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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)

2006

November
Aloha State Championship of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)

August
Hawaiian Open of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)

8/26-27/06
International Masters & Seniors Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

7/22-30/06
CBJF World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

7/20-24/06
CBJJO World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

3/25/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)

3/25/06
Garden Island Cage Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)

March ?

Hawaiian Championship of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)

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)
***Tentative***

2/11/06
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)

1/20/06
ROTR 9

(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)

1/16/06
UFC Fight Night on Spike TV
Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV)

1/14/06
Punishment In Paradise: East vs. West II
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Sea Life Park, Honolulu)

1/7-9/05
Pan American BJJ Championships
(BJJ)
(California)

1/7/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu)

January
Grappler's Quest Hawaii
(Submission Grappling)
(TBA)
***Tentative***

 News & Rumors
Archives

Year 2005
January 2006 Part 1
December 2005 Part 3
December 2005 Part 2
December 2005 Part 1
November 2005 Part 3
November 2005 Part 2
November 2005 Part 1
October 2005 Part 3

October 2005 Part 2
October 2005 Part 1

September 2005 Part 3
September 2005 Part 2

September 2005 Part 1
August 2005 Part 3
August 2005 Part 2

August 2005 Part 1

July 2005 Part 3
July 2005 Part 2
July 2005 Part 1

June 2005 Part 3
June 2005 Part 2
June 2005 Part 1
May 2005 Part 3
May 2005 Part 2
May 2005 Part 1

April 2005 Part 3
April 2005 Part 2
April 2005 Part 1
March 2005 Part 3
March 2005 Part 2

March 2005 Part 1
February 2005 Part 3
February 2005 Part 2
February 2005 Part 1

January 2005 Part 3
January 2005 Part 2
January 2005 Part 1

Year 2004
December 2004 Part 3 December 2004 Part 2 December 2004 Part 1
November 2004 Part 3

November 2004 Part 2
November 2004 Part 1
October 2004 Part 2
October 2004 Part 1

September 2004 Part 3
September 2004 Part 2
September 2004 Part 1
August 2004 Part 3

August 2004 Part 2
August 2004 Part 1
July 2004 Part 3
July 2004 Part 2
July 2004 Part 1
June 2004 Part 3
June 2004 Part 2
June 2004 Part 1
May 2004 Part 3
May 2004 Part 2
May 2004 Part 1

April 2004 Part 3
April 2004 Part 2
April 2004 Part 1
March 2004 Part 3

March 2004 Part 2
March 2004 Part 1
February 2004 Part 3
February 2004 Part 2
February 2004 Part 1
January 2004 Part 3
January 2004 Part 2
January 2004 Part 1

Year 2003
December 2003 Part 3
December 2003 Part 2 December 2003 Part 1
November 2003 Part 3
November 2003 Part 2
November 2003 Part 1
October 2003 Part 2
October 2003 Part 2
October 2003 Part 1
September 2003 Part 2
September 2003 Part 1
August 2003 Part 3
August 2003 Part 2
August 2003 Part 1
July 2003 Part 3
July 2003 Part 2
July 2003 Part 1
June 2003 Part 3
June 2003 Part 2
June 2003 Part 1
May 2003 Part 3
May 2003 Part 2
May 2003 Part 1
April 2003 Part 3
April 2003 Part 2
April 2003 Part 1
March 2003 Part 3

March 2003 Part 2
March 2003 Part 1
February 2003 Part 3
February 2003 Part 2
February 2003 Part 1
January 2003 Part 3
January 2003 Part 2
January 2003 Part 1

Year 2002
December 2002 Part 2
December 2002 Part 1
November 2002 Part 2
November 2002 Part 1
October 2002 Part 3
October 2002 Part 2
October 2002 Part 1
September 2002 Part 3
September 2002 Part 2
September 2002 Part 1
August 2002 Part 2
August 2002 Part 1
July 2002 Part 3
July 2002 Part 2
July 2002 Part 1
June 2002 Part 3
June 2002 Part 2
June 2002 Part 1
May 2002 Part 3
May 2002 Part 2
May 2002 Part 1
April 2002 Part 3
April 2002 Part 2
April 2002 Part 1
March 2002 Part 3
March 2002 Part 2
March 2002 Part 1
February 2002 Part 2
February 2002 Part 1
January 2002 Part 3
January 2002 Part 2
January 2002 Part 1

Year 2001
December 2001 Part 2
December 2001 Part 1
November 2001 Part 2
November 2001 Part 1
October 2001 Part 2
October 2001 Part 1
September 2001 Part 3
September 2001 Part 2
September 2001 Part 1
August 2001 Part 2
August 2001 Part 1
July 2001 Part 3
July 2001 Part 2
July 2001 Part 1
June 2001 Part 2
June 2001 Part 1
May 2001
April 2001 Part 2
April 2001 Part 1
March 2001
February 2001
January 2001

Year 2000
Nov-Dec 2000
October 2000
Aug-Sept 2000
July 2000
March-May 2000

January 2006 News Part 1
 

Wednesday night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!


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  Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On Teleivision

Tuesdays at 9:30PM
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui

Check out the FCTV website!


 1/10/06

Quote of the Day

"The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year."

John Foster Dulles, 1888-1959, American Statesman who served as Secretary of State

Fighters' Club TV Episode 36 Tonight!


Episode 36

- Rumble On The Rock Highlights
- David "Tank" Abbott vs Wes "Cabbage" Correira
(with interview with Tank)
- Highlights from X-1 Battlegrounds at the O-Lounge
- Interview with event promoter, Curt Tsuneyoshi
Technique of the week:
- Bruce Kawano teaches the Cuban slip and punch

questions, comments, suggestions?
email us at:
fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com


If you have not checked out the Fighters' Club TV website, check it out.

The show is still on every Tuesday night at 9:30PM on Channel 52 and on Akaku in Maui.

PART 2: BOXING VS MMA GATES

Yesterday, the MMAWeekly staff compiled numbers comparing boxing vs the UFC over the years as far as the live gate is concerned. We had so much interest in Part I yesterday about the live gates for UFC vs Boxing that we decided to give you a Part II that we weren't planning on doing originally.

These were the typical emails we received from readers. "I really enjoyed reading the 2005 numbers between Boxing and MMA. Can you do a follow up comparison between Boxing and MMA live gates over the years?" Mark Gordocky - Tampa, Florida.

No problem. What we will focus on in this article is not only comparing the MMA salaries over the years, but boxing as well.

We will first start when Zuffa purchased the UFC starting with their first show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first show that Zuffa did in Las Vegas was of course UFC 33. It may have been one of the best jobs of matchmaking by Joe Silva as the card was stacked from top to bottom, but the fights? That was a completely different story. MMAWeekly's Ryan Bennett who worked for the company on the broadcast team explained...

"The UFC will openly tell you that this was the worst pay per view the company has ever done, because every single fight went to decision. The fighters were so nervous to lose, that they didn't fight to win in my opinion. While that was rough, what made it worse was the main event was only seen by those in attendance if you wanted to watch all five rounds. Those watching on the pay per view never saw the end of the fight.

Tito Ortiz and Vladimir Matuyshenko were squaring off in the last fight of the evening. The UFC bought a three hour block of programming for the pay per view as they wanted to show all eight fights on the card. The thing they didn't anticipate as we mentioned was that every fight would go to a decision, which caused the pay per view to run over the three hour allotted time. It was the third round between Ortiz vs Matyushenko and all of a sudden everyone's pay per view went to black. That's right, the pay per view companies pulled the plug on the UFC during the third round because the three hour time limit had come and gone. It was an interesting way to put an end to a bizarre night for an uneventful evening. I felt bad for the UFC," Bennett said.

It's not an accident that UFC 33 has never been available on VHS or DVD. UFC President Dana White commented in many interviews after UFC 33, that those fights wouldn't be available for future video rentals. As bad as the pay per view went and as badly as the UFC felt, the bottom line was people came to see Tito Ortiz vs Vladimir Matyushenko. That fight went down as the top gate for MMA fights in 2001. It outdrew Randy Couture vs Pedro Rizzo that year in Las Vegas.

Here are the UFC gate numbers and note you may see more attendance on certain shows, but the biggest gates money wise were ranked first to last on both lists. Here are the biggest gates in UFC History in Nevada.

MMA LIVE GATES IN LAS VEGAS Attendance Gross Sales
1. Chuck Liddell vs Randy Couture - 12,643 Attendance, $2,575,450 Gross Sales
2. Chuck Liddell vs Jeremy Horn - 11,634 Attendance, $2,336,550
3. Rich Franklin vs Nate Quarry - 9,995 Attendance, $1,986,600
4. Tito Ortiz vs Ken Shamrock - 13,055 Attendance, $1,540,340
5. Tito Ortiz vs Vitor Belfort - 9,268 Attendance, $1,493,555
6. Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz - 9,129 Attendance, $1,444,020
7. Vitor Belfort vs Randy Couture - 8,831 Attendance, $1,377,620
8. Randy Couture vs Vitor Belfort - 8,597 Attendance, $1,293,035
9. Randy Couture vs Tito Ortiz - 7,593 Attendance $1,129,985
10. Ken Shamrock vs Kimo Leopoldo - 6,528 Attendance, $901,655
11. Josh Barnett vs Randy Couture 7,663 Attendance, $898,850
12. Tito Ortiz vs Vladimir Matyushenko 7,238 Attendance $816,660
13. Randy Couture vs Pedro Rizzo 4,295 Attendance $502,550

MMA is starting it's 11th year in existence. Boxing has been around for over 100 years. The numbers clearly show that boxing is in a different league than MMA as far as live gate numbers go; however, MMA has had bigger attendance figures in many fights in 2004 and 2005 than boxing. Here are the Top 30 pay per views in boxing history.

TOP 30 BOXING PAY PER VIEWS Attendance Gross Sales
1. Lennox Lewis vs Evander Holyfield - 17,078 $16,860,300
2. Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson 2 - 16,279 $14,277,200
3. Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson 1 - 16,103 $14,150,700
4. Mike Tyson vs Peter McNeeley -16,113 $13,965,600
5. Felix Trinidad vs Oscar De La Hoya -11,184 $12,949,500
6. Bernard Hopkins vs De La Hoya - 15,672 $12,782,650
7. Mike Tyson vs Frank Bruno II - 16,143 $10,673,700
8. Shane Mosley vs De La Hoya - 16.074 $9,840,000
9 OSCAR DE LA HOYA vs. FERNANDO VARGAS 10,984 $8,871,300.00
10 OSCAR DE LA HOYA vs. JULIO C. CHAVEZ I 14,738 - $7,579,100.00
11 LENNOX LEWIS vs HASIM RAHMAN 9,830 - $7,537,400.00
12 FELIX TRINIDAD vs FERNANDO VARGAS - 9,309 - $7,486,400.00
13 FELIX TRINIDAD vs DAVID REID - 9,584 - $7,329,500.00
14 MIKE TYSON vs FRANCOIS BOTHA -10,221 - $7,055,800.00
15 EVANDER HOLYFIELD vs JAMES DOUGLAS - 10,117 - $6,546,441.00
16 ROY JONES JR vs JOHN RUIZ -11,490 - $6,526,350.00
17 LENNOX LEWIS vs DAVID TUA -10,809 - $6,508,500.00
18 RAY LEONARD vs THOMAS HEARNS II -12,064 - $6,468,600.00
19 RAY LEONARD vs ROBERTO DURAN - 11,904 - $6,448,700.00
20.RONALD "WINKY" WRIGHT vs FELIX TRINIDAD - 13,590 - $6,433,500.00
21 MIKE TYSON vs BRUCE SELDON - 9,511 - $6,305,900.00
22 LARRY HOLMES vs GERRY COONEY 29,214 highest attendance $6,239,050.00
23 RAY LEONARD vs MARVIN HAGLER - 12,379 - $6,215,400.00
24 MIKE TYSON vs DONOVAN RUDDOCK II - 13,047 - $6,200,276.50
25 EVANDER HOLYFIELD vs RIDDICK BOWE II -10,923 - $5,792,838.50
26 LARRY HOLMES vs MUHAMMAD ALI - 24,570 - $5,766,125.00
27 EVANDER HOLYFIELD vs MICHAEL MOORER - 9,395 - $5,566,700.00
28 MIKE TYSON vs DONOVAN RUDDOCK I - 12,563 - $5,454,918.50
29 OSCAR DE LA HOYA vs PERNEL WHITAKER 11,764 - $5,143,000.00
30 OSCAR DE LA HOYA vs JULIO C CHAVEZ II - 13,384 $5,070,100.00

Source: MMA Weekly

CAN MANHOEF KO VITOR?


Does Melvin Manhoef have better striking skills then Vitor Belfort? We are about to find out as Cage Rage promoter, Dave O’Donnell has signed the phenom Vitor Belfort to face KO artist Melvin Manhoef at their Cage Rage Adrenalin Rush show on February 4th at the Wembley Conference Centre in London.

Vitor won his last fight in Cage Rage by KO'ing Anthony Rea. Many thought Manhoef would be heading to the K1 promotion, but instead he will fight for the Belfort. Cage Rage also announced that fighter Alex Reid will not compete on the card because of an injury.

CAGE RAGE ADRENALIN FIGHT CARD

- Vitor Belfort vs Melvin Manhoef
- Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos vs Jason Delucia
- Dave Legeno vs Ikuhisa Minowa
- Jean Silva vs Paul Daley
- Sol Gilbert vs. Sami Berik
- Tengiz Tedoradze vs Robert Berry
- Mark Epstein vs Daren Little
- Brad Pickett vs Robbie Olivier
- Brian Adams vs Ryan Robinson
- Zelg Galesic vs Michael Holmes

Source: MMA Weekly

Dr. Peter Goldman - Healer to the MMA Stars!

Dr. Pete (as most people call him), practices a form of healing called Zone Healing. Some of his patients include BJ Penn, Bas Rutten, Rigan Machado, Eddie Bravo, Sumo Champ Akebono, Hidehiko Yoshida, and many more. MaXfighting was contacted about this revolutionary medicine man and his techniques that sooth the savage injuries that MMA's top stars endure...

What is Zone Healing?

Zone Healing is the most powerful system of healing that I am aware of. It is capable of balancing every cell in a person's body. It breaks the body down into its 6 main systems (glandular, eliminative, nervous, digestive, muscular, and circulatory), finds out which systems or zones need work, and helps to balance the systems that do. Every cell in the body is included in these 6 systems, so when they are clear, the body is able to heal.

How can people benefit from Zone Healing?

Anyone who is breathing can benefit, because having a balanced/healthy
body can help anyone.

Is Zone Healing for everyone?

Anyone!

Where are you located?

Los Angeles.

Are there any limits to what Zone Healing can do?

When the energy channels of the body are open and the body's energy is flowing freely anything is possible because the same Power that is flowing through the body is the same Power that created the whole universe. Zone Healing opens up these energy centers so that this incredible Power is
completely able to go to work.

How long does it take?

A Zone Healing session takes about 2 minutes. But I will tell you that more healing takes place in those 2 minutes than can take place in an hour with any other healing method because Zone Healing literally puts the body on 24 hour healing auto pilot.

Do you need an appointment?

Call 310-595-4501 for an appointment.

We highly recommend all of ours readers check out Dr. Pete’s website at www.drpetergoldman.com. The guy is nothing short of a miracle worker. I also recommend our readers checking the “Patient Experiences” and “Pro Athletes” section on his site. To good health!

Source: Maxfighting

 1/9/06

Quote of the Day

"Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back."

Diana, Princess of Wales, 1961-1997, First Wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Pioneer for Charity Work

TRIGG VS JHUN: MMAWEEKLY RADIO


You never know what's going to happen anytime Frank Trigg has one of his opponents on the radio with at the same time. We've seen fire works with Dennis Hallman, Charuto Verissimo, Georges St.Pierre and of course the guy he hasn't fight, but fireworks none the less, BJ Penn. Today welcome his next opponent on the air with Trigg.

Today Ronald "Machine Gun" Jhun will square off against Frank Trigg on MMAWeekly Radio. Jhun has had a great career in MMA, fighting on the big stages of the UFC, Rumble on the Rock, King of the Cage and many other organizations.

Frank Trigg of course is a WFA Champion, not to mention has fought for titles in the UFC and competed overseas in Pride. Trigg is known for his outspoken personality and today should be no different as he gets a chance to speak to his opponent before he fights him in the first round of the Rumble on the Rock Tournament.

Join host Ryan Bennett at 9am Pacific/12 Noon eastern to see if he can restore order for the hour that the two fighter will be on the program together. Once again the show is absolutely free when you listen live at www.mmaweeklyradio.com and if you can listen live, then catch the radio archive any day, any time, any where, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We have a jammed packed week of guests as today the guys will also bring in WEC Champion Scott Smith who is getting ready to defend his title against challenger Justin Levens in WEC this Friday night. It's a good week to catch the show as we will have two guests a day all week long as we kick off our 16 fighters in 16 days getting you caught up to date with the WEC Friday Night, UFC next Monday Night and Rumble on the Rock on January 20th exclusively on MMAWeekly Radio.

Source: MMA Weekly

CONVERSATIONAL BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE

Brazilian Portuguese
(Brazil) Sat 06/11 - 07/23 21
8:30-11:30 a.m.
$21
Room U202

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in CONVERSATIONAL BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE

NUTSHELL COURSE DESCRIPTION
With concentration on everyday, modern Brazilian usage, special attention is paid to quickly gain understanding of polite, informal and colloquial language, verb conjugations, past & present tenses, masculine-feminine nouns & adjectives (big obstacles in Romance language-learning) with goals of attaining native pronunciation and fluency of speech. Brazilian regional variations in pronunciation and vocabulary are recognized.

This class is ideal for:
1) Those interested in travel to Brazil
2) English speakers with Brazilian friends/spouses/partners
3) Practitioners of Brazilian martial arts (Capoeira, Jiu Jitsu)
4) Speakers/students of other Latin-derived languages.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Sandy Tsukiyama de Oliveira, a Honolulu native, was drawn to the musical culture of Brazil while studying for her BA in Ethnomusicology at UH Manoa in the 1970s.
Portuguese language studies were at UH-Manoa with Dr. Stefan Baciu, and at Windward Commnunity School for Adults with Cecy de Souza Browne. Sandy worked as a Spanish & Portuguese-speaking tour escort for over 10 years, receiving hands-on experience in the language locally while promoting the Hawaii visitor industry.

She lived in Rio de Janeiro, from 1980-83; spending the first year at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Escola de Música on Rotary International Post-Graduate Fellowship for International Understanding, afterward working as a vocalist in upscale restaurant/bars and teaching English.

Performing in Brazilian music groups (The Rio Trio, Mistura, Banda Carioca) after her return to Hawaii, Sandy maintained her contact with Brazilian culture in the community while pursuing education in simultaneous conference interpretation at UH Manoa Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies. She then continued in the field of Secondary Education, receiving certification for Spanish and Special Education.

Sandy has worked freelance as an English/Spanish/Portuguese interpreter/translator, as well as in Federal and State courts, for the Honolulu Police Dept., US Immigration and Naturalization Service, various international conferences, is on staff for the Bilingual Access Line of Helping Hands Hawaii and is a member of the Hawaii Interpreters and Translators Assn.
Currently a Special Education teacher at Roosevelt High School, she has been teaching Portuguese at FCSA for the past four years.

TEXTBOOK:
Fala Brazil! Português Para Estrangeiros
by Pierre Coudry & Elizabeth Fontão (Pontes Editores)
Accompanying cassettes/CD available

RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS:

501 Portuguese verbs
by John J. Nitti & Michael J. Ferreira (Barron's)

Portuguese Verbs and Essentials of Grammar
by Sue Tyson-Ward (Passport Books)

For information on registration, location, dates, fees & class times, please visit the Farrington Community School for Adults website:
http://fcsa.k12.hi.us
or call: (808)832-3595

Ken Shamrock Says, "Heavyweights Wanted"

For the big guys who ever wanted to cross over to the mixed martial arts world read on. Learn the tricks of the trade from the UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock who has competed in the in your face fighting for over twelve years battling it out in some of the most unforgettable throw downs known to man. “The World’s most Dangerous Man” is looking for heavyweight boxers to tryout for the Lion’s Den.

Are you what Ken is looking for?

Calling all heavyweights, you think you have what it takes to be a Lion’s Den combatant, are you tough enough to make the cut, can you handle the pressure? The road to glory isn’t easy, training is horrendous, the pain tries to over take your passion, your mind and body is strained beyond belief, but in the end if you are still standing you will be stronger than ever and carry the title of…No Holds Barred Fighter, even more so you will be an honored member of the Lion’s Den family.

It isn’t a cakewalk but the rewards are great and will last a lifetime, and if you succeed you will be in a class of its own with teammates such as Guy Mezger, Vernon White, and you will have world class training from the best in the business, Ken Shamrock.

So if you are a heavyweight and you feel you have what it takes to make it as a Lion’s Den fighter and want to try out to do so in the near future please contact BigDogMedia7@aol.com for more information. But please, only apply if you are serious!

Source: Maxfighting

 1/8/06

Quote of the Day

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them-- every day begin the task anew."

St. Francis of Sales, 17th Century Bishop of Geneva

Ninja and Shogun Rua in Hawaii!
Also, Leo Viera Coming in January!

The Rua brothers who have been ripping it up on the Pride Fighting Championship circuit are scheduled to do a seminar here in Hawaii.

The seminar will be on:

Saturday, January 21 at 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday, January 22 at 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

The cost of the seminar will be $120 for both days. The seminar will take place at Seminar Central,
HMC.

Also coming is Leo Viera in January 23rd (Monday) at Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu. The time will be announced soon. Leo is a wizard and is one of the most inventive technicians in Jiu-Jitsu.

Contact Kevin at HMC or Wyman (216-4852) to sign up and save your spot. The seminar will be limited to only 30 people for the Rua brothers seminar so don't wait and sign up today.

Rumble on the Rock 8 Update!
January 20, 2006
Blaisdell Arena



We will be offering Rumble 8 on the Internet for the whole world too see.

Here is the website
www.rumbleworld.tv.

ROTR Welterweight GP:
Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami
Frank Trigg vs. Ronald Jhun
Dave Menne vs. Jake Shields
Renato 'Charuto' Verissimo vs. Carlos Condit

Single matchups:
Wes 'Cabbage' Correira vs. TBA
Eric 'Butterbean' Esch vs. TBA
Scott Junk vs. TBA
Ross Ibanez vs. Jason von Flue
Mike Malone vs. Kengo Ura

Source: Rumble on the Rock

Open Mat in Hawaii Kai every Sunday

We are still training every Sunday in Hawaii Kai at 1311 Lunalilo Home Road from 11am-2pm. As few as two and as many as 10 people have shown up. All levels welcome.

Source: T. Jay Thompson

Thoughts on the UFC 57 Card
By Sean McClure

Chuck Liddell Vs. Randy Couture

Quick thought : Chuck vs. Randy 3, ‘nuff said. This one is the tie breaker.

Frank Mir Vs. Marcio Cruz

Quick thought : Mir’s first fight in over a year. Cruz is a jiu-jitsu specialist so this should be a good one.

Renato Sobral Vs. Mike Van Arsdale

Quick thought : Sobral is on a roll and Van Arsdale is coming off of a loss to Randy Couture. Don’t count Mike out here, he has a shot to win this... but Babalu has a better all around game.

Alessio Sakara Vs. Elvis Sinosic

Quick thought : Sakara’s last fight was well in hand until Ron Faircloth kicked him in the groin so hard he started throwing up. Sinosic is tough but Sakara will probably pull this one out.

Brandon Vera Vs. Justin Eilers

Quick thought : Vera is really untested and Eilers is coming off of two losses, one ending with a fairly serious knee injury.

Paul Buentello Vs. Gilbert Aldana

Quick thought : Buentello got knocked out hard in his fight with Arlovski very quickly. He needs to put this one away and that loss to Arlovski behind him. Aldana is 5-0 with all of his fights taking place in the Rage in the Cage organization. Buentello should take this one probably via decision.

Jeff Monson Vs. Branden Lee Hinkle

Quick thought : Monson is a beast and so is Hinkle. Hinkle needs to win this one if he plans on staying around in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Monson does have a really good chance to pull this one off if he stays on his feet.

Nick Diaz Vs. Joe Riggs

Quick thought : Both of these fighters need this very badly. Riggs had an embarrassing loss to Matt Hughes and Diaz lost a high profile fight to Diego Sanchez. Look for this one to stay standing for much of the first round and then for Diaz to take it to the ground.

Source: Maxfighting

Jorge Gurgel to fight in the UFC!

It is now official. The charismatic and outspoken breakout star of the Ultimate Fighter Season 2, Jorge Gurgel, has signed a contract with the UFC and it looks like he will step into the octagonfor them in April. This will make a lot of season 2 fans happy as well as those who thought his fight with Jason Von Flue didn’t represent his full potential. Sources close to Jorge say that he has wanted this for a long time and is extremely happy about the development. The question now is, at what weight will he fight? Jorge is a juggernaut in the lightweight division but capable of fighting as a welterweight. Only time will tell and MaXfighting will keep you updated as more information on this becomes available. We wish Jorge all the best and congratulations on this monumental achievement.

Source: Maxfighting

Surreal Life to Feature MMA
Beauty From the Tapout Crew

VH1 has announced the cast of The Surreal Life's sixth season which will include a few rockers, a former TV star and a Playboy model. And that Playboy Model is TapouT's very own Andrea Lowell.

Check out Andrea throughout the TapouT website and see her pictoral spread in the Girl's Tanks section. Andrea also holds down the Cover of TapouT's 2005 Mail Catalog.

Big props to Andrea on the TV opportunity!

Source: Maxfighting

 1/7/06

Quote of the Day

"Ideas won't keep; something must be done about them."

Alfred North Whitehead, 1861-1947, British Philosopher and Mathematician

Fallen Heros

In typical humble Chris Slaven fashion, Chris sent us this note with this attachment above...

Although each of these have been released individually, they have not
appeared in print together so we did it...

18 of America's finest and all members of the 29th Brigade Combat Team.

When we notified SGT Cariaga's mom, she was quick to respond - she told us that she was proud of her son and his service and she told us to focus on our jobs and watch out for each other so we would come home safely. We were all humbled by her strength and her unselfishness.

Corporal Corniel was the last American soldier killed in Iraq of 2005. He was manning a traffic control point when they were hit with a 120mm mortar.

Major Chris Slavens

God Bless and protect our troops!

Kickin It Returns Tonight!
Saturday, January 7, 2006
Dole Cannery Ballroom
Doors open at 6 pm

MAIN EVENT

2004 K.I. SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMP 2005 K.I. SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP
CHAD PAVAO 140-145 EDMUND LI
HSD HMC

DUE TO A LAST MINUTE PULL OUT, THE MAIN EVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED. BUT IT IS GUARANTEED THAT THIS MAIN EVENT WILL BE JUST AS EXCITING AS THE JUSTLY VS KAI MATCH. FOR IT WILL FEATURE 2 KICKIN IT CHAMPIONS GOING HEAD TO HEAD. BOTH FIGHTERS HAVE VERY AGGRESIVE STYLES AND LITTLE DEFENSE. PAVAO (17) HAS NOT BEEN INTRODUCED TO DEFEAT IN 6 FIGHTS BUT HAS BEEN INACTIVE FROM JAN. 2005 TO SEP. 2005. WHICH ON THE OTHER HAND, LI HAS BEEN FIGHTING CONSISTENTLY AND IS IMPROVING RAPIDLY. CHAMP VS CHAMP.

SEMI MAIN

SAM PALOSAMI SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT JOE MOLINA
TEAM DEVASTATION HSD

BRYSEN BRIGHT 75-80# JON SMITH
HSD ANIMAL HOUSE

BINO 140-145 JUSTIN WONG
TEAM MIXBREED HMC

FERDINAND RAMIREZ 135-140 NATHAN NAKI
ANIMAL HOUSE HSD

ANTHONY 145-150 SADHU BOTT
TEAM ISLAND THUNDER HMC

NUI WHEELER 135-140 KEO DOANE
TEAM SOLJAH ANIMAL HOUSE

MARTIN KOAMA 155-160 KAWENA POMAIHELEA
ANIMAL HOUSE TEAM SUBMIT

KAWIKA KALANI 180-`85 NYE DELASANTOS
TEAM DEVASTATION TEAM SOLJAH

NICK - O 165-170 SUNSEA FERGUSON
TEAM ISLAND THUNDER TEAM DEVASTATION

KAEO CANDENERO 70-75 KILEY ROMERO
HSD HMC

DAVIN KIM 120-125 ROYCE POAHA
EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB TEAM DEVASTATION

DYLAN BRIGHT 10 YR OLD 2005 75# CHAMPIONSHIP JORDAN
HSD EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB

TRISTON KAMAKA 55-65 JESUS SANTOS
808 FIGHT FACTORY HMC

DEVIN DAMO 120-125 BRANDON HAHN
ANIMAL HOUSE FIGHTERS UNION

MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

COULD YOU POST THIS ON YOUR WEBSITE

Torres Out, Neer in for Ultimate Fight Night 3 on January 16th
By Thomas Gerbasi


Due to a torn ligament in his knee, Anthony Torres has been forced to withdraw from his January 16th welterweight bout with Melvin Guillard on Spike TV's Ultimate Fight Night 3 card at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Replacing Torres in the bout against 'The Young Assassin' will be up and coming 170-pound prospect Josh Neer.

"It doesn't matter who it is I am fighting, I come to fight," said Guillard when informed of the change of opponents. "I'll fight whoever the UFC puts in front of me. I'm ready to do it."

Neer, 22, is known as 'The Dentist' for his tendency to rearrange his opponent's teeth. With almost three years in the pro game under his belt, the Iowa native is eager to make his move in the welterweight division in 2006, and that road begins against Guillard on January 16th.

Tim Sylvia Vs. Assuerio Silva
Stephan Bonnar Vs. James Irvin
Spencer Fisher Vs. Aaron Riley
Drew Fickett Vs. Josh Burkman
Chris Leben Vs. Jorge Rivera
Alex Karalexis Vs. Jason Von Flue
Jonathan Goulet Vs. Duane Ludwig
Melvin Guillard Vs. Josh Neer

Source: UFC.tv

THE TRIPLE CROWN OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU

The 2006 Triple Crown of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu begins with the Hawaiian Championship in March. Competitors will be awarded points from each of the three events which will be totaled at the final event in November. A championship belt and other prizes will be awarded to the winners. All three events will take place at the Saint Louis Schools Gymnasium.

HAWAIIAN CHAMPIONSHIP OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
MARCH, 2006

----------------------------

HAWAIIAN OPEN OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
AUGUST, 2006

----------------------------

ALOHA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
NOVEMBER, 2006

---------------------------

 1/6/06

Quote of the Day

"Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you're needed by someone."

Martina Navratilova, Czech-born American Tennis Player

Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Soldier awarded Bronze Star
Associated Press

Casca Grossa student, our best recruiter, and very good friend Chris Slavens was awarded the Bronze Star which is a huge honor. Chris is a very tough guy and even more intelligent. If I had to go to war, I would want to be lead by Chris Slavens. Congratulations to Chris because we both know that he deserves all the recognition that he gets.

A Hawai'i Army National Guard member has received the Bronze Star for inventing a way to add armor to the underside of Humvees to protect them from roadside bombs.

Maj. Chris Slavens, a Castle High and University of Hawai'i-Manoa graduate, received the award Dec. 10.

Slavens, who is with the 29th Brigade stationed at Logistics Support Area Anaconda near Balad, Iraq, said the credit belongs to "all the welders and mechanics who figured out how to make an idea work. Otherwise, it would just be an idea."

Armor has been attached to the sides and undercarriage of 130 of the Humvees in Slavens' brigade. He said that while the Army does have armored Humvees, it lacks additional armoring kits to further protect vulnerable areas of the combat vehicle.

Slavens' family was happy to hear about his award.

The holidays have been a struggle to get through with him so far away from his wife, Kerri, and two children, ages 7 and 4. His parents even canceled their annual Christmas brunch, which traditionally features Slavens as an omelet maker for his 30 or so friends and family members.

Slavens is set to return home sometime this month after a year in Iraq.

Source: Honolulu Advertiser

Kickin It Returns Tomorrow Night!
Saturday, January 7, 2006
Dole Cannery Ballroom
Doors open at 6 pm

Weigh ins are tonight at 808 Fight Factory at 6 pm

MAIN EVENT

2004 K.I. SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMP 2005 K.I. SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP
CHAD PAVAO 140-145 EDMUND LI
HSD HMC

DUE TO A LAST MINUTE PULL OUT, THE MAIN EVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED. BUT IT IS GUARANTEED THAT THIS MAIN EVENT WILL BE JUST AS EXCITING AS THE JUSTLY VS KAI MATCH. FOR IT WILL FEATURE 2 KICKIN IT CHAMPIONS GOING HEAD TO HEAD. BOTH FIGHTERS HAVE VERY AGGRESIVE STYLES AND LITTLE DEFENSE. PAVAO (17) HAS NOT BEEN INTRODUCED TO DEFEAT IN 6 FIGHTS BUT HAS BEEN INACTIVE FROM JAN. 2005 TO SEP. 2005. WHICH ON THE OTHER HAND, LI HAS BEEN FIGHTING CONSISTENTLY AND IS IMPROVING RAPIDLY. CHAMP VS CHAMP.

SEMI MAIN

SAM PALOSAMI SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT JOE MOLINA
TEAM DEVASTATION HSD

BRYSEN BRIGHT 75-80# JON SMITH
HSD ANIMAL HOUSE

BINO 140-145 JUSTIN WONG
TEAM MIXBREED HMC

FERDINAND RAMIREZ 135-140 NATHAN NAKI
ANIMAL HOUSE HSD

ANTHONY 145-150 SADHU BOTT
TEAM ISLAND THUNDER HMC

NUI WHEELER 135-140 KEO DOANE
TEAM SOLJAH ANIMAL HOUSE

MARTIN KOAMA 155-160 KAWENA POMAIHELEA
ANIMAL HOUSE TEAM SUBMIT

KAWIKA KALANI 180-`85 NYE DELASANTOS
TEAM DEVASTATION TEAM SOLJAH

NICK - O 165-170 SUNSEA FERGUSON
TEAM ISLAND THUNDER TEAM DEVASTATION

KAEO CANDENERO 70-75 KILEY ROMERO
HSD HMC

DAVIN KIM 120-125 ROYCE POAHA
EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB TEAM DEVASTATION

DYLAN BRIGHT 10 YR OLD 2005 75# CHAMPIONSHIP JORDAN
HSD EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB

TRISTON KAMAKA 55-65 JESUS SANTOS
808 FIGHT FACTORY HMC

DEVIN DAMO 120-125 BRANDON HAHN
ANIMAL HOUSE FIGHTERS UNION

MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

COULD YOU POST THIS ON YOUR WEBSITE

Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Wrestler taking on life-threatening foe

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Jonathan Spiker learned "what it takes to be the best" wrestling for Saint Louis High School. The lesson helped him survive a year of fighting cancer and two herniated discs.

Jonathan Spiker, right, faced Trenton Meride during the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association's 2002 boys wrestling championships. Spiker won the state championship four years in a row. His coach attributed Spiker's success to "God-given talent and an incredible work ethic."

Jonathan Spiker never lost against Hawai'i competition in his four-year high school wrestling career, a feat that earned him almost immortal status in the local sports world.

But today, Spiker probably knows more about mortality than most 20-year-olds, though his latest feat may even surpass his achievement as just the second Hawai'i wrestler to win four state championships.

He no longer wrestles. His new identity is "cancer survivor." Soon it will be "Harvard graduate."

"It hasn't been easy, but I always told myself to hang in there and never give up," said Spiker, a 2003 Saint Louis High graduate from Hawai'i Kai.

Spiker, home for winter break, is on schedule to graduate in June after three short years — but a long past six months. After being diagnosed with testicular cancer on June 14 and having surgery four days later, he was back at Harvard's summer school in July and enrolled in six courses for the fall semester.

In October, Spiker suffered two herniated discs — no one could determine their origin — and was dragging himself out of bed and into the classroom each day. For two weeks, he was given only aspirin to treat the excruciating pain until the injury was properly diagnosed. By that time Spiker was wheelchair-bound and needed his father, John, to fly to Cambridge, Mass., from Hawai'i and shuttle him from class to class.

"It was almost worse than the cancer," Spiker said of his back injury. "I couldn't even stand up straight, and to take a shower I would have to sit on the ground."

Despite the obstacles and being advised by mostly everyone to withdraw from school and rest, Spiker kept up with his course work, completed graduate school applications to Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, UCLA and Southern California and made it through the grueling five-hour GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test).

For most people, such determination and mental toughness might be considered extraordinary, but it is typical Jonathan Spiker, his supporters said.

"Without a doubt, that's just how he is, and he's always been like that," said Saint Louis athletic director Todd Los Banos, who was Spiker's high school coach. "The word that describes him is 'fanatic,' and I say that not as a bad thing. Once he sets his mind to something, nothing is going to stop him from doing it. Whatever he does, he does it all out until it gets done.

"That's how he wrestled — he dominated his opponents. And now he's got two incredible challenges with the cancer and herniated discs. But instead of saying, 'I give up,' he's basically bulling his way through those things, too."

CATCHING IT EARLY

Los Banos made an almost identical comment about Spiker in an Advertiser article dated Feb. 26, 2002.

"His success is a combination of God-given talent and an incredible work ethic," Los Banos said then. "He has the desire to be No. 1, and no matter what, he'll find a way to win."

That was during Spiker's junior year, right before he won his third state title. The following season, he joined Iolani's Patrick Higa (1983-86) as the only Hawai'i boys wrestler to go undefeated against local competition and win four state championships.

No one has matched the feat since.

Spiker also finished at the top of his class at Saint Louis academically and earned admission to Harvard, where he practiced with the wrestling team as a freshman but did not compete (a common practice known as "red-shirting"). By his sophomore year, Spiker decided to retire from wrestling and focus on trying to finish his degree in three years.

"I was putting so much work into wrestling, but I wasn't getting as much out of it," said Spiker, adding that Harvard does not award athletic scholarships. "I still miss it sometimes, and if I see wrestling on TV I'll watch for a little while. But I decided to just concentrate on getting into graduate school for business and getting my career started."

Things were going smoothly until last spring, when Spiker noticed a lump during a self-exam. He waited until he returned to Hawai'i in June to have it checked out.

"I had heard of another student who had testicular cancer, but other than that it wasn't even a thought for me," Spiker said. "I almost put (the exam) off, but I figured I'd go see a doctor when I came home just to make sure."

It proved to be a wise decision, though the diagnosis was stunning to him and his family.

"The doctor said there were a bunch of risk factors, but I (hardly met) any of them," Spiker said. "But it was important that I went in, because they caught it early."

When Spiker told his father, John was speechless.

"You always think, 'My kid's not going to have cancer,' " John said. "No one in my family had cancer."

Spiker's mom, Donda, said John had trouble breaking the news to her.

"He couldn't even tell me," Donda said. "I work in the medical profession (in the communications department for Kuakini Health System), so I know a little more about cancer. But it was still a shock."

Within a week, Spiker had surgery to remove the cancer through the abdomen. The operation made him "really sick" with nausea for a few days, but he had made an earlier commitment to work in a Harvard psychology department lab for the summer and reported in July.

NO THOUGHT OF QUITTING

Although the cancer was removed, Spiker was told he needs monitoring and testing every three months.

"It still doesn't seem real sometimes, but I know it is and I try not to let it get me down," Spiker said. "There's people in way worse situations than me, so I have no right to complain."

In typical resilient fashion, Spiker responded by enrolling in six courses for the fall. But in mid-September, another unexpected obstacle presented itself.

"I had some pain in my lower back, but I thought it would just go away," Spiker said. "One day in October, I woke up and couldn't stand up straight. I saw a doctor and they gave me aspirin, but it kept getting worse and worse. I thought, 'Something is really wrong here.' "

Before long, Spiker was hobbling to classes bent over on crutches.

"A herniated disc doesn't sound serious, but what happens is the disc gets pushed out into the spinal cord and makes it so you can't straighten your back," Spiker said. "Also, it's touching a nerve, so a crazy amount of pain just shoots down your whole side."

Still coming to grips with the cancer, Spiker and his family were suddenly dealt another blow.

"It was so undeserving for him," Donda said.

Surgery was suggested, but the necessary recovery time would have meant withdrawing from school.

"I didn't want all that work I had already done to go to waste," Spiker said.

So instead, he set a daily routine of waking up for a 9 a.m. class, going to school either in a wheelchair or bent on crutches until about 4 p.m., traveling to the hospital for back treatment and then returning to the dorm or library to study until the wee hours.

In between, Spiker also took the GMAT, hunted down professors for letters of recommendation and completed the five in-depth grad school applications, one of which required seven essays.

"Everybody — from our family and friends and doctors — was telling us to let Jonathan come home and just rest," his father said. "But I knew that's not how he is, that's not him."

Spiker agreed.

"If I came home, what would I have done? Sit on the couch, watch TV and feel sorry for myself?" Spiker said. "(The injury) was frustrating, but I just tried to stay positive. I never thought about quitting."

'THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES'

The healing finally began in November and Spiker was able to make it through to this winter break, although one final project is due in two weeks. He says his back is now "about 75 percent" healthy.

Through it all, Spiker continued to send postcards from Harvard to his two younger brothers, Jared, 13, and Jason, 11. He would encourage them and write, "Give it everything you've got ... and then give something extra."

Los Banos said such is the mantra Spiker lives by, and it is something he learned largely through athletics.

"To a normal person, what he did (this semester) may seem extreme, but he always took things to the extreme," Los Ba–os said. "Jonathan wrestled some really intense, tough guys in high school, but he won through discipline and by training himself to be the best. In athletics, you always have adversity and you have to go through it and learn how to rise to a certain level to overcome it."

Spiker said his wrestling experience was good preparation for his most recent trials.

"Sometimes when I was training, I would tell myself, 'No one else would do this ... but this is what it takes to be the best,' " Spiker said.

Said Los Banos: "For a kid that age to stay that focused despite all the distractions, all the challenges, it's amazing. You don't come across too many people like him."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com

TESTICULAR CANCER Facts

• Most common cancer found in men ages 15 to 35

• If caught early, almost all cases can be cured

• All males puberty through adulthood should perform a monthly self-exam, and a physician should examine abnormalities promptly (a self-exam is not a substitute for a thorough annual exam by a physician)

Risk factors

• Ages 15 to 35

• Family history of testicular cancer

• Most common in Caucasians

• Undescended testicles

• Mononucleosis

• Mother or sister with breast cancer

• Early puberty

• Being overweight

Warning signs

• Appearance of a small, painless lump about the size of a pea on the front side of the testicle

• Feeling of heaviness in the testicle

• Enlargement of the testicle

• Change in how the testicle feels to the touch

• Sudden accumulation of fluid or blood in the scrotum

• Dull ache in the groin

• Swelling or tenderness in other parts of the body, such as the groin, breast or neck

Sources: American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, The Testicular Cancer Primer, Kuakini Health System

Source: Honolulu Advertiser

HERRING'S CORNER WINS BRAWL AGAINST NAKAO'S CORNER

Heath Herring having words with Nakao's corner after knocking out Yoshihiro Nakao (far right on the ground) during the staredown. Herring and his teammates would later beat down Nakao's corner during an after fight brawl on the way out of the arena.

The Japanese media reports that during the K-1 new year show, a mass brawl broke out between members of the Las Vegas Combat Club, who were there to corner Heath Herring, and the corner of Yoshihiro Nakao. According to reports, Herring and his teammates were beating down Nakao's friends right before the brawl was stopped.

The story behind it all stems from the Nakao's antics right before his fight with Herring was set to start. Nakao actually kissed Herring on the lips during the staredown, at which point Herring threw a right hook and knocked Nakao out cold. Nakao had to be carried out of the ring on a stretcher, and the fight was declared a no contest.

As Herring was walking out of the arena, he was jumped by Nakao's corner and thrown to the ground. At that point, Herring's Las Vegas Combat Club teammates ran to help Herring, and a mass brawl broke out which lasted about 30 seconds. During the brawl, Herring's teammates proceeded to win the exchanges and turn the momentum in their favor, according to the Japanese media.

Furthermore, for what ever reason, security guards did not jump in to stop the brawl. It was finally stopped with the help of experienced American referee Herb Dean, who was in attendance at the event and rushed in to help calm things down.

There are some people in the Japanese media who think this may have all been scripted for a ratings spike. Their reasons being that Herring's right hook did not look like it was thrown with full power. Also, not many meaningful strikes were thrown and landed during the brawl, which ended with Herring's teammates mainly holding down Nakao's teammates with the knee-on-stomach position.

However, most of the Japanese media believe it was a legitimate brawl, and that Herring's right hook landed right on Nakao's unsuspecting chin, causing the KO.

A rematch between Herring and Nakao is expected to take place in the near future.

Source: Fight Sport

PRIDE YELLOW CARD CONTROVERSY
by Mick Hammond

At Pride’s Shockwave 2005 show this past New Year’s Eve in Japan there was an occurrence that while possibly unnoticeable to many, could have shifted the tide in one of the most important matches of the evening.

The moment was late into the third round of the Middleweight Championship match between challenger Ricardo Arona and incumbent Wanderlei Silva. During an exchange on the ground it appeared as if Arona was working hard and getting the better of Silva when the two were separated and stood back up.

This moment allowed Silva to get out of a bad position in which he was clearly getting the losing end of and it allowed him to go back to his feet and work his way into dominant position and land damage on Arona as the fight came to a close. So why where they separated when Arona was clearly working his advantage? The answer is the yellow card.

Under Pride rules, if a fighter is not working and by definition “stalling” the action, then he is issued a yellow card which signifies a warning from the referee that he is to begin working and that his pay has been docked by ten percent. A yellow card can be issued to an individual, as in the case of Silva, or both individuals if no one is working to better their position to induce action.

The yellow card has no impact on the judges’ scoring; it is merely a warning, yet it could have influenced this fight. Because Silva was allowed to get up off his back, the momentum that Arona had achieved was halted, and the work he was doing ended. Arona was working; he was pressing the action and scoring damage on Silva, yet was removed because of Silva’s inactivity.

This begs the question, should Pride’s rules regarding yellow cards be changed? If Silva had not been allowed to get back up, and remained on the ground with Arona raining down punches, it’s possible the two judges who ruled in Wanderlei’s favor could have given the bout to Arona.

In a fight that’s judged on its entirety, not per round, it’s very possible to be easily swayed by late action. Usually whoever finishes the strongest is declared the victor, even if their opponent may have done more damage throughout the duration of the fight. Had Arona been allowed to continue to work his advantage, it’s possible he may have gotten that all important late influence that can determine the outcome of a fight.

Rather than the two fighters being stood up, thus giving the advantage to the fighter that was stalling when one wasn’t, it’s possible fighters should be placed back in the position they were in before the card was issued. This could allow the fighter who was working to continue his work. If that happens, the fighter who wasn’t administering damage must then work his way out of trouble instead of being given a free pass.

There is some precedent to rules changes such as what may need to be done to Pride’s yellow card rule. Back in 2003 the UFC was in a similar situation due to what happened in a bout at UFC 42 between Duane “Bang” Ludwig and Genki Sudo.

During the fight Sudo had Ludwig in a lot of trouble on the ground. Genki was in Ludwig’s guard and was administering a viscous assault and bloodying Ludwig’s face when the referee stepped in and stopped the action to check the cut with the doctor. The doctor said Ludwig could continue, but due to the rule, the fighters were placed in the standing position, not back in the position they were before the stoppage.

A brief time later Ludwig was able to use this to his advantage as Sudo ended up on his back with Duane landing punches from the standing position. The ensuing display from Ludwig clearly influenced judges in the closing minutes of a round that for the most part Ludwig was losing before he closed out the round standing over Sudo encouraging the crowd and landing shots.

In the week after the bout, the UFC clearly recognized a problem with their rule and changed it. They issued that fighters must be placed back in the position they were before the action was stopped, thus allowing the dominating fighter to continue to work his advantage.

Pride’s rule is a good rule when both fighters are stalling and the action needs to be restarted. But when one fighter has an advantage and that advantage is removed from him because the other fighter is not working, that’s a problem. Pride may want to refine this rule in the future so such problems cannot reoccur.

It is not known that if Arona had been allowed to continue work that the fight’s outcome may be different. What is for sure, is that when it comes to matches, especially important championship matches, it’s better to have no controversy rather than some controversy.

Surely Ricardo Arona and Wanderlei Silva would like to know that their fight was truly settled through a test of skill, not a rule that may have ultimately influenced the outcome of one of the most important matches of the year.

Source: MMA Weekly

Hendo evaluates Bustamante match

Bushido GP champion over Brazilian Murilo Bustamante, on last December 31, American Dan Henderson evaluated his bout against Brazilian. "It was excellent. My plan was keeping the fight on the feet and avoiding takedowns. I got few of them and I was not happy with my back on the ground. On the feet I was much better and in two or three times I almost finished the fight," said Hendo, adding more information about Brazilian Top Team leader:

- Our last meeting I didn't have a chance to know his game, because the match ended very fast. He showed he's a brave heart and very tough fighter. Of course I was expecting a fast KO, but I was also ready to the whole fight - American stated. When asked by Japanese press about the cut under his left eye, Hendo teased. "I don't know how I cut myself. It might have happened in second round, or even a headbutt (laughs), he said.

Source: Tatame

One tough day
The 7th World Jiu-Jitsu Championship,as told by Saulo Ribeiro
article published in August, 2002

The wait for the fights, the analysis of the opponents, the report of the combats. The following text narrates the 7th World Jiu-Jitsu Championship according to Saulo Ribeiro. Being the greatest record holder in history, with five gold, two silver and one bronze medals in seven years of competing, one can hardly think of anyone more competent for doing so.

In pain. That is how a woke up on Sunday 28th, the last day of the 7th World’s. I grabbed my gi to go to Tijuca Tenis Clube thinking like this: were this an ordinary day, there would be no way I was going to train. I’d eat something at the guarana place and then rest. I was finished.

On the other hand, I had to go work, run after the title I still didn’t have, that of open category. I had done my part the day before, winning three fights and qualifying for the final, but it hadn’t been easy. Actually, after my second fight, against Roberto “Gordo” Correa, I sat beside the mat really pissed. I had gone through physical preparation the last two months and thought I was in great shape, but by the middle of the fight I was worn out.

I knew my fight with the “Baldie” was gonna be tough, as it always is. Unlike the young guys around, he doesn’t make mistakes, and we are technically balanced. But when I got an advantage in the beginning, and when he gave me his right leg and suffered a ko-uchi-gari, I thought there was nothing more to it. Suddenly he had locked his legs around my knees and I was swept. I tried to breathe and nothing came, and I endeavored not to show my desperation. I closed my guard and, when I went for the sweep, he got greedy and tried the crucifix, as usual, and I score two more points.

I had won, but I was disgusted at my conditioning. And I got to asking myself why that was. I mumbled over it for the rest of the day and only this morning I found it out: lack of competition rhythm. In my best year, ’98, I’d compete almost every weekend. Jiu-Jitsu, judo, big or small tournaments, I didn’t care. Since ’99 I’ve been only fighting the ADCC and the World Championship. That’s it. It’s no good preparing, you can only know what’s going to happen to your body if you’ve been there before. And the more you compete, the better you know your body.

Arriving in the gym of Tijuca is always good. It was there that, since ’96, I won five world titles. Of course it is problematic to remember that last year – the only time I was ever defeated – at this time, I was in exactly the same situation: I had gotten to the open’s final, but was going to try and fight the medium heavyweight to become champion. Experience had told me I could make the same mistake, to thrust onto the opponents in my weight class like a maniac and then get to the finals worn out. To this day I think I didn’t lose the championship to Fernando Margarida during the final; I lost it before. To Flavio Almeida “Cachorrinho” in the semifinal. Despite the fact I won the fight, he finished me. What a strong man! If he hadn’t made a mistake, he would have been the toughest guy to beat. I don’t see how he can lose to Margarida, being so much stronger.

This year I had a different plan: winning in my weight class without sweating much. And, in the warm-up area, as I was in stanby, I had the chance of watching everyone before I fought. Erik Wanderlei was called. It was time to scrutinize the enemy against a weaker opponent. He’ll certainly use his best weapons to finish up soon. In the middle of the fight, someone came over and asked me: “Are you going home by motorcycle?” “Of course, I even brought the helmet,” I joke, knowing that the prize, a Honda Biz, was the last thing on my mind. I keep paying attention. He places the right hand on top, suffers a takedown. I can use an Ipon Seoi there. It’s another good, strong fellow, but on the bottom he uses the clinch-escape. I know he’s going to win, probably make it to the final, so I look closely. Standing, another idiosyncrasy. He pretends he is going to pull to the guard and puts his right leg in front to attack. There I could use an o-uchi-gari. That will be the plan.

11AM. I’m waiting for one hour now, and my fight is approaching. Suddenly I see people move around at the entrance. I scan the place to find out the reason and get surprised. It’s Rickson. He’s come for a surprise visit. Now my responsibility is event greater. The man will see whether I’ve been doing my homework. I follow him with my eyes and think aloud: “He’s amazing. You can feel his energy.”

The presence of Rickson, Royler and Renzo in the gymnasium and the mistakes I see many of the athletes make get me thinking about the support those geniuses have given me, stopping me from making many of those mistakes. Royler’s versatility, he who’s always ready for any type of play; on top, on the bottom, standing, on the ground. Renzo, who even when he is exhausted in the fights, no one can do a thing to him, which makes me believe even more in his technique. And Rickson, who feels like he weighs 400lb when you’re training with him. I strive to learn what each of them excels at, adapt it to my game.

I go back to paying attention to the matches. On the closest mat, to my left, Ricardo de la Riva is about to fight. He’s a mystery; you can only know how he’ll do after his first heavy breath. To come back after nine years is rather complicated. After one year, it’s already hard enough. There’s a great crowd supporting him. It’s cool that the guy has such charisma. He wins with ease and comes back to the warm up area. I go over to say hello and he congratulates me, as well as complimenting Royler. I can feel he is no phony, this is one nice fellow. He’s got great modesty. Even if he loses he remains a champion.

I watch Fabio Nascimento’s fight – he is my first adversary. He sweeps the other guy from the half guard. Yesterday, in the open’s first, he launched me up like that. But I told myself I wouldn’t fall for it and used all my weight.

My turn still hasn’t come and, although I want to focus, I wound up checking out the other categories, analyzing the talented rookies. I don’t know why, but I start wondering what a fight between Pe de Chumbo and Jacare would be like. They are both well prepared and never stall. Now Marcelo Pupo was winning a lightweight fight. I notice how much he has improved. Some time ago he was weak, but now he doesn’t miss positions, and distributes his weight a lot better. He may surprise and be the champion.

So I go through my first fight, winning by points. He escaped my clinch in the beginning. So I thought that way you just make it too easy. With that mistake by him, I knew it would be hard for me to lose. And I won. In the middle of the fight he gave me an annoying grip on the leg, trapped me in the half guard. I’ll study this more thoroughly next time, I tell myself. I’m there with my father, my wife, the guys who came to support me. Though I’m focused on the competition, I have to give some attention to the people who are always there for me.

Then I go back to the warm up area, but now time is passing more quickly. When Fredson and De la Riva were preparing to fight the featherweight final, I was already going to the other side, where I was going to fight the semifinal. I thought of their fight: my heart is cheering for Fredson, who is from both Manaus and Gracie Barra, but I believe De la Riva will win. He is more technical. And, at this time, if I don’t believe in technique, what else can I believe in?

While waiting for the semifinal, I see Pe de Pano – my opponent in the open’s decision – arriving at the fight area. With that size, that weight, and those huge legs, my prospects aren’t really good. He comes over to talk, because we had sort of promised not to fight each other.

But in these cases there’s just no way out, and that I was aware of. It is the title we both want so much, and now all pacts are set aside. We’ll both give it all, that’s all there is to it.

I enter to fight Marcel Louzada, from Godoi. In the beginning, I score two points that will later on earn me a victory, with a back attack. Again, my tactics work. I had seen, in his previous fight, that he comes in with the o-uchi-gari. So I left my right leg in the front, as a bait, grabbed his and went for the back. He tried to go after the advantage, but I was in the final and knew it. And thence his situation went downhill.

Just as the referee was raising my arm, there came a shitty surprise. While I was fighting, my brother had gotten hurt in the neighboring ring, and I now I was told it. Weeping, he was being helped by the doctors, and he was out of the championship.

Now the finals were three hours away. The only thing on my mind now was: to eat or not to eat?

Intermission

At 5 p.m. it was time. They announce the fight order. The open would be first. I thought well and asked them to switch it. It was too risky. I might get too tired, lose to Pe de Pano and make a bad welterweight fight, and end up with neither of the titles. By fighting the medium heavyweight first I’d have a greater chance of at least getting one gold medal. I could get more confident for fighting the open.

The fight against Erik went just as predicted. He placed his leg in front, so I used the o-uchi-gari. I was ahead – just what I needed. Later on, he did the clinch escape. I got to the half guard and got yet another advantage. He would still try an Ezequiel, but I knew there was no angle for him to tighten it, since I was throwing my weight forward. I passed his guard and got the title. But, after all that force I had used, I was tired just thinking there was still Marcio “Pe de Pano” Cruz to come.

I got some rest during the finals of all the other weight classes. And I started the fight against Pe de Pano with a defined strategy. The thing was to fight on top, really. That thing people say, that he can’t pass guard, is bullshit, he is heavy and has passed pretty much everyone’s guard. I was going to make him change the type of guard, play with the hooks inside. Get some advantages and, who knows, pass and win. The plan started well, but he is so tall that even the hook-guard got me in trouble, and I ended up being swept. I could still go after it, but I got careless and he came into the closed guard. That was when I felt his weight. I couldn’t open it like with pretty much anyone else – he’d probably fall mounted. So I tried to open without standing up, but he’d raise his hips, with those goddamned long legs, my hand would go from the shin to the knee, which totally blew that passing technique. That was it, the fight was his.

After the award were given, while I was being interviewed, my dad threw me a can of beer. Just what I needed, I hadn’t drunk one in a month. But the analysis of the mistakes wouldn’t leave my head. And I thought of two resolutions. One: I must compete everything, Jiu-Jitsu and judo, and maintain a much better rhythm. Two: in the end, fighting the medium heavyweight again diminished my chances in the open. Next year I’m only fighting the open. “Next year,” I thought, and this is the best part: the will to be here again. That I haven’t lost yet. [Saulo Ribeiro would go on fighting the World Jiu-Jitsu Champion until 2005, when he placed 3rd in the open.]

Source: Gracie Magazine


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