Upcoming
Events
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event on Onzuka.com?
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2007
11/10/07
Aloha State
Championship of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
8/12/07
Punishment
In Paradise 17
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Hawaiian Waters, Kapolei)
7/28/07
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui)
7/21/07
Garden Island Cage Match 6
(Kickboxing, MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Kauai)
6/23/06
Ultimate Fight Night
(BJ Penn vs Jens Pulver)
(Spike TV)
6/22/07
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
6/16/07
Hawaiian Open of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
6/12/07 or 6/13/07
Full Contact Showdown
(San Shou, Kickboxing, MMA)
6/3/07
The Quest for Champions 2007
(Sport-Pankration, Submission-Grappling, Continuous Sparring
and Sport-Jujitsu)
(Saint Louis High School Gym)
5/26/07
Memorial Day Mayhem
(Kickboxing)
(Kalaheo High School Gym)
5/20/07
Pride
Fighting Championships:
(PPV)
(Lightweight Grand Prix)
5/19/07
Kickin it
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
5/12/07
Punishment In Paradise: Untouchables
(Kickboxing)
(Hawaiian Waters, Kapolei)
USA-Boxing Hawaii Fundraising Event
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
5/5/07
ROTR Qualifer: Beat Down 3
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
4/28/07
Pride
Fighting Championships:
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
Maui MMA Event
(MMA)
(Maui)
K-1 World GP
(Kickboxing)
(Honolulu)
4/27/07
XMA
(MMA, Kickboxing)
4/24/07
Professional Boxing
(Boxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
4/20/07
Kickin It 2007 Part 3
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
4/7/07
Got Skills
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu Club Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(King Intermediate, Kaneohe)
4/6/07
Hawaii Fighting Championships: Stand Your Ground 3
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
4/5/07
Ultimate
Fight Night
(Spike TV)
3/31/07
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/25/07
Kickboxing Benefit Event for Mrs. Faagai
(Kickboxing)
(Waianae H.S. Gym)
3/24/07
Garden Island Cage Match
5
(MMA)
(Kauai)
The 2007
Hawaii State/Regional Junior Olympic Championships (Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
UFC:
Tito Ortiz vs. Dana White boxing match
(Nevada)
*Cancelled*
3/17/07
X-1
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Island Warriors
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial)
3/13/07
Ultimate
Fight Night
(Spike TV)
3/10/07
Hawaiian Championship of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Klum Gym UH Manoa)
3/3/07
UFC 68
(PPV)
(Columbus, Ohio)
Kickin It
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
2/24/07
Pride Fighting Championships:
(PPV)
(Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV)
2/17/06
Got
Skills
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
2/16-17/07
USA-Boxing Hawaii State & Regional Championships
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
2/16/07
Punishment
In Paradise 15
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Hawaiian Waters)
2/9/07
Icon Sports
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/3/07
UFC
67
(Lutter vs Silva)
(PPV)
2/2/06
Got
Skills & Kickin' It
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
1/23/07
Ultimate
Fight Night
(Spike TV)
1/20/07
IFL
(MMA)
1/14/07
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
1/13/07
USA Boxing Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
1/12/07
K-1 Dynamite
(MMA)
(PPV, 5:00 PM Ch: 701)
|
|
May 2007 News Part
1
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days a week training!
We are also offering Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights
and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
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Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 7:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Got a question for us? Email info@onzuka.com
or click here to send us
an email.
Fighters'
Club TV LOGO ANIMATION CONTEST
Everyone
knows that Onzuka.com's loyal readers are the most talented in
the state, if not the world! (can you already see where our fluff
complement is going already?) FCTV is looking for a talented
computer graphics whiz to animate our logo for the show. Winner
receives the snazzy RAZE Fightwear shirt and whatever else we
can dig up!
Here
is our logo:
If you have seen the show, you have seen how our old logo has
been animated. We are basically looking to create a cool animation
for our new logo.
We need a long version (10 Seconds) and a short version (3 Seconds)
if possible. Also, any ideas you may have as to what to do with
it would be appreciated too.
Email
entries to: fctv@onzuka.com
Mahalo,
Mark
|
Quote
of the Day
“Doing
the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next
moment.”
Oprah Winfrey, American Television Talk Show Host/Actress/Entrepreneur
|
BOXING
CHAMP CINTRON ACCEPTS UFC CHALLENGE
In
a prepared statement, Main Events CEO Kathy Duva announced that
IBF World Welterweight Champion and former high school and college
wrestler Kermit Cintron would like to step in and accept the
challenge from UFC President Dana White that Floyd Mayweather,
Jr. has refused.
After
some negative comments about mixed martial arts and the UFC in
particular by Mayweather, White threw out a challenge for the
undefeated boxing champion to fight UFC Lightweight Champion
Sean Sherk in an MMA bout. Sherk’s weight class is defined
at 155 pounds, while Mayweather’s most recent bout against
Oscar De La Hoya was at 154 pounds.
“I
want the fight,” said Cintron. “I can wrestle. I can
box. I can beat those UFC fighters at their own game. Tell Mr.
White to make me an offer and I’ll take on his guy after
I fight Matthysse...”
Cintron
is referring to a mandatory defense of his IBF title against
challenger Walter Mattysse on July 14. The fight is scheduled
to take place on the Arturo Gatti vs. Alfonso Gomez fight card
on HBO.
It’s
not difficult to connect the timing of Cintron’s statements
with the build-up for his fight against Mattysse in Atlantic
City, N.J. It should be noted, however, that the IBF champ is
also ranked the #7 welterweight boxer in the world by The Ring
magazine, with a record of 27-1 (25 knockouts). He also competed
in wrestling in college and finished 10th in the National Junior
College Wrestling Championships.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FRANKLIN
CONFIRMS OKAMI FOR UFC 72
Rich Franklin confirmed this morning that the Ultimate Fighting
Championship has signed Yushin Okami to face him on the June
16 event in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Franklin was originally
scheduled to face Danish fighter Martin Kampmann, who had to
withdraw due to a severe knee injury.
On
his website, Franklin said that after being notified that Kampmann
was out “Okami was presented as the likely possibility [as
a replacement]. [Monday night] we found out Okami signed.”
Franklin
returned to the Octagon victorious over Jason Macdonald at UFC
68 after having lost his UFC Middleweight Championship to Anderson
Silva in October of last year. A win in Belfast would likely
put Franklin into a title bout with the winner of the Anderson
Silva and Nate Marquardt bout that headlines UFC 73 on July 7.
Okami
is riding a 6-fight winning streak – the last 4 in the UFC
– having recently dominated Mike Swick at UFC 69 in Houston,
Tex. He actually holds a win over current champion Silva, albeit
by disqualification in the opening round of last year’s
Rumble on the Rock 175-pound Grand Prix.
Manager
Ken Pavia told MMAWeekly that Kampmann likely has damaged ligaments
in his knee that may require surgery and an extensive rehab.
He declined detailed information, however, until Kampmann goes
through a second MRI once the swelling in his knee goes down.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
CHAMP SHERK TALKS MAYWEATHER ON RADIO
Though
he hasn’t fought since winning the UFC Lightweight Championship
in a five-round battle with Kenny Florian at UFC 64 last October,
Sean Sherk has managed to remain in the limelight. In fact, he
was actually hoisted there by a boxer.
In
the build-up to his record-settxing bout with Oscar De La Hoya,
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. took the time to slam MMA, the UFC in particular,
saying, “It ain’t nothing but a fad… These are
guys that couldn’t do boxing.”
He
was called on his comments by UFC President Dana White and the
UFC Lightweight Champ. White saying that he would put Sherk up
against Mayweather as they were nearest each other in weight.
Mayweather defeated De La Hoya for the 154-pound belt and Sherk
owning the UFC’s 155-pound title.
Mayweather
seems to be backpedaling now. According to Yahoo! Sports columnist
Kevin Iole, after the fight, Mayweather sent word to Dana White
via UFC Vice Present Marc Ratner that all the trash talk about
the UFC was just hype for his fight with De La Hoya.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
LIVE
GATE INFO FOR UFC 70, UFC 69, & UFN 9
The UFC held three events in the month of April and two of those
events were very successful at the live box office. The UFC had
strong debuts in two new markets as UFC 69 took place in Houston,
Texas and UFC 70 took place in Manchester, England. The UFC Fight
Night event that took place in Las Vegas on April 5th was less
successful, but the stakes were much smaller for an event at
a smaller venue.
UFC
70
Most
recently, UFC 70 took place at the Manchester Evening News Arena
in Manchester, England on April 21st. The event drew $2,628,472
in gross ticket receipts, making it the ninth-highest-grossing
event in UFC history.
The
venue's capacity with the UFC's set-up was 15,983 and the paid
attendance for the event was 12,708. There were also 2,406 people
in attendance that had free tickets. The total number of people
in the building was 15,114, which was about 900 short of capacity.
The claims made before and after the event that it was a sell-out
were not accurate. The average price per ticket sold was $207
when converted to American dollars.
UFC
69
Two
weeks earlier, the UFC debuted in Texas with UFC 69 taking place
at Houston's Toyota Center on April 7th. The event drew $2,817,200
in gross ticket receipts, making it was the sixth-highest-grossing
event in UFC history. The event narrowly missed out on joining
UFC 57, UFC 61, UFC 62, and UFC 66 on the list of UFC events
that have drawn $3 million or more at the live box office.
The
paid attendance for UFC 69 was 12,516. With the addition of 2,753
people who were in attendance with free tickets, the total number
of people in attendance at the event was 15,269.
The
capacity of the venue with the UFC's set-up was approximately
16,800, so the event was slightly more than 1,500 short of capacity.
The average price per ticket sold was $225, which was slightly
higher than the average for the U.K. event two weeks later, but
still short of the usual prices for the UFC's Las Vegas events.
UFC
Fight Night 9
Just
two days prior to UFC 69 in Houston, UFC Fight Night 9 took place
in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 5th and it was the only UFC event
of the month that was not particularly successful at the live
gate.
UFC
Fight Night 9 was the UFC's debut in the new "Pearl at the
Palms" venue in Las Vegas. The venue was structured to hold
2,500 fans with the UFC's set-up. The total number of fans in
the building was 1,734, and over one-third of that total was
comprised of fans that had free tickets (593 of them, to be exact).
The
paid attendance for the event was 1,141, and the live gate was
$282,750. The average price per ticket sold was $248, which was
higher than the average price for UFC 69 and UFC 70, but still
lower than the average price for most of the events that the
UFC held in the much smaller Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.
Source: MMA Weekly |
THE
EMERGENCE OF SOKOUDJOU
Rameau
Thierry “Sokoudjou”? Maybe you’d recognize him
more by “the guy that knocked out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira”
or “the guy that knocked out Ricardo Arona." Oh yeah,
that guy.
By
now, if you don’t know the name Sokoudjou, you’re likely
living under a rock. After knocking out the aforementioned MMAWeekly
top ten ranked light heavyweight fighters, Sokoudjou himself
has fought his way into the top ten.
A
mixed martial arts fighter from Cameroon, Africa, Sokoudjou now
makes his home at the Dan Henderson branch of Team Quest in Temecula,
Calif. Growing up in Cameroon though, he was a Judoka, winning
several national and international titles. Sokoudjou made the
move to the United States with Olympic dreams swimming in his
head. He did win the Open Division to become a U.S. Open Judo
Champion in 2001, but somehow, he never realized his Olympic
dream.
Since
hooking up with Henderson to help him prepare for a fight with
Kazuhiro Nakamura – also a Judoka – Sokoudjou has made
the transition to a career in mixed martial arts… and he’s
done quite well.
Despite
stumbling against Glover Teixeira – who is trained by UFC
Champ Chuck Liddell and John Hackleman – Sokoudjou has quickly
established himself as a contender in the light heavyweight division
with the knockouts of Nogueira and Arona in the Pride ring.
With
the Fertitta brothers’ recent acquisition of Pride Fighting
Championships, as with many other fighters, Sokoudjou’s
fighting future is currently in limbo while he waits to see what
shape the new organization takes.
Source: MMA Weekly |
FIGHTER
CHOOSES MMA OVER PRO FOOTBALL
There are a very few skilled enough athletes to be able to make
sports their profession. Even fewer are those who are able to
do two professional sports at once. So when the time comes for
an athlete to make a choice between two sports and focus on just
one, it’s a decision that very few can empathize with.
Such
was the life of Rex Richards, super-heavyweight mixed martial
arts fighter and professional football player.
Over
this past year Richards took his love of MMA to the next level,
competing more vigorously than he had in past years, due to his
career with the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League.
So when Rex found success in MMA, especially after an impressive
Strikeforce performance last December, a decision had to be made.
With
the 2007 AFL season in full swing, Richards weighed his options,
MMA or pro football? In the end Rex chose MMA, but as he told
MMAWeekly recently, it wasn’t an easy decision, nor at times
did it look like the right one.
“Deep
down I’ve always been a fighter, and until recently there
hadn’t been any other outlets for it, aside from football,”
said Rex. “I think I was a fighter in a football player’s
body, and now I have a chance to let it out and be who I really
am supposed to be.”
Richards
continued, “That’s always been my personality. Off
the field and stuff I try to be a nice guy and get along with
everybody. On the field I’ve always been – in my opinion,
my coaches’ opinions and a lot of the fans’ opinions
– the most intense guy on the field. I was always attacking,
always going for it – and that’s the way I fight. When
I go out to fight, I fight to finish and MMA allows for me to
really be who I want to be in a career.”
Most
people would kill to have to make such a decision, choosing which
sport to make your full-time career, rather than work a traditional
job. But according to Rex, his decision was not without its struggles.
“I
probably didn’t sleep for two weeks,” admitted Richards.
“I’ve always played football and had always been a
good, solid player with a lot of accolades and stuff, so it was
definitely a big decision. It was probably the biggest decision
I’ve ever made, to switch to fighting full time.”
Then
there were those in the pro football world, which Rex had to
explain his decision to.
“I’ve
built myself there [with the Sabercats] these last few years
and I think I’m a player they’ve wanted to have around
a lot and wasn’t able to [have] this year,” commented
Richards. “I’ve had a lot of football buddies of mine
tell me, ‘You’re crazy; you’re a great football
player, you ought to keep playing football forever.’ But,
I’ve got a lot of my other friends saying to me, ‘Hey,
you’re a great football player, but you’re going to
be an even better fighter.’”
“They’re
all great friends of mine, I talk to them weekly, they wish I
was out there helping them out, but they’re doing really
good right now,” added Rex.
As
for what lead him to choose MMA over pro football, Richards explains
that even though he loves football and his time in it, there’s
just something about MMA that you can’t get anywhere else.
“I
like the personal touch you can get as a fighter,” explained
Rex. “I’ve gone out there and bled in the trenches
for years, but when you win a fight, there’s nothing like
it.”
Richards
added, “It’s great to win as a team and go out there
with a large group of guys and accomplish something together,
but when you’re in a cage, it’s all you. You can thank
your training partners, corner men and people that helped you
get there, but when they close the doors, it’s all you.
The rewards, I think, are much higher than a team sport.”
Since
making the decision to concentrate solely on MMA, Rex has experienced
one of the pitfalls of this sport that pro football experiences
rarely, unexpected cancellations.
“I’m
under a contract with Strikeforce,” said Richards. “They
were kind enough to give me an open contract, and I’ve had
several people call, but I’ve had several things fall through.
Basically this whole time I’ve been getting ready for this
next fight in June.”
“I
would have liked to have had another fight by now and I’m
anxious to get back into the cage, but that’s just the cards
that were dealt and now I’m eager to get another win under
my belt as soon as I can,” continued Rex.
And
when it comes to what he’d like to do after Strikeforce
in regards to his new full-time profession, Richards replied,
“I would really like to compete a lot. I would like to do
six to twelve fights a year. I want to get more fights and get
my name out there.”
Rex
further commented, “I don’t want it to take six or
seven years to be a big name guy; I want to be a big name guy
soon. I’m ready to get in there and fight whoever I have
to, to do that and make myself a career.”
So
with Strikeforce’s big pay-per-view card just over a month
away, fans nationwide could very well get the chance to see one
of the sports biggest [figuratively and literally] up and coming
fighters when Rex Richards steps into the cage.
“I
want to thank the sponsors and really all the fans for making
this sport so huge,” exclaimed Richards. “It’s
all about getting them all up and cheer in excitement and get
into the fight, I want to say I appreciate that.”
“I’m
going to be a breakout fighter this next year, just be ready,
and anybody who’s not a believer in the super-heavyweight
division, come watch me fight and I promise I’ll make a
believer out of you,” concluded Rex.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“Art
is never finished, only abandoned.”
Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519, Italian Painter and Sculptor
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
Hawaiian Waters, Kapolei
Saturday May 12, 2007
Weigh ins
are on Friday, May 11, 2007 at En Fuego in the Market at Kapolei
and start at 7:00 pm! See the banner above for information on
En Fuego and their great food!
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!
THIER ARE ONLY 800 SEATS AVAILABLE FOR THIS SHOW!!
WEST OUTLETS
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TEAM RUTHLESS, COLIN (387-5857)
JESUS IS LORD, DAVID (282-2232)
TEAM BIGDOGS, WAYNE PERRIN
SIT YOU DOWN, JOHN (688-7391)
EN FUEGOS GRILL, KAPOLEI (674-8805)
EAST OUTLETS
JUS RUSH, CISCO (620-3004)
SMITH TAEKWONDO, KANEOHE
HMC, KALIHI
BUY ONLINE WWW.PIPHAWAII.COM
FOR FIGHT OR TICKET INFO CALL (808)631-9164
Source: Brennan Kamaka
|
SPERRY
& BUTTERBEAN HEAD CAGE RAGE 22
UFC 70 and Cage Rage 21 are fading in our minds now and having
just had the Cage Warriors show, things are all quiet on the
live event front. So it’s a collective picking up of the
pieces for the fighters whilst promoters work hard at booking
the next event.
Cage
Rage has all but finalized the line-up for Cage Rage 22: Hard
as Hell, scheduled for July 14th, and some of the card’s
fights look good, some on the other hand I have no interest in
seeing. But I guess as a promoter you need to appeal to all people
and that is what they have booked for this card.
Butterbean
vs. Tengiz Tedoradze is the first fight that springs to mind.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Butterbean as a character and
he brings entertainment value to a bout, but I have absolutely
no interest in seeing this match. I believe that Tedoradze is
long overdue an international opponent, but in a match that makes
sense. He has a record of 20-7-1 and owns wins over the best
of British in Rob Broughton, Tom Blackledge, Robert Berry, James
Thompson and Marc Goddard leaves you wondering who in the U.K.
will possibly beat him? Mustapha al Turk is the likely fellow
for the job, but till then he has to face a guy like Butterbean
who will not necessarily add much lustre to his mantelpiece.
Mario
Sperry vs. Lee Hasdell is a good fight on paper. It could be
a barnstormer of a match if both come to play hard. Hasdell will
want to keep this standing to play off his Muay Thai and Japanese
anti-grappling background. The Zen Machine (Sperry) will want
to take him down. If they end up playing like Andre Arlovs.ki
vs.. Fabricio Werdum, then it will be a boring night, but if
they push, we could be in for a treat – either Sperry is
getting KO’d or Hasdell is getting subbed.
James
McSweeney is making his MMA debut against a fighter, Mark Buchanan,
that won’t trouble him at all standing and is green enough
on the ground to present opportunities for him. This will likely
be a successful debut for the K-1 hero.
And
finally, Dave Legeno vs. Herb Dean… now don’t get me
wrong, I think it’s great that Dean competes and works are
one of the best referees in the business. It gives you a much
higher regard for his ability to judge a fight because he is
aware of the nuances involved having tested himself first, but
Legeno? Seriously, I don’t want to hate on the guy as he
is a great person to talk to, a genuinely nice guy, but I haven’t
seen him in an interesting fight since his debut. Dan Severn
and Kimo Leopoldo were jokes, Ikuhisa Minowa breezed him and
the second fight with Alan Murdock left me cold.
Put
Legeno against legitimate competition in the U.K. to see where
he is at before throwing all the Americans at him. Tell you what,
put Legeno in there with Blackledge and we will see where he
is at – that is a fight I want to see…
Anyway,
two highlights and two disappointments, the rest of the card
looks solid though. Particularly interesting is the inclusion
of Marios Zaromskis and Paul Cahoon. Both provide fireworks standing
and are rock solid match-ups. That is what makes good a good
event – tough fights where you are really pushed to choose
a winner.
Full
Card / Cage Rage 22: Hard as Hell
-Eric
“Butterbean” Esch vs. Tengiz Tedoradze
-Mario Sperry vs. Lee Hasdell
-Rob Broughton vs. Gary Turner
-Herb Dean vs. Dave Legeno
-Mark Buchanan vs. James McSweeney
-Paul Cahoon vs. Mark Epstein
-Ronnie Mann vs. Robbie Olivier
-Marius Zaromskis vs. Ross Mason
-Ross Pointon vs. Dean Bray
-Joe Mac vs. Jeremy Bailey
-Michael Johnson vs. Damian Riccio
-Tom Watson vs. Ed Smith
Source: MMA Weekly |
Thiago
Silva talks about his American debut
Thiago
Silva, the new talent of the Macaco Gold Team, commented about
his expectations for his debut at the American event UFC. In
exclusive interview to TATAMETV team, the Brazilian athlete said
that is ready for the victory. “I am ready to win as always
and never to lose. I am focous and I think this is the biggest
differencial”, guarateed Silva, who also let a message for
his fans who are waiting ansiously his debut. “I will be
there all the time for this belt. Chuck Liddell, wait for me”,
challenged him.
Source: Tatame
|
Back
to the rings, Aldo wants revenge Azevedo
In
exclusive conversation to site TATAME, just after wins Fábio
Mello (BTT) at Top Fighters 3, the black belt from Nova União
José Aldo, commented about his bout and talked about the
revenge he wants against the athlete from RFT Luciano Azevedo.
“I would be really happy if he gives me the opportunity
to fight him again”, said Aldo, who also talked about his
return to MMA. “That was a tough bout against Fábio
Mello and I was already expecting a hard fight. I am proud of
having fought someone so experienced like him”, guaranteed
Aldo.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
“If
being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art
or music, then in that respect you can call me that... I believe
in what I do, and I'll say it.”
John Lennon, 1940-1980, British Rock Musician
|
Fighters'
Club TV on Tonight!
Channel
52
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM
The latest Fighters' Club TV episodes features a good filling
of Mark and Mike as well as...
Interview
with new Icon Sport Middleweight Champ Robbie Lawler.
They don't call him Ruthess for nothing. I think he calls out
Mike not once, but twice during this relatively short interview.
Between you and me, I would try to take a grazing punch and lay
down. So what?!
Charuto Verissimo is back in action as he features his world
class Jiu-Jitsu technique in the last Icon Sport with a post
fight interview. This footage is the closest you will get to
being in the fight without being in the ring! Make sure that
you listen in closely when the leather is flying.
He is definitely in the Icon Sport championship mix.
One
of our favorite segments, FCTV Mail, is starting to gain momentum.
This episode we discuss the following topics:
BJJ vs Traditional JJ
Myspace
School Coverage
Why are we so sexy? Ok, I added that one in.
Not enough description? You better tune in...and please write
in with your questions to fctv@onzuka.com and if it is absolutely,
positively, spell binding and memorizing, we will read it on
the air. Who are we kiddng? Maybe we'll read it even if it sucks.
Kalihi native, now Cali boy Jason Mayhem Miller does a great
Dan Henderson impersonation. Was that Mayhem's last fight in
Hawaii?
Enson Inoue teaches us a mount neck crank in our Technique of
the Week!
Finally, one of the most exciting and talented new stars in Hawaii
MMA, Justin Buchholz teaches us about the power of the loco moco.
Of
course, it wouldn't be a FCTV show without a little eye candy
spread out in very strategic locations throughout the fights.
Daddy like!
If
you have anything to comment on or want to see on the show, please
email us at fctv@onzuka.com.
|
KICKIN
IT 2007 PART IV
WHAT -
KICKIN IT 2007 PART IV
WHEN - SATURDAY MAY 19, 2007
WHERE - WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
MAIN EVENT
RICHARD "RUN EM HARD" BERNARD 145 KEO DOANE
HSD ANIMAL HOUSE
BOTH OF THESE FIGHTERS SHARE AN UNDEFEATED 4 - 0 RECORD. KEO
WHO HAS BEEN ON THE KICKIN IT CIRCUIT LONGER THAN RICHARD IS
BACK FROM HIS HALF A YEAR VACATION. KEO IS THE TECHNICIAN OF
THE TWO. HE ALWAYS BRINGS HIS CONDITION AS WELL AS HIS SKILLS,
WHEN HE ENTERS THE SQUARE. BUT KEO WILL HAVE HIS HANDS FULL ON
MAY 19. FOR RICHARD IS THE WHITEBOY WHO NOBODY EXPECTED WOULD
MAKE IT IN THE SQUARE. HE IS NOT AS FAST OR AS SKILLED AS MOST
145 POUNDERS. AND THATS PROBABLY WHY HE'S CALLED "RUN EM
HARD", HE'S NO UNDERWEAR - ALL BALLS (HA HA HA). THIS MAIN
EVENT IS ONE NOT TO MISS. WE'LL SEE WHO IS STILL UNDEFEATED THE
DAY AFTER MAY 19TH. BE THERE.
KEKOA CONCEPCION 125 ROBBIE OSTOVICH
NAKOA FIGHT CLUB JESUS IS LORD
KONA KAOLULO SHW JUNIOR CHAVEZ
TEAM ANILAND HSD
SHAWN ORTIZ 128 DICKIE REBALIZA
FREELANCE INNER CIRCLE
MATT KANAHELE 165 TBA
BIG TYME FIGHT
KOLOA KAHALEWAI 220 MAKANA VERTIDO
TEAM ANILAND LAS VEGAS FIGHT CLUB
EZEKIEL LOPEZ 175 ALAN GILAPIA
NAKOA FIGHT CLUB HAWAII CHINESE KENPO
JOHN MENDONSA 145 VAN SHIROMA
NAKOA FIGHT CLUB HMC
KAHELE KAOLULO 145 GARY REBALIZA
TEAM ANILAND INNER CIRCLE
KAUI KAUOLULO 165 TONY BELEN
TEAM ANILAND INNER CIRCLE
AJ LANI 145 BERTO SANSANO
INNER CIRCLE TEAM DEVASTATION
MERVIN LINKE 168 LUCKY TURNBOW
TEAM ANILAND TEAM BAD INTENTIONS
MARCUS MARTINEZ 150 MIKE UEMOTO
BULLSPEN ANIMAL HOUSE
RIN DAO 110 SOLOMON DIXON
BULLSPEN HMC
GINO KANAHELE 98 GERON REBALIZA
TEAM ANILAND INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING
KAI HOLLENBECK 175 DALE KAMAI
HMC MAILI SOLJAHS
TAA 235 RANDY DUENESS
TEAM ANILAND 5 - 0 BOXING
RENO REMIGIO 160 ADRIAN TAVITA
HMC TEAM BAD INTENTIONS
NUI WHEELER 135 TBA
MAUI KICKBOXING
MAILI
SOLJAHS
MATCHES AND PARTICPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
|
HBO
PPV ANNOUNCERS DISAGREE ON MMA
It’s over, finally after weeks of pontification by many
fans and experts, the question was seemingly answered, did Oscar
De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s highly-anticipated
match-up prove to be the savior of boxing in the eyes of the
general public?
In
a simple answer, most likely, no, it did not.
Of
course it’s unfair to place the entire expectations of a
sport on one event, but with all the hype surrounding the fight
and clear battle lines that seemed to be drawn between those
who hope boxing would fend off the coming storm of MMA, and those
who embrace MMA’s rise as the premier fighting sport of
the all-important young male demographic, one would be easily
swayed into believing this fight could stem any tide.
In
what was ultimately a match-up most boxing pundits feared –
a technical bout in which Mayweather’s speed and accuracy
for the most part trumped De La Hoya’s aggression and flurries
– it was pretty much the general consensus that while hardcore
boxing fans may have enjoyed the fight, not as many general fight
fans might have been satisfied.
So
it was with that obviousness that when the HBO broadcasting crew
dissected the fight afterwards, there was the inevitable assertion
that boxing is what it is, it is where it is at, and one fight
will not change it’s future coarse, so why bring up the
comparisons between boxing and MMA?
For
the most part the entire HBO broadcast team avoided the comparison
directly, however, during the post-fight breakdown HBO Commentator/Interviewer
Larry Merchant stated, “Just one word about some of the
build-up to the fight, [in] which a lot of people seemed discomforted
that they were suddenly attracted to a big fight. So the storyline
they invented was: ‘Is this the last big fight in boxing?
Is this the end of boxing? Can this revive boxing?' None of which
means anything. Boxing is what it is, this is a very good fight,
[and] we’ll see a lot more, whether we have this kind of
crowd [in the arena], the folks out there [who purchased the
PPV], those numbers – that is another story. This was good
boxing, good fighting, and a hell of a show.”
And
then HBO Commentator/Analyst Jim Lampley, a long-time opponent
of MMA, replied, “You know, one of the specificities in
that question is, ‘Will boxing have to cede its place on
the stage to other fighting forms like Mixed Martial Arts?’
Mixed Martial Arts is entertaining, [but] the kind of skill level
you saw in the ring tonight – there’s nothing in Mixed
Martial Arts which is within light years of what Mayweather and
De La Hoya are able to do with their hands.”
At
this point, Lampley segued the conversation to the other broadcast
crew in the building, which contained HBO Commentator/Analyst
Max Kellerman, one of combat sports' premier experts.
When
the conversation was directed at Kellerman – after giving
his thoughts on the fight – he retorted Lampley’s comments
directly by stating, “I disagree with Jim. I think there
are Mixed Martial Artists who are operating on a very similar
skill level in what they do to these fighters [De La Hoya and
Mayweather]. And that’s one of the reason[s] why that fight…that
sport’s becoming very popular.”
The
comments were made amidst the backdrop of a possible pairing
between HBO and the UFC to broadcast future events. A union in
which UFC President Dana White, in a recent tele-conference,
said would most likely use HBO commentators, rather than the
usual UFC duo of Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg.
Which
ultimately lead to the question on whether or not White would
like to see Lampley on said broadcasts, to which Dana emphatically
responded, “Hell no!”
So
it would seem that even those who feel that the comparisons between
boxing and MMA are unfounded, there are equally those who feel
the comparison is warranted and even favorable to MMA, regardless
of what the establishment has long coalesced.
If
anything, should Jim Lampley and Dana White end up in the same
venue at the same time for an HBO or UFC event and happen to
cross paths, it should be one hell of a show, even one that could
eclipse the action inside the ring/octagon.
Source: MMA Weekly |
NOGUEIRA'S
UFC DEBUT SET FOR UFC 73 "STACKED"
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has officially announced the
main portion of the UFC 73 event scheduled for July 7th at the
Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif. Entitled “Stacked”
the moniker couldn’t be more appropriate.
UFC
73 is the most talent-laden fight card in recent memory, not
only for the UFC, but any promotion. Not only does UFC 73 feature
two title fights – Anderson Silva defending his UFC Middleweight
Championship against Nate Marquardt and Sean Sherk defending
his lightweight belt from Hermes Franca – but UFC drawing
card Tito Ortiz and light heavyweight contender Rashad Evans
will battle it out and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will make his
UFC debut against Heath Herring in a heavyweight contest.
Many
mainstream fans new to the sport may not realize the importance
of Nogueira’s addition to the card, but as the #2 ranked
heavyweight fighter in the world on MMAWeekly.com, Nogueira is
a prime addition to the UFC’s stable of heavyweight fighters.
The
fight between Ortiz and Evans also carries a lot of weight. This
is a pivotal point in the careers of both fighters. A win for
Ortiz turns his fortunes around and gets him started back on
the road towards contender status. For Evans, a win over the
iconic Tito Ortiz would help to solidify his perception as a
true contender to the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship currently
held by Chuck Liddell and add to his unbeaten record.
“We
have five UFC events lined up now through July in the US and
UK, and every one of them is stacked with great fights,”
said UFC President Dana White. “UFC 73 is one of the best
cards we’ve put together this year. It’s going to deliver
the one-two punch fight fans want – it has Tito Ortiz and
Rashad Evans, two all-state college wrestlers, both who dislike
each other, settling their differences in the Octagon, as well
as title defenses by our two champions Anderson Silva and Sean
Sherk. We’re working on more fights right now to pack this
card even heavier from top to bottom.”
Although
not yet made official by the UFC, rumored undercard bouts for
UFC 73 include the return of Stephan Bonnar – following
a suspension for steroid-related charges in Nevada – against
fellow Ultimate Fighter veteran Mike Nickels, UFC veterans Chris
Lytle and Jeff Joslin squaring off, and Jorge Gurgel making his
return against Diego Saraiva, who recently lost to Gurgel-trained
fighter Dustin Hazlett.
About
his upcoming fight versus Rashad Evans, “Huntington Beach
Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz stated, “Everybody should expect
fireworks. Rashad is standing in the way of my getting another
title shot.”
Evans
countered, “Tito needs to learn the meaning of respect.
On July 7, I’m going to teach him what that’s all about.
I’m focused and on a mission, and my goal is to knock him
out.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Roan
Jucão comments about his next bout at UFC
The
great star of the BTT Roan Jucão talked about his next
bout at UFC exclusivelly to TATAMETV team. In the video, Jucão
analyses the game of his next adversary at the American event,
the athlete John Fitch. “What I know about his game is that
he is a wrestler, a tough fighter and one of the top five of
my category. I fell that fighting with him I am closer of the
belt dispute”, said Jucão prety excited about his
next challenge in . The complete video is in Portuguese language,
available at TATAMETV. Click here to watch it.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
“A
lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance
to get its pants on.”
Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, English Politician/Author/Nobel
Prïze Wïnner
|
Baret
Claims 3rd Place!
ADCC 2007
Results - Drysdale submits Garcia for absolute title
Super
Fight Result
Roger
Gracie Beat Jon Einamo 5 - 0
Absolute
Result
1st Place: Robert Drysdale
2nd Place Marcelo Garcia
3rd Place: Luis Galvao
4th Place: Cacareco
Drysdale submits Garcia with a reverse head and arm choke to
win.
Men's
Finals:
Over
99 Kgs - Weight Class Results
1st Place: Fabricio Werdum
2nd Place Rolles Gracie
3rd Place: Pe De Pano
4th Place: Darren Andy
Under
99 Kgs - Weight Class Results
1st Place: Xande Ribeiro
2nd Place: Braulio Estima
3rd Place: Robert Drysdale
4th Place: Cacareco
Under
87 Kgs - Weight Class Results
1st Place: Demian Maia
2nd Place: Flavio Almeida
3rd Place: Romulo Barral
4th Place: Tarsis Humphreys
Under
76 Kgs - Weight Class Results
1st Place: Marcelo Garcia
2nd Place: Pablo Popovitch
3rd Place: Luis Galvao
4th Place: Mike Fowler
Garcia submits a total of 7 opponents in this competition which
includes Alexandre Cacareco, Rolls Gracie, Mario Miranda in the
absolute as well as winning the most stacked weight class in
this year's competition. Mike Fowler who was a last minute add
beat Renzo Gracie and Saulo Riberio to take 4th place. Incredible
performance!
Under
65 Kgs - Weight Class Results
1st
Place: Rani Yahira
2nd Place: Leozinho Vieira
3rd Place:
Baret Yoshida
4th Place: Tetsu Suzuki
Yahya submits Leozinho to win.
Baret lost
to Rani Yahya who eventually won the title, but was reported
as continuously attacking.
Women's
Finals:
Over
67 Kgs - Weight Class Results
1st Place:
Penny Thomas
2nd Place: Lana Stefanac
3rd Place: Rosangela Conceicao
4th Place: Celita Schultz
Penny Thomas
who is originally from South Africa trains with Hawaii's own
Luis Heredia of Maui Jiu-Jitsu.
Under
67 Kgs - Weight Class Results
1st Place: Hannette Staack
2nd Place: Kelly Paul
3rd Place: Marloes Coenen
4th Place: Stacy Cartwright
Under
60 Kgs - Weight Class Results
1st Place: Kyra Gracie
2nd Place: Tara LaRosa
3rd Place: Takayo Hashi
4th Place: Hitomi Akano
Under
55 Kgs - Weight Class Results
1st Place: Sayaka Shioda
2nd Place: Felicia Oh
3rd Place: Megumi Fujii
4th Place: Bianca Barreto
Source: European Fight Network
ADCC Heads
Into Final Day
At
Trenton, New Jersey's Sovereign Bank Arena, Saturday's competition
set the stage for Sunday's grand finale of the Abu Dhabi Combat
Club's 2007 Submission Wrestling World Championships.
Perhaps
the most action-packed division so far, the 143-pound bracket,
will resume on Sunday with semifinal bouts between defending
divisional champion Leo Vieira and Tetsu Suzuki, and Rani Yahira
and Baret
Yoshida.
Vieira
had a spectacular Saturday, dominating North American Trials
champion Sim Go 17-0 on points, and taking a 2-0 points win over
Jeff Glover after nearly being submitted with a brabo choke in
the opening minutes. Suzuki earned his semifinal berth by knocking
off France's Renier Nicholas, before avenging his loss to Naoya
Uematsu from the ADCC Japan Trials two weeks ago. Rani Yahira
made short work of his two opponents thus far, choking out both
Darrel Mooley and Bruno Frazatto, while Baret Yoshida also flexed his submission skills
to earn his spot in the semis, tapping out Eddie Sanchez, and
eliminating Dokonjonosuke Mishima with a superb triangle choke.
As
usual, the 168-pound division was a focal point at the ADCC World
Championships, and will continue to be on the final day as the
final four will pit two-time defending divisional champ and grappling
superstar Marcelo Garcia against American stalwart Mike Fowler,
while Pablo Popovich meets Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion
Andre Galvao.
Garcia
was outstanding as per usual in his first two bouts, quickly
choking out BJJ black belts George Sotiropolous and Kurt Pellegrino.
While Mike Fowler was unspectacular in his decision win over
Renzo Gracie, the American notched one of the days most impressive
feats in the quarterfinals, submitting grappling legend Saulo
Ribeiro with a toehold. Popovich defeated Erick Dahlberg and
Japanese BJJ king Daisuke Sugie, while Galvao took a submission
win over Chris Bright before tapping out Canadian stalwart Mark
Bocek with an ankle lock in the quarterfinals.
With
usual divisional kingpin "Jacare" Ronaldo Souza absent
from competition this year, the 192-pound division will have
a new champion in 2007, as the semifinals will see BJJ world
champion Demian Maia take on Tarsys Humphreys, while "Cachorrinho"
Flavio Almeida will meet Romulo Barral.
Maia
emerged as the division's frontrunner on Saturday with wins over
two-time Japan Trials champion Yushin Okami and BJJ standout
Rafael Lovato Jr. However, Tarsys Humphreys put on one of the
day's most impressive displays. After defeating Jorge Santiago
in the opening round, Humphreys defeated David Avellan in arguably
the day's most sensational match, coming from behind to choke
the stubborn Avellan unconscious to advance. Almeida, the younger
brother of Ricardo Almeida, defeated Rick MacCauley and Sauli
Heliemo to advance to the semifinals, while Barral knocked off
Travers Grubb before leglocking Chris Moriarty to earn his spot
on Sunday.
Like
the 192-pound division, the 218-pound division will also crown
a new king on Sunday, with the absence of defending champion
Roger Gracie. A quartet of well-established grapplers will square
off in the semis, as BJJ world champions Xande Ribeiro and Robert
Drysdale meet on the mats, while Braulio Estima takes on "Cacareco"
Alexandre Ferreira.
The
well-decorated Ribeiro had little trouble in his first two bouts,
deftly armbarring Yukiyasu Ozawa before submitting Tim Carpenter
with a Kimura. Drysdale took a decision win over Mario Miranda,
before choking out Steve Rusk. Estima and Cacareco showed their
finishing skills as well; Estima armbarred Poland's Tomas Szczerer
and arm-triangled Brazilian Cristiano Lazzarini while Cacareco
locked up a Kimura on African Trials winner Carl Bierman before
choking out Poland's Radek Turek.
With
the absence of standouts like Gabriel Gonzaga and defending champion
Jeff Monson, the 218-and-over division yielded little surprise
on Saturday. Heavyweight grappling kings Fabricio Werdum and
"Pe De Pano" Marcio Cruz each earned berths in the
semifinals, where they will meet Darren Andy and Rolles Gracie
respectively.
Werdum
took easy submission wins over Elvis Sinosic and Karol Bedorf
in his first two match-ups, while Darren Andy notched wins over
Pat Staniol, and "Big Mac" Luis Theodoro. "Pe
De Pano" encountered a bit more resistance in submittion
a very game Janne Pietilainen, before taking a close and debatable
decision victory over Marcos Oliveira while Gracie advanced by
defeating Naomichi Nagata and Mario Rinaldi.
In
the female 121-pound class, Japan's most prominent female grappler
Megumi Fujii choked out Rachel Wheatley; North American trials
winner Felicia Oh defeated Leticia Ribeiro; Brazilian Trials
winner Bianca Andrade knocked off Jean Alvisse; and Japan Trials
winner Sayaka Shioda defeated Cindy Hales. The semifinals will
see Fujii meet Oh, and Andrade face Shioda.
The
star-laden 132-pound female class boasts a potent final four.
Saturday's action saw Tara Larosa defeat Rebecca Atwood, Takayo
Hashi best Vanessa Porto, and Smackgirl champion Hitomi Akano
take a points win over Casey Blasso in a great match. Star Kyra
Gracie was the division's most outstanding performer, locking
up a beautiful armbar to defeat Caoimhe McGill. Sunday's semifinals
will pit LaRosa against Hashi, and Gracie against Akano.
In
148-pound female action, Kelly Paul, Marloes Coenen and Stacy
Cartwright all took submission wins over Fiona Muxloy, Keiko
Tamai and Emily Kwok, respectively, while Hannette Quadros bested
Shayna Baszler by decision. In the semifinals, Paul and Coenen
will meet, while Cartwright and Quadros square off.
In
the 148-and-over female category, Rosangela Conceicao submitted
Jennifer Guiola, Lana Stefanac submitted Yoko Takahashi, Penny
Thomas submitted Shannon Hooper and Celita Schultz defeated Mary
Anne Mullahy, setting up semifinal bouts between Conceicao and
Stefanac, and Thomas and Schultz.
Sunday's
action will see the semifinals and finals of the divisional tournaments,
as well as the male and female open-weight Absolute divisions,
and the ADCC 2007 super-fight between ADCC 2005 male absolute
champion Roger Gracie and Jon Olav Einemo. Einemo, a late replacement
for the Dengue Fever-stricken Ricardo Arona, is the last competitor
to have beaten Gracie at ADCC, having defeated him on points
in 2003 en route to winning the 218-pound division that year.
Source: Sherdog |
HENDO
WANTS A SHOT AT UFC CHAMP LIDDELL
“I would love to fight Chuck Liddell,” Pride Middleweight
and Welterweight Champion Dan Henderson recently told me recently.
“That is the fight that would pay me the most and do the
most for my career.”
Hendo’s
remarks bite back at UFC President Dana White’s claim at
the UFC 70 post-fight press conference that, “Dan Henderson
doesn’t want to fight Chuck Liddell.” White also remarked
that Henderson was intended by Pride management to lose his middleweight
championship challenge versus Wanderlei Silva in February.
Henderson
knocked Silva flat in the third round with a left hook. After
the fight, Henderson told me, “Pride wasn't sure who they
were going to have fight Silva. That is when I spoke with Jerry
[Millen] (a former Pride vice-president) about pushing for me
to fight him.”
A
Liddell-Silva showdown had wetted MMA appetites for years and
was announced by White for November 2006 at UFC 61 on July 8,
2006. However, no contract had been signed at the time of the
announcement and the deal inexplicably fell through. Since then,
Silva has ended his last two scraps lights-out on the canvas
versus Mirko Filipovic and Dan Henderson.
Since
defeating Silva for the Pride Middleweight Championship, Henderson
has been the heir to the Pride versus UFC 205-pound controversy.
Neither
Dana White nor Chuck Liddell’s agent, Jervis Cole, have
responded to requests for comment.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
JEREMY
WILLIAMS DEAD OF APPARENT SUICIDE
Please
note that this is NOT the Jeremy Williams that fights in Icon
Sport. He is alive and well!
Officials from the International Fight League this morning confirmed
the death of California Condors fighter, 27 year-old Jeremy Williams.
The Orange County, Calif. Sheriff’s Department Coroner Division
confirmed Williams’ death to the IFL and stated that an
autopsy will be performed to officially determine the cause of
death.
Sources
close to Williams have told MMAWeekly that comments made online
about the situation are true, that Williams did indeed take his
own life. Apparently, he was found in his car and died of what
is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Williams
was the middleweight representative of the Marco Ruas coached
California Condors in the IFL. He had not fought in nearly five
years before Ruas and the IFL made Williams an offer he couldn’t
refuse, so he returned to the ring in January of this year. He
won his first two IFL bouts – over Bristol Marunde and Kazuhiro
Hamanaka – and his career seemed to be headed up. Williams’
overall professional record stands at 7-2.
He
seemed to be happy with his return to fighting and excited to
be a part of Ruas’ Condors. As Williams said in an interview
with MMAWeekly’s Mick Hammond in March of this year, “I
feel good and I’m real excited… I really do feel that
we have the best coach in the IFL. He’s amazing, just the
time he takes with us and the things he teaches us.”
A
very popular figure among friends, the most common sentiment
among those that knew Jeremy seemed to be disbelief and shock.
As one IFL official put it, “We’re all still trying
to come to grips with this. You never know why; but if you knew
Jeremy… it just doesn’t make sense.”
Close
friend Chris Brennan released the following statements yesterday
– reprinted with his permission: “I was fortunate enough
for [Jeremy] to walk into my school not yet 18 years old in 1998.
Jeremy was a best friend to me for many years and I sort of raised
him when he wasn't at home, took him under my wing and showed
him everything I know. He grew as a person, teacher and MMA fighter.
I'm not sure what causes people to do the things they do, but
I feel terribly for his family and everyone around him. Jeremy,
I love you like a brother… and I will miss you dearly.”
IFL
Co-founder and Commissioner Kurt Otto commented, “Jeremy
was a tremendous competitor and teammate, as well as being a
very strong person who lifted the spirits of everyone around
him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jeremy’s wife, Lauren,
their young daughter and the rest of his family, as well as his
coaches Marco Ruas and Debi Purcell and all his teammates. Everyone
at the IFL, as well as the entire MMA community, will do everything
we can to support them in their hour of need.”
Details
for a memorial service have not yet been announced.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Understanding
is a two-way street."
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, American Humanitarian and Former
First Lady of the United States
|
Oscar
De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather ends with some Controversy
Both fighters Speak
Floyd Mayweather Jr defeated Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday with
a split decision. The crowd was on their feet at the final moments
of the fight as De La Hoya and Mayweather traded punches at the
final bell. When the fight stopped, both fighter embraced each
other. The fight ended with some controversy. De La Hoya's corner
said it may protest the decision because the scorecards circulated
at ringside had the fighters in the wrong color corners. The
Nevada Athletic Commission however said they were correct.
In the end, Mayweather got scores of116-112 by judge Chuck Giampa
and 115-113 by judge Jerry Roth. Judge Tom Kaczmarek had De La
Hoya ahead 115-113.
Mayweather
was pleased with the outcome, telling the crowd on hand: "It
was easy work for me. He was rough and tough but he couldn't
beat the best."
De
La Hoya felt he won the fight. "I landed the harder, crisper
punches," De La Hoya said. "I felt when I landed my
punches I could see I was hurting him. If I hadn't pressed the
fight, there would be no fight."
Mayweather's
own father, Mayweather Sr also felt De La Hoya won the fight,
telling the HBO audience. "I thought Oscar won the fight
on points, threw more punches and was more aggressive,"
adding: "My son had good defense and caught a lot of his
punches, but I still thought Oscar pressed enough to win the
fight."
Source: Doghouse Boxing
|
Boxing
Fundraiser On May 12th
We have a boxing match fundraiser on May 12th at 6:30 p.m, Palolo
District Park.
Admission is $10 and 8- 10 bouts are scheduled.
Boxers from Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island will be competing.
Money made at the door will be used to help defray costs for
the Hawaii Boxing Team competing at the U.S. Championships May
30th to June 9th in Colorado Springs, CO.
Top 8 boxers from this tournament will compete in the Olympic
Trials in Aug. to make our Olympic Team. I will email you our
delegation before we head to Nationals.
Thank You for Your Support!!
Bruce Kawano
2007 Hawaii Boxing Team Regional Coordinator.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chairman.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Board of Dir./Gov.
National Coaches Committee.
Ringside Board of Advisors.
Source: Bruce Kawano
|
Close
Quarters Defensive Tactics Level 1 Seminar with Bob Smith
Source: Bob Smith
|
Liddell
talks UFC upsets
"I don’t believe they have anything to do with each
other,” said the Iceman
With his fight against Quinton Jackson set for May 26, when he
will put his light-heavyweight title up for grabs, Chuck Liddell
has been very sought after by the international press, and curiously,
the question he has been responding to the most lately is not
about his adversary, but his views on the string of surprises
in the UFC octagon, like Randy Couture’s victory over Tim
Sylvia, Matt Serra over Georges St. Pierre, and Gabriel Napão
over Mirko Cro Cop.
“They
are asking me that a lot. I don’t think there is any connection
between the results. You could only say something if one team
were to lose three fights in a row. Then maybe something changed
in training. I am not superstitious at all, so I don’t believe
in this “Underdog fashion," said Liddell.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Swick
to drop down to welterweight
By Sean McClure
Mike Swick is planning to compete as a welterweight in his next
fight for the UFC.
“It’s
almost certain. I will just cut and fight smaller guys,”
Swick told MMAFighting.com.
Swick
said he has been contemplating the move from middleweight to
welterweight for a long time. His decision was swayed in part
by his loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 69.
In
a sport where fighters gain almost enough weight to move up a
division after the official weigh-ins, Swick stepped into the
octagon at 181 pounds — 3 pounds less than he weighed in.
In
between rounds during his fight against Okami, Swick can be heard
telling his corner men how strong Okami was.
Swick
has the luxury of training with welterweights such as Josh Koscheck
and Jon Fitch at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose.
”I
train with 3 of the best 170 guys in the world and I think I
will do good.”
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Anderson
Silva talks about belt dispute vs. Marquardt
The Middleweight champion of the UFC, Anderson Silva, after the
press collective of the Predador Kamae, that was held in Ribeirão
Preto city, commented about his bout against Nathan Marquardt,
that will take place at UFC 73, on July 7th. "Nathan is
a great fighter, he have been showing that deserves this opportunity
as I had with Rich Franklin. We will work hard to keep this belt
during the next three years that I want to keep on fighting",
said Anderson.
Anderson
also said that will still training his Muay Thai for the belt
dispute. "We always change something , but I have always
the same focous at the Thailand Boxing, the Muay Thai... We will
work hard to keep this belt and brings this victory to Brazil",
finished Anderson.
Source: Tatame
|
Anacondas
coach Tompkins filling big shoes
By Ben Fowlkes
Special to CBS SportsLine.com
When former UFC champ Bas Rutten stepped down from his post as
coach of the International Fight League's Los Angeles Anacondas,
many fans were stunned at the decision. Rutten was one of the
most beloved and recognizable coaches in the league, and his
Anacondas were sitting in first place after handing the defending
champion Silverbacks their first loss.
What made Rutten's resignation more unfathomable to some was
that he handed the reigns to Canadian Shawn Tompkins, a man most
casual MMA fans had never even heard of. But while Tompkins may
be a mystery to some, in the fighting world his stock is rising
quickly as a trainer and coach.
Tompkins'
most recognizable pupil is undefeated 19-year-old phenom Chris
Horodecki, who Tompkins brought to the attention of Rutten when
he was trying to fill the vacant lightweight spot on his struggling
Anacondas back in 2006. Tompkins began training the baby-faced
striker when Horodecki was just 13 years old, teaching him the
kickboxing skills that have helped him on his unbeaten run.
Tompkins
soon became a fixture on the Anacondas as an assistant coach,
and has trained under the Bas Rutten system for the last eight
years, making him a natural choice when Rutten needed a coach
to take over for him while he pursued his career as a TV personality.
"When
I met (Rutten) at a seminar in Quebec, Canada, I didn't know
anything about him except that he was a giant bald man who won
UFC 20," Tompkins said in a recent interview. "He asked
me to come to California with him, and it took me about three
minutes to say yes."
Tompkins
came to the states and began training with Rutten at his Legends
Gym in Los Angeles. He didn't have a place to stay at first,
he said, and so he slept on the mats in the gym. A kickboxer
at the start of his fighting career, Tompkins spent years fighting
in Muay Thai bouts all across North and South America. Though
his MMA career was brief, his association with Rutten has kept
him in the game as a trainer.
"We've
been through a lot," Tompkins said of his relationship with
Rutten. "We're similar characters, and we've been loyal
to each other."
Now
that Tompkins has taken over coaching duties for the undefeated
Anacondas, not much has changed, according to team members. The
training sessions are just as brutal, and the atmosphere of unity
and togetherness is still of paramount concern.
"We're
one unit. You see how we are out there. We're a family,"
said Anacondas welterweight Jay Hieron. "It's incredible.
We're from all over, but it's a family."
Tompkins
reiterated that point, adding that team unity was not an added
bonus so much as a requirement for success in the IFL.
"Our
philosophy is based in loyalty and trust," Tompkins said.
"I talk with everyone on the team every day, whether I train
with them or not. Our girlfriends and wives are friends, and
we have barbeques at each other's houses. We deeply believe in
that. It's not something that just happens. Our dominance speaks
for itself."
With
a 2-0 record going into their final regular season match-up against
the Seattle Tiger Sharks in Everett, Wash. On June 1, the Anacondas
are hoping to continue that dominance all the way into the postseason.
A victory over Maurice Smith's Seattle squad would guarantee
the Anacondas a top seed, not to mention tremendous momentum
going into the semifinals.
For
Tompkins, it's an opportunity to do what his mentor and predecessor
was unable to do: take the Anacondas to an IFL World Team Championship.
If he can accomplish that, even the casual fans will remember
his name in the future.
Source: CBS Sportsline/MMA.tv
|
ESPN
SHOW HOSTS BASH THE UFC... AGAIN
by Mick Hammond
It
seems that despite the growing popularity of mixed martial arts
and its increasing exposure in the mainstream, there are still
many people within the sporting community who still do not accept
MMA nor understand it, even at a fundamental level.
Case
in point is this Wednesday’s edition of “Pardon the
Interruption” on ESPN.
On
the show, which is one of ESPN’s highest rated and most
popular series, co-hosts Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser [who
are also columnists for the Washington Post newspaper] were speaking
on this upcoming weekend’s boxing match between Oscar De
La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. and its possible implications
on the boxing landscape when the conversation turned briefly
to MMA, more specifically the UFC.
When
addressing the thought that many young athletes are going into
other sports besides boxing, Michael Wilbon stated, “Well,
but they [young athletes] go into UFC, and that’s like bare-knuckles.
That’s like a trip back to 1880’s and John L. Sullivan
[the last bare-knuckles era Heavyweight Boxing Champion].”
While
Wilbon was making the above statement, Tony Kornheiser replied,
“That’s not boxing. That’s something you do on
barges.”
Wilbon
then continued, “But they sell out these casino/hotels,
Tony.”
Kornheiser
replied to this by making the assertion, “I understand that.
[But] they sell them out in the same way that wrestling sells
out different venues.”
These
erroneous statements are just the latest in a long string of
unflattering comments made by the “Pardon The Interruption”
crew when it comes to MMA. Interestingly, they also come hot
off the heels of Mike Freeman’s recent bashing of MMA –
and the UFC in particular – in his column for CBS Sportsline’s
website in regards to the upcoming De Le Hoya/Mayweather Jr.
fight.
In
Freeman’s column, he makes such statements as, “Boxing
is fighting for its life, and in some ways the largest obstacle
to its rebirth is its greatest competitor -- the worst league
ever invented, the UFC.”
“Which
means it is good vs. evil, Halle Berry vs. Courtney Love, true
sport against the mosh pit of sweat and bloodied skull fractures
known as ultimate fighting,” further wrote Freeman.
Freeman
then equated MMA fighters as, “nothing but thugs and ruffians,”
despite the fact that Olympic medalists such as Matt Lindland,
Hidehiko Yoshida, Karam Ibrahim, and Rulon Gardner have competed
in the sport.
So,
from mainstream sports websites to highly-rated daily television
series on the biggest sports-themed network in the world, MMA
seemingly cannot get an accurate portrayal, regardless of the
fact that the sport is regulated and sanctioned by every major
state athletic commission in the U.S.
Again
it appears that regardless of how far we have come and how much
MMA has grown, there is still a long, uphill battle to be fought
before it truly becomes recognized as a legitimate sport by those
who claim to be the purveyors of sports coverage to mainstream
society.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Use
soft words and hard arguments."
English Proverb
|
Rumble
Beat Down 3 Event in Hilo Tonight
Doors Open at 5PM, Fights Start at 7PM
Very little is known about this event, so unless you are in Hilo
and want to drive by the Civic Auditorium, unforntunately we
cannot provide more info on it.
Thanks to everyone who emailed what the had on the event!
|
Oscar
De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather
Today!
EVERYONE IS TALKING... ON MAY 5TH THE WHOLE WORLD WILL BE WATCHING
It's the fight everyone is talking about. On May 5th the whole
world will be watching. De La Hoya -- Mayweather: The World Awaits.
It
will be an unprecedented super fight between two boxing superstars
and former Olympians, an event poised to shatter records. Golden
Boy Promotions announces, The World Awaits--six-division world
champion Oscar De La Hoya versus unbeaten, four-division world
champion Floyd Mayweather--for the junior middleweight championship.
The anticipated match-up will take place Saturday, May 5 at MGM
Grand in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View.
Source:
HBO
|
Abu
Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling Championships Today!
On Sale Now! Abu Dhabi Live on ProElite.com - May 5th & 6th
Purchase now for only $24.99!!
The
Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling Championships is THE
elite grappling tournament in the world. This year, ADCC will
be held at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ and will be
streamed live, here on ProElite.com. With over 70 athletes, men
and women, representing several countries like Brazil, USA, Japan,
Russia, and Australia join with different grappling backgrounds
such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Wrestling to prove
which country and style is supreme.
Names
such as Roger Gracie, John Olav Einemo, Renzo Gracie, Jeff Monson,
Elvis Sinosic, Jorge Santiago, Joe Stevenson, Javier Vazquez,
Hitomi Akano, and Felicia Oh are just a few of the names that
attended the weigh-ins on Friday May 4th. There will be 5 different
weight classes representing the men and 4 for women.
Source:
ProElite.com
There is
some other ADCC news!
Bad
news Jeff Monson and Marcio Feitosa are out. Jeff has an injury
and Feitosa has staff. No word on who will replace Monson but
rumor has it our own Mike Fowler will be replacing Feitosa!
Source: OTM
|
Hawaii
Fighters Do Not Fare Well in Oregon
Rise Fighting Championship
Lane County Fairgrounds, Eugene, Oregon
April 28
Please
visit http://www.risefc.com for event photos.
All pro bouts
Contestants
Results
Takahiro
Kijuire vs Will Shutt
Winner: Will Shutt by TKO @ 3:21 of round 1
Brian
Jackson vs Lance Wipf
Winner:Lance Wipf by TKO @ 4:26 of round 1
James
Sever vs Chad Nelson
Winner: Chad Nelson by Tapout @ 2:48 of round 1 Rear Naked Choke
Donald
Gonzales vs
Andy Lukesh
Winner: Andy Lukesh by Tapout @ 3:05 of round 1 Strikes
Duke
Saragosa vs
Marc Daoust
Winner: Marc Daoust by Tapout @ 1:46 of round 1 Armbar
Mark
Manning vs Jason Georgianna
Winner: Jason Georgianna by unanimous decision
Judges Randy Westbrook 27-30
Matt Shandy 28-29
Rick Campos 27-30
Nassor
Lewis vs
Evan Dunham
Winner: Evan Dunham by Tapout @ 1:16 of round 1 Armbar
Jay
Carter
vs JD Stanley
Winner: JD Stanley by Tapout @ :52 of round 2 Armbar
Mike
Aina vs
Joel Thomas
Winner: Joel Thomas by Split Decision Judges
Randy Wesbrook 28-29
Matt Shandy 28-29
Rick Campos 29-28
Medical
Suspensions
Takahiro
Kijuire 7 Days
Brian Jackson 14 Days
Jason Georgianna 7 Days
JD Stanley 7 Days
Mike Aina
7 Days
Source: Shane Kido
|
Marcelo
Garcia ready for world championships in new "hometown"
by Elias Cepeda
In
early 2006 InsideFighting caught up with the two time defending
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship champion Marcelo
Garcia and his wife Tatiana as they were on a US tour of sorts,
traveling from state to state conducting seminars. Garcia is
considered by many to be the best grappler in the world right
now, pound for pound, and at the time he was considering moving
his family to the United States.
Since
that time they have made that dream a reality, now residing in
New York City. Marcelo characterizes the move from his home town
of Sao Paulo, Brazil to the “Big Apple” as an entirely
positive and timely one.
“It
was just a transition in my career, an upgrade! I had been to
New York so many times before and I really liked the city, so
it wasn't very hard to make the decision. I think that now the
sport is getting really big, and as I said, it was the natural
decision for me, I was actually working more here, with seminars,
than in Brazil before we moved” Garcia says.
Submission
grappling is catching on more and more in the United States,
with many top international players like Garcia putting down
roots in the US as well as an increase in both local and marquee
events now taking place here. In 2007, the two most prestigious
grappling events in the world, the ADCC championships (without
a gi or kimono) and the “Mundials” Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
world championships (with a gi) are going to be held in New Jersey
and California, respectively as opposed to the United Arab Emirates
and Brazil.
The
challenges of adjusting to a new hometown have been normal ones
and Marcelo says that as a competitor the US is a great place
to be now.
“The
biggest challenge was just learning my way around the city, the
subway...where to go to eat, to shop” he explains
“The
best thing is that the big competitions now are being held here,
so it's good for me. Also learning the culture and the language
is priceless.”
Once
the Garcia’s had decided they would try and make the move
to the US they had to decide which city in particular they wanted
to settle down in. New York got the nod and Marcelo says that
with its international community, it is the perfect place to
make a new home in.
“I
guess that New York is the land of opportunity; there is always
someone from abroad here. I have taught privates to so many different
nationalities, it's amazing, it’s like a central point.
I like the cold, my wife already had lived in Philadelphia so
she also liked the cold. And it is a direct flight to many places,
especially Brazil, so I can go visit my family often” Marcelo
enthuses.
Although
he thinks of heady things like his family and his teaching career,
Marcelo, still in his early twenties, is very much in the prime
of his career as an active professional athlete and his regimen
has to match that role. As a young student of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
back in his native country, Marcelo moved to another city just
to get training and slept in the gym, waking up to set up the
mats, training all day then cleaning up afterwards before going
to sleep again.
He
may have the luxury of sleeping in his own home these nights,
but his dedication to Jiu-Jitsu is still the same as it was back
then.
”The
life is training all day long, there is no hobby, I don't have
time to have a hobby, I have to dedicate 110% to training. I
had to give up a lot of fun stuff in order to get where I am
today, but no regrets” says Marcelo.
And
with the ADCC tournament right around the corner on May 5th and
6th, Marcelo needs to be at his peak. He jokingly says his every
day schedule has prepared him and that his biggest challenge
is reigning in his admittedly ravenous appetite in order to make
weight.
“I
keep training the same way all year round, strong training. The
only hard thing for me is the diet to get to the 77 kilos! (Marcelo’s
weight division, and the most competitive division of the entire
upcoming ADCC tournament)” laughs Garcia.
A
typical day for Marcelo is filled with teaching at Studio X,
academy of fellow black belt and Alliance teammate Fabio Clemente,
in Manhattan, and his weekends are filled with travel for seminars.
The little off time he has is reserved for relaxing at home.
“Basically
I teach privates, teach at the school, and on weekends I teach
seminars. With my free time I like to stay at home, rest, stay
with my wife and dogs, play videogames” Marcelo explains.
Though
quiet and down to earth, Marcelo is a consummate performer once
he hits the mats, bringing not only some of the most effective
techniques to competition but usually also being the most exciting
competitor on any given day. Now living and largely competing
in the US, Marcelo is happy with how he has been received by
fans.
A
recent Grappler’s Quest tournament is case in point for
how Marcelo now feels at home with American fans.
“It
was an awesome experience, it was so great to see the audience
that went to see the fights, I am so happy with the fans here
in the US, they really like and respect the sport” he says.
That
tournament went well for Garcia, who implemented the same strategy
that he will likely use this weekend in Trenton, New Jersey in
the ADCC tournament.
“I
had two fights and I was able to submit both of them, that's
what I go for, that's my strategy.”
*InsideFighting
would also like to congratulate Marcelo's wife Tatiana who recently
received her black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Fabio Gurgel!
That's one couple you don't want to mess with.*
Source: Inside Fighting
|
June
UFC Fight Night Shaping Up
Kicking
off a busy summer for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the
organization heads back to Florida in mid-June with a main event
rumored to include recent heavyweight acquisition Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira.
While
a fight between Nogueira and Justin McCully is believed to be
in the pipeline, McCully's agent Ken Pavia declined to comment
on the status of the bout except to say nothing is signed. Sources
inside Nogueira's Brazilian Top Team camp said that the former
PRIDE champion's debut UFC debut is also possible for June 23
on the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 5.
If
Nogueira-McCully fails to materialize for the June 12 UFC Fight
Night then Spencer Fisher's rematch against Sam Stout could top
the SpikeTV card. On the undercard, Bulgarian Jordan Radev is
slated to make his UFC debut against middleweight slugger Drew
McFedries. Also, Luigi Fiorvanti faces Forrest Petz in a welterweight
tilt.
Source: Sherdog
|
Barnett:
No fight in place for HERO’s
By Zach Arnold
In a direct conversation with Josh Barnett on Tuesday, he stated
that the reports of him fighting Sergey Kharitonov at the Dynamite
event at the LA Coliseum on June 2nd are not true. Barnett further
stated that there is no verbal or written agreement for him having
a fight against Kharitonov at that event.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Belfort
Fights, Disregards NSAC
Despite being handed a 9-month suspension from the Nevada State
Athletic Commission following his failed drug test for steroids
after the October 21st, 2006 Pride card, Vitor Belfort has ignored
the NSAC and fought in England's Cage Rage show.
Fighting anywhere in the world while under suspension in Nevada
is considered a slap in the face to the authority of the NSAC
and yet Belfort has refused to accept that Nevada has any authority
over what a fighter can or cannot do in other jurisdictions.
It will be intersting to see how the NSAC responds to this case.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Quote
of the Day
"If
there is no struggle, there is no progress."
Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895, American Abolotionist
|
Possible
Rumble Beat Down 3 Event in Hilo?
Previously advertised, there was supposed to be a Rumble event
featuring Ross Ebanez, Jay Carter and Mike Aina at the Hilo Civic
Center, but we cannot find any details about it. If anyone can
confirm this, please let us know by emailing us.
|
K-1
World GP in Hawaii
This
was reported, but for those that were there and know that the
Blaisdell only holds 8,000 people, the floor space was taken
up by the ring, production crew, etc, there is no way that there
was even close to 7,000 people at the event.
Badr Hari is the new heavyweight champion. The estimated attendance
for the show was 7,066 paid.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
70 payout revealed
Knocked out, Cro Cop took US$ 350,000
How much is a high kick to the ear dropping you unconscious to
the canvas of the UFC octagon worth? To Mirko Cro Cop, it is
worth US$ 350,000. That is the payout the Croatian fighter received
after having been run over by Gabriel Napão at UFC 70,
on April 21, in Manchester, England. The star of the evening,
Napão pocketed a check for US$ 60,000.
It
is worth noting that the amounts revealed officially do not include
the bonus or shares of pay-per-view sales. Check out the complete
list:
Mirko
"Cro Cop" Filipovic - US$ 350,000
Andrei Arlovski - US$ 160,000
Fabricio Werdum - US$ 80,000
Gabriel Gonzaga - US$ 60,000
Lyoto Machida - US$ 40,000
Cheik Kongo - US$ 40,000
Michael Bisping - US$ 24,000
Alessio Sakara - US$ 20,000
Júnior Assunção - US$ 16,000
Elvis Sinosic - US$ 8,000
Assuério Silva - US$ 8,000
Paul Taylor - US$ 8,000
Jess Liaudin - US$ 6,000
David Heath - US$ 6,000
Edilberto Crocotá - US$ 4,000
Dennis Silver - US$ 3,000
Victor Valimaki - US$ 3,000
David Lee - US$ 2,000
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
71: Chuck Liddell vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson
Saturday, May 26, 2007
MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Current
Fight Card:
LH:
Chuck Liddell vs. Quinton Jackson
MW: Terry Martin vs. Ivan Salaverry
WW: Josh Burkman vs. Karo Parisyan
MW: Chris Leben vs. TBA
LH: Sean Salmon vs. Eric Schafer
LH: Thiago Silva vs. James Irvin
LW: Jeremy Stephens vs. Din Thomas
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Ultimate
fighting deregulation nixed
Dan Gearino
Des Moines Bureau
DES
MOINES – In a flurry of activity Saturday night, Iowa lawmakers
trashed a proposal to remove mixed martial arts fighting from
state regulation.
The
Senate and House were unable to agree on the measure, so it was
removed from a larger budget bill. This was one of dozens of
ideas that were discarded in the closing moments of the session.
The
main backer of the plan, Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, said
he is disappointed that the state will continue to regulate mixed
martial arts fighting, which he thinks invites a lawsuit in the
event of a serious injury or death,
"It's
unfortunate because it leaves the state in a position of liability,"
he said. Dotzler said the proposal died in the House because
there was no way to bridge the gap between people who want to
de-regulate the sport and those who want to strengthen existing
rules.
Mixed
martial arts fighting is regulated by the same office that oversees
boxing and wrestling. Leaders in the mixed martial arts industry
opposed Dotzler's plan. They said a lack of regulations would
encourage promoters to hold fights in dangerous conditions and
increase the chances of injuries.
But
Dotzler contends that the fighting is so dangerous that there
is no way for regulators to make it safe without fundamentally
changing the sport.
Dan
Gearino can be reached at 515-243-0138 and dan.gearino@lee.net.
Source: Globe Gazette
|
No
child’s play
By Zach Arnold
Photos
for an angle ran by Hustle Entertainment (aka Hustle, the pro-wrestling
product produced by Dream Stage Entertainment). Hustle, which
DSE claims was transferred to a new company called Hustle Entertainment
(tickets for Hustle’s 5/9 Korakuen Hall show are still being
sold officially by DSE), is using the same facilities to do business
in as Dream Stage Entertainment did in the past. This isn’t
the first time that it has been noticed since Zuffa LLC reached
an agreement for the PRIDE asset sale with Dream Stage Entertainment.
Huh.
I wonder what UFC (who supposedly retained the services of ex-DSE
employees) thinks about their PRIDE facilities being used by
those same ‘ex-DSE’ employees to continue running a
pro-wrestling operation?
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
“Learning
without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”
Confucius, 551-479 B.C., Chinese Ethical Teacher and Philosopher
|
CAN
DE LA HOYA PUT THE UFC IN ITS PLACE?
As
mixed martial arts - and the UFC in particular - continues to
draw more fans, both on television and at live events, boxing
is counting on a resurgence from this weekend’s super bout
between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
The
bout is definitely drawing more interest than any boxing match
in recent memory, but will it be enough to lead a resurgence
of youth in the sport’s aging fan base? Only time will tell.
In
the meantime, you can expect more UFC and MMA bashing by boxing
apologists, such as the following from Mike Freeman which was
originally published and is available in it’s entirety on
CBSSportsline.com.
De
La Hoya-Mayweather will separate boxing from thuggish UFC
This
is what the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight, one of the
most important events in recent sports history, really means:
It's boxing's last stand.
Boxing
is fighting for its life, and in some ways the largest obstacle
to its rebirth is its greatest competitor -- the worst league
ever invented, the UFC. Which means it is good vs. evil, Halle
Berry vs. Courtney Love, true sport against the mosh pit of sweat
and bloodied skull fractures known as ultimate fighting.
De
La Hoya and Mayweather can single-handedly save their sport from
deteriorating into dust while simultaneously stopping the advance
of the UFC barbarians at the gate, trying to destroy boxing by
polluting pay-per-view with their brand of low-brow, ghetto-fabulous
hooliganism.
This
is it. This is when boxing emerges from its great depression
riding the shoulders of De La Hoya and finally strikes a blow
to the caged ignorance that is mixed martial arts.
It
will happen.
In
the coming days, you will read foofs who will say boxing can
never survive…
Source: MMA Weekly
|
"TITO
HAS NIGHTMARES ABOUT ME," RASHAD EVANS
By now, most fans have either read or heard through some type
of media that there was an altercation between Tito Ortiz and
Rashad Evans at UFC 69. Rashad joined the guys on MMAWeekly’s
SoundOff Radio to clear the air and to let fans know what really
happened that night between him and Ortiz.
“What
it all comes down to is just Tito Ortiz trying to intimidate
me, you know. He passed by the front row…he passed by a
few times, and you could tell that he was building up the courage
to say something, just like in high school,” said Rashad.
“It was just killing him to say something. But then finally
he builds up the courage to come over and he sticks his hand
out and he says, ‘Good luck with your training, and you’d
better watch what you say.’”
Rashad
responded to Ortiz by saying, “You’re not going to
tell me what I can and can’t say…I’ll say whatever
I want to say. I’m a grown man, nobody puts a leash on me.”
Rashad
continued, “And then I got in his ear and I told him I was
going to destroy him, I was going to eat him. I told him that
he is washed up; he’s a has-been. That’s exactly what
I said. But I said it to him, in his ear, so he was the only
one who could hear what was going on…he was looking to try
to intimidate me and I was going to have none of that.”
After
that verbal exchange came a shoulder shrug from Rashad saying
“come on,” followed by a push from Ortiz. That is as
far as the physical altercation went that night, but it was likely
enough to provide an added incentive for each man when in training
camp preparing for one another.
Still
more than two months out, this fight is already building serious
hype around it, and it should, because the winner of this fight
will likely gain top-contender status in the UFC light-heavyweight
division and thus earn a chance to fight either Quinton Jackson
or current champion Chuck Liddell, depending on which of those
men wins on May 26th.
As
if this fight needs any more hype, one other point of controversy
between Ortiz and Evans is around a comment apparently posted
by Tito on an Internet forum. According to reports, Ortiz called
Rashad a “nappy-headed ho.” Clearly Tito was regurgitating
verbiage from Don Imus, the recently fired morning show host
when he made this statement, but in reality only Tito knows his
true intentions.
Rashad
responded to Ortiz’s comment by saying, “Whether he
was trying to be racist, or whether he was trying to be funny,
I think it was just in bad taste, period. Just because of the
whole situation that happened.”
When
these two men do meet in the Octagon on July 7th, whether either
man makes it personal or not, this fight will definitely be a
spirited one. Ortiz desperately needs this win over Evans if
he has any hopes of being even a #1 contender in the near future,
and Rashad needs to beat the former champion to propel himself
to top contender status for a shot at the light-heavyweight championship.
With
this much buildup still two months out, fans can almost assuredly
expect to see more trash talk and bad blood between these two
talented men in the near future as fight night creeps closer.
“One
thing that he knows is that he’s afraid. When the lights
go out and when Jenna’s holding him at nighttime, he wakes
up and he has nightmares about me, I know it,” Rashad said.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
70 A BIG DRAW, WHILE TUF RATINGS COLLAPSE
On the same week in which UFC 70 drew a strong overall rating
of 1.8 on Spike TV, the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter
continued its ratings collapse with the lowest-rated episode
to date.
The
three-hour, tape-delayed broadcast of UFC 70 on April 21st was
the fifth-highest-rated UFC broadcast out of the fourteen UFC
fight specials that have aired on Spike TV since the beginning
of 2005. Five nights later, the latest episode of The Ultimate
Fighter 5 drew an overall rating of 1.0.
UFC
70'S RATINGS VS. UFC'S PREVIOUS RATINGS
Compared
to the UFC's average-to-date for fight specials headed into this
event, UFC 70 showed increases across the board. The UFC's average-to-date
for its previous fourteen fight specials was a 1.7 overall rating,
and UFC 70 drew a 1.8 overall rating.
In
the 18-to-34-year-old male demographic, the UFC's average-to-date
was a 2.8 rating, and UFC 70 rating in this demographic was 3.2.
In
the 18-to-49-year-old male demographic, the UFC's average-to-date
was a 2.2 rating, and UFC 70 rating in this demographic was 2.6.
The
high ratings for UFC 70 came just sixteen days after the disappointing
ratings for UFC Fight Night 9 on Spike TV, which makes UFC 70's
viewership all the more impressive by comparison.
The
overall rating of 1.8 for UFC 70 is significantly higher than
the 1.2 overall rating that was drawn by UFC Fight Night 9, and
is only surpassed in the UFC's history on Spike TV by TUF 1's
live finale (1.9), TUF 2's live finale (2.0), TUF 3's live finale
(2.0), and The Final Chapter with Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock
(3.1).
In
the 18-to-34-year-old male demographic, UFC 70's rating of 3.2
was literally double UFC Fight Night 9's rating of 1.6. The only
UFC fight specials to have ever drawn higher ratings in this
demographic were TUF 1's finale (3.3), TUF 2's finale (3.7),
TUF 3's finale (3.8), and The Final Chapter (6.0).
In
the broader demographic of 18-to-49-year-old males, UFC 70's
rating of 2.6 was significantly higher than UFC Fight Night 9's
rating of 1.5, and higher than any UFC fight special to have
ever aired on Spike TV other than TUF 1's finale (2.7), TUF 2's
finale (2.7), TUF 3's finale (2.9), and The Final Chapter (4.5).
RATINGS
FOR EACH SPECIFIC FIGHT
The
UFC 70 broadcast started off with the fight between Cheick Kongo
and Assuerio Silva, and that particular fight drew a 1.7 rating,
which is a good rating for the traditionally low-rated first
fight of the broadcast.
After
a 17-minute gap, the preliminary fight between Terry Etim and
Matt Grice started airing. Etim vs. Grice drew a 1.9 rating,
which is an impressive rating for a match-up of two fighters
who were making their UFC debuts.
Following
a 27-minute gap in between fights, the fight between Michael
Bisping and Elvis Sinosic started airing. Surprisingly, this
fight did not build on the previous fight's rating, as it also
drew a 1.9 rating. The last time there was a "live"
Bisping fight on Spike TV, his TUF 3 finale match-up against
Josh Haynes drew a much higher 2.5 rating.
After
a 24-minute gap, the fight between Andrei Arlovski and Fabricio
Werdum started airing. Even though it was not the most thrilling
of fights, Arlovski vs. Werdum drew a strong 2.2 rating. This
was the first time in over six months (since October 10, 2006)
that any fight on any UFC broadcast drew a rating of 2.0 or higher.
Twenty-five
minutes later, the main event bout of Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirko
Cro Cop started airing, and this fight also drew an impressive
2.2 rating.
The
aforementioned long gaps in between fights drew lower ratings
than the fights themselves, which is why the three-hour broadcast's
overall average rating was 1.8.
Although
it was hyped at the beginning of the show, the fight between
Ryoto Machida and David Heath did not air on Spike TV, nor were
any highlights or explanations offered to viewers.
In
addition, the entire UFC 70 broadcast was inaccurately billed
as live, as the words "Spike TV LIVE" were displayed
in the corner of the screen at all times, despite the fact that
no portion of the broadcast was actually live. It was not live-to-tape
either, as there were numerous post-production voice-overs leading
into and out of commercial breaks, the Etim-Grice fight was inserted
after the Kongo-Silva fight as if it were also live, and the
Machida-Heath fight was edited out entirely.
UFC
70 VS. NASCAR VS. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL VS. NBA
UFC
70 on Spike TV out-drew the NBA, Major League Baseball, and NASCAR
on Saturday, April 21st in the UFC's strongest demographic, as
there were 885,000 males between the ages of 18 and 34 who watched
UFC 70.
In
terms of overall viewership, UFC 70 drew 2.8 million viewers.
On the same weekend, a Saturday night NASCAR race on Fox drew
7.6 million viewers; Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN drew 5.5 million
viewers; Saturday afternoon baseball on Fox drew 4.7 million
viewers; and a first-round NBA Playoffs game on Sunday afternoon
drew 4.3 million viewers.
The
first-round NBA Playoffs game that aired on ESPN head-to-head
with UFC 70 barely out-drew UFC 70 in overall viewership, with
a 2.0 overall rating compared to UFC 70's overall rating of 1.8.
Ratings for the NBA in general are down drastically from what
they were ten years ago for Michael Jordan's sixth and final
championship season.
THE
ULTIMATE FIGHTER'S RATINGS COLLAPSE
Episode
Four of TUF 5 drew an overall rating of just 1.0 on Thursday,
April 26th. The episode went head-to-head with the NBA Playoffs,
but so did several episodes of The Ultimate Fighter 3, which
was the most-watched season in the history of TUF.
The
overall rating of 1.0 has the dubious distinction of being tied
with several episodes of TUF 4 as the lowest-rated episodes in
series history. The first four episodes of TUF 5 have drawn overall
ratings of 1.4, 1.3, 1.2, and 1.0, respectively.
Perhaps
more alarming than the drop in overall viewership was the drastic
drop in viewership among the advertiser-coveted demographic of
18-to-34-year-old males. In that demographic, TUF 5 had been
averaging a 1.9 rating in its first three episodes (which was
already the lowest average in TUF history), but Episode Four
drew a 1.1 rating in this demographic. The average for TUF 4
in this demographic was 2.0, and the average for TUF 3 was 2.9.
The
same pattern emerged in the viewership patterns of the slightly
broader demographic of 18-to-49-year-old males. In that demographic,
TUF 5 had been averaging a series-low 1.7 rating through three
episodes, but Episode Four drew a 1.1 rating in this demographic
as well. The average for TUF 4 in this demographic was 1.6, and
the average for TUF 3 was 2.2.
WHAT
THE RATINGS COLLAPSE MEANS FOR THE UFC, SPIKE TV, AND ADVERTISERS
The
fact that TUF 5's ratings are lower than previous seasons' ratings
is disappointing for the UFC and Spike TV, but the fact that
TUF 5's ratings are lower than the advertiser-quoted expectations
is what's likely to actually cost money for the UFC and Spike
TV. The overall ratings for TUF 5 (an average of 1.2 through
four episodes) are significantly lower than the ratings that
the show's advertisers were told to expect according to the Wrestling
Observer, which reported for the season premiere an advertiser
expectation of a 1.7 overall rating. If the advertising contracts
for TUF 5 are structured like most ad deals in the TV industry,
the show's advertisers are going to be getting refund checks,
make-good spots (basically free commercial slots to make up for
the lower viewership) or a combination of both.
With
the continued drop in viewership, many fans of the sport have
asked via e-mail and message boards whether TUF will be cancelled.
The answer is "no," and not necessarily because the
ratings are strong enough that it would be completely out of
the question based on the ratings alone. If for no other reason,
Spike TV is unlikely to cancel TUF because the UFC as a whole
is too valuable to Spike TV.
The
relationship between the UFC and Spike TV is currently in a crucial
time period, as negotiations for the UFC's new contract (and
new rights fees) will be starting in the not-too-distant future
if they haven't already gotten underway. Spike TV's contract
with the UFC expires in the middle of 2008, and the UFC is going
to want to secure higher rights fees for the TV programming that
it produces, either from Spike TV or from other networks.
The
collapse of TUF's ratings does lower the amount of money that
the UFC is going to be able to get from Spike TV or any other
network for the rights to air its programming. At the same time,
Spike TV doesn't want to do anything that would alienate or upset
the UFC (such as canceling TUF) because its leverage in negotiations
is limited by the fact that the UFC is Spike's #1 provider of
original programming.
While
these negotiations play out over the next several months, TUF
6 and TUF 7 were already ordered in early 2006, which was the
last time that the UFC extended its contract with Spike TV. These
two seasons of TUF are likely to air regardless of how high or
low the ratings are, as the UFC's management has stated numerous
times in the past that they do not believe in "overexposure."
The
sixth season of TUF is scheduled to begin filming before the
fifth season finishes airing, and it will have a premiere date
of August or September 2007. The seventh season of TUF will air
sometime in the first half of 2008, which means that it's either
going to be filmed in late 2007 for a January 2008 premiere date,
or it's going to be filmed in January 2008 for an April 2008
premiere date.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
NETWORK COMPETITION; PLUS OTHER SPIKE TV RATINGS FROM APRIL 26TH
Airing
head-to-head on network television with Episode 4 of The Ultimate
Fighter 5 on Thursday, April 26th, a new episode of NBC's "ER"
came in third place in its timeslot for just the second time
in the series' history (the first time was last week). The overall
rating of 6.2 for "ER" was beaten by ABC's "October
Road," which drew a 6.4 overall rating, and by CBS' "Shark,"
which drew a 9.4 overall rating. The lead-in for "ER"
on NBC is now "Scrubs" (which drew an embarrassing
3.0 overall rating), and this has only served to accelerate the
series' rapid decline. In the same timeslot, CBS has a new hit
on its hands with "Shark," and the consistent 6's that
have been drawn by "October Road" may or may not be
enough to warrant a second season order from ABC.
Episode
Four of TUF 5 was preceded on Spike by TNA Impact, which drew
the same overall rating as TUF (1.0). The episode of UFC Unleashed
that followed TUF on April 26th drew an overall rating of 0.8.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“The
camera doesn't make a bit of difference. All of them can record
what you are seeing. But, you have to SEE.”
Ernst Haas, 1921-1986, Austrian-born Photographer
|
CAN
K-1 AND PRIDE WORK TOGETHER AGAIN?
K-1 had another show this past weekend in Hawaii, but now the
attention will be put towards their first mixed martial arts
show in the United States on June 2nd. As previously reported,
K-1 has joined forces in an alliance with Pro Elite, Cage Rage,
etc. and MMAWeekly sat down with K-1 President Sadaharu Tanikawa
and discussed this alliance as well as Pride and the UFC.
So
what was the attraction for K-1 to work with the other promotions?
Tanikawa said, "The whole concept is in regards to fighters
mainly. Right now the market is limited and the fighters are
benefited, not so much the promoters. The promoters are working
hard everyday and we're doing this as business. We just wanted
to associate everybody and have a healthy relationship so that
we don't take anyone else's fighter and vise versa. To help this
industry grow, MMA conversion is not enough for this industry
to work. We've seen this in Japan when Pride and K-1 were battling
each other and trying to steal each other’s fighters. Television
channels were fighting against each other as well and it was
not a healthy situation for the industry itself. That is why
we would like to at least have the doors open so that we can
communicate at all times to exchange information and exchange
fighters."
So
what about the Ultimate Fighting Championship? The UFC is obviously
the biggest promotion in the United States and would be an organization
that one would want in their alliance. When asked if the UFC
was invited to join the alliance, Tanikawa responded, "We
have given it thought, and if the UFC is interested in joining
it would not be an alliance anymore. It would be a commission."
With
the Fertittas purchasing Pride, that could have a big change
on the MMA scene in Japan and the world. In fact, K-1 co-promoted
the biggest show in MMA history with Pride for the 2002 Dynamite
event in Japan where over 90,000 people were in attendance. Now
Pride, who used to work with K-1, is owned by the same people
who own the UFC. "You may know this already, but we were
assisting Pride with all of their matchmaking from Pride 5 when
the business was going down, during that time. Until Mirko [Cro
Cop] made a sudden move and departed from K-1 going to Pride
in 2003. Until then K-1 and Pride had a very good relationship,
therefore I have a personal attachment to the brand. It's very
unfortunate that Pride was not able to continue what they were
doing as they were and were bought out by this huge market. As
of now, I do not want to lose in the competition. As Entertainment
content, we feel confident in what we create, so the June 2nd
event we can show great entertainment. That's something I guarantee."
But
is K-1 concerned about the rise in competition as the Fertittas
now back Pride or is there a chance to see K-1 work with Pride
again? It seems like the later could be a possibility. "There
will be no competition. There will be a little more harmony between
the staff I'd say, the people who used to work for Pride. We're
already starting to be friendly with each other already. Basically,
until four years ago, we all used to work together. There may
be a possibility to see Hero’s fighters fighting in Pride
now."
When
questioned about the competition with the Fertittas who may want
to take over the Japanese market, Tanikawa replied, "There
might be, as you say, in the beginning, in terms of competition
with the Fertitta brothers, but in the long run I don't feel
like there will be competition. As I have mentioned, in the United
States, that if you're not willing to stay in America when you
go into America, there will be no success. You could say likewise
in Japan as well. If they're not serious about sitting here in
Japan, there will be no success. And honestly the Fertittas,
in my opinion, do not understand the market of Japan. In Japan,
the fans will not be satisfied with Pride vs. Hero’s anymore.
That's one example of the changes in the mindset of the fans."
So
now we wait for June 2nd to see how Hero’s USA does in it’s
first live show in the U.S. MMA market. Tanikawa said that they
will probably do 4 shows a year in the U.S., and as for the alliance,
"We love to work with everybody, so after working together
this time, if we find certain areas where we can work together,
we would definitely like to continue to work with them.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Einemo
replaces Arona in ADCC superfight against Gracie
Ricardo
Arona has withdrawn from his ADCC superfight against Roger Gracie
due to suffering a relapse of Dengue fever, a disease transmitted
by mosquitos which has symptoms that includes headaches, joint
pains and rashes.
In
Arona's place will be John Olav Einemo, who in 2003, became the
last person to defeat Roger Gracie in the ADCC.
Arona
is Roger Gracie's second opponent forced to drop out of the grappling
match. Arona was a replacement for Dean Lister, who underwent
surgery to repair torn biceps on his right arm.
The
superfight happens May 6 and is part of this weekend's ADCC World
Submission Wrestling Championships in Trenton, New Jersey.
Source: MMA Fighting |
The
Top 20 Upsets in MMA History
With
all of the big upsets recently it seemed appropriate to put together
a list of the most spectacular and unexpected outcomes in the
history of mixed martial arts. Some of these fights launched
the careers of new superstars, while others made invincible champions
look human. These are the moments that many MMA fans love to
remember, but some wish they could forget.
20.
Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler
UFC 47: It's on! - April 2, 2004
With athleticism and raw power, Robbie Lawler was 8-1 and the
next big thing in the UFC Welterweight division. In April 2004
he went up against jiu-jitsu guy and relative UFC newcomer Nick
Diaz. The result was a very entertaining slugfest with both guys
hurting each other in the first round. The surprise came early
in the second when during an exchange, Diaz landed a jab that
put Lawler in dreamland and out of the fight. This upset shook
up the welterweight division and put Diaz on the map.
19. Joe Lauzon vs. Jens Pulver
UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn - September 23, 2006
It was supposed to be the return of the lightweight champ. Jens
Pulver was returning after a four-year absence in the UFC and
many thought that he would step right back into his role as the
only lightweight champ in the organization's history. First he
had to get through the tough 13-3 Joe Lauzon. Lauzon made sure
Pulver’s UFC comeback fight did not last long as he knocked
Pulver out at only 48 seconds of the first round.
18.
Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi
PRIDE 33: Second Coming - February 24, 2007
Gomi was considered by most to be the best lightweight in the
world and this fight was supposed to be his introduction to the
mainstream American public. Diaz was a scrappy fighter who had
struggled in most of his big fights and was now moving down a
weight class. The fight did not disappoint and and turned out
to be a possible fight of the year in 2007. Gomi came out strong
and knocked Diaz down —and even broke his orbital bone,
but Diaz would not go away. Diaz used his long reach and accurate
punches to wear out Gomi and almost finished the fight in the
first round. In the second round Diaz started where he left off
and finished the fight by the rare and elusive gogoplata. This
fight hurtled Diaz into the lightweight rankings and had fans
screaming for a rematch.
17. Pete Williams vs. Mark Coleman
UFC 17: Redemption - May 5, 1998
Mark Coleman was one of the first monsters of the UFC. The ground
and pound expert was coming off his first loss against Maurice
Smith and he was facing a UFC newcomer in Pete Williams. Most
expected an angry Coleman to rip through this rookie and re-establish
his dominance, but Williams had other ideas. At 12:38 of the
fight, Williams landed a kick to the face of Coleman that put
his lights out and created a memorable moment that is still used
in highlight videos today.
16.
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Mark Kerr
PRIDE 2000 Grand Prix Quarter Finals - May 1, 2000
At this point in time, Mark Kerr was undefeated and truly was
“The Smashing Machine.” He had smashed and beaten some
of the sports best and had to be considered one of the favorites
in PRIDE’s inaugural grand prix. Fujita had only three fights
and was still relatively new to the sport. Fujita proved he was
no joke as he won a decision that stunned many in the MMA community
and began a successful career for the Japanese wrestler.
15.
Joachim Hansen vs. Takanori Gomi
Shooto - August 10, 2004
Takanori Gomi was 14-0 and the Shooto welterweight champion.
He had dispatched great Japanese fighters of the era such as
Rumina Sato and Dokonjonosuke Mishima. Gomi seemed to be on his
way to establishing himself as the premier 155-pound fighter
in the world, that is, until he ran into Joachim “Hellboy”
Hansen. Hansen was an up and comer who, although clearly good,
nobody gave much of a shot at derailing Gomi. Hansen used his
length and great ground skills to steal a majority decision and
the welterweight title from Gomi. That night Hansen cemented
himself as one of the top guys in the world at that weight class
and pulled an upset that is still talked about and debated till
this day.
14.
Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort
UFC 15 - October 17, 1997
In 1997, “The Phenom” looked like just that, a phenom.
Vitor Belfort burst onto the UFC by knocking out his first three
opponents all with a combined time of three minutes and fifty-two
seconds. With his fast hands and spectacular knockouts, Belfort
was expected to be the next great champion in MMA. Enter Randy
Couture, a former D-1 All-American wrestler turned mixed martial
artist. Belfort had no answer for Couture’s takedowns and
dirty boxing as Couture went on to TKO the Brazilian star at
8:16 of the fight.
13.
Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
PRIDE 31: Unbreakable - February 26, 2006
In 2005, Shogun Rua embarked on a meteoric rise in PRIDE’s
205-pound. division. He won what many have called the most talent
packed MMA tournament in history by capturing the 2005 PRIDE
Middleweight Grand Prix. Even better, he did so by defeating
four of world’s elite 205-pound fighters in succession:
Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem,
and Ricardo Arona. After the tournament, Shogun was considered
to be top three in the world if not number one. Mark Coleman
was an aging superstar who had lost two out of his last three
fights and was expected to be another big name added to the list
of Shogun’s victims. Jaws dropped when in just 49 seconds
of the first round, Coleman got the win after Shogun suffered
a broken arm trying to post up from a Coleman takedown.
12.
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira I
PRIDE 25: Body Blow - March 16, 2003
When we look back it is hard imagine any fight with Fedor winning
an upset, as he is probably the greatest fighter in the history
of the sport; however, in this period Nogueira was the champion
and the man to beat in the heavyweight division. Nogueira had
not lost in over three years and was submitting almost anyone
who stood in his way of heavyweight glory. Fedor was coming off
impressive wins over Heath Herring and Semmy Schilt, but most
fans and experts alike thought that the Brazilian champion would
be too much for the up and coming Russian. Fedor proved everybody
wrong when he forcefully took the PRIDE heavyweight title away
from Nogueira by employing vicious ground and pound and amazing
submission defense.
11.
Nino Schembri vs. Kazushi Sakuraba I
PRIDE 25: Body Blow - March 16, 2003
Kazushi Sakuraba made a name for himself in the sport as one
of the legends by showing the world that the Gracies were beatable
and by never backing away from a challenge. Up until this point,
the only people who were able to beat the Japanese wizard were
fighters who were great strikers and much larger than him. The
match up between Sakuraba and Schembri was built as a submission
war as Schembri was a very respected BJJ black belt. Sakuraba
started the fight very strong with his unorthodox striking techniques
and seemed to have the fight well in hand, but Schembri turned
the tide at about the half way mark in the first round by catching
Sakuraba with some knees that ended the fight and left the Japanese
crowd silent.
10.
Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell I- UFC 43 - 6/6/2003
UFC 43: Meltdown - June 6, 2003
This was supposed to be Chuck Liddell’s time to shine. He
had won ten straight and looked to be on his way to Light-Heavyweight
gold, but once again everybody made the mistake of counting out
Randy Couture. Couture had lost two straight in the heavyweight
division and was moving down for his first fight at Light Heavyweight.
Couture tired Liddell out for three rounds and actually out struck
the striker. Couture secured the TKO victory over Liddell at
2:39 of the third round.
9.
Dave Terrell vs. Matt Lindland
UFC 49: Unfinished Business - August 21, 2004
In 2004, Matt Lindland looked as if he finally would get the
UFC middleweight title. The former Olympic silver medalist had
an impressive 11-2 record with wins over some very good fighters
such as Ivan Salaverry and Phil Baroni. His title hunt was halted;
however, when Lindland ran into “The Soul Assassin”
Dave Terrell. Terrell proved to be more than just a BJJ specialist,
as he knocked out Lindland in spectacular fashion at 24 seconds
of the very first round.
8.
Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia
UFC 68: The Uprising - March 3, 2007
Tim Sylvia was at the height of his career. In the last year
he had regained the UFC heavyweight championship and successfully
defended it against very tough opponents in Andrei Arlovski and
Jeff Monson. Randy Couture was retired and spending his UFC events
in the announcers booth trying to find his new place in the sport.
When people heard that Couture was coming back to fight Tim Sylvia
at heavyweight the most common response was, “Oh I hope
Randy doesn’t get hurt” or “I hope Randy can at
least make a fight of it”. Little did most people know “The
Natural” wasn’t coming back for a pay check or nostalgia:
he was coming back to win. Couture came right out of the gate
and landed a massive punch that put Sylvia on his back. This
seemed to predict the rest of the fight as Couture dominated
all five rounds and earned himself a fifth UFC championship.
7.
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
PRIDE 33: Second Coming - February 24, 2007
Before this fight, many fans were asking themselves who is this
Sokoudjou and why is Nogueira fighting him. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
or Lil’ Nog as he is called seemed to be next in line for
a shot at Wanderlei Silva’s PRIDE middleweight championship.
After PRIDE passed him up for a title shot in favor of Dan Henderson,
he was matched up with a judo guy with a 2-1 record. The general
consensus for this fight is that Nogueira will submit this guy
in the first round and fight for the title later in the year,
but somebody forgot to tell Sokoudjou. Sokoudjou did what no
man had ever been able to do: knock out a Nogueira — and
he did so in only 23 seconds of the fight. This fight marked
one of the biggest upsets in PRIDE history and made Sokoudjou
the talk of the MMA world.
6.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirko Cro cop
UFC 70: Nations Collide - April 21, 2007
Mirko Crocop was the most devastating striker in the sport and
had left high kicked his way to super stardom. The Croatian was
coming off of the best year of his career where he won the PRIDE
Open-Weight Grand Prix Championship and while doing so defeated
some of the sport’s best such as Wanderlei Silva and Josh
Barnett. Crocop made his move to the UFC from PRIDE and many
expected him to cruise his way to the UFC heavyweight championship
and leave a trail of bodies in his wake. All started out as planned
when Crocop handily defeated Eddie Sanchez in his UFC debut,
but nobody was prepared for what happened in the number one contenders
match when he faced Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga. Gonzaga dictated
the pace early and even got Crocop down and landed some elbows,
but the real shocker came when, with just nine seconds left in
the round, Gonzaga unleashed a Crocop-like head kick that cemented
one of the biggest and brutal upsets in recent memory.
5.
Maurice Smith vs. Mark Coleman
UFC 14: Showdown - July 27, 1997
Mark Coleman was the undefeated UFC heavyweight champion and
had been pounding and choking all of his opponents into submission.
Maurice Smith was a kickboxer with a 3-4 MMA record and had never
fought in the UFC before. It seemed almost a no brainer that
Coleman would take Smith down and pound him out, but Coleman
and everyone else was surprised by the great takedown defense
and will to win displayed by Smith. Smith won a decision and
the UFC heavyweight championship in one of the very first major
upsets in MMA history.
4.
BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes I
UFC 46 Super Natural - January 31, 2006
Matt Hughes was the most dominate champion the UFC had ever seen.
He had steamrolled through the UFC welterweight division and
did so by slamming and pounding his opponents into dust. BJ Penn
was a prodigy that was unable to win the UFC lightweight championship
on two occasions. Many dismissed Penn’s decision to move
up in weight and challenge for the welterweight crown as wishful
thinking and unrealistic. Penn proved that he was one of the
pound-for-pound best when he choked out the welterweight king
and took his title at 4:39 of the first round.
3.
Marcus Aurelio vs. Takanori Gomi
PRIDE Bushido 10 - April 2, 2006
In late 2005- early 2006, Takanori Gomi seemed unbeatable. He
had just torn through the PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix by destroying
top lightweights such as Luiz Azeredo, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and
Hayato Sakurai. Gomi was 10-0 in PRIDE and looked to continue
his dominance of the lightweight division when he took on American
Top Team fighter Marcus Aurelio. Aurelio had a respectable record
of 2-1 in PRIDE, but seemed to be destined to become another
notch on the belt of Gomi. Aurelio showed his determination and
hunger to take advantage of the huge opportunity presented to
him by putting Gomi on his back and choking him out with a side
choke at 4:34 of the first round. This fight threw the PRIDE
lightweight division into chaos and sent Aurelio shooting up
the lightweight rankings.
2.
Kevin Randleman vs. Mirko Cro cop
PRIDE Total Elimination 2004 - April 25, 2004
In 2004, Mirko Crocop was probably the most dangerous fighter
on the planet. Except for his submission loss to Rodrigo Nogueira,
he had destroyed everyone he had fought. His left high kick was
quickly becoming the stuff of legend and he was a favorite in
the 2004 PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix. In the opening round of
the grand prix he was to meet Kevin Randleman, a former UFC champion
that was very inconsistent and a loser of two straight fights.
Randleman was primarily a wrestler and it seemed that Crocop
had nothing to fear from any other part of his game. In a fight
that had everyone feeling like they were in bizarro world, Randleman
knocked out the Croatian in under two minutes with a vicious
hook to the head.
1.
Matt Serra vs. Georges St.Pierre
UFC 69: Shootout- April 7, 2007
Georges St.Pierre was on top of the world. He had just won the
UFC Welterweight Championship by knocking out Matt Hughes, becoming
one of the most popular fighters in the sport. Fans and experts
alike predicted that he would be the champ for a long, long time
and some were already speculating that one day he might move
up in weight and win championships in other divisions. Matt Serra
was coming off winning the Ultimate Fighter 4, where veteran
fighters, who were no longer considered contenders, were given
the opportunity to revive their careers and the grand prize was
a title shot. No one gave Serra a snowballs chance of winning
and the title shot itself was considered a death sentence. Serra
shocked the world and recorded the biggest upset in MMA history
when he knocked out the Canadian in the first round to claim
the UFC welterweight championship. Perhaps the most shocking
fact of all is that prior to this fight, Matt Serra had never
in his career win by knock out.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“A
kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its
vicinity freshen into smiles.”
Washington Irving, 1783-1859, American Author
|
Fighters'
Club TV on Tonight!
Channel
52
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM
The latest Fighters' Club TV episodes features a good filling
of Mark and Mike as well as...
Interview
with new Icon Sport Middleweight Champ Robbie Lawler.
They don't call him Ruthess for nothing. I think he calls out
Mike not once, but twice during this relatively short interview.
Between you and me, I would try to take a grazing punch and lay
down. So what?!
Charuto Verissimo is back in action as he features his world
class Jiu-Jitsu technique in the last Icon Sport with a post
fight interview. This footage is the closest you will get to
being in the fight without being in the ring! Make sure that
you listen in closely when the leather is flying.
He is definitely in the Icon Sport championship mix.
One
of our favorite segments, FCTV Mail, is starting to gain momentum.
This episode we discuss the following topics:
BJJ vs Traditional JJ
Myspace
School Coverage
Why are we so sexy? Ok, I added that one in.
Not enough description? You better tune in...and please write
in with your questions to fctv@onzuka.com and if it is absolutely,
positively, spell binding and memorizing, we will read it on
the air. Who are we kiddng? Maybe we'll read it even if it sucks.
Kalihi native, now Cali boy Jason Mayhem Miller does a great
Dan Henderson impersonation. Was that Mayhem's last fight in
Hawaii?
Enson Inoue teaches us a mount neck crank in our Technique of
the Week!
Finally, one of the most exciting and talented new stars in Hawaii
MMA, Justin Buchholz teaches us about the power of the loco moco.
Of
course, it wouldn't be a FCTV show without a little eye candy
spread out in very strategic locations throughout the fights.
Daddy like!
If
you have anything to comment on or want to see on the show, please
email us at fctv@onzuka.com.
|
MMA
Bill Looks like it will Pass
Below
is the bill that appears that all it needs is Governor Linda
Lingle's signature and it will become law. The major changes
from prior bills are:
Percentage of the gross of the event goes to the State
Fighters, judges, referees, managers, seconds, etc. must be licensed.
Optional drug testing.
The director oversees all MMA activities.
All fighters, promoters, and people involved in the actual running,
assisting, or competing should read this document.
Report
Title:
Mixed Martial Arts; Prohibition on No Rules Combat
Description:
Gives
the director of commerce and consumer affairs licensing authority
over mixed martial arts contests and permitting of mixed martial
arts events. Prohibits no rules combat, extreme fighting, or
similar contests. (HB1866 CD1)
HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B.
NO.
1866
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
H.D. 3
STATE OF HAWAII
S.D. 2
C.D. 1A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO MIXED MARTIAL ARTS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION
1. The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding a new chapter
to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"Chapter
Mixed
martial arts contestS
§
-1 Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise
requires:
"Amateur
mixed martial arts contest" means a mixed martial arts contest
in which no money, prize, purse, or other form of compensation
is offered or given to contestants.
"Department"
means the department of commerce and consumer affairs.
"Director"
means the director of commerce and consumer affairs.
"Manager"
means any person who:
(1)
Undertakes or has undertaken to represent in any way the interests
of any mixed martial arts contestant in procuring, arranging,
or conducting any contest in which the mixed martial arts contestant
is to participate; provided that "manager" shall not
include an attorney licensed to practice in this state in the
attorney's legal representation of a mixed martial arts contestant;
or
(2)
Directs or controls the mixed martial arts activities of the
mixed martial arts contestant.
"Mixed
martial arts" means unarmed combat involving the use, subject
to any applicable limits set forth in this chapter and any rules
adopted to implement these limits, of a combination of techniques
from different disciplines of martial arts, including grappling,
kicking, and striking.
"Mixed
martial arts contest" or "contest" means a contest
or exhibition in a mixed martial arts event in which a mixed
martial arts contestant competes with another mixed martial arts
contestant, using mixed martial arts, and in which any contestant
in the mixed martial arts event receives any money, prize, purse,
or other forms of compensation; provided that the term does not
include an amateur mixed martial arts contest.
"Mixed
martial arts contestant" or "contestant" means
a person who is trained in mixed martial arts and competes in
a mixed martial arts contest.
"Mixed
martial arts event" or "event" means one or more
mixed martial arts contests held at the same location on the
same date.
"No
rules combat, extreme fighting, or similar contest" means
a contest or exhibition performed in this state in which the
contestants are permitted to use, with few or no rules or restrictions,
a combination of combative contact techniques, including punches,
kicks, chokes, joint locks, and other maneuvers, with or without
the use of weapons, that place contestants at an unreasonably
high risk of bodily injury or death whether or not for any money,
prize, reward, purse, or other compensation, or promise thereof;
provided that the term does not include a contest involving the
exclusive use of boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, martial arts,
or mixed martial arts.
"Promoter"
means an individual, corporation, joint venture, partnership,
limited liability corporation, limited liability partnership,
or any other type of business entity that promotes, conducts,
holds, or gives a mixed martial arts contest.
§
-2 Assistants. The director may appoint and remove assistants
to assist the director in carrying out the director's activities,
duties, and other obligations under this chapter.
§
-3 Authority to subpoena witnesses and administer oaths and penalties.
The director may issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses,
with the same effect as if the subpoenas were issued in an action
in the circuit court, and may administer oaths in all matters
connected with the administration of this chapter. Disobedience
of a subpoena and false swearing before the director shall be
attended by the same consequences and be subject to the same
penalties as if disobedience or false swearing occurred in an
action in the circuit court.
§
-4 Powers and duties of the director. (a) In addition to any
other powers and duties authorized by law, the director shall
have the following powers and duties:
(1)
To adopt, amend, or repeal rules and forms necessary to effectuate
this chapter. All rules shall be adopted pursuant to chapter
91 and shall have the force and effect of law. The rules may
include, but not be limited to the following:
(A)
An appropriate method of ensuring that all financial obligations
are met by a promoter who conducts, holds, or gives a mixed martial
arts contest;
(B)
A public record accounting for the distribution of all tickets
provided to the director by a promoter and anything else of value
that is provided to the director;
(C)
Clinics or seminars on health and safety for licensees deemed
necessary by the director;
(D)
Criteria for a mandatory neurological and eye examination of
any mixed martial arts contestant;
(E)
Criteria for and duration of an automatic medical suspension
from mixed martial arts contests;
(F)
Procedures to evaluate the professional records and physician's
certification of each mixed martial arts contestant participating
in a mixed martial arts contest in the state and to deny authorization
to a mixed martial arts contestant to fight when the requirements
of this chapter are not met;
(G)
Procedures to ensure that no mixed martial arts contestant is
permitted to compete while under suspension from any entity that
regulates mixed martial arts due to:
(i)
A recent knockout or series of consecutive losses;
(ii)
An injury, any required medical procedure, or a physician's denial
of certification to compete;
(iii)
Failure of any drug test; or
(iv)
The use of false aliases or falsifying or attempting to falsify
official identification cards or documents relating to mixed
martial arts contests;
(H)
Procedures to review a suspension if appealed by a mixed martial
arts contestant, including an opportunity for the contestant
to present contradictory evidence;
(I)
Procedures to revoke a suspension if a mixed martial arts contestant
furnishes proof of sufficiently improved medical or physical
condition or furnishes proof that the suspension was not, or
is no longer, warranted by the facts; and
(J)
Procedures to require updated medical and criminal background
checks prior to a contest and at license renewal;
(2)
To enforce this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant thereto;
(3)
To discipline a person or entity who violates this chapter or
the rules adopted pursuant thereto; and
(4)
To appoint an advisory committee to assist with the implementation
of this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant thereto.
(b)
The director may either establish a mixed martial arts registry
or data bank on mixed martial arts contestants or use an established
registry or data bank that is approved by the director, and issue
license cards to mixed martial arts contestants.
§
-5 Jurisdiction of director. (a) The director is vested with
the sole jurisdiction, direction, management, and control over
all mixed martial arts contests to be conducted, held, or given
within the state; provided that this excludes amateur mixed martial
arts contests. No mixed martial arts contest shall be conducted,
held, or given within the state except in accordance with this
chapter and the rules adopted by the director pursuant thereto.
(b)
No mixed martial arts event shall take place unless the director
has granted a permit for the proposed event. In addition, the
director shall not allow any mixed martial arts contest unless:
(1)
The contest consists of not more than five rounds of a duration
of not more than five minutes each with an interval of at least
one minute between each round and the succeeding round;
(2)
Each contestant is at least eighteen years of age, is not disqualified
from competing in a similar mixed martial arts contest in another
jurisdiction at the time of the contest, and does not use stimulants
or banned substances before or during the contest;
(3)
Each mixed martial arts contestant is examined one hour prior
to the contest by at least one physician licensed under chapter
453 or 460 who shall certify in writing to the referee of the
contest that the contestant is physically fit to engage therein;
(4)
Each contestant furnishes to the director:
(A)
A medical report of a medical examination completed not less
than six months before the contest, at the sole expense of the
promoter, including the results of HIV and hepatitis testing;
and
(B)
Previous fight records that establish the contestant's fitness
to compete in the contest;
(5)
The contest is under the control of a licensed referee in the
ring who has at least one year of experience in refereeing a
match or exhibition involving mixed martial arts and who has
passed a physical examination by a physician licensed under chapter
453 or 460, including an eye examination, within two years prior
to the contest;
(6)
The promoter has complied with sections -6 and -7; and
(7)
All licensees have complied with the requirements of this chapter
and rules adopted in accordance with chapter 91, including any
rules or requirements that protect the safety of the contestants
to the extent feasible.
§
-6 Licenses; promoters. (a) A promoter may apply to the director
for a license that shall be required to promote, conduct, hold,
or give mixed martial arts contests. The application shall be
in writing, on a form prescribed by the director, and signed
by the applicant, and shall include the following:
(1)
Evidence of financial integrity in accordance with rules adopted
by the director pursuant to chapter 91; and
(2)
Proof that the applicant has currently satisfied all of the applicable
requirements of the department's business registration division.
(b)
The application shall contain a recital of the facts as may be
specified by the director for the director to determine whether
or not the applicant possesses the necessary physical, mental,
moral, and financial qualifications to entitle the applicant
to a license.
(c)
The director shall not issue any license to conduct, hold, or
give mixed martial arts contests unless the director is satisfied
that the applicant has complied with the conditions of this chapter,
possesses the necessary qualifications for a license, and is
the real party in interest, and intends to conduct, hold, or
give the mixed martial arts contest itself. The director shall
not issue a promoter's license to an applicant if the applicant
or any of the applicant's officers, directors, partners, members,
or associates has been convicted of any crime related to gambling
or a crime that is directly related to the person's performance
in the sport of mixed martial arts.
(d)
A license may be revoked at any time if the director finds after
a hearing that:
(1)
The licensee is not the real party in interest or has not complied
with this chapter or the rules of the director; or
(2)
The licensee or any of the licensee's officers, directors, partners,
members, or associates have been convicted of any crime related
to gambling or a crime that is directly related to the person's
performance in the sport of mixed martial arts.
(e)
Every license shall be subject to this chapter and the rules
of the director.
(f)
The application for a license to promote mixed martial arts contests
shall be accompanied by a fee as provided in rules adopted by
the director pursuant to chapter 91.
§
-7 Permit required to hold each mixed martial arts event. (a)
No mixed martial arts event shall be held unless the director
issues a permit for the event. To obtain a permit to conduct,
hold, or give a mixed martial arts event, a promoter shall:
(1)
Provide proof of medical insurance for mixed martial arts contestants
in accordance with rules adopted by the director. All promoters
shall be responsible for paying the medical insurance policy
premiums and any deductible or copay amount of the medical insurance
policy;
(2)
Submit all contracts with managers, mixed martial arts contestants,
and venues, including any agreement of pre-contest training funds
advanced to any contestant either by the promoter or manager
or any party of interest, to the director for the director's
review and approval;
(3)
Submit to the director, for the director's review and approval,
all ring records of all mixed martial arts contestants scheduled
to participate in the event;
(4)
Provide cashier's or certified checks made payable to each mixed
martial arts contestant for the amount due the contestant or
the contestant's manager, as the case may be, in accordance with
the contracts approved by the director;
(5)
Provide to the director written confirmation that an ambulance
with paramedics and appropriate security have been obtained and
will be present at all times at the venue of the mixed martial
arts event;
(6)
Provide evidence to the director that security personnel and
resources will be present in sufficient number and force to exercise
crowd control and to protect spectators at the mixed martial
arts event;
(7)
Provide to the director evidence that the mixed martial arts
event will be conducted in compliance with municipal fire codes;
and
(8)
Maintain sanitary conditions at the site of the mixed martial
arts event.
(b)
Failure, refusal, or neglect of any licensed promoter to comply
with this section shall result in the automatic denial of a permit
to hold the mixed martial arts event.
(c)
Licensed promoters may engage in promotions with other licensed
promoters as long as each promoter holds a valid, unexpired license
and has received the written approval of the director prior to
the promotion.
(d)
In addition to the payment of other fees and moneys due under
this chapter, a licensed promoter shall pay:
(1)
A license fee of three per cent of the first $50,000 of the total
gross receipts from admission fees to an event, exclusive of
federal, state, and local taxes;
(2)
A license fee of two per cent of the total gross receipts over
$50,000 from admission fees to an event, exclusive of federal,
state, and local taxes;
(3)
Two per cent of the gross sales price for the sale, lease, or
other exploitation of broadcasting, television, Internet, and
motion picture rights for an event, without any deductions for
commission, brokerage fee, distribution fees, advertising, contestants'
purses, or any other expenses or charges, including federal,
state, or local taxes; and
(4)
Two per cent of the gross receipts from subscription or admission
fees, exclusive of federal, state, and local taxes, charged for
viewing within the state of a simultaneous telecast of an event;
provided
that payments under this subsection shall be deposited into a
separate account in the compliance resolution fund and shall
be used to cover the costs of administering this chapter.
(e)
Within seven calendar days following a mixed martial arts contest,
the promoter shall provide the director with an unedited video
record of the contest in a format prescribed by the director.
(f)
No mixed martial arts event shall be commenced without a permit
from the director pursuant to this section.
§
-8 Licenses, participants. (a) Any person may apply to the director
for a license to act as a physician, referee, judge, manager,
second, or mixed martial arts contestant to participate, either
directly or indirectly, in any mixed martial arts contest. The
application shall be in writing, on a form prescribed by the
director, and signed by the applicant. The application shall
contain a recital of facts as specified by the director for the
director to determine whether or not the applicant possesses
the necessary licensure and physical, mental, and moral qualifications
to entitle the applicant to a license. The director shall adopt
rules for licensure in accordance with chapter 91.
(b)
In addition, the applicant for a referee, judge, manager, or
second license shall take and pass an examination or evaluation
as provided by the director. The director may exempt an applicant
for a manager, referee, judge, or second license from taking
the examination or evaluation, if the applicant holds a valid
manager, referee, judge, or second license in another jurisdiction
with comparable mixed martial arts regulations.
(c)
Any license to act as a physician, referee, judge, manager, second,
or mixed martial arts contestant may be suspended or revoked,
or the person otherwise disciplined by the director after a contested
case hearing held in accordance with chapter 91.
(d)
No license shall be granted to a promoter unless the promoter
has submitted a criminal abstract on the promoter to the director.
§
-9 License fees. License fees shall be paid biennially to the
State by every applicant to whom a license is issued to participate
in the conduct of mixed martial arts in any of the following
capacities set forth in this chapter: promoter, physician, referee,
judge, manager, second, and mixed martial arts contestant. The
charge for a duplicate license and all fees required by this
chapter shall be as provided in rules adopted by the director
pursuant to chapter 91 and shall be deposited with the director
to the credit of the compliance resolution fund.
§
-10 Licenses, limitations, renewals. (a) No mixed martial arts
contest shall be conducted, held, or given unless all the parties
participating, as designated in this chapter, are licensed by
the director, and it shall be unlawful for any individual or
promoter to participate in a contest in any capacity designated
in this chapter unless the person is licensed to do so.
(b)
The director may limit the number of licenses issued for any
purpose as specified in this chapter and may limit the number
of mixed martial arts contests conducted, held, or given in any
county.
(c)
All licenses shall be for a period of not more than two years
and all licenses shall expire on June 30 of each odd-numbered
year.
(d)
The director, at the director's discretion and upon application
and payment of fees by the licensee, may renew a license for
the following biennium. Failure to timely apply for renewal of
any license shall result in the automatic forfeiture of the license.
Any applicant whose license has been forfeited shall file an
application for a new license and meet all current requirements,
including successful passage of the examination, as the case
may be, for the license.
(e)
Every individual or promoter licensed under this chapter shall
be subject to the rules adopted by the director.
§
-11 Receipts and reports from promoters. (a) Within three business
days after the conclusion of every contest for which admission
fees are charged and received, every promoter holding a license
to conduct, hold, or give mixed martial arts contests, shall
furnish to the director a written report, duly verified, showing
the number of tickets sold for the contest, the amount of the
gross receipts or proceeds thereof, and other matters as the
director prescribes in rules adopted in accordance with chapter
91.
(b)
For purposes of this chapter, "gross receipts" includes
income received from the sale of print, internet, broadcasting,
television, and motion picture rights.
§
-12 Failure to report receipts. Whenever any promoter holding
a license to conduct, hold, or give mixed martial arts contests
fails to timely submit a report of any contest or comply with
the requirements of this chapter, or whenever the report is unsatisfactory
to the director, the director at the licensee's expense, may
examine or cause to be examined, the books and records of the
promoter.
§
-13 Admission tickets. All tickets of admission to any mixed
martial arts contest for which admission fees are charged and
received shall have printed clearly upon the face thereof the
purchase price of same, and no ticket shall be sold for more
than the price as printed thereon.
§
-14 Inspectors; duties. The director shall appoint inspectors,
each of whom shall receive from the director a card or badge
authorizing the person to act as inspector whenever the director
may designate the person to so act.
§
-15 Judges; duties. The director, in the director's discretion
may appoint two licensed judges to act with the referee in rendering
a decision, or three licensed judges to act with a nonvoting
referee in rendering a decision.
§
-16 Physician; duties. Every promoter holding a license to conduct,
hold, or give mixed martial arts contests shall have in attendance
at every contest at least two physicians licensed to practice
medicine in the state under chapter 453 or 460, who shall observe
the physical condition of the mixed martial arts contestants
and advise the referee with regard thereto and, one hour before
each contestant enters the ring, certify in writing as to the
physical condition of the contestant to engage in the contest.
A report of the medical examination shall be filed with the director
not later than forty-eight hours after the conclusion of the
contest. If a contestant is knocked down or severely injured
during a contest, or for any other reasons as provided in rules
adopted by the director pursuant to chapter 91, at least one
physician shall immediately examine the contestant and file a
written medical opinion with the director within forty-eight
hours of the contest.
§
-17 Referees; duties. (a) At each mixed martial arts contest
there shall be in attendance a duly licensed referee designated
by the director, who shall direct and control the contest. The
referee shall render a decision for each contest, except as otherwise
provided under this section.
(b)
The referee may recommend and the director, in the director's
discretion, may terminate the mixed martial arts contest or order
the forfeiture of any prize, purse, or remuneration, or any part
thereof, to which one or both of the mixed martial arts contestants
may be entitled, or any part of the gate receipts for which the
contestants are competing, if in the director's judgment one
or both of the contestants are not honestly competing.
(c)
Each referee shall warn contestants of the referee's power to
terminate the contest or to recommend the forfeiture of any purse
or purses, should there be any violation of contest rules.
(d)
In any case where the referee decides that the contestants are
not honestly competing and that under the law the contest should
be terminated or that the prize, purse, or remuneration of one
or both of the contestants should be forfeited, the contest shall
be stopped before the end of the last round, and no decision
shall be given. A contestant earns nothing and shall not be paid
for a contest in which there is stalling, faking, dishonesty,
or collusion. The director, independently of the referee or the
referee's decision, may determine the merits of any contest and
take whatever action the director considers proper. In any case,
the director may order the purse of the contestant violating
any rules or statutes held up for investigation and action.
(e)
The referee shall stop the contest when, in the referee's judgment,
either of the contestants shows a marked superiority or is apparently
outclassed.
§
-18 Drug test; withholding of wages; penalty. (a) On the advice
of one or both of the physicians in attendance at every contest,
a post-contest drug test may be administered to any contestant,
at the sole expense of the promoter, to determine whether the
contestant has consumed any illegal drugs or drugs banned by
the director.
(b)
Any money, prize, purse, or other form of compensation due to
a contestant shall be withheld by the director until the director,
in consultation with the two attending physicians, is satisfied
that the contestant did not have the presence of any illegal
or banned drugs in the contestant's system.
(c)
Any contestant who fails a drug test shall have the contestant's
license suspended by the director for not less than twelve months
from the date of the offense and, in the discretion of the director,
may have the contestant's license permanently revoked.
§
-19 Sham mixed martial arts contest; forfeiture of license. Any
promoter who conducts, holds, gives, or participates in any sham
or fake mixed martial arts contest, knowing the same to be a
sham or fake, shall forfeit the license issued in accordance
with this chapter, and the license shall be automatically terminated
by the director. The promoter and any officers, partners, or
members of the promoter shall not thereafter be entitled to receive
and shall not be given another license.
§
-20 Sham mixed martial arts contest; penalty against contestant.
The license of any mixed martial arts contestant who knowingly
participates in any sham or false mixed martial arts contest
shall be automatically suspended and the mixed martial arts contestant
shall be suspended from further participation in any contest
held or given under this chapter for not less than twelve months
from the date of the offense and may be permanently disqualified
from further participation in any contest held or given under
this chapter.
§
-21 Financial interest in mixed martial arts contestant prohibited.
(a) The director shall not receive any compensation from any
person who sanctions, arranges, promotes, conducts, holds, or
gives mixed martial arts contests; nor shall the director have,
either directly or indirectly, any financial interest in any
contestant competing in any mixed martial arts contest.
(b)
For the purposes of this section, "compensation" shall
not include funds held in escrow for payment to another person
in connection with a mixed martial arts contest. The prohibition
set forth in this section shall not apply to any contract entered
into, or any reasonable compensation received, by the director
to supervise a mixed martial arts contest in this state or another
state.
§
-22 Wages of contestant; prepayment prohibited. All moneys paid
to a mixed martial arts contestant for services, as money prize,
reward, compensation, or otherwise, shall be considered wages.
No contestant shall be paid for services before a mixed martial
arts contest; provided that with the approval of the director,
a promoter may advance sums of money for training purposes.
§
-23 No rules combat, extreme fighting, or similar contest; prohibited.
No person shall promote, conduct, hold, give, or participate
in any no rules combat, extreme fighting, or similar contests.
The director shall enforce the prohibition on no rules combat,
extreme fighting, or similar contests, and may adopt rules, pursuant
to chapter 91, to enforce the prohibition. In addition to any
applicable judicial remedy, a person who violates this section
shall be subject to the penalties, fines, and other disciplinary
provisions of this chapter.
§
-24 Disposition of receipts. Except as otherwise provided for
in this chapter, all fees and other moneys received by the director
shall be deposited into the compliance resolution fund.
§
-25 Summary disciplinary action. In addition to other disciplinary
actions provided in this chapter, the director may fine, withhold
purse money or fees, and issue immediate temporary suspensions
of not more than sixty calendar days against a licensee for violations
of this chapter or rules adopted pursuant thereto. The director
shall notify the licensee in writing of any temporary suspension,
fine, or withholding of purse money within five calendar days
of the director's action. The licensee shall have a right to
a hearing in accordance with chapter 91; provided that the licensee
notifies the director in writing of the request for a hearing
within thirty calendar days after the director notifies the licensee
in writing, by mail or personal service, of the director's order.
§
-26 Chapter does not apply to active duty armed forces, national
guard, armed forces reserve, or Police Activities League. This
chapter shall not apply to any mixed martial arts contest held
as a recreational activity by active duty armed forces, armed
forces reserve, or national guard personnel, or the Police Activities
League, when the contest is held under the supervision of a recreational
officer of the active duty armed forces, armed forces reserve,
national guard, or a Police Activities League staff member.
§
-27 Revocation; suspension. (a) In addition to any other acts
or conditions provided by law, the director may refuse to renew,
reinstate, or restore or may deny, revoke, suspend, fine, reprimand,
or condition in any manner, the license of any person or entity
issued for this chapter, for any cause authorized by law, including
but not limited to the following:
(1)
Violation of any provision of this chapter or the rules adopted
by the director, or any other law or rule that applies to those
persons licensed under this chapter;
(2)
Manifest incapacity, professional misconduct, or unethical conduct;
(3)
Making any false representations or promises through advertising
or other dissemination of information;
(4)
Any fraudulent, dishonest, or deceitful act in connection with
the licensing of any promoter under this chapter or in connection
with any mixed martial arts contest;
(5)
Making any false or misleading statement in any application or
document submitted or required to be filed under this chapter;
(6)
Revocation or suspension of a license or other disciplinary action
against the licensee by any other regulatory entity over mixed
martial arts contests;
(7)
Failure to report any disciplinary action, including medical
and mandatory suspensions, or revocation or suspension of a license
in another jurisdiction not less than fifteen calendar days preceding
any mixed martial arts match in which the licensee participates
or within thirty calendar days following the disciplinary decision,
whichever is earlier; or
(8)
Participation in any sham or false mixed martial arts contest.
(b)
A manager may be held responsible for all violations of this
chapter by a mixed martial arts contestant whom the manager manages
and may be subject to license revocation or suspension, or a
fine, or any combination thereof, irrespective of whether any
disciplinary action is taken against the mixed martial arts contestant.
§
-28 Penalties. (a) Any person in violation of this chapter or
the rules adopted pursuant thereto shall be fined not more than
$5,000 for each violation. Each day's violation or failure to
comply shall be deemed a separate offense.
(b)
In addition to the penalties provided in this chapter, any person
in violation of this chapter may be prohibited from engaging
in any mixed martial arts activities in the state for a period
in conformity with that set forth in section 92-17.
§
-29 Cumulative penalties. Unless otherwise expressly provided,
the remedies or penalties provided by this chapter are cumulative
to each other and to the remedies or penalties available under
all other laws of this State.
§
-30 Injunctive relief. The director may, in addition to any other
remedies available, bring an action in any court of this State
to enjoin a person from continuing any violation of this chapter
or doing any acts in furtherance thereof, and for any other relief
that the court deems appropriate."
SECTION
2. Chapter 440D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.
SECTION
3. There is appropriated out of the compliance resolution fund
the sum of $130,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for
fiscal year 2007-2008 and the sum of $205,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to fund the operational
and administrative expenses in implementing this Act and regulating
mixed martial arts contests.
The
sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of commerce
and consumer affairs for the purposes of this Act, which shall
include the hiring of a regulatory boards and commissions administrative
assistant, secretary, and clerks.
SECTION
4. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties
that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun, before its
effective date.
SECTION
5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2009; provided that:
(1)
Section -4 in section 1 of this Act shall take effect upon its
approval; and
(2)
Section 3 of this Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.
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MIKE
NICKELS SCORES QUICK KO AT RING OF FIRE
BROOMFIELD, COLO. – Before a packed house at the Broomfield
Events Center, Ultimate Fighter Season 3 veteran Mike Nickels
surprised a partisan crown with a devastating knockout that left
opponent Carpaccio Owens stumbling around the cage searching
for his senses.
Hailing
from Denver, Colo., and operating the popular Twisted Sol tattoo
shop there, Nickels has long been a crowd favorite. A win was
no surprise, but known more for his ground game, Nickels did
raise some eyebrows with a heavy right hand – instilled
by striking coach Oscar Martinez – that dropped Owens in
the opening moments. He followed the active soldier, a member
of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, to the mat in a flurry
that halted to the fight in just 7 seconds.
Owens
is being deployed to Iraq and received a standing ovation from
the crowd and Nickels. Despite his personal anti-war sentiments,
Nickels voiced his support for Owens and his comrades, “Stepping
into the cage takes a lot of nuts. But stepping into battle or
a combat zone, that’s a whole nother level. That’s
something that most people in America will never have to experience
thanks to people like Carpaccio. I have a lot of respect for
him. He has a lot of class.”
With
the win over Owens, it sounds as if Nickels may soon be making
a return to the UFC. Nickels confirmed speculation that there
is interest in having him fight Stephan Bonnar on a UFC Fight
Night show in June.
The
main event of the evening featured a couple of up-and-comers
battle it out for the first ever Ring of Fire Light Heavyweight
Championship. Marcus Sursa immediately took the fight to Eliot
Marshall, but it was Marshall who was able to take and maintain
control of the majority of the offensive action in the fight.
After weathering Sursa’s initial storm and showing some
decent stand-up skills courtesy of Duane Ludwig, he started taking
Sursa down at will and kept him defensive with various submission
attacks. A Black Belt and highly accomplished in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
competitions, Marshall was able to lock on a title-winning rear
naked choke at 4:59 of the second round.
Christian
Allen defended his 145-pound Ring of Fire title by quickly establishing
his dominance in the stand-up game with Ryan Hass. Unable to
provide much by way of offense, a game Hass was picked apart
by Allen’s superior striking skills. Allen finished him
with a devastating right hook for the knockout at the end of
the first round.
In
a tremendous stand-up battle, Anthony Njokuani rocked Donald
“Cowboy” Cerrone and put him on his butt for the first
time in his mixed martial arts career. Cerrone, however, maintained
his composure, fought back to his feet and then took Njokuani
down. Once on the mat, Cerrone was all over Njokuani. He worked
for a rear naked choke, transitioned to an armbar, and following
a desperate slam by Njokuani, secured a triangle choke for the
win.
Having
gone 22-0-1 in his prior specialty as a kickboxer, Cerrone has
morphed his game as he moves to a career in mixed martial arts,
where he is 6-0… all by way of submission.
Other
highlights of the night included a back and forth battle between
lightweights Dennis Davis and Luke Caudillo. At the end of the
three rounds of action, Caudillo was able to do more damage and
earned a split decision victory. Former Ring of Fire Young Guns
Champion Tyler Toner was controlled and battered over the course
of his three round fight with Scott Jorgensen. In unanimous fashion,
Jorgensen scored the decision and took home Toner’s belt.
Ring
of Fire 29
Broomfield, Colo.
April 28, 2007
Eliot
Marshall def. Marcus Sursa by Rear Naked Choke at 4:59, R2
Mike Nickels def. Carpaccio Owens by KO at 0:07, R1
Christian Allen def. Ryan Hass by KO at 4:52, R1
Donald Cerrone def. Anthony Njokuani by Triangle Choke at 4:30,
R1
Luke Caudillo def. Dennis Davis by Split Decision, 3 Rounds
Scott Jorgensen def. Tyler Toner by Unanimous Decision, 3 Rounds
Isaac Diamondes def. Cody Donovan by Knockout at 0:08, R1
Jesse Henley def. PJ Sierra by Rear Naked Choke at 0:47, R2
Brandon Thatch def. Josh Kirby by Rear Naked Choke at 1:26, R1
Sean Logsden def. Adam Johnson by Armbar at 0:24, R1
Sean Doherty def. Leonard Snow by Armbar at 0:34, R2
Source: MMA Weekly
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PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
Hawaiian Waters, Kapolei
Saturday May 12, 2007
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!
THIER ARE ONLY 800 SEATS AVAILABLE FOR THIS SHOW!!
WEST OUTLETS
WATERPARK, KAPOLEI
TEAM RUTHLESS, COLIN (387-5857)
JESUS IS LORD, DAVID (282-2232)
TEAM BIGDOGS, WAYNE PERRIN
SIT YOU DOWN, JOHN (688-7391)
EN FUEGOS GRILL, KAPOLEI (674-8805)
EAST OUTLETS
JUS RUSH, CISCO (620-3004)
SMITH TAEKWONDO, KANEOHE
HMC, KALIHI
BUY ONLINE WWW.PIPHAWAII.COM
FOR FIGHT OR TICKET INFO CALL (808)631-9164
Source: Brennan Kamaka
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Fundraiser
for Team Five-O & Team Hawaii!
We're trying to fundraise for Team Five-O & Team Hawaii,
2007 USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Regional Team
110lbs-Gino Ramos (KawanoB.C.)
114lbs-Ezra Cabang (A.P. Big Island B.C.)
119lbs-Taylor Rodrigues (Unattached Maui)
125lbs-Michah Matsushima (Oki B.C.)
132lbs-Kylie Delacruz-Kaheaku (Five-o Boxing)
138lbs-Boston Salmon (Kawano B.C.)
145lbs-Antone Pereira (Waianae B.C.)
154lbs-Josh Nakagawa (Southside MauiB.C.)
165lbs-Faleauto Manutulila ( Hawaii Youth B.C.)
189lbs-Jacob-Jon Callos (Wailuku B.C.)
Only Female
119lbs- Helena Delacruz-Lopes(Five-o Boxing)
Team Manager- Bruce Kawano
Team coach's- Danny Kaheaku (Five-o Boxing)
Anthony Pagan (A.P.Big Island Boxing)
The
Team will be traveling to Marqette Michigan to the U.S Olympic
Education Center.
We would like our team to have uniforms and gear to show the
rest of the world that we dont live in grass shacks.
Hawaii Has two former Champions, who had full scholarships to
the US Olympic Education center.
Brian Viloria - Waipahu Boxing (95-96)
Samson Guillermo - Waianae Boxing(97-98)
A Benefit Concert
for Five-o Boxing and Team Hawaii
Ewa Ranch, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
May 27, 2007
Gates open @ 5:00pm
Concert starts @ 5:30pm
Koa'uka & BET, Paakane And many more
$15 pre-sale/$20 @ door
tickets available @ Tamura's in Waianae
Hair Hut in Ewa Beach
or call 590-9084 853-8586
HELP BRING BOXING BACK and show our aloha spirit.
Aloha, Thanks for your Support
DANNY KAHEAKU
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Full
Contact Showdown is Back!
Icon Sport's feeder event, Full Contact Showdown is back after
a hiatus. It is tentatively planned for either June 12 or June
13.
The event will offer the following:
3-4 bouts of Pro MMA
4 bouts of amateur San Shou (kickboxing with takedowns)
4 bouts of amateur Kickboxing (no leg kicks, unless otherwise
agreed upon)
If you have young fighters who are interested, please let me
know asap. I would like to match make this event in the next
2 weeks. Thanks!!!
Patrick Freitas
superbrawl21@yahoo.com
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KALA
KOLOHE HOSE PROMO VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0VksdOL3f8
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Patrick Freitas
Icon Sport Promoter
(808) 232-3481
superbrawl21@yahoo.com
Lawler
to Face Hawaiian Striker Hose
in Icon Sport: FEARLESS
April 27, 2007 Honolulu, HI. “Styles make fights.”
That phrase is one of the oldest adages of both MMA and boxing.
On June 30th in the Icon Sport: FEARLESS event, Icon Sport World
Middleweight Champ “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler will face
a confident Hawaiian fighter who mirrors his style: heavy-handed
striking. Lawler’s opponent is one of the fastest rising
stars in the Icon organization, Kala Kolohe Hose. Hose will represent team Bad Intentions
of Waianae, which is on the west side of the island of Oahu.
Many will consider Hose an underdog in this match-up, but he
is very confident that he will walk out on June 30th with the
Icon World Title. Hose stated:
“If (Lawler) thinks I’m a stepping stone…he better
think twice. I’m here to come after (Lawler) and HE will
be my stepping stone. It’s my time to shine. My time is
now.”
Hose came to Icon in 2005 as an oversized light heavyweight.
Never to refuse a challenge, he took on collegiate Hall of Fame
wrestler Reese Andy in his very first MMA bout. Hose lost via
decision to Andy, who has since tallied up a 6-1 record. But
Hose has gone undefeated since that first loss. And each of his
victories ended with him delivering a thunderous knockout. Icon
Sport President T.Jay Thompson said of Hose:
“Robbie (Lawler) has a lot to worry about when he faces
Kala Kolohe Hose in FEARLESS. Hose has that rare gift of one-punch
knockout power, so Lawler better not take him lightly. Hose is
hungry. He’s been dreaming of fighting Lawler. No matter
what happens, this match-up has all the markings to be one of
the most memorable in Icon Sport history.”
Hose has done the remarkable over his fight career, cutting from
250lbs down to 185lbs through strict dieting, cardio fitness,
and MMA training. As he lost the excess weight Hose added speed
and agility to his already-powerful frame. In many ways Hose’s
path closely reflects that of Joe “Diesel” Riggs, a
former super-heavyweight who cut down to lighter weight classes
without sacrificing his “heavyweight power.” Riggs
now competes in the U.F.C.
As a star fullback for the Waianae High School Searider Football
team, Hose was accustomed to overpowering any competition. And
even though Lawler is now ranked as high as 7th amongst all world
middleweights, Hose views him as just another opponent who he
will overpower.
WHAT: Icon Sport: FEARLESS Press Conference / Main Event Announcement
WHO: “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler & Kala Kolohe Hose
WHEN: 2:15 p.m. Friday, April 27th.
WHERE: California Rock and Roll Sushi (Ward Avenue, adjacent
to Dixie Grill, across Sports Authority.)
Source: Patrick Freitas
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