Upcoming
Events
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event on Onzuka.com?
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2007
11/10/07
Aloha State
Championship of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
10/6/07
Punishment
In Paradise 18
(MMA &
Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
7/28/07
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui)
7/21/07
Garden Island Cage Match 6
(Kickboxing, MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Kauai)
7/13/07
Punishment
In Paradise 17
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
6/23/06
Ultimate Fight Night
(BJ Penn vs Jens Pulver)
(Spike TV)
6/22/07
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
6/16/07
Hawaiian Open of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
6/12/07 or 6/13/07
Full Contact Showdown
(San Shou, Kickboxing, MMA)
6/3/07
The Quest for Champions 2007
(Sport-Pankration, Submission-Grappling, Continuous Sparring
and Sport-Jujitsu)
(Saint Louis High School Gym)
5/26/07
Memorial Day Mayhem
(Kickboxing)
(Kalaheo High School Gym)
5/20/07
Pride
Fighting Championships:
(PPV)
(Lightweight Grand Prix)
5/19/07
Kickin it
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
5/12/07
Punishment In Paradise: Untouchables
(Kickboxing)
(Hawaiian Waters, Kapolei)
USA-Boxing Hawaii Fundraising Event
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
5/5/07
Punishment
In Paradise 16
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
4/28/07
Pride
Fighting Championships:
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
Maui MMA Event
(MMA)
(Maui)
K-1 World GP
(Kickboxing)
(Honolulu)
4/27/07
XMA
(MMA, Kickboxing)
4/24/07
Professional Boxing
(Boxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
4/20/07
Kickin It 2007 Part 3
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
4/7/07
Got Skills
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu Club Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(King Intermediate, Kaneohe)
4/6/07
Hawaii Fighting Championships: Stand Your Ground 3
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
4/5/07
Ultimate
Fight Night
(Spike TV)
3/31/07
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/25/07
Kickboxing Benefit Event for Mrs. Faagai
(Kickboxing)
(Waianae H.S. Gym)
3/24/07
Garden Island Cage Match
5
(MMA)
(Kauai)
The 2007
Hawaii State/Regional Junior Olympic Championships (Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
UFC:
Tito Ortiz vs. Dana White boxing match
(Nevada)
*Cancelled*
3/17/07
X-1
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Island Warriors
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial)
3/13/07
Ultimate
Fight Night
(Spike TV)
3/10/07
Hawaiian Championship of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
3/3/07
UFC 68
(PPV)
(Columbus, Ohio)
Kickin It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
2/24/07
Pride Fighting Championships:
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
2/17/06
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
2/16-17/07
USA-Boxing Hawaii State & Regional Championships
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
2/16/07
Punishment
In Paradise 15
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Hawaiian Waters)
2/9/07
Icon Sports
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/3/07
UFC
67
(Lutter vs Silva)
(PPV)
2/2/06
Got
Skills & Kickin' It
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
1/23/07
Ultimate
Fight Night
(Spike TV)
1/20/07
IFL
(MMA)
1/14/07
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
1/13/07
USA Boxing Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
1/12/07
K-1 Dynamite
(MMA)
(PPV, 5:00 PM Ch: 701)
|
|
April 2007 News
Part 2
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days a week training!
We are also offering Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights
and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 7:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Got a question for us? Email info@onzuka.com
or click here to send us
an email.
Fighters'
Club TV LOGO ANIMATION CONTEST
Everyone
knows that Onzuka.com's loyal readers are the most talented in
the state, if not the world! (can you already see where our fluff
complement is going already?) FCTV is looking for a talented
computer graphics whiz to animate our logo for the show. Winner
receives the snazzy RAZE Fightwear shirt and whatever else we
can dig up!
Here
is our logo:
If you have seen the show, you have seen how our old logo has
been animated. We are basically looking to create a cool animation
for our new logo.
We need a long version (10 Seconds) and a short version (3 Seconds)
if possible. Also, any ideas you may have as to what to do with
it would be appreciated too.
Email
entries to: fctv@onzuka.com
Mahalo,
Mark
|
Quote
of the Day
"Take
chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your
courage.
You have to fail in order to practice being brave."
Mary Tyler Moore, American Actress/Comedian/Star of "The
Mary Tyler Moore Show"
|
KICKIN
IT 2007 PART 3 Tonight!
FRIDAY APRIL 20TH
FILCOM CENTER
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
KICKIN IT WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE THEIR NEXT SHOW ON MAY 19TH BUT
DUE TO A DEMAND FOR ANOTHER SHOW. KICKIN IT SCRAMBLED UP A CARD
IN 2 1/2 WEEKS TO PROVIDE THESE KICKBOXERS WITH SOME SWING TIME.
THE MAIN EVENT WILL FEATURE THE QUICKNESS OF RICKY MURRILLO AND
THE HARD KICKIN HIAPO KOLO. BOTH OF THESE FIGHTERS HAVE A LOT
OF RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER SO IT'LL BE ALL ABOUT TECHNIQUE AND
WHO WILL MAKE THE FIRST MISTAKE. ANOTHER FIGHT NOT TO MISS WILL
BE YOSHIDA AGAINST OSTOVICH. DAS RIGHT ITS GOING DOWN, THESE
TWO GUYS WERE SUPPOSE TO MEET A WHILE BACK BUT SAGE BROKE HIS
ARM AND HAD TO PULL OUT BUT COME APRIL 20TH, THESE TWO GUYS WILL
BE ONLY TRYING TO PULL OUT A WIN. THIS CARD WILL HAVE A LOT OF
FIRST TIME FIGHTERS SO YOU KNOW THESE ROOKIES WILL HAVE SOME
FAST AND HEAVY SWINGING IN THE FIRST ROUND. AND THE ONLY THING
THAT WILL BE HEAVY AFTER THAT , IS THEIR BREATHING. SO COME DOWN
AND CHECK IT OUT.
1.HIAPO KOLO 160 RICKY MURRILLO
PAPAKOLEA
FIGHT CLUB BANGAHSVILLE
IN
THE 2006 SEQUEL THIS FIGHT LASTED ONLY 30 SECONDS. THIS WAS THE
MOST ANTCIPATED FIGHT ON THAT CARD. HIAPO IS KNOWN FOR HIS STRONG
KICKS AND HIS ROCK SOLID JAW. RICKY IS KNOWN FOR HIS SPEED AND
HIS RIGHT HAND. RICKYS STRAIGHT RIGHT TO HIAPOS BODY IS WHAT
ENDED THE FIGHT SO FAST. BUT AT THE LAST KICKIN IT HIAPO CAME
INTO THE RING TO ASK RICKY FOR ANOTHER SHOT. RICKY ACCEPTED THE
MATCH AND BULKED UP TO MEET HIM AT HIAPOS FIGHTING WEIGHT. IS
THIS REMATCH GOING TO BE A REPEAT OR A REDEMPTION. ITS ON.
2.ROYCE
POAHA 145 MARCUS MARTINEZ
TEAM
DEVASTATION BULLSPEN
2006
WELTER WEIGHT JUNIOR KICKIN IT CHAMPION (ROYCE) WILL TAKE ON
ONE OF BULLSPENS OUTSTANDING 145 LB KICKBOXERS. ROYCE HAS GREAT
TIMING IN HIS PUNCHES AND LIKES TO MAKE HIS BIG SHOTS COUNT.
MARCUS HAS ONLY ONE LOSS ON HIS RECORD AND WILL TRY TO GIVE ROYCE
HIS FIRST LOSS COME APRIL 20TH.
3.OTTO
HOOPII 300+ JUNIOR CHAVEZ
TEAM
ANILAND HSD
4.KOLOA
KAHALE 220 JUDE KAPUA
TEAM
ANILAND TEAM DEVASTATION
5.STEVE
LIM 145 MATT KANAHELE
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI BIG TYME FIGHT
6.
RYAN MURAKAMI 155 CHAD VALENTINE
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI HMC
7.ABE
CAGANAP 145 RICHARD BERNARD
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI HSD
8.
JENNIFER KAKIO 135 ANJELICA
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI ANIMAL HOUSE .
9.MIKE
UEMOTO 150 HARRISON KOLO
ANIMAL
HOUSE TEAM ANILAND
10.KOICHI
TANJI 135 RICKY TANGERA
HMC
WAIANAE KICKBOXING
KOICHI
HAS CRAZY HAND SPEED THAT HAS WON THE RESPECT FROM A LOT OF THE
KICKIN FANS. IN HIS LAST FIGHT, HE FOUGHT ONE OF HAWAII'S BEST
TEENAGE FIGHTERS. (TONY PERRERA) THEY PUT ON A GREAT SHOW THAT
NIGHT. ON APRIL 20TH KOICHI WILL BE FACING TONY'S TEAMMATE RICKY
TANGERA WHO IS KNOWN TO BE A POWER PUNCHER. BE THERE WHEN SPEED
VERSUS POWER.
11.GARON
REBALIZA 100 PIN DAO
INNER
CIRCLE BULLSPEN
12.TY
KAHALUA 220 MAKANA
HSD
LAS VEGAS FIGHT CLUB
13.JUSTIN
KAHALE 90 KILEY RAMIRO
TEAM
ANILAND HMC
14.JOE
LAWE 240 KONA KAOLULO
FREELANCE
TEAM ANILAND
15.ANDREW
GANABAN 145 KAHELE KAOLULO
WESSIDE
CONNECTION TEAM ANILAND
16.MACKY
190 MAX MURRAY
JESUS
IS LORD HMC
17.SAGE
YOSHIDA 125 ROBBIE OSTOVICH
HMC
JESUS IS LORD
SAGE
IS THE 2004 KICKIN IT CHAMPION AND ROBBY IS THE 2005 CHAMPION,
BOTH FIGHTERS ARE ONLY TEENAGERS THAT ARE LOOKING TO EXCEL IN
THEIR STAND UP GAME. THE SKILLS AND THE TECHNIQUE THESE TWO WILL
DISPLAY WOULD BE EXPECTED FROM ADULTS. BOTH THEIR FATHERS ARE
GREAT FIGHTERS WHICH THEY HAVE PASSED DOWN TO THEIR KIDS (SAGE
& ROBBY), I GUESS ITS ALL ABOUT BLOODLINE. SO YOU KNOW THAT
THEY'RE GONNA BRING IT COME APRIL 20TH.
18.IKAIKA
PATCHO 105 SOLOMON DIXON
TEAM
DEVASTATION HMC
MATCHES
AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Derrick Bright
|
"What
happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas!"
Relson
Gracie Kaneohe Team
members compete in the Grappler's Quest Vegas competition. Bryan
Perelta, Makoa Gaughen, and Hikina Gaughen competed with the
nations best youth and brought away two medals in the advanced
gi division, met many pro fighters, and got to train with the
best. Special thanks to Brandon, Kendall Groves, and Mark Laimon
for the mat time! Also Bill Cooper (Paragon Jiu-Jitsu), Pablo
Popovitch (ADCC Finalist), and Leandro "Tatu" Escobar
(American Top Team) for the extended invitation to train. Here
are the results and some Highlights!
Makoa Gaughen 2nd Place Gi Advanced
Bryan Perelta 3rd Place Gi Advanced
Pic# 1 Mark Laimon and the boys.
Pic# 2 Pablo Popovitch, Leandro "Tatu" Escobar, and
the boys.
Pic#3 Bill Cooper and Makoa Gaughen.
Pic#4 Joe "Daddy" Stevenson getting some Hawaiian
pay back.
Pic#5 Xande Riberio with the boys.
Source: Kula Gaughen
|
Underdogs
Ready to Roar at UFC 70
By Thomas Gerbasi
UFC 70
Hawaii Air Times!
6:00 pm to 9:30 PM
Channel 559 (Spike) Digitial
Channel 76 (Spike)
MANCHESTER, April 19 – Whether it’s facing one of the
most feared strikers in the game in Mirko Cro Cop or being sent
into the UK lions den as the opponent of local hero Michael Bisping,
it goes without saying that Gabriel Gonzaga and Elvis Sinosic
will be facing uphill battles in their fights this Saturday at
the MEN Arena.
But
after weeks of intense training, when Gonzaga and Sinosic met
the media at the Lowry Hotel for the final UFC 70 press conference,
it was apparent that neither fighter was ready to mail it in
against their high-profile foes.
“Everybody
says that I’m an underdog because Cro Cop has fought for
a longer time and is better known in the business,” explained
Gonzaga, who will be facing the Croatian bomber in a heavyweight
title eliminator. “But I don’t feel I am the underdog
myself, so I’ll be very aggressive and I’ll be fighting
to win.”
Sinosic’s
sentiments were similar for his light heavyweight bout with Bisping,
the winner of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’s third season.
“I
like being the underdog,” said the ‘King of Rock and
Rumble.’ “It makes me fight harder.”
Sinosic,
owner of an 8-9-2 record that was earned against some of the
sport’s best, promises to bring the fight to Bisping, and
he expects that philosophy will earn him a victory.
“I
hope he’s not underestimating me,” said Sinosic, “because
I plan on winning the fight.”
And
while the always game Australian will give Bisping a run for
his money, the underrated Gonzaga may have the better chance
of upsetting the UFC apple cart when he faces the highly regarded
Cro Cop, especially since the Brazilian has looked better and
better with each of his UFC wins thus far.
“I’m
getting better because I’m training harder,” said ‘Napao’.
“I have 15 years training jiu-jitsu and six years training
mixed martial arts, so it’s a matter of training.”
WERDUM
MAKES OCTAGON DEBUT AGAINST ARLOVSKI
One
of the most highly-anticipated bouts of Saturday’s card
(which will be aired on Spike TV in the United States and on
PPV elsewhere) features former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei
Arlovski against Octagon newcomer Fabricio Werdum, a Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu wizard who has impressed worldwide fans with his performances
in the Pride organization. Has he picked the brain of his training
partner Cro Cop for advice on the transition from a ring to the
Octagon?
“It’s
not gonna really make a difference,” said Werdum. “I’ve
been training in an Octagon for the past month or so, and I feel
welcome. Whether it’s in a ring or a cage, I’m ready.”
Arlovski
is a tough test for your UFC debut though, isn’t it?
“He’s
a very complete fighter, very tough,” Werdum admits. “He’s
very good on the ground and he has a very good base on the ground,
so it’s gonna be a good fight.”
GATE
NEWS
UFC
70, the UFC’s first foray back to the UK since UFC 38’s
Brawl at the Hall in 2002, has already produced a gate of 1.3
million pounds, which puts it among the top five gates in MEN
Arena history.
MORE
UFC 70 TICKETS RELEASED
Approximately
600 tickets in the 25 and 50 pound price ranges have been released
for Saturday’s show. The 10 fight card begins at 5:35pm
local time. Doors open at 4:45pm
Source: UFC.tv
|
MEDIA
RELEASE
For immediate release
New Fight
Card announced for K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Hawaii with Scott Junk out and local Mike Malone now competing
HONOLULU, HAWAII, April 16, 2007 - Officials for the K-1 World
Grand Prix 2007 Hawaii have announced changes to the fight card
with Scott Junk out now due to injury. Additions to the card
include local Hawaiian powerhouse Mike "Rocky" Malone
(6'0" 215lbs) who will compete against the biggest K-1 fighter
and champion of K-1 Seoul, Korea, Hong-Man Choi (7'2" 355lbs).
In addition, US fighter Julius "Towering Inferno"
Long (7'1" 249 lbs) has been added to the card and will
fight against Jan "The Giant" Nortje (6'11" 327lbs)
from South Africa.
The
updated fight card for the K-1 World GP 2007 on 28th April at
the Blaisdell includes:
K-1
USA GP 2007 Tournament - 3Min. 3R Ext.1R
Mighty Mo (USA) vs Kyoung Suk Kim (Republic of Korea)
Jan "The Giant" Nortje (South Africa) vs Julius
"Towering Inferno" Long (USA)
Gary Goodridge (Canada) vs Patrick Barry (USA)
Alexandre Pitchkounov (Russia) vs Tatsufumi Tomihira (Japan)
K-1
Heavyweight Title Match - 3Min. 3R Ext.2R
Badr Hari (Morocco) vs Yusuke Fujimoto (Japan)
Super
Fight - 3Min. 3R Ext.2R
Remy Bonjasky (Holland) vs Glaube Feitosa (Brazil)
Junichi Sawayashiki (Japan) vs Randy Kim (Republic of Korea)
Hong-Man Choi (Republic of Korea) vs Mike "Rocky"
Malone (USA)
Reserve
Fight - 3Min. 3R Ext.2R
Jerrel Venetiaan (Holland) vs Peter Graham (Australia)
** Please note that fighters may change due to injury.
Last
held in 2005 at Aloha Stadium, this year's top-notch event will
also include the first-ever K-1 Heavyweight title bout between
Moroccan bad boy Badr Hari (6'6" 203 lbs) and K-1 Asia GP
2006 Champion Yusuke Fujimoto (5'10" 225lbs).
All
K-1 fighters in this event will be competing for the same goal,
the title of K-1 USA GP Tournament Winner, then the opportunity
to advance towards the prestigious K-1 World Grand Prix Final
and the ultimate title of "King of Kings" in December
2007.
Tickets
to the event are on sale through Ticketmaster and priced at $40,
$60, $100, $150, and VIP at $500 and doors will open at 5.00pm
for a 6.00pm start.
Tickets
are available through:
Ticketmaster: 1-808-591-2211
Website: www.ticketmaster.com
Times Supermarket Stores: In store
-ends-
For event and media enquiries please contact the K-1 Hawaii Information
Office:
Contact: Justine Mitchell, Harris Agency, LLC
Telephone: (808) 946-1988 Cell: (808) 927 5926
Email: pr@harris-agency.com Website: www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/index.htm
Source: Justine Mitchell
|
Ultimate
challenge for Mayweather?
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
Floyd Mayweather stands almost 5-foot-9, weighs 154 pounds, has
a 72-inch reach and can drop most mortals with a single swing
of either hand.
He's
fast, athletic and dodges punches as well as anyone, maybe ever.
In 13 world title fights, he won all 13. His next one is May
5 in Las Vegas, this time as a junior middleweight, against Oscar
de la Hoya, as big a fight as boxing has seen in years.
His
nickname may be "Pretty Boy," but he is one bad, bad
man.
On
Cinco de Mayo we'll find out if the heavily-favored Mayweather
can beat de la Hoya – but could he beat a snarling, menacing,
multi-skilled champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship?
How
about lightweight (155 pound) champ Sean Sherk, who may stand
just 5-foot-6, may suffer from a distinct reach disadvantage,
but as a mixed martial arts master is schooled in "interdisciplinary
forms of fighting that include jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, boxing,
kickboxing, wrestling."
Could the best pound-for-pound fighter in the old combat sport
(boxing) handle a champion in the new combat sport (UFC)?
"UFC's
champions can't handle boxing. That's why they are in UFC."
Mayweather said Tuesday from Las Vegas during a break in training.
"Put one of our guys in UFC and he'd be the champion. Any
good fighter, he'd straight knock them out."
Dana
White, a one-time boxer and boxing instructor and current UFC
president, laughs at that.
"Boxers
couldn't become mixed martial artists. That's why they're boxers,"
White countered Wednesday from England where UFC has an event
Saturday. "They are one trick ponies. Our guys can do everything.
They can box, they can kick box, they can wrestle and do jiu-jitsu.
They are much better athletes than boxers."
Mayweather
may be right, but he'd have to be. Any boxer stepping into the
UFC octagon would have to knock his opponent out before the mixed
martial artist got a hold of him, because once the fight fell
to the mat, where things get nasty, the boxer is all but finished.
But,
as Mayweather points out, the often (by boxing standards) clumsy
and lead-with-their-face UFC guys would have to walk through
a hail of vicious jabs, crosses and hooks to get there.
"Take
Chuck Liddell," Mayweather said of the UFC's biggest star
and light heavyweight champion (about 205 pounds). "Put
him in the ring with a (boxer) who is just 10-0 and Chuck Liddell
would get punished."
So
you'd punish a UFC champion, too?
"Come
on, man. What'd you think? Am I just 10-0?"
Mayweather
is 37-0.
Liddell,
with six inches and 50 pounds on Mayweather, isn't possible,
but someone like Sherk, someone his size? With that insane reach,
unreal punching power and by UFC rules aided by small, light
4-ounce gloves would Mayweather carve up Sherk instantly? Or
would Sherk fight throughout the barrage and get Mayweather in
a clutch no ref will save him from?
"They
wouldn't have a chance to grapple (us) because we'd knock them
out," Mayweather said in general. "(The fighter) would
be knocked out before he even touched us."
Of
course, perhaps no punch is strong enough to stop a charging
opponent.
No
one really knows what would happen at such an elite level.
"I
used to talk like Floyd Mayweather when I was involved in boxing,"
White said. "I talked just like him, until I educated myself
about this sport. These guys are amazing athletes, Floyd Mayweather
is one of the best boxers ever, (and) Sean Sherk will whoop his
ass in under two minutes."
"Any
day that Mayweather wants to put his money and his ass where
his mouth is, I'm ready," White continued. "If he wants
to step up, let's do it."
First
off, Mayweather was talking mostly in general about his disdain
for UFC – "Boxing is an art, UFC is a fad." But
Mayweather has spent almost as much time this spring ripping
UFC as de la Hoya, who he seems to consider as little more than
a matinee idol useful for only increasing the purse.
"I
never knew popularity to win any fight," Mayweather said.
"I'll beat him and come home and watch basketball."
The
UFC, though, is clearly on his mind. He brought it up on his
own Tuesday. Earlier this month he cracked that "anyone
can put a tattoo on their head and get in a street fight."
Mayweather
may be a talker – loquacious doesn't begin to describe the
30-year-old – but he isn't dumb. So maybe he is setting
up another big pay day in the event he dusts de la Hoya and boxing
has little to offer. Or maybe he just wants to promote a fight
involving others.
Of
course, the economics of UFC would have to change to get Mayweather
to participate. UFC fighters make a fraction of top boxers. As
part of the family business, Mayweather, his dad and his uncle
handle all aspects of his career. For the de la Hoya fight he'll
earn millions.
"Why
would I go into a sport paying hundreds of thousands when I'm
in a sport paying $20 million?" Mayweather said.
Mayweather
knows full well, though, that the pay per view money is there
for the taking on something like this, a battle that would be
intriguing at nearly every level. White would just about kill
for this to go down, preferably with Mayweather involved as a
fighter.
"I'm
willing to put together a fight for Sean Sherk and Floyd Mayweather
with numbers that would make sense for Floyd," White said.
"And I guarantee you he would not accept it. Floyd Mayweather
would never fight in the UFC because he would get his head ripped
off."
Yes,
he would. But only if Sherk didn't get his head ripped off first.
Dan
Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist. Send Dan a question
or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Quote
of the Day
“Do
not the most moving moments of our lives find us all without
words?”
Marcel Marceau, French Entertainer
|
DANA
WHITE DISCUSSES PRIDE PLANS & FIGHTERS
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White spoke in
great detail during a pre-UFC 70 teleconference about his plans
for the Pride Fighting Championships organization, which was
recently purchased by UFC principal owners Lorenzo and Frank
Fertitta.
The
most striking aspect of White's answers to reporters' questions
was the way in which he spoke of Pride as a company essentially
owned-and-operated by the UFC. Any pretense from the initial
buy-out announcement that White would not have anything to do
with Pride (or would not be running Pride) was long gone, as
was any pretense that Pride and the new company Pride FC Worldwide
would not be controlled by Zuffa.
White
set the tone for this early on in the conference call when he
talked about how busy he is: "I'm working on that [the first
round of the Pride Lightweight Grand Prix]. There's only so much
I can do at once. We own the UFC, Pride, and WEC, so it's a lot
of work."
White
also said, "I'm working on a major TV deal for Pride in
the U.S. and in Japan." When asked about the Pride USA office,
he said that all of the Pride employees will be keeping their
jobs but added, "I'm going to be the one going out and signing
deals for Pride."
White's
comments about Pride stand in stark contrast to the statements
made by DSE executives when the announcement was made that UFC
co-owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta were buying Pride. At the
time, DSE president Nobuyuki Sakakibara said, "Lorenzo believes
that Pride should maintain its luster, and he will make sure
that Pride is here to stay. I trust and believe in Lorenzo...
but please don't misunderstand the situation. This is not a speech
about the UFC purchasing Pride. The UFC will forever stay as
a competitor to Pride, because the UFC is operated by Zuffa Entertainment
and Mr. Dana White."
White
also contradicted statements made just in the past week by DSE
executives about Pride's upcoming Lightweight Grand Prix. When
asked if it's true that there will be one or more UFC fighters
in the Pride Lightweight Grand Prix, White said that it is absolutely
not true.
At
the press conference last week in Japan where it was announced
that the first round of Pride's Lightweight Grand Prix would
not be taking place on May 20th as originally scheduled, DSE
president Sakakibara said, “I’m sure that the UFC will
send us one of the very best lightweight fighters of the UFC.
That’s what Lorenzo promised me. I’m sure that Lorenzo
will prove his commitment.”
Also,
while DSE announced in Japan this week that the first round of
the Grand Prix would take place on July 16th in Nagoya, Japan,
White said, "We don't have a date for the Lightweight Grand
Prix yet." White said that it's still being determined when
they'll be ready to run their first Pride event.
When
a reporter asked if it's true that Mauricio "Shogun"
Rua will be fighting in the UFC just as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
will be, White said that Shogun will stay in Pride and added,
"All of the guys who are in Pride will stay in Pride."
White said that there will be no Pride fighters in the UFC before
the big UFC vs. Pride "Super Bowl" event, which he
said will be taking place this year.
When
asked about the recent statements from Shogun's camp that Shogun
has a contract for two fights in Pride and two fights in the
UFC, White said, "I don't know where that's coming from,
but it's not true."
When
a reporter asked about Wanderlei Silva's status as a free agent,
White said that Silva is not a free agent and that he has four
fights remaining on his Pride contract.
When
asked about the status of Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko,
who recently stated that he is not under contract to Pride, White
said that Fedor is indeed under contract to Pride, but added,
"It's a non-exclusive contract, and I don't do non-exclusive
contracts."
White
said that he is trying to sign Fedor to an exclusive contract
and that if Fedor were to sign a similar non-exclusive contract
with any other MMA promotion in the meantime, "We would
absolutely slap an injunction on that." An "injunction"
in this case would be a temporary restraining order seeking to
legally prohibit Fedor from fighting in any other MMA promotion.
White
was asked about the problem of so many Pride fighters, such as
Fedor, being under non-exclusive contracts. White responded,
"Yeah, it's a problem. I'm working on it. It's a big problem,
but believe me, I'll fix it."
Several
of the reporters did not seem to be aware of White's previous
statements that the UFC and Pride would have the same rules.
When asked about the differences between the UFC's rules and
Pride's rules in the future, White said, "It'll all be the
same."
One
of the reporters on the teleconference said that he feels the
color commentary on the April 8th Pride event was "horrendous"
due to the "constant shilling for Pride" and asked
if White will be making changes to ensure that the Pride broadcasts
will be "more professional" in the future. White responded,
"Absolutely," and said that he "agrees 100 percent"
with what the reporter said. When asked specifically if color
commentator Frank Trigg will continue to be part of the Pride
announcing team, White said, "No, he won't. We're looking
for some new announcers."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
DANA
WHITE SPEAKS ON LATEST UFC MATTERS
In addition to discussing the UFC's deal with HBO and his plans
for Pride, UFC president Dana White also discussed numerous other
issues during a pre-UFC 70 teleconference on Tuesday.
A
reporter mentioned that the New Jersey State Athletic Control
Board might be interested in legalizing knees to the head on
the ground in MMA, and asked if White thinks the Nevada State
Athletic Commission would follow suit if that were to happen.
White said, "Probably, because it was New Jersey that didn't
want knees to the head before." White has previously stated
on multiple occasions that he would personally like to see knees
to the head on the ground legalized in MMA.
White
also said that Brandon Vera will be fighting on a UFC card in
the near future, that the Spike TV program Inside the UFC (which
was previously placed on indefinite hiatus) will be returning
at some point, and that ESPN will not only be covering UFC events
from now on, but may also broadcast live UFC events in the future.
Regarding
the UFC's show in the United Kingdom this weekend, White said
that because there is no athletic commission in the U.K. that
regulates MMA events, UFC vice president Marc Ratner will be
regulating and overseeing UFC 70. Ratner is the former Executive
Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
A
reporter asked about all of the recent drug test failures in
the UFC, specifically mentioning Diego Sanchez' positive test
for marijuana and Melvin Guillard's positive test for cocaine,
and White said that it always sucks whenever any UFC fighter
tests positive for anything. When the reporter asked if the UFC
would consider instituting random drug testing of its own, in
addition to the athletic commission drug testing that always
takes place on the day of the events, White did not directly
address the question. Instead, he said that all of the fighters
on The Ultimate Fighter have to pass a drug test before they
can be on the show, and some of the other fighters are drug-tested
by the athletic commissions, but he concluded, "I don't
know what else I can do."
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
REACHES DEAL WITH HBO
The UFC has reached a deal to air live events on HBO, according
to statements made by UFC president Dana White on a pre-UFC 70
teleconference.
White
said that the UFC will be putting on live events for HBO and
that the first UFC event on HBO will air this summer. When asked
by a reporter if the HBO deal is "signed, sealed, and delivered,"
White said, "Yes." When asked if the deal should be
reported as official, White said, "Yeah. We will be on HBO
this summer." White also spoke of struggling to sign the
HBO deal in the past tense, as he said, "We would have never
signed a deal if we weren't comfortable with it."
White
said that the UFC broadcasts on HBO will have an HBO production
team and HBO announcers, so UFC announcers Mike Goldberg and
Joe Rogan will not be doing commentary on the UFC's HBO events.
White said that he doesn't know who will be on the HBO announcing
team for UFC events, but when asked if Jim Lampley would be on
the team, White said, "Hell no."
White
inferred that the HBO events will be higher in stature than the
Spike TV events but still lower in stature than the pay-per-view
events. As an example, White said that you could expect to see
the winners from future seasons of The Ultimate Fighter have
their first post-TUF fights on HBO after they win the TUF competition,
whereas the UFC Fight Night events would be the home for all
of the fighters who are on TUF and get UFC contracts even though
they didn't win the TUF competition.
As
another example, White said that you can expect to see Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira fight on HBO, and he added that Nogueira "will
fight one of the top guys right off the bat." White said
that fans can expect to see top-quality fights whether any given
UFC event is on HBO, Spike TV, or pay-per-view.
White
said that the UFC's June 16th event in Belfast, Northern Ireland
will not be the HBO debut show, as he said that the June 16th
show will be "on Spike TV or pay-per-view." The UFC
web site previously said that the June 16th would be on Spike
TV in the United States.
The
statements made by White on Tuesday would seem to end a period
of more than one year wherein the UFC and HBO were close to a
deal but had not reached a deal. White has said consistently
over the past year that the UFC would be on HBO "very soon,"
dating back to an April 2006 radio interview on 1140 KHTK in
Sacramento, California.
Acclaimed
boxing writer Thomas Hauser wrote in an article on the Seconds
Out web site in January 2007 that HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg
had "opposed the UFC deal as vigorously as possible"
and was doing "everything in his power not to televise mixed
martial arts." In the same article, former HBO Sports president
Seth Abraham actually compared MMA to "naked boxing"
and said that MMA would tarnish HBO's boxing heritage
In
an unprecedented move, HBO Chairman and CEO Chris Albrecht veto'd
HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg and insisted that HBO would
air MMA programming at some point, leaving Greenburg only to
negotiate the details of such a deal. According to Hauser, this
move "represented a marked shift in HBO's corporate culture...
in the past, an HBO chief executive officer would not have ordered
sports programming over the objection of the sports department."
Left
only to come to terms on the details, some of the key disagreements
between Zuffa and HBO Sports were whose production crew will
film the event, whose announcers will commentate on the event,
and how those announcers will go about commentating on the event.
Dave
Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently summarized the dispute
as follows: "HBO wants full control of the product, and
to use its crew and its announcers and cover it like a network
broadcast team would cover a major sporting event. UFC doesn't
want to give up its control of the product, wants its own crew
to film it, and wants to use its own announcers, who are closer
to pro wrestling announcers whose role is to build up the product
as opposed to providing detached, objective commentary."
With
those issues resolved, there were no remaining obstacles standing
in the way of a deal between the UFC and HBO.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BUDO
REVIEW: SHOOTO & CAGE FORCE
SHOOTO “BACK TO OUR ROOTS 3” CARD ANNOUNCED
Crymson
has announced the bulk of the Shooto “Back to Our Roots
3” card, which is scheduled to take place on May 18th at
Korakuen Hall.
In
the main event, “Lion” Takeshi Inoue will defend his
Shooto Lightweight Championship against Shooto Pacific Rim Lightweight
Champion Akitoshi Tamura. The two have already met before with
Lion winning a decision over Tamura back in November of 2005.
Lion is coming off an exciting knockout victory over Hiroyuki
Abe at Shooto “Back to Our Roots”. Tamura is coming
off a decision win over Tenkei Fujimiya at Shooto “Back
to Our Roots”.
In
what is considered to be a number one contender’s match
for the Shooto Lightweight Championship, Pride veteran Hatsu
Hioki takes on AACC fighter Antonio Carvalho. Hioki is coming
off a close decision victory over Mark Hominick at TKO 28. Carvalho
is coming off a stoppage loss to “Lion” Takeshi Inoue
at Shooto: The Devilock.
In
a Class A bantamweight bout, AACC fighter Masatoshi Abe takes
on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Daniel Otero. Abe is coming
off a stoppage victory over Junji Ikoma at a Shooto show back
in July of 2006. Otero is coming off a stoppage victory over
Tomohiro Hashi at Shooto Brazil 10.
Shooto
“Back to Our Roots 3”
May 18, 2007
Korakuen Hall
Shooto
Lightweight Championship: “Lion” Takeshi Inoue vs.
Akitoshi Tamura
Class A Lightweight Bout: Hatsu Hioki vs. Antonio Carvalho
Class A Bantamweight Bout: Masatoshi Abe vs. Daniel Otero
Class B Light Heavyweight Bout: Masashi Yozen vs. Akihiko Adachi
Class B Flyweight Bout: Shinya Murofushi vs. Kenichi Sawada
Class B Lightweight Bout: Hayate Usui vs. Eiji Murayama
2007 Shooto Welterweight Rookie Bout: Ishibashi Aroi vs. Kunio
Nakajima
2007 Shooto Welterweight Rookie Bout: Oni Ani vs. Koichi Taguchi
2007 Shooto Lightweight Rookie Bout: Naohiro Mizuno vs. Yoshiki
Noguchi
GCM
CAGE FORCE ANNOUNCES “EX EASTERN BOUND”
Cage
Force has announced a pair of fights for their May 27 show at
the Tokyo Differ Ariake. Both fights are part of the Cage Force
Welterweight Tournament; Welterweight King of Pancrase Daizo
Ishige takes on Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion Dan “The
Outlaw” Hardy. Ishige is coming off a decision victory over
Kenji Arai at Pancrase: Blow 11. Hardy is coming off a stoppage
victory over Alexandre Izidro at Cage Warriors: Enter the Rough
House.
In
the other tournament bout, Cage Force veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida
takes on Justin Turtle. Yoshida is coming off an impressive stoppage
victory over Katsuya Inoue at GCM: Cage Force 02. Turtle is coming
off a stoppage victory over Jon Leven at Warriors Realm: Reality
Fighting 7.
Other
fighters that are scheduled to participate include HEROS veterans
Taiyo Nakahara and Yukiya Naito
Cage
Force “EX Eastern Bound”
May 27, 2007
Tokyo Differ Ariake
Cage
Force Welterweight Tournament Bouts
Daizo
Ishige vs. Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy
Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Justin Turtle
Scheduled
to Participate:
Taiyo
Nakahara
Yukiya Naito
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“I
never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people's minds
is not in my mind. I just do my thing.”
Audrey Hepburn, 1929-1993, Belgian-born Actress
|
Need
a Favor
Can anyone
that was present at my black belt promotion please send me pictures
that you took of me? Surprisingly, I have only crappy pictures.
The group pictures would be great as well.
Thanks!
Mike |
Kickin
It Weigh Ins
WEIGH INS
WILL BE HELD AT THE
WAIKIKI COMMUNITY CENTER - 2ND FLOOR
310 PAOKALANI AVE
7:00 PM
Thursday, April 19.
DIRECTIONS - GOING TOWARDS THE OCEAN ONKAPAHULU AVE
TAKE A RIGHT ON KUHIO (THE ZOO IS ON THE LEFT)
TAKE A RIGHT ON PAOAKALANI AVE.
TRAVEL ONE BLOCK AND COMMUNITY CENTER IS ON THE LEFT.
MUAY THAI AND TAEKWONDO SIGNS ARE ON THE GATE.
PARKING IS IN THE BACK
WEIGH INS ON THE SECOND FLOOR
7:00 PM PROMPT
17 YR AND UNDER PARENT MUST ATTEND.
NO PARENT NO FIGHT
|
A
UFCjunkie.com Interview with Andrei Arlovski
Andrei
ArlovskiFormer UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arovski (10-5
MMA, 8-4 UFC) continues his road back to title contention at
next weekend’s UFC 70 event, where he faces UFC newcomer
and PRIDE Fighting Championships veteran Fabricio Werdum (9-2-1
MMA, 0-0 UFC).
In
the UFC’s first show outside America in nearly five years,
Arlovski is being promoted as one of the night’s top draws
for the international audience.
Since
the Belarusian won the interim heavyweight belt by defeating
former champ Tim Sylvia at UFC 51 (and defended it twice to become
the undisputed champion), Arlovski lost two rematches with Sylvia
and disappeared from the title picture almost overnight. What
was one of the sport’s most recognized fighters was suddenly
gone from the headlines.
“The
Pitbull” made a small step on the comeback trail with a
decisive win over Marcio Cruz at UFC 66, and he’ll lake
to make a great stride in his main-card bout with Werdum next
weekend.
UFCjunkie.com
recently touched base with the former champ about next week’s
fight, his hopes for another title shot, and his desire for a
UFC event in his current home of Chicago.
UFCjunkie.com:
Let’s get right into UFC 70. You’re facing a very accomplished
fighter in Fabricio Werdum next weekend. Although a lot of UFC
fans aren’t familiar with him, could you give us your assessment
of his skills? Do you think Werdum is a championship-caliber
fighter?
Arlovski: He’s very tough. He’s trained before with
[Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic] and has great MMA jiu-jitsu.
I have seen some of his fights. I’m not sure if he’s
a championship-caliber fighter, but he’ll be fighting a
former champion.
UFCjunkie.com:
How did you learn about your fight with Werdum? Did the UFC propose
the fight — or did they make a big push for you to fight
him?
Arlovski: The UFC called and asked me to fight in April at UFC
70. They said Werdum’s name, and I told them no problem.
UFCjunkie.com:
You’re being showcased as one of the major draws for UFC
70. How does it make you feel knowing that the UFC is using you
as an ambassador for the European audience?
Arlovski: I appreciate that they picked me for that card, and
I’m proud to represent Belarus, the U.S. and the UFC as
they start to have events outside of the U.S.
UFCjunkie.com:
You had a very successful return to the Octagon with your latest
win over Marcio Cruz. However, you apparently hit Cruz with an
illegal kick. Can you explain what happened?
Arlovski: It wasn’t a kick; it was a push. What I was trying
to do was break his lock. If it was illegal in the mind of the
ref, he would of disqualified me. It was in [Cruz’s] arm,
not his face.
UFCjunkie.com:
It was rumored that you had a substantial leg injury during your
loss to Tim Sylvia at UFC 61. I know you’re not the type
of fighter to make excuses, but could you tell us about the injury?
Arlovski: I don’t make excuses, and I lost at UFC 61. If
you’re asking — yes, I had some problem with my left
leg and left foot from checking a kick. Everything is fine now.
UFCjunkie.com:
You and Sylvia have taken a lot of criticism for that UFC 61
fight. How did that fight affect you? Do you think you lost fans
because of it?
Arlovski: My real fans — I still have them. If people think
it was boring, they were not a real fan. No, I did not perform
like I wanted to, but inside the cage it was a tough fight.
UFCjunkie.com:
You were in attendance at UFC 68 and watched Randy Couture’s
upset of Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight championship. Can you
tell us your thoughts about the fight?
Arlovski: I am very happy that Randy beat Tim Sylvia. Randy did
a very good job beating him. Randy is a great fighter with a
lot of experience, and I want to give him another congratulations.
UFCjunkie.com:
So you were rooting for Couture, one of your training partners,
in that fight?
Arlovski: Of course.
UFCjunkie.com:
Overall, what did you think about the UFC 68 event? How did that
crowd compare to the ones you usually see in Las Vegas?
Arlovski: It was loud like everywhere. UFC fans are great, and
it gets you pumped up to hear them cheer. Going to different
cities is probably good for the UFC because not all fans can
make it to Vegas. I hope that they come to Chicago one day soon
so I can fight on that card.
UFCjunkie.com:
Let’s assume you get by Werdum next weekend. How soon would
you want a title shot?
Arlovski: First, I will beat Werdum on April 21. We can come
back to that conversation. I want another title shot as soon
as possible, though.
UFCjunkie.com:
Let’s say Randy Couture is the champ during your next title
fight. Why do you think you have the advantage?
Arlovski: I know that he’s a great wrestler, and his boxing
is good too. I would need to train even harder at jiu-jitsu,
boxing and wrestling for that fight.
UFCjunkie.com:
Now, let’s say “Cro Cop” is the champ. Why do
you think you have the advantage? What would your game plan be?
Arlovski: Cro Cop is a very good kicker, and it means I would
need to keep my hands up and protect my head.
UFCjunkie.com:
Is Cro Cop as unbeatable as fans think he is?
Arlovski: Cro Cop has lost like all the best fighters. People
say a lot of fighters are unbeatable, and at some point in their
career, every fighter seems to lose. Anyone that fights him needs
to train hard and be prepared for his MMA.
UFCjunkie.com:
The UFC has seen an influx of talent in the past couple months.
Does that excite you — or does it concern you that you may
get lost in the shuffle and overlooked?
Arlovski: It’s great that the UFC has lots of new talent.
I like to fight only the best fighters. I train to win and be
a champion again. I don’t know what the future holds, but
right now, I know I’m in line as a contender. And when the
UFC is ready to give me a title shot, I’ll take [the belt].
UFCjunkie.com:
Would you have any interest in fighting Tim Sylvia now that he’s
no longer the champ? Do you feel the need to avenge that loss?
Arlovski: Yes, I want to fight Tim Sylvia one more time. One
more time.
UFCjunkie.com:
Most fans probably don’t realize you were a police officer
back in Belarus. You joined the program very young. Why did that
career choice appeal to you?
Arlovski: When I decided to become a police officer, it seemed
like the best career path for me. It interested me a lot, and
it wasn’t until I got the chance to fight for the UFC in
the U.S. that I thought any different.
UFCjunkie.com:
I’ve read that becoming a police officer in Belarus requires
the equivalent of a university education. How are police officers
viewed in your country?
Arlovski: Yes, in Belarus it’s like going to college here.
Police officers there are viewed pretty much the same as every
country. If you’re a good officer and you protect the people
and the country, you’re doing a good job and get respect.
UFCjunkie.com:
While training to become a police offer, you were ordered to
join the Belarussion National SAMBO Team. Did the martial arts
appeal to you immediately?
Arlovski: I really liked learning SAMBO, and it was something
I did well. From there I started learning other arts and wanted
to train full time.
UFCjunkie.com:
Did the martial arts come easy to you?
Arlovski: Nothing comes easy in martial arts. People tell me
it’s my character and that working hard and trying to be
the best made me successful so far.
UFCjunkie.com:
Could you tell us your thoughts on the political situation in
Belarus? The U.S. government has said that Belarus president
Alexander Lukashenko is “Europe`s last dictator.” What
do you think?
Arlovski: I’m really not political and don’t feel comfortable
discussing it.
UFCjunkie.com:
When’s the last time you’ve been to Belarus? Do you
have family there?
Arlovski: The last time I visited Belarus was about two years
ago. I have family and friends there and got to see them recently
on another trip before I started my training.
UFCjunkie.com:
Do you have any desire to go back?
Arlovski: I am happy living in Chicago and love the U.S. But
I will never forget my roots, friends or family and would like
to visit to see them.
UFCjunkie.com:
Many fans are surprised by the variety of “looks” you’ve
sported over the years. Can you explain the reason behind it?
Is there any rhyme or reason for all the different haircuts?
It’s almost become your trademark.
Arlovski: I really don’t have a good answer, but every fight
I feel a certain way, and my changes represent that. I do believe
everything changes in this world — just like my hair styles.
UFCjunkie.com:
Chicago is a great city and a personal favorite of mine. How
did you end up there?
Arlovski: My former manager brought me to Chicago because he
was from here.
UFCjunkie.com:
The UFC has talked about Chicago possibly hosting a UFC event?
Does that excite you?
Arlovski: Of course it excites me. I’d love to fight on
a card in Chicago and hope they can come here soon. Yes, it would
be like another fight — but in my backyard.
UFCjunkie.com:
UFC has seen tremendous growth in the past year or two. What’s
it like in public for you? How often are you recognized?
Arlovski: You know, I do get recognized a lot more now. It makes
me feel good because people want to meet me and shake my hand.
UFCjunkie.com:
Our UFCjunkie.com readers are big, big fans of the lovely Patricia
Mikula. How did you guys meet, and how’s the relationship
going?
Arlovski: We have a friend that introduced us and thought we
would be good together. We love each other a lot, and everything
is great.
UFCjunkie.com:
Are there any sponsors or partners you’d like to thank?
We got a lot of traffic to UFCjunkie.com, so I’m sure they’d
appreciate the plug.
Arlovski: First I want to plug my fans, friends and family for
their support. I get a lot of nice emails on Arlovski.tv and
myspace.com/Arlovski. It helps to motivate me. Thank you to my
new sponsors SOYO TV, Axis shavers and condomdepot.com for supporting
my tough training for UFC 70. I’d also like to thank for
their continued support Geneva Seal, A&G Custom Sound, Full
Contact Fighter, Dreamsoft.com and Prestige Leasing.
Source: Fight Opinion |
Strikeforce,
EliteXC announces Shamrock vs. Baroni
“Judgment
Day:” Shamrock Collides With Baroni On June 22nd
After
months of deliberations, one of the most anticipated showdowns
in mixed martial arts history will finally come to fruition when
former UFC middleweight champion, Frank Shamrock, battles fellow
knockout artist and consummate showman, “The New York Badass”
Phil Baroni, for the vacant Strikeforce world middleweight (185
lb. limit) championship during the main event of “Judgment
Day,” a live, Pay Per View televised Strikeforce-EliteXC
cage fight card that will take place at San Jose, California’s
HP Pavilion on Friday, June 22nd.
InDemand,
DirecTV, Dish Network, and TVN will carry the Pay Per View program,
which will kick off at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time (7 PM Pacific
Standard Time).
Also
returning to action during “Judgment Day,” undefeated
world San Shou kickboxing champion and middleweight mixed martial
arts contender, Cung Le, will battle UFC veteran, Tony “The
Freak” Fryklund. Strikeforce’s latest recruit, 2003
K-1 North America tournament champion, Carter Williams, will
face the hard-hitting Paul Buentello in a heavyweight matchup.
Off the heels of his stunning knockout victory over KJ Noons,
Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett, will take on Victor
“Joe Boxer” Valenzuela.
Joey
Villasenor and former Pride star, Murilo “Ninja” Rua,
will lock horns with the vacant EliteXC middleweight title at
stake. On February 10th, Villasenor pulled off a stunning upset
by outmaneuvering and, eventually earning a unanimous judges’
decision over David “The Crow” Loiseau. Villasenor’s
career is highlighted by a 15 fight winning streak that he put
together between December 2002 and April 2006. A member of the
famed Chute Boxe fight squad in Brazil, Rua was last seen in
action on September 30th when he submitted British kickboxer,
Mark Weir, with an arm triangle choke in the second round of
their meeting.
Arguably
the most physically gifted individual to ever step in the cage,
the 34-year-old Shamrock, also a former King Of Pancrase, has
been dubbed by the fight press as the “closest thing mixed
martial has to Muhammad Ali” for his combination of versatile
skills quick witted mind games that he has so often used to gain
a sharp advantage over his opposition.
During
his illustrious career, Shamrock has taken out the likes of UFC
poster boy Tito Ortiz as well as mixed martial arts legend, Bas
Rutten. His 16 second submission of former Olympic Wrestling
Gold Medalist Kevin Jackson on December 21, 1997 set a new UFC
record for stoppage of a fight.
On
March 10th of last year, Shamrock ended a near three year hiatus
from action and rekindled the sport’s oldest family rivalry
when he faced longtime nemesis, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt,
Cesar Gracie, in the main event of the historic, first-ever sanctioned
mixed martial arts fight card in the state of California that
took place at the HP Pavilion. Before a sold-out, record crowd
of 18,265, Shamrock decimated Gracie, sending him to the canvas
with a hard right hand that set up a 21 second technical knockout.
Shamrock
returned to the cage on February 10th of this year to meet another
famed member of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s first family, Renzo
Gracie. The contest ended in a controversial manner, with Shamrock
being disqualified for throwing two illegal knee strikes to Gracie’s
head while the two fighters struggled on the ground.
With
his brilliant punching power and dynamic energy that triggers
his edgy persona, the 30-year-old Baroni poses an imminent threat
to Shamrock’s legacy.
In
2001, Baroni, a native of Long Island, New York, exploded onto
the UFC scene and, one year later, established himself as a credible
star by pummeling former UFC middleweight champion, Dave Menne,
only 18 seconds into their matchup.
Of
late, Baroni has been making noise with the Japan-based Pride
Fighting Championship. During the organization’s first-ever
fight card in The United States on October 21st, Baroni thrilled
a packed house at Las Vegas, Nevada’s Thomas and Mack Center
as well as a Pay-Per-View audience when he forced famed Japanese
boxer, Yosuke Nishijima, into submission with a kimura hold.
Ironically,
Baroni recently joined the world-class fight team at American
Kickboxing Academy (AKA), the former home of Shamrock. The alliance
has thickened the bad blood between the two fighters.
“Judgment
Day” is being co-produced by Strikeforce; ProElite, Inc,
the parent outfit of EliteXC; and Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment.
Source: MMA Fighting |
Forget
imitating pro wrestling, MMA might see the real deal
Zach
Arnold reports that the WWE is seriously considering promoting
MMA events.
Vince
McMahon and the WWE ought to be very wary about getting into
MMA since they have failed miserably when they have tried to
promote anything other than professional wrestling. Most people
probably remember the WWE's failure with the XFL, but many may
not recall that McMahon also bombed with a professional body
building association in the early 90's. Plus, the WWE's experiment
with the "Brawl for it All" (real fights with toughman
style boxing and take downs) did not go over too well with wrestling
fans.
However,
MMA promotion is not too different than professional wrestling
(definitely closer to professional wrestling than football or
body building). While I would put the WWE's chances of being
able to dethrone the UFC at less than than 50%, it would definitely
be a force to reckon with - one that the MMA promoters could
not easily ignore.
Zach
goes into great detail about how this will affect Pride, but
I think another interesting question is how it will affect the
UFC. If the WWE gets into MMA it not only gives the UFC a new
formidable competitor, it also puts the UFC in a funny position.
The
UFC has been spending its time and energy promoting itself like
a professional wrestling promotion without pre-determiined outcomes
(anyone know how the Dana White vs. Tito Ortiz boxing match went?),
but its natural spin would be that the WWE is a pro-wrstling
promotion trying to put on "phony" shows without pre-determined
outcomes. You have wonder whether the UFC would counter the WWE
by increasing its theatrics, or by treating MMA more like a serious
sport.
In
any event, regardless whether the WWE entering MMA would be good
for the sport (it would not be in my opinion), this is certainly
an interesting development.
Source: Whaledog |
Quote
of the Day
“As
I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch
what they do”.
Andrew Carnegie, 1835-1919, American Industrialist and Philanthropist
|
Sifu
Richard Bustillo Seminar
Sunday,
April 22 9:00-4:00
Filipino Martial Arts: Kali/Eskrima/Arnis
Saturday, Aprl 28 9:00-4:00
Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do
Trappling/Grappling/Jiu-jitsu
Seminar tuition
$65 Both days (pre-registration) $75 Both days (at the door)
$55 One day
These seminars will be held at the
Ko Olina Resort Fitness Club Facility
Follow H-1 west bound to Farrington Hwy. Take the Ko Olina
Resort exit and pass the sentry booth. Take the 2nd left off
Aliinui Drive to Ko Olina Golf Club. The Fitness Club Facility
is located between the tennis courts on the left.
Contact:
James Tanaka for more information at 223-9363 or email him at
jkt@pmitchelltrust.com
|
K-1
RELEASES FIGHT CARD FOR GP IN HAWAII
HONOLULU, HAWAII – The fight card for the K-1 World Grand
Prix 2007 Hawaii event on April 28th at the Blaisdell Center
was announced recently, with local Hawaiian fighting sensation Scott
Junk confirmed
to compete against the K-1 World GP 2005 in Hawaii Champion Gary
Goodridge (6’3” 243lbs), as well as two other high-profile
USA fight machines, Mighty Mo (6’1” 282lbs) and Patrick
Barry (5’11” 231lbs).
Last
held in 2005 at Aloha Stadium, this year’s top-notch event
will also include the first-ever K-1 Heavyweight title bout between
Moroccan bad boy Badr Hari (6’6” 203 lbs) and K-1 Asia
GP 2006 Champion Yusuke Fujimoto (5’10” 225lbs).
All
K-1 fighters in this event will be competing for same goal, the
title of K-1 USA GP Tournament Winner, then the opportunity to
advance towards the prestigious K-1 World Grand Prix Final and
the ultimate title of “King of Kings” in December 2007.
The
fight card for the K-1 World GP 2007 in Hawaii is confirmed as:
Late
Breaking News
Officials for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Hawaii have announced
changes to the fight card with Scott Junk out now due to injury.
Additions
to the card include local Hawaiian powerhouse Mike “Rocky” Malone (6’0” 215lbs)
who will compete against the biggest K-1 fighter and champion
of K-1 Seoul, Korea, Hong-Man Choi (7’2” 355lbs).
In
addition, US fighter Julius “Towering Inferno” Long
(7’1” 249 lbs) has been added to the card and will
fight against Jan “The Giant” Nortje (6’11”
327lbs) from South Africa.
I
have attached the media release for your information as well
as image of Mike. Please let me know if you need any further
information or would like to interview Mike Malone.
K-1
USA GP 2007 Tournament - 3Min. 3R Ext.1R
Mighty Mo (USA) vs Kyoung Suk Kim (Republic of Korea)
Jan “The Giant” Nortje (South Africa) vs Patrick Barry
(USA)
Gary Goodridge (Trinidad and Tabago) vs TBA
Alexandre Pitchkounov (Russia) vs Tatsufumi Tomihira (Japan)
Mike Malone
(USA) vs
Hong Man Choi (Korea)
Giant vs Giant Match
Julius “Towering Inferno” Long (USA) vs Jan “The
Giant” Nortje (South Africa)
K-1
Heavyweight Title Match - 3Min. 3R Ext.2R
Badr Hari (Morocco) vs Yusuke Fujimoto (Japan)
Super
Fight - 3Min. 3R Ext.2R
Remy Bonjasky (Holland) vs Glaube Feitosa (Brazil)
Junichi
Sawayashiki (Japan) vs Randy Kim (Republic of Korea)
Reserve
Fight : 3Min. 3R Ext.2R
Jerrel Venetiaan (Holland) vs Peter Graham (Australia)
**
Please note that fighters may change due to injury.
Tickets
to the event are on sale through Ticketmaster and priced at $40,
$60, $100, $150, and VIP at $500 and doors will open at 5.00pm.
Fans who cannot attend the event in person will be able to watch
the event live in Japan and delayed in Hawaii.
Tickets
are available through:
Ticketmaster: 1-808-591-2211
Hours: Monday - Saturday 8am-8pm / Sunday 8am-4pm
Website: www.ticketmaster.com
Times Supermarket Stores: In store
Source: MMA Weekly |
KICKIN
IT 2007 PART 3
FRIDAY APRIL 20TH
FILCOM CENTER
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
KICKIN IT WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE THEIR NEXT SHOW ON MAY 19TH BUT
DUE TO A DEMAND FOR ANOTHER SHOW. KICKIN IT SCRAMBLED UP A CARD
IN 2 1/2 WEEKS TO PROVIDE THESE KICKBOXERS WITH SOME SWING TIME.
THE MAIN EVENT WILL FEATURE THE QUICKNESS OF RICKY MURRILLO AND
THE HARD KICKIN HIAPO KOLO. BOTH OF THESE FIGHTERS HAVE A LOT
OF RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER SO IT'LL BE ALL ABOUT TECHNIQUE AND
WHO WILL MAKE THE FIRST MISTAKE. ANOTHER FIGHT NOT TO MISS WILL
BE YOSHIDA AGAINST OSTOVICH. DAS RIGHT ITS GOING DOWN, THESE
TWO GUYS WERE SUPPOSE TO MEET A WHILE BACK BUT SAGE BROKE HIS
ARM AND HAD TO PULL OUT BUT COME APRIL 20TH, THESE TWO GUYS WILL
BE ONLY TRYING TO PULL OUT A WIN. THIS CARD WILL HAVE A LOT OF
FIRST TIME FIGHTERS SO YOU KNOW THESE ROOKIES WILL HAVE SOME
FAST AND HEAVY SWINGING IN THE FIRST ROUND. AND THE ONLY THING
THAT WILL BE HEAVY AFTER THAT , IS THEIR BREATHING. SO COME DOWN
AND CHECK IT OUT.
1.HIAPO KOLO 160 RICKY MURRILLO
PAPAKOLEA
FIGHT CLUB BANGAHSVILLE
IN
THE 2006 SEQUEL THIS FIGHT LASTED ONLY 30 SECONDS. THIS WAS THE
MOST ANTCIPATED FIGHT ON THAT CARD. HIAPO IS KNOWN FOR HIS STRONG
KICKS AND HIS ROCK SOLID JAW. RICKY IS KNOWN FOR HIS SPEED AND
HIS RIGHT HAND. RICKYS STRAIGHT RIGHT TO HIAPOS BODY IS WHAT
ENDED THE FIGHT SO FAST. BUT AT THE LAST KICKIN IT HIAPO CAME
INTO THE RING TO ASK RICKY FOR ANOTHER SHOT. RICKY ACCEPTED THE
MATCH AND BULKED UP TO MEET HIM AT HIAPOS FIGHTING WEIGHT. IS
THIS REMATCH GOING TO BE A REPEAT OR A REDEMPTION. ITS ON.
2.ROYCE
POAHA 145 MARCUS MARTINEZ
TEAM
DEVASTATION BULLSPEN
2006
WELTER WEIGHT JUNIOR KICKIN IT CHAMPION (ROYCE) WILL TAKE ON
ONE OF BULLSPENS OUTSTANDING 145 LB KICKBOXERS. ROYCE HAS GREAT
TIMING IN HIS PUNCHES AND LIKES TO MAKE HIS BIG SHOTS COUNT.
MARCUS HAS ONLY ONE LOSS ON HIS RECORD AND WILL TRY TO GIVE ROYCE
HIS FIRST LOSS COME APRIL 20TH.
3.OTTO
HOOPII 300+ JUNIOR CHAVEZ
TEAM
ANILAND HSD
4.KOLOA
KAHALE 220 JUDE KAPUA
TEAM
ANILAND TEAM DEVASTATION
5.STEVE
LIM 145 MATT KANAHELE
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI BIG TYME FIGHT
6.
RYAN MURAKAMI 155 CHAD VALENTINE
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI HMC
7.ABE
CAGANAP 145 RICHARD BERNARD
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI HSD
8.
JENNIFER KAKIO 135 ANJELICA
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI ANIMAL HOUSE .
9.MIKE
UEMOTO 150 HARRISON KOLO
ANIMAL
HOUSE TEAM ANILAND
10.KOICHI
TANJI 135 RICKY TANGERA
HMC
WAIANAE KICKBOXING
KOICHI
HAS CRAZY HAND SPEED THAT HAS WON THE RESPECT FROM A LOT OF THE
KICKIN FANS. IN HIS LAST FIGHT, HE FOUGHT ONE OF HAWAII'S BEST
TEENAGE FIGHTERS. (TONY PERRERA) THEY PUT ON A GREAT SHOW THAT
NIGHT. ON APRIL 20TH KOICHI WILL BE FACING TONY'S TEAMMATE RICKY
TANGERA WHO IS KNOWN TO BE A POWER PUNCHER. BE THERE WHEN SPEED
VERSUS POWER.
11.GARON
REBALIZA 100 PIN DAO
INNER
CIRCLE BULLSPEN
12.TY
KAHALUA 220 MAKANA
HSD
LAS VEGAS FIGHT CLUB
13.JUSTIN
KAHALE 90 KILEY RAMIRO
TEAM
ANILAND HMC
14.JOE
LAWE 240 KONA KAOLULO
FREELANCE
TEAM ANILAND
15.ANDREW
GANABAN 145 KAHELE KAOLULO
WESSIDE
CONNECTION TEAM ANILAND
16.MACKY
190 MAX MURRAY
JESUS
IS LORD HMC
17.SAGE
YOSHIDA 125 ROBBIE OSTOVICH
HMC
JESUS IS LORD
SAGE
IS THE 2004 KICKIN IT CHAMPION AND ROBBY IS THE 2005 CHAMPION,
BOTH FIGHTERS ARE ONLY TEENAGERS THAT ARE LOOKING TO EXCEL IN
THEIR STAND UP GAME. THE SKILLS AND THE TECHNIQUE THESE TWO WILL
DISPLAY WOULD BE EXPECTED FROM ADULTS. BOTH THEIR FATHERS ARE
GREAT FIGHTERS WHICH THEY HAVE PASSED DOWN TO THEIR KIDS (SAGE
& ROBBY), I GUESS ITS ALL ABOUT BLOODLINE. SO YOU KNOW THAT
THEY'RE GONNA BRING IT COME APRIL 20TH.
18.IKAIKA
PATCHO 105 SOLOMON DIXON
TEAM
DEVASTATION HMC
MATCHES
AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Derrick Bright
|
Minotouro
wins Boxing Cup
Looking
after the perfect preparation for the Pan-American 2007, Rogério
Minotouro on last night, April 11st, defeated his main adversary
at the Eder Jofre Cup, a competition realizated by the Brazilian
Confederation of Boxing. Fighting at the category super heavy
for athletes with more than 91kg, Minotouro, who defends the
academy Champion from Bahia , defeated Marcelo Nascimento da
Suzano from São Paulo , by points getting 6x4. The Competition
started yesterday and will go through until Sunday (15).
Source: Tatame |
AFP
TOP TEN FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH
HEAVYWEIGHT
1.)
Fedor Emelianenko Russia
2.) Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira Brazil
3.) Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic Croatia
4.) Josh Barnett USA
5.) Fabricio Werdum Brazil
6.) Mark Hunt New Zealand
7.) Alexander Emelianenko Russia
8.) Sergei Kharitonov Russia
9.) Randy Couture USA
10.) Brandon Vera USA
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT
1.)
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua Brazil
2.) Ricardo Arona Brazil
3.) Dan Henderson USA
4.) Vanderlei Silva Brazil
5.) Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson USA
6.) Chuck Liddell USA
7.) Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Cameroon
8.) Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira Brazil
9.) Alistair Overeem Holland
10.) Vitor Belfort Brazil
MIDDLEWEIGHT
1.)
Paulo Filho Brazil
2.) Dan Henderson USA
3.) Anderson Silva Brazil
4.) Kazuo Misaki Japan
5.) Denis Kang Canada
6.) Murilo Bustamante Brazil
7.) Matt Lindland USA
8.) Kazushi Sakuraba Japan
9.) Rich Franklin USA
10.) Renzo Gracie Brazil
WELTERWEIGHT
1.)
Georges St-Pierre Canada
2.) Matt Hughes USA
3.) B.J.
Penn USA
4.) Diego Sanchez USA
5.) Karo Parisyan USA
6.) Jake Shields USA
7.) Carlos Condit USA
8.) Frank Trigg USA
9.) Shinya Aoki Japan
10.) Delson Heleno Brazil
LIGHTWEIGHT
1.)
Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro Brazil
2.) Nick Diaz USA
3.) Takanori Gomi Japan
4.) Gesias Cavalcante Brazil
5.) Sean Sherk USA
6.) Mitsuhiro Ishida Japan
7.) Marcus Aurelio Brazil
8.) Hayato Sakurai Japan
9.) Joachim Hansen Norway
10.) Tatsuya Kawajiri Japan
FEATHERWEIGHT
1.)
Gilbert Melendez USA
2.) Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto Japan
3.) Ivan Menjivar El Salvador
4.) Hideo Tokoro Japan
5.) Alexandre 'Pequeno' Nogueira Brazil
6.) Hatsu Hioki Japan
7.) Jeff Curran USA
8.) Mark Hominick Canada
9.) Takeshi Inoue Japan
10.) Urijah Faber USA
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“When
life is too easy for us, we must beware or we may not be ready
to meet the blows which sooner or later come to everyone, rich
or poor.”
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, American Humanitarian and Former
First Lady of the United States
|
FROM
RUSSIA WITH LOVE, FEDOR DEFEATS LINDLAND
St. Petersburg, Russia, April 14 - Nestled between cold rows
of tenement complexes in the former capital of Russia, the Ice
Palace hosted BodogFight’s second PPV offering, “Clash
of the Nations”. In an unexpected twist of affairs, Russian
premier Vladimir Putin confirmed his affinity for MMA by dropping
in shortly after the event kickoff, sending a surge of excitement
through the partisan crowd.
It
was a small diversion from the true star of the evening, Fedor
Emelianenko, who’s visage was plastered over the entire
city in the buildup to the fight. Upon his arrival, the audience
screamed their approval as he walked towards the ring, his Pride
belt by his side. It was his first fight on Russian soil since
becoming an international superstar.
Standing
across from him was 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Matt Lindland,
who bravely stepped up two weight classes to face the feared
heavyweight. Lindland had weighed in at 212lbs the previous day,
Fedor had come in at 230lbs; certainly not a large heavyweight,
but not the staggering 30lb difference that many expected.
“It’s
not about the size, it’s about the skill,” Lindland
declared at the pre-fight press conference. “A lot of people
are scared of him, but I’m not intimidated. I’m going
to come right at him.”
To
his credit, Lindland delivered on his promise to a T. Right from
the bell, the Team Quest original took the fight to “The
Russian Experiment”, delivering a huge overhand left to
the eye of Emelianenko, backing him into the corner. Seizing
the window of opportunity, Lindland got double underhooks against
the ropes and began to set up a takedown. Emelianenko’s
right eyebrow had been cut decisively, bleeding generously.
It
was the following moment that marked a crucial turning point
in the fight. As Lindland began to hoist Emelianenko up to deliver
him to the canvas, Emelianenko instinctively grabbed the ropes.
Referee Troy Waugh quickly admonished the Pride champ, instructing
him to let go, but as Lindland continued to crank Emelianenko
over his shoulder, the rope grabbing continued.
It
was unclear how many times Emelianenko grabbed them, but when
Lindland finally took him off of his feet, Emelianenko quickly
reversed him in mid air on their way to the canvas.
It
didn’t take long for Emelianenko to spring to his feet from
Matt’s half guard, hoping to land one of his missile-like
hooks. Surprisingly, Lindland responded by trapping Emelianenko’s
left ankle and looking for a heel hook. Emelianenko retorted
by attacking Lindland’s legs, but quickly gave up on it,
returning to half guard. Lindland seemed to have little answer
for Emelianenko’s transition to mount position, and as Lindland
attempted to roll out of danger, Emelianenko segued into an armbar.
Lindland
gave his all to wrench free of the hold, but remained stuck as
Emelianenko bided his time.
“I
didn’t feel like the armbar was very close,” Lindland
explained. “So I was waiting to make an adjustment to get
on top rather than just counter the arm bar. He made a very nice
adjustment to finish it.”
The
finish, a joint popping crank of Lindland’s arm, brought
the tapout at 2:38 of the first frame.
“I
came out there with a serious game plan, Lindland said later.
“I got into a nice position that I had planned on getting
in to. We were told explicitly before the fight that guys would
be penalized for using the ropes. I’d seen it all night.
Referees were pulling guys hands off the ropes and takedowns
were being finished because of that. That’s where I wanted
to be: on top of that fight. I made a mistake and he capitalized
on it. He’s a fantastic fighter and I would love to re-match
him.”
Unfortunately,
Emelianenko was unavailable for comment about his use of the
ropes, as Premier Putin invited the lion’s share of winners
back to his palace for a post fight celebration.
Post
fight, ref Troy Waugh said he would be watching the replay to
re-assess the infraction. “It was tough,” said Waugh.
“He’s there, I’m trying to peel him off, it was
a tough, tough call. I feel confident in the call.”
In
the evening’s co-main event, challenger Nick Thompson played
a smart game, using his reach and straight punches to sting MFC
Welterweight champion Eddie Alvarez throughout their fight.
“I
think Eddie expected I was going to try to take him down,”
Thompson explained. “He’s really good at sprawling
and brawling. So we decided I was going to use my length, using
my jab to frustrate him.”
Though
Alvarez was relentless in his attack, tagging Thompson several
times with straight rights to the body and winging hooks, Thompson
stayed in the pocket and countered with jab-cross combos. Generously
using the ropes to lean out of harm’s way, Thompson took
away Eddie’s fast hands and returned fire with a right cross
that caused Alvarez’s eye to swell rapidly late in the first.
Alvarez
quickly took the fight to the ground in the second, but was unable
to capitalize before Thompson made his way back to his feet.
After ringside commentator Colonel Bob Sheriden loudly declared
“Alvarez is kicking it into second gear”, Thompson
literally stopped in his tracks, crying out, “what about
me, I’m about to kick it into third gear”, as Alvarez
chased him backwards.
Kick
it into third he did, dropping Alvarez with a short left hook
after narrowly escaping a high kick. Thompson nearly connected
with a kick as Alvarez met the canvas, but clinched the win by
pounding on Alvarez at the edge of the ring. Referee Troy Waugh
called a stoppage at 4:32 of the second, making Thompson the
new MFC Welterweight champ.
In
a super-heavyweight showdown, ink laden Aleksander Emelianenko
and Eric Pele made a short go of it, as Pele desperately attempted
to bob his way out of certain unconsciousness via Emelianenko’s
right hook. Pele smartly took some of the spring out of Emelianenko’s
step, landing several big outside leg kicks in the opening minutes,
but was rocked early with said hook.
Emelianenko
looked more like a Muay Thai fighter than ever, throwing a flurry
of fast punches before clinching with Pele and firing off a devastating
series of knees. Pele had one shining moment as he timed one
of Emelianenko’s flurries, connecting with a big right hook
as Emelianenko paused, but the punch didn’t leave a mark.
After
another flurry caused Pele to turn his back to Emelianenko, Pele
squared up to meet a straight left that dug into his skull and
sent him down. After a few right hand bombs, the bout was called
at 4:04 of the first.
Middleweight
Jorge Santiago rebounded from a bad stretch in the UFC, overcoming
Andrei Semenov’s heavy hands to unload a perfect combo that
dropped Semenov. After nearly succumbing to a series of big hammerfists
and an extended armbar at the hands of the Russian, Jorge gave
him a taste of his own medicine.
Jorge
quickly gained top position in the second, extending an armbar
and later a rear naked choke before Semenov hoisted Santiago
off his back. While working his ground and pound, Santiago connected
with an upkick that badly disoriented Semenov. After a restart
from their feet, the American Top Team product landed a picture
perfect right cross, left hook, right uppercut combo that felled
the Russian at 4:28 of the 2nd.
Heavyweight
slugger Roman Zentsov was taken down at will by Canadian Kristof
Midoux, but endured no punishment from the bottom. A missed armbar
attempt and subsequent scramble gave Midoux the mount, but it
wasn’t long before his lackadaisical attack brought the
two back to their feet. After catching a leg kick from Midoux,
Zentsov peppered him with punches as Midoux dove for his leg.
As the bell rang, Midoux slumped over a la Mark Kerr, incapacitated.
Unable to answer the second bell, Zentsov walked away with the
TKO victory.
In
undercard action, Bill “The Butcher” Mahood relentlessly
attacked Steve Steinbess, never allowing him to use his kickboxing
skills. Time after time, Mahood cinched the takedown and flung
punches at Steinbess, who was forced to play defense. Despite
reversing Mahood at the last moment of the bout, Steinbess was
too far behind in the scorecards to compete, giving Mahood the
Unanimous Decision victory.
Brazilian
Rodrigo Damm’s aggressive style put him ahead early, backing
up lightweight Santino Defranco with winging hooks. After Santiago
ate one of the hooks, he rushed to clinch and quickly found himself
mounted by the jiu-jitsu ace. Damm inventively trapped Santiago’s
right arm between his legs and snaked his way to Santiago’s
upper back. Though it wasn’t a classic rear naked choke,
Damm slapped it on with his arm lock still in place, bringing
the tapout at 1:58 of Round 2.
In
a lumbering, Toughman-like bout, heavyweights Josh Curran and
Jarno Nurminen completely shot their proverbial wads in the first
round. The rest of the fight, a series of toe-to-toe slugfests
and unsightly views of Curran’s down-sliding trunks, caused
more laughter in the stands than exhilaration. Holding his hands
above his head in utter exhaustion, Curran let out a barbaric
yawp and took Nurminen down, mounting him easily. Pounding away
from the top, Nurminen tapped from the strikes at 2:53 of the
3rd.
Julie
Kedzie stood and traded with the game Julia Berezekova , but
took the fight after catching a few shots in the first. A slick
transition from guard to mount saw Kedzie lock up a triangle
from the position, where she pounded her foe until the ref rescued
Berezekova at 2:49 of Round 2.
Ray
Steinbess also used his superior jiu-jitsu skills to negate opponent
Dmitry Oganov’s crisp strikes, hip tossing the new-comer
shortly after clinching. Scooting his hips to the right, Steinbess
first worked for an armbar, then used his legs to pull himself
to Oganov’s back. Oganov briefly fought to get out of the
ensuing rear naked choke, but Steinbess had already sunk it in,
bringing the tapout at 3:00 of the 1st.
In
a major miscommunication, referee Troy Waugh misheard UFC vet
Derrick Noble as he attempted to defend welterweight Eric Oganov’s
strikes. After narrowly missing a guillotine choke, Noble found
himself on the wrong end of a flurry of strikes from his Russian
counterpart. According to Noble, Waugh asked him if he was okay
to continue. When he said yes, Waugh stepped in to stop the bout,
claiming he had heard no. Afterwards, Waugh acknowledged his
mistake, but the bout went to Oganov at 2:55 of the 2nd.
Middleweight
Andy Foster didn’t have much of a chance as opponent Amar
Suloev caught his low kick attempt, KO’ing him with a right
hand that put him out on his feet. After four late blows, the
bout was called at :26 of the first.
Bodog
“Clash of the Nations” Full Results
-Josh
Curran def. Jarno Nurminen at 2:53 of Rd. 1 by Submission (Strikes).
-Rodrigo
Damm def. Santino Defranco at 1:58 of Rd. 1 by Submission (Rear
Naked Choke).
-Bill
Mahood def. Steve Steinbess at 5:00 of Rd. 3 by Unanimous Decision.
-Roman
Zentsov def. Kristof Midoux at 5:00 of Rd 1 by TKO (Midoux unable
to answer the bell).
-Amanda
Buckner def. Hitomi Akano at 5:00 of Rd. 3 by Unanimous Decision.
-Jorge
Santiago def. Andrei Semenov at 4:28 of Rd. 2 by TKO.
-Aleksander
Emelianenko def. Eric Pele at 4:07 of Rd. 1 by KO.
-Nick
Thompson def. Eddie Alvarez at 4:32 of Rd. 2 by TKO.
-Fedor
Emelianenko def. Matt Lindland at 2:38 of Rd. 1 by Submission
(Armbar).
-Julie
Kedzie def. Julia Berezekova at 2:49 of Rd. 2 by TKO (Strikes)
-Ray
Steinbess def. Dmitry Samoilov at 3:00 of Rd. 1 by Submission
(Rear Naked Choke)
-Eric
Oganov def. Derrick Noble at 2:55 of Rd. 2 by TKO.
-Amar
Suloev def. Andy Foster at :26 of Rd. 1 by KO.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FERTITTA
PUTS PRIDE GRAND PRIX ON HOLD
In a recent press release, Dream Stage Entertainment announced
that the highly anticipated Pride Lightweight Grand Prix has
been postponed. The first round of the 16-man tournament was
originally scheduled to take place on May 20th at the Saitama
Super Arena.
The
reason for the delay was attributed to insufficient time. The
ownership of Pride officially changes over on May 1st, and it
appears that the Fertitta brothers felt it was necessary to postpone
the event in order to properly promote and prepare for the show.
On
March 27th, UFC principal owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta acquired
the assets of Pride Fighting Championships, signifying the largest
organization purchase in mixed martial arts history. The Fertittas
created a new company called Pride FC Worldwide that would continue
to operate the organization in Japan.
At
the post-fight press conference of the final DSE-run Pride event
on April 8, Pride Executive Director Nobuhiko Takada announced
the following participants for the Lightweight Grand Prix: Takanori
Gomi, Hayato Sakurai, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Shinya Aoki, Mitsuhiro
Ishida, Gilbert Melendez, Joachim Hansen, Marcus Aurelio, and
Luis Azeraedo. Satoru Kitaoka also earned a spot in the Grand
Prix by defeating Fabricio Monteiro at the last DEEP event.
Outgoing
Pride President Nobuyuki Sakikabara, at the same press conference,
indicated that the UFC would also be sending fighters to the
Grand Prix. “I’m sure that the UFC will send us one
of the very best lightweight fighters of the UFC," Sakikibara
said. "That’s what Lorenzo promised me. I’m sure
that Lorenzo will prove his commitment.”
With
the purchase of Pride by the Fertittas, there has been much discussion
about instilling the Unified Rules – which are widely accepted
in America and the rules under which the Ultimate Fighting Championship
operates – to govern Pride events. The Fertittas and UFC
president Dana White have both stated that future Pride events
will have the same rules as the UFC.
The
question of which rules to use in the “new” Pride and
the whole process of transferring ownership of the company are
likely contributing factors in the delay of the Grand Prix.
More
specific details of the Grand Prix should become available in
the coming weeks.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
IFL
BATTLEGROUND RATINGS DOWN SLIGHTLY
Episode Four of IFL Battleground on MyNetworkTV drew an overall
rating of 0.7 on Monday, April 9th. The show drew its smallest
average audience to date, just 977,000 viewers, while also drawing
its highest ratings to date in the 18-to-34-year-old male demographic.
The
four original episodes of IFL Battleground that have aired thus
far have drawn overall ratings of 0.8, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.7. Although
an improvement, this is not drastically different than MyNetworkTV's
average of 0.5 overall on Monday nights in February before the
IFL debuted on the network.
In
the 18-to-34-year-old male demographic, which is the specific
demographic that the IFL was brought in to draw for the struggling
network, the first four episodes of IFL Battleground have drawn
ratings of 0.7, 0.6, 0.8, and 0.8. This is a drastic increase
from MyNetworkTV's previous average rating in the demographic,
which was a paltry 0.2. With 18 episodes out of Battleground's
22-episode order yet to air, there is still plenty of time for
potential ratings increases or decreases, depending on whether
the show keeps its audience coming back for more each week.
Four
days earlier in the same time slot (8:00 PM to 10:00 PM), albeit
on a different night of the week, the live premiere of UFC Fight
Night 9 drew an average of 1.6 million viewers on Spike TV, compared
to 977,000 viewers for Episode Four of IFL Battleground.
In
an attempt to further increase its ratings in April and especially
in the May sweeps period, MyNetworkTV has ordered nine prime
time specials to air in late April and May, including "Hawaiian
Tropic International Beauty Pageant," "Ujena Bikini
Jam," "Body Doubles: International Twins Search,"
"America's Trashiest Weddings," "Britney Spears:
A Pop Idol Exposed" (no relation to the preceding special),
"The Hooters Dream Girl Challenge," "Anna Nicole
Smith: Centerfold Revisited," "Night of a Million Laughs:
Comics Unleashed," and "Eddie Murphy: 25th Anniversary
of 'Delirious.'"
The
ratings success or failure of these specials, as well as IFL
Battleground, could play a significant role in Fox's decision
on whether to bring back MyNetworkTV for a second season this
fall. If MyNetworkTV does come back in the fall, it is almost
certain that the network would be interested in bringing back
IFL Battleground for a second season.
Airing
head-to-head with IFL Battleground on April 9th from 8:00 PM
to 10:00 PM, a 90-minute installment of ABC's "Dancing with
the Stars" was the most-watched show on television, as it
drew a 12.2 overall rating for an episode that included a guest
appearance by UFC fighter Randy Couture. Following Dancing with
the Stars on ABC was a 90-minute installment of "The Bachelor,"
the first 30 minutes of which drew a 6.7 overall rating head-to-head
with the IFL.
Coming
in second place on the night was CBS, which struggled with the
first half of its comedy block, as "How I Met Your Mother"
drew a 5.0 overall rating and "The New Adventures of Old
Christine" drew a 4.8 overall rating, but rebounded strongly
with the second half of its comedy block, as "Two and a
Half Men" drew an 8.4 overall rating and "King of Queens"
drew an 8.6 overall rating. Coming in third place was Fox with
a repeat of "House" (4.9 overall rating) and a new
episode of "24" (7.2 overall rating). Coming in last
place among the Big Four networks was NBC, as a new episode of
"Deal or No Deal" drew a 6.8 overall rating and the
premiere of "Thank God You're Here" drew a 5.8 overall
rating in its first hour.
On
Monday, April 2nd, the IFL chose to air a repeat episode of Battleground
instead of a new episode, due to the fact that it had to go head-to-head
with the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Finals on CBS. As it
turned out, the Tournament Finals broadcast was the night's #1
show in the young adult male demographic, but it suffered a rare
defeat in the overall ratings, with an 11.4 overall rating compared
to Dancing with the Stars' 11.9 overall rating. The repeat airing
of IFL Battleground drew a 0.7 overall rating on April 2nd, which
is the same rating that a new episode of the series drew on April
9th.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Some
books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered."
W. H. Auden, 1907-1973, English-born Poet
|
BodogFight
"Clash of the Nations" Results
BodogFight "Clash of the Nations"
Saturday, April 14, 2007
ICE Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Matt Lindland
Three
seconds into the bout Lindland connected on an overhand left
that opened a cut over Emelianenko’s right eye. Lindland
faked a left and charged for double underhooks. From there, Lindland
worked hard in attempts to take Emelianenko down. Finally, Lindland
was able to lift Emelianenko off his feet – but Emelianenko
brought his right foot down and reversed the takedown to end
up in Lindland’s half guard. Emelianenko looked to secure
Lindland’s left arm but Lindland didn’t give it to
him. Emelianenko, with one knee on the canvas, grabbed a hold
of Lindland’s left ankle for an ankle lock. Lindland kicked
Emelianenko off to break out of the hold. Fedor went back in
Lidnland’s half guard and advanced to the mount position.
Lindland immediately tried to buck Emelianenko off but Emelianenko
took Lindland’s left arm and applied the armbar for the
submission win at 2 minutes and 58 seconds.
Emelianenko
moves his record to 26-1 while Lindland's record falls to 20-5.
Pre-PPV
Undercard
1.
HW: Josh Curran, 266 lbs def. Jarno Nurminen, 250 lbs via TKO
(strikes) at 2:53 of round 3.
2.
LW: Rodrigo Damm, 156 lbs def. Santino Defranco, 156 lbs via
submission (rear naked choke) at 1:58 of round 2.
3.
MW: Bill Mahood, 205 lbs def. Steve Steinbeiss, 203.6 lbs via
uanimous decision after 3 rounds.
PPV
Main Card
4.
HW: Roman Zentzov, 233 lbs def. Kristof Midoux via TKO (corner
stoppage) after the end of round 1.
5.
Women's 135 lbs: Amanda Buckner, 135 lbs def. Hitomi Akano, 136
lbs via unanimous decision after 3 rounds.
6.
MW: Jorge Santiago, 186 lbs def. Andrei Semenov,185 lbs via TKO
(strikes) at 4:48 of round 2.
7.
SH: Aleksander Emelianenko, 255 lbs def. Eric Pele, 277 lbs via
KO at 4:07 of round 1.
8.
WW: Nick Thompson, 170.8 lbs def. Eddie Alvarez, 169.7 lbs via
TKO (strikes) at 4:32 of round 2. Thompson wins the MFC welterweight
championship.
9.
HW: Fedor Emelianenko, 230 lbs def. Matt Lindland, 212 lbs via
submission (armbar) at 2:58 of round 1.
Post-PPV
Undercard
10.
Women's 135 lbs: Julie Kedzie, 134.5 lbs def. Julia Berezikova,
131 lbs via TKO (strikes) at 2:49 of round 2.
11.
WW: Ray Steinbeiss, 171 lbs def. Dmitry Samoilov, 169 lbs via
submission (rear naked choke) at 3:00 of round 1.
12.
WW: Eric Oganov, 169.5 lbs def. Derrick Noble, 170.8 lbs via
TKO (strikes) at 2:55 of round 2.
13.
MW: Amar Suloev, 184 lbs def. Andy Foster, 184 lbs via KO at
0:26 of round 1.
BodogFight:
Costa Rica Combat returns to Costa Rica for a third season next
Tuesday, April 17, on ION Television.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
GEORGES
ST. PIERRE TAKING LOSS IN STRIDE
by Mitch
Gobetz
Georges St. Pierre was supposed to walk through Matt Serra last
Saturday night. After all, he did just decimate the longtime
former welterweight champion Matt Hughes. On top of that, St.
Pierre practically wiped out the welterweight division on his
way up to the title, defeating big names such as Sean Sherk,
Frank Trigg, Karo Parisyan, Jason Miller and BJ Penn. That is
a very impressive list. On paper, looking at the match up between
Serra and St. Pierre, it’s a no brainer that St. Pierre
should steamroll Serra, right?
Matt
Serra shocked the world Saturday night scoring what may be the
biggest upset in UFC history over the French-Canadian. After
a flurry of punches that left St. Pierre wondering what zip code
he was in, his short reign as champion was over.
So,
the question many people have is, ‘How did that happen?’
The answer is simple: it’s mixed martial arts. One of the
best things about this sport is no matter how dominant someone
might seem, it is a fight and anything can happen.
Even
though St. Pierre isn’t the champion anymore, he is still
a champion in many people’s eyes. Hopefully, some fighters
take notice on how St. Pierre handles defeat. There were no excuses,
no complaints, just gratitude and respect. There are many fighters
who handle being defeated completely opposite.
St.
Pierre was on MMAWeekly Radio recently and spoke candidly about
his loss, “It’s the biggest nightmare of my career
and I’m through it, and I’m gonna use it to motivate
me and push me to come back in my next fight.”
There
are a few fighters that will give Georges that motivation, namely
Matt Hughes. Hughes was caught chuckling and pointing at St.
Pierre after his loss to Serra. “I saw what he did and don’t
worry, it’s in my mind. I can’t wait to have a chance
to fight him. When I knocked him out, I didn’t laugh at
him and make fun of the situation.”
Where
does St. Pierre go from here? There are plenty of match ups that
make sense for him. More than likely, he won’t have to get
too many wins to be back for the title. He did clear out the
majority of contenders already. Some likely scenarios for him
are Jon Fitch or the recently defeated Diego Sanchez. There are
many considerations to take in though. If he were to fight Diego
Sanchez and win, then Sanchez will lose a lot of the hype that
the UFC has built up. There are many fans who will be demanding
to see that match up and it has main event caliber written all
over it.
One
thing is for sure, he isn’t wasting any time. “I’m
really pumped up right now. I didn’t even take a vacation.
On Monday, I was back in the gym training like crazy.”
All
of a sudden, a lot of fans have jumped off the St. Pierre bandwagon
and are now claiming that he was overrated, has a glass jaw,
etc. That is a ridiculous claim to make, and many fans need to
realize that losing one fight doesn’t mean that the fighter’s
career is over. If anything, this will make St. Pierre come back
with an even stronger burning desire to win back that belt that
he coveted not too long ago. He doesn’t want to wait long
either. “I would like to fight as fast as possible, in July
maybe.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Who
is the man to defeat Sokoudjou?
Don’t miss the new poll of site TATAME and answer now the
question: Who is able to win the Camaronian fighter Sokoudjou?
The options are: Wanderlei Silva, Paulão Filho, Mauricio
Shogun, Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, Thiago Silva, Lyoto Machida,
Ricardo Arona and Rogério Minotouro. Check out now and
give your vote to your favorite fighter to win the big man who
defeated Rogério Minotouro at Pride 33 and Ricardo Arona
at Pride 34.
At
the last poll made by site TATAME, we asked for all the web users
who would be the great highlight of the absolute category of
the ADCC and the BTT black belt Ricardo Arona got the first place.
Arona was the favorite with 43% of votes. The second place was
for Marcelinho Garcia who got 25%, followed by Leozinho Vieira
in third place with 8% of votes. The fourth place was for Márcio
Pé-de-pano who got 7%, followed by Jeff Monson with 6%
and by Alexandre Cacareco with 4%. Cristiano Titi drew with Rômulo
Barral with 3% of votes and the last placed was Rousimar Toquinho,
who got only 1% of the total votes.
Source: Tatame
|
Uncertain
futures for PRIDE fighters
Nikkan Sports has a headline grabber today, claiming that Hidehiko
Yoshida will fight at 205 pounds in the future (for a run at
the UFC Light Heavyweight division). The article claims that
Yoshida’s 5/20 Saitama Super Arena fight will be preparation
for him fighting in UFC later this Summer.
Daily
Sports has an article claiming that Josh Barnett may work for
the IGF 6/29 Ryogoku debut show. From what I have been told directly,
Barnett’s status right now as a fighter is in limbo. He
is waiting for any and all offers. He has not been contacted
by Zuffa in relation to the ‘new’ PRIDE.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Guillard
tests positive for cocaine
Melvin Guillard (3-2 UFC, 39-7-3 overall) has tested positive
for cocaine, the UFC confirmed on Friday.
The
Nevada State Athletic Commission identified benzoylecgonine,
the major metabolite of cocaine, in the urine sample submitted
by Guillard at UFC Fight Night on April 5.
Guillard’s
positive test comes three days after Nick Diaz was given a six-month
suspension for a positive marijuana test at PRIDE 32 on February
24. Diaz’s win was changed to a no decision – the first
time a win was renounced by the NSAC.
Guillard
lost to Joe Stevenson in 27 seconds via guillotine choke in the
Spike TV-televised main event.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
KEVIN
JACKSON TO FILL IN FOR MATT LINDLAND
One of the most accomplished and respected wrestling coaches
in the country, Kevin Jackson, has agreed to serve as interim
coach of the Portland, Oregon-based Wolfpack as the team competes
at the International Fight League event at Mohegan Sun Arena
in Uncasville, Conn. on Friday, April 13. Jackson, who won a
gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic
Games, will be leading the squad in place of Matt Lindland, who
will be competing in an MMA event overseas. The IFL is the world’s
first team-based professional mixed martial arts league.
In
addition to his Olympic feat, Jackson also claimed World Championship
gold medals in both 1991 and 1995. He is one of only five U.S.
wrestlers to claim three career World-level titles. A pioneer
of sorts in the sport, Kevin Jackson is proud to have become
the second African American wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal.
“This
is a tremendous opportunity for me to work with an outstanding
group of mixed martial artists, many of whom have strong wrestling
backgrounds,” said Jackson. “I also look forward to
the challenge of competing against a strong team and coach in
Renzo Gracie.”
In
college, Jackson competed for both Louisiana State and Iowa State
Universities. From 1983 through 1985 Jackson was a three-time
All-American at LSU. After his junior season, LSU dropped its
wrestling program and Jackson transferred to Iowa State for his
final year of eligibility. At the 1987 NCAA tournament, the Cyclones’
star 167-pounder finished second to end his college career as
a four-time All-American.
He
later went on to an MMA career, which included a championship
at UFC 14. He was ranked as the world’s No. 1 middleweight
following that victory.
“Kevin
Jackson’s status as one of the world’s best freestyle
wrestlers and as an outstanding teacher of the sport will be
a big plus for the Wolfpack in this important matchup,”
said Kurt Otto, IFL Commissioner and Co-Founder. “We are
excited that he as accepted this role, which is indicative of
the growing relationship between the IFL and USA Wrestling.”
“I
picked Kevin because he is not only a veteran of the sport, but
because he has earned my respect and those of many other world-class
athletes,” added Lindland. “In addition to being a
friend, he is someone I have worked with extensively in the past,
with great success.”
The
Wolfpack, who last year advanced to the finals of the International
Fight League World Team Championship, will take on the Pitbulls,
based in New York and coached by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Renzo
Gracie, in the regular season event, which will be shown the
same night on Fox Sports Net at 11 p.m. in most markets. The
Dragons, coached by MMA legend Carlos Newton, battle the Scorpions,
led by MMA and wrestling icon Don Frye, in the other team matchup
on the 10-bout card.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Live
all you can - it's a mistake not to. It doesn't so much matter
what you do in particular, so long as you have your life. If
you haven't had that, what have you had?"
Henry James, 1843-1916, American-born Author
|
BodogFight
announces bout order for
"Clash of the Nations"
Hawaii
Air Times
Channel 702
Sat 4/14 3:00 PM
Channel
703
Sat 4/14 3:00 PM
BodogFight has announced the bout order for its "Clash of
the Nations" card to take place on April 14th in St. Petersburg,
Russia.
There
will be "undercard" bouts before and after the six-fight
pay-per-view broadcast.
Official
Weigh-In Results
Main
Card
Fedor Emelianenko 230lbs. vs. Matt Lindland 212lbs.
Eddie Alvarez 169lbs vs. Nick Thompson 170lbs.
Aleksander Emelianenko 255lbs vs. Eric Pele 277lbs.
Andrei Semenov 185lbs. vs. Jorge Santiago 186lbs.
Amanda Buckner 135lbs. vs. Hitomi Akano 136lbs.
Roman Zentsov 233lbs. vs. Kristof Midoux ??
Undercard
Julia Berezekova 131lbs. vs. Julie Kedzie 135lbs.
Dmitry Samoliov 169 lbs. vs. Ray Steinbeis 171lbs.
Eric Oganov 169lbs. vs. Derrick Noble 170lbs.
Amar Suloev 184lbs. vs. Andy Foster 184lbs.
Undercard
Pre-PPV Fights
Josh Curran 265lbs. vs. Jarno Nurminen 249lbs.
Rodrigo Damm 156lbs. vs. Santino Defranco 156lbs.
Steve Steinbeiss 171lbs. vs. Bill Mahood 204lbs.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
KICKIN
IT 2007 PART 3
FRIDAY APRIL 20TH
FILCOM CENTER
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
KICKIN IT WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE THEIR NEXT SHOW ON MAY 19TH BUT
DUE TO A DEMAND FOR ANOTHER SHOW. KICKIN IT SCRAMBLED UP A CARD
IN 2 1/2 WEEKS TO PROVIDE THESE KICKBOXERS WITH SOME SWING TIME.
THE MAIN EVENT WILL FEATURE THE QUICKNESS OF RICKY MURRILLO AND
THE HARD KICKIN HIAPO KOLO. BOTH OF THESE FIGHTERS HAVE A LOT
OF RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER SO IT'LL BE ALL ABOUT TECHNIQUE AND
WHO WILL MAKE THE FIRST MISTAKE. ANOTHER FIGHT NOT TO MISS WILL
BE YOSHIDA AGAINST OSTOVICH. DAS RIGHT ITS GOING DOWN, THESE
TWO GUYS WERE SUPPOSE TO MEET A WHILE BACK BUT SAGE BROKE HIS
ARM AND HAD TO PULL OUT BUT COME APRIL 20TH, THESE TWO GUYS WILL
BE ONLY TRYING TO PULL OUT A WIN. THIS CARD WILL HAVE A LOT OF
FIRST TIME FIGHTERS SO YOU KNOW THESE ROOKIES WILL HAVE SOME
FAST AND HEAVY SWINGING IN THE FIRST ROUND. AND THE ONLY THING
THAT WILL BE HEAVY AFTER THAT , IS THEIR BREATHING. SO COME DOWN
AND CHECK IT OUT.
1.HIAPO KOLO 160 RICKY MURRILLO
PAPAKOLEA
FIGHT CLUB BANGAHSVILLE
IN
THE 2006 SEQUEL THIS FIGHT LASTED ONLY 30 SECONDS. THIS WAS THE
MOST ANTCIPATED FIGHT ON THAT CARD. HIAPO IS KNOWN FOR HIS STRONG
KICKS AND HIS ROCK SOLID JAW. RICKY IS KNOWN FOR HIS SPEED AND
HIS RIGHT HAND. RICKYS STRAIGHT RIGHT TO HIAPOS BODY IS WHAT
ENDED THE FIGHT SO FAST. BUT AT THE LAST KICKIN IT HIAPO CAME
INTO THE RING TO ASK RICKY FOR ANOTHER SHOT. RICKY ACCEPTED THE
MATCH AND BULKED UP TO MEET HIM AT HIAPOS FIGHTING WEIGHT. IS
THIS REMATCH GOING TO BE A REPEAT OR A REDEMPTION. ITS ON.
2.ROYCE
POAHA 145 MARCUS MARTINEZ
TEAM
DEVASTATION BULLSPEN
2006
WELTER WEIGHT JUNIOR KICKIN IT CHAMPION (ROYCE) WILL TAKE ON
ONE OF BULLSPENS OUTSTANDING 145 LB KICKBOXERS. ROYCE HAS GREAT
TIMING IN HIS PUNCHES AND LIKES TO MAKE HIS BIG SHOTS COUNT.
MARCUS HAS ONLY ONE LOSS ON HIS RECORD AND WILL TRY TO GIVE ROYCE
HIS FIRST LOSS COME APRIL 20TH.
3.OTTO
HOOPII 300+ JUNIOR CHAVEZ
TEAM
ANILAND HSD
4.KOLOA
KAHALE 220 JUDE KAPUA
TEAM
ANILAND TEAM DEVASTATION
5.STEVE
LIM 145 MATT KANAHELE
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI BIG TYME FIGHT
6.
RYAN MURAKAMI 155 CHAD VALENTINE
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI HMC
7.ABE
CAGANAP 145 RICHARD BERNARD
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI HSD
8.
JENNIFER KAKIO 135 ANJELICA
LAUPAHOEHOE
MUAY THAI ANIMAL HOUSE .
9.MIKE
UEMOTO 150 HARRISON KOLO
ANIMAL
HOUSE TEAM ANILAND
10.KOICHI
TANJI 135 RICKY TANGERA
HMC
WAIANAE KICKBOXING
KOICHI
HAS CRAZY HAND SPEED THAT HAS WON THE RESPECT FROM A LOT OF THE
KICKIN FANS. IN HIS LAST FIGHT, HE FOUGHT ONE OF HAWAII'S BEST
TEENAGE FIGHTERS. (TONY PERRERA) THEY PUT ON A GREAT SHOW THAT
NIGHT. ON APRIL 20TH KOICHI WILL BE FACING TONY'S TEAMMATE RICKY
TANGERA WHO IS KNOWN TO BE A POWER PUNCHER. BE THERE WHEN SPEED
VERSUS POWER.
11.GARON
REBALIZA 100 PIN DAO
INNER
CIRCLE BULLSPEN
12.TY
KAHALUA 220 MAKANA
HSD
LAS VEGAS FIGHT CLUB
13.JUSTIN
KAHALE 90 KILEY RAMIRO
TEAM
ANILAND HMC
14.JOE
LAWE 240 KONA KAOLULO
FREELANCE
TEAM ANILAND
15.ANDREW
GANABAN 145 KAHELE KAOLULO
WESSIDE
CONNECTION TEAM ANILAND
16.MACKY
190 MAX MURRAY
JESUS
IS LORD HMC
17.SAGE
YOSHIDA 125 ROBBIE OSTOVICH
HMC
JESUS IS LORD
SAGE
IS THE 2004 KICKIN IT CHAMPION AND ROBBY IS THE 2005 CHAMPION,
BOTH FIGHTERS ARE ONLY TEENAGERS THAT ARE LOOKING TO EXCEL IN
THEIR STAND UP GAME. THE SKILLS AND THE TECHNIQUE THESE TWO WILL
DISPLAY WOULD BE EXPECTED FROM ADULTS. BOTH THEIR FATHERS ARE
GREAT FIGHTERS WHICH THEY HAVE PASSED DOWN TO THEIR KIDS (SAGE
& ROBBY), I GUESS ITS ALL ABOUT BLOODLINE. SO YOU KNOW THAT
THEY'RE GONNA BRING IT COME APRIL 20TH.
18.IKAIKA
PATCHO 105 SOLOMON DIXON
TEAM
DEVASTATION HMC
MATCHES
AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Derrick Bright
|
Matt
Serra: A Familiar Feeling...
By Sean McClure
As I sit here reliving the UFC's Saturday night main event shocker
in my head, I reach down to pick up the shiny, silver fork placed
in front of me and get ready to eat one of the most bittersweet
treats in the world of MMA.
Wait...
Before
I get in to that, let me back up.
For
two years, I have been quietly complaining to close friends that
champions were so dominant that the chance of an upset in their
weight class was not even a real possibility anymore. Names like
Hughes, Liddell, and Arlovski were locked in place by cement
right hands and world-class takedowns. How would someone other
than the top ranked fighters in a weight class have a chance,
any hope to beat the elite fighters that held the top spot?
The
cliché commentator phrases that are thrown around like
"puncher's chance"
and "could catch him in a submission", were becoming
unspoken code for "no shot in hell", or "this
guy is going to get completely smashed". The hardcore fans
always knew what was up, I as well as other media types were
already wise, and the general public were no longer really buying
the comments as legitimate points anymore. There was seemingly
no magic in mixed martial arts anymore. The level of any other
fighter that was not ranked in a weight class's top three seemed
to be sub-standard at best. Where was the real competition, dude?
I mean, come on! Like a comeback fighter as old as Randy Couture
could ever beat Tim Sylvia?
At
UFC 68, I started to believe that the underdog really could have
a shot to win in today's UFC. I had seen upsets before, but never
any that matched the significant size or personally meaningful
moment that Randy Couture's winning back the heavyweight title
from Tim Sylvia did. Let me say this, I love magic and magicians,
as a matter of fact, I come from a family with a history in magic
so I do know how to suspend my disbelief for a moment or two.
Randy taught me more than any magician's book, lecture, or trick
ever could in just
25 minutes inside the cage. I learned that magic isn't just something
for kids at birthday parties because he pulled back the curtains
of my MMA eyes and showed me that anything really could happen
at any time in this great sport. Randy served me up a large,
heaping, delicious serving of humble pie and for the first time
I enjoyed the taste. I didn't bother to wash my plate off completely
because I knew it would be just a matter of time before I needed
it again.
"GSP
will size up his opponent, aim in with his cybernetic Canadian
eyes, and then pulverize him with blinding maple leaf powered
pistons where his hands used to be. Oh, and he'll punch the crap
out of him, too. The only way Serra wins this is if GSP takes
this fight lightly and underestimates Matt completely. I can't
see that this would be the case and Serra's only chance will
now be gone." - Sean McClure, MaXfighting.com staff writer
What
an idiot that guy is, huh?
For
the second time in history I silently routed for the underdog
expecting the worst and got the delightfully unexpected in return.
My mind said Georges, but my heart said Matt. That's what I get
for thinking.
We
all know what happened by now. GSP gets demolished in the first
round by TKO at UFC 69 and we have a new welterweight champion
in Matt Serra. I have always been a Serra fan, but felt he would
perennially be one of the best fighters to never hold a belt.
That might be the real reason I was so excited for his victory
over the Canadian champion on Saturday. Matt would finally have
his belt and if he retired today, no one could ever take that
away from him.
Upsets
are alive and well in the UFC and in MMA lately. Diaz smashes
Gomi, Sokodjou annihilates Ninja and Arona, and then Randy pummels
Tim Sylvia for five rounds to become the new UFC heavyweight
champion. You would think that this would be enough, right?
Matt
Serra, in my opinion, just pulled off the biggest upset of the
past two years. Seemingly everyone doubted his skills despite
his performance against Karo Parisyan that proved he was heavy
handed and a tough competitor. With this performance maybe he
will get the respect he deserves from the MMA fans, and by fans
I definitely include myself.
So,
just as I will never doubt Randy Couture ever again, I will ne'er
do the same with Matt Serra. I have learned my lesson with both
fighters now and they deserve my respect now have my faith in
their abilities. As if they needed them to go on with their lives,
yeah?
Anyways,
as I was saying...I pick up my shiny, silver fork and take a
bite of that fresh, bittersweet humble pie that I received via
overnight express from Matt Serra's home in New York. There's
a note attached to the package:
"Sean,
don't be such a schmuck! - Matt"
I
deserved that.
Source: Maxfighting
|
LONDON
CALLING: GOVERNING BODIES IN THE U.K.
by Lee Whitehead
April is proving to be an excellent month for MMA, I don’t
think fans have ever had it so good with both the UFC and Cage
Rage on the same day and Cage Warriors following hot on their
heels on the 28th with Enter the Roughhouse.
There
is a genuine buzz surrounding the sport here in the UK, mainstream
papers are all over it, there are posters everywhere, there has
been a lot of talk on the radio shows, the internet is buzzing,
its all good… obviously this will have a filter effect into
the smaller shows as well, and thus to the broad subject of this
article: Governing Bodies.
There
are new promotions popping up every weekend at the moment and
you would think that is a good thing, but sadly not. It appears
that many of these shows are splashing around a bit more cash
than some of the established events on purses in order to attract
decent names. The problem being is that they are skimping on
production values and more importantly on key resources such
as medicals and security. This is unacceptable from a fighter
safety point of view, but also considering that the “name”
fighters may be matched to slightly lesser qualified talent means
that proper medical attention is an essential requirement, not
a luxury. Yes, it’s a sport, but it’s a combat sport
after all and injuries are par for the course.
Think
of it from another angle, say “name fighter A” usually
fights for £1,000 and a small upstart promotion offers
him £1,400. Then he will more than likely take the fight,
destroy his opponent and come back to his usual established organization
demanding more money, but without looking at the bigger picture
of all the fringe elements such as hotel rooms, medicals, travel
and sustenance. A smaller show cannot offer the career progression
or established routes to the big shows and as such you’re
in a situation where cards are changed last minute due to better
financial offers elsewhere. A double negative if you will.
So
what can be done? A national governing body would be ideal and,
to a certain degree, I think that might be what the UFC will
be aiming at, as I know they have been talking to the UK boxing
governing body with regards to regulations. But at present, we
don’t have the sport monitoring that the US has. I think
it will only be a matter of time before this develops and takes
hold, I just hope that someone doesn’t get seriously hurt
before a change in the proceedings.
In
addition to ensuring correct medical supervision and assessments
at the fights, a governing body would also be able to provide
legitimacy to a promotion falling in line with the procedures
and avoiding situations such as those faced by Cage Warriors
by idiots in the local councils. A promotion would be able to
say here are my credentials, we have this medical team and these
are the common unified rules we adopt.
Talking
of rules, they differ slightly from organization to organization,
with Pro, Semi-Pro and B-Class Pro all the way to Fight First
and their funky Vale-Tudo style rules of old with stomps, elbows,
soccer kicks and so on.
Cage
Rage rules are actually pretty close to the UFC rules as it is
already, so are Cage Warriors and FX3 to name a few – Cage
Rage in particular differ with the open guard rule whereby a
standing fighter can jump and land on his opponents head and/or
stomp and soccer kick providing the referee has called the open
guard and that the downed opponent is 1 meter away from the fencing
(there is a line inside the cage to indicate this).
B-Class
pro rules are essentially Pro rules but with heel-hooks and elbows
on the ground omitted, this provides a useful chance for fighters
to undertake Pro level fights without taking too much damage.
A good idea in theory, but in practice can get a little confusing
to the spectator, case in point being several people I spoke
to at the recent FX3 card.
Even
more confusing is the variation between amateur rules in the
UK. UWC hold amateur matches on their main card and essentially
restrict the fighter from any form of headshots standing or grounded,
so kicks and knees aplenty when on your feet and then loads of
body ground n’ pound with the regulation 4-ounce gloves.
Sol
Gilbert’s ZT FightSkool amateur tournament by contrast,
allows you to strike to the head standing and grounded but you’re
wearing 8-ounce Sparmaster style gloves and shin pads; neck cranks,
heel-hooks and any elbows are disallowed.
Finally,
Marc Goddard’s AMMA promotion lets you fight with 8-ounce
gloves, no shin pads, but no strikes to the head of a grounded
opponent, no spine locks, crucifix or neck cranks.
Why
are we talking amateur fights? Well, because with so many other
promotions popping up running cards without vetting or considering
the skill levels involved, we are seeing guys who should be cutting
their teeth on amateur shows getting smashed to smithereens by
a pro-opponent with an experience advantage – moral: the
sooner we get a governing body the better! As I recall, a Vernon
White fight was changed in the US because of the experience mismatch
in the IFL recently, I believe it was a CSAC ruling…
Finally…
Steroids. Yup, no performance enhancing drug tests are run here
in the UK. This is probably why you can see fighters in the UK
who are serving Steroid related suspensions in the US –
Kimo *ahem* Belfort *cough*
What
about UK fighters? Sure, there are temptations available. I am
not accusing anyone of actually using these means, but I am saying
that should that be the case, it would go undetected due to the
lack of testing. That is something I believe needs to be addressed
pretty sharply because otherwise, we might end up seeing guys
jumping up to international level and coming unstuck at the first
hurdle via drug offences. We really don’t need that when
all eyes are on the sport and it’s detractors are looking
for ammunition…
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Roleta
interested in ADCC:
In good shape, 4-time world champion wants to be back
Four-time
world Jiu-Jitsu champion Roberto "Roleta" Magalhães
recently told GRACIEMAG.com that he would enjoy fighting at ADCC
2007, to be held on May 5-6 in New Jersey, if invited. "Going
through trials is not something I'm willing to do at this point
in my life, but I would be glad to take part in the main event,"
said Roleta, who feels he is in good shape to compete, even though
he has been away from tournaments since 2001. Roleta nowadays
teaches BJJ in Black House twice a week, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
NSAC
and Nick Diaz
Serious questions have been raised when The Nevada State Athletic
Commission took the unprecedented decision to officially reverse
Nick Diaz's win over Takanori Gomi to a no-contest. The Commission's
official explanation was defined by Dr. Tony Alamo when he stated
at yesterday's hearing that Diaz "only won because he was
so intoxicated by the effects of marijuana that he became numb
and thus didn't tap out to Gomi's punches." According to
Dr. Alamo, Diaz would have lost the bout. At the hearing he stated
to Diaz "I was at that fight and you came in glossy eyed".
Diaz
admitted to having smoked marijuana but was adamant that he was
not stoned the actual day of the fight. "I was the co-main
event and was there (at the arena) for 4 hours before my fight.
The room I was in was full of people and officials, how could
they think I came in stoned?"
Graciefighter.com
notes that the NSAC has refused to overturn decisions in the
past when the winners tested positive for illegal steroids, anabolic
masking agents and/or marijuana.
Nick's
manager, Cesar Gracie, noted "They railroaded Nick on this
one. He did something stupid as far as I'm concerned when he
failed the test and I told him he would be fined and suspended.
However it was clear that they were looking for a reason to overturn
Nick's win. They had absolute no reason to beleive he was on
anything in the fight and their far-fetched speculation was the
only way that they could overturn his win. I wonder how people
like that can sleep at night. Luckily the true fans can see right
through this B.S. and know who the winner was.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Encountering
troublemakers
Yomiuri Online has a story getting national attention in the
Japanese media. The story details a new relationship established
between the JBC (Japan Boxing Commission) and the Tokyo Metropolitan
Police department to try to keep the boryokudan (yakuza) out
of the sport of Japanese boxing. An estimated 300 boxing gyms
will be part of an educational course process to learn how to
fight off the yakuza from infiltrating the business. The hope
by the JBC is to encourage an environment at boxing shows for
children and women to attend.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
"An
intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself."
Albert Camus, 1913-1960, French Author/Philosopher/Nobel Prïze
Wïnner
|
IFL
Connecticut: Pitbulls-Wolfpack; Scorpions-Dragons
Since its inception one year ago, the IFL has faced constant
criticism for the long delay between live fights and televised
fights. The IFL will inch closer towards live television Friday
night when the Wolfpack-Pitbulls team bout airs from the Mohegan
Sun in Connecticut on Fox Sports Net on the same night.
The
other team bout Scorpions-Dragons will be televised on May 11th.
Olympic
freestyle wrestling gold medallist Kevin Jackson will serve as
interim coach of the Portland Wolfpack for this event while Matt
Lindland prepares to fight Fedor Emelianenko on Saturday in Russia.
Dragons
(0-1) vs. Scorpions (0-1)
LW:
Wagnney Fabiano (D) vs. Cam Ward (S)
WW: Gideon Ray (D) vs. Gabe Casillas (S)
MW: Brent Beauparlant (D) vs. Seth Baczynski (S)
LH: Wojtek Kaszowski (D) vs. Mike Whitehead (S)
HW: Rafael Feijao (D) vs. Chad Griggs (S)
Wolfpack
(1-0) vs. Pitbulls (1-0)
LW:
Ryan Schultz (W) vs. Joe Sampieri (P)
WW: Mike Dolce (W) vs. Delson Heleno (P)
MW: Gerald Harris (W) vs. Fabio Leopoldo (P)
LH: Matt Horwich (W) vs. Jamal Patterson (P)
HW: Devin Cole (W) vs. Bryan Vetell (P)
Source: MMA Fighting
|
WILL
SCHULTZ ROAR AGAIN FRIDAY IN THE IFL?
by Mick Hammond
The past few months have been rough for Ryan “The Lion”
Schultz of the IFL’s Portland Wolfpack.
In
November Ryan lost via TKO to Chris Horodecki and then fallowed
that up with a KO loss to Bart Palaszewski in the IFL World Team
Tournament Finals in December.
And
then there was the recent debut of My Network TV’s “IFL
Battleground” show in which MMA fans across America were
appalled by the presentation’s pro wrestling tactics in
which Schultz’s condition after his loss to Palaszewski
became an abhorrent selling point.
But
through it all Ryan digresses, and after serving a mandatory
medical suspension, which caused him to miss the Wolfpack’s
2007 season debut this past February, Schultz is ready to return
this Friday night at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut for his team’s
important clash with Renzo Gracie’s New York Pitbulls.
“It
was hard to watch the team perform with out me,” said Ryan
of missing the team’s first battle of the year. “I
had a lot of confidence in Ian [Loveland], and I still do, I’m
just glad Ian got the chance to get out there and fight on a
bigger show.”
Schultz
continued, “But at the same time, I definitely wanted to
be out there. I was ready to fight, my medicals were clean and
everything, it’s just commissions took a while to overturn
it.”
Now
clear to fight, Ryan will be stepping into Friday’s IFL
event against a late replacement in Joe Sampieri, who will be
replacing normal Pitbulls’ lightweight fighter Eric Owings.
According
to Schultz, it doesn’t matter who he fights, he just wants
to get back into action.
“Re-arranging
opponents, that’s fine with me,” commented Ryan. “I
basically take care of what I need to do and if I do what I’m
training to do, I’m not so much worried about who it is
that they put in against me.”
Schultz
had come off a big win over Cam Ward in his IFL debut last September,
before losing his last two in a row. As Ryan puts it, it’s
time to rededicate himself and get back on track.
“I
think I just need to perform again, quit worrying about the little
stuff, and just get out there and fight,” exclaimed Schultz.
“That’s what I do best, when I just fight and not worry
about the whole technical gameplan part of it, and just go out
and rough somebody up real quick and try to end it as fast as
I can.”
“I
think I need to bring back some of my rawness to this game, and
just kind of get back out there and show them who’s boss.
If I do that, I’ll be pretty successful,” added Ryan.
With
Schultz returning to the line-up, the Wolfpack have another veteran
presence to offset some shifts made, which includes the addition
of Gerald Harris to middleweight and Matt Horwich moving up to
light-heavyweight, filling in for injured Aaron Stark.
“As
far as the team goes, we’re strong now,” said Ryan
of this Wolfpack line-up. “Aaron is hurt right now; he separated
his shoulder, so that’s why we did the weight switch with
Horwich. Gerald Harris is stepping up in our middleweight position.”
Schultz
continued, “[Mike] Dolce through his last performance, as
everybody knows is a heavy hitter, he hits hard, and people have
got to watch out for that. I feel good about it, I think we’re
strong. Everybody Matt [Lindland] put in place can fight.”
Speaking
of Wolfpack Head Coach Matt Lindland, he will be missing the
event due his BodogFight PPV heavyweight match against Fedor
Emelianenko in Russia on Saturday.
Even
though Lindland will not be there, Ryan feels the team will still
be able to hold it together with the coaches that will be there
with them.
“It’s
okay with us, I mean, we’re ready to go,” explained
Schultz. “Chael [Sonnen] been with us for a long time and
[Dennis] Hallman; he’s been coming up quite a bit, helping
us out. Kevin Jackson will be there with us too, and he’s
just a great competitor as well all around.”
“I
think we’ll be fine, and we’re supportive of what Matt
and what he’s got to do, so I think it’s a positive
thing all around,” further commend Ryan.
And
when it comes to Lindland’s chances against Fedor, Schultz
has the utmost confidence in his coach.
“That’s
a great fight, and I really do think Matt’s going to win
the fight,” exclaimed Ryan. “I think he’s going
to shock the world.”
Schultz
added, “He really, really believes in himself and there’s
nothing he doesn’t think he can’t accomplish. Matt’s
just got a lot of confidence in himself and he believes 110%
in what he’s got to do.”
Even
though he’s interested in what’s happening half a world
away, Ryan is focused on the task at hand, defeating Joe Sampieri
and the NY Pitbulls, and then moving on to the 2007 World Team
Tournament bracket later this year.
“I’d
like to tell the fans to come out and watch it,” said Schultz.
“If you can make it to Connecticut that’d be great,
come watch it live, that’s the best.”
“But
if not, keep watching the TV [show] and keep supporting us. The
Wolfpack I believe is the best team in the IFL, for sure,”
concluded Ryan.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Phil
Baroni detained in Florida
The fighter was freed after posting US$ 5,000 bail
Well
known in Pride and the UFC, Phil Baroni spent the Sunday night
in jail. The American fighter was detained by the Miami police,
as he left a restaurant and was indicted for disorderly conduct
and non-violent resisting of arrest. Information from the USA
suggests he was released yesterday morning after posting US$
5,000 bail and he will appear in court on the 30th.
According
to Ken Paiva, Baroni’s agent, the fighter was in the company
of his girlfriend when he was approached by aggressors. "When
all the facts come out I think you will find that Phil was reasonably
justified in his actions," said Paiva.
Also
according to the representative, the incident does not jeopardize
his client’s upcoming battle with Frank Shamrock, set for
June 22. A specialized lawyer was hired to take care of the case.
Source:
Sherdog.com
|
Steve
Heath Returns
It's been a while since Steve has stepped into a cage. The former
IFC Champion was the first of the Graciefighters when he debuted
about 10 years ago. With his losses coming to the likes of Chuck
Liddell, Yuki Kondo and Ivan Salaverry, Heath was regarded as
one of the nation's top fighters. All that would change when
he suffered a serious knee injury and dropped out of the MMA
scene. Now Heath is back and will be fighting in his hometown
of Stockton tomorrow night at the new Stockton Arena. Also on
the card will be some of Nick Diaz's trained fighters. It should
be a good one.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Quote
of the Day
“Painting
is just another way of keeping a diary.”
Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973, Spanish Artist and Painter
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
SAT, MAY 12, 2007
WATERPARK,KAPOLEI
MAIN
EVENT
Narong Noi (Snow Tiger Noi, Thailand) vs Zack Rapal (Fighters
Union, Waianae)
Main
Card
Domi Lopez (TEAM Bigdogs, Waianae) vs David Balicao (Jesus Is
Lord, Nanakuli)
155lbs
Tournament fighters
(All fights will be 3 x 1 Minute Rounds, Championship
3 x 2 Minute Rounds)
1. John Visante Jr (SIT U DOWN, Waianae)
2. Ikaika Choy Fu (Jesus Is Lord, Kailua)
3. PJ Dean
(Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
4. Shaison Laupola (Team Ruthless, Makaha)
5. Ikaika Martin (House of Thunder, Hilo)
6. Ben Santiago (Team Ruthless, Waianae)
7. Tommy Wilcox (Uprising Fight Team, Wahiawa)
8. TBA
170LBS
Tournament Fighters
(All fights Will be 3 x 1 1/2 Minute Rounds,
Championship 3 x 2 Minute Rounds)
1. Wayne Perrin III (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
2. Kona Ke (Team Ruthless, Makaha)
3.Zane Kamaka (Guts & Glory, Waianae)
4. Koa Ramos (Eastsidaz, Kailua)
130
P.I.P Championship
Jay Bolos (Champion, Ewa Beach) vs. William Armstrong (Uprising
Fight Club, Nanakuli)
140lbs.
P.I.P Jr Championship
Kekoa Cayetano (Smith Taekwondo, Kaneohe) vs Red Davis (Team
Ruthless, Makaha)
More
Bouts to be annouced!!
Source: Promoter
|
MATT
SERRA'S JUST ENJOYING THE RIDE
“I’m a huge underdog. I did my homework and I’m
going to be prepared. I’m going to try and force him to
make mistakes,” said Matt Serra regarding Georges St. Pierre
prior to the biggest fight of his career. “I don’t
get swept up in the whole hype of things.”
He
overcame the odds. He stunned the critics. He did the unthinkable.
“I’ve
been the hammer in some fights and I’ve been the nail.”
Last
Saturday night, Matt “The Terror” Serra laid the hammer
on Georges St. Pierre and pulled off arguably the greatest upset
in MMA history. Coming into the fight as a heavy underdog, Serra
overcame mountainous odds and became the first fighter to ever
finish St. Pierre.
“It
was just unbelievable. I did it, I pulled it off,” elated
Serra. “He’s a very tough guy. I’m sure if I gave
him a little bit of time he would have recovered. I smelt the
blood; I saw that he was definitely wobbly and I wanted to finish
him off.”
As
the first American to earn a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
under Renzo Gracie, the 32-year old fighter is very proud to
be under the tutelage of his mentor and attributes his success
to him. “Renzo is like family to me; I’m with Renzo
forever. I remember where I came from,” graciously expressed
Serra. “I’m very proud to be the first American black
belt under Renzo and I wouldn’t be where I’m at without
him. He’s not just a friend; he’s like family to me.”
Matt
Serra has spent most of his career fighting in the Octagon and
holds notable wins over Yves Edwards, Shooto Americas Champion
Jeff Curran and Ivan Menjivar. After losing a decision to Karo
Parisyan at UFC 53, Serra saw an opportunity to put himself back
into the spotlight and moved up to welterweight to compete on
the Ultimate Fighter. The fourth season of the reality show focused
on veteran fighters and was suitably named “The Comeback”.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt defeated Chris Lytle in the
finale and earned a title shot at Georges St. Pierre. The rest
is history.
Critics
scoffed at the thought of Matt Serra getting a title shot, claiming
he was undeserving of such a coveted opportunity. Whether he
deserved a title shot or not is irrelevant now. The 1999 Pan
American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion made the best of an opportune
situation and achieved the most defining moment of his career.
So
what lies ahead for the newly crowned champion?
Matt
Hughes. According to Dana White at the UFC 69 post-fight press
conference, former champion Hughes will be next in line to challenge
Serra for the welterweight belt.
After
his huge win over Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes was seen in
the audience laughing and pointing at the fallen Canadian. Serra
felt that his actions were very disrespectful and wasn’t
hesitant to candidly express his opinion about the Miletich fighter.
“I don’t like the guy; I think he’s very arrogant.
[He’s] disrespectful. The guy wants to talk in the name
of God saying ‘he’s a Christian’ and this and
that. Why don’t you treat people the right way? I don’t
like the way he treats people and I’m sure I’m not
the only one.”
“I
would love to fight Matt. The thing is this, I feel like a winner
already. Even if lose, I get to punch and elbow him in the face,”
continued the UFC Welterweight Champion. “Don’t get
me wrong, I plan on beating his ***. No matter what happens,
the fact that I get to hit that a******, I feel like a winner.
I’m not knocking on his past accomplishments. The guy is
a great fighter. When I fight him, it’s going to be a very
tough and exciting fight. But if I ever talk about myself in
the third person… punch me in the face.”
With
a renewed confidence, an upcoming wedding and a shiny new belt,
Matt Serra looks to the future and continue what he enjoys doing.
“Why be in this game if you’re not going to have fun
with it? It’s not like I have to fight; I enjoy it. To me,
there’s no other way, I love the challenge of it.”
Matt
Serra shocked the MMA world. His amazing performance garnered
him many new fans and redefined his career. Above all, Serra
has finally earned the respect he deserves.
“I’m
enjoying this ride no matter where it takes me. I’m just
going to leave it in the cage every time. From here on out, I
look forward to putting on exciting, memorable fights.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
TUF
5 TIES SERIES LOW WITH PREMIER RATING
The season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter 5, which aired on
Spike TV on April 5th, drew an overall rating of 1.4. This puts
the TUF 5 premiere in a tie with the premiere of the very first
season of The Ultimate Fighter for the lowest-rated premiere
episode in series history, as the TUF 1 premiere also drew a
1.4 overall rating.
The
majority of the episode drew a 1.3 rating, but the show-closing
fight between Cole Miller and Alan Berube drew a 1.5 rating,
increasing the average for the hour.
The
pertinent question now is whether or not TUF 5's ratings will
decrease as the season progresses, as was the case with TUF 4.
It would still be a successful show if it can draw a 1.4 overall
rating every week. However, if the ratings were to decrease over
the course of the season to the extent that TUF 4's ratings decreased,
the show would fall well below the series' ratings expectations
and it would be an alarming sign.
The
UFC and Spike TV appear to be under the impression that it was
the pull-apart quasi-brawls that drew the series-high ratings
for TUF 3, as the promotion for this season of TUF in general
(and the next episode in particular) is focused heavily on the
tease of one or more fights breaking out in the house.
Say
what you will about the negative light in which this portrays
MMA and its competitors, but they may very well be correct in
their belief that it will draw strong ratings. We'll find out
in the coming weeks.
TUF
5 Ratings vs. Previous TUF Ratings
On
the whole, The Ultimate Fighter 3 (which premiered in April 2006)
was the most-watched season to date, and TUF 4 (which premiered
in August 2006) was the least-watched season to date. The UFC
has publicly dismissed TUF 4's lower ratings on multiple occasions
by blaming the lower numbers on having to go head-to-head with
the NFL, but that makes no sense because TUF 4 only went head-to-head
with a regular season NFL game on one occasion. The second season
of TUF, on the other hand, went head-to-head with regular season
Monday Night Football games airing on ABC for all but three episodes
of its regular season, and yet TUF 2 drew higher ratings than
TUF 4.
Based
on the premiere ratings, it appears to be extremely unlikely
that TUF 5 is going to be challenging TUF 3 for the mantle of
most-watched TUF season. As for whether it will challenge TUF
4's position as the least-watched TUF season, that remains to
be seen, but it doesn't look promising based on the season premiere's
ratings.
In
comparing those three seasons, the trend is not a positive one.
In terms of the overall rating, the TUF 3 premiere drew a 2.0
rating, the TUF 4 premiere drew a 1.7 rating, and the TUF 5 premiere
last week drew a 1.4 rating.
In
the advertiser-coveted 18-to-34-year-old male demographic, the
TUF 3 premiere drew a 3.7 rating, the TUF 4 premiere drew a 2.8
rating, and the TUF 5 premiere drew a 1.9 rating.
In
the second most coveted advertising demographic for Spike TV
and the UFC, 18-to-49-year-old males, the TUF 3 premiere drew
a 2.7 rating, the TUF 4 premiere drew a 2.2 rating, and the TUF
5 premiere drew a 1.8 rating.
As
you can see, the ratings trends for TUF in the key demographics
have taken a complete U-turn over the past 12 months, decreasing
rapidly instead of increasing rapidly, as they were at this time
last year. However, these are still excellent ratings in the
key demographics. The TUF 5 premiere was still the #1 show on
cable in the 18-to-49-year-old male demographic on April 5th,
and even the UFC's decreased ratings on Spike TV are higher than
anything that the IFL is drawing on MyNetworkTV.
The
two-hour live broadcast of UFC Fight Night that served as TUF
5's lead-in drew a 1.2 overall rating, making it the lowest-rated
live fight special in the UFC's history on Spike TV. We will
have a separate report on UFC Fight Night's ratings tomorrow.
Head-to-Head
Network Competition
Airing
head-to-head on network television with the premiere of TUF 5
on April 5th from 10:00 PM to 11:00 PM, CBS led the pack with
a new episode the drama series "Shark," which drew
a 10.0 overall rating. ABC came in second place with a new episode
of the drama "October Road," which drew a 5.2 overall
rating and may be headed towards cancellation if its ratings
don't turn around. NBC came in a distant third place in the hour
with a new episode of the comedy "Andy Barker, P.I."
airing at 10:00 PM and drawing an overall rating of 2.6 (the
series was shortly thereafter removed from NBC's Thursday night
line-up, effective immediately). At 10:30 PM, NBC aired a repeat
of "My Name is Earl," and the 2.6 overall rating that
it drew is not atypical for a repeat airing of a comedy series.
Fox does not air national programming in the 10:00 PM hour.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“It
is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to
venture to instruct, even our friends.”
Charles Caleb Colton, 1780-1832, British Author and Clergyman
|
Arona
talks about defeat to fans
Just
after his defeat at the last Pride, the Brazilian black belt
Ricardo Arona sent an open letter to site TATAME explaining his
problems for his fans. Check it out:
I
know that Sokoudojou deserves the victory, we know he is a dangerous
and tough athlete, but I want to explain to my fans and friends,
I would like to say that I did choose a fight strategy which
did depends of all my physical condition and unfortunally, one
week before I got to Japan, I got sick and I got bad body pains,
headache, fever, so I didn’t have at that moment the energy
to win that bout.
The
medical team of the Pride organization did examinate me, but
they didn’t find the virus. I believe it is like a “dengue”
desease, because I am still feeling myself not very well and
with fever. When you all watch that fight you will see that there
is not the usual Arona fighting there and that was not the performance
I did want to show. I hope to get as soon as possible in Brasil
to do some exams and start the better treatment because I want
to start my training stage for the ADCC, to participate of the
match or of the super bout.
I
apologize to all my fans and friends and I promise to improve
my performance as soon as I get myself better and then to show
you what you are expecting of me. Thanks to you all for the support
and the trust in me.
Ricardo
Arona.
Source: Tatame |
Corleta
trains Cro Cop’s techniques
The
black belt from Silvio Behring, Marcio Corleta, is already four
weeks training the ground game of the Croatian fighter Mirko
Cro Cop, who will face Gabriel Napão at the UFC 70, in
, in April 21st. “Cro Cop is pretty strong and he is improving
a lot his ground game. I am glad that he had contracted me to
be his ground trainer from now. He is satisfied about my trainings
and he promised to me that after the bout, he will go to Porto
Alegre city to train just the ground game, because according
to him, he wants to be a black belt some day. And the worst thing
is that he has a good way and is pretty smart to learn. I believe
that he will surprises everyone with his ground game, but we
are only starting everything”, told Corleta.
Another
guy who was pupil of the BJJ world champion was the movie star,
Jean Claude Van Damme. “We came to meet Mirko and to see
how the trainings were. He is cool, funny and falls in love with
the BJJ. I teached him for one week when he was here and he got
impressed with the BJJ techniques”, commented him.
Source: Tatame |
Thiago
Silva confirmed at UFC 71
Champion
of the GP under 93kg category of the Fury FC, Thiago Silva is
confirmed for the UFC 71, that will be held in Las Vegas, . The
pupil of Jorge Patino Macaco hasn’t got a confirmed adversary
yet for his debut at the American event. “That was a negotiation
of the Team Link, there is the Napão and Marcos A’s
team, so they were able to close this bout for Thiago Silva”,
said Macaco, who will face Ronaldo Jacaré at the Gracie
Figthing Championship, in May 19th.
Source: Tatame |
USA-Boxing
Hawaii Match event/Fundraiser
on May 12th
The money made at the door will be used to help defray expenses
for the 2007 Hawaii State/Regional Boxing Team to the National
Championships in Colorado Springs, CO. It will be on Sat. May
12th at Palolo Gym 6 p.m.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Match event
Palolo Gym
Saturday, May 12th
6 p.m.
Source: Bruce Kawano
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