Upcoming
Events
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2008
1/26/08
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Location TBA)
Tentative
2007
11/24/07
Kickin It
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
11/18/07
The Quest for Champions 2007 II
(Sport-Pankration, Submission-Grappling, Continuous Sparring)
(St. Louis High School Gym)
11/11/07
Aloha
State Championship of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
10/27/07
Freedom Fighting
"Battle on the Base"
(MMA)
(Kahunas Ballroom, MCBH, Kaneohe)
10/26/07
Kickin It / Got Skills
(Kickboxing, Varios)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
X-1 Presents
Fight Club Meets The Night Club
(MMA)
(O Lounge Night Club, Honolulu)
10/19/07
Hawaii Fight League
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery)
10/6/07
Gracie Proving Ground
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
9/28/07
Kickin It / Got Skills
(Kickboxing, Various)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
9/15/07
Icon Sport: Fearless
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
September
Gracie Fighting Championships
(MMA)
9/8/07
UFC
75
(02 Arena in London, England)
(PPV)
Hawaii Fighting Championships
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
8/31/07
Fighters Journey
Pro-Am MMA Event
(MMA)
(tba)
X-1 Presents
Fight Club Meets The Night Club
(MMA)
(O Lounge, Honolulu)
8/25/07
UFC
74: Respect
(Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada )
(PPV)
8/23-25/07
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championshihps
(BJJ)
(The Pyramid, Long Beach, CA)
8/12/07
Punishment
In Paradise 17
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Hawaiian Waters, Kapolei)
***Postponed***
8/10/07
Hawaii's Most Wanted
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
8/4/07
X-1
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Island Warriors Fighting Championship
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/28/07
Maui
Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui)
7/21/07
Garden Island Cage Match 6: Caged Fury
(Kickboxing, MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Kauai)
Palolo Boxing Club & Kawano Boxing Club
presents amateur boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
7/14/07
Patriot Fighting Championships
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
***Postponed***
7/13/07
Hawaii Fighting Championships: Stand Your Ground 3
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
7/8/07
Dan Henderson Seminar
(MMA)
(O2
Martial Arts Academy, Aiea)
7/7/07
UFC
73: Stacked
(PPV)
7/1/07
Mike Swain Seminar
(Judo)
(O2
Martial Arts Academy, Aiea)
6/30/07
Icon Sport: Fearless
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
***Postponed
to 9/15***
6/29/07
MMA Contendors: Conflict - The Beginning
(MMA)
(Farrington H.S. Gym)
X-1 Presents
Fight Club Meets The Night Club
(MMA)
(O Lounge Night Club, Honolulu)
6/23/06
Ultimate Fight Night
(BJ Penn vs Jens Pulver)
(Spike TV)
6/23/07
Hawaiian
Open of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
6/22/07
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
6/16/07
UFC 72: Victory
(PPV)
6/12/07
UFC
Fight Night
(MMA)
(Spike Oceanic 559)
6/3/07
The Quest for Champions 2007
(Sport-Pankration, Submission-Grappling, Continuous Sparring
and Sport-Jujitsu)
(Saint Louis High School Gym)
5/27/07
Benefit Concert for the 2007 Hawaii Junior Olympic Boxing Team
(Ewa Ranch, Ewa Beach)
5/26/07
UFC
71 Liddell vs Rampage
(MMA)
(PPV Oceanic 701)
Memorial Day Mayhem
(Kickboxing)
(Kalaheo High School Gym)
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
ROTR Qualifer: Beat Down 3
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
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)
**Cancelled**
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)
|
|
August 2007 News
Part 3
|
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! |
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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.
Quote
of the Day
"The
work of the individual still remains the spark that moves mankind
forward."
Igor Sikorsky, 1889-1972, Russian-born American Aviation Pioneer
|
Fighters
Journey
MANOA GRAND
BALLROOM
IN THE JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER
AUG. 31, 2007
Today!
145lb
Amateur MMA
Jesse Castillo (808 Figt Factory) v
Van Shiroma (HMC)
185lb
Amateur MMA
Joshua Lindsey (Anmial House) v
Carl Barton (HMC)
155lb
Amateur MMA
Rob Carlyon (HMC) v
Keoni Diggs (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Amateur MMA
Cory Nemoto (Team Kritikul) v
Paul Lopes (Jesus is Lord)
130lb
Amateur MMA
Sam Quel (Team Ruthless) v
Joseph Benevente (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Amateur MMA
Jeremy Kubo (Team Kritikul) v
Colin Mackenzie (Team Ruthless)
155lb
Amateur MMA
Garren Mouser (Animal House) v
Jeff Thome (BJ Penn Academy)
165lb
Amateur MMA
Cheyne Todani (808 Fight Factory) v
Eugene Ige (Anmial House)
175lb
Amateur MMA
Ray Tintor (Freelance) v
Ryan Desoto (Team Ruthless)
170lb
Amateur MMA
Zane Kamak (Guts and Glory) v
Micah Ige (Animal House)
145lb
Amateur MMA
David Balicao (Jesus is Lord) v
Jon Barnard (Team Ruthless)
185lb
Pro MMA
Bob Ostovich (Jesus is Lord) v
Tyson Primm (Team Submit)
137lb
Pro MMA
Jay Bolos (Animal House) v
Peni Taufa'ao (Eastsidaz)
155lb
Pro MMA
Duke Saragosa (808 Fight Factory) v
Dean Lista (HMC)
170lb
Pro MMA
Ramon Franco (Kailua Jiu Jitsu) v
Daniel Devers (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Pro MMA
Brandon Pieper (Jesus is Lord) v
145lb
Pro MMA
Tony Giraldi (No Mercy) v
Zach Rapal (Fighters Union)
255lb
Pro MMA
Deutsch Puu (Freelance) v
Thomas Rosser (808 Fight Factory)
Tickets
go on sale Aug 10. getem at Watchchaback in windward mall,
Adrenaline Koncepts, TCA Wireless in Waipahu, and Jesus is Lord
gym
Source: The Tan Superman
|
X-1
Presents
Fight Club Meets The Night Club
Today!
O Lounge, Honolulu, Hawaii
Source: Event Promoter
|
UFC
plays hardball with Arlovski
By Zach Arnold
Most hardcore MMA fans online generally understand how Zuffa
LLC, the parent company of UFC, does business — especially
when fighters have one fight left remaining on their contract.
So, it should be of no surprise that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva
indicated to Steve Sievert of The Houston Chronicle that Andrei
Arlovski will not be booked again in a high-profile UFC fight
unless he signs a new multi-fight contract.
What
is different for UFC, however, is that they are publicly admitting
what most insiders already knew and assumed… the assumption
that UFC knows they are the only major game in town and that
fighters have nowhere else to go in order to create leverage
at the negotiating table.
While
the UFC matchmaker stopped short of saying the organization doesn’t
need the former heavyweight champ, comments such as “where
else is he going to go” and the contract “has to make
sense for us” send a clear message as to who has the upper
hand in the ongoing negotiations. The UFC won’t book Arlovski
until the contract issue is resolved.
On
paper, UFC’s calculation makes complete and total sense.
It’s the same song-and-dance that we are currently seeing
in the American pro-wrestling scene with WWE. The main rivals
for UFC are undergoing major problems (HEROs is completely disorganized,
IFL is bleeding massive amounts of money, and Pro-Elite admitted
that they don’t even have their accounting practices in
order according to their latest 10Q report) and fighters have
little-or-no negotiating leverage. That was certainly cemented
when PRIDE died earlier this year.
However,
the MMA scene is about to likely change — and you can thank
UFC’s stupidity in dealing with PRIDE for it.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Dana
White leaks Pride’s demise
The headman says the organization is ‘tainted’
What
many Pride fans most feared is about to happen. In interviews
conceded to the American press, UFC president, Dana White, gave
signals that the Japanese organization’s days are numbered.
In his declarations to the site FightNetwork.com, the big boss
was laconic.
“I’ve
pulled everything out of the trick box that I can and I can’t
get a TV deal over there with PRIDE. I don’t think they
want us there. I don’t think they me want me there….
PRIDE is a very powerful brand and we want to keep it alive,
but I’ll tell you what, the brand is very tainted, not only
over there, but over here. The problem is PRIDE was never a big
company in the United States and I’m not going to drop another
$44 million to try and straighten it out,” said White, in
reference to the money used to bring UFC back to its feet when
it was down.
Foxsports.com
also published Fana White’s words on the subject. “(The
Japanese) don’t want another (mixed martial arts) organization
over there. That company was in trouble. We went in and bought
it out with every intention of keeping PRIDE alive. (Japan) is
a very tricky place to do business,” the boss said.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Ken
Shamrock's son wins debut via submission
UFC legend Ken Shamrock's son, Ryan, was victorious in his mixed
martial arts debut Saturday night in Orville, California.
The
18-year-old slapped on a rear naked choke to defeat Josh Besneatte
at 1:51 of the first round in a professional featherweight bout.
Shamrock was listed at 5-foot-9 and 132 pounds.
Jeffrey
Jorgenson, the 17-year-old nephew of Ken Shamrock, also won via
rear naked choke, submitting his opponent Kyle Davey in an exhibition
bout.
These
fights were part of Ken Shamrock Productions' "Fight at
the Falls" series at the Cedar Falls Casino.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
“It
is awfully important to know what is and what is not your business.”
Gertrude Stein, 1874-1946, American Writer
|
Fighters
Journey
MANOA GRAND
BALLROOM
IN THE JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER
AUG. 31, 2007
Tomorrow!
145lb
Amateur MMA
Jesse Castillo (808 Figt Factory) v
Van Shiroma (HMC)
185lb
Amateur MMA
Joshua Lindsey (Anmial House) v
Carl Barton (HMC)
155lb
Amateur MMA
Rob Carlyon (HMC) v
Keoni Diggs (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Amateur MMA
Cory Nemoto (Team Kritikul) v
Paul Lopes (Jesus is Lord)
130lb
Amateur MMA
Sam Quel (Team Ruthless) v
Joseph Benevente (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Amateur MMA
Jeremy Kubo (Team Kritikul) v
Colin Mackenzie (Team Ruthless)
155lb
Amateur MMA
Garren Mouser (Animal House) v
Jeff Thome (BJ Penn Academy)
165lb
Amateur MMA
Cheyne Todani (808 Fight Factory) v
Eugene Ige (Anmial House)
175lb
Amateur MMA
Ray Tintor (Freelance) v
Ryan Desoto (Team Ruthless)
170lb
Amateur MMA
Zane Kamak (Guts and Glory) v
Micah Ige (Animal House)
145lb
Amateur MMA
David Balicao (Jesus is Lord) v
Jon Barnard (Team Ruthless)
185lb
Pro MMA
Bob Ostovich (Jesus is Lord) v
Tyson Primm (Team Submit)
137lb
Pro MMA
Jay Bolos (Animal House) v
Peni Taufa'ao (Eastsidaz)
155lb
Pro MMA
Duke Saragosa (808 Fight Factory) v
Dean Lista (HMC)
170lb
Pro MMA
Ramon Franco (Kailua Jiu Jitsu) v
Daniel Devers (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Pro MMA
Brandon Pieper (Jesus is Lord) v
145lb
Pro MMA
Tony Giraldi (No Mercy) v
Zach Rapal (Fighters Union)
255lb
Pro MMA
Deutsch Puu (Freelance) v
Thomas Rosser (808 Fight Factory)
Tickets
go on sale Aug 10. getem at Watchchaback in windward mall,
Adrenaline Koncepts, TCA Wireless in Waipahu, and Jesus is Lord
gym
Source: The Tan Superman
|
Boxing
at Kalakaua Gym
September
22, 2007
Kalakaua Gym
Fights start at 6:00 pm
If you have boxers that are interested in competing, please contact
Bruce Kawano via email at bkawano@aol.com.
See
you at the fights!
|
HFC
is Back!
September
8, 2007
Dole Cannery Ballroom
Fights start at 6:00 pm
 |
A
WORD FROM THE ASIAN SENSATION... [UPDATED]
…doubt.
Doubt
1.
to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate
to believe.
2. to distrust
3. to be uncertain about something; be undecided in opinion or
belief.
4. a feeling of uncertainty about the truth, reality, or nature
of something.
Why
do people doubt Randy Couture’s abilities? The better question
is, why did I doubt him?
Twice
he’s been the underdog; twice he’s proven people wrong.
Like his previous fight against Tim Sylvia, I was in awe with
Couture’s performance this past weekend.
The
“Natural” continued his impressive trek back into the
heavyweight division with a masterful dismantling of Gabriel
Gonzaga. Utilizing a strategy of clinches and short strikes,
the UFC legend frustrated his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt
opponent. Gonzaga managed to land a few shots, including a nice
high kick, but was unable to effectively mount much of an offense
against Couture’s suffocating clinches.
Suffering
a broken nose in the first round, Gonzaga seemed to lose his
will to win. The injury clearly affected his performance and
eventually led his demise in the third round.
So
what’s next for Couture?
It
seems that all the champion can do is rest up and wait. Personally,
I don’t feel there are any heavyweight contenders worthy
of a title shot at this very moment. However, things will change
in the near future as potential candidates vie for the opportunity
at UFC gold.
Andrei
Arlovski – Coming off of an uninspired win over Fabricio
Werdum. Needs to win impressively to be considered a future contender.
Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira – Needs one more solid victory after a
shaky UFC debut.
Mirko
“CroCop” Filipovic – Needs to get past Cheick
Kongo and possibly Nogueira.
Cheick
Kongo – Needs to defeat Mirko, preferably via KO.
Brandon
Vera – Needs to get past Tim Sylvia who should be his toughest
test to date.
Tim
Sylvia – Needs to rebound impressively against Brandon Vera.
Josh
Barnett? – Signing him would setup an intriguing rematch
with Couture.
Fedor
Emelianenko? – Assuming he signs, I can see Fedor receiving
an immediate title shot.
Two
impressive victories over much larger top ten ranked heavyweight
opponents has solidified Randy Couture’s place among the
best heavyweights today.
Not
bad for a 44-year old.
Another
Black Eye for the Sport
Disgraceful.
Classless. Spiteful. Pathetic.
Following
the recent unfavorable steroids press, Renato Sobral’s actions
from last Saturday put the sport back into the negative spotlight.
“Babalu” defeated David Heath with an anaconda choke
and refused to release the hold even after Heath had tapped.
Steve Mazzagatti attempted to break the hold as Sobral looked
the referee in the eye and continued to punish his opponent.
Heath was left unconscious.
Sobral
and Heath shared a heated confrontation at the weigh-ins the
previous night. The two fighters stood close, touched foreheads
and exchanged a few words and expressions.
[RETRACTION]
The
original publication of this article included an inaccurate statement
that David Heath wore a T-shirt with Sobral’s mug shot on
it in an effort to get under Sobral’s skin. Heath DID NOT
wear such a T-shirt. In fact, he was wearing a shirt representing
his sponsor Warrior Wear and it had no reference whatsoever to
Sobral. MMAWeekly would like to apologize to David Heath and
his camp for the error and any unwarranted attention that it
reflected upon David Heath.
The
Brazilian fighter admitted in his post-fight interview that he
held the choke longer in spite of his opponent. Executive Director
of the Nevada State Athletic Commission Keith Kizer plans to
hold half of Sobral’s fight purse, which equates to $25,000.
A later NSAC hearing will address Renato’s actions and potential
repercussions.
To
me, the best way to retaliate to an opponent’s taunts and
gestures is to defeat him thoroughly in competition. “Babalu”
did just that. The former title contender was in control for
the majority of the fight and opened a big cut on Heath that
left the mat discolored. Holding the choke at the end was unnecessary
and blatantly put his opponent’s health at risk. What Sobral
did was inexcusable and this type of flagrant behavior should
not be tolerated. Ever.
There
are no double standards here. It doesn’t matter if he held
the choke long for 3 seconds or 6 seconds. David Heath tapped
and the fight was supposed to end immediately. “Babalu”
looked right at Steve Mazzagatti and continued to choke Heath
even after Mazzagatti tried to pry his arms away. It was an iniquitous
display of poor sportsmanship.
MMA
has evolved. Royce Gracie may have gotten away with this behavior
in the early days of the UFC, but it is completely unacceptable
today. The rules were established for a reason and fighters are
responsible for their actions. A fighter’s safety is paramount
and Sobral ignored the rules that were created to protect them.
I
expect the NSAC to follow through with a stiff fine and a mandated
vacation. Moreover, I think the UFC should consider making an
example out of “Babalu” and issue an additional punishment.
Harsh? Hardly for a fighter who openly admitted about his bad
intentions.
Sobral
has disgraced the sport. He disgraced his team and colleagues.
Ultimately,
he disgraced himself.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GREG
JACKSON TALKS GSP'S WIN OVER KOSCHECK
Greg
Jackson has become one of the most sought after trainers in the
world of mixed martial arts over the past couple of years. And
it is no wonder, having built his name by bringing along the
likes of Diego Sanchez, Keith Jardine and Joey Villasenor for
years, before adding fighters such as Nate Marquardt, Rashad
Evans, Dave Loiseau, and Georges St-Pierre to the mix.
Team
Jackson’s had been on a bit of a big fight skid of late
with St-Pierre, Jardine, Villasenor, and Marquardt all losing
high profile fights and Evans drawing with Tito Ortiz.
That
skid came to an abrupt halt on Saturday night at UFC 74 in Las
Vegas though as St-Pierre bounced back from his first round knockout
at the hands of UFC Welterweight Champ Matt Serra by commanding
a unanimous decision win over Josh Koscheck.
Jackson
spoke with MMAWeekly about St-Pierre’s win over Koscheck,
getting his team off the skids, the growth of his camp, and some
of the upcoming bouts for Team Jackson’s as things aren’t
slowing down anytime soon.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BANG
LUDWIG HEADLINES RING OF FIRE 30
Ring of Fire promoter Sven “Boogie” Bean is happy to
announce the fight card for ROF 30: Domination. The 12-bout MMA
event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007 at the Broomfield
Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
UFC,
K-1 and Strikeforce veteran, Duane “BANG!” Ludwig headlines
a talent-packed fight card. The card will have international
appeal with fighters coming from 3 countries, including multiple
UFC veterans.
Also,
for the second time in the seven-year history of the promotion,
all matches will take place in a cage instead of a ring.
"We
took a poll at the April event, when we first used the cage,
and the response was overwhelming," said promoter Sven Bean.
"I would say at least 95 percent of the fans were in favor
of it, so I can pretty much say that the cage is here to stay."
MAIN
EVENT: ROF USA VS. ROF EUROPE
Last year, ROF opened its European branch in Belgrade, Serbia.
The inaugural event was a huge success and was covered in both
the European versions of Playboy and Maxim magazines.
In
February of this year the first ROF European fighter, Damir made
his US debut. At ROF 30 that tradition continues, as Serbian
fighter Dragan Bakula will represent ROF Europe. Bakula, who
brings a 3-0 MMA record combined with over 20 boxing matches,
will be facing one of the most feared strikers in the sport.
Duane
“BANG!” Ludwig will represent ROF USA and is looking
forward to the matchup.
"The
guy is good. He has great hand speed and punching power and has
won all of his MMA fights. It's hard to tell how good is ground
game is but the European fighters are such good athletes that
they are always dangerous. He only has a couple losses in boxing
also so I am excited to fight him. I love fighting at home, but
besides just representing Colorado, I'm representing the US here
too. It adds some pressure for sure, but that will just make
me train harder!" said Ludwig.
205
LB CHAMPIONSHIP
It has been said you are not a champion when you win the belt,
but rather you are a true champion when you defend it. ROF Light
Heavyweight Champion Eliot “Fire” Marshall couldn't
agree more. The BJJ black belt added ROF champ to his long list
of credentials in April when he defeated Marcus Sursa via submission.
The task of defending the belt will not be an easy one as faces
his toughest challenge to date.
Canadian
Rob “Maximus” McDonald is a 3-time UFC veteran and
appeared on season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter televison series.
MacDonald was the 2002, 2003, 2004 Canadian Jiu-Jitsu Champion.
In 2003, he was ranked #2 by the IKF in Kickboxing (amateur)
and has an extensive wrestling background.
"I
have been training harder than ever for this fight and I look
at this as the biggest fight of my career thus far. Eliot Marshall
is the real deal; his credentials in the fight world and BJJ
world speak for themselves. Myself and my trainers, Shah Franco
and Brian Bynoe, have put together a great game plan for success
and with hard work I’m confident it will pay off. I really
just want to be the best fighter in the world and reach my potential
as an athlete. Winning the Ring of Fire title and fighting quality
opponents like Eliot bring me closer to that goal."
115
LB FEATURE BOUT
Women's combat sports has shown an incredible increase in fan
support in the last few years. Promotions such as Strikeforce,
Elite XC and Bodog Fights have consistently featured female athletes.
Recently the Oxygen Channel contributed with the reality based
program Fight Girls. One of the stars of that series, Michelle
Waterson will return to MMA competition at ROF 30.
Waterson
is known as much for her good looks as for her fighting ability.
Her nickname "The Karate Hotty" comes from her work
as a Hooters girl and bikini model. But don't judge the book
by the cover; Waterson can fight. She has been trained in the
martial arts from an early age progressing from Kung Fu to Muay
Thai, and eventually BJJ and MMA. While based in Denver, she
trains her ground game at Team Jackson's in Albuquerque, New
Mexico.
Currently
1-1 in MMA, Waterson is hoping to continue to represent MMA in
a positive way for women all over the world. Her opponent also
has a base in Muay Thai, but has likewise progressed to MMA.
Action MMA fighter Jaime Cook relies heavily on her stand up
skills, but is also very comfortable on the ground. She has a
perfect 2-0 record in MMA. She has finished both opponents by
TKO, with one having a 30 lb weight advantage. Cook is also the
sparring partner and teammate of top ranked Bodog fighter Shayna
Baszler.
175
LB FEATURE BOUT
UFC veteran Chad Reiner has a reputation for being one of the
hardest workers in the industry. He prides himself on his conditioning
and feels that is his strongest weapon in the cage. This was
very evident in his ROF 24 performance against Jay Jack. Reiner
was non-stop in a punishing attack that gave him a unanimous
decision after 3 rounds. He credits his time in the marines for
instilling his work ethic while training. Reiner’s record
is an outstanding 18-4 and is a Victory Fighting Champions titleholder.
Chilo
Gonzalez has a love-hate relationship with the fans. Half the
crowd wants to see him win, the other to see him lose, but none-the-less
they come to see him. He can appear brash, and often times even
disrespectful to his opponents. It's all part of the game to
Gonzalez, however, and he sees it as a way to get into his opponent’s
head.
When
asked about his opponent, true to character, he responded, "He
is a really good fighter. I respect his wrestling, but I just
wonder how many teeth he is willing to lose before he gives up
a submission!"
Gonzalez
is a World Extreme Cagefighting veteran with tremendous athletic
ability. He has had an up and down career, but always brings
aggression, intensity and tenacity in the cage. Gonzalez normally
fights at middleweight and Reiner prefers welterweight, so a
catch weight of 175 lbs was agreed upon for the bout.
265
LB FEATURE BOUT
ROF has long been known as a launch pad for fighters’ careers.
But it has also been known mostly for the lower weight classes.
That is all about to change on September 15th. One of the most
athletic heavyweights in the game will make his long awaited
ROF debut.
Shane
“Monster” Carwin is an NCAA Division II National Wrestling
Champion, 3-time NCAA Division II Wrestling All-American and
a 2-time NCAA Division II Football All-American. He stands 6'4"
tall and weighs 265 lbs. He also has a perfect 5-0 record in
MMA.
Once
you get past the sheer size of Carwin, you would be hard pressed
to believe he is a fighter. The "gentle giant" is very
calm, polite and respectful... unless you happen to be standing
across the cage from him. Once the cage door closes and the bell
rings the Monster comes out. None of his previous 5 matches have
made it past the first round and he has finished all of his opponents.
Rick
“Notorious” Slaton has a bit of a bad reputation. Slaton
was part of the now infamous Ultimate Athlete show in 2002. He
has also had his fair share of scrapes with the law, but has
since seen the error of his ways. With a new outlook and a fresh
start Rick is ready to take the MMA world by storm.
He
has channeled his energy into training and wants to make a serious
run at becoming a threat in the heavyweight division. Rick has
sought out some of the best trainers in the San Diego area to
help improve his game. His last fight was in October of 2006
where scored a TKO victory at the Total Combat 17 event. Life
is all about second chances, but the bad boy has a mountain to
climb and a monster to slay to fulfill his dream.
UNDERCARD
BOUTS
The preliminary and undercard matches will round out an amazing
night of fights. Some of the best up-and-coming fighters in the
region are featured including Brandon Thatch, Cody Donovan, Kenneth
Seegrist, Jesse Henely, Seth Bregman, Brad Fox, Jason Ramstedder,
Ralston Baker and Sean Doherty.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“Gossip
is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically
nothing unsaid.”
Walter Winchell, 1897-1972, American Newspaper and Radio Commentator
|
HFL
Date Moved
October
19, 2006
Dole Cannery Ballrooms
New Date!
Because
of the quick arrival of the Gracie Proving Ground, HFL staff
has decided to move the event back a week so that no one will
have to make a choice as to which event they want to see. They
are now able to watch both events!
HAWAII
FIGHT LEAGUE
"FOR THE PRIDE, THE LOVE AND THE HONOR OF THE SPORT"
"
ABOUT US
The Hawaii Fight League (HFL) is created to fill a void in Mixed
Martial Arts (MMA), as we know it today. As we marvel at the
countless individual epic battles that are placed out on the
battlefield that is the ring it still seems like something is
missing. Though we feel that a certain vice is not satisfied,
we feel that the whole process falls a little short. Prime Productions
feels the purity, pride and the honor for the sport, is quickly
diminishing and is immediately replaced by greed, fortune and
fame. Prime Productions feels there is something we could do
to bring back the pride, honor and purity of MMA.
"
OUR BELIEF
Growing up in Hawaii, you always fought. I can remember getting
into fights as a child, which is just how it is in Hawaii. But,
"why did you fight?" because you wanted to impress
a girl, no-your first instinct was always to fight for your pride.
One example-you take a group of guys in Hawaii who never got
along, but take that same group out of Hawaii, and they will
stick together and fight back to back to the end. You ask why
is this-because of PRIDE. This is how the HFL feels, but the
sport somehow and somewhere lost its true values, that the students
and instructors initial reasons for training were somehow forgotten.
Prime Productions feels that we need to bring back the love for
the sport, the respect of the instructors and the honor of the
school.
"
OUR GOAL
With this belief in mind, along with what the International Fight
League (IFL) spearheaded, Prime Productions feels that we now
have the means to bring back the purity, pride and honor in MMA.
We are going to accomplish this by following in the footsteps
of the IFL but tweaking it a little bit, and making it our own.
"
THE International Fight League (IFL)
One day while channel surfing I stumbled upon an event that pretty
much played out what Prime Productions are feeling. The International
Fight League (IFL) burst upon the scene and re-enforced our beliefs.
Basically, two (2) teams with five (5) fighters in different
weight classes will do battle. At the end, the victor of the
melee would be decided by the best three out of five series between
the two teams who would utilize a multitude of forms such as
wrestling, jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, muy thai, boxing, kickboxing
and more collectively known to the world as MMA.
"
THE FORMAT
While using the basic team format described above-Prime Productions
discussed things and came up with a few questions.
"What if team 'A' immediately won the first three bouts?
Everyone would prematurely know who had won the match. The remaining
bouts would be insignificant to both the fighters and the fans.
Thus robbing the fighters and especially the fans of an exciting
team match."
"How could we change things so it would be more exiting
for both the fans and fighters from the beginning to the end
of each and every bout of each and every match?"
It
was then; that Prime Productions knew a team scoring system would
have to be implemented!
"
TEAM SCORING SYSTEM
To curb the obvious outcome of a team who wins the first three
bouts. A team scoring system is implemented. This would make
the event more exciting for both the fans and the fighters involved.
Depending
on the judge's outcome at the end of each bout, points will be
awarded as follows and totaled at the end of each team match.
The team with the largest team score at the end of the five-bout
match will be deemed as the winning team.
Split
Decision 3 points
Unanimous Decision 6 points
Forfeit (no fighter in weight class) 6 points
Tap Out-Knock Out-Ref. Stoppage 10 points
Although
team "A" won the first three bouts, it does not guarantee
them the match win. This is not a best 3 out of 5 series. As
the example shows, Team "B" worked hard in the later
bouts, never gave up and racked up enough points to overtake
team "A". If your team works hard to the end, it could
score enough points to secure the win and the team match victory.
"
THE METHOD
HFL will emulate the team format, but instead of creating teams
Prime Productions will showcase schools that are established
in the Hawaii fight industry. HFL will have one coach (instructor)
per team with five fighters from their respective schools in
the following weight classes: 135 lb, 155 lb, 175 lb, 205 lb
and 235 lb and over. The fighters are chosen by their instructors
and shall be newcomers to the fight game to help ensure the integrity
of the sport, which in turn will showcase their coaching ability,
and raise the honor of the school that is being represented.
Each team will compete against each other throughout a regular
season. At the end of the regular season the teams with the best
overall record will then compete for the Championship of the
HFL.
"
THE DREAM
It is our dream here at the Hawaii Fight League to provide a
platform for the positive side of Mixed Martial Arts to grow
and flourish. Prime Productions wants to show what few schools,
coaches and fighters are so reluctant to show for fear of being
shunned by the bloodlust of the Mixed Martial Arts world. Prime
Productions wants to bring back the pride and honor, by catapulting
to the forefront virtually unknown, undiscovered talented fighters,
who are still untainted by the hype that is Mixed Martial Arts.
Hawaii Fight League is for those fighters who still fight for
the love of the sport, for the respect of their instructors and
for the honor of the school. With this in mind, Prime Productions
bring you the Hawaii Fight League!
|
UFC
CHAMP COUTURE CONFIRMS BROKEN ARM
Randy Couture proved why he is considered one of the most legendary
fighters of all time last Saturday night when he defeated Gabriel
Gonzaga via third round TKO to retain his heavyweight title.
He also finished the fight with a broken arm as Couture discussed
in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio on Monday.
The
injury occurred in the third round when Couture blocked a high
kick from Gonzaga and still the 44-year-old champion continued
and finished his opponent shortly after.
“Obviously
he’s got a very, very good high kick and obviously after
Mirko he’s got some confidence throwing it,” said Couture.
“He tried to kick me in the head a few times actually and
he slapped me in the face with his foot on one occasion.
“In
the third round, he tried a high kick and I deflected it off
my left forearm. Bone on bone contact, shins or forearms, things
like that, it hurts and at the time I was like ‘wow, that
was a hard kick, I’m glad it didn’t hit me in the head’
and my arm hurt.
“We
ended up in the clinch again and it was shortly thereafter that
I took him down and ended up finishing the fight. It didn’t
really feel anything at the time, other than my arm felt kind
of funny.”
Many
fans viewing the fight thought Couture took the shot flush to
his head, but the champ explained that it was his arms that mostly
deflected the kick.
“A
few people thought I took the shot to the head,” Couture
stated about the kick. “I don’t think it hit me in
the head at all. It definitely hit me in the arm, but I didn’t
feel it in the head. I don’t know, maybe the head’s
the best place to hit me.”
Moments
later Couture took his opponent, who outweighed him by almost
25lbs, to the ground where he finished the fight with strikes.
Afterwards,
the attending ringside physician checked Couture, but it was
apparently later that night when he realized something was wrong.
“After
the fight, the doc check my hand and checked everything and I
just thought it was a real good bruise, a good deep bone bruise,”
said Couture.
“By
the end of that evening, that night, and the next morning it
was very swollen and I couldn’t pronate or supinate my hand,
you know turn my wrist back or forth. I realized at that point
that I might have a broken bone in there. I went to the chiropractor
that afternoon and he has an x-ray machine and he put it up there
on the screen and sure enough it was broke clean through.”
The
injury, explained Couture, was to the smaller bone in his forearm
and shouldn’t be seen as very serious at all.
“The
ulna bone is the smaller bone of the two bones in the forearm,
the radius is the bigger bone and the smaller bone was snapped
clean in half. It’s called a ‘night stick fracture.’
You think about somebody trying to hit you in the head with a
nightstick and you threw your hands up, that’s exactly where
it would hit you.
“It
was not displaced, so it does not have to be set, there’s
no surgeries or anything like that involved. In fact, they don’t
even have to cast it,” Couture stated about the injury.
“The smaller bone has a very, very good prognosis for healing.
I’ll wear a splint for the next 6 weeks and it will start
healing. It’s healing now I’m sure. It’s still
pretty swollen and tender now, but in about two weeks time the
bone will start to stick back together and things should be looking
good. I’ll get an x-ray to make sure it’s still not
displaced and it should be good to go.”
The
UFC heavyweight champion doesn’t expect to fight again in
2007, but does have other commitments including two acting engagements.
One will start in 2 weeks when he will appear in the CBS show,
“The Unit” and the other will be a feature role in
the prequel to the “Scorpion King,” part of the Mummy
franchise of movies.
Couture
advised that regardless of the injury; he’ll stay active,
no matter what.
“I’m
sure I’ll find things to do,” stated Couture. “I’ve
still got two perfectly good legs and I can run on a treadmill,
I can ride on a bike. I’m still going to be working; I’m
just not going to be punching, especially with my left hand.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BABALU
FACES POSSIBLE DISCIPLINARY ACTION
Renato “Babalu” Sobral could face fines, suspensions,
or possible release after his antics at UFC 74 that also forced
the Nevada State Athletic Commission to withhold his $25,000
fight purse after his victory over David Heath.
After
a weigh-in that saw both Babalu and Heath exchanging words, it
was the Brazilian who came out on top in the fight, but his refusal
to release the choke that ended the fight when referee Steve
Mazzagatti stepped in may cost Sobral more than just a paycheck.
As
Babalu wrenched in a tight anaconda choke on his opponent, David
Heath tapped out and immediately Mazzagatti swooped in to stop
the bout.
Sobral
did not release the hold and even when Mazzagatti tried to force
him off his opponent the former #1 light heavyweight contender
did not let go.
In
his post fight interview with color commentator Joe Rogan, Babalu
admitted he held onto the choke to “teach him a lesson”
after they exchanged words at the weigh-in.
Immediately
after the bout, the Nevada State Athletic Commission held up
Babalu’s fight purse of $25,000 pending further action that
may come down.
MMAWeekly
spoke to Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director
Keith Kizer about the incident and he advised that they did hold
the $25,000 win bonus from Sobral after the fight pending further
investigation.
When
MMAWeekly spoke to Kizer he had just received a tape from Zuffa
with the footage of the Sobral/Heath fight. Kizer said after
he reviews the film, he would then make a decision whether or
not to file an incident report against Babalu for his actions.
If
the incident is filed, Babalu will face a possible fine or suspension
from the commission, although according to Kizer, he isn’t
likely to seek a suspension at this time.
Kizer
did state that he spoke to Babalu and his manager after the fight
and they advised him that from dealing with past experiences,
a fighter should not release a hold based solely on his opponent
tapping out. Although in this instance, it was clear that he
held on past the time when referee Steve Mazzagatti tried to
get him to release the choke and Babalu also referenced such
in his post fight interview.
“I’ve
got an issue with that,” said Kizer regarding Babalu’s
post fight behavior.
In
the post fight press conference, UFC President Dana White also
had harsh words when asked about Babalu’s actions during
and after the fight.
“What
Babalu did was real bad,” said White. “It will be interesting
to see what the commission does. I am not happy about it. If
you have an arm or leg of somebody in a submission where somebody
seriously injures somebody, you'll never be back in UFC again.”
Heath’s
manager, Scott Newell, spoke to MMAWeekly on Monday and confirmed
that Heath is more upset with his own performance and the Nevada
State Athletic Commission will deal with the situation in whatever
way they see fit.
Babalu
has been in a rough patch lately after his knockout loss to Jason
Lambert at UFC 68. He was then arrested in Florida for misdemeanor
charges of trespassing and battery.
This
latest episode may cost Babalu not only his fight purse withheld
by the athletic commission, but also fines or suspensions from
the UFC and as mentioned by UFC president Dana White, a possible
expulsion from the organization altogether isn’t out of
the question.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
74 FIGHTER SALARY BREAKDOWN
MMAWeekly has obtained the fighter salary information for UFC
74, which took place on August 25 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The
following figures are based on the fighter salary information
that Zuffa is required by law to submit to the state athletic
commissions, including the winners' bonuses.
Although
MMA fighters do not have collective bargaining or a union, the
fighters' salaries are still public record, just as with every
other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed bonuses
that Zuffa also pays its fighters, but does not disclose to the
athletic commissions (specifically, pay-per-view bonuses for
the top pay-per-view main event fighters), are not included in
the figures below.
In
the listings below, "Title Match & Main Event Fighters"
are defined as fighters who compete in the main event of a show
and/or compete in a title fight on a show. "Main Card Fighters"
are defined as fighters whose fights appear on the main card,
but not in title fights or in the main event. "Preliminary
Match Fighters" are defined as fighters whose matches take
place before the live broadcast goes on the air, regardless of
whether or not those matches end up airing on the PPV broadcast.
Also,
please note that $25,000 is currently being withheld from the
purse of Renato "Babalu" Sobral due to his refusal
to release the winning submission hold when he defeated David
Heath.
In
addition, next to each fighter's name is the number of UFC fights
that he has had, not counting fights that took place during Ultimate
Fighter seasons because those fights are officially classified
as exhibitions.
TITLE
MATCH & MAIN EVENT FIGHTERS
-Randy
Couture: $250,000 (18th fight in UFC; defeated Gabriel Gonzaga;
win bonus was $0)
-Gabriel
Gonzaga: $45,000 (5th fight in UFC; lost to Randy Couture; win
bonus would have been $45,000)
MAIN
CARD FIGHTERS
-Georges
St. Pierre: $140,000 (10th fight in UFC; defeated Josh Koscheck;
includes $70,000 win bonus)
-Roger
Huerta: $34,000 (5th fight in UFC; defeated Alberto Crane; includes
$17,000 win bonus)
-Joe
Stevenson: $32,000 (6th fight in UFC; defeated Kurt Pellegrino;
includes $16,000 win bonus)
-Patrick
Cote: $24,000 (6th fight in UFC, defeated Kendall Grove; includes
$12,000 win bonus)
-Kendall
Grove: $12,000 (4th fight in UFC; lost to Patrick Cote; win bonus
would have been $12,000)
-Josh
Koscheck: $10,000 (9th fight in UFC; lost to Georges St. Pierre;
win bonus would have been $10,000)
-Kurt
Pellegrino: $8,000 (4th fight in UFC; lost to Joe Stevenson;
win bonus would have been $8,000)
-Alberto
Crane: $4,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Roger Huerta; win bonus
would have been $4,000)
PRELIMINARY
MATCH FIGHTERS
-Frank
Mir: $66,000 (11th fight in UFC; defeated Antoni Hardonk; includes
win bonus of $30,000)
-Marcus
Aurelio: $30,000 (1st fight in UFC after 6 fights in Pride; lost
to Clay Guida; win bonus would have been $30,000)
-Renato
"Babalu" Sobral: $25,000 (10th fight in UFC; defeated
David Heath; Sobral would have also received a $25,000 win bonus,
but it is currently being withheld due to his actions pending
a hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission)
-Thales
Leites: $18,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Ryan Jensen; includes
$9,000 win bonus)
-Clay
Guida: $14,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Marcus Aurelio; includes
$7,000 win bonus)
-Antoni
Hardonk: $8,000 (3rd fight in UFC; lost to Frank Mir; win bonus
would have been $8,000)
-David
Heath: $6,000 (4th fight in UFC; lost to Renato "Babalu"
Sobral; win bonus would have been $6,000)
-Ryan
Jensen: $4,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Thales Leites; win
bonus would have been $4,000)
DISCLOSED
FIGHTER PAYROLL: $730,000
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“Honest
disagreement is often a good sign of progress.”
Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948, Indian Political and Spiritual Leader
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Tonight
we feature the wizard Matt Hume. Matt is the trainers' trainer,
one of the pioneers of MMA both as a fighter and promoter as
well as started one of the first, if not the first, MMA organization
in America.
He
is also a master at leg locks. This is a seminar that was done
at the Icon Martial Arts and Fitness Center. |
UPDATE:
ICON AND
RUMBLE PRESENT
ELITEXC: UPRISING
3PM SATURDAY SEPTEMBER
15TH
VIEW THE TV SPOT HERE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKpQ14XmhY8
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT BLAISDELL BOX OFFICE, TIMES SUPERMARKETS,
ALL TICKETMASTER OUTLETS, AND www.ticketmaster.com
Come support Fighters'
Club TV's very own Mark Kurano in his debut MMA fight! Tickets
are going fast so do not wait to buy your tickets or you may
be left outside!
PRESALE
TICKET PRICES
$25 General
$35 Lower Riser
$45 Lower Riser Centered
$45 Loge
$75 Floor, rows 5 and back
$150 Floor, row 4
$250 Floor, row 3
$400 Floor, row 1&2
Military Discounts available.
Prelim Bouts (3x3mins)
Tyson Nam vs Albert Always Bad Manners
Justin Buchholz vs Kolo Son of Polynesia Koka
Televised Bouts (3x5mins, Championship 5x5mins)
Gina Carano vs Tonya Evinger
Jake Shields vs Charuto
Riki Fukuda vs Smokin' Joey Villasenor
Nick Diaz vs Iron Mike Aina
Murilo Ninja Rua vs Ruthless Robbie Lawler
ProElite.com Bouts (3x3mins)
Kala Kolohe Hose vs Jeff PeeWee Cox
Mark Oshiro vs Nui Wheeler
Mark Kurano vs Jose Bomber Diaz
Brandon Wolffe vs Chad Klingensmith
|
CLAY
GUIDA & PATRICK COTE TALK UFC 74 WINS
Clay
Guida and Patrick Cote were both victorious in their respective
fights at UFC 74 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Guida
gave Pride veteran Marcus Aurelio a rough orientation to the
Octagon. Cote, meanwhile, continued to shirk the UFC monkey on
his back with an impressive win over The Ultimate Fighter Season
3 middleweight winner Kendall Grove.
Coming
off of back-to-back losses for the first time in his career,
Guida pushed the pace of all three rounds with Aurelio, landing
several effective right hands and keeping the American Top Team
fighter off his game.
While
it seemed that Guida dominated throughout, it was a bit surprising
when the judges awarded him a split instead of unanimous decision.
Two judges scored it 30-27 for Guida, the third 29-28 for Aurelio.
Cote
is another fighter trying to establish himself in the Octagon.
After going 0-4 to start his UFC career, he has now won back-to-back
bouts in the promotion over Steve Smith and at UFC 74, the aforementioned
Grove.
The
win over Grove was especially important to Cote’s UFC credibility
as the Hawaiian fighter was starting to be touted as a future
title contender. Now it is Cote’s name, especially if he
continues his winning ways, that will be mentioned when contenders
are bandied about.
Source: MMA Weekly |
STEVENSON
& PELLEGRINO: FIGHT OF THE NIGHT?
Joe
Stevenson returns to the Octagon tonight at UFC 74 in Las Vegas
to face another tough lightweight competitor in Kurt Pellegrino.
Both
fighters are currently on three-fight winning streaks and both
are looking to continue their winning weighs en route to a UFC
lightweight title shot. Of course, only one man will earn that
distinction.
For
his part, Stevenson says that training has gone well for this
fight. “My weight has been stupendous, my training partners
have been phenomenal, my cardio work is great, my state of mind
is great, my son just turned 2 the other day, and I’m ready
to rock and roll.
But
that’s not to say that he feels that Pellegrino is a push
over. Stevenson realizes it will be a difficult fight, but believes
that will only serve to make this one to remember.
“I
have a feeling this is going to be a great fight, maybe one of
the best fights of the year. Definitely my toughest fight yet.”
With
the turmoil currently surrounding the title belt – former
#1 challenger Hermes Franca and champion Sean Sherk both failed
their drug tests following their championship bout – there’s
talk that, regardless of the outcome of Sherk’s battle to
clear his name, Stevenson deserves the next title shot no matter
what.
Surprisingly
Stevenson, currently ranked as the #10 lightweight fighter in
the world by MMAWeekly.com, doesn’t necessarily agree. “You
can’t honestly say that I deserve it no matter what because
look at the card I’m on, the lightweights on that card [are]
unbelievable.”
Title
shot or not, the field is sure to narrow after Joe Stevenson
and Kurt Pellegrino square off in the Octagon at UFC 74 in Las
Vegas tonight.
Source: MMA Weekly |
XCLUSIVE:
CHONAN REPLACES WEIR AT CAGE RAGE
Mark Weir will not be facing Paul Daley on September 22nd as
planned. Weir sustained an injury in his fight against Nick Thompson
at the Bodog taping for an upcoming television series.
The
outcome of the fight has not been revealed. But win or lose,
Weir will not be in a position to compete at Cage Rage 23.
Speaking
exclusively to MMAWeekly.com, Paul Daley revealed that his new
opponent for Cage Rage 23 is Pride refugee Ryo Chonan.
"Dave
O'Donnell called me earlier today and said that Weir was unable
to make the fight and asked if I fancied the fight against Ryo
Chonan,” said Daley. “Of course I was disappointed
to not be fighting Weir, but as it stands, Ryo is an excellent
name for me and I am definitely up for that one."
There
is added incentive for Daley as the fight has been upgraded to
world title status.
"The
good thing about this is I get a crack at the World Cage Rage
Welterweight Title, as I asked Dave if this was on the line when
he mentioned Chonan."
Paul
Daley faces Ryo Chonan at Cage Rage 23 on September 22nd in London.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“If
you want to be respected, you must respect yourself.”
Spanish Proverb
|
2007
Worlds Roger Gracie gets his title Absolute Champion - Rafael
Lovato wins the big one
The
2007 Worlds is now over with stunning performances by many, especially
two fighters, Roger Gracie and Rafael Lovato Jr. Roger in his
fifth final, finally got his title of World Absolute Champion
by submitting Romulo Barral. Roger has arguably been the best
fighter in the World for the last few years but today was his
coronation as detractors can no longer say "He never won
the Absolute". With a performance fo rthe ages Roger repeated
his tremendous showing of ADCC 2005 and won his weight and the
absolute with a string of submission victories (except for Fernando
Pontes). As he stood up from the mats he cursed and said FINALLY!
Roger was elated: "This building has a lot of magic for
me, it is incredible, after all the tries and the effort I now
have it!"
The
other major sory was also the coronation of Rafael Lovato Jr:
When the question who is the best american Black Belt the answer
today is unequivocally Lovato Jr as this year he won the Brazilian
National titles and today he won the Super-Super Heavy in dramatic
fashion over Luis "Big Mac" Teodoro. Lovato, behind
on a single advantage the entire match managed to get an advantage
for an attack to Teodoro's arm as time ran out. The three referees
agreed and awarded Lovato his advantage after action had stopped
tying the score. It was then up to the referee's decision, and
the panel of 3 Brazilian referees gave the super tight match
to Lovato! An emotional Lovato stated: "This makes up for
all the bad decisions I have been on the short end of. Today
Jiu-Jitsu won. Today my dream came true!"
Other
winners were:
Rooster
: Samuel Cruz
Super
Feather: Robson Moura
Feather:
Rubens "Cobrinha"
Light:
Lucas Lepri
Medium:
Lucas Leite and Andre Galvao shared (Leite got the gold medal)
Medium-Heavy:
Romulo Barral
Heavy:
Xande Ribeiro
Super-
Heavy Roger Gracie
Super-Super
Heavy: Rafael Lovato Jr
Ladies:
Super-Feather:
Michele Nicolini
Feather:
Laurence Cousin
Light:
Hanette Quadros
Middle:
Emily Kwok
Medium
Heavy: Penny Thomas
Look
for a more complete report tomorrow
Source: ADCC
|
UFC
74 RESULTS
MMAWeekly is on location at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada
bringing you UFC 74 LIVE results and play-by-play. The preliminary
action has concluded, and we're on to the main card bouts.
**Refresh
your browser for the latest results and play-by-play.
RESULTS:
-
Clay Guida defeated Marcus Aurelio by Split Decision (30-27x2
for Guida, 29-28 for Aurelio).
Round
One: Fight remains standing with Guida landing several shots.
Nearing the end of the round, Guida dropped Aurelio with a punch.
Guida clear won round one. MMAWeekly scores it 10-9 for Clay
Guida.
Round
Two: Guida comes out and pushes the pace, landing punches. Aurelio
tried to pull guard a few times and finally gets a takedown,
but Guida reversed him. Guida wins the second round, according
to MMAWeekly, 10-9.
Round
Three: Guida took over in the third round. Guida was pushing
the pace and swinging with Aurelio moving away. It looked like
Aurelio didn't want to engage. Clay landed some good shots but
it goes to the judges scorecards. MMAWeekly scored it 10-9 for
Guida.
-
Thales Leites defeated Ryan Jensen by Arm Bar at 3:47 of RD 1.
Round
One: Jensen came out firing kicks and punches. He caught Leites,
knocking him down at one point and had Leites in a guillotine.
Jensen knocked Leites down again and started working ground and
pound, but Thales caught him in an Arm Bar.
-
Frank Mir defeated Antoni Hardonk by Kimura at 1:17 of RD 1.
Round
One: They came out and threw an exchange and Mir immediately
secured a double-leg takedown. Mir worked his way to half guard
and finished it with a Kimura.
-
Renato "Babalu" Sobral defeated David Heath by Anaconda
Choke at 3:30 of RD 2.
Round
One: Sobral got an early takedown and landed brutal ground and
pound for a couple of minutes. Babalu is very aggressive. Heath
fought his way out and took Babalu down with a double leg of
his own and worked some ground and pound, but not as effective
as Sobral's. MMAWeekly scores it 10-9 for Sobral.
Round
Two: They came out and clinched. Babalu scored a takedown and
opened up a gash on Heath's forehead with strikes. Heath was
a bloody mess. Babalu tried to finish with aGuillotine Choke,
rolling Heath over sinking in an Anaconda Choke for the finish.
-
Patrick Cote defeated Kendall Grove by TKO at 4:45 of RD 1.
Round
One: Cote opens with a big right hand that didn't land. Cote
throwing big shots. They clinch along the cage. Herb Dean seperates
them. Cote with a couple of leg kicks. Kendall lands a kick to
the body. They clinch along the cage again with Grove landing
knees to the body. Kendall tries for a takedown and Grove fends
it off. Cote lands a big right hand that drops Kendall. Grove
is hurt bad. Cote pounding on him. Cote finishes Grove by TKO.
-
Joe Stevenson defeated Kurt Pellegrino by Unanimous Decision.
Round
One: They start out feeling each other out and exchanging blows.
Pellegrino using his jab effectively. Pellegrino gets the takedown
and ended up in Stevenson's guard. Stevenson sweeps him and takes
Kurt's back. Pellegrino stands up but Stevenson slams him to
the canvas. Stevenson works for a Guillotine Choke but Pellegrino
pops out of it and is in Joe's guard along the cage. Pellegrino
tries to work some ground and pound, but only landed one good
shot. It was a very close round. MMAWeekly scores it 10-9 for
Joe Stevenson, but it could have went either way.
Round
Two: Not a lot of action for the first minute. Pellegrino working
his jab and Stevenson moving forward setting the pace. Kurt goes
for a takedown but Joe stuffs it and lands some shots as Kurt
gets back to his feet. Pellegrino landed an uppercut and seem
to be looking to land more of them. Stevenson gets a takedown
and starts working ground and pound opening up a cut on Pellegrino's
forehead. Stevenson takes his back and landing shots, but only
has one hook in. Pellegrino spins and ends up on top in Joe's
guard. Stevenson works for a Guillotine, but Kurt gets out of
it. Big right hand by Kurt. Joe is active on the bottom landing
body shots. Stevenson works back to his feet and the round ends
with both fighters tied up. MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for
Joe Stevenson.
Round
Three: Stevenson moving forward adn Pellegrino lands another
uppercut. They clinch and quickly seperate. Pellegrino with a
double-leg takedown. Pellegrino unable to do anything and "Big"
John McCarthy stands them back up. Pellegrino pulls guard and
slaps on a Guillotine, taking a page out of Stevenson's book.
Joe gets out and starts ground and pounding Kurt. Stevenson landing
a lot of shots as he has Kurt pinned against the cage. Stevenson
lands knees to Kurt's head. Stevenson taking over the round.
The round ends with them in a scramble. MMAWeekly scores it 10-9
for Joe Stevenson.
-
Roger Huerta defeats Alberto Crane by TKO at 1:50 of RD 3.
Round
One: Crane lands a couple of inside leg kicks. Huerta returns
the favor. Crane goes for a single leg. Huerta gets his back,
but Crane works out of it. Crane takes Huerta's back and works
for a rear naked choke. Huerta works his way back to Crane's
guard. Crane tried for an Arm Bar and gets back to top position.
Crane passes his guard and moves to side control. Huerta gives
up his back. Crane with one hook in. Huerta gets back to Crane's
guard and starts landing shots. Crane goes fo ra Guillotine,
but Huerta pops out of it. Crane with a mouse under his left
eye. The round ends with Huerta in Crane's guard. MMAWeekly scores
it 10-9 for Huerta.
Round
Two: Crane goes for a takedown and pulls guard. Huerta lands
some shots. Huerta avoiding the sumbission attempts and landing
big shots. Crane works sumbissions and gets into side control.
Huerta lands a knee to Crane's head on the ground and is warned.
Huerta back to his feet. As Crane stands back up, Huerta lands
a straight kick to the body knocking Crane back to the ground.
Roger immediately starts landing shots. Crane works for an Arm
Bar but Huerta gets out of it. Huerta gets the mount. Crane gives
up his back. Huerta landing shots and tells Crane to stand up.
Crane is exhausted. The round ends with Crane barely able to
get back to his feet. MMAWeekly scores it 10-9 for Huerta.
Round
Three: Crane goes for a lazy double leg. Crane is completely
gassed. Huerta landing big shots. Alberto grabs a foot and then
takes Huerta's back. Huerta looking ot the big screen to see
where Crane is and starts throwing back elbows that land. Huerta
gets the mount and lands some shots. The referee stops it.
-
Georges St. Pierre defeated Josh Koscheck by Unanimous Decision.
Round
One: Koscheck throws a right hand that misses to start the fight.
Koscheck throwing big right hands. St. Pierre takes Josh down
off of a leg kick by Koscheck. Georges passes Koscheck's guard
into half guard. St. Pierre working some ground and pound. Koscheck
gets back to his feet and tries for a single leg. After the first
one was stuffed by Georges, Koscheck gets St. Pierre down. Koscheck
not able to do much, but the round ends with Koscheck trying
to land punches standing in St. Pierre's guard. MMAWeekly scores
it 10-9 for St. Pierre.
Round
Two: Georges presses the pace throwing a superman punch leg kick
combination with the leg kick landing. St. Pierre double legs
Koscheck. St. Pierre goes for a Kimura but couldn't get it. Georges
goes for another Kimura. Koscheck able to work out of it. St.
Pierre moves to side control. Koscheck scrambles but St. Pierre
ends back in his guard. St. Pierre working for another Kimura,
but Koscheck defending well. That's the way the round ends. MMAWeekly
scores it 10-9 for St. Pierre.
Round
Three: Koscheck letting his hands go, but not landing anything.
St. Pierre lands a couple of leg kicks. Koscheck winging desperation
punches. St. Pierre getting the better of the exchanges. St.
Pierre turning it on. Kosheck goes for a single leg, but Georges
defends it and ends up in Koscheck's guard after a scramble.
St. Pierre landing some elbows. The round ends with Georges going
for a leg lock. MMAWeekly scores it 10-9 for St. Pierre.
-
Randy Couture defeated Gabriel Gonzaga by TKO at 1:37 of RD 3.
Round
One: Gabriel opened up with a right hand. Frantic pace with both
exchanging wild shots. Randy gets Gonzaga down but Gabriel gets
back to his feet. Randy presses him against the cage and works
some dirty boxing. Randy goes for a takedown, but Gonzaga fends
it off. Randy lands a knee to Gonzaga, a wild exchange. Randy
slams Gonazaga but Gabriel right back to his feet. They're clinched
along the cage. Gonzaga bleeding from nose. Gabriel breathing
from his mouth. Randy still pressing him against the cage in
the clinch working knees to the legs of Gonzaga. Randy working
more dirty boxing effectively. Gabriel's mouth is wide open breathing.
The round ends with Couture working for a takedown. MMAWeekly
scores it 10-9 for Couture.
Round
Two: Gabriel tries a high kick but Randy ducks it and clinches.
They're standing toe-to-toe throwing haymakers. Randy clinches
and has Gabriel's back. Gabriel alerted referee Herb Dean that
he can't see due to the blood. They restart the fight in the
same position. Gabriel grabs the fence to avoid the takedown
and Herb Dean takes a point without a warning. Couture lands
big shots to Gonzaga's face. They're clinched along the cage
and Couture starting to open up with strikes. Gabriel's nose
is busted up. Randy taking over the fight. Gonzaga briefly had
Couture pressed against the cage, but Randy quickly reverses
the position. Randy landing shots from the inside at will, uppercuts,
hooks, and then re-engages the clinch. MMAWeekly scores round
two 10-9 for Couture.
Round
Three: Gonzaga tries another high kick but Randy blocks it. High
kick that landing by Gonzaga to Couture's head. Randy immediately
clinches. Randy trips him for a takedown and moves to half guard.
Couture going for the finish. Herb Dean stops the fight! Randy
Couture retains the UFC heavyweight championship.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
COUTURE
DOMINANT IN VICTORY AT UFC 74
“Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from
something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a
vision.”
-Muhammad
Ali
Randy
Couture once again showed why he is one of the greatest champions
the world will ever see as he dominated Gabriel Gonzaga on his
way to a 3rd round referee’s stoppage at UFC 74, retaining
his UFC heavyweight title.
Entering
his 15th championship fight in the UFC, Randy Couture really
had nothing left to prove except that he can still be a dominant
champion after moving back up to the heavyweight division in
March and taking out then champion Tim Sylvia.
As
Couture entered the Octagon to a packed house at the Mandalay
Bay Events Center, he was applauded by fans that were again in
awe of the seemingly ageless wonder.
His
opponent, Gabriel Gonzaga, was a much bigger fighter coming into
the bout, having almost a 25lb weight advantage but it looked
like the old saying is true that size doesn’t matter.
Early
in the first round, Couture caught Gonzaga with a punch that
staggered the Brazilian and it seemed to set the tone for the
rest of the fight.
Couture
engaged Gonzaga again and again, pressing the action and working
a classic clinch game mixed with dirty boxing that have made
the former Olympic hopeful one of the best tacticians in the
game.
After
slamming his opponent to the mat, Couture stood back up only
to see Gonzaga’s nose dripping blood down his body, showing
that he had a severely broken nose.
Throughout
the remaining two rounds, Gonzaga struggled with the broken nose
having blood go into his eyes and fans saw him spit up blood
multiple times trying to keep his airways clear.
In
the 3rd round, Couture secured another takedown and with Gonzaga
obviously hurt, he closed in for the kill and reigned down punches
causing referee Herb Dean to step in and stop the fight.
Randy
Couture retained his title stopping Gabriel Gonzaga and placing
himself again in a class all by himself.
Georges
St. Pierre got back to his winning ways with a three round unanimous
decision win over Josh Koscheck in a masterful fight that saw
the former champ looking like the same fighter who won the welterweight
title.
To
just about everyone’s surprise, especially Josh Koscheck,
it was St. Pierre who secured a takedown early in the first round
putting the former NCAA wrestling All-American on his back and
working from the ground.
St.
Pierre stayed active moving in and out of Koscheck’s guard
while landing strikes and looking for submissions.
In the 2nd round, St. Pierre almost secured a kimura many times
throughout the 5 minutes but Koshceck avoided getting caught
in the full submission.
The
Canadian took his opponent down multiple times in the fight,
while also looking crisper and quicker on his feet during the
entire bout.
When
it was all said and done, Georges St. Pierre earned another shot
at the title he once held and he now awaits the fight between
Matt Serra and Matt Hughes in December.
Joe
Stevenson may have earned a lightweight title fight with his
victory over Kurt Pellegrino on Saturday night after pulling
off a unanimous decision win.
Fans
were treated to a back and forth battle that showed Pellegrino
belongs in the top of the lightweight division and he was able
to secure a few takedowns on the former Ultimate Fighter season
2 winner.
Stevenson
almost locked on his infamous guillotine choke a few times in
the fight but in the end it was his superior cardio and conditioning
that locked up the victory.
As
the 2nd round came towards the end and the 3rd round began it
was Stevenson who continued to push the pace and bring the fight
to Pellegrino over and over again.
It
looked as if the fight was going to get stopped a couple of times
as Stevenson unloaded shots on Pellegrino who wasn’t moving
much, mostly from exhaustion.
With
the win, Stevenson looks to have a championship bout right in
his sights.
Roger
Huerta may have put on one of the most interesting fights of
the night as he brought the fight to Alberto Crane in their lightweight
match-up.
While
most thought Huerta would be crazy to go to the ground with the
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, it was the Texan who went there
repeatedly and while avoiding submissions, landed devastating
strikes to Crane in each round.
The
pivotal point for fans watching the fight was the moment when
Crane took control of Huerta’s back and the fighter who
was recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated used
the big screens in the arena to see where his opponent was on
his back and unloaded precision elbow strikes.
Huerta
looked like a machine, going after Crane non-stop in each round,
and the former King of the Cage champion had no answer as exhaustion
set in.
Late
in the fight, Huerta again gained control and Crane stayed turtled
up and the referee stepped in to stop the bout giving the Dave
Menne trained student another win in the UFC and one step closer
to the top of the lightweight division.
Patrick
Cote finally showed what he was capable of in his 6th fight in
the UFC by stopping former Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Grove
by strikes in the first round.
Cote
landed a huge right hand that put Grove on the floor and the
Canadian striker followed up with bombs on the ground, stopping
the Hawaiian and securing a victory.
After
a tough run in his first few bouts, Cote showed the heavy hands
and great skill everyone knew he had all along.
UFC
74 was full of great fights but Randy Couture’s performance
will go down as another great fight in the life of a legend.
Fighter
of the Night of course goes to Captain America himself, Randy
Couture, who continues to defy the odds and at 44 years young,
he’s still not finished yet.
Fight
of the Night goes to a very interesting bout between Roger Huerta
and Alberto Crane that saw some phenomenal ground work from both
fighters and showcased just how good Roger Huerta is getting
to be.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“If
you want to be respected, you must respect yourself.”
Spanish Proverb
|
Sergei
Kharitonov signs with HERO'S
Former
PRIDE heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov (14-3) will continue his
mixed martial arts career in the HERO'S promotion, says Kharitonov's
official website.
Kharitonov,
who recently turned 27, has signed a contract with the Fighting
Entertainment Group (FEG), which is the parent company that operates
K-1 and Hero's. The Russian army officer will also compete under
kickboxing rules at future K-1 Grand Prix tournaments.
Kharitonov
was a highly-touted prospect in 2004 through his participation
in that year's PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix. He scored two outstanding
wins over Murilo "Ninja" Rua and Semmy Schilt before
losing to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the semifinals. Losses
to Alistair Overeem and Aleksander Emelianenko in 2006 set Kharitonov
back in the heavyweight ranks.
Source: MMA Fighting |
IFL
gets demoted on MyNetwork TV
Variety
is reporting that MyNetworkTV is demoting the IFL Battleground
show from Monday nights to Saturday nights, with those Saturday
night events being repackaged editions of “IFL Battleground”
shows. The IFL show is being replaced with celebrity programming
on Monday nights on MNTV. There’s no other way to say it
— the IFL got its free-to-air TV network show cut in half
in length and demoted from Monday night to Saturday night. This
is just more bad news for the IFL.
411
Mania is reporting that Jake Ellenberger will replace Rory Markham
on the IFL’s 9/20 Hollywood, Florida event. Ellenberger
will fight Delson Heleno at 170 pounds. Plus, the heat-up process
is starting for Ryan McGivern vs. Fabio Leopoldo.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Salmon,
Clementi added to IFO: Fireworks in the Cage II
UFC
veterans Sean Salmon and Rich Clementi have been added to IFO
"Fireworks in the Cage II," Steele Cage Promotions
announced today.
Sean
Salmon (11-3) is replacing the injured Chris Price against Travis
Wiuff (45-11) for the IFO light heavyweight title. After two
straight losses in the UFC, Salmon turned to successfully regional
shows by picking up two wins in the XFO and NAAFS promotions.
TUF
4's Rich Clementi (26-12-1) is filling in for Tony "The
Freak" Fryklund, who is out due to a knee injury, in a non-title
fight against Kyle Gibbons (5-2). Clementi is coming off a loss
to Roan "Jucao" Carneiro at UFC Fight Night on April
5.
"Fireworks
in the Cage II" takes place September 1 at the Riviera Hotel
& Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The IFO (International Fighting
Organization) was co-founded by Hall of Fame Boxing Referee Richard
Steele.
Fight
Card:
205
lbs: Travis Wiuff (45–11) vs. Sean Salmon (11–3)
155 lbs: Zac George (11–1) vs. Chris Mickle (22–9–1)
170 lbs: Rich Clementi (26–12-1) vs. Kyle Gibbons (5–2)
185 lbs: Justin Levens (9–6) vs. Nate James (3-3)
145 lbs: Matt Williams (6–2) vs. Dennis Davis (10–6)
185 lbs: Eric Thompson (7–2) vs. Evan Landry (2–0)
185 lbs: CB Dolloway (3-0) vs. Joe Bunch (7–1)
170 lbs: Ken Jackson (3–2) vs. Tyler Stinson (6–2)
205 lbs: Rafael Del Real (4-7) vs. Ryan Bader (3-0)
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
“Kind
words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly
endless.”
Mother Teresa, 1910-1997, Albanian-born Humanitarian/Missionary/Nobel
Peace Prïze Winner
|
UFC
Today!
Oceanic Digital
Cable 701
Starts at 4:00 pm
|
Fighters
Journey
MANOA GRAND
BALLROOM
IN THE JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER
AUG. 31, 2007
145lb
Amateur MMA
Jesse Castillo (808 Figt Factory) v
Van Shiroma (HMC)
185lb
Amateur MMA
Joshua Lindsey (Anmial House) v
Carl Barton (HMC)
155lb
Amateur MMA
Rob Carlyon (HMC) v
Keoni Diggs (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Amateur MMA
Cory Nemoto (Team Kritikul) v
Paul Lopes (Jesus is Lord)
130lb
Amateur MMA
Sam Quel (Team Ruthless) v
Joseph Benevente (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Amateur MMA
Jeremy Kubo (Team Kritikul) v
Colin Mackenzie (Team Ruthless)
155lb
Amateur MMA
Garren Mouser (Animal House) v
Jeff Thome (BJ Penn Academy)
165lb
Amateur MMA
Cheyne Todani (808 Fight Factory) v
Eugene Ige (Anmial House)
175lb
Amateur MMA
Ray Tintor (Freelance) v
Ryan Desoto (Team Ruthless)
170lb
Amateur MMA
Zane Kamak (Guts and Glory) v
Micah Ige (Animal House)
145lb
Amateur MMA
David Balicao (Jesus is Lord) v
Jon Barnard (Team Ruthless)
185lb
Pro MMA
Bob Ostovich (Jesus is Lord) v
Tyson Primm (Team Submit)
137lb
Pro MMA
Jay Bolos (Animal House) v
Peni Taufa'ao (Eastsidaz)
155lb
Pro MMA
Duke Saragosa (808 Fight Factory) v
Dean Lista (HMC)
170lb
Pro MMA
Ramon Franco (Kailua Jiu Jitsu) v
Daniel Devers (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Pro MMA
Brandon Pieper (Jesus is Lord) v
145lb
Pro MMA
Tony Giraldi (No Mercy) v
Zach Rapal (Fighters Union)
255lb
Pro MMA
Deutsch Puu (Freelance) v
Thomas Rosser (808 Fight Factory)
Tickets
go on sale Aug 10. getem at Watchchaback in windward mall,
Adrenaline Koncepts, TCA Wireless in Waipahu, and Jesus is Lord
gym
Source: The Tan Superman
|
FRANK
MIR IS HIS OWN WORST ENEMY
In
June 2004, Frank Mir won the UFC Heavyweight Championship by
breaking Tim Sylvia’s arm. But a tragic motorcycle accident
three months later kept Mir out of the game for nearly two years
and led to having the title stripped.
The
results since Mir has returned have been mixed at best. He was
TKO’d in his return bout at UFC 57 by Marcio “Pe de
Pano” Cruz, won a lackluster decision over Dan Christison
at UFC 61, and then at UFC 65 was again TKO’d, this time
by rising star Brandon Vera.
On
Saturday night at UFC 74, Mir looks to take the next step with
hopes to revive his UFC career. At the Mandalay Bay Events Center
in Las Vegas, Mir, following a nine-month layoff to heal injuries
and change up his training, faces striking expert Antoni Hardonk.
At
this point in his career, Mir feels no pressure. Feeling that
his meteoric rise to the championship, hurt as much as it helped,
as he didn’t gain the toughness that comes with “long,
drawn out wars.”
Starting
out at ground zero believes that his career is back in his own
hands and that no one can stop him… except himself.
“My
worst enemy is me. If I’m firing on all cylinders, I’m
capable of beating anybody in the world; if I’m not, I’m
capable of getting beat by anybody in the world,” said Mir.
On
Saturday night at UFC 74 in Las Vegas, Frank Mir faces Antoni
Hardonk in a heavyweight preliminary bout.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CALM,
COUTURE & COLLECTED
Randy "The Natural" Couture takes on Gabriel Gonzaga
Saturday night at UFC 74 with the UFC heavyweight belt on the
line.
Couture
expects to push the pace, frustrate his opponent and win in the
latter part of the five round title bout. Couture recently spoke
with MMAWeekly about his opponent, the fight, and his strategy.
"I
think it's going to be a good fight. I have a lot of respect
for Gabe as an opponent. I'm looking to try and wear Gabe out
by the third or forth round, try and frustrate him and make him
work harder than he wants to work. I can, hopefully, find a way
to take him out of there by the third or forth round, but I'm
prepared to go the distance if we need to. I think it's going
to be a tough event. It's going to be a lot of fun," the
UFC heavyweight champ told MMAWeekly.
Describing
Gabriel Gonzaga, the fighter, Couture commented, "He's a
young, big, aggressive, well rounded fighter. He's got very,
very formidable stand up skills, obviously. He's well known in
the grappling world for his Jiu-Jitsu abilities. In a lot of
the fights I've seen, he hits some pretty nice takedowns. He's
got a complete package as a fighter, so I've got to be ready
to go.
“I
think if I have an advantage in this fight, it's that it's a
five round fight, and he's never been in that territory. So I
need to go out and push the pace, make him work, and I think
that will pay dividends for me in the later rounds."
Gonzaga
is 4-0 in the UFC, coming off a knockout victory over the highly
regarded striker Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic at UFC 70.
Asked
about Gonzaga's striking, Couture said, "I think he has
a tendency to throw one punch or one kick. In just about all
the fights I've watched, he doesn't throw anything in combinations.
He pop shots and picks his moment to kind of explode to try and
land that one big shot. He likes to throw a counter right hand.
He doesn't set up his kicks. He'll just step in and throw a kick,
which is what he did to Mirko. I think Mirko thought it was coming
to the body and it came to the head.
“I
think the one thing I have that will probably preclude him from
throwing a lot of kicks is the fact that he knows that I'm going
to shoot. I'll take him down if he picks his foot up, so I think
he's going to be a little leery about coming in and trying to
throw a lot of kicks, especially high kicks. But you never know.
You have to be ready. I'm ready for anything."
One
distinct advantage Couture has over Gonzaga is experience. When
Randy steps in the Octagon Saturday night, he'll be competing
in a UFC title bout for the fifteenth time in his storied mixed
martial arts career.
"I
think that's one advantage that I bring to this is that I have
been in a lot of big, five round title fights. It's a lot of
hype. It's tough waiting until the end of the night and everybody
else has fought. Sometimes that waiting, and that crowd, and
all of that can get to a guy. They talk about first-time UFC
jitters, a lot of that same thing happens for guys going into
his first title fight too. I think the harder I can make him
work early on, I think the more it's going to pay off as the
fight dwindles on," stated Couture.
Before
dropping down to the light heavyweight division to take on Chuck
Liddell at UFC 43, Randy was coming off back-to-back loses in
the heavyweight division to Ricco Rodriguez and Josh Barnett.
Gabriel Gonzaga has a similar style to Rodriguez and Barnett;
he’s a big, good grappler with the ability to strike and
solid submission skills.
Asked
what's different now, Randy replied, "I think I always had
to be smart with bigger guys. I had to train differently, and
I had to be sure not to put myself in certain situations. I think
with Josh and Ricco, I was focusing so much on showing up my
Jiu-Jitsu and being effective from my back that I started to
think like a Jiu-Jitsu player and started pulling guard and ended
up on my back. Against guys that size, the last thing you want
to do is try and lay down there and find a submission.
"I
think once I went and analyzed those tapes and realized that,
I kind of shifted back to my wrestling mentality. And then looking
at guys like Chuck Liddell who are at all costs not going to
stay on the bottom, that affected how I started approaching fights
and how I started training.
“I
think now I'm tactically and technically much better at getting
out from underneath those big guys because I'm not laying around
down there thinking I'm going to pull guard or submit anybody
from there. If a submission comes, they come, but I'm looking
to get my a** out from underneath and put myself in a better
chance to win against a bigger opponent."
Couture
continued, "I expect to put him on his back. I think that
just about every person I've fought I managed to take down, and
I want to put him there just because I think once he hits the
ground, he's going to feel comfortable. He is a Jiu-Jitsu guy,
so he's used to operating off his back.
“If
I'm effective on top of him and able to damage him and make him
work there, that's one more area I could frustrate him in and
shut him down. I see that as a little psychological win for me
to put him on his back and not allow him to get to any submission
positions or change positions much at all. In the long-term of
the fight, those are all little victories that go toward that
big victory."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
OPPORTUNITY
KNOCKS TWICE FOR GONZAGA
When Gabriel Gonzaga stepped into the Octagon for the first time
to face Kevin Jordan, both fighters were complete unknowns to
the MMA world.
After
a performance that was downright painful to watch, Gonzaga did
manage to pull off a knockout late in the third round, earning
him a victory in the UFC, but not gaining many new fans after
the lackluster performance.
What
many people didn’t know about Gonzaga going into the bout
was that just weeks prior, he had lost a child. Not once did
the Brazilian fighter make excuses or drop out of a fight that
could mean a secure future for his family.
While
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan mercilessly ripped both Gonzaga
and Jordan for their performances during the bout, fans had much
of the same opinion. Shortly thereafter, Gonzaga was relegated
to the preliminary fights prior to the pay-per-view broadcasts.
In
his second performance, Gonzaga, who currently trains out of
Marco Alvan’s gym in Massachusetts, showed fans that he
was much more than the fighter they saw six months earlier in
his debut.
The
6’3” heavyweight followed that up by taking out another
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter in Fabiano Scherner; this time by
TKO in the second round. He then went on to show his submission
skills by tapping out previously undefeated Carmelo Marrero with
an armbar midway through the first session in their bout.
Gonzaga
wasn’t necessarily rewarded for his efforts by the UFC moving
him back onto the main card, but instead he was thrust into a
main event fight with Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic, a fighter widely
seen as the most dangerous striker in all of MMA.
The
odds seemed impossible for Gonzaga to overcome and it almost
looked like he was being set up as a sacrificial lamb being sent
to the slaughter against the former Croatian special forces unit
member.
Instead
of rolling over in defeat, Gonzaga instead pulled off one of
the biggest upsets in MMA and UFC history by knocking out the
perennial top five heavyweight by a devastating head kick late
in the first round.
Going
into the fight, it seemed the only person outside of Gonzaga’s
camp picking him to win was UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture,
who said from the beginning that he believed the bout was a bad
match-up for Cro Cop. Afterwards, it seemed like the ageless
champion was nothing short of Nostradamus.
Now
the prolific champion will get his chance to see if he can figure
out what Cro Cop could not when he faces Gonzaga on Saturday
night.
Gabriel
Gonzaga brings a world-class jiu-jitsu game into the fight with
Couture and has obviously shown that he has stand-up to compliment
his ground fighting.
The
Brazilian has been on an unbelievable ride over the last few
months, taking out the former Pride Grand Prix champion and now
getting a shot at UFC gold.
Currently,
most oddsmakers have Gonzaga as a very slight favorite over Couture,
although it seems it will likely be a toss-up come fight night
in Las Vegas.
Can
Gonzaga pull off another huge win that could catapult him to
possibly being considered one of the top 2 or 3 heavyweights
in the world while putting a heavyweight title around his waist?
It’s
almost certain that Gonzaga faced the toughest adversity a fighter
could ever come to grips with – losing a child – in
his first bout in the UFC and a title fight should be easy compared
to that.
Gabriel
Gonzaga will get his chance to prove he belongs in the upper
echelon of the heavyweight class when he faces champion Randy
Couture in the main event of UFC 74 this weekend.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CLAY
GUIDA READY FOR MARCUS AURELIO
Clay
Guida takes on Marcus Aurelio this Saturday night at UFC 74 in
Las Vegas. Guida plans to push the pace and come away with his
hand raised at the end of the night.
Discussing
his preparation, Guida said, "Everything is better than
normal. I feel great for this fight. Though I didn't have as
much time to prepare, I feel like I'm ready to go."
Anyone
who has watched a Clay Guida fight knows it's never one of those
fights where you take a bathroom break or go get yourself another
beverage. They're usually wars, exciting from start to finish,
which is why it was a little odd to not see this match up on
the main card of UFC 74.
Addressing
the fact that there is no guarantee that this fight will be shown
on the pay-per-view broadcast this weekend, Guida stated, "This
fight has fireworks written all over it, and main card all over
it, but I guess you've got two guys coming off consecutive losses,
it's hard to get on the main card. I guess it's in our hands."
Clay
has been involved in a few very close decisions lately. Asked
if he's more motivated now than ever to finish his opponent,
Clay commented, "I've always been one to go out there and
look to submit everybody. Not that I've ever really arm barred
anybody in a fight or anything like that, but I consider a submission
a choke, too. That's kind of my bread and butter, and lately
I've had a hard time securing those.
“That's
a testament of tougher competition, but I'm always out there
to finish a fight. I hate decisions. Don't get me wrong, if it's
an exciting fight and it goes to a decision, you know, what the
hell, but I hate going to decisions because that's not my style.
I try to get in there and get the fight done so I can get back
and hang out in the locker room with my coaches and soak it up.
You know?"
Marcus
Aurelio last fought in November of 2006. When he steps into the
octagon Saturday night, more than nine moths will have passed
since his last fight.
Asked
if he thought ring rust would be a factor for Aurelio, Guida
answered, "Definitely. He'll be knocking the rust off in
the third round, if it even goes that far, I have a feeling,
and I'm not just saying that. That's not anything against him.
That's just fair. You know? It just takes people a while to get
back into the groove of things."
Aurelio
is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt, but Guida is definitely comfortable
on the ground. Questioned about the stylistic match up and if
he'd be better served to keep it standing, Guida responded, "I
think it's going to go to the ground. It's going to be up. It's
going to be all over man. That's what people can expect in this
fight. Just expect the unexpected because they're going to get
it."
Guida
continued, "He's expecting to submit me. He's expecting
to take me down, and things like that, and I'm going to be looking
for it. I'm going to look to push the pace on the feet a little
bit, too."
"I'm
not much for predictions, but I know the fans are going to be
standing and screaming for more. I can definitely guarantee that.
I can predict that it's probably going to be fight of the night,"
said Guida.
If
history tells us anything about the future, Clay is most likely
right.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Demian
Maia talks about UFC debut
ADCC
2007 champion, Demian maia talked abou his debuta t UFC, that
will be hold at October 20, at UFC 77. Demian praised his opponent.
“I have a four fights contract. And for the first one they
have already give me a hard fighter. Mrvin Eastman is a very
tough fighter. When Vitor fought against him, I trained with
Vitor, Eastman is very tough, explosive, he is not easy to bit”,
said Maia.
Maia
didn’t want to talk about his fight strategy. “I can’t
tell what I am going to do, but I have a strategy. the most important
is to train as hard as you can get. Eastman is a tough fighter,
but if I want to be the champion, I have to face the bests and
win”, argue Demian.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FIGHT-BY-FIGHT:
UFC 74 PRELIMS
The UFC 74 undercard is littered with top fighters including
a former UFC champion and two former title contenders in different
divisions. UFC 74 is scheduled to take place Saturday night at
the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
In
this first of a two-part preview of the UFC 74 fight card, Ricardo
Mendoza takes a look at the preliminary bouts not scheduled to
air on the pay-per-view, unless time permits.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
BOUT:
THALES LEITES VS. RYAN JENSEN
Middleweight
Thales Leites takes on UFC newcomer Ryan Jensen. Thales Leites
has an 11-1 record in MMA and trains out of Nova Uniao with Vitor
“Shaolin” Ribiero. Ryan Jensen has an 11-1 record in
MMA and trains out of MidAmerica Martial Arts with Jake Ellenberger.
Leites comes off a fairly easy submission victory over Floyd
Sword at The Ultimate Fighter Finale 5. Jensen recently submitted
UFC veteran Curtis Stout at Victory Fighting Championships 19:
Inferno.
Jensen
will be making his UFC debut. He was originally scheduled to
face off with Travis Lutter, but an injury put a halt to that.
Jensen now faces a tougher fighter in Leites, who has now tasted
victory twice in the UFC after losing his debut. Jensen’s
only loss was against WEC welterweight Brock Larson, but he will
indeed face a bigger man in Leites.
Leites
has an amazing ground game and he should put it on display against
the newcomer. This is Jensen’s biggest fight to date and
the first time jitters will get to him. Look for Leites to get
the fight to the ground early and submit the UFC newcomer in
the first round.
Prediction:
Thales Leites by submission in the first round.
HEAVYWEIGHT
BOUT:
FRANK MIR VS. ANTONI HARDONK
Former
UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir returns to the Octagon, after
a nine-month hiatus, to take on striking specialist Antoni Hardonk.
Frank Mir has a 9-3 record in MMA and trains out of Xtreme Couture
with Randy Couture. Antoni Hardonk has a 5-3 record in MMA and
trains out Vos Gym with Ernesto Hoost. Mir is coming off a devastating
knockout loss to Brandon Vera at UFC 65. Hardonk lost a lopsided
decision to Justin McCully at UFC Fight Night 9.
Mir
has had the biggest fall from grace in MMA, losing two out of
three since his comeback from a severe motorcycle injury and
not looking very good in his one win. He has taken a leave of
absence from fighting in order to get back in the right mindset
to compete at a high level and to recover from injuries. Hardonk
looked good in his UFC debut but was exposed in his last fight
for lacking a ground game, as he couldn’t muster much offense
from his back.
This
is really Mir’s last chance at the big stage. If he can’t
win here, then there isn’t much hope for him in the newly
stacked heavyweight division. The blueprint has been laid out
for Mir, so look for him to follow it and win a decision over
Hardonk.
Prediction:
Frank Mir by decision.
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT:
RENATO “BABALU” SOBRAL VS. DAVID HEATH
IFC
Light Heavyweight Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral looks
to get back on track against Midwest fighter David Heath. Renato
Sobral has a 27-7 record in MMA and trains out of Gorrdo Fight
Team with Mauricio “Pe De Pano” Cruz. David Heath has
a 7-1 record in MMA and trains out of Oklahoma. Sobral comes
off a knockout loss to Jason Lambert at UFC 68, while Heath dropped
a boring, lopsided decision to Lyoto Machida at UFC 70.
Both
fighters need a win here to put themselves back into the mix
in the light heavyweight division. Sobral hasn’t looked
himself in his past two fights, as he has been knocked out in
back-to-back efforts. Heath just looked really bad in his last
fight against Machida. He never seemed to want to engage and
paid for it has Machida counterpunched his way to a lackluster
decision.
Both
fighters should be motivated to get back on the winning track;
the only question mark that remains is which can impose their
game plan on the other. Heath will want to keep the fight on
the feet as Sobral should be gun shy after two straight knockout
losses. Sobral on the other hand will look to take it to the
ground and lock on a submission. At the end of the day, look
for Sobral to use his experience and take a decision over Heath.
Prediction:
Renato “Babalu” Sobral by decision.
LIGHTWEIGHT
BOUT:
MARCUS AURELIO VS. CLAY GUIDA
Pride
lightweight Marcus Aurelio makes his UFC debut against former
Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Clay Guida. Marcus Aurelio has
a 14-4 record in MMA and trains out of American Top Team with
Din Thomas. Clay Guida has a 21-8 record in MMA and trains out
of Hellhouse with his brother, Jason Guida. Aurelio comes off
a close decision loss to Pride Lightweight Champion Takanori
Gomi at Pride Bushido 13. Guida also lost a close and controversial
decision to Tyson Griffin at UFC 72.
This
fight could end up being the most exciting of the night and it’s
a shame that it’s on the undercard; both fighters deserve
to be showcased. Aurelio hasn’t fought for nine months,
so he could come in with quite a bit of ring rust. Guida has
fought two close wars in the meantime and needs a win to stay
alive in the lightweight division.
This
fight simply comes down to who can end up on top once the fight
hits the ground. Guida could use the same game plan that Mitsuhiro
Ishida did to defeat Aurelio and just rain down punishment from
above while staying out of trouble. If Aurelio is able to get
on top, he will no doubt lock on a submission and finish Guida
within the distance. In the end, it’s Guida who has the
better takedowns of the two fighters and that will ultimately
make the difference in this fight. He will strike first and end
up on top, garnering him the win.
Prediction:
Clay Guida by TKO in the second round.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
JOSH
KOSCHECK HAS A SURPRISE FOR UFC FANS
Josh
Koscheck had only two professional mixed martial arts fights
to his credit before he took part in the inaugural season of
The Ultimate Fighter. He didn’t win the competition on the
show, but he has managed to rack up an overall record that currently
stands at 9-1 and is currently ranked as the #4 welterweight
fighter in the MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings.
In
the beginning, being a hugely successful college wrestler, Koscheck’s
pure athleticism took him far beyond what many believed he would
be able to achieve. As the fights have added up, so have the
skills in Koscheck’s arsenal.
Though
it may not have been a fight full of fireworks, his last fight
saw Koscheck topple the previously undefeated Diego Sanchez.
Not only did he defeat Sanchez, he did it with his hands, arguably
considered his weakest link prior to the bout.
Sanchez
had been touting his boxing training with Robert Garcia, who
also trains Oscar De La Hoya, coming into the fight with Koscheck.
But it was Koscheck that stood his ground and won the war on
the feet, showing what he could do with his hands.
On
Saturday night in Las Vegas, Koscheck steps into the biggest,
if not the toughest, fight of his career. At UFC 74 at the Mandalay
Bay Events Center, Koscheck returns to the Octagon to face former
welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre.
While
Koscheck is riding high, St-Pierre is coming off the biggest
upset of his career. Just one fight after defeating Matt Hughes
for the title, he handed his belt over to Matt Serra, being knocked
out in the first round of their fight at UFC 69 in Houston, Texas.
St-Pierre
is sure to be as dangerous as ever coming off of a loss, but
Koscheck is sure that he’s ready for the challenge. And
he even has a surprise for fight fans.
“You
should expect something that you’ve never seen from Josh
Koscheck before. It’s going to be the first time that UFC
fans get to see this and I’m really excited about my opportunity
to fight in the Octagon.”
Josh
Koscheck faces Georges St-Pierre on Saturday night at UFC 74
in Las Vegas.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
DAVID
HEATH READY TO PROVE HIS METTLE
“I think you can expect an absolute barn-burner. Babalu
doesn’t have much back up in him and I don’t have any
in me, so you’re going to see two guys go out there very
hungry and try to do their thing,” said David Heath of his
upcoming fight with Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral at UFC 74.
With
a professional record of 7-0 and two consecutive UFC victories
under his belt, David Heath was certainly an up-and-coming fighter
for fans to keep an eye on. With an exciting energy inside the
Octagon and a skill-set that afforded it, Heath seemed destined
to be a UFC superstar.
Had
Heath kept that same winning momentum for a few more fights,
his next steps would likely have been into the Octagon for a
title fight with the head of the 205-pound division. As the unfortunate
time comes in most everyone’s career, though – see
Georges St. Pierre and Diego Sanchez – Heath’s momentum
and perfect record were on a crash course with destiny…
a crash course – thanks to Ryoto Machida – that would
end for Heath with an ugly smudge in a previously unscathed loss
column.
Ryoto
Machida may be most well known among MMA enthusiasts as the first
man to beat former middleweight champion Rich Franklin –
a short list recently subscribed to by Anderson Silva as well.
But for UFC newcomers, Machida is probably a relative unknown.
With a perfect 10-0 record and multiple wins over top MMA athletes,
Machida is far from a new face in MMA, though.
Ryoto
has fought and beaten such UFC fighters as Stephan Bonnar, Rich
Franklin, B.J. Penn, Vernon White, Sam Hoger, and of course,
David Heath.
Heath
also has time and again proven his talent as a fighter, but when
push comes to shove – as it did in England at UFC 70 –
David Heath wasn’t on his game that night and Ryoto Machida
was. The unbeaten Machida handed Heath his first loss, and unsurprisingly,
David took his less-than-stellar performance rough.
In
a recent interview with MMAWeekly’s SoundOff Radio, Heath
discussed his first professional MMA loss and also his training
for his upcoming fight with Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral.
Regarding
the Machida fight, David said, “Right after the fight, I’ll
admit, I was a little fragile there for a little while. Not because
I lost, but because I wasn’t able to do some things that
I wanted to do and [I] really had a disappointing performance
for myself and for everybody else, so I was kind of beside myself
about it for a little while.”
But
after the hurt, shock, surprise… and perhaps headache, wore
off, Heath came to the realization that to continue to better
himself he must persist on moving onward and upward. The loss
must be viewed as experience, but not one that is dwelled upon.
David
said of the loss, “I got over it and it’s back to business
as usual. Honestly the loss hasn’t factored into my training
at all in a negative light. I feel great and I’m putting
the past in the past and I’ve got a big obstacle in front
of me, so that’s what I’m concentrating on.”
Even
though David is stepping in against a top-level fighter in this
contest, he has yet to fight on a UFC main card. If he ever hopes
to earn the chance to fight on PPV, though, Heath will need to
be on his game for this fight. A victory over Sobral will hurl
the young fighter up the ranks in the light heavyweight division,
while a loss could rob him of his UFC dreams forever.
David
said, “Yeah, I definitely feel a lot of pressure.”
The
good news, though, is that the pressure won’t totally be
on him; it will also be on ‘Babalu,’ the likely favorite
when these two men step into the cage Saturday night.
Sobral
has dropped his last two UFC fights decisively and has often
been accused of having suspect conditioning.
Heath
has centered a solid game plan around ‘Babalu’s tendencies
and said, “I’ve watched a ton of ‘Babalu’
tape.” Heath continued, “I think this is going to be
the battle of who’s the toughest, to tell you the truth.”
When
asked how he sees the fight playing out in his mind, David said,
“Honestly I think Babalu and I are really similar…
I think his wrestling is going to be a little better than mine
and I think my stand-up’s going to be a little better than
his, so, I think that’s what it’s going to come down
to.”
So
what is Heath’s prediction for Sobral’s demise?
“Hopefully
I can get a knockout in the first or second round, but I’m
perfectly fine if I don’t. I’m perfectly happy to go
out there and have a long, nasty fight just to prove that I can
fight with a guy like that,” Heath said.
David
Heath faces Renato "Babalu" Sobral this Saturday night
at UFC 74 in Las Vegas.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SPOTLIGHT
ON CANADA: GSP & COTE READY FOR WAR
ST-PIERRE & COTE READY FOR THE WAR OF ’07
It’s
hard to believe that UFC 50: The War of ’04 was three years
ago. Patrick Cote made his UFC debut on that event, losing a
decision to Tito Ortiz. Georges St-Pierre also came up a little
short in the co-main event against Matt Hughes.
This
Saturday, these two great Canadian MMA athletes are back on the
same card. St-Pierre will face Josh Koscheck in a number one
contender match-up while Cote will look to get back in Dana White’s
good books with a victory over rising star, Kendall Grove.
Cote
and St-Pierre remain good friends and train together occasionally
when they’re not away from home. St-Pierre has been training
more and more in Albuquerque, New Mexico with Greg Jackson’s
camp, which includes such fighters as Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine,
Nathan Marquardt and Damacio Page.
Cote
has found tutelage under Mark Kru DellaGrotte whom he formed
a close friendship with while on The Ultimate Fighter reality
show. Cote now travels to Boston before all of his fights to
train at Sityodtong with such fighters as Kenny Florian, Stephan
Bonnar, Jorge Rivera, Marcus Davis, and Travis Lutter.
VICTOR
VALIMAKI VS. ROGER HOLLETT FOR MFC LHW TITLE
Maximum
Fighting Championship: Lucky 13 will take place at the River
Cree Casino & Resort in Edmonton, Alberta. The main event
will feature a highly anticipated match-up between two of Canada’s
best light heavyweight fighters, Victor “The Matrix”
Valimaki and Roger “The Hulk” Hollett.
Hollett
brings an impressive record of 6-0, having stopped all of his
opponents in less than four minutes by either strikes or submission.
Valimaki, despite having had disappointing performances in the
UFC, still owns impressive victories over Jason Day, Vernon White
and Jared Kilkenny.
This
could be Hollett’s ticket to the UFC while Valimaki is looking
for a return trip to the big show.
SEAN
PIERSON SPEAKS ABOUT BONGFELDT & CLEMENTS
Sean
Pierson is coming off a loss against Jesse Bongfeldt and is set
to fight Chris Clements next for the vacant TKO Welterweight
Title on September 28th.
“Jesse
is a great fighter and he was definitely better than I thought
he’d be. However, I think the fight should have been declared
a no contest. I was being hit with strikes to the back of the
head when the referee decided to prematurely stop it will only
seconds left in the round,” explained Pierson.
“Still,
I respect Jesse and give him credit for fighting well. I actually
hope that if I can get by Clements that I will make my first
title defense against Jesse on December 14th at TKO 31.”
In
a recent interview with TKO, Clements remarked that he felt Pierson
was an easier fight for him as compared to Jonathan Goulet. Pierson
responded, “Well, I think Clements is an easier fight for
me too compared to Goulet! My game plan with Clements is no secret.
He’s going to have to force me to stand with him because
I plan on taking it to the ground and pounding on him. I don’t
think he’ll be able to do that.”
UGC
PLANNING ITS BIGGEST SHOW TO DATE
On
November 10th, UGC Promotions will hold their first event in
the Pierre Charbonneau Centre with a seating capacity of 2,500.
They intend on having over 12 bouts on the card including such
names as: Fritz Paul, Shawn Marchand, Cory MacDonald, Dan Grandmaison,
Yves Jabouin, Ali Nestor, Scott Arnold, Aaron Tregear and many
more.
UGC
is also reporting that UFC veteran Pat Smith will defend his
heavyweight championship against Lance Evans. Evans, however,
has signed a two-fight deal with TKO. His TKO contract states
that he is to fight on their September and December fight cards,
which raises doubts as to whether he will be able to compete
in the UGC as well.
KANG
VS. SAKURABA CONFIRMED BY KOREAN WEBSITE
A
Korean website called “joynews.inews24.com” is reporting
that Denis Kang has been signed by K-1’s Heroes to a lucrative
2-year contract.
Apparently,
Kang’s management is citing the ability to continue to compete
in Spirit MC, a Korean MMA promotion in which Kang is one of
the biggest draws and holds a title, as the deciding factor in
signing the contract with K-1 Heroes.
Korean
news is also reporting that Kang’s debut is scheduled for
September 17 against Kazushi Sakuraba. Neither Kang nor K-1 has
yet confirmed this, however, and there is some speculation that
Sakuraba may be injured.
XTREME
MMA PRESENTS QUEBEC VERSUS CANADA
Co-promoters
Steve Claveau and David Loiseau are putting on a Quebec versus
Canada themed fight card. Jonathan Goulet was set to headline
the event until he got his much awaited phone call from the UFC
to fight Mike Swick.
The
current Ring Extreme fight card is:
Dave
Pariseau vs James Martinez
Danny Laflamme vs Aaron Treagear
Stéphane Pinet vs Jacob Macdonald
Jacques Dubé vs Jon Mirasty
Sylvain Cloutier vs Mathieu Boncoeur
Tommy Pariseau vs Andy Ross
Derek Gauthier vs Joseph Paquet
Yoan Gariépy vs Mike Dizak
David Savard vs Tim Wadsworth
Yan
Pellerin is also expected to be on the card.
ADRIAN
WOOLEY VS. ADAM KASTNER AT TKO 30: APOCALYPSE
TKO’s
first bantamweight fight (135lbs) will feature two rising stars
with very different skill sets. Adrian Wooley is a very accomplished
wrestler from Toronto and is well known and somewhat feared by
local fighters. He’s 31 years old and he resembles and fights
very much like Sean Sherk. On the other hand, Adam Kastner is
only 18 years old and is a very accomplished Muay Thai fighter
from Stratford, Ontario.
Both
are undefeated in their young MMA careers and are coming off
of impressive wins in their most recent TKO fights. The winner
of this bout may be in line for a chance at the new TKO Bantamweight
Championship to be unveiled, possibly, at TKO 31 in December.
“I
really like the kid, but I don’t think he wants to fight
me as it’s a bad matchup for him,” explained Adrian
Wooley.
“I
was willing to fight Wooley back in March when I didn’t
have a clue who he was. I’ve seen him fight a couple of
times now and I think he’s got some holes in his standup
that I can expose,” Kastner responded.
TKO
STILL LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE OPPONENT FOR HOMINICK
TKO
is continuing to try and find a suitable opponent for Mark Hominick
at TKO 30. Syd Barnier was a name that was tossed around, along
with Damacio Page. Although it doesn’t look like either
fight will happen for September 28th, those are two match-ups
that are very likely in the near future.
“It
really doesn’t matter who is across the octagon from me,”
explained Hominick. “If TKO introduces a bantamweight title,
I may even be inclined to drop to 135lbs to compete for that.”
CANADIAN
MMA CALENDAR
August
24 – Maximum Fighting Championship at the River Cree Resort
and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta
September 7 – Ring Extreme at the Convention Centre in Quebec
City, Quebec
September 7 – Ultimate Cage Wars 9 at the Convention Centre
in Winnipeg, Manitoba
September 15 – Rumble in the Cage 25 at the Roadhouse in
Lethbridge, Alberta
September 15 – Ultimate Martial Arts Championship 7 in Regina,
Saskatchewan
September 28 – TKO 30 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec
November 10 - UGC 19 at the Pierre-Charbonneau in Montreal, Quebec
December 14 – TKO 31 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“When
people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing
to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968, American Civil Rights Leader
and Nobel Prïze Wïnner
|
MyFantasyMMA
Official Launch
Think
you know mma? Head over to http://myfantasymma.com and prove it! Sign
up for free, make you fight selections, then sit back and watch
the fights. You will be awarded points for each correct selection.
At the end of each event, check the results page and see how
you rank against other self-proclaimed experts. Register your
entry and you will qualify for prizes such as event tickets,
autographed memorabilia, and cold hard cash.
You
can set up your own private "fight group" and invite
friends to compete against one another. Private "fight groups"
are password protected and only those that know the password
will be allowed to compete in that group. Or you can join one
of many public groups which are open to everyone.
|
BROCK
LESNAR WANTS UFC DEAL
A
former NCAA heavyweight wrestling national champion and pro wrestling
superstar, Brock Lesnar made his mixed martial arts debut in
impressive fashion on June 2nd against Min Soo Kim. That fight
was fulfillment of a one-fight deal with K-1.
Now,
the 30-year-old Lesnar wants to compete in the UFC.
With
his collegiate wrestling accomplishments and pro wrestling popularity,
Brock Lesnar is one of the highest profile free agents in MMA.
Sporting an MMA record of 1-0, what Lesnar lacks in MMA experience,
he more than makes up for in potential pay-per-view buys.
Contacted
by several promotions, Lesnar is tired of the run-a-round and
is ready to ink a deal.
"We're
playing the games, but I'm tired of playing games,” stated
Lesnar. “It's time for somebody to make a move. I'm going
to go down to the UFC and see what the hell is going on down
there."
Asked
if he has talked to UFC President Dana White about his interest
in competing in the Octagon, Lesnar answered, "We've spoken.
I cannot deny or confirm anything. I'm just telling you this,
I'm going to be there Saturday night and I'm looking for a win.
I don't care who it is. If I had to fight somebody, I'd like
to fight Randy [Couture]. I'll fight [Gabriel] Gonzaga. We'll
see what happens."
He
added, "I hope Randy wins that fight. I hope Randy wins
that fight and then I can fight him in December."
"I'm
going to be attending the UFC this weekend, and I'm going to
go down and watch and see in person, because I've watched these
guys fight on TV. I'm going to go down there and see for myself
and watch these heavyweights that I know I can beat," Lesnar
told MMAWeekly.
"I'm
looking to fight somebody with credentials. I'm not just talking
Silver Medals in Judo. I want a belt. I've fought a lot of tomato
cans. I've already had it. You know? I want a fillet Mignon.
Let's do it, and do it right. I want to fight somebody, somebody
that's got credentials because I've got them too. There isn't
a wrestler, there isn't a heavyweight out there my size that
has done the things I've done."
Questioned
if the UFC is where he'd like to eventually compete, Lesnar responded,
"The UFC, they're the big dogs on the street, obviously.
You've got Randy Couture, who he's definitely going to be past
his prime here. You've got Fedor [Emelianenko]. There's nobody
out there that is unbeatable. Okay? All the media builds Fedor
into this great monster. Well, every monster has his day.
“There
isn't a guy like me walking around that can do the things that
I do. These guys, they don't know. Let's put it this way, in
college, or everywhere that I've gone, everybody has said that
I'm one strong son-of-a-bitch, and that's what I am, and I'm
able to back it up."
Lesnar
has a wrestling resume that rivals or surpasses most everyone
competing in MMA. We've seen accomplished collegiate wrestlers
like Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, Josh Koscheck, and others
succeed in MMA.
Does
Lesnar believe he has the ability to have the same success?
"Absolutely,
no doubt in my mine. I mean, you take Randy Couture for example,
I mean he's the heavyweight champion of the UFC, but he's a small
heavyweight. Let's face it, Tim Sylvia was not a legitimate heavyweight
champion," responded Lesnar.
"I
enjoyed watching Randy beat the sh*t out of Tim Sylvia. I enjoyed
that. I mean take a look at this guy, Tim Sylvia, the guy’s
feet; they're damn near webbed. He looks like the Swamp Thing.
The guy is a vulture. He can't wrestle worth a crap. He's got
a jab and a little right hand. There's no way. I'd double-leg
his a** right through that cage so fast, and that would be the
end of the fight. I'm tired. I'm tired of this. Brock Lesnar
wants to fight somebody, somebody with credentials, and Tim Sylvia
ain't the guy."
"I'm
a fighter, and I believe that if somebody should be holding a
belt in the UFC, it's Brock Lesnar."
The
UFC has negotiated with Kurt Angle to fight in the Octagon; it
would only make sense for them to jump on the opportunity to
sign Lesnar.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
TWO
MORE MMA FIGHTERS SUSPENDED IN CALIFORNIA
Mixed martial artists Anthony Bivins and Cesar De La Torre have
been fined and suspended following their most recent fights.
According to the California State Athletic Commission, both fighters
tested positive for marijuana.
De
La Torre last competed at Total Fighting Alliance on August 11th
in Santa Monica, Calif. He lost by TKO to Justin Schalk. De La
Torre has been fined $500 and his suspension runs from the conclusion
of the bout on August 11 through November 9, 2007.
Bivins
tested positive following his most recent bout for Cage Combat
on August 18th in Yuba City, Calif. He defeated Tyson Schoel
by triangle choke. Bivins was also fined $500 and his suspension
runs from the conclusion of the bout on August 18 through November
16, 20007.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SPIRIT
MC SEARCHING FOR CHALLENGER TO KANG
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Spirit MC 12 took place this past weekend
in Seoul, South Korea. The event was highlighted by four bouts
of the Spirit MC Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament and a main
event featuring Kwang Hee Lee and A Sol Kwon.
(In
Spirit MC, the heavyweight class comprises fighters weighing
80kg/176lbs or more.)
Originally
a three-round bout, Lee and Kwon fought to a draw initially.
In the overtime round, Lee hit Kwon with a hard shot to the body
and then followed up with several more strikes causing the referee
to stop the bout.
Opening
up the Grand Prix matches, Ryuichi Murata wasted no time in swarming
Dong Woo Shin with punches, overwhelming him and finishing Shin
off by knockout in just 18 seconds.
Kelvin
Fitial, Jae Young Kim, and Jung Gyu Choi all won their Grand
Prix matches as well, joining Murata for the semi-final and final
rounds on October 14th. The winner of the final will then move
on to fight Spirit MC Heavyweight Champion Denis Kang later in
the year, according to Spirit MC.
Spirt
MC 12: Heavyweight Grand Prix
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Seoul, South Korea
Kwang
Hee Lee def A Sol Kwon by TKO (Strikes) at 2:46, R4
Ho Jin Kim def Jong Kown Back by Unanimous Decision, 2R
Jung Gyu Choi def Dool Hee Lee by Submission (Armbar) at 3:21,
R1
Jae Young Kim def Gil Myung Chun by TKO (Strikes) at 1:13, R1
Kelvin Fitial def Chul Hyun Jung by TKO (Strikes) at 3:57, R2
Ryuichi Murata def Dong Woo Shin by KO (Punch) at 0:18, R1
Yoon Young Kim def Seong Yeol Ahn by Submission (Triangle Choke)
at 1:33, R1
Seung Hwan Kim def Gi Young Nam by Unanimous Decision, 2R
Nam Sun Kim def Jae Hyun So by Unanimous Decision, 2R
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“I'm
not interested in age. People who tell me their age are silly.
You're as old as you feel.”
Elizabeth Arden, 1878-1966, Canadian Cosmetics Executive
|
Gracie
Proving Ground
Saturday,
October 6, 2007
Blaisdell Arena
The long awaited arrival of an MMA event by Relson Gracie makes
it way to his home in Hawaii! The Gracie Proving Ground is a
feeder show for up and coming MMA talent to prove their worth
for a shot at possibly being on the Gracie Fighting Championships
seen on pay-per-view across the country. Relson has constructed
his team of international, mainland, and local Hawaii fighters
to take on fighters from Hawaii and Team Quest.
Headlining
the show is none other than Relson's son, Rhalan Gracie, who
will make his return to the MMA scene after an epic debut fight
against Dustin Hazlett. Rhalan showed huge heart and incredible
technique in his first fight against a much more experienced
Hazlett. Rhalan faces one of Hawaii's rising stars in Keone Bryant
of Jus Rush. Bryant has been on a tear as of late finishing another
MMA stud who is also on this card Koa Ramos of the Eastsidaz.
Don't miss this opportunity to see a Gracie in action!
Also
on this card, Hawaii's own knock out artist Kaleo Kwan from the
Eastsidaz and O2 Martial Arts Academy will face hard hitting
Duke Saragosa of the 808 Fight Factory.
Three Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belts have been brought in by
Relson to face Hawaii's own Kimo Wolfel from the Eastsidaz, "Sugar"
Shane Nelson of Nova Uniao, and Brandon Wolff from Team MMAD.
The rest of the card features Relson Gracie trained MMA fighters
against a mix of Hawaii's up and coming talent.
Even
Jason "Mayhem" Miller will bring two Team Quest fighters
to compete in this event.
Will
Rhalan be the Gracie that brings the Gracie name back to prominence
in MMA?
The
tentative fight card is as follows:
Main
Event
175 lbs
Rhalan Gracie (Relson Gracie) vs Keone Bryant (Jus Rush)
155
lbs
Kaleo Kwan (Eastsidaz & O2 Martial Arts Academy) vs Duke
Saragosa (808 Fight Factory)
155
lbs
Fabricio Morango (Relson Gracie Black Belt) vs "Sugar"
Shane Nelson (Nova Uniao)
170
lbs
Jorge Drito (Relson Gracie Black Belt) vs Brandon Wolff (Team
MMAD)
170
lbs
Daniel Nova (Relson Gracie Black Belt) vs Kimo Wolfel (Eastsidaz)
185
lbs
Fabio Prata (Relson Gracie Brown Belt) vs Billy Hall (HMC)
170
lbs
Jeramiah O'Neal (Relson Gracie) vs Dave "The Tan Superman"
Padilla (Jesus is Lord)
170
lbs
Kamal (Relson Gracie) vs Kolo Koka (Team MMAD)
155
lbs
Randy Vera (Relson Gracie) vs Dean Lista (HMC)
170
lbs
Pono Pananganan (Relson Gracie) vs Ferrid Kheder (Team Quest)
170
lbs
Ryan Larson (Relson Gracie) vs Koa Ramos (Eastsidaz)
205
lbs
David Chew (Relson Gracie) vs Kevin Grace (HMC)
185
lbs
Jason Carr (Relson Gracie) vs Ron Verdadero (Jesus is Lord)
185
lbs
Justin Dyer (Relson Gracie) vs Jodi Messiona (808 Fight Factory)
135
lbs
Ramon Howard (Relson Gracie) vs Ivan Jennings (808 Fight Factory)
205
lbs
Maui Wolfgram (Team MMAD) vs Brian Harper (Team Quest)
Fight
card subject to change without notice.
|
DAMON'S
TOP FIVE TOPICS RETURNS
Well boys and girls, after a relatively slow July and August,
MMA picks back up in a major way in September. With 3 UFC events
taking place during the month, plus EliteXC’s debut in Hawaii,
K-1 in Japan, Strikeforce at the Playboy Mansion, Cage Rage in
England, the IFL team finals, and the WEC kicking things off,
it’s going to be a very busy month for fighters and fight
fans. Here are a few more stories to keep the pot stirring over
the next few weeks.
DENIS
KANG LIKELY TO FIGHT IN K-1
The
MMA free agent market may be getting a little bit slimmer in
the coming days as top ten ranked middleweight, Denis Kang, is
expected to land a deal with K-1 Heroes and a possible showdown
with Kazushi Sakuraba at the September 17th show in Japan. Nothing
is official yet, but it’s likely that a deal will be reached
any day and fans can expect to see Kang in K-1 for a multi-fight
deal.
The
UFC didn’t seem to be a contender for Kang’s services,
which is pretty surprising considering Anderson Silva may have
a lack of top competition if he’s able to get by Rich Franklin
in October. Paulo Filho is in the WEC, Dan Henderson has made
it clear he wants to fight at light heavyweight and Matt Lindland
still has two fights left on his Bodog deal.
Kang
should make an immediate impact on K-1’s middleweight division
if this deal gets done and he is sure to make a big splash if
he fights Sakuraba, a fight he would very likely win.
KARO
PARISYAN LIKELY TO RETURN IN NOVEMBER
UFC
welterweight contender Karo Parisyan has been quiet since his
win in May over Josh Burkman, but he will most likely fight on
the upcoming UFC taking place in New Jersey on November 17th.
One
name that has been mentioned amongst possible opponents is Hayato
“Mach” Sakurai, who would be making his return to the
UFC at 170lbs. A few other names have been mentioned including
Hector Lombard.
Karo
is in a tough position right now. With champion Matt Serra tied
up until December waiting for a fight with Matt Hughes and the
next contender probably being the winner of the upcoming bout
between Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck, he will almost
certainly have 2 or 3 fights before a title shot is even mentioned.
The
division also has another big bout coming up with Diego Sanchez
taking on Jon Fitch at UFC 76.
CHUCK
LIDDELL: YOU GOT GOT!
Former
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell continues to climb
the celebrity status ladder, this time with an appearance on
the ultimate paparazzi and gossip site, TMZ.com. Liddell was
a guest of “Entourage” star Kevin Dillon, who turned
42 years old last week.
Liddell
appeared on the 3rd season of the show portraying himself and
has mentioned that “Entourage” is his favorite show
on television. Dillon plays “Johnny Drama” on the HBO
series and played the nemesis to Liddell on the show featuring
a fake hidden camera show called “Gotcha!”
Of
course the message boards lit up immediately, overreacting to
Liddell’s appearance at the Vegas birthday party, saying
that he is partying too much and not preparing for his upcoming
bout with Keith Jardine. Slow down people… Chuck is allowed
to have a social life and that can involve parties. It’s
a shocker, but it’s true.
If
Chuck is able to defeat Keith Jardine, I wonder if he’ll
scream “Victory!” when it’s all done? “Entourage”
fans out there will get that one.
WANDERLEI
SILVA TO DEBUT DECEMBER 29TH
Dana
White says it’s one of the biggest achievements of his career
to sign former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva to a UFC contract.
Silva, however, has a few more months to prepare, as he won’t
make his return to the Octagon until December.
Everyone
has already assumed that Silva would finally fight Chuck Liddell
in a fight that has literally been talked about for almost 5
years. And that would seem to be the best choice in what should
be a stacked show for the UFC already, featuring a welterweight
title grudge match between Matt Serra and Matt Hughes.
In
a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio, Randy Couture mentioned
the fight to us on the air as the likely fight for Silva’s
debut. The Brazilian trained with the heavyweight champion and
his camp in Las Vegas recently.
Silva
is a veteran of the sport and if everything shakes out the way
the UFC hopes, a fight with Liddell is the big main event they’ve
been waiting for. Keith Jardine beating Liddell on September
22nd could throw a huge monkey wrench into the works though and
nobody should write him off because he has good hands and the
fight will likely stay standing throughout.
I
don’t believe Silva needs or should have a “tune-up”
fight. He’s a championship level fighter and is ranked in
the top ten. He should fight other top ten level opponents or
what’s the point of signing him?
FEDOR
IS STILL A FREE AGENT
Will
he ever sign? I’m starting to lose hope and wondering when
we’ll get the chance to see the best fighter of our time
in the ring or cage again.
Rumors
have circulated that Fedor was close to signing a deal with K-1
to which his manager quickly rebuffed. And UFC president Dana
White has repeatedly said they expect him to come and compete
in the Octagon late in 2007 or early 2008.
The
truth of the matter is this… no one knows what’s going
on with Fedor for sure except for him and his management team.
The
UFC seems like the most logical choice because it is home to
the top fighters in the heavyweight division including a dream
match-up with Randy Couture if he’s still champion when
Fedor shows up.
The
only real competition that Fedor might face if he signs somewhere
else is the hope that the same organization would go out and
sign Josh Barnett, who has yet to sign anywhere as well. If he
could get past Barnett, he would be out of top ten opponents
in a hurry while the UFC is currently stocked full of heavyweight
talent.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC,
IFL & BODOG HEAT UP TV SCHEDULE
THE
ULTIMATE FIGHTER RETURNS IN SEPTEMBER
Mixed
martial arts on television is heating up once again. The focus
in the near future will be on the next season of The Ultimate
Fighter on Spike TV.
Season
Six features UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra and former
champ Matt Hughes as coaches. They will head up two 8-man teams
of up-and-coming welterweight fighters looking to fight their
way into the UFC.
The
Ultimate Fighter also has a new home on Spike TV with the series
moving to Wednesday nights.
Season
Six premiers on Wednesday, September 19, following UFC Fight
Night 11 featuring Kenny Florian vs. Din Thomas in a lightweight
battle.
IFL
BATTLEGROUND MONDAY FOCUSES ON GRAND PRIX
More
immediately, tonight in fact, the IFL returns to MyNetworkTV
with a new episode of IFL Battleground at 8pm ET/PT and 7pm CT/MT.
Tonight’s
episode of IFL Battleground focuses on the fighters scheduled
to participate in the upcoming IFL World Grand Prix. Among those
fighters featured on tonight’s episode are heavyweight Ben
Rothwell, lightweight Chris Horodecki, light heavyweights Vladimir
Matyushenko and Mike Whitehead, welterweight Jay Hieron, and
middleweight Benji Radach.
BODOG
FIGHT: NEW JERSEY PREMIERS TUESDAY NIGHT
The
first episode of Bodog Fight: New Jersey premiers tomorrow (Tuesday,
August 21) on ION Television. Filmed in Trenton, the first episode
features two title bouts: UFC veteran Trevor Prangley vs. Japanese
star Yuki Kondo and tow of the top women in the world, Tara LaRosa
vs. Kelly Kobold.
Airing
at 11pm ET / 10pm CT on ION and in Canada on The Fight Network,
the season premier also features Eddie Alvarez, one of the top
fighters in his weight class, squaring off with Matt Lee, a tough
fighter in his own right.
UFC
75 AIRS FROM ENGLAND ON SPIKE TV
Following
in the footsteps of two latest European ventures – in Belfast,
Northern Ireland and Manchester, England – the UFC’s
return to London will air on Spike TV, not as a pay-per-view.
Unlike
UFC 72 in Belfast, which aired live in the afternoon in the U.S.
on Spike TV, UFC President Dana White recently confirmed UFC
75 will return to the tape-delayed basis of the Manchester-based
UFC 70.
UFC
75 is scheduled to feature the first ever unification bout between
UFC and Pride champions. Quinton Jackson currently holds the
UFC’s light heavyweight belt while his opponent, Dan Henderson,
is the current Pride champion.
The
London card is also scheduled to feature Mirko “Cro Cop”
Filipovic vs. Cheick Kongo and Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill.
Source: MMA Weekly |
MELENDEZ
VS. GUIDA FIGHT FREE ONLINE
The Strikeforce world lightweight (155 pound limit) championship
showdown between former junior collegiate wrestling standout
Clay Guida and undefeated, world-ranked Gilbert Melendez, which
took place on June 9, 2006, is available for viewing on Strikeforce’s
official website, www.strikeforceusa.net.
StrikeforceUSA.net
visitors can watch the classic title matchup free of charge simply
by enrolling in Strikeforce’s new, online fan club. The
footage is the first to be streamed on the website and will be
replaced by a new Strikeforce “Fight of the Month”
in 30 days.
The
five-round title bout between then-world champion Guida and challenger
Melendez was, in the opinion of many, the most memorable battle
on Strikeforce’s star-studded “Revenge” card that
was headlined by the highly-anticipated rematch between Pride
Fighting Championship stars Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort
and Alistair Overeem at San Jose, California’s HP Pavilion.
During
Strikeforce’s inaugural mixed martial arts event, which
hosted a North America record 18,265 fans at the HP Pavilion
on March 10, 2006, Guida was crowned the promotion’s first
champion after defeating Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
and Pride veteran, Josh “The Punk” Thomson, in an epic,
five-round war.
Following
the matchup with Guida, the 25-year-old Melendez was extended
the opportunity to showcase his skills in two Pride contests
staged in Japan. On August 26th of last year, the American Muay
Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylist emerged victorious over
Nobuhiro Obiya by way of unanimous judges’ decision. During
Pride’s “Shockwave 2006” mega-card at the Saitama
Super Arena on New Year’s Eve, he passed his toughest test
to date by triumphing over Japanese superstar, Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Melendez,
the reigning Strikeforce World Lightweight Champion, is slated
to headline the historic, first-ever mixed martial arts event
at The Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, California on Saturday,
September 29th. His opponent on the Strikeforce-promoted bill
has yet to be named.
Joining
Melendez in the Playboy Mansion event lineup will be Strikeforce
World Light Heavyweight (205 pound limit) Champion Bobby Southworth
as well as Thomson, who will look to notch his fifth consecutive
win in the cage. As many as 12 mixed martial arts bouts will
take place during the one-of-a-kind affair that will treat all
of its guests to a buffet style, gourmet dinner; top-shelf, open
bar; a wine-tasting party featuring the spirits of various gold
medal wineries; and the company of various Playboy Playmates,
who will be in attendance.
The
event at the Playboy Mansion will be staged three months after
the Strikeforce co-produced “Shamrock vs. Baroni,”
extravaganza, the first mixed martial arts event to be distributed
live on SHOWTIME® PPV. Before a crowd of 10,850 at San Jose’s
HP Pavilion, former UFC middleweight champion and mixed martial
arts legend, Frank Shamrock, became the first Strikeforce middleweight
champion in history by choking out UFC and Pride veteran, “The
New York Badass” Phil Baroni, in the second round of the
star-studded fight card’s main event on Friday, June 22nd.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“Only
strength can cooperate. Weakness can only beg.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1890-1969, 34th President of the United
States
|
Who
will win the Absolute at Mundial?
In
our new poll, you will appoint the man that will be consecrated
as the best Jiu-Jitsu Mundial Absolute Champion. Mundial will
be hold at California , next August 23 till 26. Will will chose
a name between André Galvão, Fabrício Werdum,
Fernando Margarida, Luiz Felipe Big Mac, Marcelinho Garcia, Murilo
Santana, Robert Drysdale, Roger Gracie and Xande Ribeiro.
At
our previous poll, TATAME.com visitors appointed Mauricio Shogun
Rua as the fighter with better conditions to bit the current
UFC Champion Quinton Jackson. Shogun had an unanimous vote with
56%, against 16% of Wanderlei Silva. Pride Middleweight Champion
and next one to face Quinton, Dan Henderson place third with
9%. Rogério Minotouro reached 6%, Romeau Sokoudjou 4%,
Renato Babalú stayed with 3% and Lyoto Machida came with
the same 3%. Chuck Liddell didn’t reach 1%, but Forrest
Griffin went worst and didn’t reach a vote.
Source: Tatame
|
Wanderlei
Silva’s last interview before leave Brazil
Soon
after the great homage made by promoter Mônica Marchett
and Fábio Gurgel in MTL´s ring, one day before definetely
boarding for a new life in United States with his family and
physical preparator Rafael Alejarra, Wanderlei Silva gave us
an exclusive interview where he talked about the perspectives
in America, the sucess of MTL´s first edition and about
having ex-rival Minotauro as neighbor on Florida.
Last Interview
at Brazil
By Marcelo Alonso
“I hope that Rodrigo Minotauro made a good team there to
face my athletes, because we are going to be eternal rivals”
Wanderlei,
what do you think about this first edition of MTL?
It
was a very well organized event with good fights, I would like
to congratulate the organization, I think MTL has a great future,
and I expect that next year we have more teams, more editions,
because the organizers are serious people and gave an upgrade
in our sport. Club Paulistano, the place where the competitions
were held, its great. Although the entries were expensive, it
received lots of people and everything was fine. It´s a
new event made for the fight lovers.
The
event was really exciting and was decided in the last fight…
It
was great, I started losing, turned over and in the end this
happened. I have no doubt that this event will happen more frequently
and I want to see more teams, new athletes and new coaches.
You
postponed your travel to USA in one week to take part in the
event?
I
should have gone last week, but there was this compromise and
I couldn´t miss it. And it was a good decision. It´s
good to see that people love their work and came to the event
in great number and everything thai I could do for the sport´s
growth I´ll do with many pleasure.
I´ve
never seen you almost crying, but you were really touched with
this last homage…
All
this farewell thing made me very happy. I received lots of homages
in many places, but receive a homage in my country it´s
even better, and I my heart was touched as anyone in here could
be touched, because we´re all humans like any other. I
would like to congratulate the organizers of the event.
When
will you go? Have you already defined a place to live?
I´ll
leave tomorrow (august 12th) to Vegas, my baggage is even here
in the hotel here in São Paulo. I was packing and I´ve
put all my life in two bags, a big house and everything, but
I have to face this challenge and I expect get more space for
many athletes, coaches that one day will be there. What I can
do to help the guys I´ll do. If everything goes fine, I´ll
sign my contract now, go to Vegas and stay there for three weeks,
until the the next Ultimate ends, then I´ll go to Los Angeles.
Will
you watch Napão´s fight there?
I´ll
be there in loco watching this event. It´s a great chance
of watching a great event. After spending one week in Los Angeles,
I´ll go to West Palm Beach, in South Florida, where I´ll
live and build my structure.
We´re
curious on the fact that you and Minotauro, that in Brazil lived
800km from each other, will be neighbors in USA. Will you train
together?
I´m
expecting that he has a good team there to fight against my athletes
because we´ll never leave apart this thing of being rivals.
But is a good rivality, we respect each other, the guy is a great
athlete and if we make good events there and put our athletes
to fight it would be fantastic. I expect that he also gets sucess
there, and we can help our friends. The sport has many stars,
and I think that I should make mine bright without bringing damage
to the others.
Source: Tatame
|
Thiago
Tavares looking for the belt
Ataque
Duplo‘s black belt, Thiago Tavares is owner of an impressive
card of 13 fights and 13 victories and he is running for the
lightweight category UFC belt. In an interview for TATAME site,
Thiago comments about the possibility, if he win Tyson Griffin
on UFC 76, of dispute the belt. “Now that Sean Sherk was
caught at doping exam, there are some rumors in American's sites
that the winner of my fight against Forrest Griffin will be able
to fight for the belt”, told the Florianopolis native black
belt, that told us too about the probable opponents in his way
for the belt, talking too about Ataque Duplo and BTT partnership
that it’s making possible Thiago’s train on BTT in
Rio de Janeiro.
Looking
for the belt
By Eduardo Ferreira
How
is your contract with UFC?
I
renewed the contract. After my second fight, they make contact
with my manager, Alex Davis, and I renew it for more four fights.
What’s
your expectation about this fight against Tyson Griffin on UFC
76?
I
had already studied his faults, I’m going to try to work
at his faults. I’ll try to put him with the back on the
ground and I going to make stand up game too. I am training a
lot of Muay Thai with Sergio Cunha and with my master Peu. I’ll
put him with the back to the ground and I’m going to work
the ground n’ pound and try to submit all the time.
What
is Griffin specialty?
It’s
a good question, because he is a complete athlete. He starts
on wrestling, but he’s all ready Jiu-Jitsu black belt and
has a good boxing, reasonable to good. Shortening, is train to
fight two, three rounds… he’s a complete athlete just
like Japanese are, always complete in all arts.
How
many fights you think you have to do to be able to fight for
the belt?
Now
that Sean Sherk was caught at doping exam, there are some rumors
in American's sites that the winner of my fight against Forrest
Griffin will be able to fight for the belt. And with Sean Sherk
being caught, he has two months to appeal and if he don’t
appeal, what is difficult to happen, because he was caught with
12 milligrams of nandrolone, then they will take his belt because
of the suspension until July next year, and with all that the
rumors are that the winner of my fight against Griffin will fight
for the belt.
Do
you have an Idea of who will be the possible opponent for the
belt fight?
Who
is going up on the other side are Din Thomas and Spencer Fisher,
and Joe Lauzon and Roger Huerta. Din Thomas is already going
to fight against Spencer Fisher and Roger against another guy
and Joe too. All they are in my front, that’s the truth,
because on the implied ranking of many fights already done, those
guys are in my front. But if I win well Tyson Griffin perhaps
I’ll have the chance of fight the next or one for more fight
and then fight for the belt.
And
which one of those guys you prefer to fight for the belt?
To
be honest, the must hard guy and more complete on Ultimate, non
counting Sean Sherk, is Frank Edgar and Tyson Griffin, because
they are all complete, has a good ground game, an absurd wrestling
and a good boxing. Different as Joe, I see some mistakes on his
game. Is easier to fight against an opponent who make more mistakes
like my last fight against Jason Black, were I look for his mistakes.
Before the fight I knew if I play under he will win the half-guard
for the right and I make a triangle from the half guard and there’s
no other result, when we fall I caught him. Of course I had the
opportunity and take it, that’s not going to happen always,
but, Frank Edgar and Tyson Griffin I believe are the guys who
make less mistakes and are more complete, the are the must difficult
one in my opinion.
And
about the train, you are going to make on Florianópolis
or you are going to come to Rio to train?
I
have a home at Rio now, I rent a house here and I stay all the
time flying. Come here, go back, I stay all the time on this
air bridge Florianopolis-Rio de Janeiro. I make trains with Toquinho
and the guys of BTT. They help me a lot on my ground game, as
an example, Miltinho, he pass me two, three details that makes
upgrade my game in a unique way… Wrestling with Darrel Gholar,
Peu helps me a lot, the master Sergio Cunha from Muay Thai is
helping me a lot too. I believe that this union between Academy
Ataque Duplo in Florianopolis and BTT here on Rio de Janeiro
, with God bless, will make me a champ.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
“My
body is like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don't think about
it, I just have it.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austrian-American Actor/Bodybuilder/Politician
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Be sure
to tune in to the long anticipated new episode of FCTV tonight
at 7:00 PM on Channel 52.
We
preview the new Icon Sport Martial Arts and Fitness Center and
talk to their many instructors!
We
end the age old question of is it "Leeben or Layben"
for UFC Vet Chris Leben who is one of the head instructors at
Icon.
We
talk with local grappling star Rylan Lizares.
Lastly, we talk with the man behind the promotion and center,
T. Jay Thompson.
Make
sure you tell everyone that we are still on and on Channel 52
at 7:00 pm!
|
KENDALL
GROVE TAKING
STEPS UP THE LADDER
Kendall
Grove's popularity has been on the rise since his stint on The
Ultimate Fighter Season 3. His skill level has also been rising
throughout that time. Grove is riding a four-fight win streak
that includes notable wins over Ed Herman, Chris Price, and Alan
Belcher.
He
looks to continue that rise to prominence and to hone his skills
when he faces Patrick Cote at UFC 74.
Every
time Grove steps into the Octagon, you can see an improvement
in his repertoire of skills. Ed Herman and Kendall Grove put
on a fantastic show at the finale of The Ultimate Fighter. After
his unanimous decision victory over Herman, he took care of Chris
Price in the first round by mounting him and finishing him with
strikes. At UFC 69, Grove disposed of Alan Belcher with a choke
in the second round.
Needless
to say, this kid has talent. Grove's biggest advantage in any
fight will be his size and reach advantage. Standing six feet,
six inches, there aren't many contenders in the middleweight
division that will be able to match his size.
After
Grove finished training with coach Tito Ortiz on The Ultimate
Fighter, he decided to train with Tito at Big Bear in California.
In December of 2006, Grove moved to Las Vegas to train at Xtreme
Couture. Grove believes the experience has been invaluable.
"I
train with world class fighters. You train with the best, you
become the best," Grove explained. "I know why I'm
here. One day I'll be a champion. I don't get this kind of training
in Hawaii."
Even
though Kendall went out to Vegas, he still remains very good
friends with Tito Ortiz. "He's a real good friend of mine,"
said Grove. "He's helped me out with training, fighting
and sponsorships. He's almost like a brother to me."
Grove
will face a very tough test in his next fight at UFC 74 in Patrick
Cote. Cote has had his ups and downs in the Octagon, but is a
game fighter and packs heavy hands.
A
win over Cote in this fight would move his status as a top title
contender up quite a bit. Grove isn't taking him lightly though.
"He's gonna bring out the best in me, and I'm pretty sure
I'm going to bring out the best in him."
Cote
presents some possible problems for Grove, but he's aware of
them. "He's dangerous and he has dynamite in his hands.
I would like to see this fight go the distance and have us beat
the sh** out of each other, but I don't think he'll be able to
handle my conditioning. My conditioning is at it’s best."
Kendall
isn't looking past the French Canadian, but he does have some
ideas of whom he would like to fight next. "Not looking
past Cote, but I wouldn’t mind fighting Jason MacDonald
next," Grove said. "He says he's the TUF killer. Let's
see him beat the TUF champion."
With
Anderson Silva literally mowing through the competition, Grove
could be on the fast track for a title shot. 'Da Spider' feels
a little different.
"Right
now, I feel that I'm not ready for Anderson. To jump in there
right now with him, I just feel he'll destroy me. Give me a year,
maybe a year and a half to better my skills and I’ll jump
in there with him. Hopefully
when the UFC goes to Hawaii; that should be about a year and a half from
now.
“When
I’m ready, I feel like I should get a shot. No disrespect
to nobody else in the weight division, I just wanna climb that
ladder and get my respect and pay my dues. I don't want to cut
in line. I just want to mature and grow as a fighter."
Those
words are from a very smart young man who wants to take his time
and not get pushed into a title shot. When he is ready though,
it should be a great fight.
But
on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Grove will look to take that
next step up that ladder with a win over Cote at UFC 74.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ORTIZ
DISCUSSES USO TOUR TO IRAQ
"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy," Tito Ortiz, recently
returned from Iraq where he visited the troops. Ortiz spoke with
MMAWeekly about how he was received by the soldiers and the experience
of visiting the hospitals and bringing something positive to
a negative situation and the profound effect the trip had on
him.
"It
was very educating. It was scary. It was fun. We had laughs.
It was good man. We had a great time out there. It was heart
shaking the first day at the medical centers. Guys literally
fresh off the airplane coming in with legs missing, arms missing.
It was a very frightful and heartfelt thing when I was there,"
commented Ortiz.
He
added, "Seeing the smiles on their faces when I walked in
the door was that much better, bringing something positive to
the negative that they had just gone through. Losing an arm or
a leg, it's hard to bounce back from that. When I was there,
it was a very heart felt time for sure."
"It
was hard to do the medical centers where I went. I mean that
was really hard. I was having lunch and I didn't want to eat.
I felt, not sick to my stomach, but emotional, like this is for
real. They kept getting hit by IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).
I'd say about 80% of the people who were there got hit by an
IED, and that's crazy. I was going, this stuff is for real, and
that's what really touched me the most."
The
former UFC light heavyweight champ visited several camps while
in Iraq, and the trip had a profound effect on him. Tito said,
"We went to probably thirteen different camps. Camp Victory,
there was so many that we went to that I can't remember the names
of them all. It was fun man. It was a really good morale booster
for those guys. The true heroes are every one of those guys,
all the guys that were so happy to see me. In my heart, those
guys are the real heroes."
Ortiz
continued, "They're going to war. It's crazy...Every one
of the soldiers had a gun right next to them, like no big thing.
I was like, holy crap. It was a reality check."
Many
of our service men and women are fans of mixed martial arts,
and one camp gave Tito a gift that he'll cherish for the rest
of his life. Ortiz stated, "I was there. I gave my little
speech to kind of boost their morale. I thanked the guys for
letting me come and so forth. It was great. All of a sudden we're
doing pictures and so forth, and the guys go, 'we know you walk
out every time with an American flag. Can you walk out with this
one? We all signed it.' I was like, of course. I would love to,
so my next fight you'll see it. It's all signed. I get to have
something from them that means a lot to me. I'll waive that flag
proud. It makes me happy. This next fight will be dedicated to
them for sure."
Ortiz'
USO tour was filmed and we'll most likely get to see it on television
sometime in the near future. He plans to return to Iraq again
this winter.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
PICKETT
SCORES WIN AT CAGE RAGE CONTENDERS
LONDON – Brad “One Punch” Pickett steps back into
the winners circle for the second time this year with a decisive
win over the durable Vaughn Harvey in a bout that earned fight
of the night status in my eyes. Pickett and Harvey stood out
on the latest edition of the Cage Rage Contenders show in London.
Coming
off back-to-back losses against solid opposition is always tough.
Pickett faced additional pressure in this bout via home crowd
expectations and came through looking solid and confident. Pickett’s
game appears to have taken on new venom. His striking looked
really sharp and he seemed much more comfortable on the ground
than in recent outings.
From
the bell, both fighters appeared confident in their surroundings,
but Pickett was getting the better of the exchanges, catching
a kick from his opponent and planting him on the ground. Pickett’s
ground and pound offense was measured and precise, picking his
shots with maximum power and landing clean.
During
the second round Harvey found his range and became a lot more
comfortable in the exchanges having had a measure of Pickett’s
power. He was able to connect on several occasions even though
he found his operating space cut short through his opponent’s
effective use of angles.
The
third round, really exhibited the completeness of the combatants,
with Harvey working the knees in the clinch well and Pickett
working diligently for the takedown. At 3:20 into the final round
Pickett managed to force a referee stoppage by securing a crucifix
and keeping the pace leaving Harvey unable to escape or defend.
Leo
Negao looked absolutely huge at middleweight and thoroughly wired
for the fight. He came to the cage and taunted Matt Ewin before
even making his way to his corner. This aggression proved to
be his undoing as he slid in several illegal knees to the back
of Ewin’s head in full-on Pride style whilst on all fours
on the ground. Ewin lay there dazed and confused for quite a
while receiving medical attention, but ultimately appeared to
be OK, a shame as this fight promised fireworks.
John
Maguire silenced up and coming fan favorite Jake Bostwick with
a dominating win, removing all doubts as to the outcome of their
previous encounter. Bostwick started throwing low kicks from
the bell and was clearly mindful of keeping the fight in his
realm, but Maguire would not be denied and his second takedown
proved to be the last. Maguire is a fast worker and was setting
up several submission attempts, finally settling on a Kimura
at the 4:00 mark having softened his opponent up with a selection
of strikes. Maguire remains undefeated at 7-0 and Bostwick chalks
his second (and undisputed) loss to the Team Tsunami fighter.
Mark
Buchanan came out like a man transformed. He has clearly been
focussing on the weaker elements of his game and appeared to
have a strategy in mind for the fight: submission. It was obvious
from his form that Kev Sims would be looking for a bit of ground
and pound action, but Buchanan diffused his takedown, and immediately
started working for the armbar. A beautiful setup forced Sims
to the ground with his appendage snared and was left with the
option of tapping or snapping… he chose the former. It was
an impressive win for Buchanan at the 1:01 mark.
John
Hathaway fought to an unquestionable decision win over Charles
Barbos, shutting down his game and bloodying the BJJ stylist
with a very controlled ground and pound attack. It was clear
that if Barbos were unable to offer a submission offense in the
first, then he would surely be unable to improve matters in the
remaining rounds as he appeared to be completely gassed. And
so it played out with Hathaway gamely plugging away at his opponent
from inside his guard with his only possible danger coming from
a do-or-die armbar attempt midway through the third.
Hathaway
will be celebrating an excellent win and Barbos will be trying
to work out how the experience of 19-1-0 let him down in a fight
that in theory should have suited his BJJ background.
Kim
Farrid appear to be a brick wall at the start of the fight with
Jeff Hayes, walking straight into the oncoming ZT fighter, picking
him up and slamming him down authoritatively. Unfazed, Hayes
worked out of the position and found himself in an excellent
wrestling match with Farrid during the first few minutes of the
bout. Both fighters appeared really comfortable on the mat and
the action was fast paced, it was only when Hayes started to
land his heavy hands that he swayed the bout in his favor forcing
his opponent to turtle and give his back. It was all the invitation
Hayes needed to attach himself like a limpet and secure the rear
naked choke for the win at the 3:57 mark.
Luke
Smith managed to pull a solid triangle out of his arsenal in
his fight with Will Russell having found himself on his back
for the majority of the fight. Russell appeared to be looking
for some ground and pound offense, but was really pushing in
deep with the strikes leaving himself open to triangle setups.
It didn’t take Smith long to figure this out. He calmly
protected himself well against the attack and carefully chose
his moment to pounce. Unable to escape, Russell tapped out 3:33
into the first.
Jarred
Farah latched on a solid guillotine little over a minute into
the second round for the tap having endured a blazing first round
with opponent Scott Jansen. Jansen threw a couple of early kicks
following the bell. Working fast, Farah stepped in, snagged a
leg and took him down. Working to secure mount from side control,
he proceeded to move his opponent over to his corner before employing
a solid striking onslaught. Feeling the heat, Jansen tried to
buck and gave his back, almost succumbing to a rear naked choke.
Squirming again, Jansen managed to move face up, but was still
eating the strikes.
At
the start of the second, Jansen came out hard, bull-rushing his
opponent into the cage. Securing under-hooks, Farah reversed
position and slapped on the guillotine choke en route to the
ground. With no option at this stage and his trachea firmly under
pressure, he was forced to give up the fight at the 48-second
mark.
In
the quickest and most impressive display of aggression of the
night, Mark Smith turned out the lights on opponent Michael King
via an impressive barrage of strikes, backing him up before dropping
him with a series of crosses and a brutal uppercut. 15 seconds
from the bell and King was left wondering why he was on the floor
with a medic and a referee in front of him.
Glen
Winslade chopped away at Jack Magee’s legs with what appeared
to be over 100 snappy kicks, bludgeoning his leg and pretty much
having his way all through the first round. Magee was under fire
on the left lead leg, but seemed unable to work out his opponent’s
timing and appeared gun shy. Winslade left himself very open
with his hands when throwing kicks and it was obvious that the
key to Magee’s victory was to take the kick, throw a big
overhand right and follow up with a shoot. Still, it’s easy
to say that on the outside looking in, but it was obvious Magee
was struggling and didn’t look himself.
The
second round continued much like the first with Magee planted
firmly in his own corner taking kicks. The damage mounted and
Winslade ramped up the power. Just past the minute mark of the
second and Magee came crumbling to the ground, his leg unable
to take any more. Winslade didn’t hesitate for a second
and pounced for a ground and pound finish.
In other action, James Elson defeated Steven Dossett via ground
and pound and both Steven Elliot and Danny Bevor fell foul to
armbar submissions courtesy of Mark Tucker and Jody Cottham,
respectively.
FULL
RESULTS:
Brad Pickett def Vaughn Harvey via GNP 3:20 R3
Leo Negao was disqualified for illegal knees to the head of Matt
Ewin
John Maguire def Jake Bostwick via Kimura at 4:00, R1
Mark Buchanan def Kev Sims via Armbar at 1:01, R1
John Hathaway def Charles Barbos via Decision
Jeff Hayes def Kym Farrid via Rear Naked Choke at 3:57, R1
Luke Smith def Will Russell via Triangle at 3:33, R1
Jarred Farah def Scott Jansen via Guillotine at 0:48, R2
Mark Smith def Michael King via KO at 0:15, R1
Glen Winslade def Jack Magee via TKO at 1:13, R2
James Elson def Steven Dossett via TKO at 1:15, R2
Mark Tucker def Steven Elliot Armbar at 1:50, R3
Jody Cottham def Danny Bevor via Armbar at 2:13, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fighters
Journey
MANOA GRAND
BALLROOM
IN THE JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER
AUG. 31, 2007
145lb
Amateur MMA
Jesse Castillo (808 Figt Factory) v
Van Shiroma (HMC)
185lb
Amateur MMA
Joshua Lindsey (Anmial House) v
Carl Barton (HMC)
155lb
Amateur MMA
Rob Carlyon (HMC) v
Keoni Diggs (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Amateur MMA
Cory Nemoto (Team Kritikul) v
Paul Lopes (Jesus is Lord)
130lb
Amateur MMA
Sam Quel (Team Ruthless) v
Joseph Benevente (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Amateur MMA
Jeremy Kubo (Team Kritikul) v
Colin Mackenzie (Team Ruthless)
155lb
Amateur MMA
Garren Mouser (Animal House) v
Jeff Thome (BJ Penn Academy)
165lb
Amateur MMA
Cheyne Todani (808 Fight Factory) v
Eugene Ige (Anmial House)
175lb
Amateur MMA
Ray Tintor (Freelance) v
Ryan Desoto (Team Ruthless)
170lb
Amateur MMA
Zane Kamak (Guts and Glory) v
Micah Ige (Animal House)
145lb
Amateur MMA
David Balicao (Jesus is Lord) v
Jon Barnard (Team Ruthless)
185lb
Pro MMA
Bob Ostovich (Jesus is Lord) v
Tyson Primm (Team Submit)
137lb
Pro MMA
Jay Bolos (Animal House) v
Peni Taufa'ao (Eastsidaz)
155lb
Pro MMA
Duke Saragosa (808 Fight Factory) v
Dean Lista (HMC)
170lb
Pro MMA
Ramon Franco (Kailua Jiu Jitsu) v
Daniel Devers (808 Fight Factory)
145lb
Pro MMA
Brandon Pieper (Jesus is Lord) v
145lb
Pro MMA
Tony Giraldi (No Mercy) v
Zach Rapal (Fighters Union)
255lb
Pro MMA
Deutsch Puu (Freelance) v
Thomas Rosser (808 Fight Factory)
Tickets
go on sale Aug 10. getem at Watchchaback in windward mall,
Adrenaline Koncepts, TCA Wireless in Waipahu, and Jesus is Lord
gym
Source: The Tan Superman
|
ELITEXC
IN HAWAII ON SEPTEMBER 15!
EliteXC premiered on the Showtime network in February of this
year and has since gone on to work various events with other
promotions. On September 15, the promotion returns to Showtime
with a fight card featuring some of the top fighters in the world.
The
main event features newly-crowned EliteXC Middleweight Champion
Murilo “Ninja” Rua making his first defense against
ICON Middleweight Champion Robbie Lawler.
The
portion of the undercard that is to be televised on Showtime
features bouts between Nick Diaz and Mike Aina, Renato “Charuto”
Verissimo and Jake Shields, and Gina Carano and Tonya Evinger.
The
undercard was also expected to feature a middleweight contenders’
bout between Falaniko Vitale and Riki Fukuda, but that was before
Vitale instead, according to Sherdog.com, accepted an offer to
fight for K-1 and Strikeforce.
In
the wake of Vitale’s exodus, Greg Jackson-trained fighter
Joey Villasenor has agreed to take the fight with Fukuda in the
hopes of getting a return match against either Ninja or Lawler,
both of whom he has lost to.
“I’d
like to fight both of them again, eventually. I’d like to
get a win against both of them and then have that rubber match.
Kind of like Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, you know?”
said Villasenor.
But
before that happens, he isn’t looking past Fukuda. “He’s
gonna be tough. We’re just gonna prepare and go at it,”
commented Villasenor. “I’ve got five weeks to get ready
for the fight. But I’ve been working out [since the Ninja
fight in June]. I’ve been training, so the timing isn’t
too bad.”
For
Villasenor this fight is a little bit more than a pick-me-up
for himself following the loss to Ninja. Several other members
of the Jackson’s team have had a rough go of it in their
most recent fights as well. Nathan Marquardt lost in his UFC
title bid against Anderson Silva, Rashad Evans had a draw with
Tito Ortiz at UFC 73, and Keith Jardine was unexpectedly TKO’d
at the hands of Houston Alexander.
So,
Villasenor is looking to help right the ship, so to speak. “We’re
in a growing stage as a team. We’re a young team,”
says the 31 year old. “We’re going to learn from it
and get better because of it. We’re all going through this
together and it makes us all the more hungry.”
EliteXC:
Hawaii is scheduled for September 15 in Honolulu with a portion
of the fight card, including the main event, to air on the Showtime
premium channel and a portion of the undercard to stream live
on ProElite.com.
SHOWTIME
BOUTS
(10pm EST / Televised on Showtime)
Middleweight
Championship:
Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Robbie Lawler
Nick
Diaz vs. Mike Aina
Joey Villasenor vs. Riki Fukuda
Renato
"Charuto" Verissimo vs. Jake Shields
Gina Carano vs. Tonya Evinger
PROELITE.COM
BOUTS
(Following Showtime Telecast / Streamed on ProElite.com)
Jaw
Suk Kim vs. Brandon Wolff
Kala Kalohe
Hose vs.
Jeff Fox
Mark Oshiro vs. Nui Wheeler
Mark Kurano vs. Jose Diaz
PRELIMINARY
BOUTS
(9pm EST / Non-Broadcast)
Justin
Bucholz
vs. Kolo
Koka
Tyson Nam
vs. Albert
Manners
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Freedom
Fighting "Battle on the Base"
New MMA event Freedom Fighting "Battle on the Base"
will be making it's debut on October 27th at the Kahunas Ballroom
at MCBH. Freedom Fighting will primarily be a military base promotion
touring the likes of Schofield, Hickam AFB and MCBH to show our
appreciation to the troops. All shows will be open to the public.
Freedom Fighting is currently looking for pro/am prospects and
can reach Mike Malone @723-0960. All sponsorship and advertising
inqueries can reach Yogi @428-7707
Freedom Fighting would like to thank it's sponsors
*Budweiser
*WarriorWear Clothing
*Sindication
*RedBull
*Kikskin
And of course Onzuka.com
Source: Freedom Fighting
|
|