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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2005
11/14/05
3rd American National BJJ Championships
(Torrance Unified School District, Torrance, CA )
10/29-30/05
Brazilian Team Titles
(Equipes)
(Brazil)
8/27-28/05
International
Masters & Seniors BJJ Tournament
(Tijuca Tenis Clube, Tijuca, Brazil)
7/23-31/05
World BJJ
Championships (Mundial)
(Tijuca Tenis Clube, Tijuca, Brazil)
5/7-8 & 14-15 & 21-22/05
Brazilian National BJJ Tournament
(Youth, Adult, Master & Senior)
(Tijuca Tenis Clube, Tijuca, Brazil?)
4/1-3/05
Pan American
& Team Title USA vs Brazil BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA)
3/12/05
The Second Annual Maui
Jiu-Jitsu Open
BJJ tournament
(BJJ)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Hawaii)
3/6-7/05
Hawaii State High School Wrestling Championships
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/5/04
So You Think You Tough 7
(Boxing, MMA)
(Kauai)
2/5/05
UFC 51: Super Saturday
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
1/22/05
Punishment In
Paradise 9:
Hawaii vs. Mainland
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kapolei H.S. Gym)
2004
12/31/04
Pride
(MMA)
(Japan)
K-1
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Japan)
12/11/04
Super Brawl 38
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
12/10/04
Kickin It Again
(Kickboxing)
(Kapolei HS)
|
|
December 2004 News
Part 1
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
"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline
or the pain of regret or disappointment."
Jim Rohn, American Businessman, Author, Speaker, Philosopher
|
Mike
is selling his Integra...again!
Just
when you thought that his Integra was long gone, it is recovered
and still in great shape. Of course, there is no stereo, but
all the wiring is in place for someone to install a new stereo.
All the bolt-on components are still there (Akimoto Intake,
DC Sports Stainless Steel Header, JET Chip, Greddy Exhaust, but
the exhaust will need to be changed soon). Three out of four
17" rims and tires are on it right now so if you want to
buy new rims, you just have to buy one tire and you are good
to go. The car is very reliable and I did all the maintenance
on time. In fact, I did more than the scheduled maintenance
because I was not driving the car that much.
The
finishing touches are being put on it as we speak. I am selling
the car for $9,000.00 which is way lower
than any other car near this year with way more mileage than
the just over 46,000 that I have on it is going for. I want
to get rid of this car as soon as I can.
For
more details and pictures click on:
http://www.onzuka.com/acura1.html
If
you are interested, please contact Mike by phone (381-9530) or
email me at Mike@onzuka.com.
|
KICKBOXING
CHAMPIONSHIPS
KICKIN IT 2004 "THE SEQUEL"
Tonight!
DECEMBER 10, 2004
KAPOLEI HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM
8-YEAR OLD 60# CHAMPIONSHIP
DAHWEN BRIGHT VS TRISTON PEBRIA
HSD EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB
KILI POMROY WHO WAS SCHEDULED TO FIGHT DAHWEN AND TRISTON KAMAKA
WHO WAS SCHEDULED TO FIGHT TRISTON WILL NOT BE FIGHTING. SO DAHWEN
WILL BE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY TRISTON'S CHANCES OF WINNING A BELT
ON FRIDAY NIGHT. DAHWEN HAS TO STEP UP HIS GAME BEING THAT HE
WILL BE COMPETING AGAINST AN OLDER AND HEAVIER FIGHTER. TRISTON
IS A STRONGER AND MORE AGGRESSIVE FIGHTER WHO IS LOOKING TO WALK
OUT OF THE RING WITH A BELT AROUND OF HIS WAIST ON DEC. 10TH.
9-YEAR OLD 65# CHAMPIONSHIP
DIDO RODRIGUES VS ABE REINHARDT
WAIANAE KICKBOXING WAILUKU KICKBOXING
MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (153-159#)
NICK CORREA(2-1) VS NICK GEGA (3-0)
HSD LAUPAHOEHOE MUAY THAI
BEING THAT KAIPO GONZALEZ (SCHEDULED TO FIGHT CORREA) HAS PULLED
OUT. CORREA WILL STEP UP TWO WEIGHT CLASSES TO FIGHT HARD KICKIN
NICK GEGA. BOTH FIGHTERS HAVE HAD THREE FIGHTS WITH GEGA NOT
LOSING ANY OF HIS MATCHES. CORREA'S ONLY LOST CAME FROM SOMEONE
THAT HAD THE SAME KIND OF AGGRESSIVNESS AS GEGA. THIS IS ANOTHER
MATCH WHERE POWER VS REACH.
SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (135-139#)
DAVID BALICAO (5-1) VS RYAN LEE (SEMI PRO)
HSD BULLSPEN
SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (125-129#)
CHAD PAVAO (3-0) VS TAVIS KAGAWA (2-2)
HSD LAUPAHOEHOE MUAY THAI
SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (115-119#)
TONY PERERA (3-0) VS KOICHI TANJI (1-1)
WAIANAE KICKBOXING HMC
SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (210-ABOVE)
BOB ATISANOE (3-0) VS LEVI JOSEPH
HSD TEAM YOKUZUNA
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (167-174#)
BEN RODRIGUES (3-1) VS CONRAD PASSI (1-1)
HSD ADVANCED KENPO
OPEN MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (153-159#)
WAYNE KAMEALOHA (SEMI-PRO) ZACH ILIZARO
HSD (1-1) WAILUKU KICKBOXING
KAMEALOHA WILL ALSO TAKE THE PLACE OF KALEO KWON WHO WAS SCHEDULED
TO FIGHT ILIZARO. KAMEALOHA WILL STEP UP TO THE OPEN DIVISION
AND SWING WITH ILIZARO. ILIZARO IS A WELL-KNOWN BOXER IN MAUI.
KAMEALOHA IS A BIG BANGA BUT LACKS THE EXPERIENCE. KAMEALOHA
WANTS TO TEST HIS SKILLS AS WELL AS HIS CHIN. A TRUE WARRIOR.
OTHER BOUTS
KAI RUIZ 75# HYO MATSUKAWA
HSD HMC
MIKE KIPAPA 250# KAIKA AKI
TEAM YOKUZUNA HSD
KEONI KIPAPA 135# CHAZIN MAHUKA
TEAM YOKUZUNA HSD
HANS LEE 155# DAREN JOSE
ANIMAL HOUSE HSD
MUAY THAI BOUTS-LEG KICKS, CLINCHING, AND KNEES WILL BE ALLOWED
IN THESE MATCHES
TYSON NAM 135# DEREK MINN
GEE YUNG LAUPAHOEHOE MUAY THAI
ALL MATCHES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
PRE-SALE:$15.00 AT THE DOOR:$20.00
TICKETS MAY BE PURCHASED FROM ALMOST ALL PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
(ANIMAL HOUSE, TEAM YOKUZUNA, HSD, WAIANAE KICKBOXING CLUB, TEAM
BAD INTENTIONS,HMC, EASTSIDAZ, LAUPAHOEHOE MUAY THAI, GEE YUNG,
ADVANCED KENPO, EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB) OR CALL DOUG AT 721-6019
FOR TICKETS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN YOUR TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT YET. YOU HAD
BETTER HURRY BEFORE DEC. 10TH OR YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY THAT EXTRA
5 DOLLARS (OUCH) AT THE DOOR. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS OUT ON
THESE FIGHTS FOR THIS IS TRULY THE REAL KICKBOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS.
A LOT OF THE TOP NAME FIGHTERS WILL BE FIGHTING ON THIS EVENT
FROM KIDS TO ADULTS. THE DISPLAY OF SKILLS WILL BE INSANE AND
YOU PROBABLY CAN'T FIND THIS ANYWHERE ELSE BUT ON THE KICKIN
IT 2004 "THE SEQUEL" (BELEEV DAT). ACTION HAS A DIFFERENT
NAME AND IT GOES BY THE NAME OF
KICKIN IT - (CAUSE DAS HOW WE KICK IT)
|
Super
Brawl 38 Tomorrow
Night!
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
December 11, 2004
Tentative Fight Card
Bryson
Kamaka (808 Fight Factory, 1-4) vs. Chris Dawson (Rancho Cucamonga,
CA)
Ed
Nawalu (808 Fight Factory, 5-8) vs. Kevin DeLima (Bulls Pen,
1-0 Pro, 3-1 Amateur)
Kai
Kamaka (808 Fight Factory, 4-4) vs. Ray Lazama (Rancho Cucamonga,
CA, 1-2)
Andre "The Chief" Roberts (Miletich Fighting Systems,
14-1) vs. Reuben "Warpath" Villareal (Sacramento, CA,
6-4)
Kolo
"The Son of Polynesia" Koka (Team MADD, 10-7) vs. Joe
"Hillbilly" Jordan (Miletich Fighting Systems, 15-7-2)
Rich
"Ace" Franklin (Meat Truck Inc., 15-1) vs. Curtis Stout
(American Jiu-Jitsu Academy St. Louis, MI, 7-5-1)
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller (Kobra Kai, 11-3) vs. Mark Moreno (Bulls
Pen, 6-4-2)
Falaniko
Vitale (808 Fight Factory, 18-3) vs. Ron Fields (Meat Truck Inc.,
6-9 Pro, 7-0 Amateur)
Tim
"The Maniac" Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, 16-1)
vs. Wes "The Project" Sims (Hammer House, 7-6)
|
Urijah
Faber: The Quest for Kumate
by Traci Ratzloff
Lights
low, the screen dark. Not a single sound is heard until a booming
voice breathes. "An awesome human weapon who infiltrates
the Chinese underworld to enter a forbidden competition where
every fighting style, every worthy opponent, every deadly technique
clash in savage combat, and only one will triumph." Flashes
of arguably one of the most infamous martial art actors cross
the screen. Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Beating
the odds, triumphing in the face of those who oppose him, and
possibly worse, do not believe in him, the hero of "Bloodsport,"
Frank W. Dux, finds himself in the coveted Kumate arena, facing
the reigning champion, Chun Li.
Telling
opponents who stand in his way, "I did not come this far
to stop now," Dux has inspired men and women across the
world to fight for what they believe in: honor.
Meet
Urijah Faber. Born in Santa Barbara, California in May 1979,
Faber, 25, grew up in the state's Sacramento area and currently
resides there today. A fan of MMA since the sport's birth, it
wasn't until he saw Frank Dux defeat the odds in his favorite
movie that the connection was made.
Growing
up with older brother, Ryan, 28, who wrestled, and younger sister,
Michaella, 12, a cheerleader, Faber was involved, for a brief
stint, with karate in second grade, but found his niche when
he began wrestling in 8th grade.
"I
think wrestling is the dominant martial art," he states.
"Wrestlers have a good base for jiu-jitsu and can use it
for defense." Wrestling through high school and a scholarship
winner at the University of California-Davis, he quickly excelled,
maintaining the All-Time win record in the program's history
to date. Faber finished in the NCAA D-1 top 12, and placed second
at University Nationals, becoming an alternate for the World
Team.
Faber
graduated from UC-Davis with a degree in Human Development, but
his connection with the university doesn't stop there. Last year
the 5-foot-6 145-pound fighter worked as a wrestling coach, and
currently continues to volunteer; but his focus these days is
on the fight game.
After
only a year in the MMA scene he boasts a 6-0 record, with his
most recent win being for the King of the Cage bantamweight belt,
a TKO at 4:33 in the third round against Eben Kaneshiro. A fight that, in Faber's words, "didn't
really differ much from the previous five, other than being more
experienced."
"I
always train hard for my fights," he reveals. "For
this, I concentrated a lot on my wrestling and conditioning with
the UC-Davis team. I knew that I would be in for a 15-minute
battle, so getting into top wrestling shape was my first concern.
I worked on my jiu-jitsu with world champion Cassio Werneck,
as well as the guys at City Boxing in San Diego, Tyrone Glover
and Brandon Vera. All the guys from the Capital City Fighting
Alliance (CCFA) helped out a lot, and I worked on my hands with
Steve Renaun (CCFA) and WEC Heavyweight Champ James Irvin (CCFA),
who will be fighting in the UFC in February."
The
hard work definitely paid off.
Consistently
fighting opponents with at least one year more experience, but
typically more, Faber burst on the scene in his debut fight against
Jay Valencia at Gladiator Challenge 20, November 2003. After
just 1:22 of the first round, Faber tapped Valencia with a guillotine
choke.
When
asked about his debut, Faber calmly recalls: "I'm comfortable
with competition from my wrestling experience -- it's my style.
Mentally, it felt exactly like a wrestling match." Though
he did admit this was, "a little more nerve racking, but
more of a nervous excitement."
Four
months later, he was again seen in the Gladiator Challenge cage,
this time facing off against George Adkins. Halfway through the
second round, Adkins' corner called it quits, naming Faber the
victor. "I came into that fight with a lot more confidence,"
he remembers.
After
another four months Faber met AKA fighter Dave Velasquez in GC
27. With a recorded MMA record since 1999, Faber refused to be
intimidated. "I felt confident. I don't let feeling like,
'someone is better than me,' get into my head." Both his
mental and physical game proved this to be true as Faber was
awarded the unanimous decision after a 15-minute battle.
Next
up was Del Hawkins, who, to that point, had fought in 24 recorded
MMA fights since 2000. On paper Faber looked the more inexperienced
fighter, but at 3:19 in the first round, he proved experience
wrong with a TKO.
On
September 24, 2004, Faber was able to test his theory of wrestling
as the dominant martial art against known Brazilian jiu-jitsu
fighter, Rami Boukai in King of the Cage 39. "After watching
our fight tape, I realized I was overly cautious," Faber
says. "This was because Rami is a straight jiu-jitsu guy."
Overly
cautious? Unlikely, as after preparing with Glover, who originally
helped Faber transition into jiu-jitsu and boxing after college,
and Werneck for the fight, he was ready to defend many of the
BJJ positions Boukai posed. After giving his back to Boukai for
part of the fight -- a typically less than desirable position
-- Faber says he "didn't feel threatened at all when he
had my back. I felt like I completely dominated the fight, except
for those two minutes." The judges agreed, and Faber was
awarded the majority decision.
Working
with the Capital City Fighting Alliance, Faber, like Dux, continues
to follow his dream and fight for honor, only this time instead
of Hong Kong, Faber's destination is Japan, a place he has great
respect for. "I have my sights on competing in Japan soon,"
he says, "so it would be good if I could get a fight with
a well known Japanese fighter. I really don't have one person
in particular that I would like to fight, [however,] Caol Uno
is one guy that would be a good match up for me. He has a good
name and is an exciting fighter. I once went to Japan for an
18-day wrestling tour, and I like the Japanese mentality. I think
my style would be appreciated over there."
Though
his style is unique, he refuses to take sole credit. "I
take bits and pieces of advice from everyone I can talk to."
It's a style comprised from "a mix of Matt Hughes, Randy
Couture and Sakuraba." And though Faber's record is flawless,
he continues to train and work hard, always looking for ways
to improve his game. "I am a big fan of striking, but I
need to work on the mechanics of it."
Faber,
humbly thankful to his team, trainers and sponsors, works with
Tedd Williams from Gladiator Challenge and the CCFA to keep his
career active. He's sponsored by Jeremy and Sid Dunmore of Dunmore
Communities in Sacramento, who, after viewing a DVD of his first
fights, became Faber's business partners in AlphaMaleAthletics.com
and began sponsoring him. "I really lucked out with great
sponsors," he says. "They help me do what I like to
do ... and they have also become really great friends."
When
asked who his role models in the fight game were, there was no
hesitation. " Randy Couture is one guy I look up to. He's
a stand-up individual, in and out of the ring. I have always
been a huge fan of his wrestling. Quinton Jackson, Wanderlei
Silva and Chuck Liddell love the fight game. They have a passion
for it. [I admire them] because they have the balls to lay it
out on the line every time. Sakuraba is a fun guy for me to watch
because of his style and personality, and definitely Matt Hughes.
He is a great wrestler, a great athlete and really studies the
game. We have similar [wrestling] backgrounds."
In
the end of Faber's favorite movie, we find Frank Dux at the Kumate.
Stay tuned to Faber to see if he continues to follows his hero's
footsteps, entering his own personal Kumate with only the best
of the best.
Source:
Sherdog
|
NINE
FIGHTS FOR SUPER SATURDAY!
Superbowl Weekend has become a huge deal for the UFC, and Zuffa
is showing the fans how super they want to make that weekend.
MMAWeekly.com
has learned that the UFC will feature NINE fights for the upcoming
card. Traditionally the UFC has made eight fights for the fight
cards, but they want to make this card special for Superbowl
weekend so they will make it nine fights instead of eight.
While
much of the card still needs to be signed, these fights have
been agreed to verbally. As MMAWeekly.com broke the story yesterday,
David Terrell is the lead choice to face Evan Tanner for the
185 pound title. As of last night, the UFC is still trying to
get Terrell free from his Pancrase contract and they have yet
to strike a deal to free up Terrell for the title fight. If they
cannot get the deal done, then Rich Franklin would step up for
the fight. The other problem the UFC will have is trying to figure
out which fights should be preliminary fights for UFC 51.
MMAWeekly.com's
projected card for UFC 51
Phil
Baroni vs Robbie Lawler
Chris
Lytle vs Karo Parisyan
Tito
Ortiz vs Vitor Belfort
Nick
Diaz vs Drew Fickett
Mike
Kyle vs James Irvin
Joe
Riggs vs David Loiseau
Tim
Sylvia vs Andre Arlovski - UFC Interim Heavyweight Title
Evan
Tanner vs David Terrell or Rich Franklin - UFC Middleweight Title
Justin
Eilers vs Paul Buentello
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
David
Terrell in UFC 51
It finally appears as if the drama of who will be fighting Evan
Tanner for the UFC Middleweight Title has been resolved. Although
the contract has not been signed, the final stipulations for
this fight are underway. The UFC has not had a champion at middleweight
since Murillo Bustamante relinquished his belt and they are eager
to crown a worthy successor. Team Quest representative, Evan
Tanner, will attempt to avenge the loss that fellow teammate,
Matt Linland, suffered at the hands of David Terrell in a mere
25 second, brutal KO. David Terrell will be out to prove to Team
Quest and to the world that his victory over Linland was no fluke
and that he plans to wear the UFC belt for some time to come.
This will be one of the most anticipated matches on a stacked
card.
Source:
Gracie Fighter
|
BARONI
VS LAWLER: LOSER LEAVES TOWN (OR UFC)
To say there is a little bit on the line at UFC 51 when Phil
Baroni faces Robbie Lawler would be a bit of an understatement.
When Baroni squares off against Lawler in Las Vegas in eight
weeks, their UFC careers will be at stake.
MMAWeekly
has talked with a few different camps and it seems as though
the loser of this fight will definitely be out of the UFC. Both
fighters did not sign multi-fight deals with the UFC. They both
just signed a one fight deal for this fight.
Lawler
has lost three of his last four fights. Baroni has lost three
in a row. Both fighters have one thing in common. Their last
loss was to Evan Tanner.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Abu
Dhabi 2004 Brazilian Trials Final Leg:
Champions are crowned as Roger Gracie, Demian Maia and Roan Carneiro
steal the show!
By Eduardo Alonso
It's no secret for fighting fans worldwide that the Abu Dhabi
Submission Wrestling Championship is perhaps the most prestigious,
or at least desired, grappling title in the globe. With its large
money prizes, and an instant rise to stardom for their champions,
the event attracts some of the finest athletes from all kinds
of grappling sports, from the most diverse places on earth. Things
wouldn't be different in Brazil, one of the most traditional
countries in ground fighting in recent years, and the amount
of interest in the competition has been so huge that promoters
were forced to not only hold the traditional Brazilian trials,
but to also make different stages and legs of the competition,
until one could find a way into the World Championships through
his own title in the trials, winning the final leg of competition
in the biggest city of Brazil, Sao Paulo.
This
past Saturday and Sunday, December 4th and 5th, the top grapplers
in five weight divisions who made their way into the final leg
of the ADCC Brazilian trials, either by winning the earlier legs
of the competition or by invitation due to their accomplishments
in the sport, competed at the Mauro Pinheiro arena, part of the
Ibirapuera sports complex, one of the most famous and traditions
of the city. Rivalries and excitement were brought to the table,
as the academies and teams of the country and some of the most
famous fighters of today clashed, creating a nice atmosphere
for those on hand. Unfortunately though, the live gate doesn't
seem to be following Submission Wrestling in Brazil, as both
the last year Abu Dhabi World Championships, also held in Sao
Paulo, and this year trials didn't gather more than a few spectators
paying tickets. Despite that, action was fierce and exciting
on the mat, and that's what's most important for fighting fans.
The first round of the final leg already brought one of he most
awaited fights of all competition, as in the up to 88kg division
former Alliance fighter Demian Maia showed a great game defeating
former Jiu Jitsu sensation Fernando "Margarida" Pontes,
helping to spread the name of Brasa, his new academy, even more.
Demina was surely one of the biggest stand outs, if not the biggest
stand out, of the competition. through his three wins he showed
a fluid and slick ground game, transitioning smoothly from one
position to another, and even submitting Sergio Cohen, from the
Brazilian Top Team, in the final match, with a nice choke from
69 position.
Challenging
Demian Maia as the biggest stand out of the show, was none other
than Roger Gracie, the young prodigy out of the Gracie family,
showing that no matter what happens, the most traditional family
in modern times grappling is always making their presence known
in competitions. Gracie proved that talent goes beyond frontiers,
as he is currently living in England and his talent has been
making up for a possible lack of top-notch training partners,
and he is only getting better and better. One nice example was
Roger Gracie win in the final of the up to 99 kg division, where
he took care of Vitor Viana, mounting him quickly and working
with several key lock attempts, until he fooled his opponent
into a katagatame choke, getting the tap out and being the only
fighter, along with Demian, to win the final match by submission.
As other champions, Gabriel Napao in the above 99 kg division,
and Wagney dos Santos in the up to 66 kg division, also showed
great game to deserve their spots in the next year Abu Dhabi
World Championship, to be held in Los Angeles, the third stand
out worth a special mention was without a doubt Brazilian Top
Team fighter and MMA veteran Roan "Jucao" Carneiro.
Roan, who is also currently living in Europe nowadays, teaching
classes in France, showed a great pace, good cardio and a slick
game in his winning effort. His training sessions with Rodrigo
"Minotauro" Nogueira also paid off, as "Jucao"
almost got Eduardo Guedes, his opponent on the final match of
the up to 77 kg division, on the famous "Reversed Katagatame"
that Nogueira has been making famous on his Pride appearances
lately. One note worth of mentioning, is that despite the fact
that both Carneiro and Guedes both come from the Brazilian Top
Team, their fight was real and competitve, giving a good spectacle
for the fans. Now the five champions of the Brazilian trials
earned their spot to compete against the world's best at the
ADCC World Championship next year, where fans will be the real
winners watching fighters like Roan Carneiro, Roger Gracie and
Demian Maia competing again against the globe's best! Check out
the results below:
Abu
Dhabi 2004 Brazilian Trials Final Leg Results:
Up
to 66Kg Division:
Quarter
Finals:
Wagney dos Santos defeated Reinaldo Ribeiro
Taedes Mendonca defeated Fabio Mello
Rani Yahyra defeated Renato Migliacio
Rodrigo Damm defeated Augusto Mendes
Semi
Finals:
Wagney dos Santos defeated Taedes Mendonca
Rani Yahyra defeated Rodrigo Damm
Final:
Wagney dos Santos defeated Rani Yahyra
Up
to 77kg Division:
Quarter
Finals:
Eduardo Guedes defeated Daniel Moraes
Lucas Leite defeated Marcelo Salazar
Leonardo Pecanha defeated Fabricio Morango
Roan "Jucao" Carneiro defeated Andre Galvao
Semi
Finals:
Eduardo Guedes defeated Lucas Leite
Roan "Jucao" Carneiro defeated Leonardo Pecanha
Final:
Roan "Jucao" Carneiro defeated Eduardo Guedes
Up
to 88kg Division:
Quarter
Finals:
Rodrigo Botti defeated Jorge Patino "Macaco"
Sergio Cohen defeated Fabricio Monteiro
Demian Maia defeated Fernando Pontes "Margarida"
Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros defeated Givanildo Santana
Semi
Finals:
Sergio Cohen defeated Rodrigo Botti
Demian Maia defeated Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros
Final:
Demian Maia defeated Sergio Cohen
Up
to 99kg Division:
Quarter
Finals:
Fernando "Boi" defeated Fabiano Capoane
Vitor Viana defeated Tony Lima
Roger Gracie defeated Gabriel Vella
Rodrigo "Riscado" defeated Gabriel "Gladiador"
Semi
Finals:
Vitor Viana defeated Fernando "Boi"
Roger Gracie defeated Rodrigo "Riscado"
Final:
Roger Gracie defeated Vitor Viana
Above
99Kg Division:
Quarter
Finals:
Antoine Jaoude defeated Marcos Moreno
Gabriel Napao defeated Fabiano "Pega-Leve" Scherner
Alex "Negao" Paz defeated Denis Gomes
Rodrigo Durok defeated Leo Leite
Semi
Finals:
Gabriel Napao defeated Antoine Jaoude
Alex "Negao" Paz defeated Rodrigo Durok
Final:
Gabriel Napao defeated Alex "Negao" Paz
Source:
FCF
|
GOLD
MEDALLIST TAKIMOTO ADDED TO SHOCKWAVE FIGHT CARD
TOKYO, Japan – Judo Olympic gold medallist Makoto Takimoto
of Japan has been added to PRIDE FIGHTING's SHOCKWAVE fight card.
His opponent is yet to be announced. Takimoto won the gold medal
in the men's 81-kilogram division in Judo at the 2000 Sydney
Olympic Games by defeating heavy favorite In-Chul Cho of South
Korea. Takimoto joins fellow Olympic gold medallists Hidehiko
Yoshida and Rulon Gardner on the SHOCKWAVE fightcard.
Previously
announced bouts for SHOCKWAVE include: for the title of undisputed
heavyweight Grand Prix Champion of 2004 as well as for the title
of PRIDE heavyweight champion ... Fedor Emelianenko versus Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira ... also, for the first time in mixed martial
arts history and under mixed martial arts rules, it will be Olympic
gold versus Olympic gold as Japan's Hidehiko Yoshida (1992 Judo
Olympic gold medallist) takes on Rulon Gardner of the United
States (2000 Greco Roman Wrestling Olympic gold medallist). Other
bouts will feature Wanderlei Silva versus Kazushi Sakuraba, Dan
Henderson versus Yuki Kondo, Kevin Randleman versus Mirko "Cro
Cop" Filipovic and Takanori Gomi versus "Little Evil"
Jens Pulver.
SHOCKWAVE
will take place from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan and is
scheduled to debut on North American pay per view via iNDEMAND,
DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Vu!, and Viewer's Choice on Sunday,
January 2nd, 2005 at 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST.
Judo
Olympic gold medallist Makoto Takimoto with PRIDE's executive
producer, Nobuhiko Takada
SHOCKWAVE
FIGHT CARD
Fedor
Emelianenko (Russia) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Brazil)
(This is a double title match, for both the PRIDE FIGHTING heavyweight
championship as well for the title of 2004 Grand Prix heavyweight
champion)
Hidehiko
Yoshida (Japan) vs. Rulon Gardner (USA)
Wanderlei Silva (Brazil) vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan)
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (Croatia) vs. Kevin Randleman
(USA)
Dan Henderson (USA) vs. Yuki Kondo (Japan)
Takanori Gomi (Japan) vs. Jens Pulver (USA)
Makoto Takimoto (Japan) vs. TBA
Fight
card subject to change.
More bouts to be announced soon.
Source:
Pride
|
At
The Time, It Was The Greatest Tournament Ever
Part 1 by Jeremy Wall
This is part one in our series of the biggest tournaments in
mixed martial arts history.
The
very first "big" tournament in mixed martial arts history
took place on December 16th, 1995. It was UFC's first incarnation
of the Ultimate Ultimate, a one-night tournament including eight
of their best or biggest name fighters. UFC had been built on
the back of the one-night tournament, but this looked like the
tournament to end all tournaments.
The
show drew incredibly well, because the idea of seeing all the
best fighters in one tournament was very cool. The show did about
260,000 buys on pay per view, ranking as one of the three most
watched UFC events of all-time (with UFC 5, with the Royce Gracie-Ken
Shamrock rematch, and UFC 6, featuring the first Shamrock-Dan
Severn match). To show the popularity of UFC at the time, the
'95 Ultimate Ultimate went up against a Mike Tyson fight on free
TV, and the UFC show drew a 0.6 live. They did a 0.4 for the
replay late that night, at the time ranking it as the largest
buyrate for the replay of an event on pay per view, combining
for the 1.0 buyrate and 260,000 buys.
There
were also political problems going into the show. The Mayor of
Denver was able to ban the event from taking place at McNichols
Arena (where the first UFC was held), but the city made an agreement
with SEG to allow the Ultimate Ultimate to take place at the
smaller Mammoth Gardens, and they ended up drawing 2,800 fans
paying $110,000.
It
was the first of two Ultimate Ultimates, with the second taking
place a year later. That event was won by Don Frye, and was considered
the tougher of the two tournaments, featuring more skilled fighters,
but was seen by far less people on pay per view as UFC's popularity
had already hit a decline at that point. A few months after the
1996 Ultimate Ultimate, they were completely banned from cable.
All
of the fighters in the tournament had been UFC tournament finalists,
with the exception of Keith Hackney, who, along with Paul Varelans,
had been moved up into the tournament from a dark match to replace
Gerard Gordeau and Patrick Smith, both past tournament finalists
who had dropped out of the Ultimate Ultimate. The tournament
included Varelans, Hackney, Dan Severn, Oleg Taktarov, Tank Abbott,
Marco Ruas, Steve Jennum and Dave Beneteau. Royce Gracie wasn't
in the tournament because he had left UFC months earlier after
the draw with Ken Shamrock at UFC 5, and Shamrock wasn't in the
tournament because he was never a tournament finalist (he pulled
out of the UFC 3 tournament claiming an injury after winning
his first two matches that night, so his not being a tournament
finalist was only technical) and he was the Superfight champion
at the time anyway, and it wouldn't have been good matchmaking
to put the top singles champion in a one-night tournament, as
Shamrock was only defending the belt in special main events at
that point.
It
was probably the biggest night in Dan Severn's entire career.
Severn had been a major part of some UFC shows prior to that;
he had headlined against Ken Shamrock at UFC 6; was a finalist
in the UFC 4 tournament, losing to Royce Gracie in his rookie
night in UFC; and he had won the UFC 5 tournament.
Winning
the 1995 Ultimate Ultimate would easily be the biggest win of
Severn's career. Severn's winning of the UFC 5 tournament was
important, but this was a bigger deal. Severn had also defeated
Ken Shamrock in their rematch at UFC 9, but that fight was so
awful that it actually damaged Dan Severn as a box office draw,
which his name value never recovered from, despite the fact that
he actually won that match.
In
the Ultimate Ultimate, Severn quickly dispatched of giant Paul
Varelans in the first round, and would face Tank Abbott in his
second match of the evening. Tank had defeated Steve Jennum,
ironically a police officer plus UFC 3 tournament winner, very
quickly in the first round to make it to the semi-finals of the
eight-man round robin.
Abbott
vs. Severn was a slow, boring fight that lasted a full 18 minutes,
with most of the match being spent on the ground with Severn
controlling the action. Ultimate Ultimate '95 is also notable
because it was the first ever UFC event to feature ringside judges,
and in the first judges' decision ever handed out in the UFC,
Dan Severn defeated Tank Abbott.
On
the other side of the bracket, Oleg Taktarov had quickly defeated
Dave Beneteau and Marco Ruas did the same with Keith Hackney.
The semi-finals between Taktarov and Ruas was also a boring disappointment
that went to an 18 minute decision, which was awarded to Taktarov.
The
finals matched Severn and Taktarov together in a rematch of their
semi-finals bout at UFC 5, which Severn had won. The first Severn-Taktarov
fight, though, would prove to be much more exciting, and the
finals of the tournament ended up going to a very long 30 minute
decision. As far as exciting UFC events go, this show didn't
top the list. But Dan Severn fought nearly a combined 50 minutes
that night in one of the toughest tournaments of the mid 1990s,
and was awarded a $150,000 grand prize.
In
the next article in this series, we'll take a look at the 1996
version of the Ultimate Ultimate.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Matt
Hughes: Interview with the UFC Welterweight Champion
by Benny Henderson Jr
Matt Hughes continues to rewrite UFC history with his victories
in the octagon, and once again in October, the welterweight champion
added another page to his stellar career with a victory over
George St. Pierre at UFC 50.
When
Matt applied the arm bar in round one of his and Pierre’s
battle at “The War of ‘04” to submit the then
undefeated Pierre, it wasn’t just another win for the 31
year old Illinois native. With the victory he became the only
man in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to win
a sixth title in the welterweight division, a heck of an accomplishment
I must say.
Matt
first won the welterweight title in 2001 at UFC 34 when he slammed
his opponent Carlos Newton to the mat, knocking the fighter unconscious.
Hughes
turned pro in 1998 with a win over Craig Quick in the Jeet Kune
Do Challenge and has compiled an impressive career total of 36
wins and four losses. The Mixed Martial Arts veteran made his
UFC debut in 1999 where he defeated Valeri Ignatov in UFC 22
and since then has competed in twelve UFC competitions and has
laid out a solid winning foundation of a 10-2 UFC record.
With
all of Matt’s accolades you would think he would be living
up the superstar life. Nope not Matt, he is a dedicated Dad of
two and farm boy who still attends to his chores like any other
normal guy, well for the one exception that Matt could render
you defenseless within seconds if he so chose. Yet Matt is truly
a humble warrior who says that when he decides to walk out he
wants to be the same man who walked in. In a candid interview
Max Fighting conducted with the six-time welterweight champion
he gives his thoughts on his recent victory as well as his past
and future in the sport.
Benny
Henderson Jr. – First, I just want to say congratulations
on your win at UFC 50.
Matt
Hughes - Well thanks; George actually did a better job than I
thought. He was very athletic and good with his hips. My takedowns
weren’t as effective as I thought and he moved his hips
good enough to where he got up on me once off the ground, so
my hat’s off to George St-Pierre; he fought a good fight.
BH
- Ok, you have to tell us about the surprising arm bar move to
end the fight.
MH
- That is actually pretty textbook. Anybody who is familiar with
submissions will know that move so I really can’t pat myself
on the back too hard for that. I actually like that move; I do
it a lot. George tried to go for a key lock and he kind of set
up the move for me. I just stepped around his head and fell into
the arm bar.
BH
- How does it feel to have made UFC history with your sixth win
for the UFC title?
MH
- It’s not a big deal; my belts are under my bed and my
trophies are under my bed so I really don’t put much into
it or think about it when I’m not at the fight. To me, I
have not really thought about it nor care to. When I get done
with this sport I want to walk away as the same person as when
I got into it.
BH
- Any fight in particular that you would like to have next?
MH
– No, I really don’t care who I fight. To be honest,
I kind of hope it is somebody new. Nobody wants to fight the
same person. I know Frank Trigg is looking for a rematch and
I don’t blame him. But I have nothing to gain whatsoever
from fighting Frank Trigg.
BH
- What do you feel your best quality is as a fighter?
MH
– I’m very well rounded - I can strike, I can defend
the takedown and take down people. I can also do submissions,
so I would say that I am a well-rounded person.
BH
- Would you like a rematch with B.J. Penn?
MH
- I don’t care, but that would be fine. I usually just fight
the guy who is in front of me in the octagon. I don’t decide
whom I fight nor do I complain about it, I just compete with
the guy who is my opponent.
BH
- What do you use for motivation?
MH
- I am a very self-motivated person and I really don’t need
to get motivated. I just know what’s my job and that is
what I have to do, so that is the way it usually ends up.
BH
- Your most memorable moment throughout your career?
MH
- Honestly my most memorable moment was when I was working with
Jeremy Horn on takedowns for him, and he went out to the UFC
and fought - well I can’t think of his name right now but
anyway we had been working on takedowns. Jeremy has just gotten
used to taken people down and he went out there and done a move
I showed him that we have been working on and that was a highlight
of my life and career. The fact that I showed Jeremy Horn something
and he worked on it and went out in the fight and took somebody
down that he might not have been able to do without my help and
ended up submitting him. That was a big moment for me knowing
that I had a part in Jeremy taking that guy down and winning.
BH
- What is the most important piece to being a good all around
fighter?
MH
– Wrestling, because that is really the core. If you can
wrestle then you can either decide to stand up to somebody and
defend their takedowns or you can use your take down ability
to take a good striker off his feet. So in my opinion it would
be wrestling.
BH
- Can you tell us your toughest opponent that you feel you have
ever faced?
MH
- My toughest opponent? Boy, I don’t know. Dennis Hallman
has beat me twice but I definitely would not say he was my toughest
opponent because I think if the fight would have went on I would
have won both of those fights. He caught me quick in both of
them. Maybe Carlos Newton, just mentally because he can submit
you at anytime. Just like he did against Pat Milletich. Pat was
killing him the whole fight and Carlos caught him in the fourth
round and submitted him and won. That is one of those things
that mentally is tough on you.
BH
- Is there anything you would like to say to the fans or add
to this interview that I may not have covered?
MH
- I just have to say thanks to all the fans for all the support
I have and keep it up I really appreciate it.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always
just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly,
may alight upon you."
Nathaniel Hawthorne {1804-1864 American Novelist}
|
Tim
Sylvia: The Maniac Speaks
Weigh-ins
Round Table Waikiki
2:00 PM
Friday, December 10, 2004
If
you missed the interview in I-94 yesterday morning with Tim Sylvia
and Wes Sims, you missed a great verbal battle back and forth.
It was very entertaining with these guys cutting each other down.
The wake up crew even talked about it a while after the fighters
left the studio.
He’s back! And yes, “The Maniac” is ready and
fully healed and is eagerly a waiting to open up a serious can
of whoop ass on Wes Sims at the Super Brawl in Hawaii December 11.
The
6’8” punishing predator suffered his first defeat last
June at UFC 48 at the hands of Frank Mir, where he also received
two broken bones in his forearm. But Sylvia told Max Fighting
that he learned a lot from that loss, is back to 100%, and is
ready to Rock-n-Roll!
A
possible heavyweight showdown is in the mix for Sylvia and Belarus
bruiser Andrei Arlovski at UFC 51 in February, but for now, Tim’s
sights are set on a match-up against Wes Sims in which Sylvia
considers this bout a tune-up for the real showdown and a chance
to shut Wes’s mouth by inflicting a massive beating. This
is labeled the “Grudge Match” and there is no love
lost between the two.
If
there ever was a catch phrase to describe Tim Sylvia it would
be ‘I’ll knock his ass out!” And that is exactly
what the Maniac has done. Since stepping in the professional
ranks in 2001 he has laid out 12 of his victims by the way of
KO/TKO, two by decision and one by submission. He is a brawler
that looks forward to the fight with a passion that could only
be matched with his tremendous power. Max Fighting caught up
with “The Maniac” and got his opinions on Wes Sims
and his future.
Benny
Henderson Jr. - Hey Tim, how have things been going for you?
Tim
Sylvia - Things are going great. I’m back training and I’ve
been back to 100% six to eight weeks now. I’m looking forward
to getting back in the ring and fighting again.
BH
- UFC 51 will be in February. Is the bout between you Andrei
Arlovski final yet?
TS
- Hmm [Laughs]. You’ll have to wait and see. I mean it has
been talked about so I’m not sure when everything will be
released and everything is ok with him. We have accepted it so
we will just have to wait and see if he is ready for it. And
that is if I don’t get hurt on December 11th against Wes
Sims in the Super Brawl in Hawaii.
BH
- Do you have any doubts about your healed broken arm not giving
you the strength or giving you the full performance in your upcoming
bout?
TS
– No, I think it is back to 100% now. My doctor released
me so he knows best and he says I can fight with it, so I’m
ready to Rock-N-Roll.
BH
- Can you give us an overview of your opponent Wes Sims as a
fighter?
TS
- I tell you what, Simms is a punk. He is a little bitch and
he can’t fight. He should be working construction or something
else.
BH
- You suffered your first defeat back in June in UFC 48 against
Frank Mir. How has that and all that you have had to deal with
the past year and a half affected you mentally going into what
seems like potentially one of the toughest fights you have to
face in the octagon?
TS
- I am very mentally set. I am actually looking forward to having
a good test. I learned a little something when I fought Mir.
I overlooked him a little bit; I still trained hard but I didn’t
give him any respect on the ground that he deserved, so I want
to make sure that I don’t do that with Arlovski. I’m
going to make sure that I give him all the respect he deserves
standing up and on the ground as well. I know that he has some
holes in his game and we are going to capitalize on it and hopefully
knock his ass out.
BH
- Since your debut in 2001 you have had some hellish knockdown,
dragouts. Can you name a few of your favorite confrontations?
TS
- Wesley “Cabbage” Correira was an awesome fight. I
had a tough fight before that with one of my new training partners,
Ben Rothwell. He is a real tough son of a gun and he and I had
a real good fight here in Davenport, Iowa. It is the only fight
I ever had go to decision really. Those are the only two that
really come to mind that were awesome stand up fights.
BH
- What is the hardest aspect of being an MMA fighter?
TS
- It takes a lot of dedication and your career absolutely has
to come first. Women come second, hunting comes second, having
fun and partying all come second. I think that is why I have
been so successful and why I am one of the tougher guys in the
sport, because I know training comes first and nothing stands
in the way of that at all.
BH
- Yeah I see what you mean. I am a semi-professional porn star
and it is the same dang way man with my work, it comes first.
[Joking]
TS
- There you go man. I am practicing, and I’m an aspiring
porn star. [Laughs]
BH
- How would you define yourself as a fighter?
TS
– I’m never going to quit, I love to fight, and if
I had to work full-time and still do this I would. I would probably
do it for free. Fortunately, I’m good enough where I don’t
have to. I have a great team behind me and I have some great
training partners and that is what makes me the best in the world.
BH
- Bruce Buffer wanted me to tell you that he thinks you are hard
to take down and you have the knockout power of a Mack Truck.
TS
- [Laughs] Well, that is what I think too.
BH
- Is there any message that you would like to send out to the
fans about your future and what they should expect?
TS
- I always want to thank my sponsors and everyone who has stuck
behind me in the past. I appreciate it and I look forward to
them standing behind me in the future. I have a hell of a road
ahead of me and I have a lot of guys to knock out before my career
is over with.
Source: Maxfighting
|
'3
Dimensions of SHAOLIN' - New DVD Set Features Vitor Ribeiro!
Close Up Look At One of the World's Premiere Mixed Martial Artists!
Features techniques, live competition and biographical close
up!
This
weekend, Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro heads to Tokyo to defend his
SHOOTO title against Tatsuya Kawajiri. At 10-0 in Mixed Martial
Arts, Ribeiro already defeated Kawajiri once, two years ago.
Since then, Kawajiri has gone 4-0-1 against top notch competition,
earning a rematch that is for Shaolin's title this time around.
Also
this weekend, 'Shaolin' Ribeiro will be releasing his long awaited
DVD set, called '3 Dimensions of SHAOLIN'. This three DVD set
will look for the first time at one of the 21st century's premiere
Mixed Martial Artists. The first dimension looks at the techniques
and competitions that established 'Shaolin' - the mats of Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu where his reputation as a gi wizard is backed up by
multiple world championships. The second dimension reveals the
submission techniques of gi-less grappling, the crossover mark
of the 21 st century MMA artist. Finally, the third dimension
reveals the ring basics that 'Shaolin' applies to his MMA fights.
The DVDs features complete competitions in all 3 disciplines,
as well as in depth breakdown of techniques. Don't miss this
introduction to the man considered the #1 MMA competitor at 155
lbs in the world today!
This
DVD will be available in the coming weeks - stay tuned to ADCC
NEWS for more information!
Source: ADCC
|
To
my fans all over the world:
With regards to the contract dispute between DSE and me, I would
like to explain to you what that is all about. As you all know,
I announced that I would fight Akebono at Dynamite!! on December
31, 2004 in Osaka, Japan. Although DSE alleges that I breached
the contract with DSE, I did not. I have always negotiated with
DSE in good faith. On September 2004, DSE talked to me about
the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, but we never reached
any agreement. DSE also told me that they did not want me to
fight for their event on December 31, 2004. On October 2004,
I received from FEG an offer for Dynamite!! on December 31, 2004
which I told DSE about. I honored my contract with DSE. I waited
for DSE's answer, but DSE did not give me an answer before the
deadline under the contract between DSE and me. DSE did not tell
me the names of DSE’s fighters, the date of the fight or
other important conditions. DSE was never willing to match FEG’s
offer. I can firmly say that I have sincerely and appropriately
dealt with DSE.
The
reason why I fight in a ring is that I would like as many people
as possible to feel the spirit of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and enjoy
watching Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. FEG gave me a perfect opportunity
to fulfill my wish. Through the fight with Akebono, who weighs
three times more than I, I am certain that I can show you the
spirit and skills of 'the best of martial arts' Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
and that you will have a lot of fun watching and experiencing
it. This way, you will understand that this 'reckless' challenge
makes a new history of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. I was truly expecting
DSE to talk to me about such a meaningful opponent and opportunity
in response to FEG’s offer. Unfortunately, DSE did not show
their intention to set up a fight for me and never even gave
me a single name of a fighter.
For
the future, I would like to make it clear that I do not care
who my promoter is. I would be happy to be seated at a negotiation
table in good faith if any promoter (whether DSE, FEG or others)
seriously provides me with an opportunity where I can fulfill
my wish. I will continue to discipline myself as a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
fighter and I promise that you will enjoy and be satisfied with
my life-risking bouts.
Sincerely,
Royce
Gracie
Source: ADCC
|
2004'S
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
By Jeremy Wall (December 8, 2004)
Well, its December, and 2004 is almost at a close. It was actually
a very successful year for mixed martial arts promotions on both
sides of the Pacific, with Zuffa probably having their best year
business-wise thus far with UFC, and Pride and K-1 running some
huge shows mostly in direct competition of each other.
It
was a year of memorable fights and fighters, and numerous other
sites have already taken a look back at the best moments of the
year, so I figured I'd get on the bandwagon as well. In this
article we'll take a look at which fighters I think should be
considered for "Fighter of the Year".
My
nominations are predicated on both their success in the ring
for a major company (I'm not looking at independent companies
or fighters who compete for them), and their star power and box
office appeal for that company, plus how valuable they were to
the promotion(s) they competed for during 2004. I'm looking at
only mixed martial artists, and not fighters who only competed
under K-1 rules in K-1.
Here
are my nominations, in alphabetical order:
Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and Fedor Emelianenko
Both
of these fighters go hand-in-hand in considering fighter of the
year for 2004. Both only fought in the Pride Grand Prix this
year, and both made it to the finals, which went to a no-contest
with Fedor due to the accidental headbutt that opened a severe
cut on Fedor.
Fedor
defeated Mark Coleman, former UFC Heavyweight champion and the
2000 Pride Grand Prix winner, in the first round and Kevin Randleman,
who is also a former UFC Heavyweight champion, in the second
round. He then defeated the biggest star in the tournament in
the semi-finals in Naoya Ogawa.
Nogueira
defeated Hirotaka Yokoi, Heath Herring and Sergei Kharitonov
along the way, and they are all good fighters, and Kharitonov
could even be considered excellent. He didn't fight otherwise
this year. If he had defeated Fedor in the finals, he'd be my
pick to win fighter of the year, but he didn't.
I
think it's a toss up between him and Fedor for fighter of the
year, and you have to look at who they defeated in the Grand
Prix since they didn't fight otherwise, and neither of them are
major drawing cards. Overall, I think Nogueira defeated tougher
competition, because although Fedor defeated Mark Coleman and
Kevin Randleman in the first two rounds, Nogueira defeated Kharitonov
in the semi-finals and Fedor only defeated Ogawa, who, although
he was easily the biggest star in the Grand Prix and the entire
tournament was built around him, is not a good fighter. Whomever
wins the New Year's Eve fight between Fedor and Nogueira is fighter
of the year, in my opinion, but until that point I would consider
Nogueira to be the man.
BJ
Penn
Penn
defeated Matt Hughes, who up to that point was considered by
many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, at
UFC 46 to win the UFC Welterweight title. He vacated the title
to fight in K-1, where he defeated Duane Ludwig under MMA rules
at the K-1 Romanex show in May, and then fought and defeated
Rodrigo Gracie at a Rumble on the Rock show in Hawaii co-produced
by K-1. The only show he headlined was the Hawaiian show, the
smallest of the shows he competed on. He defeated some of the
best competition of any fighter this year, and what's most interesting
is that he defeated top fighters who are considered at or near
the top in three different weight classes. However, he wasn't
a major star in UFC, and isn't a star at all in Japan. The Hughes
and Gracie wins were outstanding, but Ludwig was undersized for
Penn, who is deceptively heavier than you think. I think he's
a close finalist for fighter of the year, but he's not my pick,
as he wasn't a drawing card nor an integral piece of any one
promotion this year.
Chuck
Liddell
Liddell
headlined the second biggest show in the history of Zuffa by
knocking out Tito Ortiz at UFC 47, and followed up with a fight
of the year calibre match against Vernon White, whom he knocked
out as well, in August. The win over Tito was impressive, and
both that fight and the Vernon White match were very exciting,
and although White is a solid striker for MMA, he's not a top
guy. Liddell is probably a major drawing card in Las Vegas now,
but it remains to be seen what he will draw again on pay per
view (UFC 47 did very well, about 104,000 buys, which would be
third all-time for Zuffa). He had what I would consider to be
a good comeback year, but was not fighter of the year for 2004.
Frank
Mir
He
had a major win over Tim Sylvia for the UFC Heavyweight title
in June, and knocked out Wes Sims earlier in the year, but he's
not a star for UFC, and isn't a consideration for fighter of
the year. However, if he wasn't hurt in a motorcycle accident,
and he fought and defeated Andrei Arlovski as well in December,
I think he could have been a serious consideration.
Matt
Hughes
He
suffered one of his first losses in a long time to BJ Penn, dropping
the welterweight title, but defeated Renato Charuto and Georges
St-Pierre to win back the vacant belt after Penn dropped it to
leave for K-1. His wins were impressive, but he's not a drawing
card, and the fact that he won the welterweight title back without
beating the guy that he lost it to looms over his head. He's
not a consideration for fighter of the year.
Mirko
Cro Cop
Cro
Cop is one of the biggest stars in MMA, but had somewhat of an
off-year this year, with the upset loss to Kevin Randleman in
the first round of the Grand Prix. He also had a disappointing
match against Hiromitsu Kanehara just weeks after the Randleman
loss. Other than that, he posted wins against Aleksander Emelianenko,
Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Shungo Ohyama and Ron Waterman. As you can
see, this isn't exactly a list of top fighters. He also had the
win over Josh Barnett in October that was somewhat of a fluke
with Barnett getting injured early in the fight. He was the biggest
drawing card on most of the Bushido shows he appeared on, but
those were small shows and he didn't headline any major shows
for Pride this year. I really wouldn't consider him a candidate
for 2004's fighter of the year.
Randy
Couture
Couture
was a candidate last year, and in my opinion a finalist to Wanderlei
Silva for fighter of the year, but isn't a consideration this
year. He lost to Vitor Belfort in a fluke, and then soundly defeated
Belfort in their rematch in August. Both shows drew well and
he's arguably the number three or four biggest star in UFC, or
possibly even higher. But one win does not make a fighter the
best of the year, and he's not a consideration for 2004.
Sergei
Kharitonov
Kharitonov
was a surprise in the Grand Prix, making it to the final four
by defeating Murilo Rua and Semmy Schilt, who are both skilled
guys. He also beat pro wrestler LA Giant, who is not a skilled
guy, earlier in the year. He lost to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
in the semi-finals of the Grand Prix in a good match. He's not
a drawing card in any form. He's not a candidate for fighter
of the year, but the ability he displayed during the year shows
that he may be a top fighter for years to come.
Wanderlei
Silva
Silva
is probably the number one or two foreign drawing card in Pride
(along with Mirko Cro Cop). During the year he headlined two
shows, defeating Ikuhisa Minowa in 1:09 at Bushido 2 at Yokohama
Arena in February, and knocking out Quinton Jackson in a fight
of the year candidate at Saitama Super Arena in October. He also
defeated Yuki Kondo very quickly in a match that went second-from-the-top
to the Pride Grand Prix Finals of Nogueira vs. Fedor in August.
He also remains undefeated in Pride and is the promotion's Middleweight
champion. Silva was my pick for fighter of the year in 2003 for
winning the Middleweight Grand Prix, but, ignoring his win against
Jackson, he faced lesser competition this year and the only major
show he headlined was against Jackson for a decent crowd at Saitama.
He's one of the most integral parts of Pride at this point, but
if he were to be considered fighter of the year this year, it
would be mostly based on his win over Jackson, and I don't think
that's enough.
Source: Maxfighting
|
HOOST
CALLS OUT K-1 JUDGES
To say Ernesto Hoost is a little upset about the decision rendered
against him would be a tremendous understatement. Ernesto Hoost
made his thoughts known on MMAWeekly TV.
Hoost
called for International judges at the K-1 GP Post Fight Conference
among other things. Check out what he had to say today on MMAWeekly
TV.
You
can also check out the first interview with Mighty Mo since he
was shockingly knocked out in the World Grand Prix. It's all
part of the MMA Premium Package. Not only do you get exclusive
video interviews that no other website in the world has, but
you also get unlimited access to our radio archive giving you
almost two years worth of radio shows. It's just five bucks a
month and it gives you access to the most MMA insider information
on the net today. Check it out. It's our MMAWeekly Premium Package
at mmaweekly.com
Source: MMA Weekly
|
DANNY
WILLIAMS AND LENNOX LEWIS SPEAK ABOUT SATURDAY'S FIGHT WITH VITALI
KLITSCHKO (Part One)
Right now we are in the latter stages of a rather pleasant and
informative war of words which is preceding Saturday's WBC heavyweight
title fight between champion Vitali Klitschko and challenger
Danny Williams. Both have had a lot to say to the media in the
run-up to this fight.
There
was yet another media conference call Monday discussing the battle
to come on Saturday. This time it was Danny Williams and the
former and now-retired heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis, involved
in lengthy exchanges with boxing journalists from around the
world.
Here
is part one of the transcript of that conference call.
HEAVYWEIGHT
CONTENDER DANNY WILLIAMS, FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION LENNOX
LEWIS NATIONAL CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT DECEMBER 6, 2004
Opening
Comments:
I said weeks ago that I had surpassed the fitness I was for the
title fight. I am in tremendous shape. This has always been a
dream of mine to become World Heavyweight Champion and this is
a real opportunity to make that dream come true.
Begin
Press Questions:
Danny,
what is the key to you beating Vitali Klitschko on Saturday night?
The
key is hunger and desire. I have tremendous hunger. I am a warrior.
You saw that in the Tyson fight. I showed a tremendous chin.
These are the things that it will take to beat Klitschko. I will
have be at my best and I will have to be a warrior.
You
have said how your father basically forced you to start boxing
when you were a young kid and that is how you became a professional
fighter. Can you recall what it was like when you first went
to the gym and what it was like when you got into your first
sparring session with somebody else?
My
dad forced me into the sport when I was five or six. He used
to train me. When I was eight, he sent me to a boxing gym. I
remember when I was sparring, my trainers though | |