Upcoming
Events
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2006
3/25/06
Garden Island Cage Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)
3/4/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Venue TBA)
2/26/06
NAGA Hawaii State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Honolulu)
Tentative
2/11/06
Icon Sport 44
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/4/06
Kick it Up
(Kickboxing)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom, Honolulu)
UFC 57
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV)
1/20/06
ROTR 9
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/16/06
UFC Fight Night on Spike TV
Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV)
1/14/06
Punishment In Paradise: East vs. West II
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Sea Life Park, Honolulu)
1/7/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu)
January
Grappler's Quest Hawaii
(Submission Grappling)
(TBA)
2005
12/16/05
X-1 Battlegrounds at the O Lounge 3
(MMA)
(O Lounge Night Club, Honolulu)
12/10/05
Ultimate Warriors Combat
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Maui)
Full Contact Showdown
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
**POSTPONED**
So You Think You Tough
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
**POSTPONED**
12/4/05
Longman Jiu-Jitsu Open
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kauai)
11/29/05
Tuesday Night Fights
(Kickboxing)
(Central Pacific A.C.'s Academic and Athletic Training Center,
Hilo)
11/26/05
Warriors of The Ring 8
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
11/25/05
Kickin It 2005 "The Sequel"
Kickboxing Championships
(Kickboxing)
(Ilikai Hotel Ballroom)
|
|
December 2005 News
Part 1
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
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price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 9:30PM
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Quote
of the Day
"Humility is the only true wisdom by which we prepare
our minds for all the possible changes of life."
George Arliss, 1868-1946, British Actor
|
Ultimate
Warriors Combat Tonight!
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
December 10, 2005
1 K-1 Rules Kickboxing Match
1
Submission Grappling Match
Ermin
Fergerstrom (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) vs. tba
Lorrin
Ishimine (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Bronson Delima (Bulls
Pen)
Shawn
Bardon (Bulls Pen) vs. Michael Pedro (Maui)
Jason
McCormick Silva (HMC/Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) vs. tba
Makoa
Hanaike (Grappling Unlimited) vs. Alika Rincon (Young Guns Clube
de Luta)
Dylan
Clay (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Aaron Rose (808 Fight
Factory)
Ray
"King Kong" Seraile (Grappling Unlimited) vs. Dereck
Thorton (Rock Bottom Fight Team)
Co-Main
Event:
Mark Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs. Tyson Coloma-Nahooikaika (Brazilian
Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu)
Main
Event:
Thales Leites (BJ Penn's MMA) vs. Jason Guida
|
Update
on January's
Ultimate Fight Night 3 Fight Card
The third installment of Ultimate Fight Night will be on January
16, 2006 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The
main card will be broadcasted live on Spike TV at 9:00 pm ET.
Aaron
Riley will make his second appearance in the UFC. Riley lost
a classic battle against Robbie Lawler over 3 years ago at UFC
37. In Riley's last fight, he knocked out Michihiro Omigawa at
Pride Bushido 7. Riley's opponent at UFN will be Spencer Fisher.
Fisher defeated Thiago Alves at the October 3rd UFN.
Mike
Swick was originally signed to fight Jorge Rivera but will step
down after suffering a knee injury while sparring.
Josh
Koscheck will fight Jeremy Jackson. Both fighters have lost their
previous fight in the UFC.
Chris
Leben will be on the card.
The
two bouts officially announced were Tim Sylvia vs. Assuerio Silva
and Stephan "American Psycho" Bonnar vs. James Irvin.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
COFFEE
GUY EXCLUSIVE:
'THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER' SEASON 4 NEWS
By Coffee Guy
The following exclusive report was sent to us by our Zuffa informant
called 'Coffee Guy':
"The
try-outs for 'The Ultimate Fighter' season 3 are well underway,
but it seems that Zuffa is already planning for season 4 as well.
According
to my sources, Dana White may be planning to include UFC veterans
in season 4, and having them compete for a UFC contract.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Pride
FC Shockwave 2005 Fight Card
Here is an update on the PRIDE Shockwave 2005 card:
Vanderlei
Silva vs. Ricardo Arona
Emelianenko Fedor vs. Zulu
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Mark Hunt
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Yuki Kondo
Sanae Kikuta vs. Makoto Takimoto
Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Naoya Ogawa
Takanori Gomi vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai
Dan Henderson vs. Murilo Bustamante
Notes:
- All bouts have been confirmed.
- Gomi vs. Sakurai is the Bushido Tournament Lightweight Final.
- Henderson vs. Bustamante is the Bushido Tournament Welterweight
Final.
- Kazushi Sakuraba is expected to be on the card.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Champions
Factory renews fighters
Leader of Champions Factory, Artur Mariano is renewing the team
for 2006. The intention of Artur is to dry the number of fighters,
benefiting the technique quality. 'We used to have more than
20 professionals fighters. We are changing because we want quality
and not just quantity. It is easier to train a smaller group',
he said. Eduardo Maiorino - champion of the K-1 Brazil GP 2004
and vice-champion in 2003 - now does not train at Champions Factory.
After teaching Eduardo for four years, Artur saw that the athlete
wasn't motivated.
-
Nobody fought, we respect each other and I really like him. This
will be a good change for him as well - said Artur, with Maiorino's
confirmation. 'I think that my destiny in the Champions Factory
has finished. I've learned a lot of things there, but now I want
to follow my own steps, as a son that one day leaves his parents
to live his own life. It was a sad farewell, a lot of people
cried, but I must move on...Last year I pretend to fight a lot',
said Maiorino. His academy, one filial of the Champions Factory,
in Campo Grande (MS) will be now Muay Thai Maiorino.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick
of yoursuccess will be how you treat other people--your family,
friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the
way."
Barbara Bush, Former First Lady of the United States
|
For
Immediate Release Contact: Patrick Freitas
Icon Sport
Director of Promotions
808 375-1645
superbrawl21@yahoo.com
REMINDER:
Lawler vs. Mayhem: Icon Sport Pre-Fight Press Conference Today!
December 8, 2005 Honolulu, HI – Icon Sport, the new face
of Super Brawl, will hold its pre-fight press conference for
the February 18 event featuring Jason “Mayhem” Miller
and Icon Middleweight (185-lb) Champion “Ruthless”
Robbie Lawler at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 9, 2005 at the Eastside
Grill. Both athletes will be on hand for this media and fan event.
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler acquired the Icon Sport Middleweight
Title with his second round knockout victory over then-champion
Falaniko Vitale in the July 23 event, Super Brawl: ICON. Lawler’s
February 18 match-up with “Mayhem” will be his first
defense of the Icon Middleweight Title.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller earned his title shot at the
Icon Middleweight Title after submitting Falaniko Vitale via
rear naked choke in the October 28 event, Icon Sport: Opposites
Attract. Prior to his match with Vitale, “Mayhem” primarily
competed in Icon Sport’s welterweight (170-lb) division.
WHO: “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler vs. Jason “Mayhem”
Miller
WHAT: Pre-Fight Press Conference
WHEN: 2 p.m., Friday, December 9, 2005
WHERE: Eastside Grill – Pucks Alley on University Avenue
FANS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS MEDIA EVENT. “MAYHEM”
AND LAWLER WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AUTOGRAPHS AND PHOTOS AFTER
PRESS INTERVIEWS.
Source:
Icon Sports
|
Ultimate
Warriors Combat Tomorrow!
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
December 10, 2005
1 K-1 Rules Kickboxing Match
1
Submission Grappling Match
Ermin
Fergerstrom (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) vs. tba
Lorrin
Ishimine (Maui Full Contact Fighting) vs. Bronson Delima (Bulls
Pen)
Shawn
Bardon (Bulls Pen) vs. Michael Pedro (Maui)
Jason
McCormick Silva (HMC/Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) vs. tba
Makoa
Hanaike (Grappling Unlimited) vs. Alika Rincon (Young Guns Clube
de Luta)
Dylan
Clay (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Aaron Rose (808 Fight
Factory)
Ray
"King Kong" Seraile (Grappling Unlimited) vs. Dereck
Thorton (Rock Bottom Fight Team)
Co-Main
Event:
Mark Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs. Tyson Coloma-Nahooikaika (Maui Jiu-Jitsu/McKee
Kickboxing)
Main
Event:
Thales Leites (BJ Penn's MMA) vs. Jason Guida
Card subject to change.
|
Fairtex
Expanding
Fairtex is planning on expanding in 2006 with another location
opening in Mountain View, California. Fairtex currenty has a
school in San Francisco with GracieFighter Jake Shields as the
head jiu-jitsu instructor. It is very possible that the Mountain
View facility will also have a Team GracieFighter representative
instructing.
Source:
Gracie Fighter
|
'CRO
COP' VS. HUNT POSSIBILITY
 
Mark Hunt
The
Japanese media is reporting that the matchup of Mirko 'Cro Cop'
Filipovic vs. Mark Hunt will most likely take place on the PRIDE
card on December 31st.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
CONSPIRACY
THEORY RADIO SHOW ATTACKS MMA
For
you freaks out there like me that listen to talk radio, Alex
Jones is a regular on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory at
7PM on 830AM.
Cnspiracy theory radio show host, Alex Jones, who is also a friend
of Joe Rogan, seems to have attacked the sport of MMA. Here's
what the MMA insider known as 'Redneck' sent in to us:
"I
was just listening to the Alex Jones radio show and he savagely
attacked the sport of Mixed Martial arts, specifically "Ultimate
Fighting".
He
said when you walk into any restaurant in Texas that "Ultimate
Fighting is playing on the TV and they show guys fighting in
cages with no rules, often beating each other to death."
He
was using it to show how crazy it is that schools have banned
Dodgeball while society watches men being beaten to death on
TV, whilst the viewer eats a meal.
I
call for a boycott on this guy! Or an email campaign!
Here's
the radio station's website: GCN Live
-Redneck"
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."
Annie Dillard, American Author
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
EAST vs. WEST 2nd Anniversary
Jan
14,2006 Sea Life Park
UFC
Veterans Spratt & Ludwig in Hawaii
Pete
Spratt vs. Mark Moreno
Set
this date on your calendar, Jan 14, 2006 at Sea Life Park Punishment
In Paradise will bring you one of the BADEST kickboxing fights
to ever hit Hawaii. Two heavy hitters will collide as World Champion
Kickboxer Pete Spratt will face off against one Hawaii’s
HEAVY HITTERS in Mark Moreno. Last time we saw Moreno in a kickboxing
match he left the ring with his opponent sleeping..
Spratt
who we all remembered in one of Hawaii’s best fights ever
as he an Hawaii’s Ron Jhun BATTLED in Warriors Quest, As
it was a back and forth WAR!! When hit with the opportunity to
fight Spratt, Moreno answered with “SHOOTS” which in
Hawaii is like lets go!!
Duane
Ludwig Vs. Jason Dacquel
International
MMA & Kickboxer Duane BANG Ludwig will face of against Jason
Dacquel a Rumble on the Rock Veteran. Ludwig Known especially
for his wins ove Genki Suda and his K.O Victory over UFC Champion
Jens Pulver will lay his reputation on the line as he faces hard
hitting HAWAIIAN Dacquel. Dacquel is also known on the island
for his power as he sent Former Superbrawl Champion JR Palmer
to the canvas with a body blow.
Tickets
on sale bdkamaka@comcast.net for outlets!
|
Christopher
Delgado Fund Raiser
FightResource.com is asking for your help this Holiday in support
of young Grappler Christopher Delgado.
On
August 28 2004, Christopher was struck and dragged by a driver
under the influence of alcohol and narcotics. His face was crushed,
with multiple fractures and lacerations, resulting in the permanent
loss of his eyesight. An arm and leg were shattered. Chris has
extraordinary strength and courage - he survived.
His
road to recover is long. The first surgery was to remove plates
and screws from his leg. The second surgery was to his face,
giving Christopher a new nose, and a return to as much of his
original appearance as possible. Doctors estimate he will have
up to eleven surgeries during the course of his life.
Christopher
studies with Al Verduzco, owner of Extreme Martial Arts. The
training is restoring his strength and building his confidence.
On a day that epitomizes his character, May 21, 2005 Christopher
entered the NAGA Chicago Grappling Championship, and medalled!
We
are asking for everyone in the MMA community to help Christopher’s
rise up. His mother Monica had to quit her full-time job to care
for Christopher round the clock, leaving the family in a precarious
financial state. He is doing everything he can. Our community
has thus far raised thousands of dollars, to be presented to
Christopher and his family just before Christmas. This effort
has zero overhead; everything you offer will go to the Delgado
Fund.
Donations
are being accepted via paypal through MMA.tv. The email address
is Donations@MMA.tv. We would be profoundly grateful for any
financial help with this effort, and if you could forward this,
and post in publicly.
Source: MMA.tv
|
YAMAMOTO
LACKS RESPECT IN USA?
When MMA Weekly’s official fighter rankings came out earlier
this month, three of the four participants in New Year’s
Eve lightweight tournament finals were present, but there was
one notable absence. Along side the likes of Takanori Gomi, Hayoto
“Mach” Sakurai, and Genki Sudo should have been Norifumi
“Kid” Yamamoto, yet he failed to make the rankings.
Why
could this be? Yamamoto, like the three others, dispatched all
his opponents en route to a highly anticipated finals bout on
December 31st. His record certainly isn’t lacking, at 10-1
he has the fewest MMA losses of any of the four finalists. He’s
a national superstar in his native Japan, like the other three,
yet he still remains on the outside looking in.
Possibly
the main reason for Kid’s non-inclusion could be the fact
that he has yet to receive the kind of American exposure that
the others get. Having spent most of his career in Shooto and
K-1, bouncing back and forth between kickboxing and MMA, there
has been less chance for American voters to see him in action.
Had
people been able to watch Yamamoto fight there would be an undoubted
larger support group for him Stateside. Throughout both his kickboxing
and MMA careers, Kid has failed to be anything less than exciting
each time out. He certainly comes from a pedigree of ballsy all-out
fighters, coming originally out of Enson Inoue’s Purebread
team.
In
Yamamoto’s largest exposure on the delayed 2004 K-1 Premium
Dynamite PPV, Kid fought hard against K-1 superstar Masato in
a kickboxing bout, but lost due to size difference. Standing
only 5’ 4” tall, his height can be a problem against
larger opponents, especially in a striking-only style bout, but
kickboxing matches shouldn’t be the judging criteria of
an MMA fighter, just ask Genki Sudo who is 2-3 in K-1 rules bouts.
Since
making his MMA debut in 2001, Kid has only gone to decision twice
against some of the better lightweight fighters around. Among
the competition he’s faced has been the likes of Masato
Shiozawa (a dominant Shooto staple during the 2001-03 years),
Josh Thomson, Stephen
Paling,
Jeff Curran, Royler Gracie, and Caol Uno. With a resume of wins
over all but Thomson (their fight ended in a no contest due to
a groin kick) and Paling, Kid has the credentials
to match up to some of the best in the division.
The
fact that perhaps Yamamoto hasn’t competed on a regular
enough basis to qualify for MMA rankings is also possible. Since
leaving Shooto in 2002, Kid has not had more than two MMA fights
a year excluding this year’s three-fight tournament draw
that saw him fight twice in one night.
Still,
there are fighters out there that have had the same level of
activity and have garnished more acclaim than Norifumi has. So
what will it take for American fans and voters to finally realize
that Yamamoto deserves more attention and respect than he has?
Most
importantly he has to defeat Sudo at 2005 K-1 Premium Dynamite
and take the Hero’s Lightweight Tournament Championship.
Sudo is a name that American fans know and respect, a convincing
win against him will go a long way in getting the attention of
people who might not get to see the fight if K-1 does not put
the show on PPV.
The
next biggest step would be to take that attention and use it
to get fights abroad. Yamamoto has only competed out of Japan
twice in his career and not since 2003. With the current state
of MMA in places like Hawaii where MMA is possibly the most popular
sport, a return trip to the islands could be a big boost for
Kid’s exposure in front of a hardcore crowd.
There’s
an always-possible chance he may come to the mainland USA. In
interviews he’s expressed interest and K-1 does promote
shows in Las Vegas, but they have yet to integrate MMA into those
shows. With rules differences from what Hero’s use and what
the NSAC will allow, it could be a longshot to see him on a Mirage
or Bellagio PPV.
If
the UFC can reforge their long-standing relationship with K-1
there is a chance that Kid could compete for the company if they
bring back the lightweight division. But there has yet to be
a K-1 contract fighter in the UFC since Genki Sudo and Duane
“Bang” Ludwig fought each other in 2003 and there hasn’t
been a lightweight bout in the company since 2004.
Could
Yamamoto come to the States and show people what he brings to
the table he could easily become just as popular here with fans
as he is in Japan. His aggressive style and natural charisma
matched with his KO power could make him one of the most in-demand
fighters around. But without exposure he remains a fighter with
all the right credentials, just not the exposure to make him
the rankable and recognized star in the US that he should be.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Mixed
Martial Arts in Chicago!?!?!?
Word
is circulating that barier have been overcome, in the long drawn
out batle to bring MMA back to IL.
The Midwest is deep in MMA talent, featuring some of the best
fighters, teams and promotions in the business. IL had been a
hub in the region for MMA action, with long time promotions such
as the Chicago Challenge, the Ironheart Crown, Submission Fighting Championship becoming mainstays
in the MMA world.
But in 1996 following an appeal by senator John McCain to ban
the sport, IL like so many other states banned "Ultimate
Fighting" across the board. It was a dark time for the sport,
as a PPV ban followed shortly thereafter. The tremendous popularity
of the evens on Spike TV ans FSN have paved the way for change.
Several small shows have maintained their presence in the Land
of Lincoln as underground venues, but now they can crawl out
of the shadows and run legitimate professional events. Others
such as the Ironheart Crown, who was forced over the border into
Indiana, can return home to the place that it all started.
It seems there is a detailed application process to receive a
permit to run in IL, but this is not unexpected. All in all in
is great news for the fighters and fans of the hottest sport
on the planet... Mixed Martial Arts.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared
half to death."
Omar N. Bradley, 1893-1981, American Army Field Commander during
World War II
|
Sakaruba
training hard in Curitiba
Pride
fighter Kazushi Sakaruba is in Curitiba training with Chute Boxe
crew. During his arrival, he was hosted by the biggest team stars,
as Wanderlei Silva, Maurício Shogun and Murilo Ninja,
beyond a Japanese TV team Fuji. 'Sakaruba went direct to the
train. There, we gave him a special treatment", said the
master Rudimar Fedrigo. In this second passage, Sakaruba will
stay 20 days training in the Paraná capital. Rudimar has
a special attention to the Japanese skills. "Now he has
more time to do better training. I like his presence. He is really
responsible and taught us a lesson," remembered the master,
adding: "He made a statement in Japan saying that I was
his father in Brazil. Do you imagine? (laughs)".
Source: Tatame
|
'MINOTAURO'
VS. 'ZULUZINHO' AND WERDUM VS. ALEXANDER EMELIANENKO
Gracie Magazine reports that the following matchups have been
confirmed by the Brazilian Top Team and Mauricio Behring, who
manage Rodrigo 'Minotauro' and Fabricio Werdum, respectively.
The
matchups will take place on the PRIDE card on December 31st:
Rodrigo
'Minotauro' Nogueira vs. 'Zuluzinho'
Fabricio Werdum vs. Aleksander Emelianenko
Source: Fight Sport
|
TUF
3 MAY FEATURE UK PARTICIPANTS
The top of the American MMA food-chain was present at Cage Rage
this weekend in the form of Dana White, President of the UFC.
Dana comes to Cage Rage having successfully run UK auditions
for The Ultimate Fighter Series 3 over the last two days here
in London.
MMAWeekly’s
Lee Whitehead managed to catch up with Dana briefly to discuss
the level of competition at the auditions, the Shamrock/Ortiz
situation, Forest Griffin’s upcoming fight with Tito and
his expectations of TUF3.
White
revealed that his expectations coming to the UK were fairly low
as the UK MMA scene hasn’t been around as long as the US
or Japan but has been surprised by the quality of the applicants
so far. He originally expected to return to the US today with
2 fighters but will instead be returning with 9 fighters for
further assessment.
White
wouldn’t mention any names upon being pressed further about
the identities of the applicants but did confirm that he has
spoken to both Alex Reid of London Shootfighters and Michael
Bisping of The Wolfslair Gym as they were present at the auditions.
Everyone
involved in the TUF3 season will be expecting fireworks between
Shamrock and Ortiz, not least of all White who stated that this
was the main driving force behind pairing these two up and that
it pretty much guarantees excellent TV footage. White also mentioned
that despite the fact that Ortiz is now a contracted UFC fighter
again, he doesn’t expect much to change between the two
and feels that they will always end up banging heads on issues.
Pushing
White for a verdict on what he thought the outcome would be of
the Ortiz/Griffin fight is a difficult matter and White would
only state that he feels that Griffin has better stand-up and
a better Jui-Jitsu game but that Ortiz has a much better wrestling
base and underrated submission defense skills. He does acknowledge
that by the time they fight Ortiz will be coming off an 18-month
competition break and wonders if ring rust will be a factor?
In
closing; The question of who Shamrock’s likely opponent
for the 2nd fight of his contract will be remains unanswered
and depends on the outcome of the Ortiz fight, White did however
state that Shamrock has had an immense contribution to the sport
and would like to see him stay with the UFC even when he does
decide to retire from active competition. White wouldn’t
go into the design of such plans but it would be hard to speculate
on Shamrock taking up an ambassador/figurehead role for the organization.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get
even less than you settled for."
Maureen Dowd, American Newspaper Columnist
|
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 35 Tonight!
Fighters' Club
TV Episode 35 is cut and submitted to programming.
Airdates as follows: Nov 15, 22, and 29--Tuesday nights at 930pm
on
Oceanic Ch.52 (Olelo on Oahu)
Episode
35 features:
-Highlights from ROTR qualifier fight between:
--Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun vs Thales Leite (plus
intvw w/
Thales--this guy's a bad ass and BJ Penn's sparring partner)
Think you're a true MMA fight fan. Do you know who Randy "the
Natural"
Couture is? How about Jens "lil Evil" Pulver? Find
out what Randy's
feelings are on TUF2, the UFC, and Steroids. Jens talks about
the Pride
GP he just fought in and his severe eye injury--did you know
he's been
blind in one eye since his fight? Find out these things and more...
And
of course, Hawaii's favorite FCTV personalities, Chris "the
Handsome
One" & Mike "the Icon" Onzuka, and Mark "Special
K" Kurano (aka. "the
other guy")
Don't miss the outtakes over the credits where our true talent
is
showcased!
questions,
comments, suggestions?
email us at: fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
If you have
not checked out the Fighters' Club TV website, check
it out.
The show is still on every Tuesday night at 9:30PM on Channel
52 and on Akaku in Maui.
|
Lawler
vs. Mayhem: Icon Sport Pre-Fight Press Conference This Friday
 
December 5, 2005 Honolulu, HI – Icon Sport, the new face
of Super Brawl, announced today that the pre-fight press conference
for the February 18 event featuring Jason “Mayhem”
Miller and Icon Middleweight (185-lb) Champion “Ruthless”
Robbie Lawler will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 9, 2005
at the Eastside Grill. Both athletes will be on hand for this
media and fan event.
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler acquired the Icon Sport Middleweight
Title with his second round knockout victory over then-champion
Falaniko Vitale in the July 23 event, Super Brawl: ICON. Lawler’s
February 18 match-up with “Mayhem” will be his first
defense of the Icon Middleweight Title.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller earned his title shot at the
Icon Middleweight Title after submitting Falaniko Vitale via
rear naked choke in the October 28 event, Icon Sport: Opposites
Attract. Prior to his match with Vitale, “Mayhem” primarily
competed in Icon Sport’s welterweight (170-lb) division.
“Mayhem” sparked a controversy earlier this week with
his incendiary internet blog entry he posted at a popular mixed
martial arts website. In the blog, “Mayhem” stated:
“…Robbie Lawler, I'm going to choke you unconscious.
I have to. It's what I do…it's my destiny. Please don't
tap. It makes for so much more of a heroic picture for you to
go out on your shield. The Hawaiian Fans need this, and I'm going
to bring the belt straight back to the rock….”
Thousands of fans read the entry in the first few hours it was
posted. Sites throughout the internet literally erupted with
chatter immediately after “Mayhem’s” comments
were posted. Fans were polarized on the web-post; some sharply
criticized his statements while the “Mayhem Monkeys”
– “Mayhem’s” cult-like fan club - praised
his bold claim.
Icon Sport nearly filled the 8,000 person Blaisdell Arena to
capacity with each of its three 2005 events. “Mayhem”
versus Lawler, Icon’s first event of 2006, looks to have
the momentum to continue this trend of arena-filling mixed martial
arts athletics in Hawaii.
WHO: “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler vs. Jason “Mayhem”
Miller
WHAT: Pre-Fight Press Conference
WHEN: 2 p.m., Friday, December 9, 2005
WHERE: Eastside Grill – Pucks Alley on University Avenue
FANS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS MEDIA EVENT. “MAYHEM”
AND LAWLER WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AUTOGRAPHS AND PHOTOS AFTER
PRESS INTERVIEWS.
|
RICKSON
VS. ZULU RE-VISITED
In
the eighties, Canal 100 exhibited in Rio de Janeiro's theaters
the confrontation between Rickson and Rei Zulu that took place
in Maracanazinho, RJ, before 20 thousand people. Afterwards the
scenes were used as an ending to the film Gracie in Action, commercialized
by Rorion Gracie in the USA. With all that, even though many
people haven't watched them, these 20-year-old images pervade
the collective uncouscious of the fight milieu.
Until
now, however, History had forgotten the fact that Rickson and
Zulu fought for the first time in a gymnasium with little public
in Brasilia, on April 25th 1980. On that day, chicken-body, as
Zulu called Gracie, had never fought as a pro and wasn't the
family's champion yet. But, even so, he was about to face the
greatest challenge in his career.
Seen
close to the ring as an 11-year-old, brother Royler recollects,
"I remember my old man (Helio Gracie) wanted Rolls to fight,
and Rolls telling him to give the kid (Rickson) a chance. 'If
Zulu wins I'll get him later, but he won't go through Rickson.'
It was after this fight that Rickson's name arose to the world.
Before that he was unknown."
Zulu's
size, who at 6'4 and 180 pounds was a true giant of his time,
was a big subject on that day's news. But Rickson, incredibly
daring for a 20-year-old kid, couldn't be more confident. "If
size mattered, the elephant would be the king of the jungle,"
wrote the Correio Braziliense.
At
the beginning of the battle, Zulu went for his opponent's waist,
and Rickson let fly a knee strike that took two teeth from the
maranhense's mouth. The King wasn't even affected. He shook his
head, tossed about, and went back towards the boy. The fight
was predicted to last at most three ten-minute rounds but, before
being submitted, Zulu would escape several strikes and throw
the blackbelt out of the ring three times, despite his mouth
bleeding from the first strike, which did not stop. A rear-naked-choke
ended the fight at two minutes of the second round.
More
than Zulu's resume, agility and size; more than the backstage
bets and the fights outside the rings; more than the encounter
between Helio Gracie and Waldemar Santana, who lived in Brasilia
and promoted the event; more than the mark this duel would represent
in fighting history; more than any of this, what marked the occasion
was the fight itself, as the witnesses say, the images prove,
and Rickson states, almost a quarter-century later:
"It
was the toughest experience in my career. My father and Rolls
were in my corner and were very important to my victory. When
the fight was over Zulu came up to me and said: 'Yeah, kid, congratulations,
but you've got all that help and I'm a self-made fighter.' He
was right. Thinking of these words, I realized how special a
fighter Zulu was and how much I have to thank my family and God
for.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Pride
on the way to beat K-1 again
After
two loses for K-1 at Japanese television, Pride promises to be
really strong in the day 31 of December. One of the great fights
os the night are the belt disputes already confirmed, like Murilo
Bustamante facing Dan Henderson for the GP Welterweight, Takanori
Gomi facing Hayato Sakurai for the GP Lightweight and the possibility
of the presence of Wanderlei Silva against Ricardo Arona, for
the Middleweight belt.
Supporting
Pride's audience, the battle of two Judo fighters Hidehiko Yoshida
and Naoya Ogawa has been helping out K-1. The dispute between
two good names of the sport in Japan is already considered as
the main fight of the Pride of 31 of December especially for
the local public. The expectation for this fight is so huge,
that even without K-1 confirming their main fight people are
already saying that the Pride can have bigger audience than its
main rival in the Japanese television.
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
Pride
Shockwave 2005
Saturday,
December 31, 2005
Saitama
Super Arena, Saitama - Japão
Final
of the Pride GP Lightweight
-
Takanori Gomi vs. Hayato Sakurai;
Final
of the Pride GP Welterweight
-
Murilo Bustamante vs. Dan Henderson;
Other
disputes
-
Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Naoya Ogawa.
Source: Tatame
|
'SHOGUN'
AND 'NINJA' SPEAK
The
Rua brothers, Murilo "Ninja" and Mauricio "Shogun".
The
Rua brothers, Mauricio 'Shogun' and Murilo 'Ninja', and one of
their trainers since childhood, Zitto, were all recently interviewed
together by the PRIDE website. Here's what Shogun, Ninja, and
Zitto had to say:
Interviewer:
Shogun, what did you think of your brother's fight in PRIDE 30?
Shogun:
Everyone at Chute Boxe believes in Ninja's potential, and Ninja
trained as hard as he could, so I knew that he would do well.
I think that Ninja proved with this fight that he is the greatest
fighter in the middleweight division.
Interviewer:
Before the fight, Ninja said this would be a very important match.
Was there any special mood during training?
Shogun:
Yes... (yells) (At this point, bees attack both Rua brothers)
Ninja:
(after collecting himself) Yes, there was some pressure because
I had to win this match in particular, and I was a little nervous
on the day of the fight. However, I trained very hard in striking
and on the ground, so I was confident that I would win by KO
or submission. I'm happy that I actually won by submission.
Shogun:
I think Ninja's power was different than before. He hasn't fought
in a while, but during that time he devoted himself to getting
stronger. In terms of strength, this fight is the strongest he
has ever been.
Interviewer:
Let me ask you about your mother. I've heard that she is a famous
track athlete in Brazil.
Shogun:
Yes, our mother always places high in events. She's currently
a marathon runner. She runs every day. I think that we are good
fighters today because of our mother's support.
Interviewer:
Did she make you run with her when you were children?
Ninja:
No, nothing like that.
Shogun:
Ninja and I compete with her in short races but in the end, she
always run laps around us. (laughing) Mama always places in the
top positions but we are always in the back. It's tough because
people always say to us, "Your mother is faster than you
even though she is in her 50's and you're in your 20s."
Interviewer:
Do both of you run marathons?
Shogun:
Sometimes we all run in 10 km races.
Interviewer:
What were your mother's punishments like?
Shogun:
Her discipline wasn't tough. Actually, it was the reverse. Both
of our parents are very kind to us. They played soccer and swam
with us since we were children and we've never been needy. We
were able to eat what we wanted, and I think all of these things
had an affect on the kind of fighters that we are today.
Interviewer:
Ninja, have you ever thought that Shogun was spoiled?
Ninja:
No. It was our other brother, Shaolin, who was spoiled. (laughing)
Shogun:
Ninja and Shaolin are always fighting. I always have to get between
them and work it out. (laughing)
Ninja:
Is that how it is? (laughing)
Interviewer:
Do you give Shaolin an allowance from your fight money?
Shogun:
We're always giving money to him. Shaolin will become rich some
day. He gets money from me, from Ninja, and from our parents.
Interviewer:
Is your father talented at sports?
Shogun:
I think he was good. It was just a hobby for him but we used
to play soccer together. He's a super businessman now, flying
all around the world.
Interviewer:
You've been with Professor Zitto (Chute Boxe Japan instructor),
who is here with you today, since you were children, right?
Shogun:
Ninja and I have always trained at Zitto's place. We have churrascaria
(Brazilian BBQ) parties before our fights but Zitto is cheap
and won't buy much meat for us. That's why all of our fighters
are hungry when they fight. (laughing)
Zitto:
I'm not cheap! (laughing) These guys eat too much so (no matter
how much I buy) it's never enough. It's better not to eat much
meat before a fight, right? These guys eat a lot. I used to operate
a store selling sandwiches and candies and Ninja came to work
part-time for me. Ninja ate too much though, and I went out of
business!
Interviewer:
Is that true?
Zitto:
Of course it's true!
Ninja:
I can't help it. I love chocolate and candy. (laughing)
Interviewer:
What are your hobbies, besides martial arts?
Ninja:
I like to watch soccer matches but I don't really have any special
hobbies. I like to spend time around my house, watching videos
and eating with my family.
Shogun:
I always train with Ninja and we spend most of our weekends together,
too. We go to watch soccer and movies together, and we walk our
dogs together.
Interviewer:
You really have a good relationship. Finally, Shogun, you said
in a recent interview that you want to fight Yoshida.
Shogun:
I think Mr. Yoshida is a really excellent fighter and if we fight,
it would definitely be a good match. I want to show the fans
good fights, so I hope to fight Yoshida some day.
Interviewer:
Ninja, is there anyone that you want to fight?
Ninja:
I don't choose my opponents, so anyone is fine. If PRIDE makes
me an offer, I could drop down to 83 kg (183 pounds) and fight
in the Welterweight Grand Prix. If so, I'd like to fight Gono
again and finally see who is better. (Note: Ninja and Akihiro
Gono's fight in Pro SHOOTO on May 1st, 2001, ended in a draw.)
Source: Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how
to do it, and virtue is doing it."
David Starr Jordan, 1851-1931, American Biologist and Educator
|
Icon
Sport Radio This Morning
9:00 to
10:00 AM
1420 AM
Be sure tune into
another exciting hour of MMA interviews, opinions, and updates
on The Icon Sport MMA Show presented by Steinlager Monday morning
at 9 a.m (HST), 12pm (PST) on Sports Radio 1420 am KKEA. Our
shows have been action-packed with guests Dana White, Rich Franklin,
Matt Hughes, the one-and-only Jason "Mayhem" Miller,
and the FCTV crew's Mike Onzuka and Mark Kurano.
We've had lots of great listener call-ins already, but we would
like more!
Last week the streaming link at www.sportsradio1420.com
had a coding error and did not function properly. We apologize
to all of our listeners who were unable to catch the show on-line.
KKEA engineers have assured us that the web link is now up and
ready. So, if you're stuck at your desk, or if you're one of
national/international listeners, listen to the show on your
computer.
We encourage all listeners to call the show to answer the daily
fan question and speak to our MMA celebrity guests. Local listeners
can call (808) 296-1420. Mainland and international listeners
can call the toll free line at (866) 400-1420. You can also email
the show at inconsportradio@yahoo.com.
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
EAST vs WEST 2ND Anniversary
Sat Jan 14,2006 @ Sea Life Park
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!!
$25.00 Advance $35.00 Event Day
ONLY 1,000 TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT GET IT WHILE IT LAST!!
Welterweight Shooto
Kaleo Kwon (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) Vs. Kevin Smith (Big Dogs,
Waianae)
Welterweight Shooto
Makoa Hainake (Team MMAD, Kahuku) Vs. David Padilla (Jesus Is
Lord, Waipahu)
Middleweight Shooto
Kyle Miyahana (Team MMAD, Kailua) Vs. PJ Dean (Bad Intentions,
Waianae)
Welterweight Shooto
Kaipo Gonzales (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) Vs Gene Gregory (Mixed
Bred, Waipahu)
Featherweight Amateur Shooto
Chaz Schmidt (Team MMMAD, Kailua) Vs. Isiah Cobb Adamms (Animal
House, Ewa Beach)
Heavyweight Kickboxing
Hanson Apo (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) Vs. Val Ulafale (Team Bigdogs,
Waianae)
145lbs Kickboxing
Jarret Iha (Koden Kan, Kailua) Vs. Kaleo Ing (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
Welterweight Shooto
John Kukahiko (Koden Kan, Kailua) Vs. Allan Jones (Freelance,
Waianae)
**CARD SUBJECT TO CHANGE**
More fights will be announced we just figured to give you a taste
of what you will see plus EAST FIGHTERS like Kimo Wolfel &
Ikaika Choy Fu and Bryan Ingram along with WEST FIGHTERS Bob
Ostovich & Wayne Perrin III, Domi Lopez, Kepa Rivera and
Team BJ Penn plus many more!
We
are currently working on possible Shooto tournaments over the
course of a few shows to determine which fighters will be in
contention to be ranked locally. Some of the fights above may
be the first of eight men brackets as fighters make their mark
in the Shooto organization and possibly fight their way to a
possible title shot.
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT PLACES LISTED BELOW
808 Fight Factory (Kim Jhun,Waipahu)
Jesus Is Lord Gym (David Padilla, Waipahu)
Team Bigdogs (Wayne Perrin, Waianae)
Koden Kan (John Kukahiko, Kailua)
Team MMAD (Randy, Kailua)
Eastsidaz (Mike Malone, Kaleo Kwan, Waimanalo)
Bad Intentions (PJ Dean, Waianae)
Jus Rush (Cisco Bringas, Kailua)
Animal House (Rick Lee, Ewa Beach)
For contact information for any school or manager above can contact
bdkamaka@comcast.net
|
BRINK
KO'D IN :10 SECONDS
Aaron Brink lost his fourth fight in a row, this time in just
:10 seconds to Buckley Acosta at King of the Cage. Brink at one
time fought in the UFC at UFC 28 losing to Andrei Arlovski.
Now
he has lost four fights in a row as he continues to not only
fight but continues to work in the adult entertainment industry
as "Dick Delaware". Either way his career has never
been the same. Here are the results of King Of The Cage Final
Conflict show from Soboba Casino, in San Jacinto, CA.
-
Anthony Mendez defeats Robert Zunner by TKO at 0:56, RD 1.
- Lucas Taber defeats Robert Driml by heel hook at 0:41, RD 1.
- Joey Alvarado defeats Jason Wheat by armbar at 0:19, RD 1.
- Keith Berry defeats Johnny Vazquez by TKO, RD 1.
- Aaron Wetherspoon defeats Val Leedy by KO at 1:52, RD 1.
- Billy Bearman defeats Betto Cornica by rear naked choke at
1:27, RD 1.
- Nam Phan defeats Albert Hill by armbar at 0:12, RD 1.
- Thomas Denny defeats James Fanshier by TKO at 0:18, RD 2.
- Fernando Gonzalez defeats Ray Lazama by unanimous decision.
- Manny Tapia defeats Ed Newalu by unanimous decision.
- Rob McCullough defeats Gabe Rivas by TKO at 3:11, RD 2.
- Cub Swanson defeats Fernando Arreola by submission at 3:21,
RD 1.
- Mike Bourke defeats Alan Zunner by forearm choke at 1:04, RD
1.
- Tom Kenney defeats Shawn Bias by choke at 0:23, RD 2.
- Brian Warren defeats Rubin Tagle by TKO at 1:13, RD 1.
- Dave Rivas defeats Kaleo
Kwon by
unanimous decision.
- Buckley Acosta defeats Aaron Brink by KO at 0:10, RD 1.
- Mike Guymon defeats Ken Cadoy by guillotine choke, RD 1.
- Lawrence Grant defeats Pat White by rear naked choke, RD 1.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
57: Whitehead vs. Jardine
According
to Mike Whitehead's website (http://www.ironmikewhitehead.com/) he will be facing
Kieth Jardine at UFC 57, the same show featuring Couture v. Liddell
III.
The
fight will supposedly be at 205 (???), which is kinda weird since
both of those guys will have about 40-50 pounds to lose. It shall
be interesting to see...
Source: MMA Weekly |
CAGE
RAGE PHOTOS NOW UP
MMAWeekly's Lee Whitehead was in England this weekend for Cage
Rage and has the photo's up in the photo gallery. Just click
on the photo gallery to check out all the photos from this past
week.
Also
if you missed the video weigh-in's they are also up on MMAWeekly
TV.
The Premium package gives you even MORE daily MMA information
than you can get anywhere on the planet. With the MMA Premium
Package you get all of the great videos you've been accustomed
to... we are talking great features like the Tip of the Week
from fighters like Royce Gracie,Ken Shamrock, Dan Henderson,
Chuck Liddell, and many others. All archived so that you can
watch them again and again, any time you want and practice the
moves over and over.
You
also have access to Behind the Scenes footage with the actual
weigh in's from Japan, the UFC, K-1 and more. The Premium Package
now also gives you access to ALL of our Soundoff MMA talk shows
heard daily Monday thru Friday.
Although
the live broadcast of SoundOff is still provided free of charge,
the Radio Archive gives you archived access to every show for
those times when you just aren't able to catch the show live.
You have to work and can't catch the radio show every day? Now
you can have access to every single show, 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week at your finger tips.
It's
just five dollars a month and gives you access to all the video
channels and the audio and video archives. Sign up today for
the NEW MMA Premium Package at MMAWeekly.com a great christmas
gift for the fan that wants the most mma information on the planet.
Source: MMA Weekly |
PANCRASE
CARD FROM JAPAN
The Pancrase 2005 Spiral Tour concluded this weekend from Tokyo
Japan. Yuki Kondo was in one of the main event matches and drew
with Takumi Yano in a grappling match, while Takafumi Ito won
by split decision over Andy Wang. Here is the full card....
MMA
matchups:
Takafumi Ito defeats Andy Wang by split decision.
Hikaru Sato drew with Kyosuke Sasaki.
Ichiro Kanai beat Shunichi Akimoto by TKO at 4:32, RD 2.
Windy Tomomi defeats Sayaka by TKO at 2:14, RD 1.
Ryo Kawamura defeats Sumio Koyano by unanimous decision.
Yukito defeats Minoru Tsuiki by armbar at 0:15, RD 1.
Kenji Shimada defeats Masaki Yanagisawa by KO at 2:42, RD 2.
Grappling matchup:
Yuki Kondo drew with Takumi Yano.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings."
Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784, English Author and Critic
|
Spike
TV Casting Call Information
Dana
White was on hand at the casting call for the new season of the
Ultimate Fighter. Some insiders say that this season should be
a stellar one judging by the talent present at the tryouts and
that it could possibly be the best one yet. Below is the information
for the event.
THE
ULTIMATE FIGHTER
SEASON
III OPEN CASTING CALL
WHAT:
The UFC and Spike TV will hold an open casting call in Boston
for Season 3 of the wildly popular series, The Ultimate Fighter.
This season the series will be casting mixed martial artists
in the Light Heavyweight (185-205lbs) and Middleweight (170-185lbs)
divisions.
WHEN:
Wednesday, November 30
10:00am-2:00pm
WHERE:
Boston Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
10
Dedham
Newton,
Mass
02461
WHO:
Dana White, a former Boston resident who serves as UFC President
and host of The Ultimate Fighter, will oversee the tryouts.
Also
in attendance: Kenny Florian (Season 1 finalist and Boston resident)
Marcus Davis (Season 2 participant and lives in Bangor, Maine)
Peter Welch (The Ultimate Fighter boxing coach)
WHY:
Season 3 of one of television’s most popular series begins
taping in Las Vegas in January. For Seasons 1 and 2, over 2 million
people tuned in each week to watch the world’s best up-and-coming
mixed martial artists compete for a six-figure contract with
the UFC.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
FREEDOM
FIGHT 2006 Announces Captains
On
January 14th, 2006 the battle for fighting supremacy continues
as TEAM USA returns north to do battle with TEAM CANADA. APEX
Entertainment Group and Freedom Fight Productions were very careful
to select the perfect coaches to lead the troops to war and provide
the energy needed for Canada's most viewed event. "We are
proud to announce the team captains representing Team Canada
and Team USA and we feel that entertainment level of the event
has just reached new heights." Says organizers Pete Rodley
and Alex Caporicci.
Representing
Team Canada is one of Canada's top MMA competitors, who has traveled
the world representing the great white north. Former UFC champion
Carlos "The Ronin" Newton, who has wins against MMA
legends like Renzo Gracie and Pat Militech has always been one
of the sports most beloved athletes. Newton's respect for his
competitors and martial arts has earned him millions of fans
from North America to Asia.
Representing
Team USA is none other than the "New York Badass" Phil
Baroni. One of the sports most controversial figures, this multiple
UFC and Pride veteran is someone who is definitely not shy to
say what is on his mind. Baroni has seen all there is to see
in MMA and is prepared to give his team the motivation they need
to come out victorious is this historic event.
Despite
having personalities that are polar opposites of each other,
Newton and Baroni do have in common a tremendous determination
to win. It is this determination that will be contagious to both
teams as they strive to survive on January 14th. Both team captains
are proud of the country they represent and will not be happy
unless their team comes out with the medals around their neck.
Look
for big news soon on how fans can mingle with these fighting
icons and meet the Freedom Fighters just days before they step
into the ring!
The
Holiday Inn Plaza la Chaudiere Gatineau is once again the official
hotel of APEX: FREEDOM FIGHT 2006! Conveniently located in the
heart of Gatineau's business district and minutes from downtown
Ottawa, this 4 star facility offers 232 spacious rooms, pool,
whirlpool, sauna, restaurant, bar, parking and more. Call 800-567-1962
or 819-778-3880 for more information, and be sure to mention
that you're coming for FREEDOM FIGHT 2006 to get your discounted
rate of $99.00 per night. The hotel is located at 2,rue Montcalm,
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, JBX 4B4. BOOK EARLY TO GUARANTEE YOUR
SPECIAL RATE!
TICKETS
ON SALE NOW AT TICKETMASTER.CA OR BY CALLING 613-755-1111
APEX:
FREEDOM FIGHT 2006 is proudly sponsored by BUDWEISER, HOLIDAY
INN GATINEAU, EAU COOL, FAIRTEX GEAR, 106.6 THE BEAR, THE OTTAWA
SUN, DIVINITIVE.COM, HARD ROCK CAFÉ, MAGIC DRAGONMIST,
UTAN,SHOWDOWN ENTERTAINMENT, ARCTIC TAN WHOLESALE, OTTAWAENTERTAINMENT.CA
and ITGC.ca,. Please take the time to visit these sponsors, who
help support MMA!
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Shamrock
vs. Ortiz Is Back
By Jeremy Wall
So finally, over three years after their initial fight, we have
the rematch between Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz. Both Shamrock
and Ortiz will be coaches on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter
in 2006, and I'm sure, based on the heat between the two men,
that everyone at Zuffa and Spike TV are betting on big fireworks
and big ratings for the third season of Spike's highest rated
show.
The
UFC 40 fight, which took place way back in November 2002, between
Tito and Ken was the biggest drawing UFC fight in history. The
pay per view was estimated to have drawn around 150,000 buys
(which has most likely been surpassed) and a record gate (which
has definitely since been surpassed). It was a huge fight, the
return of Ken Shamrock to the promotion that made him a star
after a delayed absence where he spent many years with the WWF
and a few fights with Pride.
Tito
destroyed Ken, although Ken has used injured as an excuse as
to why he lost that fight since then. Tito will be a heavy favourite
to win their rematch, and the only way he will lose is if he
screws it up for himself.
The
major criticism regarding Tito vs. Ken at this point is that
it is somewhat too late. It is still a big fight and realistically
it is never too late to do a rematch of this calibre. However,
this would have been a better idea had UFC not booked Ken Shamrock
against Rich Franklin in the first Ultimate Fighter Finale.
That
was an embarassing performance for Ken. Sports Illustrated, in
a small preview of the fight a couple of weeks before it happened,
said it was a lopsided match with the "World's Most Dangerous
Man" facing a former math teacher. They were right, it was
a lopsided fight. They just picked the wrong fighter.
Franklin,
at that point still an unknown, destroyed Shamrock quickly as
most insiders in MMA knew he would. Zuffa can argue that the
win made Franklin a bigger star which helped season two of The
Ultimate Fighter, but that is a weak argument because it was
The Ultimate Fighter that made Rich Franklin big, not the other
way around.
Zuffa
can argue that it was this win that made Franklin a big enough
star to be a coach on TUF 2. That's false too, because Zuffa
and Spike had decided that the winner of the Evan Tanner-Rich
Franklin middleweight title match from a few months back was
going to be the coach. Before he defeated Ken Shamrock, Franklin
was already in a position to challenge for that title and would
have defeated Tanner no matter if he had faced Shamrock or not.
The two issues aren't connected.
So
what was the point of the Franklin-Shamrock match? Really, it
was just to get Shamrock on the TUF 1 finale to get a bigger
boost in the ratings. So they may as well have given Shamrock
an easier opponent (Tank, or someone cheaper) that he could defeat
and make him look great in front of millions of people.
Tito
was originally offered Rich Franklin's spot facing Ken earlier
this year, but turned it down. Zuffa must have shelled out quite
a pretty penny to sign both names, although it will be worth
it.
The
rematch should draw very well despite Shamrock's recent frequent
losses based on the hype of a return fight between the two, plus
the exciting build that will be inevitable from season three
of The Ultimate Fighter. Shamrock and Tito legitimately do not
like each other (although a lot of their public dislike is a
put-on, pro wrestling style), which will add something interesting
to the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. The big question
in the end, though, will be whether or not Shamrock's drawing
power will be able to sustain another high profile loss in the
UFC.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines
what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it."
Lou Holtz, American College Football Coach
|
Hilo's
TNF Results!
Tuesday Night Fights at the Plaza
Academic & Athletic Training Center, Hilo, Hawaii
November 29, 2005
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
Tuesday Night Fights at the Plaza returns after a successful
show just two weeks earlier. TNF has been generating a lot of
interest amongst the community and more importantly gives young
fighters the ring experience that is needed to progress to the
next level. The event featured three fights in the Junior division,
showcasing the blossoming skills of the next generation of fighters.
The first two matches had both fighters engaging in seemingly
unending exchanges. The Wallaman-Sanchez rematch was nothing
short of a "full on scrap." Both fighters were falling
down because they were throwing every thing they had in every
punch or kick. In the heat of battle, one of the fighters jumped
on the other after a fall and the other narrowly missed a head
kick when the fighter had slipped to his knees.
After
the intermission, the fighters seemed to come out more hungry
and, with the exception of the main event, no fight went to a
decision. A scary moment occurred when Nolan Nobriga and Edward
Williams were having a very physical match, pushing each other
as they went at it. Williams pushed Nobriga against the ropes
and Nobriga fell right through the ropes and onto the floor.
Fortunately Nobriga was okay and got up and walked to the back
under his own power.
The
main event pitted two impressive fighters that have been dominating
their opponents in previous events. Both men have quick and accurate
hand speed and this fight came down just like an old fashioned
gun fight, who is faster. Moreno roughed up Hyatt in the first
round, even taking him down. The second round saw Hyatt come
back and start landing hard counter punches off leg kicks and
get the better of the exchanges. Hyatt finished strong going
after a tired Moreno to earn the unanimous decision.
Junior Division
3 Rounds - 1 1/2 Minutes
German Lee def. Kevin Villanueva
Split decision [(29-28), (28-29), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
Junior Division
3 Rounds - 1 1/2 Minutes
Riquo Abadilla def. Ezra Cabang
Split decision [(29-28), (30-28), (28-29)] after 3 rounds.
Toughman
3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Nephi Lancaster def. Gavin Mata
By Forfeit due to Mata having to pull out due to an injury at
the last moment.
Junior Division
3 Rounds - 1 1/2 Minutes
Conn Wallaman def. Cory Sanchez
Unanimous decision [(30-28), (29-28), (30-28)] after 3 rounds.
Toughman
3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Wayne Emich def. Gerado Caraballo
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27),
(30-28)] after 3 rounds.
Toughman
3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Conrad Madrona def. Michael Carvalho
TKO via corner called the figth after the first round.
Toughman
3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Ikaika Martin def. Troy Rodrigues
KO via head kick at 22 seconds in Round 1.
Toughman
3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Chase Loene def. Kanu Frias
TKO via verbal submission at 50 seconds in Round 3.
Toughman: Open Division (K-1 styled rules)
3 Rounds - 2 Minutes
Mathew Moniz def. Jon Estabillo
TKO via verbal submission at 1:03 minutes in Round 3.
Toughman
3 Rounds - 2 Minutes
Isaac Caraballo def. Bill Elaban
TKO via referee stoppage at 1:52 minutes in Round 3.
Toughman: Open Division (K-1 styled rules)
3 Rounds - 2 Minutes
Brandon Torres def. Steven Willis
By forfeit due to no show.
Toughman: Open Division (K-1 styled rules)
3 Rounds - 2 Minutes
Nolan Nobriga def. Edward Williams
Disqualification due to Williams pushing Nobriga out of the ring
in Round 1.
Main Event
Toughman: Open Division (K-1 styled rules)
3 Rounds - 2 Minutes
Kana Hyatt (Young Guns) def. David Moreno
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-26)] after 3 rounds.
|
PRIDE
NEW YEAR CARD RUMORS
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
The
Japanese media is reporting that the following matchups have
a possibility of taking place on the PRIDE card on December 31st:
Rodrigo
'Minotauro' Nogueira vs. 'Zuluzinho'
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua vs. Frabricio Werdum
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Masakazu
Imanari wins DEEP Featherweight Title
Masakazu Imanari became DEEP's first Featherweight (143 lbs.)
champion by submitting American Top Team's Mike Brown and Pancrase
veteran Yoshiro Maeda with ankle locks.
Jason
Chambers battled Kosuto Umeda to a draw in his debut bout in
Japan. Chambers is fighting out of Eddie Bravo's 10th Planet
Jiu Jitsu Academy.
Date:
December 2, 2005
Location: Korakuen Hall in Japan
RESULTS:
1.
Gegard Mousasi defeated Tsuyoshi Kurihara by KO at 1:10 of round
1.
2.
Jason Chambers fought Kosuto Umeda to a draw after 2 rounds.
3.
Hirohide Fujinuma defeated Naoki Seki by KO at 1:40 of round
2.
4.
Tournament Semi Finals: Masakazu Imanari defeated Mike Brown
by ankle lock at 3:38 of round 2.
5.
Tournament Semi Finals: Yoshiro Maeda defeated Muangfahlek Kiatwichkien
by KO at 2:26 of round 1.
6.
Tournament Reserve Bout: Takeshi Yamazaki defeated Takeshi Matsushita
by arm bar at 4:44 of round 2.
7.
Yuki Sasaki defeated Taka Kunou by TKO at 2:20 of round 2.
8.
Hidehiko Hasegawa defeated Daisuke Nakamura by unanimous decision
after 2 rounds.
9.
Jeong Ho Lee fought Yasuhito Namekawa to a draw after 2 rounds.
10.
Nobuhiro Obiya defeated Milton Vieira by unanimous decision after
3 rounds.
11.
Tournament Finals: Masakazu Imanari defeated Yoshiro Maeda by
ankle lock at 1:31 of round 3.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
'MINOTAURO'
AND RIZZO ON FEDOR
Brazilian heavyweight stars Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira
and Pedro Rizzo, who are also good friends outside the ring.
Gracie
magazine recently interviewed both Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira
and Pedro Rizzo, and discussed the topic of Fedor Emelianenko.
Here's what Minotauro and Rizzo had to say (interview by Marcelo
Dunlop):
Interviewer:
The day before he fought Mirko Cro Cop for the heavyweight belt,
Emelianenko's breakfast was eggs, bacon, and sausages. What bothers
you guys most, the fact that PRIDE today has a non-Brazilian
king or that he is, well, chubby?
Rizzo:
What is really bothers us is that he's got something on his waist
that we want (laughs).
Minotauro:
His genetics say he is chubby, but that's got nothing to do with
it. There are other great fighters with the same body type, such
as Mark Hunt. What we must do is to push one another and train
harder. Furthermore, the fact that he is fat makes it even more
complicated when it comes to such an explosive, slippery fellow.
It's like Jeremy Horn, when the guy is fat and the skin is smooth,
it gets hard to grab him.
Rizzo:
More muscular fighters have more edges you can grab.
Minotauro:
It was three times I fought him, right? What puzzles me is that
he is smiling the whole time. As soon as he sees us he starts
smiling. Amaury Bitetti says it's because he is happy, he has
the belt. What would you want him to do? Cry?
Interviewer:
Is the secret in the water he drinks? Or the vodka perhaps?
Minotauro:
He does like drinking. I remember after I defeated Mirko he came
up to congratulate me with a powerful breath in the lobby of
the Japanese hotel. He was all happy and drunk, and he invited
me to have a drink with him. I then remembered he owned the belt
and I tought, "What I'll have is your neck, now it'll be
easy to kick your ass (laughs). But for real, down in Russia
those guys train a lot. Both him and his brother, who I used
to think had even heavier hands and more dangerous boxing then
Fedor. But after this fight with Cro Cop, Fedor showed he has
greatly evolved his standup game.
Rizzo:
A person's got nothing else to do in that extreme cold. You either
train or you train. I've never drank alcohol in my life, but
I would have to train like that too, just to warm myself up.
Interviewer:
Who can defeat him, and how?
Rizzo:
The secret is truly exchanging strikes, and then just let the
MMA flow. Because playing on the bottom is difficult, since to
attack from the guard you'd have to open it, then he jumps out
and stands up.
Minotauro:
The key to beating him, to me, is explosion. It's what got in
my way when fighting him. I go for the spring, he takes off.
I try a thrust, he hits and runs. The person who has best fought
him was Arona, who is as explosive as Fedor. Arona took him down
and got his back. Arona can take anyone down.
Interviewer:
Then it's possible for Arona, and possibly Vanderlei, to give
him a run for his money?
Minotauro:
Well, it is. Just go there and try it... (everyone laughs)
Interviewer:
Can Fedor be deemed the most complete MMA fighter of all time?
(They
think for some time.)
Rizzo:
These days everyone is complete. He is quite complete, it seems.
And he can fight true MMA, he trades standing, he takes down,
fights from the top, submits. He doesn't only fight from the
bottom. He is good at everything, so in order to beat him one
must do everything too.
Minotauro:
He's got a good game. But if you look at it, Igor Vovchanchyn
has already had a phase like this. For three years he'd beat
Kerr, Sakuraba... Until he fell under Coleman and didn't make
it out. Fedor hasn't faced a wrestler full on, someone who falls
on top... Let's see, he fought Coleman in the end of his career,
as well as Randleman. Technically he may not have such a big
advantage, but physically he is the fastest heavy guy in MMA
history. He tries a punch, misses it, then immediately shoots
again - Cro Cop, for example, didn't even see them coming. He's
the fastest I've ever seen. Much faster than Mirko. And he's
got a great reaction time.
Rizzo:
That's what I was going to say, he has a fast eye, good for counter-attacking.
And in every fight he shows up with something new under his sleeve.
Against Filipovic he used a great clinch-strike combo. He'd go
for the uchi-mata, quickly following with a powerful hook.
Minotauro:
He must practice that a lot, because it's not easy to improvise
that kind of thing. He is really has a good combination of styles,
he can go from one art to the other - that's what makes him different.
Rizzo:
Exactly, he managed to mix everything. Fedor is not really and
excellent striker, not an excellent wrestler, not an excellent
ground player, but he is good at everything. To me, Shogun won
the Grand Prix because he did like him... Shogun showed the best
in MMA skills, went for the striking, clinched, took down, fell
on the bottom, reversed, fell on top... And he was the underdog,
which somehow helps. The responsibility is helpful too.
Interviewer:
Fedor was the underdog in that first fight against Rodrigo "Minotauro"
Nogueira in 2003. Minotauro was undefeated until then...
Minotauro:
That's right. I fought that one nearly crippled, with a contusion
on the sciatic nerve. On the way to the stadium I had to sit
in the middle of the street. But it was the main fight and I
was there in Japan, what could I do?
Interviewer:
How important is the psychological factor in the ring?
Minotauro:
A lot. Today, the Russian's mind is strong and it's hard to beat
him. I think for example that his brother, Aleksander, has better
hands then him. But he probably doesn't have all that stamina...
Interviewer:
A Russian director who shot the documentary of Emelianenko's
life said he was impressed by Fedor's discipline and humility,
and his training routine. Does he let that through, the aspect
of a fully disciplined athlete? He claims to run about ten miles
daily on the steppes...
Minotauro:
He is married and probably has a slow nightlife. The rhythm in
places like Russia and Cuba is psychotic, they train their whole
lives.
Rizzo:
That is it. And Fedor looks like a small refrigerator on top
with those little legs underneath. But he invests a lot in training.
The same way Rodrigo goes to Cuba and I go to Holland, Fedor
is now in Holland all the time training muay thai with Ernesto
Hoost. Then he has that conscience concerning his career, another
positive trait...
Minotauro:
He does have a good manager. He only signs up fights when he
is 100% sure
Rizzo:
You just have to look at who he's fought this year. He faced
a weak Kohsaka and only fought in August because PRIDE's management
went there with the contract and the pen and told him, "Sign
it or leave!"
Minotauro:
If he didn't fight his belt would have fallen again, as it did
in 2003. So they pushed him.
Interviewer:
What did you guys think about Fedor vs. Mirko? Was the result
as expected?
Minotauro:
It was, kind of. I even thought that Cro Cop had a chance to
win, since he had knocked Fedor's brother out. In the first round
Cro Cop was even dangerous, but Fedor is much more of a fighter.
Rizzo:
I was betting everything on Fedor. I lived with Mirko in a gym
for two months, in the same room. He doesn't have a warrior's
heart. You just have to see his style, always backwards. Peter
Aerts said something I agree on, "The longer the fight takes,
the more chances Mirko has of losing it." He has no heart
to turn a fight upside down.
Minotauro:
Fedor, on the other hand, will fight you to the death. And Cro
Cop fights in the counter-attack, waiting for a hole to get in,
which is easier in any kind of martial art. The one who attacks
more exposes themselves...
Rizzo:
But when you push the rhythm up it gets easier to trap them.
Fedor has that style, like Shogun's, of going irresponsibly,
and that smothers counter-attacks. But indeed Fedor got out of
that fight more injured than Mirko.
Minotauro:
What if the opposite happens and Fedor gives Mirko one of those
nose blows? I think Mirko just calls for the waiter and asks
for the check.
Rizzo:
Yes, Mirko never takes the initiative. I always cheer against
him. It's like Bob Sapp winning K-1, a big guy with no technique.
Interviewer:
What about Fedor's ground play?
Minotauro:
It wasn't all that good in that fight. He probably trained to
fight standing.
Rizzo:
This last fight he mounted about 30 times incorrectly, looked
like a horse. But Mirko did some good guard work and defended
well. He's got strong legs, hard to get in. He doesn't want to
fight you on the floor.
Interviewer:
How did the two of you change your preparation after losing to
Russian fighters?
Minotauro:
Every time you lose it's good because you see something is missing.
The guy that's on top with no effort just settles. I'm training
to have more force and explosion, working with rubber. That's
why I'm on a diet here, when it comes to eating I'm a Gracie
for now. Rizzo, I'll go for the cabbage and you for the sausage.
Rizzo:
(Laughs) But I believe in genetics. No matter how hard I train,
I'll never be as explosive as Cacareco or Randleman. One must
find their own path. In my fight against Kharitonov I was stupid,
I'd trained for ten days and wasn't well. The first jab I suffered
I should have taken him down. After that loss I realized I had
to mix my game a bit more. I lack some transitioning between
my standup, wrestling, and ground techniques. In MMA everyone
is getting good at everything, so we've got to train the weak
spots to stay in front.
Minotauro:
When everybody is good at everything I want to be home, watching
it on TV.
Interviewer:
What about the rest of the heavyweight division? Is there anyone
else who can show up out of nowhere before the Grand Prix next
year?
Minotauro:
There's that Roger Gracie kid, he is good. I guess if you put
him up against a wrestler in his debut he can make it.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"Anger is one letter short of danger."
Source Unknown
|
Rumble
on the Rock 8 World Championships
Rumble World Entertainment announces the list of confirmed fighters
who will be participating in the upcoming ROTR World Championship
Grand Prix scheduled for the 20th of January at the Neal S. Blaisdell
Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The
list of confirmed fighters competing in the event are:
Renato
"Charuto" Verissimo (Rated #6 in the World)
Jake Shields (Former Shooto Champion)
Dave Menne (Former UFC Champion)
Frank Trigg (Rated #5 in the World)
Ronald
"Machine Gun" Jhun (Hawaii seed)
Yushin Okami (Japan Seed)
Carlos Condit (New Mexico Seed)
Mike
Malone
vs. Kengo Ura
Source:
Event Promoter
|
Ed
Newalu Rematche Manny Tapia
Harris Sarmiento & Kaleo Kwon Also On Card!
KOTC: "Final Conflict"
Friday, December 2, 2005
Soboba Casino - San Jacinto, California.
-
James Fanshier vs Thomas Denny;
-
Manny Tapia vs Ed
Newalu;
-
Rob McCullough vs Gabe Rivas;
-
Mike 'Joker' Guymon vs Chris Cessinaro;
-
Dave Rivas vs Kaleo
Kwon;
-
Nam Phan vs Chris Solomon;
-
Cub Swanson vs Harris
Sarimento;
-
Brian Sesma vs Mike Bourke;
-
Brian Warren vs Javier Casio;
-
Fernando Gonzales vs Ray Lazama;
-
Val Leedy vs Aaron Wetherspoon;
-
Lucas Tarver vs Eddie Mendez;
-
Shawn Bias vs Thomas Kenny;
-
Anthony Mendoza vs Robert Zunner;
-
Johnny Vasquez vs Keith Berry;
-
Jason Wheat vs Joey Alverado;
-
Albert Rozalez vs Mike Granchi;
-
Pat White vs Lawrence Gant;
-
Aaron Brink vs Brian Pardoe;
-
Betto Cortina vs TBA.
Source:
Tatame
|
SHERK
TALKS ABOUT FUTURE
by Jeff Cain
'The Muscle Shark,' Sean Sherk, suffered the second loss of his
illustrious 31 fight Mixed Martial Arts career at UFC 56: 'Full
Force' to George 'Rush' St. Pierre. Both of Sherk's losses have
come in the UFC octagon, and the only other person to defeat
Sherk, other than George St.
Pierre,
is UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes. Sean spoke with MMAWeekly
SoundOff Radio about his loss to St. Pierre, his game plan heading
into the fight, and his future in the UFC.
When
asked about George St. Pierre, Sean Sherk had nothing but respectful
comments. He said, "I'd have to say he's pretty good man.
I was actually surprised by his take down ability. I had watched
a lot of video of his and he always shot that single with his
head to the outside, so that's what I had trained for the whole
entire time, and with me he was shooting some hard doubles. He's
got some good take downs. He's got a great sprawl. His striking
is good, and he elbows like a friggen freight train. I'd have
to say that their camp probably has got the best elbows in Martial
Arts it would be safe to say."
Sherk
had formulated a game plan in his preparation for St. Pierre,
but sometimes the best laid game plans come unraveled. Sherk
stated, "I wanted to definitely get him on the ground, put
him on his back. Out of all the things I've seen from St. Pierre
I'd have to say his weakest area, and not that it's a weak area,
but the weakest out of all the other areas would be on his back.
I thought I could exploit some weaknesses there, and my game
plan was to take him down and put some elbows in his face."
Further
commenting on his strategy, Sherk said, "I wanted to slow
him down. Like I said, I watched a lot of video on St. Pierre.
He moves real well. He's real athletic..., so I figured if I
kicked the crap out of his lead leg, it's going to slow him down
a little bit and kind of get him to hold still a little bit.
Also, too, that I was giving up a lot of reach; it's a lot easier
for me to kick him than it is for me to punch him. I was really
trying to kick underneath his punches, which is what I think
I did for the most part...That's kind of what I was looking for,
to kick under his punches and slow him down a little bit."
Sherk's
been in there with Matt Hughes and George St. Pierre, so naturally
the question had to be asked. Who would win a rematch between
Matt and George? Although Sherk was able to go the full five
rounds with Hughes, and St. Pierre was able to finish him, Sherk
picked Hughes. He said, "My opinion, I will have to go with
Hughes. I just don't see St. Pierre beating Hughes. I think Hughes
is too strong. I've grappled with both of them, and I would have
to say Hughes has strength advantage. He's still going to have
the wrestling advantage and all of that experience he's got.
I just don't see anyone taking that belt from him."
Sean
continued, "The thing with Hughes, I think there's some
kind of mystic with Matt. I mean the guy is what, a twelve time
world champion right now? The has defended his belt twelve times.
When you step into the octagon that's got to be on the back of
your mind at some point and time. He's taken out every welterweight
fighter that there is, including St. Pierre. Focus wise, I just
don't see St. Pierre being mentally Strong enough to grind out
five rounds with Matt Hughes. I just don't see it."
With
only two loses to arguably the two best welterweights in the
world, some have already written Sean Sherk off. "It's a
fair weather sport. When you're on top everyone loves you, and
as soon as something bad happens everyone wants to jump onto
the next bandwagon. For me, my goal is; I definitely want to
talk some things over with Monte [Cox]. I don't know what the
UFC has in store for me. I have two fights left with them. I
want to get the ball rolling again. I want to get some momentum
going my way. Last year I fought nine or ten times. I had a lot
of momentum going, and I felt great. Right now, I'm pretty much
coming off a nine month layoff. I don't feel that I have the
momentum that I had last year, so I want to schedule some fights
outside the UFC if they'll let me depending on how much time
they plan on laying me off for. I just want to get the ball rolling
and get some momentum going again." Sherk told MMAWeekly.
That
wasn't Sean Sherk making excuses for his loss to St. Pierre.
He made no excuses and dismissed ring rust as a factor in his
loss. Sherk commented, "To be honest with you it hurt me
more with training than it did when I actually stepped into the
cage and fought. When I stepped into the cage and fought there
was no doubt in my mind that I was going to win that fight. That's
the mentality that I had. Ring rust, there was no ring rust at
all. I felt great when I was out there. I felt fast. I felt crisp.
Training wise it did take a factor because I had went from taking
nine month of absolutely doing nothing, eating junk food and
working a full-time job to training three or four times a day.
Mentally and physically it took a toll on my training wise, but
like I said, I just want to get things rolling again, get back
on track. I still want to be a world champion. That's still my
goal, and this is just a bump in the road. That's it."
With
the loss to George St. Pierre behind him, who would Sean Sherk
like to fight next in the UFC? He said, "There's really
no opponent in particular that I'm looking at fighting. I really
don't care who I fight. I'm glad to be back with the show, so
whoever the want to throw at me that's great. It really doesn't
matter to me. I see there's a couple of big threats in the division.
The rest of the division I don't really see as a big threat.
Now they brought BJ Penn back, so he's going to be a factor.
I don't really care who I fight."
Closing
out the interview, Sean Sherk took the opportunity to thank his
fans. He commented, "I just definitely want to thank all
of my loyal fans over the years, and stick around. I'm not done
yet. I'm not going anywhere. Like I said when I got beat by Hughes,
I'm not going anywhere. I'll definitely be back."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
'BABALU'
ON FEDOR
Renato "Babalu" Sobral
Gracie
Magazine asked Renato 'Babalu' Sobral to write a commentary on
the topic of Fedor Emelianenko. Here's what Babalu had to say:
When
I fought Fedor in 2001 no one knew who he was. I suffered a stomach
kick in the first round and there went my stamina. He then played
technically, striking from the top, and made good use of the
RINGS rules. I ended the round exhausted. I went for the jackpot
in round two but I was truly done. Look, I've fought many people
from around the world, and I've fought many strong fighters.
But like Fedor, never. No kidding...
He's
got takedown skills, but sometimes just throws you down, using
tremendous strength that he just doesn't look like he has. But
being chubby means nothing, and he is proof of it. Fedor is a
modern age fighter, a guy who knows how to do everything. I'm
not sure the technique to beat him is to take him down. Randleman
gave him quite the takedown, and the guy didn't even flinch.
He just went about and submitted the American.
Then
the right strategy is to go for the striking. Cro Cop did a great
fight with him, just went back a bit too much. He just should
have trusted in his shoots some more, he even broke the Russian's
nose. Of course he didn't even notice it, but that seems to be
the way. I think Rizzo has a good weapon to fight him, which
is the thigh kick, which Fedor doesn't usually block. Then one
should make a good strategy and pray one good strike gets in.
In
my fight against him I could have done better. We knew the Russians
were strong, but their technique was a bit weak. But I had some
training mistakes and suffered from jet lag, and I didn't have
the support I have today. Today, to face him, no one can go in
without the proper training. Furthermore, one must remember who
the Russians are. They descend from Caucasians, a race that always
fought against the harshest climatic conditions. I've heard the
Olympic champion Aleksander Karelin was born weighing 11.5 pounds...
Nearly an ox.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Belfort
in England ready 2 Cage Rage
Vitor Belfort is already in London, England, for the Cage Rage,
that will take place next Saturday. He will fight Antony Rea.
Vitor traveled with his matchmaker Jorge Guimarães. Confident
about a good presentation of his athlete, the Boxing trainer
of Belfort, Luiz Dórea, is going to London on next Wednesday.
-
I am impressed with Vitor. I put him to fight the best sparrings
in Bahia and he was really good. Vitor is ready to rock, we are
really confident. Rea is a strong guy, but Vitor has more quality
and he will do a good fight - said Dórea.
When
Vitor went to Salvador with Dórea, he had the help of
his training friends Carlos Baruck, Fabrício Morango and
Rodrigo Durok. Another person that also helped Vitor was his
old friend from Brazilian Top Team, Rodrigo Minotauro, who now
is in Bahia training his Boxing to the December 31's Pride. Minotauro
is also supporting his brother, Rogério Minotouro, that
will dispute the Brazilian of amateur Boxing.
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
Cage
Rage 14
Saturday, December 3, 2005
Wembley Conference Centre, London - England
-
Vitor Belfort vs. Antony Rea;
-
Curtis Stout vs. Anderson Silva;
-
Akira Shoji vs. Mark Weir;
-
Alex Reid vs. Daijiro Matsui;
-
Matt Lindland vs. Nino Schembri;
-
Gesias Cavalcanti vs. Tyrone Glover;
-
Mark Epstein vs. Brian Adams;
-
Sol Gilbert vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam;
-
Brad Pickett vs. Robbie Oliver;
-
Robert Berry vs. Marc Goddard;
-
Dean Bray vs. Nigel Whitear;
-
Dave Legeno vs. Alan Murdock;
-
Ross Mason vs. Darren Guisha;
-
Ryan White vs. Mark Buchanan;
-
Paul Daley vs. Joey Van Wanrooy.
Source: Tatame
|
J.G.’s
Dirty Dozen
A Pound-for-Pound MMA Ranking
by Josh Gross
It
pains me that I can’t bring myself to do this division by
division. As a founder of the until-further-notice Mixed Martial
Arts Media Top 10 I’ve undergone a complete 180 on fighter
rankings.
With
a mixed bag of rules and weights, and a climate where the best
fighters continue to be held hostage by the organizations for
which they fight, there’s just no possible way to come up
with an accurate ranking. I tried for a long time to drown out
this argument, but when I’m licked I’m man enough to
admit it.
So
it occurred to me, what better time to put together a list of
the best fighters in the sport, regardless of weight, rules and
politics. P4P lists are always criticized for the way in which
they’re compiled, but I say for once being subjective is
a good thing and I’m embracing it.
In
ranking these guys I’m asking two questions: “How skilled
a fighter are we talking about?” and “What’s he
done inside his own division?” Mind you, this isn’t
Sherdog.com’s list — it’s mine. And I will rank
the top 12 pound-for-pound mixed martial artists according to
how I see them:
12)
Mirko Filipovic (17-3-2) — When you talk about scary fighters,
he tops the list. Cro Cop’s only defeats came in a war versus
Fedor, a fluke KO against Kevin Randleman, which he later avenged
by submission, and an armbar tapout against “Minotauro.”
But the Croatian has improved so much over the past three years,
it’s downright frightful to think where he’ll be a
year from now. If he doesn’t get bored and if PRIDE doesn’t
burn him out with a non-stop fight schedule, this man could still
be the one who dethrones Fedor.
11)
Rich Franklin (19-1-0) — Combine the most natural talent
in his division with a work ethic that would make Jerry Rice
beg for two weeks in Cancun and you have a fighter on the verge
of something special. The Cincinnati-based 185-pounder is graceful
in the Octagon, stringing together combinations like pro strikers.
But his biggest wins came against Evan Tanner (twice) and he
lacks conquests versus top competition to be ranked in the top
10. The UFC dumping legit contender Matt Lindland hasn’t
helped his cause, and with the exception of David Loiseau there
do not appear to be many serious challengers in a division that
just a few months ago seemed packed.
10)
Dan Henderson (18-4-0) — A longtime favorite of any pound-for-pound
list, Henderson is finally fighting at his natural weight (185
lbs.) for first time in his career. Competing a division above
this weight at 205, Henderson still enjoyed major successes,
but an extended stay at 185 could let us all see how great a
fighter he actually is. He must win his upcoming 183-pound Bushido
Grand Prix championship bout against Murilo Bustamante to stay
on the list. If he does it impressively he could easily move
up several notches.
9)
B.J. Penn (10-2-1) — Here’s where it gets tricky. Why
is a man who submitted the No. 2 and 3 fighters on this list
stuck at No. 9? Two uninspired decisions at 185 over Rodrigo
and Renzo Gracie and a horrible performance at 205 in decision
loss to Ryoto Machida, that’s why. A recent return to the
UFC means he’s going to fight to 170 pounds — by far
his best weight — and could regain the form that had many
calling him the best in the world in Jan. 2004 after wins over
Gomi and Hughes. The Hawaiian is special. He has all the tools
that make Fedor and Gomi great, but has shown a lack of interest.
How bad does he want to be the best? We should find out in 2006
with potential bouts versus Georges St. Pierre and Hughes.
8)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (11-2-0) — Lost somewhere in the
shadow of his big brother Rodrigo, Lil’ Nogueira has enjoyed
a productive 2005, scoring a decision over Alistair Overeem and
submission of Dan Henderson. His only loss in ’05 came in
a war against Shogun — perhaps the fight of the year. Before
falling to the PRIDE GP champ, Nogueira had won eight in a row,
exhibiting skills both on the mat and the feet that made his
brother a champion in the heavyweight division.
7)
Wanderlei Silva (29-5-1) 1 NC — Before losing his last fight
to Ricardo Arona and going 2-2 in his last four (he fell by decision
to heavyweight Mark Hunt ) 24 of Wanderlei Silva’s 29 wins
had ended before the bell. The Arona defeat showed several chinks
in his armor and drops him a few notches in the Dirty Dozen.
Despite being criticized throughout his PRIDE 205-pound title
reign (he still holds the PRIDE middleweight belt) as a fighter
who padded his record against weak Japanese opposition, Silva’s
reputation as a killer is well deserved. The Brazilian Chute
Boxe fighter is as aggressive as they come, and though he lost
to Arona, who offered the worst possible style match-up for a
man of Silva’s knock-your-head-off style, Silva still ranks
ahead of the Brazilian Top Team fighter. He gets a chance to
avenge the loss on New Years Eve in Tokyo, and if he goes down
again he’ll probably be forced off the list in place of
Arona.
6) Chuck Liddell (17-3-0) — The UFC light heavyweight champion
has won four in row by stoppage: Jeremy Horn (TKO), Randy Couture
(KO), Vernon White (KO), and Tito Ortiz (KO). In case you weren’t
sure, The Iceman has explosive hands. In April he became the
first man to knockout Couture, scoring a first-round win to claim
the UFC belt. Liddell has gotten better with age, and seems more
comfortable in the cage today than he was two years ago. Liddell
doesn’t trump Shogun because he doesn’t possess the
skills the Brazilian does. While Shogun can win a fight from
anywhere, Liddell has yet to show he can be successful on his
back. Randy Couture exploited this in their first meeting in
June 2003. Their trilogy comes together at UFC 57 Super Bowl
weekend in Las Vegas.
5)
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (25-3-1) 1 NC — If it wasn’t
for Fedor, we’d all be trying to figure where “Minotauro”
ranks amongst the all-time great MMA heavyweights. Known for
an elegant ability to grapple unlike any other heavyweight in
the world, Nogueira hasn’t lost to anyone outside of Fedor
since 2000 and avenged the only other loss of his career (to
Dan Henderson in RINGS) in 2003. The man can take a beating,
too. Brutal fights versus Bob Sapp, and later in his career against
“Cro Cop” as well as the trilogy versus Fedor bear
that point out well.
4)
Mauricio Rua (12-1-0) — The Brazilian’s only loss came
against his countryman Renato Sobral in Sept. 2003. This year
the young striker is 5-0, holding impressive victories over Ricardo
Arona, Alistair Overeem, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Quinton
Jackson. There’s no other way to put it except to say that
Shogun has exploded in the 205-pound division this year, and
his combination of Muay Thai and wrestling skills, as well as
an understanding of how to submit and stay out of submissions
have this 24-year-old Chute Boxe product the favorite to win
Sherdog.com’s Fighter Of The Year honors.
3)
Matt Hughes (38-4-0) — Sporting just one loss since the
spring of 2001 (a submission defeat versus B.J. Penn), Hughes
has basically cleaned out the UFC 170-pound division. With the
Penn loss hanging over his head, he armbarred Georges St. Pierre
in Oct. 2004. Hughes’ place on this list hangs in the balance
with rematches versus Penn and St. Pierre on horizon. Pound-for-pound
the strongest fighter in MMA, Hughes has adapted his game of
late, moving away from the ground-and-pound M.O. that defined
his early career to win three of his last four fights by submission.
Interesting stat: nearly 50 percent of Hughes’ wins have
come by sub.
2)
Takanori Gomi (22-2-0) — Undefeated since losing to B.J.
Penn in Oct. 2003, the Japanese lightweight has wins over Jens
Pulver, Luiz Azeredo and Tatsuya Kawajiri. More than winning,
Gomi has taken his game to a new level in 2005 and is poised
to win the Bushido 160-lb. Grand Prix on New Years Eve. He fights
without fear and can dominate from any position. It’s his
tenacity on the feet combined with a world-class submission wrestling
background that sets Gomi apart from virtually every other fighter
on the planet. If he’s impressive in taking out Hayato Sakurai
on Dec. 31, Gomi could challenge Fedor for the top spot on this
list.
1)
Fedor Emelianenko(22-1-0) 1 NC — The Russian PRIDE heavyweight
champion and reigning PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix champion is
the most complete fighter this sport has ever seen. Bold statement?
I don’t think so. He is undefeated in last 20 fights (if
you include the No Contest) and decisively avenged the only loss
of his career. His victory over Mirko Filipovic in August showed
how intelligent he is in the ring, and it also displayed what
kind of toughness the champ brings with him. With the exception
of Sergei Kharitonov, Fedor’s beaten every worthy heavyweight
PRIDE has to offer, which means he’s beaten nearly all the
heavyweights in the world worth fighting. Questions linger about
a Fedor-Andrei Arlovski contest. At this point, I don’t
see anything that prevents Fedor from dominating that bout. He
is the best fighter in the world.
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"Sometimes... when you hold out for everything, you walk
away with nothing."
Angela Tharp from the television series Ally McBeal,
in the episode "The Promise" (originally aired on 10/27/1997)
|
Cali
Commission Braces for MMA Boom in '06;
Promoter Application Process Begins Jan 16
By Loretta Hunt
"I
could tell you I'm extremely excited and challenged to have MMA
in California. We will set the standard in MMA regulation,"
a determined California State Athletic Commission Executive Director
Armando Garcia told FCF upon confirmation that the Secretary
of State had stamped approval for a set of MMA regulations Monday
afternoon in the Golden State.
Following
a 30-day administrative period, the regulations will go into
effect on December 28, and Garcia, himself, will be overseeing
the application process for promoters, judges, and referees looking
to participate with events in 2006. Applications and licensing
requirements will be available on or about January 9 on the CSAC's
website at http://www.dca.ca.gov/csac/, with the regulatory body
accepting paperwork beginning January 16.
Garcia
says he and his staff hope to turn around applications within
10 days of receipt, but stresses all interested candidates must
complete their paperwork properly for this to happen. Garcia
strongly suggests no promoter begin advertising their event without
the CSAC's authorization, and that requests for event dates will
be on a first come, first served basis following licensure and
CSAC staffing considerations. Garcia estimates the first legalized
MMA event in California could take place some time in March.
A
licensed boxing referee in Florida, Executive Director Garcia
also stipulated that he will be utilizing experienced MMA referees
and judges regardless of an event's venue or location in the
state, and that promoters will have to be prepared to compensate
for travel if more seasoned officials have to be brought in.
"The promoter will absolutely have to pay," says Garcia.
"I will take costs into consideration, but I'm not going
to balance that with health and safety because health and safety
is going to win."
In
addition, Garcia intends to re-introduce the use of a ring for
MMA events to the Commission come February. Currently, only cages
can be utilized in MMA events in California.
California
MMA Timetable
(Dates provided by the CSAC)
December 28 - MMA regulations go into effect
January 9, 2006 - All licensing requirements and applications
will be available on the CSAC web page at http://www.dca.ca.gov/csac/
January 16 - CSAC will begin accepting applications for promoters,
referees, and judges
January 30 - Application deadline CSAC has requested for promoters
looking to hold events as early as March (Applications will continue
to be accepted throughout the year)
Source: FCF
|
UFC
Salaries Article on MMA Weekly
Check out MMA
Weekly.com
for a great piece by Ivan Trembow about UFC salaries and historical
salaries. Ivan always provides great insight into this touchy
subject.
Source: MMA Weely
|
PRIDE
INTERESTED IN SIGNING ARLOVSKI
Andrei Arlovski
Andrei
Arlovski recently spoke with the American media and stated that
DSE/PRIDE has approached his management with the intention of
signing him to a contract.
Source: Fight Sport
|
BJ
& Charuto still rank at 170lbs!
The new MMA Top 10 Fighters and Broadcasters Poll is out with
new weight divisions for new fighters. Dan Henderson and Murilo
Bustamante have moved from the 205 Light Heavyweight to the 185
division. It's ironic that both fighters will fight for the Pride
Championship to see who the best is at 185 in Pride.
Mach
Sakurai debuts at #2 in the 155 pound weight class as he gets
set to face Takanori Gomi on New Year's Eve. Without further
ado, here is the latest Fighters and Broadcaster Rankings exclusively
from MMAWeekly.com.
HEAVYWEIGHT
DIVISION
1. Fedor Emelianenko - 100 Points (10 first place votes)
2. Minotauro Nogueira - 90 Points
3. Mirko Cro Cop - 75 Points
4. Andrei Arlovski - 69 Points
5. Sergei Kharitonov - 56 Points
6. Josh Barnett - 43 Points
7. Tim Sylvia - 47 Points
8. Heath Herring - 20 Points
9. Fabricio Werdum - 17 Points
10.Alexsander Emelinanenko -15 Points
Others receiving votes - (12)Frank Mir,(11)Ron Waterman, (10)-
Ricco Rodriguez
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION
1. Chuck Liddell - 96 Points (6 first place votes)
2. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua - 89 Points (4 first place
votes)
3. Wanderlei Silva - 74 Points
4. Randy Couture- 63 Points
5. Ricardo Arona - 52 Points
6. Rogerio Nogueira - 42 Points
7. Tito Ortiz- 23 Points
8. Alistair Overeem - 35 Points
9. Babalu Sobral - 34 Points
10.Quinton Jackson - 21 Points
MIDDLEWEIGHT
DIVISON
1. Dan Henderson - 89 Points (5 first place votes)
2. Rich Franklin - 88 Points (5 first place votes)
3. Matt Lindland - 68 Points
4. Anderson Silva - 65 Points
5. Murilo Bustamante - 49 Points
6. Jeremy Horn - 43 Points
7. David Loiseau - 42 Points
8. Nathan Marquardt -41 Points
8. Ivan Salaverry - 41 Points
9. Evan Tanner - 33 Points
10. Joe Doerksen - 15 Points
WELTERWEIGHT
DIVISION
1. BJ Penn
- 97 Points (6 first place votes)
2. Matt Hughes - 96 Points (4 first place vote)
3. Georges St. Pierre- 89 Points
4. Karo Parisyan - 60 Points
5. Frank Trigg - 55 Points
6 .Charuto
Verissimo - 49 Points
7. Sean Sherk- 31 Points
8. Jake Shields - 26 Points
9. Diego Sanchez - 20 Points
10. Nick Diaz - 19 Points
LIGHTWEIGHT
DIVISION
1. Takanori Gomi
2. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai
3. Joaquim Hansen
4. Yves Edwards
5. Tatsuyo Kawijiri
6. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
7. Genki Sudo
8. Jens Pulver
9. Luiz Azeredo
10.Hermes Franca
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"If you cannot be a poet, be the poem."
David Carradine, American Actor and Ex-Marine
|
For Immediate Release
Contact: Patrick Freitas
Icon Sport
Director of Promotions
808 375-1645
superbrawl21@yahoo.com
Icon Sport, “Ruthless”
Robbie Lawler Agree to Six-Digit, Five-Fight Contract;
Lawler Versus Mayhem Now Official.
November 30, 2005 Honolulu, HI – Icon Sport, the new face
of Super Brawl, yesterday signed its current middleweight world
champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler to a five-fight deal
that will keep him competing in the organization’s Hawaii
events throughout 2006. Lawler now joins Jason “Mayhem”
Miller in receiving one of the two largest guaranteed contracts
ever awarded by Icon Sport and its former incarnation, Super
Brawl. Both fighters’ deals each near $200,000 in show,
win, bonus, and attendance incentive pay.
Icon Sport President T. Jay Thompson speaking today on Lawler’s
new contract:
“Without a doubt, Robbie Lawler is one of the most exciting,
explosive, and entertaining fighters in mixed martial arts. A
lot of people talk about him like he’s an old veteran of
the M.M.A. wars, but he’s just 23 years old. He has so much
more to give to the sport and to the fans. From a fan’s
perspective, I can’t tell you how overjoyed and privileged
I feel knowing that I get to watch him compete throughout 2006.
And the Lawler versus Mayhem match…wow...I can’t wait
to see those two compete for the title…”
With his signature on the Icon contract, Lawler has solidified
the highly anticipated February 18
title defense match-up with submission specialist and top-contender
Jason “Mayhem” Miller. “Mayhem,” a Georgia
native who now resides in Las Vegas, has won over Hawaii’s
vast M.M.A. fan-base with his never-say-quit style, charismatic
personality, and witty post fight interviews.
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler exploded onto the mixed martial
arts scene in 2001 just a month after his 19th birthday, scoring
dramatic wins by KO or TKO in seven of his first eight contests.
By his 20th birthday, Lawler had already walked through three
opponents in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (U.F.C). Lawler,
who trains at the elite Miletich Fighting System in Iowa, quickly
gained a reputation as being one of the most dangerous strikers
in M.M.A.
Lawler competed seven times in the U.F.C. before challenging
Icon’s then-middleweight champion, Falaniko Vitale, in the July 2005 event, Super Brawl: Icon.
In dramatic fashion, Lawler rallied back against Vitale, catching
the Icon champion with a crushing knockout combination in the
second round. Lawler’s contest with Jason “Mayhem”
Miller will be his first title defense as Icon Sport World Middleweight
Champion.
WHO: “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler
WHAT: Five-Fight, Six-Digit Contract with Icon Sport
WHEN: 2006
WHERE: Icon Sport – Honolulu, Hawaii
Source: Icon Sport |
ULTIMATE
WARRIORS COMBAT
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Lahaina Civic Center
Lahaina, Maui
Main
Event:
Thales Leites vs. Jason Guida
Co-Main
Event:
Mark Moreno vs. Tyson Coloma-Nahooikaika
Ray
"King Kong" Seraile vs. Dereck Thorton
Dylan Clay vs. Aaron Rose
Trevor Burnell vs. Alika Rincon
Jason McCormick vs. Ken Parr
Sean Bardon vs. Michael Pedro
Lorrin Ishimine vs. Bronson Delima
Ermin Fergerstrom vs. Wayne Parrin
Makoa Hanaiki vs. Brian Wheely
More
fights to be announced
All fights subject to change
Source: Promoter |
Shakeup
at Gracie Barra USA
Gracie Barra founder, Carlos Gracie and his top instructor, Marcio
Feitosa, have both been unceremoniously released from their positions
at the Gracie Barra school in Orange County, California. Apparently
there was a rift between Carlos Gracie and the legal owner of
the academy, James Lu.
James
is a long time student of Rigan Machado and co-founder of the
company BJJTAPES.com. BJJTAPES regularly films and sells the
Brazilian "Mundials" and instructionals from various
BJJ experts, with a heavy emphasis on the Gracie Barra athletes.
Lu worked closely with Carlos and shortly afterwards struck some
profitable deals with the legendary instructor. It is rumored
that in these deals that Rigan Machado was squeezed out of the
company's profits and decision making.
Lu
would later move Carlos and Feitosa to the U.S. with the promise
of a new school and entry into the lucrative American market.
After some reported money indescrepancies the relationship soured,
with Lu then changing the locks to the school. Carlos' students
were left in limbo since their contracts were with the school
and not the instructors. The contracts however later vanished
and the students were free to leave.
Lu, in an attempt to salvage the school contacted Rigan Machado
with an offer for Rigan to take over the school.
We spoke with Rigan about the situation.
"James
called me with a proposal while I was away doing seminars. I
told him we'd talk when I got back. He then went to my school
and enlisted a couple of my blackbelts to teach at his school,
telling them I had approved the plan. When I arrived I found
out about the announcement of my taking over the school, the
photo of myself on the GRACIEBARRAUSA.com website and that Lu
had literature printed out stating I would be teaching there.
I contacted my attorney and asked him to let James know to desist
from using my name or likeness immediately."
James
Lu responded to GRACIEFIGHTER.com by stating: "It was actually
more of a mutual agreement to go our separate ways. I wished
them good luck. My school was later broken into with someone
crow-barring the front door and then stealing the student files
and some of the gis. I called the police and there is an investigation
pending. I later heard that they (Carlos and Feitosa) are planning
on opening a school just a couple blocks away and there would
be legal ramifications if this does happen. My original wish
was to just let sleeping dogs lie."
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Pequeno
back to Shooto in March
Challenger should be Gilbert Melendez
Predictions
that Alexandre "Pequeno" Nogueira would recover this
year from the knee surgery he went through last September proved
wrong. Resting in Rio de Janeiro, the star says he is recovering
well enough, thanks to physical therapy, and that his physical
trainer, Andre Vinicius, is about to come from American Top Team
to Brazil to help even more.
This
year I just cant, he told GRACIEMAG.com, But next year,
around March, I'll be back. I'll be defending my Shooto belt
for the eighth time, this time it should be against Gilbert Melendez.
North American Melendez is undefeated in eight bouts, including
three successful presentations in Shooto, but Pequeno assures:
I'm coming back full-on. Does anyone doubt it?
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Franklin
vs. Loiseau at UFC 57?
Franklin
and Loiseasu are two of the best stand up guys that MMA has to
offer, and two of the most exciting in the UFC... or the world
for that matter. Currently, Rich Franklin is being hailed as
the future of MMA while David Loiseau is gaining a reputation
for finishing people in very flashy and crowd pleasing ways.
The two men have never fought but you have to assume that they
are on a collision course since they have both been on a winning
streak lately. Franklin has just 1 loss in his many fights and
Loiseau is 14-4-0 with his last loss occurring back in February
of 2004 to Jeremy Horn via guillotine choke.
Loiseau
has improved a lot since then and his skills have become more
well rounded and he is a lot more patient, waiting for the right
opportunities to strike instead of trying to force them as he
would have in the past.
Franklin
is a machine, plain and simple. I have had the opportunity to
watch him train from time to time and he is all business all
the time. To me, he is like a modern day Rocky in that he is
very unassuming, acts like he is just one of the guys and really
thinks he is still the same person he was before winning the
belt, and goes through a lot of the same training that all of
the other students do on Saturdays at Jorge Gurgel’s MMA
Academy.
Loiseau,
to me, is a powder keg waiting to explode. He trains with some
of the best Canada, has to offer. He has a lot of intensity and
he oozes confidence. Some feel he has the best chance of all
of the middleweights to stop Franklin and that he should have
been in the last fight, not Nate Quarry. Of course, this was
amplified greatly after he brutally knocked Quarry out without
taking a single punch himself. Loiseau has a lot more to offer
than Nate did but it is going to take a lot to stop Rich and
take the top spot from him in the UFC and according to most polls,
in the world.The rumors right now swirl around UFC 57 for their
head on collision to take place but only Zuffa and the UFC know
when it will happen. Whenever it actually does it will be the
highlight of the show for sure and if it stays standing, I am
sure both men want that to happen, it might even prove to be
the best fight for that year.
Source: Maxfighting
|
|