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 | |