Upcoming
Events
Do you want to list an
event on Onzuka.com?
Contact Us
(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
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)
9/3/04
Stand Up Martial Arts (SUMA)
(Kickboxing)
(Hyatt, Waikiki)
August
Ring of Honor 6
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Maui)
Tentative
8/28/04
Hawaiian Grappling Challenge
(Submission Grappling)
(St. Louis School, Oahu)
So You Think You Tough 5
(MMA)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
8/27/04
Punishment in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Kapolei High School)
|
|
August 2004 News
Part 3
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
Tuesdays at 8:30PM on
Olelo Channel 52
New Time! |
Quote
of the Day
"Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do.
Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.
Try to be better than yourself."
William Faulkner,1897-1962, American Novelist
|
|
Dog
Chapman TV Show debuts this Tuesday!
Bounty
Hunter, Dog Chapman’s new reality TV show debuts on A&E
this Tuesday, August 31st at 7:00PM & 11:00PM.
Check
out the owner of Da Kine Bail Bonds, an avid supporter of MMA
events on the Big Island. |
K-1
MMA PUT ON HOLD INDEFINITELY
How the Ship Came Crashing Down and Where the Fighters Go from
Here
K-1
has confirmed what many in the mixed martial arts world already
suspected: K-1 has put its MMA division on hold indefinitely.
The second K-1 MMA event was originally scheduled to take place
in late September, but before the event was ever officially booked,
doubts began to surface about whether K-1 would ever put on a
second MMA show. Now K-1 matchmaker Sadaharu Tanigawa has told
a Japanese newspaper (as reported by Puroresu Power) that there
are no plans for any further K-1 MMA shows in the forseeable
future.
The
idea of having MMA-only shows started developing internally in
K-1 towards the end of 2003 after Bob Sapp's lackluster performances
under K-1 rules against Kimo and Remy Bonjasky (where Sapp got
himself intentionally disqualified to avoid being KO'ed or TKO'ed).
K-1 realized that Sapp was no longer going to be able to beat
top names in their traditional kickboxing-rules matches, but
there was a feeling within K-1 that Sapp would do much better
under MMA rules. Having an MMA division would also allow K-1
to sign away more top stars in their ongoing war with Pride in
Japan. So, the IWGP pro wrestling title was to be put on the
line for the first time in a shoot fight between Bob Sapp and
Kazuyuki Fujita scheduled for May 22 of this year, after which
Sapp would be able to fight on numerous shows defending the prestigious
belt.
To
put it lightly, it didn't work out as K-1 hoped. Sapp was demolished
by Fujita, and after losing another K-1 rules bout to Ray Sefo,
Sapp was all-but-gone from K-1. He is now filming his role in
"The Longest Yard" starring Adam Sandler, and is expected
to be back in K-1 next year at the earliest (or never). The loss
of Sapp as the anchor of the MMA division, combined with the
broader issue of K-1's huge financial losses due to overpaying
fighters and not drawing enough fans into arenas, spelled the
death of K-1 MMA for the forseeable future.
The
question now becomes, "What will happen to all of the fighters
under K-1 MMA contracts?" This includes fighters who previously
fought in the UFC like BJ Penn and Genki Sudo; as well as, fighters signed
away from possible Pride deals like Don Frye, Royler Gracie,
Rodrigo Gracie, Alistair Overeem, and Sylvester "The Predator"
Terkay (who hadn't even debuted for Pride yet). According to
K-1's Tanigawa, fighters who are under contract to K-1 MMA will
not be allowed out of their contracts, but they will be able
to fight for other organizations just as long as K-1 acts as
the go-between (and thus gets a cut of the fighters' purses).
Of
all the fighters listed above, BJ Penn is undoubtedly the one who is most damaged by
his decision to sign with K-1. Penn won the UFC Welterweight
Title by defeating Matt Hughes in January of this year, then
turned down the UFC's requests for him to defend the belt against
Hughes or one other welterweight fighter. As with all championship
bout agreements, the UFC 46 bout agreement that Penn signed stipulated
that Penn would be an exclusive UFC fighter for a period of one
year if he won the belt. Nonetheless, Penn chose to take a higher
financial offer from K-1 MMA to fight on their May 22 card, and
as a result of violating his exclusive UFC contract, he was immediately
outcast from the UFC and stripped of the Welterweight Title.
Where
does BJ Penn go from here, you ask? As far as big-money offers
go, the answer is more than likely nowhere. The UFC is not going
to re-hire someone who violated an exclusive UFC contract. K-1
does not have an MMA division anymore, and it is very unlikely
that Penn would agree to start fighting in K-1 under kickboxing
rules. Pride may or may not be interested in adding Penn to their
smaller Bushido line of shows, but they wouldn't be offering
anywhere near the amount of money that K-1 offered, or even necessarily
the amount that Penn was making in the UFC. Penn may be limited
to fighting for his family's own Hawaii-based promotion, Rumble
on the Rock.
As
for the other fighters who signed K-1 MMA contracts:
-Several
of the fighters in question have fought under K-1's kickboxing
rules in the past and/or would have no problem doing so in the
future (Gary Goodridge, Duane Ludwig, Alistair Overeem, Sylvester
Terkay).
-Rodrigo
and Royler Gracie will be able to get MMA bookings in Pride if
they choose to, provided that they don't set their asking price
too high.
-Don
Frye makes most of his money in pro wrestling anyway, and is
very limited in what he can do physically at this point due to
spinal injuries which he has still not had surgery on. (You can
add Frye to Pat Miletich and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on the
list of fighters who have had back or spinal injuries for a couple
of years but have not had corrective surgery.)
-Kazuyuki
Fujita is under contract to New Japan Pro Wrestling and is loyal
to Antonio Inoki, who is one of the lead money backers behind
New Japan and K-1. This makes any future Pride appearances for
Fujita very unlikely given the intense nature between K-1 and
Pride, with Inoki firmly entrenched on the K-1 side of the battle.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
Japan Card Developing Nicely from Top to Bottom, but Ortiz Remains
a Question Mark
Scheduled
to take place on December 12 in Japan, UFC 51's card is developing
nicely and is going to be well-stocked with Japanese fighters.
The UFC has been in negotiations with Caol Uno, Genki Sudo, and
Tsuyoshi Kosaka to compete on the show, and UFC president Dana
White confirmed the Uno and Sudo negotiations in an interview
with Full
Contact Fighter.
In
addition, Pancrase President Mr. Ozaki recently announced that
several Pancrase fighters will be appearing on the card, as reported
by Puroresu Power. The Pancrase representatives at UFC 51 could
include Yuki Kondo, Yoshiki Takahashi, Ikushi Minowa, Sanae Kikuta,
or any number of other Pancrase fighters. Pancrase frequently
loans out its contracted fighters to other organizations for
a fee, with the most recent example being Yuki Kondo going to
Pride to fight Vanderlei Silva.
The
only title fight on the show will be Frank Mir vs. Andrei Arlovski
for the UFC Heavyweight Title, provided that both fighters are
healthy and ready to compete in the proper timeframe. As reported
last week on MMAWeekly, Tim Sylvia also hopes to be ready to
go by December as he continues to recover from the broken forearm
bones he suffered in his loss to Frank Mir at UFC 48.
Additionally,
any pretense of Vitor Belfort vs. Tito Ortiz being a secret is
out the window, not only due to Belfort's comments after UFC
49, but also because Dana White confirmed in a few recent interviews
the plan was for Ortiz to fight Belfort regardless of who wins
the UFC 49 match between Ortiz and Guy Mezger. Why the UFC thinks
that Tito Ortiz can be depended upon to fight two times in less
than two months is beyond the comprehension of any person who
looks at the situation objectively and considers Tito's track
record.
Besides
the fact that Ortiz recently tried to hold up the UFC for yet
another pay raise (as first reported by the Wrestling Observer
Newsletter and Dave Meltzer), all one has to do is look at Tito's
history over the past several years to see why he can't be counted
on to fight twice in less than eight weeks.
The
norm for a UFC fighter who is working the maximum schedule (ie,
Matt Hughes) to fight once every four months. Dating back to
2001, Tito went 14 months between his fight with Vladimir Matyushenko
and his fight with Ken Shamrock. Another ten months passed before
Ortiz fought Randy Couture, followed by six months before the
fight Chuck Liddell. By the time the Ortiz-Mezger fight happens,
six months will have passed from the time of Ortiz-Liddell.
So,
the length of time that Tito goes between fights on the last
four occasions has been 14 months, ten months, six months, and
six months... and now the UFC would have him fight twice in less
than eight weeks? This situation could end up hurting the UFC
badly, not only when it comes to fan disappointment over not
seeing Ortiz vs. Belfort, but also due to pay-per-view advertising
deadlines. The advertising deadline for a pay-per-view event
scheduled for mid-December is only a few weeks away. This puts
the UFC in a tough spot from an advertising standpoint, a fact
that will only give Ortiz more leverage in any future "contract
restructuring discussions." Stay tuned to MMAWeekly for
the latest on the UFC 51 card as it continues to develop and
you can check out the "Rumors" section for the latest
on the card.
Source: MMA Weekly |
WILL
WE SEE DIESEL VS LIGHTNING IN THE FUTURE?
Joe "Diesel" Riggs had a pretty impressive UFC debut
forcing Joe Doerksen to tapout due to punishment. He left Doerksen
a bloody mess in the Octagon. To fight and win in the UFC was
a dream come true for Riggs on August 21st at UFC 49.
About
making his UFC debut, Joe said, "I was pretty damn nervous."
It wasn't the bright lights, the cameras, or the large crowd
on hand that made him feel that way. Riggs was more concerned
with what a loss would do to his fighting career. When it was
all said and done, Joe said he can't explain the feeling of joy
he had after winning.
He
wasn't surprised by the outcome of the fight by any means. Riggs
actually thought it would be easier than it was. He told MMAWeekly,
"I thought I was going to end him on his feet rather quick."
He added, "I thought he was going to stand up and bang and
then he wouldn't do that at all." Joe wasn't impressed by
the fight. He said Doerksen, "tried to make the fight as
boring as possible and I hate boring fights."
When
asked when he knew that the fight was pretty much over. Riggs
replied, "I had side mount. It was probably about two minutes
left in the second round. I had side mount and was landing a
couple of shots. This one shot, I faked back for an ankle lock
and caught him right above the eye. Then he wiped his face and
looked at his blood. His eyes looked and he turned white and
I was like, he's done. I just kept bombing. It was a matter of
time." He added, "When I see blood, I'm like a shark."
Riggs
said it doesn't matter to him who he fights next but he had someone
in mind that he'd love to fight. Joe said, "I hate Lee Murray.
I want to fight that guy." He wasn't just calling Murray
out for no reason. The two were going to fight at UFC 48 but
Lee said Riggs wasn't a big enough name. Joe wasn't happy about
that and said, "I just beat the hell out of the guy, the
only guy that's ever beaten him." When asked if he wanted
to say anything to Lee Murray, Riggs only had two words for him;
"F@%k you."
Source: MMA Weekly |
Jens
Pulver Boxing Results!
Jens
Pulver moved to 3-0 in pro boxing with a first-round KO of Leonard
Lewis last Friday night, August 27th in Chicago.
Lewis
came out wild and Pulver nearly dropped him with his first punch
of the night... a straight left. Then, only 41 seconds into the
first round, Pulver landed a left hook on the button that dropped
Lewis... a count was not necessary.
Next
for Pulver is the ShootBox Grand Prix on Sept. 19 in Yokohama,
Japan.
Source: ADCC |
APEX
Preview: STEVE BERGER (part 1)
Steve
Berger returns to the ring in APEX’s first show, going on
September 5th in Montreal. This show is packed with top names
like Dennis Hallman, Tony Fryklund, Ivan Menjivar, and Gerald
Strebendt…and those are only the UFC vets on this card!
Berger himself is returning to Welterweight after an unsuccessful
two-fight drop to Lightweight. APEX’s website still lists
Berger’s opponent as Keith Wisniewski but more on that later.
KM:
Your next fight is in APEX in Canada. It’s a pretty packed
card. How do you feel about fighting on that show? SB: I’m
looking forward to it. It sounds like it will be a really good
card and I’ve never been to Canada so I’ll see a little
bit of Canada too.
KM:
Even though this is the first APEX show this guy has been around
for a while… SB: He’s knowledgeable. Alex Caporicci
I think has worked for a couple of the major organizations up
there, just got together with a couple other partners.
KM:
How did you get involved in this? SB: Alex is actually my manager.
He’s done wonders for me. No sooner had I signed with him
he had me a fight in Hawaii and unfortunately my opponent was
in a car accident before I was supposed to go out there. It was
Rumble On The Rock. I wasn’t able to fight but they still
said ‘we still got you a ticket, we can’t find you
an opponent so come out to Hawaii, corner your teammate, and
enjoy the show’. I did exactly that. Ex) has hooked me up
with this show too and I’m excited about that as well.
KM:
So how did you get hooked up with Alex? SB: He called me last
year I guess when he was working for TKO to set up a fight and
I accepted. I started to train for it and I guess a month and
a week he called up and said ‘I’m sorry but your opponent
pulled out but I’m going to try to find you another fight’.
With that he started calling me up and e-mailing me different
events and just doing all this stiff for me and finally I just
said ‘I feel bad, why don’t you just be my manager.
You are doing everything a manager does’. He said he had
been thinking about doing that so that is how it all started.
It worked out good. I hooked him up with my teammates Mike Rogers
and Dustin Severs and I think he found Santino DiFranco on his
own.
KM:
And when did that start, you being managed by him? SB: Probably
back in March.
KM:
One of the points I’m getting at is when you look on the
web it looks like you have had one fight in the past year and
have had no MMA activity since January but you really have, it
just hasn’t worked out like TKO and Rumble On The Rock.
SB: Almost a good year off. I forget when I fought Din Thomas
but then I stepped back and took a lot of time off. I got some
crazy idea to drop to 155 and that was just the wrong weight
for me. I had a good fight with Din so I figured I’d try
it again and I almost killed myself in January. That is when
Alex called me, shortly after that. Yes, I’m going back
to 169. I kept training loosely and waiting for the next fight
and here I am now.
KM:
Glad you brought up the dropping to 155 experience. I remember
talking to you right before the fight with Din wondering this
was your first at 155 against the #5 ranked fighter! SB: I guess
this is why I need a manager because I always wanted to fight
the best out there and it didn’t matter to me what weight
it was at. That probably was a bad decision. He is very skilled
and that was my first time making 155. I really just needed somebody
to tell me ‘don’t make 155, it’s not your weight’.
I’m almost six feet tall…it’s just too much for
me.
KM:
One thing I have always admired your career for is look who you
fought against and how you did. Even when you dropped to 155
you went for Din Thomas. On the other hand it doesn’t make
your win/loss record look all that good. How do you feel about
that perspective? I don’t mean that insulting. SB: Sure,
sure. I know that. I’m not worried about records. I’ll
tell you something my boxing coach told me a long time ago; don’t
be afraid of the guy who is 15-0, be afraid of the guy who is
15-10 because that is a guy who has been through the fire. Sometimes
they get the name ‘journeymen’, guys who have been
there, is able to deal with nerves before a fight, and usually
has fought tougher opponents. A lot of times if you look at some
records who are 15-0 they haven’t fought anybody, they knocked
off a lot of tomato cans.
KM:
Even though 155 wasn’t you weight and you had two losses
they were both by decision. You made it to the end in a weight
that wasn’t appropriate for you. How do you feel about not
being ‘beaten’ at that weight, that they went to decision?
It’s kind of like my dad told me a long time ago. If a guy
shows up to fight hurt or injured or at a different weight then
he feels hurt injured or at the wrong weight he can beat you.
I knew I was cutting a lot of weight but I felt I could beat
Din and I felt I could beat Phil even though I was cutting all
that weight and it didn’t work out that way. They were the
better men that night. That’s that.
KM:
A lot of people look at the fight of you against Aaron Riley
(HOOKnSHOOT August 19th 2000) as one of your best. SB: That was
a great fight. One of my favorites.
KM:
it gets back to the perspective of not whether you win or lose
but who you fought and how you fought. In that sense is there
any particular landmark in your career you’d want to be
known most for? SB: I want to say that is still to come. I want
to make it back to the UFC. I made it there three times and fallen
flat on my face. I’m upset with myself and want to make
it back there to prove I’m one of the best fighters at 169.
KM:
The Ring Of Fury 2 video is now out, your fight against Nuri
Shakir. For fans who haven’t seen you since UFC would that
fight be what to expect? SB: That was a good fight but I think
my hands, my boxing has gotten a lot better since then. Nuri
is a hell of a talented fighter and was knocking me into queer
street before I was able to sink the choke. I believe my hands
have gotten better. The fight game is a sport you are always
learning, you always have room to improve. Every time I fight
I learn something and go back to the drawing board and capitalize
on it, win lose or draw.
KM:
Can you tell me more about your boxing improving? SB: I got a
guy, Brian Jones. Back in his day he was probably about eight
fights away from the championship fight. I started training with
him back in February and he’s been helping me a lot with
my hands. On top of that I have Rodrigo Vaghi for the ground.
I’m in shape and ready for this fight.
KM:
My only disappointment hearing that is you haven’t had any
fights since training in boxing so we can’t see how you
have changed or what to expect. SB: This is the first one. I
think I’m a little smoother fighter right now, not as stiff.
You never can tell, a fight is a fight, how you will walk out
there and fight.
Steve
walks out there and fights this weekend at APEX. For more information
check out http://www.apexfighting.com/.
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other
person to die."
Malachy McCourt, Writer, Author
|
So
You Think You Tough 5
Extreme Fighting & Kickboxing
Kona Kekuaokalani Gymnasium, Kona, Hawaii
August 28, 2004
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
The only MMA event in Kona is back with its trademark mix of
boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts. Kona fight fans packed
into the Kona gym for another hot summer night of fights. JP
Penn and crew brought some young fighters from the other side
of the island to match up against some of the Kona fighters.
Penn's fighters fought some game opponents and came out 3-0,
winning all their matches by submission, making their drive from
the other side of the island worthwhile. In one of the dual main
events, Kaleo Padilla was scheduled to face fellow heavy hitter
Cheyenne Padekan, but that fight fell through at the last moment.
That match up was highly anticipated and hopefully it can be
rescheduled in the future, the time could be a better due to
the fact that Padekan had just fought a kickboxing match the
night before. Through some promoter magic, Dustin Rubin was found
and came in to fill the void. Padilla started off the match with
a few hard leg kicks. Both fighters exchanged big punches, which
wobbled Rubin and Padilla took the top position. Padilla's recent
work on his ground grappling paid off. He mounted Rubin and punched
him to expose his arm, which he took for his first victory by
way of submission. Promoter Sonny Westbrook has been trying to
plan this for a while and has finally organized it, a 4-man MMA
match. This was not a tag-team match, but four fighters would
be in the ring at one time. Two teams consisting of two fighters
would fight it out all at the same time. Due to this match and
other safety concerns, Westbrook decided to construct a cage
at the last moment. And like a lot of last minute projects, there
were some items that were not completed in time, like using rubber
coated fencing and a lot more padding for the cage. Luckily not
one fighter was cut or hurt from the cage, but more than a few
tested its strength. The whole gym was on its feet for the final
match, which was the 4-man fight. The fighters broke up into
two pairs, one at each corner and started brawling. For the most
of the match, it seemed as though there would be two pairs fighting
individually until the pair of fighters that were standing and
fighting, stood on opposite sides of the pair that was fighting
on the ground. One fighter looked down and saw that his partner
was on the bottom, so he stepped up and kicked the top fighter
in the head. The other stand up fighter saw this and kicked the
other fighter on the ground in the body. This happened two more
times before the referee could warn the fighter that kicks to
the head of a downed opponent are illegal. Right after that,
one of the fighters jumped on his opponent on the ground and
started punching him. The other standing fighter jumped on him
and the two scrambled and resumed fighting on their feet. This
also caused a scramble among the two ground fighters and one
of them was able to secure a rear naked choke for the submission.
The submitted fighter's partner was given the option of continuing
to fight or give up. Needless to say, he made the right decision.
This was the first time that this kind of match has been held,
at least to my knowledge, and it could have had disastrous results,
fortunately it turned out okay and was an extremely exciting
match. By no means am I abdicating this type of match and I have
told the promoter my feelings about this kind of a match. He
said that he would take my comments under consideration.
Exhibition
Boxing: 3 Round X 1.5 Minutes
Daeton Haase (Kona Boxing Club) drew Michael Goodmann (A.P. Boxing
Club)
Exhibition
Boxing: 3 Round X 1.5 Minutes
Russell Ariola (Kona Boxing Club) drew Dayton Timbresa (A.P.
Boxing Club)
Exhibition
Boxing: 3 Round X 1.5 Minutes
Devin Botelho (Kona Boxing Club) drew Josiah Cabang (A.P. Boxing
Club)
Exhibition
Kickboxing: 3 Round X 1.5 Minutes
Nick Gersaba (Kona Boxing Club) drew Ikaika Martin (A.P. Boxing
Club)
MMA:
2 Rounds X 3 Minutes
Albert Manners def. Mark Gersaba (Kona Boxing Gym)
Submission via arm bar from the mount at 2:47 minutes in Round
1.
MMA:
2 Rounds X 3 Minutes
Lorin Torre def. Kyle Araki
Verbal submission after Round 1.
MMA:
2 Rounds X 3 Minutes
Mike Justo (BJ Penn's MMA, Hilo) def. Brandon Kiser
Submission via rear naked choke at 2:58 minutes in Round 1.
MMA:
2 Rounds X 3 Minutes
Shane Nelson (BJ Penn's MMA, Hilo) def. Wayne Salazar
Submission via guillotine choke at 2:29 minutes in Round 1.
MMA:
2 Rounds X 3 Minutes
Alika Ricon def. Mika Salazar
Majority decision after 2 rounds.
Semi-Main
Events
MMA: 2 Rounds X 3 Minutes
Corey Daniels (MMAD, Kaneohe) def. Xavier Alvarez
Unanimous decision after 2 rounds.
MMA:
2 Rounds X 3 Minutes
Jay Carter (BJ Penn's MMA, Hilo) def. Tony Espitia (Kona Boxing
Club)
Submission via tap out due to strikes from the back at 2:16 minutes
in Round 1.
Main
Events
MMA: 2 Rounds X 5 Minutes
Kaleo Padilla (Kona Boxing Club) def. Dustin Rubin
Submission via arm bar from the mount at 2:32 minutes in Round
1
MMA:
1 Round X 4 Minutes
4-Man Brawl
Pama Fuga & Pat Fuga def. Pat McDraun & Adrian Gilmoy
Submission via rear naked choke & verbal submission at 2:30
minutes of Round 1.
|
CONVERSATIONAL
BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE START ON SEPTEMBER 18 AT 8:30 AM
September
18 at 8:30 AM
Farrington High School
Cost: around $20 + books
NUTSHELL
COURSE DESCRIPTION
With concentration on everyday, modern Brazilian usage, special
attention is paid to quickly gain understanding of polite, informal
and colloquial language, verb conjugations, past & present
tenses, masculine-feminine nouns & adjectives (big obstacles
in Romance language-learning) with goals of attaining native
pronunciation and fluency of speech. Brazilian regional variations
in pronunciation and vocabulary are recognized.
This
class is ideal for:
1) Those interested in travel to Brazil
2) English speakers with Brazilian friends/spouses/partners
3) Practitioners of Brazilian martial arts (Capoeira, Jiu Jitsu)
4) Speakers/students of other Latin-derived languages.
ABOUT
THE INSTRUCTOR:
Sandy
Tsukiyama de Oliveira, a Honolulu native, was drawn to the musical
culture of Brazil while studying for her BA in Ethnomusicology
at UH Manoa in the 1970s.
Portuguese language studies were at UH-Manoa with Dr. Stefan
Baciu, and at Windward Commnunity School for Adults with Cecy
de Souza Browne. Sandy worked as a Spanish & Portuguese-speaking
tour escort for over 10 years, receiving hands-on experience
in the language locally while promoting the Hawaii visitor industry.
She
lived in Rio de Janeiro, from 1980-83; spending the first year
at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Escola de Música
on Rotary International Post-Graduate Fellowship for International
Understanding, afterward working as a vocalist in upscale restaurant/bars
and teaching English.
Performing
in Brazilian music groups (The Rio Trio, Mistura, Banda Carioca)
after her return to Hawaii, Sandy maintained her contact with
Brazilian culture in the community while pursuing education in
simultaneous conference interpretation at UH Manoa Center for
Interpretation and Translation Studies. She then continued in
the field of Secondary Education, receiving certification for
Spanish and Special Education.
Sandy
has worked freelance as an English/Spanish/Portuguese interpreter/translator,
as well as in Federal and State courts, for the Honolulu Police
Dept., US Immigration and Naturalization Service, various international
conferences, is on staff for the Bilingual Access Line of Helping
Hands Hawaii and is a member of the Hawaii Interpreters and Translators
Assn.
Currently a Special Education teacher at Roosevelt High School,
she has been teaching Portuguese at FCSA for the past four years.
TEXTBOOK:
Fala Brazil! Português Para Estrangeiros
by Pierre Coudry & Elizabeth Fontão (Pontes Editores)
Accompanying cassettes/CD available
RECOMMENDED
SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS:
501
Portuguese verbs
by John J. Nitti & Michael J. Ferreira (Barron's)
Portuguese
Verbs and Essentials of Grammar
by Sue Tyson-Ward (Passport Books)
For
information on registration, location, dates, fees & class
times, please visit the Farrington Community School for Adults
website:
http://fcsa.k12.hi.us
or
call: (808)832-3595
|
2004
International Masters and Seniors quick report
The
event was again a huge success with many of the top fighters
from yesteryear and recent years competiting in a great atmosphere.
Some of the standouts winners were Renato Barreto, 'Magrao' Gurgel,
'Gigi', Juquinha, 'Macaco' Patino, Crolin Gacie, Pedro Bataglin,
Marcos Norat, 'Cabelinho'. Gracie Humaita repeats as Champion
going away in points. Other standouts were Megaton, DC Maxwell,
Vini Aieta and new Swedish Black Belt Peter Blackwell.
Team
Results:
1-
Gracie Humaita 215
2-
Alliance - Integracao 110
3-
Gracie Barra 105
Source: ADCC
|
UFC
49 report –
Unfinished Business pays off for Zuffa
The
winning strategy for Blackjack is a strange thing really –
you just play the cards the “right way” and hope they
fall in your favour more often than not. You can’t control
the way the cards fall though – sometimes your 20 is beaten
by the dealer’s 21, and sometimes you can win even though
things looked really bad from the outset. Over time and many
hands, things should work out pretty well if you just keep playing
each hand as best you can, but it’s a rough ride. Philosophically,
this is a good analogy for life as a whole, but something about
Mixed Martial Arts makes it fit our sport particularly well.
Zuffa
in particular has felt the unforgiving kiss of plain bad luck
several times when they have done their very best to set everything
up as well as they can. From the unpredictable snoozefest that
was UFC 33 through to the freakish eyelid-slicing incident of
Belfort – Couture 2, things have gone wrong for them in
ways that just amount to the most frustrating bad luck. Some
days, Dana White and the Zuffa crew must just wonder why fate
has it in for them.
Sometimes
though, things are set up well and they go even better than hoped,
and UFC 49 – Unfinished Business surely followed that part
of the pattern. Let’s make this much clear – 49 was
an incredible show, ranking right up there with the most exciting
and dramatic shows the promotion has put on. Only one fight went
the distance (and that was one of the best fights of the night),
no less than four clean KOs jockeyed for highlight-reel space,
and both new faces and veterans impressed with skilled and gutsy
performances. Of the 8 fights, arguably the least exciting in
terms of pure action was edge-of-seat material in dramatic terms.
There were no significant bad ref or judge calls, and the production
generally went very well. Given all this, it’s hard to see
how the show could have gone better.
UFC
49 was a definite hit – but now let’s look at how each
fight went, and who the real winners and losers amongst the fighters
were.
Yves
Edwards vs Josh Thomson
One
of many fights on the card that was too close to call on paper,
this amounted to a conflict between two very well-rounded fighters,
one of whom likes to come forward aggressively, and one who is
exceptionally good at neutralizing aggressive opponents.
The
fight started with Thomson predictably pushing the action, securing
a solid takedown and getting the better of the early part of
the round, particularly in terms of his tenacious wrestling ability.
Edwards reminded us of his impressive ability to stand using
the cage; however, and slowly but surely the tide of the fight
began to turn, as Edwards began to neutralize Thomson’s
offense and slowly begin to open up with his own.
After
several minutes of non-stop action, Edwards took his opponent’s
back in the standing position off a scramble, and as Thomson
broke free and spun with a wild backfist, Yves successfully landed
what will go down in the history books as one of the finest head
kicks seen in MMA. Thomson was felled like a tree, clearly in
some state only remotely resembling consciousness, and it’s
curious that referee Steve Mazzagatti didn’t jump in at
that point, but rather forced Yves to pummel Thomson with multiple
unanswered follow-up strikes before stopping the action. To his
credit, Edwards clearly wasn’t putting much behind those
strikes, saving Thomson unnecessary punishment.
In
an emotional post-fight speech, an exultant Edwards declared
himself to be the peoples’ champion in the lightweight division,
and this certainly met with the approval of the attending crowd,
who rewarded him with a standing ovation. Edwards is now in the
rather curious position of being the uncrowned champion of a
UFC division – the same position that Matt Lindland has
occupied, in an uncomfortable and erratic way, since his second
victory over Phil Baroni.
Just
as with Lindland, it’s not clear what Zuffa has to lose
by giving Edwards the big gold strap. For the first time in several
years, the UFC has a lightweight who has recently defeated most
of the convincing contenders in his division, and followed a
clear progression to the top. It’s not clear what will happen
with the lightweights now – whilst in the past the lightweight
division has been plagued with slow fights and unexciting decisions,
the currently active lightweights seem to be super-skilled sluggers
and submission artists. Zuffa do not seem to want to abandon
the division entirely, but further matchups at the top of the
division are going to be very uncomfortable without that strap
around someone’s waist, and the best and fairest opportunity
to crown a champion has just passed by.
Nonetheless,
this is a crowning achievement for Edwards, the well-deserved
culmination of an exhausting struggle to the top that has lasted
for several years. He has banished recent accusations of being
a purely defensive fighter with a single well-placed kick, he
is clearly the number one fighter in his division, and based
off crowd reaction is well-loved by the fans. There’s no
time for the young Texan to rest on his laurels however –
for now that he’s at the top, the gruelling process of keeping
his “peoples champion” title and solidifying his legacy
begins. Whether or not Zuffa ever gives him a real belt to replace
his de facto one remains to be seen.
As
for Thomson, it’s simply a case of sticking to his guns
and keeping up the good work – although he was beaten at
UFC 49, he looked good and fought well, and his stock should
not have dropped far in this loss.
Karo
Parisyan vs Nick Diaz
There’s
always the concern that a matchup between grappling specialists
might turn into a slow and stale hugging match, causing half
the casual fans to turn over to something “more interesting”.
Fortunately, Karo and Nick don’t even seem to know what
“stall” means, let alone having any intention of actually
doing it.
One
of the fights of the night, this match was a combination of a
striking battle of reach vs aggression and an epic grappling
battle of gi-less Judo vs Jiu-Jitsu. On the feet, Diaz attempted
to use his superior reach and a stiff jab to frustrate Parisyan,
whilst Parisyan continually attempted to slip inside and land
a solid strike of his own. Meanwhile, the grappling match consisted
of the superior and elegant takedowns of the Judo master against
the myriad submissions a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylist has in his
arsenal. And all of this at full speed, with solid aggression
on the part of both fighters.
The
first round in particular is one of the most exciting UFC rounds
ever, and is a good one to have at hand to demonstrate exciting
MMA grappling to your friends (alongside Sakuraba vs Newton,
Parisyan vs Strasser and other classics). This round cannot be
done justice by description – if you haven’t seen it
yet, do everything you can to make sure you do. The constant
transition of positions and submission attempts showed no clear
victor, but the numerous takedowns and Emalianenko-like diving
punches of Parisyan won the first round for him.
It
seemed incredible at the end of the first round that such a blistering
pace could be maintained, and indeed the second round saw both
competitors digging deep into their reserves to keep up a much
slower battle. Nonetheless, it was a spirited round, and a very
close one, edged out by Diaz with more precise striking and more
aggression.
A
quieter second phase is all Parisyan seemed to need in order
to recover some of his strength however, whilst Diaz continued
to wane, and the third saw Karo take over with more dominating
takedowns and a scrappy striking style that suits his aggression
well.
After
three rounds, Parisyan was awarded a split decision victory over
Diaz, in an eyebrow-raising moment of judging. This writer scored
the bout 29-28 for Parisyan, and it’s hard to see how one
of the judges scored more than the second round for Diaz under
UFC rules. In Pride, with their strong positive scoring for submission
attempts, there might have been more of an argument for a Diaz
decision, but under UFC criteria, Parisyan was the clear victor.
Nonetheless,
Nick Diaz has nothing to be ashamed of, and we can expect to
see him back soon in the UFC, especially with the memory of his
KO of Robbie Lawler still fresh. Karo Parisyan, having vindicated
an earlier loss to Georges St Pierre, is destined for competition
in the upper half of the welterweight division – a division
made both stronger and more exciting by the presence of both
Parisyan and Diaz.
Chris
Lytle vs Ronald
Jhun
The
final preliminary match saw another battle of extremely well-rounded
fighters, in the form of the veteran Chris Lytle and Ronald Jhun, in his
long-awaited debut.
A very hard fight to pick on paper, it looked to be a battle
of more polished striking on the part of pro-boxer Lytle against
the strength and tenacity of Jhun.
On
the night, Lytle seemed to have raised the bar on his skills,
scoring an early knockdown on Jhun and displaying excellent Jiu
Jitsu transitions. Both men fought brought an active and aggressive
game to the table, but going into the second round Lytle was
clearly ahead on the scorecards. Jhun opened the second hoping
to turn the tables on his opponent, taking an opportunity to
drop for a double leg early in the round. Unfortunately on the
way down Lytle managed to sink a dangerously deep guillotine
choke, using excellent legwork to keep Jhun from escaping. A
desperate positional struggle ensued, with Jhun rolling to and
fro in an attempt to break the vice-like choke, but finally he
was forced to tap at 1:17 of the second.
This
must be a hard loss for Ronald Jhun, who has been aiming at a
UFC shot for years, and must be hoping that the decent battle
he had with Lytle will secure him another go what may well be
the most stacked division in the UFC. Perhaps we can look forward to a Diaz
– Jhun match in the near future? As for Lytle, he now has the dubious
honor of being considered one of the top contenders in the division,
and can look forward to a very tough matchup for his next battle.
Justin
Eilers vs Mike Kyle
The
live show kicked off, predictably, with a crowd-pleaser in the
form of a heavyweight sluggers match. Eilers and Kyle are old
friends, but this didn’t seem to hinder their intent to
behead each other with huge bombs. Unfortunately for Mike Kyle,
Eilers just appeared on the night to be the better fighter in
all areas – better conditioned, more accurate, more aggressive.
It didn’t take long for one of the powerful punches to find
it’s mark, and Kyle was dropped by a short left hook from
the clinch at just 1:14 of the first round.
Eilers
seems like a more promising version of Kyle, and Zuffa must be
glad to have another credible heavyweight brawler on their roster.
If they’re sensible, they’ll resist the urge to throw
him against one of the top names of this ironically anorexic
division, and build Eilers with another fight against an up-and-comer.
This loss is bad news for Kyle, who still has the shadow of the
alleged Wes Sims biting incident hanging over his head, and compounded
his unpopularity with a bitter post-fight speech and flipping
off the crowd. It seems likely that, barring a rematch with Sims,
we won’t see Kyle in the UFC any time soon. Stranger things
have happened in the heavyweight division, however.
David
Terrell vs Matt Lindland
Matt Lindland, the eternal workhorse of the Middleweight division,
came into this fight with the carrot of finally “earning”
a title shot being dangled in front of him, despite two years
of dominating his division. Unfortunately, 24 seconds is all
it took for that carrot to be snatched away from him as UFC newcomer
Dave Terrell outboxed Lindland and planted a clean left hook
into his jaw, sending him crashing to the canvas. A flurry of
power punches to an unconscious Lindland on the floor formed
a brutal and crowd-pleasing ending to the shortest fight of the
night.
Despite
the clear and quick outcome, this fight raises more questions
than any other on the card. Did Lindland really intend to slug
it out with the more physically powerful Terrell, or was his
statement to that effect just a ruse to setup a wrestling-based
offensive? Would a rematch go differently, or is Terrell just
that good? Can we expect Terrell to see an immediate title match
with a top contender – possibly the winner of the rumored
Tanner – Lawler match at UFC 50? What happens now for Matt
Lindland – will the UFC do the right thing and give him
the opportunity to fight his way up again soon, or will they
use this as an opportunity to replace the veteran with more “exciting”
fighters?
The
Middleweight division has seen many upheavals recently, and in
the past three events has gone from being one of the least promising
weight categories to being an exciting and drama-filled division.
The abrupt arrival of Terrell adds yet another dominating UFC
newcomer to the middleweight roster, and it looks like the next
few events will see an explosion of 185lb violence before the
dust settles and the rankings are clearly formed. Whether Matt
Lindland will emerge at the top or be lost in the shuffle has
to be one of the biggest question marks over the future of this
division, but one thing’s for certain – if he’s
not there, it won’t be through lack of effort.
Chuck
Liddell vs Vernon White
Of
all the listed fights, this was the one that the oddsmakers had
listed as the most certain outcome, with Chuck Liddell going
into the match as a –270 favourite at the MGM Grand sportsbook.
His opponent, Vernon “Tiger” White, is a crafty veteran
from the early days of MMA, and a member of Ken Shamrock’s
Lions Den team. White has been campaigning for years both to
fight Chuck Liddell and to fight in the UFC, and this was clearly
a huge opportunity for him to place his name firmly in the A-list
of 205 pound fighters.
Unfortunately,
to get there, he had to get through Chuck Liddell, and when Chuck’s
on form, that’s a very tall order. A powerful striker with
a dangerously unorthodox style, Liddell has lost only to the
top names of the Light-heavyweight division and has a list of
victims that any fighter would be proud of. It took four minutes
and five seconds for Chuck Liddell to add White’s name to
that list, but it was four minutes and five seconds of non-stop
action wherein Tiger was able demonstrate serious skills and
even more heart.
The
fight opened up with White coming in aggressive, presumably attempting
to get Liddell on the defensive where in the past he has been
defeated. As an additional ploy to outfox Liddell, White came
in with a switched stance – a natural southpaw fighting
in an orthodox stance. These tactics seemed to serve him well
in the opening exchanges, with both fighters landing stiff strikes
that rocked their opponent. Unfortunately, White is not graced
with as much power as Liddell, who in turn has a rock for a head,
and is famed for the power of his strikes. Within the first half
of the round it was more than clear that this equation did not
favour White at all, as Liddell came within a hair’s breadth
of finishing him. To his credit, White defended intelligently
and managed to come back aggressively. The scenario of Liddell
knocking White down with a punch and White demonstrating immense
toughness in coming back replayed twice more before the two men
exchanged straight punches and Tiger collapsed senseless to the
floor.
This
dramatic fight was really good news all round – the fans
were on their feet for almost the entire exchange, Zuffa delivered
on another exciting co-main event and built one of their favorites,
Chuck Liddell has now convincingly earned another title shot
and even Tiger White impressed with his skill and immense heart.
Given the two-tiered structure of the 205lb division, with the
“big four” and the rest, it would make a lot of sense
for Zuffa to bring White back against a new face in the division
at a future date. Meanwhile, expect Zuffa to strike while the
iron is hot and schedule Liddell vs Couture II as early as UFC
51.
Joe
Riggs vs Joe Doerksen
“The
battle of the Joes” saw the immensely strong power-puncher
Riggs collide with the dominant Canadian 185lb submission artist
in Doerksen. Riggs, who used to fight at almost twice his current
weight, is now a ripped and imposing tower of muscle, and during
this gruelling match demonstrated both extreme power and the
skill to use it effectively. Although Doerksen pulled some impressive
moves on the ground, and worked diligently for submissions, Riggs
had an answer to every attempt to force him into a bad position
or submit him. Every now and again, Riggs would free his arms
enough to deliver a frighteningly powerful punch from inside
the guard of Doerksen, delivering significant attrition damage.
Although Doerksen survived the first round without major damage,
the barrage intensified early in the second, with Riggs pinning
Doerksen and landing repeated and powerful forearm shots. At
2:39 of the second, with a nose broken by one of the forearm
shots, Doerksen decided he’d had enough and tapped out.
An
impressive debut for Riggs, this match may set up a fight with
the British 185lb powerhouse Lee Murray, coming off an equally
impressive debut victory over the durable Jorge Rivera. Murray
had previously refused a match with Riggs, citing that Riggs
didn’t have a significantly notable reputation to be worth
fighting, but now that Riggs has proven himself, a matchup between
the two makes a great deal of sense and would almost certainly
be fight of the night material.
As
for Doerksen, he unfortunately did not get a chance do demonstrate
just how good his game can be, and it’s not certain whether
the UFC will bring him back again soon or require him to accrue
a few more wins in smaller shows in order to earn another shot.
Given that he doesn’t fit the apparent criteria for being
an instant fan favorite, we might guess the latter approach to
be more likely.
Randy
Couture vs Vitor Belfort
Given
the controversy that surrounded the end to their second meeting,
it was prudent of the UFC to set up a third bout between Couture
and Belfort at their earliest opportunity. A huge amount of speculation
as to the venerable Couture’s ability to conquer Father
Time, the legitimacy of Belfort’s title, glove design, comparative
fighting styles and any number of other factors loaned a huge
anticipation to this match, and the atmosphere in the arena was
positively electric as the fighters entered the stadium.
Couture
managed somehow to seem in even better shape than his last match,
and entered the stadium looking as relaxed and focussed as ever.
Belfort, in mild contrast, seemed quiet and withdrawn, though
not intimidated. The fight began almost identically to their
previous meeting, with Couture coming in aggressive and forcing
an early clinch against the fence. The one significant missing
factor, fortunately, was the lack of a freak cut, as Belfort
failed to connect with his counter-punch. The two exchanged close
strikes in the clinch, and surprisingly Belfort resisted every
attempt of Couture to ground him for several minutes, the longest
any fighter has done so at 205lbs. Eventually, with a huge cheer
from the crowd, Couture lifted Belfort and slammed him firmly
to the canvas, straight into side control, and from there the
rest of the round played out with Couture working short shots
to Belfort’s face, leaving him battered, if not badly hurt
at the closing bell. And yet, something about Belfort’s
manner as he sat on the floor between rounds betrayed a crumbling
of his mental game, something that he has previously been prone
to when a fight does not go his way – something the Natural
is perfectly aware of and was probably working intentionally
to trigger.
The
second round began with Couture coming forward aggressively again,
using impeccable timing and a tight defense to get inside and
secure a clinch and then a takedown. In a manner strikingly reminiscent
of the Ortiz fight, as the fight went on, the takedowns became
easier for Couture to obtain, and once the fight was grounded,
Couture did not relent for a second. By pacing himself with only
short, chopping attacks, Couture was able to keep up a continual
barrage and simultaneously foil all his opponent’s attempts
to recover a neutral position. Sitting inside Belfort’s
guard against the fence, Couture landed elbows and punches to
Belfort’s face without pause, until midway through the round
referee John McCarthy interrupted the fight for a cut check on
Belfort. Although Belfort was permitted to continue, the fight
resumed as per the latest rules update in the same position as
immediately prior to the stoppage, and Belfort was allowed no
escape from the ground. He did use the opportunity to make his
best attempt of the match at a submission from the guard, with
a decent attempt at an armbar that Couture was forced to stand
and pull out of. All to no avail, as Randy resumed his slow destruction
of the champion until the bell.
Round
three made it clear that Vitor’s mental game had collapsed,
as other than a couple of weak submission attempts, he was on
the defensive for the entire round. Randy got the predictable
clinch and takedown with seeming ease and went to work. Belfort
absorbed a phenomenal amount of damage over the five minutes,
and by the end of the round his face was almost unrecognisable,
with both fighters slick with Belfort’s blood and Couture’s
white shorts stained pink. Although Vitor survived the third,
he looked to be in bad shape and any chance of the fight turning
around seemed extremely remote. Just as the fourth round was
about to start, an end was abruptly called to the match, on the
grounds of a referee stoppage on the advice of the doctor, with
Couture the clear victor. Although Vitor was willing to fight
on, he made no protest at the stoppage, which had almost certainly
saved him several more miserable minutes of punishment.
A
jubilant Couture, now the two-time Light-heavyweight champion,
issued a challenge to Pride champion Wanderlei Silva in his post-fight
interview, in a move to unify the UFC and Pride belts. Silva
was on hand to accept this challenge, although it’s hard
to see Pride and the UFC coming to an agreement as to how such
a fight might take place. For Couture, who has solidified his
legacy as the greatest champion to ever grace the octagon, this
is the only remaining viable challenge to him in his weight category,
and if somehow the miracle occurs and this fight takes place,
it would be a fitting note to retire on. Otherwise, he has a
rematch with Chuck Liddell to prepare for, and given the immense
popularity of both fighters and the power of the storyline, it’s
sure to make an attractive headliner for Zuffa, for whom the
205lb division remains the most consistently marketable.
Vitor
is, along with Lindland, the other fighter who has lost a lot
at UFC 49. Although he may well be able to defeat most or all
other fighters in the division, Randy simply made him look bad.
Although Couture seems to do this to everyone he fights at 205,
there’s a big question mark as to whether Belfort’s
mental game is resilient enough to withstand such a loss. Belfort
remains intensely popular in Brazil, and always seems to have
offers of high profile television work on the table. Will now
be the time he decides to hang up the gloves and focus on his
other options, or will he bounce back and make another run for
the title? Only time, and Vitor Belfort, will tell.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Pedro
ends legendary career with judo bronze
By Ted Brock, NBCOlympics.com
POSTED: Monday, August 16, 1:18 p.m.
UPDATED: Monday, August 16, 3:39 p.m.
Jimmy
Pedro of the United States defeated France's Daniel Fernandes
by ippon Monday afternoon to win a bronze medal in men's lightweight
(73kg/161 lbs) judo at Ano Liossia Olympic Hall.
American
Ellen Wilson lost two matches in the morning session of the women's
lightweight (57kg/ 125 lbs) division to drop from medal contention.
Franck
Fife/Getty Images
After placing fifth at the 2000 Olympics, American Jimmy Pedro
won bronze in Athens.
Inside
the two-minute mark of his repechage bronze medal match, Pedro
dropped Fernandes to the safety zone, then moved him back onto
the center square.
Once
there, Fernandes soon tapped out, giving Pedro the bronze with
1:22 remaining.
The
33-year-old from Methuen, Mass., retired after finishing fifth
at Sydney in 2000. He retired, but said he drew inspiration for
a comeback after watching Derek Parra win gold in speed skating
at Salt Lake.
"I
was sitting in the stadium that night, telling my wife on the
phone that I needed to go to the Olympics again," Pedro
said.
"Since
then it's been the most enjoyable two years of my life."
A
reporter asked whether Pedro would be wearing his medal and laurel
wreath when he returned home.
"Darn
straight," he said. "When I get off the plane in Boston
I'll still be wearing both, along with a huge smile."
Pedro
won both his matches in the main draw, both by ippon.
In
the third round, he lost to eventual gold medalist Lee Won-Hee,
falling behind when Hee scored an early waza-ari. Pedro couldn't
recover despite two knockdowns.
Hee
still was a point ahead in waza-ari scoring.
So
with 44 seconds remaining, Pedro turned to a strategy of desperation,
advancing aggressively toward Hee. But the Korean executed a
shoulder throw to end the match.
Pedro
defeated Gennadiy Bilodid of Ukraine in sudden death overtime
to advance to the semifinal.
His
conditioning helped him win that match when Belarus' Anatoly
Larukov drew three penalties for passivity.
Pedro
reached the bronze medal match when he defeated Portugal's Joao
Neto by ippon with 33 seconds left in their semifinal.
On
the women's side, Wilson drew a first-round bye before losing
by ippon to Deborah Gravenstijn of the Netherlands.
"She
just caught me," Wilson said after falling to Gravenstijn.
"I don't think I did anything wrong. She was just as strong
as an ox."
In
her consolation round match, the Colorado Springs judoka lost
to Italy's Cinzia Cavazutti by a score of yuko.
Yvonne
Boenisch of Germany defeated Kye Sun Hui of (Korea) to win the
women's lightweight gold medal.
For
the two bronze medals, Yurisleydey Lupeytey of Cuba defeated
Isabel Fernandez of Spain, and Gravenstijn beat Barbara Harel
of France.
In
the men's lightweight gold medal match, Korea's Hee defeated
Russia's Vitaliy Makarov by ippon.
In
the main draw's bronze medal match, Leandro Guilheiro of Brazil
defeated Moldova's Victor Bivoly by sogo-gachi.
Source: NBC Olympics
|
Sanderson
wins first U.S. gold;
Abas, Kelly claim silvers
By Jon Ackerman, NBCOlympics.com
UPDATED: 5:06 PM EDT August 28, 2004
ATHENS
-- Ever since he left Iowa State in 2001 without losing a single
wrestling match in four years, everyone wanted to know how Cael
Sanderson could do on the international stage.
After
two days of competing in his first Olympics, also without losing
a single match, the 25-year-old earned the first gold medal for
the U.S. wrestling contingent in Athens. On Saturday night at
Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, Sanderson defeated 2000 silver medalist
Moon Eui-Jae of South Korea in the 84kg (185 lbs) final.
Sanderson (center) lived up to his expectations by winning gold
in his first Olympics.
"It feels great," said Sanderson, a 2003 World Championship
silver medalist. "What a relief, after all the expectations
I've put on myself, to finally get it done."
But
it was the only gold medal the U.S. wrestlers earned Saturday,
despite having two other competitors in gold-medal matches of
their own. Stephen Abas (55kg/121 lbs) and Jamill Kelly (66kg/145.5
lbs) will return home with silver medals.
The
three medals on Saturday equal the number earned by both the
U.S. women's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman teams, and capped
another impressive day for the U.S. men's freestyle team.
Also
Saturday night, American Joe Williams (74kg/163 lbs) qualified
for his weight's quarterfinals, and Daniel Cormier (86kg/211.5
lbs) of the U.S. advanced to his class's semifinals. Their next
matches are Sunday.
But
even before the recent retirement of two-time Olympic medalist
Rulon Gardner, Sanderson was pegged to be the new face of U.S.
wrestling. On Saturday, he showed why.
U.S. freestylers impress again
Against
Moon, Sanderson needed to come back from a 1-0 deficit to get
the win. They ended the first period scoreless, but Moon first
jumped on the board when Sanderson broke the clinch to start
the second period in an attempt to execute his patent ankle move.
Though he missed that time, Sanderson soon nailed Moon for a
two-point back exposure, and later took Moon down for the match-ending
third point.
In
his semifinal, Sanderson defeated Cuban nemesis Yoel Romero,
the silver medalist from 2000. Romero lost to reigning world
champion Sazhid Sazhidov of Russia in the bronze-medal match.
Abas
and Kelly, however, weren't as successful as Sanderson.
Abas
was up first in the 55kg (121 lbs) final against Russia's Mavlet
Batirov, a 2001 Worlds silver medalist, and the American never
led. After ending the first period up 3-1, the Russian sealed
the gold with a 9-1 victory.
But
for Abas, whose best previous major international finish was
fifth at the 2003 Worlds, a silver in his first Olympics is nothing
to sulk about.
NBC
Image
Abas, who
needed a cut over his eye taped, earned a silver in his first
Olympics.
"I'm not ashamed of what I did today. I had a great tournament,"
he said.
In
the semifinals, Abas shut out Japan's Chikara Tanabe, who would
go on to take bronze.
In
his 66kg (145.5 lbs) final, Kelly faced the Ukraine's Elbrus
Tedeyev, a 1996 bronze medalist and 2002 world champ. Tedeyev
grabbed the lead first, using an effective ankle twist to score
his five first-period points. Kelly managed a one-point takedown
for himself with 30 seconds to go, but Tedeyev would get a 5-1
win for the gold.
"I
knew he was good with the (ankle) lace," said Kelly, who
never won as much as a high school or college championship before
taking his first major title at the 2004 Nationals. "I got
lazy, and he got me twice. That's four points and the final was
5-1."
Kelly
reached the final after judges had to replay the final seconds
of his semifinal match with Russia's Makhach Murtazaliev. After
one video replay, the judges declared the Russian the winner.
But Kelly demanded another replay, and after judges reviewed
the video a second time, they awarded Kelly the two points needed
for the win. Murtazaliev would go on to earn bronze.
For
the heavyweight (120kg/264.5) gold medal, Uzbekistan's Artur
Taymazov defeated Iran's Alireza Rezaei, 4-0. Turkey's Aydin
Polatci won bronze. The U.S. heavyweight, Kerry McCoy, was the
lone American not to advance from Friday's preliminary matches,
and also the only American with previous Olympic freestyle experience.
In
pool elimination matches, Williams defeated Georgia's Gela Saghirashvili,
6-1, in the morning, and took out Iran's Mehdi Hajizadeh, the
2002 World champ, in his evening match, 3-0. He'll face Kazakhstan's
Gennadiy Laliyev in the quarterfinals.
Cormier
shut out Austria's Radovan Valach, 9-0, in his early match, and
then dominated Poland's Bartlomiej Bartnicki for a 10-1 win Saturday
evening. By virtue of a lucky draw, Cormier goes straight to
the semifinals at 96kg (211 1/5 pounds), and will face the winner
of Russia's Khadjimourat Gatsalov and Belarus' Aleksandr Shemarov.
Eric
Guerrero, at 60kg (132 lbs), was the only American not to win
a match in these Olympics, as he ended his day with a 3-1 loss
to Georgia's David Pogosian. In his morning match, he fell to
Mongolia's Purevbaatar Oyunbileg by the same score.
Source: NBC Olympics
|
Jungle
Fight returns to the Amazon
October 23 in Manaus!
Antonio
Inoki and Wallid Ismail Present Jungle Fight Championship III!
Ronaldo
“Jacare” Souza, Vladimir Matyushenko, Shinsuke Nakamura,
Carlos Baretto, Jorge “Macaco” Patino, Katsuyori Shibata,
Thom | |