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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2008
11/8/08
Aloha State Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
6/5-8/08
World Jiu-Jitsu Championsihps
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California)
5/3/08
Hawaiian Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
4/26/08
Elite XC
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/28-30/08
Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)
3/15/08
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/17/08
Hawaiian Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
2/8/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 7
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
2/2/08
Man up and Stand up
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery
Ballroom)
1/26/08
X1 World
Events: Champions
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/20/08
Big
Island Open Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(Konawaena High School)
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(POSTPONED)
1/19/08
UFC 80: Rapid Fire
(BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson)
Newcastle, England
1/12/08
Hawaii Fight League
Season 1, Event 2
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
|
|
January 2008 News
Part 1
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
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Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
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|
Quote
of the Day
“The
best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book.”
Source Unknown
|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MMA RISING
STAR EDDIE ALVAREZ TO FACE HILO FIGHTER ROSS EBANEZ;
KALA
KOLOHE HOSE
TO MAKE NATIONAL TV DEBUT
Promising, Exciting Alvarez Faces Hawaiian Ross Ebanez; Kala
Kolohe Hose Faces Frederic Belleton; Paul Daley Faces Sam Morgan
In
New Co-Features Friday, Jan. 25, On ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series
At Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City On SHOWTIME
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 8, 2008) – Popular, flamboyant
and charismatic former Bodog star, Eddie Alvarez, has signed
a long-term contract with Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.'s
live division, EliteXC, and will co-headline on Friday, Jan.
25, at Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City Hotel & Casino.
This is another great signing for EliteXC and we're thrilled
to have Eddie with us, said EliteXC Live Events President, Gary
Shaw, who made the announcement today. "Eddie is definitely
a promising kid with a great future, but what truly amazes me
is his incredibly devoted fan base.
He's phenomenon on the East Coast where he may fight on a show
that draws 5,000 fans, but two-thirds of them are there to see
him. He is like a rock star in some respects. In an around Philadelphia,
he is as popular as Philly cheese steak and is the best thing
they have going as far as mixed martial arts goes. I look forward
to introducing him to the world on SHOWTIME."
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
A two-time high school All-American wrestler, Alvarez (11-1),
of Philadelphia, will make his EliteXC debut against Hawaiian
favorite Ross
"Da Boss" Ebanez (16-5), of Hilo, Hawaii, on ShoXC: Elite Challenger
Series on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
The Alvarez-Ebanez fight, which will be contested at 170 pounds,
replaces one slated to include Yves Edwards. In the other ShoXC
co-feature, England's Paul "Semtex" Daley (16-6-2)
will meet Sam "The Squeeze" Morgan (19-9) of Minneapolis,
Minn., in a 160-pound bout.
Tickets for Jan. 25, starting at $40, are available at the Trump
Taj Mahal box office and online at www.ticketmaster.com. The
live card begins at 9 p.m.; doors open at 8.
In other SHOWTIME-televised fights, Bobby McMaster (8-2), of
Boston, Mass., will try to regain his winning ways against the
dangerous Bao Quach (11-8-1), of Irvine, Calif., at 150 pounds;
"The Hawaiian Rocky Balboa," Icon Sport's top middleweight
contender Kala
Kolohe Hose
(4-1), of Waianae, makes his national TV debut against talented
striker Frederic Belleton (5-1), of Easton, Mass., at 185 pounds;
and Julie Kedzie (9-6), of Greenwood, Ind., will attempt to make
it four victories in a row when she battles Tonya Evinger (5-3),
of Oak Grove, Maryland, at 140 pounds.
An explosive striker, Alvarez battled his way into MMA from the
mean streets of Kensington, Pa., a blue-collar neighborhood near
Philadelphia.
"Trouble seemed to find me and I wound up getting into fights
on the street, so I decided to take it a little more seriously
and really learn how to fight," said Alvarez, who won his
initial 10 MMA starts before losing his Bodog Fight welterweight
title belt to Nick "The Goat" Thompson on a second-round
knockout (strikes) on April 14, 2007.
Although he is not a true 170-pounder, Alvarez has coveted a
rematch with his bitter rival. A return bout had been scheduled
a couple times but after a February '08 fight with Thompson fell
out, a frustrated Alvarez, after weighing other offers, signed
with EliteXC.
"We know Eddie wasn't happy where he was, but I truly believe
he's found a home here with EliteXC," Shaw said. "With
Eddie eventually dropping down to his more natural weight class,
160 pounds, and with the fighters we have at 160, he has a chance
to be a big star if he keeps winning."
A top-notch wrestler who can move fast, sprawl, and shoot, Alvarez
is also a non-stop puncher with quick hands he delivers uppercuts
from every possible direction -- quick feet and excellent head
movement. He won his last start with a unanimous decision over
Matt Lee on July 14, 2007. But while he dominated, Alvarez' streak
of winning inside the distance (eight knockouts, two decisions)
ended.
Ebanez is a BJ Penn fighter unbeaten in his last three outings
(2-0 with one no-contest) and 6-1 in his last seven (with the
NC). Nicknamed "Da Boss" for his intimidating, aggressive
style, Ebanez is an experienced, fan-friendly MMA fighter with
solid skills. In his lone defeat since March ‘06,
Ebanez lost to Mike Pyle on the historic EliteXC "DESTINY"
fight card on Feb. 10, 2007, on SHOWTIME.
Scheduled non-televised Jan. 25 fights include: Zach Makovsky
(3-0), of Philadelphia, vs. Wilson Reis (2-0), of Philadelphia,
at 140; James "Binky" Jones (4-5), of Baltimore, Md.,
vs., Mark Getto (1-3-1), of Philadelphia, at 150; Sergio Vinagre
(2-1), of New Jersey, vs. Brett Linebarger (2-1), of New Jersey,
at 170; Joe Shilling (debut), of Los Angeles, vs. Matt Makowski
(1-0), of Philadelphia, at 170; and Doug Gordon (6-4), of New
Jersey, vs. an opponent to be determined, at 170.
The fights are scheduled for three, 5-minutes rounds with the
exception of Kedzie-Evinger, which is slated for three, 3-minute
rounds.
For more information on EliteXC and other MMA-related stories,
including bios, video-on- demand, photos, stats, Fantasy Fight
Game TM and more, please visit ProElite.com and EliteXC.com.
Fighter pages: Alvarez (eddiealvarez.proelite.com), Ebanez (rossebanez.proelite.com),
Daley (pauldaley.proelite.com), Morgan (sammorgan.proelite.com),
McMaster (bobbymcmaster.proelite.com), Quach (baoquach.proelite.com),
Kedzie (juliekedzie.proelite.com), Evinger (tonyaevinger.com),
Hose (kalakolohoehose.proelite.com), Belleton (fredbelleton.proelite.com),
Gordon (douggordon.com) Makovsky (zachmakovsky.proelite.com),
Reis (wilsonreis.proelite.com), Jones (jamesjones.proelite.com),
Getto (markgetto.proelite.com), Vinagre (sergiovinagre.proelite.com),
Linebarger (brettlinebarger.proelite.com), Shilling (joeshilling.com),
Makowski (mattmakowski.proelit.com).
About Pro Elite, Inc.
ProElite Inc. [PELE.PK] delivers the most exciting entertainment
experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live
arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming
on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband
entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the
highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem
all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools.
ProElite's live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular
live MMA fight events that showcase the world's top fighters
[elitexc.com]. ProElite's interactive business, ProElite.com,
capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial
arts by building a community of MMA enthusiasts. In addition
to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite
expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive
set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and
organizations. ProElite.com "Empowering the Fight Community"
Source: Pat Freitas
|
Ronaldo
Jacare opens up
‘I’m dying to sign with a big event’
Considered
a phenomenon in the realm of Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling,
Ronaldo Jacare last fought an MMA fight on September 29th. The
black belt finished off the fighter “Zezao”, from the
state of Para, with an armbar at 3:28 min of the first round,
thus achieving his fifth win in six fights. With yet another
fight set for the coming Saturday the two-time absolute champion
(2004/05) granted GRACIEMAG.com this exclusive interview, talking
about his fights, future and Jiu-Jitsu, here goes:
GRACIEMAG.COM:
You are coming off a submission win in the first round, was it
an easy fight?
JACARE:
To the contrary, the fight was not easy at all. Even though I
got the submission it was one of those fights in which anything
could’ve happened. My adversary endured a lot, if I had
not been well prepared the fight could have gone the other way
at any moment. What I sought to do was move around a lot during
the four minutes the fight lasted.
GRACIEMAG.COM:
What has your MMA preparations been like?
JACARE:
I’ve been training an average of six hours per day. My training
consists of lots of boxing and Jiu-Jitsu, not to mention the
parts dealing with takedowns and kicking attack and defense training,
or in other words, I have been doing a lot of specific and technical
training. I am making an effort to do everything well, mainly
perfect Jiu-Jitsu.
GRACIEMAG.COM:
Speaking of Jiu-Jitsu, do you think you will ever compete again?
What did you think of the 2007 World Championship?
JACARE:
I'm always thinking of competing in Jiu-Jitsu again, that’s
where I come from. I still train a lot in the gi to this day,
thou now I'm in another phase of my life, the MMA phase. There
were no surprises in the Worlds for me. Lucas Leite is a great
fighter, I’ve always believed in him since he was a blue
belt, I know his potential well, it’s a pity his adversaries
weren’t aware. Andre Galvao is a tough and technical guy,
he will always be in the back of everyone’s mind. I thought
it was a shame Marcelinho was unable to defend his title, because
he is the guy to beat and has proven he is the owner of the middleweight
category for a long time. As for the absolute, Roger has been
narrowly missing for many years. Now, like me and Xande who have
been absolute champions, now it’s Roger’s turn. Congratulations
to him!
GRACIEMAG.COM:
What is the forecast for your next fight? Is it going to the
ground?
JACARE:
I’ve been training a lot, I'm well prepared. I will fight
on October 13 and my opponent is named Wendell, who has knocked
out everyone in the seven MMA fights he has fought. I'm going
to go with MMA, I am prepared for anything.
GRACIEMAG.COM:
After the event in Manaus, where are you headed? How have negotiations
been going?
JACARE:
There's nothing I can tell you yet, the truth is I'm dying to
sign a good contract. What I can tell you is that I’m not
waiting past 2008, I want and will fight in a big event, even
if I have to invade the ring, I mean ring or octagon [laughs].
Source: Gracie Mag
|
Gil
Melendez on M-1
Gilbert
Melendez suffered his first defeat tonight at the M-1 Global
show in Saitama, Japan. Melendez came out looking to strike while
his opponent, Mitsuhiro Ishida, decided to wrestle for top position.
There were some great grappling exchanges with both men unable
to secure position for very long. In the last minute of the fight
Melendez was finally able to secure top position however Ishida
attacked with a suprise armbar attempt that looked to be dangerously
tight. Melendez got out of the hold and began to connect with
punches from the top, but time ran out before he could do enough
damage to win the fight. All judges awarded Ishida a unanimous
decision.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Lyoto
wants to fight with Chuck Liddell
Still
at , the karate and black belt Jiu-Jitsu fighter Lyoto Machida
talked with exclusivity with TATAME’s site about his beautiful
victory by submission over the african fighter Thierry Sokodjou
on UFC 79, in Las Vegas, . With four victories in a roll on the
american cage, Lyoto waits soon for the opportunity to fight
for the UFC belt and showed the interest in fighting with Chuck
Liddell. “I would like to fight with Chuck. It would be
a exchanging fight, standing up all time, but who will decide
this is the event”, said Lyoto in a interview that you will
check on the next week.
Source: Tatame
|
Rubens
Charles Cobrinha
By Eduardo Ferreira
"Every time I go to Japan people don’t say other thing.
“Cobrinha, we would like to see you fighting with Kid Yamamoto”
World
Jiu-Jitsu champion, World No Gi champion and Pan-American champion,
Rubens Charles Cobrinha can tell that he had a golden year in
Jiu-Jitsu. The Alliance’s black-belt talked with exclusivity
with TATAME about his achievements, about his more and more natural
transition to MMA and commented the great phase of 2007 and his
plans to 2008. Check below the complete Cobrinha’s interview:
How
was the year 2007 for you?
The
year of 2007 was very positive. Winning my first Pan-American,
after doing a great fight on ADCC, doing another great fight
on Japan and ending the world championship without kimono. Everything
did right for me, it was a great year… My victories this
year started at , fighting the paulista championship and winning
the weight category and the absolute. After that I won the Pan-American
and the great fight at , after won the world Jiu-Jitsu championships
and won World No Gi championship.
How
was your trajectory on the World No Gi Championship?
It
started with a fight against Renzo’s fighter, I can’t
remember his name, after that I faced a BTT’s fighter, a
pretty good kid, that had a great defense. On the first fight
I submitted him on his back, the second fight I submitted with
a hand triangle position and the final I won by 8x0. The kid
had a good defense, I couldn’t submit him, but it was great,
a moving fight.
What
are your plans to 2008?
For
2008 what i want is to repeat this feat and maybe even win something
on Vale-Tudo. The bad thing is that there’s nothing right
yet, we’ll see how things will go from here. Meanwhile I’ll
continue in Atlanta (USA) teaching and being trained by Romero
Jacaré.
Which
title do you wants to win this year?
To
tell the truth I still want to win all titles, each year is a
new challenge in my life, like as if I haven’t won any yet.
Only like that I will continue fighting for something else…
But there is one title that I don’t have, from ADCC, but
I believe that this one, with time and hard work, will come one
day.
In
which category will you fight no Vale-Tudo? Who would you like
to fight?
To
tell the truth, I still don’t know in which category I will
fight, that’s a seriously problem that I will face, in other
words, my challenge will begin with my weight. But, about whom
I would like to face, surely, the best fighters.
Would
you like to fight Kid Yamamoto?
Every
time I go to people don’t say other thing. “Cobrinha,
we would like to see you fighting with Kid Yamamoto”. For
me, it would be a good fight, but to do it I would need to get
really prepared, if it eventually happens.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
“To
be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.”
Gail Sheehy, American Author and Cultural Observer
|
X1
World Events: Champions
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
January 26, 2007
5:00PM
X1
World Middleweight Title - 4 man tournament 185lbs
Niko Vitale
Marcus Gaines
Joey Guel
Brian Warren
X1
World Welterweight Title 170lbs
Mark Moreno vs. Chad Reiner
Womens
Match
Mia St. John vs. Angelina Abata
X1
World Lightweight Title 155lbs
"Sugar" Shane Nelson vs. Kaleo Kwan
X1
World Super Lightweight Title 145lbs
Eddie Yagin vs. "Dirty" Dave Moreno
Heavyweight
Analu Brash vs. Ron Waterman
170lbs
Michael Brightmon vs. Anthony Torres
Heavyweight
Jake Faagai vs. Wesley "Cabbage" Correira
Heavyweight
Doug Hiu vs Eric Edwards
190lbs
- Pro
Cheyenne Padeken vs. Rich Anderson
Heavyweight
- Pro
Lolohea Mahe vs Des Miner
175lbs
Pro
Brennan Kamaka vs Luke Cadian
165lbs
Pro
Walter Hao vs Kona Ke 165 Pro
X1
State Amature Title 170lbs
Sean Sakata vs Steve Farmer
140lbs
- Amateur
Keola Silva vs Gary Rebalisza
140lbs
- Amateur
Jared Iha vs Alan Hashimoto
155lbs
Ikaika Moreno vs TBA
Source: Event Promoter
|
GSP:
"I'M IN THE SPORT TO BE CHAMPION"
With his win at UFC 79 over Matt Hughes, Georges St-Pierre defeated
arguably the greatest champion in Ultimate Fighting Championship
history for the second time. He is now poised for another match-up
with current welterweight champion Matt Serra.
What
St-Pierre was able to do by taking Hughes down using his rapidly
developing wrestling prowess was nothing short of amazing and
it was the game plan and strategy that St-Pierre and his team
had going in to the fight.
“Matt
Hughes made some adjustments, so he thought I was going to keep
the fight standing up,” said St-Pierre. “So my game
plan in the beginning of the fight was to score takedowns on
him to make him worry not only about my stand-up, but to make
him worry about my takedowns.”
The
strategy worked to perfection as St-Pierre scored multiple takedowns
in the bout, which allowed him to work his way past Hughes’
defense and lock on the fight ending submission in the second
round.
St-Pierre
credits all of his coaches and trainers for helping him prepare
for the bout, especially mixed martial arts guru Greg Jackson.
The welterweight sensation gave him much adoration for his skill
in setting up the perfect plan for the fight.
“He
is the maestro and I am the musician, I play the music,”
St-Pierre commented about Jackson. “Greg and all my other
trainers and myself as well, we talk about it before the fight.
I call Greg all the time and say to Greg ‘what do I have
to do to win that fight?’ He gives me very precise instructions
to winning the fight and what I should do round-by-round, step-by-step
and I just execute it.”
After
the fight was stopped in the second round due to an armbar, the
UFC presented St-Pierre with an interim welterweight title, but
the Canadian will wait to fight current champion Matt Serra before
wrapping any championship around his waist.
“To
me, the interim world title, it doesn’t mean nothing to
me,” said St-Pierre adamantly. “The real champion is
Matt Serra. I don’t have any business to wear the belt.
To me it’s like a trophy to my collection, but I’m
not allowed to wear it.
“I’m
in the sport to be champion, to be No. 1 not to be No. 2. I want
to be No. 1. And if I’m No. 2, I’m not interested to
wear a belt, which is the symbol of being No. 1.”
While
St-Pierre stays focused on his ultimate goal of once again becoming
UFC welterweight champion, he knows that Serra will look for
lightning to strike a second time in their next go around.
“I
got beat by a better fighter than me that night,” St-Pierre
stated about Serra’s victory over him. “I give props
to Matt Serra. He’s a great champion, but now I’m on
the top of my game right now and I’m sharper than I’ve
ever been. It’s going to be a different story next time.”
No
specific date has been announced for the St-Pierre/Serra match-up,
but Serra recently confirmed to NBCSports.com that he has accepted
the fight against St-Pierre and expects it to take place when
the UFC debuts in Canada. The UFC has not officially announced
the bout or a date, but vice president Marc Ratner previously
confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that the promotion was in negotiations
for an April 19 date at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Feitosa
and the No-Gi World Championship
Black belt comments on hopes for competition
HIGH
LEVEL: In the first-ever no-gi Jiu-Jitsu championship, The Pan-American
Championship, veteran Márcio Feitosa faced up-and-coming
star Lucas Leite at one of the black belt finals. Months later,
Lucas became middleweight world champion.
Marcio
Feitosa is a sure-thing in the maiden event of the No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu
World Championship. The black beltwill not be stepping onto the
mat, however, but orienting and cheering his students during
the event that will take place this December 15th in the California
State University Dominguez Hills gymnasium, in Carson City. In
search of an explanation for his withdrawal, since Marcinho was
a standout at the No-Gi Pan-American this year, GRACIEMAG.com
contacted the beast.
Why
did you opt not to fight in the No-Gi World Championship?
Feitosa:
I won’t fight, but I’ll be there as a teacher and fan.
I’m concentrating a lot on perfecting myself as a teacher.
I’m dedicating myself, I want to one day be a Master and
good leader within Gracie Barra. I want to be able to achieve
with my students at least half what my teacher (Carlos Gracie
Jr) did for me. So I decided I won’t be able to make it
to all the championships on the calendar, I’m choosing some
and participating.
What
are your hopes in regards to the championship?
The
Confederation managed, in 2007, to make important headway for
Jiu-Jitsu. First by carrying out the first official no-gi championship
in the history of the CBJJ / IBJJF; later carrying out a high-level
tournament in the 2007 World Championship, with a record number
of athletes, a gymnasium worthy of an International Show and
impeccable organization. I’m certain the first No-Gi World
Championship will be well-done and will be a big step forward
for the growth and professionalization of our sport.
Are
the folks up there in California in competition mood? Will Gracie
Barra go at full force?
Around
here nobody’s talking about anything else! Not just the
Jiu-Jitsu gang, but the whole grappling community has its eye
on this competition. I believe in the upcoming editions we’ll
have representatives from other styles competing. Gracie Barra
will always be at full force! I’ve never seen a bunch of
young guys like the arena so much. The gang is coming from all
around to train here in the gym.
You
participated in the No-Gi JJ Pan American, what were your impressions?
I
thought the championship was awesome. They had super-cool uniforms,
the program went according to schedule and the coolest to me
was seeing the no-gi championship with Jiu-Jitsu rules. Each
no-gi championship organizer tries to invent a new rule, it never
works out well.
What
do you think differentiates the No-Gi World Championship for
other grappling competitions?
The
difference is that the rules of the other styles limit you a
lot. Only in a true Jiu-Jitsu championship can you develop your
game and flow on the ground. Not to mention that you get in the
ring knowing you are keeping alive and representing the story
of the respected warriors that gave their blood and sweat for
Jiu-Jitsu to be where it is today. That is priceless!
Source: Gracie Mag |
Now
it's official: Joinha speaks of end of Black House
Jorge Guimarães crushes rumors about Vitor Belfort and
tells other "inside info"
Invited
to the 2nd South American Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Jorge "Joinha"
Guimarães, was in Florianopolis, Brazil, during the first
half of November, and GRACIEMAG.com took the chance to meet with
the founder of Black House to clear up once and for all for MMA
fans a series of questions and rumors surrounding the team. Check
it out:
GRACIEMAG.com:
Jorge, is Black House over?
Guimarães:
Absolutely not. We have only changed our address and name. The
trainers and the team came too, including Anderson Silva and
Lyoto Machida. Our new name will be revealed soon.
Why
did you leave the old address, in Recreio, Rio?
I
had some misunderstandings with one of the three partners, and
since Black House was located at X-Gym, I decided to leave. I
want to make it clear that the problem did not involve my long
time friend Rogerio Camoes or Rodrigo Bethlem, my dear friend
[and Brazilian actress] Maria Zilda’s son.
Was
the change for the better?
To
tell you the truth, I invested a lot of time and money in it,
but it wasn’t a complete waste of time. As far as the money
goes, the management at X-Gym promised to reimburse me for the
investments I made, but I have not yet received anything.
There
have been rumors that you and Vitor Belfort are on bad terms.
Are they true?
No,
not at all. People talk too much. People have told me that Vitor
betrayed me, talking behind my back in attempt to assume my position
[at Black House], and that he would constantly try to get some
of our coaches to take his side. I talked to him about it but
he denied it. I believe him. I heard rumor that I have been calling
him Judas Belfort. That’s crazy. I would never say that!
Anybody who knows me, knows I don’t lie. Anyway, it would
be a little immodest for me to compare myself to Jesus, even
though I was born on December 25 and he was born on April fools
day. But I guess that’s just a coincidence.
Did
the fact that Vitor joined the X-Striker team surprise you?
Not
at all! Everyone choses their own path, and the name fits him
well. Why don’t we change the subject? X-Striker and X-Gym
are history for me, and the letter “X” phonetically
means “ex”, so it’s in the past for me...
What
about surfing? Do you have any trips planned?
I
will be with Paulo Filho, who will defend his WEC title on December
12th in Las Vegas, from there I’ll go to Los Angeles to
get footage for “Passando a Guarda”, my show in Brazil
which is my main focus, until Lyoto’s fight on December
29th in Vegas. On the 30th I’ll take off to Hawaii where
I’ll spend January on vacation, surfing and hanging out
with my great friends Eddie Rothman and Kai Garcia on Oahu’s North Shore. From Hawaii
I’ll go to Canada for Minotouro’s fight on February
1st, and right after it I fly to Las Vegas for Minotauro’s
fight on the next day, for the UFC heavy weight title.
So
is there any insider news?
Always!
Nino Schembri is going with Daniel Oirin, our muay thai instructor,
to Belém in Pará, to train Lyoto with his brother
Shinzo Machida. They should also be in his corner during his
fight with Sokoudjou on the 29 th. Now Paulao Filho is preparing
a surprise for his fight in the WEC: he should enter the ring
with a dog. But the animal won't come from here in Rio, it's
an American dog they came up with. Stuff only Paulao can come
up with! Buddy bye!!
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“I
travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake.
The great affair is to move.”
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1894, Scottish Novelist/Poet/Travel
Writer
|
Fighters'
Club TV New Episode Tonight!
Channel 52
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM
We return with our huge Christmas show!
In this episode, we meet on of the rising stars of the 170 lb
class and showcase his huge win over Rhalan Gracie, Eastsidaz's
Koa Ramos. Ramos has also been training at 02 Martial Arts Academy
with us as well and you will see huge things in the future from
this talent.
Another man that burst on the MMA scene is Kana Hyatt. We get
a chance to talk with Kana and after two big wins, he is one
of the fighters to beat at 135.
Penny Thomas, one of best female grapplers in the world, provides
our technique of the week!
We have much, much more on this episode including the usual one
scoop of Mike and one scoop of Mark with gravy all over. Mmmm
yummy!
As always, come and "talk story" with us on the Onzuka.com's
Hawaii Underground. The forum for Hawaii MMA, grappling,
and just about anything else!
|
LISTER
READY TO GIVE BACK TO THE TEAM
Despite
a much improved striking game that lead him to a unanimous decision
victory, Dean Lister didn’t exactly walk away satisfied
with his return to the Octagon at UFC 79 after an 11-month layoff.
“That
was absolutely 100% ring rust right there,” he said following
the victory over Jordan Radev. “I’m very happy I won,
but now it’s time to step it up.”
Although
most people were surprised with the crispness of his striking,
Lister didn’t exactly give himself high marks after the
fight.
“I
rate my performance at a four… out of a 10. I guess you
could say a seven or eight, in the sense that I won, but in the
sense that I can do a lot better, I say a four. I can do a lot
better than what I did.”
He
did seem somewhat satisfied being able to display his striking
abilities and knows that as his striking catches up to his world
class grappling prowess, his opponents are going to have a difficult
time with the ADCC champion.
“Definitely,
striking has been my focus,” said Lister. “I know that
no one will take me down. If they do, I’m not saying that
I can’t make a mistake, but if someone takes me down, that
kind of plays into my game.”
After
nearly a year out of competition and a win in his return, you’d
think Lister would be chomping at the bit to get back into the
Octagon, and he’s okay with that, but right now, he seems
to have other priorities.
Saying
he’d like to fight again in three to four months, Lister
added, “If (the UFC) wants me sooner, okay. But I have to
reput back into my team. They put all their hopes and dedication
into me, now it’s time for me to put back into them.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
EDDIE
SANCHEZ ENJOYING THE RIDE
Eddie Sanchez moved up the ladder in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
heavyweight division at UFC 79 by defeating Sao Palelei by TKO.
Palelei
was highly touted going into the fight as he was training at
Team Quest with guys like Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland. While
he tried to use his size to clinch with Sanchez, he could not
take him down and fell victim to his heavy strikes.
MMAWeekly
Radio caught up with Sanchez recently and asked him about the
rumors about how good Palelei was and his training with Team
Quest.
“To
a certain extent it matters who you train with, but a few months
training with Team Quest is not gonna make him superman,”
he said.
As
Sanchez was trying to open up with his strikes throughout the
fight, Palelei continued to clinch and much of the fight was
fought against the cage. Sanchez acknowledged the lack of action.
“I'm
my worst critic. To me, it was a boring fight. Every time I would
throw a combo, he'd tie up with me and he's a big dude,”
explained the California native. “I noticed I was pushing
the fight more. Once he couldn't take me down in the first round,
I think that really dampened his party.”
One
impressive feature that came out of Sanchez in his fight was
his ability to throw devastating combinations when he was in
close. According to him though, he just loves to try to get that
knockout.
“As
a fighter, I haven't been in the game too long. I haven't reached
my potential. I listen to my corner. Boxing is part of the game
and I have been working on my boxing extensively. I love the
knockouts, which is why I throw the big combos.”
When
he knocked out Mario Neto in his UFC debut back in September
2006, Sanchez was summoned shortly thereafter to take on a devastating
striker in Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. Sanchez never
got into a rhythm and fell pray to his strikes. Now with Cro
Cop losing his last two fights, the talk of a possible rematch
has started to surface.
“That
came up at the post fight interviews. That's definitely in the
back of my mind to definitely rematch the guy who I have my only
loss to. But that's in the back of my mind. What's in the front
of my mind is climbing the ladder and getting the gold around
my waist.”
Sanchez’s
second consecutive victory moves him one step up in the heavyweight
division towards title contention. With Randy Couture's resignation
and the uncertainty of Andrei Arlovski's contract, a couple more
wins for Sanchez could see him vying for the title.
“The
heavyweight division nowadays in the UFC is definitely more stacked
than it was a couple years ago. I'm right in the middle of things.
I'm probably going to have to beat two top-level guys to get
a shot.”
Winning
a title isn't everything to Sanchez though. He just loves the
sport and wants to enjoy the ride.
“My
ultimate goal in this fight game is to be prosperous and win
and enjoy it, you know? I want to get the title of course, but
more than anything I want to enjoy the ride and fight my ass
off.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
INOUE
SET TO DEFEND AT PANCRASE
Pancrase has announced the initial card for its first show of
2008, taking place at Korakuen Hall on Jan. 30.
In
the main event, welterweight King of Pancrase Katsuya Inoue is
set to defend his title against PANCRASEism fighter Satoru Kitoka.
This will be the third time that these two have met, Inoue won
the first encounter and they drew the second time around.
Inoue
comes off a draw with Japanese journeyman Shigetoshi Iwase at
Kingdom of Grapple: Live 2007. Kitaoka won a close split decision
victory over IFL veteran Jason Palacios at Pancrase Rising 6.
The
card will also mark the return of women’s fighter WINDY
Tomomi, who comes off a horrific ankle injury that she suffered
at a Bodog Fight taping.
Pancrase
January 30th, 2008
Korakuen Hall
Welterweight
King of Pancrase Championship Bout:
Katsuya Inoue vs. Satoru Kitaoka
Lightweight
Bout:
Daisuke “13” Hanazawa vs. Wataru Takahashi
Lightweight
Bout:
Shinsuke Shoji vs. Yuichi Ikari
Bantamweight
Bout:
Yuki Yamasawa vs. Seiya Kawahara
Scheduled
to Participate: WINDY Tomomi
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“A
hug is a handshake from the heart.”
Source Unknown
|
XTREME
COUTURE BRANCHING INTO CANADA
The first Canadian Xtreme Couture training facility will open
in Toronto within the next couple of months. The 33,000-square-foot
mixed martial arts training facility is the first of its kind
in the country.
The
fitness center will be located in Etobicoke, Ontario and will
house instructors that have fought in some of the most prominent
organizations including Ultimate Fighting Championship, International
Fight League, King Of The Cage and Freedom Fight. Disciplines
that will be taught at this location include: Muay Thai kickboxing,
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wresting, Judo,
Submission Grappling, and Traditional Boxing.
“This
will be the first of four locations that we plan to open across
Canada,” said Doug Urch, owner of the Xtreme Couture Gym.
“Regardless of whether you’re a professional or a beginner,
we have a number of classes geared to men, women and children.”
The
facility will be modeled after Randy Couture’s gym in Las
Vegas. The state of the art training equipment, boxing ring and
full size professional octagon will be second to none.
The
Toronto branch of Xtreme Couture Canada includes the following
professional instructors:
Brent
Beauparlant – MMA/Wrestling Instructor
Chris Horodecki – MMA/Muay Thai Instructor
Mark Hominick – MMA/Muay Thai Instructor
Jeff Joslin – MMA/Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instructor
Shawn Geris – Freestyle/Greco Roman Wrestling Instructor
Dave Mair – Freestyle Wrestling Instructor
Yuri Botnarenko – Greco Roman Wrestling Instructor
Marco Antico – Muay Thai Instructor
Mish Cirkunov – Judo Instructor
Patrick Goulah – Traditional Jiu Jitsu Instructor
As
the facilities grow look for more instructors to be added.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
79 SALARIES AND ATTENDANCE FIGURES
MMAWeekly has obtained the fighter salary and ticket information
for UFC 79, which took place on Dec. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Event
Center in Las Vegas.
The
attendance for UFC 79 was 10, 968 accounting for total gate receipts
of $4,934,500, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship also held a closed-circuit
broadcast at inside Mandalay Bay, which was attended by 541 people
and accounted for an additional $27,050 in revenue.
The
following figures are based on the fighter salary information
that Zuffa, LLC (the UFC’s parent company) are required
by law to submit to the state athletic commissions, including
the winners' bonuses.
Although
MMA fighters do not have collective bargaining or a union, the
fighters' salaries are still public record, just as with every
other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed bonuses
that Zuffa and the UFC also pay its fighters (specifically, pay-per-view
bonuses for the top pay-per-view main event fighters, fight of
the night bonuses, etc.), are not included in the figures below.
The
following fighters received a $50,000 bonus from the UFC for
the awards noted: Georges St-Pierre (Submission of the Night),
Eddie Sanchez (Knockout of the Night), and Chuck Liddell and
Wanderlei Silva ($50,000 each for Fight of the Night).
In
the listings below, " Main Event Fighters" are defined
as fighters who compete in the main event of a show. "Main
Card Fighters" are defined as fighters whose fights appear
on the main card, but not in title fights or in the main event.
"Preliminary Match Fighters" are defined as fighters
whose matches take place before the live broadcast goes on the
air, regardless of whether or not those matches end up airing
on the TV broadcast.
MAIN
EVENT FIGHTERS
-Chuck
Liddell: $500,000 (20th fight in UFC; defeated Wanderlei Silva;
no win bonus)
-Georges
St-Pierre: $160,000 (11th; defeated Matt Hughes; includes win
bonus of $80,000)
-Wanderlei
Silva: $150,000 (4th fight in UFC; lost to Chuck Liddell; no
win bonus)
-Matt
Hughes: $100,000 (19th fight in UFC; lost to Georges St-Pierre;
win bonus would have been $100,000)
MAIN
CARD FIGHTERS
-Lyoto
Machida: $60,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou;
includes win bonus of $30,000)
-Eddie
Sanchez: $46,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Soa Palelei; includes
win bonus of $23,000)
-Rameau
Thierry Sokoudjou: $40,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Lyoto Machida;
win bonus would have been $40,000)
-Rich
Clementi: $28,000 (6th fight in UFC; defeated Melvin Guillard;
includes win bonus of $14,000)
-Melvin
Guillard: $10,000 (6th fight in UFC; lost to Rich Clementi; win
bonus would have been $10,000)
-Soa
Palelei: $5,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to Eddie Sanchez; win
bonus would have been $5,000)
PRELIMINARY
MATCH FIGHTERS
-Dean
Lister: $22,000 (4th fight in UFC; defeated Jordan Radev; includes
win bonus of $11,000)
-Manny
Gamburyan: $20,000 (2nd fight in UFC; defeated Nate Mohr; includes
win bonus of $10,000)
-James
Irvin: $16,000 (6th fight in UFC; defeated Luis Cane; includes
win bonus of $8,000)
-Roan
Carneiro: $10,000 (3rd fight in UFC; defeated Tony DeSouza; includes
win bonus of $5,000)
-Tony
DeSouza: $7,000 (6th fight in UFC; lost to Roan Carneiro; win
bonus would have been $7,000)
-Mark
Bocek: $6,000 (2nd fight in UFC; defeated Doug Evans; includes
win bonus of $3,000)
-Nate
Mohr: $6,000 (3rd fight in UFC; lost to Manny Gamburyan; win
bonus would have been $6,000)
-Luis
Cane: $5,000 (1st fight in UFC; lost to James Irvin; win bonus
would have been $5,000)
-Jordan
Radev: $5,000 (2nd fight in UFC; lost to Dean Lister; win bonus
would have been $5,000)
-Doug
Evans: $3,000 (2nd fight in UFC; lost to Mark Bocek; win bonus
would have been $3,000)
DISCLOSED
FIGHTER PAYROLL: $1,199,000
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ON
TRACK, LIDDELL WANTS HIS TITLE BACK
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder
Chuck Liddell solidified his place in mixed martial arts history
on Dec. 29 when he defeated long-time rival and former Pride
Fighting Championships middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva
at UFC 79: Nemesis in Las Vegas.
"It's
great to get back on the winning track, getting my hand raised,"
Liddell told MMAWeekly.com.
Coming
off back-to-back losses heading into the fight, many questioned
if he still had what it takes to compete on MMA's highest level.
Changes in preparation, both mentally and physically, showed
in his performance.
"I
think I changed a little bit of the intensity in the room, and
kind of getting back to being a mixed martial artist. You know,
mixing everything in and not just being a striker," commented
the 38-year-old about his training.
Liddell
was able to secure two takedowns against Silva and attempted
three. We hadn't seen him take anyone down since his match with
Alistair Overeem in August of 2003.
Discussing
the takedowns, he explained, "I definitely wanted to work
them in there sometime during the fight and keep him off balance
a little bit."
Liddell
was able to utilize his reach advantage and keep Silva at the
end of his punches throughout the fight, something he does extremely
well.
"I
always try to use that advantage," he stated. "I've
got pretty long arms for my height and always got a good reach
for my size and weight class, so I've got to use that as much
as possible.
"It
just kind of works in the way I fight. There was no extra plan
for it, but that's just kind of how I do things."
Silva
also likes to trade from the outside, but is probably more devastating
and dangerous from the clinch position where we've seen him finish
current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage"
Jackson twice. The one time Liddell and Silva clinched in the
bout, Liddell did the damage with two elbow strikes.
"I
thought he would have tried to clinch more," Liddell reflected.
"But I'm also decent in the clinch, and I throw good elbows
in there when I gain that position, so I'm real comfortable there."
In
round two, the former UFC champ hit the canvas twice. The first
one was a slip, but the second time Liddell went down appeared
to be caused by a punch. He agreed and disagreed, saying, "It
was a slip. It was more getting hit while I was moving in an
odd way and slipped. I just had a couple of slips in that round."
Along
with the subtle changes in training, Liddell sought out motivational
speaker Tony Robbins to assist in focusing for the bout.
He
commented, "It was really good. . . I think (working with
Robbins) really did help me get better and focus on just being
in the moment of the fight. I'm not worried about anything else."
Refocused
and motivated, Liddell expects a big year in 2008.
"I'm
back. I'm coming after my title, and hopefully get a shot at
that some time in 2008."
Asked
about a rematch with Wanderlei Silva, and if the saga is over,
Liddell responded, "I'm going after my title. I want to
get the title back. If people want to see a rematch with us after
that, then yeah. Sure."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Most
of the successful people I've known are the ones who do more
listening than talking."
Bernard M. Baruch, 1870-1965, American Financier and Statesman
|
WCO
confirms card
Babalu, Ximu and Fabio Costa called up
On
the coming 12th another international event will take place.
The WCO (World Cagefighting Organization) will be held in the
San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California. The event created
by former boxer Bruce Bellocchi will include stars form MMA’s
past and present.
Mark
Kerr seems to have returned to action and will have his second
fight in little over two months, against veteran Rick Roufus,
while former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez will slug
it out with Mike Kyle. Representing Brazil, Renato Babalu will
face off with UFC veteran Vernon White, Gustavo Ximu will go
against Joe Riggs, who has already figured in events like Strikeforce,
the WEC and the UFC. The third Brazilian on the card, Fabio Costa
will fight Carlos Fuentes. Here’s the complete card:
Renato
“Babalu” Sobral vs Vernon White
Ricco Rodriguez vs Mike Kyle
Mark Kerr vs Rick Roufus
Jimmy Ambriz vs Wesley
“Cabbage” Correira
Joe Riggs vs Gustavo Machado
Virgil Zwicker vs David Mejia
Davis Loiseau vs Leopoldo Serao
Tiki Ghosn vs J.J. Ambrose
Fabio Costa vs Carlos Fuentes
Georgi Karakahyan vs Armando Sanchez
Tony Sylvestor vs Cain Velasquez
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Five
Memorable Moments from the Weekend
by Joe Hall
The
last week of 2007 offered a final onslaught of fights. Selecting
from the four significant shows that closed out the year -- the
IFL, the UFC, K-1 and Yarennoka -- here are five moments worth
highlighting:
5.
Ryan Schultz traps Chris Horodecki's arm and pounds him out
Schultz's
win was no surprise, but the brutality of his victory over Horodecki
in the IFL Grand Prix Finals was certainly an eye-opener. He
made it look easy, as if the 20-year-old Canadian was undefeated
only because no one had ever bothered to pin his arm behind his
back and pummel his face.
Like
every mixed martial artist, Horodecki had to lose sooner or later.
The defeat was sudden and violent, but the blemish it scratches
onto his record is no bigger than the mark left by losing a decision.
A
first loss can be a psychological hurdle, however. We'll see
how Horodecki responds.
4.
Fedor Emelianenko stares down Hong Man Choi's sternum
I
looked forward to this fight as much as you did.
The
pre-fight staredown, which brought Fedor and his enormous opponent
together in the center of the ring, better explained why this
bout was made than 5,000 words on the topic could have done.
There
were a few interesting moments -- seeing Fedor struggle initially
to maneuver underneath Choi, seeing him wrestle his whole body
against Choi's arm, seeing him try to trip 350 solid pounds.
Much
more interesting, though, would have been a camera focused on
M-1 Global officials after Fedor's first armbar attempt failed.
Choi powered out of the hold and slammed his oversized fist into
Fedor's head a few times. The fight returned to the feet, and
a camera zoomed in on Fedor's face -- the face of M-1 Global
-- which was missing two sizable swaths of skin.
In
hindsight, Monte Cox and company had little to worry about. But
in the moment, they couldn't have enjoyed such rough treatment
of their multi-million-dollar investment.
3.
Kazuo Misaki delivers a fight-finishing kick to the face of Yoshihiro
Akiyama
Perhaps
the most thrilling scenario in fighting is when a pugilist pushed
to the edge of defeat rallies back to victory. The closer one
comes to losing, the more exhilarating the comeback.
Kazuo
Misaki was pretty close.
Six
minutes into his New Year's Eve bout against Yoshihiro Akiyama,
Misaki fell asleep at the harmless sight of his opponent's feinting
jab. Akiyama finally fired one the moment Misaki quit moving
his head -- he pumped the real thing behind another feint --
and the jab measured Misaki exactly for the right hand that came
next.
In
mixed martial arts you can recognize a good one-two combination
by its sound. Thrown perfectly, it goes off something like a
shotgun, with two quick beats -- the punches landing, the gun
pumping -- then a pause before the big conclusion. The gun gives
a blast for its finale, but the one-two ends with a thump.
The
thump, of course, is someone hitting the canvas. It's a sound
that often ends fights, and Misaki looked finished when he collapsed
with his right arm straightened awkwardly at his side. Yet he
defended well while coming to, then clawed back into the bout.
Back
on the feet, Misaki threw a left hook to the body that Akiyama
blocked with his arm. Akiyama defended the next left hook the
same way, his arm shielding his ribs.
The
only problem was that Misaki had thrown the punch at his head.
The
Japanese audience, which had uncharacteristically expressed its
disdain for Akiyama with boos and then bitterly watched him nearly
win, let out a collective roar when Misaki rushed after his fallen
opponent. Akiyama struggled to his feet just in time to make
legal the kick that smacked into his face.
A
pair of punches followed, and the ref shoved Misaki off, giving
him the win just two minutes after he had nearly taken the loss.
2.
Chuck Liddell stalks in on Wanderlei Silva
Early
in the first round, Silva caught a right hand on his ear and
slowly reeled back into the cage. A second passed before Liddell
realized he had apparently hurt his opponent, prompting him to
hustle forward with another loaded right hand.
Silva
was waiting, his back against the fence, his hands ready to swing.
At that point there was just enough time to understand what was
about to happen: the exchange we had waited years for.
The
first strikes -- a left from Silva, a right from Liddell -- deflected
each other. Silva then missed with a wild right, though the blow
caused Liddell to stumble away.
As
"The Iceman" moved back in, it was quite clear that
Silva was grinning. We can only speculate on what exactly he
was grinning at, be it Liddell or the joy of trying to take off
another human's head while he tries to take off yours.
The
grin was gone when they resumed throwing. Silva winged his left-right-left
bombs, technically terrible but undeniably powerful, with no
success. Liddell landed the best strike -- a left hook he dropped
across Silva's chin -- but both men survived to engage in a thrilling
exchange at the end of a memorable second round.
This
time Liddell connected with an overhand right that backed an
already bloody Silva into the cage yet again. Both tasted leather
in the punishing trade that followed, but the Brazilian got the
worst of it. In fact, he should have been knocked out. In that
situation, with an opponent hurt and trapped against the cage,
Liddell finishes just about anyone.
Silva
was game. His heart matched Liddell's beat for beat, but his
hands could not.
1.
Matt Hughes, with his eye closed and his arm bending in a bad
way, verbally submits
It
wasn't an undignified ending.
Rather,
Hughes' verbal surrender at UFC 79 was a respectable admission.
A gesture minutes earlier had said the same thing. On his way
to his corner after a demoralizing first round, Hughes passed
Georges St. Pierre and slapped him on the back as if to say,
"Wow. Good one, man."
After
the fight Hughes came right out with the words: "Georges
is just a better fighter."
That
much is certain, as is the reality that Hughes' domination at
170 pounds is done. He could do nothing against the Canadian.
At
one point in the first round, St. Pierre literally leapt into
a takedown for Hughes -- and still didn't end up on his back.
He went airborne for a superman punch, which Hughes ducked, allowing
him to catch St. Pierre in a deep double-leg.
This
would have been a nice time for Hughes to do that old number
when he hoists an opponent onto his shoulder, walks him around
the cage, gives everyone a moment to meditate on what's about
to happen and get a good angle to see it, and then slams the
poor guy on his back if he's lucky or his head if he's not.
How
did St. Pierre stay on his feet against an adversary who has
made a career of taking takedowns and who had been given one
here?
Beats
me.
Within
a second of coming down from his flying punch to land in Hughes'
arms, St. Pierre had popped his hips free. A second more and
he had clinched with Hughes and stuck a knee into his side.
Counseling
Hughes between rounds was longtime friend and training partner
Jeremy Horn. Horn is the man who helped Hughes add a submission
game to his arsenal, who cornered him for many of his 41 victories,
who climbed the Octagon apron and threw Hughes a thumbs-up after
he had armbarred St. Pierre in their first meeting.
Against
this version of St. Pierre, however, there wasn't much Horn could
say to help his friend deal with such an overwhelmingly athletic
foe. He did tell Hughes he had to throw his punches with more
intention if he wanted to set up takedowns.
"He's
getting," Hughes said in the corner. "He's getting
out of the …"
Horn
extracted Hughes' mouthpiece and the sentence trailed off, but
we can safely assume the missing word referred to takedowns.
"You're
all right," Horn said.
"I
know," Hughes replied quickly, though that didn't make the
response any truer.
With
a minute left in the second round, Hughes had his first success
of the fight. He scrambled out from underneath St. Pierre and
grabbed a deep single-leg against the cage. There was a call
of support from the audience, a burst of excitement from Hughes'
corner, a flash of hope.
The
next flash was the white blur of Hughes' legs flying through
the air as St. Pierre tossed him to the mat.
The
end followed. St. Pierre dropped a right elbow that closed Hughes'
eye, then isolated his arm and transitioned from a Kimura to
an armbar.
Hughes'
left hand was free to tap. But for whatever reason -- caught
in the moment of having his arm locked out perhaps -- the hand
stayed still, and the most accomplished fighter in UFC history
spoke his submission aloud.
Source: Sherdog
|
Rudimar:
‘Wand and Shogun should hire Cordeiro
Chute Boxe leader says he fears for former students’ futures
Pride
came to an end but that doesn’t mean the whole Fedrigo family
spent New Year’s Eve in Curitiba. Once again the patriarch
Rudimar was on the other side of the world, specifically in Japan.
The mission this time was to accompany Luiz Azeredo who faced
off with Tatsuya Kawajiri in one of the Yarennoka fights, on
December 31, in Tokyo. Unfortunately for Luiz he didn’t
win and the turning of the year was one to lament. “Every
move we wanted Luizinho to do, the Japanese did first. This Kawajiri
is a slick guy, he didn’t let Luizinho fight, props to him,”
said Rudimar.
Already
in Curitiba, the Chute Boxe leader was questioned by GRACIEMAG.com
about what he thought of Wanderlei Silva’s defeat to Chuck
Liddell, at UFC 79, on December 29th. Straightforward, Rudimar
said he feels no desire to criticize Wand, now fighting independently
and living in the United States. To the contrary, he wanted,
through GRACIEMAG.com, to send a message. “I recommend that
Wanderlei and Shogun hire Master Rafael Cordeiro. They need to
hire Master Rafael, as they need an MMA coach, someone that knows
about the beat down,” said Rudimar.
But
then would Rafael Cordeiro leave Chute Boxe? “No, I’ll
loan him to them. Because Master Rafael will never leave the
gym. He is a part of it and has canine-like loyalty. What the
others lack, he has in abundance. I fear for the future of these
athletes. Because I love them I’ll give them this advice.
They should urgently hire Master Rafael as soon as possible.
I’ll loan Master Rafael to them,” he finished.
Source: Gracie Magazine
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Jens
Pulver with Brazillian grounds
The great striker, Jens Pulver impressed everyone when submitted
Cub Swanson with a guillotine in 35 seconds of combat in the
WEC 31, which happened on December 12 in the United States. What
few people knew was that Pulver was training with the black-belt
of Judô and Jiu-Jitsu Pedro Silveira, who helped in the
preparation of Pulver to the fight. "I started to train
Jens Pulver and tried not change his kind of the game, because
he is already very experienced and professional. I´ve adapted
the game of Jiu-Jitsu and created a strategy for this fight.
Since his opponent was very good in ground and had finalized
many fights in the guillotine, I decided to use his own weapon
against him and surprise. Everyone said I was crazy, but Pulver
believed in me and everything has gone right, we won in 30 seconds",
said Pedro who returns to America on April 10 to train for his
next fight and to help Pulver in his training for the belt dispute
of WEC.
Source: Tatame
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2007
NYE ratings
By Zach Arnold
According
to Sports Navigator:
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