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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2007
10/6/07
Punishment In Paradise
18
(MMA &
Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
7/13/07
Punishment In Paradise
17
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
4/27/07
Punishment In Paradise
16
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
2/9/07
Punishment In Paradise
15
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
1/14/07
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Location: TBD)
2006
12/9/06
Grapplers Quest West X
(All Sport Arena, Las Vegas, NV)
12/1/06
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
11/25/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
11/24/06
Punishment In Paradise 14
(MMA &
Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
11/12/06
Aloha State Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
11/4/06
Suma
Up Martial Arts (SUMA)
(Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
November TBA
RWE
Qualfiers
(MMA)
(Maui)
10/21/06
Pride Fighting Championships:
The Real Deal
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
RWE Qualfiers
(MMA)
(Hilo)
10/14-15/06
Pacific
Island Showdown
International Invitational Ultimate Full-Contact Stickfighting
Championship
(Stickfighting)
(Filipino Community Center Ballroom, Waipahu)
10/13/06
RWE Qualfiers
(MMA)
(Katchafire Concert,
Guam)
10/7/06
Hawaii Fighting Championships: “Stand Your Ground I”
(Kickboxing/Jiu Jitsu/MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
10/6/06
X-1 Battlegrounds
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Got Skills 5
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Wrestling/Sub Grappling)
September
ROTR Qualifers
(MMA)
(Maui)
9/23/06
UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn 2
Arrowhead Pond,
Anaheim, California
9/16/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
9/9/06
Punishment In Paradise 13
Unfinished Business
(Kickboxing, MMA)
(Dole Cannery Square Ballroom)
9/2/06
Icon Sport 47
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
8/26-27/06
International
Masters & Seniors Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
8/26/06
Got Skills 3
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Takedowns/Submission Grappling)
(Ilima Intermediate, Ewa Beach)
Palolo Gym Smoker
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
UFC 62
(MMA)
(PPV)
8/21/06
UFC 62 Countdown: Liddell vs. Sobral
(Spike)
UFC: All Access Renato "Babalu" Sobral
(Spike)
8/18/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
8/17/06
Ultimate
Fight Night 4
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
The Ultimate Fighter 4:
The Comeback Premiers
(Spike)
8/12/06
Hawaiian Open of
BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
8/5/06
Rumble On The Rock
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Garden Island Cage Match 4
(MMA)
(Kauai)
Island
Warriors Fighting Championship
(MMA)
(War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/28/06
RWE & PXC
(MMA)
(University of Guam Fieldhouse, Mangilao, Guam)
7/22/06
RWE Qualifiers
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
7/22-30/06
CBJF World
Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/21/06
Punishment In Paradise 12
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
7/20-24/06
CBJJO World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/?/06
RAZE MMA Fight Night 2
(MMA)
(San Diego, CA)
7/8/06
Ring of Honor
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Waianae H.S. Gym)
7/7/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
UFC 61
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
7/3/06
Got Skills 2
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Wrestling/Sub Grappling)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom)
s 2006 Tournament
(Sport-Jujitsu, Sport Pankration, Sub Grappling, Extreme Sparring)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
7/1/06
Pride
(MMA)
(Saitama Super Arena)
6/24/06
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
(MMA)
(The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV)
6/17/06
RWE Qualifiers
(MMA)
(Afook
Chinen Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
USA-Boxing Hawaii
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
6/10/06
X-1 Battlegrounds 4
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
6/4/06
PRIDE Bushido 11: 'Bushido
Survival '06'
(PPV)
6/3/06
X-2 Extreme Wars:
Bay Area Brawl
(MMA)
(Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA)
2006 Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Associations Gi Tournament
(BJJ)
(Gracie Main Academy)
5/27/06
UFC 60:
Royce Gracie vs. Matt Hughes
(PPV)
5/26/06
Icon Sport 45
(MMA)
(Blaisdell 6Arena)
5/20/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
5/13/06
Got Skills Fighter Event
(MMA)
(Pagoda Hotel)
4/29/06
RAZE MMA Fight Night
(MMA)
(ipayOne center , former San Diego Sports Arena
San Diego, CA)
4/21/06
Rumble on the Rock
11: Grand Prix
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/15/06
UFC 59: Reality Check
(MMA)
(Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, CA)
4/7-9/06
2006
Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA)
4/6/06
Ultimate Fight Night on Spike TV
(MMA)
(Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV)
4/1/06
Punishment in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Sea Life Park)
3/26/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
3/25/06
Garden Island Cage
Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)
3/11/06
Hawaiian Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
Full Contact Showdown
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
3/4/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Venue TBA)
2/26/06
NAGA Hawaii State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Honolulu)
*Cancelled
until Summer*
2/25/06
Icon Sport 44
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/4/06
Kick it Up
(Kickboxing)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom, Honolulu)
UFC 57:
Liddell vs. Couture 3
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV)
1/27/06
So You Think You Tough
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
January
Grappler's Quest Hawaii
(Submission Grappling)
(TBA)
***Cancelled*** |
|
September 2006 News
Part 1
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 7:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Fight
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
|
Got a question for us? Email info@onzuka.com
or click here to send us
an email
Quote
of the Day
"Don't
smother each other. No one can grow in the shade."
Leo Buscaglia, 1924-1998, American Author and Expert on Love
and Human Relationships
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE: UNFINISHED BUSINESS Results!
Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
Saturday, September 9, 2006
175lbs.
Sean Basset (Team Shamrock,California) vs. Ronald Jhun (808 F.F,
Kalihi)
Jhun by TKO at 35 seconds of round 2
155lbs
James Martinez (Team MMAD, Kailua) vs. Harris Sarimento (808
F.F, Kaneohe)
Martinez pulled out of the fight.
Kids
American Kickboxing
Wesley Benigno (Bulls Pen, Kalihi) vs Nainoa Mesiona (808 F.F,
Waipahu)
Benigno by unanimous decision (30-26)(30-26)(30-26)
147lbs.
Lorenzo Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi) vs. Tony Rodiques (Westside
Connection, Waianae)
Moreno by unanimous decision (29-26)(28-27)(28-27)
Ikaika
Martin vs John Vistante Jr (Sit You Down, Waianae)
Vistante by unanimous decision (27-30)(27-30)(27-30)
Kaipo Cayetano (Smith TKD) vs Derek Butay (Fighters Union, Waianae)
Cayetano by TKO at 55 seconds of round 2.
145lbs.
Sam Chong vs. Sadhu Bott (HMC, Kalihi)
Bott by unanimous decison (27-29)(27-29)(29-27)
170lbs.
Zane Kamaka (Guts & Glory, Waianae) vs. Fatu Tuatasi (808
F.F, Waipahu)
Kamaka by unanimous decision (29-28)(29-28)(30-27)
Thomas Sedeno (Bulls Pen, Kalihi) vs Preston Kealoha
Sedeno by TKO at 1:43 of round 3
Chris Williams vs Josh Amarral
Williams by TKO at 1:10 of round 2
185lbs.
Correy Wilson (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Tellis Sionesini
(808 F.F, Waipahu)
Sionesini by TKO at 1:59 min of round 2.
140lbs.
Bronson Cayetano (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. vs. Erwin Celes
(Sit You Down, Waianae)
Cayetano by unanimous decision (29-28)(29-28)(30-27)
230LBS.
Loren Kanoa (HMC, Kalihi) vs. Charles Kipili'i Jr (Fighters Union,
Waianae)
Kanoa by unanimous decision (28-27)(28-27)(28-27)
200lbs.
Frankie Ruiz (Team Submit, Honolulu) vs. Rob Chong (Koden Kan,
Waimanalo)
Chong by unanimous decision (26-30)(27-29)(26-30)
165lbs.
Dean Henze (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Brendon Wong (Disciples
of Puhi, Kauai)
Henze by TKO at 55 seconds of round 3
175lbs.
Dean Lista (HMC, Kalihi) vs. Trevor Sojot
Lista by TKO at 1:50 of round 2. |
SUMA
Is Back!
SUMA, which stands for Stand Up Martial Arts, has just announced
its return after taking a hiatus after 2 successful events. Big
things are planned, but cannot be released at this time. What
can be released is that they have secured the Blaisdell Arena
on November 4th for their return.
Stay tuned to Onzuka.com for the latest news as we work to pry
information from the promoter.
|
BJ
Penn vs.
Matt Hughes II
By Luke Nicholson
In case you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, UFC is
having a HELL of a year. Coming off UFC 61, where a re-match
between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock drew 775 thousand buys on
PPV, and UFC 62 which will probably do in the range of 450-500
thousand PPV buys, UFC is extremely hot right now. So, people
might be wondering, can a match between BJ Penn and Matt Hughes
continue the awesome momentum of UFC in 2006? My answer would
be an enthusiastic YES.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Analyzing
Rickson Gracie
Trainers, rivals and commentators say what they think about one
of MMA’s biggest controversies: how would Rickson do in
an eventual comeback to the rings?
Do
you want to create a buzz in a discussion about MMA? It’s
easy. You just need to bring up the name of Rickson Gracie. You
can’t go wrong there. It doesn’t matter what the level
of knowledge about the sport is among the group. Everyone will
feel the urge to say something. Rickson Gracie is one of the
few fighters capable of provoking hot-headed discussions, only
comparable to those between soccer fans.
The
temperature rises even more if someone ponders about how the
idol would do in a professional MMA fight nowadays. Maybe the
doubt would sound like a hypothetical question, once the level
of the fights today would not give much of a chance for someone
already with 46 years of age and that is out of competitions
for more than five. But, it’s another story with Rickson
Gracie.
That’s
why NOCAUTE Magazine (this piece was originally published last
February)’s staff put on the shorts, gloves and got on a
real fight to go after Brazil’s biggest specialists. We’ve
got to 20 different opinions that may or may not help the reader
build an opinion about Rickson’s conditions. But they will
be useful in a future discussion, and you’d better believe
that it will soon come up…
Wallid
Ismail
Carlson Gracie’s pupil and Jungle Fight promoter
It all depends on his training and nothing else. If he’s
training hard, in prime shape and in good health, he is able
to face anyone. Being Rickson or someone else, if the guy is
a real fighter, has spent his life in the world of fighting and
has Jiu-Jitsu to back him up, there’s no secret about it:
he just needs to go there and brawl. Everybody is always too
concerned about winning or loosing. To me, everyone who steps
in a ring is already a winner.
Rodrigo
Minotauro Nogueira
BTT’s Jiu-Jitsu and judo black-belt and MMA fighter
Rickson was one of the first Brazilians to fight abroad and thanks
to his fights in Japan, Brazil is widely respected there nowadays.
We owe that to him. I imagine that he has to prepare well. It
has to involve other martial arts, including wrestling. From
what we’ve seen of Rickson fighting, if he uses Jiu-jitsu
correctly and brings the fight to the ground at the right moment,
I think he will have the same ease he had before. The difference
perhaps is on the techniques that he is going to have to use
nowadays and that depends, of course, on the quality of the opponent.
I also think that being undefeated or not is not the main issue.
Great fighters lose at a certain point of their career. Wanderlei
was defeated and then won again. The same thing happened with
Murilo Bustamante, who got over it. Japan being the center of
the MMA world nowadays helps a lot. The Japanese audience gives
value to the competitor, not caring if he is victorious in the
ring. It’s going to be great for the MMA world to see Rickson
back. It’s going to draw the attention of more people to
our sport.
Royler
Gracie
Rickson’s younger brother
Rickson gathers an impressive mixture of strength, technique
and speed, specially a quickness of thought that I’ve rarely
seen in another fighter. His Jiu-Jitsu is still at a very high
level and his greatest virtue is to never give the opponent chances
to make a mistake. In order to beat him, the opponent would have
to be able to escape Rickson’s game and not make mistakes.
Fighters that master Jiu-Jitsu may complicate the fight for Rickson
because they are more prepared to get out of Rickson’s positions.
The only thing that could maybe make things harder for Rickson
is the long absence that makes you lose some of your punch and
the notion of space in the ring. He needs to be training hard
to overcome that but he has already overcome several obstacles
and this one would be one more in his long and victorious career.
Paulo
Filho
BTT athlete and MMA fighter
I have no doubt that Rickson Gracie is the best ground fighter
of all time. I bet on him against any athlete of today: if he
is able to shorten the fighting distance and find a favorable
position I think that even Fedor, Wanderlei or anyone else doesn’t
stand a chance against Rickson. Of course he risks being knocked
down if he faces a good striker way heavier than him, but in
his weight category he will lose to no one. Many people say they
know JJ and that they can beat him but Rickson has submitted
Sergio Penha and other legends of the sport. So, you need to
really be someone to know how to escape his positions. Many consider
Rickson’s opponents so far to be weak, but you can’t
blame it on him for being so good: they say the guys were weak
but in fact Rickson was too good for his time. When he won the
first Japan Open, he was 30 years old, almost a veteran. Today,
many of those who are considered to be tough guys go under much
before that age.
Fabricio
Werdum
BJJ black-belt and MMA fighter
If I were Rickson I wouldn’t come back. He is a martial
arts myth and has nothing left to prove. If he’s doing it
out of love for the sport he has my support. Rickson will always
do well. He will follow his same old style, do the same thing
as always and the opponents will be submitted the same way. Adversaries
will tap out even if they know his game. He is one of rare fighters
I’ve seen in action who do not give up ground positions.
Many regarded as aces in JJ fail in submitting their adversaries
because they can’t hold on to the ground positions. I doubt
that’s going to happen to Rickson. I know that if he faces
a top fighter it’s going to be hard but if he faces a veteran
things get easy. Anyway, I bet on him against anyone.
Allan
Gumby
Onthemat.com columnist
Rickson is not invincible in the same way no man is. However,
his Jiu-Jitsu style is the most perfect I’ve ever seen.
I do not imagine him losing to anyone that has a good basis in
grappling. The biggest peril for Rickson, as for any grappler,
would be the moments before he could shorten the distance. Once
he is able to clinch, Rickson has a very good chance against
anyone of today. Until today I hear stories of how he is able
to dominate several top fighters that train with him. So, although
I consider age a factor, I believe that in Rickson’s case
it’s a smaller factor than it is for other athletes.
Amaury
Bitetti
Two-time world JJ champion
I would really like to see Rickson back in action. Age is not
a problem. He is very much centered and is in excellent physical
condition. Nevertheless, I think he needs at least three fights
against athletes of less expression before he faces a top athlete.
The ideal is for him to start out slowly and to get rhythm progressively.
The most important thing for him today is for him to adapt to
new MMA rules. Ten years ago he used to finish the opponent right
at the beginning of the fight but today he has to learn to throw
the opponent down several times during the combat. That’s
a natural process for Rickson, only a matter of getting used
to that. He could face [former Japanese judoka Hidehiko] Yoshida.
It would be a good ground fight and Rickson has all the possibilities
of winnning.
Pedro
Rizzo
MMA fighter
The decision of coming back is entirely Rickson’s. Only
he is aware of his actual physical and psychological conditions
to fight. He’s not a kid anymore but if he really decides
to go back he has all the tools to do well. But, it’s necessary
that he train really hard and adapt to the new MMA rules. Today,
the fights have three rounds and not much time. Fighters are
better versed and almost everybody knows ground techniques, which
makes submitting harder if you consider the more limited time
we have today. He’s going to need to know at least a bit
of standup fighting in order to be able to bring the combat to
the ground. But, as athletes are driven by the great challenges
and as Rickson is a great athlete and competitor, I think he’s
going to come back.
Wanderlei
Silva
Chute Boxe athlete and MMA Fighter
Rickson is an icon of our sport and it will always be a pleasure
to see him in action. However, he may feel the age difference
if he does not pay attention to his body’s limits, once
the routine of training gets more and more exhaustive and injuries
seen to happen more often. But, as we can see, everyone in the
Gracie family is well prepared. Royce is still fighting and even
Master Helio fought at that age. I saw some Rickson fights and
he went really well against Funaki. He showed good psychological
preparation and was able to ally technique to coolness. I sincerely
doubt that he’s is not prepared to fight standing up. Today
it is very difficult to throw anyone down without good strikes.
It’s impossible to win at a top level knowing only JJ. I
think he ought to come back gradually and bit by bit joining
the top team of fighters. I would like to see how Rickson would
do against Dan Henderson.
Silvio
Behring
Jiu-Jitsu teacher
Rickson was a great name of Jiu-Jitsu after Rolles Gracie died.
He was the guy who understood the system that his father created.
Whoever thinks he has stopped in time and is outdated is going
to be really surprised when they see him in action. For some
to get to his level they’ll have to be born again. Other
than that, if he’s in good shape, it’s going to be
tough to overcome him. Even so, I’m against his comeback.
He is a master and does not need to prove anything else to anybody.
The fighting world today is all about entertainment and the spirit
and the respect for martial arts are long gone. I don’t
see why Rickson should get in it.
Mauricio
Shogun
’05 MMA fighter of the year
Rickson has invested a lot in that sport and so his comeback
will be interesting. He seems to be in very good shape despite
his age. He leads a very healthy life and should be trouble if
he is well prepared. Nowadays, it counts a lot to ally fitness
with the psychological condition. If he’s well on both,
he can beat a lot of people. But, sincerely I don’t believe
he will be able to defeat the top athletes of his category (up
to 182 lbs). I believe his comeback depends only on his will
to fight. The important thing is whether he wants it and whether
he is missing the rings. I don’t
believe he needs to do it for the money.
Ze
Mario Sperry
BTT leader
Rickson’s return is first of all an incentive to all Brazilians.
He helped to prove the importance of Jiu-Jitsu in MMA. He’s
an example of determination to us all. It is very hard to say
whether he’s going to do well, if he’s well prepared.
It’s going to be difficult for him in case he hasn’t
followed the evolution in training and if he tries to fight as
he did in the past, especially if he faces a top athlete. For
example, he needs to know muay thai, boxing and wrestling in
order to go well against great strikers. Anyway, I give all my
support to a supposed comeback if it’s his will, if he wants
to surpass his own limits. After all, being in the ring valorizes
any fighter, despite their age.
Murilo
Ninja
Chute Boxe athlete
I see Rickson’s comeback with very good eyes and I’m
curious to see how he will do. Because of his age, I think it’s
difficult for him to beat any top athlete, but to be sure we
have to see him in action. Due to his technique and experience
he can even win. What if we meet in the up-to-182-lbs category
of Pride? If got the opportunity, I would keep the fight standing
up but I sincerely can’t say much because I don’t know
how he’s going to be prepared. I know it would be hard to
beat Rickson but it would be a pleasure to face him.
Vitor
Shaolin
Lightweight Cage Rage champion
If I were Rickson I wouldn’t risk coming back now. There
are a lot of envious guys who want to make their names by defying
him now that he is 45 and does not need it anymore. It’s
valid if you consider the monetary side but I see no meaning
if it’s only meant to give an answer to whoever wants to
challenge him. Even so, I think he’s going to do well against
heavier fighters. The lighter ones are way too fast, what would
make it really hard for Rickson. In his favor is the fact that
Rickson would hardly lose the ground positions and would keep
applying those moves with perfection. Few are the fighters that
will be able to neutralize his game. It’s hard to talk about
Rickson’s standup fighting. He’s probably going to
be well prepared and he won’t try the double-leg entry the
same way he used to because he knows things have changed and
most fighters don’t fall for the old moves anymore. If he
loses, it does not matter. Defeat is part of everyone’s
life and any great fighter is subject to it.
Anderson
Silva
Middleweight Cage Rage champion
It’s hard to talk about his comeback because he has been
away for such a long time. Rickson knows better than us all whether
now is the best time to come back. He has a great history in
martial arts and I can only applaud and watch his comeback. The
only but I see is in the case he has to face a top athlete. Those
kids today are in another rhythm of training and it would be
tricky for Rickson to face someone like Fedor, Wanderlei or Shogun.
Maybe it’s better for him to face someone from the old days.
I really would like to see Rickson facing Minotauro. Both have
an outstanding Jiu-Jitsu and it would be a lesson for the lovers
of good MMA.
Relson
Gracie
Rickson’s elder brother
MMA fighters today are almost like machines running on vitamins
and taking beatings like you’ve never seen before. I think
Rickson could beat each one of them if he still had the age and
the proper training. But he’s 46 now. He would be stupid
if he fights a top athlete. He has nothing to prove.
Alexandre
Cacareco
BTT wrestler
I think it’s too risk for him to come back now. If they
don’t choose a suitable adversary the chances of Rickson
being defeated is great. MMA has evolved and nowadays everybody
knows how to defend an armbar, a triangle choke. The moves he
used then don’t say a lot now. With the ADCC and seminars,
ground techniques got spread around. Another thing is that referees
do not allow the fights to stay on the ground forever. Rickson’s
biggest problem is not his age, but being out of rhythm. I’m
afraid that his comeback will serve merely as a ladder for younger
fighters who will want to beat him to make their names.
Evangelista
Cyborg
Chute Boxe athlete
If Rickson is missing the rings, he has to do what his heart
tells him to do. Even if he loses, that’s no big deal. Royce
has been defeated and nobody thinks less of him because of that.
I bet with anyone that if Rickson had stayed in action he would
have lost many fights by now. But please don’t put him to
fight a top guy at first. They should pick one of these Japanese
old-timers. He will have many difficulties against the top fighters
because of the time he has been away. Nowadays, everybody knows
Jiu-Jitsu. It’s hard to win using only that. You have to
know muay thai also, for instance.
Garret
Poe
American journalist – Sherdog.com
Age definitely matters, even if you are Rickson Gracie. I agree
that Rickson is able to fight with anyone, but to win is another
story. Yes, he could be KOed and I would only bet on him depending
on the opponent. He could beat a lot of fighters but he would
have trouble with the top athletes (Minotauro, Wand, Fedor, Cro
Cop etc…); these would beat him, no doubt about it. I think
he has nothing to gain and all to lose.
Eddie
Goldman
American Journalist – ADCC News
Rickson is 47 now (in February 2006) and absolutely nothing else
to prove. He has done inside and outside the ring all he could
do. Age for me is a key aspect. Your body changes and you don’t
heal from injuries as fast as you did when you were 20 or 22.
Of course there’s a lot of fighters Rickson could beat but
I don’t think it would be right to open a precedent for
fighters his age to continue fighting. MMA is still struggling
for recognition and to have something happening to Rickson during
a fight would be awful for the spot. Therefore I hope he is retired
from fights and that he continues to teach and to devote time
to his family.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Internal
media speculation on Tyson
By Zach Arnold
Kakutolog (in Japanese) has a very interesting post about a Gendai
Net report on PRIDE & Mike Tyson working together. More specifically,
the supposed motives on PRIDE’s behalf for booking Tyson.
The
Gendai Net article claims that PRIDE’s real motive behind
signing Mike Tyson (to an exhibition boxing match) is to try
to market a Tyson vs. Bob Sapp or Tyson vs. Emelianenko Fedor
exhibition match to either Nippon TV or TV-Asahi, two large Japanese
free TV networks who have reportedly shown interest in working
with PRIDE. Despite the fact that Tyson cannot work in Japan
due to his felony rapsheet, it’s certainly possible that
PRIDE could market a foreign show to be aired on tape-delay on
New Year’s Eve for a Japanese TV network. The end game for
PRIDE seems to become much clearer now.
DSE
is likely putting their future in the hands of a man who doesn’t
know what the future holds in store for him.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Is
it fair to criticize a good business model?
Ivan
Trembow's latest post on UFC 62 salaries fits in with a recurring
theme on this site - namely that the UFC runs its business more
like a professional wrestling promotion than a sports promotion:
Zuffa president Dana White has said in numerous interviews over
the years that he would prefer for the UFC's fighter salary information
to not be publicly available, and White said just this week in
a Canadian Press article about UFC fighter salaries, "When
people know what you make, it causes a lot of problems in your
life."
Unfortunately
for White or anyone else who shares his position on the matter,
that is simply not how it works with any major sport. Athletes'
salaries are public knowledge in the National Football League,
National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Major
League Baseball, and every other major sport.
By
talking in various interviews about secret bonuses without revealing
the specific amounts (including the following quotes from the
Canadian Press article: "Our fighters make a lot of money,
a lot of money... we're thrilled, thrilled that these guys are
able to make what they're making"), the UFC has essentially
taken the position that the salaries of UFC fighters are secret.
This
is unlike any other major sport and is a lot closer to World
Wrestling Entertainment's position on its performers' salaries,
which makes it very surprising for White to have taken this position
publicly. One would think that anything which might invite comparisons
to WWE's business model for paying talent would be avoided.
What Ivan does not mention is that the UFC also resembles a professional
wrestling promotion in another sense, it promotes its brand first
and fighters second.
Now
here is something that may surprise many of you. If I ran the
UFC I would likely do the same thing.
If
you consider only what is in the UFC's best interest, and put
aside what is in the best interest of the sport of MMA, it makes
sense for the UFC to protect information like Ivan describes.
It helps them maintain low purses since fighters are less able
to gauge their true market value.
It
also makes sense for the UFC to focus its energies on branding
itself since that makes people believe that the UFC is the sport
of MMA, not just one of several promotions. That helps stifle
competition, keep salaries low and keep PPV sales high.
But
(obviously) I do not run the UFC, so I have the luxury of looking
at what is in the best interest of the sport of MMA. In my opinion,
what is in the best interest of MMA is for promoters to treat
MMA as a sport. Transparency of information and competition are
keys to that, even though they alone do not guaranty that the
sport will benefit (see boxing). Nevertheless, they are important
first steps. Fighters should be able to fairly gague what they
are worth, which can only really be done when they know the amount
of revenue they help generate. If they know the amount of money
they generate, then competing promoters will bid against each
other to set a true market value.
So,
regardless whether the UFC's approach makes sense for the UFC,
it should continue to receive the criticism it deserves so long
as it is not what is best for the sport of MMA.
Source: Whaledog
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety."
Aesop, 620-560 B.C., Greek Fable Author
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE: UNFINISHED BUSINESS TODAY!
Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
Saturday, September 9, 2006
175lbs.
Sean Basset (Team Shamrock,California) vs. Ronald Jhun (808 F.F,
Kalihi)
155lbs
James Martinez (Team MMAD, Kailua) vs. Harris Sarimento (808
F.F, Kaneohe)
147lbs.
Lorenzo Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi) vs. Tony Rodiques (Westside
Connection, Waianae)
150lbs.
Kaipo Cayetano (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Duke Saragossa
(808 F.F., Wahiawa)
175lbs.
Weston Victorin (Disciples Of Puhi, Kuaui) vs. Avelino Lee (Freelance,
Big Island)
145lbs.
Sadbu Bott (HMC, Kalihi) Vs. Dereck Butay (Fighters Union, Waianae)
170lbs.
Evan Lowder (Jesus Is Lord, Waipahu) vs. Zane Kamaka (Guts &
Glory, Waianae)
170lbs.
TBA Vs. Fatu Tuatasi (808 F.F, Waipahu)
140lbs.
Sam Chong (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Eric Zolonaka (HTC Nakoa,
Mililani)
185lbs.
Correy Wilson (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Tellis Sionesini
(808 F.F, Waipahu)
140lbs.
Bronson Cayetano (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. vs. Erwin Celes
(Sit You Down, Waianae)
210lbs.
Bill Hall (HMC, Kailihi) Vs. Kepa Rivera (Fighters Union, Nanakuli)
230LBS.
Loren Kanoa (HMC, Kalihi) vs. Charles Kipili'i Jr (Fighters Union,
Waianae)
200lbs.
Frankie Ruiz (Team Submit, Honolulu) vs. Rob Chong (Koden Kan,
Waimanalo)
165lbs.
Dean Henze (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Brendon Wong (Disciples
of Puhi, Kuaui)
175lbs.
Spence White (Freelance, Kailua) vs. Dean Lista (HMC, Kalihi)
150lbs.
Jacob Smith (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) Vs. Mike Ulibas (Sit You
Down, Waianae)
**CARD
SUBJECT TO CHANGE**
TICKET
OR FIGHT INFORMATION CALL 778-6833
243
Tickets left
Source: Promoter
|
Anatomy
of a Championship: Penn vs. Hughes
By Sean McClure
So, here’s the deal. The most anticipated rematch since
Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture back at UFC 52 is off. Georges
St. Pierre had to pull out of his rematch with Matt Hughes for
the welterweight championship due to a groin injury. This left
a hole in the UFC 63 card on September 23rd. A hole in the main
event of that card the UFC desperately needed to fill. Whom could
they get on such short notice that would take the fight against
the most dominant welterweight of all time? The very fighter
who dethroned him the first time of course.
BJ
Penn is
a man of few words. He is also the man who stepped up at UFC
46 and defeated Matt Hughes by submission due to a rear naked
choke in the very first round. He came up from the UFC’s
thinning lightweight division and took the welterweight title
for his own. After that, Penn was stripped of the title due to
a contract dispute. Returning to action at UFC 58, BJ lost a
close and controversial split-decision to the man whose spot
he is taking at UFC 63, Georges St. Pierre. It is no surprise
that he was the natural choice. Diego Sanchez is just coming
off a hard fought win over Karo Parisyan at Ultimate Fight Night
6 so he was out. Karo, who was previously the number one contender
and could not receive his title shot due to injury, just got
beat by Diego. Penn was the obvious and best choice out of the
rest of the contenders.
Matt
Hughes says he does not think about his loss to Penn, but I know
better. You can see it in his face. Matt may be able to focus
on his next opponent while training for his fight, but he isn’t
fooling anyone. Some hardcore fans flood the internet forums
with claims that Matt will never be the real UFC champion until
he beats Penn. Of course, these very same people say that he
got lucky when he beat Georges St. Pierre the first time….right.
Because of claims like these, Matt has to want to avenge that
loss. Who can forget it? The shocked look on Matt’s face.
BJ planting a bloody kiss on his lips and then licking the blood
off his own. It was so surreal to see that. I have heard the
conspiracy stories, too. Matt taking Penn lightly because of
his size advantage, staying up until 2 AM drinking heavily. Dana
White catching him and then telling him to take his butt to bed.
I have heard all of those stories, but they change nothing. Matt
has a chance now to avenge that embarrassing loss. To finally
shut the critics up about his championship validity.
BJ
Penn has looked soft (out of shape) in several of his last fights.
Critics rightfully believe that this may play negatively into
his rematch with the current champion. They have a good point
if you really look at it. Penn gassed (ran out of energy) in
the second round with St. Pierre, allowing GSP to take him down
at will, which is what lost him the fight. If Penn shows up looking
soft and this fight goes several rounds, things begin to favor
Hughes heavily. In a recent interview, BJ was discussing his
training. In a nutshell, he stated that he took his training
too seriously for GSP and he was wound up too tight before the
fight. He also stated that he would be training lighter, differently
for Hughes. Penn also said that he wanted to make the sport what
it once was to him and that’s fun. I am not sure that is
such a great idea, BJ.
Matt
Hughes is a machine. When getting ready for a fight and training
in Iowa he gets up at 6 AM to start training, goes until 6:30
PM, and then has another practice session. He is freakishly strong,
deceptively quick, and amazingly resilient. Just ask Frank Trigg.
BJ
Penn has all of the tools to win this. He is a jiu jitsu expert,
good at striking, and very fast. His stand up turned St. Pierre’s
face in to something that looked like a bad William Shatner mask.
I don’t think stand up will matter much in this fight because
I think Matt is going to want to ground and pound BJ. This may
play to BJ’s advantage.
Matt
will surely want to use his size and strength advantages against
the smaller Hawaiian fighter. His jiu jitsu has come so far since
his fight with Penn that he could pull off a submission if Penn
runs out of steam. Expect a big slam followed by a powerful positioning
battle won by Hughes. It’s what he does after that should
determine the outcome. If Hughes gets overconfident or sloppy,
BJ will catch him and we will have a new champion yet again.
The
questions that need answered here are simple. Will BJ repeat
his success? Will Matt get his revenge? Will BJ’s lack of
conditioning lead to his downfall? Will Hughes manhandle Penn
the way he did Royce Gracie?
We
will have to wait until September 23rd to see.
Source: Maxfighting
|
PRIDE
Final Conflict Absolute 2006 Fight Card
This is the fight card and fight order for this Sunday's (9/10)
PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute 2006 from the Saitama Super Arena
in Saitama, Japan.
1.
Yosuke Nishijima vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos
2. Semifinals: Josh Barnett vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Semifinals: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Wanderlei Silva
4. Reserve Match: Sergei Kharitonov vs. Aleksander Emelianenko
5. Ricardo Morais vs. Lee Tae Hyun
6. Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Yoshihiro "Kiss" Nakao
7. Mauricio Shogun vs. Cyrille "The Snake" Diabate
8. Ricardo Arona vs. Allistair Overeem
9. Finals: Winner of Cro Cop/Silva vs. Winner of Barnett vs.
Nogueira
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Frank
Shamrock Signs to Fight
Frank Shamrock has signed to fight in The World Fighter Championships.
The World Fighter is a new organization that is based on the
premise of obtaining the world's best fighters and having them
battle it out in a tournament to decide who is actually the best
of the best. Unlike other tournaments, they will have a field
of at least 16 fighters per weight class and one colossal superfight
in every event. Shamrock has signed to be fighting in the first
superfight, slated for early 2007. We will be announcing his
opponent in the following weeks.
Cesar
Gracie has been hired as the official matchmaker for the World
Fighter and will be taking all applications.
"This
is just an incredible event and I'm happy to be a part of it.
I have some of my very best fighters already signed on. Nick
Diaz, Jake Shields and Nathan Diaz will all be on the card as
will some other of our fighters. I am currently getting top notch
talent from Japan, Brazil and Europe to fight also. The owner
of the event has asked me to also secure some up and coming fighters
that are incredibly talented but just haven't had enough public
exposure here in the U.S. If a manager or fighter would like
to participate they can contact me by email at graciefed@aol.com.
The fighters' purses are excellent, with the winner of each division
winning a multi-million dollar pay day." -Cesar
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
STEPHAN
BONNAR TESTS POSITIVE
FOR ANABOLIC STEROID
by Ivan Trembow
In a developing news story that broke on Wednesday's edition
of MMAWeekly Radio, MMAWeekly has learned that Stephan Bonnar
tested positive for an anabolic steroid after his fight against
Forrest Griffin at UFC 62 on August 26th.
The
specific banned substance that was found in Bonnar's post-fight
urine sample after his unanimous decision loss to Griffin was
Boldenone Metabolite, according to the Nevada State Athletic
Commission's drug testing results.
Boldenone
is an anabolic steroid that is intended for use only by veterinarians,
specifically to help rehabilitate injured horses. It has several
brand names for veterinary use, including Equigan, Equipoise,
Ultragan, and Ganabol. It is on the banned substances list of
all the major athletic commissions and sports leagues.
In
a formal complaint filed on Wednesday by the Nevada State Athletic
Commission, Bonnar was informed of his positive test result and
was made aware that the NSAC has the right to suspend and/or
fine him for his positive test result, pending a disciplinary
hearing.
The
amount of the fine can be up to $250,000, or the complete amount
of the fighter's purse for the event, whichever amount is greater.
In this case, Bonnar's purse for the August 26th fight was $16,000,
so the maximum possible fine is $250,000.
The
length of the suspension can be whatever the NSAC deems appropriate,
but the suspensions have ranged from three to twelve months in
past instances of mixed martial artists and boxers testing positive
for banned substances.
According
to the NSAC complaint, Bonnar's side has 20 days from the date
of the complaint to issue a formal response to the NSAC in writing,
which would put the date at September 26th.
After
Bonnar's side has formally responded, the NSAC will set the date
for a disciplinary hearing, at which Bonnar will be "entitled
to be represented by counsel of his choice" and will also
be entitled to "cross-examine witnesses, present evidence,
and argue on his own behalf before a decision is made by the
Commission."
Even
before his drug test results came back positive for a banned
substance, Bonnar had already been medically suspended for six
months due to a broken right thumb, so it's unlikely that he
would have fought again this year even if he hadn't tested positive
for a banned substance at UFC 62.
Boldenone
is not generally a popular drug among bodybuilders because of
the fact that traces of the drug remain in the user's system
for several months after use. According to Food and Drug Administration
filings, which cited the Office of New Animal Drug Evaluation,
Boldenone is intended for use by veterinarians as "an aid
for treating debilitated horses when an improvement in weight,
hair coat, or general physical condition is desired."
The
FDA filings added, "Federal law restricts this drug to use
by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian." Due to potential
health risks for humans, the FDA has gone so far as to say that
Boldenone "should not be administered to horses intended
for human consumption."
The
possible side effects of Boldenone when used by humans include
high blood pressure, increased water retention, elevated levels
of estrogen, possible hair loss, flu-like symptoms, anxiety,
and acne.
A
total of eighteen fighters competed on the UFC 62 card on August
26th, and four of those eighteen fighters were drug tested by
the Nevada State Athletic Commission. In addition to Bonnar,
the other fighters who were drug-tested were Chuck Liddell, Renato
"Babalu" Sobral, and Forrest Griffin, all of whom passed
their drug tests.
With
a cost-per-fighter of $278.40 to run all of the tests for steroids,
stimulants, and recreational drugs, the total amount spent on
drug testing for UFC 62 was $1,113.60.
At
the UFC Fight Night card in Las Vegas on August 17th, four of
the eighteen fighters who competed were drug tested by the NSAC.
Those fighters were the two main event fighters, Diego Sanchez
and Karo Parisyan, as well as two fighters who were selected
at random, Josh Koscheck and Jason Von Flue. Sanchez, Parisyan,
Koscheck, and Von Flue all passed their drug tests.
As
with UFC 62, the total amount spent on drug testing for UFC Fight
Night was $1,113.60.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"It
is better to offer no excuse than a bad one."
George Washington, 1732-1799, 1st President of the United States
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE: UNFINISHED BUSINESS TOMORROW!
Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
Saturday, September 9, 2006
175lbs.
Sean Basset (Team Shamrock,California) vs. Ronald Jhun (808 F.F,
Kalihi)
155lbs
James Martinez (Team MMAD, Kailua) vs. Harris Sarimento (808
F.F, Kaneohe)
147lbs.
Lorenzo Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi) vs. Tony Rodiques (Westside
Connection, Waianae)
150lbs.
Kaipo Cayetano (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Duke Saragossa
(808 F.F., Wahiawa)
175lbs.
Weston Victorin (Disciples Of Puhi, Kuaui) vs. Avelino Lee (Freelance,
Big Island)
145lbs.
Sadbu Bott (HMC, Kalihi) Vs. Dereck Butay (Fighters Union, Waianae)
170lbs.
Evan Lowder (Jesus Is Lord, Waipahu) vs. Zane Kamaka (Guts &
Glory, Waianae)
170lbs.
TBA Vs. Fatu Tuatasi (808 F.F, Waipahu)
140lbs.
Sam Chong (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Eric Zolonaka (HTC Nakoa,
Mililani)
185lbs.
Correy Wilson (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Tellis Sionesini
(808 F.F, Waipahu)
140lbs.
Bronson Cayetano (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. vs. Erwin Celes
(Sit You Down, Waianae)
210lbs.
Bill Hall (HMC, Kailihi) Vs. Kepa Rivera (Fighters Union, Nanakuli)
230LBS.
Loren Kanoa (HMC, Kalihi) vs. Charles Kipili'i Jr (Fighters Union,
Waianae)
200lbs.
Frankie Ruiz (Team Submit, Honolulu) vs. Rob Chong (Koden Kan,
Waimanalo)
165lbs.
Dean Henze (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Brendon Wong (Disciples
of Puhi, Kuaui)
175lbs.
Spence White (Freelance, Kailua) vs. Dean Lista (HMC, Kalihi)
150lbs.
Jacob Smith (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) Vs. Mike Ulibas (Sit You
Down, Waianae)
**CARD
SUBJECT TO CHANGE**
TICKET
OR FIGHT INFORMATION CALL 778-6833
243
Tickets left
Source: Promoter
|
Arona
Ready for Overeem
By Marcelo Alonso
Away from the ring since December 31, when he faced Wanderlei
Silva in a dispute for Pride's Middleweight title belt, Ricardo
Arona returns to the ring in Japan to face Alistair Overeem.
"His strongest point is his knee strikes, but I´m
training to defend that and throw him down like Belfort did.
Putting him down is good because he loves to fight on the ground,
which is good for us," says Arona. Asked about a possible
revenge match against Wanderlei Silva, Arona said: "I don´t
have any interest in facing him because I already beat him twice."
"My main concern right now is the belt and I'm going to
fight anyone who has it. Actually, I heard that the winner of
my fight against Overeem will fight for the belt, but that's
not official," revealed Arona. Heading to Japan on Monday
along with teammate Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and
the Brazilian Top Team, Arona belives Minotauro will win the
Pride Open-Weight tournament. "Anything can happen in the
fight between Wanderlei and Cro Cop. Josh Barnett is a dangerous
fighter, but I believe Minotauro can beat him," concluded
the Brazilian Tiger.
Source: FCF
|
Check
out what's in the current issue of FCF ...
The return of the WFA: Jackson edges out Lindland, Rutten takes
out Warpath.
IFL
lures comic book fans at this year's Wizard World Convention.
Rediscovering
the roots of BJJ: The truth behind Conde Koma's life in Brazil.
WEC
22: Fighting for a Memory - Stiebling, Olson victorious in Ryan
Bennett Charity Event.
Din
Thomas returns to UFC competition after three-year hiatus on
The Ultimate Fighter 4.
The
Great Northern Hope, Patrick Cote, joins cast of TUF 4.
Surfing
with Sharks: Jiu-jitsu black belts hit the competition waves.
K-1
HERO'S Tourney: A shaky debut for Saku.
Art
of War Fighting Championship: Economic growth for China meets
American ingenuity.
Three
Brazilians, two Grand Prix, one shot at gold: Wanderlei, Minotauro
and Filho will represent their country and teams in Pride's two
tournament finals.
"Young
Guns" open fire at Total Combat 15.
Xande
king of jiu-jitsu at Mundial.
Rickson's
son, Kron Gracie, submits 11 in his debut.
Jason
Lambert: UFC's undefeated dark-match veteran.
A
Puncher's Chance: Cage Rage British Featherweight Champ Brad
Pickett is a local hero in London, but he wants to take on the
world.
Reality
Fighting 13: Battle at the Beach.
ECC
3: East Coast Warriors.
Jason
MacDonald: Always one fight away.
Icon
Promoter shown "No Mercy" at Ax Fighting 12.
In
our monthly columns...
Physical
Therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach Pal La
Bounty talks about The Benefits of Branched-Chain Amino Acids.
In
Matt Hume's techniques, Matt Hume & Trevor Bjornethun demonstrate
Heel Hook Position Knee, Hip and Spine Crank.
Fight
fans make their predictions on who will win the PrideFC Open-Weight
Grand Prix.
Marcus
Davis BioFile.
Every
issue of Full Contact Fighter is jam-packed with fight news from
the U.S. to Brazil to Japan. FCF travels the globe to bring the
fights to you. Get yours today! Available at Tower Records stores
around the world or by subscription...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click here to order securely online
with your credit card
or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment
Source: FCF
|
Nathan
Diaz VS. Hermes Franca
Graciefighter.com is pleased to announce that Nathan Diaz will
be fighting Hermes Franca for the WEC Championship Belt on October
12 at the WEC in Lemoore, California. Franca recently won in
the UFC and is considered a top 155lber. Diaz has been on a tear
lately, defeating everyone in his path as he climbs the MMA rankings.
This should be a great fight.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
The
IFL is making moves
The IFL has made two major announcements in the last week.
The
first announcement, which you may have seen, was that the IFL
has signed a new television deal with Fox Sports to broadcast
10 additional hours of IFL shows. Fox Sports has said that ratings
for the IFL's previous shows on the network were "extremely
impressive," and Eddie Goldman thinks that this television
deal could make the IFL's team concept a winner.
However,
that is not the only IFL news as of late. Yesterday the IFL issued
a press release announcing that it has completed a reverse merger
with publicly traded Paligent Inc. (OTCBB:PGNT) pursuant to which
the IFL will emerge as the surviving entity. Paligent was a publicly
traded shell company that sold its previous lines of biotech
business but remained listed as an over-the-counter stock whose
sole business purpose was to find a merger partner.
In
plain English - the IFL will merge with Paligent in order to
become a publicly traded company.
There
are several reasons why private companies choose to go public
by completing reverse mergers. First, by completing a reverse
merger instead of an initial public offering, the private company
avoids the time and expense of completing an initial public offering.
Second, once the reverse merger has completed, the companies
can raise money by issuing additional stock. Third, companies
can make acquisitions using their publicly traded stock. Finally,
company owners have increased liquidity when they hold publicly
traded stock instead.
Not
all experts agree that this is a smart way for a company to go
public, however. For example, law professor Bill Sjostrom takes
the position that companies that go public through a reverse
merger find it difficult to create a market for their stock,
and that they lose many of the advantages of being a publicly
traded company.
Regardless,
it is almost certain that the IFL has decided to go public as
part of a larger plan. What that plan is, and how the IFL will
leverage its status as a publicly traded company, remain to be
seen.
By
the way, the IFL's becoming a public company also means that
it will be required file regular financial reports with the SEC,
which will be publicly available for anyone to review.
At
one time Dana White remarked about the International Fight League
that:
The IFL’s another one of the small shows in the country
that’s helping build the grassroots of this sport. Unless
someone tells me the IFL’s doing something, I don’t
even know they exist.
Something tells me that White, when he is not busy being embroiled
in litigation with the IFL, just might read those SEC filings
to learn what this "small" "grassroots" promotion
is up to.
(Hat
Tip Zach Arnold)
Source: Whaledog
|
Quote
of the Day
"All
human beings should try to learn before they die what they are
running
from, and to, and why."
James Thurber, 1894-1961, American Cartoonist/Humorist/Author
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Sat, Sept 9 @ Dole Cannery Ballroom
175lbs.
Sean
Basset (Team Shamrock,California) vs. Ronald Jhun (808 F.F, Kalihi)
155lbs
James
Martinez (Team MMAD, Kailua) vs. Harris Sarimento (808 F.F, Kaneohe)
147lbs.
Lorenzo
Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi) vs. Tony Rodiques (Westside Connection,
Waianae)
150lbs.
Kaipo
Cayetano ( Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Duke Saragossa (808
F.F., Wahiawa)
175lbs.
Weston
Victorin (Disciples Of Puhi, Kuaui) vs. Avelino Lee (Freelance,
Big Island)
145lbs.
Sadhu
Bott (HMC, Kalihi) Vs. Dereck Butay (Fighters Union, Waianae)
170lbs.
Evan
Lowder (Jesus Is Lord, Waipahu) vs. Zane Kamaka (Guts & Glory,
Waianae)
170lbs.
TBA
Vs. Fatu Tuatasi (808 F.F, Waipahu)
140lbs.
Sam
Chong (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Eric Zolonaka (HTC Nakoa,
Mililani)
185lbs.
Correy
Wilson (Smith Taekwondo, Kaeohe) vs. Tellis Sionesini (808 F.F,
Waipahu)
140lbs.
Bronson
Cayetano (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. vs. Erwin Celes (Sit
You Down, Waianae)
210lbs.
Bill
Hall (HMC,Kailihi) Vs. Kepa Rivera (Fighters Union, Nanakuli)
230LBS.
Loren
Kanoa (HMC, Kalihi) vs. Charles Kipili'i Jr (Fighters Union,
Waianae)
200lbs.
Frankie
Ruiz (Team Submit, Honolulu) vs. Rob Chong (Koden Kan, Waimanalo)
165lbs.
Dean
Henze ( Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Brendon Wong (Disciples
of Puhi, Kuaui)
175lbs.
Spence
White (Freelance, Kailua) vs. Dean Lista(HMC, Kalihi)
150lbs.
Jacob
Smith (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) Vs. Mike Ulibas (Sit You Down,
Waianae)
**CARD
SUBJECT TO CHANGE**
TICKET
OR FIGHT INFORMATION CALL 778-6833
243
Tickets left
Source: Promoter
|
X-1
World Events
Presents
XTREME FIGHTING
Friday, October 6, 2006
Neal Blaisdell Arena
Honolulu, Hawaii
Confirmed Matches
Kimo
Leopoldo - UFC/Pride Veteran (235lbs)
VS
Wes "The Project" Sims - UFC Veteran (255lbs)
Falaniko
Vitale - UFC Veteran (Debut in the LightHeavy Weight Division
@ 205lbs)
VS
Jimmy Dexter
Mark
Moreno - X-1 Welter Weight Champion (170lbs)
VS
Thomas "Wildman" Denny - (170lbs)
Miles
Tynanas
VS
Eric "Big E" Pele - King of the Cage SuperHeavy Weight
Champion (340lbs)
Scott
Junk - (265lbs)
VS
Corey Salter - (259lbs)
Augie
"The Hawaiian Warrior" Padeken
VS
Alex Stiebling - UFC/Pride Veteran (195lbs)
Brennan
Kamaka
VS
Steve Byrnes - (185lbs)
Leticia
Pestova - (120lbs)
VS
Sally Krumdiak - (120lbs)
NOT
Confirmed Matches
Chris
West - (205lbs)
VS
Justin McCully - (211lbs)
|
BUSTAMANTE
WANTS TO COMPETE IN AMERICA
MMAWeekly caught up with Murilo Bustamante in Japan where Murilo
discussed Paulo Filho, when he’ll be competing again, and
the possibility of returning to action in front of an American
audience.
Bustamante
was in Japan cornering fellow Brazilian Top Team member Paulo
Filho in his fight against Ryo Chonan. Filho remained undefeated
in mixed martial arts competition with his submission victory
over Chonan, and is ranked 3rd on MMAWeekly’s top ten world
rankings of 183-185lb. fighters.
Bustamante
has been consistently ranked in the top ten for years and was
questioned about the possibility of facing his teammate and top
three ranked fighter Paulo Filho sometime in the future. Murilo
answered, “I hope not, but it’s a business. It could
happen. It’s going to happen.”
Asked
when he’ll be fighting again, Bustamante said, “I hope
pretty soon. I want to fight this year. I hope to fight next
Pride, in the States. I am excited this happened because I like
fighting in the States. A long time ago I fought there. I’m
excited to get back there and fight for the American fans.”
Murilo
last fought on American soil at UFC 37: “High Impact”
back in May of 2002 winning the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Middleweight Title defeating Matt Lindland by Guillotine Choke.
Only
time will tell if Murilo Bustamante will be on the Pride USA
card, or if he and Paulo Filho will eventually have to face off
despite being teammates. But having a former UFC Champion compete
on the first American Pride event seems like a plausible scenario.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Cristiano
Marcello showed CB's BJJ
The
Chute Boxe JJ's teacher Cristiano Marcello debuted as a figther
at last Pride Bushido 12, which was held on August 26, in Japan.
The BJJ black belt of Royler Gracie fought Japanese Mitsuhiro
Ishida and was defeated by unanimous decision. "I wanted
to do a good game. I used a lot the Muay Thai, but he did avoid
the exchanging punches and he tried to be on the ground and pound.
But I have been always searching the submission and I almost
submitted in some moments", said Cristiano by phone, from
Japan.
-
I always went to Pride as a technician. I have more than 30 Prides,
but as a fighter it was a new thing. I am very glad about training
with the best ones and today, as a man and as a fighter, of be
part of a fighters group that fought in the Pride. I showed the
Chute Boxe Jiu-Jitsu and I know I fought well, because I did
try the submission until the last minute of fight. Now I will
move on - said Cristiano, that stayed in Japan giving some seminars.
"Daniel Acácio and I will give some seminars in Nagoya
and Tokio and actually I need to stay here,because Wanderlei
is coming with Cyborg, master Rudimar and Rafael and we will
be training here in the mats waiting for them", he said.
Source: Tatame
|
Gesias
Cavalcanti X Rani at Hero's
The
Hero's organization announced eralier this week the confrontation
between the JJ black belt of Ataíde Jr. Rani Yahya and
the American Top Team black belt Gesias Cavalcanti. The confrontation
will be valid for the semifinals of the GP until 70kg, that will
be held in October 9th, at Yokohama Arena, in Kanagawa city,
in Japan. The Brazilian audience wanted this final, but Brazil
already have an athlete in the final of the competition, which
takes place in the same day. In the other semifinal, the Japanese
organization will put Ivan Manjivar and Caol Uno face to face.
Source: Tatame
|
Chocolate
explains his loss at Mars
Luta-Livre
brown belt, Leonardo Chocolate was eliminated on last August
26 of the Mars' GP -83kg. He was submitted with a triangle by
the Japanese Ryuhei Sato. Chocolate already returned to Brazil
and talked with TATAME.com about his participation in the Japanese
event. "He started attacking me with two kicks and I took
him down and I punched him. He stopped on the ground, the judge
asked to return the standed up fight. I took him down again,
so I started to punch and he did the triangle. I couldn't make
any more force and I lost here, in the position", explained
Chocolate, who had some problems to adapt himself in the Japanese
world.
-
I had some difficulties of breathing and I didn't feel myself
really well during the fight. I couldn't adapted myself at the
local time and at the Japan climate. What leaves me frustrated
is that I know that I gave my best in the trainings and I didn't
do what I know. I couldn't let him do that position. But he was
good, of course, he won - told the RFT brown belt, who doesn't
know if will fight at Mars again. "I was in a GP and now
I don't know how will be my situation there. I don't know if
I will fight there again, but I would like to and show them what
I know", he concluded.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"All
human beings should try to learn before they die what they are
running
from, and to, and why."
James Thurber, 1894-1961, American Cartoonist/Humorist/Author
|
***For
Immediate Release***
For more information and fighter interviews, contact Mike Afromowitz,
(917) 566-8754 or muaythaimes@aol.com, or visit www.strikeforceusa.net.
Southworth
Takes On ‘A Train’ In Strikeforce Fresno Feature
September
5, 2006; New York, NY….Former Spike TV reality fighter,
Bobby Southworth, will battle fellow light heavyweight (205 pound
limit) contender, Anthony “A Train” Ruiz, during the
Strikeforce mixed martial arts mega-card at Fresno, California’s
14,000 crowd capacity Save Mart Center on Saturday, October 7th.
“I
feel the best I’ve ever felt in all of my experience in
sports,” said the 36-year-old Southworth, a former collegiate
basketball player who introduced himself to the masses two years
ago after being selected to compete on the premiere season of
The Ultimate Fighter. In the running with seven other light heavyweights,
Southworth reached the semifinal round of elimination on the
12 week reality series that sent one of its original 16 contestants
home each week and awarded its winner in each of two weight classes
a six-figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC). “Every fight I go into, I’m trying to be prepared
for everything whether it’s standing or on the ground.”
One
of the sport’s more vocal athletes, Southworth became a
central focus on the hit show, namely for his ongoing feud with
middleweight contestant, Chris Leben. “Even though I didn’t
win the show, I was probably the most visible character on it,”
noted Southworth. “I was in every single episode. Even after
the episode in which I was eliminated, the first 20 minutes of
the next show was still devoted to the exchange that (UFC President)
Dana White and I had.”
Prior
to making his debut on national television, Southworth was instrumental
in establishing the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program offered at San
Jose, California’s American Kickboxing Academy. He also
spearheaded the formation of a team of top mixed martial arts
competitors at the gym.
Ruiz,
a 28 year old resident of Oakhurst, California, brings to Strikeforce
a respectable professional record of 14-9. An advocate of the
ground and pound method of combat, he is coming off of two straight
victories, the second of which he produced on August 17th by
unloading an onslaught of strikes on a defenseless Jeremy Freitag.
“There’s
pretty much nothing (Southworth) can do to win the fight,”
said an exceptionally confident Ruiz. “I think I’m
gonna take it pretty easily. My conditioning will be key. He’s
not going to be able to keep up.”
Earlier
this year, Ruiz found a new home at AAA Academy of Kickboxing,
the training center responsible for molding kickboxer Carter
Williams into a Las Vegas K-1 tournament champion three years
ago. ”I pretty much have got what it takes.
I’ve
got the heart and I’m tough as hell so they’re just
kinda making me a little bit technical, which is exactly what
I need because I’ve lost by stupid mistakes sometimes,”
said Ruiz.
Tickets
for the October 7th Strikeforce event are on sale at Ticketmaster
(559-485-TIXS) and Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com)
as well as at the Save Mart Center box office and at select Save
Mart supermarkets. Tickets are priced at $201.75, $151.75, $101.75,
$76.75, $51.75, and $31.75.
The
card will be comprised of 10 mixed martial arts bouts including
a headlining matchup between heavyweight sluggers, David “Tank”
Abbott and Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello. Lightweight
stars Josh “The Punk” Thomson and Duane “Bang”
Ludwig will battle one another while Wesley “Cabbage”
Correira will square off with Ruben “Warpath” Villareal
in a heavyweight contest. All bouts are subject to approval by
the California State Athletic Commission.
The
Save Mart Center is home to the Fresno State University men’s
and women’s basketball teams as well as minor league hockey
squad, The Fresno Falcons.
Strikeforce
is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion that,
on Friday, March 10th, made history with its “Shamrock vs.
Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight
card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza,
which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion,
played host to 18,265 fans, the largest-ever attendance at a
mixed martial arts fight card held in North America.
Source: Mike Afromowitz
|
RYAN
SCHULTZ READY TO ROAR AT IFL
With the IFL’s debut season earlier this year fans were
exposed to many new things. New concepts, new rules, and new
faces. Alongside veteran fighters such as Dennis Hallman and
Travis Wiuff, a new generation of fighters became familiar to
the MMA public such as Rory Markham and Devin Cole.
Among
the stars of the second season of the IFL which kicks off on
September 9th in Portland, Oregon is lightweight fighter Ryan
“The Lion” Schultz of Matt Lindland’s Wolfpack.
Long
a standout on the Northwest fight circuit, Schultz will be taking
on fellow Oregonian Cam “Mr. Smooth” Ward representing
Maurice Smith’s Tiger Sharks in what could easily be the
fight of the night.
MMAWeekly
caught up with Ryan as he finalized preparations for his IFL
debut to get his thoughts on the promotion, his opponent and
the Wolfpack’s chances in the team championship tournament.
MMAWeekly:
First off Ryan, how does it feel to be making your major MMA
debut for the IFL?
Ryan
Schultz: I’m excited. I’m really excited about the
IFL. I think they are a great organization. They are all about
the fighters and I think that’s great.
MMAWeekly:
Being new to the promotion, what do you think of their team-based
fighting concept?
Ryan
Schultz: I wrestled in college and it’s kind of the same
deal. You’re out there by yourself but you’re training
with the same team and if you do well then that helps your team.
I think the public is going to grasp onto it. Instead of fallowing
just one individual they are fallowing a team and that’s
what they do in other sports, they get behind the team real passionately.
MMAWeekly:
This is your chance to show your skills to a nation-wide audience
on FSN, what do you think about that?
Ryan
Schultz: I think it’s great for my individual exposure,
but I’m more so excited for the sport. I think the more
people see that the athletes aren’t just some dumb thugs
out there beating the crap out of each other they’ll get
behind it. Once that happens who knows where the sport could
go after this?
MMAWeekly:
Okay let’s talk about your opponent, Cam Ward. You two were
slated to fight in Sportfight at the beginning of August before
he had to pull out due to injury. How do you feel about this
opportunity to finally fight him?
Ryan
Schultz: Cam Ward is just another guy to me. He had this chance
to fight me earlier this month but got a burn on his back which…whatever...I
feel I would have fought him with a burn on my back, but whatever.
He’s a different fighter than I am. If he wants to get in
there and do it now, it’s all the better for me. I don’t
care who Maurice Smith puts in there on his team. I’m going
to do what I do, go in their with my gameplan and whoever it
is [in there] it doesn’t matter.
MMAWeekly:
Is there any added motivation knowing that you were supposed
to fight him once before and that ended up getting cancelled
and you didn’t fight that night?
Ryan
Schultz: I’m a little upset about that whole deal being
that I caught wind of him knowing he was hurt before he actually
said he was. He was three-quarters of the way healed – out
of his own mouth he told me that – by the time he told us
he wasn’t going to fight. Granted it’s hard to get
me a fight sometimes anyway, but I feel he should of told us
earlier. Yeah, I wanted to fight that night, I was training hard
and was ready to go.
MMAWeekly:
Speaking of being hard to get fights for, what do you think about
the scheduling the IFL has set up?
Ryan
Schultz: I’m excited. You’re going to have more of
a set schedule and you’re going to kind of know more often
when you are fighting instead of, this came up, that came up
type deal. I’m excited for that, just to see the difference
in what having a set schedule feels like rather than going just
one fight to the next.
MMAWeekly:
Let’s talk about your team, the Wolfpack, what do you feel
about your team’s chances in the tournament?
Ryan
Schultz: I think we’re going to win the whole thing. I think
we’re strong in every way. I just think that our team unity
is going to be really good. I don’t know what other teams
are like, but I know Maurice Smith pulled guys from all over.
He had Alvin Robinson, the guy I was supposed to fight, from
out in Colorado as his 155lb fighter before the switch just happened
recently. So pulling guys from all over I think that’s going
to hurt his team. We train every single day, we’re on the
same page. If you don’t know where you’re guys are
or what they’re doing or how they’re training, I think
that’s risky. I think that our team…we’re ready
to go.
MMAWeekly:
What about your coach Matt Lindland, I know he’s very competitive.
Ryan
Schultz: Matt wants to win. Not only for the team or him, he
wants to win for us. The better we do, the more money we make,
the more exposure we get. He has a lot of faith in his fighters.
He’s put me in against tough guys right away because he
has a lot of belief in the guys he’s training. He knows
what we are capable of doing if we all perform. I think he’s
excited about that and that’s where you get that competitive,
“Let’s get this on, let’s get this going.”
[Pat] Miletich’s team [Silverbacks] won this last time and
I think we can beat them.
MMAWeekly:
Good stuff Ryan, is there anything you want to say as we close
out the interview?
Ryan
Schultz: I just want people to come down and watch the Wolfpack
beat the crap out of them [the Tiger Sharks]. We’re going
to do what we’re going to do and I’m going to make
my fight as exciting as I can. Cam, he better be ready, that’s
all I gotta say, I’m gonna smack him around, that’s
my plan.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
K-1
WORLD MAX CHAMPIONS' CHALLENGE
Souwer Super at World Max Champions' Challenge
TOKYO,
September 3, 2006 -- Andy Souwer, Albert Kraus and Buakaw Por
Pramuk all won their bouts tonight at the at K-1 World Max Champions'
Challenge. Now in its second year, the Champions' Challenge is
a one-match format event featuring previous K-1 World Max champions
and emerging talent. All bouts are contested under K-1 Rules
-- three three-minute rounds and a possible tiebreaker.
In
the Main Event it was local favorite Takayuki Kohiruimaki taking
on Max 2005 Champion Andy Souwer, a Dutch shoot boxer. Kohiruimaki
lost to Souwer by decision last summer, so this was touted as
a revenge match for the Japanese kickboxer.
Kohiruimaki
took the initiative early, testing with the jab, stepping in
with low kicks, looking smart with combinations, getting a kick
up to Souwer's head. But in the second it was Souwer who took
the lead, unleashing a flurry of punches that sent Kohiruimaki
reeling. Souwer boxed fast and hard here, chasing Kohiruimaki
round the ring, and at the end of the round the desperate Japanese
fighter was shown a yellow card for excessive clinching.
The
third once again saw Souwer relentless with the fists, a bloodied
Kohiruimaki finally succumbing to the beating by falling to his
knees. To his credit Kohiruimaki held on to finish this one,
which went to Souwer by a comfortable unanimous decision.
"I
thought he's be more aggressive," said Souwer post-bout,
"and so from the second I fought like a tiger. I wanted
the KO but anyway I am happy to have the win. I wanted to show
fans here the spirit of shoot boxing!"
Tatsuji
of Japan met Mike Zambidis of Greece in the card's first matchup.
Zambidis showed good movement, coming in low with the right and
knees, clocking his opponent soundly with a right midway through
the first. Tatsuji was quick and creative, and in the second
got a couple of punches in, but these didn't have much on them.
The bout ended in thrilling fashion, both men swinging away,
Zambidis getting the better stuff through and picking up the
win by unanimous decision.
Nigerian
Andy Ologun, the younger brother of popular Japanese television
performer Bobby Ologun, made his K-1 debut here against Kazuya
Yasuhiro. Ologun got a couple of decent high kicks up and showed
some skill with the jab and knees, but otherwise the more-experienced
Yasuhiro had the upper hand in this one, out-maneuvering and
out-striking his opponent to take the victory by majority decision.
Japanese
kickboxer Hayato stepped in against 19 year-old Artur Kyshenko
of the Ukraine in the next bout. Both men had some solid legwork,
but Hayato was better with the fists, stepping in to score with
quick combinations and the right straight punch. Kyshenko had
the blocking working well, and kept pressuring with the kicks,
but had trouble finding his distance and seemed frustrated, frequently
clinching and throwing his opponent. A close one that judges
sent to a tiebreaker round. The extra round was full of action,
Hayato's fists proving the difference as the Japanese fighter
took the win.
Japanese
karate stylist Yuya Yamamoto took on Farid Khider of France in
the following fight. Some dandy spinning attacks, creative evasions
and fancy footwork from the Frenchman, who also planted a couple
of nice punches. Yamamoto seemed unsure how to answer, and in
the third stepped inside more. There was some slugging, however
more frequently the pair got deadlocked in the clinch. Another
majority decision here, in favor of Khider.
Hiroki
Shishido of Japan met the Defending World Max Champion Buakaw
Por Pramuk of Thailand in the next fight. Shishido came out with
fervor, his kicks flying. But in an instant, the cool Buakaw
showed why he is the best -- deking with the right then firing
a fluent left to the side of his opponent's head for the down.
Shishido didn't move, and Buakaw had the KO win in just 15 seconds.
Naoki
Samukawa of Japan and Armenian muay thai fighter Drago did battle
in the next contest. The spirited Drago was aggressive and had
both the legs and fists working for him -- connecting with a
good high kick in the second. Samukawa weathered the attacks
well, but in the third Drago dropped him with a right straight
punch. An impressive performance from the Armenian, who picked
up the unanimous decision by a comfortable margin.
Flashy
Japanese fighter Genki Sudo tangoed with Aussie Ian Schaffa in
the next bout. Sudo was characteristically entertaining here,
after an elaborately choreographed ring entrance commenced to
crab-walking and teasing. But Schaffa's no-nonsense approach
stood him in good stead as the Aussie got a couple of good straight
punches through. In the second Schaffa showed he knew a trick
or two himself, twisting a spinning back kick that caught Sudo
on the jaw and put him down. Sudo beat the count but couldn't
get back into it, turning away when Schaffa came in again, prompting
a referee stop.
Hiroyuki
Maeda of Japan and Virgil Kalakoda of South Africa went at it
in the next matchup. Maeda didn't waste any time, coming in fast
and furious, scoring a down with a left straight punch just seconds
into the bout. Kalakoda blocked well and put in more counters
as the fight progressed, and had bloodied Maeda's left eye by
midway through the second. This prompted a check by the ringside
doctor, who stopped the fight, as Maeda's ability to see was
unacceptably compromised. The Japanese fighter was visibly disappointed,
as were many in the crowd, but safety must come first.
Yoshihiro
Sato of Japan met the very first K-1 World Max Champion, Albert
Kraus of Holland, in the next fight. Kraus is a solid boxer and
showed that here, leading well with the left and frequently bringing
the right up and over. Sato got a good knee up in the first,
and in the second was aggressive with the low kicks. Kraus meanwhile
stayed with the fists, clocking his opponent with a couple of
rights in the last half of the second. A Kraus uppercut was the
best strike of the third, the Dutchman had couple of other punches
connect here and simply was the better fighter, taking the win
by majority decision.
In
the undercard bouts, Jordan Tai of New Zealand beat Shinobu Tsogto
Amara of Mongolia by unanimous decision; and Japanese fighter
Satoruvashicoba made short work of countryman Taka Osamitsu,
scoring three downs to win at 1:55 of the first round.
The
event attracted a crowd of 9,950 to the Ariake Coliseum and was
broadcast live on the TBS Network in Japan. For time-delay broadcast
information elsewhere please contact local networks.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MMAWEEKLY
RADIO TO RELAUNCH TUESDAY
MMAWeekly Radio, a pioneer in the mixed martial arts industry,
is set to return to the airwaves at 6pm PST/9pm EST on Tuesday,
September 5th.
Ryan
Bennett and MMAWeekly.com established SoundOff as the premier
radio broadcast for the sport of mixed martial arts. With the
tragic passing of our friend and co-founder on May 31st of this
year, the radio show was forced into hibernation.
We
know that you want the radio show to continue… so do we!
It has taken a little longer than planned, but MMAWeekly radio
is finally ready to return.
Emerging
on Tuesday, September 5th at 6pm PST/9pm EST, the radio show
returns with all the latest news and information, interviews
with the top fighters and MMA insiders in the world, the hot
topics of the day and a whole new attitude.
New
host Damon Martin plans to take the spirit that Ryan put into
the show and put his own personal spin on it. A constant presence
on MMAWeekly as a writer and host of several pre- and post-event
radio shows, Martin is looking forward to bringing his edgy attitude
to the airwaves.
Joining
Martin as we kick off the next generation of SoundOff is MMAWeekly
lifer, Jeff “The Negotiator” Cain. A specialist on
all things Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell related, Cain looks to
add a little balance to Martin’s intense style with a little
Southern flair.
Be
sure to tune in on Tuesday, September 5th as Damon and Jeff bring
MMAWeekly Radio back to the airwaves. And make sure that you
come prepared… to SoundOff!
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"It
is no profït to have learned well, if you neglect to do
well."
Publilius Syrus, 85-43 B.C., Roman Writer
|
Interview
with UFC 63 Fighter: Mike "Quick" Swick
MaxFighting:At
UFC 63 David Loiseau will be looking at you from across the Octagon.
Do you feel this is the biggest test yet for you in the UFC?
Or is this just another fight?
Mike
Swick: Definitely my biggest test and I am excited beyond words
at the opportunity.
MaxFighting:
I know it is just a rumor right now, but have you heard or can
you confirm that the winner of this fight will get a title shot
in the near future?
Mike
Swick: No there is nothing for sure, but you never know. I am
focused on this fight only right now.
MaxFighting:
With TUF 4 going on, how do you feel about the winners of that
show getting title shots possibly ahead of the number 1 contenders?
Mike
Swick: I don't know all the details but from what I do know it
seems unfair. I don't discredit the fighters though. They are
all tough guys.
MaxFighting:
If this fight was/is for a title shot, would that place any added
pressure on you? Would it even infiltrate in to your daily thought
processes?
Mike
Swick: No not really. I never look past the fight at hand. Even
if I knew the winner got a title shot, I would only focus on
this fight. If the question is "Would I fight harder knowing
this?", then the answer would be no. I fight every fight
like its life or death. Losing is not an option for me and is
far worse than anything I can imagine. Thats how I think going
in to every fight.
MaxFighting:
Chris Leben lost to Anderson Silva. Josh Koscheck was visibly
Smiling at his demise...were you smiling on the inside because
of all of the talking he has done?
Mike
Swick: I can't say I am "Happy" to see anyone lose
this way. HOWEVER, if anyone deserved it, it would be him. He
is very dissrespectful at times and this is how Karma works.
If you are going to talk about breaking a dudes jaw and sending
him back to Brazil, you better back it up. He didn't.
MaxFighting:
Can you give the casual fans some insight on the bad blood between
you and Leben?
Mike
Swick: Its weird. I mean obviously I want to beat him more than
any other fighter but it's not like we can't hold conversations
in public. He hates me because I am on the Pay-Per-Views and
am so close to the belt. He feels I have had an easier road somehow
and he always likes to state that he beat me. I see right through
it and see how weak and insecure he is inside. He can say he
beat me all he wants and enjoy every second of our last fight
because one day we will meet again. I wont make the same mistakes
I made the first time.
MaxFighting:
How bad do you want to face him again?
Mike
Swick: I am more concerned with Loiseau and moving up the ranks
for now but I know we will meet one day so I dont worry about
it. As I stated before, I will be very happy when I look across
the octagon and see him.
MaxFighting:
Switching lanes here, Anderson Silva vs. Franklin...who takes
this and who would you probably match up with best?
Mike
Swick: Man, this is a tough call. I haven't seen much on Silva
but he has beaten a whos who of fighters. I am very excited about
this fight. I think it will be very exciting. Its hard to say
who I would match up better with because I haven't seen but one
recent fight of Silva's and it only lasted 49 seconds.
MaxFighting:
The main event on the card for UFC 63 is BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes
as you well know. Who is going to walk away with the belt?
Mike
Swick: Another tough one to call. I don't think Matt will make
the same mistake he made in their first fight though. Another
factor is how good of shape BJ is in considering he took the
fight with only 4 weeks notice. I am excited about this one as
well.
MaxFighting:
Mike thanks for the time and good luck at UFC 63.
Mike
Swick: Thanks! I would like to thank my sponsor Xyience and all
the ones listed on my webpage at mikeswick.com. I am also on
myspace (myspace.com/mikeswick) so check me out there as well.
Source: Maxfighting
|
IFL
executes merger agreement
August
31, 2006 – Paligent Inc.(PGNT:OTCBB) today announced that
it has executed a merger agreement with respect to the acquisition
of International Fight League, Inc.
(IFL) pursuant to which IFL will emerge as the surviving entity.
Following consummation of the merger, Paligent has agreed to
change its name to International Fight League, Inc.
Under
the agreement, Paligent will acquire all of the issued and outstanding
capital stock of IFL, and the holders of IFL capital stock will
receive shares of common stock of Paligent which, upon their
issuance, would be equal to 95% of the issued and outstanding
shares of common stock of Paligent. In addition, in connection
with the merger, options to purchase shares of common stock of
IFL outstanding prior to the merger will be converted into options
to purchase shares of common stock of Paligent on the same terms
and conditions applicable to such options prior to the merger,
under a new equity incentive plan to be submitted for the approval
of Paligent’s stockholders together with the merger. Paligent
has also agreed, subject to stockholder approval, to effect,
immediately prior to the merger, a 1-for-20 reverse stock split
of Paligent’s common stock, such that the number of shares
of common stock outstanding following the merger shall be approximately
the number of shares of common stock currently outstanding.
Each
of Paligent and IFL has made customary representations and warranties
in the merger Agreement. Paligent has also made representations
and warranties with respect to the fact that it has no current
operations. Paligent has agreed to file a proxy statement and
convene a meeting of its stockholders to approve the merger,
the equity incentive plan, the reverse split of its common stock
and the name change. Following the consummation of the merger,
it is anticipated that the board of directors of the company
will include three additional directors appointed by the current
stockholders of IFL.
In
connection with the merger, Richard J. Kurtz, a director and
the principal stockholder of Paligent, has agreed to vote in
favor of the approval of the merger and the other matters to
be submitted for stockholder approval. Mr. Kurtz has also agreed
to contribute to the Company, immediately following the consummation
of the merger, all or a portion of the amounts owed to him by
Paligent, but not less than $651,000, in exchange for shares
of common stock of the company.
Founded
in 2005 by Gareb Shamus, the founder and chairman of Wizard Entertainment
Group and Kurt Otto, a private real estate investor and life-long
martial arts participant, the International Fight League mixes
the intense action of mixed martial arts with the established
team- and season-based approach found in America’s most
loved sports. IFL’s teams consist of five fighters each,
one in each major weight category, and are coached by legendary
world champions.
IFL’s
debut event, the “Legends Championship,” featuring
the initial four teams took place on April 29 and June 3, 2006
in Atlantic City at the Trump Taj Majal and was broadcast by
Fox Sports Net (FSN) in a series of three original taped telecasts
in May and June 2006. Sponsors of the debut event included Suzuki
(ATV and motorcycle group), Microsoft’s XBOX 360, Coca-Cola’s
Vault energy drink and Full Contact Fighter. IFL’s next
event, the “World Team Championship,” is scheduled
to be held over four dates this fall, beginning on September
9th in Portland, Oregon. Due to the success of IFL’s debut
event, FSN has agreed to increase their coverage from three to
10 hours for the IFL “World Team Championship” event.
IFL is also planning to launch its first full season in 2007,
featuring 11 events, beginning in the first quarter.
Paligent
formerly operated as a biotechnology company engaged in the development
and commercialization of novel drugs with a product portfolio
focused on infectious diseases and oncology. During 2004 and
2005, the Company transferred all of its rights, title and interest
in its two remaining biotechnology compounds, which until their
out-licensing in 2000 had been under development for several
years.
Since
2001, Paligent has been engaged in seeking business opportunities
to maximize value for its shareholders, including acquisitions
of new operating businesses and technologies as well as potential
merger opportunities.
Nothing
contained in this press release shall constitute an offer, or
a solicitation of an offer, to sell any securities of the Company.
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which generally can be identified
by the use of such terms as “anticipate,” “believe,”
“continue,” “expect,” "may," "should,"
or similar variations or the negative thereof. These forward
looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which
are out of the Company's control and which may affect its future
business plans.
Factors
that may affect the Company's future business plans include:
(i) its ability to identify, complete and integrate an acquisition
of an operating business or product, including the IFL acquisition;
(ii) the viability of the Company’s business strategy in
connection with an acquisition and its ability to implement such
strategy; (iii) its ability to secure financing for its current
and potential future operations; and (iv) its ability to generate
revenues sufficient to meet its operating costs. Such statements
reflect the current view of the Company with respect to future
events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions.
In addition, the Company's business, operations and financial
conditions are subject to the risks, uncertainties and assumptions
that are described in the Company’s reports and statements
filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Should one or more of those risks or uncertainties materialize,
or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results
may vary materially from those discussed herein
IFL announces
partnership
NEW YORK, August 31, 2006 – The International Fight League
(IFL) and Dale and Thomas Popcorn today announced a new strategic
partnership for IFL fall events and for the 2007 season. The
partnership will begin with the quarterfinal IFL “World
Team Championship” events to be held in Portland, Oregon
on September 9 and Moline, Illinois on September 23 and continue
through the 2007 inaugural season.
“We
are very excited to be working with Dale and Thomas Popcorn,”
said IFL president Gareb Shamus. “This is a union of two
growing companies with the same core demographic, and it will
be fun to create some very unique cross marketing opportunities
that will combine the on-site excitement of our events with a
product that our fans will love.”
“We
are thrilled to be associated with an exciting organization like
the IFL,” said Warren Struhl co-founder and CEO of Dale
and Thomas Popcorn.
“The sport of Mixed Martial Arts is growing in popularity
very quickly, and we are pleased to be able to team up with a
fast growing brand that understands how to reach a very powerful
and influential demographic.”
The
partnership will include ring and arena signage and promotional
opportunities for Dale and Thomas, branding opportunities at
IFL viewing parties and promotional giveaways. The IFL will also
designate Dale and Thomas as their “Official Snack Food.”
It is the second time that Dale and Thomas has taken on a joint
venture with an organized sports league, with an existing two
year deal with the New York Mets, as the official popcorn for
the 2006-2008 seasons. The first official IFL season will begin
in the first quarter of 2007.
Founded
in 2006 by Kurt Otto, a highly successful real estate investor
and a life-long martial arts participant and Gareb Shamus, chairman
of the comics empire Wizard Entertainment Group, the International
Fight League™ (IFL) and Pure Sport™ were created to
establish a centralized and structured organization that brings
the power and influence of the mixed martial arts industry together.
For more information and action, go to www.IFL.tv.
Dale
and Thomas, is a privately held company, which manufactures America’s
first line of farm fresh—chef crafted--premium popcorn products.
The Englewood, New Jersey based snack food company sells through
wholesale, retail and direct channels. The company has recently
introduced Popcorn, Indiana™ a wholesale, premium, kettle
corn line sold at supermarkets, chain stores and boutiques throughout
the county. The company has also achieved a high level of recognition
as it was selected by Oprah Magazine as one of her favorite things.
The company’s Chef Ed has appeared on the Today Show, The
View, as well as other national television appearances. Currently
centers are located in: New York City, Teaneck, New Jersey; Philadelphia
and Lake Success Shopping Center, with additional openings in
November in, Florida, Boston and New Jersey in the coming months.
Dale and Thomas Popcorn is also available at www.daleandthomas.com
and 1-800-POPCORN.
Source: Maxfighting.
|
The
Ultimate Fighter 4: Team Mojo continues to dominate
Episode 3 showed me a little more about who some of the fighters
were character wise. For example, it's obvious that Shonie Carter
is a ham and that Rich Clementi is going to be in the midst of
almost everything that goes on in that house. Shonie continued
his showboating ways this week and put on quite an artistic show
by painting everything he could get his hands on. I will have
to say that I can see the necessity for things like this to happen
inside the house. No television, no radio, no outside interaction.
Nothing except for the other fighters in the house for entertainment.
That would drive me nuts.
Shonie
draws a charcoaled outline of himself raAising his arm in victory
which was actually a decent effort on his part. It really didn't
look that bad. Don't get me wrong, it was terrible on the professional
art scale, but good for someone who is an amateur enthusiast.
Rich and a few of the other Team No Love members plot a prank
on Mr. Inernational's latest masterpiece. Rich draws an exact
copy of it and with the help of the other ACteam members, defaces
it with words and fake "bling", as Shonie calls it.
Shonie returns, sees the fake sketch thinking it is the original,
and is immediately upset about it as he should have been. He
put some work into it and was proud of it. After threatening
to move up to middleweight to fight the culprit, Team No Love
reveals the joke and Shonie takes it in stride.
Jeremy
Jackson received a lot of attention this episode leading one
to believe that he was going to be fighting. Jackson took the
opportunity to be on the show late as a replacement. Jeremy is
one of the most impressive all around competitors to not make
it in the UFC. His lone fight was a submission loss in a fight
he was winning up to that point against Nick Diaz. Din Thomas
says that he would want to face Jackson because he hasn't had
the time to properly train and prepare for the show or a fight.
Jeremy reveals that he doesn't trust Thomas at all, but offers
no real reason for it.
All
of the fighters got to watch UFC 60 at the house along with Georges
St. Pierre. It must have been a good relief moment for them to
watch something on TV and to sit back and unwind. What was interesting
to me was that they were watching the welterweight champion whom
they may have to face should they win the welterweight division
of the show. Of course, Hughes dominates Gracie and this visually
bothers Matt Serra who trained with the Gracies for quite some
time. Matt was actually one of the first Brazilian jiu-jitsu
black belts in the United States and to watch one of the guys
who put it on the map get beaten handily was hard for him.
BJJ
black belt Marc Laimon is brought in to the show as another trainer
and there is some bad blood between he and Serra. In the fight
between Pete Sell and Phil Baroni at UFC 51: Super Saturday,
Laimon cornered Baroni and Serra cornered Sell. Laimon told Baroni
in the third round to take Sell down. Baroni did just that, but
got choked out for his efforts. After the fight, Laimon complained
to the referee about bad officiating and about the fight in general.
Serra took issue with this and the dislike has been there ever
since. During a training session, Laimon trashes Gracie in front
of Matt and you can see his face redden as the tirade continues.
I was amazed that Matt did not snap, but I quickly remembered
that he is one of the most composed fighters on the show.
When
the fight selections were announced Jeremy Jackson was shocked
that Chris Lytle, who was announced by Edwin Dewees as the representative
for Team Mojo, was going to face Pete Spratt. Chris Lytle is
praised by Dana White as "the epitome of an ultimate fighter"
and most would agree that he is a solid fighter with lots of
potential. Pete Spratt is the oldest fighter on the show, but
has a wealth of experience. The chink in his armor is his ground
game and this is well known by almost all of the opposing team
members.
The
fight went basically like this; Lytle opens up with a barrage
of punches, Spratt dodges, another flurry from Lytle and then
a clinch on the fence that eventually ends in a Lytle takedown.
Chris locks in a rather weak looking guillotine choke and Pete
taps almost immediately. After the fight, Spratt is angry and
seems like he is going to just flip out, but doesn't thankfully.
This fight was a weak one and may affect the ratings as it could
have turned away new viewers from watching the next episode.
This
week's fight was rather tame after watching Edwin Dewees tough
it out through his massive bleeding with tremendous heart in
his decision win last week. I look forward to next week's show
and how Team No Love will answer the domination of Team Mojo.
Source: Maxfighting |
Quote
of the Day
"Great
art is an instant arrested in eternity."
James Gibbons Huneker, 1860-1921, American Essayist and Music
Critic
|
X-1
World Events
Friday, October 6, 2006
Neal Blaisdell Arena
Confirmed
Matches
Kimo
Leopoldo - UFC/Pride Veteran (235lbs)
VS
Wes "The Project" Sims - UFC Veteran (255lbs)
Falaniko
Vitale - UFC Veteran (Debut in the LightHeavy Weight Division
@ 205lbs)
VS
To Be Announced
Miles
Tynanes
VS
Eric "Big" Pele - King of the Cage SuperHeavy Weight
Champion (340lbs)
Scott
Junk - (265lbs)
VS
Corey Salter - (259lbs)
Augie
Padeken
VS
Alex Stiebling - UFC/Pride Veteran (195lbs)
Brennan
Kamaka
VS
Steve Byrnes - (185lbs)
NOT
Confirmed Matches
Mark
Moreno - X-1 Welter Weight Champion (170lbs)
VS
Thomas "Wildman" Denny - (170lbs)
Chris
West - (205lbs)
VS
Justin McCully - (211lbs)
Women's
Match To Be Announced
Source: Promoter
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Sat, Sept 9 @ Dole Cannery Ballroom
175lbs.
Sean
Basset (Team Shamrock,California) vs. Ronald Jhun (808 F.F, Kalihi)
155lbs
James
Martinez (Team MMAD, Kailua) vs. Harris Sarimento (808 F.F, Kaneohe)
147lbs.
Lorenzo
Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi) vs. Tony Rodiques (Westside Connection,
Waianae)
150lbs.
Kaipo
Cayetano ( Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Duke Saragossa (808
F.F., Wahiawa)
175lbs.
Weston
Victorin (Disciples Of Puhi, Kuaui) vs. Avelino Lee (Freelance,
Big Island)
145lbs.
Sadhu
Bott (HMC, Kalihi) Vs. Dereck Butay (Fighters Union, Waianae)
170lbs.
Evan
Lowder (Jesus Is Lord, Waipahu) vs. Zane Kamaka (Guts & Glory,
Waianae)
170lbs.
TBA
Vs. Fatu Tuatasi (808 F.F, Waipahu)
140lbs.
Sam
Chong (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Eric Zolonaka (HTC Nakoa,
Mililani)
185lbs.
Correy
Wilson (Smith Taekwondo, Kaeohe) vs. Tellis Sionesini (808 F.F,
Waipahu)
140lbs.
Bronson
Cayetano (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. vs. Erwin Celes (Sit
You Down, Waianae)
210lbs.
Bill
Hall (HMC,Kailihi) Vs. Kepa Rivera (Fighters Union, Nanakuli)
230LBS.
Loren
Kanoa (HMC, Kalihi) vs. Charles Kipili'i Jr (Fighters Union,
Waianae)
200lbs.
Frankie
Ruiz (Team Submit, Honolulu) vs. Rob Chong (Koden Kan, Waimanalo)
165lbs.
Dean
Henze ( Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs. Brendon Wong (Disciples
of Puhi, Kuaui)
175lbs.
Spence
White (Freelance, Kailua) vs. Dean Lista(HMC, Kalihi)
150lbs.
Jacob
Smith (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) Vs. Mike Ulibas (Sit You Down,
Waianae)
**CARD
SUBJECT TO CHANGE**
TICKET
OR FIGHT INFORMATION CALL 778-6833
243
Tickets left
Source: Promoter
|
Vera
vs. Mir
Brandon
“The Truth” Vera confirmed through his official website
that he will square off against former UFC heavyweight champion,
Frank Mir at UFC 65.
Some
reports had claimed that Vera previously confirmed this fight
for UFC 62, but he now says it will happen at UFC 65. This statement
is available for viewing at his official website, http://www.brandonvera.com. Anything is possible
at any time in the world of MMA so this may in fact change again
if the contract negotiations fall through. It is unknown if the
status of the bout is “officially signed” or “awaiting
final approval”, but one has to believe that this one is
finally going to jump off at UFC 65 as officially advertised
by Vera.
If
this fight does occur it will be a major milestone for either
fighter should they pull off the win. Mir needs this win to validate
his comeback and Vera needs it to validate the current hype surrounding
his current rise in the UFC heavyweight rankings. Mir looked
less than impressive at UFC 61 against opponent Dan Christison
despite getting the unanimous decision. Frank looked out of shape
in his fight and if he comes into this fight with the same laziness
as he did with Christison, I do not feel he will achieve the
same results. Vera, however looked very composed and slick as
he took out Assuerio Silva in the first round at UFC 60 with
a guillotine choke. Brandon Vera has proven to be a dangerous
opponent and trouble for fighters bigger and stronger than he
is. Mir has to come prepared or Vera will win this easily.
The
November UFC 65 card is beginning to take shape, with Tim Sylvia
vs. Jeff Monson most certainly the UFC’s preferred main
event for the show.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Once
in one's life, for one mortal moment,
one must make a grab for immortality; if not, one has not lived."
Sylvester Stallone, American Film Actor/Director/Screenwriter
|
Icon
Sport 48: Mayhem Vs. Lawler Results!
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
September 2, 2006
"It" was a long time in coming. First "it"
was on, then off, then on again. "It" is Robbie Lawler,
the current champ, taking on Jason Miller, the man that has run
through Hawaii like a hurricane. The consummate grappler took
on the powerful striker. The only thing is this striker can wrestle
and this grappler can take a punch. This much anticipated main
event was supported by a solid under card, which crowned a Flyweight
and Welterweight Icon Sport champion. Chico Cantiberos displayed
crisp punches and a good ground game against the game veteran
in Kevin Delima. Delima took a lot of punishment, but would not
go down easy as he fought Cantiberos all the way until a well
timed and placed knee sat Delima onto the canvas and Cantiberos
seized the opportunity to finish the fight and be crowned Icon
Sport's first Hawaii State Flyweight champ. Quickly rising submission
machine, Sydney Silva returned to the ring and pitted his technical
ground game and solid leg kicks, against Kimo Woefel's athleticism.
Woefel reversed Silva on numerous occasions, but this allowed
Silva's active guard work to shine. Silva aggressively attacked
with submissions and kept firing them off as Woefel kept defending
them. It was the law of averages that ended the fight as it was
only a matter of time until Silva's persistence paid off and
he caught Woefel in an arm bar to end the match and be crowned
Icon Sport's Hawaii State Welterweight champion. This event also
fed the pipeline by pitting some outstanding young fighters to
line up the next set of contenders for the newly crowned champions.
Two stars from Grappling Unlimited and Animal House were on a
collision course that made for a great fight. These two young
warriors went after each other and displayed poise and technique
well beyond their ring experience. Albino squeaked out a decision
victory, but there was definitely no loser in this fight. Number
one contender for the 135lbs Icon Sport title, Mark Oshiro from
the Bull's Pen, showed why he deserves the number one slot by
KO'ing Paul Gorman in a mere 20 seconds. Grappling Unlimited's
other star Tyson Nam won his match and this set up a great match
up between Nam and Oshiro for Icon's December event. Another
great match up came about when Jay Jack to town and dominated
Mike Russo. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt matches up well
with Sydney Silva. The great night of fights led up to the main
event, which brought the crowd to fever pitch after viewing each
fighter's intro video on the giant screen. Lawler paced in his
corner like a caged animal, while Miller came to ring dancing
the whole way with a reggae theme, dreadlocks and all. The first
round had everyone puzzled, Miller included as Miller landed
leg and body kick at will while Lawler did not even throw a punch.
The second round saw a more confident Miller pick up where he
left off, but this time Lawler pulled the trigger and unleashed
a fury of punches, knees and dominated Miller. It looked like
Lawler was going to win via referee stoppage, but Miller kept
moving and changing positions. He ended the round strong by fighting
his way back up to his feet and firing back. In round three,
Lawler was spent and Miller took over by taking down Lawler and
doing what he does best, applying submissions. After Lawler defended
an arm triangle on the right side, Miller sunk one in on the
left side and captured the title by tapping out Lawler. The crowd
exploded with the result and it was deafening as Miller climbed
up on the ropes and thanked the fans of his adopted home.
170lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Peni Taufa'ao (Eastsidaz) def. Isaiah Cobb-Adams (Animal House)
Submission via guillotine choke at 1:42 minutes in Round 2.
Heavyweight:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Shaun Durfee (AMMA, Portland, Maine) def. Thomas Ferguson (Hawaii
Self Defense)
Submission via rear naked choke at 1:30 minutes in Round 1.
170lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Keoni Bryant (Jus Rush) def. Derek Stadler (Bulls Pen)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (29-28)] after 3 rounds.
205lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Lowen Cabuag (Animal House) def. Kenneth Gusman (Team Papakolea)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
Icon
Sport Hawaii State Flyweight Title
145lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Chico Cantiberos (Eastsidaz) def. Kevin Delima State (Bulls Pen)
TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes at 4:55 minutes in Round
2.
155lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Makana Albino (Grappling Unlimited) def. Marshall Harvest (Animal
House)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (29-28)] after 3 rounds.
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Mark Oshiro (Bulls Pen) def. Paul Gorman (AMMA, Portland, Maine)
KO at 20 seconds in Round 1.
Icon
Sport Hawaii State Welterweight Title
170lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Sydney Silva (HMC) def. Kimo Woefel (Eastsidaz)
Submission via arm bar at 4:15 minutes in Round 1.
185lb:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Jay Jack (AMMA, Portland, Maine) def. Mike 'The Bull" Russo
(Team Griffon Rawl, Cleveland, OH)
Submission via rear neck crank at 1:35 minutes in Round 1.
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Tyson Nam (Grappling Unlimited) def. Ikaika Silva (Animal House,
Ewa Beach)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
155lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Jason "Dynamite" Dent (Team Griffon Rawl, Cleveland,
OH) def. Kolo Koka (MMAD)
Submission via triangle choke at 1:07 minutes in Round 3.
Icon
Sport World Middleweight Championship
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Jason "Mayhem" Miller (Team Pighunters, Kapena Falls,
HI) def. Robbie Lawler (MFS)
Submission via arm triangle (head & arm) choke at 2:20 minutes
in Round 3.
|
The
Head Hunter is Special Guest at PIP!
PUNISHMENT IN PARADISE “UNFINISHED BUSINESS”
Sat, Sept 9,2006 @ Dole Cannery
UFC
VETERAN
Paul
“HEAD HUNTER” Buentello
SPECIAL
GUEST
UFC
Veteran Paul “HEAD HUNTER” Buentello will be in Hawaii
to show his support to Punishment In Paradise for Sept 9, “Unfinished
Business” featuring Hawaii top Stand Up fighters. Paul will
be also here to train with 808 Fight Factory.
He
stated that he will be bringing his gear down to sale like Hats
and T-shirts he also will be signing his card for the Hawaii
fans. Paul also Stated that he love Hawaii and its fans and is
looking forward to coming to Honolulu for training and fun in
the sun.
P.I.P
Tickets
We
are moving tickets fast for the fights and encourage people to
get A.S.A.P. Last time we SOLD OUT and had to turn people away
last day to purchase tickets is Sept 8(Friday).
Ticket
Outlets
EAST
Cisco
Bringas 620-3004
Smith
Taekwondo Kaneohe
West
808
Fight Factory 671-4140
David
Padilla 620-3004
GO
ONLINE TO WWW.PIPHAWAII.COM
FOR
TICKET OR FIGHT INFORMATION 778-6833
Source: Event promoter
|
Dan
Inosanto Seminar
Today
Seminar
hosted by BURTON RICHARDSON at the Honolulu Headquarters:
We
will be having the honor of hosting Guro DAN INOSANTO at our
Academy in
Hawaii.
Sept
2nd and 3rd, 2006. Saturday and Sunday, Labor day weekend. KAIMUKI
area.
1
pm to 7 pm. (5 hours each day with 1 hour break)
*
Member Pre-Registration (before August 15th): $200
Non-Member
Pre-Registration (before August 15th): $225
*
After August 15th and Before September 1st:
Members
and Non-Members: $250
*
At the door (depending on availability):
Members
and Non-Members: $300
We
will do our best to accomodate as many of you as we can and give
you a
chance to train with Guro Inosanto but space is limited. This
will most
likely be his last seminar in Hawaii. Don't miss it!
Call
us now at 808 864 1620. Registration over the phone so we can
keep
count.
|
IFL
in Portland, Oregon 9/9/06,
Jeremy Horn vs. Matt Lindland
The local flavor of the International Fight League (IFL) World
Team Championship at Memorial Coliseum in Portland on September
9 just got a little spicier, as Cam Ward of Beaverton, Ore.,
has been selected as a replacement for the Tiger Sharks team
and will battle Gresham, Ore., resident Ryan Schultz of the Wolfpack
at the 155-lb. division of the mixed martial arts event. Ward
replaces Alvin Robinson because of injury.
Ward
sports a 4-1 overall MMA mark, while Schultz’ record stands
at 13-7-1. Both will be making their first respective appearances
in IFL competition. The two were scheduled to fight on August
5, but Ward suffered second degree burns which forced him to
withdraw.
The
Tiger Sharks, who train in Seattle, are coached by kickboxing
legend Maurice Smith. They will take on Matt Lindland’s
Wolfpack, based locally in Portland, as part of an 11-fight card
that also features a Superfight between Lindland, the 2000 Silver
Medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, and Jeremy Horn, as well as
a matchup between the Anacondas (Los Angeles) and Sabres (Tokyo).
Many
of the sport’s top names are scheduled to compete. In addition
to Ward, the Tiger Sharks feature Reese Andy (Billings, Mont.),
Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.), Allan Goes (Rio de Janeiro)
and Bristol Marunde (Sequin, Wash.). The rest of the homestanding
Wolfpack roster includes Devin Cole (Medford, Ore.), Matt Horwich
(Gresham, Ore.), Aaron Stark (Portland, Ore.), and Chris Wilson
(Portland, Ore.). Competing for the Anacondas are Jay Hieron
(Las Vegas), Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario), Mike Pyle (Dresden,
Tenn.), Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) and Krzysztof Soszynski (Winnipeg,
Manitoba). The Sabres include John Cole, Kazuhiro Hamanaka (Tokyo),
Tom Howard (Dallas), Amos Sotelo (Tucson, Ariz.) and Ed West
(Tucson, Ariz.).
Fans
can purchase tickets at the Rose Quarter Box Office, all participating
Safeway locations, by phone at 877.789.ROSE (7673) or online
at www.RoseQuarter.com.
The
IFL’s two other new teams, Frank Shamrock’s Razorclaws
of San Jose and Carlos Newton’s Dragons, based in Toronto,
Ontario, will enter the ring as part of the World Team Championship
in Moline, Ill, on Sept. 23, joining Renzo Gracie’s Pitbulls,
based in New York and Pat Miletich’s Silverbacks from event
host Quad City.
IFL
World Team Championship, Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Ore., Sept.
9, 2006
Anacondas
vs. Sabres
155
lb: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) vs. Ed West (Tucson, Ariz.)
170 lb: Jay Hieron (Las Vegas) vs. Amos Sotelo (Tucson, Ariz.)
185 lb: Mike Pyle (Dresden, Tenn.) vs. John Cole
205 lb: Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) vs. Kazuhiro Hamanaka (Tokyo)
265 lb: Krzysztof Soszynski (Winnipeg, Man.) vs. Tom Howard (Dallas)
Tiger
Sharks vs. Wolfpack
155
lb: Cam Ward (Beaverton, Ore.) vs. Ryan Schultz (Gresham, Ore.)
170 lb: Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.) vs. Chris Wilson (Portland,
Ore.)
185 lb: Bristol Marunde (Sequin, Wash.) vs. Matt Horwich (Gresham,
Ore.)
205 lb: Reese Andy (Billings, Mont.) vs. Aaron Stark (Portland,
Ore.)
265 lb: Allan Goes (Rio de Janeiro) vs. Devin Cole (Medford,
Ore.)
Superfight
185
lb: Jeremy Horn vs. Matt Lindland
Source: MMA Fighting
|
COBRA
ENERGY DRINK PRESENTS
APEX: A NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS
OCTOBER 14th, 2006 -- ROBERT GUERTIN ARENA -- GATINEAU, QUEBEC
APEX
Championship Fighting, in association with Cobra Energy Drink,
is proud to announce A NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS, on October 14th, 2006
at the incredible Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau, Quebec. Fans
of APEX made it clear: they wanted to see fighters battle for
APEX MMA Titles, and thus, APEX could only oblige with not one,
but FOUR Championship bouts.
In
the main event of the evening, the most anticipated fight in
APEX history will finally become a reality. APEX superstar Wagnney
Fabiano will face UFC and Pride veteran Jeff “Big Frog”
Curran for the APEX World Featherweight Title. There has been
a history of bad blood between these two competitors and repeated
attempts to make this fight happen has led to many cancellations.
Finally, the fans will get what they want as this is expected
to be the greatest featherweight fight ever on Canadian soil.
In
the co-main event, Rockland sensation Nabil “The Thrill”
Khatib will be looking to add some APEX gold around his waist
as he takes on the well traveled Fritz “The Animal”
Paul for the vacant APEX Canadian Middleweight Title. The undefeated
Khatib has been raising eyebrows with his spectacular submission
victories of late and in Fritz Paul, will be facing his toughest
test to date. Paul is well experienced veteran who will be aiming
to squash the hype surrounding Khatib. Talk out of Paul's camp
is that 'Khatib is not ready for Fritz Paul' and that this is
a mismatch by APEX.
The
third title bout of the evening, will be for APEX's World Welterweight
Title, and will pit two of America's best kept secrets, in Nuri
Shakir (Team Elite) and James Gabert (Serra/Longo). Shakir is
no stranger to Canadian MMA fans, having made two victorious
appearances in the APEX ring defeating Kevin Manderson and UFC
veteran Steve Berger. Shakir requested somebody who will stand
and trade with him, and his request was met willingly by his
opponent. Gabert is no stranger to fans in Quebec as he has defeated
UFC Veteran Johnathan Goulet early in his career. Gabert has
a never say die attitude and is ready to go to war versus Shakir.
Coincidentally enough, there is some history between these two
warriors, as Shakir recently defeated one of Gabert’s instructors,
Nick Serra in an event south of the border. Gabert is looking
to avenge this loss and restore order to the Serra/Longo team.
In
honor of the early years of MMA, APEX will be holding a 4-man
tournament for the APEX Canadian Welterweight Title. With careful
scrutiny, APEX has selected Eric Beaulieu, Rowan Cunningham,
Jason Motard and Cory MacDonald to compete in this tournament
and to become the first APEX Canadian Welterweight Champion.
The first round will feature Eric Beaulieu vs Rowan Cunningham,
with the winner taking on the victor between Jason Motard and
Cory MacDonald.
Beaulieu
is coming off a dominating performance at APEX: Evolution and
will be looking to avenge his only loss in APEX as he faces then
opponent Rowan Cunningham. Beaulieu has wanted to avenge this
lost to Cunningham for a long time and will finally get his chance
on October 14th. Cunningham, one of Canada’s most talented
grapplers, is looking for a repeat performance versus Beaulieu,
which was short and sweet, so he can make it to the finals without
expending too much energy.
Last
June at APEX: EVOLUTION, Gatineau's Jason Motard put on an MMA
clinic with his victory over “Prince” Ugonga, which
earned him a spot in this prestigious tournament. Standing in
his way is the multi-talented Cory MacDonald, who has represented
Canada in the ADCC North American Championships, the world’s
top grappling tournament. MacDonald comes to APEX courtesy of
the APEX: Auditions and MMA Camp and brings a wealth of experience
to the ring, looking to use this experience over the newer and
greener Jason Motard.
It
has been a long time coming, and finally, making his APEX debut
at 'A Night of Champions' is Canada's premiere grappling sensation,
Mark Bocek. Bocek has long been considered one of Canada’s
top MMA prospects, but for one reason or another has only fought
once before and that was over two years ago. As a BJJ Black Belt
and a multiple grappling tournament champion, arguments always
arise about how Bocek is Canada’s most talented lightweight,
but the time has come for Bocek to put it together in the ring
and prove to the world what he can do. Not one to take an easy
fight, Bocek steps up against an APEX veteran in Kevin Manderson
a prodigy of UFC veteran Joe Doerksen. Manderson is an excellent
wrestler with a solid ground and a stifling standup game. Manderson
has thirteen (13) professional fights under his belt to Bocek's
one (1), so the odds are definitely in Manderson's favour. Can
Mark Bocek’s pedigree offset Kevin Manderson’s experience?
On October 14th, we will find out.
APEX:
A NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS will once again be showcasing a bevy of
local talent from Ottawa and Gatineau. Defending the National
Capital Region are Mark Loft (Ronin), Pascal Debeq (Team Bushido),
Nick Denis (Ronin), Stephane Hamarche (Ronin), Chris Kruger (Carver’s
Muay Thai) and Eric Lacelle (Hawkesbury).
APEX
is also ecstatic with the results of our APEX: Auditions &
MMA Camp in April in Mississauga. As the first event of its kind
on Canadian soil, APEX was able to discover many MMA athletes
that were ready to compete professionally in the APEX MMA ring.
At APEX: A NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS, a total of eight (8) competitors
will be competing courtesy of their performances at the APEX:
Auditions and MMA Camp, namely Jason Motard, Cory MacDonald,
Jason Cecil, Justin Darbyson-Billingham, Rory McDonnell, Jordan
Jewell and Doug Keays. APEX Championship Fighting delivers results,
not promises. Look for more information coming shortly about
the next edition of the APEX: Auditions & MMA Camp.
With
the world’s best athletes, non-stop action and unmatched
excitement, APEX: A NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS is a can’t-miss event
for all MMA fans and thrill seekers in the capital region. Tickets
are on sale right now at TICKETMASTER.ca or by calling (613)
755-1111. Get your tickets now so you can guarantee yourself
a seat for this incredible event at the 4,000 seat venue, The
Robert Guertin Arena!!!
Source: Event Promoter
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
crowd makes the ballgame."
Ty Cobb, 1886-1961, Hall of Fame American Baseball Player
|
Icon
Sport 48: Mayhem Vs. Lawler Tonight!
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
September 2, 2006
Heavyweight:
MMA: 3 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Shaun Durfee (AMMA, Portland, Maine) vs. Thomas Ferguson (Hawaii
Self Defense)
170lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Derek Stadler (2-0, Bulls Pen) vs. Keoni Bryant (1-1, Jus Rush)
205lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Lowen Cabuag (Animal House) vs. Kenneth Gusman (Team Papakolea)
Icon
Sport Hawaii State Flyweight Title
145lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes
Chico Cantiberos (Eastsidaz) vs. Kevin Delima State (Bulls Pen)
155lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Marshall Harvest (2-1, Animal House-Ewa) vs. Makana Albino (2-0,
Grappling Unlimited)
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes
Mark Oshiro (Bulls Pen) vs. Paul Gorman (3-3, AMMA, Portland,
Maine)
Icon
Sport Hawaii State Welterweight Title
170lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes
Sydney Silva (HMC) vs. Kimo Woefel (Eastsidaz)
185lb:
MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes
Jay Jack (11-6, AMMA, Portland, Maine) vs. Mike ‘The Bull”
Russo (Team Griffon Rawl, Cleveland, OH)
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes
Tyson Nam (2-0, Grappling Unlimited) vs. Ikaika Silva (Animal
House, Ewa Beach)
155lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes
Kolo Koka (MMAD) vs. Jason “Dynamite” Dent (Team Griffon
Rawl, Cleveland, OH)
Icon
Sport World Middleweight Championship
MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes
Jason “Mayhem” Miller (Team Pighunters, Kapena Falls,
HI) vs. Robbie Lawler (MFS)
|
Dan
Inosanto Seminar
Today
Seminar
hosted by BURTON RICHARDSON at the Honolulu Headquarters:
We
will be having the honor of hosting Guro DAN INOSANTO at our
Academy in
Hawaii.
Sept
2nd and 3rd, 2006. Saturday and Sunday, Labor day weekend. KAIMUKI
area.
1
pm to 7 pm. (5 hours each day with 1 hour break)
*
Member Pre-Registration (before August 15th): $200
Non-Member
Pre-Registration (before August 15th): $225
*
After August 15th and Before September 1st:
Members
and Non-Members: $250
*
At the door (depending on availability):
Members
and Non-Members: $300
We
will do our best to accomodate as many of you as we can and give
you a
chance to train with Guro Inosanto but space is limited. This
will most
likely be his last seminar in Hawaii. Don't miss it!
Call
us now at 808 864 1620. Registration over the phone so we can
keep
count.
|
UFC
Officially Annouces return of Franklin, plus Lightweight Title
Fight
Las Vegas, NV – After a seven-month absence, UFC® World
Middleweight Champion Rich “Ace” Franklin returns to
the Octagon™ to make his third title defense against the
seemingly unstoppable UFC newcomer Anderson “The Spider”
Silva. With a history of vicious striking and devastating knockout
power, Silva has quickly become the most dangerous contender
in the UFC middleweight division. Franklin, who remains undefeated
in the UFC, will put his belt up for stakes when he squares off
against Silva in the main event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
organization’s UFC 64: UNSTOPPABLE taking place live from
Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, Oct. 14.
Also
announced today will be the return of the lightweight crown to
the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. Kenny “KenFlo”
Florian and Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk will face
off at UFC 64 to battle for the vacant lightweight crown, which
has been held only by former champion Jens Pulver. As demonstrated
by recent pay-per-view events, the UFC has a number of talented
lightweights competing in this division, including the return
of Jens Pulver as well as Spencer Fisher, Melvin Guillard, Mark
Hominick, Joe Stevenson and Yves Edwards.
Tickets
for UFC 64: UNSTOPPABLE, not including applicable services or
taxes are on sale
Sunday, August 27 at $450, $350, $200, $100 and $50 starting
at 10am PT. Tickets will be sold at any Mandalay Bay box office
and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (Tower Records/WOW!,
Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Robinsons-May stores and
Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call
the Mandalay Bay box office at (702) 632-7580 or Ticketmaster
at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase at
www.UFC.com, www.Mandalaybay.com or www.Ticketmaster.com.
UFC
64: UNSTOPPABLE is available live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm
PT on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu,
Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested
retail price of $39.95 ($39.99 Canada).
Rich
Franklin (23-1-0) 6’1”/185 lbs., fighting out of Cincinnati,
Ohio, is an extremely well-rounded fighter possessing great striking
and submission skills. He fought most of his career as a light
heavyweight before moving to the middleweight division. At UFC
53, he knocked out UFC champion Evan Tanner to capture the middleweight
crown. He made his first title defense against Nate Quarry at
UFC 56 winning by first round KO and his second defense against
Canadian David Loiseau at UFC 58, winning by decision after dominating
“The Crow” through all five championship rounds. Franklin
will be facing his toughest opponent yet when he takes on Anderson
Silva for his third UFC title defense, but has no plans to let
the Brazilian claim his crown.
Anderson
Silva (16-4) 5’11”/185 lbs., fighting out of Curitiba,
Brazil, is a well rounded fighter with phenomenal striking skills.
A recognized fighter in the world of mixed martial arts, Silva
made his UFC debut at Ultimate Fight Night™, scoring an
impressive first round knockout over TUF1 fighter Chris “The
Crippler” Leben. Through the years, Silva has held numerous
titles in mixed martial arts and is now looking to become the
new UFC Middleweight Champion.
Kenny
Florian (7-2) 5’10”/155 lbs., fighting out of Boston,
Mass., is a jiu-jitsu specialist with dangerous elbows. Florian
recently defeated Sam Stout at The Ultimate Fighter® 3 Finale,
and also has wins over Muay Thai Champion Kit Cope and TUF 1
fighter Alex Karalexis. Florian dropped from welterweight to
lightweight to fight Stout and is now ready to battle Sean Sherk
for the UFC World Lightweight crown.
Sean
Sherk (34-2-1) 5’6”/170 lbs., fighting out of Oak Grove,
Minn., holds an incredible record, with only one two losses.
The first came to Matt Hughes for the UFC World Welterweight
title. Sherk went on to win 12 straight fights before losing
by TKO in the second round to Georges St. Pierre. Sherk is an
excellent wrestler and is one of the pound-for-pound strongest
competitors in the sport. He recently defeated Nick Diaz at UFC
59 and now is ready to take on Florian and become the new UFC
World Lightweight Champion.
The
remaining bouts for UFC 64: UNSTOPPABLE will be announced in
the near future.
About
The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand is the world’s
leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers
the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by
Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC®
organization produces approximately eight live pay-per-view events
annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers.
In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are
distributed throughout the world including broadcast on WOWOW,
Inc. in Japan, Globosat in Brazil and Bravo in the United Kingdom.
For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com.
Ultimate
Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®,
The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®,
Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition
mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade
dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the
United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced
herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective
owners.
*article
courtesty of UFC.com*
Source: Maxfighting
|
Fox
Sports triples air time for IFL
10 extra hours of programming this fall
By IFL.tv
The International Fight League (IFL) and Fox Sports Net (FSN),
a division of the FOX Broadcasting Company and News Corp, today
announced the addition of 10 hours of broadcasting time for the
IFL World Team Championship, which will be held on four dates
this fall. This marks a significant increase from the three hours
FSN carried for the initial events this past spring. The IFL,
the world’s first mixed martial arts league in a team format,
will launch its first full season in the first quarter of 2007.
"The
audience numbers that the IFL was able to generate in the spring
were extremely impressive, and reflect the amazing growth not
just of interest in MMA, but in the IFL as a television property,"
said Michael Feller, FSN Vice President of Programming. "This
additional 10 hours for the fall is a reflection of our belief
in the product in a time slot which will be very effective for
our business partners, our audience and the sport.”
“We
are very excited to be able to return to FSN for our fall World
Team Championships,” said IFL president Gareb Shamus. “Our
free TV broadcasts on FSN, showed that millions of MMA fans were
excited about the IFL’s quality sports and entertainment
programming. We believe this success is just the beginning. Our
fans can’t wait to see our new 8 team single elimination
tournament in its entirety.”
FSN
will break each of the IFL fall live events up into a series
of one hour shows to be broadcast in a set Sunday night time
slot beginning on Sunday, September 24 at 6:00pm. FSN will also
produce a special two hour “Best Damn Sports Show Period”
featuring the IFL on Monday, October 2 at 8:00 p.m. and a two
hour special on New Year’s Eve at a time TBD. The complete
broadcast schedule will follow.
IFL’s
televised shows are produced and directed by Emmy award-winning
producer Peter Lasser, who has worked on several Olympic telecasts
as well as with ESPN, NBC Sports, NFL Films and FSN, among others.
The
fall IFL broadcast schedule on FOX Sports Net will be:
Sunday,
September 24 6:00*
Sunday, October 1 6:00*
Monday, October 2
8:00 (Best Damn Sports Show Period, Two Hour special)
Sunday, October 8 6:00**
Sunday, November 12 6:00**
Sunday, November 19 6:00***
Sunday, November 26 6:00***
Sunday, December 31
6:00 (Two hour championship finals show)****
*-
Featuring matches from Sept. 9 Portland, Ore. event
**- Featuring matches from Sept. 23 Quad Cities, Ill. Event
***- Featuring matches for November 4 event (site TBD)
****- Final event at site TBD
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Taking
Little PRIDE in Tyson
by Jake Rossen
It’s late August and we’re still mired in rerun season,
with the same plots and same cast of characters. Redundant narratives
wheeze along with all the grace of a hobbled animal.
I’m
not referring to television — instead, it’s the combat
sports arena that seems content to play the same shameless notes
ad nauseam. In addition to the rematches in the UFC that promise
us a near-total lack of suspense through 2008, we’ve got
the ultimate cliché: promoters parading around Mike Tyson
in any capacity possible, desperate for the inevitable media
attention that trails his every move.
The
latest grab-ass comes courtesy of PRIDE, which, after five years
of vocal intent, finally seems prepared to run their first U.S.
show in October. To challenge the brand domination of the UFC,
with those three letters seared into the public consciousness
as synonymous with MMA, will take some creative thinking. And
their options are limited.
Few
American pro wrestlers possess the aptitude or drawing power
to take the plunge into freestyle fighting. You might enlist
the odd cash-strapped mid-card talent, but even if he managed
to bring some extra attention from the wrestling fan contingent,
watchdogs on the California or Nevada commissions aren’t
overly likely to approve a professional entertainer in a combat
ring. Those pro wrestlers that can boast of a sufficient athletic
background — like Kurt Angle — are, ironically, too
banged up from faking it to take real bumps.
Actors?
Despite the bleating of Wesley Snipes, few performers are going
to risk mauling their meal ticket (i.e., their face) for a six-figure
payout.
That
leaves pro athletes from other sports: NFL wide receiver Michael
Westbrook headlined a King of the Cage card in 2005. If that
did anything for the show’s buy rate it remains a closely
guarded secret. Athletes who would command mainstream attention
are already making so much cash in their respective disciplines
that it would take someone with a real psychological deficit
to try their hand in a mixed fight.
The
lone marquee attraction whose bank account is appropriately drained
remains Mike Tyson, at one time the biggest sports draw in the
world.
Tyson
was fond of saying he could sell out Madison Square Garden just
by masturbating — while the sentiment is crass, one wonders
how literally he could’ve tested that notion.
In
the late 1990s Tyson resuscitated a wheezing WWE, which had suffered
greatly from a mass exodus of their top draws to Ted Turner’s
WCW. His lone Wrestlemania appearance introduced previously apathetic
fans to their current roster of talent. Before long, Steve Austin
and the Rock were able to build on the interest he garnered.
Tyson had been the carnival barker, commanding the attention
that the promotion sorely needed.
Open
up the sports pages between 2002 and now and you’d likely
see quotes from a myriad of promoters boasting of a Tyson involvement
in their product. In many cases, this was nothing more than a
smokescreen, with fledging businesses looking to piggyback on
the boxer’s name recognition and stature.
This
was never more apparent than in 2003, when K-1 infamously trumpeted
a Tyson-Bob Sapp (Pictures) showdown. Mike’s mug lorded
over their New Year’s Eve program on a giant video screen,
silently observing as Sapp bludgeoned the hapless Sumo Akebono.
Unfortunately,
the hype had to be beamed from thousands of miles away —
a convicted criminal, Tyson was barred from entering Japan.
His
latest appearance, at a press conference for PRIDE’s “Real
Deal” program, builds on reports that Tyson will box in
10 “exhibition” bouts, with one of those attached to
a PRIDE U.S. event.
“Exhibition”
is a tricky word to define. In some instances, it can mean a
genial sparring match, as when Shaquille O’Neal pawed at
Antonio Tarver in 2004 in comically oversized gloves for charity.
Or it can mean an alteration in the duration of the bout, taking
a 12-round conflict and condensing it into three or four.
Given
Tyson’s questionable cardiovascular conditioning and age,
it seems likely that he would agree to the latter.
Will
people still pay to see Mike Tyson fight? The answer is yes,
though what questions that raises about our culture are still
under investigation. His ’02 bout with Lennox Lewis is pay-per-view’s
greatest success story, netting over $100 million dollars in
revenue.
Perhaps
more tellingly, his penultimate 2004 scrap with Danny Williams
— a fight he lost in four rounds — netted an estimated
230,000 buys, long after Tyson’s decline was apparent to
even the most casual of spectators.
Will
PRIDE’s tactic work? To ponder that requires the belief
that Tyson will ever even appear on one of their telecasts. They
may have negotiated an appearance fee for Tyson, with the only
aim being to garner some press. (Mission accomplished.)
Assuming
he does fight under Queensbury rules on one of their cards, PRIDE
should be wary of marketplace confusion, particularly in the
way word of mouth typically mangles the base intention of the
original message.
An
example: a casual fight fan spots a PRIDE ad with Tyson’s
scowling mug. In his haste, he may miss the disclaimer that Tyson
will be boxing, not fighting MMA. He, in turn, tells a friend,
proffering no elaboration. Pretty soon, a sizeable portion of
your audience is going to expect to see Tyson on the floor, getting
the blood supply cut off from his head. The residual disappointment
might have an adverse effect on PRIDE’s future in the States.
There’s
also the matter of licensing: Tyson’s was revoked in 1997
and has yet to be reinstated by the Nevada Commission. They upheld
that decision in 2002, despite the meeting with Lewis promising
to bring in millions of dollars to the state’s economy.
Due
to the more relaxed standards of an “exhibition” bout,
it may be a matter of procedure to get him sanctioned again.
Then again, maybe not. This is, after all, the man who had Evander
Holyfield’s ear as an appetizer.
But
assuming he does fight on a PRIDE card, and people are cognizant
that it’s a stand-up bout only, what then?
If
Tyson expects to fight up to 10 “exhibitions” entering
his 40s, it seems probable that he’s going to tackle, for
lack of a better term, total palookas: the kind of animate punching
bags that Rocky Balboa routinely socked en route to his date
with Clubber Lang.
This
is not to say that I wouldn’t find such a circus entertaining:
Tank vs. Butterbean in a four-round bout would not be boring.
Nor would Tyson tackling Tank Abbott, both men’s limited
gas tanks salvaged by curtailed rounds. (Abbott has long boasted
of wanting to take on Tyson.) Tyson vs. Bob Sapp (Pictures),
assuming Sapp’s legal melee with K-1 can be resolved, would
probably satiate the most prurient desires of any fight fan,
which usually involve the need to see a large man crashing to
the canvas.
PRIDE
is doing the most logical thing they can to garner entry into
this market, and all told, enlisting this country’s all-time
pay-per-view attraction is hardly bad business. But Tyson’s
name should always carry with it a measured amount of skepticism
— ditto the raving hyperbole of Japanese fight promoters.
In
collusion, that’s a more threatening combination than anything
Tyson ever put together in the ring.
Source: Sherdog
|
Phil
Ensminger, RIP
MMA
fighter Phil Ensminger was found dead in a car in Temecula, California.
He was probably best known for being one of the stars of the
MMA documentary Rites of Passage, in which we travelled to Brazil
to compete in an NHB tournament.
My
thoughts are prayers are with his family and loved ones.
Police
Identify Body Found In Temecula Parking Lot
(CBS) TEMECULA A body found in the parking lot of a Temecula
business was identified Thursday, authorities said.
Philip
Richard Ensminger, 32, was found about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday in
the parking lot in the 27300 block of Jefferson Avenue, according
to Dalyn Backes of the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Office.
The
victim's residence was not available. No cause of death was released
by the coroner's office.
Source: Whaledog
|
Quote
of the Day
"Money
doesn't make you happy.
I nöw have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had
$48 million."
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austrian-born Actor/Bodybuilder/Politician
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Miller
in for 'fight of my life' against Lawler
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
ICON
SPORT: MILLER VS. LAWLER
WHAT: Professional mixed martial arts
When: Saturday, preliminaries start around 7:30 p.m.
Where: Blaisdell Center Arena
Who: Jason Miller vs. Robbie Lawler for Icon Sport middleweight
championship, plus 12 other bouts
Tickets: $35 for upper level seats, $55 for loge seats, $75 for
floor seats, $150 for ringside.
Robbie Lawler and Jason "Mayhem" Miller have already
conquered Hawai'i's best.
Now
its time to see which of them is best.
Lawler
and Miller will meet in a much-anticipated mixed martial arts
bout for the Icon Sport organization's middleweight championship
Saturday at the Blaisdell Arena.
"In
this sport, you have to consider every fight a big one,"
Miller said. "But this is the pinnacle. This is for the
title. This is the biggest fight of my life."
Lawler
said: "Even if this weren't for a championship, it would
be big. It's big because of the match-up."
Lawler
defeated Waipahu's Falaniko Vitale by knockout for the Icon Sport
championship in the 185-pound division in July 2005. He again
beat Vitale by knockout in a rematch in February.
Lawler
broke his hand in the February bout, so Saturday's fight will
be his first since then.
"I've
been back in the gym for a couple months now," Lawler said.
"The hand is fine."
Miller
worked his way up the Icon Sport rankings to earn Saturday's
title shot. He started as an undercard fighter, and eventually
went on to defeat Hawai'i headliners Egan Inoue in 2003, and
Vitale last October.
Saturday's
bout should offer a contrast in styles.
Lawler
is regarded as a stand-up fighter with knockout punching power.
He is 11-3, and eight of his victories have come via knockout.
"I
think I can capitalize on the fact that (Lawler) is not well-rounded,"
Miller said. "He's a banger. What he does, he does very
well, but he's not multi-dimensional."
Miller
is considered a jiu-jitsu expert with a plethora of submission
maneuvers. He is 16-4, and 11 of his wins have come via opponent
submission.
"I
know (Miller) is going to want to take it to the ground,"
Lawler said. "So I just have to make sure I throw my punches
and have my defense ready."
Both
fighters have been preparing for the bout by training with some
of the best-known competitors in the world.
Lawler's
home gym is the Militech Martial Arts school in Iowa. Among the
training partners available there are two Ultimate Fighting Championship
world champions — heavyweight Tim Sylvia and welterweight
Matt Hughes.
"We
don't need to bring anybody in (for special training),"
Lawler said. "We have the best in the world right here.
These guys are helping me get ready for anything."
Miller
is originally from Atlanta, but trains mostly in Honolulu now.
He recently completed training sessions with Dan Henderson, who
normally fights in main events in Japan and is considered one
of the best 185-pound fighters in the world.
"Dan
has boxing skills similar to Robbie," Miller said. "So
I had him take his best shots at me. I'm talking real blows —
not tiddlywinks.
"It
was really big for my confidence to take on a champion like Dan
Henderson and know that I could stand with him."
Miller
is 7-0 in Hawai'i, and his unique style — in and out of
the ring — has made him a crowd favorite at the Blaisdell.
"That's
something that's close to my heart because I remember when everybody
was against me," he said. "I think the people here
appreciate that I don't quit and I fight as hard as I can no
matter who it's against."
SATURDAY'S
BOUTS
185
pounds: Jason Miller vs. Robbie Lawler for Icon Sport championship.
185: Ron Verdadero vs. Nick Ring. 155: Jason Dent vs. Kolo Koka.
135: Ikaika Silva vs. Tyson Nam. 170: Mike Russo vs. Jay Jack.
170: Kimo Woelfel vs. Sydney Silva for state championship. 135:
Paul Gorman vs. Mark Oshiro. 155: Marshall Harvest vs. Makana
Albino. 145: Chico Cantiberas vs. Kevin Delima for state championship.
205: Lowen Cabuag vs. Kenneth Gusman. 170: Keoni Bryant vs. Derek
Stadler. Heavyweight: Shaun Durfee vs. Thomas Ferguson. 145:
Peni Taufa'ao vs. Ricky Wallace.
Reach
Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Source: Honolulu Advertiser
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KICKIN
IT 2006 PART V TENTATIVE FIGHT CARD
WHAT - KICKIN IT 2006 PART V
WHEN - SEP. 16, 2006 / DOORS OPEN AT 7PM
WHERE - WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
MAIN EVENT
CHAVIS VICTORIA K.O.T.G TONY BILIANORA
ANIMAL HOUSE MAUI
CHAD PAVAO 145 JUSTIN WONG
HSD HMC
PAVAO WHO IS PROBABLY THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE BEATEN TYSON NAM
IN A KICKBOXING MATCH WILL FACE ONE OF HMC'S TOP FIGHTERS. PAVAO
WHO HAS AN UNDEFEATED KICKBOXING RECORD WILL TRY AND KEEP THE
L COLUMN BLANK.JUSTIN HAS BEATEN PAVAO ON THE FIRST GOT SKILLS
EVENT BY SUBMISSION. NOW HE WILL TRY AND BEAT PAVAO AT HIS GAME.
NUI WHEELER 140 DEVIN DAMO
TEAM SOLJAH ANIMAL HOUSE
BRYANT ANTONIO 135 DWAYNE HANEY
HSD BULLPEN
BEN SANTIAGO 160 SHAISON LAUPOLA
BANGAHSVILLE TEAM RUTHLESS
RICKY MURILLO 150 PENI
TEAM DEVASTATION EAST SIDAZ
ROYCE 175 KALANI AQUIN
HSD BIG TYME FIGHT
PETERSON ANDY 155 HIAPO KOLO
TEAM RUTHLESS PAPAKOLEA FIGHT CLUB
JULIO MORENO 130 SAM FERRERA
BULLSPEN TEAM RUTHLESS
WILL HAVEN 175 WAYNE PURVEY
BIG TYME FIGHT TEAM ISLAND THUNDER
TODD YOUNG 170 MARK CREDO
VEGAS FIGHT CLUB BULLSPEN
ARNOLD BERDON 125 SAM QUEL
TEAM DEVASTATION TEAM RUTHLESS
EVAN QUIZON 125 BILLY TAKIUCHI
TEAM DEVASTATION BULLSPEN
MANA WOOLSEY 115 PAUL VARQUEZ
HSD ANIMAL HOUSE
RICHARD BERNARD 140 JORDAN FATTORA
HSD ANIMAL HOUSE
AJ BROWN 145 ERIC CHEESE
BIG TYME FIGHT HSD
KIMO KEKAHUNA 200 CLIFF NAMOC
TEAM DEVASTATION ANIMAL HOUSE
SHAWNDELYN 115 T.B.A.
HSD ANIMAL HOUSE
MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
DUE TO AN OVERAGE OF FIGHTERS WE WILL BE HAVING ANOTHER KICKIN
IT EVENT IN OCTOBER.FOR ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS THAT WE COULDN'T
FIT ON THIS CARD.
VENUE TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY.
Source: Event Promoter
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BJJ:
Willcox wins weight and absolute
Carlson
Gracie Team's black belt, the feather weight Gabriel Willcox
was the great name of the International of Master and Senior
of Jiu-Jitsu, BJJ event which was held at Tijuca Tennis Club
last weekend. The athlete got the feather title under Kalil Scudeler
and in the day before he did a great job defeating athletes such
as Jorge Patino Macaco and was crowned as the open class champion.
'I'm very glad, because I am 30 years old and I got the absolute.
My objective now is to get my medal in the World Championship',
said the black belt.
Gurgel
defeated at the abdolute, and wins the weight
The
Alliance leader Fábio Gurgel fought in the senior category,
and in the absolute and was surprised by Paulo Curi, know as
Peposo. In a very tough bout, both fighters were punished by
the referee, who inverted the second punishment in points to
Peposo. Gurgel went back to the weight and got the gold medal
under Aurélio Magno Índio, in the heavy one. In
the blue belt, the big name of the match was Johil Oliveira,
who fought in the category medium senior 1 and got the gold.
MÁSTER
RESULTS:
International
Máster and Sênior 2006
Saturday and Sunday, 26 and 27 of August of 2006
Tijuca Tennis Club, Rio de Janeiro
Pluma:
Omar Salum defeated Joe Souza by 9x0
Pena: Gabriel Willcox defeated Kalil Scudeler by 2x0
Light: Cleber Luciano defeated Huanderson Pavao by 4x2
Medium: Eduardo Baiao defeated Johan Carvalho by 2x0
Half heavy: Jorge 'Macaco' Patino defeated Muzio DeAngelis by
4x1 (advantages)
Heavy: Pedro Duarte defeated Mike Weaver by 5x0
Super heavy: Carlos Henrique defeated Renato Ferro by 2x0
Super super heavyweight: Bruno Ewald submitted Danilo Rodacki
with an armlock
Open class: Gabriel Wilcox defeated Rodrigo Ribeiro by 2x0
Source: Tatame
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FIGHTER
SALARIES FOR UFC FIGHT NIGHT 6
by Ivan Trembow
UFC Fight Night 6 took place last Thursday, August 17th, in Las
Vegas, Nevada and aired nationally on Spike TV. What follows
is a full listing of the fighter salaries for the event, which
the UFC is required by law to submit to the Nevada State Athletic
Commission. Any additional bonuses that the UFC has chosen not
to disclose are not included in the listings below.
Regarding
the "known event revenue" that is listed below the
disclosed fighter payroll, the live gate for this event at the
Fertitta-owned Red Rock Resort was $187,050. The total attendance
was 1,412; with 1,052 tickets sold and 360 free comp tickets.
As
previously disclosed by Neilsen Monitor Plus, the average price
for a 30-second commercial on UFC programming is $3,500, so the
gross advertising revenue is $112,000 per hour. Therefore, the
gross advertising revenue for a UFC broadcast is $224,000 if
it's a two-hour broadcast. The amount of the rights fee that
Spike TV pays Zuffa is not known.
UFC
Fight Night 6
Event
took place on August 17, 2006 and aired on Spike TV
-Diego
Sanchez: $32,000 (defeated Karo Parisyan in main event)
-Joe
Riggs: $24,000 (defeated Jason Von Flue)
-Dean
Lister: $16,000 (defeated Yuki Sasaki)
-Josh
Koscheck: $14,000 (defeated Jonathan Goulet)
-Chris
Leben: $14,000 (defeated Jorge Santiago)
-Karo
Parisyan: $12,000 (lost to Diego Sanchez in main event)
-Anthony
Torres: $10,000 (defeated Pat Healy)
-Martin
Kampmann: $10,000 (defeated Crafton Wallace)
-Jonathan
Goulet: $6,500 (lost to Josh Koscheck)
-Jake
O'Brien: $6,000 (defeated Kristof Midoux)
-Jason
Von Flue: $5,000 (lost to Joe Riggs)
-Yuki
Sasaki: $5,000 (lost to Dean Lister)
-Sam
Morgan: $4,000 (lost to Forrest Petz)
-Jorge
Santiago: $4,000 (lost to Chris Leben)
-Forrest
Petz: $4,000 (defeated Sam Morgan)
-Crafton
Wallace: $3,000 (lost to Martin Kampmann)
-Kristof
Midoux: $2,000 (lost to Jake O'Brien)
-Pat
Healy: $2,000 (lost to Anthony Torres)
Gross
Totals:
Disclosed
Fighter Payroll: $173,500
Known
Event Revenue: $411,050 (live gate of $187,050; TV ad revenue
of $224,000)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC’s
low payroll attracts media focus
By Zach Arnold
Neil Davidson, the main MMA writer for CP (Canadian Press), calls
out UFC today (see below) in a news wire article for the low
pay that undercard fighters in the promotion receive. Davidson’s
article has hard numbers of what each fighter got paid, including
the shocking $21,000 USD amount for Renato Babalu (while Liddell
received $250,000 USD base pay).
Davidson
was the reporter who first broke the story that talks between
UFC & PRIDE fell through on booking the Liddell vs. Silva
fight. He has been a very reliable MMA writer in the mainstream
press.
Ultimate
fighters hit below the belt
UFC fighters are taking a beating while the franchise gets rich
off mixed martial arts pay-per-view events
NEIL DAVIDSON
The
popularity of mixed martial arts fighting is on the rise, as
is the money involved in the sport.
But
in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which dominates the sport
in North America, only the elite fighters appear to reap the
financial rewards.
Just
ask Toronto police officer Rob MacDonald, who was choked unconscious
after two minutes and 26 seconds of the first round Saturday
on the undercard of the UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral fight card.
MacDonald
earned $5,000 (all figures U.S.) and left with $3,500 since —
as a foreigner — he had to pay 30 per cent tax.
Saturday's
card drew 10,419 to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas,
for a paid gate of $3,040,880. The UFC does not divulge pay-per-view
figures (the card cost $39.99 Canadian to watch north of the
border) but MMAWeekly.com, which follows the sport, reported
in July that pay-per-view sales for UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie
generated at least $23.97 million.
That,
coupled with a live gate of $2.9 million that night, made the
May 27 Matt Hughes-Royce Gracie showdown the UFC's biggest haul
with revenue of at least $26.87 million (figures for UFC 61 were
not available when MMAWeekly ran its piece).
Contrast
those big-ticket figures with what the fighters earned Saturday
night.
According
to information provided by the Nevada State Athletic Commission,
the UFC paid the 18 fighters on the card a total of $407,000
— with $250,000 of that going to light-heavyweight champion
Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell for stopping Renato (Babalu) Sobral
in 95 seconds.
Usually
UFC fighters get a fee for fighting and a bonus if they win.
Liddell did not get a win bonus, according to the Athletic Commission
records, but he likely will get a lucrative cut of the pay-per-view.
The UFC declined comment, saying it does not discuss fighter
contracts.
Sobral,
meanwhile, earned a modest $21,000 for his troubles. Had he won,
he would have picked up another $21,000.
In
the co-main event, Forrest Griffin collected $32,000 for his
victory over Stephan Bonnar — $16,000 plus a $16,000 win
bonus. Bonnar left with $16,000.
Toronto-born
middleweight Ivan Salaverry used to fight in the UFC, but now
is signed to the fledgling World Fighting Alliance. While crediting
the UFC for helping build the sport, he wonders about the discrepancies
between UFC purses and revenues.
"Fighters
go in there, beat the heck out of each other, against world-class
athletes and they get a few thousand dollars while the UFC is
making record sales on pay-per-views," said the 35-year-old
Salaverry, now based out of Seattle. Still, the UFC is well aware
of its competitors.
Jeremy
Lappen, chief executive officer of the WFA, was escorted out
of the building at UFC 61: Bitter Rivals, despite having a ticket
given to him by Ken Shamrock, whom he used to manage and who
was fighting.
"I
think they're nervous. They don't want competition," Lappen
said of the UFC.
"They
want to be a monopoly. They operate that way.
"The
funny thing is that competition in the long run would be the
best thing to ever happen to them because it'll grow the sport.
But I don't think they see it that way, and I think they're threatened."
Lappen,
who also once managed Randy Couture, says the WFA's vision calls
for the focus to be on the fighter rather than the organization.
"I
would just bang my head against the wall seeing what the other
promotions were doing.
"They
operate on the philosophy of the brand is what sells, it's not
the fighter. ... They do that because they're afraid the fighters
are going to become too big and too powerful, and they'll have
pay them too much money to keep them."
Salaverry
says fighters definitely feel the might of UFC when it comes
to purses.
"It's
very difficult for guys to negotiate their contracts because
they are the big show," he said. "For the amount of
money that they're (the UFC) making, I think a lot of these fighters
are not getting their due, for sure."
The
WFA gives fighters a better deal, according to Salaverry.
"If
anything I gained a lot of money from the WFA. They negotiated
very fairly with me in comparison for the UFC. I get paid a lot
more from the WFA than I did with the UFC."
The
UFC hypes the six-figure contract it has rewarded winners of
its Ultimate Fighter reality TV show, but the prize is less impressive
taken into account that the deal might cover nine fights over
three years.
Competitors
under contract to the International Fight League, another fledgling
circuit that bills itself as mixed martial arts' first league,
pays its fighters a salary as well as win bonuses.
Former
UFC champion Carlos Newton, who coaches the IFL's Toronto Dragons
team, says his fighters will make at least $60,000 in the IFL
next year (expected to consist of six or seven bouts), even if
they lose.
"That
is far more than what guys are getting for a four-fight deal
in the UFC, walking in for the first time," he said.
UFC
president Dana White was unimpressed by what he saw in the WFA's
debut show, King of the Streets, held July 22 at Inglewood, Calif.
``They
lost tons of money," he said in an interview.
"One
of the big problems is people look (at the UFC) from the outside
and go, `Damn, look how big they are, look how good they're doing.
That looks easy.' And it's anything but easy.
"You
really have to know this business and if you don't know the business,
it takes you a long time to figure it out. And to be honest with
you, we're the only ones that really know this business inside
and out. So is it going to happen? Is someone going to jump in
there and learn it? Yeah, but they're going to have to have some
staying power."
The
UFC has shown it has that under the ownership of the Fertitta
brothers and White's management, paying off its past debts and
widening its reach.
White,
a smart and smooth front man for the UFC, knows his organization
is king of the MMA mountain.
And
he shows it, when asked if he would want a successful fighter
like Salaverry back?
"Well,
if Ivan keeps winning, he will be back in my house," said
White. "That's a given. I don't care what organization pops
up out there, the UFC is the place to fight. So if he keeps winning,
he will end up here."
Salaverry
cautions young fighters to get financial help.
"And
if you don't have an agent, you don't have representation, you're
going to get taken to the cleaners."
Canadian
Press
Source: Fight Opinion
|
HERMES
FRANCA TALKS ABOUT UFC 62 VICTORY
by Mick Hammond
At this past weekend’s UFC 62 resurgent veteran lightweight
fighter Hermes Franca stepped in for an injured Spencer Fisher
against Jamie Varner and got all he could handle, but managed
to get the victory and keep his winning ways going.
Upon
returning home to Florida Franca spoke to MMAWeekly to discuss
the fight and what’s ahead for the man that many consider
to be the comeback fighter of the year in 2006.
MMAWeekly:
First off Hermes, you were a late replacement at UFC 62; do you
think lack of normal preparation time had any effect on you in
the fight against Jamie Varner?
Hermes
Franca: Yeah I just got two weeks [to prepare] and I didn’t
know who I was fighting. I had never seen him fight before. He
was in good shape, he came in strong and fast with good takedowns,
but I focused my heart and in the third round I though, “I
have to finish this fight,” and I finished it.
MMAWeekly:
Would you say that was the toughest challenge you’ve had
in your comeback?
Hermes
Franca: Every fight is tough for me. He just was one more fight.
Of course he came strong, but every fight for me is dangerous,
every fight for me is tough. If you were to ask me if this was
the toughest fight for me in 2006, for sure, he was the top fight.
MMAWeekly:
Speaking of the fight, there was an interesting series of events
in the third round where it looked like you had Varner trouble
after landing some knees off his shoot. He appeared in serious
trouble and even turned his back to you. Are you surprised the
referee didn’t stop it there?
Hermes
Franca: I haven’t seen my fight yet, but my manager told
me he could have stopped the fight when I was chasing Varner.
He [Varner] was running away and Big John [McCarthy] stepped
in and said he was going to take a point away and let it keep
going. Thank God I finished the fight, that’s the most important
thing [laughs].
MMAWeekly:
Let’s talk about that finish. That was a very impressive
submission, was that something you’ve trained on in the
gym or was it improvised?
Hermes
Franca: No, that’s what I do every day. I’ve been training
Jiu-Jitsu with a Gi three times a week. If you see in the fight
I went to the uma plata and I squeezed my legs, so I turned his
arm to the side for an arm bar and gave me good position to go
an arm lock and I finished the fight. You can see step-by-step
I went to the uma plata, squeeze my legs, turned his arm and
finished it with the arm lock.
MMAWeekly:
The UFC is reinstating the 155lb title with a match in a couple
months between Kenny Florian and Sean Sherk. Many people feel
you’re a top contender for that title, so do you wait for
a title shot or do you keep fighting until then?
Hermes
Franca: Of course I want to fight for the title, but I want to
keep fighting, fighting is my job. I want to get fights, get
students for my academy, that’s so important, keep fighting
and keep winning. It doesn’t matter if it is the UFC, WEC,
or AFC, because in the WEC and AFC I have the belts. Of course
I want to fight for the title in the UFC, but what I want to
do for 2006 is keep fighting and make my money, that’s most
important.
MMAWeekly:
For more hair dye right?
Hermes
Franca: Right [laughs], go to the salon and put colors in my
hair.
MMAWeekly:
Tell us how that came about.
Hermes
Franca: In 2006 I started to paint my hair, red, yellow, green
and at the Mandalay Bay people were asking, “Hermes you’re
not going to do your hair?” So I go to the spa and asked
them to put some colors in my hair. I said, “Let’s
do some green with some stripes,” so we did it [laughs].
MMAWeekly:
The green to match your NoGi shorts, you hit up Chris Brennan
[NoGi Owner] for some extra money for that?
Hermes
Franca: [Laughs] No, not yet.
MMAWeekly:
Before we go I know how big of an impact you joining The Armory
[www.amma.tv] has had on your life, would you like to say something
about the gym for our readers?
Hermes
Franca: About my academy, I have the best academy in Jupiter,
Florida, my little planet, it’s amazing. It’s a beautiful
city, I’m so proud to live here. When I say the best I mean
the quality. We have Wald Bloise the Muay Thai guy…Rafael
Diaz, a Hermes Franca Black Belt…Kurt Pellegrino who did
a great job at UFC 61 and won this weekend at AFC in 1:30, Matt
Wiman whose been doing a great job these past few months. So
I have a great gym, great students, and day by day my academy
is growing fast.
MMAWeekly:
Thanks for your time as always Hermes. Is there anything you’d
like to say as we close out this interview out?
Hermes
Franca: I want to say thanks to NoGi and Premier, thank you for
the support. I love my fans, I’m so happy, day by day I
have my fans and my fans make me strong. I’m still fighting
because my fans asked me to fight, so I’m still fighting.
Source: MMA Weekly
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