Upcoming
Events
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2007
11/10/07
Aloha State
Championship of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
10/6/07
Punishment
In Paradise 18
(MMA &
Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
7/28/07
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui)
7/21/07
Garden Island Cage Match
6
(MMA)
(Kauai)
7/13/07
Punishment
In Paradise 17
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
6/23/06
Ultimate Fight Night
(BJ Penn vs Jens Pulver)
(Spike TV)
6/22/07
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
6/16/07
Hawaiian Open of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
6/3/07
The Quest for Champions 2007
(Sport-Pankration, Submission-Grappling, Continuous Sparring
and Sport-Jujitsu)
(Saint Louis High School Gym)
5/20/07
Pride
Fighting Championships:
(PPV)
(Lightweight Grand Prix)
5/19/07
Kickin it
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
5/5/07
Punishment
In Paradise 16
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery)
4/28/07
Pride
Fighting Championships:
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
Maui MMA Event
(MMA)
(Maui)
K-1 World GP
(Kickboxing)
(Honolulu)
4/27/07
XMA
(MMA, Kickboxing)
4/24/07
Professional Boxing
(Boxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
4/9/07
UFC
GSP vs Hughes 3
(PPV)
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)
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)
|
|
March 2007 News
Part 3
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days a week training!
We are also offering Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights
and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like enviornment! |
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 7:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Quote
of the Day
"What
is wanted is not the will to believe but the wish to find out,
which is the exact opposite."
Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British Philosopher/Mathematician/Essayist
|
Icon
Sport: Epic Today!
PRESS CONTACT:
PATRICK FREITAS 232-3481
WEIGH-IN:
4 PM - 530PM FRIDAY, MARCH 30TH
ICON SPORT MARTIAL ARTS AND FITNESS CENTER
(FROM TOWN, HEAD EAST TOWARDS HAWAII KAI ON KALANIANAOLE HWY.
GYM IS TWO-STORY BUILDING BEHIND KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN. LOTS
OF PARKING AVAILABLE.)
FULL CARD:
ICON SPORT: EPIC
SAT. MARCH 31st BLAISDELL
VIEW TV SPOT HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBUdjsI-X4w
Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com, Times Supermarkets,
Blaisdell Box Office
COMPLETE CARD
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MIDDLEWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
Frank Twinkle Toes Trigg (J-Sect/R1, Las Vegas) vs. Ruthless
Robbie Lawler (Miletich FS, Iowa)
Trigg makes his first title defense after dismantling Mayhem
Miller in December and then destroying top-ranked Kazuo Misaki
in February. Lawler is coming off two devastating knockout wins.
Leather will fly. This will be an unforgettable main event.
MAIN CARD
Charuto Verissimo (BJ Penn MMA/HMC) vs. Lars Haven (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Once a top ranked welterweight, Charuto continues his rise to
the top in Icon’s middleweight division. Haven is an undefeated
young warrior who sees that a win over Charuto would launch him
into the upper echelon of MMA.
Jason Mayhem Miller (Team Quest, CA. ) vs. Hector Urbina (Team
Wolfpack, Ohio)
Mayhem has the fire in his belly after losing the Icon title
to Trigg. But Urbina, at 8-2, is no easy challenge. Can Mayhem
get back to his winning ways?
Po’ai Suganuma (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Nathan Carey (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Hilo-born Po’ai is an intelligent, articulate, and charming
college graduate with a degree in computer science…AND he’s
an absolute MMA wrecking machine in the 205lb Light Heavyweight
class. He studied judo as a child and matured into a talented
grappler, winning the State wrestling championship for Waiakea
High School. He’s been fighting MMA in Japan since 2005,
so most of Hawaii has never heard of him. His first test in Icon
is a tough one as he takes on 6-1 Nathan Carey.
Jeremy Williams (Bas Rutten & Randy Couture’s Legends
Gym) vs. Charles Jones (Team Wolfpack)
He’s baaaaack! That’s right, Jeremy Williams, the former
pro-boxer returns for his 3rd Icon Sport appearance. This time
he steps up big time…taking a fight on short notice against
and undefeated Heavyweight opponent. “J Will” is intent
on showing Icon, the UFC, Pride, and everyone else that he is
a force at 205 pounds.
STATE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Marshall Harvest (Animal House) vs. Justin Buchholz (Bulls Pen)
It’s Ewa Beach versus Town in one of the most anticipated
lightweight match-ups in years. Harvest, Ewa Beach’s award-winning
grappler, burst onto the scene in 2006. Bucholz is an amazing
athlete who is skilled at every aspect of the MMA game.
INTERMISSION
UNDER CARD
Kala Kolohe Hose (Hard Knocks) vs. Ron Verdadero (Jesus Is Lord)
No Icon fighter has shown as much improvement over the last year
as Waianae warrior Hose, literally going from wild brawler to
skilled MMA assassin. Like Hose, Verdadero has taken his game
to the next level, showing off improved athleticism and devastating
ground-and-pound in his last fight.
Kimo Woelfel (Eastsidaz) vs. Dereck Keasley (Team Wolfpack, Ohio)
Waimanalo brawler Woelfel will be tested by slugger Keasley.
PJ Dean
(O2 Martial Arts Academy) vs. Scott Anderson (MMA Development)
Waianae’s own KO artist, PJ Dean, is considered by most
fight critics (and all opponents) to have some of the heaviest
hands in all of Hawaii. Anderson, new to Hawaii and his team,
MMA Development, is taking the fight on short notice.
Thomas Ferguson (Team Devastation) vs. Carvin Mafatau (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Waianae’s 280lb Ferguson has one-punch knockout power. So
does his opponent Mafatau, who is also a professional boxer.
Buckle up fight fans, these two heavyweights are going to stand
and bang.
Devon “Dynamite” Damo (Animal House) vs. Dwayne Haney
(Bulls Pen)
Damo’s last Icon appearance was a dominating kickboxing
win. Haney just won his Icon debut in February via rear naked
choke submission. This bout will be fast and fun.
Jay Bolos (Animal House) vs. Ryan Lee (Bulls Pen)
Bolos is a champion kickboxer converted to MMA fighter. Ryan
Lee is a seasoned MMA soldier who has fought every one who’s
anyone in the 135lb division. Guaranteed to be a stand-up war.
Source: Icon Sport
|
Trigg
and Lawler mix it up
The world middleweight championship is on the line; Mayhem may
be in his last Hawaii bout
By Billy Hull
bhull@starbulletin.com
It's hard to believe, but just eight months ago, a 230-pound
Frank Trigg sat at home on the couch and did nothing but eat
chicken and drink wine.
Mixed
Martial Arts
Icon Sport: Epic
Tomorrow, 7:15 p.m.
Blaisdell Arena
Main event
» Frank Trigg (15-5) vs. "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler
(13-4), world middleweight title fight
Main
Card
» "Charuto" Renato Verissimo (6-4) vs. Lars Haven
(2-0)
» Jason "Mayhem" Miller (17-5) vs. Hector Urbina
(8-2)
» Poai Suganuma (6-1) vs. Nathan Carey (6-1)
» Jeremy Williams (2-0) vs. Justin Bucholz ***Incorrect match***
Undercard
» Kala Kolohe Hose vs. Ron Verdadero
» Kimo Woelfel vs. Dereck Keasley
» PJ Dean vs. Scott Anderson
» Thomas Ferguson vs. Carvin Mafatau
» Devon Damo vs. Dwayne Haney
» Jay Bolos vs. Ryan Lee
"I was done," Trigg said. "I literally sat at
home, did nothing, and blew up to 230. I was over (fighting)."
But
when an offer to square off against Jason "Mayhem"
Miller in Hawaii for the Icon Sport world middleweight title
last December came about, it was enough to get Trigg off the
couch and back in the ring.
"I
couldn't turn it down," Trigg explained. "When I saw
him fight (Georges) St.-Pierre in the UFC, he took a beating,
but at the end, he kept coming at you and since then I always
wanted to fight him."
Despite
cutting 40 pounds in 10 weeks, Trigg (15-5) defeated Miller by
TKO for the belt. He is back to defend it against former champion
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (13-4) in the main event of
tomorrow night's Icon Sport: Epic event at the Blaisdell Arena.
Miller
(17-5) will also be in action, as he takes on Hector Urbina in
what could be Mayhem's final fight in Hawaii because his contract
is up. The former middleweight champion won eight consecutive
fights under the Super Brawl/Icon banner before being stopped
by Trigg in the second round after taking multiple kicks to the
head.
"Some
people would argue that getting kicked in the head would not
make you smarter," Miller said. "For me it produced
the opposite effect, because I kicked up my training and I'm
excited to unveil some new things in the ring."
That
fight began a whirlwind four months for Trigg, who a month later
was scheduled to fight in the Gracie Fighting Championships in
Florida before that card was canceled. Around the same time,
the Pride Fighting Championship, for which Trigg works as a broadcaster,
offered him a fight against then-No. 4 middleweight Kazuo Misaki,
who had just won the Pride middleweight Grand Prix tournament.
He took the fight and mauled Misaki for three rounds before wining
a unanimous decision.
Now
Trigg is the seventh-ranked middleweight in the world, but despite
the newfound success at 185 pounds, he's taking things on a fight-by-fight
basis.
"This could be it for me," Trigg said. "There
are a lot of different things going on in the (mixed martial
arts) world right now, and I fortunately don't have to fight
for the money anymore. I fight because I love it."
Lawler
is coming off two impressive victories in a row, including a
22-second knockout of Joey Villasenor in a Pride ring last October,
and is looking to become the first two-time holder of the Icon
middleweight belt. He was scheduled for the main event of the
last Icon card, but was pulled at the last minute when he came
down with food poisoning the day of the event.
"I
think my chances are good," Lawler said. "I feel great
and healthy and I'm ready to go."
Lawler,
who is ranked just outside the top 10, fights out of the Miletich
Fighting Systems in Iowa, where he trains with former UFC champions
Jens Pulver, Tim Sylvia and Matt Hughes, among others. Pulver,
who has boxed professionally and will be featured in the upcoming
"Ultimate Fighter" reality show opposite Hilo's BJ
Penn, will be Lawler's corner man tomorrow night.
"It's
way too painful to spar with him now because he's gotten too
big and strong," Pulver said of his training partner. "To
get the opportunity to come out here and corner him, I couldn't
wait to do it."
The
event will also feature the long-awaited Icon debut of Poai Suganuma,
who trains with Penn at his gym in Hilo.
"Charuto"
Renato Verissimo will look for his second straight victory and
a possible middleweight title shot if he can get by undefeated
fighter Lars Haven.
In
addition, former professional boxer Jeremy Williams is back and
looking to finally get that elusive knockout victory.
Tickets
are on sale at ticketmaster.com, the Blaisdell Box Office and
all Times Supermarket outlets. The first fight is scheduled to
begin at 7:15 p.m.
Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin
|
Andy
Wang TUF
5 Interview!
Friends,
Here's
an interview I did for the Ultimate Fighter Season 5 and another
reminder that the season will be starting next Thursday night...thanks
for the support and please reply with how you are doing; I'd
like to hear from all of you!
Quick
Shots: 20 questions with TUF 5 fighter Andy Wang
By Robert Cheshire on March 28, 2007
Andy
Wang is the next fighter who took the time to answer our "Quick
Shots" questions. Andy looks to show that he is the real
deal and not just another fighter thinking they are "The
Last Dragon" to enter the Octagon.
1.
Name: Andy Wang
2.
Do you have a nickname? "Yellow Peril" It was originally
a racist term used by the West against Asians, particularly Chinese
people, from immigrating. Since then, it has become a symbol
for persevering and not giving up during hard times. I'd like
to think I share some of those same qualities.
3.
Place of birth: Kaoshiung, Taiwan. You can thank us for all the
computer chips and cheap toys you guys have bought over the years!
4.
Birthday: May 28, 1977, but I always use the Chinese calendar
when a girl asks me my age, which is about 10 years behind. (Laughs)
5.
Fight Record: 8-6
6.
How long have you competed in MMA? I started competing in MMA
when I was about 9 or 10 years old and a kid came up to me at
school and not only asked me for my lunch money, but proceeded
to reach his hands into my pockets to check for himself. He had
both hands in my pockets and I thought, "How is he going
to protect his face?" He didn't.
7
. How did you get started in competing? The first time I saw
the UFC on videotape back in 1995, I felt right away that those
guys who entered the Octagon, win or lose, were modern day warriors.
I wanted to become one.
8.
Who do you train with? Bruce Leroy is a legend in my town! He
can bite bullets with his teeth, he'll never bow down to anybody,
even if they are wearing Converse! Rumor has it he can even glow...
9.
What is your favorite UFC moment? Back in the early UFC when
Fred Ettish fought Johnny Rhodes. I remember my stomach was turning
as Fred was getting beat, and I was screaming at the TV, "Tap...why
don't you just tap!" It was then that I realized Fred, even
in defeat, had more heart and character than 99.9% of the people
in this world.
10
. What is your favorite TUF moment from the previous seasons?
So far my favorite was when Dana White dropped $10,000 cash for
a billiards game between the coaches, Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz...I'm
Chinese, which means cash gets me really, really excited. (Laughs)
11.
What do you like to do when you are not training/fighting? Like
most Asians, I like to relax by playing ping-pong and solving
calculus equations for fun.
12.
What does it mean to you to get a chance to compete in the UFC?
Honestly, it means I get a chance to find my destiny...to compete
against the best fighters in the world and to know exactly where
I stand in this sport, that's an awesome and rare opportunity.
13.
What job do you have or had before coming to the UFC? I taught
high school World History and U.S. Government all the way until
last semester and it's a job that was a lot of fun and I met
some of the coolest kids along the way who had such amazing and
inspirational stories. One kid that stands out was a student
of mine whose whole family was a part of a Crip gang based in
Long Beach, California. He had been in and out of jail, had a
child and was heading to prison or the morgue, but he made the
decision to go to college for his infant son, and even though
he got zero support or help, he made something of himself and
he had the guts to do the right thing...it was amazing to see.
14.
Did you go to college and if so, where? I am a proud alumni of
the University of Hawaii at Manoa...GO BOWS!
15.
Have you held any rank or titles? I am proudly the South Torrance
H.S. 1995 Prom King. I was so emotional when they handed me my
crown...
16.
Who do you look up to? Without question my mother and father.
Anytime a family emigrates to a new country, they do it for their
kids and my parents endured a lot and gave up everything they
had to give me and my brother a shot at making our dreams come
true.
17.
What is your favorite technique? Anything that gets the crowd
"ooohing and aahing"!
18.
Are you married and/or have kids? I've never been married and
do not have children at this time.
19.
What sponsors do you have? Howard Combat Kimonos, who has been
with me from day one, Fokai, MonsterWarrior crosstraining systems
and, of course, Chef Wang's Kitchen in Hermosa Beach...NO MSG,
for real!
20.
What do you want to say to the fans? It's an honor to step into
the Octagon for all of you and I'm always going to try and represent
my family, friends and fans to the best of my ability. Thank
you!
Source: Andy Wang
|
Pride/UFC
Press Conference Wrap-Up
By Sean McClure
As Sakakibara announced that he was stepping down as Pride's
well-dressed figure head at Pride's latest press conference,
there were many Japanese fighters there to witness the end of
an era. Nobuhiko Takada, the current, respected PrideFC president
would remain with the company. Sakakibara was upbeat about his
leaving and seemed very confident that Pride's legacy would live
on and that it was in good hands. After all, the UFC was the
proud new owner.
Lorenzo
Fertitta would take the stage and declare that there would be
a World Series of MMA each year. Since Pride and the UFC would
still be run separately they could hold a joint promotion PPV
at the end of the year. The standing room only crowd in attendance
cheered, acknowledging that they understood the weight of the
moment.
Shortly
after Fertitta spoke, an excited Dana White took the stage and
thankfully did not drop any f-bombs. He stated that other, newer
organizations were a joke and that the UFC and Pride were here
to stay, which received a good reaction from the Japanese crowd.
Another
thing of note, It was joyfully announced, thankfully, that Pride
will finally return to TV. Which TV station(s) was not clear,
but it was stated that it would return to television this year.
What
a huge moment for MMA and MaxFighting will have more as it becomes
available.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Nobuyuki
Sakakibara opens up
Ex-president of Pride explains sale to UFC
Since last Tuesday, when the sale of Pride to the Fertitta brothers
was officially announced, Nobuyuki Sakakibara has been away from
the helm at Pride. It was the end of a crisis that started mid-way
through last year, when Fuji TV, then a major partner of the
Japanese organization, unilaterally ended relations and started
an unprecedented crisis in Pride's history. Shortly before leaving
his post, Nobuyuki Sakakibara spoke to the Japanese magazine
“Kamipro”, and explained several issues that were left
in the dark over the past few months. The best parts from the
former Pride president's interview GRACIEMAG.com has included
below. Check it out:
The
crisis with Fuji TV
"Their
sudden decision to force PRIDE from the air gave credibility
to the completely groundless articles which compromised my reputation
and the reputation of DSE. Their influence was devastating. Many
sponsors immediately decided to cut off deals. Hotels that we've
been having a quite good relationship with, and using for our
fighters, refused to allow them to stay, and vendors refused
to work with us unless we paid in advance. A negative chain reaction
triggered by the decision of Fuji TV ... If I could, I want to
say it out loud that it is undeniable reality and fact that nothing
happened to me or DSE up today. As I have said on many occasions,
the hardest thing is to prove what doesn't exist."
Growth
of the UFC
"Last
year saw a major shift in the balance of power in the MMA market.
If you compare the size of the MMA market between the U.S. and
Japan, the U.S. market is 30, 40 times the size of the Japanese
market.The UFC have almost 1 million PPV subscribers, which is
impossible to match for the size of the Japanese market. They
are even coming neck and neck in ticket sales where we've been
outperforming them. I also have to mention the sponsorship, and
I am telling you that the sponsorship we've got for the show
in Las Vegas was way higher than what we usually get in Japan.”
The
decision to leave Pride
"PRIDE
cannot come back on TV because of the stigma placed on me, as
I was picked on as a representative of DSE by Weekly Gendai magazine.
You would say ‘Time is a great healer’ though ...I
thought if it's because of me, I should not stay here. I've done
everything I could to protect PRIDE, to make it shine. I would
have drunk muddy water if I had to. I've done everything I could
to create an exciting place where fighters and fans can come
together, at the cost of my private time and time with my family.
So, I've been looking for the best way to revive TV broadcasting
and to reinforce our financial clout and credibility since the
beginning of this year, based on the premise of my resignation.
There can be no breakthrough on this issue, other than by my
resignation. That was my conclusion.”
The
moment of the sale
"We
didn't sign a contract till March. In Los Angeles, I met their
lawyers,my lawyer and Lorenzo joined through the phone. We said
"All right, let's close the deal", but for some reasons,
I couldn't sign right away. I guess I really hated or I was afraid
to see things going on mechanically and inorganically. I happened
to be hungry at that time, so I said 'Give me 30 minutes for
a cup of coffee', went to Starbucks alone, and thought hard wondering
'Is this really the way to make PRIDE happy?' I wasn't happy
at all! Looking back at the last 10 years, I find myself spending
80 to 90 % of my life for PRIDE. I have never thought about separating
from my beloved PRIDE. I never doubted my belief that when I
was gone, PRIDE would be gone, too, and when PRIDE was gone,
I would be gone. So I was obsessed with extreme sentimentalism,
but told myself that I should go the way I believe to be the
best. I knew that although I was personally sad, that was the
best road to take for the fans, the fighters, and the staff.
So, I went back to the room and signed the contract.."
The
sale to the Fertitta brothers
"
Since the Fertitta brothers own the capital, PRIDE can now stand
on an equal footing with UFC, officially able to meet it in head-to-head
competition. It's not exciting at all for fans if UFC takes in
PRIDE, and fighters cannot see any dream in that kind of setting.
Needless to say, PRIDE and UFC cherish their own characteristics
and will have fierce clashes for the better. And the biggest
reason I have chosen them as the new owners is that they are
in some ways my brothers in arms, fighting together to make MMA
a popular sport worldwide. We have been the biggest rivals and
competitors, but respected each other. Our competition has actually
contributed to the growth of this sport to match other major
sports such as boxing, football, and American football. Lorenzo
and Frank love this sport, and they have experienced many hardships
and learned a lot."
The
future of DSE
"
DSE will remain as it is, but all the employees except me will
resign DSE and move to the new organization which is going to
manage PRIDE. They have been in a rowboat, and now they are moving
onto a massive aircraft carrier which can cross the Pacific Ocean
in a single thrust...leaving me in the rowboat."
Pride’s
most impressive fight
"
If I look back at the whole history of PRIDE, I would say Takada
vs Rickson Gracie in PRIDE 1.That first experience was so shocking
and frustrating that I couldn’t move for 10 minutes after
the match. The fight was over in four minutes and forty-seven
seconds! What a contrast between the time I spent making it happen
and the time of the match..
Kazushi
Sakuraba
"
PRIDE wouldn't have been what it is without him. There is no
doubt that I am so into him after Mr. Takada. That's why I even
want him to make his retirement match in PRIDE while I still
represent PRIDE ... No idea what he thinks about it, though.
I have had sincere passion about him, and although there were
some misunderstandings, it's wonderful if he comes back and makes
his retirement match with PRIDE."
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Marcelinho
on Gracie Fighting card
Event set for May 19, in Ohio
Jiu-Jitsu world champion and current ADCC two-time champion,
Marcelo Garcia is set to fight an MMA bout on the Gracie Fighting
Championship card, an event initially planned for January 20,
but was rescheduled for the 19th of May, in the city of Columbus,
Ohio. According to the Sherdog website, the black belt from Alliance
will face Marcus Avellan, neither of whom have ever fought a
professional MMA fight.
The
other Brazilians on the card are Ronaldo Jacaré, Vinícius
Pezão and Daniel Moraes. Check out the card as it was
last released (subject to modifications).
Jeff
Monson vs Wes Sims
Marcelo Garcia vs Marcus Avellan
Chris Brennan vs Adam Disabato
Dorian Price vs Phil Cardella
Vinicius Magalhaes vs George Bush
Ronaldo Souza vs TBA
Thomas Denny vs TBA
Daniel Moraes vs TBA
Nissen Osterneck vs TBA
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“Did
you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see bird that had
the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is
because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses.”
Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955, American Author and Achievement Expert
|
PRESS
RELEASE
Contact:
Patrick Freitas
Icon Sport Promoter
(808) 232-3481
superbrawl21@yahoo.com
Onzuka Brothers
Selected to Receive Icon Achievement Award
You
all know how we don't like to blow our own horn, but this is
our website...heh heh.
March 29, 2007 Honolulu, HI. Hawaii twin brothers Chris and Mike
Onzuka, have been part of Hawaii’s mixed martial arts landscape
since the sport’s inception. “The Twins,” as they
are often called by Hawaii MMA insiders, have been selected to
receive the Icon Sport Achievement Award at the Saturday, March
31st Icon event “EPIC.”
The Onzuka brothers got their start into martial arts in late
1991, when they enrolled into a jiu-jitsu academy operated by
Relson Gracie, one son of the famed Brazilian martial arts family.
The Onzukas originally discovered the Gracie art after reading
an article in Black Belt Magazine entitled “Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
versus the World.” The article told of the Gracie family
challenging their martial art against other styles in no-holds-barred
competitions. Through the Onzuka’s relationship with the
Gracie family, they were clued into the planning of the Gracie’s
Ultimate Fighting Championship. The brothers traveled to Denver,
Colorado in November 1993 to witness UFC #1.
The Onzuka brothers volunteered their services to promoter T.
Jay Thompson when he held his first Hawaii Super Brawl events
in 1995. Thompson immediately put them to task in multiple roles,
including judging, advising, and commentating.
In 1999 the Onzuka’s created “www.onzuka.com,”
a personal website that quickly grew into the primary resource
for mixed martial arts, grappling, and traditional martial arts
news and information in the State of Hawaii.
Chris and Mike Onzuka either referee or assist with almost every
grappling and mixed martial arts competition in Hawaii. Both
are accomplished competitors as well, each having earned brown
belt status in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Mike Onzuka also holds a brown
belt in judo, which he earned at Honolulu’s prestigious
Shobukan Judo Club. The brown belt, both in jiu-jitsu and judo,
is the final belt a practitioner can receive before earning the
highest level of accomplishment, the black belt. Off-the-mat
and outside-the -ring, both have been instrumental in providing
crucial testimony to State lawmakers and the State Auditor for
mixed martial arts legislation and regulation.
Today the Onzuka’s own and operate the O2 Martial Arts Academy
in Aiea, Hawaii. The O2 Martial Arts Academy offers Gracie Jiu-Jitsu,
submission grappling, kickboxing, and escrima. They are the co-hosts
and producers of Fighter’s Club TV, a public access program
that focuses on martial arts news and events. Mike Onzuka also
serves as analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Kanoa Leahey
in the Icon Sport broadcast team. Chris Onzuka has been a judge
at almost every Icon Sport event in its twelve-year history.
The Icon Sport Achievement Award is given to pioneers, contributors,
and diplomats of mixed martial arts athletics. Haru Shimanishi
of Honolulu’s HMC Academy was the first recipient of this
award.
Contact Information: Chris Onzuka: 808 381-5959 Mike Onzuka:
808 381-9530
Source: Promoter
|
Icon
Sport Weigh-Ins Today!
PRESS CONTACT:
PATRICK FREITAS 232-3481
WEIGH-IN:
4 PM - 530PM FRIDAY, MARCH 30TH
ICON SPORT MARTIAL ARTS AND FITNESS CENTER
(FROM TOWN, HEAD EAST TOWARDS HAWAII KAI ON KALANIANAOLE HWY.
GYM IS TWO-STORY BUILDING BEHIND KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN. LOTS
OF PARKING AVAILABLE.)
FULL CARD:
ICON SPORT: EPIC
SAT. MARCH 31st BLAISDELL
VIEW TV SPOT HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBUdjsI-X4w
Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com, Times Supermarkets,
Blaisdell Box Office
COMPLETE CARD
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MIDDLEWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
Frank Twinkle Toes Trigg (J-Sect/R1, Las Vegas) vs. Ruthless
Robbie Lawler (Miletich FS, Iowa)
Trigg makes his first title defense after dismantling Mayhem
Miller in December and then destroying top-ranked Kazuo Misaki
in February. Lawler is coming off two devastating knockout wins.
Leather will fly. This will be an unforgettable main event.
MAIN CARD
Charuto Verissimo (BJ Penn MMA/HMC) vs. Lars Haven (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Once a top ranked welterweight, Charuto continues his rise to
the top in Icon’s middleweight division. Haven is an undefeated
young warrior who sees that a win over Charuto would launch him
into the upper echelon of MMA.
Jason Mayhem Miller (Team Quest, CA. ) vs. Hector Urbina (Team
Wolfpack, Ohio)
Mayhem has the fire in his belly after losing the Icon title
to Trigg. But Urbina, at 8-2, is no easy challenge. Can Mayhem
get back to his winning ways?
Po’ai Suganuma (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Nathan Carey (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Hilo-born Po’ai is an intelligent, articulate, and charming
college graduate with a degree in computer science…AND he’s
an absolute MMA wrecking machine in the 205lb Light Heavyweight
class. He studied judo as a child and matured into a talented
grappler, winning the State wrestling championship for Waiakea
High School. He’s been fighting MMA in Japan since 2005,
so most of Hawaii has never heard of him. His first test in Icon
is a tough one as he takes on 6-1 Nathan Carey.
Jeremy Williams (Bas Rutten & Randy Couture’s Legends
Gym) vs. Charles Jones (Team Wolfpack)
He’s baaaaack! That’s right, Jeremy Williams, the former
pro-boxer returns for his 3rd Icon Sport appearance. This time
he steps up big time…taking a fight on short notice against
and undefeated Heavyweight opponent. “J Will” is intent
on showing Icon, the UFC, Pride, and everyone else that he is
a force at 205 pounds.
STATE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Marshall Harvest (Animal House) vs. Justin Buchholz (Bulls Pen)
It’s Ewa Beach versus Town in one of the most anticipated
lightweight match-ups in years. Harvest, Ewa Beach’s award-winning
grappler, burst onto the scene in 2006. Bucholz is an amazing
athlete who is skilled at every aspect of the MMA game.
INTERMISSION
UNDER CARD
Kala Kolohe Hose (Hard Knocks) vs. Ron Verdadero (Jesus Is Lord)
No Icon fighter has shown as much improvement over the last year
as Waianae warrior Hose, literally going from wild brawler to
skilled MMA assassin. Like Hose, Verdadero has taken his game
to the next level, showing off improved athleticism and devastating
ground-and-pound in his last fight.
Kimo Woelfel (Eastsidaz) vs. Dereck Keasley (Team Wolfpack, Ohio)
Waimanalo brawler Woelfel will be tested by slugger Keasley.
PJ Dean
(O2 Martial Arts Academy) vs. Scott Anderson (MMA Development)
Waianae’s own KO artist, PJ Dean, is considered by most
fight critics (and all opponents) to have some of the heaviest
hands in all of Hawaii. Anderson, new to Hawaii and his team,
MMA Development, is taking the fight on short notice.
Thomas Ferguson (Team Devastation) vs. Carvin Mafatau (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Waianae’s 280lb Ferguson has one-punch knockout power. So
does his opponent Mafatau, who is also a professional boxer.
Buckle up fight fans, these two heavyweights are going to stand
and bang.
Devon “Dynamite” Damo (Animal House) vs. Dwayne Haney
(Bulls Pen)
Damo’s last Icon appearance was a dominating kickboxing
win. Haney just won his Icon debut in February via rear naked
choke submission. This bout will be fast and fun.
Jay Bolos (Animal House) vs. Ryan Lee (Bulls Pen)
Bolos is a champion kickboxer converted to MMA fighter. Ryan
Lee is a seasoned MMA soldier who has fought every one who’s
anyone in the 135lb division. Guaranteed to be a stand-up war.
Source: Icon Sport
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 6
Hanapepe
Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai, Hawaii
July 21, 2007
HI All,
I know we barely finished the last fight, but July is right around
the corner so I'm letting you all know that we got the date,
July 21st, 2007, Hanapepe Stadium.
Weigh ins, July 20th, 2007 Kukui Grove.
I have a few match ups already in mind but let me know if you
are already interested in Fighting or Sponsoring.
We need to get a jump on this one so let me all know if you are
interested, especially the fighters so I can start the match
ups.
Talk to you all soon!
Aloha
Vance
Source: Vance
|
BJ
Penn at GNC Ala Moana
In partnership
with Xyience, we are proud to bring local fighter BJ Penn for a special guest
appearance at our store. This will be a one time promotion on
Tuesday
April 3th 2007 from 11AM till about 3PM (exact duration is tentative).
Come
by and meet the start of The Ultimate Fighter 5 and Hawaii and
the World's best pound for pound fighter, BJ Penn.
Source: James Fisher, Assistant Manager
|
Quote
of the Day
“Did
you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see bird that had
the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is
because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses.”
Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955, American Author and Achievement Expert
|
Pan
Am Schedule
Good luck to one
of our assistant instructors and brand new brown belt, Brandon
Bernardino, who will be competing in the Pan Ams and representing
our school! He has been ripping it up on the mats and is ready
to go to war! He is competing in the brown belt masters pluma
category.
PAN
AMERICAN 2007 Schedule - from www.ibjjf.org
Due
the large number of athletes, the Pan American 2007 will not
have:
Blue belt adult Open Class
Blue belt master Open Class
Purple belt master Open Class
Brown belt master Open Class
FRIDAY
- March 30
10:00
White belt Adult - Rooster, Super Feather, Feather and Light
11:20 White belt Adult - Middle, Medium heavy, Heavy, Super Heavy
and Supersuper heavy
12:40 White belt Master - Rooster, Super Feather, Feather, Light,
Middle, Medium heavy and Heavy
13:40 White belt Master - Super Heavy and Supersuper heavy
White belt - Women - All weight divisions
14:30
Blue belt No-Gi - All weight divisions
15:40 Purple belt No-Gi - All weight divisions
Brown belt No-Gi - Super Feather and Light
17:00 Brown belt No-Gi - Medium Heavy, Super Heavy and Supersuper
heavy
Black belt No-Gi - All weight divisions
17:40 Women No-Gi - All belts and all weight divisions
SATURDAY
- March 31
09:00
Purple belt Master - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
Purple belt Senior I - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
10:10 Purple belt Senior II - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
Purple belt Senior III - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
10:40 Brown
belt Master - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
11:30 Brown belt Senior I, II and III - Rooster to Supersuper
Heavy
12:00 Blue belt Adult - Rooster, Super Feather and Feather
Blue belt Adult - Women - Super Feather and Feather
13:30 Blue belt Adult - Light
14:30 Blue belt Adult - Middle and Medium Heavy
15:40 Blue belt Adult - Heavy, Super Heavy and Supersuper Heavy
Blue belt Adult - Women - Light, Middle and Medium Heavy
17:10 Blue belt Master - Rooster to Heavy
18:30 Blue belt Master - Super Heavy and Supersuper Heavy
Blue belt Senior I - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
19:20 Blue belt Senior II - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
Blue belt Senior III - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
20:00 Purple belt Senior I, II and III - Open Class
Brown belt Senior I, II and III - Open Class
21:00 Blue belt Senior I, II and III - Open Class
SUNDAY
- April 1
09:00
Purple belt Adult - Rooster to Middle
10:30 Purple belt Adult - Medium Heavy to Supersuper heavy
Black belt Master - Rooster to Medium Heavy
12:00 Black belt Master - Heavy to Supersuper Heavy
Black belt Senior I, II and III - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
13:00 Black belt Adult - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
15:00 Brown belt Adult - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
16:00 Black belt Adult - OPEN CLASS REGISTRATION
16:30 Blue belt Juvenile - Rooster to Supersuper Heavy
Purple belt - Women - Super Feather to Medium Heavy
Brown/Black belt - Women - Super Feather to Medium Heavy
17:00 Black belt Adult - Open Class
17:40 Purple belt Adult - Open Class
19:00 Brown belt Adult - Open Class
Black belt Master - Open Class
Black belt Senior I, II and III - Open Class
Source:
ADCC/Kid Peligro
|
Nikkan
Sports: UFC & PRIDE will be like Raw & Smackdown
Today’s
edition of Nikkan Sports has an article titled UFC & PRIDE
adopting the WWE method. In short, the article claims that UFC
is purchasing PRIDE and that the formula for Zuffa with UFC &
PRIDE will be similar to Raw & Smackdown in terms of talent
distribution and operations. In other words, you’ll see
two separate operations in terms of rosters and staff but a similar
flavor of MMA with the top stars from each brand facing each
other at big events. The paper says that PRIDE will be the second
brand under Zuffa, with the idea of having an all-star event
between the two brands (the paper says likely in America) each
year.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Sunday
news grind: Brock Lesnar may draw some fans
We
could all use a vacation.
Very
interesting comments from Dana White to Sherdog on Saturday night
about a PRIDE asset sale. The words to focus on are “not
a concrete deal.”
While
some readers will take a stance that the various Japanese media
outlets (like Yomiuri Hochi, Miruhon, etc.) are exaggerating
about what will take place on Tuesday at Roppongi Hills Arena
(DSE press conference), I want to look at Dana’s comments
in another manner. I’ve written on this site over the past
week that I didn’t think due diligence had taken place by
lawyers (or accountants) from The Fertitta Brothers in regards
to purchasing the assets of PRIDE from DSE. Dana’s comments
somewhat cement my opinion on this. I still believe that it’s
likely that a heads of agreement deal could be reached shortly,
but it could be a legally non-binding agreement.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Yomiuri:
Fedor in BodogFight long-term
Today’s
Yomiuri Hochi newspaper has a report claiming that PRIDE Heavyweight
champion Emelianenko Fedor has signed a long-term deal with Calvin
Ayre’s BodogFight promotion. The initial thought was that
Fedor’s match against Matt Lindland on 4/14 in St. Petersburg,
Russia would be on an individual fight contract. However, the
Japanese newspaper says that Fedor has signed a longer deal to
stay with BodogFight. The paper also claims that Bodog is aiming
to book fights for Fedor against Wanderlei Silva and Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira.
If
the report is true, it makes complete and total sense on all
levels. BodogFight is closely linked to MFC, which is linked
to the Red Devil fight team. Red Devil’s main power source
is Vadim Finkelstein (along with Holland manager Apy Echteld),
who is Fedor’s backer. Additionally, UFC is not going to
pay old PRIDE-level salaries to Silva or Nogueira.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Mike
Swick Interview
If
you don't know who Mike Swick is then you have been living under
a rock. Swick exploded on the scene shortly after his run on
the Ultimate Fighter reality show back in 2005. Mike is now on
a 5 fight win streak, but despite his requests for a title shot,
one has not presented itself. Unphased and as determined as ever,
Swick is looking forward to the challenges this year will
present. First up on the list is Yushin Okami at UFC 69 on April
7th. Mike took time out of his training to talk with MaXfighting.
MaxFighting:
Mike, what's it feel like to know that you are going to be fighting
in your hometown?
Mike Swick: Great! Can't wait!
MaxFighting: Do you feel that this fight should have been against
the champion in your mind? That maybe you should be fighting
Anderson Silva instead because your UFC record would suggest
a title shot?
Mike Swick: Nah, I am happy with this fight. Okami is a very
tough fighter.
MaxFighting:
When Lutter took Silva down several times, did you feel that
this exposed a hole in the champ's game or showed how much confidence
Anderson had in his ground game?
Mike Swick: I saw nothing that I didn't expect.
MaxFighting:
Yushin Okami is very good on the ground. Do you feel that this
will be a challenge for you? OR is your ground game comparable
to his?
Mike Swick: I think my ground game will rival his.
MaxFighting:
How do you feel that his striking stacks up against yours?
Mike Swick: I think I am faster and more aggressive.
MaxFighting:
After winning this fight do you believe that you are going to
be facing the champion in your next fight?
Mike Swick: Not sure. Not even thinking about it at the moment.
MaxFighting: How much would a fight with Rich Franklin appeal
to you? If the UFC asked if you would take that while waiting
for a title shot would you? Just a hypothetical question.
Mike Swick: Fine with me.
MaxFighting:
What is a Swick-fu Ninja? My wife, Sarah says she is one and
has the shirt. Is that like a Mayhem Monkey? Is this a conspiracy?
What's the friggin' deal,man?!?!
Mike Swick: Haha! Its a conspiracy!
MaxFighting:
Mike, do you ever think you could make 170 and fight as a welterweight?
Some have asked me if I thought it was possible and I said, "knowing
Mike.......yeah."
Mike Swick: Oh yea. I am walking at 187 right now.
MaxFighting:
Mike, thanks a lot for this and good luck at UFC 69!
Mike Swick: Thanks and be sure to check out my brand new webpage
at MikeSwick.com. We completely revamped the whole site!
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
“Safety
is a cheap and effective insurance policy.”
Author Unknown
|
Icon
Sport Press Conference Today!
Press Conference:
Wednesday
2pm at the Blaisdell.
PRESS CONFERENCE
ICON SPORT: EPIC
2PM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28TH
BLAISDELL ARENA
PRESS CONTACT:
PATRICK FREITAS 232-3481
WEIGH-IN:
4 PM - 530PM FRIDAY, MARCH 30TH
ICON SPORT MARTIAL ARTS AND FITNESS CENTER
(FROM TOWN, HEAD EAST TOWARDS HAWAII KAI ON KALANIANAOLE HWY.
GYM IS TWO-STORY BUILDING BEHIND KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN. LOTS
OF PARKING AVAILABLE.)
FULL CARD:
ICON SPORT: EPIC
SAT. MARCH 31st BLAISDELL
VIEW TV SPOT HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBUdjsI-X4w
Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com, Times Supermarkets,
Blaisdell Box Office
COMPLETE CARD
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MIDDLEWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
Frank Twinkle Toes Trigg (J-Sect/R1, Las Vegas) vs. Ruthless
Robbie Lawler (Miletich FS, Iowa)
Trigg makes his first title defense after dismantling Mayhem
Miller in December and then destroying top-ranked Kazuo Misaki
in February. Lawler is coming off two devastating knockout wins.
Leather will fly. This will be an unforgettable main event.
MAIN CARD
Charuto Verissimo (BJ Penn MMA/HMC) vs. Lars Haven (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Once a top ranked welterweight, Charuto continues his rise to
the top in Icon’s middleweight division. Haven is an undefeated
young warrior who sees that a win over Charuto would launch him
into the upper echelon of MMA.
Jason Mayhem Miller (Team Quest, CA. ) vs. Hector Urbina (Team
Wolfpack, Ohio)
Mayhem has the fire in his belly after losing the Icon title
to Trigg. But Urbina, at 8-2, is no easy challenge. Can Mayhem
get back to his winning ways?
Po’ai Suganuma (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Nathan Carey (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Hilo-born Po’ai is an intelligent, articulate, and charming
college graduate with a degree in computer science…AND he’s
an absolute MMA wrecking machine in the 205lb Light Heavyweight
class. He studied judo as a child and matured into a talented
grappler, winning the State wrestling championship for Waiakea
High School. He’s been fighting MMA in Japan since 2005,
so most of Hawaii has never heard of him. His first test in Icon
is a tough one as he takes on 6-1 Nathan Carey.
Jeremy Williams (Bas Rutten & Randy Couture’s Legends
Gym) vs. Charles Jones (Team Wolfpack)
He’s baaaaack! That’s right, Jeremy Williams, the former
pro-boxer returns for his 3rd Icon Sport appearance. This time
he steps up big time…taking a fight on short notice against
and undefeated Heavyweight opponent. “J Will” is intent
on showing Icon, the UFC, Pride, and everyone else that he is
a force at 205 pounds.
STATE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Marshall Harvest (Animal House) vs. Justin Buchholz (Bulls Pen)
It’s Ewa Beach versus Town in one of the most anticipated
lightweight match-ups in years. Harvest, Ewa Beach’s award-winning
grappler, burst onto the scene in 2006. Bucholz is an amazing
athlete who is skilled at every aspect of the MMA game.
INTERMISSION
UNDER CARD
Kala Kolohe Hose (Hard Knocks) vs. Ron Verdadero (Jesus Is Lord)
No Icon fighter has shown as much improvement over the last year
as Waianae warrior Hose, literally going from wild brawler to
skilled MMA assassin. Like Hose, Verdadero has taken his game
to the next level, showing off improved athleticism and devastating
ground-and-pound in his last fight.
Kimo Woelfel (Eastsidaz) vs. Dereck Keasley (Team Wolfpack, Ohio)
Waimanalo brawler Woelfel will be tested by slugger Keasley.
PJ Dean
(O2 Martial Arts Academy) vs. Scott Anderson (MMA Development)
Waianae’s own KO artist, PJ Dean, is considered by most
fight critics (and all opponents) to have some of the heaviest
hands in all of Hawaii. Anderson, new to Hawaii and his team,
MMA Development, is taking the fight on short notice.
Thomas Ferguson (Team Devastation) vs. Carvin Mafatau (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Waianae’s 280lb Ferguson has one-punch knockout power. So
does his opponent Mafatau, who is also a professional boxer.
Buckle up fight fans, these two heavyweights are going to stand
and bang.
Devon “Dynamite” Damo (Animal House) vs. Dwayne Haney
(Bulls Pen)
Damo’s last Icon appearance was a dominating kickboxing
win. Haney just won his Icon debut in February via rear naked
choke submission. This bout will be fast and fun.
Jay Bolos (Animal House) vs. Ryan Lee (Bulls Pen)
Bolos is a champion kickboxer converted to MMA fighter. Ryan
Lee is a seasoned MMA soldier who has fought every one who’s
anyone in the 135lb division. Guaranteed to be a stand-up war.
Source: Icon Sport
|
Sifu
Richard Bustillo Seminar
Sunday,
April 22 9:00-4:00
Filipino Martial Arts: Kali/Eskrima/Arnis
Saturday, Aprl 28 9:00-4:00
Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do
Trappling/Grappling/Jiu-jitsu
Seminar tuition
$65 Both days (pre-registration) $75 Both days (at the door)
$55 One day
These seminars will be held at the
Ko Olina Resort Fitness Club Facility
Follow H-1 west bound to Farrington Hwy. Take the Ko Olina
Resort exit and pass the sentry booth. Take the 2nd left off
Aliinui Drive to Ko Olina Golf Club. The Fitness Club Facility
is located between the tennis courts on the left.
Contact:
James Tanaka for more information at 223-9363 or email him at
jkt@pmitchelltrust.com
|
FERTITTAS
BUY PRIDE
The
Japanese newspapers reported today in Tokyo, Japan that the UFC
has bought Pride. Rumors of the sale have been circulating for
a while, but the deal now appears to be done. One of the newspapers
in Japan, SportsHochi, reported that Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta,
who own UFC parent company Zuffa LLC, will start a new company,
thus disbanding Dream Stage Entertainment, the parent company
of Pride. DSE/Pride President Nobuyuki Sakikabara, who brought
Pride to the United States and was successful in making the Pride
brand one of the most compelling MMA promotions in the world,
is reportedly resigning from his position.
The
new company that will operate Pride apparently won't be run directly
by UFC or Zuffa, but will be its own entity owned by the Fertittas,
so that Pride and the UFC will operate separately. It is also
being reported that the two promotions will hold a joint super
show once per year. SportsHochi reports that Pride 34 on April
8th will be the last Pride show run by DSE.
So,
will Pride be a Japanese or a United States promotion? Apparently,
Pride looks to continue to do shows in both Japan and the United
States. Intentions are to still have the Lightweight Grand Prix
starting in May, with the GP consisting of three shows, all taking
place in Japan. The annual New Year's Eve show is still in the
plans to take place in Japan. There are also plans to do 2-3
more shows in the United States this year.
There
will be a press conference held in Tokyo, Japan at the Roppongi
Hills Arena on Tuesday, March 27th, which will be open to the
press and fans alike.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Updated:
March 27, 2007, 10:45 AM ET
Source:
UFC buys Pride for less than $70M
NEW
YORK -- The majority owners of Ultimate Fighting Championship
have agreed to buy their biggest mixed martial arts rival, Pride
Fighting Championships, in a deal that will establish megafights
among the outfits' titleholders and possibly attract huge pay-per-view
audiences.
"This
is really going to change the face of MMA. Literally creating
a sport that could be as big around the world as soccer. I liken
it somewhat to when the NFC and AFC came together to create the
NFL."
-- Lorenzo Fertitta, one of UFC's majority owners
Company executives declined to comment on the sales price, but
a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press
that brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta will purchase the Japan-based
Pride for less than $70 million. The person was not authorized
to speak to reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The
deal was completed Tuesday and was announced during a news conference
in Tokyo, where Lorenzo Fertitta has been negotiating with Nobuyuki
Sakakibara, the majority owner and chief executive of Dream Stage
Entertainment Inc., Pride's owner.
"We
have been talking to Pride for probably about 11 months,"
Lorenzo Fertitta said. "It's been a long, drawn-out process
but we finally were able to put the two brands together."
To
buy the company, the brothers created a new entity called Pride
FC Worldwide Holdings LLC. The newly formed company will take
over Pride assets, including its trademarks, video library and
valuable roster of fighters, from Dream Stage. The Fertitta brothers,
who own Las Vegas-based Zuffa LLC, the parent company of UFC,
intend to keep the well-known Pride name and promote fights under
that brand.
The
acquisition marks a new phase in the brothers' quest to dominate
the burgeoning world of mixed martial arts since they bought
the struggling UFC in 2001.
"This
is really going to change the face of MMA," Lorenzo Fertitta
said. "Literally creating a sport that could be as big around
the world as soccer. I liken it somewhat to when the NFC and
AFC came together to create the NFL."
The
deal allows the Fertitta brothers to broker the biggest MMA fights
possible in the near future, increasing their influence in this
sports entertainment business.
"We
will be able to literally put on the fights that everyone wants
to see," Lorenzo Fertitta said. "It will allow us to
put on some of the biggest fights ever."
In
the past, there has been at least one case in which Pride and
UFC couldn't hammer out a deal to put their top fighters in the
ring together. With Pride in their pocket, the Fertitta brothers
intend to ensure that never happens again.
The
sale gives Pride more financial backing to expand the business
internationally after suffering a recent financial blow.
Major
sponsor Fuji Television Network Inc. dropped Pride in June after
a tabloid linked Pride to the Japanese mob -- something Sakakibara
has denied vigorously. To help bolster Pride, the company staged
two PPV fights in Las Vegas. Neither was a financial success.
The fights gained exposure for Pride but lost money, making the
sale of Pride more likely.
"I
think it certainly weakened their position," Lorenzo Fertitta
said. "One of our goals is to get back on a major platform
back here in Japan."
Lorenzo
Fertitta said he'll be looking to expand Pride internationally.
Buying
Pride is the latest in a series of acquisitions that the brothers
have made in the last six months. Zuffa snapped up World Extreme
Cagefighting and World Fighting Alliance last year.
Similar
to Pride, buying WFA gave UFC the rights to a popular fighter
named Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Jackson will face
UFC's most popular fighter, Chuck Liddell, the current light
heavyweight champ in Las Vegas, on May 26 on PPV.
In
the combat world, the Pride deal leaves a fragmented group of
upstarts and K-1, another Japanese company that promotes fighters
skilled in various forms of kick boxing.
Thanks
to a surge in popularity, the brothers' investment in UFC and
MMA in general has begun to pay off.
Last
year, UFC cracked $200 million in PPV revenue, putting it on
par with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.
UFC
stages fights in arenas across the country and airs a clutch
of successful television shows on Spike TV. It has also opened
an office in London, looking toward establishing itself internationally.
The
brothers also run Station Casinos Inc. in Las Vegas. Lorenzo
Fertitta is president and Frank Fertitta is chairman and chief
executive of Station Casinos, a public company that was recently
agreed to be purchased by a private equity investor group that
includes key members of the Fertitta family.
Source: ESPN
|
Draggo
returns to Deep rings
The
BTT boxer Edson Draggo talked to site TATAME and confirmed that
will be returning to the rings at the Deep, that will be held
on next April 13rd, facing Wes Sims, pupil of Mark Coleman. Draggo,
who has nine victories and only one defeat in his career, wants
to win to be back at the Pride, where he just did lose one time,
against Pawel Nastula. “I am sure that after winning the
Deep, they will put me to fight the two bouts in the Pride”,
commented Draggo, who has yet three bouts under his contract.
Even after two years of the polemic fact at the Storm Samurai
between him and Assuério Silva, he is still waiting a
confrontation. “This bout must happen, this is an honour
issue for me and I am sure it will be a great fight”, said
the striker. Check out the complete card of the event:
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
Deep
29th
Korakuen Hall, Tokio, Japan
Friday, April 13rd, 2007
-
Murilo Bustamante vs. Ryuta Sakurai;
- Hisae Watanabe vs. Masako Yoshida;
-Yusuke Kawaguchi vs. Fujiyama;
- Shigetoshi Iwase vs. Sem Nakadai;
- Takuhiro Kamikozono vs. Katuki Kikuno;
- Ryuichi Murata vs. Dae Won Kim;
- Michihiro Omigawa vs. Naoki Matsushita;
- Cristiano Kaminishi vs. Henry Sentoryu Miller;
- Yasuhito Namekawa vs. Yuji Sakuragi;
- Bárbaro 44 vs. Ryan Bow;
- Edson Draggo vs. Wes Sims.
Source: Tatame
|
Sakakibara
looking for new talents
The
Pride president Nobuyuki Sakakibara is in Curitiba city now following
the trainings of Wanderlei Silva and Maurício Shogun,
but didn’t take the eyes out of the future promises of the
Chute Boxe team. On last Saturday (17), Sakakibara prestigied
more than 200 athletes who were present at the big class of the
team. “For us it is a big satisfaction to receive the director
of the biggest fight event of the world”, said the Chute
Boxe leader Rumidar Fedrigo. Sakakiraba also talked about the
team and its biggest representative Wanderlei Silva.
-
I am sure that Wanderlei Silva represents the essence of the
Pride. In Chute Boxe team you are in the place to have opportunities,
so train hard and listen to your masters. I said that in some
other opportunities and I will repeat it in front of all of you,
master Rudimar for me is the biggest team leader between everyone
who already participated of the Pride – said Sakakibara.
Source: Tatame
|
ADCC
selective winner with no visa
The
first adversary for the Brazilian athletes that are going to
fight at the Abu Dhabi 2007, that will be held in May 4th, 5th
and 6th, in New Jersey , is the American Consulate. The BJJ World
champion and ADCC winner, Bianca Andrade (Gracie Barra Alagoas),
had her American visa denied. This is not the first time that
a Brazilian athlete passes through this situation. In 2005, when
the ADCC was held also in , Bruno Bastos (Nova União)
couldn’t get his visa and didn’t go to the competition.
In the same year, Hannete Quadros, that had her visa denied in
the first try, got it after some media reports about the case.
“I passed trough the same problem and thanks to the press
help, I could get my visa. I hope she gets her visa just like
me”, said Hannete Quadros, the winner of the category until
67 Kg of the ADCC selective.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
“In
all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.”
Aristotle, 384-322 B.C., Greek Philosopher
|
Raw
Episode 48
the RAW
version of Fighters' Club TV Episode 48 has been submitted to
Olelo programming and will run in our normal timeslot: 7pm Tuesdays
on
Oceanic Ch52 (Olelo-Oahu)
Episode
48 features
-our
very own Mike Onzuka's "behind the scenes" look at
a filming of
ICON's preview show.
-footage
from ICON's "All In" including interviews and highlights
of
Jeremy Williams vs Derek Thorton, Scott Junk vs John "Furious"
George,
and Trigg vs Mayhem
-Interview
with Enson Inoue
-Technique
of the Week featuring ENSON INOUE
comments,
questions, and suggestions to: fctv@onzuka.com
|
2007
HAWAII JUNIOR OLYMPIC STATE CHAMPIONS
March 24, 2007
Palolo District Park
Bantam
Division (8,9,and 10 yrs old)
65 lbs- Female- Kimberly Choe
50- Kyri Paranada
55- Wayne Pagan III
65- Johansen Smith
80- Kekoa Kapule- Balasi
90- Micah Paraan- Colburn
10 yrs- 65lbs- Dustin Somera
Had to separate because 8 yrs old cannot box a 10 yrs old.
Junior
Division (11 and 12 yrs)
70 lbs- Female- Jada Pereira
55 lbs- Jaybrio PeBenito
65- Jaymes-Jordan Callos
70- James Hashimoto
75- Shaun Bayan
80- Justly Laquihon
90- Andrew McCue
95- Rocky Balala
Intermediate
Division (13 and 14)
110- Female- Chazzette Sau
114- Female- Alyssa- Lende Kane
154- Female- Brandee-Gail Chun
85- Taylor Siobal
90- Dido Rodrigues
95- Emmit Bolibol
101- Kurtis Hagi
106- Jermicheal Sengphrachanh
125- Jacob Lee
132- Jonathan Dinong
145- Keanu Sabado
154- Kane Sabado
201- Mark Joseph Antalan
SENIOR OPEN DIVISION STATE AND REGIONAL CHAMPIONS- Gold Medalist
Advance to the 2007 National Junior Olympic Championships at
the U.S. Olympic Education Center in Marquette, Michigan on June
23 - July 1st.
110 lbs- Gino Ramos (Kawano B.C.)
114- Ezra Cabang (A.P. Big Island)
119- Taylor Rodrigues (Unattached- Maui)
125- Micah Matsushima (Oki B.C.- Kauai)
132- Kylie DelaCruz- Kaheaku (Five-0 B.C.)
138- Boston Salmon (Kawano B.C.)
145- Antone Pereira (Waianae B.C.)
154- Joshua Nakagawa (Southside Maui- B.C.)
165- Faleauto Manutulila (Hawaii Youth B.C.)
189- Jacob-Jon Callos (Wailuku B.C.)
110lb Female- Helena DelaCruz- Lopes
AWARDS-
Outstanding Boxer Award- Faleauto Manutulila (Hawaii Youth)
Sportsmanship- Joshua Nichols (PearlSide)
Outstanding Bout- Elvin-Joshua Gacud (Wailuku) vs Johansen Smith
(Waianae)
Local Boxing Committee (LBC) Team Championships- PearlSide
B.C.
State/Regional Team Championship- Tie between Kawano B.C. and
Five-O B.C.
Respectfully
Submitted,
Bruce
Kawano
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chairman/Regional Coordinator.
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 5
Hanapepe
Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai, Hawaii
March 24, 2007
Kauai's
only MMA event returned to Hanapepe Stadium and fight fans packed
the outdoor venue. Every seat was a great seat as the promoters
brought in talent from Oahu in addition to tapping into talent
from veteran fighter Charlie Pearson's camp in Seattle and the
702 Fight Team out of Las Vegas. The night started out with debut
fighters that made up for their lack of experience and technique
with pure aggression. Every fighter went for the finish and only
one fight went to a decision. There were two women's matches
and three titles were on the line with all three titles having
new owners. One of the matches featured Kauai's first women's
MMA match that ended with fireworks. The fight of the night was
Jamaiah Williamson and Tesai Seamster. Seamster pressed the take
down and followed up with some ground on pound. Williamson answered
back by defending many of the take downs and punishing Seamster
by pounding on him while he was finishing the take downs. There
were fierce struggles and reversals throughout the three round
bout in the only match to go the distance. In the upset of the
night, Keoni Bryant surprised BJJ black belt and local favorite
Kaeo Lopez with a knee bar. And in the co-main events, the two
local boys fought valiantly, but C3's fighters kept relentless
pressure and consistent damage wearing down their opponents.
Buck Bisbey gutted out two painful looking arm locks by Eben
Kaneshiro on his way to a referee stoppage. Mario Miranda and
Taurus Cabbab fought at a furious pace for the entire four minutes
with Miranda controlling the bout, but Cabbab was not going down
easy. At the end of the night local fight team Kauai Technical
Institute and Charlie Pearson's C3's team went undefeated and
some fighters made a name for themselves in an exciting night
of fights.
155-160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Kaimi Bermoy (Freelance, Kauai) def. John Rosario (Freelance,
Kauai)
Submission via rear naked choke at 0:45 in Round 1.
160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Chuck Rapozo (Quicksilva) def. Keoni Bigno (Freelance, Kauai)
TKO via doctor stoppage after end of Round 2.
190-195lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Hunter Seelbinder (Bulls Pen) def. Jason Aldridge (702 Fight
Team, LV)
Submission via rear naked choke at 2:42 in Round 1.
155-160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
John Felix (Freelance, Oahu) def. Nestor Honarato (Quicksilva)
Submission via triangle choke at 1:18 in Round 1.
140-145lbs:
Women's Kickboxing: 3 Rounds x 1 ½ Minutes
Lynn Alvarez (702 Fight Team, LV) def. Sherri Ephan (Kenn Firestone)
TKO via referee stoppage at 1:16 in Round 2.
Amateur
Welterweight Kickboxing Championship
155-160lbs: 3 Rounds x 2 Minutes
Isaac Josiah (Quicksilva) def. Marcus Moreno (Bulls Pen)
TKO via referee stoppage at 0:46 in Round 2.
Isaac Josiah becomes Amateur Welterweight Kickboxing Champion.
150lbs:
Women's MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Emma Bush (C3, Seattle, WA) def. Heather Eichens (Freelance,
Oahu)
TKO via referee stoppage at 1:26 in Round 1.
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Pauly Kawamura (Kauai Technical Institute) def. Julio Moreno
(Bulls Pen)
Submission via rear naked choke at 2:42 in Round 3.
150-155lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Shane Kahananui (Kauai Technical Institute) def. Zack Rapal (Fighters
Union)
Submission via arm bar from the guard at 1:15 in Round 1.
205lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Jamaiah Williamson (Valor Fighting, Ca) def. Tesai Seamster (Kamole)
Decision after 3 rounds.
170lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Keoni Bryant (Jus Rush) def. Kaeo Lopez (Kamole)
Submission via knee bar at 0:35 in Round 1.
Lightweight
Championship Match
145-150lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Buck Bisbey (C3, Seattle, WA) def. Eben Kaneshiro (Kamole)
TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes at 2:37 in Round 2.
Buck Bisbey becomes the new Lightweight Champion
Light
Heavyweight Championship Match
205lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Mario Miranda (C3, Seattle, WA) def. Taurus Cabbab (Team MMAD)
TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes from the mount at 4:13
in Round 1.
Mario Miranda becomes the new Light Heavyweight Champion.
|
UFC
69 OFFICIAL FIGHT CARD ANNOUNCED
Las Vegas, NV – The Ultimate Fighting Championship®
released the full lineup of fights for the upcoming UFC 69: SHOOTOUT
featuring UFC World Welterweight Champion Georges “Rush”
St-Pierre vs. The Ultimate Fighter® 4 “The Comeback”
winner Matt “The Terror” Serra; Josh Koscheck vs. Diego
Sanchez; Roger Huerta vs. Leonard Garcia; Mike Swick vs. Yushin
Okami; and Alan Belcher vs. Kendall Grove. Also on the card are
exciting matchups between Brad Imes vs. Heath Herring; Thales
Leites vs. Pete Sell; Marcus Davis vs. Pete Spratt; and Josh
Haynes vs. Luke Cummo. The UFC® organization presents UFC
69: SHOOTOUT live from Houston at the Toyota Center Saturday, April 7,
2007.
Tickets
for UFC 69: SHOOTOUT are on sale for $450, $350, $250, $150 and
$50 and are available online at www.toyotacentertix.com, by phone
at 1-866-4HOUTIX, at the Toyota Center Box Office or select Houston
area Randall's locations.
UFC
69: SHOOTOUT is available live on pay-per-view in Standard or
High-Definition (HD) where available at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST
on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw
Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada. The suggested
retail price for Standard Definition is $39.95 ($39.99 CAD) and
$49.95 for HD.
Also
on the UFC 69: SHOOTOUT card is a fierce lineup of undercard
bouts including: Brad Imes vs. Heath Herring; Thales Leites vs.
Pete Sell; Marcus Davis vs. Pete Spratt; and Josh Haynes vs.
Luke Cummo.
Brad
“The Hillbilly Hearthrob” Imes (6-2-0) 6’7”/260
lbs. fighting out of Springfield, is a former Division I football
player for Missouri. Imes moved from the obscurity of the offensive
line to the bright spotlight of the UFC with his stint on the
second season of The Ultimate Fighter®. A finalist on The
Ultimate Fighter 2, Imes’ mixed martial arts career has
been epitomized by classic toe-to-toe scraps with Rashad Evans
and Dan Christison, and his willingness to engage in fan-friendly
fights has made ‘The Hillbilly Heartthrob’ a favorite
among UFC followers. Recently sidelined by injuries, Imes is
healed and ready to get back in the Octagon™ for his toughest
test to date Heath “The Texas Crazy Horse” Herring.
Fighting out of Las Vegas, Herring (26-12-1) 6’4” 250
lbs. is a true Texan from the top of his ten-gallon hat to the
bottom of his cowboy boots. Waco-born Herring is finally coming
home to compete in front of his loyal fans. That’s good
news for people in the Lone Star State, because when ‘The
Texas Crazy Horse’ is on his game and matched with a fighter
as eager to throw down as he is, it makes for some of the most
memorable fight action you will see all year. Looking to erase
the memory of a disappointing decision loss to Jake O’Brien
in January, Herring, one of the premier heavyweights of this
era, knows that his ascension up the UFC ranks is riding on this
must-win fight against giant Imes.
Thales
Leites (9-1-0) 6’1”/185 lbs., fighting out of Rio de
Janeiro, made his bones as a professional fighter on the tough
Brazilian fight circuit. Twenty-five year old Leites gets a second
chance to make a first impression when he takes on Pete “Drago”
Sell. A Jiu-Jitsu practitioner since the age of 17, Leites’
stellar ground attack was in evidence as he built an unbeaten
9-0 record against veteran standouts such as Ronald Jhun and
Jose Landi-Jons. But in his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann
last November, Leites faced defeat for the first time in his
three year career, losing a three round decision. Yet in that
defeat, Leites displayed the qualities that may one day make
him a champion, as he showed heart and determination to win even
when the outlook for victory was bleakest. His heart will be
put to test as he takes on Sell (7-3-0) 5’11”/185 lbs.
Fighting out of Bayshore, N.Y., Sell is an aggressive fighter
who never shies away from a toe-to-toe war. “Drago”
may have gained more fans in a November defeat to Scott Smith
than most fighters do by winning. After trading haymakers with
Smith for over seven minutes, Sell landed a devastating body
shot that hurt his opponent badly, but in his overeagerness to
finish Smith off, Sell ended up the victim of a spectacular knockout.
Having learned from his mistake, Sell – a protégé
of welterweight contender Matt Serra – plans on coming back
stronger and more disciplined when he makes his return to the
Octagon in a key middleweight matchup against Leites.
Marcus
“The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (15-4-0) 5’10”/170
lbs., fighting out of Bangor, Maine, is the proud owner of one
of the best nicknames in all of combat sports. “The Irish
Hand Grenade” has shown in recent months that he’s
more than just a guy with a catchy ring name. Last October, a
first round submission win over Forrest Petz announced Davis’
arrival as a true mixed martial artist and not just as a former
pro boxer with some MMA thrown in. Just to make sure future opponents
wouldn’t fall asleep on his standup qualities, he hurt veteran
Shonie Carter with pinpoint countershots all night in December
en route to a clear cut decision win. With a high comfort level
while standing or on the mat, Davis is one dangerous man and
a force to be reckoned with as he takes on Pete “The Secret
Weapon” Spratt (16-7-0) 5’9”/170 lbs. A firm believer
in the Randy Couture school of thought that life as a mixed martial
artist begins at 35, 36-year old Spratt has resurrected his career
after a stint on the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter. With
a win over Jeremy Jackson already in the bank, this Muay Thai
specialist with the crushing leg kicks wants to add Marcus Davis
to his victim list. To get ready for the former pro boxer, Sherman,
Texas’ Spratt has enlisted former world champion Jesse James
Leija to help him in training camp. The fruits of those labors
should be evident as he goes head to head in the Octagon with
Davis.
Josh
“Bring the Pain” Haynes (9-6-0) 5’9”/185
lbs., fighting out of Portland, Ore. is an inspirational fighter
who once tipped the scales at 330 pounds. Josh Haynes has made
the transformation from super heavyweight to the welterweight
limit of 170 pounds with a mix of hard work, desire, and discipline.
Along the way, he’s made a name for himself as a hard-nosed
brawler who always gives fight fans’ their monies worth.
After stunning the competition by fighting his way to The Ultimate
Fighter 3 finale, he fell short against Michael Bisping. Then,
Haynes thrilled a packed house at the Hard Rock Live Arena in
Florida last October with the fight of the night while losing
a close decision to good friend Rory Singer. Rest assured, win
or lose, Haynes is ready to ‘Bring The Pain’ onto Long
Islander Luke “The Silent Assassin” Cummo (16-7-0)
6’0’/170 lbs. When Luke Cummo first entered the consciousness
of fight fans during the second season of The Ultimate Fighter
series, the consensus was that this New Yorker wasn’t your
typical fighter. Despite his quirky behavior outside the Octagon,
once ‘The Silent Assassin’ steps inside of it, it is
clear that with his crisp standup game and willingness to scrap,
he is a fighter to be reckoned with at 170 pounds. Since losing
a close decision to Joe Stevenson in the The Ultimate Fighter
2 finale in 2005, Cummo has continued to put on exciting fights
while accelerating his development as a mixed martial artist,
a progression he hopes to make with a win over Haynes.
All
bouts are subject to change.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Zuluzinho
comments bout at Pride 34
Training
with the wrestler Antoine Jaoude in Rio de Janeiro , Zuluzinho
talked exclusivelly to site TATAME about the confrontation against
the boxer Butterbean at Pride 34, that will be held on April
7th in . “I will face Butterbean at Pride 34. I will stay
in Rio de Janeiro training with Antoine until the fight day,
I am training hard and Antoine have been killing me during the
trainings”, told the son of the legend king Zulú.
The
athlete knows the style of his adversary and already studies
a strategic with Antoine. “I know he is a boxer and will
try to exchange punches with me. We are still studying the fight
strategy, but I will probably take this fight to the ground”,
said Zuluzinho, who also have been receiving some advises of
the Nova União leader André Pederneiras. “I
am supporting Zuluzinho at the technician part. He has future
and is also a pretty nice guy”, said Dedé.
Source: Tatame
|
Rizzo
may faces Fedor’s brother
The
striker Pedro Rizzo, who is still recouping his right hand injury
after the fight against Justin Eillers will probably return to
the event in June. According to Rizzo, the fight would be against
Fedor’s brother, Aleksander Emilianenko, where he would
do his first belt defense of the Art of War event. “I will
stay three weeks with no training because of my hand injury.
I will probably fight again in June or July against Fedor’s
brother, Aleksander. That will be a great fight for me”,
told Rizzo, who also said good things about the new event. “I
think that was the most beautiful place I have ever fought. The
event treated me pretty well and I am satisfied to be fighting
there”, said Rizzo.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“Sports
serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.”
George F. Will, American Newspaper Columnist/Author/Pulitzer
Prïze Wïnner
|
Got
Skills Returns!
WHAT -
GOT SKILLS
WHEN - APRIL 7, 2OO7 - DOORS OPEN AT 6PM
WHERE - WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
GARY REBEALIZA 140 TONY PERERA
INNER CIRCLE WAIANAE KICKBOXING
JERELL MUNOZ 145 PAUL LOPES
HSD JESUS IS LORD
VAN SHIROMA 140 MARK TAJON
HMC BULLSPEN
BRAD TAVARES 195 ELROY AKANA
UNIVERSAL COMBAT LIVE CLEAN FIGHT DIRTY
JOSH 170 KAI HOLLENBECK
JESUS IS LORD HMC
DAMIEN DAS 135 JUMAR ESCOSIO
INNER CIRCLE EWA FREESTYLE
BRYSEN KEALOHA 125 PAUL VARQUEZ
TEAM DEVASTATION EWA FREESTYLE
ALIKA VELAROSA 230 KAINOA VILLALON
ANIMAL HOUSE LIVE CLEAN FIGHT DIRTY
JULIO MORENO 130 DAVIN KIM
BULLSPEN FIVE - 0 FIGHT CLUB
MAX MURRAY 185 KAWAI QUIZON
HMC TEAM DEVASTATION
THOMAS MATHIAS 135 DESHAUN JOHNSON
WAIANAE KICKBOXING EWA FREESTYLE
TONY BELEN 160 RENO REMIGIO
INNER CIRCLE HMC
RICHARD BERNARD 150 MAIKA
HSD EWA FREESTYLE
JUSTIN DANO 150 KAPENA
HSD VALENTINO KICKBOXING
JON CRUZ 170 STEVE FARMER
TEAM ISLAND THUNDER UNIVERSAL COMBAT
BRANDON MARTIN 195 MACKY
HSD JESUS IS LORD
MASA KURITA 150 JUSTIN
HMC ANIMAL HOUSE
MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Promoter
|
Icon
Sport Weigh-In and Press Conference
***Weigh-In:
We have moved the time and location of the weigh-in.
4 pm, Friday, March 30th at T Jay's new gym in Niu Valley.
I know thats a bit of a drive for most of us, myself included,
but we are doing this at TJay's request. The gym is a 2-story
structure located behind the KFC on Kalanianaole Highway. It
is very easy to find. There is lots of parking. Weigh-ins will
conclude at 5:30pm.
If fighters cannot make weight at this time, they will have to
make weight the evening of the fight. I am NOT available to do
individual weigh-ins later in the evening on Mar 30.
Press Conference:
Wednesday 2pm at the Blaisdell. Trigg, Lawler, Mayhem, Jeremy
Williams, and their opponents are mandatory. All else are welcome
to join the occasion.
Source: Icon Sport
|
UFC
70 WILL AIR ON SPIKE TV WITH TAPE DELAY
As previously reported by MMAWeekly.com, UFC 70 will be airing
on Spike TV in the United States instead of airing on pay-per-view
or HBO. The news was officially confirmed in an announcement
by Spike TV earlier today.
Instead
of airing live as previously planned, the event will air in the
United States on a tape delay and will begin airing on Saturday,
April 21st at 9:00 PM (Eastern Time/Pacific Time).
The
six-figure cost of broadcasting live in the United States from
an event in Europe was ultimately deemed to not be worth the
expense, particularly since the ratings are likely to be higher
in primetime. Most UFC fans in the U.S. will not be aware that
the event is taking place on Saturday afternoon.
The
event could have aired live on Spike TV on Saturday afternoon
and re-aired on Saturday evening in primetime (as is the case
when HBO Boxing broadcasts an event from Europe), but instead
it will air only in primetime.
UFC
70 on April 21st was Zuffa's target date for the company's first
show on HBO, but several sticking points prevented the two sides
from reaching an agreement in time for UFC 70 to air on HBO,
as we have previously documented extensively on MMAWeekly.
Zuffa
also could not air UFC 70 on pay-per-view due to the fact that
all of the PPV advertising deadlines for an April 21st event
have long since passed, and Zuffa was confident enough that an
HBO deal would be reached by this point that it never booked
a U.S. PPV date for UFC 70.
This
sequence of events left Spike TV as the only logical option as
the U.S. home for UFC 70. The show is scheduled to air in the
U.S. from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM, although it could also run over
the three-hour time period if events warrant.
The
top four fights on the card are Mirko Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
(with the winner fighting Randy Couture this summer), Andrei
Arlovski vs. Fabricio Werdum, Ryoto Machida vs. Forrest Griffin,
Michael Bisping vs. Elvis Sinosic.
A
Spike TV spokesperson has confirmed to MMAWeekly that all four
of those bouts will be airing on the Spike TV broadcast of UFC
70, and there is a possibility that a fifth fight will air as
well.
For
extensive details on how the deal came about for UFC 70 to air
on Spike TV, along with the inside story of the numerous factors
that are holding up a UFC-HBO deal, check out our previous story
on this matter (see "Related Articles" below).
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CONDIT
WINS BELT, FABER DEFENDS AT WEC
LAS VEGAS, NEV. – Holding their second show under Zuffa,
World Extreme Cagefighting returned to the Joint at the Hard
Rock Hotel. It was an exciting night of fights with only one
fight going the distance.
In
the main event, Carlos Condit became the new WEC Welterweight
Champion defeating UFC veteran John Alessio. Condit worked the
knees within the clinch in the first round but Alessio was able
to take Condit down several times during the first round. Condit
was able to get back to his feet every time as Alessio wasn’t
able to get started on the ground. Alessio got a takedown to
start the second round but it was Condit who did the most damage.
He stayed busy off his back with punches and elbows as Alessio
looked lost. Condit really got going after they were restarted
on their feet. He used effective knees in the clinch to breakdown
Alessio. Condit went for a standing kimura, taking it to the
ground where he got Alessio’s back and sunk in the choke,
forcing Alessio to tap with just one second left in the second
round. Carlos Condit becomes the new WEC Welterweight Champion.
Urijah
Faber was dominant in victory over Dominic Cruz retaining his
WEC Featherweight Championship. Faber came out aggressive throwing
a head kick that barely missed its target and Cruz responded
with a head kick of his own. Faber landed a huge uppercut as
Cruz went in for a takedown; once it hit the ground Faber locked
in a guillotine choke. Cruz got back to his feet and took it
back down but Faber was able to secure it as Cruz rolled over
to get the tap at 1:38 of the first round.
Unknown
Midwest fighter Chase Beebe stunned everyone in attendance becoming
the new WEC Bantamweight Champion, winning a decision over former
champion Eddie Wineland. Wineland looked impressive in the first
round as he dropped Beebe with a flurry but wasn’t able
to finish him. Beebe looked nervous, as he wasn’t setting
up his takedowns until he finally took Wineland down to end the
round. Beebe absolutely dominated the second round as he immediately
took Wineland down. He then passed Wineland’s guard and
mounted him, punishing him with punches and elbows for the rest
of the round but Wineland survived. The next two rounds played
out the same as both fighters would circle early with Beebe getting
a late takedown to win the round. By the final round, Wineland’s
ear was bleeding badly and he needed a knockout to win the fight.
Neither fighter risked too much in the final round and it cost
Wineland the fight. Beebe was awarded a well-earned unanimous
decision with scores of 48-47 and 48-46 twice.
UFC
veteran Brock Larson looked impressive in victory as he dominated
Erik Apple. Once on the ground, Larson dominated Apple switching
from position to position. Larson almost ended the fight with
a choke but Apple escaped. Larson finally finished Apple as he
transitioned from an armbar to a kimura, forcing Apple to tapout
at 3:43 of the first round.
KOTC
veteran Dave Terrel was impressive against Tiki Ghosn. Tiki looked
good in the first round as he was able to use his experience
to pepper Terrel with shots. Tiki hurt Terrel with a barrage
of punches, but Terrel survived until the end of the round. It
was a much different story in the second round as Terrel started
to land solid shots and finally hurt Tiki. Terrel poured it on
dropping Tiki several times but was unable to finish him as Tiki
got back to his feet. Terrel was all over Tiki and Herb Dean
had seen enough, stopping the fight at 1:46 of the second round.
Cub
Swanson was able to submit Tommy Lee with a guillotine choke
in the first round. Lee got an initial takedown but Swanson persisted
and was able to lock on a guillotine choke at 3:17 of the first
round.
In
what can be considered an upset, former KOTC Bantamweight Champion
Charlie Valencia finished off former WEC Bantamweight Champion
Antonio Banuelos. Valencia went straight for a takedown but Banuelos
responded with a guillotine choke. Valencia escaped and both
fighters exchanged solid shots. Banuelos took Valencia down but
he got back to his feet, landing an uppercut that dropped Banuelos
as he finished him off with strikes at 3:12 of the first round.
Fairtex
welterweight Alex Serdyukov looked impressive against relatively
unknown fighter Scott Norton. Norton took the fight to the ground
early but Serdyukov was able to lock on a tight triangle choke.
Serdyukov held on for the majority of the round as he tried to
finish the fight with the triangle choke but Norton survived
and responded with strikes as finally was able to escape. Norton
again shot in for a takedown to start the second round but Serdyukov
was able to lock on a guillotine choke that forced Norton to
tapout, only fifty-seven seconds into the round.
In
an exciting contest, Micah Miller was able to use his reach advantage
to full effect against Jesse Moreng. In the first round, Miller
used knees in the clinch to control Moreng. On the ground, Miller
used his long lanky legs to neutralize Moreng from landing any
effective shots within his guard. The fighters traded back and
forth in the second round, as Moreng landed solid punches while
Miller used knees and punches to hurt Moreng. Both fighters clinched
to start the last round with neither fighter getting much of
an advantage. Moreng took Miller down and as they hit the ground
Miller started to work for the triangle choke. Moreng struggled
hard to get out of it but Miller was able to finally secure it,
forcing Moreng to tapout at 3:29 of the third round.
U.S.
Marine Brian Stann made quick work of Steve Cantwell, dropping
him with a right hook and finishing him off with strikes at forty-one
seconds of the first round.
JOE RIGGS
OUT OF WEC FIGHT TONIGHT
MMAWeekly received word from World Extreme Cagefighting officials
that Joe “Diesel” Riggs has had to pull out of tonight’s
planned fight with Hiromitsu Miura due to a back injury.
According
to Scott Lewis of Pavia, Ciscone, & Associates – Riggs’
management company – Riggs has had a bulging disc in his
lower back for quite some time, but thus far has been able to
fight through it. He was hitting the mitts last night to stay
loose, when his back started to act up and he felt numbness in
his leg. Upon advice of an orthopedic specialist, Riggs withdrew
from the fight.
At
this late stage in the game, the day of the fight, it is obviously
too late to install a replacement fighter, but the WEC fight
card remains one of their strongest ever with 3 title fights
still intact and seven non-title bouts on the undercard.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Remember
that as a teenager you are at the last stage of your life when
you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you."
Fran Lebowitz, American Writer and Humorist
|
OPEN
CASTING FOR ULTIMATE FIGHTER 6
Press Release
OPEN CASTING CALL FOR SEASON 6 OF “THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER”
ON SPIKE TV
WHAT:
The UFC and Spike TV will hold an open casting call in Las Vegas
for Season 6 of the incredibly popular series, The Ultimate Fighter.
WHEN:
Tuesday, April 10 at 8:00am PST
WHERE:
The Palms Hotel & Casino
Fantasy Tower in Rock AB
4321 West Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, NV 89103
WHO:
Mixed martial arts fighters in the Welterweight (155-170 lbs)
class.
*Only those who can compete in this weight class are eligible
to tryout
WHY:
Season 6 of one of television’s most popular series begins
production in late May and premieres in September.
Overseeing
the tryouts will be:
Dana White – UFC President and host, The Ultimate Fighter
Craig Piligian – Executive Producer, The Ultimate Fighter
Brian J. Diamond – Senior Vice President, Sports & Specials,
Spike TV
How
to sign up:
log onto spiketv.com or ufc.com for details
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
ICON
SPORT: EPIC COMPLETE CARD
BLAISDELL ARENA, HONOLULU, HAWAII
SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2007
view TV spot here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBUdjsI-X4w
Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com, Times Supermarkets,
Blaisdell Box Office
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MIDDLEWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
Frank Twinkle Toes Trigg (J-Sect/R1, Las Vegas) vs. Ruthless
Robbie Lawler (Miletich FS, Iowa)
Trigg makes his first title defense after dismantling Mayhem
Miller in December and then destroying top-ranked Kazuo Misaki
in February. Lawler is coming off two devastating knockout wins.
Leather will fly. This will be an unforgettable main event.
MAIN CARD
Jason Mayhem Miller (Team Quest, CA. ) vs. Hector Urbina (Team
Wolfpack, Ohio)
Mayhem has the fire in his belly after losing the Icon title
to Trigg. But Urbina, at 8-2, is no easy challenge. Can Mayhem
get back to his winning ways?
Charuto Verissimo (BJ Penn MMA/HMC) vs. Lars Haven (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Once a top ranked welterweight, Charuto continues his rise back
to the top now in Icon’s middleweight division. Haven is
an undefeated young warrior who sees that a win over Charuto
would launch him into the upper echelon of MMA.
Po’ai Suganuma (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Nathan Carey (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Hilo-born Po’ai is an intelligent, articulate, and charming
college graduate with a degree in computer science…AND he’s
an absolute MMA wrecking machine in the 205lb Light Heavyweight
class. He studied judo as a child and matured into a talented
grappler, winning the State wrestling championship for Waiakea
High School. He’s been fighting MMA in Japan since 2005,
so most of Hawaii has never heard of him. His first test in Icon
is a tough one as he takes on 6-1 Nathan Carey.
STATE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Marshall Harvest (Animal House) vs. Justin Bucholz (Bulls Pen)
It’s Ewa Beach versus Town in one of the most anticipated
lightweight match-ups in years. Harvest, Ewa Beach’s talented
grappler, was a student of world renowned jiu-jitsu master Barret
Yoshida. Bucholz is an amazing athlete who is skilled at every
aspect of the MMA game.
UNDER CARD
Kala Kolohe Hose (Hard Knocks) vs. Ron Verdadero (Jesus Is Lord)
No Icon fighter has shown as much improvement over the last year
as Waianae warrior Hose, literally going from wild brawler to
skilled MMA assassin. Like Hose, Verdadero has taken his game
to the next level, showing off improved athleticism and devastating
ground-and-pound in his last fight.
Kimo Woelfel (Eastsidaz) vs. Dereck Keasley (Team Wolfpack, Ohio)
Waimanalo brawler Woelfel will be tested by slugger Keasley.
PJ Dean
(O2 Martial Arts Academy) vs. Scott Anderson (Team MMAD)
Waianae’s own KO artist, PJ Dean, is considered by most
fight critics (and all opponents) to have some of the heaviest
hands in all of Hawaii. His first Icon test is against Anderson,
an unknown to Hawaii fans and a total wild card.
Thomas Ferguson (Team Devastation) vs. Carvin Mafatau (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Waianae’s Ferguson has one-punch knockout power. So does
his opponent Mafatau. Buckle up fight fans, these two heavyweights
are going to stand and bang.
Devon Damo (Animal House) vs. Dwayne Haney (Bulls Pen)
Damo’s last Icon appearance was a dominating kickboxing
win. Haney just won his Icon debut in February via rear naked
choke submission. This bout will be fast and fun.
Jay Bolos (Animal House) vs. Ryan Lee (Bulls Pen)
Bolos is a champion kickboxer converted to MMA fighter. Ryan
Lee is a seasoned MMA soldier who has fought every one who’s
anyone in the 135lb division. Guaranteed to be a stand-up war.
Isaiah Cobb-Adams (Animal House) vs. Vinny Delos Santos (Team
Soljah)
Its Ewa Beach versus Waianae as well-rounded Cobb-Adams meets
kickboxer-turned-MMA-fighter Delos Santos.
Source: Event Promoter
|
FEG
to announce arrival of HERO's in America
FEG, the parent company of Hero's and K-1, will officially announce
March 27 that it will join promotional partners ProElite and
Showtime for a mixed martial arts event at the Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum in California.
Dubbed
"Softbank presents DYNAMITE!! USA in association with Pro
Elite," the event will be broadcasted live on pay-per-view
in June.
Among
the fighters that will be participating on the card are UFC legend
Royce Gracie, K-1 star Hong-Man Choi, former WWE pro wrestler
Brock Lesnar, and former NFL wide receiver Johnnie Morton.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Silva
Defends Against Marquardt; Ortiz-Evans On
by Sherdog.com Staff
Anderson Silva will get a second chance to make a first UFC title
defense when he faces Nathan Marquardt July 7 in Las Vegas, MMAWeekly.com
reported. The 185-pound Brazilian champion missed his first defense
opportunity in February when challenger Travis Lutter failed
to make weight.
Marquardt,
a multiple King of Pancrase titleholder, is winner of six in
a row (the last four in the Octagon), including a decision over
Kazuo Misaki in 2004. Decisions over Ivan Salaverry, Joe Doerksen,
and Dean Lister as well as a submission against Crafton Wallace
have put Marquardt on the precipice of becoming UFC champion.
Former
UFC light heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz will return to the ring
for the first time since Chuck Liddell stopped "The Huntington
Beach Bad Boy" on Dec. 30, when he faces rising 205-pound
star Rashad Evans on the undercard of Silva-Marquardt, MMAWeekly
also confirmed.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Interview
with Marco Ruas
10 years after becoming a myth
Up until the seventh Ultimate Fighting Championship, carried
out in September of 1995, the world of MMA had been completely
overwhelmed by Royce Gracie, the skinny Brazilian that used ground-fighting
techniques to defeat giants. That was when a compatriot of Gracie
entered the octagon. About 15 kilos heavier than Royce, he wore
black swim-trunks (he was a classic rival to the gi crowd) and
was as prepared to fight on the ground as he was on his feet.
His name was Marco Ruas, he was 34 years old at the time, and
managed to earn the title of UFC champion, by shin-kicking, foot-stomping
and round-house-kicking his opponents, besides typical Jiu-Jitsu
chokes, like the rear-naked choke. The Ruas brand was spreading,
as was the now popular cross-training.
“I
am pleased that all types of fighting are being valued, like
I said they should be in 1995,” Ruas analyses, straight
from the gym he opened in Laguna Niguel, in California, USA,
the country where he has lived for around six years. Visibly
moved, Pedro Rizzo’s master says he is very happy: “Today
[this interview was first taken on January 22nd, 2005, the eve
of Ruas’ 44th birthday] I complete the chemotherapy treatment
for the disease that’s kept me from the rings since 2001.
I feel that life is starting over again for me with the end of
this health problem.” Coming up next, our interviewee speaks
about this disease, comments on Renatu Babalu and Gustavo Ximu's
leaving Ruas Vale-Tudo and tells us who he would like to have
his next fight with, to end his career as a fighter.
What
has changed in MMA over the last ten years?
I
am content with the fact that something I have been saying for
the last decade came to fruition: the striker has proven his
worth, as has the combination striker and ground fighter. All
types of fighting styles are being valued these days, like I
said they would in 1995, when I first fought in the UFC. At that
time, the standing fight had been discredited. But folks learned
to defend the Jiu-Jitsu takedown and everyone was obliged to
learn to fight on their feet. Besides, all fights start standing.
The fighter has to have some background on their feet, a notion
of distance, how to take a punch, how to throw a punch, how to
take down... Otherwise you might as well just sit on the mat
in the ring at the bell and invite your opponent to get in your
guard... What I've seen over these ten years has been the development
of the seed that I helped plant: cross-training.
There
are a lot of palm trees there, in California… Are you still
training the way you did in the 80s, when you used to kick coconut
trees at the Arpoador, in Rio de Janeiro?
[Laughing]
Those days are gone, I’m not doing that anymore…
Training
overall has become a lot more professional, don’t you think?
Before, it was all quite amateur, but there was a lot more heart
involved in training, do you agree?
MMA
has evolved a lot, become professional and is growing all the
time. I kicked coconut trees out of my excitement for wanting
to improve, to get closer to perfection. I did all kinds of crazy
things… I would run in the water, go up staircases with
Pedro Rizzo on my back… And after training I would show
up with a broom stick in my hand and say to the gang: “Let’s
strengthen our shins…” [laughs]. It was totally strenuous.
It was all very useful to me, but everybody knows their own limit.
I can’t recommend that every student “kick a coconut
tree” here in the United States. Somebody might get an inflamed
leg and decide to sue me... These days there are even folks that
complain about kicking the sand bag...
Has
the fact that you have been in the USA stunted the growth of
your gym, Ruas Vale-Tudo, here in Brazil?
It
has certainly gotten in the way. I had to leave Brazil to improve
conditions for my family. As much as I like the country and love
training my students, I didn't make any money teaching. Take,
for example, Royler, who teaches tons of classes. He works hard
but, after all that, he has to go fight in Japan. You can’t
make a living teaching in Brazil.
So
you understand, for example, Renato Babalu and Gustavo Ximu leaving
Ruas Vale-Tudo to go to Gracie Barra Combat Team?
I
can understand it from their point of view. I just think they
forgot all I did for them. When I came to the USA, I told my
students, representing the gym in Brazil, that I, in the United
States, was going to negotiate fights for them abroad. Here in
the USA, contact with other countries is much easier. Promoters
are always here and welcome us differently.
So
I ask: who was it that got Gustavo and Babalu fights in Japan
and the USA? How much were the purses I got for them? You can’t
even compare them to the pittance they’re making today…
They are lazy, they don’t want to work, don’t try to
make things happen, want to live off their piddling sponsorship…
If they had at least called me and said “Shucks, Marcos,
don’t take it badly, thanks for everything, but I want to
switch teams,” I would understand.
I
would be bummed out, but I'd understand, these days it's a professional
business. At least they could have given me an explanation, they
could have done it like men. But they didn't have the guts to
give me a call. I put the guys up in my house, fed them, my wife
cooked for them, I kicked my daughters out of their room to make
space for those guys to sleep… They forgot all that. They
forgot about our friendship.
My
life goes on and I don’t believe in those folks… I
think they will all end up frustrated, they won't get anywhere
in life. I doubt they will achieve half what I achieved. Someone
without character will never get anywhere; I don’t ever
want to cross paths with those guys again. These days the team
is where it was in the beginning: me and Pedro Rizzo. That's
where we are and where we will be.
You
haven’t stepped in the ring since November of 2001. Do you
ever think of fighting again?
On
this very day [January 22] I finish the chemotherapy treatment
that’s been going on for a year. I got hepatitis and couldn’t
fight until the problem was solved. I had to have this treatment,
the toughest battle of my life... Now I am clean. Today life
begins for me. I am relieved.
At
44 years of age, you must be thinking of a farewell fight. Who
would it be against?
I’d
like to fight someone with a name. If they give me some nobody,
there wouldn’t be any charm to it. Someone good from my
day is Ken Shamrock. He is very popular here in the USA, a national
icon. It would be a good fight.
And
what about Rickson, Marco?
I
think this rivalry with Rickson is from another time. I was immature.
People were trying to influence me to be against him. I have
nothing against Rickson. These days I have a bone to pick with
those guys that were stirring things up to try to get me to fight
Rickson. They would say Rickson said this, Rickson said that…
It was just malicious.
If
some promoter really wants this fight, it would be a great honor
for me. But with so many non-Brazilians out there, I would rather
fight someone that wasn’t Brazilian. I don’t think
the way I used to anymore, my ideas about the rivalry with Jiu-Jitsu
were from a time when vale-tudo existed only in Rio. Now it’s
all over the world...
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"Let's
not be narrow, nästy, and negative."
T.S. Eliot, 1888-1965, American Poet/Dramatist/Literary Critic
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 5 Today!
Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai, Hawaii
March 24, 2007
155-160lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
John Rosario (Freelance, Kauai) vs. Kaimi Bermoy (Freelance,
Kauai)
160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Keoni Bigno (Freelance, Kauai) vs. Chuck Rapozo (Quicksilva)
190-195lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Hunter Seelbinder (Bulls Pen) vs. Jason Aldridge (702 Fight Team,
LV )
155-160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
John Felix (Freelance, Oahu) vs. Nestor Honarato (Quicksilva)
140-145lbs:
Women's Kickboxing: 3 Rounds x 1 ½ Minutes
Lynn Alvarez (702 Fight Team, LV ) vs. Sherri Ephan (Kenn Firestone)
Amateur
Welterweight Kickboxing Championship
155-160lbs: 3 Rounds x 2 Minutes
Marcus Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs. Isaac Josiah (Quicksilva)
150lbs:
Women's MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Emma Bush (C3, Seattle, WA) vs. Heather Eichens (Freelance, Oahu)
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Julio Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs. Pauly Kawamura (Kauai Technical
Institute)
155lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Bronson Delima (Bulls Pen, Oahu) vs. Dominic Ah Nee (Maui Jiu-Jitsu)
150-155lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Zack Rapal (Fighters Union) vs. Shane Kahananui (Kauai Technical
Institute)
205lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Jamaiah Williamson (Valor Fighting, Ca) vs. Tesai Seamster (Kamole)
170lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Kaeo Lopez (Kamole) vs. Keoni Bryant (Jus Rush)
Lightweight
Championship Match
145-150lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Eben Kaneshiro (Kamole) vs. Buck Bisbey (C3, Seattle, WA)
Light
Heavyweight Championship Match
205lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Taurus Cabbab (Team MMAD) vs. Mario Miranda (C3, Seattle, WA)
Source:
Event Promoter
|
MEDIA
RELEASE
For immediate release
Hawaii to host toughest fighting
series event in the world
- K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Hawaii -
HONOLULU,
HAWAII, March 23, 2007 - Fighting & Entertainment Group Inc.
(FEG Inc.), the managing company behind the K-1 Corporation,
announced they are bringing the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 event
back to Hawaiian shores on Saturday, April 28, 2007. The event
will be held at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena and tickets go on
sale this Saturday, March 24 through Ticketmaster.
Fighters
confirmed for the evening include the USA's own Mighty Mo (6'1"
282 lbs), the Netherland's K-1 World GP 2003 & 2004 Champion
Remy Bonjasky (6'4" 234 lbs), Glaube Feitosa from Brazil
(6'4" 233 lbs), Moroccan bad boy Badr Hari (6'6" 203
lbs), K-1 Asia GP 2006 Champion Yusuke Fujimoto (5'10" 225
lbs) from Japan and many more.
Last
held in 2005 at Aloha Stadium, this year's top-notch event will
also include the first-ever K-1 Heavyweight title bout. K-1 World
Grand Prix's prestigious eight-man tournament will follow and
will also be held under K-1 rules. All bouts will be held in
a boxing ring and not in a cage.
Tickets
to the event are priced at $40, $60, $100, $150, and VIP at $500
and doors will open at 5.00pm. Fans who cannot attend the event
in person will be able to watch the event live in Japan and delayed
in Hawaii.
A
press conference will be held on April 26 at 4pm, at Ala Moana's
Center Stage, to offer fans and media the opportunity to get
up close and personal to some of the fighters and celebrity guest
MC, Bruce Buffer, while they are in Honolulu.
"We
expect a sell-out event showcasing a star-studded line-up of
compelling and characteristic heavyweights who all have the same
goal in mind, a burning passion to crush the competition and
to win it all", said Sadaharu Tanikawa, CEO of FEG.
Started
in 1993, K-1 is now the hottest live contact martial arts sporting
event in Japan and has reinvigorated the country's interest in
the martial arts. In recent years, K-1 has also grown into a
licensing empire, spawning movies, video games and trading cards.
Unlike
Super Brawl or other new types of fighting events, K-1 is martial
arts based sport that allows contenders from various martial
arts disciplines to compete. A key element of K-1's massive success
is its unpredictability, a fighter that physically outmatches
his opponent can be knocked out with a single kick or punch.
Often times, technique and speed overpower size and strength.
K-1
has drawn a wide fan-base because of its nature its intensity
and spontaneity, with 80% of its matches ending in knock out.
This fact alone is the fundamental attraction of the sport.
The
champions of K-1 events are disciplined athletes and sportsmen
who respect the martial arts whilst enjoying rock star status
in the fighting world and national celebrity status in their
own countries.
K-1
events are broadcast in prime-time slots by one of Japan's highest
rated programs and K-1 TV programs are broadcast in over 135
countries worldwide and growing rapidly. International contenders
are also growing rapidly as a result of the increased popularity.
The classic K-1 tournament has an open weight class and follows
an eight-man elimination format. Four first-tier 3 minute x 3
round matchups advance their winners to a pair of semi-final
fights, and the two victors there meet in the final. Thus the
man who prevails in an eight-man tournament must win three fights
in one day -- quite a challenge. The Defending Champion, crowned
the King of Kings at the Tokyo Dome on December 2, 2006, is Semmy
Schilt of the Netherlands.
In 2007, FEG will produce a number of K-1 World Grand Prix tournaments
where the goal is the same, to advance toward the prestigious
K-1 World Grand Prix Final, where the world's eight best, go
head to head for the richest fight sport purse of its kind. These
include:
" The K-1 USA GP - Honolulu, USA on April 28.
- The winner securing a spot in this year's Final Elimination
Tournament.
"
The K-1 Europe GP - Amsterdam, Netherlands on June 23
- The winner qualifies for participation in the Final Elimination.
"
The K-1 Asia GP - Hong Kong or Macao, China on July 29
- Again, the man who wins here will earn a place in the Final
Elimination.
" A Repechage Tournament - Las Vegas, USA or Germany on
August 11
- This is the last-chance opportunity for runners-up and fighters.
"
K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Final Elimination - Seoul, Korea in
September 29
- The four winners from the above tournaments will join the eight
participants from the World GP '06 Tokyo Dome Final, the winners
of this year's K-1 Heavyweight and Super Heavyweight Titles,
and two fighters to be selected in fan balloting, at this event.
The 16 participants will be paired off for eight do-or-die one-matches,
the eight victors advancing to the K-1 World Grand Prix Final
in December.
"
K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Final - December
- The eight victors from the Final Elimination round will compete
for the title of 'King of Kings'.
FEG's
elaborate staging and production perfectly complement and enhance
the sport's larger than life intensity, creating a visual spectacular
of epic proportions. In the future, FEG plans to utilize its
skills to produce a wide range of sports and entertainment events.
Tickets
are available through:
Ticketmaster: 1-808-591-2211
Hours: Monday - Saturday 8am-8pm / Sunday 8am-4pm
Website: www.ticketmaster.com
Times Supermarket Stores: In store
-ends-
For
event and media enquiries please contact the K-1 Hawaii Information
Office:
Contact: Justine Mitchell, Harris Agency, LLC
Telephone: (808) 946-1988
Cell: (808) 927 5926
Email: pr@harris-agency.com
Website: www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/index.htm
Source:
Event Promoter
|
WEC
26 UNDERCARD PREVIEW
by Ricardo Mendoza
The WEC returns to the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday
night to hold its second show under Zuffa's ownership. They will
look to build off the success of their Las Vegas debut with an
exciting eleven-bout card. The undercard features two former
WEC champions and three UFC veterans. The WEC’s emphasis
on lighter weight divisions continues with a pair of featherweight
bouts and an exciting bantamweight bout.
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT:
Brian Stann vs. Steve Cantwell
WEC
veteran Brian Stann takes on Jungle Fight veteran Steve Cantwell.
Stann has a 2-0 record in MMA and trains out of Xtreme Couture’s
Gym with Randy Couture. Cantwell has a 3-0 record in MMA and
trains out of Arizona. Stann is coming off an impressive stoppage
win over Miguel Cosio at WEC 21. Cantwell is coming off a doctor
stoppage victory over Brazilian Leonardo Pecanha at Jungle Fight
7. This fight should bring the heavy leather that fans are accustomed
to seeing from the heavier fighters.
Both
fighters are relatively inexperienced in MMA but both of them
seem to have potential in a scare weight division. Stann has
stopped both of his opponents in MMA and that includes a win
over IFL veteran Aaron Stark in his MMA debut. Stann is not only
an MMA fighter but is also a U.S. Marine.
Cantwell
has a pair of wins in Rage in the Cage, including a submission
victory over highly touted RITC veteran Richie Hightower. Stann
has an advantage when it comes to striking and power, while Cantwell
has the better submissions of the two fighters. The winner of
this fight instantly puts himself in contention for the title
in the WEC’s scarce light heavyweight division. It’s
a hard fight to predict but Stann has better training partners
then Cantwell and that should give him the edge in a close fight.
Prediction:
Brian Stann by decision
FEATHERWEIGHT
BOUT:
Micah Miller vs. Jesse Moreng
Hardcore
Gym fighter Micah Miller takes on Ring of Combat Lightweight
Champion Jesse Moreng. Miller has a 6-0 record in MMA and trains
out of the Hardcore Gym with Rory Singer. Moreng has a 8-0 record
in MMA and trains out of Arizona Combat Sports under Todd and
Trevor Lally. Miller is coming off a submission victory over
Josh Lee at Ironheart Crown 11. Moreng is coming off a stoppage
win over James “Binky” Jones at Ring of Combat 10.
Both fighters enter the fight undefeated, but only one of them
will keep their perfect record intact after Saturday night.
A
lot of fans have been looking forward to this fight and have
been praising the WEC’s excellent matchmaking on this fight.
They have paired up two young and talented fighters in what should
be a hell of a fight. Neither fighter is yet ready to face off
with WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber, but both of these
fighters are the future in the WEC featherweight division.
Moreng,
to this point, has faced the stiffer competition of the two fighters
and holds a win over UFC veteran Jamie Varner. Miller has the
better submissions of the two fighters, while Moreng is the more
polished striker of the two and loves to implore his wrestling
with ground and pound. This could very well turn out to be the
fight of the night. In a close fight, Moreng will be able to
use his size advantage to pound out a decision over Miller.
Prediction:
Jesse Moreng by decision
WELTERWEIGHT
BOUT:
Alex Serdyukov vs. Scott Norton
Former
WEC North American Middleweight Champion Alex Serdyukov takes
on Washington based fighter Scott Norton. Alex Serdyukov has
a 4-3 record in MMA and trains out of Fairtex with Jake Shields.
Scott Norton has a 7-0 record in MMA and trains out of Washington.
Serdyukov is coming off a close submission loss to John Alessio
at WEC 23. Norton is coming off a submsiion victory over Jacob
Thompson at XFC: Destruction of Dome 2. Both fighters will look
to establish themselves in the crowded WEC welterweight division
with a win.
This
seems to be a showcase fight for Serdyukov then an actual competitive
fight. Serdyukov is an extremely talented fighter with a record
that doesn’t do him justice. His three losses have come
to two UFC veterans and a much bigger fighter that he shouldn’t
have fought in the first place. Norton hasn’t fought in
nearly two years and the ring rust is going to catch up to him
in this fight. Serdyukov could be a force for years to come in
the WEC welterweight division if he is built up the right way
by the WEC. Serdyukov shouldn’t have any trouble with Norton
and should stop him early.
Prediction:
Alex Serdyukov by TKO in the first round
BANTAMWEIGHT
BOUT:
Antonio Banuelos vs. Charlie Valencia
Former
WEC Bantamweight Champion Antonio Banuelos takes on former KOTC
Bantamweight Champion Charlie Valencia. Antonio Banuelos has
a 13-3 record in MMA and trains out of The Pit with Chuck Liddell.
Charlie Valencia has a 7-2 record in MMA and trains out of Valencia
Freestyle Fighting. Banuelos is coming off a dominant decision
victory over Mike French at WEC 25. Valencia is coming off a
stoppage loss to Cub Swanson at KOTC: BOOYAA. Whoever wins this
fight could very well be the next challenger for the WEC Bantamweight
Championship.
Banuelos
has been on a tear in the WEC since being knocked out by WEC
Bantamweight Champion Eddie Wineland at WEC 20, turning in two
dominant performances against Cole Escovedo and Mike French.
In both of those fights, Banuelos used crisp striking and relentless
ground and pound to dominate his opponents. Valencia has lost
two straight fights since returning to MMA earlier this year
but was competitive in both fights up until losing. Banuelos
has some serious momentum coming into this fight as he looks
to regain his WEC Bantamweight Championship. Valencia is moving
down to his natural weight division, but Banuelos will be too
much for him, in what should be an exciting fight.
Prediction:
Antonio Banuelos by TKO in the third round.
FEATHERWEIGHT
BOUT:
Tommy Lee vs. Cub Swanson
Hellhouse
fighter Tommy Lee takes on KOTC veteran Cub Swanson. Tommy Lee
has a 18-5 record in MMA and trains out of the Hellhouse with
Clay Guida. Cub Swanson has a 9-1 record in MMA and trains out
of Joe Moreira BJJ with Joe Moreira. Lee is coming off a decision
victory over Norman Alexander at CFC 1: Explosion. Swanson is
coming off a knockout victory over Chuck Kim at Beatdown in Bakersfield.
Both fighters will be making their WEC debuts and will look to
leave an impression in the WEC featherweight division.
Swanson
has fought at both lightweight and featherweight throughout his
career, so he should be the bigger fighter of the two. He avenged
his only loss earlier this year and has been recently been focusing
on his striking at OC Muay Thai. Lee comes from a wrestling background
and has won the majority of his fights by decision. Lee is a
tough opponent for Swanson but he should be able to get past
him. Swanson is the better fighter overall and hasn’t faltered
against tough competition like Lee has in the past. Lee is susceptible
to submissions and that’s going to be his undoing in this
fight.
Prediction:
Cub Swanson by submission in the second round
WELTERWEIGHT
BOUT:
Dave Terrel vs. Tiki Ghosn
Xtreme
Couture fighter Dave Terrel takes on UFC veteran Tiki Ghosn.
Dave Terrel has a 4-1 record in MMA and trains out of Xtreme
Couture’s Gym with John Alessio. Tiki Ghosn has a 9-5 record
in MMA and trains out of Team Punishment with “Razor”
Rob McCullough. Terrel is coming off a decision loss to KOTC
Welterweight Champion Aaron Wetherspoon at KOTC: Destroyer. Ghosn
is coming off an injury loss to Pat Healy at WEC 19. Both fighters
will be looking to get back on the winning track on Saturday
night.
Ghosn
was dominating Pat Healy for the entire fight until he was injured
in the third round and hasn't fought since. Terrel was unimpressive
in his last fight as he ran away from Wetherspoon for the majority
of the fight, refusing to engage with Wetherspoon after being
hurt on the feet. Neither fighter should factor much in the WEC
welterweight division anytime soon nor does it seem that they
were brought in to be a serious threat. When matched with the
right opponent Tiki can put on an exciting fight and that' not
the case here. Terrel hasn’t shown anything in his fights
to warrant a spot on this card and his last opponent Aaron Wetherspoon
would have made for a much better opponent for Tiki. This is
going to be a cakewalk for Tiki and he should be able to knockout
Terrel with ease.
Prediction:
Tiki Ghosn by knockout in the first round.
WELTERWEIGHT
BOUT:
Brock Larson vs. Erik Apple
UFC
veteran Brock Larson takes on famed KOTC announcer and fighter
Erik Apple. Brock Larson has a 19-1 record in MMA and trains
out of Minnesota. Erik Apple has a 9-0 record in MMA and trains
out of Ruas Vale Tudo with Justin Levens. Larson is coming off
a decision victory over Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura at
Ultimate Fight Night 8. Apple is coming off a TKO victory over
Ray Elbe at Total Combat 16. This fight has different implications
for both fighters, which makes it an interesting fight.
Larson
with a win here could very well earn a shot at the WEC Welterweight
Championship, while Apple looks to prove himself against stiff
competition. Apple has always had tons of hype behind him but
on Saturday night we will find out if it’s warranted or
not. It’s interesting that Larson is now fighting in the
WEC after just haven won in the UFC, but he requested it because
he feels that he needs more polishing before returning to the
UFC.
Apple
showed off his striking skills in his last fight and will try
to do the same here. Larson barley squeaked past Nakamura in
his last fight and should improve on his last performance with
a win here. Apple has tons of potential but the lack of quality
opposition should comeback to haunt here as Larson should be
able to grind out a decision.
Prediction:
Brock Larson by decision.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
BOUT:
Joe Riggs vs. Hiromitsu Miura
UFC
veteran Joe Riggs takes on HEROS veteran Hiromitsu Miura. Joe
Riggs has a 25-9 record in MMA and trains out of Elite Performance
with Jeremy Horn. Hiromitsu Miura has a 6-3 record in MMA and
trains out of The Armory with Hermes Franca. Riggs is coming
off a knockout loss to Diego Sanchez at Ultimate Fight Night
8. Miura is coming off a knockout victory over Ryo Kakigawa at
HEROS 7. Both fighters are primarily strikers, so expect an exciting
slugfest.
Riggs
will be making his return to the WEC after mixed results in the
UFC. All of his losses in the UFC were to quality opponents with
his two losses at welterweight coming to top five fighters in
the division. The change of scenery should serve him well and
he returns to middleweight where he believes he will be strongest
because he doesn’t have to cut such a large amount of weight.
Miura
has been training at The Armory for the last couple of months
and now gets a chance to shine in front of an American audience.
Both fighters are strikers and that is where Riggs will have
the advantage because of the serious power he has in his hands.
Riggs has more experience and has faced tougher competition then
Miura, who has underachieved against quality opposition in the
past. In what should be an exciting slugfest, Riggs should come
out on top with an impressive knockout.
Prediction:
Joe Riggs by knockout in the first round.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
PRIDE
will be sold to Fertitta brothers, Sakakibara tells staff
Pride CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara notified several staff members
Wednesday that the sale of PRIDE to the the Fertitta brother
is close to being completed, according to an update by Dave Meltzer
on his Wrestling Observer website.
Sakakibara
comforted the staff by saying that although he would be leaving
the company, everyone's job will be secure.
Similar
to the WEC, Pride will continue operating as a separate entity
from the UFC with the exception of occassional crossover fights.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
MARQUARDT:
"I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT BELT"
by Ken Pishna
“I’m going to take the belt. That’s all there
is to it.”
These
are the words that Ultimate Fighting Championship’s PR machine
wanted to hear a year and a half ago… but they didn’t.
These were the words that 7-time Middleweight King of Pancrase
Nate Marquardt was supposed to say when he debuted in the main
event of the UFC’s first live Fight Night show on Spike
TV.
Those
words didn’t come from Marquardt’s mouth a year and
half ago because he’s not a trash talker. “That’s
not trash talking,” says a confident Marquardt. “I
see holes in his game and while I’m sure he sees holes in
mine, I know I have the best team.”
These
are statements that just couldn’t have come from Marquardt
at that time, but are coming forth now as he is on the cusp of
his first UFC title shot. While he established himself as a world-class
fighter in Pancrase, he wasn’t near the fighter that he
is today. “I did really well, but Pancrase is where I got
my experience, where I learned to fight. But I think what I’m
doing now is much better than what I was doing in my Pancrase
fights. I’m more proud of what I’m doing now than what
I was able to do in Pancrase.”
The
difference? His team. When Marquardt made the jump to the UFC,
he also made the jump to Greg Jackson’s fight team in New
Mexico where he trains with Keith Jardine, Diego Sanchez, Rashad
Evans, Joey Villasenor, and many other top fighters.
Greg
Jackson is known for producing some of the most well-rounded
fighters in the sport today and that is what Marquardt sees as
his advantage heading in to challenge UFC Middleweight Champion
Anderson Silva on July 7th, his training and his team. “We
have very different styles and that’s why it’s going
to be a very exciting fight… but I know I have training
partners that are better, so he won’t have any surprises
for me.”
Marquardt
does talk with a more confident tone than when he made his UFC
debut, but he still carries that talk with an air of respect.
“I respect Anderson, he’s very skilled. From what I
can see, he’s the best 185-pound fighter in the UFC…
aside from me.”
Marquardt
is currently the #8 Middleweight in the MMAWeekly Rankings, while
Silva is the #2 Middleweight in the MMAWeekly Rankings.
Marquardt's
confidence is always there now, but that’s not to say that
Marquardt has lost his perspective of the task before him. “It’s
an honor for me. It’s a childhood dream, really. At the
same time, I’ve been here before. I’ve been in the
UFC before. I’ve been in the title fights before. So I’m
not going to get too excited until afterwards.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Van
Damme visits Mirko Cro Cop
The actor was filming in Bulgaria and requested a meeting
Jean Claude Van Damme did not play hard to get. While passing
through Bulgaria, where he is filming yet another movie, the
famous Hollywood actor grabbed the phone and called Mirko Cro
Cop, to let him know he would be paying him a visit. The Croatian
fighter put aside his preparations for his fight against Gabriel
Napão at UFC 70, on April 21, to pick his friend up at
the airport in Zagreb.
In
a brief interview with the local press, Van Damme explained his
decision: “I had just finished filming the first part of
my new film and decided to spend a few days in Croatia.”
According
to the Croatian press, Cro Cop, a fan of Van Damme’s movies,
at first thought it was a prank by his friends when he received
the call from someone called Jean Claude Van Damme. However,
as he is a fan of the Belgian actor he soon realized the call
was for real and the two had a long chat, during which they set
up the Hollywood actor’s visit.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"Defeat
may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory
out."
Edwin
Markham, 1852-1940, American Poet
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 5 Tomorrow
Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai,
Hawaii
March 24, 2007
155-160lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
John Rosario (Freelance, Kauai) vs. Kaimi Bermoy (Freelance,
Kauai)
160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Keoni Bigno (Freelance, Kauai) vs. Chuck Rapozo (Quicksilva)
190-195lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Hunter Seelbinder (Bulls Pen) vs. Jason Aldridge (702 Fight Team,
LV )
155-160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
John Felix (Freelance, Oahu) vs. Nestor Honarato (Quicksilva)
140-145lbs:
Women's Kickboxing: 3 Rounds x 1 ½ Minutes
Lynn Alvarez (702 Fight Team, LV ) vs. Sherri Ephan (Kenn Firestone)
Amateur
Welterweight Kickboxing Championship
155-160lbs: 3 Rounds x 2 Minutes
Marcus Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs. Isaac Josiah (Quicksilva)
150lbs:
Women's MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Emma Bush (C3, Seattle, WA) vs. Heather Eichens (Freelance, Oahu)
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Julio Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs. Pauly Kawamura (Kauai Technical
Institute)
155lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Bronson Delima (Bulls Pen, Oahu) vs. Dominic Ah Nee (Maui Jiu-Jitsu)
150-155lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Zack Rapal (Fighters Union) vs. Shane Kahananui (Kauai Technical
Institute)
205lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Jamaiah Williamson (Valor Fighting, Ca) vs. Tesai Seamster (Kamole)
170lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds x 3 Minutes
Kaeo Lopez (Kamole) vs. Keoni Bryant (Jus Rush)
Lightweight
Championship Match
145-150lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Eben Kaneshiro (Kamole) vs. Buck Bisbey (C3, Seattle, WA)
Light
Heavyweight Championship Match
205lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes
Taurus Cabbab (Team MMAD) vs. Mario Miranda (C3, Seattle, WA)
Source:
Event Promoter
|
K-1
Hero’s, ProElite and Showtime to Formally Announce Partnership
By FCF Staff
 
The Fight Entertainment Group, the parent company of K-1 Hero’s,
ProElite and the Showtime Network officially announced today
that the 3 organizations will be teaming up to promote the first
American Hero’s event Dynamite!! USA. The press release
also stated that there will be a media conference on March 27th,
where further details concerning the upcoming pay per view event
which will take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, will
be announced.
The
release also stated that the press conference would take place
“with some of the world's best mixed martial arts fighters,
including 7-foot-2 South Korean Hong Man Choi, mixed martial
arts legend Royce Gracie, former pro-wrestler Brock Lesnar and
former USC Trojan and Detroit Lion football star Johnnie Morton.”
The
media conference is scheduled for 10:30AM, March 27th, at the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Source:
Full Contact Fighter
|
Jerry
Millen Speaks On Reported Pride Sale
In an exclusive interview, Pride USA Vice President, Jerry Millen,
commented on the speculation that Pride has been bought by the
Zuffa organization.
"It's
bullshit. You can't beleive what you read on the internet and
as a matter of fact I just got off the phone with Japan and Pride
has not been sold and is not being sold to anyone, especially
to Zuffa. We are in the process of making some ground breaking
deals that will be bringing in large sums of revenue to the company
and making it stronger than ever."
Source:
Gracie Fighter
|
Pride:
LW GP to be full of surprises
Fighters from other organizations may be called up
Set to begin at the end of May, the Pride Lightweight GP does
not yet have a single fighter confirmed. The Japanese directors
are still working to put together the card of 16 fighters that
will fight for the title. And anyone that risks speculating could
end up messing up badly, guarantees the president of Pride, Nobuyuki
Sakakibara.
“it's
difficult to narrow them down to 16 fighters. We will gather
the best fighters to decide the world's strongest, even if they've
never fought for PRIDE. We will also include fighters who have
been achieving good records in other organizations,” said
Sakakibara.
According
the Pride boss, the goal was to promote the revenge match between
Takanori Gomi and Nick Diaz during the tournament, however, the
fracture to the face of the American, winner of the battle at
Pride 33, could delay the bout. " Diaz has an injury, so
we're not even sure if he can start fighting again in May. If
a rematch cannot be arranged as part of GP, I think a title match
sometime during the year would be just as fine,” Sakakibara
declared.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
JOHN
ALESSIO READY TO WALK AWAY WITH WEC GOLD
by Mitch Gobetz
World Extreme Cagefighting is putting on its second show under
Zuffa ownership this weekend. The WEC welterweight title will
be on the line as the UFC veteran John Alessio takes on Carlos
Condit. This is a high caliber main event with two young and
hungry welterweights looking to make their way up the rankings.
John
Alessio has been the only fighter that Diego Sanchez has faced
that has given him a lot of trouble and almost put him in danger
of losing the fight. Many observers said that if Alessio had
let his hands go, that he would have won the decision. Alessio
was recently on MMAWeekly Radio to discuss his fight with Diego
and his upcoming fight against Condit.
As
far as Alessio’s thoughts on the fight with Diego, he already
knew what he did wrong. “I gave him a little too much respect
in the takedown department,” said Alessio.
John
knows that he had to move on from that loss. Alessio is now training
in Las Vegas with many other great fighters. “I’m training
at Xtreme Couture with Randy Couture. Some of my training partners
are Jay Hieron, Mike Pyle, Kendall Grove, Eric Pele, Frank Trigg, Karo Parisyan, Tyson
Griffin. The list goes on.” Xtreme Couture seems to be the
new hotbed in MMA. “To be the best, you have to surround
yourself with the best.”
Some
people are under the impression that the WEC doesn’t have
the high level talent of the UFC. The fighters under contract
with the WEC don’t see it that way, especially Alessio.
“I’m happy with it,” said the 27 year old. “I
really like it. I haven’t had any real easy fights.”
Alessio exuded confidence in the interview with Damon and Jeff.
“Now that I’m soon to be the champ, I’m sure all
kinds of guys will be coming after me.”
Alessio
has a tough competitor to face to gain that championship in Carlos
Condit. Condit was the runner up for the Rumble on the Rock tournament
losing a close decision to Jake Shields in the finals. Alessio
wants to beat Condit convincingly, but will need a solid game
plan to do so. “I’m gonna make him fight my pace and
make him fight my fight.”
Depending
on who you talk to, titles aren’t always that big of a deal
to some fighters. Alessio isn’t one them. “Absolutely.
I totally want this title. I’m always gunnin’ for the
title.” As for predictions, John is sure to give you one.
“Expect me to walk out with the gold around my waist, that’s
for damn sure.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
|
3/22/07
Happy Birthday to Us! |
Quote
of the Day
“The
only way to have a friend is to be one.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, American Poet and Essayist
|
Punishment
In Paradise
"UNTOUCHABLES"
Sat, May 12, 2007
Hawaiian Water, Kapolei
155lbs.
Tournament
Were
holding a 155lbs tournament for $1,500. to the winner and runner
up will recieve $500.00. It will be K-1 Rules. Fighters will
pull numbers at the weigh in to see who they fight. Are Brackets
will be number so fighters will not no who they fight till weigh
ins. Were doing it this way so thier is no grumbling and may
the best fighter win..
If
interested email me punishmentinparadise@yahoo.com
|
HAS
THE UFC FINALLY BOUGHT PRIDE?
The rumors swirling around the sale of Pride FC have been ongoing
for quite some time, but things flared up again on Monday when
Sherdog.com started talking about strong rumors from some of
their sources, who said that the deal has finally been struck.
MMAWeekly
has confirmed with our own sources, including sources in Japan
that are extremely close to the situation, that the deal has
indeed been reached. From what we understand, Frank and Lorenzo
Fertitta have come to an agreement that would put Pride in their
hands. But remember, that is an agreement, not a finalized transaction.
As with any business transaction as complex as the purchase of
one company by another, things are never 100% finalized until
the proverbial keys to the front door have finally changed hands.
With
that said, unless something changes at the eleventh hour, it
appears that Pride will soon fall under the ownership of the
Fertitta brothers. According to our sources, the purchase is
believed to include fighter contracts, Pride’s video library,
and the Pride FC name brand. The issue of fighter contracts is
one of the more touchy points, as there can be variables in each
individual contract that will have to be dealt with, and no information
has come forth that states which fighters would be included.
It
was not immediately clear when the deal would be announced, although
it is believed that Nobuyuki Sakikabara, the President &
CEO Of Dream Stage Entertainment (Pride’s present owner),
is traveling to the United States this week in regards to matters
related to the agreement.
Source: MMA Weekly
PRIDE For
Sale? What We Know
After
the Sherdog Radio Network broached the subject Monday morning,
the mixed martial arts world reacted strongly to rumors of an
impending sale of PRIDE FC to Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta for
an estimated $65 million.
While
the Fertittas, Zuffa and UFC have remained silent, PRIDE USA
vice president Jerry Millen offered a strong denial of the sale
to graciefighter.com early Tuesday morning.
"You
can't believe [sic] what you read on the Internet and as a matter
of fact I just got off the phone with Japan and PRIDE has not
been sold and is not being sold to anyone, especially to Zuffa,"
Millen exclaimed. "We are in the process of making some
ground breaking deals that will be bringing in large sums of
revenue to the company and making it stronger than ever."
However
Sherdog.com's sources continue to suggest the sale is imminent,
going so far as to say an announcement could come a week from
Tuesday. Various reports attributing Sherdog.com as suggesting
an announcement would come this Wednesday are erroneous.
On
Monday evening MMAWeekly.com claimed to have confirmed the rumor
of Dream Stage Entertainment's sale of PRIDE, yet their report,
which cited an anonymous PRIDE executive, stopped short of calling
it a done deal.
Gleidson
Venga, Sherdog.com's correspondent in Brazil, indicated that
during PRIDE CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara's recent visit to Brazil,
the embattled executive made no mention of an impending deal.
Rather,
after traveling to the Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, he said
that former PRIDE 205-pound champion Wanderlei Silva or 2005
Middleweight Grand Prix champion Mauricio Rua would fight on
PRIDE's April 8 card in Tokyo. Additionally, Sakakibara praised
Brazilian Top Team's Ricardo Arona after visiting the ADCC champion's
hometown.
PRIDE
USA president Ed Fishman, who today filed papers in a Nevada
court against Dream Stage Entertainment for breach of contract,
told Sherdog.com Sunday that he'd heard nothing about the sale
of PRIDE to the Fertittas, who in 2000 purchased the struggling
UFC and in the span if six years turned it into the lynchpin
of one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S.
When
asked about the rumored price tag, Fishman suggested it was similar
to what he offered for control of PRIDE. The casino entrepreneur
also expressed that after doing his due diligence, he is no longer
interested in purchasing the organization that currently houses
Fedor Emelianenko.
That
is irrelevant if the Fertittas have in fact come to terms with
DSE. Yet hurdles will remain in the form of what one Sherdog.com
source called sub-standard contracts between fighters currently
on PRIDE's roster and the company's Japanese branch.
If
DSE sells the company, the source said, certain fighters could
immediately become free agents.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Interview
with the King of Rock and Rumble: Elvis Sinosic
Elvis
Sinosic is a UFC veteran and class act through and through. He
has fought some of the best fighters in the world at 205 pounds
and at UFC 70 Elvis will look to get back in the UFC's win column
against the Ultimate Fighter season 3 winner, Michael Bisping.
Elvis took time out of his training to answer a few questions
for us concerning his fight on April 21st.
MaxFighting:
Elvis, how good does it feel to be back in the UFC and on the
first UFC card in England in a loooong time?
Elvis
Sinosic: It's always great to be back in the UFC. This is actually
their second card in the UK, the first was UFC 38. I also happened
to be on that card as well. Regardless, it is awesome to be back
facing the best fighters out there. It's also great to be back
in the UK.
MaxFighting:
Was this a multi-fight deal or a one time gig?
Elvis
Sinosic: It's a 3 fight contract. But I always look at one fight
at a time.
MaxFighting:
When you heard you were facing Michael Bisping, what was your
reaction?
Elvis
Sinosic: Actually I was very happy. I suggested this match to
Joe Silva after he resigned me back with the UFC. He said this
was just the match he was thinking of. We have a common opponant,
Mark Epstein. I've recently fought in the Uk, and he of course
is very well known there. I also think our styles match up to
make this an exciting fight. I think this is a great fight and
opportunity for me. I am really looking forward to it.
MaxFighting:
Do you feel that this will be a real test for you as a fighter?
Elvis
Sinosic: Every opponant I face is a real test for me as a fighter.
I never underestimate any opponant. Bisping is undefeated. He
has legitimate skills and is very dangerous. Why wouldn't this
be a real test for me?
MaxFighting:
How much have you improved since the Griffin fight and do you
think this fight resembles that one in terms of styles?
Elvis
Sinosic: I'm always continuing to improve. I love always learning
and expanding my skills. Everytime I step in to fight I want
to be a better fighter. I think this has the potential to be
a similar fight, though I plan to make it a very different outcome.
MaxFighting:
What is your training like getting ready for a high profile fight
like this?
Elvis
Sinosic: I'm training hard. I train hard for all my fights regardless
of how high profile it is. I run. I do weights. I spar. I grapple.
I want to make sure I turn up in the best possible condition
for this match.
MaxFighting:
Is this the year Elvis Sinosic comes back and makes a statement
in the UFC's light heavyweight division?
Elvis
Sinosic: I think 2007 just may be the year of the KING! I really
want to make a statement!
MaxFighting:
Elvis, Thanks for your time.
Elvis
Sinosic: Always a pleasure.
Source: Maxfighting
|
PRIDE
USA PRESIDENT FILES SUIT AGAINST DSE
As Pride FC is mired in rumors of a potential sale, Pride USA
President Ed Fishman filed a lawsuit on Monday against Dream
Stage Entertainment (DSE), the parent company of Pride FC, in
Clark County, Nevada. According to the complaint, DSE has failed
to pay monies owed to Fishman Companies, breaching a contract
between the two parties.
The
complaint states that "on or about April 7, 2006" Fishman
Companies was contracted "to promote and market PRIDE events…
for three years," and that the agreement "provides
Fishman Companies with the option of renewing it for an additional
two years."
As
compensation, the complaint states that DSE was "to pay
$200,000.00 to Fishman Companies annually for the term of the
Agreement for consulting on PRIDE events world-wide," not
solely in the United States. The complaint continued, "In
addition, Fishman Companies is entitled to 10% of tickets sales
for all PRIDE events occurring in the United States."
At
this point, Fishman alleges that DSE has not compensated him
for either of Pride’s two U.S. shows, which took place on
October 21, 2006 and February 24, 2007, both at the Thomas &
Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pride:
The Real Deal, which took place on October 21, 2006 in Las Vegas,
generated $2,056,444.00 in ticket sales, according to the Nevada
State Athletic Commission. With Fishman claiming to be entitled
to 10% of that revenue, he would be owed $205,644.40.
Pride:
The Second Coming, which took place on February 24, 2007 in Las
Vegas, generated $2,033,098.00 in ticket sales, according to
the NSAC. Fishman's 10% cut of that revenue would be $203,309.80.
The
combined ticket sales for the two events was $4,089,542. If Fishman’s
allegations are accurate, the amount that DSE has failed to pay
him in ticket revenue is $408,954.20.
Fishman
did state in the complaint that Fishman Companies was paid the
initial $200,000 owed for the first year of consulting services
shortly after he signed with Dream Stage, but official correspondence
with DSE for either payment or an assurance of future payment
for consulting services has gone unanswered.
The
lawsuit states that on February 27, 2007, which was three days
after Pride: The Second Coming took place in Las Vegas, Fishman's
representatives sent a letter to Dream Stage that served as a
"formal written demand" for Fishman's cut of the revenue
from the Pride event that had taken place on February 24, 2007,
though the lawsuit mistakenly lists the event as having taken
place on February 24, 2006.
This
correspondence from Fishman's representatives to Dream Stage
demanded that Fishman receive his 10% cut of the revenue for
the February 24th event no later than March 7, 2007. Also on
or before that same date, Fishman wanted a written and formal
assurance from Dream Stage that he would be receiving his second
annual consultant's payment of $200,000 as scheduled on or before
April 7, 2007.
According
to the lawsuit, Fishman still hasn't received a reply to his
February 27, 2007 correspondence. He has allegedly not received
any of the ticket revenue from either of Pride's two U.S. events,
nor has he heard anything from DSE about the $200,000 annual
payment that is due on or before April 7, 2007.
Fishman
Companies is seeking a judgment for damages in an amount in excess
of $10,000, an award of reasonable costs and attorneys’
fees, pre and post judgment interest, and any additional relief
the Court deems just and proper on the evidence presented at
trial.
Though
the complaint does not specify the exact amount of relief that
Fishman is seeking, sources close to Fishman have made it known
that in addition to seeking the amount of money that Fishman
would be owed for consulting services over the remaining four-year
life of the contract ($800,000), and in addition to seeking his
share of the ticket sales for Pride’s two U.S. shows ($408,954.20),
Fishman Companies is also seeking revenue for future shows that,
as allegedly presented to Fishman by DSE, would have netted Fishman
Companies at least $9 million over the five-year term of the
contract. Dream Stage would have had to generate $90 million
in ticket sales over a five-year period in order for Fishman's
10% cut to reach $9 million.
So,
in total, Fishman is seeking somewhere in the neighborhood of
$10 million, which sources say is based on a business plan and
the lower-end of projections used by DSE officials in their attempts
to recruit Fishman and to use his already established marketing
acumen in the entertainment and gaming industries to help establish
Pride in the U.S. market.
It
is interesting to note that in addition to DSE, Fishman’s
suit also indicates a number of Doe Defendants, or defendants
whose identities are not currently known. The lawsuit states,
"The true names and capacities of those individuals and
entities, corporate or otherwise, are unknown to Fishman Companies
at this time." Fishman's lawsuit says that these defendants
will be named at a later date, once their "true names and
capacities have been ascertained."
These
unknown individuals and entities are alleged by Fishman to have
"conspired in some manner with Defendants [ie, Dream Stage]
and/or each other." The lawsuit also states that these unknown
parties are "responsible in some manner for the events and
occurrences alleged in the pleading" and that Fishman's
financial damages were "proximately caused by their conduct."
The
lawsuit makes no mention of the fact that a third Pride USA show
had been scheduled for April 28, 2007 and was cancelled after
the February 24th event. The lawsuit also makes no mention of
Fishman's publicly stated hope to purchase Pride from Dream Stage,
including his comments such as "once I fully acquire Pride
FC" in the days before the February 24th Pride event.
At
this point, no court dates have been set, but we will continue
to keep you updated on this story as events unfold.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MMAWEEKLY
RANKINGS UPDATED
The
latest MMAWeekly Rankings were released on Tuesday, March 20th.
This system ranks the top ten MMA fighters from all across the
world in each of the five major weight classes, as voted on by
the MMAWeekly staff.
The
MMAWeekly Rankings are your #1 source for the most up-to-date
and complete fighter rankings. The next update of the MMAWeekly
Rankings will be published on Tuesday, April 3rd, which is two
weeks from now.
Please
note that Dan Henderson is eligible for top ten consideration
in two separate weight classes, specifically due to the fact
that he holds a major promotion's championship titles in two
separate weight classes.
Here
are the current MMAWeekly Rankings, which are up-to-date as of
March 20th.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
HEAVYWEIGHT
DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
#1
Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko
2.
Mirko Cro Cop
3.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
4.
Josh Barnett
5.
Randy Couture
6.
Tim Sylvia
7.
Andrei Arlovski
8.
Fabricio Werdum
9.
Aleksander Emelianenko
10.
Mark Hunt
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
#1
Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Chuck Liddell
2.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
3.
Ricardo Arona
4.
Dan Henderson
5.
Wanderlei Silva
6.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
7.
Quinton Jackson
8.
Tito Ortiz
9.
Kazuhiro Nakamura
10.
Jason Lambert
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
MIDDLEWEIGHT
DIVISION (185-pound limit)
#1
Middleweight Fighter in the World: Matt Lindland
2.
Anderson Silva
3.
Paulo Filho
4.
Rich Franklin
5.
Dan Henderson
6.
Denis Kang
7.
Frank Trigg
8.
Nathan Marquardt
9.
Kazuo Misaki
10.
Jeremy Horn
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
WELTERWEIGHT
DIVISION (170-pound limit)
#1
Welterweight Fighter in the World: Georges St. Pierre
2.
Matt Hughes
3.
BJ Penn
4.
Diego Sanchez
5.
Karo Parisyan
6.
Jon Fitch
7.
Jake Shields
8.
Akira Kikuchi
9.
Josh Koscheck
10.
Josh Burkman
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
LIGHTWEIGHT
DIVISION (160 pounds and lower)
#1
Lightweight Fighter in the World: Hayato Sakurai
2.
Takanori Gomi
3.
Gilbert Melendez
4.
Nick Diaz
5.
Tatsuya Kawajiri
6.
Shinya Aoki
7.
Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
8.
Joachim Hansen
9.
Mitsuhiro Ishida
10.
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Grapplers
Quest Vegas
The Road
to the 1st Official World Grappling Championships
hosted by FILA and USA Wrestling begins at Grapplers Quest on
April 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada!
For
the complete story, go to:
http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?DhhKBjohfEufV0O8IZnX7w
Saturday,
April 14, 2007
Grapplers Quest U.S. Nationals of Grappling and Pro Trials
Location:
The Sports Center Las Vegas (All-Sport Arena)
121 East Sunset Road
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Qualifiers
for men (32): Top two in each of the 10 men's advanced
weight classes at the U.S. Nationals of Grappling, and the top
three place finishers in each of the four weight classes in the
Pro Trials
Qualifiers
for women (14): Top two in each of the 4 No-Gi advanced
weight classes at the U.S. Nationals of Grappling, and the top
three
in the two weight classes in the U.S. Pro Trials
For
more Grapplers Quest event information, tickets, and details,
go to: http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?Mb4k4W4kABbW2mZfcU94Mg
Check
out April 14th's STACKED Pro Trials line-ups, go to:
http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?Io8_r780ETkS4dnX5pzM4w
Purchase
Tickets to Grapplers Quest on April 14th in Vegas, go to:
http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?zuPNusj_i6L92.aGJQiv2A
See
you matside in Vegas on April 14th or at the ADCC Worlds in May!
Sincerely,
Brian Cimins
President and Founder
The Grapplers Company, Inc.
Source:
Promoter
|
Quote
of the Day
“It
is easy to be brave from a safe distance.”
Aesop, 620-560 B.C., Greek Fable Author
|
Full
Force 2 on Maui!
Friday, April 27th
War Memorial Gym
If anyone who would be interested in fighting on this card, the
promoter is still looking for amateur match ups at debuting 155lbs,
145lbs, and 185lbs.
Bout
duration: 2R/3M +2M OT
No elbows on the ground
No heel hooks
Shinguards optional
Contact Kawika Veeka at 808-870-7690 or by email by clicking
here.
Source: Kawika Veeka |
Liddell-Jackson
II Set for May 26 in Las Vegas
Chuck
Liddell will finally get a chance to erase the only un-avenged
loss of his stellar mixed martial arts career when he takes a
second crack at Quinton Jackson on May 26, Jackson's manager
and trainer Juanito Ibarra told Sherdog.com Sunday.
There
was speculation that Jackson (26-6-0) had asked for another tune-up
fight before wanting to face the UFC light heavyweight champion,
however Ibarra indicated the Liddell bout should be officially
announced by Tuesday of this week.
In
their previous encounter, a PRIDE Grand Prix semifinal bout in
November 2003, Jackson stopped Liddell in just over 13 minutes.
Liddell (20-3-0) has not tasted defeat since, winning seven in
a row, including two wins apiece against Tito Ortiz and Randy
Couture.
Jackson
has had mixed results since defeating Liddell, compiling a 7-3
record (all three losses by KO) including a pair of devastating
knockout losses to former PRIDE 205-pound champion Wanderlei
Silva. "Rampage" made his February UFC debut a success,
knocking out Marvin Eastman in the second round.
Source: Sherdog
|
Watch
Palhares and Cacareco bouts
The
Brazilian Top Team was 100% in the third edition of Floripa Fight,
that was held on March 10th in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina
state, . Alexandre Cacareco submitted Rodrigo Riscado with a
back choke with 4 minutes and 50 seconds of the first round,
and Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares submitted Hélio
Dipp (Chute Boxe) with a rear naked choke in only 1 minute and
40 seconds of fight. Our partners of Sultatame did record everything
and did put the videos into their website for the fans. Watch
it clicking in both links and don’t forget to check out
our photo gallery to see the best moments of Floripa Fight III.
Rousimar
"Toquinho" Palhares x Helip Dipp:
http://sultatame.com.br/arquivos/videos/toquinhovsdepp-1.wmv
Alexandre
"Cacareco" Ferreira x Rodrigo "Riscado" Gripp:
http://sultatame.com.br/arquivos/videos/alexandrecacareco-1.wmv
Source: Tatame |
Pederneiras
analyzes Shaolin’s debut
Nova
União leader and Vitor Shaolin master, André Pederneiras
follow his pupil in the victory against Ryuki Ueyama, by submission
at Hero’s, that was held in March 12nd, in . “He was
a very tough fighter, but it was a calm bout. The Japanese people
got very impressive with Shaolin's action. Ueyama had never been
submitted, and Shaolin did it”, said Pederneiras. Although
the fight finished quickly, he said there was no strategy for
that.
-
We are always ready for the worse thing. Shaolin was ready to
fight the three rounds, but we always try to finish the fight
before that - , explained Pederneiras, who is in the finals preparatives
for the Shotoo Brasil 2, that will take place on next Saturday
(24), in Rio de Janeiro. “There is no more tickets, so it
is not needed to stay at the door of the Gym, because there is
no tickets to buy at the event hour”, said the Shooto Brasil
president.
Source: Tatame |
ICON
SPORT: EPIC COMPLETE CARD
BLAISDELL ARENA, HONOLULU, HAWAII
SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2007
view TV spot here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBUdjsI-X4w
Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com, Times Supermarkets,
Blaisdell Box Office
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MIDDLEWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
Frank Twinkle Toes Trigg (J-Sect/R1, Las Vegas) vs. Ruthless
Robbie Lawler (Miletich FS, Iowa)
Trigg makes his first title defense after dismantling Mayhem
Miller in December and then destroying top-ranked Kazuo Misaki
in February. Lawler is coming off two devastating knockout wins.
Leather will fly. This will be an unforgettable main event.
MAIN CARD
Jason Mayhem Miller (Team Quest, CA. ) vs. Hector Urbina (Team
Wolfpack, Ohio)
Mayhem has the fire in his belly after losing the Icon title
to Trigg. But Urbina, at 8-2, is no easy challenge. Can Mayhem
get back to his winning ways?
Charuto Verissimo (BJ Penn MMA/HMC) vs. Lars Haven (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Once a top ranked welterweight, Charuto continues his rise back
to the top now in Icon’s middleweight division. Haven is
an undefeated young warrior who sees that a win over Charuto
would launch him into the upper echelon of MMA.
Po’ai Suganuma (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Nathan Carey (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Hilo-born Po’ai is an intelligent, articulate, and charming
college graduate with a degree in computer science…AND he’s
an absolute MMA wrecking machine in the 205lb Light Heavyweight
class. He studied judo as a child and matured into a talented
grappler, winning the State wrestling championship for Waiakea
High School. He’s been fighting MMA in Japan since 2005,
so most of Hawaii has never heard of him. His first test in Icon
is a tough one as he takes on 6-1 Nathan Carey.
STATE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Marshall Harvest (Animal House) vs. Justin Bucholz (Bulls Pen)
It’s Ewa Beach versus Town in one of the most anticipated
lightweight match-ups in years. Harvest, Ewa Beach’s talented
grappler, was a student of world renowned jiu-jitsu master Barret
Yoshida. Bucholz is an amazing athlete who is skilled at every
aspect of the MMA game.
UNDER CARD
Kala Kolohe Hose (Hard Knocks) vs. Ron Verdadero (Jesus Is Lord)
No Icon fighter has shown as much improvement over the last year
as Waianae warrior Hose, literally going from wild brawler to
skilled MMA assassin. Like Hose, Verdadero has taken his game
to the next level, showing off improved athleticism and devastating
ground-and-pound in his last fight.
Kimo Woelfel (Eastsidaz) vs. Dereck Keasley (Team Wolfpack, Ohio)
Waimanalo brawler Woelfel will be tested by slugger Keasley.
PJ Dean
(O2 Martial Arts Academy) vs. Derek Stadler (HMC)
Waianae’s own KO artist, PJ Dean, is considered by most
fight critics (and all opponents) to have some of the heaviest
hands in all of Hawaii. His first Icon test is against Stadler,
who has shown that he knows how to submit strikers via his solid
jiu-jitsu foundation.
Thomas Ferguson (Team Devastation) vs. Carvin Mafatau (Team Wolfpack,
Ohio)
Waianae’s Ferguson has one-punch knockout power. So does
his opponent Mafatau. Buckle up fight fans, these two heavyweights
are going to stand and bang.
Devon Damo (Animal House) vs. Dwayne Haney (Bulls Pen)
Damo’s last Icon appearance was a dominating kickboxing
win. Haney just won his Icon debut in February via rear naked
choke submission. This bout will be fast and fun.
Jay Bolos (Animal House) vs. Ryan Lee (Bulls Pen)
Bolos is a champion kickboxer converted to MMA fighter. Ryan
Lee is a seasoned MMA soldier who has fought every one who’s
anyone in the 135lb division. Guaranteed to be a stand-up war.
Isaiah Cobb-Adams (Animal House) vs. Vinny Delos Santos (Team
Soljah)
Its Ewa Beach versus Waianae as well-rounded Cobb-Adams meets
kickboxer-turned-MMA-fighter Delos Santos.
Source: Event Promoter
|
View
the exciting new Icon Sport: EPIC 30-second TV spot here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRbGJDF41T0
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Patrick Freitas
Icon Sport Promoter
(808) 232-3481 **NEW NUMBER**
superbrawl21@yahoo.com
“Icon
Sport: EPIC” T.V. Preview Show
March 3, 2007 Honolulu, HI. Hawaii MMA fans won’t want to
miss the preview show for the March 31st Icon Sport event, EPIC.
The program features a close look at the event’s World Championship
main event between Frank Trigg and Robbie Lawler, the return
of Mayhem Miller, the uprising of Charuto Verissimo, the introduction
of future-star light heavyweight star Po’ai Suganuma, and
insight into the State lightweight championship between Marshall
Harvest and Justin Bucholz. Trash-talking rivals, up-close interviews,
in-depth fight analysis, and some of the best fight-action cinematography
are just a few of the highlights.
The 30-minute program, which airs 14 times exclusively on K5
The Home Team (KFVE, Channel 5), can be found in all Hawaii TV
listings as “Icon: Trigg vs. Lawler Preview.” Showtimes
are also listed below:
Sunday, March 11 @ 9:30 p.m.
Sunday March 18 @ 9:30 p.m.
Monday, March 19 @ 11 p.m.
Tuesday, March 20 @ 11 p.m.
Wednesday, March 21 @ 11 p.m.
Thursday, March 22 @ 11 p.m.
Sunday, March 25 @ 9:30 p.m.
Monday, March 26 @ 11 p.m.
Tuesday, March 27 @ 11 p.m.
Wednesday, March 28 @ 11 p.m.
Thursday, March 29 @ 11 p.m.
Thursday, March 29 @ Midnight Encore
Friday, March 30 @ 11 p.m.
Friday, March 30 @ Midnight Encore
View the exciting new Icon Sport: EPIC 30-second TV spot here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRbGJDF41T0
Source: Event Promoter
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 5
Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai, Hawaii
March 24, 2007
Partial Card:
Lightweight title defense
Eben Kaneshiro vs Buck Bisbey (C3 seattle,Wa)
Light Heavyweight Title
Taurus Cabbab (Team MMAD) vs Mario Miranda (C3, Seattle, Wa)
Keoni Bryant (Jus Rush) vs Kaeo Lopez (Kamole)
Zack Rapal (Fighters union) vs Shane Kahananui (KTI)
Bronson Delima (Bulls Pen) vs Pauly Kawamura (KTI)
Heather Eichens (Freelance-Oahu) vs Emma Bush (C3, Seattle, Wa)
Am Welterweight Kickboxing title
Marcus Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs Issac Josiah (Quicksilva)
14
bouts in all!
Show is close to a sellout, Kauai it is going off!
Source:
Event Promoter
|
Xande
Riberio DVD Now Shipping!
The documentary
about current Absolute Black Belt World Champion Xande Riberio
is being pre-sold at http://www.bjjmart.com. Check out the training
background of Xande under the guidance of multiple time Black
Belt World Champion brother Saulo Riberio as Xande prepared for
the Mundials and how Xande finally claimed the championship and
the title of best Jiu-Jitsu practioner on the planet!
Here
is the summary on www.bjjmart.com:
Xande
Ribeiro Road to a Championship DVD
"The Road To A Championship"
The
road to the top is built on sacrifice, dedication and a lot of
heart
Everybody
wants to be a champion but very few people have what it takes.
This is the history about one person’s dream to be the best
and the road he took to get there. Xande Ribeiro went to Oahu,
Hawaii in June 2006 for the last stages of preparation for the
biggest challenge of his life: Win the Absolute in the World
BJJ Tournament.
In
the "The Road To A Championship" you will be able to
follow Xande’s training including some special water exercises.
You will hear directly from him, the mental approach and fight
strategies that led to his success. Additionally Xande showcases
some of his favorite techniques that he has used successfully
in competition including the 2006 World Championships
The DVD is
now shipping so place your order today and get this killer DVD
rushed to you!
DVD
50 minutes
Source: JD |
Raw
Episode 48
the RAW
version of Fighters' Club TV Episode 48 has been submitted to
Olelo programming and will run in our normal timeslot: 7pm Tuesdays
on
Oceanic Ch52 (Olelo-Oahu)
Episode
48 features
-our
very own Mike Onzuka's "behind the scenes" look at
a filming of
ICON's preview show.
-footage
from ICON's "All In" including interviews and highlights
of
Jeremy Williams vs Derek Thorton, Scott Junk vs John "Furious"
George,
and Trigg vs Mayhem
-Interview
with Enson Inoue
-Technique
of the Week featuring ENSON INOUE
comments,
questions, and suggestions to: fctv@onzuka.com
|
|