Upcoming
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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)
3/24/07
Garden Island Cage Match
5
(MMA)
(Kauai)
2/9/07
Punishment In Paradise
15
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
1/14/07
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Location: TBD)
2006
12/31/06
Pride FC Shockwave
(PPV)
IFL 2hr Championship Show
(Fox Sports TV)
12/30/06
UFC 66
(PPV)
12/9/06
Grapplers Quest West X
(All Sport Arena, Las Vegas, NV)
12/2/06
Aloha State Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
12/1/06
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
11/25/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
11/24/06
Punishment In Paradise 14
(MMA &
Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
11/19/06
The Quest for Champions
(Sport Jujitsu, Submission Grappling)
(St. Louis High School Gym)
IFL (11/4 event)
(Fox Sports TV)
11/18/06
UFC
65
(PPV)
11/11/06
The Ultimate Fighter 4: Finals
(Spike TV)
11/5/06
Pride Bushido 13
(PPV)
11/4/06
Stand
Up Martial Arts (SUMA)
(Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
November TBA
RWE
Qualfiers
(MMA)
(Maui)
10/28/06
Palolo Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
10/21/06
Pride Fighting Championships:
The Real Deal
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
RWE Qualfiers
(MMA)
(Hilo)
10/14/06
Kickin It
2-4PM
(Kickboxing)
&
Got Skills 5
7-10PM
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Wrestling/Sub Grappling)
(Ilima Intermediate, Ewa Beach)
UFC 64
(PPV)
Pacific
Island Showdown
International Invitational Ultimate Full-Contact Stickfighting
Championship
(Stickfighting)
(Filipino Community Center Ballroom, Waipahu)
HLTC Olympic
Sport Taekwondo Seminar
(Taekwondo)
(Kihei Public Charter School Auditorium – 300 Ohukai Road
#209- Kihei, Maui)
10/13/06
RWE Qualfiers
(MMA)
(Katchafire Concert,
Guam)
10/10/06
Ultimate Fight Night
(Spike TV)
10/8/06
IFL (9/23
event)
(Fox Sports TV)
10/7/06
Hawaii Fighting Championships: “Stand Your Ground I”
(Kickboxing/Jiu Jitsu/MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
10/6/06
X-1 Battlegrounds
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
10/2/06
IFL 2 hr
Special
(Fox Sports TV)
9/30/06
Jason "Mayhem" Miller Seminar
(HMC)
9/24/06
IFL (9/9 event)
(Fox Sports TV)
9/23/06
UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn 2
Arrowhead Pond,
Anaheim, California
9/16/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
9/9/06
Punishment In Paradise 13
Unfinished Business
(Kickboxing, MMA)
(Dole Cannery Square Ballroom)
9/2/06
Icon Sport 47
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
8/26-27/06
International
Masters & Seniors Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
8/26/06
Got Skills 3
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Takedowns/Submission Grappling)
(Ilima Intermediate, Ewa Beach)
Palolo Gym Smoker
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
UFC 62
(MMA)
(PPV)
8/21/06
UFC 62 Countdown: Liddell vs. Sobral
(Spike)
UFC: All Access Renato "Babalu" Sobral
(Spike)
8/18/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
8/17/06
Ultimate
Fight Night 4
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
The Ultimate Fighter 4:
The Comeback Premiers
(Spike)
8/12/06
Hawaiian Open of
BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
8/5/06
Rumble On The Rock
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Garden Island Cage Match 4
(MMA)
(Kauai)
Island
Warriors Fighting Championship
(MMA)
(War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/28/06
RWE & PXC
(MMA)
(University of Guam Fieldhouse, Mangilao, Guam)
7/22/06
RWE Qualifiers
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
7/22-30/06
CBJF World
Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/21/06
Punishment In Paradise 12
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
7/20-24/06
CBJJO World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/?/06
RAZE MMA Fight Night 2
(MMA)
(San Diego, CA)
7/8/06
Ring of Honor
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Waianae H.S. Gym)
7/7/06
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
UFC 61
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
7/3/06
Got Skills 2
(Kickboxing/Boxing & Wrestling/Sub Grappling)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom)
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 3
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 7:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
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
"I
think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud
of that."
Lauren Bacall, American Film and Stage Actress
|
Heeee's
Baaackk!
Jason "Mayhem" Miller Seminar at HMC Today!
Another
bargin seminar from one of the baddest men on the planet. Where
else are you going to be able to learn killer technique in a
seminar for only $40?
Call HMC to arrange for payment to reserve your spot or email
info@razegear.com for more info!
|
The
Big Man Returns to Hawaii!
"Big" Eric Pele
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
FCF: Let's start off with your background.
EP: I started fighting around 2000. I started with Jiu-Jitsu,
Boxing and then started doing MMA. But before that I had experience
in high school wrestling and a little in junior college, but
that is about it. When I first started, I trained with John Lewis
and I pretty much stayed with him for my brief career. It was
John Lewis or Marc Laimon who I trained with or who cornered
me. Currently I am freelancing it. I am going Xyience [training
center]. I am going to Marc Laimon's and John Lewis' J-Sect [academy]
and getting more information that is out there. I think it is
just a better way for me to do it right now. This way I can stay
out of all the politics.
FCF:
You are scheduled to fight at X-1, here in Hawaii. This is actually
your second fight in Hawaii. Tell us about your first fight,
which happened to be your debut.
EP: Yeah, my first fight in Hawaii was actually my very first
fight. It was great to fight in Hawaii. Oh my God, I can't wait
to get on the plane and get back to Hawaii to fight there again.
The first time it was in the RINGS tournament B [block]. I fought
Cabbage first and won by arm bar and then I fought Roger Neff
to a decision. That was fun. I always wanted to come back. I
talked to the Hawaii promoters, but could never hook that up.
JD [Penn] was one of my first instructors and taught me so much
jiu-jitsu. He is the one that, after everyone blew me off, was
the one that showed me the fundamentals. We couldn't get anything
going because I wasn't sure what was going on in my life at the
time. Anyways, the Blaisdell was where it all started for me.
It has been a while since coming back. I got all my Uso's over
there you know? [laughs] There is a bunch of people that I haven't
seen in a while.
FCF:
After that tournament, you went on to fight in KOTC and fought
some notable opponents, being very active from 2000-2002. After
a loss to Dan Bobbish, you took some time off, what happened?
EP: To be honest, I was really depressed. I came in there and
pretty much gave him that fight. I am not taking anything away
from Dan. At that time, he was on his game and I came in half
assed. That is the first time that I weighed 380lbs. I normally
fight at 320-330lbs and for some reason, I don't want to mentioned
any names, but some people talked me into the fight. I took it
and I paid the price for it. After that fight, I was really depressed
because not only did I gain all this weight, but I missed the
next opportunity. Dan went off to fight in Pride and I felt that
it should have been me. That is the way it goes, Dan was ready
and I came in half-assed. The reason why I started slowing down
was I was really making some good money. The company was making
money and I didn't have confidence in myself so I was just picking
fights here and there. Then I finally was making enough for my
training and stuff, but it is tough to change diapers when you
are trying to train, you know? I always wanted to get back to
fighting, but just never got to it. That is pretty much what
happened there.
FCF:
You came back from possibly the lowest point in your fighting
career to winning the KOTC title, how did that feel?
EP: That was fun. Dan [Christison] was a replacement. I can't
remember who was my original opponent…fighting a tall fighter
was weird, but it was great. Like I said I was still trying to
keep my weight down and it worked out, in front of my home town
and all. I felt great. It was fun.
FCF:
After that fight, you fought Travis Fulton and then rematched
Bobby Hoffman, what was the reason for this break?
EP: With the show Inked and all that, I was really making a lot
of money, you know what I mean? Fighting just kind of fell on
the back burner and I started getting the itch to fight. Things
were going really good, but I still got the itch to fight. [laughs]
Of course, I wanted Bobby bad. He beat me the first time and
I thought that it [the fight] should have gone to overtime, but
he was in his home town and they gave him the nod and I just
thought that was an unjust fight.
FCF:
Talking about the shop. I was surprised to see you on the Inked
television program.
EP: I am not shooting with them anymore. I have my own shop,
basically I am doing my own thing right now, a possible show
for myself. We did some filming. I just had to punch out with
those guys. You know when money and all that shit comes along,
people change. The thing about me is that I have so much loyalty.
And people jack me around…it is just my fault that I put
myself out there. I fell so much into it that I had to get my
own thing going. I convinced myself to take this fight and that
is the direction that I am going. I like being in the direction
of my own life.
FCF:
Now that you have gotten your personal life in order and that
itch to fight, and I guess it doesn't hurt to fight in Hawaii
again huh?
EP: Aw, man! When they said Hawaii, I was like, hell yeah! It
doesn't take much to get me to come to Hawaii. It is the closest
thing to Samoa, you know? [laughs] I haven't made it there yet,
but anytime I can get to Hawaii. I am there. The guys that hired
me and wanted me to fight, I appreciate their offer. They have
been nothing but cordial, awesome and so professional and I hope
that I can build a relationship with these guys and come back.
That is like my home away from home. I used to hang out with
the old school guys out there. Back in '88, I came to Hawaii
for the whole summer and I used to stay in Laie. I worked at
Cilly's, an old school club in Waikiki. That was great. That
was my first time being in Hawaii and there was a lot of love.
There were some good times. I didn't want to leave, but I had
to, but it was great.
FCF:
Cilly's really is old school. [Note: Cilly's was the most popular
club in Honolulu in the mid to late 80's, but has since closed
down in the early 90's.]
EP: That was the shit back then. I'm from California and over
there, at that time, all the Tongans and all the Samoans beefed
all the time. But in Hawaii, we were working with a bunch of
Tongans, a bunch of Fijians. All I ever experienced was the way
the Polynesians treated each other on the mainland. But when
I was there, Man, there was so much love. When I first started,
I was like, "damn, there are some Tongan guys here."
But the guy that I was working with told me, it is not like that
over here. I don't know how it is now, but back then it was cool.
He said over here, we don't trip like that. And I was like, "right
on." That was one of the best times of my life was that
summer. It only took me two weeks to learn the lingo. You know,
talking to the girls…[laughs]
FCF:
Your opponent has changed to Vince Lucero?
EP: Myles [Tynanes, Eric Pele's originally scheduled opponent]
got hurt, so they threw out Vince. I don't give a fuck who they
give me, as long as it is not a local boy. I rather not fight
a local boy. I would rather be on the other side of that coin.
I don't know much about Vince. I know that he has twenty something
fights, but it doesn't matter, I have been training hard and
dropping a lot of weight. I got up to 447lbs, that was my highest.
So now I am down to 315lbs. I feel great, my body feels great.
Of course I hurt from training, but my body feels great, cardio-wise
because I am not carrying that much weight. I don't want to lose
too much weight before the fight, but I want to get down to 310
or so.
FCF:
Isn't that your lightest fight weight?
EP: Yeah, that is. My very first fight was 340lbs. When I fought
Sean Alvarez, I think I was about 322lbs and now I am 315lbs.
You know how it is, you are from Hawaii. There is a lot of big
islanders down there. We love to eat! [laughs] When I was 447lbs,
I was like, "fuck that!" I am going to do something
about that, so I did. Now my cholesterol and blood pressure are
great. We got to take care of ourselves, especially being islanders.
We are strong warriors, but we have the number one obesity rate
out of all the ethnic groups. We just have to take care of ourselves.
FCF:
Not looking past this fight, but what are your plans after this
fight? Is this marking your return to the ring regularly?
EP: Yeah, yeah. I have done some good stuff with my money and
when I left, my intent was to come back because I wanted to see
what my potential is. I feel good right now and I have some stuff
put away so I can just work on the weekends. My main goal is
to see if I can make…the talk is that the next Ultimate
Fighter show is going to be heavyweight again and see if I can
get a spot on there and see where I stand. And then go from there,
but that is a long time from now. I may end up fighting a couple
of times and then say "aw, fuck it." [laughs] That
is pretty much my long term plans. I don't know, if I have a
great relationship with these guys [X-1's promoters], then maybe
I will just stay with them. I would love to fight regularly in
Hawaii.
FCF:
Any words to the people of Hawaii?
EP: I am coming back! You guys won't be disappointed. I'll be
in good shape and I am going to bring it. My old teammate, Mayhem,
hopefully is out there somewhere. [laughs] It's been a long time,
but I'm coming back. So everybody that is out there, come out
and have a drink.
|
Sakuraba
released from hospital, will not fight at Hero's 10/9
Kazushi Sakuraba left the hospital today after being rushed to
the hospital yesterday when he collapsed during training. His
fight against Yoshihiro Akiyama in the Hero's Light Heavyweight
semifinals has been called off.
Sakuraba
underwent medical examinations and is reportedly suffering from
"vertebrobasilar insufficiency", a poor circulation
of blood from his neck to his brain. Doctors said that he should
be able recover with a full month of rest.
During
today's press conference, Sakuraba apologized for having to withdraw
from the fight but hopes to return for Hero's New Year's Eve
event.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Filho
to dedicate title to Nogueira
'I'll destroy Misaki'
Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira's defeat on Pride OW GP was not
taken well by Paulo Filho. The BTT black-belt said in a interview
that if he wins the Bushido GP title he will dedicate it to Minotauro.
The statement was given after the confirmation of his fight against
Kazuo Misaki, on November 5th, for a spot in the finals.
"I
want to prove that BTT is the strongest team in the world. Minotauro
lost recently and I want to avenge that defeat. Misaki is extremely
dangerous. He's maybe the toughest Japanese fighter I've ever
faced. I'm sure he'll bring to the fight the same energy he displayed
against Dan Henderson. But, as Mike Tyson used to do, I'll destroy
him," said Paulo.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
PRIDE’s
triangulation
By Zach Arnold
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a definitive article about what
I thought PRIDE’s attempted business plan would be in regards
to Las Vegas and China. You can read that article below. Read
it first, as it lays the ground work for what was reported in
Daily Sports on Thursday.
The
newspaper reports that PRIDE will have Mike Tyson fight in a
boxing match on the Chinese gambling island of Macau on 12/31,
with the match airing live in the arena at Saitama Super Arena.
The newspaper reports that the Tyson appearing in Macau is being
backed by casino money. Everything that was predicted in the
original article I wrote two weeks ago is what PRIDE is now officially
attempting to do.
PRIDE’s
latest idea for UFC
PRIDE’s big picture
By Zach Arnold
Note:
As stated after PRIDE’s 9/10 Saitama event, the promotion
will run their New Year’s Eve show at Saitama Super Arena.
The idea with Mike Tyson is to have him fight in another country.
That country is now thought to be Macau.
For
those who have followed PRIDE’s m.o. on a business level,
you know that they have been trying to accomplish two things
for the last two years:
Start
running shows in America
Start running shows in China
With the promotion losing their Fuji TV deal in June, you can
add this third goal:
Get
a Japanese TV deal
How is PRIDE attempting to reach their goals in the near future?
Before
I break down what their business game plan looks like, let’s
take a look at some challenges they face in reaching their goals.
Running
in America
With
an office that consists of maybe three or four employees, they
do not maintain much man power. It is virtually impossible for
them to run a show on their own without man power on the ground
and heavy money backing them. Furthermore, they have to find
a place that can attract a heavy Japanese population and can
draw a fair amount of fans for a debut show.
Running
in China
PRIDE
has been trying to strike a deal to run shows in mainland China
for a while, with no success. They aren’t the only promotion
trying to do this. K-1 has been trying to get in markets such
as Shanghai and they, too, have failed. The key is the Chinese
Government and the regulations imposed regarding what can or
cannot be run for events. Second, the majority of mainland Chinese
citizens simply do not know what MMA is. They know martial arts
like Sanda, but the concept of MMA is very foreign to them.
Additionally,
it’s difficult for the Japanese (especially fight companies)
to try to run in mainland China because of their backgrounds.
Getting
back on Japanese TV
There
are heavy challenges for PRIDE in getting back on Japanese TV.
Outside of Hidehiko Yoshida, they do not have a strong Japanese
ace that can draw ratings. Takanori Gomi isn’t going to
pull in ratings (despite being a very good fighter with a marketable
personality). K-1 just signed Ken Kaneko, a celebrity who worked
PRIDE’s 2005 New Year’s Eve show and drew the highest
quarter-hour rating. This under-the-radar signing was a kick
to the pants by Tanigawa to PRIDE, as not having Kaneko for New
Year’s Eve as a “hook” for PRIDE makes it a little
bit tougher to get back on TV.
The
major issue facing PRIDE getting back on TV is not necessarily
their ability to draw a good rating on New Year’s Eve. The
major issue is what will the promotion be able to use as a “hook”
to attract fans and get the attention of Japanese television
executives.
With
these challenges laid out on paper, let’s take a look at
what PRIDE’s plans tentatively look like to try to come
up with a solution or two.
Align
with Ed Fishman. As we’ve cited before, Fishman made his
name in the casino world (through gambling technology & security)
in Las Vegas. He was the guy who created comps. for slot players.
He’s also into poker and television (as he was/is a good
friend of Dick Clark).
From Fishman’s perspective, aligning with PRIDE is an easy
sell. He would love to bring in Japanese high-rollers to gamble
their money away, and one way to attract those kinds of fans
would be to do Japanese-themed slot machines (such as PRIDE-themed
machines). A deal with PRIDE also allows him to take a product
in an industry that is seen as a hot commodity right now by cable
executives (MMA) and suddenly try to get back into the TV industry
again.
From
PRIDE’s perspective, they see Fishman as the guy who can
bankroll their Las Vegas shows. They see him as the guy who can
help prop them up as they try desparately to expand their brand
name in the United States. It’s a race against time. Furthermore,
PRIDE clearly has been watching what UFC has been doing business-wise.
They see that Dana White and UFC is backed by casino money from
the Fertitta brothers. Gambling money has always been a common
staple between the world of Las Vegas and the world of the Japanese
(both clean and unclean), specifically with pachinko/pachi-slot
machines and parlors. Gambling money is one concept that the
Japanese do understand that translates into any foreign culture.
Use
Fishman’s influence and connections in Las Vegas to expand
into China. The Chinese-owned island of Macau has been a heavy
target of investment by the Las Vegas casino players, who have
continued to pour money into various projects to make Macau the
Asian version of LV. While PRIDE cannot run in mainland China,
the next best thing is to run in a Chinese-owned area (such as
Macau or Hong Kong). Because of the Las Vegas connection, Macau
suddenly becomes their first Chinese destination. If PRIDE can
run in Macau, they can spin it back home to the Japanese that
they are running in China (without running in mainland China).
Align with Mike Tyson (or mainly, his name value). As reported
on this site in the past, there has been heavy discussion that
PRIDE looks at Tyson’s name value as something that can
get them back on Japanese television. Tyson’s name value
in South Africa, Russia, Japan, and in countries outside of America
remains strong. More importantly, it remains strong in the Japanese
media, which gladly pushes any story involving his name as a
top headline. With Tyson not being able to go to Japan due to
his felony rapsheet, PRIDE has to figure out where they can best
make use of his name value. While Tyson is attracting spectators
at the Aladdin in Las Vegas to watch him essentially shadow box
and spar, Tyson’s name value isn’t maximized in America.
One country that Tyson does have good name value in still is
China. Tyson remains a curiousity because of his affinity for
Mao Zedung.
Add two-and-two together and you get the picture. In their best-case
scenario, PRIDE would love to have Mike Tyson fight on New Year’s
Eve in Macau. He would attract the attention of the Chinese while
being backed by the gambling money and connections from Las Vegas.
As Burning Spirit notes in comments from Sakakibara, PRIDE would
love to see Mike Tyson fight on New Year’s Eve (with the
match being aired in Japan live in the arena) in Macau at the
8,000-seat Macau Dome.
If
PRIDE can execute all of these steps up above, their hope is
to use the power of Mike Tyson’s name value and Ed Fishman’s
money to try to impress upon television executives in Japan to
get back on TV. Will TV-Asahi or Nippon TV decide to take the
chance and put PRIDE back on Japanese TV for New Year’s
Eve, even if it’s a one-show special? The risk/reward ratio
has to be weighed by those executives relatively soon.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
From
the event's promoter:
INTERNATIONAL
FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL) ADDS DANIEL GRACIE-ALLAN GOES AND MARK KERR-
MIKE WHITEHEAD SUPERFIGHTS TO WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS
IN NOVEMBER
Legendary Matchups will round out semifinals at site to be announced
shortly
NEW
YORK, September 26, 2006-- The International Fight League (IFL)
today announced the addition of two Superfights for the November
World Team Championship semifinals. The matchups will have Daniel
Gracie facing Allan Goes in one fight and Mark Kerr taking on
Mike Whitehead in the other. Those two fights will follow the
team semifinal matchups, featuring Bas Rutten's Anacondas vs.
Matt Lindland's Wolfpack in one matchup, and Pat Miletich's Silverbacks
vs. Carlos Newton's Dragons in the other.
The
location, date and time of the IFL World Team Championship semifinal
will be announced shortly.
"We
are very pleased to be able to pair these MMA veterans as a highlight
to what will be a very special semifinal evening," IFL Co-founder
and Commissioner Kurt Otto said. "These four great athletes
represent many of the disciplines that make up mixed martial
arts, and seeing them together on the same card will be a treat
for all in attendance."
Kerr
is an MMA legend who will be making his first appearance in the
ring since 2004. The former NCAA wrestling champion and NCAA
All-American (at Syracuse University) and UFC and PRIDE heavyweight
champion has been training recently with Rutten in Los Angeles
as part of his comeback. His opponent, MMA veteran Whitehead,
was also a three time all-America wrestler at North Idaho Junior
College, Southern Oregon University, and the University of Missouri
has posted an 8-1 record in his last nine MMA bouts. Brazilians
Gracie and Goes have both made successful IFL debuts on the team
level, with Gracie defeating Wes Sims in an IFL Superfight in
June and Goes defeating Devin Cole in September as part of the
Tiger Sharks.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
PERATA’S
BILL TO REFORM STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION SIGNED
(SACRAMENTO) - Senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland)
yesterday announced that the governor has signed SB 247, which
reforms the state agency that governs boxing and mixed martial
arts contests. The bill calls for a new State Athletic Commission
(SAC) to be established on January 1, 2007. The newly created
SAC expands the medical testing of athletes for licensure and
competition, and makes other administrative changes to improve
the commission’s efficiency and fiscal stability.
“The
State Athletic Commission was plagued by serious administrative
problems which got in the way of getting its job done,”
Perata said. “This bill gives the commission tools it needs,
a clear guidance in law, and greater accountability, so it can
get back to work protecting these athletes and promoting the
continued growth of the sport.”
The
bill is sponsored by the Center for Public Interest Law and supported
by promoters, venues, and competitors in both boxing and mixed
martial arts, including Sugar Ray Leonard, who came to the state
capitol to personally testify on the importance of regulations
through the state athletic commission.
The
State Athletic Commission was terminated on June 30, 2006, following
a 2004 legislative review, which found improper accounting, outdated
technology and other deficiencies.
The
commission was created in 1924 through an initiative to protect
boxers’ health and reduce injuries.
Source: California Chronicle
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
sense of danger is never, perhaps, so fully apprehended as when
the danger has been overcome."
Arthur Helps, 1813-1875, English Writer and Historian
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 4 DVD Will Be Out Soon!
(Sorry, this is actually GICM 3's poster)
Hi All,
Thank you all for your calls, the DVD should be done in 2 weeks.
If any of you are interested in pre-ordering let me know so I
can put some on the side before I go to borders.
The DVD is $20, not sure how much borders will sell it for?
Send me an
email and how much you want and I
can reserve it and contact you once its in.
Please forward
email to those interested.
Thanks for
your patience!
Aloha,
Vance
|
TUF4,
Episode 7: The Final Two Welterweights Clash
By Sean McClure
Firstly, a HUGE apology to those who read this column regularly.
My cable service went out for the first 15-20 minutes of the
show and I didn't get to see what happened. I haven't had too
much trouble with the company, but for some reason it felt the
need to abandon me in my time of need.
I
picked up where Matt was discussing his displeasure with his
advice from Rich on what to do in the fight. Rich Franklin is
a complete fighter that is for certain, but that doesn't mean
he is always going to be right in his advice. Serra definitely
makes it clear that he does not think the advice from Rich is
valid and later on speaks with Randy Couture about it. Randy
doesn't think it is a good move either and they have a small
laugh about it.
One thing I can say about Matt is that he speaks his mind freely.
Charles
McCarthy is now the sole source of entertainment in the house
for the other fighters. His moniker of Captain Miserable is stuck
to him permanently and there is nothing he can do about it. I
will say that I agree that he always looks unhappy despite his
objections to the contrary. They draw a cartoon rendition of
him and position it so he will see it on the refrigerator and
when he finally sees it, he is visibly annoyed, which is the
desired result I think. Charles doesn't do much to defend himself
so it is no surprise that they continue. Patrick Cote provides
a little humor this week with a pretty funny impression of Charles
walking with around his head down and eventually falling to the
ground before finally dying. Funny stuff.
This
week's fight was Pete Spratt vs. Matt Serra. I felt that this
might have the potential to be the best fight of the show if
Spratt was able to defend Matt's takedowns. Mikey Burnett and
Pete really work hard in their training sessions practicing this
and that made me believe that he might do well against the talented
jiu jitsu black belt.
The
fight started and it was fast and furious from the get go. Matt
throws a high kick that he would later have a good laugh about
and Pete is surprised by it, but catches it as it's on the way
down. Matt wriggles his leg free from Pete's grip, but not before
he eats some punches. Serra attempts several takedowns and really
presses the pace very aggressively. Spratt lands some good right
hands and a high kick of his own, but Matt takes him down and
I knew it was only a matter of time until this was over. Serra
ate a good knee on the way to that takedown and a small cut was
opened underneath his eye, but it was nothing major.
Serra
works from position to position and Pete has some decent defense,
but is no way close to standing back up. I was sure he was just
going to try and survive to the second round because that was
the only way he had a chance to get back on his feet. Matt got
in to side control and tried for the mount several times before
finally getting it. Spratt tried to buck and roll, sweep, and
I think I saw him saying a silent prayer to get out of the bad
situation. He finally gives Matt his back and it is over. Matt
rains down bombs just like Hughes did to Gracie and Big John
has to step in when Pete taps out due to strikes.
Winner:
Matt Serra by submission due to strikes
It
was an okay episode from what I saw, but the fight once again
lacked any real charisma. It was a bad matchup for Pete and he
was bitten by the jiu jitsu bug before being pounded on until
he was forced to tap. Next week we do have a bright spot to look
forward to, thankfully. Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera will step
in to the Octagon and you know the leather is going to fly hard,
fast, and often. This coming week may be the week that raises
the ratings back where they need to be and may breathe a little
more life in to the show.
Source: Maxfighting
|
UFC
Octagon Girl Search October 2nd 10pm
Come on, do we really need a reason to post this picture?...
Ten finalists will compete to become the next UFC octagon girl
in a Spike TV special on Monday, October 2nd at 10pm. In June,
an online poll was set up on the Maxim magazine website for fans
to narrow down forty potential octagon girls to ten finalists.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
RENZO
GRACIE BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN
by Mick Hammond
It’s no secret that heading into this past weekend’s
IFL event in Moline, Iowa that Renzo Gracie was a heavy underdog
to returning fellow MMA legend Pat Miletich in their superfight.
Even
though Gracie had remained more active over the past couple years
inside the ring than Miletich, most reports out of Pat’s
camp had him in the best shape he’d been in, in years and
extremely focused on the fight.
Couple
this with the fact that Renzo had lost six of his last seven
bouts and had looked decidedly sluggish in his most recent bout
against BJ Penn in July of ’05, and many felt it was to
be Miletich’s night this past Saturday.
And
while Pat was ready and fought hard, it was Renzo’s calm
and cool demeanor, a staple of the Gracie family fighters, which
helped him secure a guillotine choke 3:37 into Round 1.
Gracie’s
success is of course by no means unprecedented. From 1992-2000
Renzo was a force to be reckoned with going undefeated in his
first 11 bouts, winning nine with one no contest and one draw.
During
that stretch Gracie had defeated some of the best fighters ever
in the sport, including UFC Tournament Champion Oleg Taktarov,
former King of Pancrase Sanae Kikuta, and the former UFC Heavyweight
Champion Maurice Smith.
So
when Renzo signed on as one of the original four coaches of the
IFL it appeared that he had perhaps come to terms with his success
and recent disappointments as a fighter and embraced the role
of full-time coach.
But
as has been the case recently with legends such as Bas Rutten,
the fire in the heart of a fighter is never truly extinguished…thus
Gracie stepped back into the ring this weekend and showed there’s
still a lot of fight left in the head Pitbull.
From
here who knows where Renzo will go. With the Pitbulls eliminated
from the team tournament we may see Gracie once again step into
the ring with one of the other legendary coaches where potential
abounds.
Opponents
such as Matt Lindland, Frank Shamrock, and Jeremy Horn could
present new and exciting challenges for Renzo. Who wouldn’t
want to see if Gracie could handle the wrestling skills of Lindland,
the jiu-jitsu of Horn or perhaps avenge his cousin Cesar’s
loss to Shamrock?
Perhaps
more interestingly could be rematches with Maurice Smith and
Carlos Newton. While heavier, Smith assuredly would want to avenge
his earlier loss to Gracie and with Newton we could see a replay
of their bout at the first ever PRIDE Bushido event, which to
date is still one of the best in that format’s young history.
What’s
next for Renzo Gracie is anyone’s guess at this time but
one thing is for sure, he can still get up into the ring, perform
and entertain as he always has. And when that’s the case
every one wins, the IFL, the fans and if he has any say in it,
Gracie as well.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Blackout
Media Corp. Announces Loretta Hunt Joins The Fight Network News
Team
TORONTO -- (MARKET WIRE) -- September 27, 2006 -- Blackout Media
Corp.'s (PINKSHEETS: BKMP) The Fight Network North America's
first and only twenty-four (24) hour combatant sports and entertainment
channel announced today that Loretta Hunt, a pioneer in mixed
martial arts journalism, has joined The Fight Network to oversee
its growing commitment to news coverage for the sport of mixed
martial arts ("MMA").
Hunt
will serve that as the network's Managing Editor of News content
for MMA coverage across all company distribution platforms of
television, radio, mobile and web under The Fight Network brand.
"Loretta
is a wonderful addition to our team," said Mike Garrow,
president of The Fight Network. "Her strong journalistic
sense coupled with the trust factor she has earned over the past
number of years covering the evolution of the sport with all
fighters, promoters, officials and commissions, makes Loretta
a very competent person to oversee this department in our eyes,"
he added.
Hunt
has been covering the sport of mixed martial arts for the past
six years, her most recent post had been with the newspaper and
Web site Full Contact Fighter, where she served as the Assistant
Editor and Lead Writer for five years. Hunt's other writings
have been seen in such print publications as GONG Kakutougi in
Japan and she has been a regular contributor to the Santa Clarita
Signal newspaper for MMA coverage as well. Hunt has also been
interviewed by several of the top newspapers and other media
outlets in the United States around the sport of mixed martial
arts such as TIME magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the Miami
Herald and ESPN.
Hunt has appeared on numerous television and radio shows such
as FOX's The Pulse, 20th Century Sports presents UFC, Spike TV
for the UFC (Liddell vs. Horn), WFA countdown show on Showtime,
MMA Weekly radio (web), Sherdog radio (web), and Full Contact
Fighter radio (web). Hunt is a graduate of New York University's
TISCH School of the Arts.
Hunt
is also currently working as the co-writer/collaborator for the
upcoming autobiography on mixed martial arts legend Randy "The
Natural" Couture with the working title "Becoming the
Natural: My Blow-By-Blow Journey as Life's Ultimate Fighter."
"This
is an amazing opportunity that I have been presented with,"
said Hunt. "When I look back on how the sport of mixed martial
arts has grown so much in the last few years, where we now have
a service like The Fight Network, that can not only showcase
MMA events on a 24-hour basis but will cover it from a news standpoint
like no other mainstream media outlet has done before -- let's
just say this is very exciting and I look forward to the role
ahead."
About
The Fight Network:
The
Fight Network is a cross-platform media company with brand interest
in television, pay-per-view radio, mobile and web. All five of
these media offerings are seamlessly integrated to offer fans
of combatant sports and related entertainment a true convergence
experience. The Fight Network Inc. corporate headquarters is
located in Toronto, Canada. Additional information on the company
can be found at www.thefightnetwork.com.
About
Blackout Media Corp.:
Blackout
Media Corp. is a holding company with an interest in Blackout
Communications who is a diversified media and entertainment company
conducting operations in digital television, VOD, PPV, radio,
the Internet and print under the brand name "The Fight Network."
The activities of Blackout Media Corp. are conducted principally
in Canada and the United States.
Safe
Harbor
Certain
statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information
within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933
and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and
are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements,
other than statements of fact, included in this release, including,
without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans
and objectives of the company, are forward-looking statements
that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance
that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results
and future events could differ materially from those anticipated
in such statements. Technical complications that may arise could
prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant
plan(s) outlined above. The company cautions that these forward-looking
statements are further qualified by other factors. The company
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements
in this release, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investor
Relations:
CONTACT:
Blackout Media Corp.
Telephone 416-987-2133
Fax 416-348-9418
E-mail ir@blackoutmedia.com
URL:
www.thefightnetwork.com
www.liveaudiowrestling.com
www.mmaweekly.com
Media
Contact:
Stephen Murdoch
OEB International c/o The Fight Network Inc.
Public Relations/Public Affairs
Tel: (905) 682-7203 extension 22
Fax: (905) 682-7481
E-mail: smurdoch@oeb.com
Source: Market Wire/Blackout Media Corp
|
Kurt
Angle heads to TNA
Story information here. My first reaction — with Angle on
TNA and Spike TV backing both TNA & UFC, the chances of Angle
appearing in UFC (if he goes the MMA-and-wrestling combo route)
just increased significantly. Unless, of course (as Dave Ditch
pointed out to me), both Angle and TNA used UFC as nothing more
than a decoy to fool both the Internet fans and WWE. If that’s
the case, UFC sure is being taken advantage of by a lot of people
these days.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player
plays where the puck is going to be."
Wayne Gretzky, Hall of Fame Canadian Hockey Player and Coach
|
UFC
63: Matt Hughes retains title and Jens Pulver upset
Yet
another re-cap
Great night of fights and with that being said let's go:
Jens
Pulver vs. Joe Lauzon
I
told my wife that fight would be over in 45 seconds and in that
comment I was right. Tommy and I were SO wrong about in our debate
column, was that Pulver would be staring at the lights from a
left hook by Lauzon. At 48 seconds in the first, Joe Lauzon konocked
out Little Evil in his UFC return.
Winner:
Lauzon with a shocking KO in the first round
Rashad
Evans vs. Joe Lauzon
Rashad
looked in great shape and Lambert looked really ready to go so
I knew this would be a good one. The fight started with a clinch
and then Rashad scored the first of several takedowns. Evans
would land some big rights and Lambert scrambled to counter,
but nothing substantial came from his end.
They clinched again and Rashad scored another takedown and dominated
the first round easily.
In
the second Rashad scored more takedowns and gained the mounted
position where he dropped some huge bombs that put Lambert's
lights out giving him the win.
Winner:
Rashad Evans by KO
Melvin
Guillard vs. Gabe Reudiger
Melvin
came out aggressively landing some big shots to Gabe's chin.
Reudiger
weathered the barrage and after several Guillard takedowns, nearly
secured a rear naked choke.
In
the second, Melvin lands some heavy shots to the body and face
of Gabe who looks a little gassed. Out of nowhere, Guillard scored
with a huge body shot that dropped Gabe to the canvas for the
TKO.
Winner:
Melvin Guillard by TKO
Mike
Swick vs. David Loiseau
I
liked the new entrances that they had for the fighters. It was
big budget and really made the fights seem bigger than life.
In
the first round Loiseau looked absolutely gun shy. Swick landed
some leg kicks and then a nice reverse side kick. One thing that
happened a lot during the first round was David holding on to
the fence when Mike was working for the takedowns. Swick continued
to flurry and got the takedown after a nice combination from
Loiseau. Mike got David's back near the end of the round, but
Loiseau gets right back up at the bell.
The
second round saw a lot of circling with no action and that got
the boos going from the crowd. Mike Swick taunts Loiseau much
like Forrest did when he came out in the second round of the
Ortiz fight. Swick landed yet another reverse sidekick and then
no action for about a minute. A flying knee by Mike and then
a takedown with Swick on top.
In
the third, Loiseau took advantage of Swick's fatigue. Mike landed
some flurries, but Loiseau was all over him and landed a lot
of elbows in Mike's guard, standing, and clinched against the
fence. Swick lands more punches and scores a takedown near the
end of the fight.
Winner:
29-28, 29-28, 29-28 unanimous decision Mike Swick
Main
Event: Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn
Round
1 and here comes Matt pushing the pace. Matt and BJ trade back
and forth with each other before Matt attempts takedown after
takedown, but they are all defended expertly by Penn. In the
middle of the round, Penn accidentally poked Matt in the eye
and the fight was briefly stopped. More Hughes takedown attempts,
but they are met with resistance from BJ again.
In
the second, Hughes lands a nice kick to Penn and goes for the
takedown.
Hughes gets the takedown and looks to have the round well in
hand with some fair ground and pound. Some good submission escapes
and hard elbows from Matt highlight the majority of the round.
Near the end of the round, BJ gets Matt's back and it looked
like this fight was over with. BJ locked in a deep triangle armbar
and had Matt in serious trouble, but the champion was saved by
the bell.
The
third round saw a very exhausted BJ Penn and a very fresh, but
bloodied Matt Hughes. Matt absolutely dominated this round with
good striking befoer taking the fatigued challenger down. Just
like the Carlos Newton fight, Hughes locked both of BJ Penn's
arms up and rained down punches and elbows from side control
until the referee had to step in and stop the fight.
Winner:
Matt Hughes by TKO in the third round
Georges
St. Pierre came out after the fight and said he was not impressed
with Matt's performance, but looked forward to the fight. He
quickly apologized off camera to Matt saying "don't you
want more pay per view buys.
He meant to create drama for the UFC to sell more tickets, but
he angered the champion and his camp in the process.
It
was a great night of fights once again!
Source: Maxfighting |
Shelby
Walker Passes Away
Just
another victim of pain killers. There were many high profile
people who were addicted to pain killers. Don't let this happen
to you. Like all other drug addictions, it starts off slowly
and then gets out of control.
We
at MaxFighting would like to send out our heartfelt condolences
to Shelby’s family, her fiancé, her friends and everyone
who's live Shelby touched. She truly was an amazing person and
her loss will be felt by many.
Below
is the statement by her manager, Larry Goldberg:
I
just got the news a little while ago and I am numb. Shelby Wa | |