Upcoming
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2008
11/21/08
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
11/8/08
Aloha
State Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
10/11/08
NAGA
(BJJ & Sub Wrestling)
(Blaisdell)
10/10/08
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
9/5/08
Got Skillz Fighter
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
August 2008
The Quest
for Champions Martial Arts Tournament
(Sport-Pankration, Submission Grappling and Continuous Sparring)
8/9/08
K-1 Hawaii Grand Prix
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Stan Sheriff Center, UH at Manoa)
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
7/26/08
Maui Jiu-Jitsu BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/19/08
Kawano B.C., Palolo B.C., & USA-Boxing Hawai Amateur Boxing
Show
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
Affliction - Fedor vs. Sylvia
(PPV)
7/12/08
Aloha State
Mixed Martial Arts Competition
10AM - 7PM
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
7/11/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 10
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballrooms)
7/5/08
UFC 86 - Jackson vs. Griffin
(PPV)
6/27-29/08
OTM Pacific Submission
Grappling Tournament
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
MMA Expo
(Blaisdell Convention Center)
6/21/08
Hawaii
Xtreme Combat
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Maui)
Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale
6/20/08
Paragon
(MMA Hybred)
(O Lounge)
6/15/08
Grapplefest
(Submission Grappling)
Anderson Silva Seminar
Studio 4, UH at Manoa
1-4PM
$100
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Seminar
Tropic Lightning TKD
Waipahu
5-7PM
$60
6/14/08
EliteXC
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
6/7/08
UFC 85 - Bedlam
(PPV)
6/6/08
Punishment in Paradise
Pound 4 Pound
(Kickboxing)
(Ahuna Ranch, Maili)
6/5-8/08
World Jiu-Jitsu Championsihps
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California)
6/1/08
Hawaiian
Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
WEC 33
(Faber vs. Pulver)
(PPV)
5/31/08
CBS EliteXC
Saturday Night Fights
(9-11 p.m. ET/PT)
(CBS)
5/25/08
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
5/24/08
UFC 84 - Ill Will
BJ Penn vs. Sean Sherk
(PPV)
5/16/08
X-1: Legends
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
5/9/08
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 9
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballrooms)
5/3/08
Hawaii
Fight League
Season 1, Event 3
(MMA)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Full Force 4
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
Heart-of-a-Cage-Fighter
(Kauai
Veterans Center, Lihue, Kauai)
4/25/08
Punishment
in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Farrington High School)
4/18/08
Local Pride
Friday, April 18, 2008
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
4/12/08
Man Up &Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
4/6/08
GrappleFest: Submission
Sundays
(Submission Grappling)
(Hawaii Room, Neal Blaisdell Center)
3/29/08
Garden Island Cage Match 7
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 8
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial)
3/28-30/08
Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(Californina State University, Dominguez Hills, CA)
Registration ends 3/22/08
3/16/08
Sera's Kajukenbo Open Tournament
(Continuous
Sparring, MMA, Submission Grappling)
(Maui High School Gym, Kahului, Maui)
Icon Fitness Gym Tournament
(Submission Wrestling)
(Icon Fitness Gym)
3/15/08
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/9/08
2008 Pacific Invitational BJJ Tournament
(BJJ )
(Hibiscus Room, Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu)
3/7/08
Got Skillz Fighter
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
3/1/08
USA-Boxing
Hawaii, Palolo B.C. & Kawano B.C. Presents Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
2/29/08
X-1 at the O-Lounge
Fight Club Meets Nightclub 4
(MMA)
(O-Lounge, Honolulu)
2/24/08
Icon Grappling Tournament
(Sub Grappling)
(Icon Gym)
2/17/08
Hawaiian
Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
2/15/07
Midwest Invasion: Team Indiana vs. Team Hawaii
(MMA)
(Coyotes Night Club, 935 Dillingham Blvd, Kalihi)
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)
|
|
July 2008 News Part
2
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days a week training!
We are also offering Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights
with Ian Beltran and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday with Kaleo
Kwan!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
In Memory of
Lars Chase
Rest in peace my brother
March 10, 1979 - April 2, 2008 |
Looking for a hotel
room on Oahu?
Check out this reasonably priced, quality hotel in Waikiki!
For the special Onzuka.com price, click on one of these banners
above! |
Check out the FCTV website! |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 7:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Also on Akaku on Maui
Fighters' Club TV Radio
The Toughest Show On
Radio
Mondays at 9:00-10:00AM
AM1500 The Team
(808) 296-1500
- Call
in with questions and comments
with hosts Mark Kurano
& Icon Sport's Patrick Freitas |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
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for pricing and more information!
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More than
1 million hits and counting!
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O2 Martial Arts
Academy Day Classes Start May 2!
Women & Kids Kickboxing Class starts May 4!
Click here
for pricing and more information!
O2MAA Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Day Classes will be held on Monday,
Wednesday, and Fridays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will be taught
by one of Relson Gracie's first black belts, Sam Mahi!
We will be starting a Womens and Kids kickboxing class on Sunday
afternoons from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The class will be taught
by none other than O2's Kaleo Kwan! It will be a non-competitive,
fun atmosphere and allow the ladies and kids to get in a quick
workout and learn some legitimate kickboxing technique before
the long work week starts.
|
Maui Jiu-Jitsu BJJ
Tournament
July 26, 2008
5th Annual Maui Jiu-Jitsu Open Tournament
Saturday, July 26, 2008 - Start time - 10:00a.m. (Sharp!)
War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Gi only Tournament, Standard Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rules and weight
classes apply.
Entry Fees: Adults: $60, Kids: $30, No additional fee for entering
open divisions, Free T-Shirt.
Mail completed entry
forms to:
5th Maui JJ Tournament
150 Haiku Road
Haiku, Hawaii, 96708
or
sign in at the Maui JJ academy
810 Haiku Road Unit #230
(Haiku Cannery) all day Friday.
Day of tournament sign up - $20 late fee - NO EXCEPTIONS
Weigh ins will be at Maui JJ Academy all day Friday and Saturday
morning for contestants already signed up (entry forms already
received).
Call Lee at 298-7698 or Luis at 575-9930 for more info.
See You all there!
Start planning your travel arrangements now to avoid last minute
troubles. Check out the Hawaii Super Ferry (approx. $108) and
Hawaiian Airlines ($160-180) recently has shown lower prices
than Go Airlines.
Maui Jiu-Jitsu
open tournament looking for black belt competitors!
We are looking for
black belt and brown belts to compete in individual and open
bracket matches for cash and prizes! This year we are looking
to hold individual matches between black belt competitors for
cash prizes. We are also planning to have an open division for
black and brown belts that will feature cash and prizes for the
winners. Please contact Luis or Lee for more details.
Registration and
entry forms:
Entry forms must be received no later than Friday, July 25, 2008.
A late fee of $20 will be assessed to all applications received
after the deadline or on the day of the event. This is essential
for us to be able to have all brackets set up and to facilitate
a timely start to our event. All competitors registering on the
day of the event will be charged the late fee.
Please mail all completed entry forms to: 150 Haiku Road, Haiku,
Hi. 96708. Don't forget to include a phone number if we need
to reach you and make sure you check the weight class you want
to compete in. Mail your forms early, it must reach us by Friday
or you will be charged a late fee. No exceptions!
Weigh-ins:
Competitors can weigh in all day on Friday at the Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Academy, located at the Haiku Cannery Center, 810 Haiku Road,
Unit #230. Outer island competitors arriving on Saturday can
weigh in at the event prior to the start of competition. Please
be sure to make your weight!, you will be charged a late fee
if we have to move you to a different weight bracket.
If you have any
questions, please feel free to call Luis or Lee at the numbers
listed, or email us. It is our hope that you will join us in
the spirit of friendly, fun competition and to further promote
the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!
Luis "Limao"
Heredia
Head Instructor - Maui Jiu-Jitsu
Lee Theros Event Coordinator
Ph. (808) 357-0657 or 575-9930
Ph. (808) 298-7698
Website: www.mauijiujitsu.com
Email: mauibadboy@aol.com
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Quote
of the Day
"Wisdom
is the supreme part of happiness."
Sophocles, 496-406 B.C., Greek Tragic Dramatist
|
UFC
Fight Night Results
UFC:
Silva vs. Irvin
The Pearl, Las Vegas, NV
July 19, 2008
RESULTS:
1.
Shannon Gugherty def. Dale Hartt via submission (RNC) - R1 (3:33)
2.
Brad Blackburn def. James Giboo via TKO (strikes) - R1 (2:29)
3.
Nate Loughran def. Johnny Rees via submission (triangle choke)
- R1 (4:21)
4.
Rory Markham def. Brodie Farber via KO (head kick) - R1 (1:37)
5.
Tim Credeur def. Cale Yarbrough via TKO (strikes) - R1 (1:54)
6.
CB Dollaway def. Jesse Taylor via submission (Peruvian necktie)
- R1 (3:58)
7.
Kevin Burns def. Anthony Johnson via TKO - R3 (3:35)
8.
Cain Velasquez def. Jake O'Brien via TKO (strikes) - R1 (2:02)
9.
Frankie Edgar def. Hermes Franca via unanimous decision
10.
Brandon Vera def. Reese Andy via unanimous decision
11.
Anderson Silva def. James Irvin via KO - R1 (1:01)
Source: MMA Fighting
|
AFFLICTION
"BANNED" Results
Honda Center, Anaheim, California
July 19, 2008
RESULTS:
1.
Paul Buentello def. Gary Goodridge via unanimous decision
2.
Vitor Belfort def. Terry Martin via KO - R2 (3:12)
3.
Mike Pyle def. JJ Ambrose via submission (RNC) - R1 (2:51)
4.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Edwin Dewees via TKO (strikes)
- R1 (4:06)
5.
Matt Lindland def. Fabio Negao via unanimous decision
6.
Renato "Babalu" Sobral def. Mike Whitehead via unanimous
decision
7.
Mark Hominick def. Savant Young via submission (armbar) - R2
(4:25)
8.
Josh Barnett def. Pedro Rizzo via KO - R2 (1:44)
9.
Andrei Arlovski def. Ben Rothwell via TKO - R3 (1:13)
10.
Fedor Emelianenko def. Tim Sylvia via submission (RNC) - R1 (0:36)
Source: MMA Fighting
|
'KID'
Yamamoto injured, out of DREAM 5
Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto's debut with DREAM will not
happen on Monday due to an injury to his right knee suffered
during training.
Yamamoto last fought New Year's Eve 2007 and will probably miss
the rest of 2008.
Norifumi
"Kid" Yamamoto, the winner of the K-1 Hero's Lightweight
Grand Prix in 2005, was scheduled to face the undefeated Joseph
Benavidez, one of Urijah Faber's training partners in Sacramento.
DREAM
5 Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round
Monday, July 21, 2008
Osaka Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan
Lightweight
Grand Prix Semifinals and Finals
- Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Eddie Alvarez
- Shinya Aoki vs. Caol Uno
- Winner of Uno-Aoki vs. Winner of Kawajiri-Alvarez
Lightweight
Grand Prix Reserve Bout
- Joachim Hansen vs. Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill
Other
Bouts
- Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Katsuyori Shibata
- Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Motoki Miyazawa
- Hideo Tokoro vs. Takeshi Yamazaki
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Rampage
May Have Injured A Woman And Her Unborn Child
By Jason Perkins
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson injured a Huntington Beach
woman and may have also injured her unborn child in the incident
where he drove his truck recklessly down the 55 freeway in Los
Angeles on Tuesday.
Holli Griggs was taken to the hospital for minor injuries according
to the Daily Pilot and said that she and her unborn child of
16 and a half weeks were injured. The extent of those injuries
are unclear at this point.
What
is clear to Griggs however, is that Jackson was acting "violent
and reckless” and “had no regard for my life or anyone
else’s for that matter.”
Police
said Jackson was on his phone during the incident and that his
truck was weaving in and out of traffic with a flat tire.
Officers
on the scene reported that Jackson did not appear to be under
the influence of drugs or alcohol and was cooperative when they
took him into custody.
It's
been reported that Dana White posted Jackson's $25,000 bond and
that Jackson was deemed medically by staff at the county jail.
Throwdown.com
was with Jackson the morning of the incident and stated that
Jackson watched the fight in which he lost his championship belt
to Forrest Griffin, for the first time that morning. Those close
to Jackson say that he takes losses very hard.
Click
here to view Jackson picking up his truck just hours before the
incident and commenting on how he felt about the fight with Forrest
Griffin.
Source: Fight Line
|
From
Surviving the Streets of Russia to MMA: The Story of Aleksander
Emelianenko, Part 2
by Evgeni Kogan
In Part 2 of this exclusive interview, Aleksander Emelianenko
(Pictures) discusses Kimbo, the UFC and killing a bear with a
knife.
On
being European sport sambo champion:
Emelianenko: I was finishing Polytechnic and had to go to the
European Championships. I was just finishing up the third and
final year, and I had to do my exams externally because I had
to leave to compete. I would go speak to my tutors, study without
the group and also get ready and go to the European Championships.
Then
I finished OK, passed everything. I have to be thankful to the
tutors, who met me halfway, helped me out. They could have, you
know. In most cases, you have a person and they hold some position,
and they think that because of their position they can do whatever
they want. They can make life for those depending on them very
hard. But my tutors helped me. They understood that I am a sportsman,
that I was never really going to be a welder or anything.
I
learn to learn, for the experience of learning. But not to be
a welder. I know how to weld, but I am not a professional. It’s
not “mine.” “Mine” is sports, and I need
to go to Europe to defend the honor of Russia. And they understood
that. It’s not like I turned up, and they just gave me grades.
I studied. I studied hard. Well, I was ahead of my classmates
often.
I
am continuing to study. At the Belorussian National University.
I wanted to, very much, here in St Petersburg to go to a university,
but my time … I don’t have enough time, and it’s
not working out.
These
days I am also learning the English language. I train in the
morning, then I go to an English lesson and then I go and sleep.
And later in the afternoon go to my second training.
On
university studies:
Emelianenko: Economics. The title of my course is “The Economics
and Management of a Concern.” There was an offer for me
to join the sports faculty without entrance exams. When I went
to enter into the university, I was going with documents to become
a sports trainer in the sporting faculty. And then I thought,
“Why should I be a trainer? I can already be a trainer without
any further education. What can tutors, who themselves learn
from books, teach me, an active sportsman?”
And
so I decided that I had better join the business faculty. But
there I had to pass exams. I had to pass mathematics, Russian,
literature. I remembered most and managed to successfully sit
all. Many I would go and discuss the subject with the lecturer,
and they would give me an A. For Russian literature the question
was to discuss and outline the biography of a favorite author
or poet. And discuss their works.
They
had to be from the classical Russian literature canon. I really
like to read. Especially Russian literature. So I walked in and
asked about whom would you like me to tell you. It doesn’t
matter. For example, I said, “I am currently reading Alexei
Tolstoy.” I listed the works I was reading, a lot of what
he has done. I also discussed them with her. She eventually said,
“That’s fine. Please, you’re free to enter. I’m
giving you an A.”
I’m
a smart person. I am friends with literature. She saw that it
was pointless to spend a lot of time going from topic to topic
because I knew my stuff.
On
his favorite author/movie/music:
Emelianenko: I really like Henryk Sienkiewicz. I don’t know
if you’ve read him. Ahhh, it’s called “Quo Vadis?”
(“Where Are You Going?”). I recommend you read him.
Really interesting book. Polish writer. It’s about the time
of Nero. When Nero burned Rome. About the birth of Christianity
in the world, where it all came from etc. …
I
really don’t like how they film the latest Russian films.
There is simply nothing to watch. Basically I think that the
budget which is given is wasted on famous starts, famous actors.
And the film itself ends up being just nothing.
Music.
I like music. Rap is good, so is Shanson. I also like classical,
pop. I like any music basically if it goes with a mood. But again,
here, there’s some kind of mess with music. Out of this
jumbled mess, I could choose single artists, songs, but I wouldn’t
want to. If something goes with a mood, I’m in -- that’s
OK.
I
like rock a lot. I basically grew up with Russian rock music.
The band Kino I like, also DDT and Alisa.
On
whom he would like to meet, alive or dead:
Emelianenko: I’d like to talk to Muhammad Ali. If not for
him, I don’t know where the world of boxing would be today.
I
think that everything that boxing has achieved to date, it’s
because of the great fighters like Forman, Frazier and those
even earlier, Robinson. There are many boxers, but very few greats
that changed everything.
They
did what they did; they fought and forged the road ahead. In
sport this always happens, even if you take chess. Take that
American. I forget his name. Fisher. He had to sacrifice himself
in making chess a more popular sport. Many people, in order to
develop their craft, their ideas, have to sacrifice themselves.
Otherwise it doesn’t work. So you have to choose.
On
the way athletes are looked at in Russia:
Emelianenko: When I won the European championships in sporting
sambo, I thought I’d grabbed a piece of good fortune. I
was going home with such joy and was feeling so lucky. I was
just a boy who had been overseas for the first time, had shown
up best at a European Championship and had done something really
high, something really far reaching.
I
was so happy when I came home. And the reaction was -- in most
cases here, when someone achieves something in sport, it’s
“You won. Great.” They shake your hand, they congratulate
you and on the next day they forget about it. That’s not
right. I allowed myself to be too happy, and of course it was
hurtful. In general here in Russia, the attitude to sport is
not what it should be.
Everyone,
absolutely everyone starting from the government down to an average
citizen thinks that it’s the business of the sportsperson.
It doesn’t really matter whether they compete in sports
or don’t compete in sports. Doesn’t matter whether
they win or lose. I think that a sportsperson, to become good,
has to approach their craft like it’s their profession,
their career.
Like
an engineer for example. If he’s an average worker, say
at a factory, who screws in nuts and bolts, he earns say 10,000
roubles [$ 420 per month]. If he has an education and is on an
engineer level, he now gets 20,000 [840 per month]. If he’s
a master of his craft, say he gets 30,000 [1260 per month]. If
he’s the director of the whole enterprise, the whole factory,
obviously he gets more money. And so it should be with sportspeople,
I think. The attitude has to be this.
Because
I know that many sportspeople to this day who show great results,
world-class results -- I have lots of friends who are world champions
who are leaving their respective sports because they don’t
get paid anything by anyone. They work as bouncers at average
bars and nightclubs, and get 1,000 per month because they need
to somehow feed their family. And that’s at the best of
times do they get 1,000 [per month], in order to feed their families.
Because
they get nothing from their sport. Yes, they train. Yes, they
go to competitions and win. And they get given medals and certificates
and get their hand shook, and then they’re forgotten about.
Just like happened to me in 1999, when I returned from the European
Sambo Championships.
I
came back not thinking that millions would fall on my head or
anything, but I thought the attitude would somehow be different.
To this day it’s the same. Sportspeople have nothing. Many
of the people who won gold at the last Summer Olympics, when
[then] President Vladimir Putin gave the order that gold medal
winners would get ,000 each, many are still waiting. They haven’t
received this acknowledgement of their success.
On
the participation in sports in Russia today:
Emelianenko: With MMA I think you must first show some kind of
results in your own sport. You must get somewhere, reach something.
To put down a foundation of skills and knowledge in order to
move forward, in order to achieve results. But now you take a
drive around some sports halls, gyms, they’re all empty.
No one wants to train.
A
boxing trainer I know went around some school classes, years
eight through 11. About five classes in each year. And he said
if even one person would have come to have a look at where the
training center is … what is happening there? Nothing he
said, nothing at all. No one came. But in my time, when I was
signing up to train, people were signing one year ahead because
there wasn’t enough space for everyone.
Why?
Because there is little of the seriousness with which sports
should be viewed. There are little sports on television. There
is little knowledge, interest in a healthy lifestyle. What they
show, that’s what people go to watch. People sit in front
of their computers, on the Internet. No one wants to train. They
advertise only alcohol and cigarettes.
There
was an incident here recently. There was a school playground
where there were kids, always playing something. Almost 24 hours
a day. Then the school administration decided it didn’t
like this use of their space and locked the playground. And the
next day the kids turned up and found the whole place locked.
So they went and bought beer and cigarettes and spent time on
a park bench drinking instead.
No
one wants to do anything anymore. Dmitry Medvedev [Russian president]
commented the other say that in school only 20 percent of students
participate in sports. I’ve been talking to trainers who
say that at the best estimate, only about two percent train.
Everything is becoming commercial. Gyms, the only people who
train at gyms now are older, of a certain status. They’ve
understood that exercise is important, that looking after one’s
health is important.
But
as far as playgrounds and fields, there are less and less of
them. They’re closing more and more all the time. And if
they open one, it’s to say “Look we have a playground.”
But who trains there – no one. Either it’s because
it’s paid entry or it’s for some other reason. Maybe
it’s limited to a certain group of people. So 100 people
use it, what about everyone else? What do they do? Sit and watch
how the others train.
Children’s
sport has become a paid activity. But many do not have the money
to pay for it. In my time if sports was a paid activity, I would
never have become a sportsperson, because my parents would never
have the money to pay for me. But I think that for children,
for teenagers with issues, from difficult families to pay money
as well, it’s terrible. They want to compete in sports,
but they just can’t.
I
think that I myself was a difficult, troubled teenager. And again
if sports had been a paid activity, we wouldn’t be sitting
here with you now, talking. You wouldn’t be asking me to
answer questions as a sportsman. So that’s why I think that
we have to make sport available.
First
and foremost, children’s sport. We need to attract children
and youth to sports. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they
need to be combat sports. Let them be team sports or other sports
-- there are millions of them. I think they need to build schools,
sports clubs everywhere. It needs a government program, to be
available to everyone.
On
what he does to help with the problem:
Emelianenko: I go, I talk to them, I try to involve them in sports.
When I can I go to orphanages, to teenage offender colonies,
I visit the youth there. I try to tell them about a healthy way
of life. About some perspectives on life different to those that
they may have. I tell them about having a good future. You know,
when you talk to someone, say with a child, and you tell them
what will happen with them if they drink and smoke, if they take
heroin or sniff glue, what will happen to them. And what will
happen to them if they play a sport.
And
of course the choice is theirs. But just to tell them, it’s
not enough. You must also attract them, to hook them into it.
As I’m saying, there are a lot of wrong paths, but to play
a sport, it’s very hard work, especially if you’re
aiming at results. And because of how hard this is at this point
in time, I am limited in my abilities.
But
eventually to fully realize my goals, I’d like to build
a school for sports. I’d call it the Aleksander Emelianenko
School, and anyone who wanted to use it, or to train there, could.
Not only in Russia but throughout the whole world.
On
why he decided to compete in MMA:
Emelianenko: In Russia in amateur competition, it doesn’t
matter who you are. It doesn’t matter how good a sportsman
you are. It doesn’t matter what kind of results you attain.
I’m a person from nowhere, someone that no one knows, and
when I entered the Russian stage as a sportsman, they stopped
giving me access, stopped giving me a fair path through competition.
They started to block my advancing in competition.
In
amateur sports in Russia, you already have your champions. You
have your winners, and it’s already set out long ago --
it’s all decided. Who goes where and for what. And they
had no need for me whatsoever; I wasn’t at all advantageous
for them. And so I decided to leave amateur sports. So I thought
I’d go into professional sport. So I re-qualified into combat
sports.
From
sports sambo into combat sambo, and I think I would have also
entered Pride earlier. But even then I was the youngest fighter
to fight there. I didn’t work before Pride. I’ve never
worked. I just trained.
On
what happened between 2000 and 2004:
Emelianenko: I lived with my parents and trained. And I understood,
I mean, it was important to understand how to continue and what
to do and how to live. I had to work things out and choose a
path for myself into the future. I understood that like an engineer,
for example, or a scientist, I wouldn’t become. Some kind
of worker I wouldn’t make either. And so the road for me
was sport. Professional sport. And so I decided to go professional.
On
the transition from martial arts to MMA:
Emelianenko: I don’t know, for me it came easily. I am not
just a sportsman; I am a fighter in my heart. To me it’s
all, it’s everything. I love to fight.
On
fighting and Mark Hunt (Pictures):
Emelianenko: When I had to, on the 11th of May, fight with Mark
Hunt, I was just overjoyed that I would get to fight him. That
I can fight against such a fantastic fighter, that we’d
come out and have this great fight. That we could beat on each
other. That he’s a guy who would provide a good opponent
for me, who’d show a good fight.
I
was just so happy to hear that. And it was like a huge weight
falling on me when I was told that Mark Hunt had declined to
fight me. I couldn’t find anywhere to get away, to sort
out my thinking. So I became upset. Because. Tell another person
… I don’t know. Can you become upset about the fact
that you don’t have to fight someone? No. …
And
it’s not even a fight. I think that when you walk out into
the ring, the fighters, I think, they don’t even get a beating
from each other. It’s more like a game of chess in the ring.
Who can outplay who, find their weak points. Who will outlast
who, who trained better. Who can better trick who.
It’s
not like they took someone off the street and just put him in
the ring with me, you know, and I’m standing there, beating
him like I want. No. I have to watch everything. Have to think
about everything. I have to make instantaneous decisions. I have
to judge the situation all the time. It’s chess in the ring.
On Kimbo
Emelianenko: In reality, as a fighter, as a fighter he’s
weak. For me anyway. My promoter [Vadim Finkelshtein] suggested
this fight to his promoters, that I go there and fight Kimbo.
And they’re not taking the fight. They realize that for
me he’s too weak.
I
won’t be fighting with him, playing with him. I’ll
go there and tear him apart, bite him in two. Exactly like it
was with me and [James] Thompson, whom it took almost three rounds
for Kimbo to put away. No. He’s to be congratulated on one
hand, though. …
What
does he need? For people to know about him. For people to have
seen him. Everyone earns money anyway they can these days. He’s
not a fighter, he’s not a sportsman. I’d say he’s
more like a showman. I can say this about him.
As
a sportsman he’s very one-dimensional. Hands? Is that all?
These days everyone can use their hands. When fighters at a decent
level compete, you won’t understand who he was before. A
boxer or a wrestler. … I train with boxers. I used to beat
-- I now beat world champions. I box with them. I’m not
a fighter that fought with fatties, with who knows who on some
field or something. That’s not a display of his prowess
as a fighter. It’s just a show. They are elements of a show.
Of
course MMA isn’t just a sport where fighters have to compete
and win. It’s also a show. It should be liked. It shouldn’t
look like a fight with blood gushing everywhere. It should be
beautiful, from the moment a fighter steps into the ring, to
the moment when a fighter leaves it. It’s boring to watch
just what happens in the ring, and nothing else. It’s better
to see a show as well as sports. That’s MMA.
On
money in MMA:
Emelianenko: I think that sports and a show is what MMA is all
about. One can’t exist without the other. And now people
who are involved in MMA, including the fighters, are like the
pioneers. Opening the sport. It’s the first step of the
boom of MMA, of the flash, throughout the whole world.
At
the moment the sportsmen are working on the process of creating
a name for MMA. Because in relation to boxing or other sports,
it’s a young sport. It needs to gain more popularity because
it’s become interesting. And now it’s just a matter
of waiting for a little while, for the best sportsmen to feel
themselves as wanting to be part of the sport.
And
the fighters now, they have to suffer to a certain extent. Like
Muhammad Ali suffered. He didn’t fight for huge, ridiculous
money. And now we have to wait out until -- we have to give MMA
some time to develop in order to attract new audiences with our
beautiful fights. And it doesn’t matter how it’s done.
But it can’t be done with either just a show or with just
good fights. It must be done with both.
On
moving to St. Petersburg in 2003 and meeting his wife:
Emelianenko: I met my wife soon after moving here. I so fell
in love with her. She worked in, what do you call it, in a gym.
As a fitness instructor. I came because I had to train a little.
A friend brought me. We met because she was the trainer on at
that time. She helped me to do stomach crunches, and that very
evening I called her and invited her to a party. She didn’t
go.
I
looked after her, wooed her. Then I traveled to Holland, and
we spoke on the phone, wrote e-mails. And from that moment we’ve
been inseparable. She is never away from my side, always supporting
me. Much of what I have today is all due to her. She’s been
very solid and is there for me. Is always supporting me.
At
the moment we are getting ready to have another baby, a boy.
My family has to be big. My wife has to help out the husband
and give him kids. She has to bring kids into the world while
she has the ability to do so. My life has changed so much.
On
how having a daughter influenced him as a fighter:
Emelianenko: I have changed a lot as a person and as a fighter.
As a fighter I have become really steady, balanced. I have become
more disciplined. I can tell you about my training regime now.
I wake up in the morning, go to the training center and train.
Then I have lunch, then another training session. Then at 8 p.m.
I go home and spend time with my family.
On
the weekends we go away with the family. I don’t go out.
I mean, we can go to the theater with the wife. I like to go
to the theater; I like to go to such things. I don’t like
clubs at all, don’t like bars. I don’t drink. I try
to spend my spare time with my wife. With my training I am away
for most of the day anyway, and I miss her lots. I have become
very happy. I have become very responsible. I’ve began to
do more of everything, to think about everything more carefully.
I
now know that I haven’t lived in vain. I know what I did
everything for. Why everything was the way it was. I now know
for whom I do everything. I now know all my goals, all my perspectives.
Why I need it all. In the past there were times when I couldn’t
find myself. I lived strictly for myself, and for my relatives.
But now I am doing it for my family, going forward for us and
I am so happy. And when I have even more kids, I think I will
be the happiest person.
Kids
haven’t taken away any of my fighting spirit at all.
On
how long he wants to continue fighting:
Emelianenko: Another 10 to 15 years I’ll be fighting in
MMA. After that time, I’m not sure what I’ll do, but
I know that I’ll be fighting until my health doesn’t
let me anymore. I’m 27 now, so I think I’ll be able
to fight another 10 years easily.
After
that, no matter what I’ll be doing, I know that all of my
skills, expertise and experience … I don’t only have
to, I am obligated to pass them on to the next generation. Those
kids who will want to compete in sports, compete in MMA -- I’m
not going to be a trainer, but I’ll be helping the kids.
I’ll teach them, whether it’ll be a limited group or
open to the public. I’ll impart all of my knowledge, all
expertise. That’s how I’ll be developing.
On
his life outside of fighting:
Emelianenko: I’m getting proposals now to be in films. I
don’t have the time to be in the movies now. I know how
difficult it is. I have lots of friends who are actors and I
know that they work not less than I do. They film for whole days
at a time. It’s very hard, long work. And I am not in a
hurry to change my profession just yet from a sportsman to an
actor.
I
did record a song with some guys. I’ll have to think about
it; maybe I’ll record another one soon. I like it. I tried
it out of interest and I liked it. It was rap. But I’m not
going to become a recording artist or anything, won’t make
a career out of it. It’s just a hobby. Just for me. Someone
writes poetry, I do this.
Film
proposals are coming from Russia. There was one from [Jean Claude]
Van Damme. But it stayed just that, a proposal. Like I said,
I can’t commit. Because most of the proposals, they aren’t
for a cameo appearance. They are like, “We want Emelianenko
for one of the leading roles,” and I can’t give them
false hope, can’t commit, because I just don’t have
the time. I train and train. Especially since I’ve just
signed a contract with Affliction. My friends in the movies,
they work and work. They also have to travel a lot. And I just
don’t have the time. I am not in a hurry.
There
was a proposal. Really, only a month ago I met with a director
who made a film about Aleksander Nevsky. And he was saying that
if earlier we could have met, then we would have taken you for
the role of Aleksander. I said thank you. They will be filming
a second installment of the film, and I’ll have a look at
their proposal. But for now I am a sportsman. I fight. I push
the sport. I don’t have the time. I want, but I can’t.
I can’t tear myself in two. Because if I do, if I’ll
be here and there, nothing will turn out. I won’t be interesting
in either sphere. I need to do one thing at a time.
On
Affliction/Golden Boy Promotions:
Emelianenko: I signed a three-fight contract and will have a
fight on the 19th of July. I’ll go to fight in the U.S.
And now I am preparing. Really hard. I’m ready. I’ll
show them a beautiful fight.
On
the UFC:
Emelianenko: I also wanted to fight in the UFC [along with brother
Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures)]. But as a Russian fighter, I’m
not interesting to them. They are interested in their own, in
Americans. That’s why they didn’t let me compete in
their organization. They were saying that “We don’t
want Aleksander to fight for us.” Because I’d arrive
there, beat everyone and then take the belt back to Russia. They
don’t need that.
Those
organizers, promoters, they need their own person. That’s
how they make their money. And that’s how they carry themselves,
the UFC. I know that as of right now, they’ve ruined relationships
with many and that many fighters have left them. They are now
facing some very serious competition, and I think they’ll
fall. I think they’ll fall to the second tier. To the place
where they were, when Pride still existed.
Pride
was better; Pride was number one in the world. So I think that
it’s criticism of the organizers -- it’s not a criticism
of the fighters. They’re worthy sportsmen. Good fighters.
It’s a criticism of the organizers, of the promoters. They
take everything and just wreck it. Instead they should be strengthening
everything, making everything stronger, stronger and stronger.
But people are leaving them.
Instead
they now have very serious, very worthy competition in the world.
And not that much time will go by before things change.
On
upcoming opponent Paul Buentello (Pictures):
Emelianenko: What do I think of Paul Buentello? I think that
I will beat him. He’s a good fighter, and I’ll show
everyone a good, beautiful fight. I haven’t seen his fights
yet. I’ll have a look at them as soon as I get there. At
the school, at the beginning of next week, we’ve timetabled
in watching and studying his fights. I am currently in very good
shape. I trained, and trained very seriously for this. I didn’t
spare myself at all in order to show everyone a really good,
really beautiful fight.
On
a ring compared to a cage:
Emelianenko: It doesn’t matter for me in the least whether
the fights are in a ring or a cage. I’ve fought in one and
in the other. It doesn’t matter. The thing that limits my
movement be it ring ropes or a cage, it doesn’t matter.
You could even put down a cork mat, like in sambo or judo, draw
some red lines on it and that’d be fine also. It doesn’t
make any difference whatsoever. I’ll still win.
On
whether there are losses he would like to avenge:
Emelianenko: Yes, yes there are. But all those people at this
point in time … . We offered for me to fight Barnett now,
and they don’t want to. We were sitting down together, and
I said let’s fight. And he said I don’t want to fight
you, you’re an insane fighter.
Last
time when we fought I was ill. I’ll explain. I came out
to fight with a temperature. I had a temperature of 98.6. The
doctors didn’t want to let me fight. In my life, the grand
prix was by far the most important competition. And I had to
fight, was obligated to fight. And they didn’t want to let
me go into the ring. And so the organizers were called, and that’s
why I tried to beat Barnett early, and then couldn’t and
lost by submission.
I
don’t think of it as a loss. I think that I shouldn’t
have competed. Why shouldn’t I have competed? Because. Losing,
I’m not scared of losing. Everyone thinks that I showed
a good, beautiful fight. And that I beat and beat him. And now
he refuses to fight me. Or is asking for crazy money to do it.
And of course the organizers think that Barnett isn’t worth
that kind of money. Why pay him such money? So that he can lose?
And he himself, knows perfectly well that he’d lose. And
so that’s why he is refusing to fight me.
Cro
Cop isn’t even communicating with us. His form is evident
in his last few fights. His time has gone. People have learned
to read him too well. Really, he is now exactly like he was in
the past. He was gathering experience but not at a high level.
The Japanese were feeding him Japanese fighters. I think that
in my whole career of fighting in Japan, I didn’t fight
a single Japanese fighter. Why? Because I’d have less chance
to be their champion. They constantly gave me fighters who were
better and better. Cro Cop, on the other hand, they led him and
led him.
When
I fought him, I’ll explain, I was 23 years old. I was very
young; it was the fourth fight of my life. But I had to fight
him, I had to. And Cro Cop didn’t know which corner of the
ring to run to, to hide in. And I was young and inexperienced.
And so it happened the way it happened, but now I’m ready.
I’m ready to fight with him tomorrow. With Cro Cop and then
with Barnett.
And
Werdum. Well. Um. OK. I mean, he’s a good fighter. But I,
I was just there to holiday. I didn’t even train for him
at all. I just, really, I went there to holiday. And I was asked
“Do you want to fight?” and I said “OK, let’s
give it a go.” And they first had one opponent lined up
for me and then suddenly changed him to Werdum.
I’m
ready. It doesn’t matter with who or where. On foot or on
horseback. With maces or poleaxes. To fight. To first blood or
to death. It doesn’t matter, I’m ready to fight.
I
went hunting. For bears. With a knife.
On
whether people really hunt bears with knives:
Emelianenko: Yes, they do. A few years ago there was an unfortunate
incident. One sportsman, a world champion in wrestling …
what was he doing? Yes, he was putting a fork under the bear’s
neck. [The practice of hunting bears with a knife involves, once
the bear is in front of you, placing a long stick with a letter
U-shaped end under the bear’s muzzle as it rears up to fight.
Once the stick is in place, the bear isn’t able to bring
its body down and the hunter stabs it a number of times, ideally
killing it instantly.]
And
then the bear couldn’t attack him, and he was stabbing it
under the ribs in the heart. And as he was stabbing it, that
bear swung with its paw. It was dead already -- the paw was its
last gasp with all its strength and basically took half of the
wrestler’s head off. And of course the other hunters opened
fire on the bear, but it was too late. He went to try his luck
with a bear, and it didn’t come off.
For
me everything is still fine. I’m OK. I’ve done it and
it was OK. About half a year ago, it was in Russia, in Siberia.
Everything was fine. I put the fork underneath him and stabbed
him in the heart. And that was it. The other hunters dismembered,
prepared the bear.
I
want to go hunting in Africa now, with friends. I’ve been
invited.
Source: Sherdog
|
Press
release:
Season two of TapouT debuts July 30th
By Zach Arnold
THE
TAPOUT CREW CONTINUES THEIR SEARCH TO FIND THE NEXT MMA SUPERSTARS
Season
Two of TapouT to Premiere July 24 on VERSUS on Demand; Network
Debut Scheduled for July 30 at 10 P.M. ET
New
York – VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition,
will debut the second season of the hit reality series TapouT
on Thursday, July 24, on VERSUS on Demand and on Wednesday, July
30, at 10 p.m. ET on VERSUS. The second season includes 10 one-hour
episodes that follow Mask, Punkass and Skyskrape—the crew
behind the premier mixed martial arts clothing and gear line
TapouT—on their cross country travels in search of the next
MMA superstar. TapouT is produced by Pilgrim Films, of American
Chopper and Dirty Jobs fame.
Traveling
around the country in a tricked out tour bus, the crew is on
the hunt to discover a fighter who has what it takes to represent
the TapouT label; but before these up-and-comers fight their
way out of the cage, they have to fight their way in with the
TapouT crew. The crew bonds with their fighter as they test out
his personality and, in between the usual TapouT mayhem, makes
sure their new protégé gets the proper training
before the big fight. In each episode, it’s all on the line
as each fighter gets one shot to impress the crew and show off
his skills in the cage.
“Since
its debut a year ago, more than 40 million viewers have tuned
in to see TapouT and we’re optimistic that the second season
will have even greater success,” said Marc Fein, Executive
Vice President of Programming, Production and Business Operations
for the VERSUS. “This hugely popular original reality series,
in conjunction with the monumental growth we’ve seen with
our live World Extreme Cagefighting telecasts, solidifies VERSUS
as one of the premier television destinations in the MMA category.”
In
the season two premiere, the TapouT crew travels to San Luis
Obispo, Calif. to ‘The PIT’ to see one of John Hackleman’s
up-and-coming MMA fighters, Scott Lighty. Scott is accompanied
by his best friend and training partner, Glover Teixeira and
the crew quickly realizes the potential Glover has, and decides
to sponsor both Scott and Glover who are fighting on the same
card. UFC legend Chuck Liddell, who is both Scott and Glover’s
trainer, makes a special guest appearance.
“MMA
has exploded, and our Crew has been there since the beginning
finding and supporting fighters,” said TapouT Founder Mask.
“TapouT shows viewers what goes down on the road and lets
fans be a part of the action. There are unbelievable fighters
with incredible stories, as well as TapouT friends old and new,
including MMA superstar Chuck Liddell and UFC President Dana
White.”
New
episodes of TapouT featuring the bad boys of MMA will premiere
on VERSUS each Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET from July 30 through September
24. The full-length episodes will be available on VERSUS on Demand
the Thursday prior to the network debut. For more information,
including complete episode descriptions and complete schedule
information, visit VERSUS.com.
VERSUS
celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com,
VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 73 million
homes, the network is the national cable home of the National
Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class
events such as The Tour de France, Davis Cup Tennis, the Professional
Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional
Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked
teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and Mountain
West. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television
and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen
to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can’t
find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation
(NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and
satellite operators throughout the United States.
An
independently operated and owned mixed martial arts lifestyle
company, TapouT boasts a sought-after clothing line for MMA enthusiasts,
sponsors the best MMA Fighters (Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva),
and stars in a hit TV reality show on VERSUS. Their passion for
the sport has turned into a full-on underground culture, as owners
Mask, Punkass and Skyskrape extend the growing popularity of
MMA through their presence at the most extreme events, supporting
fighters and offering the hottest, edgiest apparel for men and
women. TapouT most recently was named the first-ever exclusive
apparel sponsor for season seven of “The Ultimate Fighter,”
on Spike TV. Their distinctive logo graces everything from hats,
tees and car windows, to their special limited edition 2007 Toyota
Tundra TapouT truck. The TapouT logo has become so noteworthy
that its most devoted fans are tattooing it on their bodies,
demonstrating the ultimate in commitment.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
MATT
LINDLAND: FIGHTER, PROMOTER, POLITICIAN?
by Mitch Gobetz
Matt Lindland is one of the most respected middleweight fighters
in the world. He’s defeated top competitors such as Carlos
Newton, Jeremy Horn, Travis Lutter and Phil Baroni. He’s
been out of action for over a year, but he will make his return
the ring on July 21 in Affliction’s debut show. He will
be taking on a well-rounded fighter in Fabio Negao.
“I'm
excited to get in the ring,” said Lindland recently on MMAWeekly
Radio. Even though he has not fought for a while, he is very
confident going into this fight. “His name is Fabio. What
else is there to say? There is no way I'm losing to a guy named
Fabio. I don't know what else we got to talk about. If I had
a name like that, I would hate my parents for doing that.”
Even
though he may not like his opponent’s name, he is still
taking him seriously and is hoping to put on a show this Saturday.
“Hopefully I can put on a great performance on Saturday
night. I'm just super excited just to get back into the ring
and beat somebody up. I'm planning a suplex. My whole goal in
this fight is to throw a suplex. I'm not going to guarantee you
that the guy is going to land inside of the ropes.”
Lindland
has trained at Team Quest as usual for his fight, however he
took some time to visit with an old teammate, Randy Couture.
“Right now I feel phenomenal. Mostly I just had the guys
at my gym. They're so good right now. I just got to surround
myself with a bunch of good guys. I've shown them stuff all along
about how I train. They appreciate everything that I've done
and they've come and push me and it really helped me a lot. I
went out to Randy's for a couple days. I worked out with Forrest
about three weeks before his fight. I got to work out with Randy
and punch him for a while. That was fun.”
This
fight for Lindland is his first for the new Affliction clothing
promotion. So far, he’s content with them and has had a
good experience. “They've been decent to deal with,”
he said. “They booked my travel and told me what I needed
to do for medicals. That's about it. I did have to go to New
York the day after the primary for a press conference. That was
fun. I always like New York. I met Donald Trump. Now he's a partner
in the show. That's always cool meeting people like that.”
Affliction
is looking to make a name for themselves in their debut event.
Many of the new organizations have had a hard time trying to
compete with the juggernaut known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The IFL has had a real tough time trying to make ends meet. They
have had to cancel their most recent show and the chances of
them being able to rebound look bleak.
“It
was great because it gave guys like Ryan and Matt some good opportunities.
The more organizations, the more competition is going to push
everyone's level. You can't continue to spend more than you make
and have that be part of your plan.”
Lindland
is a former top contender in the UFC middleweight division. However,
he hasn’t fought for the UFC in years and has had some very
blunt words about them. Regardless, he feels his words are misconstrued
because he does not hate the UFC. He just doesn’t always
agree with them.
“That's
not the case. I have a lot of respect for what they do. I don't
agree with everything they do. It doesn't mean that I don't admire
them as an organization and the way they promote,” explained
Lindland. “They continue to fill out arenas and sell out
shows when everybody else in the industry struggles. You look
at EliteXC got a deal on CBS, but they are millions of dollars
in debt. IFL is going out of business and every other small show
out there, including myself, struggle to turn a profit. I certainly
don't hate them. They are a great organization. I just don't
always agree with them. We haven't found a common ground so we
can work together.”
Lindland
is in the promotion business himself. He has a fairly successful
organization called SportFight that he puts on in the Portland
area. However, he realizes the work and difficulties that go
into putting on mixed martial arts shows. “It's a struggle.
It's a lot of work. If you are looking to get into promotion
and you think you are going to make big money in one or two shows,
you're in the wrong business.”
Affliction
will have some possible troubles of their own as the UFC has
decided to put on a free show on Spike TV to rival Affliction’s
debut show. Affliction’s vice president Tom Atencio said
that he was “flattered” by the UFC putting on a show
just to counter-program theirs. Lindland believes that Atencio
was just trying to play damage control.
“What
else are you going to say? We're trying to sell pay-per-views
and they're giving it away. I don't know. There isn't an intriguing
match on that card that I can see. The Affliction card is stacked.
Anderson is a phenomenal fighter, but he's fighting James Irvin.
That's just not a test for him at 205 or 185. I don't think people
are super excited about that match-up. I think people are real
excited about some of the match-ups on the Affliction show. I
hope we sell some pay-per-views.”
Matt
Lindland’s nickname is “The Law” and he soon may
be able to assist in legislature. In November, he will be running
for State Representative of House District 52 in Oregon. If he
is elected, what will happen to his career in mixed martial arts?
“I'd
probably have to sit back for twelve months and legislate. I'll
have to take a little break and give back to the people. It was
something I was always going to get into when I slowed down,
but I never slow down.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Dana
White Comments On Rampage Situation
By Jason Perkins
UFC president Dana White was a guest on the Los Angeles based
KLOS-FM morning show and made the following comments on the Rampage
situation:
"I'm actually here right now, I'm in Southern California,"
said White. "I've been dealing with this all day yesterday,
I haven't really gotten to the bottom of this yet. I don't know
what I'm going to do about it yet. Last night when he got out,
Rampage is very religious...yeah I'm dealing with it."
One
of the hosts of the show asked if Rampage would be fined for
his behavior:
"It's
not really about a fine," said White. "At the end of
the day, we care about these guys. A lot of these guys are our
friends. I want to find out what's wrong with Rampage and get
him taken care of."
Source: Fight Line
|
MMA
in Brazilian senate
Danillo Indio earns vote of applause from black belt senator
Danillo
"Indio" Villefort gained fuel for his upcoming fight,
in his WEC debut, on September 10th. The Brazilian tells it himself:
"Something really cool happened. Senator Arthur Virgilio
spoke of me in congress, asking for a vote of applause for my
last fight. A friend of mine just called me here in Florida to
tell me," said the young American Top Team talent, in a
chat with GRACIEMAG.com.
If
he wins his next commitment, in "his own backyard"
as he puts it, he will be have a standing ovation on the senate
floor. This is because Danillo will face, at the Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, one of the most
promising fighters in his weight class, under 84kg. Jake Rosholt
was three-time collegiate wrestliing champion in the USA, and
is undefeated in MMA with four wins, three by TKO and one more
by guillotine, in his debut on July 21 of 2007.
If
Indio is part of one of the best structured teams in the world,
Rosholt is not far behind, since Team Takedown is financed by
Texan millionaire Ted Ehrhardt. The Jiu-Jitsu part is taken care
of by Mark Laimon.
"I
know he's a high-level wrestler, that I know. His ground game
and standing game are really raw, so that's where I'm going to
pressure him," says Jiu-Jitsu and judo black belt Danillo.
"But don't go thinking I'm not going to try and take him
down because you'll be shocked. Wrestling is one thing, MMA is
another."
WEC
36 will also include the presence of another applause-worthy
Brazilian. Indio's buddy, Paulao Filho will defend his under
84kg belt against Chael Sonnen, while featherweight champion
Urijah Faber will defend his title against Mike Brown. Another
Brazilian to appear on the card is Nova Uniao's Jose Aldo, who
will face off against another tough up-and-comer in John Franchi
(4-0).
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Quote
of the Day
"The
foundations of a person are not in matter but in spirit."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, American Poet and Essayist
|
Amateur
Boxing Show Today
USA-Boxing Hawaii, Kawano B.C., and Palolo B.C.
Match Event at the Palolo District Park Gym at 6 p.m.
Bouts and Order Subject to Change.
Tentative Bout Sheet as of July 17, will change.
Red Corner Weights Blue Corner
Boxing Club 3 Rounds Boxing Club
1). Natasha Manuma 190 189 185 Gardenia Sims
Kawano B.C. 1 min. Kawano B.C.
2). Rebecca Sarce 106 103 100 Gina Ramos
Kawano B.C. 1 ½ min. Kawano B.C.
3). Keoni Adric Jr. 10/73 70 12/69 Cyrus Del Rosario
Waipahu B.C. 09/01/97 1 min. 12/27/95 Southside Maui B.C.
4). Kekoa Balasi 11/80 80 11/75 Cain Del Rosario
Waipahu B.C. 07/16/97 1 min. 01/31/97 Southside Maui B.C.
5). Austin Dumlao 12/95 100 13/100 Justin Kahalewai
&nbs p; Waipahu B.C. 08/29/95 1 ½ min. Palolo B.C.
6). John Lumabao 135 130 130 Koichi Tanji
Oki (Kauai B.C.) 2 min. 09/07/85 Unattached
------------------------------10 MIN.----- INTERMISSION -----
10 MIN.-----------------------------
7). Matthew 160 160 156 Paul Gutierrez
636 B.C. 2 min. 10/09/86 Kawano B.C.
8). Michael Brightmon 175 180 180 Steven Cabilis
Palolo B.C. 2 min. &n bsp; 06/27/90 Kalakaua B.C.
9). Kenneth Guzman 220 201+ 230 Elliot Edmunds
636 B.C. 2 min. Kawano B.C.
10). Arnold Dinong 14/145 145 14/145 Tyler Agbayani
Waipahu B.C. 06/24/94 2 min. 07/20/94 Kalakaua B.C.
Tomorrow morning (Sunday) at 6 a.m. the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team
Trials for Boxing will be shown on MSNBC. The Winner of this
Tournament will be on our 2008 U.S. Olympic Team for Boxing on
08/08/08 at 8 p.m in Beijing, China.
We would like to Thank all the Volunteers who make Amateur Boxing
in Hawaii possible. The Officials, Boxers, Coaches, Announcer,
Door Workers (Cornelio Family), Concession (Ramos Family), Palolo
Volunteers, Automatik, Hawaiian Fight Gear, Boxing Commission
Chairman Herbert Minn, Boxing Commissioners, City and County,
Officer Daryl Takata, and our Dr. Suehiro.
Special Thanks to “You” our Boxing Fans and Supporters
and anyone else who I missed.
Bruce
Kawano
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chairman.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Board of Dir./Gov.
Ringside Board of Advisors.
NMU Task Force Appointed Member.
|
WOMBAT'S
WORLD OF COMBAT
UFC Fight Night Preview
Today!
Hawaii Air Time:
3:00PM
Channel 559 Spike
By Jeff
"Wombat" Meszaros
I
know this guy who is a big UFC fan so the other day I asked him
"What are you going to watch this weekend? The UFC or Affliction?"
He said "What's Affliction?" After I was done slapping
him around the room like a furious pimp, I said "It's the
show where Tim Sylvia is fighting Fedor." Luckily he knew
who Fedor was because, if he'd said "Who's Fedor?"
I would've beaten him to death with one of my shoes, right then
and there. Still, it just goes to show that selling a million
shirts covered in skulls, flames and crucifixes doesn't make
you famous. At least, it doesn't make you as famous as if you
had your own reality TV show. So, even though Affliction has
the better card, their marketing hasn't been as great as the
UFC’s. However, if "Flava of Love" were to ever
make inroads into the world of mixed martial arts, the UFC would
have something to worry about. After all, what's more entertaining?
Watching two dudes slug away at each other, while Dana White
sits in the background, grinning and swearing like Lex Luthor
with Tourette's Syndrome? Or seeing two fly bitzes throw down
for a chance to suck face with Flava Flav and his unbrushed golden
teeth? (That ain't plaque, baby! That's the karats! Yeeeeaaa!
Booooyyy!) I think I've made my point.
Anderson
"The Spider" Silva vs. James "Sandman" Irvin
The
UFC hates Anderson Silva. Why else would they send their 185-pound
champ up to 205-pounds to fight Irvin, a former heavyweight with
KO power in every tattooed tentacle on his body? Is that something
you do to someone you love? Because I've heard the whole "If
you love someone, set them free" thing but I've never once
heard "If you love someone, make them fight a monster."
Have you? That just doesn't make sense. Irvin once sat beside
me at a UFC. It was right after he KO'd Terry Martin with a flying
knee that would've stopped a 747 dead on the runway. As he brushed
past me to get to his seat, I asked "Dude, did you kill
that guy?" and he, without smiling even a bit, looked me
right in the eyes and said "Maybe." Then he went and
sat down. To this day, that is the fourth most terrifying thing
I've ever heard someone named James say. Even though Silva hasn't
mastered English and according to recent reports has a weirdly
high-pitched voice, he's said plenty in the Octagon, including
"Boom!”, "Pow!" and, only once, "Shazam!"
That was the fight against Lutter, by the way. Now, the question
is, who takes home the gold? Most people agree that Silva will
likely KO Irvin in the first round, in a modern day David vs.
Goliath showdown, except afterwards David will dance and play
air guitar; although there's no solid evidence to indicate he
didn't to that before. Still, Irvin could knockout a rhino; which
is easier said than done, even taking into account how easy it
is to sneak up on rhinos because of their poor eyesight. Assuming
Silva doesn't go into the fight blind in both eyes due to an
allergic reaction to a pre-fight banana martini, he should be
able to avoid to man-swatters of Irvin and KO the giant with
a well-placed punch. And then he will dance. My Guess: Silva
by KO.
Brandon
"The Truth" Vera vs. Reese Andy
I
have only seen Reese Andy fight once, and that was in Abu Dhabi,
where he beat my friend Denis Kang in a grappling match. Since
then, he's beaten another friend of mine, Krzysztof Soszynski,
in the IFL. It's a damn good thing he's named after my favorite
candy bar, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Otherwise, I'd be tempted
to hold a grudge against him. While Vera doesn't remind me of
any chocolate bars, he did knock out Justin Eilers who once beat
Mike "Mak" Kyle, whose name reminds me of Big Macs;
each one of which is both delicious and made from over a thousand
different cows. I won a lot of money betting on that fight, but
lost it when I picked Vera to beat Fabricio Werdum. In case you
missed that fight, Werdum tackled Vera to the ground like an
octopus on a crab, and proceeded to beat his forearms senseless.
Afterwards, Vera complained that the fight had been stopped too
early, which is funny because you never hear fighters complain
that fights were stopped too late. You know why? Because those
people were beaten to death. My Guess: Vera by KO.
Hermes
Franca vs. Frank "The Answer" Edgar
In
case you, like myself, suffer from severe short-term memory loss,
Franca tested positive for performance enhancing drugs right
after he lost to Sean Sherk at UFC 73: Stacked which, much to
my surprise, had nothing to do with the short-lived Pamela Anderson
sit-com of the same name. While Sherk denied using steroids,
Franca admitted to injecting himself before the fight but was
clever enough to never look like he'd used steroids which, apparently,
is what got Sherk in so much trouble. Now, Franca is back to
face Frankie, who was tearing through the lightweight class like
a fat man eating a bag of Cheeto's until he ran into Gray Maynard.
"The Answer" has some serious wrestling, but Franca
has the gods of jiu-jitsu on his side, plus he hits like he's
hiding a roll of quarters in his fists. My Guess: Franca by submission.
Cain
Velasquez vs. Jake O'Brien
Velasquez
fought in Montreal, where he rode Australian Brad Morris like
a midget on a giant kangaroo. O'Brien made Heath Herring look
as clumsy as a drunk on roller skates during an Earthquake. This
fight will probably also end with a terrible comparison using
"like" or "as". It will probably come down
to wrestling, which is the flour that holds the cake of "whipping
the piss out of you" together. My Guess: O'Brien by decision.
Anthony
"Rumble" Johnson vs. Kevin Burns
Johnson
KO'd his first UFC opponent in 13-seconds and his third in 51-seconds.
Now all he has to do is finish his mind-control ray so he can
make us forget the second-round submission loss he suffered to
Rich "No Love" Clementi which, rather ironically, was
at UFC 76: Knockout. Burns beat Roan Carneiro by choke in his
last fight and, much to my disappointment, looks nothing like
either deceased comedian George Burns, Simpson’s villain
Mr. Burns or even B-list actor Edward Burns. I once badly burned
myself while working at a Bonanza steak house and spent the rest
of my shift in the meat cooler watching the skin peel off my
arm. My Guess: Johnson by KO.
Jesse
Taylor vs. CB Dollaway
I
don't think it is too harsh to call this one a battle between
two screw-ups. After all, Taylor had his route to the finals
in the bag before he kicked out the window of a limousine and
attempted to sodomize a slot machine. Plus, C.B. managed to drop
the armbar ball twice in two separate fights against ultra-nemesis
Amir Sadollah. So, who will screw up for a second (or third)
time? I honestly have no idea since I didn't watch more than
a few seconds of the last season of TUF. I realize, of course,
that it's my job as a wildly popular MMA analyst to watch any
and all fighting shows, but TUF seemed to be more about wrecking
a house and destroying the hard work of an interior decorating
school dropout. My Guess: Taylor by decision.
Tim
Crueder vs. Cale Yarborough
According
to the UFC website, Yarborough has never once had an MMA fight.
Also, he is of no relation to Emmanuel Yarborough, the 600-pound
sumo wrestler who competed in UFC 2, and fell beneath the tomahawk
chops of Kempo Karate expert Keith Hackney, who earned the nickname
"The Giant Killer" from the fight even though he didn't
actually kill Yarborough. Where was I? Right. If the UFC is,
as they claim, the Olympics of mixed martial arts, doesn't it
seem strange that they would recruit someone who's record is
0-0-0? I mean, I've never been on a bobsled in my life and I
seriously doubt the International Olympic Committee would recruit
me to luge down a mountain of ice. This isn't the 1993 movie
'Cool Runnings' after all. My Guess: Crueder by submission.
Jeff
Meszaros welcomes reader feedback at wombat@fcfighter.com and
can also be heard as the host of FCF Radio.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
FIGHT-BY-FIGHT:
AFFLICTION "BANNED" PREVIEW
Today!
Hawaii
Air Time:
3:00PM
Channel 701
by Ricardo Mendoza
WAMMA Heavyweight Championship Bout:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
In
one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year, former
Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko faces off against
former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia for the vacant
WAMMA heavyweight championship.
Emelianenko
comes off a submission victory over K-1 veteran Hong-Man Choi
at Yarennoka while Sylvia failed in his bid to become UFC heavyweight
champion for a third time, succumbing to a choke by Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira at UFC 81.
Fedor
has been criticized recently for his lack of quality opposition
and many fans are questioning his status as the best heavyweight
in the world. He will have an opportunity to change that once
he squares off with Sylvia, who is arguably one of the best heavyweights
in the world. This match-up is intriguing because these two fighters
were respectively at the top of the heavyweight division in both
Pride and the UFC for some time.
It’s
fairly easy to say that Sylvia will pose a new type of threat
to Fedor. Although he has faced fighters similar in size to Sylvia,
none of them have had the skill and technique. Sylvia is a more
than competent striker and will pose a challenge to be taken
to the ground. Sylvia needs to use his reach and stay on the
outside, using his jab to frustrate Fedor who will be looking
to get on the inside.
If
Fedor is able to get on the inside, he will likely secure a body
lock and throw Sylvia on the ground. From there he will either
look to land his vicious ground and pound or work a submission.
Sylvia
needs to stick to his game plan and not get sloppy because if
he makes one mistake, there is no doubt that Fedor will take
advantage of it like he has done so many times in the past.
With
the fight being in the ring, Fedor will be able to fight more
comfortably and won’t have to worry about adjusting to fighting
in cage; which is a whole different experience in itself. The
winner of this match will have major impact in the heavyweight
division.
Heavyweight
Bout:
Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Former
UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett takes on Brazilian slugger
Pedro Rizzo in a rematch of their exciting fight several years
ago.
Barnett
is coming off a workman-like decision victory over Jeff Monson
at Sengoku 2 while Rizzo also defeated Monson in his last outing
at Art of War 3, stopping him with strikes late in the fight.
Both
fighters have taken different paths since their last fights.
After winning the UFC heavyweight title, Barnett moved on to
Japan and became a superstar fighting in Pride. Conversely, Rizzo
faded out of the UFC and Pride before putting together two solid
wins in Art of War.
Rizzo’s
best chance for victory is to once again lure Barnett into a
slugfest and catch him off guard with combinations. If he is
unable to utilize his punches, he’ll need to throw his devastating
low kicks to chop Barnett down and make it harder for him to
take him to the ground.
Barnett
needs to fight smart and not play into the Brazilian’s striking
prowess; get on the inside early and take Rizzo down to the ground
where he can outwork him with ground and pound or submissions.
He should have both strength and size advantages over Rizzo,
so bullying him in the clinch and getting a takedown may not
be too difficult.
This
should be another exciting fight, but in a different way. Barnett
has become a smarter and better fighter since their first encounter,
while Rizzo is on the upside after looking good in his last two
fights. That should be a confidence booster for him. Regardless
of the outcome, either fighter could be in line for a title shot
at the next Affliction show.
Heavyweight
Bout:
Andre Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
Former
UFC heavyweight champion Andre Arlovski faces off with former
IFL heavyweight kingpin Ben Rothwell in another intriguing heavyweight
fight.
Arlovski
comes off a stoppage victory over wrestler Jake O’Brien
at UFC 82, while Rothwell hasn’t seen action since September
of last year when he won a decision over Ricco Rodriguez at the
2007 IFL Team Finals.
Many
fans and critics have wondered if Rothwell is the real deal or
not. After running through the IFL heavyweight division without
much competition, this will be his toughest test to date.
Arlovski
is the better fighter on the ground and is the better striker
when it comes down to technique. He will look to stay on the
outside and use movement to land combinations and frustrate Rothwell.
If the fight hits the ground, Arlovski will have Rothwell on
the defensive with submission attempts.
The
few advantages that Rothwell has will be his size and power.
He needs to use his strengths to impose his will on Arlovski.
Look for Rothwell to get inside or lure Arlovski into a striking
exchange, which would favor the more powerful Rothwell, who needs
to keep the fight standing.
The
winner of this fight could be in line for a shot at the WAMMA
heavyweight title in the near future depending on how things
play out after the first Affliction show. These two will put
on an entertaining fight and will surely not disappoint.
Middleweight
Bout:
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
Team
Quest middleweight standout Matt Lindland takes on Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt Fabio Negao in a middleweight scrap.
Both
fighters were defeated in their last outings. Lindland briefly
moved up to heavyweight to face Fedor Emelianenko at Bodog Fight:
Clash of Nations but suffered a submission loss. Negao is coming
off of a submission loss to Rousimar Palhares at Fury FC 5.
This
will be Lindland’s first fight in well over a year. In addition
to training for this fight, he has run for a U.S. congressional
position and maintained his Sportfight promotion. If there was
anytime for Lindland to be upset, this could be the best time.
Negao
needs to get this fight to the ground and work submissions, keeping
Lindland on the defensive. Neither fighter is known as a remarkable
striker, but they each have their strong points on the feet;
Lindland’s dirty boxing and Negao’s aggression.
Lindland
will look to impose his style and wrestling ability, which he
has used to become one of the better middleweights in the world.
He will want to get on top and maul Negao with ground and pound,
keeping him grounded and unable to react to Lindland’s offense.
More
than likely the majority of this fight will be played out on
the ground, so expect this to be a tactical ground battle with
back and forth exchanges. Either way, Lindland will look to reestablish
himself in the middleweight division as one of the best.
Light
Heavyweight Bout:
Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Former
UFC title contender Renato “Babalu” Sobral takes on
former Ultimate Fighter participant Mike Whitehead.
Sobral
comes off a submission victory over Dutch striker Rodney Faverus
at PFP: Ring of Fire, while Whitehead submitted Zak Jensen at
Beatdown: 4 Bears Casino.
Both
fighters have parted with the UFC and will look to establish
themselves as the best light heavyweights outside of the promotion.
This is an interesting clash of styles with Sobral being a submission
fighter and Whitehead a wrestler.
Sobral
needs to take control of the fight on the feet, putting together
combinations that will keep Whitehead off balance and make him
more susceptible to a takedown. Once on the ground, Sobral will
need to use ground and pound to create openings for a submission.
On
the other hand, Whitehead will look to clinch up and work dirty
boxing on his feet. If that doesn’t pan out, he will use
the clinch to take the fight to the ground. He’ll want to
stay off his back where he will be more vulnerable to submissions.
The
fight will basically come down to which fighter is able to get
the takedown and control the fight from the top. The winner of
this match could possibly meet the winner of the Nogueira vs.
Dewees fight in the future.
Heavyweight
Bout:
Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Paul Buentello
Pride
veteran Aleksander Emelianenko faces off with former UFC slugger
Paul Buentello in a guaranteed heavyweight slugfest.
Emelianenko
comes off a stoppage victory over Silvao Santos at M-1 Challenge,
while Buentello comes off a disappointing stoppage loss to Alistair
Overeem at Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives.
These
two love throwing leather on their feet and this match-up should
produce nothing but fireworks and have the crowd on its feet
for the duration. Plain and simple, the fight will come down
to who is able to land the first power shot that will put his
opponent out.
Emelianenko
is the bigger and stronger fighter of the two and he will have
the advantage on the ground, as he is a national Sambo champion
in Russia. On his feet, he uses a lot of footwork and angles
to put together fight ending punch combinations.
This
will be a tough fight for Buentello as he needs to stay out of
any exchanges with Emelianenko because that is when he is more
vulnerable to being knocked out. The “Headhunter” needs
to stay on the outside, use his jab, and pick his shots coming
in.
This
fight won’t last too long and it will have the same outcome
whichever fighter wins; a crowd-pleasing knockout. Neither fighter
will lose too much with a loss as long as they perform to their
fullest ability and don’t hold back.
Middleweight
Bout:
Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin
Former
UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort makes his middleweight
debut against Midwest wrestler Terry Martin.
Belfort
is coming off of a decision victory over James Zikic at Cage
Rage 23. After departing from the UFC, Martin earned a rather
strange disqualification victory over Daiju Takase at Adrenaline
MMA 1.
This
is an interesting fight for both fighters. Martin needs a good
win to get his career back on track while Belfort looks to reestablish
himself as a prominent force in mixed martial arts. This has
the potential to be a great fight but it depends on which Belfort
shows up.
If
he wants to win the fight, Belfort needs to keep it on the feet
and let his hands go. He can’t be gun shy like he has in
the past because that will play into Martin’s strategy of
slowing the fight down to his pace. If the fight goes to the
ground, he’ll need scramble to stay on top because he hasn’t
shown much off his back in the past.
The
key for Martin will be to slow down the pace and control the
striking exchanges with boxing technique instead of swinging
without regard. If the fight goes to the ground, it will be because
of Martin taking Belfort down for some ground and pound.
The
fight will either be exciting or a slow methodical technical
battle that’ll depend on who is controlling the action standing.
This will be the first telecast fight in Affliction history,
so pressure will be on both fighters to impress.
The
Undercard
The
undercard is littered with Pride, UFC and WEC veterans. In a
light heavyweight bout, Pride veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
takes on Ultimate Fighter alumnus Edwin Dewees. In a featherweight
bout, UFC and WEC veteran Mark Hominick faces off with Shooto
veteran Savant Young. In a welterweight bout, Xtreme Couture
fighter Mike Pyle takes on the undefeated J.J. Ambrose and rounding
out the card is a middleweight bout between UFC veteran Justin
Levens and local fighter Ray Lizama.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Report:
UFC To Purchase IFL
Adam Swift of MMAPayout.com is reporting that the UFC will soon
purchase the IFL:
A Senior Producer at HDNet's Inside MMA tells MMAPayout.com that
the IFL will be bought by the UFC.
MMAPayout.com
has confirmed talks between the IFL and UFC. More details as
they become available.
They've
already signed a ton of their talent, so this would be a very
smart move to keep EliteXC and Affliction from building their
divisions. I doubt the UFC will keep everyone, but this allows
them to get first dibs on who they want to keep and give the
leftovers to the competitors.
Say
what you want about the IFL, but they had a lot of very talented
competitors on their rosters. And I'm guessing the asking price
at this point is pretty low. Well done, Dana.
Source: Fight Line
|
Hideo
Tokoro involved in car accident
DREAM featherweight Hideo Tokoro was rear-ended Tuesday on his
way to his pre-fight medicals for the July 21 DREAM 5 event.
The news comes just a day after the announcement of Hideo Tokoro
(20-13-1)'s participation at the event against DEEP veteran Takeshi
Yamazaki (14-7-2).
Injuries
to his back, were minor, but with the fight only days away, they
could be enough to scrap the bout. DREAM will make an announcement
shortly.
DREAM
5 Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round
Monday, July 21, 2008
Osaka Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan
Lightweight
Grand Prix Semifinals and Finals
- Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Eddie Alvarez
- Shinya Aoki vs. Caol Uno
- Winner of Uno-Aoki vs. Winner of Kawajiri-Alvarez
Lightweight
Grand Prix Reserve Bout
- Joachim Hansen vs. Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill
Other
Bouts
- Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto vs. Joseph Benavidez
- Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Katsuyori Shibata
- Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Motoki Miyazawa
- Hideo Tokoro vs. Takeshi Yamazaki
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Deep,
M-1 Challenge Partnership Kicks Off
by Daniel Herbertson
13715
TOKYO -- A sparsely populated Korakuen Hall saw the first show
Thursday in a new collaboration between Deep and M-1 Challenge.
As part of the Global M-1 Challenge Tournament, Team USA clashed
with Team France and Japan with Holland in a series of matches
spanning five weight divisions.
Team
Japan, which was playing host to undefeated Holland, came up
short in a string of upsets and knockouts.
In
the middleweight division, Yuta Watanabe (Pictures) refused to
touch gloves and then showed he had no intention to stand with
Jason Jones by immediately rushing in for an ill-fated clinch.
Jones, a former Dutch national champion and junior world champion
in judo, quickly sent his foe flying to the mat with a textbook
hari-goshi.
Watanabe
managed to scramble his way back to his feet after the surprise
throw but had even less luck there, as Jones' stiff jabs and
combinations picked him apart. Watanabe finally managed some
offense late in the round when he landed on Jones’ back
after a scramble. There, Watanabe attempted a rear-naked choke
that Jones chose not to actively defend for quite some.
“He
got my back, but I was in no serious trouble,” Jones said
postfight. “He got me in a rear-naked choke from the back,
but I had my chin against my chest. I knew it was the end of
the round. I was hoping he would gas himself out for the second
round. I know when I'm in trouble and I know when I'm not in
trouble, and then I wasn't in trouble.”
In
the second, Watanabe shot for a takedown right as the bell sounded
and finished it after fighting with the ring ropes. On the ground
he quickly passed to mount, where Jones gave his back for the
second time. After another choke attempt by Watanabe, Jones worked
his way back into his opponent’s guard and delivered a vicious
barrage of hammer fists for the win.
“He
got my back again and then he got my back again and then, I think,
it suddenly just hit me, man,” Jones said. “I'd had
enough of this Watanabe, and I just turned his lights out.”
It
was a surprisingly dominant performance for the Dutch product,
who could be an interesting prospect if his ground game can stand
the test of a more accomplished grappler.
Daisuke
Nakamura (Pictures) won a decision over Bogdan Christea, although
the victory wasn't without significant effort. Nakamura avoided
Christea's lunging jabs to respond with one of his own that dropped
his Dutch opponent early in the first. Sensing an easy win, Nakamura
then attempted two kimura attempts that were easily avoided.
Back on the feet, Christea was the more active fighter, darting
in with his jabs. Nakamura, however, scored with his kicks and
more efficient punching.
In
the second, Nakamura changed it up. Over the course of the round,
he attempted a plethora of armbars, flying armbars, triangle
chokes and a kneebar. Christea proved impossible to submit, though,
and made Nakamura pay for it every time with his ground-and-pound
in one of the best rounds in recent memory.
In
the end, all three judges awarded Nakamura the win.
Kamil
Uygun looked impressive early in his bout. He came out aggressively
with powerful punches and kicks, although he soon gassed. Yuji
Sakuragi (Pictures) seemed to be taking the upper hand when Uygun
locked on a clinch and delivered a series of knees that connected
cleanly with Sakuragi's eye.
Sakuragi
went limp, and the ref called the fight as the ring doctor jumped
over a table and through the ropes to see to the fighter, who
was bleeding profusely out of a cut just above his left eye.
Against
all odds, Romano de los Reyes won a close decision over hometown
favorite Ken Hamamura (Pictures) in a difficult fight to call.
While Hamamura constantly pressed the action and moved forward,
Reyes dismantled his opponent in the first with vastly superior
striking that caused Hamamura to switch stances often to protect
his legs.
The
second saw Reyes start to gas. Hamamura gradually took control,
although it was close. Going against the old tradition of the
hometown decision, Reyes got the nod from two judges for a majority
decision.
Representing
Team USA, Mike Dolce (Pictures) decided he had had enough in
the second round of his match with Karl Amoussou (Pictures).
After getting dropped by low kicks multiple times, Dolce received
consecutive body kicks that caused the TUF veteran to suddenly
stop fighting, wave his hand and casually stroll back to his
corner. Amoussou took a moment to figure out what was going on,
then pounced on Dolce in his corner and pounded on him until
the referee caught up.
Team
USA, plagued with last-minute replacements, dropped two more
fights to lose the series 2-3.
Full
results:
M-1
Challenge: Japan vs. Holland
Over
93 kg: Jessie Gibbs (Holland) def. Katsuhisa Fujii (Pictures)
(Japan) -- KO 1:34 R1
93 kg: Kamil Uygun (Holland) def. Yuji Sakuragi (Pictures) (Japan)
-- TKO R1
84 kg: Jason Jones (Holland) def. Yuta Watanabe (Pictures) (Japan)
-- TKO (hammer fists) 2:03 R2
76 kg: Romano de los Reyes (Holland) def. Ken Hamamura (Pictures)
(Japan) -- majority decision
70 kg: Daisuke Nakamura (Pictures) (Japan) def. Bogdan Christea
(Holland) -- unanimous decision
Holland
wins: 4-1
M-1
Challenge: France vs. USA
Over
93 kg: Malick Ndiaye (France) def. James Jack (USA) -- kimura
3:54 R1
93 kg: Christian Mpumbu Ndjoku (France) won TKO :32 R1
84 kg: Karl Amoussou (Pictures) (France) def. Mike Dolce (Pictures)
(USA) -- TKO :41 R2
76 kg: Jake Ellenberger (Pictures) (USA) def. Farouk Lakebir
(France) -- majority decision
70 kg: David Gardner (Pictures) (USA) def. Samuel Judes (France)
-- TKO 3:26 R1
France
wins: 3-2
Single
fights:
Tatsuya
Mizuno (Pictures) def. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi (Pictures) -- KO (uppercut)
4:13 R1
Yuki Ito (Pictures) def. Takaaki Aoki (Pictures) -- majority
decision
Seigo Inoue (Pictures) def. Nobuhiro "Mike" Hayakawa
-- majority decision
Source: Sherdog
|
QUINTON
JACKSON TAKEN IN FOR OBSERVATION
by Ken Pishna
Just one day removed from being arrested by the Costa Mesa Police
Department and charged with alleged felony evasion, hit-and-run,
and reckless driving, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton
“Rampage” Jackson found himself in the custody of another
California jurisdiction.
Although
Jackson was not arrested again, the Irvine Police Department
did escort him to mental health professionals for observation
due to reports of him being a possible threat to himself and
others.
“We
did go out to the residence where he was staying at 4:31 p.m.
PT (on Wednesday in the city of Irvine, Calif.). We were asked
to assist with him and make sure that he was safe and not a danger
to himself or others,” said Lt. Rick Handfield of the Irvine
Police Department. “He was exhibiting some unusual behavior
that his friends that were there felt concerned.” Details
of Jackson’s exact behavior were not forthcoming.
“At
the conclusion of our contact, we did detain him and take him
to be seen by mental health professionals,” continued Lt.
Handfield. He was not released back to Irvine police. “We
left him with the mental health professionals.”
At
this point, due to privacy laws, there is not further information
on the findings of the mental health professionals or what Jackson’s
current condition is.
On
Tuesday, Jackson was arrested by the Costa Mesa Police Department
following a high-speed chase down Newport Boulevard that allegedly
involved multiple collisions between the custom painted pick-up
truck that Jackson was identified as driving and other vehicles.
He was also reported to have crossed over the median into oncoming
traffic and running red lights, causing pedestrians to flee out
of the way before Jackson was taken into custody.
Jackson’s
pick-up is detailed by a custom camouflage paint job with his
likeness and sponsor logos emblazoned across the side.
He
was released from Costa Mesa authorities on $25,000 bail overnight
Tuesday night, leading up to Wednesday’s incident in Irvine.
Jackson
defeated Chuck Liddell for the UFC light heavyweight title in
May of 2007. He held that title for more than a year, until losing
two weeks ago at UFC 86 in Las Vegas by unanimous decision to
current champion Forrest Griffin.
No
statement has been forthcoming from officials at the Ultimate
Fighting Championship.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Tito
Ortiz 'This is Gonna Hurt' Book Review
by Barry Narapareddy
Love him or hate him, Tito Ortiz is a natural born entertainer.
Inside the octagon, Ortiz proves to be a versatile personality
who carries himself with a rebellious swagger that keeps fans
enticed. In his autobiography, "This is Gonna Hurt,"
the former UFC light heavyweight champion does not disappoint
as he maintains his candid demeanor by providing readers with
painful memories of his past and how he overcame unrelenting
obstacles. Although he does not try to articulate his experiences
in a sophisticated manner, Ortiz speaks from the heart. Readers
will be moved by his heartfelt pain and suffering, and they will
smile at his triumphs. As I read the book, I felt as though I
was having a conversation with Tito about his life. The book
was filled with profanity in true Tito Ortiz fashion. He makes
it a point to give 100% of himself to his fans. His last post-fight
t-shirt read, "I did it may way." This book was no
different.
As his story begins, we are introduced to the childhood years
of Tito Ortiz. Those precious years for the Ortiz family consisted
of incessant drug use by Tito's parents. As a child, he would
often come home only to see his parents strung out on drugs.
Eventually, in order to maintain their expensive habit, they
started selling valuable items from their home. There were days
when Ortiz and his brothers would salvage what they could from
garbage cans in order to nourish themselves. Tito makes it evident
that he loved his parents immensely. It truly hurt him to see
them high all the time. It seemed as though he didn’t expect
his parents to be better people, he just desired their love and
attention. When talking about his father, he remarks, "I
hate him for what he put us through and because he could never
be man enough to talk to me about it. But when my dad wasn’t
on drugs, he could be very loving toward me. I remember the times
when I would lay on his chest and we would watch television and
just talk about things. I remember his smell and his hairy chest.
At that time, those things were very comforting to me. There
was a little happiness for me with my parents."
Tito
reveals that his parents’ drug use spirals out of control
so horribly that his father began prostituting his mother in
order to make money for drugs. There were instances during this
chapter where you could sense the pain and anger that Tito had
towards his father. He would recall how he would wait for his
mother to finish with clients so that she could take him out
to eat. All the anger and sadness that was caused by his dysfunctional
family led Tito to join a local gang called the F-Troop. Although
he maintains that he never carried weapons or had a desire to
use them, he does admit to robbing people relentlessly since
he had been doing it for survival as a child. However, after
many life threatening situations and juvenile hall visits, Tito
decides to get jumped out of his gang.
As
his high school years approached, Ortiz gets involved with the
wrestling program, and athletics would become the turning point
of his life. He now possessed something that he was truly passionate
about and it would allow him to release his aggression. He reflects
on his dominant performances on the high school wrestling circuit.
At this point we are introduced to the love of his life Kristin.
It is at this moment that readers will realize that there are
two sides to Tito Ortiz. Instead of the aggressive and cocky
persona that is expected, he reveals a much softer sensitive
side. As we move into his years of college wrestling, we learn
about Ortiz and the early fights of his career. He elaborates
on his first unofficial fight and his first set of fights with
the UFC. He even provides us with personal details about his
rocky relationships with former UFC fighter Tank Abbott and UFC
president Dana White. Throughout the book, as he discusses various
opponents, Ortiz surprisingly complements his old foes. People
will realize that there is a humble side to Tito Ortiz. While
there is the animalistic warrior that comes out in the octagon
to beat his opponents both mentally and physically, there is
also a side of him that gives credit where it is due and accepts
his defeats hoping they make him stronger.
Through
his rise up the UFC ranks, Ortiz discusses how fame ultimately
led to the downfall of his relationship. He cheated on his wife
Kristin numerous times and even had a full-fledged affair. Even
after they had their son Jacob, Ortiz continued his acts of infidelity.
This is the breaking point that causes them to realize that they
love each other so much that they are better off as best friends.
This paves the way for his highly publicized relationship with
ex-porn star and current girlfriend Jenna Jameson. He talks about
a vast array of scenarios in which Jenna was disrespected due
to her porn background. Jameson describes Tito as being the only
man that ever stood up for her. As the book closes, he reveals
more about their blossoming relationship and claims that he has
never been unfaithful to her. Finally, Ortiz describes his life
by saying, "It’s a happy ending … hell, it’s
a great ending." He then goes on to remind us that he is
only thirty-two years old and more motivated than ever. Who knows
what the future holds for the Huntington Beach Bad Boy.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
No-Gi
Worlds sign-ups
IBJJF offers discount till Tuesday
Sign-ups
are already open for the 2008 No-Gi Worlds. The stage for the
disputes will be the California State University Dominguez Hills
gymnasium, and the event is set to take place on the 9th and
10th of August. As is the case with the Worlds in the gi, the
only way to sign up is over the internet, using the on-line form
provided by the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF).
And
those who don’t leave things to the last minute can take
advantage of the discounts offered by the organizers. Anyone
to sign up by the 22nd, or in other words, next Tuesday, will
be charged the discount rate of US$ 82. now those to sign up
between the 23rd of July and the 2nd of August, the deadline,
will have to shell out US$ 102.
It’s
worth noting that each athlete shall receive the t-shirt of the
event to be used in competitions.
At
the same time as the Worlds, the International No-Gi Master and
Senior Championship will take place. The points will be counted
separately from the Worlds, and the event is open to athletes
from blue to black belt from the age of 30 and up.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"Your
worth consists in what you are and not in what you have."
Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, American Inventor and Entrepreneur
|
Sidney
Silva drops weight to fight Japanese fighter
Brazilian to face Hideto Kondo
Brazilian
Sidney Silva will be relying on a little extra strength on August
2nd to face Japanese fighter Hideto Kondo at Icon, in Honolulu,
Hawaii. The fighter will have in his corner giving him instructions
his friend Wanderlei Silva.
Sidney,
who holds the belt for the under 77kg category, to face Hideto
dropped in weight to the under 73kg category.
"This
time I will fight in the under 73kg category. For the rules and
time fighting I enjoy today, strength and explosiveness prevails
a little more, unlike in the old days, when technique prevailed
more, mainly in fights without time limits. That's why I decided
to drop in weight. The guys from the under 77kg category are
very strong and drop a lot to make weight. Now it's my turn,
I'm going to have the same strength level as the guys in this
category," said Sidney, who has been trained by Rafael Alejarra.
Beyond
Sidney's fight, the Icon card will also include a fight between
Brazilian Alan Lima and American Chris "Bobbly" Tennis.
The
day after the fight, Sidney Silva will promote a physical conditioning
and MMA seminar together with Alejarra and Wand.
Event card:
Mark Oshiro vs Bao Quach
Ross 'Da Boss' Ebanez vs Keoni Bryant
Kala Kolohe Hose vs Rolando Dominique
Ed Newalu vs Ricky Wallace
Sidney Silva vs Hideto Kondo
Maui Wolfgram vs Richard Desforge
Eddie Rincon vs Dean Lista
Phil Baroni vs Ron Verdadero
Lolohea Mahe vs Junior Edwards
Jose 'Bomber' Diaz vs Mario Miranda
Sadhu Bott vs Kurrent Cockett
Kyle Miyahana vs Brewski Lewis
Ian Dela Cuesta vs Ola Silva
Alan Lima vs Chris 'Bobbly' Tennis
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Amateur
Boxing Show Tomorrow
USA-Boxing Hawaii, Kawano B.C., and Palolo B.C.
Match Event at the Palolo District Park Gym at 6 p.m.
Bouts and Order Subject to Change.
Tentative Bout Sheet as of July 17, will change.
Red Corner Weights Blue Corner
Boxing Club 3 Rounds Boxing Club
1). Natasha Manuma 190 189 185 Gardenia Sims
Kawano B.C. 1 min. Kawano B.C.
2). Rebecca Sarce 106 103 100 Gina Ramos
Kawano B.C. 1 ½ min. Kawano B.C.
3). Keoni Adric Jr. 10/73 70 12/69 Cyrus Del Rosario
Waipahu B.C. 09/01/97 1 min. 12/27/95 Southside Maui B.C.
4). Kekoa Balasi 11/80 80 11/75 Cain Del Rosario
Waipahu B.C. 07/16/97 1 min. 01/31/97 Southside Maui B.C.
5). Austin Dumlao 12/95 100 13/100 Justin Kahalewai
&nbs p; Waipahu B.C. 08/29/95 1 ½ min. Palolo B.C.
6). John Lumabao 135 130 130 Koichi Tanji
Oki (Kauai B.C.) 2 min. 09/07/85 Unattached
------------------------------10 MIN.----- INTERMISSION -----
10 MIN.-----------------------------
7). Matthew 160 160 156 Paul Gutierrez
636 B.C. 2 min. 10/09/86 Kawano B.C.
8). Michael Brightmon 175 180 180 Steven Cabilis
Palolo B.C. 2 min. &n bsp; 06/27/90 Kalakaua B.C.
9). Kenneth Guzman 220 201+ 230 Elliot Edmunds
636 B.C. 2 min. Kawano B.C.
10). Arnold Dinong 14/145 145 14/145 Tyler Agbayani
Waipahu B.C. 06/24/94 2 min. 07/20/94 Kalakaua B.C.
Tomorrow morning (Sunday) at 6 a.m. the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team
Trials for Boxing will be shown on MSNBC. The Winner of this
Tournament will be on our 2008 U.S. Olympic Team for Boxing on
08/08/08 at 8 p.m in Beijing, China.
We would like to Thank all the Volunteers who make Amateur Boxing
in Hawaii possible. The Officials, Boxers, Coaches, Announcer,
Door Workers (Cornelio Family), Concession (Ramos Family), Palolo
Volunteers, Automatik, Hawaiian Fight Gear, Boxing Commission
Chairman Herbert Minn, Boxing Commissioners, City and County,
Officer Daryl Takata, and our Dr. Suehiro.
Special Thanks to “You” our Boxing Fans and Supporters
and anyone else who I missed.
Bruce
Kawano
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chairman.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Board of Dir./Gov.
Ringside Board of Advisors.
NMU Task Force Appointed Member.
|
Machida
vs. Silva Added to UFC 89 Card
By Kelsey Mowatt
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has announced that a bout between
light-heayvweight contenders Lyoto Machida (13-0) and Thiago
Silva (13-0) has been added to the promotion’s October 18th
event in Birmingham, England. UFC 89 will be headlined by a middleweight
tilt between British star Michael Bisping and the hard hitting
Chris Leben.
The
addition of a Machida, Silva bout will go a long ways to shore
up a card that thus far, had no bouts with serious title shot
implications riding on them, save Bisping possibly, who might
be one or two wins away from challenging Anderson Silva. Despite
being criticized earlier in his career for being too conservative
of a fighter, Machida has looked impressive as of late, submitting
the highly regarded Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 79, and then
more recently at UFC 84, when Machida cruised through former
champion Tito Ortiz for a Unanimous Decision win.
Silva
has lived up to the hype, which accompanied his entrance into
the UFC last year, and has won all 4 of his Octagon appearances.
During that stretch the Brazilian fighter has memorable victories
over Houston Alexander at UFC 78, and most recently, a first
round stoppage of Antonio Mendes at UFC 84.
Other
bouts that have been confirmed for the UFC 89 card include Rameau
Sokoudjou vs. Luiz Cane, Dan Hardy vs. Akihiro Gono and Shane
Carwin vs. Neil Wain.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
ANDERSON
SILVA SOLIDIFYING A LEGACY
by Kieran Malone
Anderson Silva attempts to solidify his growing legacy this Saturday
at UFC Fight Night 14 in Las Vegas.
Since
his arrival in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Silva has
catapulted from relative obscurity to the No. 1 middleweight
fighter in the world and is widely acclaimed as the best pound-for-pound
fighter in the sport. His quest for greatness brings him to the
light heavyweight class where his adversary will be knockout
striker James "The Sandman" Irvin.
The
precision striking Silva bids for a successful entry in a third
weight class. He began his career at welterweight, where he honed
his skills as a talented young fighter. He came to the attention
of MMA fans worldwide when he shocked Hayato “Mach”
Sakurai to claim the Shooto 167-pound title and handed the Japanese
legend his first professional loss. This gave people a glimpse
of the immense talent that Silva possessed.
His
career really took off when he moved up a division to the middleweight
class. He excelled in the division with wins over the top middleweights
in the world en route to the UFC title. With dominating victories
over opponents such as Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt, and two
destructive performances over former champion Rich Franklin,
Silva ascended to the top of the division.
His
most recent bout further highlighted his growing power and intimidating
presence as he defeated former Pride 185-pound and 205-pound
champion Dan Henderson. He systematically picked apart Henderson
like no fighter has done before him. Silva's emphatic display
of crushing force in that fight demonstrated his development
as a fighter and dominance over the weight class.
After
leaving a trail of battered opponents behind him in the UFC middleweight
division, Silva now enters the realm of light heavyweights in
a gambit to reign over another weight class. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
black belt is the first UFC champion that Dana White has willingly
allowed to move up a weight category and still retain his belt.
"Anderson
Silva, being the monster that he is, you all know is going to
move up to 205 on July 19. He's going to fight at 205. If everything
goes well, he wants to move back to 185 and fight Sept. 6 in
Atlanta, probably against Yushin Okami, then he wants to fight
again two months later," White stated.
The
move to light heavyweight could cement Silva’s position
as pound-for-pound king and further add to his increasing legendary
status. Decisions like this illustrate his desire to seek the
hardest challenges so he can test his skills against the best.
Silva has became one of the most respected figures in the sport
due to his competitive attitude and work ethic.
"When
I talk about real fighters, this is the kind of guy I'm talking
about. This guy sat down in a meeting with us, literally, two
months ago and said you're not fighting me enough, I want to
fight more," explained the UFC president. "And he wants
to keep proving himself. He's one of these guys that said my
window is this big and I want to get everything in before this
window closes."
In
the past two, years Silva's improvement as a fighter has been
very notable. The entertaining Brazilian has dazzled with his
destructive striking skills leaving fans in awe of his power
and the accuracy of his strikes. Silva is more of a complete
fighter having earned his black belt in BJJ under the Nogueira
brothers.
Being
an extremely exciting fighter has led to a surge in popularity
for the Brazilian and has put him on the verge of super stardom.
"He
wants to hold both the 185- and the 205-pound belt and he wants
to defend them both. Normally I won't let guys do stuff like
that because it's just… stupid. I'll let Anderson Silva
do it," said White.
James
Irvin stands in his Anderson Silva’s way this Saturday and
hopes to derail the champion’s foray at light heavyweight.
“You
want to bet against me, go ahead. I have nothing to lose in this
fight. This fight is a win-win fight for me. I'm not going to
go in there and be anyone's punching bag. I have no problem taking
two of his to get one of mine. If we get into a slugfest going
back and forth, I guarantee you I'm going to win,” said
Irvin confidently.
With
what is sure to be a stand up battle, Silva vs. Irvin could easily
be a candidate for “Fight of the Night.” A win on Saturday
night could prove to be a pivotal step in Anderson Silva’s
career. If he were to attain both the middleweight and light
heavyweight belts, Silva would achieve a feat that very few fighters
have ever reached. A prosperous future seems inevitable for the
highly skilled fighter who has already seen glory in two divisions.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
WEC
36: Faber vs. Brown announced
The WEC announced Thursday that a Urijah Faber featherweight
title defense will headline the promotion's debut in Florida
on September 10.
"The California Kid" (21-1) will put his title on the
line for the sixth time, taking on Mike Brown (19-4) out of the
American Top Team in Coconut Creek.
In
the co-featured bout, middleweight champion Paulo Filho (16-0)
will give it another go for the already twice-scrapped rematch
against Chael Sonnen (21-9-1).
WEC:
Faber vs. Brown will be televised live on VERSUS at 9pm ET.
WEC
36: Pulver vs. Brown
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL
145
lbs. | Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown
185 lbs. | Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen
155 lbs. | "Razor" Rob McCullough vs. Donald Cerrone*
185 lbs. | Jake Rosholt vs. Danillo Villefort*
205 lbs. | Mark Munoz vs. Steve Steinbeiss*
170 lbs. | Johny Hendricks vs. Alex Serdyukov*
Source: MMA Fighting
|
From
Surviving the Streets of Russia to MMA: The Story of Aleksander
Emelianenko, Part 1
by Evgeni Kogan
"I'm ready. It doesn't matter with who or where. On foot
or on horseback. With maces or poleaxes. To fight. To first blood
or to death. It doesn't matter, I'm ready to fight." --
Aleksander Emelianenko
Living
in the shadow of a big brother isn't easy.
When
you are in the same profession and he's more accomplished and
better known, it's hard to stand in the spotlight unobstructed,
as your own man. Side by side, the achievements that you've worked
your whole life for, that you've gone through hell for in order
to become a better person are less dazzling, less impressive
when compared to his. You have less say in your fighting future,
less media attention when he's caught in a perpetual avalanche
of flash bulbs and microphones. You're fighting on the televised
undercard when he's headlining the pay-per-view.
Last
month I traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, to spend some time
with Aleksander Emelianenko and his family. I wanted to get to
know the man, to go beyond the reputation, the rumors. I went
to see through the web of tattoos and find out who he really
is and what life means to him. To observe him alone, in other
words, if only fleetingly.
St.
Petersburg, often called the Venice of the North, is only 600
kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. Because of the tilt of
the planet, during summer in the northern hemisphere, it's light
here almost 24 hours a day for most of a month and a half. Celebrating
warm weather and perpetual daylight -- it's the exact opposite
in winter -- the people here often spend whole nights outside,
taking in the atmosphere, sightseeing, partying. The center of
the city is beautiful, green, airy, built almost entirely in
the same style of architecture dating back to its founding just
more than 300 years ago.
I
like being here. It's refreshing to hear and see so many foreigners
(tourism is still in embryonic stages in Russia, and it's still
startling to hear other languages spoken around you). The city
gives me hope for the future, glimpses of a Russia that is an
inextricable part of Europe, whose citizens feel part of the
world community and can come and go as they please. This freedom,
what St. Petersburg represents, is perhaps part of the reason
Aleksander Emelianenko chose to move here in 2003, leaving behind
his home city of Stary Oskol and his past there for good.
Aleks
and his family live in a pre-Stalin-era building, not far from
Nevsky Prospect -- St. Petersburg's main street and the cultural
and business heart of the city. The sprawling, sweeping staircase
leading to their top-floor apartment is crumbling, dilapidated,
looks like a movie set that had been submerged in deep water
for a long time and then drained. The communal interiors of apartment
buildings in almost the entire country are the same (particularly
from this period or earlier): Mostly everything that didn't belong
directly to someone was left to fight its own losing battle with
entropy.
In
contrast, their apartment is large, modern, airy and cozy. Emelianenko,
with his size and ink, looks incongruous amongst the baby furniture
and toys, the artwork, the office corner. We settle in on opposing
armchairs, Aleksander against a window and next to a very large
photograph of him and his wife and decide to let the interview
run for as long as it takes. The discussion is only briefly interrupted
by the arrival of Olya Emelianenko, their 10-month-old daughter,
and two small dogs. Outside, it's suddenly gotten darker and
is now raining. Aleks helps with the stroller and we continue,
every so often accommodating the opinions of his baby daughter,
who's now happily perched on his knee.
Initially
I was going to write an article on Aleks based on the interview.
However, back home in Moscow, going over the interview material,
I quickly understood that I would never be able to fit even a
small portion of everything that we talked about into a piece
that wasn't the length of a New Yorker magazine article. So I
think it's best to leave things as they are, and present the
unabridged version of our discussion.
One
final point to make. You will inevitably be looking for confirmation
or denial of the rumors that Aleks spent time in prison. He steadfastly
maintains that he did not. Of his tattoos, he says that they
are a collection of beautiful pictures, some of which he designed
himself, and that any similarities to those in "Eastern
Promises" are purely coincidental.
Sherdog.com:
Tell me about your very first memory. Not something that you
think is important, but your very first.
Emelianenko: I don't even know. Speaking honestly, my childhood
seems shrouded in fog and I really don't remember any specific
moments that really stood out.
I
do have, you know, fragments. I remember something here. Then
when I talk about some occurrence, again I'll remember something
else.
I
can remember that I was forgotten in kindergarten. My parents
had to pick me up, and I almost ended up staying the night with
the night watchman because they forgot to. Finally my mother
came at almost midnight. They forgot that I was in the kindergarten.
I was around 4 or 5 years old.
My
mother worked till late, so did my father. They were relying
on each other to pick me up, and neither one managed it, and
so they forgot about me. I waited with the night watchman, thought
that I was spending the night there. She had already made a place
for me to sleep, so that I would be ready for the next day. I
was ready to go to sleep when they picked me up.
School.
I remember school. The very first day. I left. I ran away from
school. I have a buddy, a friend who had already been there for
a while. We had been going to kindergarten together at one time.
His parents asked -- I mean they wrote him a note excusing him
after lessons. And he came up to me and dishonestly convinced
me that it was OK for me, too, to leave and go home. And it was
my first day of school and, I don't know, I ran away.
Then
I came home to my mother and her belt. I remember we went to
his house to play toy soldiers, other toys. We lived right next
to each other. I came back home without a thought, thinking that
there was going to be a celebration of my first day. And instead
I got it really good with the belt. You can't just leave school
like that.
Later
I remember I fought at school all the time. I even remember the
first time I fought. For some reason I fought with older boys
all the time -- those taller, bigger than me. And what's more,
I always fought over silly, little things. First time was a week
after I got to school, at the age of 6. And we fought not like
kids like to -- to push each other with their shoulders or other
such things. We fought for real. It was the first time I got
hit in the face. I had bruises. But managed to beat my opponent
who was about two years older than me. And at that age, even
a year, in youth, makes a really big difference. His name was
Yura, I think.
Sherdog.com:
What do you remember about Yura? Why did you fight?
Emelianenko: He was in a parallel class to me. He'd been at school
a long time, was much bigger than everyone else and, as follows,
stronger and more arrogant than everyone else. And that's why
we got into a fight. I went to try to pit my arrogance, my strength
against him. And I hit and hit him, eventually winning and gaining
the respect of other students.
He
hit me, I hit him. We clinched. I threw him, then hit and hit
him once he was on the ground. He screamed until the teachers
came and pulled me away. I was one of the biggest kids in my
class, which has to be said. Biggest or second biggest in my
class.
Sherdog.com:
School until the age of 10?
Emelianenko: Yes, I remember. I remember. Until 12 I was a really
good student. Then when I transferred … I had a trainer
who transferred all the kids who trained wrestling, sambo and
judo. The trainer gathered all those kids, from the same age
group, into one school, in one class. And so that it would be
more convenient, he made arrangements with the teachers for us
to go to competitions, to train etc. …
And
so at the age of 13 when I moved into this new school, I started
getting Cs. So I almost instantly became a straight-C student
and began to take my sport more seriously. This was when I was
13. And so that was that. Finished school and went to training
school. So. Well, learning came naturally and easily to me, but
it was very hard for my teachers to teach me.
Sherdog.com:
So why train?
Emelianenko: From the earliest age I wanted to. I wanted to train
in sports. From the earliest age. Earlier, when I was little,
all of our soccer grounds, hockey rinks were filled. All the
kids were doing something. In every yard, in every basement there
was some sport to participate in. Karate was starting to gain
in popularity. In lots of martial arts schools it was starting
to be taught.
But
I had already chosen for myself judo from the age of 6, so I
continued with it and stood my ground. Just judo and sambo and
I didn't deviate away from them. Eventually, just like anyone
else within a team, I started arguing with the trainers, leaving
the team and dropping judo and sambo. Picking up boxing, training
in boxing, then returning to wrestling again. In short, I was
looking to find myself in one form of fighting art or another.
I like it, I really liked it.
Sherdog.com:
Did you ever try any other sports?
Emelianenko: Yes, I tried basketball and really liked it. For
example, in the morning or during the day I'd complete my wrestling
or boxing training, but I'd know that in the evening the guys
would be training basketball. So I'd turn up to their training
and tell them that I wanted to learn how to play, and so I'd
train with them.
I
went and played soccer. … I played many different types
of sports. I just really like sports.
Sherdog.com:
Which sports teams do you support?
Emelianenko: Well, I was just supporting the St. Petersburg soccer
team "Zenit," which just won the UEFA cup. Great work,
guys. Then I had to support the Russian national team in ice
hockey in the World Cup. They did great and won. Now the Russian
national football team is playing in the European championships.
I am supporting them. I watch every day, think about the team.
They'll win. They'll win Europe. [Russia made it to the semifinals
for the first time in more than 20 years but was beaten by the
eventual winner, Spain.]
Sherdog.com:
I watched the football yesterday in a Russian bar for the first
time, with Russian supporters. Lots of swearing. I'd never heard
so much swearing in the West from the fans supporting a game,
particularly not in an [upscale] bar.
Emelianenko: Is there real swearing in the West? I'm interested.
Sherdog.com:
Yes, but it's not nearly as developed and used as it is here
[in Russia]. But the funniest thing is that the bar was [upscale]
and all the men who were swearing were with well-heeled girls
who didn't know what to do at all. The whole bar is looking at
their men, and they are sitting there not knowing where to look
or what to do with themselves.
Emelianenko: Yeah, no. I think that at functions of this sort
it is not necessary at all to take women along. It's better to
leave them at home, or send them along to some other event or
place. One can always relax and spend time with women, but at
events like that, it's better to be among your own kind. To be
able to relax completely without feeling self-conscious because
of who's present. And the women are probably sitting there not
knowing why they have been brought there at all. … They
should have left them at home.
Sherdog.com:
What kind of a teenager were you in Stary Oskol? What did you
do? What were your friends like?
Emelianenko: My friends. My childhood and growing up was, a little
… well, not really a little, more like completely -- completely
different from what happens now. We were basically left to our
own devices and to the streets. Everything took place on the
street. The street, she brought us up. Made men out of us. Brought
us up. We did everything. Everything that was allowed and everything
that wasn't allowed.
Sherdog.com:
In more detail please.
Emelianenko: In more detail. I don't even know where to start.
We played football. In winter we played hockey [laughs].
Sherdog.com: Aside from sport.
Emelianenko: We did everything, you know. Well, you know. If
I started for me, it's all normal and not out of the ordinary,
you know, about my childhood and when I was a teenager, life
and what took place. If I was to start telling today's kids and
tried to compare them and their lives to me and my growing up,
of course it's going to be completely different.
You
know, maybe some things that will be really shocking to a teenager
or an adult now, for me, at that time it was in the scope of
normality. And nothing out of the ordinary. Just a normal situation.
When
we went to fight, I remember, we had in our city this huge conflict.
And we fought one inner-city suburb against another. We gathered,
something like a thousand of us, and we fought against their
thousand. We gathered on one huge, abandoned-building site, picked
up sticks, basically anything that came to hand, rocks, and started
fighting.
We
overturned cars, sometimes police cars. And that's not normal
you know. It's youth. Basically, one of our friends was hurt
by the kids in the neighboring suburb and then friends of friends
and friends of their friends came, and that's how it eventually
happened. Many people showed up. The authorities didn't know
what to do with us, where to send us.
Sherdog.com:
In a fight like that, how do you know who is fighting on whose
side?
Emelianenko: Well, all of your foes, they are coming head-on
at you. And all of your friends, they're all behind you, supporting
you.
Sherdog.com:
So with sticks?
Emelianenko: Anything that came to hand basically. Though we
tried not to pick up anything that was blatantly a cold weapon,
i.e. knives, stabbing weapons etc. … But still, sometimes
… .
Sherdog.com:
So did you ever get beat up at such things?
Emelianenko: Of course. I'd get it and they'd get it. Everyone
would get it at some point. We were young. I was maybe in the
8th or 9th class [13 or 14]. Imagine to yourself, say, 200 kids,
13 or 14, from one side. And a similar group on the other side.
Maybe a little older. But really they're children. They get together
and start, you know, having watched some movie about something
and they pretend. Or they're fired up by some song.
Sometimes
some kids didn't even know why they ended up there, or what for.
Some are there for their friend etc. … Most fights started
over small stuff. Someone took a friend's money, and we went
to work things out. Those hooligans called their friends. We
called our friends. Everyone called someone, and so god fell
on this church [direct translation].
And
they had no idea what to do with us. Imagine 500 children. What
do you do with them? What did they do? Stood and watched. Called
out, tried somehow to separate us and make everyone leave, but
it was useless. If today everyone leaves, tomorrow we gather
again and it's the same thing.
What
do you do? We needed to sort things out. Sometimes it worked.
We'd turn up, sort something out and then everyone goes home
and things are quiet for a while. Then later again the same thing.
And then eventually some of your foes from those fights become
really good friends.
Basically
like in Russia, a long time ago. Fist fights on holidays and
during celebrations. Men would drink, go outside, take their
shirts off and then go fight each other in big groups. And straight
after all go back to drinking again. Like real men used to do
here. Gather, fight and then everything is fine again.
Sherdog.com:
What were your parents doing during all this?
Emelianenko: They worked.
Sherdog.com:
Are you still friends with anyone from your childhood, from your
home city, Stary Oskol?
Emelianenko: When I left the city where I was born, I left everyone
I knew there. It's not even that I left them there myself. They
decided to stay there themselves, so to speak. All my friends.
People of a limited, um, it's not that they had limited perspectives.
They
just had limited ways of thinking. People who, farther than the
territory, that the place where they live, they can't see beyond
that. That's why pulling them after oneself, firstly, it's a
great burden, and secondly, I don't see the point. With limited
perspective, they choose their mode of life.
No
matter how often you put a peasant on a throne, he will remain
a peasant. And so it is with my old comrades. There were friends,
but then at a given moment, they were suddenly too different,
and walked away from me on their own accord. And so I was like
a yacht that gathers speed and the others -- some keep up, others
lag behind.
And
then eventually I was left far out, by myself. Some didn't want
to, others were scared. Others had more beneficial friends. They
bent, went to be friends with those people because they thought
they could get from them more than they could get from me. It's
life. It happens to everyone. That's why I don't try to pull
friends with me. They either keep up on their own or fade behind.
Sherdog.com:
When did you leave?
Emelianenko: Five years ago I came here. In five years my circle
of acquaintance has completely changed. And the people with whom
I communicated prior to that, I can't communicate with them anymore.
They have become of no interest to me. And they understand that
it's difficult for them to communicate with me. That they couldn't.
Because I've changed. My way of thinking has changed, as opposed
to those who have stayed behind. They basically stayed, stayed
to live there. And I left. Left to move to St. Petersburg.
Sherdog.com:
What did you do at the training school? How old were you?
Emelianenko: I was 16. At the training school. I basically had
a good time. This was the time when everything got interesting.
Hanging out, girls, something else. Something else … .
In
reality it was a very difficult time that every teenager has
to overcome. During the summer, I was training boxing and my
mother forbade it. And I didn't tell her that I was going to
boxing. I would come home and hide all my gear in the entrance
to my building. In a mailbox.
There
were these big mailboxes, and I had a whole bag in one of them.
There were boxing gloves, training boots, uniform, towels, helmet
-- I had everything and I hid it there. So I'd say, "Mum,
I'm going out for a walk," and she'd say, "OK, son,
of course, go," and I would go to the letterbox, get my
bag and go to training. I'd train, then go back home and once
again hide my stuff and arrive at home and say, "Mum, I've
come back from my walk."
And
that was at the same time as my peers would be drinking beer
and relaxing with girls, and that's how they spent their time.
And I would be training and working to achieve certain results.
There were many problems, but I overcame them all.
Many
of my peers, some became drug addicts. Some were killed, some
overdosed. Basically wherever fate would throw them. I can say
that of all who I knew, I can't say that any of them have achieved
something in this life. They all have disappeared somewhere,
have dissolved into nothing.
Sherdog.com:
What was the training school? What were you training to be?
Emelianenko: I finished my education as an electric welder. In
reality I studied. I gained entry to become an electrician. Then
for bad behavior, they transferred me to the lathe operators.
Then for bad behavior again, they transferred me to the crane
operators. Then for the same reason, they transferred me to the
cooks, and then finally they transferred me to the electrical
welders. Well, I came to the electric welders.
I'll
tell you. The training school, the electrical welder class, when
I entered the electric welder class it had just received as a
gift from the school this big cake. The cake was for being the
best class that half year out of their whole year group. And
they were so proper. They almost wore Communist badges, they
were so good.
And
I came, had a look at everything. And I can't take all the credit
[laughs] for making the class do everything that it did from
then on. But for some reason, during the next half yearly period,
that class became the worst class in the whole school.
And
it's not because I blatantly turned the boys bad. I just showed
them a few things, ways to see some things. I said that one doesn't
need to live by some rules, made by no one knows whom. …
One needs to look at things more simply. Doesn't need to reinvent
the wheel. One needs to live and live simply. To live and just
be happy with life.
Sherdog.com:
Why [were you transferred] to the welders after bad behavior?
Emelianenko: They just didn't know what to do with me. Tried
to work it out and didn't have anywhere to put me. So they put
me in with the welders who were the best class, hoping that that
class would change me. But it happened that I changed the whole
class instead … 30 people. And they never got that cake
again.
Sherdog.com:
What were you doing in your personal life at this time?
Emelianenko: Everything was fine. There wasn't anything really
out of the ordinary. Well again, it was all just normal. Because
I went through everything, and in my own turn I was, so to speak,
cooked in this same porridge. Of course now my life is completely
different to that which I lived at that time. But it was nothing
so out of the ordinary, you know. It's not like there were aliens
from another planet, and I spent time with them. Nothing like
that.
I
can't tell you about anything like that. It was all much simpler.
We spent a lot of time on the streets. There was nothing to eat
at home. We ate just cooked spaghetti with my brother. Or just
potato. In the best scenario, my mother would make a cabbage
soup on some kind of bone for bullion. She'd make a nine-liter
pot for the whole week. And we'd eat it until we'd finished it.
And that's how we ate.
So
we had to run around in circles, amuse ourselves and come home
to eat because it was the only place we could. It was very hard
to train seriously. So we did what we had to. Whatever we had
to, to survive. I didn't refuse anything. Didn't turn away from
anything. But we didn't do anything that made us less than people.
Sherdog.com:
What else were you doing during the madness of the late 1990s
in Russia?
Emelianenko: I, at that time, I wanted to say I was learning.
In 1999 I won the European championships in sambo. Sport sambo
[as opposed to combat]. In the region where I lived, I was the
first to show such a result in this sport. And at the same time
I became a Russian Master of Sports in judo.
And
aside from that, I did what I had to. Well, I didn't screw nuts
and bolts in a factory. I didn't unload railway cars. I concerned
myself with slightly different things. I don't even know how
to describe it to you. Did whatever I had to. I stayed in touch
with friends, helped them out. We helped each other out. So.
One had one thing. Someone else had something else. And that's
how it kind of went, on its own accord. And it didn't seem like
anything, you know. You kind of earn and you do it with friends.
It
begins with, you know, a friend asking for help. And at that
time, what did I need? In 1999 at 17 years old. To eat something,
to have clothes, shoes and I didn't have a headache about anything
else at that time. Parents didn't earn money at that time. My
mother was a teacher in school. My father was a normal worker.
And
when I was 14 or 15 and they separated, my father started thinking
of his own stomach and his own life. He stopped helping us, stopped
helping my mother. If she spent her teacher's salary just on
herself, then my father spent his salary just on himself. Didn't
help us at all.
Sherdog.com:
So did the lack of a father from that point have an influence
on your life?
Emelianenko: Well, no. Like I said, they never had time. Not
for me. My mother was constantly suffering at work. I never saw
my father. The streets brought us up. All these memories, everything
that I am remembering of, I want to tell you about something
happy, that I remember some happy moments, but there aren't any.
They were times of change, hungry times, cold and I grew up on
the streets.
Sherdog.com:
Are you now in communication with your father?
Emelianenko: No, I haven't spoken to him in a long time. A long
time ago we had a conflict, when I was 16 years old, when he
told me everything he thought of me. And now that all this time
has gone by, the time when I needed him, when I didn't have him
there. And now that I have become successful, have become a known
person, when people all over the world know me, of course he
wants to communicate with me.
But
why?
I
know everything about this person. What he is really like. I
don't know. Of course I could put on a mask. Make friends and
sit there with a smile, saying, "Father, I am so happy to
see you." But really I think it's better not to communicate
with such people. Better than to communicate with them, but through
forcing you to do it. Earlier, a few years ago, he used to call.
To ask about my life, my health and such. And now he doesn't
even call anymore.
Source: Sherdog
|
Mike
Swick Sidelined with Surgery
By Tim Ngo
UFC Welterweight competitor Mike “Quick” Swick has
revealed that he had elbow surgery late last week. Swick said
that the surgery was a success and that he expects a full recovery.
There is no timetable for his return, however, he is hoping to
fight by the end of 2008.
“I’ve been needing to get it taken care of for a while,”
Swick told MMAJunkie. “We knew we had to schedule it right
after (the Davis) fight to get it done. I got a bunch of little
bone fragments taken out of my elbow.”
Swick
defeated Marcus Davis in his last Octagon outing at UFC 85 just
last month. That was his second bout since his drop down to the
170-pound division, where Swick won his debut against Josh Burkman
at Fight Night 12.
“I
think (the elbow) is going to recover pretty well, and I should
be back in November,” Swick said about a possible return
date. “I would say November, maybe December.”
It
was rumored that Swick might be back in time to compete at UFC
89, which will be held in October, however, he is not going to
rush his recovery.
“That’s
a false rumor,” Swick said. “I haven’t heard anything
about it. I just had surgery and I’m not going to be back
until probably November or December. I’m not fighting Dan
Hardy in England. I’m not even fighting on that card. There’s
no way I’ll be back that soon.”
Source: Fight Line
|
FRANKIE
EDGAR LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK
by Mitch Gobetz
Frankie Edgar was quickly ascending to a lightweight title shot
in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He had defeated top lightweight
contender Tyson Griffin in his debut at UFC 67; a memorable fight
that was easily a candidate for fight of the year. He went on
to defeat Mark Bocek, and then dominated Spencer Fisher.
Everything
was right on track… and then he ran into Gray Maynard.
Maynard
controlled the fight with Edgar and won a unanimous decision
over the New Jersey native. After the fight, many fans thought
that Edgar looked small and felt he should move down to featherweight.
He responded to the speculation recently on MMAWeekly Radio.
“It's
definitely an option,” said Edgar. “Obviously I'm fighting
at 155. That's where I'm staying for now. If I had won that fight,
I'm sure no one would have said anything about me going to 145.
It's just how it goes.”
Although
the loss deterred his potential shot at a title, it doesn’t
mean that it is completely out of the picture. “The Answer”
is looking to get refocused and make another run up to the top.
“You
got to forget about it. You can use it for motivation. It's easy
for me to get up for fights. I'm a little more focused. I think
that loss definitely made me focus a little more.”
The
UFC recently announced a free Spike TV fight card to air on July
19 highlighted with Anderson Silva taking on James Irvin at 205
pounds in the main event. Edgar was also added to that card.
He will take on Hermes Franca in his first fight back since serving
a one-year suspension. Edgar was eager to get back in the Octagon
as soon as possible to erase his last loss.
“I
like to get in there right away. I originally tried to get on
the July card, but they didn't have anything for me. They told
me I'd fight August 9 and then they bumped me up to July 19,
so I was pretty happy about that.
“I'm
always in pretty good shape. I found out five weeks out. I was
already in fighting shape. I'll be good to go,” he added.
His
fight with Franca will be shown on the televised portion of the
event. “It just shows that they have confidence in me and
that I can put on good shows and good fights. I want to fight
tough guys and Hermes is one of them.”
Franca
was widely considered one of the top contenders in the lightweight
division before his suspension. A win would have considerable
implications in the lightweight title picture for Edgar. “I
think this is a perfect opponent to get back where I was. I'm
really glad that Hermes is my opponent I'm going up against this
time,” he said.
Edgar
is a strong wrestler, but was out-grappled by Maynard. He realizes
that he’ll need more than high level pedigree in wrestling
to become a champion in the UFC.
“I
always train hard, but I don't think that's enough these days.
Everybody trains hard. You got to be a complete fighter.”
Franca
has been off for over a year and ring rust could play a factor
in this fight. However, Edgar doesn’t think that will be
the case and is prepared for the best Hermes Franca.
“I
think my style is pretty high paced and pretty forward. Who knows?
He could be better taking a year off and I'm sure he's pretty
hungry to get back in there. It's going to definitely be a strategic
fight, knowing that he can finish fights in many different places.”
A
win over Franca could catapult Frankie Edgar right back into
the title picture. Not looking past Franca, “The Answer”
hopes to garner a future rematch against Gray Maynard, the only
fighter that has defeated him.
“I
absolutely would. I think everybody wants to beat up the person
who beat them up once. I'm not going to go in there and ask for
it right away. If it comes up in the future, I'll definitely
jump on it.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Banha
faces Sokoudjou at UFC
Bout set for October
One
of the standouts at UFC 85, which took place at the beginning
of the month, Brazilia Luis Banha will be the adversary of Cameroonian
Rameau Sokoudjou at UFC 89, on October 18th, in the city of Birmingham,
England. This will be the third appearance for the Gibi Thai
fighter in the American organization. In his debut, Banha overcame
James Irvin by disqualification after an illegal knee.
Coincidently
the “African Assassin”, as Sokoudjou is known, will
also be making his third appearance in the UFC. Hired with the
status being a big star from the days of Pride, due to the knockouts
he used to lay out Braziliand Rogerio Minotouro and Ricardo Arona,
Sokodjou was defeated by Lyoto Machida at UFC 79 and recovered
by knocking out Japanese star Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 84, last
May.
Check
out the card being announced for UFC 89
Michael
Bisping vs Chris Leben
Rameau Sokoudjou vs Luis Banha
Dan Hardy vs Akihiro Gono
Shane Carwin vs Neil Wain
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“The
kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid.”
Source: Unknown
|
PHIL
BARONI DISMISSES HEADBUTT ATTACK
The ‘New York Badass’ Phil Baroni has decided not to
press charges following an assault on him at Wembley Arena on
Saturday night, witnessed by millions on live television.
Cage
Rage officials have, however, banned the brother of his defeated
opponent, Scott Jansen, from attending future fights following
the incident at Cage Rage 27 presented by EliteXC.
First,
the American banged out plucky Brit Jansen in a blistering battle,
which lasted just 3:18 of round one. Then as Baroni went to check
on Jansen’s condition, he fended off an attacker that, without
warning, headbutted the 32-year-old.
A
sanguine Baroni has decided to let the matter rest. “These
things happen,” said Baroni. “It must be tough to see
a loved one get knocked out like that. Emotions ran high. I want
to put this behind me.”
Dave
O’Donnell, Cage Rage co-promoter stated, “We launched
an immediate investigation into cage-side security and have issued
a ban on a member of Scott’s family attending future fights.
“This
should not have happened. Baroni has shown a lot of dignity throughout.
Many fighters might have responded and escalated the situation.
“It
was great to see the guys in the bar after the fight shaking
hands and joking.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
TIM
SYLVIA IS READY TO SHOCK THE WORLD
Upsets have always been considered one of the most compelling
storylines in all of competitive athletics. From the original
upset in 1919 when 7 to 2 underdog, “Upset” helped
coin the phrase still popularized today, by defeating championship
horse “Man-O-War” handing the horse the only defeat
of its career all the way to the most recent Super Bowl which
saw the upstart New York Giants defeat the previously unbeaten
New England Patriots to become NFL champions.
Yes,
upsets are as natural to sports as winning is and on Saturday
night, former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight, Tim
Sylvia, looks to defy the odds and take out perennial top fighter,
Fedor Emeliananko, in the main event of the debut Affliction
show on pay-per-view.
While
many consider Sylvia a heavy underdog in the fight against Emelianenko,
the fight will take place in his home country with unified rules
in place that Tim is used to fighting under. But Sylvia doesn’t
feel the rules will be the biggest factor against Fedor in this
match-up.
“I
don’t know if any of that’s going to affect him,”
Sylvia said about Fedor’s ability to adapt to the unified
rules. “He’s a professional, he can adapt. The only
thing I think could affect him is the level of competition that
he’s fought in the last three years. I’ve fought top
level opponents and he’s had not so stiff competition.”
The
argument is just, as Fedor has spent the last three years battling
fighters such as Mark Coleman and Hong Man Choi, while Sylvia
has fought nothing less than top competition for years while
serving in separate reigns as both champion and top contender
in the UFC’s heavyweight division.
Another
argument that has to lean Sylvia’s way is his size and reach
advantage which can be nearly impossible to train for. Fedor,
at 6’0” even, has fought tall fighters such as Semmy
Schilt, who stands 6’11”, and most recently Hong Man
Choi, a skyscraper himself at 7’2”.
“Fedor
has commented in the past that he’s fought guys similar
to me,” said Sylvia. “So if he’s thinking those
two fights (Schilt and Choi) and thinking that’s the same
kind of guy he’s going to face, then he’s in for a
long, long night. Or it could be a short night, you never know.”
Sylvia
has never been one to shy away from challenges and the fight
with Emelianenko is nothing less than an extremely daunting task,
but a job the Maine native looks forward to.
“I
really like testing myself and what better way to test yourself
than against the number one guy in the world, right?” Sylvia
commented.
If
Sylvia passes the test he could single handedly create chaos
in an already muddied heavyweight division. While Fedor has been
firmly planted at #1 for some time now, his lack of activity
and fights against unranked opponents have hurt his stature.
The downside is the fighter closest to taking his spot, current
UFC heavyweight champion, Antonion Rodrigo Noguiera, was mugged
by Fedor both times they fought to a finish.
Don’t
forget that Nogueira defeated Sylvia earlier this year to become
UFC champion.
So
what are Tim’s plans for Fedor and the heavyweight rankings
in this fight?
“I
plan on throwing a big old monkey wrench in the heavyweight division,”
Sylvia said with a laugh.
Sylvia
will get his chance as he faces Fedor Emelianenko for the WAMMA
heavyweight title at Affliction: Banned on Saturday night in
California.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
DRUG
TEST NETS TIGER WHITE 9 MONTH SUSPENSION
At a hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission last
week, Vernon “Tiger” White was officially suspended
stemming from a positive drug test result for the banned diuretic
Hydrochlorothiazide. The drug test was following a May 31 kickboxing
bout for Xtreme Fighting Association.
White
received a nine month suspension, was fined his entire $2,000
win bonus, and the fight was changed from a victory for him to
a no contest result.
"I'm
not going to try to talk myself out of trouble, it was a stupid
mistake,” said White during the hearing.
Due
to the positive test result and impending suspension, White was
removed from a fight against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira that was
to take place on Saturday’s Affliction “Banned”
event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Fellow
UFC veteran Edwin Dewees, who has signed a multi-fight contract
with Affliction, subsequently replaced him. Dewees’ first
action for Affliction will be against Nogueira on Saturday night.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CALIFORNIA
STATEMENT ON MMA RULES CHANGES
After a tumultuous week of reactions from numerous commissions
and public figures concerning the new rulings passed by the Association
of Boxing Commissions (ABC), the state of California has released
a statement concerning changes they will or won’t be adopting
when concerning the new rules.
The
statement did clearly define how California will deal with the
new rules, but they also pointed out the importance of their
Rule 533 which states:
“Recognizing
that different forms of martial arts exist, notwithstanding any
rule in this division to the contrary, the commission may, in
its discretion, authorize alternate rules or provisions from
time to time for full contact martial arts championships and
exhibitions so long as the safety and welfare of the contestants
and the public are not jeopardized.”
Essentially,
the state can authorize alternate rules as long as health and
safety concerns are not compromised.
Regarding
the ruling for what defines the “back of the head”
when dealing with illegal strikes, the California State Athletic
Commission has released a diagram of what they will use when
defining and illegal strike.
“The
back of the head is from one ear to the back of the other ear
and as outlined in the diagram above. Only the referee can determine
if a blow was legal or a foul and if a foul, if it was accidental
or intentional. Intentional fouls that cause injury require a
mandatory two-point deduction. Intentional fouls that do not
cause injury require a mandatory one-point deduction. In determining
point deductions for intentional fouls the referee may consult
with the ringside physician.”
The
state of California has also stricken the ABC’s ruling to
allow elbow strikes defined as “12 to 6’oclock”
or elbows that are thrown in a straight downward motion from
a fighter above his head down onto his opponent. This move will
still be considered illegal in California.
The
“smothering” rule, which was outlined by the ABC in
their most recent meeting to disallow a fighter from covering
the mouth of an opponent with hands, forearms or by other means,
will also be enacted in California and is considered “an
unsportsmanlike trick or action and is therefore prohibited under
the rule.”
One
major change the state of California is not on board with is
the ruling of newly created weight classes. The commission defines
the weight classes in MMA as the following and also said it strongly
recommend the ABC seek out the guidance of medical professionals
to best determine weight differential guidelines.
Rule
510. Weights and Classes.
MALES
Flyweight: through 125 lbs. - No more than 3 pound difference
Bantamweight: 125.1-135 lbs. - No more than 5 pound difference
Featherweight: 135.1-145 lbs. - No more than 6 pound difference
Lightweight: 145.1-155 lbs. - No more than 7 pound difference
Welterweight: 155.1-170 lbs. - No more than 8 pound difference
Middleweight: 170.1-185 lbs. - No more than 8 pound difference
Light Heavyweight: 185.1-205 lbs. - No more than 12 pound difference
Heavyweight: 205.1-265 lbs. - No more than 20 pound difference
Super Heavyweight: 265.1 lbs. and over - No limit
FEMALES
Lightweight: through 125 lbs. - No more than 3 pound difference
Middleweight: 125.1-135 lbs. - No more than 5 pound difference
Light-Heavyweight: 135.1-150 lbs. - No more than 6 pound difference
Heavyweight: 150.1-175 lbs. - No more than 12 pound difference
Super Heavyweight: 175.1 lbs. and over - No more than 15 pound
difference
It
was also stated that the weight differences listed are a guideline
and not a rule as to who will be allowed to fight by the commission.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
RORY
MARKHAM IS SET FOR HIS UFC DEBUT
Over the past couple of years, Pat Miletich product Rory Markham
has been in the right place at the right time more often than
not.
Despite
a couple of small setbacks and injuries, he moved up from smaller
shows to the International Fighting League in 2006 and promptly
became one of the promotion’s premier fighters. Markham
helped his Quad Cities Silverbacks win back-to-back team championships.
Through
his performances in the promotion, Markham earned a spot on the
national MMA scene. His exposure granted him the opportunity
of a lifetime; a chance to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championships.
Having
fought just over a month ago in Adrenaline, Markham makes the
quick turn around to face fellow debuting UFC fighter Brodie
Farber as part of the July 19 Ultimate Fight Night event in Las
Vegas.
“As
much as I moaned and complained about the turn-arounds, it’s
something that the IFL prepared me for…something like this,”
said Markham of fighting in consecutive months. “I had a
relatively quick and easy fight in Chicago (at Adrenaline), so
everything was just the right recipe for me to take this fight
on.
“I’m
finally going to be in a situation/position that when I grow
in the UFC and become what I think I can, I’ll be able to
truly fight the best in the world.”
In
order for him to have gotten this chance to fight in the UFC
in the first place, Markham’s career with the IFL had to
have come to an end, which it has with the company hitting hard
times and seemingly headed into oblivion.
“It
was, more than anything, a positive experience for me,”
he reminisced about the IFL. “It did help me grow on a national
level. I was still fighting on the small shows before that; my
biggest fight was in the XFO.
“The
biggest thing I remember about it was the camaraderie, the fun
we had. That’s something I’m definitely going to miss
about it. All in all it was just a positive experience and I
wouldn’t really be here without it, so I’ve got nothing
but great things to say about it.”
Past
aside, Markham’s focus now turns to Brodie Farber, a former
Rage in the Cage titleholder who has spent the last couple of
years fighting in Mexico before getting his opportunity in the
UFC.
“I
think anybody on this level, especially the first fight in the
UFC, there’s going to be that over compensation of the fight,
so I expect a well-prepared opponent,” Markham commented.
“A strong and confident one and all I can hope for is that
he prepared as well as I did and we can really go out there and
lay it on the line for everybody.
“I’m
there to prove I belong there, so I hope Brodie is prepared for
that.”
If
there’s one thing he has on Farber, it is that he’s
been on the national stage before and flourished, giving him
what could be a big psychological edge heading into the fight.
“It’s
going to give me a sense of calm, because I’m not going
to be completely overwhelmed,” he stated. “Obviously
it’s the biggest show in the world, but it’s not exactly
my first rodeo when it comes to big shows.
“I
think it’s going to give me a little more composure when
we step into the Octagon.”
Even
though it’s a newer, bigger stage for him, Markham intends
on delivering the same kind of performance people have come to
expect from him over the last couple of years.
“The
fans can be expecting the same old hat from me; entertaining
and a lot of knockouts,” he said. “That’s just
who I am, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
With
the intentions on staying busy, but without the kind of physical
wear and tear he accumulated in the IFL, Markham has his sights
set on a Midwest UFC return.
“My
biggest thing is that I would like to take three months between
every fight; that would be ideal,” he stated. “I’m
hearing rumors of Chicago, and I’ll do my damndest to be
on that card.”
Rory
Markham looks to take his career to the next level when he makes
his UFC debut against Brodie Farber on July 19 at The Palms Resort
& Casino.
“I
want to thank Tapout, Mike over at Fairtex, Muscle Milk, Sandy
Bowman, 94 West and everybody else that’s helped me out
along the way,” he closed out. “To the fans, I hope
that they appreciate my style, I do it for them, and I hope come
July 19 I’ll make quite a few more fans.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“The
kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid.”
Source: Unknown
|
Vanderlei
Silva Seminar in Hawaii!
Sunday, August 3,
2008
UH Manoa Athletic Complex Studio 4
The seminar
will be at University of Hawaii (UH) at athletic complex, Lower
Campus Road on the studio 4 above the swimming poll across from
the cantina.
Over
there you guys can taste and purchase Acai (brazilian berry)
from Acai Roots, Wanderlei’s clothes line (Wand), Vandal
(sun glasses), Justap (fight wear), MMA magazine, do a body check
up with Dr. Tania (Peak Performance Chiropractic), Chosen (fight
wear), Power Balance, Fight stop and Revolution Motor Sport.
Please
send the payment check payable to Sidney Silva . I need to have
the checks in my hand by the 25nd of this month to guarantee
your place.
Mail the checks to:
Sidney Silva
1503 PUNAHOU ST #1-C 96822
HONOLULU - HI
The
conditioning and strength seminar will start at 1 pm (sharp)
so be there 15 min before to make sure you get your bracelet
that will allow you to attend the seminar and don’t miss
anything. The MMA seminar start at 3:30 pm we expect you guys
be there at 3 pm (bring a picture ID).
Feel
free to contact me if you have any questions.
Find
attach with the new poster a pre registration form.
WANDERLEI
SILVA SEMINAR PRE- REGISTRATION FORM
SUNDAY
AUGUST 3, 2008
STRENGTH
& CONDITIONING ( ) MMA ( ) BOTH ( )
NAME
–
ADDRESS
–
CITY
- STATE - ZIP -
PHONE
NUMBER- ( ) E-MAIL –
AGE
- SCHOOL ATTENDING - GRADE –
DO
YOU HAVE AY INJURIES OR PHISICAL CONDITIONS NOW OR IN THE PASS
THE MIGHT EFFECT YOUR
PARTICIPATION IN THE SEMINAR ? –
MARTIAL
ART BACK GROUND -
HOW LONG -
RANKING
–
HOW
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE SEMINAR
[
] FRIEND, WHO? –
[
] NEWS PAPER –
[
] FLYER –
[
] INTERNET WHERE? –
[
] OTHER -
Thank
you
Sidney
Silva |
Andrei
Arlovski boxing the old fashioned way
When Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski takes on Ben Rothwell
at Affliction’s inaugural show Banned on July 19th, there
will be a new face in his corner. Though the former UFC Heavyweight
Champion continues to work with Mike Garcia in Chicago, this
new face is one that won’t look very new at all to longtime
boxing fans, even if the setting will be different. After all,
he’s a man that has had a hand in training Oscar De La Hoya,
Virgil Hill, Mike Tyson, and Manny Pacquiao, amongst other.
We’re
talking about Freddie Roach.
The
interesting thing is that Arlovski was always a good boxer that
just needed a little bit of smoothing out, according to Roach.
"He
does have great boxing skills and he has good hand speed and
he has great foot speed."
The
tutelage that has gone on, in fact, has seemed to focus on improving
a perceived strength of Arlovski’s in preparation for taking
on a fighter in Rothwell that stands 6-foot-5 and weighs in at
265 pounds.
"Rothwell
is a big guy who’s gonna be in front of us, and the thing
is he has good power," said Roach. "So with our footwork
and so forth, if we give this guy some movement, we’re gonna
give him a lot of trouble, I feel."
In
fact, Roach, once a lightweight professional boxer himself, even
let us in on a little bit of advice in relation to footwork and
movement that he gave to his newest and first MMA fighter. “[Arlovski]
asked me one time, should I fight like a heavyweight or should
I fight like a little guy because I can move really well? I said
fight like a little guy because the little guys are better than
the big guys -- at least technique wise -- in my opinion."
Working
with Roach, of course, will no doubt improve Arlovski’s
boxing skills. This would seem to serve two purposes. First,
there is every indication that at some point the Pitbull will
decide to step into a professional boxing ring. The second purpose
would be to help him in his upcoming MMA fight(s). Some might
believe that depending on the way boxing is taught -- many believe
that things need to be tweaked in order to accommodate the unique
challenges that an MMA fight, as opposed to a boxing match, might
present -- which may determine how helpful such tutelage would
be to an MMA fighter.
Roach
doesn’t seem to wholly agree with this premise. Along with
this, when asked if Arlovski could be effective taking the same
stance as a boxer in his MMA fights, Roach said, "without
a doubt, I think he’ll use it very effectively. Yes."
This of course goes against some conventional MMA wisdom. On
the other hand, Roach later noted that there were some subtle
differences to what he was doing with Arlovski as opposed to
the other fighters he works with. "It’s a process,
yes," he said. "The thing is I have to make adjustments
a little bit sometimes because obviously the stance is different,
the business is different. That’s the most difficult thing
because sometimes the boxer will get a little bit closer than
an MMA fighter would because of the striking with the legs, of
course. Small adjustments, and I’m learning how to make
those adjustments. Sometimes me and Andrei -- we go to a situation
and he’s got to explain to me what the person might do..."
Regardless,
Roach made it abundantly clear that his job was to work on the
boxing game with his fighter and that there were other people
capable of working on the ground game with him. He noted that
when Arlovski did finally decide to jump into the boxing ring,
conventional thoughts regarding a need to suppress his MMA instincts
probably wouldn’t apply.
"I
think he separates the sports pretty well," said Roach.
"When it comes time for him to box I don’t think that
it will be difficult for him to separate the two [sports]."
Roach also reiterated just how talented a boxer Arlovski was,
stating that, "he’s boxing some world class boxers
in my gym. One Carlos Gomez, and guys like that, and he’s
done very well."
Arlovski
notes that one major thing that Roach has gotten him to do is,
"work all the time, every single minute in the round."
So
Andrei Arlovski is getting some rather traditional boxing training
from one of the best in the business. It will be interesting
to see how he incorporates this against the bigger Ben Rothwell
on July 19th in an MMA style match. Watch for the footwork, people.
And if the Pitbull looks better in this fight on his feet than
he has in the past -- which, by the way, is no short order as
Arlovski has always looked good on his feet -- expect to see
more of this Andrei Arlovski-Freddie Roach combination in the
future.
Possibly
even in a boxing ring.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
announces Nebraska debut
The UFC announced today that tickets for its first-ever event
in Nebraska will go on sale next week.
UFC
Fight Night 15, which takes place September 17 at the Omaha Civic
Auditorium in Omaha, will be the lead-in for "The Ultimate
Fighter: Team Mir vs. Team Nogueira" on Spike TV.
Tickets
go on sale first for UFC Fight Club members on Wednesday, July
16, while tickets for the general public will be available at
the end of the week.
Here
is what the current UFC Fight Night 15 card looks like:
155
lbs. | Nate Diaz vs. Josh Neer
155 lbs. | Mac Danzig vs. Clay Guida
155 lbs. | Joe Lauzon vs. Kyle Bradley
205 lbs. | Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer
170 lbs. | Luke Cummo vs. Tamden McCrory
185 lbs. | Ed Herman vs. Alan Belcher
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Silva:
UFC 205-lb. belt belongs to Machida
No matter what the outcome is for Anderson Silva's light-heavyweight
debut, don't count on Silva to have his eyes set on the division's
title anytime soon.
"I
don't intend to dispute the light-heavyweight belt," Silva
said in an interview with TATAME magazine. "This is Lyoto
[Machida]'s belt and he already proved that."
Machida
currently sits on the list of possible opponents for UFC light-heavyweight
champion Forrest Griffin along with Chuck Liddell and Quinton
"Rampage" Jackson. Silva and Machida, who both train
together and consider each other good friends, have each publicly
said they wouldn't want to fight each other.
Silva
(21-4), who considers himself a company man, said he accepted
the fight with James Irvin (14-4) at UFC Fight Night on July
19 for the challenge and because UFC President Dana White offered
the fight to him.
Silva
already has two middleweights lined up against him before it
makes sense for him to strike again at light-heavyweight. After
the Irvin fight, Silva will defend his UFC middleweight belt
in a rematch against Yushin Okami (22-4), whom Silva lost to
via disqualification at a Rumble on the Rock event in January
2006. If Silva successfully defends the belt, Patrick Cote, who
earned a title shot with a win at UFC 86, is next.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Gary
Shaw to stay with EliteXC, but out of spotlight
Doug DeLuca, Executive Chairman of ProElite, on Thursday dismissed
rumors that EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw was on his
way out.
"Gary
is still very involved with ProElite," he said. "Gary
and our team from day one at ProElite basically took MMA at our
company from ground zero to a huge network success. So, Gary's
got a lot to be proud of in the MMA world."
DeLuca
described Shaw's current role with the company as similar but
with a lot less camera time.
"Gary
is still, like I said, majorly involved," DeLuca said. "I
would say he's more or less consulting in terms of all his promoter
abilities, all his contacts and everything Gary does.
"So
Gary is kind of behind the scenes with us. Kind of shaping the
direction of the company, the way it's going, pulling the strings
in terms of how we're going to promote, what we're going to do.
Again, his involvement is very much similar to what it's always
been. The difference is, he's not going to be front and center,
doing all the time-consuming stuff that he's done in the past."
DeLuca
cited the constant traveling between Shaw's home in the East
Coast and EliteXC's headquarters in Los Angeles as the reason
for Shaw's reduced role.
The
traveling "took a toll on his boxing business, which is
very successful," he said. "And it took a toll on his
family. To some degree, it took a toll on his health. We collectively
made the decision that Gary was going to back off a little bit,
kind of take a little bit of a relaxed role as far as being involved
front and center, which is a good thing for all those three things,
for his health, for his boxing business, and for his family."
Source: MMA Fighting |
Shogun
and Ninja at Fury
Brothers to corner Rodrigo Pimpolho this Saturday
There
will be no lack of stars in and out of the ring at Fury 6, to
take place this evening, in Teresopolis, Rio de Janeiro. Besides
Ronaldo Jacare, who had already confirmed his place in the crowd,
two more MMA aces will be in the Pedro Jahara gymnasium: Mauricio
Shogun and Murilo Ninja.
The
Rua brothers are not just paying a visit, they will be cornering
their teammate (Universidade de Luta) Rodrigo Pimpolho. Pimpolho
will be competiting in the middleweight (under 84kg) GP, against
Leandro Batata of Nova Uniao. GRACIEMAG.com had a quick chat
with the brothers, who are confident about their friend's performance.
"We've
already made it through the weigh-in and are eating for the fight.
He is doing really well on the ground and standing and has good
stamina too. We're just waiting on the fight to come out victorious,"
said Ninja.
"Pimpolho's
going to put on a show. He is our best prepared athlete at the
weight and will represent our academy well," stated Shogun.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
REMY
BONJASKY WINS AT K-1 ASIA GRAND PRIX
TAIPEI – Russian kickboxer Ruslan Karaev, 25, captured the
K-1 Asia GP 2008 Championship; while Remy Bonjasky KO'd Volk
Atajev and Zabit Samedov upset Ray Sefo by split decision at
Sunday’s K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Taipei.
In
the evening's Main Event, two-time K-1 World GP Champion Remy
Bonjasky of Holland stepped in against Russian power-puncher
Volk Atajev.
Bonjasky
confessed before the match the he was largely unfamiliar with
his opponent. "I've only seen 30 seconds of one of his fights
on You Tube, and it's difficult to fight a guy you don't know,"
said the "Flying Gentleman." Atajev reckoned he could
exploit this: "If Remy doesn't know me, but I know him and
his techniques -- the flying knees and so on -- maybe that gives
me an edge?" Maybe, and maybe not.
With
his guard high and close, Atajev threw the low kicks to begin.
The Russian landed a weak spinning back kick to Bonjasky's midsection,
but seconds later launched a similar attack with greater gusto,
this time grazing Bonjasky's head. Bonjasky launched high kicks,
but the Russian blocked these and responded capably with body
blows.
In
the second Bonjasky tossed in some body blows of his own, then
low kicks, and began to test with the knee. The fighters stood
toe to toe, Atajev repeatedly going to the body, Bonjasky hoisting
the knee then falling back to throw the low kicks.
Bonjasky
continued constructing combinations with low kicks to start the
third. Picking up the pace, he began slapping low kicks in from
both sides and dashing forward with the fists, chasing his opponent
across the ring. With Atajev in full retreat, Bonjasky fired
up a left high kick and followed with a right flying knee that
made full contact, sending Atajev down hard. A KO win capping
a perfect performance by Bonjasky -- the technical start developing
to third round crescendo and spectacular finish.
The
Taiwanese fans showed Bonjasky a lot of love as he left the ring,
and the fighter returned the feeling in his post-fight interview:
"I love Taiwan, it is a great place and the people are very
nice. I'm happy I won, it doesn't always work out that way, but
luckily I was able to set up my flying knee!"
In
another Superfight it was affable K-1 veteran Ray Sefo New Zealand
and Zabit Samedov, a gritty Belorussian kickboxer. Sefo came
to the ring riding the longest losing streak of his K-1 career
-- four bouts dating back to March 2007. Samedov, meanwhile,
had won six of his last eight. A longtime fan of Sefo, Samedov
wasn't going to let admiration interfere with his goal: "I
like Ray, but I also want to knock him out!"
Samedov
started with the kicks, while Sefo closed with the jab then tucked
in a couple of body blows. Too much clinching through the first
round, although Samedov and Sefo both landed high kicks -- Sefo
doing a better job of blocking when the foot came to his head.
Sefo closed again in the second, getting a right uppercut in
before Samedov was cautioned for clinching. Samedov took a page
from Sefo's book midway through, dropping his guard and monkeying,
then tagged Sefo when he did the same. A nice move by Samedov
later in the round, ducking forward to throw the left than following
with an overhand right that caught Sefo. Spirited action and
good sportsmanship here -- the crowd loving it.
In
the third both fighters let the fists fly -- Sefo good with the
hooks, Samedov making contact with an acrobatic right straight
and a high kick. More clinching followed, for which Samedov was
shown the yellow card and docked one point. Samedov in with a
right uppercut late in the round, Sefo chasing him down with
a right at the bell.
One
judge liked Sefo and two saw a draw, and so this one went to
an extra round. An early exchange of low kicks to start, Samedov
scoring with a left hook. Sefo's tight combinations were working,
and he landed a right uppercut and more low kicks at the midway
point. Samedov just missed with a high kick then planted a spinning
back kick at the bell. The judges still couldn't make a call,
the fighters now even on all cards, and so a second and final
tiebreaker round was prescribed.
Samedov
with an early right hook and Sefo with an uppercut, the blocking
sound but the power diminishing as both men fought past their
usual distance. Samedov landed another left and threw the quick
low kicks to effect, while a fatigued Sefo struggled to match.
A
split decision, the win going to Samedov by the narrowest of
margins.
Sefo
was less than pleased with the result: "I feel upset, and
I feel ripped off. What more can I say? I feel like I won the
first three rounds, and then he got the yellow card. And when
we went into extension rounds he just ran and clinched when I
got close. What is that about? But most of all I want to apologize
to the fans."
Not
surprisingly, Samedov had a different perspective: "He didn’t
hurt me and I was able to get away from most of his attacks,
I feel just fine about the decision."
The
third Superfight featured 23 year-old Japanese kickboxer Junichi
Sawayashiki, who scored a shocking upset over K-1 veteran Jerome
LeBanner last year; and Romania's rising star -- the meat-and-potatoes
Catalin Morosanu, a 26 year-old former rugby player.
Due
to delays in transit, Morosanu had arrived in Taipei just 24
hours before fight time. Nevertheless he dominated here, marching
in from the opening bell with punching attacks while adeptly
interjecting hard low kicks to control the distance. Sawayashiki
attempted to get through on counters, and landed a knee -- but
otherwise the Japanese fighter was simply outmuscled. Morosanu
scored three downs in quick succession -- a left hook, a middle
kick, and the decisive left hook to the temple to end it at just
2:04.
A
superb power performance from a fellow who should have been hopelessly
jet-lagged.
A
spot at this year's K-1 World GP Final 16 Tournament was up for
grabs in the K-1 Asia GP 2008. This was a classic K-1 elimination
tournament -- eight fighters meeting in quarterfinal bouts, the
winners advancing to a pair of semifinals, the victors there
going head-to-head in the final. Thus, the man who would be this
year's Asia GP Champion had to prevail in three bouts.
The
first of the quarterfinals saw the always-dangerous Ruslan Karaev,
whose technique, power and speed won him the World GP 2005 in
Las Vegas; stepping in against the always-tough Japanese karate
fighter Tatsufumi Tomihira, who brings a big heart and a never-say-die
attitude to the ring.
Karaev
closed with the jab through the first, following with the right
cross, all the while showing good evasions and blocking. Tomihira
connected with low kicks, but Karaev was better in the round
with a spinning back kick and a left straight punch. Light on
his feet, the speedy Russian sunk some solid punches early in
the second, and now Tomihira began to seek refuge in the clinch.
Speed
and stamina are a deadly combination, and Karaev had both working
in the second. As Tomihira approached, Karaev repeatedly stopped
him, scoring points with a high kick and a couple of right uppercuts.
Karaev continued to control in the third, sending Tomihira stumbling
backward with a left and pumping the uppercuts from the clinch.
Hurt time for Tomihira, who went down for a count when a left
straight caught him off-balance, then fell to punches again just
seconds after resumption.
A
KO win for Karaev and a trip to the semifinals.
The
second quarterfinal was a David versus Goliath matchup, with
Young Hyun Kim of South Korea taking on Saiseelek Nor-Seepun
of Thailand. The bout marked the biggest-ever height differential
in a K-1 fight -- at 216cm/7'1", Kim towers a full 42cm/16"
over Nor-Seepun. (Not to mention the 73kg/161lbs weight difference.)
From
the start Nor-Seepun wisely circled, but Kim did a decent job
of cutting off the ring, pushing his opponent against the ropes
and corralling him into the corner and laying in with the punches.
The spunky Nor-Seepun meanwhile darted in the low kicks and taunted
his opponent to the delight of the crowd. Kim swept with low
kicks to send his opponent down, but these were ruled slips.
In the second, Nor-Seepun again snuck in with low kicks, also
connecting with a body blow and a right overhand that incredibly
found its way up to Kim's chin. The cleanest strike of the round
was a Kim right, but Nor-Seepun shook this off.
More
inspired kicking attacks from Nor-Seepun in the third round,
and another right overhand; Kim meanwhile ineffectual until a
straight punch got in, Nor-Seepun going down but the referee
ruling it a slip. A closer contest than might have been expected,
the unanimous decision going to Kim.
Accomplished
kyokushin karate fighter Aleksandr Pichkunov of Russia met Nobu
Hayashi of Japan in the first of the second bracket bouts. Hayashi,
a karate fighter who has trained extensively in Holland, had
not competed in K-1 for three years.
The
pair traded low kicks and tested with jabs through the first,
both making contact but neither landing a bruising blow. Pichkunov
picked it up in the second, delivering a front kick to the chops
and sailing a spinning back kick just short. Hayashi threaded
through a few solid punches, while Pichkunov replied with the
left straight and deft leg strikes. Hayashi brought the guard
up and barreled in with punching attacks in the third, while
a defensive Pichkunov picked up some points with tight hooks
and a high kick.
One
judge called it for Pichkunov, but two saw a draw, and so the
contest went to a tiebreaker round. Here Pichkunov landed a high
kick and a couple of surgical lefts to claim victory.
Another
karate fighter, Makoto Uehara of Japan, took on South Korean
tae kwon do stylist Yong Soo Park in the last of the tournament
bouts.
Park
launched high kicks through the early going, while Uehara stepped
in quickly with the right cross, both fighters making contact.
Uehara responded to a spinning back kick with a front kick and
Park fell -- Uehara protesting when the blow was ruled to be
below the belt. The Japanese fighter took of a number of kicks
in the first, going down after catching one in the midsection,
but this was also ruled a slip. Park turned on the aggression
here, although Uehara rallied somewhat with the fists late in
the round. A spirited exchange of punches early in the third,
Uehara getting some good stuff through, chasing his opponent
into the corner, Park back with the kicks to keep it close.
A
tie on all three cards, prompting a tiebreaker round. A Uehara
right hook made contact early, before the referee cautioned both
fighters for lack of attacks. Uehara heeded the warning -- seconds
later, with Park raising the right leg to throw a kick, he hammered
in a mighty left hook, clocking the Korean on the jaw and sending
him to the mat in a mess.
A
KO win for Uehara, and a chance to meet Pichkunov in the semifinals.
It
was Ruslan Karaev versus Young Hyun Kim in the first semi. This
one didn't take long at all -- Karaev stepped in and pounded
the punches up to the Korean behemoth's face -- three lefts,
a right and then another left. The look in his eyes said Kim
didn't like this one bit. Another Karaev left, then a right uppercut,
and that adage -- the bigger they are, the harder they fall --
well, it's true. Kim crashed like a redwood tree. He beat the
count, but as the ringside doctor dabbed the blood trickling
from his nose, it was decided Kim couldn't continue. Karaev to
the final.
Before
the second semi, it was announced that due to an injury sustained
in his first bout, Makoto Uehara could not continue the tournament.
Under K-1 rules, the winner of the reserve fight, Vaughn Anderson,
was parachuted into the tournament to face Pichkunov.
A
Taiwan-based Canadian multidisciplinary fighter, Vaughn "Blood"
Anderson had looked good in the reserve fight, putting in one-two
punch combinations to score a down then following with more of
the same for a referee stop and first-round KO win over Japanese
boxer Jun Ito.
Fighting
from a southpaw stance, Anderson quickly slid in with punches,
and Pichkunov, who might have regarded this fight as a walk in
Gorky Park, realized he would have to work for the win. Pichkunov
now took the initiative, bearing down on his opponent with the
fists before firing up a high kick that kissed Anderson on the
right cheek. The Russian followed with a flurry of punches to
the head to put Anderson on the canvas. To his credit, Anderson
got up and back into it, but as the clapper sounded, a punishing
Pichkunov left hook ended the Canadian's Cinderella story.
The
all-Russian Asia GP tournament final pitted Pichkunov against
Karaev.
An
aggressive start for Karaev, closing with the fists and spinning
round a back kick that went just wide. Karaev kept the pressure
up, putting his opponent into the corner and laying in with the
fists and a high kick before catching a low blow on a counter.
After a short recovery-time pause, Karaev came back angrier than
ever. He led with the left and followed with a right, pushing
Pichkunov first to the ropes then into the corner, ducking a
straight punch before slamming in a right uppercut and a left
hook. In a second, Pichkunov crumpled to the canvas, where he
stayed, unable to beat the count.
With
his victory Karaev takes the K-1 Asia GP 2008 Championship, and
advances to this year's K-1 WGP Final 16, September 27 in Seoul.
"I
didn't think I was going to win it," said Karaev afterward
"I had a hard time finding my pace. I didn't feel warmed
up enough going into the first fight, and wasn't able to throw
the combinations that I wanted to. I guess there was also fatigue.
But I won, so I'm very happy!"
Also
on the card were a couple of fights featuring Taiwanese sanda
stylists. A traditional Chinese martial arts form, sanda is the
most popular fightsport in Taiwan, with rules not unlike shoot
boxing.
Yang
Tong Hsiung, the 1st Sanda Tournament and "King of Sanda"
2005 Champion,. battled Aussie kickboxer Matt Campbell in a thrilling
contest. Unbridled aggression from Hsiung from the get-go, firing
in one punch after another then literally running down his opponent.
Campbell however showed a good chin, evasions and blocking, and
when he got the chance, landed some fine kicks. But with the
partisan crowd behind him, Hsiung was a human tsunami. Several
times he landed the right hook. In the second, Hsiung worked
the combinations, setting up with low kicks and again finding
the opportunity to plant the right punch. Campbell threw the
right himself in the third, and put a good knee up to the midsection.
But Hsiung was the faster and hungrier fighter, and reaped the
unanimous decision.
Another
Taiwanese sanda fighter, Wang Chung Yaun, stepped in against
17-year-old kickboxer Mick Mittiga of Australia.
Yuan
got his opponent in the corner early, but Mittiga weathered the
punches and escaped unscathed. Just seconds later, however, Yuan
once again got his opponent into the corner, and this time pounded
three good punches in to get the down. Mittiga could not beat
the count, and Yuan had the KO win.
Post-event,
K-1 Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa addressed the media: "It
was our first time here in Taiwan, and it was a great success.
Without a doubt Remy Bonjasky was the MVP. He went against a
guy like Atajev, that you'd never expect to fall down, and knocked
him out with his flying knee. We had so much response from the
media that it's been overwhelming, and the crowd was fantastic."
All
bouts were fought under Official K-1 Rules, three rounds of three
minutes each, with one possible tiebreaker round; two in the
Superfights and tournament final.
The
K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Taipei attracted an estimated 10,000
fans to the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. It was broadcast
live across Japan on Fuji TV and in South Korea on the CJ Media
Network.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“From
success you get a lot of things, but not that great inside thing
that love brings you.”
Samuel Goldwyn, 1879-1974, American Motion Picture Producer
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel
52 at 7:00 PM!
|
NAGA
RETURNS TO HAWAII
On
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Neal Blaisdell Arena
NAGA
returns to Honolulu, Hawaii for the largest grappling tournament
in the Hawaii, the NAGA Hawaiian Grappling Championship. This
tournament is open to all grappling styles. You do not need to
be a member of a team or any organization to compete. You do
not have to live in Hawaii to compete.
OUR
BEST VENUE EVER We have acquired one of the best venues in Hawaii
for a grappling competition, the Neal Blaisdell Arena. The venue
is awesome, with 4 full sets of wrestling mats for competition
and additional mats for warming up. This facility has huge bathrooms
and changing areas, and a 2,000+ car parking lot. The Arena is
located just Ward Ave and is easy to get to.
WEIGH-IN
on Friday or Saturday NAGA will be offering all competitors the
option of registering and weighing in the night BEFORE the tournament!
If
you cannot make it on Friday, you can weigh-in anytime on Saturday
prior to your division starting.
60
CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS AWARDED All Men, Women, Children and Teen
Experts take home a magnificent championship belt. SAMURAI SWORDS
to all 1st PLACE
The
NAGA will be handing out custom engraved SAMURAI SWORDS to ALL
1st place winners who do not win a belt! Medals will be awarded
to all 2nd & 3rd place winners.
RANKED EVENT All NAGA events are part of the nationwide ranking
system entitled RANKED. Our goal is to determine who the best
grapplers in the country are for various age, gender and skill
levels. NAGA Hawaii will be nationally Ranked. Do not miss your
opportunity to gain points towards a true “National title”.
Go to www.nationallyranked.com for current rankings.
SANDBAGGERS
BEWARE
NAGA works diligently to prevent 'sandbagging', the practice
of fighting down skill levels to ensure one takes home an award.
At NAGA Hawaii, front door personnel will use RANKED data to
determine whether or not individuals who have fought in past
events belong in a higher skill level (i.e. placed 1st at a prior
NAGA event for that skill level). We feel very confident that
sandbaggers will be forced to fight in their appropriate divisions.
|
X1
MMAC RESULTS
July 12,
2008
Blaisdell Arena
45
– Seddy Crawford (Hamma House Gym) v Taz Kahalewai (Team
Aniland) EXHIBITION
60 – Sai Crawford (Hamma House Gym) v Spike Kahalewai (Team
Aniland) EXHIBITION
100 – Kalae Mcshane (5-0 Boxing) def Preston Saragosa (Hamma
House Gym)
145 – Scott Ramirez (Freelance) def Clem Holloway (Sit You
Down)
155 – Ferdinand Ramirez (Freelance) def Daniel Pham (Sit
You Down)
205 – David Vasquez (Sit You Down) def Anthony Gabrillo
(Freelance)
155
– Travis Bernades (Freelance) def Gary Cayangho (Bullspen)
TKO (ref stoppage)
115
– Lisa Ha (HMC) def Gen Reyes (O2/ Nakoa Fight Team) TKO
145 – Clinton Kealoha (Westside Connection) def Sean Le
(Freelance) SUBMISSION
115
– Alex Mendoza (Freelance) def Jimmy Orso (808 Fight Factory)
KO
185 – Mike Solomon (Bullspen) def Frank Ruiz (Knockout Factory)
TKO
155
– Sebastian Mariconda (HMC) def Bronz Salis (Freelance)
TKO
170 – Kawai Quezon (Team Devastation) def Joe Palimoo (HMC)
DECISION
165
– Dean Hence (Smith Taekwando) def Nelson Owens (Freelance)
TKO
HW
– Matt Eaton (Bullspen) def Lufasiitu Leupolu (Universal
Combat) TKO
135
– Evan Quezon (Team Devastation) def Jamin Tayaba (Freelance)
DECISION
145
– Julius Fojantino (Bullspen) def Will Morris (Nakoa Fight
Team) TKO
155
– Kale Kwan (Universal Combat) def Landin Davis (Freelance)
v TKO
205
– Austin Figueroa (Stand Alone) def Rusty Makue (Freelance)
TKO *** wins XMA Title
155
– Darnell Mason (Team Icon) v Thomas Yandall (Konnah Blokk)
DRAW
155 – Walker Langley (Team Icon) def Treston Rabellizsa
(Inner Circle Grappling) SUBMISSION
145
– Dustin Kimura (Team Icon) def Paul Lopes (Freelance) SUBMISSION
160
– James Romano (Eastsidaz) def Micah Ige (Freelance) DECISION
165
– Kyle Kaahanui (Garage Kept) def Lawrence Inaosa (Gods
Army) TKO
HW – Jaimie Rego (Bullspen) def Dale Sopi (Westside Connection)
DECISION
145
– Ellis Bourbonnais (HMC) def Phillip Liftee (Nakoa Fight
Team) TKO
110
– Alika Tadio-Kumukoa (MMA Hawaii) def Justin Kahalewai
(Team Aniland) TKO *** wins KB title
165 – Marcus Moreno (Bullspen) def Brandon Mendoza (Team
Ruthless) DECISION *** wins KB title
HW – Jordan Patterson (Freelance) def Otto Hoopii (Stand
Alone) DECISION
205
– Guru Daas (Team Icon) def Makana Vertido (Gods Army) SUBMISSION
***wins MMA title
165
– Chris Kutzen (Westside Connection) def Todd Young (Gods
Army) TKO ***wins XMA title
135
–Max Holloway (God’s Army) def Julio Moreno (Bullspen)
DECISION ***wins KB title
125
– Angie Pereira (HMC) def Jennalyn Ganaban (Freelance) TKO
***wins KB title
155 – Makana Foronda (Bullspen) def Steven Saito (Team Icon)
DECISION ***wins MMA title
140
– Keola Silva (HMC) def John Barnard (Gods Army) DECISION
***wins MMA title
145 – Alan Hashimoto (HMC) def Kaniela Ahnee (No Remorse)
DECISION ***wins MMA title
HW
– Vilitonu Fonokalafi (No Remorse) def Jay Tuitoelua (Team
Devastation) TKO ***wins MMA title
|
Irvin
faces long odds against Silva
LAS
VEGAS – James Irvin knew he shouldn’t waste a lot of
time formulating a game plan to fight Anderson Silva because,
he said bluntly, it’s an impossible thing to do.
Irvin
will meet the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter on July
19 at the Palms Hotel in what will be Silva’s debut at light
heavyweight.
Silva,
the UFC middleweight champion, has all but cleaned out the 185
pounders, so is now looking to explore the possibilities at 205
pounds.
It
didn’t take Irvin long to accept the bout. Nor did it take
long for him to realize what he’s up against.
“He’s
a scary, menacing guy,” the one-time college football player
at Azusa Pacific said of Silva.
Silva
is not only scary and menacing, but he’s also as multi-faceted
as anyone in mixed martial arts. Irvin, a one-time WEC heavyweight
champion, quickly understood the futility of trying to map out
a technical game plan with Silva.
He’s
too good, Irvin admitted. Irvin decided he’s simply going
to go in and brawl with Silva and hope that his size and strength
wins out over Silva’s speed, quickness and precision striking.
“Since
I’ve taken the fight, a lot of people have come up to me
and asked, ‘What’s your game plan? What’s your
game plan?’ ” Irvin said. “I go, ‘What kind
of a game plan can I have against the guy? He’s better than
me on the ground. He’s better than me standing up. What
am I going to do?’ I don’t have to go in there and
beat him at jiu-jitsu or beat him at Muay Thai. I can go in and
fight the guy. I’ll go in and mix it all together and see
if my style works with his or not.”
Irvin
is a refreshingly honest sort who realizes that the bout with
Silva is his chance to prove he belongs in the upper echelon.
He’s been in the middle of the pack of an incredibly deep
division, far below names like Forrest Griffin, Quinton Jackson,
Mauricio Rua, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Thiago Silva, Lyoto
Machida and Wanderlei Silva at the top of the heap.
The
UFC threw the card together late and put it on Spike TV in a
bid to hurt the pay-per-view prospects of Affliction, which has
a heavyweight-dominated card it’s selling in Anaheim, Calif.,
the same night.
When
Silva told UFC president Dana White he was amenable to fighting
at light heavyweight, White began calling potential opponents.
According
to Irvin, several big names at light heavyweight turned the bout
down.
“That
was really disappointing to hear,” said Irvin who, like
White, refused to identify the fighters.
Irvin
was working out on the day the fight offer came, but he’d
been ignoring his phone as it rang incessantly. Finally, a friend
came into the news with the word he had an offer to fight Silva.
But
Irvin had the wrong Silva in mind.
“I
thought it was Wanderlei, someone we’ve asked for ever since
he’s come here,” Irvin said. “He’s a guy
I’d been really wanting to fight. I thought my style would
match up real good with his. I never imagined it would be Anderson.
“He
seemed so far out of the picture. I don’t really deserve
a shot against that guy right now. He’s pound-for-pound
the greatest fighter on Earth right now. I’m going to make
the most of my moment. I’m going to make the most of July
19 and I’m going to bring the best James Irvin I can that
night.”
The
best James Irvin will bring power and physicality. There is little
subtly to his game. He’s going to stand and trade until
someone falls down.
He
set a UFC record in April when he knocked Houston Alexander out
in just eight seconds. Alexander had recorded several quick knockouts
and was gaining a big reputation, even despite a stoppage loss
to Thiago Silva.
Irvin
had struggled through a terrible 2007 and seemed a long shot
to get past the fast-rising Alexander. Irvin, though, insists
he knew he would leave Broomfield, Colo., with a victory.
“I
had no doubt in my mind,” Irvin said. “As crappy as
‘07 was and as crappy as my year was … in that fight,
the same as this fight, I had no stress, no pressure on me. I
didn’t try to knock him out with that punch. It was more
of a statement. I was saying, ‘I’m not going to back
up from you. You’re not going to be the bully in the fight.
I’m going to throw this punch at you as hard as I can.’
“
Irvin
raced across the ring at the opening bell, leaped in the air
and clocked Alexander on the jaw. When Alexander collapsed in
a heap, Irvin pounded on him until referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped
it in a record-tying eight seconds.
Irvin
isn’t expecting to pull a similar stunt against Silva, but
he’s just as confident that he’ll find a way to win.
He said he doubts that Silva will be as quick or as fast as he
is at 185 when he puts on 20 pounds. And Irvin is used to taking
blows from bigger men, so he said he thinks he’ll be able
to do what he needs to do to pull what would be a stunning upset.
It
may not rank alongside Buster Douglas’ win as a 42-1 underdog
against Mike Tyson in a heavyweight championship boxing match
in 1990, but even Irvin admits “it would be huge.”
“I
just don’t see myself losing,” Irvin said. “I’m
expecting to take a lot of damage. I’m expecting to eat
a lot of his shots, but I’ve sparred and trained with guys
who hit a lot harder than he hits. I’d rather take three
or four of his punches than fight someone like Quinton Jackson,
who will just knock you out with either hand.
“I
don’t think he has that kind of knockout power. I really
don’t think he does. I’m not taking anything away from
him, because he’s so well-rounded, but I don’t think
he has that heavy handed punching power that someone like Scott
Smith or Quinton Jackson does.”
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Fedor
remains mysterious despite fame
No
fighter in the sport of mixed martial arts has the mystique of
Fedor Emelianenko. Not only has he rarely been challenged, but
he’s been so dominant that the few moments in which he has
appeared mortal in combat have become legendary, as if they are
the only proof the man sometimes called “The Russian Cyborg”
really is human.
Emelianenko
brings his 27-1 (1 no-contest) record to the Honda Center in
Anaheim, Calif., on July 19 to face his most significant test
in close to three years, when he faces former two-time Ultimate
Fighting Championship heavyweight king Tim “The Maine-iac”
Sylvia on the debut show of the Affliction promotion.
Nearly
every poll in the fight world asking who the greatest MMA fighter
of all-time is, puts Emelianenko No. 1, not only in the heavyweight
division, but overall.
The
only reason the Russian native from Stary Oskol wouldn’t
be considered No. 1 today – he is ranked No. 4 in the current
Y! Sports poll – is the fact he has not fought top-notch
competition in quite some time in an ever-changing and evolving
sport.
But
Emelianenko became the top heavyweight in the world on March
16, 2003, when he scored a one-sided decision over current UFC
interim champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to capture the Pride world
heavyweight title, a belt he maintained until the company closed
in 2007.
Emelianenko
was offered a multi-fight deal last year with UFC after the company
purchased PRIDE, which included a seven-figure signing bonus
and a minimum of $1.5 million per fight, a level of pay nobody
in MMA has ever achieved. The company expected to make what would
have been one of the biggest fights in MMA history against then-champion
Randy Couture.
But
negotiations fell apart on a number of points, from the UFC’s
demand for promotional exclusivity and a clause that he could
be cut with multiple losses, to Emelianenko’s management
demanding the contractual ability to turn down opponents and
wanting to partner with UFC in holding events in Russia.
Couture’s
being mad about Emelianenko being offered so much when “The
Natural” helped build UFC, and his frustration about not
getting the match in the first place, in some ways led to Couture
quitting UFC as champion. Now on the sidelines, Couture is waiting
for a favorable court ruling that would enable him to face the
Russian.
But
a win by Sylvia in Anaheim would remove much of the luster from
that proposed fight. What is most ironic about the fight is that
last year, when Emelianenko’s management were in negotiations
with UFC, Sylvia was the name the Russian’s handlers specifically
mentioned not wanting to fight.
Talent
doesn’t translate into box office
All
Fedor’s wins and mystique hasn’t quite made him a top
box office draw. In Japan, where Emelianenko has fought most
of his career, he never had the mainstream appeal of fighters
like Mirko Cro Cop, a spectacular KO artist, Bob Sapp, a freakish
American who wasn’t a top fighter but had a huge personality,
or Wanderlei Silva, an aggressive exciting fighter who had a
legendary series of matches with national hero Kazushi Sakuraba.
In
the U.S., his last fight on pay-per-view, on April 14, 2007,
when he faced natural middleweight contender Matt Lindland for
Bodog Fight in Russia, drew a miserable 13,000 buys and essentially
set that company on the fast road right out of business. Previously,
as the main eventer on a loaded 2006 PRIDE show in Las Vegas,
facing Mark Coleman, the show did about 40,000 buys, also considered
a huge disappointment.
2
And now, at 31, a match with Sylvia, who at 6-8 and 260 pounds,
towers over the 6-0, 235-pounder, becomes a genuine test to see
if the Emelianenko of mythical proportions is imaginary or real,
particularly since Cro Cop, considered by most his last true
test back in the summer of 2005, came to UFC and took worse beatings
against Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo.
On
paper, Emelianenko’s weakness would appear to be a quick
wrestler who has submission knowledge, the type of opponent he’s
never faced and didn’t exist during his heyday as PRIDE
champion. Sylvia is not that opponent but, as a giant, is actually
the type of foe Emelianenko has thrived against in the past.
Emelianenko,
who was a Russian champion in judo and a World champion in sambo
before starting with the RINGS promotion in Russia in 2000, holds
wins over Choi Hong-man (7-2 1/2, 367 pounds) and Semmy Schilt
(7-0, 270 pounds), men who tower over even Sylvia.
“I
don’t think my game plan has ever been much of a secret,”
said Sylvia.
“Stand
up and brawl, avoid takedowns as much as possible and try to
knock him out. I don’t see any weaknesses in his game. I
think my size and reach is going to play a factor in this fight.
He
noted that he’s a complete MMA fighter, something Choi was
not, and that Schilt in 2002 when he fought Fedor, had no takedown
defense, so the size difference was negated from the start of
the fight.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Becoming
the Natural Set for July 22 Release
Randy
Couture's memoir, Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of
the Cage, will be released on July 22. From the publisher:
Randy
Couture -- voted "The Greatest Fighter of All Time"
by viewers' choice -- recounts his record-breaking career, which
has made him an undisputed UFC legend.
Randy
Couture wins fights with the seemingly effortless ease with which
lesser mortals eat or breathe. He's the only athlete to have
held championship titles in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight
divisions of the UFC, and he's the only six-time title earner
in UFC history.
In
Becoming the Natural, Couture tells his story for the first time,
beginning with a childhood spent in search of an elusive father
figure, followed by the pure adrenaline rush that accompanied
his first wrestling bout in grade school. In 1997, at the age
of thirty-three, Couture made his UFC debut, defeating two opponents
in the heavyweight class and then scoring a TKO victory against
Brazilian phenom Vitor Belfort to earn the nickname "The
Natural." He won his first heavyweight title that same year.
At the age of forty, he defeated five-time defending champion
Tito Ortiz for the undisputed light heavyweight title. Couture
retired in 2006, only to reemerge the following year and seize
the heavyweight championship title once again.
Becoming
the Natural is the remarkable story of one of the world's most
gifted and dedicated athletes -- a born fighter whose skill and
showmanship have helped to lift mixed martial arts out of the
shadows and into the mainstream.
Source: MMA Payout
|
UFC
Inks Japan TV Deal
Japan-MMA.com
breaks the news on the UFC resuscitating their past relationship
with Japanese Broadcaster WOWOW
There
is an article on GBRing.com saying that UFC will be shown on
WOWOW in Japan from 10/18. Great news for all UFC fans in Japan!
It
actually looks like they will start broadcasting some UFC from
8/4.
Here
is some WOWOW information:
http://www.wowow.co.jp/sports/ufc/
To
clarify a bit, WOWOW is a private satellite broadcasting and
pay TV station in Japan, similar in concept to HBO in the United
States.
Starting
August 4th WOWOW will air older UFC PPV events that have not
been seen since their prior deal with the UFC elapsed. The shows
will cover UFC 71- UFC 88, leading into up to date programming
with the 10/18 show.
Source: MMA Payout
|
DREAM
5 card line-up
7/21
Osaka Castle Hall (3 PM)
*
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Katsuyori Shibata
* Mark Hunt vs. Mr. X
* Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Motoki Miyazawa
* Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Joseph Benavidez
* Lightweight GP reserve match: Joachim Hansen vs. Black Mamba
* Lightweight GP: Eddie Alvarez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
* Lightweight GP: Shinya Aoki vs. Kaoru Uno
* Lightweight GP finals
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Russian
Emelianenko brings big reputation to the States
Drop him on his head. Knock open a nasty gash on his face. Fedor
Emelianenko hardly even blinks. The consensus No. 1 heavyweight
in mixed martial arts shrugs it off and conquers his opponents.
Conquering
the American marketplace is much more of a challenge. He'll try
July 19 as the star attraction on the debut card of Affliction,
a clothing company taking a shot at MMA promotion, in Anaheim,
Calif.
The
burly Russian — a fan of action movies, Bruce Willis and
Sting — wants to break through in the USA.
"I
have a great desire to have the American fans know who I am and
hopefully be just as popular in America as I am in Asia,"
he said Wednesday via a translator while commuting on a train
in Russia.
MMA
BLOG: Don't take Sylvia, Rizzo lightly
Within
the MMA community, Emelianenko has single-name status, like Kobe
or Tiger in their sports. Affliction bills the bout against Tim
Sylvia as "Fedor vs. Sylvia."
"I
give him the respect and say he's No. 1," says Ben Rothwell,
another heavyweight on the Affliction card. "I'll keep giving
him that until anyone can prove otherwise."
Emelianenko
(27-1), whose sole loss is considered a technicality that he
decisively avenged, built that reputation with dramatic wins
on Japan's now-extinct PRIDE circuit.
In
2004, Kevin Randleman lifted him for a slam. Emelianenko's head
took the brunt. Stunned for just a moment, he flipped himself
on top, then started to hammer Randleman's head. When Randleman
released his grip to deflect the blows, Emelianenko grabbed his
arm for a good wrench, forcing Randleman to submit.
But
few Americans had a chance to follow Emelianenko's fights, and
as PRIDE fell apart, he ran out of opponents. "He has spent
a significant amount of equity (with fans)," says Washington,
D.C.-based radio host Luke Thomas, an MMA journalist at WJFK-FM.
"He's
stayed out of the limelight so long," says Brandon Vera,
who fights on an Ultimate Fighting Championship card the same
night as Affliction's debut. "MMA fans are fickle."
Emelianenko's
visibility has been limited by his standoff with UFC, the most
recognized MMA promotion standing in the wake of PRIDE's demise.
One of the reasons we chose not to work with UFC is out of principle,"
Emelianenko says. "The negotiations weren't very pleasant.
They didn't present themselves very nicely. They said 'Take or
leave it, and you'll probably come crawling back to us anyway.'
"
"This
whole urban legend thing has happened with Fedor with some of
the hard-core fans," UFC President Dana White told USA TODAY
earlier this year. "He hasn't fought anybody real or beaten
anybody real since 2005."
Affliction
gives Emelianenko a chance to answer critics and skeptics. Thomas
is curious to see if he has kept up with the fast-evolving sport.
"A loss here would do significant damage to his legacy,"
Thomas says. "He absolutely has some questions to answer."
Vera
wants to see Emelianenko, too. "If the Fedor of old is still
here, it'll be a matter of days before the whole world knows
who he is again."
Source: USA Today
|
Quote
of the Day
“The
soul without imagination is what an observatory would be without
a telescope.”
Henry Ward Beecher, 1813-1887, American Preacher/Orator/Writer
|
FIGHTERS
CLUB RADIO Today!
MONDAY JUL 7TH
9AM-10AM
RIGHT AFTER LEAHEY & LEAHEY
AM
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"THE TEAM, HAWAII'S SPORTING NEWS"
TODAY'S
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THE OLYMPICS AND MMA! How will Olympic level athletes fair in
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on
topic SPECIAL GUESTS:
-Hawaii Olympic Candidate: Judoist, TAYLOR TAKATA in studio
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OTHER
TOPICS:
- Affliction! FEDOR VS TIM SYLVIA!
-
UFC Fight Night: Anderson Vs Irvin
- HFC and MMAC X1 recap w/ Mike Onzuka!
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|
VITOR
BELFORT READY FOR 185 DEBUT AT AFFLICTION
When
you think of legends in mixed martial arts, names like Royce
Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell
and Tito Ortiz are commonplace. However, it’s hard to make
a list like that without including the name Vitor Belfort.
Belfort
made his debut at UFC 12 where he defeated Tra Telligman and
Scott Ferrozzo. He was only 20 years old at the time. He had
extremely fast and accurate hands and soon became one of the
most feared strikers in the Octagon. His 44-second win over Wanderlei
Silva remains as one of the most exciting knockouts in the history
of MMA.
“The
Phenom” quickly became one of the most popular figures in
the sport. However, his career has weathered some ups and downs.
He briefly held the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight
belt before losing it in his very next fight to Randy Couture.
He lost a razor-thin split decision to Tito Ortiz in his last
Octagon appearance back at UFC 51. Since then, he’s had
mixed results in Pride and Cage Rage.
The
past has been written for Belfort, but he is looking to author
a new future for himself at a new weight class. He will be dropping
to middleweight in his next fight this Saturday on Affliction’s
debut show.
Belfort
spoke with MMAWeekly Radio recently to discuss his upcoming fight.
“I'm really excited,” he exclaimed. “It's a great
event. We look forward to it becoming big. The sport's already
huge. We just need the right people around the sport; the right
promoters taking care of fighters. Everything is right there;
it's just waiting for us.”
One
of the biggest changes Belfort has made is his transition to
Xtreme Couture, which is quickly earning a reputation as the
premiere MMA training facility today. The training has yielded
positive results for the Brazilian.
“I
think the mentality of Xtreme Couture is wonderful. It's a great
facility, a great group of sparring partners, good trainers.
I really enjoy it. Everybody is equal over here. Coach Tompkins
is wonderful. I'm having a great time with him and other coaches
over here too. I think it's the perfect environment for a fighter.
It's been a pleasure. I've developed my skills and I'm ready
to go. I'm really enjoying it and being ready for my next fight.”
A
believer in fight unity, Belfort feels that the fighters are
what drive the sport and that they need to stick together outside
of the cage.
“We
need people who stick together,” he stated. “We can
fight against each other, but we're friends. We're all on the
same page. We're fighting for the same reason. We're trying to
put food on the table at home. There is going to be some time
when we get together like a union.
“Everybody
can watch from each other. We get our respect from the promoters.
We get our respect from the fans. When we get that, we'll get
more power. Not just to get better pay, but also we are going
to have more respect from the fans when they see that we are
a union. We are there to fight. We respect each other. We'll
help each other. We'll be like a family.”
While
some stars in sports such as baseball and football have alienated
the fans and forgotten who pays their salary, Belfort recognizes
how important the fans are to MMA
“The
fans are the ones supporting this thing. All the sports in the
world including soccer, American football; without the fans they
are nothing. That's why I'm always thinking of them. They are
always on my mind. One of the reasons I'm still doing this is
for them. I'm really excited to fight in America for my fans.”
With
an excellent training camp at Xtreme Couture, Belfort feels he
is in great shape and ready to resurrect his career to what it
was.
“I'm
ready to go right now,” he said excitedly. “If the
fight was to go tomorrow, I'm ready. It's so good to be here
and have everyone correct me. Everybody is helping each other.
We help so many fighters here. It's like a family. I'm safe.
I'm happy. People can look in my eyes and see how ready I am;
my body, my mind, my soul, my spirit. I just have to take my
time and listen to the trainers. I'm here to accomplish my job.”
Some
fans have wondered what Belfort’s aspirations are at middleweight.
Will they witness the return of the “Old Vitor”?
“My
goal is Terry Martin. But if you asked me what my goal is to
be at the top of this weight division, to fight the best and
be the best. That's everybody's goal – to be in the spotlight.
I want to accomplish so many things. One of the things I want
is to be the champion and fighting the best. Right now I'm working
for Affliction. Whatever is in front of me, I just have to take
it. The promoters decide. I have my agent. I'll be ready to go.”
Terry
Martin is a dangerous competitor who has very good wrestling
and power in both of his hands. Belfort realizes the strengths
of his Chicagoan opponent, but he feels confidently that he will
be ready for wherever the fight may go.
“Terry's
a tough guy. He's very strong. He has heavy hands. I'm facing
a lion, man. Two lions are going to face each other on the 19th,
so I'm ready to go. I'm ready to knock him out. I'm ready to
finish him on the ground. I'm ready to take him down. I'm ready
for anything!”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CAGE
RAGE 27 REVIEW: BARONI DEBUTS WITH BIG KO
LONDON – Phil Baroni came and delivered at Cage Rage 27,
producing a spectacular knockout in his welterweight debut, just
as predicted. Coming in with a clear game plan, he never allowed
Scott Jansen to get off with his strikes.
After
baiting Jansen in with a jab, he shot in to score with a double-leg
takedown from where he proceeded to work into side control. Clearly
rattled, Jansen tried to escape only for Baroni to work a straight
armbar, which looked like it was on. However, the game Jansen
defended and locked his opponent down until the referee re-started
the match. After a brief exchanged, Baroni landed with a massive
counter right hook that floored Jansen and left him out cold
for a number minutes after the fight had been stopped at 3:18
of round one.
In
their heavyweight rematch Neil Grove defeated Robert “Buzz”
Berry in the second after a technical battle that saw Berry trying
to take the fight to the ground, whilst Grove looked to keep
the fight standing and at range. Trading heavy leg kicks early
on, Berry caught Grove’s leg and drove him into the mat,
but he was unable to score any real damage before the round ended.
Grove
came out in the second the fresher man, attacking Berry’s
lead leg and backing him up before unloading a thunderous combination
that dropped his opponent. Following him to the mat, Grove landed
further shots, forcing the referee to halt the match at 1:29.
Mustapha
Al Turk defeated James McSweeney to win the Cage Rage British
heavyweight title. Using his jab to set up the clinch, Al Turk
took McSweeney down with ease before securing side control. Moving
into mount, he unleashed a barrage of blows to take the win via
ground and pound at 2:06 of the first round.
Middleweight
Tom Watson showed some improved wrestling to control the whole
of his bout against tough Welshman John Phillips. After both
stood and traded big shots at the start of the opening round,
Watson took the fight to the mat and steadily ground and pounded
his opponent out of contention. Although Phillips tried to use
his boxing, Watson was relentless with his take downs and kept
the fight on the ground where he controlled and pounded his opponent
to take the unanimous decision victory.
In
a real battle, Stav ‘Crazy Bear’ Economou took the
decision win over Poland’s Poitor Kusmierz with a brave
performance. Both landed big shots in the first round and though
Kusmierz were the cleaner, cutting Economou, the Crazy Bear kept
on coming forward and throwing bombs.
In
the second, Economou scored with a number of takedowns from the
clinch, but he was unable to keep Kusmierz down and though tired
both stood and traded until the end. Economou had the aggression
to keep coming forward and after fifteen minutes of toe to toe
action it was that forward motion that earned him the win.
Robbie
Olivier defended his featherweight title, defeating Ashleigh
Grimshaw late in the second round. After a patient first five
minutes that saw Grimshaw working his strikes whilst Olivier
waited for an opening before scoring with a great takedown, the
second round saw Ashleigh stalking the champion. Grimashaw looked
to land with his punches, but Olivier shot in and took his opponent
to ground from where he began to land blows. Grimshaw tried to
escape, but Olivier took his back and sunk in the rear naked
choke at 4:01.
In
an exciting match between Brad Pickett and Italian Cristian Binda
that saw both land with some devastating punches, it was Pickett’s
wrestling that proved the deciding factor. After Binda was dropped
in the first round, Pickett scored with some great takedowns
in the second before sinking in a tight guillotine at 2:52 of
round two to take the well earned victory.
Aisling
Daley continued her winning ways with a first round demolition
of the Czechoslovakian Eva Lisko. Rushing her opponent, Daley
clinched before working to the back where she jumped onto Lisko’s
back and dragged her to the floor. Lisko tried to scramble, but
Daley controlled and used punches to set up a rear naked choke
for the win at 1:18 of round one.
Jason
Young defeated Francis Heagney to claim the vacant Cage Rage
lightweight title via unanimous decision. After a first round
that saw Heagney control the pace of the match, engaging Young
with his wrestling and keeping the fight on the floor, the second
round began with Young driving forward with a flying knee. With
both men on the mat, Young won the scramble and took mount from
where he dropped bomb after bomb.
In
the final round, a confident Young landed with punches and kicks.
Heagney scored a takedown and began to ground and pound his opponent
only to be reversed and punished with heavy shots.
Wesley
Johnson defeated Mark Brown in just 31 seconds of the first round.
After rushing his opponent with a flurry of punches, Johnson
took Brown to the mat and swiftly secured mount position before
pounding his opponent into defeat.
Jody
Cottham took a hard earned victory over Umidjon Mavlyanov in
a wild back and forth bout. Cottham began with all guns blazing,
but Mavlyanov weathered the storm and worked his ground and pound
game. In the second, after a series of reversals on the mat,
Cottham sunk in a guillotine choke for the victory at 3:16
In
a barnstormer of a battle, Dave Vangasse defeated James Elson
deep in the final round of their middleweight clash. Vangasse
controlled the first round on the mat, but Elson took the second
with some good ground and pound after using a Kimura to sweep
his opponent. In the third, Vangasse scored the take down and
in the scramble secured the rear naked choke for the win at 3:16.
-Phil Baroni def. Scott
Jansen via KO at 3:18, R1
-Neil Grove def. Robert Buzz Berry via TKO (Strikes) at 1:29,
R2
-Mustapha Al Turk def. James McSweeney via TKO (Strikes) at 2:06,
R1
-Tom Watson def. John Phillips via Unanimous Decision, R3
-Stav Economou def. Piotor Kusmierz via Decision, R3
-Robbie Olivier def. Ashleigh Grimshaw via Submission (Rear Naked
Choke) at 4:01, R2
-Brad Pickett def. Cristian Binda via Submission (Guillotine
Choke) at 2:52, R2
-Aisling Daley def. Eva Lisko via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 1:18, R1
-Jason Young def. Francis Heagney via Unanimous Decision, R3
-Wesley Brown def. Mark Brown via TKO (Strikes) at 0:31, R1
-Jody Cottham def. Umidjon Mavlyanov via Submission (Guillotine
Choke) at 3:16, R2
-Dave Vangasse def. James Elson via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 3:43, R3
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CAGE
WARRIORS REVIEW: PAUL DALEY SCORES KO
NOTTINGHAM, England – Cage Warriors made its seventh, and
rumored to be its last, appearance at the Harvey Hadden Sports
Centre with a packed house of screaming fans. Things have been
going extremely well for the promotion of late with fight cards
getting stronger and the attendance surging. It seems the promotion
is poised to make a return to the boom time of the Strikeforce
era. The next show will be in September and if all the rumors
prove to be true, it will be held in the Nottingham Arena with
new financial backers.
Paul
Daley once again highlighted that he is the best welterweight
in the country with an absolutely dominant performance over Slovenian
import Bojan Kosednar via knockout just seconds away from the
end of the first round. The opening moments of the bout saw both
fighters content to trade until Daley landed a thunderous body
shot to send Kosednar crashing down to the mat. To his credit,
Kosednar managed to recover enough to stay in the bout and even
attempted to set up a kneebar. Unsurprisingly, his next salvo
was a run at the takedown.
Daley
has a monstrous left hook, and you could see he was looking for
it after having smelled blood early on. It took a few leg exchanges
from both fighters before he stepped in landing square and dropping
the Slovenian for the second time. Following a brief pause to
recover his mouthpiece, Kosednar ate another left hook. His demise
signaled the end of the fight at the 4:53 mark.
It
took all of 51 seconds for Simeon Thoresen to secure the win
via kimura submission. Initial exchanges standing were kept to
a minimum as the Norwegian closed in for a takedown from the
clinch, transitioning deftly to the north/south position with
Matt Thorpe’s left arm in tow. The Japanese Dream promotion
is rumored to be the next step in Thorensen’s ascendancy
to the international level; with performances like these he should
have an impact upon arrival.
Jim
Wallhead and tough Brazilian Fabricio Nascimento fought a primarily
standup battle during their 15 minute encounter. Wallhead was
able to keep the fight on the feet, deflect takedowns and refused
to buckle under standing guard attempts by his opponent.
Composure
paid dividends for the Rough House fighter as he managed to land
the crisper combinations of the two, but unable to finish the
fight by way of a power shot. The points racked up and despite
having a tough chin, Nascimento fell behind on the scorecards
leaving little option but to go for broke and secure a submission
in the final round. He never did and his face clearly reflected
the negatives of being goaded into trading with a better boxer.
Majority
draws are quite rare in mixed martial arts and usually subject
to mass scrutiny after a ruling; such will be the case with the
ruling for Abdul Mohammed and Andre Winner. The scoreboards coming
back from the judges were 29/28, 29/29, 29/29. Neither fighter
felt particularly impressed with the result.
Mohammed
is an amazing wrestler; his top game is phenomenal and he really
used his strength to secure even the hardest of takedowns. At
one point he hauled Winner about his shoulders and carrying him
halfway across the cage before dumping on his back in the corner.
The only thing he didn’t do which would have possibly swayed
the fight in his favor was to apply enough damage to his adversary.
An
active guard from the bottom, a couple of submission attempts
including a tight armbar and sharp punches were enough ingredients
to keep Winner level on the cards; he created a nasty mouse over
Mohammed’s left eye, but not sufficient to score the overall
win. It was a disappointing result to a fight that promised much,
but you can’t blame Mohammed for working his game exactly
how he wanted to.
Reigning
Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Paul McVeigh retained his
title with a rear naked choke submission victory over a very
game Steve McCombe. The first round played out entirely on the
feet with both fighters landing well in the exchange, but neither
really threatening with too much power.
The
second round is where the fighters turned up the heat as McVeigh
landed a nice high kick and McCombe threw a couple of spinning
back-fists. Ultimately, it was the capitalization on a mistake
that gave McVeigh the opportunity to retain as McCombe gave up
his back defending strikes on the ground.
In
one of the more gruesome moments of the night Italian Muay Thai
fighter Matteo Minonzio opened up a nasty cut under Wayne Buck’s
right eye forcing him to the hospital for four internal stitches
and six external in order to heal. From the bell Minonzio landed
two nasty low point kicks, but failed to leave an impression
on Buck as he stormed in for the takedown. Once in position,
Buck appeared to be landing well from inside the guard; as the
pace slowed the referee stood them back up.
Engaging
hard from the restart, Minonzio secured the plumb and proceeded
to fire a brutal knee to the orbital of his opponent, lacerating
his face in devastating style and spilling blood everywhere.
This signaled the need for a medical check and the fight never
resumed. Minonzio was declared the victor.
Cliff
Hall battled initial adversity from the clinch in his bout with
Rocci Williams only to find himself on his back, defending his
position after a standing guillotine attempt. Reclaiming guard
was the first on the agenda for the Total Dojo fighter before
working for the guillotine again, this time for the tap at the
2:24 mark.
Chris
Cooper was composed and thorough in his win over Tommy Rasmussen,
exhibiting a fast instinctive sprawl and refusing to buckle under
the Norwegian’s attempts at the takedown. It was clear that
Rasmussen’s game was all about top position and having failed
to secure it, he found himself eating big punches that forced
a referee stoppage.
In
other action, Lee Livingstone made short work of Wayne Murray
by way of tight triangle submission from the bottom. Eddie Podolski
scored a TKO win over John Brotherhood and finally, Peter McGurk
picked up the armbar submission win over debutant John Philips.
-Paul
Daley def. Bojan Kosednar via KO at 4:53, R1
-Simeon Thoresen def. Matt Thorpe via Submission (Kimura) at
0:51, R1
-Andre Winner and Abdul Mohammed fought to a Majority Draw at
5:00, R3
-Paul McVeigh def. Steve McCombe via Submission (Rear Naked Choke),
2:37
-Jim Wallhead def. Fabricio Nascimento via Unanimous Decision
at 05:00, R3
-Matteo Minonzio def. Wayne Buck via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at
3:34, R1
-Lee Livingstone def. Wayne 'Mayhem' Murray via Submission (Triangle
Choke) at 2:32, R1
-Cliff Hall def. Rocci Williams via Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 2:24, R1
-Chris Cooper def. Tommy Rasmussen via TKO (Strikes) at 4:33,
R1
-Peter McGurk def. John Philips via Submission (Armbar) at 1:05,
R1
-Eddie Podolski def. John Brotherhood via TKO at 2:08, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Competition
sends White back to basic
LAS
VEGAS – Dana White offered a cocksure laugh borne from battles
past; proof that the business of cage fighting can be as cutthroat
and unforgiving as the sport itself.
“It’s
about how much pain are you willing to take,” the president
of the Ultimate Fighting Championship said last week.
As
mixed martial arts has boomed into a colossal business, no one
has been smarter or tougher than White. In just seven years he
turned a fledgling fight promotion into an estimated billion-dollar
company.
He’s
done it by building up the UFC and tearing down virtually everyone
else. This month he’s at his best, attempting to inflict
on Affliction plenty of pain.
Affliction,
the T-shirt company that surged in popularity thanks in part
to UFC fighters donning its unique, if garish, designs, is making
its foray into fight promotion July 19 in Anaheim, Calif. It
doled out an estimated $4 million to put together a top-notch
lineup, including a headline fight featuring Fedor Emelianenko,
considered the best heavyweight in the world, against two-time
former UFC champion Tim Sylvia.
“It’s
a dream card,” promoter Tom Atencio said.
Only
if it turns a profit – or at least breaks even. Otherwise,
it’s a nightmare.
“I’m
not in the business to lose money,” Atencio said.
White,
however, is in the business of trying to curb, if not crush,
all would-be challengers. So White took one look at that Affliction
card that had fans buzzing and decided to cut its legs out.
On
the same night Affliction is hoping fans will pay $39.99 to watch
its show, White will air his own tremendous card on basic cable’s
Spike TV. The headliner is UFC middleweight champion Anderson
Silva, considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world
and a major draw.
It’s
unheard of in the fight game to put a star of that caliber in
a “free” fight. It proves White believes sometimes
the best offense is a great defense.
The
interest in the Affliction card remains significant. However,
if White can peel away just 10 or 20 percent of its would-be
customers he could cause the promotion to take a financial bath
and perhaps never be heard from again.
“We’re
competitors, so let’s compete,” said White, smiling.
“The guy sells T-shirts for a (expletive) living, and now
he wants to be a promoter? A T-shirt guy doesn’t know what
he doesn’t know about this business yet.
“He’s
going to find out, though.”
Atencio
laughs softly at White’s bravado. He says he’s been
around MMA for 15 years, enough time to learn how to promote
a fight.
“I
think it’s flattering,” Atencio said. “He obviously
views us as a threat. Do I blame him? No. He’s doing what
he feels he needs to do to protect his company. I think people
will buy our event and TiVo his. It’s not hurting us.”
Others
think staying on top may be more difficult than White envisions.
“Remind
Dana that being hungry and running a business is a whole lot
different than being hunted and running a business,” said
Mark Cuban, the self-made billionaire whose HDNet television
channel shows MMA programming and has produced a few cards.
With
a shaved head, a blue-collar attitude and a love of profanity
that could make a sailor blush, White, 38, is the pioneering
force behind the growth of MMA in America.
The
New England native dropped out of UMass Boston. After years as
a boxing trainer and MMA agent, in 2001 he teamed up with casino
moguls Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta to purchase the fledgling UFC
for $2 million. Today it’s worth an estimated $1 billion.
His
goal now is to get the UFC as big as possible as soon as possible,
taking it worldwide while turning it into a brand synonymous
with the sport the way NASCAR is with stock car racing. If he
can, the UFC may be unstoppable.
That’s
why Affliction, and threats like it, must be attacked.
This
is personal, too, White said. He soured on Atencio and Affliction
last year and banned his fighters from wearing the T-shirts as
they walked to the octagon. White wouldn’t say specifically
why. He was direct, though.
“I
don’t like him,” White said of Atencio. “If I
liked him, I’d probably lay off him. The guy has an attitude
problem, and I’m going to fix it for him.”
This
is probably not how they teach corporate communication at Wharton.
Not that White cares.
“I
don’t know where that comes from,” Atencio said. “That’s
fine. I don’t live with him. I don’t go home with him.
What does it hurt me?”
At
this point, nothing infuriates White more than talk of competition.
He sees the daily growth, solidifying strength and vast possibilities
for the UFC and scoffs at almost everyone else as minor league.
He has a point. Even if Affliction put on a great and financially
successful card, it wouldn’t be anywhere near the UFC in
terms of cash, talent or market share.
“I
know where we’re at,” Atencio said. “When (you)
say ‘MMA,’ the lay person has no idea what you’re
talking about. If you say ‘UFC,’ 50 percent of the
people say, ‘Oh, yeah.’ ”
And
yet White keeps getting asked about other promotions and keeps
working himself into a rant.
“Every
month it’s the new thing,” White said. “ ‘Ooooh,
the IFL is going to take over the UFC,’ and all this (expletive).
They had $800 million, and they had a network television deal.
Their stock is at two cents, and they are gone …”
(The
International Fight League canceled its August promotion “in
light of the company’s current financial condition.”
For once, White actually oversold his competition. IFL stock
is trading at one cent per share.)
”
… ‘CBS is coming in! CBS is coming! Oh my God!’
You saw the CBS fight. Kimbo Slice wouldn’t win ‘The
Ultimate Fighter.’ And I’m not being a wise ass, that’s
the truth.
“The
last guy he fought (James Thompson), they got him from the (expletive)
morgue. That’s where they got that guy. He’s been knocked
out his last five fights. And he was beating Kimbo’s ass
before his ear exploded. Which is insane too. How could that
fight even happen with his ear looking like that? Nobody knows
how to drain an ear? … “
(CBS
will broadcast its second EliteXC card on July 26, which is expected
to be a more professional production than the heavily panned
first show. Industry rumors, though, speak to a shakeup in EliteXC
management. And for the record, Thompson actually was knocked
out in only three of his previous four fights prior to taking
on Slice.)
”
… ‘Oh my God, Mark Cuban is coming.’ Where did
Mark Cuban go? Where’s Mark Cuban? You know where he is,
he’s smart; he stuck his big toe in this thing and said,
‘Oh, you are going to lose a lot of money in this. I’m
out.’ ”
(“Just
let him know that HDNet Fights is far from out and HDNet is more
committed to MMA than ever before,” Cuban said. “In
fact, we continue to expand our lineup of fights and shows, with
‘Inside MMA’ continuing to be the best show in the
business. In fact, Dana must be concerned with HDNet; he’s
still afraid to provide clips to ‘Inside MMA.’ We know
exactly what we are doing. … “)
And
now it’s Affliction, headed by what White divisively refers
to as “T-shirt guy.”
“It’s
so (expletive) annoying,” White said.
“Our
card speaks for itself,” Atencio said. “It’s stacked
from top to bottom. I’m real confident if we put on a good
event we can (move forward).”
White
scoffs at that, of course. He predicts Affliction won’t
make enough money to survive, just like so many others. He predicts
this will all go away soon and the media will annoy him with
another pretender to the UFC power.
Like
most things in the business of MMA, Dana White may be correct
and no one can stop the UFC at this point.
Just
in case, Anderson Silva is headed to basic cable.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Y!
Sports Top 10: Forrest crashes party
It
appears the Yahoo! Sports voting panel still isn’t quite
sold on Forrest Griffin.
No
one has scored a pair of bigger victories since the Y! Sports
Top 10 poll was instituted last August than the new UFC light
heavyweight champion’s wins over Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua in September and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson on July
5.
Rua
was ranked No. 2 at the time he was submitted by Griffin at UFC
76. Rua fell out of the rankings entirely; Griffin didn’t
crack the top 10.
Jackson
was ranked No. 4 at the time he fought Griffin and had been ranked
as high as No. 2. But “Rampage,” after his first loss
in seven fights, dropped five spots to No. 9. Griffin, despite
the big victories and despite holding the championship in the
deepest division in the sport, checked in at No. 8 in the rankings.
Perhaps
voters can’t get the image of Griffin’s one-sided loss
to Keith Jardine at UFC 66 out of their heads, or maybe they’re
placing pure skill and finishing ability – Griffin’s
admitted weaker points – ahead of pure heart. I’m not
holding myself above the fray here, as I voted Griffin seventh.
The
new champ started his time in the national spotlight as “just
a reality TV character” and worked his way from outsider
to champion. So it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise
that he’ll have to continue earning respect even with the
gold strapped around his waist.
Griffin’s
unanimous decision win over Jackson kicked off a chain reaction
in the rankings underneath the top three of Anderson Silva, Georges
St. Pierre and B.J. Penn. Fedor Emelianenko jumped two spots
to Jackson’s old place at No. 4, ahead of Urijah Faber.
Antonio Rodgiro Nogueira and Miguel Torres both moved up one
spot, to Nos. 6 and 7, respectively. Randy Couture dropped one
position to 10 and Dan Henderson, last month’s No. 10, dropped
out of the poll.
For
info on the Y! Sports MMA Top 10 panel, go here.
10.
Randy Couture
Points: 32
Affiliation:Under contract to UFC
Weight class: Heavyweight
Hometown: Gresham, Ore.
Record: 16-8 (won past two)
Last month’s ranking: 9
Most recent results: def. Gabriel Gonzaga, Round 3 TKO, Aug.
25
Analysis:“The Natural” has a month of eligibility left
before the poll’s one-year inactivity clause kicks in. With
litigation still pending back-and-forth between Couture and UFC,
don’t expect it to happen anytime soon.
9.
Quinton Jackson
Points: 40
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Record: 28-7 (lost past one)
Last month’s ranking: 4
Most recent result: lost to Forrest Griffin, unanimous decision,
July 5
Analysis: Let’s not write off “Rampage” just yet.
This is, after all, someone who won six straight fights before
July 5, including against the likes of Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson
and Matt Lindland. And opinion on Jackson’s decision loss
was split, with many thinking the former champ won and just as
many thinking the fight was a draw. The big question going forward
is whether “Rampage” will treat his loss similar to
how Georges St. Pierre dealt with his loss to Matt Serra.
8.
Forrest Griffin
Points: 50
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight (UFC light heavyweight champion)
Hometown: Las Vegas
Record: 16-4 (won past two)
Last month’s ranking: not ranked
Most recent result: def. Quinton Jackson, unanimous decision,
July 5
Analysis: Beating “Shogun” and “Rampage”
is enough to get any fighter in the top 10. Griffin will likely
have to beat another big name before vaulting up further. We
won’t know Griffin’s next opponent for awhile, at least
until the September Liddell-Rashad Evans match.
7.
Miguel Angel Torres
Points: 54
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Bantamweight (WEC bantamweight champion)
Hometown: E. Chicago, Ind.
Record: 34-1 (won past 15)
Last month’s ranking: 8
Most recent result: def. Yoshiro Maeda, TKO R3, June 1
Analysis: No opponent on the horizon yet for the WEC bantamweight
champ, though the groundswell of support for the ultimate WEC
showdown between Torres and featherweight champion Urjiah Faber
was fueled when the two squared off for a face-to-face pose in
Las Vegas at UFC 86.
6.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Points: 67
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Heavyweight (UFC interim heavyweight champion)
Hometown: Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil
Record: 31-4-1 (won past 3)
Last month’s ranking: 7
Recent results: def. Tim Sylvia, R3 submission, Feb. 2
Analysis: The interim champ recently concluded filming season
eight of The Ultimate Fighter. Given that his title match with
Frank Mir won’t go down until the end of the year, there
likely won’t be much Big Nog news to report unless something
happens in training camp.
5.
Urijah Faber
Points: 94
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Featherweight (WEC featherweight champion)
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
Record: 21-1 (won past 13)
Last month’s ranking: 5
2007 results: def. Jens Pulver, unanimous decision, June 1
Analysis:Given the way Faber has torn through the competition,
there might be a temptation to dismiss his next foe, Mike Brown,
whom Faber meets Sept. 10. But that would be a mistake: While
Brown isn’t as well known as Jens Pulver, the American Top
Team standout has won 10 of his past 11 fights, including seven
in a row, a streak that includes victories over Yves Edwards
and Jeff Curran.
4.
Fedor Emelianenko
Points: 99
Affiliation: Free agent
Weight class: Heavyweight
Hometown: Stary Oskol, Russia
Record: 27-1 (1 no-contest; won past eight)
Last month’s ranking: 6
Most recent result: def. Hong Man-Choi, R1 submission, Dec. 31.
Analysis:For years, hardcore fans considered Tim Sylvia Exhibit
A in why they considered the UFC an inferior fight promotion.
But as soon as Sylvia left UFC, he magically transformed into
an elite fighter. Funny how that works. Regardless, the man most
regard as the greatest heavyweight of all-time has his biggest
test in quite some time when he faces Sylvia on July 19.
3.
B.J. Penn
Points: 107 (one first-place vote)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Lightweight (UFC lightweight champion)
Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii
Record: 13-4-1 (won past three)
Last month’s ranking: 3
Most recent result: def. Sean Sherk, R3 TKO, May 24
Analysis: The winner of the August 9 Kenny Florian-Roger Huerta
match is expected to get the next shot at the lightweight championship.
But not only does Penn seem more interested in getting his rematch
with Georges St. Pierre, to whom he lost a hotly contested split
decision at UFC 58, but UFC president Dana White has indicated
he’s not as opposed to making such a match as he had once
been.
2.
Georges St. Pierre
Points: 132 (two first-place votes)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Welterweight (UFC welterweight champion)
Hometown: Saint-Isidore, Quebec
Record: 16-2 (won past three)
Last month’s ranking: 2
Most recent result: def. Matt Serra, R2 TKO, April 19
Analysis:St. Pierre has passed every test thrown his way since
his stunning loss to Serra last year. Now comes another one:
The time around, will the affable Montrealer learn his lessons
from his lackadaisical loss and be sure to take his next opponent,
unranked Jon Fitch, seriously?
1.
Anderson Silva
Points: 153 (13 first-place votes)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Middleweight (UFC middleweight champion)
Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil
Record: 21-4 (won past seven)
Last month’s ranking: 1
Most recent result: def. Dan Henderson, R2 submission, March
1
Analysis: You asked for a pound-for-pound test and you got it.
With the UFC using GOP-like message discipline to hammer …
the phrases “best pound-for-pound fighter” and “free”
into fans’ skulls, Silva’s light heavyweight match
against James Irvin on July 19 will likely either be Silva’s
big breakthrough … or it will send him crashing down the
rankings.
More
• Votes for others: Shinya Aoki 9; Dan Henderson 4 (ranked
No. 10 last month; Kid Yamamoto 4; Lyoto Machida 3; Wanderlei
Silva 1; Chuck Liddell 1; Carlos Condit 1.
•
Upcoming matches for ranked fighters: No. 1 Anderson Silva vs.
James Irvin, July 19; No. 2 Georges St. Pierre vs. John Fitch,
Aug. 9; No. 4 Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia; July 19.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
hunch is creativity trying to tell you something."
Frank Capra, 1897-1991, Italian-American Film Director
|
Taylor
Takata Judo Seminar!
The seminar
is now at Iolani School Athletic Complex Sunday July 13th.
- session #1 12yrs and under 9am to noon
- session #2 13 yrs and up 1 to 4 pm
$35
per session includes:
Taylor
Takata 2008 U.S. Olympian from Wahiawa, Hawaii
Danieska
Carrion two time world bronze medalist/ U.S. Olympic Training
Center Coach
Todd
Brehe two time world member/ U.S. Olympic Training Center Coach
Jeff
Sato U.S. national team member
Come
and learn olympic level techniques from Taylor and U.S. Olympic
Training Center Coaches.
|
Amateur
Boxing Show Saturday, July 19th
Our next Amateur Boxing Show will be on Sat. July 19th, 2008
at the Palolo District Park Gym, at 6 p.m. It is hosted by the
Kawano B.C., Palolo B.C., and USA-Boxing Hawaii.
Admission is $10, and 7-10 bouts are scheduled.
Thank
You For Your Support!!
Bruce
Kawano
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chairman.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Board of Dir./Gov.
Ringside Board of Advisors.
NMU Task Force Appointed Member.
|
Fedor
vs Couture could happen at Affliction
Fightwear company president confirms good relations with Randy
What MMA promotion wouldn’t want to have in one of their
shows the epic bout between two of the greatest heavyweights
in the history of fighting? The clothing brand Affliction, which
will make it's debut as an event promotion company on The 19th
with the “Banned” event, definitely wants to be the
stage for the match between Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture.
With
the intention of promoting at least three more shows, foreseen
for October, December of 2008 and February 2009, Donald Trump
and his gang seek to invest strong and put together cards on
the same grand scale as the first one. A contract with the Russian
they have, but without a doubt, the most difficult task will
be to secure the release of aging Couture from his case with
the UFC.
At
least they have the good intent and relationship with both parties,
as Affliction vice-president Tony Atencio guarantees in an interview
with Fiveouncesofpain.com.
“Yes,
this is the fight everyone wants to see. It’s a dream match
up. Randy doesn’t want to fight anyone else and we have
a good relationship with Randy,” he said.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Dana
White/UFC Inching Closer To A Network Deal?
By Jason Perkins
Dana White and the UFC have been in serious negotiations over
the past year with everyone from HBO to ESPN about a possible
network deal. Talks heated up again in late April with FOX emerging
as the front runner to land the UFC's broadcast rights with White
claiming that a deal would be done within six months.
That gap has now closed to a three month time span according
to our friends over atFiveouncesofpain.com.
"We’re
real close to a network,” said Dana White, “I’m
going to say in three months.”
White
also admitted that CBS is not the network in question, for obvious
reasons. The network recently cut a deal with EliteXC in April.
NBC
has also struck a deal, with UFC rival Strikeforce, and is likely
out as well.
That
leaves ABC and FOX, both of which are shaky propositions.
ABC/ESPN,
who have negotiated with the UFC in the past, have been slow
to embrace MMA and even critical of the sport at times. Coverage
was noticeably sparse this weekend during UFC 86 featuring Forrest
Griffin and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, which may be
an indication of their displeasure with the UFC or the sport
in general.
FOX/FSN,
who are also rumored to have participated in negotiations with
the UFC, have a deal lined up with Affliction in which the network
will air at least two high profile preliminary fights on FSN.
This could indicate that talks between the UFC and Fox have gone
nowhere or it could be a power play on the part of FOX to gain
further leverage in negotiations by essentially showing the UFC
that they have other options.
Whether
White and the UFC really are close to a network deal is difficult
to say, White has made these kind of claims in the past, notably
with HBO. But, if they are close to a deal expect it to be with
either ABC or FOX. One thing's for sure; if the past is any indication,
I wouldn't hold White to his three month proclamation.
Source: Fight Line
|
Next
Pacquiao Fight Not at MGM Mirage Property
Jason Abelson
Hall
of Fame promoter Bob Arum told The Fight Network that he'll be
reviewing the Manny Pacquiao revenue sharing pact with Golden
Boy Promotions in the wake of MGM Mirage denying Arum a November
8th Pac Man slot at The Mandalay Bay.
Arum
believes Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy CEO, intervened with MGM
Mirage executive Richard Stern to have the kaibosh put on the
November Pacquiao date at The Mandalay.
"I've
secured a date at a great venue (for Pacquiao against either
Edwin Valero or Humberto Soto) on the 15th of November, and if
it turns out to be less lucrative than the November 8th date,
then some fiduciary damage has been done to the promotion, and
we'll investigate further."
"I'm
not as hot about it as I was last week. Right now I want to speak
to Richard (Schaefer, Golden Boy CEO) and hear his side of the
story."
"We
found a tremendous venue for the fight, and I couldn't be happier."
Arum
claims he had a discussion with Stern about booking the M-Bay
for Pacquiao's next fight on November 8th. Stern agreed, only
to call back days later, saying the venue was unavailable, citing
upcoming fights at the Mandalay's sister property, The MGM Grand,
including Oscar De La Hoya's final fight, on December 6th.
Pacquiao's
fight on November 15th will be against either Edwin Valero, if
he gets approved by the NSAC, or Humberto Soto, at a venue not
a part of the MGM Mirage group of properties.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Edgar's
Plan: Beat Franca, Stay at 155
by Chris Yucus
There
is an old adage that downplays the importance of physical size
in combat: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's
the size of the fight in the dog."
However,
in a time where top-level MMA fighters routinely cut 20 to 30
pounds prior to weighing in, one loss can quickly question any
clichéd ideals of heart being able to overcome size.
For
UFC lightweight Frank Edgar (Pictures) (8-1, 3-1 UFC), the message
has not been lost, even though his only loss has taken him from
potential No. 1 contender at 155 pounds to having to address
whether he even belongs in the division.
Edgar
was flawless in his first three fights in the UFC, defeating
Tyson Griffin, Mark Bocek (Pictures) and Spencer Fisher (Pictures).
Those three victories, as well as five other outside of the league,
gave the 26-year-old native of Toms River, N.J., a perfect mark
of 8-0 going into his fight with Gray Maynard (Pictures) in April.
Maynard
won a decision, handing Edgar the first loss in his burgeoning
MMA career. At the postfight news conference, Maynard (5-0, 1
NC) referenced his readily apparent size advantage over Edgar
as being a factor in the win, which prompted debate as to whether
Edgar should move down to the featherweight ranks.
"Obviously
I was the smaller fighter," says the 5-foot-6 Edgar, who
will face former title contender Hermes Franca (Pictures) on
July 19 at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. "That might have
been part of the reason [for the loss], but I don't think it
was 100 percent that he beat me because he was bigger than me."
Edgar
says that he is currently around 165 pounds, and that he can
make the cut to featherweight at 145 pounds. However, he doesn't
plan on leaving the UFC's lightweight division any time soon.
"I'm
comfortable where I'm at," he says.
Former
NCAA champion wrestler Steve Rivera, Edgar's longtime mentor
and friend who has coached him since the fighter was in the seventh
grade, agrees that the UFC's lightweight division is the right
place for Edgar.
"He's
3-1 in the UFC," Rivera says. "A lot of fighters would
love to have that record. You could tell me that size is an issue
for some fighters, and I'd have to agree, but he's only got one
loss. Everybody loses, and I just happen to know Frankie well
enough to know that it wasn't his best performance and that he'll
come back strong."
Edgar
says that one of the lessons he learned from the fight was that
he will have to bulk up in order to have the best chance at winning
in the lightweight division.
"I'm
not trying to become a bodybuilder or anything," he says
with a chuckle, "but I'm trying to put on some functional
size."
The
loss also helped Edgar sharpen his focus on fighting. He now
takes nothing for granted in the fight game.
"Training
hard is not enough," he says. "Everybody trains hard.
The fight game is not just boxing, wrestling, positioning, jiu-jitsu.
It's eating right, it's sleeping right, it's focusing, it's visualizing,
it's everything. If you want to be the man you have to live this
sport, go through the day-to-day grind."
Rivera
believes Edgar, who under his tutelage had a decorated amateur
wrestling career, matured with the loss and is now better able
to handle the life of a UFC star.
"There's
a lot going on with these guys, the fame and the fortune in some
cases. I feel the last fight was a growing point for him, dealing
with the fame and a lot of things going on business-wise that
took him out of his regimen," Rivera says. "This time
he's that much older and wiser now. He's prepared better. He's
dealt with all the publicity better. I think he's going to come
in ready to go, and come out victorious."
For
the past three months, Edgar has been honing his fight skills
in a new environment -- Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Ricardo
Almeida (Pictures)'s gym in Hamilton, N.J.
"His
jiu-jitsu game is one of the best," says Edgar of Almeida
(9-3, 2-3 UFC). "And just the fact that he's been around
[fighting] for such a long time is a big help too."
Rivera
feels that working with Almeida will help Edgar become a truly
rounded fighter.
"Being
here in New Jersey, getting the resources to compete at this
level is not as easy as being in Nevada or California,"
Rivera says. "With the addition of Ricardo, he filled the
gap that he had that being with a jiu-jitsu master would bring
to him.
"His
boxing has always been good, and he's been wrestling his whole
life. The jiu-jitsu is the component he needed."
For
Edgar, a strong performance against Franca (18-6, 5-3 UFC) on
July 19 will go a long way toward showing he belongs at the top
of the lightweight division. The Brazilian is coming off of a
yearlong suspension after testing positive for anabolic steroids
following his decision loss to Sean Sherk (Pictures) for the
UFC lightweight title.
Edgar
says that Franca will no doubt be fired up for his return to
the Octagon after a hefty hiatus: "Sitting out for a year,
I'm sure he has that itch [to fight] pretty good. I'm sure he'll
be coming out guns blazing."
Edgar
will not be taking Franca lightly.
"He's
a dangerous opponent, one of the most dangerous in the game to
tell you the truth," says Edgar. "He can finish a fight
all over the place, standing or on the ground."
In
a division where you're only as good as your last fight, Rivera
believes that beating Franca will not only put Edgar back on
track for a title shot.
"If
he comes out to victory against Hermes," says the coach,
"then everybody will forget about his size again."
Source: Sherdog
|
Lyoto:
“In my opinion, Quinton won”
By Guilherme Cruz
Directly
interested in the Light weight belt, Lyoto Machida disagree from
the judges decision that appointed Forrest Griffin as the new
champion against Quinton Jackson. “In my opinion, Quinton
defeated Forrest, but they give it to Forrest. I think that now
they are going to put him against Chuck Liddell to him to take
the belt again. I think they prefer Chuck with the belt, he is
a former champion, has more marketing and sell more”, analyzed
Lyoto that also commented Anderson Silva debut at the category.
“I think Anderson is going well at any category. He is fast
and very technique, I think this is his difference”, commented
Lyoto, that doesn’t want to face his friend at the Ultimate.
“I had never thought about that. He is a very good friend
and helps me a lot. He is a little much older than me and always
gives me tips, so I don’t want to face him”, said Lyoto.
Source: Tatame
|
UFC
86 Brings In $3.35 Million Gate
By Matthew R. Brothers
10,990 Attendees paid approximately $305 per ticket on average
to see Forrest Griffin battle Quinton Jackson for the UFC's 205lb.
crown, giving the UFC its sixth biggest gate to date with a total
of $3,350,000. Of the near 11,000 person crowd, 1,360 of the
tickets were complimentary.
Also, a closed-circuit TV feed of the fight could be seen at
the Mandalay Bay, where 533 fans paid roughly $63/each, while
140 spectators were given complimentary access to the blockbuster
event for a total of $33,650
Along
with the UFC 86 gate figures, the Nevada State Athletic Commission
also released the gate numbers for the "Ultimate Fighter
Finale" which took place at the Palms Hotel on June 21.
The "TUF" show brought in 1,853 spectators for a live
gate of $495,350.
Source: Fight Line
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
room without books is like a body without a soul."
Marcus T. Cicero, 106-43 B.C., Roman Orator and Politician
|
X-1
Presents:
Aloha State Mixed Martial Arts Competition
Today
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
July 12, 2008
10AM - 7PM
We have some little ones from the west side who have been training
very hard and are getting a chance to get in the ring, it will
be Hamma House Gym vs Team Aniland.
Another
match will see Lisa Ha from HMC, which is known for producing
great kick boxers. She will take on Gen Reyes, the fiance of
Jay Bolos. Bolos has mentioned before that Gen has helped him
prepare for his fights, so this one should be exciting.
Two
big 135lb matches to look out for are Evan Quezon (Team Devastation)
vs Julio Moreno (Bullspen), guaranteed fireworks. Also for the
135lb X1 Amateur Kickboxing title we will see undefeated Max
Holloway (Gods Army) take on Wess Mossman (Westside Connection).
Some
of the exciting MMA title matches to look out for are Heavyweights
Jay Westbrook-Tuitoelua (Maili Soljahs) taking on Vilitonu Fonokalafi
(No Remorse). Hawaii's best 145 amateur prospects Kaniela Ahnee
(No Remorse) vs Alan Hashimoto (Team Chinaman).
140lb
title will be John Barnard (Gods Army) vs Keola Silva (HMC),
a classic striker vs wrestler match up. Steven Saito (Team Icon)
made quick work of his last opponent and now finds himself in
a very tough 155lb title fight against striker Makana Foronda
(Bullspen).
The
135lb title will be up for grabs when Jared Iha (No Remorse)
and the very exciting Jesse Thornton (Fight Stop) face off.
After
a disappointing injury, Jordan Patterson looks for redemption
when he takes on Otto Hoopii (Stand Alone). Also in action Ellis
Bourbonnais, a very tough fighter from HMC. Darnell Mason, MMAHawaii's
reporter and Eastsidaz James Romano.
Inner
Circle Grappling, Smith Taekwondo and Na Koa Fight Team I believe
are making there debut in X1. Team Icon showing strong in the
MMA portion of the event. 808 Fight Factory, Bullspen and God's
Army showing off a lot of their up and comers. And of course
two newer but very exciting teams 94 Block and Konnah Blokk will
also be participating.
So
if you haven't got your tickets then you better go and get some.
KICKBOXING:
45 – Seddy Crawford (Hamma House Gym) v Taz Kahalewai (Team
Aniland)
60 – Sai Crawford (Hamma House Gym) v Spike Kahalewai (Team
Aniland)
100 – Preston Saragosa (Hamma House Gym) v Kalae Mcshane
(808 Fight Factory)
145 – Clem Holloway (Sit You Down) v Scott Ramirez (Freelance)
155 – Daniel Phan (Sit You Down) v Ferdinand Ramirez (Freelance)
155 – Sebastian Mariconda (HMC) v Bronz Salis (Freelance)
115 – Lisa Ha (HMC) v Gen Reyes (O2/ Nakoa Fight Team)
205 – Anthony Gabrillo (Freelance) v David Vasquez (Sit
You Down)
165 – Dean Hence (Smith Taekwondo) v Nelson Owens (Freelance)
155 – Robert Banis (Westside Connection) v Aaron Devictoria
(Bullspen)
135 – Evan Quezon (Team Devastation) v Julio Moreno (Bullspen)
115 – Sheldon Crawford (Hamma House Gym) v Nainoa Mesiona
(808 Fight Factory) ***
210 – Ata Tivao (94 Block) v Royal Lono (Team Aniland) ***
+265 – Tafa Samuela (94 Block) v Dale Sopi (Westside Connection)
135 – Max Holloway (God’s Army) v Wess Mossman (Westside
Connection) ***
165 – Marcus Moreno (Bullspen) v Brandon Mendoza (Team Ruthless)
***
125 – Lena Dela Cruz (808 Fight Factory) v Angie Pereira
(HMC) ***
MMA
HW – Jay Tuitoelua (Team Devastation) v Vilitonu Fonokalafi
(No Remorse) ***
145 – Alan Hashimoto (HMC) v Kaniela Ahnee (No Remorse)
***
140lb title – Keola Silva (HMC) v John Barnard (Gods Army)
***
155lb title – Steven Saito (Team Icon) v Makana Foronda
(Bullspen) ***
135lb title – Jesse Thornton (Freelance) v Jared Iha (No
Remorse) ***
205 – Guru Das (Team Icon) v Makana Vertido (Gods Army)
***
115 – Alika Tadio-Kumukoa (MMA Hawaii) v Israel Morris (Freelance)
***
145 – Ellis Bourbonais (HMC) v Phillip Liftee (Nakoa Fight
Team)
HW – Otto Hoopii (Stand Alone) v Jordan Patterson (Freelance)
155 – Darnell Mason (Team Icon) v Thomas Yandall (Konnah
Blokk)
185 – Frank Ruiz (Knockout Factory) v Mike Solomon (Bullspen)
165 – Kyle Kaahanui (Garage Kept Ring Release) v Lawrence
Hinojosa (Gods Army)
145 – Dustin Kimura (Team Icon) v Paul Lopes (Freelance)
155 – Walker Langley (Team Icon) v Treston Rabellizsa (Inner
Circle Grappling)
145 – Will Morris (Nakoa Fight Team) v Julius Fojantino
(Bullspen)
170 – Joe Palimoo (HMC) v Kawai Quezon (Team Devastation)
160 – Micah Ige (Freelance) v James Romano (Eastsidaz)
145 – Clinton Kealoha (Westside Connection) v Sean Le (Freelance)
155 – Kale Kwan (Universal Combat) v Landin Davis (Freelance)
HW – Lufasiitu Leupolu (Universal Combat) v Matt Eaton (Bullspen)
155 – Travis Bernades (Freelance) v Gary Cayangho (Bullspen)
205 – Mike Tsevdo (Fight Stop) v Ken Ishikawa (Mix Breed)
XMA
165 – Chris Kutzen (Westside Connection) v Todd Young (Gods
Army)
205 – Austin Figueroa (Stand Alone) v Rusty Makue (Freelance)
*** Denotes X1 Amateur Title Fight
Source: Event Promoter
|
HFC
Stand Your Ground IX Results!
Dole Cannery
Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
July 11, 2008
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
The HFC returned to its home, the Dole Cannery Ballroom, which
is an intimate setting for a fighting event. The action is always
fast paced and the venue allows everyone in attendance to feel
the power of the blows, hear the thud of the strikes and feel
like you are in the ring. There were two title bouts on the line
tonight. The first title bout was an MMA match featuring Jon
Barnard, an up and comer that has more than proven himself in
kickboxing and has been competing in grappling tournaments to
better his ground game, taking on the solid wrestler from the
Fight Stop, Jesse Thorton. Thorton kept up the pressure, but
most of his take down attempts ended up in the ropes and caused
the fighters to be restarted. As Thorton tired, Barnard was able
to put together more punch combinations to win the decision victory
and the title. What would an event be without controversy? That
controversy would come in the Walter Ha'o-Marcio Silva fight.
After a scramble that ended up in the ropes, it was apparent
that Silva was obtaining the back mount, but to what degree of
competing that position was up for discussion. After what seemed
like an eternity, where the Referee consulted with the promoter,
it was finally agreed that Ha'o would assume the turtle position
and Silva would start on top. Silva obtained the back mount,
but Ha'o had good defense. The fight was restarted and Ha'o landed
a few punches until Silva jumped to guard. Ha'o unloaded with
punches, a few hard punches hitting their mark. Silva was bloodied
and the fight was stopped to check the cut. While the cut was
being worked on, both fighters were in their own corner receiving
instructions. Referee Kolo Koka asked Silva and his corner if
they wanted to continue, but they did not response. Koka repeatedly
asked and it was then the Referee called the bout due to lack
of a response if Silva's corner wanted to continue fighting.
The
main event featured a fighter from Chris Leben's Team Icon, Ricky
Hoku Wallace who has looked impressive in previous matches. His
first title defense will be against the veteran, David Padilla.
Wallace came out strong and aggressive and both fighters clashing
into a clinch. Padilla took down Wallace, but Wallace was actively
sitting up attempting to sweep and obtain the top position. The
fight went back and forth with both fighters landing good strikes
leading up to the third round where Padilla landed hard jabs
and Wallace landed big punches. Wallace's gas tank was endless,
but Padilla's wrestling defense helped to offset that. This would
be a tough call for the judges, but in the end the judges were
even split with David Padilla getting the nod and becoming the
new 145lbs HFC Champion.
Exhibition
Stand & Ground - 45lbs, 7 years old
(1RD-1Min Kickboxing & 1RD-2.5Min Submission)
Jay Swift (Central Oahu JJ) vs. Triston Baron (Central Oahu JJ)
Exhibition
Stand & Ground - 145lbs
(2RD-1.5Min Kickboxing & 1RD-3Min Submission)
Jordan Fontes (Inner Circle Grappling) vs. Baba Naki (No H8ters
Inc.)
Kickboxing
- 3 Rounds - 1.5 Minutes - 145lbs
Ikaika Liu (Guts & Glory) def. Mark Yarcia (Kickin' It For
Jesus)
TKO via Referee stoppage at 0:54 in Round 3.
Amateur
Kickboxing - 3 Rounds - 1.5 Minutes - 230lbs
Chris Bernard (Sit U Down) vs. Dale Sopi (Westside Connection)
Majority Draw [(28-28), (28-28), (27-29)] after 3 Rounds.
Amateur
MMA - 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 145lbs
Colin Mackenzie (God's Army) def. Jarrett Mancao (Nakoa Fight
Team)
Submission via rear naked choke at 1:45 in Round 2.
Amateur
MMA - 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 155lbs
L. John Borge (808 Fight Factory) def. Richie "Boy"
Augustin (Makaha Beach)
Unanimous draw [(19-19), (19-19), (19-19)] after 2 Rounds.
Unanimous Decision [(10-9), (10-9), (10-9)] after a 1 minute
overtime round:
Kickboxing
- 3 Rounds - 1.5 Minutes - 170lbs
Zane Kamaka (Guts & Glory) def. Lawrence Inaosa (God's Army)
TKO via Referee stoppage at 0:28 in Round 1.
Amateur
MMA - 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 170lbs
Andrew Cohea (Team Icon) def. Eugene Ige (Nakoa Fight Team)
TKO via Referee stoppage due to punches from the mount at 2:09
in Round 1.
Amateur
MMA - 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 135lbs
135lbs Amateur MMA Championship
Jon Barnard (God's Army) def. Jesse Thorton (Fight Stop)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (29-28)] after 3 Rounds.
Jon Barnard is the new 135lbs Amateur MMA Champion (along with
being the 135lb Amateur Kickboxing Champion)
Pro
MMA - 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 185lbs
Michael Winklespect (Fight Stop) def. Chino Villa (Freelance)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 Rounds.
Pro
MMA - 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 160lbs
Don Cabinian (O2 Martial Arts Academy) def. Luis Para (Fight
Stop)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 3 Rounds.
Pro
MMA - 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 165lbs
Walter Ha'o (Bad Intentions) def. Marcio Silva (American Top
Team)
TKO due to corner not responding to Referee's instructions at
in Round 2.
Pro
MMA - 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 145lbs
145lbs Pro MMA Championship Bout
David Padilla (Jesus Is Lord) def. Ricky Hoku Wallace (Team Icon)
Split Decision [(29-28), (28-29), (29-28)] after 3 Rounds.
|
Ben
Rothwell is ready for 'The Pit Bull'
Robert Rousseau
Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 265 pounds, former IFL Heavyweight
standout Ben Rothwell is a big man. According to Sherdog.com,
he’s also a fighter with a 29-5 overall MMA record that
includes 13 straight victories. That said, ask most of your mainstream
audience who he is and you’re likely to get a quizzical
look followed by a shrug of the shoulders.
However,
if he’s able to pull off a victory against former UFC Heavyweight
Champion Andrei Arlovski at Affliction: Banned on July 19th that
may all change.
“It’s
my biggest fight, really,” says Rothwell. “You know,
I’ve got to give Andrei that respect. About time, I’ll
say that.”
By
saying ‘about time’, Rothwell means that it’s
about time he was matched up with that one fighter on that one
stage—as Rothwell hasn’t fought in the UFC— where
victory could catapult him to stardom. Despite this, Rothwell
still believes he has the MMA background to take on the man they
call the Pitbull.
“Every
time you step in the ring it’s experience and it’s
going to help you with your next opponent. It wasn’t just
the nine fights in the IFL, it was the twenty plus fights I had
went through before then,” he says, when discussing the
experience he’s gained throughout his career that’s
sure to help him in this fight. “I always look back at my
entire career for my experience and all that experience has prepared
me for the worst. I’m excited about my fight with Andre
and I feel I’m well prepared for it.”
Speaking
of background, Rothwell has some unique experiences under his
belt that could help him in this fight. His longtime training
partner Tim Sylvia has fought Andrei Arlovski three times, and
this could be of benefit in more ways than one.
“Tim
fought Andrei and I helped him for his last two fights with Andrei.
I played Andrei Arlovski and played that role, so I really studied
Andrei. I tried to be like him and showed Tim things that he
was going to see in the ring so he didn’t see anything he
wasn’t prepared for.”
That
said, Rothwell also acknowledges that role- playing and discussions
with Tim Sylvia will only take him so far. “The difference
is I’m not 6-foot-8 and I don’t have as long a reach
as Tim. So my style’s different than Tim’s. I can’t
go in and do what Tim did. I have to go in there and impose my
will and impose my game plan and use the skills that I have against
Andrei.”
Speaking
of skills, Rothwell isn’t overly worried about Arlovski’s
newfound boxing focus, noting that, “he was boxing before.
It’s just a part of his game he’s improving. I improve
different aspects of my game (as well).”
Despite
the magnitude of this fight, Rothwell doesn’t indicate that
he’s feeling any undue pressure. “Pressure is just
unnecessary stress and all my fights, even a guy that I was supposed
to beat no problem in the IFL could be stressful because—
hey, here’s a guy you’re not supposed to lose to; you’ve
got to beat this guy. So that’s stressful, you know? Here’s
a guy that I’m not supposed to win (against in Arlovski).
. . I’m just gonna go in and fight and do my thing.”
In
the end, it appears that Ben Rothwell is confident for a lot
of reasons. He’s confident that he has a lot of valuable
MMA experience behind him. He’s also feeling good about
the trainers he has backing him up at Miletich Fighting Systems
and also with Dick Roufus. Finally, he believes that getting
to spar twice a week with the number four heavyweight in the
world in Tim Sylvia can’t hurt either.
And
guess what people, he appears willing to stand and trade at a
distance with Arlovski coming into this fight. “We’ll
see who hits first,” he says.
If
you’re an MMA fan you’ve just got to be looking forward
to July 19th. This fight between Ben Rothwell and Andrei Arlovski
is only one of the many reasons why.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Griffin
Leads UFC 86 Paydays
Brian Knapp
Forrest
Griffin left the Octagon at UFC 86 with more than just the light
heavyweight championship strapped to his waist. He earned a pile
of money, too.
Griffin
pocketed an event-high $310,000 payday after his unanimous decision
victory against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at the Mandalay
Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, according to figures obtained
from the UFC and the Nevada State Athletic Commission. His haul
includes a $150,000 win bonus and a $60,000 "Fight of the
Night" bonus.
Jackson,
who had held the UFC's 205-pound crown since his technical knockout
of Chuck Liddell and May 2007, earned $285,000, his $60,000 "Fight
of the Night" bonus included. The 30-year-old Memphis, Tenn.,
native entered the UFC 86 main event on a six-fight winning streak.
Remaining
paydays for UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin are listed below:
•
Gabriel Gonzaga - $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
• Cole Miller - $80,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus and
$60,000 "Submission of the Night" bonus)
• Melvin Guillard - $80,000 (includes $10,000 won bonus
and $60,000 "Knockout of the Night" bonus)
• Josh Koscheck - $70,000 (includes $35,000 win bonus)
• Joe Stevenson - $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
• Tyson Griffin - $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
• Marcus Aurelio - $40,000
• Patrick Cote - $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
• Ricardo Almeida - $23,000
• Chris Lytle - $14,000
• Gleison Tibau - $11,000
• Jorge Gurgel - $10,000
• Justin Buchholz - $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus)
• Corey Hill - $8,000
• Dennis Siver - $7,000
• Justin McCully - $5,000
Source: The Fight Network
|
"Shogun"
Rua Targeting A December Return
By Edu Ramos
Maurício "Shogun" Rua hasn't fought since he
was defeated by current UFC light heavyweight Champion, Forrest
Griffin, last September.
Shogun is returning to the trainings step by step. He started
the Boxing and Conditioning preparation and his knee is OK. Probably
in a week he will come back to Jiu Jitsu practice.
Rua
is not worried about a revenge versus Forrest Griffin and knows
he have to get ready to face any one after his defeat for Griffin.
He is planning on to come back in December.
Jul
21th will take place the realeasing of UDL new academy in Brazil-Curitiba.
Wanderlei Silva will be giving a seminary with his former mates.
Source: Fight Line
|
Fedor
plans year’s end
Russian to face Tim Sylvia on 19th
For fans who complain of Fedor Emelianenko’s innactivity
in recent times, some good news. The Russian, who will face the
looming figure of Tim Sylvia on the coming 19th at Affliction:
Banned, will have a busy end of the year, according to his manager,
Vadim Finkelstein.
Beyond
this much-anticipated bout between the former Pride champion
and the former UFC one, the Eastern European will also be back
for the Affliction clothing brand's next show in October, and
will finish off the year fighting in Japan, in one of the famous
New Year's eve shows, just as he did in December of 2007 against
the giant Korean Hong Man Choi, at Yarennoka.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Smackgirl
Postponed, Financial Problems Possible
by Tony Loiseleur and Jordan Breen
Another
Japanese MMA promotion may have troubled waters ahead.
With
Smackgirl originally scheduled to stage its 2008 ReMix tournament
finales at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on July 24, Sherdog.com has
confirmed that the event has been tentatively postponed until
Sept. 21, according to Smackgirl public relations officer Masao
Katsui.
After
landmark open-weight tournaments held under the ReMix banner
in 2000 and 2004, Smackgirl tailored its 2008 program around
two ReMix tournaments: one at 115 pounds and the other at open-weight.
In the 115-pound final, undefeated star Megumi Fujii (Pictures)
was set to meet Brazilian stalwart Ana Michelle Tavares (Pictures)
in a rematch of their March 2005 battle, where "Mega Megu"
handed the Nova Uniao standout her first loss. In the open-weight
category, former Smackgirl 128-pound queen Hitomi Akano (Pictures)
was set to square off with Josh Barnett (Pictures) disciple Ginele
Marquez (Pictures).
When
inquiries were made as to the reasons behind the postponement,
Katsui was hesitant to answer.
"Due
to circumstances beyond our control, we cannot comment any further
than [the postponement]," Katsui said.
In
2000, the ReMix promotion staged a groundbreaking open-weight
tournament that put female MMA on the map, especially in Japan.
While ReMix only promoted two events, the promotion eventually
morphed into Smackgirl in May 2001.
Smackgirl
has since promoted more than 50 MMA and grappling events in Japan
while housing many of the sport's top female talents, including
Megumi Fujii (Pictures), Yuka Tsuji (Pictures), Tara Larosa (Pictures),
Amanda Buckner (Pictures), Takayo Hashi (Pictures), Roxanne Modafferi
(Pictures) and Marloes Coenen (Pictures) among others.
Perhaps
none too surprisingly with evasive statements from the promotion's
brass, there are rumblings of financial trouble for Japan's foremost
female promotion.
A
strong source within the Japanese MMA industry has revealed to
Sherdog.com that Smackgirl's recent financial troubles are the
result of a prominent sponsor pulling its support of the promotion.
According to the source, the undisclosed sponsor, thought to
be an Australian-Japanese information technology company, was
responsible for the funding that allowed Smackgirl to forge a
relationship with BS Fuji, a digital television channel affiliated
with Fuji Television, one of Japan's six major broadcasters.
Although
Smackgirl events have aired in the past on J-Sports, Japan's
ESPN affiliate, the Feb. 14 ReMix tournament opener aired on
BS Fuji. However, according to the source, the aforementioned
sponsor pulled its support immediately following the February
card.
As
a result, the April 25 Smackgirl card did not get a BS Fuji telecast.
Given the costs of production and programming, the source estimates
that Smackgirl may have spent in the realm of $100,000 USD to
get its February event on BS Fuji, and, without sponsorship to
recoup those costs, may be facing much of the bill themselves.
When
asked for comment on the claims that the promotion had been facing
sponsorship trouble, Katsui stated simply, "That is only
an assumption."
While
Smackgirl is expected to issue a full press release to Japanese
MMA outlets later this week, Smackgirl President Motoki Shino
made a statement on his personal blog on Tuesday: "The Smackgirl
World ReMix Tournament 2008 card that was scheduled on July 24,
2008 at Korakuen Hall, has been postponed due to circumstances
beyond our control. It is our deepest apology to the people who
were looking forward to this event, as well as to related parties,
but we would like to postpone the card to Sunday, September 21.
"To
tell you honestly, our situation is not easy, but I would like
to continue this event," Shino elaborated. "I have
not changed my intent to continue to support Women's MMA, and
I have already started to correct the course of my plans and
to strengthen our organization.
"I
am moving around overseas," continued Shino, who noted that
he is currently in the Los Angeles area. "I would like to
lay out the framework and make it more exciting."
While
the woes of Smackgirl may not portend well for female MMA in
Japan, Sherdog.com has also learned that omnipresent Japanese
promoter Shigeru Saeki is interested in fortifying Deep's female
MMA product.
The
source has told Sherdog that Saeki, the leader of the Deep promotion
who has also served within Pride and currently Dream, is looking
to promote more female MMA under the Deep banner.
Deep's
two current queens, 99-pound champion Satoko Shinashi (Pictures)
and 106-pound Miku Matsumoto (Pictures), will be promoted as
the promotion's aces. Former Deep champion and highlight reel
KO queen Hisae Watanabe (Pictures), who retired from the sport
earlier this year, may be tabbed to serve in an "event producer"
role for the promotion.
Source: Sherdog
|
BOXING
TRAINER ROACH TEAMS UP WITH ARLOVSKI
by Damon Martin
Despite being different sports with different skill sets, the
hot button topic of mixed martial arts vs. boxing continues to
grow within combat sports fans across the globe. Everyone from
fighters to promoters to fans and critics alike have weighed
in on the topic, but now the sports have started to bleed together
as top boxing trainers have added MMA fighters to their list
of clients.
Most
MMA fans have seen the familiar hat that follows former Oscar
De La Hoya trainer Juanito Ibarra, as he works with prize pupil
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Now MMA fans will meet one
of the most sought after boxing trainers in the world on July
19 as revered trainer Freddie Roach will step in to corner former
UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski for his fight in Affliction
against Ben Rothwell.
Roach
has trained numerous champions in the sport of boxing including
current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao, as well as his notable
appearance as lead trainer for Oscar De La Hoya for his showdown
with boxing bad boy Floyd Mayweather in 2007.
Now
as Arlovski gets ready to make his debut with Affliction, he
has prepared himself by working in Los Angeles with Roach and
his camp of fighters and the former UFC champ says that Roach
trained him well.
“When
I step in the ring with Freddie, he makes me work all the time,
every single minute in the round, he makes me work,” said
Arlovski. “It’s great because I’m really hungry
for boxing technique for knowledge.”
While
acknowledging his lack of MMA training skill, Roach has stepped
up Arlovski’s boxing to get him ready for this upcoming
fight and a possible crossover into professional boxing if the
Belarusian decides to make that transition.
“I
just teach him boxing like I would any heavyweight that I have,”
said trainer Freddie Roach. “He’s a very capable person
and the thing is, one thing about Andrei is if I do give him
homework he does work on it because the next day I tell him,
‘You must have been practicing in the mirror in your hotel
room.’ Because he’s a very dedicated guy, he comes
back better the next day already and he’s a good guy to
work with.”
Roach
says Arlovski’s footwork is most impressive, but he understands
that he can’t expect Andrei to be a boxer in the world of
MMA.
“The
thing is I have to make adjustments a little bit sometimes because
obviously you know the stance is different and the distance is
different and then that’s the most difficult thing,”
Roach stated. “Because sometimes a boxer will get a little
bit closer than an MMA fighter will because of the striking with
the legs of course. It’s small adjustments, but I’m
learning how to make those adjustments.”
His
knowledge of boxing is almost unparalleled and Roach has now
become a new student watching and studying mixed martial arts.
As time goes on, Roach believes the two sports will coincide
more often as fans crave the true combat sports.
He
also believes we may one day see a prominent boxer make their
transition to MMA.
“I
could see that happening in the future and I could see the shows
being mixed up too,” said Roach. “I think fight fans
are fight fans and everyone likes a good fight.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Anderson
Silva vs Okami: confirmed
Bout so far without set date
Ever since UFC 82, when Anderson Silva submitted Dan Henderson,
and Yushin Okami knocked Evan Tanner out, the bout between the
champion and challenger number 1 in the middleweight category
has been on the drawing boards. Finally the mystery is over,
and Ed Soares, the Brazilian's representative, yesterday confirmed
the bout with the Japanese fighter will take place.
The
new was announced by Tagg Radio, however, the date shall only
confirmed after UFN 14, when the “Spider” will face
light heavyweight James Irvin, since there is possibility of
injury.
If
all goes well and Anderson doesn’t get hurt, the two are
expected to face off at UFC 88, on September 6th, in Atlanta.
Stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com for further information and to find
out the date of the Brazilian's fifth title defense.
"[Silva]
doesn't want to make a run at the (light-heavyweight) championship
because his friend Lyoto is in the line for it. He doesn't want
to fight Lyoto, and Lyoto doesn't want to fight him. We'll take
it one step at a time. But what he's looking forward to fighting
the best in the world and creating events. At this point in his
career, he wants every fight to be an event. The 205-pound division
could provide that with superstars such as Chuck Liddell, Quinton
Jackson and Griffin providing interesting and marketable fights
with Silva. As the (middleweight) contenders come up, he's still
going to defend the belt," Soares said, as quoted by MMAJunkie.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Royler
wants the Rio International open Master and Senior
By Eduardo Ferreira
After
the second place at the BJJ World and the second title at the
female, Royler tries another historical result to Gracie Humaitá,
at the Rio International Open Championship, that will be hold
on 26th and 27th July at Tijuca tennis Clube, at Rio de Janeiro.
To become the champion Royler guarantied that he will have a
strong team at the event that could have his presence at the
mat.
“We
won the last two editions and we want to keep on top. We are
going with a good team, which will have Regis, Megaton, Saulo
Ribeiro said that he is going to fight too, Paulo Coelho, Osmar
Salum, all World champions. I have will to fight too, but amateur
championship doesn’t gives money. I have to find a sponsorship
and so return to the beginning. I am at , but I arrive next week
and I am going to train hard with the guys. The will to compete
always exist”, said the four times World champion.
Source: Tatame
|
Putting
a Price on Fame
by Jason Probst
In
a fast-growing sport where fighters can generate ever-larger
sums through endorsements, licensing and usage of their image,
a struggle is underway over control and ownership of those rights
in mixed martial arts' biggest organization. The battle between
Zuffa LLC, parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship,
and UFC fighters to control these intellectual properties has
become a topic of contentious debate.
When
a name fighter can get a five-figure payday for a shoe or t-shirt
contract, or $10,000 merely for mentioning his post-fight afterparty
while being interviewed by Joe Rogan during a broadcast -- that's
testimony to the market penetration of the UFC, and the brand
leverage its fighters are making unprecedented sums from.
A
UFC merchandise rights agreement circulated to fighters in recent
months has sparked concerns among managers, attorneys and agents
who represent the athletes, causing an industry-wide standoff
between this group and the UFC.
As
reported in a June 24 article at SI.Com, the agreement would
allow fighters signing it to generate a percentage-based income
as these products were sold. Last month, the UFC announced a
four-year licensing agreement with Jakks Pacific to sell toy
action figures in major retail outlets, the first of numerous
deals that is said to include a JCPenney clothing line and other
paraphernalia from lighters to wristwatches to pool tables. As
the UFC continues to grow, the proposed merchandising agreement
could allow fighters to make money should their image be used
in a variety of these products, limited only by the burgeoning
brand value of what the UFC could potentially tap into.
But
concerns with the agreement, according to independent legal experts
and industry figures alike who reviewed one version of the contract
obtained by Sherdog.com, are considerable. Perhaps the biggest
impasse involves the term of the UFC merchandise agreement, initially
extending for a three-year period, but automatically renewing
for additional three-year terms perpetually until Zuffa alone
decides to terminate the agreement. The terms of this part of
the agreement are long reaching to say the least.
For
instance, if a fighter satisfies his promotional (fights required)
contract with the UFC and decides to fight for another promotion,
the UFC would still retain his merchandising and licensing rights.
Essentially, the future earning rights of that fighter with other
organizations is blocked by the renewal clause. Want to buy a
t-shirt of your favorite fighter now that he's competing for
another promotion? Not if he's signed on the UFC's dotted line.
And how likely will Zuffa be to continue promoting a fighter
through product placement if he is no longer in their stable?
"The
fighters should be wary of granting these rights in perpetuity,"
said Peter Bonfante, a licensing attorney based in Beverly Hills
who has represented several athletes, including major league
baseball players. "At the very least, fighters should seek
a term that continues only as long as they are promoted by the
UFC."
But
for those that choose to make the UFC their one-and-only home,
what do they stand to rake in?
The
agreement allows fighters to collect 10 percent of gross revenues
received on products sold indirectly or directly by Zuffa (such
as posters on the UFC Web site), and 20 percent would be paid
to fighters if products are sold through third parties (such
as the JAKKS action figure deal.) For product lines featuring
the identities of multiple fighters, such as a trading card set,
the percentages set forth above are divided by the number of
figures appearing in the set. For fighters, this results in receiving
a fraction of the licensing fees they could obtain individually,
but is potentially offset by greater sales due to the UFC brand.
In
addition, the agreement fails to provide for revenue auditing
rights, which would permit fighters to see how much money the
UFC was required to pay them from sales pursuant to the agreement.
Attorney
Peter Carfagna, who teaches sports law at Harvard School of Law
in addition to serving as general counsel at IMG, a prominent
sports management company, suggests the agreement might be desirable
for some, but counter-productive for others.
"I'd
counsel strongly against signing this agreement for any of the
top guys," said Carfagna. "Because of the lack of an
opt-out right. With the potential for perpetual rights, you don't
want to sell those away. There may be some who'd be happy to
take it, because it's 10 or 20 percent of gross royalties. That's
better than zero percent of zero percent. It's all about leverage.
Also it's in the eye of the beholder. It's not good if you're
one of the top guys who can cut their own deals. And why sign
for no audit rights? That's the real killer for me."
Another
attorney who represents several fighters in multiple organizations
said that the emerging market for endorsements means that many
athletes can pick and choose deals on a free-market basis, taking
a piecemeal approach to potentially lucrative markets like t-shirt,
shoe and gear endorsements, in addition to coaching seminars
and, potentially, landing television and movie roles.
"If
the UFC's gonna sell licensed golf balls or Bic lighters, that
would be fine," he said. "But, say, a t-shirt deal,
that's what we do all the time. They're taking it away from the
managers. And we do that better than the UFC. There's no guaranteed
bonus or royalty. Say a guy gets paid $40,000 for a two-year
t-shirt deal, which is what some guys can get if they're a name
fighter, a legitimate contender or fan favorite. A t-shirt company
will come to a fighter and say we'll give you 15 percent of gross
proceeds. For $10 per shirt, our fighter gets $1.50. What UFC
is saying is, we'll give you 20 percent of whatever we bring
in (through the stated terms of the third-party agreement). What
the UFC is doing would be make this t-shirt, and say they negotiate
a really good deal with the t-shirt company and get 20 percent.
They get $2. Of that 2 bucks they will give our guy twenty cents.
The economics on that deal don't make sense unless the UFC can
sell a lot more shirts."
Recent
defections of top talent from the UFC, including former champions
Randy Couture (Pictures) and Tito Ortiz (Pictures), were contentious
affairs with varied reasons behind the splits, both defined by
acrimony on both sides of the negotiating table. But in both
cases, those fighters balked at signing over marketing rights
in previous deals offered them and have battled the UFC in the
past over rights to their likeness, particularly as they penetrated
the public consciousness and greatly increased their potential
brand value.
But
the Couture and Ortiz falling outs could be a thing of the past
if the new deal is in place, said one attorney who has told his
fighters not to sign the offer.
That
is something, apparently, the UFC is working to nip in the bud
with new talent, according to one attorney, who claims Zuffa
circulated the agreement to fighters before a recent UFC.
"Some
of these fighters don't have good representation with them, if
any, and the UFC just buried it in their pre-fight paperwork,"
said the attorney, who asked to remain anonymous. "This
next Spike TV show on July 19, they're going to try it then,
too."
And
while Sherdog.com has learned that various top-tier fighters
have begun to negotiate tailor-made licensing deals with Zuffa,
other sources have indicated that participants on the UFC-owned
Spike TV reality show "The Ultimate Fighter" were told
to sign the merchandising agreement as a condition to appear
on the latest version of the series.
Calls
to the UFC's legal counsel and its public relations department
were not returned for this story, while many involved with negotiations
surrounding the agreement would only speak to Sherdog.com under
anonymity for fear of repercussions involving their client's
current and future fight contracts.
A
manager for several UFC fighters said that he was "blown
away" by the language in the contract. Ranging from the
perceived language of Zuffa getting merchandising rights in perpetuity,
to lack of revenue auditing rights to ensure royalties are fully
paid, he was also concerned about potential gray areas of the
agreement. Particularly, if a fighter leaves the UFC, the agreement
could severely limit his ability to make money through the numerous
endorsement opportunities that have become a dependable revenue
stream in addition to fight purses.
"Say
a guy becomes an actor. Imagine if he decided to not fight anymore,"
said the manager. "Now the UFC owns the rights to him and
his autobiography. The UFC keeps sending out emails, warm fuzzies,
saying ‘Wow, so-and-so just signed this big deal with us.
If you don't get on this boat, you'll miss it.' (UFC President)
Dana White is the master of this."
However,
New York-based attorney Judd Burstein, a hardened boxing litigator
who has been involved in some of that sport's biggest cases,
disagreed that the UFC deal being circulated to fighters is unfair.
Burstein, who has successfully sued promoter Don King on multiple
occasions, said that the deal is merely a product of a free-market
system, and the UFC's similarity to other brand-powerful sports
leagues gives the organization the right to leverage that as
the NHL, NFL and NBA do.
"You
have to look at the UFC as a unified business," said Burstein,
who has represented Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis, among
others. "All of the fighters are employees of the UFC. It's
not unusual in the intellectual property area that, an employer
gives you a career, and without them, you wouldn't be able to
sell shoes. You're (also) dealing with something extraordinarily
successful over a short time. As there is (promotional) competition,
superstars could develop their own deals. I don't think it's
too far over the edge. This is not boxing promotion."
To
wit, the forces of the free market will work themselves out,
he added.
"If
there's a significantly enough fighters demanding more, the UFC
will cough up the money," Burstein said. "If they organized,
they could shut the thing down with a strike. It's America. If
they give you a draconian contract, sign it if it's the only
deal."
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"Thought
is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be."
Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862, American Author/Critic/Naturalist
|
HFC
Stand Your Ground IX Tonight!
Dole Cannery
Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
July 11, 2008
|
X-1
Presents:
Aloha State Mixed Martial Arts Competition
Tomorrow
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
July 12, 2008
10AM - 7PM
Weigh In's
Magic Island (you will see a canopy with an X1 banner)
Friday, July 11, 2008
2pm
We have some little ones from the west side who have been training
very hard and are getting a chance to get in the ring, it will
be Hamma House Gym vs Team Aniland.
Another
match will see Lisa Ha from HMC, which is known for producing
great kick boxers. She will take on Gen Reyes, the fiance of
Jay Bolos. Bolos has mentioned before that Gen has helped him
prepare for his fights, so this one should be exciting.
Two
big 135lb matches to look out for are Evan Quezon (Team Devastation)
vs Julio Moreno (Bullspen), guaranteed fireworks. Also for the
135lb X1 Amateur Kickboxing title we will see undefeated Max
Holloway (Gods Army) take on Wess Mossman (Westside Connection).
Some
of the exciting MMA title matches to look out for are Heavyweights
Jay Westbrook-Tuitoelua (Maili Soljahs) taking on Vilitonu Fonokalafi
(No Remorse). Hawaii's best 145 amateur prospects Kaniela Ahnee
(No Remorse) vs Alan Hashimoto (Team Chinaman).
140lb
title will be John Barnard (Gods Army) vs Keola Silva (HMC),
a classic striker vs wrestler match up. Steven Saito (Team Icon)
made quick work of his last opponent and now finds himself in
a very tough 155lb title fight against striker Makana Foronda
(Bullspen).
The
135lb title will be up for grabs when Jared Iha (No Remorse)
and the very exciting Jesse Thornton (Fight Stop) face off.
After
a disappointing injury, Jordan Patterson looks for redemption
when he takes on Otto Hoopii (Stand Alone). Also in action Ellis
Bourbonnais, a very tough fighter from HMC. Darnell Mason, MMAHawaii's
reporter and Eastsidaz James Romano.
Inner
Circle Grappling, Smith Taekwondo and Na Koa Fight Team I believe
are making there debut in X1. Team Icon showing strong in the
MMA portion of the event. 808 Fight Factory, Bullspen and God's
Army showing off a lot of their up and comers. And of course
two newer but very exciting teams 94 Block and Konnah Blokk will
also be participating.
So
if you haven't got your tickets then you better go and get some.
KICKBOXING:
45 – Seddy Crawford (Hamma House Gym) v Taz Kahalewai (Team
Aniland)
60 – Sai Crawford (Hamma House Gym) v Spike Kahalewai (Team
Aniland)
100 – Preston Saragosa (Hamma House Gym) v Kalae Mcshane
(808 Fight Factory)
145 – Clem Holloway (Sit You Down) v Scott Ramirez (Freelance)
155 – Daniel Phan (Sit You Down) v Ferdinand Ramirez (Freelance)
155 – Sebastian Mariconda (HMC) v Bronz Salis (Freelance)
115 – Lisa Ha (HMC) v Gen Reyes (O2/ Nakoa Fight Team)
205 – Anthony Gabrillo (Freelance) v David Vasquez (Sit
You Down)
165 – Dean Hence (Smith Taekwondo) v Nelson Owens (Freelance)
155 – Robert Banis (Westside Connection) v Aaron Devictoria
(Bullspen)
135 – Evan Quezon (Team Devastation) v Julio Moreno (Bullspen)
115 – Sheldon Crawford (Hamma House Gym) v Nainoa Mesiona
(808 Fight Factory) ***
210 – Ata Tivao (94 Block) v Royal Lono (Team Aniland) ***
+265 – Tafa Samuela (94 Block) v Dale Sopi (Westside Connection)
135 – Max Holloway (God’s Army) v Wess Mossman (Westside
Connection) ***
165 – Marcus Moreno (Bullspen) v Brandon Mendoza (Team Ruthless)
***
125 – Lena Dela Cruz (808 Fight Factory) v Angie Pereira
(HMC) ***
MMA
HW – Jay Tuitoelua (Team Devastation) v Vilitonu Fonokalafi
(No Remorse) ***
145 – Alan Hashimoto (HMC) v Kaniela Ahnee (No Remorse)
***
140lb title – Keola Silva (HMC) v John Barnard (Gods Army)
***
155lb title – Steven Saito (Team Icon) v Makana Foronda
(Bullspen) ***
135lb title – Jesse Thornton (Freelance) v Jared Iha (No
Remorse) ***
205 – Guru Das (Team Icon) v Makana Vertido (Gods Army)
***
115 – Alika Tadio-Kumukoa (MMA Hawaii) v Israel Morris (Freelance)
***
145 – Ellis Bourbonais (HMC) v Phillip Liftee (Nakoa Fight
Team)
HW – Otto Hoopii (Stand Alone) v Jordan Patterson (Freelance)
155 – Darnell Mason (Team Icon) v Thomas Yandall (Konnah
Blokk)
185 – Frank Ruiz (Knockout Factory) v Mike Solomon (Bullspen)
165 – Kyle Kaahanui (Garage Kept Ring Release) v Lawrence
Hinojosa (Gods Army)
145 – Dustin Kimura (Team Icon) v Paul Lopes (Freelance)
155 – Walker Langley (Team Icon) v Treston Rabellizsa (Inner
Circle Grappling)
145 – Will Morris (Nakoa Fight Team) v Julius Fojantino
(Bullspen)
170 – Joe Palimoo (HMC) v Kawai Quezon (Team Devastation)
160 – Micah Ige (Freelance) v James Romano (Eastsidaz)
145 – Clinton Kealoha (Westside Connection) v Sean Le (Freelance)
155 – Kale Kwan (Universal Combat) v Landin Davis (Freelance)
HW – Lufasiitu Leupolu (Universal Combat) v Matt Eaton (Bullspen)
155 – Travis Bernades (Freelance) v Gary Cayangho (Bullspen)
205 – Mike Tsevdo (Fight Stop) v Ken Ishikawa (Mix Breed)
XMA
165 – Chris Kutzen (Westside Connection) v Todd Young (Gods
Army)
205 – Austin Figueroa (Stand Alone) v Rusty Makue (Freelance)
*** Denotes X1 Amateur Title Fight
Source: Event Promoter
|
EliteXC
on CBS Returns
From
CBS Entertainment
FEMALE
MMA STANDOUTS SHAYNA BASZLER AND CRISTIANE CYBORG
ADDED TO THE CARD FOR SECOND PRIMETIME BROADCAST
OF "CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS"
SATURDAY, JULY 26, ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
SHOWTIME
To Televise Three Live Fights Preceding CBS Broadcast,
Including EliteXC Heavyweight Championship
Featuring Antonio "Big Foot" Silva vs. Justin Eilers
The
female bout between Shayna Baszler of Sioux Falls, S.D. and Brazil's
Cristiane Cyborg has been added to the lineup for the second
primetime broadcast of CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, live
from the Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif. on Saturday, July
26 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Baszler
and Cyborg, who are fighting in the 140 pound weight class, complete
the primetime matchups for the CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
on July 26. Other CBS fights include:
·
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler vs. Scott "Hands of Steel"
Smith (for EliteXC Middleweight title)
·
Jake Shields vs. Nick Thompson (for EliteXC Welterweight title)
·
Nick Diaz vs. Thomas "Wildman" Denny (Lightweights)
Nicknamed
"The Queen Of Spades," the talented Baszler is 9-4
and has won her last four
starts. All of Baszler's victories have come via submission;
her last four outings ended in the first round.
Regarded
as one of the roughest and toughest women in MMA, Cyborg has
a record of 4-0. This will be the United States debut for Cyborg,
who has scored first-round technical knockouts in her last three
fights.
SHOWTIME
will televise three live fights preceding the CBS broadcast from
8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT including:
-
Antonio "Big Foot" Silva vs. Justin Eilers (for EliteXC
Heavyweight title)
-
Wilson Reis vs. Brian Caraway (140 lb. weight class)
-
Rafael Feijao vs. TBD (light heavyweight fight)
CBS
Sports play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson, cageside analysts
Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo, and reporter Karyn Bryant will
return as the "CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS" broadcast
team and also have the call for the SHOWTIME telecast.
CBS
ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will be produced by SHOWTIME Sports.
The executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr.
For
more information on the first CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS,
visit cbssports.com
Source:
CBS Entertainment
|
State
officials weigh in on new weight classes
by John Morgan
A wise man once said "to change and change for the better
are two different things."
The
Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) last week found itself
toeing that fine line when the group released its newly revamped
recommendations for the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.
While there were several issues addressed in the new form, only
one has caused an uproar: the changing of MMA's traditional weight
classes to a new 14-tier system.
Several
of the country's most influential athletic-board directors also
disagree with the new weight class standards, and a few shared
their thoughts with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
As
part of the new guidelines, existing weight classes would be
totally revamped. For example, the currently popular light-heavyweight
division (185.6-205 pounds) would become a "middleweight"
division (185.1-195) and a "super middleweight" division
(195.1-205). Likewise, the current 170-pound welterweight class
would instead be 165.1-175 pounds, and a new "super welterweight"
division would run from 175.1 to 185 pounds.
Additionally,
a current heavyweight class (205.1 to 265 pounds) already light
on talent would be further diminished under the new system, which
would change the weight class from 225.1 to 265 pounds.
"I
know that in Ohio, we are not going to go with the weight-class
rules," Bernie Profato, executive director of the Ohio State
Athletic Commission, said. "That's affirmative."
Nick
Lembo, legal counsel for the New Jersey Athletic Control Board,
agreed.
"The
weight classes in New Jersey are going to stay according to the
original unified rules," Lembo said.
The
issue of uniformity
The
standards issued by the ABC are simply a guideline of recommendations
that each state is free to adopt in whole or modify as it sees
fit. However, every one of the directors that spoke with MMAjunkie.com
stressed the importance of uniformity in regards to MMA regulation.
In
fact, one of the co-author's of the new standards, legendary
MMA referee "Big" John McCarthy, said that's exactly
why the changes are needed.
"We
(in the MMA community) say that we go by the unified rules,"
McCarthy said. "Well, there are too many places that change
them. Every commission starts to change those rules the way they
want.
"It
should be that [the state athletic commissions] all follow one
set of rules. Wherever you go, it's the same. That's what you
need to have -- consistency for not only the fighters, (but also)
the officials and the fans of the sport."
Unfortunately,
the only unity created thus far appears to be the united front
of several of the commissions against the new codes. The primary
argument against the weight-class adjustments has been the lack
of a need for change.
"Where did it need to be fixed?" Profato asked. "I've
had over 300 MMA fight (cards) in the state of Ohio. ... Not
one time have we ever heard, 'Hey, we've got to change these
weight classes."
A
need for change?
McCarthy,
whose days in MMA lead back to nearly the birth of the sport
in the U.S., said that type of reactionary attitude could eventually
lead to currently unforeseen issues within the sport.
"(UFC
President) Dana White's a guy who's saying ... that this is going
to be the biggest sport in the world," McCarthy said. "So
do you wait until that point, or do you say, 'Hey, you know what?
We're getting more and more athletes getting into this sport
all the time.'
"Why
should you wait until you have too many people with these few
weight classes? It's silly; start to look at things from the
beginning."
McCarthy
also said he considers the new weight classes the next logical
step in the evolution of a sport that began as an open-weight
affair.
"Look
at where the UFC came from; there were no weight class,"
McCarthy said. "Then there were two. Back at UFC 12, which
Dana wouldn't know about anyway, but back at UFC 12, there was
a change where we had lightweight and heavyweight. There was
a lightweight that was up to 199.9 pounds, (and) heavyweight
was 200-plus.
"Then
[UFC officials] decided, 'No, that's going to be our middleweight.'
At UFC 16, they brought in the lightweights and said that was
up to 170 pounds because, 'Look, weight does make a difference
in the sport.' When you start talking about people with good
technical abilities, the big guys are going to beat the small
guys. If you have two guys of different sizes, and they have
the same technical ability, the big guy usually has the advantage.
"It's
the evolution of the sport, and there are more guys getting involved
in it."
But
several of the commissioners explained there wasn't a reason
to expand or even define weight classes, as current rules allow
promoters to make a fight at any weight they want. We have seen
several recent examples of this situation, with a number of "catch
weight" fights in both the UFC and EliteXC. A UFC 60 main
event between 170-pound champ Matt Hughes and Royce Gracie --
which was held at 175 pounds -- is one such example.
"I'm
not even sure if commissions need to be that involved in what
the weight classes are," Keith Kizer, executive director
of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said. "What matters
is the weight, not what you call them. ... Any promoter can come
in and say, 'These two guys are going to fight. Maximum weight
225 (pounds).'
"They
don't need a separate weight class."
More
data needed
State
executives also expressed concern over the lack of data collected
before the ABC decided to make such a change.
"When
it came to the weight classes, we needed to have a more detailed
discussion," Lembo said. "When I wrote the first draft
of the (original) unified rules in New Jersey, it involved comments
from the fans, the media, fighters, managers, promotions and
other commissions and doctors. And to just go to such a drastic
change with the very limited amount of discussion that we had
on the topic, I'm not in favor of it."
Profato
echoed Lembo's sentiments that more study was needed before making
such a radical change to the current system.
"I
think we have to sit down and kind of look at the direction we're
going," Profato said. "Set up a committee, a strong
committee, with the big states -- Nevada, Ohio, California, New
Jersey -- and get eight or 10 people on that committee. Take
these things one little piece at a time. Decipher it. Study it."
The
UFC's best interest
As
with any change in MMA, the support of the sport's largest promotion
-- the UFC -- is paramount for the adjustment to gain any real
traction. White, who oversees the day-to-day operation of the
world's largest MMA promotion, has already gone on record vehemently
opposing the changes, and he's been adamant that the UFC won't
adopt them.
McCarthy
said he expected as much from his former employer. However, he
said that White was not considering the best interest of the
sport, or its competitors, as a whole.
"Dana
White is a promoter," McCarthy said. "If he doesn't
like something, he's going to lash out about it. Dana's a guy
with power right now. He promotes the biggest promotion there
is in the sport, and he truly has a lot of control over the sport
right now because the UFC is so powerful.
"He
promotes the UFC. The UFC is what he cares about. Does Dana truly
care about fighters that are fighting in EliteXC? Does he truly
care about fighters in a TFA event in California -- or in the
Backwoods Brawl, or whatever? He doesn't care because it's not
the UFC."
Overhaul
of the ABC itself?
Many
commissioners also felt that beyond setting aside the weight-class
changes for the time being, the result of the proceedings highlight
the need for changes in the way the Association of Boxing Commissions
is run, especially in regards to its treatment of MMA.
"What
happened [at the ABC conference] should be tabled," Lembo
said. "I think the ABC, if they're going to get involved
in MMA, should change the name of the organization. I think they
should change their bylaws to include MMA, and I think you need
a full MMA committee. And all these issues need to be vetted
through the committee and studied with all of the interested
parties, and then the committee presents a document to the ABC
membership at the convention, and it's voted upon with justifications
and reasons for the changes."
Kizer
also felt the new rules were drafted under less-than-ideal circumstances.
"The
whole point of uniform rules is to make them unified," Kizer
said. "Nobody was using these weight classes. Now if some
people were using these weight classes and some people weren't,
that might make some sense. This wasn't a unification. This was
to create a whole new set of rules on short notice that no one
had any input in drafting other than (Canadian commissioner Dale
Kliparchuk) and John McCarthy.
"Usually
we do committees and things like that, so it's just very disturbing.
I definitely want John McCarthy's input on it, but it seems like
more so he wrote them and said, 'These aren't the unified rules.
These are the John McCarthy rules.' And they may have some validity
to them, but that's not how we get things done at the ABC. Or
at least, that's not how we used to, and I'm very unhappy."
McCarthy
denied being solely responsible for the drafting of the new weight
classes.
"It
wasn't like I came about wanting to change weight classes,"
McCarthy said. "This is not about what John McCarthy wants.
I wish I could make things the way that I wanted, but I can't
do that. This is a bunch of different people from different commission
that end up coming together and saying they need changes in something,
or they want to make changes, and that's how it all comes about."
With
commissioners throughout the country obviously opposed to the
new set of weight classes, it appears that the ABC's decision
new guidelines will be quickly tossed aside. The earliest the
ABC can revisit the issue is at its 2009 conference in New Orleans.
"Since
the meeting, I've been contacted by several other states, and
I have their support," Lembo said. "I would anticipate
that the ABC is going to be reviewing this matter and possibly
amending that guideline."
John
Morgan is the Lead Staff Reporter for MMAjunkie.com.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Windy
City A Likely Host For UFC 90
By Matthew R. Brothers
Although not yet confirmed by the UFC, Chicago is rumored to
be playing host to UFC 90, tentatively scheduled for October
25th. According to agents and managers, recruitment for fighters
has already begun for the UFC's October offering.
With a deal not yet signed with SpikeTV for the airing of UFC
89, which will be held in Birmingham, England at the National
Indoor Arena, and features the main event of Michael Bisping
vs. Chris Leben, the date of the Chicago event may be pushed
back, but UFC executives remain hopeful a deal will be reached.
When
and if the event in Chicago happens, it will be the first time
for Illinois MMA fans to see the UFC within state lines, with
legislation just being passed in September of '07 which regulated
the sport. Chicago is an untapped market for MMA, and has long
been a goal of Dana White and the UFC.
The
Allstate Arena will be the likely location of the historical
fight night. The venue holds 20,000 and is located just outside
of central Chicago in Rosemont.
Source: Fight Line
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ABC
makes new rules, UFC says no thanks
By Steve Cofield
The one word answer on Saturday night said it all.
It
was a simple, "no," from UFC president Dana White upon
being asked if he would recognize the changes ratified by the
Association of Boxing Commissioners. There was no followup by
anyone in the room. The message was sent.
The
ABC can make lots of suggestions, UFC will do what it wants.
This sounds bad but when you look at the major change which is
the boxi-fication of weight classes, UFC should tell the ABC
to get lost and go back to ruining your own sport.
White
isn't alone in his protest to the suggested change from the ABC,
Nick Lembo, the head of the commission in New Jersey raised these
concerns (thanks to fiveouncesofpain.com):
It
should be noted that the ABC meeting with regard to the unified
rules are merely suggestions to the membership. The ABC should
clarify its bylaws and its formal name since MMA is such a growing
sport that it intends to address. Each jurisdiction must go back
and individually adopt the changes and amendments.
The
document, with regard to professional mixed martial arts, has
some items which would alter the longstanding unified rules developed
in New
Jersey. Unless each jurisdiction adopts them, we will no longer
have unified rules. Unified rules, in my opinion, are crucial
to the growth of MMA.
When
New Jersey first drafted and later passed the unified rules,
several months of meetings were held and observations were made
at events. These meetings included discussions with medical staff,
promoters, matchmakers, managers, fighters, fight officials,
media and fans. We also got the approval of other jurisdictions
in advance in order to ensure a unified document. I fully support
the clarifications and explanations of the existing unified rules
in the new document. I do also support the rule deletions and
smothering addition.
However,
I have decided that I do not support the weight class changes.
With regard to weight classes, Nevada, California and Florida
were not represented at the meeting. Further, very minimal discussion
was held on the topic. I did not hear medical evidence to support
the rule changes as Mr. Garcia and I had requested. I did not
see any thoughts or comments from promoters or fighters. I also
know that Ohio has concerns with regard to changing the weight
classes.
Major
MMA jurisdictions like Nevada, California, Ohio, Florida, Quebec
and New Jersey need to have an involved role when contemplating
serious MMA rule changes. Unless everyone is on board, the ridiculous
result would be having different weight classes in different
jurisdictions for the same fighters in the same sport.
Changing
weight classes is a substantial change that needs further discussion
and exploration, in my opinion. There needs to be more discussion
and involvement of more parties prior to contemplating such a
drastic rule change. I am not convinced that weight classes are
a crucial problem within the sport and I am not yet sure that
the addition of so many more weight classes is warranted. I am
concerned about unhealthy weight cutting but I do not think that
simply adding more classes solves that.
Any
drastic changes to the unified rules need to be carefully contemplated.
If I was going to explore an area to possibly overhaul in the
current rule set, it would be the scoring system. That, in my
mind, warrants attention. That concerns me much more than the
current weight classes.
The
weight classes will not be proposed for change in New Jersey
at this time.
“Nick
Lembo, NJSACB”
Clearly
the message is that without the input of major promotions and
ALL the commissions these rules are a rush to judgment.
Source: Yahoo Sports
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Three
bouts added to DREAM 5
Three bouts were added Thursday to the DREAM 5 card taking place
July 21 in Osaka, Japan.
Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-2), the 2006 K-1 Hero's 187-pound Grand
Prix champion, will make his long-awaited DREAM debut with a
tune-up fight against Katsuyori Shibata (2-4), a former pro wrestler
on a four-fight losing streak.
Former
Shooto champion Joachim Hansen (17-7-1), fresh off one of the
best MMA fights of the year despite recording a loss to Eddie
Alvarez at DREAM 3, will take on another lightweight bounced
from the Grand Prix, Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill (9-7).
Kuniyoshi
Hironaka (11-5) returns to Japan after a failed stint with the
UFC, where he recorded one win while suffering losses to Jon
Fitch, Thiago Alves and Jonathan Goulet. Hironaka will fight
the undefeated Motoki Miyazawa (4-0) out of the GCM promotion.
DREAM
5 features the final round of the promotion's lightweight tournament.
The winners of Tatsuya Kawajiri-Eddie Alvarez and Shiniya Aoki-Caol
Uno will square off at the end of the night to determine the
DREAM 2008 Lightweight Grand Prix champion.
DREAM
5 Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round
Monday, July 21, 2008
Osaka Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan
-
Shinya Aoki vs. Caol Uno
- Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Eddie Alvarez
- Winner of Uno-Aoki vs. Winner of Kawajiri-Alvarez
- Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto vs. Joseph Benavidez
- Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Katsuyori Shibata
- Joachim Hansen vs. Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill
- Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Motoki Miyazawa
Source: MMA Fighting
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Kang
Not Fighting at Dream 5
Middleweight Looking Now to Dream 6 in September
By Kelsey Mowatt
Denis
Kang will not be competing at Dream’s upcoming July 21st
card, in Osaka, Japan, after all, the American Top Team fighter
informed FCF today. Although there have been recent reports speculating
that the Pride veteran would be competing on the Dream 5 card,
when FCF caught up with Kang (29-10-1) this afternoon, the disappointed
fighter confirmed that he has was informed by the promotion last
week he will not be fighting.
“It
sucks dude,” Kang said. “I was training for it, then
they told me about 2 weeks before, you know, unbelievable. First
I am training for it without an opponent, so I’m telling
everybody, you know how it is, when you’re a fighter, number
one question everyone asks you is, ‘when’s your next
fight?’ So I’m telling everyone and my Mother, ‘oh,
I’m fighting July 21st at Dream in Japan’, I booked
a training camp in Montreal, rented a car, an apartment, and
that isn’t cheap. So I’m training for it, I’m
busting my ass, first I don’t know who my opponent is, everyone
is asking who I’m fighting, then all of a sudden they pull
it out from me, I don’t have a fight anymore. I understand
that they have a lot of fighters, a lot of spots to fill, especially
with the tournament, but the least they could do was tell me
in advance. But that’s the way it kind of is with them,
that’s the business style there, you have to be ready at
any time.”
As
far as Dream's concerned, Kang will now set his sights on the
promotion’s September 23rd event, which also will feature
the finals of the middleweight grand-prix.
“That
would be perfect if I could do that,” said Kang in expressing
his desire to compete at Dream 6. “I need to fight. I’ve
only fought once this year, I’m the kind of guy that wants
to fight every six weeks if I can, if I’m not injured. When
I fought for Pride in the grand-prix that was awesome, I fought
every two months and my skills really shot up. You lose that
edge if you don’t fight, you kind of get stale.”
Kang
concedes that part of the reason he is so eager to get back in
the ring is due to the fact that he has dropped 2 of his last
3 fights. Last October, Kang was knocked out by Yoshihiro Akiyama
at Hero’s 2007 Korea event, and then, more recently, the
veteran fighter was submitted by Gegard Mousasi in the first
round of Dream’s middleweight grand-prix. Since then, Mousasi
(22-2-1) has gone on to advance to the tourney’s semi-finals,
by earning a Unanimous Decision victory over Dong Sik Yoon on
June 15th.
“I
think if you’re looking past him, yes, he’s an under-rated
fighter,” said Kang when asked if he felt some in the MMA
community have overlooked Mousasi’s abilities somewhat.
“He’s a good fighter; the main thing about him is he
seems like he’s a got a real clear head when he fights.
His skills are good, I’d say that their a little bit above
average in everything, but he’s got a real good head, and
he doesn’t get clouded with emotions. He can execute whatever
he needs to, right that second, without second guessing himself.”
If
Kang does indeed compete at Dream 6, the fighter might have a
ringside view to watch the middleweight tourney’s semi-finals
and championship bout.
“I
think it’s going to go like this,” said Kang when asked
for his predictions by FCF. “I think it will be Melvin (Manhoef)
and (Zelg) Galesic, Melvin’s going to beat Galesic. And
then I think it’s going to be (Ronaldo) ‘Jacare’
(Souza) and Mousasi, and I think Jacare’s going to beat
Mousasi. I think it’s going to be a tired Jacare in the
finals, because who ever comes out of the bout between Jacare
and Mousasi, the winner’s going to be tired, for sure. I
think Melvin is going to take it, and no one expects it, but
you heard it here first.”
Due
to the fact that many of Dream’s aforementioned, top middleweights
are already scheduled to compete on September 23rd, Kang is unsure
of whom he might face if indeed he gets the call to fight. A
previous opponent in Akiyama is scheduled to fight Katsuyori
Shibata on July 21st at Dream 5.
“I
don’t know, anybody really,” Kang told FCF when asked
who he might like to fight next. “Akiyama, maybe Jason Miller
because we fought before, Jason Miller is a really good friend
of mine, he’s a crazy monkey and all, but I think we’d
have a great fight. Anybody who is good, anybody’s that’s
tough.”
Kang
continues to train in Canada as he attempts to work out his work
visa issues, which have prevented him for months now, from training
with American Top Team in Florida.
“No,
I don’t think so,” said Kang when asked if his temporary
split from ATT is one of the contributing factors behind his
recent losses. “I mean, maybe mentally a little bit, it’s
frustrating not having the familiar people around me and any
fighter will tell you that being in your comfort zone while you’re
training is where you need to be. At the same time I’m training
with great people in Vancouver and Team Revolution, Bill Mahood,
Todd Gouwenberg, Kajan Johnson and all those guys. And then in
Montreal, I’ve got good guys, like Georges St. Pierre, Patrick
Cote, David Loiseau a little bit, Martin Desilets, Roger Huerta
was here, world class wrestlers from the Montreal wrestling club.
One of the best things here is the strength and conditioning
coach, John Chaimberg, he’s really good, he’s one of
the best guys I’ve worked with.”
It
will be interesting to see who Dream matches Kang up against
next, not only to see how the veteran fighter rebounds from back-to-back
losses, but also because it will be the last fight of Kang’s
current contract with the organization.
“It
is the final fight of my contract,” Kang confirmed. “That
doesn’t mean I won’t resign with them, but they haven’t
made an offer yet. Things like that I can’t go into too
many details, it is my final fight on this contract, but that
doesn’t mean it’s my last fight with them.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
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GSP
Enlists The Help Of Brazilian Champion Gustavo Ximu
By Edu Ramos
Popular Brazilian fighter, Gustavo Ximu, will support Georges
St. Pierre for his bout against Jon Fitch. The Canadian champion
was in Brazil recently at Gracie Barra improving his Jiu Jitsu
and some other techniques.
"I'll take a trip on July 13 or 14 to meet St. Pierre and
help him for the fight in August against Fitch. There is a rumor
that Jorge "Macaco" Patino would be my next opponent
but nothing is still certain. So I'm going to take a rest next
week and try something outside Brazil besides to train Georges.
But I will always fight in Rio de Janeiro-Niterói because
here I'm home," said the Brazilian fighter.
During
the training in Brazil Ximu and "Rush" became good
friends: "He came to Brazil to train Jiu Jitsu but he had
to train a bit of Boxing, Muay Thai and Submission. He needed
some sparrings and I was available. Our friendship is growing.
He phoned me before my latest fight with Alfonso Garate at The
Glory – event produced by Carlão Barreto in Rio de
Janeiro, Jul 05th."
Source: Fight Line
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Pequeno
denies doping to GRACIEMAG.com
Athletic commission announced Brazilian caught after WEC 34
Former
Shooto champion, nicknamed the "King of the Guillotine"
in Japan, lost by TKO in his match against also-Brazilian Jose
Aldo (Nova Uniao) at WEC 34, on his debut for the American organization.
As unbelievable as it may seem, the beating he took was not the
worst thing to happen to him on that night of June 1st in Sacramento,
California.
Yesterday
the California State Athletic Commission released the news Pequeno's
test for banned substances revealed use Boldena, a veterinary
steroid. Pequeno was issued a suspension from competing in American
territory for one year and will have to pay a fine of US$ 2,500.
However, the Brazilian has the right appeal, or in other words,
present another exam. Claiming to be of clear conscience, Pequeno
says he has already issued an appeal and the whole thing is a
big mistake.
"I've
already spoken with my manager and he will issue an appeal. I've
never used anything at all and I have a clear conscience. I'd
never use any of that junk, like this thing that came out in
my test. What I took were the same nutritional supplements I've
always taken, like recovery formula, creatine and glutamine.
If I had taken it, I'd admit it and say sorry to my fans. I'm
already appealing," said the fighter.
Stay
tuned and we will bring further updates on the matter.
Source: Gracie Magazine
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