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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2005
12/10/05
Proving
Grounds -
ROTR
Qualifer
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center)
11/19/05
ROTR 9
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
11/14/05
3rd American National BJJ Championships
(Torrance Unified School District, Torrance, CA )
10/29-30/05
Brazilian Team Titles
(Equipes)
(Brazil)
10/05
Proving
Grounds -
ROTR
Qualifer
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center, Maui)
9/05
Proving
Grounds -
ROTR
Qualifer
(MMA)
(Kauai)
8/27-28/05
International
Masters & Seniors BJJ Tournament
(Tijuca Tenis Clube, Tijuca, Brazil)
8/05 (tentative)
ROTR 8
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
7/23-31/05
World BJJ
Championships (Mundial)
(Tijuca Tenis Clube, Tijuca, Brazil)
7/23/05 or 7/30/05
Hawaii Grappling
Grand Prix
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(TBA)
7/21-23/05
World Cup of BJJ
(BJJ)
(São Paulo, Brazil)
7/9/05
Proving
Grounds -
ROTR
Qualifer
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center)
6/24/05
Hawaiian
Grappling Championships
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
6/18/05
Longman BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(Kauai)
6/4/05
Super
Brawl: Full Contact Showdown #3
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe MCBH)
UFC
53: Heavy Hitters
(MMA)
(Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ)
5/28/05 or 5/29/05
Warriors Quest: Resurrection 2
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(McKinnley H.S. Gym)
5/21/05
MMA & Kickboxing Event
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Waimanalo Polo Grounds)
Warriors Quest: Resurrection 1
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Kapaa, Kauai)
5/7/05
ROTR 7
(MMA)
(Stan Sheriff Arena, UH)
5/7-8 & 14-15 & 21-22/05
Brazilian National BJJ Tournament
(Youth, Adult, Master & Senior)
(Tijuca Tenis Clube, Tijuca, Brazil?)
|
|
April 2005 News
Part 3
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 |
Quote
of the Day
"We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not
an act but a habit."
Aristotle, BC 384-322, Greek Philosopher
|
JOHN
RUIZ VS. JAMES TONEY!
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING TONIGHT!
Saturday,
April 30 at 10:0PM ET/7:00PM PT
John Ruiz (41-5-1, 28 KOs) will defend his world title against
the formidable James Toney (68-4-2, 43 KOs) in a 12-round championship
clash. The intrigue for this fight stems from whether Toney can
capture a world title in the sport's most prized division. The
flamboyant fighter began his career as a middleweight and won
a world title at that weight class, as well as at super middleweight
and cruiserweight.
Source:
HBO
|
WARRIORS
QUEST BREAKING NEWS:
Two Events on Two Islands
On
Kauai
RESSURRECTION PART I
Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii
May 21, 2005
We
are currently looking for fighters to participate in this ground
breaking event. If you are interested please feel free to call
808-590-1209 or 590-4046. We’re doing kickboxing & Shooto
style matches.
On
Oahu
RESSURRECTION PART II
McKinnley High School Gym, Hawaii
May 28 or 29, 2005
This
will be a stacked card with Kickboxing and Shooto style fights,
We will bring an exciting night for the fans just wait and see
what we have install, like always all fighters are always welcome
to participate.
Source:
Event Promoter
|
FRANK
SHAMROCK'S NEW FIGHT TEAM & NEW GYM
Frank Shamrock is no stranger to starting over. When Frank left
The Lion's Den, he departed with only a pair of boxing gloves.
With the Grand Opening of the Shamrock Training Center on April
21st, Frank started over yet again. MMAWeekly spoke with Frank
and Shamrock Submission Fighting Team member Dominique "Fallen
Angel" Robinson about Frank venturing out on his own, leaving
the American Kickboxing Academy, to open his own place and form
his own team.
The
Shamrock Training Center, located in San Jose, California, is
a 6300 sq. feet facility. Describing the gym, Dominique Robinson
said, "It has three mat areas, a cage, a ring, two bag areas,
and there is a pool room upstairs. That's where the fighter's
quarters are being built." Robinson continued, "It's
pretty big...There's a lounge room, and they have like a TV and
video games for people who train there to chill. He wants this
place to not only be a place where people can train hard and
take it to the next level, but relax and be family oriented at
the same time. He wants it almost like a house at the same time."
Frank Shamrock told MMAWeekly, "It's the first gym of it's
kind in the world. We offer all the amenities, and every member
is like family."
The
Shamrock Training Center is a private, members only facility.
There is an application process followed by interviews. Dominique
explained, "You have to do interviews to sign up. That's
for anything because he doesn't want anyone coming in with like
egos or negativity to this place. He wants it to be 100% positive,
so he's giving interviews and you have to do an interview with
Frank himself, Dave Velazquez, and if they're both are like there's
no negativity coming from you, they let you in the gym."
Robinson
discussed the reforming of the Shamrock Submission Fighting Team
saying, "The way he wants the team to be, he wants it to
be the old veterans. He wants it in sections like the new people,
and then people who are a little bit above them and are starting
to fight, and then people who are above them who are about to
make it, and then the veterans."
Dominique
mentioned that there are a couple of fighters out there that
Frank would like to recruit. Robinson commented, "I came
up with the idea of Lodune Sincaid and Kiuma Kinioku, the former
welterweight King of Pancrase. I talked to Frank about that because
he said he wants some people who have already been fighting in
there too. Starting a brand new team, a brand new family, and
I brought up the idea of those two to him because I watched The
Ultimate Fighter show, and I saw how Lodune had pretty much given
up every thing, and had nothing, for that opportunity, so Frank
wants this to be like a family and that guy has no family, so
it would be perfect. Frank was like yeah, and that guy could
be turned, because he's talented already, he could be turned
into something better."
Dominique
added, "About Kiuma, I told Frank that I saw in an interview
how he said he quit Pancrase to be in an American promotion.
He wants to eventually make it to the UFC. He wants to stay in
America, so I told Frank about that. He said that he and Kiuma
were good friends a long time ago. That guy gave him his first
pair of shorts and everything, and he said find him too. That
would work out for the team having a veteran like that, and also
that guy wants to fight and eventually work his way to the UFC,
so it's probably easier doing that from an American team than
a Japanese team."
As
previously mentioned, Dominique Robinson is a member of the Shamrock
Submission Fighting Team. He was previously with AKA where he
helped Josh Thomson prepare for his UFC 49 bout with Yves Edwards.
He competes at lightweight, and Frank said, "He can talk
the talk and walk the walk." "The Fallen Angel"
commented, "You'll hear about me soon enough. Let me take
off a couple of heads first. Take off a few heads. There's a
lot of guys out there that I think is overrated."
Discussing
his background in fighting, Dominique said, "I'm just waiting
to get out there. I've done a couple of MMA fights, but all like
smaller stuff. I'm waiting to get in a real show so I can knock
somebody out. You know what I'm saying? Bring the lightweight
division back to life. There ain't no personality. There's no
personality. You know what I mean? I'm pretty too. I'm a pretty
fighter, so the females will love me. I've done like five underground
MMA fights, all five were knockouts. I'm 7-1 in grappling. I
got first in the Sacramento tournament, and second at one of
the Gracie tournaments, and then I'm 2-0 boxing." You might
want to keep an eye on this guy.
There's
a new team in town on the MMA scene. If Frank Shamrock's past
accomplishments are any indication of the future, you can expect
some big things out his new team. You may have heard it here
first, but this won't be the last you hear of Dominique Robinson
or the Shamrock Submission Fighting Team.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
***For
Immediate Release***
For More Information, Contact Mike Afromowitz, (917) 566-8754
or mike@k-1usa.net.
Injury
KOs McDonald from Las Vegas K-1;
Fighters Speak Out At Battle at Bellagio IV Pre-Fight Press Conference
Three-time
K-1 tournament champion, Michael McDonald, has withdrawn from
Saturday’s Battle at Bellagio IV, K-1 “World Grand
Prix 2005 in Las Vegas” eight-man tournament due to an arm
injury that he sustained during a sparring session. McDonald’s
replacement in the live Pay Per View television event will be
undefeated world kickboxing champion, Mark Selbee (22-0 (12 KO’s),
it was announced during Thursday afternoon’s pre-fight press
conference.
“This
is the chance of a lifetime,” said the 6 foot 5 inch Selbee,
who was originally scheduled to take part in one of the event’s
tournament reserve bouts. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, the 34
year-old holds black belts in both Tae Kwon Do and Hap Kido and
is a 1994 U.S. Open Tae Kwon Do tournament medalist. Last September,
Selbee was crowned an International Kickboxing Federation (IKF)
World Superheavyweight kickboxing champion after he scored a
first round knockout over Raul Doucet. “Where I grew up,
other kids used to dream about playing baseball or playing football.
I was dreaming about kickboxing in front of worldwide audiences
so I’m gonna make the most of this opportunity.”
As
encouraged as Selbee was regarding his status upgrade in the
event, so seemed most of the other participants about their respective
appearances during the media event.
Notable
quotes from the pre-fight press conference:
Tournament
Fighters:
Sean
O’Haire: On how his previous career as a professional wrestler
helped prepare him for K-1 competition: “When I was wrestling,
I was on television a lot and in front of cameras. But, I’ve
always been a fighter who wrestled, not a wrestler who fought.
(Wrestling) was just something that presented itself at the time,
so I did it. Once was over there, I used the name and popularity
I had to cross over into the fighting world What has helped me
(from the wrestling experience) is that being in front of the
cameras and the crowd doesn’t make me nervous. It makes
me amped.”
“Big
Daddy” Gary Goodridge: “Saturday night, there’s
gonna be excitement and a lot of pain. A lot of people are gonna
feel a lot of wrath from ‘Big Daddy.’ I’m explosive.
I like to finish everything now – actually, yesterday. If
the fight’s still going on after a minute, Sean’s really
good.”
Glaube
Feitosa: On how he’s prepared to fight Dewey Cooper: “I
think I have to put forth my best techniques. I look forward
to fighting him and let the best fighter win.”
Dewey
“The Black Kobra” Cooper: On whether or not he’s
modified his style since his last K-1 appearance: “I’m
always trying to modify something. I’m always in the laboratory
trying to create new things and become more of an expert in what
I already do. Glaube’s K-1 record is very misleading. People
don’t realize he has more than 60 victories with 57 knockouts
in the Kyokushin (Karate) style. He’s a very dynamic fighter.
It’s going to be a very difficult fight for me, I’m
sure. But, I’m prepared. You know, it’s nothing new
to me. I’m ready to do whatever I have to do. Hopefully,
I’ll be victorious Saturday night, three times – not
twice, not once, but three times. BK all day.”
Carter
Williams: “I’m looking forward to performing my best.
I’m ready to get it up.”
Yusuke
Fujimoto: On what he will do different during his rematch with
Carter Williams in the quarterfinal round of Saturday’s
tournament (Note: Williams defeated Fujimoto by knockout during
the quarterfinal round of the May 2003 K-1 USA tournament): “Of
course I will win on Saturday night. Carter has very good technique
and power, but this time I have trained very well and very hard
to improve my speed and power and technique. I look forward to
a KO.”
Superfight
Fighters:
Rick
“The Jet” Roufus: “I’m at a point in my career
where I am exceptionally hungry again. For me, it’s a burning
desire. This is a great fight. I’ve never trained harder.
I’m going back to what made Rick Roufus. Fighting Musashi
is a great opportunity and, believe me, it’s gonna be exciting.”
Musashi:
On how his victory over former world boxing champion, Ray Mercer,
has boosted his confidence: “Fighting with Ray Mercer last
January gave me a lot of confidence that I could defeat a very
good fighter. He has very good punching technique so I’m
looking forward to fighting Rick Roufus. He’s also a very
good puncher
Remy
Bonjasky: On what he expects to do during to his Superfight opponent,
“Mighty Mo” Siligia: “Usually, I always tell my
opponent and all of the other people what I’m going to do
in the ring – kick to the legs a few times and then look
down and kick up. Usually, it works and I hope it will work on
Saturday also. I have a lot of respect for all of the fighters.
I have a lot of respect for ‘Mighty Mo’ and what he’s
done for K-1 in North America.”
”Mighty
Mo” Siligia: On how he has developed as a K-1 fighter since
last year, his debut year in K-1 competition: “My first
year, kickboxing was new for me. This year, I’m a whole
different fighter. I’ve had a year to train my kicking skills
and my combinations. I’m just ready for whatever. I’m
ready to do it and whatever happens, happens. All I know is I’m
ready to go.”
The
hole created by Selbee’s departure from reserve fight competition
will be filled by 23 year-old Dustin Hanning (5-2). A training
partner of Williams, the 2003 K-1 USA tournament champion, Hanning
will make his K-1 debut opposite Terrol Dees (5-1 (3 KO’s).
In other reserve fight action, undefeated Muay Thai stylist,
Patrick Barry (11-0 (7 KO’s), will square off with two-time
K-1 tournament reserve fight victor, Scott Lighty (21-6-2 (5
KO’s), while Las Vegas’s Dan Evensen (10-1 (8 KO’s)
will meet Steve Steinbess (4-0 (4 KO’s).
Less
than 200 tickets remain for Saturday’s event. All seats
that were priced at $50 and $200 have been sold. Seats that carry
$100 and $300 price tags are still available and may be purchased
at the Bellagio’s box office or by calling 1-800-963-9634.
The
live Pay Per View television broadcast of Battle at Bellagio
IV, the K-1 “World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas” will
begin at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time (7 PM Pacific Standard Time)
and will be available on iNDemand, DirecTV, and TVN.
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:
Mike Afromowitz
|
K-1
USA: Mighty Mo Vows Redemption
by Mike Sloan
In
one of the more anticipated showdowns in recent K-1 USA history,
two-time defending K-1 World Grand Prix champion Remy Bonjasky
returns to Las Vegas. However, it is not all about Bonjasky as
he has a daunting task ahead of him come this Saturday against
arguably the fiercest puncher K-1 has ever seen: Mighty Mo.
Mighty
Mo came up just short of the title last year when he was shockingly
stopped by Thai fighter Kaoklai. That loss devastated Mo but
he has since moved on, determined to prove the critics wrong
that he is nothing less than a one-dimensional puncher.
Sherdog.com
caught up with Mo and was able to chat with him briefly about
his showdown with Remy. Due to time constraints, the interview
didn’t last as long as most would expect, but Mo elaborated
as best he could on the questions. He revealed the truth about
the rumors that have circulating that he is/was boxer David Tua’s
sparring partner.
Sherdog.com:
You are fighting Remy Bonjasky in the K-1 super bout. What are
your thoughts on him?
Mighty
Mo: He’s an excellent fighter, of course. Hopefully I can
match him. I guarantee you that I’m gonna bring it.
Sherdog.com:
Do you think right now that Remy is the best fighter in K-1?
Mo:
Yes, I would say so. He’s proven that to me.
Sherdog.com:
Remy is an elusive fighter with speed, accuracy and power. What
will you bring to combat that besides your punching power?
Mo:
Well, power is one thing but I also got a strong chin. Not only
that, I’m pretty slick, too. I’m pretty quick on defense
and I think I match up with him pretty good. As far as his kicks,
we’re preparing real hard for that. I’m with a lot
of fighters right now who are throwing nothing but kicks at me.
Whenever they are ready to throw them, I just block then and
pay them back.
Sherdog.com:
Are you working with guys just as tall as Remy?
Mo:
Yeah. A couple of the guys are as tall as him. I have two guys
who are about the same height as Remy in Federico and Sean O’Haire.
But I’d say that Federico is the only one who can bring
the kicks in as quickly as him. Then we’re also working
with some guys who are very tall and agile, who are also very
excellent kickers.
Sherdog.com:
Remy is a very respectful guy and he hasn’t trash talked
you. What do you think of this and are you surprised that nothing
negative has come from him?
Mo:
The thing is when the last time I saw Remy and he saw me, it
was after the last battle at Bellagio. He was like, “Man,
I’m gonna give you the straight leg kick! I need you to
get you away from me!” That was a sign of him fearing my
power. He’s a good guy, but it’s a sport. I’m
ready to come in and let him feel every bit of my power.
Sherdog.com:
The odds right now have Remy as the favorite over you. How does
make you feel?
Mo:
It does motivate me a lot more. It’s something like when
I fought Carter Williams. All he did was kick me; he didn’t
hit me with no good shots, so I defended him very well. I took
him out in the third round.
Sherdog.com:
When you lost to Koaklai last year, many people as far as fans
and media started criticizing you, saying that you weren’t
really as good or that you were one-dimensional. How did that
make you feel to not only lose, but to also have that happen?
Mo:
Yeah, I noticed that, but it’s all good. It makes me work
harder. That’s why I dropped about 20 pounds.
Sherdog.com:
When you read or hear those things, doesn’t it irritate
you?
Mo:
Oh it pissed me the hell off! I love it, though. I take it and
I’m like, “Come on! Let’s bring it on!” You
know, the more shit they talk the more pain my enemy’s gonna
feel in the ring.
Sherdog.com:
Win, lose or draw against Remy, where are you located in the
ranks as far as the Grand Prix goes?
Mo:
I am in the top 16 right now. It don’t matter if I win or
lose; I’m in the top 16 regardless. I’m automatically
in the top 16 because I made the top eight last year.
Sherdog.com:
What is truth behind the rumors of you working with David Tua?
Mo:
I never worked with Tua. Someone has been giving wrong information.
I have never worked with him ever. I almost did. I was trying
to talk with some of his people and I was trying to get in there,
but no, I never did work with him. But hopefully I’d get
the chance to fight him or even compete at his level. I’d
fight anybody in a boxing match, too, because if I fought someone
like that, the money would come with it. Maybe I could build
up my record by beating a bunch of bums first (laughs).
Sherdog.com:
Would you ever go to PRIDE or another MMA event like the UFC?
Mo:
Well, as long as K-1 is paying me enough and they’re taking
care of me, I am going to stay. I am not going to ever bite the
hand that feeds me.
Sherdog.com:
Do you have anything to add about your fans?
Mo:
Yes. I just want to thank them for the support they’ve given
me and for not giving up on me after I lost last year. You’ll
see me ready come April 30 and I will beat Remy.
Source:
Sherdog
|
JOEY
ODDESSA BLASTS THE UFC
The MMA oddsmaker known as 'Joey Oddessa' criticized the UFC
on the UG forum, regarding the UFC erasing all traces of fallen
fighter Tito Ortiz from their website. Here's what Oddessa had
to say:
"How
dare they remove the General in the fight for 'freedon of Mixed
Martial Arts'? In all seriousness though, that is pretty lame.
He is a part of UFC History. Sux when a bizness suffers at the
hand of emotion." -Joey Oddessa
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Dean
Lister
By André Araújo
Lister talks about Pride and ADCC
American
fighter Dean Lister fought Brazilian Ricardo Arona at last Pride
Middleweight GP and lost. But it was just the first meeting.
In May, during ADCC 2005, they will meet again for the final
match, in California. Check out this interview with Lister, where
fighter talks about his fights at Pride, and his awaited revenge
against Arona at ADCC. Check it now!
So,
what were you expecting from Brazilian Ricardo Arona in Pride
GP's first phase?
I
was expecting a war and Arona thought the same. The timing of
this match was unfortunate because we will have a match in ADCC
next month also.
And
about ADCC?
ADCC
and Pride for some reason there are some problems. I think it
will be OK soon. I will fight for revenge of course. I have never
lost by submission or knockout in my life and the only way I
could be defeated was by decision.
Tell
me about your last bout at Bushido. When did you realize you
would win the fight against Shoji?
As
soon as I locked the triangle, I think he thought he could resist
it but I knew I would finish him there.
You
came from two losses (Suloev and Horn), what had happened with
you during those bouts?
Both
were great learning experiences and I learned since then the
importance of having a strategy. Both fights were close and a
judge gave the decision in each of those fights. Against Horn
I was cut really bad with an elbow and couldn't see very well.
I lost enough blood to affect my strength. That is a reason I
didn't do as well as normal but it was a great learning experience.
Against Suloev I mentally wasn't there because of problems with
my gym and felt betrayed by a few of my friends. I also didn't
have a good strategy against him. Not an excuse, but once again
a reason I wasn't my normal self.
Tell
me about your plans for the future. Do you have plans to return
to King of the Cage?
King
of the Cage was great for me but I need to focus on Pride and
ADCC.
Source:
Tatame
|
Werdum
goes after ADCC open class
Fabrício Werdum has just confirmed presence at ADCC 2005.
During exclusive interview to team TATAME, athlete said he hasn't
accepted losing to Márcio Pé-de-Pano at last ADCC
open class. "I am feeling well and I'll go after open class
title. I do not have any scheduled fight with Pride by that time
and I received an invitation to fight. I am on my way to United
States and I will bring this title to Brazil," Werdum guaranteed.
So far, he has been waiting for Brazilian Rodrigo Artilheiro
to increase his ground trains.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"He with itchy butt has stink finger."
Confucius, BC 551-479, Chinese Ethical Teacher, Philosopher |
TITO
TO BE 'SPECIAL REFEREE'
FOR PRO WRESTLING EVENT
The
TNA pro wrestling promotion announced that it has signed fallen
fighter Tito Ortiz to be a special referee for their Hard Justice'
pay-per-view on May 15th.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
ORTIZ
HEADS TO PRO WRESTLING
Tito Ortiz'
Potential Future in Pro Wrestling, Including at Least One Special
Appearance on a TNA Wrestling Show
by Ivan Trembow
Tito
Ortiz has signed on to make a special appearance on the next
TNA pay-per-view, which will take place on Sunday, May 15th and
will be called "Hard Justice." TNA stands for "Total
Nonstop Action" and is a pro wrestling promotion that puts
on shows three times per month in Orlando, Florida. TNA's official
web site made by the announcement by saying, "Former UFC
Champion Tito Ortiz has signed to be a major part of TNA Wrestling
'Hard Justice' May 15th on Pay-Per-View."
The
announcement from TNA leaves it up to the reader's imagination
as to whether Ortiz will actually be doing a pro wrestling match
for the company or will simply be making a non-wrestling appearance.
In fact, Ortiz' role will be limited to being the "special
guest referee" in the scheduled main event of Jeff Jarrett
vs. AJ Styles.
The
Pro Wrestling Insider web site previously reported that TNA wanted
to sign a special guest referee for the Jarrett vs. Styles match
and was in negotiations with not only Tito Ortiz, but also Roy
Jones Jr., George Foreman, and Mr. T. Jones' and Foreman's asking
prices were deemed to be too high by TNA management, and Ortiz
was deemed to be a bigger name in 2005 who would create more
interest among fans than Mr. T would at this point.
Ortiz,
who recently confirmed on his official web site that his days
as a UFC fighter are over, could potentially make more special
appearances for TNA in the future, but at this point he has only
signed on for a one-time appearance. TNA's top main event wrestlers
get paid on a per-appearance basis at a rate of anywhere from
$1,000 per appearance to the most extreme cases of $5,000 per
appearance for names like Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, who are
huge names among pro wrestling fans.
It
is very likely that Ortiz is being paid somewhere between $1,000
and $5,000 for his special guest referee appearance on the May
15th TNA PPV. TNA cannot afford to pay more than that because
their PPV buy-rates are in the range of 20,000 to an all-time
high of 35,000, while the promotion's TV ratings are in the range
of 0.1 to an all-time high of 0.3. TNA is currently behind on
pay with many of its wrestlers, but it is extremely likely that
as a free agent name that they want to impress, they would make
sure to pay Ortiz in full.
When
Ortiz held out of his UFC contract in 2003, he was in negotiations
with WWE management to potentially become a pro wrestler in WWE.
Those negotiations never advanced to a point where a deal seemed
likely at any time, simply because WWE is very firm in not wanting
to bring in anyone who isn't going to be willing to be on the
road working for them anywhere from 200 to 300 days per year,
and Ortiz is not willing to work that kind of schedule.
On
the other hand, TNA has made a habit out of signing free agents
to short-term contracts and inserting them in main event story
lines, which they did with Ken Shamrock in mid-2004. If Ortiz
were interested in doing actual pro wrestling matches instead
of just making "special appearances" for TNA, it's
very likely that TNA would be interested. However, the downside
for Ortiz is that TNA only runs three shows per month (two TV
tapings and one PPV taping), and he would only be making $1,000
to $5,000 per appearance.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Terrell
Out, Loiseau In UFC 53
by Jeff Sherwood
Middleweight
Dave Terrell, who was last seen losing to Evan Tanner at UFC
51, is out of UFC 53, according to several sources. Terrell was
scheduled to take on Floridian Charles McCarthy. Canadian David
Loiseau, previously slotted to fight Pete Sell on the same card,
will instead fight McCarthy.
In
addition to UFC 53's confirmed bouts -- UFC middleweight champion
Evan Tanner versus challenger Rich Franklin and UFC interim heavyweight
champion Andrei Arlovski taking on Justin Eilers -- Sherdog.com
has pieced together five rumored fights.
Tim
Sylvia vs. Sergei Kharitonov or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Matt Serra vs. Karo Parisyan
Sam Hoger vs. Stephan Bonnar
Nick Diaz vs. TBD Pancrase fighter
Pete Sell vs. TBD
Source:
Sherdog
|
Terrell
To ADCC
David Terrell has been confirmed for the ADCC Championships.
Terrell will be joining teammate Jake Shields in representing
our academy.
77
- 87.99 KG
#1 Saulo Ribeiro 2003 World Champion (Brazil)
#2 Demian Maia Brazilian Qualifier (Brazil)
#3 David Avellan (USA)
#4 Marko Helen European Qualifier (Finland)
#5 Hidemi Mihara Japanese Qualifier (Japan)
#6 Larry Papadopoulos Australian Qualifier (Australia)
#7 Robert Sulski (Poland)
#8 Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (Brazil)
#9 Dennis Hallman (USA)
#10 Reese Andy (USA)
#11 David Terrell (USA)
Source:
Gracie Fighter
|
Wallid
confirms Jungle Fight fighters
Wallid Ismail has just released the list of fighters for Jungle
Fight 4, Road to Las Vegas. The event is confirmed for May 21
at Tropical Hotel in Manaus and as usual will have fighters from
many countries. "Jungle fight is the people event in Brazil.
We will pack the Arena with 3 thousand people. The fighters who
shows brave heart in this edition will be invited to fight the
next one in Las Vegas", guaranteed the promoter confirming
the 5o edition of the event for Orleans Arena on September 9.
Ismail promised for next week the final card of the event. According
to him, 4th and 5th edition will kick ass, once three editions
before were a huge success.
LIST
OF FIGHTERS CONFIRMED FOR JUNGLE FIGHT 4 (subject to change):
-
José Pelé Landy (Brazil)
- Jorge Macaco (Brazil)
- Vladimir Matsuchenko (Bielo Russia)
- Carlos Barreto (Brazil)
- Mon Ler Jean Roubert (France)
- Carlos Baruck (Brazil)
- Gilbert Douglas Ottoni (USA)
- Shinzo Machida (Japan)
- Fredson Paixão (Brazil)
- Fabricio Monteiro (Brazil)
- Justin Levens (USA)
- Helio Dipp (Brazil)
- William Couto (Brazil)
- Mark Sursa (USA)
- Leopoldo Montenegro (Brazil)
Source:
Tatame
|
SYLVIA
PLAYS WAITING GAME FOR UFC 53
Tim Sylvia
wasn't happy to hear that Minotauro Nogueira wouldn't be fighting
him at UFC 53. "They (UFC) told me they would get somebody
from Japan for me to fight and Noguiera seemed like the guy.
I was hoping it would be him, but I don't blame him. It's a dangerous
fight for him." Sylvia told MMAWeekly.
As
far as Sylvia fighting at UFC 53, it looks like Sylvia will still
be part of the card. "I'm still fighting and they told be
they will get somebody for me. I will just have to wait and see
who it is." Sylvia said.
When
asked by MMAWeekly who he thought it would be, Sylvia said "I
have no idea." It's not like the UFC has a ton of names
out there for Sylvia. Most of the current heavyweight's the UFC
has under contract are injured.
UFC
Matchmaker Joe Silva will have his hands full to find more heavyewights
for Silva to fight. Silva had a tough enough time finding an
opponent for current interim Champ, Andrei Arlovski. It will
be interesting to see what he can find for the former UFC champ
this week.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Gary
Goodridge: Big Daddy Is Back
by Michael
Afromowitz
Before engaging in tournament format competition, most K-1 fighters
assume that they will face three different opponents during one
event. This type of psychological preparation can be key to a
fighter’s success in that it forces him to train for a lengthy,
grueling experience in the world’s most competitive form
of martial arts fighting.
Canada’s
“Big Daddy” Goodridge (40-20 (29 KO’s) trains
with a far different type of mindset. For the 38-year-old who
has seen action everywhere from The Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) to world class bouts in Japan, it’s about rushing
out of the gates like a charging bull and attempting to batter
and demolish any adversary that stands before him. On many occasions,
the strategy has reaped outstanding returns. On others, it has
failed to the same extent.
On
Saturday, Goodridge will make his Las Vegas K-1 tournament fighting
debut after bludgeoning three previous opponents and gaining
a decision over a fourth during Superfight contests on K-1 cards
in Sin City. The single-elimination affair pits him against an
individual who, to date, has exhibited a similar approach to
warfare in the squared circle: former WWE champion and boxer,
Sean O’Haire (19-2 (6 KO’s). At 6 feet 6 inches tall
and a chiseled 275 pounds, O’Haire is an incredible physical
specimen that will likely pose a greater than average threat
to Goodridge with his physical strength and striking power. For
Goodridge, though, it will simply be business and usual.
Q:
How has your training camp for the tournament been?
A:
Well, I’m training and sparring with Maurice (Smith, 2001
K-1 USA tournament champion and former UFC tournament champion).
I hadn’t done anything for a while, but it’s been good.
I took a long layoff after the December 31st event (, although,
I fought (on March 26th in Saitama, Japan). I fought a Russian
(Alan Karaev) – 6 foot 6, 487 pounds. I beat him in under
two minutes in a mixed martial arts rules fight, but it was a
tough fight. He was, by far, the strongest person I’ve ever
fought.
Q:
How did you handle the weight difference?
A:
Well, he was double my size. It was really trying to control
a bull – something that big and strong. Anything he wanted
to do for the first minute and a half, I had to do. I had no
choice. I bought my time. He landed on top of me and tried several
different things to finish me and couldn’t. Then, I just
knocked the piss out of him. I started punching and got a good
position and put the choke on him.
Q:
How has training with Maurice changed your fighting style?
A:
It hasn’t changed my style. My approach might be a little
different, but not that much.
Q:
How would you classify your style of fighting and compare it
to the traditional martial arts fighting style?
A:
I’ve changed my style a little bit, coming into K-1, for
the stand-up fighting. I just think that being laid back and
being passive, that’s where you get hurt. That’s where
me and Maurice lock horns and don’t train too well together
because he’s a laid back type who’s very good with
his technique and stuff. I’m trying to learn technique,
but I’ve also got to incorporate my style in there as well.
For me to be effective, I need to be aggressive. What happens
with the aggressiveness is, if I knock somebody out quick, I
don’t get hurt. If somebody knocks me out quick, I don’t
get hurt. Here I am fighting in this game at 39 years old. I’ve
never really had an injury and I’ve been training almost
10 years. So, I am doing something right. What it is, I don’t
know. To me, the longer you stay in and get punished and beat
regardless if you win – because sometimes winners are more
beat up than the losers – you need to get stuff done.
Q:
So, to you, it’s all about preservation and longevity?
A:
Yep.
Q:
Going back to your fight with Dewey Cooper (Note: Goodridge earned
a split judges’ decision victory over Cooper during a “Battle
at Bellagio III” Superfight last August), a lot of people
were impressed when you let your guard down at the end of the
first round and let him hit you with all of those punches to
the head. Were you hurt at all?
A:
No. Dewey was actually hurting me with the leg kicks. Dewey’s
a very skilled fighter and, skill-wise, people like him could
tear me apart. The reason why they don’t is because I’ve
fought my style and it’s hard to run away from that. It’s
really in your face. It’s knock me out or I’m knockin’
you out.
Q:
What do you know about your first Battle at Bellagio IV tournament
opponent, Sean O’Haire?
A:
Sean’s a tall guy. I’ve trained with him down at Eddy
Millis’s gym. I don’t know that much about him. He’s
got a little bit of Muay Thai and appears to be a heavy puncher.
I think K-1 thought ‘Let’s have a slugfest on that
side of the bracket.’
Q:
What can we expect to see from Big Daddy on Saturday?
A:
I’m coming out of the box to get work done. I don’t
even want to fight more than 10 seconds for each opponent. (Laughs)
Chances are, I will probably go a round. I hope that, all together,
I am in the ring for what amounts to one round (three minutes).
Source:
Sherdog
|
BABALU:
"I WILL KNOCK OUT LIDDELL"
Renato "Babalu" Sobral returned to the national stage
at UFC 52 with an impressive win over Travis Wiuff by armbar.
The man they call Babalu has been in there with all the top dogs
in MMA, as he has wins over Shogun Rua, Jeremy Horn, Maurice
Smith, and Pele. He's been in there with Dan Henderson, Kevin
Randleman and Fedor Emelianenko and Chuck Liddell.
Our
partners over at Tatame sat down and talked with Babalu recently
about many topics, including his opinions on Chuck Liddell and
Babalu wasn't shy about his comments.
Here
are a few of his comments and for the full interview, check out
www.tatame.com.br
Tatame:
Tell us about your fight with Travis Wiuff.
Babalu-
My fight was a fast one. In the 1st round I was was able to connect
a good punch, he clinched and I brought him down. After he was
on the bottom I punished him a bit and I even applied a guillotine.
In the second round, the guy gave me a kick and a punch that
floored me. In the ground I tried a triangle, he tried to get
up to escape like he did with Carlão Barreto and I got
his arm. I finish him at the 24 seconds mark with an armbar.
Tatame-
It looks like you controled the fight. Did you feel threatened
at any moment of the fight ?
Babalú
- I had the control of the fight the whole time, but in the 1st
round he connected a punch that gave me a flash (knockdown),
but than he connected another with the sequence and I woke up.
tatame-
After the victory, have u already signed a deal for a new fight
?
Babalú-
I should fight in UFC again in August but I don't know against
whom. To tell you the truth I don't really pay attention to that,
cause the most important thing for me is to make my job inside
the Ring.
tatame-
Aside from your fight, the night was highlighted by the KO of
Liddell over Couture. What are your thought on that fight?
Babalú
- For me Randy didn't get well in the fight. He didn't exchange
good while standing and he tried to bring Chuck down. Liddell
knew how to impose his pace and game, so when Randy went straight
to him he stepped aside in diagonal and connected a straight
punch right to the jaw. It was mortal! Randy fell apart. Game
over!
tatame-
With this victory your name is getting valorized in UFC and there
are already talks about a title shot. In November 2002 you were
KO'd By Chuck. What would you do different this time?
Babalú-
I only will say that I will KO Liddell. I will not try to bring
him down. I want to test his good Muay Thai.
tatame-
Days after the UFC several Brazilians in your weight division
fought in the biggest LHW Grand Prix of all time. Do you think
you deserved to be called to fight in the Grand Prix?
babalú-
I think I have the skills to fight in any event around the world.
I'm ready! Many people comment with me that I should have been
called to fight this Grand Prix. I also think I should have fought
in the Grand Prix, but they didn't call me so F#$% it !
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"He who wishes to secure the good of others has already
secured his own."
Confucius, BC 551-479, Chinese Ethical Teacher, Philosopher |
2005
Hawaiian Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
DATE: June 4, 2005
TIME: Start at 11:00 AM
LOCATION: Saint Louis Schools Gymnasium
Honolulu, Hawaii
Format:
Gi & No Gi Sport BJJ Rules; Single Elimination
Weigh-in: Friday, June 3rd at UH Athletic Complex, Studio #2
12-1 pm; 7:30-9 pm
Fees: $50 Entrance Fee - provides entry to multiple divisions,
Competitor T-shirt, and chance to win some hefty, professionally-designed
medals.
(Applications will be available at weigh-in)
Divisions: Various Age, Rank and Weight
Contact: 223-9363 / 392-8330 for details
Information: www.brazilian-freestyle.com
Proceeds:
To Benefit the Saint Louis Wrestling Program
|
Alexandre
Pequeno out of ADCC
Shooto
kingpin Alexandre Pequeno is out of ADCC 2005, scheduled to happen
on May 28 and 29, in California, US. Pequeno departs this Sunday
to a seminar serie in Europe and only returns on May 25. The
biggest Luta-Livre representative will be conducting seminars
in Barcelona, Germany, Italy, Poland, England, Switzerland and
Belgium.
-
So far nobody got in touch with me and there is only a month
left to the competition., Last time I was waiting until the last
moment and I ended avoiding seminars. Even if they call me now
it would be complicated because I got my visa do US denied four
times to US and I wouldn't have enough time to get a new one.
In fact, I will make the same money teachings eminars and fighting
at ADCC - guillotine choke's king stated.
Source: Tatame |
Bracketology
and The Pride Grand Prix
by
Ivan Trembow
With
the first round of the 2005 Pride Grand Prix in the books, it's
now time for a little "bracketology," and in this case
I'm not referring to college basketball. Pride doesn't have pre-set
brackets going into a 16-man tournament of this nature; specifically,
so that they can mix and match the remaining fighters as they
see fit. Since Pride is going to make the quarterfinal match-ups
primarily from a marketing perspective in the Japanese marketplace,
that's how we have to think of it when speculating on possible
quarterfinal match-ups.
At
this point, the remaining fighters in the tournament are Wanderlei
Silva, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Kazushi Sakuraba, Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem, Igor Vovchanchyn, Ricardo
Arona, and Kazuhiro Nakamura. That's four Brazilian fighters,
two Japanese fighters, one Dutch fighter, and one Ukrainian fighter.
The American fighters went 0 for 4 in the first round, so there
are no Americans left in the tournament.
There
are three "absolute truths" that you have to consider
when thinking about the possible quarterfinal match-ups:
Truth
#1--- Pride does NOT want to put themselves in a position to
potentially have four Brazilian fighters in the final four, so
that means we have to have at least one Brazilian vs. Brazilian
match-up in the quarter-finals.
Truth
#2--- Pride definitely wants to have at least one Japanese fighter
in the final four so that they can sell more tickets in Japan
for the final event with the semi-finals and finals (this isn't
necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, it's just the way it
is from a business standpoint).
Truth
#3--- You can't put Nogueira against Arona in the second round
because they're teammates on the Brazilian Top Team, and you
can't put Silva against Shogun in the second round because they're
teammates at the Chute Boxe Academy. If there is going to be
a teammate vs. teammate battle in this tournament, it won't be
until the finals.
With
those parameters in mind, the quarterfinal brackets could breakdown
in a different way depending on whether or not Wanderlei Silva
and Kazushi Sakuraba meet up in the second round.
Scenario
#1--- Silva and Sakuraba Have to Meet in the Quarterfinals
If
Sakuraba wants this fight, it's very likely that Pride will give
it to him. Despite the fact that Silva obliterated Sakuraba in
their three previous meetings, a fourth Silva vs. Sakuraba fight
would still be a big money draw in Japan. Being matched up against
Silva would also give Sakuraba the "out" that he could
be eliminated from the tournament (possibly even knocked out
again), and there's no shame in losing to the top 205-pound fighter
in the world. So, assuming for the purposes of this scenario
that Silva vs. Sakuraba does happen in the second round, how
would the other six fighters be matched up?
The
most obvious thing is that they would want to give the other
remaining Japanese fighter, Kazuhiro Nakamura, the best chance
possible to advance to the final four. Looking at the list of
possible second-round opponents, there are no "easy fights,"
but I don't think many people would dispute that Alistair Overeem
is the least difficult match-up of the remaining fighters in
this scenario. Overeem is no easy opponent (as Vitor Belfort
quickly found out), but he's also probably not on the level of
Nogueira, Arona, Shogun, and Vovchanchyn. So, if you're Pride
and you want to get a Japanese fighter into the final four, you
make the match-up of Overeem vs. Nakamura and cross your fingers
that Nakamura pulls out the victory (which he very well could).
I think it would be similar to the Nogueira-Overeem fight that
took place in February, and it's just a matter of whether Nakamura
would be able to hang on and get the decision victory like Nogueira
did.
So,
at that point the four remaining fighters would be Nogueira,
Arona, Shogun, and Vovchanchyn, and you can't put Nogueira against
Arona because they're teammates. If you think about who is the
biggest marquee name out of those four fighters that Pride would
want to "protect" if they could, it would have to be
Nogueira. Then if you're thinking about Nogueira going up against
either Shogun or Vovchanchyn, both of those fights are extremely
hard match-ups for any fighter, but I think it's safe to say
that there are a lot more people picking Vovchanchyn to win the
whole entire tournament than there are people picking Shogun
to win the whole tournament. Shogun is still so young and inexperienced,
and despite his one-sided destruction of Quinton Jackson, most
people would consider Shogun to be a slightly less difficult
match-up than Igor Vovchanchyn. So, if Pride wants to protect
Nogueira as much as they can in an attempt to get the most marketable
final four they possibly can, they would match up Nogueira against
Shogun. That would be an explosive fight and has "Fight
of the Year" candidate written all over it.
That
would leave the final two fighters as Igor Vovchanchyn and Ricardo
Arona, both of whom are on a lot of people's lists as their pick
to win the entire tournament. Pride would probably root for Vovchanchyn
to win here because he has a more exciting style than Arona,
and he's a bigger name than Arona in Japan. I think Vovchanchyn
could beat Arona if he accepted the fact that he's not going
to out-grapple Arona and instead decided to keep the fight in
the stand-up. Whether Igor would succeed at his goal of keeping
the fight in the stand-up against Arona is a different matter
entirely.
Scenario
#2--- Pride Plays it Smart and Avoids Silva vs. Sakuraba in the
Quarterfinals
But
what if Silva vs. Sakuraba doesn't happen in the second round?
From the perspective of needing to have a Japanese fighter in
the final four if you want to sell out an arena in Japan, it
really doesn't make sense to match Sakuraba against Silva. Sakuraba
would be extremely likely to lose for a fourth time, and then
you would be dependent on Nakamura beating Overeem in order to
have a Japanese fighter in the final four. Sure, a fourth Silva
vs. Sakuraba match would draw money in Japan, but does that benefit
really out-weigh the risk of having a final four without a single
Japanese fighter in it? I don't think so.
If
Pride plays it smart and avoids the temptation of matching up
Silva and Sakuraba in the second round, the obvious match-up
would be Sakuraba vs. Nakamura. No matter who wins that fight,
it ensures that a Japanese fighter makes it into the final four.
It's also a marketable match-up in its own right with the small
rivalry that exists between Sakuraba's camp and Yoshida's camp
(which Nakamura is a part of). If Nakamura wins, it could make
him a huge star in Japan. Even though Sakuraba is a physically
broken-down version of his former self (and he would be the first
to tell you that), his name value in Japan is still so huge that
it would make an instant star out of Nakamura if he were to beat
Sakuraba.
So,
if Pride decides to match up Sakuraba and Nakamura in the first
round, what do you do with the remaining six fighters? The fighter
with the most marquee value out of the remaining six is easily
Wanderlei Silva, and as discussed above, Alistair Overeem is
the least difficult match-up out of the remaining fighters. He's
not an easy match-up by any means, but he's an easier match-up
than any of the other remaining fighters, so Silva vs. Overeem
would be the smart match to make and could also be an exciting
slugfest in its own right.
At
that point, you would have the same four remaining fighters as
in the previous scenario: Nogueira, Arona, Shogun, and Vovchanchyn.
And for the same reasons discussed in the previous scenario,
the two match-ups that make the most sense in this group of four
are Nogueira vs. Shogun, and Arona vs. Vovchanchyn.
Scenario
#3--- Pride Insists on Having Two Brazilian vs. Brazilian Matches
in the Quarterfinals
The
two scenarios above are the two most likely scenarios that could
play out, with the "Silva vs. Sakuraba scenario" being
the most likely. However, there is another scenario that is less
likely but still a legitimate possibility. With Pride president
Nobuyuki Sakakibara reportedly saying after the first round that
it was time to match the Brazilians against each other, there
is a possibility that not only does Pride not want to put themselves
in the position of possibly having four Brazilians in the final
four, but that they also don't even want to have the possibility
of three Brazilians in the final four. If that's really the case,
that would require two different Brazilian vs. Brazilian match-ups
in the quarterfinals.
If
you're going to have two Brazilian vs. Brazilian match-ups, you
first have to remind yourself that team affiliations prevent
you from being able to put Nogueira against Arona, or from being
able to put Silva against Shogun. Then you have to ask yourself,
"Who are the two biggest marquee names among the Brazilians
that Pride would ideally like to still have on the marquee for
the final event?" The answer to that question is easy---
Silva and Nogueira. If you want to give yourself a chance to
have both Silva and Nogueira in the final four, you can't match
them up against each other in the quarterfinals. That would mean
the two Brazilian vs. Brazilian match-ups would have to be Wanderlei
Silva vs. Ricardo Arona, and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio
"Shogun" Rua, both of which are extremely intriguing
match-ups.
With
four non-Brazilian fighters remaining in this scenario, it still
makes the most sense to ensure that you move a Japanese fighter
into the final four, and that means putting Sakuraba against
Nakamura. The only two fighters remaining at that point would
be Igor Vovchanchyn and Alistair Overeem. Overeem would have
a huge height advantage in that fight, but Vovchanchyn would
have a very good chance to be able to out-grapple Overeem and
win by ground-and-pound.
There are other possible scenarios, such as Yoshida's student
Nakamura going against the man who beat Yoshida in the first
round (Silva), but none of those scenarios really make sense
from a business standpoint because Pride needs to give itself
the best possible chance of getting a Japanese fighter into the
final four. Many of the mainstream newspapers in Japan that normally
cover MMA didn't even acknowledge the results of the first-round
match-ups that didn't have Japanese fighters in them. So, as
I stated earlier, it's not necessarily a good thing or a bad
thing that Pride wants to have at least one Japanese fighter
in the final four, it's just the way it is.
To
summarize, here are the three quarter-final scenarios that make
the most sense from a business standpoint.
Ideal
Quarter-Finals If Silva vs. Sakuraba Has to Happen in the Quarter-Finals:
-Vanderlei
Silva vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
-Alistair
Overeem vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
-Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
-Ricardo
Arona vs. Igor Vovchanchyn
Ideal
Quarter-Finals If Pride Plays it Smart and Avoids Silva vs. Sakuraba
in the Quarter-Finals:
-Vanderlei
Silva vs. Alistair Overeem
-Kazushi
Sakuraba vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
-Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
-Ricardo
Arona vs. Igor Vovchanchyn
Ideal
Quarter-Finals If Pride Insists on Having Two Brazilian vs. Brazilian
Matches in the Quarter-Finals:
-Vanderlei
Silva vs. Ricardo Arona
-Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
-Kazushi
Sakuraba vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
-Igor
Vovchanchyn vs. Alistair Overeem
Source: MMA Weekly |
THE
FUTURE IS NOW FOR SHOGUN
by Mick Hammond
The
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines
the term “future” as “A prospective or expected
condition, especially one considered with regard to growth, advancement,
or development.” Essentially the future is what is to come;
it is the next level, the imminent coming of something beyond
what is here now. In MMA the future is defined simply by the
name Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
How
can someone as talented as Rua have been considered an underdog
in the eyes of many to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson heading
into Total Elimination 2005? The question begs to be answered
simply on the basis of Rua’s total annihilation of Jackson
in which Rua never seemed to lose control of one of the top ten
middleweights in the world.
It’s
understandable that on a team that features Pride Middleweight
and 2003 GP Champion Wanderlei Silva as well as Pride veteran
Murilo “Ninja” Rua that Shogun would get lost in the
mix amongst his teammates. It’s also understandable that
since he had less experience in MMA than Silva and his older
brother that Mauricio could be seen as the least developed of
the famed team, but none of this is of course true.
In
his previous nine fights heading into TE 2005, Shogun had all
but dominated every opponent he had been in the ring with. He
had never gone to a decision in any of his bouts, which is a
testament to his aggressive nature, yet still many did not see
him to even be the heir apparent to Silva heading into the last
few years of competition. That honor was reserved for older brother
Ninja since his debut in Pride two years prior to Shogun’s.
And yet now it is Shogun, not Ninja, that stands on the cusp
of not only equaling Silva’s achievements, but possibly
passing the most dominating middleweight fighter in the last
five years of competition.
A
lot of people had been quick to point out that Shogun hadn’t
exactly faced the type of competition that Silva and Murilo had
been facing in Pride up until 2003. Prior to his Pride debut
Shogun’s biggest victory had come over an eventual teammate
in Evangelista "Cyborg” Santos at a Meca Vale Tudo
event. His most accomplished opponent had been Renato “Babalu”
Sobral, whom defeated Shogun at the IFC’s “Global Domination”
light-heavyweight tournament. But strength of opposition can
be a deceptive marker on which to base talent on, as is the case
with Shogun.
Heading
into TE 2005 it was clear that Shogun could be good, there is
no denying that, sporting an undefeated Muay Thai record and
a black belt and numerous competition victories in Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu, but with his showing against Jackson, he’s show
he can be more than just good. With the rest of the field seemingly
taking too much caution in their fights and providing less than
stellar excitement, Shogun went into his fight with all guns
blazing. His refusal to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat
and instead take victory in his hands from the get-go shows that
he is not afraid to be the pace setter for the tournament. He
fought like he had nothing to lose, while his contemporaries
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