Upcoming
Events
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
November
Pride
Bushido 5
(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
September
Ring
of Honor 6
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Kauai)
Tentative
9/25/04
NAGA Hawaii State Grappling Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Tentative)
9/11/04
K-1 Hawaii
(Boxing & Kickboxing)
(Aloha Stadium)
August
Ring of Honor 6
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Maui)
Tentative
8/28/04
Hawaiian Grappling Challenge
(Submission Grappling)
(Oahu)
8/15/04
Pride
Final Conflict
(MMA)
(Saitama Super Arena, Japan)
July
Bushido 4
(MMA)
(Nagoya Rainbow Hall, Japan)
7/30/04
Punishment
in Paradise 5
(Kickboxing)
(Campbell High School)
7/24/04
Submission Wrestling Tpurnament
(Sub Grappling)
(Kahului, Maui, Hawaii)
7/19/04
Pride
Bushido 4
(MMA)
(Nagoya, Japan)
July 9-12
BJJ
World Cup (CBJJO)
(BJJ)
(SESC gym, Salvador, Brazil)
|
|
July 2004 News Part
1
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
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price, click on one of these banners above! |
Tuesdays at 8:30PM on
Olelo Channel 52
New Time! |
Quote
of the Day
"The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal.
The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach."
Benjamin Mays, President of Morehouse College in Atlanta
|
Soljah
Fight Night Results!
Soljah Fight Night
"Hawaii & Japan vs the World!"
Neal Blaisdell Arena
Friday, July 9th, 2004
Promoted by Sustain and sanctioned by the International Shooto
Commission.
Shooto SOLJAH Fight Night: "Hawaii & Japan vs. the World!"
Neal Blaisdell Arena
July 9th, 2004
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
Arguably the most talent-packed fight card to ever grace Hawaii,
Shooto, under the guise of the title "Soljah Fight Night,"
returned to Hawaii. Hawaii has had many great MMA cards, but
this may be the best card talent-wise due to hosting two current
Shooto champions fighting top ranked contenders and crowning
a third champion. Unfortunately they planned on a fourth champ,
but perennial champ, Alexandre "Pequeno" Nogueira's
match fell through due to visa problems. This event was highly
anticipated for Hawaii fans as it includes some of Hawaii's best
fighters and match ups that have fight fans interest peaked.
The event delivered a ton of action. From Dave Yeung's quick
knock out of Jim Kikuchi, which ended with Kikuchi punching the
referee by mistake to Ed Newalu and Kyle Takao going at each
other for all three rounds. The battle of the heavy hitters in
Moreno and Dean was expected to be a slugfest, but it turned
out to be more of a grappling match. A couple of the fighters
that flew in to hopefully jump up to the next level of their
fight career with a win is the always tough Bao Quach and ATT's
Dustin Denes. Both fighters would gain tons of notoriety with
a win over Sato and Sudo respectively. However Quach found out
how dangerous Sato's submissions are and Denes received a gift
of a majority draw. Jens Pulver and Stephen "Bozo"
Paling was expected to be a striking war and it was. Paling threw
everything but the kitchen sink, while Pulver showed how dangerous
fundamental boxing technique and a heavy left hand can be. The
main event started out action packed with Shields and Cooper
exchanging positions, until Shields was able to capitalize on
a mistake when Cooper allowed Shields to secure a modified back
mount and slip in a rear naked. Shields claimed the vacant Shooto
Middleweight title. On top of an incredible card, Shooto wanted
to give back to the local community so they partnered up with
the Hawaii National Guard's Youth Challenge. Youth Challenge
is a boot camp styled school for a lot of teens that took the
wrong path in life. For many of the kids, this is their last
chance to obtain their GED (high school equivalent diploma) and
get their life back on track before it is too late. There is
nothing like a great event supporting a great cause. It was a
great night of fights and a fight fan's dream with so many MMA
fighters at the Blaisdell Arena.
B Class: Light Heavyweight 2R
Sydney Silva (Brazilian Freestyle) def. Sean "Tornado"
Taylor (Grappling Unlimited)
Submission due to arm triangle choke at 4:57 minutes in Round
1.
B
Class: Welterweight 2R
David Yeung (HMC, Hawaii) def. Jim Kikuchi (808 Fight Factory,
Hawaii)
KO (kick to the head) at 15 seconds in Round 1.
B
Class: Featherweight 2R
Ed Newalu (808 Fight Factory, Hawaii) def. Kyle Takao (HMC, Hawaii)
Majority decision [(19-19), (20-19), (20-19)] after 2 rounds.
B
Class: Middleweight 2R
Mark "El Toro" Moreno (Bulls Pen, Hawaii) def. PJ Dean
(Freelance, Hawaii)
Submission due to rear naked choke at 3:09 minutes in Round 2.
A
Class: Lightweight 3R
Rumina Sato (K'z Factory, Japan) def. Bao Quach (Team Oyama,
California)
Submission via arm bar at 3:03 minutes in Round 1.
A
Class: Welterweight 3R
Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (Nova Uniao, Shooto Welterweight
Champion, Brazil) def. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Tops, Japan)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-26), (30-26)] after 3 rounds.
A
Class: Lightweight 3R
Jens Pulver (Miletich Fighting Systems, #6 ranked in Shooto,
USA) def. Stephen "Bozo" Paling (Jesus is Lord, #3
ranked in Shooto, Hawaii)
KO via kick to the head at 1:47 minutes in Round 3.
A
Class: Shooto Light Heavyweight World Title Fight
Masanori Suda (Club J, Shooto Light Heavyweight and Super Brawl
World Champion, Japan) def. Dustin "Clean" Denes (American
Top Team, #1 ranked in Shooto, USA)
Majority Draw [(29-28), (30-30), (29-29)] after 3 rounds.
A
Class: Shooto Middleweight World Title Fight
Jake Shields (Cesar Gracie, #1 ranked in Shooto, USA) def. Ray
"Bradda" Cooper (#2 ranked in Shooto, Hawaii)
Submission due to rear naked choke at 3:29 minutes in Round 1.
*Jake Shields becomes the Shooto Middleweight Champion.
|
Andre
Pederneiras Seminar at HMC Today!
Andre is the founder and head instructor of Nova Uniao, now you
get a chance to learn from the master who has created world champions
in BJJ and MMA!
Saturday, July 10, 2003
12:00-3:00PM
$50.00
HMC
King's Gate Plaza
555 N. King Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 841-5144
BJ Penn, Charuto Verissimo and Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
will be in attendence.
|
COFFEE
GUY EXCLUSIVE: LAWLER OUT OF UFC 49
By Coffee Guy
Before reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.
The
following exclusive report was sent to us by our Zuffa informant
called 'Coffee Guy':
Robbie
Lawler has sustained an abdominal injury. As of now, he won't
be able to face Ron
Jhun in
UFC 49 card.
There's
been no word yet who his replacement will be.
Source: Fight Sport |
MACHINE
GUN READY TO FIRE..
WHO WILL BE HIS OPPONENT?
Ronald
Jhun has been waiting a long time for his shot at the dream.
Jhun
has been waiting his entire career for a shot at the UFC and
coming up on
August 21st, that dream will be a reality. "I've waited
my whole career for
this shot and I'm ready to put on a show," Jhun told MMAWeekly.
This
bigger question is who his opponent will be. Yesterday on the
Soundoff
Forum, MMAWeekly broke the story about Robbie Lawler being officially
out
due to a re-occuring rib injury. An opponent has not been named
as of yet.
There was talk that Jhun himself was injured. "I'm not sure
where that came
from. I had you guys and other websites calling me asking me
if I was
out...,"Jhun told MMAWeekly. "It's not true, I'm ready
to fight at UFC 48."
There
was some talk that Jhun might go down to his natural weight of
170
now that he doesn't have to fight Lawler because of Lawler's
injury, but
that won't happen. Jhun will still fight at 185. "It would
be great to
fight at 170, but right now that division is so stacked in the
UFC that
they need me to fight at 185......look at the 170 and you have
(Matt)Hughes, (Charuto)Verissimo, Nick Diaz, Frank Trigg , Chris
Lytle,
Georges St.Pierre all those guys are in that division, so I will
step up
and fight at 185."
As
far as who he will face, that's another question. "I have
no idea. I
haven't heard anything. You guys (at MMAWeekly) will probably
know before I
will so call me and let me know who I'm fighting" Jhun said
laughing.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
RICKSON
VS. ZULU RE-VISITED
Gracie
Magazine has a great article on the legendary Rickson Gracie
vs.
Zulu vale tudo fight which has now become part of MMA lore.
Even
if you don't read Portuguese, the article has some fantastic
never-before-seen pictures of the fight, and also tracks down
Zulu to see
what he's up to today.
To
see parts of the article on the Gracie Magazine website, click
here
(http://www.graciemag.com/news/04070906.asp)
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Rogério
Minotauro speaks out about his fight in Korea
By: Gleidson Venga / Team TATAME
Rogério
Minotauro got back from his June match in Korea, where he defeated
Alex Stiebling, at the Gladiators FC event. Satisfied with his
match, he talked to us about his fight:
'It
was a good fight, though, that guy had a good standing game and
he was reasonable on the ground. I almost made him sleep with
that choke like the one Rodrigo has been using in Pride, but
he got saved by the bell. I also applied an Americana on him
that hurt, since I saw him putting some ice on his arm after
the match, complaining about pain. Well, that´s the end
of that stuff about the 'Brazilian Killa'.'
Rogério
already has his next fight confirmed: against Kazuhiro Nakamura,
at Pride Bushido 4. They fought before, at Pride 25 and the Brazilian
won by an armlock:
'I
have learned that this Japanese fighter is THE MAN around there.
He recently has beaten Daniel Gracie, but I know I can beat him
again.'
The
choke that Rogério applied on Stiebling and that his brother
has used to win his last two matches, has been intensively trained
by the Nogueira Brothers, and it really works, according to Rogério:
'That
position is awesome, we have been training it a lot. There’s
someone else at BTT who’s good at that position too, Milton
Vieira. That’s how he won his fight with Jadyson Costa,
at Meca 11'.
Rogério
also took some time to comment the fight of his brother on Pride
GP:
'Rodrigo
fought very well, he almost killed Heath Herring. He was better
standing, and he also showed how good his ground game is. I think
this title will not leave his hands.'
Source: Tatame |
TITO
WANTS TO PERFORM A B.J.
Sources
in Huntington Beach are telling us that Tito Ortiz wants to do
like B.J.
Penn by
eventually promoting his own MMA show.
However,
Ortiz does not want to immitate Penn by going to fight in K-1,
or in PRIDE too for that matter. According to sources close to
Ortiz, he knows he would not do well against the higher caliber
of fighters in those two organizations.
These
same sources also say that Ortiz has no heart for fighting so
much anymore. According to many fans of MMA, Ortiz did not show
so much heart when he was fighting regularly, so one can imagine
how he is now.
Source: Fight Sport |
THE
JAKE R. REPORT:
'TIGER' WHITE MAY BE OFF TO JAPAN
By Jake R
PRIDE, K-1, and Antonio Inoki have all been talking to Vernon
'Tiger' White with the intention of signing him to their respective
shows.
They
didn't seem really interested until it was announced he was fighting
in the UFC again. It seems that they are just wanting to poach
another UFC fighter.
Source: Fight Sport |
GRACIE
Magazine Jiu-Jitsu ranking since the 70's!!!
by: Luca Atalla & R. Nogueira
For
the last 5 months, Gracie Magazine interviewed more than fifty
Jiu-Jitsu specialists to develop the most respectable ranking
of the last 4
decades in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Check out the results.
70's:
1o Rolls Gracie
2o Serginho Ires "from Niteroi"
80's:
1o Rickson Gracie
2o Rolls and Royler Gracie
90's:
1o Royler Gracie
2o Nino Schembri
3o Leo Vieira
4o Fabio Gurgel
5o Murilo Bustamante
6o Saulo Ribeiro
7o Amaury Bitetti
8o Roberto Roleta
9o Vitor Shaolin
10o Marcio Feitosa and Zé Mario Sperry
2000
- 2004:
1o Marcio Pe de Pano
2o Fernando Terere
3o Saulo Ribeiro
4o Fernando Margarida
5o Leo Vieira
6o Ronaldo Jacare
7o Fredson Paixao
8o Marcelo Garcia
9o Marcio Feitosa
10o Rodrigo 'Comprido'
Source:
ADCC |
Pró-Jiu-Jitsu
opens room 4 Submission
Besides the GI fights released in first hands by team TATAME,
the second
edition of International Challenge Pró Jiu-Jitsu will
count with a
submission super-fight. The combat will put face to face the
BJJ black
belts Délson Pé de Chumbo (Gracie Barra) and Cláudio
Godoy (BTT-Godoi). The
event, promoted by Koral supported by São Paulo Sports
Secretary, is
scheduled to next July 29th. On the main fight of the program,
Ronaldo
Jacaré and Jorge Patino Macaco will face each other. Besides
that, the
Pró-Jiu-Jitsu will feature a Grand Prix with four heavyweights:
Cristiano
Kaminishi, Roberto Godói, Nilson Liboni and Roberto Tozi.
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
Marcelo
Gheler - (Bra) Vs Peter De Been - Aus (Masters)
Nilson Liboni - (Bra) Vs Roberto Tozi - (Bra) (Grand Prix Heavy
Weight)
Roberto Godói (Bra) Vs Cristiano Kaminishi - (Japão)
(Grand Prix Heavy
Weight)
Leticia Ribeiro (Bra) Vs Aika Sato - (Japão)
Bibiano Fernandes (Bra) Vs Takashi Watanabe - (Japão)
Luciano Nucci (Bra) Vs Hayakawa Mitsuyoshi - (Japão)
Mario Reis - (Bra) Vs Yuki Naki - (Japão)
Leonardo Vieira - (Bra) Vs Fukuzumi Shizuke - (Japão)
Pé De Chumbo - (Bra) Vs Claudio Godoy- (Bra) (Superluta
Submission)
Final - Grand Prix Haevy Weight
Ronaldo Jacaré - (Bra) Vs Jorge Patino Macaco - (Bra)
Super Luta
Source: Tatame |
Jens
Pulver: Making his Way at 143
by Josh Gross
Jens
Pulver (Photo Gallery) is "beat up." His knees are
"sore." He can't
remember the last time his hands, responsible for many a knockout,
weren't
"swollen."
In
other words, Pulver -- the only 155-pound champion in UFC history
whose
troubled past has haunted him in and out of the ring -- feels
great.
Since
parting ways with the UFC in the middle of 2002, Pulver's never
been
busier. Forget fighting once or twice a year. Pulver's immersed
himself in
combat sports, training and competing in traditional boxing,
grappling and
mixed martial arts. And while he admits the training and fighting
are
"draining" and he needs a break, he's not about to
slow down.
Friday
night in Hawaii, Pulver faces Stephen Palling in a
SHOOTO 143-pound clash, which, should he win, could lead to a
title fight
versus Brazilian juggernaut "Pequeno" Nogueira. "I'm
not really too worried
about winning or losing anymore," said Pulver from his Waikiki
hotel room.
"I'm just out there to fight, do my fight, and be pleased
at what I do at
the end of the day, whether I win or lose."
Second
Fight at 143
This marks his second contest at the 143-pound limit, and, said
Pulver,
it's where he belongs. "I'm still strong. It's starting
to get easier to
make. It's still hard, but it's definitely my weight class and
I feel the
strength difference. And the biggest thing is I'm not being overpowered
or
outsized really by anybody."
The
experiment at a lighter weight began last year when Pulver overmatched
lesser opponents. His first test came this March in Tokyo, when
"Little
Evil," fighting in his first SHOOTO-sanctioned bout, faced
Naoya Uematsu.
Over
129 seconds of action, Pulver boxed his way through Uematsu,
landing
vicious body shots behind an amazing 35 jabs. The hard punching
American,
despite the fact that his detractors loved to bring up his methodical
style, particularly during his days as UFC champ, had always
shown an
ability to land the fight-ending shot. There was little to complain
about
after his demolition of Uematsu.
"I've
been working, working, working on going to the body, and I just
knew
I was going to," Pulver said. "I started throwing a
lot more combinations
and when I finally got the knockout it was because he was so
tired of
getting blasted that he just started flinching at everything
I threw, and
it allowed me to set him up."
Having
felt several power punches to his midsection, Uematsu reacted
to a
Pulver feint and was left open upstairs. Pulver blasted him to
the head,
ricocheting Uematsu off the ropes towards a mean uppercut. Then
Pulver
launched a missile of a left hand that put the dazed Uematsu
to the canvas.
"After
the (Duane) Ludwig (Photo Gallery) fight I really started working
on
people counter-punching me, on my striking, but more than that
I've
developed a lot stronger mental game," he said.
Pulver
on Boxing
His boxing education was tested last month when Pulver squared
off against
a 3-0 opponent on ESPN 2's Tuesday Night Fights. Winning, which
he did with
a split decision, wasn't nearly as important as staying active
and
improving. The move to boxing is not a second career, he said.
"In
boxing you're changing levels and slipping punches, and then
to be able
to come back and fire punches after you make 'em miss,"
he said. "I used to
be so happy that I could slip a punch that I'd never fire afterwards."
You
can bet that Naoya Uematsu wishes Pulver never would've picked
up the
Sweet Science.
There
are nuances, however, that don't necessarily allow for a successful
adaptation of traditional boxing into mixed martial arts. The
stance is
different. The ability to bob and weave your way out of flurries
can be
hazardous. Turning over your punches and extending for full power
can leave
one open to get taken down.
But
Pulver is no rookie, and he's taken those things into account.
"The
cool thing about it is I'm going to change my angles and I'm
going to
get into more of a boxing stance because when they do shoot into
me I'm
going to start wrestling from there," Pulver said. "It's
helped me develop
the idea that I'm not going to worry about the takedown until
they shoot in
on me. Until that, I'm going to keep standing up and move the
way I want to
move boxing-wise and I'll defend. I mean, if it starts getting
too much
I'll switch back. But overall, if they want to take me to the
ground they
got to get me to the ground and then they have to do something
when they
get on the ground. So I'll just switch it up once they get in
on me, then
I'll change up my stance."
MMA
vs Boxing
So, Jens, which sport is tougher -- MMA or boxing?
"MMA,"
he answered emphatically, "there's so much more to worry
about. So
many more weapons are being thrown at you that it's without a
doubt the
tougher sport as far as the elements that can end a fight. Whereas
boxing
it's just hands. If somebody's got better hands maybe they can
get them
through and knock you out. But in MMA, man, I can knock you out
with my
knees; I can knock you out with my kicks, my elbows. I can plum
you up. You
can't just get away with just punching. I can take you down,
submit you. I
can choke you. There's just too many more factors that can end
a fight in
MMA. It's like playing chess with a regular person then playing
chess
against a pro. That's what MMA is. There are so many more elements,
you
know. You have to train for everything and that's what makes
it harder.
"Little
Evil" gets a favorable match-up tonight versus Palling,
a
hard-punching Hawaiian who's enjoyed success against some of
SHOOTO's best
at 143. "I'm going to stand-up," he promised. "I've
been knocked out
before. Like I've said, I've got nothing to lose. The only thing
I can lose
is if I don't excite the fans, and that's what my goal is. ...
If he just
so happens to land the hard shots and the more powerful shots
then it might
be his day."
Taking
on Hawaiian Fighters
Pulver's no stranger to heavy-fisted Hawaiians. In his final
UFC title
defense January 2002, Pulver won a hard-fought decision over
BJ Penn (Photo
Gallery), who two years later would defeat Pulver's teammate,
Matt Hughes,
to earn the UFC welterweight title.
Penn
was the fighter Pulver pointed to when he sat down at the negotiating
table with UFC president Dana White. The Hawaiian, despite never
having
been champion, was fighting under a lucrative contract that paid
him more
than Pulver. A new deal never materialized, so "Little Evil"
left in hopes
of finding financial windfall.
He's
done all right for himself, yet for some reason "Little
Evil" has
failed to earn the level of money that's been offered to Penn,
who recently
left the UFC for a hefty multiple-fight deal with K-1.
"It
used to bother me," Pulver said, "even when I was at
155, you know.
It's just the vendettas of some people and their ability to hold
grudges or
whatever they want to do, and that's what they wanted to do:
keep me out of
the big show. That's fine. You sit there and watch people make
big money in
this game that you don't really think should be making the big
money."
"I
stopped questioning myself," he continued. "I used
to question my work
as far as a fighter when it first started happening. It led down
to my
downfall as far as fighting Ludwig and (Jason) Maxwell and getting
beat. I
just basically was pouting, more or less, wondering why I wasn't
worth the
money. So, again, now I'm doing it because that's who I am, a
fighter.
That's what I love doing is fighting. I have so much fun being
around the
fans and stuff that the money -- I've pretty much bit the bullet
that I'm
never going to get it. I'm never going to have the six-figure
fights. I'm
never going to be a Tito or Chuck or even Matt Hughes, making
that type of
money. Or the heavyweights. And so be it. That's how it is. But
I can still
go out there and be known as one of the best fighters period,
whether or
not they want to pay me.
"I've
pretty much given up on the idea of ever being in the UFC, and
so
that's helped me find myself and it helped me realize why I'm
out here
fighting and what I love doing. It's made my fighting a lot better."
Rematch
with BJ
Penn
There's a good chance that Penn will be in the arena tonight,
watching the
only man to have defeated him, but Pulver holds no grudges against
his
toughest rival.
"BJ's
done a great job," Pulver said. "He beat the right
people. He's an
explosive fighter, an exciting fighter. It bothered me in the
beginning
that the UFC would even try and put a worth on me and pay other
fighters
more money and things of that nature. You know, basically I was
there
little white workhorse -- that's all I was. It sucked to see
BJ was in
there in the K-1 and he can pretty much do what he wants, go
where he
wants. It makes you wonder 'dang, how does this happen?' But,
I stopped
worrying about that a while ago and whatever happens, happens
for me now."
While
Penn has moved to K-1, Japan's most-successful fighting brand,
Pulver
signed a four-fight deal with SHOOTO, which has promoted many
of the
world's best fighters under 170 pounds.
"SHOOTO's
treated me extremely well," he said. "I love fighting
in their
organization. I like fighting in Japan. I used to have a hard
time at the
idea of fighting there, but now I really enjoy it, especially
after that
last SHOOTO show. I think the world of fighting over there. I
love the way
they treat me.
"It's
been really hard not fighting in front of my fans and stuff and
I
can't believe how many people paid attention to my ESPN 2 boxing
debut. It
just let me know that people are really interested in what I'm
doing. So
I'm just going to Japan to represent and I'm having a good time
doing it."
A
Title Shot Against Pequeno
If he beats Palling, a return later this year to Japan could
net him a
contest versus "Pequeno," or a showdown in PRIDE: Bushido
versus Takanori
Gomi. "Pequeno" is the fight that seems more realistic,
and Pulver
understands the historical significance -- should he win.
"No
one's ever had the biggest world title in Japan and the biggest
on in
the United States," Pulver said. "That's what I'm going
to do. Everybody is
trying to set up UFC champs versus Vanderlei or Fedor. They all
want the
titles. Well, at 143 and 155 it's SHOOTO. There is no PRIDE,
and that's
where everyone's at. I want the two biggest titles.
"I'll
fight Nogueira the way I fight everybody else. He's going to
go after
his guillotine and I'm going to go after him with my punches.
And if he can
get the guillotine before I can hurt him well then I'll work
on getting out
of it. But that's the game. That's the goal. That's what I'm
after, that
belt.
"He's
going to lose his belt. I'm coming after it and I'm taking it."
To
do that, things need to fall into place for Pulver. In the past,
they
haven't necessarily done that. So he's tempered expectations,
instead
concentrating on living the best he knows how.
"That's
good enough for me," he said. "I'm living and that's
all you can
hope for. I'm having a good time just trying to be a fighter."
Sore
joints and all.
Source:
Sherdog
|
COFFEE
GUY EXCLUSIVE: SHAMROCK NOT INJURED
By Coffee Guy
Before
reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.
The
following exclusive report was sent to us by our Zuffa informant
called 'Coffee Guy':
The
whole Ken Shamrock injury is a front by Zuffa and UFC president
Dana White.
The
reason for this is because Dana couldn't sign the Ken Shamrock
vs. Tito Ortiz fight for UFC 50. Apparently Tito won't sign to
do the fight unless it's at light heavyweight. I'm not sure what
other demands Tito may or may not have.
Dana
doesn't want Tito and his management to have any advantages in
negotiations this time, and desperately doesn't want it to seem
to the fans that he dropped the ball on getting the Shamrock/Tito
rematch signed.
Source: Fight Sport |
Update
& Clarification on Ken's Rotator Cuff Injury, Before Kimo
Fight
By: Ken Shamrock.com
We wanted to update the Ken Shamrock's rotator cuff injury story
from a few
days ago. We reached Ken Shamrock tonight as he was arriving
at the "TNA
Asylum" prior to his Aug 7 Pay Per View Wrestling return.
KenShamrock.com
asked him about his rotator cuff injury, and about the possibility
of
getting injured more while working pro wrestling matches.
Ken
Shamrock: I wanted the fans to know the whole story - I injured
my arm
training few years ago for one of my fights - and I have been
nursing it
for few years. While training for the Kimo fight, my shoulder
continued to
bother me. So following my fight with Kimo I decided to go in
and have an
MRI done to find out what the issues were with my shoulder. I
found out
that I had a small tear in my labrum and I needed surgery.
On
the Rotator Cuff surgery:
Ken
Shamrock: They are thinking it will be orthoscopic surgery which
will
put me down for 1 -2 months of physical therapy. During the procession
of
my therapy I am going to continue to work my ACL and legs so
they are back
to 110% - I will immediately start an aggressive therapy program
and my
doctors anticipate a quick recovery for me.
I
also want to add that while I was seeing was the doctor in Reno
- he told
me that my knee was in great shape following the Kimo fight -
with no
problems or anything.
Funny
story - The doctor walks into the room and asks, 'What knee did
you
knock Kimo out with? He goes - Was it was good knee or your bad
knee?
Because if it was your bad knee - I'm afraid I might be liable'.
(laughs)
Question:
Ken, many UFC fans are a bit nervous about your return to pro
wrestling, they feel you could injure your rotator cuff more
or suffer
another career ending injury - that would hinder your return
to UFC?
Ken
Shamrock: Pro wrestling is something where you can always work
around
particular injuries. So with that - I am not worried. NWA: TNA
is very
accommodating - all the guys in the locker room are very respectful
and
willing to work around my injuries . - I love what I do in UFC.
I am
planning on wrestling for NWA:TNA on their Wednesday night PPVs
until my
rotator cuff surgery which will be on August 11 in Reno, Nevada.
Working
in TNA - is a lot of fun - It is entertainment - it is just great
group of guys and a great product people should check out. I
got to bring
my 4 boys to the show tonight - it was just a great experience,
Jeff
Jarrett, Dusty Rhodes, Road Dogg all of them - it's great man-
my boys love
it!
But
this doesn't have anything do with my PASSION - which is my return
to
the UFC - REAL FIGHTING - when I fight Tito Ortiz - or who ever
else UFC
wants me to fight - I am going to bring it to another level.
I
WILL be at UFC 49: Unfinished Business! I am scheduled to make
numerous
media appearances for them all over the country to help promote
this HUGE
Pay Per View event on August 21 when Randy Couture and Vitor
Belfort fight
in one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history for the
light
heavyweight title.
I
am also really excited as the Lions Den's own Vernon White will
surprise
a lot of people when he faces "The Iceman" Chuck Liddell.
MGM Grand - UFC
49: Unfinished Business - Don't miss it!
Source:
MMA Weekly |
LEBEN
TO FIGHT SAKURAI AT BUSHIDO 4
By Ken Pishna
We
knew that Pride had listed Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and
an opponent to be
announced for Bushido 4, but now we know who that opponent is.
Team Quest
fighter Chris Leben has been slotted to face Sakurai on the July
17th
Bushido show.
A
fighting legend in Japan, Sakurai went undefeated over the first
five
years of his career, earning a record of 15-0-2. That record
includes wins
over Caol Uno, Frank Trigg, Jutaro Nakao, and many, many more
great
fighters. In short, Sakurai is no slouch.
Over
the past 3 years though, Sakurai has been on a bit of a slide.
Starting with a loss to Anderson Silva and his UFC debut to Matt
Hughes, he
has just four wins to five losses, most recently losing to Rodrigo
Gracie.
Pride
may be looking for an easy fight to get Sakurai back on track,
but if
that is the case, they are sorely mistaken. Chris Leben is not
a tomato can
that will come in and fix the ills that have beset a faltering
legend. On
the contrary, Leben is a rising young star that is looking to
finally break
into the big time. And in his last fight, he broke UFC veteran
Benji
Radach's jaw.
Leben
doesn't have near the experience that Sakurai does - his professional
record is just 5-1 - but he does have the hunger that comes from
being a
young fighter trying to fight his way to the top.
"I
feel like I'm starting to get some recognition, but this is Bushido,
this is awesome!" said Leben. That may make him sound a
little star struck,
but he's not, "I finally get to go to Japan, but I'm going
to handle
business. I'm going to punch him in the face."
That
may sound like big words when facing off with a proven veteran
like
Sakurai, but Leben is no slouch either. His 5-1 record includes
wins over
the aforementioned Benji Radach and AKA's Mike Swick, his only
loss is to
another rising star in Canadian Joe Doerksen.
Is
Leben worried about the reception he'll receive in Japan having
to face
one of their Legends? Of course not. "They're going to love
my style. I'm
not going to roll around with him, I'm going to knock him out.
I'm going to
take his head off," remarked the brash young fighter.
Though
Leben is classified as a rising star right now, he will have
risen
if he defeats Sakurai.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
FERTITTA
EXECUTIVE SUSPICIOUSLY FOUND DEAD
Station Casinos is run by the Fertittas:
Lorenzo and Frank III.
The
following article appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal (article
by Chris Jones):
Michael
Tata, a Station Casinos executive featured prominently in The
Discovery Channel's new 'American Casino' television series,
was found dead early Tuesday inside his Henderson home. He was
33.
A
1996 graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Tata began
working at Henderson's Green Valley Ranch in June 2001. After
a 2 1/2-year tenure as director of hotel operations, Tata was
promoted to Green Valley Ranch's vice president of hotel operations
in January 2004.
A
Henderson Police Department spokesman said officers responded
to a call shortly after 9:30 Tuesday morning and found a dead
adult male upon entering a Seven Hills area home. The address
matched that of a residence county property records show is owned
by Michael Tata.
The
Clark County coroner's office later confirmed Tata's death was
recorded late Tuesday morning. Henderson police spokesman Keith
Paul said the death is under investigation, but officers found
no initial signs of foul play.
Tata's
death shocked his friends and colleagues at Green Valley Ranch,
where he had worked since June 2001.
"Michael
was the heart and soul of Green Valley Ranch's hotel operations,"
Vice President and General Manager Joe Hasson said in a statement.
"The hotel's outstanding performance over the last three
years is a direct reflection of Michael's skills and commitment
... and today we all feel like we have lost a member of our family."
Station
Casinos released a statement that called Tata "a valued
team member" who will be missed by others at the Las Vegas-based
gaming company.
Efforts
to reach Tata's family were unsuccessful Tuesday.
A
native of Buffalo, N.Y., Tata moved to Las Vegas in 1993. In
addition to Station Casinos, he worked at Las Vegas' MGM Grand
and Four Seasons hotels and spent three years in management roles
at the Four Seasons resort in Maui, Hawaii.
In
an online biography associated with 'American Casino', Tata said
he enjoyed the ambiance of working in a resort environment but
did not enjoy "busting people's chops all day, especially
people who cannot handle constructive criticism." If he
could have held any other job at Green Valley Ranch, Tata joked,
he would have become a doorman or pool attendant "to reap
the obvious benefits of either position."
Source: Fight Sport |
Ken
Shamrock - The Last Samurai
By Thomas Gerbasi
It's the curse of being 40-years-old and in the fight game. One
thing gets working, and then another breaks down. For Ken Shamrock,
a surgically repaired knee was obviously in good working order
on June 19 as he dismantled Kimo in 88 seconds at UFC 48, but
now reports have been confirmed that Shamrock suffered a torn
rotator cuff during the match, and will now undergo surgery that
will keep him out four to six months.
Yet
it's never been about the end result with Shamrock, one of the
few fighters in mixed martial arts who can still invoke a sense
of awe, not only among the fans, but also the media. It's about
the journey, about what it's taken to get to this point - the
ups the downs, the stunning victories, the devastating losses,
and all the bumps and bruises along the way.
"I
always dreamed of being 'The Guy' - the one making the last touchdown
with one second left in the game, or hitting the homerun or the
last shot," said Shamrock, a UFC Hall of Famer. "I
always wanted to be the one everybody talked about, the one everybody
said, 'he's the greatest,' or 'he's the one' about. That was
my motivation. I came from nothing - from group homes and juvenile
hall to actually getting into something where I could be successful.
That was my drive and motivation. It was like now I mean something
in life and I don't have to get in trouble and get the recognition
in bad ways. People could call me the champ or the greatest champ
ever. I know that's not true now, I don't know how people look
at me, but when you're young, that's what you want. That's what
my drive was."
That
drive took him from nothing to the pinnacle of a budding sport.
And even though Shamrock had made his bones in Japan as a member
of the Pancrase organization, when he made his UFC debut during
the UFC's debut in 1993, he and Royce Gracie (the man he lost
to in his second bout that night) became overnight sensations.
Gracie
was the mystery man, using techniques rarely seen on a national
stage and amazingly forcing huge men to quit. But Shamrock was
the guy most people in the States could relate to, the guy who
mixed his martial arts with some good ol' fashioned elbow grease
and who had an intensity in the Octagon that could be scary at
times. Yet once the fight was over, Shamrock was articulate and
analytical, a family man who gave and demanded intense loyalty
from those around him.
To
this day, Shamrock's appeal to the fans is unquestionable, a
remarkable fact considering that he his UFC debut was 11 years
ago.
"It's
hard to explain," admits Shamrock. "Some people just
buy into who the other person is, and I think with my personality
and the way I fight, people can respond to it. I've gone through
some ups and downs, but each time I stepped into the Octagon,
I always gave my best and I've always shown the fans appreciation.
They're the reason why the UFC is still around. I've always made
that real clear that without the die-hard fans that kept this
thing around the UFC wouldn't be here."
When
there were lean times for the sport in the States, Shamrock adjusted,
fighting in Japan, and even going through a successful stint
in pro wrestling as part of the WWF. But when he came back, to
fight Tito Ortiz in November of 2002, the sport exploded, with
an arena packed, mainstream media coverage, and the best pay-per-view
buy rates the sport had seen since its return to cable. And when
one Zuffa rep told this reporter that media requests were coming
in for Shamrock at a 5 to 1 clip over those for Ortiz, that was
far from surprising.
"I
always made myself accessible to the press and to the fans,"
said Shamrock, one of the game's good guys. "I think that
comes from my background and my upbringing, which taught me that
you meet the same people on the way up as you do on the way down
- that includes the fans and the business people you meet along
the way. You try to not make any enemies along the way - although
there are some you can't help, it just happens. But you try and
build as many bridges as you can on the way up, so you can cross
those same bridges on the way down without having any problems.
I live my life like that and I always try to make sure I respect
my fans, respect people I do business with, and respect my opponents."
That's
a lesson lost on many younger athletes, and while Shamrock is
not one to preach, he does see the issue at hand, and believes
that living life and conducting business by a couple of simple
rules can allow some of today's athletes to not just be recognized
by a niche audience, but to become legitimate stars.
"Chuck
(Liddell) is very good about doing it, and I think he just needs
more time in there to keep doing the things that he's doing,"
said Shamrock. "Tito Ortiz had an opportunity after he fought
me to really put himself in my position, and he screwed up by
wanting the world. And he screwed himself on being the next big
thing, and the fans turned on him. He got there because the fans
appreciated him and the fans liked what he did. And then he turned
around and stepped on it and disrespected it by wanting the world
and thinking that everybody owed him. I think that's what happens
to a lot of these fighters. To get an opportunity, they're fighting
so hard to get there, and they're so polite and so nice, and
once they get there, all of a sudden they change, like everybody
owes them. It's actually the opposite. You owe whoever got you
there. You don't want to be walked on, you don't want to be taken
advantage of, but the reality is you can't expect the world to
bow down to you. You have to do the opposite and appreciate being
there. If I was going to give advice to some of the up and coming
fighters, it would be to always remember where they came from.
You can take that with a grain of salt, but it's so true. Appreciate
how you got there and the people who got you there."
But
jumping back to November 22 - once the bell rang against Ortiz,
Shamrock was in for a long night. And with the exception of a
wicked shot to the head that briefly stunned Ortiz, Shamrock
took a pounding, with his corner eventually forced to call a
halt to the fight. Yet despite the defeat, when asked what one
fight he would put in a time capsule to represent what he was
about, Shamrock had an interesting response.
"I
could not do one fight," he said. "There are so many
fights that I could take and say, 'that's what Ken Shamrock was
about.' Tito Ortiz, even though I lost, was one fight where I
could actually show people that I was in a bad situation and
I didn't quit. I got hit a bunch of times, but I was not going
anywhere. Everybody realized how tough I was in that one fight.
I was always winning; I was always beating people. It was the
first time I had ever been tested, where people found out whether
I had the heart or whether I was a 'tough guy' that could take
a punch."
Despite
the one-sided nature of their bout, one assumes this feud hasn't
run its course yet, as Ortiz was quick to jump into the spotlight
at UFC 48's post-fight press conference, leaving Shamrock with
a bad taste in his mouth. Couple that with the result of the
first fight, and the San Diego resident is looking for a little
payback of his own.
"I
think it's the fact that one, I lost to him," said Shamrock,
when asked what is it about Ortiz that gets under his skin. "I
hate to lose and I know I could have done better, so I'm just
dying to get another chance at it. Then I go in there and I fight,
I come back off knee surgery and have a very good fight, and
he has to jump in the middle of it and try and overshadow that.
I'm just tired of hearing him talk."
"I'm
hoping that fight (with Ortiz) will come off soon," Shamrock
continues. "That's the fight I want. Kimo was just a stepping-stone
to get to a fight that I want. And that's the one I want."
You
are 40 though, Ken, and this ain't golf. What keeps 'The World's
Most Dangerous Man' going?
"The
love," he said. "I enjoy it and I'm still able to compete.
I go in the gym and I train, I've got young guys that I work
with, and I'm still training hard. As long as I'm able to do
that then I'll continue to fight. People say, 'Well, you're 40
years old, how long do you want to do it for?' I don't put a
time limit on it because I'm 40. I put a time limit on when my
mind and body says I'm done. That's when I'm done."
It's
all gravy from here on out, as Shamrock's credibility and status
in the game are already etched in stone, a fact made clear when
he was inducted with Gracie into the UFC Hall of Fame last November.
"That
basically put a period at the end of the sentence," said
Shamrock. "That's what gave me my life and that's what gave
me the position I'm in, to be able to raise my family in a very,
very good environment. It's because of mixed martial arts. It's
very important to me that when I step out and I'm gone that not
only will I be remembered by my fans and the people that I worked
with, but also that my kids can look back and say, 'hey, my dad
did that,' and when they do say something like that, it's in
the highest regard and the highest respect."
A
Hall of Fame induction is also something Shamrock never would
have imagined back in '93.
"When
you're doing it and things move along so fast, you don't get
a chance to think about the next thing," he said. "You're
always thinking about the next fight. I never really got a chance
to do that before the last few years."
In
these last few years, Shamrock has been able to reflect on where
he's been. It's a journey that could fill a book or two. And
he wouldn't trade any of his experiences in, even the bad ones.
"To
take anything back in life is to change the pattern of life,"
said Shamrock. "Where I'm at right now is probably the most
awesome place anybody could ever get in. I've got a great family,
my life is in the right direction, I'm training the way I need
to be training, and everything's perfect. Of course you have
bumps in the road that come along the way, but with good family
support around you, you can overcome any obstacles. As far as
wanting to take back the things that I'm not proud of or that
I'm not happy of, if I had the chance to take those back, would
I be where I'm at now?"
Probably
not. And that's what makes Ken Shamrock what he is today - a
legitimate legend in the sport of mixed martial arts, and 20,
30 years from now, when some kid checks out the UFC Hall of Fame,
they'll see his name.
"I'm
still going and I'm still gonna keep going, but no matter what
happens after that, I'm in," said Shamrock. "I'll always
be there and I'll always be respected."
For
more information on Ken Shamrock, visit his website at www.kenshamrock.com
Source: Maxfighting |
Quote
of the Day
"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never
go any higher than you think."
Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881, British Statesman, Prime Minister
|
Soljah
Fight Night Tonight!
Fights start at 6:00PM
Soljah
Fight Night
"Hawaii & Japan vs the World!"
Neal Blaisdell Arena
Friday, July 9th, 2004
Fights start at 6:00 PM so get there early
Promoted by Sustain and sanctioned by the International Shooto
Commission.
Tickets
are on sale NOW and are starting at $20. There is no reason to
miss this show!
|
Andre
Pederneiras Seminar at HMC on Saturday
Andre is the founder and head instructor of Nova Uniao, now you
get a chance to learn from the master who has created world champions
in BJJ and MMA!
Saturday, July 10, 2003
12:00-3:00PM
$50.00
HMC
King's Gate Plaza
555 N. King Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 841-5144
BJ Penn, Charuto Verissimo and Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
will be in attendence.
|
A.
Pequeno out of Shooto Hawaii
The Shooto kingpin Alexandre Pequeno will be no longer fighting
at the next Friday's Shooto Hawaii edition. In the last minute,
the tournament organization warned him they were not able to
find out an opponent to Pequeno. "I've been training for
this bout a two months and they just let me know now," lamented
the Brazilian, who waits for another invitation to fight. According
to Pequeno, the fighters from Hawaii needed more time to get
ready. Because Pequeno's absence, the only Brazilian so far at
the tournament is Welterweight Shooto champion, Vitor Shaolin,
who will take on Mitsuhiro Ishida.
Source:
Tatame |
UFC
48 Gate Figures from TOUCH of EVIL!
by: Touch of Evil
The following information comes from the Touch of Evil Newsletter.
Subscription information can be attained at www.touchofevil.us.
UFC
48 showed very disappointing live numbers, as the event only
drew 6,528 fans paying $981,655. The amount of comp tickets was
a whopping 3,357, for a total attendance of 9,885.
This
is the second time in the history of the promotion and the first
in their succession of recent events at Mandalay Bay that they
have drawn less than seven figures at the venue. UFC has had
a tremendous amount of success live in the city of Las Vegas,
and although $981,655 is an excellent figure, it falls short
of the much higher gates attained by the UFC the last few times
out. In the July 5th issue of Touch of Evil Newsletter, we revealed
that Zuffa was pleased with the preliminary pay per view buyrate
that came in just days after UFC 48, which is an interesting
contrast to the show's somewhat lack of success at the live gate.
UFC 47 at Mandalay Bay in January drew $1,444,020, and UFC 46
at the same venue drew $1,377,620. UFC 44 at Mandalay Bay from
late last year also drew in excess of seven figures at $1,127,985.
UFC 40 remains Zuffa's best drawing event with a gate of $1,540,940.
The all-time record for pay per view buys for Zuffa is 150,000
for UFC 40. The all-time record for pay per views for UFC including
the SEG events is in excess of 260,000 buys for UFCs 5 and 6.
An educated guess could put the pay per view buyrate for UFC
48 at around 80,000 buys (that figure is by no means official),
which is what quality UFC events (such as UFC 44) have drawn
in the past.
Whether
this lower than normal figure is because of Ken Shamrock being
past his prime as a draw (remember, Shamrock is the biggest pay
per view draw in UFC history), or because Kimo was not the right
opponent for him to draw at a higher level, or because Zuffa
has burnt out Las Vegas on their product by running too many
shows there is yet to be seen.
The
amount of comp tickets represents 33.96% of the attendance for
the show. Of all the recent Las Vegas shows put on by Zuffa,
the only event with a higher percentage of free tickets was UFC
43 at 41.7%. UFC 44 is in third in this list behind UFC 48 at
25.1%, 8.86% lower than UFC 48. In the all-time list of total
attendance for UFC (Zuffa and SEG combined), UFC 48 would rank
near the bottom of the top ten.
Source:
ADCC |
|
UFC
47 LIVE GATE NUMBERS & UFC 48 EARLY PROJECTIONS
There
seems to be a couple different variations of what the actual
numbers were at UFC 48. UFC President Dana White at the UFC 48
post fight conference said that the live gate at Mandalay Bay
was just over 10,000 people and a live gate of 1.6 million. (You
can watch the actual post fight conference right now on MMAWeekly
TV)
However
the numbers are much different from the editor of the Touch of
Evil Newsletter, Jeremy Wall. Wall had the following numbers
from the last show, crediting the Nevada State Athletic Commission
in the report.
"UFC
48 showed very disappointing live numbers, as the event only
drew 6,528 fans paying $981,655. The amount of comp tickets was
a whopping 3,357, for a total attendance of 9,885.
This
is the second time in the history of the promotion and the first
in their succession of recent events at Mandalay Bay that they
have drawn less than seven figures at the venue. UFC has had
a tremendous amount of success live in the city of Las Vegas,
and although $981,655 is an excellent figure, it falls short
of the much higher gates attained by the UFC the last few times
out. In the July 5th issue of Touch of Evil Newsletter, we revealed
that Zuffa was pleased with the preliminary pay per view buyrate
that came in just days after UFC 48, which is an interesting
contrast to the show's somewhat lack of success at the live gate.
UFC 47 at Mandalay Bay in January drew $1,444,020, and UFC 46
at the same venue drew $1,377,620. UFC 44 at Mandalay Bay from
late last year also drew in excess of seven figures at $1,127,985.
UFC 40 remains Zuffa's best drawing event with a gate of $1,540,940.
The all-time record for pay per view buys for Zuffa is 150,000
for UFC 40. The all-time record for pay per views for UFC including
the SEG events is in excess of 260,000 buys for UFCs 5 and 6.
An educated guess could put the pay per view buyrate for UFC
48 at around 80,000 buys (that figure is by no means official),
which is what quality UFC events (such as UFC 44) have drawn
in the past.
Wall
will be on MMAWeekly Radio today to talk about the numbers. In
either case, UFC 49 will not have any "paper" problems
according to early ticket sales. MMAWeekly contacted the UFC
and the numbers are very encouraging.
UFC
49 sold about 2,000 tickets in the first four days after UFC
48. Those statistics would put UFC 49 on pace for numbers of
UFC 47 between Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. The UFC would anticipate
a sellout with those early projections.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Catching
Up With RICH CLEMENTI
by: Keith Mills
Talking to Rich Clementi usually takes two paths; that of his
own fight career and that of his promoting shows. As a fighter
he is a member of Monte Cox’s Team Extreme with almost thirty
fights to his name. He is a vet of UFC, the ZST Lightweight tournament,
MFC, and many more. Fans may have seen his UFC debut against
Yves Edwards in February of 2003 but may not have seen his nine
fights in the past sixteen months from which he emerged 6-2-1.
Now fans have another chance to see him fight live on July 17th.
Rich
also runs Reality Combat Fighting. One fun angle about that show
to anybody who has seen the movie Fight Club is the amount of
fighters that help put that show on, from his website designer
to graphic designer to of course referees. This time around the
special guest referee is Jeremy Horn. Horn also holds a seminar
the next day for which more information is available on Reality
Combat Fighting’s website. The show takes place at Imperial
Palace Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.
KM:
Since last time we heard from you after the MFC show you picked
up a win against Eddie
Yagin.
I saw it listed as 3rd round TKO but didn’t see a time.
When did that end? RC: In between rounds. I cut him up pretty
good. I think he had two or three cuts and I think some dislocated
cartilage too, so he was pretty beat up.
KM:
Your next fight on the 17th is against Tom Kirk. What do you
think of Kirk? RC: He’s a pretty scrappy guy from what I
hear. He went the distance with Phil Johns so that is saying
something in itself. I expect a really scrappy type fight from
Tom Kirk. This is my show I’m fighting on and being a local
show for the fans I wanted it to be a fight for the fans that
would be tough and challenging. He’s a tough guy and I expect
him coming pretty hard. That is why he was chosen as an opponent,
I think the fans will like that fight.
KM:
What is it like putting on a show and fighting on it…doing
all the work and risking yourself? RC: This will be my first
one I’m actually doing that on. Reason being is it’s
our first casino show Reality Combat it doing and it’s really
important for me to pack out the house and have a good show.
I’m a pretty big draw down here so that is why that decision
was made. Luckily I have a lot of support. A lot of my own personal
guys aren’t fighting on this card for the simple reason
to help me out and stuff like that, compensate for the areas
I usually take care of.
KM:
You are still doing the amateur night? RC: Whoop Ass Wednesday,
correct.
KM:
How distracting is that? How much time does it take from training
to run both shows? RC: Whoop Ass Wednesdays runs all this summer.
Sometimes I’ll switch locations and stuff like that. I’m
back at the club I originally started it at. Whoop Ass Wednesdays
is an all-day affair actually but it’s gotten to the point
where it runs very smoothly. One of my fighters is the ref and
a beginning level pro, another is the matchmaker. Last time all
my guys stayed after and it took fifteen minutes to take the
ring down. Stuff like that is what makes a difference with me
being able to do stuff without it being overtaxing.
KM:
What I’m getting at is has your training changed at all
since becoming so busy. RC: No, not really. I don’t miss
any days, my regular training days are still the same. There
might be a little change as far as personal spunk. Like a lot
of things it really is because of the guys I’m able to do
a lot of things. We got a great group of guys down there.
KM:
Tell me about the show on the 17th. RC: Locally there is a pretty
tough guy Nathan Sanchez, he holds the Reality Combat Heavyweight
title right now. John Dixon is a seasoned guy who has never fought
local here in his back yard. Locally people know Nathan is really
tough and John is a seasoned guy with a lot of experience. I’m
still trying to get that grass-roots feel but I had to build
it a little slower. A lot of promoters, the first chance they
get to put on a decent-size show they say ‘forget all the
local guys’ and just try to bring in guys and some of the
(local) fighters are left behind. That is what I’m still
trying to do. I have a guy Calvin Doss who is fighting Harry
Moscowitz who benches 245 forty-seven times. The guy is just
ridiculous as far as strength factor goes. I’m looking to
do something with him later down the road. We have a local guy
Ricky Folse that is a local draw. People think this guy is Matt
Hughes or something. The guy draws more people than I do. The
undercard is a lot of good scrappy close fights. Oscar Jackson
is Jeremy Jackson’s brother. He fought for me before last
year in a tournament. Tough as hell but lacks on the ground.
A lot of good little scrappy fights.
KM:
I heard you were already scheduled to fight in the next MFC in
October. Are you going to be taking any fights between your fight
on the 17th and October? RC: You never know. I was tentatively
scheduled for another Guam fight, I don’t know where that
evolved or whatever. If not that is actually fine with me because
I do have two other shows I’m (putting on) this summer.
I just want to train hard for (MFC first round opponent) Alberto
Crane. That will be a great fight for me.
KM:
It’s a little early to really work on that show but what
are your quick initial thoughts? RC: I was really excited when
Monte told me that is who my opponent was. It will really put
me back up there because I’m kind of I’d say a fringe
contender, a gatekeeper type guy. Right now I’d like to
move up a little bit and I think he’s a great opportunity
to do that.
KM:
You train in Louisiana right around sea level and New Jersey
is pretty much sea level. Alberto and some other fighters have
talked about elevation training and the advantages they have
in a fight due to that but what does that mean to you? RC: I
laugh at some of my buddies like George Gurgel and Rich Franklin.
They are great fighters and good friends of mine and there are
a lot of other guys that train up there with them. They pick
apart the science of it to every minute detail that can possibly
be done and that’s great, maybe that is what separates the
number one guy in the world from the number two guy but to be
honest to do all these things they both lost. That comes with
the territory and nobody remains undefeated in this sport but
they will train as hard as they can possibly train and then shit
happens, they get beat in 0:10, so how much difference does that
stuff really make sometimes. I look at it I do my own thing,
I come in mentally prepared, and there are so many variables
I try not to think about that stuff.
KM:
Any sponsors to thank? RC: Sprawl is a company that just came
out for Reality Combat, so we’d like to thank them.
The
card for Reality Combat Fighting is currently:
Main
Event
250+ Nathan Sanchez LA vs. John Dixon MS
Super
Fight
165lb Rich Clementi LA vs. Tom Kirk IN
200lb Ricky Folse LA vs. Drew Anderson MS
250lb Calvin Doss LA vs. Harry Moscowitz MS
Under
Card
165lb Jacob Quick LA vs. Fred Grishwald MS
250+ Emile Gaudet LA vs. Ray Groceman MS
200lb Mark Heidenthal LA vs. Sean Milstead MS
250+ Mike Breazeale LA vs. John Brown MS
165lb Gus Becnel LA vs. Roy Johnson MS
165lb Sonny Gooding LA vs. Oscar Jackson LA
For
more information including tickets to this show check out http://www.realitycombat.tv.
The other dates for Reality Comabt Fighting are August 28th and
an outdoor show in October.
For
a gallery of shots from Rich’s MFC fight against Goliaev
check out http://malarky.udel.edu/~keith/2004/M1/mfc031304/clementi.htm.
Source:
ADCC |
What
does Pride think about K-1 Romanex?
by: R. Nogueira
A quick Interview with Yukino Kanda, Executive Vice President
for International Enterprises Dream Stage Entertainment, Inc,
the company that produces Pride.
What
has changed in the world of MMA after K-1 Romanex' big event?
I think nothing has changed AFTER K-1 Romanex. However, BEFORE
K-1Romanex, fighters and existing promoters got very confused
about the event and it was totally disaster for all of us. They
stole fighters from PRIDE and UFC. We spent so much money, time
and effort to make a fighter into star and some fighters do not
have a sense of loyalty to fans or promoters. Those fighters
think they got to where they are now by themselves. We believe
a fighter cannot be a star by himself. A fighter needs a place
where he can show his best
performances and a fighter needs opportunity to be recognized
among the public. Strong promotion cannot be ignored. A star
is produced by many people including
fans, press, promoter, trainer, manager, and the fighter himself.
All of us must work together Unfortunately some fighters do not
agree.
Is
Pride still the biggest organization of MMA in the world?
Yes. We believe drawing power to the event, PPV buy rate, merchandising
sales, and name recognition that we are the number one in the
world by far.
Is
there any rivalry between Pride and K-1? K-1 Romanex could have
a rival, but I guess that group is not anymore.
The
competition between K-1 and Pride can upgrade the value of the
fighters? Not value of the fighters. The price of some fighters
has gone up, for those fighters who are only concerned about
how much they can put in their pocket in the short term. Most
of our PRIDE fighters are smart enough to know which promotion
is the best for them in the long run.
Source:
ADCC |
TATAME
is in Bahia for the World Cup
Team TATAME is already in Bahia to the 3rd BJJ World Cup, which
happens today July 8 to 11, in Salvador. Stay tuned to know everything
about this event. According to the Brazilian Confederation of
Olympic Jiu-Jitsu, Luis Hermínio, around 2.000 athletes
subscribed and there are around 30 buses to drive the fighters
to the gymnasium.
Check
out some of the athletes confirmed to rule the black belt division:
Rooster-
Kiki (Arlisson Melo) and Marcelo Pereira
Super featherweight- Ricardinho Vieira, Pitel, Armando Guedes
and Róbson Moura
Featherweight - Mário Reis, Frédson Alves, Reinaldo
Ribeiro and Rany Yahira
Lightweight- Leo Santos, Rodrigo Damm, Feijão, André
Bastos and Bruno de Paula
Middleweight- Fernando Tererê and Ricardo Bastos
Middle heavyweight- Délson Pé-de-Chumbo, Ronaldo
Jacaré and Thalles Leites
Heavyweight - Fernando Paradeda, Eduardo Telles, Fernando Margarida
and Saulo Ribeiro
Super-heavyweight - Xande Ribeiro, Erick Wanderlei and Pedro
Galizza
Supersuper-heavyweight - Márcio Corleta, Otávio
Duarte and Fabrício Werdum
Open Class- All fighters above said they would fight the open
class
Source:
Tatame |
Bang
Ludwig & Kid Norifumi win at K-1 World MAX
Fighter from Thailand Buakaw Por. Puramuk was the great champion
of K-1 World MAX GP 2004, held last Wednesday, in Japan. At the
final, Buakaw defeated the last year's champion Masato by unanimous
decision. During the first fight, Buakaw defeated Australian
John Wayne Parr, also by referee's decision. Then he KO'd Takyuki
Kohiruimaki at :42 of round 2. Over the super fight, under special
rules, Norifumi Kid Yamamoto submitted Kazuya Yasuhiro at 2:40
of round 2, with a arm-lock. For the first time Japanese organization
featured a mixed rule fight: MMA and K-1.
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
-
Takashi Ohno defeated Vincent Swaans by TKO at 2:56 in R1;
- Duane Ludwig defeated Serkan Yilmaz by decision;
- Norifumi Kid Yamamoto submitted Kazuya Yasuhiro via key-lock
at 2:40 in R2;
K-1
World MAX GP 2004
-
Takayuki Kohiruimaki defeated Mike Zambidis by referee's decision;
- Buakaw Por.Puramuk defeated John Wayne Parr by referee's decision;
- Masato defeated Jadamba Narantungalag by referee's decision;
- Albert Kraus defeated Shamil Gaidarbekov by referee's decision;
- Buakaw Por.Puramuk defeated Takayuki Kohiruimaki by Ko at :42
in R2;
- Masato defeated Albert Kraus by referee's decision;
- Buakaw Por.Puramuk defeated Masato by referee's decision.
Source: Tatame |
F.
Margarida is back to the mats!
We did found out Fernando Margarida training at Brazilian Top
Team's headquarter, in Rio de Janeiro. Away from the gi competitions
since last 2002, due to a bike accident and a knee surgery, the
athlete says he is not retired. "Those comments don't deserve
answer. I can tell you I am recovered and I have been training
hard at BTT," guarantees Margarida, who does mystery about
the BJJ World Cup.
Rumors
says that Margarida would do a surprise next Saturday (9), when
the black belts will be warming up at the 3rd BJJ World Cup.
However Margarida hides information, BTT leader Murilo Bustamante
says at all. "He has been training and probably will fight
at BJJ World Cup. He might feel the absence a little and we gonna
decide if he will apply the weight category and the open class,"
reveals Murilo. The BJJ World Cup promises a great Gi time in
Bahia starting next July 8th.
Source: Tatame |
IFC
TO PARTNER WITH WWE
By Ken Pishna, MMAWeekly.com
Most of the hype directed the IFC's way as of late has been for
their August 14th show at Sturgis, and rightly so. The Sturgis
card is set to feature a 4-man heavyweight tournament, a heavyweight
superfight between MMA legend Dan Severn and monstrous Brazilian
Jiu-jitsu world champion Pe de Pano, a women's title fight between
current IFC Middleweight Champion Jennifer Howe and IFC Light
Heavyweight Champion Jaqueline Andrade, and an IFC Middleweight
Title Fight between Jeremy Horn and Nathan Marquardt.
While
the Sturgis show has been grabbing headlines, the IFC has quietly
slipped another show in under the radar for Monterey, Mexico
on July 31st.
The
Monterey show is also set to feature some of the bigger names
in the business, including top light heavyweight Rich Franklin,
top five welterweight Sean Sherk, and longtime veterans Paul
Buentello, Antonio McKee and Amir Rahnavardi. Also slated for
Monterey are some of the
hottest rising stars in MMA: Spencer Fisher, John Fitch, Carlos
Condit, Eric Escobedo and more.
Possibly
more intriguing though is the start of the IFC's partnership
with World Wrestling Entertainment. Both promotions will be running
a series of shows in Monterey, each about a month apart from
the other, and have agreed to do some cross-promotion on each
other's shows.
According
to IFC Commissioner Paul Smith, "They [the WWE] will have
some of their wrestlers come over to our show to promote their
upcoming shows and we would have some of our fighters go to their
shows and promote our upcoming shows." Could you just imagine
Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Rock at the IFC?
This
is not really a new concept for the IFC. They are heavily involved
with the World Extreme Cagefighting shows in California and did
a similar promotion last year. When Frank Shamrock made his return
to MMA at WEC 6 in March of 2003, they brought popular professional
wrestler Bill Goldberg into the cage with then feuding Tito Ortiz
and Chuck Liddell.
What's
the payoff you ask? Well, both promotions are banking on increasing
their ticket sales by tapping into an audience that might not
otherwise pay attention to their product. WWE wants to tap into
some of the MMA fans and the IFC wants to draw some of the wrestling
fans.
This
is not something new for professional wrestling either. In fact,
they are masters of cross promotion. Back when the WWE was the
WWF, they brought in stars from all walks of life: professional
athletes, movie stars, musicians; they even brought in Mike Tyson
for a guest spot as a referee for one of their WrestleMania extravaganzas.
There
is sure to be a backlash from a portion of the MMA population
though. There are a certain number of MMA fans that are opposed
to any sort of association whatsoever with professional wrestling.
Usually because of the fear that MMA will gain the stigma of
appearing to be scripted like professional wrestling is.
MMA
is still in its infancy as a sport though and promoters are searching
for various ways to gain an advantage and grow their audience
wherever possible. We will have to wait and see how the association
pans out, but the IFC is looking to the largest professional
wrestling organization in the United States, so the potential
for some growth is certainly there.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
RAMPAGE
WONDERING IF SLAM WILL BE OUTLAWED
It was one of the more impressive slams you will ever see in
a MMA match. Quinton Jackson picked up Ricardo Arona and almost
powerbombed him through the mat. The force of the slam was amazing
and Arona was knocked out from the slam.
Quinton
"Rampage" Jackson made an impromptu appearance on MMAWeekly
SoundOff Radio Thursday and said he has heard rumors that somebody
is trying to get slams outlawed in Pride.
MMAWeekly
contacted DSE yesterday, but Pride was not able to return the
call. As far as the fight went, Quinton briefly spoke about his
fight with Arona. Jackson said, "I was getting my ass kicked."
He denied that he was knocked out from Arona's heel strikes from
the guard but said he was "hurt pretty bad." Quinton
said his jaw was "messed up" and he couldn't eat right
for several days. The fight as mentioned above would end with
a vicious power slam that knocked Arona out and according to
Jackson, some are trying to get the move banned in Japan.
For
those of you who heard Quinton the last time he was on, know
that he considered Murilo Bustamante his toughest fight to date.
When asked if Arona was tougher, Quinton said it is hard to tell.
Arona did more damage but Bustamante went the distance and Murilo
nearly had "Rampage" submitted. He said he was never
in any danger of being submitted by Arona.
So
what's next for Jackson? He's currently enjoying his first time
being in Hawaii. Quinton is in paradise to corner fellow Team
Oyama fighter Bao Quach in his fight with MMA veteran Rumina
Sato in this weekend's Shooto event.
This
is a big step up for Bao and an opportunity to "put himself
on the map," as Jackson put it. MMAWeekly will have live
results of the Shooto event in the SoundOff forum as MMAWeekly's
Greg Honda will have all the results as they happen..
As
far as his next opponent goes, if all goes well for Wanderlei
Silva's next fight, it looks like the rematch many have wanted
to see will happen. As of now, Quinton is hearing that it will
take place on Halloween.
There
was plenty more said in the interview and you can check it out
right now on the radio archive at MMAWeekly.com. Listen today
in the Radio Archives and have access to the previous shows.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what
makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the
world needs is people who have come alive."
Harold Whitman
|
Soljah
Fight Night Weigh-In Today!
The
weigh-ins will be held at Hard Rock Cafe at 2:00 pm on July 8th. Come meet all the
big names that will be fighting on this super card!
Soljah
Fight Night
"Hawaii & Japan vs the World!"
Neal Blaisdell Arena
Friday, July 9th, 2004
Fights start at 6:00 PM so get there early
Promoted by Sustain and sanctioned by the International Shooto
Commission.
Tickets
are on sale NOW and are starting at $20. There is no reason to
miss this show!
This
show is benefiting the Hawaii National Guard's Youth Challenge.
Keep the youth off of drugs and out of gangs and use their energy
to hit the books hard using structured living. You have to start
the prevention early and keep repeating the message in order
to be effective!
This
is the most talent filled card ever put on in Hawaii. Two Shooto
World Title Fights are featured on this card.
Hawaii's Ray "Bradda" Cooper finally gets a title shot
against Cesar Gracie trained Jake Shields. Bradda has beaten
Jake Shields before in Warrior's Quest 6 on August 3, 2002 by
decision. Shields is looking for revenge and both fighters have
been kept out of the title picture for a long time so this is
the first time both fighters are fighting for the Shooto Welterweight
Title. Shields is quoted as saying that "It is Ray's hometown
so I want a knock out or tap out to make it really clear who
the winner is." Bradda does his talking in the ring and
it may be Shields that gets knocked out or tapped out.
The return of Masanori Suda, the man who beat Egan Inoue for
the Super Brawl World Title in just 27 seconds comes back to
Hawaii to defend his Shooto Light Heavyweight Title against the
submission machine, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dustin Denes
from the black belt filled American Top Team. Suda just won in
Hawaii in Super Brawl 32 against Pride veteran Shannon "The
Cannon" Ritch by triangle choke on December 5, 2003 so the
Hawaii fans know Suda very well.
The two hardest punchers pound for pound in MMA face off as Hawaii's
Stephen "Bozo" Paling fights former UFC Lightweight
Champion, Jens Pulver. Bozo has just come off a loss in Japan
and will be very hungry for this fight. He has drew with the
current Shooto champ Alexandre Nogueira so he has proven that
he can fight with the best. Pulver was the first and only UFC
lightweight champion and the only man to beat the current pound
for pound best fighter in the world, BJ Penn. Pulver comes from
the Miletich camp which consists of former UFC champions Pat
Miletich, Matt Hughes, and Tim Sylvia. Four world champions from
one fight team. Pulver is known for his punching power and Paling
has never been outclassed standing so this could be the fight
of the night.
One of the best submission grapplers on the planet, multiple
time black belt Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and currently undefeated
Shooto Lightweight Champion, Vitor "Shaolin" Riberio
makes his first appearance in an MMA match on Hawaii soil and
faces a pocket rocket Japanese fighter by the name of Mitsuhiro
Ishida. Riberio has been dominating the Jiu-Jitsu world for years
and now is dominating the world of MMA. He is a legitimate finisher
and likes to submit his opponents. Shaolin is also the teammate
of BJ Penn and Charuto Verissimo. Ishida is a Abu Dhabi Japan
2003 qualifier champion so he is no stranger to the mat which
should make this fight interesting.
Also on this card is the show stopper, Rumina Sato, facing a
very tough Bao Quach. Sato is one of the most popular fighters
in Japan because is very well balanced (good ground game and
good standing) and he takes chances. He finished one of his opponents
with a flying armbar and in his last night in Hawaii choked out
his opponent standing in only 18 seconds.
The card is rounded out with exciting and top local talent such
as Kyle Takao (HMC) vs Ed Newalu (808 Fight Factory), Jim Kikuchi
(808 Fight Factory) vs the undefeated Neal Andres (HMC), and
the much anticipated Mark Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs PJ Dean slugfest.
Mark Moreno from the Bulls Pen and PJ Dean are known to have
knock out power and it should be an epic stand up war.
If there ever was a reason to come to Hawaii, other than the
sun and beautiful people, this event should seal the deal.
Tentative Fight Card:
Card subject to change.
Shooto
Middleweight World Title Fight
Ray "Bradda" Cooper (12-6, #2 ranked in Shooto)
vs.
Jake Shields (Cesar Gracie, 8-3-1, #1 ranked in Shooto)
Lightweight
3R
Stephen
"Bozo" Paling (Jesus is Lord, 11-6-1, #3 ranked in
Shooto)
vs.
Jens "Little Evil" Pulver (Miletich Fighting Systems,
20-5-1, #6 ranked in Shooto, former UFC lightweight Champion)
Shooto
Light Heavyweight World Title Fight
Masanori Suda (Club J, 20-8-2, Shooto Light Heavyweight and Super
Brawl World Champion)
vs.
Dustin "Clean" Denes (American Top Team, 9-1-1, #1
ranked in Shooto)
Welterweight 3R
Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (Nova Uniao, 9-0, Shooto Welterweight
Champion)
vs.
Mitsuhiro Ishida (Tops, Japan, 6-1-1, #10 ranked in Shooto)
Lightweight 3R
Rumina Sato (K'z Factory, 20-8-2)
vs.
Bao Quach (Team Oyama, 6-6, #10 ranked in Pac Rim Shooto)
Featherweight 2R
Kyle Takao
(HMC, 2-1-1)
vs.
Ed Newalu
(808 Fight Factory, 3-7)
Welterweight 2R
Jim Kikuchi
(808 Fight Factory, 4-3)
vs.
Neal Andres
(HMC, 4-0)
Middleweight 2R
Mark "El
Toro" Moreno (Bulls Pen, 5-4-2)
vs.
PJ Dean
(Team Bad Intentions)
Light
Heavyweight 2R (83 kg/183 lbs)
Sydney Silva (Brazilian Freestyle, 1-0, Hawaii)
vs.
Sean "Tornado" Taylor (Grappling Unlimited, 0-3-1,
Hawaii)
The Soljah
Fight Night website has been released.
Check
out: http://www.soljah.com/shooto/ |
Shamrock/Gracie
Fight on the Rocks?
Onzuka.com
Exclusive
According
to a source close to the Rumble on the Rock, Frank Shamrock has
agreed to fight Cesar Gracie, but they are finalizing negotiations.
Cesar Gracie is not signed as of yet, but Gracie's sticking point
is his seminar schedule and preparing his fighters (Terrell and
Diaz in UFC, etc.) who have big fights coming up. Because of
this and other issues, Rumble on the Rock has chosen to push
back their August 15th event. Our source says that they are still
very optimistic that the Gracie/Shamrock fight will still be
on.
No,
we're not talking about Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie. Chances
are quite a bit less than slim of that fight ever taking place
in this day and age of mixed martial arts. We're talking about
the Frank Shamrock and Cesar Gracie fight that was announced
at the last Rumble on the Rock show.
At
Rumble on the Rock 5 on May 7th, both Frank and Cesar were in
attendance and announced that they had agreed to fight at the
August Rumble on the Rock show. There was just the matter of
coming up with a date that worked for both fighters.
With
it now being the early part of July, the fight is up in the air.
According to Frank, "I am good to go. They [Rumble on the
Rock officials] are still working on Cesar Gracie. He says he
has an important seminar."
According
to Frank, Rumble on the Rock is still trying to work a date that
the two can meet up. He went on to say that he is ready to go
and that if Cesar is not, that's fine by him, "I think he
is a girl. If it's not him, we'll pick someone else."
For
his part, Cesar says that he really doesn't have too much to
say, "It has become ridiculous and I think people are probably
sick of it already." He continued, "Frank has definitely
not signed and Rumble of the Rock told me they aren't even sure
they will do a show in August. Meanwhile, I can't go to Frank's
house and drag him off the couch to fight me. So, that's what
we are left with, Frank blowing smoke so people still think he's
alive."
(We
were unable to reach Rumble on the Rock officials for comment
at the time of publication.)
Source: MMA Weekly |
SHOOTO
Preview: Dustin Denes v. Masanori Suda
Honolulu, HI - On July 9th, Shooto World Light Heavyweight champion
Masanori Suda of Club J defends his belt against American Top
Team’s Dustin “Clean” Denes. The Light Heavyweight
belt, which encompasses 83 kg and below or roughly 183 pounds,
is closer to the US definition of Middleweight.
Since
beating Lance Gibson for the then-vacant belt back in January
of 2002, Suda has held the belt and defended it once against
Egan Inoue in May of last year. In that same time he has won
all but one of his non-title bouts against Ronald Jhun, Ryo Chonan,
and most recently Shannon Rich. He has lost none and has one
draw against Ryuki Ueyama in that time. The Inoue fight seems
to have marked a turning point in Suda’s career. His matches
resulted in 30% decision outcomes with, prior to Inoue, Suda
riding an eight-fight decision streak dating all the way back
to 2000. Starting with Inoue he went from 1st round KO to the
draw against Ueyama to a 1st round triangle choke on Rich, making
his total time in the ring in 2003 to be just over sixteen-and-a-half-minutes
for three fights as opposed to forty-five minutes for three in
2002. His total verifiable MMA record stands at 20-8-2 with twelve
wins involving submissions especially armbars, one by submission
to strikes, and the Inoue one being his one by KO. His first
three losses were by submission with his next two back in ’98
by KO and TKO but his only losses since 1999 were by decision.
Denes’
rise to stardom has been during the reign of Suda with the exception
of his first fight in Deep in August of 2001. He focused on the
Shooto belt from the inception of his career, picking up wins
in HOOKnSHOOT. His December ’02 armbar win in HOOKnSHOOT
over currently ranked #5 Scott Henze propelled Denes into the
#3 slot behind Egan Inoue and Lance Gibson. His February ’03
TKO by cut win in Shooto over currently # 3 ranked Shikou Yamashita
moved him to #2 right behind Inoue. Although Denes didn’t
fight last May when Suda defeated Inoue the rankings were adjusted
again and Denes moved to #1 with Inoue #2. Denes picked up his
first loss of his career last July in a judges’ decision
against Pride vet Akira Shoji in AFC but by that time AFC and
HOOKnSHOOT had parted company and AFC no longer carried Shooto
sanctioning, resulting in Denes ranking not moving up or down.
Since then he has picked up two more wins in AFC in September
and December, bringing his total record to 9-1-1. Now over a
year since becoming the #1 contender for Suda’s belt Denes
finally gets his shot at the champ.
As
far as the math Suda has almost three times as many total fights
as Denes but if you look at the period Suda has been champion
from January of 2002 until now their records are 5-0-1 for Suda
and 9-1 for Denes. In that time frame Denes has a total 90% victory
percentage, 77% of which involve submissions. Only 33% of this
’02-’04 record has gone past the first round with 20%
going to judges’ decisions. Suda by comparison including
the Gibson fight is at 83% victories due to the draw against
Ueyama with 20% of his championship wins being by first round
KO and 80% by decision. This breakdown makes these two look like
polar opposites.
Also
making them look like polar opposites are their respective teams.
The only other fighter listing Suda’s Club J on the international
level is Yuji Kusu, a Shooto fighter with a total verifiable
record of 0-3-2 currently riding a three-fight losing streak.
Dens on the other hand fights out of American Top Team, a team
that fields over 200 members 20 of which compete in MMA including
UFC vets Hermes France (fighting in Shooto the following weekend
in Japan against Joakim Hansen), Din Thomas, Jeff Monson, and
Aaron Riley for starters. Add to that ZST tournament champion
Marcus Aurelio and KOTC competitor Jorge Santiago for a total
of eleven BJJ black belts competing in MMA.
Their
opponents are not as revealing. Comparing opponents both have
beat Izuru Takeuchi with Suda getting a toe hold in just under
two minutes back in ’97 and Denes getting the decision victory
in ’02. Both have also fought Akihiro Gono with Suda losing
a decision back in ’00 and Denes getting a draw in ’01.
As far as the other Shooto ranked fighters Denes beat currently
#3 ranked Yamashita and #5 ranked Henze while Suda beat currently
#2 ranked Inoue, #4 ranked Martijn de Jong, and Ronald Jhun who
was ranked #8 at the time of their fight and makes his UFC debut
next month. Suda has won and lost to currently #6 ranked Lance
Gibson. Looking at both their two most recent opponents could
be considered more revealing with Suda’s draw to Ueyama
surprising considering Ueyama is mainly known for his losses
at the next weight class down including Sean Sherk and Hayato
Sakurai. Suda also picked up a win against Shannon Ritch. Denes
on the other hand is coming off a win to relatively unknown Nick
Thomas and one of the most experienced fighters Adrian Serrano,
both of which were first round submissions for Denes.
With
Denes coming from Florida and Suda from Japan the location of
Hawaii is total neutral. Both fighters live roughly an equal
distance away so time zone travel could affect both equally while
elevation is equal to both fighter’s homes. Denes has never
fought in Hawaii while that is where Suda beat hometown hero
Inoue so the crowd is not considered a factor.
Overall
this is one of the most anticipated matches in the last year.
ADCC News will bring you results and coverage of the event next
weekend.
Source: ADCC
|
CHRIS
BRENNAN ACCUSES KEN SHAMROCK OF TAKING STEROIDS
MMA
journeyman Chris Brennan was commenting to fans on the UG forum
about Kimo Leopoldo testing positive for the anabolic steroid
Winstrol-V. Brennan then accused Ken Shamrock of taking anabolic
steroids. Here are Brennan's comments:
Chris
Brennan on Kimo testing positive for steroids: "Winstrol
again. You think Ken wasn't on anything because he passed the
test?"
Chris
Brennan when asked if he thought Ken Shamrock was on steroids
for his fight against Kimo: "I am sure he was but he passed."
Chris
Brennan when asked if he had any evidence that Ken Shamrock was
on steroids for his fight against Kimo: "I would just imagine
he was because YOU and I know he has."
Chris
Brennan on Ken Shamrock's physique in his fight against Kimo:
"From where I was sitting he looked ripped and in shape."
Source: Fight Sport |
PRIDE
HEAVYWEIGHT GP FINALS CARD
PRIDE
Heavyweight GP Finals
August 15th, 2004
Saitama Super Arena
Saitama, Japan
Below
are some of the matchups that the Japanese media are saying will
take place on the PRIDE Heavyweight GP card on August 15th. A
total of eight matchups are expected to be officially announced
next month:
Heavyweight
GP semifinals:
Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira vs. Naoya Ogawa
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Sergei Kharitonov
Single
fights:
Vanderlei Silva vs. Yuki Kondo
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Alexander Emelianenko
Dan Henderson vs. Murilo Bustamante (See above story)
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. TBA
Mark Hunt vs. TBA
Possible
participants:
Mark Coleman
Kevin Randleman
Source: Fight Sport |
MARQUARDT
PREPARING FOR HORN
Upon returning home from Japan, former Middleweight King of Pancrase
Nathan Marquardt spoke to MMA Weekly's Mick Hammond about his
first fight of the year and his future prospects.
Nathan
candidly said, "“I've been contemplating maybe taking
a Muay Thai fight in the future. If the right situation comes
up, I'd like to do that. MMA is always my focus though and that's
what I do first and foremost."”
There
is also talk a fight vs Ricardo Almeida could take place as well....."From
what I've been told, if I do well in my next fight for Pancrase,
I'll get a rematch with Ricardo Almeida for the Middleweight
KOP Title." While Marquardt would love a future fight to
avenge his loss to Almeida, all of his focus is on his next fight
in the IFC.
Marquardt
looks forward to a battle against Jeremy Horn. "I'm in training
right now for my fight against Jeremy in the IFC in August. It's
going to be a very tough and good fight. It's a fight I've been
looking forward to for a long time."”
Marquadt
has been busy training for Horn at his new gym High Altitude
Martial Arts. "“We have a lot of good fighters and
trainers at the new gym including myself and Christian Allen,
who trains Duane Bang Ludwig. We relocated in Denver, Colorado
and teach MMA, Muay Thai, Takedown Wrestling, Brazilian Jui-Jitsu,
and Police Tactics to all ages Monday through Saturday. Check
out our website of www.highaltitudema.com for directions, class
schedules, and info on our instructors.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Melendez
Ready For Crunkilton
MMA Weekly's Mick Hammond spoke with Gilbert Melendez this past
weekend amidst reports he was going to defend his WEC Lightweight
Championship against Rich Crunkilton at WEC 11 this upcoming
August. According to Gilbert, "Nothing is for sure yet,
nothing has been signed, and to be honest I hadn't really heard
much about it before this weekend. He is a great fighter though
and I?d love to fight him so we'll see what happens."
When
asked if he would be ready to take the fight with just over a
month's notice, Melendez said, "I'm in training all the
time, working with Jake Shields at the Fairtex Gym in San Francisco.
In fact, I've been training a lot with Jake for his upcoming
fight for Shooto in Hawaii, and I'll be cornering him at the
fight. We also go down to train with Cesar Gracie and Nick Diaz
about 2-3 times a week also, so I get my work in."
Melendez
further commented on Diaz's training for his fight at UFC 49
against Karo Parysian by saying, "Nick is working hard with
his younger brother for the fight. He looks great and he'll be
ready to go for sure."
Melendez's
last fight was at WEC 10 in May where he defeated highly hyped
Olaf Alfonzo for the Lightweight Championship. When asked how
he felt about the fight and his continuing evolution as a fighter,
Gilbert responded, "It was a good fight and I worked hard
to beat him. I'm
always working on my game and learning new things with Jake (Shields).
I'm ready for whatever comes my way and I'll fight whoever wants
to fight me. I respect all the guys in my weight class; I like
them and will be friendly to them as much as I can. But once
you get in the cage, there's no respect anymore and it's time
to take 'em and break
' em."
Source: MMA Weekly |
Jeremy
Jackson Wins Pro Boxing Debut!
With
a 44-6 as an amateur boxer and a professional mixed martial arts
record of 7-4, Jeremy Jackson made his professional boxing debut
Saturday night on the Riot at the Hyatt card in Monterey, California.
Jackson
faced Sheldon Callum in a four-round bout, knocking him out in
the 3rd. Callum now has a professional record of 5-7-1 with the
loss to Jackson.
With
his last mixed martial arts bout being a win over Mark Moreno
in Hawaii's Ring of Honor promotion this past November, Jackson
is looking to try his hand at professional boxing for a while.
So, we may not see him back in the MMA arena for the foreseeable
future.
Congratulations
to Jackson on a successful debut.
Source: MMA Weekly |
ANDERSON
SILVA TO MAKE K-1 DEBUT
The
Brazilian media is reporting that Anderson Silva will make his
K-1 debut against French fighter Cyril Abidi on August 15th.
Source: Fight Sport |
SHOOTO
CARD
SHOOTO
July 16th,2004
Kourakuen Hall
Tokyo, Japan
Class-A
bouts:
Joachim Hansen vs. Hermes Franca
Junji Ikoma vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani
Ryan Bow vs. Takumi
Shikou Yamashita vs. David Bielkhaden
Class-B
bouts:
Lion Takeshi vs. Keisuke Yamada
Yusuke Endo vs. Kenichi Hattori
B.J. vs. Kenichi Sawada
Keisuke Sakai vs. Keita Nakamura
Source: Fight Sport |
Quote
of the Day
"No one knows what he can do until he tries."
Publilius Syrus, 1st Century BC, Roman Write |
SHOOTO
SHOWCASES TOP FIGHTERS THIS WEEKEND
To say Jens Pulver is a tad bit excited for this weekend would
be an understatement. Pulver told MMAWeekly Radio recently "The
work I have done in the boxing ring has solidified my stand up
game and I am focused for July 9th....I have some big things
on the horizon if I can get by (Steven) Palling."
Pulver
is coming off a nice win streak, not only in MMA but in boxing
when he was on national television on ESPN 2. He won the fight,
but now it's all business as he competes in a huge card in Hawaii
this weekend. The guy who is currently rated as the top fighter
at 155, Shaolin Ribeiro is on the card, as is a possible opponent
for Pulver next in Pequeno Nogueira.
"I
would love to have the fight with Nogueira, but my focus is Paling", Pulver told
MMAWeekly Radio. He's the next guy in front of me and I have
to get past him if I want that showdown with Nogueira."
Here is the lineup this weekend.
SHOOTO
July 9th, 2004
Neal Blaisdell Arena
Fights start at 6:00 PM
Hawaii, USA
Vitor
'Shaolin' Ribeiro vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida
Alexandre 'Pequeno' Nogueira vs. TBA
Jens Pulver vs. Stephen
Paling
Rumina Sato vs. Bao Quach
Masanori Suda vs. Dustin Denes
Jake Shields vs. Ray
Cooper
Source: MMA Weekly |
Kenny
Florian Interview
How
has your training been going for this fight? Who have you been
training with?
Besides
changing my opponent 9 days before the fight, training has been
going well. I have been training hard and I feel very good leading
up to the fight. I am a little under the weight class but I have
been eating a lot to gain some weight. I have my training partners
from Boston BJJ that I am working out with and I also train boxing,
Thai Boxing and MMA at the Sityodtong Muay Thai Academy.
Tell
us your thoughts on your opponent, Drew Fickett?
Well,
everyone knows Drew has fought a lot and he has beaten some very
tough guys. He has beaten two UFC veterans already so you know
he is going to be very tough. He seems to be very well rounded
from what I have seen and he has good wind. I definitely respect
Drew for all that he has accomplished thus far. He fights in
everything and he always comes to fight hard. This has all the
makings for a war. It is an honor to fight a fighter of his caliber.
You've
trained and spent quite a bit of time training down at Gracie
Barra with the GBCT. What was your experience like down there?
It
was awesome. I have spent many months training at Gracie Barra
over the years but the 4 months I spent training with the newly
formed MMA team was really a great experience. I was training
with pro boxing instructors, pro Thai boxers, a Cuban Olympic
wrestling coach and of course the world class jiu-jitsu at Gracie
Barra. There were crazy cardio/strength training sessions on
the beach under the hot Rio sun. The people on the beach would
gather around and shake their heads like we were crazy. We would
also do run/hikes up the great Pedra da Gavea. Being able to
train with experienced fighters like Renato Babalu, Cacareco,
Ximu and the rest of the great fighters there was awesome for
both technical and mental reasons. All of these things combined
really showed me how to really train like a professional.
How
do you think that the training mentality and method differs from
that in the U.S.?
Well,
most of them were kind of new training wrestling, so that was
different to what they were used to but everyone is eager to
learn now. They are all aware that BJJ is not enough to win in
MMA at a high level. With the integration of the Thai boxers,
boxers, wrestlers, etc., people are learning from each other
and are making a lot of progress. They probably go harder when
it comes to the MMA training though. When you are doing rounds
there, be it boxing, Muay Thai or MMA, they are going hard. They
are trying to knock you out or hurt you. It toughens you up for
sure!
Tell
us about falling off of Pedra de Gavea (Gavea Rock).
The
mountain wanted to fight and I won! Ha ha ha. Well actually,
some jiu-jitsu friends and I were coming back from a hike up
the mountain and on the way back from the waterfall, we decided
to go for an adventure and descend off the path. This is where
we screwed up! We were descending down rocks covered in moss
which were all wet from the rain. So my friend slips first, we
laugh. I slip next, I laugh and my friends laugh. I keep going
and one of my friends tries to save me, but in doing so, he spun
me around and al of a sudden, I am on my back at this point going
head first off of a cliff! It seemed like I was falling for about
a minute. It was about a 15 foot drop where I landed on a rock
on my back. If I landed on my head, I would have been done. If
I didn’t land on that rock, I would have fallen
hundreds of feet -- not good! My friends actually thought I was
dead. The funny thing is, I was all sore from training wrestling
with Darryl Gholar and I was walking around like the hunchback
of Notre Dame. The fall must have straightened me out, because
afterwards, my back felt better!
Many
people knew you originally as a sport BJJ specialist, then as
a submission grappling expert. Was it easy to make the transition
from gi to no-gi, and how has it been moving from grappling into
mma?
Until
I was a brown belt, I pretty much never took off the gi. For
me, the transition into no gi was great. It was more difficult
for people to just hold on to my gi, not move and survive. I
have an attacking, aggressive style of jiu-jitsu so the no gi
was perfect. I ended up being more dangerous. I still enjoy the
technical gi game though. Moving into MMA was something I wanted
to try from the beginning. I feel like I have a demon inside
me always telling me to test myself. This is what MMA is for
me. That and I love competition and fighting in general.
Massachusetts
has some interesting rules in terms of mma, particularly given
the restarts to the feet if the fighters become entangled in
the ropes, etc...
Yes,
MMA in Massachusetts has some work to do but we are slowly getting
there. The Mass boxing commission runs everything, which is good
because it gives us credibility. The refereeing, however, needs
to get better and the education needs to be there. The judges
and people involved need to realize first that this is a different
sport from boxing. Once people become more educated, the organizers,
the boxing commission and the fans, you are going to see MMA
blow up here in Massachusetts.
Being
comfortable on the ground, are you worried about these rules?
They
restart fighters a lot here in Mass. I am comfortable on the
feet and the ground. It some ways, I welcome the restart to the
feet. Obviously, if I am working a submission, that is just plain
wrong. I have mentally and physically prepared for this though
so I am not going to let it bother me during the fight. I am
not going to referee and fight at the same time. That is why
I have corner men to do that. Either way, I am rarely not moving
during a fight. I am always working to strike to finish my opponent
or working to improve my position or working to get a submission.
Who
are some of the opponents you'd like to face in the future? What
are your other plans for the future?
I
don't like calling anyone out to fight. When I am fighting MMA,
I will fight whoever. I would like to fight someday in Japan,
though. That would great. I am also looking to be fighting in
the ADCC trials and the ADCC tournament itself. I think my game
fits in perfectly for that right now. But, I am just enjoying
training, teaching and competing. I will continue to do that
in the future. I hope to have a school open by end of the summer
as well. I really enjoy teaching and seeing others improve. I
have a DVD coming out right now and I have some other projects
in the works as well.
I
would really like to thank my sponsors, Sityodtong Thai Boxing
http://www.sityodtong.com/, Sprawl Fight shorts
http://www.sprawl.tv/ and my new sponsor
M Kimonos at http://www.mkimonos.com/ for helping me.
What
do you think about the nickname Zoolander?
Ha
ha ha. People tell me I look like Ben Stiller all the time. Personally
I think I am funnier and better looking though. My blue steel
look is far sexier.
Source: ADCC |
Pancrase
Latest Official Rankings (as of 7/5/2004)
[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./High Altitude)
#7 Ron Waterman (U.S.A./Team Impact) *IN!
[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 Keigo Takamori (Pancrase MEGATON)
#4 Tim Lajcik (U.S.A./Gladiators Training Academy)
#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 Shamoji Fujii (freelance)
#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./High Altitude)
#2 Izuru Takeuchi (SK Absolute)
#3 Kazuo Misaki (Pancrase GRABAKA) *UP from #4
#4 Eiji Ishikawa (Pancrase GRABAKA) *UP from #5
#5 Crosley Gracie (U.S.A./Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy) *DOWN
from #3
#6 Kiuma Kunioku (PANCRASEism)
#7 Yuichi Nakanishi (freelance) *UP from #8
#8 Hidehiko Hasegawa (SK Absolute) *UP from #9
#9 Osami Shibuya (PANCRASEism) *IN!
#10 Katsuya Inoue (RJW/CENTRAL) *IN!
[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 Yuji Hoshino (Wajutsu Keishukai GODS)
#6 Takuya Wada (SK Absolute) *UPfrom #7
#7 Hiroki Nagaoka (MMA Dojo DOBUITA) *DOWN from #6
#8 Heath Sims (U.S.A./Team Quest)
[Lightweight(141.4lbs.~
under 152.5lbs.)] VACANT
[Featherweight(under
141.4lbs.)] VACANT
Source: ADCC |
BUSTA
VS HENDO JUST TALK FOR NOW
While the internet rumors have started up over the past couple
of days that Brazilian Top Team's Murilo Bustamante and Team
Quest's Dan Henderson are set to fight at Pride's Final Conflict
2004 show in August, that is not exactly the case.
It
is true that a rematch with Henderson is the fight that Bustamante
wants more than any other, but sources inside the Brazilian Top
Team assure us that the fight has not yet been signed. It appears
that there have been talks and that the fight is very close to
being done, but Bustamante has not yet received nor signed a
contract for the fight.
Bustamante
and Henderson first faced each other at Pride's Final Conflict
2003 show last November. Henderson ended up winning the fight
by knockout in just 53 seconds, though not without some controversy.
Bustamante
and his camp believe that the end came only after an inadvertent
clash of heads that left Bustamante dazed. Head butts are illegal
under Pride rules, thus Bustamante felt that the first fight
should have been ruled a no contest due to the illegal technique
and would like to prove that in a rematch.
Source: MMA Weekly |
IS
AKEBONO THE NEW FACE FOR K-1?
From various reports it appears Bob Sapp is at the end of his
fighting career as he has come to a crossroads in the fight game.
Hollywood has come calling and his fight career has been fading
as he has lost his last couple of fights.
K-1
is in an interesting position and crossroads if you will, with
the question being who they should promote as the "face"
of the company for the future. For the past few years it was
no doubt, Bob Sapp, but now it looks more and more like Akebono may try to be the
ratings draw Sapp has been over the past few years in Japan.
Akebono
has been booked again for this month's K-1 World Grand Prix against
an opponent to be announced shortly. The ratings numbers Akebono
has brought to K-1 in Japan has been outstanding. While K-1 wants
to bring the former Sumo Champion in slowly, they understand
what kind of numbers he can bring to the table, as his fights
have been the highest rated numbers on any fight card he has
appeared on. It will be very interesting to see how he is used
by K-1 over the next year and if he will become the poster child,
much like Sapp was in his career. As you can see, Akebono's face
is all over the poster for the upcoming show. Here is the latest
card....
ARUZE
K-1 WORLD GP 2004 in SEOUL
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Chamshil Gymnasium
SEOUL, KOREA
Asian
Grand Prix
Best fighters from 8 Asian countries in a one-day tournament.
Winner will have a spot in the "ARUZE K-1 WORLD GP 2004
Opening Round" which takes place in September.
Asian
Grand Prix
Akebono (Japan) vs K-1 JAPAN
Fighter
K-1
JAPAN Fighter vs Dolgosuren Sumiyabazar(Mongolia)
Zhang
Qing Jun(China) vs Kaoklai Kaennorsing (Thailand)
Denis
Kang (Republic of Korea) vs Lee Myeon Ju (Republic of Korea)
Super
Fight K-1 Rule / 3Minute x 3Rounds
Remy Bonjasky VS Aziz Khattou
Peter
Aerts VS Glaube Feitosa
Musashi
vs TBA
Source: MMA Weekly |
K-1
WORLD MAX TOMORROW
There are some great names that will be competiting tomorrow
in the World Max Tournament. Among the notiables fighting on
the K-1 card are Duane Ludwig, John Wayne Parr, Albert Kraus,
Masato and Kid Yamamoto. Here is the entire lineup.
World
Max 2004 Tournament Final
Line-up July 7, 2004
Tokyo, Japan
-
K-1 Rules (3 Rds) -
Ohno
Takashi vs. Vincent Swans
-
Reserve Fight
Duane
Ludwig vs. Serkan Yilmaz
-
Tournament Bout - Bracket A
Takayuki
Kohiruimaki vs. Mike Zambidis
-
Tournament Bout - Bracket A
Baukaw
Por.Puramuk vs. John Wayne Parr
-
Tournament Bout - Bracket B
Masato
vs. Jadamba Narantungalag
-
Tournament Bout - Bracket B
Albert
Kraus vs. Shamil Gaidarbekov
-
Tournament Semi-Final Bout
Winners
of "A" brackets face off
-
Tournament Semi-Final Bout
Winners
of "B" brackets face off
-
Tournament Final
Winner
of "A" bracket vs. Winner of "B" Bracket
-
K-1 Mixed Rules Bout (4 Rds) - Added
Norifumi
"Kid" Yamamoto vs. Yasuhiro Kazu
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, It is a matter of choice.
It is not something to be waited for, But rather something to
be achieved."
William Jennings Bryan, 1860-1925, American Lawyer, Politician |
Fighters'
Club TV Premier's New Show New Time
It's on TONIGHT!
Tuesdays
at 8:30PM on Olelo Channel 52
Fighters’ Club
TV Episode 22 has been submitted to programming and will air
in our regular timeslot—6pm Tuesdays on Channel 52. It will
premier on July 6th (Tues. night)
and will repeat
for the following 3 Tuesdays at 6pm on Ch. 52 (redundant for
those who still tell me, “I’d watch the show, but I
never know when it’s on.”
Episode 22 features:
Brennan Kamaka’s Punishment
in Paradise:
Corey Daniels (Team
Vitale) vs. Jason Nicholson (808 Fight Factory) + intvw w/ Corey
Harris Sarmiento
(808 Fight Factory) vs. Ben George (Bull’s Pen)
PJ Dean (Hardknocks)
vs. Deshaun Johnson (HMC) + intvw w/ PJ
Prodigy Productions, Rumble
on the Rock (7MAY04)
Royden Demotta vs.
Vance Pu + intvw w/ Royden
Harris Sarmiento
vs. Justin Mercado
Jason Lambert vs
Mike Rogers
Joe Riggs vs. Kendall
Groves
John Marsh vs. Cabbage
+intvw w/ Marsh
Ronald Jhun vs.
Ryan Schultz +intvw w/ Ronald
Technique of the Week
Purebred Omiya’s,
Tetsuji Kato demonstrating a leg-lock takedown w/ BJ Penn
And, Hawaii’s
favorite FCTV Hearthrobs: Mike “I’m the handsome one”
Onzuka, Chris “no you’re not” Onzuka, and Mark
“the other guy” Kurano
Comments, Questions,
Suggestions: Contact us at fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
|
Punishment
In Paradise 5
"WESTSIDE BASH"
FRIDAY July 30,2004 Ahuna Ranch, Maili
LIVE Hawaiian Music & BOOTY CONTEST PLUS...
Welterweight
Tournament (170lbs. & Under)
1.
Zack (Wailuku Boxing Gym, Maui)
2.
Wayne Pierin Jr. (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
3.
PJ Dean (Bad Intentions, Waianae)
4.
Clyde Paling (Freelance, Nanakuli)
5.
Cheyenne “Oh can he Punch” Padeken (Waianae Boxing
Club, Waianae)
6.
Mark “El Toro” Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi)
7.
Kaleo Padilla (Westbrook Boxing Club, Kona)
8.
Bryson “The Kid” Montrede (808 Fight Factory, Waianae)
Heavyweight
Tournament (265lbs. & Under)
1.
Jacob “Hitman” Fa’agai (Untaimed Bloodline Inc.,
Waianae)
2.
Open
3.
Doug Armor (Hawaii Self-Defense, Nanakuli)
4.
Vai Tago (Freelance, Waianae)
Unlimited
Tournament (265.1 & Up)
1.
Robert Atisinoe (Hawaii Self-Defense, Nanakuli)
2.
John Tamau (Hawaii Self-Defense, Nanakuli)
3.
Spam (Freelance, Waianae)
4.
Fighter Wanted (808) 330-4483 if interested
Wanted!!
Amateur
Hawaiian groups looking to perform and get notice and GIRLS willing
to shake for the first ever Mrs. Punishment In Paradise. If interested
email second2none@hawaiirr.com or 330-4483 |
Soljah
Fight Night Website!
The Soljah Fight Night website has been released.
Check out:
http://www.soljah.com/shooto/
The
weigh-ins will be held at Hard Rock Cafe at 2:00 pm on July 8th.
Come meet all the big names that will be fighting on this super
card!
Soljah
Fight Night
"Hawaii & Japan vs the World!"
Neal Blaisdell Arena
Friday, July 9th, 2004
Fights start at 6:00 PM so get there early
Promoted by Sustain and sanctioned by the International Shooto
Commission.
Tickets
are on sale NOW
and are starting at $20. There is no reason
to miss this show!
This
show is benefiting the Hawaii National Guard's Youth Challenge.
Keep the youth off of drugs and out of gangs and use their energy
to hit the books hard using structured living. You have to start
the prevention early and keep repeating the message in order
to be effective!
This
is the most talent filled card ever put on in Hawaii. Two Shooto
World Title Fights are featured on this card.
Hawaii's Ray "Bradda" Cooper finally gets a title shot
against Cesar Gracie trained Jake Shields. Bradda has beaten
Jake Shields before in Warrior's Quest 6 on August 3, 2002 by
decision. Shields is looking for revenge and both fighters have
been kept out of the title picture for a long time so this is
the first time both fighters are fighting for the Shooto Welterweight
Title. Shields is quoted as saying that "It is Ray's hometown
so I want a knock out or tap out to make it really clear who
the winner is." Bradda does his talking in the ring and
it may be Shields that gets knocked out or tapped out.
The return of Masanori Suda, the man who beat Egan Inoue for
the Super Brawl World Title in just 27 seconds comes back to
Hawaii to defend his Shooto Light Heavyweight Title against the
submission machine, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dustin Denes
from the black belt filled American Top Team. Suda just won in
Hawaii in Super Brawl 32 against Pride veteran Shannon "The
Cannon" Ritch by triangle choke on December 5, 2003 so the
Hawaii fans know Suda very well.
The two hardest punchers pound for pound in MMA face off as Hawaii's
Stephen "Bozo" Paling fights former UFC Lightweight
Champion, Jens Pulver. Bozo has just come off a loss in Japan
and will be very hungry for this fight. He has drew with the
current Shooto champ Alexandre Nogueira so he has proven that
he can fight with the best. Pulver was the first and only UFC
lightweight champion and the only man to beat the current pound
for pound best fighter in the world, BJ Penn. Pulver comes from
the Miletich camp which consists of former UFC champions Pat
Miletich, Matt Hughes, and Tim Sylvia. Four world champions from
one fight team. Pulver is known for his punching power and Paling
has never been outclassed standing so this could be the fight
of the night.
One of the best submission grapplers on the planet, multiple
time black belt Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and currently undefeated
Shooto Lightweight Champion, Vitor "Shaolin" Riberio
makes his first appearance in an MMA match on Hawaii soil and
faces a pocket rocket Japanese fighter by the name of Mitsuhiro
Ishida. Riberio has been dominating the Jiu-Jitsu world for years
and now is dominating the world of MMA. He is a legitimate finisher
and likes to submit his opponents. Shaolin is also the teammate
of BJ Penn and Charuto Verissimo. Ishida is a Abu Dhabi Japan
2003 qualifier champion so he is no stranger to the mat which
should make this fight interesting.
Also on this card is the show stopper, Rumina Sato, facing a
very tough Bao Quach. Sato is one of the most popular fighters
in Japan because is very well balanced (good ground game and
good standing) and he takes chances. He finished one of his opponents
with a flying armbar and in his last night in Hawaii choked out
his opponent standing in only 18 seconds.
The card is rounded out with exciting and top local talent such
as Kyle Takao (HMC) vs Ed Newalu (808 Fight Factory), Jim Kikuchi
(808 Fight Factory) vs the undefeated Neal Andres (HMC), and
the much anticipated Mark Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs PJ Dean slugfest.
Mark Moreno from the Bulls Pen and PJ Dean are known to have
knock out power and it should be an epic stand up war.
If there ever was a reason to come to Hawaii, other than the
sun and beautiful people, this event should seal the deal.
Tentative Fight Card:
Card subject to change.
Shooto
Middleweight World Title Fight
Ray "Bradda" Cooper (12-6, #2 ranked in Shooto)
vs.
Jake Shields (Cesar Gracie, 8-3-1, #1 ranked in Shooto)
Lightweight
3R
Stephen
"Bozo" Paling (Jesus is Lord, 11-6-1, #3 ranked in
Shooto)
vs.
Jens Pulver (Miletich Fighting Systems, 20-5-1, #6 ranked in
Shooto, former UFC lightweight Champion)
Shooto
Light Heavyweight World Title Fight
Masanori Suda (Club J, 20-8-2, Shooto Light Heavyweight and Super
Brawl World Champion)
vs.
Dustin "Clean" Denes (American Top Team, 9-1-1, #1
ranked in Shooto)
Welterweight 3R
Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (Nova Uniao, 9-0, Shooto Welterweight
Champion)
vs.
Mitsuhiro Ishida (Tops, Japan, 6-1-1, #10 ranked in Shooto)
Lightweight 3R
Alexandre "Pequeno" Nogueira (World Fight Center, 10-2-2,
Shooto World Lightweight Champion)
vs.
TBA.
Lightweight 3R
Rumina Sato (K'z Factory, 20-8-2)
vs.
Bao Quach (Team Oyama, 6-6, #10 ranked in Pac Rim Shooto)
Featherweight 2R
Kyle Takao
(HMC, 2-1-1)
vs.
Ed Newalu
(808 Fight Factory, 3-7)
Welterweight 2R
Jim Kikuchi
(808 Fight Factory, 4-3)
vs.
Neal Andres
(HMC, 4-0)
Middleweight 2R
Mark "El
Toro" Moreno (Bulls Pen, 5-4-2)
vs.
PJ Dean
(Team Bad Intentions)
|
Discovery
Channel discovers BJJ
Discovery
Channel is releasing a mini-series where they investigate different
Martial Arts from around the World. The 'Go Warrior', a Discovery
Channel martial arts show will show throughout the World starting
July 9th in the U.K.
The
Go Warrior documentary showcases four kinds of martial arts –
the Russian Systema, Korean taekwondo, Brazilian jiujitsu and
Japanese aikido was directed by Galen Yeo and hosted by Roland
Osborne.
The
BJJ part was filmed in Rio and the crew followed BJJ Champion
Royler Gracie for a few days looking into the BJJ lifestyle in
Rio de Janeiro!
Check
out the links for more info: Star-Central
In
the UK: DiscoveryTravelUK
Source: ADCC |
2nd
Desafio Internacional - Brazil v Japan BJJ Challenge
July
29th at the Olympia in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the 2nd Desafio Internacional
takes place, featuring a Superfit between Ronaldo 'Jacare' v
Jorge 'Macaco'. The two faced each other in NHB during the Jungle
Fight with Macaco coming out the victor, this time they'll face
each other in BJJ. Other matches in the card are:
Peter
de Been v Marcelo Gheler
Heavy
weight Grand Prix:
Cristiano
Kaminishi v Roberto Godoi
Nilson Liboni v Roberto Tozi
Brasil
x Japan Challenge:
Aika
Sato v Leticia Ribeiro
Takashi Watanabe v Bibiano Fernandes
Hayakawa Mitsuyoshi v Luciano Nucci
Yuki Nakai v Mario Reis
Fukuzumi Shizuke v Leonardo Vieira
Superfight
Submission:
Delson
'Pe de Chumbo v Claudio Godoi
Heavy
Weight Final
Superfight
Main Event:
Ronaldo
'Jacare' v Jorge 'Macaco'
Source: ADCC |
Catching
Up With DENIS KANG
Although he hasn’t fought in the US since the SuperBrawl
Middleweight tournament series, Canadian Denis Kang has been
keeping active, becoming one of the most internationally traveled
fighters in MMA. This Marcos Soares trained fighter is also one
of the most successful, amassing a 9-0-1 record just in the past
year, with the fight against UFC vet Andrei Semenov being changed
to a draw. Denis has fought in his home country of Canada as
well as the US, Russia, and most recently Korea where he has
been picking up wins in Spirit MC.
KM:
You just picked up another win. DK: That’s right. A kickboxing
champ from South Africa, resides in Korea and trains over there.
He outweighed me by about twenty to twenty-five pounds.
KM:
Why did you take that fight if he outweighed you by that much?
DK: Because I like the challenge. The harder the fight the better.
That is the way I see it.
KM:
How did it go? I heard you got a KO. DK: I did. We came out swinging
a little bit and he tagged me with a few punches standing up.
I took him down right off the bat, ducked under one of his punches.
Achieved the half guard, I passed it, full mount, and just started
punching. I KO’d him.
KM:
Did you get a chance to see any of his fights before taking him
on? DK: Yes, I did. He beat some kickboxing champion in Japan.
KM:
Were you at all apprehensive fighting somebody that outweighed
you by that much as dangerous on the feet as him? DK: No, not
apprehensive, I just knew what to look out for.
KM:
That was your third in Spirit MC? DK: Yep.
KM:
So you are getting to be quite the champion over there. DK: I’m
trying, that’s the idea. They are bringing me over quite
a bit, I am on the verge of signing a multi-fight deal with them.
It looks like I’ll be over there quite regularly over the
next few years.
KM:
Is Spirit MC the same event in Korea that just ran at the end
of June? DK: That is Gladiator FC. That is completely different.
It’s another MMA organization in the same city.
KM:
It seems like there is quite a scene growing out there with two
promotions going on. DK: There is actually more than just two.
The two are just the ones we hear of. There are maybe four or
five promotions in Korea. There is even a nightclub in Seoul
that has MMA fights six nights out of the week.
KM:
How would you compare them to what we see in the rest of the
world? DK: The scene is growing strong out there but it is maybe
two years old. A little bit behind. It hasn’t been around
as long as we’ve had it but the amount of time it has been
around it shows very good progress. They are very attentive to
other ways of training all over the world and they watch all
the other fights. They get MMA on TV prime time there. It’s
huge over there.
KM:
Before I move on is there anything else you want to get across
about that fight? DK: No, not really. It’s just like all
my fights; I train so hard for these fights and only people that
know me know how hard and how much dedication I put into this.
I don’t do anything else. Well, I teach in the evening but
all my time is training. That is just what happens.
KM:
Looking forward I saw you are listed for the M-1 tournament in
October in St. Petersburg. DK: Yeah, I don’t know about
that yet. We are still in negotiation with them. I had a great
time in Russia last time and if negotiations go well there is
no reason why I shouldn’t be in there. I love tournaments.
I’m taking part in one next month and I’d love to go
back to Russia, I love the competitors over there.
KM:
Sorry, let me back up a moment. What is this about you have a
tournament coming up next month? DK: The K-1 in Korea. It’s
kickboxing, the quarterfinals for the Grand Prix.
KM:
How are you preparing differently for that? DK: Focusing on kickboxing.
I’m still keeping up with the grappling of course but most
of my fight training is kickboxing and boxing. I’m training
with guys such as Michael MacDonald, Paul LaLonde…those
are guys that have competed in K-1 before. I’m still spending
time with my boxing coach Tony Pep.
KM:
Is that and possibly M-1 all you can reveal at this time? DK:
No, back to Korea for more MMA for Spirit again in September.
KM:
As far as teammates, can you tell us what happened at the TKO
show with Bill Mahood? DK: He came out and threw a kick and Patrick
Cote caught the kick and threw an overhand right that caught
him right behind the ear. Bill fell to the mat and was defending
himself when Patrick Cote jumped on him to punch him and then
the ref stopped it. It could have gone either way; he could have
kept going but also Patrick Cote was on top of him.
We’ll
check in again with Denis once word of his opponent is released.
Also keep an eye out for Denis’ teammate and AFC Light Heavyweight
champion Michael MacDonald as well as top Canadian fighter Bill
Mahood.
Source: ADCC |
Hermes
França to face Joachim Hansen in SHOOTO
Hermes
França has been training rigorously for his upcoming debut
in Japan, where he is on the SHOOTO card scheduled for July 16th.
Hermes will face the tough Joachin Hansen, the ex-champion in
the 70kg category.
Hermes
is anxious for the challenge. we talked to him as he continues
his preparation in Brazil, away from his Florida home and the
American TOP TEAM. Hermes stated the follwing:
'I
have been training in Brazil, since there is a long procedure
and wait to get my visa for Japan. this is unfortunate because
I´m not with my usual training partners from American Top
Team, but I´ve been working my physical conditioning really
hard. I know my opponent is a very tough guy! He has a win over
Takanori Gomi, so I´m anxious for this fight, and I will
show up there and display the results of all my work'.
Joachin
Hansen has been at the highest level of SHOOTO for over 1 year,
as he was the last champion, before Vitor 'Shaolin'. So, a victory
over Hansen would push Hermes up in his category. Hermes finished:
'It
will be a huge step in my career fighting in SHOOTO and against
a good opponent such as Hansen is. I just wanna stay focused
on my next challenge'.
Source: ADCC |
SHOOTO
JULY 4th Quick Results
Place: Kitazawa Town Hall, Tokyo - JAPAN
Date: July 4th, 2004
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
(Class
B 2 x 5 minutes rounds)
Kyotaro Nakao defeated Takeshi Matsushita by unanimous decision
Kabuto Kokage defeated Wataru Miki by unanimous decision
Tenkei Fujimiya defeated Tsuyoshi Irokawa by unanimous decision
Atsushi Takeuchi x Tiger Ishii, draw
Seiki Uchimura defeated Takahiro Kajita by unanimous decision
So Tazawa defeated Kenji Osawa at 2:33 of R1 by TKO
Ganjo Tentsuku x Tomonari Kanomata, draw
(Class
A 3 x 5 minutes rounds)
Yoichi Fukumoto defeated Kohei Yasumi by by unanimous decision
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"You are never given a wish without also being given the
power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however."
Richard Bach, Illusions |
Wanderlei
Silva Training in Sao Paulo
During his trip to São Paulo last week, PRIDE Champion
Wanderlei Silva didn't forget to get his training routine done
as he prepares for his fight against Japanese star Yuki Kondo
on August 15th. During the trip, Wanderlei visited the Unica
Academy in São Paulo, where Wanderlei tried a functional
training that use weights in a unique series of movements that
simulate actions during the fights.
It
was Saturday at 9:00 pm in São Paulo, and the pictures
show Wanderlei training hard for his next challenge. Take a look
at the 'fun time' boxing in the ring that the champion spent
at the end of the training with a lucky sparring partner!
Source: ADCC
|
Belarus:
Training Report!
For most of you guys out there the word “Belarus” doesn’t
say much. Only a few know that this is actually a country and
even less could point it to on the map. That’s how we were
until recently… The fact is that the Belarus had already
put itself on the map of fighting sports and it’s time to
wake up and notice it.
Here
is a little geography lesson you can use. Belarus formerly a
part of the Soviet Union and located somewhere right in between
Poland and Russia, with the population of around 10 million and
the capital city of Minsk. And so what? you say. Here is the
thing: for some unknown reason (our guess: it has something to
do with the water they drink) this little city with population
of less than 2 million produced more Muay Thai champions, K-1
fighters, wrestling and Sambo European and World champions than
any other city in the world!
See
for yourself. Here are some names you might recognize : Andrei
Arlovski (UFC fighter, heavy weight title contender), Vladimir
“The Janitor” Matushenko (UFC fighter), Alexey “The
Scorpion” Ignashov (World Pro Muay Thai Champ, K-1 World
GP 2001 Champion, Pride FC champion), Sergei “The Bullet”
Ivanovich ( MT Word Champ, K-1 fighter), Sergei Gur (K-1 World
Grand Prix 2004 France Champion), Dmitri Shakuta (2x Muay Thai
World champion), Dmitri Pesetski ( 2x Muay Thai World Champion),
Vitaly Akhramenko (MT World Champ ,K-1 fighter), Alexei Pekarchik
(Muay Thai World Champ, King’s Cup Champ), Sergei Karpin
(MT European Champ)… And if this is not enough here is another
fact: April 2004 World Amateur Muay Thai Championship Chiang
Mai Thailand. Belarus had delegated 11 athletes and all 11 made
it to the finals ahead of any other countries, including Thailand
itself!
Here
at the Bangkok Fight Club we decided to investigate this mysterious
phenomenon. And what is the better way to find out than to actually
visit the place… and so it was decided : the fittest BFC
member Alex “the infodog” will be the representative
and the Bangkok Fight Club’s ambassador to Belarus.
Ticket.
The cheapest way to get to Minsk (Belarus) from Bangkok is via
Moscow (Russia) and the best fare was offered by the Emirates
Airlines. Bags are packed and the journey begins. Todd “The
T-Rex” Barlow waved me good by at the Bangkok International
Airport and already cute looking flight attendants serving me
drinks on route to Dubai. 6 hours Bangkok-Dubai flight was quite
pleasant and relaxing with lots of food and drinks. Than another
5 hours in the Dubai International Airport before the next flight
to Moscow. Just a few words about the Dubai airport. There is
nothing you can’t build if you got unlimited resources on
your disposal. And the DXB Airport looks just that. Another meal
at the restaurant and they announced my flight to Moscow. Sweet.
Aboard
a plane again I decided that since I am a passenger than I will
do what a passenger is expected to do. Which are: eat, drink,
watch movies and try to chat with stewardess… and so I did.
Moscow.
We landed at Moscow’ Domodedovo Airport, where I quickly
got through customs and to arrival hall. I was approached by
few cab drivers, who looked unusually large to me after their
Thai colleagues- Bangkok taxi drivers. Luckily I was supposed
to be picked up and sent to the railway station and so I saved
myself at least 50 bucks.
Vladimir
– the up and coming Russian fighter was waiting for me at
the Avis counter as agreed. We shook hands. Vladimir was dressed
sharp. He took me to his brand new Mazda and put my bags into
the trunk. He noticed my puzzled look, smiled and replied that
only a lucky few could make a decent living just by fighting,
“but for the rest of us there is also work and for some
there is a hard work”. We had few hours till my train departure
from the Belarussian Station and Vladimir offered to show me
“a little of Moscow” and than to have a dinner at some
Italian place. I approved the plan. We drove around Moscow’s
avenues did some sightseeing and dined at nice Italian place.
Vladimir picked up the bill, I protested but not too strong.
In the evening Vladimir drove me to the train station which carries
the official title of “the Belarussian Train Terminal”
and one of several (probably 6) large train terminals of Moscow.
I thanked Vladimir and he offered to pick me up again on the
way back.
Train.
I got the ticket in a sleeping car in the “special express”
train. Everything inside was spotlessly clean (if any of you
had traveled by trains in Thailand than you know why I mentioned
that) nice soft music played... Train moved, attendant brought
tea and biscuits. The other two passengers in my cabin were a
girl – native of Belarus and now a student in one of the
Moscow’s universities, who looked more like a model to me
and a guy in his twenties who works in some PR company in Moscow.
We chatted about politics, presidents, wars, student’s life
and some other stuff I can’t even remember. Upon arrival
to Minsk early next morning we three were best friends.
Training.
My training was organized by Valeri Polukhine talented wrestler
with multiple national and international titles and once a member
of national squad. The large building of the Sports Palace located
right in the downtown by the river and next to the beautiful
park. There are two huge halls for the freestyle and Greco-roman
wrestling, one almost as large for Sambo team, and another one
with rings, heavy bags and boxing equipment belongs to boxers.
That’s where members of the National teams are training
and where I will be lucky enough to roll for the next couple
of weeks.
Afternoon
training started at 4 pm sharp with about 20 minutes of pretty
heavy warm up and than we proceeded to some standup grappling
drills, clinch, single- , double leg takedowns, ground positioning…
all the guys were super friendly and helpful and everybody pushed
each over hard. I loved the spirit of the place. Valeri said
that the preparation for the Athens Olympics is in the full swing
and guys are training hard, but on the other hand they always
train like that. Last half an hour I grappled with Valeri and
it was quite an experience. His sensitivity developed by almost
20 years of wrestling is amazing! Even during pretty intensive
grappling Valeri could control his breathing so well that he
even managed to talk and tell jokes and funny comments to his
opponents in the almost normal tone of voice. It seemed impossible
to see him tired. That’s for me a sign of the really skilled
technician.
Next
day we met again at 4 pm but instead of mat work “we will
play basketball” – that’s what I was told. I am
not a big fan of basketball I complained and can’t dribble
well. That’s no problem, said Valeri, you don’t need
to… We were divided into two teams with some wrestlers and
boxers mixed in and game started. First thing I need to say about
their version of basketball is the only thing that relates the
game we played to its name is a ball and baskets to throw it
in. It was actually rugby on a basketball field and it was so
intense and dynamic that after about 40 minutes I felt like I
rolled for two hours. Than after the game we did some grappling
drills and weight training. Another game I was introduced to
is a pull-ups by numbers on a chin up bar. You start from one,
than next person jumps in and also does one, than you go two,
your partners follows with two, than three, four…ten…
without pauses and let’s see how far you can go.
Wednesday
we did another light training and went to the sauna which is
located right here at the building and only team members have
a privilege to use. That was a treat. Russian sauna is the great
experience and also an important training tool or so I was told.
It helps your body to get rid of lacto acids accumulated in the
muscles after hard training sessions and a good aerobic exercise
in itself. It was also nice to listen to the old coaches sitting
telling endless stories about fights, places, athletes…
Next
day we trained with Valeri’s friend and Sydney Olympics
Silver medalist Alexey Medvedev. This guy is scary! Really nice
and friendly off the mat he could just smash you with his strength
and speed.
Another
day my coach/training partner was Alexei Beliakovski, Greco-roman’
World Champion, National champion and one of the coaches of the
National team. After the training Alexei insisted that I have
to join their picnic on Saturday somewhere just outside of the
city by the lake and I happily accepted.
My next week’s program was the training with the Sambo guys
from the elite team of the Police Academy and was also organized
with the help of Valeri who seems to know everyone.
The
only condition was that I can’t take any pictures while
training in that facility and this was fine with me as well.
The
hand-to-hand combat instructor Major Sergei Eremetko was really
helpful and friendly. He invited me in, stopped the training
for a moment to introduce me as “BJJ guy from Bangkok who
will be rolling with us for the next week”. I was given
the “kurtka” – something that looks like a Gi
top with some little differences and traditionally used by Sambo
practitioners. Also everybody wore wrestling shoes.
Sambo
fighters don’t use much of the chokes, but big on armlocks
and leglocks. They also spend lots of time perfecting their standup
grappling and throwing. We drilled nice flying armbars, rolling
kneebars and some other Sambo trademark techniques. The head
coach of the Sambo Team is Colonel Anton Novik who is 3 times
Sambo World Champion and holder of many National titles. He took
me under his wing for the whole week of my training with the
team and shared with me as much as he could in such a short time.
The
afternoon session was a Combat Sambo which is actually what we
call an MMA type of training and also went pretty well.
Time
flied and another week past pretty quick. I hope that my girlfriend
isn’t reading this one but training wasn’t the only
thing we did in Minsk. It was also some heavy partying on Thursdays,
Fridays and Saturday nights. We hit some real hot night spots,
clubs, discos, strip joint, even went to try luck in a casino.
Girls. That’s another story and it’s not for the training
report but take my word Eastern European chicks is something
that will make you want to come here again… or even stay.
The
last part of my training program in Minsk was hosted by Michel
Mozhar the head coach and the President of the regional Muay
Thai federation with whom we met in Bangkok five years ago and
who became my good friend. Michel introduced me to some great
young fighters whose names are to be recognized world wide pretty
soon, he said. Seeing their training I had to agree. These guys
are training as much if not harder than Thai pros in the camps
around Bangkok. The sound of them kicking the heavy bags bangs
like gun shots…
Three
weeks past as fast as three days and here I am again: by train
from Minsk to Moscow, than to the airport and back home to Bangkok
and already planning my next trip…
This
report was written specially for my friends and training buddies
from the Bangkok Fight Club just so I don’t have to tell
the same story over and over again…
Alex
Berezovik
Bangkok Fight Club
Source: ADCC
|
Barnett
vs. Waterman Off in Pancrase
The
official web sites of Josh Barnett and Ron Waterman are reporting
that their Pancrase fight scheduled for July 17 in Seoul Korea
is off. It is also suggested that the entire fight card has been
cancelled, as the Korean promoter has run into serious financial
trouble and cannot fund the event.
There
has been no official announcement by the Pancrase organization.
There web site was last updated on June 28th. This has to leave
a bad taste in the mouth of Pancrase, who is not known for this
sort of thing. In the end Pancrase, the fighters, and most of
all the fans are the ones who will pay for this setback.
Source: ADCC
|
Brazilian
Top Team ready for action, Busta ready for Hendo, Brazil ready
for another wave of MMA shows and Belfort ready for TV!
The
Brazilian Beat:
We're sailing through the year of 2004 and as we enter the month
of July the second half of our run has already started. As one
might guess, all the focus in Brazil is now geared towards Pride
Bushido 4, mostly on the Brazilian Top Team camp as the team
is having an extremely busy period, with almost all of their
professional fighters competing in shows everywhere. Well, since
the very end of May BTT had two fighters at Jungle Fight 2, two
fighters at Meca 11, two fighters at the last Pride show, five
fighters at Gladiator FC in Korea and will now feature four fighters
at Pride Bushido 4! Pretty impressive if you ask me, and with
Rodrigo Minotauro preparing for his tough task ahead at the final
leg of the Pride Heavyweight GP, training is going berserk in
the academy. Because of that, most of this column is dedicated
to news regarding the Brazilian Top Team, as lots of things are
taking place in Rio de Janeiro. However, this is not all, winter
has brought more than cold for Brazil as plenty of minor MMA
shows are giving fighters a chance to keep active, and, as always,
we'll report on that and a bit more, so pick-up your blanket
and fight the cold of the strange Brazilian winter as FCF warms
things up with a melodious Beat straight from Brazil!
The Brazilian Top Team headquarters are totally busy right now
with Pride Bushido 4 coming up, featuring the BTT vs. Japan challenge.
Four members of the team will be competing, as Paulo Filho and
Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira are both coming from wins
in Korea and giving rematches at Bushido to Akira Shoji and Kazuhiro
Nakamura. His teammates Luis Firmino "Buscape", a veteran
of M-1 in Russia, and Fabio Mello, a veteran of Deep in Japan,
will be making their Pride debuts completing the BTT team in
the show. Training is going strong in the academy and hopes are
high for a great outing from all fighters and mostly eagerly
awaiting the Pride debut of "Buscape" as he has been
unstoppable at his weight in Brazil and is bound to make some
noise in Japan.
Contrary
to recent Internet rumors, former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante
won't be taking part at Pride Bushido 4 fighting against Japanese
star Hayato Sakurai. Word has that this fighting won't take place
and is nothing but a rumor. Bustamante is, however, helping his
team preparation for the show and starting his own preparation
for a rematch against Team Quest's own Dan Henderson, at the
August Pride show. Although it's not official yet, chances are
very high that this match-up is going to take place.
Staying
on the BTT subject, Brazilian Top Team fighter Fabio Mello will
have a tough task as red and hot Takanori Gomi will be standing
on the other corner at this Pride debut. Meca 11 winner Milton
Vieira was cogitated as Gomi's opponent, and due to weight reasons
was the favorite on the BTT camp to take this task. However,
DSE liked the idea of having Mello against Gomi better, and some
are concerned about the weight difference between the two fighters.
But since everything in life has its positive side, word has
that Mello got a two fight deal with DSE so despite the outcome
of his fight against Gomi he will return to the Pride ring. Also,
if both Gomi and "Buscape" both win their fights, there's
a big chance that a fight between the two will be promoted by
Pride in the near future.
In
the middle of his likely future training with the Chute Boxe
team, Jungle Fight veteran Fabricio Werdum is reported to have
closed a deal with Pride to fight in the Japanese event up until
the year of 2007, in a multiple fights deal. With this opportunity
appearing it's not clear at this point whether he will eventually
go to Chute Boxe to train or not, either way word also has that
he will be training with Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
in Croatia this coming September, where he will help the striker
in his ground training and try to improve his own Muay Thai.
Brazilian press also reported that Fabricio's likely Pride debut
will be on December of 2004.
This
last Saturday June 26th, another minor fighting show took place
in Brazil giving chance for fighters who are looking for their
breakthrough to advance in their careers. Entitle KK Best Strikers,
the show took place on the small city of Santa Isabel, located
in the state of Sao Paulo, the show featured Muay Thai bouts
as well as four MMA fights, including Meca veteran Rodrigo Riscado,
from Nova Uniao, who was the stand out in the show taking quick
work of Mario Dias, who clearly wasn't used to ground fighting,
scoring a rear naked choke in less than a minute into the fight.
Here are the results from the MMA fights:
Rodrigo
Ruiz defeated Leandro Nascmiento by judges' decisionGustavo "PC"
defeated Mauro "Xuxa" Ximenes by forfeit in the 1st
roundRodrigo "Riscado" defeated Mario Dias by rear
naked choke in the 1st roundRicardo "Rato" defeated
Paulo Sergio Lage by forfeit in the 1st round
Yet
one more minor MMA Brazilian show will take place this weekend,
as former Brazilian Top Team member Luis Brito will bring his
Profight FC to its second edition. Once again the show will take
place in the city of Porto Alegre, on the south of Brazil, this
Saturday July 3rd. The event will feature Submission Wrestling
bouts, Muay Thai fights and four MMA matches to complete the
card. One interesting point of the card will be the participation
of Meca winner Alessandro Custodio, who has been absent from
the rings for a while and will fight against Carlos Aveline.
A
long time after his MMA show called Heroes, Master Carlson Gracie
is back into promoting as he, alongside with a group of professionals,
prepares to launch Real Fight, a new MMA event to take place
in the city of Rio de Janeiro, this coming July 30th. Although
the card is still in the works, the main event will likely be
fought between Meca 7 winner Rodrigo "Riscado" against
UFC veteran Alexandre "Cafe" Dantas. Names such as
Roan Carneiro and Marcelo Grilo from the BTT are rumored to be
on the card.
Well,
with this wave of events taking place during Brazilian winter,
the Northeast of the country couldn't be an exception as the
region is finally growing in terms of MMA ever since Bitetti
Combat and later HEAT FC changed the scene there forever. This
coming July 29th, Natal will show once again that it countinues
to be the capital of fighting sports in the Northeast of Brazil
with Brazilian Challenger making its debut! Promoted by Conrado
Carlos, one of the HEAT FC promoters, the show will feature a
Tournament format, with eight men battling for the title in the
up to 80 kg division. According to Conrado the idea for the show
is to give another chance to veterans of shows such as Bitetti
Combat or HEAT FC that didn't manage to break through in their
careers yet. Names such as Bitetti Combat veteran Rivanio Aranha
and HEAT FC veteran Sergio Junior will be taking part on the
tournament, where the champion will have to win three fights
in one night to be crowned.
A
lot of talk has been made about whether former Chute Boxe fighter
Anderson Silva will be heading to the Brazilian Top Team after
his win over Jeremy Horn in Korea or not, since he wore the team's
t shirt for this fight. However, despite any talks at this point
Anderson Silva isn't a BTT member. Brazilian Top Team's own Mario
Sperry explained that the T shirt Anderson wore was a matter
of a sponsor's request, as well as a way for the fighter to show
his appreciation for the help the team from Rio de Janeiro gave
him. It's no secret at this point that Anderson Silva is now
a close friend of Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira, and in a recent
interview to the Brazilian press Silva stated that as of now
he doesn't represent any team anymore, not even Muay Thai Dream
Team, and joining BTT in the future wouldn't be impossible. Time
will tell.
On
the other hand Alexandre "Cacareco" is now officially
a Brazilian Top Team member. After "Cacareco" suddenly
left Gracie Barra Combat Team with no further explanations and
went straight to train at the BTT headquarters, much to most
people's surprise, discussions went on whether he would be part
of the team or not. Time went on and now the Brazilian Wrestler
is part of the team and is training regularly at the Brazilian
Top Team's camp, looking for fights under their banner in the
near future. FCF had an article on the free agency era in Brazilian
MMA recently, and this writer is already thinking about writing
part two of that article.
It's
about to turn six months since Priscila Belfort, Vitor Belfort
sister, disappeared and still no clue has been found. This week
a Brazilian TV show gave once again hopes of finding her as a
girl that looked like here was brought to an hospital after being
found on the streets. This caused confusion even in some Internet
MMA forums, but in the end the girl wasn't Priscila and police
is back on the hunt again. Meanwhile "The Phenom" keeps
on training on the USA for his third fight ever against Randy
Couture in the UFC, and word in Brazil has that he is negotiating
with a Mainstream Brazilian TV channel to have his own show on
TV! Apparently Vitor already presented a project to the channel
and is waiting on their answer. His wife, Joana Prado, used to
work for the same channel what likely gives them good contacts
and advantages on making the deal go through. No details where
presented, but everything leads to believe the TV show would
be something fighting-related.
Source: FCF
|
Kimo
Fails Post-UFC 48 Drug Test
Kimo Fails Post-UFC 48 Drug Test; Disciplinary Action Forthcoming
Kimo
failed the drug test that he took shortly after his loss to Ken
Shamrock at UFC 48, according to a report by Dave Meltzer of
the Observer Newsletter. The banned substance found in Kimo's
body was stanozolol, which was the same anabolic agent that was
found in Tim Sylvia's body last year. Kimo will have to take
part in a hearing in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission
at some point, and will almost certainly be suspended for a length
of time that is likely to be in the range of three to twelve
months.
As
with all suspensions handed out by the Nevada State Athletic
Commission, it will be valid with all NSAC-sanctioned fighting
organizations, a list that includes the UFC, Pride, and K-1.
Even in Japan, Pride and K-1 cannot use a suspended fighter on
their shows without facing serious repercussions from the NSAC
(ie, not being able to hold shows in Nevada anymore).
The
other three fighters who were drug-tested at UFC 48 (Ken Shamrock,
Frank Mir, and Tim Sylvia) all came back negative. Twelve of
the sixteen fighters on the card were not drug-tested in any
way.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
More
Television Exposure For The UFC
One thing the UFC has done very well as of late is getting national
television exposure on many major networks. The UFC has been
seen recently on Fox Sports Networks "Best Damn Sports Show",
the Jimmy Kimmel Show on ABC and this Friday, Zuffa's brass has
the Discovery Channel on board.
The
UFC will be heavily featured on the upcoming reality tv episode
of "American Casino". The show is on weekly as film
crews go behind the scenes of what it takes to run a casino.
The Fertittas own the casino that the television crew follows
around, giving viewers behind the scenes access of what goes
on behind the scenes. The camera crews were at the last show
at UFC 47 taping many of things going on.
This
just adds to the much anticipated and needed exposure for the
sport. Some were disappointed with the fact that the television
deal that was struck with Spike TV wasn't showcasing weekly fights,
but a reality TV show. But, when you think about it, what we
need before fights being widely viewed across the nation is to
educate the masses about this great sport of mixed martial arts.
So what a better way to introduce the sport to many then by way
of a reality show that will show the dedication of the fighters
and skill that is involved. Maybe some people will learn that
when a fight goes to the ground that it's not a bad thing and
can see the strategy involved and appreciate it like our Japanese
brothers.
So,
cheers to another step forward that the Fertittas have made towards
growing the sport. And, tune in to American Casino as it airs
on Fridays at 8 pm on Discovery Channel.
Air
Date: Friday, July 9
Source: MMA Weekly
|
|
7/4/04 Happy 4th of July! |
Quote
of the Day
"To live a creative life we must lose our fear of being
wrong."
Joseph Chilton Pearce, Author, Magical Child
|
No
Sunday Class
at Academia Casca Grossa de Jiu-Jitsu
The Sunday class at ACGJJ will be like school in summer time...no
class.
This was always my favorite quote from philosopher and humanitarian
Fat Albert.
We are taking a holiday on July 4th like the rest of the country.
Please let anyone you bump in to know.
Have a great 4th of July and don't blow yourself up!
|
Higher
Calling:
Lawler Tries Middleweight On For Size, Opponent Jhun Revisits
Roots
By Loretta Hunt
Robbie Lawler is looking for a change of scenery. Scheduled to
appear on August 21st's UFC 49 card at the MGM Garden Arena in
Las Vegas, the "ruthless" one will move up in weight
divisions to face experience-heavy Hawaiian Ronald "the Machine Gun"
Jhun.
"I
think it will be better on my body," the former welterweight
said of his recent decision to jump classes. "When I go
down to 170, I'm a little too lean and I don't think it's good
on my joints, so I'm gonna see what it feels like at 185."
Breaking
onto the scene back at UFC 37 with an inspiring three round stand-up
display against veteran Aaron Riley, Lawler impressed fans early
on with his "caution to the wind" fighting style. He
matched that performance with brutal back-to-back knockouts of
Steve Berger and Tiki Ghosn at UFC's 37.5 and 40, before succumbing
to kickboxer Pete Spratt at UFC 42. Sustaining a groin injury
that shelved the aggressive fighter for seven months, Lawler
returned at UFC 45 with a decision win over Chris Lytle.
Coming
off a second round knockout loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 46, the
Iowan brawler insists that neither this nor the fact that fellow
Miletich Martial Arts teammate and former champion Matt Hughes
remains at welterweight had any bearing on the move. "That
had nothing to do with it," the 8-2 fighter says, adding,
"We wouldn't do that [fight each other]. We don't get paid
enough."
Although
he hasn't set his sights on any middleweights in particular,
21-11- 2 Jhun will get the first crack at the Miletich standout
who says he walks around at 185 to 192 pounds naturally. "I'm
game," Jhun excitedly commented about his impending UFC
debut. "A lot of guys tell me wow, he's kind of dangerous.
But, you know what? I would have been fighting Robbie [at welterweight]
anyway, but I don't think he wants to fight at 170, because I
heard he has to lose a lot of weight." A former middleweight
himself, Jhun has spent the last two years in the 170 pound division
locking horns with UFC vets like Shonie Carter and Dennis Hallman.
"It wasn't like I was forced into fighting at 185,"
Jhun says of his recent assignment. "They offered it to
me, and I thought it was a big opportunity." However, if
all goes well, Jhun says he will look to secure a welterweight
match-up next.
Source: FCF |
TYSON
AND K-1 MAY END UP IN COURT
Mike Tyson
The
following piece appeared in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (article
by Jerry Campany):
Mike
Tyson's proposed fight in Hawaii may end up being contested where
so many of Tyson's other fights have been held -- in the court
room.
Shelly
Finkel, Tyson's adviser, told the Star-Bulletin yesterday that
as far as he is concerned, there is no contract between his fighter
and K-1, a mixed martial arts group that proposed a boxing match
between Tyson and Jerome Le Banner to the Hawaii state boxing
commission this month.
"They
breached the contract, we are not fighting in Hawaii," Finkel
said.
Because
the contract prohibits any of the participants from talking about
it, Finkel declined to say what the specific breach was other
than to say submitting a K-1 fighter as a prospective opponent
was out of line.
Finkel
has changed his stance since last week when he told the Star-Bulletin
that the contract would be honored as long as a suitable opponent
was brought before him.
K-1
president Scott Coker, who has a contract signed by Tyson for
his comeback fight, is not going down without a fight, though.
"He
(Finkel) is greatly mistaken," Coker said. "If anyone
breached the contract, it is Mike. We still have Sept. 11 and
are going forward. We are not going to walk away from this."
But
a contract fight may not be Coker's only problem. Forcing Tyson
to do something he doesn't want to do is another one.
During
a press conference for Tyson's upcoming bout against Danny Williams
in Louisville on July 30, the former champion said that he chose
Kentucky for its ease of obtaining a license. Kentucky Gov. Ernie
Fletcher has since announced that he will restructure his commission
for the way it handled licensing Tyson without a hearing.
"No
one asked me anything here," Tyson said. "I wasn't
willing to go through any hearings. If so, I wouldn't have (fought)
here."
Alan
Taniguchi, Executive Officer of the Hawaii State Boxing Commission,
has held firm in his stance that Tyson would be welcome in Hawaii
only if he passes a physical and appears before the commission.
Finkel
confirmed that Tyson would "probably not" fight in
Hawaii if he had to face the commission, but added that the prospect
of a Tyson bout in Hawaii is nothing more than speculation.
"It's
irrelevant," Finkel said. "Unless another group comes
up with an event in Hawaii, Mike will not fight there."
Source: Fight Sport |
Shamrock
injured rotator cuff during Kimo fight
Exclusive Report: Mike Sloan reports that Dana White informs
him Ken Shamrock injured his rotator training before the Kimo
fight.
Ken
tore the cuff during the fight, and will have corrective surgury.
This will likely postpone any immediate fighting plans.
Source: Sherdog
Shamrock
Tore Rotator Cuff
Sources close to Ken Shamrock have confirmed that Shamrock tore
his rotator cuff during his victory against Kimo Leopoldo in
UFC 48.
Shamrock
will undergo corrective surgery for the injury and will be out
of action for at least 4-6 months.
Source: Fight Sport |
Lennox
Lewis: Tyson Tried to Eat My Willy
Source ContactMusic- Retired boxing champ Lennox Lewis is convinced
his arch-foe Mike Tyson wanted to bite off his penis!
The
British heavyweight insists Tyson was actually after his "willy"
when he famously sank his teeth into his thigh during a press
conference in 2002.
And
Lewis feels sure that was what Tyson meant when he told the press
he wanted to "eat" his rival's children.
Lewis
says, "He bit me on the thigh in New York at a press conference.
That was pretty close to my willy.
"When
he's talking about eating my kids, that's what he's talking about."
Source: Dog House Boxing |
Ready
for Riggs, Doerksen Wants to Fight the Best
By Ken Pishna, MMAWeekly.com
It's not too often that you come across a fighter in mixed martial
arts that has a record of 27-5, but has yet to display his skills
either in the Ultimate Fighting Championship or Pride arenas.
Especially when that fighter has defeated the likes of John Alessio,
Chris Leben, Jay Buck, Brendan Seguin, Kyle Jensen, Denis Kang,
and Lee Murray (yes, that Lee Murray). And his only losses are
to Eugene Jackson, Matt Hughes, Stephan Potvin, Egan Inoue, and
David "The Crow" Loiseau.
Joe
Doerksen is such a fighter, actually, he is that fighter. All
of the years of competing, from his first steps into a cage at
the Bas Rutten Invitational to Extreme Challenge to SuperBrawl,
are finally paying off. It's been a long road and Doerksen has
definitely payed his dues, but on August 21st he will finally
enter the UFC Octagon to square off with fellow UFC first timer
Joe "Diesel" Riggs.
Despite
winning the co-promoted SuperBrawl/Extreme Challenge middleweight
tournament last year, going through Desi Miner, Jay Buck and
Brendan Seguin all in one night to get there, Doerksen still
didn't get his shot at the UFC or Pride. But after defeating
Dan Anderson and Riki Fukuda in successive bouts and then decisioning
up and coming Team Quest fighter Chris Leben in what was deemed
one of the best fights of the year at Freestyle Fighting Championship
9, he finally got the call.
"That
fight with Leben was just crazy, it was unreal," remarked
Doerksen. "That kid just wouldn't quit. I had him caught
in an arm bar in the first round, but when I went to adjust to
make it tighter, he was able to get out. I caught him with some
really hard shots, but he just kept coming. I think his head
was made of concrete or something."
At
UFC 49 in August, Doerksen will face another tough fighter in
Joe "Diesel" Riggs. Like Doerksen, Riggs has spent
a lot of time honing his craft and has paid his dues en route
to an 18-5 record. Though his list of competition isn't quite
as impressive as Doerksen's, Riggs has faced some very tough
fighters and is known for being a hard hitting finisher. Of his
18 wins, only one has come via decision, the rest were all knockouts
or submissions. His last five fights, all wins, have come via
knockout.
That's
all good by Doerksen though, "I want hard fights. I want
the toughest fighters that I can get. I'm at a point in my career
where I don't want easy fights. I want to fight the best."
He'll
get just that in Riggs and Doerksen knows he's in for another
tough battle, "He [Riggs] has stayed really busy and he'll
be coming with some heavy shots. Leben was good, but I think
Riggs will be a little more technical. I'm expecting a good fight."
Doerksen
is pretty tough himself though. He commonly works 10 to 12 hour
days installing commercial concrete, then he heads to the gym.
He's been keeping his training a little light between the Leben
fight in May and the UFC, not wanting to peak for Riggs too soon,
so he's only been rolling for an hour or two a night (after the
10 to 12 hour work day).
Doerksen
also recently spent a couple of weeks working with legendary
kickboxer Duke Roufus on his stand up game which has been steadily
improving over the past couple of years, as witnessed by two
of his three SuperBrawl tournament fights ending in knockouts.
In short, he's ready to take this fight wherever necessary.
Starting
out primarily as a Brazilian Jiujitsu specialist, Doerksen has
worked hard to round out his game. He is now one of the most
complete mixed martial arts fighters in the middleweight division,
if not the
world.
And,
with his experience, he isn't all that star struck by finally
being able to climb into the Octagon, "Once you step into
the cage, everything else goes away. Nothing really changes in
the way I fight, the big difference is that I should get more
exposure from it. There'll be more people there [than most of
the shows he's fought on], but once the fight starts, you can't
think about that."
The
crowd may not be the foremost thing in Doerksen's mind when he
enters the Octagon, but rest assured, he and Riggs will be foremost
in the minds of the crowd. And it's about time, both of these
fighters have been winning and have elevated their games to a
world class level. Either way, the UFC has finally tapped into
some of the best middleweight talent in the world. Look for Doerksen,
and probably Riggs too, to be around for some time to come.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Crunkilton
vs. Melendez at Next WEC?
According to our friends over at GracieFighter, this fight is
all but a done deal. Gilbert Melendez is a very tough fighter
out of the Cesar Gracie camp who has an overall record of 6-0
including wins over fighters such as WEC favorite Olaf Alfonso
and Hawaiian Stephan Paling. Rich "Clete" Crunkilton
is a Team AKA fighter that carries an overall record of 11-1.
His only loss was a battle between with ATT's Hermes Franca at
UFC 42 over a year ago.
From
GracieFighter: "This fight has been on the works for some
time and is very close to being finalized for the next WEC. Melendez
would be putting his Championship Belt and his undefeated record
on the line against the crafty UFC vet. Crunkilton has not fought
recently due to a knee injury, yet has apparently healed up and
is once again ready to step into the cage. Both fighters have
shown a stunning array of moves and are both highly entertaining.
We expect their encounter against each other to be no different."
This
fight would just be another in the long line of amazing fights
that WEC has been bringing to their cage. World Extreme Cagefighting
is definitely showing themselves to be a rising force in the
ever growing world of MMA.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Ricardo
Arona
By Eduardo Ferreira
Ready for another
After
spending an year and seven months away without doing a single
fight, Brazilian Top Team's Ricardo Arona returned to Pride and
faced American Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Arona was
doing fine and also got his dizzy with some leg moves. "I
saw Jackson lost and asking me to not punch anymore... he also
called the referee... but he took so long to realize it When
the fight started, the whole thing happened and I lost,"
lamented Arona. Check out now a full interview with BTT fighter.
What
did happen during that final moment?
I
didn't remember I was hit by a butthead. I didn't feel a thing
with the shock. I lost my sense for few seconds and the referee
already had stopped the fight. In fact, me and my team already
had trained positions like that, but he stood up holding my leg
and when I realize it was too late. The shock was unstoppable...
How
were you feeling during the fight?
I
was doing a perfect fight... it was all about me. I was doing
really fine. I wasn't hit once, was exchanging punches alright,
applying good take downs and ruling the ground. What had happened
was a fatality. Its the only explanation.
When
Rampage "slept" with your leg moves, you tried to call
the referee... and missed the time he got recovered. Do you think
you was a little innocent?
I
blew it. He started to make weird noises and I though I was killing
him. I was supposed to win by submission or keep beating him
Are
you gonna go for the "No Contest"?
I
don't know if we gonna get the "no contest". But I
do believe soon I'll have another chance. I still have some fights
left with Pride. I must be coming back in August or October...
and I still have plans for the upcoming GP.
Do
you feel like having a rematch with Quinton Jackson?
I
primer idea is reaching the category's belt. If I must face for
it, I will do it..., even because I still cannot deal with this
loss. My car broke down during the last lap of the GP.
Send
a message to your fans.
Stay
with me and trust in me. I am well prepared and I will do my
best to rule the belt.
Source: Tatame |
Minotouro
almost submitted Killa
Meanwhile Rodrigo Minotauro submitted his two opponents at pride
via hand's triangle choke, Rogério Minotouro almost repeated
his brother move against Alex Stiebling in South Korea. "I
tried to apply a triangle, then an arm-lock and I got a key-lock.
He spin and I got the 100kg. He fell in his knees and I got the
hand's triangle choke... he was almost sleeping, but he ended
saved by the belt," explained Minotouro, who train exhaustive
with his brother.
Doing
his first fight after the second elbow surgery, Minotouro got
a broken finger during the second round. "I was feeling
fine, really confident, and over the second round, I broke my
finger due to the ground n' pound. The fight was a bloody one
and with Anderson Silva's bout, it was the best fight of the
event," guaranteed Rogério, who will possibly fight
at upcoming Pride Bushido, which happens on July 19th, defending
Brazilian Top Team.
Source: Tatame |
POSTAL
CONNECTIONS: PRIDE NEGOTIATING WITH 'TANK' ABBOTT
By Tape Lord
Hello
my friends, my postal connections in the DSE/PRIDE organizations
are telling me that PRIDE is currently negotiating with 'Tank'
Abbott.
According
to these sources, PRIDE is very interested in matching Tank up
against Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic for one of their upcoming shows
in 2004.
Tank
has also been in talks with K-1, but inside sources say he is
more interested in signing with PRIDE.
More
info to come in the next few weeks.
Source: Fight Sport |
PRIDE
BUSHIDO'S FUTURE IN DOUBT
PRIDE president Nobuyuki Sakakibarastated to the Japanese media
that the PRIDE Bushido promotion may be cancelled by next year
if the numbers for the show don't pick up by the end of the year.
According
to sources in the Japanese media, the cancellation of PRIDE Bushido
is not a serious reality. But if the show does get cancelled,
it is only because DSE/PRIDE will introduce a new concept show.
PRIDE Bushido 4
July 19th, 2004
Nagoya Aiichi Rainbow Hall
Nagoya, Japan
Brazilian
Top Team vs. Japan matchups:
Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogeuira vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Paulo Filho vs. Akira Shoji
Fabio Mello vs. Takanori Gomi
Single
fight matchups:
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Shungo Oyama
Dean Lister vs. Amar Suloev
Hayato Sakurai vs. TBA
Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Ken'ichi Yamamoto
Marcus Aurelio vs. D. Mishima
Luis 'Buscape' Firminho vs. Hiroyuki Abe
Kyosuke Sasaki vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
Source: Fight Sport |
PRIDE
Heavyweight GP Finals
August 15th, 2004
Saitama Super Arena
Saitama, Japan
Below
are some of the matchups that the Japanese media are saying will
take place on the PRIDE Heavyweight GP card on August 15th. A
total of eight matchups are expected to be officially announced
next month:
Heavyweight
GP semifinals:
Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira vs. Naoya Ogawa
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Sergei Kharitonov
Single
fights:
Vanderlei Silva vs. Yuki Kondo
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Alexander Emelianenko
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. TBA
Source: Fight Sport |
WERDUM
SIGNS 3-YEAR DEAL WITH PRIDE
Brazilian
magazine 'Tatame' reports that Fabricio Werdum has signed a 3-year
contract with PRIDE.
According
to Tatame, Werdum will fight about four fights a year in PRIDE
until the end of the year 2007. The entire contract will see
him participate in about twelve PRIDE fights.
Tatame
added that Werdum will make his PRIDE debut on the December 31st
show.
Source: Fight Sport |
THE
JAKE R. REPORT: SHAMROCK OUTDRAWS ORTIZ
By Jake R.
Longtime
reliable sources familiar with day-to-day operations inside the
Zuffa organization have informed me that during the planning
stages of Shamrock/Tito II, a surprising developement occurred.
While UFC president Dana White and the top Zuffa brass have long
thought Tito Ortiz was their main pay-per-view draw, recent pay-per-view
numbers have made them think otherwise.
PPV
numbers thus far for UFC 48 indicate it has outdrawn every Tito
Ortiz headlined event other than UFC 47 and UFC 40. UFC 40 featured
Ken Shamrock on the card, and it is now becoming more evident
to the Zuffa organization that Ortiz was not nearly as responsible
for the massive PPV buyrates as they had once thought.
As
one longterm Zuffa source in Vegas informed me, these numbers
are very surprising to them for several reasons. Most importantly,
Zuffa has invested a great deal of money in advertising and promoting
Tito Ortiz before every event he headlines, not including the
fortune Zuffa has put into hyping Ortiz since ownership of the
UFC changed hands.
As
it was explained to me, UFC 48 with Shamrock/Kimo did not receive
anywhere near the same level of paid advertising that Ortiz regularly
does whenever he fights, yet it outdrew every Ortiz show he has
headlined other than UFC 47. In addition, I was told the top
Zuffa brass have realized the combination of heavy paid advertisement
and events such as the Direct TV documentary were responsible
in large part for UFC 47's buyrate, not Tito Ortiz himself as
Zuffa once believed.
Zuffa
has finally begun to lose faith in Ortiz, leaving what little
bargaining power Ortiz once held over the UFC virtually diminished.
Ken Shamrock is now seen as Zuffa's most valuable fighting asset,
in direct contrast with Zuffa's thoughts just several months
ago.
As
usual, to find out what is really going on behind the scenes
at Zuffa, stick to reading the report other sites are either
too corrupt or too incompetent to report.
*Exclusive:
Must credit the Jake R report when discussing this story.*
Source: Fight Sport |
Quote
of the Day
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone
can start from now and make a brand new ending."
Carl Bard
|
No
Sunday Class
at Academia Casca Grossa de Jiu-Jitsu
The Sunday class at ACGJJ will be like school in summer time...no
class.
This was always my favorite quote from philosopher and humanitarian
Fat Albert.
We are taking a holiday on July 4th like the rest of the country.
Please let anyone you bump in to know.
Have a great 4th of July and don't blow yourself up!
|
Punishment
In Paradise Results
Punishment In Paradise 4: "Night of Champions"
Campbell High School Gym, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
July 2, 2004
More details
to come later.
Exhibition:
Junior Bantamweight #1 Contender Match
60lbs. 3x1 Minute Rounds
Tristen Febria (E.B.F.C.) Vs. Abraham Reinhart (Wailuku Kickboxing,
Maui)
Junior
Heavyweight Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
100lbs. 3x1 Minute Rounds
Keola McKee (Wailuku Kickboxing, Maui) def. Sage Yoshida (H.M.C.)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
Middleweight
Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
165lbs.3x1 1/2 Minute Rounds
Frank Rebello (Advanced Kempo) def. Ikaika (Eastsidaz)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-26), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
Lightweight
Kickboxing Championships
132LBS 3x2 Minute Rounds
David Balicao (H.S.D.) def. Gerald Orvalio (808 Fight Factory)
TKO due to shoulder injury at 57 seconds in Round 1.
Super
Welterweight Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
153lbs. 3x11/2 Minute Rounds
Kaleo Koon (Eastsidaz) def. Alex (Home Grown Muay Thai)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (30-27), (30-26)] after 3 rounds.
Welterweight
Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
147lbs. 3x11/2 Minute Rounds
Kaipo Gonzales (Eastsidaz) def. Dyson Domen (Team Bigdogs)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
Cruiserweight
#1 Contender Match
196lbs. 3x1 ½ Minute Rounds
Valentino Ulufale (Team Bigdogs) Vs. Joshua Versola (Advanced
Kempo)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-28)] after 3 rounds.
Super
Lightweight Kickboxing Championship
137lbs. 3x2 Minute Rounds
Domi "Dominator' Lopes (Team Bigdog) accepted the title
when his fight fell through.
Super Middleweight Kickboxing Championship
172lbs. 3x2 Minute Rounds
Deshawn Johnson (HMC) vs. Zack Elaraza (Wailuku Kickboxing)
Deshawn Johnson accepted the title when his fight fell through
due to Wayne Perrin III becoming sick.
Middleweight
Kickboxing Championship
165lbs. 3x2 Minute Rounds
Cheyenne Padekan def. Dain Agbayani (808 F.F.)
TKO due to shoulder injury after the end of the first round.
|
Charuto
Leaving the UFC?
From Tatame:
Renato's
contract with the UFC will soon be ending and the Brazilian is
already making plans to change enviornments. Like his training
partner, the Hawaiian BJ Penn, Charuto has already made the first
calls to finalize a contract with a Japanese organization. "I
have one fight left with the UFC and afterwards I want to go
to the larger Japanese organizations. There they treat us very
well, like an athlete really should be treated. I've made some
calls but haven't closed a deal yet", he told us without
entering into detail about who he was dealing with.
In relation to his loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 48, Charuto lamented
on the lack of willingness on the American to fight. " I
trained alot, but he was resolute in stalling until the end of
the fight. I blame some of it on being nervous. I wasn't able
to get out of the bottom position. This hurt my efforts."
The Nova Uniao athlete beleives that the referee took too long
to stand them back up at times when, according to him, Hughes
was stalling. If I had won I would have been at the forefront
of a title shot,..he lamented. Soon Renato Charuto will be returning
to the ring at the Rumble on the Rock in October.
Note;
we have translated this interview into English for our readers.
Source: Gracie Fighter |
WEST
COAST Fight Team
Were starting a something July 12.2004 in Maili, Hawaii. Wrestling
& Grappling will be Monday & Wednesday night, Kickboxing
and Boxing will be Tuesday & Thursday nights. Before all
classes their wil be conditioning.
For those who don't know Maili is between Nanakuli & Waianae
All classes will start @630pm and end @830pm. Best of all its
FREE...
interested email second2none@hawaii.rr.com. or call 808-330-4483
ALL AGES WELCOME!!!!MEN AND WOMEN...
Source: Brennan Kamaka |
Pride
Bushido 4 Card Nearly Complete
Pride's Bushido 4 card, featuring a Brazilian Top Team vs. Japan
theme, is nearly complete. Though the team vs. team matchups
don't pack as much punch as they have in recent Bushido shows,
the overall card is starting to look pretty solid.
Many
fans will be disappointed that the heavily rumored participation
of Mario Sperry will not happen, there are some very good matches
set to take place and a couple of surprises.
Dokonjonosuke
Mishima vs. Marcus Aurelio (of American Top Team) could turn
out to be one of the better fights on the night. Not too many
fans outside of Japan have been able to see much of Mishima,
but he is one of the more exciting and talented fighters on the
Japanese scene and will be squaring off against another fairly
unknown talent (outside of Southern part of the United States)
in Marcus Aurelio.
Another
big surprise on this card is the addition of UFC veteran Amar
Suloev and Abu Dhabi Champion and King of the Cage veteran Dean
Lister. Suloev, a Russian fighter, has gone 4-0 since his last
fight in the UFC and continue his roll in Japan where he defeated
another UFC veteran in Din Thomas at the last Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye.
Lister carries an overall record of 6-2 in MMA and is looking
to move on after a tough decision loss in an impressive performance
against Jeremy Horn last December.
Mirko
"Cro Cop" Filipovic will continue his run of appearing
on every Pride Bushido card since its inception. Cro Cop is still
trying to bounce back from a tough loss to Kevin Randleman in
the first round of the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix and a rather
unimpressive, albeit victorious effort against Hiromitsu Kanehara
at Bushido 3. It is believed that if he defeats Bushido 4 opponenet
Shungo Oyama, Cro Cop will then face Alexander Emelianenko (Fedor's
brother) at Pride Final Conflict show on August 15th.
It
is also believed that Japanese legend Hayato "Mach"
Sakurai will participate although no opponent has been named
as of yet.
Pride
Bushido 4
July 19th, 2004
Nagoya Aiichi Rainbow Hall
Brazilian
Top Team vs. Team Japan
Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan)
Paulo Filho (Brazil) vs. Akira Shoji (Japan)
Fabio Mello (Brazil) vs. Takanori Gomi (Japan)
Additional
Matches:
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Croatia) vs. Shungo Oyama
(Japan)
Dean Lister (USA) vs. Amar Suloev (Russia)
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (Japan) vs. TBA
Ikuhisa Minowa (Japan) vs. Kenichi Yamamoto (Japan)
Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Japan) vs. Marcos Aurelio (Brazil)
Hiroyuki Abe (Japan) vs. Luis “Buscape” Firminho (Brazil)
Kyosuke Sasaki (Japan) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (Japan)
Source: MMA Weekly |
Train
with Brazilian Top Team
WELCOME TO FIRST CLASS BJJ CAMP @ BTT TRAINING CENTER
Brazilian Top Team and Nova Geração have come together
to offer the First Class BJJ Camp to the practitioners and enthusiasts
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
This one tells the other camps apart because of the high quality
of its instructors, its infrastructure (accommodations, transportation,
social & cultural activities) and city tours.
The camp will take place August 21 – September 01 and will
prepare for the Masters International (August 28). It is open
to every practitioner all over the world, regardless of academy,
age, belt or sex.
You will be probably training when you bump into top fighters
like Rodrigo Minotauro, Ricardo Arona, Fernando Margarida, Paulão
Filho, among others.
Enjoy your holidays and bring your family. There will be alternative
activities for them, such as outdoor activities and visits to
historic cities.
To assure quality we limited to 15 the number of students at
this time!
PACKAGE
•
2 daily training sessions at the BTT and NG headquarters under
the supervision of the champions Zé Mario Sperry, Murilo
Bustamante, Bebeo Duarte e Toco.
• Staying in luxurious apartments a few steps from the sand
of famous Ipanema beach, two meals included at hotel restaurant.
• Transportation for all the activities.
• Sightseeing to Sugar Loaf, Barra Beach, shoppings and
Maracanã Stadium with a bilingual guide.
PRICE:
USD 120 per day
For
more info: staff@jiujitsucamp.com
Source: MMA Weekly |
Just
My Thoughts:
UFC, PRIDE and Everything in Between
by Mike Sloan
Wow,
what a glorious weekend of mixed martial arts at its best. One
day we see electrifying UFC 48 and then round two of the PRIDE
Heavyweight Grand Prix. Toss into the concoction Barrera-Ayala
that same weekend for us boxing junkies and I’m happier
than Ed Gein in a morgue.
This
week’s topics will range from the predictable headliners
-- Sylvia’s broken arm, Shamrock’s knee to the puss,
Tito and Ken almost trading fists at the press conference and
everything PRIDE. But I will give my thoughts on certain other
topics as well. Hopefully you’ll enjoy.
Mir Snaps Sylvia’s
Arm Like a Bamboo Reed
First
off, I predicted through my Magic 8 Ball that Sylvia would demolish
Mir inside of the first round to recapture his relinquished title.
I figured that Mir wouldn’t be able to bring him down, he’d
get too ballsy and walk into a mean dose of Sylvia’s fists.
Sylvia never came close to losing any major fight, so why would
he start now?
Well,
it looks like my Magic 8 Ball has failed me yet again -- time
to trade it in for some fortune cookies. Not only did Sylvia
lose to Mir, he lost in under a minute. Sylvia threw a straight
right and wound up in Mir’s guard. Shortly thereafter, Mir
torqued his hips and snapped the two bones in Sylvia’s forearm,
whatever their Latin words are.
Good
for Mir; bad for Sylvia. According to one of Zuffa’s finest,
it turns out that Sylvia has to have immediate surgery on his
arm and has to have steel plates inserted to repair the damages.
In my opinion, it looks like we won’t be seeing “The
Maine-iac” in combat anytime soon. Sylvia will be out for
at least 10 months, if not longer.
Congrats
go out to Mir as he proved many, many ‘experts’ wrong
and wound up walking away with the UFC heavyweight title. Next
up for Mir is Andrei Arlovski in what should be a thrilling title
defense for the Vegas native.
Let’s
just hope that Mir doesn’t do anything stupid like fail
a drug test, demand more money or fight in K-1.
The GP Rolls Along
I
can’t give my ‘expert’ pick as to who the victor
of the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix will be because the guy I
picked to win it all has already lost. No, I didn’t pick
Giant Silva. My original pick of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
was tossed out the window thanks to Kevin Randleman. But can
the PRIDE GP get any more exciting, yet more predictable?
It’s
exciting because the fights are stellar and the finishes of said
matches are second to none. Can Rodrigo Nogueira possibly win
another bout in the GP with his sick boa constrictor choke? What
sub does Fedor Emelianenko have up his sleeve? And will Nog and
Fedor meet in the finals?
The
answer to that last question is yes. Nogueira will try to avenge
his loss to Fedor when they meet in the finals. This one is obvious.
There’s
no way that Sergei Kharitonov will get past Fedor when they meet
and who actually thinks Naoya Ogawa will beat Nogueira? Trust
me, those are the matches and the two favored fighters will advance.
That is why it’s predictable. The reason why something so
predictable is so bloody exciting is that we know Nog/Fedor II
will be one for the ages.
Props to ‘Old
Man’ Shamrock, but Not to Tito
Is
it just me or did Ken Shamrock look like he was in his early
thirties when he stepped into the Octagon to face old foe Kimo?
When he squared off against young buck Tito Ortiz, Shamrock just
looked like and old, worn-out warrior. Against Kimo, he actually
looked 10 years younger and was in top form. His vicious knee
that ended Kimo’s night earlier than he had hoped was a
thing of beauty. It looked like the same knee that Mark Kerr
used to smash his opponents with.
In
keeping with Shamrock, it was good to hear him open up about
how his life is finally on track and his mental and physical
states are right where they should be. It was heart-warming to
hear him dish out praise to his teammates, Kimo and his loving
father. Shamrock was on Cloud 9 immediately following the fight
and at the post-fight press conference, his euphoria spread to
everybody he spoke to. It’s a wonderful thing to see somebody
so happy.
Which
brings me to Tito. Dude, seriously. Have you ever heard of letting
someone have their time in the spotlight? Even though you hate
Ken’s guts, at least have common decency and let him finish
his quotes to everyone involved. It’s one thing to call
out some sucka right after a fight and bring some solid hype
to the sport, it’s another to interrupt his moment of glory
and call him out.
For
one thing, Tito, you already beat him to a bloody pulp. Your
punishment of Shamrock was more than a terrific vindication for
you in light of your bitter rivalry, but that was many moons
ago. Who calls out someone after they’ve already beaten
them from pillar to post? You are on a two fight losing streak,
so of course you need to boost your morale against someone you
know you can beat. Everybody does it, just not legendary champions
like yourself.
Your
public taunts and challenge of Shamrock, to me, was a pitiful
excuse to steal someone's thunder whom you dislike. If you are
going to call someone out, do it against someone you lost to
or haven’t proven yourself to. Call out Randy Couture, Chuck
Liddell or, hell, Frank Shamrock. Not Ken, a dude you already
smashed to smithereens. That’s like the Jordan-era Bulls
calling out the Clippers (no disrespect to Ken with that analogy).
Of
course, Ken wasn’t exactly a smooth talker, either. His
bursts of anger could have been avoided and he could have just
ignored Tito. Then again, this whole mess wouldn’t have
started had it not been for Ortiz’ silly taunts. Tito, you
are a better man than that.
Rampage’s Slam
of Arona Had Me Worried
I’ve
been around the fightsports all my life and have seen too many
a fighter become seriously and permanently injured from their
heads being smashed onto the canvas. Whether it be a brutal punch
or kick that caused a fighter to get his head bounced off the
canvas, the seriousness of such a trauma cannot be overlooked.
I
remember vividly one particular fighter where his head slammed
off the ring canvas on two occasions, former professional boxer
Auggie Sanchez. It happened after he was blasted out of there
by both Prince Naseem Hamed and John Michael Johnson. And on
both occasions, Sanchez was rushed out of the arena on a stretcher.
Since
the last brutal KO -- which came at the hands of Johnson -- Sanchez
has hung up his gloves for good. He’s actually tried to
get his boxing license renewed in Las Vegas, but the Nevada State
Athletic Commission denied him due to slurred words, shoddy vision
and a host of other issues. Talking to Sanchez shows the unfortunate
affects of being severely knocked unconscious and that’s
what had me worried when Rampage slammed Arona.
Sure,
Arona isn’t a pro boxer and doesn’t absorb anywhere
near the punishing head blows through training and fighting as
boxers do. But Arona was slammed hard onto the back of his head
-- the most dangerous spot to land on one’s head -- from
roughly seven feet in the air. Thankfully Arona hit the bridge
of his shoulders first, but the impact to his head was still
painfully visible. Luckily, Arona was able to walk back to the
locker rooms on his feet, but he staggered the entire way there
and was obviously still out of it while he walked.
My
wife is a paralegal and the law firms she has worked for have
dealt with numerous head injury cases. It’s amazing how
one solitary blow to one’s noggin can instill permanent
damage. I’m pretty confident that Arona is 100 percent OK,
but that slam still had me worried.
Everything in Between
PRIDE’s
announcing team is okay. Ah, I still prefer Bas Rutten and Stephen
Quadros. ...
Get
Shaq the hell off the TV! It’s one thing to announce and
display which celebrities attend fight events, but it’s
another to plaster one’s mug on your television after every
single occurrence. After watching UFC 48 on tape a few days after
having been there in person, I almost couldn’t bare to watch
it due to the excessive “Shaq Cam.” How many times
must the camera guy pan over to put his goofy mug on the TV?
And his constant headbutting and mock fighting with his buddies
was funny (maybe) at first, but enough is enough. I could understand
if he was some sort of champion in the NBA, but he isn’t,
Rasheed Wallace is. ...
I
guess Mike Tyson won’t be fighting in K-1 anytime soon.
Tyson fights in a couple of weeks against some unknown pugilist
in Danny Williams. Yawn. Tyson has made it clear that he plans
on fighting seven times in the next two years to get out of debt.
Tyson also stated that he wants low-level guys and not the top
of the weakened heavyweight division, so he can keep winning
and try to get out of debt. Hey Mike -- what about your alleged
contract to fight in the K-1? Do you remember all that hype between
you and the now-exposed fraud that is Bob Sapp? Yeah, I never
bought it. I don’t know why anybody ever thought for a second
that Tyson was going to follow the lead of Frans Botha, Shannon
Briggs, Vince Phillips, Ray Mercer and others into the K-1 foray.
Only a fool would have actually believed that smoke screen. I
certainly hope that K-1 will get refunded whatever expenses they
forked over to “sign” you up. Oh well, ya can’t
blame K-1 for at least trying.
Source: Sherdog |
Shamrock
back on track, but whether Tito will follow is the question
From the Mount by Jason Probst
There are two types of fighters in the UFC - reality track and
nostalgia track. Admittedly, Ken Shamrock versus Kimo was something
of a nostalgia fight. But, it does bring in the critical eyeballs
to pay for the rest of the card. It's always funny when you hear
fighters complaining about what other guys make, who take either
lower-risk fights for bigger money.
Usually,
in some abstract sense of the meritocracy, they're right. When
a guy makes $100,000 for beating up a chimp, while you're making
$5,000 for tackling a gorilla, you've got a point. But what if
the hard corollary to that was nobody would be watching you fight
the gorilla unless the guy beat up the chimp? Indeed, a conundrum…
How
many of the guys on the UFC undercard would be mobbed at the
Mall in your hometown? Shamrock's been with the UFC since its
inception - he's like the veteran employee who doesn't have the
corner office anymore, but still has the sales figures that come
from cumulative exposure. And his win over Kimo was virtually
perfect. It extends his shelf life at least for another couple
fights, and to be honest, the UFC needs him.
The
UFC needs somebody….anybody…to penetrate the veil into
the mainstream. Shamrock is well spoken and a name that registers.
In the grocery store, they call it a loss leader - the item that
gets you inside so you'll hang around and buy more.
However,
the line must be drawn somewhere, and that's with a Tito Ortiz-Ken
Shamrock rematch.
Sure,
it's probably viable - more so to the casual fans than the hardcore,
who know that weights mean little in this match - but Tito Ortiz,
if he decides to do so, will have become the Roy Jones of MMA
if he takes a Shamrock fight.
Jones
- who said after losing to Antonio Tarver that he "couldn't
get up for this guy" - then proceeded to take a fight with
IBF champion Glencoffe Johnson instead of Tarver. Funny how he
can get up for Johnson, a tough, but up and down fighter with
nine losses on his record. He probably can get up for anybody
he feels confident about collecting an easy payday with.
Tito
is starting to look the same way. Talk of Lee Murray was thrown
around after UFC 46, after Murray, in his barely intelligible,
but highly entertaining Cockney accent, busted Tito's chops about
their alleged street encounter in London after UFC 38.
It
would only make Tito look bad to beat up on Murray. And he would
beat him something awful.
Lee
even isn't even a big 185-lb. fighter - he was 182 against Jorge
Rivera, and 140 of that is biceps and forehead. Tito needs to
fight Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, or Chuck Liddell again. Hey,
if you lose while fighting the best, it's still better than beating
up on soft touches. Look at Chuck Liddell. The guy has more street
cred than any fighter in the game, because he fights anybody,
anytime. Fans respect that. Liddell could wait around for the
Belfort-Couture winner, but instead he's fighting Vernon White
at UFC 49, the same way he fought Renato Sobral at UFC 40 while
he was waiting for Tito.
If
Tito takes on Shamrock, let us dismiss talk of injuries, excuses,
and weights. What it really signifies is that Ortiz, like Roy
Jones, has let paydays become more important than prestige. Jones
jumped up to heavyweight, decisioned a very beatable John Ruiz,
and then slipped back down safely to light heavyweight. You can
guess whether or not Ortiz would really stay at heavy if he beats
Shamrock again. It's a good payday, sure, but does little for
his career.
When
Chuck Liddell is old and gray, he probably won't be as rich as
Ortiz. He won't have the endorsements, clothing lines, or movie
credits, whatever, the poseable action figure with the cage-slam
grip. But he'll be able to sleep easy at night knowing that he
fought every tough mother in the game. We can only hope Tito
keeps that in mind - and that the UFC avoids steering him onto
the nostalgia track - in the near future.
As
for what's next for Shamrock, who knows? He delivered Saturday
night, and at 40, your career pretty much goes on a fight-by-fight
basis. As storylines go, he and Frank Mir would make a good one
-- Old School versus New. Odds-wise he's likely to be as much
a long shot against Mir as he is against Ortiz, but at least
it's not a repeat…and Mir is more likely to fight from his
back, which always gave Ken a better chance.
Short
Shots
Matt
Hughes-Renato "Charuto" Verissimo was a tough, close
fight. But two judges scoring the first round for Hughes suggests
that a scoring review is in order with Las Vegas judges. If a
fighter like Verissimo has a near-submission locked in and has
the other fighter completely focusing on getting out of the impending
disaster, that should count the equivalent to a punching flurry
that has a guy on Queer Street. Charuto didn't do a lot after
the first round but he virtually neutralized Hughes' ground and
pound attack, although Hughes did land the occasional shot and
scored all the takedowns.
Charuto
will be a very dangerous spoiler against welterweights, particularly
strong aggressive types, with his astute groundwork and dexterity.
Against Georges St. Pierre or Frank Trigg, he'd be especially
effective.
A
word on Trigg: his post fight flip off of Dennis Hallman wasn't
much in the way of high etiquette, but Trigg nipped out-of-line
fans in the bud at the post fight press conference who cheered
Dana White's announcement that Tim Sylvia had suffered broken
bones from Frank Mir's arm bar.
"That
is jacked up," said Trigg, taking the mic and admonishing
fans who applauded the grotesque injury. It needed to be said,
and Trigg, for all his bluster in pre-fight buildup, earned this
writer's respect.
To
cheer a fighter is one thing, but to applaud an injury is sick.
There's enough cheering in press row as it is…much less
post fight conferences where half of the media are there to collect
autographs and pretend they're journalists, and the other half
are fighter entourages who serve no function except to take up
space and issue the occasional challenge. Hell, even boxing post
fight pressers are fairly organized compared to this chaos…..still
room for improvement there….
Georges
St. Pierre needs to fight a top ten opponent. He's pretty good
so far, and how many times have you seen such a good wrestler
try an honest-to-pete spinning back kick? How about St. Pierre
against Chris Lytle? Lytle's mix of striking and grappling would
be a fine test for St. Pierre.
Still
don't understand why Tim Sylvia willingly went to the floor with
Frank Mir. He seemed to be executing the game plan perfectly
- deterring Mir's first clinch attempt with a knee, and landing
a good shot before hooking a leg kick and charging forward, taking
Mir down. It ranks right up there, in terms of mysteries, with
why Tito ever chose to slug with Chuck. Baffling.
However,
Sylvia may be the toughest mother in MMA. It's a credit to ref
Herb Dean - the one pair of eyes that mattered - catching the
broken forearm and stopping the match. Sylvia deserves to fight
another day, and most refs might have missed it. Dean, who's
fought MMA himself, knew where to look and what to look for.
He probably would've given Verissimo the first round against
Hughes, too….
Source: Maxfighting |
'Merciless'
Ray Mercer speaks to Doghouse Boxing
By Benny Henderson Jr.
'Merciless' Ray Mercer
Gladiator- glad-i-a-tor (noun) (1) a person, usually a professional
combatant, trained to entertain the public by engaging in mortal
combat with another person or wild animal as like in the ancient
Roman arena (2) a person engaged in a controversy or debate,
especially in public; a disputant (3) sports: a professional
fighter.
And
that is just what Ray Mercer is: a professional combatant trained
to entertain the public by opening a can of Whoop Ass on his
opponents. With a career record of 33-5-1 (25), the former 1988
Olympic Gold Medalist shows nothing but respect for others out
of the ring, but in the ring he becomes 'Merciless'. In 1991
he was challenged for his WBO heavyweight title by then unbeaten
Tommy 'The Duke' Morrison. In the fifth round he delivered one
of the most brutal KO's in boxing history. Over his 15 year boxing
career he has stepped in the ring with some of the best. A fearless
fighter with an iron chin, Mercer has only been on the canvas
three times in his career and two of the knockdowns came after
the age of 40. On May 26 of this year the former WBO heavyweight
champion announced his retirement from the world of boxing. He
will always be remembered by the boxing world as a true Gladiator.
The champ stopped by the Doghouse to talk about his career.
MUST
SEE AND IT'S FREE!
New This week: You want to see this! Hopkins Talks the Talk.
He Disses Trinidad and lets Oscar know what to expect. Oscar
gets very serious and explains why he's willing to fight Hopkins
a man who can end his life.
Free At DogHouseBoxing.com.
Click Pic Below: Opens in Media Player
(Video © MaxBoxing.com)
Benny Henderson: Well, how is retirement from boxing treating
you?
Ray
Mercer: Retirement from boxing is treating me great, I don't
have to deal with all the snakes anymore.
BH:
Do you feel that you may ever return to the boxing ring again?
And do you plan on continuing to compete in K-1?
RM:
Yes, I do believe that I will compete in K-1 again. As you know
K-1 is not boxing, K-1 is three 3 minute rounds of fighting.
In K-1 you can use your fists elbows feet back hands, the only
way that I can describe it is it's the WWE but for real.
BH:
You had a controversial loss to Lennox Lewis in 1996. A lot of
fans thought you won the fight. What do you think?
RM:
I know that I won the fight, as a matter of fact Lewis stated
to the press after the fight that he was going to send me half
of his check LOL!!!! Lewis is a pussy, you can tell him I said
it.
BH:
Looking back on your 15 years as a boxer. What accomplishments
are you most proud of?
RM:
Winning and defending the WBO World title.
BH:
You have fought some big punchers in your time and have taken
some tremendous shots. Out of all the fighters you have faced
which three would you say hit the hardest?
RM:
Bert Cooper by far, whooooo, could he hit, Tommy hit pretty hard
as well, there was a fighter that I fought his name was Leo Loiacono
(a big Italian white boy) he hit real hard as well.
BH:
Let's just say you could start your career all over again. What
would you do different this time around?
RM:
Have Vinny LaManna as my manager from the start. Vinny has been
a friend and confidant of mine for 12 years, he has always gave
me good advice in the boxing world. If any fighters are looking
for management, be sure to find a guy like Vinny, he is the best.
BH:
Since your vicious knock out of Tommy Morrison there has been
some debate amongst the boxing fans. Some say you went to far,
some say the ref should have stopped in sooner, some say you
was doing what you are paid to do. What are your thoughts on
the fight?
RM:
I think after watching the fight on tape the reff should have
stopped the fight after the eight or ninth punch, but remember
I was only doing my job.
BH:
Out of your 39 bouts, which one are you most proud of?
RM:
I am most proud of my title defense with Morrison.
BH:
Is there any fighter you didn't get to step in the ring with
that you wish you could have fought?
RM:
Bowe and Tyson, I would have loved to fight them in our prime.
BH:
What advice would you give to a young fighter?
RM:
My advice to a young fighter would be not to do this fight thing
half hearted, the is a dangerous sport and is to be taken seriously.
BH:
How do you want to be remembered by the boxing fans?
RM:
I would like to be remembered as a gladiator, a man that would
war with anyone but any one would not war with me.
BH:
In closing, is there anything you would like to say to the closing
fans?
RM:
I would like to say to all my fans, thanks for the times that
we had together, thanks for the memories that we have shared,
and one last thing: without all the Mercer fans their would have
been no 'Merciless' Ray Mercer. If any of my fans see me walking
down the street, please stop me and say 'Ray I am a fan', this
way I will know who my fans really are.
I
would like to thank CL. Jones and Ray's manager Vinny LaManna
of Bam Sports for setting up this interview for me. I would personally
like to thank Ray Mercer for his time and kindness. Ray would
like to mention that his career was for the fans and without
his fans he would be nothing. And his time with manager Vinny
LaManna is time well spent.
Source: Dog House Boxing |
Quote
of the Day
"The way I see it, living your DASH is about two things:
being and doing. How are you going to 'be' as a human being?
And, what are you going to 'do' to contribute?"
Eric J. Aronson, author of "DASH"
|
Punishment
In Paradise Tonight
Punishment In Paradise 4: "Night of Champions"
Campbell High School Gym, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
July 2, 2004
Junior Bantamweight #1 Contender Match
60lbs. 3x1 Minute Rounds
Tristen Febria (E.B.F.C.) Vs. Abraham Reinhart (Wailuku Kickboxing,
Maui)
Junior Heavyweight Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
100lbs. 3x1 Minute Rounds
Sage Yoshida (H.M.C.) Vs. Keola McKee (Wailuku Kickboxing, Maui)
Middleweight
Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
165lbs.3x1 1/2 Minute Rounds
Ikaika (Eastsidaz) Vs. Frank Rebello (Advanced Kempo)
Welterweight
Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
147lbs. 3x11/2 Minute Rounds
Chris Coderio (Bad Intentions) Vs. Kaipo Gonzales (Eastsidaz)
Cruiserweight
#1 Contender Match
196lbs. 3x1 ½ Minute Rounds
Val (Team Bigdogs) Vs. Joshua Versola (Advanced Kempo)
Super
Welterweight Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
153lbs. 3x11/2 Minute Rounds
Tyson Coloma' Nahooikaika (M.F.C.F) Vs. Kaleo Koon (Eastsidaz)
Lightweight
Kickboxing Championships
132LBS 3x2 Minute Rounds
Gerald Orvalio (808 Fight Factory) Vs. David Balicao (H.S.D.)
Super
Lightweight Kickboxing Championship
137lbs. 3x2 Minute Rounds
Domi "Dominator' Lopes (Team Bigdog) Vs. Steven Tandal (Waimanalo
Kickboxing)
Middleweight Kickboxing Championships
165lbs. 3x2 Minute Rounds
Dain Agbayani (808 F.F.) Vs. PJ Dean (Bad Intentions)
Super
Middleweight Kickboxing Championships
172lbs. 3x2 Minute Rounds
Wayne Perrin III (Team Bigdog) Vs. Deshawn Johnson (HMC)
Cruiserweight
Kickboxing Championship
205lbs. 3x2 Minute Rounds
Mike Malone (Eastsidaz) Vs. Andre Washington (Team Thunda)
|
BRAZILIAN
TOP TEAM VS. JAPAN FOR BUSHIDO VOLUME 4
by: Turi Altavilla
LOS ANGELES, California – The fight card for PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO
VOLUME 4 has been assembled and will feature Mirko “Cro
Cop” Filipovic, Dean “The Boogey Man” Lister,
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, and a team match between the
Brazilian Top Team and Team Japan. BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 will take
place from the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan and is scheduled
to debut on North American pay per view for customers of iNDEMAND,
DIRECTV, and TVN on Sunday, July 25th, 2004 at 3:00pm EST, 12:00pm
PST (please check each respective carrier for later evening replays).
For customers of DISH Network, the premiere will be Sunday, August
1st, 2004 at 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST.
The
first match on the card features Croatia’s Mirko “Cro
Cop” Filipovic against Japanese fighter Shungo Oyama. Looking
to re-position himself among the elite heavyweights, “Cro
Cop” has re-dedicated himself to his mixed martial arts
career and is looking to begin the road to title contention once
again. His last two victories have been at BUSHIDO (a TKO win
over Norihisa Yamamoto at VOLUME 2 and a decision win over Hiromitsu
Kanehara at VOLUME 3) and now he faces PRIDE FC veteran and Judo
practitioner Shungo Oyama.
Also,
scheduled to make his PRIDE FC debut is Dean “The Boogeyman”
Lister. Training out of San Diego, California, Lister is a former
King of the Cage middleweight champion and winner of the absolute
division of the Abu Dhabi Submission Championships. His first
PRIDE FC match will be a difficult challenge as he faces Amar
Suleov of Russia. A member of the Red Devil Sport Club, Suleov
boasts a strong wrestling and kickboxing game and is a veteran
of the UFC.
In
addition to these matches, BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 will feature the
Brazilian Top Team versus Team Japan. One of the elite fight
teams in the world (team members include Mario Sperry, Murilo
Bustamante and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira), the Brazilian Top Team
will send representatives Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (twin brother
of Rodrigo), Paulo Filho, and Fabio Mello. In a revenge match,
Nogueira will face the prized protégé of Hidehiko
Yoshida, Kazuhiro Nakamura, who is 3-1. Nakamura’s only
loss---to Nogueira back at PRIDE FC 25 BODY BLOW. In another
revenge match, Akira Shoji will attempt to avenge his arm bar
loss to Paulo Filho (the two faced off originally at PRIDE FC
22 BEASTS FROM THE EAST 2). In the final match, Fabio Mello will
make his PRIDE FC debut, taking on one of the best middleweights
in the world in Takanori Gomi (15-2).
This
is just the beginning of stellar fight card!
PRIDE
FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 Fight Card // Brazilian Top Team vs. Team
Japan
Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan)
Paulo Filho (Brazil) vs. Akira Shoji (Japan)
Fabio Mello (Brazil) vs. Takanori Gomi (Japan)
Additional
Matches:
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Croatia) vs. Shungo Oyama
(Japan)
Dean Lister (USA) vs. Amar Suloev (Russia)
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (Japan) vs. TBA
Ikuhisa Minowa (Japan) vs. Kenichi Yamamoto (Japan)
Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Japan) vs. Marcos Aurelio (Brazil)
Hiroyuki Abe (Japan) vs. Luis “Buscape” Firminho (Brazil)
Kyosuke Sasaki (Japan) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (Japan)
(Fight
Card Subject to Change)
BUSHIDO
VOLUME 4 will take place from the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya,
Japan and is scheduled to debut on North American pay per view
on Sunday, July 25th, 2004 at 3:00pm EST, 12:00pm PST for customers
of iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, and TVN (please check each respective carrier
for later evening replays). For customers of DISH Network, the
premiere will be Sunday, August 1st, 2004 at 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm
PST. The event will be available at a reduced rate of $19.95.
For additional replay times, please contact your pay per view
provider or pridefc.com.
For
more information on PRIDE FC, visit http://pridefc.com!
Source: ADCC |
A
Message From FRANK TRIGG
by: Ford Willard
For Immediate Release…
Frank
“Twinkle Toes” Trigg of El segundo, California returned
victorious from Las Vegas and the Ultimate Fighting Championships
48: Payback. On that recent Saturday night, Trigg knocked out
Dennis “Superman” Hallman in just over four minutes
in front of a packed house at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
Electrified
fans anticipated a hard fought battle pitting the submission
skills of Hallman against the vicious ground and pound wrestling
style of Trigg.
Surprisingly,
Trigg was the underdog despite previously defeating Hallman in
the Welterweight Championship of the World Fighting Alliance
in 2002. That bout ended prematurely and in controversy when
Hallman would not return to the ring after an accidental groin
kick. Trigg maintains the kick was not a low blow. 'He quit…it’s
that simple...Hallman didn’t want any part of me.'
Trigg’s
comments so rankled Hallman that he embarked on a year-long crusade
to discredit Trigg in the press and on the Internet, all in an
attempt to lure Trigg into the Octagon.
Hallman’s
favorite status was compounded by two previous submission victories
over Matt Hughes, the fighter who had handed Trigg his first
defeat in the Octagon at UFC 45 in late 2003. Rumor had it the
winner of this fight would get a shot at the UFC’s coveted
Welterweight Championship.
At
the bell, Trigg came out firing on all cylinders, stunning Hallman
with a hard right hook and dominant wrestling. Hallman did attempt
a few leg submissions but the fight ended after four short minutes
when Trigg knocked out a hapless and overmatched Hallman with
a barrage of punches from the top position.
Trigg
punctuated the win by flipping off a downed and disoriented Hallman
who had previously denigrated Trigg in the press, calling the
Real American Wrestling star a “liar” and “not
a true warrior.”
For
Trigg, this win marked the end of the feud and the beginning
of his journey towards the Welterweight Championship. Asked who
he’d like to fight next Trigg stated, “Of course Matt
Hughes for the title, but like the RAW Team motto says, I’ll
fight “Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime.”
Trigg
would like to thank his sponsors: Vouyeur Productions, Red Light
District Video, Santa Fe Choppers, Preciuosslut Tattoos, 357
Custom Choppers, and Headblade. Also, Trigg also thanks his trainers,
Ricco Chiaparelli, Moe Drasin and Ken Vick of the RAW Training
Facility, and his training partners Kengo Ura, Jake Moody, and
Jason Jones.
For
more information, please contact:
Frank Trigg at frank@franktrigg.com
Source: ADCC |
Fabricio
Werdum training Cro Cop!
by Marcelo Alonso
One
of the new revelations of brazilian Vale-Tudo this year has been
the Jiu-Jitsu black belt Fabrício Werdum, who has signed
a 3 year contract to fight in Pride. A black belt under Silvio
Behring, Werdum is leaving his house in Madrid tomorrow to come
to Brazil to compete in both World Jiu-Jitsu Championships (July
10th at Bahia for CBJJO and July 24th in Rio for CBJJ). 'I will
stay in Brazil until August. On September 1st I´m going
to Croatia to train with Mirko Cro Cop, until my debut on December
31st' guaranteed the ADCC 2003 vice champion, who has Ken Imal,
the Japanese manager of Cro Cop, as his new manager.
Weighting
in at 108 kg, Werdum was very close to making a deal with Rudimar
Fedrigo to be the new heavyweight representative of the CHUTE
BOXE team. 'I always dreamed of fighting for Chute Boxe, the
first thing I did before signing the contract was to call Rudimar
and tell him about my offer. He supported my decision and told
me that Chute Boxe' doors are always open to me' told us the
black belt.
Source: ADCC |
Prof.
Helio Gracie's Book &
The Stars come to play in the 2004 Worlds
by: Kid Peligro / ADCC JJ Editor
Professor
Helio Gracie releases his First Instructional Book ever: 'Gracie
Jiu-Jitsu, The Master Text' by Helio Gracie and Rorion Gracie.
THE
DEFINITIVE TEXT ON BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU FROM GRANDMASTER HELIO
GRACIE HIMSELF!
This
8.5 x 11 inch 260-page hardbound full color masterpiece is packed
with over 1,300 photos! This collector quality first edition
will be one of the most sought-after books in the martial arts
world for years to come. Get in on the ground floor and be one
of the few to own the first edition of GRACIE JIU-JITSU - THE
MASTER TEXT.
In
a clear and easy-to-follow format, Grandmaster Helio Gracie addresses
different aspects of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu method that bears
his name. From the first page to the last, you'll get a simple
break down of how to systematically progress and technically
improve your mat game regardless of your background or grappling
ability. Now over 90 years old, still training and teaching,
Helio Gracie has left an enduring worldwide legacy that can only
be found in GRACIE JIU-JITSU - THE MASTER TEXT.
To
check out and to order the masterpiece go to www.gracieacademy.com!
!
The
Stars come to play in the 2004 Worlds
The
annual pilgrimmage to Rio de Janeiro for the World BJJ tournament
is going full steam. But the excitment level just went up a few
notches with the recent arrival of multiple times World Champion
Saulo Ribeiro and today's arrival of 2003 Absolute Runner-Up
Roger Gracie join the local cast and crew competing for the absolute
and weight categories. Fighters like Ronaldo 'Jacare', Fernando
'Terere', 'Xande Ribeiro', Rodrigo 'Comprido', Gabriel Vella,
Fabio Leopoldo, Marcio Corletta, 'Cafe' Dantas, Demian Maia &
Marcelo Garcia should be competing for Absolute Gold on late
July.
In
the weights Black Belts Leo Vieira, Bibiano FernandesFredson
Paxiao, Fredson Alves, Felipe Costa, Mario Reis, Carlos 'Escorrega',
Leticia Ribeiro, Leka Vieira and many more yet to commit, will
be making this a nother fantastic event.
Additionally
American standouts like Mike Fowler & Rafael Lovato Jr promise
to add their game to the fracas in their respective categories.
Look for Andre Galvao to push the limits of the Brown Belt category,
word is that the kid is tearing the mats!
Source: ADCC |
Anderson
Silva talks about his Jeremy Horn bout at Gladiator FC
by André Araújo / Team TATAME
One
of the Brazilians who won their bouts last June 26th and 27th
in South Korea at the Gladiator FC event, former Chute Boxer
Anderson Silva, now the leader of the Muay Thai Dream Team, was
the main event against experienced American fighter Jeremy Horn.
The bout was full of action from both sides, and the outcome
was decided by judges decision. The definitive moments of the
victory came on the feet, when Silva almost KO'd Horn at the
end of the second round.
According
to Anderson, who landed in his hometown of Curitiba last Wednesday,
June 29th, this fight was a very important for his international
career. 'Jeremy Horn is such a tough fighter. He deserves all
the respect he gets, and I am sure this victory will put me back
on the international scene. It was the kind of fight I will remember
for a long long time, I consider it a great experience' states
Silva. During the first round, Horn was working on Anderson!
'He applied a take down, I remember he lifted me head over heels
and put me down. But, this happens to me everyday during training.
I was fine in round 1, and I reversed the bad situation' explains
Silva, who reveals his own insight: 'I played my game, forcing
him to commit a mistake. He was tough, and the fight went to
the ground, but as I see it, we stalemated on the floor. He tried
to pass my guard, and I tried the triangle choke; shrugs the
ex-Chute Boxer.
Another
curious note emerges from Korea - before even stepping inside
the ring, Silva, the only non-Brazilian Top Team fighter at the
korean event, Anderson was with his BTT friends and wore a BTT
shirt! However the athlete avoids any further comments about
his relationship with Brazilian Top Team. 'I like everyone at
BTT, and I am friends with Rodrigo and Rogério Nogueira.
I do have respect for that team, but I train at the new team
Muay Thai Dream Team and with this victory, the team hopefully
gets great international attention. In fact, I am not BTT, I
am not MTDT... I am no longer any school. I do represent my family
and myself. When people ask me what I represent I answer: I represent
Anderson Silva and family'
Source: ADCC |
6th
AZGC - Super Fight (Laimon vs Escobar II)
Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu & Sub. Wrestling
Saturday,August 7th
Gi special match: Marc Laimon (Cobra Kai) vs Martin Escobar (Rey
Diogo)
Laimon
is undefeated in Arizona (7-0), his last gi match was against
Christopher Leininger at the 2nd AZGC which he won by submission.
Escobar will make his debut at the black belt division and he
will try to revenge his loss against Laimon at the 5th AZGC.
Source: ADCC |
UFC
49: onward and upward with "Unfinished Business"
By Jason Probst
The UFC 49 show on August 21 is a very, very solid card that
should provide more than its share of fireworks and pre-fight
debate. Don't believe me? Just look at the Nick Diaz vs. Karo
Parisyan welterweight matchup - which ensures that you can see
the spawn of endless "jiu-jitsu vs. judo" threads in
online chat. Hopefully, Diaz will either win with a judo throw,
knocking Karo out, or Parisyan will win from the ground with
a submission that'd make Rickson Gracie blush. The irony would
cause all kinds of conflicted reactions.
These
threads are highly entertaining...a lengthy thread on The Underground
rehashed, in endless detail, whether or not Fedor Emelianenko's
arm bar of Mark Coleman was "judo" or "jiu jitsu."
Like Billy Bob Thornton said..."Some folks call it a Kaiser
Blade...I call it a Sling Blade."
On
that note, we should just call it MMA. The days of non-cross
trained fighters are gone.
So
how does the card break down?
David
Terrell vs. Matt Lindland
Terrell, a grappling sensation who has recently returned to MMA
with two wins in Japan, matches up against takedown terror Lindland.
Interesting subplot here is that Terrell has proven very difficult
to take down against the world's best grapplers, and has a top-notch
submission game. He's also big for a 185-lb. fighter, having
competed in Abu Dhabi at 87 kg (194 lbs). It's a big debut in
UFC for Terrell.
"I
want to fight the best," he told Maxfighting. "And
Lindland is the best in the UFC right now at 185."
Vernon
White vs. Chuck Liddell
Two fighters who've faced a who's who of talent. This one figures
to be explosive...if Liddell wins inside the distance, that will
be a huge boost for him, because even when White loses of late,
he doesn't get stopped. This one should resemble a kickboxing
bout as both men are excellent at escaping to their feet, and
neither is a top-level takedown artist. It all add up to a fan-friendly
match.
Robbie
Lawler vs Ronald Jhun
Lawler moves up to 185 against Jhun, one of the better King Of
The Cage entrants at 170. Should be a tough match with no frills.
At
stake: The right to fight another day in the UFC.
Yves
Edwards vs Josh Thompson
Though UFC President Dana White announced that this one is not
for the UFC 155-lb. title, it should be considered the match
to crown the people's champ. Both fighters are well-rounded battlers
with a good retinue of skills, from striking to grappling. Hermes
Franca should be up next for the winner.
At
stake: Somebody to fill Jens Pulver's long-vacant shoes, even
if unofficially.
Karo
Parisyan vs. Nick Diaz
Two young guys battle for a leg up at 170 lbs., which is becoming
the UFC's deepest division.
At
stake: Short list for a title shot at welterweight.
Mike
Kyle vs. Justin Eilers
Kyle, fresh off "Bitegate" against Wes Sims, matches
up with tough Team Miletich's Justin Eilers. Eilers has a big-time
chin and power, and betting the under on this one is a good move.
At
stake: A leg up in the heavyweight ranks.
Joe
Riggs vs. Joe Doerksen
Riggs - AKA "The Diesel" sports a record of 18-5, and
despite being a 185 pounder, he has battled big guys like Cabbage
Corriera (TKO loss), Travis Fulton (Loss via choke) and 205-lb.
Homer Moore (Lost decision). Riggs is indicative of the new breed
of UFC's debuting low-level fighter - he's got a lot of fights,
and experience. Riggs fights out of Arizona Combat Sports, where
an MMA scene has come along steadily due to small shows like
Rage In The Cage constantly turning out cards.
Doerkson
is 25-5, and has beaten tough guys, who aren't quite top 20 material,
but give top fighters a tough go. He has wins over Brendan Seguin
(TKO via strikes), who gave Dean Lister a very tough match in
King Of The Cage before being submitted, and Chris Leben, a talented
Team Quest fighter who's 9-1, lost to Doerksen via decision.
This
one is a good match between two veterans with experience looking
to break out - a nice departure from the previous days of guys
with less than ten fights between them on the UFC's undercard.
We'll
save the main event rubber match between Vitor Belfort and Randy
Couture for another day...
Source: Maxfighting |
Judge
speaks out about the scoring of Hughes and Verissimo Fight
Doc Hamilton was recently featured on MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio,
where he spoke about officiating Mixed Martial Arts, and went
in to detail about how he scored the Matt Hughes and "Charuto"
Verissimo
bout at UFC 48.
There
may be no one more qualified than Doc Hamilton to speak about
refereeing and judging MMA fights. He started in Martial Arts
in 1973 and has been actively involved in it every since. Doc
has served on the California Athletic Commission and was on The
Martial Arts Advisory Committee there. Hamilton was instrumental
in establishing the kick boxing rules in California and drafting
a set of MMA rules yet to be passed there but set the standard
that all major promotions in the United States use today. He
has also refereed two UFC events and judged at everyone since
UFC 33 with the exception of only two.
Hamilton
wants to "try and elevate the quality and consistency of
refereeing and judging in our sport." He has started up
R.E.F.S., Ring Experienced Fight Specialist, to help educate
those persons who referee and judge MMA bouts. He said, "Judges
and referees are made, they're not born."
He
did a seminar for the Nevada State Athletic Commission on May
1st, that was "quite successful." The Florida Athletic
Commission has contacted him about possibly doing one for them
in November. For all information on R.E.F.S., got to www.mmarefs.com.
Doc
judged the highly talked about unanimous decision in the Matt
Hughes and "Charuto" Verissimo fight at UFC 48. Hamilton
was the only one of the judges who scored the fight 29-28 in
favor of Hughes, the two other judges scored it 30-27, with all
rounds in favor of Matt Hughes. Before we got too far in to that,
lets established what constitutes a 10-9 round in MMA.
According
to Hamilton, "A 10-9 round is when one individual, when
it is obvious to you, OK, to the judge, in their mind, one of
the individuals had the upper hand in that bout, either by way
of striking or by way of takedowns or by way or submission attempts.
There was enough difference there that you could see that somebody
was dictating the pace of that fight."
Having
said that, Doc stated, "I know the first round, in my mind,
went to Verissimo without any question." In the second round,
Hamilton didn't think Verissimo was as active as he was in the
first and with Matt Hughes getting a couple of takedowns and
neutralizing "Charuto's" ground game, he scored the
round 10-9 in favor of Hughes. He added that the second round
was very close and, "I don't think the last round was close,
I don't think the first round was close."
Could
the fight have been a draw? Hamilton wouldn't have had a problem
if that's the way it turned out but it didn't. He again said,
"Verissimo dominated the first round. Matt pretty much controlled
the last round.....The second round was iffy, iffy. It was 10-9
or my score card." All this adding equals a rematch by my
figures.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Alberto
Crane Responds to Javier Vazquez:
"Any time he wants!"
It
started with an update last week on the condition of former King
of the Cage lightweight champion Javier Vazquez. Now, it has
escalated into a war of words.
When
asked about his future in the MMA arena, Vazquez said, "I
don't know man, it's just not worth the risk," in reference
to the medical risk versus the payoff. But he went on to say,
"Right now, there are two things that would make it worth
while for me fight again... money and Alberto Crane."
Well
that's just fine with Alberto Crane. When he read Vazquez' comments,
he felt compelled to respond, "I'd fight him anytime he
wants. I'll fight him in the UFC, anywhere. Bring it on!"
The
whole situation between Crane and Vazquez stems from their fight
for the King of the Cage lightweight title back in February of
2003. Vazquez held the title at the time and most people didn't
give Crane (2-0 at the time) much chance of beating him. Crane
ended up winning a 3-round split decision. The interesting side
note is that Vazquez tore his ACL at the beginning of the first
round, but earned tremendous respect for finishing out the fight
and leaving the "what if" thought in many people's
heads... including his own.
Crane
(now 6-0 in MMA) takes nothing away from Vazquez, admitting that,
"He's tough, he's a good fighter, no doubt about it. But
he let it get in his head."
Though
it may be a while before they get the opportunity to meet in
an MMA event, due to another ACL injury to Vazquez, there is
a decent chance that the two could meet up later this year in
a different combat arena. Both fighters are planning on competing
in the North American Abu Dhabi submission grappling trials in
Canada. Plus, both fighters plan on competing in the 145 pound
weight class.
In
the meantime, Crane has been gone 3-0 since his win over Vazquez
and plans on fighting in July. Crane is involved in a promotion
called Explosion in New Mexico that will be operating their first
show on July 16th. "We've had trouble nailing down an opponent,
but it should be good," said Crane.
Looking
down the road a bit, Crane is also signed to fight in the highly
touted Euphoria MFC 8-Man Lightweight Tournament scheduled for
October in Atlantic City, New Jersey. His first round opponent
is scheduled to be Rich Clementi.
So,
until Vazquez gets healed up and the promoters make the rematch
happen, Crane is staying busy as ever with lots of fights planned
and running his Santa Fe Brazilian Jiujitsu school.
Euphoria
8-Man Lightweight Tournament
Scheduled First Round Bouts
Joachim Hansen (Norway) vs. Sergei Golyaev (Russia)
Hermes Franca (United States) vs. Phil Johns (United States)
Yves Edwards (United States) vs. Naoyuki Kotani (Japan)
Rich Clementi (United States) vs. Alberto Crane (United States)
Tournament
Alternate Bout
Jay Ireland (United States) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (United States)
Source: MMA Weekly |
Black
Belt GP now in other weights
With
major success of Black Belt Grand Prix lightweights, held on
last Thursday (24), the event organization is already planning
other two competitions for this year. The first one would be
in September, with fighters under 85kg. In December, it would
be time for over 85kg's athletes show their value on the mat.
The confront would be held under lightweight GP's way, with 16
athletes and seven minutes bout. The prize will be pay in cash
and the winner will take home R$10,000. Second place, R$3,000
and R$1,000 to the third place. The fastest submission will take
R$1,000, as the best move and the best fight.
Source: Tatame |
Saulo
& Xande may face each other
Just a week away from the first BJJ World Cup held outside Rio
de Janeiro, the first BJJ black belt star begin to pop up. The
bothers Saulo Ribeiro and Alexande Ribeiro, who are in Brasília
(DF) visiting their parents, say they will fight both weight
and open class division. Asked about a possible confront between
them at the open class final, Xande does mystery: "Let's
see what is gonna happen. We are ready and we gonna do the best".
The
other black belts confirmed over the tournament are Fernando
Tererê (TT Jiu-Jitsu), Leo Santos and Kiki (Arlisson Melo)
from Nova União, Ricardinho Vieira, Reinaldo Ribeiro,
Ronaldo Jacaré and Rodrigo Comprido by Brasa JJ, Márcio
Corleta of Behring and Mário Reis (Sul Jiu-Jitsu). Over
the brown belt, phenomenon André Galvão is ready
to rock.
More
information, please visit www.cbjjo.com.br
Source: Tatame |
Quote
of the Day
"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody
else up."
Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American Humorist, Writer
|
Eddie
Yagin's Online
Check out our friend and one of the most exciting fighters from
Hawaii Eddie Yagin's new webpage
http://www.eddieyagin.com
It
is up on our links page, which we will
have to update soon! |
Punishment
In Paradise
"WEIGH -IN" Tonight!
Meet & Greet
We are pleased to announce that weigh-ins for "NIGHT OF
CHAMPIONS" will be held Thursday July 1st 7pm at 808 Fight Factory. Come meet the
stars of tommorrow as they weigh in and do their photo shots.
Weighs will last from 7pm-8pm also it will be the last night
for you all to get their presale tickets. This fight card is
promised to be a KNOCK OUT night full of exciting fights.
Mahalo......
Tickets are still on sale for one of the HOTTEST kickboxing cards
to hit Hawaii in 2004. We are very pleased with the fighters
that are stepping up to BANG!!. Fighters from Eastside like Mike
Malone, Kaleo Kwon, Kaipo Gonzales along with other fighters
from Waimanalo Kickboxing gym and Team Thundas Instructor Andre
Washington. And Westside Team Bigdogs YOUNG GUNS Wayne Perrin
III & Domi "Dominator" Lopes along with Waianaes
AFC Champion PJ DEAN. Also 808 Dain Agbayani and Undeafeated
Frank Robello from Advanced Kempo plus much more. This is card
so STACKED from once I don't know which one would be the fight
of the night.
Campbell
High School
Friday, July 2, 2004
Doors open at 6:30 pm/Fights start at 7:30 pm
GET YOUR PRESALE TICKETS WHILE YOU STILL CAN.
Brennan Kamaka / 330-4483 or second2none@hawaii.rr.com
I'm available to meet people while supplies last.
808 Fight Factory / Kim Jhun 671-4140
808 is open from 530pm till 9pm
Advanced Kempo & Team Bigdogs
Both schools are carring tickets...
**Presale is going fast for this fight**
Cruiserweight
Kickboxing Championship
205lbs.
3x2 Minute Rounds
Mike
Malone (Eastsidaz) Vs. Andre Washington (Team Thunda)
Super
Middleweight Kickboxing Championships
172lbs.
3x2 Minute Rounds
Wayne
Perrin III (Team Bigdogs) Vs. Deshawn Johnson (HMC)
INTERMISSION
Middleweight
Kickboxing Championships
165lbs.
3x2 Minute Rounds
Dain
Agbayani (808 F.F.) Vs. PJ Dean (Bad Intentions)
Super
Lightweight Kickboxing Championship
137lbs.
3x2 Minute Rounds
Domi
“Dominator’ Lopes ( Team Bigdogs) Vs. Steven Tandal
(Waimanalo Kickboxing)
Lightweight
Kickboxing Championships
132LBS
3x2 Minute Rounds
Gerald
"G-Money" Orvalio (808 Fight Factory) Vs. David Balicao
(H.S.D.)
Super
Welterweight Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
157lbs.
3x11/2 Minute Rounds
Vs.
Kaleo Kwon (Eastsidaz)
196lbs.
3x1 ½ Minute Rounds
Cruiserweight
#1 Contender Match
Val
(Team Bigdogs) Vs. Joshua Versola (Advanced Kempo)
Welterweight
Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
147lbs.
3x11/2 Minute Rounds
Chris
Coderio (Bad Intentions) Vs. Kaipo Gonzales (Eastsidaz)
Middleweight
Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
165lbs.
3x11/2 Minute Rounds
Ikaika
(Eastsidaz) Vs. Frank Rebello (Advanced Kenpo)
Junior
Heavyweight Kickboxing #1 Contender Match
100lbs.
3x1 Minute Rounds
Sage
Yoshida (H.M.C.) Vs. Keola McKee (Wailuku Kickboxing, Maui)
Junior
Bantamweight #1 Contender Match
60lbs.
3x1 Minute Rounds
Tristen
Febria (E.B.F.C.) Vs. Abraham Reinhart (Wailuku Kickboxing, Maui) |
Hawaii
and Japan Unite to take on the WORLD
Friday,
July 9th
Neal Blaisdell Arena
There
is some big news coming from the Shooto world for the month of
July. Most exciting is the announcement for up-coming event scheduled
for July 9th at the Neil Blasidell Arena. The buzz is about Soljah
Fight Night, where Japanese and Hawaiian promoters unite to bring
the biggest Shooto ever to take place outside of Japan. A stacked
international card with two world titles on the line, rounded
out by a presentation of the hottest Hawaiian up-and-comers,
all looking to get recognized on the world stage.
The
top of the card features hometown favorite Ray ‘Braddah’ Cooper v. Jake Shields for
the vacant Shooto MW (167 lbs) title. Cooper is a stoic Shooto
veteran having competed in the Shooto circuit since it first
came to Hawaii in 1999. He has had his eye on the Shooto Championship
for a long time, and has been hovering within the top 3 spots
while the vacant title has waited for the ISC to mandate a title
bout… As so it is. Braddah’s opponent will be the Shooto
invader – Jake Shields… After a tough Shooto debut
against, none other than Ray Cooper (where Shields dropped the
majority decision), Jake was invited to go to Japan and give
Hayato Sakurai a warm-up fight so that he could get back on track
after having lost his long held title… But the Cesar Gracie
student had a different plan, and soundly won a unanimous decision
over the Japanese superstar. Jake hasn’t looked back since
then and has faced international fare from both Brazil (where
he defeated the dangerous and yet undiscovered Milton Vieira)
and back in Japan where he dispatched one of Shooto’s next
big things in Akira Kikuchi… Shields is ready and determined
to capture the title and avenge his loss to Cooper.
Another
Championship bout will be featured, with the long awaited title
bout between American Top Team’s Dustin Denes, challenging
the Shooto LHW (183 lbs) Champion Masanori Suda. Denes emerged
onto the Shooto scene to make his presence known by submitting
opponents in his first two Shooto bouts. His third was a decision,
but it was against the then Shooto world ranker Izuru Takeuchi.
That win launched Denes into the title picture and he has maintained
laser beam focus on the coveted Shooto belt since then. He has
had to wait patiently while Suda put off defending the title,
since his last defense in which he scored an impressive first
round TKO victory of Hawaiian fan favorite, Egan Inoue. Masanori
Suda is truly an unsung hero in the MMA world due to competing
almost exclusively in Japan. With an overall record of 20-8-2
he brings s decisive experience advantage in against the American
fighter. Not just in terms of number of fights, but level of
opponents a well. But this oft overlooked standout in the 185
lbs range can make a strong impact in the minds of all Americans
with a solid victory here (as he did with Hawaiians after dispatching
Inoue). Denes is hungry and determined to capture the Shooto
title and show the world that he is a player in the division.
Also
on that card is what promises to be one of the most riveting
stand-ups bouts in the MMA world since Duane ‘Bang’
Ludwig KO’ed Jens Pulver… The bout in question will
also include Jens Pulver, who will be trading blows with Stephen ‘Bozo’
Paling.
These two are fighting in perhaps the toughest most highly competitive
division in the MMA world… That is the Shooto LW (143 lbs)
division. Pulver debuted in Shooto earlier this year. He absolutely
decimated K’z Factoriy’s Naoya Uematsu. The Japanese
fighter is known for being equally dangerous on the ground as
on his feet, and some were calling for him to put Pulver off-balance
with a diverse game plan. After coming off of a pair of wins
it seemed that he was back on track and it would be a tough debut
for the American. But Pulver has also put together a pair of
wins along with a solid televised pro boxing fight that revealed
a even more polished and determined stand-up fighter than we
have come to know. He dispatched Uematsu with a calculated stream
of potent combinations, using wicked body shots to break down
the more upright, thai-style Naoya. A well timed and beautifully
placed head, body, head combo put the fight in the history books
with a 1st round KO for Pulver. Now he will be going in with
another dangerous and skilled boxer… The long time Shooto
top ranker is also a Golden Gloves boxing champion and has scored
some devastating KO’s in his tenure in the fight game. Paling
put together an incredible 5 fight winning streak, then fell
into back to back losses at the hands (or elbows as it were)
of Gilbert Melendez and Hiroyuki Takaya. This is Paling’s
make it or break it time… A win will put him in for another
title shot (having ended in a draw with the champ last August),
and a loss will put him back in line behind the likes of Joao
Roque, Hiroyuki Takaya, Norifumi ‘Kid’ Yamamoto, Naoya
Uematsu, Rumina Sato, Bao Quach, Hideki Kadowaki and Pulver…
A list of fighters that will be virtually impossible to wade
through as they all have their eyes set on the Shooto LW kingpin…
Champion Alexandre ‘Pequeno’ Franca Nogueira.
Then
there is the intriguing match-up between Shooto legend, Rumina
Sato and California’s very crafty and gifted Bao Quach.
Quach has had his ups and downs with some big wins and equally
big losses… He soundly defeated Uematsu and the reputable
Cole Escovedo, but has dropped some key bouts against Jeff Curran
and Hideki Kadowaki. He is teetering on the verge of elite status,
or as a credible but second tier gate-keeper for the division.
A win against Sato could make the difference for him and turn
the corner for his career… But no one needs a big win more
than Rumina Sato. He has posted a losing record in the past 2
years, and has not been able to get rolling since dropping to
143 lbs. Most widely known for his dramatic and exciting snap
submission style, he is threat to any fighter. But Bao has shown
the strength, poise and control needed to keep out of danger
and impose his will on his opponents… and approach that
has spelled disaster for Sato several times before. Whatever
happens, the action should be intense.
Rounding
out the main card is a non-title appearance from Shooto WW (154
lbs) Champion, Vitor ‘Shaolin’Ribeiro. He is facing
the undefeated Mistuhiro Ishida, who is ready to step up his
level of competition and force the champ into a title fight by
getting the win in Hawaii.
Coming
in for the under card of Class-B battles are the rough and tumble
Mark Moreno (Bulls Pen) v. the
dangerous and exciting striker in PJ Dean (Freelance).
Jim
Kikuchi
of 808 Fight Factory will have the opportunity to even things
up with HMC’s Neal
Andres…
Both men are 2-0 in Shooto and a win here can push either into
the Class-A category.
Little
but explosive Kyle
Takao squares
off with the ‘Nature
Boy’ Ed Newalu.
Ed has been coming on strong, winning 5 of his last 4, but that
doesn’t matter to Kyle who is looking to get back on track
after losing in Japan.
Finally,
and international women’s match features the Hawaiian sweetheart
Betta Yeung, up against Nova Uniao
fighter from Brazil, Anna Mitchel.
More
fights to be added, card subject to change
SOLJAH
FIGHT NIGHT at the NEAL BLASIDELL ARENA July 9, 2004
Call
Ticketmaster for tickets and information Toll Free @ (877)750-4400
/ Charge by phone Or visit www.ticketmaster.com
General
admission - $25 Event Day
Lodges - $35 Event Day
Risers - $45 Event Day
Ringside - $55 Event Day
Ringside Special, First 3 rows - $155 event day
$5 OFF ALL PRICES FOR ADVANCE PURCHASE
Save yourself
$5 and buy your tickets early!
Source: Rich Santoro |
Soljah
Fight Night Weigh-In
The weigh-ins will be held at Hard Rock Cafe at 2:00 pm on July
8th. Come meet all the big names that will be fighting on this
super card!
Soljah
Fight Night
"Hawaii & Japan vs the World!"
Neal Blaisdell Arena
Friday, July 9th, 2004
Fights start at 6:00 PM so get there early
Promoted by Sustain and sanctioned by the International Shooto
Commission.
Tickets
are on sale NOW
and are starting at $20. There is no reason
to miss this show!
This
show is for Hawaii National Guard's Youth Challenge.
Keep the youth off of drugs and out of gangs and use their energy
to hit the books hard. You have to start the prevention early
and keep repeating the message!
This
is the most talent filled card ever put on in Hawaii. Two Shooto
World Title Fights are featured on this card. Hawaii's Ray "Bradda"
Cooper finally gets a title shot against Cesar Gracie trained
Jake Shields and the return of Masanori Suda, the man who beat
Egan Inoue for the Super Brawl World Title in just 27 seconds
comes back to Hawaii to defend his Shooto Light Heavyweight Title
against the submission machine, Dustin Denes from the black belt
filled American Top Team. The two hardest punchers pound for
pound in MMA face off as Hawaii's Stephen "Bozo" Paling
fights former UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. One of the
best submission grapplers on the planet, multiple time black
belt Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and currently undefeated Shooto
Lightweight Champion, Vitor "Shaolin" Riberio makes
his first appearance in an MMA match on Hawaii soil. Also on
this card is the show stopper, Rumina Sato, facing a very tough
Bao Quach. A women's match is even included on this card as HMC's
Betta Yeung squares off with Ana Michelle Dantas of Arizona Combat
Sports/Nova Uniao. The card is rounded out with exciting and
top local talent such as Takao vs Newalu, Kikuchi vs the undefeated
Andres, and the much anticipated Moreno vs Dean slugfest. If
there ever was a reason to come to Hawaii, other than the sun
and beautiful people, this event should seal the deal.
Tentative Fight Card:
Card subject to change.
Shooto
Middleweight World Title Fight
Ray "Bradda" Cooper (12-6, #2 ranked in Shooto)
vs.
Jake Shields (Cesar Gracie, 8-3-1, #1 ranked in Shooto)
Lightweight
3R
Stephen
"Bozo" Paling (Jesus is Lord, 11-6-1, #3 ranked in
Shooto)
vs.
Jens Pulver (Miletich Fighting Systems, 20-5-1, #6 ranked in
Shooto, former UFC lightweight Champion)
Shooto
Light Heavyweight World Title Fight
Masanori Suda (Club J, 20-8-2, Shooto Light Heavyweight and Super
Brawl World Champion)
vs.
Dustin "Clean" Denes (American Top Team, 9-1-1, #1
ranked in Shooto)
Welterweight 3R
Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (Nova Uniao, 9-0, Shooto Welterweight
Champion)
vs.
Mitsuhiro Ishida (Tops, Japan, 6-1-1, #10 ranked in Shooto)
Lightweight 3R
Alexandre "Pequeno" Nogueira (World Fight Center, 10-2-2,
Shooto World Lightweight Champion)
vs.
TBA.
Lightweight 3R
Rumina Sato (K'z Factory, 20-8-2)
vs.
Bao Quach (Team Oyama, 6-6, #10 ranked in Pac Rim Shooto)
Featherweight 2R
Kyle Takao
(HMC, 2-1-1)
vs.
Ed Newalu
(808 Fight Factory, 3-7)
Welterweight 2R
Jim Kikuchi
(808 Fight Factory, 4-3)
vs.
Neal Andres
(HMC, 4-0)
Middleweight 2R
Mark "El
Toro" Moreno (Bulls Pen, 5-4-2)
vs.
PJ Dean
(Team Bad Intentions)
|
Sylvia
Due for Surgery:
Optimistic for October UFC Return
By Loretta Hunt
It
was one of the more gruesome sights in recent UFC history, but
former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia is trying to rebound
swiftly from his recent UFC 48 loss to Frank Mir that left him
with multiple fractures in his right arm. Staying close to his
teammates today at the Miletich Martial Arts gym in Idaho, the
heavyweight fighter was in good spirits and more than ready to
clear up any misinformation about his injury that has circulated
in the past week as he readies himself for surgery. "The
radius broke once and the ulna broke twice," Sylvia clarified,
referring to the two bones in his forearm, "clean breaks--
no tendon, nerve, or muscle damage at all. I got lucky."
Grateful
for this news, the ex-Maine native has even tried to find the
lighter side of his misfortune by putting the autographed arm
cast he currently dons up for auction on EBay. It will be one
of three casts he will wear in the next few weeks of recovery.
Heading
into his first scheduled surgery tomorrow, Sylvia says a plate
and pin(s) will be put in place to keep the twice-separated ulna
bone together. If healing goes as expected, it's possible the
plate will then be removed at a later time. Overall, Sylvia says
the prognosis he's received from physicians has been for a full
recovery in six to eight weeks. "I'll start training in
about two weeks, just doing my road work and start working on
my left hook, and kicking the bag and shit like that."
"I'm
hoping October," the 6'8" giant replied when asked
when he might make his return to the Octagon. "I'd like
to fight Wes Sims in October. We've got some unfinished business
to take care of. So, it seems how I just lost, I got to work
my way back up in the division again. It's a great opportunity
for me to kick his ass."
If
Sylvia can make it back onto the active roster, the question
remains if his right arm will become a liability in future fights.
It's a serious inquiry he has posed to his surgeon on numerous
occasions in the last week. "I asked him. I said this is
my fight career and he goes, 'I don't see any problems at all.
You should be fine'."
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
'The
Ultimate Fighter,' A 13-Episode Series Goes Behind-The-Scenes
of the Exciting World of UFC, to Premiere On Spike TV January
'05
Craig Piligian (Co-Executive Producer Survivor I, II and III)
to Produce New Series
NEW
YORK, June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Spike TV and Ultimate Fighting
Championship(R) announced today a partnership to develop and
produce a one- hour, 13-part reality series that will provide
an inside look at the process to locate, develop and train the
professional Ultimate Fighters(TM) of the future. The new show,
The Ultimate Fighter(TM), will premiere in January, 2005.
The
series will be shot in Las Vegas at the UFC Training Center this
summer and fall. Twenty athletes from all around the country
will be selected to participate. Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films
and Television (Survivor I, II, and III, American Chopper, American
Hot Rod and American Casino) is the show's creator and executive
producer. Robert Riesenberg, (executive producer of NBC's The
Restaurant) of Full Circle Entertainment serves as executive
producer as well.
'The
Ultimate Fighter will reveal the passions, dedication and training
it takes to break into UFC(R) events, and it will go behind the
scenes into the business world of professional combat sports.
This show will be the absolute in fighting reality TV,' said
Piligian.
'The
dedicated, fearless athletes competing in The Ultimate Fighter
will set this show apart from other reality series,' said Jim
Burns, Senior Vice President, Sports and Specials, Spike TV.
'The behind-the-scenes look at their lifestyles and intense training
regimen will resonate with our audience and fits in with our
brand identity.'
With
new rules and regulations, the UFC(R), is licensed in various
states including Nevada, Florida, and New Jersey. Along with
growing the business, the UFC is focused on protecting the combatants,
and are proud that there has never been a serious injury or death
in the history of the franchise. It is of interest to note all
UFC athletes are highly-trained and many are college- educated.
Sports pedigrees include the Olympics, the Pan American Games
and NCAA Division I All-Americans.
Robert
Riesenberg is president and CEO of Full Circle Entertainment,
a New York Company. Full Circle Entertainment is an independent
production company specializing in developing and producing programming
that service the marketing needs of advertisers. Full Circle
Entertainment is a wholly owned unit Omnicom Media Group, which
is part of the Omnicom Group.
Fans
are being asked to check with http://www.ufc.tv/ for more information
about The Ultimate Fighter.
Spike
TV, the first network for men, is available in 87 million homes
and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of
Viacom International Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , owns and
operates the following television programming services -- MTV:
MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, mtvU, VHI, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE,
COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, MTV INTERNATIONAL
and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 12 digital
services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks
also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication
deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) brand of mixed martial arts
is the world's premier series of MMA events. Owned and operated
by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC(R) fight
programs feature six live pay- per-view events annually through
cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution,
UFC(R) fight shows are distributed internationally through WOWOW,
Inc. in Japan, Globosat in Brazil, Sky Network in New Zealand
and Premiere Network in Germany. Zuffa, LLC licenses the distribution
of UFC video games through Take 2 Interactive and its fight show
DVDs through Studioworks Entertainment, a Ventura Distribution
company. 'Ultimate Fighting Championship,' 'Ultimate Fighting,'
'Ultimate Fighter,' 'UFC,' 'Submission,' 'As Real As It Gets'
and the Octagon cage design are registered trademarks or trademarks
owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the U.S., Japan and other
jurisdictions. All other marks that may be referenced herein
belong to their respective holders.
Source:
Spike TV
Web
site: http://www.ufc.tv/.
Source: ADCC
|
Paulão
Filho: 'I didn't want to beat him.,
he was such a nice guy!'
After
winning his match on the second day of Gladiator FC, SOuth Korea's
MMA event held on June 26 and 27, BJJ black belt Paulão
Filho talked a little bit about his fight against his Japanese
opponent, Daijiro Matsui. 'In fact I didn't want to punch him,
because he was such a nice guy! He told me he was a fan!' revealed
a disappointed Filho, who wasn't expecting such politeness from
his opponent. 'He broke me down with his attitude. He was smiling
at me during the confrontation and I didn't feel like kicking
his ass. If I hit him ten times it was too much' stated the Brazilian
Top team fighter.
Paulão's
superiority was never shaken by the Japanese. 'I caught his back,
passed his guard, reached the mount, I put the knee in the belly...
he was kind of weak for me. I just had to do something when Zé
Mário told me to kick his ass, but the fight was completely
dominated by me. I also feinted with A few punches to show some
superiority to the referees' states Paulão, who confirmed
he will be fighting at upcoming an Pride Bushido event. The theme
of the show isfor fighters from Brazilian Top Team to face the
best fighters from Japan. So, now Paulão hopes for a new
opponent, one that does not like him so much!
Source:
ADCC
|
TYSON:
I DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE
Former
world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who turns 38 on Wednesday,
hopes to begin another successful campaign for that title when
he faces former British heavyweight champion Danny Williams on
July 30 in Louisville, Kentucky. This will be the first fight
for the controversial Tyson since he knocked out Clifford Etienne
in just 49 seconds on Feb. 22, 2003, in Memphis, Tennessee.
The
fight will be held at the Freedom Hall Arena at the Kentucky
Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville, and shown on Showtime
pay-per-view in the U.S. Laila Ali will also be fighting on this
card against an opponent to be announced.
A
press conference featuring Tyson, Williams, and their trainers
and management was held Tuesday in Louisville. Below are press
conference quotes as well as the official press release from
Straight Out Promotions, which is promoting the show.
MIKE
TYSON VS. DANNY WILLIAMS PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2004, FROM KENTUCKY FAIR AND EXPOSITION CENTER
IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
Tyson
(50-4 2 NC, 44 KOs), of Catskill, N.Y., the former undisputed
heavyweight champion and current World Boxing Council (WBC) No.
8/World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 10 contender will take his
initial step toward reclaiming a world title when he takes on
World Boxing Union (WBU) International Champion Williams (31-3,
26 KOs), of London, England, live on pay per view, Friday, July
30. The TYSON-WILLIAMS pay-per-view telecast from Freedom Hall
in Louisville, Ky., will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Straight
Out Promotions will present the event, which will be distributed
by SHOWTIME Pay Per View.
MIKE
TYSON
'I am delighted to be fighting in Louisville, the home of champions.
I look forward to fighting Danny Williams. I am not here today
to be a tough guy. I will be a tough guy on July 30.'
(Regarding
his 38th birthday on June 30):
'It is just a birthday. Now, the birthdays get ugly. Being in
this room is really rejuvenating me. I am happy to be here.'
(Regarding
his first day of sparring in 17 months):
'It just felt great to be in the ring. I just realized that I
missed this tremendously. In five, 10, 15 years, people forget
you. I really enjoy the sound of the crowds, the sounds of the
gloves hitting the head and my opponent hitting the mat.'
'I
am the most foolish person I know. I am a fool, but I am glad
to be back.'
'When
I make my mind up, that is when I fight. I have been foolish
not to fight. I have been a fool for 16 months. I have not done
a thing that has benefited me. I have been training for a few
months. You guys (the media) will be the judgment on whether
I have the eye of the tiger or not.'
'I
have had a checkered past, but this is the greatest country in
the world. I certainly deserve a second chance to sweep the past
away.'
'I
went into a shell. Sometimes, I have too much. There are too
many distractions. I wish I could juggle them more successfully.
I take things too personal. I chose to live that life. I do not
like to live by anyone's rules.'
'I
did not stay in a homeless shelter. I did not live a life I was
accustomed to in the last few years.'
'I
love to do what I do to pay all of my bills. You guys write the
good and the bad. It is part of my life. I am more emotional.
This is a highly intense magnifying glass that I am under. I
do not do these things intentionally. That is what I told my
girlfriend before she left me.'
(On
fighting in Louisville):
'They gave me the price that I wanted.'
(On
fighting Antonio Tarver):
'I am concentrating on Williams now. I have seen him fight. He
is a good and improved fighter, and so am I.'
DANNY
WILLIAMS (Currently Training at Gleason's Gym in New York)
'Be ready for a fight Mike.'
'Tyson
is a tremendous fighter. To get to the top, I have to fight fighters
like him. I have been training hard. I am going to get this victory.'
'I
am happy with the role as an underdog. I am fighting the greatest
heavyweight in the world. This is the time to raise my game.
This is definitely the toughest fight of my career.'
'I
am not going to give you my game plan. My plan is to win.'
'This
is like a world title fight. I have to give everything I have.
There will not be any fooling around.'
'There
is a lot of excitement for this fight in London. A lot of people
think I am going to get knocked out, but I am going to prove
them wrong. I know Tyson has been out of the ring for a long
time. I want what he has got - big houses, big cars. I think
this is a job, and I am going to outbox him.'
'Holyfield
showed what he could do against Tyson. I am going to fight him
and box him.'
'This
is a new experience for me. It has got me pumped up. I am happy
about it. There is not pressure on me. I am going to raise my
game. When I fought 'C' class opponents, they raised their game.'
(Regarding
his sixth-round TKO loss to Sinan Samilsam on Feb. 8, 2003):
'I had shingles that night. I was not 100 percent. I have only
been knocked out twice in my career. I was just not 100 percent
that day.'
CHRIS
WEBB (Straight Out Promotions)
'Louisville has been the home to more heavyweight champions than
anywhere in the world. We are happy to have the next heavyweight
champion fighting here in Louisville.'
DWIGHT
YARD and JIM MCDONELL (Williams' Trainers)
Yard: 'Tyson is one of the greatest heavyweights in the world.
Williams has always aspired to be like Mike and model his career
after him. This should be a classic confrontation. Everyone in
the U.K. is excited about this.'
FREDDIE
ROACH (Tyson's Trainer)
'Mike has been training in Phoenix for a month. He is in good
shape and will be in even better shape in a month. Do not miss
this one. Mike is back.'
(On
Tyson's Age):
'With age, you slow down a little bit. Tyson has all the potential,
all the power and the speed. He is the fastest heavyweight in
the world. There is not a champion out there that he cannot beat.'
SHELLY
FINKEL (Tyson's Manager)
'I have been with Mike for six years. This is the best shape
I have ever seen him in. He is more dedicated, more intense.
You will see it on July 30.'
PRESS
RELEASE
Straight
Out Promotions
Chris A. Webb, President
P.O. Box 91024, Louisville, Kentucky 40291
http://www.straightoutpromotions.com/
MIKE
TYSON VS DANNY WILLIAMS HEADLINES 'RETURN FOR REVENGE' FIGHT
CARD ON FRIDAY, JULY 30, AT FREEDOM HALL IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY,
TELEVISED ON SHOWTIME PAY PER VIEW
Promoter
Chris Webb/Straight Out Promotions will present 'Return For Revenge,'
a sensational fight card on Friday, July 30, 2004, headlined
by former undisputed heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson, 50-4,
with 44 knockouts, of Catskill, New York, in a 10-round fight
against former British Commonwealth heavyweight champion Danny
Williams, 31-3, with 26 knockouts, of London, England.
This
event will be held in the Freedom Hall Arena at the Kentucky
Fair and Exposition Center, located at the Kentucky Fair &
Exposition Center, at the intersection of I-264 and I-265, across
from the Louisville International Airport. The main event will
be televised on Showtime Pay Per View, with co-featured fights
that are still to be announced.
Called
'The most devastating and controversial fighter of his generation'
by the New York Times, Mike was the dominant heavyweight world
champion from the mid-1980's to the early '90's, following Muhammad
Ali and Larry Holmes, and preceding Lennox Lewis.
Mike
is one of the very few boxers in recent decades to literally
become a 'household name,' and is still boxing's biggest draw
at the gate. His life, in and out of the ring, has been exciting,
controversial, and outrageous at times, and with his 38th birthday
coming on June 30, he is still a legitimate contender for the
heavyweight world title.
Danny
Williams, who will turn 31 years old on July 13, is an eight-year
pro, and is relaxed and confident entering this fight. He said,
'There's no pressure on me. Victory will change my life.' At
6'3' inches tall, he is big and strong and has tremendous punching
power. Danny won the British Commonwealth heavyweight title in
December, 1999, and made six successful title defenses before
losing the title by decision in January.
Laila
Ali, daughter of legendary Louisville native Muhammad Ali, will
also fight on the card, and an exciting lineup of supporting
bouts will complete the night's action. All bouts are subject
to change without notice.
Information
regarding ticket prices and outlets, and media credentials will
be announced soon.
Source:
ADCC
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