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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2005
12/10/05
Proving
Grounds -
ROTR
Qualifer
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center)
11/19/05
ROTR 9
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
11/14/05
3rd American National BJJ Championships
(Torrance Unified School District, Torrance, CA )
10/29-30/05
Brazilian Team Titles
(Equipes)
(Brazil)
10/05
Proving
Grounds -
ROTR
Qualifer
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center, Maui)
9/05
Proving
Grounds -
ROTR
Qualifer
(MMA)
(Kauai)
8/27-28/05
International
Masters & Seniors BJJ Tournament
(Tijuca Tenis Clube, Tijuca, Brazil)
8/05 (tentative)
ROTR 8
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
7/23-31/05
World BJJ
Championships (Mundial)
(Tijuca Tenis Clube, Tijuca, Brazil)
7/23/05
Goodwill Games of Grappling
BJJ & Submission Grappling Tournament
(TBA)
7/21-23/05
World Cup of BJJ
(BJJ)
(São Paulo, Brazil)
7/9/05
Proving
Grounds -
ROTR
Qualifer
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center)
6/24/05
Hawaiian
Grappling Championships
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
6/18/05
Longman BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(Kauai)
6/4/05
Super
Brawl: Full Contact Showdown #3
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe MCBH)
5/21/05
MMA & Kickboxing Event
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Waimanalo Polo Grounds)
5/7/05
ROTR 7
(MMA)
(Stan Sheriff Arena, UH)
5/7-8 & 14-15 & 21-22/05
Brazilian National BJJ Tournament
(Youth, Adult, Master & Senior)
(Tijuca Tenis Clube, Tijuca, Brazil?)
4/16-17/05
2005 Junior
Olympic Male and Female State / Regional Boxing Championships
(Boxing)
(Palolo Boxing Gym
/ Rec Center)
4/16/05
Warriors Quest
(Kickboxing, MMA)
(McKinnley H.S. Gym)
(**CANCELLED**)
UFC 52:
Couture vs. Liddell 2
(MMA)
(MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV)
4/15/05
Kickin It
(Kickboxing)
(Kapolei H.S. Gym)
4/9/05
Super Brawl
(MMA)
(Blaisdell
Arena)
UFC: 'The Ultimate Fighter Finale'
(MMA)
(Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, NV)
|
|
April 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! |
Tuesdays at 8:30PM on
Olelo Channel 52
New Time! |
Quote
of the Day
"Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck.
Your profession is what you were put on earth to do with such
passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling."
Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890, Dutch Painter
|
THE
JAKE R. REPORT: LIDDELL VS. SHAMROCK
By Jake R
Before
reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.
In
yet another in the long line of bombshell reports, this cyber-reporting
stud has just learned of a huge exclusive. As long term and reliable
sources in Iowa have informed me, Zuffa is planning on matching
up Ken Shamrock with Chuck Liddell in a future event.
As
it was explained to me, Ken was promised both a shot at the winner
of Liddell/Couture II and a rematch with Tito Ortiz in exchange
for his participation in the TUF season finale.
It
was also explained to me that Ken is still viewed as the biggest
ratings draw for Zuffa by far, and that Zuffa plans on having
Liddell defeat Shamrock to help build his star status among mainstream
fans, much as Zuffa did with Rich Franklin.
As
it is currently planned, Ken and Chuck will face each other next
and neither will fight another opponent first. Though as always,
plans can be changed depending on future circumstances.
As
usual, stick to the Jake R Report for exclusive reports that
are days, weeks, and even months ahead of the other MMA Media
sites.
*Exclusive
Jake R Report. Must credit Fightsport.com the Jake R Report when
discussing this article. This means you, MMAWeakly.
*This
Jake R Report was filed at 8:15 pm on April 17th.
Source: Fight Sport
|
ONLY
THIS MAN COULD MAKE THEE ULTIMATE COMEBACK
Just
think about this for a moment. Could any man survive a knee to
the groin, being knocked out from a right hand, then almost rear
naked choked, only to come back and actually win in the first
round? Absolutely not. Unless your name is Matt Hughes. Hughes
pulled out maybe the guttiest comeback in UFC history after being
overwhelmed in the first two minutes of the fight by challenger
Frank Trigg.
"I
never gave up, that's the bottom line. There were plenty of chances
to, but I never did, that's why I won." Hughes told MMAWeekly
after the fight. Hughes showed why he will go down as one of
the greatest champions in UFC history after seeing about everything
possible thing go wrong for him in the fight. An accidental knee
by Trigg basically doubled over Hughes, then the champ was actually
knocked out by a punch, only to not only wake up, but recover
and ultimately win the fight.
"I
felt Mario (Yamasaki, the referee) should've stopped the fight."
Frank Trigg told MMAWeekly after the loss. "I rocked him
and I guarantee if the shoe was on the other foot, they would've
stopped the fight" Trigg said. "But I give him credit.
He came back and pulled it off. He fought like a champion tonight."
The toughest pill for the challenger to swallow now will be to
know that he lost the exact same way he did before, with a rear
naked choke.
"I'm
not knocking Frank Trigg, but you would've thought he would have
learned to defend the rear naked choke after last time...."
Hughes said. "He didn't and I still have the belt."
Hughes said. Now the question remains. Who will be next for Hughes?
Hughes even hinted at moving up to fight at 185 vs Matt Lindland.
Hughes told MMAWeekly that he would fight at 185, only if it
was for a title shot. And what about BJ Penn? "It doesn't
matter to me. I don't really care about my losses in the past.
Everybody wanted me to fight Dennis Hallman as well, but it doesn't
affect me. If I fight him again...great. If not, it doesn't matter."
What
does matter is the fact that Hughes once again defended his title
for a record 8th time. He will go down as one of the greatest
champions in UFC history and with apologies to BJ Penn, who has
only fought one time in the 170 weight class, has cemented himself
as once again the top dog in the 170 pound weight class.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ICEMAN
FINALLY GETS HIS DUE
On
Saturday night, in front of a packed house at the MGM Grand Garden
Arena, and with millions watching on pay-per-view, Chuck Liddell
finally lived his dream of becoming the UFC Light Heavyweight
Champion with a vicious knockout win over the legendary Randy
Couture.
Chuck
Liddell, through the many years that he has been stepping in
and out of the octagon, has proven himself time and time again
as a warrior like no other. For the past couple of years though,
“The Iceman” has run into a stop sign every time the
momentum seems to turn in his favor.
In
2002, after defeating “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort in
a #1 contenders match, Chuck was promised a shot at then reigning
champion, Tito Ortiz. The self-proclaimed, “Huntington Beach
Bad Boy” claimed that due to their past friendship that
the UFC would need to make a proper offer to get him to step
up and fight his former sparring partner. Through a heated exchange
of words and through many times of Liddell saying that the two
were never that close, Tito managed to avoid the fight with Liddell
and even managed to headline a card facing UFC Hall of Famer,
Ken Shamrock.
Liddell
didn’t sit back and just wait for Ortiz to come to him,
he continued to improve his game and took on Brazilian heavy
hitter, Renato “Babalu” Sobral. Another spectacular
knockout followed and again Chuck waited for his chance at the
title.
When
he finally got his shot at the interim title during Tito’s
absence, the California native faced off against the newly slimmed
down 205lb Randy Couture. The two time former UFC Heavyweight
champion dismantled Chuck in every part of his game and walked
away with the championship after a 3rd round TKO stoppage.
Chuck
gained another shot at redemption when he was entered in the
2003 Pride Middleweight tournament as the UFC’s chosen participant.
After a devastating shot that ended Dutch striker Alistair Overeem’s
tournament hopes, Liddell had his sights set on the seemingly
untouchable Pride Middleweight Champion, Wanderlei Silva. But
again, Chuck’s aspirations were cut short, this time by
the powerhouse known as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Chuck was stopped again at his shot at greatness.
Chuck finally got to face his former “friend” Tito
Ortiz at UFC 47, and shortly into the second round, the kickboxing
expert proved why the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion had
no desire to step into the octagon with him. A lightning fast
set of lefts and rights put Tito Ortiz down and Chuck Liddell
started the long hard road back to the championship.
Another
KO victory of Lion’s Den product, Vernon “Tiger”
White followed and after a very successful season as a coach
on the “Ultimate Fighter” TV series, Liddell had his
second chance to fight Couture for the light heavyweight title,
and he didn’t disappoint. In a fight where so many fight
fans and fighters alike picked the ageless Couture to win in
the same fashion as before, Liddell answered all of his critics
and naysayers by defeating “Captain America” by a brutal
right hook only a few minutes into the first round.
The excitement in Chuck Liddell’s eyes was unmistakable.
“The Iceman” had finally reached the ultimate goal
in the ultimate sport, and with that came the trophy he had sought
out for so many years. And with that victory, the road to Chuck
Liddell’s redemption had finally been traveled.
What’s
next for Chuck Liddell? A shot at Pride Middleweight Champion,
Wanderlei Silva? Only Dana White and Joe Silva can answer that
question, but one thing is for sure… that April 16th will
go down in history as the night that Chuck “The Iceman”
Liddell finally got the gold.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question
is, 'What are we busy about?'"
Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862, American Essayist, Poet, Naturalist
|
WARRIORS
QUEST
'RESSURRECTION"
DATE ANNOUNCED
Sat, May 28, 2005 @McKinley High Gym
It's finally set so let the WARRIORS prepare for the RESSURRECTION
of WARRIORS QUEST, Once known for its exciting fights while putting
Hawaii's Best athlete's aganist Mainland & Japans Top Competitiors.
We are inviting all Schools and fighters to participate in either
Kickboxing or MMA style fights. All interested people call 808-590-3788
or email second2none@hawaii.rr.com and someone will get
back to you.
|
Bradda
Fighting in Japan on May 4
Ray "Bradda" Cooper is staying busy and is fighting
Takashi Nakakura (formally Ganjo from Purebred, but he pulled
out due to injury) on May 4th in Japan.
|
THE
CHOPPING BLOCK: UFC 52
Commentary
by 'Theaxemurderer'
Welcome
to the latest edition of 'The Chopping Block', a place where
I will air out all my thoughts about MMA.
Let's
get started...
Last
Saturday's UFC produced some great fights, and some terrible
ones at that. It proved that Canadian athletes are quickly making
thier presence felt in the UFC... George St. Pierre was dominating,
Joe Doerksen showed us that his Jui-Jitsu is the Real Deal, and
'Diesel' Riggs fell to the wrath of semi-Canadian Ivan Salaverry.
But
the story of the night had to be Matt Hughes comeback from near
humiliation at the hands of Frank 'The nutcracker' Trigg..
...
FRANK Trigg's willingness to do whatever it takes to beat Hughes
almost got him the win, but hughes refused to sleep!... and seemed
ONLY to AWAKEN!
IF
ONLY HE HAD DONE THE SAME THING AGAINST B.J. PENN!
Who
knows, maybe a sign of things to come? Hughes vs. Penn 2 SHOULD
happen, Dana White MUST realize that B.J. Penn has a right to
make a good living since he trains very hard, and that what Zuffa
pays him couldn't do that for him. The UFC constrains fighters
from reaching thier true potential financially and athletically.
However, in reality I could care less if Dana invites B.J. back
because B.J. taking part in the PRIDE lightweight GP next year
would be much more entertaining.
Chuck
Liddell has done what few thought was possible and KO'ed Randy
Couture without getting beaten down, like in their first fight.
However, Randy's eye injury seemed to play a slight role in how
the fight ended, but props to Randy for taking the loss like
a man and not running out into the parking lot and crying like
a beaten down prostitute, much like his protege had done on TUF.
Chuck
uses his thumbs more than Ebert and Roper!
The
FACT is that UFC lacks any real high quality fighter to headline
their cards, except for Andrei Arlovski, and the problem with
him is they can't find anyone willing to fight him, or anyone
who IS willing that actually has a chance of going a full round
with him. The UFC's path this year seems clear, they will probably
opt to have Chuck vs. Randy 3 rubber match after chuck beats
Ken Shamrock via KO(Thumb to the eye?) After that, Vitor vs.
Chuck 2 will go down for the title, after Chuck beats Tito Ortiz
in their rematch, then prolly Tito vs. Vitor 2, Tito vs. Ken
2, Randy vs. Tito 3
The
list goes on... just goes to prove that UFC has the best matchmakers
in the game... (add in laughter)
The
FACT is all these rematches are totally pointless. Vitor has
no brains, Tito has little heart but alot of mouth, and even
less true confidence, refusing to join GP, and Chuck has already
been shown to be in the mid to lower part of the overall TOP
10 light heavyweights, in my honest opinion.
After
all is said and done, Chuck will be the champ at the end of the
year. His takedown defense only gets better every year, and he
has a weapon that no one can defend against... unless of course
they find an already blind fighter to fight Chuck.
Speaking
of Chuck, it seems he is hell bent on Fighting Vanderlei Silva,
as usual!... and while many people say that Chuck is a bad match-up
for Vanderlei, I tend to disagree
Randy
chose to strike with Chuck for wayyyy tooo long, in my opinion,
and the fact that Randy has no guard game at all is what made
it so easy for Chuck to win. Given he did take a big shot from
Chuck, but as he fell he was still conscious, but he just layed
on his side alot like Kimo Leopoldo used to do, and was just
fed shots.
It
was only after Chuck's first shot to Randy on the ground, when
Randy truly went flat out. If Vand got hit by Chuck, and rocked
by it, he would pull guard quick, and Chuck would be unable to
finish him. Whereas Vanderlei has all the tools to finish Chuck
wherever the fight may go. Chuck's biggest problem when he faces
Vanderlei will be that he will want to stand with him obviously,
and if we have learnt one thing from the vicious beatdowns Rampage
Jackson has taken from Vanderlei, it is that you DO NOT stand
with Vanderlei unless you are a heavyweight with great boxing.
Neither of which Chuck Liddell is.
However,
I don't wanna come off as bashing Chuck. I am glad to see he
came out with a much tighter boxing stance when he fought Randy,
and I think that made a huge difference. Randy had his way with
Chuck when he was holding his hands way out at his sides in the
first fight.
Chuck
wants to fight Vand because it is his last shot at being the
best light heavyweight. This is why everyone wants to fight Vand,
and why Vand wants to fight Fedor Emelianenko... to obtain a
status even greater than that of a legend. The only difference
between Vand's dream and Chuck's is that Chuck's quest/death
wish will consume him in the end, whereas Vand's will only prove
what all the real fans already know, that being that Vanderlei
Silva he is a man among men.
Source: Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
""The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot
be seen or even touched.
They must be felt with the heart"
Helen Keller, 1880-1968, American Blind/Deaf Author, Lecturer,
Amorist
|
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 30
Fighters’
Club TV Episode 30 (Uncut) will run at our normal timeslot: 8:30PM
on Oceanic Channel 52 Tuesday Nights (April 19th & 26th)
It
is raw and hasn’t been edited so this’ll be your only
chance to see the fights from Superbrawl: Full Contact Showdown
1 in it entirety.
-
Ryan Lee vs. David Grenados
- Harris Sarmiento vs. Walther Ha'o
- Sgt. Steve Byrnes vs. Jesse Rangel
- Kolo Koka vs. Candido Estrada
+
Interviews w/ Steve Byrnes and Kolo Koka by Mike Onzuka and our
special correspondent, Tommy Dakota!
Pretty
exciting stuff so don’t miss it.
Questions,
Comments, Suggestions?
Email
any of your favorite FCTV host: Chris “The Brain”,
Mike “The Icon”, or Mark “the other guy ”
at: fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
|
Honolulu
Gets Ready to Rumble
ROTR 7 to be held May 7 at Blaisdell Center Arena
HONOLULU, HAWAI'I -- April 17, 2005 The Rumble on the Rock is
back! Hawai'i's largest and most popular Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
event will return to the Blaisdell Center Arena on Oahu, May
7, 2005. Bringing together world-class headliners in the sport
today to Hawai'i's island paradise, Rumble World Entertainment
(RWE) plans to bring another action-packed, star-studded, and
Hawaiian-themed event to Hawai'i's broad MMA fan base.
A
total of nine fights are scheduled for the night with the main
event featuring original UFC bad boy and self-proclaimed "White
Mike Tyson," David "Tank" Abbott against Hawai'i's
own Wesley "Cabbage" Correira. The two will step into
the cage to settle bad blood from a previous match. Hilo boy
BJ Penn will also be in attendance to make an official announcement
on who his next scheduled opponent will be.
ROTR's
most recent event, ROTR 6 (November 2004), was possibly the biggest
production the Blaisdell Center Arena had seen since Elvis Presley's
1973 Aloha from Hawai'i concert, selling over 8,000 tickets and
causing some fight publications and MMA web sites to call it
the most anticipated MMA card in the U.S. in recent years.
RWE
is encouraging fans to get their tickets early. ROTR 6 drew record
numbers, selling out five full days before the event. In an effort
to open up more seats for Hawai'i fans, RWE shrank the mainstage
and opened up 1,500 more seats, which then sold out within 48
hours. To JD Penn, RWE's president, this is a sign of the sport's
popularity.
According
to Penn, "Our goal is to bring the best athletes in the
sport here to compete in the largest MMA event in Hawai'i. MMA
is exciting for people of all ages and we want to cultivate its
popularity globally and share it with the people of Hawai'i.
We also hope to break down a lot of the misconceptions people
have about our sport because there's a lot of unnecessary controversy
surrounding it. This sport is progressive, it's powerful and
it's exciting. MMA is the future entertainment for the masses
and RWE is here to help it reach epic proportions," he said.
On Friday, May 6th, fighter weigh-ins and a press conference
will be held at the Ala Moana Centerstage at 2pm. Fans and media
will have the opportunity to meet the fighters and their trainers
and find out what strategies they have in store. Interested media
will also have the opportunity to interview fighters pre and/or
post event upon request. The May 7th event will be held at the
Blaisdell Center Arena, doors will open at 6:30pm. Tickets, which
go on sale Monday, April 18th, are priced at $35 and $70, with
cage side seating priced between $150 and $300 They can be purchased
online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or at any Ticketmaster
location. MMA enthusiasts who cannot attend the event in person
will have the opportunity to purchase certain fights on Pay-Per-View
over the Internet - an option RWE has not offered in previous
events.
The
event will host the returns of UFC veterans David "Tank"
Abbott (8-10), Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (13-7), Kimo
Leopoldo (17-0), Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez (13-4) and
Charuto Verissimo (4-2). Former football star Marcus "The
Monster" Royster will make his ROTR debut at 6"8, 360
lbs against Kimo Leopoldo. Royster is being dubbed the biggest
MMA athlete to ever compete professionally in Hawai'i. Other
fights planned for ROTR 7 include:
Confirmed
fights:
Heavyweights:
Wesley
"Cabbage" Correira (13-7) vs. Tank Abbott (8-10)
Heavyweights:
Kimo Leopoldo (8-4) vs. Marcus "The Monster" Royster
(4-0)
Light
Heavyweights: Chris
West (2-0)
vs. Alan Goes (6-4)
Middleweights:
Charuto
Verissimo
(4-2) vs. Yuichi Nakanishi (5-1)
Lightweights:
Shaolin Riberio (10-1) vs. Tetsuji Kato (17-5)
Participating
fighters:
Heavyweights:
Ricco
"Suave" Rodriguez (13-4)
Source: RWE
|
Hawaii
Junior Olympic Boxing Champions!
Here is the list of all the Hawaii State Junior Olympic Boxing
Champions. Their Official title is USA-Boxing Hawaii Region 13
Hawaii State Boxing Champions for 2005.
8yrs/55lbs Female- Liana Sanchez,
8/80 female- Shamar Rodrigues,
9/60lbs- Jaymes Carlos,
9/65- Abraham Reinhart,
10/75- Chazzen Sau,
10/90- Rocky Balala,
11/65- J.J. Benitez,
11/70- Storm Razo-Kauhi,
11/106- Zach Manangan,
11/165- Jason Lewis,
12/95- Ray Cooper III,
12/101 female- Chazzette Sau,
13/132- Joshua Nakagawa,
14/80- Josh Delacruz,
14/114- Joe Taglies III,
14/119- Keahi Tamanaha,
14/138 female- Cathleen Rodrigues,
14/165- Jacob Carlos,
15/90- Ikaika Villanueva,
15/95- Thomas Juan,
15/106- Jensen Gumtang,
15/138- Steven Yoshida,
16/95 female- Gina Ramos,
16/101- Keola McKee,
16/110- Bruno Escalante,
16/114- Kawika Tangjian Jr.,
16/132- Cory Dennison,
16/145- Kurtis Kala,
16/154- Cameron Ursua,
16/165- Vincent Delgado-Wells,
16/189- Tupo Kulihaapai,
16/201- Daytin Kaua,
16/201+ - Kai Maiava.
Wailuku B.C. won the LBC Team Championship (8-14yrs), Kawano/Tiki
Ent. B.C. won the Region Hawaii Team Championship with 3 males
and 1 female advancing to the Nationals. Both Coaches will be
attending the National Tournament. 15/16 yrs old Males and Females
advance to National Championships in Brownsville, Texas on June
19- 26th.
Kawano/Tiki Ent. B.C. Tupo Kulihaapai (16yrs) decisioned Central
Maui's Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi in a 189lb Championship bout to represent
Hawaii with 14 other boxers to Brownsville, Texas in June.
Matched bouts results- 65lbs- J.J. Benitez (Kawano/Tiki B.C.)
dec. Storm Razo Kauhi ( Central Maui B.C.),
114lb- Keoni Tamanaha (Wailuku Maui B.C.) dec. Joe Taglies III
(Palolo B.C.),
185lb Men's bout- Matthew Monkewicz (Kawano/Tiki) dec. Arvell
Spencer (East Oahu Waimanalo B.C.),
135- Corey Dennison (Pearlside) dec. Steven Yoshida (Central
Maui),
165- Jacob Carlos (Wailuku) dec. Vincent Delgado-Wells ( Palolo),
201+- Daytin Kaua (Pearlside) dec. Kai Maiava (Central Maui),
150- Cameron Ursua (Palolo B.C.) dec. Kurtis Kala (Central Maui),
95lbs- Keola McKee (Wailuku) dec. Thomas Juan (Wailuku),
165- Tyson Nahooikaika (Wailuku) dec. Darius Ursua (Palolo).
Trophies/Awards
Outstanding Boxer- Tupo Kulihaapai,
Outstanding Bout- Jacob Carlos -vs- Vincent Delagado-Wells,
Outstanding Bout 2- Kai Maiava -vs- Daytin Kaua,
Sportsmanship- Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi,
Region Hawaii Team Championship- Kawano/Tiki Ent.,
Local Boxing Committee (LBC) Team Championship- Wailuku B.C.
Thank
You for Your Time and Everything Else,
Bruce
Kawano
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chaiman.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Board of Dir./Gov.
National Coaches Commitee Appointed Member. |
ZST
Genesis rules Japan this Saturday
Another
edition of ZST Genesis promises a great time in Japan. At this
Saturday, April 17, 2005, the ZST happens at Gold's Gym South
Tokyo Annex, in Tokyo, Japan featuring 9 bouts. Highlights to
Tetsuya Nishi vs Masayuki Ida
ZST
Genesis
Saturday,
April 17, 2005
Gold's
Gym South Tokyo Annex - Tokyo, Japan
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
-
Masayuki Okude vs Masanori Kanehara;
-
Yuchiro Yajima vs Naoto Sto;
-
Sumio Kyano vs Tsuneyuki Nozu;
-
Isao Terada vc Toshiyuki Saito;
-
Kazuma Muranaka vs Yusuke Masuda;
-
Yoshimichi Takino vs Masashi Takeda;
-
Yojiro Uchimura vs Hiroyuki Ota;
-
Takeaki Miyakawa vs Ranki Kawana;
- Tetsuya Nishi vs Masayuki Ida.
Source: Tatame |
Galvão
out of Jiu-Jitsu Brazil Cup
After
doing a great debut at the 11th edition of Pan-American, Galvão
has been busy with his middleweight gold medal. Black belt fighter
has been teaching seminars and he might not fight at Jiu-Jitsu
Brazil Cup, scheduled to next April 23, 24 and 30. "My ticket
is scheduled to next April 28. I believe I am out of Brazil Cup...
I have been working a lot in here. I am in San Diego and I will
conduct few seminars with Telles and Valente," Galvão
said. Check out the full interview later, at TATAME.com! You
cannot miss it!
Source: Tatame |
Quote
of the Day
"What the vast majority of American children needs is to
stop being pampered, stop being indulged, stop being chauffeured,
stop being catered to. In the final analysis it is not what you
do for your children but what you have taught them to do for
themselves that will make them successful human beings."
Ann Landers, 1918-2002, American Advice Columnist
|
UFC
52: Couture vs. Liddell 2 Results!
Liddell KO's Couture, Hughes chokes Trigg again, Salavery Triangles
Riggs, Lindland chokes Lutter
A night of surprise endings and growing skills
UFC 52: 'Couture vs. Liddell 2'
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
April 16, 2005
Chuck
Liddell defeats Randy Couture by KO, RD 1.
*Liddell becomes new Light Heavyweight Champion
Renato 'Babalu' Sobral defeats Travis Wiuff by armbar, RD 2.
Matt Hughes defeats Frank Trigg by rear naked choke, RD 1.
Matt Lindland defeats Travis Lutter by guillotine choke, RD 2.
Georges St. Pierre defeats Jason Miller by unanimous decision.
Ivan Salaverry defeats Joe Riggs by triangle choke, RD 1.
Joe Doerksen defeats Patrick Cote by rear naked choke, RD 3.
Mike Van Arsdale defeats John Marsh by decision.
|
VANDERLEI
SPEAKS
Brazilian website portaldovt.com.br spoke with Vanderlei Silva
regarding some of the light heavyweights in the UFC. Here's what
Silva had to say (translation by Ricardo Alonso).
Vanderlei
on the Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell matchup, and if he has
anyinterest on facing the winner of their fight: "I hope
a future adversary comes out of that fight for me. I don't know
what condition either fighter is in, but Couture won the first
fight, and if he does that same kind of game, then he'll win
again. I'm rooting for Couture because I want to face him. So
I hope he comes out the winner. My bet is on him."
Vanderlei
on facing Tito Ortiz again, if Ortiz signs with PRIDE: "I
have a great desire to fight Ortiz again if he comes to PRIDE.
The guy is very arrogant. Just like the rest of the world, I
too want to beat him down. I would even accept a lower fight
purse just to get a fight against him, no problem. I would beat
him down with great pleasure. He talks smack that has nothing
to do with anything. I talk some smack too, but all within the
lines of the game, but I do not like the kind of smack he talks."
Source: Fight Sport
|
NOGUEIRA
BROTHERS TRAINING WITH GHOLAR
The Nogueira brothers, Rodrigo "Minotauro" and Rogerio
"Minotoro".
Brazilian
magazine 'Tatame' reports that the Nogueira brothers, Rodrigo
'Minotauro' and Rogerio 'Minotoro', have been working on their
wrestling with their former wrestling coach Darrell Gholar.
Rogerio
Minotoro is scheduled to face Dan Henderson in the first round
of the PRIDE middleweight GP on April 23rd, and the Nogueira
brothers feel that Gholar's training will add the final touches
to his training and prepare him well for the Henderson, whose
strength is wrestling.
Source: Fight Sport
|
PRIDE
BUSHIDO LIVES ON,
GP TOURNAMENTS ANNOUNCED
DSE/PRIDE announced last week that their PRIDE 'Bushido' promotion
will continue to take place.
The
show will continue to foces more on the lighter weight fighters,
with a 185-pound and 160-pound Grand PRix events scheduled to
begin later in the year.
The
upcoming PRIDE Bushido events, scheduled for May 22nd and July,
will determine which fighters advance to the GP tournament.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
RICCO:
'UFC OFFER TOO CHEAP'
Ricco Rodriguez issued a statement on the UG forum as to why
he turned down the proposed fight with Andrei Arlovsky, which
would have taken place on the upcoming UFC 53 card. Here's what
Ricco had to say:
"I
appreciate the UFC offering me the opportunity to fight Andre,
but because of the expense I would incur putting together a training
camp, that would provide me the necessary tools to compete effectively,
the compensation offered for the fight, win or lose would not
be enough to make the effort financially viable. It would be
an honor to fight Andre in the future and if the UFC can put
it together again under circumstances that will provide me with
fair compensation and adequate time to prepare I will gladly
take the fight.
It
takes a lot of people sacrificing, time, effort and money to
help me train for my fights and regardless of what other fighters
obligations are to their camps I try to compensate everyone associated
with my training camps fairly, because without their help I could
not have enjoyed the success I have now and will have in the
future. Fighting is my lively hood.
Doing
what's best for me and my family is always a priority when choosing
fights and the direction of my career. I appreciate all the support
of my friends and fans and I do hope to return to competion soon,
but until then I will do what I feel is best for myself my family,
and my career."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
KANG
SPEAKS
Denis Kang
American journalist Keith Mills recently interviewed Denis Kang.
Here's what Kang had to say:
KM:
Congratulations on your victory in PRIDE.
Kang:
It has been a long time coming.
KM:
Can you describe the fight?
Kang:
We started off I dropped him with a right hand. He dropped right
at my feet and I tried to soccer kick him, I missed, and he tried
to get up to work it into a shoot. I stopped his shot, we clinched
briefly for like one or two seconds, I foot swept him judo style,
and landed in his half guard. I worked from his half guard with
light punches and elbows to his body. He was doing a good job
covering up and then I passed to mount. When I was in mount I
started punching him. I got a little overzealous with swinging
and he raised up the same time I was punching and bridged me
over and I ended up on my back. From there I tried a triangle,
he stood up out of it, and he backed off like he was going to
throw some kicks to my legs. I took that opportunity to get up.
We were standing up again and he kept trying to rush me. He did
that once or twice and I would just feed him some knees and right
hands because he is a south-paw. We clinched one more time and
I foot swept him again. He was coming forward so there was a
lot more momentum so he went flying and I landed in side mount.
From there I took the mount, started punching again, he reversed
me one more time and this time when he stood up out of my guard
I kicked him right in the face and got back up. Same thing, he
clinched again. I had double underhooks, he tried basically a
belly-to-belly supplex, I kept my balance and ended up right
in mount. I punched him a few times and got the armbar. He wouldn't
tap. I had it fully extended and I readjusted it. I really cracked
it; his arm popped three or four times. That is when he tapped.
KM:
It sounded like a tough fight.
Kang:
This guy definitely came to fight. I was prepared for everything.
Down at ATT we train for every position and everything that happened
to me in the ring already happened to me in training.
KM:
I'll get back to ATT in a moment but as far as this debut in
PRIDE how does that make you feel?
Kang:
It is all hitting me right now. A few weeks before this fight
and even a few hours it just felt like any other fight. The week
after and right now I realized "wow, I just won my first
fight in PRIDE". Eight years and I've finally done it. It
is a great feeling and I'm really ecstatic.
KM:
Congratulations again. You have been with ATT how long, two or
three months?
Kang:
Two months.
KM:
How far along toward the performance you gave were you before
joining ATT? What did they change or add so far?
Kang:
They really instilled a lot of confidence in me. I knew I was
ready for any situation. They have great coaching of course but
also just so many great fighters to train with that put me in
all kinds of situations. I knew whatever happened I was there
before. I felt ready for anything. My stamina was top notch as
usual but it felt like anything that could happen I could deal
with.
KM:
On the same card Marcus Aurelio from ATT fought and then there
are the connections between ATT and BTT giving you even more
support. How much did that affect your mindset?
Kang:
It was good. The BTT guys a lot of them I know as friends from
having seen them in other shows. Having Aurelio there was really
cool as well because we trained together for this, we both knew
we were on the show for a while even though mine was a little
more off-and-on. We both started training for the same time for
this. Even though we didn't do that much training together because
we are different weights we came along together and peaked together.
It was great to both get the victory and celebrate together.
The team spirit in ATT is very strong.
KM:
Sometimes it is hard to get that across to some of the fighters
or fans that haven't experienced it.
Kang:
It is a really tight-knit group and we all bleed together and
sweat together every day when we train. That really creates a
bond. You've got to be able to trust the person you are mounting
and punching in the face. It sounds kind of strange but that
is the way it is.
KM:
Wasn't that a bit of culture shock to go from being somewhat
isolated in British Columbia and trying hard to find training
partners to ATT where you can't turn around without stumbling
over a black belt?
Kang:
No, not really. I've been down there a few times before so I
always knew what to expect. When I first came down last year
it wasn't really culture shock so much as an eye opener of what
things could be like, the kind of training they have access to
down here.
KM:
Here it is only a month or two down there and here you are in
PRIDE.
Kang:
All the timing seemed to be perfect.
KM:
How did it feel going to Pride and seeing Dean Lister as the
last to qualify for the Middleweight Grand Prix, that you were
just a little too late to make a splash?
Kang:
It is good you mention that because I don't think too many people
know I'm moving down to the 83 kilo class in PRIDE. That is around
183 pounds. I believe they are going to have a Grand Prix for
that starting later on this year. That is my goal, to win the
Welterweight Grand Prix.
KM:
Are we going to see you in Pride before that starts?
Kang:
Yes. Maybe even two. I can say if all goes well I hope to be
fighting in the next PRIDE Bushido show which is May 29th I believe.
KM:
I heard you have an instructional video coming out.
Kang:
You talked to Stephan Kesting. We filmed that right before I
left Vancouver. I don't know when it will be coming out. Probably
by the early summer or late summer.
KM:
Is this going to be a single DVD or a series?
Kang:
I believe it is going to be a single DVD. It is going to be called
"My Vale Tudo". It's not going to be like a lot of
them where they show you every armbar and from which position,
this is a compilation of my favorite techniques. It is probably
geared more toward the intermediate user or someone who wants
to get into MMA. It is my fighting theory or the first part of
it anyway. Everything I show is "battlefield tested"
as I call it.
KM:
I take it people will be able to hear more about it on deniskang.com?
Kang:
Of course.
KM:
Anything else you want to get out to the fans?
Kang:
I want to thank people for sticking with me all these years until
I finally made it to PRIDE. I want to say thank you to all the
people from Canada. Even though I'm coming out under the Korean
flag in PRIDE, I'm still very proud to be Canadian. I thank all
the Canadian fans for their support. I probably wouldn't have
made it to PRIDE without their support.
KM:
Sponsors to thank.
Kang:
I want to thank ATT.
Source: Fight Sport |
Quote
of the Day
"When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind
of
person who can live at peace with others."
Peace Pilgrim {1908-1981 American Activist}
|
The
Official Academia Casca Grossa de Jiu-Jitsu Iraq Affiliate Is
Now Open!
That's right folks, ACGJJ has gone international and into terrorist
neighborhoods near you! One of Casca
Grossa's toughest students, Chris Slavens has started up a group class on his
base to help pass the time, increase moral, help better prepare
America's heroes that are in the war zone...and get some training
in for himself.
On the first night, 15 soldiers came to train (one female). The
excitement of the soldiers spilled over the class' one hour scheduled
time and they trained well into the night, some until 12 midnight.
The class is run two days a week and the soldiers love it, which
is attributable to two things; that BJJ is the greatest sport
in the world (literally) and our own Chris Slavens is a great
teacher and motivator. He promised to snap some pictures, so
we will post them when we get them.
Watch out you terrorist scumbags, now we might just save Uncle
Sam a few pennies on ammo and choke your asses out!
God Bless America and our troops!
I am sure that ACGJJ speaks for many of us out here, we are proud
of all of our heroes throughout the world defending our freedoms
and giving others theirs.
|
UFC
52: Couture vs. Liddell 2 Today!
I believe
it airs at 4PM Hawaii Standard Time, so get ready for two great title fights
in addition to a few other highly anticipated matches.
Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell
Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg
Georges St. Pierre vs. Jason Miller
Patrick Cote vs. Joe Doerksen
Travis Wuiff vs. Renato Sobral
Matt Lindland vs. Travis Lutter
Ivan Salaverry vs. Joe Riggs
|
Couture,
Liddell All Smiles Leading Into Rematch
UFC 52 Weigh-Ins Clear Sixteen for Active Duty
By Loretta Hunt
LAS
VEGAS, April 15th -- Going into its second straight weekend of
events, Zuffa Sports Entertainment kicked off its official weigh-ins
today from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Announcing that nearly
10 million people tuned in for almost six minutes to catch the
now-legendary Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar fight that cemented
its T.U.F. Finale event broadcast on Spike TV last Saturday,
the mood couldn't help but be high in a room full of fans and
well-wishers for the sport officially on the rise.
Crowd-darlings
Randy Couture (13-6)* and Chuck Liddell (14-3) were all smiles
mere hours before they'll go a second time for the UFC light-heavyweight
title. Light-heavyweight champion Couture weighed in at a svelte
203 pounds, while challenger Liddell was 204.5 pounds. It's been
a ride for the two since last summer, when they began shooting
episodes for what would become the hit Spike TV show The Ultimate
Fighter. The series highlighted the impending April 16th rematch
that challenger Liddell earned after taking out former champion
Tito Ortiz at UFC 47. Since the show's debut in mid-January,
the pair have made countless TV, radio, and live appearances,
and managed to squeeze in their training as well. Regardless
of tomorrow night's outcome, one can only imagine these two will
be letting out huge sighs of relief that they made it through
one of the most carnival of atmospheres.
Both
looking fit and ready, welterweight champion Matt Hughes (38-4)
and challenger Frank Trigg (13-2) came in at 170 and 169 pounds
respectively. Their staredown today oozed respect, but anyone
who recalls this pair's first encounter at UFC 45, knows there
is a conflict of personalities that has never waned. The brash,
loudmouth Trigg claims he's far more equipped to handle strongman
Hughes' dominant wrestling style. In response, the mild-mannered
Illinois farm boy has come in his fittest looking since his UFC
36 battle with then-Japanese standout Hayato Sakurai.
2000
Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland (13-3) received a supportive
boost from the crowd as he made his way to the scales to come
in at 185 pounds on the dot. Since getting knocked out by David
Terrell at UFC 49, Lindland has kept busy with nearly-UFC ready
opponents that hoped to topple him to get themselves in the door.
Lindland hasn't given them an inch, and the "winningest"
middleweight the UFC has, he's now back with the promotion he's
toiled in since 2001. Opponent Travis Lutter (7-1) made a splash
at UFC 50 with a walloping knockout punch over Muay Thai champion
Marvin Eastman early in the second round after an uneventful
first. Moving down to the middleweights, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
black belt from Texas came in 186 pounds today. The Nevada Athletic
Commission gave Lutter the one pound allowance.
To
add a little spice to the happenings, zany Georgian Jason "Mayhem"
Miller (22-4) first weighed in at 172 pounds, one pound heavier
than his allotted match-up with French Canadian dynamo Georges
St. Pierre (7-1). Announcer Joe Rogan urged Miller to remove
his platinum "teef," which the raven-haired fighter
comically laid on the scales. He re-weighed in at 171 pounds
to match opponent St. Pierre's 170 pounds. Both explosive candidates,
FCF predicts this one to be the fight of the night. Zuffa must
agree. They've slotted it as the fight to introduce their live
telecast tomorrow night.
For
the scheduled swing bout that will air if times permits past
the two five-round championship bouts scheduled tomorrow night,
an unaffected 204-pound Brazilian Renato "Babalu" Sobral
(24-5) made his return to the UFC since eating a Liddell KO kick
back at UFC 40. Quiet Minnesotan opponent Travis Wiuff (22-3),
who began his MMA career three-and-a-half years ago at a hearty
270 pounds, weighed in his lightest to date at a miraculous 203
pounds. Wiuff also appeared at UFC 40, a novice to experienced
Vladimir Matyushenko's wrestling savvy, but the 3-Time All-American
ground and pounder had since tied together 23 wins in his 24
subsequent fights. That being said, Brazilian wrestling champion
Sobral will be Wiuff's toughest customer yet.
In
undercard action, heavy-handed Arizonian Joe Riggs (24-4) looked
sharp at 185 pounds, while Chilean-born, Canadian and American-reared
Ivan Salaverry (10-3-1) was but a pound lighter. Once a heavyweight
fighter who has trimmed down the fat over the last few years,
Riggs hasn't seemed to lose the power he possessed before and
knows how to wield it. One of the most well-rounded, instinctual
fighters the UFC boasts in its middleweight division, Salaverry
could be on the road to contendership if he avoids "the
Diesel's" fists.
Canadian
brethren Patrick Cote (5-1) and Joe Doerksen (29-6) both tallied
in at the 185 pound mark today for their middleweight melee tomorrow
evening. Hoping to build on previous lackluster debuts in the
Octagon, striker Cote's intentions to keep the fight standing
should clash soundly with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Doerksen's
goal to get it to the mats.
First
up to the stage, chiseled heavyweight debuter John Marsh (12-4)
came in at 225 pounds. American Kickboxing Academy's Mike Van
Arsdale (9-1), who says he asked for any weight opening the promotion
could fit him into first, weighed in an even lighter 215 pounds.
If 2-Time Olympic wrestling alternate Van Arsdale shows promise
tomorrow night, he could be scooted down to light-heavyweight
in future appearances. But, with ten-plus pounds on the AKA fighter,
Marsh's noted strength and brawling power could pose an obstacle.
Source:
FCF
|
UFC
52 PREVIEW:
GEORGE ST. PIERRE VS. JASON MILLER
Ken Pishna, MMAWeekly.com
With two title fights on the card at UFC 52, the bout between
Georges St. Pierre and Jason “Mayhem” Miller may just
sneak under the radar of casual fans. But leave no doubt about
it; this fight could be one that steals the show.
Most
UFC fans know the name Georges St. Pierre. He’s an athletically
gifted and uber-talented fighter that scorched his way to a 6-0
record before he ran into a rebounding Matt Hughes at UFC 50.
Possibly prematurely, St. Pierre faced Hughes for the vacant
UFC welterweight title and was doing well until being caught
in a heartbreaking arm bar with just 1 second left in the first
round. He has since displayed his resilience, tapping out UFC
veteran Dave Strasser with a Kimura in just under two minutes
at TKO 19.
Looking
to work his way back into the welterweight title picture, St.
Pierre returns to the Octagon to face UFC first-timer Jason “Mayhem”
Miller. If you’re a casual fan that only follows the UFC,
on the surface, this fight looks to be hand picked for St. Pierre
to build him back up. Look again!
Although
St. Pierre has a stellar record of 7-1, those unfamiliar with
Miller will be surprised to know that he carries an 11-3 record
himself. Of course quality of opposition is as important, or
maybe even more so, as quantity.
St.
Pierre has faced fighters like the aforementioned Matt Hughes
and Dave Strasser, Pete Spratt, Thomas Denny, and Karo Parisyan.
No slouch himself, Miller has fought the likes of Ron Jhun, Egan
Inoue, Chael Sonnen, Denis Kang, Tim Kennedy, and Jay Buck. Both
biographies are pretty impressive.
So
neither fighter has much of an edge in experience other than
the fact that St. Pierre has been in the Octagon multiple times,
Miller has not. You never know how things are going to play out
a fighter’s first time in the cage, but Miller has had experience
fighting in main even fights, this isn’t one, so the pressure
of the spotlight shouldn’t be anything he can’t handle.
It probably won’t be much of a factor.
The
biggest factors in this fight will be the skills that each fighter
possesses and who best utilizes those skills. Athletically, St.
Pierre is more gifted than Miller and that should only help give
a little more edge to his stand-up skills. Miller can hang on
his feet, but St. Pierre is probably a little more skilled with
his striking and has more power behind his punch than Miller.
It’s
hard to tell who is better with the takedown, but once the fight
hits the ground, I think Miller has the edge. It’s not that
St. Pierre isn’t good on the ground, because he is. It’s
more the fact that Miller seems to possess a wider array of skills
when the fight hits the mat and he really seems to enjoy submitting
fighters instead of banging it out.
So
where does this fight go? This is such a good fight because it’s
hard to say who has the edge. Miller is notorious for being a
slow starter. If he comes out that way at UFC 52 and St. Pierre
pushes the pace early with his standup, it could be a short night
for Miller. But then again, even though he’s not exactly
good out of the gait, Miller hasn’t been caught early before.
He’s very good at surviving the early moments until he can
find a way to start working his mat magic.
Look
for this one to be an amazing fight, but not one that will go
the distance. St. Pierre definitely has the skills to catch Miller
early with his striking abilities. If that doesn’t happen,
look for this one to into the second round where it’s more
likely that Miller finds a way to finish the fight on the ground.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Team
Effort Personifies Team Quest
by Josh Gross
LAS VEGAS,
April 15 — If Saturday night Chuck Liddell resembles anything
close to Team Quest kickboxing coach Dave Hagen, those betting
on the underdog light heavyweight contender to beat UFC champion
Randy Couture won’t have to bother standing on line at the
MGM Grand Sports Book after the fight.
Sandwiched
between a shirtless Couture and “protective” blue padding
covering a small section on the inside of the Ultimate Training
Center, Hagen winced while shielding his face from the 42-year-old
fighter’s punches, which fortunately for him thudded off
his mitt-covered hands and not somewhere else.
Because
Nate Quarry demanded it of him, Hagen, mimicking Liddell, also
attempted to regain his feet; but for the long-legged trainer
it invariably led to a Couture’ cross-face or the discomfort
that comes with a knee jammed in your belly.
With
the hardships of training camp behind him, Couture has moved
into maintenance mode, downshifting to what seemed — except
to Hagen — like 70 percent during Wednesday evening’s
three rounds of mitt work.
For
the men whose goal it is to make Couture victorious, however,
there is no such tapering.
After
a quick “blow out” of his lungs, irritated this week
by allergy-wielding pollens made worse by an abnormally wet winter,
Couture headed back to the MGM Grand for an adjustment from his
chiropractor/nutritionist, Ryan Parsons.
It’s
a team effort, keeping this champion at the top.
Hagen,
Quarry and Parsons are just three of the men who helped prepare
Couture in the champion’s Gresham, Oregon gym for Saturday’s
rematch with Liddell. Chief among them is Robert Follis, a lanky
35-year-old former mixed martial arts junkie who, beginning with
Couture’s stoppage of Kevin Randleman in November 2000,
seconds “The Natural.”
They
met eight years ago while Follis ran Portland’s Straight
Blast Gym — the only place, said Couture, where he could
find a decent sparring partner.
When
Couture and fellow wrestler-turned-fighter Dan Henderson offered
Follis a chance to run their Performance Quest gym — primarily
a fitness center with a small martial arts area in the back —
he declined, opting instead to remain where he was.
A
year later, Performance Quest was done. Henderson had moved back
to California. And Couture, now partners with Olympic silver
medalist Matt Lindland, opened Team Quest, which was located
in the back of the car lot Lindland bought after returning home
from Sydney.
For
Couture, Lindland and a handful of others the lot was simply
a place to workout, ill suited, it seemed, for the general public.
“We’d been kind of running it as an open gym and not
really making money,” Couture remembered. “It wasn’t
a business.”
Frustrated
with his financial situation, Follis approached Couture about
the possibility of partnering up in Team Quest. Within weeks
of coming to an agreement, public classes had been upped from
two to 12.
“He,
of course, had the sense to run a membership, do all the things
that needed to be done to make it run like a business,”
Couture said of Follis. “And that’s when things really
turned around.”
And
thus, a business — and a major force in mixed martial arts
— was born.
Today,
the gym holds nearly 300 members. Plus, as it turned out, Follis’
ability to run a facility wasn’t his only attribute. “I
wanted to be the coach,” he told Sherdog.com after the workout
room quieted Wednesday. “I wanted to be the guy that wasn’t
in the limelight. I wanted people to recognize me over somebody’s
shoulder.”
A
long-time basketball fan, Follis consulted books by the sport’s
best motivators — John Wooden, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley —
and listened to the words of people like Anthony Robbins. He
watched others teach and analyzed tapes of fights he cornered,
critiquing himself each step of the way.
While
he had only studied Brazilian jiu-jitsu for a year and half when
he began working with Couture and Henderson, Follis offered them
the closest thing to a jiu-jitsu coach they could find. Meanwhile,
the fighters helped him shape a teaching style by filtering out
the things that didn’t make sense.
“As
time moved on it fell more into where I felt like I was the coach,”
he said. “It’s been kind of a gradual process until
I was kinda that main guy. I was the guy that was getting turned
to to work the corner.”
Out
of those experiences, his training style bloomed.
“A
lot of guys get caught up in watching someone else’s fight
that they develop a plan on how to fight in that guy’s style
— and I think that’s a big mistake,” Follis said.
“Or they try and be reactive to that style rather than saying,
‘We’re going to look to put that guy out of his game
plan and into our style.’ That’s something that we’ve
worked real hard — not just myself but as a whole in the
gym — with that kind of philosophy.”
“He’s
a great trainer,” Couture said. “He’s a great
technical coach. He reads people real well and he’s real
good with people — not that I need a lot of that —
but it still makes a difference.”
Twelve
weeks ago, Follis, the architect of Couture’s shocking performance
that saw him stop Liddell to win the UFC light heavyweight interim
title, sat down with Couture and Quarry to map out a game plan
for Saturday’s fight.
“The
first thing I want to look at is less at the opponent and more
at my fighter,” Follis began. “And to me, a basic concept
of what I try and get across to the fighters is we want to try
and make that other guy fight your fight.”
For
Follis, little can match the feeling of watching his charge execute
in the ring. That’s exactly what happened in the summer
of 2003 when Couture, competing for the first time at 205 pounds,
battered Liddell around the Octagon.
“I
was excited that we had another opportunity to go out and let
it hang out,” said Follis, recalling his feelings after
consecutive losses at heavyweight propelled Couture down one
division. “And I was confident in the fact that we had made
adjustments. I was confident in the fact that we had trained
hard. Then you go out and compete and see what happens.”
On
Saturday, Team Quest faces a man who believes he’s made
the necessary adjustments. With the exception of his | |