win - Ken Davis - Submission - Midwest Absolute Challenge - 12/4/1999
Win - Josh Roster - Submission - Iowa Free Fight - 6/30/2000
Lose - Henry Matamoros - Submission - Freestyle Combat Challenge
3 - 1/6/2001
Win - Josh Lewendowski - Decision - Freestyle Combat Challenge
4 - 3/31/2001
Win - Ray Benavides - TKO - WEC 1 - 6/30/2001
Lose - Charles Pearson - Decision - WEC 2 - 10/4/2001
Win - Rory Prazak - Submission - Freestyle Combat Challenge 6
- 1/5/2002
Win - Mike Blegen - Submission - Freestyle Combat Challenge 7
- 3/23/2002
Win - Steve Thompson - Submission - Ironheart Crown 2002 - 5/18/2002
Win - Darrell Smith - Decision - Hook N Shoot - 9/7/2002
Win - Cade Swallows - TKO - AFC 1 - 12/13/2002
Win - Edson Diniz - Decision - AFC 5 - 9/5/2003
Win - Joe Jordan - TKO - Freestyle Combat Challenge 12 - 10/18/2003
Key
Wins: Joe Jordan, Edson Diniz
Key
Losses: Charles Pearson, Henry Matamoros
Nick
Agallar is a fighter with a strong wrestling background - he's
been wrestling most of his life - and has been competing in mixed
martial arts for about 4 years now. He trains with UFC veteran
Dave Strasser at Strasser's Freestyle Academy in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Agallar
has steadily been building up the level of competition that he
faces having defeated Joe Jordan for the Freestyle Combat Challenge
Lightweight title and Edson Diniz (of American Top Team) for
the Absolute Fighting Championships Lightweight belt in his last
two bouts.
Strengths:
Agallar's wrestling ability and a strong game of ground and pound
are his key strengths. That and a strong team of training partners
that includes Dave Strasser, Ben Rothwell, Ryan Ackerman, and
Brad Lynde, among others midwest talents.
Weaknesses:
Doesn't seem to have much by way of submissions or kicking ability.
What
This Fight Means: Having been the fortunate one to be called
up when Din Thomas injured his hand and had to back out of the
fight with Yves Edwards, this is Agallar's shot to make his case
that he belongs among the best at lightweight. Having never fought
at this level before, he faces a tough task in Yves Edwards in
his first UFC bout.
If
Agallar wins, he's earned a spot among the best in the division
and the opportunity for more fights on the biggest MMA stage
in the United States. Even if he doesn't win, but has a strong
outing against Yves, Agallar will have drawn a lot of attention
towards himself and, most likely, get a shot at some better paydays
on B level shows.
Source: ADCC
|
Quote
of the Day
"The spirit of a man can only endure so much and when it
is broken only a miracle can mend it."
John Burroughs
|
Fighters'
Club T.V. Episode 16 Debuts Tonight!
Highlights
from Superbrawl 31.
Ronald Jhun (808 Fight Factory) vs. Tiki Ghosen (Team Oyama)
+ interview with Tiki
Edrick Pajarros (808 Fight Factory) vs. Harvey Nakamura (Grappling
Unlimited)
Jason Miller (Team Oyama) vs. Shawn Taylor + interview with Jason
Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited) vs. Joe Jordan (Kentucky)
Falaniko Vitale (Grappling Unlimited) vs. Justin Ellison (Walt
Bayless) + interview with Niko
+ an exclusive interview with Egan Inoue on his injury and comeback.
+
one for the ladies--we have a special Interview with "Too
Fast Too Furious" star
(and also a big MMA fan and Jiu-Jitsu practioner), Paul Walker.
Technique
of the Week--the "Urban Legend", Enson Inoue with bonus
footage of
Enson training his son Erson during the credits, so stay tuned
for that!
AND
not to forget your two favorite hosts, Mark Kurano & Mike
Onzuka
If
you have any comments, questions, suggestion, resumes with pics
attached
(Girls only), send them to:
fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
|
"Suave"
no Longer, Ricco Rodriguez Begins the Road Back - The Hard Way
From the outside looking in, you might have thought that the
world of Ricco Rodriguez crumbled to pieces on February 28, the
night the Staten Island native lost his UFC heavyweight title
to Tim Sylvia. Add to that loss a subsequent knee surgery and
controversial defeat to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and you might
be looking to hide any sharp objects from the man formerly known
as "Suave".
Then
again, you'd be wrong.
"I
never do anything the simple way," Rodriguez told MaxFighting,
and if the interview ended there, that would be the story of
the heavyweight contender in a nutshell. But Ricco had a lot
more to say, days before he returns to the Octagon on Friday
night to take on perennial contender Pedro Rizzo in what pro
wrestling fans might like to view as a "loser leaves town"
match.
"Putting
me against Pedro Rizzo, its two guys on their last contract,
so let's come to reality," said the always-candid Rodriguez.
"These guys are both on their last contracts, let's finish
them off. Whoever wipes the other one out, then we'll work with
the other person. That's what it looks like to me, and that's
what that is."
It
hasn't been the easiest eight months for the young man many thought
would be the standard bearer of the UFC heavyweight belt for
years to come after he stopped Randy Couture in September of
2002. He's gotten thrashed inside the ring and out, and he's
now looking at the world of mixed martial arts through decidedly
less than rose-colored glasses. And while that may be a hard
pill for some to swallow, it steels Rodriguez' resolve.
"I'm
not really doing anything for anybody but myself right now,"
he admits. "I'm coming off two losses. I come off a third
loss I'm pretty much gonna quit. I'm putting all my eggs into
one basket, and I'm just training for Pedro. I really don't care
about anything else right now. I know that I fight the toughest
opponents. I know that I can sleep at night, saying I fought
the toughest fighters in the world. Who have you fought lately?
Everyone wants to talk smack about me; I fought the studs. I've
never run away from a fight and I've never turned one down. I
say what I want and I do it. I know that beating Pedro Rizzo
would get me the recognition to put me back to the status I need.
Just like I knew when I took the Nogueira fight. I got more recognition
from the Nogueira fight than I did for the Couture fight. People
saw that I had the ability to beat a champ and that's what I
did. I beat a former champ and I didn't even train for the fight."
If
Rodriguez' tone sounds familiar, it's the same mindset he had,
more or less, when he made his UFC debut in June of 2001 against
Andrei Arlovski. With a daughter to feed, a girlfriend in the
hospital recuperating from a serious accident, and bridges burned
with Pride and King of the Cage, Rodriguez had a one-fight UFC
deal against Arlovski. Win, and he could rebuild his life with
the biggest MMA organization in the United States. Lose, and
the former Abu Dhabi champion may have had to look for another
line of work.
He
won.
From
there, it was your typical rags to riches tale, with Rodriguez'
next four fights all ending early, culminated with the gutsy
win over Couture. But the belt didn't prove to be the cure-all
for Rodriguez' ills, and he let complacency and outside affairs
enter through the cage door with him against Sylvia, not someone
to be taken lightly.
"I
just had a lot of personal problems I had to deal with and I
brought it over to the Octagon, therefore I didn't have a good
night that night," said Rodriguez of his knockout loss to
Sylvia. "My cards weren't adding up to what I wanted them
to add up to. I really didn't sleep on the fight, I just didn't
prepare for it the way I needed to. Also, a lot of people don't
know that I threw my knee out in the first 30 seconds of the
fight. I had to go to the emergency room a week later to get
my knee worked on. My knee popped out in the first 30 seconds
of the fight on my first shot."
Even
with that adversity, Rodriguez still had a chance to finish the
fight when he locked Sylvia in an armbar early in the bout. But
seconds later, a stiff right hand put an end to Rodriguez' title
reign, and all the naysayers who had doubted him before the Couture
fight resurfaced.
Then
Rodriguez, always open and accessible to the media, had surgery
on his knee and disappeared.
"I
didn't want to talk to any reporters," said Rodriguez. "They're
gonna ask me stupid questions about why I got knocked the f**k
out. No one really talks about the five or six undefeated fights
I had before that, no one talks about the people I beat before
that. They only want to talk about your last defeat. So do I
want to talk to reporters after two losses? No. They don't pay
my bills. And then they're going to charge somebody to listen
to my interview on their website? I get sick of reporters and
I get sick of the same bulls**t questions, the same scenarios
all over again. I stay out of sight because I don't even want
to get them in my head. Until I do something positive and turn
it around, then I'll cut all that s**t out. And my attitude has
totally changed about the industry, so now it's one of those
things like I don't care about anything else but winning, fighting,
and making money. I don't have anybody helping me out or protecting
me or looking out for who I take fights with. There's only tough
guys to fight now. Nobody wants to fight me. I can't go fight
a scrub because a scrub won't fight me. So I'm forced to only
fight tough guys. And if people are going to fight me, they want
to make sure they get paid. When I go ask for a payday, it's
all weird. So this is why I don't like giving interviews, because
nobody really understands the whole story of what goes on. If
I stay out of the picture, it's less havoc."
After
surgery, Rodriguez, eager to get another shot at Sylvia, waited
for that phone call. It didn't come
"I've
worked so hard for everything I've gotten," said Rodriguez,
26. "I worked super hard for that title, and I think it
was a slap in my face for me not to get a rematch. That's what
it comes down to. And then, bottom line is, they were sending
me over to Japan, two weeks before my fight, knowing that I hadn't
been training, knowing that I just had knee surgery. They called
me for the Frank Mir fight, and I had just been out of surgery
for two weeks. How do you want me to fight Frank Mir two weeks
after surgery? This is the s**t I'm coming up against. If the
company doesn't like you, they can do whatever they can to destroy
you."
But
while Rodriguez is lashing out, he still reserves enough blame
in the situation for himself.
"I
think the company was behind me, but my attitude and my mouth
gets me in trouble," he admits. "I just tell it how
it is. I don't bulls**t anybody and I don't kiss anybody's ass.
I'm not saying I'm against the world; I just have to work harder
than the other guy."
You
want to talk about hard work? How about a bout on two weeks notice
against one of the best heavyweights in the world in Nogueira?
And, in the eyes of many, you win the fight?
"You
could see the expression on his face," Rodriguez said of
Nogueira. "He was shocked that he won. I beat him fair and
square, and I know what's up. If you look at the Murilo Bustamate
vs Rampage (Jackson) fight (won by Jackson), that was the same
exact fight and I just couldn't believe that they didn't give
me the decision compared to those two. Rampage was in the same
situations - he had an armbar and triangle escape, and he had
a guillotine escape. I had a kimura escape and an omo plata escape.
They just didn't want to watch UFC fighters come and dominate.
Not that night at least. If you would have given me my regular
two-three months to train for that guy, I would have killed Nogueira.
I'd kill anyone in that organization (Pride). I know I would.
I went in there with one guy (Sylvia), got caught with my hands
down, and boom. You get lazy, you become the champ, you slack
off a little. But if people think there are better people out
there than me that deserve a title shot then let them speak.
If not, give me my title shot. But they're going to make me fight
Pedro and whoever else. This is me working against the stacked
deck. But that's fine with me. I like being the underdog and
I like it when everyone thinks I'm not going to have a chance
to do it."
Given
his quick exit against Sylvia and Rizzo's dangerous punching
power, many see Friday's bout as a true pick-em contest. And
if you think Rodriguez is taking "The Rock" lightly,
you would be terribly mistaken.
"I
consider him to be one of the most dangerous fighters,"
said Rodriguez, who has based his camp in Houston with longtime
trainer Saul Soliz, and has also worked with the likes of Mark
Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Tra Telligman, and Guy Mezger for this
fight. "No matter whether you win or lose against Pedro,
you're going to come out with a scar that you're going to remember
for the rest of your life. Look at guys like Kevin Randleman
or Randy Couture; guys he's fought, whether he's won or lost,
he's pretty much damaged their thighs with those leg kicks. It's
gonna be a tough fight. People don't understand - this guy gets
paid a lot of money to fight and the only fights he's really
lost have been title shots. The only time he lost another fight
was to Gan McGee, and that was because he took a great shot that
separated his nose and he couldn't continue. If that fight would
have continued, I think Pedro would have come out on top."
But
despite the intriguing nature of this bout, at press time, Rodriguez-Rizzo
is not scheduled for the main card on Friday. So not only does
the ex-heavyweight champ not get a title shot, he has been put
on the undercard of his first show back.
"If
it was supposed to be the way it should have been, I would have
had my title shot," said Rodriguez. "Instead, Gan McGee
gets a shot (at Sylvia) first. And now, I'm going to have to
wait for Frank Mir to fight Tim Sylvia, which is what's going
to happen next after Sylvia gets off his suspension. Why not
give me an interim title shot with me against Frank Mir? But
Frank Mir gets the title shot first? Let's put all the bulls**t
aside and put the cards out the way everybody knows they're going
to go out from Day One. I'll fight Pedro Rizzo, and whoever knocks
the other out will be back in. The reality is Pedro Rizzo will
never be a world champion; he's got issues with that. And the
UFC's probably come to terms with that factor, so I've got to
take him out. If not, they're just going to use him as another
fighter again. They're not going to pay him the sick money that
he's getting paid. And nobody wants to talk about the $250,000
he's making on that fight, or the 30 grand I'm only getting paid
to show up. Why is Pedro Rizzo getting 250 grand and I'm only
getting 30 grand to show up? That's why I'm pissed off, and I'm
a former world champ."
In
a division in disarray after the suspension of champion Sylvia,
Rodriguez would seem to be the likely front runner (along with
Mir) to bring some life back into the heavyweights. But he's
not. That's not going to stop him from calling out for his peers
though.
"All
I want right now is to really beat Pedro, and after I beat Pedro,
then I'll fight whoever else they can throw at me," he said.
"But I don't see anybody else. I already beat Arlovski,
and Cabbage I'm not really concerned about. You've got Tim Sylvia,
Frank Mir, and Ricco Rodriguez. That's all you've got cracking
right now and who else do you got? And Frank is gonna get crushed
by Tim Sylvia. They think he's gonna get him down on the ground
and submit him. Come on, he's training with (Pat) Miletich. You
think it's gonna happen that easily? Otherwise, I would have
done it. (Laughs)
It's
a rare light moment for a young man who has been bruised by life
in the limelight over the past few months. And what's gotten
under Rodriguez' skin is lack of respect - from the media, the
industry, and occasionally other fighters - who have taken any
opportunity to attack the "Suave" image that doesn't
exactly mesh with some people's idea of what a fighter should
be. This perception is a sore spot for Rodriguez.
"There's
a lot of misconceptions," he said. "People have no
clue who I am in reference to what I've done in the industry.
People don't give me my respect. I'm a former Abu Dhabi champion,
I'm a former heavyweight champ, King of the Cage champ, I've
won in Pride - when are people going to stop bullsh**ting themselves
and say, 'this kid is a top contender, he's going to be here
for the next 3-4 years, 5 years maybe, and he's somebody you've
got to watch out for.'"
"People
have no clue what it takes to prepare for these fights,"
Rodriguez continues. "They're not there when you're running
the four miles at six in the morning. No one's there while you're
training, and people don't understand how hard it is to do what
I do. And the other misconception people have about me is that
I'm this flamboyant guy who does whatever I want, when I want,
and how I want. They have no clue what my lifestyle is about.
I'm a single father. Nobody knows that I pretty much take care
of my family. They have no clue. I never had a silver spoon in
my mouth. I moved to California with $150 bucks in my pocket.
And now look at me. I'm a successful person. Everything I've
got, I worked for. Nobody gave it to me."
He
doesn't have a "gimme" on Friday night either. Yet
some people need adversity to perform at their peak. Ricco Rodriguez
was facing an uncertain future when he resurrected his career
against Andrei Arlovski; he dropped the first two rounds to Couture
before storming back to win the heavyweight title; and now, after
losing his crown in devastating fashion, he's got one fight left
to make it right.
"Everybody
goes into a slump," said Rodriguez. "If you look at
all the great fighters, at one point in their careers, they were
champions, they lost, and then they came back. Look at guys like
Mark Coleman, Vitor Belfort, and Randy Couture. But I don't really
care about the belt right now. All I care about is destroying
every single fighter that comes into my path. I want them to
throw all the best fighters at me now. I'm just going to walk
right through them. I feel like Jake LaMotta right now. They
won't give me a title shot so I'll just kick everybody else's
ass and then when there's nobody left for me to fight, they're
going to have to give me that title shot. And then that guy's
going to know that this kid is the real deal."
And
this whole fighting against the stacked deck thing?
He
chuckles.
"Maybe
it is motivating me a little."
Source: Maxfighting |
Hughes
Targeting Trigg With Renewed Training
When something ain't broke, it's hard to fix.
Despite
this, Monte Cox has tried his best to get Matt Hughes to train
more for title defenses. But the UFC welterweight champ's camp
of late, which will include with two full months of preparations
for his November 21 defense against Frank Trigg, may have been
spurred by the fact that Hughes is finally irked enough to bring
"The Full Ruckus" into the Octagon.
"I
bug the guy all the time to train," Cox told Maxfighting.
"I called him up before his second fight with Carlos Newton
and asked him to get into the gym. It's just a couple weeks before
the fight. He says, 'I've got to put a roof on my brother's house,
but don't worry, I'll be there.' I told him, 'Matt, do you think
Carlos is roofing right now?'"
In
Hughes' defense, roofing does involve some repetitive cardio
training; in the end he dominated Newton en route to a one-sided
stoppage.
God
knows what the champion could do if he were running a jackhammer.
"People
said he trained two weeks for Sherk, but I swear I only saw him
in the gym for like three days," Cox said. "So he had
three days in Iowa, and then maybe a couple days in Vegas to
get ready. Call it six days."
It's
an incongruous concept -- the most dominant champion in the sport
who trains sparingly. Hughes, who has always maintained that
his full-time job of farming is as strenuous as anything in the
gym can bring, may be right. And he may be genetically gifted
because his twin brother Mark is a few pounds bigger but looks
nearly the same.
"We
always joke that if you could be either one of them, I'd be Mark,"
Cox said. "He doesn't do anything and he's still in shape."
All
that has changed with the champion's upcoming fifth defense against
Frank Trigg, the powerhouse who has made no bones about how he's
going to take it to Hughes and walk away with the championship
belt.
"Matt
is currently in Salt Lake City, and he's training hard. He's
running at altitude and getting into serious shape way before
the fight. He'll have two full months when he goes in against
Trigg," Cox said. "We sat down before the fight and
agreed that we don't want to just win this one. We want to destroy
Trigg, inside of two rounds. Winning won't be enough."
A
title shot was offered to Pete Spratt, conqueror of Robbie Lawler,
but Spratt declined. Dennis Hallman was in the wings for a shot
against Nick Diaz and a hopeful third match with Hughes, whom
he was beaten twice, but Hallman lost a close decision to Drew
Fickett in August at King of The Cage. Contenders Karo Parisyan
and Nick Diaz still need another win or two before being viable,
marketable contenders.
In
fact, according to Cox, Jason Black of Team Miletich might be
the next logical opponent for Hughes after Trigg.
"It's
something we'll have to deal with when we come to it," he
said.
With
a dwindling pool of yesterday's challengers, Hughes sits atop
a division he has established an iron rule over, with dissenters
beaten handily.
"People
are asking if Matt will move up in weight, but there's no point
in that. If you were the best salesman at a company and breaking
records and doing the best anyone had ever done, would you change
jobs?" Cox said. "He's going to stay at 170."
The
best challenge that currently exists for Hughes is the ongoing
grappling rivalry with training partner Jeremy Horn.
"They're
the only two guys in camp who can [tap] one another," Cox
said. "I think it's like three times year they get one another.
And if Matt falls behind, watch out!"
It's
lonely in the ring with Hughes. He gets on top of people and
dominates them with sheer physical strength, and a wrestling
pedigree that brooks no upstarts. Try pushing him away with a
hip kick from guard, a la Gil Castillo, and he springs right
back on you as though you were a child. Against Sherk, he showed
a new confidence to go for submissions and a strong bottom game.
It all adds up to a champion rounding out an increasingly robust
skill set.
But
it's all precursors to the same old story -- wrestling people
silly en route to the ground-and-pound.
He
can hang on his back, and strike adequately enough from his feet;
Hughes uses everything to distill the fight into a wrestling
match in the end. It's just how he likes it, and what he was
born to do.
He
doesn't plan on falling behind against Trigg. He wants to punish
him, bad, and Trigg's the kind of fighter who'll come gunning
for him. But with the kind of win he's planning to deliver, he
could inspire more fighters to take up roofing, as a training
aid -- or maybe a full-time vocation.
Source: Maxfighting |
Interview
with Ken Shamrock,
UFC Hall of Fame Inductee
This
Friday night, Ken Shamrock will be one of the two first-ever
UFC legends, alongside rival Royce Gracie, to be inducted into
the newly formed UFC Hall of Fame. Last week, we were lucky enough
to have Ken take time out from a training session - another good
thing - to jump on the MMAWeekly Radio with Ryan Bennett to discuss
the Hall of Fame, Royce Gracie, his knee injury and his future
in the sport.
Ryan:
Ken, appreciate you jumping on the radio with us.
Ken:
I appreciate you having me on.
Ryan:
Let's break down the whole UFC Hall of Fame situation. Did Dana
just call you up and say "Hey, Ken, we want you in the hall
of fame." or what?
Ken:
Yeah, he called me and we were talking about going up there November
21st and they were having this poll on their website, the people's
favorite fighter of all time. And then, of course, the outstanding
achievement award. He said, "We're going to do this Hall
of Fame thing and we'd like to elect you as one of the first
ones into the Hall of Fame. I went, "Wow."
You
know, all the work that you do and all the things that you put
together in life, the training, the ups and downs, the good times,
the bad times, the championships and that stuff are all great,
but when they say Hall of Fame, you know, that puts everything
all in perspective. You know you'll always be appreciated and
you'll never forget all the people that appreciate you.
Ryan:
It's ironic that there are only two of you inducted and one of
those is Royce Gracie. What do you think about being inducted
with one of your biggest rivals?
Ken:
Well, you know, Royce Gracie has done a lot, especially in the
beginning, for this sport going the way it is. So, I think it's
an honor to have a guy like Royce, who won four tournaments...
the guy definitely earned the right to be in there. He's a great
fighter, but he's one of those guys that just doesn't know how
to close his mouth either. But, as far as the Hall of Fame, he
deserves to go out of anybody.
Ryan:
Ken, are you ever bummed that you didn't get one more shot at
Royce?
Ken:
Yes, I am very bummed. Especially with the things that I'm hearing
now, that he's saying that I'm done and I'm washed up, you know,
I can't fight no more. But, yet, he's not in there fighting.
Ryan:
Do you think there will be any kind of words exchanged next week?
Ken:
You know, if there is, it'll be in interviews and things like
that. I think there's a place for that and you've got to try
and keep it as respectful as possible, you know, because it is
about being in the Hall of Fame. It's not about the fighting,
it's about what you've done. Like I said, being in the ring,
if anything is said, it could be volatile. [laughs]
Ryan:
Let's talk about your health. Tell the fans how you're doing,
what you've been up to.
Ken:
Well, I had the injury for about a year and a half. I tore my
ACL. Being hard headed and able to overcome any injuries that
I've ever had, this one I wasn't able to overcome. I had to go
in and get it fixed. I had the surgery, it's been about 2 months.
The recovery is coming around very, very fast. My doctor says
it's amazing because I came out of surgery on the 8th, a Monday,
and I had very little swelling... Monday the surgery, Wednesday
I was starting the therapy and by 2-3 weeks I had no swelling
at all. So, it was pretty amazing the way that my body has come
back and recovered. I'm ready to rock, right now I'm doing weights,
trying to strengthen the legs, the thighs, trying to get the
nerves firing again. So, everything is coming around a lot faster
than I expected and even faster than my doctor's expected.
Ryan:
Ken, it sounds like you had this injury against Tito, is that
correct?
Ken:
Yeah, I had the injury, probably... you know, I lost 2 fights
in a row. I lost to Don Frye, which was a very close fight that
went to a decision, I tore it before that fight. It was like
6 months prior to that fight that I tore my ACL and I didn't
want to go in and get it fixed because I felt like I could overcome
it. Strengthen the hamstrings and the calves and just ignore
it and work on my standup and ignore my grappling. That was probably
not a very smart decision because grappling is probably 90% of
my arsenal.
Ryan:
As a result, many people say that you probably should get another
shot at Tito Ortiz. What's your take? Do you want to fight Tito
Ortiz again?
Ken:
Absolutely. That's probably the number one thing on my list besides
a fight with Royce Gracie. I'd love to have a fight with Royce,
but I've been trying to get that for many, many years and it
isn't happening. I don't see it happening now. He'll talk, but
he won't walk the walk. So, Tito Ortiz is really number one on
my list along with Royce.
I
don't know if Tito is up to it because when you get beat, it's
hard to come back from that. Some people can't do it. I can.
I come back hard, I come back strong. Tito Ortiz doesn't seem
to be coming back very strong.
Ryan:
When do you think you will be back in the Octagon again?
Ken:
I'm hopefully looking at maybe January 31st. That's not for sure
though, that's something that I'm shooting for. If it doesn't
happen then, it will definitely happen two months after that.
Ryan:
Any idea who you might face your first fight back?
Ken:
No, I don't. I would definitely love it to be Tito Ortiz. I'm
not one for warm-ups.
Ryan:
Ken, do you have a few minutes that we can get a few questions
from the fans on the MMAWeekly Live Fighter Chat?
Ken:
Yeah, let's do it.
Ryan:
With the Hall of Fame ceremony coming up there's usually family
involved, speaking of that, what's your relationship with Bob
Shamrock like these days?
Ken:
Our relationship's good. He lives with me. He helps with my career.
So, he will definitely be at the Hall of Fame. My kids will be
at home watching it. They'll all be a part of it one way or another.
Dad will be with me there. You can't put into words how I feel
about this Hall of Fame. It wraps everything up that I've ever
done all together.
Ryan:
That's the best part, especially your Dad, he's the one that
really helped you get through this, right?
Ken:
Absolutely. Your parents are... you have your differences in
life and you have your squabbles, and I don't think there's any
family that don't, but you put it back together and you move
on. That's just the way that things go. Me and my dad have had
our squabbles, but I love my dad with all my heart and he loves
me with all his heart and he's helped me get to the place that
I've been and I won't forget that.
Ryan:
How about Frank [Shamrock], do you talk with Frank at all?
Ken:
Well, I haven't talked with Frank in a long time. There's nothing
really bad between us. It's just that he's got other agendas
in his life that he needs to attend to right now.
Ryan:
Another question from the Live Fighter Chat, how's Guy Mezger
doing?
Ken:
That's a good question because I'm at Guy's school right now
in Dallas. He's getting ready for a fight in Holland, so I'm
down here and watching his training. He looks good. He's still
in it and he's fighting different places now other than Japan.
He's going to be fighting pretty soon.
Ryan:
Another original Lion's Den guy, and he sure looked good in his
comeback fight with Pedro Rizzo, Tra Telligman. He had Pedro
in a lot of trouble in that fight early, didn't he?
Ken:
Yeah, he knocked him out and Pedro, being the fighter that he
is, has probably been in that position many, many times being
a stand-up fighter. He shot on Tra and Tra was really shocked
and he caught Tra with a double-leg and Tra sprawled out to get
away and he tore his groin, reinjured it. That kind of worked
against him, but he hurt Pedro several times with the cross and
Pedro had to shoot which is something you don't see very often.
I thought it was a great fight. Tra got cut, they stopped the
fight. That's stuff that happens in these things.
Ryan:
Back to the fans questions, how would you fight Tito differently
next time?
Ken:
[Laughs] Listen, it's like this, I got beat last time by a better
fighter. This time, I'm going to go in there and do some things
differently. I don't really want to say how I'm going to be doing
things differently, but you go in and you learn from the fight.
I had to overcome some things and this time I don't.
Ryan:
Another question, has your stint in pro wrestling has contributed
to your recurring injuries?
Ken:
No, no, not at all, I tore my ACL after I got out of pro wrestling.
I was training to fight Vovchanchyn in Pride and I was doing
takedowns and I tore my ACL. I took some time out and started
to strengthen it and all those things to not have surgery, but
it hasn't worked out for me. So, I went in and got the surgery
done.
Ryan:
Ken Shamrock joining us live on MMAWeekly Radio. Ken, how about
fighting Tank Abbott?
Ken:
Umm... Okay. [Laughs] I ask for certain fights, but if I don't
get them it doesn't matter. But I do ask for certain ones that
I'd like to get, if I don't get 'em I'll fight whoever they put
in front of me. I've always done that. I don't pick and choose.
I'm not a paper champion. I've always done that. Whoever won
the tournament, that's who I fought. There were some times that
they threw some guys in there because whoever won the tournament
didn't want to fight or whatever, but I've never ducked a fight.
I've never said, "No, I'm not gonna fight this guy."
Ryan:
A couple of guys want me to ask you about the rest of the Lion's
Den guys, Pete Williams and Jerry Bohlander.
Ken:
Pete Williams, I saw him last night. He looks good. He's not
fighting. He's was thinking about doing chiropractic work and
now he's thinking about being a chef. He's looking in other directions.
His hearts not in it.
Jerry
Bohlander, he's down in Napa. He's training people out of a gym
down there in Napa, California. He's doing very well. His heart's
not into fighting, but he does love to train people.
Ryan:
Somebody wanted to know your thoughts about Randy Couture. What
about fighting a guy like Randy Couture?
Ken:
Sure.
Ryan:
You're easy. You just want to fight anybody, don't you?
Ken:
Yeah. There's certain people that I do want to fight. One of
them's Royce Gracie and one of them's Tito Ortiz. I'm at a certain
point in my career where it's not about the money. I mean, we
all need to make money, but it's not about the championship belt,
although the belt would be nice. But for me, it's just about
closing stories and that story's been left open between me and
Royce forever. With Tito Ortiz, it's a short story. It's been
going on for about four years. We fought, we put an end to that
chapter. I'd like to get a rematch just as Tito Ortiz wants a
rematch with
Randy Couture.
Ryan:
You started a promotion a while back. Is that done or are you
going to pursue that some more?
Ken:
Oh, the one in Atlantic City?
Ryan:
Yeah.
Ken:
We were talking about doing one. Instead of doing that, with
the Ground and Pound people that I'm with, we decided to go after
certain fighters and have them wear our clothing. Like, Matt
Hughes wore it, Randy Couture wore it, and we've got Ricco Rodriguez
in this next one. We've got a few other people that we're talking
to about wearing it, but that's kind of the direction with the
money. There is the possibility in the next year or so of putting
on an event in Atlantic City again.
Ryan:
Who do you think should be inducted into the Hall of Fame?
Ken:
I think Dan Severn has to be one of them. He won the Ultimate
Ultimate tournament and he won another tournament. He's definitely
made a mark in history. It's hard to say. You know, Jerry Bohlander
was the first light heavyweight champion back then it was middleweight.
He won the tournament to be the very first one. Frank Shamrock,
he's done a lot of great things in there. Randy Couture, who's
not done fighting yet, but definitely made a mark, a statement
at a late date in his life. I think that he's definitely deserving.
And, of course, Tito Ortiz. He has probably the longest winning
streak as champion in UFC history.
Ryan:
You've seen this sport change so much, are there any fighters
now that you like to watch compete?
Ken:
I like B.J. Penn. He's got a good style, very patient, but yet
explodes when he needs to. I like Randy Couture. He's just amazing.
I like Ricco Rodriguez, he's exciting at times. I like Phil Baroni.
I like his character and how he comes out. He's cocky but almost
in a respectful way because after the fight's over it's over.
I'll tell ya, there's a lot of them in there. It's hard to name
them all. These guys come after each other and it's exciting
to watch.
Ryan:
I'm just gonna fire some names at you and you just tell me whatever
comes to mind. Tank Abbott.
Ken:
[Laughs] Out of shape.
Ryan:
Dan Severn.
Ken:
Beat up. He's got too many little fights. He should wait and
take a big one.
Ryan:
Royce Gracie.
Ken:
Too much talking, not enough showing.
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