Upcoming
Events
Do you want to list an
event on Onzuka.com?
Contact Us
(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
11/21/03
SuperBrawl
(MMA)
Neil Blaisdell Arena
11/9/03
Pride: Final Conflict
(MMA)
(Toyko, Japan)
10/18/03
Amateur Fighting Competition 4
(Toughman)
10/4/03?
Pac Rim Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling Tournament
(Sub Grappling & BJJ)
(Klum Gym, UH Manoa)
9/27/03
1st Annual Kauai "Grappler's Paradise" 2003 Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu tournament
(BJJ, Sub Grappling)
(Kauai)
9/26/03
UFC 44: Undisputed
(MMA)
(Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV)
9/21/03
3rd Annual Gracie Kauai Longman Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
Kauai Veteran Center, (BJJ, Sub Grappling)
(Kauai)
9/20/03
SuperBrawl
(MMA)
Neil Blaisdell Arena
9/13/03
NAGA - Hawaiian Grappling Championships
(Sub Grappling & BJJ)
(Farrington HS?)
9/6/03
Warriors of the Ring 4
(MMA)
Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui
In The Gym,
Monthly Smokers
Giraldi Muay Thai Gym
(Muay Thai, Halawa) |
|
September News Part
1
Quote
of the Day
"When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow
bring out the best in ourselves."
William Arthur Ward |
NAGA
HAWAIIAN STATE GRAPPLING CHAMPIONSHIP This Weekend!
Farrington
High School Gym
Doors open at 10:00 AM
Tournament starts at 11:00 AM
Fees:
DAY OF THE EVENT = $65 all events, $10 Spectator (No exceptions)
Kids under 5 yrs are free!
Email
us and we can send you
a Microsoft word registration form or go to:
http://nagafighter.semkhor.com/page.asp?content_id=3016
Register and even pre-pay for the tournament.
Rule's
meeting on Thursday at 7:30 pm at Player's Sports Bar Alakea.
10:00 AM
DOORS OPEN to general public (Registration & Weigh-in begins
and lasts all day)
Tentative Tournament Schedule
11:00 AM to 4 PM
OPENING CEREMONIES (National Anthem, NAGA Rules) 10:30
NO-GI
GRAPPLING DIVISIONS Begin at 11AM (Rings 1 through 3)
1.
Kids, Youth, Women & Senior Grappling Divisions
2.
Men’s Beginner Grappling Divisions (Under 1 year experience)
3.
Men’s Intermediate Grappling Divisions (1 to 2 years experience)
4.
Men’s Advanced Grappling Divisions (2+ years experience)
GI
GRAPPLING DIVISIONS: Begin at 11AM (Ring #4)
5.
Men’s Purple Belt & Above Gi Divisions
6.
Men’s Blue Belt Gi Divisions
7.
Men’s White Belt Gi Divisions, Women, Juniors & Master
Gi Competition
NO
GI FINALS:
8.
Award Championship Belts
|
BJ
PENN'S NEXT FIGHT SCHEDULED FOR HAWAII
BJ Penn's next fight most likely won't be in the UFC. It appears
contracts have been sent out and we are just waiting for the
ink to dry to see Penn fight in Hawaii.
This
fight is being billed by promoters as the Lightweight MMA World
Championship. Rumble on the Rock 4 will take place on Friday
October 10 at the Blaisdale Arena Oahu.
The
lead opponents for Penn are Takanori Gomi and Joachim Hansen.
Promoters orginally wanted BJ Penn to face Jens Pulver, but Pulver
has a broken foot, not to mention he seems more interested competiting
at 145.
It's
also believed that Gil Castillo will be fighting on the card
against Renato "Charuto" Verissimo as well. The full
card should be released in the next couple of days.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
ULTIMATE
FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUTS HIGH IMPACT TV INFOMERCIAL TO INTRODUCE
MORE FANS TO MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
UFC:
21st Century Sports Provides Entertaining, Action-Packed Overview
Of UFC’s Evolution From Spectacle To Sport
LAS
VEGAS, NEV., September 9, 2003…Last weekend, the Ultimate
Fighting Championship (UFC) debuted UFC: 21st Century Sports,
a 28-minute info-mercial on national and local cable channels
that introduces more sports fans to the UFC and the sport of
mixed martial arts while providing an action-packed overview
of the UFC’s evolution from a pay-per-view spectacle 10
years ago to today’s professional combat sport.
The
viewing schedule continues tomorrow (September 10) and Thursday
on cable TV stations in eight U.S. cities and nationally on the
Spike TV network.
Hosted
by Showtime? fight analyst and commentator Al Bernstein, UFC:
21st Century Sports provides viewers an in-depth look at how
the UFC was founded in 1993 and details its growth and transition
from an international spectacle into a true professional combat
sport under the new ownership of Zuffa, LLC, its Las Vegas-based
parent company.
The
UFC story is told through the eyes of principal owner Lorenzo
Fertitta and President Dana White, celebrities like Joe Rogan,
host of NBC’s Fear Factor, fighters such as Chuck Liddell,
Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz, as well as mixed martial arts and
mainstream journalists, who have covered and reported the UFC’s
growth.
Viewers
also will learn how they can order the Ultimate DVD Collection
at www.ufcdvds.com, which includes Ultimate Knockouts 1 and 2
and the official UFC 44: Undisputed T-shirt for free. Fans also
can order by calling 800-332-1800. As a bonus, those who order
by September 26 will receive UFC 40: Vendetta, the double DVD
collection, which features the long-awaited showdown between
Light Heavyweight Champion Ortiz and UFC legend Ken Shamrock.
UFC: 21st Century Sports also promotes the Friday, September
26, LIVE pay-per-view telecast of UFC 44: Undisputed from Mandalay
Bay in Las Vegas when Ortiz will meet interim Light Heavyweight
Champion Randy Couture to unify the title.
Source: ADCC
|
PRIDE
FC BUSHIDO:
THE GRACIE FAMILY VERSUS JAPAN!
From
Dream Stage Entertainment
September
9, 2003 LOS ANGELES, California –Dream Stage Entertainment
is proud to announce its inaugural “Bushido” show which
will pit the Gracie family against a line-up of some of Japan’s
elite mixed martial artists.
Under
coach Royce Gracie, Team Gracie will consist of Renzo, Ryan,
Rodrigo, Daniel, and Ralph.
The
Japanese team has yet to be finalized.
The
event is scheduled for October 5th, 2003 from the Saitama Super
Arena in Japan and a total of 7-8 matches overall are expected.
Pay
per view availability will be announced soon!
Renzo
Gracie
MMA Record: 10 - 4 - 1
Team: Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
Height: 5'10 / 177.8 cm
Weight: 185 lbs / 84 kg
Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Birth Date: 3/11/1967
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro
Country: Brazil
Daniel
Gracie
MMA Record: 2 - 0 - 0
Height: 6'2 / 187.96 cm
Weight: 225 lbs / 102 kg
Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro
Country: Brazil
Relation: Cousin of Vitor, Renzo and Ryan
Rodrigo
Gracie
MMA Record: 3 - 0 - 0
Height: 6'0 / 182.88 cm
Weight: 187 lbs / 85 kg
Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Birth Date: 3/11/1975
Hometown: Rio De Janeiro
Country: Brazil
Gracie Bach Academy
1998 ADCC 87kg Champion
Ryan
Gracie
MMA Record: 2 - 2 - 0
Height: 5'9 / 175.26 cm
Weight: 176 lbs / 80 kg
Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Birth Date: 8/14/1974
Hometown: Rio De Janeiro
Country: Brazil
Ralph
Gracie
Nickname: “The Pit Bull”
Height: 5’10
Weight: 165 lbs
Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Birth Date: 5/25/1971
Hometown: Antioch, California
Source:
ADCC
|
Ultimate
Submissions Showdown
The
promoters for the Ultimate Submissions Showdown, scheduled for
October 11th, in Torrance California continue to accept and review
applications for their maiden show. The 8-man tournament, sponsored
by VARIG Airlines will take place in the James Armstrong Threather,
with $5,000.00 going to the winner!
Rorion
Gracie states: 'We have contacted Tito Ortiz, K.Sakuraba, H.
Yoshida, Frank Shamrock, Dan Severn, Jimmy Pedro & Gokor
Cyvichian to participate in the event but they declined due to
a variety of reasons such as scheduling conflicts. We continue
to pursue John Olav Einemo, Dean Lister, Kimo, Vladimir Matsuyenko,
Rico Rodrigues, Matt Hume, Pat Miletich. I encourage the general
public, if you know someone that you feel should participate
in this event to encourage them to submit their application.
There has been lots of interest from top fighters from Brazil
including many current BJJ World Champions but we are considering
a variety of grapplers from other specialties as well. I assure
you we are going to have a top line-up!'.
For
information and to submit your application go to www.igjjf.com
Source: ADCC |
2003
World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling Coming To New York
City
from New York City Sports Commission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date: Monday, September 8, 2003
2003
World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling Coming To New York
City September 12-14, 2003
The
New York City Sports Commission, along with USA Wrestling, the
Metropolitan Wrestling Association (MWA) and FILA, the international
federation for the sport of wrestling, today announced that the
Opening Ceremony of the 2003 World Championships of Freestyle
Wrestling will be held at Madison Square Garden, 'The World's
Most Famous Arena' on Friday, September 12 at 4:00 PM.
From
September 12-14, more than 500 competitors from over 70 countries
will take to the mat at this historic venue, making this the
largest wrestling championships ever. The event will feature
both men's and women's freestyle wrestling matches and will mark
the first time women will be competing in the World Championships
in the United States. The World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling
is also a qualifying event for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games
where women's wrestling will be contested in the Olympics for
the first time.
'We
are honored to have the world's best freestyle wrestlers come
to New York City,' said Ken Podziba, New York City Sports Commissioner.
'In the world's most ethnically diverse city, the World Championships
of Freestyle Wrestling will stir national passions and bring
an excitement that will demonstrate why this city is such an
extraordinary home for great international sports competitions.'
The
2001 World Championships, originally scheduled for September
26-29, 2001 at Madison Square Garden, were postponed after the
events of 9/11 and then moved to Bulgaria and Greece. FILA then
awarded the 2003 Freestyle Championships to New York with the
help of a generous gesture by the Slovakian Wrestling Federation,
who ceded the 2003 Championships to New York.
'We
are deeply grateful to our friends from Slovakia for making this
event possible and express admiration for both Bulgaria and Greece,
who generously and with amazing last-minute efficiency, took
over New York's organizational responsibility after the tragedy
of 9/11 and ran the Championships with great success' said Setrak
Agonian, President of the MWA. 'We look forward to repeating
that success in New York,' he added.
MWA
is an allied member of USA Wrestling and leader in the development
of amateur wrestling programs throughout the New York Metropolitan
area.
The
United States has hosted four previous World Wrestling Championships,
most recently the World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in
1995 at the Omni Arena in Atlanta, Georgia -- the year before
the 1996 Olympic Games were held in the same city. The 1979 World
Championships - in Freestyle and Greco-Roman - were held in San
Diego, California. Previous World Wrestling Championships were
held in Toledo, Ohio, in 1962 and 1966.
'USA
Wrestling is very excited to host what we believe will be one
of the most important wrestling events held in this country to
date, said Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling.
“We are confident in the organization and preparation
for the event, and look forward to a great showcase for our sport.'
'Never
has there been this kind of effort to handle every detail. The
venue is of great importance. There has never been a facility
for this event like Madison Square Garden, where everyone is
looking forward to competing in. Credit should be given to USA
Wrestling and the local organizing committee for handling every
challenge and putting in such a consistent effort' said Mario
Saletnig, FILA Vice-President.
FILA
is the international governing body for wrestling, selecting
the procedure and rules for all Olympic Games, World Championships,
World Cups and Continental Championships.
Both
all-session passes and single session passes are still available.
For all-session passes, please contact 1-877-NYC-2003 or stop
by the Madison Square Garden Box Office. Single session tickets
can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 212-307-7171, on
the web at www.ticketmaster.com or at the Garden Box Office.
The
New York City Sports Commission ensures the continuation and
growth of a healthy environment for professional, amateur and
scholastic sports activities in New York City. In recent years,
the Sports Commission has played a role in attracting or creating
many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from
Times Square, NYC Cycling Championships presented by BMC Software,
Senior Men's Tennis Championship, Let Freedom Run and The Wild
Onion Urban Adventure Race. The agency is also working with NYC2012
to bring the Olympic games to 'The World's Second Home.'
For
more information, log on to www.nyc2012.com/wrestlingworlds.
Ticket
Information:
Session
Dates and Times:
9/12
Session 1 Friday Morning 9am Preliminary Rounds
Opening Ceremonies Friday Afternoon 4pm Opening Ceremonies
Session 2 Friday Evening 5pm Preliminary Rounds
9/13 Session 3 Saturday Morning 9am Preliminary Rounds
Session 4 Saturday Evening 5pm Preliminary Rounds
9/14 Session 5 Sunday Morning 10am Bronze Medal Rounds
Session 6 Sunday Evening 4pm Gold Medal Rounds
Ticket
Prices
All-Session
Passes (all six sessions) no TicketMaster surcharge
Call: 1-877-NYC-2003
Lower Level Reserved (Loge) $185
Club Level Reserved (100's and 200's) $120
General Admission $80
Single
Session Passes
Call: Ticketmaster at 212-307-7171
Lower
Level Reserved (Loge) $40*
Club Level Reserved (100's and 200's) $30*
General Admission (Sunday only) $25*
General Admission (Friday and Saturday) $10*
*plus ticketmaster surcharge
Source: ADCC
|
'WRESTLING
WEEKEND' PROCLAIMED IN NEW YORK, AS FREESTYLE WORLDS SET TO START
FRIDAY
By: Eddie Goldman/ADCC Wrestling Editor
NEW
YORK, Sept. 9 -- The crowd of maybe a few hundred people that
gathered Tuesday morning in Manhattan's Greeley Square included
the U.S. men's and women's freestyle wrestling World Team, many
wrestling coaches, officials, and fans, representatives of NYC2012,
several members of the media, lots of passersby, and a few homeless
people.
With
the statue of Horace Greeley overlooking everyone, they all saw
and heard (except for a few sleepers) Ken Podziba, Commissioner
of the New York City Sports Commission, present a plaque to Setrak
Agonian, president of the Metropolitan Wrestling Association,
containing a proclamation from New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The
proclamation declared September 12-14 officially to be 'World
Championships of Freestyle Wrestling Weekend,' in honor of this
event which will take place those days at Madison Square Garden,
just one long block westward of this presentation.
The
crowd, many of whom were wearing red, white, and blue gear, cheered,
as the message that the World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling
was right around the corner, both literally and time-wise, came
through loud and clear. And this outdoor scene, with its motley,
New York crowd, reminded everyone why we all love New York.
Then,
as reporters from NBC, CBS, Sports Illustrated, the Associated
Press, and, of course, yours truly looked on, the wrestling began.
Well, sort of.
World
Team members Cael Sanderson, Kerry McCoy, Sally Roberts, Daniel
Cormier, and Patricia Miranda one by one took their turn on a
mini-mat going at it with some local New York City-area kid wrestlers.
The results of this play wrestling: all the kids won, by pin.
No one complained of works, not even me.
Bobby
Douglas, head coach of the U.S. men's freestyle World Team, said
he was optimistic about his wrestlers' chances for taking home
a bundle of medals.
'I
think if we follow the plan, the goal is to win the gold. That's
what we're here for. That's what we intend to do. We're going
to give it our best shot,' said Douglas, who is also the head
coach at Iowa State.
Douglas
believes that all seven of the men wrestlers have a shot at winning
gold. 'Look at the whole team,' he said. 'A large number of these
guys will be in Athens, so this is a preview of 2004.'
Just
as optimistic was Chris Bono, who finished second in the 2003
U.S. World Team Trials at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., and also serves as
assistant coach at Iowa State under Douglas.
'I
came as a training partner for Joe Williams, our 74 kg guy,'
said Bono. 'My main role is to get him ready to go win a world
title, go work out with him, and just make sure he has everything
he needs to go out and win.' Williams missed an opportunity for
a world title last year when the U.S. men's freestyle team did
not wrestle at the 2002 Worlds in Tehran, Iran, because of a
direct threat of violence to the team. Williams placed third
in 2001, losing a controversial 5-4 match to eventual World Champion
Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia.
'He's
doing real well,' Bono added. 'Joe's ready to go. He's real focused.
And look for him to be on top.'
One
of the wrestlers at Iowa State under both Douglas and Bono was
four-time NCAA champion Cael Sanderson. It was there he racked
up his 159-0 college record, becoming the first wrestler to go
undefeated over four college seasons. But after some disappointments
in freestyle, including one-point losses in the Titan Games and
the 2003 Pan Am Games, Sanderson now has an opportunity to become
a World Champion in his first trip to this event.
'Cael's
doing real well,' commented Bono. 'Look for him to be on top,
too. I think he's ready to win a tournament, and this could be
the one he wins.'
So
the clock is ticking and the tension mounting as the wrestling
is set to begin Friday morning, Sept. 12, in the Garden at 9
AM EDT. Right now about 80 countries are scheduled to compete,
with over 300 men and 150 women slated to hit the mats in the
three days of action. Those numbers will continue to change,
as some wrestlers and countries pull out or just show up at the
last minute. The real deadline is Thursday, Sept. 11, at 6 PM
for women and 6:30 PM for men, when the weigh-ins take place.
So
far, over 450 members of the media from all over the world have
been granted credentials for this event.
'Wrestling
Weekend' is about to get started, so make sure YOU don't miss
out on it. Tickets to the 2003 World Championships of Freestyle
Wrestling at Madison Square Garden, Sept. 12-14, are still available.
There
is also a two-for-one special on new purchases of tickets.
This
special lets you buy one ticket and get one ticket FREE to attend
any session, including the Friday evening opening ceremonies.
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"It's easy to get good players. Gettin' 'em to play together,
that's the hard part."
Casey Stengel
|
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 14 Tonight!
Episode 14 is cut and submitted to Olelo programming. It will
air this
coming Tuesday (September 9, 2003) at 6 pm on channel 52 and
run at the same day/time
and same channel for the following 4 weeks.
Episode
14 features:
-Superbrawl
30 8-man tourney highlights
-ROUND I
-Jason Miller (Egan's opponent on the September 20 Super Brawl)
vs. Jay Buck
-Desi Minor vs. Joe Doerksen
-Dennis Kang vs. Brendan Seguin
-Kaipo Kalama vs. Jonathan Goulet
-ROUND
II
-Jay Buck vs. Joe Doerksen
-Dennis Kang vs. Kaipo Kalama
-ROUND
III
-Joe Doerksen vs. Brendan Seguin
-interviews
w/ Doerksen, Kang, and Miller
-Technique
of the Week
-Enson "Yamato Damashii" Inoue
PLUS,
-an exclusive interview w/ Superbrawl Promoter T. Jay Thompson
on upcoming Super Brawl
news.
We
would love to hear what you think of the show.
Email us at:
fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
AND, Girls, think you're hot enough for the show? Resumes w/
pics to the
same address ;-)
|
AFC
4!!
Coming October 18, 2003
RECRUITING
FIGHTERS!!
Spots
are limited and will be on a first come first serve basis...Check
out
WWW.AFCHAWAII.COM
OR
Call 306-9326
for more information
Come and see all the action happening on
Saturday,
October 18, 2003
Source:
LINEBRED, LLC
|
Pride
"Bushido"
The
Pride "Bushido" light/middleweight event will match
up 5 Gracies against 5 Japanese fighters.
- Renzo Gracie vs. TBA
- Ryan Gracie vs. TBA
- Rodrigo Gracie vs. TBA
- Daniel Gracie vs. TBA
- Ralph Gracie vs. TBA
Pride
Bushido will take place on October 5th at the Saitama Super Arena
in Japan.
Source:
Maxfighting |
X-1
Results
Date: September 6, 2003
Location: Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium in Japan
1.
Jim Kikuchi def. David Velasquez via KO - R1
2. Jeff Ford def. Philip Preese via TKO - R1
3. Daniel Pudar def. Jay McCown via Unanimous Decision
4. Jimmy Westfall def. Adam Guerra via TKO (Towel Thrown) - R1
5. Jon Fitch def. Gabe Garcia via TKO - R1
6. Katsuhiko Nakajima def. Jason Rey via TKO - R1
7. Kensuke Sasaki def. Christian Wellisch via Choke - R1
8. Bobby Southworth def. Bryan Pardoe via TKO - R2
9. Dan "The Bull" Bobish def. Basil Castro via TKO
(Towel Thrown) - R1
Source:
MMA Fighting |
Interview
with Kazushi Sakuraba
A
press conference was held today in Takada Dojo, the first for
Kazushi Sakuraba since his battle at PRIDE "Total Elimination
2003". Sakuraba seemed to be in good shape and went through
his match against Silva again with a smile.
PRIDE Fighting Championships: What do you think about your fight?
Kazushi
Sakuraba: I punched too much (laughing). He was able to get out
of my takedowns so I was looking for a way to break his rhythm…
PRIDE:
He didn't have any weaknesses?
Sakuraba:
He didn't come straight out like he usually does. He would get
away from all my takedowns so I thought if I punched him, he
might come forward…
PRIDE:
Do you remember when you were hit?
Sakuraba:
I don't remember talking to Silva in the ring or even the ride
home after the fight.
PRIDE:
What about the hospital?
Sakuraba:
I went the next day.
PRIDE:
When did you realize that you had lost?
Sakuraba:
When my memory started coming back to me. After the fight, I
kept asking everyone what day of the month it was. Every time
they would say "August 10th", I was say "what
about the fight with Silva? I lost?" I saw the actual fight
when I went home and watched the television broadcast.
PRIDE:
You had a towel on your head when you left the ring.
Sakuraba:
I think (Daijiro) Matsui put that on me. I don't really remember.
I was told that Silva kept calling me his friend when we hugged
after the fight. (laughing).
PRIDE:
You would think that he hates you.
Sakuraba:
Probably. I'm really sad (probably).
PRIDE:
Have you gotten over the shock from your loss?
Sakuraba:
Yeah. It wasn't like last time.
PRIDE:
So, Silva was ready for your takedowns?
Sakuraba:
I thought so at the time. He normally comes right out front but
he didn't do that at all.
PRIDE:
Tell us about your weight gain?
Sakuraba:
I was able to push off of him when we were in the clinch. I could
really feel the extra power I had from gaining weight.
PRIDE:
Were you able to see his punches?
Sakuraba:
I saw them but I took a few too many. I was able to land a few
punches as well.
PRIDE:
When will you start training again?
Sakuraba:
I started weights again a couple of days after the fight. Only
weights because my leg hurts. I'm lifting now so I'll be able
to fight in the heavyweight tournament. (laughing).
PRIDE:
What about your return match?
Sakuraba:
If DSE puts it together, it will be soon. If not, it won't be.
PRIDE:
Within this year?
Sakuraba:
I don't know yet.
PRIDE:
There are fights in October and November.
Sakuraba:
Well, I can't fight in November because I lost the opening round,
of course.
PRIDE:
Maybe a special match.
Sakuraba:
With Silva? (laughing) If I can, I'll fight again this year.
If I can't I won't. I'll leave it up to fate.
PRIDE:
Silva said he wouldn't mind fighting a 4th time.
Sakuraba:
I always feel like I can beat him but I never do. It's a lot
of fun to fight with Silva because of the danger. I'd like to
fight him 4 or 5 times if I could.
PRIDE:
Who would you fight in heavyweight?
Sakuraba:
Nobody. If I said a name now, they might actually put that fight
together (laughing). It's happened before…
PRIDE:
What did you think of the other Grand Prix fights when you saw
them on TV?
Sakuraba:
Alistair's fight was close. I asked Minoru (Toyonaga, the referee
for the Alistair/Liddell fight) and he said that Alistair's knees
were really hurting Liddell.
PRIDE:
Would you like to fight Alistair?
Sakuraba:
No. He's not my type. He comes in kicking with a really odd timing.
PRIDE:
What about Yoshida vs. Tamura?
Sakuraba:
It was before my fight so I watched it backstage. It was okay.
PRIDE:
Silva didn't have much of a weight advantage over you this time.
Sakuraba:
I had Matsui put his foot on the scale during weigh-ins (laughing).
I'm about 89-91 kilos now. I eat a lot at breakfast.
PRIDE:
Are you always going to be a middleweight?
Sakuraba:
No, next year I'll be a heavyweight. (laughing).
PRIDE:
There's been talk of you headlining the Las Vegas event.
Sakuraba:
If that's the way it is, that's the way it will be. I want to
make my comeback in PRIDE. If it's in Las Vegas, I'd like to
go as a second. (laughing).
PRIDE:
What about being the PRIDE representative in the UFC?
Sakuraba:
Being a "representative" is too much trouble.
PRIDE:
Okay, not being a representative.
Sakuraba:
(laughing) I really haven't though about it. I want to continue
to fight in PRIDE and make PRIDE better.
PRIDE:
Mirko (Filipovic) said that he would like to train with you.
Sakuraba:
It's too far away. I don't even know where Croatia is. Besides,
Mirko is huge and he'd crush me. No thanks.
PRIDE:
He's probably sad to hear that.
Sakuraba:
I'd want to beat Silva with a submission so I'm not sure what
I'd get out of training with Mirko… Where is Croatia? Europe?
That's really, really far away. I really respect him for traveling
so far to Japan. The Brazilian fighters too. They come all the
way around the earth. Central Japan is about my limit.
PRIDE:
What do you think you were missing in your fight?
Sakuraba:
A little bit of everything.
PRIDE:
How about your special training? Are you going to do it again?
Sakuraba:
If I say it was great, they'll make me do it again (laughing).
I don't want to do it soon but maybe once every few years.
PRIDE:
Did you ever have an opportunity to beat Silva?
Sakuraba:
I had a few chances to take him down but I thought I'd try and
strike with him a little.
PRIDE:
Before the fight, you said that there wouldn't be a 4th fight?
Really?
Sakuraba:
Maybe we will (laughing). I said that? If he'll do it, I'd like
to fight him again. You've got to take what I say with a grain
of salt (laughing).
PRIDE:
Any words for Yoshida, the only Japanese fighter left in the
Grand Prix?
Sakuraba:
Do your best.
Source:
Pride |
Kazuhiro
Hamanaka
Takada
Dojo's "super rookie", Kazuhiro Hamanaka set off on
August 29th for more training with Randy Couture, Dan Henderson
and Matt Lindland's Team Quest. This is Hamanaka's 2nd trip to
train with Team Quest. Before he left however, Hamanaka held
a press conference at Takada Dojo to talk about his upcoming
trip.
Kazuhiro Hamanaka has been making a push for his appearance in
the main-event at the October 5th Bushido event. Hamanaka made
his debut with a win against Nino "Elvis" Schembri.
Even before his fight with Schembri, Hamanaka had been training
with Team Quest. According to Hamanaka, the fight with Schembri
was signed only 3 days before the event. This time, however,
he will go to America to train for about 3 weeks in preparation
for Bushido. "I learned a lot about myself in the fight
with Nino." Hamanaka said, "I've got to learn the correct
distance when striking and to be able to use my (wrestling) techniques,
regardless of position. I want to be able to follow up strikes
with takedowns the way Fedor does."
Hamanaka
will be able to train with the current UFC Light Heavyweight
Champion, Randy Couture. "Randy's fighting style is close
to what I want mine to become. The other fighters (at Team Quest)
have the same wrestling base as me so I can study vale-tudo style
that makes good use of wrestling." Hamanaka will stay at
Couture's house during his trip and said that he hopes to learn
a lot when he goes to watch the September 20th UFC event where
Couture will fight Tito Ortiz.
Hamanaka
also wants to bring back a "souvenir". "I want
to bring back something that can really finish a fight, maybe
a sleeper-hold or something like that." According to Hamanaka's
university wrestling coach "in the beginning there's nothing
he can do but use his wrestling to ground and pound. In the end,
however, I hope he'll be more like Sakuraba and win by submission."
Hamanaka seems to agree, "When you win by decision, there's
still something that doesn't feel right. I want to win by submission
or KO. If you go in defensively, you can't win."
Apparently,
everything is not perfect in America for Hamanaka. "I don't
really like American food. It doesn't suit me well and I lost
a lot of weight last time. They eat deer meat. It's hard and
not very good. Everyone eats bread and I can't really get any
rice. One thing that I always looked forward to was buying fried-rice
at a supermarket 10 km down the road."
Hamanaka's
expression changed when Bushido was brought up. "I don't
care if my opponent is Japanese or a foreigner. As long as he
is a strong fighter, I want to fight him. I don't think that
Japanese fighters are weak. I just think they haven't been able
to really show their strong points. I want to prove that Japanese
are the strongest fighters. I'm not going to settle for just
winning my debut fight. I want to win more. I want to get stronger
and that feeling gets stronger all the time."
Source:
Pride |
Quote
of the Day
"It's easy to get good players. Gettin' 'em to play together,
that's the hard part."
Casey Stengel
|
Warriors
of the Ring 4 Results!
Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui
September 6, 2003
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
MMA returned to Maui and once again provided a venue for up and
comers to gain experience. A lot of people forget that good fighters
are not born, they are made. That is why if we all want the sport
of MMA to grow, we need to support events like Warriors of the
Ring which provides a place for fighters to test their skills
against opponents that are on the same level in a safe environment.
Maui MMA fans are increasing in numbers and becoming educated
with every event. I always enjoy events where new fighters compete
because they come out to fight and do not look to "protect"
their records like some journeymen fighters do. They come out
to bang and that is exactly what they did. The event started
out a couple of very young fighters starting up the crowd with
some amateur boxing. These kids showed skills well beyond their
years. In every match that followed, the fighters came out like
bats out of hell and really went after each other. Some of the
highlights were Tavini Sulusi's KO of John Quinlan, Ryan Lee's
aggressive guard that he used to secure Eric Tolentino's arm,
and the crowd being jarred by Billianor's dislocated elbow which
occurred early in the match. The crowd was then treated to four
warriors going at it in the last two matches. Sariento controlled
his match with Ishimine, but Ishimine was still in the fight
all the way to the end. And Moreno showed a lot of heart in his
fight with Hinojesa. Hinojesa has a lot of talent, look for him
and his teammate Ishimine to make some waves in the future. The
next Warriors of the Ring will break in the New Year by having
a show on January 25, 2004.
Exhibition
Bout: Amateur Kickboxing: 3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Jacob Carlos vs. Keola McKee
Exhibition
Bout: Amateur Kickboxing: 3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Thomas Kahoohanohano vs. Casey Ladore
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Josh Kamalo def. Joe Estrella
Verbal submission due to strikes at 4:21 minutes in Round 1.
Tavini
Sulusi (Maui Full Contact Fighting) def. John Quinlan
KO at 11 seconds in Round 1.
Warren
Miguel (Maui Full Contact Fighting) def. Lucky Keefner
Split decision [(29-28), (28-29), (29-28)] after 3 rounds.
Ryan
Lee (Bulls Pen) def. Eric Tolentino
Submission via arm bar from the guard at 1:14min in Round 1.
Matt
Mozzoca def. Anthony Billianor (Maui Full Contact Fighting)
TKO due to injury when Billianor dislocated his elbow at 30 seconds
in Round 1.
Semi-Main
Event:
Harris Sariento (808 Fight Factory) def. Lorrin Ishimine (Maui
Full Contact Fighting)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
Main
Event
Alan Hinojosa (Maui Full Contact Fighting) def. Marcus Moreno
(Bulls Pen)
Submission via forearm choke at 4:13 minutes in Round 2.
|
King
of the Cage Quick Results
(Warning: Event shows on pay-per-view Sunday)
September
5th, Soboba Casino, San Jacinto, CA.
MAIN
EVENT
Ronald
'Machine Gun' Jhun vs John Alesio - Alessio by Judges Decision.
Dean Lister vs James Lee - Lister arm-bar Rd1 (Lister was cornered
by Royce Gracie & Tito Ortiz)
Main
Card
Jeff
Newton vs Tim Konrad - Newton by Choke
Charlie Valencia vs Greg Mayer - Valencia by sub
Tony Petarra vs Wes Combs - Combs by KO
Joe Crilley vs Javier Casio - Crilley Rd 1 1:37 TKO
Thomas Denny vs Jason Dolder - Denny by ref stoppage
Joe Camacho vs Juliano Prado - Camacho by KO Rd1
'Krazy Horse' vs Siryapai - Krazy Horse by JD
Thomas Kenny vs Paul Cid - ref stoppage
Richard Solis vs Alex Rickards - Solis 3:19 Gullotine
Richard McCorkel vs Jayson Dickinson - McCorkel 1:07 TKO
Michael Penalber vs Buddy Clinton - Clinton by choke Rd1
Source:
ADCC |
Shooto
2003
September 5, 2003
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
Start Time 6:00 PM Japan time
Takehiro
Harusaki defeated Issei Tsurumi by Rear Naked Choke at 4:43 min
in rount 2
Tiger Ishii defeated Takahisa Toyoshima by Triangle Choke at
3:35 min in round 2
Akihiko Adachi defeated Yosuke Mikami by Unanimous Decision after
2 rounds
Yoichi Fukumoto defeated Shinobu Ito by Armbar at 4:24 in round
1
Yohei Mikami defeated Kenji Osawa by Unanimous Decision after
2 rounds
Kestutis Smirnovas defeated Masaya Inoue by TKO (Didn't Answer
Bell) after round 1
Hideki Kadowaki defeated Denisas Archirejevas by Armbar at 3:45
min in round 1
Masato Shiozawa defeated Akira Komatsu by Rear Naked Choke at
4:19 min in round 2
Luiz Firmino defeated Kohei Yasumi by Unanimous Decision after
3 rounds
Norifumi Yamamoto defeated Caleb Mitchell by KO (Punch) at 0:40
min in round 1
Source:
Sherdog |
SILVA
TALKS IT UP ABOUT ICEMAN AND RAMPAGE
Very interesting quotes by Vanderlei Silva to Tatame. Here's
a few of his comments about Quinton Jackson and Chuck Liddell.
Tatame:
Is there any fighter that you want to face at the next round?
Vanderlei:
I don't choose my opponents. I'm with a very hard punch and when
I touch Chuck Liddell or Quinton Jackson, they'll see that I'm
a unusual fighter. In front of me, they are just an assholes.
They just talk about me on my backs. Liddell, for example, talked
some shits about me... The old guy is at the end of his career
and I'll close it!
Tatame:
And what about Quinton Jackson? Did you talk with him in Japan?
Vanderlei:
Of course not! I don't understand some teams. Before the fight,
everybody keep laughing, cheating... I won't talk with somebody
that later will try to kick my head! I'm not a snobbish guy,
it's just my job! After the fight, I can talk with respectable
fighters as Sakuraba, for example. But I'll never talk with a
guy like Mirko Cro Cop.
Source: MMA Weekly |
AFC
5 Quick Results
Friday, September 5th, 2003, War Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Lauderdale,
FL
155
lb AFC World Title Match:
3 RDS - Edson Diniz (American TOP TEAM, AFC World Champion, Ft
Lauderdale, FL) versus Nick Aguillar (Freestyle Academy, Kenosha,
WI) Aguillar by unanimous dec. Aguillar is the new Champion
170
lb AFC World Title Match:
3 RDS - Chris Lytle (Integrated Fighting, AFC World Champion,
Indianapolis, IN.) versus Chatt Lavender (Blaylock IMB / MBDC,
Chatanooga, TN.) - Chris Lytle beats Chatt Lavender - triangle
0:55, Rd 1. Lytle is the new AFC welterweight title)
3
RDS / 185 LBS - Dustin Denes (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL) versus Nick Thompson (Freestyle Academy, Kenosha, WI) - Dustin
Denes wins - triangle choke at 1:45, Rd 1
2
RDS / 155 LBS - Pedro Brandao (Gracie Miami, Miami, FL) versus
Phil Johns (Silverbacks, Canton, IL) - Phil Johns Unanimous Dec.
2
RDS / 185 LBS - Efrain Ruiz (Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami,
FL) versus Josh Krueger (Duneland VT, Portage, IN) - Efrain by
TKO
2
RDS / 135 LBS - Paulo Barros Guerrero (Natal, Brazil) versus
Matt Hamilton (Living Defense, Little Rock, AR) - Paul Barros
Unanimous Dec.
2
RDS / 205 LBS - Marcel Ferreira (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL) versus Tony Ross (Integrated Fighting, AFC World Champion,
Indianapolis, IN.) - Marcel Ferreira by choke Rd 1
2
RDS / 155 LBS - Jorge Masvidal (Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami,
FL) versus Roli Delgado (Living Defense, Little Rock, AR.) -
Jorge Masvisdal TKO Rd 2
2
RDS / 170 LBS - Jorge Santiago (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL) versus Derrick Noble (Silverbacks, Canton, IL) - Santiago
by U. Dec.
2
RDS / 155 LBS - Joe Cervantes (Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami,
FL) versus Brian Geraghty (Freestyle Academy, Kenosha, WI.) -
Draw
Source: ADCC |
PRIDE
FC AND THE AMERICAN MMA MEDIA
September 5, 2003
LOS ANGELES, California - Because of Ryan Bennett's recent article
"Pride Shuts Out American Media," Dream Stage Entertainment
USA has felt compelled to respond.
While
we do respect other viewpoints, we decided it was time to give
our perspective on dealing with the media for Pride FC events
in Japan. Because of the international nature of Pride, we receive
media requests from all over the world, including the United
States, Brazil, Australia, and numerous European countries. This
is not to mention the Japanese media, which are in their own
home market. In Japan the sport isn't only covered by the Japanese
MMA media, it's also covered by the mainstream media. All in
all, we commonly field over 300 press requests per event. It's
an enormous challenge to satisfy everyone when dealing with such
a literal crush of media.
While
Dream Stage Entertainment USA has been working diligently these
past four years to bring Pride FC into the United States, it
must be realized that it is still primarily a Japanese show.
This is not to say that DSE USA does not cater to American fans,
on the contrary, the fight cards are always built with the intention
of hopefully satisfying both the Japanese and American fans.
In
regards to the American MMA media---they have been given more
access and privileges than most of their Japanese counterparts,
including closer photography positions and being privy to the
hotel in which the fighters are staying. In many cases, members
of the American MMA media have been brought to Japan and accommodated
as guests of DSE. In addition, it's been common practice that
the American MMA media is allowed to ride from the hotel to the
events in the same bus as the fighters, granting them even more
access and convenience than their counterparts. While it's true
that we cannot always give all of these privileges to each individual
American MMA website at the same time, we've done the best that
we can.
In
terms of going backstage, no media, American or otherwise, is
given access. This is done, again, because of the amount of media
we must accommodate (and keeping things fair) as well as our
belief that the fighters must be given their privacy prior to
their matches.
As
far as weigh-ins, this comes down purely to a cultural difference,
which has either not been understood or explained to the American
MMA media. In Japan, it's not culturally acceptable to have a
public weigh-in the same way it is in the United States. Yes,
it's an opportunity for drama, stare downs, bad blood to boil,
etc. But this is from the American perspective. While Pride FC
events are in Japan, their events are run according to their
cultural rules.
To
address negative press---DSE USA respects the right of journalists
to write what they like, but the problem has been that many critical
articles and even posts on message boards by well-respected members
of the MMA community have been written completely without our
point of view. While we cannot always disclose all the reasons
behind our decision, to not be approached and then be criticized
with only one side of the story, isn't always easy to accept.
Most
of these issues seem to come down to cultural differences and/or
just plain misunderstandings and we are making attempts to be
more open and approachable in the future. If guidelines and expectations
are set in advance, we feel that this would only benefit both
sides.
DSE
USA is aware and thankful for our support in the United States
and for coverage by the American MMA media. As the sport grows
in this country we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship
with the media and the fans.
I
welcome any suggestions or comments by the American MMA media,
in the hopes of building a better, more open relationship.
Best
Regards,
Turi
Altavilla
Vice President of Production
Dream Stage Entertainment USA
Source:
FCF
|
Heating
Up For The IFC Tourney:
Time For Some Recognition As Forrest Griffin Builds His Way Up
And Is Ready For Big Time!
Unofficial Results
Note: I just read on the Underground that Babalu beat Jeremy
Horn by decision in the finals to win the tournament, but Horn
had a deep triangle or arm bar with 7 or 8 seconds left and the
round bell sounded ending the fight.
Babalu has quite the following. Very impressive for someone out
of Portugal-it sounded like a soccer game crowd behind me.
Sauer
over Gray...46 sec
Babalu
over Prangley.....Prang was bleeding all over the place
Shogun
over Erick Wanderlei......2:54 in the 2nd, Shogun went to town
on his head\face-brutal
Horn
over Avetisyan...4:59....arm bar from HELL
Griffin
over Sonnen...2:25 submission (double check this one)
For
the title, Babalu beat Horn in the "war of all wars".......Baba's
left eye was full blown swollen shut.
Just
a few hours away from what promises to be one of the most exciting
tournaments in recent years, Full Contact Fighter continues to
heat up things for the show as they couldn't be more heated at
this point! In a field with famous Light Heavyweight fighters
including UFC and PRIDE veterans, and athletes representing the
biggest teams in our sport, one guy quietly emerges as the underdog,
as he always did in his appearances, and don't be surprised if
he manages to steal the action and come out on with some good
wins when all is over at tonight's IFC show. Forrest Griffin
is a guy that has the opposite stereotype of what people got
used to recognize as an MMA fighter.
Very down to earth, calm, relaxed and educated, Griffin is a
different kind in this sport. Spending his time and earning his
living by helping kids with emotional problems, one can already
understand that Forrest is an extremely calm person, and this
translates into the ring. If you ever see this guy in a weigh-in,
you will understand why he is for real. His calmness and tranquility
reaches a point that amazes most people, and one could think
he is either a talented and confident fighter, or a crazy unaware
guy! But if you look at his record, you'll soon understand that
the first case is what reveals the truth. With one loss coming
at his very debut to the hands of a much more experienced, and
much heavier Dan Severn, Griffin is yet to lose a fight since,
and his list of wins includes names like UFC veterans Jeff Monson
and Travis Fulton, and most impressively a recent quick win over
seasoned veteran Ebenzer Fontes Braga at HEAT FC 1 in Brazil,
little more than a month ago. Quietly and without drawing much
attention, this fighter from Georgia has been building an impressive
resume and now he is entering the biggest tournament he ever
took part in. Make no mistake about it, he knows what this can
mean, and he is taking it as he takes all his fights, for fun!
This is probably the secret of this guy's calmness and good showings,
despite not training with big names or in any known teams, he
loves our sport and he is a natural. So, when the IFC starts
tonight, don't be surprised if Forrest Griffin steals some of
the spotlights and put on a good showing, cause winning or losing
he is going be having a great time!
FCF: Let's start by talking about your last fight. You fought
at Heat Fighting Championship in Brazil, and defeated Ebenezer
Fontes Braga, who's a UFC and PRIDE veteran. What did you think
of your performance in the fight, and what did you think of the
experience of fighting in your opponent's home turf?
FG: It was a great experience all around. The fight worked out
well for me. It was one of those things that if the fight haven't
gone so well I would thought of it as a horrible experience (Laughs),
but everything went well for me as far as the fight, so the experience
was a good one and is always good to travel and sort of overcome
that psychological disadvantage of being in somebody else's home
turf.
FCF:
Do you like fighting as the underdog?
FG: Yeah, it's a lot easier that way!
FCF:
(Laughs) What did you think of being in Brazil overall, not only
about the fight itself, but of the show, or the trip in general?
FG: Oh, I mean, I loved it! But it's a totally different place,
on the little things. Like the showers aren't very hot, or the
beds at the hotel are small (Laughs) nothing is supersize like
we have in America. Everything is a little different, and those
things are nice when you're just going out for travel, and seeing
places, and enjoy different parts of the world and get a piece
of that culture, but when you're gonna fight you want as much
normality as possible. You like everything to be pretty normal,
like you are used to.
FCF:
What did you think of Braga issuing you a challenge for a rematch,
in a friendly way, after your victory?
FG: Well, I mean, is one of those things that ensures me another
trip back to Brazil and another fight. You never really want
to fight a guy that you already beaten up. It's just that I know
that when somebody beats me I'll want to fight him again, and
I just know that if I had lost that fight I would want to fight
him again, and I would just work my ass off for every minute
of every day, to make sure that the next time things will go
down in my favor. You know in your head that that's what he is
thinking "No way this little punk kid is gonna beat me twice!
I'm going to give everything I can and beat this kid". You
really have to watch fighting somebody you already beat.
FCF:
Are you a guy that seeks rematches? You only lost once, but did
you think about rematching Dan Severn after you lost to him in
your debut?
FG: Not really. I don't know, you know, I just don't see it helping
me out really. It's not like he was a mean guy, or vicious or
anything like that. He didn't really leave a bad taste in my
mouth, for me it was just one of those things as growing, learning,
developing as a fighter and overcoming the fact that there's
people watching you. For me it was a good learning experience,
it's tough to lose but I didn't get hurt and I was training again
in the next week. The guy wasn't mean, he dominated me but he
didn't hurt me or didn't destroy me, he didn't break me mentally.
So that's not I fight I ever wanted a rematch.
FCF:
So you don't hold grudges against the fighters you face in the
ring?
FG: No, not particularly (Laughs) I don't want to talk about
it too much, but there's a couple of guys that I won the fight
straight up, no questions asked and they were like "it was
fluke, and this and that" These people I would be happy
to fight again. Just because I go out there and fight a good
fight, and you have an off day it doesn't mean you can run around
saying, whatever, it doesn't count. It counts!
FCF:
You're fighting now in the IFC Light Heavyweight tournament,
in what can mean a big step in your career. You have been showing
good skills ever since you started fighting, but it seems that
only lately people started to notice you. Why do you think it
took so long for people to start giving you recognition as a
fighter?
FG: For me that's not actually the case. I went over and won
a fight in South Africa and I destroyed my shoulder, and I was
pretty hyped after that! People had good things to say about
me, but then I didn't fight for three months. It took three months
for me to be able to fight again. So I kind started from the
bottom, so I built myself back up and I got some wins, I got
back kind of where I needed to be, I beat Jeff Monson, Travis
Fulton and then I won a fight in KOTC and I got hyped again!
People were like "Hey, pay attention to this kid! This and
that" so I had a shot at fighting Bobby Hoffman and being
in a big tournament at KOTC, that could've being a big opportunity
for me, but I broke my hand and didn't fight for nine months,
until I fought Braga!
FCF:
So it took away some of the momentum you had...
FG: Exactly, you have to string a couple of wins in a row in
this business. You have to have a couple of good performances
back to back before you can be that "flavor of the month"
in MMA or anything like that (Laughs).
FCF:
Fortunately now people are paying attention to you after your
win at HEAT FC, and you are entering one of the most exciting
tournaments this year in the IFC. What are your thoughts about
fighting in a tournament format, with three possible fights in
one night, and what do you think this opportunity may represent
for your career?
FG: I think it's the biggest thing I ever done, the biggest opportunity
I've ever had. As far as fighting three fights in one night potentially,
it's a bit weird... It won't be too much problem for me to fight
for long periods of time. I'll be able to bring in the second,
and even in the third fight as long as I don't get hurt. But
the thing is that you don't worry about that. You want to look
down and think of the night as a whole. You want to beat the
guy they put in front of you in the beginning. That's what you
think about, just winning the first fight. If I do that, it'll
be a successful night, regardless of what happens down the road.
FCF:
This tournament takes place in a cage. You already fought in
KOTC once, but most of your fights like in HEAT FC were in a
ring. Do you like better fighting in a ring or a cage? What's
the difference for you?
FG: I like fighting in a ring a lot better. I don't know why
but the cage, I don't know... First I thought I liked it more
but now I'm not crazy about it. I think [in the cage] there's
more opportunity to just slow the action down. You see a lot
more people standing in a clinch, just pushing each other against
the cage and staying there and nothing happens. I think in a
ring you can't really do that...
FCF:
Do you think the cage can favor a fighter that is willing to
stall?
FG: Yeah, I think it favors Wrestlers, of course...
FCF:
(Laughs) I didn't mention Wrestlers! But since you said that,
I tend to agree (Laughs)...
FG: (Laughs) Yeah, I mean, I don't mean it as a flight or anything
but fighting on the cage favors wrestlers, end of story.
FCF:
Speaking of that, you're fighting a Wrestler in your first fight
in the tournament, facing Chael Sonnen from Team Quest. What
are you expecting from this fight?
FG: Well, I really don't know much about him. He only had as
much time to prepare for it as I had, since he is replacing somebody
as well. I think it's a great opportunity for both of us. He
is a young guy, like myself. I know that coming from Team Quest
he is going to have game, so I gotta get ready for that, but
there's always so much you can do.
FCF:
Does the fact that he is a Wrestler changes your strategy in
any sense, or you just waits to see what the fight will bring
to you?
FG: I mean, I always have a strategy but I just haven't yet utilized
it. Strategy seems to fall out of the window for me as soon as
things starts happening (Laughs) you know... There's things I
would like to do in this fight, sometimes you can make them happen,
sometimes you can't. It's just a whole different thing when you
get in there. You just do the best you can when you can't really
make things happen. I think this is the mark of a great fighter,
a fighter that can dictate where the fight is going to be and
the pace of the fight. I'm not there yet, I can't dictate where
the fight is going to be. Sometimes I do, because they guy for
whatever reason will let me, or he wants fight as frankly as
I want to fight, but very few fighters can and it's mostly upper
level guys. They can make you fight at their pace, and they can
make you fight their style and that's a little out of my league
right now.
FCF:
Do you think fighting a guy with Chael's style may be your toughest
challenge in this tournament?
FG: Yeah, I hate fighting Wrestlers.
FCF:
There's also a lot of big names fighting in this tournament.
Who do you think are the most dangerous guys in this field of
competitors?
FG: I don't know. I mean, I'm not familiar with any of the Brazilians
coming on the other side of the bracket. I don't know anything
about them, except that I don't want them taking me down (Laughs).
As far as the other guys, I think they're all tough otherwise
they wouldn't be in the tournament. Babalu, Horn, they're all
good fighters so you have to be prepared.
FCF:
This is a 205 lbs tournament, and you fought in Brazil heavier
than that. Do you already went down in weight? [Interview done
last Sunday]
FG: I weigh about 210/215 lbs right now. I haven't weighed 205
lbs since I was on the 10th grade (Laughs), so I never really
tried to get that light. You know, your whole life you just try
to get bigger, you kind of want to get big and strong...
FCF:
Do you have a plan for going down in weight?
FG: Sweat! Lot's and lot's of sweat!
FCF:
I know you have a regular job, and I would like you to give us
a brief description of what do you work with, so people can know
what's your job.
FG: Yeah, I'm a teacher. I work at a school for children with
severe emotional and behavior disorders, and you know, it's a
stressful job, a really stressful job just as far as dealing
with the kids and everything. At the same time it's rewarding!
I like kids and I like doing it. It's a lot of work but I kind
of like it.
FCF:
It's impressive. Does the kids that you teach know that you are
a fighter?
FG: Yeah! And the funny thing is that it doesn't phase them at
all! They don't care! (Laughs) They know you're not going to
do anything to them, you know! It's like "Quit that Kung-Fu
shit, that won't be work!" they don't care, it's funny how
unimpressed they are about it at all! (Laughs)
FCF:
(Laughs) Does that frustrate you?
FG: Well, I mean, you can't really intimidate kids. I just think
it's funny as they are just so fearless of things as they are!
It's the sign of the times man! (Laughs)
FCF:
Do they support you, like knowing you're going to fight and stuff?
FG: They don't seem to care, one way or the other. You know,
human nature is very self-centered, and I think we all as children
tend to think the world evolves around us, and they aren't different.
They're totally focused on their neighbourhood, their personal
strives and struggles. We're talking about kids with severe emotional
and behavior desorders, so...
FCF:
I heard that you have a girlfriend. How about her? Does she gets
scared or affraid when you're about to fight or anything like
that?
FG: She doesn't worry too much. She was there when I broke my
hand, so she's not affraid...
FCF:
In any case you made a good reputation for yourself here in Brazil
with the girls, so if something happens you always have the Brazilian
girls to resort to you know (Laughs)...
FG: (Laughs) There you have it!
FCF:
What's next for Forrest Griffin after the IFC? When are you coming
back to Brazil?
FG: Well, I'll be back at Heat Fighting Championship 2, in November!
What's the date of the show again?
FCF:
The 27th of November!
FG: Exactly! I'll be back fighting at the 27th of November, and
I look forward to have a good time and a good showing there.
It'll be fun.
FCF:
Do you have any final messages for the fans of the sport, or
even your fans since you're starting to build a fan base of your
own in places like the Undergound Forum?
FG: I'm very happy and honored to have fans, and I think in the
end anything I can do for the sport would be great. Because this
is something I enjoy, and I like doing and it's one of those
things... I feel like we're so downtrodden, specially here in
the U.S. you know, as far as the sport and any sense of legitimacy.
We're all in that together. If you're a fan and you like my fighting
or whatever, then there's no reason for not come up and just
talk. This is not a sport where people ask for autographs really,
you know, it's like you don't ask for my autograph, come over
and ask me to buy you a beer! There's no sense for the autograph
thing, I ain't making 32 million a year, the money is little,
and the fame is little, so you really gotta love it.
FCF:
At least you're going to have a good time there!
FG: Yeah, you know it! Definetelly! Except for that "mile
high" altitude over there, I don't know about that (Laughs).
FCF:
I'm sure you will! Thanks a lot for your time Forrest!
FG: Thanks Eduardo! It was a pleasure.
Source:
FCF
|
Quote
of the Day
"A good plan executed right now is far better than a perfect
plan executed next week."
George S. Patton
|
Warriors
of the Ring 4 Tonight!
Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui
September 6, 2003
Joe Estrella vs. Josh Kamalo
Tavini
Sulusi vs. John Quinlan
Warren
Miguel (Maui Full Contact Fighting) vs. Lucky Keefner
Eric
Tolentino vs. Ryan Lee
Lorrin
Ishimine vs. Ed Newalu (808 Fight Factory)
Anthony
Billianor (Maui Full Contact Fighting) vs. Matt Mozzoca
Paulo
Lupi (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Harris Sariento (808
Fight Factory)
Alan
Hinojosa (Maui Full Contact Fighting) vs. Marcus Moreno (Bulls
Pen) |
Penn
vs Gomi Might Be On in ROTR
MMARR has learned the BJ "The Prodigy" Penn will possibly
be facing Takanori Gomi at "Rumble On The Rock" in
October. Both fighters are believed to still be under contract
with their respective organizations. MMARR will keep you posted.
Source: MMA Ring Report |
Gracies
train together for Pride in US
| |