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November
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(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
August
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(MMA)
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July
Bushido 4
(MMA)
(Nagoya Rainbow Hall, Japan)
July 9-12
BJJ
World Cup (CBJJO)
(BJJ)
(SESC gym, Salvador, Brazil)
June
Pride Heavyweight
Grand Prix
(MMA)
(Japan)
May
Pride
Bushido 3
(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
5/2/04
Ring
of Honor
(Sub Grappling)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
5/1/04
Submission Wrestling Tpurnament
(Sub Grappling)
(Kahului, Maui, Hawaii)
4/25/04
Pride Heavyweight
Grand Prix
(MMA)
(Japan)
4/24 /04
Warriors
of the Ring 6
(MMA)
(Wailuku, Maui)
4/17/04
Ring
of Honor 4
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
4/3-4/04
Pan American BJJ
Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Gym, Dominguez Hills, Carson (Los
Angeles), CA)
4/3/04
Super
Brawl 33
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/26/04
Shooto Hawaii 2
(MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
3/13/04
Rumble On The Rock
5
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3rd
Annual Longman Gracie Kauai Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ)
(Kilauea Gym, Kauai)
3/5-7/04
Arnold Schwarzenegger
World Gracie Professional Submission Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Columbus, Ohio)
|
|
February 2004 News
Part 2
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Quote
of the Day
"I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but
how high he bounces when he hits bottom."
Gen. George Patton, 1885-1945, American Army General during World
War II
|
SHAMROCK
CLOSE TO THREE FIGHT DEAL WITH PRIDE
MMAWeekly's Scott Petersen reports from Japan that Frank Shamrock
is close to a three fight deal with Pride. The deal could be
signed sometime this week.
Petersen
reports that Shamrock has been negotiating for quite sometime
and things seem to be about done and a deal should be reached
in the next couple of days.
Right
now Shamrock is working on a movie called "No Rules"
with Pamela Anderson, Gary Busey and others as Shamrock plays
the role as a fighter.
It
appears though Shamrock is ready to resume his fight career,
something he hasn't done for a year when he faced and defeated
Bryan Pardoe at World Extreme Cagefighting.
One
Japanese publication this weekend said Shamrock has agreed upon
a three fight deal in the neighborhood of 300,000 per fight;
however, when MMAWeekly tried to contact Shamrock over the weekend,
Frank was not available, thus it's uncertain how accurate the
number really is.
Shamrock
has always wanted to face Sakuraba in Pride and if things go
well this week, it seems that fight could happen. Yukino Kando,
Dreamstage Entertainment stated to Mr. Shamrock on his website
that quote, “We will confirm the date when Bushido (2) is
over and finalize the opponent and schedule. I really appreciate
your patience.” It appears Frank Shamrock will return this
year to fighting in MMA.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
WILL
COUTURE GET THE REMATCH WITH VITOR?
It's been an interesting weekend to say the least for Randy Couture.
He has been recovering from his eye injury and this past weekend
he wanted to start training for his rematch with Vitor Belfort.
Only
problem is when Couture talked to the UFC this weekend, there
hadn't been an indication that he would get that rematch with
Vitor Belfort. The UFC and Couture want the match, but it's unclear
what Vitor Belfort wants.
This
weekend Randy gave a video interview to Team Quest and MMAWeekly
(you can see it on the soundoff forum) and Randy was not happy
about the things he was hearing.
Couture
said, "Vitor changed his tune, going back and saying he
shouldn't have to fight again because he already beat me. I really
don't see how he can feel that was a win."
It
appears that Zuffa was ready to solidify things this weekend
by working out a deal between Couture and Belfort, but things
have hit a snag as it was revealed that Belfort had some questions
about facing Couture for a third time.
MMAWeekly
tried to reach UFC President Dana White over the weekend but
he has been on vacation and returns to Las Vegas today. It's
believed that White will contact Belfort today and try to find
out what the future has in store for a third installment of Couture
vs Belfort.
Couture
hopes the fight takes place at UFC 48. "I want the fight
and the UFC feels the same way as they want to see us fight.
I gave him a rematch from a long time ago, I feel he should do
the same with this fight. It's ridiculous for me to think that
(this past fight) was a bonified victory."
The
Team Quest website and MMA Weekly.com caught up with "The
Natural", Randy Couture yesterday during the district wrestling
meet at Centennial High School, which is the school Couture assists
in coaching in Gresham, Oregon.
MMAWeekly
asked Randy about how he was planning for the rematch against
Vitor Belfort, and we were surprised to learn that as of now
there is NO rematch and it doesn't look like it's happening.
Couture
told MMAWeekly that he has heard that Belfort is not interested
in fighting him a third time. Couture needless to say is frustrated
as he was planning on fighting Belfort in June at UFC 48.
The
video interview is up right now on the SoundOff Forum at MMAWeekly.com.
Belfort a few weeks ago said he wanted a no-contest ruling. We
will try to get Couture on the radio show this week with the
latest about the situation, but as of last night it doesn't look
good regarding a rematch..
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
PRIDE
BATTLING UFC IN SUMMER?
NEWS TO UFC....
Many japanese websites have been going off a story this weekend
in which Pride announced a Pride vs UFC 3 on 3 or 5 on 5 elimination
series in August. Nobuhiko Takada told the Japanese press that
they plan on "stealing the U.S. market out from underneath
the UFC".
Pride
says they'll do a MASSIVE debut show in Vegas pitting 5 UFC fighters
against 5 PRIDE fighters.
While
it sounds very entertaining somebody might want to mention this
to the UFC.
MMAWeekly's
Ryan Bennett talked briefly with UFC President Dana White about
the story and White was perplexed about the whole idea.
White
said, "I have no idea where this is coming from. I mean
we talked about bringing Fujita and Sakuraba to fight in the
Octagon many months ago, but other than that we haven't spoken
about working something out or having any kind of fights. If
they want to send some guys over here great."
White
seemed very uncertain why this was brought up; especially, in
a press conference.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Team
World KO's Team Japan in Okinawa
NAHA, OKINAWA, February 15, 2004 -- Team World beat Team Japan
by score of 4-3 to win the K-1 Japan Series Burning 2004 in Okinawa
showdown event. The fight night marked K-1's first foray into
Japan's southernmost Prefecture of Okinawa, a subtropical archipelago
which just happens to be the birthplace of Karate.
The
"Japan vs The World" format here paired one team of
seven fighters from Japan against a second team representing
the world. (Paradoxically, Team Japan was captained by an American,
Bob "The Beast" Sapp; while Team World had as its leader
former Sumo Wrestler Akebono, who, although he was born in Hawaii,
also holds Japanese citizenship.)
During
the opening ceremonies, and to the delight of the crowd, Sapp
entered the ring dressed head to toe in traditional Okinawan
costume. He then bragged that his Team Japan would surely beat
the best the world had to offer. Akebono was decidedly more gracious,
first thanking the crowd before turning to Sapp and quietly saying,
"Bob, today you are going down!"
And
as it happened, Akebono was right.
The
fights were held under K-1 rules -- the first two in a 3R x 3min
format, the final five a 5R x 3min format.
The
opening bout featured the never-say-die Hiromi Amada and American
boxer Kimo. "It will be a bull fight, and we'll see who
is stronger," predicted Amada at the pre-event press conference.
Replied Kimo, "Talk is cheap, I'll let my actions in the
ring speak for themselves."
Amada,
as always, sashayed into the arena with old-school yakuza arrogance:
Draped in a black robe, a pair of dark sunglasses on his tough,
pockmarked face; his cornerman waving a placard which read, in
blood-red-on-black characters, "Right Straight Punch KO!"
And
from the bell, Amada put that right of his to mighty good use,
frequently getting in over Kimo's weak left guard to rattle the
33 year-old American. Kimo seemed preoccupied with throwing low
kicks and his attempts at spinning back kicks -- attacks he is
not at all experienced with, and which were mostly ineffectual.
Amada, meanwhile, brought a meat-and-potatoes offence to the
bout -- always in with the right, occasional low kicks, and the
knee when the distance closed. Amada took control early and never
relinquished, putting Kimo down twice in the first and three
times in the second to win the bout in convincing fashion. One
thing, about the placard prediction -- although the first four
downs came courtesy of Amada's right, the coup de grace was a
left uppercut.
The
Late Great Andy Hug trained for a time in Okinawa, and tonight
that fact had to be weighing on Great Kusatsu, who was one of
the Andy's last students.
Kusatsu
took on Brazilian Fabiano in the second fight. For a 25 year-old,
Fabiano showed a very mature style, getting in from the start
with hard low kicks and solid combinations, while Kusatsu stayed
back and looked for his spots. This was shaping up as a good
technical bout, when just shy of the clapper, Kusatsu executed
a textbook spinning back kick which caught Fabiano in the midsection
and put him down in a heap of pain. There was no way the Brazilian
could get to his feet, and Kusatsu took the KO victory to put
Team Japan up 2-0.
Next
was a contest between K-1 Japan 2003 semifinalist Hiraku Hori
and American Northwest Toughman Champion Mighty Mo. This was
Hori's first foreign opponent, and at the pre-event press conference
he pledged to give it his all. Mighty Mo, on the other hand,
was dismissive to the point of rudeness: "I respect that
Japanese guy I'm fighting, but I don't think he has what it takes
to win. So I'll be the one raising my arm at the end of the fight."
There
was not a great deal of finesse in this match, but it was nonetheless
exciting. The first round saw Hori staying back, using his 13cm
height advantage to score points with low kicks. Mo, meanwhile,
repeatedly worked through these to get inside and lay into the
body with punches. Again in the second, Hori was disinclined
to mix it up, where Mo kept charging inside with his fists. When
Mo did use his legs, it was evident that he had quite a bit of
power there, as twice his low kicks put Hori on the canvas, but
these were both ruled as slips. In the third round, although
Mo came out more aggressive, Hori soon picked up the pace, and
his low kicks finally seemed to have hurt Mo's left leg.
Although
Mo was slightly ahead on two cards, with his leg questionable,
things were not looking all that good for Team World at the start
of the fourth. But in K-1 things can change in the blink of an
eye, and that is what happened when Mo planted a left on Hori's
kisser to stun him, then followed up with a right to score a
down and turn the tide. Hori valiantly beat the count, but within
seconds he had shied away from his opponent and was clinging
to the ropes for dear life. The referee might have started a
standing count here, but instead simply urged Hori to continue.
Mo seized the opportunity and punched out two more downs in quick
succession to win under K-1's three-downs-in-a-round rule.
"I've
come a long way from when I worked in construction," said
Mo in his post-bout interview, "I'm glad K-1 invited me
to Okinawa and I hope I can come to Japan and fight again soon."
Next
up was a mountain of a man, Montanha Silva of Brazil, against
Yasuke Fujimoto, the K-1 Japan GP 2003 Finalist who also beat
Francis Botha in Nagoya on New Year's Eve.
Fujimoto,
47cm shorter than his 225cm tall opponent, was able to sneak
in past Silva's 22cm reach to connect with a few punches to the
midsection in the first round -- but overall Silva looked more
confident than ever here. In the second, Silva got over and in
with a left-right combination to score a down on Fujimoto, and
the behemoth followed up soon afterward with a right hook to
score a second down at the bell. Silva, who had faded as fights
wore on in the past, got better as this dance progressed, faster
even, and really began to set the pace. Early in the third he
got in again with a right to put Fujimoto down hard. This time,
Fujimoto could not beat the count, and Silva had his first victory
in four K-1 bouts. By the look of things tonight, in all likelihood
Silva will notch up a few more wins before his K-1 career is
over.
"I
grew up in a poor neighborhood," said the Brazilian in his
post-bout interview, "and so I've had a few fights in my
day, and taken some hard punches. But Fujimoto's punches were
some of the hardest I've ever felt."
Asked
how his size effects his fighting style, Silva smiled, "Well,
I've got used to punching downwards, if that's what you mean."
Akebono
was also all smiles after the bout, as Team World had now pulled
even with Team Japan at two wins apiece.
Dutch-based
Nobu Hayashi met Petr Vondracek of the Czech Republic in the
next bout. Vondracek won the K-1 Italy GP in 2002, and the 26
year-old kickboxer was looking to make a name for himself in
Japan.
That
he certainly did, as he was nothing but relentless here. This
was a classic K-1 bout, technical yet highly spirited. Hayashi
got through with some solid punches in the early going, but Vondracek
was as aggressive as a fighter can be, repeatedly backing his
opponent against the ropes and then unleashing windmilling punching
attacks. Hayashi absorbed a half-dozen blows before going down
the first time, and although he got back with a good left midway
through the round, he never really got back into this fight.
Spectacularly, Vondracek again got Hayashi against the ropes
and this time it was a right uppercut that put Hayashi down.
Just seconds later, it was a right haymaker from Vondracek which
ended the fight in the most convincing manner possible -- by
first round KO.
With
Team World ahead going into the penultimate bout, Tsuyoshi Nakasako
had the daunting task of salvaging it for Team Japan in his fight
against defending K-1 World GP Champion Remy Bonjasky of the
Netherlands. At the pre-event press conference, Nakasako, who
had lost his last four bouts, remarked, "2003 wasn't good
for me, but I hope 2004 will be my year."
Well,
so far, 2004 isn't Nakasako's year either.
To
be fair, the first round was fairly even, Bonjasky and Nakasako
trading low kicks and the occasional combination, neither doing
much damage from the looks of it. In the second, Bonjasky worked
the knees, but could not get a down against a tough Nakasako,
who responded with some good knee strikes of his own.
One
difference between a fighter and a Champion is that a fighter
can have an off day, but a Champion, well, fans just don't allow
him to have an off day. And there is another difference -- when
you are the Champion, your opponent sees you as a golden opportunity
to improve their stock with an upset. Which may explain why,
with two decent rounds behind him, Nakasako decided to taunt
Bonjasky in the third, dropping his guard and swaggering some.
If this was meant to put Bonjasky off his game, it was a brave
gamble.
Like
many brave gambles, it failed.
It
was midway about through the third when Bonjasky got Nakasako
in the corner and brought the right knee up to score his first
down. Nakasako had committed, and so elected to keep up his cocksure
act afterwards. We soon had a tragicomic moment, when just as
Nakasako was staring down Bonjasky, mean-like, the Dutchman deftly
snapped a high kick up to the Japanese fighter's head, and laid
him out flat.
To
his credit Nakasako got back to his feet, but there followed
a frenzied Bonjasky attack which had Nakasako swaying, stumbling,
and finally falling for the third and final time just five seconds
before the bell. A masterful win befitting the world's best K-1
fighter.
"I
was a little tense in the first round," said Bonjasky afterwards,
"but I got better as the fight went on. Nakasako is very
tough, but when he let his arms slacken in the third, dropping
his guard like that, my corner called for me to throw the left
high kick and I finished him off."
With
Team World up 4-2 and now assured of victory, the main event
provided a last chance for Sapp's Team Japan to salvage some
honor. When Seidokaikan star Musashi stepped into the ring against
big former-NFLer Stefan Gamlin, it was also about Karate. "Because
Okinawa is where Karate originated," said Musashi before
the fight, "I especially want to do well in this bout."
The
first round saw a surprisingly mobile Gamlin with the more aggressive
start, throwing punches, most of which, unfortunately for him,
missed. Musashi was patient here, and although he got rattled
once he kept his wits about him. In the second Gamlin again began
NFL-style, chasing Musashi round the ring. But Musashi exploited
a weakness in Gamlin's guard, and answered a missed punch with
a hard kick to the midsection which took the wind out of the
German. Pleased with the damaging effect of his attack, Musashi
coolly put a knee in to the same spot seconds later to drop Gamlin,
who was slow in getting up and so did not beat the count.
Musashi's
KO victory gave Sapp a measure of revenge against Gamlin, who
at the wild press conference a day earlier had first trash-talked
The Beast, and then doused him with a box of powdered tea.
"I
think the Okinawa fans are great," said Musashi afterward.
"I came here to win, and I won, but honestly Gamlin's aggressive
style didn't give me a chance to do some of the things I hoped
to do in the fight. That's the only thing I regret, my performance
was only 50-60%, surely not as good as I would have liked it
to be."
Despite
Gamlin's loss in the main event, Team World captain Akebono was
delighted with the overall results: "We saw the best of
the world, and the best of Japan, and I think it was a very good
event. I certainly found the bouts very interesting."
Added
K-1 Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa, "It was a very good
event -- all fights ended by KOs, and that has to be exciting
for the fans!"
Judging
by all the noise they made, the sellout crowd of 5,844 in the
Okinawa Convention certainly agreed, even if Sapp and Team Japan
didn't win.
The
K-1 Japan Series Burning 2004 in Okinawa was same-day broadcast
across Japan on the NTV network.
Source: MMA Weekly |
BIG
NIGHT FOR SEAN SHERK
Sent packing by the UFC after a decision loss to, at that time,
champion Matt Hughes, even though he had a 3-1 record in the
UFC and an overall record of 16-1-1, Sean Sherk will be returning
to the big time at Pride Bushido 2 against Ryuki Ueyama (9-6-4).
Sean
Sherk is trained by Greg Nelson of the Minnesota Martial Arts
Academy, the same guy that has trained the likes of Dave Menne,
John Renken, and Brad Kohler.
Nelson
covers all areas of combat from grappling to kickboxing to boxing
to wrestling to submissions, in short, Sherk is a well trained,
well rounded fighter. Although he's know for his strength, conditioning,
and ground and pound attack, he's an all around tough fighter.
Basically
feeling as though the UFC turned their backs on him, Sherk may
not be facing a "name" opponent, but he's got a lot
to prove. Reportedly, the UFC dropped Sherk because they didn't
like his fighting style, possibly feeling that he wasn't exciting
enough. With an opponent like Ueyama, Sherk may get the chance
to shine, especially considering that they'll be fighting under
Pride rules.
Though
Ueyama is a good ground tactician and has submission skills,
Sherk is also a very, very tough opponent on the ground and is
extremely difficult to submit. Actually, he's never been submitted,
his only loss is a decision loss to the aforementioned Matt Hughes.
Ueyama also seems to be lacking in standup skills and, though
he hasn't shown it too often, Sherk does have standup skills
having trained in Muay Thai with Nelson for years.
Sherk
pretty much has all the advantages in this fight. He has yet
to be submitted. He is exceptionally strong. His conditioning
is second to none. His wrestling skills are better than most
and he hits like a Mack truck. Look for Sherk to take it straight
to Ueyama from the opening bell and for as long as it takes until
he brakes him.
Likely,
Sherk will take Ueyama down quickly and start pounding away.
Normally, I would say that he would just where Ueyama down, but
considering that this fight is under Pride rules, with knees
and stomps allowed, I foresee Sherk ending this one in the first
round unleashing some brutal knees that he hasn't been allowed
to use since his pre-UFC days. If he isn't able to end it quickly,
his conditioning should allow him to push the pace until Ueyama
succumbs to his unrelenting ground and pound attack.
Win
- Johnnie Holland - Submission (Key Lock) - Ultimate Wrestling
Minnesota 3 - 8-13-1999
Win - Kurtis Jensen - TKO (Punches) - Extreme Challenge - 10-4-1999
Win - Scott Bills - Unanimous Decision - Extreme Challenge 28
- 10-9-1999
Win - Steve Gomm - Split Decision - Extreme Challenge 28 - 10-9-1999
Win - Karo Parisyan - Decision - Reality Submission Fighting
- 10-6-2000
Win - Ken Parham - Decision - Submission Fighting Championships
- 11-3-2000
Win - Karo Parisyan - TKO - Reality Submission Fighting - 1-5-2001
Win - Khalil Ghosen - Submission - UFC 30 - 2-23-2001
Win - Manvel Gamburyan - Decision - Reality Submission Fighting
- 3-30-2001
Win - Martin Armendarez - TKO (Strikes) - King of the Cage 8
- 4-29-2001
Win - Jason Purcell - TKO (Ref Stoppage) - Ultimate Wrestling
Minnesota - 6-2-2001
Win - Curtis Brigham - TKO - Ultimate Wrestling Minnesota - 7-15-2001
Draw - Kiuma Kunioku - Pancrase - 7-29-2001
Win - Claudionor Fontinelle - Submission (Rear Naked Choke) -
UCC 6 - 10-19-2001
Win - Jutaro Nakao - Unanimous Decision - UFC 36 - 3-22-2002
Win - Benji Radach - TKO (Cut) - UFC 39 - 9-27-2002
Win - John Alexander - Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - Extreme
Combat Minnesota - 12-7-2002
Lose - Matt Hughes - Unanimous Decision - UFC 42 - 4-25-2003
Win - John Alexander - TKO - Extreme Combat Minnesota - 8-2-2003
Win - Mark Long - Submission (Punches) - Extreme Combat Minnesota
- 12-12-2003
Win - Charles Diaz - Submission (Keylock) - XXXtreme Impact 1
- 12-28-2003
Source: MMA Weekly |
YVES
EDWARDS ON MMAWEEKY RADIO
Yves Edwards was the featured guest on MMAWeekly Radio's Friday
edition. Yves is doing good and training hard. He is lined up
to fight Hermes Franca at UFC 47 in a match who's winner may
very well see a title shot the next time out. Edwards is coming
off back to back wins over Nick Agallar and Deshaun Johnson.
Yves
got the call last Saturday with the offer to fight at UFC 47,
originally against Josh Thomson but Josh thought they meant in
June and not April so Hermes stepped up to take the fight.
Going
in to the fight, Edwards said he isn't worried to much about
Franca's stand up game. If the fight goes to the ground, Yves
plans to stay active, defend well and get back to his feet to
make him pay. He thinks it will be a tough fight and stated,
"I'm going to train hard and expect Hermes to be on top
of his game."
Yves
talked about the 155 pound division now that BJ Penn has moved
up in weight. He said it is hard to say who is the best but feels
like he, Thomson, and Hermes deserve to fight for the title.
He
mentioned many other good fighters in the that weight class such
as, Bang Ludwig, Genki Sudo, Din Thomas, and Takanori Gomi. Edwards
would like to avenge his loss to Matt Serra and said if offered,
he would take the rematch.
Yves
is in training for this fight and trains year round. Next week,
he plans on "stepping it up a notch" and progressively
train harder up until the last week before the event when he
will rest and "get ready go bang." He doesn't want
to over train but under training isn't an option either.
Edwards
discussed his loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri at Shooto: Shooto 2003
10th Edition back in August. The fight was somewhat controversial
due to the ref allowing the fight to stay on the ground even
when there really was no activity.
Yves
said he didn't want to take anything away for Tatsuya and the
he fought a good fight. It was the first fight of the night and
Edwards speculated that maybe the ref wasn't warmed up yet. To
hear all of what Yves had to say, get a Premium membership for
only five dollars a month. Membership privileges include access
to the radio archive, the video archive of one on one interviews,
press conferences, tips of the week for the top fighters in the
game and so much more.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that
I can borrow.
Woodrow Wilson, 1856-1924, Twenty-eighth President of the USA |
Belfort
News:
A glimmer of hope for the family
By Eduardo Alonso
It
has been more than a month since Priscila Vieira Belfort, UFC
Light Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort's sister, disappeared
in the city of Rio de Janeiro when she was leaving work and no
news about her were heard ever since. Vitor went on to win the
UFC belt while living the drama of trying to find his sister,
and after he came back to Brazil he couldn't even celebrate as
the family continued to suffer and struggle doing endless claims
of help in national TV trough the country, in the effort to finally
find any information about Priscila and finally get their lives
back to normal. Now, finally at least a possible clue of where
his sister is right now, and if she's alive or not, came to the
scene as hope is again a reality for the Belfort family.
This past Friday a filming crew was able to film some youngsters
who were riding on top of a train in the state of Sao Paulo,
in what's called "Train Surfing" in Brazil, a very
dangerous and illegal practice. Among the three people involved
in the act, there was a girl who looked very similar to Priscila
Belfort, in what surprised the filming crew that decided to bring
the tape to the Brazilian police to check it. The tape became
public today, as it was also broadcast in a TV show in Brazil,
with Vitor Belfort and his father, as well as his wife Joana
Prado, being able to watch it closely. The girl who can be Priscila
looked like she was on drugs, and also looked a bit fatter than
"The Phenom's" sister, however her face looked like
Priscila's face and that caused surprise in Vitor himself. Police
is already studying the tape as well as searching for clues and
witnesses to try to find out if the girl is really Priscila herself
or just a look a like. The scientific police is going to try
to study the sound of the tape, as the girl that can be Priscila
Belfort talks briefly during it, to try to identify her voice.
Even with this being far from something certain, due to the fact
that this kids were filmed very far from Rio de Janeiro and the
behavior was totally unlikely for Vitor's older sister, as well
as the fact she was chubbier, this is the only solid clue that
was found out since the police started to search for her, and
needless to say brought some hope that she may indeed be alive
and can finally mean some light for this never ending drama.
FCF will keep you posted on the developments and will keep hoping
that all will end well for the family. Once again, if you live
in Brazil and have any information on Priscila Belfort, please
don't hesitate and call the police to provide your information.
Source:
FCF
|
Another
day in the office for the Axe Murderer:
PRIDE BUSHIDO takes Silva back to the ring for the first time
in 2004!
This
next Weekend in Japan, PRIDE BUSHIDO 2 will see Wanderlei Silva
stepping in a ring to fight for the first time since he won the
PRIDE Middleweight GP, defeating Quinton Jackson in an epic battle
for the title. After this win, Silva's popularity skyrocketed
in Brazil with numerous TV appearances, and even meetings with
members of the government of cities and the likes. Showing that
despite all the recent attention he is truly a fighter at his
heart, "The Axe Murderer" hasn't changed a bit and
continues to be hungry for action and willing to help his younger
teammates to reach glory in the land of the rising sun, that
brought fame to the most famous Silva in the MMA world. In a
brief conversation with FCF few days before his departure to
Japan, Wanderlei had some comments on his view of PRIDE's new
venture, his next challenges and a bit more, Enjoy!
FCF:
You'll be fighting again for the first time after you won the
PRIDE Middleweight GP, and your teammates Mauricio "Shogun"
Rua and Jadyson Costa will be fighting on the same card. Being
the PRIDE Middleweight Champion and Middlweight GP Champion,
what's your main motivation in going to PRIDE BUSHIDO to face
Ikuhisa Minowa?
WS: The main importance of this fight is to take my teammates
to the big show and give them the chance to make their money
and show they'll work in Japan. We're willing to win the three
fights in BUSHIDO, as we all prepared very well. Shogun, Jadyson
and myself are all ready, just waiting for the day of the fights.
We're going there and we're going to show that the fighters from
our academy always do a good showing! Inclusively, those who
want to join Chute Boxe are all welcome. The academy has it doors
open, so those who have this dream and have conditions to come
to Curitiba even if it's for a small period of time, or a long
period of time for that matter, and if someone think he is able
to come and do it, our academy is open to new talents. Master
[Rudimar Fedrigo] is a very easy to talk to person, so those
who want to come to train will be more than welcome.
FCF:
I remember when you beat Sakuraba for the second time and won
the Pride Middleweight belt, you told me your master told you
that you would stay undefeated as a champion for at least 10
years! It has been 2 years already, so there's only 8 to go Wanderlei?
WS: If God helps me! I always prepare myself to the limit, despite
the injuries that happen all the time, cause it's a very demanding
sport. I'm always getting injured, but despite that I always
fight well prepared, I really train hard and as long as God continues
to give me strength and make my body withstand all the effort,
I'll keep fighting and I'm only going to stop when I really can't
do it anymore.
FCF:
Vitor Belfort just became the UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
in an awkward fight against Randy Couture, so there are some
talks about a rematch between you and Vitor. Do you think this
is going to happen? And what are Wanderlei Silva's plans for
2004?
WS: I intend to keep fighting in PRIDE this year, and if PRIDE
goes to the USA I hope to be able to go and fight, and if I'll
have to go and fight against the UFC Champion, it'll be even
better! No matter who's the champion. I'll fight Belfort, I'll
fight Couture or anyone else that may appear in the meantime.
I don't pick opponents, and I'll be well prepared to do a good
showing against any opponent that may appear.
FCF:
So, the undefeated PRIDE Champion Wanderlei Silva still never
pick opponents?
WS: Without a doubt. People say, "Hey, but he only fights
this, or he only fights that" but hey! I'm not the one who
chooses the fights! They say, "There's someone for you to
fight" and I'm like "Great, I'll fight him" that's
pretty much about it.
FCF:
I remember sometimes you flew without knowing who your opponent
was...
WS: Exactly, there's no such thing. But if the promoters want
me to fight fighter A or fighter B, it doesn't matter to me,
I'll fight them and I'll fight anyone for that matter. They can
make a line and I'll fight everybody in the course of time (Laughs)
FCF:
I know you for a long time and I can say that as a person, you
never changed your attitude and manage to still humble in the
way you treat the fans and friends. How do you manage to not
let success get into your head?
WS: I believe a true champion can't lack in any aspect, not in
a single aspect of life. Sometimes if you have your emotional
side changed, this can affect your whole career. Sometimes you
have a great deal of talent but your mindset betrays you and
you don't peak. It's way better for someone to be a down to earth
guy, and treat everybody well cause this will only attract good
things for your life.
FCF:
The best of luck your next fight as always Wanderlei!
WS: Thanks Eduardo.
Source: FCF |
Belfort's
drama continues, Chute Boxe flying to Japan, Minotauro not pursuing
Olympics and HEAT FC 3 coming in April!
The
Brazilian Beat:
February is passing rather slowly; fortunately we have been treated
to plenty of MMA action in the mean time. We're still in the
first half of the month and as we ended January with a great
UFC show, we have already been graced with a PRIDE show to start
the month and two weeks later, PRIDE BUSHIDO is coming our way,
not to mention the other shows that have recently taken place
such as KOTC and Super Brawl, all showing very interesting cards.
PRIDE BUSHIDO for instance will be very important for the Brazilian
scene as no less than six fighters from this country will take
part in it with Wanderlei Silva leading the way for the new talents
of Chute Boxe to display their skills. In the meantime, Silva's
potential rival, Vitor Belfort can't even celebrate a win that
finally got him his long awaited UFC belt, with his ongoing trauma
continuing to haunt his dreams. His sister is still missing,
and we at FCF plead to anyone in Brazil with information on Priscila
Belfort to please contact the local police to help the family
to finally get some relief. With BUSHIDO coming up there are
still some other things happening on the scene and Full Contact
Fighter brings you the latest news with a unique beat Brazilian
style yet again!
Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira is currently in Cuba training
boxing with the Brazilian Olympic Boxing team. Nogueira did some
training with them to improve his boxing skills in Brazil, and
got an invitation to train some more with them while they are
preparing in Cuba since Brazil lacks in super heavyweights. Rumors
were flying that Minotauro was also aiming for a shot at the
Olympic games in boxing, but this is not the case. According
to his manager, Mario Sperry, Minotauro is there just to improve
his skills and will be flying to Japan in the coming days to
meet Sperry and help him out with his PRIDE BUSHIDO fight. Minotauro
will be fighting in the PRIDE Heavyweight GP and will not try
to take part into any Olympic games trials.
UFC
Light-Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort returned to Brazil after
his doctor stoppage win over Randy Couture at the last UFC, and
barely had the time or the mindset to celebrate. Soon after he
arrived in Brazil, Belfort got back to his campaign to find his
missing sister. Priscila Belfort has been missing for several
weeks now, and no information has turned up yet. "The Phenom"
has appeared on some of Brazil's biggest TV shows in recent days,
always talking about his sister and appearing quite sad, not
in a celebratory mood at all. During his speeches on TV shows,
Vitor also stated he would like to face PRIDE champion Wanderlei
Silva to unify the belts of the two biggest shows in the MMA
world.
Wanderlei
Silva left for Japan on February 9th for his fight against Ikuhisa
Minowa at PRIDE BUSHIDO. Silva trained very hard for this fight
and is seeing this as a great opportunity not only for him, but
also for the Chute Boxe team as a whole, as his teammates Mauricio
Shogun Rua and Jadyson Costa are fighting on the card as well.
Silva spoke with FCF about his upcoming fight and future challenges,
as you'll be able to see here in this column in the coming days.
Both young fighters, Shogun and Jadyson, also left for Japan
the same day as Wanderlei, along with trainers Rudimar Fedrigo
and Rafael Cordeiro. Jorge "Macaco "Patino is joining
them as well on their voyage to the land of the Rising Sun to
be in the fighters' corners in his first appearance as a member
of the Chute Boxe team. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua told
FCF he is weighing 97 kg now and is already working to lose the
4 extra kilos for his fight against Akihiro Gono at Bushido.
Word is that Shogun may appear as a heavyweight very soon.
The
MMA market continues to grow in Brazil and as a result new events
are constantly popping up all over the place. The Northeastern
MMA market, which once was non-existent in the country, is now
flourishing due to the success of shows such as HEAT, and a new
show will take place in the city of Fortaleza, in the state of
Ceara, which is also in the Northeast of Brazil. The show is
called the 1st Open Ceara Vale Tudo Challenge, and is scheduled
for March 11th and will feature some HEAT FC veterans that are
Brazilian Northeast breed, such as Paulo Guerreiro, Carlos Indio,
Josenildo Rodrigues and Savio Maia -- all of whom fought in HEAT
FC 1.
Speaking
of HEAT FC, the second edition of the fastest growing show in
the Southern hemisphere debuted on Brazilian Pay-Per-View on
February 7th, through NET/SKY on the Premiere Combat channel.
This was the first time a HEAT show was televised anywhere in
the world. In the meantime, final details regarding the DVD production
for America are taking place, and the promoters are starting
to work on HEAT FC 3, scheduled for either April 15th or April
16th. Despite what was originally planned, the show will once
again take place in the city of Natal, and some fights will be
announced mid-February.
As
usual, UFC veteran Pedro Rizzo just traveled to Holland to train
with his friend and K-1 legend Peter Aerts, in en effort to sharpen
his Muay Thai skills even more. Rizzo left Brazil this past Tuesday
and will be returning on February 26th. "The Rock"
has yet to sign a contract with another organization, since his
UFC contract ended, but is preparing with a fight around April
in mind, since he has already received some proposals from Japanese
organizations and is eager to get back to the ring.
For
more great behind the scenes info from the birthplace of Vale-Tudo,
check out the Brazilian Beat in the upcoming issue of Full Contact
Fighter
Source:
FCF
|
Bushido:
PRIDE Stars Continue Winning Ways
PRIDE
Middleweight champion Vanderlei Silva needed just one minute
nine seconds to knock out Japanese veteran Ikuhisa Minowa Sunday
evening in Japan. Using an early takedown defense to his advantage,
Silva (25-3-1) forced Minowa (23-19-8) to the guard before scoring
a heavy punch that left his challenger exposed for more damage.
The more-powerful Silva unloaded with several shots before the
referee could intervene. Up next for Silva, who has not lost
in his last 16 contests -- nearly three years worth of fights
-- could be Yuki Kondo, though Dream Stage President Nobuyuki
Sakakibara could not confirm that that match up would occur on
PRIDE's April 25 card.
Silva's teammate Mauricio "Shogun" Rua managed a first-round
knockout as well, putting away Akihiro Gono, who fought primarily
on the Pancrase circuit before Sunday's bout. Rua aggressively
took the fight to Gono before piecing together the fight-finishing
flurry that saw the bout called 9:04 of round one.
Former SHOOTO welterweight king Takanori Gomi's DSE-promoted
debut was a rousing success. Gomi, who stepped into Sunday's
contest on the heels of consecutive losses -- the only two blemishes
on his ledger -- dominated Jadson Costa in the first of three
"Team Japan vs. Chute Boxe" match ups. An early takedown
allowed Gomi to strike from the top, forcing Costa on the defensive.
Gomi methodically worked for position between the strikes and
finished out the final three minutes from the mount. Unable to
defend, Costa turned to his side and covered up, causing the
referee to halt the bout 4:55 of the first period.
In other action, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic won for
the second time in two weeks, knocking out Yoshihisa Yamamoto
2:12 of round one. Rodrigo Gracie used his size and superior
positioning to neutralize Hayato "Mach" Sakurai en
route to a three-round unanimous decision. Like Gracie, Daiju
Takase earned a unanimous decision, controlling much of his 20-minute
contest against American Chris Brennan. Mario Sperry, meanwhile,
only needed 11 seconds to stop Filipovic training partner Mike
Bencic. Wrestling powerhouse Sean Sherk earned a lopsided decision
win over Ryuki Ueyama.
Results:
Vanderlei Silva def. Ikuhisa Minowa KO 1:09 R1
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def. Akihiro Gono KO 9:04 R1
Takanori Gomi def. Jadson Costa TKO 4:55 R1
Mirko Filipovic def. Yoshihisa Yamamoto KO 2:12 R1
Rodrigo Gracie def. Hayato Sakurai unanimous decision 3R
Daiju Takase def. Chris Brennan unanimous decision 3R
Mario Sperry def. Mike Bencic KO 0:11 R1
Sean Sherk def. Ryuki Ueyama unanimous decision 3R
Yasuhito Namekawa def. Egidijus Valavicious submission (guillotine
choke) 1:05 R1
Yushin Okami def. Ryuta Sakurai by unanimous decision 2R
Choi Mu Bea def. Yusuke Imamura submission (rear-naked choke)
4:05 R1
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Time
for MMA to Come Clean
Talk
to fighters for an extended period of time and the topic of steroids
usually comes up. Their consumption among today’s competitors
is a horribly kept secret, and as was plainly exhibited on Thursday,
yet another example that mixed martial arts is kin to other professional
sports.
U.S.
Department of Justice officials announced Thursday a 42-count
indictment of BALCO, a San Francisco-area laboratory, which alleges
a scheme to provide athletes illegal anabolic steroids, human
growth hormone, and, among other things, a “designer steroid”
known as THG.
It
was only last month that President Bush publicly called for an
end to the rampant steroid abuse haunting professional athletics
in this country. In his State of the Union address Bush demanded
professional sport clean up its act by initiating and enforcing
a ban on illegal performance enhancers -- namely steroids.
Though
professional leagues like the NFL, MLB and NBA were surely at
the top of the president’s list, other sports -- track and
field, boxing, and mixed martial arts, for example -- have suffered
casualties from steroids as well.
Credibility
is the most obvious.
MMA
fans -- and outsiders trying to get a feel for the sport -- watched
as UFC heavyweight champions Josh Barnett and Tim Sylvia were
suspended from competition and had their titles vacated after
failing Nevada State Athletic Commission drug tests for steroids.
Several other professional fighters, including Ricco Rodriguez
(also a former UFC heavyweight champion) and Mark Kerr, have
publicly acknowledged past steroid use.
Each
man listed above was at one time considered at least a top-three
fighter in the division. No doubt a considerate percentage of
mid- to low-level fighters compete unchecked, precipitated by
myopic, uncaring promoters unwilling to test fighters for hepatitis,
let alone steroids, without coaxing from a state sanctioning
body.
It
is all too clear that there is dire need for the powers-that-be
to come to some sort of understanding as it relates to what will
and won’t be tolerated from the athletes stepping into the
ring.
Waiting
for the penalty-shoe to drop after the fact is an unacceptable
course of action -- particularly from Zuffa, which has time and
again appointed itself savior of mixed martial arts in the United
States.
Twice
in two years steroids soiled the UFC heavyweight title, yet little
was done to educate or dissuade athletes from using. Quite to
the contrary, in fact. Zuffa has gone out of its way to stick
its deposed former champions in a corner, doing little more than
offer an odd mention during its pay-per-view broadcasts, the
only live television showcase it has.
Worse
yet, Sylvia, who was suspended for four months by the NSAC last
September, returns to the ring in April with an opportunity to
regain his title. Unless it’s mentioned before he steps
into the ring against Andrei Arlovski, most casual viewers of
the UFC will have had no idea that he flunked a steroid test
and turned in his belt.
Zuffa,
at the forefront of this debate and deservedly so, is not the
only promoter who should demand better of its fighters. MMA,
like boxing, is a global sport. Yet it holds no discernable structure,
whether the discussion turns to rules or fighter culpability
when it comes to drug testing.
PRIDE
is said to do some steroid testing, though who actually conducts
the testing protocol has never been discussed. Nor have test
details outlining who and when fighters are tested. To date,
no competitor has been suspended from PRIDE because of a failed
drug test.
Should
Zuffa, which admittedly leads the fight for sanctioning and medical
responsibility in MMA, initiate a radical testing scheme designed
to root out contractually-bound UFC fighters who use illegal
performance enhancers, it will likely not guarantee widespread
movement within the lower levels of the sport. In the same instance,
those fighters would stand a chance of making a living by fighting
in Japan.
The
NSAC as well as other commissions of its ilk need to formulate
and adhere to a structured set of penalties for offending athletes
-- and promoters -- they license. Harsher penalties for Josh
Barnett or Fernando Vargas appear random and otherwise motivated
by different criteria when compared to the lesser suspension-period
applied in Tim Sylvia’s case.
What
steps need to be taken so that athletes no longer feel as if
they’re at a disadvantage if they’re not doping? Can
the fledgling-integrity of a widely misunderstood sport survive
a revolving door of steroid users winning the highest-profile
titles without genuine and long-lasting recourse when they’re
caught?
Hopefully
Thursday’s reminder to the sports world will serve as a
wake-up call for MMA. It’s not good policy to have two young
champions in your highest profile division bow out because they
failed a urine test. In addition, younger fighters must stop
feeling like “getting ahead” is their only option for
success.
Perception
is and always will be mixed martial arts toughest foe. If something
does not change in terms of steroid testing and accountability
in the sport, the perception will be a poor one, similar to Vince
McMahon’s and the WWF after being targeted by the federal
government a decade ago.
Everyone
has been warned. This is the right time to act.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without
getting a few drops on yourself.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, American Poet, Essayist
|
1st
Maui Invitational of Jiu-Jitsu Results
Maui War Memorial
Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
February 15, 2004
The
first large Maui tournament went incredibly well and had about
100 competitors from many schools represented. The teams represented
included Team Gracie which consisted of Academia Casca Grossa
de Jiu-Jitsu from Oahu who brought five competitors, Gracie Kauai
(Kendall Goo) who brought at least a couple guys and Gracie Maui,
Nova Uniao (BJ Penn's MMA) from the Big Island brought about
21 competitors, Longman from Kauai brought about 20 competitors,
Jorge Oliveira brought a bunch of guys, and Maui Jiu-Jitsu, the
host academy, came out in force as well. There were a number
of killer fights and a ton of kids that turned out on the morning
of the event. Overall, the tournament ran very smoothly due to
the help of many people and the great organization of the tournament
director Lee Theros and Luis "Limao" Heredia for whom
this tournament could not have gotten off the ground. The over
100 competitors gave the crowd great fights and very smooth techniques.
Congratulations
to all the competitors and helpers that made this tournament
a big success! The Casca Grossa students would especially thank
Lee Theros for taking good care of us while we were up there.
The
next tournament coming up is Longman's 3rd Annual Longman Gracie
Kauai Jiu-Jitsu Tournament on Saturday, March 13 in Kilauea Gym.
Hopefully, everyone supports this tournment and starts to bring
Jiu-Jitsu back to the prominence that it was only a few years
ago.
Results
Kids
Kids 8-11 yrs Under 71 lbs
1st: Kaile Heredia - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Bubba Gascon - Gracie
Kids
5-9 yrs 72-100 lbs
1st: McKenna Lickle - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Max Kozlo - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Kids
9-13 yrs
1st: Kale Plat - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Pila Collins - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Kids
10-15 yrs 118-147 lbs
1st: Nick Arnold - Longman
2nd: Nick Omura - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Kids
15-16 148-160 lbs
1st: Cory Smith - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd Julian Marquez - Miki O'Riggs
White Belt
122-134 lbs
1st: Jim Riglos - Jorge Oliveira
2nd: Michael Flores - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
135-147
lbs
Rickey Alvares & Chase Leopolpino - Nova Uniao (tie)
148-160
lbs
Sheldon Bievins - Nova Uniao
Jamie Pacheco - Longman
148-160
lbs Masters
Craig Davis - Nova Uniao
Dave Yoshida - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
161-173
lbs
Erick Vera - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Danilo Couto - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
174-187
lbs
Christopher Figgeroa - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Aaron Hatada - Nova Uniao
174-187
lbs Masters
Kawika Balmonja - Gracie
Tim Stevins - Gracie
188-202
lbs
Zeke Prados - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Ikaika Manaku - Longman
203-213
lbs
John Kekino - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Gabriel Igawa-Silva - Nova Uniao
214
lbs and up
1st: Elia Nagasako - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Russell Char - Longman
Open
1st: Chris Figgera & John Kekino - Maui Jiu-Jitsu (tie)
Blue Belt
122-134 lbs
1st: Sergio Hurtado - Longman
2nd: Sanford Kaga - Gracie
135-147
lbs
1st: Graham Seiki - Brazilian Freestyle
2nd: Aaron Fluke - Nova Uniao
148-160
lbs
1st: Abraham Robinson - Nova Uniao
2nd: Philip Lung - Gracie
161-173
lbs
1st: Paolo Lupi & Dillan Clay - Jorge Oliveira (tie)
174-187
lbs
1st: Kyle Enouijag - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Ryan Perreira - Longman
188-202
lbs
1st: Rob Washington - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Greg Holt - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
203-213
lbs
1st: Rob Washburn - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Champ Tremaine - Nova Uniao
214
lbs and up
1st: Mike Carreno - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Phil Banquel - Longman
Open
1st: Jake Mapes - - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Champ Tremaine - Nova Uniao
Purple
Belt
148-160:
1st: Jared Espina - Longman & Kyle Snyder-Olivares - Gracie
(tie)
174-187
Master
1st: Christian Diaz - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
2nd: Chis Lord - Gracie
Super Fight
8-Man Invitational Tournament
The winner of these brackets won $300, a trophy, and gi.
Under 175 lbs
1st: Jared Espina & Aaron Moeller - Longman (tie)
Over
175 lbs
1st: Malcolm Ahlo - Gracie
2nd: Jake Mapes - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Fastest
Submission:
White
Jim Riglos - Jorge Oliveira
Blue:
Jake Mapes - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Purple:
Jared Espina - Longman
|
3rd
Annual Longman Gracie Kauai Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
When: Saturday, March 13, 2004
Time: 10:00 AM
Where: Kilauea Gym,
located next to the Kilauea Theater on the north side of Kauai
Weigh
ins: Friday, March 12, 2004 from 6:00-9:00 pm at the underwater
surf shop in the Kauai village shopping center next to the Safeway
store. Off Island competitors may weigh in on Saturday from 8:00-9:00
AM.
Schedule
of events:
9:30
AM - Opening Ceremony
9:45 AM - Rules Clinic
10:00 AM - Tournament Begins
Normal
BJJ weight classes with these added
214-226 lbs
227-246 lbs
246 lbs and over
For
more information, call Bruno at 808-645-1265. |
PANCRASE
2004 BRAVE TOUR - Quick Results!
PANCRASE
2004 BRAVE TOUR
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15th, 2004
UMEDA STELLA HALL // OSAKA, JAPAN
COMPLETE
RESULTS - Pro Matches:
-
Yohei Tagami defeated Naoji Fujimoto: Judges decision
- Daisuke Hanazawa X Takuo Miyata: Draw
- Yuji Oba defeated Satoshi Watanabe: Judges decision
- Satoru Kitaoka X Tadahiro Hosaka: Draw
- Takafumi Ito X Yuji Hoshimo: Draw
- Yoshiro Maeda defeated Alexandre 'Soca' via TKO, RD 2.
Source:
ADCC
|
Sarmiento
Wins 155 Tournament Series Qualifier
This
year’s Extreme Challenge/SuperBrawl tournament series got
underway On February 7th at SuperBrawl 33. For the past two years
these two promoters have teamed up to have three-part tournament
series in an effort to find up-and-comers in different weight
divisions. The idea is the winner and runner up of each qualifier
plus two wild cards preferably from the series meet in the series
finals.
In
2002 the Heavyweight tournament series was won by current UFC
Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia while the series also brought
first exposure to many fans of UFC vets Wesley “Cabbage”
Correira and Travis Wiuff. Heavyweight tournament qualifier winner
Ben Rothwell is fighting in March in Euphoria Entertainment’s
“Russia vs. the US” show in Atlantic City. Jonathan
Ivey who won his qualifier fight before suffering an injury preventing
him from continuing was scheduled to fight KOTC Super Heavyweight
Champion Eric Pele in Sopreme Fighting Challenge until that show
was cancelled.
In
2003 the tournament series featured the Middleweights and brought
to the attention of the fans such fighters as Denis Kang, Jason
Miller, and Joe Doerkson. These fighters have been making their
reputations in the past six months and are ones to watch this
coming spring and summer.
Now
its time for the Lightweights in 2004. Instead of the qualifiers
taking place in Extreme Challenge and the finals being held in
SuperBrawl the situation is reversed. Also instead of 8-man tournament
this qualifier was a 4-man tournament, not surprising considering
the amount of injuries over the previous tournament series. In
the semi-finals recent WEC vet and 808 Fight Factory standout Harris Sarmiento defeated HMC’s Mike Bauer by decision while
Grappling
Unlimited’s Kolo Koka picked up a TKO over Bulls Penn’s Paul Laga in 2:51 of round 1.
In the finals it was Sarmiento getting the judges’ decision
over Koka that gave him the win. Both Sarmiento and Koka are
now slated to fight in the tournament series finals later this
year.
The
second qualifier is scheduled to take place March in Minneapolis
on March 26th in Extreme Challenge, the one Dave Menne headlines.
So far the only confirmed participants in that qualifier are
Jorge Gurgel out of Meat Truck Inc. and Joe Jordan of Miletich
Martial Arts. The other two participants are likely to come from
the Minneapolis area. The finals are according to Extreme Challenge
promoter Monte Cox “probably some time in May in Wisconsin”.
Check back for more updates as they become available.
Source: ADCC
|
Submission
Wrestling Open 1 Announces Revamped Lineup & New Location!!!
Saturday,
February 28th, 2004
North Broward Prep High School
7600 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, Florida 33073
DOORS OPEN: 11:00 AM EST
START TIME: 1 PM EST
The
Submission Wrestling Open 1 has revamped it's lineup considerably
since losing it's marquee matchup of David Terrell and Travis
Lutter. 'We have worked to put together a solid event, and we
think we have the right formula for a great SWO 1.' explains
spokesman Miguel Iturrate. 'The event is built around superfights,
with 4 tournaments filling out the event. The Absolute is an
invitational for the fighters that competed in the other tournaments,
and there is prize money for all of them. We want to thank our
sponsors at the AFC, at SPRAWL, at Grappler's Quest, Sheldon
Marr and his Team. We also want to thank ATT and Freestyle Fighting
Academy in Florida. They all have teams in the event, and it
is because of them that the event is possible.'
SWO
1 Adds the 'Magic Boy' - Marcelo Garcia is Florida Bound And
More!
'Unfortunately,
'Shaolin' Ribeiro had to pull out of his superfight with American
TOP TEAM's Pablo Popovich.' starts spokesman Miguel Iturrate.
'This opened the window to sign Marcelo Garcia, who is the 2003
Submission Wrestling World champion. Popovich did not meet him
in the ADCC 2003, but 'Popo' took out previous world champion
Marcio Feitosa, so he is obviously ready for the challenge.'
'Marcelo
Garcia takes on Pablo Popovich, and Jeff Monson takes on Marcio
'Pe De Pano' Cruz in a clash of ADCC World Champions. These are
the two main events, and there are 4 other superfights.' concludes
the spokesman.
The
complete event lineup is below.
SUPERFIGHTS:
(special weight 80 KG): Pablo Popovich (American TOP TEAM, Ft
Lauderdale, FL) versus Marcelo Garcia (Gurghel JJ, Sao Paulo,
Brazil)
Over
99 KG: Jeff Monson (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale, FL) versus
Marcio 'Pe De Pano' Cruz (Gracie Barra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
77-87.99
KG: Todd Margolis (Team GQ, Washington DC) versus David Avellan
(Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami, FL)
55-76.99
KG: Marcos Avellan (Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami, FL) versus
Otto Olson (AMC Pankration, Seattle, WA)
Over
99 KG: Wade Rome (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale, FL) versus
TBD
Under
65.99 KG: Marcos 'Parumpinha' Meira (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL) versus Joachim Hansen (Team Scandinavia, Oslo, Norway)
FEATURE
TOURNAMENTS:
- 4 Man under 65.9 KG Tournament
- 4 Man under 66-76.99 KG Tournament
- 4 Man under 77-87.99 KG Tournament
- 8 Man ABSOLUTE Tournament
Source: ADCC |
'Ground
Impact 03' -
March 7th, 2004 in Tokyo, Japan!
Professional BJJ bout the 3rd, 'Ground Impact 03'will be held
in
March 7th, 2004 in Tokyo, Japan.
Official
site: http://www.if-pro.com
Lineup:
- Hayakawa Mitsuyoshi VS Kazeka Muniz
- Nakai Yuki VS Alberto Crane
- Wado Toshiyuki VS Taisho
We
are also recruiting contenders for 'Ground Impact 04', which
is planned to be held within this year. Female contenders must
hold the rank of Purple belt or above. Male contenders must hold
the rank of Brown belt or above.
If
you are interested in participating in the match, 'Ground Impact
04', please e-mail us with your information including your name,
a team you belong to, belt rank you hold, your class division,
your height, your weight and your fighting records. Looking forward
to your entries. Thanks.
gi@if-pro.com
Source: ADCC |
Interview:
The Wildman, THOMAS DENNY
The
next King Of the Cage on February 20th features number six ranked
welterweight Thomas “Wildman” Denny fighting Jake Gomez.
Also on the card is Dan Severn vs. “Scary” Jerry Verbonivic,
Lightweight Champion Joe Stevenson defending his title against
Joe Camacho, and the return of Romi Aram as he faces Mike Penalber.
The show will run on pay-per-view one week later on Dish Network,
Direct TV, TVN, and Bell Express VU.
KM:
Your next fight is on the 20th in Soboba. I wasn’t able
to find anything on your opponent Jake Gomez. Do you know who
this guy is?
TD: You know, I’ve been hearing all these different things
but to be honest I have no idea who he is. I know absolutely
nothing.
KM:
So its not like you can train any differently for this guy.
TD: Team Oyama trains the same no matter who it is. We train
our asses off in everything you do. Nowadays it’s not like
you can train one particular thing. A different day is a different
thing.
KM:
That is one thing I wanted to clarify. I saw an article in a
magazine with a picture of Team Oyama and I saw you in that picture
but then I see KOTC and Full Contact Fighter will list you as
Team Wildman. If I recall correctly even John Alessio was talking
about doing some training with you but I may be confusing that
one. It seems like you get | |