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November
Pride
Bushido 5
(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
10/22/04
UFC 50: 'The War of '04'
(MMA)
(Boardwalk Hall
Atlantic City, NJ)
September
Ring
of Honor 6
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Kauai)
Tentative
9/18/04
NAGA
Hawaii State
Grappling Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
9/11/04
K-1 Hawaii
(Boxing & Kickboxing)
(Aloha Stadium)
9/5/04
Kickin’ It 6
(Kickboxing)
(Naniikapono Elementary)
August
Ring of Honor 6
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Maui)
Tentative
8/28/04
Hawaiian Grappling Challenge
(Submission Grappling)
(Oahu)
So You Think You Tough 5
(MMA)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
8/27/04
Punishment in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Kapolei High School)
8/21/04
UFC 49: Unfinished Business
(MMA)
(MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas)
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August 2004 News
Part 2
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New Time! |
Quote
of the Day
”Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster
man.
But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he
can.”
Vince Lombardi, 1913-1970, American Football Coach |
Super
Brawl to Air on SPIKE TV This Weekend!
Watch for the new Super Brawl TV show to air on SPIKE TV this
weekend late friday night (early Saturday morning) at 4:30am,
3:30 Central, Saturday night (early Sunday morning) at 3:30am,
2:30 Central and Sunday night (early Monday morning) at 3:30am,
2:30 Central.
There is the new Super Brawl theme. Please credit Death Row Records,
Top Exceutive Suge Knight, Artist - Eastwood
Source: Super Brawl |
Wrestling
Seminar with Olympian at Gracie Academy on Aug. 23rd
Wrestling Seminar with Sanshiro “Sonny” Abe
1996 NCAA Wrestling Champion for Penn State
1996 Atlanta Olympian representing Japan
Gracie Main Academy
844 Queen Street
589-2524
Cost: $30
When: Monday,
August 23, 2004
Time: 7:30-9:00PM
Wrestling
Clinic at Saint Louis High School Too
Wrestling Clinic with Sanshiro “Sonny” Abe
Saint Louis High School
August
21 & 22, 2004
11AM-4PM
$30
$300 for teams (10 + wrestlers and coaches)
Many thanks to Myles Suehiro for setting this up.
Source: Myles Suehiro |
PUBLIC
BETTING ON BELFORT
The
latest lines are moving as the public is picking the underdogs
for UFC 49. Vitor Belfort orginially started at +160 not he's
down to +146 as the fans continue to bet on him. The biggest
underdog being bet right now is David Terrell. That line has
changed the most as Terrell started at +205 and now has come
down to +181.
The
only favorite to be continually bet on has been Chuck Liddell.
Our Best Bets page will not only have updated odds all weekend
long, but our panel has their "best bets" already up
so check out the latest odds there and of course our friends
at sportsbook.com
Randy
Couture -156 Vitor Belfort +146
Chuck
Liddell -313 Vernon "Tiger" White +283
Justin
Eilers -158 Mike Kyle +148
Matt
Lindland -201 David Terrell +181
Joe
Doerksen -190 Joe Riggs +180
Josh
Thomson -101 Yves Edwards -109
Nick
Diaz -160 Karo Parisyan +150
Chris
Lytle -228 Ronald
Jhun +208
Source: MMA Weekly |
Opinion
Poll about Belfort and Couture III
Submitted by: Luca Atalla with R.N.
Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture will be in the octagon again
facing each other next August 21st at the UFC 49. Both athletes
have already fought twice. The american wrestler won the first
match by TKO (strikes), and the second confrontation had a frustrating
ending: 49 seconds into the first round, Couture had an eye injured,
and the battle was stopped by medical KO. Now, the UFC main event
features a ‘tie breaker’. Check out the opinions of
many of Brazil's top observers:
Rodrigo
'Minotauro' Nogueira: 'Vitor is a much more complete fighter.
His punches are better than Couture's, who is a terrific wrestler.
On the ground, Vitor is better too. Much more aggressive than
the american'.
Anderson
Silva: 'Vitor should be able to win again. He just can’t
let his 'warrior spirit' go away. Couture is very dangerous,
a great champion, but I believe in Belfort. He has developed
very efficient muay thai strikes'.
Ricardo
Arona: 'Ths is a fight between experience and youth. Belfort's
physical condition is great. I just don’t know how good
his mind is today. Couture is very determined and he doesn’t
lose focus in fights'.
Murilo
Ninja: 'It can go to a decision, or it can end in a matter of
one punch'.
Pedro
Rizzo: 'It is a very even fight. Vitor cannot permit Couture
to develop his strategies. The brazilian has better overall skills
than the wrestler'.
Source: ADCC |
UFC
49: Unfinished Business This Weekend!
by: Joseph Cunliffe
UFC 49: Unfinished Business
Saturday, August 21, 2004
MGM Grand Garden Arena
Las Vegas, Nevada
Couture
and Belfort have “Unfinished Business” in Las Vegas
this weekend; Liddell puts it on the line against White
Las
Vegas, Nevada -- Randy “The Natural” Couture has unfinished
business to handle Saturday, August 21, when he fights “The
Phenom” Vitor Belfort for the light heavyweight championship
title in the main event at “UFC 49: Unfinished Business.”
The 12-6-0 Couture, from Portland, Oregon, will be looking to
reclaim the light heavyweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena
in Las Vegas, that he lost to the 12-3-0 Belfort, from Sao Paulo,
Brazil, in a fight that ended much too quickly January 31, at
“UFC 46: Super Natural,” but Belfort is out to prove
that his 0:49 win over Couture was no fluke.
Chuck
“The Iceman” Liddell puts his top contender status
in the light heavyweight division on the line against Vernon
“Tiger” White. The 13-3-0 Liddell, from San Luis Obispo,
California, earned his chance to face the Couture/Belfort winner
by finishing off former champion Tito Ortiz in their UFC 47 fight.
Liddell risks losing that championship shot if the 11-6-1 White,
from Palo Alto, California, defeats him.
Matt
“The Law” Lindland returns to the octagon to meet David
Terrell in his UFC debut. The 9-2-0 Lindland, from Eagle Creek,
Oregon, avenged a previous loss to Falaniko Vitale at UFC 45
forcing him to tap out due to strikes. The 9-1-0 Terrell, from
Concord, California, will be making his UFC debut.
Mike
Kyle makes his return to the octagon after a successful debut
at UFC 47 where he knocked out Wes Sims in their heavyweight
fight. The 11-2-0 Kyle, from San Jose, California, takes on long-time
friend in the 8-2-1 Justin Eilers, from Davenport, Iowa, in his
UFC debut.
Nick
Diaz will try to prove he is among the top welterweights in the
world as he meets Karo Parisyan. The 11-2-0 Diaz, from Stockton,
California, showed real championship prowess knocking out rising
star Robbie Lawler at UFC 47. The 19-3-0 Parisyan, from North
Hollywood, California, is coming off a split decision loss to
Georges St. Pierre.
Yves
Edwards and Josh “The Punk” Thomson both think they’re
the best lightweights in the UFC, but only one of them can be
victorious in this fight. The 25-8-1 Edwards, from The Woodlands,
Texas, has an impressive five-fight winning streak in the UFC.
Edwards is coming off a split decision win over Hermes Franca
at UFC 47. The 25-1-0 Thomson, from San Jose, California, is
undefeated in the UFC. Thomson won his last fight at UFC 46 also
defeating Franca by unanimous decision.
Two
middleweights make their UFC debuts when the 20-4-0 Joe Riggs,
from Phoenix, Arizona, faces the 8-2-1 Joe Doerksen, from Winnipeg,
Canada.
Chris
“Lights Out” Lytle is stepping in on short notice to
fight Ron “The Machine Gun” Juhn in this welterweight
fight. The 28-10-4 Lytle, from Indianapolis, Indiana, is coming
off a submission victory over Tiki Goshen at UFC 47. The 26-11-2
Juhn from Honolulu, Hawaii, is making his UFC debut.
Light
Heavyweight Championship: Vitor Belfort vs. Randy Couture
Light Heavyweight: Chuck Liddell vs. Vernon White
Middleweight: Matt Lindland vs. David Terrell
Heavyweight: Mike Kyle vs. Justin Eilers
Welterweight: Nick Diaz vs. Karo Parisyan
Lightweight: Yves Edwards vs. Josh Thomson
Middleweight: Joe Doerksen vs. Joe Riggs
Welterweight: Ronald
Jhun vs.
Chris Lytle
Check
out www.UFC.tv for more information.
Source: ADCC |
KOTC
and HOOKnSHOOT women's competitor Sarah Boyd of Alberto Crane's
school
by: Keith Mills
Sarah
Boyd has two fights lined up. On August 28th she fights in King
Of The Cage in New Mexico and on November 6th she fights in HOOKnSHOOT
against Adrienna
Jenkins.
Sarah is coming off a loss in Smack Girl in June against Yuuki
Kondo but is better known for her BJJ experience, training under
former KOTC champion and ZST vet Alberto Crane at Santa Fe BJJ.
On May 3rd of last year she took gold in the Pan Ams. Last November
she came took 2nd place in Grapplers Quest in her weight division
and 3rd in open weight. This May she came in first in her division
at the Arizona Combat Grappling Challenge. Now she is making
the transition into MMA.
KM:
You are fighting on the King Of The Cage card in New Mexico.
Is this your debut in MMA? SB: Yes. I fought in Japan but it
was Smack Girl. It’s a little bit different. It was twenty
seconds on the ground, no hitting to the face…it was a lot
different.
KM:
Let me back up and ask how Smack Girls went? SB: It went good.
I fought one of the top judo champions over there. It was three
five-minute rounds and then I had to tap three minutes into the
third round. She did a really good judo throw on me and armbarred
me so it didn’t turn out so good. It was a really good fight,
she was a really tough girl. I knew I was going against one of
the top girls over there. She is from Purebred.
KM:
How would you describe training with Alberto Crane? SB: I Love
it. I’ve been training there for years and the first two
and a half years I have been doing noting but jiu-jitsu tournaments.
I won the US Open as a white belt and the Pan Ams as a blue belt.
As a purple belt I did some small tournaments here and there.
I fought like twenty-five girls and actually this fight in Japan
was the first time I had to tap out. In jiu-jitsu tournaments
my record was something like 23-4. Most of the times I lost was
in the open weight, I did pretty good in my weight division.
KM:
How do you feel about making the transition to MMA and KOTC?
SB: I’ve been wanting to do it for a while because a lot
of my teammates started getting me into it. I started off kickboxing
about four years ago before I got into jiu-jitsu for fun. Recently
I just got back into boxing and kickboxing, trying to mix it
all up. When I started kickboxing it was something more for self
defense. I was in college and it was an elective. Seeing the
UFC, seeing Royce Gracie, I started doing jiu-jitsu. First time
I did it I fell in love with it so I just forgot about everything
else. The kickboxing came through more as conditioning I guess.
I could roll for hours but when you stand up it’s a totally
different game.
KM:
How much do you know about your opponent in KOTC? SB: I don’t
know much about her. I know she is from New Mexico somewhere
but don’t know much about her at all. I know she is pretty
young and fights with (Eddie) DeLuca.
KM:
You fight at 135. How much do you know about the women’s
135 division? SB: I know there are a lot of tough girls like
Debi Purcell. I’d love to have a chance to fight them. Also
dropping weight for me might be good in the future because there
are a lot of good girls at 120-125 like Erica Montoya. I’d
love to see them later when my record is built up. 135 is good
for me right now. It just seems like with my experience in jiu-jitsu
tournaments there are more girls in my weight division, it’s
more the normal weight. The strength is there, the competitiveness
is there and I feel it’s an even match.
KM:
You are on the next HOOKnSHOOT card. I take it you aren’t
looking that far down the road yet? SB: Yeah. Alberto has talked
about that with me. He says one of the girls trains with Jens
Pulver.
KM:
Yeah, your opponent. SB: I love that HOOKnSHOOT, definitely.
There are so many tough girls in that, it’s getting to be
really well known for sure.
KOTC
and HOOKnSHOOT are almost polar opposites as far as matchmaking
strategies and fanbase so it will be interesting to see how Sarah
does in both these events. Also look for Alberto in MFC’s
Lightweight tournament in October in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
For more information on Sarah, Alberto Crane, and all the other
fighters Alberto trains check out www.santafebjj.com
Source: ADCC |
WANDERLEI
SILVA TO ATTEND UFC
by: Turi Altavilla
LOS ANGELES, California – PRIDE FC Middleweight Champion
and 2003 Grand Prix Champion Wanderlei Silva will be in Las Vegas
attending this weekend’s Ultimate Fighting Championship
event at the MGM Grand. The event, UFC 49: Unfinished Business,
is scheduled for Saturday, August 21st, and will feature a main
event of Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort versus Randy “The
Natural” Couture for the UFC light heavyweight championship
title.
Silva’s
last bout was against Yuki Kondo at PRIDE FC: FINAL CONFLICT
2004 on August 15th (results unreported for this press release).
The champion is currently scheduled to defend his title against
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson on October 31st, 2004 at
PRIDE FC: HIGH OCTANE.
For
more information on PRIDE FC, visit pridefc.com!
Source: ADCC |
Jacare
and Nossov, golden arms!
by: Luca Atalla
This
year at the Jiu Jitsu World Championships, Ronaldo Jacare and
Roger Gracie astonished the world with an unforgettable match
in the Absolute finals. As the story goes, Jacare would not tap
to Roger's armlock, going on to win the IX Worlds with a dislocated
arm. In the Olympics, Russian judo athlete Dmitri Nossov placed
in Athens 2004, winning the bronze medal with a similarly hanging
arm. After beating Brazilian Flavio Canto, Nossov was beating
Greek Ilias Iliadis (the eventual gold medalist) when he fell
on his arm during a takedown, trying to avoid the ippon. Fans
may remember: a similar event happened when Carlos Honorato of
Brazil defeated a certain Hidehiko Yoshida of Japan in Atlanta
1996!
But
Dmitri Nossov, just like Jacare, was more than focused: he came
back in the bronze medal match and beat Azizov Mehman. He was
not afraid of attacking the opponent, although he had just one
arm left to fight!
The
Russian’s great deed in Athens however was not so controversial,
as Jacare’s resistance has been:
Master
Carlson Gracie: 'The referee has the obligation to stop the fight,
check the arm’s condition therefore interrupting the finals,
electing Roger as the winner. This was the big mistake of the
referee'.
Rodrigo
Minotauro Nogueira: 'The ref was right when he did not interrupt
the fight. The only person who knows his limits is the athlete
himself, so he is the only one who should stop the fight. However,
I knew the only person who could even be close to Jacare in the
fight would be a guy with a very good closed guard like Roger
Gracie, otherwise Jacare passes all day'.
Otavio
de Almeida Jr, president of FPJJ (JJ Federation of Sao Paulo):
'The referee made a big mistake. That is sport, not war. The
ethics and the morale and health of the athletes must be preserved
above all other things. What happened was a kind of violence
on the mat. How can our masters teach students their limits if
we now applaud a fighter who does not respect his body’s
limits? Jacare, with his hurt arm chased the victory at any price
and I disagree with it'.
Fernando
Margarida Pontes: 'Each fighter knows his limits. Once, at the
ADCC 2003 trials in Rio de Janeiro, I grabbed Jacare’s foot,
he never tapped and no one mentioned to stop the fight, so why
would they would stop it now? It was the right decision'.
Source: ADCC |
Couture:
Determined to Reclaim Lost Glory
by Mike Sloan
When it comes to defying the harsh words of critics and, in turn,
proving them dead wrong, Randy Couture is probably the uncrowned
king. Couture has been the underdog in almost every fight he's
participated in and almost every time he winds up scoring some
sort of dramatic victory.
Self-proclaimed
experts have chosen against "The Natural" more times
than possibly any other fighter in MMA, specifically because
his opponents have either better striking, better wrestling or
are simply too big. But Couture usually prevails and simply snickers
at the naysayers.
Pedro
Rizzo was supposed to batter Couture's legs from start to finish
and eventually score a bone-shattering knockout, but Couture
stuck to his gameplan and brawled with the Brazilian powerhouse
for five rounds, coming away with a close decision.
Many
fans cried foul after the too-close-for-comfort decision and
when the rematch was announced, a majority of insiders felt that
Couture was too old and worn out, paving the way for Rizzo to
dominate their second match.
Again,
Couture was right as he bombarded Rizzo en route to a vicious
third round stoppage.
Couture
defended his title (or he at least tried) against a much larger
Josh Barnett. But while he dominated the first round, Barnett's
size was too much and he stopped Couture in the second round.
When the heavyweight title was vacated -- after it was found
that Barnett had tested positive for banned substances -- Couture
was given the chance to redeem himself and regain his title against
an in-his-prime Ricco Rodriguez.
Couture
was winning late in the fight, but when he suffered a damaged
orbital bone courtesy of several Rodriguez elbows, he was forced
to tap. From there, Couture was thought as nothing more than
an old fighter, whose best days were behind him.
Then
came the call from Zuffa for Couture to fight Chuck Liddell for
the interim light heavyweight belt, meaning Couture had to drop
in weight, a move rarely seen by veteran fighters. Liddell was
on target for a showdown with Tito Ortiz, but when Ortiz couldn't
fight for various reasons, Couture stepped up and challenged
"The Iceman" for the belt.
Most
expected Liddell's sprawl and striking ability to be too much
for the village elder to handle, but Couture trounced him. He
wound up beating Liddell worse than anybody had up to that point
in his career, forcing a referee stoppage in the third. Couture
then got his shot against Ortiz and defied all odds yet again,
by methodically dominating Ortiz over five rounds to capture
the light heavyweight title.
Then
came arguably the most frustrating fight in UFC history: his
highly-anticipated rematch with Vitor Belfort. Belfort missed
a huge hook, but the seam of his glove slashed Couture's eyelid
so severely that fight had to be stopped. It was ruled a TKO
win for Belfort, a match that Couture (and Belfort, for that
matter) would like to get back.
"The
fight lasted only 20 seconds," Couture told Sherdog.com.
"Neither one of us saw or did anything in that fight to
really determine any change in training. Obviously we both can
refine our gameplans and skills since the last time we fought,
but not a whole lot has changed."
Couture
was understandably disappointed, but he accepts it as a defeat.
Come this Saturday, he is vowing to make sure the rubber match
doesn't end freakishly. But while most would expect Belfort to
trash talk Couture for his expressed disappointment and dismissal
of the match, the two have equal admiration for each other and
both agree the fight's ending was lousy.
"Vitor
and I have always gotten along," he explained. "Win
or lose, or no matter how the fight is going to go down, I don't
think that is going to change. Obviously he expressed some discontent
in winning the title that way and I certainly wanted a chance
to compete. It's one thing to lose a fight, but to not get a
chance to really compete and exhibit what you've done in training,
or at least see where you're at, that's the most frustrating
part. He stepped back up and we get a chance to settle it and
finish the fight one way or another this time."
Not
that Couture is one to enjoy or relish himself in defeat, but
he certainly wouldn't have minded being legitimately knocked
out in their rematch.
"In
my mind, I'd definitely have rather taken the punch rather than
being grazed by his glove and having my eyelid cut," he
stated. "It was the weirdest thing I've seen in fighting.
But it doesn't really matter because it's all history now. We're
going to get a chance to compete against each other again. Hopefully
nothing like that happens again and we get a chance to have a
good fight and settle it one way or the other."
Fluke
laceration aside, rumors spread like wildfire that Couture's
eyeball was severely gashed and that his career and, more importantly,
vision were in jeopardy. Thankfully, all that post fight garble
was just nonsense, and Couture openly explains the circumstances
he had to painfully endure in the days and weeks following the
battle.
"The
eyeball itself was fine," he revealed. "It scratched
the cornea and I had some inflammation and what they call iritis
just from the trauma, but that all healed up pretty quickly.
The stitches were in about nine days and the iritis was gone
in two and a half weeks. The danger that came from the cut is
if you don't get your eyelid put back together properly, then
obviously you have issues with your eye for the rest of your
life. The eyelid basically serves as a windshield wiper to your
eyeball, so it's a pretty important piece of equipment. I had
eight stitches -- three on top, five on the bottom. It was not
a very comfortable place to get stitches."
Couture,
who has just signed on to a new three fight deal with the UFC,
is thankful that he was given an immediate rematch with "The
Phenom." Fans and media insiders alike were treated to an
early Christmas present a few months back when their third showdown
was announced. Zuffa used their heads and decided to not force
the two warriors into separate bouts and instead allowed the
fight to basically leave off where it started.
"[Zuffa]
didn't want us to fight anybody else," he said. "They
wanted to see this fight happen. They were actually hoping that
this fight would have happened in June on the UFC 48 card, but
Vitor wasn't willing at that time to step up. He had some other
personal issues that he was trying to get settled and he said
he'd do it at the end of the summer. Zuffa then pushed as back
to the end of the summer, so that's what is happening now."
And
indeed it is happening. As a side-note, Liddell is also fighting
on the card and providing that he wins, he'll get first dibs
at the winner. While most agree that Liddell should get past
Vernon White, anything is possible. Liddell, though, has already
beaten Belfort but is salivating at the thought of fighting Couture
again, the first man to truly beat him up.
Like
Liddell, Couture is a fighter for the fans and won't back down
from any challenge. Couture wants to fight only the best and
if both Randy and Chuck prevails on Saturday, Couture will find
himself in the middle of another rematch.
"I
have a lot of respect for Chuck," Couture openly admits.
"I've never been one to dodge any fight and if people want
to see a Chuck Liddell-fight again, I'd be happy to compete with
Chuck again. I think he's a great competitor and certainly after
his win against Tito, he's put himself back into top contention
for the title at light heavyweight. If that's the direction [Zuffa]
wants to go, then that fight will happen."
But
if Couture is successful in his quest to regain his lost treasure,
do the MMA fans really want to see him fight Liddell again? The
burning desire that engulfs every fight fan's hunger for action
is the possible showdown between UFC's 205-pound champ versus
PRIDE's. While the possibility of Couture, should he win, locking
horns with Wanderlei Silva sounds hotter than tea kettle, it's
doubtful to ever come to fruition. A showdown with Quinton Jackson
is more likely, but the intrigue of a Couture-Rampage just doesn't
have that same ring as Couture-Silva.
"Quinton's
never been brought up and I don't think he makes a lot of sense
[fight-wise] unless he beats Wanderlei," Couture elaborates.
"Wanderlei is their No. 1 guy at our weight class, so it
makes sense to go and try and fight him, but I just see too many
differences between the two organizations that they have to be
reconciled for it to ever happen. But it's basically a pipe dream
right now. It's kind of not worth wasting the energy on it. I
have made the statement that I'd like to do that and see that
happen, but I'm not going to hold my breath."
Maybe
it will happen if the sport of mixed martial arts can gain widespread
notoriety and respect, but until that happens, all we can do
is dream. As for Randy, though, he has been getting his own sort
of recognition from fans everywhere. It seems that every day,
Couture stumbles across some MMA fan who slips out of a crevice
and gives respect to the former heavyweight and light heavyweight
king.
"It
seems that I can't go anywhere now without being recognized,"
he chuckled. "I was actually at a spa and pool place recently
and I was looking at possibly buying a swimming pool for my backyard
-- for my 14-month-old son. Two guys that work there at the pool
place recognized me."
Thankfully,
Couture has yet to run into some jerk tough guy who wants to
go toe-to-toe with him.
"Most
people are very friendly, very nice and respond in a normal way,"
he said. "Occasionally you run across someone who kind of
freaks out about it and that's a little strange. I don't know
if 'bothersome' is the right word, but it's still a little strange
to get recognized and then to have somebody really freak out
about it. It's just an odd thing to have happen. We had a female
fan at one of our small shows in Oregon and this was actually
before we had the rules sanctioned. We put on an amateur show
and there was a girl there that came up to us after the show.
We were signing autographs and she started crying, which was
rather strange. I wasn't sure what to do. She was shaking and
then she kinda just broke down. It was very odd. She was in her
late-teens/early-20's. It was strange."
After
a few laughs bellowed from Couture's belly, the interview turned
to a subject he's heard too many times to fathom: his age. Couture
is like fine wine: he seems to get better with age, but he doesn't
really think about it too much. He feels great and until his
body eventually succumbs to Father Time, you can bank on Couture
continuing to fight. The question is, though, has it become too
much of a burden on his family for their 41-year-old hero to
keep fighting?
"It's
a sacrifice that I make and it's something that I have to acknowledge
-- the sacrifice that they make when I'm gone," he explained.
"I have to acknowledge the burden I put on them when I'm
gone training and traveling. As long as I continue to do this,
I have to show that I have appreciation for them taking on that
burden, and they are very supportive of what I am doing. As long
as I am able to compete and train at a high level, they are supportive.
I think that if it came down to a time where I couldn't prepare
or compete at the level I am at right now but was still trying
to do it, and was risking serious injury, they would probably
have more to say. The way things are going right now, it's going
very well obviously and they are behind me 100-percent."
But
what if Old Man Randy feels great until he has white hair and
past 50?
"I'm
kind of taking it one fight at a time, so if that was the case,
I don't see why not," he stated with the stern seriousness
of how he fights. "I love to compete, I love the sport and
I can't imagine any other job that I'd rather do. I can't see
why I'd want to do anything else."
Source: ADCC |
Joe
Doerksen
By Arnold "The Sushiboy" Lim
“He is a fucking hard working guy, he works construction
14 hour days.” Doerksen’s Jiu Jitsu coach Rodrigo Munduruca
has seen much of the blood, sweat, and tears, poured onto the
wrestling mat by Joe “Dirte” Doerkson first hand. The
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who handles much of Doerksen’s
grappling bears witness to the dedication that Doerksen brings
to the table each and every night and has high praise for his
prized student. Doerksen is a member of a concrete crew, and
after his highly physical work is done for the day he makes his
way to the gyms and trains for 1 and a half to 2 hours a night
splitting time with Munduruca and his Stand up Coach K-1 Veteran
Giuseppe DeNatale. By any standards, it makes for a grueling
schedule before he heads home to sleep for the night.
On
August 21st at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada,
the “Team Extreme” member will be fulfilling one of
his lifelong dreams by competing in the world famous octagon
in the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Big fights require big
preparation, and he is training south of his native Canada at
the friendly confines of the Horn and Howe household where he
finds himself living with tough Team Miletich member Jeremy Horn
and his equally tough girlfriend Jennifer Howe in Utah. It is
here that he is refining his preparation on route to the biggest
contest of his career, a career that has shared more then its
fair share of ups and downs.
His
career wasn’t always this bright, and at one point, quitting
MMA altogether was a very real possibility coming off three straight
losses to Stephan Potvin, Egan Inoue, and David “The Crow”
Loiseau. It was 2 and a half years ago that he was almost ready
to pack it in, adding that if things didn’t turn around
“I might have quit or taken a year off, it is hard to say.”
His career was at a crossroads, but instead of packing it in,
he looked upwards and onwards in his trek to become the fighter
he knew he could become. In retrospect, Doerksen feels his losses
were just as important as the wins that have fashioned him into
the fighter he is today. “It was kind of a wake up call.
I was having a lot of fights ending early, and being able to
submit just about everyone I fought. You know, then I started
to fight tougher and tougher guys and it was time to learn something
new and kind of step it up a notch… losses like that for
me are what made me grow and improve as a fighter.”
Improve
he did, he has gone on to win 10 fights in succession since those
early setbacks, and of his 30 fights, his resume includes victories
over John Alessio, Denis Kang, Brendan Seguin, Jay Buck and Team
Quest fighter, Chris Leben. He also holds the distinction of
being the only fighter to have defeated the highly touted Englishman
“Lightening” Lee Murray, a man that has made a name
for himself with an impressive victory over Jorge Rivera in the
UFC, as well as by being involved in one of MMA’s most famous
street scuffles with Tito Ortiz. The Doerksen vs. Murray bout
was a quick one, with “Joe Dirte” securing the submission
at 79 seconds of the first stanza, an impressive victory by any
standard, but he is humble in retrospect. “It is hard to
say, you could fight the same person 10 times over and have a
different result every time so I don’t like to predict what
will happen in a fight, you really don’t know till it happens.”
On
top of being an MMA fighter and a full time member of a concrete
crew, he is most importantly a father of one. He has since separated
from his wife but carries on the duties of a supportive father
despite the fact that his 10 year old daughter Danisha Jarrett,
is biologically not his own. Danisha knows him as father and
that is all that matters to the man they call Joe “Dirte”
and he proves it not with his mouth, but with his actions day
in and day out. It is something that Munduruca has seen personally.
“She is not really his [Biological] daughter but he still
takes her around, and buys her clothes and stuff… he doesn’t
have to, but that is the kind of guy he is” Munduruca seems
as proud of Doerksen’s principles as he is of his accomplishments
in the ring. Surely a man that fights in the UFC, a company that
in the words of Phil Mushnick “sells honest-to-badness violence,
real-deal brutality and blood instead of ketchup” must also
be a violent man on the verge of a vicious rampage at the drop
of the proverbial hat? Well, Despite what the asinine views of
the uneducated few feel, Doerksen like most MMA fighters, is
a man who is no stranger to the finer virtues of life. In fact,
he once extended the hand of friendship to the unlikeliest of
people, his future opponent Joe “Diesel” Riggs.
They
first met at an ICC show that took place on April 30th of 2004
and ironically Riggs asked Doerkson to corner him for his fight
with David Vitkay later on that evening. [For whatever reason]
His trainer was unable to make the trip. Never having met each
other didn’t deter either of them from working together
for the evening, and Mr. Riggs knocked out his opponent impressively
early in the first round to close out the abbreviated partnership.
"I end up doing that a lot of times when fighters don’t
have anyone coming out to the fights with them. When I was starting
my career I ended up with strangers working my corner a lot of
times. It is just nice to know someone is in your corner, it
sucks having to walk out there alone, so I try to help people
out when I run into them". 4 months after being his corner-man,
Doerkson will be his opponent, fighting for his UFC career against
a man whose power he has had a chance to see first hand, only
this time those deadly fists will not be raised with him, they
will be raised against him. In his own words his toughest fights
to date have been Denis Kang and Chris Leben, but Riggs could
very well be the biggest challenge of Doerksen’s career
and he knows it. “He is a fighter like me, I don’t
expect it to be an easy fight or a quick one, I am training for
a tough fight. I met him once, we got along alright, seems like
a nice enough guy. He is just like me, it is his first UFC, so
he is going to want to do well. I think when the fight is over,
then it is over. We will just do what we got to do and after
that we will maybe go get a beer.” From cornerman, to opponent,
to drinking partner, for “Joe Dirte” and Joe Riggs,
the circle is almost complete. –Arnold “The Sushiboy”
Lim-
Source: MMA Ring Report |
UNOFFICIAL
BATTLE FOR 155 TITLE
Yves Edwards vs Josh Thomson should've been the battle for the
155 pound title, but instead the fight finds itself on the prelim
card at UFC 49.
Josh
"The Punk" Thomson was the latest featured guest on
MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio's sixteen fighters in sixteen days.
According
to Josh, "It's going to be a pretty good fight. It has the
potential of being a boring fight and it has the potential of
being a great fight." He considers Yves to be a "counter
fighter" and that he will be the one pushing the action.
Thomson commented, "We'll see how long he can run away until
I catch him." "It only takes one little hit with those
gloves man, and someone's going to drop," stated Thomson.
He went on to say, "I think the power thing's on my side,
maybe speed's on his side."
When
asked how he thought the fight would play out, Josh said, "This
whole fight's going to be on the feet." He added, "I'm
not going to go out there and shoot and waste my energy trying
to take him down." Having said that, if the opportunity
for a take down presents itself, Josh will take it. In fact,
he said, "We'll end up on the ground eventually."
Josh
is confident about his chances at victory. The way he sees it
is, "If he gets me in trouble, he fears the fact that if
he gets me in trouble, he can't put me away because I can just
take him down." He continued, "If I get him in trouble
on the feet, he's stuck."
When
questioned about his game plan to stand with Edwards, Josh said,
"His stand up is good. It's pretty sound but it's not the
best out there. I'm not too concerned about that." The key
to this fight, according to Thomson, will be the "overall
aggressiveness," by one of the fighters. He pointed out
that the guys who have beat Yves in the past have pushed the
action. Anyone who has seen Josh fight knows, he always pushes
the action.
A
hot topic, as of late, has been whether or not this fight will
be a prelim or on the main card. When asked what he has heard,
Josh replied, "Nothing's been said to me on what it's going
to be. Just given the past with the lightweights always being
prelims, I can say we're probably going to be a prelim."
Thomson
does what he does because he has fun fighting. He stated, "I
think you have more fun when you win so I'm looking to win. He
added, "I don't mind being hit and I love hitting other
people."
I
will leave you with some of the more entertaining statements
made by Josh. When asked what the difference in this fight will
be, he said, "I would say my looks." He didn't stop
there, "I know I'm a hell of a lot better looking than him,"
stated Thomson.
To
hear all of what Josh had to say, get yourself a Premium Membership.
For only five dollars a month, you gain access to the radio archive,
the video section filled with one on one interviews, behind the
scenes footage of weigh ins and press conferences. Not to mention
the Tips of the Week from the top fighters in MMA. With the upcoming
Pride Heavyweight Grand Prix and UFC 49, there is no better to
sign up than today.
Source: MMA Weekly |
WILL
LIDDELL GIVE AN ULTIMATE BEATDOWN AT UFC 49?
UFC 49 Unfinished Business Profile: Chuck Liddell
Not
one to be content sitting on the sidelines waiting for a title
shot, Chuck Liddell enters the Octagon at UFC 49 to once again
risk that opportunity. He is queued up for a shot at the winner
of Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort, but will square off with
Vernon “Tiger” White first where a loss would knock
him back down the list.
He
did the same thing at UFC 40 where he knocked out Renato “Babalu”
Sobral with a vicious kick to the head. Liddell was promised
a long awaited title shot against the winner of Tito Ortiz and
Ken Shamrock, but chose to stay active and risk that shot if
he had lost to Babalu. Well he won and still had to wait almost
7 months for his shot, which ended up being against Couture instead
of holdout Ortiz.
Liddell
ended up losing to the revitalized Couture, had a win over Alistair
Overeem and a loss to Quinton Jackson in last year’s Pride
Grand Prix, and then finally got his match with Ortiz, knocking
him out in the second round at UFC 47. Now, Liddell finds himself
in line for the winner of the Couture vs. Belfort main event
at UFC 49.
Besides
a fight to keep him active, something that Liddell relishes much
more than inactivity, his fight with White is something of a
grudge match as well. The two were supposed to face each other
years ago at King of the Cage. Basically due to better opportunities
elsewhere, Liddell moved on without the fight taking place. Now,
much trash talk later, the two will square off in the octagon.
Both
are known for their striking ability, although Liddell has KO’d
many more of his opponents than White has. Liddell also has the
edge in high-profile fights, defeating the likes of Vitor Belfort,
Tito Ortiz, Murilo Bustamante, Guy Mezger, and Kevin Randleman.
For his part, White has been in many high-profile fights, so
the experience is there, it’s just that he hasn’t been
quite as successful finishing his opponents as Liddell.
If
this one stays on the feet, Liddell has the edge due to a more
aggressive and powerful style of striking than White does. Liddell’s
background is in Kempo and Kickboxing, which have more powerful
kicks than the Tae Kwon Do styling of White’s background.
Don’t expect this one to go to the ground. Both are decent
in their ground skills, but this fight was created for banging
if ever a fight was.
Liddell’s
title shot lies in the balance and a loss would probably put
him two or three wins out of any chance at returning to the title
picture. For White, his career is really on the line here. He’s
hasn’t been able to step up and grasp the spotlight yet
and he’s getting on in years. So this is a big fight for
both, the question now is, who will step up?
Source: MMA Weekly |
IFC
WILL FORCE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST ROSE
In the past 48 hours the IFC has produced two press releases
about what happened in Sturgis. Here are the two press releases
and keep in mind Howard Petchler form the IFC will be on today's
radio show.
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STURGIS MUSIC FESTIVAL FOLDS FORCING CANCELATION OF IFC EVENT
Sturgis,SD
- Sturgis Music Festival 2004 promoter, Ron Rose, pulled out
of the Sturgis Music Festival on late Tuesday afternoon taking
the box office with him. The unannounced move left Grand Funk
Railroad, .38 Special and Rare Earth ready to play on Tuesday
night but unpaid. Also canceled were the upcoming nights events
which included, BB King, J.Geils, Dr. John, the Bacon Brothers,
Paul Rodriquez and the IFC’ Sturgis Rumble
Rally. Exactly what made Rose a World Poker Champion fold is
unclear. What is clear is that he left a lot of entertainers
and fans very irate. No refunds for ticket holders were available
as of the time of this release.
The
IFC fought to keep their Saturday show alive. We spent all Wednesday
working with the property owners and the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce
to try to make this thing happen, stated IFC Caged Combat President
Paul Smith. They were very supportive, but logistically it just
proved impossible for us to pull it off. We cannot begin to express
our regret to the fighters and fans. The event had been scheduled
for a September 2 pay per view release via TVN.
The
IFC will be joining with several of the events vendors in legal
action against Mr. Rose. Smith encourages all of the fans who
purchased tickets to any of the canceled events to vigorously
pursue him.
STURGIS
MUSIC FESTIVAL PROMOTER THREATENS TO SUE IFC
After
suddenly pulling out of the Sturgis Music Festival 2004 in mid
festival and forcing the cancellation of such acts as Grand Funk
Railroad, .38 Special, Rare Earth, BB King, J.Geils, Dr. John,
the Bacon Brothers, Paul Rodriquez and the IFC Sturgis Rumble
Rally, the events promoter “Poker Champion Ron Rose is threatening
libel action against the IFC and others.
a
novel concept worthy of a world poker champion, says IFC Caged
Combat CEO Howard Petschler. You fail in a business venture,
lose money and then threaten to sue the people you just screwed
over for saying that you screwed them over. Its one way to consider
getting your money back. Unfortunately for Mr. Rose when it comes
to libel, the truth is an absolute defense.
Continues
Mr. Petschler, Mr. Rose declines to mention certain facts. He
was solely responsible for the marketing and promotion of the
festival and had assumed absolute control of the Festival. I
dont question for a minute that he failed to sell sufficient
tickets to keep from losing money. What I find deplorable is
his failure to accept responsibility. He stranded his own crew.
Most had worked for a week, hadnt been paid and didnt have the
resources to even get home. Once the events caterers packed up,
a local supermarket donated food to help feed them and other
former partners of Mr. Rose helped them get home. IFC crew members
even donated money to help feed one the crew members dogs when
the crew member was unable to provide for it. We had assumed
that it would take quite a while for us to get Mr. Rose into
court. Perhaps he can speed up the process for us.
Sturgis
Mayor Mark Zeigler said that Rose's allegations about the city
are false. Zeigler said the city supported the event as much
as possible, promoting it on the town's Web site and at other
venues. "He (Rose) is going to try and find a scapegoat,"
Zeigler said. "The city of Sturgis is not the scapegoat
for the failure of the Sturgis Music Festival. He is looking
for a scapegoat and in the same breath he skips town and leaves
people unpaid and ticket holders unreimbursed. We all live in
this community and this area with the understanding that we pay
our bills and we live up to what we say we do. He (Rose) didn't
live up to his promises."
The
South Dakota Department of Revenue is investigating Mr. Rose
for his failure collect and pay sales tax. In fact, he hadn't
even applied for a sales tax license for the event, despite having
been advised to do so by the Department. The Department is just
one of the agencies now exploring the actions of Mr. Rose.
Source: MMA Weekly |
RHADI
FERGUSON FINISHES IN TOP 16 IN THE WORLD: 'I LEFT EVERYTHING
ON THE MAT'
by: Eddie Goldman/ADCC Wrestling Editor
We
knew that whatever the final results at the 2004 Olympics were
for U.S. Olympic judoka Rhadi Ferguson that he would still be
a champion and inspiration to those who have followed and supported
his efforts. While he did come up a little short in his quest
for an Olympic medal Thursday, he has remained upbeat, positive,
and informative even after winning one match and losing two,
and thus being eliminated from medal competition.
A
broadcast of Rhadi competing at the Athens Games is scheduled
to be included on the Olympics program on the U.S. cable network
Bravo beginning at 12:00 AM EDT on Friday, Aug. 20 (or late Thursday
night midnight). As always, check your local listings.
Below are two reports direct from Athens about how he fared.
The first is the latest message sent as part of Rhadi's Olympic
journal. The second is the press release issued by USA Judo.
Rhadi
Ferguson, one of the top 16 players in the world
Man,
I had a great time today. I was on the World's Stage at the Olympics,
competing against the World's best athletes, with the Whole World
Watching. I had the time of my life. I threw my first round opponent
for Ippon (at the Olympic Games) and then I fought Jang of Korea
and lost by a Koka. I had a yuko, he had a yuko and a koka. I
attacked sooo many times he should have gotten put out of the
match because of the passivities. Afterwards I fought a man from
Cameroon who has to be, by far, the strongest individual that
I ever fought against. Because of a tactical error I lost and
I pulled my groin (which I didn't need) in the match. But, I
lost, and guess what? A lot of people lost today. World Champs
were out in the first round. Olympic Champs were out in the third
round and so was I. I fought great, I left everything on the
mat, the crowd loved me - I was signing all types of autographs
afterward and I have the respect of the world judo community
after my match with the Korean who won the silver today.
Injury
report:
My
torn quadriceps muscle in my right thigh causes extra stress
on the surrounding muscles in my leg. This is the 2nd time I've
pulled my groin in 4 months. I have to make a decision if I am
going to get it surgically repaired.
My
rotator cuff in my shoulder is torn, and I hurt is worse today
:-) but, hey this is the Olympic Games. I will have a MRI and
then I will decide on surgery once I return home.
I
finished the day as one of the best 16 players in the world.
I'm hurt, I'm happy and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to
compete for my country, in front of my family and I'm glad I
can write to all of you and tell you about it.
For
those that care:
Kosei Inoue looked very good in the beginning of the day and
then he had a barn burner with Kovacs and his day went down hill
from there.
Nicolas
Gill lost to Monti from Italy.
Zeevi looked like a stone cold beast!!!!
The
two guys that beat Inoue (van der Geest and the guy from Azerbaijan)
lost in the finals and both placed 5th, leaving the tournament
just like me - without a medal. :-)
The
Olympics are a funny thing, things don't happen like you expect
them to.
I
know when people look at results they think they know what happened
but really there are things that take place at the Games that
you can't even imagine. Like a player has a knock down dragout
fight with a very good player and his next opponent just killed
his guy quick. If the player that had the knock down drag out
fight is better than his next opponent, he may just lose because
of fatigue.
The
things that happen at the Games are crazy!!! It was a great time.
Thanks for you emails, your support, your love and you best wishes.
1
Olympic Plaza
Colorado Springs, CO
80909
USA
USA
Judo press release:
Ferguson
and Kubes elminated from medal contention
by John Miller - USA Judo
ANO
LIOSSIA OLYMPIC HALL, Greece (August 19, 2004) –
Rhadi Ferguson, men's 100 kg, Colo. Springs, and Nikki Kubes,
women's 78 kg, Ft. Worth Texas, lost their first consolation
round matches this afternoon and were eliminated from medal contention.
Rhadi
faced Franck Martial Moussima of Cameroon. Both players received
penalties for passivity, but late in the match Moussima came
in low and threw Rhadi for a Yuko score (quarter point) which
proved to be the difference in the match.
Nikki
faced the #3 seeded Edinanci Silva of Brazil. Nikki came out
aggressively and Silva was given a penalty for passivity. However,
at about the 1:20 mark, both women went to the ground and when
Nikki tried to get Silva in a pin, Silva reversed it, and pinned
Nikki, ending the match.
Quotes:
Rhadi:
Asked
what he's taking home from the Games:
'Two losses. But that's OK. I won a match too. Everything I had,
I left out there on the mat.'
'I'll
tell you, waiting on deck for each match, I was smiling. Excited.
Not really nervous, but my hands and legs were quivering, teeth
clackin' together. Just from the excitement of the Olympics.'
'I
started Judo at 7 years but took a long time off. Came back at
22 and now at 29, after a number of injures, I’ve
played three matches in the Olympic Games.'
Asked
as a college football player, what’s the biggest
crowd he's played in front of and how does this crowd compare:
'Probably something around 65,000 was the biggest. But it's not
the crowd, it's the Olympics. I've never played in the Super
Bowl, but the ambient pressure of the Olympic Games is incredible.
There’s nothing like it.'
Nikki:
Asked
if she had a plan for the first match:
'I knew I was just going to attack off the grip. I do that a
lot, and I got her for Ippon (instant win) in 8 seconds.'
About
the competition:
'These ladies are very strong. I need to hit the weights harder.'
About
the experience:
'I know this is great to help me figure out what to do in future
fights.'
Coach
Ed Liddie:
'This
is such a great experience and will go a long way toward her
development. She was already saying to me, 'I should have done
this, I should have done that'; she's learned things already.
Nikki's only 17 and will be going to the Junior World in two
months. She's certainly got more Olympics in her. Training with
other young ones, Ronda Rousey is on the Junior World team and
is 17 as well, they can bring each other up through the ranks.
They've got a great future. They're already ranked the #1 ranked
in both juniors (under 20 years old) and seniors.'
Source: ADCC |
RHADI
FERGUSON READY TO GO THURSDAY AT 2004 OLYMPICS
by: Eddie Goldman/ADCC Wrestling Editor
The
time has finally come for U.S. Olympic judoka Rhadi Ferguson
to compete. His weight class, -100 kg/220 lbs., will be contested
on Thursday, August 19.
Here
are the final pre-competition messages Rhadi has sent as part
of his Olympic journal.
If
you would like to join this list send an email to http://athens2004@aweber.com/
and write in the subject line SIGN ME UP!!
Wed.,
August 18 READY TO GO!!!!
Another
chapter of my life will come to a close tomorrow. I am not sure
if I will continue to compete or not. I will make that decision
later. But my 2004 Olympic competition chapter will close.
And
I would like to thank those that have joined me. And I want to
say thank you to all of you that have sent a kind email, a kind
voice mail and/or a kind word. I would also like to thank my
naysayers. You all drive me to prove you wrong - to let you know
that 'as long as you have a lane - you have an opportunity!!'
The
Olympic Games are an honor and I feel blessed to have been chosen
by THE ONE to participate. For those of you that pray - please
pray for me. For those of you that hope - hope that I do well
and all of us competing leave the venue safe. And for those of
you that know that some things only come by prayer and fasting
- you know what to do!! :-)
I
believe that I can win. If I didn't I wouldn't go out there.
I came to win. Will I win? I sure hope so. If this was a horse
race, I am sure that I wouldn't be the odds on favorite, but
I would be THE THOROUGHBRED!!!!
Humbly,
Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?.dCIp03wJJLHeMwp0TUn5A
Rick Hawn looked great today. He fought hard. In his 2nd loss
his opponent was losing the pace of the match. So he acted like
he was hurt for a second and in the next exchange he threw Rick
for Ippon. I think he lulled Rick to sleep for a second, but
that's all it takes. It was a heck of a tactic. Rick went 2-2
for the day.
Ronda
Roussey fought well as well. You could tell that she is young
in terms of the strength difference, but her fitness is through
the roof. She definitely will medal at the Olympics one day.
She attacks non-stop. She is such a sweetheart, but on the mat
she is a Natural Born Killer!! :-)
Right
now my weight is on point. I am one kilo (2.2lbs) over weight.
It is right where I want to be. I had a protein shake today,
a protein bar, some cashews, a couple bottles of powerade and
a salad. I feel great and I will be around the same weight for
the weigh ins that I was at the Olympic Trials.
Brian
Olson is up tomorrow. He has a pretty rough draw, but there aren't
any easy draws at the Olympic Games. I certainly want him to
get on the medal stand. If he uses his feet the way he knows
how, I don't have any doubt that he will be there.
I
am very proud of the way Ronda and Rick fought. I take off my
hat to them.
Rhadi
Ferguson
2004 Olympian
P.S.
Tomorrow will be my last message until after I compete.
Tues.,
August 17 Subject: weight is coming off as planned
Today
2 lbs. over. Everything is going as planned. I want to be 9.99kg
if possible.
Rick
Hawn went 2-2 (Rick fought very well).
Ronda
Rousey went 2-2 (there was a real big strength difference. She
is young and has a great opportunity to be one of the greatest
ever. She has to get in the weight room and get some strength.
Her conditioning is phenomenal!!! She was able to push the pace!)
Later,
Rhadi Ferguson
Tues.,
August 17
Inspirational message from Lloyd Irvin
My
Brazilian Jiujitsu Instructor, Lloyd Irvin, sent me this message
a little while ago. I thought I'd share it with you. He wanted
me too see how far I've come so he sent me a message that I sent
to him and some of my former teammates on the 6th of August of
2002!!!
8/6/02
Lloyd
today was the first day of practice. The lifting session began
at 7:00am. I had a decent lift today. Next week I have to test
so that the Strength and Conditioning Coaches here at the OTC
can get some 'numbers' on me so that they can better develop
my workout program. The lift this morning was pretty tough. Some
of
my teammates were trying to talk to me while I was lifting and
they saw very quickly that when I am working out - I don't waste
my time doing tongue pushups. When I hit the weight room - I
go to work. I'm not out here to play and I'm not here to be flappin'
my gums when I'm supposed to be making the weights talk.
So,
after the lift, I had a nice hearty breakfast. I had 5 pieces
of French toast, 3 scrambled eggs (with salsa on top), 4 pieces
of sausage and 3 big cups of water. At 11:30 I went to SportsMed
and got a half hour message - It was great. I got my back and
forearms worked on extensively. (I really missed this place).
I had a big salad for lunch and then I took a little nap.
P
R A C T I C E !!!!!!!!!!!
Practice
was reallllllly hard today. The altitude hurt me today, not to
mention the room was hot. I'm in pretty decent shape though.
We did a lot of drills. We didn't do any randori (live fighting).
We drilled HARD for an hour and a half. The pace was murder,
but I was pushing. I'm glad I came here in some half way decent
shape. It's really nice to be around some folks who are constantly
pushing and calling each others name out when somebody starts
dogging.
After
practice Eddie Liddie (head coach) spoke for a while and basically
said that for a year we are going to hit it hard and if you can't
hang - sorry. I'm looking forward to it. I gotta make sure I
get my hands on a good stash of Vioxx and Celebrex :-) That way
I won't hurt to bad. Tomorrow's run is at 7am. We are going to
a place called Palmer Park to run some uphill trail It should
be good. I'm going to push and try to be near the front. I figure
that I rather vomit now and get in shape so that I can push the
pace 10 months from now and watch my opponent breakdown like
a fraction.
Take
care and until next time, train hard.
The
quote for today is - 'DON'T SING IT - BRING IT!!!!'
I
heard one wrestler tell the other one that when they were talking
about who would be who.
Reflection
is good, but the future will be better. August 19th!!
Take
Care,
Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
Tues.,
August 17 Subject: Jimmy Pedro, Jason Gatson, nice picture
Okay
Okay Okay...
Jimmy
Pedro got in last night around 3am and when I heard him rustling
around, I got up and grabbed him and hugged him. I was so proud
of him. I told him, 'Man in two of those matches I was wondering
how you were going to do it. The guys were stronger than you,
you were getting pushed around and I was just asking myself how
in the world is he going to do it.' He said, 'I was thinking
the same thing' And we laughed. Jimmy fought 7 matches and they
all looked like World War III. Awesome, just awesome.
I
just got done working out today. It is my last judo workout.
I am scheduled to get my cortisone shot for my shoulder in about
an hour. I will stay in the village and chill for the next couple
of days. I will probably help Olson warm up tomorrow. It is just
too emotionally draining watching everybody. Right now I am not
even watching the 'live feed' in the village. It makes my heart
hurt to see people lose and I get too exciting when people I
know win. So I will just sit back and write you all :-)
I
talked to Jason Gatson (USA Gymnastics) this morning. He's still
riding on a high. The US won a silver medal yesterday and he
hasn't removed his smile yet. Japan won the gold (go figure).
Andy
Roddick and his partner lost in doubles competition yesterday.
What
else...... oh, Rick Hawn and Ronda Roussey are fighting today
and I'm up to bat in 2 days!!!!!
Check
this picture out ....
http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?IWw0kCFgR03TnbQ53VcuOQ
Take
care,
Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
Going for the Gold!!!! (why go for less?)
P.S.
I will send more pictures AFTER I compete I PROMISE. YOU HAVE
MY WORD!!!!
Mon.,
16 Aug 2004 PEDRO (73 KG) WINS THE BRONZE!!!!!
Jimmy
Pedro wins the Bronze Medal!! In a hard fought match against
France - Jimmy tired the Frenchman out and pinned him. Well,
really Jimmy submitted him because the guy tapped. I think Jimmy
pushed him to the brink of exhaustion. I am very happy for my
man Jimbo. Hey the Korean won. He threw everybody for Ippon.
What an amazing day!!
Jimmy
really showed his perseverance in hanging in there and coming
back after a loss. To hear more reports like this stra | |