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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2007
2/9/07
Punishment In Paradise
18
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
4/27/07
Punishment In Paradise
17
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
7/13/07
Punishment In Paradise
16
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
10/6/07
Punishment In Paradise
15
(MMA &
Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
1/14/07
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Location: TBD)
2006
November
Aloha State Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
RWE Qualfiers
(MMA)
(Kauai)
11/25/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
11/24/06
Punishment In Paradise 14
(MMA &
Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
10/21/06
Pride Fighting Championships:
The Real Deal
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
10/14-15/06
Pacific
Island Showdown
International Invitational Ultimate Full-Contact Stickfighting
Championship
(Stickfighting)
(Filipino Community Center Ballroom, Waipahu)
10/13/06
RWE & PXC
(MMA)
(University of Guam Fieldhouse, Mangilao, Guam)
10/6/06
X-1 Battlegrounds
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
October
Rumble On The Rock
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Got Skills 5
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Wrestling/Sub Grappling)
September
ROTR Qualifers
(MMA)
(Maui)
9/23/06
UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn 2
Arrowhead Pond,
Anaheim, California
9/16/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
9/9/06
Punishment In Paradise 13:
Unfinished Business
(Kickboxing, MMA)
(Dole Cannery Square Ballroom)
9/2/06
Icon Sport 47
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
August
Icon Sport 48
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
8/26-27/06
International
Masters & Seniors Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
8/26/06
Got Skills 3
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Takedowns/Submission Grappling)
(Ilima Intermediate, Ewa Beach)
Palolo Gym Smoker
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
UFC 62
(MMA)
(PPV)
8/21/06
UFC 62 Countdown: Liddell vs. Sobral
(Spike)
UFC: All Access Renato "Babalu" Sobral
(Spike)
8/18/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
8/17/06
Ultimate
Fight Night 4
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
The Ultimate Fighter 4:
The Comeback Premiers
(Spike)
8/12/06
Hawaiian Open of
BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
8/5/06
Rumble On The Rock
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Garden Island Cage Match 4
(MMA)
(Kauai)
Island
Warriors Fighting Championship
(MMA)
(War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/28/06
RWE & PXC
(MMA)
(University of Guam Fieldhouse, Mangilao, Guam)
7/22/06
RWE Qualifiers
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
7/22-30/06
CBJF World
Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/21/06
Punishment In Paradise 12
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
7/20-24/06
CBJJO World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/?/06
RAZE MMA Fight Night 2
(MMA)
(San Diego, CA)
7/8/06
Ring of Honor
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Waianae H.S. Gym)
7/7/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
UFC 61
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
7/3/06
Got Skills 2
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Wrestling/Sub Grappling)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom)
s 2006 Tournament
(Sport-Jujitsu, Sport Pankration, Sub Grappling, Extreme Sparring)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
7/1/06
Pride
(MMA)
(Saitama Super Arena)
6/24/06
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
(MMA)
(The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV)
6/17/06
RWE Qualifiers
(MMA)
(Afook
Chinen Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
USA-Boxing Hawaii
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
6/10/06
X-1 Battlegrounds 4
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
6/4/06
PRIDE Bushido 11: 'Bushido
Survival '06'
(PPV)
6/3/06
X-2 Extreme Wars:
Bay Area Brawl
(MMA)
(Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA)
2006 Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Associations Gi Tournament
(BJJ)
(Gracie Main Academy)
5/27/06
UFC 60:
Royce Gracie vs. Matt Hughes
(PPV)
5/26/06
Icon Sport 45
(MMA)
(Blaisdell 6Arena)
5/20/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
5/13/06
Got Skills Fighter Event
(MMA)
(Pagoda Hotel)
4/29/06
RAZE MMA Fight Night
(MMA)
(ipayOne center , former San Diego Sports Arena
San Diego, CA)
4/21/06
Rumble on the Rock
11: Grand Prix
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/15/06
UFC 59: Reality Check
(MMA)
(Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, CA)
4/7-9/06
2006
Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA)
4/6/06
Ultimate Fight Night on Spike TV
(MMA)
(Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV)
4/1/06
Punishment in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Sea Life Park)
3/26/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
3/25/06
Garden Island Cage
Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)
3/11/06
Hawaiian Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
Full Contact Showdown
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
3/4/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Venue TBA)
2/26/06
NAGA Hawaii State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Honolulu)
*Cancelled
until Summer*
2/25/06
Icon Sport 44
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/4/06
Kick it Up
(Kickboxing)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom, Honolulu)
UFC 57:
Liddell vs. Couture 3
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV)
1/27/06
So You Think You Tough
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
January
Grappler's Quest Hawaii
(Submission Grappling)
(TBA)
***Cancelled*** |
|
August 2006 News
Part 3
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 7:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Got a question for us? Email info@onzuka.com or click here to send us an email!
Quote
of the Day
"Once
in one's life, for one mortal moment, one must make a grab for
immortality; if not, one has not lived. Yoooo Adrian..."
Sylvester Stallone, American Film Actor/Director/Screenwriter
Ok,
ok, I threw in the Yoooo Adrian part. I couldn't resist
|
Congratulations
to Kekumu and Burton
Congratulations
to two more of Egan Inoue's blackbelts Kekumu Cambra and Burton
Richardson. Kumu has been one of Egan's right hand men at his
academy for years and everyone knows of the impressive resume
that Burton already has and a Jiu-Jitsu black belt has to rank
as one of his biggest accomplishments.
Congratulations
to both guys who are not only great technicians, but greater
people!
|
THE
PUNK TO FIGHT LUDWIG AT STRIKEFORCE
Thomson Collides With Ludwig At Strikeforce Fresno Debut
August
27, 2006; New York, NY….Top lightweight contenders and Ultimate
Fighting Championship (UFC) veterans Josh “The Punk”
Thomson and Duane “Bang” Ludwig will battle it out
in the cage during the Strikeforce mixed martial arts mega-card
at Fresno, California’s 14,000 crowd capacity Save Mart
Center on Saturday, October 7th. The victor of the matchup will
be granted a shot at Strikeforce’s 155 pound limit championship
held by undefeated Gilbert Melendez.
“It’s
just another fight to me,” said the 27-year-old Thomson,
who made a successful effort in his last start that came against
Hawaii’s Harris Sarmiento during the June 9th Strikeforce
“Revenge” card at San Jose, California’s HP Pavilion.
In the third and final round of their matchup, Thomson forced
Sarmiento into submission with an arm triangle choke. “Now
I’m back on a winning streak and I’m just gonna keep
whipping everyone’s ass in Strikeforce. I just want big
money and big name fights.”
Thomson
boasts a pair of victories in the UFC octagon and was triumphant
in his sole start with Japan’s Pride Fighting Championship
last July. His win over the dangerous Hermes Franca, which came
in the form of a majority decision during UFC 46 on January 31,
2004, is still largely considered his best showing to date in
the cage.
“I
really wanted that fight because he had just beaten one of (my
teammates) – Rich Crunkilton,” said Thomson of the
defining matchup with Franca. “I just came in there very
well conditioned and I wouldn’t quit.”
A
former wrestling star for NCAA Division I Stanford University,
Thomson found his calling in life when he discovered mixed martial
arts half a dozen years ago. He has since rounded out his fight
game by adopting the lethal striking art of Muay Thai and has
gone as far as competing under Muay Thai rules twice. On both
occasions, Thomson asserted his authority easily and stopped
his opponent.
Ludwig’s
appearance will come two months after the 28-year-old Denver,
Colorado native staged another thrilling performance in K-1 competition
in Las Vegas, Nevada. In “Superfight” action during
the August 12th “Battle at Bellagio” affair, he was
put to the test by a determined Fernando “Cool” Calleros
and, after three rounds that were highlighted by heavy exchanges
of kicks and punches, the bout was declared a draw.
A
high-spirited competitor, Ludwig took hold of the ring announcer’s
microphone after the decision was read and asked the crowd if
it wished to see another round of action that could help determine
a clear-cut winner.
Source: MMA Weekly |
FULL
REVIEW: HENDO UPSET IN PRIDE BUSHIDO GP
In the second round of Pride Bushido's 183-pound Grand Prix this
weekend in Nagoya, Japan, Dan Henderson was upset by Kazuo Misaki
in a rematch of their Bushido 10 encounter.
Henderson
won the 183-pound Grand Prix last year in Pride Bushido and is
the promotion's 183-pound champion, but he lost this weekend
to Misaki by unanimous decision in an action-packed fight.
Compared
to the first Henderson-Misaki fight, which took place in April
of this year, Misaki improved his striking and did a better job
of avoiding Henderson's powerful right hand. The fight was very
competitive, and both fighters traded shots on their feet for
the majority of the match. Misaki utilized good counter-punching
and landed the cleaner strikes and low kicks. In the end, Misaki
pulled off the upset, earning a unanimous decision over the defending
champion. Henderson had a look of disbelief when the judges’
picks were revealed.
In
another Grand Prix bout, Paulo Filho hastily dispatched of Ryo
Chonan. Filho took Chonan down at the start of the round, and
the Japanese fighter would stay on his back for the duration
of the match. Filho, who is a member of the Brazilian Top Team,
used his superior ground game to gain full mount positioning.
As Chonan tried to roll out, Paulo secured an armbar and moved
on to the next round of the tournament.
Denis
Kang further legitimized his place as a top-level middleweight
by submitting tough Armenian striker Amar Suloev. Both fighters
circled each other, with Kang throwing low and high kicks, as
well as some straight rights. About three minutes into the first
round, Denis caught Suloev off-balance with a straight right
hand as Amar was attempting a low kick. Once in Suloev’s
guard, Kang transitioned into side mount, then took Suloev’s
back as he attempted to roll away. Kang secured a rear naked
choke shortly thereafter and won the fight by submission.
Sporting
a red afro wig, Akihiro Gono made another classic entrance down
the walkway. Waiting for him in the ring was Armenian striker
Gegard Mousasi. Mousasi’s striking proved to be troublesome
early on for Gono, as the Japanese fighter endured a flurry of
punches. Gono reversed a takedown attempt by Mousasi and would
control the majority of the first round. The second round saw
Gono withstand a barrage of strikes again. After taking the Armenian
fighter down, Akihiro mounted Mousasi’s back and transitioned
into an armbar for the submission win. Gono advanced to the semifinals
and received a ‘thumbs up’ from Pride general manager
Nobuhiko Takada.
The
four semi-finalists in the 2006 Pride Bushido Grand Prix are
now set, and they are Kazuo Misaki, Paulo Filho, Denis Kang,
and Akihiro Gono.
There
were also a whopping ten non-tournament fights on this card.
Pride newcomer David Baron was no match for Takanori Gomi’s
superior striking in the main event of the night. The Shooto
Europe middleweight champion from France failed to take Gomi
down and was unable to counter his strikes. With about three
minutes left in the first round, Gomi secured a rear naked choke
and successfully rebounded from his shocking loss to Marcus Aurelio
back in April.
Hayato
“Mach” Sakurai spoiled Luciano Azevedo’s Pride
debut with a TKO victory due to a cut. Sakurai started the fight
aggressively, throwing many knees from the clinch. Azevedo eventually
took Sakurai down, but was unable to be effective from his guard.
After the fight was stood back up, “Mach” used his
takedown defense and good balance to stop the Brazilian fighter’s
shots and single leg attempts. About halfway through the first
round, a knee from Sakurai opened a cut over Azevedo’s left
eye, causing doctors to stop the fight.
Mitsuhiro
Ishida continued his success in Bushido with a decision victory
over Chute Boxe’s Cristiano Marcello. Ishida took the fight
to the ground on many occasions and avoided Marcello’s submission
attempts. It was a solid ground-and-pound victory for the rising
Japanese star. A title shot with Pride Lightweight Champion Takanori
Gomi may happen in the near future.
Tatsuya
Kawajiri won in impressive fashion, stopping veteran Chris Brennan
in the first round with a devastating knee from the clinch. Brennan
was the aggressor early, throwing jabs and a high kick. After
a few small exchanges, Kawajiri secured a Thai clinch and landed
the knee that ended the fight.
Undefeated
Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez was successful
in his Pride debut. Melendez controlled the previously undefeated
DEEP Lightweight Champion Nobuhiro Obiya and displayed his strong
wrestling skills. Melendez earned a unanimous decision victory
in this one-sided fight.
Jason
Black was no match for the superior submissions skills of Shooto
champion Shinya Aoki. The Japanese star was successful in his
highly anticipated Pride debut and was in great physical shape.
Aoki started the fight by slowly closing in on the Pat Miletich-trained
fighter. After getting the clinch, Shinya pulled guard and proved
why he is arguably the best Japanese BJJ practitioner today.
Securing a triangle choke, Black had no choice but to tap.
Two
of the top featherweights in the world moved up in weight to
make their Pride debuts, as Jeff Curran faced off against Hatsu
Hioki at the lightweight limit of 160 pounds. Hioki used his
reach advantage to put on a low kick clinic on his way to earning
a unanimous decision victory. Hioki took Curran down from the
clinch on a few occasions and dictated the pace of the match.
Curran was more aggressive in the second round, but most of his
offense was nullified by Hioki’s low kicks.
Fan
favorite Ikuhisa “The Punk” Minowa made short work
of Eric “Butterbean” Esch. Minowa started the round
with a failed drop kick, which allowed Esch to gain top position.
After reversing himself out from the bottom, Minowa was able
to transition into side mount and secure an armbar shortly thereafter.
In
the two prelim (or "Bushido Challenge") fights, Daisuke
Nakamura submitted Seichi Ikemoto via armbar, while Hiroyuki
Abe and Naoki Matsushita fought to a draw.
Overall,
Bushido 12 was a very good event. With the exception of Abe vs.
Matsushita on the prelim line-up, all of the fights were very
enjoyable, with many ending in the first round. Pride will decide
in the near future whether Takanori Gomi will defend his Lightweight
Title against Mitsuhiro Ishida, or whether his next title defense
will be against Marcus Aurelio.
Even
though Dan Henderson’s loss was a shock to fans, the final
four of the 183-pound Grand Prix will still prove to be exciting
without the defending champion's presence. The semi-finals and
finals of the Bushido Grand Prix are scheduled to take place
in Japan on November 5th.
FULL
RESULTS
-Daisuke
Nakamura def. Seichi Ikemoto by submission (armbar) at 3:12 of
Round 1
-Hiroyuki
Abe and Naoki Matsushita fought to a draw
-Hatsu
Hioki def. Jeff Curran by unanimous decision
-Shinya
Aoki def. Jason Black by submission (triangle choke) at 1:58
of Round 1
-Gilbert
Melendez def. Nobuhiro Obiya by unanimous decision
-Tatsuya
Kawajiri def. Chris Brennan by KO at 0:29 of Round 1
-Mitsuhiro
Ishida def. Cristiano Marcello by unanimous decision
-Hayato
"Mach" Sakurai def. Luciano Azevedo by TKO (doctor
stoppage due to cut) at 6:35 of Round 1
-Ikuhisa
Minowa def. Eric "Butterbean" Esch by submission (armbar)
at 4:25 of Round 1
-Bushido
Grand Prix Quarter-Final #1: Denis Kang def. Amar Suloev by submission
(rear naked choke) at 4:09 of Round 1
-Bushido
Grand Prix Quarter-Final #2: Paulo Filho def. Ryo Chonan by submission
(armbar) at 2:30 of Round 1
-Bushido
Grand Prix Quarter-Final #3: Akihiro Gono def. Gegard Mousasi
by submission (armbar) at 4:17 of Round 2
-Bushido
Grand Prix Quarter-Final #4: Kazuo Misaki def. Dan Henderson
by unanimous decision
-Takanori
Gomi def. David Baron by rear naked choke at 7:10 of Round 1
Source: MMA Weekly |
Luciano
Azevedo
By Marcelo Alonso
'Ready
to fight'
Born
in June of 1981, in a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Luciano Azevedo
found in Luta-Livre a reason for his life. Student of Marcio
Cromado (black belt of Eugênio Tadeu), Luciano was already
used to be the underdog in most of his fights. But after beat
names as De La Riva (submission rules), Suyan Queiróz,
Rodrigo Damm and José Aldo, Azevedo builted an amazing
card with 9 wins and 2 losses and started to be pointed as the
new nº1 in Brazil in under 70kg category. Thank's to his
amazing presentations He got the invitation to fight in Pride
Bushido against Japanese legend Hayato Sakurai. Check out what
the athlete tells about his expectations for this combat, beyond
talking about the current athletes and competitions.
How
did you start fighting?
I
was 10 years old and a student of Eugênio Tadeu, Formiga
started to do a social project in the slum where I live. He started
to teach Luta-Livre for free to help people that could not pay
for practice a sport. I started to train Luta -Livre there in
the same Dojo where Daniel Acácio and Aritano started.
Why
you keep doing Luta Livre when Jiu-Jitsu is much more popular
in Rio?
By
that time it was Luta-Livre that apeared in the place where I
live. Today I see I was very lucky about that, because Luta-Livre
is much more similar to Vale-Tudo than Jiu-Jitsu. In Luta-Livre
we don´t train with gi so it´s much easier to adapt
to Vale-Tudo. It´s much more natural. After I started training
for Vale-Tudo I just had to add Muay Thai and Boxing to my trainment.
You
came from a very poor family. Did your parents support your choice
to be a fighter?
Yes.
But in the beginning they didn't like it. Even why when I was
very young I broke my older brother arm playing Luta at home.
What
does it mean to fight in Japan for you?
All
fighter dreams of fighting in Japan. My debut in there was in
2003 against Seiji Otsuka. I caught his back but I was betrayed
by my lack of experience and ended up losing by points. Return
to Japan to fight 3 years latter in Pride Bushido is like a dream
that came true. Now I'm much more experienced and ready for this
challenge.
What
do you think about your oponent, Hayato Sakurai?
He
is a very experienced fighter, who already fought in heavyer
categories and has a pretty dangerous game. I have no doubt that
he will be an extremely tough opponent. But being the underdog
stimulates me a lot. During all my career it´s always been
like that. I've never fought as favourite. When I fought De la
Riva (Carlson Gracie) in Brazilian National Trial to ADCC 2003
nobody expected me to win and I eliminated him. The same happened
when I fought Rodrigo Damm, José Aldo (Nova União),
Eraldo Paes (BTT), Suyan Queiroz (BTT) and most of my NHB opponents.
I've always arrived as underdog and ended up beating all of them.
My secret is work hard and trust in my team. I'm definitely ready
for the most important challenge of my career.
What
is your dream as fighter?
My
biggest dream is live by fighting, and make it my job and be
able to give a better life to my family. I´ll do everything
I can to be among the best fighters in the world.
You,
Pequeno, Babalu and Cacareco are the last big representatives
of Luta-Livre. How do you face that?
I'm
gonna tell you among all those names you said just myself and
Pequeno keep defending Luta-Livre name. Luta-Livre is not dead.
I believe a lot in my martial art and I hope in a near future
we can show that RFT has a lot of other top fighters that can
provide exciting fights to Japanese audience. Our background
is fight in the ground but all RFT fighters love to exchange
punches.
Who
will win Pride GP OW and under 83kg?
Paulão
and Minotauro.
Please
leave a message to your fans...
Fight
in Bushido is a big honor to me. I'm looking forward to have
this opportunity for a long time and I'll retribute this opportunity
that Pride is giving to me doing and amazing to the audience.
I'm ready to kill or be killed.
Source: Tatame |
Quote
of the Day
"The
crowd makes the ballgame."
Ty Cobb, 1886-1961, Hall of Fame American Baseball Player
|
Watch
The Ultimate Fighter at Allure Sports Bar and Win!
Allure Sports Bar is offering $250 prizes to fans who show up
to watch The Ultimate Fighter every Thursday night. Prizes include
a $100 bar tab and over $150 in MMA merchandise and DVDs. Spike
TV's UFC programming starts every Thursday at 6pm, so come early,
eat, drink, watch the fights, and win!
Allure Sports Bar has great food (try their awesome poke and
grilled NY steak) and full bar with nightly specials on beer
and mixed drinks. And if you need a boost, they even serve Rockstar
Energy Drink, the official energy drink of Mayhem Miller and
Icon Sport. Besides Allure's big screens, there are TVs in every
corner. And the audio is great...you won't miss a moment of UFC
action. Best of all, Allure also employs the friendliest and
hottest local girls in Hawaii.
Allure Sports Bar is located upstairs at 1362 Kapiolani. Affordable
valet parking is available and there is also lots of free parking
on Kapiolani, Sheridan, and Makaloa.
|
UFC
64 TO FEATURE FRANKLIN-SILVA & SHERK-FLORIAN
The official announcement was made this weekend that UFC 64 will
be headlined by a Middleweight Title match between Rich Franklin
and Anderson Silva, as well as a Lightweight Title fight between
Sean Sherk and Kenny Florian.
Though
both fights have been listed in MMAWeekly's Rumors section for
over a month, it is now official that the fights will co-headline
UFC 64 on October 14th in Las Vegas.
UFC
Middleweight Champion Rich “Ace” Franklin will finally
return to action after suffering numerous injuries in his last
title defense when he squares off against Brazilian heavy hitter
Anderson “The Spider” Silva. Franklin has been recovering
from several injuries, including a severely broken hand, that
were sustained during his five-round unanimous decision win over
David Loiseau at UFC 58 in March.
Franklin’s
opponent, Anderson Silva, will be making his second trip into
the Octagon, and this time it will be with UFC gold on the line.
Silva is a very accomplished fighter who competed for the majority
of his career in Japan, England, and Brazil before making his
UFC debut by decimated Chris Leben in only 49 seconds back in
June. Silva is probably the most dangerous striker in the 185-pound
weight class, and while many U.S. fans may still be unfamiliar
with his accomplishments, a title shot in only his second fight
in the UFC is more than deserved when looking at his overall
record.
Franklin
has never backed down from a challenge, and taking on an opponent
the caliber of Silva only proves his determination to take on
the best in the world. Franklin will be making his third title
defense when he faces Anderson Silva in October.
Also
announced was the fight that will re-introduce the Lightweight
Title to the UFC. The title has not been defended in the UFC
since Jens Pulver defeated BJ Penn in the main event of UFC 35
in January 2002. Pulver's contract with the UFC expired with
that fight, and Pulver left the UFC due to a financial dispute
(Pulver's salary for the Penn fight was $11,000 to fight and
an additional $11,000 to win).
Over
four years later, the Lightweight Title is back, as former welterweight
contender Sean Sherk will make his UFC lightweight debut when
he takes on the always dangerous Kenny Florian, who is well known
for his appearance on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Sherk has taken on the best in the world at welterweight, but
this will be his first test at 155 pounds, so it will be interesting
to see if the weight cutting will affect the powerful wrestler
in his title shot.
Kenny
Florian has come a long way since his appearance on The Ultimate
Fighter, where he competed at 185 pounds-- well outside of his
normal weight range-- because he could not pass up the opportunity
to be on the show. Florian made it to the finals before losing
to Diego Sanchez on the live finale show.
After
the Sanchez fight, Florian dropped to 170 pounds and won both
of his fights in that weight class before the UFC decided to
bring back the lightweight division. In his first fight at 155
pounds in the UFC, Florian defeated highly regarded Canadian
fighter Sam Stout by submission with a rear naked choke in the
first round. This will be Florian's shot at a championship since
turning pro some years ago.
Both
bouts will headline UFC 64, and more fights for the October 14th
card are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
In
the meantime, UFC 63 will take place on September 23rd and will
be headlined by Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Bushido
8/26 Nagoya event on FSN TV
By Zach Arnold
The good, the bad, and the rest — reviewed.
TV
matches aired:
*
Denis Kang (who FSN spelled as “Dennis” Kang) defeated
Amar Suloev
* Gilbert Melendez defeated Nobuhiro Obiya
* Paulo Filho defeated Ryo Chonan
* Akihiro Gono (w/ DJ Gozma) defeated Gegard Mousasi
* Takanori Gomi defeated David Baron
* Kazuo Misaki defeated Dan Henderson
The
Good:
1.
As is the case with most of the Bushido events, the fights are
overally good in quality. No difference tonight, as most of the
fights had good action. The round system (first 10 minutes, second
5 minutes) really seems to help keep up a good pace.
2. Frank Trigg did an excellent job on commentary. He really
put over the new guys (like Melendez) and also explained to new
fans what certain MMA terms are (i.e. what “passing the
guard” means). Good performance.
3. PRIDE tried to do the best they could with a hard sell for
the 10/21 Las Vegas show. We’ll see how it works out.
4. The best part of the show actually was a pre-taped video package
which was a package of highlights of some of the better KOs or
finishes in previous PRIDE fights over the years.
The
bad:
1.
I can’t state what a horrible set-up Fox Sports Net is for
a channel. There were a few markets that did not get to see the
Bushido show at all, and in some areas (such as San Francisco)
the show aired later due to Oakland A’s baseball. It’s
impossible for FSN to draw high ratings as a network when the
viewers at home never know when they are going to catch a show
or how reliable the network’s own schedule is.
2. The PRIDE US presentations on FSN are downright boring. They
are lifeless compared to the Japanese broadcasts. If you are
a hardcore PRIDE fan, you probably will agree with my sentiments.
There is simply little emotion at all conveyed on the FSN broadcasts
versus what you see with the standard PRIDE PPV on SkyPerfecTV.
No ring entrances, no true crowd noise or reactions, nothing
special at all.
3. There was a lot of bizarre audio and video editing on the
FSN broadcast. In at least two of the fights, the camera shot
was looking right at the finishes happening and suddenly edits
are made to go to a canned shot of the crowd. FSN didn’t
air much, if any, of the ring entrances (even editing out Gono’s
entrance) at all. Furthermore, the FSN editing machine killed
the crowd audio for the matches. There were many times during
the fights where you could hear gonging (audio taken from other
shows) and inserted during referee breaks. It was bizarre. One
minute, you would hear gonging and the next minute, you’d
hear a faint voice of an announcing screaming in the background
while you could clearly see the Japanese fans intently watching
and making no noise during the fights.
4. Jay Glazer, who has a lot of good MMA knowledge, really was
not needed for this telecast at all. (There’s also the question
of FSN continuing the relationship with PRIDE, but that’s
another story for another day.)
5. From the looks of everything in the PRIDE ring, this company
is starting to hurt for sponsors. The main sponsor logos on the
ring were FSN, Caesar’s Palace, Don Quijote Co. Ltd., and
the PRIDE fan club. Not having TV makes a big difference in terms
of getting sponsorship.
6. The attempts by FSN to do video packages building up PRIDE
“taking America by storm” and on both Gomi & Henderson
came off as cheesy. UFC has really raised the bar for TV presentation
with the American audience, and when you put these video packages
in comparison to UFC it’s not good. I’m not the viewer
who needs to be pleased by presentation (since I watch all shows),
but it is important to send a good message to the new fans watching
at home and I don’t think these FSN shows are doing it at
all. The funniest part about the Gomi video package was a translator
inserting the line (on behalf of Gomi), “I even went on
The Best Damn Sports Show Period!” Also, the timing of the
Henderson video package couldn’t have come at a worse time
because right after they put him over as the Welterweight champion,
he loses to Kazuo Misaki.
7. Mauro Ranallo was in rare form tonight, and I say this as
a person who usually supports his work. During the Gomi vs. David
Baron fight, Ranallo made reference to Gomi being known as the
“Fireball kid.” “The firefighter from France is
going to try to extinguish the flames tonight!” You could
hear Frank Trigg just groan when this was said. Also, Ranallo
was doing some stupid insider reference ribs on Trigg, including
one about Jake Shields.
Overall,
I don’t see how the FSN broadcasts of PRIDE really will
help out the promotion overall in terms of cranking up the hype
machine for the Las Vegas show. The one message that really needs
to be stressed is that if PRIDE wants to make a big impression
in America, then present the fans with a true PRIDE product.
Give them the production values, the good Japanese-style TV product,
and the true sense of the crowds at these shows. The FSN broadcasts
come off choppy, watered-down, and a mollified version of PRIDE.
Source: Fight Opinion |
Kurt
Angle released by WWE
Yeah,
I know, "this ain't MMA," but this is still pretty
interesting stuff. Kind of like the Mark Kerr story.
Yup.
Your eyes are not deceiving you. WWE really did release Kurt
Angle today. I just read the news myself on F4WOnline.com, so
I’m still in shock.
I’ll
say that even though I don’t watch any WWE these days, I
do know that Kurt Angle is in VERY~! rough shape these days,
due to working an insane schedule on an injured, broken body
that needs time off.
Some
of the punishment and suffering he’s subjected himself to
over the years could’ve been avoided if he had gone through
with the traditional neck surgery back in 2003, instead of the
Dr. Jho surgery, which allowed to return faster, but was much
riskier.
As
some readers here probably know, Kurt Angle was an Olympic Gold
Medallist in ‘96 in Atlanta, and he won the Gold medal on
a broken neck. Kurt Angle is popular among MMA internet fans
because of his legit amateur wrestling background, and Olympic
performance.
Pro Wrestling---
Kurt Angle Fired by World Wrestling Entertainment
The Wrestling Observer and Pro Wrestling Torch are reporting
that Kurt Angle has been fired by World Wrestling Entertainment.
While this is a grave sign of what WWE thinks about Angle's current
condition, this development may also bring forth the only chance
that we're not going to wake up one day soon and see the headline,
"Kurt Angle Found Dead," because that's what is going
to happen if he doesn't get the help that he needs.
According
to the Observer, Angle failed a drug test earlier this year due
to large amounts of prescription pain medication being found
in his system, and he served a 30-day suspension for the drug
test failure.
According
to the Torch and Observer, Angle recently suffered a torn groin
muscle in addition to all of his other injuries, which include
a broken neck and herniated discs in his back.
It
got to the point that due to liability reasons, WWE management
did not let him go out and wrestle at a recent TV taping even
though he wanted to wrestle despite his condition. WWE management
has had a reputation for decades of encouraging wrestlers to
work through injuries, and it's unheard of for WWE to say to
a wrestler who wants to wrestle, "No, you can't."
For
WWE to have now flat-out fired Angle from his multi-year WWE
contract, his condition must now be such that he's considered
a very high risk for WWE to keep under contract. There have been
many, many cases over the years of a former WWE wrestler dying
and WWE's public statement to the media essentially being, "Well,
he wasn't under contract with us when he died."
A
few weeks ago, before Angle suffered his latest injuries, the
Torch reported, "[Angle] is known to be reliant on pain
pills to get through his matches, and it has been a concern for
years that he may have built his tolerance up to dangerous levels.
Angle has a well-established determination to work through pain
and injuries, and a desire to please Vince McMahon and hide any
pain he may be experiencing."
In
late 2005 after the untimely death of Eddie Guerrero, just as
Angle's physical problems reached a point that it was regarded
as a life-or-death situation for him, the Pro Wrestling Torch
reported than an unnamed wrestler was on an unofficial "death
watch" among his colleagues. That wrestler was widely believed
to be Angle, but the Torch insisted on pussyfooting around the
issue instead of saying whatever they wanted to say.
The
Torch's Wade Keller would later write, "[Angle] may push
himself so hard without a break that any chance of another entrance
into the ring is extinguished. With a neck, back, and overall
body as broken down as anyone in the industry today, any match
could be his final."
The
Torch's Jason Powell was a little bit more direct in saying,
"As much as I admire Kurt's work ethic and desire to be
the best in the business, I wouldn't put someone in his physical
condition in the ring."
Angle
himself has made no secret of the fact that he works through
career- and life-threatening injuries on a daily basis. Angle
said in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times in early 2006,
"I get a lot of self-satisfaction from going out there and
performing in front of the fans. Throughout my career, I never
told people about my neck problems until one day I couldn't even
lift my arm anymore, and that's when the cat was out of the bag.
I've had re-occurring neck injuries. I actually have one right
now. I have a broken neck, levels C7 and T1, but I continue to
wrestle, because I love it, because of the fans. Is it worth
my health? No, but I'm addicted to wrestling. I've done it my
whole life, 27 years combining amateur wrestling and pro wrestling.
So I'll continue to wrestle as long as I can... I refuse to quit.
Vince McMahon is literally going to have to fire me in order
for me to stop wrestling."
The
Pro Wrestling Chronicle wrote an excellent editorial on Angle's
situation in late 2005. Key excerpts: "Angle's checklist
reads like an almanac of worst case scenarios. Nerve damage to
his face. Six knee surgeries. A broken neck. Torn muscles. Bone
chips removed from his upper spine. Destroyed ligaments. Dislocated
shoulders. Several years ago, Angle said to the press with pride,
'Look at my face. It looks like I have aged fifteen years in
the last five.' Angle can no longer hear out of his left ear.
It has been drained 80 times."
The
Chronicle also recounted the story of how Angle won his Olympic
Gold Medal in 1996, prior to his years as a pro wrestler. "Five
months before the 1996 Olympics, Kurt Angle cracked two vertebrae
and pulled four muscles in his back, causing two herniated discs
to stab into his spinal cord. The pain was intense. Doctors told
him that he risked paralysis competing, but Kurt was proud. Mepivacaine
was the painkiller that Kurt Angle chose, and for the next half
of a year he took it constantly to make training, and eventually
winning a gold medal possible."
If
you look at pictures of Kurt Angle from the mid-90s or even from
2000 and compare those pictures to what he looks like today,
you can barely tell that it's same person. As the Chronicle put
it, "Kurt's physical changes over the past half-decade are
shocking. His head has increased in size dramatically, which
may or may not point to use of Human Growth Hormone. Angle has
suffered concussions, and has major nerve damage as a result
of his neck problems. His triceps appear to be on the verge of
atrophy, and one of Angle's biceps is noticeably larger than
the other. Kurt Angle has a history of heart disease in his family.
He has a glassy look in his eyes, and is a self-admitted user
of painkillers. And he shows no signs of slowing down... Kurt
Angle has proven in the past that pride is more important to
him than anything. It has cost him his health, it has cost him
his family, and at the rate he is going, sooner rather than later...
his pride may cost him his life."
The
WorldWrestlingInsanity web site reported just this week, "Kurt
Angle is spiraling out of control.... His life is literally falling
apart before our eyes. Angle is working himself into an early
grave. It is public knowledge that Angle has a severely injured
neck. He doesn’t try to conceal that fact nor does he downplay
it. However, he has been downplaying other recent injuries that
have plagued him. According to Angle’s own words in an interview
with the British newspaper, The Sun, he cannot get out of bed
in the morning without taking some sort of pain medication."
The
Pro Wrestling Torch reported today after the news broke, "The
fact that Angle has been wrestling a full time schedule has been
of concern to colleagues for the past few years... several friends
and colleagues of his say he has been using a lot of medication
to get through his matches and mask his pain for years, to the
point that people feared for his life."
In
an interview with the Baltimore Sun in early 2005, Kurt Angle
talked about his injuries and the fact that he was having trouble
playing with his young daughter at that time.
Kurt's
wife, Karen, spoke up and said to the interviewer, "If he
gets to the point where he really can't play with her, that will
be it. No matter what you have in your house, no matter how good
your life is, you can't give that up. If that's what happens,
that's when I'll put my foot down and make him stop." According
to the Baltimore Sun, "At that moment, Kurt Angle smiled
and said, 'I'll never stop.'"
Kurt
Angle eventually reached a point where he had to choose between
his family and his career, and he chose the latter. Angle's wife
divorced him in the summer of 2005. They briefly reconciled in
early 2006, only to separate again recently.
Karen
Angle is now a few months' pregnant with their second child,
a boy, who might never even get a chance to meet his father unless
Kurt Angle takes his firing from WWE as an opportunity to get
the help that he so desperately needs.
Source: Fight Opinion |
Cameron
Earle Guilty of Attempted Rape
We do
not know if this is true or not so take this with a grain of
salt. We hope it is not true because Earle is a killer competitor
and we would like to see him at ADCC or at least the trials again.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Blackbelt, Cameron Earle, has been found
guitly of attempted rape. Cameron was charged and incarcerated
early last year for 1) Assault with a Deadly Weapon (knife) and
2) Assault to Commit Rape. After 4 months in jail he posted bail
and then proclaimed his innocence to various MMA websites and
anyone else who would listen. He was recently found guilty and
sentenced to a lengthy prison term.
Earle
is a Blackbelt and longtime instructor under Ralph Gracie. Our
sources tell us that Cameron has jumped bail and is now a wanted
fugitive.
Source: Gracie Fighter |
Quote
of the Day
"Money
doesn't make you happy. I nöw have $50 million but I was
just as
happy when I had $48 million."
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austrian-born Actor/Bodybuilder/Politician
|
UFC
62 Full Results: A night of repeat performances
Hermes Franca vs. Jamie Varner
Hermes
Franca always impresses and tonight was no exception. Franca,
green hair and all came out ready to fight as did his opponent
Jamie Varner. It was a minute of feeling out stand-up feeling
out punches and then Varner took Franca down. Franca eventually
gets back to his feet and gets a takedown on his own. Hermes
was landing some very well placed and powerful leg kicks.
Varber looked like he took this round cleanly.
Round
two saw two more Varner takedowns with some impressive reversals
by Franca. Pretty much even with the slight advantage to Jamie
despite Franca's submission attempts.
Third
round and this is where it fell apart for Varner. Franca came
out aggressively attacking and landing some hard knees. One connected
and severely rocked Varner who visibly hurt. Varner ran away
much like Mark Hominick did from Jorge Gurgel. I believe it was
because of the Gurgel fight that a point is now deducted for
repeatedly running from an opponent. Instead of letting Hermes
finish the dazed and confused Varner, big John stepped in and
called a time out to tell the referees to take a point away from
Jamie. This allowed Jamie to recover, but Hermes was focused
and collected. Varner got a takedown in desperation and ended
up getting caught by an arm bar from Franca.
Winner:
Hermes Franca via Arm bar
Cheick
Kongo vs. Christian Wellisch
Kongo
and Wellisch traded shots early on in this fight. It was obvious
that Kongo was much better at stand-up fighting than Wellisch
and Cheick rocked him early and often. Kongo withstood and reversed
several good submission attempts bringing the fight back to its
feet. The end came when Kongo knocked out Wellisch with some
devastating knees and strikes.
Winner:
Cheick Kongo by KO
Nick
Diaz vs. Josh Neer
Josh
Neer was not prepared for Nick Diaz. From the start of this fight
to its finish in the third round, Diaz dominated the stand-up
and ground part of this contest. Diaz continued to land barrages
of strikes, while Neer threw very few shots that connected and
several leg kicks for his troubles. The end of this fight came
when Nick Diaz locked in a nice looking Kimura forcing Neer to
tap out.
Winner:
Nick Diaz via Kimura
Forrest
Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
This
fight was not as good as the first one, but provided some exciting
moments and got the crowd in to it. Stephan was landing shots
more frequently than Griffin was, but after being rocked several
times Forrest came back strong and won the round.
The
second round saw more connections from Bonnar's strikes and kicks,
but that's not to say that Forrest didn't answer back. There
were some good exchanges and I thought Bonnar squeaked this round
out.
The
third round started and Griffin controlled the ring answering
Stephan's shots with some of his own. A couple of times both
fighters got rocked, but shook it off and pressed on.
In
the end Forrest's hand was raised by a round of boos. Forrest
did offer up that he thought Stephan had won the second round
that received more boos.
It wasn't until he started acting goofy that he won the crowd
back over.
Winner:
Forrest Griffin via decision
Chuck
Liddell vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral
Chuck
ran from Babalu a little in the beginning as he pressed the action,
but very quickly caught him and rocked him bad. Babalu tried
to regain his composure, but it was too late and John McCarthy
had to step in as Chuck rained down punches to Sobral's face
as he lay on the canvas hurt. He was rocked so bad that he tried
to grapple with McCarthy who swept his attempt nicely and brought
him back to reality.
Winner:
Chuck Liddell via KO
A
good night of fights that saw the return of Hermes Franca to
the airing PPV card and Chuck Liddell solidify himself as the
best light heavyweight in the world emphatically.
Note:
At the end of the fight Chuck called out Tito who came in the
ring.
Chuck said if Tito was in shape he would fight him right now.
Tito said "Let's wait until December until you get rid of
that belly". Chuck smiled and said that it was permanent.
Tito then came back in and patted Chuck on the back and said
congratulations to the defending champion.
Full
Results:
-
Yushin Okami defeated Alan Belcher by unanimous decision
- David Heath defeated Cory Walmsley by Rear Naked Choke at 2:32
of Round one.
- Wilson Gouveia defeated Wes Combs by Rear Naked Choke at 3:23
of Round one.
- Eric Schafer defeated Rob McDonald by Arm Triangle Choke at
2:26 of Round one.
- Hermes Franca defeated Jamie Varner by Arm Bar at 3:31 of Round
three.
- Cheick Kongo defeated Christian Wellish by KO at 2:51 of Round
one.
- Nick Diaz defeated Josh Neer by Kimura at 1:42 of Round three.
- Forrest Griffin defeated Stephan Bonnar by unanimous decision
- Chuck Liddell defeated Renato “Babalu” Sobral by
KO at 1:35 of Round one.
Source: Maxfighting
UFC 62
REVIEW: LIDDELL CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
With
a champion’s heart and a thunderous right hand, Chuck “The
Iceman” Liddell once again proved why he is truly the top
205-pound fighter in the UFC, if not the world. In their rematch
at UFC 62 on Saturday night, Liddell defeated Renato “Babalu”
Sobral in just 95 seconds.
Much
was said prior to this bout as to whether or not Chuck Liddell
was looking past Babalu for a potential match-up with Pride Champion
Wanderlei Silva or a rematch with rival Tito Ortiz, but in typical
Liddell fashion, he was a force to be reckoned with and he stopped
Babalu with strikes early in the first round.
Within
seconds of the opening of the fight, Babalu looked determined
to press the pace and try to put Chuck on the defensive, which
is something very few fighters have ever been able to do. Unfortunately
for Babalu, pressing the fight and throwing heavy hands is exactly
what Chuck Liddell is all about. The champion caught the challenger
with a right uppercut that sent Sobral to the canvas. Within
seconds, Liddell was on top, reigning down punches. While Sobral
put up a noble effort to try and recover, it was not meant to
be, and after a few more strikes, referee John McCarthy stepped
in and called a stop to the fight at 1:35 of the first round.
Chuck
Liddell celebrated, but with true class, went over to check on
his downed opponent to make sure he was okay. The scary thing
about the fight is not only that Liddell won, but also the fact
that he made it look so effortless against a top fighter like
Babalu.
After
the bout ended, Tito Ortiz, who is likely to be Liddell’s
next opponent, stepped into the Octagon to congratulate Chuck
and hype their upcoming showdown. As usual, Liddell looked unfazed
and celebrated a big win over a top opponent, while defending
his title successfully for the third time.
In
a fight that UFC president Dana White called the most anticipated
rematch in UFC history, Forrest Griffin stepped back into the
Octagon to take on his former housemate from Season 1 of The
Ultimate Fighter, Stephan Bonnar. With both fighters coming off
of losses, this was the perfect time to match them up and build
on their potential. No one believed that these two could put
on a war like they did in their first fight, and everybody was
right, as this ended up being lackluster bout between the 205-pound
competitors.
From
the very beginning, it looked like both fighters were being far
too tentative with their striking, as they never opened up and
went for any heavy strikes. There was exactly one takedown attempt
in the entire fight, and it came with five seconds remaining
in the third round. Griffin was definitely the more accurate
of the two fighters when the punches were thrown, but the action
was fairly poor throughout. The damage done was minimal and until
the third round when the two finally became a little bit more
aggressive, the bout was lackluster on all accounts.
Whether
it was because of both fighters knowing the other's style so
well, or the fact that back-to-back losses could be devastating,
or a combination of both, neither fighter ever seemed to really
go for the win. After three pretty uneventful rounds, Forrest
Griffin won a unanimous decision and can now start preparing
for bigger and better fights. Stephan Bonnar will go back to
the drawing board and perhaps the prelims after two straight
losses.
The
UFC is always looking for new talent in its struggling heavyweight
division, and they may have found a new contender in Cheick Kongo,
who looked impressive in his victory over American Kickboxing
Academy team member Christian Wellisch. Kongo was able to withstand
some solid groundwork from Wellisch at the beginning of the fight,
and was able to bring the fight back to the stand-up position.
Kongo landed some stiff shots and then threw a big knee that
hobbled Wellisch and sent him crashing to the canvas. Kongo gets
his second win in as many tries and will likely get a quick push
to top competition in the UFC's heavyweight division.
With
the lightweight division back in full swing, the UFC is starting
to show off more and more fighters at 155 pounds. One of those
emerging stars is Hermes Franca. After a tough run of fights
in the last year that saw him look as good as anyone in the world,
Franca was invited back to the UFC with the reintroduction of
the lightweight division. His opponent, Jamie Varner, was making
his UFC debut and did quite well for himself early in the fight.
Varner
was solid with takedown after takedown. While Varner's ground
and pound offense was not very damaging, which was likely due
to Varner trying to avoid Franca’s extremely aggressive
submission game, he controlled the first two rounds with relative
ease and it seemed as though he might pull off the upset win.
The third round was the turning point, as Franca finally woke
up and caught Varner with big knee to the face, which caused
his opponent to literally turn and run away from him. Instead
of letting the action continue and allowing Franca to pursue
his opponent and go for the finish, referee John McCarthy made
a rather strange move when he stepped in and called for a timeout
to deduct one point from Varner’s score.
The
stoppage gave Varner time to recover, which is exactly what he
needed. If this fight had gone to a decision, there | |