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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?)

 News & Rumors
Archives
Year 2005

April 2005 Part 3
April 2005 Part 2
April 2005 Part 1
March 2005 Part 3
March 2005 Part 2

March 2005 Part 1
February 2005 Part 3
February 2005 Part 2
February 2005 Part 1

January 2005 Part 3
January 2005 Part 2
January 2005 Part 1
Year 2004
December 2004 Part 3 December 2004 Part 2 December 2004 Part 1
November 2004 Part 3

November 2004 Part 2
November 2004 Part 1
October 2004 Part 2
October 2004 Part 1

September 2004 Part 3
September 2004 Part 2
September 2004 Part 1
August 2004 Part 3

August 2004 Part 2
August 2004 Part 1
July 2004 Part 3
July 2004 Part 2
July 2004 Part 1
June 2004 Part 3
June 2004 Part 2
June 2004 Part 1
May 2004 Part 3
May 2004 Part 2
May 2004 Part 1

April 2004 Part 3
April 2004 Part 2
April 2004 Part 1
March 2004 Part 3

March 2004 Part 2
March 2004 Part 1
February 2004 Part 3
February 2004 Part 2
February 2004 Part 1
January 2004 Part 3
January 2004 Part 2
January 2004 Part 1
Year 2003
December 2003 Part 3
December 2003 Part 2 December 2003 Part 1
November 2003 Part 3
November 2003 Part 2
November 2003 Part 1
October 2003 Part 2
October 2003 Part 2
October 2003 Part 1
September 2003 Part 2
September 2003 Part 1
August 2003 Part 3
August 2003 Part 2
August 2003 Part 1
July 2003 Part 3
July 2003 Part 2
July 2003 Part 1
June 2003 Part 3
June 2003 Part 2
June 2003 Part 1
May 2003 Part 3
May 2003 Part 2
May 2003 Part 1
April 2003 Part 3
April 2003 Part 2
April 2003 Part 1
March 2003 Part 3

March 2003 Part 2
March 2003 Part 1
February 2003 Part 3
February 2003 Part 2
February 2003 Part 1
January 2003 Part 3
January 2003 Part 2
January 2003 Part 1
Year 2002
December 2002 Part 2
December 2002 Part 1
November 2002 Part 2
November 2002 Part 1
October 2002 Part 3
October 2002 Part 2
October 2002 Part 1
September 2002 Part 3
September 2002 Part 2
September 2002 Part 1
August 2002 Part 2
August 2002 Part 1
July 2002 Part 3
July 2002 Part 2
July 2002 Part 1
June 2002 Part 3
June 2002 Part 2
June 2002 Part 1
May 2002 Part 3
May 2002 Part 2
May 2002 Part 1
April 2002 Part 3
April 2002 Part 2
April 2002 Part 1
March 2002 Part 3
March 2002 Part 2
March 2002 Part 1
February 2002 Part 2
February 2002 Part 1
January 2002 Part 3
January 2002 Part 2
January 2002 Part 1
Year 2001
December 2001 Part 2
December 2001 Part 1
November 2001 Part 2
November 2001 Part 1
October 2001 Part 2
October 2001 Part 1
September 2001 Part 3
September 2001 Part 2
September 2001 Part 1
August 2001 Part 2
August 2001 Part 1
July 2001 Part 3
July 2001 Part 2
July 2001 Part 1
June 2001 Part 2
June 2001 Part 1
May 2001
April 2001 Part 2
April 2001 Part 1
March 2001
February 2001
January 2001
Year 2000
Nov-Dec 2000
October 2000
Aug-Sept 2000
July 2000
March-May 2000

April 2005 News Part 3
 

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


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Tuesdays at 8:30PM on Olelo Channel 52


 4/30/05

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

 4/29/05

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

 4/28/05

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 fought like they had everything to lose, it’s this style that he’s shown in each of his fights and it is this trait that makes him the most exciting and dangerous fighter heading into the second round.

It became clear almost from the start that Shogun was going to dominate Jackson. Using the blueprint that Silva had set forth in two previous battles with Rampage, Shogun used his long reach at distance to keep Jackson off balance with punches and kicks, when things got close he went to the clinch. From there it was only a matter of time before the famed knees of Chute Boxe would take down Jackson for a third time. Whether it was to the body or to the head, Quinton had no defense for Rua’s knees and in the end it spelled Rampage’s end. Few people had ever looked so dominating against Jackson as Rua did, in fact only Silva had done as much damage to Quinton as Shogun did, and it took Rua less time to do it in.

If Wanderlei Silva is the fighter with the target on his back going into Critical Countdown, then Shogun is the fighter no one wants to face heading into July 2nd. With lighting fast punches, creative kicking, and perhaps the best clinch and ground striking of any fighter not named Silva, Rua is undoubtedly deserving of respect he has earned in this, his coming out party. There’s a line in the most recent installment of the James Bond movies that goes something like “It’s called the future…so get used to it.” The MMA community had best take note of that line because Shogun is the future and we had better get used to him because at only 23 years old he’s going to be here a long time. And with time comes maturity, with maturity comes growth, and with growth comes the ability to do things beyond what is capable now, it’s got to be a scary thought for the MMA world that Shogun is only going to get better with age. Wanderlei Silva may be the king of the middleweight kingdom right now, but he better enjoy his time on the throne while it lasts because his teammate is right behind him. Like death and taxes, the future is inevitable, as is the time of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, MMA world beware.

Source: MMA Weekly

THREE MATCHES ANNOUNCED FOR
BUSHIDO VOLUME 7

From Dream Stage Entertainment
TOKYO, Japan – Three more matches have been announced for PRIDE FIGHTING’S BUSHIDO VOLUME 7 fightcard … Takanori Gomi (Japan) versus Luiz Azeredo (Brazil), Phil Baroni (USA) versus Ikuhisa “The Punk” Minowa (Japan), and Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (Japan) versus Luis “Buscape” Firminho (Brazil).

BUSHIDO VOLUME 7 will take place from the Ariake Coliseum in Japan and is scheduled to debut on North American pay per view via iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, UrbanXtra, TVN1, VU!, and Viewer’s Choice Canada.

North American Pay Per View Schedule:

DIRECTV, DISH Network, and TVN: Friday, June 3rd, 2005 @ 7:00 pm PST, 10:00 pm EST iNDEMAND: Sunday, June 5th, 2005 @ 6:00 pm PST, 9:00 pm EST

Since the formation of the BUSHIDO series, Takanori Gomi has been dominant, racking up victories over Jadsen Costa, Fabio Mello, Ralph Gracie, “Krazy Horse” Charles Bennett, and Jens Pulver. Intent on proving that he is the best lightweight fighter in any organization, Gomi is taking on all comers and this time will be facing Luis Azeredo. A teammate of Wanderlei Silva and fighting out of the Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil, Azeredo is a solid 9-3 in MMA and had a successful PRIDE debut at BUSHIDO Volume 6 with a decision victory over Luis Firmino of the Brazilian Top Team.

In the second announced match, Phil Baroni will take on Ikuhisa “The Punk” Minowa. “The New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni is a UFC veteran who boasts wins over the likes of Dave Menne and Amar Suloev. He possesses knockout power and is known for his loud persona outside of the ring. His opponent, will be another animated character in Ikuhisa “The Punk” Minowa. Like Baroni, Minowa fights with passion and attitude in the ring. “The Punk” is coming off of 5 straight wins, including victories over Gilbert Yvel, Stefan Leko, and Ryuki Ueyama. “The Punk” versus “The New York Bad Ass” … two fighters with attitude!

The third announced bout will feature Hayato “Mach” Sakurai versus Luis “Buscape” Firminho. A grappling and mixed martial arts legend, Sakurai has defeated the likes of Caol Uno, Frank Trigg, and Daiju Takase. Constantly evolving and improving his skills, this Japanese superstar will face one of his toughest matches yet in Luis Firminho. Known as “Buscape,” Firminho is a member of the legendary Brazilian Top Team and has two wins over

 

Ryo Chonan (Japan) “Elvis” Schembri (Brazil) “Krazy Horse” Bennett (USA) Yoshiro Maeda (Japan)
PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 7
Fight Card

Ryo Chonan (Japan) vs. Nino "Elvis" Schembri (Brazil)
Yoshiro Maeda (Japan) vs. Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett (USA)
Takanori Gomi (Japan) vs. Luiz Azeredo (Brazil)
Phil Baroni (USA) vs. Ikuhisa “The Punk” Minowa (Japan)
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (Japan) vs. Luis “Buscape” Firminho (Brazil)

Additional Matches to be Announced Soon.

(Fight Card Subject to Change)

BUSHIDO VOLUME 7 will be available at a reduced rate of $19.95.
For additional replay times, please contact your pay per view provider or pridefc.com.

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

Source: Pride

LATEST ON ORTIZ AND UFC

MMAWeekly reported last week that former five time defending UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz would not be returning to the UFC. Ortiz posted on his website, www.TitoOrtiz.com, "Being a UFC fighter will not be in my future." Tito also said that he was "embarrassed" by the way the UFC treated him at UFC 52. Is there any hope of seeing Tito Ortiz compete in the UFC again? If you look at the writing on the wall, the answer is no.

"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy," Tito Ortiz was the face of the UFC for a long time. He was the marquee name in American Mixed Martial Arts headlining twelve UFC events. Ortiz last headlined UFC 51 where he pulled out a split decision win over Vitor Belfort on Feb. 5th of this year. In a matter of a couple of months Tito has gone from a main event fighter to an outsider looking in.

Tito threw out his asking price following UFC 51 at a steep $350,000 to show. Ortiz said in a previous interview with InsideFighting that the UFC hadn't contacted him at all since his win over Belfort, and there were no negotiations. He also expressed the opinion that the UFC and Pride had an arrangement thus Pride hadn't contacted him either.

The signs of Ortiz' status with the UFC became quite apparent during the first live television broadcast of a UFC event, The Ultimate Fighter Season Finale on Spike TV. During the broadcast many celebrities were shown on air, including UFC fighters. Tito was not one of them. The only time Ortiz was seen on air was in the background of Ken Shamrock entering the octagon taunting Ken. The camera angle was quickly switched removing Tito from the shot.

When Tito arrived at UFC 52 to support Ivan Salaverry, who he helped prepare for Ivan's match with Joe Riggs, Tito wasn't receiving the same perks as he had in the past. According to him, he was sat in "the bleachers," kicked out of the octagon following Salaverry's win over Riggs, and wasn't allowed backstage at all including the post fight press conference.

Was that just the UFC playing hardball in response to Ortiz' demands of $350,000 just to show? It could have been, but further signs may reveal that the UFC had no intentions on re-signing Tito Ortiz after suffering back to back loses to Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, having a lackluster performance against Patrick Cote, and narrowly winning a split decision over Vitor Belfort.
Browsing the Internet, I noticed that Tito Ortiz' stats and information have been removed from www.UFC.TV, the UFC's official website. This is the sign of doom. Ortiz used to be in the "legends" section of fighters, and now he isn't even listed as a fighter at all. Every piece of Tito Ortiz information has been removed from the website. Other fighters suffering the same fate have been Frank Shamrock, Jens Pulver, BJ Penn, and Murilo Bustamante. All former UFC champions, and none of which have returned to the UFC octagon.

Source: MMA Weekly

NOW WHAT FOR RAMPAGE AND THE FORMER PHENOM?

It was made very evident during Pride's Total Elimination 2005 first round that being prepared means everything. Two fighters that simply did not look like they were ready for their match-ups were Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "The Phenom" Vitor Belfort.

Quinton Jackson was knocked out in the first round against heavy hitter and Chute Boxe member, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Belfort, the chosen UFC participant, lost via guillotine choke to Alistair Overeem.

Quinton Jackson, seen by so many as the number two fighter in Pride's Middleweight division (sitting behind current champion Wanderlei Silva) was expected to make serious waves in this years tournament. Already a finalist in the last Middleweight Grand Prix, Jackson was said to be focused and ready for his shot to become champion. "Rampage" who lost in a spectacular re-match with Silva in October of 2004, seemed less than prepared for this fight.

Jackson, who eeked out a tough decision victory in his previous fight with "Shogun's" brother, Murilo Rua, just was not the Rampage of old. His punches were sluggish and he simply looked outmatched by Mauricio Rua. Rua landed devastating punches and kicks, and his Muay-Thai clinch was unstoppable. Rua was able to move Jackson around the ring at will and with a barrage he ended Jackson's night and his shot at the Middleweight Grand Prix tournament.

Vitor Belfort came into the Pride Grand Prix as the participant from the UFC, a spot that was held by current UFC champion Chuck Liddell in the last tournament. Belfort matched up with the same opponent as Liddell did in his first fight, 6'5" Dutch kickboxing expert, Alistair Overeem. Belfort simply did not look like he wanted to fight on this night as he was obviously bothered by the reach advantage that Overeem held over him. Overeem landed excellent shots to Belfort throughout the night and the fight was ended when "The Demolition Man", Overeem, sunk a guillotine choke on Belfort and he was forced to tap.

Belfort, now 2-3 in his last 5 fights (one win came by a ref stoppage due to a cut in his fight with Randy Couture), has to be seen as a fighter at the crossroads of his career. The Brazilian was blessed with a ton of natural talent and he seemed to unleash that in many of his early fights in the UFC. Now 28 years of age, Belfort is seen as a seasoned veteran as he has been fighting since he was 19 years old. The question begs to be asked though....where does Belfort go from here and how does he do it?

The UFC re-signed Belfort even before this showing and is sure to show up in the octagon again, probably later this year. But Belfort, for all of his talent, has seemed to lose focus again and will have to work even harder to regain a top level status after his recent defeats. "The Phenom" suffered a very tough split decision loss to Tito Ortiz in his last UFC appearance and after such a hard fought battle, Belfort seemed to just have the wind taken out of his sails. Now Belfort is again faced with adversity as he lost in the first round of the Pride tournament and has to return to the UFC with another loss tacked onto his record.

Quinton Jackson, despite an excellent overall record, seems to be at the same crossroads as Belfort. Jackson has lost twice to Pride Middleweight champion, Wanderlei Silva and has now been defeated in his first fight in the Middleweight Grand Prix. Jackson's method of training has been questioned time after time when he doesn't seem to have a top showing. The "Rampage" that defeated Chuck Liddell in the last Grand Prix definitely was not the man that showed up to face Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Jackson, who showed so much heart and determination in his last fight with Silva, again appears to be questioning his place in the game. Maybe it was overconfidence that hurt Jackson in this fight? Maybe it was lack of preparation? The fact is that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson can no longer be seen as the next best fighter to Wanderlei Silva in Pride's Middleweight division.
Both Quinton Jackson and Vitor Belfort are world-class fighters with years ahead of them in the sport. But both now seem to question where do they go from here? Jackson and Belfort were simply lost in their fights and now have to work even harder to get back on the road to victory.

Source: MMA Weekly

Roufus To Battle Musashi In Las Vegas K-1 Superfight


Six-time world kickboxing champion, Rick “The Jet” Roufus (61-7 (40 KO’s), will square off with four-time K-1 Japan Grand Prix tournament victor, Musashi (37-20-5 (11 KO’s), in a three-round Battle at Bellagio IV, K-1 “World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas” Pay-Per-View televised Superfight at Bellagio on Saturday, April 30th.

“I’ve reinvented myself and I’m a hungrier and younger Rick Roufus,” said the 6 foot, 212 pound gladiator, who is also a former K-1 USA tournament champion and former World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas Cruiserweight champion. “This is a big, big stepping stone for me and a big opportunity to get back into the thick of things.”

At 37 years of age, Roufus is recognized as one of martial arts fighting’s all-time greats. After retiring from tournament fighting in 2003 due to recurring knee problems, he returned to Las Vegas last August for a “Battle at Bellagio III” Superfight contest with sumo wrestling legend turned K-1 competitor, Chad “Akebono” Rowand. Handicapped by nearly 300 pounds, Roufus was put on the run by the 6 foot 8 inch, 485 pound mammoth and forced to choose his shots wisely in an effort not to be hit by his dangerously powerful opponent. Roufus’s strategy paid off as he continued to bombard Akebono with kicks and punches before earning a unanimous judges decision at the close of three rounds.

“I hired a guy for a lot of resistance and strength training and I’ve been training for quite some time with him to build up the knee. I’ve had no problems with the knee so I’m gonna come in even better shape now.”

Last year, Roufus relocated from his hometown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Tempe, Arizona where, shortly after, he opened the doors to The Roufus Kickboxing Center. Still committed to remaining on top in the world of single fight competition, the all-American fan favorite has since adjusted to his dual role of trainer and athlete while also enjoying his life as a husband and father of two. “I love it. It’s a lot of work, but it all pays off,” he said.

April 30th will mark Musashi’s second-career start in Las Vegas. Two years ago, American fans got their first opportunity to witness the 6 foot 1 inch, 220-pounder in action up close. A one of a kind matchup at Las Vegas, Nevada’s Mirage Hotel and Casino saw him take on his former Seidokaikan Karate mentor, Nobuaki Kakuda, in what was originally billed as the latter’s retirement fight. Musashi was passed the torch of leadership from the elder statesman that night as he floored Kakuda a total of four times over the course of three rounds and notched a unanimous judges’ decision win.

Despite the historical significance of his win in Sin City, Musashi’s highest profile victory ironically came against a fighter whose background is foreign to the fighting arts that embrace both kicking and punching. On June 6th of last year, he squared off with former world heavyweight boxing champion, “Merciless” Ray Mercer, during the main event of a K-1 World Grand Prix card in Nagoya, Japan.

Both before and after he downed the American boxer with a roundhouse kick to the side of Mercer’s head in the midst of the bout’s first round, Musashi continuously pelted his opponent with leg kicks. Unfamiliar with the timing and technique necessary to defend against this type of attack, Mercer, who was also not permitted to throw kicks due to the fact that he wore boxing shoes into the ring, absorbed the punishment before Musashi was awarded the fight by all three judges at ringside.

Born Akio Mori 30 years ago, the Japanese fighter was later renamed after martial arts officials saw what they felt was a sharp resemblance between the rapid speed of his kicks and the remarkable sword speed of legendary Japanese samurai, Musashi Miyamoto. Musashi has since become the only competitor in history to have won four K-1 Grand Prix Japan tournament championships.

In addition to the bout that will take place between Roufus and Musashi on April 30th, a three-round Superfight between reigning K-1 World Grand Prix champion, Remy Bonjasky (49-10 (30 KO’s), and “Battle at Bellagio III” tournament winner, “Mighty Mo” Siligia (25-3 (20 KO’s), will grace the card. Three-time K-1 tournament victor Michael McDonald (49-12 (23 KO’s) and 2003 K-1 USA champion Carter Williams (17-6-1 (12 KO’s) will return to action during the event’s eight-man, single-elimination tournament.

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.

Tickets for the April 30th K-1 event are on sale and are priced at $50, $100, $200 and $300, respectively. They may be purchased at the Bellagio’s box office or by calling 1-800-963-9634.

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

 4/27/05

Quote of the Day

"I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism."

Charles M. Schwab, 1862-1939, American Industrialist, Businessman

Galvão: the big name of Brazilian Cup

Olympic BJJ Confederation (CBJJO in Portuguese) featured the first event of its calendar. On last weekend, BJJ Brazilian Cup gathered athletes from all graduations and ages at Vila Olímpica Duque de Caxias, in Rio de Janeiro. Among black belts, André Galvão (TT Jiu-Jitsu) did once again a great job and ruled middleweight category winning at the final Felipe Cranivata (Gracie Barra BH). This time the victory came by advantages (3x1).

BLACK BELT CHAMPIONS:

Rooster: Rafael Barros e Márcio Pontes (Nova União)

Super featherweight: Rodrigo Ranieri (Brasa)

Featherweight: Cícero Costa (Barbosa JJ)

Lightweight: Rodrigo Feijão, Eduardo Pessoa e André Bastos (Nova União)

Middleweight: André Galvão (TT Jiu-Jitsu)

Middle Heavyweight: Marcos Souza (Bonsai)

Heavyweight: Fernando Boi (Nova União)

Super Heavyweight: Eduardo Telles (TT Jiu-Jitsu)

Super super Heavyweight: Rafael Carino e Henrique Pelé (Nova União)

Absolute - 75kg: Rodrigo Feijão, Eduardo Pessoa, Felipe Vidal e André Bastos (Nova União)

Absolute +75kg: Fernando Boi e Bruno Bastos (Nova União)

Source: Tatame

Kawajiri rules Jani Lax at Shooto

On the main fight of last Saturday' Shooto, held at Hakata Star Lane, in Fukuoka, Japan, Tatsuya Kawajiri ruled the confront with Jani Lax. Kawajiri defeated him by TKO at 4:42 in R1. Check out full results bellow:

COMPLETE RESULTS:

Shooto

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Hakata Star Lane - Fukuoka, Japan

- Kenshi Tomari defeated Takeshi Okada;

- Hayate Usui submitted Naosuke Mizoguchi by arm bar at 2:38 in R2;

- Homare Kuboyama defeated Katsuhisa Akasaki by unanimous decision;

- Kenichiro Togashi defeated Yoichi Fukumoto by triangle choke at 3:20 in R1;

- Shiko Yamashita defeated David Bielkheden by majority decision;

- Akira Kikuchi defeated Jason Brudvik by TKO at 2:32 in R1;

- Tatsuya Kawajiri defeated Jani Lax by TKO at 4:42 in R1.

Source: Tatame

 4/26/05

Quote of the Day

"Without discipline, there is no life at all."

Katharine Hepburn, 1907-2003, American Actress, Writer

Curran, Torres headline Super Brawl in Midwest

In a sport that usually caters to heavyweights, Jeff Curran and Miguel Torres are certainly exceptions.

The two "small" fighters have each headlined numerous mixed martial arts events and on Saturday, April 30, they will share top billing as Super Brawl 40 rocks the Hammond Civic Center in Hammond, Ind.

"We're always told that people want to see heavyweights, but Curran and Torres have proven they have what it takes to headline a successful show," said Super Brawl promoter T.Jay Thompson. "Curran has headlined Extreme Challenge and XFO, while Torres has been a star at Ironheart. I expect they'll hold their own as Super Brawl headliners."

Curran, a UFC veteran from nearby McHenry, Ill., will battle Luke Spencer of Columbus, Ohio, for the Super Brawl 1455-pound North American title. Curran is 21-7-1, while Spencer is 10-2.
Torres, a Hammond native who works out close to the Civic Center, will face Mike French, a native of Mattoon, Ill., for the Super Brawl 135-pound North American title. Torres owns a 21-1 record, while French, a member of Team Extreme, is 4-3-1.

"We tried to assemble the best fighters from around the area and then find top competition for them," Thompson added. "We're going to have some great fights... there's no question about that."
In two key matchups, Brian Gassaway (20-12) of Chicago faces Trevor Garrett (3-2) of Dayton, Ohio. Gassaway is a true veteran of the sport, while Garrett looked stellar in a close loss to former UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne. Also, Spencer Fisher (14-1) of Davenport, Iowa, will take on Wisconsin star Henry Matamoros (19-10-1).

Source: T. Jay Thompson

John "The Bull" Marsh Seminar

May 7th
OR 8th
Gracie Kailua
25 Kaneohe Bay Drive (inside Aikahi Shopping Center)
Kailua, HI 96734
Times: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Cost: $40 in advance, $50 at the door
Contact: Jason Izaguirre 254-4900 or Daynin Dashefsky 295-3792
http://www.johnthebullmarsh.com

THE CHOPPING BLOCK:
PRIDE MIDDLEWEIGHT GP THOUGHTS

This was the best card put together and produced the best event in the history of the sport, I could go on for days about why this GP was the most amazing event ever but it would not do it any justice, therefore if you have not seen this Event, finish reading this article and then go watch it, because it will blow your mind.

Amazing matches
Vanderlei Silva defeats Hidehiko Yoshida by split decision.

A lot of people are giving WAND a lot of slack for how he fought against Yoshida, these are the same people that Do Not give Yoshida any respect at all. Yoshida proved not to be a complete idiot and backed out of his plan to STAND & TRADE with WAND after taking wand's very first few punches. One thing that we all knew about Yoshida was that he was a tough Japanese Judoka who has never been KO'ed even though he has fought guys such as Hunt, and Wanderlei Silva once before. Let's get one thing straight, if Silva had gone in GUNG-HO and started throwing bricks at Yoshida, he (wand) would be playing right into Yoshida's game plan and would have been taken down quite quickly much like in their first fight. WAND knew that Yoshida would try and stall on the ground and play a UFC-style lay and pray fight once he realized that there was no other way to win against WAND. Therefore Wand was ready for the takedown at ALL TIMES and once got caught with it a couple times and not only survived the ground, but also made several submission attempts in the form of armbars from the guard. Silva pressed the action throughout the fight and Yoshida seemed very reluctant to do anything accept try and clinch very briefly and go for throws followed by unsuccessful attempts at GI-chokes. Make no mistake about it, WAND won this one easily, and PRIDE/DSE should be ashamed of themselves for employing such biased judges, this should have been an unanimous decision, not to mention the fact that the ref would not standup Yoshida and give him a yellow card for tying up Silva's gloves blatantly and making a consistent effort to stalemate the action. Silva dominated but was unable to finish due to how Yoshida wanted the fight to go down, a game fighter would not be so lucky to go the distance with WAND. If there is a third match between these two I would hope that Pride MAKES Yoshida not wear a GI if he plans to use it how he did against WAND in this last fight, that is as a tool for survival.

I lost a lot of respect for Yoshida in this fight and felt he really let down his Jap fans by fighting the way he did. At least Kondo had the balls to stand with Silva and let their fists fly regardless of the result.all because he had said this is what he was going to do. Yoshida on the other hand said he was gonna do one thing and did the opposite, demonstrating that he is not the present day samurai that PRIDE once made him out to be. Wand will beat either of the BTT members easily if PRIDE sets up that match, but I would much rather see Silva Vs Alistair or Silva Vs IGOR, but those may be pretty tough fights to give the defending champ, BUT I am SURE Wand is up to it.

in the end after all there can be only one

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua defeats Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson by KO (Tard-strength Soccer kicks), RD 1.

Just like I predicted Shogun showed why he is now among the top 5 most feared fighters in the world, if not the top 3. I am not a huge Rampage fan by any means but by the end of the fight you had to feel sorry for the guy, the fight was a vicious beat-down if there ever was one, Rampage was literally in shock from all that Shogun had to offer. Honestly Rampage looked like he was in a nightmare and praying to wake-up, but unfortunately for him he was very much awake, and was simply outclassed by fighter who is now ranked #2 @ LHW in my opinion EASILY!

Shogun has all the tools, Rampage tried in vain to take him down but got manhandled in the clinch and kneed in the ribs like he was one of those training dummies, and goddamn all the soccer kicks were just too much. IF anything that rampage learns from this, he should learn that he needs a new corner, the fact that OYAMA refused to let him lose with a at least a little dignity by throwing in the towel when he knew his man was in for a beating was a clear sign that rampage needs a new trainer. I respect Colin Oyama and all that he has done for Rampage (the fact he believes that his man can always come back from a beating), but his actions were in excusable, GP OR NOT Rampage could have died had it not been for a the Ref (it was clear thru oyama's desperate screams that he knew rampage was near his end, but he failed to throw the towel when it had to be done, for whatever reason that is)

A fighter CANNOT depend on the ref to save their ass, as we all know from watching brutal late stoppages, and I don't understand how Rampage can go on fighting with a cornerman/trainer who refuses to let his man give up, even when the outcome is clear. IF rampage sticks with the Oyama that we saw last night for the rest of his fighting days then he will not make it past 30 years old, mark my words.

As for shogun what can I say?...all the guys who said Rampage would expose Shogun as a young inexperienced fighter seem to be the same ones saying that he is now somehow better than Wanderlei!!!!!!!

Gimme a fucking break! Shogun is an amazing fighter in my opinion he has what it takes to be the top HW, YES HW, in the world, not right now of course because he lacks the true amount of experience necessary to do so at this point, but eventually mark my words he will be at the top of the HW rankings.

Shogun enjoys physical benefits that WAND does not, but Wand is more well rounded and has a heart that is not of this world, which is something that no man can train to achieve no matter how hard they try.

Once all is said and done I have a serious hunch that WAND will fight SHOGUN in the final. And unlike other fighters who refuse to fight team-members because of some so-called pact or inability to remain totally professional, Chute Boxe fighters wouldn't think twice about fighting each-other since they do it all the time anyways in Curitiba, FOR FREE too!!

Shogun vs WAND would be a war, but in the end only one man would be left standing and that would be WAND. I could break it all down for you but it would take a over 1000 words (so you got to wait till it happens in finals), both fighters are great but Wand is the teacher and Shogun is the student, this fact will be obvious if they fight. Plus I could see this fight being fought exclusively out of the clinch, and while shogun;s knees are impressive…not one should clinch with WANDERLEI and I mean NO-ONE, no good can come of it.

Shogun would need to use his reach and height and size to have a chance of beating Wand, but wand already knows how his protege fights and would know exactly how to beat him, whereas no one knows how to beat Wand IMHO

Kazushi Sakuraba defeats Youn Dong Sik by TKO, RD 1.

This fight was a good one for Saku, for once he got an easy match, perhaps a little too easy.
Next round there is no such thing as an easy match thogh, closest thing would be Nakamura, and that's saying a lot. BUT unfortunately for SAKU there are only 2 Japanese fighters left in the GP and to make them both fight each other would mean at LEAST one would be left. This leaves DSE in a tricky situation deciding whether to give Saku the easiest match possible in Nakamura or split up the two Japanese fighters and increasing the chances that one or maybe both will advance. BUT then again maybe both will lose and there won't be any Japanese left, like I said this won't be an easy decision for PRIDE.

Anyway you cut it Saku is in for a long fight next round. Perhaps Alistair may be DSE's best bet for Saku

But then again in the GP everyone steps it up to the next level

Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira defeats Dan Henderson by armbar, RD 1.

Just like I said, Dan couldn't contend with Nogueira's submissions, in order for Dan to have won that fight he would have had to employ a Fedor style strategy of ground and pound while avoiding getting caught in Nogueira's ground game at all, Nogueira's boxing made Dan's look weak and thus Dan became afraid to stand with him which IMO was pretty smart, however he stood for a little too long and ended up on his back, a place where Dan should never be, at that point Dan seemed to give up , almost as soon as his back touched the mat and NOG locked up the wrists. I didn't see anyway that Dan could have won this without going to decision, and employing Fedor's strategy for beating a Nogueira.

Alistair Overeem defeats Vitor Belfort by guillotine choke, RD 1.

I still am pissed at myself for picking VITOR, when I knew he would be the missing link that prevents Vitor vs WAND 2. the fact Alistair won doesn't surprise me at all, however him winning by submission did surprise me quite abit, he locked up that guillotine sooooo smoothly I was quite impressed! But the way the fight played out Vitor seemed to have no way of winning this one, Alistair's striking was clearly dominant to Belfort's and Alistair was all too aware of every move Vitor was going for on the ground well before he even attempted it. I think it's time for Vitor to get a better boxing coach and beat Chuck Liddell easily in a UFC title fight ,taking the Belt and wearing it while delivering near-fatal blows to backside of his beyond gorgeous Brasilian wife.
See I don't feel sorry for Vitor at all, compared to a guy like Rampage or Kondo, because in the end no matter how bad it is for him he still goes home to an appropriately named playmate every night, which in my opinion is better than getting soccer kicked and stomped and coming home to an empty house with no one but your son to greet you, especially when your brain is soo damaged due to soccer kicks that you can't even remember your sons name (Angelo Jackson). So Vitor gets no pity from me.

As for Alistair I don't see him getting past the next round unless he fights one of the 2 remaining Japanese fighters.

Igor Vovchanchyn defeats Yuki Kondo by unanimous decision.

One of the most technically fought matches I have seen in a long time, I was not surprised at all to see Kondo ROCK Igor several times during this fight causing IGOR to try and bring the fight to the ground where he could dominate. Kondo demonstrated once again why he is a warrior, he took all that Igor had to offer and still was able to withstand it all, and not only that but work through it as well for several submission attempts and positional escapes that made this fight extremely entertaining with lots of action, especially in the first round, a round which totally blew my mind.
However I think this showed that IGOR is being overrated at LHW by other MMA sites and forum's in general, while the consensus here at FS 24-7 was that Igor was gonna have a very tough time with Kondo….and we were only partially right. Igor prevailed but it leads me to question how he will do in the second round, especially if he faces a good grappler more around his same size, like Arona or lil’ NOG, or even if he faces superb strikers like SHOGUN or WAND or (maybe ever ALISTAIR?)

I’m not counting out IGOR by any means but he gonna have to step it up at least 2 notches if he wants to make to ‘FINAL CONFLICT’…Kondo no pushover but still I was expecting a finish to that fight for sure, especially when Igor had mount for as long as he did.

Dissappointing matches
Ricardo Arona defeats Dean Lister by unanimous decision.
Kazuhiro Nakamura defeats Kevin Randleman by unanimous decision.

Quick thoughts
- Ricardo Arona didn't punish himself too much, keeping himself healthy, somewhat for next round. Smart move in my opinion

-Randleman, went in confident and lost a fight that was his to lose. The monster does best when he is the underdog IMHO

(e.g. prior matches against fedor, ninja, crocop- the first time, Bas Rutten)

The AXE IDEAL 2ND ROUND MATCHUPS

SHOGUN VS ALISTAIR
WANDERLEI VS Nogueira
ARONA VS SAKURABA
IGOR VS NAKAMURA

DSE's IDEAL 2nd round

Shogun vs Arona
Wanderlei vs Nogueira
Igor VS Alistair
SAKURABA vs Nakamura

Source: Fight Sport

 4/25/05

Quote of the Day

"It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though the limits to our abilities do not exist."

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, 1881-1955, French Christian Mystic, Author

Morango says he is Gracie Humaitá

After spending ten days training at Chute Boxe's headquarter, Fabrício Morango ended invited to join the team of Wanderlei Silva. However the invitation seems to be only at exchange terms. "I am very pleased to know I am welcome to a team like Chute Boxe. I may also wear Chute Boxe's t-shirt, but my flag will be always Gracie Humaitá," BJJ black belt stated.

Coming from a seminar series in Austrália, Morango's master Royler Gracie said he supports his pupil exchange. "He did not go to Chute Boxe. We are friends and we are welcome in there. I don't have problems if he want to spend other 15 days training with guys in there before a fight," Gracie Said. Royler also affirmed Gracie Humaitá's filial (Gracie Tijuca) counts on a great structure to Vale-Tudo. "Under my and Rolker' supervision we get Vini on the ground, Gute teaching Boxing, Darrel Gohlar teaching Wrestling and Richard practicing Savate," Royler listed.

Source: Tatame

Allan Góes at Rumble on the Rock

Another Brazilian will be fighting in Hawaii. According to our friends from MMWWeekly.com, Allan Góes fights at Rumble on the Rock. He will fight Chris West. Brazilian Top Team, who lives in United States, do not fight since the controvertial fight against Gustavo Ximú at Heat FC 2. Besides Allan, other two Brazilians are on the card: Vítor Shaolin (Nova União) and Renato Charuto. Card also features UFC veterans as Tank Abbott and Kimo Leopoldo, besides Ricco Rodriguez, who was defeated by Pedro Rizzo in his last bout at UFC.

COMPLETE CARD (subject to change):

Rumble on the Rock

Saturday, May 7, 2005

Blaisdell Center Arena on Oahu - Hawaii

- Wesley 'Cabbage' Correira Vs Tank Abbott;

- Kimo Leopoldo Vs Marcus 'The Monster' Royster;

- Allan Góes Vs Chris West;

- Renato Charuto Verissimo Vs Yuichi Nakanishi;

- Vítor Shaolin Ribeiro Vs Tetsuji Kato;

- Ricco Rodriguez Vs TBA.

Source: Tatame

Azeredo comments about Bushido

The debut of Luiz Azeredo in the rings of Pride could not have been better. The Chute Boxe fighter faced Luiz Buscape, a BTT athlete, and he earned a great victory. The Brazilian enjoyed his performance: 'The fight was very good. I got to show my Jiu-Jitsu to the Japanese audience. I surprised my opponent, who was thinking he was going to stroll over me on the ground. Once the fight went that way, I showed him that Chute Boxe has been training real hard whether standing and on the ground.'

Having a well prepared strategy for the combat, Azeredo were able to develop his game and won it by judge's decision: 'Actually, I didn't know if the fight would stay standing or wind up on the ground at any given time - it was a pretty motion filled fight! Anyway, I was ready for his best or worst.'

Facing a fellow Brazilian fighter in his debut in Pride didn't intimidate Wanderlei Silva's training partner: 'He is an athlete who was undefeated in Pride, coming from an rival school of the same nationality. I think it was easier than getting a foreigner! This way, he had the same problems with time zone and logistics. At last, actually, I don't care if he's Brazilian or not, professionalism comes first. I have already defeated some Brazilians before and thank God he was one more.'

The next step will be facing the best in the weight category: 'I want to fight with the best in the category, if it's Gomi on top, then it will be him. I am gonna train more and more, fortifying my spirit and faith.'

Source: Tatame

 4/24/05

Quote of the Day

"Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don't do that by sitting around."

Katharine Hepburn, 1907-2003, American Actress, Writer

PRIDE Total Elimination 2005
Middleweight Grand Prix Results


Osaka Dome, Osaka, Japan
April 23rd, 2005

Vanderlei Silva defeats Hidehiko Yoshida by split decision.
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua defeats Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson by KO, RD 1.
Kazushi Sakuraba defeats Youn Dong Sik by TKO, RD 1.
Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira defeats Dan Henderson by armbar, RD 1.
Alistair Overeem defeats Vitor Belfort by guillotine choke, RD 1.
Igor Vovchanchyn defeats Yuki Kondo by unanimous decision.
Ricardo Arona defeats Dean Lister by unanimous decision.
Kazuhiro Nakamura defeats Kevin Randleman by unanimous decision.

Source: Fight Sport

FANS AROUND THE WORLD PICK VANDERLEI

Below are the results of surveys conducted by Fightsport.com and various Japanese websites on who the fans in the regions of North America, Japan, and the international fans around the world:

North America survey results:
Vanderlei Silva: 26.1%
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson: 16.4%
Ricardo Arona: 11.3%
Dan Henderson: 11.1%
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua: 9.5%
Vitor Belfort: 6.8%
Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira: 5.9%
Igor Vovchanchyn: 5.1%
Hidehiko Yoshida: 1.9%
Kazushi Sakuraba: 1.7%
Kevin Randleman: 1.5%
Dean Lister: 1.2%
Yuki Kondo: 1.0%
Alistair Overeem: 0.5%
Kazuhiro Nakamura: 0.0%
Yoon Dong Sik: 0.0%

Japan survey results:
Vanderlei Silva: 21.5%
Igor Vovchanchyn: 16.8%
Ricardo Arona: 14.5%
Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira: 7.9%
Kazushi Sakuraba: 7.7%
Mauricio Shogun: 6.3%
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson: 4.3%
Vitor Belfort: 3.9%
Hidehiko Yoshida: 3.9%
Yuki Kondo: 3.4%
Dan Henderson: 2.4%
Kazuhiro Nakamura: 2.4%
Alistair Overeem: 1.9%
Dean Lister: 1.9%
Kevin Randleman: 1.0%
Yoon Dong Sik: 0.5%

International (outside of North America and Japan) results:
Vanderlei Silva: 31.1%
Ricardo Arona: 15.7%
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua: 14.4%
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson: 7.1%
Vitor Belfort: 7.0%
Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira: 6.7%
Hidehiko Yoshida: 5.4%
Dan Henderson: 5.1%
Igor Vovchanchyn: 2.1%
Kazushi Sakuraba: 1.9%
Dean Lister: 1.0%
Alistair Overeem: 0.9%
Kazuhiro Nakamura: 0.7%
Kevin Randleman: 0.5%
Yuki Kondo: 0.5%
Yoon Dong Sik: 0.5%

Source: Fight Sport

PRIDE CONFIRMS FIGHTSPORT.COM SCOOP

Tetsuya Kawajiri

DSE/PRIDE confirmed what Fightsport.com first reported on January 3rd, that Tesuya Kawajiri would soon be competing in PRIDE.

Kawajiri will participate on the PRIDE card that is scheduled for May 22nd. His opponent will be Luis 'Buscape' Firminho.

Source: Fight Sport

News and Notes from a Night in Osaka
by Masa Fukui

OSAKA, Japan, April 23 — Yep, it was another great PRIDE show Dream Stage Entertainment put on tonight. When the fights started, the Osaka Dome was far from packed, but at the end of the night the building was jammed full with an excited and at times quiet crowd of 45,423 people. Damn, what a number for an MMA show.

But, hold on second, I don’t believe the last three figures — 423 — is accurate. It happened a few PRIDEs ago. Sometimes, that last three attendance numbers also match with the day of event, and this time, it was April 23. Well, who cares — 45,000 is still a huge number for this kind of show. Amazing.

All right, let’s talk about the fights. The first out of the night, Kevin Randleman versus Kazuhiro Nakamura, wasn’t as action-packed as the second bout of the night, Dean Lister-Ricardo Arona. But, from what I could see in the card’s opening fight, Nakamura is really growing as a fighter.

When Nakamura debuted in PRIDE, I thought, ahh, why does DSE bring in fighters who are training partners of big name fighter but have no experience? There are so many other experienced fighters in the world. But, now, Kazu Nakamura, one of the great fighters in the world I think, has moved onto the next round.

OK, Kevin Randleman has lost a lot recently. But he’s the guy who knocked out Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and was a UFC champion. Look at his body. Nobody wants to face “The Monster” in the ring.

I’ll be honest with you: My pick for this fight was Nakamura. But after I attended that weigh-in for this PRIDE, my partner Stephen Martinez and I were thinking Randleman may just overpower Nakamura, and kill this young talented Japanese fighter. But Buddha smiled on Nakamura at the end of the fight.

“I didn’t feel any power difference between us, even [though] our bodies look very different,” said Nakamura to the media after the fight. “After five minutes or so, I could tell his power went down a lot. And we were totally, even power-wise. And I didn’t feel that much pressure from his punch. And I wasn’t afraid about the ground-and-pound either. I know my heart won’t be broke by being pounded. So there was nothing I was afraid about his power.”

“In the second round, when we were on ground, I saw Kosei Inoue and Mr. Nomura, a two time Olympic judo gold medalist at ringside,” Nakamura continued, “and that motivated me to go fight harder.”

(This man faced a former UFC heavyweight champion and he can still look around outside of ring?)

“In the second round, when I was pounding him, I feel Kevin becoming weak,” he said. “So I was thinking, Oh this fight could be stopped soon. But Kevin was shaking his head to say no, so I thought I have to go for the submission to finish. Then I went to keylock. I heard his arm make some noise but he escaped well from there.

“I trained in Brazil, in Ruas Vale Tudo. Trained with Pedro Rizzo. He taught me a lot of technique, and I felt I was really becoming strong.”

Rizzo trained Nakamura, eh? Rizzo may have given Nakamura good advice from his experience from UFC. But at the same time this young man still has an issue with his cardio. “I hustle a bit too much in round two,” he said. “Then I slowed down in round three. So that’ll be the part I’ll work on next time.”

As I mentioned early, the second bout of the night between Dean Lister and Ricardo Arona was full of action. Unfortunately, I had to miss some of this fight because Nakamura came to the post-fight interview. But I think Lister finally adjusted his mind/technique to the PRIDE level of show.

So many journalists and MMA fans criticized him here and there. And still, yes, he lost this fight, but I think he did a good job this time, and showed his skill very good. It was fun watching them exchange on the feet, and interesting watching their action on the ground.

Whether on the feet or ground, some sort of attack or defense was going on. If you don’t enjoy this fight, why do you enjoy mixed martial arts?

Lister’s post-fight interview will be posted soon on Sherdog.com, so please check out that video. He spoke about how he felt about this match before the fight and how he feels about it afterwards. Also, he talked a bit about the “dirty action” Arona did to his scar.

OK, here’s another thing everybody wondered about Arona and Lister (and also Alistair Overeem, who submitted Vitor Belfort). These three fighters from the 16-man tournament are supposed to compete in May’s ADCC World Championship. When they came to the post-fight interview, we asked about their entry for the ADCC. But each fighter said he couldn’t decide yet. So I asked DSE President Sakakibara about it. Also we asked some other questions to Sakakibara, so I want to wrap up this story with that information.

About ADCC, Mr. Sakakibara answered, “Before we match-made this Dean Lister and Arona fight, we asked the ADCC organization if we can match-make it, and they said ‘no problem.’ So we match-made these two fighters in today’s show. About those three fighters competing in ADCC, I don’t really mind Dean Lister fighting in ADCC. But we don’t want to Arona or Alistair to fight in ADCC because they’re fighting in June again. And we don’t want them to get hurt in any way.”

Hmm, so the dream grappling match between Lister and Arona in ADCC has likely disappeared. Too bad. And it seems that Overeem won’t be coming to California at the end of May.

Mr. Sakakibara talked a bit about the second round of this tournament, too. “There are four Brazilians among the last eight fighters. Two fighters from BTT, two from Chute Boxe. So in the next round, those four may have to ‘kill’ each other.”

Well, that’s the natural thing to say as a promoter. They don’t want all four Brazilians to gain entry into to the Final 4. I don’t think they’ll kill each other in the same team. So, among Arona, Rogerio Nogueira, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Wanderlei Silva, what kind of matches would you make?

Well, I don’t think two out of the four Grand Prix second-round fights will be Brazilian vs. Brazilian. But one fight out of four will be. I’d like to see Silva vs. Arona. Am I asking too much for the champion? How about Igor Vovchanchyn against Silva? It’s gonna be a battle.

OK, one last thing. As a member of the American press, whenever I face Mr. Sakakibara I can’t help asking something about the UFC and PRIDE. This time I asked if he’s sending former PRIDE heavyweight champion Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira to the UFC. Or if it’s not “Minotauro,” whom are they sending and when will he fight in the UFC.

“We can’t say the exact name at this point yet,” Sakakibara answered. “But we are thinking about sending a fighter to the UFC event in June. At the same time we’ll welcome lightweight and middleweight fighters from UFC for the Bushido tournament. UFC is a good partner for our business, so we want to cooperate and support each other.”

OK, that’s about it. It’s 5 freaking a.m. My partner Stephen Martinez is snoring so loud in the bed and I’m still typing in front of my PC. This is not fair; I need to go bed too (different bed, off course). But before I wrap everything up, I’d like to share some of the words that non-English-speaking fighters said during their post-fight interview.

Yuki Kondo: “I lost but I feel fresh now. I did everything I could and got beat up. I don’t believe that weight affected the fight. But this time, somewhere in my heart, I felt a bit of a weight disadvantage against Igor. When he armlocked me, I was still fine. I was still far from a tapout, but I was surprised that he went for submission in the ground game.”

Igor Vovchanchyn: “I think the fight went very good. And Yuki Kondo was very strong and I respect him a lot. I wanted to fight on my feet. But it ended up going to the ground. Maybe Yuki Kondo wanted the fight in the ground? I thought my armlock could finish the fight. I’ll fight whoever PRIDE set me up in the second round.”

Vitor Belfort: “I wanted to fight on my feet. But he went to the ground. When he tried to trap me in triangle, I was very surprised. PRIDE grew a lot from four years ago. I think all the progress that PRIDE had in past four years is very positive for this sport. This time, my corner couldn’t come with me. But some shit happen in the life. So that can’t be a reason why I lost today. I wanted put the exciting show more than just being representing UFC. I lost today, but I think I did fine with that point (put the exciting fight). I’d like to fight in PRIDE again in the future.”

Yoon Dong Sik: “I don’t remember that much about the fight because I got knocked out and my memory is blown away.”

Kazushi Sakuraba: “I don’t like a quick win. Well, I didn’t like quick win, but I actually felt good when the referee raised my hand. Now I start liking quick wins. I really didn’t mind if he wore gi or no gi — doesn’t change my game plan at all. Was that KO win? I thought that was referee stoppage. Knockout? Really? Oh well. His punch was heavy and that punch wasn’t a punch from total beginner. He must have train boxing for some long time. I don’t want to say who I want to fight, but somebody who’s not strong. All of my injury is recovered very well. I can’t tell how good I am from today’s quick fight, but I’m glad that I didn’t get any injury today.”

Source: Sherdog

 4/23/05

Quote of the Day

"E `olu`olu i ka mea i loa`a
(Be contented with what one has.)"

Anonymous

The Best MMA Tournament In History Begins Today!

Pride Middleweight Grand Prix
Osaka Dome - Osaka, Japan
Saturday, April 23, 2005
4:00 pm, replay at 7:00 pm Hawaii Time
Oceanic Channel 701

COMPLETE CARD (subject to change):

- Kevin Randleman (USA) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan);

- Dean Lister (USA) vs. Ricardo Arona (Brazil);

- Igor Vovchanchyn (Ukraine) vs. Yuki Kondo (Japan);

- Vitor Belfort (Brazil) vs. Alistair Overeem (Holland);

- Dan Henderson (USA) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil);

- Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan) vs. Yoon Dong Sik (Korea);

- Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson (USA) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (Brazil);

- Wanderlei Silva (Brazil) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (Japan).

Super Brawl 39: on Video On Demand!

See Niko Vitale KO Masanori Suda and capture the Super Brawl Middleweight World Title!

Available on digital channel 221, Video On Demand.

Source: Super Brawl Promoter

Royler Between ADCC and the K-1

Royler's spot for the ADCC Tournament has been reserved, but the Black-belt is really looking for confirmation of his next MMA event, the K-1, set for July in Japan. "My name and that of my cousin Rodrigo have been included on the card, but if I actually close this deal I will most certainly be out of the ADCC Championships. I have only to sign the contract." declared Royler on the site, Portal da Luta.

-GracieMag

Source: Gracie Fighter

Tito Ortiz no longer part of the UFC?

Tito Ortiz has posted a message on his website expressing his feelings towards the UFC:

just want to come on and say Hi. I have been very busy on my future. It looks very bright. But being a UFC fighter will not be my future. I have never been so embaressed in my life. I got put in the bleachers, asked to leave the octagon when Ivan won, I was not aloud back stage to get my bags. But its business to the UFC. I am pushed in to a corner and wont be pushed anymore. I have done good for the UFC in every interview, fights,and just trying to push the UFC to mainstream. Now that I am not their Champ they can careless. I will make it with or without them. I have to look out for my self. I do want to thank them for everything, but its time to go on with my future. What is next for Tito? You all will know soon!!!!

I want to thank my fans for the support. Couldnt have done it without YOU!!!!!!!

- Tito Ortiz

Source: MMA Fighting

THE CHOPPING BLOCK: PRIDE MIDDLEWEIGHT GP
Commentary by 'Theaxemurderer'

Welcome to the latest edition of 'The Chopping Block', a place where I will air out all my thoughts about MMA.

Let's get started...

PRIDE Middleweight GP preictions and match breakdowns:
Well I don't know about you folks, but I've been waiting for this GP for over a year now. I know 2003's middleweight GP is gonna be tough to top, but DSE has done an amazing job by not sacrificing at all in order to put together easily the best tournament ever assembled in this, the 2005 middleweight GP. The First round card reads like a "who's who" of the MW division, and now with the matches set, and only 2 days before the event itself the world is on it's feet to see who will pass thier first test and remain in the hunt to win the toughest tourney ever put together, and not to mention the most sought after title ever created.

Now ONE thing is for certain, and that is that there is bound to be at least one huge upset in a tournament of this caliber. This GP has all the makings of a present day 'kumite', and everyone that has a spot in it is there to win the entire thing, no matter what it takes. These are fighters that love to fight and really beleive they are the best in the world, and are not scared to step up and back up their belief in themselves (which explains why Tito Ortiz refused to accept his invite to the tournement).

So here is the AXE's view on who will remain active in the quest to be MW GP CHAMPION at the end of the night, after all is said and done, and the traditional "your winner from braHHssillll VANDERRRRRLEIIII SILVAAAAAAAAAA!!" is screamed out to mark the end of the PRIDE EVENT.... enjoy...

Kevin Randleman (USA) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan)
Randleman has better striking, and his wrestling at this lower weight is gonna be hard for anyone at 205 to contend with, even Arona, the real question is whether Randleman will be able to defend Nakamura's submissions.Nakamura's striking is nothing special and he doesn't have nearly the same amount of experience or size as Randleman.
In my opinion Randleman should dominate this fight and I would not be suprised if he KO's Nakamura, perhaps even with a slam.

Randleman WINS via KO (Slam)

Dean Lister (USA) vs. Ricardo Arona (Brazil)
Potentially the most boring match of the night, this one could turn into a real sleeper. However if both guys come out hungry and realize they only have 2 rounds in which to impose thier will, it could turn out to be better than it looks on paper.
The way I see it Arona has the better ground game and better striking IMO as well, Arona's kicks are very underestimated and his wrestling is superb. Lister in my eyes does not have the same sort of experience in MMA in terms of opponents. This and the fact that Arona is very hungry after being slammed by Rampage and sees this as his chance to get a shot at WAND leads me to beleive that he will do what it takes to get past this first round.

Arona via Rear Naked Choke
(2nd round?)

Igor Vovchanchyn (Ukraine) vs. Yuki Kondo (Japan)
I think this fight might end up being a shocker if KONDO plays his cards rite, kondo learned his lesson when he fought WAND and now will not bang with good strikers unless it is going his way, Kondo has shown he can be dominant on the ground at times. Also Kondo's striking is very good and although Igor's is as well it owuld not suprise me if Kondo was able to catch Igor with a high kick or knee or maybe even some punches. However all that said, I am still picking my man Igor to take it, just because the size difference will just be too much for KONDO to contend with

Igor WINS by KO (punches & knees)

Vitor Belfort (Brazil) vs. Alistair Overeem (Holland)
I personally think Vitor is gonna have his work cut out for him against Alistair especially if he trys to stand with Overheem...but I doubt Vitor will be that dumb (then again the past has shown otherwise)
---I see this going to the ground early and Vitor pulling off a submission mid-way through the first round, he will show his dominance on the ground even tho alistair is no slouch on the ground.
This will be the true test to see if VITOR competing in a MEDIOCRE MMA organization (the UFC) has made him get worse skill-wise

VITOR wins VIA ARMBAR

Dan Henderson (USA) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil)
I have a SERIOUS feeling this one will be going to decision....and I think DAN is gonna be the person who gets kicked out earlier than people expected this year...Dan is a great fighter he just got a very bad match-up for the first round, however it isn't as bad as him getting Rampage like what was rumored months ago, but it's the GP you take what you get. Lil' NOG has genetic advantage over Henderson and also Dan will just plain and simple be beat on the ground and likely submitted by NOG's slick ground game. If Dan is smart he will try to keep the fight standing and pray for the decision.

Lil' NOG wins via Submission (anaconda choke) or JD

Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan) vs. Yoon Dong Sik (Korea)
This one is easy to predict, GP is not a good place to make your 'real' Debut in MMA and Sakuraba is not a good first opponent for begginner MMA fighter

SAKU wins by KIMURA early in the first round

Quinton Jackson (USA) vs. Mauricio Rua (Brazil)
O- this fight will be great, look for SHOGUN RUA to be throwing alot of kicks and flying knees, and taking apart Rampages boxing with his Chute boxe striking.
If ninja's match with Ramapge was any indication Ninja should have no problem with ramapges wrestling and slams and have even less trouble clinching with him and delivering knees as well as outboxing Rampage with his quick punches.

If rampage takes this to the ground and manages to secure the top position he could stall to JD victory, but Rudimar has already broken down Rampages game and what he has to offer, and Shogun will have what it takes to finish Rampage and probably retire him for awhile.

---Rampage JACKSON will end up laying on his back eating kicks to the head, this is the only place I see this fight going, Shogun is very much like an elite level soccer player, and rampage's thick skull and big mouth represent to SHOGUN a perfect kicking target. Don't blink during this fight or you might just miss Rampages head being booted off, and landing in Mauro Ranallo's lap.

MAURICIO 'Shogun' RUA WINS via KO ('tard'-strength Soccer kicks)

Vanderlei Silva (Brazil) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (Japan)
Yoshida says that he wants to stand and trade blows with WANDERLEI Silva but this wishful thinking will be thrown out the window once he feel's Wanderlei's improved power and accuracy, I honestly think this fight will be done in less than a minute if Yoshida is serious about his strategy, however if YOSHIDA clinches and plays to his strength he may be able to prolong the beating till MAYBE late in the first Round.

Anyway you cut it thoough Wanderlei is not gonna let Yoshida get in his way, the Title is his and whoever in the way is just another victim as usual.
If Yoshida wears his GI like in thier last fight Wanderlei will grab onto it with one hand and pummel him with the other hand and with kicks as well. If it goes to the ground don't be suprsied to see Wand take advantage of the GI as well and pull off some crazy BJJ (a clock choke perhaps?)
Wand has improved leaps and bounds isnce the last time these two have fought, after fighting hunt Yoshida should seem like a walk in the park, even tho yoshida beat hunt but I guess that's jsut MMA for ya!

Vanderlei Silva wins via KO (High Kick)

If I am right and the fights go how I predict them to go... then the second round should be like this IMHO

Vanderlei Silva Vs. Vitor Belfort
---Because it has to happen sooner or later!!!

Vitor will actually hafta FIGHT wand this time and not just get the UFC early stoppage

MAURICIO 'Shogun' RUA Vs.
Igor Vovchanynan
-----'Old' meets 'NEW'
what a matchup this would be!!!
The Winner would probably meet WAND in the finals

I think Shogun has all teh tools to give IGOR a memorable beating and pass the torch on to the new Generation of strikers.

Randleman Vs.
Arona

Interesting match-up, too big 205'ers, could turn out to be boring tho!
However iw ould give it the benefit of the doubt, I wouldn't be suprsied if randleman KO'ed Arona somehow either.

Lil' NOG Vs.
Sakuraba

this match-up makes sense for DSE, it's the easiest path to Final-FOUR for Sakuraba IMO, a rematch against randleman would not go his way and Arona would make him look old....

Lil' nog is great in his own right but I still think this would be the best match-up to have the chance of a potential saku vs wanderlei rematch in the Semi's

Lil' Nog still has a great chance to win it tho...

this path of predictions would lead to a final four of

Wanderlei
Shogun
Arona
Sakuraba

shogun vs arona

chute boxe vs BTT

the battle continues

sakuraba vs wanderlei 4

i don't think saku could last 3 rounds with Silva and walk out of the ring to tell the tale...so it is probably best that he fights him in the GP when he still has to conserve energy for another match afterwards... not to mention the lack of a third round would probably keep Saku alive a few years longer

final of COURSE would be

SHOGUN VS WANDERLEI

this would be teh best match in history of fighting .

wanderlei wins epic battle via KO (stomps)

Source: Fight Sport

POST-UFC 52 MEDICAL SUSPENSIONS

Below is the list of medical suspensions handed out by the NSAC to some of the fighters that participated on the UFC 52 card:

Joe Doerksen: Medically suspended until a doctor clears a CT scan of his head. Minimum suspension time is eight weeks.
Randy Couture: Medically suspended until a doctor clears a CT scan of his head. minimum suspension time is six weeks.
Mike Van Arsdale: Medically suspended for six weeks due to a left eyebrow laceration.
John Marsh: Medically suspended for six weeks due to a left eyebrow laceration.
Frank Trigg: Medically suspended for four weeks due to a left eyelid laceration.

Source: Fight Sport

Dan Henderson: “I Just Want to Win the Title”
by Mike Sloan

Dan Henderson is one of those guys who usually flies under the radar when it comes to thinking of whom the world’s best fighters are. Frequently in most conversations, names like Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, BJ Penn and Chuck Liddell pop out of mixed martial arts fans’ mouths when they rattle off name after name of great ring and cage warriors.

For some reason, though, Henderson’s name is pushed behind the back burners and is often overlooked. Maybe it’s because he is more of a wrestler than anything else. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t typically stand toe-to-toe with his opponents and rack up thrilling knockout after thrilling knockout like Silva. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t suck his foes in with the guile of a boa constrictor and submit everybody he faces like a prime Rumina Sato. Maybe it’s because he fights in PRIDE and let’s face it, PRIDE is about as popular here in the States as K-1, and we all know that K-1 doesn’t exactly pull in De La Hoya-esque pay-per-view numbers.

Maybe it’s a combination of all of those things. But Henderson is one of few fighters that others in his profession know all about and are more than respectful when speaking about him. Seasoned MMA journalists know what “Hollywood” Henderson is all about and anybody who is acutely close to MMA knows full well that “Hendo” is capable of beating 99 percent of the fighter out there with ease, and could very well dominate the other one percent.

Henderson has toppled a virtual who’s who in MMA and he has rarely left a doubt as to who the superior was on those nights. Of his three losses (against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Ricardo Arona and Silva), he wasn’t exactly battered around like a redheaded stepchild, either. He hung tough and at some points was arguably leading those fights on points.

He’s been beaten via decision twice and both can be argued that he may have been robbed of victory, as each were very close, tough battles. The only time he was submitted was against “Minotauro” and until that memorable armbar Henderson was giving the larger Nogueira fits. And let’s not forget that that fight was a rematch of a fight Henderson won via split decision back in 2000 in the Rings: King of Kings event.

Such established stars as Murilo Bustamante, Yuki Kondo, Murilo Rua, Renzo Gracie, Renato Sobral, Carlos Newton and Gilbert Yvel have all fallen victim to Henderson’s wrath, yet he still seems to be overlooked by most within the sport. For whatever reason it may be, Hendo is usually an afterthought.

Henderson will battle in the opening round of the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix this Saturday, but hardly anybody has predicted him to be the sole survivor once the event concludes by year’s end.

“It doesn’t bother me because I’m not doing this for anyone else,” Henderson told Sherdog.com. “I’m doing this for me and I know what I can do. It’s just a matter of getting the chance to prove it and here’s the chance. Recognition and whatever, it doesn’t matter to me.”

Whether Henderson covets recognition or not, if his career is to blossom into something more than what it currently is, he must do well in the upcoming tournament. His first round opponent is Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, the brother of the man he has battled twice already. Henderson heeds the importance of the first round challenge that “Minotoro” brings to the table; though the Nogueira he’s already faced is regarded as the better of the two, this Nog is no slouch.

“He’s definitely going to be a tough opponent,” Henderson said. “He’s good on the ground and it looks like his striking has come a long way. He likes to get down in there and bang a little bit, too. It should be a good fight.”

Henderson, who has been training feverishly for this tournament, expects the fight to be one of his toughest thus far and has not slacked whatsoever in the gym. He elaborated somewhat on what his pre-fight regime has been like this time and his core of partners consists of Art Santore, Heath Sims, Brian Foster and Matt Lindland. All of this particular group, save for Santore, will be traveling with him to Japan, which Henderson expects to be a recipe for success.

But has this group done anything special in regards to how Henderson has prepared for Nogueira? According to “Hollywood,” that answer is somewhat of a yes and no response.

“It’s been pretty much the same as always,” Henderson explained about his training. “The only thing I have changed this time, though, is that I’m making all of my guys stand lefty because that is what Nogueira is. Other than that, it has been just like it usually is.”

When asked what to expect from his opponent, Henderson stated that he realizes what a threat Nogueira is, but didn’t want to make any pre-fight predictions. Not one to talk trash, Henderson’s claims were that if he has to go the full distance, so be it. But if he happens to end the fight quickly, that is just a sweet bonus.

“I always plan to go the full distance with everybody I fight,” he replied. “Anything shorter than that will be a pleasant surprise. Obviously I am going to try and finish him early, but I am ready to go the distance. Either way, just as long as I compete to the best of my ability and that I prevail, I’ll be happy.”

He’d be happy as well if he could make it all the way into the final round for a chance to win the coveted PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix title, but Henderson doesn’t seem too interested in whom he’d like to fight along the way. However, one name did pop out of his mouth in terms of hoping to fight just one man, Wanderlei Silva.

“It doesn’t matter,” Henderson stated about possible future opponents within the GP. “I am just interested in winning the title. Obviously I have wanted to fight Wanderlei for a while, but more because he has the belt. He’s probably the top guy in the world right now, so I would definitely like to fight him along the way if I can. But if not, that’s okay. I just want to win the title.”

Source: Sherdog

HERRING BREAKS DOWN PRIDE GRAND PRIX
by Jeff Cain

Heath Herring, who is sidelined from fighting recovering from ACL replacement surgery, appeared on MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio Thursday. Herring spoke about many things, but while on the radio show he broke down the first round of the Pride Grand Prix. Here is how Heath Herring foresees this weekend's action playing out.

The first bout discussed was Kevin Randleman vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura. Heath said, "Nakamura's a Judo guy. He's training out of Yoshida's gym. Tough kid. Randleman though is a wild card. Who knows who's going to show up to fight. Randleman, on paper, Randleman should win this fight easy."

The next fight talked about was Dean Lister vs. Ricardo Arona. When asked who would win Heath said "Arona" without hesitation. He added, "I think they're both ground fighters, and they're both going to want to take it to the ground. I think Arona. I think he's got it as far as on the ground."

Igor Vovchanchyn and Yuki Kondo was the next match up discussed. "Igor, I've got to go with my buddy Igor." Said Herring. He continued, "I think everybody counted Igor out, and he went back to Ukraine and trained his rear off. I think he's back. I think he's hungry."

Alistair Overeem went up against the UFC's Chuck Liddell in the first round of the last Pride middleweight grand prix, and takes on the UFC's Vitor Belfort in the opening round this time. Heath commented, "That's a tough one. Talk about another wild card. Who's going to show up to fight that night?" "Alistair's going to come to fight. You know Alistair. Alistair's got a weak chin though. If Vitor can hit him, he can catch him...I think Alistair has a more complete stand up game. He's got the kicks. He's got the knees. We saw Chuck Liddell even have trouble with Alistair in the last grand prix. Alistair has the ability to knock him out. Don't discount Alistair at all. It's a tough one though. I take even money on that one."

Dan Henderson takes on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Heath Herring has big expectations for Henderson. Heath said, "To be honest with you, my opinion, Dan has the opportunity to win this whole grand prix. I think if anybody can dethrone Silva it's Henderson." Continuing, "I think Henderson is a very underrated fighter in this weight class. I think he's a very dangerous fighter. I think people kind of overlook him a lot."

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is matched up against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Heath stated, "I know Quinton's last fight was a little bit lackluster...You've got to go with Quinton on this. You've got to go with the experience...Quinton's a great fighter. Don't underestimate Quinton at all."

In a rematch from the last grand prix, Wanderlei Silva takes on Hidehiko Yoshida again. "The first time it was awesome. I think that Wanderlei really kind of walked into the rind and didn't think anything of him. I think Yoshida surprised everybody...I don't think Wanderlei is going to play around with this guy."

Closing out the interview, Herring was asked out of all the guys other than Wanderlei Silva, who has the best shot at winning the tournament. Heath answered, "Henderson. Henderson for sure. Dan's a great wrestler and he's not afraid to throw. He's a tough guy to fight at that weight class. You're not going to be able to take him down, and he'll stand up and fight with you."

Source: MMA Weekly

 4/22/05

Quote of the Day

"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."

Franklin D. Roosevelt, US President

Sergio Lourenco to fight MMA Against
808 Fight Factory Fighter

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Blackbelt, Sergio Lourenco, will be fighting in his very first NHB competition. The fight will take place in Guam on the 7th of May against an opponent out of the 808 Fight Factory. Sergio has won several prestigious Jiu-jitsu competitions including the World's and the Pan Americans. He currently teaches and trains at the Cesar Gracie Academy and will be representing Team Graciefighter.

"I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time and now that I'm on Cesar's team I have some excellent training partners to prepare me for this fight. I hope that this turns out to be a good start for me as I take my competitive career to the next level."

Source: Gracie Fighter

Onzuka.com’s Advertiser, the Waikiki Sand Villa Hotel Is Now Fighter Friendly!

Click on the banner to book a room!

Just wanted to get the word out that we built a fitness center at my hotel that includes 4 (5x10) high grade, 2 inch thick wrestling mats - together the mats create a 10 x 30 "stretching" area. Wanted to make fight promoters, fighters that need accommodations aware of this new addition. They can use this area to workout, roll around, do floor exercises, stretch, whatever. As an unadvertised side note, we've been training in kickboxing twice a week and I have some kicking pads made by Master Kam, some boxing gloves, etc.

If you have time, you can checkout our website (www.sandvillahotel.com) although the mats aren't shown - the fitness center is. In any case, I would appreciate your help with getting the word out. Mahalo guys.

Aloha,

Keone Gaspar, Hotel Manager
Waikiki Sand Villa Hotel
2375 Ala Wai Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Phone: (808) 922-4744
Direct: (808) 921-3201
Fax: (808) 921-3232
E-mail:
kgaspar@principlehotels.com
Website:
www.sandvillahotel.com

Joe Rogan Lashes Out

Onzuka.com is behind you Joe! Joe Rogan is the best MMA commentator on TV.

"Seriously, lighten the fuck up, people. I can't believe how many people got upset at me saying "Canada has an army?" It was just a little joke. Montreal is one of my favorite places in the world, and Canadians make the best bacon.
As for all this shit about me not being "professional," all professional means is that I get paid to do it. If you're saying I don't sound like a robot broadcaster that offers sterile commentary with a fake broadcaster voice, yes, you're right.

In that sense, I'm not a professional TV host either, and since I don't have any censored, watered down material that can be used on the tonight show, I'm not really a "professional" comedian either.

Bottom line, ANYONE that got "offended" by a tiny crack like "Canada has an army?" Is a fucking douche bag, and I don't change my thoughts or words to make doucebags happy.

As for me saying that Arlovski doesn't understand much english, since when is that an insult? It's not his language. The guy didn't understand a word I said, so I said he's a great fighter but not so good at english. What the hell is bad about that? If I was in Belarus and someone was interviewing me, I would EXPECT that they would goof on me a little if they asked me a question and I had no idea what the fuck they said.

Bottom line, the guy is an awesome fighter, but he did look a little like a George Michaels impersonator. I was just pointing it out because that's what I do. It's not an insult, it's a little tiny goof, that's all. I'm a huge fan of Arlovski."

-Posted by Joe Rogan on MMA.tv

Source: Gracie Fighter

Couture Contemplates Loss;
Looks to Fight Again in August

By Loretta Hunt

Champions rebound. They just do. That is why Randy Couture is already in talks to return to the Octagon as early as August in what will be UFC 54. Opponent is uncertain, but Couture was told the event is tentatively set to take place in Las Vegas. That's all he needs to know right now.

"I got caught," the ex light-heavyweight champion states simply of the knockout punch he absorbed from Chuck Liddell just 2:06 into the first round of their rematch at Saturday's UFC 53 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It was the first knockout he ever experienced -- whether it be in training or competition, and although Couture says he remembers everything leading up to the right straight that sent him to the canvas, he didn't recall the two follow-up punches Liddell threw before referee "Big" John McCarthy could get in to halt the action.

"I got out of position and was overaggressive and got hit," he continues. "I think Chuck always demonstrates that capability and if you're not diligent and patient you risk that."

Some are saying something just didn't look right about Couture Saturday night. Was he slower? Was he off in some intangible way? Couture doesn't agree. Liddell just did his job.

"He made some adjustments which I thought that he would," Couture says. "He straightened out his jab quite a bit and he was pot-shotting, kind of sticking and moving. He wasn't staying in one place for very long, kind of trying to stay away from me, which is what I think he needed to do to minimize the takedown. Other than that, it was only two minutes. I didn't get to see a whole lot more."

What did differ from Couture's performance this time to twenty-two months ago at UFC 43 was his formidable "ground and pound" capabilities, which he utilized to slam Liddell down multiple times to chip away at the striker's will on route to his third round TKO victory. Saturday's rematch saw not a single takedown. "We were close in the clinch at one point but he kind of pushed away and that's when the thumb in the eye occurred, but no, I didn't execute," the Oregonian admits.

The eye gouge. It's a point of contention for Couture loyalists grasping for some reason as to why their hero fell, but only "the Natural" can say if his momentary blindness went on to affect his overall performance.

"I don't think so," he answers. "It happens and it's coincidental that it's happened in a couple of other fights with Chuck. I don't care to make any statement about that. I got time to recover and my vision was fine when I started to fight again. It did kind of fire me up and I kind of stepped it up a notch and chased Chuck a little too hard. It basically put me out of position. I needed to kind of settle and be a little more methodical and a little more patient and kind of hunt Chuck down, instead of going after him so hard."

A CT scan conducted at a Las Vegas hospital hours after the loss cleared Couture to fight again once his requisite suspension has been served. He'll have to get another MRA to comply with the Nevada State Athletic Commission come fight time, but, for now, that is just a technicility that will come at the end of another two-month training schedule. Looking to relocate to Las Vegas to train for his next fight, he's flirting with the idea of opening a new Team Quest branch there. The 4-Time Olympic alternate has also been asked to commentate ESPN 2's telecast of the National Finals of Wrestling in Greco Freestyle and Women's Freestyle set for this weekend.

Yes, life moves on despite loss. For Randy Couture, life is just beginning again.

Source: FCF

COFFEE GUY EXCLUSIVE:
ARLOVSKI VS. LIDDELL POSSIBILITY

By Coffee Guy

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

"The matchup of Andrei Arlovski vs. Chuck Liddell may now be a very real possibility for either UFC 53 of 54.

The matchup of Andrei Alovski vs. Justin Eilers has not been finalized as of yet."

Source: Fight Sport

SHOOTO AMERICA UPDATE

The following was sent in by the MMA insider known as 'Shoot guy':

"Randy Erickson has been terminated from the Shooto Americas organization. According to people close to the situation, it was a long time coming, and SHOOT America's main guy, Rich Santoro, finally had enough and gave him the ax.

Those in the state of Illinois may best remember Randy Erickson as the driving force that tried to get MMA shut down and regulated by state officials. When Randy Erickson joined the SHOOTO organization, he came up with a plan, dictated by him, that would force organizations in certain states to either join SHOOT or be forced to cancel their shows.

They tried to get a sanctioning body in the State of Illinois, that would be controlled by them. State officials stopped their attempts at doing so soon after the campaign started.

Randy Erickson and his infinite wisdom will NOT be missed."

Source: Fight Sport

UFC® RETURNS TO ATLANTIC CITY FOR UFC 53: Heavy Hitters; Andrei Arlovski defends his interim heavyweight belt

There's going to be some heavy hitting taking place on June 4 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, when Andrei Arlovski puts his interim heavyweight belt on the line in UFC® 53: Heavy Hitters.

Tickets for the action-packed 8-fight event, priced at $350, $250, $150, $75 and $35, went on sale Monday, April 18 at the Boardwalk Hall box office in Atlantic City, at all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-736-1420. For general information, call 609-348-7000. Tickets are subject to transaction fees. Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, Trump Marina and Trump Taj Mahal are the hosts of the event.

UFC® 53: Heavy Hitters will be available LIVE on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EDT on iNDemand, DirecTV, Dish Network, TVN, Echostar, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada. The suggested retail price is $34.95.

Source: FCF

RECORD TICKETS SALES FOR UFC 53

There is no doubt that the UFC is at an all time high as far as popularity and mainstream recognition go. And if you want tickets to UFC 53, they are selling at a record pass. If you're planning on going to Atlantic City, then get your tickets now.

The UFC just set a 2-day ticket sales record with already a quarter of the tickets sold. There is no doubt that whether the show is in Las Vegas or back east in Atlantic City, it's going to be a tough ticket to get. The UFC as at an all time high with tickets sales and popularity nationwide.

Source: MMA Weekly

YOSHIDA WORKING ON HIS MUAY THAI

The Japanese media reports that Hidehiko Yoshida has been training his Muay Thai with an Australian Muay Thai coach who was once a Pacific Rim champion.

According to Yoshida, he will try to trade strikes with Silva more effectively then in their first fight.

Source: Fight Sport

TERRELL CHANGES MIND AND STAYS WITH CESAR GRACIE FIGHT TEAM

David Terrell recently went to Brazil to train with the Brazilian Top Team and there was talk that he would leave the Cesar Gracie Fight team to sign a deal with the team. Apparently, Terrell changed his mind and is now back with Cesar Gracie.

"He was offered a contract, but decided not to sign after all. We obviously are very happy to have David back and look forward to his upcoming fights in the UFC." Gracie said.

Terrell will not only focus on a future UFC fight, but has made it clear that he also wants to compete in the upcoming Abu Dhabi Championships.

Source: MMA Weekly

Arona says he will not fight Minotouro

During interview to Brazilian channel Combate/SporTV, BTT Ricardo Arona said his GP preferences. 'Rogério Minotouro is my brother. We train together and we are from the same team. No way out I will exchange punches with him. If we do meet at the final phase of GP, we gonna do a beautiful fight, but no punches in the face,' he said.

In case of fighting ex-teammate Vítor Belfort, Arona Said professionalism will speak louder. 'Despite the fact we've trained together in Carlson and BTT, Belfort represents other team. I will face him with professionalism and I hope he does as well.' Bebeo Duarte, BTT leader who stayed in Brazil Said BTT has not a formed position about the confront Arona Vs Minotouro.

- We gonna work out to keep Minotauro Vs Arona only at the final. It would be a smaller problem. In case of them meet before, we gonna see what we going to do. About Vítor, we really like him a lot, but we gonna do our best to defeat him," explained Bebeo.

Source: Tatame

Shogun Ready For Quinton Jackson

Among the five Brazilian fighters who will take part in Pride Middle Weight GP, Mauricio 'Shogun' is probably the least experienced. For sure, he has the toughest opponent in Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. 'It's going to be the fight of my life, and I am very well trained for this challenge. The fans can expect a great fight' said the Chute Boxe fighter recently, after the last training session before the long trip to Japan. Obviously, for the hardest fight of his career, 'Shogun' counted on the help of his brother 'Ninja' and Wanderlei Silva, who have already faced Jackson.

'Shogun will be the great surprise of this tournament. I'm training with him everyday and He is an excellent shape. I believe He will knock Jackson out' guaranteed the PRIDE champion, Wanderlei Silva.

About the participation of other Brazilians, Shogun has good feelings for this first phase. 'I believe all Brazilians will win their fights. Pethaps Belfort will have some problems beating Overeem, but I think he will end up winning as well'. Asked to choose a favorite to win the GP, Shogun has no doubt: 'All the 16 fighters are at the top of the game. This is probably the best tournament ever, but I don't believe anyone in there can beat Wanderlei. He is the best and for me nobody out there can beat him; guaranteed the Chute Boxe 'Rising Star'.

After training last Friday at Chute Boxe headquarters, Shogun and his brother Murilo Ninja were invited to make a special speech to the most important soccer team in Parana, Curitiba Futebol Club. 'Vale-Tudo is very popular here and usually the soccer clubs invite us to encourage soccer players' explains Mauricio.

Shogun, Murilo Ninja, Wanderlei Silva, Rudimar Fedrigo, Cristiano Marcelo and Rafael Cordeiro left for Japan on Monday night, arriving in Tokyo last morning.

Source: Tatame

SHAMROCK GETS BIGGEST UFC PAY CHECK IN LAST FIGHT
by Ivan Trembow

The UFC held two events in a seven-day span from April 9th to April 16th, and paid out nearly $900,000 to fighters for the two events. In general, pay was up slightly across the board and there was less disparity between the top of the pay scale and the bottom. More fighters than ever made five-figure salaries, and that doesn't even count the three winners of "The Ultimate Fighter" and their new six-figure contracts.

The following is a full listing of the salaries for the UFC's live event on Spike TV on April 9th and for UFC 52 on April 16th, followed by my own commentary and analysis on the salaries.

Comparative Notes on Total Fighter Payroll

UFC 51: $456,000

UFC Live on Spike TV: $364,000

UFC 52: $519,500

Comparative Notes on the Number of Fighters Making $10,000 or More

UFC 51: 7 out of 18 fighters made $10,000 or more

UFC Live on Spike TV: 10 out of 18 fighters made $10,000 or more

UFC 52: 9 out of 16 fighters made $10,000 or more

UFC Live on Spike TV Fighter Salaries

-Ken Shamrock: $230,000 ($230,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $0)

-Rich Franklin: $14,000 ($7,000 for fighting; $7,000 win bonus)

-Forrest Griffin: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)

-Diego Sanchez: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)

-Nate Quarry: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)

-Josh Koscheck: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)

-Chris Leben: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)

-Mike Swick: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)

-Sam Hoger: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)

-Alex Karalexis: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)

-Stephan Bonnar: $5,000 ($5,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $5,000)

-Kenny Florian: $5,000 ($5,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $5,000)

-Lodune Sincaid: $5,000 ($5,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $5,000)

-Alex Schoenauer: $5,000 ($5,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $5,000)

-Josh Rafferty: $5,000 ($5,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $5,000)

-Bobby Southworth: $5,000 ($5,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $5,000)

-Chris Sanford: $5,000 ($5,000 ($5,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $5,000)

-Jason Thacker: $5,000 ($5,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $5,000)

Total Fighter Payroll: $364,000

MMAWeekly.com Commentary & Analysis:

-Ken Shamrock's paycheck of $230,000 was the single biggest paycheck in UFC history, narrowly beating out the $225,000 paycheck that Randy Couture received for his fight at UFC 49. There's no doubt that Shamrock deserves to be in the top tier of the UFC pay scale, given that he is one of the top three most recognizable names and biggest draws in the UFC (along with Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell).

As for why Shamrock's pay was increased from the amount of $170,000 that he received for beating Kimo at UFC 48 to the new amount of $230,000, it likely had something to do with his fight being on free television instead of pay-per-view. A very select few UFC fighters have it built into their contracts that they get a certain amount of bonus money if they main-event a pay-per-view that surpasses a certain number of PPV buys. With Shamrock's fight being on free television, that eliminated the possibility of a PPV bonus and thus warranted a pay increase. Unfortunately for Shamrock, losing as decisively as Shamrock lost to Rich Franklin does hurt a fighter's future earnings potential, so it's a safe bet that Shamrock won't be making anywhere near $230,000 for his next UFC fight (assuming he has one).

For anyone who looks at the lack of a win bonus as evidence that the Franklin-Shamrock fight must have been worked, you should know that a small or non-existent win bonus is not all that unusual in the UFC and certainly doesn't mean that a fight was worked. Though the norm is for fighters to have the same amount of "win money" as they do "show money" for any particular fight, there are plenty of fighters who have previously fight in the UFC with "win money" that was a fraction of their "show money," or in some cases with no "win money" at all in their contracts. Some of these fighters have included Ken Shamrock in previous fights, Carlos Newton, Kimo, Frank Mir, Pedro Rizzo, Tank Abbott, and Vitor Belfort.

People who want to believe that Shamrock-Franklin was worked are always going to believe it was worked in the face of all logic and evidence. In addition to what I previously wrote on the subject, the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer has also chimed in on the subject. Meltzer is usually the first to know when there are suspicious circumstances surrounding a fight, as he was with Ogawa vs. Leko last year in Pride. When asked if he personally believes or has heard anything to suggest that Shamrock-Franklin was a work, Meltzer wrote on his web site, "Nobody has given me any evidence to suggest it, and there was nothing in the match that makes me believe it."

-If Rich Franklin's salary for the finale of The Ultimate Fighter seems low, it's because Franklin is still honoring his previous UFC contract. The fight with Shamrock was the second fight on a three-fight contract that Franklin signed with the UFC before his fight with Jorge Rivera last October. There is still one more fight on that contract, and Franklin now has an additional five-fight contract that goes into effect after that. In total, Franklin is under contract for six more UFC fights, and in those fights he is definitely going to be making more than $7,000 to fight and $7,000 more to win. Franklin's next fight will be at UFC 53 against UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner, who Franklin previously defeated in his UFC debut back in 2003.

-For all of the other fighters on the April 9th card, the UFC chose to go with a flat-rate contract for all of them. All 16 of the fighters from the reality show were signed to one-fight contracts that paid them $5,000 to fight and $5,000 more to win. For a fighter making his UFC debut, that is significantly more than the normal amount of $2,000 or $3,000 to fight and an additional $2,000 or $3,000 to win. It's likely that this was done as a way of saying "thank you" to the reality show contestants for making the show such a big success, and to make sure that all of them made at least $5,000.

During the filming of the reality show last October and November, fighters were only paid if they won a fight by KO, TKO, or submission, in which case they would be paid $5,000. So, the only fighters that earned money in the filming of the reality show itself were Diego Sanchez ($10,000); Forrest Griffin ($10,000); Stephan Bonnar ($5,000); Kenny Florian ($5,000); and Bobby Southworth ($5,000).

For their participation in the April 9th card, the following fighters were victorious and thus earned $10,000: Forrest Griffin, Diego Sanchez, Nate Quarry, Josh Koscheck, Chris Leben, Mike Swick, Sam Hoger, and Alex Karalexis. The following fighters lost on April 9th and thus earned $5,000: Stephan Bonnar, Kenny Florian, Lodune Sincaid, Alex Schoenauer, Josh Rafferty, Bobby Southworth, Chris Sanford, and Jason Thacker.

As previously detailed on MMAWeekly, each of the three big winners from the reality show (Diego Sanchez, Forrest Griffin, and Stephan Bonnar) have been given UFC contracts that will pay each fighter $350,000 over three years. That's not $350,000 per fight or even $350,000 per fight; it's $350,000 spread out over the life-span of the three-year contract. The fights on the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter were in addition to those three-year contracts.

UFC 52 Fighter Salaries

-Randy Couture: $150,000 ($150,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $75,000)

-Chuck Liddell: $140,000 ($70,000 for fighting; $70,000 win bonus)

-Matt Hughes: $110,000 ($55,000 for fighting; $55,000 win bonus)

-Matt Lindland: $20,000 ($10,000 for fighting; $10,000 win bonus)

-Renato "Babalu" Sobral: $20,000 ($10,000 for fighting; $10,000 win bonus)

-Georges St. Pierre: $18,000 ($9,000 for fighting; $9,000 win bonus)

-Frank Trigg: $14,000 ($14,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $14,000)

-Patrick Cote: $10,000 ($10,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $10,000)

-Mike Van Arsdale: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)

-Ivan Salaverry: $8,000 ($4,000 for fighting; $4,000 win bonus)

-Joe Riggs: $4,000 ($4,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $4,000)

-Travis Lutter: $4,000 ($4,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $4,000)

-Joe Doerksen: $4,000 ($2,000 for fighting; $2,000 win bonus)

-Travis Wiuff: $3,000 ($3,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $3,000)

-John Marsh: $2,500 ($2,500 for fighting; win bonus would have been $2,500)

-Jason Miller: $2,000 ($2,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $2,000)

Total Fighter Payroll: $519,500

Commentary and Analysis:

-This was the second fight on Randy Couture's contract that paid him $150,000 to fight and $75,000 more to win. The difference is that last time Couture won the fight and collected the win bonus, while this time Couture got knocked out for the first time in his MMA career. With the mainstream recognition that Couture gained from The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV, he will undoubtedly continue to be one of the highest-paid fighters in the UFC. A rubber match with Chuck Liddell to complete the trilogy would appear to be looming in the future for Couture, whose UFC record fell to 10-4 with the loss.

-One of the reasons that Chuck Liddell is so popular with fans is because he's an honest, no-BS kind of guy. He'll fight anybody and he's a man of his word, and the fans know that. Never has this been more evident than in looking at Liddell's contract status. Liddell is one of the highest-paid fighters in the UFC, but would still appear to be under-paid. Randy Couture can now be added to the list of Chuck Liddell's KO victims, and nothing is better at demonstrating what kind of person Liddell is than comparing him to one of his previous KO victims: Tito Ortiz.

When Chuck Liddell was the clear-cut #1 contender for Ortiz' Light-Heavyweight Title back in 2003, Ortiz refused to take the fight unless he got a huge raise. Ortiz was the highest-paid fighter in the UFC at the time in terms of show money plus win money. In addition, Ortiz was only two fights into a six-fight contract that paid him $80,000 for every fight and an additional $80,000 for every win. Nonetheless, Ortiz refused to honor his contract, held out, and ended up strong-arming his way to a new salary of $125,000 for every fight and $50,000 more for every win.

Now, contrast that to Chuck Liddell and how important he clearly thinks it is to be a man of his word and honor his contracts. Under the terms of a multi-fight contract that pays him slightly more with each passing fight, Liddell earned a comparatively small amount of $50,000 to fight and $50,000 more to win at UFC 47, where he knocked out Ortiz. No hold-out. Then, Liddell made $60,000 to fight and $60,000 more to win at UFC 49, where he knocked out Vernon "Tiger" White. Still no hold-out. Most recently, Liddell made $70,000 to fight and $70,000 more to win at UFC 52, where he knocked out Randy Couture.

With a UFC record of 10-2 and the star power that comes from being on a smash hit television show, Chuck Liddell deserves to be getting paid more than his current salary. But unlike Ortiz, Liddell would prefer to be a man of his word and honor his contract, as opposed to holding the company hostage for more money. There's something admirable about that. This only reinforces the fact that Liddell is a straight-forward, stand-up kind of guy, and that's a big part of the reason why the fans like him as much as they do.

-Matt Hughes has had the same UFC contract for a very long time: $55,000 to fight and $55,000 more to win. Hughes is not a PPV draw anywhere near the level of Shamrock, Couture, or Liddell. However, it's hard to argue with paying him such a large amount of money given the fact that his UFC record is an amazing 11-2, and many of those wins have come against some of the top fighters in the sport. With the possible exception of Randy Couture, no one in UFC history has been a more dominant champion over a period of years than Matt Hughes. Paying him anything less than his current salary would be an insult to his standing in the sport, but at the same time, paying him anything more than his current salary might be too much given his lack of proven PPV drawing power. Hughes' across-the-ring slam of Frank Trigg got the biggest pop of the night from the live crowd at UFC 52, and in general the crowd's strong reaction to Hughes at UFC 52 might indicate that mainstream fans are starting to take more of a liking to Hughes.

-If Matt Lindland has an axe to grind with the UFC, it's not just because he's not fighting for the Middleweight Title at UFC 52. Lindland is also being paid arguably less than he's worth, and certainly a lot less than he used to make in the UFC. Lindland's previous UFC salary was $20,000 to fight and $20,000 more to win, but after his KO loss against David Terrell at UFC 49, his pay was cut to the new amount of $10,000 to fight and $10,000 more to win. Lindland has one of the best records in the UFC at 8-3, and he proved at UFC 52 that he is not a one-dimensional fighter when he tapped out a fighter who specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I would expect to see Lindland make more money for his future UFC fights than he made at UFC 52, although it might not be as much as his old salary.

-After getting knocked out by Chuck Liddell at UFC 40, Renato "Babalu" Sobral has spent his time earning himself not only a return to the UFC, but a return to the UFC at a hefty salary. While it might not seem like much, Sobral's salary of $10,000 to fight and $10,000 more to win places him in the top one-third of UFC salaries. Sobral earned that kind of contract by racking up eight consecutive MMA wins after the loss to Liddell, including a one-night tournament in which he defeated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Jeremy Horn, and Trevor Prangley. In addition, with Randy Couture not getting any younger and with Tito Ortiz out of the picture entirely, there is a premium on quality light-heavyweights. Sobral fits that bill and has the potential for a strong future in the UFC.

-Georges St. Pierre emerged from UFC 52 not only as one of the UFC's hottest welterweight prospects, but also as one of the highest-paid welterweights. St. Pierre is an example of a policy that pays you more money as you gain more UFC experience and rewards you for taking risky fights. St. Pierre made $3,000 to fight and $3,000 more to win for his UFC debut at UFC 46, where he won. St. Pierre then made $4,000 to fight and $4,000 more to win for his fight at UFC 48, which he also won. Despite the fact that he's only 23 years old and has his whole career ahead of him, St. Pierre then stepped up to the plate and took a very risky fight against the dominant Matt Hughes. St. Pierre lost that fight, but didn't come out of it looking any worse than he did going in, so he was rewarded with a new contract for UFC 52 that paid him $9,000 to fight and $9,000 more to win. St. Pierre is now 3-1 in the UFC and is at the top of a list of young, talented, versatile welterweights in the UFC (a list that also includes Karo Parisyan and Nick Diaz).

-Frank Trigg's contract for UFC 52 called for him to make $14,000 to fight and $14,000 more to win, which places him in the top one-third of UFC salaries. Trigg's UFC career now consists of two impressive wins over Renato Verissimo and Dennis Hallman, and two submission losses to Matt Hughes. It's unusual for a fighter whose UFC record is 2-1 going into a fight to be making as much money as Trigg made at UFC 52, but I would chalk that up to the fact that he's one of the most marketable fighters in the sport. No one is going to deny that Trigg can be very obnoxious at times, but the fact is that he has been in arguably the best fight on the card in each of his first four UFC fights. Also, Trigg is one of the best talkers in the sport in an intelligent, articulate kind of way (like Frank Mir), as opposed to a bush-league, pro wrestling character kind of way (like Phil Baroni).

-Patrick Cote fits the same description as Georges St. Pierre, in that he was contractually rewarded for taking a very tough, risky fight. When Guy Mezger had to pull out of his scheduled fight with Tito Ortiz shortly before UFC 50 last fall, Cote stepped up to take the fight with Ortiz on short notice despite being just 24 years old at the time and relatively inexperienced. Just as with Hughes vs. St. Pierre, Cote lost the fight but didn't come out of it looking any worse than he looked going in. As a result, he was rewarded with a new contract for UFC 52 that paid him $10,000 to fight and $10,000 more to win. Now Cote faces the harsh reality of being 0-2 in the UFC. Even though one of those losses was against Tito Ortiz on short notice, and the other was in a fantastic fight that was close all the way through, the fact remains that he's now 0-2 in the UFC. He's going to have to either prove himself once again on smaller shows, or keep fighting in the UFC at a drastically reduced salary. Despite his record, Cote could still have a bright UFC career ahead of him, as evidenced by the fact that Andrei Arlovski lost his first two fights in the Zuffa-era UFC and would later become one of the top heavyweights in the sport.

-Mike Van Arsdale got a slightly higher-than-expected salary of $5,000 to fight and $5,000 more to win at UFC 52, in great part because of the fact that there is a premium on quality heavyweights. Though most new UFC fans have never heard of him, this was not Van Arsdale's UFC debut. Van Arsdale won a fight at UFC 17 way back in 1998, only to be knocked out by Wanderlei Silva in his next fight and leave the sport of MMA for over four years. With his win at UFC 52, Van Arsdale is now 4-0 in his comeback, but there are a few big mitigating factors: A) Only two of those four opponents have winning records in mixed martial arts, B) He has fought infrequently at the rate of about once per year during his comeback, and C) He turns 40 years old in June. On the other hand, Van Arsdale weighed in at 215 pounds for his fight at UFC 52, and it would seemingly be easy for him to cut down to 205 pounds and potentially be a force to be reckoned with in the light-heavyweight division.

-Ivan Salaverry is on a roll, having defeated Tony Fryklund by first-round submission and Joe Riggs by first-round submission in back-to-back UFC fights. Salaverry is now 3-1 in the UFC, with his only loss coming at the hands of Matt Lindland at UFC 39. Salaverry earned a modest salary of $4,000 to fight and $4,000 more to win at UFC 52, but he could see that salary increase drastically with one or two more wins.

-Salaverry's opponent, Joe Riggs, fought for the same salary, as did fellow middleweight Travis Lutter. Both Riggs and Lutter had UFC records of 1-0 coming into this event, and both fighters lost at UFC 52.

-Joe Doerksen lost in his UFC debut at UFC 49 for the entry-level salary of $2,000 to fight and $2,000 more to win, and was given a second chance at UFC 52 for the same salary. Doerksen didn't disappoint, as he was victorious over Patrick Cote in a thrilling bout at UFC 52.

-Travis Wiuff was given a slightly higher than entry-level salary for his fight at UFC 52 because it wasn't actually his UFC debut. Wiuff made his UFC debut back in 2002 in the heavyweight division, losing to Vladimir Matyushenko. Wiuff's UFC 52 contract called for him to make $3,000 to fight and $3,000 more to win. Though light-heavyweights are always in high demand, the UFC may or may not be interested in bringing Wiuff back after a relatively one-sided loss to Renato "Babalu" Sobral in which Sobral was in control for the vast majority of the fight.

-Two fighters made their UFC debuts and lost at UFC 52: John Marsh and Jason Miller. Marsh fought for $2,500 to fight and $2,500 more to win, while Miller's contract called for him to be paid $2,000 to fight and $2,000 more to win. Despite starting out their UFC careers with records of 0-1, both fighters have a decent chance of being brought back in the future, Marsh because he's a heavyweight and Miller because of the huge amount of heart that he showed in his decision loss to Georges St. Pierre.

Source: MMA Weekly

RealProWrestling results from Week four
(163 pounds)

Week four results (163 Pounds):

Quarterfinals:

#1 Joe Williams (Chicago Groove) decision over #8 Tyrone Lewis (Oklahoma Slam), 8-4

#5 Donny Pritzlaff (Pennsylvania Hammer) technical fall over #4 T.C. Dantzler (Minnesota Freeze), 18-2

#3 Ramico Blackmon (New York Outrage) fall over #6 Darryl Christian (California Claw), 1:11

#2 Joe Heskett (Iowa Stalkers) technical fall over #7 Sean Harrington (Texas Shooters), 16-0

Semifinals:

Williams decision over Pritzlaff, 5-2

Heskett decision over Blackmon, 9-5

Finals (May 15th):
Williams (Chicago Groove) vs. Heskett (Iowa Stalkers)

Current Teams Standings:
1. Iowa Stalkers 54
2. Pennsylvania Hammer 43
3. New York Outrage 34
4. Chicago Groove 33
5. Oklahoma Slam 19
6. Texas Shooters 11
7. California Claw 2
8. Minnesota Freeze 0

Upcoming TV Schedule (check local listings for more information):

PAX TV: April 24; May 1, 8, 15.
Fox Sports Net: Wednesday; April 20, 27; May 4, 11, 18, 25.

Teams
California Claw; Chicago Groove; Iowa Stalkers; Oklahoma Slam; Minnesota Freeze; New York Outrage; Pennsylvania Hammer; Texas Shooters.

The action was riveting on Sunday's episode of Real Pro Wrestling, which showed quarterfinal and semifinal action in the 163-pound weight class. As expected, the top two seeds, Joe Williams of the Chicago Groove and Joe Heskett of the Iowa Stalkers, advanced to the Real Pro Wrestling finals, which will be shown on PAX TV on May 15th.

Williams, the number one seed, advanced to the finals by defeating eighth-seeded Tyrone Lewis of the Oklahoma Slam in the quarterfinals and fifth-seeded Donny Pritzlaff of the Pennsylvania Hammer in the semifinals.

In the quarterfinals, Williams and Lewis battled to a scoreless first period. Williams,

however, picked up the pace in the second period and scored with the first ever six point high throw in RPW to take a commanding lead. He then scored a takedown to build an 8-0 lead. Lewis countered with a reversal, while also adding a late takedown. But it was too little, too late, as Williams held on for the 8-4 victory.

"Tyrone wrestled a great match," said Williams after the victory. "Towards the end of the match, it got a little bit wet, a little bit slippery. He kept coming, trying to score, so I just really just tried to stay in position and look for openings."

In the semifinals, Williams battled Pritzlaff, who was fresh off a dominating 18-2 victory over fourth-seeded T.C. Dantzler of the Minnesota Freeze. Williams struck first, scoring twice with his patented freight train double-leg, both with under forty-five seconds remaining in the first period, to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Pritzlaff battled back, scoring with a double-leg of his own to cut the lead to two. But Williams added an escape and claimed the 5-2 victory.

Heskett, who placed second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, had to battle through seventh-seeded Sean Harrington of the Texas Shooters and third-seeded Ramico Blackmon of the New York Outrage to reach the finals.

In the quarterfinals, Heskett hardly broke a sweat, scoring with multiple leg attacks and turns, as he cruised to an easy 16-0 technical fall over Harrington.

"I felt really good," said Heskett after the match. "I got a good warm up. I felt like I was strong out there. Leg attacks felt good, defense felt good, I felt on time."

In the semifinals, Heskett had to dig deep to beat Blackmon, a freestyle veteran. The 32-year-old Blackmon jumped out to a commanding 4-0 lead with a single-leg takedown, which followed up with an ankle lace. Blackmon scored with a push-out, before Heskett answered with a single-leg takedown as the first period came to a close to cut the lead to 5-2. In the second period, Heskett scored first with a push-out. With just under thirty seconds remaining in the match, Heskett tied the match with a snap down. Then with 10 seconds left, Heskett secured a trapped arm gut wrench and turned Blackmon for the go ahead points. Heskett then added another turn as the buzzer sounded to claim the 9-5 come from behind victory.

Heskett, who now serves as assistant coach for Cal-Poly, had high praise for his opponent after the match.

"Ramico, in my opinion, is one of the best wrestlers," said Heskett. "I respect him such as a human being and a wrestler, more so than a lot of wrestlers out there. Ramico is a first-class act. We've battled for the last year or two. This was the sixth time we've wrestled, every one of them has been a grind. This was just another classic example of two guys who wanted to win real badly."

Heskett will now face Williams in the RPW finals, which will be shows on PAX TV on May 15th. In 2004, Williams defeated Heskett in the finals of both the U.S. Nationals and the Olympic Team Trials.

In the team battle, the Iowa Stalkers, on the strength of three finalists, currently sit atop the standings with 54 points, followed by the Pennsylvania Hammer (43 points), and the New York Outrage (34 points).

Next week's episode of Real Pro Wrestling will feature competition in the 185-pound weight class.

Source: Kimberly Moran

 4/21/05

Quote of the Day

"Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on earth to do with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling."

Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890, Dutch Painter

Pride Middleweight Grand Prix

Saturday, April 23
4:00 pm, replay at 7:00 pm
Oceanic Channel 701

LIDDELL BECOMES A LEGEND AFTER DEFEATING THE LEGEND

His name will be the answer to the ultimate trivia question. Name the only man who has knocked out Tito Ortiz AND Randy Couture in MMA history? The Answer: Chuck Liddell. The Iceman put the greatest fighter in MMA history to sleep on one of the biggest pay per view stages in UFC history on Saturday Night. A right hand knocked out the legend Randy Couture as Liddell followed it with two more hard shots, just to be sure, in front of a sold out crowd of just over 14,500.

"I can't even discribe the feeling" Liddell told MMAWeekly's Ryan Bennett. "This is what I've waited my whole career for. We are going to have a good time tonight." Liddell said. So what was the big difference in this fight compared to two years ago? "My movement was very good and didn't throw my punches flat footed like last time" Liddell said.

For years, Chuck Liddell waited for a shot at a championship. After Tito Ortiz avoided Chuck Liddell for 18 months, it was Randy Couture who took the UFC gold away from Ortiz, only to follow that up with a convincing win over Liddell two years ago. Now Liddell has erased all the doubt about where he will fit in MMA history. He is the only man to knockout Tito Ortiz. Now after fighting in front of the largest live crowd in North America MMA history, Liddell sets another first. The first man to knockout the living legend and also winning his first championship in his career. On a night that saw Dan Severn receive induction into the UFC Hall of Fame, Chuck Liddell has just punched his ticket into UFC immortality and a future call into the UFC Hall of Fame with his win over a legend.

Source: Fight Sport

LINDLAND & SALAVERRY:
TWO FIGHTERS NO ONE WANTS TO FIGHT AT 185

They are the two guys that most fighters don't want a piece of at the 185 weight class. Matt Lindland impressed everyone once again as the former wrestler, choked out a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blackbelt this weekend in impressive fashion.

Lindland out-worked, out-hustled, and frankly out-submitted his opponent in an impressive win from the MGM grand in Las Vegas. The other thing that he did was receive a promise from Dana White at the UFC Post fight conference, where White promised Lindland a title shot against the winner of Rich Franklin and Evan Tanner.

Meanwhile Ivan Salaverry proved once again on Saturday night that not only is he dangerous in the 185 division, but after another dominating performance, this time against Joe Riggs, he may be the one guy you want to steer clear of in the 185 division. "I know Joe Riggs wanted to punch a hole in my face, but I had different plans" Salaverry told MMAWeekly. "This fight puts me in a position to move up the ranks..."

And if you are in the Top 10 ranks, Salaverry is a name you want to steer clear of. Ivan has only one loss in the UFC. That was to Matt Lindland at UFC 38. With his win at UFC 52 Salaverry improves to 3-1 in the Octagon and Salaverry puts himself in the UFC Middleweight Title picture.

Source: MMA Weekly

BABALU GIVES UFC A MUCH NEEDED SHOT IN THE ARM AT 205

Some fans thought the UFC would get a much needed shot in the arm in the 205 pound weight class, after Rich Franklin defeated Ken Shamrock at last week's Ultimate Fighter show on Spike TV.

Only problem. Franklin stayed in the weight class for about three minutes, before announcing he would jump back to 185. Now Zuffa can exhale as they finally have somebody to compete in the 205 weight class that isn't named Liddell, Couture, Ortiz or Belfort.

Renato "Babalu" Sobral, outworked Travis Wiuff on Saturday night, as the Brazilian fighter secured an armbar to get another win in the UFC. Sobral has been the forgotten man in the division, even though he has won eight straight fights. His last loss was "thee kick" by Chuck Liddell that seems to have overshadowed the Brazilians accomplishments.

With wins over Jeremy Horn, Shogun Rua, Trevor Prangley, Maurice Smith and others, Babalu has immediately put his name back on the list of new faces that compete for the UFC at 205. down in history as the night that Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell finally got the gold.

Source: MMA Weekly

Honolulu Gets Ready to Rumble
ROTR 7 to be held May 7 at Blaisdell Center Arena



HONOLULU, HAWAI'I -- April 17, 2005 The Rumble on the Rock is back! Hawai'i's largest and most popular Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event will return to the Blaisdell Center Arena on Oahu, May 7, 2005. Bringing together world-class headliners in the sport today to Hawai'i's island paradise, Rumble World Entertainment (RWE) plans to bring another action-packed, star-studded, and Hawaiian-themed event to Hawai'i's broad MMA fan base.

A total of nine fights are scheduled for the night with the main event featuring original UFC bad boy and self-proclaimed "White Mike Tyson," David "Tank" Abbott against Hawai'i's own Wesley "Cabbage" Correira. The two will step into the cage to settle bad blood from a previous match. Hilo boy BJ Penn will also be in attendance to make an official announcement on who his next scheduled opponent will be.

ROTR's most recent event, ROTR 6 (November 2004), was possibly the biggest production the Blaisdell Center Arena had seen since Elvis Presley's 1973 Aloha from Hawai'i concert, selling over 8,000 tickets and causing some fight publications and MMA web sites to call it the most anticipated MMA card in the U.S. in recent years.

RWE is encouraging fans to get their tickets early. ROTR 6 drew record numbers, selling out five full days before the event. In an effort to open up more seats for Hawai'i fans, RWE shrank the mainstage and opened up 1,500 more seats, which then sold out within 48 hours. To JD Penn, RWE's president, this is a sign of the sport's popularity.

According to Penn, "Our goal is to bring the best athletes in the sport here to compete in the largest MMA event in Hawai'i. MMA is exciting for people of all ages and we want to cultivate its popularity globally and share it with the people of Hawai'i. We also hope to break down a lot of the misconceptions people have about our sport because there's a lot of unnecessary controversy surrounding it. This sport is progressive, it's powerful and it's exciting. MMA is the future entertainment for the masses and RWE is here to help it reach epic proportions," he said.
On Friday, May 6th, fighter weigh-ins and a press conference will be held at the Ala Moana Centerstage at 2pm. Fans and media will have the opportunity to meet the fighters and their trainers and find out what strategies they have in store. Interested media will also have the opportunity to interview fighters pre and/or post event upon request. The May 7th event will be held at the Blaisdell Center Arena, doors will open at 6:30pm. Tickets, which go on sale Monday, April 18th, are priced at $35 and $70, with cage side seating priced between $150 and $300 They can be purchased online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or at any Ticketmaster location. MMA enthusiasts who cannot attend the event in person will have the opportunity to purchase certain fights on Pay-Per-View over the Internet - an option RWE has not offered in previous events.

The event will host the returns of UFC veterans David "Tank" Abbott (8-10), Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (13-7), Kimo Leopoldo (17-0), Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez (13-4) and Charuto Verissimo (4-2). Former football star Marcus "The Monster" Royster will make his ROTR debut at 6"8, 360 lbs against Kimo Leopoldo. Royster is being dubbed the biggest MMA athlete to ever compete professionally in Hawai'i. Other fights planned for ROTR 7 include:

Confirmed fights:

Heavyweights: Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (13-7) vs. Tank Abbott (8-10)

Heavyweights: Kimo Leopoldo (8-4) vs. Marcus "The Monster" Royster (4-0)

Light Heavyweights: Chris West (2-0) vs. Alan Goes (6-4)

Middleweights: Charuto Verissimo (4-2) vs. Yuichi Nakanishi (5-1)

Lightweights: Shaolin Riberio (10-1) vs. Tetsuji Kato (17-5)

Participating fighters:

Heavyweights:

Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez (13-4)

Source: RWE

WARRIORS QUEST
'RESSURRECTION"

DATE ANNOUNCED
Sat, May 28, 2005 @McKinley High Gym

It's finally set so let the WARRIORS prepare for the RESSURRECTION of WARRIORS QUEST, Once known for its exciting fights while putting Hawaii's Best athlete's aganist Mainland & Japans Top Competitiors.

We are inviting all Schools and fighters to participate in either Kickboxing or MMA style fights. All interested people call 808-590-3788 or email
second2none@hawaii.rr.com and someone will get back to you.


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