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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)
3/29/08
Garden Island Cage Match 7
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 8
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
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)
|
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January 2008 News
Part 2
|
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Quote
of the Day
"I've
always found that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team."
Lee Iacocca, American Industrialist and Automobile Executive
|
UFC
80 RAPID FIRE RESULTS!
BJ Wins the Interim Title, But Grove Loses
UFC 80: Rapid Fire
Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England
January 19, 2008
1. Sam Stout (155) def. Per Eklund (155) via unanimous decision
2. Alessio Sakara (206) def. James Lee (206) via TKO (strikes)
- R1 (1:30)
3. Paul Kelly (170) def. Paul Taylor (170) via unanimous decision
4. Antoni Hardonk (244) def. Colin Robinson (238) via TKO (strikes)
- R1 (0:17)
5. Jorge Rivera (185) def. Kendall Grove (186) via TKO (strikes)
- R1 (1:20)
6. Wilson Gouveia (205) def. Jason Lambert (204) via TKO (strikes)
- R2 (0:37)
7. Marcus Davis (169) def. Jess Liaudin (170) via KO - R1 (1:04)
8. Fabricio Werdum (247) def. Gabriel Gonzaga (255) via TKO (strikes)
- R2 (4:34)
9. BJ Penn (154) def. Joe Stevenson (154) via sub (rear naked
choke) - R2 (4:02)
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
83 to move from the UK to the US
By Moses Utomi
UFC 83, originally planned for Manchester, England, will happen
in the US instead, reports Steve Sievert of the Houston Chronicle's
“Brawl Sports” blog.
Dana
White was still unsure of the event’s location when asked
about it at last Thursday's UFC 80 conference call.
“We’re
still working on that,” he said. “I should have an
answer to that question in a couple of days. We’re still
trying to figure out what we’re doing in March.”
The
event is still rumored for March 8th, just a week after the UFC
82 card that features a middleweight dream match between Anderson
Silva and Dan Henderson.
The
UFC 83 card was supposed to feature TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping
in his middleweight debut after a split decision loss to Rashad
Evans. A fight between James Irvin and Houston Alexander was
also reported to take place.
In
addition, the blog’s source confirms that UFC 84 will take
place in Montreal on April 19th. The rumors so far have the card
looking like one of the best of the year, with Georges St. Pierre
fighting Matt Serra for the welterweight title, Jason MacDonald
against Joe Doerksen, Karo Parysian and taking on Thiago Alves
in a highly anticipated bout, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s
return to the Octagon, and TUF season 6 winner Mac Danzig fighting
at lightweight against Mark Bocek.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
CAGE
RAGE ‘BUZZES’ SHAMROCK
UFC Hall-of-Famer Draws ‘Buzz’ Berry at Cage Rage 25
on March 8
By Brian Knapp
UFC
Hall-of-Famer Ken Shamrock will make his promotional debut against
Robert Berry at Cage Rage 25 “Bring It On” on Saturday,
March 8 at Wembley Arena in London. Shamrock’s manager,
Rod Donahoo, confirmed the bout on Thursday.
Shamrock
(26-12-2), who turns 44 in February, has lost seven of his past
nine fights, including four straight. He last competed in October
2006, when he succumbed to strikes against arch rival Tito Ortiz.
It was Shamrock’s third loss to the former UFC light heavyweight
champion, all three by TKO. The UFC released “The World’s
Most Dangerous Man” from his contract last June.
Still
one of the sport’s most recognizable figures, Shamrock remains
the only man to defeat fellow legend Bas Rutten twice. He also
holds victories over former UFC heavyweight champion Maurice
Smith and Dan Severn. Shamrock is one of four men – along
with Royce Gracie, Randy Couture and Severn – enshrined
in the UFC Hall of Fame.
Berry
(11-7, 6-3 CR), a veteran of the Cage Rage circuit, will enter
the bout on a two-fight losing streak. The British kickboxer
last fought in December, when he was stopped by unbeaten Neil
Grove at Cage Rage 24. Berry drew international attention in
December, when he challenged Internet street fighting legend
Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson. The two could meet in
the future, as Cage Rage and EliteXC – the promotion for
which Ferguson fights – are both owned by Pro Elite Inc.
All 11 of Berry’s victories have come by KO, TKO or submission.
Shamrock’s
son, Ryan, will also compete on the Cage Rage 25 card, though
no opponent has been announced. Ryan Shamrock made his professional
debut in August, when he submitted Josh Besneatte with a first-round
choke.
Source: The Fight Network
|
SHAW
TO WHITE: "LET HIM FIGHT OUR FIGHTERS"
by Damon Martin
The
war of words between Ultimate Fighting Championship president
Dana White and EliteXC live events president Gary Shaw continued
on Wednesday when, during a media conference call, the feud was
brought up and Shaw had strong words in response to what White
said recently.
“All
I'm saying is, and I've said it all along, there is a differentiator.
If you fight for the UFC, you can't be bigger than Dana White
and the UFC,” said Shaw.
“If
you fight for EliteXC, as a fighter, you're bigger than Gary
Shaw. It's about the fighter. It's not about me. Whether it's
Kimbo, who was signed to us, or any other fighter. I believe
we represent some of the greatest fighters in the world. I believe
that Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva could knockout any heavyweight
in the UFC.”
Speaking
about Antonio Silva, Shaw also confirmed that he will fight on
the Feb. 16 card facing Cage Rage heavyweight champion Gary Turner
in a bout that could showcase two of the best up-and-coming big
men in all of MMA.
Shaw
also had some complementary things to say about the UFC and what
its done for the sport of mixed martial arts, but was quick to
point out the exclusivity they keep with their fighters.
“Now,
I'm not disparaging the UFC. They have some great fighters and
great fights. They have a good brand,” he stated. “They
do a good job marketing their brand, but they don't own MMA.
They don't own the space. They have a brand.
“You
know what, if you hold up the belt there, all you are is the
club champion. Until Dana White is willing to fight his fighters
against other brands; all they are is club champions.”
The
open challenge was extended to White and the UFC to put their
fighters against the fighters from EliteXC, and while Shaw made
a strong gesture, a co-promoted show between the two organizations
will likely never happen.
“I
extend the challenge and always have. It's like Kimbo; you want
to fight him? Call us up, you can come in the cage and fight
him,” said Shaw. “You want to fight Jake Shields, fight
Jake Shields. We're proud of the people we represent. Robbie
Lawler, I could go down the whole roster.”
Despite
the challenges and compliments towards the UFC and their fighters,
Shaw was quick to once again point both barrels at UFC president
Dana White.
“For
Dana White to try to convince the fans that he owns all of the
best fighters in the world. To say that this is just a starting
point for fighters and then they're going to go to UFC. He is
full of (expletive),” said Shaw with conviction. “Let
him fight our fighters.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Ground
& Pound Awards 2007
By Zach Arnold
Press
Release
The
die is cast and the vote for the Third Annual Ground & Pound
Awards is over. Fans, fighters, managers, promoters and trainers
from all over the world have decided on the winners in the sixteen
categories.
Here
are the results:
*
Fighter of the Year: Anderson Silva (Brazil)
* Female Fighter of the Year: Tara Larosa (USA)
* Fight Team of the Year: Xtreme Couture (USA)
* Rookie of the Year: Thiago Silva (Brazil)
* Most Improved Fighter: Robbie Lawler (USA)
* Best Young Fighter: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Cameroon)
* Cult Fighter of the Year: Jason Miller (USA)
* German Fighter of the Year: Dennis Siver (Mannheim)
*
Boxer of the Year: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (USA)
* Kickboxer of the Year: Semmy Schilt (Holland)
* Grappler of the Year: Marcelo Garcia and Roger Gracie (both
Brazil)
*
Fight of the Year: Takanori Gomi vs. Nick Diaz (PRIDE.33)
* Knockout of the Year: Gabriel Napão vs. Mirko Cro Cop
(UFC 70)
* Submission of the Year: Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi (PRIDE.33)
*
Best Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
* Fight Event of the Year: PRIDE.33 “The Second Coming”
We
have recorded votes from all over the world including Germany,the
UK, Brazil, USA, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Sweden, Canada,France,
Norway, Denmark, Russia, Thailand, Belgium, Croatia, Poland,Italy,
Austria, Switzerland and Japan.
For
complete results, the exact distribution of the votes and in-depthanalysis,
please go here:
http://www.groundandpound.de/news/europa/ground-and-pound-awards-results-2007.html
Many
thanks to everybody who has participated!
Tim
Leidecker
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Interview
with Dan Henderson
MMA Madness Executive Editor Ben Zeidler recently spoke with
Dan Henderson, who discussed his future at Light Heavyweight,
his strategy for Anderson Silva, and his involvement with Team
Quest
MMA
Madness: What made you consider the drop to 185?
Dan
Henderson: Well, I was a little bit hesitant at first, but the
more I thought about it and the more I talked to Dana, I realized
how excited I was for this fight. Dana wanted me to drop down
for a while too so it made sense. Anderson Silva is a big challenge
for me and these are the kind of fights I like to take.
MMA
Madness: Win or lose, do you think you would ever go back up
to 205?
Dan
Henderson: I'll be staying at 185 for a while but I definitely
have plans to go back to 205 at some point in my career.
MMA
Madness: The Rampage fight was a close one, and many still have
you ranked #2 at 205. What would you do differently if you got
another shot at that title?
Dan
Henderson: I would definitely be a little more aggressive on
my feet and on top. I definitely think I made some mistakes and
I'm still making adjustments to fix what I did wrong and get
used to the cage. I can tell you that I wouldn't lost to him
again.
MMA
Madness: What are some of the difficulties of the cage?
Dan
Henderson: You just have to get used to it. You know, I tripped
once or twice just because I'm just used to having some give
with the ropes. With the ropes, you can't press your feet up
against them when you're standing up. Little things make the
difference in there. On the ground, I'm not to being able to
use it walk up. So I'll work on that and I'll be fine by the
time March 1st comes along.
MMA
Madness: How do you see yourself matching up to Anderson Silva?
Do you see him as a good match up for you?
Dan
Henderson: Yeah, I think for sure that I'm a bad match up for
him. His strength is his striking and he's technical, but he
likes to get into that clinch which is another strength of his.
But he's never fought anyone like me in that clinch and he won't
be used to that.
MMA
Madness: Are you saying that you WANT to be in Anderson Silva's
clinch?
Dan
Henderson: Yep, that's where I want to be. That's my home.
MMA
Madness: How is your training going for the fight? What specifically
are you working on?
Dan
Henderson: Training is good. Nothing too special as far as training,
Silva is a well rounded fighter. I want to work on my hands and
keeping them going, but nothing too specific. I'm getting some
southpaws in to spar with me, but that's about it.
MMA
Madness: Many consider the MW division to be easier than the
LHW. Do you see this as being true?
Dan
Henderson: I don't necessarily believe it's an easier division.
There are some studs out there and Silva is one of them. People
expect it to be a walk in the park for but size doesn't matter.
It all has to do with how technical you are and how good at fighting
you are. Mental toughness is a big part of it too. Silva will
be tough and he's proven that he can knock some guys out and
beat some guys that a lot of people thought should have beaten
him.
MMA
Madness: Who do you see as the best guys at 185?
Dan
Henderson: Well, there's...I dont know, there's quite a few and
Silva has beat most of them already. I can't think of any right
now.
MMA
Madness: You left Team Quest a little while ago to open up your
own place. How is new facility going?
Dan
Henderson: Well actually, I'm still technically with Team Quest.
Randy is the one who left. I opened up another Team Quest gym
in California. We have a great training situation with lots of
fighters and organized practices. We've got great strikers, great
wrestlers, and great jiu-jitsu guys. Everyone contributes knowledge,
we work on technique and it's just great. Matt and I still own
Team Quest together and we're looking on opening more gyms soon.
MMA
Madness: Well, you should think about the East Coast. I'm out
of Philadelphia and all we have are second-rate Action Karate
places.
Dan
Henderson: (Laughs) All right then, I'll remember that.
MMA
Madness: Any sponsors you'd like to thank? Do you have a website?
Dan
Henderson: Team Quest at teamquestmma.com. I just started my
clothing line, Clinch Gear so that's at clinch gear.com and danhenderson.com.
MMA
Madness: Anything to say to your fans?
Dan
Henderson: Hopefully I'll give you a great show on March 1st.
Thanks for all the support.
Source: Fight Opinion/MMA Madness
|
Anatomy
of a promotional fiasco
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports
The
success of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which routinely
draws multimillion dollar live gates for its major shows, has
led would-be promoters to believe you can sign some former UFC
stars, book a major arena, and you'll have a successful event.
The
reality is altogether different.
For
the second time in three months, a mixed martial arts event at
a major California arena was canceled by the state athletic commission
due to financial issues involving overreaching promoters.
Commission director Armando Garcia canceled the World Cagefighting
Organization's Saturday night show at the San Diego Sports Arena,
which featured name fighters such as former UFC stars Renato
"Babalu" Sobral, Mark Kerr, Vernon White, Ricco Rodriguez,
Joe Riggs and David Loiseau, just a few hours before the doors
were scheduled to open. Garcia made the ruling because of financial
issues; he wanted proof the promoters would be able to pay the
fighters and other bills before allowing them to do the show.
"They
didn't have the money," said Garcia. "The money they
had couldn't be authorized until the end of the month."
But
the situation was a lot more complicated. Rick Bassman of Valor
Fighting, the promoter of record for the show, was at a Wells
Fargo Bank branch in San Diego at 2 p.m. on Saturday, waiting
for Bruce Bellocchi, the actual promoter, to sign over a deposit
of $225,000 made in an account so that Bassman could be the only
person to write checks. Wells Fargo couldn't verify that the
funds were going to clear.
Bellocchi
wouldn't sign off on the money until Garcia authorized that the
show was scheduled to continue. Garcia had given the promotion
a 10 a.m. deadline to have proof of funding for the $183,300
in total purse money as well as money that would be needed to
pay the bills to the arena and commission.
He
had extended the deadline, and would not allow the show to go
on unless there was proof of sufficient money in an account that
could be drawn on with a guarantee the funds wouldn't be withdrawn
or that checks written on the account wouldn't bounce.
Bellocchi
didn't make the first deadline, and Garcia had it extended a
few hours. There was a standoff at the bank, and Bellocchi refused
to sign off.
In
October, a similar mess took place for a show scheduled for the
Cow Palace in San Francisco which was canceled hours before the
event was to take place because they didn't have a safe cage
to fight in as well as concerns that the fighters weren't going
to be paid.
In
both cases, all fighters who had weighed in and had their fights
approved by the commissions got 20% of their purses through the
bond the promoters of record have to post with the state. In
Saturday’s case, Bassman, who claimed his contract with
Bellocchi stated Bellocchi was responsible for the financing
of the event but they would use Bassman's license, ended up having
to write checks totaling $36,660 to pay the fighters who didn't
get to fight. He said he was preparing to take legal action against
Bellocchi.
Garcia
said he learned of the potential problems at Friday’s weigh-ins,
from Bassman, who told him he was worried the money wasn't there
to pay the fighters after Bellocchi's financier, Jim Miller,
failed to deposit the $218,000 promised to cover costs at 9 a.m.
that morning.
According
to sources, Miller, Bassman and Brian Layne had met the day before
at a different San Diego bank, with Miller talking about how
the show was going to be a success, expecting a sellout in an
8,900-seat setup. He showed Bassman what he believed was a Ticketmaster
report that listed 7,000 tickets sold for an advance of $230,000.
Bassman was immediately skeptical, noting that with the exception
of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which has drawn large
crowds in Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, and Scott Coker's
Strikeforce shows in San Jose, which have popular local drawing
cards, nobody draws that kind of a paid crowd for MMA in California.
Bassman
claimed that Miller called the arena and found out the real advance
was 1,043 tickets sold for $70,000 at Ticketmaster outlets and
the arena box office. There were another 480 tickets, for $33,000,
out on consignment. He said it appeared Miller had received a
forged report. Bassman said a phone message on his home phone
from Layne stated Miller's agreement was all the box office receipts
would go directly to him, but that when he talked to the arena
people, they knew nothing of such a deal and weren't authorized
to do so.
Similarly,
the October San Francisco Cow Palace event that was called off
had only 300 tickets sold.
Publicity
for the show was poor. Jonathan Iosim, an avid MMA fan in San
Diego, said that neither he nor any of his friends who he classified
as hardcore fans, even knew such a show was taking place. Bellocchi
at first contacted a cable advertising firm in the city in December
about buying a schedule, but had earmarked a low advertising
budget for running such a major arena. He ended up not buying
anything at the time, but came back the week of the show, and
got ads in local cable rotation the last three days before the
show.
The
prime audience to attend such an event would be those who watch
UFC programming on Spike TV. But the final episode of Spike's
UFC programming last week was on Wednesday night, the day before
the ads started running.
"At
9:01 a.m. on Friday, I got a phone call from Brian Layne, saying
there's bad news and good news," said Bassman. "The
bad news is, Jim pulled out. I asked how there could be good
news. He said that Bruce had agreed to put up the money."
At
10:40 a.m., Bellocchi, who was unable to be reached by Yahoo!
Sports for comment on Sunday, made a $225,000 deposit in a Wells
Fargo account under the name World Cagefighting Organization.
But Bassman said only $5,000 of the money could be drawn starting
on the 15th, three days after the show, and the remaining $220,000
couldn't be drawn until the 25th.
With
Garcia on the verge of canceling the show, Bellocchi had a meeting
with the fighters, where he asked at least some of them if they
would tear up their contracts, and sign new contracts that would
only guarantee them $100 to fight, promising he would then pay
them the rest of their promised purses later in the month. Bellocchi
claimed to Garcia and Bassman that all of the fighters had agreed,
but Bassman said when he called fighters, the ones he spoke with
claimed they never agreed.
Garcia
indicated it was ridiculous to even consider allowing such a
thing.
Bellocchi
blamed the commission in an interview with MMA website Sherdog.com.
He noted he attempted to apply for his own promoters license
on Friday, but it would be impossible to process such an application
on such short notice, and it fell short of commission requirements.
"With
our promoter's license application in limbo, there was nothing
we could do this late in the process," he told Sherdog.com.
"I'm seriously considering never doing business in California
again. I'm kind of in a state of shock. When you're dealing with
people that are unreasonable, it's tough to get by." Bellocchi
had run MMA shows in the state previously, most recently a Nov.
7 event in Hollywood where he used the license of well-known
boxing promoter Jackie Kallen, that came off smoothly.
Dave
Meltzer covers mixed martial arts for Yahoo! Sports. Meltzer,
who has published the pro wrestling trade industry publication
the Wrestling Observer Newsletter since 1982, began covering
MMA with UFC 1 in 1993. He is a graduate of San Jose State University,
and has written for the Oakland Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and
The National. Send Dave a question or comment for potential use
in a future column or webcast.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Zuffa
seeks retraction of statements by former UFC owner
By Cindy Ortiz
Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, has formally requested
that CNBC air a retraction concerning “misstatements and
inaccuracies” regarding the Zuffa Owners’ purchase
of the UFC brand and Lorenzo Fertitta’s conduct as an NSAC
commissioner.
CNBC
recently aired a documentary entitled “Ultimate Fighting:
From Blood Sport to Big Time” featuring an interview with
Robert Meyrowitz regarding his role as President of Semaphore
Entertainment Group (SEG), predecessor-in-interest to the Ultimate
Fighting Championship brand.
When
discussing SEG’s need to obtain Nevada State Athletic Commission
approval for mixed martial arts prior to selling the brand to
Zuffa, LLC in January 2001, Meyrowitz stated:
“We
went out there [to Nevada], it looked like we had the votes,
we were told we did, and about midnight I got a phone call that
one of the commissioners had changed his mind… and it turns
out that commissioner was Lorenzo Fertitta, that he had changed
his mind and that we wouldn’t be able to get approval.”
According
to UFC President Dana White, Zuffa immediately challenged the
false claims made by Meyrowitz and proof of the misstatements
prompted CNBC to correct the content of the program in subsequent
re-airings.
While
appreciative of the networks efforts to ensure the accuracy of
the encore presentations, Zuffa has informed CNBC this action
alone is not adequate to address the detrimental effect of the
fabricated and erroneous information contained in the original
broadcast.
A
copy of the document requesting the retraction was recently obtained
by MMAFighting.com and the key elements are as follows:
1.
False comments made by Mr. Meyrowitz pertaining to the sale of
the UFC brand by SEG to Zuffa strongly imply that Lorenzo Fertitta
attempted to improperly use his regulatory authority as a member
of the NSAC to doom SEG’s efforts to obtain NSAC approval
of MMA.
2.
The average member of CNBC’s viewing audience would be tempted
or even encouraged by Mr. Meyrowitz’s false statements to
believe that Lorenzo Fertitta sought to exploit his NSAC position
for personal gain.
3.
Mr. Meyrowitz is fully aware that no one ever called and told
him Lorenzo Fertitta had changed his “vote” –
even had there been such a vote.
4.
If any “midnight call” was received by Mr. Meyrowitz
in reference to the hearing, it was not regarding any pending
approval of MMA in Nevada and it certainly was not from Lorenzo
Fertitta himself, any other member of the NSAC or other source
authorized to speak on the NSAC’s behalf.
5.
Mr. Meyrowitz also gave an inaccurate portrayal to CNBC of how
the Zuffa owners first contacted SEG regarding the possible purchase
of the UFC brand by claiming that he first received a phone call
from Dana White in which Mr. White stated “I have somebody
who wants to buy this, you’ll never guess who… I said
give me one guess… Lorenzo Fertitta… he said ‘how’d
you guess? I said ‘call me lucky.’”
6.
Mr. Meyrowitz attempts to demonstrate a sinister motive by falsely
stating that the same commissioner that voted against MMA’s
approval subsequently tried to approach SEG through a third party
to acquire the UFC brand.
7.
This description of events relating to Zuffa’s purchase
of the UFC assets from SEG aired on CNBC are inaccurate and Mr.
Meyrowitz knows full well, at a much later date, months after
resigning from the NSAC to pursue his new role as President of
Station Casinos, Inc., Lorenzo Fertitta contacted Mr. Meyrowitz
directly after learning that Mr. Meyrowitz was interested in
selling a controlling interest in the UFC assets.
8.
CNBC’s editing of the false statements made by Mr. Meyrowitz
are in such a way as it appears that Lorenzo Fertitta “voted”
against Mr. Meyrowitz and immediately thereafter had Dana White
call Mr. Meyrowitz to indicate that Lorenzo Fertitta wanted to
buy the UFC assets. Such editing portrayed to CNBC’s viewers
that Lorenzo Fertitta abused his governmental position to obtain
a private advantage-an impression that could not be further from
the truth.
9.
Eighteen months transpired between the NSAC public meeting and
the time Lorenzo Fertitta spoke to Mr. Meyrowitz about the purchase
of the UFC assets.
10.
Mr. Meyrowitz’s claim that the purpose of the (April 1999)
meeting was to vote for the approval of MMA by the NSAC is false.
A
copy of the Agenda and Minutes of the April 23, 1999 NSAC meeting
has also been obtained.
The
Agenda reveals there was no scheduled vote to approve MMA as
a fully sanctioned sport in Nevada at such meeting, only a “presentation”
by SEG (page 2 item 13 of published Agenda states: Presentation
by SEG Sports Corporation and filing of the rules and regulations
of the Mixed Martial Arts Council.
The
published Minutes (page 1 item 4) of the April 23, 1999 meeting
indicate: Mr. Meyrowitz and Mr. Chwasky addressed the commission
regarding item #13 on the agenda. They asked that the item be
deleted from the agenda. They also invited the commissioners
to attend their next live event and then they will ask to be
placed on a future agenda. Both Mr. Meyrowitz and Mr. Chwasky
stated that they felt viewing an event of mixed martial arts
would answer some of the questions that the commission might
have. Marc Ratner stated that Chairman Ghanem would appoint a
committee to attend the event and report back to the commission.
This
sequence of events is recorded in the written factual record
and directly contradicts Mr. Meyrowitz’s recounting of such
events during the CNBC interview. The record shows not only that
no such vote was scheduled but that the NSAC, of which Lorenzo
Fertitta was a commissioner at the time, appeared willing to
embrace MMA and investigate it further by sending a committee
to attend SEG’s next event, thereby facilitating the process
of educating NSAC commissioners about the sport and increasing
the chances of MMA’s ultimate approval and regulation.
The
NSAC records appear to be inline with comments made by Lorenzo
Fertitta during an interview with Joel Gold published in the
February 2001 edition of Full Contact Fighter Magazine.
Excerpts
of applicable content from the interview (available online in
its entirety at http://www.fcfighter.com/news0103.htm):
FCF:
When you were a member on the Nevada State Athletic Commission,
I came out to Vegas along with the UFC and their lawyer. As it
was told to me, there was to be a vote on whether the Nevada
State Athletic Commission was going to approve the UFC. But a
vote never did take place; can you tell me why a vote never happened
and what was your feeling about the UFC at that time?
LF:
I think there lies miscommunication. As far as the Commission
was concerned, there never was supposed to be a vote; it was
only an agenda item for discussion. We had never even discussed
Mixed Martial Arts. We had never talked about it. We knew nothing
about it. All of a sudden, it showed up on our agenda and, for
whatever reason, people were expecting a vote and that is just
not how the process works. What you have to understand is the
reason that Nevada is looked at as one of the premier regulatory
bodies throughout the world is because they do the homework.
And that was not necessarily a time for a vote, but the time
that got the ball rolling to start doing the homework.
What
that means is myself and a fellow Commissioner and the head of
the medical advisory board flew out to a UFC fight in Iowa and
we started collecting data relative to Mixed Martial Arts, watching
videos, reading publications and just trying to learn as much
as we could about it, but I think that is where there was a little
bit of miscommunication. There was never supposed to be a vote
regarding Mixed Martial Arts.
Sanctioning
in the state of Nevada was eventually approved and the first
UFC event took place at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las
Vegas on September 28, 2001.
According
to Dave Meltzer (Wrestling Observer), Mr. Meyrowitz recently
announced plans to return to the sport of MMA. Meyrowitz and
leading event promoter Live Nation have signed a deal to start
a new promotion and details of the partnership will be disclosed
in the coming weeks.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Demian
back at UFC 83
Adversary will be Ed Herman
One
of the standouts in the UFC middleweight category, Demian Maia,
who in his debut for the organization, in October, submitted
Ryan Jensen while still in the first round, will return to the
octagon shortly.
The
Jiu-Jitsu black belt, undefeated in six fights as a professional
in MMA, will be back on March 8th at UFC 83, against Team Quest
fighter Ed Herman (14w and 5l), who is coming off three wins
in a row in the event, with two by submission and one by knockout.
After vacationing in California, Demian is back in Sao Paulo
and shot the breeze with GRACIEMAG.com.
“I
got back to Sao Paulo today; I was vacationing in California
with my wife, where I also shot some Jiu-Jitsu dvds. I’ll
be back at the UFC on March 8th to fight Ed Herman, who I don’t
know, but my manager brought me a tape with some of his fights
to analyze, but I haven’t had time to watch yet.”
On
preparing for his next commitment, the black belt said: “At
this moment I’m with my physical trainer putting together
a training spreadsheet, since I’ll start today and starting
next week training is going to be heavy, as I only have seven
weeks till the fight. I’m going to put greater importance
on the standup part, I don’t know if I’ll be able to
practice Jiu-Jitsu the way I would like, but I will never neglect
it, because that’s what resolves my fights for me.”
As
in the interview with Ricardo Cachorrao yesterday, GRACIEMAG.com
asked Demian to analyze his category, which is ever more hotly
disputed.
“I’m
thankful to Cachorrao for having mentioned me, I’ve watched
the guy fight since I was a kid and he’s tough. There’s
also Thales (Leites) who’s good, and Anderson Silva, who’s
the best. I think Henderson, even though he is very tough and
dangerous, won’t be able to do anything against him.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
***MEDIA
ALERT***
PRESENTS:
"STRIKEFORCE
AT THE DOME" PRESS CONFERENCE
Tickets to "Strikeforce At The Dome" are on sale at
Tacoma Dome box office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, online at
ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at
(253-627-TIXS)
WHAT:
Press conference to announce "Strikeforce At The Dome"
mixed martial arts (MMA) mega-event at Tacoma, Washington's Tacoma
Dome on Saturday, February 23rd.
Former
Washington State University football standout and NFL lineman
turned mixed martial arts superstar Bob "The Beast"
Sapp will make his highly-anticipated return to the fight world
in the main event.
Seattle
native and former K-1 and UFC heavyweight champion Maurice "Big
Mo" Smith will take on fellow legend and six-time world
kickboxing champion Rick "The Jet" Roufus in a featured
bout.
WHO:
"Strikeforce At The Dome" fighters Bob "The Beast"
Sapp and Maurice "Big Mo" Smith
WHEN:
Wednesday, January 23rd at 3 PM PST
WHERE:
The Bridge Night Club at Emerald Queen Casino
2024
East 29th St.
Tacoma,
WA 98404
Ph:
(253) 594-7777
Entrance
behind Door 8 on the south side of the casino
**
Free parking is available in Emerald Queen Casino lot**
CONTACTS:
Strikeforce
Mike
Afromowitz (917) 566-8754; muaythaimes@aol.com
Brian
Halquist Productions
Kellyann
Hussey (253) 970-4896; bhmainevent1@qwest.net
Brian
Halquist Productions
Brian
Halquist (253) 686-0691; bhalquist@qwest.net
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Final
Answer: MMAmania.com exclusive interview with UFC lightweight
Frank Edgar
By: Jesse Holland
It’s
been interesting to watch the UFC lightweight division evolve
from afterthought to afterburner in a little over a year. What
began as a punchline for fighters under 170lbs is now the go-to
division for Fight of the Night.
You
have seasoned headliners like BJ Penn and Sean Sherk, The Ultimate
Fighter (TUF) grads like Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon with something
to prove, and battle-tested warriors like Clay Guida and Roger
Huerta rounding out the mix.
So
where does an up-and-coming fighter like Frankie “The Answer”
Edgar fit into the mix?
“I
belong here” deadpanned the easygoing yet confident lightweight.
And after his dominating win over UFC veteran Spencer “The
King” Fisher at UFC 78: Validation, it’s hard to argue
against the still perfect Edgar (8-0) in his assertion.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Frankie, first and foremost thank you
for taking the time to talk with us at MMAmania.com. How are
you feeling physically?
Frank
Edgar: I feel good, I feel 100%. I’m between fights right
now but I’m still training.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): We can assume your training regimen is
different now than it is for an upcoming fight?
Frank
Edgar: Definitely. The intensity is much different. I like to
start training for an opponent 10 weeks out. Right now I just
continue to work out.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): With that in mind, do you think that
puts you at a disadvantage should the UFC need a last minute
replacement for a big fight? Would you be able to step up and
face BJ Penn if Joe Stevenson got hurt on just 4-6 weeks notice
like Georges St. Pierre did against Matt Hughes?
Frank
Edgar: I could pull it off, no problem. I’m always right
in striking distance, I never let myself get too far off.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Since you’re not training at full
intensity we should take that to mean you don’t have your
next opponent lined up yet?
Frank
Edgar: No, I haven’t heard from Joe Silva. He calls me when
he has something and we take it from there. As of right now we
haven’t spoken. We’re kind of playing it by ear. He
hasn’t let me down yet.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): How did that rumor get started about
you fighting Takanori Gomi?
Frank
Edgar: (Laughs) I have no idea. I’m not fighting him. He’s
not even signed to the UFC.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Let’s go back to your recent win
against Spencer Fisher at UFC 78: Validation in your home state
of New Jersey. How did it feel to be the hometown boy?
Frank
Edgar: It felt great. He’s the biggest name I’ve fought.
It was cool to be able to do it in front of all my friends and
family. It was kind of like a homecoming. I had everybody there.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Did their presence pump you up or did
you have some extra jitters?
Frank
Edgar: It didn’t affect me one way or the other. I kind
of approach every fight the same way but I definitely fed off
the energy.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): The lightweight division is really starting
to stand out with so many exciting fighters at 155lbs. Where
do you think you fit in amongst the division’s elite? Would
you rank yourself in the top ten? Top five?
Frank
Edgar: I don’t know about rankings or numbers, I just know
that I can compete with any of them.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Is there anyone in your division that
you’ve had your eye on, someone you really want to fight?
Frank
Edgar: Um not really, I guess I want to fight people who are
on the road to the belt. I may not be ready for a title shot
just yet but I definitely want to be heading in that direction.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): How do you think you would match up against
a guy like Roger Huerta?
Frank
Edgar: It would be a good fight. We match up pretty well. It
would probably be a very fast-paced fight.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Besides yourself, who is a fighter to
watch in the lightweight division?
Frank
Edgar: Tyson Griffin. He’s a tough dude. He keeps winning
these tough fights and he’s exciting to watch.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): What’s your prediction on Stevenson
vs Penn at UFC 80?
Frank
Edgar: Penn. I mean Stevenson’s good, but Penn is just a
little bit better – probably the best in our division.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): No discussion of the lightweight division
would be complete without touching on the Sean Sherk scandal.
Do you have an opinion on how everything went down?
Frank
Edgar: Um, not really. He said he didn’t do it, so it’s
cool. I believe him.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you have any reservations about going
on record as steroid-free?
Frank
Edgar: Not at all. I’ve always been a wrestler and as a
wrestler you’re always worried about cutting weight. The
last thing I want to do is make that process any harder by packing
on mass.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Were you ever approached to do the The
Ultimate Fighter?
Frank
Edgar: I actually tried out for it but I wasn’t selected.
I was disappointed but then a couple of weeks later my manager
got a call from the UFC asking if I wanted to fight Tyson Griffin.
I said yes and haven’t looked back.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you think that TUF has run its course
or does it have its place in the big picture.
Frank
Edgar: I think it will be around because it’s a great feeder
for the UFC. You’ll never be able to get an entire cast
of great fighters but you got a couple of really good guys coming
out of every show.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): How did you end up getting into mixed
martial arts?
Frank
Edgar: Mostly from my wrestling. I wrestled in college and I
just knew this was something I wanted to do.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): What are some of your accomplishments
in amateur wrestling?
Frank
Edgar: I was a two-time state place winner, four-time national
qualifier in college, one match away from All-American.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): When kids are young, they tend to say
“When I grow up, I want to be a fireman, or policeman, or
doctor”. What did you say when you were young?
Frank
Edgar: I didn’t know. It was hard too not knowing. I always
felt like there was something missing. Fighting now fills that
void.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): While you were starting to get into fighting,
who were some of the fighters you admired or wanted to model
yourself after?
Frank
Edgar: Well it’s kind of new to me, but I have a wrestler’s
mentality so I guess guys like Hughes and Couture come to mind.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): We know you can wrestle, but what about
your other skills like submissions and stand-up?
Frank
Edgar: I didn’t get to showcase my striking against Fisher,
but I had good stand-up against Bocek. It’s something I’ll
continue to work on and improve with each fight.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): What weight do you walk around at?
Frank
Edgar: About 165lbs.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): You’re still pretty young and not
too far removed from college. How tough has it been to sell your
parents on a career as mixed martial artist?
Frank
Edgar: My parents are my biggest supporters, as well as my fiancé.
They were a little tentative in the beginning but once they saw
that I was giving it 100% they were behind me all the way.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): How hard is it for your fiancé
to watch you fight?
Frank
Edgar: She watches them, she probably screams the entire fight.
It’s tough because I know it’s a lot of stress on her
too.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): What would you be doing if you weren’t
fighting?
Frank
Edgar: Plumbing. That’s what I was doing before. In fact
I was still doing it up until the Spencer Fisher fight.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): That’s very Jersey of you. Since
then have you been able to support yourself on fighting alone?
Frank
Edgar: Yeah, now I’m a full-time fighter. I’m pretty
lucky.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): I’ll bet it was hard trying to work
full-time, fight on the side, and still have a life.
Frank
Edgar: Yeah it was tough. I was tired all the time man. Now it’s
nice I can train two times a day, get the proper rest, everything.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): How many fights do you have left on your
current contract?
Frank
Edgar: I want to say three. Two or three.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Does having an early start in the UFC
change your career timeline? Do you want to fight for X number
of years and then move on while you’re still pretty young
or is this it for the foreseeable future?
Frank
Edgar: I want to fight, so I guess I’ll do it as long as
my body allows me to. I wouldn’t mind being like Couture
fighting into my forties!
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): A lot of fighters are able to parlay
their success into other business ventures. Do you see yourself
building upon your success to branch out into other endeavors
like a training school or clothing line?
Frank
Edgar: Definitely, I would love that. I’m assistant wrestling
coach at Rutgers University and I love teaching. You know what,
I’ll get into all that. The clothing-shit I’ll even
do movies! I’m down with all that.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Living in Jersey and having fought in
Jersey are you starting to get recognized now? Do you get approached
when you go out with your friends?
Frank
Edgar: Yeah, a little bit here and there.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Is that something you enjoy or has it
been difficult adjusting?
Frank
Edgar: No, it’s cool. I’ve lived here my whole life
in Toms River so most of the time I end up knowing them anyway
– one way or the other. This is Jersey, it’s always
like hey I know this guy, who knows this guy…
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): How is your relationship with other guys
in the UFC? Is there a bit of camaraderie in the locker room
or is it strictly business for you?
Frank
Edgar: Everyone’s pretty friendly and usually in a pretty
good mood before the fights. It’s a nice experience.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): (UFC President) Dana White has implied
that Randy Couture’s recent fallout has a lot to do with
the fighters talking and gossiping about paydays, matchmaking,
etc. in their own little circles. Have you found fighters to
be privy to that kind of information or openly talking about
their situations?
Frank
Edgar: Well if they do I’m definitely not in the loop!
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): How is your relationship with Dana, and
how involved is he on the fighter level?
Frank
Edgar: I don’t talk to him unless I see him at the events.
He’s cool but I don’t have much contact with him at
this point.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): So who gave you your nickname “The
Answer”?
Frank
Edgar: My teammate Chris Ligori.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Is there a background behind it or did
he just blurt it out?
Frank
Edgar: Uh, no he just kind of came out with it. I liked it, sounded
good with Edgar.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): And your tattoos, do they have any special
significance?
Frank
Edgar: Um, I don’t know, I have a samurai on my arm, as
far as significance, I guess it’s basically the same cliché
stuff everyone else likes to talk about.
Jesse
Holland (MMAmania.com): Thanks again Frankie for taking the time
to talk with us. Is there anything we can pass along for your
fans?
Frank
Edgar: Yeah, go to MMAinstructional.com for some demonstrations
on MMA from myself and others, it’s pretty neat. And check
out FrankEdgar.com.
Source: Fight Opinion/MMA Media
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
word too much always defeats its purpose."
Arthur Schopenhauer, 1788-1860, German Philosopher
|
FIGHT-BY-FIGHT:
UFC 80 RAPID FIRE
Today!
by Ricardo Mendoza
Hawaii
Air Times:
Digital Cable Channel 701
9:30AM - Preshow
10:00AM - Live event
Replay:
Digital Cable Channel 702
4:30PM
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the U.K. on Saturday
night where Joe Stevenson and B.J. Penn headline UFC 80 in Newcastle-Upon-Tynes.
Ricardo Mendoza takes a look at the headliner and the rest of
the card…
UFC
LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT:
B.J. PENN VS. JOE STEVENSON
Former
UFC welterweight champion B.J. Penn takes on The Ultimate Fighter
season two winner Joe Stevenson for the vacant UFC lightweight
championship. Penn has an 11-4-1 record and trains out of B.J.
Penn MMA with Renato “Charuto” Verissimo. Stevenson
has a 28-7 record and trains out of Cobra Kai with Marc Laimon.
Penn
comes off a submission victory over Jens Pulver at The Ultimate
Fighter 5 Finale, while Stevenson won a decision over Kurt Pellegrino
at UFC 74.
These
two are meeting for the vacant UFC lightweight title, which was
stripped from former champion Sean Sherk after he tested positive
for performance enhancing drugs after his fight with Hermes Franca
at UFC 73.
Penn
is one of the most talented fighters to ever step into the Octagon,
but that hasn’t always translated into victory as a lack
of focus during training has hindered him from reaching his full
potential. It now seems that he is taking his career seriously
and looks to be focused during training in preparation for this
fight.
Stevenson
has gone 4-0 since moving down to lightweight, finishing three
of his opponents within the distance and looking impressive in
his last fight against Kurt Pellegrino.
Stevenson
will want to keep the fight on the feet, seeing that he has the
more polished striking of the two fighters. Although he is primarily
a ground fighter, he doesn’t want go to the ground with
Penn, being that he is one of more gifted ground fighters in
the world.
Both
seem to be in excellent shape leading up to the fight, so neither
should have any problems with conditioning. Look for Stevenson
to set the pace of the fight with crisp striking, while Penn
will look to take the fight to the ground. It’s going to
be a struggle for Penn to get it on the ground, but he will eventually
do it and that’s where the fight will come to end.
Penn
will use his superior technique and catch Stevenson midway through
the fight with a submission after tiring him out on the ground.
Prediction:
B.J. Penn by submission in the third round.
HEAVYWEIGHT
BOUT:
GABRIEL GONZAGA VS. FABRICIO WERDUM
In
a rematch of a fight that happened five years ago, Team Link
heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga faces off with Pride veteran Fabricio
Werdum. Gonzaga has an 8-2 record and trains out of Team Link
with Paulo Filho. Werdum has a 9-3 record and trains out of Spain.
Gonzaga
comes off a stoppage loss to Randy Couture at UFC 74, while Werdum
dropped a decision to former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei
Arlovski at UFC 70.
In
their first meeting, Werdum defeated an inexperienced Gonzaga,
but things have changed since they last met. Gonzaga has become
one of the better heavyweights in the world, while it seems that
Werdum has kind of stalled out.
Werdum
is a very talented heavyweight fighter, but it seems he is no
longer improving as a fighter. Even though all three of his losses
have come by decision against top competition, they have used
the same blueprint in defeating him by outstriking him and keeping
it off the ground.
Gonzaga
has the better stand-up of the two fighters and that’s surprising
being that Werdum used to train with Mirko “Cro Cop”
Filipovic. On the ground, both fighters are former Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu world champions, so it’s evenly matched there.
The
deciding factor on the fight is whether or not Werdum has improved
his takedowns because if he can’t take the fight to the
ground, he isn’t going to have a good night.
Look
for Gonzaga to control the fight with crisp and hard striking,
while defending all of Werdum’s attempts to get the fight
to the ground en route to a decision victory.
Prediction:
Gabriel Gonzaga by decision.
WELTERWEIGHT
BOUT:
MARCUS DAVIS VS. JESS LIAUDIN
Former
Golden Gloves boxing champion Marcus Davis takes on French submission
specialist Jess Liaudin. Davis has a 13-3 record and trains out
of Team Gurgel with Jorge Gurgel. Liaudin has 12-8 record and
trains out of Team Quest with Heath Sims.
Davis
comes off a submission victory over Paul Taylor at UFC 75, while
Liaudin stopped Anthony Torres with strikes at the same show.
Davis
has really improved as a complete MMA fighter since his time
on The Ultimate Fighter 2. Liaudin battled with inconsistency
early in his career, but as of late has been solid, putting together
some impressive victories.
Besides
having excellent striking, Davis has added a competent ground
game and has become a versatile fighter. Liaudin is now taking
his career seriously and has begun to train at Team Quest to
improve himself as a fighter.
This
should be a fun fight. Look for Davis to control the fight with
striking and when they hit the ground both guys will be trading
positions back and forth. Liaudin will be improved, but Davis
should be able to end the fight with strikes within the distance.
Prediction:
Marcus Davis by TKO in the third round.
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT:
JASON LAMBERT VS. WILSON GOUVEIA
Californian
light heavyweight Jason Lambert takes on American Top Team fighter
Wilson Gouveia. Lambert has a 23-6 record and trains out of the
North County Fight Club with Eddie Sanchez. Gouveia has a 9-4
record and trains out of American Top Team with Alessio Sakara.
Lambert
comes off a stoppage victory over Renato Sobral at UFC 68, while
Gouveia submitted wrestler Carmelo Marrero at UFC 71.
These
two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 76, but the fight
was scrapped after Gouveia suffered a broken nose during training.
Now they face off in an important fight.
This is an even match-up as both fighters have shown flashes
of brilliance in the Octagon. Gouveia is a better ground fighter,
but Lambert has the edge in the wrestling department and that
can play a big factor in the fight.
Gouveia
is a more technical striker, while Lambert has more power in
his hands. Lambert will want to keep the fight on the feet and
try to finish off Gouveia off with strikes, while Gouveia wants
it on the ground in order to lock on a submission.
I
see Lambert controlling the fight early on with power shots,
while Gouveia will work the low kicks in order to weaken Lambert
for a takedown. Gouveia will finally get it to the ground midway
through the fight and will outwork Lambert en route to a decision.
Prediction:
Wilson Gouveia by decision.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
BOUT:
KENDALL
GROVE VS.
JORGE RIVERA
Ultimate
Fighter 3 winner Kendall
Grove faces
off with seasoned striker Jorge Rivera. Grove has an 8-4 record
and trains out of Cobra Kai with Joe Stevenson. Rivera has a
14-6 record and trains out of Team Elite in Massachusetts.
Grove
comes off a stoppage loss to Patrick Cote at UFC 74, while Terry
Martin stopped Rivera with strikes at UFC 71.
Grove
will look to get back on track after losing for the first time
in the UFC by beating a respected veteran in Rivera. Rivera needs
to win this fight if he wants to remain in the UFC, seeing that
two losses in a row could mean his exit.
Grove
needs to use his significant reach advantage over Rivera on the
feet and stay away from clinching, where Rivera will want to
use his dirty boxing to score points. Rivera has a slight advantage
on the feet, but it won’t matter if he can’t get inside
to utilize his strikes.
On
the ground, Grove has the advantage and that’s what is going
to make the big difference in the fight. Grove will waste no
time and get it on the ground quickly, locking on a submission
to get back on the winning track.
Prediction:
Kendall Grove by submission in the first round.
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT:
ALESSIO SAKARA VS. JAMES LEE
Italian
striker Alessio Sakara takes on King of the Cage light heavyweight
champion James Lee. Sakara has an 11-6 record and trains out
of American Top Team with Jorge Santiago. James Lee has a 13-2
record and trains out Team MASH in Michigan.
Sakara
comes off a stoppage loss to Houston Alexander at UFC 75, while
Lee submitted Danny Bessant at King of the Cage: Bad Boys.
This
will be Lee’s UFC debut after fighting the majority of his
career in King of the Cage and making a lone appearance in Pride.
Sakara has lost three out of his last four fights in the UFC
and will be making a drop to middleweight after this bout.
Sakara
has the advantage on the feet with crisp boxing, while Lee seems
to have the edge on the ground, but Sakara isn’t a slouch
on the ground either. Sakara will look to keep the fight on the
feet and finish off Lee with strikes, while Lee wants in on the
ground.
Sakara
will use his experience in the Octagon and keep the fight on
the feet, ending the fight with strikes and giving Lee his first
loss in several years.
Prediction:
Alessio Sakara by TKO in the first round.
LIGHTWEIGHT
BOUT:
SAM STOUT VS. PER EKLUND
TKO
lightweight champion Sam Stout returns to the Octagon as he takes
on Swedish fighter Per Eklund. Stout has a 12-3-1 record and
trains out of Team Tompkins with Mark Hominick. Eklund has a
12-2 record and trains out of Hilti NHB in Sweden.
Stout
comes off a stoppage victory over Martin Grandmont at TKO 30,
while Eklund won a decision over Rafael Dias at Bodog Fight:
Vancouver.
This
could end up being one of the better fights of the night seeing
that both fighters like to push the pace.
Stout
has the Octagon experience and is the better striker of the two,
while Eklund has the edge on the ground. Stout will look to finish
the fight on the feet and stay off the ground where he is at
a disadvantage.
Eklund
needs to get the fight on the ground and control Stout throughout
in order to come away with a victory. Stout will basically sprawl
and brawl for the entire fight and batter Eklund en route to
a decision.
Prediction:
Sam Stout by decision.
WELTERWEIGHT
BOUT:
PAUL TAYLOR VS. PAUL KELLY
British
slugger Paul Taylor faces off with the Octagon debuting striker
Paul Kelly. Taylor has an 8-2-1 record and trains out of England.
Kelly has a 6-0 record and trains out of the Wolfslair Academy
with Michael Bisping.
Taylor
comes off a submission loss to Marcus Davis at UFC 75, while
Kelly stopped Jordan James with strikes at Cage Gladiators 4.
This
fight is going to be an absolute slugfest between two exciting
fighters. Taylor fought a valiant fight against Davis, dropping
him with strikes and that’s impressive seeing that Davis
is primarily a striker.
Kelly
seems to be primarily a brawler and this will be his first big
test. This fight won’t go to the ground, as both fighters
will look for the knockout.
Taylor
will use his Octagon experience and crisper striking to frustrate
an inexperienced Kelly, who will leave himself open for Taylor
to land the big knockout blow.
Prediction:
Paul Taylor by KO in the first round.
HEAVYWEIGHT
BOUT:
ANTONI HARDONK VS. COLIN ROBINSON
Dutch
kickboxer Antoni Hardonk takes on Irish brawler Colin Robinson.
Hardonk has a 5-4 record and trains out Vos Gym with Ernesto
Hoost. Robinson has a 9-3 record and trains out of Northern Ireland.
Hardonk
comes off a submission loss to Frank Mir at UFC 74, while Robinson
knocked out Colin Sexton at Goshin Ryu 22.
This
is another fight that will end up being a total slugfest and
won’t last very long. Hardonk is a more technical striker,
while Robinson is a straight brawler.
This
fight won’t get to the ground; Robinson will come in and
throw bombs looking to finish the fight quickly. That will play
into Hardonk’s strategy, as he will just pick Robinson apart
with crisp technical striking, ending the fight late in the first
round.
Prediction:
Antoni Hardonk by KO in the first round.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Penn and Stevenson Vie
for Vacant Title
by Tomas Rios
The
latest overseas offering from the UFC features what any mixed
martial arts fan can only hope to be the first step toward returning
sanity to the lightweight division as well as a rematch between
two of Brazil's finest and also more Europeans than a Jane Austen
movie adaptation (insert audible groan here).
So
whether you're looking forward to the European Union claiming
the undercard as its own or hoping against hope that this is
the fight that begins B.J. Penn's lightweight reign of terror, just sit back
and enjoy the ride … or else.
Seriously,
I can track your IP address.
Joe
Stevenson vs. B.J.
Penn
With
Sean Sherk's anabolic follies having left the UFC lightweight
division in total disarray once again, Dana White will hand the
future of the division to B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn for
a third time while Joe "Daddy" Stevenson tries to remind
everyone that "Ultimate Fighter" alumni have been known
to score an upset or two.
Business
as usual for a division that has been either inactive or in chaos
for the past five years, but with a pair of premier contenders
vying for the newly vacated title, the division may yet beat
out Iraq in the race for stability.
Stability
has long been the missing ingredient in B.J. Penn's (11-4-1)
otherwise brilliant career. Having made stops in three different
divisions to go with an ill-advised open-weight match against
Lyoto Machida, Penn is finally back in the division he was supposedly
destined to conquer.
An
expected submission win over Jens Pulver announced Penn's return
as well as his intention to claim the title that has already
eluded him twice over.
Those
past failures can be traced back to Penn reverting into the Hawaiian
equivalent of Ferris Bueller in the face of adversity, a habit
that the UFC's precocious up and comers will look to exploit.
As
the UFC-appointed figurehead of the division's new guard, the
task falls to Joe Stevenson (28-7) to usher in yet another new
era for the lightweights. It is a role that Stevenson stumbled
into following his time on "The Ultimate Fighter" as,
of all things, a welterweight.
Despite
emerging as the welterweight champion of the reality bonanza's
second season, Stevenson's own erratic nature rose to the surface
in his bout with Josh Neer. What was considered a formality for
Stevenson morphed into disaster as he lost an uninspired unanimous
decision.
Seemingly
well on his way to becoming the first certifiable Tony Mandarich-level
bust of the post-TUF era, a move to the lightweight division
was seen as Stevenson's last chance to make good on his potential
and he has yet to disappoint, having racked up a 4-0 record inside
the Octagon as a lightweight.
Beating
out the likes of Yves Edwards and Kurt Pellegrino, however, is
hardly akin to taking on a freakish talent the level of Penn.
Worse yet is Stevenson's preference for taking fights to the
ground, which means he'll be putting himself right in Penn's
wheelhouse.
Crazy
as it may sound, that is probably Stevenson's best hope against
Penn. We all saw Penn treat Matt Hughes like a jungle gym in
their rematch and we all saw what happened when Hughes proved
he wasn't afraid of putting Penn's conditioning to the test,
even at his own expense.
The
country boy kamikaze approach could pay off handsomely for Stevenson,
but he lacks the wrestling ability and strength advantage that
Hughes held over Penn. Being a more savvy grappler certainly
helps his cause, but rolling around with Penn is like mocking
tigers in the San Francisco zoo: You'll look cool for a while
before, as Chris Rock put it, the tiger decides to go tiger.
Don't
be misled by Penn's at times stereotypical Hawaiian surfer boy
attitude. He is wildly competitive, and the idea of losing out
on the lightweight title for a third time will bring out the
same "Prodigy" that toyed with Takanori Gomi and just
about anyone else who stood in his way.
The
inexplicable streak of upset success for TUF alumni will come
to an end quickly as Penn scores a rear-naked choke early in
the second round on an overmatched Stevenson. Satisfied with
his time as a lightweight, watch for Penn to reverse his usual
course and announce a move to the bantamweight division.
Source: Sherdog
|
Penn, Stevenson both agree
Sherk should be next in line
BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson
both agree that Sean Sherk deserves to be the number one contender
for the UFC lightweight title after the champion is crowned at
UFC 80 on Saturday.
"I
think for MMA, that's the next biggest fight," Penn said.
"And we should do what's best for the sport."
UFC
President Dana White has already stated that the winner at UFC
80 will face Sherk at a later date.
Penn,
who is far from being Sherk's biggest fan, has been outspoken
on his disdain towards the use of performance-enhancing drugs
in mixed martial arts. And unlike most people who have refrained
from commenting on whether or not Sherk used steroids, Penn has
called Sherk's alleged use of steroids "cheating" on
numerous occasions.
While
Stevenson stands by the CSAC's final decision, he has no disdain
towards Sherk for the alleged use of steroids. The only problem
for Stevenson was how long Sherk's issues have kept the title
out of reach for other lightweights.
"Yeah,
I was a little upset at him. First of all, because he had the
belt, he had got injured, kept the belt for like ten months,
not defending it, then defended it, then popped, kept it for
six [months], got a reduced sentence, whereas Hermes had to do
the full term. But I think he's deserving and I think that's
probably the best fight fans are going to want to see."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Fight
of Their Lives
by Mike Sloan
The main event of Saturday's UFC card in Newcastle, England,
is an intriguing contest between two champion-caliber lightweights
vying for a UFC belt.
Yet
in the wake of Sean Sherk's suspension for steroids and the subsequent
removal of his UFC lightweight crown, some have questioned the
relevance of the title B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson will fight for at UFC 80.
Listening
to the combatants, however, it's clear that as far as they're
concerned this is a meaningful title fight.
"Without
a doubt, this is the true lightweight championship of the world,"
Penn said during a recent conference call.
Penn
has tasted glory before, of course, stunning the dominant Matt
Hughes (Pictures) to capture UFC welterweight gold four years
ago. But since returning to the Octagon following a road trip
in several organizations, the Hawaiian fell short of regaining
a championship he felt was wrongfully taken from him.
Now
a focused and 15-pound lighter "Prodigy" is seemingly
committed to what he described as the fight of his life.
"This
fight is huge," Penn remarked. "Joe Stevenson is a
great opponent. He's got so many weapons, so many tools that
he brings into this fight. This is the most important fight of
my life. I know people say it every single time, but without
a doubt if I win this fight, I'll become the guy who has two
titles in two divisions. I'm already thinking about this fight
all the time. This is so important to me. I don't want anything
else."
To
hear Penn speak with such passion and dedication about an upcoming
fight is refreshing considering it's not something he's always
been known to do. For a while it seemed as if the 29-year-old
Hawaiian sensation was simply going through the motions. He assures
that's not the case this time around.
"I've
fought big-name opponents. I've fought Hughes. I've fought St.
Pierre. All these people. But this fight is everything,"
promised Penn, whose MMA records stands at 11-4-1. "Words
cannot explain right now where I am in my head. I know what has
to be done. This is just so important."
While
victory promises a return to glory for Penn, it would most assuredly
make Stevenson feel like the sacrifice of missing valuable time
with his beloved children was worth it.
"My
family is everything to me," said the 25-year-old Stevenson.
"It's all anyone really has when they have nothing. As far
as my legacy goes, it's about my kids. I don't want them to say
that their dad is this great fighter. ‘My dad can beat your
dad up.' I want them to say, ‘My dad is a good dad.' That's
a big reason why I try to carry myself professionally in and
out of the ring. It's everything. That unconditional love, you'd
be willing to go out there and lay your life down for your kids
at any given moment. That's what it takes. You have to be able
to do that."
Life's
turmoil took its toll on Stevenson (28-7-0) after he captured
a coveted "The Ultimate Fighter" title, losing his
first official UFC fight by decision to Josh Neer after, his
first defeat in five years. The former King of the Cage champion
looked flat and unfocused in the fight, but the loss woke up
an aggressive powerhouse and made him aware of his mistakes.
"My
goal on the show was to just kind of be there and have fun,"
Stevenson admitted. "I had quit fighting for two years.
I was just getting away with ability and talent. What it takes
is a good slap in the face sometimes. Losing to someone I feel
I shouldn't have lost to made me say, ‘Well, I need to take
it serious.' Then I realized, as I started to get back into shape,
that man, I'm just not a 170er. The harder I work, the faster
the weight comes off. So that's why I stepped down to 155. Otherwise,
I'd be fighting 170 weighing probably 165."
The
Penn-Stevenson matchup is an alluring affair between two men
with immense talent who have both seemed to rediscover what got
them into the UFC in the first place. If both enter the Octagon
at full strength, the fight could come down to Penn's otherworldly
jiu-jitsu prowess or Stevenson's relentless grappling and ground-and-pound.
Both
men believe they have the answers.
"The
ground is my whole life," Penn stated. "When I talk
about the ground, or jiu-jitsu, grappling, you're not just talking
about a couple of specific moves. You're talking about a lifestyle.
You're talking about the way that I live. That's all I do: eat,
breathe and sleep jiu-jitsu and this and that. Every moment,
I feel like I can do it with my eyes closed.
"Joe's
a great guy. He's got great submissions and all these other things
that come with him. I feel I can do all these things flawless.
That's what I bring to the table."
Stevenson,
however, has similar confidence in his grappling ability.
"Honestly,
I'm just pretty God-gifted on the ground," he said. "It's
just -- I've done it my whole life. Normally for my fights, I
don't train any ground at all. This time, I've taken the time
to actually make half of my day ground because I respect B.J.'s
ground so much. All the experience combined, with being able
to strike, do jiu-jitsu and then scramble at the right times,
I just feel so comfortable. I feel like I can do that for days.
Not like the boring, sit there and hold someone -- when you're
going to see us on the ground, you're going to get a clinic.
That's the way we are on the ground. We don't just sit there
and hold people."
Meaningful
or not, and only time will tell, Penn-Stevenson seems to have
all the earmarks of a great fight.
Source: Sherdog
|
There
will be blood
Cut man caught between two worlds: Traditional boxing and increasingly
popular mixed martial arts
By Robert K. Elder | Tribune staff reporter
It starts as a scratch.
Jeff
Perez keeps it from being a defeat.
At the end of the first round, it's just the hint of trouble
-- a crack in the skin, a fault line along the fighter's right
temple appears, the result of a glancing left hand delivered
to the side of 205-pounder Alex Schoenauer's shiny, sweat-beaded
face. Perez, a cut man for boxers and mixed martial artists,
has roughly 50 seconds to work his trade.
The
bell sounds, marking the end of the round, and Perez races up
a narrow set of stairs from his seat at ringside, ducks under
the ropes and squeezes between Schoenauer's coach and corner
men.
At
age 59, Perez moves like a boxer, quick and deliberate. He first
applies "grease" (a.k.a. Vaseline) to the fighter's
face. This will help deflect the full force of future blows.
Then he applies a solid piece of flat metal called an enswell
(or end-swell) -- as cold as a windshield in January -- to the
fighter's puffing eyes and forehead, to stem swelling. Cut men
aren't actually allowed to "cut" their boxers anymore
in order to relieve pressure (a la "Rocky"), but they
can use an adrenaline solution to help constrict blood vessels
and stop bleeding.
"They
come out a little older than when they went in," Perez says
of his fighters. He checks his kit, puts the jar of Vaseline
and his enswell back in his ice bucket, checks his gauze supply.
Then sits back in a ringside seat in the Sears Centre, where
he's assigned to fighters in the blue corner. Moline-native Perez,
as leather-skinned and tattoo-covered as some of the fighters,
belongs to a secretive brotherhood of alchemists, cut men whose
flesh-mending techniques are hoarded, collected and protected.
For
a cut man, there's always plenty of amateur boxing work to go
around. But as he nears retirement from his day job patching
roads for the state, his skill patching up fighters has become
more important as the popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA)
starts to eclipse traditional boxing. Caught between two worlds,
he doesn't even follow mixed martial arts that well.
"I
have no knowledge about MMA stuff," he says. "To me
it looks like they're getting beat up, and then they end up winning."
But
blood sports need blood experts; it's as simple as that.
Like
most cut men, Perez is also a part-time boxing coach -- has been
for 15 years. His own brief boxing career consisted of a couple
"smokers," or bouts between army units when he was
18. "I wasn't very good at it," he admits with a laugh.
But
Perez found a different calling inside the squared circle. For
the past decade or so, he's coached an amateur boxing club ("Alley
Cats," named after his helicopter gunship platoon in Vietnam)
out of his Moline garage. Most of his life, he's worked for the
Illinois Department of Transportation, but for a dozen years,
he's worked cuts in the ring.
In
fledging fight clubs such as the International Fight League (IFL)
and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), there is a greater
need for cut men such as Perez, for veterans with experience.
Cut men are the first line of defense; they keep the bout going
-- keep their fighters competitive for a purse. Generally, pro
cut men can make $400-$600 a night, depending on the contract,
though paychecks can be as little as $25 a fighter.
Much
has been made of the difference between boxing and MMA, but Perez
likes watching both sports, even if he's fuzzy on scoring an
MMA match when the action moves to the mat. "For me, it's
apples and oranges. You can't compare 'em," he says. "If
you took an MMA guy and told him he couldn't do nothing but throw
hands against a boxer, he's probably gonna get beat (this sentence
as published has been corrected in this text). If you told a
boxer he can't box an MMA guy, he'd lose."
On
this night Perez works for the IFL, where fights run for three
rounds, at four minutes each. Like in boxing, facial cuts can
be immediate and devastating in mixed martial arts. In boxing,
however, a cut can deepen and split over a handful a rounds,
blinding or otherwise debilitating a boxer. MMA fights can be
more brutal, over in a second -- which means cuts don't have
time to open up over multiple rounds.
Cut
men -- who also wrap fighters' hands -- are an essential part
of the fight, says coach and fighter Frank Shamrock.
"If
I get cut, I could lose. If I break my hand, I potentially lose
large chunks of money," he says.
Not
all the fighters need his services; some prefer their own staff.
But Perez's contract with the IFL makes sure he's there to aid
anyone who may need him.
And,
as scrapper Benji "Razor" Radach takes the first match
in an unpopular decision, judging by the crowd reaction, Perez
remains seated. In fact, throughout most fights, he doesn't get
up, doesn't raise his voice, doesn't cheer. Ringside, he's silent,
with an ice bucket, waiting for his services to be needed.
These
days, his hand-wrapping expertise before the fight is his bread
and butter.
His
first wrap on this night is a particularly hard-luck case.
Literally,
the tattoos on fighter Shane Ott's knuckles read HARD and LUCK.
"Be
careful with that thumb there," the heavyweight tells Perez,
indicating his left hand.
Just four months ago, Ott injured it in an altercation he's reluctant
to detail.
"I
had a severed tendon, nerves, artery -- it was almost off,"
Ott says. "It was being at the wrong place at the wrong
time, when two other guys decided to express their testosterone
levels."
He
leaves the story there. Perez nods and silently wraps gauze around
Ott's giant, meaty paws.
An
improperly wrapped hand could mean broken bones, an early end
to a career, so Perez takes his time, putting thin strips of
tape between Ott's fingers. He carefully places a gauze pad over
the knuckles, then tapes it into place, crisscrossing the roll
around the pugilist's wrists. Perez covers most of Ott's heavily
inked mitts, except for a heart-shaped tattoo between his right
thumb and forefinger. It reads: "Mom."
Ott,
a wall of tattoos topped by a buzz cut, prefers to grapple, rather
than duke it out with opponents, so he requests less tape on
both thumbs -- even the injured one -- for greater mobility.
After
hands are wrapped and approved by ring officials, the sterile
gray locker room goes as quiet as preschool at nap time. Most
fighters curl up on gym mats, hoods pulled up as they sleep face-down,
foreheads on forearms. Ott pulls his hood over his eyes and hibernates
as Perez zips up his bag, gathers his materials and slips quietly
out of the room.
As
the crowd roars round him, as another blue corner fighter goes
down, Perez remains the most serene face in the crowd. He's not
cheering for anyone in particular, though he's loyal to his boys,
the blue corner.
"Of
course you want to see your guys do well, the guys you wrap,"
Perez says.
Things
have not gone well. Perez can't even score MMA rounds, but he
knows what a beat-down looks like.
In
the first round, Ott gets kicked square in the groin, then almost
thrown out of the ring. Then, he falls into an arm lock and abruptly
submits, to keep his wrist from being snapped. Perez shakes his
head, looks down at his feet.
Later,
heavyweight Bryan Vetell shows promise -- but he gets pinned
down in the third round, on the opposite end of a meaty windmill
of punches. The referee stops the match as Vetell's nose explodes
into a red mist. Another blue corner defeat.
"Maybe
we're cursed," Perez says. "There's always next time
though."
Perez
follows a bruised, slumped-shouldered Vetell back to the dressing
room and attends to his swelling. A cut man can't attend to broken
bones or to stitches, that's a ring doctor's job. Bruised egos,
that's for the coaches, the girlfriends, the wives. Even with
his corner taking nine straight losses, there's little for Perez
to do but check the swelling and discard the bloody towels. But
no one under his charge has been cut, not one all night. So it's
been a good night, in one sense.
Perez
doesn't see the need for cut men fading, however. "I think
boxing and MMA will coexist," he says. "It's different
audiences, and the ones I see for MMA get bigger and bigger."
Blood
sports need blood men; simple as that.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
LEGENDARY
KEN SHAMROCK AND SON, RYAN, SIGN MULTI-FIGHT DEALS WITH ELITEXC
Each Will Fight On "EliteXC Presents: Cage Rage 25'' Saturday,
March 8, At Wembley Arena In London, England
LOS
ANGELES (Jan. 14, 2008) - Sensational news for Los Angeles-based
ProElite, Inc.'s Live Fight Division, EliteXC, and all fans of
Mixed Martial Arts.
EliteXC
has signed Hall-Of-Famer Ken Shamrock, "The World's Most
Dangerous Man'' and one of the true MMA legends and biggest pay-per-view
draws in any sport, and his son, Ryan, to multi-fight deals.
Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
"We're
thrilled to have signed Ken and Ryan Shamrock,'' said EliteXC
Live Events President Gary Shaw, who made the announcement Monday.
"Ken is one of the most recognizable and popular figures
in MMA. He has fought the biggest and some of the most important
fights in MMA history.
"Ken
is responsible for putting MMA on the worldwide map and making
it what it is today. I have the utmost respect for all the Shamrocks.
Believe me, I have signed fighters with EliteXC and many more
in boxing, but I can truly say I'm as excited about this signing
as I have ever been.
"I'm
realIy looking forward to seeing the Shamrocks in action.''
Shaw
isn't wasting time putting Ken (kenshamrock.proelite.com), who
has defeated the likes of Bas Rutten, Maurice Smith, Dan "The
Beast" Severn and Kimo in his illustrious career, and Ryan
(ryanshamrock.proelite.com) to work.
Father
and son will compete on the same card when they fight on "EliteXC
Presents: Cage Rage 25'' on Saturday, March 8, at Wembley Arena
in London, England.
"I'm
totally committed to returning to the cage injury free and anxious
about fighting in England for the first time,'' the older Shamrock
said. "It is very exciting for both Ryan and I. We will
be making MMA history by being the first father and son to ever
fight on the same card.
"This
is a great opportunity we are getting with EliteXC. Give me a
fight or two and I will be ready to fight anybody.''
Ryan
(1-0), a promising 5-foot-9-inch, 19-year-old, fights at 135
pounds. In his April 2007 debut, he beat a 31-year-old veteran
by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:38 into the first round.
The
younger Shamrock has always loved sports and played football
and wrestled at East Lake High School in Chula Vista, Calif.
"After
high school, I enrolled at a culinary school in San Diego,''
Ryan said. "But I guess fighting is in my genes because
on a train ride with my dad last year to Moline, Ill., for an
MMA event, I asked him if I could put college on hold and go
into fighting. My dad never pushed me to get into fighting; it
was just something I wanted to do.
"He
said he would help me in any way he could, but to make sure I
got an education in school. I promised him I would, and here
we are.
"I
think I am more excited than nervous about fighting on the same
card with my dad. If anything, it gives me more incentive. I
get the chance to show that there is another Shamrock out there
who can compete as well as he can.''
About
ProElite, 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 mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition
to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite
expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive
set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and
organizations. ProElite.com - Empowering the Fight Community
TM
Contacts:
EliteXC
(Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.) EliteXC
Dan
Clavadetscher / John Beyrooty / Patrick Freitas
(818)
462-5602 / (818) 462-5601 / (808) 232-3481
DanC@bzapr.com
/ Johnnybey@aol.com / Superbrawl21@yahoo.com
|
Bustamante
hungers for the ring
BTT leader talks about Yarennoka
At 41 years old, Murilo Bustamante is yet another athlete to
prove that age is no hindrance in the world of fighting. The
BTT leader entered the ring twice last year, knocking out Ryuta
Sakurai in Deep in April and losing a split decision to judoka
Makoto Takimoto on December 31st at Yarennoka.
“I
think I fought well, it was a split decision, but I think the
yellow card I got at the beginning of the fight caused me problems.
Even though I held the ropes, I think it would have been more
correct for me to have taken a warning, the card came out really
quickly. I received a proposal to fight two weeks ago, I hadn’t
thought of stopping, I always train and I already have some offers
for 2008. I haven’t signed anything yet, I’m in the
negotiating phase, but I’ll be back soon,” said Murilo.
Besides
his appearances in the ring, Murilo was in action as a coach
in 2007, and the team he led in the MTL became champion after
going past teams with Wanderlei Silva and Rogerio Minotouro as
coaches.
By
Bebeo Duarte’s side, Bustamante carries on leading the Brazilian
Top Team in Rio de Janeiro. That is where he trains, among others,
Rousimar Touquinho, grand champion of the under 83kg Fury GP
last year.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
2008
IFL season schedule shaping up
MMAFighting.com has learned six of the eight dates for the IFL's
second full season, which will span three locations: the IZOD
Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Orleans Arena in Las
Vegas, Nevada, and the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The
IFL will kick off its season at the Orleans Arena on February
29 and will return on June 27 and October 17. The events at the
IZOD Center will take place on April 4, August 8 and November
14. The two Mohegan Sun dates are to be announced.
In
the 2008 season, there will be four camps competing on each card,
with a minimum of three matchups per team. The season opener
features Team Quest vs. The Lions Den and Xtreme Couture vs.
Mario Sperry's World Class Fight Center.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Nat
Geo’s Fight Science: Mixed Martial Arts and Special Ops
a no miss
By Stone Martindale
Building
on the success and popularity of the original, the National Geographic
Channel (NGC) premieres two new episodes of Fight Science on
Sunday, January 27, 2008, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
The
ancient warriors handed down secrets through the ages, of every
conceivable fight style known to man today. National Geographic
unlocks the real impact and inner workings of man's art of physical
combat in the new series, "Fight Science."
MMA,
boxing and wrestling fans will love this revelation of the mechanics
of the punch, kick and throw.
One
group consists of some of the most highly trained athletes on
the planet, capable of delivering lethal blows with lightning
speed as champions from one of the world's most popular sports.
The
other group includes elite, superbly conditioned soldiers who
must deliver peak performance with only a moment's notice, under
the most adverse, hostile conditions.
Each
stretches the limits of the human body in the pursuit of extreme
physical challenges. What can science show us about the true
extent of their abilities and their comparative strengths, advantages
and limitations?
Building
on the success and popularity of the original, the National Geographic
Channel (NGC) premieres two new episodes of Fight Science on
Sunday, January 27, 2008, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
First,
Fight Science: Mixed Martial Arts reveals the astonishing data
behind the athletic capabilities of legendary mixed martial arts
(MMA) fighters, including controversial Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) heavyweight champion Randy Couture.
Then,
at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Fight Science: Special Ops brings together a
team of the world's best special operatives to reveal the science
behind how these supersoldiers redefine the upper limits of human
performance and thrive in high-threat environments.
Fight
Science brings together leading scientists, motion-capture specialists
and CGI animators to test these fighters in a state-of-the-art
studio that is part gym, part high-tech lab and part studio.
Deploying
dozens of infrared motion-capture cameras, high-definition cameras
and ultra-high-speed cameras, the studio allows scientists —
including Randy Kelly, an automotive crash testing and human-injury
expert, Dr. Cindy Bir, an impact injury expert, and David Sandler,
a sport physiologist — to measure and map the speed, force,
range and impact of muscles and bones in the fighters' bodies.
The
motion-capture technique, requiring reflective markers over the
fighters' entire bodies, allows for sophisticated real-time three-dimensional
models (seen in films like "Lord of the Rings"). These
results are combined with other data to create separate sophisticated
animations of the fighters' bones, muscles and nerves.
Fight
Science juxtaposes the fighters' real-life movements with their
animated selves for extraordinary insight into exactly how the
body generates each move in real time.
Fight
Science: Mixed Martial Arts
Sunday, January 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT
At
the pinnacle of mixed martial arts is the UFC, which has sought
to legitimize MMA in a league that has become a pop culture phenomenon.
The sport requires a display of strategy, knowledge of anatomy
and superb conditioning. MMA fighters master a broad range of
martial arts disciplines so that they can strategically deploy
elements from each style. At any moment, fighters can draw upon
a wide range of tactics, such as lightning-fast punches used
in boxing, knee strikes used by a karate master, elbow blows
displayed in kung fu or grappling practices perfected by Brazilian
jiu-jitsu artists.
"I
think MMA athletes are the best athletes on the planet,"
says Couture. "If you consider their conditioning, the discipline
and all the things that go into making one of these athletes,
there are not a lot of people that can do what we do."
Fight
Science: Mixed Martial Arts analyzes the unique fighting styles
and capabilities of legendary fighters like Couture, former UFC
heavyweight champion Bas Rutten, former UFC light heavyweight
champion Tito Ortiz and two-time world submission grappling champion
Dean Lister. The results show the comparative strengths, advantages
and limitations of each technique these fighters may use during
combat. Among the results, scientists determine that Rutten's
kick generates a force equivalent to a 35-mph car crash, and
Couture's endurance is nearly 10 times better than that of the
average person and his blows generate double the force of a heavyweight
boxer's best punch.
"I've
been doing crash testing for the last 20 years, and I've never
seen these kinds of numbers," says Kelly. "I would
never have believed it if I hadn't been here to see it."
Fight
Science: Special Ops
Sunday, January 27, at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Special
operations are elite military units trained for unconventional
warfare, often to execute dangerous, covert missions behind enemy
lines. The soldiers must excel beyond normal human capabilities,
displaying superior physiology and extraordinary mental ability.
This is evident in the strength and stamina of U.S. Navy SEALs,
the speed and focus of U.S. Green Berets and the lightning reflexes
of Israeli Commandos. Unlike athletes, who prepare for a scheduled
competition under controlled conditions, these elite soldiers
must excel in ruthless situations that can become deadly without
warning. Now, in Fight Science: Special Ops, these warrior athletes
are put to the test by science and cutting-edge technologies
to exhibit their maximum capabilities under the most adverse
circumstances. Some of their superhuman abilities studied include
how a former Navy SEAL can withstand hypothermia while submerged
in 50 degree water without compromising his ability to complete
an obstacle course; and how a member of Israel's most elite Commando
unit can ace agility and firearm tests while withstanding a 104
degree fever and losing 3 percent of his body weight.
Fight
Science is produced by Base Productions, Inc., for the National
Geographic Channel. For Base Productions, Inc., executive producers
are Mickey Stern and John Brenkus. For the National Geographic
Channel, executive producer is Chris Valentini and senior vice
president of production and development is Juliet Blake.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Pé-de-Chumbo
comes to IFL in March
After injuring in his trainings for Super Challenge Grappilng,
the world Jiu-Jitsu champion Délson Pé-de-Chumbo
felt his pubis injury at the final of IFL GP, that happened December
29th at , and had to give up during first round’s interval.
But now, at the final part of his injury recuperation and with
a contract signed to continue representing Renzo Gracie’s
team at IFL, the New York Pitbulls, Pé-de-Chumbo says
that he’ll be back soon for trainings.
“My
pubis injury was more serious that we though, but I won’t
need to do a surgery, only physiotherapy. Soon I’ll be back
on training and fighting and Jay Hieron, that took the belt,
will have to defend it at another fight against me, and I’ll
get it, because this belt is not his, it’s mine”, said
Gracie Fusion’s athlete. Showing confidence and good humor,
Pé-de-Chumbo might come back to IFL rings in March.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"There
is no such thing as a perfect marriage, only perfect moments."
Anise and Howard Singer, married 44 years (featured in "Project
Everlasting")
|
Teila
Tuli Contact
Info?
A MMA Journalist in Brazil is looking for Teila Tuli, the Sumo
wrestler from Hawaii who fought in the first UFC against Gerard
Gordeau, to do an interview with him. Does anyone have any way
to contact Teila? If so can you email it to us?
|
MAN
UP & STAND UP
KICKBOXING
FEB 2 2008 SATURDAY
DOLE CANNERY BALLROOM
SEMI PRO SUPER LIGHT WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
JARID IHA 139 RYAN LEE
DIDO RODRIGUES 85 JUSTIN KAHALEWAI
EVAN QUIZON 125 SEAN ORTIZ
JUMAR ESCOSIO 135 JONAH VISANTE
BRENDON MORENO 145 BRONSON CAYETANO
SEMI PRO WELTER WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
NUI WHEELER 146 MIKE BALASI
JOSIAH BROWN 130 SHANE DILIWITH
MANA KRYZKA 155 JACOB SMITH
BOOKIE 150 GEORGE SIPO
BRANDON PACLIE 150 KELII KEKONA
NOA 200+ OTO
DALE KAMAI 170 TYLER MAYEKAWA
BRANDON NALEEHA 230 JAMES AWANA
RANDY EBRIGHT 155 CARLOS ARUEGLO
DOUG OWENS 230 ROYAL
HARRISON KOLO 170 DEVON PETROSSION
CHRISTINE MIRANDA 130 ANGIE PERIA
EDDIE OHIA 175 CALEB PRICE
TODD YOUNG 170 MAKANA FARONDE
RICHARD HIT TOO HARD BERNARD 150 JARID MATSUDA
JEREMY ABREGARA 125 RUSTY RIVERA
JUSTIN QUILET 170 DENNY MAGDUAL
Source: Event Promoter
|
Pequeno
challenges Kid Yamamoto
 
If depends on Alexandre Pequeno, Kid Yamamoto’s fame of
Brazilian’s terror won’t last so long. Back on his
trainings, Shooto King is looking forward getting on the ring
with the ’s number one on category until 65kg, that already
defeated the Jiu-Jitsu black belts Royler Gracie (knock-out),
Bibiano Fernandes (decision) and Rany Yahya (knock-out). “I
right behind him since the Shooto event, when he injured his
hand and couldn’t fight with me, challenging for the belt.
Today he is the number one in his weight, won two of my friends
and I can’t see the time to face him, the promoters can
bet that this fight will make sparks”, guarantees Pequeno.
Source: Tatame
|
Maturing
Penn ready to claim crown
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – For years, the word "if"
has haunted B.J.
Penn.
He's
heard it so much, it makes him want to scream in agony.
If
only he would train, the experts would say.
If
only he would take mixed martial arts seriously, they'd continue.
If only he had the desire to be the best like a Randy Couture.
Penn
has heard it for years and run away from it, trying desperately
to be his own man. He would do things his way, on his terms.
And
though doing that has resulted in a decent career, Penn is hardly
a lock to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at this stage
and there are many who look at him as a disappointment.
"When
he wants to, he can pretty much do anything in there," long-time
rival Jens Pulver said of Penn.
Now,
it seems, Penn wants to. On the eve of a lightweight title shot
against Joe Stevenson on Saturday at UFC 80 at Metro Radio Arena,
Penn admits that his legions of critics are correct.
He
has, he says, underachieved for much of his career. Despite the
UFC welterweight title he won by submitting Matt Hughes, despite
the wins over luminaries such as Takanori Gomi, Matt Serra, Caol
Uno and Renzo Gracie, among others, Penn concedes he hasn't gotten
all he could out of his career.
At
29 years old, the Hilo, Hawaii native says, he’s finally
grown up.
"I
hear all these things everyone says about it and it should get
me (angry), but I'm not, because it's true," Penn said.
"I should be No. 1 up there. I know the kind of skills I
have. I haven't always been as serious as I should. I've been
immature a lot of the time. Bottom line, I'm a better fighter
than I've shown."
In
Stevenson, Penn faces a guy who in many ways is his polar opposite.
While Penn's physique is frequently soft, without definition,
Stevenson looks like he was chiseled, not born.
Stevenson
is the type who'd never spent just five hours in a gym when he
had a chance to spend eight.
He's
literally made himself into a fighter while supporting a wife
and a growing family.
Penn
comes from a well-to-do background and hasn't had to push himself
the way Stevenson has.
But
Penn, who is nicknamed "The Prodigy," said a conversation
with UFC president Dana White last year turned his professional
life around.
White
was toying with the idea of naming Penn and Pulver as coaches
on "The Ultimate Fighter" but wanted Penn to commit
to making 155 pounds so they'd fight at the season finale.
Penn
had once talked of winning titles in all five MMA weight divisions,
but agreeing to White's offer would mean agreeing to the sacrifice
it would take to get to – and stay at – 155 pounds.
"This
idea he had of winning titles at 70, 85, 205 and heavyweight
is nutty, and I told him that," White said. "B.J. is
as good as there is, but that's not how you make your reputation.
You clean out one division and after you do that, if you think
you can do it you move up at that point."
So
Penn agreed to coach on the show and went on to exact revenge
on Pulver by submitting him in the second round of the finale.
That's
led to the fight with Stevenson and yet another bid at a lightweight
title he was once considered a shoo-in to win but has never worn.
"Joe
is a fantastic fighter," Penn says, almost sounding reverential.
But
it is not Stevenson who is motivating Penn to make 155 and to
try to, as White says, clean out the division.
He
aches for another crack at interim welterweight champion Georges
St. Pierre, who was dominant in a Dec. 29 win at UFC 79 over
Hughes.
Penn
lost a disputed split decision at UFC 58 on March 3, 2006, in
Las Vegas. He clearly dominated the Canadian star in the first
round, but his conditioning was poor and he couldn't keep up
the pace. St. Pierre came back to take the final two rounds and
win the fight.
St.
Pierre has zoomed to the top of the MMA heap and is ranked second
to Anderson Silva in the Yahoo! Sports top 10 poll, while Penn
is seventh.
"Can
I please – please – fight this guy (St. Pierre)?"
Penn says. "You know it has to happen. Everyone does. It's
the fight everyone really wants to see. I heard Dana say something
like a 'motivated B.J. Penn is very dangerous,' but I'd never
be more motivated in my life than if I got a chance to fight
this guy again."
If
Penn gets past Stevenson, which is hardly a given even if he's
on top of his game, he'll still have to get past guys like former
champion Sean Sherk and top contenders such as Kenny Florian,
Frankie Edgar, Tyson Griffin and Roger Huerta.
Then,
and only then, will White relent and give Penn the fight he really
wants.
"Some
guys are born with God-given natural ability, but a lot of times,
they're the hardest ones to get to train properly, because everything
comes so easily to them," White said. "And because
of that, a lot of times they wind up (throwing) it all way. B.J.
can do things that very few guys have ever been able to do in
there, but he doesn't do it all the time because he hasn't dedicated
himself to it.
"He
tells me he is and he insists he's working as hard as he's ever
worked, so we'll have to see. But if he does what he says and
cleans out this division, then he can come to me and we'll talk
about the welterweights."
That's
fine with Penn, who loved the nickname he carried but didn't
like the pressure that went along with being one of the most
gifted mixed martial artists who ever lived.
He
just wanted to be one of the guys at one point.
"I
didn't like being the favorite and always being expected to win,"
Penn said. "I've had the highest highs and the lowest lows
in this career and a lot of it is because of all the expectations
people put on me. I didn't really like (them) telling me how
I should win all of the time. But I'm a more mature guy now and
I understand better what this is all about.
"Now
is the time. I'm ready to do the things I'm capable of, not just
for one fight, but for every fight."
White
laughed upon hearing the comment, because he's heard Penn say
it so many times before.
"We'll
see," White said between chuckles.
But
Penn is deadly serious. He wants not only to win the lightweight
belt and cement his legacy as one of the greatest fighters to
compete in the UFC, but he wants to be able to avenge a loss
that has grated on him ever since.
"I
think I won the fight as it was," Penn said. "His conditioning
and stamina was great that time and it will be again. But where
I know his will be the same, I'm going to be a lot better. He
won't be fighting the same old B.J."
Kevin
Iole covers boxing and mixed martial arts for Yahoo! Sports.
Send Kevin a question or comment for potential use in a future
column or webcast.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
plans to invade Great Britain
Penn battles Stevenson
for vacant lightweight title in Newcastle
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS NOTEBOOK
By David A. Avila
MSNBC contributor
Failure is not an option for Ultimate Fighting Championship in
its plans to invade Great Britain.
“We’re
getting our (butt) kicked over there,” said Dana White,
UFC president.
Despite
an inability to achieve the same buckets of money UFC rakes in
the United States, the show proceeds with UFC 80 Rapid Fire at
Newcastle, England. BJ
Penn battles
Joe “Daddy” Stevenson for the vacant UFC lightweight
title on Sat. Jan. 19.
The
fight card will be shown live on pay-per-view television. It
begins early at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
Because
of overseas television revenue constrictions, UFC can’t
use its usual formula to guarantee financial success, but White
insists that one or two lost battles do not make a war. UFC will
battle on in Europe and other parts of the world.
“I
don’t think there is anything profitable about the European
market,” White admits. “But I think it (mixed martial
arts) can be the biggest sport in the world.”
White
foresees MMA being shown through the Internet, not television,
and expects to drive UFC through the dry periods overseas nonetheless,
until technology reaches that point.
“If
I’m wrong, we spent a ****load of money for nothing,”
said White during a conference call. “My light is at the
end of the tunnel.”
The
next invasion of Great Britain begins with Hawaii’s jujitsu master Penn dropping down in weight
to ply his talent against the formidable ground master Stevenson.
It looks like an even contest between two grunts.
“I’m
not looking past Joe Stevenson,” said Penn (12-4-1), who
fought at 170 pounds for a number of years before accepting this
fight at 155 pounds.
Because
former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk was stripped of the
title due to a suspension by California State Athletic Commission,
the title was declared vacant and now Stevenson and Penn are
on collision course.
“You
are going to see us on the ground and you’re going to see
a clinic,” predicts Stevenson (33-7).
Penn
has battled some of the greatest names in MMA including Matt
Hughes, Jens Pulver, Georges St. Pierre and Matt Serra. The confidence
he shows in his own ability has led to arguments with White to
allow him to fight heavyweights.
“I
told him you’re out of your mind,” White replied to
Penn when asked to set up a fight with a heavyweight. “Once
you get to 205 (light heavyweights) pounds those guys are huge.”
After
lobbying for years, White finally convinced Penn to descend to
the highly competitive lightweight division.
Penn’s first venture into the lightweight division could
be his last if he loses.
“This
fight is huge. Joe Stevenson is a great opponent,” says
Penn, who is a former welterweight champion. “He has so
many weapons, so many tools.”
But
the Hawaiian remains confident.
“Without
a doubt I’ll be the guy who wins two titles in two weight
divisions,” Penn says.
Stevenson,
a muscular former wrestler, usually dedicates most of his training
on his striking game with boxers and kickboxers.
Not
this time.
“BJ
is awesome,” Stevenson says freely. “Normally I don’t
train on the ground at all, but I respect BJ’s game so much
I’ve trained on the ground this time.”
The
winner most certainly steps on the lightweight mountain and will
then dig in to defend against a multitude of 155-pounders in
the talent rich division. Names like Roger Huerta, Rob McCullough,
Tyson Griffin, Josh Neer, Frank Edgar and Thiago Tavares await
him like a murderer’s row.
Both
fighters are confident. UFC boss White is even more confident
about the division’s ability to attract fans.
“These
guys are two of the most hyped up fighters on the ground,”
said White with a mischievous tone. “BJ is very hard to
take down. I think this fight is going to end up on their feet.”
Penn
wants to break Stevenson’s roadblock to greater glory.
“The
victory is everything to me,” said Penn. “I want to
be one of the great champions.”
Other
bouts on the British MMA fight card include Gabriel Gonzaga pit
against Fabricio Werdum, Wilson Gouveia against Jason Lambert,
Jess Liaudin meeting Marcus Davis, Kendall Grove matched against
Jorge Rivera and several other bouts.
Don’t
forget the fight will be aired live at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and
12 p.m. Pacific Time.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
It's
Getting Ugly: UFC Sues Couture
By Steven Marrocco
Yesterday,
the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Zuffa,
LLC, filed papers in Clark County District Court for a lawsuit
against its heavyweight champion, Randy Couture.
According
to a report released by the Las Vegas Review Journal today, the
claim seeks damages in excess of $10,000 for “injurious
falsehood and trade disparagement” that led to significant
financial losses for the company.
The
suit also alleges that Couture has violated the terms of his
contract by participating in organizations that compete with
the UFC. Terms of the initial contract stated that Couture was
off the market for 12 months after his service ended.
The
bulk of Zuffa’s claims arose from a press conference Couture
held in light of his resignation from the company in October
of 2007. Couture took the unprecedented step of revealing bout
agreements that detailed his pay for his fights against Tim Sylvia
and Gabriel Gonzaga, as well as decrying Zuffa’s business
practices. Zuffa responded in turn with its own press conference
refuting Couture’s claims, producing paperwork in an attempt
to contradict Couture’s statements.
In
December, Couture said he had passed on a February title defense
against Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira in a meeting with
UFC president Dana White, but had shored up his differences with
the company.
Possibly
at jeopardy is Xtreme Couture's upcoming IFL competition, as
the team is scheduled to face Mario Sperry’s World Class
Fight Center on February 29th at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
If Zuffa, LLC is successful in gaining a temporary injunction
against Couture or his team, the appearance could be scrapped.
Couture
has yet to respond to the suit in a statement to the press.
Source: FCF
|
St.
Pierre considers move up in weight
Agent says Canadian wants to enter MMA history
After
the massacre imposed on American Matt Hughes at UFC 79, the name
Georges Saint-Pierre made the headlines. The Canadian who was
called up at the last minute to face the wrestler, as Matt Serra
was injured, impressed by demonstrating a mix of great physical
conditioning with enviable technique, having a stroll through
the park with the most dominant champion in UFC history.
The
next step for the karate black belt and Jiu-Jitsu brown will
be the title dispute against a recovered Serra. But St. Pierre
is already thinking past that, and confident in his abilities
he considers venturing into other weight groups, to thus etch
his name into MMA history, like Randy Couture, the only athlete
to this day to lift the belt in two different weight categories
in the UFC (heavy and light heavy).
“He
wants to leave a legacy. He wants to be the most dominant fighter
the UFC and MMA has ever seen, and he intends to accomplish that
by dominating the 170-pound weight class, moving up to the 185
weight class and then eventually the light heavyweight class.
When it's going to be time, it's going to be time. It's going
to depend on the circumstances. It's going to be for the challenge.
That's going to be a discussion we have with the UFC after this
next fight. They've got some contenders that they've proposed
down the road. We don't have an exact plan as to when that would
occur. There's definitely a few more fights at the 170 level,”
said Shari Spencer, the Canadian’s agent, to Sherdog.com.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
WEC:
Condit vs. Prater"
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008
Santa Ana Star Center in Albuquerque, NM
COMPLETE FIGHT CARD:
Carlos
Condit vs. Carlo Prater
Rob McCullough vs. Jamie Varner
Chase Beebe vs. Miguel Torres
Ox Wheeler vs. Del Hawkins
Leonard Garcia vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Micah Miller vs. Chance Farrar
Jeff Bedard vs. Yoshiro Maeda
Scott Jorgensen vs. Jesse Moreng
Mark Hominick vs. Josh Grispi
Manny Tapia vs. Antonio Banuelos
Source: MMA Fighting
|
A
look at the UFC's money division
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports
It
seems almost ridiculous in hindsight, but it wasn't until the
end of 1997 that the Ultimate Fighting Championship instituted
weight classes. And almost from the day the light heavyweight
title (originally called the middleweight title) came into being,
it was the company's marquee division.
The
impetus behind adding an under-200 pound weight class (moved
to 205 pounds a few years later when a 185-pound division was
added) was because UFC had signed 1992 Olympic freestyle gold-medal
winning wrestler Kevin Jackson. Jackson, who was still in competition
and among the world's elite in his sport, had been signed by
Extreme Fighting Championships, UFC's rival, and looked tremendous
in his early matches.
With
the sport in a purgatory of sorts, the idea that one of its champions
was an Olympic gold medalist seemed like a good counter to the
perception that UFC fighters were bar-fighting thugs.
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HISTORY
• Dec. 21, 1997: Frank Shamrock def. Kevin Jackson in :14
of round one with an armbar in Yokohama, Japan to become the
first UFC middleweight (Under-200 pounds) champion.
• Sept. 24, 1999: Shamrock beat Tito Ortiz in Lake Charles,
La., then vacated title due to a contract impasse.
• April 21, 2000: Tito Ortiz def. Wanderlei Silva via decision
in Tokyo to win vacant title (division was soon renamed light
heavyweight, weight limit moved to 205)
• June 6, 2003: After Ortiz refused to sign a match with
Chuck Liddell and was in a contract dispute, the UFC created
an interim championship as Randy Couture def. Liddell via ref
stoppage at 2:40 of the third round due to strikes on the ground
in Las Vegas
• Sept. 26, 2003: Couture def. Ortiz to unify the championship
via decision in Las Vegas
• April 16, 2005: Liddell knocked out Couture in 2:06 of
round one in Las Vegas to win championship
• May 26, 2007: Quinton Jackson knocked out Liddell in 1:57
of round one in Las Vegas to win championship
But
in the division's debut match Dec. 21, 1997, in Yokohama, Japan,
Frank Shamrock armbarred Jackson in 14 seconds.
Shortly
afterward, Randy Couture, who won the heavyweight championship
for the first time on the same show, quit the promotion in a
money dispute. As the heavyweight division floundered over the
next few years, it was Shamrock who carried the promotion during
what were the dark ages of the sport. But, for almost an entire
decade, through reigns of Tito Ortiz, Couture, Chuck Liddell
and now Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, light heavyweight
has been the company's money division.
It
looked like 2007 would be when the heavyweights would take the
spotlight. Couture won the heavyweight title, and people started
talking about the potential of matches with Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and Fedor Emelianenko, but, like a decade earlier,
the division unraveled.
In
2008, UFC's heavyweight and middleweight divisions could use
more depth. The welterweights have a dominant performer in Georges
St. Pierre and a champion he's chasing in Matt Serra, and a solid
crew trying to claw their way into contention. The lightweights
are filled with names who can and do regularly give incredible
matches. But the biggest money matches are still at light heavyweight.
The
main match comes in the summer. Current champion Jackson and
Forrest Griffin soon start filming as opposing coaches on the
next season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. After three
months of television, which starts airing April 2, they'll fight,
probably in July.
But
Liddell remains UFC’s biggest moneymaker. His match with
Wanderlei Silva on Dec. 29 drew the second largest live gate
in UFC history (behind only Liddell's 2006 title defense against
Tito Ortiz), and whatever tarnish his image may have had from
two consecutive losses was rehabbed, at least in fans' eyes,
by scoring a solid decision over a legitimate Hall of Fame fighter.
It
is no secret if there is a record-breaking match on the horizon,
it would be Jackson vs. Liddell. The problem is justifying it.
Jackson solidly beat Liddell twice, once in Japan in 2003 and
again when he knocked him out in just 1:53 to win the title May
26.
UFC
has yet to decide what is next for Liddell, but the two most
viable options are a rematch with Keith Jardine, who upset Liddell
via split decision Sept. 22, or coming right back with another
match with Silva, with the odds stronger in the direction of
the latter match.
The
decision will be based on a number of things. Among the questions
are who will produce the best box office (likely Silva); what
will be the most exciting match (hard to say as both matches
were exciting but based on first encounters, the edge goes to
Silva); and what win will mean the most in selling people on
the idea the old Liddell is back (again the edge is to Silva).
The other note is that with a Silva match, there is a definite
place to go next. A Jardine win would knock Liddell out of contention
and out of money matches, and would set up Jardine as an opponent
for the Jackson-Griffin winner. A Silva win would knock Liddell
out of contention but set up two possibilities: a third Liddell-Silva
match or Silva challenging the winner, particularly Jackson,
since Silva beat Jackson twice in Japan.
There
are another nine fighters who come into the year with hopes of
doing damage in the division. Not all are true title contenders,
but they are all part of the top-tier mix:
HOUSTON
ALEXANDER
After
knockouts of Jardine and Alessio Sakara, fans were ready to anoint
Alexander as the next superstar of the division. But a dose of
reality hit Nov. 17 against Thiago Silva. Alexander took the
fight to the ground, a clear mistake because he seemed outclassed,
and was quickly knocked out. At 36, time is running out to shore
up that weakness, but he would still make a viable opponent for
a number of fighters on this list. While not signed, the current
plan is for him to face James Irvin on March 8 in Manchester,
England.
STEPHAN
BONNAR
Best
known for his loss to Forrest Griffin in the first Ultimate Fighter
finale, a bout that legitimately could have gone in his direction,
the 14-4 Bonnar is in something of a sink-or-swim position when
he faces Matt Hamill on the April 2 Spike TV special from Denver.
RASHAD
EVANS
At
16-0-1, Evans is coming off a win over Michael Bisping (who is
moving to middleweight) and a draw with Tito Ortiz. His stand-up
is solid and his wrestling is good. He's not flashy, which hurts
him when it comes to being mentioned in top company. But he's
a quality opponent for anyone on the list.
MATT
HAMILL
At
5-1, Hamill is the example of someone who became a bigger star
in losing than he ever did in winning. The deaf fighter introduced
on the Ultimate Fighter lost a decision that almost everyone
who wasn't judging the fight thought he had won against Michael
Bisping on a Spike TV show Sept. 8 from London. What made it
bigger is that it ended up as the third-most watched MMA fight
ever in the U.S., and the American got robbed against a Brit
in England. Knee surgery stopped him from following up on all
his positive momentum. Hamill is a strong wrestler who surprisingly
held his own striking with an experienced stand-up fighter. Bonnar
will provide a test as to where he really stands.
LYOTO
MACHIDA
At
12-0, Machida, a Brazilian of Japanese ancestry, is an interesting
case. He has been completely dominant in every UFC fight thus
far. He's dominated Olympic judo hopefuls like Rameau Thierry
Sokoudjou and Kazuhiro Nakamura on the ground, and nobody has
touched him standing. But Machida's point karate style fighting,
where he throws a bunch and then backs off, doesn't make for
exciting fights. Stylistically, he's the one guy they probably
want to keep away from Liddell and thus there is no movement
going in that direction. The current plan is for Machida to face
Tito Ortiz in the spring, but Ortiz has yet to accept it. If
he were to beat Ortiz, a title shot would be imminent.
TITO
ORTIZ
There
is a saying in boxing and wrestling that fits Ortiz – "He's
money." Some people love him. Others love to hate him. Ortiz
headlined the two biggest non-boxing sports PPV events in history
(fights with Liddell and Ken Shamrock in 2006) and with the exception
of Liddell, is the best known fighter in the division. At 15-5-1,
Ortiz hasn't been the same fighter since back problems started
plaguing him in 2003. He's in the last fight of his contract
and his problems with UFC president Dana White are legendary.
Clearly, a fight with Machida is designed as a big name opponent
to stamp Machida as a star to the American public. But it's the
classic win/win for the promotion, because a strong Ortiz, like
him or not, can headline against any fighter on this list and
through the rub, make them a bigger star to the buying public.
And if he can put together a winning streak, he would once again
draw huge numbers for a title match.
MAURICIO
"SHOGUN" RUA
The
16-3 Rua was considered by many the best fighter in the world
in the division before being choked out by Griffin on Sept. 22
in Anaheim, Calif. Rua did go in with a knee that needed surgery,
but Griffin went in needing shoulder surgery. Rua is talented
at every facet of the game, but with Griffin, he ran into a bigger
and stronger opponent who had trained harder. There is a big
difference between UFC and Pride – different rules, different
mentality, cage vs. ring, stricter drug testing and bigger guys
who cut hard to make a weight class. Shogun should be back in
a few months, and time will tell if he learned a lesson from
his loss. But he handed Jackson the most one-sided loss of his
career and still may be the most talented all-around fighter
in the division.
THIAGO
SILVA
At
12-0, Silva knocked out Alexander on the ground in his last match.
Silva's a well-rounded fighter but has not been tested by upper-tier
competition. He will almost surely be tested by the end of the
year.
RAMEAU
THIERRY SOKOUDJOU
After
knockout wins over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona
in the dying days of Pride, the Cameroon native seemed like the
next big thing in the division. But the Machida loss made him
look like a beginner. Sokoudjou has a lot of rebuilding to do.
Unlike Alexander, who is in the same position, at 23, he has
plenty of time for it.
Dave
Meltzer covers mixed martial arts for Yahoo! Sports. Meltzer,
who has published the pro wrestling trade industry publication
the Wrestling Observer Newsletter since 1982, began covering
MMA with UFC 1 in 1993. He is a graduate of San Jose State University,
and has written for the Oakland Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and
The National. Send Dave a question or comment for potential use
in a future column or webcast
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Nathan
Diaz Pre-Fight Interview
GF: How has your training been going leading up to this fight?
ND:
Really good. I feel I've improved my boxing skills and that I'm
hitting a lot harder. I'm focusing on my jiu-jitsu game for the
last couple of weeks and I feel I'm ready.
GF:
What do you think about your opponent?
ND:
I'm sure he's tough. Everybody's kinda tough these days and I'm
not under estimating him. I've only seen a couple of his fights
so we'll see when I get in there.
GF:
Manny Gumbryan has been looking to get a rematch with you, stating
whenever he can that he only lost because of a shoulder injury.
Any thoughts?
ND:
You know up until now I've tried to be respectful about him since
we were on the same team and everything but he's making it hard
for me to be that way. He must have forgotten how our training
sessions went in the house. I can tell you I wasn't the one getting
tapped out and socked up the whole time but if he's still holding
a grudge and wants to fight me again than let him beat some guys
and work his way back up. He'll also need to get that operation
so he can't use that as an excuse again. If he can do that I'll
be happy to fight him again.
GF:
After this fight what can we expect from you?
ND:
I want to keep busy competing in tournaments or anything else
to keep me busy. I hope the UFC starts giving me more fights.
I see some guys fighting 5 times a year and I'd be happy to do
that.
GF:
Thanks Nathan and good luck.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Dana
White confident in UFC return to New York by 2009
UFC President Dana White is eyeing to stage a UFC event in New
York within the next year.
"Believe
me we're focusing very hard on New York," White said. "And
we're confident we’ll have New York done by 2009."
First
things first, though, the ban on mixed martial arts will need
to be lifted in New York before the UFC can start putting a card
together. Still, White is optimistic that MMA will be regulated
in the near future.
"It’s
not like NY is trying to keep us out. We're just starting to
focus on NY. All the history with NY was back in the old days.
We have no bad history with NY at all. I'm very confident we’re
going to get it done."
The
first and only time the UFC was held in New York was at UFC 7:
The Brawl in Buffalo in September 1995. But by UFC 12, MMA was
banned in New York, among other states.
The
UFC tested the market with an closed circuit viewing of UFC 79:
Nemesis in Madison Square Garden. White called the viewing party
a "very successful event."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Cachorrao
ready for return
Almeida to fight on 2nd, at UFC 81
Not
having fought MMA since beating Ryo Chonan at Pride Bushido 3
in 2004, Brazilian Ricardo “Cachorrao” Almeida announced
a few months ago that he would return to the sport in the UFC.
The Renzo Gracie black belt, with a record of 9 wins and 2 losses,
will face Alan Belcher on February 2nd, at UFC 81, in Las Vegas.
Owner
of a Jiu-Jitsu academy in New Jersey, Cachorrao who always like
teaching, is training at full steam to dive in as a middleweight,
and carve out a place for himself in the category. GRACIEMAG.com
contacted the fighter, who found some time for an interview before
preparing lunch for his kids.
GRACIEMAG.com:
How has training been going?
Cachorrao: I’m always training, I like being active and
in shape. During this time I always look to help Renzo with MMA
events, the guys on the Pitbulls came and are still coming to
train with me in New Jersey, twice a week. And so I never left
the sport. Aside from that, I always trained a lot with my students.
My preparations for the UFC fight have been in my academy, with
lots of Jiu-Jitsu, and the boxing part, in another academy.
GRACIEMAG.com:
What’s the difference between the Cachorrao who will enter
the octagon on February 2nd and the one that stopped fighting
in 2004?
Cachorrao: Maturity. I spent this whole time behind the scenes
in the fight world and learned how to see the tactical side of
the fight, even with my experience as a teacher, I learned a
lot about strategy. I’m not going in there thinking I’m
going to knock anyone out, but to take them down and submit them.
I’m going to fight with what I’ve got, with what I
trust, being smart about the fight. Sometimes I ask myself what
I’m doing fighting these giant guys, when I could be teaching
my classes and catching waves, but I came back because I believe
in myself, were it otherwise, I’d stay home (laughs).
GRACIEMAG.com:
What do you know about Alan Belcher, your future opponent?
Cachorrao: I have some videos of him. He finished his last fights
by either knockout or submission, with one of these knockouts
over Jorge Santiago. He’s a big guy for his weight, but
I’m not worried, I’ll play my game, try to take him
down, if I don’t manage to, I’ll duke it out with him
standing. I don’t think he has the ground game I do, nor
the Brazilian trickery (laughs).
GRACIEMAG.com:
What’s the difference between the UFC you fought in back
in 2002 and the event of today?
Cachorrao:When I fought back in 2002 the talent was spread all
over the world, there were guys in Pride, K-1 and other events.
Nowadays besides the UFC having brought together all the talent,
they put the guys in categories where they’re better off,
for example, Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson in Pride would
have fought in different categories.
GRACIEMAG.com:
You came in to strengthen the middleweight division, who do you
think could give you a hard time, besides Anderson Silva and
Dan Henderson?
Cachorrao: I like Demian Maia and Thales Leites a lot, I think
they have everything it takes to get to the top, although all
of us are very dedicated, since becoming champion of the UFC
does not happen from one day to the next.
GRACIEMAG.com:
In the fight that will decide the future of the weight group,
what do you think will happen between Hendo and Silva?
Cachorrao: I’d rather not choose one. I think it’ll
be a war. Anderson has the skills to finish it early or hold
out for a long battle, and without discrediting Henderson who’s
a badass, I think for him to win it he’ll have to come in
really sharp.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
*
* * MEDIA TELECONFERENCE ALERT * * *
KIMBO
SLICE & TANK ABBOTT ELITEXC LIVE EVENTS PRESIDENT GARY SHAW
To
Hold Media Conference Call Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 4 p.m. ET/1
p.m. PT
WHO:
Legendary Internet Street Fighter And MMA Superstar Kimbo Slice
Exciting, Hard-Hitting MMA Bad Boy Tank Abbott EliteXC Live Events
President Gary Shaw
WHAT:
Kimbo, Tank and Shaw will discuss "EliteXC Presents STREET
CERTIFIED: Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott'' -- and the entire EliteXC
Mixed Martial Arts mega-event on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the BankUnited
Center at the University of Miami on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT,
delayed on the west coast).
In
what figures to be a slugfest for as long as it lasts, Kimbo,
of Perrine, Fla., and Abbott, of Huntington Beach, Calif., will
clash in a highly anticipated main event on a card that also
will feature one of the world's top heavyweights, Antonio "Big
Foot'' Silva, of Coconut Grove, Fla. In other bouts, highly regarded
British heavyweight James "The Colossus"
Thompson faces unbeaten Brett Rogers of Minneapolis, Edson Berto,
of Tampa, Fla., meets Yves Edwards of Conroe, Tex., and Australian
Kyle "KO'' Noke, the bodyguard of the late Steve "Crocodile
Hunter'' Irwin, takes on Scott Smith, of Sacramento, Calif.
Charles
"Krazy Horse'' Bennett, of Ocala, Fla., who owns a knockout
victory over EliteXC 160-pound world champion KJ Noons, will
be opposed by a foe to be announced in a top, non-televised undercard
match.
Tickets
for a spectacular 10-bout event start at $35 and are available
at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com
and at the BankUnited Box Office at the University of Miami.
ACCESS #: (888) 446-5348 (United States) (913) 338-9600 (International)
Ask for SHOWTIME Conference Call
WHEN:
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008
4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
CONTACTS:
SHOWTIME - Chris DeBlasio/Ivy Moon, (212) 708-1633/7319
BZA/ELITEXC - Dan Clavadetscher/John Beyrooty, (818) 462-5602/5601
|
CONFERENCE
CALL QUOTES KIMBO SLICE & TANK ABBOTT, PROMOTER GARY SHAW
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008
In
a long-awaited, much-anticipated grudge match that figures to
be an absolute slugfest, the incredibly popular pride of Perrine,
Fla., and hometown hero, Kimbo Slice, will face David "Tank''
Abbott, of Huntington Beach, Calif., in the main event Saturday,
Feb. 16, on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
It
will be the second professional MMA fight for Kimbo, the legendary
Internet street fighter and YouTube sensation who scored a smashing
19-second, first-round knockout in his Street-to-Elite debut.
"With these hands I can part the sea. With these hands I
feed the family,'' Kimbo said.
Tank,
of Huntington Beach, Calif., is a feared knockout artist and
notorious bad boy and trash-talker. A veteran who has never turned
down a fight, Tank has called out Kimbo on numerous occasions,
including after Kimbo's EliteXC and MMA debut in November. Tank
is supremely confident he will send home Kimbo and his fans unhappy.
Tickets
for a spectacular 10-bout event start at $35 and will be available
at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com
and at the BankUnited Box Office at the University of Miami.
Opening
Comments:
SHAW:
Thank you for being on this conference call with me, with Kimbo
and the Huntington Beach (Calif.) Bad Boy, Tank Abbott. We also
have Ken Hershman from SHOWTIME with us.
This
is going to be a great, great event in Florida on Feb. 16.
I
want to thank Ken, and I want to thank SHOWTIME for putting this
on the air on premium cable. It was originally scheduled to be
on pay-per-view. But thanks to Kimbo and Tank ... it's not all
about ripping off fans, it's about giving the fans some great
fights on television.
We're
really excited about this card. Besides Kimbo and Tank, we have
Antonio "Big Foot'' Silva, who I believe may be the best
heavyweight in the world. Kimbo tells me that's not so, but that
time will come for him as well. Kimbo's got a big fight. He's
got to get past Tank Abbott with a big reputation and a big punch.
We're
really, really excited about this event. It's going to be a great
promotion. It's at the BankUnited Center at the University of
Miami. Doors will open at 6 p.m. (ET), fights will go on at 7
p.m.
Tickets
are from $35 up to $700. I appreciate everyone being on the call.
I'm going to turn it over to Kimbo to say a few words. Then I'm
going to turn it over to Tank to say a few words, and we'll get
right to your questions.
It
is my pleasure at this time to not only bring up the YouTube
internet sensation, but the guy that went from the streets to
Elite. Two guys that are not only cage tested, but they're street
certified, (first) Kimbo Slice.
KIMBO:
What's up?
SHAW:
Tell them whatever you want.
KIMBO:
That's it.
SHAW:
That's it. I hope you heard that, Tank. He said that's it for
you and the reporters. So, Tank, take it away.
TANK:
I'll tell you what's up. Kimbo's going to be on his back. This
fight is going to last about as long as his interview opening
did. 'What's up' is about how long it's going to take for him
to end up on his back knocked out.
KIMBO:
Did you have a 6-pack or 12-pack before you said something?
TANK:
I don't drink beer. I can afford vodka.
KIMBO:
OK, even better
SHAW:
Tank, do you honestly believe you're going to knock Kimbo out?
TANK:
I don't see it going any other way. I can do anything I want
to him, but what fun is that? I like to knock people out.
SHAW:
Do you think it's a short fight or do you think it's going to
take a couple of rounds?
TANK:
Doesn't matter. I can go 15 minutes holding my breath standing
on my head. So it could be the 14th minute or the first minute,
whenever he runs into one.
SHAW:
How do you feel about fighting in Kimbo's hometown?
TANK:
I kind of like that. I don't like beating up people in my hometown.
I like to go to their hometown, so they can see what they're
all about.
KIMBO:
You better wear a pad with that cup, because I'm going to have
you (blanking) blood, homie.
TANK:
That sounds good. That's what it's all about.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, what's it feel like to be fighting in your hometown in
a sanctioned fight in front of what figures to be a sellout crowd
on a SHOWTIME telecast that begins at 10 p.m.?
KIMBO:
It's going to be different for me. I'm cool with it and I'm comfortable
with it. I'm comfortable at the crib, so I'm looking forward
to it.
QUESTION:
Tank, how did you get your nickname?
TANK:
When I was stomping around in the streets, they didn't have anything
such as an MMA or cage fighting or anything like that. I showed
up at the steps of the Ultimate Fighting and said, 'Hey, I want
to fight.' And they said you have to be a black belt or something
like that.
I
said I just got out of jail for beating somebody up, in fact,
a cop's son. Isn't this supposed to be about fighting? And they
said, yeah, but you've got to have some kind of a black belt
or something. And I said that's not what I'm about. I'm about
fighting in the streets.
They
called me a couple days later and said we came up with this thing
called Tank Abbott. It's from the "Every Which Way But Loose''
movie from Clint Eastwood. There is a guy in there, who's a street
fighting legend by the name of Tank Murdock, and Clint went and
fought him.
But
that's where the Tank came from. I've been stomping the streets
for a long time. I tell you one thing, if Kimbo was back in my
era, stomping around Orange County, Calif., he would have been
long gone a long time ago.
KIMBO:
So you didn't earn your name, your name was given to you out
of grace?
TANK:
Everybody gets their name given to them. I guess it's earned
if you're a street fighting legend and you're a Tank. I guess
somebody does give it to you.
QUESTION:
Tank, you fought some of the best people in the world in their
prime. What level of fighter do you think Kimbo is?
TANK:
I will give him his props. Kimbo goes out there, he's tough,
he's got (guts) and he's got heart. Those are things you can't
teach. But I've been swinging around wrestling rooms for over
30 years and I've been in boxing gyms for over 20, and I've been
in the street a lot longer than that. You can never tell. All
you can say is that Kimbo is a tough man as far as his heart
and his (guts) and his mind, but I don't know how polished he
is. So I can't give you an answer on that one.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, do you want to comment on that? You're newer to mixed
martial arts as an organized sport, even though you have the
street fighting background so why do you think you're ready to
take on somebody like Tank who has been around and been in with
the best for so long?
KIMBO:
I'll take on anybody. Everybody says I'm the new kid on the block
or whatever. But it's the era. Being street certified mixed with
MMA, Tae Kwon Do, Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing and wrestling. You combine
that and you're going to have a type of fighter like myself.
I'm not one-dimensional. Whatever anybody wants to do, I'm down
to do. You want to take it to the ground, let's take it to the
ground. You want to stand up, let's stand up. I'm down for that.
That's my thing, that's what I'm about. That's how I live. That's
my life. I don't even see Tank. I'm seeing through him.
TANK:
See, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about. Those are the
kind of things you can't learn. That's not technique, that's
why I can't wait to step in the ring with him.
QUESTION:
Tank, do you expect this fight to go out of the first round?
TANK:
I don't have any expectations; I don't know about Kimbo.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, any expectations in how long you think this is going to
go?
KIMBO:
No, I don't have any either.
QUESTION:
Is there any possibility, has it entered your mind, that Abbott
has simply too much experience for you?
KIMBO:
I kind of look at it like a chick that does porn. Just because
she did 100 porn scenes, that doesn't mean I'm going to be afraid
to [be with] her. I'm going to still get that [girl]. That's
how I look at it.
QUESTION:
Tank, you fought twice in 2007, once in 2006 and twice in 2005:
When you're not fighting, what do you do?
TANK:
My hobby is drinking. I like to have as much fun as I can. When
I'm training, I train. But I like to have fun also. I like to
hang out at the bars and write the book that I'm doing.
QUESTION:
You're doing a book right now?
TANK:
I've already got it written. It's about 676 pages. I'm pecking
away on it, putting it on a computer. It's got some good stuff
in it. It's about my days when I was stomping in the streets
about 12, 13, 14 years ago when the whole MMA scene came about.
QUESTION:
Tank, was your era on the streets so much tougher than Kimbo's?
TANK:
Because there was no referee and there were no people walking
around watching it. When you entered into a fight you assumed
the risk to die. You didn't have to worry about somebody as a
referee stepping in and saving it. Like I said, I've got well
over 200 street fights under my belt.
QUESTION:
Your response to that, Kimbo?
KIMBO:
I was smelling chicken and looking at the food. I wasn't paying
Tank any attention.
QUESTION:
Gary, Gina Carano was originally supposed to be on the card.
She dropped off. Can you tell us what happened as far as her
participation in this show?
SHAW:
Sure, we wanted her to be on the show. She was training for American
Gladiators, and at this point she wasn't ready to compete on
this date.
QUESTION:
Is there any concern on your end as far as her other activities
interfering with her fight career? Is that something you've talked
to her about?
SHAW:
No, we have a long-term contract with Gina. It was a great opportunity
for her to be on "American Gladiators'' and be "Crush,''
and I think it will help her career. As soon as they're done
with all the meetings they have to do, all the PR appearances
-- she was just on "The Today Show" two days ago --
she'll be ready to fight.
She
wasn't ready in February. Hopefully, she'll be ready for our
big March 29 card in San Jose.
QUESTION:
Gary, a question (regarding) the back and forth you've had with
Dana White, the conversation you had and then he had with Yahoo
Sports. Have you had a chance to read that commentary from Dana,
and do you have any other reaction to him?
SHAW:
Look, no, truthfully I haven't read it. Though a lot of people
have called me (about it). All I'm saying is, and I've said it
all along, there is a differentiator. If you fight for the UFC,
you can't be bigger than Dana White and the UFC. If you fight
for EliteXC, as a fighter, you're bigger than Gary Shaw. It's
about the fighter. It's not about me. Whether it's Kimbo, who
was signed to us, or any other fighter, I believe we represent
some of the greatest fighters in the world. I believe that Antonio
"Big Foot" Silva could knock out any heavyweight in
the UFC.
Now,
I'm not disparaging the UFC. They have some great fighters and
great fights. They have a good brand. They do a good job marketing
their brand, but they don't own MMA. They don't own the space.
They have a brand. You know what, if you hold up the belt there,
all you are is the club champion. Until Dana White is willing
to fight his fighters against other brands, all they are club
champions.
I
extend the challenge and always have - it's like Kimbo, you want
to fight him? Call us up, you can come in the cage and fight
him. You want to fight Jake Shields, fight Jake Shields. We're
proud of the people we represent. Robbie Lawler, I could go down
the whole roster.
But
for Dana White to try to convince the fans that he owns all of
the best fighters in the world? To say that this is just a starting
point for fighters and then they're going to go to UFC? He is
full of (poop). Let him fight our fighters.
I'll
tell you what, let's do some fights winner-take-all. Let's put
up a million dollars purse. Let's pick a weight. Let's really
get it on for the fans. When he's ready to do that, then give
me a call.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, your last fight out you finished it so quickly we didn't
get to see a whole lot. Are you looking forward to showing everybody
your ground skills and what you've been working on?
KIMBO:
Yes, I'm dying for that. I'm dying to get the opportunity to
show off a little stuff. I've got a lot of tools in my arsenal
now. I'm not afraid to use them. I'm getting to the point where
it's second nature. I'm just excited to be where I am, to get
to bang-up Tank and make a good future and a good name for myself.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, what does it mean to have your second fight in EliteXC
take place in your backyard where the fans are going to be going
crazy for you?
KIMBO:
It's exciting. But I'm not letting it get to me because I've
got a bigger fish to fry.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, how has the transition been going from street fighting
to MMA, coupled with your rising popularity, gone for you?
KIMBO:
It's really hard. It's more skilled fighters and better fighters.
I'm proving myself now, because people feel like the guys that
I fought were pretty much nobody's. But you never know what another
guy has. You never know what type of skill the next man has.
If a guy's willing to fight you, that says a lot. He's sure about
himself. You can't take that from anybody. Like every fight,
the best man's going to win. Whoever trains the hardest and wants
it more is going to win. That's what it's about for me.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, where did you get your nickname?
KIMBO:
Kimbo has been my name since I was a kid. That's my child given
name. Slice was an internet given name from my very first fight.
And Slice was a given name I earned from the streets.
TANK:
So they gave that to you?
KIMBO:
It was earned.
QUESTION:
Gary, why did EliteXC decide to go to Florida for this event?
Was it specifically because of Kimbo being from there? Could
Florida be a frequent stop for you guys?
SHAW:
Great question. Let me try to tell you why I went to Florida:
K-I-M-B-O. I believe that Kimbo's going to be a giant, giant
star -- although I know Tank Abbott feels differently and feels
that he's going to be the one with the success.
I
thought Florida was a natural place. We looked at several different
locations in Florida. I wanted to stay near where Kimbo's home
and home base is. The University of Miami has a great arena.
It's the right size. I think Florida is a hot bed for MMA from
Tampa, St. Petersburg all the way down. I just thought it was
the right venue at the right time. SHOWTIME agreed it was the
right venue at the right time, and that's how we wound up there.
If
we draw well enough, we'll be back. We expect a sellout crowd.
We're looking at the American Airlines Arena as well for another
fight. We've also looked at the Hard Rock and the St. Pete Times
Forum. Florida is a place that EliteXC is going to hang their
hat, absolutely.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, you said that you're looking through Tank. Does that mean
you're looking forward to your next match after him?
KIMBO:
Yeah, pretty much. I'm preparing for whatever. I've trained for
Tank a long time, preparing for his style. I know just the type
of fighter he is: aggressive, hitting hard and just coming at
you. I've trained well for that. I'm pretty much prepared to
take Tank out. I'm going to change my name from Kimbo to Blackhawk
because only a Blackhawk chopper can destroy a Tank.
QUESTION:
If you're looking past Tank, is Sean Gannon possibly one of the
guys you're looking at?
KIMBO:
Who? Sean Gannon? Is that even an option?
SHAW:
Anything you want to do is an option.
KIMBO:
I'm down for that. I want to do that bare knuckle. That fight's
owed to me. I want that more than anything.
SHAW:
Yes, it is a possibility. One thing that I like about this fight,
it went from just an MMA fight to being personal. The reason
this fight got made so quickly is Kimbo said that 'I want Tank.
I trained for a pay-per-view fight, I want that fight back.'
If Sean is the one that Kimbo wants and there is a score to be
settled -- then we'll go out as a company that represents Kimbo
and we'll do everything in our power to make that fight. But
you know my career in boxing. I think Kimbo knows this better
than anybody, and I'm sure Tank knows this as an ultimate professional.
You better take care of business on Feb. 16.
QUESTION:
Is Tank signed beyond this fight?
SHAW:
Yes, we have options on Tank.
QUESTION:
Tank, didn't you call Kimbo out after his fight in Atlantic City?
TANK:
I don't know if you'd call that a fight. But, yeah, that's what
it's all about. Like I said, he's a street warrior, I'm a street
warrior. It's a matter of time before we meet up. I was ready
to meet up right then and there. But as it is, we're going to
meet up with SHOWTIME and EliteXC in Miami on Feb. 16.
QUESTION:
How much had you heard of Kimbo before the fight in Atlantic
City with Ray Mercer?
TANK:
Not that much. I think his name came up a couple of times. I
checked him out on the internet for maybe something that lasted
20 seconds, and then I went to the bar.
QUESTION:
Have you been impressed with anything you've seen from Kimbo
in either of his two fights?
TANK:
I haven't really seen his last fight. The fight with Mercer,
I mean, not really.
QUESTION:
You've both been in lots of street fights, some for money. How
did you manage that? Who kept that under control for people to
get paid after it was done?
KIMBO:
I'll pass on that.
TANK:
One time I had this guy who wanted to fight, and he was crying
about the money. I said we can fight in a warehouse. He said
who is going to hold the money, this is going to turn into a
circus. I said, 'you show me your money, I'll show you mine.
You put it in the front pocket, after I knock you out, I'll take
it.' He didn't show up.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, you're in a movie called "Blood and Bone.'' Can you
tell us anything about it?
KIMBO:
What do you want to know?
QUESTION:
What is your role in it? How was the experience?
KIMBO:
It was cool. The experience was OK. I got my SAG card.
QUESTION:
Gary, Tank and Kimbo were supposed to happen last year in Atlantic
City, and it fell through and disappointed a lot of people. Last
weekend, we had Rico Rodriguez versus Mike Howell that was signed
and not delivered. Is it an interest of yours, and will you potentially
pick up this fight of interest?
SHAW:
I don't know if it's a fight that we pick up. But we currently
have Rico Rodriguez. He is signed to our brand. He's a fighter
that we would definitely use. He's on our radar, for sure. It's
unfortunate that card went under. People don't realize how many
cards fail in the MMA world due to different things. I'm proud
that every EliteXC card that we've ever said we'd put on we do
put on. But, yes, there were fighters on that card we'd be very
interested in. Maybe some who were in this office yesterday.
QUESTION:
Other than the UFC, you're the only other promoter in MMA history
to have Tank Abbott and Ken Shamrock under the same promotional
banner at the same time. Their rivalry dates back years and it
is well publicized. You like to have 'personal' fights for your
shows. Are you planning a fight between the two of them?
SHAW:
If it's personal, it will go. As long as there are real personal
rivalries and real fights, and we can give the SHOWTIME audience
real fights. You know, Tank, I have a lot of respect for you;
taking on Ken and Kimbo in the same call.
TANK:
It's safe from a phone distance, right? Sounds like most of the
guys in the MMA will. But I'll step up.
SHAW:
We know you'll step up and that's why you're going on SHOWTIME
against Kimbo. The same reason I put you in against Ken and also
put Kimbo in against Ken.
TANK:
Sounds good.
SHAW:
Maybe eventually you and Kimbo can face Frank and Ken in a tag
team match.
TANK:
Now you're talking.
SHAW:
There you go.
QUESTION:
Tank, not to take away from your fight with Kimbo, but you and
Ken had a lot of heat in the past. Has it cooled off? Is this
guy still your nemesis? Do you still want this one?
TANK:
Ken is the antithesis of me. You run around and show your legs
and act like you're a superstar, when all you are is a clown.
I like to go out and fight and I really don't care. I don't need
everything to be right or wrong or just perfect. I don't need
to walk around like I'm a superstar. I'm just myself when I cruise
around. I don't need to make waves.
He's
the kind of guy that would go into a restaurant and say, 'Do
you know who I am? Go tell the person that I'm here.' I just
hide in the back and don't care.
QUESTION:
Tank, can you speak about Kimbo's internet legacy?
TANK:
Believe it or not, I don't have a computer. Actually, I got one
for my book, but I'm not hooked up to the internet. So I really
don't follow that stuff. Most of the people on the internet are
a bunch of bozos that want to talk a bunch of smack. Probably
if you could reach through the internet lines, you'd find a 16-year-old
kid that hasn't been able to shave and he's telling you, hey,
I can beat you up.
QUESTION:
With Tank you're facing a guy, a legendary pioneer in the sport
of MMA, original UFC bad boy. What does the fight with him mean
to you?
KIMBO:
It means a whole lot to me. Unlike him, I've been watching Tank
since I was a shorty. It sparked my interest from growing up
banging from that time. So to fight a guy like him means a lot
to me. That's why I can't lose and I won't lose. Losing is not
an option, especially to Tank. Beating Tank means a whole lot
to me, and I'm looking forward to this fight.
I
just think Feb. 16 is a tad bit too long. But I've got to be
patient. I've waited this long, you know, it's all good.
TANK:
Sounds like (when) Cabbage
(Correira said)
I (was going) to pass the torch off to him. Only thing I'm passing
off to Kimbo is a knockout.
KIMBO:
I ain't Cabbage, I'm Kimbo.
TANK:
Who are you?
SHAW:
Maybe you guys want to fight tonight?
KIMBO:
I'm down for that.
QUESTION:
This year, EliteXC has announced three shows so far and a lot
more planned. Can you tell us what your philosophy is and your
view is in positioning EliteXC?
SHAW:
I know we'll be profitable because my mother and father are backing
me. But on a serious note, EliteXC is all about the fighter.
It's a fighter-friendly company. We care about the safety and
welfare of every fighter that we represent. We have, probably,
the biggest mixed martial arts library in the world today. We
have several brands around the country. We have a huge internet
play that is an important part of the company that works for
the fighters and works for the fans.
We
have a contract with SHOWTIME where we'll have roughly 14 fights
on SHOWTIME, and millions of eyes this year. We have King of
the Cage, a brand in the United States, probably doing more fights
than any other brand in the United States. We'll do over 40 fights.
And Cage Rage in England, and Icon and Rumble World, and Spirit
MC, which will allow us, like on our Jan. 25 fight card, to bring
Paul Daley from England and put him on SHOWTIME in the U.S.
It
will give us an opportunity to bring Kimbo this year over to
England to fight in front of all those fans, and for them to
get to see, feel, smell and touch him and see how real he is.
We have a lot of opportunities. We're growing every day. We're
really excited. We think we bring the best fights. I believe
we put on exciting events for the fans. We're event friendly
in the arena. We're on TV and get the eyeballs that watch our
fights. A lot of people said a lot of nasty things last year
about us and never thought we were going to really get off the
ground. But this rocket ship launched.
The
one thing we promised was we'd give the fans real fights. One
thing I'm really proud of is that I represent real fighters that
will fight anybody in the world. It's not 'well, I don't want
to fight him. Give me two fights, three fights before I fight
him.' The fighters we represent just want to fight. For that,
I'm proud of the people that we represent.
The
eyeballs on SHOWTIME that have watched our fights have seen great
fights, exciting fights. Nick Diaz against KJ (Noons), KJ against
"Krazy Horse'' (Charles Bennett), Kimbo's quick demolition
in the last show, the coming of age of Gina Carano. We haven't
even shown Robbie Lawler that much. There is so much. "Big
Foot'' Silva, I keep saying, I believe he's the single best heavyweight
in the world today. The fans are going to get to see all these
fighters, not to mention all the other fighters that we have
coming. They're beginning to be exposed to new and young fighters.
So thank you for your question.
QUESTION:
When you raise the issue of being fighter friendly, do you think
things like the UFC's lawsuit against Randy Couture is going
to hurt them? And do you also see the need to bring MMA contracts
in line with what is required in boxing by the Muhammad Ali Act?
SHAW:
Let me comment. First of all, I won't comment on other people's
lawsuits. So the Randy Couture-UFC lawsuit, that is something
they'll have to battle out in the media and in the court room.
When
I say we're fighter friendly, you can ask any fighter that's
either won or lost in one of our shows, and they'll tell you
what it is like to fight for EliteXC. How we take care of them,
how we care about them before the fight, during the fight, after
the fight. This is a fighter-friendly company.
As
far as contracts go, I don't discuss contracts. But we're basically
in line with the Muhammad Ali law. We don't sign anybody for
20-year contracts. We don't have any slaves, no indentured servitude
here. Fighters fight for us because they want to fight for us
because we treat them well.
I
invite you, and any reporter to certainly go to any fighter that's
fought for us and ask how we fight them. We treat them like the
world champions that we believe all fighters are.
QUESTION:
Tank, what weight are you at now and who are you training with
for Kimbo?
TANK:
I fluctuate between 261 and 67.
QUESTION:
What camp or group are you training with now?
TANK:
I just got my old friends that I've known for a long time and
bang around with them. It's not really a camp or a team or anything.
It's just buddies I've been banging with for a long time.
QUESTION:
Gary, is a Ken Shamrock versus Kimbo a match in the future?
SHAW:
Kimbo has a fight Feb. 16. Ken Shamrock's got a fight March 8.
So why don't you ask me that question on March 9.
QUESTION:
What weight is Ken going to be fighting at the Cage Rage event?
SHAW:
I don't know. Right now I'm told by one of the fight team members
it's unspecified. But if you email me, I'll be more than happy
to give you the contract weight.
QUESTION:
When are your plans to have Nick Diaz fight again for EliteXC?
SHAW:
I think he's fighting on the April 26 card we're planning in
Hawaii.
QUESTION:
Is there any opponent decided yet?
SHAW:
No, not really. But eventually we want to give him another shot
at KJ Noons. He gave KJ Noons a shot. But not right back.
He's
had surgery on his eye to repair all that scar tissue, and I
think that Nick needed a rest. He's doing the right thing for
Nick right now. And we've encouraged him to rest as well.
I
keep talking about Antonio Silva, and he's going to be fighting
Gary Turner from England on Feb. 16. That should be a real exciting
fight.
Gary
fights for the Cage Rage brand. At first we said maybe you don't
want to take this type of fight. He said, 'no, I want the fight.'
He emailed us, and asked for the fight. Those are the type of
fights we like to put on.
We
have Yves Edwards from Texas. He's fighting Edison Berto, who
is the brother of professional boxer Andre Berto. That should
be another great fight as will James Thompson against Brett Rogers
and Scott Smith against Kyle Noke. As you know Kyle Noke, who
was the bodyguard for the "Crocodile Hunter" Steve
Irwin, is signed with us. He had a great win in his last fight,
and he'll be back.
Of
course, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about "Krazy Horse.''
He is going to be opening the show. You've got two real street
guys. In this one you have three. You have "Krazy Horse,''
Tank and Kimbo. And hence the name Street Certified. The real
name of this whole fight is "Cage Tested, Street Certified,"
so we're excited.
(In
the future), you're going to see a new young star that we think
we have in Eric Bradley, who was a wrestler in college, a great
wrestler in Pennsylvania and a Golden Gloves boxer. That's a
new name we're bringing along that I think the fans are really
going to be excited about. He is a good looking kid with an exciting
style.
QUESTION:
Tank, is there anything you can tell us about your book? Is it
an autobiography? What is in the 600-plus pages?
TANK:
My book leads up to the 18 months where I went to jail for beating
up a cop's son. Then I got out of jail and fought in the UFC.
It is kind of a real-life Rocky story.
QUESTION:
Has the final chapter been written yet?
TANK:
It's only 18. It ended 12 years ago, so that means there's more.
QUESTION:
Gary, you mentioned Gary Turner, heavyweight contender over at
Cage Rage, fighting Antonio Silva, who is currently recognized
as the heavyweight champion of Cage Rage. Will that be a title
fight?
SHAW:
Yes. Yes, it will be. Let me just comment on title fights, non-title
fights. I'm a fan of fighting, as long as two guys get in and
fight, that's good enough for me. All my friends are champions.
KIMBO:
I'm just staying tuned. Be ready to check me out on Feb. 16.
QUESTION:
Kimbo, after your last fight when you resumed training, was it
a continuation of what you had been working on? Are you continuing
to learn different things? We know you want to showcase all the
skills you say you possess. How did it play out right after that
last fight as far as training?
KIMBO:
We picked up where we left off and added more new stuff into
my arsenal.
TANK:
I'm looking forward to this Feb. 16 fight. Like I said earlier
Kimbo's got (guts), heart and the street mentality. I can't wait
to lay my ears back and get down with him. It's going to be fun
for me. It's going to be a long night for Kimbo and a short one
for me. But I can't wait. I wake up every morning and start laughing
because I wish it was already Feb. 16.
It's
not often you get to get in the cage and fight a guy that's got
the street warrior to him, and I kind of look forward to that.
|
Quote
of the Day
“Find
the person who will love you because of your differences and
not in spite of them and you have found a lover for life.”
Leo Buscaglia, 1924-1998, American Author and Expert on Love
and Human Relationships
|
Hawaii
USA Boxing Association State Championships
Saturday
Jan 19th at the Evolution Boxing Gym in Waipio Gentry, Hawaii
(94-547 Ukee St #209 at the Waipio Industrial Court).
The Hawaii USA Boxing association will conduct their state championships.
Bouts begin at 7 p.m.. Admission is $15.
Winners advance to the U.S.A. National Championships at the Olympic
Training Center in Colorado Spring, CO. on March 8 - 16th.
Source:
Coach Jumawan & Bruce Kawano |
B.J.
PENN LOOKING
FOR 2ND UFC TITLE
On
Jan. 19, BJ Penn has the opportunity to become only the second
fighter in Ultimate Fighting Championship history to hold titles
in two weight classes, the other being UFC legend Randy Couture.
First he has to face Joe Stevenson, possibly the toughest test
the Hawaiian has ever faced at 155 pounds.
The
UFC lightweight title is something that Penn has long sought
after, fighting for the championship twice previously, but never
tasting gold when the bell sounded.
Now
with top ten fighter Joe Stevenson standing in his way, Penn
knows just exactly how important this fight is to his career.
“This
fight is huge,” he said. “Joe Stevenson’s a great
opponent. He’s got so many weapons, so many tools he brings
into this fight and this is the most important fight of my life.
“I
know people say it every single time, but without a doubt if
I win this fight, I’ll become the guy who had two titles
in two divisions and I’m already thinking about this fight
all the time. This is so important to me.”
The
lightweight division is the current conquest for the versatile
Penn who has also been the UFC welterweight champion, but the
Hawaiian prodigy feels conditioning is the biggest factor no
matter what weight he fights at.
“I’m
leaner, I’m fast, I’m quick, but it just depends on
the kind of shape I get in no matter what weight I’m at,”
Penn stated. “In this sport, you better get in shape or
you’re not going to be around.”
For
as tremendous as Penn’s overall MMA game has been, the world
has seen his gas tank fade in crucial fights in the past, but
he is working harder than ever to make sure the upcoming fight
with Stevenson is as exciting as ever.
“I’m
going up against a great opponent, but nobody wants to see me
win a five-round decision,” he said. “I’m going
out there and I’m going out there to win the fight and finish
this fight and that’s what I’ve got to do.
“People
aren’t paying money to watch me and Joe Stevenson fight
five rounds and jab each other to death. No one wants to see
that. This is the Ultimate Fighting Championship, somebody wants
to see somebody go down and that’s what this is going to
be on Jan. 19.”
Much
has been made lately about Penn’s legacy in the sport of
mixed martial arts and one thing is for sure, that he will always
be considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters ever, but
right now he only has one goal in mind and he’ll deal with
his legacy another day.
“I’ve
never regretted a thing that I’ve ever done before,”
Penn stated emphatically. “But I’m here and Dana’s
given me this opportunity to come back and to fight in the 155-pound
division and see how I do and take it from there.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Minotauro
and Sylvia gain prestige
Dispute made main event of UFC 81
There
is nothing more fitting, the UFC announced the main event for
UFC 81, on the second of February, will be the interim heavyweight
title between the organization’s former champion Tim Sylvia
and Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro.
The
decision was, in a way, surprising to the crowd in the Mandalay
Bay Center in Las Vegas, as the UFC had printing nearly all the
promotional posters and flyers of the event with Brock Lesnar,
who will be making only his second appearance in MMA, although
he is a very popular wrestler in the USA’s WWE;
Lesnar
will face Frank Mir in the second most important fight of the
night. Also featured in the event are fights between Ricardo
Cahorrao and Alan Belcher, and Gleison Tibau and Tyson Griffin.
Stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com for more news regarding the event.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
The
Top 10 UFC Fights of 2007
What
makes a great fight? First, there’s the drama, and this
can only really be put into play when both fighters, at one point
or another, seem as if they could win. Second, there’s the
stage; the bigger it is, the better it is.
And
sometimes the drama in the end– whether it’s a hard
to score bout or a stoppage– makes things even better.
Taking
all of this into consideration, here is a list of the 10 best
UFC fights of 2007.
Honorable
Mention (tie): Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia
Event:
UFC 68: Uprising on 3/3/07
Result:
Randy Couture wins via unanimous decision
The
Skinny: First, we’re talking about a comeback from retirement
by one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. Second, we’re
talking about a comeback where Couture chose to fight the heavyweight
champion after losing two straight fights to then UFC Light Heavyweight
Champion Chuck Liddell via knockout.
But
Couture once again came out and shocked the world. That devastating
right hand he nailed his 6-foot-8 opponent right off the bat
was picture perfect. And for the rest of the fight he dominated
Sylvia in true ground and pound fashion.
A
great fight? No. Couture dominated and that’s why it ranks
lower on this list than others you’ll see. A great moment?
For
sure. And that’s why it deserves an honorable mention.
Honorable
Mention (tie): Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Henderson
Event:
UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion on 9/8/07
Result:
Quinton Jackson wins via unanimous decision
Result:
Okay, the stakes were high in this one. Rampage was coming off
of a huge TKO victory over Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell
and Dan Henderson had just knocked out longtime PRIDE Middleweight
Champion Wanderlei Silva.
Even
better, the fight was a good one. Both competitors struggled.
There was some ground action, some work done in the clinch, and
some entertaining stand up as well.
Thus,
when you consider the stakes— this was PRIDE Champion vs.
UFC Champion—this fight deserves to make the list. Of course,
the reality is that it involved two former PRIDE fighters, so
the UFC vs. PRIDE thing was a little lacking.
But
that’s another story.
10.
Marcus Davis vs. Paul Taylor
Event:
UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion on 9/8/07
Result:
Marcus Davis via armbar at 4:14 of round one
The
Skinny: Marcus Davis was that professional boxer on TUF 2. In
other words, he was the guy with great hands that couldn’t
stop the takedown. So when a Paul Taylor kick in the first round
floored him you had to believe he was in big trouble. But somehow
Davis survived the ground and pound assault that followed that
kick. Further, he got on top and unleashed a similar assault
of his own.
But
Taylor proved just how slick he was by turning Davis over. The
problem for the British fighter? Marcus Davis was a lot better
than everyone thought on the ground, and he proved it by immediately
transitioning to an armbar. This was an exciting back and forth
fight and the round of the night.
9.
Tyson Griffin vs. Thiago Tavares
Event:
UFC 76: Knockout on 9/22/07
Result:
Unanimous decision victory for Tyson Griffin
The
Skinny: Tyson Griffin won the stand up and ground control battle
in the first and last rounds. But Thiago Tavares was game in
this one and nearly pulled of a submission in the second round
on multiple occasions after dizzying his opponent with a ruthless
knee.
Said
another way, this was another stellar up and down victory for
Tyson Griffin.
8.
Diego Sanchez vs. Jon Fitch
Event:
UFC 76: Knockout on 9/22/07
Result:
Split decision victory for Jon Fitch
The
Skinny: Sanchez wanted to right the wrongs after the worst performance
of his MMA career against Josh Koscheck only one fight earlier.
Thus, he came out like gangbusters looking for the takedown.
The problem?
Fitch
is a very strong guy that’s simply hard to takedown. In
fact, Fitch was the one that ended up with the majority of takedowns
in this bout. Further, he did a good job of ground and pound.
But Sanchez nearly sunk in a triangle late in the fight and attempted
several submissions.
A
very close fight between two title contenders that Fitch deserved
to win—just barely.
7.
Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
Event:
UFC 79: Nemesis on 12/29/07
Result:
Unanimous decision victory for Chuck Liddell
The
Skinny: This was the dream match up for so long. And finally
Wanderlei Silva, the former PRIDE 205 pound champion, and Liddell,
the former UFC 205 pound champion, went at it. In sum, the fight
was as good as most had expected. Liddell landed some big time
power shots in the first and third rounds. He actually chose
to take Silva down during the encounter, which is a real rarity
for The Iceman. And even though Silva landed a big shot in the
second, fought valiantly, and ended up losing via decision, you
just couldn’t fault the guy.
Both
men had laid it all on the line and fought like the champions
they once were.
6.
Roger Huerta vs. Leonard Garcia
Event:
UFC 69: Shootout on 4/7/07
Result:
Unanimous decision victory for Roger Huerta
The
Skinny: This was a back and forth war in one sense. In another
sense, Huerta was the clear victor. That said, when it comes
to pure action you’ll simply be hard- pressed to find a
better fight than this one. A lot of fun.
5.
Frank Edgar vs. Tyson Griffin
Event:
UFC 67: All or Nothing on 2/3/07
Result:
Unanimous decision victory for Frank Edgar
The
Skinny: This was a back and forth fight that fell mostly in Edgar’s
favor. The fact that he pulled off a victory in his UFC debut
over a guy the caliber of Tyson Griffin was amazing enough. But
that late third round kneebar attempt by Griffin that Edgar simply
grimaced through was one of the more valiant displays of courage
you’ll see in MMA competition.
This
fight announced Frank Edgar as a true UFC contender.
4.
Jon Koppenhaver vs. Jared Rollins
Event:
TUF 6 Finale on 12/8/07
Result:
Koppenhaver wins via TKO at 2:01 of round three
The
Skinny: This was an up and down struggle like we have rarely
witnessed in the Octagon. Both Koppenhaver and Rollins delivered
some intense ground and pound throughout the fight. In fact,
Rollins was highly successful in nailing his opponent with some
tough elbows from his back, one of which opened up a cut in the
first round that caused Koppenhaver to bleed terribly throughout.
In the third round, Rollins seemed like he was on his way after
connecting with several knees and punches that eventually forced
“War Machine” to the canvas. All of this left Rollins
on top on the ground as the fight continued.
But
then Koppenhaver pulled some magic out of his hat, turning his
opponent over, gaining the mount, and continually striking him
until the referee had no choice but to step in.
“J-Roc’s
my friend, I didn’t want to have to fight him,” said
a teary Koppenhaver afterwards. Well, he may not have wanted
to fight him, but we’re all very glad that he did.
3.
Tyson Griffin vs. Clay Guida
Event:
UFC 72: Victory on 6/16/07
Result:
Split decision victory for Tyson Griffin
The
Skinny: Talk about an absolute ground war. The two took one another
down (Guida was seemingly better at that). The two managed to
shirk takedowns that would send others to the canvas immediately.
The two hit each other repeatedly. Both went for submission after
submission (more by Griffin).
It
was an amazing ground fight and a controversial decision victory
for Tyson Griffin. By the way, when it comes to watching a fight,
you can’t go wrong with either of these two. Every event
they’re in is like magic.
2.
Nate Quarry vs. Pete Sell
Event:
UFC Fight Night 11 on 9/19/07
Result:
Quarry wins via KO at 44 seconds of round three
The
Skinny: Nate Quarry seemed to forget about defense in this one,
and Pete Sell wasn’t far behind. Though both fighters repeatedly
rocked one another throughout the entire fight, it was Sell that
was clearly ahead on the scorecards. Further, it was Sell that
had dropped Quarry harshly in the second.
But
here was the difference in this battle of true warriors. Quarry
got up when Sell dropped him. But when Quarry landed that right
in the third, Sell didn’t.
An
absolute brawl and a testament to the heart of two UFC warriors!
1.
Clay Guida vs. Roger Huerta
Event:
TUF 6 Finale on 12/8/07
Result:
Roger Huerta wins via rear naked choke at 31 seconds of round
three
The
Skinny: Roger Huerta wasn’t getting the respect that he
perhaps deserved in mixed martial arts. Enter Clay “The
Carpenter” Guida, a man known for outstanding cardio, a
willingness to take the fight to his opponents, and great wrestling.
If Huerta could beat Guida he would certainly get his just do.
Things
didn’t start off looking like that would happen, though.
Through two rounds Guida took Huerta down at will and pounded
on him. It was looking like a clear decision victory for The
Carpenter in the third when Huerta landed that knee.
Though
Guida tried to fight through the assault that Huerta then put
on him by looking for a takedown, it was all to no avail. Huerta
took advantage of the aggressive Guida—which is the reason
why he’s one of the more popular UFC fighters in the first
place—by taking his back and submitting him via rear naked
choke.
The
stakes were high in this one for both fighters. The drama at
the end was amazing. And everyone would love to see a rematch.
That’s
what makes Roger Huerta’s submission victory over Clay Guida
the UFC Fight of the Year.
Source: MMA Fighting |
Thiago
Silva Could Meet Rashad Evans in May
Thiago
Silva is in talks with the UFC to fight Rashad Evans on May 24
in the UFC, sources close to the undefeated Brazilian fighter
tell Sherdog.com.
The
explosive light heavyweight has also decided to leave the Macaco
Gold Team and Chute Boxe. A source close to Silva (12-0) revealed
that the fighter was leaving for more than just better training
conditions, but did not elaborate.
Silva,
who most recently dispatched of Houston Alexander in the first
round of their November bout at UFC 78, could be joining American
Top Team, according to published reports.
However
ATT leader Ricardo Liborio told Sherdog.com that Silva "isn't
an ATT official member. He'll join the team on qualified terms
to see if he fits into the team's concept and into the team's
resolutions. If it's OK, he'll be an ATT member."
Silva,
unbeaten in three UFC contests, would likely face his toughest
test in the Octagon against Evans (11-0-1), the heavyweight winner
on season two of "The Ultimate Fighter."
Source: Sherdog
|
Rampage
on Wand vs Liddell
Champion confesses he was nervous
Yet
another UFC fighter succumbs to commenting on one of the greatest
battles in MMA of recent times. After praise from the Hawaiian BJ Penn, as reported by GRACIEMAG.com,
it was the turn of the current champion of the American organization’s
light heavyweight category to put his 2 cents in. Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson will be, along with Forrest Griffin, one of the coaches
of the upcoming season of reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,”
which will be entering it’s seventh season.
“The
fight between Matt Hughes and Saint Pierre was a good one, but
it was uneven, the true main event was Wanderlei and Chuck. I
respect the two of them, as they were coming off two losses and
you could tell they were putting their hearts in it. They fought
with spirit and did an excellent job of entertaining the people.
And that is the main goal of the event. I don’t even know
why I got nervous during the fight, it was spectacular,”
declared Quinton.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
REP
SURPRISED AT CHUTE BOXE STATEMENTS
Chute
Boxe representatives, on Saturday, Jan. 5, informed MMAWeekly.com’s
Ivan Canello that the famed Brazilian team was making plans to
open a new training center in the Los Angeles area.
Master
Rafael Cordeiro stated, "The plans are to make a two-way
road between L.A. and Curitiba and to maintain this high level
training in Curitiba and in L.A.”
He
indicated that Chute Boxe had severed ties with former U.S. Chute
Boxe representative Roberto Piccinini and was in final negotiations
to open an official camp in Los Angeles.
In
a statement released by Piccinini to MMAWeekly, this was news
to him. Piccinini, the head coach at the Piccinini Training Center
located in Downtown Los Angeles, said that he was surprised and
disappointed by the announcement from Cordeiro that all ties
had been severed between him and the Chute Boxe team.
He
said that he was especially disappointed that he found this out
through the article published on MMAWeekly.com rather than by
a personal communication after 27 years of association with Chute
Boxe.
Regardless,
Piccinini stated that he still recognizes Rudimar Fedrigo as
his original trainer and Chute Boxe as his traditional style
and wishes only that his friendship and loyalty had been honored
in return.
Piccinini
Training Center does not promote itself as a "Chute Boxe
Gym," but the fact remains the he teaches in the Chute Boxe
style, a style in which he has been training since 1980.
Despite
the recent statements by Cordeiro, Piccinini said he was not
deterred to provide a thriving, mixed martial arts training facility.
The
Piccinini Training Center opened in November of 2007 and is available
to all athletes interested or involved in MMA. An open call will
take place in March for athletes interested in joining the PTC
Fight Team. More information is available at www.piccininigroup.com.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“Rose-colored
glasses are never made in bifocals. Nobody wants to read the
small print in dreams.”
Ann Landers, 1918-2002, American Advice Columnist
|
LONG-AWAITED
FRANK SHAMROCK-CUNG LE FIGHT SET FOR MARCH 29
AT HP PAVILION IN SAN JOSE, CALIF.
Tickets
Go On Sale This Saturday, Jan. 19
 
SAN
JOSE, Calif. — After months of circling around each other,
world champions and Bay Area rivals, Frank Shamrock (23-8-1)
and undefeated Cung Le (21-0), will finally face off in the cage
when Shamrock defends his Strikeforce World Middleweight (185-pound
limit) Championship against Le in the main event of an eagerly
anticipated EliteXC-Strikeforce co-promoted mixed martial arts
extravaganza Saturday, March 29, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose,
Calif..
Tickets
for “Shamrock vs. Cung Le,” priced from $30, go on
sale this Saturday, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m. PT at the HP Pavilion
box office (408-287-7070) as well as at all Ticketmaster locations
(408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com), EliteXC’s
official website (www.ProElite.com) and Strikeforce’s official
website (www.Strikeforceusa.net).
“This
is absolutely a tremendous fight and an extremely dangerous fight
for both fighters, but one I know they have wanted and the fans
have been waiting for and can't wait to see,’’' EliteXC
Live Events President Gary Shaw said. “I can't wait to see
it either. Shamrock is a true MMA legend, but Cung Le is one
of the very best fighters around, and this is his chance to prove
that to the world.
“Really,
I have a ton of respect for both fighters and what they have
accomplished. EliteXC is really looking forward to returning
to San Jose where they truly have some of the most rabid and
knowledgeable fans anywhere, and working again with Scott Coker
and Strikeforce.”
Said
Scott Coker, Strikeforce CEO: “As a martial arts promoter
for 25 years and as a promoter of both of these fighters, I’ve
been watching the rivalry between Frank and Cung build for quite
some time, so it’s great to see this matchup finally come
to fruition.
“This has the potential to be one of the greatest mixed
martial arts fights of all-time because of the tremendous skill
level of both fighters and the way they match up. It’s an
honor to be able to bring this fight to the fans along with EliteXC.”
To fans in the Bay Area, a perennial hotbed for martial arts,
the right to claim the throne as the region’s undisputed
champion is equally important as ownership of the world title.
“Being
No. 2 isn’t such a bad thing so Cung has nothing to be ashamed
of,” cracked the ever-entertaining Shamrock (frankshamrock.proelite.com).
The first Strikeforce middleweight champion in history, Shamrock
returned to vintage form in his last fight as he dominated knockout
artist Phil “The New York Badass” Baroni en route to
choking Baroni (philbaroni.proelite.com) unconscious in the second
round before a raucous HP Pavilion crowd on June 22, 2007.
"But
there’s a big difference between being No. 1 and No. 2,’’
Shamrock continued. “Le will find that out soon enough.
“This
is a fight that has been building for years. This is where we
both grew up, where we both found our paths in life as martial
artists and champions of combat. It was inevitable that we would
one day face each other here. I’m excited it’s finally
happening.’’
At
35, Shamrock has cemented his place as a legend in the sport
of mixed martial arts. After becoming the first UFC Middleweight
Champion in history in 1997 by submitting 1992 Olympic Games
wrestling gold medalist Kevin Jackson with an armbar in a then-record
16 seconds, Shamrock reached the pinnacle of his career by stopping
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (titortiz.proelite.com),
in what is celebrated as one of the greatest martial arts battles
of all-time.
Before
a record crowd of 18,265 at the HP Pavilion on March 10, 2006,
Shamrock ended a three-year hiatus when he faced old nemesis
Cesar Gracie in the main event of Strikeforce’s inaugural
mixed martial arts show. In a devastating performance, Shamrock
decimated the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a right hand
followed by a series of strikes on the floored Gracie that ended
the fight a mere 21 seconds after it started.
Shamrock
is widely recognized as the father of modern day mixed martial
arts, a pioneer of complete fighting who boasts a dangerously
versatile skill set, including western boxing, kickboxing and
submission wrestling.
Le
(cungle.proelite.com), also 35, is attempting to follow in Shamrock’s
footsteps in the cage after reeling off 16 consecutive wins in
professional kickboxing, where he sealed his position as the
sport’s top 185-pound fighter and, arguably, its greatest
pound-for-pound competitor.
A
host of Le’s conquests, which include four K-1 USA “Superfight”
victories and the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) world
185-pound title, have been showcased on ESPN.
“I
want this fight. I can’t wait to get in the cage with Frank,”
said the confident Le, a winner in his last start over former
The Ultimate Fighter reality show contestant, Sam “The Squeeze”
Morgan, during a Strikeforce promotion at HP Pavilion on Nov.
16, 2007.
The
talented Le’s victory, a third round TKO that he secured
with a sidekick to the liver, raised his mixed martial arts record
to a perfect 5-0 with five (T)KOs.
“People
have been wondering when I’d take the next step in the cage
and fight an established superstar and world champion,”
said Le, who was sensational during a third-round TKO (strikes)
over Tony Fryklund on the Shamrock-Baroni undercard. “Well,
here it is. The fans are in for a great fight.”
The
greatest challenge posed by Le is, perhaps, his fighting style,
considered unorthodox by mixed martial arts standards. Thus far,
he has been untouchable in the ring as well as the cage, frustrating
and confusing his opponents with an elusiveness and bag of tricks
that includes scissor kicks, hip tosses and assorted other throwing
techniques that stem from his studies of San Shou kickboxing.
Born
in Vietnam, Le fled the war-torn country as a baby in his mother’s
arms in 1975. After immigrating to The United States, the family
settled in San Jose where Le eventually became an All-American
high school and, later, a California state wrestling champion
at West Valley Junior College before discovering San Shou.
Le’s
tale of survival and success has been the subject of documentary
films aired on The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel.
More recently, Le was featured on an episode of The History Channel’s
smash-hit martial arts television series, The Human Weapon.
The
five-round Shamrock-Le contest will highlight a SHOWTIME telecast
that begins live at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
The preliminary card will begin at 5 p.m. PT.
About
ProElite:
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
TM
About
Strikeforce:
Strikeforce is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion
which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock
vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts
fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza,
which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion,
played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995,
Strikeforce has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming
for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship
kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial
arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” Since then,
it has co-produced the first SHOWTIME PPV mixed martial arts
event in history with its world championship “Shamrock vs.
Baroni” card on June 22nd of this year followed by the first-ever
mixed martial arts event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion
on September 29th. |
Fedor
Emelianenko to meet Randy Couture in person
It
won't be with gloves on, but Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture
are expected to meet face to face later this week.
According
to the Mix Fight M-1 website, Fedor and his management will leave
for Los Angeles on Thursday for a meeting with one of his sponsors,
Affliction Clothing.
While
in the states, Fedor has plans to meet Couture for a discussion
one can assume to be about a potential fight down the line, as
both champions have stated strong interest in fighting one another.
Fedor
is currently under contract with M-1 Global, while Couture is
still considered by the UFC as the company's heavyweight champion.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
WCF:
RESOLUTIONS OR EXCUSES?
Well,
it’s a new year. By now most of you should have gotten over
eating too much for Christmas and drinking too much for New Year’s,
and should be back on track as far as training and workouts go.
This
is the time of year that you always hear about “New Year’s
Resolutions” and all the big, grandiose things people want
to accomplish for the New Year. It’s a good idea in theory,
but in practice, it generally flops. I still think that the whole
idea of “New Year’s Resolutions” is pushed more
by the consumer industry so that companies can sell you crap
you don’t need (especially in the fitness community), but
that’s another argument for another day.
Like
I said, I like the idea of Resolutions, but there are two basic
problems with the whole idea of Resolutions:
#1
– Everybody always makes plans for these HUGE changes, but
never map out an accurate plan of attack to actually accomplish
these things. As a result, these Resolutions rarely ever get
accomplished. And this leads into #2…
#2
– It’s become socially acceptable to make excuses for
why you can’t make (or stick to) a plan, and in turn, never
accomplish your Resolutions. In fact, if you were to just casually
ask folks you know, I’d wager that more often than not,
most would tell you that Resolutions are more likely to be failed
at than accomplished. And it’s okay with everybody if this
happens. Which sucks.
Social
acceptance of failure aside, the main reasons people fail to
accomplish Resolutions are the same reasons that people fail
to accomplish any goal (which is all a Resolution really is)
– poor goal-setting.
Most
folks set these lofty goals with absolutely no plan of attack
on how to get there. They just start out haphazardly in the general
direction of what their goal is with a vague idea of where they’re
going, and just sorta “hope they make it.”
The
thing that blows my mind is that people have done it this way
for what seems to be forever, and it NEVER works, but they keep
doing it anyway. The crazy thing is people don’t do this
in other areas of their life. If you were in Los Angeles, and
wanted to drive to New York, would you just pick a road and start
driving, armed only with the idea that you’d have to drive
east to get there? I kinda doubt it. Yet people think this half-assed
mindset will help them accomplish their goals.
When
it comes to goal-setting (especially for fitness or your strength
& conditioning training, or even your MMA training), there
is a process you should go through if you’re truly serious
about accomplishing something. It might sound anal, but it will
DRAMATICALLY increase your chances for success.
Make
Your Goals Definite
You
have to accurately define your goals, if not, you’re destined
for failure, if for no other reason than you don’t know
what it is you’re trying to accomplish.
Look
at it this way. Let’s say you decide you want to “get
stronger.” Okay, how do you want to get stronger? In what
areas? By how much?
You
could go from squatting 225 lbs. and in six months, be squatting
235 lbs. Did you just get stronger? Sure, the amount of weight
you put on the bar is higher. But is a ten-pound increase on
a 1RM in six months anything to really be happy about? Maybe
if you were throwing around a ton of weight, but if you’re
only squatting 225 lbs., unless you’re a girl, you shouldn’t
be too happy about anything.
The
same could similarly be said if you went from 40 push-ups in
a max set to 43 push-ups. Did you get stronger? Sure you did,
but not that much.
On
the other hand, if your overhead press when from 165 lbs. to
200 lbs., then you’d have a hell of an accomplishment to
be proud of. You not only got stronger, you got a lot stronger.
You
have to be definite in setting your goals. Don’t just say,
“I want to squat more.” Say, “I want to go from
squatting 225 lbs. to 250 lbs.” Then you have a definite
goal in mind – you know exactly where you’re headed.
Put
Your Goals on a Timeline
Just
like being definite with what your goals are, you have to be
definite with when you want to achieve them. Sure, you might
be specific in saying that you want to add 25 lbs. to your squat
1RM, but if it takes you three years to do it, are you going
to be happy? More than likely not. Yet, at the same time, you
can’t expect to achieve it by the end of the month, either.
Once
you have your specific goal decided, map out what a good timeframe
is to achieve that goal. And be specific about it. Don’t
just say, “in a couple months,” or “a few weeks.”
The timeframe has to be as specific as the goal itself.
“There’s
a grappling tourney on June 10. I weigh 210 lbs. now, and I want
to compete in the 185 lbs. class. I can safely cut five pounds
in water weight, so I need to weigh 190 lbs. by weigh-ins, which
is June 9. So, I need to lose 20 lbs. by June 7-8 so I can safely
cut the last 5 lbs. by June 9.”
THAT
is an example of a specific goal, with a specific timeline.
Another
example:
“In
my last fight, I didn’t have enough gas in my tank. I’d
better increase my work capacity and overall endurance (muscular,
strength, and cardiovascular). Now, sparring three, three-minute
rounds hard really drains me. My next fight is going to be sometime
in May. I need to increase my endurance by then. But seeing as
how I’ll also be in fight prep training, I’d better
be in shape by then. I’ll be in camp for most of April,
so I’d better be in shape by the end of March. By March
31, I want to be able to spar three hard, five-minute rounds
without getting tired.”
Break
Your Goals Up Into Manageable “Mini-Goals”
Sometimes
goals – especially if they’re big goals – can
be pretty daunting. Not only can it be hard to keep up motivation,
but you can also get off-track or behind, but not really realize
it until it’s too late.
For
example, let’s say you want to lose some weight. You make
a specific goal of losing 30 lbs. (though a better and more specific
goal would be to lose XX lbs. of bodyfat rather than just bodyweight,
but for now, we’ll just say “weight”). You also
give it a specific timeline of losing said weight in three months.
So far, so good, right?
Well,
here’s the problem. Let’s say you don’t set benchmarks
for yourself along the way. Two months pass by, and you’ve
lost your 30 lbs. Great right? Well, now it’s time to set
a new goal, and keep going.
But
let’s say the opposite happens. Say 10 weeks pass by, and
you’ve only lost 15 lbs. You only have two weeks left; yet
you still need to lose half the amount of weight you set for
yourself. Guess what, unless you just decide to cut a bunch of
water weight for some sort of weigh-in (which isn’t going
to be permanent weight loss anyway), you’re pretty well
screwed.
Had
you set benchmarks for yourself along the way, you’d have
been able to see that you weren’t making progress like you
would have needed, and could have made necessary adjustments.
In
this case, to lose 30 lbs. in three months, you could easily
break it up into smaller, mini-goals of losing 10 lbs. per month.
If one month had passed, and you’d only lost 5 lbs., you’d
know that something wasn’t working right, and you’d
better make some changes. On the other hand, had you lost 12
lbs., you might be able to determine that you could meet your
goal early, and possibly even lose more weight - maybe 35 lbs.
in three months.
Like
I said before, a lot of this might sound anal or “nit-picky,”
but the more specific you can make your goals in nature and in
timeline, and as much as you can monitor your goal as you progress,
you can assure that you accomplish your goals. It will also make
planning how to accomplish your goals that much easier as well.
Train
Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard.
Matt
"Wiggy" Wiggins is a strength coach and author living
in Cameron, NC. Having trained 15+ years, Wiggy is a strength
moderator at mma.tv, columnist for MMA Weekly, and an avid fan
of Mixed Martial Arts Training. His site, Working Class Fitness.com,
is dedicated to designing low-tech, high-result MMA Workouts,
Navy SEAL Workouts, and programs for "regular joes."
ATTENTION:
Physical exercise can sometimes lead to injury. The information
contained at WorkingClassFitness.com and MMAWeekly.com is NOT
intended to constitute an explanation of any exercise, material,
or product (or how to use/perform them). WorkingClassFitness.com
and MMAWeekly.com are not responsible in any way, shape, or form
for any injury that may result from any person's attempt at exercise
as a result of the information contained herein. Please consult
a physician before starting any exercise program, and never substitute
the information on this site for any professional medical advice
or treatment you may receive.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Liborio
speaks on Marcelo Garcia
One
team has been rowing against the tide. With the new wave of well-established
athletes breaking from their teams and making their own, it would
seem the big teams from the past would be disintegrating. The
American Top Team, though, is proving how a numerous and united
group can produce great athletes.
The
ATT has been growing by leaps and bounds lately and by incorporating
such fighters as Alessio Sakara and Thiago Silva, both from the
UFC, and Marcelinho Garcia, of K-1 Heroes, the team already seems
to figure among the best in the world, especially since it already
includes such fighters as Gesias Cavalcante, Jeff Monson, Antonio
Pezao, Thiago Pitbull, Dennis Kang, Gleison Tibau and others.
Although
he is not an experienced MMA fighter, bringing aboard Marcelo
Garcia also brings world titles in Jiu-Jitsu and three ADCC conquests,
besides the hope he will become a winner in MMA as well. GRACIEMAG.com
went after black belt Ricardo Liborio for the team leader’s
comments on the arrival of his newest pupil, here goes:
“At
the ADCC in 2005 Fabio Gurgel and I talked about the possibility
of Marcelinho competing in MMA, and if that were to happen there
would be the possibility of him training at the ATT. Two years
later, Marcelinho and his wife Tatiana showed up at the academy.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Marcelo as a competitor,
but after getting to know him as a person I must say he is one
of the most humble and down to earth individuals I’ve known,
the guy is one of a kind. There is much we can help him with
and he can help us too. I’d like to thank Fabio Gurgel and
Alliance for this opportunity,” said the black belt.
On
his expectations for the team’s performance in 2008, Liborio
said: “The ATT’s goal is to be among the best MMA teams
in the world, if not the best. This is our mission and we’re
working for that to happen. We were born already a baby whale,
we knew one day we’d be a great team and we were lucky in
that we put together the administrative staff and a technical
team second to none. There was much planning, professionalism
and union involved in our reaching this level. We expect a lot
in 2008 and even more in 2009. God willing we’ll make it.
Best regards to all at GRACIEMAG.com. Go with God.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Yoshiyuki
Yoshida to UFC
Another
Japanese prospect is set to cross the Pacific and land stateside.
In
a tumultuous year for the Japanese MMA scene, Yoshiyuki Yoshida
offered quite an unexpected bright spot. Now Yoshida's management
has confirmed to Sherdog.com that the 170-pound Cage Force tournament
champion has been offered a four-fight deal with Zuffa and the
UFC.
Greatest
Common Multiple based its 2007 schedule around its Cage Force
tournaments at 155 and 170 pounds. In addition to putting on
good fights and popularizing both the cage and the unified rules
in Japan, GCM and its Worldwide Cage Network sister promotions
made it a goal to foster and promote international talent who
could one day make their way overseas, to the UFC, and shine.
Moreover, it was suggested that the respective tournament winners
would earn UFC deals.
In
the 170-pound tournament, former Shooto world champion Akira
Kikuchi seemed a lock to earn that Octagon opportunity. Instead,
the fight community was forcefully introduced to Yoshida.
Although
Yoshida's win over British prospect Dan Hardy in the tournament
finale came via an unfulfilling disqualification due to a low
kick that landed to the groin, the pupil of Shooto icon Noboru
Asahi was sensational throughout 2007. Yoshida went 4-0 on the
year, including brutal first-round stoppages of current provisional
Pancrase king Katsuya Inoue and the aforementioned Kikuchi.
Perhaps
embodying GCM's very goals with the Cage Force program, Yoshida
has become noted for his cage savvy. While many fighters, especially
Japanese fighters, have been slow to grasp some nuances of the
unified rules and the cage, Yoshida flourished in the venue,
showing the ability to use the fence to his advantage by controlling
and pounding opponents, as well as utilizing devastating elbows.
Yoshida
is set to sign the contract on Monday. His management believes
that his first bout in the Octagon will likely be in April.
Akiyama
Camp Protests Misaki's KO Kick
New
Year's Eve always seems to spell turmoil for Yoshihiro Akiyama.
After
making his debut at K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite, Akiyama was forced
to withdraw from a bout with Royce Gracie for K-1's New Year's
Eve offering in 2005 when he sustained a back injury in training.
The 2006 edition of Dynamite was the site of his now-infamous
greasing scandal against icon Kazushi Sakuraba. Now controversy
has arisen again on the heels of his loss to Kazuo Misaki at
the Dec. 31 Yarennoka card.
Akiyama
and his team have filed a protest with K-1 and HERO'S parent
company Fight Entertainment Group, which co-sponsored the Yarennoka
event with M-1 Global. Akiyama contends that the fight-ending
kick delivered by Misaki was in fact illegal.
As
he attempted to scramble to his feet after being knocked down
by a Misaki left hook, Akiyama took a brutal lunging kick to
the face. Following the bout, there was much heated debate among
fans as to whether Akiyama's hands were still on the mat when
he was struck.
According
to the rules used for the Yarennoka card, if Akiyama's hands
were still on the deck, Misaki's kick would've been illegal.
Furthermore, if the strike were illegal, Akiyama's inability
to continue would make him the victor by disqualification.
FEG
President Sadaharu Tanigawa told the media that while he wasn't
sure of the kick's illegality, he planned to review the fight
tape and then make a ruling on the matter.
‘Kid'
Turns Killer Bee to Krazy, Brings in Cage
Fully
back into the MMA world after his amateur wrestling excursion
and fresh off a brutal KO victory of Rani Yahya at K-1 Premium
2007 Dynamite on New Year's Eve, Norifumi Yamamoto is set to
make some changes.
First
and foremost, "Kid" Yamamoto is changing the name of
his gym from "Killer Bee" to "Krazy Bee."
Ironically, the bad boy of Japanese MMA told the Japanese media
that since he was now teaching children and wanted to integrate
a larger youth wrestling program into his gym, he felt the Killer
Bee moniker was "too barbaric."
Also,
the facility will be changing sites in favor of a new, larger
venue in the Ota ward of Tokyo city. The new facility, tentatively
set to open Feb. 1, will not only be more spacious but will also
have a full cage for training.
With
the growing influence of the cage worldwide and more Japanese
fighters fighting internationally in caged MMA events, Yamamoto
said that bringing a cage into the gym was necessary for fighters
with an eye on competing overseas.
Kinoshita
Shills for Sengoku
While
the buildup to New Year's Eve saw discussion of its March 5 debut
cool off, World Victory Road has began to put its Sengoku card
back in the media spotlight.
WVR
figurehead Naoya Kinoshita held a news conference earlier this
week in Tokyo to shed more light on the relatively sparse details
available in regards to the card at the Yoyogi National Stadium
First Gymnasium. One of the more intriguing topics introduced
during the presser was the aesthetics and atmosphere of the event.
Kinoshita
said that the production of the Sengoku card would "closely
resemble the Yarennoka card."
While
Kinoshita's words were vague, speculation within the Japanese
MMA community suggests that his comments reference World Victory
Road looking to hire the same event production companies that
handled the design of past PRIDE events, as well as the Dec.
31 Yarennoka show.
Kinoshita
floated the names of Takanori Gomi and Kazuo Misaki as two fighters
that WVR is interested in pursuing. However, at this point, there
is little substance to those comments, which seemed largely geared
toward bluster to the media.
Kinoshita
also touched on the topic of terrestrial broadcasting, which
so far has been the largest difficulty for the upstart WVR. With
the highly paid and popular Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) as the
anchor for the card, WVR's goal was to secure terrestrial broadcasting
on one of Japan's six major networks. However, after reportedly
being turned down by the networks, WVR was in a difficult position.
Kinoshita
said that WVR had actually rejected one proposed television deal.
Without having secured an agreement with one of the six major
broadcasters, Kinoshita said that while it was not yet official,
Sengoku could at least be available on several satellite channels.
Shooto
Ready for 2008 Rookie Class
With
2007 already a distant memory, Shooto officials have finalized
the list of competitors and the tournament brackets for the 2008
rookie tournament series.
The
series began in 2002 as a way to foster and promote young talent
in the pro Shooto ranks. Since 2002, the series has produced
several Shooto world champions, including Tatsuya Kawajiri, "Lion
Takeshi" Takeshi Inoue, Shinichi "BJ" Kojima and
Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures). Other former Shooto rookie champions
include Hiroyuki Takaya, Keita "K-Taro" Nakamura, Yasuhiro
Urushitani , Nobuhiro Obiya, Takeya Mizaki, Tenkei Fujimiya and
Yusuke Endo.
The
115-pound tournament will feature nine entrants. In a quarterfinal
qualifier, Takeshi Sato will take on Hiroyuki "Ron"
Kondo. The winner will face Masatomi Yamagami in the first quarterfinal.
In
the second quarterfinal, 2007 All Japan amateur champion Yusuke
Sato will meet Tatsuya Yamamoto. In the second half of the bracket,
Teppei "Bull" Masuda meets Yoshitaka Aki, and Kazuyuki
"Torii" Yoshida meets the free-swinging "Sarumaru"
Junji Ito.
The
123-pound bracket has seven participants. Fumihiro Kitahara has
been seeded into the semifinals, where he will face the winner
of the first quarterfinal between Shigeyasu Fujira and Hiroaki
Iijima. In the other two quarterfinals, Jun Nagasoe meets Kentaro
Watanabe, and Yosuke "Flying Monkey No. 2" Saruta takes
on 2007 All Japan amateur Shooto champ Kota Funamoto, who beat
him in the semifinals of the All Japans in September.
A
very deep 132-pound tournament will feature a dozen fighters.
Four have been seeded into the quarterfinals, with eight fighters
slotted into quarterfinal qualifying bouts. Yuta Nezu has been
seeded into the quarterfinals and will face the winner of Haruo
Ochi and Masumi Tozawa. In the second quarterfinal, 2006 All
Japan amateur champ Kousuke Eda will await the winner of Katsuya
Toida pupil Tatsuya "Nakashi" Nakajima and Yuki "Isami
Oni" Baba. In the second half of the bracket, Yoshihiko
"Kagero" Oyama will face the winner of Jyoji Kawamata
against Hirosuke Ito, and Yasuaki "AKI" Nagamoto will
take on the winner of Syunsuke Nomura and Keita Yoshida.
After
only six competitors last year, 2008's 143-pound tournament features
a 13-man field. Three fighters have been seeded into the quarterfinals.
On one side of the bracket, Takumi Ota will meet the winner of
Makoto Akazawa and Takayoshi Ono, and former All Japan amateur
champion Yasuhiro Kanayama will face the winner of Issei Tamura
and Hiroaki Nakayama. On the other side, Naohiro Mizuno will
take on the victor of the quarterfinal qualifier between Daiki
Tsuchiya and Hidenori Nishino.
The
other quarterfinal will pit two qualifier winners against each
other, as former All Japan amateur champ Toshihiko "Yokosai"
Yokoyama faces Atsushi "Mitsuru" Kobayashi, and Kenichiro
Marui faces 154-pound 2007 All Japan amateur champion Hiroshige
Tanaka, who is trimming down to 143 pounds.
Shooto's
hallmark weight class of 154 pounds will feature a tournament
with nine fighters. In a quarterfinal qualifier, former Deep
168-pound Future King Yukinari "Hibiki" Tamura will
take on "Gypsy" Taro Kusano, with the winner advancing
to face Hayato Sakurai's student Kunio Nakajima. In the other
quarterfinals, Hiroshi Sugimoto faces Yasuaki Kishimoto, Junpei
Konno meets Kiguchi wrestling standout Ikuo Usuda, and another
Mach Sakurai product, Hiroshi "KG Kokoroto" Kuga, takes
on former All Japan amateur champion Kazuya Satomoto.
After
producing the most exciting bracket of 2007, the 168-pound leg
of the rookie series features six competitors this year. 2007
All Japan amateur champion and prohibitive tournament favorite
Takesuke Kume will meet the winner of the quarterfinal between
Yoichiro Sato and Toru Ishinaka. Takuya Sato awaits the winner
of the quarterfinal between Naoki Hirayama and Kazushi Kochi.
In
the final tournament at 183 pounds, another six fighters will
compete. Makoto "Chomolangma 1/2" Maeda will take on
the winner of the quarterfinal between Taijiro Iseki and Naoji
Mikoshiba. 2007 rookie tournament runner-up Takaaki "C-BOY"
Oban will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Nobuyasu
Fujikawa and 2007 All Japan amateur champion Yusaku Tanaka.
The
rookie tournaments will kick off at the Jan. 26 pro Shooto event
at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, with the scheduled bouts being Kota
Funamoto vs. Yosuke Saruta and Kazuyuki Yoshida vs. Junji Ito.
Mamoru-Shoujou
Set for Shooting Disco Clash
With
the Jan. 26 card at Korakuen Hall beginning the year for pro
Shooto, the Shooting Disco series will get started Feb. 23 at
its familiar digs of Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo.
The
club-themed Gutsman Shooto Dojo-promoted series began in June
last year, offering quality pro Shooto cards blending both Class
B talent and strong Class A matchups. The Feb. 23 installment
figures to provide the best bout of the young event, as longtime
Shooto 123-pound world champion Mamoru Yamaguchi will take on
the streaking Yuki Shoujou.
At
the first Shooting Disco card in June 2007, the afro-coifed Yamaguchi
took a landslide decision over Yusei Shimokawa. The win was Yamaguchi's
first action since his October 2006 title loss, but now he is
coming off a razor-thin decision loss to rival Yasuhiro Urushitani
in September.
Shoujou
had a sizzling 2007 campaign, going 3-0, including his upset
submission victory in July over the highly regarded Masatoshi
Abe. He punctuated his year with a unanimous decision over savvy
vet Junji Ikoma at the last Shooting Disco card in October.
While
the aforementioned Urushitani would seem set for the next world
title shot at 123 pounds against Shinichi "BJ" Kojima,
the Mamoru-Shoujou matchup will still play a considerable role
in sorting out a division that surged in 2007.
The
uncompleted card is also slated to feature a bout between Akihiro
Murayama and undefeated 2007 Shooto rookie champion Hiroki Sato,
as well as a clash of 123-pound rookie aces with 2006 champ Ryuichi
Miki taking on 2007 upset king Kenji Hasoya.
ClubDeep
Starts Year with Future King Tournaments
The
hangover of New Year's Eve is done with, and Japanese MMA is
finally ready to get underway as ClubDeep returns to Tokyo on
Monday. After an expansive touring schedule with its ClubDeep
series in the latter stages of 2007, Deep is heading back to
Shinjuku FACE with a twin bill.
The
main bill will be headlined by the retirement bout of Dai Moriyama.
Moriyama, who has competed sporadically in MMA with little success
in the past few years, is perhaps better known for his pro wrestling
exploits, especially in STYLE-E promotions. He hasn't competed
in MMA since July 2004, when Shooto regular Akihiro Murayama
dispatched him.
For
his final MMA bout, Moriyama will face off against the lackluster
pupil of Nobuhiko Takada, Tomoyoshi Iwamiya. Iwamiya, who sports
a 2-6 record, is coming off a July loss to Rikuhei Fujii in Pancrase.
Perhaps
the best bout on the main card is a pairing of once-beaten young
lightweights, with Tsuyoshi Kohsaka's pupil Yuki Ito taking on
Hayato Sakurai's student Hiroshi Nakano (Pictures). Each competed
only once in 2007, with each taking wins in local ClubDeep Tokyo
cards.
Also
on the bill are three "megaton matches," Deep's promotional
moniker for heavyweights, which will see Waka Arashi take on
Kintaro Tsurukame, Yoshiyuki Nakanishi square off with Yoshiyuki
Kato, and Tomoichiro Iwakami face Kendai Suketen.
However,
the real attraction to the card is the four 2008 Future King
tournaments. Regional qualifiers for the 2008 Deep rookie series,
whose most notable former champion is Shinya Aoki, were held
over the last quarter of 2007 across Japan. Now all four tournaments
will be completed on the Jan. 14 card.
The
143-pound division will feature Makoto Kamaya, Kota Ishibashi,
Masaki Yanigawa, Takuya Ogura, Seiji Akao, Makoto Akazawa, Tsubasa
Akiyama and Tatsu Wada.
The
154-pound tournament will include Luiz, Kenta Okuyama, Yuya Osugi,
Yusuke Suzuki, Kazumasa Otani and Seigo Inoue.
The
168-pound leg will see Yoshiki Ishida, Masahiro Ono, Junzo Tokuda,
Roberto Lima Marcos, Tetsuya Yoshioka, Hidenobu Koike and Norimasa
Iwasaki in action.
The
181-pound bracket will be contested between Ryuhei Arai, Masaya
Dohi, Yoshiyume Chodo, Yuichi Kishino and Teruhiko Kubo.
Tournament
brackets likely won't be revealed until the day of the event.
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
“Do
your job and demand your compensation -- but in that order.”
Cary Grant, 1904-1986, English-born Film Actor
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel
72
7:00 PM
Every Tuesday!
Fighters' Club Television Episode 53 is cut and submitted to
Olelo
programming. It will run as a (by) episode as we've been swamped
w/ our
days jobs and should run only this Tuesday the 15th in our normal
times
slot of 7pm(HST) on Oceanic Ch52 Oahu only.
This
episode revisits every Technique of the Week from 2007 and also
features a recent fun interview w/ KJ Noons and also a vintage
interview w/ Tim Sylvia after he beat Wes Sims.
A
new episode featuring our normal antics will run from the following
Tuesday.
|
LEGENDARY
KEN SHAMROCK AND SON, RYAN,
SIGN MULTI-FIGHT DEALS WITH ELITEXC
Each
Will Fight On “EliteXC Presents: Cage Rage 25’’
Saturday, March 8, At Wembley Arena In London, England
LOS
ANGELES (Jan. 14, 2008) – Sensational news for Los Angeles-based
ProElite, Inc.’s Live Fight Division, EliteXC, and all fans
of Mixed Martial Arts.
EliteXC
has signed Hall-Of-Famer Ken Shamrock, “The World’s
Most Dangerous Man’’ and one of the true MMA legends
and biggest pay-per-view draws in any sport, and his son, Ryan,
to multi-fight deals. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
“We’re
thrilled to have signed Ken and Ryan Shamrock,’’ said
EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw, who made the announcement
Monday. “Ken is one of the most recognizable and popular
figures in MMA. He has fought the biggest and some of the most
important fights in MMA history.
“Ken
is responsible for putting MMA on the worldwide map and making
it what it is today. I have the utmost respect for all the Shamrocks.
Believe me, I have signed fighters with EliteXC and many more
in boxing, but I can truly say I’m as excited about this
signing as I have ever been.
“I’m
realIy looking forward to seeing the Shamrocks in action.’’
Shaw
isn’t wasting time putting Ken (kenshamrock.proelite.com),
who has defeated the likes of Bas Rutten, Maurice Smith, Dan
“The Beast” Severn and Kimo in his illustrious career,
and Ryan (ryanshamrock.proelite.com) to work.
Father
and son will compete on the same card when they fight on “EliteXC
Presents: Cage Rage 25’’ on Saturday, March 8, at Wembley
Arena in London, England.
“I’m
totally committed to returning to the cage injury free and anxious
about fighting in England for the first time,’’ the
older Shamrock said. “It is very exciting for both Ryan
and I. We will be making MMA history by being the first father
and son to ever fight on the same card.
“This
is a great opportunity we are getting with EliteXC. Give me a
fight or two and I will be ready to fight anybody.’’
Ryan
(1-0), a promising 5-foot-9-inch, 19-year-old, fights at 135
pounds. In his April 2007 debut, he beat a 31-year-old veteran
by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:38 into the first round.
The
younger Shamrock has always loved sports and played football
and wrestled at East Lake High School in Chula Vista, Calif.
“After
high school, I enrolled at a culinary school in San Diego,’’
Ryan said. “But I guess fighting is in my genes because
on a train ride with my dad last year to Moline, Ill., for an
MMA event, I asked him if he I could put college on hold and
go into fighting. My dad never pushed me to get into fighting;
it was just something I wanted to do.
“He
said he would help me in any way he could, but to make sure I
got an education in school. I promised him I would, and here
we are.
“I
think I am more excited than nervous about fighting on the same
card with my dad. If anything, it gives me more incentive. I
get the chance to show that there is another Shamrock out there
who can compete as well as he can.’’
About
ProElite, 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 mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In
addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web,
ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive
set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and
organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community
TM
Contacts:
EliteXC
(Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.) EliteXC
Dan
Clavadetscher / John Beyrooty Patrick Freitas
(818)
462-5602 / (818) 462-5601 (808) 232-3481
DanC@bzapr.com
/ Johnnybey@aol.com Superbrawl21@yahoo.com |
KENDALL
GROVE STARTING HIS COMEBACK
Kendall Grove is looking to return to his winning ways at UFC
80 in Newcastle, England when he takes on the very tough Jorge
Rivera.
Grove
was on quite a roll for a while. After beating Ed Herman in a
memorable fight from season three of The Ultimate Fighter, he
went on to defeat Chris Price and Alan Belcher.
Last
August, at UFC 74, he suffered his first loss in the Ultimate
Fighting Championship after getting dropped by Patrick Cote.
Grove was doing well in the fight until Cote clipped him behind
the ear and left him dazed. Once he fell, Cote finished him.
Now
that he's on the comeback trail, Grove has been training very
hard for this fight with Rivera and for good reason. Rivera is
a seasoned veteran who's fought with some of the best fighters
in the world such as Rich Franklin, Anderson Silva, Lee Murray
and David Loiseau. But Grove is confident in his training and
is ready to get back in there.
“I
couldn't of asked for better training,” he exclaimed. “I
came up to Big Bear for this one. I just can't wait to fight.”
“Da
Spyder” definitely believes that his loss to Cote was a
good thing and has refocused him to train harder than ever.
“When
you lose, you definitely don't want to lose again,” explained
Grove. “That's what motivates you to get on it. I pushed
my cardio and I pushed my stand-up even more. I made some mistakes
in my last fight and I don't want to make the same mistakes again.”
When
asked why he went to Big Bear instead of Las Vegas, Grove said,
“(To) get my head right. I had to shake some cobwebs in
there from the last fight. I just can't wait to get back in the
cage.
When you're (at Big Bear), it's such a small town. The elevation
helps and all, but I come up there for the seclusion.
“I
just got too comfortable in Vegas cause the Strip's right there,
and a lot of people and things. It's easy to get sidetracked.
There're very little things to do up here except train, which
is why I come up here.”
After
his loss to Cote, he started to find out who his true friends
are. According to Grove, losing helped him get a focus on everything
in his life.
“Even
though I lost, I learned so much in my personal life, in MMA
and my career.”
Rivera
has been out almost a year since his loss to Terry Martin in
February of 2007. As we've seen with many of the Pride fighters
who had a long layoff, ring rust definitely could play a factor
in this fight. Grove, however, doesn't necessarily believe that
just because a fighter isn't active, it doesn't mean they aren't
training.
“It
depends on how he's been training,” said the Hawaiian native.
“If he's been sparring a lot and pushing himself, it might
not affect him. It might help him. It all depends on how he trained.”
While
a good majority of fighters go out to fight with a specific game
plan, Grove is one of the ones who doesn’t. He won’t
go out there careless, but in the same instance, he just enjoys
fighting.
“I'm
not going to go in there balls out and be stupid. I just go out
there and fight. I go out there and fight to the best of my abilities.”
After
a fighter has a loss, they have a tendency to come out tentative
because they are afraid of possibly losing again. When asked
about an expectation the fans can have about his fight with Rivera,
Grove reassured the fans that his fight will not be boring.
“My
fans are gonna expect the same ‘Spyder’ like they've
seen on the show… exciting. Some ground and pound. Look
for some submissions. As long as I go in there and give it all
I got, that's all I need in my eyes.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
*
* * MEDIA TELECONFERENCE ALERT * * *
KIMBO SLICE
& TANK ABBOTT
ELITEXC LIVE EVENTS PRESIDENT GARY SHAW
To Hold Media Conference Call
Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
WHO:
Legendary Internet Street Fighter And MMA Superstar Kimbo Slice
Exciting,
Hard-Hitting MMA Bad Boy Tank Abbott
EliteXC
Live Events President Gary Shaw
WHAT:
Kimbo, Tank and Shaw will discuss “EliteXC Presents STREET
CERTIFIED:
Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott’’ -- and the entire EliteXC
Mixed
Martial
Arts mega-event on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the BankUnited Center
at
the
University of Miami on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the
west
coast).
In
what figures to be a slugfest for as long as it lasts, Kimbo,
of Perrine,
Fla.,
and Abbott, of Huntington Beach, Calif., will clash in a highly
anticipated
main event on a card that also will feature one of the world’s
top
heavyweights, Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva, of Coconut
Grove, Fla. In
other
bouts, highly regarded British heavyweight James "The Colossus"
Thompson
faces unbeaten Brett Rogers of Minneapolis, Edson Berto,
of
Tampa, Fla., meets Yves Edwards of Conroe, Tex., and Australian
Kyle
“KO’’ Noke, the bodyguard of the late Steve “Crocodile
Hunter’’
Irwin, takes on Scott Smith, of Sacramento, Calif.
Charles
“Krazy Horse’’ Bennett, of Ocala, Fla., who owns
a knockout
victory
over EliteXC 160-pound world champion KJ Noons, will be
opposed
by a foe to be announced in a top, non-televised undercard
match.
Tickets
for a spectacular 10-bout event start at $35 and are
available
at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com
and
at the BankUnited Box Office at the University of Miami.
ACCESS
#: (888) 446-5348 (United States)
(913) 338-9600 (International)
Ask for SHOWTIME Conference Call
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008
4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
CONTACTS:
SHOWTIME – Chris DeBlasio/Ivy Moon, (212) 708-1633/7319
BZA/ELITEXC
– Dan Clavadetscher/John Beyrooty, (818) 462-5602/5601 |
Arona
denies rumors
“I haven't signed with anyone”
Considered
one of the best fighters in the world not yet under contract,
former Pride fighter Ricardo Arona has not yet decided where
his new home will be. Not having fought since the eighth of April,
2007, when he was knocked out by Cameroonian Thierry Sokodjou,
the Carioca is still studying the best offer for putting his
MMA career back on track.
The
name Arona has already been linked to countless rumors as of
late, including having his picture posted on an M-1 Global poster
that had him as one of the fighters to fight at Yarennoka, the
event that took place on December 31st of last year.
The
most recent speculation was that the fighter had signed with
Cage Rage, and therefore GRACIEMAG.com went after the black belt
to clear things up. “I haven’t signed with anyone yet.
To tell you the truth I Cage Rage hasn’t even come after
me. I received some contract proposals from the United States
and Japan, but I’m analyzing things with a cool head. I’m
back to training hard, here in Niteroi and I will soon have news
about my future,” said Arona.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
WEC
32: Condit vs. Prater
"WEC:
Condit vs. Prater"
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008
Santa Ana Star Center in Albuquerque, NM
COMPLETE
FIGHT CARD:
*
Carlos Condit vs. Carlo Prater
* Rob McCullough vs. Jamie Varner
* Chase Beebe vs. Miguel Torres
* Ox Wheeler vs. Del Hawkins
* Leonard Garcia vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
* Micah Miller vs. Chance Farrar
* Jeff Bedard vs. Yoshiro Maeda
* Scott Jorgensen vs. Jesse Moreng
* Mark Hominick vs. Josh Grispi
* Manny Tapia vs. Antonio Banuelos
Source: Maxfighting
|
Finger
Pointing Replaces Fights
At least Mark Kerr got his 20 percent.
While
"The Smashing Machine" had planned on collecting $15,000
Saturday night, he like his opponent and 16 other mixed martial
artists learned they wouldn't fight because promoters failed
to provide sufficient funds.
Problems
first surfaced Friday evening after Rick Bassman, the promoter
of record, informed the California State Athletic Commission
that money had not been secured to pay fighters.
Bassman,
who has promoted several Valor Fighting shows in California,
said World Cagefighting Organization's Bruce Bellocchi hired
him to use his promoter's license and to produce the event and
perform administrative functions.
Bassman
told Sherdog.com he had a contract with Bellocchi in which the
WCO accepted responsibility for "all cost items associated
with the show," including fighter pay. However, as the event
neared, the promoter worried whether the funds would be available,
prompting him to go to the commission.
Had
Bassman not said anything, Garcia surmised, Saturday's card would
have likely taken place, perhaps leaving fighters to deal with
bruises and bounced checks.
Bassman
said he met with the investor backing the event on Thursday.
He believed the investor intended to fund the show, but Bassman
also doubted a report he said the investor was given by Bellocchi
that claimed roughly 7,000 tickets had been sold for the event,
totaling about $232,000.
"That
didn't seem possible that it was doing that well," Bassman
said.
After
speaking with San Diego Sports Arena box office personnel, Garcia
said he was informed that ticket sales were extremely slow.
In
Bassman's view, the investor chose not to fund the show after
learning that ticket sales were not what he had been contractually
guaranteed. After the investor pulled out, Bassman said Bellocchi
rushed to deposit $225,000 into his bank to allow the show to
go on.
Garcia
confirmed the presence of funds with Wells Fargo, but said money
would not have been available until Jan. 24 so long as none was
removed from the account prior to that date and the deposited
sum didn't bounce.
Even
if Bellocchi had cash in hand Saturday, it wouldn't have mattered.
"I
couldn't use that money anyway because that wasn't Rick Bassman's
money," said Garcia. "That was Bruce Bellocchi's account."
Bassman
was very reluctant to write $218,000 worth of checks without
knowing whether the money would be available.
In
a final effort to save the card, WCO officials attempted to submit
an application for a promoter's license late Friday. It fell
well short of the necessary requirements, including financial,
for a completed promoter application packet, Garcia said.
"Ultimately,
the commission wanted Valor to have the funds, regardless if
we had them confirmed," Bellocchi said. "I have the
money secured. We even had fighters who offered to forego their
purse in order to be able to compete tonight, but the commission
declined."
Continued
Bellocchi: "With our promoter's license application in limbo,
there was nothing we could do this late in the process. I'm seriously
considering never doing business in California again. I'm kind
of in a state of shock. When you're dealing with people that
are unreasonable, it's tough to get by."
Bassman
didn't blame the California commission. He blamed Bellocchi --
and himself.
"Although
Armando [Garcia] can be tough, he, in my estimation, bent over
backwards to help make this thing go forward," Bassman said.
"But [Bellocchi] missed deadline after deadline. He missed
our deadline and he missed Armando's deadline, and Armando even
extended his deadline."
Bassman
- and as a result Bellocchi - were given until 10 a.m. Saturday
morning to show evidence of proper financing to Garcia. The CSAC
Executive Officer extended that deadline back too noon, but in
the end usable money never materialized.
"I
should have smelled a rat and known better. I've been doing this
for a long time, [promoting] wrestling and fighting both, and
I've seen pretty much everything," Bassman said. "Now
I'm about to walk into a room and write about $40,000 worth of
checks, which is essentially my personal money."
As
per CSAC regulations, fighters are guaranteed 20 percent of their
purse if an event is cancelled.
"Thank
God we didn't fight and have our checks bounce," said Kerr,
who was slated to face Hawaiian heavyweight Kauai Kupihea and
also expressed appreciation for the CSAC's efforts to protect
the fighters. "I feel for Joe Riggs, who just had a baby
and has a mortgage to pay. Now he only gets 20 percent of his
purse."
Garcia
said by early Saturday evening each fighter with a signed bout
agreement had received a check.
Fans
at home who paid for the Internet pay-per-view broadcast of the
WCO via ringsidejunkie.com will receive a refund within 30 days,
according to a statement on the Web site.
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
“Concentration
comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger.”
Arnold Palmer, American Golfer
|
Fighters'
Club Radio Starts Today!
Tune in
to AM 1500 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am and hear hosts Mark Kurano
and Pat Freitas kick off the return of an MMA radio show!
I'm sure they have a lot planned and look forward to all the
fans, fighters, and promoters calling in to throw in their 2
cents.
You
can call in to 296-1500.
Please spread the word and let the sponsors of the show know
that you are listening to the show and buying their products
so that this radio show will be on for a long, long time.
|
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
|
NOT
SO FAST, BARONI'S NEXT FIGHT NOT SET
Fledgling Japanese mixed martial arts promotion World Victory
Road on Friday announced that Phil Baroni would face Sanae Kikuta
at its March 5 event at the Yoyogi National Stadium Gym in Tokyo.
That
announcement however seems to have been a bit premature. MMAWeekly.com
spoke with Baroni’s manager, Ken Pavia of Pavia, Ciscone
& Associates, who said the fight has not yet been signed.
“World
Victory Road is a viable possibility, but we have several other
offers on the table and we have to weigh all of our options to
make sure that we make the correct move for Phil.”
The
proposed fight against Kikuta would be Baroni’s first since
returning from a suspension following his June 22 bout against
Frank Shamrock while fighting for Strikeforce.
“World
Victory Road has made an attractive offer,” continued Pavia,
“but at this point, we just haven’t had enough time
to weigh all of our options and make a decision.”
Baroni
and Pavia will be considering the options and an announcement
regarding Baroni’s next fight should be forthcoming soon.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SHAW
AND WHITE AT ODDS ONCE AGAIN
The war of words continues between EliteXC’s Gary Shaw and
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White.
Since
joining the mixed martial arts fray in 2006, Shaw has had words
for White, but his most recent comments to Steve Cofield in an
article published by Fox Sports were aimed squarely at the UFC’s
dominance.
"It
was easy for UFC before there was competition. There was no other
choice in the past. Once you have choices, there's a problem,"
said Shaw. "You can't stuff a pay-per view down the throat
of the fan every month if there are other choices out there.
I don't know what their real pay-per-view numbers are, but I
guarantee you they're not doing the 700,000-800,000 pay-per-view
numbers now. And you don't hear them bragging about it."
He
went on to say that EliteXC’s emergence in the market was
causing the UFC to have to pay more for its fighters, since there
was now more bidding for their services.
The
comments didn’t sit well with White, who told Yahoo! Sports,
“We beat our pay-per-view numbers from last year. We just
don't brag about it because we don't talk about our business
in the public.”
He
continued, "And if we were getting competition, it's not
coming from EliteXC and both of the people who are watching their
shows. This guy is a low-level bottom feeder. He didn't like
MMA a few years ago, but when he finally couldn't make money
at boxing any more, he came over to this sport to try to leech
money out of it."
It’s
hard to argue with the success that the UFC has had. And despite
EliteXC and others’ attempts to secure the services of fighters
like Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and Dan
Henderson, all three are currently under contract with the UFC.
The
promotion’s most recent event, UFC 79 garnered a live gate
revenue of more that $4.9 million, the second largest in mixed
martial arts history.
Of
course, along with the mainstream growth of the sport, there
will be the EliteXCs, M-1 Globals, HDNet Fights, and others that
will attempt to at least carve out a piece of the pie.
The
UFC hasn’t been sitting idly by however, resting on its
laurels.
“We
had a kick ass 2007. It was an aggressive year for us; buying
Pride, (World Extreme Cagefighting), cover of Sports Illustrated,
moving into Europe, and next year’s going to be even bigger,”
said White recently.
The
UFC has already announced plans for 2008 that include more dates
in the U.K., its debut in Canada, a move into Germany, a focus
on opening up New York to sanctioning, and more.
EliteXC
has been aggressively pursuing partnerships and acquiring other
promotions in attempts to expand its own reach throughout the
globe.
The
new M-1 Global has already partnered with various other organizations
in Japan to promote a New Year’s Eve event that harkens
back to the days of the Pride Fighting Championships.
And
HDNet Fights has been quietly starting its promotional offerings
and working with other organizations to provide a television
outlet, the HDNet hi-definition channel, for their offerings.
There
is definitely more activity in the industry than at any point
in history and various scenarios are developing at a rapid pace,
but whether EliteXC or anyone else proves a competitor on par
with the UFC will take time to play out.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
WCO
EVENT IN SAN DIEGO CANCELLED
The
World Cagefighting Organization event scheduled for tonight at
the San Diego Sports Arena and promoted by Valor Fighting has
been cancelled by the California State Athletic Commission.
CSAC
executive director Armando Garcia told MMAWeekly.com, “It
was determined at this late hour that there were insufficient
funds for the fighter purses and to cover expenses and everything.”
The
event, dubbed “The Return,” was to feature Renato “Babalu”
Sobral against Vernon “Tiger” White in the main event,
as well as several other veteran fighters like Mark Kerr, David
Loiseau, Ricco Rodriguez, Joe Riggs, and more.
According
to a report by Josh Gross of Sherdog.com, WCO officials made
a last ditch effort to attain a promoter’s license to save
the event, but there was insufficient time to go through that
process.
Several
fighters indicated that they were approached to tear up their
current contracts and sign new agreements that would pay them
$100 for fighting on the event and then sign a separate agreement
that would make up the difference between the $100 and their
originally agreed upon purse in what would be dubbed an “appearance
fee” to be paid at a later date.
Garcia
told MMAWeekly.com that when he found out about the re-worked
contracts, he determined that the commission could not support
that idea.
Asked
about such efforts, manager Ken Pavia, who had several fighters
on the card, would only say, “There were some creative ideas
put forth to get the fighters paid, but while they were well
intentioned, they didn’t come to fruition.”
CSAC
regulations provide that any scheduled fighters that were licensed
and ready to fight are due any incidentals and 20% of the purse
spelled out in their contracts.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment."
John Wooden, Hall of Fame American Basketball Coach and Player
|
Hawaii
Fight League Season 1 Event 2 Results
Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
January 12, 2008
The
second edition of Hawaii's first and only fight league took place
pitting the No Remorse Fight Team taking on Team Hakuilua. The
night started off with some exhibition kickboxing bouts showcasing
the kids from Team Hakuilua and one from HMC and our academy,
the O2 Martial Arts Academy. After the crowd was warmed up, the
fight league portion of the event started and what a start it
was with Bryant Antonio landing a kick right across the face
of Michael Sabala. Sabala finished the take down, but the fight
was stopped after the referee took a look at Sabala's bleeding
face. Sabala had badly broken his nose and the doctor on hand
believes that Sabala suffered from more broken facial bones.
That fight was immediately followed up with the solid striking
skills of Ben Rodrigues who picked apart Tyler Mayekawa and landed
a vicious right hand that sent Mayekawa to the canvas. The Referee,
Chris West, was on top of the action and immediately stepped
in before Mayekawa took any more punishment. The ferocity of
the fighters could be seen in the results, other than the exhibition
matches, only two fights went the distance. Team Hakuilua burst
on the scene and immediately showed that they are a force to
be reckoned with by winning every team match except for one to
take the HFL Season 1 Event 2 team title. The event also featured
two matches under "Triple Threat Rules." These rules
are based off another promotion's idea of the first round featuring
kickboxing for a 1 minute round, followed by a 1 ½ minute
round of boxing with take downs, and the final round is 2 minutes
of submission grappling. The main event was anything but eventful
and looked to be a sparring match between Nui Wheeler and Rich
Bernard, but the final match did not take away from a great event
and fast paced fights. Time will tell if the Hawaii Fight League
will suffer the same growing pains as its international predecessor
or take the team concept to a new level in the hot bed of MMA
which is Hawaii.
Exhibition
Kids Kickboxing: 3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Brenton Waialae (Hakuilua) vs. Kona Meyers (Hakuilua)
Exhibition
Kids Kickboxing (60lbs): 3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Kasey Ferinas-Umagat (Hakuilua) vs. Jordan Pacapac (Hakuilua)
Exhibition
Kids Kickboxing: 3 Rounds - 1 Minute
Kylie Ramiro (HMC) vs. Nainoa Dung (O2 Martial Arts Academy)
Team
No Remorse Fight Team vs. Team Hakuilua
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Bryant Antonio (Hakuilua) def. Michael Sabala (No Remorse)
TKO via broken nose at 0:44 in Round 1.
MMA
(175lbs): 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Ben Rodrigues (Hakuilua) def. Tyler Mayekawa (No Remorse)
TKO via Referee stoppage at 1:21 in Round 1.
MMA
(205lbs): 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Yancy Medeiros (Hakuilua) def. Eddie Ohia (No Remorse)
TKO via Referee stoppage due to punches from the mount at 1:23
in Round 1.
Exhibition
Kids Kickboxing (70lbs.): 3 Rounds - 1 Minutes
Brenen Waialae (Hakuilua) vs. Kona Meyers (Hakuilua)
Exhibition:
Triple Threat Match: Rd 1 - 1min, Rd 2 - 1.5min, Rd 3 - 2min
Mana Wooley (No Remorse) vs. Handsome Pahinui (Hakuilua)
*Exhibition: Wooley via triangle choke at 1:20 in Round 3.
MMA
(140lbs): 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Vernon Perengit (808 Fight Factory) def. Joshua Kamaiopili (No
Remorse)
TKO, fighter did not come out for the second round.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 2 Minutes
Blaise Noa (Team Ruthless) def. Jhun Agag (No Remorse)
TKO via Referee stoppage at 0:54 in Round 1.
Triple
Threat Match: Rd 1 - 1min, Rd 2 - 1.5min, Rd 3 - 2min
Ryan Desoto (Team Ruthless) def. Walter Correira (No Remorse)
Submission via arm bar at 1:36 in Round 3.
MMA
(235lbs): 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Stephen Lanier (808 Fight Factory) def. Kawika Vidal (No Remorse)
TKO via Referee stoppage at 0:44 in Round 1.
MMA
(205lbs): 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Larry Perreira (Team C.A.T.) def. Rigo Mendoza (808 Fight Factory)
Submission via Kimura key lock at 42 seconds in Round 1.
Triple
Threat Match: Rd 1 - 1min, Rd 2 - 1.5min, Rd 3 - 2min
Bunny Fantez (Inner Circle) def. John Borges (808 Fight Factory)
Split decision after 3 rounds.
Main
Event
Kickboxing (135lbs): 3 Rounds - 2 Minutes
Nui Wheeler (Team Souljah) def. Rich Bernard (Hawaiian Self-Defense)
Split decision after 3 rounds.
|
Buchholz makes mark in mixed
martial arts
Staff Report
Justin
Buchholz
used to practice mixed martial arts moves on grappling dummies
he made by stuffing hooded sweatshirts with paper towels.
“I’d
practice arm bars and guillotines,” the 24-year-old native
of Fairbanks said last Saturday from Sacramento, Calif.
The
upper-body only dummies were reliable sparring partners because
friends would rarely practice with him after a painful experience.
“I
practiced once with some friends at school and I got in trouble
with them because I popped some ankles,” the Lathrop High
School graduate recalled.
To
learn moves, he’d watch 30 videotapes of Ultimate Fighting
Championship matches until he perfected a move.
The
days of applying submission moves to stuffed hoodies and overworking
VHS players are over for Buchholz.
The
5-foot-10, 155-pound fighter is now under contract to the UFC,
and he’s scheduled to appear on a nationally-televised UFC
Fight Night card on Wednesday, Jan. 23 on Spike (Cable Channel
38). Buchholz, with eight wins and one loss in his young career,
faces Matt Wiman (8-3) of Tulsa, Okla., in a lightweight bout
of the seven-fight event at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
“I
feel like I’ve gone from dodgeball to the World Series …
like I went from Nerf football to the Super Bowl,” Buchholz
said.
He
has gone from training with stuffed hoodies to working with UFC
lightweight champion Urijah Faber at Faber’s home in Sacramento.
He also works in Sacramento with coaches for boxing and the martial
arts of ju-jitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing.
The
stuffed hoodies and the videotapes may have been innovative and
even budget-minded, but they also showed a determined side of
Buchholz.
The
first time Buchholz stepped into a ring was as an amateur boxer
with the Fairbanks Boxing Club during his senior year at Lathrop.
He had only five fights and finding opponents was difficult because
there’s only a few boxing clubs in Alaska.
His
first time in a mixed martial arts ring was on a dare with friend
Scott McAfee, who’s from North Pole and also fights.
Buchholz
and McAfee entered the Alaska Fighting Championships 8 on Feb.
16, 2005 in Anchorage. Both had little or no training leading
up to the card because they also worked as laborers on the North
Slope.
A
month earlier, they had flown to Anchorage to watch AFC 7, particularly
the fighters in their weight classes, and decided to register
the next day for the upcoming AFC 8.
“I
thought that we didn’t stand a chance,” Buchholz said,
“but I said, ‘If we’re going to do it, let’s
do it right now.’”
His
opponent, Andy Garland, gave Buchholz a rough introduction to
his first professional mixed martial arts fight.
Garland
picked up Buchholz over his shoulder and slammed him on his head.
Buchholz recovered and resorted to his boxing skills to knock
down Garland and get him to submit to a triangle chokehold.
A
month later, Buchholz captured the AFC lightweight championship
by getting Jimmy Gainey to submit to the same chokehold in the
second round. It was a painful title.
“I
took a horrific beating, my face was swollen terribly,”
he said. “I was so close to losing, but I did some moves
that I saw off a UFC tape.”
Buchholz’s
road to the UFC carried him back to Fairbanks, where he won by
a knockout in his bout in the Desert Brawl in June 2006, and
later to Hawaii, where he competed
on the Showtime cable network’s Elite Xtreme Combat: Uprising
card last Sept. 15 in Honolulu.
Buchholz
backed up his words with his skills when he won by technical
knockout over Ikaika
Choy-Fu.
Following
a press conference on the day before the fight, Buchholz told
promoter Gary Shaw that he wasn’t impressed with the card’s
lightweight division.
“He’s
(Shaw) the man that everyone is intimidated by,” Buchholz
said. “I said there’s not anyone in the division that
I can’t knock out in two minutes.”
Buchholz
knocked out Choy-Fu in 1 1/2 minutes.
“He
hit me with his best Sunday punches and I went after the dude,”
Buchholz said.
Shaw
later offered a contract, but UFC offered a better deal, and
Buchholz and his manager Chuck Wichert of Anchorage signed a
four-fight deal with the promotion on Dec. 22.
“It’s
enough money to live off for the rest of the year,” Buchholz
said of the contract.
It
also saves a lot of hooded sweatshirts and paper towels.
Source: Daily News Miner/Fight Opinion
|
Hendo:
‘I’m going to kick his ass’
American confident about March bout with Anderson Silva
Former champion of two different weight groups in Pride, Dan
Henderson doesn’t seem two impressed with his future adversary
in the UFC’s last few devastating performances. Hendo, who
did not manage to unify the titles in the American organization
by losing his title challenge against Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson at UFC 75, decided to drop weight and dispute the title
now belonging to Brazilian Anderson Silva at middleweight.
The
bout between the two shall take place on March 1st, and will
be the main event at UFC 82, to take place in the state of Ohio.
"I'm
excited. I'm ready to go kick his ass. Style-wise, I'm just a
bad fight for him. He's very tough, very talented, but he hasn't
fought anybody like me. My strength is the clinch game, and I
don't get out of position there to allow strikes. That's what
he thrives on - guys that are out of position and not very good
in that clinch. For me, that's where I'm going to beat him up,
and if he gets there with me, I'm going to be taking him down
and beating him up on the ground," said the wrestler in
the Brawl Sports column of the Houston Chronicle.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
AURELIO-FISHER
SLATED FOR UFN
Lightweights To Collide at April 2 UFC Fight Night
By Brian Knapp
Lightweight
contenders Marcus Aurelio and Spencer Fisher will face one another
at a UFC Fight Night tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, April
2, The Fight Network has learned. No venue for the event has
been announced, though it could be held in Colorado.
Based
out of the American Top Team, Aurelio (15-5, 1-1 UFC) last fought
at UFC 78 in November, when he defeated Luke Caudillo by first-round
TKO. The victory snapped a three-fight losing streak for the
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. The 34-year-old former ZST Grand
Prix champion holds notable wins over Takanori Gomi and UFC veteran
Rich Clementi. In fact, he was the last man to defeat Gomi, as
he choked the former PRIDE lightweight champion unconscious at
PRIDE “Bushido 10” in 2006.
Fisher
(20-4, 5-3 UFC), meanwhile, dropped a one-sided decision to unbeaten
Frankie Edgar at UFC 78 in November. A Miletich Fighting Systems
protégé, Fisher has dropped two of his past three
bouts but remains one of the UFC’s top fighters at 155 pounds.
The 31-year-old North Carolinian has delivered 18 of his 20 career
wins by KO, TKO or submission and owns victories against Thiago
Alves, Josh Neer and reigning TKO lightweight champion Sam Stout.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Kimbo
Slice vs. Tank Abbott at EliteXC on Feb. 16
Kimbo Slice (1-0) will battle Tank Abbott (9-13) in the main
event of the next EliteXC show on Saturday, Feb. 16 at the University
of Miami's BankUnited Center.
EliteXC
is resurrecting this matchup between two reformed street brawlers
originally scheduled for a Cage Fury Fighting Championships event
last October which was cancelled due to an investor pulling out.
Slice
won his professional MMA debut at EliteXC: Renegade on Nov. 10,
forcing Bo Cantrell to tapout due to strikes in 19 seconds.
Although
Abbott has lost seven of his last eight bouts since 1998, he
is still a knockout threat, demonstrated in a first-round knockout
victory over Wesley Correira in 2005.
The
main card will air on Showtime at 10pm ET/PT.
CURRENT
FIGHT CARD:
Kimbo
Slice vs. Tank Abbott
Gina Carano vs. TBA
Antonio Silva vs. TBA
James Thompson vs. TBA
Scott Smith vs. Kyle Noke
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Can
Couture escape his contract? A brief look at contract law.
by LR
UFC 79 wasn't only an event that provided some great matchups,
but it also provided some interesting news about the Heavyweight
picture. During the broadcast, it was learned that Tim Sylvia
will take on Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira for the "interim"
Heavyweight title belt. Many fans that follow the sport felt
that this was inevitable. Randy Couture has all but stated he
only wants to fight Fedor Emelianenko, and the UFC has assured
us that they are not interested in co-promoting with M-1 Global
to make the fight happen. There is one question that plagues
the mind as far as this situation goes. Why would the UFC create
an interim title fight instead of just stripping Randy Couture
of his belt completely?
The
Contract Clause
The
main point that is floating around is that Couture's contract
most likely has a champion's clause that either extended his
contract for a longer term or creates a breach of contract if
he doesn't fulfull his contract as the champion. It's already
perceived that declining to fight Nogueira could very well have
been a breach of contract, but as Adam Swift has wrote about
in the past, the clauses in the contracts sometimes extend contracts
indefinitely in some of the cases in which a fighter declines
a fight:
The
term of the contract may also be extended indefinitely for any
period when a fighter is "unable, unwilling or refuses to
compete or train for a Bout for any reason whatsoever."
This
clause may explain White's statement at Tuesday's news conference
that he intended to offer Couture a fight against Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira later this week. If, as expected, Couture refuses the
bout, Zuffa would have another ground on which to extend its
agreement with Couture.
However,
per another clause in the contract, Zuffa retains the right to
count a fight offered and refused as fulfilling a bout under
the contract. This is another example of the tremendous power
the company wields in determining the effective term of its contracts.
This clause could seemingly also be at issue in the Couture dispute.
This
may the the exact clause that is causing Couture's contract to
be extended, but then why maintain that Couture is still champion?
Most likely, the champion's clause has more goodies that will
hurt Couture's chances legally. What can Randy Couture actually
do in court against such a contract? A question for contract
law research.
Contract
Law and concepts of escaping contracts
There
are a few different ways that a fighter or anybody for that matter
can prove in court that a contract is deemed unenforceable under
law. This means that the contract cannot be enforced by the law
because it has been deemed unfair in some way. Here's some of
the typical reasons that have been used in the past successfully:
Capacity
to Contract: The idea that the individual who signed the contract
was unable to understand what he/she was signing due to mental
impairment or age. This can refer to someone signing a contract
while completely intoxicated or influenced by drugs. Obviously,
this is not a factor in this case.
Undue
Influence, Duress, Misrepresentation: This involves coercion,
threats, false statements, and persuasion from outside parties
on the party signing into the contract. All of these can void
a contract if proven. These three terms are the basic legal terms
that go along with this type of defense.
Duress:
Party must show that the agreement was brought on because of
a threat from a party that is deemed unlawful. It can also deal
with a person not having any "reasonable" alternative,
but to sign the contract. Blackmail.
Undue
Influence: Improper persuasion that causes someone to enter into
an agreement. This usually involves a play on power. A underling
is forced to sign into a contract from a higher power. Parent/Child
relationship, etc.
Misrepresentation:
This deals with a false statement of fact, deliberate withholding
of information, or an action that conceals a fact.
Unconscionability:
This concept most likely will be the focus of a legal battle
if one occurs. Unconscionability deals with everything else that
can happen with the unfairness of a contract. The key concept
is that the terms of the contract must be "shocking to the
conscience of the court" We will look at this later.
Public
Policy and Illegality: Signing a contract to do something immoral
or illegal.
Mistakes:
Contract can be deemed unenforceable if there is found to be
a mistake in the terms of the contract. This, of course, is a
mutually agreed upon action by both parties.
Those
are some of the terms that are used when moving into the arena
of Contract Law and the concept of Enforceability. We aren't
lawyers, but these terms do deal with the ideas and concepts
that have to do with causing a contract to be unenforceable.
What
could Couture's move be?
Let's
take a step on the side of speculation and hypothetical theory
for a second. We won't know for months what will be happening
with the current situation between Zuffa and Couture, but if
the situation moves to a legal environment, here's what could
happen. If Couture ultimately determines that he was the subject
of an unfair contract, a defense would most likely run along
the lines of misrepresentation or unconscionability.
More
than likely, the Unconscionability defense will be his best chance
at defeating the contract's terms. If Couture and his lawyers
can somehow convince a court that the clauses within the Zuffa
contracts are "shocking to the conscience of the court",
the court can deem the contract void. What could potentially
be pieces of the contract that bring this type of "shock"
to the court?
We
don't know the exact clauses, but we can speculate as to some
of them. As Adam Swift's article hinted toward, certain clauses
actually extend the contract indefinitely. The problem is that
when Couture signed this contract, it would be evident from his
signature that he was agreeing to these terms. The entire process
of deeming the contract void, however, is to determine whether
that clause is unfair. To an extent, it could be said that extending
the contract indefinitely could be deemed unfair due to the length
of the extension.
Of
course, that argument has its faults. Since Couture declined
the Nogueira fight offer, is he already in breach of contract?
It's possible that he breached contract, or caused a clause to
be put into action. It is also possible that Zuffa simply kept
Couture as the champion to also maintain the terms in the champion's
clause as well. Would a court deem this as a "shock"?
What
do you think?
Would
a clause that extends a contract indefinitely due to a refusal
to fight be deemed as a "shock" even if the fighter
signed the contract? It does seem excessive to maintain on contract
for what could be the rest of someone's career because of a refusal
to fight.
Would
a champion's clause that extends the number of fights or time
of the contract be deemed unfair? It could be, but this falls
into that area in which the fighter did know that if he obtained
champion status, his contract would be extended.
Source: MMA Analyst/Fight Opinion
|
MANNY
TAPIA VS. ANTONIO BANUELOS AT WEC
by Al Yu
Former King of the Cage 135-pound divisional champion Manny Tapia
returns to World Extreme Cagefighting on Feb. 13 in Albuquerque,
N.M.
The
undefeated fighter had a successful WEC debut last May with an
impressive TKO win over Brandon Foxworth. The “Mangler”
confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that he is set to take on tough veteran
Antonio Banuelos next month.
“I
signed the contract three days ago. Training is going well. I’m
feeling a lot stronger,” said the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple
belt under Javier Vasquez.
Banuelos
is a long-time veteran of the WEC and brings with him a professional
record of 14-4. He is coming off of a unanimous decision victory
over Justin Robbins at WEC 29 last August.
“I
think he’s scrappy; he’s tough,” commented Tapia.
“He’s explosive and he’s a great wrestler. It’ll
be a fun fight. We both have different styles. I’m going
to go in there and try to knock him out.”
Tapia
was scheduled to challenge WEC 135-pound champion Chase Beebe
for his title back in September, but a knee injury derailed his
title shot. Now fully recovered, the Millenia Jiu-Jitsu fighter
has been training hard for his return to the cage. A win over
Banuelos could secure a shot at the bantamweight title sometime
in the near future.
“I’m
feeling really good right now. I’ve got great trainers,
I’m ready. People are going to be surprised when they see
me.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Belt
auction canceled
Not a single bid was made
The
most talked-of auction of recent days in the world of fighting
ended in disappointment. Even though it was expected to stay
on the air through till this evening, the auction, hosted on
Ebay, for the UFC heavyweight belt belonging to Ricco Rodriguez
was taken off the air by the fighter. Ricco gave no explanation
as to his reasons for doing so.
Not
one bid was made for the asking price of US$ 30 thousand. The
heavyweight belt in question had been conquered by Ricco Rodriguez
in his win over Randy Couture at UFC 39.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"What
is right and what is practicable are two different things."
James Buchanan, 1791-1868, 15th President of the United States
|
Hawaii
Fight League Season 1 Event 2 Today!
Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
January 12, 2008
Kids bouts
Brenton Waialae (Hakuilua) vs. Kona Meyers (Hakuilua)
Kasey
Ferinas-Umagat (Hakuilua) vs. Jordan Pacapac (Hakuilua)
Kylie
Ramiro (HMC) vs. Nainoa
Dung (O2 Martial Arts Academy)
Randy
Kamaiopili (No Remorse) vs. Handsome Pahinui (Hakuilua)
Brenen
Waialae (Hakuilua) vs. Kona Meyers (Hakuilua)
TEAM
NO REMORSE vs. TEAM HAKUILUA
Kanieala Ahnee 135
Bryant Antonio
Michael Sabala 155
Tyler Mayekawa 175
Ben Rodrigues
Eddie Ohia 205
Yancy Medeiros
Vilitonu Fonokalafi 235
Joshua
Kamaiopili (No Remorse) 140 Vernon Perngit (808 FF)
Dallas
Kia (HMC) 135 Russell Doane (808 FF)
Kawika
Vidal (No Remorse) 235 Stephen Lanier (808 FF)
Larry
Perreira (Team C.A.T.) 205 Rigo Mendoza (808 FF)
GRAPPLING
UNLIMITED vs 808 FIGHT FACTORY
135 Vernon Perngit
DeJuan Hathaway
155 L. John Borges
175 Kristopher Knight
205 Rigo Mendoza
235 Gismo Vasai
Kickboxing
Main Event
Nui Wheeler (Team Souljah) 135 Bronson Mohika (808 FF)
Source: Event Promoter
|
Brazilian-style
jiu-jitsu works out body, mind
By Catherine E. Toth
Special to The Advertiser
Photos by ANDREW SHIMABUKU | The Honolulu Advertiser
Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Honolulu Academy owner Todd Tanaka, bottom,
and assistant instructor Andrew Marshall demonstrate a move.
Are you tired of the same old fitness routine? Are you looking
for a way to get into shape and have some fun? The Advertiser
will be offering a look at different types of activities to get
you up and active or moving in a new direction.
WHAT IT WORKS
Like
most martial arts, jiu-jitsu works the mind and body — and
hard. "It's an all-body workout, like swimming," said
instructor Todd Tanaka. "There's no part of the body you're
not going to work."
Where
jiu-jitsu really works the body is the hips, legs, shoulders,
arms and back.
What Brazilians did to jiu-jitsu is like what Americans did to
British punk rock:
They
adopted it, tweaked it, then mainstreamed it. And it's never
been the same.
Brazilian-style
jiu-jitsu turned the traditional Judo-based martial art into
more of a combat sport that focuses on grappling and ground-fighting
with the goal of getting the opponent to submit.
But
thanks to the popularity of mixed martial arts competitions —
and the Ultimate Fighting Championships — interest in this
style of jiu-jitsu has exploded worldwide, with thousands of
people participating in the sport today.
The
widely televised, no-holds-barred contests are what attracted
22-year-old Russell Saito of Liliha to pick up Brazilian jiu-jitsu
six months ago.
He's
not looking to compete in the next MMA match, but he is a big
fan of the sport and wanted to see for himself what it was like.
So
he browsed the Internet for a school that met his criteria —
near the University of Hawai'i campus, where he was a student,
and affordable. He signed up with Relson Gracie's academy at
University Square in Mo'ili'ili, which offered the cheapest rate
at $40 a month for four classes.
(The
only gear needed is a gi, or kimono, which can cost between $60
and $300. Saito spent $150.)
"I
really didn't know what to expect," said Saito, who graduated
last month with a degree in art. "But I knew it was going
to be tough."
Saito,
who surfs but has never participated in any other martial art,
was surprised at just how tough it actually was.
"After
that first day of class, my body was super sore," he said,
laughing. "You're using a whole bunch of muscles you don't
always use ... I was pretty much dead."
For
many — especially women — the attraction to the sport
centers on the philosophy that size doesn't matter.
"Because
it's ground-based, (the sport) is based on leverage and technique,
not strength," said Todd Tanaka, 31, a Relson Gracie jiu-jitsu
instructor who picked up the sport 17 years ago. "That was
the appeal to me, that a smaller, less physical person could
defend himself against a larger opponent."
Not
all schools — including Relson Gracie — train people
to fight in MMA competitions. This style of jiu-jitsu is often
taught for self-defense and sport grappling tournaments.
Still,
most come for the physical workout, feeling the burn in their
legs, hips, shoulders and back.
"If
you want to get in shape before taking your first class, that's
a plus," Saito said, laughing. "Having your cardio
up a bit would help."
And,
like other martial arts, jiu-jitsu requires self-discipline,
focus and dedication. It works out your mind just as much as
your body, Tanaka said.
"It
gives you confidence and you get mentally tougher," Tanaka
said. "It's as physical as you want it to be. And sometimes
it takes your heart to pull you through."
Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Honolulu Academy manager Todd Tanaka,
front, and assistant instructor Lee Sakai practice.
• • •
QUICK
LOOK
Where to learn
There
are dozens of different schools that teach various forms of jiu-jitsu,
usually offering the first class for free. For Brazilian-style
training, here are some suggestions:
•
Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu: This school teaches Brazilian-style
jiu-jitsu and submission grappling — but without the striking.
Average cost is about $50 a month for four classes, with discounts
for students and public safety officers such as firefighters
and police officers. Single classes cost around $15. Main Academy,
844 Queen St., 2nd floor, 589-2524, www.graciehi.com. (The school also has academies in
Mo'ili'ili, Kane'ohe, 'Aiea and Kapa'a.)
•
Icon Fitness: Monthly membership ranges from $50 (to take the
turbo kickboxing class) to $150 for unlimited training (but it's
a special for January). There's also a $100 start-up fee to join.
Icon offers classes in jiu-jitsu, yoga and turbo kickboxing.
And members can take advantage of the school's pool, Jacuzzi
and weight room. Niu Valley Shopping Center, 5730 Kalanianaole
Highway, 373-ICON, www.myspace.com/iconmma.
•
The Studio: Started by former Superbrawl champion and professional
racquetball player Egan Inoue, this school has classes in jiu-jitsu,
kickboxing, boxing and self-defense. Monthly membership is $150
for unlimited classes, with discounted rates for students, seniors
and families. Or you can purchase a 10-class card for $200. Manoa
Marketplace, 2754 Woodlawn Drive, No. 7-103A, 988-6200, www.thestudiohawaii.com.
•
Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu: This school is part of the Rickson
Gracie International Jiu-Jitsu. Cost ranges from $50 to $70 a
month, with a $35 annual association fee. Discounts are given
to University of Hawai'i students, military and law enforcement.
UH's Athletics Complex, Studio 2, 392-8330, www.brazilian-freestyle.com.
Learn
More
Adrenaline
Konceptz: www.adrenalinekonceptz.com
Blood
Line: www.bloodlineclothing.com
Fighter's
Corner: www.fighterscorner.net
Hawaii
Martial Arts Supply: www.hawaiimartialartssupply.com
On
The Mat: www.onthemat.com
Ultimate
Fighting Championship: www.ufc.com
Reach
Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Source: Honolulu Advertiser
|
A
New MMA Supplier Has Just Opened at the NEX!
Jimmy Nakamura has just opened a kiosk at the NEX (Navy Exchange)
in Pearl Harbor today. It is open from 9am-9pm.
If you are in the area, please check it out!
As always, please support MMA in Hawaii by checking out all of
the MMA suppliers and shopping at those who sponsor MMA in Hawaii!
|
Shotokan
Karate Club to offer classes for beginners
Advertiser Staff
The Shotokan Karate Club will start beginner classes Feb. 2 in
Manoa and Feb. 4 in Kane'ohe and Kaimuki.
The
cost for the course, which runs for three months, is $75 for
one child, $100 for two children, $125 for a family and $80 for
adults.
For
Manoa, the classes will be at Noelani Elementary School at 5:30
p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at 9 a.m. on Saturdays.
Kane'ohe
classes will be at Kapunahala Elementary at 6 p.m. on Mondays
and Wednesdays.
Kaimuki
classes will be at Li-li'uokalani Elementary at 5:30 p.m. on
Mondays and Wednesdays.
Call
988-7128 or visit www.hawaiishotokankarate.com for more information
or to register.
Source: Honolulu Advertiser
|
UFC
80 FIGHT CARD FINALIZED
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Tuesday officially announced
the remainder of its UFC 80 fight card scheduled to take place
on Jan. 19 in Newcastle, England.
In
addition to the already announced main event between B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson
and a heavyweight contest pitting Gabriel Gonzaga against Fabricio
Werdum, the UFC announced three more fights for the pay-per-view
portion of the event.
American
Top Team fighter Wilson Gouveia will face Jason Lambert in a
light heavyweight fight. The winner is likely to be considered
a contender for the title currently held by Quinton Jackson,
while the other will have to regroup.
Jess
Liaudin, one of the top welterweight fighters in Britain, squares
up against “The Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis. Liaudin
is on a five-fight winning streak and trying to make his mark
in a loaded weight class. Since a loss near the tail end of 2005,
Davis has strung together 10 straight wins and holds the No.
10 spot in the MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings at welterweight.
Rounding
out the announcement is a middleweight bout between UFC veterans
Jorge Rivera and Kendall Grove. Both are returning after suffering
losses in their last bouts and are looking to get back on track.
The
Penn vs. Stevenson bout is a battle for the vacant UFC lightweight
championship formerly held by Sean Sherk. He was stripped of
the title after being suspended by the California State Athletic
Commission for testing positive for Nandrolone.
The
bout between Gonzaga and Werdum is a rematch of a fight that
took place at the beginning of their respective careers. Werdum
won that first contest by TKO in the third round.
The
preliminary bouts for UFC 80 include Alessio Sakara vs. James
Lee, Sam Stout vs. Per Eklund, Paul Kelly vs. Paul Taylor, and
Colin Robinson vs. Antoni Hardonk.
The
event will air live on pay-per-view in the United States at 3
p.m. ET/Noon PT and replay at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Marcelo
Garcia Joins ATT
By FCF Staff
The official American Top Team website is reporting that grappling
superstar, Marcelo Garcia, has joined the highly regarded MMA
fight team. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, under Fabio Gurgel,
has forged a reputation for being one of the world’s best
submission grapplers, winning multiple Abu Dhabi Combat Club
and Mundial championships. In fact, the 25 year-old won the 66-76kg
division at the ADCC in 2003, 2005, and 2007. Garcia (0-1) made
his professional MMA debut last year at K-1 Hero’s event
in October, and lost by TKO (doctor stoppage due to a cut) to
Dae Kwon Kim.
According
to the report on the ATT site:
“Marcelo
will continue to represent Fabio Gurgel and Alliance for his
Gi and No-Gi grappling events, and will represent American Top
Team for all his MMA bouts. We would like to thank Fabio Gurgel
for allowing Marcelinho the opportunity to train with us to help
further his MMA career.”
Garcia
is scheduled to open up his own academy in Weston, Florida, sometime
in the next two months.
As
far as Garcia’s MMA career, the announcement furthered that
the fighter will compete on Hero’s upcoming March card,
and that fellow ATT teammates, Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante
and Denis Kang, are also scheduled to compete on it as well.
No
further details regarding the Hero's card were announced.
Source: FCF
|
Exclusive:
Wand talks to GRACIEMAG.com
Brazilian points out errors and comments on explosive fight with
Liddell
In his first interview with a Brazilian site after his second
debut in the UFC, at UFC 79, on December 29th, the star Wanderlei
Silva analyzed his performance, reviewed his mistakes and strengths
in his loss to Chuck Liddell, elected by the UFC itself as one
of the three best fights of 2007. Check it out, as you wait for
the complete report in your copy of NOCAUTE Magazine at the end
of this week:
How
do you break down your UFC-return fight?
The
battle itself was a victory for me, as I managed to do what I
like, which is to fight well and be tested. I held out against
some good strikes, managed to throw some blows, I got two knockdowns
and lost by a small margin. I saw that, with the new circumstances
I have faced here, of putting together a new team and all, I’m
really close to finding my best performance. I’ll go to
Brazil now to rest and reunite with my family, to put the longing
aside, and then I plan to do some muay thai training in Holland,
I met Ernesto Hoost in Vegas and he seems like a great guy, besides
being a champion needing no introduction.
In
the very first trade of the fight, nearly a minute after you
two studied each other, the crowd was brought to its feet: when
you dropped back against the fence, before the first trading
of blows, was that on purpose to start off the spectacle?
He
got me with two good punches there, I could have closed the distance
and gone for his legs, but at the time I was not too confidant,
as I hadn’t trained too much wrestling. So I pulled back
to get some breathing room and wait for him to bring it on, even
knowing that it would take seconds. It was good because the crowd
likes that, I know I can go back and win with that type of showing
and that’s what I want, to show victorious style and for
the fans to have fun. I want to help the sport grow without changing
that in me.
What
do you think you did wrong?
I
could have kicked more. And after the fight I was left with the
impression that I could have taken him down, his base is good
but not impossible to deal with as they say. But now they’re
talking about another fight between us two, and I want to fight
him again, this year.
They’re
now talking about Lyoto Machida versus Tito Ortiz. Did you see
Lyoto’s fight? Do you have a prediction?
It
was curious that we arrived there in the gymnasium, already filled
and sensational, and I thought the event would start a little
later, so there were only two fights till I would go in. So the
adrenaline started pumping and I started to warm up. So during
Lyoto’s fight I was warming up, but I watched it later,
he really gave it to the guy, in his hands he makes the guys
seem easy. And Tito is a guy that wears out, it would be a big
upgrade for Lyoto. He is a great athlete, and certainly has a
chance of getting the under 93kg belt. Another one I’d put
my money on is Shogun. That wasn’t him that lost to Forrest
Griffin in 2007, he was injured. He’s a guy who’s beaten
the toughest around, and I believe he’ll bring it all on.
This will be Shogun’s year
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
WEC
2/13 New Mexico event announced
By Zach Arnold
The promotion announced their main card line-up today for the
next event:
Carlos
Condit vs. Carlo Prater
Rob McCullough vs. Jamie Varner
Chase Beebe vs. Miguel Torres
The show will take place at the Santa Ana Star Center in Albuquerque,
New Mexico.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Pederneiras
Discusses Nova União's Year
by Gleidson Venga
Nova
União is one of the better mixed martial arts teams in
the world. The camp's fighters proved as much in 2007 with excellent
performances in Brazil and abroad.
"For
sure we had an amazing year," said Nova União leader
Andre Pederneiras. "We fought more than ever. We fought
61 times, won 50 and lost 11. With this, we were 82 percent successful.
We had much success in 2006 but with few fights. With the number
of fights we did in 2007 and with our success, you must agree
that we had an amazing year."
Pederneiras
explained the main reasons behind his team's accomplishments,
detailing the structure he provides for his athletes.
"I
think the structure we offer to training in our gym helped a
lot," he said. "We have in our gym physical conditioning
and recovering with physiotherapists to solve any trouble the
athletes may have. Plus the training at the same facility. The
union of our team is very great. Everybody helps everybody; this
is a fact that increases the level of our team. And now with
me as Shooto Brazil's director, I can help more because I can
put more of our athletes on the cards, and this will let our
athletes fight more and improve more."
In
2008 one of Nova União's newest talents could get a UFC
title shot. Thales Leites dropped out of his February bout against
Nathan Marquardt due to a hand injury, but he remains on the
road to the title.
"We
are hoping for this," Pederneiras said. "We know the
athlete needs more to win than just to be well prepared -- anything
can happen. But we try to give him every tool we have to make
him able to fight for a chance to the title."
Another
star, Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, is gradually returning
to training. He is recovering from eye surgery after his September
loss to Gesias Calvancante.
"Shaolin
is back to training, and now it is a matter of time to know when
the doctors will set him free to fight again," Pederneiras
explained. "This is in the doctors' hands. When they say
OK, Shaolin will be ready to fight in one month or two. We are
all depending on this doctor's release to avoid any complications
to his eye. We are working step by step and, when they release
him, just give us a date, and he will be ready."
Pederneiras
is also counting on more success from Wagnney Fabiano. The BJJ
black belt had a great year in the IFL, with five submissions
in five fights.
"Wagnney
is now a member of our main team, the highest level of our fighters,
such as Shaolin and Thales, among others," Pederneiras said.
"I don't know why he isn't in the rankings because a guy
with a performance like his should be in every ranking. He has
been working for a long time and only now he is known. For sure
he is one of the top fighters."
Source: Sherdog
|
Lawsuit
Provides Glimpse Into Elusive World of Fighter Representation
Sherdog.com recently broke the news that Reed Wallace, President
of White Chocolate Management, was suing Quinton Jackson and
his manager Juanito Ibarra for breach of contract. In a prepared
statement, Wallace's attorney said that in order to end the legal
proceedings, which ask for $10,000,000 in damages, Jackson must
"let White Chocolate do its job without interference and
honor his contract. The alternative is to go the distance. The
decision is his."
Fightlinker.com
recently posted the complaint which was filed in the Supreme
Court of New York on 12/26/07. The complaint is an interesting,
if lengthy, read and provides a rare on the record glimpse into
the field of fighter representation and management while putting
figures to some ancillary income sources in the process.
Wallace
had a non-exclusive entertainment manager's contract with Jackson.
Ibarra has a more powerful fight manager contract with Jackson
and as a result manages Jackson's career. Ibarra seems to have
felt that Wallace's commission rates (details below) were exorbitant
and is accused of trying to sabotage Wallace's efforts on Jackson's
behalf as a result, including making deals Wallace originally
presented through other channels in order to circumvent his commission.
Juanito
told Sherdog.com:
Anybody
that brings me a deal worthwhile -- anybody -- with a contract
or no contract, if it has integrity value about it, then I'll
take care of that person. I'll give them 10 percent -- that's
always been me and that will always stand... I'll turn down money.
If it's not right for our business or image, we're not doing
it... If I turn down a deal, I'm allowed to turn down a deal.
It's our right."
It also seems clear that Jackson signed non-exclusive arrangements
with a number of entertainment managers in addition to Wallace
creating confusion as to his true representation and resulting
in a flood of offers for Ibarra to sort through. This is a common
occurrence in the industry since many fighters have trouble saying
no to people, especially those offering potential riches for
nothing more than a non-exclusive contract and a hefty commission
on potential deals. Unfortunately, the result is disorganized,
fragmented representation that often frustrates potential opportunities.
It is one of many examples of how far the representation and
management of fighters has to go.
The
complaint provides details on a number of deals Wallace allegedly
secured for Jackson, including:
A
guest appearance for Rampage at $10,000. This seems to be a fairly
standard range for stars, however, MMAPayout.com has learned
that the mega stars of the sport can command as much as three
or four times that amount. In support of that contention, the
complaint also lists offers of $25,000 and $50,000.
A
Wal-mart t-shirt deal with a $30,000 advance.
A book deal with a $20,000 signing bonus and potential $500,000
advance.
The entertainment management agreement that Jackson signed with
Wallace is attached to the complaint as an exhibit. Among the
notable details of the arrangement:
Jackson
agreed to pay Wallace 20% (which largely represents the industry
standard) of his gross compensation secured by Wallace.
Wallace
would continue to receive a commission on compensation from deals
secured during the term of the agreement but accruing to Jackson
after the expiration of the agreement at the rate of 15% in the
first year, 10% in the second, and 5% in the third.
A cellular ring tone and wall paper deal for 54% of all revenue
generated.
Source: MMA Payout
|
IFL
ANNOUNCES TITLE FIGHTS, TEAM MATCH-UPS
The International Fight League recently crowned champions in
five separate weight classes. On Tuesday the promotion announced
the first title defenses for three of its champions on a fight
card set to take place in Las Vegas on Feb. 29.
Matt
Horwich, who won the middleweight title in stunning fashion over
Benji Radach, will return to the ring to defend his belt against
Tim Kennedy.
Kennedy
is coming off of a win at the same Dec. 29 show in which Horwich
won the title. On that night, Kennedy knocked out Elias Rivera
to win his third fight in three appearances in the IFL.
Also,
Roy Nelson, the IFL heavyweight champion, will step in to face
former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Fabiano Scherner,
who is now training with Team Quest to prepare for the bout.
Lightweight
champion Ryan Schultz will look to defend his title against John
Gunderson in a clash of top 155-pound fighters, as well.
The
IFL also announced team match-ups for the same card featuring
a team fielded by Xtreme Couture against Mario Sperry’s
new MMA Top Team, while Matt Lindland’s Team Quest squad
faces Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den.
Benji
Radach, formerly of Bas Rutten’s team in Los Angeles, will
now represent Xtreme Couture, but no opponent was named as of
yet.
Other
competitors on the card include Pat Healy and Marcello Salazar,
as well as a featherweight fight between former teammates Ian
Loveland and Dennis Davis.
Also,
IFL welterweight champion Jay Hieron stated that he will likely
return in April to face Mark Miller for his title, but no official
announcement has been made yet.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Out
of his dad's shadow
By Tony Boone, WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly
Local boxing historian Tom Lovgren likes to say that there are
a million stories about Ron Stander -- and some of them are true.
Stander's youngest son, Rowan, figures that he's heard nearly
all of them by now. But there are still moments when the 17-year-old
Creighton Prep senior is taken aback by the status his father
still has locally some 35 years after he fought Joe Frazier at
Civic Auditorium for the world heavyweight championship.
One
of those moments happened Saturday at the Creighton Prep Wrestling
Invitational when UFC fighter Houston Alexander came across the
gym to chat with his dad.
"When
he and my dad were talking, it was kind of weird,'' Rowan said.
"There were two of the (Omaha area's) top fighters sitting
side by side.''
Yes,
Ron Stander's tough-guy image still holds some weight in the
Omaha community. And Rowan Stander is starting to make a name
for himself in wrestling circles. He's ranked second in the state
at 160 pounds, behind Kearney's Warner Phipps, and is aiming
for the state title that he thought he should have won last year.
"The
Bluffs Butcher'' hasn't been an easy act to follow.
"Living
in my dad's shadow is pretty tough,'' Rowan said. "I'm kind
of singled out sometimes when we're talking about motivation
and championships, things like that, because my dad fought for
the heavyweight championship of the world.
"But
I'd say it's the best a father-son relationship could be. He
really does all he can for me.''
Since
his father's name has been brought up at times during Prep wrestling
practice when the team speaks of competing with heart, Rowan
Stander figures that he has no choice but to succeed. Not living
up to the image created by his dad would be a letdown for him.
So
with Ron Stander decked out in Creighton Prep gear and sitting
in the front row, Rowan tries to take the same tenacity to the
mat that his father used to take into the ring.
"My
dad never took a step backwards,'' Rowan said. "That's something
I try to stay on top of, always being aggressive. Stalling is
just not my style. I'm always going, always there, right in the
action.''
Rowan
Stander was ranked No. 1 in his weight class entering last year's
tournament. But he failed to medal after being hampered by an
injured shoulder.
"It's
been a motivation for him,'' Ron Stander said. "He was rated
No. 1 last year. He won district, won the Metro duals, beat the
state champion twice, won all this and that. Then he got bumped
out at state because of a shoulder injury.''
Ron
Stander has always enjoyed competition. He played football and
wrestled for Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln High School before
moving on to Northwest Missouri State.
Now,
more than 25 years removed from his final professional bout,
the elder Stander gets his thrills from cheering on the youngest
of his four children on the mat.
"Every
father gets excited when his son's out there,'' he said. "I
love all the kids, but when your son's out there, there's a little
extra adrenaline.''
Ron
Stander got Rowan involved in wrestling at age 7 or 8 in the
Bellevue Junior Sports Association. And, like most families in
the sport, they've spent numerous weekends throughout the years
in tournament gymnasiums.
The
Standers are hoping that the time put in pays off with a wrestling
scholarship somewhere.
"If
he could get a couple of grants and a scholarship, then my prayers
will have been answered,'' Ron said. "It's been my goal
(for him) to get an education through wrestling.''
Rowan
knows that having a state championship on his resume would only
help his chances for the future. And he feels that he's on track
now after starting the season "a little bit slow.''
"I'm
expecting a state championship, nothing less,'' he said. "When
I am really focused and go out my best, I should be in the top
50 in the nation.''
Ron
Stander agreed. If Rowan can stay focused, he said, there's a
chance for his senior season to have a special ending.
"He
can work a little harder, that's all I know,'' Ron said. "There's
always room for improvement in any sport. You're going to get
out of it what you put into it.''
Source: Omaha Newstand.com
|
Quote
of the Day
"People
always remember the second half."
Graham Taylor, English Soccer Manager and Player
|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ELITEXC
SIGNS EDDIE ALVAREZ
TO A LONG-TERM CONTRACT
Promising,
Exciting Youngster Faces Ross Ebanez; 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
a 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,’’ Kala Kolohe Hose (4-1), of
Honolulu, faces Fred 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 TM
Contacts:
Showtime
Networks Inc. EliteXC (Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.)
Chris
DeBlasio / Ivy Moon Dan Clavadetscher / John Beyrooty
(212)
708-1633 / (212) 708-7319 (818) 462-5602 / (818) 462-5601
Chris.DeBlasio@Showtime.net
DanC@bzapr.com / Johnnybey@aol.com
Ivy.Moon@Showtime.net
Source: Event Promoter
|
Roy
Jones Jr. Is An MMA Fan
The newest edition of Men’s Fitness magazine has a profile
article on “The UFC workout.” Also interviewed in the
magazine is Roy Jones Jr. Money quote from the interview:
MF:
Yes, and the UFC now challenges boxing for pay-per-view buys,
revenue, and fans. How do you feel about the mixed martial arts
movement?
Jones
Jr.: I think it’s wonderful. I’m a big fan. I watch
a lot of it. I never really thought about getting in the cage,
but I do love it. I love anybody that fights. That’s just
what I am. I’m a fighter and I love anybody that has the
heart to go in there and face somebody one on one and fight.
You got to love that, you know?
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Couture
denies UFC return
Wrestler awaits Fedor
Once again on a collision course with his former boss, Randy
Couture rejects the statements made by Dana White last week saying
the winner of the bout between Tim Sylvia and Rodrigo Minotauro
at UFC 81 would face him for the title.
The
American organization’s president said last Friday that
Randy should honor his contract and that he would not strip his
title as he would remain champion of the organization until October.
The fighter in his forties, who was recently considered the third
best of the year by the event, has not stepped into the octagon
since last August, when he successfully defended his belt against
Brazilian Gabriel Napao.
“Well
I didn’t really want to do any interviews that would inflame
the situation or prevent me from settling with the UFC in a positive
way. But the ground work has kind of been laid and now the situation
is I’m not really going to settle with the UFC so it doesn’t
matter. People are getting the word now though, but it’s
all good,” said Couture to the website Punchdrunkgamer.
As
for the fight, which would be one of the most anticipated in
the history of MMA, against Russian Fedor Emelianenko, Couture
declared: “By the last quarter of 2008 I expect to be in
a position to find a way to make the Fedor fight happen. I know
he’s going to have competition in between, and I hope those
go well for him, and the status [of the fight] remains the same
as it is now. I certainly have some acting and training to do
between now and then that I am excited about. I’m going
to focus on those things and stay in shape and stay sharp and
be ready for that fight after my contracts have expired.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
More
Bouts Confirmed for UFC 81
By FCF Staff
The
official Ultimate Fighting Championship website has announced
several more bouts for the upcoming UFC 81 card, which will take
place on February 2nd. “Breaking Point” will be hosted
by the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will
feature the UFC debut of Brock Lesnar. The former professional
and collegiate wrestler is scheduled to fight former UFC Heavyweight
champ, Frank Mir. In the cards other feature attraction, another
former UFC champion in Tim Sylvia, will take on Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira for the UFC interim heavyweight title.
At
middleweight, Ricardo Almeida (8-3) will make his return to the
promotion and will take on middleweight Alan Belcher (10-3).
Almeida has not competed in the UFC since 2002, and has not competed
in MMA period, since 2004. In his last fight he worked his way
to a Unanimous Decision victory over Ryo Chonan at Pride’s
Bushido 4 card. Belcher has won 2 straight fights since being
submitted by Kendall Grove at UFC 69 last April, most recently
he stopped Kalib Starnes in the second round at UFC 77 in October.
Xtreme
Couture lightweight Tyson Griffin (10-1) will take on American
Top Team’s Gleison Tibau (12-3). Griffin has won two straight
in the UFC since he dropped a decision loss to Frankie Edgar
last February, defeating Clay Guida by Split Decision at UFC
72, and most recently, Thiago Tavares by Unanimous Decision at
UFC 76. Since losing to Nick Diaz by TKO in Tibau’s UFC
debut in November, 2006, he has won 3 straight, defeating Jason
Dent, Jeff Cox and most recently, Terry Etim, at UFC 75 in September.
Light-heavyweight
David Heath (9-2) is scheduled to fight Tomasz Drwal (14-2).
Heath is 2-2 thus far in the UFC, at his last bout in August
at UFC 74, he was submitted by Renato Sobral in the second round.
In Drwal’s UFC debut at UFC 75, he was stopped by Thiago
Silva in the second round, ending a 13 fight winning streak for
the Polish fighter.
Veteran
Marvin Eastman (14-7-1) will drop down to 185lbs. to face Terry
Martin. Eastman is coming off a Unanimous Decision win over Rob
Kimmons at the International Fighting Organization’s July
7th event. Prior to that, Eastman was knocked out by Quinton
Jackson at UFC 67 in February. Martin (16-3) is coming off a
third round knock-out via the left hand of Chris Leben, which
took place at the September 19th UFC Fight Night card. Prior
to that, Martin had won 4 straight, including victories over
Jorge Rivera and Ivan Salaverry.
And
in another lightweight bout confirmed for the card, former “Ultimate
Fighter” competitor, Rob Emerson (8-6-1), will take on Japan’s
Keita Nakamura (13-2-2-). Emerson is coming off a No-Contest
result against Gray Maynard at the TUF 5 Finale, when both fighters
were unable to continue, after Maynard slammed Emerson to the
mat early in the second round. Nakamura is 0-2 thus far in the
UFC, dropping decision losses to Drew Fickett and Brock Larson.
The
UFC has also announced that Brazilian Thales Leites has broken
his hand and as a result, will be unable to fight Nathan Marquardt
at UFC 81 as scheduled. Leites will undergo surgery to repair
the hand later in the week. No news as to a possible replacement
was given.
Source: FCF
|
DIEGO
SANCHEZ STAYING AT WELTERWEIGHT
Since his last fight with Jon Fitch, not much has been heard
from Ultimate Fighter season one winner Diego Sanchez, but he
recently released some news about his next possible fight and
at what weight class he would be fighting in via his official
MySpace page.
Sanchez
says that he is hoping to have his next opponent signed to fight
by February, although he has no definite person in mind and will
fight anyone the Ultimate Fighting Championship presents as a
potential opponent.
He
also mentions that the fight will be at 170 pounds keeping him
in the welterweight division, dispelling the rumors of a move
to 155 pounds, something that he mentioned as a possibility following
the loss to Fitch in September.
The
welterweight division in the UFC is still jam packed with talent.
Opponents ready to face Sanchez should be at no shortage, and
while again nothing is set in stone, the fighter is looking at
a fight date in Las Vegas.
Opening
his career with an impressive undefeated run, Sanchez has fallen
on harder times of late dropping his last two fights, albeit
to top-level competition in Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch.
Now,
the former Ultimate Fighter seems refocused and having signed
on with Powermoves Entertainment for his management, Sanchez
is ready to return to the Octagon.
Powermoves
Entertainment also manages former UFC ring girl Ali Sonoma.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Chuck
Liddell and Wanderlei Silva earned their keep
By Loretta Hunt and Mike Russell
Chuck
Liddell and Wanderlei Silva earned their keep in the Octagon.
The see-sawing strikers, with some assistance from a scorching
rubber match showdown between welterweights Georges St. Pierre
and Matt Hughes, netted $4,994,500 in gate sales for Dec. 29’s
UFC 79 “Nemesis” at the Mandalay Bay Events Center
in Las Vegas.
The
event becomes the second highest gate in Nevada (and U.S.) history,
behind last New Year’s UFC 66 extravaganza that pitted “The
Iceman” against former friend and training partner Tito
Ortiz on Dec. 30 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. That event brought
in $5,397,300.
Yuletide
spirits and good old inflation had a hand in the final tallies.
UFC 79 sold 9,704 tickets, plus another 1,311 for a close circuit
gate of $65,550. May’s UFC 71 – which saw Liddell crumble
to a well-timed punch from Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
in the first round -- sold nearly 3,500 more tickets but settled
with $600,000 less.
A
total of 1,371 tickets were comped for UFC 79.
Source: The Fight Network
|
The
media whining about Fedor
By Zach Arnold
For the last month, you’ve probably seen countless articles
online from various MMA media writers whining and complaining
about Fedor Emelianenko’s career direction.
You
know about the boilerplate rhetoric — he’s afraid of
fighting the best competition, his reputation is taking a hit,
etc.
You
couldn’t find a better paragraph summarizing the gripes
of the MMA hardcores than what Dave Doyle wrote on Friday night:
The
more Emelianenko sullies his reputation by fighting cream puffs,
the less his long-awaited showdown with Couture will mean, regardless
of which promotion hosts the event, if it ever happens. A match
with Josh Barnett, the only world-class caliber free agent heavyweight,
is the only match that could turn around opinion at this point.
The
guy is not sullying his reputation one bit. He just took what
was likely a seven-figure payday to headline an event in Japan
and have his match aired on free-to-air Japanese TV (Tokyo Broadcasting
System).
Fedor
won his fight. He got paid a lot of money. This industry is business
& entertainment first and sport second. Always has been and
always will be.
The
hardcore fans can’t have it both ways. You can’t sit
and complain about the credibility of fighters while ignoring
the crediblity of the employers that the fighters work for. Entrusting
DSE or K-1 to run an operation based on pure sporting principles
is silly. It’s easy to rail against Fedor for taking the
freak-show booking, but nobody wants to lay a finger on DSE for
being back in action behind the scenes as long as they keep providing
fans with the proverbial drug. The same hardcore fans online
whining about Fedor and his fight selections are the same individuals
who mark out for the backers of PRIDE and convicted criminals
like Kazuyoshi Ishii being in charge of the fight scene.
Funny
that the ‘prostitutes’ get yelled at while the ‘pimps’
continue to get a free ride in MMA media circles.
Conventional
wisdom, at this point, with hardcore fans is that if you aren’t
not fighting in UFC, you’re not fighting the best competition.
Take a look at the heavyweight scene in 2008 - Josh Barnett and
UFC simply aren’t going to work together. Neither is Fedor
or Couture with UFC. Nogueira and Sylvia are the top two heavyweight
‘aces’ for UFC right now. Cro Cop is back on the road
to redemption. Mark Hunt is basically isolated at this point.
So, how would Fedor fighting in UFC be representative of him
facing ‘the best competition’ in the world at this
point?
In
other words, can you really blame Fedor for taking the easy payday
in Japan (his primary market of value)? Furthermore, do you honestly
and truly believe that this is a man who turns down certain opponents?
I don’t know about you, but the fact that Vadim Finkelstein
is close to Vladimir Putin would give me enough reason to think
that Fedor is not calling the final shots as far as who he is
booked against.
The
tunnel-vision on display with some of the hardcore fans amazes
me. There’s a reason Kid Yamamoto is not going to fight
in the WEC, and it’s not because he’s ’scared’
of Urijah Faber or the best competition in the world at 145-155
pounds. The main reason is because Yamamoto can make six-figures
USD/per fight in Japan and draw big TV ratings, which in turn
leads to sponsorship deals and other business opportunities.
Opportunities
that no online MMA media Top 10 list could ever provide.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Lyoto
vs Tito Ortiz?
Ortiz is a television success
Undefeated
in MMA, Lyoto Machida has had a solid campaign through the UFC.
Since signing, he has added to his record four wins, the last
of which over Remeau Sokoudjou occurred on the 29th, during UFC
79. Watching the Brazilian karateka’s potential, the UFC’s
directors made contact with him last week to offer a possible
fight against Tito Ortiz.
As
he did with the proposal to face the Cameroonian, Lyoto accepted
right away. Tito, however, has not yet spoken on the subject,
and the fight date has not yet been defined. At the moment, Ortiz
is one of the attractions on “The Celebrity Apprentice,”
a successful reality show conducted by Donald Trump. In the first
episode, broadcast on Thursday night in the United States, Ortiz
played a decisive role for his team, the men’s, against
the women’s. The decisive task consisted of celebrities
selling hot dogs in New York, the team to make the most money
would win. Savvy, Ortiz managed to have his girlfriend buy a
single hot dog for hundreds of dollars, while the women opted
to sell theirs for the conventional price.
Ortiz’s
appearance on the reality show is considered of great value to
the organizers of the UFC, as The Celebrity Apprentice is shown
on network television in the United States, thus reaching a much
more ample viewership than UFC events generally do.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
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
|
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
|
2007
NYE ratings
By Zach Arnold
According
to Sports Navigator:
Hustle
drew a 4.0% rating on TV-Tokyo.
K-1’s
Dynamite event drew the following:
6:00-8:30
PM - 11.1%
8:30-11:00 PM - 14.7%
11:00-11:34 PM - 11.1%
In
other words, not very strong across the board.
Kohaku
(Red & White Music Festival) drew a 32.8% rating in part
one and 39.5% rating in part two of their night-long show on
NHK. The Kohaku ratings were the second-lowest of all time.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Fuel
the Fighter: Physiology and Nutrition for MMA
Navigating the Protein Scene
By P.R. Cole
Protein Demystified
Mixed martial artists are among the most inspiring athletes in
the world. In addition to the intense cardio endurance that is
necessary to survive numerous rounds of fighting, these athletes
require impressive musculature. This physique is not only crucial
for delivering powerful strikes; it also plays a vital role alongside
smooth technique in developing solid Jiu Jitsu and wrestling
skills. Anyone who has attempted to submit an opponent in an
arm bar or a rear naked choke knows that practically all muscles
in the body work in conjunction to control the fight. In order
to tone and build muscle, dietary protein intake becomes of key
importance. It’s nearly impossible nowadays to peruse a
health store or watch sporting event commercials without being
inundated by a broad spectrum of protein products. It can be
difficult in this media driven Alice in Protein-land to obtain
a true understanding of what proteins are, how they function,
and what kinds athletes like MMA fighters should seek out for
maximum performance.
Don’t
be intimidated or impressed by the scientific terms that companies
use to market their products. Slogans like “special peptides”
and “complex amino acids” are often used to sell protein
powders and power bars. The language of proteins can be simplified
as follows. Proteins are nutrients composed of strings of compounds
called amino acids. There are twenty amino acids available to
build proteins, some of which the body can produce, and some
are essential to consume since the body is unable to construct
them. Smaller fragments of amino acids that are not full proteins
are called peptide chains, or simply peptides.
Proteins
are vital parts of a diet since they serve numerous functions.
They form hormones, immune system components, and they help to
speed up bodily processes. They are also involved in the structure
of bodily tissues, including muscle which accounts for close
to 40% of body weight. Therefore protein becomes crucial in the
process of building muscle. Since there is no storage form of
protein, the absence of this nutrient in a diet will cause the
body to break down muscle tissue.
Protein
for Athletic Performance
The
average American consumes over 100 grams of protein per day.
This is often in excess of the minimum amount required for normal
metabolic functions. The current recommended daily allowance
for protein in adults is determined by weight. For every kg of
body weight, 0.8 grams of proteins should be consumed. The average
westerner consuming this amount of protein has more than enough
to really pack on muscle. So in opposition to all the ads that
promote incredibly high protein intake, studies suggest that
the most important factors for building muscle are the types
of proteins ingested, and the timing of their consumption. Athletes
therefore must consume the right proteins as soon as possible
after exercise to maximize muscle development. While there is
not a consensus regarding maximum protein intake limits, it should
be noted that extreme protein consumption puts extra pressure
on the liver and kidneys.
The
goal of bodybuilding is muscle growth, sometimes referred to
on bodybuilding websites as muscle hypertrophy. For this to occur,
the amount of protein found in the muscle needs to be increased.
Proteins in the body are constantly breaking down and being created.
In order for muscles to grow, the rate of protein production
needs to be greater than the rate of protein breakdown. After
exercise, it is more common for proteins to break apart than
it is for proteins to be produced. Without food directly after
a workout of resistance training, more protein will be broken
down than created. Proteins and complex carbohydrates eaten right
after exercise will ensure that there will be enough protein
available to let muscles grow even though some protein will still
be broken down. Eating glucose, the most common type of carbohydrate
found in most food, increases insulin levels which help to reduce
protein loss. It is ideal to consume 30-40 grams of protein right
after intense resistance training. Even consuming as little as
15 grams of protein after training can be influential. Essential
amino acids also greatly contribute to protein assembly in the
muscles.
Of
the essential amino acids, the three “branch chain amino
acids”, leucine, isoleucine and valine are key players to
promote growth of muscle. These are often abbreviated on food
labels as BCAAs. While most amino acids are processed by the
liver, these three are brought directly in the muscle, and leucine
in particular can be completely broken down to supply energy
for the muscle directly. High doses of leucine have been shown
to help prevent the breakdown of protein. Dairy products, whey
and eggs are good sources of this trio of amino acids. [1]
Plant
vs. Animal Protein- Preventing Bone Weakness
Animal
protein has been shown to be 90% to 99% digestible, whereas plant
protein is about 70% to 90% digestible. Despite this difference,
a balance of plant and animal protein is important. For example
if an athlete consumes high amounts of animal products immediately
following exercise to promote muscle growth, the rest of the
protein intake for the day should include plant sources of protein.
The reason for this has to do with the fact animal protein is
more acidic than plant protein. A diet with mostly animal protein
and low in plant protein can lead to the weakening of bones.
With so much acid buildup in the blood from animal protein, calcium
will seep out of bones to help buffer and neutralize the acidity.
Calcium loss from bone tissue results in substandard bone quality.
[2]
While
strong bones are important for any sport, they are particularly
important for MMA training. Throughout history martial artists
have trained their limbs to become accustomed to intense impact.
The tiny micro-fractures that result from this impact training
actually help to fortify the bone and make it denser and stronger.
This is why highly trained mixed martial artists don’t even
flinch when they use their shins to block Muay Thai style leg
kicks. Calcium loss to a fighter’s bones can be avoided
by making sure to include a variety of protein. In addition to
the protein sources mentioned in the vegan section below, other
sources include natural peanut butter, lentils, quinoa, and even
broccoli.
Protein
for Vegans
The
quality of protein is for the most part assessed with regards
to its amino acid composition. A high quality protein food contains
what is known as “complete protein.” This means that
all of the essential amino acids are present. Foods with complete
protein include animal products like milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs,
meat, fish and poultry. While most people consume animal products
regularly, consuming the right proteins can be problematic for
vegans. The practice known to vegans as mutual supplementation
is a method that combines forms of incomplete plant protein within
meals to create a complete protein source. It is generally accepted
that vegans should obtain 60% of protein from grains, 35% from
legumes (seed pod plants like beans), and 5 % from leafy greens.
For an average 155 lb (70 kg) vegan, a days worth of proper protein
intake would include four slices of whole wheat bread, 2 ½
cups of grains from oatmeal, brown rice, and cracked wheat, ¼
cup nuts or seeds, 1 ¼ servings of beans, and 2 cups of
vegetables, half of which should be leafy greens. [3]
The
Disturbing Truth About Soy
Hailed
as the high protein miracle food of our generation, there is
a much darker side to soy products that is unknown to the general
public. Perhaps this is because soy is crop grown with government
subsidies used as a cheap protein source for factory farm animals.
While it is true that soy beans have high protein content with
essential amino acids, there is much evidence to suggest that
soy products should not be a staple of any diet.
The
most important enzyme that aids in protein digestion is trypsin.
Soy products when taken in excess slow down this enzyme and interrupt
proper protein digestion. While this fact is true for many other
healthy veggies, the cooking process prevents them from interfering
with digestion. Cooking soy on the other hand does little to
stop it from disturbing digestion. The safest form of soy is
tempeh, because the fermentation technique use to make this food
deactivates most of the harmful effects of soy. Soymilk and tofu
on the other hand are less processed soy foods so they are more
likely to cause problems.
Another
issue with soy is that it interferes with hormone production.
Soy contains phytoestrogens which in structure are very similar
to human estrogen. When consumed, these compounds act as if they
were real human estrogen. Obviously excess estrogen is the last
thing that fighters want to bring into the ring. As if this weren’t
enough, studies have shown that soy can also block the construction
of the thyroid hormones which helps to regulate metabolism of
all foods.
Keep
in mind that these problems occur when soy is consumed in excess.
There are many other healthy vegetables that can cause the same
problems as soy, but they pose less of a threat because they
aren’t eaten as often. Between soy milk, protein bars, soy
protein powder, soy fortified breads and tofu, there are many
Americans that consume large quantities of soy in every meal.
Soy doesn’t need to be eliminated from the diet, but it
needs to be monitored. Throwing tofu chunks into a salad a few
times a week and having some edamame with sushi or even a soy
latte on occasion will not be harmful. Any food when eaten in
excess can have negative consequences. Variety they say is the
spice of life, and it is also the best way to maintain a healthy
diet. [4]
References
1.
Koopman, R., Saris, W. H. M., Wagenmakers, A. J. M., & van
Loon, L. J. C. (2007). Nutritional interventions to
promote
post-exercise muscle protein synthesis. [Review]. Sports Medicine,
37(10), 895-906.
2.
Sellmeyer DE, Stone KL, Sebastian A, Cummings SR. A high ratio
of dietary animal to vegetable protein intake Increases the rate
of bone loss and the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women.
Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group. Am J Clin Nutr
2001; 73: 118-22.
3.
Gropper, S.S., Smith, J.L., Groff, J.L., ( 2005). Advanced Nutrition
and Human Metabolism (4th ed.)
Belmont,
CA: Thomson Wadsworth
4.
Daniel, K.T., (2007). The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s
Favorite Health Food.
Washington,
DC: New Trends Publishing Inc.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
good garden may have some weeds."
Thomas Fuller, 1608-1661, British Clergyman and Author
|
Hughes
speaks with UFC about possible bout against Serra
Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes has already spoken
with the UFC about his next potential opponent following his
loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 79: Nemesis on Dec. 29.
"I’ve
already talked to Dana and Lorenzo, and we’ll probably see
what happens with Georges and Serra," Hughes wrote Wednesday
on his blog. "And if Serra loses, I might go against him.
Nothing is set in stone, just an idea right now."
Serra
suffered a back injury weeks away from UFC 79 and won't be able
to defend his title until probably mid-2008.
The
UFC still has a marketable match between the two season six coaches
thanks to an entire season of The Ultimate Fighter stirring up
interest for the feud. And Hughes himself told the press during
the UFC 79 post-fight conference that he is still interested
in facing Serra.
But
for now, Hughes will sit back and think it through: "I have
to see what the UFC wants me to do, and I have to see what my
family wants me to do."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
CLEMENTI
STILL HAS NO LOVE FOR GUILLARD
by Damon Martin
The real life animosity between Ultimate Fighting Championship
lightweights Rich “No Love” Clementi and Melvin Guillard
came to a boiling point when the two finally met inside the Octagon
last Saturday night at UFC 79.
The
end result was Clementi pulling off a submission win forcing
a tap out from Guillard by way of rear naked choke, and after
the fight was over the two were still going at each other, which
verified the dislike was mutual and very real.
“I
think that was quite obvious to just about 100% of the viewers,”
said Clementi about the obvious tension between the two fighters.
Before
the fight ever started, the Internet was a buzz about the long
rivalry between the two fighters, but Clementi insisted on staying
quiet beforehand and letting the fight speak for itself.
“To
be honest, it’s not me,” he said about his lack of
trash talk before the fight. “I’m smart enough to know
that anything can happen in this game and when you talk like
that and it doesn’t come out your way it just makes you
look like an idiot.”
Clementi
implemented a very strong game plan, taking the fight to the
ground early where he was able to dominate and lock on the fight
ending submission.
“I’m
a true MMA fighter,” he stated. “I can stand-up and
bang with the best and my wrestling is complete and my jiu-jitsu’s
there, so that’s what makes a guy like me a little bit dangerous.
I’m going to take a fight where my opponent is the weakest
no matter where it is.”
The
emotions ran high between the two fighters prior to, during and
after the fight when Clementi made a gesture towards Guillard
after the referee stopped the bout and separated the fighters.
Clementi says he didn’t let the emotion play into the fight
and instead used that tactic against his opponent.
“Not
really much at all,” he said about emotion playing into
his mindset going into the bout. “If anything I was using
it against him. I look at it as kind of setting him up for failure.
“I
think I put that in one of my UFC interviews is that you’ll
probably see maybe about just a few seconds of that come out
and that will be at the end of the fight and surely enough that’s
what happened with me. The whole crotch shot thing and stuff,
that was just the last bit of ‘now my emotion’s here’
and I displayed what I wanted to do and that type of deal.”
In
the past, many fighters have been able to settle their differences
inside the Octagon and walk away satisfied with a rivalry settled,
but Clementi doesn’t expect any friendly situations with
Guillard to arise in the near future.
“I’m
absolutely sure we’ll never like each other, that’s
the case why we had to fight.”
With
a big win over Guillard now behind him, Clementi is now looking
forward to a very busy 2008 and a stacked lightweight division
to compete in.
“I
love fighting in the UFC,” he said. “The UFC’s
really taking care of me and I appreciate that, giving me an
opportunity. Really what I would like to see for me is just consistency.
I want another year of putting guys away and I’d like to
put my name up there when guys talk about the upper echelon in
that division.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Minotauro
show his training center to Japan
The new Rodrigo Minotauro Training Center, that stays at Recreio
neighborhood, in the west of Rio de Janeiro, was presented for
the first time by the Japanese magazine Kakutougi Tsushin. The
Training Center will have an UFC octagon, a ring and matts. “There
are just a few details missing and we are going to have the official
opening soon. We have an octagon from the same size from the
Ultimate and a official ring with 6m x 6m, a mat from 300m2,
a boxing area and another to weight training. We are working
in a social project to the people from a poor community near
here. We will give free Boxing classes here. The training center
will have a auditorium form 200 people and we are planning to
make some small MMA, Muay Thai
Source: Tatame
|
Tanigawa:
K-1’s ‘large coalition’ will continue
By Zach Arnold
Today,
Kazushi Sakuraba and Sadaharu Tanigawa held a press briefing
in Osaka.
If
Fedor’s face looked like he suffered from road rash, then
Sakuraba’s face is twice as bad.
However,
the big story coming out of the press conference involved Tanigawa
proclaiming that the ‘large coalition’ that K-1 was
a part of would continue.
It
is becoming very clear what the main storyline in Japanese MMA
will be in 2008 and who will be leading the charge (Kazuyoshi
Ishii).
K-1
working with zombie PRIDE and other organizations will obviously
lead to more interpromotional matches. The question is what formula
will Ishii base his new interpromotional feud on. Will he take
on a WWE vs. WCW mentality? A WWE vs. ECW mentality?
Or
will he take on a New Japan vs. UWF-International 1995-1996 mentality?
Given that Takada was the front man for UWF-Inter in 1996 and
he’s the face of the zombie PRIDE in 2008, it sounds like
a pretty good formula for Ishii to play off of given that Sakuraba
is his ‘ace’ for HEROs.
Lots
of similarities between K-1/zombie PRIDE 2008 and NJ/UWF-Inter
in 1995:
Takada
was the ace of UWF-Inter and he’s the public face of PRIDE.
Sakuraba was a key young star for UWF-Inter in the 1995 feud,
but now he will be playing the role of Kazuo Yamazaki (circa
1996) by jumping to the enemy camp. (Yamazaki went to NJ, Sakuraba
now part of HEROs.)
UWF-International suffered through financial problems (thanks
to Takada’s failed political career), zombie PRIDE has financial
problems and has no major TV deal (just like UWF-Inter).
New Japan managed to pull off three major Tokyo Dome shows with
the UWF-Inter feud before crushing and destroying their rival,
which exactly could happen here with K-1 vs. zombie PRIDE even
in a shoot environment.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
MMAFighting.com's
Top 10 MMA Rankings
January 2008
HEAVYWEIGHTS
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Randy Couture
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
4. Gabriel Gonzaga
5. Josh Barnett
6. Tim Sylvia
7. Cheick Kongo
8. Mirko "Cro Cop"
9. Andrei Arlovski
10. Fabricio Werdum
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHTS
1. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
2. Dan Henderson
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Forrest Griffin
5. Wanderlei Silva
6. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
7. Keith Jardine
8. Lyoto Machida
9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
10. Tito Ortiz
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
1. Anderson Silva
2. Paulo Filho
3. Dan Henderson
4. Rich Franklin
5. Robbie Lawler
6. Nathan Marquardt
7. Frank Trigg
8. Kazuo Misaki
9. Yoshihiro Akiyama
10. Yushin Okami
WELTERWEIGHTS
1. Matt Serra
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. Matt Hughes
4. Jon Fitch
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Diego Sanchez
7. Karo Parisyan
8. Jake Shields
9. Akira Kikuchi
10. Carlos Condit
LIGHTWEIGHTS
1. Takanori Gomi
2. Mitsuhiro Ishida
3. Gilbert Melendez
4. Tatsuya Kawajiri
5. Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti
6. Joe Stevenson
7. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
8. Shinya Aoki
9. BJ Penn
10. Kenny Florian
FEATHERWEIGHTS
1. Akitoshi Tamura
2. Urijah Faber
3. Takeshi Inoue
4. Hiroyuki Takaya
5. Antonio Carvalho
6. Masakazu Imanari
7. Yoshiro Maeda
8. Jeff Curran
9. Jong Man Kim
10. Hatsu Hioki
Rankings
are updated monthly. Competitors under suspension are not included
in the rankings.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Jucao
comments on win at UFC 79
Roan
Jucao Carneiro knew how important beating Tony de Souza at UFC
79 was. The event took place and the triumph by technical knockout
(punches) at 3:33 min of the second round provided the certainty
he would have a happy New Years and 2008 would be full of great
prospects. Mission accomplished, the black belt now may rest,
but with his goals laid out: to reach the top of UFC welterweight
division. At least that is what Jucao made apparent in his chat
with GRACIEMAG.com. Here it goes:
How
was the fight?
Thank
God everything went well. But I know I can do better. I used
my Jiu-Jitsu, I want to let my standing game go more as it’s
something I’ve been practicing a lot.
Did
Tony surprise you in any way?
Yes.
There was a point where I ended up on the bottom, I tried an
Americana and he with his hand trapped my hip. When I let go
of the Americana he nearly landed in the mount. But it was quick,
I was out in a few seconds. I must congratulate him on his ground
game.
And
what was it like participating in the end of the year event?
Sensational,
but I had my head centered on my fight to not lose focus. But
it really was cool to feel people’s recognition. I was happy.
You
said to GRACIEMAG.com before UFC 79 that a win would be important
in putting you among the category’s elite. And now, has
there been any sign from the organizers regarding your upcoming
challenges?
Yes.
We’re talking. My agent has already been given a nod by
them and we’re now talking about this year. I really want
to go in to the top of the category once and for all. As I’ve
said I want to fight and work with all the top guys, without
challenging anyone, I want it all to be natural.
You
said you’d cheer for Wand, but Liddell ended up winning.
What did you think of the fight?
All
of the Brazilians were in the changing room cheering for him
a lot. I thought Wand was more technical. In that fight anyone
could have hit that ground at any time. It was a sensational
fight. I think he will come back and bring much happiness to
his fans.
And
what about Lyoto Machida, who defeated convincingly Rameau Sokoudjou?
Did you watch that one?
Yes,
I saw it. He made quick work of the Cameroonian. Sweep, kick,
mount, he taught a lesson in Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai.
Do
you have any idea of what might await you in the octagon?
I’m
still waiting, but I guarantee you I’ll be even stronger
next time. Who knows, maybe I’ll get a revenge match with
Ryo Chonan. I still have that thorn in my side to this day.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
INTERNATIONAL
FIGHT LEAGUE UPDATE
Knapp Named
IFL Director Fighter Relations
By FCF Staff
The International Fight League has announced that MMA broadcaster
and manager, Shannon Knapp, has been promoted to the league’s
newly created position of Director, Fighter Relations. The experienced
broadcaster has been working with the IFL in a variety of roles
since 2005, but according to today’s press release, Knapp’s
new position will solely focus on working with the league’s
fighter’s, agents, and business associates.
“Shannon
is a significant part of the IFL. There are few individuals who
have the knowledge and fluency in MMA that she possesses,”
IFL President and CEO Jay Larkin was quoted as saying in the
release. “She has accomplished a great deal for the sport,
and we are elated to be able to give her this opportunity to
expand her duties. She is a great role model for women in sports
management.”
Knapp,
whose commentating background has included working with Spike
TV and Fox Sports Net, was part of the IFL broadcast team in
2006, before moving into a managerial position for fighters and
coaches in 2007.
Up
next for the IFL, the promotion will hold its first event of
2008, February 29th, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Source: FCF
|
Quote
of the Day
"Judge
a man by his questions rather than by his answers."
Voltaire, 1694-1778, French Writer and Philosopher
|
The
UFC in 2008
by Jake Rossen
The UFC handled more money than the Federal Reserve in 2007,
dominating live gate and attendance figures in arenas worldwide.
It
nabbed the most viewers for a mixed-style event in U.S. history,
scoring record ratings on SpikeTV for the Quinton Jackson-Dan
Henderson bout. And on the promotion's worst day, it still garnered
200,000 buys, according to the Wrestling Observer, for the underwhelming
Rich Franklin-Yushin Okami main event in the spring, far outdrawing
boxing names like Holyfield and Jones, Jr.
It
was, in short, a very good year to be in the hurt business …
providing you hold the trademark to the Octagon.
The
UFC's dominance as the premier MMA banner in the industry looks
set to continue unabated in 2008, with rivals hemorrhaging losses
on quarterly financial reports and hedging bets on talent with
questionable appeal.
That
the UFC is engorged on market share has mixed consequences for
fans: Without competition forcing the company to consistently
up the ante, there's potential for the product to become stagnant
and diluted. Already the UFC is feeling bold enough to offer
three pay-per-view events within a one-month span. While two
are sturdy enough, the third, topped by B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson, is being mighty
presumptuous in reaching for your wallet.
My
projected New Year's wish is for the UFC to use its power and
status responsibly, continuing to offer meaningful bouts and
substantial cards as though it were in danger of losing position
in the industry -- even if that's far from the case.
In
more easily digested form:
More
Heavyweight Talent, Please
With
Andrei Arlovski in flux and Fedor Emelianenko having joined the
circus, the UFC's scale-tipping division went from promising
to wheezing overnight.
As
it stands, Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodgrio Nogueira have no compelling
opposition beyond themselves. When they meet to decide an interim
champion on Feb. 2, the waiting list for challengers is spotty
at best, blank at worst. Gabriel Gonzaga vs. the winner intrigues,
but do we really need a rematch between Nogueira and Fabricio
Werdum?
That
Josh Barnett may be at odds with UFC management is a petty excuse
for his absence. Is the sport about finding the best in the ring
or the best at playing juvenile political games?
Mark
Hunt remains a glaring omission, as does Sergei Kharitonov. Alistair
Overeem impressed in Strikeforce several weeks back, dispatching
the durable Paul Buentello. If he's locked into a contract, why
not Roger Gracie, who seems capable of picking up that family's
baton? I'd even settle for an in-shape Ricco Rodriguez, but unfortunately
he doesn't seem equipped with the tools to challenge Sylvia,
and a televised stint in a VH-1 rehab clinic won't do his career
any favors.
Brock
Lesnar could be the next great heavyweight hope, particularly
if his adversaries are as sluggish as Eddie Sanchez and Soa Palelei
were this weekend. But despite his NCAA credentials, we're still
talking about a man with a 1-0 MMA record. If Lesnar isn't brought
along slowly, he's going to collapse in a heap of hype.
Shelf
Life of Stars
Despite
his status as one of the top three welterweights in the division,
Matt Hughes sat out the majority of 2007, fighting only once
in March before a December bout against Georges St. Pierre. Fresh
off a huge win against Mauricio Rua in September, it will be
nearly a year before Forrest Griffin steps back in the cage against
Quinton Jackson.
The
sabbaticals come at the service of the UFC's "Ultimate Fighter,"
which essentially holds talent hostage until 12 weeks of promotion
are complete. It's an eternity for fans, and the lack of steady
competition doesn't do athletes any favors.
Why
not switch to a format popularized by HBO earlier in the year,
with barker shows shot and edited on the fly? Film Jackson and
Griffin during the week, and air the series on weekends. The
tactic helped HBO reach a record 2.4 million buys for the De
La Hoya-Mayweather bout.
"TUF"
is a needed vehicle for upcoming talent, but it shouldn't come
at the expense of holding marquee guys on the bench for months
at a time.
Ease
Up on the Self-Aggrandizing
While
it might be irresistible to refute the smug advances of fans
that spent years anointing PRIDE as the Alec Baldwin to the UFC's
Stephen, the backslapping is getting a little out of hand.
UFC
President Dana White and owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta were
alleged to be openly ecstatic at cageside over Griffin's submission
win over Rua in September. Matchmaker Joe Silva passed a note
to announcer Joe Rogan during Lyoto Machida's mauling of Sokoudjou
on Saturday, saying the bout's outcome was indicative that "This
ain't Japan."
Never
mind the fact that Machida fought the majority of his career
overseas, or that PRIDE alumni Quinton Jackson and Anderson Silva
are doing just fine. The partisan commentary by UFC chairs is
getting to be a little distracting, especially considering they
already "won" the fabricated war created by fans with
their acquisition -- and subsequent dismantling -- of PRIDE earlier
in the year.
Why
should organizers favor one fighter over another, even if done
subversively? Can we get over it already?
Dissolve
‘Interim' Nonsense
Speaking
as someone who considers boxing's myriad weight classes and alphabet
champions an impenetrable mess, the UFC's recent reliance on
murky "interim" titleholders is a sketchy proposition.
In
addition to St. Pierre winning the interim welterweight title
on Saturday, the winner of Nogueira and Sylvia will be awarded
the interim heavyweight championship in February. At this rate,
we'll be seeing interim ring girls crowned next.
Worse,
the UFC broadcasts never define what "interim" champion
means. Casual viewers can suspect that both Matt Serra and Randy
Couture were either vaporized by visiting Martians or had to
enter the Witness Protection Program.
It's
confusing terminology, meant to satiate the ego of absentee champions
while allowing an excuse for five-round bouts. Commendable goals,
but not when the net result is turning off fans that abandoned
boxing for the same reasons in the 1990s.
Please,
enough of the buzzwords: one weight class, one champ. Otherwise,
the promotion will likely create one unpleasant side effect of
such an awkward strategy: interim fans.
Source: Sherdog
|
Mayweather
dogs Mayweather
Boxing hero’s father doesn’t believe in son’s
MMA potential
The
father figure is recognized as one to unconditionally support
his children, especially when they are renowned athletes. Known
for saying what’s on his mind and for the rift with his
son, father of boxing super-champion Floyd Mayweather, Floyd
Mayweather Sr. prefers to adopt a more realistic stance on Junior’s
participation in MMA, not for the money or prestige, but for
not believing his son will do well.
The
American is considered the best pound for pound fighter in the
world, undefeated in 38 fights. Recently he was linked to new
that Mark Cuban, a billionaire investing in MMA, would try to
bring the pugilist to the sport.
“He
needs to forget that. The same thing would happen as happened
with Vince Phillips, he’d leave with his arms and legs broken,
the guys do that and there’s no way to beat them in their
game. My son would be destroyed, they wouldn’t even need
a referee, he’d submit his own self, they’d break his
ribs or beat him so bad he’d never be the same again. None
of those guys would be afraid of him, if it were just boxing
even I’d face anyone, but with knees and elbows, ground
games those sons of bitches are really dangerous, they’d
laugh at my son,” fired off Floyd Mayweather Sr to the site
Fighthype.com.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
79 Salary Report
These are the fighter salaries that were reported by the UFC
to the Nevada State Athletic Commission for UFC 79: Nemesis on
Saturday, Dec. 29.
Winners
received a win bonus the equivalent of their guaranteed pay.
For example, if Matt Hughes had won his fight, he would have
received a total of $200,000. The one exception was Chuck Liddell,
who would have still earned $500,000 even if he had lost.
Additional
bonuses were awarded to the night's top performers:
Fight
of the Night - Chuck Liddell ($50,000) and Wanderlei Silva ($50,000)
Knockout of the Night - Eddie Sanchez ($50,000)
Submission of the Night - Georges St. Pierre ($50,000)
Fighter
UFC 77 Result Previous UFC Bout Result
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Georges St. Pierre $160,000 W $140,000 (UFC 74) W
Matt Hughes $100,000 L N/A (UFC 68) W
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chuck Liddell $500,000 W $500,000 (UFC 76) L
Wanderlei Silva $150,000 L N/A (UFC 25) L
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eddie Sanchez $46,000 W N/A (UFC 72) W
Soa Palelei $5,000 L UFC DEBUT N/A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lyoto Machida $60,000 W $50,000 (UFC 76) W
Sokoudjou $40,000 L UFC DEBUT N/A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rich Clementi $28,000 W $24,000 (UFC 76) W
Melvin Guillard $10,000 L $7,000 (UFN 9) L
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James Irvin $16,000 W $7,000 (UFC 71) L
Luis Cane $5,000 L UFC DEBUT N/A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manny Gamburyan $20,000 W $8,000 (TUF 5 Finale) L
Nate Mohr $6,000 L $6,000 (UFN 10) W
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dean Lister $22,000 W $11,000 (UFN 8) L
Jordan Radev $5,000 L $5,000 (UFN 10) L
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roan Carneiro $10,000 W $5,000 (UFN 10) L
Tony DeSouza $7,000 L $7,000 (UFC 66) L
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Bocek $6,000 W $3,000 (UFC 73) L
Doug Evans $3,000 L $3,000 (TUF 5 Finale) L
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
belt on Ebay
Starting bid is US$ 30,000
Imagine
what it would be like to be revered by others and what it would
feel like to be at the top of the world, even if for just a few
hours in a dream, as it’s been for so many fight lovers.
However, being heavyweight champion of the greatest MMA organization
in the world has been the privilege of very few men, who dedicated
their lives to training hard and feeling pain.
Thanks
to a former holder of this title, MMA fans can have a taste of
it and take the heavyweight belt home with them. Ricco Rodriguez
put the object of desire up for auction on the world renowned
Ebay auction site. With the auction’s deadline set for Monday,
the starting bid is set for a minimum of 30 thousand dollars.
Ricco’s conquest took place on September 27, 2002 when he
defeated current champion Randy Couture by technical knockout.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
South
Korea boxer dies after bout
Choi
won the WBC light flyweight title in 1999
Former WBC light flyweight champion Choi Yo-sam has died after
collapsing during a fight on Christmas Day.
The South Korean had been defending his WBO intercontinental
flyweight title against Indonesia's Heri Amol, who floored Choi
at the end of round 12.
Choi
returned to his feet and won the bout on points, but was rushed
to hospital when he collapsed soon after.
The
33-year-old had suffered cerebral haemorrhage and was pronounced
"brain dead" by hospital officials in Seoul.
Choi
won the WBC light flyweight title in 1999 with a points win over
Thailand's Saman Sorjaturong.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
MATT
HUGHES PONDERS HIS FUTURE
by Ken Pishna
Having lost for the second time to Georges St-Pierre, the man
that is largely considered the greatest welterweight champion
in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Matt Hughes
is left to ponder his future.
It’s
a difficult position to be in. Most pundits believe that he is
still a step above nearly everyone in the welterweight division,
but in St-Pierre, Hughes has seemingly run into a puzzle that
he can’t solve.
“I'm
not gonna come out here and be somebody's highlight reel. It's
just not me,” he said after Saturday night’s bout.
“I
just have to go back to the drawing board and see what's going
on, see what I want to do. I've got to see what my family wants
to do and I've got to pray on it. Dana White and the UFC have
treated me like family, so I've got to see what they want me
to do and I've got to see where my heart is at.”
Asked
his thoughts on Hughes’ future, UFC president Dana White
was clear that he didn’t want the former champion going
anywhere.
“Matt's
future is, he's going to be with the UFC forever if that's what
he wants to do. I've always named off a handful of guys that
have been with me for seven, eight years and who've helped us
build this business. Matt Hughes will be with the UFC as long
as he wants to,” explained White. “As far as his fighting
career, that's up to him. We'll sit down, we'll talk, and we'll
see.”
Despite
all the success that he has incurred since defeating Carlos Newton
at UFC 38 in November of 2001, surprisingly, Hughes says that
he never really considered fighting his career.
“I've
looked at this sport as a sport and as a hobby. I've never really
looked at it as a career to be honest,” he stated. “To
be honest, this is just so fun. I walk into a gym twice a day...
how can it be a career? Careers are supposed to be something
that you don't want to wake up to every day.”
With
all of the friction between Hughes and current welterweight champion
Matt Serra, there are obvious questions about whether he could
retire before that bout is able to take place, but he didn’t
seem overly concerned.
“Do
I want to fight Matt Serra? Yah, I do,” he said matter-of-factly.
“But am I going to die if I don't get to fight him? No,
not at all. There're bigger things out there than fighting Matt
Serra.”
Although
Serra doesn’t seem occupy the fore of his mind, Hughes was
adamant about one thing: where his loyalties lie.
“One
thing we can get straight. I am family with the UFC. I will never
jump ship. I will never go to another organization,” he
declared. “This is just a word for you guys out there, don't
even come to me with offers because I am not accepting them.
I won't fight anybody, anywhere else, unless the UFC wants me
to.” White couldn’t have been more pleased saying,
“I love when he says that.”
So
while it remains unclear what direction Hughes’ fighting
career takes, whether he decides to call it a day or return for
another run at the belt, it’s clear that he is a company
man that will be UFC forever.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Bas
Boon speaks out about PRIDE
By Zach Arnold
Over
at the Golden Glory message board forum, a person has posted
three separate items claiming that it is a story about the events
that led to the death of PRIDE. The poster claims that Bas Boon,
manager of Golden Glory, contributed details to the story.
You
can read the posts here, here, and here.
For
those interested, I am copying the text (with spelling errors
and bad grammar left alone) of the posts into one article format
here.
The
real story about what happened why Pride died
By Bas Boon
The
problems started for me as a manager when Semmy Schilt and Stefan
Leko were not participating (while qualified at the final elimination)
the reason I did not wanted to sign a contract before the fight
with k-1. This was a business deal gone bad and there was no
yakuza involved, we choose to be a free agent.
However
Pride also caused problems, they did not gave the fights which
we agreed by contract to some fighters and the robe holding with
the Sergey and Semmy match caused a lot of problems for Golden
Glory.
Bas
Boon came in contact with Miro Mijatovic the manager at that
time from Mirko Cro Cop, together they would do the matchmaking
for NTV’s Bom Baye 2003. Our bad luck was that Pride started
Shokewave and K-1 started Dynamite all on NYE 2003.
This
would al not be so bad as Mirko Cro Cop became injured (see story
fight opinion) the rumor was that Ken Imai went their with the
alleged $300.000 in order from Pride the screw the main event
at the Inoki’s show and pay Mirko for an injury (read well
rumor).
I
got a phone call from Miro, he said that Pride was screwing with
him and that Mirko came two weeks before the event with an injury,
to screw up the main event! He ask me if I could guarantee to
bring the fighters from Golden Glory as his partner promoter
Kawamata wanted to cancel the show (he worked together with him
promoting the show).
Pride
starting making threads, first by phone later by lawyer, if I
would have Semmy fight in their show, then this and that. Funny
is that Pride did not gave Semmy the amount of fights they promised
that year and had some small letters in the contract stating
that they would own him for the next 10 years!
I
told Miro I could do better and invited him to come with Inoki
to St Petersburg Russia to an M-1 event were I was the co-producer.
I had worked a long time with all promoters in Holland and other
parts of Europe in producing their shows for TV or as a promoter
or co-producer.
This
way I was the person who held the first Cage Fight in April 1996
in Emmen Holland. Later Appy Echteld and Bas Boon teamed up for
making these fights in St Petersburg with Vadim Finkelstein who
had a meat business and did not know nothing about fighting.
Appy
Echteld with his partners and Bas Boon and partners organized
the biggest MMA promotion Europe had ever seen Too Hot To Handle,
in the Ahoy Arena in Holland. Many times now they were working
together and both Appy and partner Mark de Weerd sometimes were
invited to come with Golden Glory to Japan, this was all paid
and orginized by Golden Glory.
I spoke a long time ago with Monty Cox, when Monty was still
fighting with his team by Rings Japan and we both agreed that
Fedor was the biggest talent out there. Boon heared rumors already
that Fedor had some problems with his Russian top team. Once
again Appy came with Golden Glory to Japan he gave a business
card of Vadim to Fedor at one of the trips he came as a guest
from Golden Glory as both Appy and Boon did not speak Russian.
The
result was that Fedor (who looked at some of the red devil shows
being broadcasted on Russian TV) called Vadim. Vadim called me
and Appy and he told me that Fedor did not want to leave The
Russian to Team without some guarantees. Two things happened
then which were vital for the fighting industry for today. First
we found out that all fighters were getting a 50K bonus if they
would fight for the title. As Fedor was the champ he would have
had the same amount of money as all the other top fightes who
fought for the Pride belt. This was asked by an e-mail by me
to Yukino from pride, who confirmed that all fighters were getting
the same 50K bonus. That e-mail was send to Russia were Vadim
had the mail translated. It turned out Fedor did not even got
a tenth of that amount, according Vadim.
I
then smelled a huge opportunity, I knew what Fedor was making
with Pride and that he was heavenly underpaid, so I set up a
meeting in ST Petersburg with Miro Mijatovic and Mr Ito from
Inoki’s office. Vadim would promise that Fedor would be
there and so we went to St Petersburg. I must give props to Fedor
who was really smart in not accepting the first offer (even if
it was twice the amount he was making at Pride that time).
The
following was agreed, Fedor would fight four times a year for
a period of one year with evt.an extension of another two years,
the amount would be almost 4 times as much as he was making at
Pride, plus we negotiated that other red devil fighter would
get an opportunity to fight. I did not slept for three days and
had the puss coming out of my eyes from staring hours at my lap
top typing contracts. Finally we all agree and we came to the
agreement that Vadim me and Appy would share 20% of the management
fee. However I still had Heath Herring with Pride and other GG
fighters, so officially I did not want to be mentioned in the
contract with Fedor as this could cause problems for GG. My part
of the money in the agreement would go to Miro Mijatovic who
would then pay me my share, so far so good.
I had Miro bring t-shirts of the Inoki event to St petersburg
and pictures were made in the Cage with Fedor wearing the shirt,
Kawasaki was there in Russia with two Japanese fighters and the
news was quick widely spread in Japan. It hit like a bomb, my
telephone was non stop ringing, my fax machine spit out threads
from the lawyers of Pride and I was suddenly offered to not fight
with Semmy against Barnett, but in Pride against a nobody for
more money. Miro called me many times with Kawamata standing
next to him, he started to explain me that yakuza got involved
and that they were thinking in cancelling the event. I told him
that this was impossible after all the work I had done and put
my ass on the line. My only option was to make the new fight
show a success series, I had no other options!
They
were so nervous nobody would show up, I paid for all the flights
myself and had Semmy Schilt, Alistair Overeem, Stefan Leko, all
the Russians (Fedor , Amar, Aleksander) come to Japan. Pride
tried everything but the damage was done, we came to Kobe. I
will not get into details how the yakuza came to us and how tense
the atmosphere was in Kobe, but it felt like a bad second hand
movie were Miro and me were the main actors. Finally it was agreed
that Fedor could fight (Sakakibara was waving contracts of Pride
and Fedor at press conferences before we came to an agreement
etc) in Inoki’s show from Kawamata, but Kawamata the promotor
should pay 1 million for the use of Pride’s yakuza and another
million to Pride for using Fedor. I guess Fedor’s price
just went up another ten times at that night. In all the confusion,
I had the idea Fedor never really knew what happened behind the
scene and what Miro and I had done for him.
After
the show the real headache came, the Russians were all paid in
cash (Pride style), but as I was used to wire transfers (K-1
use to pay cash as well but Mr.Isshi run into some tax problems)
and did not want to carry around with huge amounts of cash with
me, I waited for the transfer. I waited very long for the transfer
as the money never came, till today.
I
then took a flight back to Japan at the end of January 2004 and
had many meetings with Mijatovic. Finally we agreed that he would
come up with a part of the money as the contracts were signed
on one of his companies. In return Mijatovic would keep 50% of
the Fedor money after the money was paid back for the Inoki loss.
I paid all the fighters out of my own pocket and till today I
am still $200.000 short. Mijatovic however told me that he would
keep the contracts valid. I signed some contracts for 4 fights
per years for a three year period and that only then he would
pay the first part of my loss. We finally agreed!
Pride
was getting nervous and Kawamata left the country without paying
many people under the motto, the yakuza threatened him and he
took 6 million from NTV and did a runner. Now Miro Mijatovic
was only left with the contracts including the one from Fedor,
but the promoter and TV station backing us up vanished. Pride
got in contact with me and wanted to sign Fedor again, finally
it was agreed that Fedor would fight for the same money as he
received on new years evening, as long as the old pride contract
original was till October 2004, this contract was signed in my
office in Holland in the beginning of 2004 with at present Fedor,
Appy, Vadim me and Shinoda from Pride ( I informed Miro by sending
him the signed copy and by phone , he still had the original
managment contract for Fedor/red Devil that time) . Pride hated
the situation and I met de big boss behind the scene in person
together with Miro (who always stood with me, props for that),
Miro was told that he could not be in the dressing room with
Fedor and that Fedor could not wear any red devil t-shirts till
the contract ended in October 2004 (some childish moves to not
show face loss and a sign the yakuza was in control). All this
because Mijatovic found himself in a briljant position, they
screwed him out of the management of Mirko Crop Cop who became
Pride biggest star. Miro was always getting a percentage from
Mirko and he agreed that they would pay him this (till his contract
with Cro Cop stopped or till the contract with Fedodr stopped,
it did not matter negotiated extra money with pride becuase they
screwed him with Mikro). He would write them invoices with a
certain amount of money for work he did, such as tv promotions,
news paper articles, internet services, flight cost etc. Pride
acted unbeliebable stupid as Mijatovic was reaaly an asset, he
spoke the Japanese language even read the language had an office
in Tokyo and had managed a deal for golden medalist swimmer Ian
Thorpe (he also was born Croation and lived in Australia, a man
of the world). He did great marketing for Pride and Fedor in
newspapers and other magazines for example and hired his own
Russian Japanese translator. All went well till NYE 2005. Miro
was paying me my share of the money from Fedor and was the official
booker for him in Japan, Appy and Vadim were just at the right
time and right place and were thrown into a bed of roses!
The
downfall of Pride!
At
new years evening 2004 Fedor won again and two months of negotiations
after his contract expired in October led to no agreement between
Miro and me the Russians and Pride. Mijatovic had build up Mirko
to huge amount of money per fight and Bas Boon also knew the
market. Pride knew they needed a long term deal and did the following:
They contacted Appy with a few days before the New Years evening
2005 and told them Mijatovic was getting extra money of Fedor.
They came with all the transfer sheets each time there was an
event (by coincidence Mirko Cro Cop also fought on all those
events). Appy had already ask a few time to Mijatovic and Sakakibara,
if Mijatovic was getting extra money and in the eyes of Mijatovic
he was just dealing with an old case (Mirko Cro Cop) and did
nothing wrong. Yes, Miro would have used his new management with
Fedor as leverage over Sakakibara, I did not see any problem
in that. That case was of no bussines to Appy or me. By then
Sakakibara smelled an opportunity one the would cost him, his
Pride!
Mijatovic
showed me two e-mail’s were Pride offered him a 2 year contract
with a minimum guarantee of 4 fights per year. An amount was
mentioned but (the email came from Shinoda from Pride) it also
said that he could divide this amount to Fedor however he would
like, smelled like a huge bribe (for example we pay you 200.000
per fight and you can give 120.000 to Fedor and keep 80.000 yourself)
and Mijatovic never replied to their proposals. Instead Miro
negotiated with me and I did with Appy and Vadim we all agreed
that Fedor would not sign any long term deal and would take fight
by fight. A similar situation learned by Miro when he managed
Cro Cop, they all agreed. Sakakibara was vurious and in many
cases in those circumstances he made a vital mistake. He knew
Appy ask him already a few times if no extra money was paid (he
knew Appy was weak), so Sakakibara produced all the private invoices
of money wired to the account of Mijatovic, it did not say it
was for Fedor on these invoices, but they made a nice story about
it. Appy could smell himself being a bigshot and took the bate,
now he and Vadim would finally have their own thing without paying
Mijatovic. The funny thing is that they forgot about me, I had
nothing to do with all those things, worked my ass of, used my
experience and knowledge, arranged the meetings and the contracts
for Fedor, got him more money, got fighters from Red Devil to
fight and my reward was that my fighters were not paid at the
Inoki event and that I took a huge risk by bringing all these
fighters to that New years evening show on my expenses!
I
went to the room of Appy at that new years evening in 2005 show
and ask him what happened, he gave me a story that Miro did this
and that, I told him man calm down this is just Pride because
we do not want to sign long contract deals (I believe that the
offer from Pride made to Mijatovic would have been excepted by
Vadim and Appy, they did not have a clue what they had in their
hands) . Appy and Vadim had seen himself Pride falsed a document
regarding contractual obligations with Fedor before the Inoki
show in 2003, which Fedor claimed he never signed. Appy knew
this and told me what basterds pride were at that time, how can
they do this. I told him we should stay together things are going
well, don’t do this. Later I heared he accused me to be
in that plot (his imagination) with Miro as well, but the only
person still having a huge money shortest a year later from Inoki
2003 show was me. Appy told me that all the money would go to
Vadim now and he would decide, but the decision was already made
(Appy and Vadim who only made money with the work from me and
Miro and never invested one dollar in the whole case), they had
dollar signs in their eyes and took the opportunity to cut me
out of the deal.
Appy
started to put himself on the mountain but did not have a clue
of what happened behind the scenes at Pride.
Mijatovic
was not sitting still, both me and Miro ask Sakakibara to not
continue the bullshit, but is was too late, there was so much
hate and emotions took over business sence. We even offered the
following, we will not start a court case but pay us the money
we lost at NYE 2003 and we will go along! Court cases cost money
and aggrevation, we told him that the whole situation occurred
because of the yakuza send by Pride and that it was better these
things did not get into the newspaper. Miro told him what money
he still needed to receive from Kawamata , so did I, which money
was still outstanding. We told Sakakibara if he would pay the
amount we would back of, well we all knew the story, nothing
happened and Miro started the court case. Kawamata played a victim
but more and more dirt was coming out in news papers, scandal
magazines and the internet, exactly how we predicted it would
happen.
Appy
ws organizing in Holland two big events with the so called support
of Pride (the old 2h2h which were done together with Golden Glory
in the beginning), but without Golden Glory support, the events
became a finacial disaster. Now Appy started doing the same thing
were he convicted Mijatovic for, he used Fedor as leverage over
Pride. He would not come with Fedor to Pride he told Pride, if
Pride would not help him with the losses of his two shows he
promoted or bring fighters at no cost he would stay at home and
Fedor to. I do not think Fedor know anything of this, maybe he
did.
Then
K-1 would make an offer in July 2006 for Pride through Bas and
I tried again to convince Appy (business over ego) that Pride
was dying and that this would be the best move. More strange
is that the offer (it was a good offer from k-1) was refused
and that Fedor fought two months later for $150.000 less money
then k-1 offered him, Fedor fought against Zulu in Pride?????????????????????????????
Makes you wonder if Dana White speaks the truth about those crazy
Russians or maybe managers??????
Appy
would tell everybody he was the biggest promoter and that he
(almost never mention his partner Vadim) and Pride would start
doing these huge promotions through Europe. Not realizing that
Pride was taking one last breath and lobbying around trying to
sell a lost cause. Bas Boon was already telling everybody in
Holland that Pride was going down. He knew the court case was
getting a lot of negative publicity in the News papers in Japan.
All that could have been prevented if Sakakibara just made a
normal business deal with Miro and Bas, Appy and Vadim and Fedor
or he just should have paid the lost money to Miro and Boon from
that disaster NYE show in 2003, he did not.If Mirko not would
have been injured it would not even have happened. Result Miro
won his court case over Kawamata but got no money. Lost lawyer
expenses, bad press in the newspapers, yakuza boss had to flee
the country to Korea and finally Fuji Tv pulled the plug all
because of ego!
The
final result came as forseen, Fuji TV pulled the plug (more and
more yakuza stories came in the big press and even on TV in Japan)
Pride was devastated (maybe got lucky) sold their library and
some of their fighters to the UFC after Pride promoted at the
back yard in Las Vegas with Ed Fishman, who maybe seen by Zuffa
as a real competition.
Fedor
lost value in Japan, by not fighting for over one year. Appy
and Vadim found after one year searching a new investor (props
by the way for finding this investor) the profile on the M-1
site of Appy Echteld is a joke(worked as partner with Pride hahahaha
he was the one pressing pride to his wishes, leverage with Fedor),
hopefully M-1 will still succeed in becoming a real MMA force
as we need a professional good MMA organisation! Fedor is not
to blame and Vadim is a good business man (but ingnored who really
made the deal and did the owrk), Fedor is a machine who performed
as a real champion. It’s a shame that because of a language
problem, he maybe understand 10% of what happened to him.
Mijatovic
tried to Fedor him with a Russian translator on the way home
to the airport after that famous 2004 New Years evening when
Sakakibara decided to throw with dirt. One thing Fedor picked
up very fast as Miro told him, do not sign a multiple deal fight
contract, as we now all know, he did not! When Fedor arrived
in Russia after his victory on the 2004 NYE show, he was an easy
target for Vadim and Appy, it was all the fault of Miro and Bas,blablabla!
Kawamata
is now a rumour that he is again involved in a NYE show or managing
fighters for the people who do not know, this man still needs
to pay a lot of people. Me and Mijatovic still need to get about
$600.000 from him. I hope I will run into him and I hope he is
a man of honor and not runs away like he did last time and pays
his debt! It’s a small world!
I
heard this from Bas himself, The Topjournalist
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
“An
organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning
into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.”
Jack Welch, American Businessman and Former CEO of General Electric
|
M-1
GLOBAL PLEASED WITH YARENNOKA EVENT
It has not yet held an event of its own, but M-1 Global’s
major participation in the year-end event held by a coalition
spearheaded by former Pride executives served as a pseudo-debut
for the fledging promotion. M-1’s chief operating officer,
Bob Clark indicated that things went very well.
“We
were pleased to be able to support the Yarennoka event. Fedor
(Emelianenko) clearly demonstrated why he is the No. 1 ranked
fighter in the world,” he said. “We are glad that MMA
fans in the U.S. were able to see this great fight live on HDNet.”
M-1’s
strategy is to have fights worldwide while working with other
MMA organizations, like it did for Yarennoka in Japan. M-1 will
have events in 2008 in Russia and the United States (likely in
March) and hopes to return to Japan.
“The
success of this event demonstrates the synergies that can be
created when MMA organizations across the world work together
to stage a spectacular event,” stated Clark.
M-1’s
imprint on the event was undeniable – first with Emelianenko’s
presence on the fight card and with its branding on promotional
materials.
Upon
signing a contract, Emelianenko indicated that a big part of
his reasoning for choosing M-1 was because of the promotion’s
global strategy and willingness to allow him to fight for other
promotions. Following his victory over Hong Man Choi at Yarennoka,
he also voiced his satisfaction and his hopes to continue fighting
in Japan in the future.
“I
am happy to have fought in Japan once again, as tonight’s
fight was for all the fans,” Emelianenko said, addressing
the crowd afterward. “If I am able to, I will return to
Japan to fight.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BODOG
FIGHT EMERGES IN LAS VEGAS IN FEBRUARY
Bodog Fight recently announced that the promotion would resurface
on Feb. 1 at the Las Vegas Sport Center in Las Vegas.
Welterweight
champion Nick Thompson will defend his title against John Troyer
in the main event.
Thompson,
who suffered a shoulder injury in November and was forced to
withdraw from a scheduled bout in Indiana, says he's back to
100% and will be at his best for this title match with Troyer.
"From
what I hear, Troyer's a tough guy," said Thompson. "He
is undefeated and recently beat three guys in one night to win
an 8-man HOOKnSHOOT tournament, so I'm expecting a tough fight."
Troyer,
who fights out of Louisville, Ky., may be tough, but after knocking
out the previously undefeated Eddie Alvarez to win the welterweight
title belt last April and Cage Rage veteran Mark Weir four months
later, Thompson is supremely self-confident.
"You'd
be a fool not to bet on me," said the Minnesota native.
"The fact this fight is taking place in Vegas on Super Bowl
weekend just means that a lot of people are going to get to see
me whoop his ass."
"Not
necessarily," says Bodog Fight commissioner and HOOKnSHOOT
founder, Jeff Osborne. "Troyer is one of those 200-pound
guys who cuts down to 170 pounds, and he's a monster. He holds
four different titles at middleweight, so Nick will have his
hands full."
The
February fight card will also feature a four-man tournament,
plus the return of Bodog Fight's newest female knockout sensation,
Kaitlin Young.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SAKURABA
AND KID TOP DYNAMITE NEW YEAR'S EVE
OSAKA,
Japan – Dynamite!! was held before a full house on Monday
at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka. Seven bouts were fought under Hero's
rules (mixed martial arts) and eight under K-1 rules (kickboxing).
In
the main event it was a couple of Japanese mixed martial arts
legends meeting under Hero’s rules, with an 85kg/187lbs
weight contract. Kazushi Sakuraba and Masakatsu Funaki brought
a wealth of experience and illustrious careers to the ring. Both
are grapplers and so this fight was expected to go to the mat
early.
There
were a few low kicks and punches to start, both fighters connecting
smartly, before an off-balance Sakuraba managed a takedown to
mount. Funaki coiled up, and after the pair spent some time locked
in a Greco-Roman embrace, Sakuraba emerged standing over his
opponent. Funaki used bicycle kicks to keep his opponent at bay,
smacking one up to the face, before Sakuraba grabbed the feet
and came down to a side mount to begin fishing for the armbar.
The pair were wrapped tight when Sakuraba worked Funaki's right
arm free, twisting it behind the back to force the submission
and take the win.
"It's
been seven years since I fought Funaki and I was surprised at
how good his punching and timing are," said Sakuraba in
his post-fight interview. "He is stronger than I remember.
I was planning to pound on his face, but he was so good at blocking
that I couldn't."
Asked
about FEG Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa's call for a Sakuraba
vs. Rickson Gracie fight next year, Sakuraba replied, "I'm
up for it. I've never fought him, but I can only think of one
fight at a time. This was a good year and I was relatively uninjured,
so I'd like next year to be like that!"
The
card's penultimate matchup featured Japanese mixed martial arts
star Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Brazilian jiu-jitsu
fighter Rani Yahya in a 61kg/135lbs Hero’s contest. Yahya
charged in early swinging away, only to have his momentum kiboshed
by Yamamoto's surgical left punch. Yahya made attempts with low
and high kicks, but Kid was better with his counters, and repeatedly
closed to point with a strike-and-retreat strategy.
Yahya
several times saw his leg takedowns stymied, and when the Brazilian
did go to the ground Yamamoto declined the invitation, electing
to hang back for a re-stand. In the first and second there were
periods of frantic punching exchanges, but despite copious attempts,
neither fighter could knock the other down.
Yamamoto’s
low crouch contrasted with Yahya's upright stance, and allowed
the Japanese to both jump forward with punches and stave off
takedown attempts. Following more fruitless flailing of the fists
in the third, Yahya threw three high kicks, all of which were
ably blocked, before Yamamoto connected squarely with a right,
then a left, to leave Yahya dazed and down in the corner. The
pumped-up Yamamoto stepped in to fire kicks at his opponent's
head, making partial contact before the referee intervened to
stop the fight, raising Yamamoto's arm in victory.
"I
kept a good distance to keep my opponent for coming in with a
tackle," said Yamamoto afterward. "His punches were
unorthodox so I hesitated a bit. A punch got through in the second
round and I was seeing double after that. But in the end I came
out with a win."
Five
years ago, American fighter Bob "The Beast" Sapp had
one of the most recognizable faces in Japan. He returned for
a Hero’s bout with another very recognizable face, Japanese
television tarento and comedian Bobby Ologun of Nigeria. The
question was -- which face would be more recognizable after the
fight?
After
a couple of unabashedly over-the-top ring entrances, the pair
set up for their showdown. From the bell, Sapp marched forward
as Ologun pranced about out of reach, until finally Sapp got
a grip and a takedown. He muscled his way into a full mount which,
given his mass, offered Ologun little if any chance for escape.
Sapp tried in vain to wrest his opponent's arm free before abandoning
that endeavor and simply pounding down the fists to earn a referee
stop and the win.
"I'm
happy overall," said Sapp in his post-fight interview, "but
I know what I need to work on. It's good to be back. I think
the audience wants more of the Beast and I want to do more. I
plan to sit down with FEG and see what 2008 has in store, it
should be a happy new year."
In
other Hero’s fights:
Kiyoshi
Tamura of Japan took on compatriot Hideo Tokoro. These are a
couple of mixed martial arts specialists, and not a strike was
thrown before they went to the mat courtesy a Tokoro takedown.
After a re-stand and a solid Tamura middle kick, the pair went
to the mat once more where, alas, not a whole lot happened. Tamura
allowed his opponent to stand, threw a kick or two and then they
were down again. A round with plenty of ups and downs, but little
apparent damage.
More
grappling in the second, Tamura not capitalizing on a rear mount,
Tokoro reversing but similarly unable to gain good position before
another of many referee-ordered re-stands. But for a solid Tamura
left hook, another round marred by a lack of action.
With
his 17kg/38lbs weight advantage, Tamura had the edge in power,
and hard low kicks earned him some points early in the third.
A relatively lackluster affair that finally found its conclusion
when the pair went to the mat midway through the final round
and Tamura extracted an arm and hyperextended for the submission.
Japanese
former pro wrestler Ikuhisa Minowa went up against Zulu, a Brazilian
who weighs in at a whopping 185kg/408lbs. Minowa declared before
the fight that weight difference was less important than spirit
in a fight. But as Zulu stood center ring, Minowa showed only
spirited jogging, circling the ring's perimeter more than a dozen
times -- perhaps intent on dizzying his opponent? The cat and
mouse game played out for several minutes before Zulu finally
got a hold of Minowa and smothered him. Then the bell sounded.
In
the second it was more perimeter play for Minowa, who only occasionally
darted in with low kicks. Again, Zulu eventually caught his opponent,
throwing him to the mat like a rag doll. Soon, Minowa managed
to get to his feet and began running circles again. Had the bout
been fought on a tennis court this might have gone on forever.
As it was, Zulu cut off the ring and got another takedown, but
was woefully unable to work a submission before the bell sounded.
Zulu tracked and downed his prey again in the third, and this
time his hammer punches prompted Minowaman's corner to throw
the towel.
The
ever-aggressive Dutch kickboxer Melvin Manhoef made his Dynamite!!
debut, testing his mixed martial arts skills against Japanese
boxer Yosuke Nishijima. The two strikers squared off from the
start, Manhoef coming in with a flurry of punches that left Nishijima
stunned against the ropes. Somewhat surprisingly, Manhoef then
elected to execute a takedown, quickly assuming a full mount
to finish his opponent with the good old-fashioned ground and
pound.
In
a 70kg/154lbs bout, it was wrestler Kazuyuki Miyata of Japan
versus Joachim Hansen of Norway. After a bit of sparring, Miyata
got the takedown and mount, but Hansen's guard forced a stalemate
and re-stand. Miyata connected with a high kick and a left hook,
but Hansen scored a strong down with a left hook of his own.
As a vulnerable Miyata lay on his back Hansen approached, only
to be stopped by the bell. Miyata got another takedown to start
the second, but Hansen was good in guard, then suddenly rolled
his opponent into a choke sleeper for the tapout win.
Dynamite!!
2007 attracted a sellout crowd of 47,918 to the Kyocera Dome
in Osaka and was broadcast live across Japan on the TBS Network.
Mixed
Martial Arts Results:
-Kazushi Sakuraba def. Masakatsu Funaki by Submission (Armbar)
at 6:25, R1
-Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto def. Rani Yahya by KO, R2
-Bob Sapp def. Bobby Ologun by TKO at 4:10, R1
-Kiyoshi Tamura def. Hideo Tokoro by Submission (Armbar) at 3:08,
R3
-Zuluzinho def. Ikuhisa Minowa by TKO at 2:13, R3
-Melvin Manhoef def. Yosuke Nishijima by KO at 1:49, R1
-Joachim Hansen def. Kazuyuki Miyata by Submission (Rear Naked
Choke) at 1:33, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“Joy
in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.”
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German-born American Physicist
|
DANA
WHITE ADDRESSES STATE OF THE UFC
In
his post-fight comments following UFC 79 on Dec. 29, Ultimate
Fighting Championship president Dana White not only discussed
the evening’s festivities, but spent a healthy portion of
his time talking about the most aggressive year in the history
of the promotion, as well as his plans for the future.
He
stated that UFC 79 brought in a live gate of $4.9 million, which
makes it the highest grossing mixed martial arts event of 2007
and the second highest grossing in the history of the sport,
indicating that it was a strong finish to a very active year.
“We
had a kick ass 2007. It was an aggressive year for us; buying
Pride, the WEC, cover of Sports Illustrated, moving into Europe,
and next year’s going to be even bigger,” said White.
“Every
year we’ve taken this thing to another level, wait until
you see what we do with 2008.”
One
of the most broached subjects is always the expansion of the
territories that the UFC operates in. White has already confirmed
the promotion’s Canadian debut, which is slated to take
place in Montreal in April. On Saturday night, he also stated
that Germany is a target for 2008.
Looking
even deeper into his crystal ball, he said, “The two places
we're focusing on right now are New York and Mexico, so I'm hoping
to be in both by 2009.” Though he said that a return to
Brazil isn’t currently on the radar.
White
has made no secret of the fact that he wants Georges St-Pierre
to headline the first Canadian event. With the new interim welterweight
champion coming out of his fight with Matt Hughes relatively
unscathed, the only question now is regarding his opposition.
He
couldn’t confirm it, but is seemingly hopeful that he’ll
be able to pit St-Pierre in a unification bout against current
champion Matt Serra, who is suffering from a recent back injury.
“Matt
Serra is very confident that he will heal quickly. I think he
feels he’ll be ready for April. That wouldn’t suck,”
commented White with a grin on his face.
Addressing
the numerous other entities that are making a run at promoting
MMA events, he addressed one newcomer in particular, but remained
supremely confident in his promotion’s position as the industry’s
leader.
“This
sport is like the ‘Wild, Wild West’ right now. The
biggest guy (coming into the sport) right now is Mark Cuban.
He’s got a lot of money and everyone is talking about what
he’s going to do,” White expounded. “Floyd Mayweather
is walking around with $70 million in his pocket and we all know
how Floyd loves to spend money, so I’m sure Cuban is trying
to get him to invest in it.
“I
like it. The more money that comes into the sport the better
it is to help grow the sport. More athletes get fights, make
money, start their careers, and they’ll all end up in the
UFC at the end of the day.”
But
he doesn’t seem overly considered with the opposition. In
contrast, he seems to fall into the old dictum of “the best
defense is a strong offense” and focused his strategies
on what his organization is doing to keep the juggernaut growing.
“There’s
still a lot more work to do,” he said matter-of-factly.
But aiming square on at rumors of a television deal with CBS,
White stated, “Could be. We're always out to get more exposure
… Not necessarily broadcast television, but we need to get
more exposure.
“In
the next few weeks we’re going to be making some announcements
that are going to shake up the entire industry again.”
In
the end though, he is confident in the direction the UFC is headed
and doesn’t seem overly concerned with major corporate sponsors
being slow to climb aboard (Harley-Davidson, however, was center
mat for UFC 79) or the recent derailment of a TV deal with HBO.
“It's
taken longer than I'd hoped after the whole Spike thing started
going well, but the bottom line is, we're not going to cut a
deal that doesn't make sense,” declared the defiant UFC
president. “I don't care who the deal is with. We did this
whole thing on our own. Nobody helped us. Nobody was running
up trying to finance us ... so it's going to be done on our terms.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
LUKE
CUMMO PUTS MMA AGENT ON A DIET FOR LIFE
Although some would say my life is a vacation, I haven’t
had a break in over a year. The thought of lying on a beach for
a week sounds great for about a day or two. Golf takes too long.
Spas are fun but you can pretty much do everything in about a
day. Plus I love to work and have a serious addiction to my phone.
So
after much contemplation I decided to take a “working”
vacation and do something for myself. I accepted an Internet
offer from UFC fighter and Ultimate Fighter alumni Luke Cummo
to do a 14-day health live-in training camp on Long Island (actually
only have 12 days to do it).
The
crux of the experience is to eat his “life food” diet
and transform your body. Now, I have a six-pack, it has just
been buried under a keg over the past year or so. So with phone
glued to face and laptop in hand the adventure begins…
DAY
1:
I arrive at 8:30 a.m. at JFK… pissed. My clients went 0-4
this weekend, including 0-1 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
I flew a red eye, in a middle seat, next to an 80-year-old lady
that didn’t speak English and vomited all over herself in
the first half hour. I couldn’t sleep because of the prevailing
waif of cheddar cheese.
Now
the bags are “delayed” and these neurotic New Yorkers
are acting like their first born was sacrificed. Its luggage
guys… chill. Did I mention it is fricking cold and wet here?
Luke
picks me up and we start right away. He hands me a hot “tea”
in a jar and directs me to drink. Now we have all heard the rumors
about him drinking urine, but I am down for the cause… short
of urine. It was actually very good and I am told it is to hydrate
my blood and begin the process.
We
went back to his triplex and proceeded to choke down earthy tasting
herbs, wrapped castor oil packs with cellophane and hot water
bottles around our bodies, and then drank vinegar, with more
herbs, and lemon. I was told in a few days this would flush countless
stones out of my gall bladder and that sounded kind of cool.
We
did a little food prep, made Brazil Nut milk, which got me high.
I took a nap, did “before” pictures, and we headed
into the city. It was there that Luke introduced me to the Mecca
for his diet, Jubb’s Longevity. It is a health food deli
that prepares countless “foods.” The diet in a nutshell
is no animal products, nothing cooked, no rice, no grain, and
no beans.
I
was thinking the same thing, what the hell are we supposed to
eat? It has an ethnic influence, not sure which ethnicity, and
lots of taste for sure. There is a lot of stuff done with nuts
and seeds.
The
day ended with a trip to a Turkish Bath House. Hey, don’t
knock it until you have tried it. It had a Russian heat room,
aroma wet steam, redwood dry heat, ice-cold plunges, etc. Everything
you could want at a high end spa sans the hot girls… did
I mention I was in New York?
All
fighters should train like this. Oh and have to slip this in.
I tipped the scales at a lofty 197 pounds… pictures to follow.
It had to be at least 10 pounds of water retention! The goal
is 180 and some abs in 13 days.
Tomorrow
we are off to Matt Serra’s for jits in the a.m. and Ray
Longo’s for kickboxing at night.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FIRST
CBF CHAMP CROWNED AT TFC 1
The Canadian Boxing Federation crowned its first-ever mixed martial
arts champion when Victor Bachmann defeated Stjepan Vujnovic
by TKO to win the recognized Canadian welterweight championship
in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Friday, Dec 28.
Bachmann
needed only 49 seconds to end the fight, as he locked on a triangle
choke and with Vujnovic unable to defend himself, the new champion
unleashed a barrage of elbows that forced the referee to stop
the bout.
The
main event on the card featured former Toughman and pro boxer,
Eric “Butterbean” Esch in a bout against Nick Penner
in super heavyweight action.
Penner
took the fight to Butterbean and at 2:28 of the first round,
he stopped Esch by TKO also due to unanswered strikes.
The
Fight Club promoted the event titled “TFC 1: First Blood”
in the Shaw Convention Centre and drew 1,500 fans in attendance.
Full
Results:
-Nick
Penner def. Eric Esch by TKO at 2:28, R1
-Victor Bachmann def. Stjepan Vujnovic by TKO at 0:49, R1
-Chris Ade def. Adam Thomas by Submission (Armbar) at 4:58, R2
-Tim Thurston def. Curtis Demarce by KO at 0:34, R3
-Shawn Kryca def. Richard Menard by Submission (Strikes) at 1:30,
R1
-Jay Jenkins def. Brad Geiger by KO at 4:18, R1
-Marcus Hicks def. Mason Hunter by TKO at 0:28, R1
-Chase Holthe def. Phil Wark by Submission (Triangle Choke) at
1:05, R1
-Chuck Pelc def. Lee Berger by TKO at 1:05, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast
it."
William James, 1842-1910, American Philosopher and Psychologist
|
Yarennoka!
New Year's Eve 2007 Supported
By M-1 Global
Results
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan
December 31, 2007
1.
Michael Russow def. Roman Zentsov via sub (choke) - R1 (2:58)
2. Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Luiz Azeredo via unanimous decision
3. Makoto Takimoto def. Murilo Bustamante via split decision
4. Mitsuhiro Ishida def. Gilbert Melendez via unanimous decision
5. Kazuo Misaki def. Yoshihiro Akiyama via TKO (strikes) - R1
(7:48)
6. Fedor Emelianenko def. Choi Hong-Man via sub (armbar) - R1
(1:54)
7. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai def. Hidehiko Hasegawa via
unanimous decision
8. Shinya Aoki def. Jung Bu-Kyung via unanimous decision
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Matt
Hughes' Book
Made in America - Extract Three
By MARK GILBERT
MATT HUGHES’ autobiography “Made in America” hits
the shelves next month, but we've got a sneak preview of the
book all mixed martial arts fans are talking about here.
In
our third exclusive extract, welterweight legend Hughes recalls
an infamous fight between Tito Ortiz and Lee Murray after UFC
38 in London back in July 2002...
I
took a cab back to the hotel and got to bed. Our flight was leaving
early in the morning. I got woken up a couple of hours later
by Pat knocking on my door. He was smashed.
“Pat,
what’s going on?” I said, grinning to myself. He could
barely stand.
“What
time is it?” I asked.
“It’s
like, five. Don’t worry about it. Just sit down and f***ing
listen. You will not believe what just happened.”
I
laid on my side of the bed. Pat plopped into the chair in the
hotel room and leaned his head back.
“So
it’s four o’clock in the morning and they had everybody
leave the club, right? Well, the UFC had bussed us all over there
but they didn’t have a bus to take us back.
“It’s
down to Mark, me, Tony Fryklund, Chuck Liddell, Tito and Lee
Murray. Lee Murray’s crew was still there, Tito’s crew
was also still there.
“I
walked out the back door to go in the alley. Tito’s buddy
jumped on my back. He jumped on my back and acted ,like he had
me in a choke hold, just messing around, you know?
“Then
I felt him get ripped off of me. I turned around and Tony Fryklund
had HIM in a chokehold, and was really choking him.
“The
guy looked like a mouse that just got trapped in a mousetrap;
his eyes were popping out and obviously he wasn’t breathing.
“Tony
thought he was actually attacking me – that’s the only
reason he did it. So I turned round and told Tony to let him
go, and Tony let him go.
“Then
Tito’s buddy turned around and basically said ‘what
the f*** are you doing?’ to Tony.
“Well,
when he said that, one of Lee Murray’s buddies, that one
guy who kind of took care of us all week long, thought this guy
was actually trying to fight us, so he ran out of the crowd and
cracked this kid with a right hand and knocked him out cold.”
“Are
you serious?” I asked Pat.
“Hold
on, it gets even better. The entire alley erupted into a huge
brawl. I was just standing there, and there were bodies flying
all over the place.
“I
was confused how it all happened, because it happened so fast.
I was standing there with my mouth open like ‘what the hell
is going on?’
“I
looked over and Chuck Liddell was with his back against the wall,
knocking people out that were trying to go after him.
“Then
I looked over and there’s Tito directly past me, taking
his coat off, going after Lee Murray, and Lee Murray’s backing
up the alley taking his jacket off.
“Both
their jackets come off, and Tito throws a left hook at Lee Murray
and misses, and right as he missed, Lee Murray counters with,
like, a five-punch combo, landed right on the chin, and knocked
Tito out. OUT.
“Tito
fell face-first down to the ground, and then Lee Murray stomped
him on the face a couple of times with his boots.
“Then
Tony Fryklund and I grabbed Lee and pushed Lee and said ‘Get
out of here!’ And Lee said ‘I’m sorry, I’ll
see you later,’ and took off. And Tony Fryklund helped Tito
to his feet.
“Then
these English Bobbies showed up and they were threatening to
spray the entire crowd with huge canisters of mace. ‘You
think you’ve got problems now?’ I said. ‘You spray
this entire group of fighters with mace and we’ll all be
in a heap of trouble.’
“So
I talked the police out of doing that. And then Tony and I got
a cab and we headed back here.”
“That’s
insane, Pat.” I said.
“Long
story short, Matt: I’m ready to get on that plane, pronto.”
We'll
have one final extract from Matt Hughes' new book - "Made
in America" - here on Monday.
"Matt
Hughes - Made in America" is published by Simon & Schuster
& available from all good bookshops from 7th January, priced
£17.99. Copyright Team Hughes, Inc. 2008
Source: The Sun / Fight Opinion
|
BODOG
FIGHT UPDATE
Thompson
vs. Troyer Confirmed for Feb. 1st
By FCF Staff
Bodog
Fight has announced that the promotion’s welterweight champion,
Nick Thompson, will defend his title against John Troyer, February
1st. The bout will headline Bodog Fight’s “Nick Thompson
vs. John Troyer” event, which will take place on that date
at the Las Vegas Sports Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Thompson
(33-9-1) has not competed since August, when he stopped Mark
Weir in the first round at Bodog Fight’s Vancouver event.
The Minnesota fighter had been scheduled to fight Eddie Alvarez
once again in November; however, a Thompson shoulder injury derailed
the bout. Thompson stopped Alvarez in April to lay claim to the
promotion’s welterweight belt, handing the former champion
his first professional loss. Since exiting from the UFC, after
losing to Karo Parisyan at UFC 59 in April 2006, Thompson has
won 9 straight.
Troyer
is coming off a December 1st TKO stoppage of Chris Crawford at
a Revolution Fight League event to run his record to 7-0. Prior
to that win, Troyer defeated Scott Henze, Joseph Baize, and Andy
Fink on September 29th, to win the 8 man, Hook N’ Shoot
tournament.
According
to the Bodog release, the February 1st card will also feature
a four man tournament, as well as a fight featuring Kaitlin Young
(3-0). No further details were announced.
Source: FCF
|
Dedé
appointed as chairman of Shooto in South America
Besides
being chairman of Shooto Brazil, the leader of Nova União,
Andre Pederneiras, that in a little more than a year ahead of
Shooto in the country already held four editions of the event
with success, is the new chairman of the Japanese event at South
America "Before it was the Shooto America. Now they divided
into Shooto South America and Shooto North America. Who had the
belt of Shooto Americas lost the title", explained Dedé,
who will hold the editions of Shooto Brazil and will realize
in 2008 the Shooto South America.
Source: Tatatme
|
The
Year in European MMA
by Tim Leidecker
2007
was an outstanding year for European MMA. The UFC returned to
the U.K. for the first time in almost three years. Meanwhile
Fedor Emelianenko, arguably the strongest fighter to ever grace
a ring, was scarce inside the squared circle but still dominated
the headlines.
Last but not least, there was a tremendous power shift on the
European scene when longtime powerhouse promotions Cage Rage
and M-1 Mix-Fight Championship were sold to American companies
ProElite and Sibling Entertainment Group respectively.
Read on for the most comprehensive roundup you'll find on the
year in European MMA.
Winter
The year kicked off with a couple of smaller shows that featured
fighters who would become important later in the year. In the
Netherlands, Siyar Bahadurzada won the Shooto Europe middleweight
title and with it the right to challenge Shikou Yamashita for
the Shooto world championship. The "Afghan Killa" would
eventually become the Japanese promotion's 183-pound champion
via unanimous decision.
In Croatia undefeated middleweight Maro Perak fought the first
of his four fights this year. At Anno Domini, HERO'S veteran
Zelg Galesic 's promotion, he went the distance the only time.
Perak is a judoka dubbed "Mean Machine" by his teammates
at the Trojan Gym in Cheltenham, England. He added three first-round
knockouts before the end of the year to become one of the hottest
middleweight prospects in Europe.
At the WFCA Grand Prix in Latvia, Polish knockout artist Tomasz
Drwal returned to action for the first time in more than a year
after recovering from persistent knee problems. The "Gorilla"
from Krakow knocked out Lithuanian Valdas Pocevicius and added
a submission win over Andre Fyeet before being drafted into the
UFC.
Even though Drwal lost his debut against Chute Boxer Thiago Silva,
the defeat was nothing to be ashamed of. The Brazilian would
later beat rising star Houston Alexander as well.
The first big show of 2007 was Cage Rage 20 in London. Masakazu
Imanari caught Robbie Olivier in a flying armbar to add the Cage
Rage championship to his DEEP featherweight title; British heavyweights
Dave Legeno and Mustapha al Turk taught UFC legends Dan Severn
and Mark Kerr two painful lessons; and Tengiz Tedoradze won the
British heavyweight title from Rob Broughton . In the main event,
Butterbean knocked out James Thompson after "The Colossus"
had just destroyed Olympic judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida.
In March, Paul Daley underscored his supremacy in the welterweight
division in Europe when he knocked out challenger Daniel Weichel
seconds into their FX3 title bout.
Meanwhile Switzerland-based Brazilian Augusto Frota and Italian
welterweight Ivan Mussardo tried their luck in Shooto but were
stopped by legendary Rumina Sato and Tsudanuma Dojo's Yoshitaro
Niimi. Top light heavyweight Mikko Rupponen defeated PRIDE veteran
Hirotaka Yokoi in Finland, but he lost to American Sean Salmon
six months later.
Spring
The sale of PRIDE Fighting Championships to UFC promoter Zuffa
made a huge impact on the MMA landscape not only in Japan but
also in Europe. Many of the continent's top stars, who had been
contracted with previous owners DSE, were virtually locked out
of fighting. As a result popular fighters like Joachim Hansen
, David Bielkheden and Sergei Kharitonov were sidelined for most
of the year.
For a couple of months, it appeared as if upstart promotion Bodog
Fight might be able to fill the void PRIDE had left. The promotion,
which is backed by billionaire Calvin Ayre, even put together
a formidable show in St. Petersburg that had Fedor Emelianenko
against Matt Lindland in the main event.
After a fallout with co-promoter M-1 and a subsequent budget
reduction, however, Bodog lost traction in the European market.
The company returned to Russia in November with Oleg Taktarov's
comeback as the headliner, but the show was merely a footnote.
A week after the "Clash of Nations," Cage Rage returned
with arguably its strongest show of the year. At "Judgment
Day" James Zikic came out of quasi-retirement to defeat
Chute Boxer Evangelista Santos for the vacant light heavyweight
belt. Vitor Belfort was also in action, knocking out Italian
Ivan Serati in the first round.
In the main event, English kickboxer Gary Turner did the same
with legendary brawler David Abbott. Undercard action featured
Cyrille Diabate, Paul Daley and Murilo Rua among others.
In a bold move to challenge longstanding U.K. top dog Cage Rage
on its home turf, the UFC scheduled a return to England on the
same date as Cage Rage's show. The fans in Manchester were treated
to a very good card that saw the likes of Cheick Kongo, Ryoto
Machida, Michael Bisping and Andrei Arlovski prevail over opposition.
In the headliner, Brazilian grappler Gabriel Gonzaga surprisingly
knocked out PRIDE Grand Prix winner Mirko Filipovic using Cro
Cop's own patented high kick.
May was a double-edged sword, particularly for followers of Scandinavian
MMA. On one hand, the Swedish government legalized the sport
after initially banning it at the end of 2006. Even though fans
were unable to enjoy another edition of the hugely popular European
Vale Tudo series, the lifting of the ban at least allowed a couple
of amateur shows to take place.
On the other hand, Martin Kampmann , Denmark's No. 1 MMA fighter,
tore all of his knee ligaments and cancelled his UFC middleweight
title elimination bout against Rich Franklin . The fight would
have also been the main event of UFC 72, a show that could have
used the crisp punching and precise kicking of the "Hitman."
Meanwhile in Poland, Konfroncacja Sztuk Walki established itself
as the premier organization when it comes to pitting promising
newcomers against one another in an old-school tournament format.
Brazilian Muay Thai fighter Antonio Mendes, the marathon man
of 2007 with a total of nine fights in seven months, won the
KSW 7 light heavyweight tournament. Ukraine's Alexey Oleinik
won the middleweight tourney. The promotion also staged a fight
between red-hot youngsters Mamed Khalidov and Martin Zawada.
Summer
M-1 Mix-Fight Championship kicked off a period of hot events
with a unique show on board the "Flying Dutchman,"
a reproduction of the Dutch three-master from 1748, which lied
at anchor in the harbor of St. Petersburg. The event, which practically
was a trade fair for the promotion, featured the Russian Red
Devil team against some of Europe's better opposition.
In the main event, Aleksander Emelianenko made quick work of
Dutchman Jessie Gibson, who had stepped in for his countryman
Gilbert Yvel on short notice.
Two days later the annual K-1 World Grand Prix in Amsterdam took
place. On a card that was heavy on kickboxing and light on MMA
bouts, Bob Sapp returned to his place of last year's disgrace
but was quickly dispatched by the "Dutch Lumberjack"
Peter Aerts.
In a bout under K-1 rules, Melvin Manhoef brutally knocked out
Russian Ruslan Karaev with a vicious combo that was arguably
the knockout of the year. Eventual champion Semmy Schilt eliminated
Europe Grand Prix winner Paul Slowinski.
At the end of July, English promotion Cage Wars joined forces
with Finland's FinnFight, Shooto Switzerland and Holland's Ultimate
Glory to form the G4. Contrary to the Cage Force Network that
was founded in September 2006 with the goal of supplying the
UFC with fighters that are tested inside the cage, the G4 is
close to Shooto. The move ended FinnFight's three-year hiatus,
and Ultimate Glory boomed with five shows this year.
In another business move, EliteXC promoter ProElite added the
U.K.'s top promotion, Cage Rage, to its portfolio of King of
the Cage (California), ICON Sport and Rumble on the Rock (both
Hawaii) and Spirit MC (Korea).
The deal cost ProElite a reported $5 million ($2.2 million for
the acquisition and the remaining $2.8 million to pay off existing
debt). While the quality of the shows has not been visibly improved,
it appears that the total number of events per year may be reduced
for 2008.
August was the month in which a Swedish delegation headed off
to Canada to conquer opposition at the season six tapings of
Bodog Fight's weekly show. Diego Gonzalez, Sami Aziz and Per
Eklund all won their bouts. Only Piotr Jakaczynski came up short.
Gegard Mousasi also made his successful North American debut
at the Vancouver tapings. The Armenian veteran of PRIDE would
remain in Canada and fight in Canadian promotion Hardcore Championship
Fighting.
In early September the UFC returned to the U.K. for the second
time in 2007. The fans at the state-of-the-art O2 Arena witnessed
the rise of Houston Alexander , who knocked out Italian pro boxer
Alessio Sakara in just more than a minute. Fans also saw another
drab performance from "Cro Cop" and Michael Bisping
receive a very generous split decision after his fight against
Matt Hamill.
In the main event, Quinton Jackson battled Dan Henderson for
five rounds to unify the UFC and PRIDE light heavyweight titles.
Autumn
In fall the action shifted away from the rings and cages and
to the negotiating tables. After months of negotiations, Russian
emperor Fedor Emelianenko turned down a UFC offer and instead
signed a two-year, six-fight deal with upstart promotion M-1
Global. The newly founded league had only existed for a few weeks
when it signed the much sought after PRIDE heavyweight champion.
Fedor's decision to turn his back on the UFC resulted in a chain
reaction that ultimately led to the UFC heavyweight championship
once again becoming vacant. When Randy Couture learned that the
negotiations with the Russian had broken down, he handed in a
letter of resignation.
For Couture a fight with the widely considered No. 1 heavyweight
in the world was the only meaningful and logical bout at this
advanced stage of his illustrious career.
While the leaves were turning different colors, a "Tiger"
was missing in Japan: Kestutis Arbocius failed to show up for
his Pancrase heavyweight title fight against Assuerio Silva .
Also in Japan, Dutchman Andy Souwer captured his second K-1 World
MAX tournament, defeating Masato in the final. In the United
States, Belarusian wrestler Vladimir Matyushenko proved that
there's still life in the old dog by winning the IFL light heavyweight
title.
In November, Fedor won his fourth sambo world championship practically
by default after two opponents chickened out of facing the 31-year-old
juggernaut. Joachim Hansen returned to Shooto and Alistair Overeem
stopped Paul Buentello to win the Strikeforce heavyweight title.
At UFC 78 Michael Bisping had to lose to Rashad Evans to realize
that his frame is better suited for fighting at middleweight,
and Karo Parisyan defeated Ryo Chonan in an uneventful unanimous
decision -- the seventh time the Armenian had gone the distance
inside the Octagon.
Outlook
M-1 Global immediately made good on its promise to cooperate
with other promotions by co-promoting the Yarennoka! New Year's
Eve event in Japan with former Dream Stage Entertainment staff
members and K-1 promoter Fight Entertainment Group. After some
speculation, the heavyweight encounter between Fedor Emelianenko
and Korean "Techno Goliath" Hong Man Choi was confirmed
as the main event.
K-1 Premium 2007 Dynamite!!, the New Year's Eve spectacle of
DSE's longtime promoting rival Fighting Entertainment Group,
also features two European fighters. In a middleweight bout,
Dutch knockout king Melvin Manhoef will square off with former
WBF cruiserweight champion Yousuke Nishijima. Two weight divisions
lower, Norway's "Hellboy" Joachim Hansen is set to
take on Japanese wrestler Kazuyuki Miyata.
Source: Sherdog
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FABIANO
WITH GRACIE IN 2008?
Wagnney
Fabiano – who fights L.C. Davis for the International Fight
League World Grand Prix featherweight championship on Saturday
in Uncasville, Conn. -- told TGFN this week that he could join
Renzo Gracie’s camp for the IFL's 2008 season. Gracie’s
team clinched the 2007 league title on Sept. 20 in Hollywood,
Fla.
Fabiano’s
Toronto-based team, led by UFC veteran Carlos Newton, was one
of a handful cut from the 2008 season.
“If
something goes wrong and I lose [in the final], I have been invited
to join [Renzo's team],” said Fabiano. “Renzo is a
very good friend of mine. He wants to make a strong team for
next season. If I win the title, I’m not going to be able
to join a team, because I will have to defend my title.
Source: The Fight Network
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