Upcoming
Events
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2006
Grappler's Quest Hawaii
(Submission Grappling)
(TBA)
2005
11/19/05
ROTR 9
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
11/14/05
3rd American National BJJ Championships
(Torrance Unified School District, Torrance, CA )
11/12/05
Full Contact
Showdown
Super
Brawl Qualifer
(MMA)
(Kahuna Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
Aloha
State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ/Grappling)
(Saint Louis School Gym)
11/5/05
ROTR: Proving Grounds
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center)
10/29-30/05
Brazilian Team Titles
(Equipes)
(Brazil)
10/28/05
Icon Sport 43
(formally Superbrawl)
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
10/15/05
Gracie Nationals
(BJJ/Grappling)
(Columbus, Ohio)
10/11/05
Tuesday Night Fights
(Kickboxing)
(Central Pacific Athletics, Hilo)
10/7/05
UFC 55: Fury
(PPV)
ROTR: Proving Grounds
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center, Maui)
Fight Night At The “O”
(MMA)
(O-Lounge, Ala Moana Shopping Center)
9/24/05
NAGA 2005 Hawaiian State
Championships
(Submission Grappling & BJJ)
(CANCELLED,
POSSIBLY TO BE HELD IN FEBRUARY)
2005
American National Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(Torrance, CA)
9/17/05
Rumble
On The Rock 8
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
So You Think You Tough
(MMA)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
|
|
September 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! |
Quote
of the Day
"Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something."
Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862, American Essayist/Poet/Naturalist
|
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 33 Tonight!
This episode will run on
September 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th at our new time:
9:30pm, Tuesday nights
on Channel 52 (Olelo-Oahu).
Maui will receive a copy of the
show in the next week so check your local listing on Akaku.
Episode
33 features:
Highlights
from "Lockdown in Paradise"
-Paco Woods vs Adam Ah Sue
-Trenell Savant Young vs Kendall Groves (+ intvw w/ Savant)
-Jumar Dumaoal vs Eha Souza
-Isaac Kuikahi vs Jeremy Payet
-Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun vs Jay Heiron (+intvw
w/ Jay)
-Fabiano Iha vs (+intvw w/ Fabiano)
-Intvw w/ Lockdown Promoter Braddah Camanse
-and let's not forget some cool footage of the "Ainokea"
Ring girls
Technique
of the Week:
-Mike Tanaka of Kalakaua Boxing Club teaches the uppercut
Catching
up w/ Egan Inoue
-How's he doing? Where's he been? What are his plans for the
future?
All those questions answered in this great intvw. Plus, a sneak
peak
at his women's self-defense class
And,
Hawaii's favorite FCTV hosts "hamming it up", Mike
"Icon" Onzuka,
and Mark "T.O.G.--the other guy" Kurano
Questions,
Comments, Suggestions? Email us at:
fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
We're
also looking around for some talented young lady who may want
to
take a shot at co-hosting a segment so please keep an eye out
for
us--resumes (w/ pics please--nothing fancy) to: chris@onzuka.com (yes,
he also got dat job mon)
|
UFC
55 : Three More Fights Announced
By Sean McClure
In the confusion that is the month before a UFC pay per view,
the UFC has thankfully concreted three more great fights for
their already stacked October 7th card.
Heavyweight
Bout: Sean Gannon vs. Branden Lee Hinkle
Sean Gannon (1-0) 6’3”/265 lbs., fighting out of Boston,
Mass. will square off against Branden Lee Hinkle (12-6) 6’2”/235
lbs. in a highly-anticipated heavyweight match. Gannon, a strong
striker with a great chin, is a six-time Golden Gloves Champion,
a Northeast Regional Boxing Champion, a Massachusetts State Heavyweight
Judo Champion (Black Belt Division) and a NAGA World Grappling
Champion. Hinkle, fighting out of Weirton, WV possesses heavy
punching power and is known for grounding and pounding his opponents.
He is a NCAA DIV II national wrestling champ and a US national
freestyle All-American.
Heavyweight
Bout: Keigo Kunihara vs. Marcio Cruz
Keigo Kunihara (3-1-0) 6’0”/235 lbs., fighting out
of Orlando, FL, will meet Marcio Cruz (0-0-0) 6’4”/246
lbs. fighting out of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in another action-packed
heavyweight bout. Both fighters are making their UFC debut with
plans to score a swift victory. Kunihara is an excellent grappler
and is a National Judo Champion. Cruz, a six-time world champion
of Jiu-Jitsu and an eight-time Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu champion,
is very comfortable on the ground and possesses excellent submission
skills.
Light
Heavyweight Bout: Chael Sonnen vs Renato Sobral
Chael Sonnen (15-6-1) 6’1”/205 lbs. fighting out of
Milwaukie, OR will be making his UFC debut against Renato Sobral
(25-5-0) 6’1”/205 lbs. fighting out of Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. Sonnen, an excellent wrestler with explosive speed, is
a two-time University National Wrestling Champion, a NCAA All-American
and a US Olympic Team Alternate. Sobral combines wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu,
and Muay Thai into one highly effective package. One of the top
light heavyweights in the world, Sobral is coming off a victory
against Travis Wiuff at UFC 52 (4/16/05) with an armbar :24 into
the second round.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
SHERK
AND THOMAS VICTORIOUS
Sean Sherk returned to action on this weekend's Pride and Glory
show in Duluth, Georgia. He had been out of the fight game for
ten months, basically in retirement. Sherk is now back under
the management of Monte Cox and ready to make another run at
the fight game in which he has now amassed a pro record of 28-1-1.
His only loss being to UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes.
On
Friday night, Sherk entered the ring with Joel Blanton. He quickly
took Blanton down, got his back, and applied a rear naked choke
in the first round. Blanton maybe wasn't the toughest of opponents,
but it was an impressive return for Sherk, none the less. With
the win, Sherk won a WKA MMA title.
Next
on tap for Sherk is a very tough test against Georges St. Pierre
in the UFC. If he gets past St. Pierre, it can't be long before
he would be considered for a title shot (and rematch) against
fellow Monte Cox fighter Hughes. If that does happen, Cox said
on MMAWeekly Radio that he wouldn't stand in the way and the
fight would happen.
Also
winning his fight on the card was American Top Team fighter Din
Thomas. After losing to Tyrone Glover in Japan just two weeks
ago, Thomas stepped in at the last minute for his ATT teammate
Edson Diniz, who had to withdraw from the fight.
Thomas
submitted his opponent, Dwayne Shelton, by armbar inside of the
first two minutes of the first round. He also won a WKA MMA title
with the victory over Shelton.
Source : MMA Weekly
|
Royler:
no favorites 2 Hero's GP's final
Renato Barreto, Royce, Relson & Royler Gracie
Disqualified by Kid Yamamoto at September 7th's Hero's GP, Royler
Gracie has started his BJJ classes at Gracie Humaitá,
in Rio de Janeiro. "In spite of the KO, I didn't get hurt,"
Gracie said during an exclusive to team TATAME. About the final
of the competition, which takes place on December 31, Royler
stated:
-
Both of them KO'd me (laughing). Genki (Sudo) is really tough
to be defeated and Kid is a younger fighter. but he has a lot
of experience. He comes from a Wrestling family and he is very
good. It's hard to preview any result. Genki is heavier and I
don't know if it's going to be an advantage for him. I only know
that I won't miss it this great bout - he said.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Swallowing your pride seldom leads to indigestion."
Source Unknown
|
Hurricane
Katrina Fund Raiser Today
Sandy De Oliveira Singing at Kapono's
I believe
this is a huge fundraiser put on by Chai's Steakhouse, which
is larger than the taste of Hawaii and they sell tickets for
$150 and you get to try food from the best chef's in Hawaii and
100% of proceeds are being donated to the Salvation Army for
Hurricane Katrina relief. The chefs have contacted their suppliers,
so everything down to the paper plates were donated, so every
penny wil for the cause. This is a great way, if you have the
resources, to make a difference and eat food from the best chefs
in Hawaii! If you stay home and watch it on Television, there
will be ways to donate, so smaller amounts can be accepted.
Our very own "official" Brazilian language teacher
and professional translator Sandy De Oliveira will be performing
there.
Sandy
De Oliveira Singing at Kapono's
Place:
Kapono's Aloha Tower Marketplace
Time : we go on at 5:20 pm & will do 2-3 songs
What channel? - She said it will be broadcast live from 4-6 pm
on 7 channels so take your pick.
Somebody give me a copy of a videotape if you record it. We don't
have any working VCR in the house.
Remember, if you watch, please donate. We're performing for free.
|
The
Icon Sport MMA Radio Show
This Morning!
Every Monday at 9:00-10:00 AM
On 1420 AM
The Icon
Sport MMA Show, hosted by T. Jay Thompson and Patrick Freitas,
will be a lively roundtable discussion featuring athletes, industry
analysts, celebrity guests, and listeners. Listeners will also
receive updates about upcoming local, national, and global events.
The
Icon Sport MMA Show will also be available to online listeners,
via the streaming link at www.sportsradio1420.com. Hawaii listeners
can call into the show at (808) 296-1420; Mainland and global
listeners can call into the show toll-free at 1 (866) 400-1420.
Fans may also email questions and statements directly to iconsportradio@yahoo.com.
The shows will be broadcast at noon Pacific Standard Time, 1
p.m. Mountain, 2 p.m. Central, and 3 p.m. Eastern.
The
Icon Sport MMA Show is sponsored by Steinlager, Fighter’s
Corner, Tactical Strength & Conditioning, Fitness & Nutrition
/ Military Nutrition, and Dreamworld Tattoo.
Source: Icon Sport
|
Renato
"Charuto" Verissimo
By John Buhl
Already well respected for his Jiu Jitsu skills, Renato "Charuto"
Verissimo has made quite a name for himself in mixed martial
arts the past few years. Charuto sports three UFC appearances
on his resume, including a hard fought decision loss to Matt
Hughes, along with a 4-0 record in the rapidly growing Hawaiian-based
Rumble on the Rock promotion. He recently helped BJ Penn prepare
for his superfight against Renzo Gracie, and discussed that and
other topics with maXfighting.
MaXfighting:
You said on mma.tv that you helped BJ prepare for his fight against
Renzo Gracie? How did that go, and how pleased were you with
his performance against a grappling master like Renzo?
Charuto:
I helped him on the ground game, trying to watch the tape [to
find spots] for some moves that he's good at it. We had the help
from Alan Goes, Joe Clark (wrestling), Rudy Valentino (Kickboxing)
and the training partners in Big Island.
Everything
went really well. He had good time to prepare for the fight and
no major injuries. I think he did really well on the fight [staying]
composed and focused. He used good strategy in the fight...wait
the first round and pick up the fight on the later rounds. We
knew that Renzo would come out in the first round so he had to
weather the storm and impose his game in the end. If the fight
was 5 rounds, I think that he would have finished the fight.
MaXfighting:
Rumble on the Rock has been doing well, and the Penn vs. Gracie
match (and K1 card) got a huge crowd. How exciting is it to be
a part of the MMA scene in Hawaii right now? How much has it
changed the past couple of years?
Charuto:
I feel really luck and pleased with the work that they've been
doing. I saw the idea coming up and now the result is terrific.
In such short time in the business [to achieve what they have
is] amazing. I'll keep fighting Rumble as long they want me to...they
really build me up in my career and I’m sure a lot of people
that fought in Hawaii feel the same.
MaXfighting:
What are your future fight plans at this point or are you more
focused on teaching? Would you like to come back at ROTR, or
are you more looking to perhaps get back in the UFC?
Charuto:
I'll be fighting in Rumble November 19th. The opponent…I
don't know yet. This year i fought in May but i hurt my hand
and i couldn't fight for a while, so I was teaching a lot, giving
back the time [others] spent with me for [my] fights.
It
would be nice if UFC did bring me back, but [if given the chance
with] PRIDE and K1 I’d be super happy to fight for such
respectful and good organizations. That'd be a dream coming true.
MaXfighting:
I don't know if you were able to see UFC 54, but Frank Trigg
struggled against George St. Pierre, getting submitted by rear
naked choke. Having fought Trigg, were you surprised how that
fight turned out?
Charuto:
Not at all. Everybody knows Trigg struggles on the bottom. He's
a wrestler, not a jiu-jitsu guy. If I swept him [when I fought
him at UFC 50] instead of going for the triangle, maybe the fight
would [have turned out different]. He's really good on the top,
no doubt, but the difference between his top game and bottom
is a lot. When I saw it going to the guard my thoughts were the
same. If you don't know guard these days, you'll be in trouble
sooner or later.
MaXfighting:
You've fought some tough guys at 170 (Newton, Castillo, Hughes,
Trigg). Is there anyone in particular you'd like to go up against?
Diego Sanchez just won his fight against Brian Gassaway, with
his strong ground game, how would you match up against him?
Charuto:
He looks pretty good, but let's see if he's that good when he's
in trouble. We'll see. I don't mind fighting him, but i may be
tougher than Brian! (Laughs) I'm sure my skills and experience
in big fights [would come into play]. It's up to Dana. I don't
like talk about something if I don't know if it's going to happen.
MaXfighting:
What level do the reality show participants appear to be on to
you? Are they world class already, or would they need more seasoning
before taking on seasoned, top-level guys such as yourself?
Charuto:
I don't watch the show so i don't know. I hope so. I'm usually
training at this time, in Hawaii they show at 9pm. It's good
that the sport is getting some publicity. I hope the selection
is good to keep the fighters and the events at a higher level.
MaXfighting:
The Ultimate Fighter TV show has obviously had a huge impact
on MMA. Do you think it will help growing shows like ROTR as
well?
Charuto:
Any publicity is good for the sport. Maybe it will open the door
for investors that identify with the character and spirit of
this extreme sport that everybody knows and give it support.
MaXfighting:
It's an old question, but some thought you beat Matt Hughes in
your match with him, and it was certainly close. As well as you
were able to do against him, what's the key to beating him? If
BJ went back to 170 pounds, do you think he'd beat Hughes again?
Charuto:
Like any wrestler, he's good on the top. His chances with a Brazillan
jiu-jitsu black belt on top of him is small compared to the holding
and controlling top position that he likes so much.
MaXfighting:
How has the fight school been going? How does a training guy
for fights help you in your perspective when getting ready for
one of your own fights?
Charuto:
The academy on the Big Island is doing great with a lot upcoming
guys that I’m sure we’ll hear from. We are putting
together a training camp for people who want to know our mentality
in training and conditioning [and to] have an idea how we became
champions.
The
one in Oahu is doing also great where I have my kickboxing classes
with Haru, Kevin and
Mike.
It's not a big group but it's tight, we train all the time. They
help me a lot for my fights as well on the Big Island.
I've
been teaching jiu jitsu for about 10 years and I've been in MMA
for about 4 years. I guess teaching helps me sharpen my positions;
when you teach you can see details that sometimes [you miss when
you’re] caught up with the training, and help remind you
and execute the technique the way it is.
MaXfighting:
Are there any fighters in particular that you work with that
people may not be familiar with, but have a lot of potential?
Charuto:
So many...you’re going to hear from them! (Laughs) The only
thing I’ll let you know is that they are training hard and
will get there.
Charuto
wanted to send along the following Thank Yous:
Thanks
to my girl, Nico to put up with me 24/7...Thanks to my training
partners...for Rumble on The Rock to put me out there...my sponsors...RAZEGEAR,
DAHUI, SPLIT, HAMAKUA COAST MACADEMIA NUTS, and GOD to allow
us to live...
Thanks
again for talking with us. Good luck in the future, Charuto!
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents,
works his tail off to develop them into skills,
and uses these skills to accomplish his goals."
Larry Bird, Hall of Fame American Basketball Player
|
Rumble
On The Rock Qualifiers
Results!
ROTR Qualifiers 5
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
September 17th, 2005
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
The
feeder show for Rumble On The Rock has changed its name from
Proving Grounds to the ROTR Qualifiers to better describe why
the fighters are participating in Rumble's smaller event. This
event is a perfect example of why the name was changed. This
event featured an 8-man 175lbs tournament of primarily local
Hawaii fighters, the two finalist of the tournament will return
to face each other in the next Rumble On The Rock to be held
on November 19th. After a few wars and injuries as is the norm
with tournament formats, Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez and
Sidney Silva were the last two men standing and will face each
other in a couple of months. In a rematch, Mike Aina revenged
his previous loss to Kaleo Kwan by utilizing his existing tools
and perfectly executing his game plan. And finally, the main
event featured Nova Uniao's hottest new commodity, Thales Leite
taking on the veteran Ron Jhun. Leite put on a submission clinic,
but the game Jhun gutted and eventually slipped out of everything
that Leite put on him. The impressive Leite ended the first and
second round with Jhun in a submission attempt. In the third
round, it looked like Leite was tiring and Jhun could smell that
some payback was on the grill, except that a well time and executed
flying knee put an end to Jhun's comeback in the fight.
MMA:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Taurus Kabab (Honolulu - Team MMAD) def. Thomas Gilbert (Freelance)
TKO via referee stoppage due to punches from the mount at 1:21
minutes in Round 1.
MMA:
2 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Pako Woods (Hilo - BJ Penn MMA) def. Dean Lista (Honolulu - HMC
Academy)
Majority decision [(19-18), (20-18), (19-19)] after 3 Rounds.
MMA:
175lbs 8-Man Tournament
2 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez (Hilo - BJ Penn MMA) def. Isamu
Himura (Kajukenpo/American Self Defense, San Jose, CA)
Submission due to elbows from the mount at 4:32 minutes in Round
1.
MMA:
175lbs 8-Man Tournament
2 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Jason Daquel (Honolulu - Mixed Breed) def. Koa Kamakahi (Freelance)
TKO via referee stoppage due to punches from the mount at 37
seconds in Round 1.
MMA:
175lbs 8-Man Tournament
2 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Daniel Devers (808 Fight Factory) def. Curtis Pedro (Team Submit)
Submission due to injured shoulder at 50 seconds in Round 1.
MMA:
175lbs 8-Man Tournament
2 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Sidney Silva (Honolulu - Romolo Barros) def. Kaleo Padilla (Westbrook)
Submission due to arm triangle at 3:13 minutes in Round 2.
Super
Fight: 2 Rounds - 5 Minutes
"Iron" Mike Aina (Hilo- BJ Penn MMA) def. Kaleo Kwan
(Honolulu - Eastsidaz)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 2 rounds.
MMA:
175lbs 8-Man Tournament
Reserve bout: Semi-Finals: 2 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Kaleo Padilla (Westbrook) def. Isamu Himura (Kajukenpo/American
Self Defense)
*Daniel Devers (808 Fight Factory) injured so he is replaced
by a reserve bout.
Submission via arm bar from the mount at 2:01 minutes in Round
1.
MMA:
175lbs 8-Man Tournament
Semi-Finals: 2 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez (Hilo - BJ Penn MMA) def. Jason
Daquel (Honolulu - Mixed Breed)
Verbal submission due to Daquel not being able to continue after
the end of Round 1.
*Ross Ebanez qualifies for the tournament finals to be held on
November 19th.
MMA:
175lbs 8-Man Tournament
Semi-Finals: 2 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Sidney Silva (Honolulu - Romolo Barros) Bye
Kaleo Padilla withdrew due to injury.
*Sidney Silva qualifies for the tournament finals to be held
on November 19th.
Main
Event
3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Thales Leite (Brazil - Nova Uniao) def. Ron Jhun (Honolulu -
808 Fight Factory)
TKO via doctor's stoppage due to cut at 32 seconds in Round 3.
|
Kickin'
It's Updated Fight Card!
WHAT- KICKIN IT 2005 PART V (AMATEUR KICKBOXING)
WHEN- SEPT. 24, 2005 DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM
WHERE- PAGODA HOTEL BALLROOM
PRE SALE TICKETS $20.00 AT THE DOOR- $25.00
MAIN EVENT
RYAN LEE SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP DAVID BALICAO
BULLSPEN 136 -141 HSD
NO HEADGEAR - NO FEETPADS - NO EXCUSES
BRANDON ABSHER 150 - 155 MARCUS MARINO
HSD BULLSPEN
SEAN CASTRO 170-175 BRYAN INGRAM
TEAM MIXBREED HAWAII TRAINING CENTER
ZACK RAPAUL 145-150 KEVIN DELIMA
WAIANAE KICKBOXING CLUB BULLSPEN
JARRID SANTOS 140-145 ISAAC
BULLSPEN TEAM MIXBREED
TONY PERERA 120-125 BRUCE NIIMOTO
WAIANAE KICKBOXING CLUB 413
SHANEN KIRA 160-165 NYE DELASANTOS
TEAM MIXBREED TEAM SOLJAH
EDMUND LI 135-140 SHAISON LAUPOLA
HMC JESUS IS LORD
WINNER WILL FACE RED DAVIS FOR THE TEENAGE AMATEUR SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE BELT ON SEPT. 24 2005.
JARRID CHAVEZ SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT JARRID LINDSEY
HSD BULLSPEN
DARRYL LABRADOR 120-125 VERN KAPOI
HSD HMC
TIM LAPITAN 155-160 KEA DEMELLO
BULLSPEN ANIMAL HOUSE
CHAD PAVAO 135-140 JUMAR DUMLAO
HSD 808 FIGHT FACTORY
JUSTIN PIAMONTE 110-120 SHANE DULATRE
ANIMAL HOUSE 413
LORENZO MORENO 155-160 KAIKA CHOYFOO
BULLSPEN JESUS IS LORD
ALL MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Event Promoter
|
The
Icon Sport MMA Radio Show
Tomorrow
Morning!
Every Monday at 9:00-10:00 AM
On 1420 AM
The Icon
Sport MMA Show, hosted by T. Jay Thompson and Patrick Freitas,
will be a lively roundtable discussion featuring athletes, industry
analysts, celebrity guests, and listeners. Listeners will also
receive updates about upcoming local, national, and global events.
The
Icon Sport MMA Show will also be available to online listeners,
via the streaming link at www.sportsradio1420.com. Hawaii listeners
can call into the show at (808) 296-1420; Mainland and global
listeners can call into the show toll-free at 1 (866) 400-1420.
Fans may also email questions and statements directly to iconsportradio@yahoo.com.
The shows will be broadcast at noon Pacific Standard Time, 1
p.m. Mountain, 2 p.m. Central, and 3 p.m. Eastern.
The
Icon Sport MMA Show is sponsored by Steinlager, Fighter’s
Corner, Tactical Strength & Conditioning, Fitness & Nutrition
/ Military Nutrition, and Dreamworld Tattoo.
Source: Icon Sport
|
AMAZING
PRIDE TOURNAMENT
FOR THOSE WHO CAN SEE IT
by Ryan Bennett
Pride's Bushido show will be the best lightweight tournament
in the history of MMA and their middleweight tourney is stacked
as well. There is one big problem with this upcoming tournament.
Some of the people in America won't be able to see it.
According
to the Pride website, September 25th will be the show date for
Dish subscribers and some cable companies. However if you have
InDemand Cable, the pay per view date for the upcoming show is
scheduled for November 25th. That's right, it's a 2-month delay.
For those who would like to voice their comments to InDemand
you can reach them at http://www.indemand.com/about/contactUs.jsp
As
far as the tournament goes, it should be absolutely spectacular.
Phil Baroni continues to turn things around as he leaves for
Japan on Saturday to get ready for the tournament. Baroni will
be rematching against Ikuhisa Minowa, a fighter he defeated just
a few months ago in the first round of the middleweight tournament.
If the American can get by Minowa for a second time, he may fight
a fighter he called out years ago, while in the UFC in Murilo
Bustamante. Busta will have to get buy the very tough Masanori
Suda in order to advance in the upper bracket. Here is how the
bracket shapes up....
Pride
Bushido Tournament
September 25th
Ariake Coliseum.
PRIDE
FC: BUSHIDO THE TOURNAMENT
The
Welterweight (83kg/183lbs) Pairings:
Bracket
A:
- Phil Baroni (USA) vs. Ikuhisa "The Punk" Minowa (Japan)
- Masanori Suda (Japan) vs. Murilo Bustamante (Brazil)
Bracket
B:
- Ryo Chonan (Japan) vs. Dan Henderson (USA)
- Akihiro Gono (Japan) vs. Daniel Acacio (Brazil)
Welterweight
Tournament Reserve Bout
- Ryuta Sakurai (Japan) vs. Paulo Filho (Brazil)
Pride
has put together the most spectacular Lightweight Tournament
in MMA history. It's a tournament that showcases the best 160-pound
fighters in the world. Since the UFC has decided not to focus
any longer in the lightweight class, DSE snatched former UFC
champion Jens Pulver and former #1 contender Yves Edwards, to
represent the American contingent. Edwards has spent time training
with a former foe in Josh Thomson. Thomson declined an invitation
to the tourney because he didn't have enough quality time to
prepare for the tournament.
Japan
has four fighters well represented in Takanori Gomi who will
square off against countryman Tatsuya Kawajiri. Arguably the
top two seeds in the tournament.
Mach
Sakurai battled against Matt Hughes for a UFC title a few years
ago. Now he goes against Hughes teammate Jens Pulver in the opening
round. Naoyuki Kotani, the final of the four Japanese fighters,
will go against Brazilian Luis Azeredo to round out the first
round match ups. Here is the lightweight card.
The
Lightweight (73kg/160lbs) Pairings:
Lightweight
Tournament Bouts
Bracket
A:
- Takanori Gomi (Japan) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan)
- Naoyuki Kotani (Japan) vs. Luis Azeredo (Brazil)
Bracket
B:
- Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (Japan) vs. Jens Pulver (USA)
- Yves Edwards (USA) vs. Joachim Hansen (Norway)
Lightweight
Tournament Reserve Bout
- Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Japan) vs. Charles "Krazy Horse"
Bennett (USA)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ROYCE
GRACIE Returns to MMA!!!
By Sean McClure
According to www.roycegracie.tv, Royce Gracie, the man who captured
the imagination of us all back in UFC 1-4, will be back in MMA
action. The website’s United States schedule page informs
visitors that Royce is scheduled to fight on December 31st, 2005.
There is no mention of where or for what organization. It is
doubtful that it is the UFC, but in this day and age anything
is possible. MaXfighting will keep you posted on any new developments.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Rodrigo
Gracie – Interview
By Sean McClure
Rodrigo, first let me thank you for taking the time out of your
busy schedule to sit down with MaXfighting.
Q:
When you first got into no holds barred fighting professionally,
did you feel any added pressure to succeed because of your family’s
great success?
A:
Well, being a Gracie has its benefits and it has its downfall.
The pressure is there. I am the next generation of the Gracie’s
and you know, I have to follow in the footsteps of those who
came before me, so yes there is always pressure. But there is
always pressure when you fight so it is not that bad. You learn
to live with it, and just concentrate on fighting. The pressure
is always there you know what I mean.
Q:
What goes into preparing for a fight for you? Some people only
train a few months before their fights rather than train all
year round. Do you train the whole year?
A:
I keep myself in shape all year. I do seminars and always train
with the students so I have to be in shape. But I do not keep
myself in fighting shape all year, just in good shape, then once
I find out that I am fighting, I start to turn up the training.
Conditioning, Standup and Jiu-Jitsu.
Q:
What seems to be still amazing to people is that the Gracies
have good, solid stand-up to backup their famous jiu jitsu. How
much do you focus on your striking skills as opposed to your
jiu jitsu?
A:
Well, I am a Jiu-Jitsu fighter that is what my style is and that
is where I feel the most comfortable, however now days, you can
not just rely on Jiu-Jitsu alone, you have to train standup.
I would say I train as much standup as I do jiu-jitsu. But not
to become a boxer, but to know what is coming if I am fighting
a standup guy. I naturally always look for a clinch and an opportunity
to take the fight to the ground, but if that does not happened,
I want to make sure that I can last on my feet.
Q:
If there is one, who would you say has been your biggest jiu
jitsu influence in your family?
A:
My father would be the biggest, since he trained me from childhood,
but I have been fortunate to train with a lot of members of my
family and each one had something to add to my overall game.
Q:
Your jiu jitsu skills were tested to the limits in your tough
decision loss to BJ
Penn in
2004. How tough of a fighter is he to face standing up? On the
ground?
A:
He is a very skilled fighter and very tough to fight. He is a
smart fighter. I used the wrong strategy against him in the fight
in Hawaii and he was able to capitalize on that. When you fight
top fighters you can not make a mistake. Not just BJ but most of the fighters out there
that are fighting in K-1 and Pride and UFC.
Q:
Would you take a rematch against him if it was offered?
A:
Without even giving it one thought of course.
Q:
With that being said, when can we expect to see you in a fight
again?
A:
Well I just fought in July on the Hero’s/K-1 card in Japan.
The opening round of the Hero’s Lightweight Grand Prix,
I was one of the super fights. My cousin Royler was in the tournament
so we fought on the same card. I have a fight coming up in Korea
in the Hero’s card again on November 5 or 6th this year.
Q:
Of all of the fighters in Pride, the UFC, and other organizations...who
would you like to face next?
A:
I would like to fight Akiyama. He is a good fighter a judo guy
he fights for K-1 MMA. I think that I would match up well against
him.
Q:
Many, many people have been wanting to see a Gracie return to
the octagon. Do you ever see yourself fighting in the UFC?
A:
Sure if the UFC will make an offer. I have a contract with K-1,
but I am sure that K-1 and UFC can work it out that I fight in
the UFC if they are interested.
Q:
What is it like fighting in Pride? I know that the fans are a
lot different there than they are here. What is it like being
a Pride fighter?
A:
Well I am no longer a Pride fighter. I have a contract with K-1
and have been fighting for them for little over a year.
Q:
Were there any moments in Japan that really jump out in your
mind? Good or bad?
A:
Nothing that I can think of right now. There is very good energy
in Japan from the fans they are really into fighting over there.
Q:
What advice do you have for people just starting out in jiu jitsu
or mixed martial arts fighting?
A:
Train hard, but train smart.
Q:
What can we expect from Rodrigo Gracie in the coming year?
A:
I will be doing a lot more seminars; I have been traveling a
lot now teaching at my cousin Royce’s networks. He is so
busy with his stuff that he can not visit everyone, so I have
been doing a lot of traveling and teaching so I will do a lot
of seminars next year and will fight 3 times I hope. My goal
in 2006 is to fight on the K-1 New Years Eve Show. I have a book
out how called No Holds Barred and have a new book coming out
yearly next year called The Path to Black Belt so there are a
lot of things happening. There may be a reality show that Royce
is going to do, and I will be on it with him. Stuff is happening
all over the place.
Rodrigo,
once again it is an honor. Good luck with K-1 and we look forward
to talking with you again. Do you have anyone you would like
to thank?
I
would like to thank Atama Kimono’s for their support. You
can visit them at www.atamakimonos.com. Also check out my travel
schedule on my website www.rodrigogracie.com or royce’s
site www.roycegracie.tv
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Education is what survives when what has been learnt is
forgotten."
B.F. Skinner, 1904-1990, American Psychologist and Author
|
Rumble
On The Rock Qualifiers
Tonight!
Rumble World Entertainment Announces ROTR Qualifiers
Blaisdell
Center Arena Hosts First-Ever ROTR Qualifiers Event
HONOLULU -- Hawai‘i Sep 14, 2005 On Saturday, September
17th, 2005, Rumble World Entertainment (RWE) will for the first
time bring the ROTR Qualifiers (formerly Proving Grounds) event
to the Blaisdell Center Arena. The event will feature an eight
man welterweight tournament featuring some of Hawai‘i’s
up-and-coming Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes as well as two
superfights featuring local and Brazilian MMA veterans Ron Jhun
and Thalles Leite. Doors open at 6:30pm and the action begins
at 7:30pm.
Featured
in the eight man tournament are:
Ross
"Da Boss" Ebanez (Hilo - BJ Penn MMA)
Sidney Silva (Honolulu - Romolo Barros)
Tyson Noho‘ikai‘ka (Maui - Jeff Mcgee)
Kaleo Padilla (Kona – Westbrook Boxing)
Jason Daquel (Honolulu - Mixed Breed)
Dirty Curty (Honolulu - Team Submit)
Daniel Devers (Honolulu - 808 Fight Factory)
Mark Moreno (Honolulu – Bull’s Penn)
Superfights
scheduled for the evening include well-known MMA veterans:
Ron
Jhun (Honolulu – 808 Fight Factory) vs. Thalles Leite (Brazil
– Nova Uniao)
Iron
Mike Aina (Hilo- BJ Penn MMA) vs. Kaleo Kwon (Honolulu –
Eastsidaz)
Preliminary
bouts will feature:
Dean
Lista (Honolulu – HMC Academy) vs. Pako Woods (Hilo –
BJ Penn MMA)
Mark
Bonilla (Hilo – BJ Penn MMA) vs. Taurus Kabab (Honolulu
– Team MMAD)
*Card
subject to change.
The
winner of the tournament will earn a spot in the November 19th
ROTR 8 World Championship event. Weigh-ins for this weekend’s
ROTR Qualifiers will be held at Roundtable Pizza in Waikiki on
Friday, September 16, at 5:30pm.
According
to JD Penn, president of RWE, “As the sport continues its
evolution as Hawai‘i’s mecca of MMA, the ROTR Qualifiers
event is a welcome opportunity for our fighters to show us what
they’ve got and possibly get the chance to win a shot at
one of ROTR’s headliner events. These events have been instrumental
in helping us to cultivate local talent and build our sport to
new levels locally and globally,” he said.
The
ROTR Qualifiers offers local fighters the opportunity to compete
in the bigger shows by testing their skills in a professional-level
environment. RWE utilizes qualifier events to scout talent for
its bigger shows in Honolulu and throughout Hawai‘i.
Formerly
named “Proving Grounds,” the event was first held two
years ago in Hilo on the Big Island. This will be the fifth ROTR
Qualifiers event for RWE. Future qualifiers are planned for the
island of Maui on October 7 and Hilo on the Big Island on November
5.
Tickets
to the event are priced as follows:
Risers
$35
Floor (Rows) 7-11 $50
Rows 3-6 $75
Rows 1-2 $125
About
Rumble World Entertainment
Rumble World Entertainment is a Hawai'i-based entertainment company
who produces Rumble on the Rock (ROTR), Proving Grounds and RumbleVision.
In less than two years, Rumble World Entertainment, formerly
Prodigy Productions, has taken ROTR from a small Hilo-based show
to a globally recognized event broadcast in 90 countries including
Japan Pay-Per-View and U.S. Pay-Per-View. RWE hopes to bring
their events to California and Las Vegas in the near future.
MMA Weekly, a popular MMA radio show and news-driven web site
rated ROTR as the world's third most popular MMA event in 2004.
Website:
http://www.rumbleontherock.com
|
Tuesday
Night Fights
Has Pushed Back To October 11th
It will be a regularly held kickboxing event held under K-1 Rules
(leg kicks allowed).
The event will feature 12 bouts in all.
There will be some Junior Division bouts and 3 Championship bouts.
The event will be held at Central Pacific Athletics, the old
Woolworth's building in the mall.
Source: Event Promoter
|
Murilo
Bustamante - Interview
By André Araújo - Team TATAME
Brazilian Top Team leader Murilo Bustamante has some experience
in Grand Prix style of competition. After fighting three times
at Martial Arts Reality Superfighting (MARS), in 1996 and replacing
his teammate Ricardo Arona at Pride Middleweight GP 2003, Bustamante
will be the team representative at PRIDE Bushido, which takes
place on September 25, at Ariake Colosseum. His teammate Paulão
Filho will do an alternate fight, but team has no representatives
at the -73kg division. MaXfighting.com had a little chat with
Bustamante and asked him about PRIDE, Bushido and Mauricio Shogun’s
black belt:
You
are going to Japan on September 17. How is your training so far?
It’s
normal. I have been training hard and I am ready to fight two
opponents in the same night. I am not thinking about doing a
fast first match. The great thing would be winning those two
fights. No matters how.
Can
you talk a little bit about your opponents?
Masanori
Suda is the SHOOTO World Champion and his tape must be in my
VCR soon. However, I’ve watched many fights of Phil Baroni.
I see he is a great boxer and he is also a good wrestler. His
only weak point is on the ground, what is by the way my specialty.
If we do fight, I will have this great resource against him.
Talking
about PRIDE GP Middleweight, how did you see Ricardo Arona’s
victory over Wanderlei? All people say they respected each other
a lot...
Well,
Ricardo was great. He fought well and was perfect. To be honest,
they really did respect each other. Wanderlei did not fight as
he uses to do because he knew if he did it, Arona would put him
down. Arona was perfect and built a perfect strategy to win.
However Wanderlei make it harder.
And
the final against Shogun?
Watching
by the TV, I think Arona was not the same fighter after suffering
that takedown. So Shogun fixed an omoplata and I thought it was
weird. It seems like Arona hit his head on the ground, but this
is not an excuse. Those accidents happen during the fight. Mauricio
Shogun star has shined and Arona didn’t have any luck.
Why
didn’t you go to Rodrigo Minotauro’s house to watch
Pride GP with BTT guys?
In
fact I watched PRIDE at house because of my training. As soon
pride was over, I turned off the TV and went to bed. When I am
about to fight I always behave myself that way. I am all focus
to the competition.
Talking
about Shogun... he was graduated black belt after the tournament.
What did you think about it?
I
guess he is a Nino (Schembri) student and if his teacher gave
him the belt, the belt is given. Nino has such Jiu-Jitsu knowledge
and he knows what he is doing. BJJ black belt does not only mean
he is a good competitor. Jiu-Jitsu involves much more than that…
I’ve seen lots of BJJ black belts that suck.
After
PRIDE GP Middleweight, the score of BTT vs. Chute Boxe in Pride
are 4x2 for Chute Boxe. This fact increases your will to fight
Daniel Acácio?
No
way! When I am on the ring I don’t think about score or
rivalry. I am concerned about my physical shape and my training.
In the ring my opponent is just a doll and no matter where he
comes from.
After
the loss for Arona, your responsibility to win increases? Does
your team place pressure on you in any level?
The
responsibility is the same as always. In fact my partners from
BTT have been nothing but supportive. There is no such thing
as pressure. They all help me a lot.
Why
is there is no BTT representative at GP -73kg?
Honestly
I don’t know. I got disappointed. I don’t understand
how Junior Buscapé is not going to fight. For me he is
one of the best fighters of the category. He is top 4. Maybe
because Buscapé got defeated by Kawajiri... but I still
cannot understand Japanese’s mind. Over the fight against
(Luis) Azeredo, Chuteboxer was lucky and defeated Buscapé
in a controversial fight. I think this decision was very unfair.
André
Araújo – andre@tatame.com.br
Source: Maxfighting
|
Best
of the Best from the 90s
By Jeremy Wall
With Fedor Emelianenko's win over Mirko Cro Cop now locked into
MMA history, it has prompted us at maXfighting to take a look
back at five of the biggest heavyweight fights that occurred
during MMA's first decade of the 1990s.
The
90s featured the first wave of top heavyweight fighters in MMA,
featured mostly in the UFC. Although names like Ken Shamrock,
Dan Severn, Mark Coleman and Maurice Smith don't hold up to modern
heavyweights like Fedor and Mirko and their bretheren, they were
the cream of the crop of the 90s and were the most accomplished
heavyweights in mixed martial arts. That is, until Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira changed the way top heavyweights fought by bringing
a new level of skill to the heavyweight class.
Nevertheless,
here are the five biggest heavyweight fights of last century's
December decade:
Dan
Severn vs. Ken Shamrock, UFC 6 7/14/95
This
is where the now-mythical grudge between Severn and Shamrock
began. This fight was also the beginning of the end for Ken Shamrock
in Pancrase.
Shamrock
had earned this fight by going to a draw with the unbeatable
Royce Gracie at UFC 5. Severn had won the one-night tournament
on that same show, and Severn-Shamrock would be for the Superfight
title that Shamrock and Royce had duelled over.
During
his prime in the UFC, not only was Shamrock that promotion's
biggest star, but he was also one of the three biggest stars
in Pancrase, along with native fighter Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru
Suzuki. Prior to the fight against Severn, Shamrock was the King
of Pancrase champion, having won the title in a two-night tournament
in 1994 defeating Manabu Yamada in a boring finals.
Pancrase
was a pro wrestling company that promoted real fights. That was
the main difference between the Pancrase of that era and pretty
much everything in mixed martial arts since, including current
Pancrase. The people that ran it were pro wrestling promoters,
and of course their minds operated like those of pro wrestling
promoters.
Pancrase
had a problem with Ken Shamrock fighting Severn. Both Shamrock
and Severn were pro wrestlers before UFC even existed, and when
this fight occurred, Severn was also the NWA Heavyweight champion.
The NWA was a wrestling organization which had once been the
very pinnacle of the medium, but had since been usurped years
earlier by the WWF. They had put the title belt on Severn with
the idea in mind that Severn was a bigger star because of his
UFC fights than any other wrestler involved in the NWA at that
time.
The
problem was that Pancrase didn't want Shamrock, their champion,
facing a guy who held a "fake" pro wrestling title.
This was because Pancrase did not want word getting back to Japan
that one of their "real" pro wrestlers had lost to
someone who had a "fake" wrestling title, because such
news would damage the reputation of their promotion. So, ironically,
two months prior to the Severn fight Pancrase forced Shamrock
to drop the King of Pancrase title to Minoru Suzuki in a worked
fight. It was the beginning of the end for Ken Shamrock in Pancrase,
as he only competed in three more fights before having a severe
falling out with the promotion that led to legal issues between
the two.
Severn
was the heavyweight favourite to defeat Shamrock. Severn had
a serious size advantage, had won the UFC 5 tournament whereas
Shamrock had never won a tournament, and had gone to the finals
at UFC 4 before losing to Royce Gracie. Severn had also given
Gracie a tougher fight at UFC 4 than Shamrock did in either of
his outings with Royce.
However,
it was not to be Severn's night, as Shamrock was able to submit
the former NCAA All-American in just over two minutes with a
guillotine choke.
Based
on the hype for Severn vs. Shamrock, UFC 6 to this day remains
the most watched UFC pay per view of all time, being estimated
at about 260,000 buys. It has since been surpassed as the most
watched UFC fight of all time multiple times this year with the
amount of fights that have aired on Spike TV.
Dan
Severn vs. Ken Shamrock II, UFC 9 5/17/96
But
the Shamrock-Severn grudge didn't stop there. Although Severn
vs. Shamrock I had raked in the dough for SEG, UFC officials
definitely did not want to do a rematch. They hated Severn. They
thought he was unmarketable, boring and remained a serious risk
to defeat Shamrock should Severn ever get the then-Superfight
champion back in the octagon. And at UFC 9, Severn did just that.
The
only reason Severn got a rematch against Shamrock was that he
won the 1995 Ultimate Ultimate, beating Oleg Taktarov in the
finals. It was the biggest MMA tournament history up to that
point, with Severn taking home a $150,000 grand prize for his
victory. UFC officials hands were tied as Severn was clearly
the fighter who deserved the next shot at Shamrock's belt.
Shamrock,
meanwhile, had gone on an undefeated streak since his win over
Severn at UFC 6. At UFC 7, he defended the title against former
training partner Oleg Taktarov. The fight went to a dull draw,
but had their been ringside judges back in those days, Shamrock
would have won a clear cut decision. At UFC 8, Shamrock returned
again, defeating Kimo in Kimo's first fight back in the UFC since
his infamous bout against Royce Gracie.
UFC
9 ended up setting a UFC attendance record that wasn't broken
until Zuffa bought the company in 2001. The show drew 11,200
paying $400,000 to Cobo Hall in Detroit for a show titled "Motor
City Madness". The show almost didn't happen because of
local politics nearly forcing the event out of state, and it
was also the first UFC show not to feature a one-night tournament.
The
show drew well on pay per view, even though more political problems
had caused UFC to lose a number of major cable outlets before
the event took place. But that wasn't the biggest disaster with
this show.
The
fight stunk. It was one of, if not the, worst fights in UFC history.
Severn, in front of his hometown crowd, went out to the octagon
and did nothing. Literally. Shamrock and Severn circled each
other and looked at each other for thirty minutes, rarely connecting,
in a fight that resembled the more recent Salaverry-Marquardt
match on Spike TV.
Severn
ended up winning the split-decision, with his name being announced
as he stood in the octagon that had been filled with trash by
fans.
Dan
Severn vs. Mark Coleman, UFC 12 2/7/97
And
Severn's psuedo-victory against Shamrock led to this fight. SEG
officials were so upset with the result of the Shamrock-Severn
fight from UFC 9 that they refused to use Severn again until
this point, despite the fact that he was their Superfight champion.
Mark
Coleman had come on like an unstoppable storm in UFC, resembling
MMA's version of Mike Tyson. He had walked through the UFC 10
tournament in his debut, destroying the otherwise undefeated
Don Frye in the finals. He then followed up the UFC 11 tournament,
and was undefeated going into this match.
The
idea with the fight was that Coleman, who was heavily favoured
to win, would walk through Severn. They purposefully booked Severn
in a match that he could not win so they could get the title
off him.
And
Coleman made things easier for them, destroying Severn and submitting
him in less than three minutes. He was awarded the first ever
UFC Heavyweight championship with the win, and there did not
look to be anyone in the UFC that could stop him.
Mark
Coleman vs. Maurice Smith, UFC 14 7/27/97
So
from outside the UFC came Maurice Smith. Smith was a longtime
kickboxer, having competed worldwide throughout the 1980s and
early '90s, including some shows with K-1 in Japan before entering
Pancrase.
Smith
had begun training with Ken Shamrock for MMA, but since Smith
was primarily a kickboxer, he did poorly in Pancrase, posting
a lopsided record and proving himself to be nothing special.
He certainly did not look like a future UFC Heavyweight champion.
Smith
soon began training with Frank Shamrock, a partnership which
changed the careers of both men. With Tsuyoshi Kohsaka also as
a regular training partner, Smith began improving his ground
game, and would soon make his U.S. MMA debut in Extreme Fighting,
the top rival promotion to the UFC on U.S. pay per view.
He
took on EF Heavyweight champ Marcus "Conan" Silveira,
a monster of a fighter who, with his jiu jitsu skills, seemed
unbeatable in that promotion. Smith pulled off one of the biggest
upsets of that era, mopping the floor with Silveira and taking
his heavyweight crown. Smith followed that up with a win over
Kazunari Murakami before Extreme Fighting was forced to close
its doors when MMA was banned from U.S. pay per view.
Smith,
Silveira, EF Middleweight champ Igor Zinoviev, wrestling standout
Kevin Jackson and a number of other Extreme Fighting competitors
were scooped up by the UFC, and Smith was immediately given a
title against Coleman in a battle of heavyweight champs.
It
was probably the biggest upset in the UFC for the 1990s, as Coleman
was heavily favoured to simply take the kickboxer down and pound
him. He did that, but Coleman, for a combination of reasons,
gassed out, and ended up losing a decision to Smith, who, with
Frank Shamrock, had planned an excellent strategy against Coleman
and prepared extensily on the ground for the fight.
Smith
would successfully defend the title against Tank Abbott before
losing in late 1997 to Randy Couture. Smith would float around
UFC and K-1 afterwards, never again finding the success he once
had as UFC champ.
Maurice
Smith vs. Randy Couture, Ultimate Japan 12/21/97
This
is how the Smith-Coleman fight would have gone if Coleman were
a better fighter. Couture was coming off his upset win over Vitor
Belfort, the first of many losses in Belfort's career, and on
paper would have been the favourite in the fight against Smith.
And
paper proved correct in this case, as Couture was able to control
Smith on the ground and didn't fall victim to Smith's tactics
as Coleman did. It was a boring fight in front of a smallish
crowd in Japan, but Couture was able to win a decision and the
UFC Heavyweight title.
It's
a title he would never defend, as a contract fallout with UFC
would remove Couture from the UFC and vacate the Heavyweight
title for the first of many times in its history. Bas Rutten
would enter the UFC and defeat Kevin Randleman for the vacant
title, but Bas would cut down to middleweight (205-pound class)
and then retire.
Randleman
would win the vacant title, but lose it back to Couture at UFC
28 in Couture's first fight back in the UFC since the victory
over Mo Smith. The Smith fight was also the first of a long line
of title matches for Couture in the UFC until his recent non-title
win over Mike Van Arsdale this past August.
Source: Maxfighting
|
American
National BJJ Championship
The 4th American national Jiu-Jitsu Championship takes place
on September 25th at Torrance North High School (3620 west 182nd
ST.,Torrance, CA 90504). According to the organization, the best
American athletes in each belt (adult division, men only) will
form the American 2006 Jiu-Jitsu team. This team has been formed
to complete the USA team against Brazil. Both countries will
face each other during Pan American Championship, wh | |