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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2008
11/8/08
Aloha
State Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
7/26/08
Maui Jiu-Jitsu BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
6/5-8/08
World Jiu-Jitsu Championsihps
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California)
5/16/08
X-1: Legends
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
5/3/08
Hawaiian
Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
Hawaii Fighting Championships
9
(MMA)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
4/26/08
Elite XC
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/29/08
Garden Island Cage Match 7
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 8
(MMA)
(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)
|
|
March 2008 News
Part 2
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
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Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
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He
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Quote
of the Day
“The
best way for a person to have happy thoughts is to count his
blessings and not his cash.”
Source Unknown
|
Dunn
earns Olympics wrestling slot
By Ivan Palacios
Pacific Daily News
Guam
wrestler Maria Dunn has officially qualified for the 2008 Olympic
Games in Beijing, China.
"It's
been a long time coming, I have been waiting for this moment
and now it is here, it is really a dream come true," Dunn
said via telephone from Oahu.
Dunn
is a 2004 graduate of Simon Sanchez High School, and resided
in Yigo.
She qualified when she won the gold medal in her weight class
at the 2008 Senior Oceania Championships held in early February
in Canberra, Australia. The Olympics are scheduled for Aug. 8
to Aug. 24.
'Nervous'
"I was really nervous because I was handpicked by a special
committee formed of the Federation Internationale Des Luttes
Associees and the Oceania Committee and FILA delegate Ik-Jong
Kom," Dunn said.
Seven
wrestlers were chosen from the Oceania Championships to participate
in the Olympics. Dunn was listed as having qualified for the
Olympics on the Web site for FILA, wrestling's world governing
body.
"They
don't just pick anybody. They monitor us and they look at competitions
that we have entered and decide from there," Dunn said.
"They looked at my background and saw what tournaments I've
entered and how well I did. I am just so thankful right now,"
she said.
Dunn,
who was on an athletic scholarship at Missouri Valley College
in Missouri, placed second in the nation when she competed in
the National College Championships in 2006. Since then, Dunn
transferred out of Missouri Valley and is now wrestling in Hawaii.
She also won gold at the 2006 U.S. National Girls' Wrestling
Tournament in Michigan.
'Represent'
"I just want to represent Guam and do good -- that is my
main goal. My dream came true already but I want to do good,"
Dunn said. "I just want to thank all the people that have
supported me along the way: Rick Blas of the Guam National Olympic
Committee, my coach Neal Kranz and my mom for her support."
Dunn
also thanked Roman Dela Cruz of Fokai Industries for all the
support.
"Thanks,
Rome, and, of course, to all the boys of Purebred/Spike 22 Academy,
Melchor Manibusan, Steve Roberto and to all of you who helped
me out, you know who you are."
Source: K Synizzle-Olivizzle
|
Greg
Nelson Seminar at JKDU!
Friday,
March 25th, 7.20 pm
Palolo Hongwanji (JKD Unlimited's school)
Cost: $65
JKD Unlimited is proud to host a workshop by Greg Nelson, MMA
coach for Sean Sherk and Brock Lesnar. Greg is has been a leader
in the Thai Boxing Association of America since the late 80's,
and is a black belt in BJJ under Pedro Sauer. This seminar
will focus on mma training and application. Please go to our
seminar page for more info or call us at 808 864 1620. to reserve
a spot.
The seminar will be held in Palolo on Friday, March 25th, 7.20
pm. Cost is $65.
This is Greg's first trip to Hawaii, so please help us welcome
him while improving your skills.
I hope to see you there, Burton
Source: Burton Richardson
|
Kauai
Cage Match Fight Card
March 29,
2007
Hanapepe Stadium, Kauai
Doors open at 5:00 pm, Fights start at 6:00 pm
130 lbs Kickboxing
Julio Moreno - Bulls Pen
Mana Woosley- Team Hakuilua
155 lbs MMA
Makana Fronda- Bulls Pen
Tyson Hawelu- Kamole Jiu Jitsu - Kauai
155 lbs MMA
Reno Remigio - HMC
Kia Hale- Freelance- Oahu
145 lbs MMA
Vernon Parengit- 808 fight factory
Nestor Honarato- Quick Silva- Kauai
130 lbs MMA
Jon Barnard - God's Army-Waianae
Sergio Hurtado- Freelance - Kauai
65-70 Youth Kickboxing
Nainoa
Dung- 5-0 boxing/ 02 Martial Arts Academy
Kona Meyers- Team Hakuilua
145 lbs Amateur Kickboxing Title
Zack Rapal- Fighters Union
Issac Josaiah- Quicksilva- Kauai
135 lbs MMA
Mark Tajon- Bulls Pen
Russell Doane- 808 Fight Factory
150 lbs MMA
Brandon Pieper- 808 Fight Factory
Kyle Rideau- Team Tabuso- San Francisco
170 lbs MMA
Thomas Sedano- Bulls Pen
Ben Santiago- God's Army
155 lbs MMA
Dom Ah Nee- Maui Jiu Jitsu
Ikaika Moreno- 808 Fight Factory
205 lbs MMA
Kealoha Emsley- Team MMAD
Tesai Seamster- Kamole Jiu Jitsu- Kauai
155 lbs MMA
Travis Texerira- 808 Fight Factory
Shane Kahananui- KTI Relson Gracie- Kauai
135 lbs MMA
Bryson Hanson- Team MMAD
Pauly Kuwamura- KTI Relson Gracie- Kauai
155 lbs MMA Main Event
Cisco Bringas- Jus Rush- Kailua
Kyle Sukehira- Kamole Jiu Jitsu - Kauai
Source: Promoter
|
ALEXANDER
READY FOR IRVIN AND UFC FIGHT NIGHT
Houston Alexander returns to the Ultimate Fighting Championship
after suffering his first defeat in the Octagon, to Thiago Silva,
when he takes on “The Sandman” James Irvin on April
2 in Broomfield, Colo. He had entered the UFC with a bang, destroying
MMAWeekly.com's No. 5 ranked light heavyweight Keith Jardine
in a stunningly fast knockout.
The
UFC put Alexander up against Alessio Sakara in his second bout
and he once again knocked out his opposition, proving that he
is indeed for real. It seemed that the promotion had a budding
new contender in its 205-pound division. Unfortunately, “The
Assassin” ran into Thiago Silva at UFC 78, where succumbed
to strikes.
Alexander
looks to put himself back on the winning track in a few weeks
and claims he is more than ready to go. “I'm ready to get
back in the ring,” he commented to MMAWeekly Radio. “I'm
excited for this next card because they stacked it up.”
He
hasn't fought since November and believes that extra time has
helped him prepare better for the fight against Irvin. “I'm
more ready than I ever have been in any MMA fight. I'm a lot
stronger. I'm a lot faster. It might be scary.”
Believing
that the extra time will only help him, Alexander had fought
four times in just eight months and his last two fights were
only two months apart. “I probably needed the rest, because
I've been going non-stop training since last March. I feel good
about just now coming back,” he said.
Irvin
is a tough opponent and he has one of the UFC's best highlight-reel
knockouts when he took out Terry Martin with a flying knee. Alexander
recognizes the danger that his opponent possesses. “James
looks very athletic. He looks like a brawler. He's one of those
guys who are real dangerous. He's a pretty good wrestler too,
so he's an all-around good fighter. These guys in the UFC are
on the national scale for a reason. They aren't pushovers.”
Even
though Irvin is known primarily for his striking, that doesn't
mean that Alexander believes that this may be a “striking
only” bout. “I just have to be ready for anything,”
he explained. “You might get a guy who loves to stand up;
his coach might tell him to wrestle you. You have to be ready
for anything in a fight.”
He
makes a very good point, considering what Georges St. Pierre
did to Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes or how we saw Chuck Liddell
shoot a double-leg takedown on Wanderlei Silva.
The
question most fighters get asked after a loss is how they've
recovered mentally. Alexander believes that he is fully focused
and ready to go for this fight. “I was mentally prepared
for the last fight. You make a mistake with any of these guys
and you're going to lose. My mentality right now is the same
mentality I carry into every fight. I think I'm more sharpened
this time around because I've had more time to prepare for this
one.”
The
April 2 UFC Fight Night card is probably the most stacked televised
card ever on Spike TV. In fact, the network decided to make this
card a three-hour telecast instead of the standard two hours.
Alexander
and Irvin is scheduled to be the leadoff fight for the televised
card and that idea has the Omaha, Neb.-based fighter extremely
excited to go out and put on an exciting performance. “It's
gonna be wonderful because I'll be the first one on television.
I talked to Joe Silva and he said, ‘You're gonna be the
first fight out.’ And I said, ‘No problem. We'll start
off your fight night!’ We'll definitely get it going for
those guys. We'll get it pumped up,” exclaimed Alexander.
Although
he isn't one to predict the majority of his fights, Alexander
did have this to say, “It's going to be really interesting.
Again, I've got a lot faster and a lot stronger if that can be
possible. I'm going to go after the guy. If that guy's not ready
for me to come out fast against him, he's gonna get hurt.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ASSUERIO
SILVA VACATES BELT, SIGNS WITH HCF
Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Assuerio Silva has vacated
his Pancrase heavyweight title and signed a contract with Hardcore
Championship Fighting.
“I’ve
signed with HCF and my first fight will be on May 10, but I don’t
know against who it’ll be,” Silva told Brazilian website
Tatame.com. “I believe that in a month they’ll give
me my opponent, after the event of March 29.”
He
indicated that the contract with HCF is for five fights.
Silva
had several opportunities in the UFC, but hasn’t fared well
in the Octagon, losing all three of his fights there. After losing
a majority decision to Cheick Kongo early last year at UFC 70,
he moved on to Pancrase where he immediately captured the promotions
heavyweight title by defeating Tatsuya Mizuno in May.
He
said he has had difficulty in finding opponents since that time
and has been waiting for the right opportunity to come along.
Although Silva did field offers from Pancrase, in the end, he
determined that his current best option was to sign with HCF.
Source: MMA Weekly |
CHUTE
BOXE'S MARLIN MATHIAS IN HIS OWN WORDS
I started to train in 1997 with coach Pica Pau at Rafael Cordeiro’s
Chute Boxe GYM, it was on my way home from school and every time
I passed there I used to see Jose Pele Landi, Wanderlei Silva,
and Master Rafael, so that made me want to train there.
One
year after I began to train I did my first professional Muay
Thai fight, which I won by decision. It was a great lesson for
me because I used to think in that time that only my talent was
enough to win a fight. I won the first two rounds, but in the
last I was completely tired, but in the end I won. Now I have
nine professional Muay Thai fights and no losses.
My
first MMA fight was in 2003 at Storm Samurai. I had recently
gotten the Muay Thai black belt and I was training jiu-jitsu
for only two months. I faced a BJJ black belt and I won by knockout
in the third round in a very hard fight.
I
think that in 2008 things are very professional. We have all
kinds of training inside Chute Boxe, from Muay Thai to BJJ to
wrestling, which I think is very important because I need the
positive energy from my colleagues inside the gym.
About
my opponent, Conor Huen, I know that he is a BJJ fighter and
he has some MMA fights, but as every Chute Boxe fighter, I am
going into this fight ready for everything. I want to please
the audience with an exciting presentation and I want to start
to build my name in America. I don't want to sound rude and say
that I will never lose, but I can say that I will always do my
best to make a good show.
To
me EliteXC is one of the best events in the U.S, even here in
Brazil we can see that EliteXC is growing a lot and we also see
that EliteXC has the concern about his athletes. And now with
the CBS deal EliteXC will be the number one event soon. They
believed in my work and now its time for me to pay back and make
a huge presentation.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Monteiro
wants revenge at Sengoku
After
losing for Nick Thompson at Sengoku by unanimous decision, the
Gracie Fusion’s black belt Fabricio Monteiro spoke to TATAME
about the fight and his anger with the result. “I fought
well and the result was an absurd. I thought what everybody saw
and all commentators of the world said, that was a robbery. I’ve
dominated three rounds on the ground, put to the ground seven
or eight times”said Fabricio, that now wants the revenge
against Nick.
“I
hope he continues winning so that I can get him on his way. My
contract if of one year and a half, who knows I get him at a
Sengoku’s belt fight”, said the black belt, which praised
Evangelista Cyborg’s performance, winning at Sengoku. “Cyborg
fought well stand, beating well and used a good strategy, used
the ground and pound moment to submit the Japanese fighter. We
chat before the fight at the hotel and we were really well”,
said Fabricio, that now is waiting for next Sengoku editions,
which will be at May 18th and June 8th.
Source: Tatame |
EDGAR
EXPECTS EXCITEMENT AT UFC FIGHT NIGHT
One of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s top lightweight
up-and-comers, Frankie Edgar is preparing to step into the cage
again, this time to face Gray Maynard in Broomfield, Colo., for
the latest installment of UFC Fight Night.
The
UFC hasn’t been to Colorado in years, and the venue's location
does possibly provide at least one interesting challenge for
the men who will be competing there… it’s a mile high.
It
raises the question of whether the higher (than average) altitude
will affect the fighters’ performance in the cage. Edgar,
however, is not concerned.
“I
think you give yourself a couple of days to get acclimated to
it and you’re pretty much good to go.”
According
to the man dubbed “The Answer,” though, it is not wondering
about how the altitude may or may not affect your performance
or worrying about your opponent’s strategy for the fight
that drives you crazy, but simply the anticipation of the upcoming
event.
Edgar
stated, “The anticipation is just nuts, you just want to
get in there.”
When
he does step into the Octagon on April 2, he will be looking
to do two things. First and foremost he wants to leave the Octagon
a winner, all fighters do. But secondly, Edgar said, “Hopefully
I get to show something new. I’m continually trying to improve
my game, so I hopefully I get to show something new.”
Many
fighters have conveyed that the relentless day-in, day-out training
that they experience can become monotonous over a two to three
month training camp, and Edgar is no different. He constantly
looks for ways to mix up his routine.
“I
change it up a lot… whether it’s conditioning or circuit
training in the morning or evening or wrestling or jiu-jitsu
in the morning or evening, I just try to mix it up a lot.”
If
Edgar is indeed victorious over Maynard in Colorado, he will
have strung together a line of victories over such names as Tyson
Griffin (11-1 in his career), Mark Bocek (5-1 in his career),
Spencer Fisher (20-4 in his career) and Gray Maynard (4-0 in
his career).
With
UFC wins over opponents like the aforementioned, at only 26 years
of age, Edgar is a man who well could be at the top of the heap
in the lightweight division for many years to come.
As the number in his win column continues to grow, many fans
are now considering Edgar to be one of the top contenders in
the lightweight class and are expecting him to receive a title
fight if he can string together just a couple more wins.
Where
does Edgar thinks he stands in the UFC’s lightweight division?
“I
consider I’m one of the top dogs in the weight. It may take
one or two (more fights), it may take three or four; whatever
it is, I’m cool with it. I just want to fight tough guys,
and fighting tough guys will get me that title shot.”
He
continued, “In order to be the best you’ve got to beat
the best, you know what they say.”
So
what does Edgar believe fans can expect to see when the fight
between he and Maynard is underway?
“Excitement
man, excitement. You know he comes forward, I come forward, it’ll
be fun… good times.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
82 DRUG TESTS COME BACK CLEAN
All of the fighters that were drug tested for the Ultimate Fighting
Championship’s recent UFC 82 event on March 1 in Columbus,
Ohio, returned negative results.
According
to Bernie Profato, executive director of the Ohio Athletic Commission,
Ohio took a different approach than most states and tested all
ten of the winners from UFC 82 instead of testing both winner
and loser in single bouts.
Profato
indicated to MMAWeekly.com that reason for opting for such a
tactic was because the primary goal of drug testing is to discourage
use of illegal performance enhancing drugs to gain an advantage
in competition. Winners of the bouts, by the mere fact that they
are the winners, present a stronger case for having received
a benefit from performance enhancers if they were to test positive.
Although
the primary focus of the tests is on performance enhancing drugs,
Profato also confirmed that recreational drugs were also part
of the drug tests.
The
ten winners from UFC 82 that were drug tested were Anderson Silva,
Heath Herring, Chris Leben, Yushin Okami, Jon Fitch, Andrei Arlovski,
Luigi Fioravanti, Josh Koscheck, Diego Sanchez, and Jorge Gurgel.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ELITE
XC MAY BEGIN ON CBS ON MAY 31
The CBS Television Network and ProElite, Inc. on Feb. 28 announced
a multi-year agreement that would bring mixed martial arts to
a major broadcast television network for the first time in the
sport’s history.
As
part of the agreement, CBS will air four MMA events per year,
produced by ProElite’s EliteXC live events division, as
two-hour live primetime specials on Saturday nights.
During
a conference call on Tuesday, EliteXC president of live events
Gary Shaw indicated that a press release announcing the first
fight card on CBS would be forthcoming on Wednesday. That press
release still had not been released at the time of publication
and one representative stated that it might not be released until
Thursday.
“There
will be a CBS press release going out … announcing when
the first fight card is and announcing who some of the fighters
on that card are. So I don't want to preempt it,” said Shaw.
“We think we have a great card put together, and we're very,
very excited to be on CBS.
“I
think that the announcement will surprise some people,”
he continued. “It's just exciting. This is the single biggest
thing that I think will ever happen to any fighter or to MMA
to have the ability to be seen by over 100 million eyeballs.”
Although
the press release announcing the event and some of the fighters
had not yet been released, ProElite.com – ProElite, Inc.’s
social networking website – posted a teaser on its home
page saying, “Keep an eye out for the first airing of advertisements
for CBS and EliteXC's ‘Saturday Night Fights’ during
the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The rumored event date
is May 31st.”
The
announcement was accompanied by the logo for the “Saturday
Night Fights” specials.
The
NCAA Basketball Tournament opening round begins on CBS on Thursday
at 12:20 ET.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
RICHIE
HIGHTOWER OUT OF PFC TITLE BOUT
All of the fighters in attendance at Wednesday’s weigh-in
for Thursday’s Palace Fighting Championship 7 in Lemoore,
Calif., made weight, according to PFC representative Jeremy Luchau.
Ultimate
Fighting Championship veteran Richie Hightower, however, was
a no show, having to withdraw from a welterweight title bout
with Bryan Travers due to an undisclosed illness.
“We
received word last minute that Richie is sick and unable to compete
on Thursday,” PFC president Christian Printup said.
Printup
confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that Joel Crawford has agreed to step
in at the last minute to face Travers. The bout will now be a
three-round, non-title affair and will not be part of the televised
portion of the fight card.
PFC
events began airing on Comcast SportsNet on Feb. 29. According
to Printup, the programming on Comcast reaches more than 4.7
million households in Northern California and parts of Oregon
and Nevada.
Current
light heavyweight champion Jeromy Freitag will still make his
first title defense on Thursday when he faces Brazilian fighter
Jorge Oliveira.
PFC
Light Heavyweight Title Fight
Jeromy Freitag (204 lbs.) vs. Jorge Oliveira (202 lbs.)
-Jorge
Evangelista (145 lbs.) vs. Enoch Wilson (145 lbs.)
-Phil Collins (189 lbs.) vs. Mike Martinez (189 lbs.)
-Ulysses Gomez (125 lbs.) vs. Greg McDowell (119 lbs.)
-Glover Teixeira (204 lbs.) vs. Buckley Acosta (204 lbs.)
-Jeremiah Metcalf (184 lbs.) vs. Jimmy Dexter (184 lbs.)
-Daniel Pinedo (126 lbs.) vs. David Mitchell (125 lbs.)
-Carlton Jones (239 lbs.) vs. Rafael Del Real (227 lbs.)
-Bryan Travers (167 lbs.) vs. Joel Crawford (N/A)
-Manuel Quezada (220 lbs.) vs. Charles Hodges (380 lbs.)
-Danny Castillo (155 lbs.) vs. Andy Salazar (152 lbs.)
-Robert Breslin (155 lbs.) vs. Brandon Jinnies (150 lbs.)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
STANN
LOOKS TO TAME THE RHINO AT WEC 33
Facing adversity and extreme challenges is nothing new to World
Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight contender Brian Stann,
who will face the biggest obstacle in his young mixed martial
arts career on March 26 when he faces current 205-pound divisional
champion Doug “The Rhino” Marshall in Las Vegas.
Stann,
a Naval Academy graduate, had been waiting for a fight for many
months when the WEC contacted him with the chance to face Marshall.
“I
was supposed to fight in February and, for some reason, the guy
I was supposed to fight, his camp pulled him out, so no big deal,
but it’s been a longer layoff than I’m accustomed to,”
he said in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I’m
excited, I can’t wait. The good thing is in between every
fight I become a completely different fighter and even more so
for this fight since I’ve had about six months to train.”
During
his down time between fights, Stann worked primarily with Team
Quest, including a trip to Big Bear, Calif., to help Dan Henderson
prepare for his last fight against Anderson Silva.
While
the timing seems early for Stann at this stage in his career
– he currently holds a 5-0 professional record – he’s
confident at his chances stepping up for a title shot.
“It
has been fast, but I definitely see it as a great opportunity
for me.”
The
opportunity is a shot at the light heavyweight title and while
many fighters could potentially fold under the pressure of a
fight of this magnitude, as an active Marine that has served
in Iraq, Stann has faced more pressures in his life than most
would deal with in 10 lifetimes.
“You’ve
just got to put everything else aside. Yes, it’s a fight,
and yes, it’s for a title, and Doug’s a good fighter,
but at the end of the day no matter what happens in that cage,
what’s the worst that’s going to happen to me? Maybe
a broken nose, a concussion? In the big picture it’s nothing,”
Stann said about his perspective going into the fight. “My
family’s still healthy, I’m still healthy, and God
willing me and Doug walk out of the cage unhurt on a serious
scale, so I just don’t see, there’s not a lot really
you’ve got to get worked up for.”
He
has been a force in all of his fights with none of them making
it out of the first round, but he is still very confident in
his conditioning going into the fight.
“We
definitely changed a lot of things up for a five-round fight
and there is no way that my opponent will be in the condition
that I’m in for this fight.”
Many
have predicted that the fight between Stann and Marshall will
be a slugfest with the first fighter to catch the right punch
or kick putting an end to the fight early and the Pennsylvania
native is confident in his chances.
“I
don’t think he’s as technical a striker as I am, and
I don’t think he’s as athletic,” Stann stated.
“He’ll gas out a lot quicker than I do, from there,
I’ll try to finish the fight. He’s a great champ. I
don’t want to take anything away; he’s a great champion.
He’s won the belt, and he’s defended the belt, which
is something I have not done.”
On
March 26, he will get his chance to stand and bang with Marshall
and he’s ready to bring the same aggressive nature to this
fight as he has in every fight he’s faced so far.
“He’s
going to be a handful. He wants to be in there. He wants to slug.
He’s going to move forward, and I’m excited for it.
I love it,” said Stann simply. “If you want to come
forward on me, then absolutely come forward, and don’t expect
me to move back.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MMAWEEKLY
WORLD MMA RANKINGS UPDATED
The latest MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings were released on Wednesday,
March 19. This system ranks the top ten MMA fighters from all
across the world in each of the six most widely accepted weight
classes, as voted on by MMAWeekly.
We
take into consideration a fighter's performance in addition to
his win-loss record, head-to-head and common opponents, difficulty
of opponents, and numerous other factors in what is the most
comprehensive rankings system in the sport.
Fighters
who are currently serving drug-related suspensions are not eligible
for top ten consideration until they have fought one time after
the completion of their suspension.
Fighters
must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to
be eligible for top ten consideration.
Below
are the current MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings, which are up-to-date
as of March 19.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
HEAVYWEIGHT
DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
#1
Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko
2.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3.
Randy Couture
4.
Josh Barnett
5.
Tim Sylvia
6.
Andrei Arlovski
7.
Fabricio Werdum
8.
Gabriel Gonzaga
9.
Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic
10.
Aleksander Emelianenko
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
#1
Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Quinton Jackson
2.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
3.
Chuck Liddell
4.
Lyoto Machida
5.
Keith Jardine
6.
Forrest Griffin
7.
Wanderlei Silva
8.
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
9.
Ricardo Arona
10.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
MIDDLEWEIGHT
DIVISION (185-pound limit)
#1
Middleweight Fighter in the World: Anderson Silva
2.
Paulo Filho
3.
Rich Franklin
4.
Denis Kang
5.
Robbie Lawler
6.
Nathan Marquardt
7.
Kazuo Misaki
8.
Yushin Okami
9.
Dan Henderson
10.
Frank Trigg
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
WELTERWEIGHT
DIVISION (170-pound limit)
#1
Welterweight Fighter in the World: Georges St. Pierre
2.
Matt Serra
3.
Jon Fitch
4.
Matt Hughes
5.
Josh Koscheck
6.
Karo Parisyan
7.
Jake Shields
8.
Diego Sanchez
9.
Carlos Condit
10.
Marcus Davis
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
LIGHTWEIGHT
DIVISION (160-pound limit)
#1
Lightweight Fighter in the World: Takanori Gomi
2.
Tatsuya Kawajiri
3.
Shinya Aoki
4.
Gesias "JZ" Calvancante
5.
Mitsuhiro Ishida
6.
Gilbert Melendez
7.
B.J. Penn
8.
Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
9.
Joe Stevenson
10.
Joachim Hansen
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
FEATHERWEIGHT
DIVISION (145 pounds and under)
#1
Featherweight Fighter in the World: Akitoshi Tamura
2.
Urijah Faber
3.
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue
4.
Antonio Carvalho
5.
Masakazu Imanari
6.
Hatsu Hioki
7.
Jeff Curran
8.
Tenkei Fujimiya
9.
Rafael Assuncao
10.
Hideki Kadowaki
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“Fear
defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, American Poet and Essayist
|
UFC
84 ADDS MORE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday announced the addition
of three light heavyweight bouts to its UFC 84 fight card scheduled
for May 24 in Las Vegas.
In
addition to the main event title bout between current lightweight
champion B.J.
Penn and
former champion Sean Sherk, bouts featuring Wilson Gouveia vs.
Goran Reljic, Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes, and Rameau Thierry
Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura will be featured.
Gouveia
is in the midst of a four-fight winning streak since losing his
first UFC bout to Keith Jardine on the finale of season three
of The Ultimate Fighter reality series. In Reljic, he faces a
Croatian fighter making his Octagon debut, but who is also undefeated
in seven professional bouts.
Initially
scheduled to face Rashad Evans, Silva is now paired up with another
fighter making his UFC debut, fellow Brazilian Antonio Mendes.
Silva is 12-0 in professional competition and looks to keep that
streak alive as he tries to position himself for a title shot.
Mendes promises to make for difficult competition, however, as
he is on an 11-fight winning streak and has a knack for finishing
his opponents.
Entering
the UFC on the heels of stunning knockouts of two Top 10 fighters,
Sokoudjou suffered a difficult defeat in his Octagon debut, losing
to No. 4 ranked Lyoto Machida. Nakamura also lost to Machida
in his UFC debut, giving him back-to-back losses for the first
time in his career.
Previously
announced bouts for UFC 84 include Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith
Jardine, and Tito Ortiz, on the last fight of his UFC contract,
facing Lyoto Machida, bringing to five the total number of light
heavyweight bouts on the May 24 fight card.
UFC
85 Bouts (officially announced):
-B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk
-Keith Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva
-Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz
-Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic
-Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes
-Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
UFC
85 Bouts (unannounced):
-Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry
-Dong-hyun Kim vs. Jason Tan
-Terry Etim vs. Jeremy Stephens
-Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch
Source: MMA Weekly |
Pan-Ams
2008: Gurgel comments
Black belt seeks unprecedented title
Four-time
world champion, three-time Brazilian champion, three-time Brazilian
team champion and five-time Sao Paulo champion. With all that,
there is still one title eluding Alliance team leader Fabio Gurgel:
the Pan-American.
The
only time he was at a Pan-Am, in 2001, Gurgel met with his only
tournament loss by submission, to former student Fernando “Margarida”
Pontes. “There is no relation whatsoever between the tournament
in 2001 and the one I’m going to fight in now, what happened
is part of fighting, I’m going in well-prepared and I want
to win,” guarantees the instructor, yet another star in
the constellation promising to fill the California State University
Dominguez Hills gymnasium, on the 28th, 29th and 30th of this
month.
“The
Pan-Am was always a friendly and cool tournament, although I’ve
only fought in it once, at a time when it was harder for me to
travel. I’ve been training with the kids, we had really
good pre-season preparations, I am not suffering from any injuries
and want to have fun. We will be taking the maximum number of
athletes we can, despite economic hardships. Last year we were
1 point behind Gracie Barra in the team competition, this year
we will win,” said the general of Alliance, the team that
celebrated at the end of last week first place in the inaugural
stage of the Paulista Circuit.
“I
will fight in the absolute. As for weight, I don’t know
if I’ll be going as a heavyweight or super heavyweight,
I’ll only decide at the last minute. As for age, I’ll
be in the senior category,” said the black belt.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Silva
Boxes Himself In
Plenty of feelings get stirred up inside the Octagon -- anger,
frustration, elation, nausea. Boredom isn't usually one of them.
Yet
Anderson Silva appears to be nodding off.
Having
left behind a who's who of carcasses in his weight division,
the Brazilian precision striker is quickly running out of victims.
Rich Franklin was dispatched twice (once in his hometown, no
less); durable Travis Lutter and Nate Marquardt were beat at
their own games; Dan Henderson, asphyxiated.
Discouraged
from calling out finishes in mid-bout or tying one hand behind
his back, the UFC's reigning middleweight champion is facing
one of the more dangerous opponents in his rapidly expanding
legacy: athletic apathy.
With
Matt Lindland denied entry to the promotion and 16-0 WEC standout
Paulo Filho disinclined to fight his friend and teammate, there
are few reasonable bouts left for Silva on the table. Most expect
him to rematch Yushin Okami, a resilient Japanese contender.
(Their 2006 fight ended with Silva launching an illegal kick
that hurt Okami, inviting a disqualification. It was his last
loss.)
But
with fans and fighters alike meeting Okami with indifference,
reports have surfaced that Silva is making early, brazen attempts
to assemble a fight with boxing great Roy Jones, Jr. And unlike
earlier grandstanding challenges -- few remember Ralph Gracie
crashing a Jones press conference in the mid-1990s -- he proposes
to do it under the Florida native's Queensbury rules set.
It's
understood that, nearing 40, Jones is aging leather. He hasn't
won a relevant fight in years. Hasn't, in fact, knocked out anyone
in nearly six. The dizzying speed that flummoxed journeymen (and
the occasional future champion) has evaporated. Sporting a chin
twice cracked, he has to be careful when boxing his shadow.
But
Jones, at 52-4, has 54 more professional boxing matches than
Silva, who, according to boxrec.com, has only two bouts to his
credit -- one of which resulted in a TKO loss. And where Silva
has spent years fracturing his attention between jiu-jitsu, muay
Thai, wrestling and pugilism, Jones has only had to concern himself
with the delicate art of dislocating molars.
Should
Silva choose to step in between the ropes with Jones, it would
be a technical mismatch unseen since Roy Scheider dipped a tepid
toe into the shark-infested waters of Amity Island.
But
like all promotional oddities, it should be expected that a Silva-Jones
fight would do appreciable business, thanks in large part to
the athletes representing more than just their own egos.
Silva
would enter as this industry's answer to criticism that mixed-style
athletes aren't as technically proficient as their boxing counterparts,
that there's no true rhythm to the visceral chaos of MMA. Jones
would be empowered by beliefs that boxing is the fight sport
of tradition, and that no ugly upstart has any rightful claim
to suppressing it. It's exactly the kind of broad story, easily
explained and understood, that makes for compelling sports entertainment.
Tell
it in six, eight or 10 rounds: Silva hasn't logged enough time
to out-finesse Jones under any duration. A victory can come only
by surviving, by hanging tough with a boxing legend and enjoying
fleeting moments of accuracy before Jones rights the ship and
continues his barrage. They won't hurt, but they'll sting --
both Silva's face and his personal pride.
Not
that Silva should ever dare hang his head, even if Jones manages
to rattle his cage enough to score a finish. By even agreeing
to such a lopsided contest, Silva does nothing but offer further
proof of what the Bukowski-bred laureates have dubbed "gameness,"
the primal urge to scrap until your limbs cease cooperating.
It would embellish, not diminish, his profile.
But
even if Silva and Jones agree to circle each other and fans start
waving wallets, third parties could find ample reason to squash
plans.
The
man with the most to lose standing off-canvas is Dana White,
who has seen his UFC property climb out of its early grave and
regularly trump both boxing and pro wrestling on pay-per-view.
Would White really embrace the idea of his most-buzzed-about
champ looking worse for the wear in a rival format? There's certainly
money in it, but White has never (wisely) taken the quick buck
over long-term profiteering. Having a UFC champion look subservient
to an older boxer isn't exactly smart box office.
There's
also the not-insignificant matter of having a 1-1 Silva fight
a former multi-division champion with dozens of fights. Nevada
State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer, a possible
host for the hypothetical bout, says that sanctioning the fight
is "possible," but expresses concern over taking away
a majority of Silva's artillery.
"Anderson
is obviously well known for his striking ability," Kizer
says, "[but] a lot of that is kicks, knees and elbows, which
don't do any good in a boxing match. It's a tough thing. You
have to give him some credit, but whether or not that's approvable
as a boxing match, it's hard to know."
But,
Kizer adds, "the fact that he's good at other things, not
just striking, shouldn't be held against him."
Neither
should his ambition.
Source: Sherdog |
KAZUO
MISAKI SIGNS WITH STRIKEFORCE
Kazuo Misaki has signed a two-fight contract to fight for the
California-based Strikeforce promotion. Strikeforce vice president
Mike Afromowitz confirmed the signing to MMAWeekly on Saturday.
He
said that the contract was exclusive to Strikeforce in North
America, but that Misaki would still be able to fight other promotions
elsewhere, including Japan, where he has spent the majority of
his career. The contract also provides for an option following
the fulfillment of the two-fight agreement.
No
date has been set for Misaki’s promotional debut, but Afromowitz
said it would likely be sometime this summer. It’s too soon
to name his first opponent, but Strikeforce has several solid
middleweight fighters to match with Misaki, including current
champion Frank Shamrock, as well as contenders Cung Le and Joe
Riggs.
Currently
ranked as the No. 7 middleweight fighter in the world, Misaki
defeated Denis Kang in November of 2006 to win the Pride Welterweight
Grand Prix.
Following
his Grand Prix victory, he lost his next bout to Frank Trigg
in Las Vegas. He seemed to bounce back at the Dec. 31, 2007,
Yarennoka event where he knocked out Yoshihiro Akiyama with a
kick to the head. It was later ruled, however, that Akiyama was
a downed opponent at the time of impact and the decision was
changed to a no contest.
Misaki
recently competed on the debut event of World Victory Road in
March, where he submitted highly touted fighter Siyar Bahadurzada
by guillotine choke.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“Beauty
as we feel it is something indescribable; what it is or what
it means can never be said.”
George Santayana, 1863-1952, Spanish-born American Philosopher
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel 52, Tuesdays
at 7:00 PM
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 57 is complete and submitted to Olelo
programming. It will air in our normal timeslot at 7pm Tuesday nights
on February 19 and 26, and March 4 and 11 on Olelo Oahu Oceanic Channel
52.
Episode
57 features:
-highlights
from Gil Yrojo's HAWAII FIGHT LEAGUE w/ interview from Gil,
Dr. Izuka, and Larry Perreira
-interview
from Kai Garcia's Boar's Nest w/ Mario Sperry!
-Technique
of the week: teh MMA HALFGUARD PASS by Mario Sperry
-Rob
Demello's KITV report on ICON's "To HELL and BACK"
Kala vs Baroni
-and
of course, two of your favorite Olelo personalities, Mike Onzuka
and Mark Kurano
Don't
forget to join up on MMA.TV and become part of the most
prestigious MMA forum in Hawaii, THE HAWAII UNDERGROUND! where
you can
talk to us and many other key players in the MMA industry in
Hawaii
including some of the top fighters here and in the world!
Comments,
Questions, and Suggestions to: fctv@onzuka.com
|
HFC
Maui
Saturday,
March 29
Maui War Memorial Gym
Main Event:
155 Championship: Kaleo
"Lights Out" Kwan vs. Tyson Coloma-Naho'oikaika
Eastsidaz Fight Club/O2 Martial Arts Academy Island Warriors
Freestyle Fighting
Rest of the Card:
135 Championship:
Kana Hyatt vs. Tony Bergamo
Eastsidaz/Lava MMA HMC Wahiawa
145:
Ricky Hoku Wallace vs. Eddie Perrells
Icon Gym Maui Mulisha
135:
Albert "Always Bad" Manners vs. William "Speedy"
Armstrong
B.J.Penn-- Uprising Fight Team
140:
Peni "Tongan Assassin" Taufaao vs. Gerald Gamit
Eastsidaz Fight Club Team Issues
160:
Chris Cisneros vs. Pat Clark
Eastsidaz/Lava MMA Team Koali
Heavy weight:
Chris Bernard vs. Kaeo Linkee
Uprising Fight Team Bang Inc.
170:
James Romano vs. Clayton "Kazu
Boy" Nohara
Eastsidaz Fight Club Lanai Fight Club
Heavy weight
Joaquin Dabbs vs. Mike Vaituulala
Freelance Independent
205:
Kalani Gonsalves vs. Eddie Edwards
Native Action Fight Team Icon Gym
155:
Kapono Tumale vs. Chris Banaag
Brazilian Freestyle Wailuku Kickboxing
170
Jon Visante Jr. vs. Wesley Vaituulala
Team SYD Maui Mulisha
155
Kaika Sasaoka vs. Keone Farm
Kahaluu Gracie Impact Zone
145
Ellis "Danno" Bourbonnais vs. Kurrent Cocket
HMC Wahiawa Impact Zone
135:
Davin "Bam Bam" Balagso vs. TBA
MMA Built
|
2008
SERA'S KAJUKENBO OPEN
TOURNAMENT RESULTS
CONTINUOUS
SPARRING
Boys
5-6 yrs.
1st Kailana Andaya - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Noa Helm - Sera's Kajukenbo
Girls
5-6 yrs.
1st Sheylyn Ranis - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Ki'are Cabanting - Sera's Kajukenbo
Boys
7-8 yrs.
Jacob Rohner - Sera's Kajukenbo
Donald Kuamoo - Sera's Kajukenbo
Girls
7-8 yrs.
1st Leila Ranis - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Bree Haraguchi - Sera's Kajukenbo
Boys
9-10 yrs.
1st Samson Bisuttti - Haiku Self-Defense
2nd Johnathan Kuamoo - Sera's Kajukenbo
Girls
9-10 yrs.
1st Miranda Oda - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Jade Kealoha - Sera's Kajukenbo
Boys
11-12 yrs.
1st Colton Lincoln - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Harmony Pacheco - Kempo Unltd.
Boys
15-17 yrs.
1st Johnathan Bisutti - Haiku Self-Defense
2nd Arnel Sarguinto - Island Warriors
Girls
15-17 yrs.
1st Jenna Koseki - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Sasha Hereik - Spencer's TKD
Men
18-34 yrs. Light
1st Frank Deutsch - Spencer's TKD
2nd Terry Coykendall - Sera's Kajukenbo
Team
Results
1st Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Kempo Unltd.
MMA
Boys/Girls
5-6 yrs.
1st Emmy Kealoha - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Kailana Andaya - Sera's Kajukenbo
Boys/Girls
7-8 yrs.
1st Christian Coykendall - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Donald Kuamoo - Sera's Kajukenbo
Boys/Girls
9-10 yrs.
1st Miranda Oda - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Samson Bisutti - Haiku Self-Defense
Boys
11-12 yrs.
1st Rodrigo Haro - Ohana Martial Arts
2nd Brandon Kurosawa - Kempo Unltd.
Boys
15-17 yrs. Light
1st Justin Estabillo - Maui High Judo/Wrestling
2nd Johnathan Bisutti - Haiku Self-Defense
Boys
15-17 yrs. Middle
1st Chaise Kahula - Island Warriors
2nd Frankie Kuamoo - Sera's Kajukenbo
Girls
15-17 yrs.
1st Sharon Fillazar - Ohana Martial Arts
2nd Jasmine Galarita - Kempo Unltd.
Men
18-34 yrs. Light Nov/Inter.
1st Dominic Agabin - Island Warriors
2nd Kavan Saiki - Jeet Kune Do Unltd.
Men
18-34 yrs. Middle Nov./Inter.
1st Robbie Wilson - Brazilian Freestyle
2nd Kawika Kuamoo - Sera's Kajukenbo
Woman
18-34 yrs. Nov./Inter.
1st Chyna Colorado - Villamor Martial Arts
2nd Sharon Fillazar - Ohana Martial Arts
Team
Results
1st Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Kempo Unltd.
Submission
Grappling
Boys
15-17 yrs. Light
1st Deejay Tadena - Island Warriors
2nd Kyle Vegas - Island Warriors
Boys
15-17 yrs. Middle
1st Jordan Cachola-Kekino - Island Warriors
2nd Chaise Kahula - Island Warriors
Men
18-34 yrs. Feather Nov./Inter.
1st Brandon Ness - Maui Jiujitsu
2nd Joey Uno - Island Warriors
Men
18-34 yrs. Light Nov./Inter.
1st Brian Pate - Brazilian Freestyle
2nd Jayson Blue - Maui Jiujitsu
Men
18-34 yrs. Middle Nov./Inter.
1st Keiki Antunez - Impact Zone
2nd Cody Mendoza - Fight for Life
Men
18-34 yrs. Lt. Heavy Nov./Inter.
1st Keahi Tom - Impact Zone
2nd Brandon Nagata - Brazilian Freestyle
Men
18-34 yrs. Light Advanced
1st Mike Pedro - Brazilian Freestyle
2nd Keola Caballero - Maui Jiujitsu
Men
18-34 yrs. Welter Advanced
1st Dominic Ah Nee - Maui Jiujitsu/Wailuku Kickboxing
2nd Isaac Gazman - Island Warriors
Men
35-49 yrs. Light
1st Keith Inouye - Brazilian Freestyle\
2nd Jason Lewis - Impact Zone
Men
35-49 yrs. Heavy
1st Frank Kuamoo - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Ernest Kekino - Island Warriors
Men
Open Light
1st Benjamin Sacapanio - Brazilian Freestyle\
2nd Ermin Fergustrom - Brazilian Freestyle
Men
Open Heavy
1st Ernest Kekino - Island Warriors
2nd Dustin Starwood - Brazilian Freestyle
Team
Results
1st (Tie) Island Warriors & Brazilian Freestyle
|
Fedor
trains like a madman
Before taking on Don Frye, Taktarov talks of compatriot
At
39 years of age, veteran Oleg Taktarov’s batteries are still
running strong. The Russian, who decided to put his career as
an actor temporarily aside, has an engagement on April 11, in
New Jersey, at the debut of the new promotion Yamma Pit Fighting.
His
fight will be against the also up-there-in-age Don Frye, of 42.
The “Russian Bear,” as he was known during his days
in the UFC, is a specialist in sambo, the preferred style of
his compatriot Fedor Emelianenko, a fighter Taktarov seems to
know well. In a recent interview with the site FightHype, the
athlete spoke his mind about the most dominant heavyweight champion
in the history of Pride.
“He’s
a great man and he likes to keep his word. Like the last time
he competed in Combat Sambo in Moscow. He was sick really badly
and he was still fighting and he could’ve really damaged
his heart and health. He fought just to keep his word and people
thought he didn’t have it anymore just because he was sick.
The best thing about Fedor is he trains like a madman and he’s
going to win. He trains in the right places and he always gets
good conditioning in the mountains,” said Taktarov to fighthype.com.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
FILHO
OUT OF WEC TITLE BOUT, INTO REHAB
World Extreme Cagefighting middleweight champion Paulo Filho,
battling some personal issues, has chosen to withdraw from his
March 26 title defense against Chael Sonnen, the promotion announced
Thursday evening.
The
29-year-old Filho voluntarily checked himself into an undisclosed
rehabilitation center in Brazil on Thursday morning to seek help
for a substance abuse problem.
“This
is horrible news, but we’re proud of him for stepping up
and recognizing his problem,” said Filho’s manager,
Ed Soares. “At times like this you realize who your true
friends are and who really supports you, and the people around
him now are supporting him and are gonna be with him when he
comes back.
“Paulo
apologizes to his fans but he thanks them for their support and
he promised that the next time they see him, he’ll be back
at 100 percent and will be the Paulo Filho everyone expects to
see."
Filho
had first been rumored to be out of the fight a week ago, telling
Tatame.com that he had been going through a bout of depression.
He then changed his mind and his management indicated that he
had decided to put his efforts into preparing to defend his title
against Sonnen in Las Vegas at the end of the month.
“We
fully support Paulo in this difficult time and our thoughts are
with him as he goes through recovery,” said WEC vice president
Peter Dropick.
The
WEC announced that the light heavyweight title bout between defending
champion Doug Marshall and challenger Brian Stann will now be
moved up to the main event. No announcement was forthcoming as
to whether or not the promotion will attempt to add an additional
bout to the fight card.
CHAEL SONNEN
STILL WANTS MARCH 26 WEC FIGHT
After a couple of false starts, World Extreme Cagefighting middleweight
champion Paulo Filho this week officially withdrew from his scheduled
March 26 title defense against Chael Sonnen.
The
Brazilian fighter reportedly has had recent bouts with depression
and substance abuse. He voluntarily checked himself into a rehabilitation
center on Thursday morning, according to the WEC.
Despite
the bout with Filho being pulled from the fight card, Sonnen
told MMAWeekly Radio on Friday night that he still wants to compete
for the promotion on March 26.
“As
far as I’m concerned, yes, I’m still going to be a
member of that event,” he stated.
“(Everything) is there logistically, but we need another
(opponent). I don’t think that’s going to be too hard
to find… and we’re flexible to go up to light heavyweight
or stay down at middleweight.”
Of
course, Sonnen does have to wait until the WEC determines a suitable
opponent, but he doesn’t seem overly concerned that they’ll
have much difficulty.
“I’m
just kind of in limbo waiting. It’s Zuffa… they’ve
got a lot of guys under contract. I’m pretty optimistic
they’re going to be able to find somebody and keep me on
the card.”
Many
fighters scheduled to challenge for a title would automatically
opt to wait out the situation to be assured of their shot at
the belt. Sonnen isn’t that type of fighter though, and
he had some strong reasons as to why.
“Here’s
the problem. Paulo told a lie,” said Sonnen bluntly. “And
the lie was, ‘I’m going to fight you March 26,’
but in the same sentence he says, ‘but I’ll fight you
in June.’ What do you do? Do you take the word of a liar
and wait until June? No, I don’t have any interest in waiting
around for Paulo or waiting around until June.
“That
doesn’t mean that isn’t what I’ll have to do.
That’s up to the WEC, I don’t make the decisions, but
that’s not what I want to do. I want to get in there and
compete.”
Of
course, if Filho is able to return in June, and if Sonnen gets
a fight on March 26 and wins, there is the possibility that things
could fall into place for Sonnen to challenge for the title upon
Filho’s return.
Sonnen
was rather matter-of-fact about any title scenarios though, saying,
“ I’ve got a goal to beat Paulo in the ring, but that’s
it. I don’t have a goal to beat him in life or for him to
have a bad life. Sounds like he’s maybe got a couple of
things that he’s working on outside of the ring and I really
hope that goes well for him.
“If
the title shot comes, great. If he’s not ready to compete
by then, and I’m purely speculating, what I would think
is that at some point, (the WEC is) going to have to take that
title away if he’s not ever going to get in the ring.”
But
that’s all speculation. For now, Sonnen is still planning,
training, and focusing for March 26.
“I’m
pretty confident that by Monday I’ll not only be on the
card, but I’ll have an opponent.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
JOE
LAUZON'S UFC FIGHT NIGHT JOURNAL PT. 1
As
part of MMAWeekly.com’s lead-up coverage to the April 2
UFC Fighting in Broomfield, Colo., Joe Lauzon, who will be facing
Kenny Florian in the main event, will be providing weekly journal
entries leading up to the fight. This is the first entry as we
head towards their lightweight showdown…
Last
week I got to train with not only Ultimate Fighting Championship
155-pound champ B.J. Penn, but also World Extreme Cagefighting
145-pound champ Urijah Faber. I've got to be honest, I really
can't complain about spending the week training with two of the
best pound-for-pound fighters out there.
This
was the first time I had met Urijah, but had seen a bunch of
his fights. If you aren't familiar with "Bam Bam" (that’s
his new nickname.... he is getting way too old to still be the
"California Kid") then I suggest you start watching
more WEC on the Versus channel, because his fights are constantly
being shown. If you can't wait that long then go and do a search
on YouTube and check out some video.
Turns
out Urijah is fighting Jens Pulver next, so he is working out
with some guys that know a thing or two about Jens and have some
experience and history with him. Urijah is one of the smartest
fighters I have met in regards to training and has a ridiculous
work ethic.
In
between training sessions, we managed to have a little fun. When
I first came to Hawaii, I had a checklist of things I wanted
to do: surfing, jumping off bridges, seeing flowing lava and
a few others were all on the list. Of those, seeing some flowing
lava was the only one that I hadn't crossed off the list, until
this week.
I
forget what night it was, but Hoyt Gracie organized a trip and
a bunch of us went up and saw "the flow". My mental
picture of the lava flow was a wide river of lava that moved
pretty slowly. Well, I was half right. There is a flow that is
about half a mile wide, and it flows right into the ocean. This
wasn't the flow we were going to though. We want to a "fire
field" where you see crawling red patches of molten rock
with intermittent fires scattered throughout. If I didn't know
any better, I would almost think I was in a movie.
There
were a lot of other people there as we walked up. Some people
had sticks and were sticking them in the fire just to watch them
burn, some were jumping over flowing lava, some were walking
on lava that had just cooled in the past few seconds, while others
had shovels and were scooping blobs of lava and holding it above
their heads and dodging the lava as it nearly fell on them.
You
would think that lava dodging would be one of the stupidest things
you could do with lava until you see the guy that was drinking
a little bit too much and was taking pictures laying down as
the lava got closer and closer until it was only a couple inches
away. Fortunately, this guy didn't win a Darwin award and left
the field just fine with all of his skin just as it was when
he got there.
I
was pretty amazed at how close he was getting to the lava though,
because even just standing within a few feet of it you can really
feel the heat. It was raining lightly, but if you were within
10 feet of the lava, you didn't feel any rain. I remember thinking
about the third Star Wars movie (the cheesy newer ones) where
Anakin was fighting Obi Wan in the lava field and they were just
jumping all around the lava flow like nothing was going on. After
this trip though, I don't believe it for a second! I was willing
to believe that force choking someone was possible, but there
is absolutely no way you can hang out around lava like that and
not get burned up.
Aside
from the obvious heat, you need to be real careful of the rocks
around the field as well. When near lava you need to do the obvious
thing, which is throw normal rocks into the flowing lava and
watch what happens. In the process of finding rocks, Urijah and
I both ended up cutting our hands on sharp rocks. Apparently
it’s not a good idea to be picking up sharp rocks in the
dark. I think my cut was worse because I stained everyone’s
shirts and shorts in training for a couple days (sorry Gabe),
as my finger decided to bleed every time I even thought about
grappling.
Usually,
I am a pasta or steak and mashed potatoes kind of guy for most
of my meals. Urijah is more of a health foot nut though, so we
ate at this health food store called Island Naturals. It's a
little more expensive than normal food, but I was pretty impressed
with how good the food was. We each got a smoothie, a sandwich
and some salad and other stuff (I had to get that lasagna in
there) for like $25 each. Not too bad for what has to be pretty
much the best food you can put into your body.
Urijah
saw the amount of food I had and was laughing telling me there
was no way I was going to be able to finish it all, but his tune
changed as I stuffed the last pieces of food into my mouth. I
will admit, I wasn't hungry towards the end, but I had to finish
up to prove a point. The point: I eat like a fat kid.
Tracy
Lee from Combat Lifestyle was going to be in Oahu for Icon and
wanted to make a stop in Hilo to take some pictures of B.J.,
Urijah and me training. She sent me a text about it and was in
Hilo a few days later. She took a ton of pictures of us just
hanging around and training. You can see a bunch of her pictures
at CombatLifestyle.com including the gross amounts of food we
were eating.
As
I type this, I am on a plane back to Boston. I was originally
planning to be home because my brother, Dan, and nine of my other
guys are were supposed to be fighting on Saturday night. Unfortunately
"The Upgrade" came down with Staph infection and had
to pull out of his fight.
It’s
good heading home for a few days before I head out to Colorado.
I might be going a little overboard with getting used to the
elevation, but I want to be as prepared as possible. Fortunately
Noah Thomas lives out there, so Dan and I will be out there,
staying with him and working out at his gym. Hopefully the two
and a half weeks out there will help me out. I will let you know
next week how our guys did.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Shaolin
bets on Gesias at Dream
The
black-belt Vitor Shaolin keeps training hard to come back soon
to the rings. Besides his name is still esteemed for Dream’s
lightweight GP, that’ll have it’s first edition at
March 15th at Japan, the Nova União’s athlete guarantees
that isn’t with 100% to come back yet. “March 15th
is tomorrow, and I’m still over weighted. I’m with
82kg. I can possibly do a fight but I won’t get in the GP,
at least at this first edition. I’m getting ready to come
back at April or May”, told Shaolin, that believes in a
victory of his Hero’s GP’s enemy, Gesias Cavalcanti.
“Everybody
is good in this GP. There are 4 editions, still has too much
water to roll, but watching the names I can’t point anyone
but Gesias. That guy is two times Hero’s GP’s champion
and must come well prepared to this competition too. There are
Buscapé, Kawajiri, Hansen, but I bet on Gesias, even though
it’s better for me if he wins, because I would have lost
for the champion”, said Shaoiln.
Source: Tatame |
Ramom
Lemos confident for Deep
New
reinforcement of Brasa’s team, Ramom Lemos told TATAME about
the team changing and showed confidence with Guilherme and Rafael
Mendes, that was recently graduated at brown belt and will fight
at Deep no-gi. “I’m expecting fast submissions. They’re
really well, really strong. They went up on weight already fought
and hasn’t passed over 30 seconds. At Deep they’ll
submit really fast. Their Jiu-Jitsu is forward, they like to
show their submission quality”, said Ramom, that hopes coming
back fighting at 2008.
“I’m
focused to fight for the team here, because at 2007 I didn’t
fought and at 2006 I was vice-champion at World Cup. My focus
is that everybody here fights at the world cup, the Brazilian
championship and all national championships, besides showing
our work outside the country. I’m with proposal to open
a gym at . I’ll fight everything this year”, said the
Brasa’s reinforcement, that revealed how was the team changing.
“My team was starting with some problems so I and André
Galvão got together and this changing was our decision.
We decided to call Leozinho and we got on his team, we fought
the Paulista, will be at World Cup, everything that comes”,
said.
Source: Tatame |
Quote
of the Day
“We
need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that
are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live
our lives with authenticity.”
Barbara De Angelis, American Author and Expert on Relationships
and Personal Growth
|
Fighters'
Club Radio Today!
Tune in
every Monday morning for your weekly fill of MMA talk on the
radio with Pat and Mark.
Tell
everyone to tune in to AM 1500 from 9:00 to 10:00 am every Monday
morning right after Leahey and Leahey!
ADRENALINE KONCEPTZ PRESENTS...
FIGHTERS
CLUB RADIO
MONDAY MARCH 10th
9am-10am
AM1500, HAWAII'S SPORTING NEWS
AFTER LEAHEY & LEAHEY
CALL
IN: 296-1500
TOPICS:
QUESTION
OF THE DAY: KALA KOLOHE OR BARONI ?
-
KALA KOLOHE VS BARONI-LIVE VERBAL MMA
- KOA RAMOS
- THE ICON 145LB STATE TITLE
- BRAZILIAN VS JAPANESE JIU JITSU - KURANO BREAKS IT DOWN
THANK
YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: ADRENALINE KONCEPTZ, GLACEAU VITAMIN ENERGY,
EN FUEGO GRILL & POKE
|
HOSE
HANDLES BARONI FOR ICON TITLE
Kala Kolohe Hose defeated Phil Baroni by TKO referee stoppage
in the fifth round to capture the Icon Sport middleweight title
at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii Saturday night.
At
the sound of the opening bell, Baroni took Hose to the canvas
with a double-leg takedown and unleashed an onslaught of ground
and pound, including stomps and knees to the grounded Hose. Hose
appeared to be in trouble as Baroni punished him, but the Hawaiian
weathered the storm coming back to take over the final minute
of round one.
As
the opening stanza came to a close, Baroni looked to be fatigued.
The momentum of the fight changed in the final moments of round
one and it became obvious in the second round that Baroni had
expended most of his energy trying to finish the fight in the
first.
Baroni
was able to get the fight to the ground again early in the second
round, but it was all Hose from that point on. Hose nearly had
a Kimura locked on, but Baroni was able to escape only to be
met with punches. Action was stopped momentarily as Hose was
warned by the referee for striking Baroni to the back of the
head. When the action restarted, Baroni was leaning over with
both hands on his knees desperately trying to catch his breath.
The
third round saw Baroni come out with his hands down. He attempted
a takedown, but Hose fended it off and landed a knee to Baroni's
head forcing Baroni to roll over to guard. Hose dominated round
three with ground and pound, standing up out of Baroni's guard
to pepper his legs with kicks before diving back into Baroni's
guard with punches. Round three could have easily been scored
10-8 for Hose.
In
the fourth round, Hose picked up where he left off. At one point
Baroni crawled under the ropes out of the ring and was deducted
a point. He spent most of the round trapped on all fours working
for a single-leg takedown with Hose landing kidney shot after
kidney shot.
The
final round began with Baroni looking as if he caught his second
wind. Seconds later, Hose dropped the "New York Bad Ass"
with a punch and finished him with strikes.
In
other action, Ross "The Boss" Ebanez demolished Brennan
Kamaka in nine seconds. Sadhu Bott won the Icon Sport 145-pound
state title by armbar over former champion Bronson Pieper, and
professional boxer turned mixed martial artist Jeremy Williams
defeated Auggie Padeken by knockout.
RESULTS:
Kala Kolohe Hose def. Phil Baroni by TKO (punches) at 0:26, R5
Jeremy Williams def. Auggie Padeken by KO at 2:18, R1
Sadhu Bott def. Bronson Pieper by submission (armbar) at 4:41,
R1
Russell Doane def. Tyson Nam by TKO (punches) at 3:51, R1
Koa Ramos def. Wayne Perrin by submission (rear naked choke)
at 1:29, R1
Ross Ebanez def. Brennan Kamaka by (Corner Stoppage) at 0:09,
R1
PJ Dean def. Eddie Rincon
by unanimous decision at 5:00, R3
Matt Comeau def. Elias Delos Reyes by TKO (punches) at 2:35,
R2
Alan Lima def. David Padilla by unanimous decision at 5:00, R3
Dwayne Haney def. Zach Rapal by submission (choke) at 2:27, R1
Ricky Wallace def. Brandon Pieper by submission (guillotine choke)
at 0:37, R1
Jay Bolos def. Nui Wheeler by
submission (armbar) at 1:26, R2
Kona Ke def. Micah Ige by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:45,
R1
Source: MMA Weekly |
Hose
sitting on top of the world
By Billy Hull
bhull@starbulletin.com
Waianae's
Kala Kolohe Hose can add "Nostradamus" and world champion
to his ever-growing list of nicknames.
Hose
brought the Icon Sport world middleweight title back home to
Hawaii after a jaw-dropping TKO stoppage of Phil Baroni 26 seconds
into the fifth round in the main event of the "To Hell and
Back" card last night at Blaisdell Arena.
A
crowd of 4,200 witnessed Hose stop Baroni with a barrage of right
hands and kicks to become the first local fighter to hold the
middleweight title since Waipahu's Niko Vitale.
"It
was the best fight of my life," Hose said. "The crowd
is the one to give me the drive to keep going. I'd like to thank
the crowd."
Hose
improved to 6-1, while Baroni lost for the fourth time in his
last six fights to fall to 10-9. It was Baroni's first fight
since serving a six-month suspension for testing positive for
steroids.
Hose
predicted earlier in the week that if he could hold up against
Baroni's opening barrage, he would eventually gas and Hose's
conditioning would pay off.
That's
exactly what transpired, as Baroni won the first round with a
combination of takedowns and knees that hurt Hose. At one point,
Baroni landed three or four knees on the left side of Hose's
face that left him badly bruised.
"I
was in trouble when he was stomping on my head," Hose said.
Once
the round ended, Baroni struggled to stand back up and get to
his corner and Hose immediately knew he had the former UFC and
PRIDE veteran right where he wanted him.
Hose
caught Baroni with a knee to the gut that put him on the ground
and started a pattern that would play out the rest of the fight.
Every time Hose would catch Baroni with a shot, he'd drop to
the ground on all fours and clutch at Hose.
Hose
knew he had nothing left in the tank.
"He
dropped his hands and started breathing," Hose said. "He
wasn't as strong as he was."
Hose
controlled the rest of the fight at will, but couldn't put Baroni
away. Baroni was warned for "fleeing" as twice he ducked
under the bottom rope in order to dodge Hose's ongoing barrage
of strikes and kicks.
The
end came early in the fifth round as Baroni staggered out of
the corner and was dropped by a right hand. A kick to the face
and another flurry of punches finally forced referee Chris West
to stop the fight, sending the pro-Hose crowd into a frenzy.
The
finish ended a long and bumpy road for Hose, who had his dreams
of being a champion dashed three different times due to various
injuries and scheduling conflicts.
With
the newly designed Icon Sport belt strapped around his upper
body and surrounded by family and friends, Hose flashed that
same smile he's had the entire journey.
"It's
heavy," Hose said of the belt. "I'll fight anybody."
The
five-round war highlighted 13 fights filled with knockouts and
submissions, as only two bouts went the distance.
Jeremy
Williams got the biggest win of his MMA career with a devastating
knockout of Augie Padeken in the first round of the co-main event.
The
former boxer turned MMA fighter caught Padeken with a left hook
that put the local boy on the canvas. Williams followed it up
with an overhand right before the referee stepped in to stop
the bout at 2 minutes 18 seconds.
"This
is my theory when I punch and I tell it to everybody and they
look at me like I'm dumb," Williams said. "It's very
simple. All I want to do is touch you. If I touch you, then I
can hurt you. That overhand right I threw when he was down, I
threw with bad intentions. Everything else, I was just trying
to touch him."
It
was his fourth straight win in the Icon ring and sets up a possible
fight with the Big Island's Poai Suganuma, who trains with UFC
champion BJ Penn. Williams had three boxing fights and two MMA
fights canceled in the last six months, but still has plans of
becoming a unified champion.
"I
want to fight for the Icon and then challenge the EliteXC champion,
whoever it is, and unify the belts," Williams said. "I'd
like to turn around and fight in four or five weeks, but whatever
they tell me I'll take it."
Two
prominent local fighters on opposite ends of the spectrum made
their Icon debuts last night with first-round victories.
Koa
Ramos, who just this week signed a deal with EliteXC, defeated
Wayne Perrin III by submission after forcing him to tap to a
rear naked choke.
Ramos
improved to 4-0 in his career with a win in his first fight on
the big stage.
"I
had a lot of jitters stepping into the Icon ring," Ramos
said. "I did feel a lot of pressure because (Icon) hyped
me up a lot, but for me, the pressure makes me perform a little
bit better."
While
Ramos is a young and up-and-coming fighter, Hilo's Ross Ebanez
is a veteran of organizations all across the United States.
The
one promotion he hadn't fought in was Icon, and he made his debut
a quick one as he beat Brennan Kamaka in just 9 seconds.
As
soon as the bell sounded, Ebanez put Kamaka into the ropes with
a straight left hand. He quickly pounced on Kamaka and unloaded
a barrage of punches. Kamaka's corner threw in the towel just
as Kamaka tumbled out of the ring.
"I
knew once I hit him with the first punch it was over," Ebanez
said. "I'm not in Icon and I'm focused on becoming a champion."
For
a complete list of the event's winners and a round-by-round breakdown
of each fight, check out http://blogs.starbulletin.com/fightingwords/
Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin |
CHRIS
CARIASO LOOKS TO SHINE AT SHO XC
There’s been no doubt that the 145-pound weight class has
become one of the most popular in mixed martial arts over the
past couple of years. Often featuring faster, more athletic action
than the sport’s heavier weight classes, the 145-pound division
has opened the door for an array of talented fighters to be featured
on larger shows.
Hoping
to follow in the success of the featherweights, the 135-pound
division looks to make the coming year its time to shine.
Like
its slightly heavier contemporary, the 135-pound bantamweight
division usually showcases fast, high-paced action, often delivering
excitement to any card.
Looking
to make his mark as one of the division’s top talents, undefeated
San Francisco-based fighter Chris Cariaso steps into action on
March 21 as part of EliteXC’s ShoXC Challenger Series against
highly regarded Mark
Oshiro
in a hybrid 140-pound showdown.
“I’m
feeling great,” exclaimed Cariaso heading into his Showtime
television debut. “I’ve been having great training
this year so far, so I’m feeling good and I’m definitely
itching to get back in (the cage).”
He
is coming of a very successful 2007 campaign that saw him display
his strong striking skills en route to winning all four of his
fights.
“I
had a great learning year for me,” commented Cariaso. “I’m
definitely going to step it up another notch this year.
“I’ve
definitely tried to improve my power and my grappling game. I
expect to see some power punching and more takedowns and work
on the ground (this year).”
As
he explains, going out and having a good showing on his first
nationally televised fight is imperative for his young career
on multiple levels.
“It’s
very important to me, because I always want to win, but I’ve
had a great training camp and learned a lot of stuff, so I want
to go out there and show everybody what I’ve learned,”
explained Cariaso.
“This
is one of the moments that I’ve been training for. I can’t
wait to get in there and I’m ready to go.”
At
ShoXC, he will have no easy task in Mark Oshiro, an extremely
well-rounded fighter who has won all but one of his professional
fights.
“I’ve
seen a couple of videos of him and he’s definitely pretty
scrappy,” said Cariaso of Oshiro. “He likes to stand
up and that works right into my forte, so I think we’re
going to have a great stand-up war.”
As
he mentioned earlier, Cariaso’s been working on developing
his overall game, and looks to showcase that along with his already
reputable striking skills.
“I
want to go and push the fight to some of my new strengths, definitely,
but I’ll take the fight and see how it goes,” he commented.
“But
when I keep it standing, that’s definitely my strongest
point, and if we want to go to the ground I’ve got some
new tricks up my sleeve.”
When
it comes to goals for the remainder of the year, he looks to
grow as the weight class grows, and prove he belongs near the
top of the division.
“I
just want to propel myself to the top of the 135/140-pound weight
class and show everybody the skills that I have,” said Cariaso.
“I
think the 135’s are definitely going to be making a big
impact. A lot of organizations like the WEC and EliteXC have
been featuring the little guys, and I think we’ve been doing
a great job showcasing the talent we have.”
When
it comes to the March 21 ShoXC Challenger Series, the fight to
watch could very well be Cariaso’s throwdown with Oshiro
in a weight class that could very well be experiencing its breakout
year.
“Obviously
I want to thank the fans, and want them to come check me out
on March 21 on Showtime,” closed out Cariaso. “It’s
going to be explosive and it’s going to be fun.
“I
want to thank KTFO, Show Your Roll, Fight & Fitness, Ralph
Gracie, Cardinale Volkswagen and Purified Soul.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
DREAM.1
REVIEW: JZ VS. AOKI A NO CONTEST
SAITAMA, Japan – Returning to one of his favorite venues,
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic made it look easy in his
Dream debut. The cool but lethal Croatian mixed martial artist
required only 56 seconds to dispatch Tatsuya Mizuno by knockout
at the Dream.1 Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 first round.
Dream.1
featured seven qualification bouts in the Dream Lightweight (70
kilograms/154 pounds) class, along with a trio of open-weight
fights. All bouts were fought under official Dream mixed martial
arts rules, with a 10-minute first and 5-minute second round.
Probably
the most highly anticipated fight on the card featured the 33-year-old
Filipovic, who took on Japanese judo fighter Mizuno. Filipovic
wasted no time, firing in the low kicks from the bell, stepping
forward to lock up Mizuno's right arm, then pumping in uppercuts
and straight punches to deposit his opponent on the canvas in
a heap of pain. He leapt atop the unresponsive Mizuno for a ground
and pound finish, leaving the referee no choice but to jump in
and call it.
"A
lot of fighters refuse to fight me these days, but he had courage
and he accepted," said Filipovic afterward from center ring.
"For my next fight, I will need a stronger opponent, so
anyone is welcome."
The
evening's main event was a Dream Lightweight Grand Prix 2008
elimination bout featuring last year's Hero’s middleweight
champion, Gesias “J.Z.” Calvancante, of Brazil, and
Japanese judoka Shinya Aoki. Calvancante is widely regarded as
the man to beat in the Dream lightweight class, and the jiu-jitsu
fighter's protracted, chummy-rapper ring entrance bespoke both
his feel-good nature and his total confidence.
Calvancante
threw a couple of straight punches from the opening bell, and
thrice Aoki went to the canvas. There the Japanese fighter waited,
but other than passing with a single punch, Calvancante declined
the invitation to approach, prompting breaks and standing restarts.
A Calvancante straight left punch got through, and a high kick
sailed just high before Aoki dove in the Brazilian's legs and
held on. The cornered Calvancante now dropped a series of hard
blows onto Aoki's back, and with the elbow apparently making
first contact, the referee stepped in to call time.
A
distressed Aoki was given three minutes to recover. After that,
the unhappy Japanese fighter, still showing pain, conferred at
length with the referee and ringside doctor and was given more
time. Meanwhile Calvancante, alone in a corner with his towel
draped Druid-like over his head, repeatedly raised his arms slowly
toward the heavens – looking to be either practicing taichi
or praying to aliens. The silent crowd waited.
Alas,
after all this, the ringside doctor stepped up to announce that
Aoki still had prohibitive numbness in his arm from a blow to
a nerve, and so would not continue. Calvancante knelt and bowed
to his opponent. A tearful Aoki expressed his disappointment
to the crowd, after which Calvancante also apologized for the
incident.
Under
official Dream rules, elbow strikes to the head, neck and spine
are forbidden. As it stands, the bout has been ruled a no-contest.
The
first of the card's Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 elimination bouts
saw Norwegian fighter Joachim Hansen step in against Japanese
striker Koutetsu Boku. Hanson got an early fist in and the pair
went to the mat to grapple. Boku was good in guard before Hansen
managed a rear mount and began to put the punches in, looking
for the armbar, but instead seeing Boku twist free and to his
feet. The fists flew now, both men connecting, neither falling.
Hansen took a clinch to a down and side mount before again finding
a rear mount. But for a bit of face-washing in transition, Boku
did not get the ground attacks going. The round ended with Boku
in guard and out of danger.
Some
strikes to start the second before Boku again settled into open
guard, which Hansen could do little to pass. After a re-stand,
the Norwegian got a dandy straight left through to drop his opponent
and moved in, but could not finish. After the final bell, a unanimous
decision went to the hard-working Hansen.
Next
up, wrestler Kazuyuki Miyata of Japan took on the agile and quick
Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Luis “Buscape” Firmino.
The pair went directly to the mat, where both seemed content
to stay. With Miyata on top, Firmino locked the arms and worked
the legs well in guard, and neither threatened or got much through
until Miyata passed the bicycle kicks with a left. After taking
a half mount in the later part of the first, Firmino passed with
a few punches before twisting round to a rear mount to put on
the choke for a submission win.
Wrestler
Katsuhiko Nagata of Japan, a silver medallist at the Sydney Olympics,
was going for gold here against Artur Oumakhanov, a boxer and
a member of the Russian Special Forces. Much dancing, but few
strikes to start, Nagata finally going for the leg takedown only
to be met with a knee and flipped over and into Oumakhanov's
guard. Some fancy fishtail evasions from the Russian when Nagata
tried to put punches down. Closing to the rubber guard, the cool
Oumakhanov stayed out of trouble here, and that's how the round
played out.
In
the second it was Oumakhanov who got the single-leg takedown,
and once again assumed the closed guard position, Nagata working
hard to pass with punches. This was followed by a couple of reversals,
but few good opportunities for either man in this tight contest.
Judges awarded the bout to Nagata by unanimous decision.
Japanese
fighter Mitsuhiro Ishida is regarded by many as a contender in
the Dream Lightweight Grand Prix title. Here he faced Jung Bu
Kyung, a Korean judoka who made his mixed martial arts debut
last year. Ishida used low kicks to start before the pair went
to the mat with Kyung in closed guard. A trio of stalemates and
referee re-stands followed, but repeatedly the fighters found
the same configuration, right through the second round. From
his stymieing guard, Kyung came close a couple of times, but
could not find the position to submit, while Ishida had a hard
time getting strikes in cleanly. A lack of action marring this
one, which went to Ishida by unanimous decision
Andre
“Dida” Amade of Brazil is an elite grappler. Challenging
him tonight was the formidable American wrestler and boxer Eddie
Alvarez. This one was fast and furious. Amade showed some promise
in the early going – decent on his feet, scoring with a
right cross. But when they went to the mat, it was all about
Alvarez's mobility, positioning and power. The American's game
plan was simple, get on top and pound away. From the side, rear,
half or full mount, Alvarez pumped the fists and the knees without
respite.
Amade
did his best to weather the storm, but could not lock up his
opponent, and instead of starting his own challenges remained
ever on the hurting end, until the referee finally came in to
call it. An instance of power and aggression overwhelming technique,
delivering a convincing win for Alvarez.
Next
up, spunky Japanese mixed martial arts fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri
met the dynamic Kultar Gill of India. Plenty of wrestling here,
the pair twisting in the clinch, Kawajiri twice getting on top
before finally sweeping to a side then rear mount that Gill slammed
to escape. After more clinching, Kawajiri went down into Gill’s
closed guard, improved to a side and then another rear mount,
but again could not get the choke to work.
Kawajiri
was controlling the fight, but could not direct it to conclusion,
and we had much of the same in the second. Gill opened with a
nice front kick and looked like he wanted to stay on his feet.
But Kawajiri dove in for the single leg takedown, and after eating
a knee soon had the ground game in play again. Gill’s closed
guard and leg-work were sound and there were no real threats
through the end of the bout. The judges gave a unanimous decision
to the more aggressive Kawajiri.
The
night's victorious tournament bout fighters will re-converge
in Saitama in May to fight for spots in the Dream Lightweight
Grand Prix Final this July in Osaka. The last man standing will
be awarded the first-ever Dream championship belt.
In
other one-match fights tonight, Hayato "Mach" Sakurai
of Japan used a ground and pound attack to notch a win over compatriot
Hidetaka Monma by referee stoppage; while the athletic Ikuhisa
Minowa of Japan got a takedown to half mount on hulking Korean
former professional baseball pitcher Kwan Bun Lee, then extracted
his leg for a submission win at just 1:25.
The
Dream.1 Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 first round attracted a sellout
crowd of 19,120 to the Saitama Super Arena. And broadcast across
Japan on the TBS television network.
-Shinya
Aoki vs. Gesias “J.Z.” Calvancante rule a No Contest
(Due to Illegal Elbow)
-Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Kultar Gill by Unanimous Decision, R2
-Eddie Alvarez def. Andre “Dida” Amade by TKO at 6:47,
R1
-Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Tatsuya Mizuno by TKO
(Strikes) at 0:56, R1
-Mitsuhiro Ishida def. Jung Bu Kyung by Unanimous Decision, R2
-Katsuhiko Nagata def. Artur Oumakhanov by Unanimous Decision,
R2
-Luiz “Buscape” Firmino def. Kazuyuki Miyata by Submission
(Rear Naked Choke) at 7:37, R1
-Joachim Hansen def. Koutetsu Boku by Unanimous Decision, R2
-Hayato “Mach” Sakurai def. Hidetaka Monma by TKO (Strikes)
at 4:12, R1
-Ikuhisa Minowa def. Lee Gwan by Submission (Kneebar) at 1:25,
R1
Source: MMA Weekly |
Prevention
Bad guys and good guys: Instructors point out mistakes and teach
how to avoid injuries in training Jiu-Jitsu
Instructor
John Danaher, from Renzo Gracie’s academy in New York, divides
injuries suffered by Jiu-Jitsu practitioners into two groups:
catastrophic injuries and benign injuries. The ones he calls
catastrophic are those that happen at a specific moment. To Danaher,
catastrophic injuries are more difficult to avoid and much more
common with high-performance athletes. Fractures, ruptured ligaments
and severe sprains are some of the most common examples.
Daily
injuries are the ones that do not generally catch the attention
of athletes and heal quickly, only needing time or quick medication
to heal. The danger of the benign injury, explains the instructor,
is the accumulation of a series of such injuries that may lead
to chronic problems. Although it also touches on more serious
injuries, this report sought from renowned instructors and health
care professionals the way for practitioners to avoid day-to-day
injuries. We also asked each one to point out the training mistakes
that lead to injury.
Gracie
Barra America instructor Marcinho Feitosa believes Jiu-Jitsu
is a sport that demands fighters use their heads: “If practiced
intelligently, Jiu-Jitsu hurts very little,” opines the
three-time world champion. In his experience of over 15 years
as a teacher, the man from Rio now living in California recites
an old maxim to explain injuries to practitioners, generally
the less experienced: “Most of them occur when the student
tries to force the position. The secret is to let go to win.”
With years of experience in training athletes, physiotherapist
Fabio Perissé is direct in pointing out the spinal column,
the elbow and lumbar region of the spine as the areas most wracked
by injuries. The choir of instructors also points out the knee
and wrist as joints that suffer on a daily basis in academies.
The
bad guys and the ways to deal with them
Out
with the unfortunate. That unhappy movement that causes an injury
that no one can avoid. The accident. With a little effort and
observation, it is easy to identify the causes of the injuries
that are common in Jiu-Jitsu. Feitosa gave the tip about the
lack of limits; an instructor of 14 years, Leo Dalla agrees with
the Carlos Gracie Jr. black belt: “Sometimes, it is the
sheer pride of students not wanting to tap out to a fully sunk
position,” comments the leader of Leo Dalla Jiu-Jitsu, in
Northern Virginia. Orientation from instructors is crucial for
Fabio Gurgel: “The most important of all is to teach students
how to respect the limits of their bodies. This also helps to
define the type of game they will have in Jiu-Jitsu,” the
four-time world champion affirms. Two-time openweight world champion
Rodrigo Comprido points out another of instructors’ responsibilities:
“Poorly matching sparring partners.
Two
nutty or rival training partners should never train together.”
Dalla calls attention to yet another important factor in matching
partners: “There should not be a great disparity in size
or technical level.” To this point, John Danaher adds that
pushing students beyond their limits is another grave error:
“Tired people make mistakes. When they are pushed beyond
their abilities, students end up trying risky moves that put
them in dangerous situations.” Lack of proper warm-up is
unanimous among the causes of injury. “My warm-up is composed
of technical simulations.
Thus
the body warms up carrying out the movements of the sport themselves,”
reveals Danaher. Gurgel, who also simulates fighting movements
during warm-up, adds: “I also use rubber resistance bands
to develop strength and speed,” the Alliance general reveals.
Ricardo “Cachorrão” Almeida has a more philosophic
view of the warm-up in the practitioner’s routine: “I
believe a lot in the warm-up as a transition of the mind and
body from life away from the mat to our perfecting ourselves
as practitioners of Jiu-Jitsu. My main objective is to bring
the student to a high degree of concentration with which to practice
the sport,” the four-time Brasileiro champion, now an instructor
in New Jersey, sums up.
If
warming up before training is vital, stretching shortly after
should be taken seriously, as the physiotherapist Perissé
emphasizes: “These days we know that stretching before physical
activity doesn’t prevent injuries, stretching should be
done as training to prevent injuries.” Along the same line,
Danaher suggests practicing a little less than usual: “Yoga
is good for preventing muscular tears.”
What
more can be done to make the body more resistant to injury? Strengthening
the muscles is the general consensus, but each professional has
their own recipe. Fabio Gurgel thinks it is important to reserve
some class time to work the muscles: “I feel we should set
aside the first 30 minutes of class time for this, as often students
don’t have time to lift weights separately.” Comprido
follows the same line and presents two alternatives: “Muscular
strengthening can be part of the warm-up and may be done by either
lifting weights or in the pool.”
“Tired
people make mistakes and end up trying moves that put them in
dangerous situations”
John Danaher
Cachorrão
lays out the benefits of muscular strengthening in the life of
the student: “This type of work will improve the balance,
coordination, strength, and cardio-respiratory capacity.”
Feitosa, however, does not feel muscular strengthening is vital
to the practitioner, although it is extremely important to high-level
athletes. “For the student that wants to learn Jiu-Jitsu
well, but not prepare to compete in high-level competitions,
I feel the sport is enough. I don’t see any reason for muscular
strengthening.”
John
Danaher also agrees on the importance of muscular reinforcement,
but sees problems in using weight-lifting equipment: “These
exercises make the muscular fibers more susceptible to tearing
and leave the body vulnerable.” The American instructor
defends the use of more natural muscular strengthening techniques:
“Lifting weights and kettle bells make the body more resistant.”
Danaher’s experience is echoed in the teachings of Doctor
Michael Colgan, a specialist in physical conditioning who created
his own system for muscular strengthening. Colgan’s method
does not isolate the muscles like weight-lifting equipment does.
“It
is better to tap out and continue training than to be in traction
for a month or more, while the others evolve and you are doing
nothing”
Leo Dalla
The
scholar is didactic: “Athletes use their muscles as a group,
which is why one should not work them separately.” Also
preoccupied with fighting movements, Fabio Perissé adds:
“We cannot forget that there are several muscles in the
body that lifting weights does not strengthen. These muscles
lie deep and are responsible for the stability of our joint segments.”
To Perissé, the practitioner can achieve good results
by working with a specialized physiotherapist to stabilize the
different segments.
The
little ones
More
and more Jiu-Jitsu is being recommended as a physical activity
for children. That being the case, it is natural that one would
worry about their safety. Ricardo Cachorrão makes it clear
right off the bat that teaching children has its own particularities:
“In our classes we do not teach more injury-prone techniques
like the footlock or the kneebar and chokes. We also take greater
care in teaching takedowns and body-to-body fighting.” Feitosa
also takes a cautious approach and affirms that the instructor
should be sensible: “With chokes, for example, I seek to
be more selective in the children that will learn them and I
am always reinforcing how I want them to be extremely careful
in applying them.”
Perissé
goes over some tricks in teaching Jiu-Jitsu to children: “We
should avoid matching sparring partners of different weights
and levels of strength even more, as it is common that children
will be the same size but different ages, with different strength.”
Beyond caution in the techniques to be taught, children demand
something else to keep them interested in the activities and
doing them satisfactorily.
“The
body of someone that doesn’t warm up and doesn’t stretch
is like an un-greased bicycle chain. And if you peddle too hard
with a poorly lubricated chain, it snaps!”
Marcio Feitosa
“Warm-up
is always playful, with educational movements that make the children
warm up as though they were playing, but knowing that that is
a very important part of the class,” explains Gurgel, who
is backed up by what Comprido has to say: “The games should
help teach without the children realizing it. They should learn
to take responsibility, as they are learning techniques that
may cause injury. It is also very important they learn to roll
and to give up.”
For
both children and adults, the secret is to respect the limits
of the body, not skip steps in training and take care of the
well-being of training partners, so that they will take care
of their own safety. Practitioners should keep in mind, however,
that injury is a part of practicing sports. “There is no
way to reach a goal in a sport without assuming a certain degree
of risk,” states John Danaher.
Preventing
injury:
Bad
guys
- Lack of warm-up
- Stretching before training
- Not respecting the limits of the body
- Failure to take care of training partners
- Excessive pride preventing the student from tapping out to
a hold
- Poorly matched training pairs
- Unsafe environment (academy is too small, wet floor, pillars
without padding, overcrowded classes)
Good
guys
-Warm-ups that simulate fighting movements
- Stretching after training
- Muscular strengthening respecting the movements specific to
Jiu-Jitsu
- Respecting the limits of the body
- Know your technical level and have the humility to tap out
to holds
- Sensibility of teacher when matching training pairs
- Safe environment in academy
- With children, dynamic and playful classes and care in teaching
dangerous positions
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Marcelo
Garcia’s new home
Garcia opens academy in Florida
Direct
from the new GRACIE Magazine Association site (graciemag.com/gma)
we bring you some breaking news on Marcelinho Garcia. After nearly
two years in the United States – during which he installed
himself in New York, made his MMA debut (in Korea) and moved
to Florida to train with the American Top Team – the little
Brazilian is now announcing he has opened his new home in Hollywood,
FL.
The
new academy opens the coming 24th of March and Marcelo will teach
class from Monday to Friday, from 7pm to 9:30pm. On Saturday,
the academy will be open for all. On Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays Jiu-Jitsu training will be held and on Tuesdays and Thursdays
it will be submission grappling.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Quote
of the Day
"In
every difficult situation is potential value. Believe this, then
begin looking for it."
Norman Vincent Peale, 1898-1993, American Preacher and Author
of "The Power of Positive Thinking"
|
Fighting
For Acceptance Book Signing
Today At
Borders
We're having kind of a big book signing on Sunday. We'll be at Borders
Ward Center from 12:00-2:00 and then at Borders Waikele from
3:00-5:00.
Jason Miller will also be with us.
They
will be selling the paperbacks which are $10 cheaper than the
hard cover.
Source: David Mayeda
|
Tournament
Today!
Source: Trent Sera
|
Icon
Sport: To Hell And Back Results
Icon Sport: To Hell And Back
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
March 15, 2008
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
ICON
SPORT IS BACK! The incredible momentum that Icon Sport built
up over the prior three events came to a screeching halt after
a few cancellations of events, due to Robbie Lawler being injured.
Fast forward to Saturday, March 15th , Icon promoters wanted
to make a statement with their "comeback" show by filling
the card with some of Hawaii's best up and coming fighters, the
Icon debuts of some journeymen fighters, and capping it all off
with a couple of title fights. When the smoke cleared, Hawaii
fight fans packed themselves into the Blaisdell Arena and were
treated to a number of quick submissions, than an absolute war
between PJ Dean and Eddie Rincon. After some great exchanges,
Rincon stunned Dean in the second round with a solid flurry,
but Dean's superior groundwork kept him in the fight and allowed
him to not only control the fight, but return a pounding on Rincon
on his way to a decision victory. Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez,
a staple of Rumble On The Rock, made his Icon debut by taking
out journeyman fighter Brennan Kamaka in an unheard of 9 seconds.
Koa Ramos showed off a complete MMA game by taking Wayne Perrin
out of his strength and capitalizing on his lack of grappling
experience. Keep an eye on Ramos, he is going to make huge waves
in the near future. Russell Daone surprised the crowd by KO'ing
Icon's golden boy, Tyson Nam, and formally introducing himself
to the stacked 135lbs division. Sadhu Bott showed off a lot of
grit by taking slams and punishment only to pull off a slick
and painful arm bar taking the title away from Bronson Pieper.
Former Pro-boxer, Jeremy Williams needed just two punches to
take out veteran Hawaii fighter, Augie Padekan. The night ended
with an incredible comeback from the fight that was already billed
as a Rocky Balboa story. Hawaii fighter Kala Hose worked his
way up to a title shot by showing off his knock out power and
his propensity to win by sheerly outworking his opponents. This
would be a huge step up in competition by taking on Phil Baroni,
who has fought all over the world. At the start of the fight,
Phil shocked Kala by immediately shooting in for a double leg
takedown. Hose was dominated by Baroni in the first two rounds,
but somehow found a way to get back up to his feet after taking
some punches, kicks and stomps to the head. However after those
two rounds, Hose's punches and Baroni's fruitless efforts started
to take its toll on Baroni. Baroni looked dead tired after the
second round and Hose kept coming on strong. He pounded Baroni
while sprawling, from the bottom of the guard, and finally from
the top in the third and fourth rounds and finished Baroni in
the fifth round. Hose had Hawaii fight fans on their feet cheering
him on as he continued to pound on Baroni earning the Icon Sport
World Middleweight Championship.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 175lbs
Kona Ke def Micah Ige
Submission via rear naked choke at 1:45 in Round 1.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 135lbs
Jay Bolos def Nui Wheeler
Submission via arm bar at 1:26 in Round 2
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 145lbs
Ricky "Hoku" Wallace def Brandon Pieper
Submission via guillotine choke at 0:37 in Round 1
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 135lbs
Dwayne Haney def Zack Rapal
Submission via guillotine choke at 2:27 in Round 1.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 150lbs
Alan Lima def David "The Superman" Padilla
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (29-28)] after 3 rounds.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 145lbs
Matt Comeau def Elias Delos Reyes
TKO via referee stoppage (punches from the back mount) at 2:35
Round 2.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 160 lbs
PJ Dean def Eddie Rincon
Unanimous decision after 3 rounds.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 175 lbs
Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez def Brennan Kamaka
TKO, corner threw in towel at 0:09 in Round 1.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes - 170 lbs
Koa Ramos def Wayne "Pretty Boy" Perrin
Submission via rear naked choke at 1:29 in Round 1.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 5 Minutes - 135lbs
Russell Doane def Tyson Nam
TKO via referee stoppage due to punches from guard at 2:33 in
Round 1.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 5 Minutes - 145lb
Icon Sport Hawaii State Featherweight Title Bout
Sadhu Bott def Bronson "The Chosen One" Pieper
Submission via straight arm bar 4:41 Round 1.
*Sadhu Bott wins Icon Sport Hawaii State Featherweight Title.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 5 Minutes - 205lbs
Jeremy "Half Man Half Amazing" Williams def Augie "The
Warrior" Padaken
TKO via referee stoppage due to straight right punch at 2:18
in Round 1.
MMA:
3 Rounds - 5 Minutes - 185lb World Title
Kala "Kolohe" Hose def Phil "The New York Bad
Ass" Baroni
TKO via referee stoppage due to punches at 1:45 in Round 5.
|
Never
Back Down’ movie review
By: Adam Wagner
I’m
warning you all now: Slowly Back Down … the aisle, maniacs.
Last
night I had the opportunity to attend a press screening of the
MMA flick “Never Back Down,” which opens nationwide
this Friday, March 14. Touch of the gloves to Austin O’Connor
over at SteelSkins who provided me with the passes.
Let’s
get right to it: This movie is abysmally derivative. It’s
so formulaic and predictable, you’ll swear you wrote it!
And
I also expect it to be a huuuuuuge hit thanks to the buying power
of teenage girls (okay, and boys).
The
plot is simple: A rebellious student at a new high school is
lured into a world of underground fighting. Horribly embarrassed
in front of the entire school, he seeks out a mentor in mixed
martial arts to find his revenge.
Unintentional
hilarity ensues.
Written
by Chris Hauty — the mastermind who brought you his tour
de force “Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco”
— and directed by Jeff Wadlow — the “triple threat”
director/writer/actor who you might recognize as “Next Guy
in Line #1” from “Pearl Harbor” (no, I’m
not joking) — Never Back Down steals from every action movie
aimed at teenagers ever made.
If
you’re a fan of the Fast & the Furious franchise, the
Karate Kid franchise, Top Gun, or any movie starring Dolph Lundgren,
by Zeus, rush out and see this movie.
Die-hard
fans of MMA, which at this point I’m assuming we all are,
will likely hate this film. It too often attempts to serve as
an introduction to the sport for moviegoers, rather than being
a movie for knowledgeable MMA fans.
For
example, during training the novice hero rushes in to engage
and repeatedly gets caught in submissions. With each submission,
the sensei calls out “Armbar!”; or “Triangle choke!”;
or “Leg lock!” Die-hard fans need no introduction to
these moves and will therefore find these scenes laughable.
But
teenage girls who lust after guys with no shirts, and teenage
boys who want to be those guys with no shirts, will certainly
make this film this weekend’s box office sensation. Mark
my unfortunate words.
Even
the audience last night — who occasionally laughed at the
movie (I even heard a few “Gay!” comments) — ended
up applauding at the movie’s climax. I felt like I was at
a “Rocky” premiere in Philly. Only with rich white
kids.
You
might argue that that’s because the average moviegoer is
dumb … and I won’t stop you.
I
imagine the pre-production meeting went something like this:
We
need our hero to be a quick-tempered teenager who gets embarrassed
by the school’s bad-ass bully and is forced to train in
MMA to redeem himself … kinda like Karate Kid!
Check.
We
need our bully to be a rich, bronzed pretty boy who throws parties
so elaborate for a high school teenager that even P. Diddy would
say, “Damn, I wish I was invited to that party!”
Check.
We
need a love triangle that puts the bully’s girlfriend smack
dab in the middle of things, just like … every movie!
Check.
We
need a goofy, sincere sidekick to serve as comic relief.
Check.
We
need a stoic sensei preferably played by a foreigner with an
accent.
Check.
Now
let’s call it Karate Kid Part V: Daniel-san Gets a Ground
Game. Is that taken?
Not
surprisingly, the story misses numerous opportunities to develop
any depth of character and instead relies on storyboard clichés
and stereotypes.
Depending
on your age or your interest in teenage pop culture, you may
or may not recognize some of these stereotypes, er, faces. The
hero, Jake Tyler, is played by Sean Faris, who’s mostly
played bit parts in a few low-end television dramas. Perhaps
fittingly, Faris seems to be a graduate of the Tom Cruise School
of Acting.
The
bully, Ryan McDonald, is played by Cam Gigandet, probably best
known for his stints as Kevin Volchok on “The O.C.”
and as some schmuck on the “Young and the Restless.”
Even better, Gigandet is an obvious graduate of the Brad Pitt
School of Acting.
Who
will win? The Tom Cruise wannabe or the Brad Pitt wannabe? For
those of you playing at home, start the drinking games now! Every
time you see an obvious steal from a Cruise or Pitt movie, you
know what to do.
There
are of course a few other faces. The love interest, Baja, as
she’s called, is played by Amber Heard. Her backstory is
that she was rescued from the depths of geekdom by Ryan when
she first moved to the school. But now that Jake is here, she
relates more to him.
Thus,
the triangle.
The
goofy sidekick, Max, is played by Evan Peters, who does a decent
enough job, albeit for a clichéd part. Prior to this disaster,
Peters played Jesse Varon on the short-lived television drama
“Invasion.”
Aside
from Peters, the only other actor I recognized is Djimon Hounsou
(”Blood Diamond,” “Constantine,” “Gladiator,”
“Amistad”), who plays Jean Roqua, the sensei who operates
the gym out of which he also lives. Roqua tries to impart on
Jake the usual bit of Dojo knowledge: the importance of breathing,
never take a fight outside of the gym, etc.
All
criticisms aside, the fight choreography was pretty decent, compared
to a lot of fight films. I’ve read that both Faris and Gigandet
trained six hours a day, six days a week for three months to
prepare for this film, which seems about right given their performances.
The
camera work wasn’t bad either, although I don’t anticipate
that being a selling point for this film’s intended audience.
There’s a few point-of-view shots during some fight sequences
that are reportedly from “lipstick cameras” incorporated
by Wadlow, the director. They aren’t great, but they aren’t
overused either.
We
all know this film is going to be used as a marketing gimmick
for MMA, so we might as well get used to it now. In fact, in
leaving the theater, I was handed a flyer for One Spirit Martial
Arts Combat Training Center by two teenage students of the Gracie/BJJ
gym.
I
hadn’t heard of it, but UFC/PRIDE/Bodog/IFL veteran Aaron
Riley (23-10-1), who last fought at the IFL 2007 Team Championship
Finale in September 2007, is a full-time instructor there. It
even offers free lessons to beginners. Not a bad deal for Northern
Virginians, and the two students were actually pretty cool (and
unimpressed with most of the movie’s fight sequences).
Alas,
there are smart teenagers out there after all.
At
the end of the day, I see this movie doing quite well at the
box office and will probably spark two sequels. Hopefully one
with Billy “Sweep the leg, Johnny!” Zabka.
We
can dream, can’t we?
Source: MMA Mania
|
Lewis
named President of Ultimate Warrior Challenge
Former UFC lightweight John Lewis has been appointed the President
of the mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Warrior Challenge.
"I
look forward to helping take the UWC to the next level,"
Lewis said in a statement. "This great opportunity comes
at a perfect time as the sport continues its tremendous growth
and maturity into a mainstream phenomenon."
Ultimate
Warrior Challenge debuted February 2007 at the Prime Osborn Convention
Center in Jacksonville, Florida and held another show at the
same venue in June. Lewis will take part in the promotion's third
event scheduled for April 26 at George Mason University's Patriot
Center in Fairfax, Virginia.
Lewis
(1-1 UFC, 3-4-3 overall) is a grappling specialist who began
fighting in 1995. He retired in 2000 after suffering a highlight
reel knockout loss to future champion Jens Pulver at UFC 28.
Lewis continued teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to fighters such
as Chuck Liddell, who considers Lewis a hero for getting him
started in mixed martial arts. In 2001, Lewis was a partner in
the World Fighting Alliance promotion, which was eventually bought
out by the UFC.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Two
more bouts added to UFC 85: Liddell vs. Evans
By Moses Utomi
Two additional bouts have been added to UFC 85’s growing
card, according to reports on Sherdog.com and GRACIEMAG.com.
Brazilian submissions specialist Thiago Tavares will face TUF
5 alum Matt Wiman and former UFC middleweight title contender
Nate "The Great" Marquardt will meet rising star Thales
Leites.
Tavares
and Wiman have both recently squared off against judoka Michihiro
Omigawa, and both came away with unanimous decision nods. Tavares’s
displayed his usual slick jiu-jitsu while Wiman scored with superior
striking. Since then, Wiman submitted Justin Buchholz in the
first round and is currently riding a three-fight winning streak
that Tavares will be looking to snap.
Marquardt
and Leites will finally meet in the Octagon. The two were scheduled
to fight in 2006, but Visa complications forced Leites to pull
out of the bout. A planned UFC 81 meeting was also canceled after
Leites suffered a broken hand. Marquardt submitted Leites’
late replacement, Jeremy Horn, via guillotine in the second round.
Leites will go into the match having won three straight, submitting
both Ryan Jensen and Floyd Sword in the first stanza.
UFC
85 takes place on June 7th at the 02 Arena in London, England
and will feature a main event between Chuck Liddell and Rashad
Evans.
UFC 85: London
Saturday, June 7, 2008
O2 Arena in London
FIGHT
CARD:
205
lbs: Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans
265 lbs: Brandon Vera vs. Fabricio Werdum
185 lbs: Nate Marquardt vs. Thales Leites
170 lbs: Mike Swick vs. Marcus Davis
185 lbs: Martin Kampmann vs. Jorge Rivera
185 lbs: Ryo Chonan vs. Roan Carneiro
155 lbs: Matt Wiman vs. Thiago Tavares
Source: MMA Fighting
|
JZ
AIMS AT AOKI AND DREAM TOURNAMENT TITLE
by Damon Martin
As the new promotion Dream prepares to debut on March 15, one
of the organization’s biggest stars on day one will be top
ranked lightweight Gesias “JZ” Calvancante, who is
ready to return to action and face another top fighter in Shinya
Aoki during the first round of Dream’s upcoming lightweight
tournament.
The
two standouts were set to square off in December as a part of
the year-end Yarennoka! event in Japan, but an injury forced
Calvancante off the card.
Now
with his health back to 100 percent, he is looking forward to
entering the tournament and facing Aoki in the first round. The
lightweight phenom is excited about the match-up and the field
of fighters he may soon face in Dream.
“I
always look for the big challenges,” said Calvancante in
an interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “Sometimes people think
about easy fights. I just want to go in there and do what I do,
do what I love to do.”
The
bout with Aoki pits Calvancante against a fighter who has gained
much recognition for his jiu-jitsu game, most recognizably his
rubber guard, which he picked up from famed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
instructor Eddie Bravo.
Recently,
the master of the rubber guard made a trip to Florida to work
with Calvancante and his teammates at American Top Team to ready
him for what Aoki will likely use in their bout if the action
hits the mat.
“Eddie
Bravo is a nice guy, being around the UFC and backstage we always
talk,” Calvancante stated. “We invited him to come
(work with American Top Team), for sure we talked about (the
fight with Aoki), and he has an amazing guard, really good, he
showed me a lot of stuff.”
With
a relative who’s who list of fighters to work with, Calvancante
is happy to have training partners that are able to mimic and
work like Shinya Aoki.
“I’m
happy I have Cole Miller and Micah Miller that have a similar
body type and flexibility (as Aoki),” he commented. “I’m
really thankful for those guys a lot.”
It’s
no secret that Aoki’s best chance to win is on the ground,
but Calvancante doesn’t fear such a scenario and welcomes
the challenge.
“I
don’t care, I’m an MMA fighter,” he said. “I
have a nice team with the American Top Team, for me the best
in the world right now. We work with everything. I work with
the best guys in the world, especially in the ground game.”
The
bout between Calvancante and Aoki is part of the first round
of a tournament that features many of the top lightweight fighters
in the world. But could the winner of this fight or possibly
the tournament be the No. 1 lightweight in the world?
“It
could be the No. 1,” said Calvancante. “I think for
right now, it’s just (Takanori) Gomi, B.J. Penn, and Sean
Sherk; those three guys are out of the tournament and at the
top of the weight class, but they are in different organizations
so for sure the winner from the tournament could be No. 1.”
Right
now, Calvancante’s focus is solely on Shinya Aoki and their
match-up this weekend.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Matt
Lindland for Congress
Fighter in bid to become Oregon congressman
With his fighting career apparently on hold, Matt Lindland is
taking the lead from Mirko Cro Cop and joining the world of politics.
The former UFC fighter, who has not fought since losing to now
free-agent Fedor Emelianenko in April of 2007, has put himself
on the list of Republican hopefuls vying to represent their state
of Oregon in the U.S. congress.
If
the percentage of voters he wins over is anything like the percentage
of wins in his 30 professional-fight career, he’s a shoe
in.
For
the original story on Oregon tv channel Kpic website, click here.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
best job goes to the person who can get it done without passing
the buck or coming back with excuses."
Napoleon Hill, 1883-1970, American Speaker/Motivational Writer/Author
of "Think and Grow Rich"
|
Icon
Sport: To Hell And Back Today
At 5PM!
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
March 15, 2008
175
lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Kona Ke vs Micah Ige
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Jay Bolos vs Nui Wheeler
145lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Ricky Hoku Wallace vs Brandon Pieper
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Zack Rapal vs Dwayne Haney
150lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
David Padilla vs Alan Lima
145lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Elias Delo Reyes vs Matt Comeau
160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
PJ Dean vs Eddie Rincon
175lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez vs Brennan Kamaka
170lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Koa Ramos vs Wayne Perrin
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5Minutes
Tyson Nam vs Russell Doane
145lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
State Featherweight Title Bout
Bronson Pieper vs Sadhu Bott
205lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Jeremy Williams vs. Auggie Padekan
185lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
World Middleweight Title Bout
Phil Baroni vs Kala Kolohe Hose
Source:
Icon Sport
|
Tournament
Tomorrow!
Source: Trent Sera
|
Fighting
For Acceptance Book Signing
Tomorrow
At Borders
We're having kind of a big book signing on Sunday. We'll be at
Borders Ward Center from 12:00-2:00 and then at Borders Waikele
from 3:00-5:00. Jason Miller will also be with us.
They
will be selling the paperbacks which are $10 cheaper than the
hard cover.
Source: David Mayeda
|
Robinho
back to MMA
The
Brazilian fighter Robson Moura, Robinho, Nova União’s
black belt, away from MMA fights for more than five years, will
come back at April. “I can’t remember when was my last
fight, I believe it was at 2003. I’m here training with
Gustavo for my fight”, told Robinho. “It’ll be
cool. It’ll be a tournament of eight fighters that’ll
start at April, the second stage will be at June and the final
at September”, told the black belt, that didn’t said
the event’s name. The World Champion used the time away
from the rings to produce a DVD with Jiu-Jitsu instructions,
recently launched at .
Source: Tatame
|
TITO
ORTIZ STILL FIGHTING LYOTO MACHIDA AT UFC 84
by Damon Martin
Despite speculation that surfaced on Monday that former Ultimate
Fighting Championship veteran Tito Ortiz was going to withdraw
from his fight with Lyoto Machida at UFC 84 due to injury, MMAWeekly.com
has confirmed with Ortiz that the fight is still happening.
“Not
true,” said Ortiz via e-mail about the rumored withdrawal.
“The fight is still a go.”
Ortiz’s
fight with Machida is the last bout on his current UFC contract.
He has stated in multiple interviews that he doesn’t intend
on returning to the company after his deal ends.
The
public feud between “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy”
and UFC president Dana White has hit a boiling point of late,
but White stated in a previous interview with MMAWeekly.com that
the door isn’t closed, at least in his eyes, for bringing
back the former light heavyweight champion after this fight is
over.
“He
said he’ll never come back to the UFC as long as I’m
running it,” White stated. But he continued, saying, “I’m
not planning on quitting because Tito doesn’t want to fight
if I’m here. Even with all the issues I’ve had with
that moron, he’s still in the UFC, so we’ll see what
happens.”
Ortiz
is expected to work alongside his training partners at his facility
in Big Bear, Calif. to prepare for the showdown with Machida.
The
bout is part of the undercard of UFC 84 in Las Vegas on May 24
featuring a main event lightweight title bout between champion
B.J. Penn and former titleholder Sean Sherk.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Thiago
Tavares at UFC 85
Brazilian to face Matt Wiman
The
army of Brazilians embarking for England on June 7 gets bigger
every day. After confirming Fabricio Werdum, Thales Leites and
Roan Jucao who will face off against Brandon Vera, Nate Marquardt
and Ryo Chonan respectively, the time has come for Thiago Tavares
to join the battalion at UFC 85.
The
black belt on Minotauro Team will have ahead of him the American
Matt Wiman (9w and 3l), who stood out in the fifth season of
the “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show and is coming
off three wins in a row. Now the 23-year-old Brazilian is considered
a promising lightweight, as in his four appearances in the UFC,
he has won three, with his only defeat coming at the hands of
Tyson Griffin at UFC 76.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
JAKE
SHIELDS, DREW FICKETT READY TO BELT IT OUT
FOR VACANT ELITEXC WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
__________________________________________________________________________________
Joey Villasenor, 'Cyborg' Santos Clash in One of Top 'Shamrock
vs. Le' Undercard Bouts
On Fantastic Event Saturday, March 29, At HP Pavilion in San
Jose, Calif.; Tickets On Sale
LOS ANGELES (March 11, 2008) - Weeks after he was awarded a Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Jake Shields will try to add another belt
to his wardrobe when he faces Drew Fickett for the vacant EliteXC
world welterweight crown March 29, at HP Pavilion in San Jose,
Calif.
In
another outstanding match on a sensational mixed martial arts
card headlined by a Strikeforce middleweight title fight between
defending champion Frank Shamrock and Cung Le, former Pride Fighting
Championship star Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos will
throw down with EliteXC standout Joey "Dream Smasher"
Villasenor in a middleweight scrap.
Tickets,
starting at $30, are on sale at HP Pavilion (408) 287-7070, at
Ticketmaster locations (408) 998-TIXS, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com),
EliteXC's official website (www.ProElite.com) and Strikeforce's
official website (www.Strikeforceusa.net). Doors will open at
5 p.m. The first live fight is at 6 o'clock PT.
"A
fight between popular Bay Area major draws and arch-rivals, the
legendary Frank Shamrock and the unbeaten sensation, Cung Le,
could sell out San Jose by itself, but this fight card will end
up stacked from top to bottom,'' EliteXC Live Events President
Gary Shaw said.
The
stellar eight-bout event will mark the second collaboration between
Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.'s EliteXC, and Strikeforce.
The first, which featured Shamrock versus Phil Baroni on June
22, 2007, in San Jose, was a major success.
"The
HP Pavilion is a terrific venue that's always drawn some of the
biggest crowds in MMA,'' Shaw said. "With the addition of
a Shields-Fickett EliteXC world title fight and a great fight
between Villasenor and Santos, fans in attendance and those watching
on SHOWTIME will be treated to an outstanding night of fights.
"Jake's
been waiting to prove he's the world's best middleweight and
now he gets his chance against a tough, talented veteran like
Fickett. The Villasenor-Santos fight will be a war.''
In addition to the three aforementioned fights, two more bouts
will be televised live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on
the west coast). Fans can watch pre- and post-fight interviews
at ProElite.com.
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT
MARCH 29
Regarding the recently added matches, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker
said: "The Shields-Fickett and Santos-Villasenor fights
are both highly competitive matchups, each bringing together
fighters who are amongst the best in their area of expertise.
"In
one, you have two heavy-handed punchers, almost guaranteeing
there will be a knockout. In the other, you have two exceptional
ground technicians who can submit an opponent from virtually
any position on the mat.
"These
are the types of fights that make MMA so great and unique and
we're looking forward to bringing them to San Jose.''
The 170-pound title fight between Shields (20-4-1) and Fickett
(31-5) will be a fun and terrific technical fight between two
modest but supremely confident and talented submission artists
in perhaps the toughest tests in their careers.
The
winner will become EliteXC's first world champ at welterweight
and third overall. Robbie Lawler (middleweight) and KJ Noons
(lightweight) are the other EliteXC belt-holders.
Unbeaten since December 2004 and a winner of nine in a row, including
two straight by submission, Shields (http://jakeshields.proelite.com)
has long been regarded as a monster in his weight class. Now,
he has an opportunity to not only prove it but add even more
credibility to his well-established name.
"This is my dream come true and I'm really excited,'' said
Shields, who re-signed with EliteXC in November 2007 and has
gone 2-0 since. In impressive performances on SHOWTIME, Shields
defeated "Charuto" Verissimo (strikes) and Mike Pyle
(rear naked choke).
Shields, 29, a life-long vegetarian who was raised in a remote
area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California, holds
notable victories over Dave Menne, Carlos Condit, Yushin Okami
and Hayato "Mach" Sakurai.
"It was a little frustrating but I knew if I was patient
my time would come and I'd get my shot at a world belt,'' Shields
said. "In a way it was a blessing in disguise I had to wait
so long on the sidelines. I fought a lot of top 25 guys. That
wealth of experience I gained is a great asset.
"This really is a good fight. I respect Drew. He's game,
experienced. I just think I'll be too much. I'm going to overwhelm
him, make an example of him. It's a little nerve-wracking because
I'll have so many friends there, but it's exciting to be fighting
at the HP Pavilion.
"I am proud to be fighting for the EliteXC world title.
They have treated me well, they have grown continually and now
they've really blown up. I look forward to wearing and keeping
the EliteXC belt around my waist for a while and representing
the organization with pride.''
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT
MARCH 29
Fickett (http://drewfickett.proelite.com) is no stranger to major
fights and won't crumble under the pressure of being on the big
stage and under the bright lights. He's fully aware this is his
chance to demonstrate he is among the world's best in MMA.
"I'm definitely taking this fight seriously and am pretty
motivated that's for sure,'' said Fickett, who could be Shields'
sternest challenge since Jake defeated Condit and Okami in back-to-back
performances in April 2006. "I'm up for the challenge. Jake's
awesome. Some say he's boring, but he chokes everybody and I
like that. It's cool and sounds pretty exciting to me.
"Jake has a real methodical game, but he's smart and uses
his strengths well. We both have a really competitive attitude
so I guess we are similar in that regard. Style-wise, we may
negate each other's strengths, so that could mean this will wind
up a pretty exciting fight.
"This is the kind of fight that I hope and expect will bring
out the best in each of us.''
A winner of three in a row, Fickett, 28, who was born in Tucson,
Ariz., and resides in Phoenix, has a solid resume. He's faced
excellent opposition and owns wins over Kenny Florian, Josh Koscheck,
Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Neer, Dennis Hallman, Carlo Prater and
Edwin Dewees.
"I've been in and out of organizations and fought some great
opponents, maybe not at the time but they were always very formidable
and in the top 10,'' said Fickett, who is coming off a first-round
submission (rear naked choke) over Mark Weir on Dec. 1, 2007
in London.
A perennial contender at this weight, the experienced Fickett
may be underrated by some but his record is as impressive as
Shields' - if not more so. "It's hard to say if beat better
guys because it all depends at where you are at - and everybody's
good at this level,'' Fickett said.
Like Shields, Fickett is well-versed in the submission game and
has forced opponents to surrender in nearly two thirds of his
wins (20). Shields has won three of his last four fights by submission
and has a total of seven in his career.
"Whatever way it ends, I will be 100 percent ready to go
five rounds,'' Fickett said. "No one wants to get into the
fourth or fifth rounds and get tired and maybe get hurt.''
Fickett, who says his "last win is always the most important,''
will be making his initial start for EliteXC. "I really
like to be able to travel and do my own thing,'' he said. "Gary
(Shaw) has been very cool about signing me to an open contract
which would enable me to do so.''
Santos, 30, a member of Brazil's famed Chute Boxe squad, will
be making his United States debut as well as the first of three
fights he signed to compete for Strikeforce. A former light heavy
(205 pounds), it will be the second bout of his 11-year career
contested at 185.
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT
MARCH 29
"I always look for the knockout," said Santos, a stone-faced
striker whose go-for-broke, crowd-pleasing approach has helped
him record 11 KOs out of his 15 victories. "This will be
a duel between his boxing and my Muay Thai techniques. Villasenor
is an ideal opponent for me."
The bout with Villasenor will be Santos' second in less than
a month. In Tokyo March 5, he displayed vicious striking to twice
knock down Makoto Takimoto en route to submitting (heel hook)
the Olympic Games judo gold medalist in the first round and to
snap a two-bout losing streak.
"Last year was a tough year for Chute Box and to those who
fought in PRIDE, so it was important for me to get off to a good
start in 2008,'' Santos said. "The people who like to watch
fights can always count on me to fight with determination and
give it my all.
"Anybody who faces me knows they will have hard moments
in the cage. My opponents know they need to get ready for a war
because as long as I can breathe, I'll look for the win. I'm
not saying I'll beat everybody, but I'll exchange blows with
everybody. You can count on it.''
Villasenor (http://drewfickett.proelite.com), a native of Albuquerque,
N.M., and a protégé of MMA guru, Greg Jackson,
will be seeking his second consecutive victory for EliteXC. Villasenor
was penciled in to face Joe Riggs, but Riggs withdrew with a
back injury.
In his last outing, Villasenor regained his winning ways with
a hard-fought, split decision over Riki Fukuda on "Uprising''
Sept. 15, 2007, in Honolulu, on SHOWTIME. It came one start after
Villasenor suffered a second-round TKO to "Ninja'' Rua for
the EliteXC 185-pound title.
"There should be some real fireworks in this fight with
Santos," Villasenor, 32, a former King of the Cage champion
said. "I really don't know much about Santos' ground game
- if he even likes hanging out on the ground. I know he's a big
banger so it's an exciting matchup.
"I need to be more technical than him and be better conditioned.
Like wine, I think I get better with age. People should look
for a more technically sound Joey Villasenor in 2008. This will
be a great fight to kick off the year with."
About ProElite:
ProElite Inc. [PELE.PK] delivers the most exciting entertainment
experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live
arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming
on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband
entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the
highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem
all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools.
ProElite's live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular
live MMA fight events that showcase the world's top fighters
[elitexc.com]. ProElite's interactive business, ProElite.com,
capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial
arts by building a community of MMA enthusiasts. In addition
to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite
expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive
set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and
organizations. ProElite.com - Empowering the Fight Community
TM
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT
MARCH 29
About Strikeforce:
Strikeforce is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion
which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock
vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts
fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza,
which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion,
played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995,
Strikeforce has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming
for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship
kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial
arts series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." Since then,
it has co-produced the first SHOWTIME PPV mixed martial arts
event in history with its world championship "Shamrock vs.
Baroni" card on June 22nd of this year followed by the first-ever
mixed martial arts event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion
on September 29th.
Contacts:
Mike Afromowitz, Strikeforce - (917) 566-8754 or muaythaimes@aol.com
John Beyrooty, EliteXC/BZA - (562) 233-7477 or johnnybey@aol.com
Source: Event Promoter
|
Quote
of the Day
"All
truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point
is to discover them."
Galileo Galilei, 1564-1642, Italian Physicist and Astronomer
|
Icon
Sport: To Hell And Back
Tomorrow
At 5PM!
Weigh-ins
today
GNC Ala Moana
2PM
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
March 15, 2008
175
lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Kona Ke vs Isaac Luke
145lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Ricky Hoku Wallace vs Colin Mackenzie
145lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Elias Delo Reyes vs Matt Comeau
Heavyweight:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Jake Faagai vs Brian "Punisher" Platfoot
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Zack Rapal vs Dwayne Haney
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Jay Bolos vs Nui Wheeler
150lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
David Padilla vs Alan Lima
160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
PJ Dean vs Eddie Rincon
170lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Koa Ramos vs Wayne Perrin
175lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez vs Brennan Kamaka
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5Minutes
Tyson Nam vs Will Armstrong
145lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
State Featherweight Title Bout
Bronson Pieper vs Sadhu Bott
185lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
World Middleweight Title Bout
Phil Baroni vs Kala Kolohe Hose
Source:
Icon Sport
|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MUAY THAI
KICKBOXING LEGEND MALAIPET
TO MAKE MAIN EVENT DEBUT AGAINST THOMAS DENNY
FRIDAY,
MARCH 21, AT CHUMASH CASINO RESORT
Popular,
Talented Youngster to Face Toughest MMA Test
On
ShoXC on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, Delayed on the West Coast)
LOS
ANGELES (March 10, 2008) –Malaipet will try to continue
his transformation from world-class superstar Muay Thai kickboxer
to mixed martial as world champion when he faces Thomas “Wildman”
Denny of Hesperia, Calif., Friday, March 21, at Chumash Casino
Resort at Santa Ynez, Calif.
Tickets,
starting at $35, are available by visiting the Chumash Casino
Resort’s Club Chumash, by visiting the website at www.chumashcasino.com
or by calling StarTicketsPlus at (800) 800-585-3737. Doors open
at 5:30 p.m. First live fight is at 6 p.m. PT.
A
winner of three in a row, the popular, extremely charismatic
Malaipet will be making his MMA main event debut in a fight that
will headline a five-bout ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series telecast
on SHOWTIME that begins at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west
coast).
It
is the fifth ShoXC cage fight card, which is patterned after
the popular SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation,
which has been a springboard for many, young future champions.
“Like
I’ve said, there are a lot of promising MMA fighters thirsting
for an opportunity to show their stuff and make a name for themselves
on the worldwide stage,’’ EliteXC Live Events President
Gary Shaw said. “This (ShoXC) is the place where they can
do it. The Malaipet-Denny matchup is a great one.
“Malaipet
is a legend in kickboxing, but I think a lot of us are anxious
to see how he does as he continues to step up. For sure, he could
turn out to be special, but Denny is one tough vet. I love to
watch the progress of all young athletes as they develop. The
response to this series has been incredible.’’
In
other bouts on the telecast, Marlon Matias (5-1) of Brazil faces
Conor Huen of (6-2) of Los Angeles at 160 pounds; Brazil’s
Cristiane Cyborg (5-0) collides with Jen Case (4-1) of Topeka,
Kan., at 140 pounds; Shane Del Rosario (3-0) of Irvine, Calif.,
meets Analu Brash (2-1) of Kula, Maui, at 265 pounds; and Mark
Oshiro (9-1) of Honolulu clashes with Chris Caraiso (6-0) of
California at 140 pounds.
Non-televised
bouts include: Karen Darabedyn (2-1) of Hollywood, Calif., vs.
TBA, at 160 pounds; Devin Howard (debut) of La Habra, Calif.,
vs., Mark Kempthorne (1-4) of Vandenberg, Calif., at 170 pounds;
Amadeo Viola (0-1) of San Bernardino, Calif., vs. Jason Williams
(debut), Vandenberg, Calif., at 265 pounds; Luke Riddering (debut)
of San Luis Obispo, Calif., vs. TBA at 170 pounds; and Kenny
Johnson (debut) of Los Angeles vs. TBA at 170 pounds. (Note:
See Fighter Pages below).
The
fights are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds with the exception
of the Cyborg-Case contest, which is three, 3-minute rounds.
Fans
can watch pre- and post-fight interviews only at ProElite.com.
Few,
if any world champions in other sports, have made a successful
cross over to MMA but Malaipet, a decorated 17-year pro with
reportedly more than 300 Muay Thai bouts, could be an exception.
In
his debut for Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight
division, EliteXC, and initial appearance on ShoXC, Malaipet
showcased his astounding striking skills as he decimated Kaleo Kwan en route to winning
a three-round standup war by 30-26 and 30-27 twice on Oct. 26,
2007, at Chumash.
Malaipet,
a Lumpinee champ in Thailand, has a very Thai style of movement,
which he exhibited in an impressive, dominant performance against
Kwan. He was calm, relaxed,
punched in combination and displayed the kind of stalking footwork
that lets him carefully pick his shots and his opponent apart.
He
may not win any Defensive Player of the Year honors -- Malaipet
seems to accept the fact he’s going to get hit -- and he
appeared more annoyed than hurt by anything Hawaii’s Kwan delivered.
But
Malaipet (3-1), who fights out of Upland, Calif., is clearly
an extremely strong and flexible athlete who continues to work
diligently on his submission game to round out his MMA skills.
Malaipet,
whose birth name is Monkhon WiWasuk, was born in a region (jungle)
in Thailand. He grew up living in a wooden hut on his family’s
mid-sized rice and potato farm with his mother, father, four
brothers and sister.
With
no electricity, the family relied on their pet elephant for an
alarm clock. Malaipet tells stories of everyone stopping what
they were doing when a plane flew overhead and just watching
with awe.
Malaipet’s
family was dealt a tragic blow when his mother died when he was
six. The land and farm, which had come from her side of the family,
reverted back to her family. Malaipet's dad rented a smaller
bit of land and began planting, but their standard of living
was reduced drastically.
To
help earn money, Malaipet began to fight. At the age of eight,
he earned about a dollar to fight in a small Muay Thai show at
a temple near his hometown of Gajapuri. He's been fighting ever
since.
At
11, Malaipet moved to Bangkok where he experienced modern civilization
for the first time and immersed himself in Thai boxing.
From
ages 12-15, he had no contact with his family. “I was homesick,
hungry and cried a lot,” Malaipet said. But he stuck with
the fighting life, and the decision has paid huge dividends.
In
Muay Thai, he was almost too talented for his own good. Some
may question his knockout power but, fact is, he often would
hold back to ensure the fans got a good show. The way some see
it, if he went all out, his career highlight reel would last
maybe 30 seconds.
When
Malaipet came to the United States in 2001 he didn’t speak
English but he quickly earned the language by reading childrens’
books. He would go on to teach Muay Thai at Combative Arts Academy
in Beverly Hills, Calif., and currently teaches at Team Diamond
martial arts school in Upland.
“I
started watching MMA when I got to the U.S. and liked what I
saw,’’ he said. “I respect both Muay Thai and
MMA. I am still learning, but I feel I have what it takes to
make it in MMA.’’
So,
can Malaipet make up ground, and learn a ground game, so he doesn't
get tossed to the mat and, possibly, get submitted? For sure,
the more experienced, determined Denny will try and find out.
Denny,
who was born in Huntington Beach, Calif., but fights out of Hesperia,
Calif., has won three of his last four starts. A former King
of the Cage champion who recently signed with EliteXC, the 5-foot-10-inch
Denny (25-16) has fought the likes of Joe Stevenson, Duane Ludwig
and Yves Edwards.
A
colorful fighter known for wild and crazy hairstyles, Denny specializes
in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and Muay Thai kickboxing.
His self-proclaimed signature moves are “knees and elbows.’’
But, mostly Denny likes to “give pain. I like to make my
opponent suffer.’’
Look
for Denny to attempt to take down Malaipet, a tactic that Kwan
ignored until the final round. “Malaipet is untested on
the ground. Well, I am going to test him,’’ Denny said.
“I always like to do the opposite of whatever my opponent
is doing anyway, and everyone knows Malaipet wants to stand up.
“So,
you can bet I am going to try and take it to the ground. This
is a great opportunity for both of us but there can only be one
winner. I am confident the winner will be me.’’
SHOWTIME
announcer Mauro Ranallo will handle play-by-play for ShoXC with
Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor, serving as color analyst.
The executive producer of ShoXC is David Dinkins, Jr. with Richard
Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
Fighter
pages for televised bouts: Malaipet (http://Malaipet.proelite.com),
Denny (http:/thomasdenny.proelite.com), Matias (http:/marlonmatias.proelite.com),
Huen (http:/conorhuen.proelite.com), Cyborg (http://cristianecyborg.proelite.com),
Case (http://jencase.proelite.com), Del Rosario (http://shanedelrosario.proelite.com),
Brash (http://analubrash.proelite.com), Oshiro (http://markoshiro.proelite.com),
Cariaso (http://chriscaraiso.proelite.com)
Fighter
pages for non-televised bouts: Johnson (http://kennyjohnson.proelite.com),
Darabedyn (http://karendarabedyn.proelite.com), Riddering (http://lukeriddering.proelite.com),
Howard (http://devinhoward.proelite.com), Kempthorne (http://markkempthorne.proelite.com),
Viola (http://amadeoviola.proelite.com), Williams (http://jasonwilliams.proelite.com).
About
ProElite, Inc.
ProElite
Inc. [PELE.PK] delivers the most exciting entertainment experience
in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based
entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime
Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment
via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels
of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while
remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s
live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight
events that showcase the world’s top fighters [elitexc.com].
ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes
on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts
by building a community of MMA enthusiasts. In addition to streaming
the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the
fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online
social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations.
ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM
About
Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime
Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation,
owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®,
THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex
channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®,
SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®,
SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® XTRA. SNI
also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® HD, SHOWTIME
ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® ON DEMAND. SNI is also
an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL®, a venture of NBC
Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian
Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution.
All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1.
SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for
exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME
PPV®.
Contacts:
Showtime
Networks Inc. EliteXC (Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.)
Chris
DeBlasio / Ivy Moon John Beyrooty
(212)
708-1633 / (212) 708-7319 (818) 462-5601/(562) 233-7477
Chris.DeBlasio@Showtime.net
/Ivy.Moon@Showtime.net Johnnybey@aol.com
Source: Event Promoter
|
JON
FITCH WANTS A UFC TITLE SHOT
by Jeff Cain
Jon Fitch has put together a win streak in the Ultimate Fighting
Championship that only one other fighter has ever achieved. He
and Royce Gracie are the only two fighters in UFC history to
win eight fights in a row and now Fitch wants a title shot.
"Me
and Royce Gracie are the only ones who have ever gone 8-0, uncontested
in the UFC," said the 30-year-old mixed martial artist.
"That puts me right next to a legend. I'm not saying I'm
that great, but that's not an easy task. I rode a hard road to
get to where I am. It was not easy winning eight fights in the
UFC."
To
put it in perspective, Chuck Liddell was able to string together
a seven-fight win streak in the UFC twice, but not eight. Matt
Hughes won six UFC fights in a row twice. Tito Ortiz won six
UFC fights in a row once. Randy Couture's longest win streak
in the UFC was four wins.
All
the before mentioned fighters are former or current UFC champions.
Fitch feels he's earned a shot at the welterweight title.
"I've
busted my ass and gotten to where I am by hard work and discipline
and I think I deserve that shot," Fitch told MMAWeekly.
A
fight many MMA enthusiasts have wanted to see, including Fitch,
is a bout between the American Kickboxing Academy trained fighter
and Karo Parisyan.
Asked
about Parisyan, Fitch commented, "I've been asking for a
fight with Karo for over a year. The last time I fought in Ohio
I said after that I would like to fight Karo, and that was to
kind of shuffle the deck and let everybody see where everybody
stood in the division and see who deserved what shot when.
"That
was the only reason for it. I respect Karo as a fighter. I think
he's a great fighter. I think it would be a great fight between
us. I've never said anything negative towards him in any way.
That's not who I am. Whatever he's saying, I'm not really paying
attention to, but it sounds to me that he's digging himself into
a hole. At least that's what I hear from the fans, but whatever.
"All
I ever wanted to do is settle who was the best, and that's all
I'm asking for,” he continued. "I don't know what happened
with who got offered what fight, or whatever. All I know is I've
been asking for that fight for over a year, and right now I don't
think that's something to even consider anymore. I think I'm
in line. I think I should get a title shot. I think the winner
of Georges St. Pierre and Matt Serra, I should get to fight."
Not
one to get caught in the fray of a bunch of boisterous talk,
Fitch put his thoughts straight to the point, “I believe
in the best guy should overcome regardless of what kind of (expletive)
he talks or whatever. It's about the best fighter."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
‘Spider'
Silva Angry with Okami
by Josh Gross
Rising
off the deck, Anderson Silva's invincibility felt imperiled.
With
scorecards reflecting Silva's first dropped round since joining
the UFC, the Brazilian stalker stood opposite Dan Henderson (Pictures),
as real a test as there is at 185 pounds, taking the advice of
trainers with the attitude of someone meandering his way through
a stick of gum.
Perhaps
it's simple to maintain poise when truth has revealed no one
can mess with you. Not right now, at least.
Henderson,
some said, was the fighter to derail Silva's impressive run.
It didn't happen because, as the UFC champ sees it, he was just
better.
"He
really wasn't able to do anything once he took me down, and that's
what everybody was saying," Silva told Sherdog.com days
after his title defense in Columbus, Ohio. "Standing up
I picked him apart. I feel every part of my game was effective
in this fight."
Arguably
the best striker in MMA, Silva's length makes fighting against
him as fun as running wind sprints. With an affinity for walking
through guys named Franklin and Henderson and everyone else,
it's difficult to put into terms what more Silva could do at
this point outside of remaining dominant against all comers.
"I
don't think there's really anything else for him to prove,"
suggested Silva's manager, Ed Soares. "They say well, he's
never fought a jiu-jitsu guy. He goes out and submits Travis
Lutter (Pictures). They say that he's never fought a wrestler.
Well Nate Marquardt was supposedly the superior wrestler. He
out-wrestled Nate Marquardt. Now he wrestled a two-time Greco-Roman
Olympic guy in Dan Henderson. I don't really think there's anything
else out there for him to prove, man."
Soares'
analysis supports what most believe: Silva belongs atop mixed
martial arts' pound-for-pound lists. Accolades have filled media
columns since his latest win, yet the 6-foot-2 Brazilian jiu-jitsu
black belt brushes them away like recent challengers.
Asked
if the soft-spoken 32-year-old champion from Curitiba, Brazil,
feels he is the best in the sport right now, Soares, who acts
as Silva's full-time interpreter, interjected. The question had
been asked enough and he didn't want to bother his fighter for
an answer:
"He
doesn't consider himself the best pound-for-pound fighter in
the world and he feels that the only time he'll be able to consider
himself the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is after
he's retired."
Against
Henderson it was thought the strong but slender Silva could be
bullied into the fence, where he'd grapple one of the grittiest
fighters in MMA instead of creating room to employ what UFC color
commentator Joe Rogan aptly dubbed a "ballet of violence."
The
American's constant threat of takedowns never really materialized.
And even when Silva, now 21-4, was tossed to the canvas, his
extended frame made it difficult for Henderson to muster a meaningful
offense. The round ended and so, it turned out, did Henderson's
chances for victory.
Searching
for answers as to why Silva has made great fighters look mediocre
since joining the UFC middleweight ranks in 2006, some have looked
to the Brazilian's ability to hit and hurt. Already one of the
most accurate fighters in the business, Silva seems to have dialed
in his power.
Chris
Leben (Pictures)'s thrashing was instigated by a handful of punches.
Right hands from the southpaw ruined Marquardt's shot. Franklin
twice waded through strikes to get his face rearranged by knees
in the Thai clinch. And though he didn't seem to possess much
in the way of leverage, Silva's punches scrambled Henderson to
the point that he was forced to submit for the first time in
his career to a choke.
Silva
doesn't see the favorable results as simply a matter of finding
more pop. In reality, he said, there hasn't been a noticeable
improvement in that area of his game; perhaps it's one of the
things he still feels he needs to work on.
The
reason for his devastating success?
"I
just feel that I'm watching my opponents and taking advantage
of the opportunity much better than I did before," Silva
says.
Too
bad for a thinning lot of UFC challengers. Silva has already
cleaned out the division to the point that he has made headlines
recently by calling out Roy Jones Jr.
"All
these boxers out there talking s--- how MMA fighters aren't technical,
well he's willing to step up and fight them in their own game,"
says Soares, who notes that the idea to challenge the aging Jones
was the UFC champ's. "So, if anything, he's not trying to
say there's nothing to prove in MMA; he's trying to plant a flag
for every one of the fighters out there in the world that fight
MMA."
Could
Silva even get Jones? Locked in a UFC deal, Soares said that
would be up to Dana White, but if they had their way the fight
would get made.
"I
think he's a great boxer, one of the greatest boxers to ever
box," Silva says of Jones. "I would love the opportunity
to test my skills against him."
Yet
Yushin Okami (Pictures) is a much more realistic candidate to
be Silva's next opposition. The Japanese middleweight is 6-1
in the UFC and scored a disqualification win over the UFC titleholder
in January 2006.
Silva's
tone regarding the DQ versus Okami in Rumble on the Rock's 175-pound
tournament suggests he is, at the least, vexed.
In
their short time together, Silva flowed in the cage, shifting
angles and closing distance at will. Okami, showing no desire
to stand and trade, made no real effort to bring the bout to
the floor, though he finally put it there and sat high in Silva's
closed guard.
Scoring
his only effective strikes of the fight, Okami looked comfortable
on top, though as he'd learn moments later, there aren't any
resting positions against Silva.
Swinging
one of his king crab legs pasts Okami's arms, Silva planted the
bottom of his right foot on the Japanese fighter's face. Okami
fell back, obviously hurt. He would have taken more punishment
had referee Troy Mandaloniz (Pictures) not held Silva back.
Okami
was given every chance to recover, though even if he'd been lucid
the disqualification still could have been warranted.
"The
Spider" doesn't see it that way.
"I
feel it was a cheap, cowardly way of winning," a pointed
Silva says more than two years after the scrap. "People
that were there saw that he was in the condition to come back
and keep fighting, and he didn't."
Silva
says he doesn't "really think much of anything of Okami,"
but the Brazilian was more poised when stuck under Henderson
than he is when discussing the Japanese fighter.
"It
wasn't really a fight," Silva describes the disqualification
loss before adding that he doesn't want to talk about it anymore.
Judging
by how Silva treats opponents he likes, such as Rich Franklin
(Pictures), Okami should be careful. He is a quality contender
and could provide an intriguing matchup for the UFC middleweight
champ, but he may also find out just what Silva fights like when
he's angry.
Source: Sherdog
|
Knuckle
Down: Ohio Fighters Facing Stiff Tests
by Mike Fridley (Mike@sherdog.com)
After
a year on the shelf, Kevin Randleman (Pictures) can't wait to
step back in the ring.
Legal
and health problems, commission issues and tough-to-swallow defeats
have littered the former UFC heavyweight champion's thoughts
since he last competed in October 2006.
No
stranger to adversity, Randleman is confident that the next year
and a half will be different for the man his peers call "The
Monster."
"I
signed non-exclusive contracts with [World Victory Road and Global
Fighting Championships], so you can expect to see a lot of Kevin
Randleman in the next 20 months," revealed the Ohioan. "I've
been out of action for over a year, so I'm hungry to get back
in there and climb up the rankings."
"Everything
has changed," Randleman said. "I want nothing more
than to come back with a bang and get back to the top."
That
journey will begin May 18, when Randleman returns to Japan for
a bout against a yet-to-be-decided opponent.
"I
don't care who I fight there," he said. "I'll be ready.
I'm 220 [pounds] now, hitting the weights and working on my flexibility
with yoga. I'll hook up with Frank Trigg (Pictures) and Xtreme
Couture here in Vegas soon. The next 40 days will be the hardest."
Three
weeks after his WVR contest, Randleman, a two-time national champion
wrestler at Ohio State University, will set his sights on former
UFC heavyweight challenger and grappling-circuit standout Jeff
Monson (Pictures).
"Monson
is good, but I'm a strong motherf-----. No more joking, no more
playing. I'm trying to be a warrior."
‘The
President' Mum on Yamma
Is
Yamma Pit Fighting's new surface a secret that even "The
President" can't get security clearance on?
"I
have no idea what the pit's specs are," declared Columbus-based
mixed martial artist George Bush (Pictures) (5-0), who will take
part in YPF's eight-man heavyweight tournament on the promotion's
April 11 debut card in Atlantic City, N.J.
"I
hope to be informed of exactly what we'll be fighting in as we
get close to April, but as of now I have been told nothing."
The
brainchild of UFC co-creator Bob Meyrowitz, Yamma Pit Fighting
claims its new fighting surface will "change the face of
the sport and will challenge the relevance of the fighters' trademark
tactics, as methods that were previously successful may be rendered
useless with the new ring."
"What
we fight in doesn't matter," Bush said. "I assume my
opponent doesn't know what it is either. Either way, with both
of us inside, it poses no advantage to me or him. A fight is
a fight."
While
his adversary has not been officially announced, Bush informed
Sherdog.com that he will most likely be fighting UFC veteran
Sherman Pendergarst in the tournament's opening round.
"It's
a big step up for me," stated Bush, who outboxed Team Quest's
Vinicius Magalhaes in his most recent bout at a Gracie Fighting
Championships event last May.
Bush,
26, is training for his pay-per-view debut with recent UFC signee
Mark Coleman (Pictures), former Pickerington high school wrestling
standout Brad Harris, Ohio Muay Thai's Master Lek and the Angelo
Dundee-mentored Steve Gregory.
Pro
Elite Announces ShoXC card
Pro
Elite this week announced the bill for its Showtime-broadcasted
card to be held at the Chumash Hotel & Casino in Santa Ynez,
Calif., on March 21.
Formerly
known as Malaipet MTA (Pictures), Thailand's Malaipet Sasiprapa
will confront "Wildman" Thomas Denny (Pictures) in
the main event.
On
the televised undercard, Mark Oshiro (Pictures) will take on
Chris Caraiso; Marlon Matias duels Conor Heun (Pictures); and
Analu Brash (Pictures) tangles with Shane Del Rosario.
A
female match pitting Jen Case (Pictures) against undefeated Cristiane
Cyborg rounds out the main card.
New
Blood, New Battles at IFL
The
International Fight League's April 4 East Rutherford, N.J., event
is a step up from its season debut in February. Three title fights
are scheduled as well as the return of "The Polish Hammer,"
Chris Horodecki (Pictures).
Welterweight
champion Jay Hieron (Pictures) will put his belt up against Mark
Miller. Featherweight ace Wagnney Fabiano (Pictures) takes on
challenger Shad Lierley (Pictures), and Jamal Patterson (Pictures)
will vie for Vladimir Matyushenko (Pictures)'s light heavyweight
crown.
Horodecki,
four months removed from a loss to Ryan Schultz (Pictures) that
was his first professional defeat in 12 bouts, will square off
against upstart Nate Lamotte (Pictures) in a lightweight clash.
In
addition, the event will feature the IFL's usual brand of team
bouts, as Midwest Combat's Bart Palaszewski (Pictures) and Brad
Blackburn (Pictures) compete against Team Renzo Gracie (Pictures)'s
Deividas Taurosevicius (Pictures) and Delson Heleno (Pictures),
respectively.
American
Top Team's Rafael Dias (Pictures), Emyr Bussade and Carmelo Marrero
(Pictures) will step across from Team Miletich Fighting Systems'
LC Davis (Pictures), Rory Markham (Pictures) and Mike Ciesnolevicz
(Pictures).
Wrestler
Relocates to Team Quest
Muhammed
"Mo" Lawal, a 2008 U.S. wrestling gold medal hopeful
has relocated from Colorado Springs' Olympic Training Center
to Team Quest's Murrieta, Calif., complex to cross-train in mixed
martial arts, Sherdog.com learned Tuesday evening.
"He's
the most phenomenal wrestler I've ever worked with," stated
Team Quest's Ryan Parsons, who has trained several collegiate
grapplers turned MMA champions.
Hailing
from Murfeesboro, Tenn., Lawal wrestled at Oklahoma State and
Central Oklahoma, where he captured the Division II national
championship in 2002. More recently, "Mo" won first
place at the 2006 U.S. Open and the 2007 Pan American Games.
"Mo
is an incredibly gifted athlete. He has a 42-inch vertical leap,
a work ethic second to none and learns extremely fast,"
Parsons said. "His experience competing at the highest level
in wrestling and his passion for the sport of mixed martial arts
are great assets in his quest to become a champion."
Lawal,
27, will make his MMA debut after the Beijing Summer Games.
Source: Crave Online
|
Feitosa’s
take on Jiu-Jitsu
Marcinho opens up about his 20 years in the gentle art
Considered
one of the three safest cities in the USA, Lake Forest, California,
didn’t suffer any kind of culture shock with the arrival
of Gracie Barra America, around four years ago. Now the inhabitants
have learned to deal with Brazilians with very unusual habits,
like walking around with gis folded under their arms, or entering
restaurants without shoes because of cuts on the feet for taking
third place in the under 66kg category of ADCC 2005.
Totally
integrated into this new environment, Marcio Feitosa, Gracie
Barra America instructor, is celebrating 20 years of being dedicated
to Jiu-Jitsu, and took the chance to have a chat with our team.
A large part of this interview with the three-time world champion
was published in GRACIE Mag # 132, but GRACIEMAG.com put aside
some of the best moments to publish here.
Marcinho,
what big lessons have you learned in this phase of being a Jiu-Jitsu
instructor in the United States?
In
the United States, I confirmed what I already knew: the language
of Jiu-Jitsu is universal. Our students in the USA totally assimilated
our spirit of family and love of Jiu-Jitsu. In the United States
I confirmed that on the mat there are no cultural, social or
economic barriers, the laws of the mat are universal.
How
many years as a black belt do you have?
I
started studying Jiu-Jitsu at 12 years of age, I’m now 31.
I received my black belt at 19, I was blue for one year, purple
for one year and one year as a brown. I lived in Barra da Tijuca
in front of the gym, I trained seven days a week.
Is
it possible to be a great teacher without having competed, or
a good competitor without having taught?
For sure. Jiu-Jitsu is such an incredible art that often one
develops through paths too complex for mere mortals like us to
comprehend. I’ve seem good teachers who have never fought,
good fighters who have never taught, wimps be valiant, bullies
plead for help and housewives kicking ass.
In
Brazil these days, both in MMA and Jiu-Jitsu, we are being seeing
a lot of team-changing, stars leaving there academies of origins.
What is your view on that?
By
the way most academies organize themselves, the group ends up
swallowing itself. It’s almost impossible for the gyms to
not split when they reach a certain level of maturity, it’s
a self-destructive system in my view. It doesn’t have to
be that way. To me, the root of the problem is in the lack of
a fair hierarchy system, with clear rules. As long as they are
creating “fight clubs” I think they will continue splitting.
Only in an environment where leaders value what they do, and
rather than positioning themselves as gym instructors get it
in their heads they are teachers at a martial arts school, they
can bypass this effect. In a group where the leaders take it
upon themselves to wear, besides the gi, the badge of being an
educator the relationship may be lasting.
Have
you had an unforgettable fight before?
Yes,
a 20 minute fight against Royler [Gracie] at the Jiu-Jitsu Oscar.
Royler was already a terror at that time and I was beginning
my life as a black belt. I ended up winning by two points, I
was really stoked.
And
any unforgettable training session?
Man,
there was a trip I took with Master Carlinhos to the south of
Brazil that was unforgettable, the only thing I regret is not
having taken photos. We stayed 20 days in a house where several
of Master’s family were, including his father, Grandmaster
Carlos Senior.
I was a purple belt, our days were divided between practicing
Jiu-Jitsu at home, practicing Jiu-Jitsu at the academies of Crolin
and Rilion, and the TV room, in that house packed with history.
Those training sessions were unforgettable to me for the whole
experience involved, we were practically breathing Jiu-Jitsu
24 hours a day.
What
do you think of scrawny fighters disputing the absolute, should
it be done?
If
the guy thinks he’s capable of winning then he should. To
me there’s no reason to enter a championship just to be
there. I, for example, never though I had a championship game
appropriate enough nor enough weight to win the absolute, so
I always left it to my heavier teammates to represent the team.
How
do you see your MMA career?
I
can’t say I’ve ever had an MMA career and that was
never my intention. I fought twice, faced two tough adversaries,
participated in big events and was satisfied with my performances.
I always had a clear notion of how my heart is in competition
Jiu-Jitsu and teaching. It was an experience that built me up,
I now feel I am a more complete teacher and competitor for having
been in all kinds of competitions (gi, no-gi and MMA), and playing
all the positions (as an athlete, cornerman and referee in all
of them).
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“The
best angle from which to approach any problem is the try-angle.”
Source Unknown
|
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Meet
Anderson Silva’s Muay Thai coach
Half
Brazilian, half Japanese, Diógenes Asahida spoke with
exclusivity to TATAME.com about his connection with and martial
arts. Son of Japanese fighter and Brazilian mother, Anderson
Silva’s coach always had who like martial arts in his family.
“My father never liked it so much, but all my relatives
like. All had contact with martial arts, Judo, Karate”,
told Diógenes. His grandfathers coming from , with his
grandfather participating of the war seems to give the warrior
blood to the grandson, which feels the Japanese spirit and feels
happy with this culture. “I feel grateful and believes that
this connection brings some spiritual thing to my work, on the
work I do with Anderson , this warrior spirit thing”, said
Diógenes.
Source: Tatame
|
Robinho
back to MMA
The
Brazilian fighter Robson Moura, Robinho, Nova União’s
black belt, away from MMA fights for more than five years, will
come back at April. “I can’t remember when was my last
fight, I believe it was at 2003. I’m here training with
Gustavo for my fight”, told Robinho. “It’ll be
cool. It’ll be a tournament of eight fighters that’ll
start at April, the second stage will be at June and the final
at September”, told the black belt, that didn’t said
the event’s name. The World Champion used the time away
from the rings to produce a DVD with Jiu-Jitsu instructions.
Source: Tatame
|
Fedor's
Free Agency Fallout
by Josh Gross (joshg@sherdog.com)
Confirmation
Thursday of a rumor that circulated for weeks has made Fedor
Emelianenko the most sought-after free agent in mixed martial
arts … again.
The
move by Emelianenko, first reported by ESPN, immediately rekindled
talk of the Russian heavyweight fighting in the UFC, perhaps
even against Randy Couture.
Apy
Echteld, who was hired as part of the European branch of M-1
Global and is a longtime manager of the 31-year-old Russian,
told ESPN's Ryan Hockensmith that Emelianenko would be willing
to restart contract negotiations with the UFC once the "divorce"
is finalized.
M-1
CEO Monte Cox declined to comment on Thursday's news report,
however he told Sherdog.com that M-1 and Emelianenko continue
to share a "working relationship."
The
question, then, is for how long?
According
to one source that asked not to be identified, M-1 will likely
expect Emelianenko to return a $1.5 million signing bonus he
was paid last September. Negotiations should be finalized by
Tuesday of next week, the same source said.
A
free-agent Emelianenko could benefit from a deeper, more competitive
bidding pool.
Newly
minted with a historic TV deal from CBS, EliteXC would be "absolutely
interested in Fedor if he was a free agent," Jeremy Lappen,
the company's head of fighter operations, told Sherdog.com. "Of
course, we're very friendly with Monte and have a close relationship
with M-1 and would never step on their toes."
Mark
Cuban, who has quickly turned HDNet into a desired premium-television
destination for MMA fans, tempered expectations, telling Sherdog.com
he doesn't plan on simply outspending competitors in an effort
to sign the heavyweight.
"We
always want to work with the best in the world," Cuban responded
via e-mail. "That said, we aren't in the business of bidding
wars. We are in the business of developing, promoting and supporting
fighters and their careers and partnering with any and all who
can help us accomplish that."
World
Victory Road and Dream -- Japanese promoters attempting to establish
themselves in Pride's wake -- could be Emelianenko suitors, though
the MMA industry in that part of the world is not as strong as
it was during the Russian's heyday.
Wildcard
groups, such as the one apparently comprised of Oscar de la Hoya's
Golden Boy Promotions and clothing apparel company Affliction,
which sponsors Emelianenko and Couture, could enter the fray.
An Affliction photo shoot featuring the heavyweight pair created
quite a stir when shots and video of the fighters standing nose
to nose hit the Internet.
Last
October the newly formed M-1 Global, led by investor Mitchell
Maxwell and Cox, announced at a New York news conference that
they had won the war for the wandering Pride heavyweight king.
Emelianenko
was expected to fight six times for $12 million over a two-year
period for M-1. He fought just once since October, a co-promoted
bout on New Year's Eve in Japan against an unranked opponent.
Meanwhile M-1 has yet to produce its first event.
The
Russian explained the decision against signing with the UFC came
down largely to his opinion of the company's president.
"You
cannot start a relationship with someone using those phrases,"
he said in New York, alluding to White's repeated description
of Emelianenko's management as "crazy Russians."
Asked
if he remained interested in signing Emelianenko (27-1-0, 1 NC)
following a year of failed negotiations and a war of words that
resulted in the promoter calling the No. 1-ranked heavyweight
a "farce," White told ESPN: "Absolutely, 100 percent,
in a heartbeat. People think he's the best -- I don't, not even
close. But if it's somehow possible, I would make it happen."
"We're
open to a discussion," Echteld responded to ESPN after learning
of the UFC's potentially malleable position. "If everybody
is willing to put a little wine in the water, then we have something
to work with. There is space for this to happen."
Though
Emelianenko's management, led by Vadim Finkelchtein and Echteld,
expressed in late July that the UFC offer was extremely lucrative,
it was also the most restrictive in terms of likeness rights,
exclusivity and other points they did not want their fighter
to concede.
The
UFC chose not to budge either, leading to the creation of M-1
Global and what was thought to be the new home for Emelianenko.
A
renegotiation for White would focus on getting Emelianenko in
the Octagon across from Couture. While the UFC boss heavily favors
"The Natural" in that matchup, the possibility of it
taking place -- in the UFC or anywhere else -- is unknown while
both sides battle in court over the status of Couture's contract.
After
announcing his ill-fated deal with M-1 last fall, Emelianenko
called Couture's challenge of the UFC "positive" and
said he was "very proud that Couture made such a great decision."
It
would be ironic if in the end the Russian signed with the UFC
as a courtroom-tested Couture somehow freed himself from the
most successful organization in MMA.
Wherever
Fedor settles, fans will demand he fights the best challengers,
starting with the 44-year-old former UFC champ.
Source: Sherdog
|
A
look at The Ultimate Fighter 7
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports
Spike
TV’s Ultimate Fighter reality series will likely always
have a footnote in U.S. sports culture, as it was the only reality
show that essentially launched the popularity of a sport.
The
seventh season will run on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. Eastern/Pacific
from Apr. 2 to June 18, finishing with the live finals on June
21 from Las Vegas. The coaches are UFC light heavyweight champion
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and top contender Forrest
Griffin.
While
the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s history dates back
to 1993, the company was losing millions of dollars and was up
for sale in 2004 due to its inability to get a viable television
deal, and inability to draw consistently on pay-per-view without
it.
Mixed
martial arts was deemed too controversial for television, but
Spike picked up the concept of a reality show in which star fighters
would coach up-and-comers, with the winners getting UFC contracts.
The first season, which ran in early 2005, was a huge hit, for
a number of reasons. One of the biggest is that it aired at 11:05
p.m. on Monday nights, right after World Wrestling Entertainment’s
“Raw” program. While most wrestling fans, in particular
the kids and older people, weren’t that interested, Ultimate
Fighter kept the vast majority of the WWE’s male 18-34 audience,
which became the new core audience for the promotion.
The
vast majority of the public envisioned “ultimate fighters”
as thuggish bar room brawlers, devoid of the skills of boxers
and wrestlers. But in airing the brutal training sessions and
even more controversial weight-cutting, they became very real
people, with real flaws and insecurities who worked incredibly
hard. Instead of being unskilled, they actually had to be skilled
to some degree at many fighting styles.
There
were two nights from the first season which put UFC on the map:
a two-week television grudge program that led to a match with
Chris Leben vs. Josh Koscheck, still the highest rated episode
in the history of the series, and the live championship match
with Forrest Griffin winning a controversial decision over Stephan
Bonnar, the almost perfect fight at the perfect moment.
The
two coaches from the season, light heavyweight champion Randy
Couture and Chuck Liddell, fought with Liddell winning, and the
match did record numbers for the sport on pay-per-view and it
was established as a viable attraction.
Many
of the fighters introduced that season, Griffin, Diego Sanchez,
Koscheck, Leben, Mike Swick, Nate Quarry, Bonnar and Kenny Florian
remain stars with the promotion.
The
new season features Griffin as both a coach and UFC’s top
contender for the light heavyweight title. The Athens, Ga. native,
who was living on fighter Rory Singer’s couch three plus
years ago, is coming off a submission win over Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua, who was generally considered the No. 1 light heavyweight
in the world at the time, on Sept. 22 in Anaheim.
The
pairing of Griffin and Jackson makes you think there will be
a lot of comedy, given the duo’s vibrant personalities.
And according to UFC president Dana White, some does exist. But
White said one of the episodes saw the problems between the two
get so heated that it nearly turned into a coaches’ fight.
Similar confrontations in Season 3 with Ken Shamrock and Tito
Ortiz in 2006 led to two matches, which took the popularity of
the sport to a new level.
But
it’s a very different show in Season 7. Criticized for being
long in the tooth, the biggest obstacle in the show is the success
it created. The success of the sport led to the formation of
new promotions. The 16 fighters on Season 1 were not, as billed
on television, the best 16 up-and-coming fighters in the country.
But Griffin, Bobby Southworth, Sanchez, Leben and Bonnar were
known commodities in the fight world, and Koscheck was well known
in college wrestling circles for being an undefeated Division
I champion in 2001.
More
fighters exist than ever due to the popularity of the sport,
but the top guys can make money, and aren’t as apt to sacrifice
six weeks of their lives away from the outside world if they
can earn a living in another promotion.
Last
season, there was only one name fighter, Mac Danzig (who ended
up winning the competition) in the cast.
Season
7 features middleweights (185 pounders), and instead of 16 fighters,
they are doubling it with 32. The April 2 and April 9 shows will
feature highlights of 16 first-round fights, with the winners
going into the fighters house. “I was blown away by the
level of professionalism,” said Griffin, about the series
which just ended filming last week. “They knew they were
there to fight and learn. Nobody had problems making weight.”
The four semifinalists on the show ended up fighting four times
in six weeks, so the idea was not just to win, but win with minimal
damage. “It was real tough,” said Griffin, who like
Jackson, had never been a coach of fighters before, let alone
fighters he didn’t personally know.
“You
had to end the fight the first chance you got. I’d tell
them, ‘Just go out and knock the other guy out and we’ll
put your hand in ice and you’ll be fine in a few days.’”
“The
new format will give us two incredibly intense episodes to launch
the season and will weed out some of the guys who might not have
the heart and desire that it takes to become a UFC fighter,”
said White.
More
than any season to date, the 32 names are largely unknowns, with
nobody even at Danzig’s experience level. “A lot of
guys came from good camps and were at a good level,” said
Griffin, who estimated five or six of the 16 who made the house
would survive on the UFC roster. “There wasn’t anybody
I would call a standout. The show did a good job of evenly matching
the fighters but there’s nobody who is going to upset Anderson
Silva.”
Paul
Bradley (5-0 in small shows) is known to only the most ardent
fans. Steve
Byrnes fought once in UFC, losing to Logan Clark on December
13, 2006.
Mike Dolce went 0-3 last season with the International Fight
League. Gerald Harris, 6-2, with both losses last season in the
IFL, is a genuine prospect with real wrestling ability. Dante
Rivera, 10-2, also fought last year with the IFL.
Before
the final week of the season, White said there was one fighter
whom he thought was going to come out as a genuine star from
the season, but he still had to win one more match to get into
the finals.
The
other 27 names starting out are David Baggett (4-2), Matt Brown
(9-6), Erik Charles (10-5), John Clarke (7-2-1), Daniel Cramer
(3-0), Tim Credeur (9-2), Clarence Dollaway (0-0), John Hall
(3-3), Nick Klein (3-0), David Mewborn (0-0), Mike Marrello (7-1-1),
Jeremy May (5-5), Prince LaDonas Mclean (4-5), Aaron Meisner
(2-0), Reggie Orr (4-5-1), Matthew Riddle (0-0), Jeremiah Riggs
(1-0), David Roberts (5-7), Nick Rossborough (0-0), Amir Sadollah
(0-0), Patrick Schultz (0-3), Brandon Sene (2-0), Dan Simmler
(0-0), Jesse Taylor (6-2), Cale Yarbrough (0-0), John Wood (6-3)
and Luke Zachrich (7-1).
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Y!
Sports pound-for-pound Top 10
By Dave Doyle, Yahoo! Sports Mar 6, 8:25 pm EST
Month
in and month out, there are nine fighters you can almost guarantee
will be ranked among the world’s top 10 pound-for-pound
mixed martial arts.
By
and large, the pundits agree that at this time Anderson Silva,
Georges St. Pierre, Quinton Jackson, B.J. Penn, Fedor Emelianenko,
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Urijah Faber, Dan Henderson and Randy
Couture all deserve a place among elite, but disagree on where
they should be placed.
The
No. 10 spot, though, has been in flux. This month, Miguel Torres
becomes the third fighter in four months to claim the final position
in the Y! Sports Top 10. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua held
it for two months. Rua was preceded by Gilbert Melendez.
Several
others consistently knock on the door, but haven’t gotten
in. Here’s a look at Torres, Rua and three combatants who
haven’t cracked the top 10:
Torres:
The newly crowned WEC bantamweight champion is officially 24-1,
but others have pegged his real record as 33-1, including several
fights against much larger men back in the days when it was hard
for the 135-pound group to find quality opponents in their weight
class. Torres’ national visibility should help lift the
recognition of the bantamweight division in general.
Norifumi
“Kid” Yamamoto: Yamamoto has won 14 consecutive matches,
including victories over Jeff Curran, Caol Uno, Genki Sudo and
Rani Yahya. But he never fought in PRIDE or the UFC, which has
hurt his visibility among North American voters.
Rua:
Still one of the world’s best light heavyweights, the last
impression most voters had of “Shogun” was his submission
loss to Forrest Griffin in September. Five months later, Rua
pulled out of his planned June match with Chuck Liddell because
of a knee injury, which will keep him out of the spotlight longer.
Gesias
“JZ Calvan” Calvancante: A fighter with a legitimate
beef over his exclusion from the poll. The American Top Team
lightweight is 12-0-1 in his past 13 fights. He has a highly
anticipated matchup with Shinya Aoki in DREAM’s debut card
on March 15 in Japan.
Paulo
Filho: The WEC middleweight champion boasts a 16-0 record, but
a dismal performance on national TV in his last title defense
against Chael Sonnen, in which he looked terrible for the better
part of two rounds before pulling out the win with an armbar,
didn’t help his ascension up the rankings.
The
Yahoo! Sports MMA Top 10 pound-for-pound poll, the only one of
its sort in mainstream sports media, features 15 reporters and
editors from the major national sports websites; newspapers that
cover MMA; and legitimate MMA-only news-related websites. Each
voter selects their top 10, with 10 points awarded for a first-place
vote, 9 for a second, etc., down to 1 point for a 10th-place
vote.
The
only two guidelines placed on voters are: 1. Fighters need to
have competed at least once within the past 12 months in order
to be considered; 2. Fighters under suspension for banned substance
or drugs of abuse usage cannot be considered until they are reinstated.
For more on info on the panel, including links to their sites,
go here.
10.
Miguel Torres
Points: 10
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Bantamweight (WEC bantamweight champion)
Hometown: E. Chicago, Ind.
Record: 21-1
Last month’s ranking: Unranked
Most recent result: def. Chase Beebe, R1 submission, Feb. 13
Analysis: Torres’ absence from the rankings until this point
has more to do with the lack of exposure for bantamweights than
it is any reflection on his skills. And Torres left no doubt
about his skills with one of the finest displays of pure jiu-jitsu
you’ll ever see in MMA during his WEC bantamweight title
win over Beebe.
9.
Dan Henderson
Points: 30
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight/middleweight
Hometown: Victorville, Calif.
Record: 22-8
Last month’s ranking: 7
Most recent result: lost to Anderson Silva, R2 submission, March
1
Analysis: Henderson is the only member of the top 10 who is coming
off back-to-back losses. But then, those losses are to No. 1
Anderson Silva and No. 3 Quinton Jackson. So it wouldn’t
be fair to be too harsh to a fighter who stepped up and provided
fans with two of the biggest matches of the past six months.
8.
Randy Couture
Points: 54
Affiliation:Under contract to UFC
Weight class: Heavyweight
Hometown: Gresham, Ore.
Record: 16-8
Last month’s ranking: 8
Most recent results: def. Gabriel Gonzaga, Round 3 TKO, Aug.
25
Analysis: Don’t expect Couture to drop his grievances with
the UFC anytime soon, as all indications are the wagons are circling
in his camp and no dissenting thoughts are being allowed in.
Fighters lose their eligibility for the poll if they go a full
year without fighting, which would mean “The Natural”
can no long be considered starting with the September poll.
7.
Urijah Faber
Points: 55
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Featherweight (WEC featherweight champion)
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
Record: 20-1
Last month’s ranking: 9
2007 results: def. Jeff Curran, submission R2, Dec. 12
Analysis: The winner of 12 consecutive matches, Faber defends
his title on June 1 in Sacramento against Jens Pulver in what
is shaping up as the biggest card in WEC history.
6.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Points: 74
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Heavyweight (UFC interim heavyweight champion)
Hometown: Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil
Record: 31-4-1
Last month’s ranking: 6
Recent results: def. Tim Sylvia, R3 submission, Feb. 2
Analysis: In his public posturing, UFC president Dana White continues
to offer potential opponents to Randy Couture and not Nogueria.
This is a legal maneuver to bolster the UFC’s claims in
their battle against Couture. But most chatter seems to have
Nogueira’s next matchup against Frank Mir.
5.
B.J. Penn
Points: 87
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Lightweight (UFC lightweight champion)
Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii
Record: 12-4-1
Last month’s ranking: 5
Most recent result: def. Joe Stevenson, R2 submission, Jan. 19
Analysis: For all the talk that Penn’s pure skills are the
best in the world, it has been four years since he’s pieced
together as many as three consecutive wins. He has a chance for
his third in a row with his lightweight title defense against
former champ Sean Sherk on Memorial Day weekend in Vegas.
4.
Fedor Emelianenko
Points: 89
Affiliation: M-1
Weight class: Heavyweight
Hometown: Stary Oskol, Russia
Record: 27-1 (1 no-contest)
Last month’s ranking: 4
Most recent result: def. Hong Man-Choi, R1 submission, Dec. 31.
Analysis: The formation of the M-1 promotion was announced in
September. We’ve yet to see its first live event. On a possibly
related note, Mark Cuban’s promotion, HDNet Fights, has
yet to announce a make-up date for its cancelled February card
in Dallas. Cuban is presumed to be the promoter who wants to
put together a Couture-Emelianenko match, but one has to wonder
at this point if he’s content to pile up MMA promotions
to fill air time on his cable station, as opposed to investing
in a major-league organization.
3.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Points: 112
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight (UFC lt. heavyweight champion)
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Record: 28-6
Last month’s ranking: 3
Most recent result: def. Dan Henderson, unanimous decision, Sept.
8
Analysis: Those who have tuned out The Ultimate Fighter over
the past couple seasons should have reason to watch the upcoming
seventh season, as the combination of Rampage and Forrest Griffin
should make the show worth watching.
2.
Georges St. Pierre
Points: 130 (2 first-place votes)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Welterweight (interim welterweight champion)
Hometown: Saint-Isidore, Quebec
Record: 15-2
Last month’s ranking: 2
Most recent result: def. Matt Hughes, R2 submission, Dec. 29.
Analysis: After UFC 82, Dana White ripped into those who don’t
consider Anderson Silva the world’s best pound-for-pound
fighter. But does such an assertion shortchange St. Pierre? Most
won’t rank GSP ahead of Silva now, with St. Pierre’s
loss to Matt Serra still looming. But if St. Pierre finishes
Serra next month the way most people expect, that will put him
at 9-1 in his past 10 fights, with his only loss in that span
avenged.
1.
Anderson “Spider” Silva
Points: 145 (13 first-place votes)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Middleweight (UFC middleweight champion)
Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil
Record: 21-4
Last month’s ranking: 1
Most recent result: def. Dan Henderson, R2 submission, March
1
Analysis: Seven straight wins. Seven straight finishes. No match
went longer than two rounds. Silva’s only loss in the past
38 months was a disqualification against Yushin Okami. His two
fights before the Okami debacle also were finishes inside of
two rounds. It has become clear we have Silva, St. Pierre, and
then everyone else.
More
#
Votes for others: Kid Yamamoto, Mauricio Rua 8; Paulo Filho 5;
Gesias Calvancante 4; Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell, Jon Fitch,
Matt Serra 3; Sean Sherk 2; Matt Hughes, Lyoto Machida 1.
#
Upcoming matches for top 10 fighters: No. 2 Georges St. Pierre
vs. Matt Serra, April 19, Montreal; No. 5 B.J. Penn vs. Sean
Sherk, May 24.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
“The
way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
Walt Disney, 1901-1966, American Film Producer/Director/Animator
|
Wand
shocked about Pele
Brazilian very well could face Liddell at year’s end
Support
for friends. That is how Wanderlei Silva titled his latest post
to fans on his official blog. “This week I received two
pieces of very sad news, regarding the injuries of two good friends
of mine: [Mauricio] Shogun and [Jose] Pele. I saw the video of
Pele’s injury and was very worried, as the break seems to
be very big, I wish him the best at this time. As a fighter I
admire him a lot. Even though his recent results have not been
good he is one of the toughest guys I’ve seen in MMA. Good
luck to Pele, don’t give up! Never!” wrote the fighter,
who has a fight scheduled against Keith Jardine. If he wins,
the UFC’s head men want to promote a revenge match between
Silva and Chuck Liddell this year, in December.
Wand
also spoke of Shogun’s injury, on the same knee brother
Ninja recently operated: “As for Shogun, I was very bothered
by this injury, I think his desire to win was such that he his
knee ligament could not withstand the pressure. Now it is time
to do what needs to be done and enjoy your family, and you wish
to visit your friend in Las Vegas, I’m waiting! I’m
certain you would have destroyed Liddell, I know that more than
anyone! Don’t worry more than you need to, it doesn’t
help, these things take time… I know you are one of the
top guys in the category and will show that soon, I admire you
a lot, I know what you are capable of. Good luck.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Bebeo
and Bustamante opens BTT Las Vegas
With
an eye on the American MMA world, the Brazilian Top Team’s
leaders Bebeo Duarte and Murilo Bustamante opened a new headquarters
on the MMA world fight center, Las Vegas. The gym’s structure
will have a ring, tatami, octagon and a working out and Muay
Thai area. The BTT Las Vegas will stay under Bebeo Duarte’s
supervision, that is ready to go to America and will have Carlson
Gracie’s black belt Ricardo Cavalcanti’s help. “We
made a training center where we’ll have space to receive
athletes on the MMA center at United States”, tells Bebeo.
Stay on TATAME’s site to watch a video at TATAME TV showing
whole structure of BTT Las Vegas.
Source: Tatame
|
Making
the Weight
Have any of you ever watched a weight class fight in which one
fighter looks far bigger and heavier than the other even though
they weighed exactly the same amount the day before? Have you
ever wondered how an athlete can lose 10-15 pounds in one day
for a weigh in and then gain it all back for the fight with no
ill effects?
By Martin Rooney, MHS, PT, CSCS, NASM
If
you answered “yes” to the two questions above, then
you are going to love this month’s article. I am going to
cover the basics in the art of weight cutting for competition.
If you follow the information correctly in this article, not
only will your risk of complications be decreased, but your performance
should go to the next level.
Over
my last number of years training combat athletes, probably the
biggest weakness in terms of knowledge about training had to
do with their nutrition. Within the realm of this area was even
less knowledge about body weight manipulation, or “cutting
weight” for a fight or tournament. I categorize cutting
weight under nutrition because of how closely the two are related,
but I am not talking about changing diet here. I am talking about
the rapid drop in body weight and rapid weight gain before and
after a weigh in for a competition.
As
I stated earlier, cutting weight is an art form. This means that
it takes knowledge, skill and practice. I have seen athletes
have horrendous performances by cutting too much weight, cutting
weight too fast, cutting weight too slow, not rehydrating correctly,
and eating incorrectly after their weigh in. By the end of this
article, none of these mistakes should ever happen to you.
Why
Cut Weight?
Many
people not involved in combative sports do not understand why
someone would subject himself to water and food restriction to
cut weight in the first place. I usually explain this with the
example of weight classes. What this means is that most combative
sport competitions have weight limits for certain classes. Since
the object of being in a certain weight class would be to be
the strongest and heaviest person in that class, many athletes
cut their weight down to a lower class only to add weight after
the weigh in. In the athlete’s mind, they are then heavier
for the actual fight, and have the potential to be stronger than
their opponent (as long as they don’t do the exact same
thing).
The
weigh ins are also usually the day before the fight. This gives
the fighters 20-30 hours to reload their bodies following the
weight cutting. For anyone that has ever seen Tito Ortiz or Matt
Hughes fight, you should understand what I mean. Every time those
two athletes fight anyone in the same weight class, they always
look much bigger and stronger. The Tito Ortiz/Elvis Sinosic fight,
where both fighters weighed in at 204 pounds comes to mind. At
fight time, Tito looked 230 and Elvis looked 180. This should
hammer home the fact that if things are done correctly, cutting
weight has huge advantages.
Don’t
Forget The Other Half!
Everyone
can quickly think of some ways to cut weight. You could stop
eating and drinking, you could exercise to sweat a lot in heavy
clothes, or you could hop in the sauna for a half hour. All of
these methods will be somewhat effective if done correctly to
cut weight for a fight or competition. But what about properly
putting the weight back on in a safe and timely manner to be
ready for the fight? That is where people don’t have as
many answers. If you think you should just eat and drink to feel
good, you are going to run into problems. Do not forget that
the reconstitution of your body is as, if not more, important
in the cutting weight and gaining it back cycle.
Shedding
the Pre Fight Pounds
This
next section is going to cover the techniques for adequate weight
loss. Before I begin though, I must remind everyone that their
diet should be solid at this point, and you should always be
within about 10-12 pounds of the weight you want to reach before
the weight cutting begins. Any more than this value and things
start to get very dangerous. This means that you should control
your caloric intake long before the fight, and get to 10-12 pounds
away from the desired weigh in weight. By doing this, you will
have much less to worry about when the fight approaches.
Fluid
Restriction
The
simplest and most effective way to begin the weight cutting process
is to decrease or stop fluid intake. Your body is constantly
losing fluid by breathing, sweating and urination. Every minute
and hour that this goes by without replacing the fluid, you will
lose weight. This process takes no extra energy from a fighter
to complete, and you can lose up to 5-6 pounds in 24 hours without
drinking. My athletes never go over 24 hours without fluid, and
we usually start the fluid restriction exactly 24 hours before
the weigh in. Before beginning the fluid restriction, there are
some tricks to losing the maximum amount of fluid over that 24
hours.
For
the fifth, fourth and third days before the weigh in, I have
my athletes consume 2 gallons of water a day. They carry the
gallon jug around with them so they know how much fluid they
are taking in. At this time, the athlete also can be more liberal
with sodium in his diet (we don’t go heavy on the sodium,
but a little increase can help later as you will see). This increased
water intake triggers hormones in the body to excrete more urine
than usual. This response will be essential in losing fluid the
day before the weigh in. Two days before the weigh in, the fighter
cuts the fluid intake to one gallon of water, and cuts out the
sodium from the diet. Finally, the last day before the weigh
in, the fighter takes in no fluids, no sodium, and only food
that I will describe later. This process is effortless, and only
requires a little discipline and tolerance of a dry mouth.
Sweating
The
next most popular way to decrease weight before a weigh in is
to sweat out fluid from the body. This can be done in a number
of ways, and can take off 5-10 pounds of weight in a short period
of time depending on the conditions. This is a great method because
even if the athlete is already lean, there will still be fluid
that can be lost. The limitations to this method are that it
requires great amounts of energy expenditure, and can sap strength
from the fight the next day. The goal for using this method would
be to take off the weight you need to lose with the least amount
of fatigue for the athlete.
The
simplest way to use this method is to exercise. That can be as
simple as running or jumping rope, to as complex as cardio fight
circuits involving punching, kicks, takedowns and sprinting.
Depending on how quickly you need to lose the weight and the
temperature of the area you are in, you will get a feel for what
style you need to use. In addition to the exercise, athletes
commonly use plastic suits and heavy clothing to increase the
body temperature and enhance the sweating response. Just remember
not to overheat. Athletes have actually died from overheating
using some of these methods. (I must repeat that the goal is
to be within 10 pounds by the day before the weigh in so that
any methods you use don’t need to be drastic).
In
addition to exercise, athletes can also use a sauna or hot bath
or shower to lose fluid as well. A dry sauna is the most powerful
of the three for weight loss and this loss should be monitored.
Time spent in the sauna or hot showers should be at small 15-30
minute intervals to check weight loss. This brings up a great
point that it would be a good idea to travel with your own scale
to monitor how much weight you are losing. The last thing you
need to do is lose too much weight. We always travel with a scale
to keep track of our weight status.
Bowel
Emptying
Another
method to lose weight is to empty the bowels the day before the
weigh in. This is another method that requires no effort and
will not hurt performance if done correctly. Your bowels, or
stomach and intestines, are up to 28 feet long and contain up
to 5-7 pounds of material at all times. The food that has been
ingested over the last 24 hours is all still contained along
this set of tubes. This material does not help performance and
is actually waste. By clearing out the bowels, an athlete can
lose another 5 pounds without having to do anything.
The
secret is in the methods.Two days before the weigh in, an athlete
will already be eating less if he has to lose critical pounds.
The day before the weigh in, he should not be eating much at
all (to be discussed later). That material that is still in the
gut from the day before, however, must be cleared. How we choose
to do this is with a very gentle, all natural laxative. There
are much more powerful drugs out there that do this, but you
should not be using them. They can hurt your performance and
leave you feeling horrible. By taking the gentle, natural laxative
before you go to bed the night before the weigh in, you should
wake and clear your bowels completely. Remember that you would
only do this if you felt you were not going to make the weight
with the methods listed above.
Diuretics
I
hate to even bring this method up, but I must because I have
seen them used incorrectly by fighters in the past trying to
cut the last few pounds. There are natural and drug diuretics
out there that can help you to lose fluids up to or over 10 pounds.
I must say, if you were at the right starting point and you followed
the methods already outlined above, this should not be an area
that you need to worry about. This method is more dangerous than
the others, and can lead to electrolyte imbalances and decreased
performance. An all natural, gentle diuretic I have used in the
past is called Dandelion Root. If this is a must, this should
be used the day before the weigh in, so not to have problems
during the fight.
Eating
Yes,
I did put eating as something to do while you are cutting weight.
You must make sure that your blood sugar levels are normal during
this process or you are going to feel horrible and have no energy
for the exercise aspect of the weight cutting. The last thing
you want to do is take in fluids with sugar or heavy foods as
this point. That is why we use a simple Balance Bar to get the
job done. The bar only weighs a few ounces, but it will give
you some sugar and fuel that your body can use during the fluid
and food fast.
You
Made It, Now What to do Next
Ok,
you made the weight and you are feeling good. Now as soon as
you get off the scale, you need to start refilling your body
with everything you lost. As I said before, this piece of the
process is as important as the weight reduction. Most people
make big mistakes here that end up leading to disaster during
the fight.
When
you are cutting weight, your plasma blood volume decreases, and
your blood pressure can increase as a result. In addition to
this, your resting heart rate can go up, you can experience fatigue
and feel psychologically weak. You need to make sure you reverse
these processes not only as quickly as possible, but correctly
and completely. Most people ram a bunch of food and water back
into the system right after the weigh in, but they do not finish
the job.
After
the weigh in, you should eat small meals at regular 30 minute
intervals. It is critical that you make sure you take in carbohydrates
at this time to regain the proper blood sugar levels. Firing
a ton of food down immediately after the weigh in is going to
leave you feeling bloated and sick. Your body won’t be able
to use all the food at once anyway, and it will just sit there.
Smaller meals will clear the stomach and you will be able to
eat again shortly. We actually have our athletes continue to
eat all the way up to a few hours before the fight the next day.
Eat meals that you are comfortable with. Don’t start to
do anything different.
More
importantly is getting the fluid balance back. You should immediately
take in fluids following the weigh in and continue to drink at
regular intervals. The ultimate goal for my fighters is to see
a clear urine stream before we know we are back. This can take
3-5 gallons of fluid over the next day to replace the 10 or more
pounds that has been lost. Don’t rely on the thirst response
because it will not be accurate. You need to keep drinking to
make sure that the blood plasma, fluid space between the cells
and the cells themselves are refilled. An I.V. is also a good
option here, but it can and should only be performed by a skilled
medical professional. There are many dangers involved in this
procedure. This is usually used as a last resort or in a medical
emergency. If everything, from the weight cutting to the weight
regaining has been done correctly and you have 24 hours until
the fight, there should be no need for intravenous fluids.
A
Few Pieces of Advice
A
main motto of mine is that you never try something new a week
before the fight. This stands for new techniques, new foods,
new equipment, and especially weight cutting. This is something
that needs to be practiced just like ground or stand up techniques.
You would never attempt a technique in a fight that you have
never tried before. You must think the same way about cutting
weight. You need to understand everything about it. You must
know how to do it, how long it will take your body to lose the
weight, and exactly how your body is going to feel. If you don’t
ever practice, you are looking to add stress and potential disaster
to the plan. Practice, and the better you master the weight cutting,
the easier it will be to perform when the time comes.
Another
mistake I have also seen at weigh ins is that a fighter may think
they made the weight and then still be too heavy. This occurs
when a fighter only weighs himself on his scale and does not
use the official scale for the event. Remember that you will
have access to the official scale, and you should monitor your
weight according to it. This is the only way to know if you have
correctly made the weight or not. The last thing you need to
be doing is frantically exercising trying to cut weight in the
last few minutes. The less stress and adrenaline release, the
better.
I
hope you have learned something from this article. Remember that
weight cutting is an art and must be taken very seriously. When
used correctly, it can be a powerful tool that can lead to victory.
When used incorrectly, it can be a powerful obstacle that can
lead to defeat. This, like any art, must be practiced a number
of times in advance. Only then can you begin to truly understand
its power.
"Martin
Rooney is director of the Parisi Speed School and conditioning
coach for Team Renzo Gracie. He has trained fighters for the
ADCC, UFC, and Pride FC". His "Training for Warriors"
book and DVD are at www.parisischool.com.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Big
Mac wants the absolute title
Good
friend, always relaxed and with good humor, Luis Felipe Big Mac
is living now the syndrome of the vice-championship. But it doesn’t
take his sleep. The Jiu-Jitsu black belt climbed to the podium
of the main championships of the Jiu-Jitsu world and guarantees
that is closer to win the absolute title. “I just need to
adjust a few details and train more to get it right… From
2007 to 2008 I’ve learned a lot and hope this year I confirm
myself as a big champion, because I believe I can be a champion”,
said modest as always. At the interview that you can check clicking
here, the 2007 Brazilian champion at weight and absolute, vice-champion
at the World Championship and European champion at weight and
vice-champion at the absolute, tolds about his plans for this
year.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
“A
clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.”
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German-born American Physicist
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel 52, Tuesdays
at 7:00 PM
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 57 is complete and submitted to Olelo
programming. It will air in our normal timeslot at 7pm Tuesday nights
on February 19 and 26, and March 4 and 11 on Olelo Oahu Oceanic Channel
52.
Episode
57 features:
-highlights
from Gil Yrojo's HAWAII FIGHT LEAGUE w/ interview from Gil,
Dr. Izuka, and Larry Perreira
-interview
from Kai Garcia's Boar's Nest w/ Mario Sperry!
-Technique
of the week: teh MMA HALFGUARD PASS by Mario Sperry
-Rob
Demello's KITV report on ICON's "To HELL and BACK"
Kala vs Baroni
-and
of course, two of your favorite Olelo personalities, Mike Onzuka
and Mark Kurano
Don't
forget to join up on MMA.TV and become part of the most
prestigious MMA forum in Hawaii, THE HAWAII UNDERGROUND! where
you can
talk to us and many other key players in the MMA industry in
Hawaii
including some of the top fighters here and in the world!
Comments,
Questions, and Suggestions to: fctv@onzuka.com
|
ICON
SPORT: TO HELL AND BACK
5PM SATURDAY MARCH 15
BLAISDELL
ticket on-sale date announcement coming soon
175
lbs: MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Kona Ke vs Isaac Luke
145lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Ricky Hoku Wallace vs Colin Mackenzie
145lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Elias Delo Reyes vs Matt Comeau
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Zack Rapal vs Dwayne Haney
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Jay Bolos vs Nui Wheeler
150lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
David Padilla vs Alan Lima
160lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
PJ Dean vs Eddie Rincon
170lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Koa Ramos vs Wayne Perrin
175lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez vs Brennan Kamaka
135lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5Minutes
Tyson Nam vs Will Armstrong
145lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
State Featherweight Title Bout
Bronson Pieper vs Sadhu Bott
205lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Jeremy Williams vs. Auggie Padekan
185lbs:
MMA: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
World Middleweight Title Bout
Phil Baroni vs Kala Kolohe Hose
Source:
Icon Sport |
The Hawaii Fighting
Championship is set!
Even before the March 29th event on Maui, the next HFC is already
set for May 3rd
at the Filcom Center in Waipahu. Keep checking Onzuka.com for
the card when it becomes available.
Source: Event Promoter
|
Fedor
may leave M-1
Dana White shows interest
It
seems the partnership between Fedor and M-1 Global will not last
as long as planned. The relationship between the organization
and the athlete began in October of 2007, when American investors
bought the company and chose the Russian as the only fighter
signed to a contract. From then until now, the only thing M-1
has done was promote Yarennoka, on December 31, 2007, in Japan,
together with K-1 and former Pride employees.
The
show that would take place in the United States this year never
left the drawing table, thus not making proper use of the former
Pride heavyweight champion. The divorce will hurt the chubby
Russian where in counts, his pockets, as he will have to return
the signing fee for his contract (which bound him to fighting
six times), coming to around 1.5 million dollars. Despite the
rupture not yet being official, there are already a lot of people
with their eyes on the most valuable fighter not under contract
in the world.
EliteXC,
which recently elevated its name by signing a contract with one
of the biggest tv networks in America (CBS), may turn Fedor into
its poster boy, a post currently held by streetfighter Kimbo
Slice. “The interest in Fedor if he is free is absolute.
But we have a good relationship with M-1 and Monte Cox and would
never do anything against them,” declared Jeremy Lappen,
one of EliteXC’s head honchos.
Someone
else who has shown interest in the sambo master was the man who
seemed to have taken up arms against him: Dana White. The UFC
president has as an ace up his sleeve the fact that he can give
Fedor the most important fight of his career, against Randy Couture.
But
things are not as simple as they seem in this case. The legal
wrangling between the American organization and the veteran Couture
and the public bickering between Dana and Fedor would have put
them off, as would the contract offered to the fighter have to
be much better and more flexible than the proposal of 2007, which
left Vadim Finkelchtein, the Russian’s agent, dissatisfied.
When the controversial head man was asked if he would hire Fedor,
he didn’t beat around the bush: “Of course I would.
Right away. People think he’s the best, but I don’t,
truth is I don’t think he’s even close. But there is
some possibility, I would contract Fedor and would do whatever’s
possible to bring Randy into the octagon with him. I think it
would be a great fight and Randy would beat Fedor.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
NEW
RULES & REGS FOR COMBAT SPORTS IN CALIFORNIA
The California State Athletic Commission is looking to institute
some new rules and procedures that will effect mixed martial
arts fighters. There are two major changes to California's policies
that will possibly have a profound impact on some of the sport’s
athletes.
The
first major change will be that any fighter that applies for
or currently wants to renew their license in California will
be required to submit a urine sample. Also, the fighter may be
required to provide a urine sample before and after a bout, as
directed by the commission's representative.
A
positive test for any of the following will be a violation:
–Stimulants
–Narcotics
–Cannabinoids (marijuana)
–Anabolic agents (exogenous and endogenous)
–Peptide hormones
–Masking agents
–Diuretics
–Glucocorticosteroids
–Anti-estrogenic agents
–Alcohol
The
second change, which could be the most important of the rules
changes, is that the outcome of a bout would be able to be overturned
by the Commission. If the winner of a bout tested positive for
a banned substance immediately following the bout, the fight
could then be ruled a no contest.
As
if stands now, California does not have the authority to overturn
decisions for positive testing. The most popular case recently
has been former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk and his positive
test for Nandrolone. If these new rules would have been in place
prior to his positive test, his fight with Hermes Franca would
likely have been ruled a no decision.
Another
new procedure that will be put in place will be an adjustment
to the appeals process. Under the new rules, the commission must
set a hearing within 30 days of receipt of the request for an
appeal. The hearing may not be longer than one hour and the time
shall be split evenly between the commission and the fighter.
The
new hearing procedure would be in accordance with the following
guidelines:
(1)
First—the staff representative and/or deputy attorney general
, who shall be limited to twenty minutes.
(2)
Second—the requester and/or his or her legal counsel, who
shall be limited to twenty minutes.
(3)
Third—the rebuttal of the staff representative and/or deputy
attorney general, which shall be limited to ten minutes.
(4)
Fourth—the rebuttal of the requester and/or his or her legal
counsel, which shall be limited to ten minutes.
(d)
The commission staff bears the burden of proving his or her case
by a preponderance of the evidence.
(e)
The commission shall serve the written decision on the parties
not later than forty-five (45) calendar days after the matter
has been submitted. The decision shall contain factual findings,
legal conclusions, and an order describing the action taken by
the commission at a duly noticed meeting.
(f)
Unless good cause is shown, a request for hearing shall be deemed
abandoned and the request dismissed if the party who appealed
and requested a hearing fails to appear at a duly noticed meeting,
unless the party demonstrates good cause for that failure to
appear.
These
and other miscellaneous changes to the current rules and regulations
governing professional combat sports in California are currently
undergoing a 45-day public comment period. The Commission will
consider any comments or concerns received by or at a scheduled
April 22 hearing, at which point the rules and regulations are
eligible for adoption.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ANDERSON
SILVA STANDS ALONE AT MIDDLEWEIGHT
1. Anderson Silva
The questions regarding Anderson Silva now aren’t so much
about whom in the middleweight division can defeat him, but who
in mixed martial arts? He has had six fights since entering the
Octagon – capturing the UFC championship in only his second
bout for the promotion – and he has yet to be taken outside
of the second round. Finishing off Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt,
Travis Lutter, Chris Leben, and Rich Franklin… twice, what
else is left for him? Yushin Okami is a likely challenger, but
now speculation has started that he may soon have to step outside
of the middleweight division for a marquee challenge.
2.
Paulo Filho
Despite rumors of recent bouts with depression, what really counts
in MMA is what happens in the cage, and there is no questioning
of Filho’s accomplishments there. A training partner of
Ricardo Arona and Anderson Silva, he has managed to keep his
perfect record intact, to an impressive 16 wins and no defeats.
He will rematch Chael Sonnen later this month in defense of his
World Extreme Cagefighting championship, but despite early struggles
in their first bout, he still found a way to win, as he always
has.
3.
Rich Franklin
The only man to stop Franklin since he emerged in the UFC has
been Anderson Silva, and so far, that hasn’t seemed to be
anything to be ashamed of, as Silva has been running rough shod
through everyone. Franklin has remained a constant contender
in the division by defeating everyone else he has faced, including
Okami, Jason MacDonald, Evan Tanner, Dave Loiseau, and others.
4.
Denis Kang
One of the most consistent and active fighters in the sport,
Kang has only lost two bouts in the past five years. That is
over a span of 26 fights. His only decisive loss was a knockout
by Yoshihiro Akiyama; the other defeat during that time being
a split decision loss to No. 7 ranked Kazuo Misaki. Kang established
himself on the world scene with wins over Amar Suloev, Murilo
Rua, and Akihiro Gono while fighting for Pride FC.
5.
Robbie Lawler
Following an up-and-down patch before he exited the UFC in late
2004, Lawler has become one of the more consistent fighters in
the middleweight division. He has since posted a 7-1 record and
captured the Icon Sport and EliteXC middleweight championships,
defeating fighters such as No. 10 ranked Frank Trigg, Murilo
“Ninja” Rua, and Joey Villasenor.
6.
Nathan Marquardt
The only stumble for seven-time King of Pancrase Nathan Marquardt
since making the move to the UFC two-and-a-half years ago has
been the same as everyone else, Anderson Silva. Outside of this
lone defeat in the Octagon, Marquardt has racked up five wins,
including bouncing back from the loss to Silva with an impressive
submission of Jeremy Horn, a veteran of 100-plus fights.
7.
Kazuo Misaki
Misaki has consistently been on the cusp of cracking the upper
half of the middleweight ranks, but always seems to hit a roadblock.
Following wins over Phil Baroni and former Pride champion Dan
Henderson he dropped a bout to Filho, bounced back with a win
over Denis Kang, but then couldn’t get past Trigg. Misaki
recently scored a victory over highly touted Siyar Bahadurzada,
following a no contest with Akiyama.
8.
Yushin Okami
Despite a slip against Franklin at UFC 72, Okami has rebounded
to put himself back into title contention and could easily be
the next in line to challenge Silva. He has gone 6-1 in the UFC,
but that record has been dotted with decision victories, which
likely has held him back from the main event. His recent outing
at UFC 82, however, was an impressive knockout of former UFC
champion Evan Tanner. That win, and a disqualification victory
over Silva in Rumble on the Rock, is likely to raise his stock
enough to get him a shot.
9.
Dan Henderson
Henderson is a bit of an enigma in mixed martial arts, constantly
floating back and forth between light heavyweight and middleweight.
Even though he lost his last outing at middleweight – like
everyone else, to Anderson Silva – the bout returned his
eligibility to the middleweight division. His re-entry just goes
to show the respect that Silva has garnered as not many fighters
re-emerge in the rankings following a loss, but victories over
Misaki, Gono, Ryo Chonan, and former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante,
stack up well against just about anyone else’s victories
in the division.
10.
Frank Trigg
Since leaving the UFC in 2005 after running into brick walls
named Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre, Trigg has put together
a solid record of 4-2, fighting sporadically for various promotions.
His wins include impressive performances against Misaki and Jason
“Mayhem” Miller, amidst tough losses to highly ranked
fighters Carlos Condit and Robbie Lawler.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
EVANS
JUMPED AT CHANCE TO FACE LIDDELL
Fresh off the announcement that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
had to drop out of his fight with Chuck Liddell at UFC 85 due
to a recurring knee injury, Rashad Evans got the call to step
in as a replacement. There was no hesitation in his mind about
accepting the fight.
“With
Shogun being out, Dana White gave me a call and he asked me if
I wanted the opportunity to fight Chuck,” recounted Evans
in an interview with MMAWeekly.com, “And I’m like,
‘yeah!’”
Coming
off of a tough three-round fight with Michael Bisping in November,
Evans is ready to head into his training camp. With the fight
not happening until June, he will have ample time to get ready
for Liddell.
“It’s
definitely going to give me enough time to prepare for it,”
he stated about the timing of the fight.
Since
winning the heavyweight division of second season of The Ultimate
Fighter reality series, Evans has stayed busy, and undefeated,
pulling off victories over fighters such as Jason Lambert, Stephan
Bonnar and Bisping.
Now
he will face possibly his greatest challenge to date and a legend
in the sport in former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell.
“It’s
a great opportunity,” said Evans. “Chuck Liddell’s
been a dominant force in the weight class for the last several
years. He’s a huge icon in the sport, and a really good
fighter. It’s going to be fun and a great challenge.”
Over
the last few years, Liddell has garnered a reputation for pummeling
wrestlers who step into the Octagon with him. The list includes
Renato “Babalu” Sobral twice, Tito Ortiz twice, and
Randy Couture twice.
But
Evans feels he can learn from those fighters’ past mistakes
and come out on top.
“I
think my style is different than what he’s faced before,
but they will give you those little pointers where you can look
back and see what they did wrong,” he said about reviewing
Liddell’s past fights.
Coach
Greg Jackson and a slew of top fighters, including Keith Jardine,
who along with Jackson came up with the perfect game plan to
chop Liddell down during their fight in September 2007, will
head Evans’ training camp.
“I
have a great team, they’ll put together a great game plan
with what they see in Chuck’s weak points,” he commented.
“I’m sure I’m going to have a great game plan
going into fight night.”
Now
Evans will ready himself to head back to New Mexico and work
alongside his teammates at Jackson’s gym and prepare for
the June showdown at the O2 Arena in London.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Paulao
confirmed at WEC 33
Brazilian to grant Sonnen rematch
Paulo
Filho's manager Ed Soares told Sherdog.com that the rematch between
Chael Sonnen and WEC middleweight champ Filho will not change
dates. The fight is still set to highlight WEC 33, to be held
March 26 in Las Vegas. WEC's website also confirms the date.
The
Brazilian, who said he had trouble losing weight to fit the 83kg
category, had a tough fight the first time around, but managed
to end the fight in a nice armlock that forced the American to
screaw and forfeit.
Below
is the complete lineup.
WEC
33
March 26, 2008
Las Vegas, USA
Paulo
Filho vs Chael Sonnen
Doug Marshall vs Brian Stann
Ed Ratcliff vs Marcus Hicks
Steve Cantwell vs Tim McKenzie
Hiromitsu Miura vs Blas Avena
John Alessio vs Brock Larson
Sergio Gomez vs Richard Crunkilton Jr
Ryan Stonitsch vs Alex Serdyukov
Chris Manuel vs Kenji Osawa
Logan Clark vs Bryan Baker
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Hawaii
Fighting Championships on Maui!
Source: Event promoter
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Source: Trent Sera
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Fighting
For Acceptance is Released for Orders!
Two UH
professors that were nice enough to interview us for their book,
"Fighting for Acceptance" are pleased to announce that
the book is now available for purchase. This is not your normal
MMA book, but rather a book that profiles many aspects of MMA
and fighters that has never been explored! They interviewed many
high profile fighters like Dan Henderson, Mayhem Miller, and
too many others to list. You have to read the book!
We highly recommend that you purchase this book, not only to
support MMA, but to open your mind about the many other facets
of MMA that you have probably not considered and is important
for the general public to be educated about MMA.
The book is officially available for purchase online via the
websites, below:
Barnes & Noble
Iuniverse
Amazon.com
http://MMAcademics.angelfire.com
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