Upcoming
Events
Do you want to list an
event on Onzuka.com?
Contact Us
(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2007
10/6/07
Punishment
In Paradise 18
(MMA &
Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
7/13/07
Punishment
In Paradise 17
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
6/23/06
Ultimate Fight Night
(BJ Penn vs Jens Pulver)
(Spike TV)
6/22/07
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
4/27/07
Punishment
In Paradise 16
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
4/9/07
UFC
GSP vs Hughes 3
(PPV)
4/5/07
Ultimate
Fight Night
(Spike TV)
3/24/07
Garden Island Cage Match
5
(MMA)
(Kauai)
3/13/07
Ultimate
Fight Night
(Spike TV)
3/3/07
UFC 68
(PPV)
(Columbus, Ohio)
2/24/07
Pride Fighting Championships:
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
2/18/06
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
2/9/07
Punishment
In Paradise 15
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
2/3/07
UFC
67
(Serra vs GSP, Lutter vs Silva)
(PPV)
2/2/06
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
1/23/07
Ultimate
Fight Night
(Spike TV)
1/14/07
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
1/13/07
USA Boxing Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
2006
12/31/06
Pride FC Shockwave
(PPV)
IFL 2hr Championship Show
(Fox Sports TV)
12/30/06
UFC 66
(PPV)
12/16/06
Longman
Jiu-Jitsu Open Tournament
(BJJ)
(Kauai Veterans Center, Lihue)
12/13/06
Ultimate Fight Night
(Spike TV)
(Miramar, Marine Corps Air Station), San Diego, CA)
12/9/06
Grapplers Quest West X
(All Sport Arena, Las Vegas, NV)
12/2/06
Aloha State Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym, UH)
12/1/06
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
11/25/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
11/24/06
Punishment In Paradise 14
(MMA &
Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
11/19/06
The Quest for Champions
(Sport Jujitsu, Submission Grappling)
(St. Louis High School Gym)
IFL (11/4 event)
(Fox Sports TV)
11/18/06
UFC
65: Bad Intentions
(PPV)
11/18/06
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
11/11/06
The Ultimate Fighter 4: Finals
(Spike TV)
11/5/06
Pride Bushido 13
(PPV)
11/4/06
Stand
Up Martial Arts (SUMA)
(Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
10/28/06
Palolo Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
10/21/06
Pride Fighting Championships:
The Real Deal
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
RWE Qualfiers
(MMA)
(Hilo)
10/14/06
Kickin It
2-4PM
(Kickboxing)
&
Got Skills 5
7-10PM
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Wrestling/Sub Grappling)
(Ilima Intermediate, Ewa Beach)
UFC 64: Unstoppable
(PPV)
Pacific
Island Showdown
International Invitational Ultimate Full-Contact Stickfighting
Championship
(Stickfighting)
(Filipino Community Center Ballroom, Waipahu)
HLTC Olympic
Sport Taekwondo Seminar
(Taekwondo)
(Kihei Public Charter School Auditorium – 300 Ohukai Road
#209- Kihei, Maui)
10/13/06
RWE Qualfiers
(MMA)
(Katchafire Concert,
Guam)
10/10/06
Ultimate Fight Night
(Spike TV)
10/8/06
IFL (9/23
event)
(Fox Sports TV)
10/7/06
Hawaii Fighting Championships: “Stand Your Ground I”
(Kickboxing/Jiu Jitsu/MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
10/6/06
X-1 Battlegrounds
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
10/2/06
IFL 2 hr
Special
(Fox Sports TV)
9/30/06
Jason "Mayhem" Miller Seminar
(HMC)
9/24/06
IFL (9/9 event)
(Fox Sports TV)
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)
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)
Quest for Champions 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*** |
|
December 2006 News
Part 3
Casca
Grossa Jiu-Jitsu is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days
a week training!
We are also offering Escrima (stick fighting classes) on Monday
nights!
Click here for info! Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in
a family-like enviornment!
 
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
"Prediction
is very difficult, especially about the future."
Niels Bohr, 1885-1962, Danish Physicist
|
Have
a Fun, but Safe New Year's Eve
Please
don't blow yourselves up during New Year's Eve. Remember no drinking
and driving and if you friend had too much to drink and starts
talking trash, do the right thing and pull him away before more
fireworks happen.
Live
Aloha is the phrase for tonight.
|
LIGHTWEIGHT
SHOWDOWN AT PRIDE SHOCKWAVE
Pride is airing today
at 4:00 PM Hawaii time on Oceanic Digital Channel 701.
In a highly anticipated lightweight battle, Shooto Welterweight
Champion Tatsuya Kawajiri takes on Strikeforce Lightweight Champion
Gilbert Melendez this weekend at Pride Shockwave.
Melendez,
the #10 Lightweight in the MMAWeekly Rankings, was originally
scheduled to take on Shinya Aoki at Pride Bushido 13, but an
elbow injury prevented that fight, and it was tentatively rescheduled
for Pride Shockwave 2006. Instead of facing Aoki, Melendez now
faces an even tougher test in Kawajiri, who is the #3 Lightweight
in the MMAWeekly Rankings.
A
win could easily put either fighter in title contention. Both
fighters are ranked in the top ten in MMAWeekly’s lightweight
rankings with Kawajiri at number three and Melendez in at number
ten. Expect this fight to be an all out war, as both fighters
will be looking to line themselves up for a shot at the Pride
Lightweight Championship, sometime in 2007.
Tatsuya
Kawajiri has a 19-3-2 record in MMA and trains out of T-Blood
with Mitsuhiro Ishida. Kawajiri is coming off a dominant performance
over Swedish fighter Per Ecklund at the Shooto Champion Carnival.
Kawajiri had the fight in hand from the opening minute as he
easily controlled Ecklund on the ground using his wrestling to
maintain superior position. In the process, Kawajiri rained down
some heavy strikes that had Ecklund scrambling to find a better
position, but Kawajiri kept the pressure on. Towards the end
of the first round, the referee had finally seen enough and stopped
the fight.
Kawajiri
made quick work of Chris Brennan at Pride Bushido 12. After a
brief exchange on the feet, Kawajiri landed a big knee that dropped
Brennan. He followed up with strikes to get the quick win.
Kawajiri
took on the charismatic but not always motivated Charles “Krazy
Horse” Bennett at Pride Bushido 11. He got a takedown early
and controlled the fight on the ground. After a brief scramble,
Bennett got Kawajiri’s back but was unable to even attempt
a choke as Kawajiri quickly submitted him with a kneebar. Kawajiri’s
bread and butter is his wrestling and his relentless ground and
pound, but he has improved his striking by leaps and bounds over
the last year.
Gilbert
Melendez has an 11-0 record in MMA and trains out of Jake Shields
Fight Team. Melendez made his Pride debut at Pride Bushido 12,
when he took on undefeated DEEP Lightweight Champion Nobuhiro
Obiya. This was a war, as Melendez showed why he is one of the
best lightweight prospects in the world. For the entire fifteen
minutes, Melendez was able to go full pace with Obiya. He landed
the better shots on the feet and he was relentless with the ground
and pound when the fight went to the mat. He dropped Obiya several
times in the fight, but credit has to be given to Obiya, who
hung tough and never gave up. In the end Melendez won a well-deserved
unanimous decision.
Melendez
became the Strikeforce Lightweight Champion at Strikeforce: Revenge
when he won a split decision over the Clay Guida. In a five-round
war, Melendez again landed the better shots on the feet and on
the ground he was able to neutralize Guida’s wrestling with
his own. Melendez never was in any real trouble except in the
second round, when Guida had a rear naked choke locked on, but
Melendez simply spiked Guida’s head on the mat and escaped.
In the final two rounds, Melendez really poured on the strikes,
but Guida was able to take it all and survive. Melendez has excellent
wrestling but is known for his relentless pace at which he fights.
Wow!
That is the only word that can describe this fight. This has
the makings to be the fight of the year. Both fighters love to
push the pace and neither ever stops coming forward. Whoever
emerges as the winner of this fight should be the next challenger
to the Pride Lightweight Championship.
It’s
a tough fight to pick as both fighters are equally talented and
have very little advantage over the other. In the stand-up, Kawajiri
should have a slight advantage as working with a new boxing coach
has done wonders for his striking. On the ground, it’s pretty
much even as both fighters are primarily wrestlers and neither
seems to have a distinct advantage.
What
it all comes down to is which fighter will land on top once the
fight hits the ground? Whoever it is will have a big advantage
because they both have excellent control from the top with their
aggressive ground and pound tactics. Kawajiri’s fight experience
is better than Melendez’ as he has fought the tougher opponents
and has done well. In a close fight, expect Kawajiri to win a
decision over Melendez and set himself up for a rematch with
Takanori Gomi for the Pride Lightweight Championship.
IS GOMI
READY FOR ISHIDA AT PRIDE SHOCKWAVE?
Pride Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi takes on Shooto Pacific
Rim Welterweight Champion Mitsuhiro Ishida. Unfortunately this
fight is a non-title match, which doesn’t make very much
sense because Ishida is more than deserving of a title shot.
Gomi
needs to redeem himself after that horrendous title defense against
Marcus Aurelio at Pride Bushido 13. If Ishida is able to beat
Gomi at Pride Shockwave 2006, this will be the second time this
year that Gomi has lost a fight without his title on the line.
Expect this fight to be an interesting fight because both fighters
have a lot to prove in this fight.
Takanori
Gomi has a 25-3 record in MMA and trains out of Team RASCAL with
Nobuhiro Obiya. Gomi is coming off a dull split decision win
over Marcus Aurelio at Pride Bushido 13. This was his first title
defense and it wasn’t his best showing. Gomi fought a smart
although dull fight as he did everything to avoid being on the
ground with Aurelio. Throughout the fight, Aurelio was the aggressor
as he looked to get the fight to the ground, at the end of the
first round he finally got a takedown, but it was at the bell.
The second round was a lot better then the first as Gomi began
to open up a bit more on the feet. Gomi scored with low kicks,
but Aurelio got another takedown but was unable to do much because
Gomi quickly got back to his feet. In the last two minutes, Gomi
began to let his hands loose and showed excellent takedown defense
as he scored with leg kicks, while Aurelio was on his back. What
might have swayed the judges in Gomi’s favor was a body
kick he landed just as the fight ended.
Gomi
defeated up and coming French lightweight David Baron in an exciting
fight at Pride Bushido 12. Although outclassed by Gomi, Baron
was game throughout the whole fight. Gomi dropped him on several
occasions but Baron hung tough and weathered the storm. Baron
went for a takedown towards the end of the fight and Gomi was
able to get his back. After working for the choke, Gomi was finally
able to secure the rear naked choke a little over seven minutes
into the first round.
In
his first fight since becoming the Pride Lightweight Champion,
Gomi was submitted by Marcus Aurelio in an upset. Gomi seemed
sluggish throughout the whole fight, as he wasn’t able to
land any significant strikes on the feet before being taken down
by Aurelio. After some ground work to get in better position,
Aurelio was able to secure an arm triangle choke that choked
Gomi unconscious and gave him his first loss in Pride. Gomi is
an excellent wrestler but he’s now primarily known for his
dangerous stand-up, which has been his hallmark in Pride.
Mitsuhiro
Ishida has a 14-2-1 record in MMA and trains out of T-Blood with
Tatsuya Kawajiri. Ishida is coming off a well-deserved decision
victory over Swedish fighter David Bielkheden at Pride Bushido
13. Ishida was relentless as once he took the fight down, he
used superior positioning on the ground. Ishida was able to pass
Bielkheden’s guard with ease into side mount, where he attempted
several kimuras and used his ground and pound to batter Bielkheden.
The second round was much of the same with Ishida pounding on
Bielkheden en route to a decision victory.
At
Pride Bushido 12, Ishida defeated Chute Boxe’s primary BJJ
instructor Cristiano Marcello by unanimous decision. Throughout
the entire fight Ishida was relentless with ground and pound.
Marcello was active from the bottom, going for armbars and triangles,
but Ishida defended well and responded back by punishing Marcello
with strikes. In the second round, Marcello was able to catch
Ishida with a tight armbar that was fully locked on but Ishida
kept his composure and escaped. At the end of the fight there
was no doubt that Ishida had won.
Ishida
became a superstar at Pride Bushido 11, where he dominated Aurelio
with ground and pound. After an initial stand-up exchange, where
neither fighter scored anything significant, Ishida landed a
takedown and dominated the fight from there on. To his credit,
Aurelio hung in the fight and was active from his back looking
for submissions. Ishida really poured on the punishment in this
fight, as he was dominant with brutal ground and pound and never
stop being active from the top. The second round was much of
the same as Ishida had no problem taking Aurelio down and imposing
his will on him. Ishida won the fight by unanimous decision defeating
Aurelio, who in the previous Pride Bushido defeated Pride Lightweight
Champion Takanori Gomi. Ishida is known for his excellent wrestling
ability and what seems to be his endless gas tank.
Expect
this fight to bring the goods as both fighters have a lot prove.
Gomi needs not to just win this fight but to win it in impressive
fashion because he needs to get the fans support back after that
lackluster performance he had against Aurelio at Pride Bushido
13.
This
is a definite step up in class for Ishida and a different type
of fighter as Ishida has recently been fighting primarily BJJ
fighters and hasn’t been tested on his feet. Gomi will no
doubt test Ishida on the feet, but he may be cautious because
of Ishida’s takedowns. There is no question if the fight
will go to the ground but when it will go to the ground. The
earlier the fight gets to the ground the better shot Ishida has
to win the fight. The longer the fight stays on the feet, Gomi
will start to slowly pick apart Ishida with strikes. Ishida is
easily the best wrestler that Gomi has ever faced. This is a
tough fight to pick, but it’s Ishida’s time to shine
as he has all the momentum and confidence going into this fight
and Gomi might still be doubting himself after his last fight.
Expect Ishida to get this fight down to the ground early and
like always start to open up with his brutal ground and pound
throughout the entire fight en route to decision win.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Royler
in Japan to face Tokoro
Royler
Gracie went to on last Friday (22) where he will face on December
31st the Japanese Hideo Tokoro at the K-1 Dynamite 2006. “I
am here with Vini, Fábio Latini and Claudinho Coelho.
I did my first training on last Saturday and I am feeling myself
really good. That will be a great bout, I think I am better than
the other fights”, said Royler, from . Check out now the
complete card of the show of the K-1 end of the year:
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
K-1
Dynamite 2006
Sunday, December 31st, 2006
K-1
Rules:
- Hong Man Choi vs. Bobby Ologun;
- Musashi vs. Randy Kim;
- Masato vs. Yong-Soo Choi;
- Badr Hari vs. Nicolas Pettas;
MMA:
- Genki Sudo vs. Damacio Page;
- Ken Kaneko vs. Andy Ologun;
- Kid Yamamoto vs. Istvan Majoros;
- Akebono vs. Giant Silva;
- Hideo Tokoro vs. Royler
Gracie;
- Katsuhiko Nagata vs. Shuichiro Katsumura;
- Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Kazushi Sakuraba;
- Tokimitsu Ishizawa vs. Kin Tai Ei.
Source: MMA Weekly |
ARLOVSKI
LANDS KEY ROLE IN "NEVER SUBMIT"
Imperia Entertainment Casts Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei
“The Pit-Bull” Arlovski in Principal Role for MMA Movie;
Fighter is a Top PPV Draw in UFC
BEVERLY
HILLS, Calif. – Imperia Entertainment, Inc. (Pink Sheets:IPEI)
President James Hergott announced today that MMA superstar and
former Ultimate Fighting Championship World Heavyweight title
holder Andrei “The Pit-Bull” Arlovski (www.arlovski.tv)
has been cast for a principal role as Nikolai Kruzhalov, a Russian
fighter, in the new Imperia feature film set in the sport of
mixed martial arts, entitled, “Never Submit.”
“Besides
being the former UFC world heavyweight champ, Arlovski ranks
very high as a fan favorite. It is reported his website receives
about 2.5 million hits each month and that he is a high-ranked
UFC pay-per-view draw in North America. It’s no secret UFC
PPVs have generated up to $30 million for a single event, so
that shows you what kind of branding power the name Andrei Arlovski
carries,” said James Hergott, Imperia President as well
as writer and director of “Never Submit.”
Hergott
adds, “Arlovski expressed great interest in being a part
of this film and showed up to his audition the same way he shows
up for a fight; well-prepared and a force to be reckoned with.
Arlovski was in character, knew his lines and impressed the casting
panel by delivering the dialog in both English and Russian. Arlovski’s
display of physical skills was equally impressive. Spectators
anticipating his arrival showed up earlier than Arlovski’s
unannounced private audition, just to get a glimpse of their
local icon and hero. Arlovski is regarded as one of the world’s
most complete MMA fighters and his many talents definitely exceed
what the fans see inside the famed UFC Octagon. I have no doubt
casting Andrei Arlovski for a principal role in `Never Submit'
is going to elevate this film to another level because not only
is he one of the top rated fighters on the planet, his acting
abilities are quite notable.”
Arlovski
will face off against Marcio “Pe De Pano” Cruz on December
30, 2006. There is speculation among fans that a victory against
Cruz could lead to a shot at the UFC World Heavyweight Championship
title. Early reports tout the December 30th card will make history
by breaking live gate records as well as PPV buys estimated to
exceed one million orders.
Kenneth
Eade, Imperia Chairman and Executive Producer of ‘Never
Submit,’ comments, “Imperia will be using a combination
of champion UFC, Pride FC and other associations’ fighters
in conjunction with professional actors in ‘Never Submit.’
Pride Fighting Championships superstars Wanderlei ‘The Axe
Murderer’ Silva and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua have
already been cast. When you consider the fact that a PPV audience
combined with live gate receipts for the monthly fight cards
themselves is generating revenue as high as $30-million per event,
and you factor in the premise that a sizeable percentage of PPV
spectators will potentially pay the cost of a ten dollar ticket
to see ‘Never Submit,’ that creates the potential for
up to millions of dollars in theatrical revenue alone.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"Love
and eggs are best when they are fresh."
Russian Proverb |
UFC
66 Tonight!
Oceanic Cable Channel
701 at 5:00 PM Hawaii Time!
CHUCK LIDDELL
"ICY" COOL ON EVE OF FIGHT
“I know his plan is to try to tire me out and take me long
rounds and win the later rounds, but I’ll be ready to go
– I don’t think it’s going to make it to the fifth
round – but I’ll be ready with a lot of pop and ready
to pound him in the fifth round if need be.”
These
were the thoughts of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell,
who is the #1 Light Heavyweight in the MMAWeekly Rankings, when
he joined MMAWeekly’s SoundOff Radio show to give his thoughts
on his upcoming fight with former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Tito Ortiz, who is currently the #7 Light Heavyweight in the
MMAWeekly Rankings.
Liddell
sounded relaxed even when reminded of the magnitude of the fight
he is about to participate in, thus living up to his moniker
‘The Iceman.’
Chuck
Liddell and Tito Ortiz first fought back in 2004 with Liddell
winning the contest with – surprise – his heavy hands.
Tito’s
game plan was suspect in that fight, but since his growth as
a fighter and the maturity that has come with him having been
involved in a growing number of tough, close fights [Vitor Belfort
and Forrest Griffin both come to mind], it is very likely that
Tito will come in with a much better and much more calculated
game plan this time around.
When
asked whether or not he felt that the Tito he will face Saturday
is the same Tito that he faced in 2004, Liddell said, “I
think that he’s the same style…I think he’s gotten
a little better at certain things, but I think for the most part
he’s still got the same style of fighting.”
Every
time Liddell fights, he entertains…but what did ‘The
Iceman’ have to say about his how he feels when the fans
are roaring, the cameras are rolling and fight time has come?
“I
get excited walking out no matter what it is…I get to go
out and fight right now. I’ve been working three months
to get there and I’m just excited to be out there fighting.
When it comes down to it, when they close the cage it’s
just me and him. I love having the crowd out there and I love
having them behind us and I love that roar when you walk out,
but it comes down to two guys fighting in the middle of the ring,”
Liddell said.
Most
everyone knows that Liddell and Ortiz’s first fight was
personal. The only question is…has anything changed?
“It’s
always going to be personal as far as training for it goes, but
it’s never going to be personal as far as fights go,”
Liddell said.
Chuck
continued, “I’m not an emotional fighter. I’m
a calculated fighter and I’m going to go out there and do
what I do…I’m going to try to impose my will on him
make it my fight.”
Most
everyone knows that Tito is a very passionate fighter who desperately
wants to beat Chuck to retain what he still calls ‘his’
light-heavyweight championship belt. With the belt clearly being
Chuck’s at this point and not Tito’s, is there any
added animosity on Chuck’s part when he hears Tito make
these various statements?
“That’s
what he should say…I wouldn’t expect anything else.
What would he be doing in this sport if he wasn’t trying
to get his title back,” Liddell said.
If
Chuck does happen to get by Tito on Saturday night, the next
fight on his horizon may very well be Quinton ‘Rampage’
Jackson – the last man to hold a win over Liddell. Since
the news broke recently that the UFC had purchased the WFA –
the company in which ‘Rampage’ has a contract –
the prospect of Chuck getting the opportunity to avenge his last
loss to Jackson just became much more probable.
When
the news finally broke about the WFA, Liddell said, “I was
very excited.”
Chuck
continued, “That’s going to be great for me…that’s
the last loss on my record, but right now I’m not worried
about that. I’m going to go out there and worry about taking
care of Tito and moving on after that. We’ll worry about
Quinton and some of the other guys when I’m done.”
Fans
have speculated before how much longer Chuck will fight before
he decides to finally hang up his gloves, but according to Liddell
he still has plenty of fight left in him.
Many people still wonder, though, if Chuck beats Tito and then
Rampage could Liddell’s retirement be the next big announcement?
“I’m
looking at retiring on top as the champion, but not after those
two fights,” Chuck said.
Liddell
continued, “I’ve still got a lot more in me. I’m
hoping for another 2-3 years of fighting…6, 9, 10, 12 fights
I hope I still got in me, so we’ll see what my body will
let me do, but right now I’m feeling great. I’m as
sharp as I ever have been and I’m in great shape, so I think
I could go for a long time.”
Tune
in Saturday night to see the long-awaited rematch between ‘The
Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ Tito Ortiz and ‘The Iceman’
Chuck Liddell. This fight will likely be the most watched fight
in UFC history so be sure to grab a ticket or watch the fight
live on PPV to catch all of the electrifying UFC action. |
Max
Debate UFC 66: Liddell-Ortiz 2
By Tommy Messano & Sean McClure
UFC
closes out 2006 with what might be their most hyped event of
the year Arguably UFC’s two biggest stars will collide on
Saturday night. Liddell-Ortiz 2 is the main event of the evening.
Pay per view records will be shattered and dreams will be broken.
No need to worry MaXfighting’s Sean McClure and Tommy Messano
are here to glue the pieces together with even more preflight
hype and debate. Pick your side and stop sitting on the fence
Max debate will not allow it. The guys breakdown all the televised
undercard as well as the main event.
Light
Heavyweight Bout: Michael Bisping vs. Eric Schafer
McClure:
Eric Schafer is far and away a better fighter than Josh Haynes
was and will give Michael Bisping a better fight than Haynes
gave him at the Ultimate Fighter 3 finale. Schafer is pretty
well rounded and I think he will give Michael a better fight
than most expect. This is Michael's first fight since June while
Schafer competed and won at UFC 62 in August. I think that won't
really come in to play as much as it could have. Being out of
the Octagon for that long could kill some, but I doubt that it
will affect Bisping who by most accounts is one of the UFC's
brightest rising stars. Bisping will clinch and knee Schafer
until he makes a mistake and then I think it will be lights out
for "Red". This fight will end in the second round
by TKO.
Prediction:
Bisping
Messano:
Hey I remember Michael Bisping. Visa issues prevented the TUF
3 winner from fighting Schafer back in November. Bisping will
need to keep the fight on the feet where he holds an edge over
the submission specialist. Submission specialist sure does get
tossed out pretty easily. Either way I don’t see the long
lay off affected Bisping. I believe skill will play a bigger
factor than ring rust. The Bisping-Schafer fight will be a solid
benchmark to see where these young fighters are at. I’m
picking Bisping he has the capability of stopping the fight with
a sub or his hands. I see a TKO ref stoppage in the future of
Schafer, very early the fight may not get past the opening five.
Even I can pick a TUF fighter every now and again, which transitions
to the next fight on the card.
Prediction:
Bisping
Middleweight
Bout: Chris Leben vs. Jason MacDonald
Messano:
Mr. Fight Night himself Chris Leben finally makes his pay per
view debut and his opponent Jason MacDonald will be spoiling
his welcome come Saturday night. For MacDonald to win the fight
he has to resist the temptation to stand and trade with Leben.
Remember Jason you do not posses the Muay Thai skills of Anderson
Silva, but you are a BJJ practitioner and have the clear edge
on the ground. The fight is going to be a struggle. With one
Team Quest member down, MacDonald will look to go 2-0 after schooling
Ed Herman earlier this year. Leben’s aggression will win
him a lot of fights, but in this case he’s going to leave
his head or arm for a little too long, and that’s when MacDonald
will catch him. A win over Chris Leben will give MacDonald a
great springboard to start 2007 with. MacDonald by submission
in round two.
Prediction:
MacDonald
McClure:
I would love to tell you that Jason MacDonald would beat Chris
Leben, but I can't. Leben has way too heavy hands for Jason to
just walk through like he did with Ed Herman. Chris is a smarter
fighter and he is really motivated and hungry for a win to place
him closer to a rematch with Anderson Silva. MacDonald is a smart
and technical fighter and he is much more polished than Leben
is. Looking pretty doesn't matter in the Octagon and if he tries
to stand with Chris and show off his neat and tidy technique
it is going to be lights out for him. I don't think Chris will
finish him, yet I do think he will win this fight by decision.
On
the other hand, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for me
to say that MacDonald might pull this out. Leben has been known
to over commit himself and if he does that he could get caught
just like anyone else. As much as I hate to say this to you Tommy,
that won't happen.
Prediction:
Leben
Heavyweight
Bout: Andrei Arlovski vs. Marcio Cruz
McClure:
I feel a little guilty even writing about this one. Arlovski
is one of the best in the world in the heavyweight division and
Pe De Pano was looking to be that way after he beat Frank Mir,
who was making his triumphant comeback. It would be a crime to
say that I didn't think he was being used as a sacrificial lamb
here for Andrei's return. Andrei is a much better fighter than
Frank is/was/going to be. He's much better overall and he is
by far in The best shape of any heavyweight in the UFC right
now.
Arlovski
has been training very hard for this fight according to his Manager
Keith Gelman and I don't blame him. Cruz is a great Jiu Jitsu
practitioner and it is possible that he could........nah, no
it isn't.
Prediction:
Arlovski
Messano:
Experience. Experience. Experience. How do you say mismatch in
Belarusian? Unless Arlovski pulls guard and the fight becomes
an Abu Dhabi submission expo, then maybe I see Cruz having a
shot. Even then the Pit-bull may be just too athletic for Pe
De Pano. Whether the fight goes to the floor or stays on the
feet Arlovski will use Cruz as a showcase to say that even with
Cro Cop now in the division, I’m still a top dog in the
UFC heavyweight picture. Cruz might just end up being another
Buentello/Eilers type highlight reel knockout on Arlovski’s
resume tape. I don’t foresee this fight even hitting the
mat. Arlovski may toy with Cruz a little on the fight before
the eventually finish. If the fight goes past round two I’d
more worried about Andre than I’d be impressed by Cruz.
Prediction:
Arlovski
Light
Heavyweight Bout: Forrest Griffin vs. Keith Jardine
Messano:
A classic striker versus scrapper math. Those are classic right?
I’m just happy I don’t have see Stephen Bonnar standing
across the ring from Forrest again. Is there a way that Jardine
can get screwed by both TUF finalists in the same year? I say
yes, here’s why. Griffin has had the tougher road to get
to this point, the competition he has faced and learned from
will play role in his fight with Jardine. Griffin can stand and
trade with just about anyone, but his has too be cautious against
Jardine who I have to give a slight edge to on the fight. When
the fight does hit the floor and it will, because Griffin can
put it there, I believe Griffin has the real edge on the ground.
Ground and pound or via a submission Griffin will have to win
the fight on the mat. Even if he is forced to grind out a decision
Griffin has to play to his strengths and resist standing and
banging with Jardine. The sport is not called Ultimate boxing
just quite yet. I shiver at the thought. Griffin is not the type
of guy to look past an opponent. The “Dean of Mean”
will be put on probation, sorry couldn’t resist with a nickname
like that, Griffin via unanimous decision.
Prediction:
Griffin
McClure:
Forrest may be one of the hardest to finish fighters on the planet
at 205 pounds. That doesn't mean he's a great fighter and he
even admits freely that he is more of a brawler than anything
else. Keith Jardine is a much better fighter than Stephan Bonnar
who Griffin has dispatched of twice and despite the fact that
Bonnar won a controversial decision over Jardine earlier this
year. Jardine has proved that he is ready to be on the main card
on a pay per view. Forrest has to press the pace in this fight
or Keith will eat him alive with pressuring movements and striking
while imposing his will.
Take
a look at the last time Keith fought. It was against a hyped
striker in Wilson Gouveia and he just beat him at his own game
and pulled out the unanimous decision. The more punishment he
takes the stronger he gets. Jardine is a gamer and a tough opponent
for anyone. That is why I think that Griffin may have trouble
dealing with Keith's power and strength. Keith is just so unorthodox
in his movements and I think that this too, will give him trouble.
Forrest
is going to have put Keith away to win and I just don't think
he can do it in this fight.
Prediction:
Jardine
UFC
Light Heavyweight Championship: Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell
McClure:
Man, I want to say that Tito is going to win this. He has all
of the tools at his disposal. He let a lot of people down in
his first fight with Chuck after all of the talk before their
UFC 47 fight. Tito was supposed to beat Chuck by all accounts,
but it didn't happen as much as everyone wanted it to it didn't.
Tito
is a phenomenal wrestler and a fairly decent striker to boot.
He is strong and has excellent cardio to back that strength up
making him a threat to anyone. Tito could stand with Chuck, you
know. I believe it with all of my heart that he would have survived
their fight if Chuck would not have thumbed him in the eye. Would
he have won? Probably not on the judge's scorecards, but the
fans would not have turned on him like they did. Tito is more
focused for this fight and he is mentally in a better place than
he ever was for any previous fight. I interviewed both Tito and
Chuck for this fight and Tito sounded calm and relaxed when I
spoke with him while he was training at Big Bear. I look for
an intense and determined Ortiz to press the action and take
the fight to Chuck.
All
that being said...it's Chuck Liddell, man. Period. The guy is
at the top of his game. This isn't Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio
Tarver where Ortiz is going to play the part of Tarver and knock
out the best fighter at 205 pounds. Chuck is so fast, explosive,
and accurate with his punches that he is going to land one eventually
and I think sooner than later. Tito will attempt several takedowns
and Chuck will stuff them. In between takedown attempts, Liddell
is going to be almost landing some fight ending punches and
Tito will be dodging frantically. When he shoots again he is
going to eat a huge right hand and be looking at the lights.
Like
Chuck said in my interview with him, "Well, I think it is
the same style, same guy, and same weaknesses. But, you know
he's a tougher version of himself than back then. You could say
that. I think he's gotten better, but I think he has just improved
on what he was good at before. I don't think he's a different
fighter. He still has the same style."
I
agree.
Prediction:
Liddell
Messano:
This is the one we’ve all been waiting for? Well, how can
I resist, count me as one of the many or should I say 1.2 million
who have bought into the Liddell-Ortiz 2 hype machine. Sean McClure
I admit you are the go to guy for this fight, having spoken with
both fighters prior to Saturday’s fight you got a first
hand account at the fight from both men’s perspectives.
Despite all that I still have to disagree. Calling me a sucker
for the underdog is understating. Then again to call a fighter
with Ortiz’s skill set and record an underdog is highly
unusually. In their first fight at UFC 47 both fighters were
coming off losses to Randy Couture. How they lost to the champ
is an entirely different story. Ortiz was embarrassed, while
Liddell was standing in the way of one the best comeback stories
in MMA history. Basically both men were headed in opposite directions
and Ortiz became a footnote in the Chuck Liddell championship
story. This time around everyone is picking Chuck and jumping
on the throw Tito under the bus bandwagon. People are overestimating
Liddell and underestimating Ortiz. All of Ortiz’s past accomplishes
are being pushed aside. And now with the signing of Rampage,
fans are again looking ahead. Tito is being “Babalu-ed”,
if that makes any sense.
In
order for Ortiz to win the fight he has to take Chuck down. I
plead with you Tito, (if for some odd reason your reading this
article rather than focusing on the fight) don’t stand and
trade with Chuck under any circumstance. You said you were going
to stand in the first fight and we all know what happened next.
Ortiz has to use strikes to close the distance and set up the
takedown. Other than that I don’t want see Ortiz on his
feet, because if the fight is on the feet Ortiz ends up on his
back. The game plan to beat Liddell, if there is such a thing,
make him work his cardio and score the takedown. Even if Liddell
stands right back up, points are points. A good persist wrestler
can frustrate a striker with a constant barrage of takedowns.
On the mat Ortiz just needs a little bit of space and room to
deliver an elbow or two. Elbows lead to cuts and a cut may lead
to an early stoppage or fatigue Adversity and the Iceman that
could make for an interesting fight. Far fetched maybe, but stranger
things have happened and Ortiz playing the underdog may be the
motivation he needs to bring out the fighter who was once UFC
light heavyweight champion.
Prediction:
Ortiz
Source: Maxfighting |
IBJJF
Tournament Calendar
The
IBJJF just released its 2007 event calendar. Below is the schedule:
European:
Januray 27 & 28
Pan-Am:
March 30 & 31 April 1
Traditionally
the Pan Ams are held at the Cal State University Dominguez Hills,
in Carson, California.
Brazilian
National May 5/6 12/13 & 19/20
Worlds:
July 28 and August 1 through 5
International
Masters and Seniors: August 25 & 26
American
National Championship: September 23
Brazilian
Team Titles: November 24
Brazilian
Novice Titles: November 25
For
more info go to www.IBJJF.org . More information
at this site www.cbjj.com.br
Source: ADCC/CBJJ Website
|
More
Cro Cop Rumors
Earlier
today a picture surfaced on a foreign website showing Mirko "Cro
Cop" Filipovic wearing a UFC hoodie surrounded by three
children. If the photo is taken as genuine then it has to be
confirmation of what we reported weeks ago about his camp in
talks with the UFC. To top all this off, a source in Las Vegas
has stated that the UFC already put in an application to the
Nevada State Athletic commision for Cro Crop to fight in the
first few months of next year. They could not one hundred percent
confirm this rumor, but they said it came from a reliable source.
Remember, rumors are just that, rumors.
That being said, all of this lends more fuel to the UFC rumor
fire surrounding Filipovic's name.
The
link to the site displaying the Cro Cop image in question is
here, http://www.vecernji-list.hr/newsroom/sports/more/706217/index.do
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
LANDS CRO COP AND HEATH HERRING
There is always speculation regarding “the big announcement”
leading up to an Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view
event. Well, for UFC 66, headlined by Chuck Lidell vs. Tito Ortiz
2, there could be multiple announcements. The UFC’s parent
company, Zuffa LLC, has been busy purchasing other companies
of late, the World Fighting Alliance (WFA) and World Extreme
Cagefighting among them, but it will be the fighters acquired
that garner most of the attention.
The
biggest of those announcements is expected to be the UFC’s
acquisition of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, the 2006
Open Weight Grand Prix champion. Sherdog.com reported that Filipovic’s
signing will be revealed on the pay-per-view with his first opponent
slated as Eddie Sanchez. MMAWeekly sources have indicated that
the fight will take place on February 3rd on the UFC 67 fight
card, which is already slated to feature two title fights, and
most likely Quinton Jackson’s UFC debut.
In
addition to the Filipovic signing, MMAWeekly sources have confirmed
that Heath Herring has signed a five-fight deal with the UFC.
Herring was one of the fighters whose contract with the WFA was
purchased by Zuffa. His first fight for the UFC is scheduled
for January 25th on a UFC Fight Night card to be televised live
on Spike TV. Herring’s first opponent in the UFC will be
Jake O’Brien.
At
one time Herring was ranked near the top of the heavyweight division,
vying for the championship in Pride. The fight with O’Brien
will be his first in nearly a year. He last saw action when he
knocked out Gary Goodridge at the K-1 Hero’s show in March
of 2006.
O’Brien
is a strong up-and-comer out of Indianapolis, Indiana. While
he doesn’t have the experience that Herring does, O’Brien
is undefeated and has two wins under his belt in the Octagon.
While he’s no walk in the park for Herring, it will likely
be the toughest test yet for the former Purdue wrestler.
Source: MMA Weekly |
TUF
3'S RORY SINGER COMING INTO HIS OWN
Coming off of a hard fought victory over Josh Haynes at Ortiz
vs. Shamrock 3 – The Final Chapter, Rory Singer is preparing
for his next appearance in the Octagon. The former Ultimate Fighter
Season Three contestant took time out of his busy schedule to
talk with MMAWeekly about his upcoming fight.
At
UFC 62, David Terrell was supposed to face Yushin Okami but pulled
out due an infection. The fight was rescheduled for UFC 66. Recently,
Terrell announced that he would again be unable to fight due
to an elbow injury. “When Terrell dropped out, I got a call
from Joe Silva and he told me that my January fight was off because
that opponent was injured…he needed a guy to fight [Yushin]
Okami and I was the first one on his list,” explained Singer.
“I called him back and said let’s do it.”
In
his two UFC appearances, Yushin Okami has proven to be a very
formidable opponent and remains undefeated in the Octagon. “I’ve
been watching [his tapes], dissecting his wrestling and dissecting
his stand-up…looking at his fights and seeing what his ‘go-to’
moves are and making sure my guys perform those on me; learning
how to defend them the best I can. He’s a ground-n-pound
guy so I can expect that if I’m on my back,” said Singer.
“I
believe I’m the better stand-up fighter than he is striking-wise,”
added Singer. “He’s certainly an impressive athlete
and an experienced fighter. I expect it to be a hell of a fight.
I have all the confidence in the world that I’m going to
win on the 30th.”
UFC
66 has the potential to be one of the most successful UFC events
in history. At the moment, Singer’s fight with Okami isn’t
slated to be aired on the broadcast. “I would love for the
fight to be on the Pay-Per-View obviously. I can’t go in
there with the intention of fighting a specific fight to get
on Pay-Per-View. I’m going to fight the fight regardless
if it’s going to be on TV or not.”
Rory
is fighting on an undercard that’s headlined by one of the
most anticipated rematches in UFC history. The Hardcore Gym fighter
gave his prediction for the main event. “I’m taking
Chuck again. I think everyone underestimates his wrestling abilities,”
stated Rory. “It’s not real easy to shoot on him, you’ve
got to | |