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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
Westside Bash
(Boxing/Kickboxing)
(Ahuna Ranch, Maili)

7/24/04
Submission Wrestling Tpurnament

(Sub Grappling)
(Kahului, Maui, Hawaii)

7/19/04
Pride Bushido 4
(MMA)
(Nagoya, Japan)

 News & Rumors
Archives
Year 2004
July 2004 Part 2
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March 2001
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Year 2000
Nov-Dec 2000
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March-May 2000

July 2004 News Part 2
 

Wednesday night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!


For the special Onzuka.com price, click on one of these banners above!


Tuesdays at 8:30PM on Olelo Channel 52
New Time!

 7/20/04

Quote of the Day

"Excellence is the result of caring more than others think wise, risking more than other's think safe, dreaming more than others think practical, and expecting more than others think possible."

Anonymous

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

PRIDE Bushido 4
July 19th, 2004
Nagoya Aiichi Rainbow Hall
Nagoya, Japan

Brazilian Top Team vs. Japan matchups:
Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogeuira defeats Kazuhiro Nakamura by split decision.
Takanori Gomi defeats Fabio Mello by KO at 8:07, RD 1.
Paulo Filho defeats Akira Shoji by split decision.

Single fight matchups:
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic defeats Shungo Oyama by KO at 1:00, RD 1.
Takashi Sugiura defeats 'Giant' Silva by TKO at 2:35, RD 1.
Ikuhisa Minowa defeats Ken'ichi Yamamoto by KO at 3:23, RD 1.
Hayato Sakurai defeats Brady Fink by choke at 4:08, RD 1.
Amar Suloev defeats Dean Lister by split decision.
D. Mishima defeats Marcus Aurelio by split decision.
Luis 'Buscape' Firminho defeats Hiroyuki Abe by triangle choke at 2:52, RD 1.
Kyosuke Sasaki drew with Eiji Mitsuoka.

Source: Fight Sport

HENDO TO FIGHT IN PRIDE IN AUGUST


Dan Henderson will be fighting on the next PrideFC card in August but the question still remains, against who? MMAWeekly spoke with Dan Friday about his next fight, who he would like to fight if given the choice, teammates Randy Couture and Matt Lindland's upcoming bouts among other things. This is a synopsis of what Henderson had to say. To hear the entire interview, get yourself a Premium Membership.

Dan has been training "quite a bit," and staying busy these days. Along with building his house, he has been preparing for his fight on August 15th but he still doesn't know who he will be facing. One thing is for certain, he won't be facing Murilo Bustamante. Dan said, "I have no idea who I'm fighting," but expects to find out in the next few days. His contract with Pride stared with the Bustamante bout and was a one year, three fight deal. Basically, he has two more fights left before the end of November.

When asked who he wanted to fight if he could choose, Dan said he wants to fight for a title which means Wanderlei Silva. The two met before back in December of 2000. Silva got the decision win back then but Henderson would like another crack at the champion.

There are several reasons why Henderson thinks a second time around will be different. The first time they fought, Dan said he didn't know much about Silva and took the fight on short notice. He had a two weeks notice but said, "Right after I found out I was fighting, I kinda got sick with Strep Throat." Looking back, Dan said he couldn't finish any take downs because he was simply too tired.

When asked, straight up, what would be different this time, Dan replied, "For one, I'd be in shape and ready to go." He went on to say, "I had about a week of good training for that and it wasn't enough." Henderson has been asking for a fight with Silva for the last year, and as he put it, "I haven't had much luck."

Some say that Wanderlei is overrated but Henderson doesn't subscribe to that train of thought. "He wouldn't have won the that Grand Prix tournament if he was overrated," stated Henderson. Dan did question Silva's chin though and commented, "He definitely gets a little protected."

Dan was asked about his take on Phil Baroni's return to the octagon coming off of three consecutive loses. He said people either love Phil or love to see him lose. Henderson spoke candidly in saying, "I think he should have gotten reprimanded a lot worse than he got," for striking a referee. He added, "He should have been out for at least a year."

Henderson resides in California but is a member of the Oregon based Team Quest. He makes it to Oregon to train with them four or five times a year. Sometime this week, he will make the trip there for two solid weeks of training. He said, "I'm up there quite a bit. I probably could use a little bit more with them."

Dan, Randy Couture and Matt Lindland all have bouts coming up in August. The only down side in Henderson's mind is that the Pride event is one week before UFC 49 so Randy and Matt won't be making the trip to Japan to corner him. He has several people who will be accompanying him but would the absence of Randy and Matt will be felt.

Dan doesn't know too much about Lindland opponent, David Terrell, other than he is good on the ground. It is his opinion that Matt will try and stand with Terrell with the hopes of a knock out. Matt has been working hard on his stand up so we will see.

Randy Couture's light heavyweight title fight against Vitor Belfort is the main event on the UFC 49 card. Henderson thinks the fight will go the distance with teammate Couture the victor. His prediction was, "I feel that Randy will control him and beat on him quite a bit from the top." He acknowledged that it will be a tough fight but anticipates Randy controlling Vitor and wearing Belfort down.

To hear all of what Dan Henderson had to say, such as if he would take less money than Pride pays him to fight in the UFC, get yourself a Premium Membership. For only five dollars a month, you gain access to the radio archive, our video section of one on one interview, behind the scenes footage of weigh ins and press conferences, not to mention the tips of the week from the top fighters in Mixed Martial Arts. With UFC 49 and the conclusion of the Pride heavyweight Grand Prix just around the corner, now is no better time to find out what you're missing.

Source: MMA Weekly

KEN SHAMROCK: UFC'S BIG MONEY MAKER


Ken Shamrock is a UFC Legend, a Hall of Famer and great fighter. He also is a big box office draw as he has drew the most pay per view buys in the modern UFC/Zuffa era.

Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer reports that the UFC 48 show headlined by Ken Shamrock vs Kimo drew some where in the ball park of 110,000 buys.

This would be the second show for Shamrock, in the UFC/Zuffa era since Zuffa took over the UFC and it would also be the second pay per view that Ken Shamrock drew over 100,000 buys. The first show Shamrock was in for Zuffa was against Tito Ortiz at UFC 40. That pay per view drew somewhere in the ball park of 150,000 pay per view buys.

If you want to compare the numbers you could compare this to UFC 46. Tito Ortiz vs Randy Couture was the main event and that show did 80,000 buys. Bottom line is the fact that Ken Shamrock is a marketing machine. The only bad news for Zuffa is the fact that Shamrock is at the end of his career, not to mention he is 40 years old and is coming off a torn rotator cuff. How long does he have left? Shamrock told MMAWeekly Radio last week that he will be ready to go in February, possibly against Tito Ortiz.

Source: MMA Weekly

Terere to fight in the Over
Major Bomb: Terere to fight in the Over Division

In a very big surprise Fernando 'Terere' signed up for the 2004 Worlds for the Over category, where he will probably face the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Marcio Orletta and other Over Division stars!

Terere who has fought and won in the Medium weight category for the last few years comented: ' I wanted to face Marcio Pe-de-Pano so much that I signed up for his division!' After finding out that Pano was going to skip the Worlds to concentrate on his NHB match Terere said: 'I am always looking for challenges!'

Terere had beaten Pano in the Absoluto on the Nationals a few years back and the two had a friendly feud going on

2004 Worlds soon to be rocking!!!

Source: ADCC

Leo Santos deals with AFC Brasil

Dealing to replace his teammate Danilo Cherman during the fight against BTT Milton Vieira, Black Belt GP champion Leonardo Santos has been having some troubles to close a purse at the upcoming Absolute Fighting Championship Brasil, scheduled to rock the Nova Frigurgo Tênis Clube on next Augusr 28, in Nova Friburgo (RJ). "We are still dealing. The thing is the purse is not bad for Brazilians, but it's got good for Leo, once has been collecting titles," guaranteed André Pederneiras, Nova União vale-Tudo's technician.

Source: Tatame

"We are doing now the South-SO"

The plans of the Brazilian Confederation of Olympic Jiu-Jitsu's president Luiz Hermínio de Morais for Jiu-Jitsu are getting developed fast. After hosting the North-NE Cup and for the first time featuring the BJJ World Cup outside of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Hermínio talks about South-SO. "I have been talking with Fernando Paradeda (BTT) and Márcio Corleta (Behring), who already have federations. We are setting up the South-SO for this semester. We also gonna feature another edition of North-NE. My idea is featuring two of each tournament per year," reveals Luizinho.

The ideas don't stop. Next year Luizinho promises to feature two phases of BJJ World Cup in different dates. One for black belts and other for the rest of the belts. "The two tournaments will be held in July and may be held in different places. I want more room for black belts," explains Luiz Hermínio. About the prize cash, Luizinho guarantees the amount will depend of the sponsorship, but it will be better then this year. Asked about the new place of the competition, Luizinho affirms: "I'm already dealing with Minas Gerais, São Paulo and with a sponsor in Rio de Janeiro".

Source: Tatame

 7/19/04

Quote of the Day

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light."

Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965, German Born Medical Missionary, Theologian, Musician, and Philosopher

WESTSIDE BASH
July 30, 2004
Ahuna Ranch, Maili
Fights start at 7:00 PM

Welterweight 8 Man Tournament

Hawaii’s Badest Strikers Pound 4 Pound

PJ Dean (Bad Intentions, Waianae)

Kaleo Padilla (Westbrook Boxing, Kona)

Clyde Paling (Jesus Is Lord, Nanakuli)

Mark Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi)

Zack (Wailuku Boxing, Maui)

Cheyenne Padeken (Waianae)

Wayne Perrin (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)

Sean Taylor (Freelance, Kailua)

Plus…..

* LIVE MUSIC (Pati)

* MR. & MRS. BOOTY CONTEST

* MEN & WOMEN CLOTHING

* ONO ONO GRINDZ

AHUNA RANCH, MAILI

FRIDAY July 30.04

FUN STARTS 7PM

Ticket Information call 330-4483

$20.00 Advance/ $25.00 Event Day

SHOOTO Champ Jake Shields
Post-Fight interview and link to gallery!

In the recent Soljah Fight Night 'Hawaii and Japan Unite To Take On The World' show, local hero Ray 'Bradda' Cooper took on Cesar Gracie student Jake Shields for the vacant Shooto Middleweight belt. The Shooto Middleweight division is roughly equivalent to the US Welterweight division. Jake ended up getting a rear choke in 3:24 of round 1. We interviewed Shields shortly after his victory, which is expected to catapult him into the elite at 170 lbs.

KM: You are the champion. How do you feel? JS: I Feel excellent. I trained so hard for that, I got it, I was so confident I was but you never know until you go out there and do it. I’m glad it’s finally over and I got what I deserve.

KM: Was there any point you felt in trouble? JS: No. I did get in a place I didn’t want to get obviously. He mounted me, got my back…but I practice that position so much with the guys I train with I was comfortable there. Obviously I don’t want to be there but there was never a point I was like ‘oh, no, I’m in trouble’.

For a gallery of shots from this fight check out http://malarky.udel.edu/~keith/2004/Shooto/shooto070904/shieldscooper.

KM: There was one point where you were in his guard and he was striking up while you were doing body shots. Was he having an effect with those? JS: Ray Cooper is the hardest I’ve been hit from the bottom. Still not the kind of punches that are like ‘oh, no’. He’s the only guy that hit me from the bottom with some sting in it. I was trying to punch and had a hard time getting strikes off. I was trying to posture up and finally knew I had to pass his guard. I wasn’t getting the strikes I wanted from guard.

KM: You were saying that went according to plan. JS: Well, first round submission is what I wanted. That went according to plan. Me being on bottom didn’t. Me being mounted didn’t. The plan was to go out there, I wanted to strike him for a minute, hit him a few times, let him feel I could strike, then take him down, pass guard, arm bar or punch him out or choke. I ended up getting the choke I wanted but being on bottom…that part…I can’t complain.

KM: You just beat the local favorite. We talked before about being the underdog against Sakurai and Kikuchi. You are getting a reputation for being the underdog and beating the favorites. Does that matter to you at all? JS: Doesn’t matter as long as I’m winning. I’m going to keep winning. I kind of like being booed but they weren’t that bad this time. I like having everybody against me, it fires me up a bit.

KM: (Note: Jake was cornered by WEC champion Gilbert Melendez) You train with Gilbert… JS: All the time. We are roommates, pretty much train together every day.

KM: I have the hardest time trying to memorize which fighters train at which Cesar Gracie locations… JS: Yeah, because we have several affiliate schools. We all train together. Concord is the main one, but I teach out of San Francisco Fairtex, David Terrell is out of Santa Rosa, and Nick Diaz is out of Stockton. We all meet up in Concord plus I drive up to Dave’s a lot.

KM: How much effect did Gilbert have on your training as opposed to for instance David Terrell? JS: Actually I’m with Gilbert every day but I’m with Dave and Nick a lot too. Really those are the main guys I train with.

KM: For the fans who haven’t seen WEC and are only familiar with the heavier Cesar fighters like Nick or Gil Castillo from UFC how would you put him in perspective? JS: I think he is right up there. He hasn’t been training quite as long. Give him six months, he is catching right up and is ready for the big shows. There is a good chance he is going to fight Richard Crunkilton coming up which will put him on the map. He has already beat Stephen Paling who is a top fighter. Hopefully he will get in Shooto actually because he fits right in. You got (Vitor) Shaolin (Ribeiro) right there, (Joachim) Hansen…they got a stacked division right there and he would fit right in.

KM: You are only obligated to defend the title once a year but how long would you want to train for a fight? JS: Two months, two and a half months. Give me a month to relax. I train when I relax three or four days a week but once I start training it’s twice a day six days a week. Plus the diet…I want to eat. I dropped fifteen pounds in the last week and a half and that wasn’t fun.

KM: Did you gain it back before the fight? JS: Yes.

KM: You guys are known for balancing weight cutting with endurance. JS: Weight cutting can affect endurance. I think I did it right so my endurance was fine, I wasn’t really tired. I think actually I started slow, that is why I was having trouble in the beginning and got in a bad position. I started to feel better as the fight went. As long as you cut weight right it’s not bad but if you drop weight too fast in saunas…that is why I dropped it over about three or four days. If you try to drop fifteen pounds in one day you can really mess yourself up bad.

KM: You’d recommend three or four days? JS: Probably about three days.

KM: I’ve asked you in the past about the amount of decisions on your record. This breaks you out of that…I’m eating my own words. How does that feel to get the first round win? JS: It feels great. If you are fighting certain guys it’s really hard. There is a chance I might fight Kikuchi again and he’s not an easy guy to finish. Sakurai is not an easy guy to finish. It depends on who they put me against.

KM: What do you think of the other contenders, who you might fight next? JS: I’m thinking Kikuchi again. He just beat Nakao, he’s been on a roll, I’m his only loss. He’s something like 9-1. He’s a great fighter and the number one contender.

KM: So is Kikuchi probably next or is next? JS: I wouldn’t mind fighting one other person first since I just fought him. I’m willing to fight him again and he has earned the spot.

KM: Anything else you want to get across or anybody to thank? JS: Fairtex sponsored me. I want to thank Cesar Gracie obviously, David Terrell, Gilbert Melendez, Nick Diaz, all of my other training partners, I can’t name them all. I have a great team that helps me out. Without them this wouldn’t be possible.

Source: ADCC

Catching Up With MONTE COX

We spoke with promoter/manager Monte Cox this past weekend, as he returned from a brief Colorado vacation. Catching up with the busiest man in MMA is not easy! The month of June saw him promoting EXTREME CHALLENGE 58 (June 11th) co-promoting SUPERBRAWL (June 18th) and flying off to Korea to accompany Team EXTREME to the Gladiator FC event held there (June 27th). The last week saw Cox in Hawaii for Jens Pulver's SHOOTO fight, then off to Alaska for the Alaskan FC, a smaller event held on Wednesday 14th of July.

EXTREME CHALLENGE & MORE

This Friday, July 23rd Cox heads for his Ohio event ICE #10, co promoted with 'Meat Truck' Schall. The event is headlined by younger fighters Neal Rowe, Rod Housley, Mojo Horne and Ron Fields, and is coming off a successful run of events at the Metropolis in Cincinati.

After a lull during the summer months, Extreme Challenge 59 is slated for September 24th in Minneapolis, and Oct 2nd is the return of Chicago's XFO which Monte runs in conjunction with Jeff Curran.

TJ THOMPSON and SUPERBRAWL

Cox has also been working with TJ Thompson on the successful SUPERBRAWL events held in Hawaii. The month of September sees the next SUPERBRAWL event scheduled, and it is rumored to be a whopper! One of the fights already in the works is a rematch between Tom Sauer and Hawaii's native son Enson Inoue. What makes the event unique is that Enson's brother Egan is also rumored to be on the card - the first time both Inoue brothers appear in MMA together on the same card in Hawaii. Almost a sure sellout in the works already!!!

JEREMY HORN, JENS PULVER, RICH FRANKLIN, JENNIFER HOWE, ROBBIE LAWLER, TIM SYLVIA, JOE DOERKSON, JUSTIN EILERS

Horn, one of Cox's most active fighters, sustained a loss in the Gladiator FC event in Korea, to Anderson Silva. Horn fought Kyle Seals, a 3-1 fighter from New Mexico this past week in Alaska. Horn won by TKO 2 and 1/2 minutes into the first round with a body shot. Horn was still clearly nursing a groin injury sustained in the opening round of the Silva fight, when he went for a slam against his opponent. Reports are that Horn could neither kick or knee in his match with Seals, but used straight boxing to finish his opponent. Horn is reported to be resting until his next bout, scheduled against Nathan Marquardt at the IFC's August 14th event in Sturgis.

Jens Pulver continued his successful run in SHOOTO with a standout performance and TKO over Stephen Paling. This is his second TKO/KO win in a row at the 143 lb mark. Can a December of 2004 SUPERFIGHT with SHOOTO's longtime champion Alexandre 'Pequeno' Noguiera be avoided?

The card in Alaska also saw Rich Franklin win by key lock early in the first round. Number one ranked ladies fighter Jennifer Howe won by punches from the mount in round 2 over rugged Linda Lamarack, a protege of Pain Peters who is only the second woman to last until round 2 with Howe.

Robbie Lawler was scheduled to move up in weight to the 185 lb class in the upcoming UFC, but a recurring injury to his ribs has caused him to pull out. This injury is reported to have been a problem for some time with Lawler, who is looking for some time to heal.

Tim Silvia has started his recovery from his broken arm. Though several scenarios behind the scenes had Silvia returning to the UFC in October, it appears that his recovery will extend beyond that. Word is that Sylvia would like to return by the October UFC event, however the recovery may not be complete by then.

Joe Doerkson and Justin Eilers continue to prepare for their UFC debuts. Both fighters have fought extensively in smaller events and are ready to take there shot in the UFC. Eilers faces fellow collegiate football player Mike Kyle in a bout of two great athletes at heavyweight. At 185 lbs, Doerkson, who may be Canada's best fighter, takes on Joe Riggs who is best known for a string of KO's in his last few fights.

Source: ADCC

UFC 50 - October Return for the East Coast Planned!

With 'UFC 49: UNFINISHED BUSINESS' scheduled for August 21st at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, it appears that the UFC will be heading back to the east coast, to Atlantic City for the UFC 50.

UFC has concentrated their most recent events in Las Vegas, with the East Coast getting serious attention from them last in 2003. November of 2003 saw UFC in Conneticut, at the Mohegan Sun Casino (UFC 45), while April saw them in Miami for UFC 42. It was 'UFC 41 - Onslaught' that last saw ZUFFA in Atlantic City, N.J. at the Boardwalk Hall. In 2000 and 2001, the UFC ran 3 shows in Atlantic City.

The date for UFC 50 is reported to be Friday, October 22nd, and the venue will once again be the Boardwalk Hall.

Recent reports state that ZUFFA's live attendance in Vegas has been down, with the upcoming August show (UFC 49) being the 6th of 7 shows in their hometown. Word is that UFC 48's PPV buys topped 6 figures, a good number for ZUFFA. This may open the door for more overseas and southern shows, as ZUFFA may be seeing PPV numbers improving while the 'live' event develops new homes.

It is also interesting that these high numbers on PPV come around the same time of reports that UFC lost it's spots on Japanese and British PPV. UFC 48 had no international stars after Lee Murray's bout went by the wayside.

Many people expect a landmark show from ZUFFA for their 50th UFC, and a return to a town they have not been two in a year and a half will hopefully equate to a strong live gate. A few international stars will both raise the appeal and build of UFC 48's PPV success by hopefully returning them to foreign PPV.

There is certain to be much more news on this event in the coming weeks and months.

Source: ADCC

K-1 Champion in Brazil!

The Jiu-Jitsu World Championships have lured to Rio de Janeiro Brazil former K-1 champion Mark Hunt. With a first sentence like this, the reader should be asking: 'What are you talking about? What does a K-1 champ have to do to with a Jiu-Jitsu tournament?' We want to remind everybody that Hunt just came from his first experience in MMA (he lost to Hidehiko Yoshida in Pride GP 2004 last June) and that he promised to compete again under MMA rules.

The fact is that the 2001 K-1 GP Champion started to train grappling under Marcelo Rezende in Sydney, Australia a few weeks prior to his MMA debut, and the kickboxer took advantage f the fact that Rezende was coming to Brazil to watch the Worlds.

It wasn’t a vacation for the New Zealand born Hunt, who is now training at least twice a day in Gracie Barra headquarters. One of the sessions is together with the professional fighters such as Renato Babalu, Daniel Gracie, Gustavo Ximu, Pe de Pano and others. 'I couldn’t believe his skills in boxing,’ said Pride winner Daniel Gracie. 'He touched me with his gloves whenever he wanted!'

Hunt does not rest after the pro sparring. Usually, he takes a shower and 'relaxes' wearing a blue gi. Then, he waits for the second session, which is Marcio Feitosa’s special classes for the team and the competitors who will participate in the Worlds.

And for those who don’t believe in his future success in MMA due to his weaknesses on the ground, someone special advices: 'I know he’s a talent. If he trains hard for a few months, I believe he can become a Pride winner' bets BJJ expert Renzo Gracie, who saw him rolling.

Source: ADCC

Carlson Gracie Prohibits BTT leaders at his MMA Event!

Jiu-Jitsu Master Carlson Gracie has just arrived from Chicago this Sunday to arrange the final details for his new MMA event 'REAL FIGHT', that will take place on July 30th at the Hebraica Gymnasium, in Rio de Janeiro.

As usual, Carlson went straight from the airport to Porcão, one of the best barbecue restaurants in Rio, to meet his best friend, the filmmaker Oswaldo Paquetá.

While he was waiting for his meal, Carlson called us to give his expectations for this new event, which will be broadcast by Globosat (Brazilian cable TV). 'The event will be outstanding! I came to Rio in advance to set up the last details with the other promoters. The event will be full of great surprises' guaranteed the master, claiming that he authorized the participation of two BTT members with one condition: 'I´m a nice guy. I authorized BTT to participate, but I gave one condition: Ze Mario, Allan Goes, Murilo, Bebeo, Liborio and Carlão cannot be in their corner. If these 6 guys want to see the event they will have to pay for regular tickets to get into the gymnasium', stated Carlson.

Paulo Boiko and Neca will be BTT representatives at the event. The strikers are featured in a heavywweight battle between Muay Thai specialist Eduardo Maiorino (Champions´Factory) and Italian boxer Alessio Sakada (Brasil Dojo).

Complete Card (Subject To Change):

- 56 Kg: Daniel Pit (Fabricio JJ) x Neca (BTT)
- 60 Kg: Ivan Alves (Artur Mariano) x Rodrigo Bicudinho (Ipanema JJ)
- 65 Kg: Rodrigo Totti (De La Riva) x Ricardinho (Gold Fighters)
- 76 Kg: Tomas de Sá (Juquinha JJ Team) x Peterson Mello (Boxe Thai)
- 76 Kg: Jacão (Manimal CG) x Claudionor Fontenelle (Artur Mariano)
- 83 Kg: Antonio Sergio (Oziris CG) x Guilherme Lima (Gracie Barra)
- 83 Kg: Paulo Boiko (BTT) x Júnior Besouro (Top Fight)
- 83 Kg: Ivan Batman (Manimal CG) x Ângelo Sérgio (Boxe Thai)
- 83 Kg: Alessio Sakara (Brasil Dojo) x Eduardo Maiorino (Champions Factory)
- 91 Kg: Marcelo Dourado (Nocaute) x Luiz Fernando Pimpolho (Nova União)

Source: ADCC

Heating Up For Bushido 4
It's finally time to boogie down in Japan for Dean Lister!

By Eduardo Alonso

Ever since he started dedicating himself to Martial Arts, Dean Lister's life has been always progressing as he continued to improve as a fighter and was always taking his time and measuring his steps with smarts and caution, making sure he would be in for a long and fruitful run, in a sport where a fighter can burn bridges as easily as one can count to three. His smart decisions, along with his grappling skills and physical strength, are probably his most impressive characteristic in the MMA game and now Lister is likely taking his most important step to date, landing in one of the biggest fighting promotions on earth, Pride! This coming weekend "The Boogey Man" Dean will take the magic he worked in the most diverse places in the past, such as the Brazilian mats in Abu Dhabi 2003, or the fearsome cage of KOTC, to the Pride Bushido Ring, facing probably the most dangerous striker he ever fought in Amar Suloev. Always in a good mood, the American fighter took his time to talk to FCF about this coming match-up, and several other matters on his career, just one day prior to his departure to the land of the rising sun. As Full Contact Fighter gets heated up for Pride Bushido 4, Dean Lister shares his thoughts on the fight game, enjoy!

FCF: After you've reached your moment of glory winning the Abu Dhabi absolute division in 2003, you have been dedicating yourself to MMA. Will this be a trend from now on in your career?
DL: I always try to train actions and positions that work in MMA and also are effective in grappling competitions. I just train more in Kickboxing and takedowns when I have a fight coming close.

FCF: Over the course of your MMA career you have only fought at KOTC. How did you develop this relationship with the event, and why did this happen? Weren't you invited by other shows such as the UFC?
DL: I have had many shows ask me to fight but I had a contract with King of the cage and they treated me well. I have had some tough opponents in the event and had a good chance to develop my personal style.

FCF: Your last fight was a judges' decision loss to tough Jeremy Horn, at KOTC 31. What's your take on the decision, and what do you think you could've done better in that fight?
DL: Jeremy Horn is a very tough and smart opponent and it was absolutely a very close fight, a big factor in my loss was the blood. I received an elbow, the first strike I received from Jeremy Horn in the fight, and it cut me badly. The blood loss took my strength from me, blinded me badly and didn't look good in the eyes of people watching the fight. I feel I won rounds 1 and 2, I lost round 3 and round 4 was close with me winning the end of the round. I only feel I win a fight if I finish my opponent so I don't feel I deserve the victory but I don't think of it as a loss, I think of the fight as being very close than most people know, after all one judge out of three gave me the decision, he felt I won the fight, but overall I let educated fans watch the fight and make their own decisions, but it was a great learning experience.

FCF: Are you a fighter that cares about rematches? If so, do you intend to face Horn again down the road, as you already "avenged" your other loss in MMA, to Jacen Flynn?
DL: Sure if it is in my future I'd love to have a rematch but it's not as important to me as some might think, my fights in Pride are more important and if I get a rematch there, then that's great.

FCF: It's been more than six months since you fought Jeremy Horn, and you haven't fought since. You were even cogitated to face Ricardo Arona once in Pride, but the match didn't go trough. What happened? Was that fight pure speculation or was it indeed negotiated?
DL: It's strange that I used to train with Arona at one time, for one month the first time I visited Brazil. I was surprised that we were being put to fight each other and yes it was almost official but I had a serious injury to one of my shoulders, and could not fight or even train. Now after about six months and a lot of physical therapy I feel very strong in my shoulder.

FCF: Now you're finally doing your Pride debut, at Bushido 4. How are you feeling about fighting in Japan? Was this a dream to you, and did you sign a multi-fight contract with Pride?
DL: Yes a dream come true, I did sign a multi-fight contract with Pride and I look at all the work I've done to prove myself over my life and this is the last place I need to prove myself.

FCF: Your opponent, Amar Suloev is a pretty tough fighter himself. What weight will that fight be under, and what do you know about your opponent?
DL: My opponent is very skilled and tough, the fight will be under 205 lbs. and I'm actually not sure what to expect from my opponent, he's well rounded but he will for certain try to make the fight standing and won't want to be on the ground too much.

FCF: Everybody knows you have a great ground game and this may be your key to victory. But how's your stand up game now? Are you already feeling comfortable to trade strikes against someone such as Suloev?
DL: I am much improved in my striking ability but everyone knows I want the takedown in the fight game. Also Suloev is a very good striker and I can't fight in his world, I need to take him into my world.

FCF: Last time I interviewed you, you had stepped out of the mat after winning the absolute division at Abu Dhabi 2003. I asked you then how would you spend your prize money (Laughs), so now I can ask you again! How did you end up speding your prize money Dean?
DL: Nothing really impressive, I was smart with my money and got myself out of debt, paid off my student loans from college, car loans, credit cards (also from college) and didn't go out spending my money on stupid things. The only thing I did new with my money was buy a plane ticket for a unbelievably beautiful girl I met in Brazil to come and visit me in San Diego. She is now my wife and we are very happy, so I guess I spent my money wisely.

FCF: You seemed to have a great time in Brazil at Abu Dhabi, and later you returned to the country for the BJJ worlds last year. How do you like coming to Brazil, and do you have any plans on returning soon?
DL: I've always had a great time in Brazil and love visiting every time. The only thing I did new with my money I won in ADCC was buy a plane ticket for an unbelievably beautiful girl I met in Brazil at the Mundials to come and visit me in San Diego. Her name is Flavia Mazoni, she is now my wife and we are very happy, so I guess I am much closer to Brazil now then ever. I think I'll come back to Brazil for Christmas to visit her family this year.

FCF: Finally, is your Abu Dhabi superfight against Ricardo Arona going to take place next year? Have you been contacted about it yet?
DL: I haven't been contacted and don't know where it will take place but I'm sure it will happen, I've heard rumors it will be here in the U.S.A

FCF: Thanks so much for your time Dean, good luck in your fight, I can't wait to see it!
DL: Thank you.

Source: FCF

 7/18/04

Quote of the Day

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Martin Luther King,1929-1968, American Black Leader, Nobel Prize Winner, 1964

PRIDE BUSHIDO 4 - This Monday Nite in Japan!!!
Nagoya Rainbow Hall / Nagoya, Japan
Monday, July 19th, 2004

PRIDE FC presents their 4th BUSHIDO event this Monday evening in Nagoya, Japan. The event is seen in Japan as smaller than the highly anticipated PRIDE Grand Prix later this summer, and several reliable sources are stating that ticket sales for the event are low (puroresupower.com reported an over/under for legitimate paid tickets sold as 4,500-5,000) Nevertheless, PRIDE is delivering a solid card with 11 matches scheduled featuring many of Japan's best fighters facing the top international talent the world has to offer. Despite the BUSHIDO series earlier billing as a show exclusively for the lower weight classes not being the case, there are a lot of 'littler' fighters on the show, adding to the event's appeal.

The feature bouts of the event pit the BRAZILIAN TOP TEAM against TEAM JAPAN, with two of BTT's frontline fighters joining two younger guys in the feature. The two younger fighters, Fabio Mello and Buscape are fighting tough, experienced Japanese fighters in Takanori Gomi and Hiroyuki Abe respectively, however it is a confident BTT crew heading to Japan, as studs Rogerio Nogueira and Paulo Filho offer rematches to Kazuhiro Nakamura and Akira Shoji in bouts they are heavily favored to win.

The undercard features Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic, who continues to try to work his way back into the Grand Prix with a busy schedule. Japanese stars Hayato 'Mach' Sakurai and Dokonjonosuke Mishima appear on the undercard, facing Americans Brady Fink and Marcos Aurelio respectively. Fink and Aurelio represent Team Oyama and American TOP TEAM, perhaps opening the door for some of the USA's top teams to participate in the themed BUSHIDO shows. Up until now, PRIDE's BUSHIDO has featured Brazilian themes of the Gracies, ChuteBoxe and now BTT.

Perhaps the most intriguing matchup on the card is the international bout between RED DEVIL's Amar Suloev and the ADCC Absolute Champion Dean Lister. Suloev is an accomplished striker and MMA fighter, while Lister's background of Jiu Jitsu and Submission fighting saw him thru to a KOTC title, but he is genreally considered less experienced in MMA. This looks like the 21st century version of the classic grappler/striker matchup, as both men must impose their distinctive styles to win.

Also on the card is the freakish Paulo Cesar 'Giant' Silva, who comes off a loss to Ogawa in the GP. He faces pro wrestler Takashi Sugiura in a bout he is likely to win. Both may also fight on a series of pro wrestling shows being hyped around Naoya Ogawa at the end of July.

The entire card appears below.

PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 (Fight Card Subject to Change)

BRAZILIAN TOP TEAM vs. TEAM JAPAN
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (BTT) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Yoshida Dojo)
- Fabio Mello (BTT) vs. Takanori Gomi (Kiguchi Dojo)
- Paulo Filho (BTT) vs. Akira Shoji (Free)
- Luis 'Buscape' Firminho vs. Hiroyuki Abe (AACC)

FIGHT CARD:
- Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic (Cro Cop Squad Gym) vs. Shungo Oyama (Free)
- Paulo Cesar 'Giant' Silva (Free) vs. Takashi Sugiura (NOAH)
- Ikuhisa Minowa (Free) vs. Kenichi Yamamoto (Free)
- Hayato 'Mach' Sakurai (Japan) vs. Brady Fink (Team Oyama)
- Dean Lister (City Boxing) vs. Amar Suloev (Red Devil Fight Club)
- Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Cobra Kai) vs. Marcos Aurelio (American Top Team)
- Kyosuke Sasaki (U-File Camp) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (RJW-Central)

Despite s delay of several days before airing in the US, this is a card worth watching.

North American pay per view begins 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. Check http://pridefc.com for exact details.

Source: ADCC

Kid Peligro Jiu-Jitsu News . . .
2004 Worlds Qualifier Completed.
Now it is on to the Big show

by: Kid Peligro / ADCC JJ Editor

The 2004 Worlds Qualifying Tournament was held this past Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event the last chance for athletes qualify to compete in the Big Show to attain qualification status. Atheltes qualify to the main event by competing and placing in several events throughout Brazil along with the Pan-Ams and the European Championships. Foreign fighters are automatically qualified as the CBJJ does not have enough qualifying events Worldwide!

While the event is important to the lower belts fighting for a chance to enter the Worlds, it is mostly a formality for the Black Belts, as most of the active top fighters that want to compete are already qualified, there are hardly any entries for the Black Belt qualifier. Since first and second place in the event qualify for the Worlds, generally all that is needed for the Black Belts to get a berth is to sign up and maybe have one match, as there is hardly a bracket with more than 3 fighters.

This year's notables in the qualifier were multiple times World Champion Saulo Ribeiro, who did not compete last year and former World Champions Rico Vieira and Rafael Gordinho for the same reasons.

Marcelo 'Siriema', one of the main tournament organizers for the CBJJ informed us that he has received a huge amount of entries and they have been feveressly sorting out the cards and will have the brackets soon on the CBJJ website www.cbjj.com.br

We will be posting some notables and any surprises as they develop!

The Tournament starts Thursday July 22nd! Be there or be square!

Source: ADCC

Ze Mario Sperry talks about BTT at Bushido 4!
by: Rafael Werneck

One of the leaders of Brazilian Top Team, Ze Mario Sperry will be in the corner to help his teammates during the challenge against Team Japan scheduled for Bushido 4 on July 19th, in Nagoya, Japan.

Before getting on a plane, Ze Mario shared his expectations about Bushido 4, especially with regards to the Pride debuts of his disciples Fabio Mello (who is going to face Tanakori Gomi) and Junior Buscape (who will fight Hiroyuki Abe).

'Mello and Buscape are ready to fight. They are so calm, so well trained that there is not much to talk to them about right now. They both know it is not going to be easy, but for them it is already very satisfying to be invited to the biggest MMA show in the world. After all the hard work and training they´ve been through during so many years they finally made it' says Ze Mario.

The BTT leader is very confident in his partners performance. 'We are going to Japan to win everything we can. Of course I believe in going 3 x 0, but it is not going to be easy. Those who are representing Team Japan are top fighters in Japan. For example, this Gomi guy is a very tough fighter, who has never lost in Pride' alerts Sperry.

In the challenge between Brazilian Top Team against Team Japan, two of the three fights will be rematches, and by coincidence in the two previous fights, the Brazilians stepped out of the ring as the winners. Rogerio 'Minotouro' defeated Kazuhiro Nakamura by submission in Pride 25 and Paulo Filho did the same with Akira Shoji in Pride 22.

'The motivation for the guy who lost the first fight is the biggest danger to the guy who won. If the athletes accept to do the rematch it is because they want to beat the one who defeated him in the past more than anything. The secret to winning this kind of bout is to be confident, but always respect your opponent' stated Ze Mario.

Source: ADCC

The Savage Truth: Say it ain’t so Joe … err, Dana!
by Greg Savage

Coming off three consecutive losses and without a win since September 2002, Phil Baroni is back in the UFC this August against
Ronald Jhun. Now I know the top brass at Zuffa feel Phil is a potential super star with his pro-wrestling like persona and exciting let-it-all-hang-out style, but that fact just adds to the disbelief of many MMA fans and journalists after hearing of this match.

Here you have a guy you feel sells tickets and could be a huge box office draw, and you are setting him up in a no win situation. Don’t kid yourself, Jhun is no joke -- there is a real possibility your friend and aspiring poster boy will be going down in defeat for the fourth straight time.

Then what will your precious commodity be worth?

Personally, I think Baroni is great for the sport and would not mind seeing him back, but I can not fathom the reasoning behind this decision. Why wouldn’t you set him up with a couple fights in smaller shows to let him get his confidence and swagger back? Bring him in after he decapitates a couple tomato cans and give him a real shot to get back into the middleweight title picture.

Now, I am sure Phil, in hopes of ending that losing streak, can’t wait to get back in the Octagon, but he needs someone to look out for his best interests -- and that is not happening in this situation. Baroni is tough-as-nails and has tons of heart and pride, but those traits that he brandishes inside the cage are of no use at this point. Ask any fighter if they want to get paid and the answer will undoubtedly be "yes," but that is why skillful management is so important in guiding fighter’s careers.

I guess I just have a biased opinion on this matter. I really don’t want Phil’s UFC career to end up on the scrap heap, because Lindland-Baroni III needs to happen. That is the best feud running in MMA, but it just won’t be feasible if Baroni -- who lost the first two encounters as well as two fights to Evan Tanner , his nemesis’s teammate -- cannot get a couple notches in his win column.

Speaking of Lindland, he will have his hands full with Dave Terrell. Rumor has it Zuffa believes Terrell should be able to tune up “The Law” and possibly mop up the entire middleweight division. Trust me, I have seen Dave Terrell fight on a number of occasions and he is the real deal, but having the Zuffa curse -- the proverbial black cloud -- hanging over your head would not be my ideal way of making a UFC debut.

Don’t get me wrong, I know I have been pretty critical of some UFC practices in the past, but like I have stated before, Zuffa is the best hope for MMA in North America. On a whole I feel they are doing their best to turn the UFC into as popular and profitable a promotion as possible, while retaining the kind of respectability that was so lacking when they took over a few years ago.

With that said, I do feel UFC President Dana White lets his personal emotions come into play a bit too much, and this decision to have Phil Baroni leap right back into the Octagon is a picture perfect example. Dana and Phil have a great personal relationship but that should not cloud your vision when you are promoting a sport that sells itself on being the best and most realistic form of combat athletics in the world. I have heard it time and time again from officials inside the Zuffa inner circle that only when they had more fights could they properly promote fighters and build stronger divisions.

Personally, I feel Dana wants what’s best for the sport and I have never heard anything to the contrary from anyone on the inside at Zuffa. The guy has poured his heart and soul into this venture, and, like all of us at different points in our lives, has come up short on occasion. Despite the fact that I don’t necessarily agree with a lot of the things that have been done in promoting this sport that I love so much, you won’t hear me, unlike some pundits, calling for the heads of the people who, with their time, dedication and financial wherewithal, have rescued MMA from the depths of near total isolation -- at least not yet.

Source: Sherdog

LINDLAND GIVES HIS TWO CENTS ON MUSHNICK

In another MMAWeekly exclusive, Matt Lindland will be contributing to MMAWeekly from time to time and he wrote down his thoughts about the recent NY Post article by Phil Mushnick and sent this in to the newspaper.

Mr. Mushnick:

-I read an article that you authored in the NY POST a few days ago, and it prompted me to write this short reply. Hope it finds its way to you.

The tone of your article was a familiar one; and the attitude it represented is one that I, and other people involved in Mixed Martial Arts, have viewed as a challenge for a while now. It is an attitude fostered more by ignorance than by knowledge; more by fantasy than by fact, more by a reliance on hearsay than by direct observation. And the challenge is not merely to oppose such factors on their face, but to attempt to present a more comprehensive, realistic, interpretive mental lens through which something new, and innovative, may be viewed and understood. Consider this note my acceptance of that challenge; for the sake of the sport of MMA, and for the sake of sport itself.

I returned from Sydney, Australia in 2000 after winning the Olympic Silver Medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling. It was the culmination of a lifetime of effort, and struggle, and sacrifice. I cannot tell you in words, Mr. Mushnick, how hard I worked and how much I sacrificed to be granted the chance to represent my Country (and, by extension, represent YOU, Mr Mushnick, an American Citizen) on the international stage of competitive athletics. I am certain that a Sports Journalist of your stature had many opportunities to observe, and comment on, the Olympic Games; and I am just as certain that you brought all of your knowledge, and all of your experience, to the task of reporting on the Olympics to your readership I am just as certain that you treated their faith in you, as someone they, your readers, believed in, and trusted, with the greatest possible level of professionalism; and that you shared your insights and knowledge with them.

And I believe in you, Mr. Mushnick. And I trust you as well. Please trust me enough to read on, and allow me to share with you as you have shared with countless sports fans for decades.

Give this idea a moment's consideration. Three recognized sports, all of which are both Olympic sports as well as have established and accepted World Championships, National Competitions, and Scholastic competitive architectures that reach down to grade-school levels, are running events, Swimming events, and Bicycle events.

All three have provided more thrills, and excitement, and drama, than a humble wrestler like myself can ever describe in a few sentences. Remember Mark Spitz? Carl Douglas? Lance Armstrong? Jesse Owens? And so many others I cannot possibly name; all great athletes, competing in great sports. And then someone said.....What if we combine these three great disciplines? What if we create another great sport, one which challenges those who choose to attempt to excel at it, to dare to be great at all three? And so, the Triathlon was born. And you cannot disagree with its legitimacy as a sport, or disregard and disparage its competitors, can you, Mr. Mushnick?

Allow me to mention a few other sports, each as compelling, and legitimate, as the three listed above:

Boxing, Judo, Wrestling, Taekwondo. All Olympic Sports; all with histories, and legacies of triumph and accomplishment that are part of the very social fabric of this, the greatest nation on earth, and virtually any other you choose to name. Need I mention the great Muhammad Ali? Dan Gable? George Foreman waving the American flag? These sports, and the athletes who compete in them, have all been instrumental in the very ability of humanity to define itself.

They all trace their origins back to the very beginnings of human civilization, and like we all share a common ancestor, long lost in the mists of history, so all of these combat sports also share a common ancestor. A great, all-encompassing Sporting Discipline, with dignity, and honor, and compassion, and respect for its competitors and spectators alike. A Combat Sport where individuals could train, and compete, with grace. Mixed Martial Arts is an attempt to connect with that; to rediscover and recreate that great Discipline.

It is, in essence, an experiment in Living Archeology. Imagine, if you will, the excitement you might feel if you were offered the chance to observe the Pyramids being built...or the Great wall of China...or the Inca Temples in Peru. What a gift that would be! To reconnect with that spirit, that Humanity, that was then, and is now. I was honored, and thrilled, to become involved in Mixed Martial Arts as a competitor, trainer, advisor, and coach. I have never regretted the time I took to look into the sport, and see it for what it really was, rather than take someone else's word, or discount it after a brief, flitting glance at something that was outside of what I was used to, beyond the boundaries of my preconceptions, my fixed ideas.

Let me share that with you, Mr. Mushnick. Please join me. Join US. The competitors of today and the heroes of the past. Allow me to be your Virgil, your guide, on a journey of exploration. Come and observe a sport with a history, and a language, that is waiting for you to understand it, and appreciate it. A sport with a safety record that puts sports like boxing and football in the shade; with a concern for its competitors' well-being that will surprise you. Come to our next competition as my guest. Meet the fighters. Watch them train, prepare, and compete. Look in their eyes.

Meet their families and supporters. Hear their stories. We are having our next event in Las Vegas on August 21st. I will personally reserve a ringside seat for you. Meet the Judges. The Referees. The Athletic Commission. They are all waiting for you. They all want to share with you, and tell you their stories of how they became involved, and why they think Mixed Martial Arts is important, and special. And they believe in you, like I do. You are an Elite Journalist with a unique opportunity.

Hope to hear from you.

Matt Lindland

OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST,WORLD MEDALIST and 5x NATIONAL CHAMPION

Source: MMA Weekly

PRIDE BUSHIDO PREVIEW:
RANALLO BREAKS DOWN CARD


After following the sport of Mixed Martial Arts since it's conception, working events in Canada from pro wrestling to Muay Thai bouts, Mauro Ranallo now finds himself as the play by play voice of PrideFC.

Ranallo recently spoke with MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio about Monday's Pride Bushido show, his broadcasting background, and the phenomenon that is Bob Sapp.

Sports commentators are always under the microscope of the viewing public and MMA is no different. Mauro Ranallo replaced Stephen Quadros and knows just how big those shoes are that he is filling. Ranallo said, "It is always difficult to replace someone who has been there since the beginning."

Mauro has done everything from being a radio DJ to announcing pro wrestling in Calgary. Three years ago Ranallo crossed paths with Bas Rutten at a submission tournament in Vancouver and had the privilege of working with Bas on a low budget MMA film. He described Bas as, "One of the most charismatic people I've ever met and just a natural born entertainer."

The two worked well together and stayed in touch over the years. Last summer, Rutten called him up and told him about Quadros' departure so Mauro sent in a demo and was hired immediately without having to meet with Pride in person based mainly on Bas' recommendation. Ranallo stated, "He [Bas] put his reputation at stake."

Mauro takes his job seriously. "If you want to do it and do it well, you have to do your homework," stated Ranallo. He went on to say, "I truly am an MMA fan. I'm not just here collecting a paycheck." Regardless if he remains in the sport of MMA, he wants to see the sport grow to the level of any other mainstream sport out there.

Tonight's Pride Bushido card features Team Japan verses the Brazilian Top Team, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic against tough Japanese fighter Shungo Oyama, Dean Lister up against Amar Suloev and others. Mauro expects it to be another successful show and discussed some of the match ups.

According to Ranallo, Mirko hasn't been the same since his devastating loss at the hands of Kevin Randleman. "Cro Cop" has changed trainers and was "very humble" in his last fight against Hiromitsu Kanehara. Mauro stated, "This coming Sunday's fight will indeed be a tell-tale sign of just where Mirko Cro Cop is in his career." He anticipates seeing the "old Mirko Cro Cop." Mirko's opponent, Shungo Oyama, is an aggressive Japanese fighter as Ranallo put it. He expects to see Oyama go toe-to-toe with Mirko in an exciting fight.

In a fight that "could indeed rank up there as the fight of the night," Dean Lister will square off against Amar Suloev. It will be both fighter's Pride debut. Lister is coming off a loss in King of the Cage to Jeremy Horn and Amar has put together a four fight winning streak with his last win over Din Thomas. Ranallo said he is "happy Dean Lister's getting a chance finally in the big time."

Team verses Team battles may not appeal to the American fans but in Japan, it sparks the interest of the public. In this installation of Team Japan against the Brazilian Top Team, Takanori Gomi will be going against Fabio Mello. Speaking about Gomi, Mauro said, "This guy could be a Japanese superstar in the future." Some may say that he already is.

Ranallo spoke at length about Bob Sapp. He said he kinda feels sorry for Sapp. He commented, "This guy was just run in the ground. He never had an opportunity to train. He was constantly doing appearances....He never got the chance to become the fighter I think he could have become." Mauro blames the K-1 office for doing that to Sapp. He is fearful that the same thing could be happening to Mirko "Cro Cop." "I don't want to see the same thing happen to Mirko," he stated.

Source: MMA Weekly

PRIDE BUSHIDO PREVIEW
MISHIMA VS AURELIO


Pride Bushido Volume 4 Preview
Marcus Aurelio vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima

Though they're not well known in the world-wide fight community, insiders know that Marcus Aurelio and Dokonjonosuke Mishima could provide one of the more entertaining fights of the night at Pride Bushido Volume 4.

A 2nd degree Brazilian Jiujitsu Black Belt at American Top Team, Aurelio is one of the rising stars in mixed martial arts. Though he has been competing in MMA for only two years, he has compiled a very impressive record of 11 wins and only 1 loss (a controversial split decision to Antonio McKee). Though his resume of wins doesn't include a lot of eye-grabbers, he did defeat UFC veteran Rich Clementi in the third of three fights in one night to win the ZST Lightweight Championship. Aurelio also holds the lightweight titles in Ring of Fury, Absolute Fighting Championship, and Hook n Shoot.

Aurelio has a tremendous knowledge of the ground game that few can match. He is very aggressive on the ground, usually dominating position, and always actively working for the submission. Though he's not known for his standup game, Aurelio isn't afraid to go there and with American Top Team's recent emphasis on boxing, his hands are always getting better and better.

Of his eleven wins, only one has gone to a decision. Aurelio is very aggressive and likes to finish, a point he rarely fails to meet. He will push the pace of any fight with any fighter.

A veteran of the MMA scene since 1998, Mishima is a staple in both Shooto and Deep, two of the top Japanese promotions. With a record of 14-3-2, he's been very impressive over his career and his list of opponents is no less impressive. His three losses are to Din Thomas, Takanori Gomi, and Ralph Gracie. Mishima has defeated Robert Emerson, Tesuji Kato, Ryan Bow and Fabio Mello.

With a 3rd degree Black Belt in Judo, a purple belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu, and a wealth of wrestling skills, Mishima, like Aurelio, is also highly skilled on the ground and is very comfortable there. He
doesn't have much of an impressive standup game though and isn't really a threat to knock anyone out on the feet.

Mishima does have a flair for entertainment though. Much like Genki Sudo or Kazushi Sakuraba, he is more than willing to through a few high-risk maneuvers into his repertoire. Also a participant of
professional wrestling, Mishima likes to entertain after the fight as well, often times doing flips or performing moonsaults (a high, exaggerated back flip) off the ring post onto his entourage.

Who Wins?
This is another very tough one to call. Aurelio is probably the more highly skilled and more well-rounded fighter of the two, but Mishima has more experience and has faced more top level competition than Aurelio. Though he lost to both Gomi and Thomas, the only top ten fighters he has faced.

I would have to give the edge to Aurelio in this one though. If the fight goes to the ground, I can't see Mishima submitting or TKOing Aurelio, though there is a good chance that Aurelio could put the
finishing hold on Mishima. If they stay on their feet, which probably isn't too likely, Aurelio's ever improving boxing and Muay Thai skills should keep him ahead of the game with Mishima.

The most likely opportunity for Mishima to win is by decision. But as long as Aurelio can handle Mishima's unorthodox, flashy style, he should be able to overcome him and apply the finish.

Source: MMA Weekly

Mark Hunt wears a Gi at Gracie Barra

Fighter from New Zealand Mark Hunt and great start of K-1 is in Rio de Janeiro training at Gracie Barra Combat Team's head quarter with the Vale Tudo team. According to the GBCT manager Carlos Malta, the invitation came out through an old Carlinhos Gracie black belt. "He trains there in Australia with Vietcong and after the loss to Yoshida, he realized he need improving his ground skills," reveals Malta, who evaluates the guest: 'He has such a great game on the feet and it has been amazing the information exchanging. Besides that, he is such a gentleman and very humble man... he has been training wearing Gi like everybody,' concluded.

Source: Tatame

Fernando Tererê meditates for Mundial

Champion at the 3rd BJJ World Cup of Jiu-Jitsu among the middleweights, Fernando Tererê will not obey his doctor and he will fight at the VIII Mundial of Jiu-Jitsu, scheduled to rock the Tijuca Tênis Club on July 24 and 25. Tererê, who got the finger hurt during his first bout at BJJ world Cup, warns he will not train to fight the weight and the open class.

- For whom fought the ADCC with a broken rib and saw a guy winning with no arms, it will not be a finger that will take me away from a Mundial. I am facing this event like a test for me. Now I just gonna put my Gi again for the Mundial. It does not longer matter: winning or losing. I just want to fight. Until there, I am just meditating,' jokes Tererê.

Source: Tatame

Akebono Loses Again in K-1

K-1 WORLD GP 2004 in SEOUL
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Chamshil Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea

Asian GP tournament:
Quarterfinals:
Zhang Qing Jun defeats
Akebono by unanimous decision.
Shingo Koyasu defeats Dolgolsuren Sumiyabazar by TKO at 2:02, RD 1.
Tsuyoshi Nakasako defeats Lee Myeon Ju by unanimous decision.
Kaoklai Kaennorsing defeats Dennis Kang KO, RD 1.

Semifinals:
Shingo Koyasu defeats So Chul* by unanimous decision.
Kaoklai Kaennorsing defeats Tsuyoshi Nakasako by majority decision.

Final:
Kaoklai Kaennorsing defeats Shingo Koyasu by unanimous decision.

Single fights:
Remy Bonjasky defeats Aziz Khatou by KO at 1:25, RD 2.
Glaube Feitosa defeats TOA 'The Samoan Beast' by KO at 1:49, RD 1.
Jerome Le Banner defeats Terrence Lizby by KO at 1:00, RD 1.

*Replaced the injured Zhang Qing Jun

Source: Fight Sport

 7/17/04

Quote of the Day

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."

Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1895, Scottish Essayist, Poet, Novelist

Shaolin gets ready for his next challenge
by: Rafael Werneck

Current Shooto welterweight champion Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro remains
unbeaten in MMA after his victory over Mitsuhiro Ishida on July 9th, making his record 10-0 for his career.

After spending some relaxing days in Hawaii, where he last fought in July, the
Brazilian is back in his homeland. Shaolin will be very busy, as his wedding is scheduled for July 24th. Vitor paused briefly with us to talk about his last bout, won by judges decision.

'The fight was good. I did my best to win by submission in the first round, but the guy was a warrior and I couldn´t get him. I tried a leg triangle, an arm
triangle, and an arm-lock, but Ishida was defending himself in a very efficient way. His aim was not to be defeated by submission and that was my toughest obstacle' says Shaolin.

Vitor also shared with ADCC the secret of being invincible. 'My answer to this kind of question is to have a proper training program, a good coach, a good family and a nice woman by my side. I´m working my ground game always looking for the better way to reach the submission. I´m working my standing game as well and I always pay attention to Dede´s [coach Andre Pederneiras] instructions. I trust very much in my preparation' confesses the Shooto champion.

Unlike many fighters whose dream is to be invited to fight in Pride, Shaolin doesn´t think about any changing to another organization: 'Shooto is getting better every day. I´m very focused and I don´t think about anything else but to keeping my welterweight belt.’

On July 24th, Vitor Ribeiro will start a new phase of his life. Totally in love with his fiancé, Shaolin is ready to say 'yes' to Janaina Raris. 'I am anxious but not tense. I've been with her for so long. And it is very easy to say ‘yes’ to somebody I love so much' says Vitor, who is going to spend his honeymoon at the eco-resort in a paradise city called Itacare, in Bahia. He has earned it!

Source: ADCC

2004 Worlds less than one week away

With less than one week to go for the 2004 Worlds things are heating up quickly. Today, Friday 16th, is the last day to sign up for the event. As usual many of the top stars wait for the last minute to drop their names in the 'hat'.

Soon we will have all the info on who competes in what division. What BIG surprises will be in store this year. More on this in the next few days. For info check out www.cbjj.com.br

First West Coast Jiu-Jitsu Championships

The 1st West Coast Jiu-Jitsu Championships has been scheduled for September 25, 2004. The Tournament will be held here in Northern California, in the Main Gym of San Francisco State University located at 1600 Holloway Ave. in San Francisco.

The West Coast Tournament is organized and promoted by the same people that have successfully done the United gracie Tournament, Charles and Ralph Gracie. The event will be Gi only! Head organizer Charles Gracie told us: After 3 great United Gracie events, especially the last one with record number of competitors and spectators, we decided it was time for another event in the early fall. So we hope to see everyon e her on SEptember 25th for the first West Coast Jiu-Jitsu Tournament!'

The tournament will have children, juniors, adult, master, senior, male and female, divisions from white to black belt levels. Mark this date on your calendar! September 25th, 2004 - West Coast Jiu-Jitsu Championships. For more detail check out www.charlesgracie.com or call (650) 756-7579

Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
7340 Mission St., Daly City, California 94014 - USA
Phone: (650) 756-7579 Fax: (650) 756-1260 www.charlesgracie.com

Source: ADCC/Kid Peligro

Randy Couture & Tito Ortiz Training together!
Open to the Public!

Come meet Randy "The Natural" Couture and "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz in person at the EMPIRE EVENTS CENTER in Sacramento on August 17th from 6pm-8pm. This will be a live, FULL CONTACT training camp to help Randy prepare for his upcoming UFC 49 fight with Vitor Belfort on 8/21/04. Cost: $5 General Admission $10. VIP **ALL AGES WELCOME**

Cameras allowed, NO VIDEO. Proceeds to benefit SIERRA COLLEGE Wrestling program. Autographs as well as hats, t-shirts and other gear will be available after the event.

for more info. www.USACagefighting.com www.EmpireEventsCenter.com

Source: Sherdog

Pride Bushido Volume 4 Preview
Dean Lister vs. Amar Suloev: Fight of the Night?

Despite featuring Team Japan vs. Brazilian Top Team, Pride Bushido Volume 4's thunder could be stolen by a couple of Pride first-timers.

Dean Lister and Amar Suloev. This is one of the most highly anticipated fights on the card by most hard core mixed martial arts fans.

Dean Lister, despite a very respectable 6-2 record in MMA, is really most highly regarded for his grappling abilities. He won the 2003 North American Abu Dhabi trials despite having to progress through the tournament with an injured knee. He then went on to the Abu Dhabi 2003 Submission Wrestling World Championships, losing in his weight division before winning the Absolute (or open weight) Division, submitting 3 of his 4 opponents, an Abu Dhabi record.

Since Abu Dhabi, Lister has been focusing almost entirely on mixed martial arts. His grappling background is a very solid mixture of wrestling, sambo and Brazilian Jiujitsu. With his opponents knowing that he is a demon on the ground, few are willing to go there with him. Thus Lister has spent the better part of the last year or so honing his
Muay Thai and boxing skills to help round out his game.

How many men in mixed martial arts can say that they've won not only one, but two 8-man tournaments? Amar Suloev can. He won an 8-man tournament at World Vale Tudo Championship in Brazil and at 2 Hot 2
Handle in Holland. Not only that, but he has also fought and won two fights in one night on two separate occasions. Now that is the
definition of tough. A two time veteran of the UFC, unfortunately Suloev didn't fare so well there losing to Chuck Liddell and Phil
Baroni.

Part of the Russian Red Devil Sportsclub that also counts Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Semenov among its fighters, Suloev is a good example of today's well-rounded mixed martial arts fighter. He has a strong skills in wrestling, sambo and kickboxing. He's show that he will stand and bang with strikers (i.e., Liddell and Baroni), but won't hold back from going to the ground either, nearly half of his wins are by submission.

Who Wins? Who knows? But I will say that this fight has all the potential in the
world to be the fight of the night. Lister has been working hard to round out his game and improve his striking, but is it at the level of
Suloev's striking skills? Probably not. Suloev is a great striker and should have the edge while the two remain standing.

If this one goes to the ground, it's hard to believe that anyone could have the edge on Lister, considered one of the top grappler's in the world at any weight. Suloev won't have the edge if this fight hits the ground.

So, the million dollar question is "where will this fight take place?" My bet would be that eventually, as in most fights, this one will go to the ground where Lister has the edge and probably the win. If Suloev can somehow keep the fight on the feet, he should be able to outstrike Lister and take the fight.

Source: MMA Weekly

PITMASTER SAYS ICEMAN WILL BE READY

Thursday's edition of MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio featured legendary trainer, "The Pit Master," John Hackleman, Hackleman spoke about Chuck Liddell's upcoming match on August 21st, at UFC 49, against Vernon "Tiger" White and gave his take on steroid use in Mixed Martial Arts.

Chuck Liddell could have waited for Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture to settle their trilogy and get his title shot against the winner, but he decided to take a fight with Vernon White instead. There is no better way to put it than in Hackleman's own words, "If he doesn't win, he's screwed." John continued, "all the pressure's on Chuck and Chuck knows that."

Hackleman said White is a dangerous fighter who has forty seven professional MMA fights under his belt. Chuck isn't looking past Vernon by any means. According to Hackleman, Chuck is looking like he did before his fight with Tito Ortiz. John stated, Chuck's "pretty up for it."

Liddell isn't doing anything different to prepare for Vernon than he has done in the past. Hackleman said it will be a "tough fight" and sees it kinda like Chuck's first round Pride Grand Prix match up against Alistair Overeem.

Comparing "Tiger" White and Liddell, Hackleman said, "I think Chuck's more dynamic, more explosive. I think chuck hits harder. I think he has a better all around game." We'll see come August 21st.

"Pit Master" addressed the issue of steroid use in the sport of MMA. He doesn't see it as a problem and thinks the estimates of eighty to ninety percent of fighters using is "way high."

John has been in the fight game for thirty years and simply stated, "When you get hit in the chin, I don't care how much steroids you're taking, you're going down. Kimo tested positive and it sure didn't help him."

He said that weigh classes prevent it from being too much of a factor in who wins or loses. He conceded that in sports like football or weight lifting it will give you a definite advantage but fighting is too technical of a sport for steroid use to be very beneficial. He added, "I don't think it gives you that much of an edge." "It doesn't do anything to protect your chin," commented Hackleman.

To hear all of what the "Pit Master" had to say such as some of his classic stories, get yourself a Premium Membership. The interview is up in the radio archive for your listening pleasure.

Source: MMA Weekly

LUDWIG WINS IN K-1, SO WHAT'S NEXT?

There is no doubt that Duane “Bang” Ludwig is one of the most exciting fighters in the US. Upon returning Stateside after successfully defeating Serkan Yilmaz at K-1’s World Max 2004 show in Japan, Bang spoke with MMA Weekly’s Mick Hammond about the fight and what he’s got on the horizon.

When asked about his fight with Yilmaz Duane said, “It was a good fight. I thought it was going to be tougher but it wasn’t. It was fun because he throws awkward kicks. It’s the kind of fight I thought I was going to win anyway and so I went out had fun and worked off some steam.”

Ludwig’s match with Yilmaz was to determine the alternate for the main tournament should someone get injured. Unfortunately for Bang he did not get the opportunity to compete in the tournament and when he was asked about the performance of eventual winner, Buakaw Por Puramuk, Bang said, “He was on, his kicks are amazing. He wasn’t playing at all, he went in there and beat their asses, it was amazing. None of his fights were close at all.” When the subject of possibly facing Puramuk came up Ludwig said, “It would be a good fight and I’d like to fight him but I doubt K-1 will set it up. With them you never really know what they’ll do, but maybe I will get him in the tournament next year.”

Ludwig discussed his future ambitions in the conversation when he said, “I’ve got a lot of stuff in the works now, both K-1 and MMA, but nothing I can go public with right now. I would like to fight on the August 3rd K-1 show in Vegas if I can and would like rematch with John Wayne Parr. I really want to get in some MMA soon and maybe fight in the next Romanex if we can work out something where I have more time to prepare.”

Currently relaxing at his wife’s family’s home in Texas Bang was asked how he feels weight wise and responded, “Well I’m still growing. I normally walk around about 170lbs and this last time it was hard to cut weight. I won’t be moving up in weight though anytime soon for K-1 as I still have a year and a half on my contract with them that states I have to weigh 154lbs for everything unless it’s a superfight with special stipulations like the BJ Penn fight was. I’m 180 though now because of my wife’s family’s cooking. I got off the plane directly from Japan and they looked at me and said I’m too thin and that they need to feed me (laughs).”

Source: MMA Weekly

K-1 World GP in Seoul Press Conference
K-1 Press Release by Monty DiPietro

SEOUL, July 15, 2004 -- The fighters in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Seoul met the media today in a press conference at the Lotte Hotel Jamsil in the Korean capital. Set for this Saturday July 17, the 8-man tournament will determine the K-1 Asian Grand Prix Champion, who will go to the GP 2004 Final Elimination in September to fight for a spot in this year's Tokyo Dome Final.

Saturday's Asian GP tournament will follow the signature K-1 elimination format -- four quarterfinal bouts advancing four fighters to a pair of semifinals, the two winners there meeting in the final. Thus the Champion will have to win three fights in one day.

The eight tournament fighters hail from five different Asian countries. In the first quarterfinal matchup, American-Japanese Akebono will meet 18 year-old Chinese Sanda fighter Zhang Qing Jun. A Former Sumo Grand Champion, Akebono has dropped his first two K-1 matches (although these came against Bob Sapp and Musashi) and the big guy will try to use his 122kg weight advantage over Qing Jun to turn things round here.

The second bout will pit Mongolian Dolgosuren Sumiyabazar against Shingo Koyasu. Sumiyabazar is a two-time freestyle wrestling Olympian, a brother of current Sumo Yokozuna (Grand Champion) Asashouryu; Koyasu meanwhile is a Seidokaikan fighter with five years of K-1 experience.

Tsuyoshi Nakasako of Japan will step in against Lee Myeong Ju in the third quarterfinal. Nakasako has struggled as of late, dropping seven of his last eight bouts. Ju has a record of 21 wins in 24 Muay Thai fights, and is one of two fighters who will be representing Korea here.

The second, Korean-Canadian MMA fighter Dennis Kang , will step appear in the last quarterfinal against Muay Thai fighter Kaoklai Kaennorsing of Thailand. The Korean media has adopted the photogenic Kang as a hometown favorite -- a TV crew met him at the airport and he has been the subject of numerous interviews. "This is a patriotic country and I love the attention," said Kang, who speaks fluent French and English but little Korean. "I accept the challenge, I have been working on boxing [with former Canadian Champ Tony Pep] and I will give 110% on Saturday!"

There will also be three Superfights on the Seoul card:

In the first, Defending K-1 World GP Champion Remy Bonjasky of the Netherlands will meet hot Belgian Aziz Khattou. Bonjasky has been victorious in nine of his last ten K-1 fights, while Khattou is on a four-bout winning streak of his own, so this promises to be an exciting matchup.

TOA of New Zealand will bring a 35 kg weight advantage to his Superfight against Brazilian Kyokushin fighter Glaube Feitosa; and Seoul will host the return of one of K-1's fiercest fighters -- Jerome LeBanner of France. After taking a year off to recover from a broken left arm, LeBanner will step in against American fighter Mariano, who will make his K-1 debut in this Superfight.

The K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Seoul kicks off at 1:00 pm local time on Saturday July 17, at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium. Check back here for complete coverage soon after the final bell.

Source: Monty DiPietro

BTT busy and flying, "Mendigo" clear to enter Japan, Ninja and Silva training hard, Jacare dominating in BJJ, "Big Dog" retires and more news from Brazilian events!

The Brazilian Beat:
By Eduardo Alonso

As cold continues to make its presence known during the Brazilian winter, in the coldest July the country has seen in years, the MMA scene manages to stay hot and present all sorts of action for the avid fight fans. Pride Bushido 4 next weekend continues to be the current favorite dish on everybody's menu, with the Brazilian Top Team army ready to conquer Japan. However, other happenings made sure there is a bit of everything for every taste, as a new "wave" of MMA shows are just around the corner in Brazil, and plans for international events in later months are already in the works. From established promotions, such as Heat, to new ones, such as Brazilian Challenger and Real Fight, and even international ones like the AFC, Brazil will have numerous shows in the coming months, and FCF has news from them all, plus training news from the top camps and tidbits from the international shows. So, enjoy summer in America and Europe, as this reporter freezes while FCF lights the fire and brings the beat straight from the uncharacteristically cold Brazil!

Meca 11 sensation Tony de Souza was finally granted his Japanese visa. "Mendigo," [beggar] as he was nicknamed by the Brazilian fans, is still in his beloved country of Peru and told FCF that his visa was granted by the Japanese consulate; therefore he is clear to fight in Pride! De Souza, who will stay in Peru where he is training his students until the end of the month, will be competing in Japan in September's Pride Bushido show, a likely opponent is Takanori Gomi. At the end of July the UFC veteran will return to Brazil to resume training with the Nova Uniao team in Rio de Janeiro.

The Brazilian Top Team squad is already on their way to Japan for their battle with Japanese fighters at Pride Bushido 4 this weekend. With some of the group departing for the land of the rising sun on Monday, the rest of the crew left Brazil this Wednesday, led by the "Zen Machine" Mario Sperry. According to Sperry all the team prepared very hard and all fighters are in top shape for the show. Mario himself expects to be fighting again around September or October, as his priority has been to help the preparation of all BTT fighters, including Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira in his task of becoming the Pride Heavyweight GP 2004 champion.

The newest MMA show in the Brazilian Northeast is almost set to go. Brazilian Challenger will be taking place in the city of Natal, also home of Heat FC, this next July 29th, and the news are that the show will be fought inside an octagon! Inside the cage eight young fighters will battle in a tournament, where to be the champion they'll have to win three fights in one night, like in the old UFC days. Besides Heat FC veteran Sergio Junior, and Bitetti Combat veterans Rivanio Aranha and Loquinha, the show will now also count with Deep veteran Gleison Tibau, who was a win over BJJ great Fernando Terere in his record. The official brackets will be released soon, and FCF will keep you posted.

Speaking of the gorgeous city of Natal, rumors have that Heat FC may be returning with his third edition in late September, also in the city of Natal. Heat's third edition was postponed due to problems with sponsors, and no final date has been set yet. Now, the rumor floating around is that the next edition may take place in September, possibly in a tournament format. FCF will keep you posted.

Training has been as tough as ever in the Chute Boxe headquarters. With Wanderlei Silva's match against Yuki Kondo getting closer and closer, the "Axe Murderer" has been dedicating himself to his training sessions with the same intensity he showed when he was starting up. Wanderlei has been sparring hard with his teammate Murilo Ninja Rua, among others. Ninja, who has been improving his shape, and his brother Mauricio Shogun may be fighting again in September, but nothing is sure right now.

Master Carlson Gracie event, Real Fight, has been seeing many changes on its card, scheduled for July 30th, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. As of now fighters such as Roan Carneiro and Fabio Mello are out of the card, due to Mello's fight in Pride Bushido and Roan likely due to his participation in AFC Brazil. Also, the main event between UFC veteran Alexandre "Cafe" Dantas and Rodrigo Riscado is also not going to happen, making the card so far a bit of a disappointment. One interesting thing though, is that Meca veteran Marcelo Dourado, who became famous in Brazil due to his participation in the last Big Brother TV show, is now taking part on the event facing Luiz Fernando Pimpolho, from Nova Uniao. Other standouts in the show are K-1 veteran Eduardo Maiorino, and Meca veterans Claudionor Fontinelli, Ivan "Batman", and Alessio Sakara.

Coming up in August 28th, at the city of Nova Friburgo, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, AFC is going to hold his first ever show in Brazil. AFC Brazil is drawing attention of everybody in the MMA scene in this country, with a very solid card featuring names such as Eric Tavares, Marcel Ferreira, Milton Vieira, Jeff Monson, Aaron Riley, Leornardo Santos, Roan Carneiro and Rodrigo Ruas. Ruas and Carneiro are scheduled to fight each other, in a fight that promises to be the best of the night. Coming from his Black Belt Challenge GP win, Leonardo Santos will face Meca stand out Milton Vieira in a fight that has also all the tools to be great! FCF will have more on AFC Brazil later down the road.

Profight FC took place this past July 3rd in the city of Porto Alegre, counting with matches in submission wrestling, Muay Thai and MMA. Unfortunately for the promoters, the lowest point in the show was that the main event in Mixed Martial Arts ended up not taking place, as Carlos Aveline decided not to fight hours before the show, due to a problem regarding his purse agreement with the promoters, leaving Meca veteran Allesandro Custodio without an opponent. Here are the results of the other MMA fights:

Nelson Velasque def. Rodrigo by forfeit

Tiago Minu def. Alex Alves by rear choke

Eduardo Munra def. Leandro Costa by rear choke

This past weekend the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Cup, promoted by CBJJO, gathered the curiosity of all the "Smooth Art" lovers around the globe. The action was heated on the mats, and two things quickly drew everybody's attention: Ronaldo Jacare's amazing display of skills and Fernando Margarida Pontes comeback to Jiu-Jitsu competition, after being on the sidelines for long due to injury. Margarida returned in great fashion, showing good form and winning the heavyweight division, while Jacare was spectacular winning the light heavyweight division. As in a movie script, both guys ended facing each other in the finals of the absolute division, only to Ronaldo Jacare show his magic and crush Margarida in a solid 11-0 win, to become also the Absolute champion. Another stand out in the World Cup was Fernando Terere, who won the Middleweight division and kept showing everybody he is still in the top of the game. Now all the focus will be laid on the BJJ World Championship, promoted by CBJJ coming up later this year.

In a move that surprised many fighting fans around the world, "The Big Dog" Ricardo Almeida retired from fighting competitions, and this includes, of course, MMA competition. Ricardo's decision was made after a lot of thought, based on his desire of becoming a great Jiu-Jitsu master, helping other individuals and being able of learning more about his loved art of Jiu-Jitsu and its impacts on life. Coming from a solid win at Pride Bushido 3, Almeida still had a long career ahead of him in MMA and had the chance to compete in shows such as UFC, Pancrase and Pride, even resigning his Pancrase belt due to his retirement decision. Time will tell if the "Big Dog" won't ever step in a MMA ring again to compete, and FCF wishes him all the best in this new phase of his life!

Source: FCF

WRESTLER KYLE MAYNARD WINS ESPY AWARD
by: Eddie Goldman/ADCC Wrestling Editor

Kyle Maynard, the high school wrestler afflicted with congenital amputation, has won a 2004 ESPY Award. 'It's just shortened limbs, arms that end at the elbows and legs that end at the knees,' as he has described his condition so matter-of-factly, but this past season Maynard was able to get within one win of becoming a high school All-American wrestling against non-disabled athletes.

Maynard was one of 36 ESPY winners who were selected by fan voting. He won in the category of 'Best Athlete With A Disability.' He was the only wrestler nominated in any category this year.

The winners of the 12th annual ESPY Awards were announced at an event at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre Wednesday. ESPN will have a tape-delayed broadcast of the awards show on Sunday, July 18, beginning at 9 p.m. EDT.

Below is the ESPN press release announcing the winners of the 2004 ESPY Awards.

Armstrong Repeats as Best Male Athlete at ESPY Awards

Taurasi Named Best Female Athlete; Pistons Best Team & Upset; Brown Best Coach

More Than 10.5 Million Fans Voted to Determine Winners in All Categories

LOS ANGELES, July 15 -- Lance Armstrong, currently on a quest for his sixth straight Tour de France crown, was voted by fans as Best Male Athlete at the 12th annual ESPY Awards at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre Wednesday. It was Armstrong's second consecutive honor in that category. Former UConn basketball star and current Phoenix Mercury player Diana Taurasi captured Best Female Athlete and Best Female College Athlete, the latter a repeat performance from 2003.

For the first time, fans determined the winners in all 36 ESPY Awards categories, including the 19 cross-cutter honors that pit athletes from different sports against each other. More than 10.5 million votes were cast from June 21 through July 9. Armstrong took the honors over other Best Male Athlete nominees Tom Brady, Barry Bonds, Kevin Garnett and Peyton Manning, while Taurasi edged out Best Female finalists Justine Henin-Hardenne and Annika Sorenstam.

The Detroit Pistons, fresh off their NBA title victory over the Lakers, had a strong night. They won Best Team over the New England Patriots, UConn Men's and Women's Basketball, the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Lightning, while they also took the trophy in the new Best Upset category. Pistons coach Larry Brown edged out Geno Auriemma, Bill Belichick, Bob Ladouceur and Jack McKeon in Best Coach/Manager.

In other key cross-cutter categories, LeBron James was named Best Breakthrough Athlete, the Patriots-Panthers Super Bowl Best Game, Miracle Best Movie and teenage surfer and shark attack victim Bethany Hamilton Best Comeback. Also, Masters winner Phil Mickelson won Best Championship Performance, Eric Gagne's (Los Angeles Dodgers) 55 Straight Saves In One Season captured Best Record-Breaking Performance and Brett Favre's (Green Bay Packers) amazing game (399 Yards, four touchdowns) one day after his father's death was selected Best Moment. The New Orleans Saints' laterals for a touchdown won the Best Play trophy.

Of the 17 sport-specific categories, only four were repeat winners from 2003: Barry Bonds (Best MLB Player), Annika Sorenstam (Best Female Golfer), Serena Williams (Best Female Tennis Player) and Gail Devers (Best Female Track and Field Athlete).

The ESPY Awards also included the presentation of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. This year, the recipient was Liberian soccer star and UNICEF ambassador George Weah, who has, at great risk, worked tirelessly to help his war-torn country.

 

OTHER ESPY AWARDS TIDBITS:

* UConn Sweeps College Categories: UConn stars Emeka Okafor and Diana Taurasi, who each led their teams to NCAA titles, were selected Best Male and Best Female College Athlete, respectively.

* Pistons Lead The Way: The Pistons' Best Team award marked only the second time an NBA team has won that trophy (Lakers -- 2002).

* No ESPY In Team: Since 2000, a total of 10 Best Male/Best Female Athlete trophies have been awarded. Diana Taruasi's selection this year marked only the second time in that span that a team sport star won either honor (Mia Hamm -- 2000).

* No Tiger: This was the first year since 1999 that Tiger Woods has not received an ESPY Award. His record ESPY Award total of 15 is not in jeopardy, however. Of the 2004 winners, Barry Bonds and Annika Sorenstam, who each now have six, are closest to Tiger.

* Gail Force: Gail Devers took the trophy for Best Female Track and Field Athlete for the second straight year, after Marion Jones had won the award the previous five.

* Lights, Camera, Action: The Best Action Sports Athlete honors each went to first-time winners and X Games gold medalists: Bike Stunt star Ryan Nyquist (Male) and Wakeboarder Dallas Friday (Female).

* Four Straight Williams Years: The Best Female Tennis Player award went to a member of the Williams family for the fourth straight year: (Venus -- 2001 and 2002; Serena -- 2003 and 2004).

* Annika, Annika: Golfing star Annika Sorenstam has now won the Best Female Golfer three consecutive years. She's been recognized six times overall, beginning in 1996.

* Amazing Athlete and Story: High school star wrestler Kyle Maynard, born with congenital amputation (no elbows or knees) was selected Best Athlete With A Disability.

* The Great Outdoors: Log rolling champion Tina Bosworth became the first athlete other than an angler to win the Best Outdoors Sports Athlete in the three-year history of the category.

A complete 2004 ESPY Awards winners list follows:

2004 ESPY AWARDS -- WINNERS - ALL VOTED BY FANS

CROSS-CUTTER CATEGORY WINNERS
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut Basketball
BEST MALE ATHLETE: Lance Armstrong, Cycling
BEST TEAM: Detroit Pistons
BEST COACH/MANAGER: Larry Brown, Detroit Pistons
BEST COMEBACK: Bethany Hamilton, Surfing
BEST UPSET: Detroit Pistons
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
BEST GAME: Super Bowl: Patriots-Panthers
BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE: Eric Gagne, L.A. Dodgers -- 55 Straight Saves In One Season
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE: Phil Mickelson -- Masters
BEST PLAY: New Orleans Saints' Last-Play Laterals Result in TD
BEST SPORTS MOVIE: Miracle
BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut Basketball
BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut Basketball
BEST MOMENT: Brett Favre, Packers -- 399 Yards, 4 TDs A Day After Father's Death
BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORTS ATHLETE: Dallas Friday, Wakeboarding
BEST MALE ACTION SPORTS ATHLETE: Ryan Nyquist, Bike Stunt
BEST ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY: Kyle Maynard, Wrestling
BEST OUTDOORS SPORTS ATHLETE: Tina Bosworth, Log Rolling

INDIVIDUAL SPORT CATEGORY WINNERS
BEST MLB PLAYER: Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants
BEST NBA PLAYER: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
BEST WNBA PLAYER: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm
BEST BOWLER: Pete Weber
BEST BOXER: Antonio Tarver
BEST DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
BEST NFL PLAYER: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
BEST FEMALE GOLFER: Annika Sorenstam
BEST MALE GOLFER: Phil Mickelson
BEST NHL PLAYER: Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
BEST JOCKEY: Stewart Elliott
BEST FEMALE SOCCER PLAYER: Mia Hamm, U.S.
BEST MALE SOCCER PLAYER: David Beckham, Real Madrid
BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER: Serena Williams
BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER: Andy Roddick
BEST FEMALE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE: Gail Devers
BEST MALE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE: Tom Pappas

ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD: George Weah

CO-PRESENTING SPONSOR AWARD WINNERS
The 2004 ESPY Awards also included two co-presenting sponsor awards.

GMC PROFESSIONAL GRADE PLAY: Steve McNair, Titans -- Makes Playoffs Despite Injuries

UNDER ARMOUR UNDENIABLE PERFORMANCE AWARD: Brett Favre, Packers -- 399 Yards, A Day After Father's Death

Source: ADCC

 7/16/04

Quote of the Day

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. "

Mahatma Gandhi. 1869-1948, Indian Political, Spiritual Leader

MURRAY VS. SILVA

The UK-based MMA promotion known as Cage Rage has announced that Lee Murray vs. Anderson Silva has been signed to be the main event of their show on September 11th.

Source: Fight Sport

ALMEIDA'S FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE ANNOUNCEMENT

In another MMAWeekly Exclusive, Mick Hammond had a chance to speak to Ricardo Almeida right after he shocked the fight world with his announcement that he wanted to retire. Here is the exclusive interview on MMAWeekly.com.

Ricardo Almeida Interview by Mick Hammond

Earlier this week Ricardo Almeida did something that few professional athletes do. He retired at the top of his game. Almeida, a Brazilian born scholar did the unthinkable leaving his family and country behind at a very early age to pursue a dream of martial arts perfection which lead him to Renzo Gracie’s Academy in New York. From there he managed to overcome early career setbacks to achieve championship glory. Almeida talks about his decision to retire, the road behind, and the path ahead.

MMA Weekly: First off Ricardo, as I’m sure everyone recently found out, at only 27 years old and with just 10 fights under your belt, you are retiring from active fighting in MMA. Can you tell us why?

Ricardo Almeida: I come from a family of academic professors, who chose to be professors even though they had other options. My father whom I have the utmost respect for is the president one of the biggest sustainable development NGOs in Brazil and still finds time to teach at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. My brother Flavio Almeida is also another example, he’s one of the best Jiu-Jitsu competitors and probably the most talented fighter I ever got the chance to see. He also stepped away from the mats in search of other dreams, although his career on the mats could’ve been even more brilliant.

When I first began fighting I always had in my mind that I would not make a career out of MMA. That I would get the experiences I wanted and move out early. I got a lot more than I ever wanted out of it. I met great people, had the chance to fight for and win the highly esteemed King of Pancrase title, in my last fight I had the chance to fight representing Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at Pride, the biggest MMA event in the world. What is enough for some people others may belittle, I am lucky enough to feel fulfilled with what I have accomplished. Of course in my mind I know I have only began to tap into my potential as a fighter however in my heart I feel I can contribute a lot more as a teacher than as a fighter

MMA Weekly: Being so close to your teacher Renzo Gracie, was it difficult to tell him about your decision?

Ricardo Almeida: It was uncomfortable to know we would not go up to the ring together again. But as always he gave me huge support. Renzo was in my corner at all my fights, and it always gave me a huge sense of confidence and security. Once I was in the ring I was like a machine, I would go onto a mode I only recognized Renzo’s voice and I knew he would guide through a way to win. I was very fortunate to have Renzo as my Sensei but I am truly fortunate to have him as a friend.

MMA Weekly: I think what comes as a shock to most fans is that you retired seemingly still on the rise in the sport. You’ve won your last six fights, won the Middleweight King of Pancrase title, and just made a successful return to Pride at Bushido 3. Most fighters step away on the downside of their careers, so how hard is it to step away seemingly at the top of yours?

Ricardo Almeida: Off course it is probably harder to do that, more so when you are winning than when things don’t go your way. One of the most important lessons I have learned in Jiu-Jitsu is to be detached from expectations and outcomes. I could always grapple with the fact that I could have gone further but the bottom line is I am not making this decision heavy-hearted. I am looking forward to the days ahead and the challenges of building a school which I hope to be a staple of excellence in the martial arts community.

MMA Weekly: Go back over your fight career with us Ricardo, tell us some of the highlights and some of your more memorable moments in and out of the ring?

Ricardo Almeida: I remember loosing to Matt Lindland (at UFC 31) and being really upset not really at the loss, but at being disqualified, which is something I’ve never been in my life until that point Lack of experience played a major role back then.

The Andre Semenov fight (at UFC 35), I remember going back to the corner after the first round I was hurt, I had a crappy mouthpiece which ripped and chipped my tooth and it badly lacerated my mouth. I remember drinking a lot of blood so they would not stop the fight. In my mind all I was thinking was I don’t care what happens I will keep fighting. I got TKO’d but I have no regrets I never quit. I just went back to the gym worked on my mistakes and I truly believe if I didn’t have a fight like that I would never be able to put together six wins in a row plus the Pancrase title. In life every moment has a purpose, that match made me a much better competitor.

Last year at the ADCC tournament in Brazil, during my match against Ronaldo Jacare after I don’t know how many overtimes I felt I was so tired that I could not get more tired and I was having so much fun, that guy pushed me probably beyond my limits. After the fight I felt like we were long lost brothers or something, it is difficult to explain.

My fight against Kazuo Misaki (in Pancrase), many American fans don’t get to see but Pancrase has some great talent. Anyway I had a broken rib in my last day of training before I left for Japan plus I had to cut down to 180lbs for the first time in MMA. When the fight started I couldn’t breathe or twist my body so all technique and strategy went out the window it was all guts and I won a majority decision which would set up the fight against Nathan Marquardt when I won the Middleweight King of Pancrase title.

Lastly the Bushido 3 fight in the Gracie VS Japan face off. For a Jiu-Jitsu kid growing up watching the old Vale Tudo matches where there was no money involved only the pride and reputation of Jiu-Jitsu, personally in the ring nothing will top that for me. Like many said, I was a Gracie for a day, and it’s not an easy task. I left the ring that day admiring their legacy even more if that’s possible. That was truly the biggest honor to me. I remember watching Renzo in crunches up and down cornering all of us, helping us out in every way in the locker room, and even being very much in pain he took the time to guide us through victory once again. I can’t help but think to myself, “that’s a true Sensei! That’s what I want to become.”

MMA Weekly: Tell us what it is you will be doing now that you have decided to retire from fighting?

Ricardo Almeida: I have a dream that Jiu-Jitsu becomes a big part of as many people’s lives as I can possibly reach. I believe it is an individual’s duty to society to develop himself to the maximum of his capabilities so ultimately he can give back and contribute. That is what I will be doing, developing my self in other areas that have nothing to do with fighting, as well as with my school providing a positive environment where I can influence and help as many people in the study of Jiu-Jitsu and pursuit of personal excellence.

MMA Weekly: Thank you for taking time out of your schedule during this emotional time in your life to speak to us. Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans, family, or training partners in closing out this interview?

Ricardo Almeida: I would like to thank my wife for loving me and putting everything on hold to support me through my career. Renzo Almeida, my son, who gave a new meaning to my life and brought such joy I had no right to expect. My family for all the sleepless nights worrying about my welfare while I was in the other side of the world following my dreams. Carlos Gracie Jr. for giving me the gift of having Jiu-Jitsu in my life. Renzo Gracie for the guidance and opportunities I would not be here if not for him. Martin Rooney for the grueling workouts and for all his time and effort to make me the athlete I am today. Gene Dunn for arming me with courage to make wise choices. My students for their loyalty and inspiration also for having to put up my absence from time to time. And all who have contributed, which would be an endless list. To my fans I offer my never ending gratitude and the certainty that I will take up on any challenge in my life as I did it in the ring. Thanks for all the support MMA Weekly. Take care.

Source: MMA Weekly

WHAT WILL CRO COP'S
MENTAL STATE BE FOR THIS FIGHT?


At 2 to 5 one wouldn’t think that former pro wrestler turned MMA fighter Shungo Oyama has much of a chance against Croatian killing machine Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipovic at Pride’s Bushido 4 show this upcoming Sunday. But with recent history surrounding both fighters, it could be far more competitive than people would think.

This fight of course has been created to further establish Cro Cop’s deep seeded desire to return to the top of the Pride rankings, thus securing a title shot sometime later this year or next year, but Mirko hasn’t been quite the fighter he was last year at this time.

Going into the inaugural Bushido show last year Cro Cop had been on a tear. After his initial awkwardness transitioning from K-1 to MMA, a more poised Cro Cop had been laying to waste some of the most respected and feared fighters in MMA such as Kazuyuki Fujita, Heath Herring, and Igor Vovchanchyn. But with success came laziness, as it seemed the overconfident Cro Cop relied too much on his natural talent when facing Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at Final Conflict 2004. Unable to finish the Brazilian standing, the fight went to the ground where Cro Cop quickly was submitted. Despite the loss Filipovic came back to win his next two fights in quick fashion before his overconfidence again cost him against Kevin Randleman at Total Elimination 2004 in April of this year.

After being knocked out for the first time in his MMA career Cro Cop decided not to wait to recover from the after effects of such a loss, taking a fight less than a month later at Bushido 3 against Hiromitsu Kanehara. It was clear however despite his dominance of Kanehara, Cro Cop was no longer the crisp, fierce striker that made him the most feared stand-up man in MMA. He seemingly sleepwalked through the fight, looking very predictable in his actions, just going through the motions. It is with this in mind that his upcoming fight with Shungo Oyama at Bushido 4 may be more unpredictable than people expect.

Sure Oyama’s record screams mismatch, but he has fought very hard in all his 7 MMA fights never backing down from any of his opponents. Beginning with a KO victory over Mike Bourke at KOTC 7, Oyama has faced some of the most formidable fighters below 205lbs. Owning a unanimous decision victory over Renzo Gracie from Pride 21, Oyama has also lost close competitive fights to Phillip Miller, Wanderlei Silva, Wallid Ismail, Ryan Gracie, and most recently against Dan Henderson at Pride 25 last year.

It’s his tenacity and willingness to engage which makes Oyama such an entertaining and possibly dangerous fighter. With Cro Cop’s contentment to stick to the same gameplan time in time out, Oyama may be able to capitalize and take advantage of patters in Filipovic’s style. With his good wrestling skills and unrelenting aggressiveness he could provide a very dangerous challenge to Filipovic like Kevin Randleman was.

Conventional wisdom says this fight will come down to Mirko’s sharpness against Oyama’s aggression. If Mirko looks flat footed as he has been over his last couple of fights it could be yet another uninspired performance if he cannot get in a devastating strike on Oyama who not known for having a granite chin.

If that is the case then it is possible for Oyama to maybe outwork Cro Cop and get a decision. Then again there is always the Randleman factor, it’s happened once and it could happen again, so it seems Cro Cop is his own worst enemy when it comes to this fight. Win or lose if Shungo is entertaining he could well earn a return trip to Pride where he is still a decent draw with the Japanese public.

So it’s a battle of will and who imposes it first and often that will determine the winner of this fight. It could be fast, brutal, and entertaining which is what Pride wants, and it also could help revitalize Mirko Cro Cop, which is what Pride wants even more.

Source: MMA Weekly

Over 100 Registered For Las Vegas K-1 Tryouts

In a span of seven days, K-1 has received over 100 applicants for the open fighter tryouts that it will conduct on Thursday, August 5th and Friday, August 6th at Las Vegas, Nevada’s Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

“We’re very pleased to see such an overwhelmingly positive response in such a short period of time,” said K-1 USA CEO Scott Coker, who devised the two-day program to bolster the roster of competitors in the Superheavyweight (200 pounds and above) and J-Max (154 pound limit) divisions maintained by the martial arts fight promotion. The tryouts are open to fighters who meet these weight specifications and who have competitive experience in any type of martial art and/or the sport of boxing. “When I created this program, I did so with the intention of attracting fighters from every neck of the woods so we would be able to take a good look at the existing pool of talent throughout North America and give everyone an equal shot at becoming a part of the greatest martial arts fighting sport in the world. Nearly every professional sports league – whether it’s the NFL or the NBA – conducts some sort of open tryout every year so that scouts and other recruiters have an opportunity to assess all sorts of potential out there that might not otherwise come to their attention. Why should K-1 be any different?”

Coker’s brainchild, which will precede Saturday, August 7th’s K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio III” fight card, will see auditioning athletes demonstrate their combat skills by going through a variety of striking drills on pads and sparring with one another. Representatives from K-1 headquarters in Japan as well as K-1 USA, the North American outfit of the fight promotion, will be on hand to take in the action and make recruiting decisions. The tryout sessions will not be open to the public.

Fighters who wish to take part in the tryouts must arrange to do before Tuesday, August 3rd by scheduling an appointment with Sven Bean, K-1 USA’s Director of Fighter Development. Mr. Bean can be reached via telephone at (303) 246-5237 or via email at beanz4@msn.com. Depending on the number of athletes who register, the trials may be extended to Saturday, August 7th.

All K-1 tryout participants will be required to make their own travel and lodging arrangements and to bring their own equipment (16 ounce boxing gloves, mouth guard, groin protector, and shin guards) for use during sparring sessions. Additionally, each contestant must bring to his tryout a personalized biography that lists his height, weight, date of birth, residence, fighting discipline, competitive record, and achievements (if applicable).

K-1 is a martial arts fighting sport that derives its name from its inclusion of a wide array of combat disciplines, including Karate, Kung-Fu, and Kickboxing (“K”), and its intent to determine one champion in one ring (“1”). After being staged for the first time in Japan in 1993 under the direction of founder Master Kazuyoshi Ishii, it later evolved into the country’s most popular sport and achieved popular culture status there as its athletes turned into larger-than-life celebrities.

Source: MMA Weekly

K-1 debuts in Korea next Saturday

Has just finished the first press conference of K-1, which will be held in Korea. The tournament is scheduled to happen at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium, Seoul, on next July 17th. Besides the whole debut in Korea, the new detail is there is going to be a eight-men-tournament from five Asian places. The winner will fight at the semifinal of K-1 GP 2004, next September. Sumo champion Akebono will try his first victory over the tournament against young chinese Zhang Qing Jun.

Over the second fight, wrestler from Mongolia Dolgosuren Sumiyabazar will take on experienced Shingo Koyasu (Seidokaikan). Local fighter Lee Myeong Ju will face Tsuyoshi Nakasako and the other Korean, Dennis Kang, will fight Kaoklai Kaennorsing (Thailand). Over the competition, Brazil will be represented by Karate Kyokushin fighter Glaube Feitosa, who will face TOA.

After being defeated to Francisco Filho at last May 30's K -1, GP 2003 champion, Remy Bonjansky, returns to the ring facing Belgian Aziz Khattou. Away form the rings almost for an year, due to a injured arm, Jerome LeBanner is back. He will face American fighter Mariano, who debuts at K-1.

Source: Tatame

 7/15/04

Quote of the Day

"Well done is better than well said."

Ben Franklin, 1706-1790, American Scientist, Publisher, Diplomat

Rickson´s MMA Debut: Missing Fight Found!

The Brazilian Samurai was born! Rickson Gracie´s MMA debut is the subject of Brazil´s Gracie Magazine cover report for their 90th issue. Several photos of Rickson and his opponent Rei Zulu fighting in Brasilia (Brazil's capital), on April 25th of 1980, are published for the first time in the history.

At the age of 20, Rickson had never been in a professional fight before and was not considered the family champion yet. Assisted by his father, Master Helio Gracie, and his brother Rolls, Rickson beat Rei Zulu, who was bigger, 14 years older and unbeaten at that time. It was the first step Rickson Gracie took on the way to becoming one of the greatest fighting legends of our time.

Zulu and Rickson fought again four years later in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the match many people have seen on the Gracie in Action' tapes, but there are virtually no clues regarding the first fight between the two until the release of this historic GRACIE Magazine issue!

The July edition of GRACIE Magazine also gives the readers an opportunity to see Zulu´s fight is still going on as well. Living in a small house in Maranhao, north Brazil, he is not fighting for money anymore now in his fifties. He is fighting to survive. Poor and forgotten, he receives small help to provide food and health care for his family.

www.graciemag.com

Source: ADCC

Dean lister - PRIDE BOUND!

This weekend in Pride “Bushido 4” Dean Lister takes on Amar Suloev. Officially a member of Gracie United, Lister is the current ADCC Unlimited class champion and former King Of The Cage Middleweight champion. His black belt in BJJ came from Jeff Higgs who trained under Rickson Gracie black belt Fabio Santos. Suloev is a member of the Red Devil Fight Club based in Russia and is the ADCC #9 ranked 170.1-185 fighter.

After winning and defending it twice, Lister relinquished his KOTC belt prior to fighting Jeremy Horn at 205 pounds back in December. He has recently talked about not being sure if that is the weight at which he will continue to compete or not but his difficulties at making 185 put him in-between those weight classes. Dean is coming off a loss to Jeremy Horn by majority decision in a fight where an early elbow opened up a cut that partially blinded Dean for the remainder of the fight. Dean’s only other loss was his first fight against Jacen Flynn in an outdoor KOTC show, where rain soaked the canvas and impaired several of the fighters’ ability to get traction. Dean won their rematch.

KM: Your next fight is in Pride. Congratulations. How are you feeling about this? DL: Thank you. Feeling good. I know it’s going to be a good trip, nothing but positive.

KM: Your opponent is Amar Suloev, maybe the toughest fighter you have faced so far. What do you think of Amar? DL: Actually it’s funny. I had this feeling about Jacen Flynn which is one of my old opponents (note: KOTC 7 & 12). I saw the guy fight and I don’t know why, somehow I knew I would face him and I faced him. I had it about Amar when I saw him a long time ago. He’s a good sportsman which I admire. I know he’s going to be tough on the ground but he’s really tough to take down and tough to strike with. He has the chin and he’ll hang in there, he’s a tough guy. I feel like he’s a really tough opponent and actually that is what I want. Win or lose I know I’ve always taken the hard way.

KM: This is possibly the biggest test of your standup. Do you feel that is accurate? DL: Yeah. The biggest name I’ve fought before this was Jeremy Horn. Pretty much I understand he is going to be playing angles, circles, and try to knock me out but it’s probably going to be him being patient I imagine and being smart. I heard he has a good sprawl…we’ll see how my takedowns are.

KM: Did you get a chance to see his fight against Din Thomas? DL: I didn’t see that.

KM: Amar out-weighed Din by about twenty pounds. It’s going to be different with you. DL: Yeah, I think by about five pounds, I’m not sure.

KM: Tell me about your loss to Horn. DL: I definitely won the first round. (Regarding the bloody pics on the internet) that was the first elbow…I lost more blood than people realized. I think it affected my cardio a little bit. With the cut I couldn’t see very well on my feet. I never had that experience before so I didn’t know how to react. If you can’t see and somebody is punching you…I didn’t know where I was. One time I took a kick and fell on my butt. That doesn’t look good to the judges. It was a close fight. One judge gave it to me and the others to him.

KM: One thing I wanted to clarify was the weight class. It wasn’t for your Middleweight belt? DL: It was the last fight on my contract. I had already by that fight given up my belt. It’s up for grabs but I still have the belt, it’s still here (at home).

Dean is sponsored by Bad Boy fight gear and Osiris Shoes. He teaches BJJ at City Boxing in San Diego. For more on Dean check out www.cityboxing.com.

For a gallery of Dean’s last defense of his KOTC belt check out http://malarky.udel.edu/~keith/2003/kotc/kotc25.htm.

Source: ADCC

Touch of Evil's UFC Newswire

The following information comes from the July 5th issue of Touch of Evil Newsletter. Ordering info can be found at
http://www.touchofevil.us.

-- The confrontation between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock at the UFC 48 post-fight press conference was not staged by Zuffa, but was both Tito and Ken acting on their own

-- Shamrock seems to only have one fight left on his contract with Zuffa

-- The total payroll for UFC 48 was $586,000. This is much higher than the payrolls for UFC 47 ($333,000) and UFC 46 ($540,500). The total payroll for guarantees not including win bonuses was $411,500. The total payroll for dark matches not aired in full on the pay per view was $26,000. That figure does not include the St. Pierre-Hieron fight since it aired in full on the pay per view broadcast. The average pay for the event was $36,625, up from a low $20,812 for UFC 47 and up from UFC 46 at $33,781 as well. The average guarantee for the event was $31,654, up from only $15,688 for UFC 47 and up from $27,031 at UFC 46. There was a 14.6% difference in the average guarantee for this event and the average overall payout including win bonuses. That is way down from a 32.7% difference at UFC 47 and way down from a 25% difference at UFC 46, which shows that the guaranteed payroll for this event was very high. The increase between total payrolls from UFC 47 to this event was 76% and a $253,000 increase, which is huge.

-- Zuffa was said to have been pleased with the early estimates for the show on pay per view

-- Zuffa has already seen a number of fighters that they are interested in for the reality show. The idea of the show is to take fighters who are still in the early going of their career to show the journey of what it takes to become a mixed martial artist and make it into the UFC from that journey’s very beginning as opposed to having someone who has been fighting for years and knows the ropes on the show.

-- The reason for the upcoming Chuck Liddell vs. Vernon White match is because of a legit feud between Liddell and White. Liddell also likes to stay busy, making this match much like how Liddell risked his number one contendership status at UFC 40 against Renato Sobral.

-- Karo Parisyan is back in UFC after his impressive decision victory over Shonie Carter at WEC 10.

-- The Yves Edwards-Josh Thomson fight is certainly not for the lightweight title at this time. UFC will continue with a scaled back version of the lightweight division for now, but will not have a champion in the near future

-- It's not impossible for Matt Lindland and Evan Tanner to fight each other just because they are in the same camp. The problem with this fight is that, because both are friends and know each other so well, they may have a boring fight. But that doesn't mean it can't be done. Tanner has said he'd be willing to fight Lindland. This would be the most natural matchup at the middleweight level if Lindland defeats David Terrell.

-- Wanderlei Silva is claiming that he will be fighting either Mirko Cro Cop or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on New Year's Eve. Both fights are bad ideas for Pride and here's why. Pride has to continue to book Silva against Japanese fighters with the idea of creating a new Japanese star out of whichever fighter defeats Silva. Since Sakuraba, the most popular Japanese fighter of them all, has tried and failed to defeat Silva three times, it’s become the Japanese dream to defeat Silva, who is a modern day pro wrestling heel in an MMA way. Everybody loses, and although Silva is unbeaten in Pride, he will lose eventually, and if you continue to simply book him against quality Japanese opponents, he will lose to one of them, whether it be Yuki Kondo, or Hidehiko Yoshida, or even someone like Kazuo Misaki or whomever. If Silva is defeated by a non-Japanese fighter before he loses to a Japanese one, the loss to the Japanese fighter, should it then happen, won’t mean as much because Silva would no longer be undefeated. Losing to Quinton Jackson is not as good as losing to someone like Kondo, but Pride is lucky Jackson beat Ricardo Arona, because if Arona beat Silva, and he very well could have, then because of his lack of charisma and name value in Pride, he would not be a very good box office draw as Middleweight champion. If Yoshida is ready in time (he might not be) for New Year’s Eve, I think Yoshida vs. Silva II would be the fight to book on that night if Kondo doesn’t beat Silva in August. Silva is definitely fighting Jackson in October, and after that if he fights Fedor or Mirko on New Year’s Eve, then Pride is really banking on Kondo to come out of the August 15th show with the win, because I don’t like the odds of Silva being able to defeat Kondo, then Jackson, then either Nogueira or Mirko all in one year.

-- Mirko vs. Randleman II is a good idea for Pride, because Mirko is really cold right now and he needs a big win, and he'd have a chance to avenge the loss that turned him cold here. Odds are that Randleman will not be able to defeat Mirko twice (although anything is possible)

-- The most likely fights for the Grand Prix Finals are Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Naoya Ogawa and Sergei Kharitonov vs. Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor and Kharitonov are former training partners. Nogueira was the opponent that most fans in Japan wanted to see against Ogawa in the second round in a poll conducted by DSE awhile ago. This would most likely leave Nogueira vs. Fedor in the finals in a rematch of one of the most exciting Pride Heavyweight title matches there's been.

-- Bas Rutten, Mauro Ranallo and Clyde Gentry III were all quoted in looking at the Giant Silva vs. Ogawa match in compared to the Ogawa vs. Leko match, the latter of which many feel was worked. “The fight between Ogawa and the Giant: of course they think it's fixed because they are both pro wrestlers,” wrote Bas Rutten. “I don't believe it. I think that fight was legit. We had the same shit with Leko/Ogawa. Once a pro wrestler is involved, they think it's fixed, whatever.”

-- The rumored rematch between Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva doesn't look to be happening in the near future, considering Silva is booked to fight Yuki Kondo and Quinton Jackson already this year, and is claiming to be fighting either Nogueira or Mirko on New Year's Eve.

Source: ADCC

MMA TOP 10 FIGHTERS AND BROADCASTER POLL


Each month we show you our MMA Top 10 Fighters and Broadcasters poll. Once again if you are a fighter that has competed in the UFC or Pride organizations you are eligble to vote. Just contact ryanbennett@mmaweekly.com for more information. Without further ado, here is July's Top 10 MMA poll

JULY
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION

(210-265 lbs.)
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION - (210-265 lbs.)
The fighters made Fedor the overwhelming favorite this month as he got every single first place vote. Last month he had 9 of 10. Tim Sylvia drops from 3rd to 7th while Frank Mir cracks the top five and Sergei Kharitonov.

1. Emelianeko Fedor - 99 Points (10 first place votes)
2. Minotauro Nogueira - 85 Points
3. Josh Barnett - 75 Points
4. Mirko Cro Cop - 74 Points
5. Frank Mir - 72 Points
6. Andrei Arlovksi - 69 Points
7. Tim Sylvia - 42 Points
8. Pedro Rizzo - 31 Points
9. Sergei Kharitonov - 25 Points
10. Heath Herring - 18 Points

Others receiving votes - Kevin Randleman (15), Travis Wiuff (8), Justin Eilers (7) , Ken Shamrock (6), Mike Kyle


LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS DIVISION

(205 lbs.)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION - (205 lbs.)

Randy Couture has gained ground on Vanderlei Silva. Couture is just one vote back of the top spot. Kevin Randleman is back in the Top 10 after his win.

1. Vanderlei Silva - 96 Points (6 first place votes)
2. Randy Couture - 95 Points (4 first place votes)
3. Quinton Jackson - 86 Points
4. Chuck Liddell - 71 Points
5. Vitor Belfort - 63 Points
6. Tito Ortiz - 42 Points
7. Dan Henderson - 37 Points
8. Ricardo Arona - 20 Points
9. Babalu Sobral - 17 Points
10. Yuki Kondo - 15 Points

Others Receiving Votes - Murilo Ninja Rua - 11, Rich Franklin - 10, Sakuraba - 8, Murilo Bustamante - 12

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION

(185 lbs.)

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION - (185 lbs.)

1. Matt Lindland - 98 Points (8 first place votes)
2. Jeremy Horn - 87 Points (2 first place votes)
3. Evan Tanner - 62 Points
4. Ricardo Almeida - 50 Points
5. Joe Doerksen- 42 Points
6. Nathan Marquardt - 38 Points
7. Amar Suloev - 37 Points
8. Anderson Silva - 27 Points
9. Lee Murray - 19 Points
10.Paulo Filho - 14 Points

Others receiving votes - Jorge Rivera (10), Trevor Prangley (9), Niko Vitale (8), Dave Menne (6), David Loiseau (4),

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION

(170 lbs.)
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION - (170 lbs.)
BJ Penn holds steady at the top spot. Nick Diaz and Frank Trigg both jump into the Top 5.

1. BJ Penn - 99 Points (8 first place votes)
2. Matt Hughes - 90 Points (2 first place vote)
3. Sean Sherk - 75 Points
4. Nick Diaz - 69 Points
5. Frank Trigg - 51 Points
6. Charuto Verissimo - 49 Points
7. Georges St. Pierre - 31 Points
8. Jason Black - 30 Points
9. Jake Shields - 26 Points
10.Karo Parisyan - 17 Points

Others receiving votes - Hayato Sakurai (13), John Alessio (10), Spencer Fisher (5), Pete Spratt

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION

(155 lbs.)

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION - (155 lbs.)
Finally a unanimous #1 in this weight class in Shaolin Ribero. He has now taken over the top spot.

1. Shaolin Ribero 98 Points (10 first place votes)
2. Takanori Gomi - 89 Points
3. Josh Thomson - 78 Points
4. Bang Ludwig - 70 Points
5. Genki Sudo - 69 Points
6. Jens Pulver - 43 Points
7. Joaquin Hansen - 33 Points
8. Yves Edwards - 26 Points
9. Din Thomas - 25 Points
10.Hermes Franca - 23 Points

Other receiving votes - Caol Uno - 16 Points, Marcus Aurelio - 14, Dokojonosuke Mishima- 13 Matt Serra - (10) Rich Clementi - (7), Jorge Gurgel - (3),

Voters include:

Fighters - Phil Baroni, Chris Brennan, Jeff Curran, Dennis Hallman, Matt Lindland, Steve Berger, Evan Tanner, Sean Sherk, Din Thomas; Dan Henderson, Yves Edwards, Pete Spratt, Nathan Marquardt, Duane Ludwig and David Loiseau

Broadcasters - Eric Apple (King of the Cage), Randy Harris - (WTAN Sports), Jeff Osborne (Hook N Shoot & Shooto); Ryan Bennett (IFC, Rumble on the Rock and WEC), Monte Cox (Extreme Challenge)

Source: MMA Weekly

BIG SURPRISE: ALMEIDA RETIRES

Ricardo Almeida Announces Retirement from MMA

According to the Renzo Gracie web site, current Middleweight King of Pancrase and Renzo Gracie Black Belt Ricardo Almeida has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts/vale tudo competition.

Giving up his Pancrase belt, Almeida apparently has decided that he wants to dedicate himself more fully to Brazilian Jiujitsu in the "search of personal and technical excellence." He hopes that one day he will become a Brazilian Jiujitsu master to be regarded much in the same light as such legendary masters as Helio Gracie, Carlinhos Gracie and Renzo Gracie.

Although his mixed martial arts career was somewhat short-lived - he holds a record of 8 wins to 2 losses - Almeida's fight resume is very impressive. He was not one to shy away from world class opposition.

His only losses were a disqualification to top middleweight Matt Lindland and a TKO loss to a very tough Andrei Semenov. Among his wins, Almeida can include Eugene Jackson, Akira Shoji, Ikuhisa Minowa, Ryo Chonan, and his Pancrase title win over Nathan Marquardt.

A veteran of Pancrase, Pride and the UFC, Almeida is highly regarded as one of the top middleweights in the world and will be sorely missed in the world of mixed martial arts, but one can hardly hold it against a man who has a mission to fully realize the potential of his passion.

Good luck to you Ricardo!

Source: MMA Weekly

THE BEST MMA TRAINER IN THE STATES?

When you think of great trainers in the United States the names Pat Miletich, Colin Oyama and John Hackleman come to mind, but the man who hasn't gotten a ton of credit, but deserves it is Cesar Gracie.

When you look at the best young fighters in MMA, many are a part of Cesar's fight team. Nick Diaz, David Terrell, and Jake Shields are all ranked in the Top 10. Gil Castillo is a former Top 10 fighter in the world and Gilbert Melendez is the WEC Lightweight Champ. Gracie has them all ready for upcoming fights.

Tuesday Cesar was featured on MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio and discussed Jake's Shooto win, Diaz and Terrell's next bouts, as well as the on going saga between he and Frank Shamrock.

Jake Shields is coming off a nice win over Ray Copper over the weekend by way of a first round submission. Gracie said it was important for Shields to finish Copper, especially because Jake's six previous fights went to the judges score cards.

Cesar characterized Jake as a "really good fighter, really smart fighter." When asked by radio show host Ryan Bennett where he ranked Jake, Cesar said, "definitely in the top ten." Gracie added, "I think he can give anybody a good fight. I think he can beat anybody."

Nick Diaz will be facing Karo Parisyan at UFC 49, August 21st, and Cesar talked about that match up but first discussed Nick's big win over Robbie Lawler at UFC 47. Gracie said it was Diaz' plan going in to the fight with Lawler to, "stand up and duke it the whole time." He know that Robbie would be thinking Nick would want to take the fight to the ground so Diaz worked on his boxing and as we saw, "Nick is actually a really good boxer."

Cesar doesn't expect the fight between Diaz and Parisyan to be anything like the Robbie Lawler fight. "This fight will go to the ground," predicted Gracie. He anticipates some good round action, grappling and clinching. There is a definite contrast in fighting styles and Cesar said, "it's going to be an interesting match up."

Also on the UFC 49 card is David Terrell, who will be facing off against Matt Lindland. Cesar thinks it is going to be a good fight with Terrell pushing the action. He describe David as, "He's good wrestling. He's got very good stand up. He hits like a mule," and he is hard to take down. Cesar commented that Matt Lindland is a good friend but unfortunately he is fighting Terrell, unfortunately for Matt.

Of coarse, we couldn't have Cesar Gracie on the radio show and not ask him about Frank Shamrock. When asked why they aren't fighting, Cesar said, "You're going to have to ask Frank that one." Cesar heard that Frank made the statement, "He would fight any Gracie anywhere for any amount of money." Gracie stated, "I think it's being proved that Frank will fight no Gracie, nowhere, for no amount of money."

The fight was rumored to be nearly signed in Rumble on the Rock but Cesar said there's "always something with Frank." He went on to say, "you can't beat anybody if you don't show up." He said that he doesn't really care if Frank doesn't fight but wants Frank to "quit wasting people's time," and added, "it's almost comical at this point."

Source: MMA Weekly

UFC PRESIDENT RETURNS SHOT AT NEW YORK POST

A few days ago, the New York Post slammed the UFC in an article by Phil Mushnick and today Dana White, UFC President fires back.

Attn: Letters to the Editor
(letters@nypost.com)
The New York Post
1211 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10036

Dear Editor,

Phil Mushnick’s Prime Time TV Column (July 11, 2004) regarding the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship® reality series on Spike TV expressed a strong opinion about the UFC® brand. While Mr. Mushnick is certainly entitled to his beliefs, he should base his opinion on facts. For example, the UFC brand promotes live mixed martial arts (MMA) contests between world-class athletes who cross-train in multiple styles, including boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. MMA is a true sport featuring competitors from successful backgrounds in other arenas, including the Olympics and the Pan American Games. Additionally, many of the athletes are college-educated and excelled in Division I athletics.

What is perhaps most disturbing about Mr. Mushnick’s column is his use of unidentified “chroniclers” of the sport to assert that there has been 8 deaths in “UFC-like competitions.” The fact is that there has never been a death in the UFC or in any regulated MMA promotion. Most other contact sports, including boxing, cannot make the same claim.

A journalist with Mr. Mushnick’s experience should know that asserting something as serious as deaths in a sport should be properly researched. To merely attribute the erroneous information to faceless “chroniclers” is bush league reporting. Mr. Mushnick is better than that.

Dana White

President

Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Source: MMA Weekly

 7/14/04

Quote of the Day

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you'll help them to become what they are capable of becoming."

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, 1749-1832, German Poet, Dramatist, Novelist

WESTSIDE BASH
Friday July 30,2004
Ahuna Ranch, Maili

Welterweight 8 Man Tournament
Hawaii's Pound 4 Pound Badest Strikers!!

Clyde Paling (Jesus Is Lord, Nanakuli)
You might be familar with that last name, Yes he is the brother of Stephen "BOZO" Paling and YES he does hit HARD coming from Dennis "THE MENACE" Tadio & Pj Dean.. Clyde participated in AFC 1 and was runner up of that 8 man tournament. Clyde has then dropped weight and is ready for BATTLE.

Cheyenne "OH CAN HE PUNCH" Padeken (Waianae)
Padeken a top ranked boxer in Hawaii who recently won the Punishment In Paradise Kickboxing Championship earlier this month. Padeken is a very experience fighter both in MMA, Kickboxing, and Boxing that comes to the ring with POWER.

PJ DEAN (Bad Intentions, Waianae)
Dean who is a AFC 8 Man tournament winner will lay it on the line also. Dean brings a RESPECT ALL FEAR NONE attitude.

Mark "EL TORO" Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi)
Moreno as we all know is a HARD PUNCHER that can K.O. anyone at anytime. Look for fireworks when he throws his leather.

Kaleo Padilla (Westbrook Boxing, Kona)
Padilla a Boxer from Hilo that was born and raised in Waimanalo, Oahu is coming off a win in a rematch over Mark Moreno. Padilla is looking to turn Pro as a boxer but has one more step he wants to do before that. Padilla also has tremendous POWER.

Wayne Perrin III (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
Perrin a newcomer to the game has the capabilities and skills to stand and strike with any of these veterans.

Deshaun "3D" Johnson (HMC, Kaimuki)
Johnson, a Superbrawl and Warriors Quest Veteran, who recently won a Kickboxing and MMA Championship in Punishment In Paradise also likes to stand and bang with them all. He has a lot of experience to put it on the line with the best of them.

Zack (Wailuku Boxing, Maui)
Zack is the unkonwn of this tournament who recent battled Mark Moreno to a close descion and showed cased GREAT stand up skills in a exhibition match aganist Johnson. Zack is also a gloden gloves boxer who is flying in to get his RESPECT.

PLUS.....
LIVE Reggae & Hawaiian Musicalong with a ....
Booty Contest

TICKET INFORMATION 330-4483
$20 Advance $25 Event Day

Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime event on the WESTSIDE!!!!

André Pederneiras Evaluates Shaolin's bout at SHOOTO Hawaii

Nova União leaders André Pederneiras recently traveled to Hawaii from his home in Brazil. In Hawaii, he worked SHOOTO Champion Vítor Shaolin Ribeiro's corner at 'Shooto Soljah Fight Night', last July 9th. Now back in Brazil, Pederneiras talked about the fight, giving us a brief evaluation of Shaolin's match:

'Shaolin ruled the whole fight, and he ended each round catching Mitsuhiro Ishida's back. He also tried many submissions, such as a key-lock and a couple of chokes, but he was not able to finish' states Perderneiras.

According to him, Ishida did not play a fair game 'He only defended himself. He didn't want to be defeated by KO or submission, because in fact, being defeated by only a decision, and finishing the match against us was already a victory for him. Unfortunately, in staying completely defensive and safe, he didn't allow Shaolin to impose his game' lamented 'Dede'.

According to Pederneiras, Shaolin is on the way bac to Rio de Janeiro this week, as the Shooto champion enjoyed a few more days in Hawaii.

Source: Tatame

The 'Big Dog' Retires!

July 13th will be a special day for Ricardo 'Cachorrao' Almeida. Today, the current Pancrase middleweight champion announces his retirement from MMA competition. According to him, the reason for this unexpected decision is that he wants to dedicate himself to becoming a great Jiu-Jitsu Master. Ricardo Almeida wrote a moving letter where he explains the reasons for his decision. Today, the MMA fans may have lost a great champion, but they won’t have to wait too much to have a great Jiu-Jitsu Master named Ricardo Almeida.

Check out Almeida's resignation letter:

“After 14 years integrally dedicated to competition, from my very first Jiu-Jitsu championship as a white-belt, to the glamour of the ADCC mats in the United Arab Emirates and fighting before thousands in Pride, Pancrase and the UFC, I announce my retirement from competitions. This includes resigning my middleweight belt from Pancrase.

The reason for my retirement is my will to improve myself personally and educationally. I have a desire to reach the same level as the masters who have inspired me so much during all these years: Master Renzo Gracie, Master Carlos Gracie Jr. and the Great Master Helio Gracie.

Today, I start a new phase in my journey as a representative of Jiu-Jitsu, in which I resign a belt in favour of searching for the wisdom inherent to these great masters. I hope that one day I will have the honour of wearing a Jiu-Jitsu red belt. From now on, I will dedicate myself integrally to spread the philosophy and the techniques that influenced so much my choices and life style. Thank you to everyone who I had the chance to share my experiences with.”

Ricardo Almeida

Source: ADCC

Jacare talks about his World Cup win - Mundial 2004 around the corner and many other news

2004 World Cup Champion Ronaldo 'Jacare' Talks about his win:

KP- Congratulations on your victory!
RJ- Thanks it felt good

KP- What was your most difficult match?
RJ- I can't really say. I fought a lot! Many fights!

KP- Which match did you like the most?
RJ- The one against Margarida, because I completely dominated it, he couldn't do anything. I did two big throws and passed his guard quickly. I completely neutralized him. The public was going crazy, center stage and the mat was bright with lights and everyone was screaming and yelling with every point that I scored it was great!

KP- Any other matches that stick out?
RJ- I fought very hard against Erik Vanderlei

KP- How long have you been training JJ?
RJ- Seven years!

KP- You have won the 2004 Pan-Ams Weight and Absolute, now the 2004 World Cup weight and absolute, what makes you so good?
RJ- Practice

KP- Practice??
RJ- Practice, practice practice. I dedicate myself completely to Jiu-Jitsu, I train 6 hours a day!

KP- Everyday?
RJ- Everyday, and when a tournament comes around I forget about everything and train even more!

KP- Everything?
RJ- Everything even women, it is total dedication

KP- Who are you looking forward to fight in the 2004 Worlds?
RJ- I want to fight all the best guys!

KP- Anyone in particular?
RJ- All the best, Roger Gracie, Pe de Pano, all of them!

KP- And if you fight Pe de Pano?
RJ- I am going to do a beautiful match for everyone to see! It is going to be a great fight! I am going with all the confidence in the World!

KP- You won the Worlds weight and Absolute in the Brown last year right?
RJ- Right. I won the World Cup and the Worlds weight and absolute last year in the Brown Belt!

KP- Any message to your fans?
RJ- Don't give up on your goals! That is the ticket!

KP- Thanks Jacare
RJ- Thanks Kid!

2004 Worlds in 2 Weeks!

the 2004 Worlds is coming up in 2 weeks. With major players going to Rio, like Jacare, Saulo, Xande, Margarida, Terere, Roger Gracie, Pe de Pano, Comprido, Bibiano, Reis and many others top dogs, this promises to be the bomb! The CBJJ registrations will end this Friday so better run and make sure you are signed up and ready to go! For more info check out CBJJ

Source: ADCC

GIANT SILVA ADDED TO BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 FIGHTCARD!

LOS ANGELES, California – An additional match has been added to the BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 fightcard as Paulo Cesar “Giant” Silva will face Takashi Sugiura of Japan. Already previously announced are matches featuring 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.

Matches shown in ascending order:

PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 Fight Card

Brazilian Top Team vs. Team Japan
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (BTT) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Yoshida Dojo)
Fabio Mello (BTT) vs. Takanori Gomi (Kiguchi Dojo)
Paulo Filho (BTT) vs. Akira Shoji (Free)

Additional Matches:
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Cro Cop Squad Gym) vs. Shungo Oyama (Free)
Paulo Cesar “Giant” Silva (Free) vs. Takashi Sugiura (NOAH)
Ikuhisa Minowa (Free) vs. Kenichi Yamamoto (Free)
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (Japan) vs. Brady Fink (Team Oyama)
Dean Lister (City Boxing) vs. Amar Suloev (Red Devil Fight Club)
Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Cobra Kai) vs. Marcos Aurelio (American Top Team)

Bushido Challenge Matches:
Hiroyuki Abe (AACC) vs. Luis “Buscape” Firminho
Kyosuke Sasaki (U-File Camp) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (RJW-Central)

(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 http://pridefc.com/.

For more information on PRIDE FC, visit http://pridefc.com/!

Source: ADCC

2nd IGJJF is heating up

The 2nd IGJJF Open Championship is building momentum. The new rules that make
the competition more exciting by preventing stalling and encouraging submission were introduced for the first time last year. The new concept has left competitors and attendees anxiously waiting for this second event. It is scheduled for August 28,29 at Lynwood High School. Besides the few modifications on the rules, which now include 1 point for takedown and a maximum time of 30 minutes per match, the organizers keep pushing the envelop when it comes to the Grand Prize. While last year the winners received all expenses paid trips to Brazil, to stay and train with Grandmaster Helio Gracie, this time, the ultimate reward promises to be no less exciting. The Grand Prize winners will go on a cruise to Ensenada, Mexico to participate in a jiu-jitsu seminar taught by no other than Grandmaster Helio Gracie, who will be at ringside watching the tournament.

For more info go to IGJJF

Source: ADCC

Wanderlei talks about Rickson Gracie, Fedor, Couture and more!

Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva is training hard to get back into the ring. The star of Chute Boxe, who last fought in February, is scheduled to face the Japanese star Yuki Kondo on august 15th, in one of the Pride GP special matches. Over the course of the last few months as he was recovering from knee injury, Wand worked hard to advance the popularity of MMA among the mainstream of Brazilians. His last act of promotion was to participate in a chat
session at the Brazilian website virgula.com.

For almost one hour, Silva talked about several subjects, including Rickson Gracie, Emelianenko Fedor, money and much more. Now, if you missed the opportunity to chat with the champion, you can check out here some of what Wand had to say to the fans!

Wand on:

TACTICS AGAINST KONDO: 'My intention is to fight standing. This is my fighting style and I believe the audience appreciates this kind of attitude.'

QUINTON JACKSON: 'If I have to face him again I will kick his ass again.'

MONEY: 'Pride´s prize money does not make anyone a millionaire, however, it is much better now. More than 1000% better. I believe in the future, MMA purses will be better than the prizes the boxers recieve.'

FEDOR EMELIANENKO: 'He is an athlete I would love to face. Especially if he conquers the heavyweight GP. I want ro be a fighter who overcomes every obstacle. I want to be the best, defeating those who are considered the best.'

RANDY COUTURE: 'I was hoping to face him this year. And I hope to do it as soon as possible. I want to get him before he retires!'

RICKSON GRACIE: 'Rickson is an athlete that made history in MMA, but nowadays, if he wants to face any top fighter, he will have to improve his game. MMA has evolved a lot.'


Source: ADCC

UFC Welterweight Title Hunt:
St. Pierre vs. Hughes?

By Loretta Hunt

23-year-old French Canadian fighter Georges St. Pierre has an important decision to make in the next few days. The talented welterweight, who made quite an impression on fans just three weeks ago with a sharp stand-up dismantling of opponent Jay Hieron at UFC 48, says he's been offered a fight with former champion Matt Hughes for the vacant UFC welterweight title sometime in October. No contracts have been signed, and although the 7-0 newcomer has voiced some reservations about facing off against such experienced 34-4-0 opposition so early on in his career, he also concedes it might be an opportunity to good to pass up.

A 2nd degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate, as well as a black belt in Japanese Ju-Jitsu, St. Pierre is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Nova Uniao's Wagnney Fabiano and Brazilian Top Team's Fabio Holanda. He has studied boxing and Muay Thai for the last year and a half and began wrestling with the Canadian National team three years ago. Nicknamed "Rush" for his explosive fighting style, St. Pierre currently trains alongside fellow MMA stands-outs David Loiseau and Ivan Menjivar.

With a solid ground and pound debut against a tricky, judo-infused Karo Parisyan at UFC 46 paving the way for his return to the Octagon two shows later, St. Pierre has already displayed a promising range of skills. But, will it be enough for stalwart wrestler Hughes? "I have to establish a good strategy and train hard," the always-polite Quebec native commented of the proposed match-up. "I think that I'm going to do pretty well."

Source: FCF

ARTICLE TRASHES UFC
Mushnick Not Big on Spike TV or UFC

New York Post writer, Phil Mushnick is infamous for hating nearly everyone and everything, so take the following article he wrote concerning the UFC and Spike TV with a grain of salt.

No one's really sure where Mushnick developed such a pessimistic outlook on life, but somehow he convinced the post that his dour ravings should be published. If you'd like to contact that Post and give them a critique
on Mr. Mushnick's musings, they can be contacted at letters@nypost.com

Spike TV's New Low: 'Ultimate Fighting'
By Phil Mushnick, New York Post

FIRST, the good news. Spike TV, this January, will be forced to dump one of its lowbrow shows.

Yep, it has to make room for "The Ultimate Fighting Championship," a cut-to-the-chase enterprise, once closeted, on pay-per-view, that sells honest-to-badness violence, real-deal brutality and blood instead of
ketchup.

"UFC" is one of those shows that can’t be excused or rationalized by enabling TV execs as "fantasy." It’s boxing without gloves, sanctioned street-fighting. Just what the doctor ordered.

Spike TV is advertised as TV’s "First Network For Men." That’s a lie. It’s actually TV’s latest network that caters to young punks, wannabe young punks and all other forms of desensitized and vulnerable young and mostly male viewers.

Spike TV, along with MTV and BET, is part of the Viacom stable of networks that are largely and indisputably dedicat- to bringing out the very worst in young America. Spike TV promotes all the redeeming values of a switchblade.

"People don’t understand ‘The UFC’ and there are certain
misconceptions that we want to dispel," UFC TV executive Craig Piligian recently told The Post.

Bunk. People fully understand the UFC. It’s about the further and bolder selling of violence to a mostly young audience. And it takes only a few minutes viewing to understand exactly that.

In fact, it takes only a few minutes viewing of most Spike shows to know that it’s a network designed to add to the cumulative, pop cultural effect that daily leaves society in a deeper hole.

Spike, naturally, is loaded with pro wrestling. Just about everyone in TV now works off a worn copy of the Vince McMahon’s plan to attract young viewers through every imaginable twisted act of violence, sex and profanity.

Spike airs "Real TV," quite a bit, too. That’s a show predicated upon any video footage — pro or amateur — that includes genuine violence, from street riots, to car crashes, to skateboarders falling down courthouse steps, to two women trying to scratch each other’s eyes out,
to hang gliders who hang on while failing to glide.

Spike, the first network for men, also presents "GameRiot," a show that celebrates video games, most of which are attached to all forms of uncivil and even criminal behavior. As we previously suggested, Spike
is no more for men than a junkyard filled with old refrigerators is for children.

In "MXC," Spike presents a show that, according to Spike’s Website, includes "some of the funniest and most hazardous" stunts ever attempted. Funny and hazardous? Is that anything like "America’s Funniest Home Tragedies"?

Remember kids, MXC reminds you not to try this at home. Or this, or this, or this, or this, or this . . .

"Striperella" is another fine Spike show. It’s a cartoon series that stars Pamela Anderson as a stripper.

Yup, "Ultimate Fighting" will make a nice fit.

News accounts, including one in The Post, reported that UFC’s promoters claim that no one has ever been killed as the result of being a ‘UFC’ contestant. That might be technically true, but since 1979 there have been, according to chroniclers of blood sports, at least eight deaths attributed to UFC-like competitions.

But short of live executions, UFC will just have to do.

"This is huge for us," UFC President Dana White told the Holly-wood Reporter about his deal with Spike. "It will take ‘UFC’ to the next level." Yeah, the next level, just below the last one.

Source: MMA Weekly

 7/13/04

Quote of the Day

"Always do right; this will gratify some and astonish the rest."

Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American Humorist, Writer

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

SHAMROCK HAS MORE TO SAY ABOUT INJURY
Update & Clarification on Ken's Rotator Cuff Injury, Before Kimo Fight
Story 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

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

K-1 TO HOLD OPEN FIGHTER TRYOUTS

In an effort to recruit new talent, K-1 will host open tryout sessions on Thursday, August 5th and Friday, August 6th for fighters interested in competing under its promotion. The two-day affair will take place at Las Vegas, Nevada’s Bellagio Hotel and Casino before Saturday, August 7th’s K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio III” fight card.

The trials, which will be utilized to thicken the rosters of K-1 USA’s two existing weight divisions - Superheavyweight (200 pounds and above) and J-Max (154 pound limit)- are open to fighters who meet these weight specifications and who have competitive experience in any type of martial art and/or the sport of boxing.

Throughout each of the two days on which the tryouts will be held, auditioning athletes will be asked by the event coordinators to demonstrate their skills by going through striking exercises on pads and sparring with one another. Representatives from K-1 headquarters in Japan as well as K-1 USA, the North American outfit of the fight promotion, will be on hand to take in the action and make recruiting decisions. The tryout sessions will not be open to the public.

Fighters who wish to take part in the tryouts must arrange to do before Tuesday, August 3rd by scheduling an appointment with Sven Bean, K-1 USA’s Director of Fighter Development. Mr. Bean can be reached via telephone at (303) 246-5237 or via email at beanz4@msn.com. Depending on the number of athletes who register, the trials may be extended to Saturday, August 7th.

All K-1 tryout participants will be required to make their own travel and lodging arrangements and to bring their own equipment (16 ounce boxing gloves, mouth guard, groin protector, and shin guards) for use during sparring sessions. Additionally, each contestant must bring to his tryout a personalized biography that lists his height, weight, date of birth, residence, fighting discipline, competitive record, and achievements (if applicable).

K-1 is a martial arts fighting sport that derives its name from its inclusion of a wide array of combat disciplines, including Karate, Kung-Fu, and Kickboxing (“K”), and its intent to determine one champion in one ring (“1”). After being staged for the first time in Japan in 1993 under the direction of founder Master Kazuyoshi Ishii, it later evolved into the country’s most popular sport and achieved popular culture status there as its athletes turned into larger-than-life celebrities.

Source: MMA Weekly

'CRO COP' NEWS

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic talked with the Japanese media and announced that he will undertake a rigorous summer training camp in Japan.

Cro Cop added that he has dropped the unheard-of Mike Bencic as his BJJ instructor, and will now be training with someone he termed as a 'giant wrestler'.

Kazushi Sakuraba will also be involved in Cro Cop's training at some point.

Source: Fight Sport

TITO INSINUATES THAT MILETICH CAMP ON STEROIDS

The steroid accusations keep flying in MMA, with Tito Ortiz being the latest to accuse others of taking steroids.

When asked if he was or would train with Pat Miletich and his camp, Ortiz replied with the following statement (bad grammar and all) on the UG forum:

"I dont do juice (do steroids). so why train with Pat (Miletich)?" -Tito Ortiz

MILETICH RESPONDS TO TITO STEROID ACCUSATION

Pat Miletich has responded to Tito Ortiz's insinuation that anabolic steroids are part of the Miletich training system:

Hello forum members, I do not come here often and certainly do not write on forum often. I thought after reading Tito's words of wisdom on why he should not train at my facility. I would respond to the man who seems to hop around on one foot because the other foot is in his fucking mouth.

My friend Tito, I seriously doubt anyone on my team would stay part of my team if I were to allow you to come train at my facility. It would be just you and I and that Tito is a fact. You are not well spoken, and in a way I do feel sorry for you because I don't think it's an act. After we spoke a few shows ago I thought you might be changing into a somewhat better person. Guess I was wrong.

Yes, Tim Sylvia made a mistake and he has paid for his mistake. You on the other hand have not paid for your deliberate lies about what truly happened in London. Your lies cost Tony Fryklund his UFC career, and quite frankly I will tell you that you could not face the fact that you got dropped on your face by Lee Murray.

Yes, I watched him light you up like a Christmas tree in that London alley. Tony Fryklund and I pushed Lee and his boys away from you and saved your ass. Then we picked you up off the pavement so you might have a little dignity, you repay that with bold faced lies and cost Tony his career with the UFC.

I do not measure a man by how well he fights but how honest he is with himself and with others. That being said, you are truly a boy in my book.

Yes Tito, this is Pat Miletich and now by your last statement you have not only offended me but Matt Hughes, Jens Pulver, Tony Fryklund, Jeremy Horn, and the list goes on and on. I'm sure you will respond with a well thought out post and try to sound smart or tough or somewhere in between the two.

Yes, you are truly brilliant and I look forward to the day when one of my fighters are standing across from you,and we will both be grinning at you my blond haired friend.

Yours truly,

Pat Miletich

Source: Fight Sport

UFC-SPIKE TV DEAL HUMILIATED BY NEW YORK POST

Once a Boxercise instructor, Dana White is now UFC president.

The New York Post wrote a scathing attack on the UFC, Spike TV, and their TV deal.

Here is an excerpt from the hatchett job article:

"This is huge for us," UFC President Dana White told the Holly-Wood Reporter about his deal with Spike. "It will take 'UFC' to the next level." Yeah, the next level, just below the last one.

Source: Fight Sport

 7/12/04

Quote of the Day

"Tell me I'll forget, show me , I may remember, but involve me and I'll understand."

Chinese Proverb

Fighters' Club TV Premier's New Show New Time
It's on Tomorrow Night
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

Vitor "Shaolin" Seminar Tonight!

Three time black belt world Jiu-Jitsu Champion and current Shooto World Welterweight Champion, Vitor "Shaolin" Riberio will be conducting a seminar at the Relson Gracie Main Academy from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The cost will be $40.

What: Shaolin Seminar
Where: Relson Gracie Academy
844 Queen St.
Time: 7:30-9:30 pm
Cost: $40

Bring your gi and no gi clothes because I do not know if the type of seminar has been decided yet.

Come support one of the best grapplers on the planet!

COFFEE GUY EXCLUSIVE: BARONI VS. JHUN

Before reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.

The following exclusive report was sent to us by our Zuffa informant called 'Coffee Guy':

Nothing is official yet, but look for Phil Baroni to replace the injured Robbie Lawler on the UFC 49 card. Baroni's opponent will be Ron Jhun.

Source: Fight Sport

Jhun Still Gunning For UFC 49 Debut:
Awaits New Opponent

By Loretta Hunt

Rumors make the MMA world go 'round, but Ron "the Machine Gun" Jhun is hoping one particular weed of gossip will get trampled as quickly as it has sprouted up. Despite the confirmed news that opponent Robbie Lawler has withdrawn from his upcoming bout with Jhun due to a recurring rib injury aggravated in training, the experienced 21-11-2 Hawaiian rep says he's still on the roster for August 21st's UFC 49, pending a new adversary to be announced.

"I got some bad news," Jhun recounted from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva's recent phone conversation with the UFC's newest middleweight entry. "Don't worry, your still fighting, but Robbie's out." After word had gotten back to Jhun that he himself had been injured, the Hawaiian says he wasn't surprised by the development and continues to train at full speed.

Earning his nickname for his fast and aggressive hands in the cage, Jhun seemed a game opponent for fellow brawler and Miletich Martial Arts fighter Robbie Lawler, and even though the Hawaiian has grown accustomed to fighting at welterweight for the last two years, he eagerly took the opportunity at middleweight. A replacement for Lawler has yet to be suggested, yet Jhun anticipates the bout to remain at 185 pounds in observation of the promotion's current efforts to build up that weight division. "I'm always ready for whoever they put in front of me," the construction worker by day comments. "In this sport, you have to accept all challenges."

Source: FCF

2004 World Cup Update

Update from the final day of the 2004 World Cup, in the Brown belt Absolute sensational Andre 'Indio' Galvao wins again repeating last year's feat of winning both his weight and the absolute Brown belt for the second year in a row. Galvao fought 7 matches on his way to the absolute title winning 5 by submission!

One of the most anticipated matches in years, the Black Belt Absolute finals match pitting Ronaldo 'Jacare' v Fernando 'Margarida' has just finished with Ronaldo Jacare announcing to the World he is currently the best! After winning the weight and the absolute in the 2004 Pan-Ams, Jacare repeats the performance in the World Cup beating Fernando Margarida by a score of 11 x 0!

Fernando 'Terere' dislocated his thumb on his first match and had to fight the rest of the matches without being able to properly grip with one hand: 'The thumb was done after my first match. Isubmitted my opponent witha wrist lock in 1 1/2 minutes but injured the thumb. After that I had to use more strategy to win, but I will be ok for the 2004 Worlds!'

Xande Ribeiro: 'I am very happy with my results and I will be even more ready for the 2004 Worlds!'

Saulo Ribeiro v Margarida was one of the best matches of the event with Margarida winning by advantages with a 4 x 4 points score! After the event Saulo stated: 'It was a great match and I look forward to the Worlds. The level here was very strong and I am catching my rhythm again after being away from competition while establishing myself in the US, but overall I am very happy!'

Finals results:

Rooster: Arlison Melo v Alexandre Pessanha - both NU close out the bracket
Super-Feather: Rico Vieira v Armando Guedes - Ricardinho by pts
Feather: Mario Reis v Reinaldo Ribeiro - Reis by adv 8 x 8 in pts
Light: Nova U. closes with four fighters including Leo Santos and Rodrigo Feijao
Medium: Fernando Terere v Cassio Werneck - Terere winner by pts!
Medium-Heavy: Ronaldo Jacare v Marcel Lozada - Both Brasa close out!
Heavy: Fernando Margarida v Eduardo Telles - Margarida by submission
Super-Heavy: Xande Ribeiro v Erik Wanderlei - Xande Ribeiro by pts 6 x 0
Over: Marcio Corletta v Fabricio Werdum - both Winner Behring close out

Absolute: Jacare v Margarida - Jacare by points 11 x 0

Big thanks to TT Bahia Team for the assist in reporting!

Source: ADCC

Open Class: Jacaré owns Bahia mats

Just amazing. That's the way we can define the final of Black Belt open class, between Ronaldo Jacaré and Fernando Margarida, at the 3rd BJJ World Cup, held in Bahia. With a take down, Jacaré got wide open the victory way, that ended with a knee on a belly. Final result: 11x0 over Margarida.

Over the weight categories, Jacaré did it again and close with teammate Marcel Louzado (Brasa). Margarida ruled the heavyweight and took home R$5,000 after submit Eduardo Telles (TT Jiu-Jitsu) via foot-lock. Even injured, Fernando Tererê (TT Jiu-Jitsu) defeated Cassio Werneck (BTT) and got the gold at the middleweight. Xande Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá) scored 6x0 in Erik Wanderlei (Gracie Barra BH) and showed Bahia a great time.

Mário Reis (BTT) ruled the tournament one more time and won Reinaldo Ribeiro (Brasa) by three advantages, after a 8x8. Mário and Reinaldo were simply amazing and submitted all his opponents. Former Mário Reis' teammates, Fabrício Werdum and Márcio Corleta closed the super super heavyweight and the same fact happened at the rooster, with Arlisson Melo and Alexandre Renan (Nova União). Other ones to close were Black Belt GP champion Leonardo Santos, Rodrigo Feijão, Leonardo Peçanha and Danilo Cherman. Over the brown belt, once again André Galvão (TT Jiu-Jitsu) gave no chances and won Tiago Gaia (Nova União) by 2x0.

Yesterday's Results

Open Class' final: Jacaré Vs Margarida

Fernando Margarida and Ronaldo Jacaré, two of the most BJJ phenomenon fighters nowadays will be face to face today at the end of BJJ World Cup Opan Class final. This final may be mark the sport's history once both fighters did a great job during the semifinals. Jacaré ruled Fabrício Werdum and scored 13x0. Fernando Margarida showed a lot of technician and scored 30x2 in Marcel Louzada, one of the surprises of this open class, who won Saulo Ribeiro and Eduardo Telles. Today later we gonna know who will take R$5,000 home.

Saulo loses at the Open Class and Japanese rule at brown

One of the favorites to the open class title has failed. Saulo Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá) lost his third fight to Marcel Louzada (Brasa). Over the brown belt, one of the best names in the competition was Isamu Shishido (Nova União). Shishido defeated Fernando Tererê's cousin, Leandro Martins (TT), at the final by 8x7. Shishido started well and got Martins back twice. But the Brazilian swept, passed the guard and put a knee on the belly, but it was not enough. 'For us he is like new BJ Penn. The only thing different is that he does not like punches!,' said André Marola, who trains Shishido in Brazil. 'I like it at all. I will come back next year to defend my title,' warned the Japanese.

Foreign rocking the blue open class

Besides the 160 subscriptions at blue open class, in fact only half really fought at the tournament. Gouram Abdel Hakim, super heavyweight champion did a great performance and won his first fight via flying triangle choke and won by points the second about against Gabriel Rodrigues who also was great was Canadian AJ Scale (Wagney Fabiano's pupil). He first passed trough Carlos Eduardo Aragão (Tatá) and then, won Júnior Nolasco (NU/ Natal) by 7x4.

Source: Tatame

Learning about Life at the BJJ World Cup
Text by TEAM TATAME

Alberto Nery Lemos (Ricardo Tannus - BA) gave a real lesson about life and how it must be enjoyed at the 3rd BJJ World Cup event held at the Sesc Gymnasium in Salvador, Bahia.

The Brazilian athlete competed despite missing both arms, due to an accident suffered when he was eight years old. Young Lemos was playing on the roof of his house when was surprised by an electric shock, cauding him to lose his two limbs.

Alberto showed himself to be a real winner during the tournament. He defeated Hélcio Leonardo (Nova União - Zulu) by an advantage after landing a take down. The result drove the audience nuts!!! It was something to hear all the compliments he received from the local audience and other competitors. Alberto, a BJJ purple belt and he fights at the featherweight category and is a State BJJ champion. He is also is a submission champion. 'I have been practicing Jiu-Jitsu for five years. This sport for me is a therapy!! I love when people are cheering for me, they support me and it is damned good when I win' stated Alberto, who ended defeated in his second fight. Once again however, he was really the biggest attention getter for the audience of the Sesc Gymnasium.

Source: ADCC

The Beggar’s Banquet at Meca

During the recent Meca FC 11 event held near Rio de Janeiro last month, a UFC vet conquered the 'carioca' audience with his unusual look. The unkempt beard and the blue pajama short of Tony de Souza inspired the audience to start calling him “Mendigo” (beggar, in Portuguese).

All this was supposed to be just for fun, but De Souza started his fight against Luiz Azeredo at a high level, pushing the fight and trying to take Azeredo to the ground. The crowd got excited and just like at a Brazilian soccer maych, the crowd sang songs to support him throughout the three rounds. A typical soccer audience at an MMA tournament, MECA 11's De Sousa bout was transformed into one of the most exciting moments of the sport in Brazil. 'I knew what they were calling me out, but it didn’t matter. The important thing is that they were startedsupporting me and that was significant to my victory' thanked Tony “Mendigo” de Souza.

Inside the ring, Tony satisified the crowd by presenting good wrestling skills and showing all he knows as a BJJ brown belt. In one of Tony’s best moments in the fight, the Peruvian almost submitted Azeredo by an unusual spinal lock, incorrectly interrupted by the referee. After Tony’s victory, the André Pederneiras’ fighter stepped out of the ring and ran around it carrying the Meca trophy and thanking the crowd for the energy they sent to him. It was something to behold.

Source: ADCC

 7/11/04

Quote of the Day

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible;
and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226, Italian Preacher, Founder of the Franciscan Orde

2004 World Cup Black Belt Absolute
Jacare vs Margarida in the finals

The 2004 World Cup absolute division is finished for today with Ronaldo Jacare and Fernando Margarida scheduled to face each other tomorrow. Starting out with 30 plus participants including Ronaldo Jacare, Saulo & Alexandre Ribeiro, Fabricio Werdum, Marcel Louzada & Fernando Margarida the event had some spectacular matches. Saulo lost to Louzada by advantages, while Margarida defeated Xande by 4 x 2. Jacare submitted his opponents and Werdum had impressive wins on the way to the semifinals

Semis:

Werdum v Jacare - Jacare 13 x 0

Margarida v Louzada - Margarida 30 x 2

In other belts, the foreign athletes made a big push with several Australians getting hardware, Andrew 'Gorto' Gorton & Dave O'Brian getting Gold & Rob Toman with a shiny Silver and Japanese fighter Isamu Shishido getting Gold in the Brown

Big thanks to Fredson Alves and Terere for the assist in reporting.

Source: ADCC/Kid Peligro

PRE-FIGHT INTERVIEW: SHOOTO WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION, VITOR 'SHAOLIN' RIBEIRO
by: Denis Martins

SHOOTO's 155 lb Champion Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro fought a non title match in Hawaii this past Friday. He is now 10-0 in MMA competition.

Denis Martins: Hi 'Shaolin', where is your belt? 'Shaolin': The belt is in Japan. Andre Pederneiras left it in Japan in January because Joachim Hansen's name was still on the belt and they are changing it to my name. I will grab it in Hawaii, I guess.

Denis Martins: Are you sad notbeing able to keep the belt with you since January? 'Shaolin': No I am not. I won it in January when my teammates Joao Roque and Marcos 'Loro' Galvao also went to compete in the first SHOOTO event of 2004. I left the belt with them to change the name to the current champion, me. The most important thing is that I know that the belt is mine by my own merits.

Denis Martins: I have not talked with you in a long time so I do not know if you remember what you said in our previous interviews about getting a submission in Japan. I think you could not have gotten it at a better time! 'Shaolin': (laughs) I wanted to beat Hansen in a way that left no doubts with fans and media that I deserved that belt. I was very well trained in that position, and in others that I would have tried if the arm-triangle did not work. My desire to submit him was greater than in previous fights because the belt was on the line. I think I started 2004 with a lot of luck on my side, I submitted Hansen who had beaten Rumina Sato and Takanori Gomi. It was wonderful.

Denis Martins: Did you train differently for that title match than for previous fights? 'Shaolin': I had the same strategy and the same way of training. I did not want to fight three rounds. I was ready on the feet, I had a good wrestling base, and my submissions were solid from my jiu-jitsu training. I did not think Hansen would surprise me in that fight because I was ready for everything. My cardio was good and my game-plan was tight. Of course a punch on the chin could sink me ,but I blocked all of Hansen's attacks and I am the champion now.

Denis Martins: You showed interest in fighting Gomi but it did not work out after he lost the belt to Hansen. Do you feel a title shot against Gomi would be a bigger challenge than Hansen was? Shaolin: I am not sure about that. Hansen was the champion at that time, so I was happy to take it from him. If it had been Kawajiri or Sato, it did not matter; my goal was the belt and not a fighting a specific fighter. My desire to fight Gomi ended when he lost the belt to Hansen. By the way we (Gomi and I) are young fighters and I see a match between us in the near future, anyway.

Denis Martins: You are the champion now and I see Alexandre 'Pequeno' Franca Nogueira (the SHOOTO lightweight champion) fighting only twice per year. You had been fighting three times a year. Do you think that you will adopt the same fighting pace of 'Pequeno'? 'Shaolin': I think this is a good policy because the promoters need to search for true contenders. The best reason to fight only twice a year is that then we can dedicate ourselves to other activities such as seminars.

Denis Martins: Where have you been in last 7 months without any fights? Shaolin': I have been to Canada, the UK, France and the USA doing seminars. I liked this pace because I can take a rest and have fun. Then in the second semester, I go with a lot of energy to the training sessions.

Denis Martins: Well SHOOTO champion, is it true that you are going to UFC soon? 'Shaolin': UFC contacted me, but they wanted me to fight in the welterweight division against Matt Hughes. I prefer to fight in my weight class. There have been some rumors that the lightweight division would be extinguished, but I do not believe that. I do not think my time in the UFC has come yet, but I am very happy fighting for SHOOTO Japan which treats very well.

Denis Martins: Is there an exclusive contract between SHOOTO and you? 'Shaolin': I am with SHOOTO in 2004 but next year I do not know what will happen. SHOOTO is a good experience and they treat me well, so I will treat them well too. I am going to fight three times this year. After Hawaii, I will fight in September and December and all for SHOOTO. I wanted 4 fights. However, I can't take part in the event on American soil (the MFC Euphoria tournament) which is close to my last two SHOOTO bouts at the end of year. Anyway, there is no contract of exclusivity with SHOOTO.

Denis Martins: Did not the UFC offer you a fight versus Yves Edwards or Josh 'The Punk' Thomson? 'Shaolin': They wanted to book me against Hughes. I did not feel that this would be a good opportunity so I chose to keep myself in SHOOTO. I hope to defend my belt and follow in Pequeno's footsteps. He has defended his belt successfully for 5 years.

Denis Martins: Did you watch Hermes França's last two fights in the UFC? 'Shaolin': Yes, I did.

Denis Martins: Tell us your thoughts. 'Shaolin': I think that Thomson won the first two rounds and França won the last one. Also, the referee interfered with França's combo when he started punching, but I think Thomson won this one. I did not agree with the França/Edwards result. Edwards was taken down and did not throw any good punches. When the fight was finished, Edwards looked disappointed and França was happy but the judges' decision was not what França expected. Look, I am not saying this just as a Brazilian rooting for another Brazilian, I am just talking about the fights without any personal allegiance.

Denis Martins: They (Thomson x Edwards) may fight for the title soon. What do you think? 'Shaolin': I do not think this will be a great fight. I think Edwards will gas out. Thomson puts himself on the line when he fights and Edwards does not.

Denis Martins: We were used to seeing you fighting in the Arnold Classic Submission event. Why did not you fight this year? 'Shaolin': Well I am the SHOOTO champion now, so I do not want to be a 'bridge' to success of my opponents. If I win it is okay because I am the champion, but if I lose and possibly lose badly, it looks like I do not deserve the title and the guy who beat me will be the new star. I was focused on my seminars when the Arnold Classic was taking place and I was injured too. I like the Arnold event and the prize there is very good. Also, I would fight Marcelo Garcia if given the opportunity again. If it does not happen now, it will happen one day.

Denis Martins: Would you like a rematch with Garcia? 'Shaolin': I always will. He is at the top of his game without a gi and has proved it by conquering all submission events he took part. That was his day when we fought and I do not dispute it. I could have lost that match fighting like I did against Leonardo Vieira or Marcio Feitosa, always fighting until the final moment. Now my focus is on MMA. I plan on dedicating myself to submission again in 2006 or 2007.

Denis Martins: 2006 or 2007??!! So is ADCC 2005 not in your plans? 'Shaolin': If they invite me, I will go. But if they do not invite me, I will have other things to do. ADCC is a nice event that gives you a lot of recognition. However, it is not my deal now, I am in MMA.

Denis Martins: Your opponent in SHOOTO Hawaii is ADCC 2003 veteran Mitsuhiro Ishida. He is 6-1-1 in MMA and ranked number 10 in his weight class. I am sure you have seen his matches and realized he has excellent takedowns. What are your feelings about this fight? 'Shaolin': Yeah, he has a very effective ground'n'pound style and he is very aggressive. I am training a lot of wrestling to counter Ishida's skill and I believe this will be a very good fight for the Hawaiian fans.

Denis Martins: Tony DeSouza is an excellent wrestler and he was in Brazil until last week. What did he add to your game with his knowledge? 'Shaolin': Tony added many things to my game but they are a secret and will only be shown in the ring! This guy (Tony) does not use strength to keep some positions and he taught me something about that. Everybody who watched MECA FC 11 saw how he
handled Luiz Azeredo (from Chute Boxe) without too much effort.

Denis Martins: Would you like to add anything? 'Shaolin': I would like to say thank you very much to my family and mainly to my mom, who allows me to concentrate on my training. This is very important to me since it allows me to work harder to beat my opponents.

Source: ADCC

BTT Army Ready for Bushido 4
by: Rafael Werneck

After ruling South Korea at their inaugural Gladiator FC event in June, the Brazilian Top Team army now concentrates its forces on their next challenge: Pride Bushido 4, scheduled for July 19th. BTT team will be represented by Rogerio 'Minotouro' Nogueira, Paulo Filho and Fabio Mello.

This will be Filho's 2nd appearance in PRIDE. In his first appearance in November of 2002, he defeated Japanese fighter Akira Shoji by submission. Now, he is confident he can do it again as he grants Shoji a rematch. Filho also believes that teammate Mello wil lalso have a good performance. This will be the debut in Pride for Mello, who is facing the dangerous Takanori Gomi. This will be Mello's fifth MMA fight, and he has a record of three wins and one loss.

Gomi was one of the Japanese fighters in the challenge between the Gracies and Japan in Bushido 3. He defeated Ralph Gracie using a knee and now is considered 'the man to beat' by Paulao. 'This Gomi guy is very arrogant. It is time a BTT fighter kicks his ass' said Filho, who has an MMA record of seven victories in seven fights.

Like Paulo Filho, Rogerio 'Minotouro' Nogueira fought and won in the Gladiator. And like his teammate, he is going to face a fighter he has beaten before in the next PRIDE. He is aware of the danger that Kazuhiro Nakamura represents. 'I know he is much better than the first time we fought. But I can assure you I have some surprises to show him as well' says Minotouro.

One of the BTT leaders, Mario Sperry was expected to be one of the team representatives in Bushido 4. He is concentrating his attentions on Rodrigo Minotauro´s training for the heavyweight GP finals.

Source: ADCC

The Beggar’s Banquet at Meca
by: Alexandre Lobo / Team TATAME

During the recent Meca FC 11 event held near Rio de Janeiro last month, a UFC vet conquered the 'carioca' audience with his unusual look. The unkempt beard and the blue pajama short of Tony de Souza inspired the audience to start calling him “Mendigo” (beggar, in Portuguese).

All this was supposed to be just for fun, but De Souza started his fight against Luiz Azeredo at a high level, pushing the fight and trying to take Azeredo to the ground. The crowd got excited and just like at a Brazilian soccer maych, the crowd sang songs to support him throughout the three rounds. A typical soccer audience at an MMA tournament, MECA 11's De Sousa bout was transformed into one of the most exciting moments of the sport in Brazil. 'I knew what they were calling me out, but it didn’t matter. The important thing is that they were startedsupporting me and that was significant to my victory' thanked Tony “Mendigo” de Souza.

Inside the ring, Tony satisified the crowd by presenting good wrestling skills and showing all he knows as a BJJ brown belt. In one of Tony’s best moments in the fight, the Peruvian almost submitted Azeredo by an unusual spinal lock, incorrectly interrupted by the referee. After Tony’s victory, the André Pederneiras’ fighter stepped out of the ring and ran around it carrying the Meca trophy and thanking the crowd for the energy they sent to him. It was something to behold.

Source: ADCC

Wallid Gives Peace a Chance
by: R. Nogueira

'In 1997, someone asked me what was my biggest fault' starts Wallid Ismael. I answered that it was my radical way of thinking and acting. It wasn’t an act or 'marketing', I was just crazy! I was a revolting guy who went from the Amazon to Rio de Janeiro without a friend and without any money'. That’s how Ismail, now 36 years old, analyzes his troubled youth. Ismael has always been known as a rebel in the world of martial arts, making lots of fans and lots of enemies too.

Now Wallid considers himself at a more advanced stage in life. 'I don’t need to make enemies anymore' says the black-belt, who has made peace with old rivals such as Ryan Gracie, Luiz 'Bebeo', Roberto Gordo and Wanderlei Silva.

There are three reasons for Wallid’s new way of life, Wallid states. First, he is getting on in years, he doesn’t make mistakes of youth anymore. Second, Wallid has managed two successful editions of Jungle Fight. Third, Wallid has a friendship with Antonio Inoki, who advises his brazilian partner about the best way to deal with problems, and how to make policy.

Source: ADCC

Dean Lister ready for his debut in Pride
by: Gleidson Venga / Team TATAME

Dean Lister has spent the early part of his MMA career winning most of his matches at King of The Cage, even holding one of their title belts. Lister's fame erupted in 2003, which he earned by taking the absolute category at ADCC 2003, beating top grapplers such as Saulo Ribeiro, Alexandre Cacareco and Márcio Pé de Pano. This result gave Lister his entry to the ADCC Super Fight against Ricardo Arona, the present ADCC superfight champion.

Appropximately 1 year after winning the ADCC, Dean Lister has a new huge challenge in his way: he will debut in Japan at Pride Bushido 4, scheduled for July 19th. His opponent will be tough Russian Amar Suloev, an experienced fighter who has fought in UFC and many other international events.

The American knows things won´t be easy for him. Lister quotes:

'Amar Suloev is a top fighter who comes from the Russian RED DEVIL School, so I can expect a very prepared and strong fighter in Pride Bushido 4. I´ve been training a lot and also. I´m taking good care of myself not to get injured, and I´m very anxious for this debut'.

Source: ADCC

Today's news from BJJ World Cup BA

Great names fighting at the Open Class

As soon the second day of competition end at the BJJ World Cup, Team TATAME brings in first hands the name of the atheltes will fight the Open Class and a R$5,000 cash prize. World Champions as Saulo Ribeiro, Ronaldo Jacaré and Fernando Margarida will share the same mat with athletes as Alexandre Ribeiro, Eduardo Telles, Fabrício Werdun, Márcio Corleta, André Candido and Danilo Cherman. The Open class is scheduled to start at 15h.

COMFIRMED ATHLETES AT BLACK BELT OPEN CLASS:

- Jackson Moura (Jakson Moura);
- Yuri Fernandes (BTT);
- Paulo Streckert (Lotus Club);
- Fabio Nascimento (Lotus Club);
- Cley Bastos (Kezen JJ);
- Fabricio Monteiro (Gracie Barra);
- Marcel Louzada (Brasa);
- Delson Pe-de-Chumbo (Pitbull);
- Rodrigo Ribeiro (Pitbull);
- Cristiano Lazzarini (Gracie Barra);
- Ronirley Costa (Alliance);
- Pedro Galiza (BTT);
- Sergio Santos (BTT);
- Rogério Passos (TT);
- Eduardo Telles (TT);
- Denis Gomes (Athaíde Jr);
- Francisco Santoro (Athaíde Jr);
- Admilson Juquinha (Gracie Humaitá);
- Cláudio Daniel (Gracie Humaitá);
- Marcos Paulo Cardoso (Nova União/ Ceará);
- Rosemberg Kiff (Federação do RJ);
- Alexandre Moura (Nova União - Zulu);
- Carlos Eduardo Caroni (Yamazaki);
- Maurício Fett (Rodrigo Poderoso);
- Wellington Araújo (Federação Baiana);
- Alessandro Bruno (Federação Baiana);
- Silvio Proença (BTT);
- Carlos Eugênio Corrêa (Eugênio Club);
- Fabrício Werdum (Behring);
- Márcio Corleta (Behring);
- Alexandre Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá);
- Saulo Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá);
- Lênio Furtado (Tata);
- Otávio Tatá Duarte (Tatá);
- Fernando Margarida (BTT);
- Yuri Fernandes (BTT);
- Pedro Damasceno (BTT B);
- André Marola (Nova União - Dedé);
- Danilo Cherman (Nova União - Dedé);
- Eduardo Santana (AJBA);
- Ronaldo Jacaré (Brasa);
- André Gomes (Federação Baiana).

Araruama's purple rules middleweight

Today, all purple belts fought at BJJ World Cup, held in Bahia. Highlight at the category, Vítor Bonfim, coming from Araruama (RJ's cost), who ruled the most disputed division of the night: middleweight. Vítor didi six bouts and submitted three of them. At the end, Vítor faced a Nova União athlete, Marcus Vinícius, and won by 8x0.
Over the featherweight division, the champion was José Maria Costa (TT Jiu-Jitsu) who scored 5x0 in João Luís (Guigueto Team). Alysson Rossei (Nova União) won the supersuper heavyweight scoring 4x2 in Daniel Mosquito. Take a look bellow the full list of champions.

3rd BJJ World Cup
Sesc Gym,nasium, Salvador - Bahia
July 8 and 9, 2004

White Adult
Rooster
1º: Thiago de Almeida - Nova União Natal
2º: Rodrigo de Oliveira - Dharma
3º: Leandro Oliveira - Gracie Humaitá
3º: Jonas Miranda - Nova União Natal

Super featherweight
1º: Luiz Padilha - Nova União Natal
2º: José Barros - Nova União Natal
3º: Romerito de Lima - Natal
3º: Francisco de Assis - Bahia

featherweight
1º: Fernando Guimarães - Federação do Rio de Janeiro
2º: Tarso Ribeiro - Federação Baiana
3º: Rodrigo Cerqueira - Jacaré
3º: Leonardo Barbosa - Nova União Natal

Lightweight
1º : Felipe Ywasaki - Nova União
2º : Samuel Motta - Giovanni
3º: Jair Vicente - Nova União
3º: Jorge Cledson Santos - Rostan Lacerda

Middleweight
1º: Luis Felipe Aguiar - Federação Baiana
2º: Nilson Gomes - China JJ
3º: Hamid Homena - Nova União
3º: José Augusto Madureira - Federação Baiana

Middle heavyweight
1º: Doriam Hemig - Jackson Moura
2º: Bruno Bonati - Alliance
3º: Rodrigo Santos - Dharma
3º: Cleomar Rodrigues - China JJ

heavyweight
1º: Gley Mathias - Nova União Natal
2º: Neuber Jatoba - Nova União Natal
3º: Antônio Pereira da Silva - Mario Sucata

Super heavyweight
1º: Cláudio da Cruz - Federação Baiana
2º: Micael Lins - Federação Baiana
3º: Goldofredo Alves - Federação Baiana
3º: Flávio Antônio dos Santos - Nova União

Super supewr heavyweight
1º: Flávio Rydlewanki - Nova União Natal
2º: Amauri Fonseca - Nova União
3º: Rodrigo Nascimento - Nova União
3º: Marcos Bacelar - Corpo e Mente


Blue Young

Rooster
1º: Anderson Souza - Nova União Natal
2º: Arinaldo - Cavaru
3º: Cláudio Cotrin - Nova União Natal
3º: Rafael Limcom - Federação do Rio de Janeiro

Superfeatherweight
1º: Paulo Eduardo Grillo - Nova União Natal
2º: Rodrigo Ferreira Gomes - Nova União
3º: Helton Barberino - Dharma
3º: Magno Cardoso - Casquinha JJ

Lightweight
1º: Felipe Cardoso - BTT
2º: Alberto Ferreira - Nova União Natal
3º:Alex de Souza - Nova União
3º: Natã de Souza - Eq. Key M S

Middleweight
1º: Diogo Luiz - Nova União
2º: Danilo Mota - Dela Riva
3º: Kleber Nascimento - BTT
3º: Diego Almeida - Alliance

Middle heavyweight
1º: Alen de Andrade - Gracie Humaita
2º: Cleber Borges - BTT
3º: Petrotchuccelli Lima - Federação Baiana
3º: Caio Valério - Dela Riva

heavyweight
1º:Jonatas Gomes - AJJBA
2º: João Ferreira - Federação Baiana
3º: Vitor Moscon - Nova União
3º: Rafael Pereira - Nova União

Super heavyweight
1º: Rodrigo Mendes - Kezen JJ
2º: Lucas Scantamburlo - Fed. Rio de Janeiro
3º: Vinícius Coutrin - Equipe Zeca
3º: Erick Gonçalves - Nova União Natal

super super heavyweight
1º: Gilson Antônio - Nova União Natal
2º: Jarder Borges - Federação Baiana
3º: Paulo de Tarso - Federação Baiana


Blue Master

Featherwight
1º: David O` Brien - Roots Australia
2º: Gilmar Queiroz -
3º: Alexandre Goulart - Manimal family
3º: Evandro Alves - Dharma

Lightweight
1º: Luiz Guerra - Corpo e Mente
2º: Denílson Silva - Corrente JJ
3º: Mauro Silva - Nova União Natal
3º: Alexandre Mario - Rostan Lacerda

Middlweight
1º: Ricardo de Souza - Nova União
2º: Alexandre Cardoso - Fed. Baiana
3º: Edival Laurindo - Gutembergue Melo
3º: Luciano Vasconcelos - Fed. Baiana

Middle heavyweight
1º: Cristiano Santos - Fed. Baiana
2º: Franklin Ferre - Bahia
3º:Rodrigo Cortes - Gracie Humaitá
3º: Paulo Baraúna - Fed. Baiana

heavyweight
1º: Andrew Gorton - Roots Australia
2º: Joilton Ramos - Barracuda
3º: Paulo Sérgio de Araújo - Fed. Baiana
3º: Raimundo Corrêa - Barracuda

Super heavyweight
1º: Luiz André Santana - Multi Garra
2º: Robert Toman - Roots Australia
3º: Biraci José - Fed. Baiana

super super heavyweight
1º: Eduardo Lázaro - Dela Riva
2º: Jailson Santos - Velame Brothers
3º: Iatan Cordeiro - Kezen JJ
4º: Zildervan Lobo - Fed. Baiana


Blue Adult

Rooster
1º: Caio Terra - Brasa
2º: Edílson Rafael - Gutembergue Melo
3º: Lisandro Rafael - Romeu Bertho
3º: João Barbosa - UGF/SE

Super featherweight
1º: Eduardo Costa - Brasa
2º: Marlos Vandré - Corpo e Mente
3º: Danilo - Nova União de Natal
3º: Luciano Aldiguieri - Impacto

Super heavyweight
1º: Gouram Hakim - Behring
2º: Bruno Santos - Brasa
3º: Bruno Rodrigues - Deo JJ
3º: Murilo Lima - Corpo e Mente

Source: Tatame


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