Upcoming
Events
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event on Onzuka.com?
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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 2
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
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
"If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning
for a decade, plant trees;
if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people."
Chinese Proverb
|
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 36 Uncut Tonight!
Episode 36
- Rumble On The Rock Highlights
- David "Tank" Abbott vs Wes "Cabbage"
Correira
(with interview with Tank)
- Highlights from X-1 Battlegrounds at the O-Lounge
- Interview with event promoter, Curt Tsuneyoshi
Technique of the week:
- Bruce Kawano teaches the Cuban slip and punch
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.
|
X-1
Battlegrounds at the O Lounge 3
O Lounge Night Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
December 16, 2005
By Chris Onzuka – Chris@Onzuka.com
The
boys came back to the O-Lounge to battle. Many of the fighters
from the first two events returned and the card was shuffled.
This event had a few production problems, which delayed its start
and the crowd was lower than usual, but the boys came to fight.
It looked like the kitchen at a KFC because there were plenty
of wings, but when fighters put that much into their punches,
you can be sure that their opponent is going to feel it. Many
did, as most of the matches ended in a TKO. Two fighters from
the crowd were brought in to fight a kickboxing match using MMA
gloves in a short, but entertaining fight. In the main event,
Miles Tynanes made short work off Nisa in the finals taking him
apart piece by piece for the win. Look for Tynanes to fight Scott
Junk at Rumble On The Rock. Junk was in attendance to scout his
opponent for one of the biggest MMA events in Hawaii ever.
MMA:
2 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Gene Gregory (Mix Breed) def. Noel Oribello (5’5”,
145lbs, Ewa Beach, Freestyle)
Submission
via guillotine choke at 1:25 minutes in Round 1.
MMA:
2 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Tony Marc Ornellas (5’11”, 185lbs, Jus Rush F.C, Freestyle)
def. Jake Talelei (5’11”, 185lbs, Team First Lap)
TKO
via referee stoppage due to punches from the mount at 2:48 minutes
in Round 1.
MMA:
2 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Joshua Ferreira (Waianae, Kickboxing) def. Guy “Ikaika”
Jhun (Waipahu, Freestyle)
TKO
via referee stoppage due to punches from the mount at 1:10 minutes
in Round 1
MMA:
2 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Vilafonu Vonakalafi (5’10”, 270lbs, Freestyle) def.
Roy Alaiganu (5’7”, 265lbs., Freestyle)
TKO
via referee stoppage due to punches from the mount at 51 seconds
in Round 1.
Kickboxing
(with MMA Gloves): 2 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Chad Guzman (5’7”, 185lbs, Streetfighter) def. Peter
“Boy” (5’10”, 210lbs, Ewa Beach)
TKO
via referee stoppage due to cut at 35 seconds in Round 1.
MMA:
2 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Miles Tynanes (Team Tiger, Freestyle) def. Sitalang Nisa (Team
First Lap)
TKO via referee stoppage due to punches from the mount at 1:14
minutes in Round 1. |
TICKETS
ON SALE FOR ROTR 8
Tickets are now on sale for Rumble World Entertainment's Rumble
on the Rock World Championships to be held on 20th of January
at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.
An
8-Man Welterweight Tournament Grand Prix will take place from
the following competitors: Jake Shields vs Dave Menne, Renato "Charuto"
Verissimo
vs Carlos Condit, Anderson Silva vs Yushin Okami, Frank Trigg
vs Ronald
"Machine Gun" Jhun
Other
Matches: Ross "Da Boss" Ibanez vs Jason Von Flue, Mike
Malone vs Kengo Ura, Wesley "Cabbage" Correira vs TBA,
Eric "Butterbean" Esch vs TBA, Scott Junk vs TBA
Source: MMA Weekly |
GSP
STILL WAITING FOR OPPONENT
by Mick Hammond
When
putting together the short list of fighters who could be named
Fighter of the Year in 2005, one name that comes to mind is Georges
St. Pierre. Going undefeated through the year with wins over
such high caliber opposition as Jason “Mayhem” Miller,
Frank Trigg, and Sean Sherk, St. Pierre stepped up and proved
he’s one of the best all-around competitors in the sport.
In
his most recent win over Sherk, Georges dominated as he has all
year and further made a strong statement for his title aspirations.
However, with the recent signing of BJ Penn to the UFC, it seems
that Georges’ track to the Welterweight Championship may
be temporarily on hold.
Never
one to complain, St. Pierre knows his time will come and he’s
more than happy to go through whatever opposition is placed in
front of him on his road to glory. Recently, Georges took time
out of his schedule to discuss with MMA Weekly his recent activities,
rumors of a possible match-up with Penn, and what 2006 holds
in store for the man known as “Rush.”
MMA
Weekly: First off Georges, tell us what you’ve been up to
since your win over Sean Sherk at UFC 56.
Georges
St. Pierre: After my fight I went on vacation to the Dominican
Republic. I took one week totally off; I didn’t even do
one push-up when I was there, nothing at all. I played tennis,
I danced at nightclubs, I drank a little, had fun and relaxed.
After my week off I came back and started my training. I don’t
train hard as I do before a fight, but I train everyday and stay
busy, because not only for my next fight but because I like it.
It’s my job and I like to train, if I stay at my house and
don’t do anything I feel lazy, I don’t feel good.
MMA
Weekly: Let’s talk about that last fight for a minute. A
lot of people were very impressed with your performance against
Sherk. Did you do everything you set out to do in that match
or are there things you feel you could have done better?
Georges
St. Pierre: You know I’m not surprised about my fight, the
way I took my fight is I always expect the fight to go the distance.
Against Sean Sherk I was expecting a three round war, but if
the fight finishes earlier, I take it. I did a lot of mistakes,
I’m still making mistakes, I’m not perfect, I have
a lot of work to do and I know it. That’s why I think I’m
going to improve a lot, because I know I have a lot of things
I have to improve. I’m a realist, I’m not the kind
of fighter that thinks he’s the best and doesn’t do
any mistakes. I know I have a lot of things to improve that I
work a lot on.
MMA
Weekly: It’s hard to believe you did anything wrong in that
fight, you dominated from start to finish.
Georges
St. Pierre: It’s true, I did a lot of mistakes, I could
have hurt him more, especially in the first round, I saw a lot
of openings. My Muay Thai/Karate coach was pissed off, because
he said I could have hurt him more. It’s true, we watched
the tape together and we found out that I missed a lot of opportunities.
But you know it’s normal, I’m not a robot, I train
to become like it, but I still have to work a lot.
MMA
Weekly: Knowing what kind of jokester your teammate David Loiseau
is, I’m sure he told you he could have finished the fight
quicker via KO huh?
Georges
St. Pierre: [Laughs] Yeah, you know Loiseau is a funny guy. But
in a win you have to check your mistakes, not only when you lose,
but when you win. When you win a fight and don’t look at
it and just celebrate and are just happy because you won the
fight, you’re going to go nowhere. Because one day maybe
I’m going to fight a guy a lot better than Sean Sherk, a
guy who is not going to do mistakes and I’m going to be
in trouble. I need to work on my mistakes and it’s the time
now to work on these mistakes, because I now have no fight coming
up. My next fight is going to be in like three or four months,
so it’s time now to work on my mistakes. When the fight
is coming it’s time to push myself and limits and train
for my next fight, not train on my mistakes.
MMA
Weekly: Let’s talk about that next fight. Some people are
under the impression that you’ll fight BJ Penn next and
that he said he wants to fight you before Matt Hughes. What are
your thoughts about that?
Georges
St. Pierre: I’m not afraid of anybody, now I’m to the
level that I cannot refuse anybody. I’m ranked two or three
in the world in my division, so I cannot refuse anybody. For
sure I’d like to fight Matt Hughes, I’d hope it’s
going to be Matt Hughes but I don’t know what’s going
to happen. If it’s BJ, I’m going to take BJ, I’m
not afraid. I’m going to have to fight these two guys anyway,
if I fight Hughes it’s all right, but I’ll have to
fight BJ after or it’s going to be the opposite, I don’t
care. I just want to fight and hopefully it’s going to be
for a title. In 2006 I’m going to have a title shot and
I’m going to be World Champion of the UFC, in my mind I’m
pretty sure I will be the Champion.
MMA
Weekly: Let’s say you face off against Penn first, what
kind of strategy would you have to have to beat someone like
him?
Georges
St. Pierre: A guy like BJ, he’s very well rounded, but when
you’re ranked in the top five, everybody is well rounded.
Everybody has a solid base and has a particular strength. BJ’s
strength is Jiu-Jitsu, so if I fight BJ I have to be careful
of his Jiu-Jitsu. When I fought Sean Sherk I had to be careful
of his wrestling, his ground ‘n pound. Everybody is well
rounded but they have a special strength, special weapon. If
I have to go to the ground with BJ I have to stay close, very
tight and not give him a lot of openings.
MMA
Weekly: You’ve already fought Matt Hughes once, what would
be different the second time around?
Georges
St. Pierre: Matt Hughes, I think I am more than ready for him.
Since I lost to him I just want to have a rematch. He beat me
fair and square the first time, he did a very nice move. Not
to give me an excuse, but if I was going into that fight mentally
100%, I think I would beat him. I cracked under the pressure,
I wasn’t there (mentally), at the end of the match when
he spun for the armbar. I tapped even before my arm was stretched.
Because in that fight I thought Matt Hughes was killing me, kicking
my ass. But, when I watched the tape I realized I was doing pretty
well. I know I’m the caliber of fighter who can beat Matt
Hughes. I believe a lot more in myself and I cannot wait for
a rematch with him.
MMA
Weekly: Would you say you had a fulfilling year in 2005?
Georges
St. Pierre: Yeah I had a pretty good year. In 2004 I lost against
Hughes, but I came back strong. I beat Dave Strasser in January
in Canada (at TKO 19), I beat Jason Miller in April, I beat Frank
Trigg in August and I beat Sherk in November, so it’s perfect
for me- four victories. But I hope now they are going to give
me a title shot, I think I deserve it. I beat all the contenders
faster than Hughes beat them himself, so I think I deserve it.
MMA
Weekly: When you first came into the UFC the fans weren’t
quite sold on you, but lately they’ve really rallied behind
you and you’ve become one of the most popular fighters in
the UFC. How does it feel to have the fans support and to know
they are behind you?
Georges
St. Pierre: It feels great. Before like you said, it’s true,
the crowd booed me, but it’s normal, in the beginning they
cheer for their hometown guy, but now a lot of people like me.
I think it’s because I give a good image of the sport, I
think it’s very important for us, for our sport, to be accepted
all over the world to give a good image of it. Don’t let
people think we are bums or street fighters or guys like that,
it’s very important to make people believe we are real professional
athletes.
MMA
Weekly: I’m sure the dancing has helped a bit too.
Georges
St. Pierre: [Laughs] Exactly.
MMA
Weekly: You also have to be pretty happy with the fact that your
team is becoming one of the best in the sport and that they’re
in line for titles as well in the New Year.
Georges
St. Pierre: I think that David is going to win the world title
when he’s going to fight Franklin. I have no doubt in my
mind. You know I’m very glad because we work very hard together,
we train very hard together, but we still have a lot of things
to work on. We’re still doing a lot of mistakes, but that’s
normal, we’re very young. We have a lot of time to improve
and become almost, I say almost because perfection doesn’t
exist, almost perfect fighters. We have to work a lot to reach
that level of fighting, but I am very happy we have done so well.
MMA
Weekly: All right Georges, thank you for your time, we appreciate
it as always. Is there anything you’d like to say as we
head out?
Georges
St. Pierre: I want to thank all the fans for the support they
gave me and I hope they are still going to cheer for me, because
in 2006 I will become the UFC World Welterweight Champion. I
hope I will be a good Champion for the crowd, thank you very
much and see you again in March or April.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Latest
Updates Regarding PRIDE "Shockwave"
by Stephen Martinez
TOKYO, Dec. 16 — December 31 is just a few weeks away and
Dream Stage Entertainment, the biggest mixed martial arts organization
in Japan, is working hard putting together the last pieces for
PRIDE "Shockwave," the biggest show of the year in
Japan.
One
of the new fights added to New Year's Eve's "Otoko Matsuri,"
as the card is known in Japan, is the special match between Japanese
celebrity Ken Kaneko and American Charles Bennett, who just last
week was submitted by Urijah Faber in Gladiator Challenge.
Kaneko
is a popular actor whose movie debut came under famous Japanese
director Takeshi Kitano in Kid's Return. From there he joined
the announcing team of another popular Japanese TV program, Junk
Sport, and through this show he fell in love with the Japanese
MMA scene.
Two
years ago Kaneko joined the famous Axis BJJ club in Tokyo to
train jiu-jitsu, but last Febraury he finally made the decision
to start training MMA at Takada Dojo under Kazushi Sakuraba.
Recently,
PRIDE president Nobuyuki Sakakibara made official the debut of
Ken Kaneko in "Otoko Matsuri" in a special rules match.
For Kaneko's PRIDE and MMA debut the DSE office chose none other
than the colorful "Krazy Horse" Bennett, who will be
fighting Kaneko in an open-weight match.
Some
of the special rules designed for Kaneko`s debut are:
-
two five-minute rounds
- no knees or kicks in four-point position
- no "soccer" kicks
- at full time limit, the judges will decide the winner (no draws)
In
other PRIDE-related news, the rumored match between Japanese
Icons Kazushi Sakuraba and Kiyoshi Tamura fell through after
Tamura's camp and DSE failed to come to terms.
Still,
Sakuraba is officially announced to participate in "Otoko
Matsuri" and his opponent will be announced next week.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning
for a decade, plant trees;
if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people."
Chinese Proverb
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
EAST vs. WEST 2nd Anniversary
Jan 14,2006
Sea Life Park
CHAMPIONS
COLLIDE
Hawaii's Wayne Perrin III Battles BANG!!!
Punishment
In Paradise Champion Wayne Perrin III of Waianae will face off
against K1/UFC Champion Duane BANG Ludwig. Ludwig who known all
over the world as he holds numerous international Kickboxing
& Muay Thai Championships. Ludwig also holds a big KNOCK
OUT win over the only man to beat BJ Penn, UFC Champion Jens
Pulver. After speaking with Team Bigdogs trainer/owner Wayne
Perrin II who is also Wayne Perrin III father, Perrin II said
his son is excited at the opportunity to face off against such
a world class fighter, Perrin II also claims come Jan 14, 2006
Hawaii fans will not be disappointed.
Dominator
Lopez is BACK!!
After
taking time off fighting and trainning to become a father for
the first time Domi Lopez will be back in action against rival
Ryan Lee of bulls pen. Domi Lopez is P.I.P Undefeated champion
and hold 2 Belts in 2 different weight classes. Last time both
fighters collided they left the crowd on their feets.
Tickets
on sale bdkamaka@comcast.net for outlets!
Attention tickets are moving fast so please get it soon. 1000
tickets were made for presale. I been hearing from the outlets
that tickets are moving quickly and soon to be out.
EASTSIDE
OUTLETS
John Kukahiko (Kailua, 351-4898), Kaleo Kwan & Mike Malone
(Waimanalo, 381-0011), Team MMAD (Randy, Kailua), Bulls Pin (Dino,
330-7108 Kalihi)
WESTSIDE
OUTLETS
808
Fight Factory (Kim, 671-4140, Waipahu), Team Bigdogs (Wayne Perrin,
489-6170 ,Waianae)
PJ Dean (Waianae), Kepa Rivera (620-4291, Nanakuli) Animal House
(Rick, 779-3237, Ewa Beach), Jesus Is Lord (David, 282-2232,
Waipahu)
|
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.
|
PRIDE
NEW YEAR CARD
Below are some of the official and unoffical matchups are that
scheduled for the PRIDE card on December 31st. A total of 10-14
matchups is expected to be announced:
Officially
announced matchups:
Vanderli Silva vs. Ricardo Arona
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Mark Hunt
Fedor Emelianenko vs. 'Zuluzinho'
Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Naoya Ogawa
Dan Henderson vs. Murilo Bustamante
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. TBA
Yuki Kondo vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Sanae Kikuta vs. Makoto Takimoto
Takanori Gomi vs. Hayato Sakurai
Ken Kaneko vs. Charles Bennett
Unofficially
announced matchups:
Alexander Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum
Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira vs. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson
Murilo 'Ninja' Rua vs. Paulo Filho
Anderson Silva vs. Ikuhisa Minowa
Other
fighters possible scheduled to participate on the card:
Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira
Alistair Overeem
Source:
Fight Sport
|
UFC
ODDS ARE UP IN LAS VEGAS
Many of the sportsbooks in Las Vegas have just released lines
for UFC 57 which is held at Mandalay Bay. Here are the early
numbers...
Randy
Couture +150
Chuck Liddell -180
-
The UFC Champion is only a slight favorite in this fight. Chuck
is at -180, while Couture is +150. That means if you wanted to
bet the underdog Couture you would bet $100 dollars to win $150.
If you like the champ, Liddell, you would bet $180 to win $100.
Marcio
Cruz +210
Frank Mir -270
-
Frank Mir opened as the favorite at -270. How will Mir repond
in his first fight back in the UFC?
Mike
Van Arsdale +170
Renanto "Babalu" Sobral -200
-
Babalu opened up at -200 as the favorite. Van Arsdale is a live
underdog as slight money has already come on him in the early
stages.
Justin
Eilers +120
Barndon Vera -150
-
Vera comes in as the favorite as this fight takes place at 205.
It will be very interesting to see if either fighter has problems
making 205 as both have fought traditionally at heavyweight.
Gilbert
Aldano +120
Paul Buentello -150
-
Buentello is just a slight favorite in this fight which may surprise
some. Aldano is known as a KO artist, so this should be an interesting
fight between two guys who can knockout opponents.
Brandon
Lee Hinkle +150
Jeff Monson -180
-
Monson is the the more expierenced fighter and is the slight
favorite in this fight as a result.
Whitehead
+140
Jardine -170
-
Jardine is a slight favorite in a fight between two members of
season 2 of the Ultimate Fighter.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
JACK
BLACK TRAINING WITH TOM HOWARD
The
Japanese media reports that American comedian Jack Black just
spent one month training with Tom Howard, who is a K-1 MMA veteran
and pro-wrestler in Japan.
Black
underwent the training in preparation for his role in the upcoming
movie called 'Nacho Libre'. Black is doing most of his wrestling
and stunts in the movie.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Royler
talks about K-1 & Pride finals
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Royler Gracie is on his way to Japan,
where on next December 31st, he will be in the corner of his
big brother Royce Gracie, who competes at the K-1 event. As part
of the Middle Weight Championship tournament, Royler Gracie was
defeated by finalist Norifumi 'KID' Yamamoto and now he evaluates
what may happen during this final between Genki Sudo and Kid
Yamamoto.
-
I've fought both of them and was KO'd by them. But I think Genki
Sudo is such a tough fighter to beat, he is smart. On the other
hand, Kid is a young fighter, but he already has great experience.
He comes from a wrestling family and he has a lot of will. He
has blood in his eyes and he does not care about committing mistakes
and this may become a problem. It's a hard pick, I think anyone
may win this fight, I would bet money in Kid, but Sudo may surprise
him. I only know it's going to be a great fight - Gracie said.
He
also talked about the lightweight fight between Takanori Gomi
and Hayato Sakurai, scheduled for the PRIDE event. 'It's going
to be a tough fight. Gomi has been climbing the top fighter's
level and I think he will win. At Bushido middleweight GP, I
root for Murilo Bustamante. He is a tough guy like Royce and
despite his weight, he still fights. I am sure he will do a great
job and defeat Dan Henderson' Royler stated.
Royler
is going to help his big brother at K-1. 'We want to stay in
Japan for a while and we will spend two weeks in Japan to get
used with the weather and the jet-lag. Royce is also promoting
his event, the Royler Gracie's Fightfest and he flies straight
to Japan from Indiana' he said.
Royler
also talked about the opponent's change. 'Royce was training
to fight a striker, and now he will fight Judo fighter Yoshihiro
Akiyama. I am positive he will do a serious fight and Royce really
wants to fight him. No matter the fact he is a Judo fighter,
Royce will impose his game and he will give his best inside the
ring' he said. According to Royler, Royce is far experienced
than Akiyama, and he is sure the Japanese will try everything
to beat Gracie. 'Akiyama is aware this is his chance and I am
sure he is training hard to defeat Royce. A victory over him
would be the top of his career' Royler believes.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"It is easier to live through someone else than to become
complete yourself."
Betty Friedan, American Social Activist and Co-Founder of the
National Organization for Women
|
Anderson
faces Japanese at ROTR
GP
The contract is not signed yet, but is almost certain that Anderson
Silva will face the Japanese Yushi Okami over the first round
of the Rumble on the Rock GP, that will take place on January
20, in Hawaii. According to our friends from MMAWeekly.com, this
bout would be one of the main disputes of the initial phase of
the competition.
We
must remember. During an exclusive to TATAME.com, Anderson confirmed
his participation at the GP. The Muay Thai black-belt is already
in Rio de Janeiro, where he will stay one week training with
his friend Rodrigo Minotauro. On last Sunday, Anderson was with
Rogério Minotouro and Zé Mário Sperry ay
Cyclone Submission Cup, disputed at América Futebol Clube
gymnasium.
Yushin
Okami has 13 victories and just two loses. His last appearance
was at Hero's Korea, on last November 5. He defeated the local
Myun Joo Lee by TKO in less than two minutes. The competition
will also brings Renato Charuto facing Carlos Condit, Jake Shields
facing Dave Menne and Ronald Juhn against Frank Trigg.
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
Rumble
on the Rock GP
Friday, January 20, 2006.
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu - Hawaii
Rumble
World GP
-
Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami;
-
Renato
Charuto
vs. Carlos Condit;
-
Jake Shields vs. Dave Menne;
-
Ronald
Jhun vs.
Frank Trigg;
Superfights
-
Butterbean vs. adversary to be defined;
-
Wesley
Cabbage
vs. adversary to be defined;
-
Ross “da
Boss” Ebanez
vs. Jason Von Flue;
-
Scott Junk
vs. Myles Tynanes.
Source:
Tatame
|
SAPP
VS. MUSASHI
K-1 announced the matchup of Bob Sapp vs. Musashi for their card
on December 31st. The bout will be a K-1 rules matchup.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Leonardo
Nogueira: Following the brother's way
By Joana Carvalho
The
21 years old fighter Leonardo Nogueira has a huge responsibility:
follow the same career as his brother, the biggest champion of
the Shooto history, Alexandre Pequeno. Inside of the rings and
of the mats, the purple-belt of Luta-Livre is doing a great job,
making a hard fight against Aloísio Dado Barros, at Shooto
Brazil 9 and defeating famous grapplers as Rodrigo Damm and the
world-wide champion of Jiu-Jitsu Eduardo Pessoa at Cyclone de
Submission, held last Sunday (11), in Rio de Janeiro.
How
do you deal with the fact of being brother of the biggest champion
of Japan history?
Well,
is a little bit complicated. Obviously, they expect a lot from
me, so I have to train harder. They like to compare him to me
all the time. This is crazy! I have to train more than my brother.
Do
you think that is good to be brother of a star and follow his
career? Do you think that it brings you advantages or disadvantages?
The
disadvantage is the pressure, as I told you. I must train really
hard. I've got to be good as him. But it has the advantage to
brings his name right? This is helps me a lot!
How
did you start to fight?
I
started three years ago. I've never thought I would follow this
way. I always liked to go surfing, skating, but we moved to Minas
Gerais, we lived there for about two years and when we went there,
my brother asked me: do you wanna work or start to train with
me? So, with his incentive, I start to fight.
You
just came from a good presentation in the Shooto Brazil against
Aloísio Barros. Tell us about this fight. Which were the
difficulties of facing an experienced athlete as him?
Well,
that was a good fight, I didn't have any difficulties. I was
feeling well, but when I kick Dado, I hurt my foot, I felt so
much pain! But besides it, this fight gave me a lot of experience!
Tell
us about your fight in the Cyclone Cup. Eduardo Pessoa is a really
good fighter and you submitted him at 40 seconds with a famous
guillotine. Your strategy was letting him put you down so you
could use it?
Yeah...My
brother and I did this strategy to let Eduardo attack my legs
for I could apply a guillotine choke. Nobody believed that would
happen. Everybody was surprised about my victory. I haven't got
too much time to train, just one week, with my foot hurt...My
foot was really bad and I was scared about the possibility to
Eduardo gets my foot. If he had done that, I would be submitted.
Thanks God that everything was fine.
Who
are your idols in the sport?
Well.
it has so many good athletes. I like Wanderlei Silva, his fight
is really aggressive. I also like a lot Arona's game, he is really
good.
What
is your dream as an athlete?
Well,
my biggest dream is to fight in a big event in Japan with my
brother. I wanna be a champion as Alexandre Pequeno.
Source:
Tatame
|
Margarida
wanna debut in Vale-Tudo
Black-belt of Jiu-Jitsu of the Brazilian Top Team (BTT), Fernando
Margarida wants to debut in MMA. Margarida doesn't know when
it will happen, but he is training hard with his mates of BTT
and is looking forward to be fighting soon.
-
I want to debut really soon. I'm ready and training a lot. I
know the year is finishing and probably we won't have events
anymore, but in 2006 I hope to debut -, said the black-belt,
that intends to fight Jiu-Jitsu and Submission.
In
the last days, Margarida heard that probably he will dispute
against Fábio Leopoldo. The possibility is not discarded,
but he guarantees that nothing is closed yet. "They released
my name saying that I would fight against Fábio Leopoldo,
but this is not confirmed yet. Nothing is confirmed yet, but
probably the fight will happen soon", he said.
Source:
Tatame
|
SAKURABA
VS. TAMURA CANCELLED
DSE/PRIDE reports that the matchup of Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Kiyoshi
Tamura will not be taking place on the PRIDE card on December
31st. According to DSE/PRIDE, negotiations fell through, and
a new opponent for Sakuraba will be announced next week.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"Be modest! It is the kind of pride least likely to offend."
Jules Renard, 1864-1910, French Author and Dramatist
|
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller Seminar at HMC
Cancelled!
Due to unforeseen circumstances the Mayhem seminar has been cancelled.
We are VERY sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused
in anyone's schedules and planning and hope to bring another
seminar in the near future.
|
Right
After The Seminar!
Mayhem at Fighter's Corner
CANCELLED!
Due
to the same reasons above, Mayhem will NOT be able to make it
to Fighter's Corner.
Don't
let that stop you from stopping by and checking out the store!
|
ROTR
WELTERWEIGHT GP UPDATE
Below are the list of fighters that have been officially announced
for the 'Rumble on the Rock' Welterweight GP, which is scheduled
for January 20th:
Anderson
Silva
Jake Shields
Dave Menne
Renato
'Charuto' Verissimo
Frank Trigg
Ron Jhun
Yushin Okami
Carlos Condit
Source:
Fight Sport
|
OGAWA
VS. YOSHIDA IS USD$4 MILLION FIGHT
 
The Japanese media reports that the Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Naoya
Ogawa matchup is supposedly cost USD$4 million to sign. Unofficially,
it is the biggest purse ever for a fighter, and the most expensive
fight ever signed.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
MaXpreview:
Pride New Year's Eve
By Jeremy Wall
As usual,
the year's final event from Pride will take place on New Year's
Eve in Japan, and, also as usual, will happen at Pride's homebase
of Saitama Super Arena. The show will air on Japanese network
TV, going up against K-1's New Year's Eve show and the popular
NHK Red & White concert special. Both shows will outdraw
Pride, but this is more so about how well Pride can do in third
place in the ratings rather than usurping either show of its
ratings dominance.
The
card itself features a combination of quality fighters and freakshow
appeal, although it is laden with more Japanese fighters and
Japan vs. Japan bouts than usual with under half of the fighters
on the card being foreigners. Generally, this is unusual for
Pride as they are usually top-heavy with main event foreign fighters.
However,
the gang is still all here. Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva,
and Mirko Cro Cop are all competing on New Year's Eve. There
will also be the finals to the two Bushido tournaments from autumn,
along with a yet to be announced fight for Kazushi Sakuraba (possibly
against Kiyoshi Tamura, possibly against someone else).
Let's
take a look at each fight:
Mirko
Cro Cop vs. Mark Hunt: This is one of the bigger matches from
a U.S. perspective, although both men are megastars in Japan.
Hunt has fought three times in Pride, looking good in all three
matches although a couple of the performances can be explained
away. He was submitted by Hidehiko Yoshida in their fight, with
Yoshida taking longer than expected in putting him away. Yoshida
also took awhile to put away Tank Abbott, as the Japanese fighters
are instructed to give the fans a show before finishing a fight.
If they fought against Yoshida could realistically submit him
very quickly. Hunt also came in on short notice and fought Wanderlei
Silva, delivering Silva's first loss in Pride. Hunt had a huge
weight advantage on Silva, and although he rocked the smaller
man he was still not able to knock Silva out. Mirko will be his
hardest opponent yet. Hunt will not be able to strike with Mirko
as he did with Wanderlei Silva. This, however, will be a very
good stand-up fight. Mirko is more experienced on the ground,
which is rare for him. Hunt is a hard guy to KO and has a good
chin so it looks like this should be a decision win for Mirko,
who is in the middle of another comeback.
Wanderlei
Silva vs. Ricardo Arona: This is a big fight for both guys. Silva
lost to Ricardo Arona earlier this year in the semi-finals of
the Grand Prix. I'm unclear on whether this is for the Middleweight
title, but it should be. Arona is the better fighter, and should
get this on the ground and slow it down to a halt. Silva does
have superior striking and could knock Arona out, but odds are
Arona should take this one to the ground and control it for a
decision victory. I don't see this as being much different than
their first match. I also don't know if putting an Arona fight
on a major network TV special is such a good idea since he has
a reputation as a boring fighter, which may cause a lot of channel
changing unless Silva lights it up.
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Zulu: Zulu is the guy from Brazil who beat Sentoryu.
He's big, but Fedor is inhuman and should mop the floor with
him.
Takanori
Gomi vs. Hayato Sakurai: This is the finals for the Bushido lightweight
tournament and clash of former SHOOTO Champions. A few years
ago Sakurai was one of the best fighters in the world, but isn't
near that level anymore. He's still very good, though. Gomi is
undefeated in Pride, and is probably the best 155-pounder out
there. I don't know if he will be able to finish Sakurai, but
he should win the ground game and do well standing to win the
decision. I don't see Sakurai as being the guy to end Gomi's
unbeaten streak. Pride really needs Gomi to break out and become
a star, and this is a pretty big fight for him in terms of exposure,
but I still don't think this is going to do it.
Dan
Henderson vs. Murilo Bustamante: This is the finals of the middleweight
Bushido tournament, and also a rematch of a fight they had a
couple of years ago in Pride. That fight ended quickly when the
two accidentally bumped heads and then Henderson followed up
with a knee for the knockout. Bustamante would not have gotten
his rematch if this fight didn't happen in the finals of this
tournament. Bustamante is a former UFC Middleweight champion,
having never lost the title. He holds a submission win over Hendo's
teammate Matt Lindland, in a fight that Bustamante dominated
from the outset. Henderson has excellent submissions defense,
but tends to inevitably fall victim to the submission. He's got
a knockout punch, although Bustamante is also a very skilled
boxer. Henderson has great wrestling skills, although that did
not do much for Lindland against Bustamante. I picked Bustamante
to win their first fight, and although he lost, it was a freak
accident and I pick him again to defeat Hendo, either via submission
or decision.
Kazuhiro
Nakamura vs. Yuki Kondo: Another Japanese vs. Japanese fight.
Kondo is a good striker, but not world class. Nakamura is good
with submissions, being a judoka, and has ground and pound skills.
It's possible that he could ground and pound Kondo to a decision
win. Kondo can be submitted, which is another possiblity here.
Kondo's chance should be via knockout, although I see this ending
up going to a decision in Nakamura's favour.
Makoto
Takimoto vs. Sanae Kikuta: Takimoto is a terrible fighter, but
has a rich background in judo. That has meant nothing for him
in Pride, though. Kikuta is a veteran fighter, and the kind of
guy that Takimoto should be able to defeat easily if he were
suited for MMA. Kikuta is being brought in to lose to Takimoto,
but I think he'll end up with the victory anyway.
Hidehiko
Yoshida vs. Naoya Ogawa: This is the big ratings draw for Japanese
TV and the main event. Ogawa is a terrible fighter, former judo
olympian, current pro wrestler, and has participated in at least
a handful of worked victories in Pride. Yoshida is a great judoka
and also top olympian, but he is also a great submissions fighter.
He will win this one, but it's just a matter of how much of a
show these two guys will give the Japanese audience. The real
battle here is in TV ratings, not in the ring.
If
Sakuraba does end up fighting against Tamura, I have to pick
Sakuraba. It will be a big fight for ratings, and one of the
bigger matches of the latter part of Saku's career and probably
the biggest fight of Tamura's. Tamura can strike, but I think
Sakuraba is at least even if not better than him in striking
ability. Sakuraba is the better wrestler, and they are probably
close to even in submissions. Again, this one would be about
ratings rather than who wins in the ring. Which is really what
these New Year's Eve shows are all about as a whole, anyway.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise
of men,
but from doing something worthwhile."
Sir Wilfred Grenfell, 1865-1940, English Missionary and Physician
|
X-1
Battlegrounds at the O-Lounge Tonight!
X-1 Battlegrounds at the O Lounge 3
O Lounge Night Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
December 16, 2005
MMA: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Miles Tynanes (Team Tiger Freestlyle) vs Patrick Fonohema (Team
First Lap/Freestyle)
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Jared Linsey (Bulls Pen/Freestyle) vs Vilafonu Vonakalafi (Freestyle)
MMA: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Derek Thornton (Rock Bottom Fight Team) vs Jr Sua (Team First
Lap/Freelance)
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Jeremy Bell (Team Tiger/Freestyle) vs Tamafaiga Soi (Team First
Lap/ Freestyle)
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Joshua Ferreira (Waianae/Kickboxing) vs Guy Jhun (Waipahu/Freestyle)
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Menery Berger (Bullspen/Freestyle) vs Tomas Rosser (Kaneohe/Freelance)
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Jake Talelei (Team First Lap) vs Tony Marc Ornellas (Jus Rush
F.C/Freestyle)
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Isaiah Cobb-Adams (Animal House/kickboxing) vs Austin Hernandez
(Bulls Pen/Freestyle)
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Ryan Cadiman (Freelance/Freestyle) vs Gene Gregory (Mix Breed)
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Tyler Kahihiko (Kona/Freestyle) vs Ikaika Brown (Team Submit/Freestyle)
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Noel Oribello (Ewa Beach/Freestyle) vs Kuikahi Isaac (Mix Breed/Freestyle)
|
Help
For A Potential Miss Hawaii
 
This is a first for Onzuka.com, partially because this has
nothing to do with martial arts, but it does have something to
do with Hawaii. And at many of Hawaii's MMA event, we have beautiful
women that are ring card girls, so technically if Ms. Bringas
was a ring card girl, this would fit right into our page....okay,
nuf said trying to justify putting on a beautiful young lady
on our site. After seeing Teresa's pictures, I had most of you
at "This is a first" heh heh.
Find out more about Teresa and check out more pictures at her
website:
www.teresabringas.com
My name is Teresa Bringas and I'm planning to do the Miss Honolulu,
Miss West Oahu, Miss Nuuanu and Miss Leeward Pageant ( one pageant
with 4 titles). This is a preliminary to the Miss Hawaii Scholarship
pageant. The pageant will be held on Jan 22nd at the Paliku Auditorium
in Kaneohe...I think that's where it is :( I'm looking to raise
funds to go towards my advetisements, gown, swimsuits etc. Although,
the pageant does not require a registration or entry fee the
things that we need can add up and become very costly. I normally
would send out letters to business etc, but with time being a
factor that is not possible.
My
platform for the pageant right now is "Prevent Drug Abuse
in Teens"..this is unless my director helps me find something
else more suitable and easier to handle in interview.
The
pageant will consist of Interview 35%, Talent 40%, Swimsuit 10%,
Evening Wear 10% and Casual 5%.
I
hope this enough information, if not please let me know. I am
also attaching a picture of myself so you can see who you might
be supporting.
Thank
You so much for your help,
Teresa
Bringas
|
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller Seminar at HMC Tomorrow!
Just when you thought you had enough of Mayhem, he draws you
in for more! Mayhem is throwing a seminar at HMC from 10:30 am
to 1:30 pm. Miller is not only an excellent ground technician,
he is also a great teacher and a guy that really cares that you
learn the techniques that he shows. He is not a guy that shows
a couple of moves and takes your money. At $40, it is a steal
for the amount of material he will show. I highly recommend this
seminar if you are a grappler. I'm sure you will learn a few
more tricks!
|
RAMPAGE:
'UFC WASN'T INTERESTED'
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson was recently interviewed by an internet
radio show and answered many questions. When asked about whether
the UFC showed any interst in signing him when he was a free
agent earlier this year, Rampage replied that he's not convinced
that the UFC even wanted him.
Rampage
added that before he beat Chuck Liddell, the UFC used to always
give him free tickets to their events. After Rampage beat Liddell,
they stopped giving him free tickets.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Professor
Helio Gracie
by Raphael Nogueira
Professor
Helio has so much knowledge to pass on and it is in such a no
BS sort of way. He cuts to the throat…just like his chokes!
Interviewer:
You are nearly a century old. Do you regret anything you've done
or haven't done in your life?
Helio:
Funny, I don't remember anything I disapprove. I was always a
normal kid, except for one flaw: I liked to fight. At least until
I got two important life lessons. I remember the first as if
it were today. I used to walk up and down, still very young,
before I got acquainted with Jiu-Jitsu. I weighed about 70 pounds,
but I'd tell anyone, "What the hell are you looking at?"
Well, one day a friend of mine, named Gugu, told me, "Hey,
there's a guy called Benigno who wants to beat me up." In
order to defend Gugu, I decided to fight the guy without even
knowing who he was. I asked him, "Do you want to hit Gugu?",
and punched his face right away. Then he punched me about 20
times. My face was all swollen. People would enquire what had
happened to my face. I told them I had fought Benigno and they
replied, "Benigno, alright; that guy is crazy, look at the
beating he gave you!" (laughter). In the end, I realized
it was a deserved beating. Lesson one: don't be unfair, don't
fight for no reason.
Interviewer:
What about the second lesson?
Helio:
Well, years later I was on a bus, going to Copacabana beach,
and there was a stern, strong young man, looking in my direction.
I approached him and said, "Why are you staring at me? Do
you think I'm a queer?" But he didn't give a damn, didn't
even pay attention. He lowered his sight and spoke, "Go
away, kid." It was with such great contempt that I never
again disturbed anyone else. Soon afterwards I met Jiu-Jitsu
and never fought in the street again. A person fights in the
street because he doesn't believe in himself, he wants to challenge
people to prove something. But after he learns Jiu-Jitsu, he
strengthens himself in such a way that he starts to treat street
fighting with the same contempt that the guy on the bus had for
me.
Interviewer:
So you hold no grudge whatsoever?
Helio:
Let's say all of you (he points at the seven members of the Gracie
Magazine team) kicked my ass right now, broke the hell out of
me, so that I'd have to spend the next six years in bed recovering.
Suddenly a cop calls me saying he arrested the gang that beat
me up. "I can kill or cripple every single one of them,
no one will ever know about it, it depends solely on you,"
he would tell me. I'd simply reply, "Do nothing, leave them
all alone." I believe nature charges a fair price that perhaps
I would not be able to reckon. I don't avenge myself on anyone.
Nature will get them for me, and that makes me sleep peacefully,
with no fear of anything. I usually say that nobody gets what
they don't deserve, be it punishment or reward. A brick fell
onto your head? Thank God for it, because you owed something
that was paid by this. It isn't easy to think like this, it's
hard, but one day you'll get there and understand it.
Interviewer:
Speaking of punishments from nature, how do you look at natural
disasters such as tsunamis?
Helio:
Nature cleans. By the way, it is cleaning at this moment, and
the worst is yet to come. There are a few things I write, if
you wish to hear, I'll read it aloud to you. I started studying
nature and consequently studied mankind. You think you know yourselves,
but none of you knows what you truly are. (Master Helio leaves
the porch to fetch to card indexes in the back of the house.
On one there's a tag reading "Moral traits", and on
the other tag is "General Issues.") Everything that
comes out of your mind is a moral trait. I have listed 58 of
them. Don't mind me, I'm ignorant, although not stupid. I always
had the intention of giving good lessons, serving as example,
correcting other people's mistakes. But then I realized I had
more defects than the people I advised. I began scrutinizing
myself, digging deep inside my soul, correcting myself before
correcting others. Thus I discovered all that I ended up writing
in theses notes. I found out I'm the worst fellow I have ever
met. I'm a thief, a criminal... Not that I have committed any
of these crimes, but I have thought of so doing them, and to
me that's enough. If I think, I am.
Interviewer:
Do you want to publish your writings?
Helio:
I have never thought of it. I don't intend to convince anyone,
this material is nothing but my way of thinking. I don't want
to influence anybody; a person either agrees with me or he doesn't.
I don't believe in religion or anything of the sort. I believe
nature controls everything in the universe (Pause for reflection).
Am I boring you?
Interviewer:
Of course not, Master.
Helio:
Well then. I am convinced that we are also all controlled. We
receive from nature according to our thoughts, words, and works.
There are people who do nothing wrong, say nothing wrong, but
think wrongly, as if there's no tomorrow. To this day there hasn't
been a single human being who hasn't thought the wrong way at
some point. I am even trying to correct that in myself, not to
think bad things anymore. When a bad thought comes to me, I punch
its face and send it away.
Interviewer:
What was the most negative thought you ever had?
Helio:
When I was younger I was the worst person in the world. If someone
did anything wrong to me, I immediately wanted to kill them.
I would never have reached the fighting level I got to if I was
a good guy... When I started there were only criminals to fight
against, I confronted a human jungle. And to kick an animal's
ass you must be worse than it, which is my case. Man is the worst
animal on the face of earth.
Interviewer:
Are you afraid of death?
Helio:
Death? (Laughter) Why fear death? I don't need anything, I don't
have anything, I don't want anything. I think it's silly for
somebody to be scared of dying. One should be afraid of being
born. I have already told my children when I die I want a party,
with no alcohol, no hell raising (general laughter). But I want
a party with music, food... I don't know if you guys believe
in reincarnation, but we all go and come back until the day we
no longer have to return. My brother (Carlos Gracie, already
deceased) used to say the fellow only stops returning to Earth
when he mingles with the Whole. Even when you're thinking just
a little bit wrongly, you come back to continue evolving. My
friends, hell is right here on Earth.
Interviewer:
Why have you isolated yourself from the city and come to live
here on this far away ranch in Itaipava, Rio de Janeiro?
Helio:
I've lived here for fourteen years now. You are aware of the
crap it is to live in a big city, aren't you? There is not enough
gold in the world to make me leave this place. In Rio (capital
of the state) you leave your house and don't know whether you're
coming back alive.
Interviewer:
Don't you feel lonely here?
Helio:
Lonely? Do you know what loneliness is? Loneliness is a person
not liking his/herself. Loneliness is not having a mental activity.
It is hard to find a head that works as quickly as mine. I am
92 years old and none of you can think or discuss more quickly
than I. There's no reason to feel alone. Solitude is a man getting
older and not having any friends. Loneliness is a man not having
anything to do or think. It's hell, a disgraceful death. I like
living here, no one annoys me, I have no neighbours, the property
is huge, I am miles away from the street. For my age, my health
condition, the lucidity I have today... That is very rare, may
God give you all the same. In my entire life, I have never had
such good sense as I have now. It's hard to find a happier man
than me. (Helio lives in Itaipava with his wife, Vera Gracie.)
Interviewer:
What are your pastimes here on the ranch?
Helio:
When there is no student coming to take Jiu-Jitsu lessons, I
write, play solitaire... I'm an utter vagabond (laughter). I
even watch television, but find most of the shows awful.
Interviewer:
Few people get to your age with so much lucidity. Is there a
secret formula for that?
Helio:
The sternness of age makes me see things as right or wrong. With
me there's no halfway, it's either yes or no. Try from now on
not to answer "maybe", "more or less", "who
knows". Simply say yes or no, you'll see how tough it is.
Interviewer:
Which Jiu-Jitsu technique is the best?
Helio:
That depends on the attack the guy is under. But when I fought,
my favorite technique was the choke, because there's no tough
guy against it. I think to this day I have only won one fight
with an armlock, the rest of my opponents would go to sleep.
Since I was thinner than my adversaries, I was always on the
bottom, doing guard, and from there I would give the choke. Therefore,
to me, the greatest move is the choke-in-guard, because there's
no man who can resist it, they all fall asleep or give up.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Just
My Thoughts: A Simple Holiday Wish List
by Mike Sloan
Ah,
the Christmas season. Frigid sub-zero temperatures. A powdery
blanket of snow. Laying beside a heat vent while making out a
Christmas list to give to my mom.
(Naturally,
I no longer make wish lists for the holiday and I live in the
desert now. So this Christmas season, even though my house is
filled with lights and a tree, isn't like the ones of yesteryear.)
No
more dreaming of scoring the latest Nintendo Entertainment System
game; no hoping that I unwrap a killer Lego medieval castle;
no digging into my stocking for some sweet Hot Wheels cars; and
no leaving cookies out for Santa Claus.
But
anyhow, I figured that after all these years of working throughout
the holiday season that it would be good for retro purposes to
make a wish list of sorts — one for the world of mixed martial
arts.
I
think I've been pretty good this year, so hopefully the higher-ups
in the MMA fight game will get a hold of my wish list and make
my hopes become reality. In the spirit of Christmas and all spoiled
little brats across the world, here is a list of demands and
wants for the fingerless-glove-wearing fat man in the red suit.
Please
make sure that The Ultimate Fighter 3 is not Monday Night RAW
When
I was a kid, I used to be glued to my boob tube for WWF's Saturday
Night's Main Event. And pro wrestling was always on Saturday
mornings and there was a weekly show hosted by Bobby "The
Brain" Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon on the USA Network on
Tuesdays (I think). But after about Wrestlemania 6 or so, I became
turned off by the entertainment show, as it became just too ridiculous
and over-the-top phony.
After
watching every episode of TUF 1 and 2, I am curious to see what
Dana White and the staff behind the SpikeTV reality show have
up their sleeves.
Re-signing
Tito Ortiz and making him a coach on season three along with
Ken Shamrock is a recipe for success if I've ever seen one. Tito
and Ken absolutely — and genuinely — despise each other
and we all know how Dana and Tito feel about each other. Having
those three, particularly Tito and Ken, locked up together for
weeks on end is a surefire bet for fireworks, tons of trash talk
and flying fists. By making the two bitter rivals competing coaches
on next season's show, it will be a slam-dunk for ratings and
high stakes drama.
Anybody
who even remotely enjoys the UFC will be glued to their TV sets
just to see the train wreck that is Ortiz’s and Shamrock's
hatred for one another. Couple that with a cast of potential
MMA superstars vying for a shot to fight in the UFC (even though
each guy on the show will be signed to a UFC contract anyway),
and season three will be huge.
However,
my only concern is that Zuffa will make the typical money-hungry
mistake of turning a legitimate MMA show into a virtual spin-off
of something Vince McMahon whips up for the WWE. I can already
see it: Tito's team wins a competition; Tito smack-talks Ken;
and then all hell breaks loose. And then vice versa. Every week.
All season long.
And
then add a fracas during a UFC telecast to conveniently hype
up their rematch.
I
can also envision the temper flair-ups between Ken and Tito getting
stronger and more intense with each passing episode and when
things start to get out of control, here will come Vince …
I mean Dana. The UFC prez will most certainly get involved, creating
even more tension for Ken and Tito and I can bet you that at
least one of the two fighters (probably Ken) will storm off the
set and out of the house/gym.
There
will probably be some controversy as to whether or not the anticipated
second clash between the two will occur on time as their sheer
animosity towards each other will warrant them tangling in the
cage much sooner. (Hurry, cash in quick!)
Of
course it is a brilliant idea to arrange that sort of cast for
season three. But how can this not become predictable and seem
somewhat staged after a while? What would happen if Ken started
to ignore Tito, or if Tito never bothered to trash-talk Ken?
You know Dana will grow concerned and urge them — off camera,
of course — to start getting things going.
Hopefully
everything happens naturally and it doesn't come off as some
scripted reality show. But given the fact that the UFC likes
to immediately cash in on what's hot and not allowing things
to fully grow into maturity, one can rest assured that TUF 3
will be action-packed but for probably all the wrong reasons.
Besides, how many years did Shamrock spend in the WWF?
Please
don't waste Forest Griffin's immense popularity by throwing him
to the wolves too soon
Oops.
Too late. Griffin, easily within the top three or four most popular
fighters today in the UFC, is apparently going to fight Tito
Ortiz next. Griffin is amazingly exciting, has guts bigger than
Georgia and will never quit. Sure, he is sloppier than a porn
set and has more holes in his game than a pallet of Swiss cheese.
But when he fights the kid is more exciting than all the rides
at a Six Flags theme park combined.
A
fight between Griffin and Ortiz is a no-brainer because it would
do huge numbers. But why waste it now? Griffin will get beaten
badly by Ortiz and then Zuffa will probably toss him into the
trash heap. In about 18 months this battle would probably shatter
UFC pay-per-view records but as is the norm with Zuffa, they
have instead opted to rush him (along with Nathan Quarry)into
the lions' den before giving him a sword.
Please
make K-1 put some effort into creating a marketplace in America
Sadly
the Japanese organization has seemed to give up on making the
sport worthwhile in the U.S. After bringing in circus shows like
sumo wrestlers and over-the-hill journeymen boxers, K-1 has decided
to virtually scrap its existence in North America. The “Mayhem
at the Mirage” event in August wasn't televised and the
media section was reduced to almost nothing. If that wasn't bad
enough, the final two World Grand Prix events, specifically the
finals, were not even aired on American pay-per-view (at least
not on Cox Cable, DirecTV or DishNet). Hopefully K-1 will rethink
their recent motives and bring it back to American televisions
and reply to my e-mails.
Please
wake up the politicians New York
New
York has yet to fully embrace mixed martial arts and legalize
the sport. Even though boxing is by far the more dangerous sport
to the participating fighters and even though there have been
almost a 1,000 ring-related deaths in boxing over the last century,
MMA is still legally banned in the Empire State. The sport probably
won't fully grow without being allowed in NY and here's hoping
that someone can fill in the moronic and ignorant politicos on
the truth about MMA and eventually we'll see the UFC or PRIDE
or WFA or whatever else inside Madison Square Garden.
Please,
if Don King is serious, make sure he helps MMA explode
Contrary
to popular belief, Don King is great for boxing. Without King,
who knows how much money would have been generated in the Sweet
Science over the past quarter century. Sure, the guy is regarded
as a crook and makes millions upon millions off of fighters who
don't know any better (see Mike Tyson), but the man knows what
he's doing. He puts together some of the best fights in history
and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars since he grew
into prominence.
Figure
this: Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield and Felix Trinidad
have been involved in the richest pay-per-view and live gate
fights in the entire history of the sport. Out of those four,
only De La Hoya wasn't promoted by King. If King is patient enough
and serious enough — which I'm still skeptical of —
he can help make the sport of MMA bigger than ever. And he'd
also become a major competitor of the UFC sooner than you'd think,
which is always great for the fans. Who wouldn't want to have
even more high quality MMA to choose from?
Please
don't let Diego Sanchez (Pictures) waste his talent
I
said it before he was on TUF: Diego Sanchez is for real. Sanchez,
especially after watching him triumph over the awesome Nick Diaz,
is now considered a legitimate contender to be one of the all-time
great fighters in the history of MMA among the sport's insiders.
His all-around skill and determination to be the best is a rare
combo, something few pros actually possess. But I've seen fighters
and other athletes get too comfortable, lose their completive
edge once money rolls in or simply become uninspired to fight,
resulting in amazing talent wasting away. Hopefully Sanchez can
be an MMA version of Muhammad Ali, Ted Williams or Walter Payton
and not piss away something that hardly any other fighter in
the sport was born with.
And
the rest of my wish list:
Please
somehow make the UFC and PRIDE work together to bring the fans
the fights they really want.
Please,
when he fights Andrei Arlovski,make sure Frank Mir actually trains
for once in his life.
Please
bring Uncle Pecos a pack of guitar strings; we all know he breaks
them too frequently.
Please,
please, please stop allowing washed up boxers and sumo wrestlers
to compete in K-1.
Please
make the general public be educated on the fact that some karate
instructor will get his ass handed to him in MMA every time.
Please
help the mainstream and newspaper media actually check their
facts before writing huge articles on our sport.
Please
assist at least one video game company in creating a UFC or PRIDE
game that is actually good.
Please
prevent fighters from believing that steroids actually make them
better fighters.
Please
allow Takanori Gomi-Hayato Sakurai to be the magnificent fight
it should be and let it not be a letdown.
Please
somehow make the PPV broadcasts of King of the Cage events seem
more professional and less like a local cable access show.
Source:
Sherdog
|
UFC
57 Fight Card
February 4th, 2006
Las Vegas, NV
Below are some of the official and unofficially announced matchups
for the UFC 57 card on February 4th. The card is expected to
have eight matchups:
Randy
Couture vs. Chuck Liddell
Frank Mir vs. Marcio 'Pe De Pano' Cruz
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn or Georges St-Pierre
Renato 'Babalu' Sobral vs. Mike Van Arsdale
Alessio Sakara vs. Elvis Sinosic
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow.
Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show."
Source Unknown
|
Some
of the Lighter Guys, After the Spotlight
UFC
has added two welterweight fights to their January 16th Spike
TV special. Melvin Guillard from 'The Ultimate Fighter' season
2 will take on Anthony
Torres,
who is making his UFC debut. Aaron Riley will be returning to
the UFC to take on Spencer Fisher in Fisher's sophomore fight
in the octagon.
Melvin
was a charismatic standout during the early episodes of TUF 2
until he was eliminated surprisingly early in the season's run
by Josh Burkman. The fight also eliminated Burkman, who suffered
injuries defeating Melvin by decision. Melvin, however, returned
in a dark match on the TUF 2 season finale on November 5th, defeating
Marcus Davis via second round TKO.
Torres,
from Hawaii,
is 2-0 in pro MMA. He's versed in jiu jitsu and is a former state
wrestling champion. His last MMA outing was in October 2004 when
he defeated Sean Taylor in SuperBrawl. Melvin will be seriously
favoured in this fight.
Riley
is considered one of the most exciting fighters in the lighter
classes of MMA. He's a very tough competitor and a solid veteran
having fought since the age of 16. He has some of the most impressive
unseen knock-outs in the sport (from smaller venues). He seems
to be an undersized welterweight, but his heart and durabiluity
are as big as they come.
Fisher
is coming off his submission win over Thiago Alves (Riley's teammate)
from October's Ultimate Fight Night, and is 15-1 overall in MMA
competition. Fisher is a very well rounded fighter with good
striking ability and submissions prowess. Riley-Fisher will have
a real chance at being one of the most exciting matches on the
card.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
High
Hopes, Low Odds at TUF Tryouts - MA
Last
Wednesday, at an open casting call in nearby Newton, MA, over
one hundred would-be TV stars auditioned for a spot on the third
season of the hit reality series The Ultimate Fighter. The show,
which features amateur and semi-pro mixed martial artists living
together in a Las Vegas house and competing for a six-figure
contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has been
a hit in two seasons on Spike TV.
When
I arrived just before 10am on a rainy Wednesday morning, the
parking lot outside Boston Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the location
of the casting call, was filled with vehicles, including a limousine.
Two large, intimidating men wearing black trenchcoats, who appeared
to be bodyguards, stood near a black luxury car. Out on the sidewalk,
a handful of young men - one in military fatigues - spoke nervously
or excitedly on their cell phones.
Inside,
about 120 athletes clad in workout gear - and many covered in
tattoos - warmed up and bantered with each other inside a large
(but crowded) mat-covered workout room. Almost as many family
members, friends, spectators, journalists, and Spike TV personnel
filled the periphery of the room, mixing with previous stars
of The Ultimate Fighter including Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar,
Kenny Florian (a Boston local), and Marcus Davis (also a New
Englander). Peter Welch, the TV show's Boston-based boxing coach,
was also present. TV crews from Spike TV, the UFC, and several
local news stations captured the proceedings.
More
on the article by clicking here.
Source: Maxfighting |
INTERVIEW
WITH THE COLOSSUS
This year has been a good one for James “The Colossus”
Thompson. After losing only the second bout of his career late
last year to Aleksander Emelianenko at Pride 28, James rebounded
to win all four of his fights this year.
Now
as we get closer to Pride Shockwave 2005, James is one of the
most talked about names yet to be scheduled for the event. While
it’s currently uncertain just who he’ll face on New
Year’s Eve, Thompson intends to compete on the show, go
undefeated this year, and build momentum for 2006.
Recently
Thompson, at Team Quest’s Oregon facilities, discussed his
year, his recent “worked” bout, and his possible opponent
at Shockwave that may not be the fighter everyone expects him
to face.
MMA
Weekly: Since the last time we talked James you went to Pride
30 and were victorious over gargantuan Alexandru Lungu. Tell
us your thoughts on that fight and if you feel you were able
to impose the gameplan you had going in.
James
Thompson: We knew very little about Lungu (going in), only that
he had fought at world championship level in Judo and Combat
Sombo, as such my team and I thought it unwise to do my signature
“run at my opponent.” I had wanted to keep him at range
and when he was tired take him down and ground ‘n pound
him. As I was waiting to come into the ring, I could see the
pre-fight promo video, and in it they made a big deal of the
“gong and dash” (as they call it in Japan). Because
of this I felt under pressure to take the fight to him, whilst
still thinking, “I have to stick to the game plan.”
When I didn’t run at him and I heard the collective sigh
of the audience, I thought, “fuck it I’d better up
the tempo for the fans.” I then got drawn into a close range
slug match and got caught with a hook. We then went to the ground
and I thought it would be hard to deal with his weight, but I
used a particular escape we’d been practicing and started
to dominate the fight from there. On reflection this wasn’t
a brilliant performance but I feel I’m improving as time
goes on, I’m still a relative novice in the Pride field
and realize I still have lots to learn.
MMA
Weekly: After that fight you did something of a “worked”
pro wrestling/MMA bout in Japan against Ricardo “The Mutant”
Morias. Can you tell us how that came about and how it compared
to full-on MMA fighting?
James
Thompson: Pride wanted to keep me busy and raise my profile in
Japan, U-file was just one of the things we’d discussed.
Surprisingly there are a lot of top fighters competing in these
circuits. I think there is really only a small difference in
preparing for Pride as there is for U-file; both require similar
commitment and effort. In fact I got to train with and hang out
with some great fighters like Josh Barnett, Frank Shamrock, etc.
Josh in particular helped me during my training sessions and
gave me some tips that will help my all-around game. I’m
sure many people already know this but Josh is probably one of
the most knowledgeable MMA fighters in the world today. He’s
got some wrestling tricks that are simply mind blowing. I certainly
enjoyed my U-file experience and hope to do it again sometime.
MMA
Weekly: Recently you’ve been traveling and training in different
places such as Team Quest in Oregon. What made you decide to
travel abroad and how has it effected your training?
James
Thompson: I think it’s important to get a different perspective
on how to do things and my travels are just an extension of that
belief. My team, The Trojan Free Fighters, actively encourage
cross training as they understand that to develop as a fighter
you need to experience different fight styles. Going to Team
Quest seemed a logical fist step, as they are one of the best
MMA camps in the world. We now have a good working relationship
with Robert (Folis, Team Quest Head Trainer) and the guys at
Quest and I hope to go over again early next year with two of
my teammates Ronnie Mann and Zelg Galesic. As for the effects
on my training, I think I have gained a better understanding
of how wrestling can be used to neutralize some Jiu-Jitsu techniques
and this will definitely help my game.
MMA
Weekly: We got a huge response from the fans after our last interview
with you and you seem to be gaining more popularity here in the
US. How does it feel to be developing more of a fanbase outside
your native UK?
James
Thompson: I really like America and think that it has a lot to
offer in many ways. The fans in the US definitely have a better
understanding of MMA and the grappling arts than most, so if
I’m getting a fan base in the US then I know it is deserved.
MMA
Weekly: You are expected to be participating in this year’s
Pride Shockwave 2005 event in Japan on New Year’s Eve. Can
you tell us what it would be like to be part of what could be
the biggest show in Pride’s history?
James
Thompson: Well as you have quite rightly said this is potentially
their biggest show in Pride history, and as such any fighters
chosen to fight are seen as the select few. I don’t like
to think of myself as such, but appreciate the opportunity that
has presented itself. Mr. Sakikabara (DSE President) is very
supportive of his emerging fighters and tries where possible
to give them real opportunities to develop. The Pride New Year’s
Eve show is one such opportunity for me, and I will give my best
effort to entertain the fans.
MMA
Weekly: One rumor has you facing off against 2005 Middleweight
Grand Prix Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Tell us
your thoughts that possible match-up.
James
Thompson: As for fighting Shogun, I respect him as a fighter
and know I will have my work cut out. This said there are some
factors that are in my favor and I would seek to exploit them.
What is certain is that if we do fight there can only be one
conclusion and that is someone is getting knocked the fuck out,
so let’s just hope it’s Shogun.
MMA
Weekly: Since joining Pride last year you have been facing increasingly
larger opponents. What kind of strategy would you employ against
someone smaller and potentially faster like Shogun?
James
Thompson: Firstly Shogun walks around at nearly 100kgs (220lbs)
so the step up wouldn’t be too difficult for him. Though
putting on weight for some fighters can bring significant disadvantages,
I anticipate this to be the case for Mauricio. As for tactics
it would be foolish to give too much away just before the fight,
but lets just say that he would be in for a very torrid time
and the pressure would be on.
MMA
Weekly: If you do not face Shogun and instead face a heavyweight
such as Mark Coleman, would it be business as usual for facing
a heavier fighter or do you tailor your strategy for each individual
opponent?
James
Thompson: Mark would be a tricky customer as he has such good
takedowns. My game plan would have to be completely different
to say that of Mauricio, though the same could be said for any
fight that a separate game plan would be required for each individual
opponent. The problem is that you can’t always focus too
much on any one person as the opponent might change at the last
moment. So although I study an opponent as best I can, I just
train to develop myself all-around so that I can deal with who
ever they put in front of me, no matter what their strengths.
MMA
Weekly: Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko will be
facing Zulu at Shockwave 2005. If both he and you win that could
very well set up a match between the two of you in 2006. What
would be your thoughts on facing him or other top contenders
such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira or Sergei Kharitonov?
James
Thompson: I will fight who ever Pride put in front of me and
can only hope to improve with each performance. If I have to
face any of the aforementioned fighters then so be it, I’m
a Pride fighter and I will follow the wishes of Mr. Sakakibara.
None of the names you have mentioned hold any fears for me; as
if they did I wouldn’t be fighting in Pride. Though when
you’re in the early stages in your Pride career you have
little control over what happens so whom I fight is largely an
irrelevance. I know I just have to take my fights one at a time
and not think too much about the likes of taking on the Pride
Heavyweight Champion.
MMA
Weekly: Looking back now over 2005, are you satisfied with it
and where you are in your career now?
James
Thompson: I think my career has gone well up until now, though
like anything in life I would change a few things. Though when
I look at how I have got to where I am, it is largely due to
the efforts of others that I am where I am now. My trainer Charlie,
my girlfriend Grats, my mum and my teammates at Trojan all played
a big part in getting me to where I am today. So if I’m
pleased about anything it’s that I am lucky enough to have
good people around me.
MMA
Weekly: What kind of plans/goals do you have set for yourself
if all goes well at Shockwave 2005?
James
Thompson: It’s difficult to answer this one as the situation
really isn’t in my hands. Though if I could fight anyone
next year it would have to be Bob Sapp, just because he has a
similar style to me but I know I could rough him up. It would
certainly be an entertaining fight and I would enjoy finishing
it with a Pride stomp.
MMA
Weekly: This year has been an interesting one for MMA in the
UK. Lee Murray was stabbed and almost killed, but has since returned
to begin making a comeback. The UFC headed over to bring in talent
for the upcoming Ultimate Fighter 3 reality series. More big
name fighters have gone over to compete in promotions there.
How does it feel to see the spotlight shining bright on the UK
MMA scene?
James
Thompson: Firstly I’m glad Lee is doing well as he is actually
a very nice guy. I am always saddened to hear of anyone being
injured this way, but more so when it is a fellow MMA brother.
As for the spotlight shining on UK MMA that is a great thing
and something I can feel justifiably part of, though the biggest
factor in the development of UK MMA has to be Andy Geer and Dave
O’ Donnell. They have worked tirelessly to develop a worldwide
brand and have had great success, though without getting the
recognition they deserve. I know they are keen to raise the profile
of UK based fighters and try where they can to champion the UK
MMA cause. As for the UFC visiting the UK my understanding is
that Michael Bisping has been chosen to represent the light-heavyweights
from the UK. Mike is a great fighter and a very humble guy and
is probably one of my favorite (UK) fighters, outside my team.
He’s a good lad and will be a great ambassador for UK MMA,
if anyone deserves the success it’s DJ Mikey B.
MMA
Weekly: I understand one of your teammates, who could have been
a great addition to the show, didn’t have the opportunity
to audition?
James
Thompson: I am a bit disappointed that the UFC people didn’t
give my teammate Zelg Galesic a chance to attend the middleweight
selection phase. He would have decimated any of the other fighters
who applied and would have been the most exciting fighter the
show had ever seen. Ironically the guy he was supposed to fight
on Cage Rage has been selected; I am told, to go to The Ultimate
Fighter. All I can think is that he’s been saved from a
brutal beating, but good luck to him anyway I hope he does well.
You will see what I’m talking about when Zelg fights on
Cage Rage in February.
MMA
Weekly: Thanks for your time as always James. Is there anything
you’d like to say as we head out?
James
Thompson: Thank you to all the fans that have sent me words of
encouragement to the team website, it is much appreciated. Thanks
Fight DVD, Evolution Fight Wear and iESPN for your continued
support. Also thanks to Rob, Randy, Matt, Mike and all the guys
at Quest for treating me so well, thanks guys! Also my special
thanks go to Jeff Monson for coming to the UK to train with me
and my teammates; you are a gentleman and an exceptional teacher,
thank you!
Source: MMA Weekly |
SELL
COMING OFF INJURY WANTS UFC RETURN
When looking back over 2005 it is completely understandable if
Pete “Drago” Sell felt bittersweet about his year fighting.
After being brought in as a late replacement for Robbie Lawler
in February and choking Phil Baroni unconscience at UFC 51, it
looked like it was going to be a breakthrough year for Sell.
Unfortunately
after losing a hotly contested referee stoppage to Nate Quarry
at Ultimate Fight Night 1, Drago would spend the remainder of
the year out with an injury sustained during training to face
Joe “Diesel” Riggs at UFC 55. Now with the year coming
to a close and a return to action just around the corner, Sell
spoke to MMA Weekly about his injury, the middleweight division,
and where he’d like to see himself when all is said and
done.
When
asked about where he was at in recovery from the injury that
prevented him from fighting at UFC 55 Sell responded, “Basically
I’m probably at 80%. I had a minor tear of the meniscus
in my knee and I hurt my hand real bad sparring.”
Pete
explained how the injuries occurred by saying, “What happened
was is that I hurt my knee before the Riggs fight so I had to
pull out of that fight, which I was pissed off about. So for
that fact I couldn’t do any takedowns or Jiu-Jitsu I had
to put a knee brace on and I was doing a lot boxing sparring
to get my hands up and I ended up hurting my hand. I was stuck
doing nothing; I was going out of my mind, so I’ve just
begun training again to get back in action. I just got a cordazone
shot in my hand so it’s feeling better, people always say
I hit hard so that’s how I hurt my hand.”
As
for what he did while away from training, Sell said, “You
know what I just took kind of a vacation from everything for
a little bit. I was relaxing, hanging out with girls, having
a good time and enjoying life instead of running around 24/7
at the gym. I lifted a little bit; put on a little size, but
I couldn’t do much of that either. It almost makes you a
little hungrier sometimes to have a break. Sometimes when you
train all the time it becomes too much like a job, instead of
enjoying it so much anymore, the same thing over and over again,
a little break is good for you.”
Pete’s
initial injury was sustained getting ready for Joe Riggs, when
asked if he would be willing to face Riggs in the future if Joe
returns to middleweight, Pete replied, “Anytime, I’m
down for anyone it doesn’t matter to me. I just got hungry
after my last fight (against Nate Quarry); all that did was open
my eyes. I don’t know, I really haven’t thought about
it (other fighters), I’m down for whatever it doesn’t
matter to me. I just like having exciting fights, that’s
the whole Serra-Longo team is all about, putting a show.”
With
Quarry’s win over Sell at Ultimate Fight Night 1 this past
August, Nate was propelled into a title match against Rich Franklin
at UFC 56.
Pete
had an opportunity to watch the fight and summed up what he saw
in that match by saying, “Honestly I think Nate got a little
bit exposed. The kid does hit hard, but his style is a little
stiff, he’s a little unorthodox. I don’t think he’s
relaxed enough, we knew that going into my fight with him. He
just ended up catching me with a punch I didn’t see coming
and those are the punches that hurt you. He basically got exposed
for his style, (it shows) that a guy with really good stand up
is going to take a guy who’s stiff like that out any day
of the week.”
Even
if Sell had defeated Quarry, he doesn’t feel as if he would
have been given the opportunity Nate was. “Yeah for sure
(I would have wanted to be in there), but they gave him the title
shot. Honestly, say if I knocked out Quarry, you think they would
have given me a title shot? It wouldn’t have happened in
a million years.”
As
for when Drago hopes to return to action, the answer may be sooner
than later. “I’m hoping to get a fight by late February/March
if everything goes good with my injuries and I get back in shape.
I really haven’t gotten back to hard, hard training, so
I don’t know how my injuries would hold up. I actually have
never been injured like this, two things at the same time, it’s
just a pain in the ass. You get through one thing then you get
through the other thing, it kills you because you can’t
do anything.”
Pete
continued, “If things take off for me I’d love to fight
a lot, it will get me up more, I’m dying to get back in
there. You get everything so bottled up, I have so much aggression
to let out and I just have a good time out there. I love to fight.”
When
it comes to possibly getting a shot at UFC Middleweight Champion
Rich Franklin, Sell feels that his best attribute in a fight
like that would be his determination and will to succeed.
“Right
now Rich Franklin is on top of his game, I’ll take nothing
away from the guy, but one thing I always have against anybody
I fight is a lot of heart and will to win,” said Sell. “So
no matter what, if somebody is technically better than you or
this and that, I have that toughness and I do have a tough chin.
I know people were talking shit after the Quarry fight, saying
I got dropped by a jab and this and that, but if you get hit
by MMA gloves and you don’t see it coming, you’ll get
a flash knockdown. That was my first flash knockdown ever in
a fight, I had one in training, so I’ve only ever had two
flash knockdowns ever.”
“I
was overconfident going into the fight, I never even thought
that could happen to me. I’ve got a hard head and I’ll
come to fight and the will to win, if I can impose my will, I’ll
impose my will and see what happens,” further commented
Drago.
One
thing Sell knows for sure is that he’s a far more well-rounded
fighter now than he was when he first started fight and more
than what some people give him credit for. While the majority
of his victories have come by decision and submission, do not
be surprised if he starts to lay people out with his improved
striking ability.
“I
wish I had the skill that I have now back then,” explained
Pete. “When I first started fighting I basically had my
takedowns and Jiu-Jitsu, I was kind of ground ‘n pound guy,
but more a take guys down and submit them kind of fighter. I
just kind of stuck with that, so back in the day there wasn’t
much well-rounded guys so I stuck with that. I wish I started
my hands earlier, but they’re getting better and better.
I feel like if I went back and fought the kids I fought when
I was an up and commer it would be a totally fight now, I’d
kill ‘em even worse.”
As
Sell heals and gets ready to return to action next year, he feels
his goals are set firmly in front of him and among them is to
be eventually known as one of the top fighters the sport has
ever seen. “I want to basically make my statement in the
UFC, MMA world. If I can one day, be a legend in this sport,
I want to take it to another level. I don’t want to just
be another contender; I want to be known as one of the top guys.
I’m shooting for the stars basically, the sky’s the
limit, I’m not just trying to aim for being another fighter,
I want to take over the game.”
Drago
concluded, “I definitely want to thank Sprall, Paragon Mortgage,
Common Athlete, I’m probably forgetting somebody, and of
course Matt, Nicky and Ray. That’s like almost unspoken,
they’re all like my family (the Serra-Longo team), I don’t
even feel like I have to say that, I’m closer to them like
that. I look up to them, no matter how big I’d get, I’ll
always look up to those guys.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true
wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true
power."
Lao Tzu, Chinese Taoist Philosopher
|
ROTR
Breaking News!
Anderson Silva has signed with Rumble on the Rock 175 lb tournament!
With this addition, the line up is tentatively looking like this:
Jake
Shields
Dave Menne
Charuto Verissimo
Anderson Silva
Frank Trigg
Ron "the
Machine Gun" Jhun
Yushin Okami
Carlos Condit
This looks like an incredible tournament. Don't miss it. January
20, 2006 at the Blaisdell Arena!
|
Ultimate
Warriors Combat
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
December 10, 2005
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
Maui
debuts yet another new MMA event with some old hands behind its
production. The promoters of the Warriors of the New Millennium
started UWC and gathered some of the best up and coming fighters
along with some of Hawaii's MMA veterans. The event tried to
bring fighters from Oahu and the big island to face Maui's fighters.
The night was mixed with positionally controlled fights and fights
that featured reversals and exchanges. Some highlights were Dillon
Clay's and Kong's technical superiority and control of their
matches, both ending in submissions. The event also featured
a 3 man tag team submission grappling exhibition that was entertaining
with well timed tagging in of the third fresh grappler. It featured
MMA fighters Sydney Silva, Jason McCormick and Eddie Yagin. It
had a bit of a professional wrestling feel because of the inconspicuous
tags, but the fighters and audience loved it.
The
Moreno-Tyson match delivered what was expected, Moreno's heavy
hands and Tyson showing that he is a game fighter. The shocked
the ground by showcasing Moreno's quickly improving ground skills.
Moreno locked in a tight guillotine and arm bar, but the game
fighter that Tyson is, he got out of it. Moreno eventually planted
a right hand and followed that up with a knee that ended the
very entertaining fight. For the main event, the promoters flew
in Joey Gilbert protégé, Jason Guida to take on
BJ Penn's Thales Leite with the hopes of handing Leite is first
loss in MMA. The x-factor of the fight was Leite's ability to
deal with a solid wrestler in a fight. Leite again proved that
he is on another level and had no problem, showing that his wrestling
skills were top notch and followed them up with his submission
skills, that transcends grappling styles by arm barring Guida.
I personally believe that Leite is ready for one of the big shows.
Amateur
MMA: 2 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Michael Pedro (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) def. Sean Bardon
(Bulls Pen)
TKO at 1:47 minutes in Round 2.
Amateur
MMA: 2 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Ermin Fergerstrom (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) drew Cheyne
Todani (808 Fight Factory)
Majority draw [(20-18), (19-19), (19-19)] after 2 rounds.
Professional
MMA: 2 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Trevor Burnett (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) def. Albert "Always
Bad" Manners (BJ Penn's MMA)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 rounds.
Professional
MMA: 2 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Makoa Hanaike (Team MMAD) def. Alika Rincon (Young Guns Clube
de Luta)
Man
Tag Team Submission Grappling Match: 6 Minutes
Sydney Silva vs. Jason McCormick vs. Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited/Team
MMAD)
Professional
MMA: 2 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Dylan Clay (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu) def. Aaron Rose (808
Fight Factory)
Submission via arm bar at 1:09 minutes in Round 1.
Professional
MMA: 2 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Ray "King Kong" Seraile (Grappling Unlimited) def.
Derrick Thorton (Rock Bottom Fight Team)
Professional
MMA: 2 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Mark Moreno (Bulls Pen) def. Tyson Coloma-Nahooikaika (Brazilian
Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu)
TKO via referee stoppage at 4:58 minutes in Round 1.
Main
Event:
Professional MMA: 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Thales Leite (BJ Penn's MMA) vs. Jason Guida (Hell House, Chicago,
IL)
Leite by submission via arm bar at 1:38 minutes in Round 1.
|
MaXpreview:
Pride New Year's Eve
As
usual, the year's final event from Pride will take place on New
Year's Eve in Japan, and, also as usual, will happen at Pride's
homebase of Saitama Super Arena. The show will air on Japanese
network TV, going up against K-1's New Year's Eve show and the
popular NHK Red & White concert special. Both shows will
outdraw Pride, but this is more so about how well Pride can do
in third place in the ratings rather than usurping either show
of its ratings dominance.
The
card itself features a combination of quality fighters and freakshow
appeal, although it is laden with more Japanese fighters and
Japan vs. Japan bouts than usual with under half of the fighters
on the card being foreigners. Generally, this is unusual for
Pride as they are usually top-heavy with main event foreign fighters.
However,
the gang is still all here. Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva,
and Mirko Cro Cop are all competing on New Year's Eve. There
will also be the finals to the two Bushido tournaments from autumn,
along with a yet to be announced fight for Kazushi Sakuraba (possibly
against Kiyoshi Tamura, possibly against someone else).
Let's
take a look at each fight:
Mirko
Cro Cop vs. Mark Hunt: This is one of the bigger matches from
a U.S. perspective, although both men are megastars in Japan.
Hunt has fought twice in Pride, looking good in both matches
although both performances can be explained away. He was submitted
by Hidehiko Yoshida in their fight, with Yoshida taking longer
than expected in putting him away. Yoshida also took awhile to
put away Tank Abbott, as the Japanese fighters are instructed
to give the fans a show before finishing a fight. If they fought
against Yoshida could realistically submit him very quickly.
Hunt also came in on short notice and fought Wanderlei Silva,
delivering Silva's first loss in Pride. Hunt had a huge weight
advantage on Silva, and although he rocked the smaller man he
was still not able to knock Silva out. Mirko will be his hardest
opponent yet. Hunt will not be able to strike with Mirko as he
did with Wanderlei Silva. This, however, will be a very good
stand-up fight. Mirko is more experienced on the ground, which
is rare for him. Hunt is a hard guy to KO and has a good chin
so it looks like this should be a decision win for Mirko, who
is in the middle of another comeback.
Wanderlei
Silva vs. Ricardo Arona: This is a big fight for both guys. Silva
lost to Ricardo Arona earlier this year in the semi-finals of
the Grand Prix. I'm unclear on whether this is for the Middleweight
title, but it should be. Arona is the better fighter, and should
get this on the ground and slow it down to a halt. Silva does
have superior striking and could knock Arona out, but odds are
Arona should take this one to the ground and control it for a
decision victory. I don't see this as being much different than
their first match. I also don't know if putting an Arona fight
on a major network TV special is such a good idea since he has
a reputation as a boring fighter, which may cause a lot of channel
changing unless Silva lights it up.
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Zulu: Zulu is the guy from Brazil who beat Sentoryu.
He's big, but Fedor is inhuman and should mop the floor with
him.
Takanori
Gomi vs. Hayato Sakurai: This is the finals for the Bushido lightweight
tournament and clash of former SHOOTO Champions. A few years
ago Sakurai was one of the best fighters in the world, but isn't
near that level anymore. He's still very good, though. Gomi is
undefeated in Pride, and is probably the best 155-pounder out
there. I don't know if he will be able to finish Sakurai, but
he should win the ground game and do well standing to win the
decision. I don't see Sakurai as being the guy to end Gomi's
unbeaten streak. Pride really needs Gomi to break out and become
a star, and this is a pretty big fight for him in terms of exposure,
but I still don't think this is going to do it.
Dan
Henderson vs. Murilo Bustamante: This is the finals of the middleweight
Bushido tournament, and also a rematch of a fight they had a
couple of years ago in Pride. That fight ended quickly when the
two accidentally bumped heads and then Henderson followed up
with a knee for the knockout. Bustamante would not have gotten
his rematch if this fight didn't happen in the finals of this
tournament. Bustamante is a former UFC Middleweight champion,
having never lost the title. He holds a submission win over Hendo's
teammate Matt Lindland, in a fight that Bustamante dominated
from the outset. Henderson has excellent submissions defense,
but tends to inevitably fall victim to the submission. He's got
a knockout punch, although Bustamante is also a very skilled
boxer. Henderson has great wrestling skills, although that did
not do much for Lindland against Bustamante. I picked Bustamante
to win their first fight, and although he lost, it was a freak
accident and I pick him again to defeat Hendo, either via submission
or decision.
Kazuhiro
Nakamura vs. Yuki Kondo: Another Japanese vs. Japanese fight.
Kondo is a good striker, but not world class. Nakamura is good
with submissions, being a judoka, and has ground and pound skills.
It's possible that he could ground and pound Kondo to a decision
win. Kondo can be submitted, which is another possiblity here.
Kondo's chance should be via knockout, although I see this ending
up going to a decision in Nakamura's favour.
Makoto
Takimoto vs. Sanae Kikuta: Takimoto is a terrible fighter, but
has a rich background in judo. That has meant nothing for him
in Pride, though. Kikuta is a veteran fighter, and the kind of
guy that Takimoto should be able to defeat easily if he were
suited for MMA. Kikuta is being brought in to lose to Takimoto,
but I think he'll end up with the victory anyway.
Hidehiko
Yoshida vs. Naoya Ogawa: This is the big ratings draw for Japanese
TV and the main event. Ogawa is a terrible fighter, former judo
olympian, current pro wrestler, and has participated in at least
a handful of worked victories in Pride. Yoshida is a great judoka
and also top olympian, but he is also a great submissions fighter.
He will win this one, but it's just a matter of how much of a
show these two guys will give the Japanese audience. The real
battle here is in TV ratings, not in the ring.
If
Sakuraba does end up fighting against Tamura, I have to pick
Sakuraba. It will be a big fight for ratings, and one of the
bigger matches of the latter part of Saku's career and probably
the biggest fight of Tamura's. Tamura can strike, but I think
Sakuraba is at least even if not better than him in striking
ability. Sakuraba is the better wrestler, and they are probably
close to even in submissions. Again, this one would be about
ratings rather than who wins in the ring. Which is really what
these New Year's Eve shows are all about as a whole, anyway.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Mike
Swick Suffers Injury
Ultimate Fighter star Mike Swick suffered a knee injury training
for his upcoming fight against Jorge Rivera on the live January
16th special on Spike TV, and has pulled out of the bout. The
extent of the injury to Swick's MCL is unknown, but he will be
out for some time.
Somewhat
of a surprise this year, Swick is undefeated in the UFC coming
off the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, and has shown amazing
striking and finishing skills. His bout with Rivera would have
been an interesting slugfest, and it was likely that Rivera would
not have succumbed quickly to Swick's hands. Nevertheless I still
would have favoured Swick in that fight.
Nothing
officially has been announced in regards to Rivera's new opponent,
although MMAWeekly is reporting that it could be Chris Leben,
which creates another interesting striker vs. striker matchup
between Leben and Rivera.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Pride
Adds Celebrity Ploy for New Year's Eve
Pride
has announced that Japanese actor Ken Kaneko, 29, will be fighting
on the New Year's Eve card at Saitama Super Arena.
Kaneko,
a star of a number of Japanese films and TV series, has zero
MMA experience. It does not really need to be said that Kaneko's
participation on the card is clearly a ratings ploy for Pride,
as they have a Japanese-fighter heavy card for the NYE show going
up against K-1's rival show.
This
is a similar deal to when TV star Bobby Ologun fought Cyril Abidi
on K-1 New Year's Eve. Ologun had no previous MMA experience
either, but amazingly was able to defeat the pathetic Abidi.
Kaneko
is training with Takada Dojo (hopefully not training under Takada
himself for Kaneko's sake) for the fight. No opponent has been
announced yet.
Source: Maxfighting |
Quote
of the Day
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
Alan Kay, American Computer Scientist
|
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.
|
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller Seminar at HMC this Sat!
Just when you thought you had enough of Mayhem, he draws you
in for more! Mayhem is throwing a seminar at HMC from 10:30 am
to 1:30 pm. Miller is not only an excellent ground technician,
he is also a great teacher and a guy that really cares that you
learn the techniques that he shows. He is not a guy that shows
a couple of moves and takes your money. At $40, it is a steal
for the amount of material he will show. I highly recommend this
seminar if you are a grappler. I'm sure you will learn a few
more tricks! |
Mayhem
at Fighter's Corner
After the seminar, walk across the street with Mayhem to Fighter's
Corner!
The
Icon Sport number 1 contender will be conducting a Mayhem Monkey
Meeting at Fighter's Corner on Saturday, December 17th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. He will be taking
pictures and signing autographs. Come down and load up on the
latest MMA gear, t-shirts, videos, gi's, and everything MMA at
Fighter's Corner and kick it with a Haole that can scrap!
Fighter's
Corner is located right across the street from Aala Park on the
Makai side of King St.
Come
meet Mayhem yourself and you'll know why he is the most electrifying
personality since the Nature Boy Rick Flair! Whooooo!
|
Ninja
and Shogun Rua in Hawaii?
The Rua brothers who have been ripping it up on the Pride Fighting
Championship circuit are scheduled to do a seminar here in Hawaii.
The
seminar will be on:
Saturday,
January 21 at 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday, January 22 at 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
The cost of the seminar will be $120 for both days. The seminar
will take place at Seminar Central, HMC.
Contact
Kevin at HMC
or Wyman (216-4852) to sign
up and save your spot. The seminar will be limited to only 30
people so don't wait and sign up today.
|
Quote
of the Day
"Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think
of what you can do with what there is."
Ernest Hemingway, 1898-1961, American Writer
|
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.
|
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 35 Tomorrow!
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.
|
TIME
TO BRING BACK THE LIGHTWEIGHTS?
Rumors are swirling about the UFC bringing back what many fans
call the most exciting weight class in MMA. With 12 shows on
Spike TV in 2006, (Last week MMAWeekly Radio reported there could
be 19) there will be a need for more fighters for UFC television.
What a perfect time to bring back the 155 pounders.
There
have been rumors on the internet MMA forums and message boards
about many possible match ups including Kenny Florian and Jorge
Gurgel. This would be a great fight between two BJJ black belts
who like to stand and trade. The fight becomes that much more
interesting at 155 instead of 170 add to the fact that it's a
great fight between a TUF 1 vs. TUF 2 fighter you have all the
makings of a good battle in the 155 division.
Florian
and Gurgel aren’t the only natural Lightweights to have
moved up in weight for an opportunity to compete in Spike TV’s
hit reality series, The Ultimate Figther. Another matchup between
a TUF 1 and TUF 2 fighter that would be guaranteed fireworks
is Melvin Guillard vs. Alex Karalexis. Melvin has had fights
at 155 in the past and Karalexis has said that 155 would be the
ideal weight class for him. The TUF 1 vs. TUF 2 format would
be very intriguing to the casual fans who have become interested
in MMA through the reality show.
What
about some of the best Lightweight fighters in America who went
to Japan because of the lack of Lightweight division in the UFC?
Many referred to Yves Edwards as the uncrowned UFC Lightweight
champion after his highlight reel knockout victory over fellow
Lightweight standout Josh Thompson at UFC 49 which culminated
a 6 fight winning streak in the UFC octagon. Edwards, like many
American fighters, has expressed an interest in fighting again
in his home country.
Then
there’s the first and only Lightweight champion in UFC history
in Jens Pulver. Pulver is 6-0-1 in the UFC and 3-0 in UFC title
fights. “Little Evil” last defended his title against
the then undefeated BJ Penn in a five round majority decision
in the main event of UFC 35 back in 2002. Pulver is a small Lightweight
by today’s standards and has fought as low as 143 pounds
in the Shooto organization. Pulver is very small for the Pride
160 lbs Lightweight division and having put on some more size,
he would be a force again at 155 in the UFC.
Pulver
also holds a victory over TUF 2 Welterweight champ Joe Stevenson
at the Bas Rutten Invitational 3 in 1999 early in their careers.
For Stevenson this fight took place 9 days after he turned 17
and Stevenson has went on record stating that he would like to
avenge his loss to Pulver.
Could
we see TUF 2 Welterweight champ Joe Stevenson fighting in the
UFC 155 pound division? Like TUF 1 Middleweight champion Diego
Sanchez, Joe Stevenson could drop down to a weight division where
he has fought in the past. At welterweight, I’m not sure
Joe would be a title threat any time soon whereas at 155, I believe
Joe would be an immediate title contender.
There
are numerous American Lightweights who have fought in Japan recently,
but what about a Japanese star coming over to the UFC? Genki
Sudo has said in the past that he would like to be a champion
of the UFC and in fact has fought 3 times in the UFC. Genki Sudo
is one of the biggest Lightweight stars in Japan and is a very
marketable fighter with his charisma and unique style.
Sean
Sherk is a fighter who is coming off of a tough loss to Georges
St. Pierre at UFC 56 which may have shattered his dreams of becoming
the welterweight champ of the UFC. Moving down to 155 may keep
Sherk’s dreams of becoming a UFC champion closer to reality.
Yeah, I know he has .02 percent body fat or whatever the case
may be, but I also know that he is 5’6”, walks around
at 175 and judging by his physique, the “Muscle Shark”
does a lot of weight training. Sherk's manager Monte Cox told
MMAWeekly Radio's Ryan Bennett and Frank Trigg that Sherk wants
to fight in the 155 division.
There
are many top Lightweight fighters who are fighting in Japan or
are fighting up a weight division in the US because of a lack
of a Lightweight division in the premiere MMA promotion in the
US. That being said, there are also many very talented up and
coming 155 pounders who have been busy fighting on smaller shows.
Mac Danzig, Sam Stout, Roger Huerta, and David Gardner are a
few of the many promising Lightweight fighters in North America.
When the UFC brings the Lightweight division back, expect them
to showcase the Lightweights on an upcoming season of TUF.
The
UFC has received much criticism in the past for letting their
Lightweight division go. I honestly can not blame them. When
you have 6 shows per year with 8 fights per card, there just
isn’t the space for 5 weight divisions. With the increase
of shows set to take place on Spike TV next year in addition
to their usual PPV shows, the UFC will need more fights and therefore
will have more spots available to showcase their Lightweight
division. It appears now is the time to bring back the Lightweights.
Besides, who wants to watch another Kevin Jordan vs. Gabriel
Gonzaga fight?
Source:
MMA Weekly |
The Rest of the
Story
My name is Dave
Hagen. I am the referee for Sportfight proving grounds that refereed
the Stanley fight. Though I agree that it seemed Mr Stanley took
a groin shot, in truth he did not. After reviewing the tape,
it became very obvious that he recieved a fair blow to his hip.
The cup he [Stanley] was wearing was a bananna cup. When I spoke
to him in the locker room, he acklowledged that he was struck
in the hip but his groin felt the pain because the blow shifted
his cup due to the straps of the protector being at the level
of the strike.
Three judges, Randy
Couture, the State Commissioner and the the referee (me) all
saw the blow as fair and the behavior of the fighter was indeed
a question. The tape showed the fighter taking a fair blow. Then
upon disengagement, he took a huge hook to his jaw. That is what
reeled him back as well as the pain in his groin (caused by the
shifting of the cup).
My investigation
into the fight that consisted of judging polls, video tape review
and fighter interviews all resulted in the same conclusion. It
was a fair blow. But I do realize that the perception generated
by his response could lead one to believe that he was indeed
struck in the groin. However, the blow was ruled legal and backed
up by the video and those who sat ringside. Part of our training
is to react to the definative line of sight rather than the behavior
of the fighter. The question asked to each judge is not about
what they thought. I have to ask a distinct question of "did
you see a foul". They all saw the behavior, but those closest
to the action could not definatively say that the blow was a
foul. This is confirmed by the video that shows a fair blow to
the hip of JD Stanley. As unfortunate as it was, his own equipment
caused the pain that resulted from a fair blow. This is likened
to a bad mouthpiece not protecting the fighter and getting KO'd
due to lack of protection. In this case his style of equipment
was not the type that protected him sufficiently in an MMA match.
The reason for the
in depth investigation into this call was to reveal the truth.
I have made bad calls and publically apologized for them to the
fighter, corner and fans. I
revealed what I did in an attempt to ascertain what really happened,
I am ok
with being wrong and will be again in my refereeing career. I,
just like the athletes learn from my mistakes. This fight was
100% right on despite the appearance of what happened, the blow
was indeed legal.
Sincerely,
Dave Hagen
Referee
Source: Maxfighting
|
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
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