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2007
2/10/07
Punishment In Paradise 13
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(Blaisdell Arena)
2006
November
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of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
RWE Qualfiers
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(Kauai)
11/25/06
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10/21/06
Pride Fighting Championships
(PPV)
(Las Vegas, NV)
10/14-15/06
Pacific
Island Showdown
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Championship
(Stickfighting)
(Filipino Community Center Ballroom, Waipahu)
10/13/06
RWE & PXC
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October
Rumble On The Rock
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
September
ROTR Qualifers
(MMA)
(Maui)
9/16/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
9/2/06
Icon Sport 47
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
August
Icon Sport 48
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
8/26-27/06
International
Masters & Seniors Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
8/18/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
8/17/06
Ultimate
Fight Night 4
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
8/12/06
Hawaiian Open of
BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
8/5/06
Rumble On The Rock
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Garden Island Cage Match 4
(MMA)
(Kauai)
Island
Warriors Fighting Championship
(MMA)
(War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/28/06
RWE & PXC
(MMA)
(University of Guam Fieldhouse, Mangilao, Guam)
7/22/06
RWE Qualifiers
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
7/22-30/06
CBJF World
Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/21/06
Punishment In Paradise 12
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
7/20-24/06
CBJJO World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/?/06
RAZE MMA Fight Night 2
(MMA)
(San Diego, CA)
7/8/06
Ring of Honor
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Waianae H.S. Gym)
7/7/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
UFC 61
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
7/3/06
Got Skills 2
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Wrestling/Sub Grappling)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom)
s 2006 Tournament
(Sport-Jujitsu, Sport Pankration, Sub Grappling, Extreme Sparring)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
7/1/06
Pride
(MMA)
(Saitama Super Arena)
6/24/06
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
(MMA)
(The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV)
6/17/06
RWE Qualifiers
(MMA)
(Afook
Chinen Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
USA-Boxing Hawaii
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
6/10/06
X-1 Battlegrounds 4
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
6/4/06
PRIDE Bushido 11: 'Bushido
Survival '06'
(PPV)
6/3/06
X-2 Extreme Wars:
Bay Area Brawl
(MMA)
(Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA)
2006 Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Associations Gi Tournament
(BJJ)
(Gracie Main Academy)
5/27/06
UFC 60:
Royce Gracie vs. Matt Hughes
(PPV)
5/26/06
Icon Sport 45
(MMA)
(Blaisdell 6Arena)
5/20/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
5/13/06
Got Skills Fighter Event
(MMA)
(Pagoda Hotel)
4/29/06
RAZE MMA Fight Night
(MMA)
(ipayOne center , former San Diego Sports Arena
San Diego, CA)
4/21/06
Rumble on the Rock
11: Grand Prix
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/15/06
UFC 59: Reality Check
(MMA)
(Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, CA)
4/7-9/06
2006
Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA)
4/6/06
Ultimate Fight Night on Spike TV
(MMA)
(Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV)
4/1/06
Punishment in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Sea Life Park)
3/26/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
3/25/06
Garden Island Cage
Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)
3/11/06
Hawaiian Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
Full Contact Showdown
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
3/4/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Venue TBA)
2/26/06
NAGA Hawaii State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Honolulu)
*Cancelled
until Summer*
2/25/06
Icon Sport 44
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/4/06
Kick it Up
(Kickboxing)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom, Honolulu)
UFC 57:
Liddell vs. Couture 3
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV)
1/27/06
So You Think You Tough
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
January
Grappler's Quest Hawaii
(Submission Grappling)
(TBA)
***Cancelled*** |
|
July 2006 News Part
1
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To Defend Mixed Martial Arts In Hawaii!
The Hawaii Government is trying to ban or restrict MMA in Hawaii.
Please
contact your local representative and let them know that you
support MMA in Hawaii. Click the link below to look up your Representative
and his contact info!
HB3223
has been passed with Amendments. Basically the bill has been
rewritten to create a MMA Commission to regulate MMA in Hawaii
and passed on to the Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee
and the Judiciary Committee for further hearings.
Get
all the details concerning the two MMA Bills by clicking here
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, Former First Lady of the United
States
|
SYLVIA
AND ORTIZ WIN AT UFC 61
Tim Sylvia retained the UFC Heavyweight Title when he defeated
Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC
61 on Saturday night.
Previously,
Sylvia silenced many of his doubters when he was able to beat
Arlovski to regain the title at UFC 59 on April 15th, but it
was clear going into UFC 61 that Sylvia would have to beat Arlovski
again if he wanted to gain the respect of his remaining detractors.
For Andrei Arlovski, this fight was a shot at reclaiming the
aura of invincibility that he had garnered during his reign as
champion.
Most
thought that this fight would end in the first round, much like
the first two fights between Sylvia and Arlovski, but it turns
out that they couldn't have been more wrong. The first round
provided the most excitement in what was a tremendously lackluster
fight for both men. Arlovski came out and landed some good leg
kicks, which went virtually unchecked by Sylvia.
Later
in the first round, Sylvia landed a straight punch that rocked
Arlovski and sent him reeling back against the cage, in what
was probably the best punch of the fight. Unfortunately for Sylvia,
he was not able to capitalize on the opportunity for a knockout.
Arlovski recovered, and the two went back to trading strikes
in the stand-up position.
The
remainder of the fight was a battle of attrition. It looked as
though both fighters understood and respected the power that
their opponent possessed and didn’t want to engage and take
a chance of getting caught. To Tim Sylvia’s credit, while
he didn’t throw as many punches, he did land more damaging
shots and seemed more precise when he did so.
Arlovski
stayed well outside of Tim’s powerful range, but in the
process he kept himself from ever unloading anything significant
of his own. Arlovski threw punch after punch, but he never really
caught Sylvia with anything that had power behind it. The biggest
mistake that Arlovski made was abandoning his leg kicks, which
were looking pretty effective in the first round. Arlovski appeared
to be to waiting for Tim to make a mistake instead of going all-out
for the win.
Sylvia,
while definitely not having his best performance, didn't try
to throw too many haymakers and he kept his hands up, which is
something that he didn’t do in his first two fights with
Arlovski. The fight went to the distance, which is five rounds
for a championship fight, and all three of the judges scored
in favor of Tim Sylvia, with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.
Controversy
is nothing new to the rivalry between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock,
and another chapter has now been added to the growing book of
hatred between these two fighters. The announcements and ring
entrances for this bout lasted longer than the actual fight.
Shamrock
charged in as soon as the fight began, trying to catch Ortiz
right away, but Ortiz maintained his composure. Ortiz got a Muay
Thai clinch and started to throw some knees, which looked very
reminiscent of the knees that he landed in his first fight with
Shamrock. Ortiz then decided to go for a double-leg takedown
and proceeded to pick Shamrock up over his shoulder and slam
him to the mat.
Ortiz
then pushed the action against the cage and landed a devastating
elbow strike to Shamrock’s face. Shamrock’s legs and
arms seemed to go limp, if only for a moment, as Tito reigned
down a series of elbows flush against his adversary’s head
and face. Referee Herb Dean quickly stepped in and called a stop
to the action, which made Tito Ortiz the winner by TKO.
Shamrock
popped up very quickly and started to ask why the fight was stopped.
The Octagon filled with security personnel, and the two rivals
had to be kept apart as Tito celebrated his win and Shamrock
appeared to be very upset with the stoppage.
Multiple
replays showed the elbows landed by Ortiz, and it did look like
Shamrock was getting nailed pretty hard by all of the strikes.
Anytime there is controversy like this about a referee's decision,
there will always be debate about whether it was a good stoppage,
but it did appear that Shamrock was not intelligently defending
himself, and that is cause enough to stop the fight.
While
it's almost a forgone conclusion that Shamrock will scream to
the high heavens about the stoppage, it was again Ortiz who dominated
the fight and walked out victorious. Now we'll just have to wait
and see who Tito Ortiz will take on next, and whether or not
it will be for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title.
Elsewhere
on the card, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir fought
for the second time after recovering from a horrendous motorcycle
accident that nearly ended his career. Mir's opponent was the
Greg Jackson-trained Dan Christison. This fight was crucial for
Mir given the fact that he was dismantled by Marcio "Pe
de Pano" Cruz in his first fight back from his injuries,
and anything other than a dominant win would be seen as a defeat
in many fans’ minds.
The
entire fight was a back and forth struggle, with the only real
dominance being shown by Mir with some solid takedowns. Mir,
a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who is known for his quick submissions,
almost got caught in an armbar by Christison, but Mir managed
to escape effectively. Mir had some decent ground and pound offense
when he got Christison to the mat. However, it was very clear
approximately three minutes into the fight that Mir's endurance
was not up to par, and it looked like it might be his Achilles
heel once again.
Ultimately,
the fight went the distance and Mir did just enough to win the
fight on all the judges' scorecards. Mir was awarded a unanimous
decision victory, with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 29-28. If
the former champion hopes to get back to where he was before
his accident, he will need to drop some weight and focus on his
cardio. Mir's speed and technique are what made his so dominant
in the early part of his career, and he appears to have lost
a step.
The
swing bout of the evening featured new Team Punishment member
Josh Burkman taking on Josh Neer, who was last seen defeating
the welterweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter's second season,
Joe Stevenson. In what was probably the best bout of the evening,
Burkman and Neer both displayed good stand-up skills and great
movement on the ground.
Neer
taunted his opponent for much of the fight, wagging his chin
and challenging Burkman to hit him. Despite the taunting by Neer,
the only really solid punch of the fight landed was by Burkman,
and it put Neer down and almost out.
Both
fighters gained momentum on the ground at different points throughout
the three rounds, as they went for submissions and punches while
generally staying active at all times. When all was said and
done, Josh Burkman was awarded the unanimous decision victory
due to his strong takedowns and ground control, with judges'
scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.
The
opening bout of the PPV telecast featured Yves Edwards taking
on Joe Stevenson, who was moving down in weight from 170 pounds
to 155 pounds. Stevenson looked just as strong as he usually
does, as he went for takedowns and had good ground control. Edwards
was able to land some good shots in the first round, but found
himself in the unenviable position of having Stevenson on top
of him and taking some heavy shots to the head in the second
round.
A
large cut on Edwards' forehead caused a lot of blood to pour
out on to the Octagon floor, and the referee called a time-out
so that the doctor could examine the cut. Edwards was asked if
he wanted to continue, and he said yes. Despite the large amount
of blood loss, the doctor allowed the fight to continue, and
Edwards was able to make it to the end of the second round.
The
bleeding could not be stopped in the period between rounds two
and three, so the doctors finally stopped the fight, and Joe
Stevenson picked up a very important win over a top-notch opponent.
The
biggest event at UFC 61 may have come after the Ortiz/Shamrock
match ended, when UFC president Dana White entered the Octagon
and brought in Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva. White
announced that if Chuck Liddell is able to defeat Renato “Babalu”
Sobral when they fight in August, then Silva and Liddell will
do battle in the Octagon in November.
Chuck
Liddell made his way into the cage and had a staredown with Wanderlei
Silva, as everyone salivated at the prospect of seeing arguably
the two best 205-pound fighters in the world finally fight each
other. Although this could be a hardcore fan’s dream come
true, we should not forget that once upon a time, Dana White
made a similar announcement when he said that Kazushi Sakuraba
and Kazuyuki Fujita would be fighting in the UFC, and we’re
all still waiting for that to come to fruition.
In
preliminary fights before the pay-per-view broadcast went on
the air, heavyweight Jeff Monson was dominant in his TKO victory
over Anthony Perosh. Monson stunned Perosh about two minutes
into the fight, and then Monson got on top of Perosh and reigned
down hammer fists until the referee stopped the fight.
Hermes
Franca defeated Joe Jordan with a very unique application of
a triangle choke. After working his way from side mount to full
mount, Franca secured a triangle choke from the full mount position,
and then Franca rolled to his side to finish the fight by submission.
Heavyweights
Cheick Kongo and Gilbert Aldana engaged in a stand-up war until
some knees and elbows from the clinch opened up a cut near Aldana's
left eye in the first round. The doctor advised the referee to
stop the fight as a result of the cut, giving Kongo the victory
by TKO.
In
the opening bout of the evening, Kurt Pellegrino appeared to
be winning his fight with Drew Fickett, but Fickett was able
to turn the fight around shortly after the beginning of round
three. Fickett took Pellegrino's back and secured a rear naked
choke for the submission victory.
Overall,
UFC 61 truly did not live up to the hype that was put into its
double main event. While Shamrock may have some grounds to complain
about the early stoppage, the fact remains that he was getting
pounded on by Tito Ortiz, and nobody was surprised that Ortiz
came out victorious in one-sided fashion. Tim Sylvia held on
to his title, but he was not able to do so as decisively as everyone
would have liked.
While
this show was a disappointment, the possibility of a fight between
Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell might make it all worthwhile
in the end.
Full
Results of Main Card Bouts
-Tim
Sylvia def. Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision
-Tito
Ortiz def. Ken Shamrock by TKO (referee stoppage) at 1:18 of
Round 1
-Josh
Burkman def. Josh Neer by unanimous decision
-Frank
Mir def. Dan Christison by unanimous decision
-Joe
Stevenson def. Yves Edwards by TKO (doctor stoppage) after the
end of Round 2
Full
Results of Prelim Bouts
-Hermes
Franca def. Joe Jordan by submission (triangle choke) at 0:47
of Round 3
-Jeff
Monson def. Anthony Perosh by TKO (referee stoppage) at 2:22
of Round 1
-Cheick
Kongo def. Gilbert Aldana by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 4:13 of
Round 1
-Drew
Fickett def. Kurt Pellegrino by submission (rear naked choke)
at 1:20 of Round 3
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
61 Results: Sylvia retains title
Yves
Edwards vs. Joe Stevenson
Round
one started standing, but it didn't take long for Joe to take
Yves down at just a minute and a half in. Yves quickly got back
to his feet and rocked Joe with a big head kick and a flurry
of punches. Joe answers back with a takedown and some brutal
ground and pound. In round two, it starts standing and then Joe
takes over. Yves is on his back for the remainder of the round
and Stevenson opens a nasty cut that leaks blood all over the
Octagon. They check the cut, the doctor okays it, and we are
off again. Joe drops some HUGE elbows and all Yves can do is
defend. Right before the third round starts they check the cut
and the doctor stops the fight due to the severity of the cut.
Winner:
Joe Stevenson by TKO
Frank
Mir vs. Dan Christison
Round
one opens up slowly. Mir takes Christinson down for some ground
and pound. Dan attempts an armbar and almost secures it until
Frank reverses it.
In
the second round, it was all Dan. He landed some good shots and
despite Mir's takedowns, he had several nearly successful submission
attempts. In round three, Mir opens up Christinson with some
nicely timed strikes.
Frank
takes Dan down yet again and punishes him for most of the round
from ine the guard and side control. The round ends with both
men battling for position and the fight is now in the judges
hands.
Winner:
Frank Mir by unanimous decision
Tito
Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock
This
fight started off with Ken Shamrock opening up with a flurry
of punches.
Tito
quickly clinched and then slammed Shamrock hard to the canvas
ala Matt Hughes. Tito then goes to work and unleashes five elbows
rocking Shamrock who goes limp forcing Herb Dean to step in and
stop the fight.
Winner:
Tito Ortiz via TKO
Dana
White drops a bombshell and the question will finally be answered
on who is the better fighter. Chuck Liddell will take on Wanderlei
Silva in November if Chuck defeats Babalu at UFC 62.
Josh
Burkman vs. Josh Neer
Round
one was back and forth with Burkman landing some shots and Neer
answering back. Burkman had a vicious slam and some good ground
and pound.
In
round two Neer showed a little more offense, but Nurkman still
managed to take him down and land some good strikes from the
guard. In the third, Josh Burkman answered Neer's taunts by slamming
him hard to the canvas several times. It was all Burkman despite
some submission attempts by Josh Neer.
Winner:
Josh Burkman by unanimous decision
Tim
Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski
This
one went the distance with Andrei easily taking two rounds and
Tim taking three. Noone really dominated a round in this fight,
but there was enough damage from the two in the rounds to win
it for the aggressor. Tim would land some punches and leg kicks
and Andrei would answer back. After five rounds of action there
was a unanimous decision.
Winner:
Tim Sylvia by unanimous decision
FULL
RESULTS
Kurt
Pellegrino vs. Drew Fickett
Drew Fickett via submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:20 3rd Round
Cheick
Kongo vs. Gilbert Aldana
Cheick Kongo via referree stoppage (due to cut) at 4:13 1st Round
Anthony
Perosh vs. Jeff Monson
Jeff Monson via KO at 2:22 1st Round
Joe
Jordan vs. Hermes Franca
Hermes Franca via Submission (triangle) at :47 3rd Round
Joe
Stevenson vs. Yves Edwards
Joe Stevenson via referre stoppage (due to cut) end of 2nd Round
Dan
Christison vs. Frank Mir
Frank Mir via unanimous decision
Josh
Burkman vs. Josh Neer
Josh Burkman via unanimous decision
Tito
Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock
Tito Ortiz via referee stoppage (unanswered strikes) at 1st Round
Andrei
Arlovski vs. Tim Sylvia
Tim Sylvia via unanimous decision
Source: Maxfighting
|
Tim
Sylvia: The UFC Heavyweight Champion still has something to prove
Tim
Sylvia is the UFC world heavyweight champion with something left
to prove. Sylvia is used to that by now in his career. Standing
6’8 and being under estimated is not something that usually
goes hand and hand. Back into 2003 Sylvia was given a title shot
after just one other fight in the UFC. What ensued was heavyweight
history. After a thrilling knockout of champion Ricco Rodriguez
Sylvia was pushed into the spotlight.
Three
years later Sylvia is once again the UFC heavyweight champion.
On Saturday July 8th Sylvia will have chance to show the doubters
that they are wrong again. With another win over Andrei Arlovski
Tim Sylvia will be at a point in his career that he might to
have to get comfortable at; the undisputed number one heavyweight
in the UFC. MaxFighting was able to speak to Sylvia mere days
before the biggest fight his career. Here is what the champ had
to say.
MaxFighting:
The last fight was just three months ago, has that much changed
with either of you guys since April?
Tim
Sylvia: No, I don’t think so at all.
Max:
Did you train any different as opposed to your last fight with
Arlovski?
TS:
We did some different things. Just fine tune some certain areas.
Max:
Add anything new to your game?
TS:
Maybe a little somethin something. You’ll have to see the
fight on Saturday and find out.
Max:
Do expect Arlovski to come at you with a different strategy this
time around?
TS:
I think he knows how dangerous my hands are. He’s not going
to want to get caught up in a slugfest. So I expect him to try
to stick and move. Possibly even try and take me down.
Max:
Do you see fight making it out the first round? Considering the
last two matches combined did not equal a whole round yet.
TS:
Probably not.
Max:
Why do fans and critics continue to under estimate you?
TS:
I don’t know. They just think Arlovski is that good. I don’t
know I’m still the underdog for this fight.
Max:
Are you offended that you have the belt but you’re still
considered the underdog?
TS:
Yeah it pisses me off a little bit but I liked being the underdog.
Max:
What has been different about this title reign has opposed to
your last one?
TS:
This one is just that much more sweeter. I really had to work
hard for this one. I jumped into the UFC, I had a really good
fight against “Cabbage” Correira. Then was offered
a title fight. Then I fought and won the title. This one I had
to work really hard for. I’ve worked through five or so
fights to get to this point.
Max:
How are you different as a person since you joined the UFC back
in 2002?
TS:
You know I definitely matured as the sport matured. I know I’m
out here to represent the UFC and support the heavyweight division.
I’m one of the best stinking heavyweights the UFC has ever
had. I’m also one of the best UFC heavyweight champs they
ever had.
Max:
I’m sure you’ve already played the fight out in your
head, you got any insight on how its going to go?
TS:
Yeah I’ve went through it a couple of times. I just see
us going out there throwing some punches and me catching him
with a big right that puts him to sleep.
Max: Where do you see the winner of this fight headed? What is
the future for the loser of this bout?
TS:
I see the winner defending the title a few PPV’s down the
road against a guy like Jeff Monson or Brandon Vera. The loser
I don’t know. I would assume if he loses there going to
cut him. He’s making a lot of money and there not going
to let a guy who’s lost two in a row make that kind of money.
Max:
Anybody you got to thank for helping you get ready for this fight?
TS:
I most definitely got to thank my major sponsors. You know Xyience,
Warrior Wear, and Full Contact Fighter. Thanks the fans for supporting
me for as long as they have. I have a lot of true fans that stay
behind me and I definitely appreciate that.
Source: Maxfighting |
Quote
of the Day
"The
opposite of a correct statement is a false statement.
But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound
truth."
Niels Bohr, 1885-1962, Danish Physicist
|
UFC
61: Bitter Rivals
TODAY!
Saturday, July 8, 2006
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
-
Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski
- Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock
- Cheick Kongo vs. Gilbert Aldana
- Frank Mir vs. Dan Christison
- Josh Burkman vs. Josh Neer
- Joe Stevenson vs. Yves Edwards
- Kurt Pellegrino vs. Drew Fickett
- Jeff Monson vs. Anthony Perosh
- Hermes Franca vs. Joe Jordan
Source: MMA Fighting
|
ODDS
RELEASED FOR UFC 61
Odds from BetEagle.com
BetEagle.com
has released the odds for UFC 61, which will take place this
Saturday, July 8th.
Here's
how the oddsmakers have broken down the fights on this event,
with the favorite in each fight being listed above the underdog
in this article. The main card of this event will air live on
pay-per-view.
Also,
BetEagle.com is having a UFC 61 prediction contest with prizes,
and you can learn more about it by clicking here: http://www.beteagle.com/promotion/new_beteagle_gifts.html
UFC
61
Saturday, July 8th
Tito
Ortiz -500
Ken Shamrock +375
-Tito Ortiz is a gigantic favorite in this fight, which should
come as a surprise to no one. The line on Ortiz is -500, which
means that one would have to bet $500 in order to win $100 on
Ortiz. Shamrock is the heavy underdog at +375, which means that
one would have to bet $100 in order to win $375 on Shamrock.
Based purely on the odds, this is one of the most lopsided fights
in recent UFC history.
Andrei
Arlovski -280
Tim Sylvia +220
-Despite the fact that Andrei Arlovski just got knocked out by
Tim Sylvia in April, Arlovski opens as a moderately big favorite.
Sylvia also opened as the underdog in his fight against Tre Telligman
last year, so he is used to winning fights that he's not favored
to win.
Frank
Mir -280
Dan Christison +220
-Frank Mir opens as the favorite against Dan Christison. Mir
lost his last fight (against Marcio "Pe de Pano" Cruz"),
while Christison won his last fight (against Brad Imes), but
Mir has more big wins in his past than Christison has in his
past.
Josh
Burkman -115
Josh Neer -115
-This fight opens even, with no favorite and no underdog. Josh
Burkman is a former TUF 2 contestant whose last fight was a loss
to Jon Fitch, while Josh Neer's last fight was a victory over
TUF 3 winner Joe Stevenson.
Yves
Edwards -275
Joe Stevenson +215
-Yves Edwards opens as the favorite against Joe Stevenson in
this battle of talented fighters who each recorded a loss in
their last UFC outing. Stevenson is moving down in weight from
170 to 155. One might think that this is a "must-win"
for Stevenson, but it's actually more of a "must-win"
for Edwards than it is for Stevenson, given the fact that there's
no way the UFC would want the bad PR that would come from releasing
a TUF winner.
Drew
Fickett -160
Kurt Pellegrino +130
-Drew Fickett opens as the favorite in this fight, but not by
very much. Fickett's last fight in the UFC was a loss to Josh
Neer, and his two prior UFC fights were victories against Josh
Koscheck and Josh Neer. Having now fought all of the fighters
named Josh in the UFC's welterweight division, Fickett has now
been matched up against the debuting Kurt Pellegrino, who is
only a slight underdog in this fight.
Jeff
Monson -800
Anthony Perosh +500
-With the unexpected result in Arlovski vs. Sylvia II, Jeff Monson
went from "Your next fight is for the title" to "Your
next fight is a prelim fight." Monson is a huge favorite
in this fight against the debuting Anthony Perosh.
Cheick
Kongo -125
Gilbert Aldana -115
-The odds for this heavyweight fight are almost even, with Cheick
Kongo just barely opening as the favorite over Gilbert Aldana.
Hermes
Franca vs. Joe Jordan: No Odds Yet
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Puna's
Albert
Manners
on MMA Card in Portland
Today!
Rise Fighting Championships
July 8th, 2006
Portland Expo Center, Portland, OR
Doors
will open at 6:00 pm and fights start at 7:00pm. Please check
out www.risefc.com for additional info.
CARD
SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
Main
event:
145lbs Albert
'Always Bad' Manners
vs Keiske Andrews (straight blast gym)
240lbs
Kyle Beck (Portland Thai boxing & martial arts vs Kelly Gray
(Team Mica)lasvegas
185lbs
Daryl Cuttler (straight blast gym) vs Blas Avena (Team Mica)
Las Vegas
170lbs
JD Chatlin (Team Megaton) vs James Davis (straight blast gym)
170lbs
Dlas Van winkel (straight blast gym) vs TBD
160lbs
Evan Dunum (Team Megaton) vs TBD
155lbs
Tyler Moug (DFCC) vs Josh Long (straight blast gym)
155lbs
Brent Primus (Team Megaton) vs TBD
155lbs
Chris Reed (straight blast gym) vs TBD
145lbs
Mark Manny (Team Megaton) vs Cole Young (DFCC)
|
Renzo
Gracie Returns
We spoke with Renzo about his upcoming fight against former UFC
Champion, Pat Militech, as well as the future of his school.
Here's what he had to say:
GF-
How are you feeling for this fight?
RG-
"I'm happy to be fighting again. I feel in great shape and
this is the first time in my life that I can focus on just my
training instead of teaching and having to prepare myself to
fight. I now have great teachers at my academy and this has left
me free to get myself really ready."
GF-
When will this fight be taking place?
RG-
It's going to be on the 23rd of September in Illinois. The IFC
is putting on some great shows and I'm happy to be in their organization.
GF-
Speaking of yor academy, how is the Renzo Gracie school doing?
RG-
The academy is doing great. We now have 500 students and today
I closed a deal to expand the school another 4,000 square feet.
With an 11,000 square foot school I think we can accomodate a
lot of traning.
GF-
Thanks Renzo and best of luck in your fight.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Fabrício
Werdum: Fighting the idol
By Marcelo Alonso
Fabrício Werdum showed to the world an excellent mental
condition to face Rodrigo Minotauro (BTT), after the tragic death
of his trainer Maurição Pereira. In exclusive interview
to TATAME.com, the fighter from the South of Brazil told how
was the battle against Minotauro, about who are the favorites
to the GP title and told some details about how was to lose his
trainer three weeks before the most important fight of his career.
Check it out now.
How
was after the fight?
That
was excellent. Everybody in Japan said that the fight between
Minotauro and I were one of the best fights of the match.
You
have already made hard fights with Sergey Kharitonov, John Olav
Einemo, Alistair Overeem and now with Minotauro. Which was the
hardest one of your career?
I
have no doubt that was against Minotauro. I never received so
hard punches. I didn't imagine that he was so strong. It seems
that he had a stone in his glove. He is even stronger than Mirko.
We just train with Boxing gloves and the VT gloves punches are
much worst.
Is
that true that you went to the hospital before the fight?
I
have a hard problem with my throat. In the fight against Zentsov
happened the same thing. I was with 38ºC of fever in the
fight day and I spent the night in the hospital taking medicine.
The fever got better, I was feeling better, but I felt that I
wasn't with a perfect reflex during the combat. I don't wanna
use it as an excuse, because Minotauro was better and he deserved
to win.
Which
was your strategy?
I
first wanted to exchange punches. I didn't want to enter in his
leg, because I know that Minotauro has a good guillotine. So
I suffered that knock down that I didn't see where that punch
came from. After that I also got right punches and I hurt him
in the eyes. During the break my corner, Mário Reis and
Paulo Cafuringa decided to change the tactic and I started to
attack that single-leg and put him down. I think that it was
a great fight. I am sure that some day we will fight again. I
already used to admire Minotauro and now much more. Not just
for the fight, but for his attitude of stand up with me the Maurição's
shirt.
How
did it happen?
When
I talked to him after the fight I asked if he could stand up
the t-shirt and he said: "of course". So he got the
shirt and showed it for the press and then called me and asked
me to hold the other side and we walked with the t-shirt. I was
very happy about that. Minotauro used to live in the same street
as Shana (where Maurição was killed).
Did
you like Wanderlei Silva's fight?
Wanderlei
one more time showed me and for everyone the fighter example
that he is. Such a warrior! He just didn't walk back, he attacks
all the time. I admire him for that and I will train it with
Cafuringa. He promised that will put it on me. This is bad that
all of this time training with Mirko I adapted myself to walk
back.
What
about the others GP fights?
I
said last week before the fight that it was what I was expecting.
KO under Mirko and submit Barnett.
Which
fights would like to watch in the semifinals and what do you
expect of the finals?
I
would put Mirko against Wanderlei and Minotauro against Barnett.
I think that Mirko and Minotauro will win by points and will
face each other in the final. Minotauro because he is the best
one in the stand up fight and on the ground than Barnet and Mirko,
he improved a lo after that first fight with Wanderlei. In the
final, Minotauro is really hard but I think that Mirko would
win.
How
will be your training now after Maurição's death?
I
will make a new team, the Hunter Team. Now I am in Spain but
last week I will be in Brazil. Mário Reis will be the
responsible by the ground part and Paulo Cafuringa by the Boxing
and the professor Ricardo Murgel will give me technique assistance.
Mirko asked me to help him in this final stage in Croatia and
I will probably go with Mário and Cafuringa, even because
I will fight there in September.
How
was for you to lose Maurição that way?
That
was the biggest shock of my life. I have never lost a close person
and Maurição is my best friend and he was my trainer.
I was just training in Rio because of him and I used to live
in his apartment. In the murder day I trained with Paulo Caruso
(physical trainer) and I called him but he didn't answer so I
went to the academy. When I got home was 11pm and that was weird
that all the lights were turned on and the computers turned on
as well. I saw a weird number in my cell phone and I called and
than Shana's mom (Maurição ex-girlfriend) told
me that a tragedy just happen. She said that Shana's dad did
shot in Maurição. When I went to the hospital and
I was shocked, I couldn't even cry. I spend hours, from 11pm
to 7am looking at his body, imagining how something like that
could happen. I didn't train for 7 days and I just returned to
trainings in Porto Alegre.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"One
word frees us of all the weïght and pain of life: That word
is love."
Sophocles, 496-406 B.C., Greek Tragic Dramatist
|
KICKIN
IT 2006 PART IV
Tonight!
WHAT: KICKIN IT 2006 PART IV
WHEN: JULY 7, 2006 - DOORS OPEN AT 6:00PM
WHERE: WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
JUSTIN
WONG
45
VINNIE DELASANTOS
ROBBIE OSTAVICH
117
SAGE YOSHIDA
BRYSEN BRIGHT
90
WESLEY DENIGO
LOREN KANOA
230
KAWIKA HONG
DAHWEN BRIGHT
60
NAINOA
KOICHI TANJI
128
THOMAS MATHIAS
KALAHIKI
165
TODD YOUNG
KAWENA
CORPUZ
155
ALDREN FERNANDEZ
TIM LAPITAN
160
BEN SANTIAG0
JUSTIN
LONO
145
RANDY RIVERA
TRISTON PEBRIA
70
MICAH SILVA
KENJI
SHW
ATI ATISANOE
KIMO
TOYAMA
270
FELISI MATAAFA
SADHU
BOTT
150
NICK CORREA
NATHAN NAKI
150
SAM FERERA
COLIN MCKENZIE
140
ROYCE POAHA
SHAISON LAUPOLA
160
RICKY MURILLO
DAVID
LUI
150
PENI TAUFAAO
RIN
DAO
100
JOHN
ALL
MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Event Promoter
|
RWE
& PXC Announce Pacific Rim Qualifier
RUMBLE/PXC 155lb Grand Prix
RWE Qualifier
RWE
is teaming up with PXC (Pacific X-treme Combat), Guam’s
number one fighting event, to find the best 155lb fighter in
the Pacific Rim. The event will consist of four 4-man tournaments.
The first two qualifiers will be held in Guam on July 28, 2006
and the other on October 13, 2006 at the UOG Field House in Mangilao,
Guam.
4-
Man Qualifier:
Guam
vs Thailand
Philippines vs Korea
Tentative
Super Fights:
Ross
"Da Boss" Ebanez (Hawaii) vs Joe Camacho (USA)
Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (Hawaii) vs JIHoon Kim (Korea)
Baby Joe (Guam) vs Albert "Always Bad" Manners (Hawaii)
Alex Castro (Guam) vs Jean Bealwin (Guam)
Source: ROTR
|
Full
Contact Fighter Starts Radio Show!
Full
Contact Fighter
is the premier MMA publication that has covered the sport of
MMA almost since the very beginning and is one of the most respected
in the world. It is the periodical that we write for and along
with "Big" Mike Neva have helped build the FCF MMA
Database.
Click
here
or on the logo to go to Full Contact Fighter's Radio Show website
to download the Podcast or list online. Don't foget to subscribe
to the newspaper and check out the site.
Source: FCF
|
K-1
Offers August Open Fighter Tryout
K-1, the world’s premiere martial arts fight promotion,
will host its fourth-ever open tryout for both stand-up fighting
and mixed martial arts competitors at Las Vegas, Nevada’s
Bellagio on Friday, August 11th and Saturday, August 12th, the
day of its “Battle at Bellagio” mega-card.
The
two-day trial period will be open to all fighters in all weight
classes and will serve as a means of recruiting new blood not
only for K-1’s stand-up fighting circuit, but also for its
mixed martial arts fight cards.
“It’s
the opportunity of a lifetime for anyone looking to do this for
a living and make a name for themselves in the sport,” said
25-year-old Patrick Barry, a graduate of the first open tryout
in K-1 history, held at the Bellagio in August 2004. Barry, a
powerful heavyweight Muay Thai striker, has since seen action
in K-1 events staged in both Japan and Las Vegas, including April
29th’s “Mayhem At Mirage II,” where he battled
Russia’s Alexandre Pitchkounov in a tournament reserve contest.
“The tryouts really helped launch my career with K-1. Before
that, I was just kind of floating around and looking for a window
that would lead to a shot in the big-time. It’s a great
feeling now to know that people 18,000 miles away know my name.”
The
April 29th card in Las Vegas also hosted the debut of another
K-1 tryout veteran, Dan Green. In 2005, Green, a former amateur
boxer and kickboxer from Utah, was simply a number amongst over
100 contestants vying for a place with the fight promotion.
Tryout
participants will partake in various exercises that test a wide
array of skills including speed, power, coordination, flexibility,
and knowledge of the sport. They will also engage in modified
sparring sessions with one another.
K-1
USA Fight Coordinator Sven Bean will oversee and direct all activities
during the two-day trial period. A group of judges as well as
executives from K-1 Japan and K-1 USA will observe the tryouts
and make recruiting decisions. Judges of past K-1 open fighter
tryouts have included legendary K-1 competitor Sam Greco as well
as three-time K-1 tournament champion, Michael McDonald, and
2005 K-1 World Grand Prix Hawaii champion, “Big Daddy”
Gary Goodridge.
Those
who wish to register for the tryout should contact Mr. Bean via
email at beanz4@msn.com or should fax a request for an official
tryout application to 303-400-1756. Candidates will be required
to make their own arrangements for travel and stay in Las Vegas
during the tryout period.
K-1
will supply all boxing gloves and headgear for the tryouts. Participants
will be required to bring their own shorts and protective equipment
including a groin protector, a mouthpiece, and shin guards.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"It's
not what you take but what you leave behind that defines greatness."
Edward Gardner, American Businessman and Founder of Soft Sheen
Products
|
SAKAKIBARA
CONFIRMS PRIDE-FSN AIR DATE
During Pride's post-fight press conference in Japan, MMAWeekly's
Scott Petersen asked Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki
Sakakibara about the company's plans to air the next Pride Bushido
event in the United States on Fox Sports Net. Sakakibara replied,
"The August 26th Bushido will be aired in the United States
during primetime on [Sunday] August 27th... it will be edited
into a two-hour show."
This
confirms previous reports by MMAWeekly that the next Pride Bushido
show would air on Fox Sports Net instead of pay-per-view in the
United States.
A
specific timeslot has not been determined, but "primetime
television" in the United States is defined as anytime between
7:00 PM and 11:00 PM on Sunday nights (or anytime between 8:00
PM and 11:00 PM on Monday through Saturday).
While
it has not yet been determined whether similar deals will be
in place for future Pride Bushido events after the one in August,
Sakakibara did say that he hopes to make the Bushido deal a long-term
arrangement and not just a one-time thing. Sakakibara said, "We
have a plan to make it a regular occurrence, so that Fox Sports
can run Pride Bushido regularly."
The
next Pride Bushido event will take place in Japan on August 26th
and will feature the quarter-finals of Pride's 183-pound Grand
Prix.
The
eight remaining fighters are Dan Henderson, Paulo Filho, Denis
Kang, Kazuo Misaki, Amar Suloev, Ryo Chonan (who might have to
withdraw due to injury), Akihiro Gono, and Gegard Mousasi. All
of those fighters won in the opening around of the tournament
on June 4th except for Henderson, who got a first-round bye due
to the fact that he was injured and had previously won Pride's
eight-man 183-pound Grand Prix in 2005.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
LIDDELL
VS. SOBRAL OFFICIAL
The rematch between Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and
Renato "Babalu" Sobral is now official. Tickets are
announced to go on sale this Sunday at 10 a.m. PST at all Ticketmaster
outlets.
Interesting
to note that the Ultimate Fighting Championship doesn't seem
to have donned this show with a separate monicker, instead choosing
to promote the show as UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral. It has been
only on the rare occasion that the UFC has sidestepped their
usual numbering and naming scheme and typically only for the
most high-profile fights, such as Liddell vs. Couture, etc.
Also
rumored, but not yet confirmed to be on that card are matchups
of Sean Sherk vs. Kenny Florian for the vacant UFC Lightweight
Title which Jens Pulver vacated, but never lost in a fight; David
Loiseau vs. Mike Swick; and David Terrell vs. either Anderson
Silva OR Nathan Marquardt in a middleweight contender's match.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GASSAWAY
& TOURNEY HIGHLIGHT EC 68
Extreme Challenge tourney full of young talent
HAYWARD,
Wis. -- Over the years, the Extreme Challenge 8-man tourney at
LCO Casino has helped discover some of the sport's top stars.
In
EC 21 it was Matt Hughes and Dennis Hallman; In EC 29 Hughes
was back, along with Dave Menne, Joe Doerksen, LaVerne Clark
and Chris Lytle; In EC 63 it was Brock Larson and Ryan McGivern.
The
EC 68 event, scheduled July 15, will feature an 8-man welterweight
tourney with a field that has combined to win 48 bouts, while
losing only 12.
"We're
hoping to find the next Matt Hughes," says promoter Monte
Cox. "We did it before, so who's to say we can't do it again?"
Headlining
the show is a battle between Jamie Toney (6-2) and UFC veteran
Brian Gassaway (21-14).
But,
the tourney always seems to steal the show.
"This
year, we'll do the first two rounds... then, the two finalists
will return to fight for the title on Aug. 26," Cox explained.
The
tourney features: Chad Reiner (10-0) of Omaha, Nebraska; Dustin
Hazlette (5-2) of Huntington, W.V.; Victor Moreno (16-5) of Des
Moines, Iowa; Bobby Volker (5-1) of Kansas City, Mo.; Mark Bear
(6-4) of Tama, Iowa; Justin Wilcox (1-0) of Erie, Pa.; Nick Sorg
(4-0) of Findlay, Ohio; and Edward O'Daniel (1-0) of Dayton,
Ohio.
Tickets
are available at LCO Casino. Check out the website at www.lcocasino.com.
Special
guests include former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver; current
UFC stars Spencer Fisher and Jorge Gurgel and former UFC heavyweight
standout Andre Roberts.
Extreme
Challenge 68
July 15, LCO Casino, Hayward, Wis.
Main
Event
Jamie Toney (6-2) vs. Brian Gassaway (21-14)
8-man
Welterweight Tournament
Chad Reiner (10-0) Omaha, Nebraska
Dustin Hazlette (5-2) Huntington, W.V.
Victor Moreno (16-5) Des Moines, Iowa
Bobby Volker (5-1) Kansas City, Mo.
Mark Bear (6-4) Tama, Iowa
Justin Wilcox (1-0) Erie, Pa.
Nick Sorg (4-0) Findlay, Ohio
Edward O'Daniel (1-0) Dayton, Ohio
Alternate
Bout
Jason Loucke (3-0) Bettendorf, Iowa
Mike Cardosa (0-0) Carlsbad, Calif.
Special
appearances
Jens Pulver, former UFC lightweight champion
Jorge Gurgel, UFC vet, Ultimate Fighter TV
Spencer Fisher, 4-time UFC standout
Andre Roberts, 4-time UFC standout
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MILETICH
TALKS IFL, UFC, AND LAWSUITS
GO TO MMAWEEKLY TV TO SEE VIDEO INTERVIEW
Prior
to leading the Silverbacks to the first team championship in
the International Fight League, Pat Miletich spoke with MMAWeekly
about the IFL, the UFC, and the lawsuits between the two companies.
When
the IFL kicked off their debut event in April, several questions
about the organization were on the minds of fight fans. How would
the team concept work? What were the rules? Would American mixed
martial arts in a ring add to the validity of the sport? Viewers
came to their own conclusions when the IFL aired on Fox Sports
Net.
Pat
Miletich had nothing but good things to say about the IFL’s
splash on the MMA scene. He commented, “The one thing about
this organization is that they have done everything that they
said they would do. That’s rare in this sport. They’re
setting the bar a little higher for everybody. That’s great.
Competition is great for the sport. Everybody is going to benefit.
The high tide raises all the ships. The UFC is going to benefit,
Pride is going to benefit... the WFA, the IFL. It’s so exciting
to have more avenues for the athletes to compete in.”
When
asked about the obstacles that the IFL might face in the coming
year, Miletich replied, “I see really no obstacles. There
are a lot of people on board. There are a lot more people that
are coming on board, and I really don’t see the obstacles.
I think there’s a few people out there that had a problem
with the team concept, but when you think about it, anybody that
was raised in a wrestling concept, you wrestled for yourself,
and you wrestled for your team. Even in amateur boxing in the
Golden Gloves, there are team points kept, and individual. So,
yes it can be a team sport, and it’s great."
Miletich
added, "There are a lot of people out there that don’t
understand wrestling, but there are millions and millions people
out there who love fighting. So, when it transfers over from
the team concept in wrestling, amateur boxing, [and] things like
that into mixed martial arts, it’s an easy fit because everybody
loves to watch it... nothing is better than when one team has
two victories, the other team has two victories, you’re
down to the last match, down to the last round where each guy
has won one round, and it’s pivotal for the team. Also,
when you connect the city names to the teams there’s going
to be a lot of allegiance to those teams. It’s really going
to go well.”
Miletich
gave a public deposition on behalf of the IFL in the ongoing
court battle between the IFL and the UFC. He was asked if he
regretted it, or if he was happy with his statements. He answered,
“I don’t regret it at all because at some point you’ve
got to stand up for yourself and what you believe and the fighters
and the athletes. I had to do it. I was pushed into a corner,
and that’s the way it is. I’ve got to feed my family,
too, and I’m going to do what I have to do for the athletes,
myself, and for the sport. I knew the IFL was good for the sport...
and shortsightedness on the UFC’s part, but it’s going
to be good for the UFC, too."
Miletich
further commented, “The UFC is obviously trying to protect
their interests, and you can’t blame them for that, but
at the same time, hey, everybody has got to pay their bills.
You know? There’s enough money for every man’s needs,
but not enough for one man’s greed. That’s just the
way it is. I’m looking out for the fighters. The UFC was
looking out for the UFC, and we’re going to butt heads.
That’s just the way it’s going to be. I still support
the UFC. I’ll still train fighters and throw them in the
UFC. I’ve always loved the UFC events, and as long as they
allow it to happen, I’ll be here to help.”
When
asked about the court cases between the UFC and the IFL, and
whether they will go to trial, Miletich responded, “I’m
not sure what is going on with the court deal. I know the IFL
did very well down in Vegas, and I don’t think they have
any problems there, but I don’t know. I think the UFC has
got to go to court now. The IFL is bringing them up to New York
as far as I know, but I’m staying out of that.”
Miletich
continued, “When you get another event on TV, you bring
more fans. The more fans there are out there, the more fans that
are going to buy UFC pay-per-views. The sport is just getting
more exposure, so it’s easy for me to see. It might be hard
for some other people to see, but eventually, maybe we’re
already seeing it. Maybe the buys are already going up, aren’t
they?”
During
his interview with MMAWeekly, Miletich told a very interesting
story about his friend and colleague Bas Rutten, who is also
a coach in the IFL. The story is about Rutten and Chicago Bears
linebacker Brian Urlacher. Miletich said, “Urlacher and
his brother were at the fund raiser where Bas showed up, and
they were mad a Bas because Bas stole all of their thunder...
Bas went up, played the drums, sang a song for the crowd. Everybody
was cheering and roaring for Bas."
As
Miletich continued the story, he said, "Bas jumped down
off stage and walked past the Urlacher, accidentally stepped
on the tip of one of the Urlacher’s shoes, and they shoved
him. Bas apologized three times in a row, and they kept saying,
you know, 'We’ll smash you, you little twerp.' They didn’t
know who he was. Bas just finally turned around and said, 'That’s
three strikes and normally you would be out, but this is a charity
event and we’re supposed to be gentlemen.' Bas turned around
to walk away and Urlacher from the Bears said, 'Do you want to
take it outside?' The crowd is thinking Urlacher is picking on
somebody, and everybody laughed at Bas. Bas turned around and
said, 'Yes, I’d like that very much.' The bouncers intervened
and told Urlacher who Bas was, and what was about to happen.
Then Urlacher was suddenly apologetic.”
Pat
Miletich is scheduled to come out of retirement to fight fellow
IFL coach Renzo Gracie on September 23rd at an IFL show in Moline,
Illinois.
GO
TO MMAWEEKLY TV TO SEE VIDEO INTERVIEW
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"There's
no scarcity of opportunïty to make a living at what you
love.
There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen."
Wayne Dyer, American Psychotherapist/Author/Lecturer
|
GOT
SKILLS FIGHTER EVENT RESULTS
MONDAY,
JULY 3 (holiday follows)
PAGODA C'EST SI BON ROOM
EXHIBITION (BOTH FIGHTERS DID NOT MAKE WEIGHT)
MAKANA SARONDE BULLSPEN
140
SEAN MATSUMOTO UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
SARAONDE BY ARMBAR AT 1:21 IN ROUND 3
JUSTIN
PARK BULLSPEN
180
CHAD DEMELLO UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
PARK BY TRIANGLE AT 1:47 IN ROUND 3
UNDER 18
MARCUS MARTINEZ BULLSPEN
140
DEVIN CHONG HARD KNOCKS
CHONG BY UNANIMOUS DECISION (29-28)(30-27)(29-26)
BROOKE BOHLEN JESUS IS LORD
145
BOBBY ILAE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
BOHLEN BY UNANIMOUS DECISION (30-25)(30-27)(30-25)
ARMUNDO AGULAR BULLSPEN
205
JUSTIN LAWELAWE UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
AGULAR BY ARMBAR FROM THE MOUNT AT 1:43 IN ROUND 3
DWAYNE HANEY BULLSPEN
130
JOE FRANCES DONDUSAR VEGAS FIGHT CLUB
HANEY BY UNANIMOUS DECISION (30-26)(30-24)(30-25)
EXHIBITION (BOTH FIGTHERS' OPPONENTS PULLED OUT)
HUNTER SELLBINDER BULLSPEN
205
KALAI IRVINE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
SELLBINDER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION (29-26)(29-26)(29-24)
KICKBOXING
CHAVIS VICTORIA ANIMAL HOUSE
300+
BOB ATISANOE HSD
VICTORIA BY UNANIMOUS DECISION (30-27)(30-28)(29-27)
EVAN
LOWTHER JESUS IS LORD
180
KENNY BEGA ANIMAL HOUSE
LOWTHER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION (29-28)(30-27)(29-28)
IKAIKA MORENO BULLSPEN
155
JOHN SANBORN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
MORENO BY GUILLOTINE AT 1:38 IN ROUND 3
UNDER 18
JORDAN FATTORA EWA BEACH GRAPPLING
135
JACOB SEARS BULLSPEN
FEARS BY MAJORITY DECISION (29-28)(29-28)(29-29)
UNDER
18
COREY FREITAS ANIMAL HOUSE
130
JULIO MORENO BULLSPEN
FREITAS BY UNANIMOUS DECISION (29-27)(29-26)(30-26)
MIKE CUBAN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
165
ABE JOHANASEN UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
CUBAN BY REFEREE STOP AT 1:52 OF ROUND 2 (JOHANASEN INJURED KNEE
AND COULD NOT CONTINUE)
IKAIKA CASTAGEN TEAM MIXBREED
190
THOMAS SODENO BULLSPEN
SODENO BY UNANIMOUS DECISION (30-25)(30-25)(30-28)
BEN
RODRIGUES HSD
175
STEVE FARMER UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
MAJORITY DRAW (29-29)(29-29)(29-28)
|
Quick
Q&A with former UFC Heavyweight Champion: Frank Mir
MaxFighting:
Hello Frank, thanks for the opportunity to interview you? So
how things going lately and how is your training for UFC 61 coming?
Frank Mir: All is well and training very hard for the fight in
July.
MaxFighting:
When did you return to the training after UFC 57?
Frank Mir: I took a few weeks off and got back at training.
MaxFighting:
Did you have any serious injury after your fight against Marcio
Cruz, or just a few stitches?
Frank Mir: No, just stitches.
MaxFighting:
I know you must not have been happy with your performance, what's
your take on the fight?
Frank Mir: I got caught in side control and got caught with an
elbow which produced quite a bit of bleeding. Not much to analyze.
It happens in the fight game.
MaxFighting:
Is there any position or moment in that fight that you feel your
missed an oppurtunity?
Frank Mir: I wanted to keep most of the fight standing and that
was about all. I wanted to showcase some of my standup.
MaxFighting:
How did you see this fight going differently?
Frank Mir: Not getting cut so early was first... second was having
more of a stand up fight.
MaxFighting:
What did you think about Cruz? Do you think even you lost, a
rematch would be much different?
Frank Mir: Cruz is a tough competitor, a world champion in submission
grappling and jiu jitsu. You can not take anything away from
him. He is a real fighter.
MaxFighting:
Would you like to re-match him this year?
Frank Mir: I would like to have a rematch with any fighter that
I've lost to
MaxFighting:
You had not fight in MMA since 2004, so how hard was it to return?
Frank Mir: I had to believe in my abilities and train hard.
MaxFighting:
At any moment did you think of giving-up of your fighter career?
Frank Mir: Never thought of not fighting once. It just took time
to rehab my leg and get the strength back in it.
MaxFighting:
So what is your opinion about the heavyweight fighters and the
heavyweight division nowadays?
Frank Mir: Most any fighter that has to guts to step into the
cage is tough. The heavy weight division is tough... look at
Andrey Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Jeff Monson, Paul Buentello, Brandon
Vera... etc.... these are all world class heavyweights.
MaxFighting:
Even as a former champion, you returned to the division with
a defeat. So you do think you have a tough road to the championship?
Frank Mir: That is up to the UFC, Dana White and Joe Silva.
MaxFighting:
In your next fight, you fight someone bigger and taller than
even cruz? So what did you add to you training to fight Dan "The
Sandman" Christison?
Frank Mir: I fought Wes Sims before who is also extremely tall
and freakishly strong. Dan seems to be well rounded and in good
shape. I have to be attentive to that.
MaxFighting:
Is this the most important fight to get you back on track?
Frank Mir: I look at every fight as an important fight.
MaxFighting:
Quick question. Arlovski or Sylvia and why?
Frank Mir: I would like to fight them both again. Arlovski for
the challenge and since I have not met him. And Sylvia for the
challenge and to give him the rematch that he wants.
MaxFighting:
Would you like to leave a final message to the readers? Sponsors
to thanks?
Frank Mir: Thanks to all my great fans. I truly think you are
the best. Thanks to my sponsors, XYIENCE, NO GI, Fightersnutrition.com,
Fightflesh, and Cobb 28.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Tito
Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock 2
At UFC 61 on July 8, Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz are going in
for another romp in the octagon. This is a rematch of their fight
from November 2002, a bout which defined the UFC from that point
forward.
Tito
won the initial fight. In fact, he obliterated Ken. Ken later
blamed the loss on a leg injury, but it's good business for a
fighter have an excuse in store in order to save face. The bout
was, at the time, the most watched UFC fight under Zuffa, a record
that of course has been obliterated since. It was also the biggest
gate in UFC history, another record that has been usurped by
more recent fights in Las Vegas.
Tito
and Ken have the build of the most recent series of The Ultimate
Fighter to back them, and the pay per view will do well. Ken
Shamrock is coming off a couple of embarassing losses to Rich
Franklin and Kazushi Sakuraba, though. The Franklin loss is particularly
devastating because it happened to so quickly on U.S. cable television,
and was viewed by millions.
It
was thought at the time that Ken's drawing power had been damaged
badly in the UFC. That is actually probably still the case, although
fans could justify the loss in their minds as Franklin went on
to win the Middleweight title. Thusly, it is ok for Shamrock
to lose to a name fighter, although it would have been better
if he had won.
There
is no reason why the Tito-Ken rematch should be any different
from their first fight. Tito beat Ken so badly the first time,
and has looked great in his recent fights. Ken has not looked
great in any fight this decade. And that is not hyperbole.
Ken
is tough when he wants to be, but can also flake out when the
situation arises. Ken has a lot of pride (hubris?), so I think
he'll take the beating and may threaten to go the distance with
Tito. The likely situation is that Tito wins this one again by
TKO. If not, then Tito should be able to win the decision.
Tito
should soon work his way to a rematch with Chuck, which will
do good business. After Ken loses this fight, I don't see any
value in him. He has now done the Tito rematch, he has done the
passing of the torch match (with Tito the first time, subsequently
with Rich Franklin). He has done a nostalgia match with Kimo,
and he has been used as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. All
that's really left would be a nostalgia match with Royce Gracie,
and that's not a good idea for a variety of reasons, most prominently
because it might not draw and because Royce would probably lose
again. And that's if Royce would even do the fight.
Also
notably at UFC 61 will be the third fight between Andrei Arlovski
and Tim Sylvia over the heavyweight. This fight is so straightfoward.
Arlovski won the first by submission, and Sylvia won the second
by knockout. The rubber match will likely end in the same manner
as one of the first two fights, but it is just hard to say which
one. Arlovski has a glass jaw and Sylvia is bad on the ground,
so it's just a matter of who has more willpower come the night
of July 8.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Interview
with UFC 61 Fighter: Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino
The Armory representative and 11-1 fighter Kurt Pellegrino, also
known by the nickname "Batman", will debut at UFC 61-"Bitter
Rivals" scheduled July 8th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Pellegrino will have in front of him Drew "The Master"
Fickett in a 170lb welterweight matchup. Fickett is 2-2 in UFC
and will try to make up for his recent loss to Josh Burkman at
Ultimate Fight Night 3, with a victory over Pellegrino.
MaxFighting:
Is this a dream come true for you?
Kurt Pellegrino: Man, that’s an understatement. I started
the road to this dream 6 years ago. It's a huge dream coming
true and a huge honor to be invited to the UFC.
MaxFighting:
Is your fight resume accurate? If not what's the real number
of fights you've fought?
KP: My professional record is 13-1.
MaxFighting:
The reason I ask is you fought several events titled amateur,
right? Do you consider those fights amateur experiences?
KP: No. Actually none of my prior fights were amateur. All 14
fights were professional and I received fight purses for each
one.
MaxFighting:
Among these fights, you faced the current KOTC champion Mac Danzig
twice and beat him both times. What can you say about these two
tough fight against Danzig?
KP: The first fight against Mac was obviously my first fight
and I was so nervous. I think I controlled the match pretty well
with my takedowns and strikes. The 2nd fight I was only a blue
belt (under Ricardo Almeida) and I think I was a little too young
to be fighting for the WEC North American title, but Ricardo
thought I had what it took to win the fight. I got the win with
my takedowns and ground and pound. I didn't even know how to
box at this point. It wasn't my best performance to say the least,
but I have grown so much in the passed four years there is no
comparison to me then and me now.
MaxFighting:
How did you get this nickname Batman?
KP: Basically it was a lucky t-shirt back in grade school. I
was running late for one of my wrestling tournaments and grabbed
a batman t-shirt. Up until this point I really hadn't been winning
any matches. Until that day. I won the whole tournament and swore
the batman t-shirt was the reason. I still wear it to this day
before every fight, even with all the holes. So that's really
the story, it's not really a nickname, but that's ok! Supposedly
a new nickname out there for me came when I defeated Daniel Moraes
in the Gracie Arnold Classic back in March and that was Casca-Grossa...so
I hope that one sticks!
MaxFighting:
I watched your fight against Satoru Kitaoka at Pancrase 2004
Neo-Blood Tournament, Day Event. What are you thoughts about
that fight? You were dominating all the action and I couldn't
believe you got choked.
KP: I'm still dreaming of the day Satoru will give me my rematch.
It's a fight I would do for one cent! But thanks to him giving
me my first loss is why I am more determined than ever. I felt
what it was like to lose and I won't do it again. Accidents happen
everyday, that wasn't the best time in my life and God was on
his side that night. Lucky for me I have grown so much overall
since that time and I am awaiting my rematch!!!!!
MaxFighting:
So was that Pancrase fight your 7th? Do you think you lacked
international-experience to finish the fight?
KP: That wasn't my 7th fight it was my 8th. It could have been
a lack of experience, but at that time in my life I had a lot
of things going on personally and it was hard to stay focused.
My head just wasn't clear. Things are much different and so much
better for me now and I am focused 110%.
MaxFighting:
At that time you represented Renzo Gracie's squad. Did you start
with him?
KP: I started with Ricardo Almeida in 2000. I did train with
Renzo at that time; he was in my corner for the Pancrase fight.
They are the same team, but my instructor was Ricardo Almeida.
MaxFighting:
Tell us the most important things you learned representing Renzo
and Almeida?
KP: Representing Renzo and Almeida is representing Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu. I learned everything I know in BJJ from Ricardo Almeida.
I learned a lot from them both. I take all of that into the ring
everytime I fight.
MaxFighting:
So you left Renzo to join the American Top Team, why?
KP: I moved to Florida with my then fiancée, now wife,
Melissa last June. We had been living together in New Jersey
for almost 7 years, since we graduated high school. We were really
looking for a change and we decided Florida was the best place
for both of us and I could still continue my fighting career
with ATT. They are a great team that welcomed me with open arms
and I still have many friends at ATT.
MaxFighting:
Now you're with Hermes Franca at The Armory. When this idea came
about, what appealed to you as opposed to the Top Team.
KP: When my wife and I originally moved down to Florida we lived
about 15 minutes from Hermes' school and about an hour from ATT.
We then moved to Jupiter right down the street from Hermes' school
because I was teaching and training there 6 days a week. Once
Hermes decided to start his own team it was only natural that
I would stay with him. He was my main training partner, he promoted
me to Black Belt, and we became very close. It's Me, Hermes,
Wald Bloise, Raphael Chaves, and Matt Wiman. We have an awesome
team with great guidance from Joe Mullings, (the owner/our manager).
At the Armory we are like family, our wives and girlfriends work
at the school and it's always a good atmosphere. The facility
is huge and we are in construction right now. It will be almost
10,000 square feet when it's done is a couple months.
MaxFighting:
How many times have you fought under the Armory banner?
KP: I have fought just once under The Armory, but Hermes has
been in my corner for my fights when I represented ATT as well.
MaxFighting:
The Armory is a new team and Hermes Franca and you are the main
guys, plus Mat Wiman too. So what other names do you think will
come to make the team's name grow in a near future?
KP: Matt was offered his UFC debut on 8 days notice last month
and put on a war with Spencer Fisher. He is a great guy with
lots of talent and room to grow so we are looking forward to
the future with him. We aren't looking for lots of fighters to
join our team. We are more about quality then quantity and honestly
what we have right now is working for us great. Like I said before,
we are all like family and we all click so well. Matt fit in
so perfectly it's even better now!
MaxFighting:
Let's talk about your match at UFC 61 on July 8th against Drew
Fickett. Is this fight going to be in 155lb or in 170lb weight
class? Which do you prefer to fight in and why?
KP: It will be at 170 pounds. I have worked the passed year on
building muscle and putting on weight so I can make my career
at 170, because the UFC took away the 155 pound division. And
now that I've bulked up, they bring the 155 pounders back[laughs].
Either way I am prepared to put on a war at 170. If one day a
fight is offered at 155, I would take it under the right circumstances.
MaxFighting:
Fickett likes submission and I know you like them too. So do
you think this fight will develop on the ground more than standing?
KP: I am prepared to take the fight on the ground and on my feet.
I think it's a great match-up because he is a very good grappler
and as well as I am. I just really want to put on a great show
for the crowd so that's what will happen.
MaxFighting:
Fickett is 2-2 in UFC. Do you think he has an advantage over
you due to his UFC's experience?
KP: He's fought in the UFC 4 times to my none. So yes it seems
like he would have an advantage over me, but I do my best work
under pressure so I am excited for the UFC debut pressure.
MaxFighting:
Fickett has around 30 professional fights. Do you think this
gives him a competitive advantage?
KP: He may have more fights than me, but I've competed in jiu
jitsu and wrestling tournaments all my life. The experience he
has is good, but it does not intimidate me. I am a born competitor
and I will be ready for whatever happens that night.
MaxFighting:
Any final message to the readers or any sponsors to thanks? This
is your place, talk about whatever you want!
KP: There are so many people I want to thank because I feel they
all had a part in bringing me to this point in my life, this
dream coming true. From my high school wrestling coaches, especially
Paul Zambito and (the late) Miles Hahn to my training partners
today, Hermes Franca, Wald Bloise, Raphael Chaves, Matt Wiman,
Pablo Popovich, Joe Mullings, Todd Alofs, Matt Murphy, Justin
Haskins, Trey Burlingame and the rest of the team for each helping
out in their own way. I want to thank my family, my cousins,
my in-laws, and all my friends back home in NJ for all of them
always supporting me. Lastly, my beautiful wife Melissa for putting
up with all my shit and always taking care of me and for rescheduling
our honeymoon so I could get to full time training as soon as
I got the UFC call! I will be ready!!!!
And thank you so much to Chris Brennan and NoGi for sponsoring
me. This is a dream come true, every fighter dreams of this,
now it's happening for me. Drew Fickett has become my destiny
and I am counting the minutes until July 8th!
Source: Maxfighting
|
|
7/4/06 Happy 4th of July! |
Quote
of the Day
"Modesty
is the only sure bait when you angle for praise."
Lord Chesterfield, 1694-1773, British Statesman and Diplomat
|
PRIDE
GRAND PRIX: AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR
Anticipation was high as Pride's "Critical Countdown Absolute"
event got underway. Dream Stage Entertainment, the parent company
of Pride Fighting Championships, managed to put on another excellent
production despite the recent setbacks caused by Fuji TV’s
cancellation of their television contract.
In
the opening fight, Polish Judo legend Pawel Nastula finally got
his first win in Pride. After losing his debut against Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and a tough fight with Aleksander Emelianenko,
Nastula defeated the debuting Edson Drago by armbar in the first
round. Pawel punished Drago with accurate punches from the mount
and was impressive in victory. The smile on his face was comparable
to a child receiving a year’s supply of candy bars. This
was a solid win for the Judoka, and hopefully fans will get the
opportunity to see him fight again in Pride.
Yoshihiro
Nakao made a successful transition from the K-1 Hero's promotion
to Pride when he defeated Korea’s Lee Eun Su in the first
round. With a new nickname of "Kiss" and his cornermen
jokingly holding him back during the pre-fight staredown, the
referee actually said, "No kissing." Once the serious
business of the actual fight began, Nakao controlled the entire
bout, using his superior wrestling skills and punishing the taller
Korean with an array of punches and hammer fists. The end of
the bout came when the doctors stopped the fight due to a massive
hematoma under one of Su's eyes.
Vitor
Belfort rebounded from his recent loss to Alistair Overeem by
knocking out Pancrase veteran Yoshiki Takahashi in the first
round Having fallen on hard times personally and professionally,
Belfort gave his loyal fans a glimpse of the "old Vitor."
Takahashi started the fight by throwing low kicks. The first
time that the two fighters engaged, Belfort landed a left hook
that dropped Takahashi into the corner of the ring. The ref immediately
stepped in to stop the fight, and a sigh of relief could be felt
amid Vitor’s excitement. Though this was just a tune-up
fight for Belfort, the victory was a confidence booster and a
positive mark in Vitor’s recently inconsistent career.
With
Linkin Park’s "In the End" serving as his entrance
music, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira walked into the Pride ring for
the first time in just over a year. His opponent was Alistair
Overeem, who previously lost to Nogueira via unanimous decision
at Pride 29 in early 2005.
This
time around, Nogueira looked a little tentative at the beginning
of the fight, showing some signs of ring rust. On the other hand,
Overeem started more aggressively than he did in their first
fight, throwing high and low kicks. The fight remained competitive
until Nogueira landed a left hook in the second round that staggered
Overeem to the corner. Sensing that Overeem was hurt, Nogueira
unloaded with a barrage of unanswered punches, causing Overeem’s
corner to throw in the towel. The win could very well make Nogueira
in the number one contender for Wanderlei Silva’s Pride
Middleweight (205-pound) Title.
The
debut of Cage Rage veteran and Chute Boxe fighter Evangelista
"Cyborg" Santos was spoiled when he was submitted by
Kazuhiro Nakamura. Nakamura took Santos down early with a single-leg
takedown, and that’s where the fight remained until Nakamura
secured a keylock. Santos had the opportunity to throw just one
punch in the fight.
In
the first of the four Grand Prix tournament match-ups on this
card, former Pride Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
faced off with fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner Fabricio
Werdum. Given the fact that both of these fighters are so talented
in BJJ, this match-up had "stalemate" written all over
it once the fight hit the ground. However, it was apparent that
Nogueira's boxing was more refined when the two fighters were
in the stand-up position. Nogueira dropped Werdum with big punches
on two different occasions in the first round, though Werdum
did work his left jab and throw some nice punches of his own.
For
the remainder of the fight, Werdum was reluctant to exchange
and was more focused on scoring takedowns. After three competitive
rounds, Nogueira earned a unanimous decision. In an act of respect
to Mauricio Pereira, Fabricio’s late BJJ coach, Nogueira
and Werdum stood in the ring after the fight and held up a t-shirt
remembering their fallen countryman. The shirt had a picture
of Pereira and the following words written: “His energy
is our power."
Josh
Barnett moved one step closer to the Grand Prix title by submitting
former K-1 kickboxing champion Mark Hunt. Shortly after the start
of the fight, Barnett took Hunt to ground and used his wrestling
skills to gain side control. Hunt’s inexperience on the
ground showed, as he succumbed to a kimura shortly after the
fight hit the ground.
In
one of the most anticipated fights of the evening, Pride Middleweight
Champion Wanderlei Silva took on Japanese heavyweight Kazuyuki
"Iron Head" Fujita. The initial staredown was intense,
raising the excitement for fans in attendance.
The
fight began with the two fighters circling and feeling each other
out. A missed high kick attempt from Silva resulted in Fujita
charging Silva into the ropes with a running knee. The knee glanced
off of Silva’s body and threw Fujita off balance. Silva
promptly chased Fujita to the opposite corner of the ring, throwing
a barrage of knees and punches. Regaining his composure, Fujita
secured a single leg and took the fight to the ground. Wanderlei
showed great positioning and defense in the guard. From his back,
Silva secured an armbar. Wincing in pain, Fujita used his strength
to break out of the hold.
After
another unsuccessful armbar attempt and some inactivity, the
fight was stood up and both fighters received a yellow card.
The fight would remain standing until there was about one minute
left on the clock in the first round.
At
that point, Silva landed a right hook that staggered Fujita.
Recognizing that Fujita was in trouble, Wanderlei landed two
more vicious left-right combos that dropped the Japanese fighter
to the mat for a second time. A barrage of punches, hammer fists,
and soccer kicks followed until the fight was called. Fujita
received more punishment than necessary, and referee Yuji Shamada
clearly should have stopped the fight after Fujita slumped to
the ground for the second time.
In
the main event of the evening, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
faced off against Judo Gold Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida. Mirko
was calm throughout the fight and remained very focused. Yoshida
seemed to feel comfortable exchanging with Mirko, but was unable
to overcome his takedown defense and devastating low kicks. As
the fight progressed, the accumulation of low kicks took its
toll and Yoshida began to limp.
An
uppercut by Cro Cop put Yoshida on his back, and the referee
ordered a stand-up when Cro Cop elected not to enter Yoshida's
world on the ground. The damage from the leg kicks made it painful
just for Yoshida to stand back up. When he did stand back up,
another vicious low kick from Cro Cop dropped the Japanese star
for good. With Yoshida unable to continue, the ref called an
end to the fight.
Overall,
Critical Countdown Absolute was a very good show. Of the nine
fights scheduled, only one fight went to a decision. The production
values and entertainment level remained intact, despite setbacks
outside of the ring and the lack of a Fuji TV production crew.
Despite
some mismatches, the undercard was decent. However, the tournament
matches were the highlight of the evening, and the event surpassed
my expectations. The tournament results produced a hardcore fight
fan’s dream: Four world-class competitors whose fights will
be eagerly anticipated no matter how they're matched up in the
semi-finals.
With
another solid event under Pride's belt, anticipation will be
high for Final Conflict Absolute, which takes place on September
10th.
Full
Results
Tournament
Matches:
-Mirko
Cro Cop def. Hidehiko Yoshida by TKO at 7:38 of Round 1
-Josh
Barnett def. Mark Hunt by submission (kimura) at 2:02 of Round
1
-Wanderlei
Silva def. Kazuyuki Fujita by TKO at 9:21 of Round 1
-Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira def. Fabricio Werdum by unanimous decision
Non-Tournament
Matches:
-Kazuhiro
Nakamura def. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos by submission
(keylock) at 4:49 of Round 1
-Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira def. Alistair Overeem by TKO (corner stoppage)
at 2:13 of Round 2
-Vitor
Belfort def. Yoshiki Takahashi by KO at 0:36 of Round 1
-Yoshihiro
Nakao def. Lee Eun Su by TKO at 4:16 of Round 1
-Pawel
Nastula def. Edson Drago by submission (armbar) at 4:33 of Round
1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FABER
AND WORSHAM WIN IN SACRAMENTO
A rising star in MMA and a veteran of the UFC's early years were
each victorious on the Gladiator Challenge card in Sacramento,
California this weekend.
Gladiator
Challenge's 145-pound champion, Urijah Faber, became just the
third fighter to stop Shooto veteran Naoya Uematsu, as Faber
won by TKO in the second round. Faber improved his MMA record
to 14-1, with the lone defeat coming against the undefeated Tyson
Griffin by TKO.
Meanwhile,
after starting his career with a 14-3-2 record, Uematsu has now
lost his last three fights, although those losses did come against
tough competition in the form of Faber, Shooto veteran Kenji
Osawa, and undefeated Strikeforce lightweight Gilbert Melendez.
On
the same Gladiator Challenge card this weekend in Sacramento,
early UFC veteran Cal Worsham fought in his retirement bout against
Harry Avis, whose MMA record going into the fight was 0-0-1.
Worsham
won the fight by TKO when the doctor stopped the fight after
the first round. Worsham made his MMA debut back at UFC 6, where
he lost to Paul Varelans. Worsham later lost to Tank Abbott in
the UFC, though he did defeat Zane Frazier at UFC 9.
Full
Results
-Urijah
Faber def. Naoya Uematsu by TKO in Round 2
-Cal
Worsham def. Harry Avis by TKO after Round 1
-James
Fanshier def. Steve Renaud by TKO in Round 1
-Emanuel
Newton def. Kyacey Uscola by TKO in Round 2
-Bo
Cantrell def. Rocky Batastini by TKO in Round 1
-Jaime
Jara def. Dusty Arden by submission (guillotine choke) in Round
1
-Chris
Yee def. Nick Germond by submission (rear naked choke) in Round
1
-Buckley
Acosta def. Jimmy Freitag by TKO in Round 1
-Anthony
Ruiz def. Dan Molina by unanimous decision
-Chris
David def. Noah Shinable by TKO in Round 2
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FIGHTERS
ANNOUNCED FOR "WEC: THE HITMAN"
The WEC has announced several of the fighters who will be competing
on the upcoming "WEC: The Hitman" card, which is a
benefit event for the Ryan Bennett Family Benefit Fund.
As
previously announced, the show will take place on Friday, July
28th at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California.
One-hundred percent of the gate receipts from the event will
be donated to the Benefit Fund, which goes directly to Ryan's
family. Since the show was announced, many fighters have stepped
up and have agreed to compete on the show.
Here
is the line-up for the card so far, as listed by the WEC:
-Urijah
Faber vs. Cory Cass (submission grappling super-fight match)
-Keith Barry vs. TBA
-Sam Morgan vs. TBA
-Dennis "Piranha" Davis vs. TBA
-Craig "Big Z" Zellner vs. TBA
-Thomas Schulte vs. TBA
-Mikko Rupponen vs. TBA
-Doug "The Rhino" Marshall vs. TBA
-Glover "The Brazilian Pit Bull" Teixeira vs. TBA
-Nick "The Goat" Thompson vs. JT Taylor
-Jake O'Brien vs. TBA
-Poppies "Tachi Kid" Martinez vs. TBA
-Mike Whitehead vs. TBA
-Wes "The Project" Sims vs. TBA
Christian
Printup, the Director of Entertainment at the Tachi Palace Hotel
and Casino, said in an official statement, "I'd like to
again take a second to applaud all of the fighters listed above
for stepping up to the plate to help Ryan's wife and children.
We need guys to continue to step up and challenge the men listed
above. This event is an opportunity to help give back to the
family of a man who was such an influential figure in MMA and
his influence in the sport was only overshadowed by his love
of life, and his family and friends. Ryan was so much more than
one of the WEC broadcast team, he was a dear friend to so many
of us and we must come together to help out... again, big props
to the fighters mentioned above for helping out and the list
doesn't stop there. Scott Adams is working hard to add some more
well known popular fighters to this card."
Tickets
for the event went on sale on June 27th, with general admission
tickets priced at $20 and reserved seats beginning with Row E
priced at $40. You can order your tickets to the event by calling
the Tachi Palace's Gift Shop at 1-866-4-PALACE (1-866-472-5223).
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Truth
is always exciting. Speak it, then; life is dull without it."
Pearl S. Buck, 1892-1973, American Novelist |
Last
Icon Sport Show Today!
Well, it's
our last show this Monday, July 3rd, as ESPN has taken over
1420am. I'm gonna miss doing this on Monday. As usual, we're
talking
Ultimate Fight Night, PRIDE OWGP, the September 2nd Icon Card
w/ Lawler vs.
Mayhem, and probably breaking every FCC reg out there as it's
the last
show--what are they going to do, cancel us?
(For streaming audio, go to http;// www.sportsradio1420.com and
click on the
"SkyBox streaming" under the "my skybox"
section). Yes, you do have to login
which requires you to register, BUT IT'S FREE cause we're all
broke here in
Hawaii. In fact, go there tonight and register to make it easier
for
tomorrow.
Here
are the times:
9am-10am
Honolulu
12pm-1pm
Westcoast
2pm-3pm
Central
3pm-4pm
East
4am-5am
Japan
post
comments or questions to this thread or email us at
iconsportradio@yahoo.com or call in:
oahu
residents can call us at: 296-1420 all others: 1-866-400-1420
|
GOT
SKILLS FIGHTER EVENT
Tonight!
GOT SKILLS
FIGHTER EVENT
MONDAY, JULY 3 (holiday
follows)
PAGODA C'EST SI BON ROOM
DOORS OPEN
@ 6:00PM
TICKETS: PRE-SALE $25, AT DOOR $30 (per availability)
for ticket info. call 779-3237
BOBBY ILAE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
145
PHILIP LLAMAS TEAM MIXBREED
DWAYNE HANEY BULLSPEN
130
JOE FRANCES DONDUSAR VEGAS FIGHT CLUB
COREY FREITAS ANIMAL HOUSE
130
JULIO MORENO BULLSPEN
BEN RODRIGUES HSD
175
STEVE FARMER UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
ABE ESTOCADO BIG TYME FIGHT
195
MILLER UALESI TEAM DEVASTATION
IKAIKA CASTAGEN TEAM MIXBREED
190
KALAI IRVINE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
MANA WOOLSEY HSD
115
MARION LAQUIHON HARD KNOCKS
KALANI AQUIN BIG TYME FIGHT
180
JOEY CORN UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
EVAN LOWTHER JESUS IS LORD
180
KENNY BEGA ANIMAL HOUSE
JUSTIN LAWELAWE UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
205
ARMUNDO AGULAR BULLSPEN
CHAVIS VICTORIA ANIMAL HOUSE
300+
BOB ATISANOE HSD
IKAIKA MORENO BULLSPEN
155
JOHN SANBORN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
DEVIN CHONG HARD KNOCKS
140
SEAN MATSUMOTO UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
ALAN GILAPIA HAWAII CHINESE KENPO
185
JUSTIN PARK BULLSPEN
JORDAN FATTORA EWA BEACH GRAPPLING
135
JACOB SEARS BULLSPEN
MIKE CUBAN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
165
ABE JOHANASEN UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
Source: Event Promoter
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
EAST vs. WEST
Friday July 21,2006 @ Dole Cannery
DOORS OPEN @ 6PM
FIGHTS WILL START @ 7PM SHARP
TICKET INFORMATION 590-3824
WWW.PIPHAWAII.COM PURCHASE ONLINE OR ANY PARTICIPATING
SCHOOLS HAVE TICKETS!!
Shooto
Middleweight Pacific Rim Championship (3x 5 Minute Rounds)
Keita
Nakamura (Shooto, Japan) Vs. Ronald Jhun (808F.F, Waipahu)
Lightweight
Shooto Bout (3x5 Minute Rounds)
Hayate
Usui (Shooto, Japan) Vs. Ed Newalo ( 808 F.F, Kaneohe)
165lbs.
PIP Kickboxing Championship (3x2 Minute Rounds)
Kaleo
Kwon (Eastsidaz, Kailua) vs. Wayne Perrin (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
165lbs.P.I.P
Kickboxing Championship K Bout (3x2 Minute Rounds)
Keoni
Bryant (Jus Rush, Kailua) vs. John Visante Jr (Sit You Down,
Waianae)
140lbs.P.I.P
Kickboxing Championship Bout (3x2 Minute Rounds)
Ryan
Lee (Bulls Pin, Kailihi) Vs. Domi Lopez (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
135lbs.
P.I.P Kickboxing Championship Bout (3x2 Minute Rounds)
Nui
Wheeler ( Team Soljah, Waianae) Vs. Bronson Mohika (808 F.F.,Kailua)
15Olbs.
P.I.P Kickboxing Championship Bout (3x2 Minute Rounds)
Marcus
Moreno (Bulls Pen, Kailihi) Vs. Duke Saragossa (808F.F, Wahiawa)
183lbs.
Light Heavyweight Amatuer Shooto Bout (2x3 Minute Rounds)
Jesse
Ware (Kaneohe Team, Kahalu’u) Vs. Joey Corn (Universal Combat
Sport, Waianae)
160lbs
Kickboxing (3x2 Minute Rounds)
Dean
Henze (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) Vs. TBA(Discples of Puhui, Kuaui)
205lbs
Cruiserweight Amatuer Shooto Bout (2x3 Minute Rounds)
JJ
Richardson (Jus Rush, Kailua) Vs. Lee Jay Gatewood (Sit You Down,
Waianae)
Welterweight
Amatuer Shooto Bout (2x3 Minute Rounds)
Dominic
Ah Nee (Universal Combat Sport, Maui) Vs. Hugh Jones (Fighters
Union, Waianae)
200lbs
Kickboxing (3x2 Minute Rounds )
Koali
Castillo (Koden Kan, Kailua) Vs. Lance Ta’aFaasu (Sit You
Down, Pearl City)
175lbs.
Kickboxing (3x 2 Minute Rounds)
Weston
Victorio (Disciples of Puhi, Kuaui) Vs. Zane Kamaka (Sit You
Down, Waianae)
Middleweight
Amatuer Shooto Bout (2x3 Minute Rounds)
Keoki
Cyrpiano (Jus Rush, Kailua) Vs. David Pedro (Freelance, Kailua)
132.3lbs.
Featherweight Amatuer Shooto Bout (2x3 Minute Rounds)
Chaz
Schmidt (TEAM MMAD, Kailua) Vs. Jay Bolos (Animal House, Ewa
Beach)
Middleweight
Amatuer Shooto Bout (2x3 Minute Rounds)
Anthony
Ornellas (Jus Rush, Kailua) Vs. Jason Bray (Sit You Down, Waianae)
145lbs.
Kickboxing Bout (3x2 Minute Rounds)
Leonard
Ja-reaux (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) Vs. Erwin Celes (Sit You
Down, Waianae)
140lbs.
Kickboxing Bout (3x1 ½ Minute Rounds)
Jarret
Matsumoto(Koden Kan, Kailua) vs. Christian Wong (Team Molokai)
135lbs.
Kickboxing Bout (3x1 ½ Minute Rounds)
Cory
Nemoto (Koden Kan, Kailua) vs. Dayne Tanaka (HMC, Kalihi)
80lbs
Kickboxing Bout
Jesus
(HMC, Kailihi) vs. Ronald Matautia (Sit You Down, Waianae)
70lbs.
Kickboxing Bout (3x1 Minute Rounds)
Kai
Kamaka III (808 F.F, Salt Lake) Vs. Jacoby Visante (Sit You Down,
Waianae)
Heavyweight
(3 X 11/2 Minute Rounds)
Sam
Parker (Fight Unit, Ewa Beach) vs. Carl Sua (Fighters Union,
Waianae) |
Quote
of the Day
"I
am never afraid of what I know."
Anna Sewell, 1820-1878, English Author
|
Congrats
to Jeremy & Kiana!
Two of Casca
Grossa's toughest members just got married! Congratulations to
one of Casca Grossa's longest students and his beautiful wife
who also trains in Jiu-Jitsu as start a brand new life together
as husband and wife.
|
Punishment
in Paradise's Official Poster!
|
Pride
"Spoiler" Results!
Saitama
Super Arena, Japan
July 1, 2006
DSE claimed an attendance of 44,606
Burning Spirit notes that DSE is using the “stadium version”
configuration, meaning the biggest possible capacity setting.
Fight Report has play-by-play coverage of the fights.
Pawel
Nastula defeated Edson Drago in R1 in 4 minutes, 44 seconds by
submission with a cross-arm scissors hold. Nastula was an underdog
with the oddsmakers (sportsbooks).
Yoshihiro Nakao defeated Lee Eun-Su in R1 in 4 minutes, 16 seconds
by doctor stoppage for the TKO.
Vitor Belfort defeated Yoshiki Takahashi in R1 in 36 seconds
by KO with a swinging left hook for the stoppage.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Alistair Overeem in R2 in 2
minutes, 43 seconds when the towel was thrown in and Nogueira
won by TKO (stoppage). Overeem’s stamina was a factor in
the outcome.
Kazuhiro Nakamura defeated Evangelista Cyborg in R1 in 4 minutes,
49 seconds with the V1 arm-lock for the stoppage.
Open Weight Tournament
Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira defeated Fabricio Werdum after 3R by a 3-0 judges’
decision.
Vanderlei Silva defeated Kazuyuki Fujita in R1 in 9 minutes,
21 seconds by TKO from referee stoppage. The finishing sequence
saw Silva catch Fujita with some hooks and hit him with a soccer-ball
kick. Fujita tried to get back up, but Silva was relentless in
his attack and the referee stopped the fight.
Josh Barnett defeated Mark Hunt in R1 in 2 minutes, 2 seconds
with an Kimura arm-lock for the submission.
Mirko Cro Cop defeated Hidehiko Yoshida in R1 in 7 minutes, 38
seconds by TKO after Yoshida’s corner threw in the towel
(causing the referee stoppage). Mirko caught Yoshida with an
uppercut that knocked Yoshida down. Mirko hit Yoshida with a
low kick to Yoshida’s knee, knocking Yoshida down again
and the fight was stopped.
Nogueira, Silva, Barnett, and Mirko advance on to the 9/10 Saitama
Super Arena show. No Japanese fighters are in the round of four.
How would you book the 9/10 Saitama show?
DSE
boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara gave comments to the press in a media
briefing after the show. Sakakibara thanked the fans for their
support and thanked Fuji TV for their past support of the promotion.
He hopes to get PRIDE back on TV soon.
Sakakibara
stated that he would like Kazuyuki Fujita and/or Hidehiko Yoshida
as “reserves” for the round of four on the 9/10 Saitama
Super Arena show. However, Sakakibara stated that he didn’t
know what the condition of Yoshida’s leg/knee was after
the Mirko fight. The round of four matches will be decided within
two weeks.
Sakakibara
concluded by stating that the Bushido show from 8/26 (Nagoya
Aichi Rainbow Hall) will air on prime-time on Fox Sports Net
on 8/29 (a Tuesday).
|
GOT
SKILLS FIGHTER EVENT
Weigh-ins!
GOT SKILLS
FIGHTER EVENT
WEIGH-INS
SUNDAY,
JULY 2nd - 5:00PM
RESULTS FITNESS in Ewa Beach
All fighters under 18 must be accompanied by parent/legal guardian
w/ photo i.d. NO EXCEPTIONS.
MONDAY, JULY 3 (holiday follows)
PAGODA C'EST SI BON ROOM
DOORS OPEN @ 6:00PM
TICKETS: PRE-SALE $25, AT DOOR $30 (per availability)
for ticket info. call 779-3237
BOBBY ILAE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
145
PHILIP LLAMAS TEAM MIXBREED
DWAYNE HANEY BULLSPEN
130
JOE FRANCES DONDUSAR VEGAS FIGHT CLUB
COREY FREITAS ANIMAL HOUSE
130
JULIO MORENO BULLSPEN
BEN RODRIGUES HSD
175
STEVE FARMER UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
ABE ESTOCADO BIG TYME FIGHT
195
MILLER UALESI TEAM DEVASTATION
IKAIKA CASTAGEN TEAM MIXBREED
190
KALAI IRVINE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
MANA WOOLSEY HSD
115
MARION LAQUIHON HARD KNOCKS
KALANI AQUIN BIG TYME FIGHT
180
JOEY CORN UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
EVAN LOWTHER JESUS IS LORD
180
KENNY BEGA ANIMAL HOUSE
JUSTIN LAWELAWE UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
205
ARMUNDO AGULAR BULLSPEN
CHAVIS VICTORIA ANIMAL HOUSE
300+
BOB ATISANOE HSD
IKAIKA MORENO BULLSPEN
155
JOHN SANBORN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
DEVIN CHONG HARD KNOCKS
140
SEAN MATSUMOTO UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
ALAN GILAPIA HAWAII CHINESE KENPO
185
JUSTIN PARK BULLSPEN
JORDAN FATTORA EWA BEACH GRAPPLING
135
JACOB SEARS BULLSPEN
MIKE CUBAN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
165
ABE JOHANASEN UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
Source: Event Promoter
|
New
MMA Online Radio Show!
The Position Lab has started an online MMA radio show called
"The Position Lab Radio Network with Michael Iurato."
This show features tough talk about The Ultimate Fighter TV show
and an interview with Ricco Rodrigues.
Click
here to listen
and check out their site.
Source: The Position Lab
|
UFC
to Sherdog: Go away
By Zach Arnold
In
short, Zuffa told Sherdog to leave their public fighter weigh-ins
event. Note the word public.
If
you are an MMA fan and not a pro-wrestling fan or historian,
I strongly urge you to research just exactly what happened to
the American pro-wrestling scene in 1985 when Vince McMahon became
the super-power after WrestleMania 1 at MSG in New York. For
long-time pro-wrestling fans, what we’re seeing with UFC
comes as absolutely zero surprise.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Royler
studies fight in Hero's GP
JJ black-belt from Gracie Humaitá, Royler Gracie can participate
of the card of the Heros's GP edition of August 5th. According
to Gracie, a proposal have been making with the organization.
'Who knows? I could make a fight as alternate, because the competition
already happened!?', said Gracie, that on last year GP was eliminated
by Norifumi Yamamoto.
Analyzing
the competition, Royler believes in Rany Yahira's force, who
in the first stage, won Ryuko Ueyama, by unanimous decision.
'The Brazilian audience is huge. I believe in his game. Rany
has a good Jiu-Jitsu and a lot of disposition. But I beleive
that Gesias Cavalcanti has great chances to be on the top', says
Royler.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Although
the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming
of it."
Helen Keller, 1880-1968, American Blind/Deaf Author and Lecturer
|
Pacific Island Showdown
International Invitational Ultimate Full-Contact Stickfighting
Championship
Filipino Community Center Ballroom, Waipahu, Hawaii
October 14 & 15, 2006
Click
here for more information via their website
Source: Les Acoba
|
The
Ultimate Fighter 4:
The Comeback cast announced
The fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter will premiere Thursday,
August 17 on Spike TV. Season 4 will follow 8 middleweight and
8 welterweight UFC veterans as they battle for a six-figure contract
and a title shot.
Randy
Couture and Georges St. Pierre are the trainers.
WELTERWEIGHTS
Mikey
Burnett
UFC Record: 2-1 (Defeated Eugenio Tadeu and Townsend Saunders
/ Lost to Pat Miletich)
Shonie Carter
UFC Record: 3-2 (Defeated Brad Gumm, Adrian Serrano, and Matt
Serra / Lost to Pat Miletich and Nathan Quarry)
Rich Clementi
UFC Record: 0-1 (Lost to Yves Edwards)
Jeremy Jackson
UFC Record: 0-1 (Lost to Nick Diaz)
Chris Lytle
UFC Record: 2-4 (Defeated Tiki Ghosn and Ronald Jhun / Lost to Ben Earwood, Robbie Lawler,
Karo Parisyan and Joe Riggs)
Matt Serra
UFC Record: 4-4 (Defeated Yves Edwards, Kelly Dullanty, Jeff
Curran, and Ivan Menjivar / Lost to Karo Parisyan, Din Thomas,
B.J. Penn, and Shonie Carter)
Pete Spratt
UFC Record: 2-2 (Defeated Robbie Lawler and Zach Light / Lost
to Josh Koscheck and Carlos Newton)
Din Thomas
UFC Record: 2-2 (Defeated Fabiano Iha and Matt Serra / Lost to
B.J. Penn and Caol Uno)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Patrick
Cote
UFC Record: 0-3 (Lost to Tito Ortiz, Joe Doerksen, and Chris
Leben)
Edwin Dewees
UFC Record: 0-2 (Lost to Rich Franklin and Chris Leben)
Travis Lutter
UFC Record: 1-2 (Defeated Marvin Eastman / Lost to Matt Lindland
and Trevor Prangley)
Charles McCarthy
UFC Record: 0-1 (Lost to David Loiseau)
Gideon Ray
UFC Record: 0-2 (Lost to David Loiseau and Mike Swick)
Jorge Rivera
UFC Record: 2-3 (Defeated David Loiseau and Dennis Hallman /
Lost to Lee Murray, Rich Franklin
and Chris Leben)
Pete Sell
UFC Record: 1-1 (Defeated Phil Baroni / Lost to Nathan Quarry)
Scott Smith
UFC Record: 0-1 (Lost to David Terrell)
Source: MMA Fighting
|
JON
FITCH READY TO BREAK OUT IN UFC
by Ricardo Mendoza
He is undefeated in the UFC, yet many fans are unaware of the
next big thing to come out of the welterweight division. Jon
Fitch has gotten lost in mix of the UFC’s deepest division,
but he hopes that he'll get a little bit more recognition after
his fight tonight against another talented welterweight, Thiago
Alves.
Fitch
trains with one of the best MMA teams in the United States, the
American Kickboxing Academy, but many fans are unaware of him
because neither of his fights in the UFC have aired on TV or
pay-per-view. Fitch most recently defeated Josh Burkman by submission,
and Burkman in his previous fight had beaten Drew Fickett by
submission.
MMAWeekly
sat down with Jon to discuss his career and what the future holds
for the fighter who could very well be the next big thing in
the UFC.
MMAWeekly:
How did you get started in MMA, and what’s your training
background?
Fitch:
I started fighting four years ago. I was getting ready to graduate
college and wasn’t really looking forward to having a real
career. I thought about continuing wrestling and trying to make
the Olympic team since I still love competing. Then I found out
there is this fighting thing from my coach, Tom Erikson, and
I figured I’d try it since he was making good money. What
I didn’t realize is that he was on the higher tier of the
pay scale, and there wasn’t a lot of money for a fighter
unless if you had some Olympic experience or a national title.
My background is basically wrestling and football... I wasn’t
a street fighter or a troublemaker because I was just a kid from
the country. I also have a purple belt in BJJ from Dave Camarillo,
and hopefully after this fight I can get back into my gi and
work my way up to a brown belt.
MMAWeekly:
You lost your first fight. How was that experience?
Fitch:
I was like, "Man, I need more work." I was upset because
I knew that I wasn’t ready for this fight. I didn’t
have a corner. I had the wrong kind of mouthpiece and had no
cup. People looked at me like, "What are you doing here?"
I met Brian Ebersole, and he helped me out a lot with my career
because he knew the Midwest fight scene. My career really took
off when I made the move out to California.
MMAWeekly:
How did you end up at American Kickboxing Academy?
Fitch:
It’s pretty crazy. It must have been god’s will because
that’s all I can think of. My agent, Dwayne Zinkin, was
looking for Division One wrestlers to become fighters because
he thought that they made the best fighters since they already
had a solid base to start with. Zinkin talked to the Fresno wrestling
coach and gave him Tom Erikson’s number because he knew
that Tom had some guys interested in fighting. That’s how
I ended up here. We talked and he told me that he wanted me to
get a couple of more wins before signing me. I ended up getting
signed, and I’ve been here training for the last three years.
MMAWeekly:
You beat Shonie Carter in late 2003. How did that fight affect
your career?
Fitch:
I was really happy about that win. I had a lot of help from my
team, and Shonie was a tough guy. I did what I needed to do to
control the fight, and I put enough pressure on him that he eventually
gave up. I really thought that my career would really take off
from there, but it didn’t. What ended up happening is that
everyone said that Shonie was old [and] he was sick... instead
of saying how good I was, what they ended up saying was that
Shonie wasn’t there that night. I didn’t really get
much credit for that fight, except from a couple of people that
knew, and Shonie himself gave me credit.
MMAWeekly:
Did you become frustrated when your career just stalled after
that fight?
Fitch:
I didn’t, really, because I knew that I still needed a lot
more work. I had no stand-up, and it wasn’t a good idea
for me to be standing with anyone at that time. I was just starting
BJJ with Dave Camarillo, and that’s when things really started
to take off for me. So, in the end, everything worked out fine
for me.
MMAWeekly:
How did you feel when you finally got a shot in the UFC?
Fitch:
I was relieved, and at the time I thought that I was ready for
it. My management had been in contact with the UFC about bringing
me in for a fight, and I think that I was on the back end on
the list of fighters that they were going to bring in. They needed
someone in an emergency and they called me. I said, "Screw
it, let's take the fight." It was at a weight class higher
then mine, and it was against someone that was also trained by
Dave Camarillo.
MMAWeekly:
How was your fight with Brock Larson back at Ultimate Fight Night
2?
Fitch:
I dominated the three rounds, both on the ground and the striking.
I was upset with myself because there were two or three chances
where I could've finished the fight, but I didn’t take the
risk at the time because I didn’t want to lose in my debut
fight for the UFC. It showed the UFC that I could fight and it
opened some more eyes because Brock had been on a tear in the
Midwest, and it showed what kind of fighter I was.
MMAWeekly:
Were you frustrated when you didn’t get another chance to
fight for six months?
Fitch:
It was tough not fighting, but in the time that I’m not
fighting, I’m training my ass off and getting better. Sometimes
it's good having a break from fighting because you get to increase
your skill set in the time off.
MMAWeekly:
Did any of the trash talking that Josh Burkman did before your
fight at UFN 4 motivate you more?
Fitch:
I don’t get on MMA forums, so the only stuff I heard was
from people that told me. I just kept training and was excited
to fight someone from TUF, especially. That was a season I could
have been on [season two]. I could have easily been on that show
with those guys, but my personality wasn’t good enough,
and that’s what seems to matter to get on the show. I knew
because of who I was fighting, people were going to know who
I was after I beat him because he had so many fans from being
on the show. He started talking trash at the beginning, but towards
the end, he gave me some props after he did some research. It
was a good win, but it sucks that they haven’t aired it
on TV for some reason.
MMAWeekly:
Did the fight go as you expected it to?
Fitch:
The fight pretty much went the way I wanted. There were a couple
of times that I resorted back to wrestling instincts. I rocked
him with a hook and I rushed him instead of picking my shots
and finishing him, which I should have done. Another time, I
rocked him with a combination and I went into a shot and took
him down instead of finishing on the feet. I eventually passed
his guard, took his back, and choked him, but I could've finished
him earlier and a lot flashier. Overall, it was a good fight
and I was happy with it.
MMAWeekly:
Your next fight is at UFN 5 against Thiago Alves. What are your
thoughts on the fight?
Fitch:
Thiago is tough... a lot of hard kicks and decent hand speed.
His ground [game] is okay, but not great. I think my ground is
much better, and me on top of him is going to be a nightmare
for him. He is short, too, and I have a huge reach advantage
over him since I’m 6’0 and he is like 5’7 or 5’8.
The weight is going to be a factor, too, since he’s just
a big 155-pounder. I think he should cut down to lightweight
because I think he can be a force there. I think that my size
and pressure will be too much for him
MMAWeekly:
What kind of training have you been doing for this fight?
Fitch:
Lots of cardio and grappling... a lot of sparring with guys that
throw lots of legs kicks and head kicks, working on counters
to the leg kicks. If he has done his research, it isn’t
smart to kick a wrestler because you’ll end up on your back.
As for the fight, I don’t have a set plan for it, but we’ll
see what happens once I’m in the cage.
MMAWeekly:
Is there anyone in the UFC you want to fight, and what are your
goals in the UFC?
Fitch:
I just want to fight as many of the top guys I can. I want to
have one of those stat sheets where you look at my fight record
and be amazed at the caliber of fighters that I have beaten.
For my career, I just want to keep on fighting and making money.
I [would like] to get my fights shown on TV at one point, since
it's basically impossible to get money from sponsors unless you're
on TV. My goal is to make a living out of fighting or I would
be teaching. It's not happening yet, but hopefully in a couple
of fights, it will.
MMAWeekly:
Is there anyone you want to thank?
Fitch:
I would like to thank my trainers They do a great job with me...
“Crazy” Bob Cook, Javier Mendez, and Dave Camarillo.
My teammates are great. To my fans, check out my website, www.fitchfighter.com.
Most importantly, e-mail Spike TV and the UFC to let them know
who you want to see fight, and that you want to see my fights
on the main card, so that you’ll get a chance to see me
on TV.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
It’s
1985 all over, again
By Zach Arnold
The
Ultimate Fighter 3 finale show on Spike TV last Saturday night
drew a 2.04 cable rating, blowing away all expectations. The
UF3 show was panned for not having enough “star power”
with Kenny Florian vs. Sam Stout in the main event, but all criticism
was clearly blown away by the strong ratings numbers.
For
those who remember 1985 and what happened with the WWF (along
with the other territorial wrestling groups), it’s a little
over 20 years later and we’re seeing the same trends happening
now that happened then to the wrestling industry in America.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The
pessimist fears it is true."
J. Robert Oppenheimer, 1904-1967, American Physicist
|
GOT
SKILLS FIGHTER EVENT
MONDAY, JULY 3 (holiday follows)
PAGODA C'EST SI BON ROOM
DOORS OPEN @ 6:00PM
TICKETS: PRE-SALE $25, AT DOOR $30 (per availability)
for ticket info. call 779-3237
BOBBY ILAE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
145
PHILIP LLAMAS TEAM MIXBREED
DWAYNE HANEY BULLSPEN
130
JOE FRANCES DONDUSAR VEGAS FIGHT CLUB
COREY FREITAS ANIMAL HOUSE
130
JULIO MORENO BULLSPEN
BEN RODRIGUES HSD
175
STEVE FARMER UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
ABE ESTOCADO BIG TYME FIGHT
195
MILLER UALESI TEAM DEVASTATION
IKAIKA CASTAGEN TEAM MIXBREED
190
KALAI IRVINE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
MANA WOOLSEY HSD
115
MARION LAQUIHON HARD KNOCKS
KALANI AQUIN BIG TYME FIGHT
180
JOEY CORN UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
EVAN LOWTHER JESUS IS LORD
180
KENNY BEGA ANIMAL HOUSE
JUSTIN LAWELAWE UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
205
ARMUNDO AGULAR BULLSPEN
CHAVIS VICTORIA ANIMAL HOUSE
300+
BOB ATISANOE HSD
IKAIKA MORENO BULLSPEN
155
JOHN SANBORN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
DEVIN CHONG HARD KNOCKS
140
SEAN MATSUMOTO UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
ALAN GILAPIA HAWAII CHINESE KENPO
185
JUSTIN PARK BULLSPEN
JORDAN FATTORA EWA BEACH GRAPPLING
135
JACOB SEARS BULLSPEN
MIKE CUBAN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
165
ABE JOHANASEN UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
Source: Event Promoter
|
GILBERT
YVEL TO FIGHT
MARCIO "PE DE PANO" CRUZ
Holland vs Brazil – YES ITS ON!
The
legendary Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel is making his
Cage Rage debut on July 1st fighting the awesome submission specialist
Marcio Cruz. This fight alone is guaranteed fireworks- Let’s
hope that Gilbert is on his best behaviour as he is well known
for being hot headed. His last bad boy antics caught him knocking
out the referee.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
BJJ
World Cup in 5 days in Brazil
In 2006, BJJ Olympic Confederation will be held in five days.
The competition will include at this time white belts. The Cup
begins on July 19 and on July 23, the black belts will be in
action. The president of CBJJO, Luis Hermínio has confirmed
the competition at Caio Martins Gymnasium, in Niterói
(Rio de Janeiro). The competition will prize champions with R$300
and R$5,000. The subscription starts today (26) and costs R$120.
You have until July 14 to subscribe. For more information, please
visit www.cbjjo.com.br.
Source: Tatame
|
Inoki
returns
Sports Nippon reports that there will be a special show on 9/1
at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo to commemorate the 30th anniversary
of the Antonio Inoki vs. Muhammad Ali fight that took place on
June 26, 1976. Sankei Sports notes that the 9/1 Budokan show
will be a “new kakutougi (MMA) event” for Inoki, the
first show since the infamous Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 show at Kobe
Wing Stadium. The events that surrounded the Inoki 2003 show
have led to the chaos that we are seeing unfolding right now
in Japan.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
The
official MMAFighting.net
Top 10 Fighter Rankings!
Our
top ten fighter rankings are released three times a year. Readers
submitted votes by June 16.
#1
Heavyweight Fighter - 206lbs+
Fedor Emelianenko
Ranking Points Previous
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Mirko Cro Cop
4. Mark Hunt
5. Josh Barnett
6. Tim Sylvia
7. Andrei Arlovski
8. Fabricio Werdum
9. Sergei Kharitonov
10. Aleksander Emelianenko
Others
Receiving Votes: Allistair Overeem(18 Points), Kazuyuki Fujita(9
Points), Brandon Vera(5 Points)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1 Light Heavyweight Fighter - 188-205lbs
Mauricio Shogun
Ranking Points Previous
1. Mauricio Shogun
2. Chuck Liddell
3. Wanderlei Silva
4. Ricardo Arona
5. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
6. Renato Sobral
7. Quinton Jackson
8. Tito Ortiz
9. Kazuhiro Nakamura
10. Forrest Griffin
Others Receiving Votes: None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1 Middleweight Fighter - 176-187lbs
Rich Franklin
Ranking Points Previous
1. Rich Franklin
2. Dan Henderson
3. Paulo Filho
4. Matt Lindland
5. Denis Kang
6. Anderson Silva
7. Nathan Marquardt
8. Jeremy Horn
9. David Loiseau
10. Amar Suloev
Others
Receiving Votes: Evan Tanner(28 Points), Akihiro Gono(23 Points),
Murilo Rua(6 Points)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1 Welterweight Fighter - 162-175lbs
Matt Hughes
Ranking Points Previous
1. Matt Hughes
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. BJ Penn
4. Karo Parisyan
5. Shinya Aoki
6. Sean Sherk
7. Akira Kikuchi
8. Diego Sanchez
9. Jake Shields
10. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
Others Receiving Votes: Jon Fitch(7 Points), Carlos Condit(6
Points)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1
Lightweight Fighter - 146-161lbs
Takanori Gomi
Ranking Points Previous
1. Takanori Gomi
2. Tatsuya Kawajiri
3. Hayato Sakurai
4. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
5. Joachim Hansen
6. Norifumi Yamamoto
7. Mitsuhiro Ishida
8. Marcus Aurelio
9. Koutetsu Boku
10. Yves Edwards
Others
Receving Votes: Caol Uno(14 Points), Sam Stout(11 Points), Genki
Sudo(7 Points), Spencer Fisher(6 Points), Jens Pulver(5 Points)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1
Featherweight Fighter - 136-145lbs
Gilbert Melendez
Ranking Points Previous
1. Gilbert Melendez
2. Masakazu Imanari
3. Alexandre Nogueira
4. Takeshi "Lion" Inoue
5. Jeff Curran
6. Urijah Faber
7. Hatsu Hioki
8. Antonio Carvalho
9. Rumina Sato
10. Joao Roque
Others
Receiving Vote: None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1 Pound-4-Pound (FW-HW)
Fedor Emelianenko
Ranking Points Previous
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Norifumi Yamamoto
3. Matt Hughes
4. Takanori Gomi
5. BJ Penn
6. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
7. Mauricio Shogun
8. Georges St. Pierre
9. Wanderlei Silva
10. Chuck Liddell
Others
Receiving Vote: Mirko Cro Cop(36 Points), Rich Franklin(31 Points),
Tatsuya Kawajiri(24 Points), Mamoru Yamaguchi(12 Points), Dan
Henderson(12 Points), Masakazu Imanari(7 Points), Joachim Hansen(6
Points)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final
International Tally
Which
countries have the best fighters? We tallied up the countries
with the most top ten fighters:
Final
International Tally
USA- 20
Japan- 14
Brazil- 13
Russia- 4
Canada- 3
Croatia- 1
New Zealand- 1
Belarus- 1
Korea- 1
Armenia- 1
Norway- 1
#
of Countries Represented- 11
*Keep
in mind also that these rankings only include Featherweight-Heavyweight
and does not(unfortunately) include the lowest weight divisions
of Bantamweight or Flyweight. The Women's division is also not
represented.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Leadership
is a potent combination of strategy and character.
But if you must be without one, be without the strategy."
Norman Schwarzkopf, American General of the Gulf War
|
Ultimate
Fight Night 5 Full Results
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
June 28, 2006
Jorge Santiago def. Justin Levens by TKO at 2:13 of Round 1
Rob
MacDonald def. Kristian Rothaermel by submission (armbar) at
4:01 of Round 1
Jon
Fitch def. Thiago Alves by TKO (referee stoppage due to strikes)
at 4:37 of Round 2
Jason
Lambert def. Brandon Hinkle by TKO (referee stoppage due to strikes)
at 5:00 of Round 1
Josh
Koscheck def. Dave Menne by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27,
29-28)
Mark
Hominick def. Jorge Gurgel by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28)
Rashad
Evans def. Stephen Bonnar by majority decision (30-27, 29-28,
29-29)
Anderson
Silva def. Chris Leben by KO at 0:49 of Round 1
Jonathan
Goulet def. Luke Cummo by majority decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-29)
|
Icon
Sport Event Moved To September 2nd!
Mayhem finally fights Lawler!
Icon Sport just announced that their July 23rd event was rescheduled
for September 2nd and it will feature number one contender, Jason
"Mayhem" Miller challenging the Icon Sport Middleweight
Champion, "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler.
Source: Patrick Freitas
|
Akebono is Japan Diet Master's
Client
In a press release on Friday, the Japan Diet Academy issued a
statement talking about their newest and most high-profile client,
Akebono. The PR starts out
by stating that Akebono was advised to join the Diet Academy
by Kazuyoshi Ishii, and that the goal is for Akebono to lose
50 kg (105-110 pounds). Before Akebono joined the Diet Academy,
he was 192-193 kg and has lost 20 kg so far, with the hopes of
losing 10 more kg before his upcoming MMA fight on August 5th
in the HERO’s ring.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Lee
Murray arrested in Morocco in connection with bank heist
AFP news is reporting that Lee "Lighting" Murray has
been identified as the man arrested over the weekend in connection
with Britain's biggest bank heist.
Four
months ago, a group of robbers gained access to 53 million pounds
($95.4 million US) by posing as cops and threatening a manager
of a Securitas warehouse in Tonbridge, Kent, England.
Police
arrested Murray on Sunday at the Mega Mall shopping centre in
Rabat, Morocco.
Today,
Britain seeked extradition of Murray, who is being held under
Moroccon police custody.
Murray
was a major star for the Cage Rage promotion and had a promising
mixed martial arts career. He fought for the UFC in 2004, submitting
Jorge Rivera in the first round. His last fight was a decision
loss to Anderson Silva.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Match
order for PRIDE 7/1 show
Pawel Nastula vs. Edson Drago
Yoshihiro Nakao vs. Lee Eun-Su
Yoshiki Takahashi vs. Vitor Belfort
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Alistair Overeem
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Evangelista Cyborg
Open-Weight GP 2nd Round: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Fabricio
Werdum
Intermission
Open-Weight
GP 2nd Round: Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Vanderlei Silva
Open-Weight GP 2nd Round: Josh Barnett vs. Mark Hunt
Open-Weight GP 2nd Round: Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Mirko Cro Cop
Source: Fight Opinion
|
For
Immediate Release:
Contact: Greg Kalikas
North American Amateur Fight Series
ProKarateweekly.com
Greg@prokarateweekly.com
330-324-3034
Mixed
Martial Arts officially reinstated in Ohio
6/22/06
Cleveland, OH: After weeks of uncertainty, the Ohio Athletic
Commission voted unanimously this week to resend the recent moratorium
on mixed martial arts in the state of Ohio and reinstate the
sport affective immediately. “We are ready to move forward
with MMA in Ohio and continue to build on what has been a very
successful beginning” said Bernie Profato, the executive
director of the Ohio Athletic Commission. “With the help
of allot of good people, the sport has come a long way in this
state over the past year and we feel that Ohio can be one of
the leaders in advancing the safety and competition levels of
the sport.”
A
standard set of rules have been put into place for amatuer and
professional mixed martial arts competition conducted in the
state of Ohio which all fighters and promoters will be required
to follow. These rules are now posted and will always be available
on the official Ohio Athletic Commission web site at www.aco.ohio.gov.
Along
with the return of MMA to the buckeye state, the North American
Amateur Fight Series (NAAFS) announced this week its return to
Akron for round four of its 2006 amateur series. “Thursday
Night Fights” will take place on August 3rd, 2006 at the
Chaparell’s Community Center in Akron, Ohio. With only three
remaining series events until the NAAFS finals this December,
the competition is expected to be intense as fighters take one
more step towards the 2006 NAAFS titles. “We are excited
to be back in Akron for what will no doubt be our best NAAFS
card to date” said NAAFS spokesman Jake Digman.
Many
of the of the NAAFS’s top amateurs will be in action including
Pennsylvania’s Josh McBride, West Virginia’s Jason
“The Wrecking Ball” Jones and hometown favorite Carl
Dean Roff who will look to climb to the top of the NAAFS lightweight
division.
The
nights main event will feature the unbeaten “Smokin”
Joe Heiland (3-0) of Cleveland’s Strong Style Fight Team
who is currently ranked number one by the NAAFS in the welterweight
division. Heiland will battle with Jamestown, New York’s
Dustin Bloom (2-2) of Team Air-Gadfly who is unbeaten in two
NAAFS appearances.
The
complete “Thursday Night Fights” line-up will be released
next week and available on www.Prokarateweekly.com, the official
home of the NAAFS along with ticket info and directions to the
venue. For media credentials or sponsorship info contact Greg
Kalikas at 330-324-3034 or via email at Greg@Prokarateweekly.com.
Downloadable fighter applications are now available on Prokrateweekly.com
for any fighters interested in participating in future NAAFS
events.
Source: Greg Kalikas
|
Quote
of the Day
"Though
we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry
it with us or we find it not."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, American Poet and Essayist
|
Ring
of Honor Returns!
Ring of Honor is back and we are looking for fighters.
Saturday, July 8, 2006
Waianae High School.
The event starts at 6:30 PM
Tickets will be $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
Anyone interested in selling tickets can send me an email.
We are looking for kickboxers and MMA fighters for 12 bouts,
so email me at kaikamaka@hotmail.com.
Source: Event Promoter
|
Rickson
vs. Sakuraba?
Speculation for this fight has been running rampant on a global
scale. Our friends in Brazil are confirming to us that Rickson
is indeed training for an upcoming fight.
"Nocaute"
magazine is featuring Rickson and Sakuraba on their cover this
month and have quoted Rickson as saying, "I am focused on
this. The greatest chance is for the fight to happen in Japan."
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Jens
"Little Evil" Pulver returns to the UFC
The Orange County Register reports that former and first-ever
UFC Lightweight champion Jens "Little Evil" Pulver
will return to the UFC.
In
addition to fighting, Dana White says that Pulver will probably
be a coach on the next The Ultimate Fighter season.
Pulver
last fought in the UFC at UFC 35, winning a decision over B.J.
Penn. Pulver left shortly because of a contract dispute. Pulver
has stayed active fighting for PRIDE FC, Shooto, and the IFL.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Denis
Kang: Ready for big confrontations
By Marcelo Alonso
In
exclusive interview to site TATAME, the ATT star Denis Kang talked
about how he started his MMA career, his last fight against the
Brazilian Murilo Ninja, about his favorites of the GP Open Weight,
his idols in the sport, beyond talking about how is his training
routine with so many Brazilians. The great fighter also talked
about the last Royce's defeat saying that he must get retired.
"I think Royce should retire. He has already proven himself
and is the biggest name in the sport of MMA", said Kang.
The athlete also confirmed that wants to face Dan Henderson,
one of his great idols of MMA, in the next phase of the Pride.
Check out now the complete interview with the athlete half Canadian,
half Korean and half French from ATT:
Are
you Korean, Canadian or French?
I'm
all three! I was born on a small French island to a French mother
and Korean father. We moved to Canada when I was 11. I have been
strongly influenced by all of those cultures, and consider myself
as part of all three. So to answer you, I am French, Korean and
Canadian!
How
you started practicing Martial Arts?
I
first started with Judo at the age of 9 while I was still living
in France. From there it was on to Tae Kwon Do, Kyukoshin Kai,
Wrestling and Hapkido. When I was 19 is when I started to train
Jiu-jitsu with Marcus Soares.
How
did you first heard about MMA ?
Same
as everyone else, by watching a tape of the old UFC. I loved
it at first sight ! I never thought that I would actually do
it as a job, but I sure liked watching it.
How
you got in ATT?
Well,
I had gone down there to train once already and I really liked
it. Then my girlfriend Shelby Walker, who is also a professional
fighter, moved to Florida and joined the team. I thought it would
be nice to be with her and be around great training at the same
time. So I moved down.
How
it was your train in ATT to beat Ninja?
Well,
I had two plans. One was to standup with him and use straight
punches and kicks to stop his forward advance, and if he went
to the ground I wanted to play a Jiu-Jitsu game like Paulão
did but with more punches.
Who
do you think is the favorite to win this tournament?
I
have heard that I may be the favorite but with Henderson and
Paulão are as well. It's hard to tell.
Who
do you rather face in next phase: Filho or Henderson?
I
would like Henderson because he is already the champion, and
because Paulão and I are good friends, so it would be
better to save our fight until the finals.
How
is your training routine in a team full of Brazilians?
It's
called American Top Team but it' mostly Brazilians! I already
spoke a little Portuguese but now it's getting much better. The
training is great, obviously with so many people coming from
the great land of Jiu-jitsu the ground training is excellent.
But also the standup because everyone is constantly trying to
improve their Boxing and Muay Thai.
In
your opinion, who will win Pride Open Weight GP?
If
Fedor is over his hand injury, I think he will do it again. Otherwise
he will come down to Minotauro and Barnett.
Who
is your idol in MMA?
Well,
I've had so many! At first it was Royce Gracie, then it was Keith
Hackney, Sakuraba, Wanderlei Silva, Minotauro and also Fedor.
How
do you see Royce's lost in MMA?
I
think Royce should retire. He has already proven himself and
is the biggest name in the sport of MMA. He is too old has not
updated his training methods to keep up.
What
about Rickson possible return against Sakuraba?
Now
that is one fight I would like to see. I have always been a huge
fan of Rickson not only because of his great skill but also because
of his mentality and philosophy on fighting. He is truly a warrior
of the old world and there are not many people left like him.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Keep
your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others."
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1895, Scottish Essayist/Poet/Novelist
|
The
Boar's Nest Does it Again!
There was some buzz around town that two world class black belts
were tearing up the surf and the mats on the North Shore. If
you see a couple of guys that look like the Ribeiro brothers
on the North Shore, guess what...
Saulo and Xande Ribeiro are at Kai Garcia's Boar's Nest Jiu-Jitsu
Academy sharing some unbelievable techniques and battling with
the gladiators of the north. The surfing part of their trip serves
as a much needed break as they ramp up to continue dominating
the submission grappling and BJJ circuit worldwide.
Two great competitors that are even greater people on a personal
level. What gets me is, take Saulo for instance, he is a 5 time
world BJJ champ, Abu Dhabi champ, and on top of that, not just
an attorney, but a judge. Now I just heard that he is a killer
guitar player! Damn, I thought we had him beat at least on that.
Fortunately, I bet we still can take both brothers in an ice
cream eating contest, I guess I will have to enjoy that...until
they start taking a liking to ice cream...
|
Fighters'
Club Television Episode 40
Tonight!
Fighters' Club Television Episode 40 is cut and submitted to
Olelo Programming. It will air in our timeslot of 9:30pm Tuesday
nights on June 6, 13, 20, and 27.
Episode
40 features:
-
Highlights from Rumble on the Rock's 175 lbs tournament:
- With special interviews done by our guest host, Jason "Mayhem"
Miller from the weigh-ins
- Interview with tournament winner Jake Shields
-
Featured bout from Brennan Kamaka's Punishment in Paradise between
Ryan Cayetano (Smith TKD) vs Ikaika Choi Fu (JIL)
-
Featured bout from Icon Sport: David "Kawika" Padilla
vs Adam Bass
-
Technique of the Week:
Jason Miller demonstrating his famous "D'arce" Choke.
and
don't miss the credits where you can catch FCTV's Mike and Chris
Onzuka (and the other guy, Mark Kurano), hamming it up after
the fights. Somebody actually "threw in the towel"
on us - you don't want to miss that!
Questions,
Comments, Suggestions:
fctv@onzuka.com
|
The
Quest for Champions June 2006 Results
St. Louis High School Gym, Honolulu, Hawaii
June 25, 2006
Here are the official results. Congratulations to all the competitors
for making this a successful tournament. A special congrats to
members of Team Relson Gracie that are highlighted.
(SUBMISSION
GRAPPLING DIVISION)
Junior
Division 15-17 (Lt Wt.)
1) Shawn Nakashima (Baret Submission Grappling)
2) Tim Pader (HI Chinese Kempo)
3) Jacob Fears (Vierra's Kempo)
Junior
Division 15-17 (Open Wt.)
1) Jacob
Mete (Relson Gracie)
2) Nathan Seals (Inner Circle)
Adult
Division (Lt Wt-142lbs)
1) Kaniela Ahnee (Freestyle)
2) Aaron Ishikawa (HMC)
3) Jay
Bolos (Animal House)
Adult
Division (Mid Wt.-162lbs)
1) Dane Mitsunaga (Kempo Unlimited)
2) Jeremy Daniel (HMC)
3) Dale Maeda (Inner Circle)
Adult
Division (Lt Hvy Wt-182lbs)(Bracket A)
1) Marshall Harvest (Animal House)
2) Kapua Galletes (Inner Circle)
3) Elijah Young (North Shore Jiujitsu)
Adult
Division (Lt Hvy Wt-182lbs)(Bracket B)
1) Sam Nakoa (Eastsidaz)
2) Herman Santiago (Inner Circle)
3) Anthony Lasit (Freestyle)
Adult
Division (Open Wt)
1) RK Castillo (HMC)
2) Tyler
Bailey (Relson Gracie - Casca Grossa)
3) Guy Nakashima (Baret Submission Grappling)
(SPORT-PANKRATION
DIVISION)
Junior
Division 16-17
1) Chad Moran (Leeward Kempo-Molokai)
3) Jacob Fears (Vierra's Kempo)
Adult
Division (Fly Wt-132lbs)
1) Julio Moreno (Bullspen)
2) Jay
Bolos (Animal House)
3) Dayne Tanaka (HMC)
Adult
Division (Lt Wt-152lbs)
1) Ryan
Fukuda (Shootfighting Hawaii)
2) Anthony Bergamo (HMC)
Adult
Division (Lt Mid Wt-162lbs)(Bracket A)
1) Damon Flood (Kempo Unlimited)
2) Nolan Hong (HMC)
Adult
Division (Lt Mid Wt-162lbs(Bracket B)
1) Terbo Tabaquin (Kempo Unlimited)
2) Robert Lafradez (Central Oahu Jiujitsu)
3) Ben Schuster (Eastsidaz)
Adult
Division (Mid Wt-182lbs)
1) David Taniyama (Kempo Unlimited)
2) Ryan Kuoha (Kempo Unlimited)
3) Collin Wong (Freestyle)
Adult
Division (Lt Hvy Wt-202lbs)
1) Koa Ramos (Eastsidaz)
2) Earl Pimental (Freestyle)
Adult
Division (Heavyweight)
1) Tyler
Bailey (Relson Gracie - Casca Grossa)
2) Don Guevarra (Kempo Unlimited)
(SPORT-JUJITSU
DIVISION)
Childern
Division (6-7yrs)(Bracket A)
1) Trent Shiraki (Kempo Unlimted)
2) Logan Luke (Kempo Unlimited)
3) Kylan Tomita (Kempo Unlimited)
Children
Division (6-7yrs)(Bracket B)
1) Nainoa Dung (Uprising Fight Team)
2) Kealohi Kanahele (Kempo Unlimited)
3) Austyn Aglanao (Hi Chinese Kempo)
Children
division (8-9yrs)(Bracket A)
1) Bronson Luke (Kempo Unlimited)
2) Aaron Tomita (Kempo Unlimited)
3) Noland Goo (Kempo Unlimited)
Children
Division (8-9yrs)(Bracket B)
1) Kai Tilley (Kempo Unlimited)
2) Miranda Oda (Kempo Unlimited)
3) Julian Alcantara(HI Chinese kempo)
Children
Division (10-11)
1) Kyle Vallesteros (HI Chinese Kempo)
2) Isaiah Esposito (Kempo Unlimited)
Children
Division (12-13)(-100lbs)
1) Sterling
Gascon (Relson Gracie - Casca Grossa)
2) Matthew Sunajo (HI Chinese Kempo)
3) Thomas Tawata (Family Martial Arts)
Children
Division (12-13)(+100lbs)
1) Sage Yoshida (HMC)
2) Rayn Celestino (Kempo Unlimited)
4) Jenna Koseki (Kempo Unlimited)
Adult
Division (Hvy Wt)
1) Byron Bush (Gojukan)
2) Daniel Rada (Animal House)
EXTREME
CONTINUOUS SPARRING DIVISION
Children
Division (-55lbs)
1) Elijah Badua (HMC)
2) Nainoa Dung (Uprising Fight Team)
3) JP Tilley (Kempo Unlimited)
Children
Division (-66lbs)
1) Ian Bautista (HMC)
2) Dannen Dano (Advanced Kempo)
3) Miranda Oda (Kempo Unlimited)
Children
Division (-88lbs)
1) Cody Robello (Advanced Kempo)
2) Christopher Roy (Advanced Kempo)
3) Julian Hang (Kempo Unlimited)
Children
Division (+100lbs)
1) Jordan Mckay (HMC)
2) Pele Paulker (Bishaw's Taekwondo)
Children
Advanced Division
1) Casey Madayag (HI Chinese Kempo)
2) Makena Maehara (Advanced Kempo)
3) Walden Butay (Bishaw's Taekwondo)
Junior
Division (+100lbs)
1) Daniel Madayag (HI Chinese Kempo)
2) Casey Chai (Bishaw's Taekwondo)
3) Nicole Ansai (Bishaw's Taekwondo)
Junior
Division (+200lbs)
1) Cade Self (Advanced Kempo)
2) Ronald Powell (HI Kajukenbo Assoc)
3) Chivas Antoque (Advanced Kempo)
Adult
Executive Division (Bracket A)
1) Byron Bush (Gojukan)
2) Brian Felix (Advanced Kempo)
Adult
Executive Division (Bracket B)
1) Derek Bolds (Advanced Kempo)
2) Basil Dibsie (Advanced Kempo)
3) Johnny Harmon (HI Chinese Kempo)
Source: Tommy Lam
|
Hero's
announces card at Airake
BJ Penn
Confirmed in Hero's Tournament
The Fight Entertainment Group (FEG) announced today the names
that will be at the Hero's card, that will take place in August
5th, at the Ariake Coliseum, in Japan. The Brazilians Gesias
Cavlancanti (American Top Team) and Rani Yahira (Atiada Jr. Jiu-Jitsu)
were confirmed in the second stage of the GP Lightweight and
now they just wait for their adversaries. The organization also
announced the Brazilian Rodrigo Gracie in the Light Heavyweight
match (until 85kg), and will have names such as the Japanese
Kazushi Sakuraba, the Canadian Carlos Newton, the Hawaiian BJ Penn and the English Melvin
Manhoef. Check out now the complete card and stay tuned at site
TATAME for bigger information about the Hero's.
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
Hero's
GP
Ariake Coliseum, Japan
Saturday, August 5th, 2006
-
Don Frye (Team Frye) vs. Min Soo Kim (Rings Korea);
GP
Lightweight:
- Norifumi Yamamoto (Killer Bee)
- Genki Sudo (Beverly Hills Jiu-Jitsu Club)
- Kaoru Uno (Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters)
- Kultar Gill (Revolution Fight Team)
- Gesias Calvancanti (American Top Team)
- Rani Yahira (Atiada Jr. Jiu-Jitsu)
- Ivan Menjivar (Tristar Gym)
GP
Light Heavyweight:
- Kazushi Sakuraba (Freelance)
- Yoshihiro Akiyama (Freelance)
- Shungo Oyama (Freelance)
- Carlos Newton (Ronin Martial Arts)
- Melvin Manhoef (It's Showtime)
- Rodrigo Gracie (Team Royce Gracie)
- Kestutis Smirnovas (Audra Gym)
- BJ Penn
(BJ Penn MMA)
Source: Tatame
|
Acceptance
of MMA in Mainstream America...
By Sean McClure
Before
the UFC there were full contact karate and other martial arts
tournaments to occupy American Martial Artist’s time and
interest. They inspired me at a young age to emulate and aspire
to be one of the greats which I am still a million miles away
from at this present moment, but that’s neither here nor
there. When I started my MMA journey it was as a young boy “learning”
kung fu and ninjitsu from what at the time seemed like the real
deal. The man was Asian and a refugee from Communist China and
looked the part of the wise instructor about to ask youto grab
the pebble from his hand. I would later look back and laugh at
the time spent there and the man who claimed to be a kung fu
“master”. Half of the instructors from that time in
that school have been in jail or been indicted since so I question
my parents sanity on that one. (just kidding mom) All of that
aside, I truly began my real MMA trek when I started under my
current instructor, Eric Moberly back in 1990. He is a jiu jitsu
student of Royce Gracie’s, a certified Krav Maga Instructor,
and the youngest master in American Taekwondo History. We were
both seventeen when I started and he was a third degree black
belt at the time that started his classes at the age of five.
His age group in his sparring rings were 18-35 years old and
I used to watch him tear through older and much bigger opponents
with tenacity and power that is unrivaled in that division to
this day. What does this have to do with MMA today you may ask?
I’m getting there so hang with me. There were no pads when
he started, but when I started there were hand and feet pads
along with mouthpieces and cups. It was being attributed at the
as time being a result of the ‘Overly-cautious Mothers of
America’ movement and that it is was the worst thing that
could happen to Taekwondo. Are you starting to see where I am
going with this?
Taekwondo
is now one of, if not THE most popular martial art among families
all across the world. That isn’t because it is a no pads,
no holds barred sport, or a place that teaches the death touch
(Stephan, if you are reading this I am talking about THAT guy).
It’s because there are rules, sportsmanship, and a sense
of security. DING! DING! That’s the key right there. Americans
like to feel safe and the moment that they do not, you can count
on protests and outrage. Politics aside, the war in Iraq was
generally more accepted at its start and today it is almost unanimously
the opposite or at least it appears that way. The amount of time
we have spent there and the scrutiny from other nations publicly
voiced has made many uneasy. Cue the activists. The argument
against MMA has been that it was barbaric, that it was unsafe,
and too much like the gladiator fights of old. I always laughed
when I heard that comparison because Gladiator fights were to
the death and sanctioned MMA fights have seen no in ring deaths
that I am aware of. I also feel that it being called Ultimate
“Fighting” made it harder for conservative America
to accept.
Fighting
is a terrible thing when it happens on the streets and I think
people who fight just to fight are blooming idiots. Fight in
the cage, man where you can make some money and prove that you
are a real tough guy against real fighters, not Dirty Ronnie
from the east side. Anyways, that’s my rant for the day.
The bottom line is that the word ‘fight’ brings out
many negative emotions in most people who associate the word
with the street brawls that occur almost every day in America.
Why do you suppose that boxing, two guys slugging it out, is
called “boxing” and not “two dudes with gloves
fighting”? Boxing was deemed a civilized sport at its inception
and is still widely regarded as a gentlemen’s sporting event.
All because, in my opinion, its name was a clever diversion from
the word “fighting” if you ask me.
In
the early days of the UFC there were no weight classes and as
most of our readers know there were no holds barred. Gracie craftily
pulling on Kimo’s hair for leverage at UFC 3 was a prime
example of what used to go on inside the octagon. Big John was
a little slower to stop the fights back then than he is now and
people occasionally got hurt a little more than they should of.
America did not feel safe because there were no rules and saw
this more as a brutal and vicious spectacle than a sport. Tank
Abott, with his brash verbal skills, pension for drinking beer,
and bad attitude seemed to embody the MMA scene at the UFC’s
initial peak and, come on…..would you have let your children
hang around Tank? If you said yes go take a shower and then come
back and finish this article. Fast forward to when Tito came
along, to when Randy and Chuck happened, and stop at now with
a batch of new, fresh, and friendly faces representing the UFC.
What changed all of this? Enter the Ultimate Fighter reality
show and enter Forrest Griffin.
The
general public assumed that people just went out and fought to
get good at fighting. I know some who thought that people just
picked fights at random to sharpen their skills. Mainstream America
knew that all of the boxers trained like Rocky. I mean, didn’t
they? There was no Rocky for the Ultimate Fighter yet. No Karate
Kid like there was for traditional martial arts to show people
the dedication and perseverance it took to train for them. Like
I said, enter the Ultimate Fighter reality show amidst the US’s
reality show craze. Tuning in, people saw a slicker, more modern
version of the UFC. They saw heart, passion, and oh my gosh…..rules
and good sportsmanship. Those who had dismissed it as a dangerous
fad had to pay attention to it. The popularity of MMA went spiraling
out of control and smaller promotions popped up almost everywhere.
Thanks to this show, Forrest Griffin became the most popular
fighter on the planet to new MMA fans. Like him or hate him he
is great for the sport and especially for the UFC because his
youthful appearance and easy going demeanor have endeared him
to the public and gave MMA a face. He gave it one that America
could feel safe with as well. Am I saying he is the savior of
MMA, not even close and I am not implying that he is that great
of a fighter. What the Forrest’s, Rashads, Bonnars, and
Swicks today are is a breath of fresh air and proof that MMA
is not barbaric and evil as some politicians believe. Their young
faces and big smiles have brought back old fans and started a
new following so large and devoted that some feel they don’t
deserve it.
Thanks
to standardized rules being in place, the Ultimate Fighter Reality
show and its stars, and mainstream acceptance MMA has a place
in America today. America doesn’t feel as threatened by
MMA as they used to and rightfully so. I see a bright future
in store for it and it certainly now has a bigger market willing
to open their wallets up to it. Smile Dana White, you have arrived.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Nathan
Diaz Replaces Tyson
Due to a conflict in scheduling, Tyson Griffin will not be able
to participate in his match against Josh Thompson this Saturday.
Nathan Diaz will be filling Tyson's spot against the UFC veteran
and with his addition the excitement over this matchup will in
no way be dampened. Diaz is coming off of an impressive MMA victory
over Joe Hurley last Thursday and in the tournament scene he
has built up quite a reputation. Last year at the California
Open, Diaz defeated tournament favorite, Jeff Glover. He is one
of a few grapplers that were able to do so by submission. For
Thompson this new matchup could very well become a case of jumping
out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
PRIDE
Critical Countdown Absolute 2006
full card announced
Non-Tournament Bouts:
- Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshiki Takahashi
- Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
- Yoshihiro Nakao vs. Lee Eun-Su
- Pawel Nastula vs. Edson Drago
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Alistair Overeem
Tournament
Bouts:
- Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
- Wanderlei Silva vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
- Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
- Mark Hunt vs. Josh Barnett
Critical
Countdown Absolute will premiere on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH
Network, and TVN pay per view on Sunday, July 2, 2006.
The
show takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Saturday,
July 1, 2006.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Rage
in the Cage
Xtreme Cage Fighting Event!
Advance Tickets available at the
Celebrity Theatre Box Office ( 602-267-1600 )
Doors Open: 6:00 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM
Saturday, July 1, 2006
Celebrity Theatre
440 N. 32nd St..
Phoenix, AZ
Special guests:
U.F.C. Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes,
UFC Veterans Paul Buentello and Gilbert Aldana
Doors
Open: 6:00 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM
Tickets available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office ( 602-267-1600
)
Advance Ticket Prices: $25 - $100
$5 higher if purchased on day of event (at the door)
Fight Card:
Pride Veteran Jimmy Ambriz ( 6'6 300)
vs
Cage Xtreme Champion Rich Beecroft ( 6'7 235 )
Xtreme Battlecage Champion Kyle Kingsbury ( 6'5 225 )
vs
Total Xtreme Champion Jacob Chagolla ( 6'1 210 )
UFC Veteran Aaron Brink ( 6'2 235)
vs
War Combat Champion Tom Johnson ( 6'3 245)
Xtreme Combat Champion Rocky Batastini (6'1 235)
vs
Former RITC Heavyweight Champion Robert Beruan (6'3 235)
Sal Azuela ( 6'1 205 ) vs Mike Ashford ( 6'1 205 )
Dan Lauzon ( 5'11 170 ) vs Rick Reeves ( 6'1 175 )
Jason Harris ( 6'0 175 ) vs Ray Robinson ( 5'9 170 )
Nick Hedrick ( 5'11 155 ) vs Yaotzin Meza ( 5'9 155 )
Michael Thomas ( 5'9 155 ) vs Amos Sotello ( 6'0 155 )
Eric Markoff ( 6'1 185 ) vs Travos Degrout ( 6'1 185 )
Joe Martinez ( 6'1 200 ) vs Joey Juvera ( 6'2 200 )
Efrain Escudero ( 5'8 160 ) vs Andrew Brittin ( 5'11 165 )
R Chavez ( 5'8 160 ) vs Chris Collado ( 5'9 160 )
Austin Pascucci ( 5'8 140 ) vs Kenyon Barnes ( 5'9 145 )
Greg Saenz ( 5'8 140 ) vs Danny Martinez ( 5'8 140 )
Fight Card subject to change.
Celebrity Theatre
440 N 32nd St
Phoenix, AZ
Ricco Rodriguez, Joe Riggs, Dan Severn, Mike Whitehead, these
and many more fighters have been in the Rage in the Cage. Download
quality videos for free !
Check for DVD's and videos of past Rage in the Cage events on
the Rage in the Cage website...
www.rageinthecage.com
www.brausasystems.com
www.desertquestchampionship.com
rolandsarria@msn.com
Source: Event Promoter
|
Quote
of the Day
"Life
is denied by lack of attention, whether it be to cleaning windows
or trying to write a masterpiece."
Nadia Boulanger, 1887-1979, French Music Conductor and Educator
|
Lockdown
in Lahaina Town
Results!
Lock Down In Lahaina Town
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii
June 24, 2006
Main
Event- OpenWeight MMA Bout- 206lbs+: 2R/5M
Braddah Camanse (NativeAction, Lahaina) def. Loki Cardiel (AFS,
CA) by TKO (strikes) at 2:12 of Rnd1
**Note: Camanse was outweighed by over 40lbs. and came in
at under 206lbs. Because of this, he prompted a rule that stood
the fight up if it was on the ground for 30secs, regardless of
position or situation.
LW
MMA Bout- 155lbs: 2R/5M
David "The Tan Superman" Padilla (Jesus Is Lord, Waipahu)
def. Nelson Pandi (NativeAction, Phillipines) by TKO (strikes)
at 3:26 of Rnd1
LW
MMA Bout- 155lbs: 2R/5M
"Dirty" Dave Moreno (MadMongoose, Kohala) def. Paco
Woods (Nova Uniao, Lahaina) by SUB (RNC) at 1:00 of Rnd1
Amateur
OpenWeight MMA Bout- 206lbs+: 2R/3M
Sean Souza (NativeAction, Lahaina) def. Samuel Harper (Fight
Unit, Oahu) by TKO (strikes) at 1:02 of Rnd1
FW
MMA Bout- 145lbs: 2R/5M
Jeremy Paet (NativeAction, Lahaina) def. Gene "Bino"
Gregory (MixedBreed, Waianae) by SUB (armlock) at 1:36 of Rnd1
OpenWeight
MMA Bout- 206lbs+ : 2R/3M
Roy "Nalu" Jones (Freelance, Waianae) def. Kawika Hong
(GoodSport Kickboxing, Wailuku) by TKO (strikes) at 1:16 of Rnd1
Amateur
FW MMA Bout- 145lbs: 2R/3M
"JP" Ribucan (TeamSubmit, Honolulu) def. Kevin Canderoma
(NativeAction, Kihei) by TKO (Dr.Stop) since Canderoma could
not answer the bell for Rnd2 due to a broken foot.
Source: KawikaVeeka
|
The
Quest for Champions 2006 Tournament
Partial Results
The Quest for Champions 2006 Tournament
Hosted by Kempo Unlimited
St. Louis High School Gym
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Tommy Lam's tournament turned out to be a great tournament with
a lot of participation from schools all over Hawaii. We will
post the official results when we received them.
Team Casca Grossa participated in the Sport Pankration and Submission
Grappling divisions and did very well. Congrats to:
Tyler Bailey - 1st in Sport Pankration, 2nd in Submission Grappling
Ryan Fukuda - 1st in Sport Pankration
And congratulations to all the champions and participants that
went out and put it on the line by entering the tournament in
order to test their skills.
|
HERO's
Announces Participants for Aug. Tourneys
by Stephen Martinez
Fight Entertainment Group, the company behind K-1 and HERO's
MMA, announced on Thursday a list of participants for its upcoming
HERO's card, August 5 at Ariake Coliseum.
Three
Japanese and five foreign fighters headline the 85-kilogram bracket
of the tournament, with the Japanese side led by Kazushi Sakuraba,
who is making his debut under the HERO's brand after jumping
ship from his longtime affiliation in PRIDE. The other representatives
from Japan include judo champion Yoshihiro Akiyama and Shungo
Oyama.
On
the foreign side, K-1 producer Sadaharu Tanigawa announced Carlos
Newton, Melvin Manhoef, Rodrigo Gracie, Kestutis Smirnovas and
B.J. Penn.
However,
at the moment of the announcement, HERO's main director Akira
Maeda set clear that negotiations with B.J. Penn were still in the final chapter and
his participation is not yet confirmed.
Maeda
later told the press that he's interested to see Penn face Sakuraba in the opening round.
Also
Tanigawa said that there is a possibility of changing the regular
HERO's rules for the lightweight (154-pound) tournament. Tanigawa
elaborated that he was interested in a 10-minute first round,
followed by a five-minute second round, which conflicts with
HERO's regular rules of two five-minute rounds with a possible
third round.
Tentative
Fight Card:
Scheduled
to participate in the light heavyweight tournament:
Kazushi
Sakuraba
Yoshihiro Akiyama
Shungo Oyama
Carlos Newton
Melvin Manhoef
Rodrigo Gracie
Kestutis Smirnovas
B.J. Penn
Scheduled
to participate in the middleweight tournament:
Norifumi
Yamamoto
Genki Sudo
Caol Uno
Kultar Gill
Gesias Calvancanti
Rani Yahira
Ivan Menjivar
Source: Sherdog
|
GOT
SKILLS FIGHTER EVENT
MONDAY, JULY 3 (holiday follows)
PAGODA C'EST SI BON ROOM
DOORS OPEN @ 6:00PM
TICKETS: PRE-SALE $25, AT DOOR $30 (per availability)
for ticket info. call 779-3237
BOBBY ILAE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
145
PHILIP LLAMAS TEAM MIXBREED
DWAYNE HANEY BULLSPEN
130
JOE FRANCES DONDUSAR VEGAS FIGHT CLUB
COREY FREITAS ANIMAL HOUSE
130
JULIO MORENO BULLSPEN
BEN RODRIGUES HSD
175
STEVE FARMER UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
ABE ESTOCADO BIG TYME FIGHT
195
MILLER UALESI TEAM DEVASTATION
IKAIKA CASTAGEN TEAM MIXBREED
190
KALAI IRVINE UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
MANA WOOLSEY HSD
115
MARION LAQUIHON HARD KNOCKS
KALANI AQUIN BIG TYME FIGHT
180
JOEY CORN UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
EVAN LOWTHER JESUS IS LORD
180
KENNY BEGA ANIMAL HOUSE
JUSTIN LAWELAWE UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
205
ARMUNDO AGULAR BULLSPEN
CHAVIS VICTORIA ANIMAL HOUSE
300+
BOB ATISANOE HSD
IKAIKA MORENO BULLSPEN
155
JOHN SANBORN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
DEVIN CHONG HARD KNOCKS
140
SEAN MATSUMOTO UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
ALAN GILAPIA HAWAII CHINESE KENPO
185
JUSTIN PARK BULLSPEN
JORDAN FATTORA EWA BEACH GRAPPLING
135
JACOB SEARS BULLSPEN
MIKE CUBAN UPRISING FIGHT TEAM
165
ABE JOHANASEN UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT
Source: Event Promoter
|
WFA
7/22 Los Angeles card line-up
Jason “Mayhem”
Miller
vs. Lodune Sincaid
Rob McCullough vs. Harris
Sarmiento
Jorge Oliviera (Chute Boxe) vs. Marvin “The Beastman”
Eastman
Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons vs. TBA
Bas Rutten vs. Kimo
Ryoto Machida vs. Vernon “Tiger” White
Ricco Rodriguez vs. Ron “H20" Waterman
Ivan Salaverry vs. Art Santore
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Matt Lindland
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Ortiz
signs Boxing bout with White
The contract of Tito Ortiz with the Ultimate Fighting Championship,
may feature a Boxing bout with the owner of the American organization,
Dana White. The news, published by a Canadian newspaper Calgary
Sun, was well received by the international fight community,
because Ortiz and Dana are very good friends. "Dana and
I used to be great friends before the company becomes so famous.
He was my manager. But I'm sure that after some blows in the
head we will leave it behind. but I will try to get his head
off ", said Ortiz, that on last July 8th at the UFC 61,
will face Ken Shamrock.
Source: Tatame
|
BJ
Penn Doing BJJ Camp in California
Don't miss the best Jiu-jitsu Camp of the year, July 13-16 in
San Clemente, CA.
Our incredible staff of Instructors will include the Machado
Brothers, Dan Inosanto, BJ Penn, Eddie Bravo, Rico Rodriguez,
Erik Paulson, Marcos Santos, Mica Cipili, Bart Smith and more.
To register, go to www.RiganMachadoCamp.com
Source: BJJ Spokane
|
Quote
of the Day
"Avoiding
the phrase "I don't have time...", will soon help you
to realize that you do have the time needed for just about anything
you choose to accomplish in life."
Bo Bennett, American Businessman
|
The
Quest for Champions 2006 Tournament
Today!
The Quest for Champions 2006 Tournament
Hosted by Kempo Unlimited
St. Louis High School Gym
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Source: Event Promoter
|
The
Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale Results
Hawaii's
Kendall Groves Becomes The Ultimate Fighter!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
Mike Nickels defeated Wes Combs by RNC at 3:20 of Round 1
Matt Hamill defeated Jesse Forbes by TKO at 4:47 of Round 1
Luigi Fiorivanti defeated Solomon Hutcherson by KO at 4:15 of
Round 1
Kalib Starnes defeated Danny Abbadi by RNC at 2:56 of Round 1
Rory Singer defeated Ross Pointon by triangle choke at :44 of
Round 1
Keith Jardine defeated Wilson Gouveia by unanimous decision
Kendall
Grove defeated
Ed Herman by unanimous decision
Michael Bisping defeated Josh Haynes TKO at 4:14 of Round 2
Kenny Forian defeated Sam Stout by RNC at 1:46 of Round 1
Source: Maxfighting
|
7
Hawaii Boxers Going to National Junior Olympics!
Seven Hawaii Boxers will compete in the 2006 National Junior
Olympics to be held on the Campus of NMU in Marquette, Michigan
on June 25 to July 2nd. USA-Boxing will pay for lodging and meals
and give each boxer a $500 Airfare Reimbursement. Winners of
Nationals advance to the World Championships in Anatalya , Turkey
on July 16, to Aug. 14th. Hawaii Delegation consists of:
90lbs- Ikaika Villanueva (Kawano Boxing Club)
101- Thomas Juan (Wailuku B.C.)
106- Gino Ramos (Kawano B.C.)
110 female- Sa-fire Pereira (Waianae B.C.)
114- Taylor Rodrigues (East Maui B.C.)
119- Jentson Gumtang ( East Maui B.C.)
132- Antone Pereira (Waianae B.C.)
Team Manager/Coach- Bruce Kawano
Coach- Fred Pereira
Coach- Herb Vierra Jr
Only 4 Hawaii Boxers have won gold in Hawaii History, Brian Viloria
twice, Samson Guillermo twice, Keola Mckee from Maui, and Female
Gina Ramos last year.
Thank You,
Bruce Kawano
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chairman.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Board of Dir./Gov.
National Coaches Committee.
Ringside Board of Advisors.
|
TITO
ORTIZ TO GET "ALL ACCESS" TREATMENT
by Ivan Trembow
Tito Ortiz will be the subject of the UFC's next "All Access"
special on Spike TV. While previous episodes focused on Rich
Franklin and Andrei Arlovski, the newest edition of UFC All Access
will focus on Ortiz' preparation for his upcoming fight with
Ken Shamrock.
Hosted
by Rachelle Leah, the 30-minute special will premiere on Monday,
July 3rd at 10:00 PM. Immediately following the Tito Ortiz episode
of UFC All Access on July 3rd will be the UFC 61 countdown special,
which will air from 10:30 PM to 11:30 PM.
Though
the advent of Spike TV exposure in 2005 resulted in a large boost
in pay-per-view sales for the UFC, the first half of 2006 has
seen an even bigger increase in PPV sales, due in part to the
"All Access" specials and PPV countdown shows, which
are focused entirely on selling pay-per-views.
In
the past, these shows have been well produced and have done an
excellent job of convincing potential PPV buyers than the overwhelming
underdog in the main event actually has a good chance of winning,
with the UFC 60 countdown special as the most obvious example.
The
airing of the PPV-selling shows on Spike TV is regarded as Spike
throwing Zuffa a bone, due to the fact that Spike doesn't directly
benefit from the PPV countdown shows. While any given episode
of UFC Unleashed or The Ultimate Fighter encourages viewers to
watch more of the UFC on Spike TV, the PPV countdown shows are
solely about PPV promotion. In exchange for getting to air PPV
trailers in primetime on Spike TV, the usual rights fee that
Spike normally pays Zuffa is not in effect for the PPV preview
shows.
With
Chuck Liddell sure to be the favorite in his upcoming fight against
Renato "Babalu" Sobral, and with Tito Ortiz as the
overwhelming favorite against Ken Shamrock, Zuffa's tentative
plan in the light heavyweight division is for Liddell and Ortiz
to fight for the Light Heavyweight Title at the end of 2006 or
beginning of 2007, assuming that Liddell and Ortiz win their
upcoming fights, as is hoped.
The
president of the UFC, Dana White, didn't exactly deny the plans
for a Liddell-Ortiz rematch when he was recently asked by the
Canadian Press, as he responded by saying, "We'll see what
happens with Ken and Tito... everyone would love to see Tito
and Chuck fight again." Also, Tito Ortiz has claimed publicly
in the past that his UFC contract says that if he were to beat
Forrest Griffin and Ken Shamrock in the first two fights on his
three-fight UFC contract, then the third fight would be a title
shot.
Ortiz
vs. Shamrock will take place at UFC 61 on July 8th in Las Vegas,
Nevada. Liddell vs. Sobral will take place at UFC 62 on August
26th and will also be in Las Vegas.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Sérgio
Cunha: Training and negotiating
By Marcelo Alonso
Eleven months in Japan training the team of the Japanese Hidehiko
Yoshida, the Muay Thai black belt Sérgio Cunha tried to
improve the ground game of the Japanese fighters. Parallel to
this, Wedge also makes a work as a manager, indicating freelancer
athletes to fight in Japan. Going to the Land of the Rising Sun,
Wedge Cunha had to leave the Shooto Brazil Dojo, where they were
training good athletes as Alexandre Pequeno, Jose Pelé
Landi and Anderson Silva. "As soon as I arrive in Brazil
I will have a meeting with the members of the Shooto Brazil Dojo
and we will together decide the future of the team", said
Cunha, who also evaluates the possibility to establish a new
team, with the name of Advanced Mix Martial Arts. Check out below
the complete interview.
How
could you be trainer of the Yoshida team?
I
came here through an invitation. Initially it would be for one
month, to know the fighters and they also know my work. Everything
happened through Nakamura, who was guided by friends of mine
my involved with MMA here in Japan. That was funny, I saw Takimoto
to fight against Tamura and I was already following has some
time the members of the Yoshida Dojo, for the TV and videos that
people sent to me, and I sent an email criticizing and saying
that of this way I couldn't do anymore, that they had to improve
the part stand up, and that I would make this. Then they had
called me.
How
is living in Japan? Do you already speak Japanese?
Living
in Japan is stressing, every day is the same thing. I talk the
basic words. For example: "Put me in anywhere of Japan and
don't worry about me" (laughs).
Can
you tell us how is your work of manager of Brazilians in Japan
and Europe?
I
work in a huge company of manager. I guide some fighters and
they bring them for the fights, but we are already adjusting
a lot of things.
Who
are the team athletes and how is the training routine?
The
athletes are Nakamura, o Yoshida, o Omigawa, o Takimoto and Murata,
but there are always someone like Hector Lombard, some Koreans
and we also have an exchange with the A-square team, that they
have Kosaka, Ryo Chonan, Yokoi, and others.
You
just teach professionals fighters?
I
just work with professionals, but I do like the work with beginners.
What
about the Shooto Brazil Dojo?
As
soon as I arrive in Brazil I will have a meeting with the members
of the Shooto Brazil Dojo and we will together decide the future
of the team
What
do you expect of Anderson Silva in the UFC?
From
Anderson I just can wait one thing: show and KO. He is really
great.
Do
you think that he could win this Bushido GP?
I
think that he would be the favorite, with Denis Kang and Paulão
Filho.
Who
is the favorite in your opinion and why?
Denis
Kang. Because he is experienced in Boxing, he is a good Wrestler,
Jiu-Jitsu fighter and he has an excellent physical and mental
condition. He is a complete fighter and he is an excellent support
for ATT, and he will win a lot yet.
And
in the GP Open Weight?
I
believe a lot in Yoshida, but I have my feet on the ground. I
already participated in 2002 of this kind of event and in the
final day everything will be defined. After the first bout of
the night, who has the best gas, who be more focused and well
prepared will take this. I don't think the lucky counts. It is
about preparation.
How
do you see this Pride crisis and the growth of Vale-Tudo in USA?
I
don't call it crisis, I call it as evolution and the Pride is
much better than everyone thinks. In October it had debut in
America. This is like growth.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take
the helm."
Henrik Ibsen, 1828-1906, Norwegian Playwright
|
Lockdown
in Lahaina Town
Tonight!
Lock Down In Lahaina Town
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii
June 24, 2006
Professional
MMA:
Jeremy Paet (5'6" 135 1-1-1 Native Action Fight Team) Vs.
Gene Gregory (5'3" 140 0-1 Team MMAD)
Amateur
MMA:
Kevin Canderoma (5'7" 145 0-0 Native Action Fight Team)
Vs. TBA
Professional
MMA:
Nalu Roy Jones (5'11" 227 Independent) Vs. Kawika Hong (6'2"
235 0-0 Wailuku)
Amateur
MMA:
Shaun Souza (6'6" 230 2-0 Native Action Fight Team) Vs.
Samuel Harper (5'11" 220 0-0 Independent)
Professional
MMA:
Paco Woods (5'8" 155 5-3 BJ Penn Academy) Vs. Dirty Dave
Moreno (Hilo)
Professional
MMA:
Nelson Pandi (5'6" 155 Native Action Fight Team) Vs. David
Padilla (5'6" 155 Jesus Is Lord)
Professional
MMA:
Douglas "Bradda" Camanse (5'8" 210 0-0 Native
Action Fight Team) Vs. Loki Cardiel (6'2" 240 4-1 American
Fighting Systems)
|
The
Ultimate Fighter Season 3 Finale
Today!
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
Saturday, June 24, 2006
The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
The
Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale airs live on Spike TV at 6PM Hawaii
Time
on Channel 559 (Oceanic Digital).
Other showings:
The Ultimate Fighter - Ultimate Finale, Ch. 559 Jun 24 09:00pm
The Ultimate Fighter - Ultimate Finale, Ch. 559 Jun 25 02:00pm
The Ultimate Fighter - Ultimate Finale, Ch. 559 Jun 26 07:00pm
If
you missed any of the episodes, the season 3 marathon airs the
same day from 9am-9pm.
Televised
Bouts
-
Lightweight Main Event: Sam Stout vs. Kenny Florian
-
TUF 3 Light Heavyweight Final: Josh Haynes vs. Mike Bisping
-
TUF 3 Middleweight Final: Kendall Groves vs. Ed Herman
-
LHW: Keith Jardine vs. Wilson Gouveia
Preliminary
Bouts
-
LHW: Wes Combs vs. Mike Nickels
-
LHW: Matt Hamill vs. Jesse Forbes
-
MW: Solomon Hutcherson vs. Luigi Fioravanti
-
MW: Kalib Starnes vs. Danny Abbadi
-
MW: Rory Singer vs. Ross Pointon
Source: MMA Fighting
|
ODDS
RELEASED FOR UFC'S ULTIMATE FINALE SHOW
Odds from BetEagle.com
The odds for the UFC's "Ultimate Finale" event have
been officially released on BetEagle.com.
Here's
how the oddsmakers have broken down the fights on the June 24th
live season finale of The Ultimate Fighter 3, with the favorite
in each fight listed above the underdog in this article. The
main card of this event will air live on Spike TV.
The
Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
Saturday, June 24th
Michael
Bisping -525
Josh Haynes +425
-In the light heavyweight finals of TUF 3, Michael Bisping opens
up as a huge favorite at -525, which means that one would have
to bet $525 in order to win $100 on Bisping. Josh Haynes opens
at +425, which means that one would have to bet $100 in order
to win $425 on Haynes.
Ed
Herman -185
Kendall Grove +155
-In TUF 3's middleweight finals, Ed Herman opens up as a slight
favorite over Kendall Grove, but not by as much as some expected.
Sam
Stout -125
Kenny Florian -105
-The line is almost even on this fight, with Sam Stout having
just the slightest edge in the odds.
Keith
Jardine -475
Wilson Gouveia +375
-After a close decision loss to Stephan Bonnar last time out,
Keith Jardine opens up as a big favorite over Wilson Gouveia.
Rory
Singer -275
Ross Pointon +225
-It's actually a bit of a shock that Rory Singer isn't a bigger
favorite in this fight, given the fact that Ross Pointon has
a 4-6 record in MMA (or 4-8 if you count his two losses during
the filming of TUF 3).
Kalib
Starnes -800
Danny Abaddi +500
-Kalib Starnes opens up as the biggest favorite on the entire
card, even bigger than Michael Bisping. This is likely based
on the fact that Starnes was able to fight a competitive fight
against Kendall Grove in the TUF 3 semi-finals, despite the fact
that Starnes suffered major injuries before and during the fight.
Luigi
Fioravanti -160
Solomon Hutcherson +130
-This fight opens with Luigi Fioravanti as just the slight favorite.
Fioravanti lasted 15 minutes with Chris Leben in his previous
UFC fight.
Matt
Hamill -525
Jesse Forbes +425
-This fight has the same exact opening line as Bisping vs. Haynes,
with Matt Hamill as the favorite over Jesse Forbes.
Wes
Combs -500
Mike Nickels +400
-In the first fight with a TUF 3 contestant versus a non-TUF
3 contestant, the TUF 3 contestant looks to be overmatched. Wes
Combs, who has a 12-0 record in MMA, opens as the betting favorite
in his UFC debut.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
The
Quest for Champions 2006 Tournament
Tomorrow
The Quest for Champions 2006 Tournament
Hosted by Kempo Unlimited
St. Louis High School Gym
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Source: Event Promoter
|
Interview
with WFA Lightheavyweight:
Jorge Oliveira
By Tommy Messano
On July 22nd the World Fighting Alliance returns with King of
the Streets live from the Forum in Los Angeles California. Jorge
Oliveira is the uncrowned king of Rio’s streets.
Growing
up in Brazil you have to be a warrior and Jorge Oliveira was
no exception he began fighting other kids at the age of four.
His Grandmother enrolled in Jiu Jitsui and Judo in hopes of harnessing
Jorge’s aggressive nature, this would only lead to Jorge
being kicked out of the classes for fighting too rough.
“It’s
very tough out there. In Brazil you fight everywhere, fight in
the streets, fight in the clubs, fight in the gyms, fighting
in the homes just fighting everywhere. You’re raised in
that fighter mentality.”
The
fighter within Jorge Oliveira would finally be channeled by teachings
of legendary Carlson Gracie.
“I
appreciate everything they have done for me. A lot of love to
the Gracie family they are a strong family. They’re lot
like my family. I’m now a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsui.
I am also now a better teacher because of Gracie teachings.”
Oliveira
would compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsui tournaments for many years.
Arriving in the United States at the age of 28, Oliveira would
then focus his efforts on training full time as a mixed martial
arts fighter.
Though
still a relative new comer to the ring Oliveira has already beaten
some MMA vets, including a submission victory over Mike Van Arsdale
last March. Oliveira knows that he still has a lot to learn but
that doesn’t stop him from entertaining the fans when he
steps into the ring.
“In
MMA you learn something new everyday. In the US it’s all
about the show. I like to put on a show. If I don’t knock
my opponent out then I’ll just have to choke him out or
tap him out.”
Now
training under the guidance of long time Chute Boxe coach Robert
Piccinini Oliveira is ready to take on all comers in the 205
lb weight division. Immersed in the Chute Boxe environment has
brought out the best in Oliveira’s fight game.
“At
our gym we have a lot of the new generation of MMA fighters.
In the next six months to a year Chute Boxe will be one of the
strongest schools in the US. We train hard. We have some of the
craziest fighters in the world. But that is how we train; we
train to fight so we fight in our training.”
The
WFA’s fighter first policy applies to Jorge Oliveira who
was signed by the WFA in April to a three fight contract. With
his own school of Chute Boxe fighters Oliveira is prepared to
grow as a MMA fighter and the WFA will be their as he becomes
a more well rounded light heavyweight.
“They
want to build the fighter so the company can grow with the fighter.
They want the fighters to be able to make an living off what
they’re doing because fighters work hard.”
Jorge
Oliveira was fighting in the streets of Rio De Janeiro years
before thoughts of a paycheck crossed his mind. Now in 2006 Oliveira
will begin taking steps towards to making fighting his full time
profession. Even to this day Oliveira recognizes his roots and
why he began fighting in the first place.
“You
fight on the streets and get your ass beat, if you come home
crying about it then your going to get your ass kicked at home.
In my country on my streets everyone is competitive. So that
makes you want to be the best fighter on the street or in the
gym or anywhere else you fight. We fight for life. In Brazil
we are survivors.”
July
22nd in Los Angles will be just another fight in lifetime of
fighting for Brazilian born Jorge Oliveira.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Whenever
you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em,
"Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how
to do it."
Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919, 26th President of the United States
|
WFA:
King of the Streets Fight Card
Today the World Fighting Alliance (WFA) unveiled the remainder
of its fight card for the upcoming WFA: King of the Streets national
Pay-Per-View event live from the Forum in Los Angeles on July
22nd. Four additional under card bouts were announced today,
each featuring names well recognized and respected within the
MMA ranks.
Jason
“Mayhem” Miller (14-4-0) vs. Lodune Sincaid (9-2-0)
This bout pits two of the sport’s youngest and most over-the-top
personalities against one another. After a successful tour of
duty building a name for himself in Icon Sport events in Honolulu,
the man they call “Mayhem” brings his one-of-a-kind
persona to the WFA to face Lodune Sincaid at King of the Streets.
Sincaid, best-known for his role on the first season of Spike
TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, brings
a respectable 9-2-0 record into the ring in a bout that will
determine which of these rising stars is most poised to take
his game to the next level.
Rob
McCullough vs. Harris
Sarmiento
The man they call “Razor” gets a chance at vengeance
as these two face each other for the first time since Sarmiento
defeated McCullough two years ago. Since that bout, McCullough’s
been a flawless 6-0-0, while Sarmiento’s path has been marked
by several defeats. McCullough’s motivation will be for
redemption, while Sarmiento knows a victory at WFA: King of the
Streets could get his career back on a winning track.
Jorge
Oliveira (2-1-0) vs. Marvin Eastman (12-6-0)
This bout features veteran against “up and comer” as
the Chute Academy-groomed Oliveira looks to further establish
himself in the sport with a victory over MMA veteran Eastman.
On July 22nd, Eastman’s sights will be fixed firmly on reclaiming
the top-ranked status he once held in the sport, despite the
youthful ambitions of Oliveira.
Jose
Landi-Jons (21-11-0) vs. TBD
While many North American MMA fans may not be familiar with Landi-Jons,
past wins over UFC champion Matt Hughes and Pat Militich should
be enough to illustrate the talent and legitimacy of the man
many know as “Pele.” The Brazilian submission specialist
has 21 career victories and actually has as many victories coming
by way of knockout as he does by submission. He looks to etch
his name in the minds of North American MMA fans at WFA: King
of the Streets.
These
four matchups round out an already unparalleled fight card featuring
the long-anticipated return of Bas Rutten as he squares off against
Kimo, “Rampage” Jackson’s rebirth in North America
taking on Matt Lindland, undefeated rising MMA star Lyoto Machida
facing Lion’s Den veteran Vernon “Tiger” White,
former UFC veteran heavyweights Ricco Rodriguez against Ron Waterman,
and Ivan Salaverry taking on Art Santore.
Tickets
for “WFA: King of the Streets” at The Forum are available
at all Southern California Ticket Master outlets (Los Angeles,
Orange, Riverside, San Bernadino and Ventura Counties), online
at Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at (213) 480-3232, (714)
740-2000, (661) 322-2525 or (805) 583-8700. The event will also
be shown live on pay-per-view television via iNDemand and Dish
Network (check local listings for details).
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Lockdown
in Lahaina Town
Tomorrow
Lock Down In Lahaina Town
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii
June 24, 2006
Professional
MMA:
Jeremy Paet (5'6" 135 1-1-1 Native Action Fight Team) Vs.
Gene Gregory (5'3" 140 0-1 Team MMAD)
Amateur
MMA:
Kevin Canderoma (5'7" 145 0-0 Native Action Fight Team)
Vs. TBA
Professional
MMA:
Nalu Roy Jones (5'11" 227 Independent) Vs. Kawika Hong (6'2"
235 0-0 Wailuku)
Amateur
MMA:
Shaun Souza (6'6" 230 2-0 Native Action Fight Team) Vs.
Samuel Harper (5'11" 220 0-0 Independent)
Professional
MMA:
Paco Woods (5'8" 155 5-3 BJ Penn Academy) Vs. Dirty Dave
Moreno (Hilo)
Professional
MMA:
Nelson Pandi (5'6" 155 Native Action Fight Team) Vs. David
Padilla (5'6" 155 Jesus Is Lord)
Professional
MMA:
Douglas "Bradda" Camanse (5'8" 210 0-0 Native
Action Fight Team) Vs. Loki Cardiel (6'2" 240 4-1 American
Fighting Systems)
|
UFC
Ultimate Fight Night 5
Ultimate Fight Night 5 is live from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
in Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 28. The show will be broadcasted
on Spike TV at 8pm ET.
Fight
Card:
- Chris Leben vs. Anderson Silva*
- Rashad Evans vs. Stephan Bonnar*
- Jorge Gorgel vs. Mark Hominick
- Dave Menne (Former UFC Middleweight champ) vs. Josh Koscheck
- Branden Lee Hinkle vs. Jason Lambert
- Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves
- Jonathan Goulet vs. Luke Cummo*
*will
be televised
The
next Ultimate Fight Night is on August 17th with Diego Sanchez
vs. Karo Parisyan as the main event. TUF 2's Seth Petruzelli
will be on the card.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
ALL
AMATEUR MMA BANNED IN COLORADO
by Ken Pishna
Several promoters across Colorado received a rather unwanted
wake-up call yesterday in the form of a ban on all amateur mixed
martial arts bouts in the state.
Though
Colorado State Boxing Commission Director Josef Mason was unavailable
for comment at the time of publication, many of the promoters
that were notified by state officials yesterday commented on
the situation, verifying that the ban was indeed instituted,
effective immediately.
“Amateur
mixed martial arts in the state of Colorado has been banned,
at least for the time being,” said one of the state’s
pioneering promoters on the amateur side of the sport, Steve
Alley. “But amateur kickboxing, even as part of a professional
MMA card, would still be allowable.” According to Alley,
as he understands it, there isn’t much hope for any change
in the situation for “at least 6 to 8 months, and probably
longer.” (Many promoters said the ban sounded indefinite.)
So far, without a statement from the commission, it is difficult
to piece together the logic of the move.
Most
of the promoters questioned said they weren’t given much
in the way of a detailed explanation regarding the ban, but Devon
Thorne, co-promoter along with Jorge Chacon of an all-amateur
mixed martial arts event entitled Savage Battleground, said that
he was told that the Colorado commission was basically comparing
MMA to boxing.
In
boxing, the state sanctions all of the professional bouts, while
a separate body sanctions all of the amateur bouts. This typically
holds true for MMA in the state as well. The primary difference
is that, in boxing, the state only sanctions professional bouts,
and the amateur bodies only sanction amateur bouts. In MMA, the
state only sanctions professional bouts, while the bodies that
sanction amateur bouts in Colorado also sanction professional
bouts in other states. This is apparently now viewed by the Colorado
State Boxing Commission as unacceptable.
As
of Monday evening, June 19th, the International Sport Karate
Association and International Karate Federation, both of which
sanction professional and amateur MMA bouts in various states,
were listed on the Colorado State Boxing Commission’s website
(http://www.dora.state.co.us/Boxing/) as “recognized...
national sanctioning bodies to approve events in Colorado.”
In
any situation like this, of course, money becomes a large part
of the discussion, as it did with some of the promoters questioned.
They say that the state basically charges a fee of $1,400 to
sanction a professional event in Colorado, as well as taking
7% of the gate receipts. In contrast, most of the amateur events
in Colorado are sanctioned by the ISKA, which most promoters
said typically runs them around $500, plus additional fees if
there are any ISKA-sanctioned title belts on the line, but no
portion of the gate receipts.
“It
definitely isn’t in the best interests of the fighters,”
said trainer/promoter Chuck Daily of the Kongo Do dojo in Colorado
Springs. “It’s greed on the commission’s part.
I thought they did the right thing two-and-a-half years ago when
they decided to leave the amateurs alone.”
While
most of the promoters are still shell-shocked, with several amateur
or pro/am mixed cards scheduled over nearly every weekend for
the next month, most are quickly pursuing various actions to
deal with the situation.
Gino
Carlucci, who heads up the Worldwide Fighting Championship, in
addition to paying any fighters on his July 1st card in Loveland,
has offered to cover the licensing fees of any amateur fighters
that wish to turn professional in order for them to stay on the
card.
Kickdown
promoter Steve Alley plans to move forward with his planned July
15th show, which was to be an all-amateur card. Alley’s
shows are typically a mix of MMA bouts, along with a smattering
of kickboxing bouts, but for July 15th, he now intends to put
on a handful of professional MMA bouts along with a stronger
emphasis on (meaning more) amateur kickboxing contests on the
card.
As
for what all of this means for mixed martial arts and its athletes
in Colorado over the long term, that is a little more difficult
to extrapolate on, but many promoters did on various points.
One of the most common points was that this will automatically
create an influx of professional fighters in the state that will
saturate the market.
“It’s
going to flood the market and distort everything,” commented
Thorne. “Everything will be advertised as pro fighters,
but it will be the same guys that fought on shows a month ago
as amateurs.”
Rocky
Mountain Bad Boyz’ Keith Schmelzer, another promoter of
primarily amateur shows, agreed: "Every fighter in Colorado
is going to be punished because there will be an abundance of
lower-priced pros.”
Carlucci’s
offer to pay the licensing fee of amateur fighters who are willing
to turn pro to stay on the WFC’s July 1st card is case in
point. These are primarily fighters that had chosen to remain
amateur, but now may be forced to make a tough decision. Stay
amateur and get little to no experience, as most out-of-state
promoters are unwilling to pay travel expenses for out-of-state
amateur athletes when they can fill their card with locals that
draw more ticket sales anyway. Or do they turn professional at
a time when most fighters are directed by their trainers to work
on their skills and develop into professional level talents at
a more functional pace?
Thorne
is of the belief that many amateur fighters are going to have
to turn pro if they want the experience, and that the situation
isn’t a positive one. “I think it’s a mistake.
I’m really concerned about the fighters. We [Savage Battleground]
may have to go pro, but we’ll be careful about who we put
in there," he said.
Thorne
continued, “It’s going to be tough for me. I want to
give guys a chance to learn and become quality professional fighters.
We were building fighters to turn pro [at our amateur shows].”
Daily
was more blunt than most of the others questioned, although many
were probably thinking his words, “This is a slap in the
face to all the promoters, fighters, and trainers that have been
involved in this sport for years.”
But
nearly everyone echoed the resilient final words of Alley, “You
can’t just quit, you have to move forward. I have no intention
of quitting.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
PRIDE
Critical Countdown Absolute 2006
Non-Tournament Bouts:
- Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshiki Takahashi
- Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
- Yoshihiro Nakao vs. TBA
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Alistair Overeem
Tournament
Bouts:
- Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
- Wanderlei Silva vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
- Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
- Mark Hunt vs. Josh Barnett
Critical
Countdown Absolute will premiere on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH
Network, and TVN pay per view on Sunday, July 2, 2006.
The
show takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Saturday,
July 1, 2006.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Change
is the law of life.
And those who look only to the past or present are certain to
miss the future."
John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, 35th President of the United States
|
BARONI
FIGHTING SHAMROCK AND BACK IN PRIDE GP?
by Damon Martin
After MMAWeekly reported that Ryo Chonan may not be able to continue
in Pride's 183-pound Bushido Grand Prix due to a fractured orbital
bone, rumors started to circulate regarding Chonan's potential
replacement. It now appears as though Phil Baroni is the most
likely candidate to take Chonan's place in the second round of
the tournament, if Chonan does end up having to withdraw due
to his injury.
Pride
has still not released an official statement regarding Chonan’s
injury, possibly out of the hope that he may be able to heal
in time for the next round. However, with a normal recovery time
for a broken orbital bone of three to four months, it's not likely
that he will be able to compete in the second round of the tournament
on August 26th.
Chonan
defeated Joey Villasenor by split decision in the first round
of the Grand Prix. Villasenor was originally at the top of the
list of potential replacemnents, but now it appears that if Chonan
is out, Baroni is back in.
Never
one to rest and wait for a fight, Baroni is also entertaining
the prospect of a fight with Frank Shamrock. At the recent Strikeforce
show in San Jose, Shamrock called out Baroni for a possible showdown
between the two middleweights.
“It
would be an honor to fight him,” Baroni said in a statement
to MMAWeekly. “I’m already signed. It's up to Frank
if he wants to fight me. He challenged me at Strikeforce, so
I think it will be a go. He seemed like he was willing. We had
some rivalry in the past. The ball is in his court.”
With
the large crowds that were drawn to Strikeforce's two recent
MMA shows, another Frank Shamrock main event can only continue
the promotion's streak of robust business. Unless Pride objects
to Baroni fighting in another organization, the Baroni-Shamrock
fight could be signed and announced very soon.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Tyson
Griffin vs. Josh Thompson
Our first supermatch has been set and it will be a good one.
David Terrell disciple, Tyson Griffin will be taking on AKA member
Josh Thompson. The two men will face off at this year's Gracie
Open, set for this upcoming weekend.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
WWE
chairman Vince McMahon comments on the UFC
In an article by R. Thomas Umstead for Multichannel News, WWE
chairman Vince McMahon comments on the recent success of the
UFC:
WWE
chairman Vince McMahon also recognized the UFC’s efforts,
but warned that the franchise’s momentum could fade if Zuffa
fails to build new, marquee stars for the sport.
“It
could be difficult for [UFC] going forward because they’re
in a situation much like boxing where they don’t control
the outcomes of their events,” said McMahon. “They
don’t quite know what they’re doing in terms of building
characters.”
But
White said UFC’s momentum won’t be pinned down by a
lack of star power anytime soon. He added the Ultimate Fighter
reality series will continue to unveil up and coming superstars,
whose careers fans will be able to track through its live events.
“The
bottom line is that this isn’t a fad,” White said.
“People who watch this are much like boxing fans and I believe
they will stick around and watch this just like they watch boxing
over the past 100 years. It’s not a fad or peaking, but
its continuing to grow.”
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Fighting
the Ultimate Monopoly
by Jake Rossen
Competition
is healthy. No sport is an island. Even in the singular monopolies
held by the NBA, NFL, and NHL in their respective pastimes, the
suits recognize that they’re battling for the attention
of the American sports fan with one another.
Within
the genre of pampered athletes batting a ball around, there exists
some degree of variety. Not so in MMA.
If
you reside in the continental U.S. and appreciate a good pummeling,
the only lighted marquee in front of you screams Ultimate Fighting
Championship. Flip through the dial on any given weeknight and
Spike’s Ultimate Fighter will be cued. Amble over to Las
Vegas and the hottest ticket in town is likely to be one of the
UFC’s tiresome variations on Ortiz/Shamrock/Liddell.
For
the indigent Internet buff, it’s easy to become cognizant
of PRIDE’s offerings. But because of the foreign flavor
of their exported events and the random airtimes of Fox Sport
Net’s re-packaged compilation shows, it’s difficult
for the “casual” fan to learn of their wares.
FSN’s
PRIDE broadcasts average a .40 rating, which works out to roughly
260,000 households. Compare that to the two million-plus audience
of Ultimate Fighter and it becomes easy to see why the UFC is
enjoying exclusivity. Early airings of the IFL’s team concept
haven’t fared much better, roughly equaling PRIDE’s
viewership on the network.
Things
are even grimmer on Pay-Per-View.
The
Gracie Fighting Championships, one of the few non-UFC offerings
to grace iNDemand’s schedule in recent memory, landed with
a thud. Its failure is particularly distressing, given that the
Gracie lineage stood the strongest chance of resonating with
curious would-be customers. And without a steady basic cable
presence, PRIDE’s premium offerings are rarely anything
to write home about.
With
national cable exposure and a brand that’s been cemented
in the public consciousness for over a decade, the UFC doesn’t
appear poised to combat any promotional threats in the near future.
And
that ain’t good.
Exclusivity
in business often leads to one thing: stale product. Without
the shopkeeper across the street gouging prices and bleating
sales, there’s little incentive for the monopoly to up the
ante. Why aggressively pursue fresh inventory and spirit up inventive
sales tactics when consumers have little choice in the matter?
Such
apathy has materialized in the UFC’s product: the endless
series of rematches (detailed in last week’s rant), the
trumpeting of mid-card talent, and the refusal to regard any
talent outside the promotion as valuable.
Astute
viewers may recall Zuffa’s early productions, where onscreen
graphics would make mention of PRIDE’s roster in the hierarchy
of each weight class. That’s a far cry from the warped reality
embraced today, where Dana White can appear on a radio show and
profess to not “having seen much” of Fedor Emelianenko
(Pictures).
The
UFC’s attitude is simply that high-ticket talent isn’t
worth squat when fans aren’t familiar with them. Of course,
that’s a self-fulfilling prophecy: the UFC’s broadcast
funnels could easily sell the demoniac Wanderlei Silva (Pictures)
or the personable Quinton Jackson (Pictures) to the masses.
“Big
fights” may not be on the minds of the casual Spike viewers,
but the UFC ignores the simple fact that the enthusiasm of the
diehard fans is contagious.
Liddell’s
umpteenth rematch is going to prompt snores; pair him against
Silva and well-versed observers are going to be running around
screaming about it for weeks.
Unfortunately,
it’s futile to hold out hopes the UFC broadens their horizons
when it comes to talent acquisition. Instead, the crossed fingers
should be in place for a rival promotion to threaten their bottom
line. It won’t be easy.
Pay-Per-View
customers are a surly lot. Unlike basic cable, PPV viewing isn’t
a passive experience. They need a compelling reason to watch
their cable bill swell. The UFC’s barker shows on Spike
are the perfect antidote to that. Other events, like the WFA
and the (likely defunct) Gracie Fighting, don’t have that
luxury. As such, they have a glass ceiling when it comes to their
success.
Competition
with the UFC involves one prerequisite: television exposure.
Not the kind provided by FSN, with its impenetrable schedule
and preemptions, but with an established basic cable network.
That’s the only way an upstart promotion can hope to put
a dent in the UFC monolith. And in that way, the UFC may wind
up being its own worst enemy: TV is a repetitive medium. One
successful show about psychics turns into five mediocre shows
about psychics the following season.
Spike’s
success with Ultimate Fighter has borne several MMA projects
in the pipeline, though none seem to have Pay-Per-View as part
of their business strategy. (Of particular concern is BET’s
attempt, with hip-hop stars acting as managers for talent.) Another,
featuring female fighters on Oxygen, seems predestined to become
a punch line.
If
a promotion cannot replicate the UFC’s success on cable,
the only other alternative would be the “PRIDE method.”
Take an established personality in another medium and piggyback
on his popularity.
KRS
launched PRIDE doing just that, pitting the famous pro wrestler
Nobuhiko Takada (Pictures) against the enigmatic Rickson Gracie.
The idea was later perpetuated by enlisting judo players like
Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) to capture the attention of Japan
as a whole.
American
values being what they are, pro wrestlers aren’t overly
likely to want to take an actual beating. Some have flirted with
the idea: Bill Goldberg and, more recently, Brock Lesnar. Either
name would provide a boost for a promotion that is otherwise
an unknown commodity.
Finding
a boxer crazy enough to compete freestyle would provide a similar
boost, since the marketing would essentially take care of itself.
Executing either idea would cost many millions of dollars, and
it would take a tremendous buy rate to offset those costs. Most
simply aren’t willing to take the risk.
Japan
has also used actors to some effect, pitting popular performer
Ken Kaneko (Pictures) against Charles Bennett (Pictures) last
New Year’s Eve. (Kaneko lasted four minutes.) Former SEG
chair David Issacs attempted a similar tactic late last year,
when he attempted to coerce Wesley Snipes into a fight with Joe
Rogan. Snipes toyed with the idea, then later decided —
wisely — that getting beat up in front of television cameras
wasn’t necessarily good for an action hero’s box office.
Some
find the latter idea somewhat repulsive: involving unskilled
participants in a sport as dynamically dangerous as MMA is an
invitation to serious injury or worse.
In
the end, only one thing is going to prove successful enough to
provide a launching pad for an upstart promotion: a bout featuring
one or two mass media personalities, with a marketing approach
of sufficient budget to power the hype. It might be a pro wrestler,
washed-up boxer, or would-be film star.
What
it won’t be is a card that looks, talks, and walks just
like the UFC, sans the single most formidable element in Zuffa’s
portfolio: the cache that comes with being the Ultimate Fighting
Championship.
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"Learning
is not attained by chance.
It must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence."
Abigail Adams, 1744-1818, Wïfe of United States President
John Adams
|
Puna's
Albert
Manners
on MMA Card in Portland!
Rise Fighting Championships
July 8th, 2006
Portland Expo Center, Portland, OR
Doors
will open at 6:00 pm and fights start at 7:00pm. Please check
out www.risefc.com for additional info.
CARD
SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
Main
event:
145lbs Albert
'Always Bad' Manners
vs Keiske Andrews (straight blast gym)
240lbs
Kyle Beck (Portland Thai boxing & martial arts vs Kelly Gray
(Team Mica)lasvegas
185lbs
Daryl Cuttler (straight blast gym) vs Blas Avena (Team Mica)
Las Vegas
170lbs
JD Chatlin (Team Megaton) vs James Davis (straight blast gym)
170lbs
Dlas Van winkel (straight blast gym) vs TBD
160lbs
Evan Dunum (Team Megaton) vs TBD
155lbs
Tyler Moug (DFCC) vs Josh Long (straight blast gym)
155lbs
Brent Primus (Team Megaton) vs TBD
155lbs
Chris Reed (straight blast gym) vs TBD
145lbs
Mark Manny (Team Megaton) vs Cole Young (DFCC)
|
YVES
EDWARDS READY FOR JOE STEVENSON FIGHT
Fresh off a win in his most recent fight, Yves Edwards is looking
forward to his upcoming fight against Joe Stevenson in the UFC.
Edwards is set to face Stevenson at UFC 61 on July 8th.
On
the subject of the Stevenson fight, Edwards told MMAWeekly, "Tough
fight. Tough guy. I think this will be a good one. I think he
will definitely try to take this to the ground, and I'll keep
it standing. He's a really strong guy, but there is more to this
than just strength."
In
his last UFC appearance this past March, Edwards lost in an upset
to Canadian fighter Mark Hominick, who submitted Edwards with
a triangle choke. One month later, Edwards got back on the winning
track with a unanimous decision victory over Seichi Ikemoto at
Pride Bushido 10.
Prior
to his loss to Hominick in March, Edwards had not fought in the
UFC since 2004, which was before the UFC's huge growth in pay-per-view
sales. To some newer fans of the sport, the loss to Hominick
at UFC 58 might be the only time they've ever seen Yves Edwards
fight.
Edwards
is keenly aware of this fact, and is eager to pick up a victory
this time. "It's good to be back, and I really want to show
those that only know me from UFC 58 that that wasn't really me,"
Edwards said.
After
winning the welterweight competition on The Ultimate Fighter
2 and then losing to Josh Neer in April, Joe Stevenson is moving
back to lightweight to take this fight against Edwards. A lot
of fighters have been making the move from welterweight to the
suddenly crowded lightweight division, including Stevenson and
former UFC Welterweight Title challenger Sean Sherk.
When
asked specifically about Sherk and his move down in weight to
the 155-pound division, Edwards jokingly said in the voice of
the announcer from The Price is Right, "Sean Sherk, come
on down!" Edwards continued, "I've always thought that
Sherk would eventually move to 155 pounds. He was a monster at
170 pounds, and I think he will have a lot of success at lightweight.
I like Sherk, though, so I want to him to win every fight he
has... except the one he's going to have with me."
If
he can get past Joe Stevenson, Edwards could end up being the
fighter who goes up against Sherk for the vacant UFC Lightweight
Title. That spot was originally offered to BJ Penn, but Penn
turned it down because he reportedly feels that he should get
a shot at the UFC Welterweight Title against the winner of the
upcoming fight between Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre.
At
this point, the two leading candidates to face Sherk for the
vacant Lightweight Title are the winner of the Yves Edwards vs.
Joe Stevenson fight, and the winner of the Sam Stout vs. Kenny
Florian fight.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
StrikeForce's
new Lightweight Champion:
Gilbert Melendez
By Sean McClure
MaxFighting: Gilbert, congratulations on your win, it was a great
fight and you ended up with a split decision over the very tough
Clay Guida at Strikeforce: Revenge.
Since you had finished all of your other fights, was this hard
for you despite the fact that you won?
Gilbert
Melendez: Thanks, man. Everyone knows Clay is a tough guy. Considering
the kind of fighter he is, it makes sense that it went the distance.
Actually, going the distance with Clay, makes the win super rewarding.
MaxFighting:
You deserve that belt for sure. In the third round, Guida had
you in a rear naked choke and it looked like it was close to
being sunk in deep. You reversed it by slamming him. Is that
something you practice or was it a spur of the moment kind of
thing?
Gilbert
Melendez: Thanks. The choke was tight, but honestly, I felt his
technique was a just a little bit off. In training, I do practice
swinging guys to the side.
Obviously, I don't drop my friends on their head...It's a wrestling
move. I train to improvise, so it's all the same to me.
MaxFighting:
The California State Athletic Commission asked you to take a
urine test before the fight. Do you feel this was targeted directly
at you or that it was just random and your number came up?
Gilbert
Melendez: They can ask a fighter to take the test for any reason
and as to why, I don't really care. They're just doing their
job.
MaxFighting:
How does it feel to be the lightweight champion now?
Gilbert
Melendez: Great, man. Considering the sacrifices, it feels really
rewarding.
Physically, I feel really good. I don't want to lose the title,
so I know I have to continue training hard. I'm just thankful
that Scott Coker of STRIKEFORCE gave me the shot. I'm not one
to take it for granted.
MaxFighting:
Will you stay in the 155-pound division? Aren't you a natural
145-pounder as most would say?
Gilbert
Melendez: Most people don't know this, but I would cut to145
lbs. solely to take advantage of the opportunity SHOOTO presented
to me to fight in Japan. I dieted an entire year and a half to
hold my weight down, hoping to fight Peqeuño. I walk around
in the mid-high 160s. I'm fighting at 155 now because that's
really where my natural fight weight is.
MaxFighting:
Now that you have established yourself as one of the best in
the world in that weight class, where do you go now? I am sure
you have a great manager because you just fought in a very successful
show and are now the champion there. Is there any communications
between your camp and the UFC?
Gilbert
Melendez: Well, I can say that the top guns have shown interest
and my manager, Chris Sanford is busy dealing with all that.
As the STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champ, I consider myself really
fortunate to be on the ground floor of what I think will be,
in the near future, one of the premier MMA shows around. As far
as me establishing myself to be one of the best in the world,
I don't think that one big win, one big fight, one big name,
one big performance that people talk about, establishes that.
You have to prove yourself time and time and time again. That's
what I set out to do and what I'm committed to do.
MaxFighting:
Would you fight for the Pride organization if offered?
Gilbert
Melendez: I want to stay the STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champ for
a long time. With that said, man, it would be a dream come true
to fight in Pride.
MaxFighting:
Say you did go to the UFC, just humor me. There are some good
fighters in the lightweight division like Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian,
Yves Edwards, Jorge Gurgel, and Sam Stout. Do you feel you could
step in and be a major player in that division?
Gilbert
Melendez: Definitely. Man, those guys are some of the best. I
can't say I can beat all of them, that's not really my style,
but I'm confident that I'm capable of giving any of them the
fight of their life. I'm ready.
MaxFighting:
Keeping on the UFC path here, what did you think of the Hughes
vs. Gracie fight?
Gilbert
Melendez: I figured it would end up as it did. Royce is the pioneer
of the sport, but the sport has evolved so much. Hughes is a
well-rounded fighter. I saw it coming.
MaxFighting:
Do you think it proves that this sport is finally more than just
needing jiu-jitsu skills or needing just good stand-up to win?
Proving this to the average fan, I mean.
Gilbert
Melendez: Yes, definitely. You can't be at the top of this sport
and be 1 dimensional.
You have to make your game complete to compete with the best.
MaxFighting:
Do you know when we will get to see you fight again yet?
Gilbert
Melendez: I feel good and feel ready for the next challenge.
Again, Chris is handling that. My preference is soon and he knows
that.
MaxFighting:
When you do get ready for a fight, whom do you train with? Who
keeps you sharp before a fight?
Gilbert
Melendez: I train hard with everyone. I have a bunch of great
training partners and Jongsanon Fairtex is my stand-up coach.
I have to say that Jake Shields is really the core of my training.
Jake pushes me at practice and workouts, dieting, he's non-stop
pushing me.
MaxFighting:
Gilbert, thanks for this and congratulations on winning the Strikeforce
lightweight title. Do you have anyone you would like to thank?
Gilbert
Melendez: Yeah, I want to thank my family and friends for their
support. Of course, Jake Shields, Nathan Diaz, Jongsanon Fairtex,
Chris Sanford, Sal Russo and Larry Bustillo (my loyal corner
guys!). I'd also really like to thank Scott Coker of STRIKEFORCE
for the opportunity and thanks also to maxfighting.com.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Grueling
training session = competitive eating
Sounds
like my kind of training.
Some fighters prefer to train in exhausting workout sessions
in deserted places. And then there is Ikuhisa Minowa, who prefers
to train by participating in the Japanese qualifying tournament
round of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Tokyo. Minowa
was able to get 6 hot dogs in 12 minutes, while the winner savaged
19 hot dogs in 12 minutes. Minowa said that at first it was both
delicious and painful to eat the hot dogs, but it quickly became
“hot dog hell” for him.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
|