Upcoming
Events
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2008
1/26/08
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Location TBA)
Tentative
2007
11/24/07
Kickin It
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
11/10/07
Aloha State
Championship of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
10/26/07
Kickin It / Got Skills
(Kickboxing, Varios)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
9/28/07
Kickin It / Got Skills
(Kickboxing, Varios)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
9/15/07
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
September
Gracie Fighting Championships
(MMA)
8/31/07
Fighters Journey
Pro-Am MMA Event
(MMA)
(tba)
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
7/28/07
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui)
7/21/07
Garden Island Cage Match 6
(Kickboxing, MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Kauai)
7/14/07
Patriot Fighting Championships
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
7/13/07
Hawaii Fighting Championships: Stand Your Ground 3
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
6/30/07
Icon Sport: Fearless
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
6/29/07
MMA Contendors: Conflict - The Beginning
(MMA)
(Farrington H.S. Gym)
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)
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)
|
|
June 2007 News Part
2
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Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
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Quote
of the Day
“Nothing
is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.”
George Washington Carver, 1864-1943, American Botanist
|
CSAC
CLARIFIES ROYCE GRACIE DRUG TEST
The California State Athletic Commission today released a statement
in regards to Royce Gracie’s recent positive test results
concerning his K-1 fight against Kazushi Sakuraba. Initial reports
indicated that Gracie had tested positive for Nandrolone, a steroid
that occurs naturally in the human body, but did not include
detailed information other than the positive result.
Today’s
statement answered questions regarding the results being borderline
or a false positive. According to the CSAC, they contacted the
laboratory that performed the testing and obtained specific,
detailed information about the test and results.
The
statement read that, “A normal person could have a level
of 2 ng/mL of Nandrolone that the human body could potentially
produce and an athlete that has just completed rigorous physical
exercise could have a level of 6 ng/mL.
“We
received a written response from the laboratory's Director of
Science and Technology confirming the positive ‘A’
sample and positive ‘B’ sample.
Both
samples provided by Mr. Gracie had a level of over 50 ng/mL and
we were informed that the level itself was so elevated that it
would not register on the laboratory's calibrator.”
Following
initial reports of the positive results, Gracie maintained his
innocence, commenting to Sherdog.com Editor Josh Gross that he
had taken supplements that are available at GNC, but nothing
else and would not consider doing such.
With
all of the speculation since the initial reporting of the result,
there has been much speculation. CSAC Executive Director Armando
Garcia told MMAWeekly, “Yes, the statement [detailing the
results] was to answer any question as to whether the test indicated
a trace or possibly a false positive.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
FIGUEROA
SET FOR STRIKEFORCE FIGHT
At one time the outlook for the lighter weight classes was decidedly
bad. The UFC had all but eliminated the 155-pound division, and
the weight classes below that were relegated to smaller shows
in the US or Japan.
Then
with the rise in popularity of MMA in the States, things began
to look up. The UFC reinstituted their lightweight division,
and the 145 and 135-pound weight classes also began to see more
exposure on bigger shows, thanks to an increased number of promotions
willing to carry the division and the outbreak of class fighters
at each weight.
From
the WEC to Strikeforce, lighter fighters were beginning to show
that they could not only perform well on a card, but also become
the focal point, thanks to high-tempo fights featuring very entertaining
athletes.
It’s
this new era in lighter weight classes that sets the backdrop
for this Friday’s Strikeforce MMA showdown at 135-pounds
between rivals Anthony Figueroa, of Cung Le’s San Shou gym,
and San Francisco Muay Thai standout Chris Cariaso.
“I’ve
just been training, getting ready for the next event at Cung
Le’s Martial Arts with the USH Fight Team,” said Anthony
of his activities since his last Strikeforce appearance this
past December. “I’ve been hitting the weights, putting
on a little size, so I match up better with the guys at 135-pounds.”
With
prospects better at 135-pounds, the normally 125-pound Figueroa
realized after his last fight against David Barrios in December
that it would be a good idea to add more bulk if he plans to
hang with the fighters in the ever-growing weight class.
“I
definitely knew I needed to gain some weight, add some strength,
and get my size up to make it more equal for myself,” explained
Anthony. “I am a little stronger now, because I’ve
put on extra pounds of muscle, gaining weight the right way,
and it’s working out.”
As
Figueroa points out, he could see the lighter weight classes
on the rise and knew now was the time to make an attempt to stake
his claim in the 135-pound division.
“I’ve
been seeing that [growth], actually,” commented Anthony.
“The WEC has the 135 weight class, and I’ve been noticing
it, and I think it’s awesome. I could probably stay at the
135 until it really trickles down to the 125’s around here.
So, hopefully I’ll make my mark at 135.”
Figueroa
continued, “Strikeforce is using the 135’s and that’s
really helping out myself, and Chris Cariaso, who I’m fighting,
so, that’s awesome. It’s our turn to go out there and
show that we can put on show just like the bigger guys.”
At
Friday’s event in San Jose, Anthony will be involved in
a fight that’s not only important to the future of Strikeforce’s
135-pound weight class, but it’s also something of a regional
grudge match with some personal revenge at stake.
“Chris
[Cariaso] is from San Francisco, his gym’s Muay Thai fighters,
and we’re a San Shou gym from San Jose,” said Figueroa.
“He just defeated one of my teammates, Andrew [Valladerez],
and a while ago he defeated one of our other teammates, so it’s
really a big match-up for us.
“I’m
hoping to go in there and bring it back home, back to our team,
and show him that it’s about the USH fight team around here.”
As
Figueroa pointed out, there’s a lot of familiarity between
he and Cariaso, making the strategy for the fight very easy to
map out.
“He’s
an amateur Muay Thai Champion, so he’s a stand-up fighter,
but I’m sure he’s working on his ground game and his
MMA,” commented Anthony. “I think we both started our
MMA careers, our ground game at the same time, but I see this
fight being a stand-up fight, but if it goes to the ground, I’m
not even going to worry.”
Figueroa
further commented, “I think it’s going to be an exciting
fight, whether it’s on the ground or standing up –
I’m just really looking forward to it.”
Another
reason for Anthony’s excitement is the fact that for the
first time in his MMA career, people on a national stage will
be able to see him fight, as the undercard will be broadcast
live, for free, on ProElite.com.
“I
like how they’re doing it, showing the undercard on the
Internet, so at least it’s available to be seen,” exclaimed
Figueroa. “Other shows don’t really make it [the undercard]
available to see unless you’re there [at the event], so
I think it’s great that they’re doing it here.
“Also,
I’ve got a lot of support from around here that’s coming
to watch me, so it’s exciting and it’s going to be
great.”
Should
all go well at Strikeforce on Friday, Figueroa is looking continue
to grow as a fighter and ride the wave of popularity the lower
weight classes are currently experiencing.
“I’m
not going to look past Chris, but I’m going to keep training,
improving myself and keep upgrading my game,” said Anthony.
“Whether it’s on the ground or in the stand-up, I’m
just going to keep becoming a more well-rounded fighter.”
Figueroa
continued, “I’ve got a lot to learn, and whatever comes,
whatever my coaches and managers have for me, I want to be ready.
So hopefully I’ll make the next Strikeforce or big event.”
So,
with fans picking up on lighter fighters as a source for entertaining,
explosive match-ups, promotions like Strikeforce will continue
to feature fighters like Anthony Figueroa and Chris Cariaso,
creating a win-win situation for everyone.
“I’d
like to thank my coaches, Coach Allen, Coach Cung Le, and the
USH Fight Team – they’re my brothers and a big part
of my training,” said Anthony. “I’d like to thank
my sponsors: Toe2Toe, Throwdown, Knoxx; and MMAWeekly for the
interview.”
“I’d
like to thank all the fans, and if you can’t make it to
the fight, go to ProElite.com, register, log on and see me, my
teammate Sam Spengler, and the first six fights on the fight
card for free. It’s going to be an exciting fight, and if
it goes all three rounds, it’s going to be three rounds
of battle – I’m going to go out there and fight to
win,” concluded Figueroa.
Source: MMA Weekly |
OUT
OF FIGHT, NINJA STILL SEEKING LICENSE
Chute Boxe middleweight Murilo “Ninja” Rua has dropped
off the June 22nd Strikeforce “Shamrock vs. Baroni”
event on Showtime pay-per-view. He failed the required physical
for licensure in the State of California due to undisclosed reasons.
Rua was scheduled to face Joey Villasenor for the vacant EliteXC
middleweight title. EliteXC is co-promoting the event along with
Strikeforce.
When
asked today about the failed physical, Rua told MMAWeekly, “Tomorrow
morning I am going to another doctor to get my license, but unfortunately
my fight [with Villasenor] was postponed and I will only fight
in September.
“Whoever
wins between Joey Villasenor and [Falaniko Vitale] will fight me in the next EliteXC.”
Rua
had been looking to make his debut in the United States at Strikeforce
and continue the recent momentum he had built in England. Following
back-to-back losses to Paulo Filho and Denis Kang in Pride, Rua
defeated popular British fighters Mark Weir and Alex Reid for
England’s Cage Rage promotion.
Asked
about his brother, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Murilo commented,
“Shogun is fine. He is very confident about his UFC debut.
He’s feeling that MMA fans really like him here in America.”
There
is still no word from the UFC on when and against whom Shogun
will make his UFC debut. The popular Chute Boxe star is currently
the #1 ranked fighter in the world in the light heavyweight division
by MMAWeekly.com.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“It
is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.”
Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519, Italian Painter and Sculptor
|
PRESS
RELEASE
Contact:
Patrick Freitas
Icon Sport Promoter
(808) 232-3481
superbrawl21@yahoo.com
Lawler
Injures Shoulder; Icon “FEARLESS” Delayed
June 18, 2007 Honolulu, HI. The June 30th Icon Sport event,
“FEARLESS” has been rescheduled due to a separated
shoulder injury incurred by Robbie Lawler while training. Lawler
expressed an interest to compete in the event regardless of his
shoulder injury, but doctors advised that he take 4 to 6 weeks
to heal appropriately.
Icon Sport: FEARLESS will immediately be reset for September
15, just twelve weeks after the original date.
Upon hearing news of the event’s delay, UFC star and new
Icon Martial Arts and Fitness Center instructor Chris Leben volunteered
to help prepare Lawler’s “underdog” Hawaiian opponent,
Kala Kolohe Hose:
“The show’s delay just gives me more time to get Kala
Kolohe ready for Robbie. I know how he (Lawler) fights. I understand
his game. Kala Kolohe will be ready.”
Hose stated:
“It’s heartbreaking that we won’t meet on June
30th. But I want Robbie to take all the time he needs to heal.
I want him healthy when I beat him. I don’t want any excuses.”
Fans who have already purchased tickets to the June 30th event
may use these same tickets for entry into the September 15 rescheduled
date.
Any refunds must to be done at point of sale. Online sales will
be refunded at www.ticketmaster.com. The Blaisdell Box Office
should be ready to process refunds by Friday, June 22nd.
Source: Icon Sport |
Fighters
Journey
NEW MMA EVENT ON OAHU
Jesus
is Lord is putting on a pro-am mma show. The amateur fights will
be 3X2 min rounds, with head gear. The reason for head gear is
so that the amateurs can stay amateurs and still enter other
amateur events. The event will be in a classy ballroom downtown
on Friday, August 31. It will be a
small, respectable show of about 1000 people. If you are interested
in being a sponsor or fighter, please contact me at tan_superman@hotmail.com.
Thank you for your support
David Padilla
jesusislordgym.com
tan_superman@hotmail.com
(808)282-2232 |
NINJA
OUT, VILLASENOR "JUST WANTS TO FIGHT"
Murilo “Ninja” Rua will not be facing Joey Villasenor
as part of the “Shamrock vs. Baroni” event next week.
He did not pass his physical as required for licensing by the
State of California.
Rua
and Villasenor were scheduled to fight for the vacant EliteXC
middleweight title as part of the June 22nd Strikeforce-EliteXC
co-promoted event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
In
comments to MMAWeekly, Joey Villasenor said that he had just
found out about the fight late Friday afternoon. “I don’t
know what the hell is going on. I know my managers are doing
their best to find me a fight.
“With
everything going on, I would love to be [EliteXC’s] first
champion, but right now, I just want to fight. I haven’t
trained this hard ever before in my life,” he said.
Villasenor’s
obvious frustrations stem from weeks of preparing for the five-round
title fight, only to have it yanked out from under him. Now,
his managers and the promoters are left to scramble just to find
him an opponent.
“I
have been training hard, preparing for five rounds, for weeks,”
commented Villasenor with irritation in his voice. “I just
want to fight. I need something to let all of this out.”
“This
is a tough break for ‘Ninja,’ Joey Villasenor and all
MMA fight fans,” said Gary Shaw, President of Live Events
at EliteXC. “This was going to be a terrific fight. We expect
to announce a suitable opponent for Joey very soon.”
At
press time, an opponent had not yet been determined. There has
been some speculation as to Falaniko Vitale being a possibility, but no official word from
EliteXC was forthcoming.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ULTIMATE
FIGHTER 5 LIVE FINALE- JUNE 23, 2007 ON SPIKE TV
Main
Card Bouts:
-BJ Penn (#6 Welterweight in the World)* vs. Jens Pulver
-TUF 5 Lightweight Tournament Finals: Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate
Diaz
-Roger Huerta vs. Doug Evans
-Thales Leites vs. Floyd Sword
Preliminary
Bouts:
-Joe Lauzon vs. Brandon Melendez
-Gray Maynard vs. Robert Emerson
-Leonard Garcia vs. Allen Berube
-Cole Miller vs. Andy Wang
-Matt Wiman vs. Brian Geraghty
Note:
The winner of Penn vs. Pulver will likely get a shot at the UFC
Lightweight Title on a UFC PPV event in late 2007.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
73: JULY 7, 2007 IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
Main
Card Bouts:
-Anderson Silva (#2 Middleweight in the World)* vs. Nathan Marquardt
(#7 Middleweight in the World)*
-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (#2 Heavyweight in the World)* vs.
Heath Herring
-Tito Ortiz (#9 Light Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Rashad Evans
-Sean Sherk (#10 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Hermes Franca
-Kenny Florian vs. Alvin Robinson
Preliminary
Bouts:
-Drew Fickett vs. Chris Lytle
-Frankie Edgar vs. Mark Bocek
-Jorge Gurgel vs. Diego Saraiva
-Stephan Bonnar vs. Mike Nickels
UFC 74: AUGUST 25,
2007 IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
likely venue: Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada
-Randy
Couture (#5 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (#6
Heavyweight in the World)*
-Georges St. Pierre (#2 Welterweight in the World)* vs. Josh
Koscheck (#4 Welterweight in the World)*
-Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (#2 Lightweight in the World)*
vs. Diego Sanchez (#7 Welterweight in the World)*
-Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
-Tim
Sylvia (#7 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. TBA
UFC 75: SEPTEMBER
8, 2007 IN LONDON, ENGLAND
-Quinton
Jackson (#2 Light Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Dan Henderson
(#4 Light Heavyweight in the World)*
-Mirko Cro Cop (#3 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Cheick Kongo
-Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill
-Alessio Sakara vs. TBA
-Jess Liaudin vs. TBA
-Dennis Siver vs. TBA
UFC 76: SEPTEMBER
22, 2007 IN ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA
Mike
Swick vs. TBA
Evan Tanner vs. TBA
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“The
fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a
bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and
receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.”
Leo Buscaglia, 1924-1998, American Author and Expert on Love
and Human Relationships
|
UFC
72 REVIEW: FRANKLIN WINS DECISION, TITLE SHOT
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND – The UFC’s debut on Saturday
night in Northern Ireland started off with a great series of
fights, but unfortunately finished with two lackluster decisions
to end the night. Rich Franklin pulled out a unanimous decision
over Yushin Okami and Forrest Griffin also pulled off a victory
on the judges’ scorecards defeating Hector Ramirez.
Rich
Franklin was told prior to his match-up with Yushin Okami that
if he won the fight he was going to get the winner of the upcoming
title bout between Anderson Silva and Nathan Marquardt. This
guarantee seemed to almost lessen the former champion’s
aggressiveness throughout the fight. Franklin looked to be the
better fighter on the feet as he landed better jabs and kicks
in the first two rounds and just about everyone watching waited
for Yushin Okami to wake from his slumber and start some offense.
Even when the two fighters clinched, which seemed to be the position
everyone predicted Okami would control, nothing much happened
and the fighters had to be separated a couple of times during
the bout.
The
third round ended up being the most exciting of the fight as
Okami finally woke up and took Franklin to the ground where he
got the mount and started to unload punches on the former champion.
Franklin was able to reverse the position, but then was almost
caught in a guillotine choke, which was then transitioned into
a very strong kimura applied by Okami. While it seemed like we
were just seconds away from a tap out, Franklin withstood and
got out of the hold as the fight ended.
Franklin
won a unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three judges scorecards
and will now watch the title fight on July 7th with peaked interest
knowing he will fight the winner for the UFC Middleweight title.
Forrest
Griffin got back onto a winning track with a dominant, but somewhat
lackluster fight over Hector Ramirez. Griffin controlled the
stand-up at every turn in the fight, landing good jabs and some
thunderous kicks during all three rounds. The only real offense
Ramirez got off was a takedown early in the first round, but
after that the control shifted to Griffin who took advantage
with his better stand-up game.
Griffin
sounded somewhat despondent after the fight, obviously not as
impressed with his performance as he would have liked, but he
still leaves Northern Ireland with the big win over Ramirez.
Jason
MacDonald had an impressive performance at UFC 72, coming back
from a loss to Franklin in his last fight, and defeated former
Ultimate Fighter housemate Rory Singer. MacDonald was looking
for the takedown from the outset of the fight, but to Singer’s
credit, he defended well. When the fight did go to the ground
in the first round, Singer was able to keep MacDonald at bay
with a solid guard game. As the first session came to a close,
Singer locked in a tight triangle choke that could have been
big trouble had their been more time on the clock, but the round
ended and MacDonald moved on.
The
second round saw an exhausted Singer not able to defend MacDonald’s
takedown and move to mount position. MacDonald then started to
reign down punches and elbows, while Singer struggled to do much
more than put up his arms trying to defend. The referee had no
choice but to stop the fight and give MacDonald the TKO victory.
In
one of the best fights so far this year, Clay Guida and Tyson
Griffin gave yet another example why the lightweight division
is simply the most exciting division in mixed martial arts today.
All three rounds were non-stop action as both Griffin and Guida
exchanged takedown attempts and reversals. Clay Guida exhibited
unbelievable heart and stamina going after Griffin like an animal
for every second of every round and Tyson Griffin was doing much
of the same, trying move after move to end the fight.
The
stand-up advantage seemed to go slightly to Tyson Griffin, but
Clay Guida refused to give up on the takedown in their lightweight
bout. When the fight did make it to the ground, Guida tried for
every submission he could think of, including a knee bar that
seemed like a fight stopper, but Griffin persevered and got out
of the hold. So much action took place in this fight that these
two unbelievable fighters deserve credit for what can best be
described as a three-round war.
UFC
ringside scorer Eddie Bravo gave the fight to Clay Guida, but
the judges disagreed and Tyson Griffin was given a split decision
win. Guida was tremendously respectful even after a loss and
both fighters should be given a huge amount of credit for this
absolutely unforgettable fight.
Ed
Herman continued his winning ways by submitting the very tough
Scott Smith in their middleweight bout at UFC 72. Herman looked
dominant with his ground and pound game, throwing some devastating
shots to his opponent, including a bone-shattering elbow that
opened a huge cut on Smith’s nose. The fight was allowed
to continue, but in the second round, Herman took Smith’s
back after a scramble and locked in a rear naked choke that forced
Smith to tap out.
In
preliminary action, Marcus Davis realized a dream to fight in
Northern Ireland by finishing Jason Tan by a TKO stoppage due
to strikes. Eddie Sanchez weathered the assault of Colin Robinson
in the first round. He then quickly took advantage of the gassed
Robinson in round two, also earning a TKO stoppage due to strikes
in their heavyweight bout. In the night’s opening fight,
Dustin Hazelett overtook Steve Lynch in the first round and finished
him off with an Anaconda choke.
While
UFC 72 will go down as the organization’s first foray into
Northern Ireland, most fans will likely walk away with a tremendous
impression of two lightweight fighters who put on the show of
a lifetime, while the main-eventers disappointed in their efforts.
Fight
of the Night of course goes to Tyson Griffin and Clay Guida.
While Franklin did earn a title shot and Forrest Griffin got
back to his winning ways, MMAWeekly.com’s Fighter of the
Night will be given to two fighters. Tyson Griffin and Clay Guida
deserve nothing less than each getting Fighter of the Night after
such a performance and both should have a very bright future
in the ever-growing UFC lightweight division.
UFC
72: VICTORY
Odyssey Arena
Belfast, Northern Ireland
June 16, 2007
MAIN
EVENT - MIDDLEWEIGHT
Rich Franklin def. Yushin Okami by Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28), 3 Rounds
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT
Forrest Griffin def. Hector Ramirez by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27), 3 Rounds
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Jason MacDonald def. Rory Singer by TKO (due to strikes) at 3:18,
R2
LIGHTWEIGHT
Tyson Griffin def. Clay Guida by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28
Griffin; 29-28 Guida), 3 Rounds
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Ed Herman def. Scott Smith by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at
2:25, R2
WELTERWEIGHT
Marcus Davis def. Jason Tan by TKO (due to strikes) at 1:15,
R1
HEAVYWEIGHT
Eddie Sanchez def. Colin Robinson by TKO (due to strikes) at
0:32, R2
WELTERWEIGHT
Dustin Hazelett def. Steve Lynch by Submission (Anaconda Choke)
at 2:50, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UNO
VS. NAGATA FIRST HERO'S TOURNAMENT BOUT
FEG President Sadaharu Tanigawa announced that a tournament to
crown a middleweight champion would hold its opening round in
the Yokohama Arena on July 16.
Kaoru
[Caol] Uno versus Katsuhiko Nagata was named as the first confirmed
bout and both were in attendance for the announcement. Nagata
felt honored to face a veteran such as Uno and hoped to give
him his toughest bout to date in HERO’s. Uno was equally
enthused, focusing attention on Nagata’s Olympic-caliber
wrestling and the challenge of engaging Nagata in his strong
suit.
Katsuhiko
Nagata has been training under the auspices of American Kickboxing
Academy, home to trainer ‘Crazy’ Bob Cook and fighters
Mike Swick and Paul Buentello among others. He trained there
prior to his bout against Isaiah Hill on HERO’s inaugural
stateside card, suffering a broken nose in the process of his
split decision victory. Doctors have since cleared Nagata of
the injury and he will resume training at AKA until July 6th.
Tanigawa
expects Gesias ‘JZ’ Calvancati, Hideo Tokoro, Kazuyuki
Miyata, and Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro among others to
participate as well.
HERO’s
Middleweight World Champion Tournament Opening Round
Monday, July 16 2007
Yokohama Arena, Kanagawa
Tentative
Fight Card (Card Subject to Change):
HERO’s
2007 Middleweight World Champion Tournament Opening Round
70KG, 3 rounds of 5 minutes each
Kaoru Uno (Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo) vs. Katsuhiko Nagata (American
Kickboxing Academy)
Scheduled
to Participate:
Gesias
Calvancanti (American Top Team)
Hideo Tokoro (Team ZST)
Kazuyuki Miyata (Freelance)
Kultar ‘Black Mamba’ Gil (Revolution Fight Team)
Shuichiro Katsumura (Katsumura Dojo)
Andrea Dida (Chute Boxe)
Alexandre Franca Nogueira (World Fight Center)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
PANCRASE
NEO-BLOOD TOURNEY FINALS UPDATE
Nova União, home to such stalwarts as Vitor ‘Shaolin’
Ribeiro, Robson Moura, and Marcos ‘Louro’ Galvao, will
be sending the prospective Jose Aldo to face K.I.B.A’s Shoji,
the latest addition to Pancrase’s Neo-Blood Finals card
scheduled for July 27th in the historical Korakuen Town Hall
arena in Tokyo.
Aldo
sports an 8-1 record in MMA, his only loss coming by way of a
rear naked choke to Luciano Azevedo, who gave Hayato Sakurai
fits in his Pride Bushido debut. Aldo’s aggressive style
should prove more than enough for the dangerous Shoji. Shoji,
4-1, has been for the most part a wrecking machine within the
Pancrase ring.
His
first-round knockout streak consisting of wins over Mi Nakajo,
Yu Miyazaki, and Taku Aramaki came to a grinding halt when he
met Wajyutsu Keisyukai’s Yuji Hoshino. Hoshino frustrated
Shoji’s reckless style with a “be first” approach
to the stand-up, evasive maneuvering, and constant bodylocks
whenever in range, which usually ended with Shoji on his back,
earning a decision win. Shoji has since been on the rebound with
a violent victory over Kenji Takashige in the first round, but
will have to prove he learned from his mistakes in the Hoshino
loss, as Hoshino will bring just as much aggression and skill.
Also
scheduled for this card is the Welterweight King of Pancrase
title bout between reigning champion Daizo Ishige of SK Absolute
and Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW’s Katsuya Inoue, former provisional
champion. Ishige and Inoue first clashed for the title last summer.
The Sambo proponent Ishige comfortably outstruck Inoue for the
better part of three rounds, making especial use of the lead
hook and right to the body to circumvent Inoue’s rather
passive defense. As the fight began to come to its close, Inoue
seemed to finally wake up from his daze, but it was proverbially
too little, too late.
Since
then, Ishige decisoned Kenji Arai in a December title defense
in much the same manner, but recently lost to Britain’s
Dan Hardy, a superior striker in all respects, by decision. Inoue
stopped leglock specialist Takafumi Hanai in the second round
of Cage Force’s inaugural show last November, but was stopped
himself by Noboru Asahi student and Shooto 2005 Middleweight
Rookie Tournament Finalist Yoshiyuki Yoshida, rebounding with
his second win over Koji Oishi in May. Both men, thus, will enter
the ring with losses to division upstarts and will undoubtedly
look to prove their worth against one another on the 27th.
PANCRASE
2007 RISING Tour
13th Neo-Blood Tournament Finals
Friday, July 27th 2007
Korakuen Hall
Tokyo, Japan
Tentative
Fight Card (Card Subject to Change):
For
The Welterweight King of PANCRASE Title
75KG, 3R 5M
Daizo Ishige (SK ABSOLUTE) vs. Katsuya Inoue (Wajyutsu Keisyukai
RJW)
The
13th Neo-Blood Tournament Middleweight Final
82KG, 2R 5M
Rikuhei Fujii (Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW) vs. Tomoyoshi Iwamiya
(Takada Dojo)
The
13th Neo-Blood Tournament Welterweight Final
75KG, 2R 5M
Nao ‘Yoshirock’ Yoshida (Wajyutsu Keisyukai A-3) vs.
Satoru Takadaya (Yoshida Dojo)
The
13th Neo-Blood Tournament Lightweight Final
69KG, 2R 5M
Yuichi Ikari (P’s Lab Tokyo) vs. Koichiro Matsumoto (Imada
Dojo)
The
13th Neo-Blood Tournament Featherweight Final
64KG, 2R 5M
Yuichi Miyagi (P’s Real) vs. Koji Yoshimoto (AJ Gym)
69KG,
3R 5M
Jose Aldo (Nova União) vs. Shoji (K.I.B.A)
64KG,
2R 5M
Miki Shida (P’s Lab Tokyo) vs. Jong Jin Sok (Jin Sok Judo
Dojo)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Love
is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend."
Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968, American Civil Rights Leader
and Nobel Prïze Wïnner
|
UFC
72: Victory Results
Saturday, June 16th, 2007
From the Odyssey Arena in Northern Ireland
MAIN
EVENT - MIDDLEWEIGHT
Rich Franklin def. Yushin Okami by Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28), 3 Rounds
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT
Forrest Griffin def. Hector Ramirez by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27), 3 Rounds
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Jason MacDonald def. Rory Singer by TKO (due to strikes) at 3:18,
R2
LIGHTWEIGHT
Tyson Griffin def. Clay Guida by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28
Griffin; 29-28 Guida), 3 Rounds
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Ed Herman def. Scott Smith by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at
2:25, R2
WELTERWEIGHT
Marcus Davis def. Jason Tan by TKO (due to strikes) at 1:15,
R1
HEAVYWEIGHT
Eddie Sanchez def. Colin Robinson by TKO (due to strikes) at
0:32, R2
WELTERWEIGHT
Dustin Hazelett def. Steve Lynch by Submission (Anaconda Choke)
at 2:50, R1
Source: MMA Fighting
|
NEW
MMA EVENT ON OAHU
Jesus
is Lord is putting on a pro-am mma show. The amateur fights will
be 3X2 min rounds, with head gear. The reason for head gear is
so that the amateurs can stay amateurs and still enter other
amateur events. The event will be in a classy ballroom downtown
on Friday, August 31. It will be a small, respectable show of
about 1000 people. If you are interested in being a sponsor or
fighter, please contact me at tan_superman@hotmail.com.
Thank you for your support
Source: David Padilla
|
MMA
CONTENDORS
WHO - MMA CONTENDORS
WHAT - CONFLICT - "THE BEGINNING"
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (AMATEUR & 3 PRO BOUTS)
WHEN - JUNE 29, 2007 FRIDAY - 6:30 PM
WHERE - FARRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM
DEVIN DAMO 135 DWAYNE HANEY
ANIMAL HOUSE BULLSPEN
ISNT THIS THEIR SECOND MEET AND GREET? IS THERE BAD BLOOD BETWEEN
THIS TWO? HELL NO! THIS FIGHT WAS SO CLOSE THAT THEYRE GONNA
DO IT ONE MORE TIME TO SEE IF DEVIN MADE ANY CORRECTIONS FROM
THE LAST TIME. DAMO IS THE SHORTER BUT MORE MUSCULAR OF THE TWO.
HANEY IS THE TALLER AND SKINNIER ONE. IF YOU GO BY LOOKS, YOU
WOULD NEVER THINK THAT HANEY WOULDVE HAD A CHANCE AGAINST THIS
MUSCLE MAN. BUT DAMO INTENDS TO MAKE THIS TIME HIS TIME. AND
IF YOU GO BY LOOKS, YOU WOULDNT GO FOR NONE OF THEM (NAH). BE
READY FOR SOME PUNISHING LEG KICKS AND QUICK EXCHANGES AGAIN.
DONT MISS THIS EVENT, ITS JUST "THE BEGINNING".
MARSHALL HARVEST 155 PETER PLACIDO
ANIMAL HOUSE BULLSPEN
THOMAS FERGUSON 270 KAWIKA HONG
TEAM DEVASTATION GOODSPORT KICKBOXING
DALE KAMAI 180 FRED CABANTING
MAILI SOLJAHS BULLSPEN
JAY BOLOS 135 MARK TAJON
ANIMAL HOUSE BULLSPEN
EXPECT TO SEE EVERY KIND OF MARTIAL ARTS THERE IS WHEN THE BELL
RINGS TO UNLEASH THESE TWO ANIMALS. VERY TECHNICAL IN THEIR GAME
AND VERY STRONG IN THEIR TECHNIQUE. THE BULL FROM BULLSPEN WILL
BE MAKING HIS SECOND APPEARANCE ON AN MMA CARD VS THE MORE EXPERIENCE
ANIMAL GETTING LET OUT OF HIS HOUSE. DONT BE FOOLED BY THEIR
WEIGHT. THESE TWO GUYS CAN BANG. JUNE 29TH IS THE NIGHT THAT
WILL FEATURE THE REAL SHOW OF WHEN ANIMALS ATTACK. DAS RIGHT
JOE SIMPLICIANO 165 HERMAN SANTIAGO
FIGHTERS UNION INNER CIRCLE GRAPLLING
BRAD TAVARES 185 THOMAS SODENO
UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT BULLSPEN
DAVID "BANGA" BALICAO 145 CHAD MIGUEL
JESUS IS LORD BULLSPEN
BOTH OF THESE GUYS ARE MAKING THEIR MMA DEBUT ON CONFLICT. WITH
THE BANGA BEING THE HEAVY FAVORITE. HEAVY MEANING HIS HANDS AND
HIS LEGS. THE BANGA IS VERY WELL KNOWN ON THE KICKBOXING CIRCUIT
WITH ALL THE LOCAL KICKBOXING PROMOTERS BEGGING TO GET HIM ON
THEIR CARD . RIGHT? HEE HEE HEE. BUT DONT COUNT CHAD OUT FOR
HE'S THE OLDER AND WISER OF THE TWO. EXPECT CHAD TO BE THE WELL
ROUNDED FIGHTER THAT THE BULLSPEN ALWAYS CREATES. DAVID HAD BETTER
BE READY TO HANDLE SOME GROUND AND POUND BECAUSE NOBODY IN THEIR
RIGHT MIND WOULD WANNA STAND WITH A BANGA. BE READY FOR AN EXCITING
FIGHT WHEN THESE TWO GUYS MEET.
ISIAH ADAMS 145 MATT COMEAU
ANIMAL HOUSE MMAD
VINNIE DELASANTOS 155 RAYMOND TRAN
MAILI SOLJAHS BULLSPEN
HUGH JONES 155 MARCUS MORENO
FIGHTERS UNION BULLSPEN
KAINOA SOUZA 205 JOHN FERRELL
TEAM DEVASTATION FREEELANCE
KIMO GALON 205 PELE FANOTI
BULLSPEN ANIMAL HOUSE
BRYSEN HANSEN 135 TONI BERGAMO
MMAD HMC
MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Event Promoter
|
Romano
remarks on Rani’s win
The lightweight star will be the GRACIE interview next month
For
the next issue, GRACIE Magazine went after Rani Yahya in California
for an interview that is always different from what you are used
to reading, with the recipes and secrets of success of the under
66 kg champion, after outclassing the two-time champion Leo Vieira.
The
proof that the Brazilian fighter is an extraordinary athlete
was witnessed up close by spectators at the WEC, which took place
on Sunday June 3, and specially by his trainer, the ex-GRACIE
Mag columnist Alvaro Romano, who tells of what he say, during
and after the standing rear-naked choke Rani used to submit Mark
Hominick.
“We
worked for three weeks here in San Diego for the event, continuing
the preparations we did for the ADCC, however this time prioritizing
exercise and breathing techniques. And it happened that the warm-up
we went through hours before the fight involving mental techniques
together with specific Ginastica Natural exercises that I use
on such occasion, helped Rani to triumph in the fight,"
said Alvinho.
“One
can see now in the WEC, in Las Vegas, that this work we do on
the mental aspect can overcome several situations and reverse
the outcome of a fight. It happened that, after taking a punch
early in the fight, Rani managed to push the pace until he won
by submission at 1 min 37 secs of fighting. The punch, though,
was so hard that Rani didn't no what the outcome of the fight
was and didn't remember what had happened, which he even said
while being interviewed in the ring, but everybody thought he
was joking. It wasn't: the athlete only recovered his memory
of what happened hours after the fight was over. Or in other
words, the fighter’s instinct, his heart and excellent physical
and mental conditioning were the determining factors in this
win,” stated the trainer.
“Since
1991, at the MMA event that took place in the Tijuca Tennis Club,
I have been working on the warm-ups and preparation of Murilo
Bustamante and Fabio Gurgel, and I have participated in many
events, with athletes of different styles and mental attitudes.
I've noticed that the level of the events improves constantly,
so we trainers need to progress too to do the best we can for
the fighters,” he finishes.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
RICH
FRANKLIN: 10,000 MILES BACK TO GREATNESS
by Tom Hamlin
It was his first day back in the gym. Months before, he had lost
his title to Brazilian import Anderson Silva by vicious knockout.
He felt a little nervous lacing up his gloves. His doctor had
recently OK’d him for contact, but he still felt uneasy.
After
the first punch hit him in the face, he felt right at home. “It
was back to business as usual,” Franklin said. “I was
a little tentative, but I just needed to get in there and feel
that again to get me back to normal.”
When
his next opponent, Jason MacDonald, failed to answer the bell
for the second round, Franklin was overwhelmed with relief. He
was back, celebrating victory in front of an Ohio crowd only
an hour and a half from his doorstep. UFC president Dana White
spoke of a rematch with Silva in Cincinnati.
First
he would have to get past striker Martin Kampmann in the UFC’s
aggressive expansion into Northern Ireland this June. Only weeks
into his preparation, Franklin got a call from his manager.
“He
told me that Kampmann was out,” Franklin remembers. “[The
UFC] gave me a choice between Paulo Filho and Yushin Okami. It
didn’t matter who it was, it was just another opponent for
me. But Okami signed and was ready to go, so we said okay.”
At
the UFC 72 pre-fight press conference, Franklin was a little
more candid about his reaction.
“It
wasn’t the most exciting news I’d ever received,”
he said with a wry smile.
Franklin
switched gears by changing the tone of his sparring sessions.
Wrestlers replaced Muay Thai specialists in the cage and on the
mat.
Okami’s
Greco-Roman ability and overall strength appear to be Franklin’s
main concerns in a style match-up. Though Okami is not a one-dimensional
fighter, his fortes could present a huge problem if he is able
to execute them tomorrow at UFC 72.
“Everybody
knows he’s a strong wrestler,” he says. “My concern
is that he’s going to try to close the distance and take
me down to say a ground and pound victory. Not let me initiate
and set the pace. I know that he’s a big 185-pounder. Both
of [Okami’s opponent’s] corners talked about how strong
he was. He knocked Mike Swick out of the division and he was
one of the top contenders.”
To
Franklin, the distance between him and Okami isn’t that
great. “He’s a lot like me, there’s nothing really
tricky about what he does, it’s just that he’s really
good at what he does.”
The
physical aspects of the fight appear to be out of the way. “My
body has adjusted as far as the time schedule,” Franklin
told reporters. “My weight is on track and my water’s
fine, which I thought was going to be the biggest issue with
traveling. So everything seems to be going well.”
Franklin’s
state of mind is the greatest variable in this fight. What some
looked at as a tune-up has morphed into a title-worthy test of
Franklin’s resiliency. Will he go back to that first day
of sparring?
“Mentally,
I’ve made the adjustments I need to make and I’m where
I need to be,” Franklin said stoically. “I’m excited
to be a part of the expansion. I wish it was to go on a vacation,
but I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Aoki
to Grapple with Aquila at "DEEP-X"
by Stephen Martinez
DEEP president Shigeru Saeki announced at a Tokyo press conference
the participation of grappling ace Shinya Aoki in the main event
of Saeki's new offshoot "DEEP-X," versus Pedro Aquila
on June 17.
DEEP-X
will operate under similar rules used in jiu-jitsu tournaments:
four points awarded for mount position or back-control; three
points for passing guard; and two points for takedowns and sweeps.
Rounds will consist of a four-minute first and second period,
followed by a two-minute final phase.
Aoki,
who was present at the press engagement, told the media that
he wished to perform well at Sunday's event in light of the postponement
of the Bushido Grand Prix. Aoki also stated that he would like
to display his technique in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
while representing the PRIDE organization, whose parent company
Dream Stage Entertainment ceded operations to UFC co-owner Lorenzo
Fertitta in March.
DEEP-X
June 17 at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan
80kg
Hidehiko Hasegawa vs. Max Fernandez
77kg
Shinya Aoki vs. Pedro Aquila
68kg
Bruno Frazzato vs. Masakazu Imanari
Mauricio Souza vs. Hiroyuki Abe
Antonio Carvalho vs. Takeshi Yamazaki
Atsuko Emoto vs. Yosuke Yamaki
58kg
Takuya Kitade vs. Ryota
Sotaro Yamada vs. Marcos Souza
49.5kg
(Female match)
Sachi vs. Aiko Usizuka
Source: Sherdog
|
Monson
shines at US Trials
Nine champions crowned last weekend in Las Vegas
Jeff
Monson was the big name at the USA Wrestling Grappling World
Team Trials, held last weekend, June 9-10, at the Convention
Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. He defeated Renzo Gracie’s
Brian Vetell, 2-1, in a very close fight. .“Wrestling is
my first love,” said Monson after the fight.
Other
than that, the Trials crowned nine champions, in five male and
four female categories. The event was to determined the U.S.
team to compete in the first World Wrestling Games in Antalya,
Turkey, next September. Complete results:
2007 U.S. GRAPPLING WORLD TEAM TRIALS CHAMPIONS
Men
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Darin Uyenoyama, San Francisco, Calif. (Fogtown
Jiu Jitsu)
70 kg/154 lbs. - Ricky Lundell, Orem, Utah (Pedro Sauer Team)
80 kg/176 lbs. - Don Ortega, Albuquerque, N.M. (No Limits)
92 kg/202.5 lbs., - Malcom Havens, Parker, Colo. (Grapplers Edge)
125 kg/275 lbs. - Jeff Monson, Olympia, Wash. (Victory Athletics)
Women
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Lisa Ward, Lacy, Wash. (United Fight Team)
55 kg/121 lbs. - ¬Felicia Oh, Tarzana, Calif. (JJ Machado/BJMUTA)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Tara LaRosa, Woodstown, N.J. (unattached)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Valerie Worthington, Los Angeles, Calif. (New
Breed/Hollywood Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
world cares very little about what a man or woman knows;
it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts."
Booker T. Washington, 1856-1915, American Political Leader/Educator/Author
|
Free
Icon Martial Arts & Fitness Super Seminar
Today!
Saturday,
June 16, 2007
Time: 11:00 AM - ?
Cost: FREE!
Location: Icon Martial Arts & Fitness Center (behind KFC
on Kalanianaole Hwy)
What to bring? If you have gear (e.g. gi, gloves, MMA gloves,
mitts, etc.), bring it. If you don't, no problem, just bring
yourself. The Icon staff will try their best to accomodate the
many people that will show up, but due to the overwelming demand,
they will have figure out logistically how the seminars will
actually run when they see how many people actually show up.
We encourage
all seminar attendees to bring video cameras, still cameras,
notepads, etc. as space for drills is limited and reservations
have already exceeded the number of people we can comfortably
have drilling at any one time.
The Vince
 |
UFC
72: Victory
Saturday, June 16th, 2007
From the Odyssey Arena in Northern Ireland
Middleweight Bout: Rich Franklin vs. Yushin Okami
Franklin
(23-2) is taking his second step towards a shot at reclaiming
the UFC middleweight title he lost last October to Anderson Silva
at UFC 64. Franklin bounced back at UFC 68 with damaging strikes
against Jason MacDonald, utilizing his hands to persuade MacDonald’s
corner to throw in the towel.
Okami
(21-3) is filling in for the injured Martin Kampmann, and presents
a more intriguing match up to determine the placement of two
elite competitors in the top echelon of the UFC middleweight
division. Okami has won his last six fights – four of them
in the UFC. He has only been finished once in his career with
the other two losses being close decisions. A win over Franklin
would place Okami in position to rematch champion Anderson Silva,
whom Okami defeated last year by disqualification.
Light
Heavyweight Bout: Hector Ramirez vs. Forrest Griffin
Ramirez
(6-2-1) lost his UFC debut last November to James Irvin and suffered
in part due to ring rust: he entered the bout without a fight
in fifteen months. Ramirez’s biggest career win was a knockout
victory in 2005 over Kendall Grove, who would later win the middleweight
competition on The Ultimate Fighter 3. Ramirez has been training
with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and will have the light
heavyweight champion’s head trainer Juanito Ibarra in his
corner.
For
Griffin (13-4), this fight will be his first of 2007. He had
to withdraw from his April 21 fight against Ryoto Machida when
Griffin contracted a nasty staph infection in his right knee.
Due to his popularity on the Ultimate Fighter TV show, Griffin
was at one point, one of the most recognizable UFC stars. His
popularity has since fallen after his rematch with Stephan Bonnar
at UFC 62, which, understandably, did not live up to the expectations
from their first classic duel. Then at UFC 66, he suffered a
TKO loss to Keith Jardine that left an unguarded image of Griffin
weeping openly with his back against the cage.
Middleweight Bout: Jason MacDonald vs. Rory Singer
Though
he prefers the nickname “The Athlete,” MacDonald (19-8)
is still being referred to as “The TUF Killer” for
his wins over TUF alumnus Ed Herman and Chris Leben. Prior to
his loss to Rich Franklin, MacDonald was riding a string of six
consecutive wins that led him to that step up in competition.
MacDonald is determined to get back on track with a win even
if it means reinforcing his “TUF Killer” moniker.
Singer
(12-7) is also coming off a UFC loss against a top contender
in Okami, who forced Singer to tap out due to strikes at UFC
66. Singer took a local fight in April in his hometown of Atlanta,
Georgia at “Wild Bill’s Fight Night,” winning
by unanimous decision over Clevelander Matt Masterson.
Lightweight
Bout: Clay Guida vs. Tyson Griffin
Guida
(21-4) comes from a strong wrestling background, and like Griffin,
is an aggressive fighter with great endurance. Guida is a former
Strikeforce champion with wins over such notable lightweights
as Josh Thomson and Bart Palaszewski. Guida lost to Din Thomas
earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 8.
Griffin
(8-1) is coming off his first career blemish last February when
he was upsetted by Frank Edgar in a three-round unanimous decision
loss at UFC 67. Griffin entered that bout winning and finishing
all eight of his fights, including victories over Duane “Bang!”
Ludwig and Urijah Faber.
Fight
Card:
MW:
Rich Franklin (185 lbs) vs. Yushin Okami (185 lbs)
LH: Hector Ramirez (204 lbs) vs. Forrest Griffin (204 lbs)
MW: Jason MacDonald (185 lbs) vs. Rory Singer (186 lbs)
LW: Clay Guida (155 lbs) vs. Tyson Griffin (155 lbs)
WW: Jason Tan (169 lbs) vs. Marcus Davis (169 lbs)
HW: Eddie Sanchez (234 lbs) vs. Colin Robinson (238 lbs)
MW: Scott Smith (185 lbs) vs. Ed Herman (186 lbs)
WW: Dustin Hazelett (169 lbs) vs. Stevie Lynch (170 lbs)
Notes:
Unlike
UFC’s last European effort, fighters will be tested for
banned substances at this event.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Hawaiian
Open of BJJ
Gym 1,
UH Manoa Campus, Honolulu
June 23, 2007
Klum Gym's bathrooms are between Klum Gym and Gym 1.
2007 HAWAIIAN OPEN
OF BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU
University of Hawaii
Manoa, GYM#1 (Next to Klum Gym)
JUNIOR GI CATEGORY
(BEGINS AT 10:00AM)
ADULT GI CATEGORY
(BEGINS AT 1:30PM)
APPLICATIONS ON
LINE AVAILABLE AT http://WWW.BRAZILIAN-FREESTYLE.COM
1. Oahu Residents
Only: Pre-Registration & Weigh-in will be held at UH Manoa
(Athletic Complex Studio 4) on Friday, 22 JUN 2007, between 12:00
pm-2:30 pm and 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. Late applicants will be accepted
until 10:00 am Sat 23-Jun, with a $10 late fee.
2. Outer-Island
Residents Only: If unable to meet registration & weigh-in
requirements as stated above, Pre-Registration/Payment due by
Wednesday, 20 JUN 2007 in the following ways: 1) Mail to: Triple
Crown BJJ, 311 Ohua Ave., #103B, Honolulu, HI 96815; 2) Fax to:
(808)955-2588; 3) Email to: hattoridkn002@hawaii.rr.com or barroshawaii@hotmail.com.
Late applicants will be accepted until 10:00 am Sat 23-Jun, with
a $10 late fee. Weigh-in for outer-island residents ONLY will
be held on tournament morning, Sat 23 JUN 2007, between 8:00-10:00
am. Maui Residents can contact Ermin Fergerstrom at (808)877-5505
for registration & weigh-in at Kahului Academy. Applicants
who pre-register and fail to make weigh-in or make weight prior
to 10:00 am will automatically forfeit their match and no refunds
will be provided. (Note: These are the same registration guidelines
as set forth by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation/Pan
American Jiu-Jitsu Championships).
3. Tournament Location:
University of Hawaii Manoa, GYM#1 (Next to Klum Gym)
4. ENTRANCE FEES:
Kid: $30.00 Adult/Master: $60.00 Make checks payable to: Romolo
Barros
5. Rules Clinic
Kids: 9:45AM Adult: 1:15PM
|
Tommy
Morrison in an interview at Doghouse Boxing:
"It
was a f*cking fiasco, I’ve never been involved in anything
like that in my life. I had no idea what the rules were, no one
was telling me. I walked into the cage and I didn’t know
if this guy was going to be kicking me, headbutting me, elbowing
me. The guy charged at me and threw me all the way across the
cage, smashed me into the fence, and grabbed me in a chokehold.
The guy rams me into the cage and I looked at the referee like
“what the f*ck?” The referee was like “hey that’s
part of the rules.” I got out of that one, and put him in
one."
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Plan
Unveiled for Next HERO'S 154-lb GP
by Stephen Martinez
Kicking off the annual mixed martial arts extravaganza of shows
put together by most Japanese promoters this time of year and
coming hot on their heals of the promotion's first attempt to
"invade" the American market, Japan's largest fight
promoter, Fight Entertainment Group, announced a partial list
of names for the upcoming HERO'S 154-pound tournament to be held
at Yokohama Arena on July 16.
While
not sporting the same caliber of fighters as the now inactive
PRIDE lightweight division, HERO'S, under the guidance of ex-RINGS
head-honcho Akira Maeda, has really come around in the last three
years by building an interesting division that mixes good local
talent with international names well known in the MMA community.
Joining
current HERO'S welterweight champion Gesias Calvancanti, some
of the names officially announced by FEG include Caol Uno, Vitor
Ribeiro, Hideo Tokoro, Katsuhiko Nagata, Kazuyuki Miyata, Kultar
Gil, Shuichiro Katsumura and Alexandre Franca Nogueira.
While
FEG didn't announce any official matches or brackets, it's expected
that the upcoming HERO'S show will mark the opening round of
the welterweight tournament, taking course through the rest of
the year until the finals at K-1 Dynamite New Year's Eve show.
It's
interesting to notice that some regular names from HERO'S welterweight
division like Norifumi Yamamoto and Genki Sudo were not announced
like in previous years.
Yamamoto
is focused on pursuing a spot in the Japanese Wrestling Olympic
team leading to next year's Olympic games to be held in Beijing,
China, while Genki Sudo is currently retired from MMA activity
due to a non-official but chronic back injury. He has found a
new career in Japan: entertainment.
Also,
current 76-kilogram ADCC champion Marcelo Garcia stated he's
not interested in cutting weight down to 70-kg for his anticipated
MMA debut, ruling him out of any participation in the 155-pound
tournament for the time being. The decision also leaves him with
no other choice but to participate in the almost non-existent
76-kilo division.
Other
fighters on the card but not taking part of the middleweight
tournament are Melvin Manhoef, Taiei Kin, Katsuyori Shibata,
Bernard Ackah, and the always-entertainment Akebono.
Source: Sherdog
|
Irish
Pride: Dustin Hazelett vs. Stevie Lynch
By Sean McClure
When Dustin Hazelett first found out he was fighting Stevie Lynch
he wasn't sure what to think. This was mainly due to the fact
that Lynch has only had four pro fights in his career to date.
That isn't to so say Lynch isn't talented. He impressively won
all four fights by either submission or TKO.
"You
know, I don't know much about him really other than he claims
to be a striker and to have some good ground and pound. I watched
his fights and he looks decent at both. I am confident that my
skill is where it needs to be to win this one," said Hazelett.
Hazelett
is looking to capitalize on his last victory and make it two
in a row fighting in the Octagon. He lost his first fight despite
almost finishing Tony Desouza in the first round at UFC: The
Final Chapter. Desouza defeated an exhausted Hazelett by kimura,
but Hazelett impressed the UFC well enough in that effort to
be brought back. In his next fight, Hazelett defeated jiu-jitsu
practitioner Diego Saraiva at UFC 67 by unanimous decision. Now
at UFC 72, Dustin is looking to make it two in a row that will
almost guarantee him a spot back in the UFC.
Hazelett
is grateful for the opportunity, but not so keen on the event
being held in Ireland and having to fight a hometown boy.
"At
first I thought it was sweet to fight in Ireland because I have
Irish heritage, but then I was like, great I'm fighting this
native Irish guy and going to be hated now."
This
doesn't seem to bother him too much. He was in great spirits
about the event in general and seemed ready to go at the time
of this interview. Well, all except for that travel part.
"I
am heading out the standard week early. I don't really like to
travel that much. I mean I don't want to say I am not happy about
being there, but I am not going to be going out of my way to
see the sights or anything. I'm not a real travel kind of guy."
About
his move back up to welterweight Hazelett commented: "I
couldn't make 155 anymore without feeling depleted. It was just
too taxing on my body. I think that welterweight is a much better
fighting weight for me because I feel more comfortable there.
I walk around right now around 180 and I am already pushing the
limits. I stay in good shape and it's just so hard to make 155.
It is going to be an interesting match-up because he is dropping
from 185 I think. Should be a good fight."
Hazelett's
bout takes place at UFC 72: Victory in Belfast, Ireland on June
16. Team Jorge Gurgel’s Rich Franklin, who is a teammate
and friend of Hazelett’s, will headline the card against
Yushin Okami.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Exclusive
interview: Sokoudjou
Cameroonian talks about his origins, Henderson and Brazilians
Cameroonian
U.S. Judo Open champion Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou is a funny guy,
one of those that never misses the opportunity to crack a joke.
So much so that he considers one of the worst consequences of
the worldwide fame he recently acquired after knocking out MMA
superstars Rogerio Minotouro and Ricardo Arona to have to be
more serious than before, since so many people are watching him
now. This interview, which resembles some of the classic Bob
Dylan interviews of the 60s, where the brilliant musician - then
in his early 20s, like Sokoudjou now - made fun, although politely,
of the questions journalists asked. Read on to find out a little
bit more about the personality of this talented young man.
When
did you decide to become a fighter?
After Dan Henderson beat the living crap out of me I decided
that i had to learn MMA. It became a personal challenge for me.
Why
do you think you became a judo champion so young?
Because I love judo a lot and I worked incredibly hard every
day. Passion plus hard work increases your chances of success
considerably.
Do
you train a lot with Henderson ? What can you say you have learned
from him?
Yes I do train a lot with Henderson, it'd take me too much time
to explain you what I've learned from him, but pretty much all
I know today, I got it from him
Is
there anything in his style that you have picked up over time?
Yeah, he likes to hit hard.
What
else can you do that you still haven't shown?
If I show you, I'll have to kill you... Ha, ha, ha, hah, just
kidding. I can send smoke signals, and play drums
What
is your greatest skill?
Dancing to Michael Jackson...
What
skill do you still have to work a lot on?
There's always room to improve everything. I'm still young and
i know I have a lot to learn. That's why I'm in the gym every
day pushing myself.
Nogueira
is not only a Jiu-Jitsu black belt, but he one of the best boxers
in his country. How did you manage to knock him out like that,
without taking a single strike? Was there any luck involved?
I just had to throw a jungle hook and he wasn't ready for that.
I don't think he has ever fought anyone from the jungle like
me! Lucky punch? You tell me.
Would
you say either Nogueira or Arona made any mistake that you took
advantage of?
I don't think Nogueira made a mistake, but Arona made the mistake
to challenge my jungle style with his "jungle training"
as he calls it.
How
has your game evolved since you joined Team Quest?
Well, Team Quest showed me how to train smarter than harder.
They've helped in integrate all aspects of MMA into my own style.
You
have already defeated two of the most brilliant Brazilian fighters.
Do you think there is a future as a Brazilian slayer, like Henderson?
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha... Not really, it just happens that Brazil
has the best and toughest fighter in the sport, and I happened
to fight 2 of them.
Do
you think Brazilians fight differently, or can't you tell with
such short fights?
I don't think Brazilians fight any different then other people,
but I do know they are really good at what they do
Are
you well trained in Jiu-Jitsu?
Not really, but I'm really well trained in Jungle-Jitsu
What
kind of skill do you think is necessary to beat men like Arona
and Nogueira?
I think it all comes down to game plans, confidence and good
training.
Supposing
you get to the second round in a future fight, what is the kind
of game you prefer in longer fights? How long can you keep up
that kind of violent attack?
My training is based on 3 rounds for each fight. So whether the
fight ends early or not, I'm ready to go for distance.
How
do you define your own game?
I can't define my own game because I do not make it up; my trainers
are the ones who come up with it and all I have to do is follow
instructions.
You
probably intend to be the champion of your weight class. Who
do you think is the biggest obstacle today?
It would be disrespectfull for me to think that there are small
and big obstacles. We're all fighters and we can all be dangerous
at any given time. Judo has taught me to respect everybody.
Being
very young, do you think there are any fighters that you are
not yet prepared for?
I don't think my age has to do anything with this. It all comes
down to training, and training allows me to be ready for any
opponent.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"True
friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known
until it be lost."
Charles Caleb Colton, 1780-1832, British Author and Clergyman |
ROYCE
GRACIE TESTS POSITIVE FOR STEROIDS (UPDATED)
The California State Athletic Commission yesterday released information
verifying that former NFL star Johnnie Morton's pre-fight drug
test had come back positive for elevated levels of testosterone.
Today,
the CSAC released further test results revealing that Royce Gracie
has tested positive for the anabolic steroid Nandrolone Metabolite.
Gracie defeated Kazushi Sakuraba by unanimous decision at the
K-1 Dynamite show on June 2nd in Los Angeles, California.
Gracie
has been suspended for approximately 12 months from the date
of the fight (through May 30, 2008). He has also been fined $2,500,
which is currently the maximum penalty allowable in California
and which represents approximately 0.8 percent of Gracie's $300,000
purse. Gracie has 30 days to appeal his suspension and seek a
disciplinary hearing if he so chooses.
When
asked yesterday if the official fight result would be changed
to "no decision" if any fighter wins a fight in California
and then tests positive for steroids or other performance-enhancing
drugs, the California State Athletic Commission's Bill Douglas
told MMAWeekly, "Currently, our rules do not support overturning
a decision based off the drug test results. However, Armando
[Garcia] and I are meeting with the AG [Attorney General] next
month to begin the process of modifying the existing laws to
incorporate those rules for the future. Should everything move
along like I anticipate, I would expect to see the changes in
place by the end of the year."
If
K-1/FEG or any other MMA company with a license to promote shows
in California were to allow Gracie to fight anywhere in the world
during his CSAC drug suspension, that company could face revocation
of their license to promote shows in California.
The
same is true for any MMA promotion that uses Hong-Man Choi or
Antonio Silva, both of whom were denied licenses to fight in
California on medical grounds, due to tumors near their pituitary
glands. The CSAC's Bill Douglas tells MMAWeekly that if a promotion
places a "denied" athlete such as Choi or Silva in
a fight, "We have a problem. If the promoter is licensed
with California and they knowingly placed a 'denied' athlete
in a fight, then the promoter is looking at having their promoter's
license suspended, they are looking at a fine, or they could
possibly have their promoter's license revoked."
K-1
has announced that Choi will be fighting on a K-1 event in Hong
Kong on July 29th, which could jeopardize K-1's ability to hold
any additional shows in California in the future.
Morton's
punishment has not yet been handed down, but he may face revocation
of his license to fight in California. Because he refused to
take his post-fight drug test, Morton's $100,000 fight purse
has been temporarily withheld until disciplinary action is determined.
Prior
to Gracie and Morton's positive test results, heavyweight fighter
Tim Persey, who fought on the EliteXC portion of the event televised
on Showtime, tested positive for methamphetamine. He was subsequently
fined $1,000, equal to five percent of his $20,000 fight purse,
and suspended for six months.
The
following fighters tested negative for all banned substances
at K-1 Dynamite: Brock Lesnar, Min Soo Kim, Kazushi Sakuraba,
Bernard Ackah, Jake Shields, Ido Pariente, Jonathan Wiezorek,
Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante, Nam Phan, Katsuhiko Nagata,
Isaiah Hill, Hideo Tokoro, Brad Pickett, Siala "Mighty Mo"
Siliga, Ruben "Warpath" Villarreal, Dong Sik Yoon,
and Melvin Manhoef.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Got
Skills Championships!
Source: Event Promoter
|
K-1
in Hong Kong
The promotion announced today that they will run the Asia World-Expo
Arena on July 29th in Hong Kong, with Badr Hari defending the
K-1 Heavyweight title. Also scheduled on the show: Remy Bonjasky,
Choi Hong-Man, Musashi, Yusuke Fujimoto, Hiraku Hori, Nicolas
Pettas, Randy Kim, and many other South Korean fighters.
The
inclusion of Hong-Man’s name on the list is interesting
because Armando Garcia stated on Sherdog radio that he did not
want to see Hong-Man participate elsewhere in fighting (unless
he filed for an appeal with the CSAC and was successful) due
to failing medical requirements to fight on the K-1 Dynamite
event.
K-1
announced a return date to Las Vegas on August 17th. Plus, Sankei
Sports is reporting that we may see the K-1 return of Bob Sapp
against Peter Aerts on June 24th in Holland.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
For
Immediate Release
Hip-Hop
Meets MMA At “Shamrock vs Baroni”
Live
Performance by Rich Boy Friday, June 22 at HP Pavilion, San Jose,
Calif.
San
Jose, CA; June 9, 2007 – Interscope Records hip-hop star,
Rich Boy, will become the first major recording artist to perform
at a mixed martial arts event when he takes the stage during
"Shamrock vs. Baroni,” the Strikeforce-EliteXC co-produced
world championship fight card that will be televised live on
pay-per-view from San Jose, California’s HP Pavilion on
Friday, June 22.
The
22-year-old Rich Boy (www.richboyonline.com, www.myspace.com/richboy)
shot to stardom last year when “Throw Some D’s,”
the lead single from his self-titled, debut LP, catapulted to
the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s rap chart and the No. 6 slot
on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The album, released on March
13th of this year, reached as high as No. 3 on Billboard 200,
which rates the top 200 selling music albums, after being placed
in heavy rotation on both MTV and BET.
The
artist’s follow-up single, “Boy Looka Here,” was
featured in 2006’s Rocky Balboa, the final chapter of Sylvester
Stallone’s legendary boxing saga. The hit track was produced
by Atlanta, Georgia’s Polow Da Don, who has been working
on projects with a number of other prominent urban music stars,
including G Unit’s Young Buck, Young Jeezy, Gwen Stefani,
and Mya. Polow Da Don is also a member of Atlanta-based rap group,
Jim Crow.
In
addition to Polow, Rich Boy boasts a number of other, A-list
production credits including “crunk” pioneer, Lil Jon,
and Khari “Needlz” Cain, who rose to power through
his creation of hit tracks for rap superstars 50 Cent (“Piggy
Bank” and “God Gave Me Style”), Young Buck (“Let
Me In”) and The Game (“Special”). The beats featured
on Rich Boy’s album have been described as “intoxicating”
and the lyrics offer a look into the experiences that made the
artist the man he is.
A
native of Mobile, Alabama and the son of a liquor store owner,
Rich Boy, whose real name is Marece Richards, felt the lure of
street life on a daily basis during his adolescent and teen years.
Thanks to the strong will of his mother who pulled him in the
opposite direction and brought him to church on a regular basis,
Rich Boy persevered to overcome the pitfalls of his neighborhood
and was eventually accepted to Tuskegee University as a mechanical
engineering major.
During
his first semester in college, Rich Boy had a meeting with fate
when he befriended a schoolmate who had a hobby of creating original
beats. Intrigued by what he heard, he asked his new acquaintance
to teach him the craft. Within one year after Rich Boy began
creating original music, former world boxing champion, Roy Jones,
Jr, who has dabbled in the world of hip-hop, began purchasing
tracks from the aspiring, new talent. The interest others showed
in his music convinced Rich Boy to leave school and pursue his
dream of becoming a successful producer.
While
struggling to get his tracks heard on the radio airwaves in Mobile,
Rich Boy began rapping over his own beats and, eventually, crossed
paths with Polow and another prominent figure in the music industry,
Mannie Fresh, the former in-house producer for Cash Money Records.
During a trip to Atlanta, Rich Boy signed with Polow’s Zone
4 Entertainment, which later partnered with music industry powerhouse,
Interscope Records.
Growing
up, Rich Boy was heavily influenced by a number of Southern rap
legends, including Too Short, 8-Ball and MJG, and UGK.
“Shamrock
vs. Baroni” will be headlined by the long-anticipated showdown
between former UFC middleweight champion and King Of Pancrase,
Frank Shamrock, and UFC and Pride veteran, “The New York
Badass” Phil Baroni. At stake in the main event will be
the vacant Strikeforce world middleweight (185 pound limit) championship.
The
live Pay Per View event will be distributed by SHOWTIME®
PPV beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with a suggested retail
price of $34.95 and including up to six live matches. For more
information and to order “Shamrock vs. Baroni,” viewers
should contact their pay-per-view provider.
Additional
undercard matches will be streamed free and live on the internet
at www.ProElite.com and www.strikeforceusa.net.
Ticket
prices for “Shamrock vs. Baroni” start at $30 and are
on sale at Ticketmaster (408-998-TIXS) and Ticketmaster online
(www.ticketmaster.com) as well as at the HP Pavilion box office
(408-287-7070).
The
star-studded event will also feature the return of undefeated
world San Shou kickboxing champion and middleweight mixed martial
arts contender, Cung Le (strikeforceusa.net, cungle.proelite.com),
who will face his greatest test to date in Tony “The Freak”
Fryklund.
Strikeforce’s
latest recruit, 2003 K-1 North America tournament champion, Carter
Williams (strikeforceusa.net, carterwilliams.proelite.com), will
meet hard-hitting Paul Buentello (strikeforceusa.net, paulbuentello.proelite.com)
in a heavyweight matchup.
In
another top-notch bout, EliteXC’s Charles “Krazy Horse”
Bennett (krazyhorse.proelite.com), who is coming off a stunning,
upset knockout victory over EliteXC’s KJ Noons (kjnoons.proelite.com),
will take on Victor “Joe Boxer” Valenzuela (joeboxer.proelite.com).
EliteXC
fighters, Joey Villasenor (joeyvillasenor.proelite.com) and former
Pride star, Murilo “Ninja” Rua (murilorua.proelite.com),
will lock horns for the vacant EliteXC middleweight title. On
February 10th, Villasenor pulled off a shocking upset by outmaneuvering
and, eventually earning a unanimous decision over EliteXC’s
David “The Crow” Loiseau (thecrow.proelite.com). Villasenor’s
career is highlighted by a 15 fight-winning streak put together
between December 2002 and April 2006. A member of the famed Chute
Boxe fight squad in Brazil, Rua was last seen in action on September
30th when he submitted British kickboxer Mark Weir (markweir.proelite.com),
with an arm triangle choke in the second round of their meeting.
Strikeforce
star and Pride and UFC veteran, Josh “The Punk” Thomson,
will take on Nick “The Ghost” Gonzalez, an elusive
striker from Austin, Texas, who boasts five professional boxing
bouts and an appearance in K-1 Max competition in Japan. In 2006,
Thomson put together a splendid year of fighting by defeating
three straight opponents over the course of six months. Gonzalez
is looking to extend his win streak to four consecutive bouts.
UFC
veteran and K-1 Max star, Duane “Bang” Ludwig, will
go head to head with British Cage Rage champion, Paul “Semtex”
Daley, in a bout that will be shown to viewers should there be
sufficient time remaining on the Pay Per View broadcast following
the first three of six main card bouts scheduled to air live.
“Shamrock
vs. Baroni” is co-produced by ProElite, Inc., the parent
company of EliteXC, and Strikeforce.
About
ProElite, Inc.
ProElite,
Inc. delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the
world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment
events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and
community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the
Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor,
integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while remaining
inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live
fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight
events that showcase the world’s top fighters. ProElite’s
interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing
popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community
of mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the
most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan
base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online
social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations.
ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM
About
Strikeforce
Strikeforce
is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which,
on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock
vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts
fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza,
which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion,
played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. The rapidly
growing organization recently re-launched its website, www.strikeforceusa.net,
which boasts a bold new look and all-new features, including
video streaming capability. Since 1995, Strikeforce has been
the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and,
after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing
promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series
with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”
About
Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime
Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation,
owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®,
THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex
channels SHOWTIME® TOO™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME
EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME
WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE® and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers
SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND™
and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™. All SNI feeds provide
enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI is also an owner
and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL, a venture of NBC Universal,
Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks,
a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution.
SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for
exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME®
PPV.
For
more information and fighter interviews, contact Mike Afromowitz,
(917) 566-8754 or muaythaimes@aol.com.
Source: Mike Afromowitz
|
Quote
of the Day
“A
forest bird never wants a cage.”
Henrik Ibsen, 1828-1906, Norwegian Playwright
|
Anderson
Silva
"It is the end of the heavy weights party when Rodrigo goes
into the UFC"
Training
and helping the friends
Champion
of the category Welterweight of the UFC, Anderson Silva is the
kind of man who trains hard everyday, he is disciplined and always
tries to be the best one and helps his friend. So, Anderson Silva
is in Rio de Janeiro city training hard with the Black House
team, especially with his friend Rodrigo Minotauro, who he helped
a lot to be now into the UFC. “I think the party of the
heavy athlete’s ones finished now after Rodrigo gets into
the UFC. For me, this is the heavy one guy. But we will still
training hard together so he will be able to do the same thing
he did in the Pride”, said Anderson Silva in exclusive interview
to site TATAME. Check it out now:
Are
you and Rodrigo going to with which goal?
We
are going there to do the Ultimate promotion and because of our
bout that will be held on June 07th. We are going there because
it is also good to go, they need to know us. Of course that we
are already know there, Rodrigo is already a great champion over
there, but it is also good to be in other countries. We will
go there do our job.
What
do you know about your adversary’s game? What do you want
to do?
I
hope to keep doing my jog in a serious way. I am training hard,
he is a tough adversary and he deserves to be there disputing
a title, he deserves all my respect. Of course that all the adversaries
deserve my respect, but he specially is coming to take the belt.
I want now to keep this belt for three years, this is my goal.
You
are always using some new techniques and you are using the elbow
blow…
We
are always using Muay Thai techniques, but of course that there
is always something that we are training more and harder and
it works. So let’s wait to see if something new happens.
Did
you use the elbow blow with Rich Franklin?
I
tried with Rich Franklin, but it didn’t happen. He used
three elbow blows and thanks God I was able to defend myself.
If I wasn’t paying attention during that three moments of
his tries to use the elbow blow, it would be the end right there.
Who
do you think is the toughest guy of your category?
I
think it would be a guy just like me hey? But I think Rich Franklin
is also the man. I think that Rich Franklin and I we are the
best ones of the category.
What
about the heavy category? What are you expecting about Minotauro
into the UFC?
I
think it is the end of the heavy weights party when Rodrigo goes
there. I am not the best person to answer that, because for me
he is the best one in the heavy weight. But we will still training
together and hard so he will be able to do the same things he
did in the Pride.
What
about Jucão? You already faced him and today you both
train together and are big friends. What do you have to talk
about his Muay Thai?
He
is doing his job with humility; he is following the right way.
The time says who really deserves to be there and he is doing
the right thing and he has everything needed to get this category
belt.
How
is your training in Rio ?
I
can train at the Black House during the morning; do the gym with
Rogerão during the afternoon. I also train during the
afternoon the BJJ with no gi with Sylvio Behring. During the
night I train with Vitor, Feijão, Jucão, with everyone.
How
is your train with gi with Behring?
I
always liked that. BJJ, for me, is an essential thing for fighting
MMA. If you fall on the ground, you must have always a secret
hidden.
On
your last confrontation, you did show a complete ground game...
Of
course, with all of these trainings with them, something should
happen (laughs). You must be always training and with consequences.
Some times I sleep there. I think we are doing the right thing,
this is a good job.
Source: Tatame
|
Rodrigo
Minotauro
"I’m 30 years old and able to negotiate my own stuffs
I know what is good to me, BTT is an excellent place for me to
train"
Talking
about the politics
After
the last facts about the career of Rodrigo Minotauro, the deal
with the UFC and the politics with the BTT team, the black belt
participated of an exclusive interview to site TATAME and told
us how he got into the UFC. “Anderson Silva gave me the
contact of Dana White”, said Nogueira, who is waiting the
return of Murilo Bustamante from to finish this politics with
the team. “When Murilo be back from we will talk about it
and give a solution to all this misunderstanding”, said
Minotauro. During the interview, he also analyzed the victory
of Napão under Cro Cop. “Napão was perfect
and he used a perfect strategy, he was superior during the whole
bout”. Check out now the complete interview:
How
you got your contract with UFC?
Anderson
Silva got me in contact with Dana White about four months ago.
But the proposal was made when I went to UFC Fight Night to help
Roan Carneiro.
Why
you made this decision to get a contract with UFC without BTT´s
support?
I
have to thank Anderson Silva, it was his idea and his manager
Eddie also helped a lot. I’m 30 years old and able to negotiate
my own stuffs I know what is good to me, BTT is an excellent
place for me to train but I got this contract thru Anderson Silva
and his manager.
It
means that you are going out of BTT?
No.
I didn’t take any decision to leave BTT. I’m waiting
Master Murilo Bustamante arrives from ADCC. As soon as he arrives
we will talk and set everything up. What happened is that I got
the invitation of Mr. Dana White and couldn’t get in contact
with BTT people before sign the contract, but I know it will
be good to me and, if they are together with me, it will be good
for them too.
In
case you don’t came to an agreement and you leave BTT, will
you made your own team?
I’m
not thinking about that by now. As soon as Murilo returns from
we will talk and came to an agreement.
How
you evaluate Gonazaga´s win over Mirko?
Gonzaga
was perfect and used a perfect strategy; He was superior during
the whole fight. It was not just a kick. If He fights that way
against Randy, he has great chances to win. Gonzaga already proved
in Brazil He is a top BJJ fighter and now He showed that He is
also an excellent MMA fighter too.
Looks
like Mirko had problems with UFC rules. How will you deal with
elbows rules?
I
started fighting MMA in the octagon. In the ring sometimes they
stop the fight when it’s going out of the ring and that
never happen in the octagon what is better for the one who looks
for submissions. Elbows are not bad for me, because when the
opponent tries to use elbows He will open space for my submission
attacks. Also I never liked soccer kicks and stomps. I think
that’s for street fights.
Is
there anyone who you want to fight in UFC?
I’ll
be ready to face anyone, but I always wanted to face Randy Couture
who I really admire as a fighter. I saw him doing great fights
with Victor, Liddell so I would love to face him.
Source: Tatame
|
IFL’s
got it right in some areas
The
IFL kicks off its relationship with USA Wrestling this weekend
at the World Team Trials according to an article at NBC Sports.
For all the things wrong with the IFL, aligining itself with
USA Wrestling is great for both parties. USA Wrestling gets TV
exposure and the IFL will have a talent pool of great wrestlers
to draw from. But that’s not the only thing the IFL is doing
right. They have the right mindset in terms of educating people
about the various facets of the sport. The event this weekend
is a demonstration of how wrestling can be translated to the
world of MMA.
Read
on…
“Our
goal is to not have wrestling overshadowed,” IFL commissioner
and co-founder Kurt Otto said. “We want to work with USA
Wrestling as a vehicle to educate wrestlers about MMA. The more
they come to clinics, they’ll see it’s not human cockfighting.
It’s a pure sport.”
Not
only does it allow wrestlers to see how wrestling is involved
with MMA, it lets fans see how wrestling is a huge part of MMA.
For those who are just now becoming fans of the sport due to
increased media exposure, there are a lot of things to learn.
And this is a step in the right direction to educating fans about
MMA and all the various martial arts involved.
“It’s
one more piece to the puzzle as far as taking MMA mainstream,”
Otto said. “We feel comfortable working with them.”
Exactly.
It’s all about making the sport legitimate.
Kurt
Otto has the correct mindset as far as the sport goes. Educate
the people about technique and the sport becomes much more exciting
and accepted. This weekend, Matt Lindland and IFL fighter Bryan
Vettell will hold clinics to show how wrestling techniques can
be applied to MMA. If the IFL was smart, they would tape some
of the clinics and air them on IFL Battleground. Educating more
people about things other than striking is great for the sport.
I
have a feeling it will be all for naught, though, considering
that the IFL’s financial future doesn’t look so good
at this point. Oh well, at least they’re trying.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
“Art
is not a mirror with which to reflect reality, but a hammer with
which to shape it.”
Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German Poet and Playwright
|
Got
Skills Returns!
WHAT -
GOT SKILLS EVENT
WHEN - JUNE 22, 2007 (FRIDAY)
WHERE - WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
CORY FREITAS 130 TBA
ANIMAL HOUSE
TONY PERERRA 145 JUSTIN WONG
WAIANAE KICKBOXING HMC
GARY REBALLIZSA 140 JUMAR ESCOSIO
INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING ANIMAL HOUSE
JUSTIN DANO 170 DEAN LISTA
HSD HMC
ALIKA VELAROSA 230 KOLOA KAHALEWAI
ANIMAL HOUSE TEAM ANILAND
SAGE YOSHIDA 125 PAUL VARQUEZ
HMC EWA FREESTYLE GRAPPLING
DESHAUN JOHNSON 135 THOMAS MATHIAS
ANIMAL HOUSE WAIANAE KICKBOXING
VAN SHIROMA 145 JORDAN FATTORA
HMC ANIMAL HOUSE
TONY BELEN 165 MATTHEW FISHER
INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING TEAM ISLAND THUNDER
FRANKIE HILONGO 135 DICKIE REBALLIZSA
ANIMAL HOUSE INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING
KAWENA CORPUZ 155 ERIN GUILLORY
BIG TYME FIGHT FREELANCE
A.J. LANI 145 PAUL LOPES
INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING JESUS IS LORD
CLIFF NAMOC 200 TBA
EWA FREESTYLE GRAPPLING HAWAII CHINESE KENPO
MERVIN LINKE 165 KALANI AQUIN
TEAM ANILAND BIG TYME FIGHT
JOSHUA SILVA 135 RONNIE VILLAHAMOSA
BULLSPEN EWA FREESTYLE GRAPPLING
ALL MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Derrick Bright |
Pequeno
receives a tribute from Shooto
After
giving back the belt of the Shooto at the TATAME magazine address
for the president of the entity in Brazil André Pederneiras,
the athlete Alexandre Pequeno was expecting to receive the tribute
of his seven title defenses, promised by the organization of
the Japanese Shooto. The belt was given by Daniel Otero and Marco
Loro on May 18th, when they both fought at the Japanese Shooto.
The fighters brought with them the tribute made by the Shooto
especially to Alexandre Pequeno. “They never did something
like that with a fighter not from Japan. This is a big recognize
of what Pequeno did for all over these years defending the Shooto
belt”, said André Pederneiras, who was the responsible
of giving the tribute to Pequeno, in his academy in Rio de Janeiro.
Source: Tatame
|
Producer
of ADCC and Bodog Fight at TATAME TV
The
trusty man of Sheik Tahoon Miguel Iturrati talked exclusively
to site TATAME in a video you may check out at the TATAME TV
in English. The producer of the big events ADCC and Bodog Fight
commented about his expectations about the Pride and the UFC
together now, beyond talking about the last edition of the ADCC
that was held in . “The UFC and the Pride are two big companies
and I wanted to see how it going to be. There were two different
rules, two big different companies, but I think it will be hardest
now for the athletes, I don’t know”, said Iturrati,
who also commented about his love about organizing the ADCC.
“I love this show; I have been dedicating myself for it
for the last five years. Organizing this event, see its changes,
its evolutions, it is everything pretty good”, told.
Source: Tatame
|
From
Underdog to Favorite, Sanchez Looks to Make a Statement at UFC
72
/>Eddie
Sanchez won’t lie. He enjoyed the attention that came with
his February fight against Mirko Cro Cop, the photo shoots, autographs,
interviews, but he also knew that he was the foil, the one expected
to lose to the thunderous Croatian striker who was making his
UFC debut after a long career fighting for the K-1 and PRIDE
organizations in Japan.
So
he knew what his interviewers were thinking as they peppered
him with questions leading up to the UFC 67 bout, which was only
Sanchez’ second in the Octagon and ninth overall.
“Who’s
this guy, it’s his second fight in the UFC,” said Sanchez,
assuming what was going through the heads of those speaking to
him. “He comes in as a late replacement in his first fight,
knocks the guy out, and now he’s fighting Cro Cop. They’re
throwing Cro Cop a biscuit.”
Sanchez
didn’t care though. He knew it wasn’t personal, just
part of the game. And if he was able to shock the MMA community
and beat Cro Cop, the world would be his for the taking. And
he fought off the usual nerves and planned to make that possibility
a reality against one of his fighting heroes on February 3rd.
But
then the bell rang, and everything fell apart.
“I
beat myself,” admitted Sanchez, who was stopped at 4:33
of the first round by Cro Cop. “I’m not saying I have
cement in my head like (former UFC heavyweight) Cabbage (Correira),
but I can take a shot and I just psyched myself out. I haven’t
been in the sport that long, and then I was fighting one of my
idols. I was like ‘oh man, I can’t believe I’m
here now.’ And that’s what separates the men from the
mice, when you step into these challenges and overcome them.
I’m not saying I walked away with my tail between my legs
– I went out there and did what I could, but I let the anxiety
and nerves take over.”
It
was obvious from the outset that it wasn’t the same Sanchez
who had knocked out another favorite, Mario Neto, in the second
round at UFC 63 last September. This Sanchez wasn’t aggressive,
swinging for the fences, and living up to his nickname of ‘The
Manic Hispanic’. On this night in Las Vegas, the 24-year
old fought like ‘The Panicked Hispanic’ as he backpedaled,
threw wild haymakers that had no chance of landing, and was eventually
mounted on the mat and stopped. It was the expected result –
to everyone but Sanchez, who took the defeat hard.
“It
was a different feeling, the first loss especially,” he
said. “You look at the caliber of fighter you fought, but
a loss is a loss and I’m still pissed off about it. It wasn’t
just about getting a paycheck. But I take all that aggression
and frustration, put it in a bag and store it away. I’m
starting fresh now.”
And
being in the eye of the storm like that, even if he came out
of it with a loss, is a learning experience few fighters at his
level of pro experience can claim. It’s something that –
if applied properly - can only make him better moving forward.
And if he has taken this experience and learned from it, the
first signs will show when he takes on local hero Colin Robinson
this Saturday night at UFC 72 in Belfast. Ironically, he will
probably enter this fight as a favorite for the first time in
a UFC bout.
“Underdog
or favorite, I’m there to fight,” said Sanchez. “I’m
honored that I’m the favorite, but I could care less really.
My first loss made me really open my eyes and see what I have
to do to really stay at that level with fighters at that world-class
level, and it’s hard. I feel like I’m on top of the
world. I’m ready to go, want to do this right now, and I
can fight in Ireland and show the way I really do fight, like
I did against Neto.”
Against
Neto, a highly respected Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt who had been in
with the likes of Dan Severn, Gary Goodridge, Kevin Randleman,
and Justin McCully, Sanchez said he would end the fight with
his right hand, and he did.
“It
was like Babe Ruth calling his shot,” laughed Sanchez, who
despite his power and his ability to survive some of Cro Cop’s
bombs before getting stopped, isn’t looking past the 9-2
Robinson, who will be making his UFC debut at 38 before a crowd
packed with his hometown fans.
“Everyone’s
dangerous,” said Sanchez. “Anyone can knock anybody
out. I have a good chin, but I’m not gonna come in there
thinking that I fought the number two heavyweight in the world
and that this guy doesn’t have a chance against me. Everyone’s
dangerous. Look at Houston Alexander against Keith Jardine. I’m
gonna play this fight smart, follow my gameplan, and get the
knockout.”
And
after being intimately acquainted with the UFC jitters, Sanchez
knows that what Robinson will be experiencing for the first time
can sometimes be more debilitating than any right cross to the
jaw.
“He’s
gonna be hyped up, but when you’re fighting in front of
everyone you know, you’ve got to have some nerves going,
especially fighting someone who just fought Cro Cop,” said
Sanchez. “This is the pinnacle of fighting. Has he ever
fought in a show half of this?”
Nope,
but Eddie Sanchez has, and he’s looking to erase the memory
of his loss to Cro Cop with a performance that stamps his name
among the top young prospects in the heavyweight division.
“This
fight is gonna be 100% aggression,” he said. “I’m
gonna make a statement that I belong here, contending with the
Nogueiras, Gonzagas, and Cro Cops. I’m young and haven’t
been in the sport that long, but I want to belong here and I
want to make that statement. This fight is gonna be me versus
Neto times a hundred. It’s gonna be crazy, and I’m
gonna have the same tenacity as Wanderlei Silva – I promise.”
Source: UFC
|
Quote
of the Day
“The
secret of discipline is motivation. When a man is sufficiently
motivated, discipline will take care of itself.”
Sir Alexander Paterson, 1884-1947, English Penologist
|
Free
Icon Martial Arts & Fitness Super Seminar!
Saturday,
June 16, 2007
Time: 11:00 AM - ?
Cost: FREE!
Location: Icon Martial Arts & Fitness Center (behind KFC
on Kalanianaole Hwy)
How to you get a ton of guys to check out your brand new state
of the art martial arts and fitness center?
Book four of the baddest men on the planet for a seminar and
charge nothing!
Yup,
you heard it right, No dolla dolla bills ya'll!
Call
the Icon Sport gym at 373-ICON (4266) to reserve your spot because
they can only hold so many people.
Unless
you were living under a rock for the last 15 years (or maybe
still in diapers), I shouldn't have to introduce the fab four
to you, but I will anyway...
Rigan Machado - One of the famed Machado brothers and multiple
time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion and instructor, author, video
and TV star (multiple appearances with his student Chuck Norris
on Walker, Texas Ranger [One of the best TV shows of all time
I might add]), and long time gatekeeper of the famed Barra Gracie.
Rico
Chiapparelli - One of many champions under wrestling legend Dan
Gable at Iowa. NCAA Division I wrestling champion and MMA training
pioneer who guided Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, and Frank Trigg,
among numerous others, to greatness. The founder of LA Sub X
where the best grapplers in the world are matched one on one.
A true wrestlers' wrestler and trainers' trainer... and a model
(sorry Rico, I had to slip that in).
Rob
Kaman - The best kickboxer of all time bar none. One of the first
if not the first non-Thai to compete in Thailand and become a
champion as well as dominate the kickboxing world as a whole.
Matt
Hume - Founder of AMC in Washington, judge for Pride, trainer
extrodaire. Matt Hume is one of the main reasons why MMA is where
it is today. He competed in the first MMA shows, he trained the
first complete MMA fighters, he organized one of the MMA regulating
bodies. Matt Hume is a mastermind in the art of MMA and one of
the few people in the world that is truly qualified to teach
ALL aspects of MMA.
Source: The Vince
|
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller Seminar
July 1,
2007
Location: HMC
Cost: $35
 |
|
Tyson
Griffin and the Benefits of Short-Term Memory
You’ve
heard it a thousand times before, if not more. An athlete loses
when he isn’t expected to and then discusses the defeat.
“I don’t want to make excuses,” he begins.
“But…”
And
the excuse follows. To be fair, some excuses for defeat are legitimate,
and when it comes to highly competitive people, sometimes the
only way they can move forward is to dismiss a setback as being
the result of something out of their control.
But
then there’s Tyson Griffin. A highly touted lightweight
on the rise with a bucket load of positive notices, a first round
UFC win, and an unbeaten record, Griffin was expected by many
to roll over unheralded Jersey kid Frank Edgar at UFC 67 in February.
It
didn’t work out that way, and after a memorable and fast-paced
three round scrap, it was Edgar whose hand was raised in victory
after scoring a close but unanimous decision in what was deemed
the card’s fight of the night. But Griffin, despite dealing
with the trauma of losing his first pro fight and the disappointment
of possibly being a few ticks of the clock away from a submission
win as he locked in a kneebar on Edgar in the closing seconds
of the bout, had no qualms about the decision, no excuses for
the defeat, and didn’t even use the old standby of taking
his opponent lightly.
“That
was actually a tough fight on paper for me,” said Griffin.
“Everyone else looked at it like it was a crazy mismatch
and I’m sure there were a ton of people who lost money betting
on me, but I looked him (Edgar) up and he was an NCAA qualifier
all four years of college and that’s a big accomplishment.
I never even wrestled on that high a level of Division I wrestling,
so for me, when I looked at it, that was a tough fight and I
did not overlook him. The one thing that did surprise me was
his hands. He knew how to box and that was the only big surprise.”
Seeing
Edgar gut his way through the crushing kneebar raised the Californian’s
eyebrows as well.
“That
was another surprise,” he chuckled. “He was definitely
a tough kid and he took some damage in his knee. I can’t
say I ripped any ligaments for sure, but I heard a couple cracks.
I had the kneebar straight the first time and then when I readjusted
it and put it under my armpit, I heard a couple more pops. So
he’s definitely tough, he took some pain, and that’s
why he’s good and why he’s gonna be one of those guys
that’s gonna be the next big prospect.”
No
‘buts’, no ‘ifs’, no ‘I should haves’
or ‘I could haves’. In other words, no excuses.
What’s
the secret?
“I
learn from it,” said Griffin of the first loss of his nine
bout pro career. “I tend to have short-term memory and you
need to have that in competition in general, whether it’s
MMA, wrestling or playing baseball. There’s only so much
you can complain about. What’s done is done. If you let
it affect you tomorrow, next week, or next month, it’s going
to make you a worse fighter. Just like my big wins, I’ve
forgotten about them and moved on. So I had a big loss, I’ve
forgotten about it and moved on.”
A
week from today, Griffin moves on to Belfast, Northern Ireland
to take on energetic fellow prospect Clay Guida, who is also
coming off a loss (via decision to Din Thomas). On paper, given
the aggressive styles of both fighters and their talent levels,
this could very well be the fight that steals the UFC 72 show.
The 23-year old agrees – with a qualifier.
“It’s
funny that you said that because after I found out who I was
fighting and I started looking at the lineup on the card, I thought
about that,” said Griffin when asked about the possibility
of putting on the fight of the night with Guida next Saturday.
“The last fight, I had fight of the night and he was a wrestler
so I really didn’t know about styles matching up. But I
know how Clay Guida fights and I looked at that and chuckled
to myself like, ‘cool, I might get a little bonus and have
fight of the night again.’ (Laughs) At the same time, I
don’t know if I enjoy ruining people’s expectations
or what, but maybe I’ll just go out there and finish him
early and get submission of the night and everybody will be upset
that it wasn’t fight of the night. I’ve tended to go
against the grain. When I was the underdog, I ended up winning,
and in my last fight, I was supposed to win and I ended up losing.
So who knows what’s gonna happen.”
What
you can take to the bank is that Griffin will be prepared - mentally
and physically - and will be coming to fight. For the physical
end of things, he’s relocated from Santa Rosa, California
to Las Vegas, and as a member of the Xtreme Couture team, you
know he’s been put through the wringer in the gym in order
to get ready for the bout. It’s not the first time he’s
prepared for a fight in Vegas, but now as a resident, it changes
the dynamic for him a bit.
“It
was actually a slow decision for me,” he said of the choice
to move to Nevada. “The first time I came out here was when
(middleweight contender) Dave Terrell fought Scott Smith and
I came to support him and train with him. The next time I decided
to come out was when I fought Duane Ludwig and I realized that
the quality of training and the level of training partners here
was the best I had ever experienced. In California, I had to
do a lot of traveling to train with some of the Cesar Gracie
guys and it’s not as close in geographic terms as people
would think. We ended up doing a lot of traveling to get the
quality training and it was a big hassle and headache. So after
training here for Duane Ludwig, I came out again for my first
UFC fight and got submission of the night for the David Lee fight.
So financially, I could afford it and I just made the decision
to move. I felt I was getting better out here and it was a better
environment for me training wise, and being around the people
out here was motivating.”
And
though he admits that being away from family and friends has
taken him out of his comfort zone a bit, it’s something
he felt he needed to do to progress as a fighter and take his
career to the next level. Of course, he hasn’t done too
badly so far in his two and a half year stint as a pro, winning
his first eight bouts, all by KO, TKO, or submission, including
victories over prominent striker ‘Bang’ Ludwig, and
the current WEC featherweight champion, Urijah Faber. It was
the TKO of Faber in 2005 that has gotten the most notice, especially
given the amount of media coverage ‘The California Kid’
has garnered in the last few weeks leading up to his title defense
win over Chance Farrar on June 3rd. It’s got to be strange
for Griffin to see a fighter he beat ascend to stardom right
before his eyes, right?
“It’s
great, and he’s a great fighter still,” said Griffin
of Faber. “He deserves all that stuff that he gets. It does
get a little discouraging to hear him say that the win wasn’t
deserved and that he hit his head and was affected. Whatever.
He should just admit that he got beat and move on. As a fighter
I respect him and it’s great that he’s getting all
that coverage, but as a person he’s starting to get annoying.”
He
chuckles, knowing that if Faber subscribed to his method of short-term
memory, we wouldn’t be having this conversation now. It’s
a philosophy Griffin picked up the hard way.
“I
attribute it to my high school,” explains Griffin, a multi-sport
athlete. “We probably had one of the worst football teams
in our conference. I think we won three or four games in four
years, and there’s only so much you can do in situations
like that, and beating yourself over the head about it is just
gonna stress you out. I wouldn’t say that’s all of
it, but I’ve been playing sports my whole life, from ice
hockey to bowling, I’ve played sports at high levels and
you’ve got to have short-term memory. I’ve been lucky
enough to experience some sports psychologists, and I don’t
see them on a regular basis, but at a hockey camp once we talked
about it, and even in a fight you have to have short-term memory.
You get hit in the face, and if you worry about getting hit again,
you’re gonna forget your next step. It’s one of the
biggest things for a high-level athlete – forget and move
on, whether it’s minute to minute, second to second, or
day to day.”
Did
he say hockey? Yeah, yeah, I know the Anaheim Ducks just won
the Stanley Cup, but Northern California isn’t really known
as a hockey hotbed.
“One
of my best friends growing up was originally from Boston,”
said Griffin. “He grew up playing ice hockey and got me
into it. And not only do you not find Californians playing hockey,
I’m half-black so that was the big joke too, that I was
the token black guy on my ice hockey team. (Laughs) At some point
I almost moved out to Boston to live with him and his relatives.
We were going to move there to go to high school and play hockey
there, and it definitely would have ruined my career as a fighter.”
It
looks like he’s made the right choice, but admit it, you
would get a charge out of seeing the 5-6 lightweight scoring
a double leg takedown on 6-6, 215-pound Ducks defenseman Chris
Pronger and pounding him out before the referees broke up the
action. But for now, we’ll have to settle for Tyson Griffin
doing his work in the Octagon, where his future is brighter than
it would have ever been on ice. And he’s ready for whatever
he’ll face there.
“I
know that I can compete with the best that are out there and
with the opportunity to do so, I will,” he said. “In
my third fight, I fought Urijah Faber and no one thought I was
ready. Me and my camp did and I came out with a convincing win.
In my seventh fight I fought Duane Ludwig, and again, nobody
thought I was ready for it. I looked at it and I thought I was,
and I won. Now looking at everything, I still think I’m
ready for the biggest and best competition out there. With the
opportunity to do so, I’ll either prove myself right or
prove myself wrong, and that’s just what I’m waiting
for.”
Source:
UFC |
McCrory
proving that the Kids with Glasses can Throw Down
“What’s
a barn cat?”
“Feral
cats that nobody takes care of – they eat out of your dumpster
and stuff. A friend of ours said that they are pound for pound
the most ferocious animals alive.”
June
3, 2006 – Tamdan McCrory, 6 foot 4 and 170 pounds soaking
wet, enters a ring for the first time as a professional mixed
martial artist. He doesn’t look the part, since he wears
his glasses into the ring – not as a gimmick, but to see.
But when the bell rings, the barn cat comes out.
“In
my first fight, I kinda just went out there and freaked out and
went crazy on him,”
said McCrory of his 79 second stoppage of John Jenner. “I
was going nuts and my coaches were wondering whether they should
throw me in there because I was freaking out backstage. But yeah,
I ran out there and decided ‘let’s go get the job done.’”
He
got the job done, and 13 days later he did it again, taking out
Bobby Dias in the second round. This time his trainers had a
surprise for him.
“After
my first fight, they said ‘you’re like a barn cat,’”
he remembered. “It was always a little joke. But my second
fight, they put it on the card for the announcer and didn’t
even tell me – then it stuck.”
Seven
more wins without a loss have followed for the 20-year old Ithaca,
NY native, and every time out, the philosophy is the same.
“Go
out there, get it done quick, and put ‘em down as fast as
I can, however I can,” he said. “Of course it’s
chilled out a bit since then and I’m a little more ring
savvy. I’m more level-headed when I walk into a fight –
but I’m always focused and ready to go.”
With
12 months and an attitude like that, it’s no surprise that
McCrory’s UFC debut Tuesday against veteran Pete Spratt
has gotten a considerable buzz over the last few weeks. It’s
come as a shock to a college kid who just a year ago was getting
his feet wet in local MMA shows.
“It’s
kinda weird actually,” he said. “I’ve always been
the underdog in a fight, and it’s just amazing to see that
as you progress and keep winning and winning, and despite looking
like a nerd all the time, it’s amazing to see how the fans
start to flip, and it’s becoming more 50-50 with every matchup
that I have. Half the fans believe in who I’m fighting and
half the fans believe in me. I’m glad that the fans are
receiving me well and that I’m gaining more and more every
time I perform. That’s awesome.”
He
will be stepping into the deep water though against Spratt, a
24 fight veteran who is 16 years McCrory’s senior. But despite
the huge edge in experience, McCrory has something all the experience
in the world can’t cure – a seven inch height advantage.
Plus, when you’re 20 and have never lost, you’ve got
that feeling of invincibility that can sometimes make up for
other shortcomings in your game. ‘The Barn Cat’s got
that feeling.
“He’s
obviously a seasoned veteran,” said McCrory of Spratt. “He’s
got two or three times more fights than I have, he’s very
experienced, and definitely has great standup. I know his ground
game is lacking and there’s always an option to take it
there, but I don’t believe I really need to take it to the
ground. I think that I can win anywhere and that’s the way
I feel going into any fight. I train to have great skills all
around, so I don’t rely on any certain position or any certain
ability anytime I fight. I’m gonna go out there and stand
with him and we’ll see where it goes from there. All the
fights start on their feet, so I’ve got to find a way to
get around what his standup is, so I think it’s gonna be
a real interesting fight. The fans are gonna be expecting one
thing and then I think they’ll start seeing another.”
That
could be the story of McCrory’s life, as, by his own description,
he was the typical ‘nerd’ growing up, glasses and all.
Of course, the usual trials and tribulations that go along with
being the odd one out followed, and he had little positive outlets
for the anger he was feeling.
“At
first when I started out, I had a lot of repressed anger and
rage from high school,” he admitted. “I never really
got into fights in high school, I always just kinda bottled things
up. Then I got to college and got into some trouble and didn’t
quite fit in. I started getting more and more out of control
and I wanted to fight because I wanted to unleash it.”
McCrory
found his outlet at CNYMMA in Binghamton, and his soon to be
trainers - Ryan Ciotoli, Erik Charles, Kevin Seaman, and Jared
Palmer – put him through the wringer to see if he had what
it took to be a fighter.
“I
was like that young punk who saw it (MMA) on TV and said ‘that
isn’t that tough,’” McCrory remembered. “Then
I started training and getting my ass kicked quite a bit by my
coaches. They took me under their wing and beat me up, but I
ended up getting better. I was that kid who thought I could do
it but then learned it wasn’t so easy, but stuck with it.”
And
once he got a taste of competition, there was no question that
he had found his calling.
“I
won, and kept going,” said McCrory, who is also a college
student finishing his junior year at SUNY Cortland, pursuing
a B.S. in Kinesiology with a concentration in Fitness Development,
and a minor in Exercise Science. “Then I said, let’s
make some money, and it got to a point where I kept winning and
winning, and I said ‘you know what? This is what I’m
here to do.’ I don’t want to fight for the money or
the fame. I want to fight to be my best in something. I always
wanted to find my calling and be the best at something, and I
think this is it. I’ve never had the same kind of success
so quickly and had my work pay off like it has in this sport,
so this is what I’m here to do.”
On
Tuesday, he steps up to the big leagues, and fight fans will
find out whether McCrory can deal with major league pitching
– not only by facing a veteran like Spratt, but by dealing
with everything that goes along with being in the UFC. It’s
those little things that have befuddled debutants in the past,
but McCrory and his team feel they’re ready for this step.
“My
coaches and my manager thought this was the perfect opportunity
because fighting at the Hard Rock, it’s a smaller venue,
and it’s gonna be more like home to me because it’s
gonna be the same size or maybe a little bit smaller than some
of the venues I have been fighting in,” McCrory explains.
“In that case, it’s not really like it would be if
I was fighting on a pay-per-view in front of a huge arena, so
that’s a good thing. And to me, every time I train and every
time I have a fight coming up, I train for the fight. I don’t
really worry about the press conferences or interviews –
I worry about my fight and my training. I’m just there to
do a job, and I’m there to perform. I always go out there
trying to do my best every time. I don’t fight to win or
lose – I fight to do my best and to give all I have and
go out there swinging.”
It
should be an interesting clash between McCrory and Spratt, and
if the youngster wins, we could be witnessing the birth of a
new prospect in the sport’s toughest division. But at the
very least, the ‘Barn Cat’ wants one thing to be made
abundantly clear:
“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and even the
kids with glasses can throw down.”
Source:
UFC |
IT'S
MUST-WIN FOR GUNDERSON & IFL LIONS
At this coming Saturday’s IFL event in Las Vegas, Nevada,
it’s pretty much do-or-die for the Reno Lions and their
lightweight fighter John “Quick Guns” Gunderson.
Starting
off this year as one of the league’s most promising young
teams, the Lions did well in their first team battle, defeating
the San Jose Razorclaws, further settling the feud between the
teams’ two Head Coach rival brothers, Ken Shamrock of the
Lions and Razorclaws’ leader Frank Shamrock.
Gunderson,
for his part, impressed in his win over Josh Odom half way through
the first round of their fight – showing why he was one
of the more buzzed-about new fighters heading into the IFL’s
2007 season.
The
team and John then struggled in their next team battle, losing
to the two-time defending league champion Quad Cities Silverbacks
by a 4-1 mark. And John, though he fought hard, lost a split
decision to the Silverbacks’ Bart Palaszewski.
So
it was back to the drawing board for the Lions as they prepared
for their final team battle this upcoming Saturday, June 16th
in Las Vegas against the winless Tucson Scorpions, lead by one-time
Ken Shamrock opponent, Don Frye.
“You
know, we’re really not feeing any extra pressure,”
said Gunderson of the Lions’ match-up with the Scorpions.
“From the way it looks the Pitbulls would have to lose and
we’d have to win all five [individual match-ups], so we’re
not really thinking about the playoffs right now.”
John
continued, “We’re all thinking about going out there
and fighting, because we had a good showing out in Moline in
our last fight and we’re looking to go out and do the same.”
As
Gunderson went onto explain, even though the Scorpions have stepped
up their line-up for this coming Saturday’s showdown, the
Lions are more than ready for them.
“In
the team versus team battle we have a pretty good chance of beating
every one of their guys,” commented John. “They have
some good guys like Mike Whitehead, Mike Guymon, and my guy Gabe
Casillas, and when you’ve got a combination like that, of
course you’ve got to come with it.”
“I
think Vernon White is looking really great right now; Pat Healy
is just a monster in the gym and is a tough guy to handle for
anybody; Dan Molina is very young but he’s starting to believe
in himself and is becoming a better fighter; and Roy Nelson is
just a stud heavyweight, he proved that in his fight with Ben
Rothwell. I think we have a really good team, and we just have
to get out there and get after it,” added Gunderson.
With
injuries sidelining Cam Ward, Gabe Casillas will move down in
weight to take the lightweight spot against John, placing Gunderson
in the familiar position of facing off against a naturally bigger
opponent once again.
Regardless
of size however, John feels that he should have a much better
performance, spurred on by what he feels wasn’t his best
outing in his last fight against Bart Palaszewski.
“In
my last fight I feel like I didn’t perform up to my abilities,”
explained Gunderson. “So I’m looking to come out, showcase
my skills, get after it and hopefully have an entertaining fight.”
John
further commented, “My skills are becoming a lot better,
I’m becoming a lot better and the sky’s the limit,
and I want to go out and show what I’ve learned.”
Not
only does Gunderson have the motivation of helping his team and
improving upon his last performance to drive him to do well in
Las Vegas, he’s also been told that should he win, he’ll
qualify for the IFL’s individual lightweight Grand Prix
at year’s end.
“I
found out the other day, I just have to win to make it in,”
said John. “There’s three guys in it now: Bart, [L.A.
Anacondas’] Chris Horodecki, and Wagney Fabiano [of the
Toronto Dragons]. As long as I win – I’m in –
I just have to go out there and perform.”
“I
think I match up well with all of them. They’re all good
fighters and any one of us could win that [Grand Prix] tournament,”
added Gunderson.
So,
this coming Saturday, June 16th at the Hilton in Las Vegas, there
could be a lot more on the line for John Gunderson and the Reno
Lions than one might initially expect, making it a night of action
that John feels no one should miss.
“I
think it’s going to be a great show in Vegas,” said
Gunderson. “I’ve trained so hard, put in a lot of time
and I just want to fight. If you can’t make it, check it
out on FSN or My Network later in the year.”
John
concluded, “I’d like to thank: Power Trip [Extreme]
Energy Drink; Vicious Fight Gear; Denaro Sports Marketing; B&C
Choppers; Dr. Jason Gutches; and everyone at the Lion’s
Den, and JT Taylor and Marcus Lewis out in Oregon for basically
getting me to where I am today.”
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“How
would you like a job where, every time you make a mistake, a
big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?”
Jacques
Plante, 1929-1986, Hall of Fame Canadian Hockey Goaltender
|
PODE
PEGAR! NEWS FROM BRAZIL
PODE PEGAR! It means "fight" or "let's get it
on" in Brazil. So what could be a more appropriate title
for the latest mixed martial arts fight news from MMAWeekly's
Brazilian correspondent Ivan Canello?
Without
further ado, we bring you the premier edition of Pode Pegar!
CHUTE
BOXE
Mauricio
“Shogun” Rua, has always been an athletic person and
has been successful in every competitive sport that was introduced
to him. The 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Champion practiced
Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai extensively until his MMA debut in 2002.
With an impressive record of 16-2, Rua is ready to showcase his
skills in front of a UFC audience. Mauricio’s current contract
allows to him fight in both Pride and the UFC. “I’m
prepared to fight in the U.S. anytime. When the UFC calls, I’ll
be ready.”
Having
taken some time off from fighting, former Pride Middleweight
Champion Wanderlei Silva recently traveled to the U.S. The Chute
Boxe fighter is currently visiting Randy Couture’s Xtreme
Couture gym, conducting seminars and showcasing some of his skills
and techniques to students. “There’s a big chance that
Chute Boxe will send somebody to teach the Brazilian Chute Boxe
way of fighting in Couture’s camp,” stated Silva.
Wanderlei
is currently waiting for a contract offer before he begins training
full time again. A family oriented person, the former champion
has been spending time with his wife and kids while remaining
focused on potential fights in the near future. According to
Silva, “My next fight will probably be against Chuck Liddell
in September. It might be the fight of the year, let’s wait
and see what happens.”
Murilo
"Ninja" Rua has been preparing for his StrikeForce/EliteXC
debut. Rua is scheduled to face Joey Villasenor, who is coming
off of a win over UFC veteran David Loiseau. Murilo indicated
that he is completely adapted to the 185-pound weight class.
“My natural weight is around 194 pounds so it’s easy
for me to make 185 pounds. I was in the U.S. last week to do
my medical tests and everything was fine. Now it’s time
to make my final preparations. My stamina and my technique are
excellent."
A
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Royler Gracie, Cristiano
Marcello will make his U.S. debut at the next Art of War event.
The Chute Boxe Jiu-Jitsu coach will face off against Hector Munoz,
a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Royce Gracie. "If
my fight was tomorrow, I’d be ready to go. Now that I have
more time I can prepare myself a little bit more. My ground game
is sharp and the free spirit of Muay Thai lives in me,"
said Marcello.
This
fight will bring more fire to the newest rivalry between Chute
Boxe and the Gracie family. It’s important to note that
this rivalry is a good and healthy one; both teams have a good
relationship with each other. After Royce Gracie’s win over
Kazushi Sakuraba at K-1 Dynamite USA, Chute Boxe leader Rudimar
Fedrigo embraced Royce and congratulated him on his victory.
Fabio
Silva made a successful Pancrase debut with a victory over previously
undefeated Japanese star Ryo Kawamura. Ryo, the 2006 Pancrase
Neo-Blood tournament winner, previously faced two Chute Boxe
fighters, knocking out Daniel Acacio and fighting Nilson Castro
to a draw.
Silva
had a difficult time against Kawamura in the first round as he
was unable to effectively strike from the clinch. In the second,
Silva proved why he’s considered one of the best prospects
out of Chute Boxe today when he knocked out Kawamura with a right-left
combination.
One
of Chute Boxe’s newest members, Thiago Silva (Chute Boxe/Macaco
Gold Team) made his successful octagon debut at UFC 71 and is
already back in training. Silva, who comes from a Jiu-Jitsu background,
was very happy with his last two victories in Pancrase and the
UFC. Originally from the city of Sao Paulo, Thiago trains at
the Chute Boxe for long periods of time prior to his fights in
order to work and improve on his stand up game.
BRAZILIAN
TOP TEAM
Brazilian
Top Team’s coach Mario Sperry will make his Cage Rage debut
on July 14th. An infection in one of his Sperry’s hands
kept him out of training and competition for seven months. “Ze
Mario” last fought at Pride 31 in February of last year.
According to Sperry, “I am completely recovered and ready
to go.”
Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt Paulo Filho is close to signing with the
WEC. “The contract with WEC is almost finished and will
be for 4 fights. The WEC will be great exposure for me and hopefully
it will lead to an opportunity in the UFC,” stated Paulo
in a recent interview. As one of the most dangerous submission
fighters today, Filho plans to stay at the 185-pound weight class.
“I think it’s very odd that Dan Henderson was given
the opportunity to fight Quinton Jackson for the UFC belt,”
added the Pride veteran. “Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo
Arona would be better matches against "Rampage" Jackson.”
Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira´s pupil,
Rafael Feijao, has been preparing for his fight against Marcio
“Pe de Pano” Cruz in the IFL on June 16th. “I’m
currently living and training hard with the Nogueira brothers.
I’m very determined to be victorious,” said Feijao.
“My Jiu-Jitsu is very strong and I plan on competing as
a heavyweight. My original plan was to fight at light heavyweight
but I grew stronger as time passed and now I’m very adapted
to this weight class.” Feijao is coming off of a TKO win
over Devin Cole at the IFL show in Atlanta.
THE
ROCK IS READY FOR THE SNOWMAN
“I’m
completely ready, physically and mentally for my fight against
Jeff Monson,” said Pedro Rizzo in a recent interview with
Portal do Vale Tudo. “I’ve spent a lot of time training
and I’ve improved my game to be faster and stronger. It’s
time for me to regain some of the American fans I may have lost.”
Rizzo’s
mentor Marco Ruas recently had what seemed to be his final MMA
fight. Ruas faced former UFC Champion Maurice Smith in a rematch
of their first encounter back at UFC 21. Seven years later, “The
King of the Streets” was unsuccessful at avenging his prior
loss and suffered a TKO stoppage in the fourth round. “Marco
is a great athlete and he will never stop practicing his technique,”
commented Rizzo about his master.
THE
NEW HEAVYWEIGHT KING OF PANCRASE
After
losing his third consecutive fight in the UFC, former Chute Boxe
fighter Assuério Silva rebounded with a TKO victory over
Tatsuya Mizuno and became the third King of Pancrase in the organization’s
history. In his post fight interview, Assuério stated
that he now has a lot more confidence and will try to keep the
Pancrase heavyweight belt for a long time. After ending his contract
with Chute Boxe, Silva spent some time with other teams before
creating his own team, Total Punch MMA. Silva’s new team
has a location in the city of Curitiba, also home to Chute Boxe.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MORRISON
WINS UNDER NON-MMA RULES
In what was being billed as former world heavyweight boxing champion
Tommy Morrison's mixed marital arts debut, he defeated John Stover
in 2:08 of the first round, according to Sherdog.com reporter
Tommy Messano.
In
press releases and advertising leading up to last night’s
contest, the Worldwide Fighting Championship proclaimed the fight
would be Morrison’s mixed martial arts debut and that he
was ready to accept a challenge to fight former UFC champion
Chuck Liddell. “[UFC president] Dana White always talks
about how a top cage-fighter like Liddell could beat a top boxer
so here’s a chance to make it happen,” said Morrison.
“I want to know if Liddell and Dana White really mean what
they say or if they are just full of talk. I will take on Chuck
Liddell anytime, anyplace, anywhere."
But
MMAWeekly sources confirmed that Stover’s contract going
into the fight stated in large, bold print “THIS IS A STRIKING
MATCH ONLY, NO GROUND.” Removing the ground game from the
fight usually takes away many of the elements that classify a
bout as mixed martial arts. In addition, according to Messano’s
report, the rules were then changed even further prior to the
fight and it was announced that there would be no knees, elbows
or kicks allowed either. In the end, such rules turned the bout
into a three 3-minute round boxing match with 4-ounce gloves.
Morrison
did end up winning the fight, but it was hardly his mixed martial
arts debut as advertised.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
VET SALMON BACK ON TRACK, DROPPING DOWN
Sean Salmon returned to action last night, earning a much-needed
victory after a two-fight skid in the UFC. Losing to Rashad Evans
and Alan Belcher in the Octagon, Salmon stepped up at the last
minute to defeat Jason Freeman on Saturday night before a hometown
crowd in Cleveland, Ohio.
At
1:09 of the first round, Salmon applied a keylock for the submission
at Fight Night In The Flats III.
According
to manager Ken Pavia, the plan now is for Salmon to drop down
from light heavyweight to middleweight and attempt a run at the
lighter weight class.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Hawaiian
Open of BJJ
Gym 1,
UH Manoa Campus, Honolulu
June 23, 2007
Klum Gym's bathrooms are between Klum Gym and Gym 1.
The 2nd leg of the
Triple Crown series, 2007 HAWAIIAN OPEN OF BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU,
has been confirmed. Due to circumstances beyond their control,
Triple Crown organizers have been forced to change the tournament
date to Saturday, June 23, 2007, at the University of Hawaii
Gym #1 (next door to Klum Gym). Event organizers made every effort
to maintain the original date, but after an exhaustive search
through public, private and military facilities, little options
were available and the date and venue had to be altered. Event
organizers sincerely apologize for the added inconveniences and
cost to some. Registration packets will be mailed to various
schools and all details available and posted within the week.
|
Rigan
Machado Seminar
Rigan will be coming to Hawaii in a couple of weeks to do a seminar
for the new ICON Fitness gym on Oahu on June 16th.
Rigan has expressed interest in setting up additional seminars
after June 16th while visiting Oahu.
If you are interested, please contact me so we can see if there
is something we can do to help set something up.
We need to get his travel dates set relatively quickly so we
need to hear back from anyone who's interested right away.
I apologize for the short notice.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or to discuss.
Aloha,
Vince
Source: The Vince
|
MMA
CONTENDORS
WHO - MMA
CONTENDORS
WHAT - CONFLICT - "THE BEGINNING"
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (AMATEUR & 3 PRO BOUTS)
WHEN - JUNE 29, 2007 FRIDAY - 6:30 PM
WHERE - FARRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM
BEING THAT THE EVENT WILL BE HELD IN THE BULLSPEN HOMETOWN OF
KALIHI. CONFLICT HAS ASKED ONE OF THE MOST WELL KNOWNED TEAMS
ON THE ISLAND (BULLSPEN) TO SHOWCASE THIS EVENT. THEY WILL HAVE
SOME OF THIER WELL-KNOWNED AND UP AND COMING FIGHTERS TO FIGHT
ON THIS CARD. OTHER SCHOOLS WILL INCLUDE ANIMAL HOUSE, FIGHTERS
UNION, AND MMAD JUST TO NAME A FEW. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF
MANY TO COME OF MMA EVENTS THAT CONFLICT WIL BE FEATURING. A
LOT OF THESE FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN TRAINING FOR THIS CARD A WHILE
NOW. SO WHEN JUNE 29TH ARRIVES, SO WILL THE TAP OUTS, CHOKE OUTS
AND KNOCK THE F*** OUTS. THIS EVENT MAY CATER TO AMATEUR MMA
CONTENDORS BUT PLEASE BELIEVE THE ACTION WILL NOT BE AMATEUR
STATUS. BE SURE TO CHECK ON HERE EVERY WEEK TO SEE FOR ANY CHANGES
OF MATCHES AND WRITE UPS ON SOME OF THE FIGHTERS THAT WILL BE
PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT. THERE ARE TWO MORE BOUTS ON STAND-BY
IF ANYONE GETS INJURED OR TURNS YELLOW AT THE LAST MINUTE (NAH).
FEAR IS NOT ALLOWED WHEN THERES CONFLICT INVOLVED. (BELEEV DAT)
DEVIN DAMO 135 DWAYNE HANEY
ANIMAL HOUSE BULLSPEN
MARSHALL HARVEST 155 PETER PLACIDO
ANIMAL HOUSE BULLSPEN
THOMAS FERGUSON 270 KAWIKA HONG
TEAM DEVASTATION GOODSPORT KICKBOXING
THESE TWO FIGHTERS DEFINITELY FAVOR THEIR STAND UP. EXPECT A
BIG BLOOD DONATION WHEN THESE TWO GUYS MEET ON JUNE 29TH. THOUGH
THESE TWO FIGHTERS LOVE TO BANG, THEY BOTH WON THEIR FIRST FIGHT
BY REAR NAKED CHOKES. HONG WILL BE FLYING IN FROM MAUI WITH PLANS
TO TURN FERGUSON INTO A SLEEPING GIANT. BUT THE WAIANAE BOY SAYS
THE ONLY FLIGHT PLANS THAT ARE SCHEDULED IS THE ONE WAY TICKET
TO THE E.R THAT HE RESERVED FOR HONG. BE THERE TO FIND OUT WHO
WINS A FREE TRIP TO THE WRECKSHOP. GIANTS, BLOOD DONATIONS, BANGING,
FLYING, E.R. - THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT WHEN CONFLICT GETS STARTED
WITH TWO GIANTS. DAS RIGHT
DONOVAN COLLIER 185 FRED CABANTING
INNER CIRCLE GRAPLING BULLSPEN
KENNETH GUSMAN 210 HUNTER SEELBINDER
PAPKOLEA FIGHT CLUB BULLSPEN
JAY BOLOS 135 MARK TAJON
ANIMAL HOUSE BULLSPEN
JOE SIMPLICIANO 165 HERMAN SANTIAGO
FIGHTERS UNION INNER CIRCLE GRAPLLING
BRAD TAVARES 185 THOMAS SODENO
UNIVERSAL COMBAT SPORT BULLSPEN
DAVID BALICAO 145 CHAD MIGUEL
JESUS IS LORD BULLSPEN
ISIAH ADAMS 145 MATT COMEAU
ANIMAL HOUSE MMAD
STANLEY RABELLIZSA 155 RAYMOND TRAN
INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING BULLSPEN
HUGH JONES 155 MARCUS MORENO
FIGHTERS UNION BULLSPEN
THESE TWO GUYS HAVE MET IN MMA COMBAT BEFORE WITH MARCUS EARNING
THE VICTORY. BUT THAT WAS A WHILE BACK. THIS TIME, HUGH GETS
ANOTHER SHOT AT HIM AND HE FEELS THAT HE IS A MUCH BETTER FIGHTER
THIS TIME AROUND. MARCUS WHO IS A WELL-ROUNDED FIGHTER LIKE ALL
OF THE BULLSPEN FIGHTERS WILL MAKE SURE THAT HUGH REGRETS ASKING
FOR 2NDS. BUT HUGH, ALSO A WAIANAE BOY AND REPS FIGHTERS UNION
WHO ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR STRONG STAND UP SKILLS WILL HAVE MARCUS
PAY HIS DUES WHEN HE'S STANDING IN FRONT OF SOMEONE WHOS WITH
THE FIGHTERS UNION. THIS MATCH IS GONNA GO OFF. SO BE THERE
KAINOA SOUZA 205 JOHN FERRELL
TEAM DEVASTATION FREEELANCE
NUI WHEELER 145 FRED STANFORD
MAILI SOLJAHS FREELANCE
THIS MATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED - ADDED ON WILL BE
KIMO GALON 205 PELE FANOTI
BULLSPEN ANIMAL HOUSE
MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
|
|