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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)
11/10/07
Aloha
State Championship of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
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)
9/28/07
Kickin It / Got Skills
(Kickboxing, Varios)
(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)
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)
8/10/07
Kick In It / Got Skills
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
8/4/07
Punishment In Paradise:
Best of the Best
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, Kapolei)
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)
7/14/07
Patriot Fighting Championships
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
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)
|
|
July 2007 News Part
1
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days a week training!
We are also offering Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights
and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 7:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Got a question for us? Email info@onzuka.com
or click here to send us
an email.
Fighters'
Club TV LOGO ANIMATION CONTEST
Everyone
knows that Onzuka.com's loyal readers are the most talented in
the state, if not the world! (can you already see where our fluff
complement is going already?) FCTV is looking for a talented
computer graphics whiz to animate our logo for the show. Winner
receives the snazzy RAZE Fightwear shirt and whatever else we
can dig up!
Here
is our logo:
If you have seen the show, you have seen how our old logo has
been animated. We are basically looking to create a cool animation
for our new logo.
We need a long version (10 Seconds) and a short version (3 Seconds)
if possible. Also, any ideas you may have as to what to do with
it would be appreciated too.
Email
entries to: fctv@onzuka.com
Mahalo,
Mark
|
Quote
of the Day
“Education's
purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.”
Malcolm S. Forbes, 1917-1990, American Publisher
|
New
Fighters' Club TV Episode Aires Tonight!
I could
tell you what's on the show, but wouldn't it be more exciting
just to tune in and watch it?
Here's
your hint...
New Icon Sport Martial Arts & Fitness Gym
Tell
everyone that we are still on at 7:00 PM on Channel 52 every
Tuesday!
|
UFC
73: GURGEL & SARAIVA PROVIDE PRELIM FIREWORKS
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – A stacked card from top to bottom,
it was the preliminary card at UFC 73 that provided the most
and most-exciting finishes. While the first three fights of the
pay-per-view went the distance, only one of the four preliminary
bouts were left in the hands of the judges.
Just
prior to the pay-per-view, Stephan Bonnar made a triumphant return
after a nine-month layoff due to a suspension for failing a post-fight
drug test in Nevada. His opponent, fellow The Ultimate Fighter
alum Mike Nickels, took the fight to Bonnar early, backing him
up with punches before catching a Bonnar kick and putting him
on his back. But it was Bonnar who would reverse position and
after searching on the ground, would secure Nickels’ arm,
leaving his neck exposed for a fight-ending rear naked choke
at 2:14 of the first round.
The
lone preliminary decision went to Jorge Gurgel and Diego Saraiva.
In a battle between to great ground tacticians, the better part
of the fight was staged on their feet. All three rounds saw Gurgel
and Saraiva open with brief exchanges, primarily with Gurgel
getting the better of them and being a little more aggressive.
But
there were then moments that would define the fight. In the latter
stages of the first round, Gurgel stunned Saraiva a couple of
times with some hard combinations. And in the last minute-and-a-half
of the second stanza, Gurgel landed a head kick that seemed to
awaken the spirit in Saraiva as he then rocked Gurgel with a
few stinging punches of his own. Closing out the back and forth
action in the third, Gurgel had a stint of excellent ground and
pound attack that likely secured the fight for him.
Gurgel
won a unanimous decision, but both fighters were later rewarded
as the UFC awarded them the “Fight of the Night,” which
includes an addition to each of their respective paychecks. Unfortunately
for Gurgel, he was expected to spend the night in a local hospital
under observation with a broken jaw and other complications.
Chris
Lytle wasted no time getting back on the winning track. He came
out swinging on late replacement Jason Gilliam, dropping him
early and then ground and pounding from his guard. Gilliam was
able to sweep Lytle, but Lytle then nearly caught him in a heel
hook. Following Gilliam’s escape, Lytle again started to
ground and pound from his guard, but quickly moved to side and
then top position. Here Lytle secured a reverse triangle choke
from the top while simultaneously working towards a Kimura shoulder
lock. At 2:15 of the first, Gilliam tapped out from the triangle
choke giving Lytle the victory and the UFC’s “Submission
of the Night.”
In
the opening bout, Frank Edgar and Mark Bocek, two seasoned grapplers
fought most of their fight on the ground as expected. But it
would be Edgar who would utilize his superior wrestling skills
to dominate position and secure a ground and pound TKO from side
control with a mere 5 seconds left in the first round.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FRANCA
TALKS ABOUT FIGHT WITH SHERK
Things
didn’t go exactly as planned for Hermes Franca in Sacramento,
Calif. at UFC 73. He did challenge Sean Sherk for the UFC lightweight
title, but he was unable wrest the belt away from the champion.
It wasn’t for lack of trying, however.
Franca
did manage to land several knees to the chin of Sherk throughout
the fight, but the champ’s chin seems to be comprised of
granite. Despite Franca’s efforts, it was Sherk that was
able to take him down and keep him there for the majority of
their five rounds.
The
loss breaks an eight-fight winning streak that spans the last
year-and-a-half of Franca’s career. A run like that equates
to accomplishment in nearly anyone’s book. But it is not
without a price and Franca has paid that price.
He
says that his body is growing weary and that he needs to refocus
some of his efforts on the other members of his fight team, The
Armory. It’s not that he is disappointed in his efforts
against Sherk; it is more that he feels there has been enough
focus on him over the past couple of years.
It’s
time for Franca to give his body a break and put some of the
spotlight on his charges.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
NAKAO
& KUNIOKU FIGHT TO DRAW AT DEEP 30
DEEP held its latest show in Osaka, Japan, leaving the comfy
confines of Korakuen Hall for the smaller Zepp Osaka. Pride and
UFC veteran Jutaro Nakao faced off with former welterweight King
of Pancrase Kimua Kunioku in the main event.
Neither
fighter was able to take advantage of the other on the feet as
they both circled for the majority of the fight. In the end,
the judges decided that neither had done enough to win the fight
and ruled the fight a draw.
Full
results below:
DEEP
30
Zepp Osaka
July 8, 2007
-Nobuyuki
Shimakawa drew with Masahiro Toryu
-Yasushi
Kitazaki defeated Tanaka Goodman with an armbar, 3:19 of the
1st RD
-Isao
Terada defeated Kousuke Eda by KO, 0:40 of the 2nd RD
-Motoyuki
Takanishi defeated Kenta Nakamura by unanimous decision
-Yasuaki
Miura defeated Kazuhiko Wakita with andaconda choke, 1:37 of
the 1st RD
-Yusuke
Sakashita defeated Seigo Mizuguchu by unanimous decision
-Ken
Hamamura defeated Yabu Yabu by TKO, 0:57 of the 2nd RD
-Yukinari
Tamura defeated Animal Animal by TKO, 4:36 of the 1st RD
-Seichi
Ikemoto defeated Pang Sung Hwan by unanimous decision
-Tomoyuki
defeated Henrik Kaiuchi with an arm triangle choke, 2:21 of the
2nd RD
-Jutaro
Nakao fought to a draw with Kiuma Kunioku
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“May
you live to be 100 and may the last voice you hear be mine.”
Frank Sinatra, 1915-1998, American Singer and Actor
|
Hawaii's
Judoka's go BIG at USJA Nationals!
The elite eight! Thats what their being called in Indianapolis!
Of the eight athletes who represented Hawaii, all eight medal!
Hawaii will bring back 5 new Junior National Judo Champions,
2 Silvers, and 1 Bronze. Here are the results:
Jacob Palimo'o Gold National Champion
Zorich Palimo'o Gold National Champion
Josh Terao Gold National Champion
Ka'ua Nishigaya Gold National Champion
Ko'ali Nishigaya Gold National Champion
Nahoa Salera Silver Runner Up
Makoa Gaughen Silver Runner Up
Kulana Salera Bronze
Congrat's to all the Shobukan Judoka's!!!!
Three more National events to go!
Source: "Show me some effort" Gaughen
|
UFC
73 RESULTS
"STACKED"
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
LIGHTWEIGHT
BOUT
Frankie Edgar defeated Mark Bocek at 4:55 of Round One by TKO.
Round
One: They both started out striking with Bocek going for takedowns
and Edgar defending well. The fight was mostly striking with
both fighters dropping the other at one point. They ended up
on the ground with Edgar in Bocek's half guard, moving to side
control and finished with strikes.
WELTERWEIGHT
BOUT
Chris Lytle defeated Jason Gilliam 2:15 of Round One by triangle
choke.
Round
One: Lytle came out throwing big shots hurting Gilliam early
with punches, dropping Gilliam. Lytle followed him down and started
grounding and pounding him. Gilliam swept Lytle, but Chris immediately
went for lock lock submission, but Gilliam escaped. Lytle went
right back to grounding and pounding inside Gilliam's guard.
Lytle put on a reverse triangle choke from the top that ended
the fight.
LIGHTWEIGHT
BOUT
Jorge Gurgel defeated Diego Saraiva by unanimous decision (30-27
on all three scorecards)
Round
One: The first couple of minutes were spent striking with Gurgel
winning the exchanges but doing little damage. Saraiva pulled
guard and Gurgel worked ground and pound. As the round neared
it's end, Gurgel stood up out of Saraiva's guard, but took a
few big shots from Diego as the round ended. MMAWeekly scores
Round One 10-9 for Gurgel.
Round
Two: First half of the round they exchanged strikes with Gurgel
landing more shots. Gurgel landed a flurry and a high kick that
seemed to wake Diego up. For the last 30 seconds Saraiva took
it to Jorge doing a lot of damage with strikes and probably stole
the round. MMAWeekly scores Round Two 10-9 for Saraiva.
Round
Three: They traded shots for the first few minutes with Jorge
winning the exchanges. Diego went for a takedown but Gurgel stuffed
it. Saraiva pulled guard where Jorge did some effective ground
and pound. Jorge stood up out of his guard in the final moments,
but neither did much standing. MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9
for Gurgel.
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
Stephan Bonnar defeated Mike Nickels by Rear Naked Choke at 2:14
of Round One.
Round
One: Nickels came out striking right away landing shots. Bonnar
attempted a body kick that Nickels caught and got the takedown.
Nickels worked from guard to the mount, but Bonnar reversed him.
Bonnar worked for submission after submission before taking Nickels'
back and finishing him with a Rear Naked Choke.
REMAINING
BOUTS:
HEAVYWEIGHT
BOUT
-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Heath Herring
Rd 1: Nogueria comes out aggressive, takes Herring down and then
back on the feet again Nog controls the action. Late in the round
after two attempted head kicks, Herring lands a big head kick
that floors Nogueira. Herring swoops in but is unable to finish
and the round ends
MMAWeekly scores Rd 1 10-9 for Nogueria
Rd
2: Herring fails to pursue a still groggy Nogueria and the Brazilian
gets back in the round with solid striking. He gets Herring to
the ground, gets mount and then takes Herring's back but the
Texan reverses and stands back up. Nogueria ends the round with
another takedown
MMAWeekly scores Rd 2 10-9 for Nogueria
Rd
3: Nogueira and Herring trade shots on the feet with Nogueira
getting the better of the exchanges. Nogueira again takes the
fight down to the mat where he takes his back and tries to lock
on a rear naked choke but Herring reverses once again. The fight
ends with Nogueira and Herring trading stand-up once again.
Winner:
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria by unanimous decision (29-28 on all
score cards)
LIGHT
WEIGHT UFC WORLD TITLE BOUT
Sean Sherk vs. Hermes Franca
Rd 1: Sherk shoots in quickly and Franca locks on a tight guillotine
choke that looked to finish the fight but Sherk withstands and
puts Hermes on the mat and pounds him for the remainder of the
round.
MMAWeekly scores Rd 1 10-9 for Sean Sherk
Rd
2: Sherk gets caught by a huge knee strike from Hermes Franca
but the champion recovered and took control on the ground. Franca
did manage a sweep to reverse at one point but the majority of
the round was spent with Sherk in dominant control on the ground.
MMAWeekly scores RD 2 10-9 for Sean Sherk
Rd
3: Sherk smothers Franca for the entire round. Sherk takes down
Franca at will and passes guard without any struggle. Sherk works
to punch Franca on the ground as the Brazilian struggles under
Sherk's strength
MMAWeekly scores Rd 3 10-9 for Sean Sherk
Rd
4: Franca lands another knee that looks fantastic but does no
damage to Sherk and again he takes Franca down at will. Passing
guard and hitting Franca with shots from the top sums up the
round
MMAWeekly scores Rd 4 10-9 for Sean Sherk
Rd
5: Much of the same action from the previous few rounds with
Sherk taking Franca down over and over again. Sherk's conditioning
and strength are just too much for Hermes Franca
Winner:
Sean Sherk by unanimous decision (50-45 on all judges scorecards)
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans
Rd 1: Tito shoots in early in the round and takes Evans down
with relative ease but once on the ground Rashad does a good
job avoiding any damage and works back to the feet. The majority
of the remainder of the round is spent with Ortiz pushing Rashad
against the cage but no more takedowns
MMAWeekly scores Rd 1 10-9 for Tito Ortiz
Rd
2: Ortiz landing better shots on the feet and eventually gets
another takedown on Evans. Rashad works well from the ground
to get back up and work for a takedown of his own and Ortiz grabs
the fence, to which John McCarthy takes a point away. Ortiz gets
taken down and then locks on a very tight guillotine choke on
Evans to end the round
MMAWeekly scores Rd 2 9-9 even.
Rd
3: Back and forth action, with some good stand-up from Rashad
finally. He did manage a very good takedown with only seconds
to go in the fight and put Ortiz on his back.
All
3 judges score the bout 28-28 for a unanimous draw mostly due
to the point taken away from Ortiz in the 2nd round.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
UFC WORLD TITLE BOUT
Anderson Silva vs. Nathan Marquardt
Rd 1: Marquardt gets the early takedown after Silva attempts
a flying knee. Marquardt doesn't do much inside of Silva's guard
and eventually John McCarthy stands the fight up. Silva almost
gets taken down again but reverses and puts Marquardt on his
back and lands a huge shot that rocks him. Soon after Silva lands
a few more shots and the fight is stopped
Winner:
Anderson Silva by TKO Rd 1 (Referee's stoppage due to strikes)
LIGHTWEIGHT
BOUT
Kenny Florian vs. Alvin Robinson
Rd 1: Florian wants to stand but Robinson goes for a takedown
early and does manage a nice judo throw but can't keep Florian
down. From that point on, Florian took control and dominated
Robinson at every stage taking him down, getting mount and after
reigning down some some vicious elbows and punches to end the
fight
Winner:
Kenny Florian by TKO (Referee's Stoppage due to strikes on the
ground) Rd 1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
73: SILVA SHINES IN TITLE DEFENSE
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – When Anderson Silva arrived in the
UFC, many new fans to the sport didn’t know what to expect
from the heavy-handed Brazilian striker, but after decimating
Chris Leben and then taking the title from then champion Rich
Franklin, Silva put himself on the map as one of the best 185
lb. fighters in the world. Due to an overweight Travis Lutter,
Silva didn’t get his first title defense, but he did pick
up a win. After doing away with Nathan Marquardt on Saturday
night, Anderson Silva cemented himself as the true #1 middleweight
in the world.
Many
people questioned whether Silva could survive on the ground with
such an experienced fighter like Nate Marquardt, but the champion
didn’t shy away from the ground game as he threw a flying
knee early in round one that Marquardt took advantage of and
put Silva on his back. Silva worked to improve position and Marquardt
could not get an advantage, so the fight was stood back up.
This
time Silva reversed a takedown from Marquardt and ended up reigning
down shots on the former King of Pancrase. One shot after another
got through Marquardt’s weakening defenses and as he rolled
to the side, Silva pounded him with punches and John McCarthy
stepped in and stopped the fight. Anderson Silva once again takes
his title home to Brazil, as it appears a fight with former champion
Rich Franklin looms on the horizon.
Sean
Sherk defended his title successfully in a five-round unanimous
decision over Hermes Franca. Sherk showed his superior speed,
power and conditioning throughout the fight as he took Franca
down at will, passed his guard and worked for dominant position.
Franca did manage a guillotine choke very early on that looked
to end the fight, but Sherk persevered and powered out. A knee
strike to open the second round from Franca to Sherk rattled
the champion, but again he recovered and put Franca down.
The
majority of the five rounds was spent with Sherk taking the fight
down and by late in the fight, Franca had nothing left in the
gas tank and the champion showed everyone why he trains the way
he does. Sean Sherk successfully defends his UFC lightweight
title for the first time and will now move on to a new contender.
In
what had to be the most hyped fight of the evening, Tito Ortiz
took on Rashad Evans in what unfortunately ended in the most
disappointing finish fans could ask for.
Ortiz
opened the fight by taking Evans down with little effort, but
Rashad pushed off the cage and worked back to the feet. The first
round was mostly spent with Tito going for takedowns and Rashad
defending off the cage. The second round saw Ortiz dominating
again with the clinch and better stand-up, but Evans did manage
to turn the tables. As he attempted a takedown, referee John
McCarthy stepped in and took a point away from Ortiz for grabbing
the fence to stop the takedown. McCarthy had warned Tito earlier
in the fight for the same offense, but after another occurrence,
he had no choice but to take a point away. Ortiz still won the
round, but because of the deduction, it ended 9-9 on all of the
judge’s scorecards.
The
third round saw the best Rashad Evans of the entire fight as
he brought the fight to Ortiz, while the former light heavyweight
champion looked like he was out of energy. Late in the round,
Evans picked up and slammed Ortiz to the ground, but the fight
was close to the end. After much mulling from the judges, the
decision came back as a draw after three rounds. Most would credit
the draw to Ortiz losing the point in the second round, but we
are sure to see this fight rematched very soon. UFC President
Dana White confirmed as much at the post-fight press conference.
The
opening bout on the pay-per-view card saw former Pride Heavyweight
Champion, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira make
his Octagon debut against Heath Herring. As everyone knew going
in, Nogueira had already defeated Herring twice while in Pride,
but this was the Texas native’s chance to get one of those
losses back on his record.
The
first round saw Nogueira with the more effective stand-up, but
Herring kept throwing head kicks throughout the round. Late in
the round, Herring caught Nogueira with a left high kick that
sent the Brazilian crashing to the canvas. He followed up with
punches on the ground, but much to everyone’s surprise,
not only was the fight not stopped, but Herring stopped his onslaught
and motioned for Nogueira to stand back up and the round ended.
With
Nogueira still on wobbly legs, Herring failed to jump in early
in round two to try for the finish. The former champion recovered
and then mounted an offense that dominated Herring on the feet
and the ground for the remainder of the fight. Nogueira went
for multiple submissions, but was unable to catch Herring in
anything. The fight ended with a unanimous decision win for Nogueira.
In
what ended up being the most exciting fight of the night that
we almost didn’t see due to the length of the previous bouts,
Kenny Florian proved all of his detractors wrong by taking Alvin
Robinson apart in their fight at UFC 73. Florian wanted to stand,
but Robinson wanted nothing to do with that and tried to get
the fight to the ground early on. Robinson did manage a nice
arm throw to put Florian down, but that was the most offense
he mounted in the entire fight. Florian took Robinson down a
few times in the round and landed some very nice punches and
elbows from inside his guard.
Florian
kept working and late in the round got full mount. He started
to hit Robinson with punches and elbows that rocked the UFC newcomer.
Florian kept up the pressure and Robinson rolled to get out of
the way of the punches and the fight was stopped due to strikes
on the ground. Florian once again shows his ever improving skills
and moves on to once again try to put himself as the #1 contender
to the lightweight title.
Stacked
ended up being stocked with decisions in many of the early fights,
including a very disappointing draw between rivals Tito Ortiz
and Rashad Evans. Fighter of the Night goes to Anderson Silva,
who defended his title with relative ease after dispatching of
the #7 middleweight in the world in Nathan Marquardt. Honorable
mention for Fighter of the Night goes to Kenny Florian who looked
extremely dominant in his performance over Alvin Robinson. Fight
of the Night is a toss up due to so many decisions, but the best
overall fight to watch at UFC 73 had to be Anderson Silva and
Nathan Marquardt. Kudos to both Anderson Silva and Kenny Florian
for picking up the pace on an otherwise slow moving pay-per-view.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Great
ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new
assignment."
Baltasar Gracián, 1601-1658, Spanish Writer and Philosopher
|
Dan
Henderson Seminar at O2 Martial Arts Academy!
TODAY!
Current Pride Lightweight & Middleweight Champion
There are
still spots available so stop by!
When:
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Time:
4:30-7:30PM
Where:
O2 Martial Arts Academy
(between Best Buy & Cutter Ford Aiea)
(2nd floor above Small Engine Clinic)
98-019 Kamehameha Highway, #206A
Aiea, Hawaii 96701
Cost:
$50
Space
is limited so pre-pay to reserve your spot with the only man
to hold championships in two categories in Pride at the same
time and possibly could be the next UFC Light heavyweight champ!
No spots will be held on verbal requests.
|
Cachorrao
returns to the ring
After a retirement of three years, the Jiu-Jitsu star signs a
contract and already has an opponent confirmed
When GRACIE Magazine broke the news Ricardo Almeida was retiring
from MMA, in July of 2004, the fight community was shocked. It
wasn’t ready for such a decision from a well-known fighter
like Cachorrão, then on his way up the ranks in Pride.
For those that felt the brunt of the Renzo Gracie student's decision,
who at the time preferred to dedicate himself to teaching the
philososphy of Jiu-Jitsu to his students, the GRACIEMAG.com announcement
sounds fo much better this time: Cachorrao is coming back to
MMA, after signing a contract with the new Cage Fury Fighting
Championship.
Since
retirement, the Carioca black belt recalls having received several
proposals, from the IFL to The Ultimate Fighter program, but
says that none was as enticing to him and this one, which he
decided to accept right away after cornering Gregor Gracie, at
Cage Fury 5, on the 23rd of June, in Atlantic City. "I liked
the event a lot, and the fact is right near home also influenced
my decision," said Cachorrao to GRACIEMAG.com, confirming
the fight for the well-known casino Taj Mahal, on the 28th of
September.
On
his return, Ricardo will face Dennis Hallman, who besides being
nicknamed “Superman” enters the cage with anothers
hero’s trait: the American recently won a spot on the USA'a
grappling team, in a FILA sponsored tournament. What is more,
Dennis has an MMA Record showing more that 50 fights, has participated
in several ADCCs and in the IFL he managed a victory over Pe
de Chumbo.
“The
main reason for this is that I was never able to completely remove
MMA from my life. The first year after deciding to stop, I avoided
even watching events on television,” recelled Almeida. “The
next year, I got involved again helping Renzo prepare for his
fights, and then I never stopped training the guys, neither Renzo
nor some students. It was the sport that was calling me to come
back.”
Cachorrao
turned 30 at the end of 2006, and said his birthday was a determining
factor. “I felt the MMA chapter was not closed in my life,
and I realized that if I were to fight again some day, it would
have to be now,” he said. "Of course the fact that
MMA has gotten so big helped, the direction the sport has taken
is exciting," he finished.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Belfort
leads Brazilian MMA World against virtual Fight Club
Early this morning, we received a phone call from Vítor
Belfort, asking for our support to take the attention of all
Brazilian MMA fans and athletes against illegal events that have
been promoted by the site rioheroes.com. “A friend of mine,
that is a journalist from the open Brazilian TV, Record, call
me yesterday alerting me about this site that is made by the
black belt Jorge Pereira. They are making clandestine programs
putting boys without any practice to fight MMA without rules
and time and they still sell this trash by the Internet. The
site has rooster fights too, what is forbidden here in Brazil.
Now Record TV discovered them and they are preparing an article,
what certainly means a huge retrocession for our sport. We cannot
accept that those guys induce boys to fight in these true Fight
Clubs, the authorities have to act as soon as possible to protect
the society and all the people that work hardly for our sport”,
said Belfort, that will have today a interview with Record, at
Black House. “I going to try to show the serious and professional
side of our sport and that the Brazilian fight world does not
agree with this barbarity”, said Carlson Gracie’s black
belt.
Source: Tatame
|
RODRIGUEZ
TO TEACH “CRO COP” CAGE ED 101
Former
UFC Heavyweight Champ Prepares for Comeback
By Loretta Hunt
The
cage is all the rage, as UFC heavyweight contender Mirko “Cro
Cop” Filipovic is finding out the hard way. So, the feared
striker has invited Ricco Rodriguez to join him in his Croatian
homeland at the end of this month for a lesson in the nuisances
of the Octagon.
“He’s
asked me to come out and show him some of the ground-and-pound
techniques, getting out and up from the bottom, the mechanics
of the cage,” says Rodriguez, who has mastered key outings
in both apparatus during his eight-year career. “We’ll
be exchanging information. There’s absolutely a difference
between the ring and a cage.”
Rodriguez,
who utilized a ground-and-pound arsenal to capture the UFC Heavyweight
Championship from Randy Couture in 2002, will assist the former
PRIDE star in his training for his Sept. 8 UFC 75 bout against
fellow stand-up artist Cheick Kongo in London, England. The fight
will be Filipovic’s third career turn in a cage, after claiming
a first round TKO over Eddie Sanchez last February and a surprise
loss via head kick by Gabriel Gonzaga in April.
Cro
Cop, a member of Croatia’s elite special police unit and
a Parliament representative, has spent the majority of his career
competing in the ring, rising to notoriety in K-1’s world-class
kickboxing tournaments and PRIDE Fighting Championships. Cro
Cop capped off a fruitful run for the Japanese promotion with
a 2006 Grand Prix Championship before defecting to the UFC. Rodriguez
reports the stone-faced assassin revered for his instantaneously
crippling left high kick has imported a cage for his training
complex in preparation.
The
prestigious invitation comes at an opportune time in Rodriguez’s
career as the heavyweight wages a comeback during the sport’s
most lucrative time yet. Though the 29-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu
black belt has been offered a steady stream of bouts, including
a marquee fight against the world’s number one-ranked heavyweight
Fedor Emelianenko in bodogFIGHT last December, Rodriguez has
been adamant regarding his financial worth in a market in demand
for the division.
“I
know everybody hates when I say it, but for all the effort I’ve
put in, I’d like to get a good paycheck,” he says.
At
a time, Rodriguez was considered among the world's top heavyweights,
demonstrating above average agility and athleticism for his weight
division in performances against Andrei Arlovski, Paul Buentello,
Jeff Monson, and Couture. In 2003, Rodriguez lost a highly contested
unanimous decision over former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira in Japan after challenging the jiu-jitsu legend
all three rounds.
Rodriguez
(25-6) lost the UFC title to a hungry Tim Sylvia at 2003’s
UFC 41, and has since wrestled with a host of demons, including
obesity, heavy partying, and drug use.
Topping
out at 350 pounds when he dropped a decision to an unknown Robert
Beraun in Arizona, Rodriguez earned four back-to-back victories
in 2006, including a vindication rematch to Ron Waterman at July’s
WFA 4 “King of the Streets.” Rodriguez was dealt a
setback in November, when a California State Athletic Commission-administered
drug test revealed the presense of cocaine. Rodriguez has since
served a six-month suspension that completed in mid-May.
Rodriguez’s
weight has gradually melted down to 265-270 pounds, where he’s
hovering for a super heavyweight bout in November with American
Top Team up-and-comer Antonio Silva, who underwent tumor removal
surgery in June, at Pro Elite’s “EliteXC” promotion.
Rodriguez aims to drop as far as his body will allow, possibly
even to the svelte 235-pound frame he carried during the five-fight
win streak he enjoyed in the Octagon leading up to taking the
crown.
A
recent father to one-year old son Ricco, Rodriguez’s experiences
have been filmed for the last ten years for a pending documentary
on his life. The film will include his rise to the UFC championship,
his downward spiral, and his comeback, with training footage
of him and legendary fighter Kazushi Sakuraba in Japan, his interactions
with troubled training partner Mark Kerr of “The Smashing
Machine” fame, and Rodriguez’s first day of boxing
training with coach Saul Soliz in Texas, where the heavyweight
now resides.
Source: The Fight Network
|
“JZ”
Cavalcante: Looking to Repeat at Hero’s 2007 Lightweight
Grand-Prix
By Kelsey Mowatt
American Top Team lightweight Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante
is looking to entrench his status as one of the world’s
better 155 pound fighters by winning back-to-back Hero’s
Grand-Prix tournaments. The K-1 Hero’s tourney begins July
16th in Yokohama, Japan, and once again, similarly to last year,
is fielding another solid field of notable lightweight fighters.
Along side the 2006 winner Cavalcante, Caol Uno, Kultar “Black
Mamba” Gill, Vitor Ribeiro, Kazayuki Miyata, Hideo Tokoro,
Katsuhiko Nagata, and Andre Dida are all slated to compete. The
Chute Boxe fighter, Andre Dida (3-0-1), will be Cavalcante’s
first round opponent, and the ATT fighter seems to be keenly
aware of the up and coming fighter’s capabilities.
“Dida,
he’s an aggressive guy,” Cavalcante tells FCF. “He
always comes forward; he’s from Chute Boxe so he’s
going to be good on his feet, good on the ground. I’ll just
have to wait and see. I’m more experienced; in my mind I
have the advantage. I’m pretty confident with everything
that I do, striking, my jiu-jitsu, I’m confident with myself
both physically and mentally.”
Vitor
“Shaolin” Ribeiro (18-1) is certainly one of this year’s
competitors that must be considered as one of the favorites.
The former Shooto and Cage Rage star has not lost a bout since
2004, and has now won 9 straight.
“He’s
one of the best guys in the weight class,” Cavalcante says
in discussing Ribeiro. “He has a lot of experience, good
skill, one of the fighters that probably could be in the finals.
If someone beat him though I wouldn’t be too surprised,
Miyata has good wrestling, Tokoro is really well rounded, Black
Mamba has good knees, the tournament is really good, lots of
great fighters, you can’t just worry about him.”
Cavalcante
knocked out Hiroyuki Takaya, submitted Rani Yahya and finally,
defeated Caol Uno by Unanimous Decision last October, to lay
claim to the 2006 Grand-Prix crown. The win catapulted “JZ’s”
name on to the world international stage, instantly bringing
notoriety to the fighter who had until then, despite a solid
record, remained for the most part under the radar. This year
however, Cavalcante returns to the competition one of the tourney
favorites, on account of his impressive performance last year
in the Hero’s ring.
“People
expect more from you when you have a belt,” Cavalcante concedes.
“I’m training harder and smarter, more and more, I
want to improve as a person not only in fighting, but in life
as well. It’s nice in Hero’s though, they don’t
really have a champion for this, so there’s not much pressure.
This years a new year.”
Since
winning the tournament last year, Cavalcante has competed twice,
at K-1 Hero’s Dynamite USA last month he defeated Nam Phan
by TKO in the first round. Most recently he fought K-1 star Masato
at that promotion’s K-1 World Max 2007 on June 29th, losing
to the Japanese fighter by Unanimous Decision in the kick-boxing
affair.
“No,
no injuries,” Cavalcante tells FCF in respect to his condition
after competing just days ago. “A little bit of a black
eye, but overall I feel pretty good, I’ll be ready to fight.”
Source: FCF
|
Quote
of the Day
"Take
a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons,
and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath
is to the body."
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., 1809-1894, American Physician and
Writer
|
Final
card for UFC 73: Stacked
Today!
Hawaii Air times
(Channel 701)
3:30PM Countdown
4:00PM UFC 73: Stacked
The UFC 73: Stacked card has been finalized. Drew Fickett had
to withdraw from the card due to a knee injury. Jason Gilliam
will fill in for Fickett against Chris Lytle.
UFC
73 takes place Saturday, July 7 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento,
California.
Sean
Sherk vs. Hermes Franca
Anderson Silva vs. Nate Marquardt
Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans
Antonio "Minotauro" Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Heath Herring
Alvin Robinson vs. Kenny Florian
Mike Nickels vs. Stephan Bonnar
Jorge Gurgel vs. Diego Saraiva
Jason Gilliam vs. Chris Lytle
Mark Bocek vs. Frank Edgar
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Dan
Henderson Seminar at O2 Martial Arts Academy!
Tomorrow!
Current Pride Lightweight & Middleweight Champion
There are
still spots available so stop by!
When:
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Time:
4:30-7:30PM
Where:
O2 Martial Arts Academy
(between Best Buy & Cutter Ford Aiea)
(2nd floor above Small Engine Clinic)
98-019 Kamehameha Highway, #206A
Aiea, Hawaii 96701
Cost:
$50
Space
is limited so pre-pay to reserve your spot with the only man
to hold championships in two categories in Pride at the same
time and possibly could be the next UFC Light heavyweight champ!
No spots will be held on verbal requests.
|
Mirko
brings in the artillery
The guys at profightstore.com are reporting that Sergey Kharitonov
will arrive in Croatia on July 20th to train with Mirko Cro Cop
(for Mirko’s upcoming fight against Cheick Kongo).
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Denis
Kang awaits next challenge
The ATT athlete still without contract
Without a contract with any big MMA organization, the Pride Middleweight
GP silver medalist, Denis Kang, is sharpening up his axe to carry
on with his career in the ring that, he hopes, will continue
to be devastating for his opponents. In a chat with the correspondent
Nalty Junior, the American Top Team star spoke of his plans for
the future and how he sees the current MMA scene, in the USA
and in the world. Not having fought since March, the French athlete
naturalized Canadian says he cannot wait to land a new contract
and return to the ring - or octagon...
How
is your training going, and how is your nourishment?
My
training is really intense, I train a lot of boxing, Jiu-Jitsu,
muay thai, wrestling every day. Here at ATT we have the best
in terms of professional work and structure, without mentioning
the human resources. ATT has sensational fighters! On nourishment,
I eat everything. Meat, fish, chicken, legumes, whole-grain rice,
beans... Everything that’s good for the body, protein, nothing
special.
What
do you think of the current MMA scene?
I
think the UFC’s organizers, Dana White in particular, caused
a revolution in MMA and transformed it into a respectable sport
like boxing or football… I started training in 1994, so
I saw everything from the start. Now the sport can be compared
with a child that grew up to be a successful and respectable
man. The whole world knows MMA. That is sensational, for fighters,
organizers, the media, sponsors, the public…
Who
is Denis Kang to you?
Someone
that truly loves the sport, loves what he does. I don’t
fight MMA to be rich, or famous, get women… I really love
training every day. I like my teammates and everything else.
Whether I win or lose I am happy, after all that is part of the
sport. So fighting is my life, my passion.
In
the Pride Bushido GP final Paulao Filho was injured and you ended
up fighting in the final against Misaki, to whom you lost. Would
you still like to fight Paulao?
Yes,
I think a fight between me and Paulao would be fantastic, a tough
fight for the both of us, since he is really good in Jiu-Jitsu
and judo, but here at the ATT we have some of the best ground
trainers in the world. I consider myself to be superior in boxing
and muay thai, so it would be an historic fight for MMA, exciting
from start to finish, of the highest level… My defeat to
Misaki happened in the first fight of the night, in the semi-final
of the GP, I injured my biceps, and that put me at a disadvantage.
In
your division there are such fighters as Dan Henderson, Anderson
Silva, Rich Franklin, Murilo Bustamante and Ninja, among others.
Who would you most like to fight?
Any
of them, because I know I can beat them. But to fight against
Henderson would be special, as well as a revenge match against
Misaki, after all the loss is still caught in my throat to this
day! “I will take no prisoners!
Where
are the best fighters in the world?
All
over. But certainly some of the best live in Brazil, the USA
and in Russia.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"In
life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit
the line hard."
Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919, 26th President of the United States |
Penn to Fight Sanchez in
August
by Sherdog.com Staff
B.J. Penn and Diego Sanchez
have agreed to fight on the undercard of the heavyweight title
fight between UFC champion Randy Couture and challenger Gabriel
Gonzaga, Aug. 25 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, a source speaking
on the condition of anonymity told Sherdog.com.
The
28-year-old Penn (11-4-1) recently finished longtime rival Jens
Pulver in a lightweight clash on the finale of The Ultimate Fighter
5. Meanwhile the 25-year-old Sanchez (17-1-0) has not fought
since suffering the first defeat of his career, a decision loss
to Josh Koscheck in April.
Source: Sherdog
|
Hawaii
Fighting Championships:
Stand Your Ground IV
Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
July 13, 2007
Hawaii Fighting Championships: Stand Your Ground IV
Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
July 13, 2007
100
lb Amateur Kick Boxing Bout
Isan Hatori (Team Sit You Down) vs. Kalai McShane (Five-O Boxing)
125
lb Amateur Kick Boxing Bout
Makoa Silva (Team Sit You Down) vs. Max Halloway (Team Ruthless)
90
lb Amateur Kick Boxing Championship Bout
Bryson Okada (Team Sit You Down) vs. Nainoa Messiona (808 Fight
Factory)
125
lb Amateur Kick Boxing Bout
Shannon Tripp (Team Sit You Down) vs. Sam Quel (Team Ruthless)
70
lb Amateur Kick Boxing Bout
Brenton Waialae (Team Sit You Down) vs. Nainoa Dung (Uprising
Fight Team)
135
lb Amateur Kick Boxing Bout
Clint (West Side Connection) vs. Bronson Mohica (808 Fight Factory)
170
lb Amateur Kick Boxing Bout
Bryson Okada (Team Sit You Down) vs. Boom (Uprising Fight Team)
185
lb Amateur Kick Boxing Bout
Curtis Jones (Dream Team) vs. Avelino Lee (House of Thunder)
Super
Heavy Weight Amateur MMA Bout
Niva Tapua (Uprising Fight Team) vs. Isaac John Uaisele (Kona
Block)
195
Amateur MMA Bout
Justin Barrit (Old School MMA) vs. James Stanford (West Side
Connection)
145
lb Amateur MMA Bout
Miller Ualesi (Team Ruthless) vs. Marcus Chapman (Free Lance)
205
lb Amateur MMA Bout
Nalu Jones (Old School MMA) vs. Jude Kapua (West Side Connection)
155
lb Amateur MMA Bout
Chaison Laupola (Team Ruthless) vs. Luis Para (Free Lance)
220
lb Amateur MMA Bout
Chris Barnard (Uprising Fight Team) vs. Nick Terry (Ani-Land)
170
lb X-MA Bout
Kalae Silva (Team Sit You Down) vs. Zane Kamaka (Guts and Glory)
155
lb Stand Your Ground Championship Bout
Makana Fronda (Bulls Penn) vs. Jonavon Vistante Jr. (Team Sit
You Down)
145
lb Amateur MMA Bout
David Balicao vs. Mark Tajun (Jesus is Lord)
135
lb Amateur Bout
Russell Daone (808 Fight Factory) vs. Jesse Thorton (Free Lance)
170
Pro MMA Bout
Koa Ramos (East Sidaz) vs. Keone Bryant (Jus Rush)
145
lb Pro MMA Championship Bout
Donald Gonzales (B.J Penn's Academy) vs. Brandon Piper (Jesus
is Lord)
155
lb Pro MMA Championship Bout
Kaleo Kwan
(East Sidaz)
vs. Dominic Ah Nee (Maui Jiu-Jitsu/Wailuku Boxing)
|
Mayhem
Seminar at HMC
 |
Ralek
Gracie Makes MMA Debut
Updated HERO’s 7/16 Yokohama Arena card line-up:
Middleweight
Tournament (70 kg, 3R at 5 mins): Kaoru Uno vs. Katsuhiko Nagata
Middleweight Tournament (70 kg, 3R at 5 mins): Hideo Tokoro vs.
Black Mamba
Middleweight Tournament (70 kg, 3R at 5 mins): Vitor “Shaolin”
Ribiero vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
Middleweight Tournament (70 kg, 3R at 5 mins): JZ Calvan (ATT)
vs. Andre Dida (Chute Boxe)
(3R at 5 mins) Alexandre Franca Nogueira vs. Shuichiro Katsumura
(3R at 5 minutes) Yoon Dong-Sik vs. Bernard Ackah
(3R at 5 mins) Ralek Gracie vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
73 Interview: Tito Ortiz
By Sean McClure
This Saturday "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz
returns to fight in the UFC for the first time since his blockbuster
rematch loss to Chuck Liddell last December. Ortiz will look
to derail the undefeated Rashad Evans from continuing his rapid
rise to UFC title contendership. We caught up with Ortiz to talk
about his fight against Evans, his reason for turning down a
rematch with Forrest Griffin and other light heavyweights he
would like to fight next.
MMAFighting.com:
Dana White said recently that he basically thought you had matured
as a person and a fighter. What did you think about that?
Tito
Ortiz: It's just one of things, man. Dana and I don't always
see eye to eye. It's a business, though. First and foremost it's
a business. I always try and make things exciting and bring something
extra to the table every time I fight. Dana and I have a history
and it is what it is. I don't hate him and he doesn't hate me.
It's just business. I am a fighter, I get paid to fight. That's
what I do. That's what I was born to do. We had our moments,
but I think we are at a point where things are pretty good between
us.
MMAFighting.com:
Tell us what was really behind the infamous "nappy ho"
comment.
Tito
Ortiz: I mean, I can't please every person. I was completely
kidding. It was around the time of Don Imus's thing and I thought
it was funny as did everyone else. If Rashad wanted to take it
seriously there's nothing I can do about it. I'm a minority so
I can assure you it was not racism. It was a joke and should
have been taken as that. I don't exactly make it a habit to insult
someone because of their religion, race, sex, or whatever. That's
not me and that's not how I operate. We were kind of verbally
sparring back and forth and it was a joke, just a joke. It amazes
me how some people could have construed it as an insult with
bad intentions, especially coming from me. I'm far from being
racist.
MMAFighting.com:
Just a joke is how most everyone I talked to took it, too.
Tito
Ortiz: That's all it was. I good a good laugh out of it and I
thought I made it clear when I said it that it was nothing more
than that.
MMAFighting.com:
I think now that Rashad probably sees it as just that.
Tito
Ortiz: I do, too.
MMAFighting.com:
A lot of fans compare him to an earlier version of you. He has
a style that is similar to yours on paper. Do you take that as
a compliment or see it that way?
Tito
Ortiz: I really don't see it that way, not at all. I think he
makes a lot of mistakes and he's a lot shorter than me. He's
a very good fighter, he's undefeated. He's hungry like me, but
we're not that similar. He's trying to make a name for himself
by talking smack to me and I hate to tell him this, but he is
always going to be in my shadow.
MMAFighting.com:
If you look at your fights with Shamrock, Liddell, Couture, and
even Forrest. It seems to me like you are always bringing out
the "A" game in fighters.
Tito
Ortiz: I mean, that's definitely true. I only want to fight the
best. That's what I have always done is fight the best. I think
that people know who I am and what I have done so they know they
can't come in anything, but 100%.
MMAFighting.com:
I heard a statement that you turned down a rematch with Forrest
Griffin. What was the real reasoning behind that?
Tito Ortiz: They asked me for a rematch with Forrest and I straight
up turned it down so I could face Rashad. That's a tougher fight
for me right now. I wanted to beat someone who was undefeated
and I want to give Rashad his first loss. The rematch with Griffin
would be a step back right now. Forrest is a tough kid who likes
to brawl, but I wanted this fight with Rashad because it would
a much more interesting and exciting fight for the fans. Think
what you will about my choice, but this is going to be a great
fight. I'm not going anywhere, I am here to stay. I'm still young
and I have a bright future.
MMAFighting.com:
Are you looking forward to a rematch with Wanderlei Silva if
it presents itself?
Tito
Ortiz: Absolutely! I would love a rematch with Wanderlei. Wanderlei,
Shogun, Arona. Any of these names would be an awesome fight for
me. Anyone in the top 10 or top 5. Those guys are top 5. Those
are the guys I want to fight. The upper echelons of the 205 pound
division.
MMAFighting.com:
If the opportunity presents itself would you and Rampage fight?
Tito
Ortiz: That is something that has come up in conversations. I
mean, I don't want to say yes or want to say no. That's something
he and I would definitely have to talk about. We'd have to talk
about it. I don't want to take food off of his table.
MMAFighting.com:
On your record, you have some impressive names like Matyushenko,
Mezger, Shamrock, Tanner, Belfort, and Silva. How do you feel
Evans fits in there?
Tito
Ortiz: I definitely think he is top 5 in the UFC. He's in top
shape. It's just one of those things. The guys he has fought
has had no takedown defense. Bonnar, Hogar, Lambert. They don't
really have good takedown defenses. I'm a different kind of fighter
for Rashad. I have great takedowns and I have great takedown
defense. Rashad is going to have a hard time in this one. I plan
on finishing it in the first round. Liddell hits a lot harder
than he does and I'm not worried about his stand-up as I would
be with a Chuck Liddell. It's going to be a great fight. I won't
take anything away from him. He's a very good fighter. It's my
time and my hand is going to be raised at the end of the night.
MMAFighting.com:
Tito, tell us about how your clothing company Punishment Athletics
is going.
Tito
Ortiz: Things are going great, you know? This summer is looking
great. We're doing all kinds of things this year. Just to give
you an idea of how we're branching out, we're sponsoring an incredible
magic show in Las Vegas. We're always trying to get our clothing
line to be as accessible as possible across the country. We put
out a great product for our customers and fans that you can check
out at Punishment Athletics' website, PunishmentAthletics.com.
It's been a phenomenal year so far and we are looking forward
to bigger and better things happening for us as it goes on.
MMAFighting.com:
You are going overseas to visit the troops overseas soon, right?
Tito
Ortiz: Oh yeah. With the USO, Probably middle to late July or
early August. We're going to the Persian Gulf and try to boost
their morale.
MMAFighting.com:
Thanks, Tito.
Tito
Ortiz: Thanks for the support. Make sure you visit PunishmentAthletics.com.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Holyfield
wins and goes for record
At 44, the American took the fight after ten rounds.
In
a fight that took place yesterday in El Paso, Texas, the ex-world
champion Evander Holyfield defeated Lou Savarese by unanimous
decision, after ten rounds. At 44 years of age, Holyfield began
and ended the fight with powerful lefts to his opponent, 41,
who was knocked down twice during the fight.
It
was Holyfield’s fourth fight since his return to boxing,
with four victories, after two years of inaction. Savarese announced
his retirement after the battle. Evander’s goal, now, is
to conquer the heavyweight world title for the fifth time –
an unprecedented feat. Holyfield started his career in 1984 and
aims to become the oldest world champion in history, surpassing
George Foreman.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“Drawing
is like making an expressive gesture with the advantage of permanence.”
Henri Matisse, 1869-1954, French Artist and Author |
Congrats
to Mike & Lisa
The O2
Martial Arts Academy & Onzuka family has just grown by one
more. Mike and Lisa had their second child, a baby boy named
Lucas yesterday, so the kid gets a cool birthday.
Congratulations also goes to our student Kevin T. who also had
a baby boy recently!
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 6
July 21st, 2007
Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai
Door open at 5pm
Female
Kickboxing: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Rene Oliver (Puhi Disciples) vs Kylene Espina (Freelance, Kauai)
Amateur
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Ben Sandobal (Freelance, Oahu) vs Nestor Honarato (Quick Silva)
Amateur
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Zack Rapal (Fighters Union) vs Keoni Bigno (Eight Limbs, Kauai)
Amateur
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Kougi Malone (Freelance, Kauai) vs Chuck Rapozo (Quick Silva)
Female
Kickboxing: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Sherri Ephan (Freelance, Kauai) vs Sally Krumdiak (C3 Fighters-
Seattle)
Amateur
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Thomas Sedano (Bulls Pen) vs Cameron Silva (HMC academy)
Amateur
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Ryan Cabinian (Freelance, Oahu) vs Kia Hale (808 Fight Factory)
Amateur
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Hunter Seelbinder (Bulls Pen) vs Kelsey Espina (Freelance, Kauai)
Amateur
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Julio Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs Sergio Hurtado (Longman Jiu-Jitsu)
Professional
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Bryson Kamaka (808 Fight Factory) vs Chris Kennedy (Las Vegas
Fight Club)
Professional
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Casey Daniels (Team MMAD) vs Ron Verdederro (Jesus Is Lord)
Non-title
Bout:
Professional MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Buck Bisbey (C3 Fighters, Garden Island Cage Match Featherweight
Champion) vs Chico Cantiberos (Eastsidaz)
Professional
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Kimo Woelfel (Eastsidaz) vs Landon Showalter (C3 Fighters)
See you all at the weigh ins July 20th (Friday) Kukui Grove Center
stage 5:30pm
Source: Event promoter
|
CBJJE
World Championship: money prizes
The
Sportive BJJ Brazilian Confederation (CBJJE) will do its first
World Championship. The competition will be held in 27, 28 and
29 of July at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium, in São Paulo.
The registrations can be done from July 02nd until July 19th.
All the black belt categories will have money prizes; all of
the money together costs R$14 thousand. The absolute, that will
have the biggest money prize of R$1.500 thousand for the big
champion, will be divided by two categories: under 79kg and absolute
free.
Source: Tatame |
Why
it is unlikely that Fedor is coming to the UFC
They
call him the “Russian Emperor”, the “Baddest Man
on the Planet” or “T-1000”. Russia’s Fedor
Emelianenko is without a doubt the strongest martial artist of
our generation, perhaps even of all time. Plus: He’s a free
agent, at least sort of. After the collapse of Japan’s PRIDE
Fighting Championship and subsequent sale to UFC owners Zuffa
LLC., the contract extension the 30-year-old heavyweight champion
signed with former owners Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE) in
January is not worth more, than the paper it was printed on.
As a result, a bidding war for Emelianenko broke out when his
one fight deal with bodogFIGHT expired in April.
Source: Fight Opinion |
K-1
ANNOUNCES JZ VS. DIDA, TOURNEY PAIRINGS
K-1 announced additional matches for the first round of this
year’s 155-pound Grand Prix. Defending champion Gesias Calvancanti
will begin his quest to retain his title when he faces Chute
Boxe prospect Andre Dida. Last year, “JZ” defeated
Hiroyuki Takaya, Rani Yahya and Caol Uno en route to winning
the tournament. Dida is coming off an impressive debut victory
over Hiroyuki Takaya that saw his Japanese opponent leaving the
ring with a broken nose.
Vitor
“Shaolin” Ribeiro will make his second appearance in
Hero’s when he faces Kazuyuki Miyata. Unfortunately known
as the fighter who was knocked out in 4 seconds by a flying knee
from “Kid” Yamamoto, Miyata has rebounded with two
solid wins over Ian James Schaffa and Kultar Gill. All eyes are
on Ribeiro as fans hope to see “Shaolin” and Gesias
Calvancanti meet in the tournament finals.
In
a rematch from their first meeting at K-1 Hero’s 5, Hideo
Tokoro looks to redeem himself from a KO loss to the “Black
Mamba” Kultar Gill. Since defeating Tokoro, Gill has been
on three fight losing streak while K-1’s Cinderella Boy
has won his last four.
Also
announced was the return of former Shooto 143-pound champion
Alexandre Franca Nogueira. “Pequeno” will take on Shooto
and ZST veteran Shuichiro Katsumura. Katsumura is coming off
of a loss to Katsuhiko Nagata at K-1 Premium Dynamite 2006. Since
leaving Shooto to compete in K-1, Nogueira has yet to see success
in a Hero’s ring. Alexandre was upset at the hands of Hideo
Tokoro in his debut and was thoroughly defeated by Killer Bee’s
Koutetsu Boku in his second outing.
Fresh
off of his very first MMA win against Dutch striker Melvin Manhoef
at K-1 Dynamite USA, Korea’s Dong Sik Yoon will take on
Bernard Ackah. A Japanese TV personality turned fighter, Ackah
is coming off of a knockout victory over former NFL player Johnnie
Morton.
CHUTE BOXER
ANDRE DIDA ON HERO'S TOURNEY
Chute
Boxe fighter Andre Dida returns on July 16 to K-1 Hero’s.
The 4-1-1 fighter makes his second appearance under the promotion’s
MMA banner as part of the 155-Pound Grand Prix tournament.
In
this exclusive interview with MMAWeekly’s Ivan Canello,
Dida expressed his interest in fighting the toughest fighters
in the tournament, specifically singling out the other Brazilian
fighters. Yesterday, he got his wish as K-1 announced that Dida
has drawn defending champion Gesias “JZ” Calvancanti
in the first round of the tournament.
The
12-1-1 American Top Team fighter is sure to be a handful, but
Dida is confident, entering the tournament after knocking out
Hiroyuki Takaya earlier this year in March.
7/16
K-1 Hero’s 9 Card So Far:
Tournament
Matches:
Caol Uno vs Katsuhiko Nagata
Kazuyuki Miyata vs Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
Hideo Tokoro vs Kultar Gill
Gesias Calvancanti vs Andre Dida
Super
Fights:
Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira vs Shuichiro Katsumura
Katsuyori Shibata vs Ralek
Gracie
Dong Sik Yoon vs Bernard Ackah
Source: MMA Weekly |
BABALU
VS. DAVID HEATH AT UFC 74 IN VEGAS
It has been confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that a light heavyweight
showdown will take place at UFC 74 between David Heath and Renato
“Babalu” Sobral. This will mark the return of both
fighters since suffering losses in their last respective UFC
appearances.
For
Renato “Babalu” Sobral this will be the chance to redeem
his last performance, a TKO loss to Jason Lambert at UFC 68 in
Columbus, Ohio. After dominating Lambert for much of the first
round, Babalu got caught late in the session and was hurt as
the round ended. In the second, Lambert wasted no time pursuing
and finishing Babalu with strikes.
David
Heath is also coming off the first loss of his career, a three-round
unanimous decision against highly touted light heavyweight, Lyoto
Machida. Heath was disappointed in his performance in that bout
and hopes to bounce back with a win over the previously top ten
rated Babalu.
No
word yet if this fight will make the main card or the undercard
of the event that will feature UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy
Couture against #1 contender Gabriel Gonzaga and a welterweight
match-up between former champion Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck.
UFC
74 will take place on Aug. 25 at the Mandalay Bay events center
in Las Vegas.
Bouts
officially announced for UFC 74:
-Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
-Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
-Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Rumored
bouts not announced by the UFC:
-Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. David Heath
-Travis Lutter vs. Ryan Jensen
-Patrick Cote vs. Kendall Grove
Source: MMA Weekly |
Q&A:
Shamus on the State of the IFL
Consider
what the International Fight League -- A 12-team league that
allows competition for 50 or so fighters that are salaried, fully
benefited and given exposure on network broadcast television
in primetime -- has accomplished in little over a year's time.
In
2007, nine regular season dates were held in cities across the
U.S., several of which broke mixed martial arts' attendance records
in their respective state. Two playoff events, scheduled for
August and September, are rapidly approaching, as is the IFL
Grand Prix, which will be comprised of the league's top fighters.
The
coaches of the IFL teams are some of the of the biggest names
in MMA, and not only do they bark orders at their squads, they
step into the ring and fight on occasion.
After
two seasons, new faces have emerged and seasoned vets have fought
to get their names back into the MMA zeitgeist. Even the most
casual IFL fan perks up his or her ears when names like Rothwell,
Horodecki, Wagnney, Whitehead and Matyushenko are mentioned.
Star
power isn't just limited to between the ropes either. To round
out the viewing experience they've got "El Guapo" and
the "Fight Professor" back together -- Madden and Summerall
if they popped amyl nitrate.
So
the IFL has the talent area covered, what about marketing?
Enjoying
domestic television deals as well as international, partnerships
with brand names like Topps, Xbox, FOX and more, the IFL seems
to have a strong chance to be a major player in the wild, wild
that is today's MMA landscape. Add to the fact that the fights
shown in primetime have been stellar, it's a pretty impressive
list of accomplishments for a company that's barely been doing
business for over a year.
This
all begs the question: With everything the IFL has going for
it, why isn't it making any money?
The
league's biggest battle will take place on paper. Since it is
publicly owned, where the investors go, the IFL will surely follow.
This kind of arrangement is certainly unique in the fight world
and while at times things have looked promising, they can also
look all too bleak.
After
a story on the IFL appeared on "60 Minutes" at the
end of last year, the IFL stock price shot up to over $17 per
share. Once it hit the $16 mark, many early investors bailed
out happy as clams. Since that time the IFL has continued to
operate at a loss, and their stock price now hovers around the
$1 mark.
Detractors
have pointed to the steadily falling stock, the lack of revenue,
a still-too-novel-team concept, and live events such as the poorly
attended regular season finale in Las Vegas as writing on the
wall that the young company is headed for troubled waters.
It
might be too soon to judge. Many publicly traded companies are
able to survive such scenarios -- heck, if the IFL were a car
company it would be right on track. With new partnerships seeming
like they arrive daily as well as the league's upcoming DVD releases,
the IFL might yet see some year-end cash flow come their way.
Recently
I tracked down IFL founder and CEO Gareb Shamus, and asked him
about the league's second season, the strides and stumbles they
have made, and whether or not the sky was really falling:
Sherdog.com:
How did this IFL season compare to last year?
Gareb
Shamus: This season was incredible because it really showed that
we could produce a full season of a professional sports league
for mixed martial arts. It's the first time it's ever been done.
People have told us that these are some of the most exciting
events they have ever been to in their life. They've experienced
some of the most exciting fights they have ever seen in their
life. I think we've been able to show the level of talent in
our organization is really unbelievable and we've been able to
show that on television to over 2 million people a week. The
world is also really recognizing how popular the IFL has become
in just a short time.
Your
coaches have legendary pedigrees but you've been making names
out of guys like Horodecki and Ben Rothwell, who have made their
way into the common household through the IFL, which has to be
exciting.
Right,
well it's great and it also illustrates that there's no such
thing as a monopoly on talent. You know there's just an incredible
array of talent that's out there in the marketplace and the IFL
is just a great place for that talent. Where else can these guys
get that kind of exposure on not only just national television
but broadcast network television on primetime? We have the widest
distribution of television out there. We're in over a 100 million
homes you know; it's pretty incredible the reach our guys are
able to experience, unlike any other network running MMA.
Speaking
of, are you guys going to stay with FSN and the groups you have
now?
MyNetwork
and FOX have been incredible to work with. They've been there
since the start and have been major supporters of us and what
we've been able to accomplish. And literally they've been there
from day one so they've been incredible in terms of the support
that we've gotten from them in building our organization.
You
guys expanded to 12 teams this year and have had events in over
11 different cities -- pretty ambitious for your second year.
Do you guys want to continue that expansion or perhaps scale
back or stay with where you're at now?
Well,
we're still working on our '08 plans and we're actually very,
very excited by them. We are not ready to share what's going
to be part of the season next year. If history is an example
of the excitement we've been able to bring to the market, history
will repeat history for us. We are going to continue to innovate
and just create a lot of exciting and interesting new dimensions
to the league for the future so you can definitely expect that,
but we're not ready to say what "that" is just yet.
Ok,
you guys recently moved the IFL Finals from the Forum in L.A.
to the Hard Rock in Seminole, Fla. What was the reason for the
move. Was it the California State Athletic Commission or did
you just want to get over to Florida?
Yeah,
we've been talking with the Hard Rock for a while. It's an amazing
venue for MMA. The UFC has had a number of successful shows there.
It's a very strong community for people who are interested in
MMA. It's a new market that we haven't been to yet so it's someplace
that we've wanted to go to. There's a lot of exciting reasons
for us to be there. Luckily we were able to make that happen.
We
get along great with the California commission as well as every
athletic commission. We run a pretty tight ship for our athletes
and working with the commissions on that stuff, which is actually
a lot more complicated than what people think it is, there's
a lot of people involved. There's a lot of testing that's involved,
a lot of medical assurances that need to be made, so we work
very closely with every single athletic commission.
When
you go into a place like Florida that's new for you guys, is
there also a possibility of adding teams there?
We
are always investigating where the best opportunities or places
are, not only for our venues to host events but also where to
place teams. So you know that's why if you look at like exactly
like you said, we've been to a lot of places this year and worked
with a lot of athletes and coaches all over the place, so we're
really starting to find out what works for us and we'll continue
to do more of that.
A
hot topic amongst your fighters is the Grand Prix event. Have
you decided where and when that will take place this year?
We're
working on finalizing the details for that. I think we are pretty
close to putting out the list of all the guys that have qualified
for that, so that's going to be a very, very exciting announcement.
When that comes out, you guys will be the first to know.
With
your company being publicly traded, your finances are on display.
A lot of people have been worried about share prices dropping.
On paper, things look kind of grim but the partnerships you're
getting, to use a financial term, are "robust." What
do they know that we don't and basically, will there be an IFL
next year?
Absolutely.
We've been doing a lot of great things with the company and,
yes, we are public and certainly share price is one way of judging
the company. However our intent has always been to just build
a great organization. The structure of the business is just one
aspect of the company, but you know really what we're doing with
the company in our opinion is what people should be focused on.
When you look at what we've been able to accomplish in a very
short period of time, you know, like I said, if history is an
indication of what we've been able to do you can kind of project
out our future here. When you look at what other organizations
have been able to accomplish in their first year -- they didn't
have television; they weren't selling out arenas; they didn't
have stars that people knew about -- and in one short year we
have all of those things. For us it's really concentrating on
our business over the long term as we build our business; the
market value or the price of the stock will reflect where we
are at that time.
In
your quarterly earnings statements it says things like "seasonality"
in terms of when you'll expect to see revenue. Is it fair to
say that you'll really know where you stand financially at the
end of the year?
The
thing is being a public company in the age of the Enrons and
the WorldComs and what they call the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (financial
record-keeping legislation), it's really important for us to
disclose every single possible risk to our business because we
don't want to be in a position where somebody invests in the
company and says, "You never told us this or you never told
us that or we weren't aware." So we have to paint the riskiest
picture for every investor out there because these are all risks
of the business. We as a management team are building a company
we think will lead to a really successful MMA sports league.
You've
got a new partnership with Topps trading cards, the USO organization
and others recently. Everyone understands a TV deal, but explain
what these moves mean to the IFL?
If
you look at all these kinds of relationships we are building,
they're all really long-term relationships that also have a short-term
benefit as well. But it's really aligning ourselves with companies
that can add a lot of value to what we do and it adds a lot of
people that are interested in what we do to kind of our roster
of fans we've created.
So
when you look at Topps, it's got the most incredible sports history
in the trading card world, and that's the company that we're
working with to do our sports trading cards. When people are
kids and they are growing up and they are thinking of sports
cards, what's the first name that comes to mind? Topps.
When
you look at the governing body for the Olympics what's the one
organization that comes to mind for being most closely aligned
to MMA? USA Wrestling. They've got members all over the country
and all over the world that participate in wrestling and the
Olympics and it's just a phenomenal organization for us to align
ourselves with especially because of their penetration into the
wrestling world at both the high school and collegiate level
all the way up to the Olympics.
We
have this incredible military, not just stationed here but throughout
the world, that's going to benefit from the kind of things that
we can do. We had guys training with sailors on five ships coming
into New York for Fleet Week and were the only television cameras
allowed on the ships. We've got Pat Miletich and a few other
guys going over to Afghanistan next week to see the troops over
there. That's a relationship where we can give back; also if
you think about who are most likely fans: it's guys that train
for a living. So it's really building a lot of relationships
that will over time create a real everlasting appeal for the
IFL because we've been there for them and they've been there
for us.
We
also continue to expand those relationships, whether it's also
with companies like Warner Home Video on a global basis. So again,
when you look at these partners that we are bringing in like
Warner Home Video, it's the largest home video distributor in
the world, and when you add in all the movies that they distribute
-- Major League Baseball the NBA and the NFL -- these companies
are huge in terms of their reach to their fan base and they are
the best at what they do.
Source: Sherdog |
|
7/4/07
Happy 4th of July! |
Quote
of the Day
“Every
artist was first an amateur.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, American Poet and Essayist |
Carlinhos
Gracie wants to make a BJJ World Champ with no gi
The
president of the BJJ Brazilian Confederation (CBJJ), Carlinhos
Gracie said in an exclusive conversation with site TATAME of
June that studies the possibility of doing a BJJ World Championship
with no gi. “The BJJ with no gi is growing for all over
the world. It has the possibility of goes to the Olympic Games,
so it is the time for us to prepare the BJJ athletes for that.
It is the time for us to do high level Championships, with belt
ranking. We will also get into this market”, said Carlinhos
Gracie at the TATAME magazine #136.
The
leader of Gracie Barra showed to be pretty excited about the
sports grow for all over the world. “ has been always the
biggest BJJ polo of the world, so that is why the BJJ World Champ
always has been done here. Now the United States have become
also a great polo, the prove of that is the Pan American Games,
that were 1700 athletes registered under the BJJ category”,
said him.
Source: Tatame |
Rodrigo
is already in USA for the UFC
Antônio
Rodrigo Nogueira, the Minotauro, is already in United States,
where he will do his debut at the octagon of UFC 73 on next July
7th. According to the two times BJJ world champion Amaury Bitetti,
who is training the ground game of Minotauro, the black belt
in Redondo Beach, in Los Angeles, California, where he is continue
his trainings for the fight against Heath Herring. “Minotauro
is on a flat in front of the beach and he is running on the sand
to adapt himself into the climate. Rodrigo is ready; he is already
with the perfect gas for the 15 minutes bout with that guy. Minotauro
used to lose many positions, but I think that now he is with
a better game and will try the submission. I believe this bout
won’t pass through the first round and Minotauro will win
by submission”, said Amaury, who traveled yesterday to support
Minotauro in his last preparations actions. “Rafael Feijão
will also go to, probably next week, to support in the sparring
trainings and I will also call Carlos Baruck, who is in LA giving
some classes, to meet us as well. Luis Alves and Kelson Pinto
will go to USA as well close to the fight day to be on the corner
of Rodrigo”, said Bitetti before travels.
Source: Tatame |
NOGUEIRA
READY FOR THE CAGE
Rodrigo Nogueira has been one of the world's top Heavyweight
fighters for years as he is currently ranked #2 in the world
after Fedor. Nogueira has been fighting for Pride in Japan for
years, and he will be making his UFC debut this weekend in Sacramento,
CA.
Nogueira
has largely been known for his ground skills, as his jiu-jitsu
is amongst the best in the game. Recently he has been improving
his his stand-up. But the question still stands, will his style
of fighting fit the octagon? Will someone who has been so dominate
in the ring on the ground be able to successfully transition
to the cage?
Nogueira
thinks so. MMAWeekly TV caught up with Rodrigo Nogueria and when
asked said, "...I feel very good inside of the cage. I've
been training the cage you know since last year... I feel very
comfortable to train there in the cage you know."
Nogueira
is very excited to fight in the UFC as he spoke about how he
used to watch Royce Gracie in the UFC and now he will fight Heath
Herring whom he fought in Pride over in Japan over 5 years ago,
and now they will meet again.
He
also talked about how he has been training at Blackhouse to get
ready for this fight by training with the likes of Vitor Belfort
and Anderson Silva. Nogueira definitely looks to be ready and
make a good impression in his UFC debut. And, as for his fight
with Herring, "It's going to be a big brawl over there you
know."
Source: MMA Weekly |
WANTING
TO SHOW FANS THE REAL JORGE GURGEL
Jorge Gurgel is smiling a lot these days. Around the gym, he
hardly looks like a man on the way to a fight. For the first
time in years, he is 100 percent healthy. It’s been two
and half years since he’s been able to say that.
“I
get to perform at 100 percent of my physical ability,” Gurgel
says. “I’m so friggin happy right now.”
Gurgel’s
always been the guy who stay’s later at the gym, working
endlessly on something that needs tuning up. He has a tendency
of overestimating his opponents, which keeps him toiling for
perfection. “My whole life I’ve been associated with
overtraining,” he says.
It’s
cost him in the injuries he’s sustained since his emergence
in the UFC. His first knee injury hobbled his appearance on the
second season of the Ultimate Fighter. His second, sustained
only days before his last fight at UFC 63, put him out for nearly
10 months.
Two
knee replacement surgeries later, Gurgel wants to show fans that
he’s worth their adulation. Since the injuries, he’s
worried about whether he’s worthy of it.
“The
biggest concern I have at this point is that people never got
to see me,” he says candidly. “They support me so much
and I have such a huge fan base, and I don’t understand
why yet. Every single person that asks for my autograph, or says
‘Jorge you’re my favorite,’ they light a fire
under me every single time.”
Now
that he’s healthy, Gurgel is ready to face the pundits who’ve
criticized his past performances. “If you want to criticize
me, do it right now. Because there’s no excuses, so if you
want to say anything about me after this fight, go right ahead.”
His
fight with Diego Saravia this Saturday at UFC 73 has been a long
time coming. What many fans don’t know is that there’s
history between the two Brazilians. It started on the beaches
of the two’s hometown in Fortaleza, Brazil.
“I’ve
known him for over ten years,” Gurgel explains. “We
were always just buddies. We trained at rival jiu-jitsu schools,
so we’d see each other at the beach, see each other at shows.
We just grew up together as teenagers. We were friendly with
each other, but we never competed against each other because
he was always one weight class below mine. But I’ve known
him since we were 14 years old.”
In
jiu-jitsu tournaments back in Brazil, Gurgel was always a weight
class or two heavier than Saravia, something that might play
a big part in this meeting.
“I’m
definitely bigger than he is,” Gurgel says. “I’m
3 inches taller and he walks around at maybe 165, and I walk
around at 185.”
With
that disparity in weight, one might expect Gurgel to muscle through
Saravia’s excellent jiu-jitsu, but Gurgel is counting more
on the element of surprise.
“Part
of my game plan is to always keep him out of his element,”
Gurgel says. The only place he’s comfortable is when he’s
fighting off his back, and I don’t plan on being there.
So I’m not gonna get caught up in his guard playing jiu-jitsu.
I’ll be throwing punches, kicks, elbows, and knees from
the time the fight starts to the time it ends.”
Win
or lose, Gurgel is not concerned about his place in the lightweight
division. Though it seems to deepen by the month, Gurgel is unconcerned.
“If
you spend too much time thinking about the future or what the
future’s going to be like, you forget to do shit today in
the present,” Gurgel says. “Just make everything the
most you can make it, and the future will take care of itself.”
He’s
already learned a valuable lesson about staying power in the
fight game. Instead of staying later at the gym, or teaching
7 private lessons a day, he takes a day off from time to time.
Gurgel is confident that UFC fans will see a new fighter in the
cage this Saturday.
“I
just wish I would have listened earlier,” he finishes.
Source: MMA Weekly |
PHIL
BARONI TESTS POSITIVE FOR STEROIDS
All the test results for the Strikeforce/EliteXC co-promoted
“Shamrock vs. Baroni” event on June 22 have come back
and there has been another suspension handed down. Main event
fighter Phil Baroni, according to the California State Athletic
Commission, has tested positive for Boldenone Metabolite and
Stanozolol Metabolite, two common anabolic steroids.
The
CSAC stated to MMAWeekly.com that, “[Baroni] has been fined
$2,500. His suspension period runs from the conclusion of his
bout on June 22, 2007 through the remainder of his licensing
year, which is May 1, 2008. Furthermore, he has been assessed
an additional 51 days in order to fulfill the terms of his suspension
(365 total days). The additional days will be added at the beginning
of his next licensing year when he reapplies.”
Baroni
lost the bout with Frank Shamrock by TKO having passed out due
to a rear naked choke at 4:00 of round 2.
Aside
from Baroni and the previously reported Carter Williams, who
tested positive for cocaine, all the other fighters on the "Shamrock
vs. Baroni" event came back clean on their tests.
BARONI'S
CAMP COMMENTS ON POSITIVE DRUG TEST
It was revealed today by the California State Athletic Commission
that Phil Baroni has tested positive, following his June 22 bout
with Frank Shamrock, for Boldenone Metabolite and Stanozolol
Metabolite. Both substances are anabolic steroids sometimes used
in the treatment of animals.
MMAWeekly.com
contacted Baroni's manager Ken Pavia, who gave the following
statement:
“While
we respect the process and intent of the tests, we are disappointed
with the results as they are completely unexpected. Phil did
not knowingly ingest these drugs, which we are told are veterinary
in nature.
We
intend to explore all rights that are afforded by the state commission
and Armando Garcia [executive director of the CSAC].
Phil
Baroni feels that worse than any fine or suspension is the disgrace
to himself, his family and his fans. As such, he asks that judgment
be withheld until all facts are in evidence.”
Pavia
stated that they intend to appeal and are applying to the CSAC
to be heard at their August 6, 2007 meeting in Los Angeles.
Source: MMA Weekly |
IFL
TO BEGIN AIRING ON AMERICAN FORCES NETWORK
The International Fight League, Alfred Haber Distribution (AHDI)
and Fox Sports Net announced that the American Forces Network
will begin airing “IFL Fight Night” beginning in July
on a weekly basis.
“We
are very pleased that servicemen and women around the globe will
now be able to see our world class coaches and athletes on a
regular basis,” said Gareb Shamus, IFL co-founder and CEO.
“This TV deal, along with our recent partnership with the
USO, reaches a key fan base for the sport, and we are looking
forward to continuing to grow our relationship with the military
in every way we can.”
"The
American Forces Network is tremendously excited to have the opportunity
to work with the International Fight League, "said Jeff
White, executive director of the Defense Media Center. "Mixed
martial arts programming has tremendous appeal to our military
audience serving overseas. And IFL is particularly appealing
in that it's a team-oriented sport that reflects the international
flavor of our uniformed services. Many in our audience are seasoned
veterans in several of these specific fighting styles, including
wrestling, karate, Taekwondo, kickboxing, judo and jiu-jitsu.
We're grateful to the IFL and Alfred Haber Distribution. The
fact that Mr. Shamus and Mr. Haber have allowed the American
Forces Network to distribute the IFL is yet another example of
America's commitment to, and support of, our military men and
women overseas."
The
deal with AFN is the latest in a series of partnerships between
the IFL and the military. Earlier this month the IFL launched
an awareness partnership with the USO, with the two organizations
working together on a series of goodwill and multimedia projects
year-round. Currently IFL coaches and world champions Pat Miletich
and Don Frye, along with reigning world champion Dan Henderson
are on a Goodwill Tour of the Persian Gulf. IFL coaches and athletes
also recently entertained over 3,000 servicemen and women as
part of “Fleet Week 2007,” and have held clinics with
servicemen and women in Chicago, Everett, Washington, and New
London, Connecticut.
The
coverage on AFN will be in addition to the IFL’s United
States deals with “IFL Battleground” on MyNetworkTV
(Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific/7 p.m. Central) and “Fight
Night” (Fridays at 11 p.m. on FSN). IFL programming will
also be seen starting in July on CanWest Global in Canada, who
will distribute the shows on their Global X-Treme Sports Channel
and MBC, the leading free-to-air Pan-Arab news and entertainment
channel in the Middle East and parts of Africa. The next IFL
event will be held Thursday, August 2, at Continental Airlines
Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., the IFL’s championship semi-finals.
Source: MMA Weekly |
WCF:
SCALING THE GREAT PYRAMIDS
One
of the methods I've used the most over my 15-plus years of training
is “pyramiding.” With pyramiding, I can work on strength,
overall work capacity, some muscular and strength-endurance,
and even put some muscle on (given that my diet is in check).
Basically,
a pyramid is a set/rep scheme in which you increase the weight
and decrease the number of repetitions done per set. For the
most part, pyramids are nothing new (but then again, what is?).
There are various types of Pyramids: 10-8-6-4-2; 5-4-3-2-1; and
how most of you might attempt a 1RM (one repetition maximum -
i.e. - the most you can lift for one rep) are all types of pyramids.
How
I do mine is a little bit different.
First,
you do a set with just the bar for 10-15 reps. You might even
want to do another one. Add a small amount of weight to the bar,
but not too much. Crank out 10 reps or so. Add a little more
weight to the bar (but again, not too much). Crank out 4-6 reps.
This should all be VERY easy.
At
this point, you drop down to singles (sets of one rep). Add weight
in increments that make you feel comfortable. This could be as
little as 20 lbs. for an exercise like presses, and as much as
90 lbs. for exercises such as squats or deadlifts. When it starts
to get heavy, add weight in smaller increments - again, this
will vary depending on the exercise you are performing. What
you are doing here is basically going for your 1RM. When you
get close to it, how you proceed from that point will really
depend on whom you're working out with.
If
you train by yourself, or have to grab somebody from the gym
to give you a spot (and don't necessarily know how they'll spot
you), then just go for the 1RM. Once you hit that 1RM, repeat
it. Do it for anywhere from 2-5 sets, depending on how strong
you feel. Be sure to rest plenty (at least 2 minutes) between
sets. After that, go back down the pyramid… more on that
in a minute.
If
you've got a training partner or somebody to spot you that you
trust, you can go into "helping mode." This starts
maybe a set or two before you would hit that 1RM set. What ends
up making you fail on a 1RM attempt is a "sticking point."
This is the point at which you just can't get past.
Your
sticking point is usually not just a point, but rather a short
ROM (Range of Motion). For example, let's say that you're bench
pressing and you get stuck about three inches off your chest.
Now, let's say that if you could get it past that point, and
to the point where it was six inches off your chest, you could
complete the rest of the rep yourself. Many times you're just
missing your lift and hitting that sticking point. Say you could
take just a pound - maybe two - off the bar, you could blast
the entire rep yourself. Well, that is what you're training partner
is going to do.
These
are called "forced reps." Essentially, what your partner
is going to do is give you JUST ENOUGH help to get through your
sticking point, but NO MORE. If all you need is just a touch,
then all he gives you is just a touch. I'm not talking about
him grabbing the bar and doing most of the work while you hold
on for the ride - I mean just that little bit you need. And he
shouldn't wait until the bar stops moving before he helps out,
either. His job is to not only give you that little bit of help,
but to keep the bar moving in a smooth motion - as if he wasn't
even there.
You
see, while he is helping you through that sticking point, you're
still doing the work through the rest of the rep. You're still
exerting force and still getting stronger. What eventually happens
is that sticking point gets smaller and smaller. We said that
a sticking point might be the 3-6 inch ROM off the chest. Over
time, the sticking point might be the 3.5-5.5 inch ROM, then
the 4-5 inch ROM, then maybe just the 4.5 inch spot itself. Then,
BOOM - the sticking point is gone, and you're doing the entire
rep (at that weight) yourself with no help. But, by this time,
if you're still increasing the weight, your partner is still
helping you at that 3-6 inch ROM, because it's still your sticking
point - just with a heavier weight.
Your
partner can help on 2-4 sets, depending on how much he has to
help. Although it's all intuitive, if you want an idea how much
your partner is helping you, have him lift a small weight plate.
If it feels heavier to lift a 2.5 lbs. plate, then you're fine.
If it's more than that, then he's helping too much and you need
to cut back. No, it's not exact science, but it still works...
After
you hit the "peak" on the pyramid, time for a few sets
on the way down. Strip off some weight and do a set of 6-8, 8-10,
and 12-plus. These are just guidelines - there is nothing "hard
and fast" about these rep ranges. These sets shouldn't be
to failure, rather just a rep shy. Three total back-off sets
should be enough, but if you want to add another set in there
at one of the ranges, that's fine.
So,
let's take a look at an example workout. Back when I used to
bench quite a bit (high school and college), a workout might
have looked like this:
Set
1: bar x 10-15 reps
Set
2: 135 lbs. x 10
Set
3: 185 x 4-5
Set
4: 225 x 1
Set
5: 245 x 1
Set
6: 255 x 1
Set
7: 275 x 1
Set
8: 295 x 1
Set
9: 305 x 1
Set
10: 315 x 1
Set
11: 335 x 1 (spot starts "forced reps" here)
Set
12: 345 x 1
Set
13: 355 x 1 (spotter-assisted 1RM)
Set
14: 355 x 1
Set
15: 355 x 1
Set
16: 275 x 6-8 (no more spotter help)
Set
17: 225 x 8-10
Set
18: 185 x 12+
As
you can see, it's a long workout (the stronger you are and more
heavy ramp-up sets you have to do, the longer your workout will
be). Rest periods should be anywhere from 1-3 minutes, depending
on where you are in the pyramid. Your first few sets you should
only need a minute or so. The heavier ones maybe a little longer.
The heaviest longer still. Your back-off sets should be done
with no more than 90 seconds rest between sets.
How
many times per week could you do a pyramid workout? Sheesh, back
when I was in high school, was eating a ton of good food, and
had the raging hormones of an 18-year old, I used to pyramid
as many as 5-7 workouts per week, many times actually doing 8+
pyramids per week! However, I wouldn't recommend that to everybody!!
When I designed "Working Class Fitness - The Programs,"
I made pyramids an integral part of Program #4. Pyramids are
done only two workouts per week.
Obviously,
you can't do this kind of workout forever. Go for a hard 3-4
weeks, take a week off and do something different if you're not
changing exercises. The powerlifting gurus over at Westside Barbell
have found that they can train for 1RMs (basically, the ramping
up portion of the pyramid) all the time, as long as they switch
exercises every other week or so.
What
else do you need for strength work other than your pyramiding?
Not much - if anything. A little accessory work here and there
to hit the muscles missed by your pyramided exercises maybe.
For those muscles that your pyramid targets, if you need more
work, then you're not doing your pyramids right. A good change
up would be to switch exercises for the way back down, though.
For example, with bench press, bench press all the way up to
your 1RM, and then do your back-off sets with dips or incline
pushups.
Try
it, and let me know what you think.
Train
Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard.
Matt
"Wiggy" Wiggins is a strength coach and author living
in Cameron, NC. Having trained 15+ years, Wiggy is a strength
moderator at mma.tv, columnist for MMA Weekly, and an avid fan
of Mixed Martial Arts Training. His site, Working Class Fitness.com,
is dedicated to designing low-tech, high-result MMA Workouts,
Navy SEAL Workouts, and programs for "regular joes."
ATTENTION:
Physical exercise can sometimes lead to injury. The information
contained at WorkingClassFitness.com and MMAWeekly.com is NOT
intended to constitute an explanation of any exercise, material,
or product (or how to use/perform them). WorkingClassFitness.com
and MMAWeekly.com are not responsible in any way, shape, or form
for any injury that may result from any person's attempt at exercise
as a result of the information contained herein. Please consult
a physician before starting any exercise program, and never substitute
the information on this site for any professional medical advice
or treatment you may receive.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“Labels
are for filing. Labels are for clothing. Labels are not for people.”
Martina Navratilova, Czech-born American Tennis Player |
"IT'S
GONNA BE A KNOCKOUT!" RASHAD EVANS
This Saturday night, ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans is going
to take on his toughest opponent thus far in the former light
heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. The rivalry has been brewing
for a couple months since their altercation at UFC 69, where
Tito and Rashad were talking some trash to each other, when Tito
shoved him. Tito even went as far as to call Rashad a “nappy
headed ho” on an internet forum. Now the time is almost
here to settle the score.
Rashad
Evans was the heavyweight winner on the Ultimate Fighter Season
2, but dropped down to light heavyweight following the finale.
After beating Sam Hoger and Stephan Bonnar, Evans knocked out
the very game Jason Lambert. In his next fight against Sean Salmon,
Evans shocked the world by knocking out Salmon by head kick.
With
his fight just days away, Evans joined Damon and Jeff on MMAWeekly
Radio to discuss his upcoming bout with Oritz. If Rashad were
to defeat Tito, he would be right in line for the winner of the
fight between Dan Henderson and Quinton Jackson. Rashad feels
the same way. “Yeah, in a sense. But the UFC has its own
plans. They’re gonna get something that sells a lot of tickets.”
Many
people believe that Tito hasn’t been the same in a while.
After all, his last three fights he has beaten Ken Shamrock twice
and lost to Chuck Liddell. “I feel like he’s really
only fought Ken Shamrock,” Evans said. “He tried against
Chuck. But he’s scared of Chuck, and he doesn’t look
like the same fighter. His fight with Forrest Griffin could have
went either way.”
Evans
trains out of the very popular Greg Jackson camp, which has fallen
on hard times as of late. Joey Villasenor, Keith Jardine, Diego
Sanchez and Georges St-Pierre have all lost their last fights,
but that doesn’t affect Rashad. “Every time I go out
there, I fight for the Jackson team. I always try to go out there
and represent. It’s unfortunate that we lost a few in a
row, but that’s the name of the game. I won’t feel
any added pressure though.”
Rashad
is looking to get his camp back on track with a win over Tito
Ortiz. His training partner Nate Marquardt is fighting on the
same card for the middleweight title. Many people say that you
are only as good as your training partners, and Evans agrees.
“It’s been a great experience, and it’s a privilege
to get to train with those guys.”
Rashad
believes that he has some large advantages over Ortiz that will
help lead him to victory. He believes his wrestling and speed
will be determining factors in this fight. “I think I’d
beat him in a wrestling match, but it isn’t a wrestling
match. I am faster than him and I am quicker than him. I’m
good at scrambling,” said the Michigan native. “Tito
doesn’t like to get hit. He doesn’t like to exchange.
Patrick Cote rocked him a couple times and he took him down.
I don’t care what he says, his game plan will be ground
and pound.”
With
Ortiz’ busy schedule and very public relationship with Jenna
Jameson, Rashad believes that distractions have made him less
of a fighter. “I kind of think he’s went in a downward
spiral lately. There are too many distractions. He hasn’t
looked like himself in a long time. I don’t think he believes
in himself as much as he says he does.”
With
all of the hype surrounding this match up, and with some of the
things that Ortiz has said about Evans, Rashad doesn’t let
any of it get to him. “If I let him get under my skin, I
guess I’m just as weak as he is. He has no confidence in
himself. He’s an insecure guy.”
Evans
is completely confident in his abilities to defeat Tito and offered
a prediction. “They are gonna raise my hand in victory,
in the second round, 3:36. It’s gonna be a knockout!”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
HOUSTON
ALEXANDER RETURNS AT UFC 75
After a stunning upset of Keith Jardine, light heavyweight upstart
Houston Alexander will make his return to the Octagon. Only this
time on foreign soil as the heavy-handed striker from Nebraska
heads over to the United Kingdom to take on Alessio Sakara at
UFC 75 as confirmed by Alexander’s trainer, Mick Doyle.
Alexander
has been rumored to fight a number of different opponents, but
Sakara is the choice the UFC has put in front of him and his
camp gladly accepted the challenge. Alexander has been focused
on weight training since the fight with Jardine as he normally
walks around at 205 lbs. and his camp feels like putting on some
extra weight now and then cutting to 205 will help his muscle
strength in future bouts.
Sakara
has had an up and down career since coming to the UFC, posting
a 2-2 record with one no contest. This match-up with Alexander
could be a make or break fight for Sakara if he hopes to maintain
exposure in the Octagon.
Also
confirmed to MMAWeekly is that Houston Alexander just re-upped
with the UFC for a new three fight deal that will start with
this fight. Alexander had a standard three fight deal with the
UFC going into his fight with Jardine, but after such a successful
debut the organization started the contract over again and the
fight with Sakara will be the first of the new deal.
The
fight with Sakara is currently slated to be a main card bout
for the event taking place in England on Sept. 8.
Bouts
already announced for UFC 75:
Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Hednerson
Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Cheick Kongo
Rumored
participants, not announced by the UFC:
Jess Liaudin
Dennis Siver
Source: MMA Weekly
|
THE
BIONIC BRAZILIAN READY FOR UFC 73
Former Ultimate Fighter contestant Jorge Gurgel returns to the
Octagon at UFC 73. On July 7 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento,
Calif., Gurgel’s opponent will be Diego Saraiva. The Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt has been training with the likes of Rich
Franklin, Marcus Aurelio, Dustin Hazelett and Marcus Davis in
preparation for his upcoming fight.
“Everything
is going great. I’m healthy for the first time. Next week
could not come any sooner,” said Gurgel. “I do sacrifice
a lot of time training the [other] guys but I’m always doing
what I need to do on the side. I don’t ever skip a training
or rehab session. My knees are healthy now. I’m ready and
I’m healthy.”
A
former English teacher in his native country of Brazil, Jorge
has come a long way prior to fulfilling his dream of fighting
in the UFC. Growing up in Fortaleza in Northern Brazil, he began
practicing Jiu-Jitsu at the age of sixteen. Gurgel spent a year
in the U.S. as an exchange student in Chicago, Ill. until he
was seventeen. Jorge later moved to Ohio when he was twenty to
further his studies and strive for a future in fighting, a secret
he kept from his parents.
After
quitting school to pursue a professional fighting career, Jorge
waited tables and taught at a local Jiu-Jitsu school to support
himself. Gurgel competed in many organizations including Extreme
Challenge, Freestyle Fighting Championships and King of the Cage
before he was asked to participate on the second season of the
Ultimate Fighter. Brimming with confidence, Gurgel was considered
a favorite to win in his respective weight class.
Jorge
sustained a knee injury during training prior to the taping of
the show. The injury had an effect on the Ohio resident going
into his first elimination match on the show. During his fight
against Jason Von Flue, Gurgel’s knee buckled at one point
and the aggravated injury forced Jorge to be more tentative.
Von Flue went on to win a decision and Gurgel was eliminated
from the show.
A
year later, Jorge was fully rehabilitated from knee surgery and
ready to make his Octagon debut. At Ultimate Fight Night 5, Gurgel
faced Team Tomkins fighter Mark Hominick. Utilizing a conservative
strategy of selective striking and evasion, Hominick won an unpopular
decision over the much more aggressive Gurgel. Mark’s performance
garnered boos from the crowd while Jorge made many new fans that
evening.
Three
months later, Gurgel finally earned his first victory in the
UFC over former The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 contestant Danny
Abbadi. With his first win behind him, and another healed up
from another knee injury following the Abbadi fight, the “Bionic
Brazilian” is ready for his next challenge. Next Saturday,
fellow Brazilian Diego Saraiva will put Gurgel to the test.
“I’ve
known Diego for 15 years. We’re from the same hometown in
Brazil. There are no surprises in his Jiu-Jitsu game,” explained
Gurgel. “I’m happy he’s taken the fight against
me. I’m extremely confident, I’m in shape and I’m
healthy. I know his capabilities, I know his strengths. I know
what Diego’s good at and I’m looking forward to getting
him out of his element. I’m sure he’s going to come
out a much better fighter this time.”
An
accomplished grappler in his own right, Jorge Gurgel received
his black belt from Pride and ZST veteran Marcus Aurelio. “Marcus
is my teacher; he gave me my black belt. When he’s in my
school, he’s the boss. There’s a lot of loyalty; I
demand a lot of respect from my students and I’m the same
way with my teacher. Marcus, in my opinion, is the best grappler
in the world. He’s going to be a force at 155 pounds. I’m
excited to see him in the UFC and he’s the only person that
I would never fight.”
The
155-pound division is bolstering with many new talented fighters.
Gurgel finds himself as a fellow competitor in the deepest UFC
weight class today. With so much competition, is Jorge concerned?
“I
only worry about my next opponent. Everybody else is just everybody
else. As the sport grows bigger, of course there are going to
be many challenges coming from all around the world,” replied
Gurgel. “My biggest concern…I don’t want the UFC
to get watered down. I don’t want the UFC to have so many
shows that the fans and even the fighters themselves lose track.”
Jorge
Gurgel has come a long way to fulfill one of his dreams. With
a new 12,800 square-foot training facility and a solid core of
teammates, training partners and instructors, Jorge has proven
that he is passionate about the sport and wants to establish
his JG MMA Academy as one of the most reputable gyms in the U.S.
At UFC 73, the hard working Brazilian from Fortaleza looks to
add his name to the growing list of title contenders.
“My
fights are always exciting. I’m always going to come out
aggressive. I hope, after the main card is done, they air my
fight afterwards. I just want to go in and perform the best I
can [and] come out with a victory. I don’t ask for anything
else.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“I'm
not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm
not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde.”
Dolly Parton, American Country Singer/Songwriter/Actress
|
Jason
Mayhem Miller Seminar
Where:
Team HK
2615 S. King St. 3rd Floor in the IKF Karate Dojo
(across Puck's Alley and Kinko's)
Time: 11:00 am to 1:30 PM
Cost: $35 at the door/$30 Pre-Sale
Pre-paid includes free lunch at En Fuego Grill & Poke in
Kapolei
For more info, contact Todd at 277-1128 or email todd@teamhk.net
|
HBO-UFC
DEAL FAR FROM DEAD, WHITE SAYS
‘Shogun’ Not Confirmed For UFC 76
By Brian Knapp
Contrary
to published reports, UFC president Dana White said Thursday
a deal between the Las Vegas-based promotion and HBO was far
from dead during a media conference call for UFC 73 “Stacked,”
scheduled for Saturday, July 7 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento,
Calif.
“The
deal is coming along,” White said. “We’re right
about there.”
White
also attempted to put to bed rumors that the arrest of former
HBO chairman and CEO Chris Albrecht had become an obstacle to
a resolution with the network. Albrecht, who has since resigned,
was arrested outside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May for allegedly
assaulting his girlfriend. “I trust Chris,” White said,
“but he got involved later on [in negotiations].”
White
also said reported differences over artistic control of telecasts
between the UFC and HBO were no longer a factor in negotiations.
Ross Greenberg, who heads up sports programming for HBO, is reportedly
opposed to the deal, according to various news outlets.
White
also commented on several other issues involving the UFC, from
the anticipated debut of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to eventual
rules changes:
*
White did not confirm Chute Boxe standout Rua for the UFC 76
show Sept. 22 in Anaheim, Calif. Rua (16-2), widely regarded
as the top 205-pound fighter in the world, already owns a first-round
victory over current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson;
*
The bout between Jackson and PRIDE light heavyweight champion
Dan Henderson will be a unification bout, White said. The winner
will carry both belts;
*
White said UFC fighters who were tested for anabolic and masking
agents, diuretics and drugs of abuse prior to UFC 72 “Victory”
June 16 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, all tested negative. “As
far as I know,” White said, “everybody did [pass].”
Marc Ratner, UFC vice president for regulatory affairs, confirmed
to The Fight Network on site the promotion had hired an independent
team to conduct the tests. Currently,there is no regulatory body
overseeing mixed martial arts in Northern Ireland;
*
Zuffa LLC remains non-committal in regards to the future of formal
rival promotion PRIDE. “PRIDE went out of business for a
reason,” White said. “That company was a mess. We're
trying to figure it out and fix it. PRIDE is a very powerful
brand. We bought it with the intention of running it.” He
also dismissed rumors that a date had been set for PRIDE’s
return;
*
While the UFC welcomes major sponsors, White said flatly that
the promotion does not need their support in order to flourish.
“Nobody helped us get here,” White said. “We didn’t
have HBO or some other network giving us a s—tload of money
[when we started]. We had to finance this thing by ourselves.
Through that, we’ve learned to do this thing ourselves.
If a sponsor comes in and wants to nail the 18-34 [male] demographic,
I’m all for it. If they don’t, honestly, we don’t
really need them.” White cited ratings for the finale of
The Ultimate Fighter 5 as evidence of the promotion’s presence
with the coveted demographic;
*
Though much has been made about potential rules changes involving
knees to the head of a downed opponent, White said he did not
expect any significant alterations until MMA is sanctioned and
unified rules are adopted in all 50 states;
*
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell will not
fight again until probably November, according to White. The
UFC president also said there was no chance of a Liddell-Wanderlei
Silva match in September;
*
With two fights remaining on Tito Ortiz’s current UFC contract,
White feels confident he would be able to work out a new deal
with the former light heavyweight champion. “When Tito came
back [in April 2006], we hated each other, and we got a deal
done then,” White said. “I haven’t lost a meaningful
guy in six years. I’m sure we’ll get a deal done.”
Ortiz will meet undefeated Rashad Evans at UFC 73;
*
White conceded he was shocked to learn MMA legend Royce Gracie
tested positive for anabolic steroids following his appearance
at K-1 “Dynamite!! USA” in June. “Royce didn’t
look like he was on steroids.” According to White, the recent
rash of positive tests for steroids has not forced a change in
the UFC’s stance on the subject or how it educates its fighters.
“You don’t have to be a f—king rocket scientist
to know what happens to you if you take steroids or snort cocaine,”
White said. The UFC president also referenced the recent tragedy
involving professional wrestler Chris Benoit. “[The subject
of] steroids is the hottest topic in the country,” White
said, “especially with what happened in the last couple
of days.”
*
White responded to comments Ken Shamrock made during an interview
with Fight Network Radio Wednesday. In the interview, Shamrock
revealed his contract with the UFC had been terminated and painted
the UFC president in less than flattering light. "I know
Ken is flipping out and saying Dana thinks he's this and Dana
thinks he's that ... Ken Shamrock has lost every fight except
for one since we brought him back,” White said. “Ken
Shamrock needs to think about retiring. He's not at the level
of the UFC fighter any more.” White also responded to rumors
that Shamrock could have faced off with British light heavyweight
Michael Bisping at UFC 75 in September. “Bisping is going
to have a much tougher time with Matt Hamill than he would with
Ken Shamrock."
In
other news, Ortiz admitted he turned down a potential rematch
with Forrest Griffin at UFC 72. Ortiz defeated Griffin by split
decision at UFC 59 in April 2006. “I thought it would have
been a step back for me,” Ortiz said. “Why would I
take a fight I’ve already won? Rashad [Evans is] a great
fighter. That was the best fight out there for me.”
Source: The Fight Network
|
COTE
CONFIRMS GROVE FOR UFC 75
By Loretta Hunt (loretta@thefightnetwork.com)
Quebec
native Patrick Cote confirms he will be facing “The Ultimate
Fighter 3” winner Kendall Grove August 25 at UFC 74 “Respect” in Las
Vegas, Nevada, rubbing elbows on a card that will also feature
his Brazilian Top Team mate Georges St. Pierre, who faces Josh
Koscheck. The Fight Network’s Mike Russell spoke to the
“the Predator” on his next target.
------------------------------------------------------
TRIGG
NOT SIGNED TO ELITEXC
Fomer
UFC welterweight contender-turned commentator-turned champion
Frank Trigg says his phone has been ringing off the hook since
it was leaked yesterday the rambunctious rambler had signed a
four-fight deal with Pro Elite, promoters of EliteXC. The problem
is Trigg says there is no deal.
“It’s
all false,” the former PRIDE Fighting Championships commentator
says. “There is no deal and Pro Elite is not one of the
deals we have on the table right now – at least that I know
of.”
After
taking a stab at middleweight, Trigg was crowned Icon Sport’s
champ in December with a second round TKO over Jason “Mayhem”
Miller. The championship slipped out of his hands last March
when heavy-handed Robbie Lawler knocked Trigg out in the fourth
round of a gripping back-and-forth battle. Trigg shares his time
commentating numerous events throughout the world, including
last Saturday’s Cage Fury Fighting Championships among others.
------------------------------------------------------
GRIFFIN
ON FIGHT NETWORK RADIO FRIDAY
After
Ken Shamrock’s revelation yesterday on FIGHT NETWORK RADIO
(Sirius Channel 186) that his contract with the UFC had been
terminated, host Mauro Ranallo keeps the ball rolling with guest
Tyson Griffin this Friday. Xtreme Couture’s Griffin was
one half of the recipe of the UFC 72’s fight of the night
June 16 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The up-and-coming lightweight
joins Ranallo to talk about his split decision victory over the
equally talented Clay Guida and where he goes from there.
FIGHT
NETWORK RADIO airs live everyday at 12 PM EST/3 PM PST here FIGHT
NETWORK RADIO and on Sirius Channel 186.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Masato
outpoints Calvancanti in K-1 Final Elimination bout
By Zach Adams
K-1 World MAX held an important event at the Nippon Budokan Thursday
with a card full of the best fighters the organization has to
offer. The card was significant in the fact that the winners
of the main card bouts would earn a spot in the World MAX Finals
on October 3.
In
the main event of the evening K-1 World Max 2003 Champion Masato
faced off against the 2006 Hero’s 155-pound champion Gesias
"JZ" Calvancanti. Masato was just too much for the
talented Brazilian and put on a kickboxing clinic en route to
a unanimous decision victory.
Masato
was too dynamic for Calvancanti as he put together great combinations,
while Calvancanti was looking for one big punch that never came.
Credit must be given to Calvancanti for stepping out of his comfort
zone and lasting three rounds with one of the best K-1 MAX has
to offer.
Reigning
Max Champion Buakaw Por. Pramuk was also on the card and put
on a typical dominating performance when he earned a unanimous
decision against Nieky Holtzken.
K-1
MAX 2006 and 2007 Japan tournament champion Yoshihiro Sato put
himself in the finals with a win over Denis Schneidmiller by
unanimous decision.
K-1
MAX 2002 champion Albert Kraus finally got back to his winning
ways after dropping three out of his last four by defeating former
boxer Virgil Kalakoda. The fight was a war and seemed to be even
until Kraus came on strong in the third and took the fight by
unanimous decision.
Fight
of the night belonged to Mike Zambidis and Gago Drago. This fight
was even after three and had to go to an extra round for a decisive
victor. Both men fought hard, but Zambidis came out on top by
employing a series of vicious body shots that impressed the judges
and earned him the decision.
K-1
MAX 2005 champion Andy Souwer usually takes a while to warm up
in a fight, but not tonight against Ole Laursen. Souwer came
out quick and landed a massive right hand that put Laursen down
and out at 1:07 of the first round.
Artur
Kyshenko was very impressive in a dominating performance over
Su Hwan Lee of Korea. Kyshenko swarmed Lee from the opening bell
and finished things late in the third round with a left hook
that stamped Kyshenko’s ticket to the finals.
FULL
RESULTS:
Farid
Villaume def. Nonthanun Por. Pramuk via unanimous decision
Yuji Nashiro def. Hakuto via KO - 2:46 of R2
Keiji Ozaki def. Pak Wing Heung via majority decision
Tatsuji def. Andy Ologun via majority decision
Takayuki Kohiruimaki def. Tsogto "Shinobu" Amara via
unanimous decision
Artur Kyshenko def. Su Hwan Lee via KO - 1:26 of R3
Mike Zambidis def. Drago via unanimous decision
Yoshihiro Sato def. Denis Schneidmiller via unanimous decision
Andy Souwer def. Ole Laursen via KO - 2:07 of R1
Albert Kraus def. Virgil Kalakoda via unanimous decision
Buakaw Por. Pramuk def. Nieky Holtzken via unanimous decision
Masato def. Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti via unanimous decision
Source: MMA Fighting
|
MORE
BIZARRE DETAILS ON BENOIT MURDERS
By: John Pollock
More
bizarre details have been released in relation to the murders
by Chris Benoit last weekend.
FOX
News is reporting an annonymous user on a computer traced to
Stamford, Connecticut (the home of the WWE) posted the following
on Wikipedia, a full 14 hours BEFORE police discovered the bodies
in Fayetteville, Georgia:
"Chris
Benoit was replaced by [[Johnny Nitro]] for the ECW Championship
match at Vengeance, as Benoit was not there due to personal issues,
stemming from the death of his wife Nancy."
The
posting was put up at 12:01am EST on Monday June 25th.
Earlier
today it was reported that the office of Dr. Phil Astin, the
personal physician of Chris Benoit, was raided over night with
computers being seized. Dr. Astin admitted to prescribing testosterone
to Benoit. It was Astin's name that appeared on the prescription
bottles found in the home this week.
Source: The Fight Network
|
BodogFight:
Paradise Lost premieres tonight
The fourth season of BodogFight, titled "Paradise Lost,"
premieres tonight at 11 p.m. ET on ION Television.
The
season premiere will feature lightweights Nick Agallar (17-4)
vs. Ryan Bow (17-8-1) and light heavyweights David Avellan (1-0)
vs. Anthony Rea (11-7).
"Paradise
Lost" was taped in Costa Rica along with the third season,
"Costa Rica Combat," February 16-18.
Here
is a complete episode list for the entire season:
Episode
1 - June 26
- Nick Agallar vs. Ryan Bow
- David Avellan vs. Anthony Rea
Episode
2 - July 3
- Michael Alden vs. Daniel Puder
- Tyler Jackson vs. Kyle Watson
Episode
3 - July 10
- Bobby Martinez vs. Diego Visotzky
- Shanya Bazler vs. Tara LaRosa
Episode
4 - July 17
- Francis Carmont vs Todd Broadaway
- Sydney Machado vs. Todd Carney
Episode
5 - July 24
- Carina Damm vs. Molly Helsel
- Jose "Pele" Landi vs Mitch McElroy
Episode
6 - July 31
- Matt Ewin vs. Andrei Semenov
- David Love vs. Atsuhiro Tsuboiario
- Mario Rinaldi vs. Roy Nelson
Episode
7 - August 7
- Chael Sonnen vs. Tim McKenzie
- Mike Patt vs. Todd Gouwenberg
Episode
8 - August 14
- The Best of BodogFight: Paradise Lost
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"We
don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents."
Bob Ross, 1942-1995, American Painter and TV Show Host
|
Mike
Swain Seminar at O2 Martial Arts Academy
Today!
There are still available spots open! We are accepting late
attendees!
When:
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Time: 5:30 - 7:15 pm
Where: O2 Martial Arts
Academy
98-019 Kam Hwy Unit 206A
Aiea, HI 96701
Cost: $30 (Must pay to reserve your spot)
Questions? Email: info@onzuka.com
Directions
to O2MAA:
We are located in the building between Best Buy and Cutter Ford
Aiea on the second floor facing Shiro's.
We are above Goodwill, Small Engine Clinic and the Bike Shop
on the second floor.
We are
limiting the seminar to the first 30 people who sign up and PAY!
No holding spots. The invitation to this seminar is open to ALL
SCHOOLS!
You can also pay online by going to: http://www.2takedown.com/
Bio of Mike Swain:
Mike is the first man from the Western Hemisphere, to win a gold
medal at the World Championships, since its inception in 1956.
The World Championships is a very prestigious tournament held
only once, every two years. As a World Champion, 4 - time Olympian
(bronze medalist in the Seoul Games) and 1996 Olympic Coach,
Mike has gained a phenomenal amount of valuable knowledge and
experience.
Throughout his many years of competition and coaching, Mike has
traveled the world competing against and analyzing hundreds of
different styles and techniques. His knowledge of standing techniques
and ground work is unsurpassed.
Mike
Swain
Born:
12/21/60 (Elizabeth, NJ), Height 5' 9", Weight 71 kg
Sport: JUDO - Fifth Degree Black Belt (Godan)
Business: Swain Sports International 408-286-5836
Wife: Chie Swain (1992 - 61kg Olympian - Brazil)
Father-in-law: Chiaki Ishii (1972 - 95kg Olympic Bronze Medalist
- Brazil)
Books: Ashiwaza II (book), Mike Swain's Judo (video), Championship
Newaza (video)
U.S.
WORLD AND OLYMPIC HONORS
1977
Barcelona, Spain (World Team)
1980 Moscow, Russia (Olympic Team)
1983 Moscow, Russia (World Team)
1984 Los Angeles (Olympic Team)
1985 Seoul, Korea (World Team)
1987 Essen, Germany (World Team)
1988 Seoul, Korea (Olympic Team)
1989 Belgrade, Yugoslavia (World Team)
1992 Barcelona, Spain (Olympic Team)
1996 Atlanta (Men's Olympic Judo Coach)
MAJOR
INTERNATIONAL MEDALS
GOLD
1987
World Championships - Essen Germany (Only American Male to ever
win)
1987 Pan American Games - Indianapolis
1991 US Open
1988 Italian Open
1984 Czechoslovakian Open
1984 Belgian Open
1982 Dutch Open
SILVER
1989
World Championships - Belgrade, Yugoslavia
1985 World Championships - Seoul, Korea
1991 Sungkok Cup - Korea
1991 Pacific Rim Championships - Hawaii
1990 Goodwill Games - Seattle
1987 Shoriki Cup - Japan
1986 Kano Cup - Japan
1985 Matsumae Cup - Austria
1985, 1983 US Open
1977 Pan American Championship - Argentina
BRONZE
1988
Olympic Games - Seoul, Korea
1989 Pacific Rim Championships - China
1987 German Open
1985 Pacific Rim Championship - Japan
1984 German Open
1983 Pan American Games - Venezuela
1983 Pacific Rim Championships - Japan
1981 Dutch Open
1981, 1980 US Open
NATIONAL
HONORS
5
- Time National Champion
4 - Time National Collegiate Champion
5 - Time Olympic Sports Festival Champion
|
MMA
CONTENDORS RESULTS!
MMA Contendor "Conflict - The Beginning"
Mixed Martial Arts (Amateur & 2 Pro Bouts)
Farrington High School Gymnasium, Honolulu, Hawaii
June 29, 2007
Fans were treated to a night filled with non-stop action in every
fight as fight fans were on the edge of their seats all night
long. The two ladies put all that is lady-like aside to go toe
to toe in a slugfest for all three rounds, making any man proud
and making everyone take notice that women can lay down some
heavy leather alongside the men. The fights were well matched,
which made for exciting matches and it difficult to pick just
one fight on the night. Just when you thought that the event
hit a crowd excitement climax, it just got better. As usual,
the event promoters were very hospitable and I look forward to
the next event!
Fight 1Exibition Kick boxing
Mike Uemoto -vs- Thomas Rogers
Draw
Fight 2 MMA
Maika Ige -vs- Joe Simpliciano
Maika wins by guillotine 45 seconds of the first round
Fight 3 MMA
Hugh Jones -vs- Marcus Moreno
Draw after two rounds fighters agree to one monre round
Moreno wins decision
Fight 4 MMA
Vinnie Delasontos -vs- Matt Comeau
Matt wins by tap out due to strike to the mid section from the
cross side
Fight 5 MMA
Jay Bolos -vs- Mark Tajon
fight of the night Tajon wins via decision
Fight 6 MMA
David Balicao -vs- Chad Miguel
Balicao wins ref stopage due to strikes on the ground
Fight 7 MMA
Kainoa Souza -vs- John Ferrell
Souza wins KO 1:14 of Rd2
Fight 8 Exibition Kick Boxing FEMALE
Shanen Dela Castro -vs- Gennalyn Ganaban
Draw (slug fest)
Fight 9 MMA
Pele Fanoti -vs- Andrew Setefano
Fanoti wins tap out key lock 2:24 of Round 2
Fight 10 MMA
Brad Tavares -vs- Thomas Sodeno
Tavares by KO 40 second of round 1
Fight 11 MMA
Devin Damo -vs- Dwayne Haney
Haney wins by guillotine 1:18 of round 1
Source: Ryan "Scoops" Olivares
|
FRANK
RESPECTS BARONI, WANTS TO FIGHT RENZO
by Jeff Cain
Frank Shamrock answered a lot of questions long-time mixed martial
arts enthusiasts had concerning his fighting ability against
today's fighters, and gave newer fans to the sport a glimpse
into the mystic that is Frank Shamrock, when he dispatched of
hard hitting Phil Baroni at the co-promoted Strikeforce and EliteXC
event Friday night in San Jose, Calif.
Shamrock,
now sporting the moniker 'The Legend,' nearly finished Baroni
with strikes in the first round before choking 'The New York
Bad Ass' out with a Rear Naked Choke in round two.
Following
the fight the focus shifted to Shamrock's knee injury suffered
while training with Thierry Sokoudjou two weeks before the event.
The thirty-four year old former UFC champion told MMAWeekly,
"I tore my ACL and MCL, and partially tore my meniscus which
apparently is really bad. I probably shouldn't be walking around,
but I just put that big brace on it and kept on going."
Asked
if surgery would be needed to correct the injury, Shamrock said,
"I think so. We're going to wait until the swelling goes
down, and then we're going to look at it. I've got like three
opinions and two of the three are saying we need to get some
tendons and give them to me."
Frank
added, "They said don't do anything for a week, and no contact
sports, and then they'll look at it. They think I'm a mutant,
and I may have torn my ACL years ago, and it may have just never
existed. Same with the MCL. They just don't seem to know, but
they're going to have to scope it I think."
Pre-fight
injuries affect the fighters physically, that goes without saying,
but how it affects them mentally is rarely mentioned. "I
was worried about the kicking because it hurt when I kicked,
and that's usually not good… I was worried about my cardio
because I knew I wasn't going to last that long."
Shamrock
continued, "I knew it would drain me, and I knew there would
be a point where my body would go anaerobic and crash, and I
sort of just have to deal with it then. But my theory was that
I could damage him more by then, and hopefully I'd be able to
finish him even slow and kind of burned out a little bit."
The
hype surrounding the match-up was largely fueled by the Internet.
There were comments posted on various forums by Baroni, and videos
on YouTube.com by Shamrock. It was billed as the classic grudge
match, but Shamrock said the feud with Baroni is over.
"I
talked to him. It sounded like it was pretty much done. Phil's
a stand up guy. He made a challenge and we stepped up, threw
down and fought it out."
Despite
the online hype and pre-fight smack talk, Baroni gained the respect
of Shamrock in the cage. "I knew he'd fight until the end.
Phil's a warrior man. I mean Phil proved to me, I thought I would
destroy Phil, and he proved to me that he's one of the toughest
guys in MMA. He's got the toughest jaw I've ever seen, and he's
got meat hooks on his hands. I think he came out huge on this,
and my head is misshapened and swollen from getting punched."
Frank
went on to say, "He's a brawler. He's a power puncher. He's
got incredibly heavy hands. I think he's got the heaviest hands
in MMA. His strength is that he'll do it. He's not good at it,
but he'll do it, and that's dangerous. He smacked me a bunch
of good times. I've never hit anybody in MMA that hard on the
chin that many times and they not go down."
Shamrock
had his way in the opening round, dropping Baroni with a three
punch combination, but shortly after was deducted a point for
striking Phil in the back of the head, the same infraction that
resulted in a disqualification loss to Renzo Gracie earlier this
year.
When
asked about the illegal blows, Frank replied, "I was surprised
when they stopped me because I didn't realize I was hitting him
in the back of the head. I was like, wow. What? Sorry. But as
soon as he said it I was like, you know, I was hitting him in
the back of the head. Part of me struggles with the fighting
because I know that that's how you damage people. And what's
he doing with his head down there? My brain just goes to it.
I know the rules, but sometimes the excitement of the moment…
I know where I'm hitting him, but sometimes in the flow you kind
of forget."
With
the Phil Baroni match out of the way Frank Shamrock sets his
sights on a rematch with Renzo Gracie. Frank commented, "As
soon as my knee heals up I want to take care of Renzo. I'll do
that one in quick, dramatic fashion… It's definitely a grudge
match. There's controversy."
Gracie
officially accepted Shamrock's challenge on MMAWeekly Radio,
but the question remains where would the fight take place? Both
are coaches in the IFL. Both have fought in EliteXC and Shamrock
is a staple in the Strikeforce promotion.
Shamrock
boasted, "I'll go wherever I want to go and where I'm most
comfortable going, but I want to fight Renzo. It doesn't matter
where. Where ever we can get it done. It doesn't matter where."
Source:
MMA Weekly
RENZO
ACCEPTS SHAMROCK'S CHALLENGE
by Mitch Gobetz
Earlier this year, Frank Shamrock and Renzo Gracie went head
to head in a fight that had so much hype surrounding it, only
to be stopped short due to illegal knees to the back of the head
of Gracie. Even though the judges scored the first round to Shamrock
for some reason, Gracie had taken Shamrock down fairly easily
and controlled him.
With
Shamrock dismantling Phil Baroni this weekend in the StrikeForce
promotion, he has said very publicly that he wants to fight Renzo
again and finish the feud. Many fans would like to see that fight
happen again, because everyone was very surprised how easily
Gracie was controlling Shamrock in the first fight. The Frank
Shamrock that we saw last Saturday night against Baroni looked
like a completely different fighter than the fighter we saw against
Gracie.
Gracie
was recently on MMAWeekly Radio to responds to Shamrock's challenge.
"I never get invited to a party that I didn't show up. I'd
love to do it again," Gracie said excitedly. Anyone who
knows Gracie knows that he never shies away from a challenge
and that he has the heart of a lion. "I want to finish a
fight that I never had a chance to finish. I think it will be
a continuation of what we had in February."
Gracie
did get a chance to see Shamrock in his fight against Baroni
and he was very impressed. "I have to say he looked very,
very amazing against Baroni. I saw him putting him down twice."
A rematch between Gracie and Shamrock could be worth a fortune
to them both. Many people want to see what would have happened
if the fight could have continued.
Both
fighters are coaches in the IFL, yet the last time they fought,
it was under the Strikeforce banner. Gracie has his preferences,
but he really doesn't care where the fight takes place as long
as they fight. "I would love to have it happen in the IFL.
If I could pick, I would pick the IFL. Anywhere, it would be
a good fight. Any promoter who wants to put it together, it would
be a pleasure."
Shamrock
believes he can put Gracie away easily and convincingly this
time. Gracie, however, thinks that Shamrock is just talking a
lot to hide his insecurities. "Anyone who runs his mouth
too much, it's because he's not 100% confident in what he does.
You never hear me running my mouth."
With
the illegal blows that Shamrock used against Gracie, and then
again this past weekend against Baroni, Gracie thinks he should
be more careful. "He has to be more cautious towards that.
It's not fair."
Gracie
is extremely confident that the next time they meet, he will
put Shamrock away. "Next time, I'm gonna do the full thing
this time and finish him."
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Couture,
Jackson up for ESPY award
UFC
heavyweight champion Randy Couture and UFC light heavyweight
champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson received nominations
today in the category of "Best Fighter" for the 2007
ESPY Awards.
Started by ESPN in 1993, the ESPY awards are given annually to
to recognize the best sports achievements and performers.
The other candidates for the "Best Fighter" ESPY are
boxers Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao.
The "Best Fighter" category replaced the "Best
Boxer" category this year to include mixed martial artists.
ESPY award winners are determined by online voting until 11 p.m.
ET on July 7.
The 2007 ESPY Awards airs July 15 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
FIGHTER
SALARIES FOR TUF 5 FINALE & UFN 10
by Ivan Trembow
MMAWeekly has obtained the fighter salary information for the
live season finale of The Ultimate Fighter 5 and for UFC Fight
Night 10. The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale took place on June 23rd
in Las Vegas; and UFC Fight Night 10 took place on June 12th
in Hollywood, Fla.
The
following figures are based on the fighter salary information
that the UFC is required by law to submit to the state athletic
commissions. The winners' bonuses for the fighters who won their
matches are included in the figures published below.
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 the UFC also pays its fighters, but does not disclose to
the athletic commissions (specifically, PPV bonuses for PPV main
event fighters), are not included in the figures below. Also
not reflected below are the taxes that the fighters have to pay.
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 TV or PPV broadcast.
Please
note that Brandon Melendez was fined 10% of his purse for failing
to make weight. All of The Ultimate Fighter 5 fighters had contracts
that paid them $8,000 to fight and $8,000 to win on the finale,
so Melendez' purse for his loss to Lauzon was $8,000. The amount
of the fine was $800, half of which went to Lauzon and half of
which went to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
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.
Ultimate
Fighter 5 Finale Fighter Salaries
Event took place on June 23, 2007
Main
Event Fighters
-BJ Penn: $100,000 (11th fight
in UFC; defeated Jens Pulver)
-Jens
Pulver: $30,000 (9th fight in UFC; lost to BJ Penn)
Main
Card Fighters
-Roger
Huerta: $24,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Doug Evans)
-Nate
Diaz: $16,000 (1st fight in UFC; defeated Manny Gamburyan)
-Thales
Leites: $14,000 (3rd fight in UFC; defeated Floyd Sword)
-Manny
Gamburyan: $8,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Nate Diaz)
-Floyd
Sword: $3,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Thales Leites)
-Doug
Evans: $3,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Roger Huerta)
Preliminary
Match Fighters
-Joe
Lauzon: $16,400 (2nd fight in UFC; defeated Brandon Melendez;
original purse was $16,000 and he also received $400 from Brandon
Melendez' fine)
-Cole
Miller: $16,000 (1st fight in UFC; defeated Andy Wang)
-Matt
Wiman: $16,000 (2nd fight in UFC; defeated Brian Geraghty)
-Brian
Geraghty: $8,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Matt Wiman)
-Allen
Berube: $8,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Leonard Garcia)
-Andy Wang: $8,000 (1st fight
in UFC; lost to Cole Miller)
-Robert
Emerson: $8,000 (1st fight in UFC; fought to a no contest with
Gray Maynard)
-Gray
Maynard: $8,000 (1st fight in UFC; fought to a no contest with
Robert Emerson)
-Brandon
Melendez: $7,200 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Joe Lauzon; original
purse was $8,000 and he was fined $800 for failing to make weight)
-Leonard
Garcia: $4,000 (2nd fight in UFC; defeated Allen Berube)
Disclosed
Fighter Payroll: $297,600
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
UFC
Fight Night 10 Fighter Salaries
Event
took place on June 12, 2006
Main
Event Fighters
-Spencer
Fisher: $26,000 (7th fight in UFC; defeated Sam Stout)
-Sam
Stout: $6,000 (3rd fight in UFC; lost to Spencer Fisher)
Main
Card Fighters
-Jon
Fitch: $36,000 (6th fight in UFC; defeated Roan Carneiro)
-Drew
McFedries: $14,000 (3rd fight in UFC; defeated Jordan Radev)
-Jordan
Radev: $5,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Drew McFedries)
-Roan
Carneiro: $5,000 (2nd fight in UFC; lost to Jon Fitch)
Preliminary
Match Fighters
-Pete
Spratt: $12,000 (7th fight in UFC; lost to Tamdan McCrory)
-Thiago
Tavares: $10,000 (2nd fight in UFC; defeated Jason Black)
-Gleison
Tibau: $10,000 (3rd fight in UFC; defeated Jeff Cox)
-Luigi
Fioravanti: $8,000 (5th fight in UFC; lost to Forrest Petz)
-Tamdan
McCrory: $8,000 (1st fight in UFC; defeated Pete Spratt)
-Forrest
Petz: $8,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Luigi Fioravanti)
-Nate
Mohr: $6,000 (2nd fight in UFC; defeated Luke Caudillo)
-Anthony
Johnson: $6,000 (1st fight in UFC; defeated Chad Reiner)
-Jason
Black: $6,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Thiago Tavares)
-Jeff
Cox: $3,500 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Gleison Tibau)
-Luke
Caudillo: $3,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Nate Mohr)
-Chad
Reiner: $3,000 (2nd fight in UFC; lost to Anthony Johnson)
Disclosed
Fighter Payroll: $175,500
Source:
MMA Weekly
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Nino
analyses ex-partners at Chute Boxe
Now back in Rio, the Black House star bets Shogun will take the
UFC middleweight belt
The
conversation was about Jiu-Jitsu, but shortly after Antonio “Elvis”
Schembri had some pictures taken for the next issue of GRACIE
Magazine, at the X-Gym academy, in Recreio, the black belt known
to his friends by the nickname Nino couldn’t resist and
recalled his memories of training at Chute Boxe in Curitiba.
“Look,
I think I’ve trained with a lot of talent people in MMA,
but nobody like [Mauricio] Shogun. If they put him against any
guy in the UFC, he will run them over, Rampage, Liddell, whoever.
I can’t see how any of them could stop Shogun from taking
the belt.”
Nino
missed Rio de Janeiro and thus returned at the beginning of the
year, but the memory of his time at Chute Boxe remains dear to
him. “They are my friends, but my analysis is sincere, and
I think they are all going back into the ring to kick butt. Ninja,
for example, is back on top, where he deserves to be for being
the badass fighter he is. In training, as unbelievable as may
seem, what most impressed me most about him is something he doesn’t
invest much in: the clinch and takedown game, punching from on
top. He is way dangerous from there," says Schembri.
On
the main star of the team, the Curitiban Wanderlei Silva, Nino
didn’t hold back on the praise and made predictions. “Of
everybody I've ever trained with, Wanderlei has to be the toughest
guy I've ever seen. For that reason, I am sure that if they put
him against Dan Henderson again, he has what it takes to win.
Nobody goes into a revenge match with as much desire as him,
and Silva is capable of anything," he concludes.
Source: Gracie Magazine
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CSAC
SUSPENDS AND FINES CARTER WILLIAMS
Carter
Williams Fails CSAC Drug Test, Suspended and Fined
By FCF Staff
The
California State Athletic Commission announced today that Carter
Williams, who lost by knock-out to Paul Buentello at this past
weekend’s Strikeforce, Elite XC event in San Jose, has tested
positive for cocaine. As a result, the K-1 veteran has been suspended
until December 19th, 2007, and fined $1000.
The
CSAC also announced that David Smith, Sean Bassett, Seth Kleinbeck,
Sam Spengler, Anthony Figueroa, Chris Cariaso, Luke Stewart,
Jason Von Flue, Aaron Wetherspoon, and Mike Pyle all tested negative
for anabolic agents and drug use.
Test
results in respect to the competitors from the pay-per-view portion
of the June 22nd card, including Frank Shamrock and Phil Baroni,
are still pending.
Source: FCF
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