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World Gracie Professional Submission Championships
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February 2004 News
Part 3
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night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
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Quote
of the Day
"Once we realize that imperfect understanding is the human
condition, there is no shame in being wrong, only in failing
to correct our mistakes."
George Soros, American Businessman, Financier
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Absolute
Fighting Championships #7 Results
War Memorial Coliseum, Ft Lauderdale, FL.
Friday, February 27th, 2004
A
great night of fights! The European fighter looked very good,
and ATT went 2-0-1 against a Japanese team.
Submission
of the Night: EDSON DINIZ
Fighter of the Night: ANTONY REA
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
3
RDS / 185 LBS: Marcel Ferreira (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL.) v. Izuru Takeuchi (Pancrase, Tokyo, Japan): DRAW
3
RDS / 185 LBS: Jorge Santiago (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL.) v. Takuya Wada (Pancrase, Tokyo, Japan): Santiago via arm
lock, 1:52 RD1.
3
RDS / 155 LBS: Edson Diniz (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL) Hiroki Kotani (Tokyo, Japan): Diniz via Arm Lock, 3:01 RD
1.
2
RDS / 170 LBS: Thiago 'PITBULL' Alves (American TOP TEAM, Ft
Lauderdale, FL) v. Nuri Shakir (Team ELITE, NH): Alves by Judges
Decision.
2
RDS / 185 LBS: Charles McCarthy (Freestyle Fighting Academy,
Miami, FL.) v. David Bielkheden (Team Scandinavia, Stockholm,
Sweden): Bielkheden by Strikes, RD 1, 3:33.
2
RDS / 205 LBS: Mark Tullius (Pires JJ, Las Vegas, NV.) v. Antony
Rea (Toulouse, France): Rea by KO, RD 1 3:50.
2
RDS / 155 LBS: Gesias 'JZ' Calvancanti (American TOP TEAM, Ft
Lauderdale, FL.) v. Justin Wisniewski (Duneland Vale Tudo, Portage,
IN): Cavalcanti by Guillotine, RD 1 :53.
2
RDS / 185 LBS: Efrain Ruiz (Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami,
FL) v. Todd Carney (Freelance, West Virginia): Carney by KO,
RD 1, 1:29.
2
RDS / 170 LBS: Joakim Engberg (SHOOTERS Int'l, Gothenberg, Sweden)
v. Landon Showalter (Pearson Systems, Seattle, WA): DRAW
2
RDS / 170 LBS: Sauli Heilimo (Team Scandinavia, Turku, Finland)
v. Carlo Prater (Yves Edwards Thugjitsu, Houston, TX): DRAW
2
RDS / 155 LBS: James Edson Berto (Tiger's World, Orlando, FL)
v. Scott Johnson (Freelance, Orlando, FL.): Berto via strikes,
4:59 RD 1.
Source:
ADCC |
EXCLUSIVE:
Vitor Belfort Interview
BoxingInsider.com
Interview with Vitor Belfort
Boxinginsider.com:
Vitor, first off, how are you feeling?
Vitor
Belfort: I’m feeling good.
Boxinginsider.com:
Can you give us an update on the status of your sister?
Vitor
Belfort: We don’t have any news yet. We don’t have
a clue. We don’t have anything concrete, so we are kind
of blocked right now. We don’t know what is going on.
Boxinginsider.com:
I just wanted to let you know that the thoughts and prayers of
all the fans are with you and your family.
Vitor
Belfort: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
Boxinginsider.com:
Now going on to the fight at UFC 46. First off, your fight with
Randy Couture had a bizarre ending. What are your thoughts on
what happened?
Vitor
Belfort: It wasn’t anything. I punched … I threw a
punch on him and it hit him by the eye. He had a cut and they
thought it was better to stop the fight.
It
was the right decision. I feel I would like to have proven more
of what I could do in the fight, but I didn’t have a chance
to prove how well I trained, to show everything that I did in
training—so it’s frustrating for everyone.
Boxinginsider.com:
Will you give Randy Couture a rematch?
Vitor
Belfort: For sure. Right now they’re talking with me about
that. … My goal was to fight Couture. If I win—even
Couture … because Couture went to Japan and challenged Pride
to fight for the belt—so he did all this promotion. So I
think it would have been very good for the sport. I would like
to get a chance [to fight against Pride champion, Wanderlei Silva]
and also to give Randy a rematch. I think this would be awesome.
I think all the fans would be very interested to see those fights.
Boxinginsider.com:
What made Randy Couture come out on the Internet last weekend
and start bashing you? Randy was saying that you weren’t
going to step up for a rematch. I guess he was looking for an
immediate rematch? Randy was saying that you weren’t stepping
up and going to give him a rematch. He was pretty vocal about
it.
Vitor
Belfort: Yes, because Randy said he would have beaten me. I know
for sure that Randy would have wanted Wanderlei. That’s
his main goal. Giving him a rematch would be very, very welcome,
but I have to look out for my career, not for his career. He
wants a rematch very badly because he came off from two good
wins and then he lost to me. I think he’s frustrated right
now. He wants the belt again. He deserves it, but I think he
needs to understand that I am looking for the best for me right
now. The best for Vitor is the [Pride] title, because if I beat
Wanderlei, I will hold the title. I am looking for my best interests
and the best interests for mixed martial arts. For sure my fight
against Wanderlei will be a much, much bigger job than me and
Randy Couture again.
Boxinginsider.com:
Can you comment on the negotiations between you and Wanderlei
Silva? Is the UFC involved? Are they looking at a UFC/Pride co-promoted
event?
Vitor
Belfort: That’s what Dana spoke to me about before I signed
the fight. He said, “Vitor, if you beat Randy you will fight
Wanderlei again. That’s our goal in UFC”. I don’t
know what’s going on right now. I’m looking forward
to see that fight happen. If not, I will do whatever UFC wants
me to do. I mean I am under contract with them, but I would like
to get a shot at [Wanderlei]. I’m looking out for my career
and for all the fans. I know the fans would love to see me against
Wanderlei. It would be the biggest draw in the whole world of
mixed martial arts fighting.
Boxinginsider.com:
Can you comment on your contractual status with the Ultimate
Fighting Championship? How many fights left do you have on the
contract?
Vitor
Belfort: I have several more fights. I cannot talk about the
contract.
Boxinginsider.com:
So even though it didn’t really come out, I want to go back
to that fight. What was your original game plan going into the
Randy Couture fight? If it wouldn’t have ended, what was
your plan?
Vitor
Belfort: I was so prepared with my boxing skills. I knew I was
so sharp. If God and Jesus could have stood up with me that night—I
know God gave me the strength to go there and do my best. My
main goal is to train, get very well prepared, step in the Octagon,
and do the best I can do. That’s my main goal.
Boxinginsider.com:
When do you plan on fighting again?
Vitor
Belfort: Right now? Actually right now I’m going to Rio
de Janeiro. I’m going to spend two weeks with my family—one
week with my mother and right after that we are going off to
help find my sister. Then I’m going to take my honeymoon
because I couldn’t take my honeymoon yet. I’m going
to spend a week on my honeymoon, and after my honeymoon I will
be ready to fight again. I’ll go to a camp and train for
the next fight.
Boxinginsider.com:
Can you tell us a little bit about the training in Brazil and
how it is different from training in the United States?
Vitor
Belfort: Oh, I think it is not different. It is just a matter
of opportunity, you know what I mean. Right now nobody gave me
the opportunity to work in the States. I would like to open a
gym in Miami one day. I am planning to go to the States in the
future, but right now I don’t have any contacts, no opportunity
yet. But I am going to work to make an opportunity in the future
to open a gym in the States and I can keep more contacts with
my fans in America, work and have a good life. That’s basically
what I like to do, is to help the sport to grow. America is a
very good place to be. It is a good market, and I think I have
a very good name in America.
Boxinginsider.com:
This is definitely true. Can you tell us about the reception
you received from the people of Brazil upon your return?
Vitor
Belfort: Everyone is very happy, very honored. But I am passing
through a rough time right now and people understand that. It
is hard to celebrate right now. But, I thank God every day for
what he gave me. He gave me a chance to be a world champion,
and it is not just because I am good. It was because of His will.
I am very humble. I am not looking for the ego of the champion.
I feel that everybody deserves to be a champion one day and everybody
is definitely a champion—just to step into the ring makes
you a champion. I am very happy to have the belt with me right
now. I just want to thank Jesus for what he’s doing in my
life and what he has done in my life. And I know His will is
the best will for our lives. I just pray he keeps continuing
to bless my life, to bless my career, and keep my head straight.
I cannot just be champion inside the ring, but outside the ring
is definitely the most hard and difficult area to be a world
champion.
Boxinginsider.com:
What are your thoughts on the upcoming Tito Ortiz versus Chuck
Liddell fight?
Vitor
Belfort: It is hard to pick, because both fighters have trained
together in the past. They know the game. I think it can be a
very interesting fight or a very boring fight. So I am cheering
for a very good match, an exciting match, and the best man on
the night to win. I am going to be here, just watching it and
seeing what is going on.
Boxinginsider.com:
Do you have any final messages or plugs or anything you would
like to tell the fans?
Vitor
Belfort: I would like to thank the fans for helping and supporting
the fighters and the mixed martial arts. I would like to just
tell them how important it is to have the fans supporting us
and helping our careers and the sport, giving us opportunities
to reach our goals. Without the fans the sport wouldn’t
be what it is right now, and just tell them live a good life.
Get a chance to meet Jesus and see how good it is to be a Christian.
That’s definitely the most hard, hard part of life, because
we’ve got to fight against temptation, against evil people—so
we’ve got to be very, very calm, trying to have the mind
of Christ, and this is a difficult area in which to be a champion.
I hope one day I can go to eternal life. I want to meet all my
fans there and all my family. Over there we are not going to
have pain, we are not going to have bad feelings—just good
stuff from God, giving us our eternity. Maybe that’s what
I would like to tell the fans, that I would like to meet them
one day over there.
Source:
Boxing Insider |
Quote
of the Day
"Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active;
it is concentrated strength."
Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton, 1803-1873, British Novelist, Poet
|
Help
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808
Fight Factory's Rob Villapondo & Alex Stevenson Win at GC!
Gladiator
Challenge
Soars at Eagle Mountain
Held February 24, 2004
At Eagle Mountain Casino - Porterville, CA
Report and photos by Keith Mills
Although
billed as a smaller Gladiator Challenge the show on February
24th had some memorable moments. These smaller shows feed into
the larger Gladiator Challenges which in turn feed into King
Of the Cage, Gladiator Challenge's sister promotion. One of the
surprising aspects about this card was the presence of two 808
Fight Factory fighters for what amounted to a local show considering
808 Fight Factory are based in Hawaii. The other was the crowd's
reaction, especially to the 'grudge matches' where tribal and
local grievances were settled in the cage. There were no belts
on the line.
Both
Gladiator Challenge and King Of the Cage are known for their
preference of standup action and relatively high percentage of
knockouts. That is why it was so surprising to see the four main
events end in two armbars, a front choke, and a decision. The
biggest surprise of the night literally was from the tribal grudge
match between Stan Dressler vs. Warren Rubio fight. Dressler
weighed in at a whopping 320 lbs. and looked to stand about 7'
tall while Rubio weighed in at 195 lbs. and seemed about 5'9".
Some of he fans couldn't believe it when Rubio actually seemed
to be getting the better of the giant standing but Dressler ended
the fight with a rear naked choke instead of ground and pound.
Look
for a full report in the next issue of Full Contact Fighter.
Full
Results
A.L. Roso def. Tony Very 1:09 R2 by rear choke
Brian Cota def. Leo Costa by TKO
Costa could not continue between rounds 1 & 2)
Stan Dressler def. Warren Rubio 2:06 R1 by rear choke
Bobby Suggs def. Tino Alverado 1:31 R1 by TKO
Richard Goodman def. Hector Celaya 0:48 R1 by choke
Rob Villapando
def. Miah
Mills 1:40 R1 by tapout to strikes
K.P. Endlen def. J.D. Burnett by judges' decision (2 rounds)
Alex Pulotu Stevenson def. Leo Reyes 2:33 R1 by TKO
Francisco Ramero def. Go Go Sanchez by TKO between rounds 1 &
2 (cut)
Robert Escalera def. Pedro Mercado 0:13 R1 by KO
Felix Garcia def. Frank Megallen by unanimous decision (2 rounds)
Morris Aldaco def. Caesar Guiterrez 3:01 R1 by TKO
Dustin Arden def. Anthony Ruiz by unanimous decision (2 rounds)
Cody Grimes def. Joe Hernandez 2:13 R2 by front choke
Dan Camarillo def. Robert Breslin 0:39 R1 by armbar
Josh Gardner def. Tony Liamas 0:51 R1 by armbar
Source:
FCF |
DREAM
STAGE ENTERTAINMENT INTRODUCES
DREAM STAGE PICTURES
LOS ANGELES, California Dream Stage Entertainment, the parent
company of the PRIDE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS, announces the formation
of Dream Stage Pictures, an affiliate company for the creation
of motion pictures.
Already
in production is Dream Stage Pictures first film, a tale entitled
Nagurimono (translated as one whose nature it is to fight), which
takes place in Edo (Tokyo) at the end of the Shogunate Rule during
the 1860s. The story involves exclusive, private fights being
held for the entertainment of feudal lords and shoguns. The film
will be a combination of action and romance and will feature
up and coming Japanese actor, Hiroshi Tamaki, as well as established
film and television star, Takenori Jannai.
The
goal of Dream Stage Pictures is to create quality films that
do not necessarily focus around the presence of PRIDE FC fighters.
Nonetheless, fighters may have bit roles in the films among others,
Nagurimono will include Kazushi Sakuraba, Don Frye, Wanderlei
Silva, Quinton Jackson, Alexander Otsuka, and Yoshihiro Takayama.
Dream Stage Entertainment takes great pride in maintaining a
strong relationship with its fighters throughout their fight
careers and, as such, it is the intention of Dream Stage Pictures
to continue to maintain a strong relationship with fighters and
to open the doors for them to explore a new career when their
fighting days are over.
What
the Fighters are Saying:
Kazushi
Sakuraba: I was so nervous that I asked the director to make
my lines shorter, as few as possible. There was a scene where
I had to have a stare down with Tamaki's character and that was
the hardest thing for me because I don?t even stare down my opponents
in the ring when I really fight.
Yoshihiro
Takayama: I didn't get nervous at all. I felt ok because I'm
always fighting in front of large audiences anyway. In the movie
I fought against Don Frye! We actually punched and hit each other
seriously and I really think the audience will feel that it's
real because it was. I think the audience can enjoy the fight
scenes on their own?
Don
Frye: This is the third movie for me, but in the past I had just
done cowboy roles in westerns. This movie is kind of like a Japanese
version of a western and I thought it was really cool. I fought
against Takayama again, just like in real life. We fought for
real and we slugged it out. At one point he gave me a serious
big boot (laughing).
Wanderlei
Silva: I'm very happy and honored to be involved. This is like
a totally new challenge for me and it gives me an opportunity
to explore other possibilities instead of just being a fighter.
Quinton
Jackson: The movie is really cool. I think I may have decided
what my second career is! I fought Sakuraba in this movie and
I?m telling you it's gonna look real. We really worked on it.
I think it may be the best scene in the movie.
For
action photos from the movie involving the above listed fighters,
please email Turi Altavilla @ t_altavilla@pridefc.com.
Nagurimono
is expected to debut in September of 2004.
For
the latest in PRIDE FC news, visit pridefc.com!
Source:
ADCC |
Pancrase
Latest Official Rankings
as of 2/24/2004
[Open-weight]
the 10th Open-weight K.O.P. Josh Barnett (U.S.A./New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
#1 Yuki Kondo (PANCRASEism)
#2 Semmy Schilt (Holland/Golden Glory)
#3 Yoshiki Takahashi (PANCRASEism)
#4 Sanae Kikuta (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#5 Kiuma Kunioku (PANCRASEism)
#6 Nathan Marquardt (U.S.A./Colorado Stars)
#7 VACANT
[Super
heavyweight(221lbs. and over)]
the 1st Super heavyweight K.O.P. VACANT
#1 Semmy Schilt (Holland/Golden Glory)
#2 Ron Waterman (U.S.A./Team Impact)
#3 Tim Lajcik (U.S.A./Gladiators Training Academy)
#4 Keigo Takamori (Pancrase MEGATON)
#5 Sehaku (RJW/CENTRAL)
#6 Jun Ishii (Chojin Club)
#7 Jimmy Ambriz (U.S.A./New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
#8 KENGO (PANCRASEism)
[Heavyweight(199lbs.~under
221lbs.)]
the 1st Heavyweight K.O.P. Yoshiki Takahashi (PANCRASEism)
#1 Tsuyoshi Ozawa (Zendokai)
#2 Katsuhisa Fujii (UFO)
#3 Jason Godsey (U.S.A./I.F. Academy)
[Light
heavyweight(181lbs.~under 199lbs.)]
the 3rd Light heavyweight K.O.P. Yuki Kondo (PANCRASEism)
#1 Sanae Kikuta (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#2 Ricardo Almeida (U.S.A./Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy)
#3 Akihiro Gono (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#4 Nilson de Castro (Brazil/Chute Boxe Academy)
#5 Daisuke Watanabe (PANCRASEism)
#6 David Terrell (U.S.A./Cesar Gracie Academy)
#7 Yuki Sasaki (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#8 Keiichiro Yamamiya (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#9 Osami Shibuya (PANCRASEism)
#10 Ikuhisa Minowa (freelance)
[Middleweight(165.7lbs.~
under 181lbs.)]
the 4th Middleweight K.O.P. Ricardo Almeida (U.S.A./Renzo Gracie
Jiu Jitsu
Academy)
#1 Nathan Marquardt (U.S.A./Colorado Stars)
#2 Izuru Takeuchi (SK Absolute)
#3 Crosley Gracie (U.S.A./Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy)
#4 Kazuo Misaki (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#5 Kiuma Kunioku (PANCRASEism)
#6 Eiji Ishikawa (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#7 Hidehiko Hasegawa (SK Absolute)
#8 Shonie Carter (U.S.A./AIKI Training Hall)
#9 Yuichi Nakanishi (freelance)
#10 Jake Shields (U.S.A./Cesar Gracie Academy)
[Welterweight(152.5lbs.~
under 165.7lbs.)]
the 1st Welterweight K.O.P. Kiuma Kunioku (PANCRASEism)
#1 Koji Oishi (PANCRASEism)
#2 Takafumi Ito (PANCRASEism)
#3 Kenichi Serizawa (Wajutsu Keishukai Suruga Dojo)
#4 Satoru Kitaoka (PANCRASEism)
#5 Hiroki Nagaoka (MMA Dojo DOBUITA)
#6 Yuji Hoshino (Wajutsu Keishukai GODS)
#7 Takuya Wada( SK Absolute)
#8 Heath Sims (U.S.A./Team Quest)
[Lightweight(141.4lbs.~
under 152.5lbs.)] VACANT
[Featherweight(under
141.4lbs.)] VACANT
Source:
Mr Oitate |
Memories
strong 40 years after Ali won title
(AP)
-- Gene Kilroy wanted to talk about his friend, Muhammad Ali.
Not
about the time Ali stopped George Foreman in the Rumble in the
Jungle, or the time Ali fought a brutal fight with Joe Frazier
in Manila, though Kilroy was at both fights.
He
wanted to talk about Ali, the man.
It
was 40 years ago Wednesday that Ali won the heavyweight title
with an improbable upset of the feared Sonny Liston in Miami.
The years have gone by too fast, and the once brash, mouthy young
champion now trembles with age and disease and talks sparingly
in whispers.
But
the memories are fresh for Kilroy, who was at Ali's side for
much of his career as his trusted confidante and pal.
His
love for Ali is as fresh as the day they met.
'If
I was to die today and go to heaven it would be a step down,'
Kilroy said. 'Because my heaven was being with Ali.'
That
heaven stretched from the jungles of Zaire to the mountains of
Pennsylvania, from Ali's triumphant reign as champion to his
sad final title fight with Larry Holmes. Kilroy was there most
of the way, working as Ali's business manager and enjoying the
ride of a lifetime.
READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE CNN / SI
'Everyone who was around Muhammad, who was a part of his group,
would have taken a bullet for him,' Kilroy said. 'I felt the
same way.'
His
stories sound bigger than life, because the man he was with was
bigger than life. That they are all true only makes them better.
There
was the flight to Zaire, where Ali was going to take on the dreaded
Foreman in a fight most thought he had little chance of winning.
There were several thousand people waiting in the early morning
darkness for the plane and, as it landed, Ali turned to Kilroy
and asked him who the people of Zaire disliked most.
Source:
ADCC
|
Kerr
pulls a Lindland
By: Mike Sloan
Mark
Kerr was once not only known as The Specimen, but he was also
known as one of the world?s most feared mixed martial arts fighters.
He eventually transformed himself into not only ?The Smashing
Machine,? but also into arguably the sport?s biggest waste of
talent.
As
we all know by now after watching the legendary HBO documentary
about Kerr, he was stuck on a path to nowhere, hooked on a myriad
of different drugs while wallowing in self doubt and depression.
Thankfully for his wellbeing, Kerr was able to incant his spirit
and rid his carcass of the sewage that eroded his career.
Kerr,
who tore through the WVC, UFC and PRIDE, amassed a 12-0 record
with 1 no contest until the demons clenched their sinister fists
around his delicate soul, jeopardizing not only his career, but
his life as well.
Losses
to Kazuyuki Fujita, Igor Vovchanchyn and Heath Herring were indications
that maybe Kerr wasn?t this stellar destroying cyborg we all
thought he was. Nobody truly knew the battle he was waging within
his head during these down times until the HBO documentary was
released.
His
absence from the sport for two years was a mystery until the
truth ravaged the MMA world. After conquering his addictions
and gathering the missing pieces to the jigsaw puzzle that was
his life, Kerr was determined to grasp the rungs of the ladder
that lead the pinnacle of his sport andstart from scratch.
Absent
from the fight world for nearly 2 ½ years, Kerr finally
returned to action in Pride 27: Inferno, against the game but
below .500 Norihisa Yamamoto, a PRIDE veteran who made a career
of losing to the best of the best. If Kerr was even a shell of
his old self, he was to trounce the beloved Japanese warrior.
When
Kerr walked into the ring and removed his outerwear, he revealed
to everybody that his chiseled, sculpted body had vanished and
left behind a trimmed down yet flabby cocoon of his old image.
Though Kerr had peeled off a reported few dozen pounds since
his last duel, he looked old and worn out, as if he has forgotten
what a dumbbell was.
?This
doesn?t look good, I thought to myself during the introductions.
There is no way Kerr can be as dominant as he once was.
After
the bell rang to kick off the action, it was obvious that Kerr
was mummified in about three inches of ring rust. His feeble
punches missed their marks by feet, not mere inches. His shoot
lacked confidence and even though he was able to clinch onto
Yamamoto, it was as novice as one could get.
Kerr
quickly scooped up his foe and scored what looked at first to
be a classic double leg, but once he slammed Yamamoto to the
canvas, Kerr rolled over and became a sitting duck for his opponent,
who quickly rained down several moderately stinging strikes.
The ref, noticing that Kerr was knocked out cold, immediately
stopped the contest and awarded Yamamoto with the TKO victory
in under a minute of the opening round.
Kerr
scored a classic takedown, but he dug his head too deeply into
Yamamoto and when he slammed is opponent to the canvas, his noggin
was the first to crash, knocking himself into next week. One
positive aspect that arose from this debacle, though, is that
Matt Lindland can exhale a sigh of relief knowing that he?s not
the only one to knock himself out with such a nincompoopian blunder.
So,
not a single question was answered that night in Japan because
for one, the fight ended too quickly and on such wacky terms.
Though it?s a loss that is tagged onto Kerr's professional record,
one shouldn?t discount him just yet. We have to wait for his
next contest before we should start judging him.
But
for starters, was Kerr truly that great of a fighter? He never
defeated an opponent who was considered an elite fighter; the
biggest wins of his career were against Daniel Bobish (solid
but not great), Paul Varelans (popular because of his size during
UFC's formative years), Branco Cikatic (a career kickboxer) and
Enson Inoue (okay, I?ll give him that one).
Of
the top men he's faced besides Inoue, he?s lost to them; Herring
and Vovchanchyn. So what can truly be expected of Kerr when he
returns to action later this year? PRIDE will assuredly toss
in a lower level opponent, in not Yamamoto again, and if Kerr
passes the test like we hope he does, we?ll have to wait another
period of time before he wages war with an upper echelon heavyweight.
Though
it?s doubtful that PRIDE will include him in their heavyweight
Grand Prix, one can rest assured that Kerr will not be pitted
against the likes of CroCop, Fedor or Nogueira anytime soon.
It?s
unfortunate that we didn't get to fully see what Kerr was made
of during PRIDE 27, and it?s even more bitter of a taste to have
to wait even longer to see what has become of the Specimen/Titan/Smashing
Machine.
In
essence, Kerr is more reminiscent of Mike Tyson than anybody.
He feasted on meager opposition early in his career and looked
indestructible. As deep personal problems began to surface, he
lost fights to more seasoned opponents and basically tossed his
entire career into the garbage disposal. Hopefully, as not in
the case of Tyson because it's far too late for him, Roto Rooter
can unclog the pipes and salvage what is left of Kerr's career.
Though it's not too late, the sands of time for Kerr are undoubtedly
running low.
Source:
Sherdog
|
|
Don't
miss the first pics from DSE film
Check
out the first pictures from Nagurimono, first production of Dream
Stage Pictures, affiliate company of DSE for the creation of
motion pictures. The screen production is turning the fight heads
and there're fighters considering the possibility of acting as
a second carreer. 'The movie is really cool. I think I may have
decided what my second career is!', stated Jackson, who fought
Sakuraba in one of the best movie scenes, according to him.
Nagurimono,
'one whose nature it's to fight, takes place in Tokyo at the
end of the Shogunate Rule, during the 1860s. The story involves
exclusive, private fights being held for the entertainment of
feudal lords and shoguns. According to Dream Stage Pictures,
the idea is to produce high quality movies that do not necessarily
focus around the presence of Pride fighters. But they also guarantee
a close relationship with the Pride athletes, opening their doors
to them to a new carreer after their ring retirement.
If
Jackson felt himself comfortable in front of the cameras, the
same we couldn't say about his scene partner Sakuraba. 'I's so
nervous that I asked to the director to make my lines shorter',
confessed Saku. A man who loves new challenges, Wanderlei Silva
was happy with the opportunity. 'It gave me an opportunity to
explore other possibilities instead of just being a fighter',
celebrated the Axe Murder. Besides Wanderlei, Sakuraba and Quinton
Jackson, the movie also brings to the big screen, this summer,
Yoshihiro Takayama and Don Frye.
Check
out about 5 of them at http://www.tatame.com.br
Source:
Tatame |
Onzuka.com
Back Online
First off, sorry for the last two days of down time. We have
been working hard to increase our readership for our site so
that the people that advertise with us gets maximum visibility
and we can attract more advertisers. The problem is that now
we are exceeding our bandwidth for our account and it got knocked
off.
Do
us a favor, for you loyal readers of our page, please bookmark
our news page so that you go there directly. I think part of
the problem may be that people are going to Onzuka.com, watching
all the flash stuff, and then going on to our news site. The
flash is killer I must admit, but if you have seen it before,
downloading the flash everyday is adding up to a lot of bandwidth
that is downloaded on a daily basis.
Thanks
again for your emails of concern for our site being down and
we will try our best to keep the latest and greatest MMA news
on the site on a daily basis. We will also continue focusing
on Hawaii based events and fighters which we all should support
by encouraging the fighters and going to the events to keep the
promoters in business to produce more MMA events. Without support,
most of us will be without our fix of MMA events and many up
and coming fighters will be left on the shelf with no events
to fight in.
Again,
please bookmark
http://www.onzuka.com/news.html
check it daily and tell your friends about our site!
Thanks,
Aloha, and God Bless! |
Quote
of the Day
"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they
seem improbable,
and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."
Christopher Reeve, 1952-, American Actor, Director
|
Punishment
In Paradise 3
"WARRIORS"
Friday May 7, 2004
We have already gotten verbal confirmations from Team Big Dogs
Wayne Pierin Jr and Kickboxing Champion The Dominator. Also Jesus
Is Lords Bob Ostrovich along with Waianae's PJ Dean from Bad
Intentions.
We
are also looking for new and always exciting talent to participate
in interested contact matchmaker @ second2none@hawaii.rr.com or 330-4483.
Mahalo
Source:
Promoter |
Baroni
vs. Tanner II?
Baroni's Game
By Loretta Hunt
Would anyone care for a Baroni-Tanner rematch? "The New
York Bad Ass" Phil sure would. On the heels of Tuesday's
notification from the Department of Athletic Regulation for the
Mohegan Tribe that his one year suspension had been reduced to
three months, the UFC middleweight contender wasted no time yesterday
in naming who he'd like to square off against next in his return
to the Octagon anticipated for June or July.
"I
believe everyone wants to see the Evan Tanner fight, except for
Evan Tanner," an enthused Baroni relayed from his home in
Las Vegas. "I don't think he wants to fight me in any way
shape or form."
It
was a controversial bout back at November's UFC 45 that saw Baroni
score early on against his opponent with his punching power,
until Tanner turned the tables late in the round and achieved
full mount on route to a questionable stoppage at the hands of
referee Larry Landless. "I think he knows that he was very,
very lucky last time," comments Baroni on their first meeting.
"I think he knows he was saved by Larry [Landless] and he
think he wants to get out of there the way he did with a cheesy
win and never see me inside the cage again. He said numerous
times that he's never been hit so hard and that's funny, because
I never really hit him that hard. I hit him with glancing shots.
When I hit him hard, he's gonna be asleep. He'll be on his back
and I'll be on top of him pounding away till the referee pulls
me off."
Although
Baroni says he's game to lock horns with Tanner again, he's also
skeptical that his Team Quest adversary will take the challenge.
"He had a big mouth after the fight which is very uncharacteristic
of Evan Tanner. I said nothing to the guy. I didn't take anything
away from his so-called win, and he came on the Internet with
his big mouth and started making comments and the reason he did
that was because he's afraid. Probably for the first time in
his life, he was afraid to fight someone and that someone is
me. I guarantee he won't fight me. He'll say he wants to fight
me, but he'll price himself out of the fight. It's gonna be an
amount that he knows the UFC won't pay him. He's going to fucking
do that. I guarantee it. I'm telling you guys first now before
it happens. That's going to be his way of getting out of fighting
me again."
Calls
to the UFC last night confirmed the rematch is indeed under consideration.
UFC president Dana White voiced that the organization is looking
to make the bout happen as early as UFC 48, although no formal
offers have been made to Tanner at this time.
See
Evan Tanner's response below
Source:
FCF |
Tanner
Responds:
He'll Take That Rematch
By Loretta Hunt
Team
Quest fighter Evan Tanner has gotten wind of Phil Baroni's reduced
suspension revelation, as well his request for a rematch, and
he's not too enthused. "A reduced suspension?" Tanner
scoffed from his home in Oregon earlier today. "He's not
getting punished at all. Shoot, I'll sometimes have to sit out
nine months between fights. What's three months? That's nothing.
That's just a formality. He got his fine, which may have hurt
him a little bit, but as far as having to sit out, that was just
a gesture. That was nothing."
"New
York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni has jumped back into the spotlight
in record time following yesterday's announcement that he'll
be eligible for MMA competition after March 3rd. Having already
issued an open challenge to Tanner for a rematch of their first
UFC 45 scuffle back in November, the Texan showed little hesitancy
in his reply today. "I'll definitely take the fight,"
the quiet middleweight conveyed. "We'll settle this once
and for all. Personally, Baroni and I don't like each other.
I don't think that's a surprise to anyone. I'd be glad to take
that fight."
But,
Baroni has taken things a step further, insisting that the fight
will not happen because Tanner will price himself out of the
impending battle UFC officials have already said they'd like
to see happen. "You know what?" Tanner replied frankly
to the accusation. "As far as the money goes, yeah, I'm
gonna want to get paid for the fight. With the UFC, I've been
winning fights and my pay has been going down every time. I'm
just so eager to fight in the UFC, I'm just trying to make something
happen. For a fight like this, I'm gonna want to get paid a little
bit. I've got bills to pay. I gotta try and make a living too.
The last fight, he made more money losing than I did winning.
It's a little ridiculous. I'm definitely gonna want to get paid,
but I'm not going to be unreasonable."
A
second pairing between these two dynamic middleweights could
put to an end the question marks that have surrounded their initial
outing. It was Baroni who came out strong in the opening seconds
of the bout with his furious striking, but it was wrestler Tanner
who capitalized later with a takedown and the subsequent mount
in the final seconds before referee Larry Landless moved in to
halt the match.
Baroni
has boasted that this time around, he'll finish what he started.
Tanner remains unimpressed. "If I believed every fairy tale
that Baroni's told, he'd be world champion right now in my eyes
and Lindland wouldn't have defeated him and I shouldn't bother
getting up in the morning because he's gonna put me down. C'mon
now! He's good at telling stories and fairy tales. I don't know
if he's trying to convince himself or what. He's a big talker.
That guy makes me laugh." Adds Tanner, "His job's gonna
have to be to knock me down before I take him down, because if
I take him down, I'm gonna drop some elbows on his head. I'm
gonna hurt him."
Source:
FCF |
K1
World Max - Quick Results
K1
World Max
Date: February 24th, 2004
Place : , Japan
Alternate
Match:
- Tomo defeated Toshio Matsumoto -KO,3R.2m39s
Tournament
- Takayuki Kohiruimaki defeated Hayato - Judges decision
- Kozo Takeda defeated Kenichi Ogata via TKO in RD 1.
- Serkan Yilmaz defeated Yasuhiro Kazuya via KO in RD 2.
- Norifumi
'Kid' Yamamoto
defeated Takehiro Murahama via KO in RD 2.
Semi-finals
- Takayuki Kohiruimaki defeated Kozo Takeda via KO in RD 2.
- Serkan Yilmaz defeated Tomo via KO in RD 1.
*Tomo replaced Norifumi Yamamoto
Final:
- Takayuki Kohiruimaki defeated Serkan Yilmaz - Judges decision
Super
Fights:
- Albert Kraus defeated Takashi Ohno via KO in RD 1.
- Fuji Chalmsak defeated Arslan Magomedov via KO in RD 1.
Source:
ADCC
|
KOTC
Champ Not Your Average Joe
Half
a decade ago, when he was just 16, Joe Stevenson entered into
two relationships: one with his now ex-wife and one with the
sport of mixed martial arts. Now barely old enough to legally
enter a pub, the current King of the Cage lightweight champion
has experienced marriage, fatherhood, and most recently divorce
-- quite a life for someone so young.
With
the divorce papers signed and his marriage at an end, Stevenson's
other love -- his fighting half -- is now his focus. "It's
all I know how to do," he admits. "You can't ask me
to spell, read or write. Put some gloves on me and say 'go fight
for your money' and I'll do it."
"I
don't know what it's like to be free," Stevenson conveys
about single life. "I've been with her since I was 16 years
old. She's still a big part of my life. It's weird. She's like
my best friend now -- never, ever, when we were married was she
like that."
'Free'
is a relative term. Three weeks prior to Friday's lightweight
title defense versus Joe Camacho, Stevenson took in his two sons,
1 and 3 respectively, making what should have been an optimal
training period, hardly realistic.
"One's
almost potty-trained," the young champion says of the boys,
"but they both ain't, technically. It's a blessing that
I got to train three times a weak hard."
A
decorated California high school wrestler, Stevenson trained
out of Tedd Williams' Combat Grappling before recently departing
the Hesperia, Calif. gym.
It
was under the Combat Grappling flag that Stevenson first faced
Camacho, May 1999 in Empire One, Terry Trebilcock's predecessor
to King of the Cage. His first professional fight resulted in
a submission victory, one of 21 career wins countered against
five losses: Jens Pulver; Chris Brennan; Ronald Jhun; Brad Gumm
(a loss he later avenged); and Romie Aram (his final high-profile
bout at 170 pounds).
Over
the past 12 months Stevenson has shown himself to be a much different
fighter than the one who mostly grappled his way to victories
during the first two-thirds of his career, particularly upon
dropping down to a more comfortable 155-pound fighting weight.
"I
don't want to pull off decisions; that's not what I'm about anymore,"
he says. "I'm going to push the issue to finish the fight.
And that means actually being in good shape. Because I'm good
at submissions, I'm OK with my hands. A lot of times, to beat
the better guy, it's because you have cardio and now I'm running
six miles everyday."
Since
the loss to Aram (KOTC's former welterweight titleholder who
gave up the belt when he decided to try his hand in the UFC),
Stevenson has won nine consecutive fights, including a bout versus
Thomas Schulte which earned him the KOTC lightweight title.
Yet,
it was the Camacho rematch -- Stevenson's first title defense
-- that in many ways completed the circle which symbolized this
chapter of his fighting life.
"Well,
the first fight I wouldn't have thrown one punch on my feet,"
he says. "He caught me a couple times; I caught him a couple
times. I knew where I had to take it to win for sure, so I took
it there."
"Joe
-- he was hungry," continues Stevenson, who overcame an
aggressive challenger to sink in a fight-finishing rear-naked
choke. "I mean, jeez, he took it and was like give me more.
I was getting tired. I was like 'God, c'mon now.'
"When
someone catches you with two uppercuts you say, 'you know what,
let's weigh and balance this: I kicked him, but he hit me in
my head.' You know, I'm not a moron.
Heading
into the next phase of his career, Stevenson jokingly sees himself
"on top of the world, looking down at everyone and flipping
them off."
"I'm
going to beat everyone at 155 -- everyone," he says more
seriously. "Whoever is put in front of me, I will beat them
impressively. I will do my job and do it good."
Unlike
other KOTC lightweight champions, Stevenson says he intends to
keep the belt while facing the best fighters the division has
to offer. To do that, he admits, he must fight outside of KOTC.
"Hopefully
King of the Cage allows me to keep my belt and take it to the
UFC," he says. "That would be an awesome thing.
"They
do it in boxing. I want it to be done here. We should be above
certain childish things and I'm all down for it."
If
he gets that opportunity, Stevenson will surely face the stiffest
competition of his still-young career. He remains confident in
his skills, and believes that he can compete at the highest level
against the sport's toughest fighters.
"I'm
ready to step in there with them," he says. "I don't
get nervous anymore."
Big
fights should equate to big paydays, a theory which thus far
has failed to live up to expectations, particularly for lighter-weight
fighters. Stevenson knows this all too well. When need arises,
construction work has helped fill in the financial gaps that
come from being a tough but relatively unknown MMA competitor.
"I
don't fight for the money; I'm poor," he asserts. "I
claimed $13,000 last year on my taxes. Jesus. I'm poor. I'm under
poverty -- that's with two kids."
And
should he ever get that big purse? "I'd probably put it
away for my boys for college," he answers.
Source:
Maxfighting |
Monthly
Pay-Per-View Heavyweight Series Begins March 1st
CEDRIC
KUSHNER SAYS 'HEAVYWEIGHT HEROES: THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT
HEAVYWEIGHT' OFF TO BRILLIANT START, NEAR SELLOUT CROWD THRILLED
BY ACTION PACKED BOUTS
New
York, February 24- Promoter Cedric Kushner is ecstatic about
the inaugural card for Heavyweight Heroes: The Search for the
Next Great Heavyweight, which will air on In Demand on March
1. 'It was a terrific show all the way around, we couldn't have
asked for a better start,' says Kushner.
Heavyweight
Heroes will be presented by Perfect 10 Magazine, and will be
available at a suggested retail price of $19.95 by contacting
your local cable operators.
'Michael
Grant is back on track with a sensational six round knockout,'
Kushner says. Grant (39-3, 30 KO's) faced Charles Hatcher (15-6,
11 KO's) in the co-feature. 'During the fight I was unsure of
what the result would be but Grant didn't leave anything to chance,
and scored a sensational knockout with Hatcher falling face first
onto the canvas,' says Kushner. 'I think Michael showed by that
performance that he has no intention of being counted out of
the heavyweight division just yet.'
Taurus
'The Bull' Sykes (21-1-1, 5 KO's) scored a unanimous decision
over Jovo Pudar (21-2-0, 11 KO's) in the main event. 'Taurus
Sykes accepted the challenge against the once-beaten Pudar,'
says Kushner. 'He looked impressive picking his spots and got
a comfortable unanimous decision with the type of fight network
executives and fans will pay attention to.'
Each
month, a stunning pair of Perfect 10 models will be pitted in
a hotly-contested four round bout. 'The crowd was on their feet
for the women's fights,' says Kushner. 'I haven't seen a fight
crowd as enthusiastic as they were for the Perfect 10 ladies
bout.'
Source:
ADCC
|
AFC
#7 and SWO #1 Set To Rock
Ft Lauderdale This Weekend!
February
27th Absolute Fighting Championships #7
February 28th SUBMISSION WRESTLING OPEN 1
'This
is a good weekend for a Florida road trip.' laughs AFC matchmaker
Miguel Iturrate. 'We have two events, the AFC #7 is a full out
Mixed Martial Arts event with an international card, and the
SWO #1 is the first ADCC Submission Wrestling event in Florida's
history. The Saturday event is also packed with top notch, international
talent.'
Complete
details for both events are listed below - not a weekend to be
missed!
Tickets
available at www.ticketmaster.com. Enter 'ABSOLUTE' for the event!
Absolute
Fighting Championships #7
War Memorial Coliseum, Ft Lauderdale, FL.
Friday, February 27th, 2004
Doors Open 6:30 PM
Fighst Start: 7:30 PM
Doors
Open: 6:30 pm / Fight Start: 7:30 pm
BEST
PRICE ON TICKETS ANYWHERE:
GOLD CIRCLE: $35.00 / RINGSIDE: $25.00 - $35.00 / GENERAL ADMISSION:
$15.00
FEBRUARY
27th, 2004 - AFC #7
Card Subject To Change:
3
RDS / 185 LBS: Marcel Ferreira (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL.) v. Izuru Takeuchi (Pancrase, Tokyo, Japan)
3
RDS / 185 LBS: Jorge Santiago (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL.) v. Takuya Wada (Pancrase, Tokyo, Japan)
3
RDS / 155 LBS: Edson Diniz (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL) Hiroki Kotani (Tokyo, Japan)
2
RDS / 170 LBS: Thiago 'PITBULL' Alves (American TOP TEAM, Ft
Lauderdale, FL) v. Nuri Shakir (Team ELITE, NH)
2
RDS / 185 LBS: Charles McCarthy (Freestyle Fighting Academy,
Miami, FL.) v. David Bielkheden (Team Scandinavia, Stockholm,
Sweden)
2
RDS / 205 LBS: Mark Tullius (Pires JJ, Las Vegas, NV.) v. Antony
Rea (Toulouse, France)
2
RDS / 155 LBS: Gesias 'JZ' Calvancanti (American TOP TEAM, Ft
Lauderdale, FL.) v. Justin Wisniewski (Duneland Vale Tudo, Portage,
IN)
2
RDS / 185 LBS: Efrain Ruiz (Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami,
FL) v. Todd Carney (Freelance, West Virginia)
2
RDS / 170 LBS: Joakim Engberg (SHOOTERS Int'l, Gothenberg, Sweden)
v. Landon Showalter (Pearson Systems, Seattle, WA)
2
RDS / 170 LBS: Sauli Heilimo (Team Scandinavia, Turku, Finland)
v. Carlo Prater (Yves Edwards Thugjitsu, Houston, TX)
2
RDS / 155 LBS: James Edson Berto (Tiger's World, Orlando, FL)
v. Scott Johnson (Freelance, Orlando, FL.)
SUBMISSION
WRESTLING OPEN 1
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
10
Minute 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)
55-76.99
KG: Marcos Avellan (Freestyle Fighting Academy, Miami, FL) versus
Otto Olson (AMC Pankration, Seattle, WA)
77-87.99
KG: Todd Margolis (Lloyd Irvin USA, Team Grapplers Quest, Camp
Springs, Maryland) versus David Avellan (Freestyle Fighting Academy,
Miami, FL)
Under
65.99 KG: Marcos 'Parumpinha' Meira (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL) versus Katsuhiro Hirata (Japan Qualifier Champion, Tokyo,
Japan)
Over
99 KG: Wade Rome (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale, FL) versus
Rob Constance (Team Renzo Gracie, NY)
FEATURE
TOURNAMENTS:
8 Man ABSOLUTE Tournament - (INVITATIONAL)
UNDER
65.99 KG: (145 LBS)
- Nobou Yagai (Grapplers Edge, CO) versus Mike Mrikulic (Royler
Gracie/Dave Adiv USA, Team GQ, Montclair, NJ)
- Mike Cardoso (FFA, Miami, FL) versus Renato Tavares (ATT, Ft
Lauderdale, FL)
ALT: Raphael Assuncao (Jacare, Atlanta, GA) v. TBD
66-76.9
KG: (169 LBS)
- Ricardo 'Teixhara' (FFA, Miami, FL) versus Raphael Diaz (ATT,
Ft Lauderdale, FL)
- Eric Koble (Grapplers Edge, CO) versus Ryan Ellison (Jacare,
Atlanta, GA)
ALT: Anthony Tolone (Orlando, FL) versus Chad Wagoner (Freelance,
Kokomo, IN)
77-87.9
KG: (193.5 LBS)
- Ken Kronenberg (Tai Kai Machado USA, Team GQ, Syracuse, NY)
versus Moacyr 'Boca' Oliveira (FFA, Miami, FL)
- Charles Mccarthy (FFA, Miami, FL) versus Beau Clark (Grapplers
Edge, PA)
ALT: Chris Moriarty (Jacare, Atlanta, GA) v. TBD
Source:
ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become
the best that you
can become."
Harold Taylor
|
Back
In Business:
Reduced Suspension Speeds Baroni's Return To Octagon
By Loretta Hunt
UFC
middleweight brawler Phil Baroni has gotten a reprieve of sorts,
following the yearlong administrative suspension that was imposed
on him after his performance at November 21st's UFC 45. In a
tense bout with Team Quest's Evan Tanner, an enraged Baroni grabbed
and swung two times at referee Larry Landless following a questionable
stoppage late in round one after Tanner had fully mounted his
opponent on the ground.
Mohegan
Tribe representatives, who had been ringside to observe the infraction,
conferred backstage in the moments following the attack of the
official and handed down the penalty shortly after without a
formal hearing. As is often standard with rulings of this kind,
the Mohegan Tribe's decision to suspend Baroni was reciprocated
by various sports athletic commissions and regulatory bodies,
including the influential Nevada State Athletic Commission, which
oversees at least three UFC events a year.
From
the start, some questioned the severity of the ruling in light
of Baroni's inability to make a living as a fighter. Baroni supporters
asked, "Did the punishment fit the crime?" Yesterday,
they got their answer.
In
a letter received from the Department of Athletic Regulation
for the Mohegan Tribe, Baroni's legal counsel Tony Sgro read
the following passage: "After careful review of your petition
and the supporting documentation, the Department had decided
to reduce your administrative suspension from unarmed combat
issued on December 3, 2003 from one year to three months. Therefore,
your administrative suspension from unarmed combat shall expire
March 3, 2004."
The
reduced sentence will allow Baroni to resume his professional
career as a mixed martial artist in the United States and beyond
in no less than ten days, giving "the New York Bad Ass"
the opportunity to return to the Octagon as early as UFC 48.
Although
a seemingly speedy turnaround for Baroni, the Mohegan's Tribe
reconsideration has been almost three months in the making, according
to lawyer Sgro. "From the conclusion of the fight,"
he says, "where everyone had a different perspective of
what had occurred, there's always a question of what exactly
prompted Phil to do what he did and what should be the appropriate
penalty. Basically, what we've been trying to do in conjunction
with the Mohegan Tribe is to determine that from way back in
November when it first occurred." Mr. Sgro cited what he
labeled as a "series of unique circumstances," in the
case that enabled Baroni and his representation to begin both
a verbal and written dialogue with the Department of Athletic
Regulation. High on that list was referee Larry Landless's public
admission that he had erred in his decision to stop the fight
following a verbal miscommunication with Baroni. Baroni's extended
absence from competition prior to UFC 45 due to a training injury
was also recognized with regards to the financial severity of
the ruling.
Says
Sgro, "What's been going on for the last several months
between the Mohegan Tribe and Mr. Baroni is the exchange of information
and the effort to compromise to try and dissuade future athletes
from engaging in the same pattern of activity, but at the same
time, recognizing that this is the marketable skill that Phil
Baroni possesses in that he's a professional athlete."
There
had also been discussion of setting a date for a formal hearing
in which Baroni could produce witnesses on his behalf. Mr. Sgro
says that Landless, as well as representatives from the UFC,
including president Dana White and counsel Kirk Kendrick, had
agreed to appear at the proposed hearing. But, upon presentation
of the written testimony that was to be heard, Sgro says that
the regulatory department decided that the hearing would not
be necessary.
Although
Baroni was in transit late last night, he called in briefly to
FCF to express his gratitude towards the Mohegan Sun reps and
to especially thank Larry Landless for his support throughout
the entire process. Baroni also confirmed that a rematch with
Evan Tanner has already been broached by the UFC for his tentative
return at the yet-to-be announced UFC 48 event slated in June
or July.
Source:
FCF
|
WHO
WINS AT UFC 47?
MANDALAY BAY AND UFC
Some MMA fans were disappointed after Tito Ortiz beat Ken Shamrock
at 40 that he did not face Chuck Liddell immediately at UFC 42.
Instead it would be Randy Couture who would beat Ortiz and Liddell
on route to cleaning up the UFC Light Heavyweight division.
Other
fans claim the upcoming fight between Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell
doesn't have the same flavor it did a year ago because there
is no title on the line. Try to tell that to the Mandalay Bay
in Las Vegas.
Mandalay
Bay has held many boxing events over the years, but few have
sold as many tickets at this stage of the game for the upcoming
UFC 47 event "It's On."
As
of Friday Mandalay Bay has sold well over 6,000 tickets and now
the "7,000" number is in sight. At the rate tickets
are selling right now, this show will no doubt be sold out before
April 2nd. Whatever it is, MMA fans as well as the casual observer
seems to be very much into this fight game known as the Ultimate
Fighting Championships, which is great news for Zuffa and great
news for the Mandalay Bay.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
IS
STEROIDS STILL A PROBLEM IN MMA?
On Monday, MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio talked with Mixed Martial
| |