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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)
6/18/08
EliteXC
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
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)
4/6/08
GrappleFest: Submission
Sundays
(Submission Grappling)
(Hawaii Room, Neal Blaisdell Center)
3/29/08
Garden Island Cage Match 7
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 8
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial)
3/28-30/08
Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(Californina State University, Dominguez Hills, CA)
Registration ends 3/22/08
3/16/08
Sera's Kajukenbo Open Tournament
(Continuous
Sparring, MMA, Submission Grappling)
(Maui High School Gym, Kahului, Maui)
Icon Fitness Gym Tournament
(Submission Wrestling)
(Icon Fitness Gym)
3/15/08
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/9/08
2008 Pacific Invitational BJJ Tournament
(BJJ )
(Hibiscus Room, Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu)
3/7/08
Got Skillz Fighter
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
3/1/08
USA-Boxing
Hawaii, Palolo B.C. & Kawano B.C. Presents Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
2/29/08
X-1 at the O-Lounge
Fight Club Meets Nightclub 4
(MMA)
(O-Lounge, Honolulu)
2/24/08
Icon Grappling Tournament
(Sub Grappling)
(Icon Gym)
2/17/08
Hawaiian
Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
2/15/07
Midwest Invasion: Team Indiana vs. Team Hawaii
(MMA)
(Coyotes Night Club, 935 Dillingham Blvd, Kalihi)
2/8/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 7
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
2/2/08
Man up and Stand up
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery
Ballroom)
1/26/08
X1 World
Events: Champions
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/20/08
Big
Island Open Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(Konawaena High School)
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(POSTPONED)
1/19/08
UFC 80: Rapid Fire
(BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson)
Newcastle, England
1/12/08
Hawaii Fight League
Season 1, Event 2
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
|
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March 2008 News
Part 3
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FIGHTERS CLUB RADIO
MONDAYS
9am - 10am
AM 1500 "The Team, Hawaii's Sporting News
Listen in to Pat Freitas and Mark Kurano!
TOPICS:
-Boxing vs MMA, is STRIKING KING?
-HFC
Event Wrap Up
-Preview of EliteXC Jake Shields vs Drew Fickett in Hawaii
GUEST
#1
Mike Tanaka, Boxing Coach from Kalakaua Gym and Grappling Unlimited
GUEST
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Mark Oshiro , Icon 135# State Champ, talks about his last fight
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ELITE
XC-STRIKEFORCE REVIEW: CUNG THE KING
SAN
JOSE, Calif. – A crowd of 16,326 fans filled the HP Pavilion
to witness what was the biggest fight in San Jose’s short
mixed martial arts history. Strikeforce middleweight champion
Frank Shamrock headlined against San Shou stylist Cung Le in
the latest EliteXC-Strikeforce co-promotion in what was billed
as the “Battle of San Jose.”
Le
started off with his patented kicks, keeping Shamrock at bay.
Shamrock tried to get the fight to the ground, but was unable
to impose his will. Le continued to land his kicks, while Shamrock
worked the jab to get inside. It was an evenly matched first
round with crowd cheering at any burst of action.
The
second went much better for the challenger; he began to find
his groove with kicks and mixed in some solid punch combinations.
Shamrock was unsuccessful in his lone attempt to take the fight
to the ground. Le continued to gain confidence, working Shamrock
over with kicks. A worried look struck the champion as the round
ended.
With
momentum on his side in the third round, Le went on with his
assault of kicks and punches, Shamrock continuing to grow more
disconcerted. As the round continued, Le began to tire and Shamrock
saw his chance to pounce. Shamrock landed a stinging punch and
that hurt Le, who was at this point was tired. Shamrock went
in for the kill, hurting Le with punches and landing the occasional
knee to the head. Somehow Le survived the onslaught and returned
fire with a high kick that rocked Shamrock, Le continued with
a barrage of punches and one last high kick as the round ended.
Shamrock
fell in pain and it was determined that he could no longer continue
because of a possible broken arm, which resulted from the first
high kick. The crowd exploded into cheer as Le’s corner
ran in to celebrate with the new Strikeforce middleweight champion.
Le will now be known as the “King of San Jose,” putting
himself on the MMA map.
A
late injury postponed Drew Fickett’s chances of becoming
the EliteXC welterweight champion, but he still took care of
business against Jae Suk Lim, who was also left without an opponent
at the last minute. The two fighters traded shots on feet as
the action quickly hit the ground and after a quick scramble
ended with Fickett on his back. Not wasting any time, Fickett
quickly locked on a guillotine choke and Lim stood up trying
to escape, but was soon back on the ground forced to tap at 1:14
of the first round.
Fickett
will now move on to meet Jake Shields on June 14 for the EliteXC
welterweight championship in Hawaii.
Coming
off his first career loss, Gilbert Melendez rebounded with a
dominating performance over the outgunned Midwest fighter Gabe
Lemley. Melendez was making his first defense of the Strikeforce
lightweight championship and he made it look easy. From the onset,
Melendez hurt Lemley with stinging punches and picking him up
and slamming him to the ground. The rest of the round followed
the same formula of Melendez landing heavy leather and keeping
Lemley on the defensive.
The
same formula continued in the second round. This time Melendez
turned on the heat and battered the overmatched Lemley with strikes
until the referee stopped the punishment at 2:18.
In
heavyweight action, former NCAA All-American wrestler Wayne Cole
made short work of UFC veteran Mike Kyle. Kyle was making his
return to action after a lengthy suspension kept him out of action
for the last two years. Cole wasted no time in getting a takedown,
quickly trying to maneuver into mount, but was denied by Kyle.
Cole once again tried for the mount, but instead switched over
to an armbar that forced Kyle to tap at just 42 seconds of the
opening round.
Although
he faced several changes in opponent leading up to the fight,
Joey Villasenor kept his cool and took care of business against
UFC veteran Ryan Jensen. Both fighters were fairly cautious to
begin the fight, neither engaging until Villasenor scored a takedown.
Not much action transpired on the ground and they were stood
back up. This is where the action got heated; Villasenor landed
a huge hook that hurt Jensen, but was unable to follow up. They
began to trade with Jensen getting the better of the exchanges,
hurting Villasenor with crisp punch combinations. Just as it
seemed to go in Jensen’s favor, Villasenor landed a huge
left hook that put him out at 4:45 of the first round.
Tiki
Ghosn got back on the winning track with a hard fought decision
victory over Luke Stewart. Ghosn was able to thwart many of Stewart’s
attempts to get the fight on the ground and punished him on the
feet with punch combinations and knees in the clinch. On the
rare occasion that the fight hit the ground, Ghosn was on top
and in control. The judges rendered their verdict a unanimous
decision with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.
-Cung
Le def. Frank Shamrock by TKO (Severely Damaged Arm) at 5:00,
R3
-Drew Fickett def. Jae Suk Lim by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 1:14, R1
-Gilbert Melendez def. Gabe Lemley by TKO at 2:18, R2
-Wayne Cole def. Mike Kyle by Submission (Armbar) at 0:42, R1
-Joey Villasenor def. Ryan Jensen by KO at 4:45, R1
-Billy Evangelista def. Marlon Sims by KO at 0:39, R3
-Tiki Ghosn def. Luke Stewart by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Darren Uyenoyama def. Anthony Figueroa by Submission (Guillotine
Choke) at 1:27, R1
-Jesse Jones def. Jesse Gillespie by TKO at 0:35, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Kron
takes absolute in style
Rickson’s son gets sub in all five fights
At
brown belt there’s just no beating him. Under the watchful
eye of father Rickson, Kron Gracie strolled through the opposition
in the fighting area of the California State University gymnasium,
stage for the 2008 Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American. Middleweight Kron
didn’t pay heed to a single opponent, submitting them all
in the five fights on his way to absolute gold.
In
the decision, the victim would be Christopher Moriarty, Alliance
representative. At around one minute of fighting, Kron got the
takedown and quickly went on to catch his adversary in an armbar.
Euphoric, the brown belt ran to celebrate with his father.
This
was the first title for Kron in the absolute brown belt category.
Normally, for being considered too light for the contest without
a weight limit, he would prefer to give precedence to beating
the athletes in his category.
Speaking
with GRACIEMAG.com, Rickson stated he does not yet intend to
give his son the highest promotion in competition Jiu-Jitsu.
"Although
Kron is doing everything he should be doing, or in other words,
is giving his best, I think I'll still keep him at brown for
awhile, at the Worlds he'll still be at brown. I'm doing this
because when he gets to black, there's no going back, and I want
him to face the top black belts with maximum experience,"
said the legend.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Pan
Ams Results!
Absolute: Tozi vs Galvao in final
Roberto
Tozi and Andre Galvao are finalists in the main category in competition
Jiu-Jitsu of the 2008 Pan-American being disputed in the California
State University gymnasium. The big decision will be disputed
tomorrow afternoon (Pacific time) along with the other black
belt finals.
In
the semifinals, Roberto Tozi (Godoi JJ Club) defeated Alexandre
Souza, European absolute champion, by 9 to 0 (passing the guard,
knee on belly and mount).
Earlier,
Alexandre, of Gracie Florianopolis, submitted Lucas Leite (Brasa)
with an armbar and followed up by eliminating Tarsis Humphreys
(Alliance) with a win by advantage points. Now Tozi submitted
the American Richard Macauley (Balance JJ) in the round of eight
and went on to score 3 to 0 with a guard pass to beat Otavio
Souza (Gracie Barra).
In
the other semifinal, Andre Galvao submitted Luis “Big Mac”
Theodoro with a choke from the guard. Before being eliminated,
Big Mac (Godoi JJ Club) went past Augusto Vieira (Gracie Barra
America) by 5 to 0, and Roberto Cyborg Abreu (Nova Geracao) by
advantage.
Now
Andre Galvao defeated Marcel Fortuna (Gracie Florianopolis) by
4 to 2 and eliminated Fernando Soluco Di Peiro (Alliance) with
a choke from the back.
We
will be back shortly with more information regarding the 2008
Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American, direct from California. Stay tuned.
Black belt
finals defined
Find out who's fighting for the gold and view semifinal photos
Andre
Galvao will have his work cut out for him tonight, in Carson,
California. After qualifying for the grand finale of the absolute
black belt division, the Brasa fighter ended up also guaranteeing
his place in the final of the medium heavyweight category. In
the semifinals, Galvao had a hotly disputed fight with Bruno
Fernandes (Gracie Barra), winning only by advantage points.
Andre
Galvao in semifinal where he beat Bruno Fernandes.
The
other finalist is Tarsis Humphreys, of Alliance. In the last
step before the final, Tarsis defeated Alexandre Souza, of Gracie
Florianopolis, by 2 to 0.
Tarsis
has revenge on Alexandre Souza and goes through to the middleweight
final.
Now
in the middleweight decision Guto Campos, who eliminated Lucas
Leite ina a close win by 5 to 4, and Otavio Souza, who beat Adriano
Silva (2 to 0).
Otavio
Souza went past Adriano Silva in a close fight.
Considered
a favorite to take the lightweight title, Celsinho Vinicius defeated
Michel Langhi (Alliance) in one of the most controversial bouts
until now. After a draw on advantage points, the ref opted to
give the spot in the final to the Ryan Gracie SP representative.
Celsinho
qualifies after controversial win over Michel Langhi.
Celsinho’s
adversary will be Lucas Lepri (Alliance), who eliminated Pilipe
Della Monica (Gracie Barra) in the semifinals.
Among
the featherweights, Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles, is in
the final and will face Japanese Yukinori Sasa, of Paraestra
JJ.
Eliminated
in the opening phases of the absolute contest, American Rafael
Lovato will be looking to recover by winning the heavyweight
title. To reach the final he defeated Fernando “Soluco”
Di Piero, and will face Roberto Tussa Alencar, who eliminated
absolute finalist Roberto Tozi.
Tussa
under Tozi. The Gracie Barra fighter eliminated the absolute
finalist
Among
ultra heavyweights, Luis “Big Mac” Theodoro defeated
Paulo Ribeiro (Gracie Barra) and will face off against Bruno
Paulist, who beat Victor Costa in the semis, in the final.
Among
super heavyweights, Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu defeated
Marcel Fortuna in the semifinals and now will face Arthur Jacinto,
who beat Ricardo Migliares (Balance).
It’s
worth noting that for having but one competitor, Bruno Malfacine
(UGF), will not dispute the roosterweight division.
Gracie
Barra representative Carlos "Esquisito" Holanda, defeated
Renan Borges (BTT) in the semifinals and is in the super featherweight
final. In the fight for the gold, he will face Samuel Braga (Gracie
Barra), who beat Leandro Escobar (BTT).
Finals:
FEATHERWEIGHT
Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Alliance) vs Yukinori Sasa
(Paraestra)
LIGHTWEIGHT
Celsinho Vinicios (Ryan Gracie) vs Lucas Lepri (Alliance)
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Guto Campos (Rickson Gracie) vs Otávio Souza (Gracie Barra)
MEDIUM HEAVYWEIGHT
Andre Galvao (Brasa) vs Tarsis Humphreys (Alliance)
HEAVYWEIGHT
Rafael
Lovato (Saulo Ribeiro) vs Roberto Tussa Alencar (Gracie Barra)
SUPER
HEAVYWEIGHT
Roberto
Cyborg Abreu (Nova Geração) vs Arthur Jacinto (UGF)
ULTRA
HEAVYWEIGHT
Luis
Big Mac (Godói JJ) vs Bruno Paulista (Gracie Barra)
ABSOLUTE
André Galvão (Brasa) vs Roberto Tozi (Godói
JJ)
Galvao
submits Tozi becoming Absolute champion
Andre
Galvao is the big name of the 2008 Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American. Besides
winning 1st in his middleweight category, the Brasa black belt
also came up with the absolute goods, submitting Robeto Tozi
with a choke from the back at 6:20 min of battle.
Andre
was, in fact, the first black belt to take a title on the day,
as he beat Tarsis Humphreys (Alliance), who suffered an injured
right shoulder, thus pulling out of the rest of the fight.
You'll
be able to find complete Pan 2008 coverage in GRACIE Magazine
# 134. Stay tuned!
OTHER
BLACK BELT FINALS
For
there being two athletes from the same academy, the super featherweight
final ended up not being disputed and was decided by rocks, paper,
scissors. By luck, Carlos “Esquisito” Holanda, ended
up being considered champion, with Samuel Braga taking silver.
There
was a change in relation to the featherweight category. Bruno
Frazzato, and not Japanese Yukinori Sasa, as earlier indicated,
was the adversary of Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles in the
dispute for the highest place on the podium. After ten minutes
of a hotly disputed fighting, the scoreboard showed 2 to 2, with
the win going to Cobrinha for having accumulated two more advantage
points than Frazzato.
In
the lightweight final. Celsinho Venicius managed two reversals,
which yielded him the 4 points to defeat Lucas Lepri who had
managed a takedown, by 4 to 2.
In
the middlweight decision, Gustavo Campos, Rickson Gracie representative,
submitted Otavio Souza, from Gracie Barra, with a leg hold, taking
the gold.
Current
world champion in the category, Rafael Lovato Jr. repeated his
good display and tood the heavyweight title at the Pan. In what
is being considered the best fight of the night up until now,
the American swept and took the back of Roberto Tussa (Gracie
Barra), thus scoring 6 to 0 and guaranteeing himself the gold.
The
super heavyweight title will go home with Roberto "Cyborg"
Abreu. Defendending the colors of Nova Geracao, he managed to
score 2 to 0 and beat Arthur Jacinto, of UGF.
In
the penultimate black belt final, Luis "Big Mac" Theodoro
saw the judge score 2 to 0 in his favor for a takedown and held
on to the favorable score till the end of the 10 minutes of regulation
time and took the ultra heavyweight title at the expense of Bruno
Paulista.
In
the absolute women's brown/black belt, there was a breathtaking
final. Luciana Dias and Michele Nicolini put on a show for the
crowd present and Luciana's 8 to 7 win came only in the final
minute, after the Gracie Humaita representative spent the entire
time behind on the scorecards.
SUPER
FEATHERWEIGHT
Carlos
Holanda Esquisito (Gracie Barra) and Samuel Braga (Gracie Barra)
opted not to fight in the final and Carlos takes gold by winning
rock, paper, scissors.
FEATHERWEIGHT
Rubens
Charles Cobrinha (Alliance) defeated Bruno Frazzato (Brasa) by
advantage points
LIGHTWEIGHT
Celsinho
Venicius (Ryan Gracie) defeated Lucas Lepri (Alliance) by a score
of 4 to 0
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Guto
Campos (Rickson Gracie) submitted Otávio Souza (Gracie
Barra) with a leg lock
MEDIUM
HEAVYWEIGHT
André
Galvão (Brasa) defeated Tarsis Humphreys (Alliance) by
desistance
HEAVYWEIGHT
Rafael
Lovato (Saulo Ribeiro) defeated Roberto Tussa Alencar (Gracie
Barra) by a score of 6 to 0
SUPER
HEAVYWEIGHT
Roberto
Cyborg Abreu (Nova Geração) defeated Arthur Jacinto
(UGF) by 2 to 0
ULTRA
HEAVYWEIGHT
Luis
Big Mac (Godói JJ) defeated Bruno Paulista (Gracie Barra)
by 2 to 0
ABSOLUTE
André
Galvão (Brasa) vs Roberto Tozi (Godói JJ)
Galvao by choke from back.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
TIM
SYLVIA'S NEW HOME IS FULL OF ADRENALINE
M-1 Global on Friday announced that it had come to an agreement
to part ways with former Pride champion Fedor Emelianenko. As
part of the separation, the American faction of the partnership,
led by president and CEO Monte Cox, will continue on under a
new name.
Cox
told MMAWeekly.com that the new moniker Adrenaline has already
risen from the ashes of the former M-1 Global.
Adrenaline
will make its debut on June 14 in Chicago, Ill. at the Sears
Centre with one fight already officially signed. Ultimate Fighting
Championship veteran Jeff Monson will face Pride veteran Mike
Russow in a heavyweight battle.
Monson
comes off a decision victory over Hakim Goram at Platinum Fighting
Productions: Ring of Fire. Russow enters the fight following
a submission victory over Roman Zentsov at Yarennoka.
Perhaps
the bigger news is that several fighters have already been signed
to the organization with the most prominent signing being former
UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, who was released from the
final fight of his UFC contract to pursue such opportunities.
"Adrenaline
is a new promotion, but it allows fighters to fight for other
organizations... that's huge," Sylvia said. "I've got
3 to 4 years left
and want to fight as much as possible, so this is the perfect
choice for
me at this time."
Cox
said that other fighters that have been signed by Adrenaline
include International Fight League veteran Ben Rothwell and former
Bodog Fight welterweight champion Eddie Alvarez, who is currently
active in the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
NO.
1 RANKED TAMURA LOSES SHOOTO TITLE
Tough Loss for
Baret, but he showed major heart in this fight!
Hideki Kadowaki, in a close decision, upset No. 1 ranked featherweight
Akitoshi Tamura at Friday’s Shooto Back to Our Roots 8 event
in Tokyo. The final tallies had one judge scoring the bout a
draw (30-30), while the other two judges gave the nod to Kadowaki
(30-28 and 30-29). The win earned Kadowaki the Shooto lightweight
(143-pound) title.
In
a battle for the Shooto featherweight (132-pound) championship
- recently vacated by Akitoshi Hokazono – Masakatsu Ueda
scored a unanimous decision over Koetsu Okazaki (30-27 on all
three scorecards). In remaining undefeated and capturing the
title, Ueda handed Okazaki the first defeat of his career.
Currently
ranked No. 6 in the world at featherweight, Hatsu Hioki increased
his winning streak to three straight with a majority decision
victory over Baret
Yoshida.
As
part of Shooto’s 2008 Lightweight Rookie Tournament, Hiroshige
Tanaka knocked out Kenichiro Marui three minutes into the first
round.
-Hideki
Kadowaki def. Akitoshi Tamura by Majority Decision, R3
-Masakatsu Ueda def. Koetsu Okazaki by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Hatsu Hioki def. Baret
Yoshida
by TKO (Strikes) at 4:51, R1
-Mamoru Yamaguchi def. Masaki Sugawara by Unanimous Decision,
R3
-Tetsu Suzuki def. Hiroyuki Tanaka by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Hiroshi Nakamura def. Tenkei Fujimaya by Majority Decision,
R2
-Hiroshige Tanaka def. Kenichiro Marui by KO at 3:01, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
healthy body is the guest-chamber of the soul; a sick, its prison."
Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, British Philosopher/Essayist/Statesman
|
Lauzon:
Penn is mightiest
By Dan Duggan / UFC Notebook
For the most part, Joe Lauzon has a one-track mind. Like most
UFC fighters, Lauzon doesn’t let his thoughts wander from
his next fight. But when Lauzon does reflect on his career --
which has the 23-year-old quickly rising up the lightweight division
ranks -- he points to one thing as the most important: having
mixed martial arts legend B.J. Penn as his coach on “The Ultimate Fighter 5.”
“It
was a life changing experience,” Lauzon said. “I basically
went on the show because I heard B.J. was going to be a coach.
It kind of blows my mind when I think about it -- if I hadn’t
done the show how different things would have been.”
It’s
impossible to say how Lauzon’s career would have progressed
if he didn’t go on TUF, but it’s safe to say he wouldn’t
have forged such a bond with Penn, the current UFC lightweight
champion.
Lauzon
(15-3) lost in the semifinals of the TUF competition, but Penn
saw enough in the East Bridgewater native to invite him to train
in Hawaii. Lauzon prepared for his win UFC 78 win over Jason
Reinhardt in November at Penn’s camp in Hilo.
Lauzon
returned to Hawaii in February to begin training for his highly
anticipated headline bout against Dover’s Kenny Florian
at Fight Night 13 on April 2 in Colorado.
“Being
(in Hawaii) the first time, I was the new guy, but I went out
there this time and I knew the guys,” Lauzon said. “I
had a better idea of what was going on so I knew which days to
rest and all that. I’m feeling good; I’m feeling strong.”
Training
full-time is still something Lauzon is getting accustomed to.
A year ago he was working 9-to-5 at his office job and training
in his free time. Despite that training regiment, Lauzon knocked
out former lightweight champion Jens Pulver in his UFC debut
in 2006. Now that he’s able to focus solely on training,
particularly with the guidance of a fighter of Penn’s aptitude,
Lauzon believes he’s improved considerably.
“(I’ve
improved) in everything really -- grappling, jiu-jitsu,”
Lauzon said. “I’ve kind of changed the fundamentals
a little bit and the priority I put on certain things. My grappling
got a lot better and my wrestling got a lot better.”
Training
in Hawaii might sound like dream job, but Lauzon’s workload
would leave most longing for the office. During the six-week
stay, Lauzon would hit the gym by 8 a.m. for 2 to 3 hours of
strength and conditioning training. The middle of the day consisted
mostly of rest, with surfing or swimming mixed in. Then it was
back to the gym at 5 p.m. for another 2 to 3 hour workout, focused
more on mixed martial arts skills, like grappling, boxing and
kickboxing.
During
his first stint in Hawaii, Lauzon was pleasantly surprised to
find out how hard Penn trains. While no one denies Penn’s
ability, his work ethic has been questioned at times during his
career.
“When
I went out there the first time I was a little bit worried about
it,” Lauzon said. “I was fighting Jason Reinhardt and
I knew a little bit about him and I wasn’t as concerned
about him as I would be with a tougher opponent. If B.J. wasn’t
training all that hard it would have been OK because I could
have just done my own thing and still been alright. I was actually
pretty surprised by how hard he does train.”
Lauzon
is now in Colorado putting the finishing touches on his preparation
and getting acclimated to the elevation. After six weeks of training
with one of the best in the sport, he feels completely ready.
“My
confidence is high,” Lauzon said. “I’m not really
getting caught in the hype of it; I’m not getting caught
up in the fact that it’s the main event. I’m looking
at it for what it is: a fight. Regardless of all the other stuff,
it comes down to the two of us locked in a cage and one of us
is going to beat up the other. I’m feeling very confident
in my chances. I’m going to win -- I know I’m going
to win.”
Get
in the action
The
Sheraton Boston will host a casting call for the eighth season
of the UFC reality show “The Ultimate Fighter.” Tryouts
will take place on April 10 beginning at 9 a.m., though participants
are encouraged to arrive early.
The
auditions will be held for the lightweight (155 pounds) and light
heavyweight (205 pounds) divisions. All applicants must be 21
or older and may sign up in advance at ufc.com or spiketv.com.
Around
the Octagon
Joe
isn’t the only fighter in the Lauzon family. Brother Dan
became the youngest fighter in UFC history when he lost to Spencer
Fisher in an October 2006 bout. The 19-year-old is trying to
get back to the UFC and has caught the eye of president Dana
White.
White
was in Wilmington for Dan Lauzon’s fight in February and
was impressed.
“I
liked Dan before I even went there and he looked good that night
too,” White said. “He had a fight just two weeks before
that down in Atlanta. He’s a tough kid.” ...
White
is effusive over Anderson Silva. But who wouldn’t be? Silva
just defeated Dan Henderson to unify the UFC and Pride welterweight
championship and cement his status as the top pound-for-pound
fighter in mixed martial arts.
“He’s
the best in the world,” White said of Silva. “He’s
the greatest fighter a lot of people have ever seen. My whole
thing was if he comes in and destroys Dan Henderson the way he
has everybody else, what do you say about this guy? And he did
it. He’s unbelievable.”
Source:
BostonHerald.com/Fight Opinion
|
Report:
Silva vs. Jones Jr. in preliminary talks
Representatives of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and
boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. are currently in "preliminary"
talks for the two fighters to compete in a boxing bout, according
to a report by Mike Chiappetta of NBCSports.com.
"Roy
likes the idea and is up for it," Alan Hopper, Don King
Productions' Director of Public Relations, told NBCSports.com.
"It's being discussed."
If
the fight were to happen, Hopper said the two would meet at a
catch-weight between 170 and 185 pounds in a boxing match sanctioned
by a state athletic commission.
The
fight would also need the approval of UFC President Dana White,
who has yet to comment on the hot topic.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Dana
White interviewed by kamipro
By Zach Arnold
Here
it is (in Japanese). I’ll keep the summary short, since
most of what he told the interviewer is similar to other American
interviews he has done.
He
ripped into the DREAM promotion, calling it minor-league and
said that Mirko was tuning his game up in the minor league so
that he could come back to the Octagon where the real competition
is.
White was asked about Nobuyuki Sakakibara and if he had heard
that Sakakibara went into soccer. White brought up that they
were suing DSE, so no further comment could be made.
Dana said that that EXC was collapsing as an organization and
that they had to take whatever deal CBS offered them. UFC would
not accept a bad television deal and that they are open to negotiating
with anyone.
He compared the deal Strikeforce made with NBC to that of television
shopping (infomercials).
In an update regarding the lawsuit filed by PRIDE FC Worldwide
Holdings LLC against DSE Inc. and Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the next
scheduled court hearing is set for April 28th at 9 AM in front
of judge Mark Denton in Clark County (Las Vegas) court. On 3/24,
the defendant filed a 16-page motion to dismiss the case.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Bisping:
Making 185-lbs. will "Not be a Problem"
by Paul Concannon
It's
become more and more commonplace for fighters to drop in weight
following defeat. Among those who have successfully transitioned
to lighter poundage include Sean Sherk, Joe Stevenson and Mike
Swick.
Another
fighter ready to take that plunge is likeable Liverpool contender
Michael Bisping.
Following
a close defeat last time out to Rashad Evans, the "Ultimate
Fighter 3" light heavyweight winner is set to make his middleweight
debut April 19 at UFC 83 against Charles McCarthy.
For
Bisping, who is setting up his own clothing label while juggling
transatlantic training jaunts between the United Kingdom and
California, the move to 185 isn't a case of looking to pick on
the little guys. Rather, it's a sensible and perhaps overdue
drop to compete at his natural weight class.
"It's
pretty simple. All my career people said I was fighting at the
wrong weight, but the thing was, I was winning fights convincingly,"
Bisping explained. "My thinking was, while I was winning,
I'll stay at 205. I can make light heavyweight easily. I didn't
have to cut any weight, and had I beat Rashad Evans, the winner
was set to break the UFC top five. Rashad was the one who got
his hand raised and has gone on to be matched with Chuck Liddell.
So at that point it made sense to stay at light heavyweight."
That
close, hard-fought defeat to Evans, however, would prove to be
the turning point.
"I
had a plan A and a plan B. Plan A was to stay undefeated my entire
career," Bisping said with a laugh. "And plan B was
to drop in weight if I ever got beat."
For
many fighters, the process of cutting weight can be an agonizing
one. Days of a miserable, restrictive diet are followed by horrendous
sweatsuit-clad hours in the sauna. Bisping, however, anticipates
few such problems squeezing his 6-foot-2 frame into the smaller
division.
"Currently,
I'm at 200 pounds with around five weeks to go before the fight,"
he said. "I'm a bit of a pussy when it comes to heat, so
I try to avoid saunas. I'll eat sensibly and a few days before
the fight I'll stop drinking, so making 185 will not be a problem."
After
winning his first 13 bouts inside the distance, with most of
his wins coming via knockout or TKO, the Wolfslair fighter has
been forced to go the distance in his two most recent fights
-- a controversial decision over Matt Hamill and the aforementioned
defeat to Evans in November last year.
In
both bouts Bisping revealed a more tactical -- some say more
tentative -- side.
"Both
of them fights were against very high standard wrestlers, so
the game plan had to be different," Bisping said. "It's
a bit of a pain because I didn't let my hands go as much as I
would have liked because I had to be concerned with fending off
their takedowns."
In
MMA, seasoned American warriors with a solid wrestling base are
commonplace. Their styles can prove nightmarish for strikers
and submission wizards alike. Bisping, though, is not overly
concerned.
"All
fights are about game plans," he said. "Working your
wrestling is part of the game. Being on ‘The Ultimate Fighter,'
and of course being in the UFC, opens doors, and I'm not shy.
I make a lot of friends. I'm like a sponge, constantly taking
ideas from people. I'm not afraid of hard work either. Like a
lot of guys here in the U.K., I have great striking, but I feel
my wrestling is also at a high standard. I have a good double-
and single-leg. I take a lot of people down in the gym, and I
even took Rashad down at one point."
His
next opponent, Charles McCarthy, is a submission specialist.
Will Bisping's natural desire to destroy his opposition override
a more tactical approach to this tricky foe?
"Again,
it's another opponent that's going to try to take me down,"
Bisping said with a sigh. "He's been in martial arts for
a long time, an experienced guy, and it will be to his advantage
to look to take me down. Those are his strengths, so it's up
to me to neutralize those strengths. In some ways I'm still a
novice, and I don't mind admitting that. I'm still pinching techniques
from people to raise my game to the next level."
Right
now, being a middleweight with title aspirations in the UFC is
a chilling prospect. Sitting atop the 185-pound ladder is none
other than Anderson Silva, a man currently riding the hottest
streak in all of MMA.
"With
Silva, you're talking about a man up there with the best in the
world," stated Bisping. "It's hard to argue with that.
He's not just beating people; he's destroying them. Guys like
Dan Henderson, and he makes it look easy. The way he lost that
first round against Henderson, went back to his corner, regrouped
and came back to turn the fight around was really impressive.
He's got the belt. Everyone else in the division wants to test
themselves against the best and fight the number one guy. In
that regard, I'm no different."
Silva's
recent destruction of Henderson served to highlight the gulf
in class between himself and the best of the rest. That doesn't
mean Bisping is expecting a stroll in the park en route to a
potential title shot, though.
"I'm
new to 185 and I have to first establish myself at the weight,"
Bisping said. "Realistically, it will be three or four fights
and a year or 18 months before we can talk about title shots.
Middleweight is pretty stacked. Yushin Okami's right up there,
and Franklin, while not in immediate contention, is still one
of the top guys. Chris Leben is doing well right now, and there's
the likes of Nate Marquardt and veterans like Jeremy Horn. It
may be a cliché, but I'm not calling people out. I have
no history or problems with anyone in the division, so I don't
want to disrespect anyone by calling them out. The UFC calls
and tells me who I'm fighting, and I have never once argued about
anyone they have put in front of me. I take it one fight at a
time."
Despite
being "overwhelmed and grateful" for the level of support
he receives, Bisping has been stung by some of the recent criticism
that followed his bouts with both Hamill and Evans. Now the popular
brawler is eager to get back on track with what he hopes will
be an eye-catching performance against McCarthy in Montreal.
"I
have been pissed off with the way my last two fights have gone
down, and I know some of the fans have been disappointed too,"
he said. "I'm looking to get back to how I used to do things,
by knocking people out in exciting fashion. That starts with
Charles McCarthy."
Source: Sherdog
|
THE
NORTHERN TOUCH: NEWS AND NOTES FROM CANADIAN MMA
Kang Thrilled to be Fighting Mousasi
By Kelsey Mowatt
The
Japanese promotion Dream began to confirm today some of the bouts
which will take place in the opening round of the promotion’s
upcoming April 29th, Middleweight Grand-Prix. Although the majority
of the tourney’s first bouts have yet to be announced, today’s
confirmation that highly regarded middleweights, Denis Kang and
Gegard Mousasi will battle, has to come as fantastic news for
MMA fans.
“I’ve
known for a few days,” Kang told FCF when we caught up with
him this afternoon. “I’m just happy to know who I’ll
be fighting and formulate a plan. I don’t care who I’m
fighting, as long as it’s somebody good, and Mousasi is
someone who’s more than alright, you know what I mean? I’m
excited, training hard, I’m ready.”
With today’s announcement, Kang now has over one month to
prepare for a specific opponent, a period of time to train with
one fighter in mind, which the Canadian fighter has not traditionally
been given during his tenure competing over seas.
“In
Japanese terms, this is a lot of time.” Kang said, who has
previously aired his frustrations publicly about being left in
the dark as to just who he is going to fight. “You have
to remember, I’m still used to it being switched for me
two weeks before, like with Akiyama.”
In
Mousasi (20-2-1), Kang will face a fighter who has won 7 straight,
a streak which also includes victories over Evangelista Santos
and Damir Mirenic while competing for Canada’s Hardcore
Championship Fighting. Mousasi, like Kang, is also a veteran
of Pride, and went 2-1 while competing for the promotion.
“I
don’t really remember his fights actually,” Kang said
when asked for his thoughts on his upcoming opponent’s abilities.
“I just remember he’s a tall guy, I know him and I
were both in Bushido back in the day, he lost by decision to
(Akihiro) Gono, and he beat (Hector) Lombard, that’s it
really. I’m going to have to get some tape on him and watch
some footage. He beat Cyborg (Santos) recently too, I was there,
but I didn’t get to see it because I was warming up Todd
Gouwenberg backstage.”
Kang
(29-9-1), who remains concentrated on the immediate task at hand
in Mousasi, shared his thoughts on some of the fighters he might
end up facing, provided he advances to round two.
“Well,
(Masakatsu) Funaki and (Kuniyoshi) Tamura are legends and all,
but none of those fighters worry me.” Kang told FCF. “People
are legends because they are a little bit older. I don’t
know if they are trying to reclaim some of their old glory days
or what. It’s kind of like when Rolling Stones is back on
tour, you know? Well guess who needs a mortgage payment? But
I know (Ronaldo Souza) Jacare might be in, (Zelg) Galesic maybe,
Yoon Dong Sik, (Kazuo) Misaki maybe, not sure if he will be,
Dae Won Kim, there’s going to be some good fighters there.”
Of
course Kang is hopeful that he might be given an opportunity
at some point in the tournament to avenge either one, or both,
of the two losses the fighter has incurred since February, 2003.
At Pride’s Bushido 13 in November, 2006, Kang lost by Split
Decision to Misaki, and then more recently, the middleweight
was knocked out by Yoshihiro Akiyama at a Hero’s event in
October.
“If
I could fight Misaki and Akiyama in the same tournament, wow,
I’d be a happy man.” Kang said. “I want Akiyama
more, definitely want closure in that one, Misaki second. Akiyama
and I have unfinished business in my mind.”
Kang
continues to train in Canada, spending most of his time in the
Lower Mainland of British Columbia with Team Revolution, as the
fighter continues to wait out visa issues which have prevented
him from training with Florida’s American Top Team. Kang
informed FCF that noted fighters like Ivan Salaverry, Bristol
Marunde, Jason MacDonald as well as some of his fellow ATT teammates,
will be heading to B.C. to help him prepare. When FCF caught
up with Kang today, the fighter was in between training sessions
in Montreal, where he has been spending time preparing for his
upcoming fight with Georges St.Pierre, Patrick Cote, and Nabil
Khatib, amongst a host of other fighters.
“It’s
been great, training with these guys, like I said man, I’m
going to be ready."
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Quote
of the Day
"Efficiency
is doing better what is already being done."
Peter F. Drucker, 1909-2005, Austrian-born Management Consultant
and Author
|
Kauai
Cage Match Today!
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
|
Hawaii
Fighting Championships on Maui Today!
Hawaii Fighting Championship: Stand Your Ground 7
Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
Saturday, March 29, 2008
135:
Davin "Bam Bam" Balagso (MMA Built) vs. TBA
145
Ellis "Danno" Bourbonnais (HMC Wahiawa) vs. Kurrent
Cocket (Impact Zone)
155
Kaika Sasaoka (Kahaluu Gracie) vs. Keone Farm (Impact Zone)
170
Jon Visante Jr. (Team SYD) vs. Wesley Vaituulala (Maui Mulisha)
155:
Kapono Tumale (Brazilian Freestyle) vs. Chris Banaag (Wailuku
Kickboxing)
205:
Kalani Gonsalves (Native Action Fight Team) vs. Eddie Edwards
(Icon Gym)
Heavyweight
Joaquin Dabbs (Freelance) vs. Mike Vaituulala (Independent)
170:
James Romano (Eastsidaz Fight Club) vs. Clayton "Kazu Boy"
Nohara (Lanai Fight Club)
Heavy
weight:
Chris Bernard (Uprising Fight Team) vs. Kaeo Linkee (Bang Inc.)
160:
Chris Cisneros (Eastsidaz/Lava MMA) vs. Pat Clark (Team Koali)
140:
Peni "Tongan Assassin" Taufaao (Eastsidaz Fight Club)
vs. Gerald Gamit (Team Issues)
135:
Albert "Always Bad" Manners (B.J Penn) vs. William
"Speedy" Armstrong (Uprising Fight Team)
145:
Ricky Hoku Wallace (Icon Gym) vs. Eddie Perrells (Maui Mulisha)
135
Championship:
Kana Hyatt (Eastsidaz/Lava MMA) vs. Tony Bergamo (HMC Wahiawa)
Main
Event:
155 Championship: Kaleo
"Lights Out" Kwan (Eastsidaz Fight Club/O2 Martial
Arts Academy)
vs. Tyson Coloma-Naho'oikaika (Island Warriors Freestyle Fighting)
Source: Event promoter
|
Shamrock:
Invincible, Invisible
by Jake Rossen
Want
a career in MMA? Go punch Tito Ortiz in the face.
Just
ask Forrest Griffin, who saw his stock rise considerably after
a valiant near-win against the former UFC light heavyweight champion;
or Chuck Liddell, who colluded with Ortiz to set pay-per-view
records for MMA attractions; or Lee Murray, a British thug who
got slotted in main events for dropping Ortiz in a raucous London
brawl, Lenny McLean-style.
Even
swinging and missing, as in the case of Ken Shamrock, can lead
to considerable viewership. Fans never seem to tire of Ortiz's
considerable forehead being assaulted.
And
so it stands to reason that Frank Shamrock's bizarrely fascinating
win over Ortiz in 1999 -- at once boring and not boring, like
a Fellini movie -- should've been the beginning of a legendary
career.
Instead,
it was more or less the end of it.
Shamrock,
dissatisfied with meager pay and uninspired by remaining contenders,
chose to semi-retire to a life of acting and teaching, taking
only the sporadic, pointless bout. Fights against Elvis Sinosic
and Bryan Pardoe seemed more for his amusement than the audience's.
Fighting a 0-0 Cesar Gracie had him flirting with outright irrelevance.
It
took a victory over Phil Baroni in 2007 -- flashy, exciting and
violent -- for observers to realize that Shamrock's constant
boasts might not have been empty self-flagellation. He had always
claimed to be a digital fighter in an analog sport. People chuckled.
Looking
at a lifeless Baroni in the ring, splayed out as if he had just
eaten the business end of a semi-truck, it didn't seem so funny
anymore.
Is
Shamrock as good as he thinks he is?
With
a rotting ACL and 15 years' of abuse logged in the Lion's Den
and the Pancrase circuit, it's probably unadvisable to gamble
his body won't simply decide to retire in mid-fight. Despite
a vaunted cardio regimen, he hasn't seen a championship round
in nearly 10 years. His wrestling, which he admits is rarely
used to avoid being taken down, is too lax for today's scoring
criteria.
And
yet Shamrock continues to stir interest, in large part because
his bravado has yet to be contested. He is the only fighter on
record who predicted a finish in mid-fight -- miming the "nappy
time" sign against Baroni -- and then more or less delivered
on the promise.
Shamrock's
primary weapon is his intellect. He's a strategist worthy of
Patton, and his ability to make adjustments is second to none.
It's the same brain that told him not to become a cripple for
free sandwiches in the late 1990s and the same brain that frustrates
viewers looking for him to demolish a who's who of the sport's
top middleweights.
Saturday
brings a fight with Cung Le, a dynamic standup artist with a
perfect 5-0 record in MMA and the odd anecdote about clocking
Shamrock in practice years ago. It's a fight that is guaranteed
to be explosive -- and guaranteed to leave questions about Shamrock
lingering.
Whether
he has interest in answering them is another matter.
It's
unlikely Shamrock, the Strikeforce middleweight champion, would
have interest in following a promotional hierarchy. Yet a fight
against a ranked competitor, someone like EliteXC champion Robbie
Lawler, could intrigue Shamrock.
There's
still depressing talk about a fight with adoptive brother Ken,
which isn't nearly as interesting as Frank believes it to be.
At 45 and with a half-dozen losses in recent memory, a commission
would have to be feeling particularly sadistic to approve the
elder Shamrock's participation in another pounding.
Then
there's Ortiz, who seems likely to become a free agent when he
fulfills the final fight on his UFC contract. When Frank defeated
Ortiz in the fall of '99, no one much cared: The sport was struggling
politically, and it was a minor miracle to be hosted in an arena
without livestock. Today, a rematch would likely be seen in millions
of homes on CBS, achieving a goal of network exposure that Shamrock
recited to journalists in 2005.
The
fight with the elder Shamrock, worthless; a fight with Ortiz,
interesting; with Lawler, worthwhile.
All
of them are seat-warmers for what would be a monumentally entertaining
and important bout with Anderson Silva, the sport's current king.
Unfortunately, Shamrock's differences with the UFC brass would
likely act as an insurmountable hurdle. That leaves other fights
that appeal to a general audience -- but hold little in the way
of establishing him as a viable threat in his division -- as
expected options.
What
to do, then, with a paradoxical career like Shamrock's?
He's
too good to be toiling against aging non-threats and undeveloped
newcomers, yet apparently unwilling to risk his legacy against
a tested contender. He plans to fight for "10 more years,"
but he made similar claims of ambition before the Ortiz bout.
His attention drifts from ventures like Shootbox and the IFL
to self-marketing and the occasional prizefight.
But
he seems to be enjoying himself, laughing loudly and satisfied
with his status as a freelance mercenary.
In
a sport where fighters are all too often abused physically and
financially before being discarded, maybe that's as good a victory
as any.
Source: Sherdog
|
DREAM.3
Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 2nd Round
Tickets for DREAM.3 on May 11 at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan
went on sale Sunday. The event will feature the second round
of the group's 2008 Lightweight Grand Prix tournament.
Joachim
Hansen, Luiz "Buscape" Firmino, Katsuhiko Nagata, Mitsuhiro
Ishida, Eddie Alvarez and Tatsuya Kawajiri were the six competitors
who qualified for the second round with victories at the March
15 DREAM.1 event.
Shinya
Aoki and Gesias "JZ" Calvancante, the two top-ranked
lightweights who went to a no contest at DREAM.1, are expected
to fill out the two remaining spots on the Grand Prix.
But
before the Lightweight Grand Prix resumes, DREAM.2 will take
place with the Middleweight Grand Prix on Tuesday, April 29.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Antoine
Jaoude
By Guilherme
Cruz
"People from BTT are receptive and have too much talent,
it’s been excellent. It’s easier because people had
already had a great base"
After winning the silver medal at Pan-American at Colorado Springs,
, Antoine Jaoude is focused at the 2008 Olympics, at . With the
birth of his new daughter and energies renew, Antoine told at
exclusive interview to TATAME that he’s teaching some Wrestling
training at Brazilian Top Team and about the possibility to fight
at HCF, same event of the Brazilian fighter Rogério Minotouro,
and Sengoku. Check below the complete interview with Antoine
Jaoude.
How
was your participation at Pan-American at Colorado Springs ?
It
was good. I managed to go to the big final and got the second
place and Artilheiro got the third place. Actually, it was a
great result for me, because I was injured and got an excellent
collocation, I only had the expectation to finish between the
first four. We fought equally and I felt the gas a little, but
it was a good fight.
And
the other Brazilians, how did they go?
Artilheiro
was really well, fought with the fifth of the world and with
the world champion from , he was really well.
Will
you fight at the Olympics? How is your preparation?
It’s
not right yet. I still need to guarantee my spot. The preparations
is very good, I’m dedicating 100% and will arrive there
well trained.
Which
are the biggest difficulties that you’ll face at?
Surelly
the biggest difficulty is to get to the competition with rhythm,
arrive there strongly to do your best.
From
2004’s Olympics to today, what do you believe had changes
at the sport?
It
changed a lot. We now have the sponsor of Caixa Econômica
Federal, have support and money to pay teachers, tournaments
and national competitions.
How
was your fight at IFL?
I
was overloaded, I had too many competitions and went there weared
down and fought with a tough guy, Roy Nelson, and shouldn’t
go there this way. I had participated four days before at a competition
and it prejudiced me.
How
was Marco Ruas’ Team’s left from IFL?
This
year they had a lot of changing at IFL and Marco Ruas judged
better get away a little, because they had changed a little the
concept of the competition, cut too much the earnings and it
was going to waste too much time.
And
the financial part at IFL? Did that influenced your decision?
Actually,
that was two contracts, one would continue the same, receiving
the payment, and the other we would receive more, but for fight
and it would depend on the victory. We had the fix one more double
for any victory, in three or four fights we would had received
much more, but it would depend on the victory.
Are
you the new Wrestling coach of BTT? How are the trainings? What’s
the expectation?
I’m
with a big expectation. I received the invitation from Murilo
Bustamante, a big friend of mine and invited me to teach there.
People from BTT are receptive and have too much talent, it’s
been excellent. It’s easier because people had already had
a good base.
Is Murilo Bustamante your new manager?
Yes.
It’s not official yet, but some proposals came. If we get
a good contract to fight at , , , we surely will be together
at this work.
Do
you have any fight or any contract already made?
I
was called to fight at HCF at , same event that (Rogerio) Minotouro
fight, but I still don’t know. There is Sengoku too, but
nothing right yet. I spoke with IFL and they said that would
send me an official email, but I haven’t received nothing
yet, so I’m with open way.
Your
little daughter had born recently… What’s her name
and what did that change in your life?
Victória.
She’s 12 days now and continues at the hospital UTI, but
may leave now. She got a victory for herself and helped me a
lot to train more and bring new titles to . I’m waiting
her to leave the hospital to continue normally my life. When
she leave the hospital the things will be better.
Source: Tatame
|
Smith
arrested after high-speed motorcycle chase
Patrick Smith, who is scheduled to face Oleg Taktarov on April
11, was arrested and jailed Thursday night at the Bryan County
Jail in Oklahoma, reports KXII-TV.
Smith,
who was riding a motorcycle upwards of 130 miles per hour, was
chased for approximately seven minutes before he was apprehended
by police.
Smith
was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, possession
of a prescription drug without a valid prescription, and reckless
driving.
Smith
was called as a replacement for Don Frye (shoulder injury) to
take part in a "Masters Superfight" at the Trump Taj
Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The bout is being promoted
by former UFC owner Bob Meyrowitz's upstart promotion, YAMMA
Pit Fighting. The organization has not commented on Smith's arrest.
Smith
competed for the UFC from 1993-1995 at UFC 1, 2, and 6. He won
three fights at UFC 2 before losing to Royce Gracie in the finals.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count
our blessings."
Eric Hoffer, 1902-1983, American Social Writer
|
Submission
Sundays No-Gi Grappling Tournament
Neal Blaisdell Center - Hawaii Room 777 Ward Avenue
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Register
Online For Tournament: www.grapplefest.net or at the Door
Session
1 (8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. including weigh-ins)
Divisions:
14 and Under
Weigh-Ins start at 8:00 a.m.
Grappling starts at 9:30 a.m.
Grappling completes around 11:30 a.m.
4 Man Round Robins
4 minute match
Targeting 3 matches with 1 every half hour.
Entry "Free" must purchase $10 yearly insurance card.
Awards for 1st-4th
Session
2 (10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. including weigh-ins)
Divisions:ALL
OTHER DIVISIONS 15 AND UP
Weigh-Ins start at 10:30 a.m.
Grappling starts at 11:30 a.m.
Grappling completes around 4:00 p.m.
4 Man Round Robins, 8 man Brackets, Challege Matches
6 minute match
$40 entry fee
Awards for 1st-4th $1000 Absolute Prize
Basic
Rules Sheet
Points/Scoring
Abbreviations:
1.
Takedown (T2) 2 pts.
* anytime a grappler goes from neutral position to top control
2. Low amplitude throw (T3) 3 pts.
* must be an upper body hold from neutral position
3. High amplitude throw (T5) 5 pts.
* must be an upper body hold and meet the Grand amplitude criteria
4. Side Mount (SM3) 3 pts.
5. Full Mount (FM4) 4 pts.
6. Back Mount (BM5) 5 pts.
7. Escape (E1) 1 pt.
* anytime a grappler goes from being on bottom to neutral position
8. Reversal (R2) 2 pts.
* anytime a grappler goes from being on bottom to top control
9. Submission Appreciation Point (SAP) 1 pt.
* SAP’s are awarded for having more Sub Advantage Marks
at the end of regulation time.
10. Submission Advantage Mark (AS)
* Sub Advantage Marks serve as the first criteria for First Choice
in the 1st OT period.
Control
must be established for a count of 3 seconds to score any of
the above points or marks.
Source: Event Promoter
|
WORLD
EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING 33
Stann Rips Light Heavyweight Title from Marshall’s Hands
By Steven Marrocco
Whether
it was his scowl or his skills, Brian Stann had put the fear
of God into WEC light-heavyweight champ Doug Marshall. It was
evident in Marshall’s circling—backwards and fast,
his arms tightly outstretched. Usually the first one to rush
his opponent, Marshall hung back and waited for the green light.
In
his two years with the WEC, Stann has become known for his blitzkrieg
attack. He comes at you in a flurry, and overwhelms you quick.
Marshall
tried his best to slow Stann down with outside leg kicks, and
caught a few himself in the process, giving the Marine a nod
of recognition. Stann’s straight jab was Marshall’s
first alert that he was in for a serious fight. Stann cornered
Marshall in the cage and fought the champ’s Muay Thai clinch.
Marshall managed to create a little space, but his knees missed,
and when the two broke from the position, it was guns a blazing.
Marshall
unloaded a flurry of punches at Stann, throwing haymaker after
haymaker. Stann covered up and popped out between punches. One
of them, a short left, caught “The Rhino” on the sweet
spot, taking his legs from him. Stann began to celebrate, then
realized ref Herb Dean wasn’t ready to stop the fight just
yet. It didn’t take much to get the TKO—the few punches
Stann threw as he stood over Marshall were all that Dean needed
to make an executive decision.
With
the win, the Iraq War veteran picked up the WEC light-heavyweight
title and a storybook ending for his patriot stature.
Before
their fight, Chael Sonnen thanked last-minute replacement Bryan
Baker for giving him the opportunity to compete. While Sonnen
broke a sweat, the fight was anything but competitive. Though
Baker’s 6-0 record and willingness to fight may have served
as a justification for WEC matchmakers, the bout turned out to
be a serious imbalance from the get-go.
Sonnen
put on a wrestling and ground-and-pound clinic that left Baker
with little to do except defend himself and wait for the bell.
Right from the start, Sonnen announced his authority with an
easy double leg takedown. Though Baker initially thwarted Sonnen’s
ground attack by sitting up and securing a body lock, Sonnen
was able to re-assert himself when Baker stood up. Executing
a perfect suplex, Sonnen never let Baker get away again.
Baker
got just one looping right hand off before the nightmare began.
The
remaining rounds were all Sonnen, as he toyed with Baker on the
ground, throwing down punches that opened a cut on Baker’s
forehead. Against the cage, Baker tried to pull a Paulo Filho,
attempting to control Sonnen’s hands and throw his legs
up for a triangle, but Sonnen was on the ball this time.
By
the third round, Baker’s eyes were swelling shut from Sonnen’s
punches. An opening kick in the third gave Sonnen the takedown,
where the fight dipped in his favor again. The unanimous decision
victory for Sonnen came at the surprise of no one.
Ed
Ratcliff seemed out of step and uninspired from the beginning
of his fight with Marcus Hicks. Circling rapidly away from Hicks,
Ratcliff ended up eating a right hook that stunned him in the
opening exchange of the fight. From there, he seemed to wilt
under Hicks pressure, falling to the canvas off a missed hook.
Hicks used his sizable arms to squeeze out a guillotine, but
“9mm” escaped. Ratcliff wasn’t so lucky the second
time around, as Hicks quickly got a double leg takedown and locked
in a guillotine as he sat against the cage. Ratcliff tapped out
with little struggle.
It’s
now likely that Hicks will face Jaime Varner this summer for
the lightweight belt.
Rich
Crunkilton returned to form with a dominant victory over Sergio
Gomez. Despite losing almost every standing exchange with Gomez,
he took the fight to the canvas, where his superior jiu-jitsu
and wrestling put him ahead. Early on, Crunkilton opened up a
bleeder on the back of Gomez’s head, making escape from
his dominant position all the more difficult. Gomez managed to
reverse once in the fight, after Crunkilton missed a kneebar
attempt, but “Cleat” simply reversed and had his way
again. All three judges saw it in favor of Crunkilton, awarding
him the unanimous decision victory.
After
a two-year absence from the WEC, Tim McKenzie had his hopes of
a title rematch with Doug Marshall squashed quickly against Steve
Cantwell. Initially, McKenzie connected with punch combinations
and inside leg kicks, but Cantwell closed the distance. Cantwell
couldn’t do much damage from McKenzie’s guard after
a scramble put him on top, and put the fight back on its feet.
There, Cantwell landed a high kick that stunned McKenzie enough
to put him on the ground. As McKenzie rolled to his back, Cantwell
sealed the deal with a modified rear naked choke.
WEC
33 Full Results:
Brian
Stann def. Doug Marshall at 1:35 of Rd. 1 by TKO (Strikes)
Chael
Sonnen def. Bryan Baker at 5:00 of Rd. 3 by Unanimous Decision
(30-26, 30-25, 30-25)
Marcus
Hicks def. Ed Ratcliff at 1:42 of Rd. 1 by Submission (Guillotine
Choke)
Steve
Cantwell def. Tim McKenzie at 2:13 of Rd. 1 by Submission (Rear
Naked Choke)
Hiromitsu
Miura def. Blas Avena at 2:35 of Rd. 1 by KO.
Brock
Larson def. John Alessio at 1:50 of Rd. 1 by Disqualification
(Knee to a Downed Opponent)
Richard
Crunkilton def. Sergio Gomez at 5:00 of Rd. 3 by Unanimous Decision
(30-26, 30-27, 29-28)
Alex
Serdyukov def. Ryan Stonitsch at 1:35 of Rd. 1 by Submission
(Triangle Choke)
Kenji
Osawa def. Chris Manuel at 5:00 of Rd. 3 by Split Draw
Logan
Clark def. Scott Harper at 4:37 of Rd. 1 by TKO (Strikes)
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Kauai
Cage Match Tomorrow
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
|
Hawaii
Fighting Championships on Maui Tomorrow
Hawaii Fighting Championship: Stand Your Ground 7
Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
Saturday, March 29, 2008
135:
Davin "Bam Bam" Balagso (MMA Built) vs. TBA
145
Ellis "Danno" Bourbonnais (HMC Wahiawa) vs. Kurrent
Cocket (Impact Zone)
155
Kaika Sasaoka (Kahaluu Gracie) vs. Keone Farm (Impact Zone)
170
Jon Visante Jr. (Team SYD) vs. Wesley Vaituulala (Maui Mulisha)
155:
Kapono Tumale (Brazilian Freestyle) vs. Chris Banaag (Wailuku
Kickboxing)
205:
Kalani Gonsalves (Native Action Fight Team) vs. Eddie Edwards
(Icon Gym)
Heavyweight
Joaquin Dabbs (Freelance) vs. Mike Vaituulala (Independent)
170:
James Romano (Eastsidaz Fight Club) vs. Clayton "Kazu Boy"
Nohara (Lanai Fight Club)
Heavy
weight:
Chris Bernard (Uprising Fight Team) vs. Kaeo Linkee (Bang Inc.)
160:
Chris Cisneros (Eastsidaz/Lava MMA) vs. Pat Clark (Team Koali)
140:
Peni "Tongan Assassin" Taufaao (Eastsidaz Fight Club)
vs. Gerald Gamit (Team Issues)
135:
Albert "Always Bad" Manners (B.J Penn) vs. William
"Speedy" Armstrong (Uprising Fight Team)
145:
Ricky Hoku Wallace (Icon Gym) vs. Eddie Perrells (Maui Mulisha)
135
Championship:
Kana Hyatt (Eastsidaz/Lava MMA) vs. Tony Bergamo (HMC Wahiawa)
Main
Event:
155 Championship: Kaleo
"Lights Out" Kwan (Eastsidaz Fight Club/O2 Martial
Arts Academy)
vs. Tyson Coloma-Naho'oikaika (Island Warriors Freestyle Fighting)
Source: Event promoter
|
ULTIMATE
FIGHTER 8 FEATURES 155- & 205-POUNDERS
Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Monday announced
a casting call for season eight of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
The tryouts are scheduled to take place on April 10 in Boston
at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.
Unlike
season seven, which is comprised entirely of middleweight fighters,
the casting call for season eight calls for fighters from both
the lightweight (155-pound) and light heavyweight (205-pound)
weight classes.
No
indication was given as to how many fighters would be chosen
for the season eight. Nor was it stated whether or not the fighters
would have to take part in the new “fight-off” format
that will kick-off season seven.
UFC
president Dana White, The Ultimate Fighter executive producer
Craig Piligian, and Spike TV senior vice president Brian Diamond
will oversee the tryouts.
All
interested applicants must be over 21 and our encouraged to sign
up in advance at UFC.com or Spike.com.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Cro
Cop: "I'm looking forward to my return to the cage."
By Jason Perkins
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic recently left the UFC, after
two consecutive defeats, to go back to Japan and retool his game.
His goal is to work on his boxing and overall strength while
fighting for "Dream" before coming back to the UFC
for a shot at redemption. Cro Cop recently sat down with Nokaut.com
to discuss his current situation and his plans for the future.
Below are some of the highlights of that conversation.
Cro
Cop On His Noticeable Gain In Muscle Mass:
Gaining
muscle mass was a 6 months process and I did it primarily to
increase my raw strength.
Cro
Cop On His Next DREAM opponent:
DREAM
has mentioned several names for my next fight, it appears that
my next opponent could be someone from K1. If it's LeBanner,
that will be a big fight that I'm looking forward to.
Cro
Cop On Recent Bad Publicity Regarding His Abilities:
I
don't think about this, my job is to fight and to do the best
I can. Everyone can have an opinion, but in order to have a complete
picture about this sport, people should try it themselves. A
low motivation is a major problem for a fighter, and opinions
like this are actually very motivating.
Cro
Cop On Returning To The UFC:
It's
just another lesson for me. The UFC has some great fighters and
the game is very different. The cage makes a difference too,
but I'm looking forward to my return to the cage as I want to
prove that I can be successful in it.
Source: Fightline
|
Another
change for Marcus Aurelio
UFC 13 opponent to be Ryan Roberts
Since
Spencer Fischer is injured and the UFC denied Jim Miller’s
participation, as the athlete had a contract with the IFL, the
mission of facing Brazilian Marcus Aurelio at Ultimate Fight
Night 13, on April 2nd, in the US state of Colorado, was left
to Ryan Roberts .
Ryan,
who has a record of eight wins and two losses, has fought only
in minor events throughout the country and will be debuting in
the UFC against the ATT representative, who is coming off a win
over Luke Caudillo at UFC 78. Another to represent Brazil in
the event will be “Maximus’s” teammate Thiago
Alves. He will face off against tough Team Xtreme Couture judoka
Karo Parisyan.
Check
out the complete card for the event:
Kenny
Florian vs Joe Lauzon
Thiago Alves vs Karo Parisyan
Tim Boetsch vs Matt Hamill
Houston Alexander vs James Irvin
Nate Diaz vs Kurt Pellegrino
Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard
Josh Neer vs Din Thomas
Jeff Cox vs Manny Gamburyan
Samy Schiavo vs Clay Guida
Roman Mitichyan vs George Sotiropoulos
Anthony Johnson vs Tommy Speer
Marcus Aurélio vs Ryan Roberts
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
Owners Defendants in Xyience Lawsuit
by Adam Swift
Xyience's
bankruptcy proceeding is set to come to a close April 1 with
a public auction, but the dispute between dissident shareholders
and the company's directors appears to be far from over.
Last
December shareholders, led by Ronald Soloman, who controls 35
percent of Xyience's outstanding shares by proxy, filed suit
against Xyience and its directors for breach of fiduciary duty
to the company's shareholders.
On
March 13 the plaintiff shareholders amended their complaint to
include Fertitta Enterprises and Zyen, private companies owned
by UFC co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, as defendants. The
complaint alleges that Zyen and Fertitta Enterprises aided and
abetted Xyience's corporate directors in breaching their fiduciary
duty to shareholders as well as engaged in a conspiracy to defraud
shareholders.
The
source of the allegations is the Fertittas' $12 million loan
to the company last fall. According to the complaint, the loan
was repayable in one year with a 15-percent interest rate and
collateralized by all of Xyience's assets. The terms also allegedly
included warrants for 10 percent of capitalization of the company
at one cent per share and 50 percent of the company's equity
if Xyience failed to repay.
Thus
in the event of default, the Fertittas could purchase 60 percent
of Xyience's stock for a nominal purchase price. Additionally,
the default provision would also be triggered if the shareholders
voted to remove any members of the board.
The
complaint alleges that this loan "was neither in the best
interests of the shareholders or the company. Indeed, the Fertitta
funding did not fund Xyience. Rather, it provided Xyience funds
that were immediately used to fund a debt owed to the Ultimate
Fighting Championship, which is owned by the Fertittas."
It
is also believed that Xyience directors Adam Frank and Kirk Sanford
each received 4.2 million stock options under the deal that vested
if there were a change in control of the company.
According
the complaint, the Fertittas and Xyience's directors represented
that the loan would be used "to meet [the company's] capital
needs and fuel its growth."
As
a result the Fertittas are accused of aiding and abetting breach
of fiduciary duty because of their alleged knowledge that the
loan was not for its stated purpose, not in the best interest
of shareholders and would result in a breach of the fiduciary
duty between the directors and shareholders.
During
this period Xyience also executed a new sponsorship agreement
with the UFC that the complaint alleges is "completely overpriced
and less valuable [than] the prior agreement between Xyience
and the UFC."
The
complaint says that the UFC is to receive $32.4 million over
the three-year term of the new agreement: $9 million in the first
year, $11 million in the second and $12.4 million in the third.
Under
the prior agreement, Xyience was the title sponsor with its marquee
on the center of the mat at UFC events. The new agreement provided
that after March 2008, Xyience would not be the title sponsor
or appear on the center of the mat, would not be announced by
the ring announcer, would not be announced as the title sponsor
at commercial breaks and would no longer appear on fighters'
clothing.
Adam
Swift is the Editor of MMAPayout.com and a regular contributor
to Sherdog.com.
Source: Sherdog
|
Samuray
analyzes his fight at UFC 84
Called
to fight Thiago Silva at UFC 84, Antonio Mendes Samuray is training
hard to continue his victory sequence from 2007 and getting the
recognition at . “I’ll show my work, that people here
at still don’t know. My work was all at Europe and people
here still don’t know me. I’m very anxious”, said
the athlete, that won his nine fights last year. “On the
training I focus two parts, Muay Thai and the ground work. I
try to focus always both. Vale-Tudo is a complete sport, we need
always to be complete”, explained Samuray, which told how
he wants to get out of the Ultimate’s octagon with the victory:
“My goal is a knockout”.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Music
is what feelings sound like."
Source Unknown
|
Hamman
vs. Suganuma to headline April
5 ShoXC
Light heavyweights Jared Hamman and Poai Suganuma will battle each other in the main
event of the next ShoXC card on April 5 in Friant, California.
Hamman,
who is undefeated in nine fights, earned himself the featured
spot on the card when he defeated Team Punishment's Aaron Rosa
by rear naked choke submision at the ShoXC event last October.
Prior to joining EliteXC, Hamman knocked out both Travis Wiuff
and Rogent Lloret in one night to win an IFC tournament in July.
Hawaii's
Suganuma began his career in Japan and fought five times for
Pancrase before finding himself in one-shot deals with Icon Sport
and K-1 Hero's. Suganuma is coming off an armbar victory over
Bernard Ackah, who famously knocked out former NFL receiver Johnnie
Morton at the record-breaking 2007 K-1 Dynamite!! USA card.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Egan
Inoue making
a return
42-year-old Egan Inoue, who became a huge fan favorite in Hawaii
during a seven-fight winning streak in Super Brawl (now Icon
Sport), announced on Tuesday he has signed a deal to compete
for X-1 World Events. Inoue will will return to the ring after
four-plus years away from the sport as the headliner for the
May 16th Legends show at the Blaisdell Arena.
Inoue’s
opponent has yet to be determined. He will be joined on the card
by Ray Cooper, Marcelo Tigre, Niko Vitale and Tyson Nam.
Egan
hasn’t fought since Dec. 2003 when he lost to Jason “Mayhem”
Miller after injuring his ribs in the second round. Inoue was
sprawled out in the middle of the ring at the end of the round
and couldn’t continue. While the win served as a springboard
for “Mayhem” to become a big name in the MMA world,
it was the last we saw of Egan in a ring.
After
battling injuries and personal problems, Egan says he’s
refreshed and ready to see how he can match up with the fighters
of today.
“What
I’m trying to get at for the first fight is I just want
to see where I am,” Inoue said. “I didn’t make
any decisions on how many fights. I want to do this fight and
it will tell me what I do after it.”
Following
the Miller fight, Egan has spent most of his time running two
gyms-The Studio and Grappling Unlimited in Manoa Marketplace.
He has spent countless hours training men and women of all ages
and has watched the sport blow up worldwide at an amazing rate.
It’s something he always hoped for, but he never expected
it to get quite this big.
“I
always hoped it would get like this,” Inoue said. “I
am kind of surprised at how big it’s getting. This sport
really is probably the best sport I have ever been in. A lot
of people view it as brutality. If you don’t understand
wrestling and boxing and jiu-jitsu and how they mix together
and how hard they are to pit together, then you don’t understand.
If you try to learn about it, then you’ll realize it isn’t
just guys trying to kill each other. Everyone is highly trained.”
Inoue
went on to say that he thought fighters were becoming much more
well-rounded in their skills when he left the sport, but recently
he’s starting to see more fighters become one-dimensional.
Egan says ending his career with two loses is something that
has always bothered him, and he’s back to go out the right
way.
With
a win.
Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin
|
Roy
Jones Jr. responds to Anderson Silva's challenge
By Aniket Deosthali
Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr has responded to Anderson Silva's
challenge to him. The seemingly unstoppable 185 pounder Silva
wants to prove that MMA too has technique, and issued a challenge
to Jones from his personal website.
Jones responded in an interview, "The trip was great. The
fans over there seemed highly interested in having me go over
there to showcase my talents and put on a show with him. They
know if I'm there it's guaranteed to be a good show. Right now
I'm also hearing that this guy Silva is really talking about
fighting me in a boxing match and I think that's bigger than
Beyer. If he comes up again, I mean he got on his website that
he wants Roy Jones Jr, if he's serious that might mean more to
me than going to Germany and fighting Beyer. In Germany I know
I'm going to knock Beyer out because that's the way I have to
win over there. But with Silva, I know I can outbox him and be
good. It would be smarter for me to fight I don't know his first
name, but Silva first and then Beyer or the winner of Bernard
and Calzaghe."
Source: Fightline
|
Liddell
thinks little of Fedor
“He’s never knocked anyone out standing.”
Fedor
Emelianenko is a rare case of an athlete who went from unanimous
best to big doubt without losing. The Russian, who is one of
the most dominant fighters in the history of Pride, has only
fought twice since the Japanese event came to an end, in April
and December of 2007, against middleweight Matt Lindland and
the giant Hong Man Choi, who had only one MMA fight on his record.
To
many of his critics, among them UFC president Dana White, the
chubby tough guy steered clear of the real competition when he
refused to sign with his organization and hid behind his legacy
from Pride, where he was nicknamed “The Last Emperor.”
Chuck Liddell, who enters the octagon on June 7th at UFC 85 to
fight undefeated Rashad Evans, shares the same opinion with his
boss.
“I
truly believe Fedor is overrated. I’ve heard he picks and
chooses some of his fights. You’ve got to wonder why he
chose to fight a guy like Matt Lindland –- who weighs 185lbs!
I heard he was negotiating with some other people who were heavyweights
who would have been more of a challenge to him and he turned
those down. He doesn’t have a great shot, he doesn’t
have one punch power and to my knowledge he’s never knocked
anyone out from his feet standing up. So I think anybody that
can stop a takedown is going to be a good fight for him if they
can strike,” said the Iceman to the British tabloid The
Sun.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
WEC
CHAMP MARSHALL IS CALM BEFORE THE STORM
by Ken Pishna
In every sport, there are athletes that claim their allegiance
to one organization or another, but in this day and age of free
agency and free money, the likes of a John Elway, who spent his
entire Hall of Fame career quarterbacking the Denver Broncos,
are the exception, not the rule.
The
same can be said for mixed martial arts as it grows out of its
infancy. But again, there are exceptions to the rule. One such
exception is World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight champion
Doug “Rhino” Marshall.
He
may not command the attention of a Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock
or Tito Ortiz, but he has steadily built a respectable career…
and he’s done it all within the confines of the WEC cage.
Dating
back to WEC 8 in October of 2003 – well before the Ultimate
Fighting Championship’s parent company, Zuffa, LLC, purchased
the company – Marshall has been looking for the big KD.
He
has amassed a 7-2 professional record fighting for co-general
managers Reed Harris and Scott Adams, and win or lose, not once
has he had a fight go the distance. Marshall doesn’t plan
on ending that streak when he steps into the cage to defend his
belt against U.S. Marine Corps officer Brian Stann on March 26.
“I
haven’t had many fights that have gotten out of the first
round and I don’t think Brian has had any fights that have
gotten out of the first round,” Marshall told MMAWeekly.com.
“We’re both intent to get in there and get after it,
but at the same time, I realize this is a five five-minute round
championship fight. I’m going to have the gas to go. It
could get out of the first round.”
He’s
not taking anything for granted though. In fact, despite being
the champ, Marshall feels like the spotlight… his spotlight…
is shining brighter on his challenger than it is on him.
“Brian’s
got a lot of publicity and media following and stuff and I’m
looking to take that away from him and put the spotlight back
on me, back where the spotlight should be, on the champion,”
he stated indignantly. “Everybody thinks he’s the one
that’s going to beat the Rhino, I’m not thinking so.
I just don’t think it’s his time. I think he’s
had enough spotlight and I’m looking forward to taking that
spotlight away.”
Much
of the attention Stann has garnered is due to his military background
and quickly building up an undefeated record in mixed martial
arts. The fact is that his undefeated record consists of just
five bouts, but Marshall doesn’t discount his opponent when
queried about his worthiness of a title shot.
“It’s
always up to the WEC, what they want to do. Me and Brian are
actually both managed by the same person, Robert Roveta with
Denaro Sports Marketing. Brian’s been wanting this fight
and he’s definitely the No. 1 contender and that’s
who they see fit to put in front of me and it definitely makes
for a good fight.”
Even
though he has had to deal with many pressures in his military
career, Marshall knows that Stann still hasn’t been tested
by the pressures that come with being in a main event, title
bout.
“I
would think that they will affect him. I’m not going to
lie; they still affect me,” said Marshall frankly. “It’s
getting in there on a big card on a big stage, being the main
event and having to perform. I’m getting a little more used
to it, but I still get those butterflies and I’ve learned
to work past it.
“I
have butterflies all the way walking down the ramp and then as
soon as I step in the cage, it’s like a moment of clarity
or maybe a calm before the storm. There’s nothing else to
think about.”
But
maybe more than the pressures of the “big fight,” Marshall
has his own form of stress that he feels he can apply that Stann
hasn’t faced before.
“I
don’t think in the fights that Brian has had, he has had
to persevere through any kind of serious damage or even an onslaught
like I’m planning to put on him. I think that will definitely
tell me right away where he’s at,” he said.
“I
know he’s going to be mentally strong, physically strong,
but when you start cooking it up real good and you know this
guy’s not breaking or he’s just in good shape or he’s
got a lot of power, it could wear on your mind real fast.”
Marshall
is definitely passionate about fighting. “It’s always
a matter of pride whether you’re the champion or not. I
don’t care if I’m fighting for one dollar or a million
dollars. I’m in there looking to finish the fight, in there
looking to win.” But fighting Stann isn’t personal.
“It’s
pretty much just about business. This is my job; this is his
job. He’s hungry, an up and coming fighter. I’m the
champ, everybody’s gunning for me.”
By
the same token, Marshall doesn’t plan to hold anything back,
that’s not his style, not what got him to the light heavyweight
championship in the first place. “Some guys go out and they
fight not to lose, I’m definitely not one of those fighters.”
He’s
also definitely not a fighter planning to let his title go easily.
“We’re going to go out there and let it all hang out.
I’m not looking at giving up my big gold belt, my strap,
anytime soon.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
The
Battle for San Jose
by Danny Acosta
There's
a city in the South Bay known as a fight town.
Strip
away the lard of a cushy but unique suburbia, and San Jose's
bustling downtown remains with its frequent post-last-call tussles.
But
that's not what makes it a fight town. The source of that reputation
comes from Frank Shamrock and Cung Le -- two men ready to lay
claim to the city.
They'll
meet March 29 in an EliteXC-Strikeforce co-promoted clash, but
their story originates inside the storied walls of San Jose's
American Kickboxing Academy.
Nine
years ago, Shamrock was preparing his mind and body for a young
opponent named Tito Ortiz. The submission fighter's intellectual
curiosity and charisma made him a natural leader, elevating the
grappling at the burgeoning gym. Meanwhile, owner and head trainer
Javier Mendez, a world champion kickboxer, was aiding Shamrock
in his quest to become the prototype for well-rounded mixed martial
artists.
Le
was also training at the gym. No one wanted to spar with the
Vietnamese sensation, but inside AKA's all-purpose ring, Shamrock
willingly entered the world of sanshou kickboxing.
The
sparring session was a step up for Shamrock. It was just another
day for Le.
Yet
a brief video that surfaced online unveils a different plot.
The ethereal ballad "Only Time" by Enya overlaps with
a Visa commercial spoof, which depicts Shamrock dominating Le
as "priceless."
"I
never got the best of him in training," Shamrock admitted,
however. "That's a Frank Shamrock production.
"Frank
Shamrock knows what he's doing," the former UFC champion
said about himself with a cadenced laugh.
Le
recalled the session as a warm-up during which he pulled punches.
Despite delivering controlled strikes, Le was "pretty sure
that Frank saw a lot of flashes when he trained with me."
Regardless,
both agree the upcoming mixed martial arts bout will be a step
up in competition for Le. For Shamrock, it will be just another
day in the cage. It just might be a rough one.
Vying
for the Strikeforce middleweight title, Le will not conceal the
weapons that put down Tony Fryklund and Sam Morgan.
"What
will mean a lot more [than the belt] is that I defeated Frank
shamrock for the Strikeforce middleweight championship,"
said Le, a father of two.
The
real trophy for the three-time world champion kickboxer would
be knocking out Shamrock -- a feat yet to be accomplished by
anyone, excluding Shamrock's early days fighting under Pancrase
rules.
Le
will not feel remorse if his shinbones -- the same ones that
thud against heavy bags from San Jose to Milpitas, depending
on where he is tuning up his unorthodox striking arsenal -- snap
his opponent's arrogant streak or jaw.
Shamrock
understands Le's kicks can be troublesome. However, supreme confidence
in his own striking stifles doubt.
Out
of shape and on one knee in his most recent outing, Shamrock
employed his Tony DeMaria-honed boxing to outclass Phil Baroni.
Factor in preparation with long-time partner and legendary kickboxer
Maurice Smith, and Shamrock is anything but ill prepared for
the Saigon-born fighter's offense.
Sitting in front of a bookshelf containing eight title belts
(and he was missing some), Shamrock expressed his love for an
art that cost him his left ACL and, slowly but definitively,
his right knee.
"The
truth is I have nothing to gain from ever fighting anybody,"
said the former King of Pancrase.
Fighting
Le is only worth gambling his MMA legacy, Shamrock said, because
he loves the sport he helped pioneer.
"It
will be interesting to see what Cung Le does. I've never been
knocked out in an MMA match, never been submitted, never given
up, never been choked out," Shamrock reflected before breaking
into a longwinded, maniacal laugh of satisfaction. It's a visceral
laugh that demonstrates a level of comfort only a 14-year veteran
can achieve.
Shamrock
is the favorite based on experience alone. With only five MMA
bouts to his name, Le has not been through the same rigors. Questions
about Le's cardio and heart still remain, while Shamrock's legacy
exudes those traits.
"On
paper, it looks like Frank should win," the 35-year-old
Le conceded, "but paper is just paper."
Of
course Shamrock is ready to dose his undefeated opponent with
a loss. And he plans on doing it with Le's own medicine.
"I'm
better than everybody in the business [at] standup. I think it's
better than Cung's. Maybe I'm making a mistake," said Shamrock,
unconvinced, before adding that the "odds are I'm going
to destroy him."
"I
like Cung," Shamrock said. "He's a good guy and a good
martial artist. He doesn't sell a fight very well, but he looks
great and he fights hard. He definitely fills two very important
requirements for building a fight."
Le's
genuinely polite tone sharpened briefly when hearing Shamrock's
criticism about marketability. His gym has sold $120,000 worth
of tickets for the fight, thanks largely to his strong Vietnamese
fan base. If he had not been on the undercard of Strikeforce's
debut two years ago, which Shamrock headlined, Le said the show
would not have broken the North American MMA paid attendance
record.
The
disagreement seems minor, but in a fight city, market value is
more than ticket sales. Le describes himself as a "people's
warrior." Shamrock relishes his status as a role model for
kids who come from rough upbringings not unlike his own. For
fighters in San Jose, market value is a reflection of their involvement
in the communities where they grew up, work and live.
It's
always been a martial arts town. Thanks to Frank Shamrock and
Cung Le among others, San Jose is now a mixed martial arts town.
With
Shamrock Martial Arts just a 10-minute drive from AKA -- a gym
Shamrock left behind along with Cung Le -- the battle lines are
clear even on the dark, scorching asphalt of the sunny city.
And March 29, after Shamrock and Le pull into their reserved
parking spots at the HP Pavilion, all of San Jose will be roaring
inside the arena, waiting perhaps for their future mayor to emerge
from the cage.
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
main thing is to care. Care very hard, even if it is only a game
you are playing."
Billie Jean King, American Tennis Player
|
Inoue climbing into ring
after 5-year layoff
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
As far as Egan
Inoue is
concerned, a comeback is not always about payback.
So
after nearly five years of squashing thoughts of payback, Inoue
is finally ready to make a comeback in mixed martial arts.
Inoue,
42, announced yesterday he will fight for the X1 World Events
organization on a May 16 card at the Blaisdell Center Arena.
His
opponent has yet to be announced.
"This
is actually for myself," he said. "I know it's hard
for a lot of athletes — they always make these comebacks
and end up losing. I'm hoping my comeback is a little different.
If I win, I'm thinking in my head ... I'll keep going."
Inoue
is considered one of Hawai'i's first superstars in the sport
of MMA. He was a champion in the SuperBrawl organization, and
was Hawai'i's most popular fighter for several years in the early
2000s.
His
last two bouts resulted in losses to Masanori Suda and Jason
"Mayhem" Miller. He has not fought since the loss to
Miller on Dec. 5, 2003.
Inoue
said there was a time when he wanted to avenge both losses, but
not anymore.
"That
was running through my head for years," he said. "That
wasn't a really good reason to come back."
Inoue
said he stayed in shape by coaching and training with younger
fighters at his Grappling Unlimited school.
"As
I train with them, I don't feel like I lost that edge,"
he said. "And just the prize money that's coming out for
the fighters and how mainstream MMA is getting, I want to put
my foot back in there."
Inoue
has a professional record of 12-8. He said he wouldn't mind facing
a young up-and-coming fighter in May.
"At
this point, I see so many young kids coming up that seem way
too cocky," he said. "That is what I'm hoping they
find for me."
X1
promoter Mike Miller said: "Coming back alone is a story
for a legend like Egan. If he can get a win and move on to something
bigger, that would be a huge statement."
Reach
Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Source: Honolulu Advertiser
|
FIGHT-BY-FIGHT:
WEC 33 MARSHALL VS. STANN
by Ricardo Mendoza
WEC Light Heavyweight Championship Bout:
Doug
Marshall vs. Brian Stann
WEC
light heavyweight champion Doug Marshall defends his title against
U.S. Marine Brian Stann. Marshall has a 7-2 record and trains
out of Visalia Fight Club in California. Stann has a 5-0 record
and trains out of Team Quest with Dan Henderson.
Marshall
comes off a quick submission victory over Ariel Gandulla at WEC
31, while Stann dominated Jeremiah Billington en route to a stoppage
at WEC 30.
The
light heavyweight division is the thinnest in World Extreme Cagefighting;
with a lack of quality competition for Marshall, but on Wednesday
he will face his toughest test to date in Stann. Although he
lacks experience, Stann is one of the brighter prospects in the
WEC.
Each
fighter possesses knockout power, but Marshall seems to have
better technique on the feet and combined with his power, he
can turn this into an ugly fight for Stann. Neither fighter is
overly polished on the ground, but Marshall has been tweaking
his ground game at Pacific Martial Arts.
This
fight isn’t going to the ground, though. These two will
swing for the fences and put on an entertaining war on the feet.
Stann will look to use his reach over Marshall and stay on the
outside, while Marshall will look to get inside and tag Stann
with uppercuts and eventually land a fight-ending combination.
Prediction:
Doug Marshall by knockout in the first round.
Middleweight
Bout:
Chael
Sonnen vs. Bryan Baker
Team
Quest middleweight Chael Sonnen takes on judo black belt Bryan
Baker. Sonnen has a 19-9-1 record and trains out of Team Quest
with Matt Lindland. Baker has a 6-0 record and trains out of
Team Wildman Vale Tudo with Thomas Denny.
Sonnen
comes off a submission loss to WEC middleweight champion Paulo
Filho at WEC 31, while Baker won a close decision over Eric Schambari
at the same event.
Sonnen
was scheduled to face Filho in a rematch for the title, but the
Brazilian fighter pulled out because of personal reasons. Sonnen
now faces the inexperienced, but dangerous Baker. A lot is riding
on this fight, whoever wins will no doubt get a shot with Filho
for the title.
Both
fighters’ strengths lie in their ground games; Sonnen with
his wrestling and Baker with his Judo. So the key to the fight
will come down to which one can dictate the pace of the fight
on the feet. Baker is an aggressive, powerful striker, while
Sonnen is a technical striker who employs dirty boxing as one
of his main weapons.
Sonnen
will slow the pace of the fight and use his wrestling to ground
the powerful Baker, keeping him down and pounding away with strikes
en route to a decision.
Prediction:
Chael Sonnen by decision.
Lightweight
Bout:
Marcus
Hicks vs. Ed Ratcliff
Undefeated
Texan Marcus Hicks takes on eccentric karate stylist Ed Ratcliff.
Hicks has a 7-0 record and trains out of Marcus Hicks Jiu-Jitsu
in Texas. Ratcliff has a 6-0 record and trains out of North County
Fight Club with Dominic Cruz.
Hicks
comes off a decisive submission victory over Alaskan Scott McAfee
at WEC 30, while Hicks destroyed Ultimate Fighting Championship
veteran Alex Karalexis at WEC 31.
Whoever
wins this fight will challenge newly crowned WEC lightweight
champion Jaime Varner in his first title defense. That should
be more then enough motivation to win the fight. This could easily
turn out to be the fight of the night with the way these two
match-up.
Hicks
is a polished boxer, while Ratcliff has a wild and entertaining
striking arsenal at his disposal with knees and kicks. On the
ground, the clear advantage goes to Hicks being a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
black belt, while Ratcliff isn’t known for his groundwork.
Ratcliff
put a beating on Karalexis in his last fight, and that is important
because Hicks has a similar striking style, which played right
into Ratcliff’s game. They are going to start banging it
out from the opening bell, but as soon as Hicks feels at a disadvantage,
he will take the fight to the ground. Ratcliff will get back
to his feet and continue to beat on Hicks until midway through
the fight when he finally puts him away.
Prediction:
Ed Ratcliff by TKO in the second round.
Light
Heavyweight Bout:
Tim
McKenzie vs. Steve Cantwell
Bodog
Fight veteran Tim McKenzie takes on Las Vegan brawler Steve Cantwell.
McKenzie has an 11-4 record and trains out of California. Cantwell
has a 4-1 record and trains out of Nevada.
McKenzie
comes off a submission victory over Pancrase veteran Yuichi Nakanishi
at Bodog Fight Vancouver, while Cantwell quickly stopped Justin
McElfresh with strikes at WEC 29.
McKenzie
has been on the fight circuit for several years, but has been
unable to breakout into a more prominent fighter. Cantwell is
an interesting prospect that has a chance of a lifetime in the
WEC to become a star.
Both
fighters have shown a willingness to strike, but Cantwell seems
to have better power in his hands. Being a product of Cesar Gracie,
McKenzie has an edge on the ground.
McKenzie
will test the waters on the feet, but will soon thereafter take
the fight to the ground and lock on a submission to end the fight.
Prediction:
Tim McKenzie by submission in the first round.
Welterweight
Bout:
Hiromitsu
Miura vs. Blas Avena
Japanese
fighter Hiromitsu Miura takes on local fighter Blas Avena. Miura
has an 8-4 record and trains out of Samurai Sword in Japan. Avena
has a 4-1 record and trains out of Las Vegas.
Miura
comes off a dominating stoppage victory over Fernando Gonzalez
at WEC 29, while Avena submitted Joe Benoit at WEC 30.
Miura
has looked impressive in both his appearances in the WEC, taking
Jason Miller to the limit and truly dominating Fernando Gonzalez.
Avena on the other hand has been impressive since moving down
to welterweight, quickly submitting Tiki and Joe Benoit.
Miura
is the better striker of the two and on the ground he slightly
has an advantage over the scrappy Avena. Moving down in weight,
Miura more then likely will be the bigger and stronger fighter,
using it to his advantage.
Expect
Miura to pick Avena apart on the feet and on the ground he will
outwork him en route to a decision.
Prediction:
Hiromitsu Miura by decision.
Welterweight
Bout:
John
Alessio vs. Brock Larson
UFC
veteran John Alessio takes on Midwest wrestler Brock Larson.
Alessio has a 22-10 record and trains out of Xtreme Couture with
Jay Hieron. Larson has a 22-2 record and trains out of Minnesota
Martial Arts Academy with Nick Thompson.
Alessio
comes off a tough decision victory over Todd Moore at WEC 31,
while Larson submitted Troy Allison at CFX 7: Brutal.
The
winner of the fight will get a chance for redemption, earning
a second crack at WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit. Both
fighters were submitted by Condit last year and are itching for
another crack at him.
Alessio
is the better striker, but Larson has power in his hands, lacking
only technique in his strikes. They both have their strengths
on the ground, Larson being a strong wrestler and Alessio being
a slick submission fighter.
Larson
will quickly take the fight to the ground, but Alessio has shown
excellent takedown defense in his last couple of fights. Alessio
will outwork Larson on the feet, avoid being put on his back,
and win a decision.
Prediction:
John Alessio by decision.
Lightweight
Bout:
Rich
Crunkilton vs. Sergio Gomez
WEC
lightweight contender Rich Crunkilton takes on Midwest fighter
Sergio Gomez. Crunkilton has a 14-2 record and trains out of
The Amory with Kurt Pellegrino. Gomez has a 7-1 record and trains
out of the Freestyle Academy with Dave Strasser.
Crunkilton
comes off a disappointing knockout loss to Rob McCullough at
WEC 30, while Gomez stopped Brent Rose with strikes at Freestyle
Combat Challenge 31.
This
is an important fight for both fighters as neither wants to suffer
two losses in a row. Crunkilton wants to get himself back into
title contention and a solid win over Gomez will get him closer
to that, while Gomez needs a win to remain in the WEC.
Gomez
is a polished boxer, while Crunkilton is more versatile with
his striking as he implores knees and kicks into his striking.
Gomez is a wrestler, but Crunkilton is no slouch on the ground
with a solid submission game, he can end the fight in an instant.
These
two will come out aggressive on the feet, but Crunkilton will
stick to his game plan and take the fight to the ground where
he can exploit Gomez’s weakness with submissions and lock
on a fight ending hold.
Prediction:
Rich Crunkilton by submission in the first round.
Welterweight
Bout:
Alex Serdyukov vs. Ryan Stonitsch
Russian
import Alex Serdyukov takes on the debuting Midwest fighter Ryan
Stonitsch. Serdyukov has a 6-4 record and trains out of the Jake
Shields Fight Team with Jake Shields. Stonitsch has an 8-0 record
and trains out of Rockford Kickboxing & Jiu-Jitsu in Illinois.
Serdyukov
comes off a dominating stoppage victory over Mike Gates at Palace
Fighting Championships 6, while Stonitsch won a decision over
Daisuke “13” Hanazawa at Bourbon Street Brawl 5.
Serdyukov
will look to establish himself in the welterweight division and
make a possible run at the title after stringing together a couple
of wins. He will need to be cautious against a newcomer like
Stonitsch, who will look to make his own statement in his WEC
debut.
Serdyukov
has the edge in both the stand-up and on the ground, while Stonitsch
seems to be the better wrestler of the two. It should be an interesting
mix of styles with the well-rounded Serdyukov willing to go anywhere
in the fight to get the job done.
Look
for Serdyukov to pick Stonitsch apart on the feet, forcing him
to take it to the ground where Serdyukov will lock on a submission
for the victory.
Prediction:
Alex Serdyukov by submission in the first round.
Bantamweight
Bout:
Kenji
Osawa vs. Chris Manuel
Shooto
import Kenji Osawa takes on American Top Team prospect Chris
Manuel. Osawa has a 13-7-1 record and trains out of Wajyutsu
Keisyukai A3 with Hidetaka Monma. Manuel has a 6-0-1 record and
trains out of American Top Team with Marcus Aurelio.
Osawa
comes off a decision victory over Nobuhiro Yamauchi at Cage Force
5, while Manuel stopped Rex Payne with strikes at DFP: Inauguration.
The
bantamweight division has become one of the staples of the WEC
and it adds two new exciting fighters with this bout. These two
are sure to fight at a relentless pace.
Osawa
is the better striker of the two, while Manuel’s biggest
strength will be on the ground. Osawa has shown excellent takedown
defense and that could pose a problem for Manuel if he wants
to take the fight down.
This
will be a back-and-forth fight, each will get their licks in,
but at the end of day it will come down to experience and cardio.
Osawa will tag Manuel with shots on the feet and outwork him
on the ground en route to a decision.
Prediction:
Kenji Osawa by decision.
Middleweight
Bout:
Logan Clark vs. Scott Harper
UFC
veteran Logan Clark takes on late replacement Scott Harper. Clark
has a 7-1 record and trains out of Team Crazy in Minnesota. Harper
has an 8-3 record and trains out of American Top Team with Wilson
Gouveia.
Clark
comes off a questionable decision loss to Eric Schambari at WEC
29, while Harper won a decision over Dave Vitkay at ISCF: Return
of the Kings.
Clark
was originally a replacement for Nissen Osterneck to face Bryan
Baker, but Baker then took a fight against Chael Sonnen, so now
he faces Harper. Harper gets a chance of lifetime to compete
in the WEC and get exposure as a fighter.
Clark
has the edge on the ground with submissions and on the feet,
as he is the better striker with technique. Harper looks to be
a better wrestler and has more power in his strikes then Clark.
He will be the bigger fighter of the two, as he usually has fought
at heavyweight.
That
could also be a disadvantage for Harper because he will have
a short amount of time to cut down in weight, which will affect
his cardio. Clark will outwork Harper on the feet and the ground,
wearing him out and finishing off the fight with strikes midway
through the bout.
Prediction:
Logan Clark by TKO in the second round.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Kauai
Cage Match This Weekend!
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
|
Hawaii
State/Regional Junior Olympic Boxing Championship on April 5th
& 6th!
Our Hawaii State/Regional Junior Olympic Boxing Championships
will be held on Saturday, April 5th, 6 p.m. at Palolo Gym.
Winners of the 15/16 yrs old will advance to the National Junior
Olympics which will be held at the U.S.O.E.C. in Marquette, Michigan
on June 16- 21st.
If you have any questions email me back.
Thank You,
Bruce
Kawano
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chairman
Source: Bruce Kawano
|
Jacaré
helps Wand to the next fight at UFC
Former
Pride champion, Wanderlei Silva is counting with a first class
team to win his next compromise at UFC, which happens at next
May 24th against Keith Jardine at edition 84 of the event. “As
the Football, every team has good and bad moments. We were in
a bad moment and we’re turning the game. This time I’m
doing a maintenance job on his physical preparation, because
Wand is dedicated to Muay Thai, where he is counting with Phil
Baroni, Gilbert Melendez and Gilbert Yvel’s help”,
told us Wand’s personal training Rafael Alejarra.
But
the Brazilian is not leaving his ground train aside, unlike,
for this fight Wand is counting with the support of three BJJ
world champions, Andre Galvão, Robert Drysdale and now
Ronaldo Jacaré. “Jacaré came to complete the
team with us and is going to train with Wanderlei until the fight,
at this moment they are training knee”, revealed Alejarra,
who was contacted by BJ
Penn to
make his physical preparation to his confront against Sean Sherk.
“I was contacted by BJ, but was impossible to travel to
Hawaii because his fight is in the same event that Wanderlei
will fight”, explained.
Source: Tatame
|
Interview:
Jake Shields talks Fickett, St. Pierre
By Robert Rousseau
When you possess a 20-4-1 overall mixed martial arts record and
have defeated your last nine opponents, one would think that
you’d be close to a household MMA name. When you’ve
won your last nine fights, with the most recent four coming by
way of first round stoppage, one would think you’d be describing
a current mixed martial arts champion. Finally, when the fighters
you’ve defeated along the way have names like Renato Verissimo,
Mike Pyle, current WEC Champion Carlos Condit, and current UFC
championship contender Yushin Okami, well, you get the point.
Jake
Shields is an outstanding welterweight fighter whose name isn’t
nearly as well known as it should be amongst casual fans. But
with him about to fight for the EliteXC Welterweight Championship
on March 29, 2008 in San Jose, California that may all be about
to change. That EliteXC / CBS deal isn’t exactly going to
hurt his notoriety either.
But
first he has to get through a very tough fighter by the name
of Drew Fickett. Perhaps if he does then Shields will be mentioned
in the same breath with welterweights like Georges St. Pierre.
Speaking of St. Pierre and Fickett, Shields took time from his
busy schedule to give his thoughts on these guys and more with
MMAFighting.com’s Robert Rousseau.
MMAFighting.com: How are you doing?
Jake
Shields: It’s going alright. (Just) finished working out.
MMAFighting.com:
How’s training been going for you?
Jake
Shields: It’s going pretty good. Ran into a few little problems
but (that’s) usually what I go through training for a fight
again.
MMAFighting.com:
Who have you been training with?
Jake
Shields: The usual people. Gilbert Melendez obviously; we live
together. Nick and Nate Diaz: I’ve been training with them
a lot because Nate’s fighting a few days after us and me
and Gil are on the same card as Nick. Other than that just a
lot of my students— (For example), a guy Luke Stewart who’s
a Ralph Gracie Black Belt that’s really good.
MMAFighting.com:
That’s great. You talked about Gilbert Melendez and the
Diaz brothers. How much do you feel that working in a camp like
Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu helps you get ready for a guy like Drew
Fickett in a championship bout?
Jake
Shields: It helps a ton. I think Fickett’s a really good
grappler and I have some of the best (grapplers) in the country.
I’ve got the best people to prepare for him.
MMAFighting.com:
You just indicated that he’s a really good grappler. Along
with that, he’s got 21 submission victories. But he’s
also proven to be pretty dangerous on his feet, like when he
fought Josh Koscheck that time and got up. Is there a particular
aspect of his game that you feel you have to be concerned with?
Jake
Shields: He’s a pretty well rounded fighter so I’ve
got to be concerned with everything with a guy like Fickett.
He has pretty good hands and submissions. Submissions are his
strongest point, but that’s also my strongest point. He’s
(also) got good knees and elbows, so I better watch those.
MMAFighting.com:
How important is it to you that this is a championship bout?
Jake
Shields: I think it’s really important. I think I deserve
a title shot. . . It puts me in a nice situation with the league
really blowing up right now. I want to go out there and take
that belt. . . And really get some good exposure.
MMAFighting.com:
Has the fact that Nick Diaz has fought him in the past helped
you at all to get ready?
Jake
Shields: A little bit. But that fight was so fast; it’s
hard to get too much off of that. Nick really took it to him.
That helps my confidence. (Still) things happen in fights, you
don’t want to take that and make too big a deal out of it.
MMAFighting.com:
Definitely. Like you said, this is a championship bout and you’ve
been a great fighter for a good time now. . . You’ve won
nine fights in a row and five in a row by stoppage. Is there
anyone out there in a different organization—like the UFC,
but it could be anyone—that you would really love to get
the chance to fight sometime in the future?
Jake
Shields: There’s a few guys I’d like to fight. But
if I had to pick just one it would probably be Georges St. Pierre.
I think he’s been looking great his last two fights. I’m
out here to fight the best; that would be a great test for me.
So I’d love to go out there and fight him and see how it
goes.
MMAFighting.com:
Out of curiosity, style wise how do you think you match up with
him?
Jake
Shields: I think I match up pretty good. Obviously he’s
been looking great so it would be a tough fight. . . Certainly
wouldn’t be easy. . .
MMAFighting.com:
I would love to see that fight.
Jake
Shields: I think a lot of people would. Hopefully it will happen.
Hopefully this CBS deal will give me a little more footage and
a little more acknowledgement and it can get Dana White and Gary
Shaw to work together. It’s not too likely. But you never
do know.
MMAFighting.com:
You never do know; that’s right. Do you have a prediction
for your fight against Drew Fickett?
Jake
Shields: I don’t really like to give predictions. I’ll
predict me winning. How and when I don’t want to say. I
think I’m going to take the fight. I’m just going to
go out there and try to bring it to him, hopefully early. My
last four have been in the first round (and) I’m going to
try and keep that streak going. But Fickett’s a tough guy,
and I definitely don’t want to say that’s going to
happen for sure.
(But)
I do see myself winning.
MMAFighting.com:
Anything you’d like to say to the fans?
Jake
Shields: Thanks for all the support. Keep watching, and I’ll
do my best to keep putting on good performances. I’ll be
around for a while.
MMAFighting.com:
Thanks for taking the time, Jake. I know you’re real busy.
Have a great holiday weekend and I hope that I get to talk to
you again in the future.
Jake
Shields: Okay. No problem.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Kurt
Angle Admits He's Not Ready For MMA Just Yet
By Jason Perkins
MMAJunkie.com
is featuring an interview recap with TNA World Champion Kurt
Angle on TAGG Radio.
During the interview, Angle again addressed the issue of getting
into MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and why he isn't ready for it physically
at this time.
Angle
added quote, "I've always wanted to do (MMA), from after
the Olympics, and I just never got the shot. I've been keeping
myself in really, really good shape, but not in the fighting
shape you have to be in to go into MMA. I don't want (you) to
misunderstand me. When I say I am in shape, I am in no shape
at all right now to go into an octagon or on a platform and have
a fight with Randy Couture or Chuck Liddell or 'Rampage' Jackson
or Brock Lesnar or whoever it is. Right now I cannot."
Source: Fightline
|
CRUNKILTON
LOOKS TO REBOUND AT WEC
by Mick Hammond
Heading into last year, Rich “Cleat” Crunkilton had
been one of the sport’s true unsung standouts, despite having
been nothing less than extremely effective every time out.
Thankfully
with more promotions getting on television, he was able to make
a case for himself in World Extreme Cagefighting, culminating
with a lightweight title match against then titleholder Rob McCullough
in September.
After
suffering only the second loss in his career, against McCullough,
Crunkilton will be returning to the WEC this Wednesday in Las
Vegas as he takes on upstart Sergio Gomez in a 155-pound divisional
showdown.
“Even
regardless of that (loss), it’s always important to me to
have a good showing,” said Crunkilton of his return to fighting
after a six-month layoff. “Being my first fight back, yeah
it’s important to have a good showing and get the win.”
When
asked if he feels he has to re-establish himself as a contender
after losing in a title match, Crunkilton replied, “I don’t
really look at it that way.
“One
might say that, but I don’t think so, I don’t think
I have to re-establish myself. I’ve been fighting for a
long time and I think I’ve already kind of earned my spot,
and I’ll fight the newer guys to prove it.”
His
first test back will be Gomez, a fighter also looking to rebound
after losing his last against Marcus Hicks in May.
“I
watched his last fight and it looks like he is a wrestler and
that his weakest point may be his jiu-jitsu,” Crunkilton
commented of Gomez. “I think I might be able to capitalize
on him that way.
“I
think (the ground game) is probably where I have the biggest
advantage, as far as experience. But getting to the ground and
anything happens in between there, I’m also prepared for.
I’ll fight him on the feet if I have to.”
With
the overall success he has had in the WEC, Crunkilton feels he
could return to a title fight sooner than later, and as always,
his goal is to challenge for Jamie Varner’s championship.
“I
want to get back into title contention (by building) up some
wins and fight for the title again in the WEC,” said Crunkilton.
“If
Jamie’s still the champion, hopefully I’ll get a title
shot with two or three wins. I definitely feel I have a stronger
chance to get a title shot shortly.”
The
road to a title however starts with the first step, and Crunkilton
seeks to take that first step Wednesday night against Sergio
Gomez.
“I
want to thank all my training partners down here at The Armory
in Daytona (Florida) for helping me get ready for this fight,”
concluded Crunkilton. “I look forward to showing up and
getting it on. I’m looking to be exciting when I go out
there, every time.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"If
you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind
of heart trouble."
Bob Hope, 1903-2003, British-American Entertainer
|
Greg
Nelson Seminar at JKDU!
Today
Tuesday,
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 28th, 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
|
Submission
Sundays No-Gi Grappling Tournament
Neal Blaisdell Center - Hawaii Room 777 Ward Avenue
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Register
Online For Tournament: www.grapplefest.net or at the Door
Session
1 (8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. including weigh-ins)
Divisions:
14 and Under
Weigh-Ins start at 8:00 a.m.
Grappling starts at 9:30 a.m.
Grappling completes around 11:30 a.m.
4 Man Round Robins
4 minute match
Targeting 3 matches with 1 every half hour.
Entry "Free" must purchase $10 yearly insurance card.
Awards for 1st-4th
Session
2 (10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. including weigh-ins)
Divisions:ALL
OTHER DIVISIONS 15 AND UP
Weigh-Ins start at 10:30 a.m.
Grappling starts at 11:30 a.m.
Grappling completes around 4:00 p.m.
4 Man Round Robins, 8 man Brackets, Challege Matches
6 minute match
$40 entry fee
Awards for 1st-4th $1000 Absolute Prize
Basic
Rules Sheet
Points/Scoring
Abbreviations:
1.
Takedown (T2) 2 pts.
* anytime a grappler goes from neutral position to top control
2. Low amplitude throw (T3) 3 pts.
* must be an upper body hold from neutral position
3. High amplitude throw (T5) 5 pts.
* must be an upper body hold and meet the Grand amplitude criteria
4. Side Mount (SM3) 3 pts.
5. Full Mount (FM4) 4 pts.
6. Back Mount (BM5) 5 pts.
7. Escape (E1) 1 pt.
* anytime a grappler goes from being on bottom to neutral position
8. Reversal (R2) 2 pts.
* anytime a grappler goes from being on bottom to top control
9. Submission Appreciation Point (SAP) 1 pt.
* SAP’s are awarded for having more Sub Advantage Marks
at the end of regulation time.
10. Submission Advantage Mark (AS)
* Sub Advantage Marks serve as the first criteria for First Choice
in the 1st OT period.
Control
must be established for a count of 3 seconds to score any of
the above points or marks.
Source: Event Promoter
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel 52, Tuesdays
at 7:00 PM
FCTV episode
58 will run in our normal timeslot of 7pm on Oceanic Channel
52 Olelo Oahu Tuesday nights, March 25, April 1, 8, & 15.
Episode
58 features:
Highlights
from the Pacific Invitational Jiu-Jitsu tournament including:
1. Interview & footage with purple belt heavyweight &
absolute winner, Kelly Grissom
(Relson Gracie Kaneohe Team)
2. Internview with tournament director Ronn Shiraki
3. Highlights & great subs from Jake Scoval & Luke Hacker
from Longman JJ, Dustin
Grace from Kaneohe Team, Lenora from Team HK, Andy Marshall vs.
Dr. Suehiro & many
more...
-HFC
highlights from the Dole Cannery including:
-Interview with fight promoter Sly Kekahuna
-170 lbs HFC champion Keoni Bryant
-Interview with Koa Ramos with highlight of fight with Bryson
Kamaka
-Highlight of Brennan Kamaka in action
Technique
of the Week:
-Mario "Zen Machine" Sperry demonstrates the standing
guard pass
Rob
Demello's report
-Kala Hose vs Phil Baroni fight highlights & inteview with
Kala Hose
-Extended unedited interview with Phil Baroni
Comments,
Questions, and Suggestions to: fctv@onzuka.com
|
Joe
Lauzon Interview: Training with the best for Florian
By Chris Yucus
For Joe Lauzon, his stint on the fifth season of Spike TV’s
reality UFC reality show, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) has brought
him more than just fan recognition.
For
starters, the relationship he developed with coach B.J. Penn, now has him splitting
the year “around 50-50” between Penn’s hometown
of Hilo, Hawaii, and Lauzon’s native Massachusetts.
“Training
in Hawaii with a guy like B.J. is just amazing, he’s one
of the best pound for pound fighters period,” Lauzon told
MMAFighting.com. “It’s not only training with the best
guy in your weight class every single day, but also all of the
other fighters who are there and who come through to train with
him.”
One
of those fighters who came to train was Urijah Faber (20-1),
World Extreme Cage Fighting Featherweight Champion. Faber, spent
a couple weeks training with Penn and Lauzon in Hilo in preparation
for his upcoming bout with Jens Pulver (22-8-1). Both Penn and
Lauzon have previously defeated Pulver.
“Not
only did I have the best 155’er to train with, I had the
best 145’er in Urijah,” says Lauzon.
Lauzon
(16-3, 3-0 UFC) says that since he started training with Penn
(12-4-1, 8-3-1 UFC) that every aspect of his game has improved.
Not only has Lauzon’s physical skill set improved, but working
with Penn has improved the mental side of his fight game as well.
“He’s helped me with mental toughness, he’s very
mentally tough,” says Lauzon.
“Another
thing I’ve noticed is that any time he shows you anything
he has the utmost confidence in it; like “this is the best,
this is the best.” I think that goes a long way, if you
don’t have faith in what you’re trying to do, it’s
not going to work. There might be something that’s not the
best, but if you have faith, it will work.”
Lauzon
has plenty of faith that the training he has done will guide
him to a victory over Kenny Florian (9-3, 6-2 UFC) on April 2
at Ultimate Fight Night 13, in Broomfield, Colorado, a suburb
of Denver. The Lauzon-Florian tilt will headline what Lauzon
says is “maybe the best card I’ve seen for an MMA show
ever. Every single guy is a name guy that people care about,
and they’re all great match ups.”
Lauzon
says that his game plan for the fight is to put Florian on his
back, and constantly apply pressure. “No matter how good
your jiu jitsu is, when you’re curled up in a ball and you’re
against the fence it’s definitely not a good time.”
Aside
from Florian’s submission prowess, Lauzon says that there
are many aspects of Florian’s game that he will be on the
lookout for.
“I
don’t want him kicking me, I don’t want him kneeing
me, and I don’t want him elbowing me. Those are all his
strengths, and we want to stay away from those the best that
we can.”
Lauzon
says that Florian will have to watch out for him while changing
positions in the fight.
“He’s
got to be real careful in the scrambles, careful in the transitions.
I think that is where I shine, pulling off fast transitions and
catching people off guard.
Lauzon
is taking no chances with having problems with adjusting to the
altitude while fighting near Denver. He arrived in Fort Collins,
Colorado on March 15th, in order to begin high altitude preparation,
more than two weeks in advance of his bout with Florian.
Lauzon
said he is staying and training with former TUF cast mate Noah
Thomas (10-4). In addition to Thomas Lauzon said that he will
be working out with his younger brother, Dan Lauzon (9-2, 0-1
UFC).
“I
think that getting here so early will give me an advantage,”
says Lauzon, “I’m not super worried about it [the altitude]
but I think it will help.”
If
Lauzon succeeds in implementing his game plan and defeats Florian,
it may not be too long before he is challenging Penn for the
lightweight title of the UFC.
“I
train with B.J. every day, so I kind of know how that match up
would go,” says Lauzon, “it’s not something I’m
looking forward to, but some time down the line who knows.”
Lauzon
said that while it would be hard to fight his training partner
and mentor Penn, he wouldn’t have much choice in the matter.
“He
would make me fight him,” Lauzon says, “it kind of
shows you what kind of guy he is that he wouldn’t let me
turn down an opportunity to fight him for a championship.”
What
would his strategy be for a fight against Penn? “I have no idea,” chuckles Lauzon,
“B.J. is a freak. I’d have to figure out something.
But, I’m not going to even start to think about that yet,
I have to deal with Kenny first.”
Source: MMA Fighting
|
“I
want to fight in the USA again”
Bustamante has a chat with GRACIEMAG.com
Even though his MMA career has not yet come to an end, Murilo
Bustamante could be considered a fully accomplished fighter.
World Jiu-Jitsu champion in 1999, holder of UFC middleweight
belt in 2002 and a great trainer of athletes, the 40-some-year-old
Murilo, along with Bebeo Duarte, have been dedicating themselves
for years to taking to the top one of the most famous MMA schools
on the world scene, Brazilian Top Team.
GRACIEMAG.com
correspondent, Nalty Junior took advantage of Busta’s trip
to Las Vegas to have a chat about the latest phase of the BTT,
his future in the ring, the promise of Rousimar Toquinho and
the holidays of Ricardo Arona, who has not fought since Pride
came to an end.
GRACIEMAG.com:
What are the BTT’s plans during this next phase?
Murilo: The plan is to continue doing the same thing as always
which is to produce fighters. Recently the BTT opened an MMA
training center in Las Vegas, which will be our base in the States.
GRACIEMAG.com:
What will be your next fight?
Murilo: Right now I have options and I’m studying them,
perhaps it will be in Japan. The truth is I would like to fight
in the USA again, but for the time being that is not certain.
GRACIEMAG.com:
After Minotauro, Minotouro and Paulao leaving the team, who are
the main fighters at the BTT right now in your eyes?
Murilo: The main fighters of the BTT now are me, Ricardo Arona
and Luis Buscape. But we have several promising ones. Rousimar
Touquinho is one of them. We had several offers from events in
Japan and the USA, and we chose to sign with the UFC. We believe
Toquinho will be a big star in world MMA shortly.
GRACIEMAG.com:
Would you like to face anyone in particular in your next appearance?
Murilo: I’d like to fight Takimoto again; he was my adversary
in my last fight (in Yarennoka). I was winning the fight with
a good lead, when I hit a bad patch of luck and took a knockdown
that impacted the result, and the decision ended up going to
him. That’s why I’d like to fight him again. And then
I’d probably have the chance to fight for the category title.
GRACIEMAG.com:
You’ve been in MMA since the beginning. What do you think
of MMA today?
Murilo: I think it’s fantastic. In my opinion MMA wouldn’t
exist in the world if it weren’t for Jiu-Jitsu. This opens
the market wide open for teachers of the gentle art. But what
made the difference was the UFC, we really must give credit to
Dana White and Joe Silva, because MMA grew a lot and it’s
already bigger than some traditional sports in the USA.
GRACIEMAG.com:
And what about Arona, will he be fighting soon? How is his career
going?
Murilo: Arona has several offers to fight in Canada, Japan and
the USA, but for the time being he’s decided to take some
time off and is now in Australia surfing. When he gets back we’ll
figure his life out.
GRACIEMAG.com:
Have any of these offers come from the UFC?
Murilo: No, not from the UFC.
GRACIEMAG.com:
What did you think of Dream? And what about Buscape’s performance
in the first stage of the GP?
Murilo: The event’s structure was fantastic. Luis was a
little off pace, as he hadn’t fought in a long time, but
even so he managed to get an important win. Surely he’ll
get better during the competition, he is a strong candidate for
the lightweight GP title.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Gesias
comments his fight at Dream
Disappointed
after not defining his fight against Shinya Aoki at Dream, that
finished with a no contest after the Japanese fighter complaining
of an elbow on the nape, Gesias Cavalcanti told TATAME about
the polemic fight and said that is calm after his fight and waits
to continue at lightweight GP of the Japanese event. “I
don’t have anything to do. I didn’t hurt intentionally
any illegal blow. Nobody is more disappointed with this fight
than me. I really wanted that the fight had continued, but it
didn’t depend only from my side and Aoki said he couldn’t
continue, and it won’t be me to judge him”, said the
Brazilian fighter, still at Japan.
“Elbows
on body are allowed by Dream’s rules. It’s difficult
to judge. It happens a lot with knees and kicks when you are
at three-point position or when the knee is hit at the fall down
moment. At this situation, what did the athlete should do? Don’t
hit to avoid the risk?”, asked Gesias, that is confident
on his stay at Dream’s GP. “I still don’t know
how will be my situation on the GP. I’ve heard that, by
the rules, I should go ahead on the event. I might get a position
on the next days or maybe today before leaving Japan. If they
chose to fight another time it’s great too”, said.
Source: Tatame
|
Exclusive:
UFC Negotiating With Fedor
By Jason Perkins
Sources close to negotiations between the UFC and Fedor's management
have informed Fightline.com that the two sides are currently
discussing a possible one fight deal that would bring Fedor to
the cage, presumably to face Randy Couture.
It is unknown whether Couture would end his lawsuit and come
back to the UFC to face Fedor if the UFC were able to offer such
a fight, but Couture has stated on numerous occasions that this
is the only fight that makes sense at this stage of his career.
It
should be noted that nothing is eminent at this point and negotiations
are in the general discussion phase. If made, however, the deal
would be unprecedented. The UFC is notorious for locking up fighters
in long term deals and not allowing them to leave as champions.
We'll have more on this story as it develops.
Source: Fightline
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure much."
William Hazlitt, 1778-1830, English Writer and Literary Critic
|
Silva
Asserts Himself Atop Sherdog P4P
You
don't have to be a diehard mixed martial arts fan to know that
Anderson Silva is the dominant figure in the sport at the moment.
The
UFC middleweight champion affirmed his status as tops pound-for-pound
with a second-round submission of Dan Henderson earlier this
month. And while little changed at the head of the list, new
fighters debut in other spots.
In:
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
B.J. Penn
Miguel Torres
Out:
Dan Henderson
Shinya Aoki
Randy Couture
1)
Anderson Silva (21-4)
Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, demonstrated once again
why he's the clear-cut pound-for-pound king. During his dismantling
of Dan Henderson (Pictures) on March 1, the 31-year-old Brazilian
showed all aspects of his game en route to making Henderson tap
out to a choke for the first time in his career. Japan's Yushin
Okami (Pictures) appears to be Silva's next UFC challenger, yet
the 185-pound "Spider" has voiced more of an interest
in boxing Roy Jones Jr.
2)
Quinton Jackson (29-6)
"Rampage" sits firmly in the second spot, a couple
of notches behind Silva. While a case could be made that the
29-year-old UFC light heavyweight champion belongs at the top
following victories over Chuck Liddell (Pictures) and Dan Henderson
(Pictures), "Spider" Silva's destruction of Hendo makes
Jackson's five-round decision win against the Greco-Roman Olympian
appear less impressive. Jackson, however, has dominated since
coming to the UFC, and he will get his highest profile fight
as champion when he defends against Forrest Griffin (Pictures)
this summer.
3)
Fedor Emelianenko (27-1, 1 NC)
The former No. 1 P4P fighter seems poised to get back to business.
Freeing himself of the impotent M-1 Global, Emelianenko is rumored
to be negotiating with several MMA promoters. Regardless of where
he ends up, Emelianenko must fight the best challengers if he's
going to keep his mantle as the top heavyweight in MMA. The recent
performance of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) in capturing
the UFC heavyweight title reminds us just how good the Russian
-- who owns two decisive decision wins over Nogueira -- really
can be against top competition.
4)
Georges St. Pierre (15-2)
The 26-year-old French-Canadian remains in the fourth spot. If
he can avenge his loss to Serra this coming April in his home
city of Montreal, St. Pierre -- the No. 1 ranked welterweight
-- could be considered the most dominant fighter in MMA. If he
defeats Serra, a fight with Jon Fitch (Pictures) or Karo Parisyan
(Pictures) could materialize in the latter half of 2008.
5)
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1, 1 NC)
If not for Fedor, "Minotauro" would be regarded as
the top heavyweight in MMA history. As it stands, the 31-year-old
Brazilian makes his first appearance in the P4P rankings at No.
5 following his submission over Tim Sylvia. The victory for the
"interim" UFC heavyweight crown offered fans who had
not followed Nogueira's career during or after his championship
reign in Pride a chance to see just how tough and technical he
is.
6)
Urijah Faber (20-1)
Currently standing as World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight
champion, Faber's near-perfect record and ability to connect
with fans immediately made him the best-known mixed martial artist
under 145 pounds. The aggressive 28-year-old wrestler has worked
diligently on rounding out his game with an improved focus on
standup and submission. Faber's next challenge is likely to come
in his hometown of Sacramento, Calif., against former UFC lightweight
champion Jens Pulver .
7)
Takanori Gomi (28-3, 1 NC)
Japan's perennial lightweight king earned his first victory since
Dec. 31, 2006, with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig (Pictures) on
March 5. Gomi's overall record is impressive, yet his recent
inactivity has angered many fans that feel he's failed to fight
the best in the division. The fact of the matter, however, remains
that Gomi, 29, owns wins over the bulk of top division talent.
A rematch versus B.J. Penn (Pictures) or bouts with other viable
155-pound fighters would go a long way in answering questions
over Gomi's spirit to fight.
8)
Norifumi Yamamoto (17-1, 1 NC)
After establishing himself as a top featherweight, "Kid"
jumped to K-1 three years ago and moved up to lightweight for
payday purposes. Along the way he happened to become a superstar
in Japan, where he picked up some solid wins. Yamamoto, now 31,
stopped Rani Yahya (Pictures) on New Year's Eve, showing once
again how explosive he can be. Fighting at a more natural weight
(near 135 pounds), Yamamoto could be a quick riser on this list
if he is matched with quality opposition.
9)
B.J. Penn
(12-4-1)
While "The Prodigy" has always had P4P talent, inconsistent
performances and confusing excursions into far-too-heavy weight
divisions kept him off this list. Having settled in nicely at
155 pounds, Penn has brought the sort of technical dominance
that has many fans and fighters alike calling the Hawaiian the
best fighter in the sport. Against Sean Sherk (Pictures) in May,
Penn has the opportunity to bust into the top three and very
possibly challenge Anderson Silva for the top spot if he dominates
the steroid-tainted former UFC lightweight champion.
10)
Miguel Torres (23-1)
Torres is the reason lists like this exist. Recognizing talent
across all weight divisions, Torres is the first 135-pounder
to make his presence felt. He toiled in obscurity before World
Extreme Cagefighting featured the bantamweight class in the United
States. Then Torres captured an organizational championship title
with a masterful effort versus Chase Beebe (Pictures). The 27-year-old
fighter from East Chicago, Ind., offered a varied and high-paced
submission attack before catching Beebe in one of the best submissions
this year.
Source: Sherdog
|
Koppenhaver
vs. Yoshida added to UFC 84 in Las Vegas
*Koppenhaver
aka War Machine is trained by Hawaii's Baret Yoshida
"The Ultimate Fighter 6" welterweight Jon Koppenhaver
will take on Shooto and Cage Force veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida
on the undercard of UFC 84: ill will at the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 24, the UFC announced Tuesday.
Koppenhaver
(1-0 UFC, 5-1 overall) turned in a tenacious come-from-behind
victory in his UFC debut against Jared Rollins last December
at the Ultimate Fighter 6 season finale. Five days later, though,
he pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge for assaulting a
man outside of San Diego's Undisputed Fitness and Training Center.
Koppenhaver avoided jail time last month, receiving a 3-year
probation and community service.
Yoshida
(0-0 UFC, 9-2 overall) earned his contract with the UFC by winning
the 2007 Cage Force welterweight tournament. Yoshida defeated
Katsuya Inoue, Matt Cain, Akira Kikuchi, and Dan Hardy in four
tournament bouts from March through December.
The
UFC also confirmed a lightweight bout between Jason Tan and Dong
Hyun Kim.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Manager
believes in Lyoto’s total superiority
“To be a legend, you have to beat a legend"
Agent
to many successful MMA fighters, Ed Soares has clients needing
no introduction, like the Brazilians Anderson Silva, Antonio
Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Lyoto Machida. For
those who don’t know the name, he’s the bald guy always
by Anderson’s side at press conferences or post-fight commentary,
helping with the English/Portuguese translation.
As
a manager must, Ed seeks to defend the interests of his athletes.
One of his recent statements made to the American site FightHype,
speaking of the fight between Lyoto and Tito Ortiz, which takes
place at UFC 84 on May 24 in Las Vegas.
“I
don’t really think there’s an area where Tito Ortiz
is better than Lyoto. I look at it on paper and Lyoto can out
strike him, Lyoto is better than him on the ground. I mean, Tito
is bigger, but I don’t necessarily think he’s stronger,
but he’s bigger. That’s the only thing he really has
and I can even say he’s a better wrestler, but we’ll
have to wait and see. I know Tito will come prepared and I know
Lyoto will be prepared so it has all of the ingredients of being
a great fight. As Tito himself said: ‘To be a legend you
have to beat a legend,” and we definitely consider him a
legend of the sport.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
MAYWEATHER
ON VERGE OF SACKING UNCLE ROGER
By Jason Abelson
Floyd
Mayweather Jr. told a national media conference call on Wednesday
that he's on the verge of sacking his uncle Roger in the wake
of Roger accepting the role of trainer to Steve Forbes for his
May 3rd bout with Oscar De La Hoya.
"I
asked Roger not to train Forbes," said Mayweather.
"If
Forbes beats Oscar De La Hoya, then money is being taken out
of my pocket...I fully disapprove...if it happens, I'm going
to have to move on and get another trainer."
Mayweather
went on to clarify that if Roger continues to train Forbes he'll
be forced to switch cornermen, with the possibility that he'll
bring his father Floyd Sr. back in the fold.
"Roger
is jeopardizing 80,000 for millions. Steve Forbes is a good fighter,
but he's an ESPN guy. For his name to be mentioned on HBO is
crazy. He fights like me, but if he was as good as me he'd be
making the same money as me."
"Roger
is taking money out of his own mouth."
Mayweather
went on to say that when it comes to his boxing future, it may
not include the consensus number two welterweight in the world,
Miguel Cotto.
"Miguel
Cotto is under the stranglehold of Bob Arum. He's no superstar.
He's controlled by Arum. He's not at my level."
"I'm
never letting guys piggyback on me again, and making them big.
I'm not fighting Cotto and making him big. I'm done letting guys
piggyback on me."
Source: The Fight Network
|
Quote
of the Day
"There
is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject;
the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person."
G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English Writer
|
Frank
unimpressed by Anderson
“The best in the world are not all in the UFC”
In the lead up to his fight with Cung Le for the Strikeforce
middleweight belt, March 28th, in California, Frank Shamrock
seems to be honing more than just his skills, but his tongue
too. Ken’s younger brother, who had a series of 12 wins
interrupted by his loss to Renzo Gracie, in February of 2007,
managed a come back by overcoming Phil Baroni in June of last
year.
The
approaching big fight against undefeated Vietnamese striker Cung
Le (5w) could put the submission specialist among the best at
his weight, which according to Frank, is not dominated by the
Brazilian UFC champion, Anderson Silva. Shamrock has an old grudge
against the UFC.
“Well
I think I've been named that guy several times over the past
14 years, so I think that it's fleeting, it's exciting but I
certainly don't think he's the best in the world. I think he's
probably one of the best guys in the UFC, but all the best fighters
are not in the UFC. So hopefully he can hang onto that and make
something out of it and gain some fame. But I have 100 per cent
confidence if I ran into him, they'd be calling me that guy,”
he said on a conference call to promote his upcoming Strikeforce
fight against Cung Le as quoted by the Canadian press.
The
statements of the Strikeforce athlete may sound exagerated to
a lot of MMA fans, but not to the president of EliteXC, Gary
Shaw, who even goes even further:
“Until
someone beats Frank, then Frank is the single best in the world.
And as Frank said, there is no single organization that owns
the best fights or the best fighters. But in this case the best
fighter in the world, hands down, bar none, for sure, is Frank
Shamrock.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Frye
Bows Out of Yamma; Taktarov to Face Pat Smith
by Jake Rossen
Don
Frye has pulled out of a scheduled April 11 main event against
Oleg Taktarov for the debuting Yamma Pit Fighting promotion,
Sherdog.com learned Wednesday.
Taktarov
will instead face UFC 1 tournament entrant Patrick Smith, according
to Smith's co-managers Francois Nguyen and Tommy Rojas. A contract
is expected to be signed and returned this week.
Smith,
2-1 in 2007, trains out of Arlington MMA in Arlington, Texas.
According to Rojas, the 45-year-old athlete was invited to participate
in a June Yamma event, but Frye's cancellation created an opportunity
to compete sooner.
Smith
and Taktarov were originally slated to meet in a July 1995 UFC
event. Smith, who had won his first-round match against Rudyard
Moncayo, complained of stomach pains and declined to continue
in the tournament. Taktarov eventually defeated David "Tank"
Abbott to claim the championship.
The
Russian recently ended a nearly 10-year hiatus with a kneebar
victory over John Marsh in November 2007.
Smith-Taktarov
will be part of Yamma's "Masters Superfights" series
for veteran combatants and will consist of two five-minute rounds.
An eight-man heavyweight tournament and a bout between Eric "Butterbean"
Esch and Gary Goodridge rounds out the card, which will be broadcast
live on pay-per-view from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City,
N.J.
Source: Sherdog
|
CALZAGHE
NOT IMPRESSED BY HOPKINS' ENTOURAGE
FRANK WARREN PRESS RELEASE
On
Wednesday, former undisputed light heavyweight champion, and
reigning light heavyweight world champion Bernard Hopkins revealed
his 'Execution Squad' that includes Freddie Roach, Nazim Richardson,
John David Jackson and conditioning coach Mackie Shilstone in
the hopes of inflicting the first defeat on the record Joe Calzaghe.
By
contrast the only person in the Calzaghe camp is Joe's trainer
and father, Enzo.
"I
thought Ol' Popkins was going to reveal that he had brought in
NASA, the US Army and the ER team to help him out!" laughed
Joe.
"
Does it worry me? Of course not. It's the old cliché,
it will be just be me and him in the ring on the night and the
fact that he has all these people working with him tells you
something: he's worried about me."
"
Jeff Lacy had the highly respected Dan Birmingham in his corner
but look what happened to him."
"
Poppy's employed all these people to try and figure out how to
beat me but if he can't figure it out himself then he's got a
problem. There are no big secrets with me, my fights are all
out there on DVD and he can get hold of them."
"
These are all just mind games from him. He tried to get to me
during the media tour but I wasn't bothered by him. I'm a strong
character and my own man, I'm not going to fall for his bull."
"
Remember, this is the hard guy from Philadelphia who threw a
fit because a warehouse was too cold to film a TV commercial
in and then sulked off because the producer told him to wear
socks!"
He
added, "It's just been me and my dad since I started boxing
when I was 8-years-old. I don't need anybody else and have never
wanted to bring in anybody else. It's worked for over 25 years
including my amateur and 44 pro fights and in that time I have
unified world titles, held the WBO world title into a record
eleventh year and made 21 title defences so I'm not going to
change now,"
"
All I need for a training camp is my dad, a mountain to run up,
clean fresh air, a boxing ring and plenty of sparring parters.
That's it plain and simple. No other experts required,"
"
Ultimately it is down to me what happens in the ring on the night
and if I haven't trained properly I will be found out. But I
can tell you know now that I have never been more confident preparing
for a fight in my career,"
"
My dad has been putting me through sheer hell in training, absolutely
kicking my arse. I know what is in front of me against Hopkins
and all I need is my skill, stamina, heart and unbeatable will
to win to beat him,"
"
When's his ten game plans haven't worked and he's forced into
going toe-to-toe in the trenches with me, how is Freddie going
to show him he has to use his heart to win? He can't. That's
fighting instinct and I'm going to take him somewhere he has
never been before,"
"
I'm telling Hopkins now, don't worry about my dad pulling me
out because that situation won't come up. Just make sure you
know which one of your 'Dream Team' will have the compassion
to throw in the towel when you are getting seriously bust up,"
Calzaghe
finished by saying: "Come fight night it's just you and
me in the ring Bernie, the rest of your team will be safely tucked
away in the corner and then we will see how you cope."
Source: The Fight Network
|
Jucão
analyzes Pitbull and Parisyan's fight
Without
fighting since his victory against Tony Mendigo at UF 79, that
happened at December 29th of 2007 at Las Vegas, United States,
Roan Jucão is waiting for confirmation for his next fight,
which can be at Europe. “I might fight at UFC 85, but I
still waiting for confirmation. While, I keep training hard here
at ATT”, told the Jiu-Jitsu black belt, that analyzed his
teammate Thiago Pitbull Alves’ fight against Karo Parysian
at April 2nd at UFC Fight Night.
“Thiago
by knockout. He, in my opinion, is the best ATT athlete at the
moment. Without demeriting any other fighter, but Pit is flying
low to get at UFC and fly high (laughs). Parysian only can do
any danger to Thiago on the ground, but putting him down is hard.
I think this fight finishes by Pit’s knockout”, said
Jucão.
Source: Tatame
|
Carter,
Bennett among the coaches on BET's 'Iron Ring'
UFC veteran Shonie Carter and EliteXC lightweight Charles "Krazy
Horse" Bennett are two of the six coaches on BET's mixed
martial arts reality television series, "Iron Ring,"
which premieres Tuesday, March 18 at 11 pm ET/PT.
The
flamboyant Carter is no stranger to reality television shows.
The 35-year-old riled his fellow cast members with his wild antics
as a contestant on the fourth season of "The Ultimate Fighter"
on Spike TV.
Bennett
is also a fan of the camera, often mugging the camera before
fights and doing backflips off cages as a victory celebration.
The oft-arrested Floridian has stated on numerous occasions (whether
serious or not) his desire to start an acting career.
The
other four coaches are Roberto Traven, Jermaine Andre, Abdul
Mutakabbir and Novell Bell. Traven was the 1999 ADCC open-weight
grappling champion and a two-time competitor in the UFC. Andre,
a kickboxing champion and a one-time UFC competitor, was the
middleweight champion in the short-lived World Fighting Alliance
promotion.
Fighters
will compete on teams owned and managed by rappers T.I., Ludacris,
Lil' Jon, Dipset (Juelz Santana, Jim Jones) and undefeated boxer
Floyd Mayweather.
David
Issacs and Campbell McLaren, two co-creators of the original
SEG-owned UFC, are the Executive Producers on this project described
as an "urban-style UFC/mixed martial arts fight tournament."
Here
are the team rosters:
Floyd
Mayweather's Team
Coach: Roberto Traven
Fighters: Andy Roberts, Dymond Jones, Abdelaziz Essafoui
Ludacris'
Team
Coach: Abdul Mutakabbir
Fighters: Joe Camacho, John Fields, Frank Mendez, Joe McCall
Nelly's
Team
Coach: Jermaine Andre
Fighters: Eric Marriott, Darryl Cobb, Mike Cook
T.I.'s
Team
Coach: Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett
Fighters: Josh Gaskins, Primus Moore, Jamie Yager, Joe Thomas
Dipset's
Team
Coach: Novell Bell
Fighters: Josh Key, Daniel Akinyemi, Carlos Moreno
Lil
Jon's Team
Coach: Shonie Carter
Fighters: Marcus Brimage, Brian Rogers, Abongo Humphrey
Source: MMA Fighting
|
|
3/22/08
Happy Birthday to us! |
Quote
of the Day
"None
are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them."
Charles Caleb Colton, 1780-1832, British Author and Clergyman
|
Denny
wins ShoXC main event on DQ
Mark Oshiro
Wins, but Analu Brash Comes Up Short
Thomas "Wildman" Denny was declared the winner in the
main event of Friday's ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series at the
Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California after Malaipet
was disqualified due to illegal elbows.
It
was an unfortunate method of victory for Denny, who dominated
the fight up until that point.
Denny
opened the fight with a takedown to avoid standing with the Muay
Thai expert Malaipet, who has recorded overly 300 Muay Thai fights.
Denny proceeded to work for a rear naked choke that Malaipet
eventually escapes. Denny took full mount and threw down elbows
for his ground and pound onslaught. But upon positioning himself
for an armbar, Malaipet escaped. Denny reached for Malaipet's
legs to prevent him from standing back up. That's when Malaipet
blantantly threw elbow after elbow to the back of Denny's head.
Referee
Herb Dean paused the fight to have the cageside doctor check
on a dazed Denny. When the doctor asked Denny if he could effectively
continue, Denny responded with "no," and the fight
was stopped at 4:51.
"I’m
sorry because I came here to fight," Denny said. "But
this is MMA and you have to follow the rules. I may have been
dazed but I wasn’t knocked out. One thing I could not do,
however, was move my neck."
One
thing is for certain, a rematch will be in the works.
"I
definitely want to fight him again," Malaipet said. "If
he wants to do it at 150 pounds, I'll fight him anytime, anyplace."
"Malaipet
was tough because I thought I had him with the rear naked choke,"
Denny said. "But I will definitely fight him again. I was
totally dominating."
ShoXC:
Elite Challenger Series
Friday, March 21, 2008
Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California
160
lbs: Thomas Denny def. Malaipet via DQ (illegal elbows) - R1
(4:51)
160 lbs: Conor Huen def. Marlon Matias via unanimous decision
205 lbs: Jaime Fletcher def. Aaron Rosa via unanimous decision
265 lbs: Shane Del Rosario def. Analu Brash via TKO (strikes) – R1 (3:18)
140 lbs: Mark
Oshiro
def. Chris Caraiso via TKO (strikes) - R1 (2:38)
Source: MMA Fighting
|
THE
FIRST "CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS" TO BE BROADCAST
LIVE ON SATURDAY, MAY 31 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
EliteXC Heavyweight Sensation, Kimbo Slice, Will Headline an
Exciting Night of Mixed Martial Arts
Middleweight
Champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler will Defend His Title
Against Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith
LOS
ANGELES, March 20 — CBS and ProElite, Inc. today announced
that the first live primetime mixed martial arts event will be
broadcast Saturday, May 31 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS
Television Network. CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will be
broadcast live from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
"We're
excited to introduce broadcast television viewers to America's
fastest growing sport with this prime time event," said
Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime. "EliteXC
is putting together a lineup card that showcases the unique personalities,
world-class athleticism, and raw power and emotion that characterizes
mixed martial arts."
Champion
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler will put his title on the
line against Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith in a middleweight
championship bout. EliteXC heavyweight phenom, Kimbo Slice, will
also participate in the May 31 event along with other stars from
mixed martial arts. Additional matchups will be announced at
a later date.
"I
am very happy for the highly trained fighters, who will finally
get the kind of exposure they deserve, and, of course, the viewers,
who will get the opportunity to learn that MMA is truly a sport
that requires an abundance of skills, both mentally and physically,"
said Gary Shaw, EliteXC Live Events President.
CBS
and ProElite, Inc., a Los Angeles-based leading entertainment
and media company that produces world class mixed martial arts
(MMA) events, announced last month they were teaming up to bring
MMA to a major broadcast television network for the first time.
CBS will broadcast four MMA events per year, produced by ProElite's
live fight division, EliteXC, as two-hour live primetime specials.
Mixed
martial arts is a sport evolved from a number of ancient combat
disciplines including judo, jiu-jitsu, karate, wrestling and
kickboxing. World-class athletes engage in hand-to-hand combat
in a ring — both caged and traditional — and must adapt
their fighting style to fit their opponent. The wide variety
of styles and techniques make every event an unpredictable spectacle.
CBS
ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will be produced by SHOWTIME Sports.
The executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr. with Bob Dunphy
directing.
For
additional information visit www.proelite.com
CBS
Press Contacts:
Mitch
Graham 323-575-2415 mitch.graham@tvc.cbs.com
Kelli
Raftery 212-975-3163 kraftery@cbs.com
CBS
Photo Contacts:
Gaye
Ann Bruno 323-575-2796 gayeann.bruno@tvc.cbs.com
Jeffrey
Staab 212-975-4107 jrstaab@cbs.com
Showtime
Sports Contact:
Chris
DeBlasio 212-708-1633 chris.deblasio@showtime.net
ProElite,
Inc. Contact:
PondelWilkinson Inc.
Evan
Pondel 310-279-5980 epondel@pondel.com
EliteXC
Contact:
Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.
John Beyrooty 562-233-7477 Johnnybey@aol.com
Source: MMA Fighting
|
4
Participants Announced for May 18th Sengoku Card
By FCF Staff
World
Victory Road has confirmed 4 fighters that will compete at the
promotion’s upcoming May 18th, Sengoku card in Tokyo, Japan.
The official Sengoku site has listed Roger Gracie, Satoru Kitaoka,
Yoshihiro Nakao and Yuki Sasaki as competitors; no opponents
have yet been announced.
For
Gracie (1-0), the upcoming card will mark just the second MMA
fight for the renowned grappling star. At Bodog Fight’s
USA vs. Russia event in December, 2006, Gracie made his MMA debut
a successful one by submitting Ron Waterman in the first round
with an armbar.
The
Pancrase veteran Kitaoka (19-8-9) holds wins over several notable
fighters, including Carlos Condit, Thomas Schulte, Paul Daley
and Kurt Pellegrino, and recently lost by Split Decision to Katsuya
Inoue at a January 30th, Pancrase event.
The
Pride and K-1 Hero’s veteran Nakao (6-1) has not competed
since Pride 34 last April, when he submitted Edson Drago with
a first round neck crank. Prior to that, Nakao lost by Unanimous
Decision to Kazuhiro Nakamura at Pride’s Final Conflict
Absolute event in September, 2006.
Sasaki
(21-13-1) has been competing in MMA since 1998 and is coming
off an armbar submission victory over Bo Guk So at a DEEP event
last summer. In his fight before that, the Japanese fighter was
unsuccessful in his UFC debut, losing by Unanimous Decision to
Dean Lister at UFC Fight Night 6 in August, 2006.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Drysdale,
Jacare and Couture
Robert speaks about training: “Couture is unbeatable in
the clinch”
Back
in his land of birth, Robert Drysdale has the mission of tuning
up the ground games of the fighters at one of the most renowned
academies in the whole United States, Xtreme Couture. Hired as
a coach for good ol’ Randy’s team, the Brasa black
belt, who recently moved to Las Vegas, will not face this task
alone.
He
will have the help of two more Jiu-Jitsu “heavyweights”:
world champions Andre Galvao and Ronaldo Jacare, who will also
help with Wanderlei Silva’s preparations for his fight against
Keith Jardine at UFC 84. The current ADCC absolute champion received
the two-time absolute Jiu-Jitsu world champion from the Amazon
in his home and will be playing a key role in his new companion’s
adaptation. GRACIEMAG.com spoke with him about the arrival of
one more ace on the team and the training of the new boss.
GRACIEMAG.com:
Have you had the opportunity to do any submission grappling or
MMA training with Couture? How is he technically?
Drysdale: I haven’t trained with him on the ground yet.
But soon he should have a submission grappling fight with Olympic
wrestling champion Kurt Angle. Couture told me that I’ll
be helping him with this fight. In MMA we did some standup training
from the clinch. In the clinch he’s unbeatable. You can’t
even move.
GRACIEMAG.com:
Tell us something about Jacare’s move to your team.
Drysdale: Jacare is really focused on MMA right now. He should
be spending a season training with us in Las Vegas. Training
here couldn’t be better. Now if he’ll stick around
to represent the team or not, I don’t know, that depends
on him.
GRACIEMAG.com:
How does this practice of foreign exchange work among you guys?
Drysdale: I believe everyone benefits from this partnership.
When I came here, I was a little worried about not having any
Jiu-Jitsu partners. But me, Wand, Andre (Galvao) and Jacare have
already agreed to train Jiu-Jitsu together, even with the gi.
There is an exchange of information and experience between us,
so everyone wins, and still keep our ground games up to par.
Without mentioning we are all doing our physical training with
Alejarra. He’s getting the whole gang up to speed.
GRACIEMAG.com:
What has been your impression of Jiu-Jitsu and MMA over there?
Drysdale: Here training is really tough. The pace is accelerated
and even Jacare is tired (laughs). Every day at 4 pm the MMA
gang does their training, and things get rough… It’s
all really intense. In the first week of training here I could
hardly finish the class, I spent the entire week with my shins
in pain. Now I’m starting to feel better. It’s incredible
how Jiu-Jitsu and MMA are reaching new levels of excellence,
both physically and mentally. Jiu-Jitsu and MMA have left the
realm of being hobbies and have become elite sports, with elite
athletes.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Emelianenko
vs. Maldonado at M-1 Challenge in St. Petersburg
Aleksander Emelianenko, the younger brother of Fedor, will take
on Fabio Maldonado in the main event of the next M-1 Challenge
event happening April 3 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Emelianenko
won all three of his fights in 2007 and will be looking to open
his first fight in 2008 by extending his win streak to four.
He submitted Dan Bobish with a guillotine choke at the HCF: Title
Wave card last October in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Emelianenko
will fight alongside teammate Roman Zentsov, who will compete
against Junior dos Santos.
Santos
and Maldonado are teammates under UFC heavyweight champion Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira, Team Minotauro. The two were also on the Nogueira-led
Avalanche squad in the Brazilian mixed martial arts league, MO
League.
M-1
Challenge is organized by Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelstein.
The promotion runs separately from M-1 Global presided by Monte
Cox.
CURRENT
FIGHT CARD:
-
Marat Gelaev vs. Yunus Evloev
- Victor Nemkov vs. TBA
- Niko Puhakka vs. Jong Man Kim
- Janne Tulirinta vs. Yong Hoon Lee
- Lucio Linhares vs. Hyung Kyu Lim
- Toni Valtonen vs. Seung Hyun Choi
- Jarno Nurminen vs. Ji Hoon Kim
- Yuri Ivlev vs. Daisuke Nakamura
- Islam Karimov vs. Ken Hamamura
- Ansar Chalangov vs. Yuta Watanabe
- Besike Gerinava vs. Yuji Sakuragi
- Ahmed Sultanov vs. Katsuhisa Fujii
- Amar Suloev vs. Jacek Buczko
- Roman Zentsov vs. Junior dos Santos
- Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Fabio Maldonado
Source: MMA Fighting
|
ALESSIO
READY TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON LARSON
by Ken Pishna
John Alessio rarely steps away from fighting for more than three
months at a time. There’s a reason for that.
“I
feel like a caged pit bull right now, just wanting to get let
loose,” he commented recently on MMAWeekly Radio.
He
will finally have the opportunity to let that aggression loose
when he faces fellow World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight
contender Brock Larson at WEC 33 on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
There
are other fights that Alessio would rather have right now though,
like another shot at current champion Carlos Condit. When he
fights Larson, it will be nearly one year to the day that Alessio
was submitted when he and Condit fought for WEC gold.
“Carlos
is tough man. He definitely deserves to be the champion. I’ve
got a lot of respect for him, but I do want what he has and that’s
the belt,” stated Alessio.
This
fight is being regarded by many as a de facto elimination bout
to become the No. 1 contender for Condit’s belt. Alessio
doesn’t see it that way.
“I
feel I’m the number one contender already. I’ve won
three in a row since my loss to Condit. Brock Larson really hasn’t
done anything. He should feel lucky to fight me.”
He
continued, “He’s got this impeccable 22-2 record, but
I really only consider the guy to be 7-2. I look at his record
and I break it down and I look at some of the guys he’s
fought and he’s fought a lot of dudes with a losing record.
I wouldn’t be proud of that.”
That’s
not to say that Alessio is overlooking his opponent.
“He’s
a strong wrestler. I think he’s going to try to set up some
heavy ground and pound punches. I do believe he is a purple or
brown belt in jiu-jitsu, so he does have some submissions too,”
he said. “I definitely respect his ability.”
Two
years ago, Alessio fought an opponent with a similar style to
Larson, but ended up on the losing end of a decision to Diego
Sanchez. Alessio took some criticism for never really letting
his hands go. That’s something that he doesn’t see
happening in this fight.
“I’ve
been working a lot with Shawn Tompkins and working on new combinations
for a southpaw specifically, something I didn’t really get
to do for Diego. Now I feel a lot more comfortable pulling the
trigger and I am comfortable with my takedown defense.”
Alessio
stopped short of making a prediction for his fight with Larson,
but he was adamant that he will not let his efforts in training
with the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Mike Pyle, Jay Hieron, and
Forrest Griffin at the Xtreme Couture gym go to waste.
“I’m
going to outsmart him. I’m going to outbox him. I’m
going to outgrapple him. I’m just going to outfight him,”
Alessio stated. “I’m going to win this fight. I’ve
trained way too damn hard. I’ve sacrificed 10 weeks of my
life.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"One
learns people through the heart, not the eyes or the intellect."
Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American Writer and Humorist
|
ELITEXC
/ PATRICK FREITAS / 808 232-3481 / superbrawl21@yahoo.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ELITEXC
MMA EVENT & SHOWTIME-TV TO RETURN TO HAWAII;
HAWAII FIGHTERS PLANNED TO APPEAR IN NATIONAL TV BROADCAST;
ANNOUNCEMENT FRIDAY AT BLAISDELL "GALLERIA"
MARCH 20, 2008 Honolulu, HI. EliteXC, the CBS & Showtime
televised mixed martial arts promotion, is making plans to return
to Hawaii. An announcement about its next Hawaii event will be
made 2 p.m., Friday, March 21st at the Blaisdell's "Galleria"
hall.
EliteXC's September 2007 Hawaii event featured world-class talent
such as Robbie Lawler, Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, Ninja Rua, and
the face of female M.M.A., Gina Carano. Local stand-outs such
as Kala Kolohe Hose, Mike Aina, Mark Oshiro, and Tyson Nam were
also showcased in this ground-breaking M.M.A. event. The September
EliteXC was witnessed by a near sold-out crowd at the Blaisdell,
as well as millions of viewers on the premium cable network,
Showtime.
EliteXC's next event, scheduled for May 31st, will be the first
M.M.A. event ever to air on network primetime TV, as the promotion
recently signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with CBS. The
Hawaii EliteXC event to be discussed tomorrow will be the first
to follow the CBS broadcast.
EliteXC is the largest live event produced by ProElite, Inc.
ProElite also owns Hawaii's Icon Sport and Rumble on the Rock,
Korea's SpiritMC, the U.K.'s Cage Rage, the mainland U.S.' King
of the Cage, and EliteXC's "Challenger Series" ShoXC.
ShoXC, which also airs on Showtime, serves as a "proving
grounds" for EliteXC, as it features up and coming M.M.A.
talent. Local fighters Kaleo Kwan and Ross Ebanez have appeared
in prior ShoXC events. On Friday, March 21st local fighters Mark
Oshiro of Pearl City and Analu Brash of Maui will make their
national TV debuts on ShoXC. On April 5th, Hilo's Po'ai Suganuma
will make his debut on ShoXC. Should these fighters find victory
at ShoXC, it is likely that they will compete in the upcoming
Hawaii EliteXC event.
WHO: EliteXC & Showtime TV
WHAT: Announcement of upcoming Hawaii event
WHEN: 2
p.m. Friday, March 21st
WHERE: Blaisdell Galleria (main entrance to convention area/adjacent
to Ward Ave and mauka of box office).
Source: Patrick Freitas
|
FIGHTERS
MAKE WEIGHT FOR FRIDAY'S SHO XC
The fighters for Friday night’s ShoXC Elite Challenger Series
at Chumash Casino Resort at Santa Ynez, Calif., weighed in on
Thursday.
The
main event features Muay Thai champion Malaipet Sitrprapom facing
Thomas “Wildman” Denny. The event is scheduled to be
televised on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast.
“I
know that I am skilled in Muay Thai, but my goal is to continue
fighting in MMA,” said Malaipet. “My goal is to be
a champion for EliteXC.
“I
think this is my last fight at this weight. I would like to fight
at 150 pounds in the future.”
A
mixed martial arts veteran with a wealth of experience, Denny
realizes the magnitude of this fight.
“This
is huge fighting on SHOWTIME on the main event,” he said.
“I plan to punch him on his face, put him on his head and
submit him. I think a lot of people give Malaipet too much respect
for his Muay Thai game. You need to attack him.”
MAIN
CARD (Televised on Showtime):
Malaipet Sitprapom (154.75 lbs.) vs. Thomas Denny (160 lbs.)
Marlon Mathias (159.5 lbs.) vs. Conor Heun (159.5 lbs.)
Aaron Rosa (203.25 lbs.) vs. Jaime Fletcher (205 lbs.)
Shane Del Rosario (231 lbs.) vs. Analu Brash (256.5 lbs.)
Mark Oshiro (138.75 lbs.) vs. Chris Cariaso (139.5 lbs.)
UNDERCARD
(Non-televised):
Brandon Tarn (250.5 lbs.) vs. Jason Williams (257.25 lbs.)
Devin Howard (172.5 lbs.) vs. Mark Kempthorne (170.75 lbs.)
Vince Guzman (161 lbs.) vs. Lyle Beerbohm (160.75 lbs.)
Kenny Johnson (170 lbs.) vs. Michael Penafiel (168.25 lbs.)
Steve Gable (169.75 lbs.) vs. Eric Jones (168.5 lbs.)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SHOXC
FINAL QUOTES
Thursday, Jan. 20, 2008,
Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, California
Malaipet
will try to continue his transformation from world-class superstar
Muay Thai kickboxer to mixed martial arts world champion when
he faces Thomas “Wildman” Denny of Hesperia, Calif.,
tomorrow/Friday, March 21, at Chumash Casino Resort at Santa
Ynez, Calif., on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west
coast).
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, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., will be making his MMA
main event debut in a fight that will headline a five-bout ShoXC:
Elite Challenger Series telecast.
In
other televised bouts, Marlon Mathias (5-1) of Brazil faces Conor
Heun (6-2) of Hollywood, Calif., Aaron Rosa (10-1) of San Antonio,
Tex., meets Jaime Fletcher (5-3) of Rancho Cucamonga at 205 pounds;
Shane Del Rosario (3-0) of Irvine, Calif., opposes Analu Brash (2-1) of
Kula, Maui,
at 265 pounds; and Mark
Oshiro (9-1) of Honolulu clashes with Chris Cariaso (6-0) of San Francisco
at 140.
Non-televised
bouts: Vince Guzman (2-2) of Los Angeles vs. Lyle Beerbohm (4-0)
of Spokane, Wash., at 160 pounds; Devin Howard (debut) of La
Habra, Calif., vs. Mark Kempthorne (1-4) of Vandenberg, Calif.,
at 170; Brandon Tarn (0-1) of Los Angeles vs. Jason Williams
(debut) of Los Angeles, Calif., at 265; Eric Jones (0-1) of Los
Angeles vs. Steve Gable (1-0) San Clemente, Calif., at 170 and
Kenny “The Poet’’ Johnson (debut) of Los Angeles
vs. Michael Penafiel (2-2) of Los Angeles at 170 pounds. (Note:
See Televised Fighter Pages below).
The
fights are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds. Fans can watch
pre- and post-fight interviews only at ProElite.com.
What
the fighters had to say:
MALAIPET:
“I
think Thomas Denny has a lot of skill in the ground, but I am
not scared. If something happens, it happens.
“I
have been working on my ground work, but I am interested in defending
submissions, not trying to apply them. If I get taken to the
ground, I will try and take the fight back to standing up.
“I
know that I am skilled in Muay Thai, but my goal is to continue
fighting in MMA. My goal is to be a champion for EliteXC.
“I
think this is my last fight at this weight. I would like to fight
at 150 pounds in the future.”
THOMAS
DENNY:
“This
is huge fighting on SHOWTIME on the main event. I had about 2
½ weeks notice for this fight, but I was already in shape
and ready to go.
“I
plan to punch him on his face, put him on his head and submit
him. I think a lot of people give Malaipet too much respect for
his Muay Thai game. You need to attack him.
“His
conditioning is questionable, so I will to push him hard. I need
to keep coming forward and keep punishing him with punches.
“Once
I grab him he is going to know that he is in there with a really
strong guy. This fight is not going to be as easy as he thinks.
I think he is going to be strong the first few minutes, but I
will be, too.
“You
are going to see my hand get raised in the cage after a lot of
fireworks. I plan on beating on him, clinching him up and submitting
him.
“I
don’t see any scenario where he will be on top of me on
the ground. If he is, he will get the arm-bar triangle.
“This
is a special opportunity for me. EliteXC is the biggest up-and-coming
organization right now. I want to show them that I want to be
a part of it by performing well. This is a huge deal to me.
“I
want a couple more fights and then go for a title. Of course,
I want that gold around my waist.
“I
train a lot smarter now than I used to. Fighting at 160 pounds
is my division. I have always been a small 170 pound competitor,
now it is the other way around. Now, I have the advantage because
I am big for 160 pounds.’’
MARLON
MATHIAS:
“I
like fighting with my hands. I can kick, elbow and punch to beat
my opponents. But I am equally strong in wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu.
“I
have seen my opponent fight. Conor is great at submissions, but
his striking is not that good. I am not worried about that.
“I
know my opponent is good at Jiu-Jitsu, so I am training in everything.
Every day I train with black belts in Jiu-Jitsu, so he has nothing
that can surprise me.
“I
am very happy to be fighting on ShoXC. This is a huge opportunity
for me. This will make my life different now. The result of this
fight could change my life.
“Fighting
on SHOWTIME, all of America can now see what I have on Friday
night. My future is in my hands and my feet. I am looking to
make a name for myself.
“I
am fighting for Chute Box. I promise I will represent them well
in the cage. I am influenced by all the great fighters that have
come from there. But I am part of a new generation and I have
a big torch to carry.”
CONOR
HEUN:
“I
respect anyone who gets in the cage, but the fact that Mathias
comes from a legendary camp will definitely add to it when I
beat him.
“I
think he is going to press forward, but I will, too. I am not
going to give him any room to breathe because I know he is not
in as good shape as I am right now.
“I
plan on overwhelming him and imposing my will on him. Physically,
I feel great right now.
“I
want to be on top. I am dangerous off my back, but you have to
be a hell of a wrestler to put me on my back. I am planning on
putting him on his back to see what he has from there.
“This
is the biggest competition of my life. It doesn’t feel the
same as competing in the state wrestling finals because I had
been working at that since I was five years old. But this feels
amazing. This is the first step toward at winning a belt.
“When
I was growing up, I looked up to the Chute Box fighters, which
is ironic because now I am going to beat Marlon, who is one of
their guys.”
AARON
ROSA:
“Jaime
Fletcher is strong. He is coming up from 185 pounds, but he is
a solid fighter.
“He
likes to bang, and throw punches. I will have to use my reach
against him and try to take him deep into the rounds. But if
I get an opportunity to take him out, I will jump on it.
“Jaime
seems to be pretty powerful, so I just have to be ready for everything.
“I
don’t see a future right now. I am just concentrating on
this fight. I hope to come out with a win.
“I
wasn’t all there in my last fight that I lost (to Jared
Hamman in October 2007’s ShoXC via rear naked choke). I
had a fever of 104 degrees and a viral infection the week before
the fight. I don’t want to steal his thunder, but it was
more me than him. He is a tremendous fighter and I would love
to fight him again.
“I
have one loss on my record. I think about it all the time. It
motivates me to want to keep going.”
JAIME
FLETCHER:
“Aaron
Rosa is a guy who likes to get after it. He likes to use his
length as an advantage and get in there and pound it out.
“He
is coming off a loss, so he can enter the cage in two different
ways. One, he may not be as confident, and I will try and capitalize
on that and exploit that. Or, two, he may come in fired up and
looking to get back to winning form.
“He
has a reach advantage on me, but I think my striking is better
than his is.
“I
heard he is basically anti-Jiu Jitsu. If I don’t have to
worry about submissions and just strikes, then that will open
up my opportunities to submit him and take him to the ground.
“At
205 pounds, I am a lot quicker than most fighters. That should
be a big advantage for me in the cage.
“I
took this fight one week ago, but I had already been training
for another fight. I am in good shape and ready for Rosa.
SHANE
DEL ROSARIO:
“Analu
Brash is big. I know he is huge, but I think I am faster than
him. I have fought guys who are bigger than him. I just need
to stay calm and focused and I should be good.
“I
am comfortable standing or taking the fight the ground. I know
I have to keep my hands up and watch out for his power, but I
think I have a better ground game than him. He will get gassed
if he keeps trying to bang with me.
“From
what I saw of Brash, he tries to kick-box and stay off the ground.
If he does that, I will be set.
“I
am going to try to go for the top. I need to get more experience
and need to take my time. ShoXC is the perfect opportunity to
get more experience, but I definitely think I have the talent
to be a champion. Why would you want to be in this game if you
aren’t trying to go for the top?
“I
have been improving my ground work. My strength is Muay Thai,
but I know that it is important to work on my ground. I have
been wrestling with a lot of big guys and I have got a lot better
at it.
“I
want to knock him out, but a win is a win. I will take it either
way.”
ANALU
BRASH:
“I
try to fight with both my brain and my heart. I try not to bring
emotions into the cage because they can get the better of you.
“I
really feel comfortable everywhere in the cage. I don’t
feel like I have to stand and bang or try to take a guy to the
ground. I am good all around. I react to what the moment calls
for.
“When
I am in the cage, I think of my family. That is basically why
I fight.
“I
am not that familiar with Del Rosario. He is just a good fighter
like everybody else.
“When
I fight, I bang. Even when I get hit, I go harder. I don’t
back down.
“My
key to victory is just landing a good shot.”
MARK
OSHIRO:
“I
like to finish fights quickly. I don’t like to go to the
second or third round. I like to get in and get out.
“There
aren’t a lot of knockouts in my weight class, but I have
been knocking guys out. I hit the punching bag a lot, working
on speed and power.
“From
what I know, Cariaso is a stand up guy who likes to kick. Being
that he is undefeated, I’m sure he has some kind of ground
work. My game plan is to go in there in stand. But if he tries
to clinch with me, I will take the fight to the ground.
“I
have been improving my Jiu-Jitsu. I am constantly working on
my ground game. In order to get to the top of the food chain
you need to work on your weakest parts.
“I
have no predictions for the fight. I just hope to finish it in
the first round. I want to knock him out, but I am prepared to
go the distance. If it does, it will be an all out war.”
CHRIS
CARIASO:
“I
expect Mark to want to stand up with me. I am going to try and
hit him hard a couple of times and then try to control the takedown
game from there.
“I
look at this as a big step in my career. He is a reputable opponent,
so when I beat him it will bring me to the top of my division.
I
have always been great at standup, and now I am focusing on my
ground game. I have opened my mind to a lot of new moves. It
has finally all clicked to where I see everything now. I know
that my standup is my strong point, but I spend a lot of time
training on the ground.
“I
approach each opponent differently. I train to my strengths and
try to simulate what my opponent will bring at me.
“This
is a great challenge. He is definitely going to be one of my
most difficult opponents. He likes to stand up and trade shots,
so I need to look out for his punches. I just need to avoid getting
caught with a punch, but I definitely think I have what it takes
to beat him.
“I
am going to go out there and show my new strengths. If he wants
to stand up with me, I will stand up and bang. But if he wants
to go to the ground, I will take him to his back and submit him.
“I
have my sights set on winning this fight. I am going to go out
there and try to make a statement tomorrow night.”
Fighter
pages for televised bouts: Malaipet (http://Malaipet.proelite.com),
Denny (http:/thomasdenny.proelite.com), Mathias (http:/marlonmathias.proelite.com),
Heun (http:/conorheun.proelite.com), Rosa (http://aaronrosa.proelite.com),
Fletcher (http://jaimefletcher.proelite.com), Del Rosario (http://shanedelrosario.proelite.com),
Brash (http://analubrash.proelite.com), Oshiro (http://markoshiro.proelite.com),
Cariaso (http://chriscariaso.proelite.com)
Source: Jonny Bey
|
“I
Want to Apologize to Marcus Aurelio”
Fisher Forced to Withdraw from April 2nd UFN Due to Injured Shoulder
By FCF Staff
Spencer
Fisher confirmed to Full Contact Fighter this morning that he
has been forced to withdraw from his April 2nd bout with Marcus
Aurelio due to a shoulder injury. The lightweight clash was scheduled
for the promotion’s upcoming UFC Fight Night card in Broomfield,
Colorado, which will be headlined by Joe Lauzon taking on Kenny
Florian.
“I
want to apologize to Marcus Aurelio,” Fisher told FCF. “It’s
really tough when an opponent drops out like this, right before
a fight, so I apologize. I was really looking forward to fighting
him; hopefully we can do it again another time.”
According
to Fisher, the fighter injured his shoulder approximately a month
ago, but he continued to train with the hopes that the injury
would not prevent him from competing on April 2nd.
“I
injured it first about a month ago,” said Fisher. ”It
was getting worse but I didn’t want to pull out because
I had a lot of friends and family who had bought tickets, I got
a cortisone shot, which helped a bit, but then recently I got
caught in a triangle, and when I pulled out of it, my arm just
went completely out. At that point Monte (Cox) and Pat (Miletich)
made the final decision to take me out of the fight.”
Fisher
will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury shortly.
The
veteran Miletich fighter (20-4) is coming off a Unanimous Decision
loss to Frank Edgar at UFC 78 in November. Prior to that Fisher
avenged a 2006, Split Decision loss to Sam Stout at UFC 58, by
earning a Unanimous Decision over the Canadian at a UFC Fight
Night card last June.
No
replacement for Fisher has yet to be confirmed by the UFC.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Change
for Marcus Aurelio
Brazilian to have another adversary at UFC 13
The
agent Monte Cox announced today the first drop-out of UFC 13.
His client Spencer Fisher will not be able to enter the octagon
on April 2, in Las Vegas. Fisher will face Marcus Aurelio, but
suffered a shoulder injury during training. His last-minute substitute
will be Jim Miller, who has but once to UFC revelation Frank
Edgar and will be making his octagon debut.
The
Brazilian from the ATT, who comes into the fight with 15 career
wins and having beat Luke Caudillo at UFC 78, is trying to move
up the ranks of challengers for the lightweight belt. Another
Brazilian on the card at the event will be Marcus’s teammate
Thiago Alves. He will face off against tough Xtreme Couture judoka
Karo Parisyan.
Check
out the complete card of the event:
Kenny
Florian vs Joe Lauzon
Thiago Alves vs Karo Parisyan
Tim Boetsch vs Matt Hamill
Houston Alexander vs James Irvin
Nate Diaz vs Kurt Pellegrino
Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard
Josh Neer vs Din Thomas
Jeff Cox vs Manny Gamburyan
Samy Schiavo vs Clay Guida
Roman Mitichyan vs George Sotiropoulos
Anthony Johnson vs Tommy Speer
Marcus Aurelio vs Jim Miller
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
LUKE
STEWART TO FACE TIKI FOR STRIKEFORCE
Strikeforce on Thursday officially announced a bout between undefeated
Luke Stewart and Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Tiki
Ghosn for its March 29 “Shamrock vs. Cung Le” co-promotion
with EliteXC at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
Stewart
made his mixed martial arts debut two years ago. The Gracie jiu-jitsu
fighter has since built up an undefeated record of 5-0 and is
stirring up interest in a challenge for the Strikeforce welterweight
title.
“I
think I have a style that’s a little unique, a little different
than people are used to, so it’s hard for someone to really
watch my game and figure out a plan against it,” said Stewart.
He
has been working on his stand-up game with Muay Thai champion
James Cook and is confident in his striking skills.
“I’m
looking to stand up with Tiki,” he said. “I’m
not really worried about his stand-up even though I respect him
a lot and know he’s got a lot of experience. Wherever the
fight goes, I’m feeling good about it.”
Although
Ghosn is entering this fight in the midst of a four-fight losing
streak, he is a seasoned veteran with nearly 10 years of fighting
experience. He is a hard-nosed athlete that has been in the ring
with some of the top fighters in the world and counts Genki Sudo
and Ronald Jhun among his victories.
The
bout is not scheduled to be part of the televised portion of
the fight card on Showtime.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
|