Upcoming
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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)
8/9/08
K-1 Hawaii Grand Prix
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Stan Sheriff Center, UH at Manoa)
7/26/08
Maui Jiu-Jitsu BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/19/08
Affliction - Fedor vs. Sylvia
7/11/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 10
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballrooms)
7/5/08
UFC 86 - Jackson vs. Griffin
(PPV)
6/27-29/08
OTM Pacific Submission
Grappling Tournament
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
MMA Expo
(Blaisdell Convention Center)
6/21/08
Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale
6/15/08
Grapplefest
(Submission Grappling)
6/14/08
EliteXC
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
6/7/08
UFC 85 - Bedlam
(PPV)
6/6/08
Punishment in Paradise
Pound 4 Pound
(Kickboxing)
(Ahuna Ranch, Maili)
6/5-8/08
World Jiu-Jitsu Championsihps
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California)
6/1/08
Hawaiian
Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
WEC 33
(Faber vs. Pulver)
(PPV)
5/31/08
CBS EliteXC
Saturday Night Fights
(9-11 p.m. ET/PT)
(CBS)
5/25/08
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
5/24/08
UFC 84 - Ill Will
BJ Penn vs. Sean Sherk
(PPV)
5/16/08
X-1: Legends
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
5/9/08
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 9
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballrooms)
5/3/08
Hawaii
Fight League
Season 1, Event 3
(MMA)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Full Force 4
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
Heart-of-a-Cage-Fighter
(Kauai
Veterans Center, Lihue, Kauai)
4/25/08
Punishment
in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Farrington High School)
4/18/08
Local Pride
Friday, April 18, 2008
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
4/12/08
Man Up &Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
4/6/08
GrappleFest: Submission
Sundays
(Submission Grappling)
(Hawaii Room, Neal Blaisdell Center)
3/29/08
Garden Island Cage Match 7
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 8
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial)
3/28-30/08
Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(Californina State University, Dominguez Hills, CA)
Registration ends 3/22/08
3/16/08
Sera's Kajukenbo Open Tournament
(Continuous
Sparring, MMA, Submission Grappling)
(Maui High School Gym, Kahului, Maui)
Icon Fitness Gym Tournament
(Submission Wrestling)
(Icon Fitness Gym)
3/15/08
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/9/08
2008 Pacific Invitational BJJ Tournament
(BJJ )
(Hibiscus Room, Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu)
3/7/08
Got Skillz Fighter
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
3/1/08
USA-Boxing
Hawaii, Palolo B.C. & Kawano B.C. Presents Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
2/29/08
X-1 at the O-Lounge
Fight Club Meets Nightclub 4
(MMA)
(O-Lounge, Honolulu)
2/24/08
Icon Grappling Tournament
(Sub Grappling)
(Icon Gym)
2/17/08
Hawaiian
Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
2/15/07
Midwest Invasion: Team Indiana vs. Team Hawaii
(MMA)
(Coyotes Night Club, 935 Dillingham Blvd, Kalihi)
2/8/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 7
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
2/2/08
Man up and Stand up
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery
Ballroom)
1/26/08
X1 World
Events: Champions
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/20/08
Big
Island Open Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(Konawaena High School)
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(POSTPONED)
1/19/08
UFC 80: Rapid Fire
(BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson)
Newcastle, England
1/12/08
Hawaii Fight League
Season 1, Event 2
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
|
|
May 2008 News Part
3
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days a week training!
We are also offering Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights
with Ian Beltran and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday with Kaleo
Kwan!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
In Memory of
Lars Chase
Rest in peace my brother
March 10, 1979 - April 2, 2008 |
Looking for a hotel
room on Oahu?
Check out this reasonably priced, quality hotel in Waikiki!
For the special Onzuka.com price, click on one of these banners
above! |
Check out the FCTV website! |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 7:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Also on Akaku on Maui
Fighters' Club TV Radio
The Toughest Show On
Radio
Mondays at 9:00-10:00AM
AM1500 The Team
(808) 296-1500
- Call
in with questions and comments
with hosts Mark Kurano
& Icon Sport's Patrick Freitas |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
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Want to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
Click here
for pricing and more information!
Short term and long term advertising available.
More than
1 million hits and counting!
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O2 Martial Arts
Academy Day Classes Start May 2!
Women & Kids Kickboxing Class starts May 4!
Click here
for pricing and more information!
O2MAA Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Day Classes will be held on Monday,
Wednesday, and Fridays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will be taught
by one of Relson Gracie's first black belts, Sam Mahi!
We will be starting a Womens and Kids kickboxing class on Sunday
afternoons from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The class will be taught
by none other than O2's Kaleo Kwan! It will be a non-competitive,
fun atmosphere and allow the ladies and kids to get in a quick
workout and learn some legitimate kickboxing technique before
the long work week starts.
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Quote
of the Day
"If
you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been,
you will ignore what is."
Source Unknown
|
ELITEXC
SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
Today!
Hawaii
Air times:
8:00 - 10:00PM
Channel 7
CBS-EliteXC 'Saturday Night Fights' Preview
Posted by Robert Rousseau 05/30/08—12:56 AM
Featured
Story:
Yes
Pay per view is great; then again, free is better. And that’s
exactly what EliteXC’s inaugural “Saturday Night Fights”
on May 31 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey is.
It’s free to viewers on CBS Television.
Beyond that,
the card is packed with interesting fights and headlined by a
match between internet fighter turned MMA star Kimbo Slice and
‘The Colossus’ James Thompson.
Kimbo Slice
(2-0) vs. James Thompson (14-8): Slice has only two MMA fights
on record to date. The results? One knockout and one submission
(really another knockout). In other words, there really isn’t
much to go on.
It’s
pretty clear that Slice is a very strong guy with ridiculous
power in his hands. What’s more, he looks very sound in
a technical sense on his feet. Beyond that, he’s training
with Bas Rutten, and that means something.
James Thompson
is a very strong fighter with a lot more MMA experience than
Slice. Still, he is not a very technically savvy fighter, per
se. Rather, his victories have come in brawls where he simply
hit harder than the other guy. Past victories over Hidehiko Yoshida
(a fighter he was much bigger than) and Don Frye would appear
to lend reinforcement to that notion.
Still, he
is a dangerous on his feet, even if his ground skills appear
to be a weakness. Many also believe that his chin is weak as
well.
Prediction:
No one really questions the fact that Kimbo Slice hits hard and
looks pretty solid in a technical sense on his feet. The good
thing about fighting James Thompson is that unless working with
Marc Laimon produces near immediate dividends for Thompson, Slice’s
ground skills probably won’t get tested much in this match.
Could Thompson win this one by KO? Sure. Will he? Doubt it. After
all, Thompson’s riding a two fight losing streak with both
losses coming via knockout. His confidence has probably never
been this shaken.
Kimbo Slice
wins via KO in round one.
Robbie Lawler
(15-4) vs. Scott Smith (13-4): Robbie Lawler has 12 (T)KO’s
and one submission victory to his name, and that pretty much
tells the story on him. Basically, Lawler has ridiculous power
in both hands and has more than solid stand up skills in a technical
sense. Beyond that, he has strong takedown defense. In terms
of submissions, well, that’s not necessarily his game.
By the way,
Lawler’s won his last four fights in a row against the likes
of Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua, Frank Trigg, Eduardo Pamplona,
and Joey Villasenor by knockout.
Scott Smith
has 11 (T)KO’s to his credit, and the story on him is very
similar to the one on Lawler. Smith has TNT in both hands and
is solid technically on his feet. Further, he has solid takedown
defense. In terms of submissions, well, we’re talking about
roughly the same skillset as Lawler.
Prediction:
Robbie Lawler has always had a lot of power. That said, it used
to seem like he was in a rush to finish things off and would
sometimes peter out later in fights. The last time we saw him
against Rua, however, he looked quite different. More specifically,
Lawler was much more patient and looking to pick his spot. The
hurry was over. Further, word on the street is that he’s
training as hard as ever these days.
Smith has a lot of power for sure, and because of this could
win by knockout. He’s a threat against anyone in this fashion.
But guess is that Lawler is a little better technically. Further,
if something unusual happened—like this fight inexplicably
going to the ground—then he might also be construed as the
guy with better global ground skills.
Ahhh, forget
ground skills.
Robbie Lawler
wins via TKO in round three.
Phil Baroni
(10-9) vs. Joey Villasenor (25-6): Phil Baroni is a powerhouse
that hits like a truck, possesses solid technical striking skills,
and is better at takedowns/ takedown defense/ and ground control
than people give him credit for. In the past, however, he has
fatigued late in fights. Further, submissions are a weakness,
even if his submission defense is solid when he has gas in the
tank.
Joey Villasenor
is a very solid fighter. Along with this, he possesses solid
technical striking skills, solid submission skills, and solid
wrestling skills. However, he’s not necessarily outstanding
at any one area of the game; it’s his well- roundedness
that makes him a threat.
Prediction:
The farther this fight goes, the better Villasenor’s chances
would seem. However, Baroni would seem to have the wrestling
skills to dictate where this fight goes, and if it stays upright
he may have enough power to do what Robbie Lawler and Murilo
Rua did to Villasenor before him.
Phil Baroni
wins via TKO in round two.
The Rest:
Gina Carano
(5-0) vs. Kaitlin Young (4-1): Young is a very good striker with
four (T)KO’s to her credit, but it’s hard to go against
Carano’s overall athleticism and Muay Thai skills here.
Gina Carano
wins via unanimous decision.
Brett Rogers
(6-0) vs. Jon Murphy (4-2): Jon Murphy is a tough guy that must
try to outlast his opponent here. Rogers, on the other hand,
has never been past the first round, stopping everyone in almost
no time.
When Murphy
fought Houston Alexander he got knocked out before a minute had
gone by. Expect Rogers to come through similarly, though not
quite as quickly.
Brett Rogers wins via KO in round one.
Source:
Johnny Bey
|
Kimbo
the next Tyson? Yeah, that's the idea
by Mark Kriegel
Mark
Kriegel is the national columnist for FOXSports.com. He is the
author of two New York Times best sellers, Namath: A Biography
and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich, which Sports Illustrated
called "the best sports biography of the year."
STUDIO CITY,
Calif. - For those of a certain age, those who can still recall
the ancient analogue ways, the image seems incongruent: Kimbo
Slice, a gold-toothed former bodyguard for street pornographers,
appearing at an interview podium with Bill Paley's seal of approval.
That CBS
eye remains the Tiffany network's imprimatur, still regarded
in many quarters as the gold standard in network programming.
But the world has changed. Unique users have replaced Nielsen
points as a barometer of relevance. And you can only give people
— particularly males between the ages of 18 and 34 —
so many repeats of "CSI" and "NCIS" and "Criminal
Minds" on Saturday nights. Enter Kimbo Slice, who will appear
this weekend as the featured fighter in mixed martial arts' debut
on network prime time, "EliteXC Saturday Night Fights."
His given
name is Kevin Ferguson, once a football player of modest renown
at Miami-Palmetto High School. In the aftermath of Hurricane
Andrew, Ferguson entered the ranks of the homeless. Down to little
more than his natural skill set — "been fighting since
I was 13," he says — he found a way to make ends meets
as a bouncer and a bodyguard. With the requisite aura of menace,
he served as an escort for the aforementioned producers whose
videos sought to bring an illusion of prurient realism (ie. desperately
hot mommies) to the masses. But his big break came as a street
fighter, having administered spectacularly brutal beatings in
backyards, alleys and garages.
"On
private property," Mr. Slice hastens to add.
Actually,
it was his great good fortune that these unsanctioned bouts turned
out to be anything but private. Filmed on hand-held cameras —
a video porn man's weapon of choice — his beatdowns became
YouTube sensations. "I had no idea it would take off like
this," said Kimbo, 34, a father of five who reportedly does
not own a computer.
"Ten
million unique hits," shouts EliteXC president Gary Shaw,
who made his bones as a New Jersey boxing promoter.
In fact,
10 million seems like an understatement in assessing this bloody
body of work. More certain is this: CBS has never had a leading
man like Kimbo Slice.
"I
don't like it," said Sumner Redstone, when asked of his
network's foray into mixed martial arts.
But Redstone
is a businessman. His objection to mixed martial arts —
once famously disparaged by Sen. John McCain as "human cockfighting"
— is conditional. He'll like it just fine if hits translate
into ratings. Saturday night's card includes some good fighters,
like Robbie Lawler, and some interesting ones. There's Gina Carano,
cast as the hottie with vicious skills, and Phil Baroni, who
acts like Andrew Dice Clay on steroids (in fact, Baroni was suspended
for six months by the California State Athletic Commission for
using Boldenone and Stanozolol). But the real attraction here,
the main event, is Kimbo Slice.
"He
might be the perfect confluence," said David Dinkins of
Showtime (owned by CBS), a veteran producer of televised boxing.
"He has a compelling back story. He comes from the Internet.
He's in a sport, mixed martial arts, that's ready to explode."
It is commonly
supposed that boxing's severely atrophied state is a result of
corruption. That's nonsense. Boxing was always corrupt. What
decimated boxing was falling from network favor. The media calculus
may have changed, but there's still no substitute for network
TV.
Can Kimbo Slice make mixed martial arts a network winner? (Stephen
Shugerman / Getty Images)
What Shaw
envisions for Kimbo and Co. is a new kind of fame. The biggest
pay-per-view audience represents a tiny fraction by the standards
of prime time. "This is probably the biggest thing ever
to happen to MMA," Shaw says. "These fighters will
be like the people on 'Survivor' and 'American Idol.' They'll
be recognized at airports and Burger Kings."
If nothing
else, Shaw understands that reality TV has nothing to do with
reality. The challenge will be for the broadcasters. Can they
teach the masses to appreciate a ground game that too often looks
like dry-humping? "America has to understand the jiu-jitsu,"
says Gus Johnson, a very capable basketball announcer who will
serve as the lead play-by-play guy for EliteXC on CBS. "The
beauty and the brutality of the sport is on the ground. If boxing
is the sweet science, then this is physics."
How much
of this science street fighter Kimbo has mastered is still anyone's
guess. He has been working with Bas Rutten, a former MMA champion,
and trainer Randy Khatami for the past year and a half. "We
had to clean up his punches," Khatami says. "And his
ground game has come along tremendously. Bas works with him for
two hours every morning. If you're a striker like Kimbo, you
don't want to go to the ground. But we're very confident in his
ground game."
Nevertheless,
Khatami adds, "He's not in a position to fight a top-10
fighter right now."
It's not
like he'll be matched with one Saturday night. His opponent is
James "The Colossus" Thompson. "I don't know anything
about my opponent," says Kimbo.
What's to
know?
"The
guy's a white debt collector from England," Shaw says.
Besides,
the crucial part of this equation isn't a fighter's merit. It's
show business.
"Tyson,"
says Gus Johnson. "You know what I mean?"
Of course.
People forget that Mike Tyson was conceived by network programmers
as an attraction for Saturday afternoons. Tyson had a palpably
ferocious aura. He also had a look.
Kimbo Slice
has at least that much. He's big (250 pounds), bald, and bushy
(his beard would be the envy of most Hasidim in Borough Park).
His teeth are gold, his toenails painted black. More than that,
though, is his video archive, spectacularly theatrical evidence
of his capacity for violence.
Bill Paley
would bet on it, just as Sumner Redstone's minions have. They're
businessmen. They're banking on Kimbo Slice finally claiming
that long-vacant title, Baddest Man on the Planet.
Source:
FOX Sports
|
Hawaiian
Open Championship BJJ Tourney
Tomorrow!
Competitor
Fees:
Adults: $65
Kids: $35
When:
Sunday June 1, 2008
11am Kids Rules Clinic & Kids Matches
PM Adult Matches
Location:
Klum Gym
University of Hawaii
TIMELINE:
http://www.hawaiitriplecrown.com/
EARLY ONLINE
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
(1 WEEK PRIOR TO EVENT DAY)
LATE ONLINE
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
(5 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT DAY)
"PRE-REGISTERED"
CHECK BY APPLICANTS
(4 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT DAY).
ALL ERRORS
MUST BE ADDRESSED BY THIS DATE OR NO.BRACKETS POSTED ON WEBSITE
(2-3 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT DAY)
Divisions:
Adult, Kids, Women, All Weight Divisions, All Levels.
The Adult division is open for everyone, but athletes of other
age divisions willing to compete here will not be allowed to
fight in their own division (athletes can only enroll in one
age division)
Medals –
Medals will be given out promptly after each division has completed
the finals match.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place competitors: please standby your mat
table and wait for the sheet.
Once the sheet has been verified for accuracy, please bring to
the award table to receive your respective medal.
STAFF
Time/Score keepers and Referees are needed for the Hawaiian Open
2008
Would you
like a front row seat to see the Hawaiian Open Championship?
Help our sport grow and be an active part of the development
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
We are currently
filling staff positions for the Hawaiian Open 2008. We are in
need of Time/Score keepers and referees. You do not have to have
any experience to be a time keeper, just the willingness to hang
in there for a long fun filled day. We will offer a staff meeting
at the start of the day to answer any questions that you might
have.
We intend
to run 6 mats simultaneously, but this will be dependant on staff
manning.
Would you like to receive email updates on upcoming tournaments?
Go to our "News" page and sign up for the newsletter
at www.hawaiitriplecrown.com/news.html
Homepage: www.hawaiitriplecrown.com
Information:
Hawaii Triple Crown Staff |
Undisputed
UFC Middleweight Champion
Anderson "The Spider" Silva Seminar
Sunday,
June 15, 2008
Studio 4 in the Athletic Complex, University of Hawaii at Manoa
1PM - 4PM
$100
|
COLEMAN
OUT, GSP VS. FITCH TO HEADLINE UFC 87
by Ken Pishna
The injury
bug continues to plague the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The
promotion on Thursday, just two days prior to its marquee bout
between B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk at UFC 84, announced that Mark
Coleman has a knee injury that forces him out of the main event
of UFC 87 on Aug. 9. He was scheduled to face Brock Lesnar.
The UFC
acted quickly signing a title bout between current welterweight
champion Georges St. Pierre and No. 1 contender Jon Fitch. That
fight will now headline UFC 87 at the Target Center in Minneapolis,
Minn.
“He’s
a very, very tough guy,” said St. Pierre of Fitch on UFC.com.
“I’m gonna have to train hard and be very well prepared
because he may be my toughest fight yet.”
“The
whole goal is to get the belt and be in the position where guys
can’t duck me, run away, or say they don’t want to
fight me,” said Fitch, also on the promotion’s web
site. “If I have the belt, there’s no excuse, and if
you say you’re the best, then we’re gonna fight. This
is gonna be a tough fight, but I’m gonna make sure I’m
sharp that night, and wherever the fight needs to go, that’s
fine with me.”
Another
feature bout of UFC 87 is a battle between lightweight contenders
Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta, which UFC president Dana White
inferred is a de facto elimination bout for a title shot against
the winner of this Saturday’s bout between Penn and Sherk.
“I
think the winner (between Penn and Sherk)... there's another
fight between Roger Huerta and Kenny Florian, I think the winner
of that fight will fight the winner of this fight,” stated
White.
In announcing
Coleman’s withdrawal from the bout, the UFC confirmed that
Brock Lesnar is still expected to fight at UFC 87 and that a
new opponent is yet to be determined.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
focused on Germany, the Philippines and Australia
By Brian Knapp
Having gained
a foothold in the United Kingdom and Canada, the UFC has turned
its attention to three more countries in its ongoing effort to
globalize its product.
“We’re
focused on Germany, the Philippines and Australia next,”
UFC president Dana White said.
In the past
13 months, the UFC has held five events outside the United States,
including its first show north of the border. UFC 83: Serra vs.
St. Pierre 2 featured the ballyhooed rematch between then welterweight
champion Matt Serra and former titleholder Georges St. Pierre
at the Bell Centre in Montreal. St. Pierre, a Quebec native,
stopped Serra with second-round knee strikes to the body before
a raucous sellout crowd.
White remains
focused on landing the world’s biggest MMA promotion on
German, Filipino and Australian soil in the near future, but
he did not rule out the possibility of a return to Brazil, home
to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former Pride
Fighting Championships titleholder Wanderlei Silva.
“We’re
seriously looking at Brazil,” White said. “There’s
a lot of interesting economical things going on down there. We
just started talking about it.”
Source:
The Fight Network
|
|
Condit,
Varner, Stann to defend titles at WEC 35
Three titles will be on the line when the WEC returns on Sunday,
August 3 to the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in
Las Vegas.
Champions Carlos Condit, Jamie Varner and Brian Stann will defend
their welterweight, lightweight and light-heavyweight belts,
respectively.
Although
no opponents were officially announced, multiple sources have
confirmed that Condit will take on Hiromitsu Miura; Varner will
face Marcus Hicks; and Stann will fight Steve Cantwell.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
EUROPEAN
ROUND-UP
News and Notes from the Old Continent
By Stash Capar
It seems
former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder Fedor
Emelianenko will not receive the $2 million for which he had
reportedly asked when he takes on Tim Sylvia at Affliction: Banned
on Saturday, July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Affliction
vice president Tom Atencio dispelled rumours surrounding Emelianenko’s
contract – specifically the $2 million asking price –
on a recent installment of HDNet’s “Inside MMA.”
“Emelianenko
is being paid a considerable amount of money,” Atencio said,
“but it’s not what everybody says.”
The Russian
earned at least $500,000 for his bout with South Korean giant
Hong Man Choi in Japan last December, according to a source close
to Emelianenko’s management. His celebrity status in Russia
and Japan also created additional revenue streams from sponsorships
and other bonuses.
Earlier
this year, Emelianenko (27-1) was reportedly offered a four-fight,
seven-figure deal from EliteXC, which would have put his base
salary between $300,000 and $500,000 per fight. Those numbers
would not have included sponsorships and pay-per-view bonuses.
A pitch from the UFC (rumoured at $1 million per fight) was even
more lucrative, according to Emelianenko’s manager, Vadim
Finkelstein. However, the two sides could not come to terms on
logistics and parted ways.
Still regarded
by many as the top pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the
world, Emelianenko (27-1) has reeled off 24 consecutive victories
since suffering his only defeat in December 2000. The 31-year-old
owns a pair of wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and has also
defeated reigning three-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion Semmy
Schilt, Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland and one-time UFC
heavyweight titleholders Kevin Randleman and Mark Coleman. Nineteen
of his 27 career victories have come inside one round.
Source:
The Fight Network
|
|
Chonan,
Wain out of UFC 85 due to injuries
The ever-changing UFC 85: Bedlam lineup underwent two substitutions
Wednesday.
Eddie Sanchez will replace the injured Neil Wain in a heavyweight
bout against Antoni Hardonk. The undefeated Wain, out of Doncaster,
England, was forced to withdraw from his UFC debut due to a broken
nose.
Sanchez
entered the UFC February of last year when he accepted the assignment
of becoming Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's first opponent
inside the UFC Octagon. Sanchez was handed his first loss, but
has since rebounded with two TKO wins.
Holland's
Hardonk last fought in January, scoring a 17-second knockout
over Colin Robinson at UFC 80: Rapid Fire.
The other
change was the removal of Team Quest's Ryo Chonan, who suffered
a rib injury training for the fight. Kevin Burns of Des Moines,
Iowa will replace the Japanese middleweight against American
Top Team's Roan Carneiro, who will miss out on an opportunity
to avenge a loss to Chonan from February 2005 at DEEP 18th Impact.
Chonan and
Wain join a long list of fighters removed from UFC 85, which
includes Chuck Liddell (torn hamstring), Rashad Evans (lost two
opponents), Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (knee injury), Chris
Leben (jail time) and James Irvin (broken foot).
UFC 85:
Bedlam, headlined by Matt Hughes vs. Thiago Silva, takes place
Saturday, June 7 at the O2 Arena in London. The pay-per-view
in America will begin at 3pm ET.
UFC
85: Bedlam
Saturday, June 7, 2008
O2 Arena in London, England
Pay-Per-View:
170
lbs: Matt Hughes vs. Thiago Alves
185 lbs: Michael Bisping vs. Jason Day
170 lbs: Mike Swick vs. Marcus Davis
185 lbs: Nate Marquardt vs. Thales Leites
265 lbs: Brandon Vera vs. Fabricio Werdum
Undercard:
185
lbs: Jorge Rivera vs. Martin Kampmann
155 lbs: Matt Wiman vs. Thiago Tavares
170 lbs: Kevin Burns vs. Roan Carneiro
205 lbs: Jason Lambert vs. Luiz Cane
170 lbs: Paul Taylor vs. Jess Liaudin
265 lbs: Antoni Hardonk vs. Eddie Sanchez
Source: MMA Fighting
|
ELITE
XC PLANS FOR HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
by Damon
The championship
title picture in Elite XC is starting to come clear as on Thursday,
Elite XC Live Events President Gary Shaw, confirmed the promotion
is close to crowning their first ever heavyweight champion.
With the
main event between Elite XC superstar Kimbo Slice and British
heavy hitter James Thompson headlining the upcoming debut show
on CBS, the heavyweight division looks to receive a lot of attention
following this show.
“Right
now, we’re close to doing a heavyweight title,” said
Shaw during a media conference call on Thursday. “We’ll
probably do the heavyweight title in 2008.”
The roster
of top free agent heavyweights seems to be thinning lately as
upstart promotion, Affliction, seems content to snatch up anyone
over 205lbs with a viable name in the sport. The organization
has already announced fights featuring top heavyweight Fedor
Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, and Ben Rothwell.
Affliction
is also rumored to be the leading candidate to land former UFC
heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski, but nothing official has
been announced yet.
That said,
Shaw believes they have a great heavyweight division and mentioned
American Top Team stand-out, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva,
as the top fighter in the weight class.
“Kimbo’s
there, James Thompson’s there, and obviously (Antonio) Junior
Silva is right there at the top,” Shaw stated about potential
contenders to the heavyweight title.
While Silva
is still waiting for his next fight, Kimbo and Thompson will
do battle on May 31 as the main event for the CBS/Elite XC Saturday
Night Fights card taking place in New Jersey.
More information
about the Elite XC heavyweight title will surely follow in the
coming months.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Musical
chairs at UFC 85
James Irvin and Rashad Evans off card
UFC 85 just
keeps running into problems. The event that some months ago was
propped up on the Chuck Liddell versus Mauricio Shogun fight,
is now completely disfigured. The first to drop out of the show
to take place on June 7 in London was Brazilian Shogun, who was
forced off by knee surgery.
After suffering
the knock, the UFC heads were quick and pulled up undefeated
Rashad Evans, who would fight Thiago Silva at UFC 84, to put
on a show worthy of main event against Chuck. Fate would attack
again and take the “Iceman” out of the cards due to
a muscle tear. James Irvin was called in to face the wrestler
Evans.
The problem
was that this fight didn’t have the appeal of a “main
event”, so in a hurry welterweights Thiago Pitbull and former
champ Matt Hughes were called in, to satisfy English fans’
wishes. Even so, bad luck would strike again and Irvin broke
his foot fighting yesterday in training.
Hours after
the UFC official site named Brazilian Luiz Banha to go in to
face Rashad, abandoning the already-planned fight against Jason
Lambert on the televised card. And finally, they reached the
conclusion that it was simply better to just remove Evans from
the card altogether and promote the Thales Leites and Nate Marquadt
fight to the televised card, so Banha will still face Lambert.
In
spite of all the confusion, stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com to find
out the latest on the UFC. The card ended up as follows:
Televised bouts
Thiago Alves vs Matt Hughes
Michael Bisping vs Jason Day
Marcus Davis vs Mike Swick
Thales Leites vs Nate Marquardt
Brandon Vera vs Fabricio Werdum
Untelevised
bouts
Martin Kampmann vs Jorge Rivera
Thiago Tavares vs Matt Wiman
Luiz Cane vs Jason Lambert
Roan Carneiro vs Ryo Chonan
Jess Liaudin vs Paul Taylor
Antoni Hardonk vs Neil Wain
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Paul
Buentello will meet Aleksander Emelianenko at Affliction
By Brian Knapp
Former
UFC heavyweight championship contender Paul Buentello will meet
Aleksander Emelianenko at Affliction: Banned on Saturday, July
19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim Calif. Affliction representatives
announced the long-rumored bout at a Tuesday press conference
in Los Angeles.
A
product of the American Kickboxing Academy, Buentello (23-10)
last competed in November, when he submitted to strikes from
longtime Pride standout Alistair Overeem in a match for the vacant
Strikeforce heavyweight crown. The defeat snapped a four-fight
winning streak for the 34-year-old Texan.
One
of MMA’s best finishers, all 23 of Buentello’s victories
have come by stoppage, including 16 by knockout or technical
knockout. He has won 14 of his last 17 fights.
Emelianenko
(13-3), meanwhile, will enter the bout on a four-fight winning
streak. The 6-foot-6 Russian last fought in April, when he secured
a first-round technical knockout victory against Silvao Santos
at an M-1 event. More than half (seven) of his 13 career wins
have come by knockout or TKO. Victories against UFC veteran Assuerio
Silva, Olympic gold medalist Pawel Nastula and countryman Sergei
Kharitonov anchor his resume.
Affliction:
Banned will be headlined by a match between two-time UFC heavyweight
champion Tim Sylvia and former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder
Fedor Emelianenko. Fox Sports Net will provide one hour of live
coverage as a lead-in to the pay-per-view broadcast, which will
kick off at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Affliction:
Banned
Saturday, July 19
Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif.
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Paul Buentello
Mark Hominick vs. Savant Young
Justin Levens vs. Ray Lazama
Mike Pyle vs. Brett Cooper
J.J. Ambrose vs. Patrick Speight
Source:
The Fight Network
|
Quote
of the Day
"Paying
attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes
a few men rich."
Henry Ford, 1863-1947, American Industrialist and Founder of
Ford Motor Company
|
ELITEXC
SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
Tomorrow!
Hawaii
Air times:
8:00 - 10:00PM
Channel 7
CBS-EliteXC 'Saturday Night Fights' Preview
Posted by Robert Rousseau 05/30/08—12:56 AM
Featured
Story:
Yes
Pay per view is great; then again, free is better. And that’s
exactly what EliteXC’s inaugural “Saturday Night Fights”
on May 31 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey is.
It’s free to viewers on CBS Television.
Beyond that,
the card is packed with interesting fights and headlined by a
match between internet fighter turned MMA star Kimbo Slice and
‘The Colossus’ James Thompson.
Kimbo Slice
(2-0) vs. James Thompson (14-8): Slice has only two MMA fights
on record to date. The results? One knockout and one submission
(really another knockout). In other words, there really isn’t
much to go on.
It’s
pretty clear that Slice is a very strong guy with ridiculous
power in his hands. What’s more, he looks very sound in
a technical sense on his feet. Beyond that, he’s training
with Bas Rutten, and that means something.
James Thompson
is a very strong fighter with a lot more MMA experience than
Slice. Still, he is not a very technically savvy fighter, per
se. Rather, his victories have come in brawls where he simply
hit harder than the other guy. Past victories over Hidehiko Yoshida
(a fighter he was much bigger than) and Don Frye would appear
to lend reinforcement to that notion.
Still, he
is a dangerous on his feet, even if his ground skills appear
to be a weakness. Many also believe that his chin is weak as
well.
Prediction:
No one really questions the fact that Kimbo Slice hits hard and
looks pretty solid in a technical sense on his feet. The good
thing about fighting James Thompson is that unless working with
Marc Laimon produces near immediate dividends for Thompson, Slice’s
ground skills probably won’t get tested much in this match.
Could Thompson win this one by KO? Sure. Will he? Doubt it. After
all, Thompson’s riding a two fight losing streak with both
losses coming via knockout. His confidence has probably never
been this shaken.
Kimbo Slice
wins via KO in round one.
Robbie Lawler
(15-4) vs. Scott Smith (13-4): Robbie Lawler has 12 (T)KO’s
and one submission victory to his name, and that pretty much
tells the story on him. Basically, Lawler has ridiculous power
in both hands and has more than solid stand up skills in a technical
sense. Beyond that, he has strong takedown defense. In terms
of submissions, well, that’s not necessarily his game.
By the way,
Lawler’s won his last four fights in a row against the likes
of Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua, Frank Trigg, Eduardo Pamplona,
and Joey Villasenor by knockout.
Scott Smith
has 11 (T)KO’s to his credit, and the story on him is very
similar to the one on Lawler. Smith has TNT in both hands and
is solid technically on his feet. Further, he has solid takedown
defense. In terms of submissions, well, we’re talking about
roughly the same skillset as Lawler.
Prediction:
Robbie Lawler has always had a lot of power. That said, it used
to seem like he was in a rush to finish things off and would
sometimes peter out later in fights. The last time we saw him
against Rua, however, he looked quite different. More specifically,
Lawler was much more patient and looking to pick his spot. The
hurry was over. Further, word on the street is that he’s
training as hard as ever these days.
Smith has a lot of power for sure, and because of this could
win by knockout. He’s a threat against anyone in this fashion.
But guess is that Lawler is a little better technically. Further,
if something unusual happened—like this fight inexplicably
going to the ground—then he might also be construed as the
guy with better global ground skills.
Ahhh, forget
ground skills.
Robbie Lawler
wins via TKO in round three.
Phil Baroni
(10-9) vs. Joey Villasenor (25-6): Phil Baroni is a powerhouse
that hits like a truck, possesses solid technical striking skills,
and is better at takedowns/ takedown defense/ and ground control
than people give him credit for. In the past, however, he has
fatigued late in fights. Further, submissions are a weakness,
even if his submission defense is solid when he has gas in the
tank.
Joey Villasenor
is a very solid fighter. Along with this, he possesses solid
technical striking skills, solid submission skills, and solid
wrestling skills. However, he’s not necessarily outstanding
at any one area of the game; it’s his well- roundedness
that makes him a threat.
Prediction:
The farther this fight goes, the better Villasenor’s chances
would seem. However, Baroni would seem to have the wrestling
skills to dictate where this fight goes, and if it stays upright
he may have enough power to do what Robbie Lawler and Murilo
Rua did to Villasenor before him.
Phil Baroni
wins via TKO in round two.
The Rest:
Gina Carano
(5-0) vs. Kaitlin Young (4-1): Young is a very good striker with
four (T)KO’s to her credit, but it’s hard to go against
Carano’s overall athleticism and Muay Thai skills here.
Gina Carano
wins via unanimous decision.
Brett Rogers
(6-0) vs. Jon Murphy (4-2): Jon Murphy is a tough guy that must
try to outlast his opponent here. Rogers, on the other hand,
has never been past the first round, stopping everyone in almost
no time.
When Murphy
fought Houston Alexander he got knocked out before a minute had
gone by. Expect Rogers to come through similarly, though not
quite as quickly.
Brett Rogers wins via KO in round one.
Source:
Johnny Bey
|
Kevin
“Kimbo Slice” Ferguson would face Mike Tyson in a boxing
match?
By Brian Knapp
EliteXC
Live Events president Gary Shaw can envision a scenario in which
Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson would face Mike Tyson
in a boxing match, but discussions between the two sides have
not taken place. Shaw called reports of the rumored fight pairing
the two heavyweights premature.
“I
have the media report about Tyson,” Shaw said. “I have
had no discussions with Mike or anybody surrounding Mike. I know
Mike. Yes, I would make that fight in a heartbeat.”
For now,
Ferguson (2-0) can concentrate on his upcoming main event match
with Pride Fighting Championships veteran James Thompson at CBS
EliteXC: Saturday Night Fights on May 31 at the Prudential Center
in Newark, N.J. While boxing may be in Ferguson’s future,
Shaw wants to build his star in the MMA world.
“I
am concentrating on keeping ‘Kimbo’ in the cage, building
him to superstar status, which I believe he’s at,”
Shaw said. “We’re happy where we are with him in his
career. This is more than a spectacular opportunity for ‘Kimbo’
to be in front of a potential audience of 100 million-plus eyeballs.
So, for now, ‘Kimbo’ is staying in the cage.”
Shaw also
addressed talk of a potential matchup between Ferguson and the
400-pound Eric “Butterbean,” Esch, a man who has only
been knocked out once in 17 professional MMA bouts. The 39-year-old
Alabaman has been to a decision only one time in his career.
“Anything
is possible, [but], right now, no, I don’t have ‘Butterbean’
on the radar for ‘Kimbo,’” Shaw said. “I’m
trying to get ‘Kimbo’ in with more MMA fighters and
big-time fighters. But there may be a time that we’ll let
‘Kimbo’ knock ‘Butterbean’ out. I’ve
spoken to ‘Butterbean’ personally. Remember, when ‘Butterbean’
goes down, it’s with a thud.”
Source:
The Fight Network
|
UFC
PRES DANA WHITE ADDRESSES ROSTER CUTS
by Jeff Cain
The Ultimate
Fighting Championship has made several cuts from its fighter
roster in recent months including Travis Lutter, Jake O'Brien,
Joe Doerksen and "The Ultimate Fighter" season six
finalist Tommy Speer, among others. UFC president Dana White
addressed the downsizing in mixed martial arts' biggest promotion.
"It's
nothing abnormal at all," White told the media via a UFC
84 pre-fight conference call. "At the end of the day, the
UFC, like I say all the time, it's the place where all the best
fighters in the world fight. And after you lose a few, or whatever,
you have to go back down and get some wins and come back.
"The
guys who are really dedicated to this sport, and they make the
cut, they go and get more wins under their belt and end up coming
back."
He explained,
"I can't keep everybody under contract because the way that
we do our contracts, depending if you're one of our big stars,
we'll have you locked up for six or eight fights, or whatever
it might be. They're under long-term contracts.
"Other
guys that are trying to make their way up to be Sean Sherks or
B.J.s, or whatever it is, they're under a three-fight deal, or
a two-fight deal. Some of them are under one-fight deals. It
depends."
The UFC
roster is a revolving door where those who stay have to prove
their self-worth when the Octagon door closes.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Barnett
evaluates Roger
“He’s not ready for me yet,” says the American
With his most recent wins over Hidehiko Yoshida and Jeff Monson,
there’s not denying Josh Barnett is one of the best heavyweights
on the planet. In 27 professional fights, the American wrestler
has beaten such big names as Randy Couture, Rodrigo Minotauro,
Mark Hunt, Alexander Emelianenko, Semmy Schilt, besides his two
latest triumphs at Sengoku.
Barnett
has only lost to Mirdo Cro Cop (three times) and to Brazilians
Minotauro and Pedro Rizzo. Now Roger Gracie, who to many is the
best grappler in the world, has but two MMA fights to speak of,
and got the submission in both. As the heavyweight division at
Sengoku is sparse with talent, murmurs are already surfacing
about this clash of experience.
At the post-Sengoku
2 press conference, Barnett, who generally adopts a moderate
tone when referring to his adversaries, decided to speak his
mind.
“I
was rooting for Kondo, I’d have liked him to have given
Roger a good welcome card to MMA. But it didn’t happen,
he is really big, long and good on the ground. Roger is not yet
ready to face me, his managers know that and he surely knows
it too. He shouldn’t be in any hurry, he still has a lot
of time ahead of him and I won’t be offended if he wants
or doesn’t want to face me know. I’m really just worried
about myself now, no my opponents, but they’re in my sights
and if he gets in my way I’ll squash him, or anyone else.
My job is to systematically destroy other fighters, till there’s
no one left,” said the catch-wrestler.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Marcelo
Garcia talks about his MMA future
By Guilherme Cruz
Recently
moved to Florida from New York , Marcelo Garcia is now focusing
himself at the Mix Martial Arts. Garcia gave a exclusive interview
to TATAME from the American Top Team train center and talked
about the beginning at the MMA, and also about his future at
the sport. "It was very good to have my MMA debut, I don’t
have to regret. I had a huge cut at my head and but I was happy
at the day before", said Marcelinho.
Even with
a non expected defeat at his MMA debut, Garcia hopes to conquer
the his fans, just like he did with his performances at the Jiu-Jitsu
mat. “I want to reach the MMA public too, I want to be recognized
also as a MMA fighter. That was my will, I wanted to take that
next step in my career”, said Garcia.
Source:
Tatame
|
Minotouro
to Affliction
Opponent yet to be defined
The big
guys of fightwear and most recently MMA promotion, Affliction,
seem to really want to make a big impact in their maiden event,
in California. The July 19 card that is already considered one
of the best of all times, yesterday, at a press conference, received
one more reinforcement, and in the days to come there could be
yet another.
The most
recent to be signed is Rogerio Minotouro, who had a contract
with the Canadian HCF, which just closed its doors. It was not
clear whether Minotouro would fight at this event, and no adversary
was defined for the Brazilian. The other beast who may join the
list of stars already confirmed is Andrei Arlovski, former UFC
heavyweight champion, who, if signed, will face former IFL fighter
Ben Rothwell.
It was also
announced that a partnership has been formed with Fox Sports
Network, which will broadcast the first hour of the show live,
showing the preliminary card, with such fights as Aleksander
Emelianenko against Paul Buentello. Afflictioin put together
a major spectacle, giving MMA fans hopes of seeing great fights
elsewhere beside the UFC.
It’s
worth noting that the following are guaranteed: Fedor Emelianenko,
Tim Sylvia, Aleksander Emelianenko, Ben Rothwell, Paul Buentello,
Josh Barnett, Pedro Rizzo, Matt Lindland, Fabio Negao, Renato
Babalu, Mike Whitehead among others.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
|
Big
John McCarthy teams up for reality show
Big John
McCarthy's Ultimate Training Academy in Valencia, California
will be the site of a new reality series slated to begin filming
this summer.
Owned Entertainment, the production company behind a future MMA
movie called "Own3D," announced Wednesday that it has
partnered with Big John McCarthy and his gym for an eight-episode
reality show about the lives of a select group of professional
fighters and trainers.
Jason Chambers,
a former MMA fighter and co-star of the History Channel's "Human
Weapon," will serve as the executive producer.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
STRIKEFORCE
ON NBC A HIT WITH THE 18-34 MALE
Press Release
San Jose,
CA. – The fifth episode of “Strikeforce on NBC”,
the first-ever weekly mixed martial arts cage fight program on
one of the four major national television networks in the U.S,
topped the average ratings of both ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel
Live” and CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,”
both of which air several hours earlier during weeknights, in
the 18-34 year old male category of viewers during the week of
May 5, 2008.
The .5 rating
drawn by “Strikeforce on NBC” in the 18-34 year old
male category beat the ratings of “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
on four of the five weeknights that the ABC show airs, and tied
Kimmel’s ratings on the fifth night. The Strikeforce program
bested the ratings of “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson”
on all five weeknights and tied the Thursday and Friday night
ratings of CBS’s “The Late Show With David Letterman”
that week, in the same demographic group.
The overall
viewership of “Strikeforce on NBC,” which airs immediately
following “Poker After Dark” every Saturday night (check
your local listings for show time), has increased by an astronomical
197%, from 319,000 to 949,000, including a 58% jump between the
two most recently reported weeks (949,000 from 602,000).
“We’re
pleased to see our product gaining momentum on network TV,”
said Strikeforce CEO, Scott Coker. “The series has proven
to be a highly effective way of creating new Strikeforce fans
throughout the country and we’re looking forward to delivering
more action-packed programming to NBC viewers throughout the
year.”
Co-hosted
by mixed martial arts legend, Ken Shamrock, and award-winning
ESPN announcer, Lon McEachern, “Strikeforce on NBC”
is a 52 week series. Each episode runs 30 minutes and is comprised
of fighter profiles as well as Strikeforce MMA fights and highlights.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
|
Double
knockout in MMA
Tyler
Bryan and Shaun Parker perform the feat
Shonnie
Carter is one of the most experienced MMA fighters in activity.
The American welterweight has fough 62 times over a twelve-year
career and participated in such events as Shooto, Pancrase, WEC,
the UFC and many others, seeing nearly everything one can see
in the sport.
Even so,
last Friday (16th), while the fighter working as guest referee
at the Legends of Fighting event,something Shonnie had never
seen before took place, nor by any other MMA fan for that matter.
In the bout between Tyler Bryan and Shaun Parker, which happened
to be the MMA debut for both of them, the first double knockout
in the history of the sport occurred, in an impressive 8 seconds.
The beautiful
calling card for the two of them happened in the state of Indianapolis,
and ref Shonnie Carter, obviously, didn’t know what to do.
Check out this sensational video.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“If
you have a job without aggravations, you don't have a job.”
Malcolm S. Forbes, 1917-1990, American Publisher
|
Hawaiian
Open Championship BJJ Tourney
June 1st
Competitor
Fees:
Adults: $65
Kids: $35
When:
Sunday June 1, 2008
11am Kids Rules Clinic & Kids Matches
PM Adult Matches
Location:
Klum Gym
University of Hawaii
TIMELINE:
http://www.hawaiitriplecrown.com/
EARLY
ONLINE REGISTRATION DEADLINE
(1 WEEK PRIOR TO EVENT DAY)
LATE
ONLINE REGISTRATION DEADLINE
(5 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT DAY)
"PRE-REGISTERED"
CHECK BY APPLICANTS
(4 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT DAY).
ALL
ERRORS MUST BE ADDRESSED BY THIS DATE OR NO.BRACKETS POSTED ON
WEBSITE
(2-3 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT DAY)
Divisions:
Adult, Kids, Women, All Weight Divisions, All Levels.
The Adult division is open for everyone, but athletes of other
age divisions willing to compete here will not be allowed to
fight in their own division (athletes can only enroll in one
age division)
Medals
– Medals will be given out promptly after each division
has completed the finals match.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place competitors: please standby your mat
table and wait for the sheet.
Once the sheet has been verified for accuracy, please bring to
the award table to receive your respective medal.
STAFF
Time/Score keepers and Referees are needed for the Hawaiian Open
2008
Would
you like a front row seat to see the Hawaiian Open Championship?
Help our sport grow and be an active part of the development
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
We
are currently filling staff positions for the Hawaiian Open 2008.
We are in need of Time/Score keepers and referees. You do not
have to have any experience to be a time keeper, just the willingness
to hang in there for a long fun filled day. We will offer a staff
meeting at the start of the day to answer any questions that
you might have.
We
intend to run 6 mats simultaneously, but this will be dependant
on staff manning.
Would you like to receive email updates on upcoming tournaments?
Go to our "News" page and sign up for the newsletter
at www.hawaiitriplecrown.com/news.html
Homepage: www.hawaiitriplecrown.com
Information:
Hawaii Triple Crown Staff |
Maui Jiu-Jitsu BJJ
Tournament Date Announced!
On July 26th, Maui Jiu-Jitsu will host another one of their great
tournaments on the Valley isle. Stay tuned for more details as
they become available.
|
YUNDT
VS SAKARA AT ULTIMATE FIGHTER 7 FINALE
The undercard for “The Ultimate Fighter 7” finale taking
place on June 21 is starting to fill up quickly. MMAWeekly.com
has confirmed with sources close to the fight that Rob Yundt
will return to action to face American Top Team fighter Alessio
Sakara in a middleweight contest at the event in Las Vegas.
Making
his Octagon debut on just a few days of notice, Yundt faced Ricardo
Almeida in a tough fight that saw the Alaskan lose by submission
in the first round.
Despite
the loss, he gained a lot of respect from fans and fighters alike
for his willingness to step in on short notice and face a challenge
from an opponent like Almeida. Now he faces another tough challenge
from the heavy-handed Alessio Sakara.
The
Italian born fighter has had mixed results during his time with
the UFC, currently sporting a 3-4 record with 1 no contest to
his credit. He made his 185-pound debut in March, putting on
a great fight with Chris Leben, but eventually suffered a TKO
loss to the former Ultimate Fighter cast member.
The
fight with Yundt could be “make or break” for Sakara,
who has always been exciting, but has suffered a number of tough
losses over the past few years.
The
bout is slated for the untelevised portion of the event, but
as recently announced, Spike TV will lengthen the show to three
hours and some of the preliminary bouts could be shown on television.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Carano
carrying CBS/EliteXC: Analyzing the buzz
The
perception that EliteXC's event on CBS is being pushed by the
popularity of Kimbo Slice is a bit inaccurate when we look at
the bigger picture. Interestingly enough, many of the other promotions
in the business are being critical of ProElite for using the
image that Kimbo Slice to promote the event. In reality however,
Gina Carano is the push behind what could potentially sell the
event as a success on CBS.
According
to Yahoo! Buzz, Gina Carano's upcoming bout with Kaitlin Young
has produced more searches for the American Gladiator in the
last couple of weeks. In fact, her searches soared %6,000 and
put her into the top 200 searches on the web. Yahoo! Has these
small notes in comparison of other top searches:
*
Nearly 19 times higher than what MMA icon Chuck “The Iceman”
Liddell got for his fight with Quinton Jackson
*
10% higher than Paris Hilton last week
*
25 times higher than John Edwards after his endorsement of Barack
Obama
Most
of the searches are from males (89%), and those males have pummeled
the search boxes for sexy pictures of Gina Carano at her weigh-ins,
in Maxim, on MySpace, and in a red dress. The searches and percentages
are astounding considering some of the search words she beat
out for the week are weekly staples for many search engines.
Google's trends are a bit more back to Earth:
Although
Kimbo has huge buzz at Google's searches over a bigger timespan,
Gina seems to be making a run in the last few weeks. Kimbo still
produces some good numbers, and they have slightly edges Carano.
With American Gladiators currently running on a primetime spot
on Mondays, it'll only help Carano's pull. Although you can't
put huge amounts of credibility in the trends due to the fact
that much of the male demographic is simply wanting to see a
semi-naked Gina Carano cutting weight at a weigh-in, it still
tells us that the 18-34 demographic is interested and may tune
in for the event. Couple Carano's appeal with Kimbo's knockout
style and brawling, we could very well see some decent numbers.
The
disaster blow would be a Carano defeat though, and a surprise
Kimbo loss as well. EliteXC has a lot riding on this one.
Source: MMA Analyst
|
UFC
PRES DANA WHITE ADDRESSES ROSTER CUTS
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has made several cuts from
its fighter roster in recent months including Travis Lutter,
Jake O'Brien, Joe Doerksen and "The Ultimate Fighter"
season six finalist Tommy Speer, among others. UFC president
Dana White addressed the downsizing in mixed martial arts' biggest
promotion.
"It's
nothing abnormal at all," White told the media via a UFC
84 pre-fight conference call. "At the end of the day, the
UFC, like I say all the time, it's the place where all the best
fighters in the world fight. And after you lose a few, or whatever,
you have to go back down and get some wins and come back.
"The
guys who are really dedicated to this sport, and they make the
cut, they go and get more wins under their belt and end up coming
back."
He
explained, "I can't keep everybody under contract because
the way that we do our contracts, depending if you're one of
our big stars, we'll have you locked up for six or eight fights,
or whatever it might be. They're under long-term contracts.
"Other
guys that are trying to make their way up to be Sean Sherks or
B.J.s, or whatever it is, they're under a three-fight deal, or
a two-fight deal. Some of them are under one-fight deals. It
depends."
The
UFC roster is a revolving door where those who stay have to prove
their self-worth when the Octagon door closes.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Is
GSP rematch on Penn’s horizon?
LAS
VEGAS – B.J. Penn leaned over to Sean Sherk on Saturday
seconds after their lightweight title fight at UFC 84 ended with
a brutal knockout in the third round and told him they helped
make one of the biggest fights in mixed martial arts history.
But
the show paled into comparison to what could be next.
Penn
called out welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre after one
of the finest performances of his career in the total destruction
of Sherk. Penn stopped Sherk at the end of the third with a left-right
combination, a flying knee and then a brutal ground and pound.
As
soon as he got the chance, Penn grabbed the microphone from UFC
broadcaster Joe Rogan and asked the crowd whether it would like
to see him fight St. Pierre.
This
time, though, UFC president Dana White didn’t pour cold
water on it.
White
has long discouraged Penn from jumping divisions and urged him
to clean out the lightweights before thinking of a return to
welterweight.
And
while White wouldn’t mind seeing Penn make one last defense
against the winner of the planned Aug. 9 bout between Kenny Florian
and Roger Huerta, he conceded at Saturday’s postfight news
conference it may be time for Penn-St. Pierre II.
“I
think there’s one more interesting fight for him (at lightweight),
but it isn’t something I wouldn’t talk to him about,”
White said of a potential fight with St. Pierre.
St.
Pierre and Penn are each in the top five of the Yahoo! Sports
rankings and may be 1-2 when it comes to sheer physical gifts.
As
good as Penn has been, though, he hasn’t always gotten everything
out of his enormous talent. He gassed – badly – in
the loss to St. Pierre, as he did in a brutal loss to Matt Hughes.
The
biggest concern about Penn in his bout with Sherk on Saturday
was whether he could handle a fast-paced fight that went more
than two rounds.
It
turned out to be a fast-paced fight that went into the third
round, but it was Penn who was in command from start to finish.
Sherk
said he wanted to give the fans a show and eschewed wrestling
in favor of a standup battle, but he was no match for Penn’s
fast and heavy hands.
“Maybe
I won’t have to hear that question about my cardio now,”
Penn said, laughing. “Every single interview, I was asked
that question. I’m glad I won’t hear it for a while.”
White
now faces a similar problem that Penn did. Until he signs the
bout, White is going to be asked repeatedly about a Penn-St.
Pierre match.
Sherk
had vowed before the bout, his first in more than 10 months since
serving a suspension for a positive test for an anabolic steroid
after his win at UFC 73, to scuttle Penn’s plans.
He
insisted repeatedly that since he was stripped of the belt and
didn’t lose it, he should be regarded as the champion.
“It
is difficult to see him with a belt I never lost,” Sherk
said before the bout.
But
he lost in dominating fashion on Saturday. Sherk called Penn
a three-dimensional fighter and said “he’s just as
good on the ground as he is on his feet.”
Because
of that, he made the decision to trade punches in a standup blow.
He hoped to inflict enough damage early and be able to take Penn
down late and punish him on the ground.
But
Sherk was no match for Penn’s fast hands. Penn consistently
used his jab, rattling it in Sherk’s face so much that he
opened a gash underneath Sherk’s left eye.
Occasionally,
Penn mixed in a right hand, giving Sherk enough of a varied look
to prevent him from getting comfortable.
The
end came as the two were, as they did for most of the bout, trading
in the center of the cage. Penn landed a solid left and an even
better right, both of which hurt Sherk.
Sherk
backpedaled toward the cage and Penn followed. But he leaped
into the air and cracked Sherk with a left knee, sending the
former champion crumbling into a heap in the corner.
Penn
jumped on top and pounded away until the horn sounded to end
the round. Referee Mario Yamasaki never made a definitive call,
but it was clear Sherk was in no shape to continue.
And
it was just as clear that, a serious and in-shape B.J. Penn may
just have to be considered the top fighter in the world.
Right
now, that position is held by UFC middleweight champion Anderson
Silva, but there are few fighters who possess Penn’s unique
combination of gifts.
Sherk
has now lost to both Penn and St. Pierre, but he declined to
call a winner. But he shared the view of anyone who loves MMA
when he said he hoped to see the fight.
“Both
of their striking is good, both of their ground is good,”
Sherk said. “Styles make matchups and it would depend upon
who was on that day. But I know I’d look forward to seeing
it.”
And
with that, he’s not alone.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Behind
The Music: The Business Behind The Beats
Our
friend Sam Caplan over at fiveouncesofpain.com has a nice piece
detailing the UFC's licensing of new music for use in their various
cable, PPV and television programming. The piece does a good
job detailing the who of the situation, but not really the why
of the situation. Much of the current music in programs such
as The Ultimate Fighter, UFC Unleashed, and UFC Wired are remnants
of Zuffa Records, a music label founded by the Fertitta's and
used as an in house source for musical programming.
The
label has since been disbanded, but the music has lived on in
UFC programming because it is a quick cheap source of background
music that doesn't need to cleared with music publisher's and
royalties paid for each use or incarnation, such as DVD sales,
online sales, etc. Zuffa has chosen to license a relatively unknown
band like Hard8 because they are able to do so on their terms,
probably seeking a greatly reduced royalty rate or paying a one
time flat fee for all future uses.
These
financial concerns also come into play in other ways. To any
of you out there who have been to a live UFC event and seen the
highly praised Baba O'Reilly clip featuring UFC action and wondered
why they aren't opening each and every show with that great piece,
the price to license The Who's music for repeated airings as
an intro is probably too steep for Zuffa. It's a shame, too,
because that thing is one of the better sales tools they have
done.
Source: MMA Payout
|
Zuffa
Wins Emergency Stay in HDNet Lawsuit
As
MMAPayout.com was the first to report, earlier this week HDNet
Fights and Randy Couture scored a major procedural victory in
its declaratory judgment action against Zuffa. However, as expected,
Zuffa subsequently appealed the ruling and MMAPayout.com has
learned that today the Court of Appeals for the Fifth District
of Texas granted an emergency stay pending the mandamus filed
by Zuffa.
As
a result the summary judgment hearing scheduled for June 2 is
now on hold indefinitely pending the Court of Appeals' decision.
Zuffa's latest move is consistent with its litigation strategy
which appears to be designed to end or at least delay the Texas
state court case in favor of the company's later filed arbitration
action against Couture which is proceeding simultaneously, although
much slower, in Nevada. Couture's promotional contract is the
subject of each proceeding, however, due to the legal doctrines
of res judicata, collateral estoppel, and the full faith and
credit clause, the first ruling issued will most likely decide
the matter.
Source: MMA Payout
|
Strikeforce
End Game for Television
With
Strikeforce showing strong ratings gains, the company is now
in a much better position to negotiate with NBC. With the show
nearly tripling it's audience since the premiere and showing
strong numbers in the 18-35 demographic, Scott Coker can make
a strong case to NBC execs to give them a chance in an earlier
time slot. The current slot is essentially a foot in the door
with NBC, a means to an end, rather than an end unto itself.
Strikeforce
could angle for an occasional fill-in for SNL during it's summer
hiatus or a possible week-end afternoon slot. The improved slot
could still be a time buy situation, as that seems to be the
trend for some of the lesser sports when it comes network coverage.
Some examples of this are the PBR (professional bullriders tour)
using a time buy on Fox to boost their profile and leading to
a paying deal with Versus, LiveNation's Motocross tour, and some
of the various IMG programming seen on the weekends.
Source: MMA Payout
|
Billboard
Rec-Sports DVD Sales Chart - 5/31
1.
WWE: Twist Of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story
2. WWE: Triple H: The King Of Kings
3. NFL: Super Bowl XLII Champions New York Giants
4. UFC 80: Rapid Fire
5. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008
6. Pride Fighting Championships: Shockwave 2006
7. UFC: Best Of 2007
8. MLB: Red Sox Memories: The Greatest Moments In Boston Red
Sox History
9. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
10. UFC 79: Nemesis
Interesting
to see a Pride release on the chart.
Source: MMA Payout
|
Objective/
Analysis: CBS's EliteXC Broadcast Team
OBJECTIVE:
Yesterday
the CBS broadcast team that will be calling the EliteXC event
on May 31st had a warm-up of sorts, fielding questions from fellow
members of the media.
The
team includes CBS sports broadcaster Gus Johnson doing play-by-play
alongside EliteXC fighter Frank Shamrock and FIGHT Network broadcaster
Mauro Ranallo, who will split color commentary duties. Showtime
boxing broadcaster Karyn Bryant will be providing cageside interviews.
Like
any product, the packaging matters, and how the three-man team
presents the sport to first-time watchers is among the most important
factors that will determine whether or not CBS will convert first
time MMA viewers to fans.
Hardcore
MMA fans will find Ranallo’s shift to analysis a bit of
a surprise, since he was the play-by-play broadcaster for Showtime’s
EliteXC shows and did play-by-play for Pride Fighting Championship’s
pay-per-view broadcasts for three years.
“I’ve
been a play-by-play guy for 22 years… but the opportunity
afforded me by ProElite and CBS is one you do not turn down.
And knowing the passion I have for the sport and the anecdotal
information I can provide, I truly am comfortable,” said
Ranallo.
In
preparation for the broadcast, Johnson has decided to get some
first-hand MMA experience. Renzo Gracie’s jiu-jitsu academy
in New York City has served as his school of hard knocks. Despite
his prior studies in boxing and kung-fu, the veteran broadcaster
admits he’s on a learning curve.
“It
is a new sport for me… but I’m a quick study and I
like this sport… It’s a refreshing sport for me…
But I have a man like Mauro sitting next to me and Frank on the
other side, and I don’t think it’s going to take long
for me to get up to speed on mixed martial arts.”
The
sport is anything but new to journeyman Frank Shamrock, who was
the UFC’s first middleweight champion (which later became
the light heavyweight championship). For Shamrock and Ranallo,
the sport taking center stage has been a long time coming and
provides a serious challenge to the UFC’s market dominance.
Ranallo
remembers, “Bas Rutten and I spent many a night in hotel
rooms (in Japan after Pride Fighting events) pondering (whether
MMA could make it in the US). I did envision it. I am just glad
that CBS and ProElite are going to promote the sport of ‘Mixed
Martial Arts.’ That’s the name of the sport, it’s
Mixed Martial Arts, not Ultimate Fighting.”
“(This
broadcast) challenges the UFC to tell the truth,” says Shamrock.
“When you have a network and primetime show and tell is
going to tell the truth and present the sport exactly as the
sport is for what it is, I think it’s going to open up continued
growth and open up the industry.”
The
UFC’s desire to control the market has been seen time after
time with their attempt to make ESPN’s new MMA Live webcast
exclusively about the UFC. It is also widely believed that the
organization’s desire to uses its own broadcasters led to
a breakdown in negotiations with HBO. The company’s handling
of Randy Couture’s departure is a prime example of the
difference between an in house and independent broadcast team.
Johnson
says he has been not been approached by anyone, at EliteXC or
CBS, about ground rules for the broadcast, or making it an “EliteXC-only”
show.
“We’re
not going to pretend that the UFC doesn’t exist. The UFC
has some of the best fighters in the world. We’re going
to sell what we have to sell, but we’re not going to the
cheat the fans and pretend like that fighters in another company
don’t exist. Eventually we want to get to a situation where
the best fighters fight the best fighters.”
ANALYSIS:
The
three-man team will be one of the strengths of the broadcast.
Though it’s disappointing that Ranallo will not be in his
usual play-by-play role, it will make his contributions to the
broadcast that much more noticeable and he is certainly full
of anecdotes from his wealth of MMA experience.
In
addition to being a star fighter, Frank Shamrock is a keen businessman
who is fully aware of just how important this broadcast is in
leveling the playing field in the sport.
In
a best case scenario, Johnson proves to be competent at calling
all aspects of the sport, especially basic submission techniques,
which baffle so many with boxing experience. His study of BJJ
with Renzo Gracie show just how serious he is about the sport.
Combine that with his natural talent of doing what he does best
– exciting the fans – and it should provide a solid
foundation on which Ranallo can provide anecdotes and Shamrock
can explain the intricacies of stand-up technique and ground
fighting.
Holding
themselves to a higher journalistic standard and talking about
fighters outside of the EliteXC universe is a serious departure
from the UFC’s pro-wrestling style broadcasts and will boost
the stock, not only of those fighters, but the sport as a whole.
Perhaps
the greatest obstacle with boxing fans and first time watchers
will be explaining intricacies of the ground-game. When asked
if the broadcast will be tailored toward first time MMA viewers,
Johnson said he thinks there are some features already prepared
to illustrated basic submission techniques. He says he also plans
to further discuss the topic with the show’s Executive Producer,
David Dinkins, Jr.
The
bottom line is that so long as the trio can narrate the true
spirit of competition in MMA, the professionalism and sportsmanship
of the athletes, and cater to the forum-junkies and the channel
surfers drawn in by the strange site of a cage on their screen,
these three will help blow the doors wide open in the competition
among MMA promotions.
Source: MMA Payout
|
Quote
of the Day
“No
person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself
or get all the credit.”
Andrew Carnegie, 1835-1919, American Industrialist and Philanthropist
|
MAN-UP
& STAND-UP 2008 PART III RESULTS
WITH JUST TWO WEEKS TO PUT ON A CARD (18 FIGHTS). MAN-UP &
STAND-UP DELIVERED ANOTHER ACTION PACKED EVENT EVEN THOUGH ATTENDANCE
WAS AT A LOW. OVERALL, IT WAS A FUN AND SAFE NIGHT FOR THESE
FIGHTERS TO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENTS IN FRONT OF THEIR FREINDS
AND FAMILY.
THE FIGHT WITH THE MOST ACTION HAD TO GO TO THE DALE KAMAI (TEAM
SOLJAH) VS TODD YOUNG (GOD'S ARMY) FIGHT. TODD WAS ON POINT WITH
HIS SPINNING BACKFIST CONNECTING AT WILL AGAINST THE LEFT SIDE
OF DALES FACE NUMEROUS TIMES WITH THREE TIMES SENDING HIM TO
THE MAT. BUT DALE REFUSED TO STAY DOWN BECAUSE THIS HAWAIIAN
DIDNT HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT YET. THEY BATTLED THE WHOLE THREE ROUNDS
WITH THE DECISION GOING TO TODD. DALE COULDVE TOOK THE EASY WAY
OUT AND QUIT. BUT DALE SAID HED RATHER LOSE THE FIGHT AND WIN
RESPECT THAN TO QUIT AND LOSE HIS PRIDE. THATS HOW SOLJAHS DO
IT.
ANOTHER EXCITING FIGHT WAS FERDINAND RAMIREZ VS CHAD VALENTINE.
FERDINAND DELIVERED SOME QUICK HIGH KICKS THAT LANDED BUT IT
WASNT ENOUGH TO SEND CHAD PACKING. CHAD DELIVERED A FLURRY OR
A POSSIBLE HEADBUTT THAT HAD REFEREE TIMMY VENDETTA QUESTIONING
FERDINAND IF HE WAS OK TO CONTINUE BUT THE FIGHT WENT THE DISTANCE
WITH FERDINAND PULLING OUT THE VICTORY.
MELVIN KENEKE 105 KALAE MCSHANE
FREELANCE 5 - 0 BOXING
DRAW - EXHIBITION BOUT
SAI CRAWFORD 75 ELYJAH BADUA
HAMMAHOUSE HMC
DRAW - EXHIBITION BOUT - DUE TO WEIGHT DIFFERENCE
KANIALA SILVA 140 JAMES PURGANON
HAMMAHOUSE HSD
SILVA DECISION OVER PURGANON
PHILLIP AKUI 180 MIKE MCNAAB
TEAM SOLJAH HSD
AKUI DREW WITH MCNAAB
ROBERT BANIS 155 ROBERT WORLEY
WESSIDAZ FREELANCE
BANIS DECISION OVER WORLEY
DAREK KAUWALU 135 RUSTY RIVERA
HOUSE OF PAIN EAST OAHU FIGHT CLUB
KAUWALU DECISION OVER RIVERA
IKAIKA SILVA 195 KIMO FAILING
TEAM SOLJAH TEAM ANILAND
SILVA DECISION OVER FAILING
KELII KAMALU 140 CLEM HALLOWAY
HAMMAHOUSE HOUSE OF PAIN
HALLOWAY DECISION OVER KAMALU
DENNIS MONTERA 105 JUSTIN KAHALEWAI
WESSIDAZ TEAM ANILAND
MONTERA DECISION OVER KAHALEWAI
DESMOND TALUB 165 RYAN DESOTO
NAKOA FIGHT CLUB GOD'S ARMY
EXHIBITION DUE TO DESOTO BEING ABOVE MATCH WEIGHT
DAVID VARQUEZ 205 ROYAL LONO
HOUSE OF PAIN TEAM ANILAND
VARQUEZ DECISION OVER LONO
JON MENDONSA 150 COLIN "INTENSITY" MACKENZIE
NAKOA FIGHT CLUB GOD'S ARMY
DRAW - EXHIBITION BOUT
FERDINAND RAMIREZ 155 CHAD VALENTINE
INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING HMC
RAMIREZ DECISION OVER VALENTINE
JAY WESTBROOK 250 + OTTO HOOPII
TEAM SOLJAH STAND ALONE
DRAW - EXHIBITION BOUT
SHELTON MAAVE 350+ ATISANOE ATISANOE
TEAM ANILAND HSD
ATISANOE TKOS MAAVE (FAILED TO CONTINUE 3RD ROUND)
DALE KAMAI 170 TODD YOUNG
TEAM SOLJAH GOD'S ARMY
YOUNG DECISION OVER KAMAI
MIKE BALASI 152 RICHARD BARNARD
GRAPPLING UNLIMITED HSD
BARNARD DECISION OVER BALASI
SEE YOU AT THE NEXT MAN-UP & STAND-UP
|
UFC
84 FIGHTER SALARIES AND AWARDS BONUSES
MMAWeekly has obtained the fighter salary information from the
Nevada State Athletic Commission for UFC 84, which took place
on Saturday, May 24, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The
following figures are based on the fighter salary information
that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic
commissions, including the winners' bonuses.
Although
mixed martial arts fighters do not have collective bargaining
or a union, the fighters' salaries are still public record, just
as with every other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed
bonuses that a promoter also pays its fighters, but does not
disclose to the athletic commissions (specifically, pay-per-view
bonuses, fight of the night bonuses, etc.), are not included
in the figures below.
In
the listings below, "Main Event Fighters" are defined
as fighters who compete in the main event of a show. "Main
Card Fighters" are defined as fighters whose fights appear
on the main card, but not in the main event. "Preliminary
Card Fighters" are defined as fighters whose matches take
place before the live broadcast goes on the air, regardless of
whether or not those matches end up airing on the TV or Internet
broadcast.
MAIN
EVENT FIGHTERS
–
B.J. Penn: $250,000 (defeated Sean Sherk; win bonus was $125,000)
–
Sean Sherk: $35,000 (lost to B.J. Penn; win bonus would have
been $35,000)
MAIN
CARD FIGHTERS
–
Tito Ortiz: $210,000 (lost to Lyoto Machida; no win bonus)
–
Wanderlei Silva: $150,000 (defeated Keith Jardine; no win bonus)
–
Lyoto Machida: $100,000 (defeated Tito Ortiz; win bonus was $50,000)
–
Keith Jardine: $10,000 (lost to Wanderlei Silva; won bonus would
have been $10,000)
–
Goran Reljic: $6,000 (defeated Wilson Gouveia; win bonus was
$3,000)
–
Wilson Gouveia: $18,000 (lost to Goran Reljic; won bonus would
have been $18,000)
–
Antonio Mendes: $4,000 (lost to Thiago Silva; won bonus would
have been $4,000)
–
Thiago Silva: $50,000 (defeated Antonio Mendes; win bonus was
$25,000)
PRELIMINARY
CARD FIGHTERS
–
Rousimar Palhares: $10,000 (defeated Ivan Salaverry; win bonus
was $5,000)
–
Ivan Salaverry: $20,000 (lost to Rousimar Palhares; won bonus
would have been $10,000)
–
Kazuhiro Nakamura: $20,000 (lost to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou;
won bonus would have been $20,000)
–
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou: $80,000 (defeated Kazuhiro Nakamura;
win bonus was $40,000)
–
Terry Etim: $10,000 (lost to Rich Clement; won bonus would have
been $10,000)
–
Rich Clementi: $40,000 (defeated Terry Etim; win bonus was $20,000)
–
Yoshiyuki Yoshida: $12,000 (defeated Jon Koppenhaver; win bonus
was $6,000)
–
Jon Koppenhaver: $8,000 (lost to Yoshiyuki Yoshida; won bonus
would have been $4,000)
–
Dong Hyun Kim: $40,000 (defeated Jason Tan; win bonus was $20,000)
–
Jason Tan: $3,000 (lost to Dong Hyun Kim; won bonus would have
been $3,000)
–
Shane Carwin: $12,000 (defeated Christian Wellisch; win bonus
was $6,000)
–
Christian Wellisch: 10,000 (lost to Shane Carwin; won bonus would
have been $10,000)
UFC
84 DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $1,098,000
UFC
84 AWARD BONUSES
(as disclosed by UFC president Dana White)
Each fighter received a $75,000 bonus for the following awards.
Fight
of the Night:
– Goran Reljic and Wilson Gouveia
Knockout
of the Night:
– Wanderlei Silva
Submission
of the Night:
– Rousimar Palhares
Source: MMA Weekly |
MUNOZ
LOOKING TO MAKE HIS MARK AT WEC 34
Mark Munoz will be making his World Extreme Cagefighting debut
on June 1 on Versus. The feature bout will be the WEC featherweight
championship fight between Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver. Munoz,
a former assistant coach for the wrestling team of University
of California-Davis, will be taking on Chuck Grigsby.
Munoz
is looking forward to making his mark in the fairly thin WEC
light heavyweight division. “I'm really excited,” Munoz
told MMAWeekly Radio recently. “It's been a long time coming.
I've been training all my life in wrestling and I've been studying
the sport. I had a lot of mentors that have trained me. I'm just
really excited. It's kind of hard to train harder than I've been
training.”
One
of the biggest contributors to sway Munoz to try mixed martial
arts is the man who will be headlining the WEC 34 card in Sacramento,
Calif., Urijah Faber. “Urijah was a big influence and will
be a huge influence on my MMA career.”
Mixed
martial arts already has its share of educated fighters, and
you can add Mark Munoz to that list. He is currently finishing
up his master’s degree in Sports Psychology. “I just
have to do my thesis. I'm locked in on a topic, which is the
rise of MMA. I just got to do it. With me stepping down as the
assistant coach of UC-Davis now, I think I'll have some time
in between fights.”
Obtaining
a degree is Sports Psychology has its advantages for a guy like
Munoz. Especially since this next fight will be the biggest fight
of his career in front of many viewers watching on television.
“It's huge,” he explained. “I'm learning about
confidence. I'm learning about the positives of self-talk. Knowing
that you belong in the place that you are at because you work
hard. People worry about the things they can't control. But you
can control the pace of your fight. You can control your technique.
You can control your thoughts. Those are a few things that you
can apply to mixed martial arts.”
Munoz
has a strong background in wrestling and he believes that it
will work to his advantage having such a strong base to work
off of. “It's a huge base. With wrestlers, they train hard.
They train to push past the fatigue and they train technically
and they spend hours upon hours learning new techniques and applying.
Wrestlers are known to be relentless and tenacious because of
the nature of the sport.
“Learning
those new techniques with boxing, Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu, I
think wrestlers will continue to learn and learn and learn. I
just applied everything I learned from wrestling into mixed martial
arts and I think it's working.”
For
many fighters, the main goal is to get to the UFC, however, Zuffa’s
sister company, the WEC, has improved its roster substantially
and has gained in popularity. Munoz believes his debut is very
big for his career and doesn’t take that for granted.
“It
means the world,” he said appreciatively. “I resigned
from being a coach at UC-Davis and now I'm pouring my heart into
mixed martial arts. I'm giving everything I have into this sport
and I will continue to do so. It just means the world. It's a
great opportunity for a guy like me that has the ability and
is willing to step into the cage. I think it's huge for me. I
think it's going to be really good for my family so I can provide
for them financially and to spend more time with them.”
In
order to prepare for his debut bout against Grigsby, Munoz has
hooked up with former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.
“My managers are really good friends with Tito. I just hopped
on the opportunity. When they told me about that camp, I said,
‘Man, let's do it!’ Training with Tito was unbelievable,”
exclaimed Munoz. “I remember him just pounding people when
I was in high school. It was kind of like mixing it up with one
of the mixed martial arts' hero. I learned so much that I'm going
to apply to my fight on June 1st.”
Munoz’s
opponent, Charles Grigsby, has fought in some smaller shows and
will also be making his WEC debut. Luckily, Munoz has done his
homework on his opponent and knows what to expect from him. “He's
13-3 and he's from the Midwest, pretty athletic guy. Obviously
he's real long since he's six-foot-six. After a while, he got
into boxing and mixed martial arts. Everyone he's fought has
had a losing record, all his wins. His three losses were against
wrestlers with losing records so that goes in my favor. I'm going
to utilize my ground and pound.”
June
1’s WEC 34 card has shaped up nicely and with the addition
of the Munoz-Grigsby fight, it’s sure to add some extra
flair to an already exciting line-up.
“I'm
gonna go in there and everything that I learned, I'm definitely
going to apply,” commented Munoz. “You're going to
see some elbows. You'll see some of my wrestling background in
the cage. Be prepared for some exciting action on June 1.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
REX
RICHARDS WINS LONG-AWAITED RETURN
Making the transition to becoming a full-time mixed martial arts
fighter is not easy.
To
many, MMA is not just a sport it’s a lifestyle. So the dedication,
hard work and perseverance it takes to become truly one of the
elite often requires a transition away from other professions.
For
some it is an easy choice, as many fighters have often quipped
how they would rather be a fighter than “work for a living.”
For others, leaving a promising career behind, especially one
in which they are already receive the type of admiration they
do from fighting, can be more difficult.
Former
professional football player Rex Richards knows this all too
well.
After
successful stints in the National Football League and Arena Football
League, he decided to focus solely on his blossoming MMA career,
and while he’s had great success inside the cage, persistent
business hang-ups have left him at times waiting months on end
to fight.
Such
was the case when after losing the first fight of his career
last year to now Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Shane
Carwin, Richards was looking to rebound quickly and get back
on the winning track, only to have outside delays keeping him
from fighting until this past weekend’s King of the Cage
event at the Kiowa Casino in Devol, Okla.
“It
felt good to come out, be explosive, get back in there and get
a victory under my belt,” exclaimed Richards of his long-delayed
return to fighting against Jeremy Carver.
“I
went out there and just went back to what I’m good at. I
got the takedown, maintained side control pretty quick, got to
the mount, landed a few shots and he turned over. I started hitting
him with some pretty good ground and pound, he lifted his head
up and I sunk in the choke.”
With
the win, Richards raises his overall record to 6-1, and now looks
to attain the kind of consistency that has eluded him much of
his career and kept him from fighting the first five months of
2008.
He
commented on his year of frustrations heading into last weekend
by saying, “It wasn’t the fact that the fight before
I had lost, but that I had so many fights fall through.
“I
got injured before the YAMMA (Pit Fighting) tournament and couldn’t
train the right way. Antwain Britt backed out like a coward for
the UWC card. It’s just frustrating, I had a lot of big
opportunities to go and show my skills, and I felt they were
kind of stripped from me.”
Back
on the winning track, things are starting to turn around for
Richards, as it appears he is on the verge of some career defining
opportunities.
“I’m
talking to a couple different companies right now of something
really big,” he stated. “They both have a really big
opportunity for me to shine and be seen in front of millions
of people.
“I
can’t talk about anything until the contract is signed,
but when it happens, everyone’s going to know about it.
For all the fans who have really wanted to see me showcase my
skills at a higher level – it’s coming – it’s
coming soon.”
While
Richards cannot currently divulge his upcoming activities, he
is not hesitant to lock horns with anyone, including the only
man to have handed him defeat in his MMA career.
“There’s
a big list of fighters out there that I’m looking at and
I’m excited to get an opportunity to bang with,” he
said.
“The
UFC needs to know that I’m close to heavyweight and I need
to get in there and get after Shane Carwin again. I like the
guy and I respect him, but my only loss is to him and I want
to take it back from him.”
With
nothing but a fierce urge to further his fighting career, MMA
big man Rex Richards looks to make his sacrifices worthwhile
and truly put together the kind of run this year that will have
his name among the top professionals in the sport.
“I
want to say thanks to Furious Fight Wear and Working Class Fighter
Fight Wear,” concluded Richards. “I have a ton of supportive
fans that seem to multiply after every fight. To them I just
want to say thanks for being there and supporting me.
“Keep
looking forward to the year coming up. I’m going to continue
to grow and put wins under my belt.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
NAM
PHAN LOOKS TO HAND EVANGELISTA FIRST LOSS
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Lightweight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wonder
Nam Phan will attempt to hand knockout artist Billy Evangelista
the first loss of his career during Strikeforce’s “Melendez
vs. Thomson” mixed martial arts event at the HP Pavilion
on Friday, June 27th.
The
25-year-old Vietnamese-born Phan, recently promoted to the rank
of brown belt, is looking to notch his third consecutive victory
after stopping Shad Smith and Saad Awad on October 6, 2007 and
February 16, 2008, respectively.
“It
should be a great matchup,” said Phan, a resident of Los
Angeles, California. “I know (Evangelista)’s pretty
good at wrestling and ok at Jiu-Jitsu and he’s got great
Muay Thai. I think his striking is better than mine, but my strength
is Jiu-Jitsu. I always prefer Jiu-Jitsu and submitting opponents.”
Phan’s
only other Strikeforce promoted fight to date, a meeting with
June 27th’s lightweight championship challenger, Josh “The
Punk” Thomson, recently aired on Strikeforce’s new
NBC program, the first-ever 52 week mixed martial arts series
on one of the four major TV networks in The United States.
Standing
toe to toe with Thomson for a good stretch of the bout, Phan
held his own, but took enough punishment to convince all three
judges to award the win to Thomson.
Evangelista,
a 27 year-old native of Parlier, California, is coming off a
punishing knockout of Marlon Sims, which unfolded on the Strikeforce
co-promoted “Shamrock vs. Cung Le” world championship
card that aired live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, March 29. Prior
to that, he earned a judges’ decision victory over Clint
Coronel during Strikeforce’s historic event at the world-famous
Playboy Mansion on September 29, 2007.
“I
don’t really have a game plan for Nam Phan and I’ve
never seen him fight,” said Evangelista. I know he’s
good on the ground, though, so I just need to be prepared for
anything that comes.”
Strikeforce
World Lightweight Champion, Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez,
will defend his crown against number one contender and Bay Area
arch-rival, Josh “The Punk” Thomson, in the main event
of the June 27th Strikeforce affair.
In
another championship showdown, Bobby Southworth will put his
Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight title on the line in a rematch
with Anthony “El Toro” Ruiz. Ruiz was declared the
winner of their initial meeting on November 16, 2007 after a
cut Southworth had sustained during the fight prompted the ringside
physician to order a stoppage at the :52 mark of the second round.
Source: MMA Weekly |
VILLASENOR
READY FOR BARONI & CBS-ELITE XC
When Joey Villasenor received a phone call with an offer to fight
Phil Baroni, there was no hesitation on his part. The answer
was an unequivocal “yes.” The “Dream Smasher”
stepped up on short notice and is now set for one of the most
significant fights of his career.
“Not
one ounce; not one bit of hesitation,” he stated recently
on MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio. “Baroni has always been a fight
that we’ve been looking forward to and I was just wondering
when we were going to cross paths.”
Baroni
was originally scheduled to fight former EliteXC middleweight
champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua. The Brazilian striker
pulled out of the fight due to undisclosed reasons.
“I’ve
been in big fights before. I’m not trying to let this get
to me too much. It’s just another fight; another human being,”
added the former King of the Cage champion.
After
serving a six-month suspension by the California State Athletic
Commission, Baroni returned to take on Kala Hose for the vacant
Icon Sport 185-pound belt. The “New York Bad Ass” started
the fight strong, but faded in the later rounds. Unable to intelligently
defend himself, the fight was stopped in the fifth and final
round. The defeat was Baroni’s second in a row, which included
a previous submission loss to Frank Shamrock.
“Phil
Baroni and I are definitely known as bangers and we both put
it all on the line. I totally respect him coming into this bout;
I respect his power and I respect him as a human being,”
said Villasenor. “I love fighting and in my opinion I’ve
never put on a boring fight. I fight with all my heart and passion
for the game and I think Phil is on the same level.”
Villasenor
made his EliteXC debut on its inaugural show, defeating former
UFC fighter David Loiseau. Four months later, the Jackson’s
Submission fighter faced Murilo Rua for the vacant EliteXC middleweight
title. Unfortunately, Villasenor’s shot at EliteXC gold
was spoiled when the former Chute Boxe fighter defeated him via
strikes in the second round. He would rebound with a close decision
victory over Riki Fukuda this past September and an impressive
knockout of UFC veteran Ryan Jensen in late March.
“Any
athlete will tell you that when you perform at your best and
you get a finish like that, there’s nothing like it,”
commented Villasenor regarding his last fight.
“I
think you learn from every fight. I’m an old vet; I’ve
been around for a long time. I’ve been working a lot with
my coach and my coach has stated that what’s worked for
me in the past is working for me right now. I have been working
a lot on my combinations and footwork. It’s all coming together.
I just want to continue the roll that I’m on and I feel
like I continue to get better with every fight.”
He
credits much of his success to his coach, Greg Jackson. Based
in Albuquerque, N.M., Jackson is the founder of Jackson’s
Submission Fighting and has trained many notable fighters including
Diego Sanchez, Rashad Evans, former King of Pancrase Nate Marquardt
and Roger Huerta. Current UFC welterweight champion Georges St.
Pierre spent much of his time preparing at Jackson’s training
camp prior to his rematch with Matt Serra.
“He’s
a genius,” commented the amateur regional boxing champion.
“If you spend a few hours with the guy, you get to see the
intelligence that this man has and I believe he’s very credible.
Greg is the best at getting the best out of each individual because
we’re all different and I think builds off of your strengths
and helps protect your weaknesses. He knows how to treat each
individual fighter differently and that’s what really separates
him from a lot of people.”
In
February, ProElite, Inc. and the CBS Television Network announced
a multi-year agreement to bring mixed martial arts to the broadcast
network. CBS would broadcast four MMA events per year, produced
by ProElite's EliteXC fight division, as two-hour live primetime
specials targeted for Saturday nights. The upcoming EliteXC event
on May 31 will be the first of the proposed four shows.
“The
way the sport’s evolved… to find myself in this position;
to have my name announced in front of the whole United States
and the world… on that night my family will live forever,”
elated Villasenor. “I feel like there’s a certain goal
that I’ve met, but I also feel it’s just the beginning,
and I’m very excited not only for myself, but I’m also
very excited for the sport.”
The
stage is set for Joey Villasenor. The Dream Smasher has been
given the opportunity to make an impression on potentially millions
of viewers when he faces Phil Baroni on May 31.
“I
love adversity. Boo me if you want, I really don’t care.
All I know is my family and friends back home are watching and
supporting me and I’m just going to go out and put the best
performance that I can.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
MATT
BROWN'S ULTIMATE FIGHTER 7 BLOG: WEEK 8
At this point of the filming, I was finally able to start training
again. My foot was still hurt from the Jeremy May fight, but
I knew that my next fight would be soon so I needed to be working.
The great thing about the second fight is that you have a better
idea of when you will be fighting so you can rest and prepare
a little better.
I
remember the Klein-Dollaway fight really well. A lot of the fights
I barely remember, but this one really stuck out in my mind for
some reason. First off, I don’t think that C.B. was the
best match up for Nick Klein. I feel like Klein sort of got stuck
with C.B. Not saying that Klein didn’t have a chance or
that I didn’t believe in him, but I think he would have
matched up better against other fighters on Rampage’s team
and other fighters on our team would have matched up better against
C.B.
Klein,
as you all saw, has some very slick jiu-jitsu and was almost
able to catch C.B., but C.B. was just too strong and controlled
the fight very well. Honestly, I don’t ever remember hearing
anybody saying that they wanted to fight C.B., so I give Nick
Klein all the props in the world for stepping up and fighting
like a true warrior.
The
fight was a great fight, very technical. I was standing behind
Dana when I heard him say, “This is the most technical fight
I have ever seen on TUF.”
I
couldn’t agree more. I think a lot of guys on previous shows
held back. It is their first exposure to the spotlight, it is
an extremely high pressure situation, and it is nothing like
any other fight you have been in before (no crowd, Dana sitting
ringside, fighting at the same place you train, etc.). This year’s
fighters didn’t hold back though. With the exception of
a few fights, you see everyone this year fighting for their life.
Nick Klein and C.B. Dollaway really came through and fought as
hard as they could. I give them both props for showing their
will to win.
As
for all the stuff that happened on the side (Rampage getting
net-gunned, Cale talking trash, Pat apologizing to Forrest, etc.),
I don’t even really remember a lot of this stuff happening.
I guess I kept to myself more than I thought.
I
was there when Forrest got his hair cut and I thought that was
pretty funny. I never knew that Forrest actually went through
with netting Rampage. And I thought Cale was talking trash to
Pat, not C.B. So I don’t really have a lot to say about
all that stuff. If you have any questions about it I will answer
the best I can, just send me a myspace message.
When
it came time for semi-final match-ups, I was thinking they were
going to match me up with Kramer, Cale, or Amir. I told them
right off the bat that I would prefer not to fight Amir. In my
mind, I just didn’t want to be the one to have to knock
Amir out of the tournament. Plus, we were roommates. I don’t
want to sleep next to the guy I am fighting.
It
was pretty obvious once I was talking to Dana, Forrest and Rampage
in the conference room that they wanted me to fight Amir. I told
them it would be a fun fight, but I would prefer someone else.
I kept telling them I would fight anyone, but they were adamant
that I choose. That is not something I would ever want to go
through again. This part of the show was the worst part of the
whole show for me. I just wanted to fight because there is a
guy in front of me, not because I picked him to fight me.
Anyway,
Amir and I talked for a few minutes after they announced the
fight and we pretty much decided that we just wouldn’t talk
or hang out for the next few days. Amir even told me that he
would sleep in another room if I wanted him to.
At
the time, I didn’t know that C.B. and Cale were having words
in the house, so I was wondering why they made this match-up.
I understand now, but at the time I figured they were just trying
to get C.B. into the finals by giving him favorable match-ups.
I figured maybe Rampage had some say in it and got C.B. the most
favorable match-up possible, which in my opinion was Cale.
I
knew Tim would want to fight Kramer; he had been talking about
it since we got to the house because Tim was friends with “Mississippi,”
Jeremiah Riggs (the guy that Kramer beat to get in the house).
Dante vs. Jesse was a very interesting match-up to me. I trained
with both of them on Team Forrest and figured this fight was
a toss up. That, in my opinion, was a very even match-up.
Next
week you get to see me and Amir throw down in what many people
said was the most exciting fight of the season! So make sure
you watch! As always, I will be watching it at Buffalo Wild Wings
on The Ohio State University campus. Feel free to drop by and
enjoy the show!
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MIKE
DOLCE'S ULTIMATE FIGHTER 7 BLOG: WEEK 8
“OH YEAH!”
Most
of you may recognize the above phrase made popular by Kraft Foods
legendary anthropomorphic pitcher, the Kool-Aid Man.
That’s
right, I finally used the word anthropomorphic in a sentence!
Anyway,
standing eight feet tall and five feet wide the Kool-Aid Man
is quite an imposing figure, especially considering the fact
that he is usually seen crashing through brick walls on his way
to bring sugar filled refreshment to the thirsty children of
the television world.
Let
me tell you friends, the Kool-Aid Man has nothing on Forrest
Griffin!
Picture
Nick Klein calmly finishing up his pre-fight warm-up just minutes
before he is set to take on C.B. Dollaway in their preliminary
match of “The Ultimate Fighter 7,” and “OH YEAH!”
here comes six-foot-five-inch, 240-pound Forrest smashing through
the door in a temporary fit of blind rage. Talk about composure.
That’s the last thing a fighter needs to deal with prior
to getting in the cage.
Tensions
soon evened out and we got right back to the next bout, which
was a good one.
Dollaway
and I were both on Team Rampage, so I knew what he was capable
of. Klein on the other hand was a bit of a question mark.
His
physical proportions were obvious. The tallest guy on the show
and possibly the heaviest, Nick had secured his position in the
house via rear naked choke over a pretty tough opponent, but
his unassuming demeanor made him seem much less like a fighter
and more like a regular old nice guy.
Out
of all my teammates, I probably sparred with C.B. more than anyone
else. The kid was tough. An All-American wrestler who had been
training for the past year at one of the top kickboxing schools
in the country had turned C.B. into a true mixed martial artist.
He was certainly the favorite going into this fight.
Cornering
both Pat Schultz and Dollaway this day, we staggered the warm-ups
to make sure both guys were warm and ready to go. I remember
vividly helping C.B. get ready. He did some sprints and stretches
on his own and then he and I drilled positions, one of which
was stopping the takedown. Each time I shot in, C.B. would hit
me with his hips so hard I would have rather been punched straight
in the face with my hands behind my back. Seriously.
Klein,
being a ground guy, was going to have serious trouble getting
Dollaway to the ground, leaving C.B. to dictate the place of
the fight.
And
what makes MMA so exciting is that ten seconds into the fight,
Nick takes C.B. down and turns this into a real fight, a really
good fight.
After
a back and forth battle, Dollaway was able to stay a few paces
ahead of Klein finally latching on one of his signature chokes
and move into the quarterfinal round.
Speaking
of the quarterfinals, if you though the last eight fights were
pretty good, the next few weeks are amazing!
Unfortunately,
I’m going to have to cut this a little short today.
You
see, I am sitting about 8,000 feet above sea level right now
up on Big Bear with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and the
rest of his team, helping him prepare to defend his undisputed
world light-heavyweight title on July 5 against none other than
Forrest Griffin and there is much work to be done.
“OH
YEAH!”
Source: MMA Weekly |
MMA
HOTBED, ASU REINSTATES WRESTLING PROGRAM
Less than two week ago, Arizona State University discontinued
its men’s wrestling program, along with two other varsity
sports, men’s tennis and men’s swimming.
At
the time, according to ASU’s Vice President of University
Athletics, Lisa Love, “These three sports were selected
with the following criteria: financial impact, potential competitive
success, conference/regional support and gender equity. Our revenue
trajectory has been positive, however, our ongoing financial
challenges have been well documented by the media. The decision
to discontinue sport programs is a last resort, yet necessary."
It
didn’t take long for wrestling supporters to act. Now, just
10 day later, Arizona State wrestling boosters have raised the
necessary $8 million in donations to revive the program.
Known
as a recent hotbed for producing mixed martial arts fighters,
former Arizona State wrestlers C.B. Dollaway, Mark Munoz, Ryan
Bader, and Aaron Simpson have combined for a total of 16 victories
in MMA, with zero defeats.
The
program was fully reinstated on Friday according to AZCentral.com.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ELITE
XC PLANS FOR HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
The championship title picture in EliteXC is starting to come
clear. On Thursday, EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw confirmed
the promotion is close to crowning its first ever heavyweight
champion.
With
the main event between EliteXC superstar Kevin “Kimbo Slice”
Ferguson and British heavy-hitter James Thompson headlining the
promotion’s upcoming debut on CBS, the heavyweight division
looks to receive a lot of attention following this show.
“Right
now, we’re close to doing a heavyweight title,” said
Shaw during a media conference call on Thursday. “We’ll
probably do the heavyweight title in 2008.”
The
roster of top free agent heavyweights seems to be thinning lately
as upstart promotion Affliction seems content to snatch up anyone
over 205 pounds with a viable name in the sport. The organization
has already announced fights featuring top heavyweights Fedor
Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, and Ben Rothwell.
Affliction
is also rumored to be a leading candidate to land former UFC
heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski if he does not re-sign with
the UFC, but nothing official has been announced yet.
That
said, Shaw believes they have a great heavyweight division and
mentioned American Top Team standout Antonio “Big Foot”
Silva as the top fighter in the weight class.
“Kimbo’s
there, James Thompson’s there, and obviously (Antonio) Junior
Silva is right there at the top,” Shaw stated about potential
contenders to the heavyweight title.
While
Silva is still waiting for his next fight, Kimbo and Thompson
will do battle on May 31 as the main event for CBS-EliteXC Saturday
Night Fights in New Jersey.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
STRIKEFORCE
ON NBC A HIT WITH THE 18-34 MALE
San Jose, CA. – The fifth episode of “Strikeforce on
NBC”, the first-ever weekly mixed martial arts cage fight
program on one of the four major national television networks
in the U.S, topped the average ratings of both ABC’s “Jimmy
Kimmel Live” and CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig
Ferguson,” both of which air several hours earlier during
weeknights, in the 18-34 year old male category of viewers during
the week of May 5, 2008.
The
.5 rating drawn by “Strikeforce on NBC” in the 18-34
year old male category beat the ratings of “Jimmy Kimmel
Live” on four of the five weeknights that the ABC show airs,
and tied Kimmel’s ratings on the fifth night. The Strikeforce
program bested the ratings of “The Late, Late Show with
Craig Ferguson” on all five weeknights and tied the Thursday
and Friday night ratings of CBS’s “The Late Show With
David Letterman” that week, in the same demographic group.
The
overall viewership of “Strikeforce on NBC,” which airs
immediately following “Poker After Dark” every Saturday
night (check your local listings for show time), has increased
by an astronomical 197%, from 319,000 to 949,000, including a
58% jump between the two most recently reported weeks (949,000
from 602,000).
“We’re
pleased to see our product gaining momentum on network TV,”
said Strikeforce CEO, Scott Coker. “The series has proven
to be a highly effective way of creating new Strikeforce fans
throughout the country and we’re looking forward to delivering
more action-packed programming to NBC viewers throughout the
year.”
Co-hosted
by mixed martial arts legend, Ken Shamrock, and award-winning
ESPN announcer, Lon McEachern, “Strikeforce on NBC”
is a 52 week series. Each episode runs 30 minutes and is comprised
of fighter profiles as well as Strikeforce MMA fights and highlights.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Middleweight
quarterfinal matchups set for DREAM 4
DREAM announced Friday the matchups for the second round of its
middleweight grand prix scheduled for June 15 at the Yokohama
Arena in Japan.
Since
Kiyoshi Tamura is out of the tournament due to a broken hand
suffered in the first round against Masakatsu Funaki, Melvin
Manhoef, who won the reserve bout at DREAM 3, will enter the
tournament. Manhoef's opponent will be Japanese superstar Kazushi
Sakuraba.
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller will take on grappling wizard Ronaldo
"Jacare" Souza. Miller debuted for DREAM on May 10,
stopping Katsuyori Shibata in the first round.
PRIDE
veteran Gegard Mousasi will face off against Yoon Sik Dong.
And
finally, Zelg Galesic, who put himself on the map with the UK's
Cage Rage promotion, will fight Taiei Kin.
Previously
announced was the second round lightweight bout between Shinya
Aoki and Katsuhiko Nagata.
DREAM
4 will be televised live in the US on HDNet.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Minotouro
to face Vernon White
Brazilian’s adversary at Affliction announced today
Just
confirmed this week as part of an historic first event of fightwear
company Affliction’s MMA promotion, Rogerio Minotouro already
knows who he’ll be fighting. The Brazilian, who had a contract
with now extinct Canadian promotion HCF, will be in one of the
main card bouts against one of the most experienced athletes
currently competing in MMA, Vernon White.
The
American, known by the nickname “Tiger”, has 60 appearances
on his record, including 32 losses.
Set
to take place on July 19, in California, the show will bring
big stars of the sport together, like Fedor Emelianenko and Tim
Sylvia, and Brazilians Pedro Rizzo, Renato Babalu and Fabio Negao,
who will have Josh Barnett, Mike Whitehead and Matt Lindland
ahead of them, respectively.
Rounding
off the official card, only former IFL heavyweight champion’s
Ben Rothwell is missing an opponent. Andrei Arlovski is said
to be the one to be called up.
Main
card
Fedor Emelianenko vs Tim Sylvia
Josh Barnett vs Pedro Rizzo
Ben Rothwell vs Adversário a definir
Matt Lindland vs Fábio “Negão” Nascimento
Antonio Rogério Nogueira vs Vernon White
Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs Mike Whitehead
Preliminary
Card:
Paul Buentello vs Aleksander Emelianenko
Ray Lazama vs Justin Levens
Mark Hominick vs Savant Young
JJ Ambrose vs Patrick Speight
Brett Cooper vs Mike Pyle
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Roger
Gracie opens up
From Japan, the athlete speaks about Kondo, the Worlds, the weight
of his last name and his future in MMA and Jiu-Jitsu
“My
vacation will be these seven days in Tokyo after the fight. From
here, I return to London to train hard for the Worlds,”
revealed Roger Gracie, direct from the Japanese capitol, five
days after his dominating win over experienced Yuki Kondo, at
Dream II, on May 18. Roger’s second MMA fight was much easier
than he had expected. The Gracie maintained control of the action
throughout and achieved the submission quickly. Aware of the
responsibility of carrying the name of the most winning family
in Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, Roger guarantees he will never abandon
his origins: “If I one day knock someone out, it’ll
be by accident,” joked Roger in this exclusive GRACIEMAG.com
interview.
GRACIEMAG.com:
What was the lead up to this fight like? Was it tense? It is
different from the expectations in the build up to a Jiu-Jitsu
tournament?
Roger Gracie: There’s always a bit of tension before a fight,
but when the bell rings to start the fight off I don’t feel
anything else. As for the difference in the adrenaline of Jiu-Jitsu
and of MMA, to me MMA is more tense, but Jiu-Jitsu is much more
difficult since instead of three five-minute rounds, I do 9 or
10 fights of 10 minutes each in every championship.
What
was the experience of fighting in Japan like? How were you received
by fans?
The experience of fighting in Japan was excellent. The Japanese
people are super cultured and received me really well, I hope
to fight there more often.
What
was the fight like to you?
The fight started with him back pedaling. I think he was more
concerned about me taking him down than with trying to hit me.
I threw a jab that he defended, but I managed to grab him. Then,
I took him down with a body lock and landed already in the half
guard. Soon after, I passed, then mounted, threw some punches
to make him turn his back and caught him in a rear-naked-choke.
This
was your second fight, while Kondo has over 80 and has beaten
such Jiu-Jitsu monsters as Saulo and Ze Mario. Did the difference
in experience worry you before the fight?
His experience didn’t worry me in the least. He’s an
excellent fighter, but I knew the moment the fight hit the ground
it would just be a question of time.
Once
again your Jiu-Jitsu has prevailed, are you confident it will
be enough for your success in your MMA career?
I believe 100% in Jiu-Jitsu. I hope to get the submission in
all my fights, if one day I knock someone out, it’ll be
by accident.
Does
this win raise your level of motivation for the Jiu-Jitsu worlds?
Of course this win raised my level of motivation a lot for the
Jiu-Jitsu Worlds.
Is
MMA now a priority in your career?
My priority is to fight, it doesn’t matter if it is Jiu-Jitsu,
MMA or submission grappling. I don’t care about what style
it is.
You
are considered the best Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling fighter
in the world at the moment, besides being a Gracie. Do these
two factors weigh on you much come fight time?
These factors influence the fact that if you fight someone much
better than you on the ground, the last thing going through your
head is to land on the bottom. So, instead of fighting you try
and get up as quick as possible.
Do
you think the public always expects great performances from you
on the ground and that that might inhibit the development of
a game more propitious to MMA?
To tell you the truth, I’m not concerned with what the public
thinks. I can’t fight with them in mind, as it would be
a negative factor in the fight. When it’s time to fight,
I think of three things: me, my adversary and how I’m going
to submit him.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Demian
comments his UFC 87 fight
Demian
is going to try his third victory at the UFC cage and to keep
undefeatable at MMA at the UFC, on August 9th at Minneapolis,
United States. The ADCC 2007 champion will face Jason MacDonald
(20-9), that had knocked out Joe Daerksen at the same event Demian
submitted Ed Herman, on April. I know him, I respect him and
we have friendship. We always talk at the UFC and he has a good
BJJ”, said Demian, saying that he is not changing his game
against a BJJ fighter.
I
always give priority to my Jiu-Jitsu, but we never know. Depends
on how is he going for this fight, but I always look to submit
in my fights”, said the Brazilian, trying to end the fight
another time at the ground game. To the UFC 87 are already confirmed
the fight against heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Mark Coleman
and Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta.
Source: Tatame
|
Pezão
dreaming high with EliteXC
The
Brazilian giant Antonio "Pezão" Silva, with
127kg and excessive strength, is the big bet of the American
Top Team for the heavyweight category. Preparing himself to the
debut on open TV at EliteXC on July, Pezão said in exclusive
interview to TATAME, from ATT training center on his way to the
North-America, his fight against the growth hormones and his
family at ATT. "I'm in the queue and I want to be among
the Top 10 and maybe one day, be at the first or second place",
said the Brazilian, who dreams in conquer the belt, but he just
doesn’t wants to learn to face the current champion in this
category at the UFC, his friend Rodrigo Minotauro.
Source: Tatame
|
DREAM
4: Middleweight GP matchups looking great!
Get
ready for some fireworks. According to DREAM’s official
website, the Middleweight Grand Prix matchups for round 2 have
been announced, and they won’t disappoint the hardcore fanbase
in the least bit. Although I believe some of these fights could
be flipped around to benefit other fighters, these matchups are
definitely tailor made for the future. Here are the matchups:
•
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Melvin Manhoef
• Ronaldo Jacare vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller
• Dong Sik Yoon vs. Gegard Mousasi
• Zelg Galesic vs. Kin Taiei
Obviously,
one of my favorite MMA fighters in Melvin Manhoef will be looking
to destroy the Japanese legend that is Sakuraba. I’ve hyped
up Manhoef enough in the past to make him seem like a MMA god,
but the fact of the matter is that I love the guy for being a
straight up monster when it comes to the striking game. It’s
all or nothing for Manhoef… comparative to some MLB baseball
players like Ryan Howard or Adam Dunn… damn you Howard for
screwing my fantasy team.
Unfortunately
for Manhoef, Sakuraba is pretty able on the ground. DREAM may
have seen this matchup as an easy win for Sakuraba to advance,
but one Manhoef fist could end it. It should be an interesting
style matchup.
Ronaldo
Jacare vs. Jason Miller is going to be a tough matchup for “Mayhem”.
While he has some slick jiu-jitsu and decent striking, Jacare
is one of the best grapplers in the world. The ground game won’t
be such a luxury for Miller in that matchup.
The
“Dongbar” will be out in full force when he takes on
Gegard Mousasi. Yoon has some solid judo skills and a good submission
game, but I think Mousasi’s power in the standup along with
some good submission abilities of his own will make this one
of the more intriguing battles on the evening.
The
Croatian striking Zelg Galesic will take on Kin Taiei for the
second time in his career. In their first matchup, he stopped
the fight via TKO in a little over :30 seconds. I don’t
see how this will go too much different a second time around.
Galesic will have a significant striking advantage.
June
15th should provide the hardcore fanbase with some great fights
from Japan. For all the early morning fanatics, set your alarms
and write DREAM 4 into your calendars.
Source: MMA Analyst
|
EliteXC
hangs on May 31st, UFC looms in the shadows
ProElite's
quarterly report was released today, and the outlook is not good.
It was reported that the struggling umbrella to MMA promotions
EliteXC, Cage Rage, Icon, and King of the Cage is claiming a
loss of $5.6 million dollars in only the first quarter of 2008.
While the actual promotion revenue was in the black at around
$213k, the operating expenses added up to over $5.8 million dollars.
At
this rate, ProElite could very well lose over $20 million dollars
over the entire year unless the company ends up folding or is
infused with some type of capital. It has become apparent that
the CBS deal is the vital beating heart that the company needs
in order to move into the black for the year.
If
ProElite can manage to push a solid show on May 31st, they will
at least has some chances at gaining some solid blue chip sponsors
and likely provide their fighters with more sponsorship money
from MMA-related sponsors. This, in turn, will lure some fighters
toward the promotion and allow EliteXC to gain some bigger names
for their events. Blue chip sponsors will obviously shell out
some substantial dollars to have their name plastered all over
your television, and if the event is wildly successful, advertising
spots during the event should grab some nice revenue.
It'll
be a tough proposition for ProElite to fulfill. The UFC will
be running shows during the event's timeslot on SpikeTV to pull
fans away from the CBS show, but EliteXC has a live event with
some larger than life characters to draw fans. Kimbo Slice could
very well be the answer, but EliteXC will also been using Gina
Carano's new popularity with the male demographic to grab viewers
as well. It's a great move from the promotion. Add in the potential
for Lawler-Smith to be a slugfest of excitement, we could potentially
see more stars surface to a new casual fanbase.
Waiting
in the shadows will be the UFC. If ProElite doesn't grab the
viewers it needs (reportedly around 3 million viewers), it's
likely that CBS will cut the promotion's shows from the primetime
lineup and from the network. All those Kimbo Slice rumors about
the UFC potentially using him in their promotion could come true.
As much as Dana White states the obvious that Kimbo doesn't have
the experience, it's hard to doubt his pull with the casual fan
and even the fan that rarely watches MMA at all.
The
most interesting part about that proposition is what will happen
to Gina Carano. Will she fade into Hollywood to pursue other
interests that have come from her American Gladiators fame or
will she seek out more MMA fights? Will the UFC try to build
a women's division around her? Nobody knows, but for the sake
of MMA fans everywhere, let's hope EliteXC can make a solid effort
and hopefully become a hit. Sure, Kimbo Slice may not be the
man you want headlining a card, but I believe he has legitimately
made the effort to become a complete fighter. The exposure can
only help our sport that we love so much.
Source: MMA Analyst
|
Another
Proelite.com Exec Gone, Sale Possible?
MMAPayout.com
has learned that Jeremy Goecke, the number two man under previous
ProElite.com President Kelly Perdew, has parted ways with Proelite.
This comes quickly on the heels of the resignation of Perdew,
who resigned on May 20, and leaves a void of experienced leadership
at the online arm of ProElite, Inc.
MMAPayout.com
has also heard rumors from highly placed sources that ProElite
may be trying to sell the website. Such a sale wouldn't bring
much in the way of revenue but would help to get the significant
losses off of ProElite, Inc.'s books. The company experienced
a $3.2 million loss on website operations in 2007 and is on pace
to post similar losses for 2008 based on first quarter results.
Pro Elite
Quarterly Report: First Quarter 08
Analysis:
The company experienced a loss of $5.6 million during the first
quarter of 08. The company continues to be plagued by high selling,
general, and administrative expenses, much of that due to the
sheer size of the company. The company did begin to see it's
first license fees from Showtime, totaling $1.2 million in the
first quarter. These license fees will be a key to reaching profitability,
in addition to PPV revenues. With increased exposure on CBS,
the company should be able to better market their PPV efforts,
which have accounted for minuscule amounts so far. Strong television
feeding into PPV's is the map for success in the MMA business,
and PPV will have to be reintroduced as a revenue stream if the
company is to reach profitability. If the CBS shows are successful
I would expect PPV to resurface in the fourth quarter of 08,
possibly in time for a Cung Le- Frank Shamrock re-match.
The
company's online component was once again a large drain on funds,
with minimal revenues generated. After losing over $3 million
on the site during 2007, the company posted revenues of roughly
$26,000 against operation expenses of $725,000. Such losses may
have been a harbinger of the recent resignation of Proelite.com
President Kelly Perdew. The company has recently launched a Video
on Demand service to better monetize their website, but the success
of these efforts will depend greatly on the fight promotion portion
of the company. Expending the vast sums they have on the website
is a case of putting the cart before the horse, so to speak,
as having a vibrant and prosperous fight promotion will be the
driver of these other revenue streams.
Another
significant cost was the expensing of options take by company
executives. These items counted for almost $600,000 against revenue,
which tend to distort the company's performance. Factoring out
these items, the company still generates a loss but some of their
cost cutting measures, such as staff reductions, seem to be narrowing
the deficits somewhat.
Notes:The
company's court battle with Wallid Ismail is ongoing and will
go to trial in federal court on September 16th, 2008. This lawsuit
stems from the start-up phase of Pro Elite, with Ismail claiming
to have not been compensated for assisting during the initial
raising of capital.
The
company's agreement with Mark Burnett concerning a reality show
is reaching a critical phase, with their agreement becoming void
if no license agreement is reached by June 15th. There is a two
week window after the May 31st CBS debut to gauge the viability
of this reality series, so expect to hear news soon in this area.
Source: MMA Payout
|
Quote
of the Day
“To
be able to concentrate for a considerable time is essential to
difficult achievement.”
Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British Philosopher/Mathematician/Essayist
|
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. Interview 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
|
Ortiz
makes himself center of attention
LAS
VEGAS – Based on the buildup, a lot of people expected fireworks
between Tito Ortiz and Ultimate Fighting Championship president
Dana White in the octagon at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday
night, when one of the company’s biggest drawing fighters
was presumed to be in his last UFC match.
On
the pay-per-view telecast, Ortiz lost a unanimous decision to
undefeated Lyoto Machida with White keeping himself out of the
spotlight. White was not even ringside during the fight, watching
it from an office in the arena.
But
a few hours later, things were quite different, as Ortiz crashed
the postfight press conference.
The
33-year-old former UFC light heavyweight champion showed up,
uninvited, with UFC official Jennifer Wenk asking him to leave
and not cause a scene. Ortiz at first refused, but after some
pleading, got up and seemed to act like he’d made his point
in front of the media about not being allowed in. But when girlfriend
Jenna Jameson told him to stay put, he changed his mind and went
back to his seat.
Wenk,
after seeing the media wanted to talk with him, agreed to give
Ortiz 10 minutes before the official conference started. That
lasted about two questions before Zuffa COO Kirk Hendrick stopped
the questioning. But after much discussion and a tense scene
with the media that wanted to talk with him and the appearance
of four Las Vegas Metropolitan police officers, they agreed to
let him participate.
Both
Wenk and White said that Ortiz was never banned from the conference,
but that he should have waited for everyone else as the fighters
and White came in as a group.
“We
both need some serious counseling,” said White after being
asked about the tumultuous relationship between the two and about
the possibility they could reach a new contract. “I don’t
know if we can make a deal. We need to talk it out some place
and talk with each other like grown-ups. It’s hard for both
of us.”
Neither
was strong about saying Ortiz would never fight in UFC again,
even after posting an 0-2-1 record in his last three PPV fights.
Ortiz came across as the biggest star of the show to the sellout
crowd of 14,773, with a gate of $3.7 million.
Aside
from a few snide jabs between the two during the remainder of
the press conference, there was only one real flurry. Ortiz said
he didn’t know what terms could bring him back, that he’d
need to talk with his attorney, that he only wanted to be taken
care of financially.
“I
don’t want to be 45 years old and still fighting in the
UFC,” said Ortiz after a loss by straight 30-27 scores.
“The fighters are treated like slaves,” he said.
White
took umbrage at the slave remark, saying that the fighters on
the podium were happy to be there. He then said they are guys
who want to fight three or four times a year, a knock on Ortiz,
who hadn’t fought since July and missed a proposed fight
late in the year to appear on NBC’s “The Apprentice.”
“You
want to be a superstar,” White said. “They want to
be fighters.”
Ortiz
shot back, “You want to be a superstar,” since White
is a featured star on the UFC reality show and is the public
face of the company.
With
the exception of a triangle choke that he had locked in during
the third round, Ortiz (16-6-1) could do nothing on offense against
Machida. Ortiz was unable to take him down despite repeated attempts.
The Brazilian’s movement kept Ortiz’s strikes from
being effective and Machida countered enough to pile up points.
Machida
had Ortiz in trouble twice. He took Ortiz down at the end of
the first round and was firing punches as the round ended. In
the third, he knocked Ortiz down with a knee and did some effective
ground and pound. Ortiz suffered a cut on the right eye and wore
sunglasses at the press conference, saying that he needed 15
stitches.
Even
though the verdict was obvious, Ortiz, who came out to the sounds
of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” got a standing
ovation from a crowd who seemed to view him as the anti-establishment
hero who stood up to authority.
He
also upstaged Machida by jumping on the top of the cage as Machida
was doing his postmatch interview.
When
asked about the triangle, since Ortiz has never won a match with
a submission hold in UFC competition, Machida admitted being
surprised.
“I
was thinking ‘I’m gonna die, but I’m not gonna
tap,’ ” he said.
Ortiz
said he made a mistake in trying to maneuver the move into an
armbar, which allowed Machida to escape.
UFC
color commentator Joe Rogan interviewed Ortiz in the octagon,
where Ortiz said he would be looking for greener pastures. When
Rogan pressed if he was through, Ortiz tempered his earlier words
with, “I haven’t decided at all. I’m gonna take
two weeks off. I gave my life in this octagon for the greatest
fans in the world.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
EXCLUSIVE:
GEORGES ST. PIERRE TALKS FITCH, UFC 87
The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced on Thursday that
in lieu of the injury to Mark Coleman that will keep him out
of his scheduled fight with Brock Lesnar, a new main event will
feature welterweight champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre
defending his title against No. 1 contender Jon Fitch.
St.
Pierre, fresh off of winning back the title on April 19 in his
hometown of Montreal, told MMAWeekly.com about the fight with
Jon Fitch, “I’m excited. He’s the man to beat
and I’m glad to fight him.”
Fitch,
who is currently 8-0 in the UFC, comes into the fight having
defeated Chris Wilson at UFC 82 in March.
“He’s
good everywhere. He’s going to be my toughest opponent so
far,” St. Pierre said about his opponent. “Good standing
up, very good in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, very good wrestler as well,
so it causes a big problem. But I truly believe I will be able
to solve them.”
The
champion is currently in Denver, where he is helping friend and
training partner Nathan Marquardt prepare for his upcoming fight
with Thales Leites at UFC 85 in England.
Never
backing down from a challenge, the current welterweight king
doesn’t mind the short time between fights and welcomes
the obstacle Jon Fitch presents.
“Of
course I didn’t have a break after (Matt) Serra, but like
we say I’ll sleep when I die,” the champion commented.
This
will be St. Pierre’s first title defense since beating Serra
and his second shot at redemption for a title defense. The last
time out as champion defending the title, he dropped the strap
to Serra in one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. A mistake
St. Pierre doesn’t intend on making again.
“I
found out what it takes to be champion and what it takes to stay
champion, and I know it this time. It’s going to be a different
story,” he said. “I’m not the same guy (as when)
I was champion the first time. I’m a different guy. I will
show it Aug. 9.”
Prior
to his second bout with Serra, it was Jon Fitch who called St.
Pierre’s gameplan into question, stating that he didn’t
believe the Canadian would stand with his opponent because he
feared being knocked out again.
St.
Pierre is happy to let his fight game do the talking for him
on Aug. 9.
“I
don’t have nothing to prove to nobody. He will find out
himself during the fight,” St. Pierre stated in response
to Fitch’s comments.
Georges
St. Pierre will defend his welterweight championship against
Jon Fitch on August 9 in Minnesota as the main event of UFC 87.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Gary
Shaw vs. Dana White:
Who’s right and who’s wrong?
Earlier
this week in an article published in the Long-Beach Press-Telegram,
Dana White had this to say about Kimbo Slice:
"You
know what would happen if he fought in the UFC?" White said
to the newspaper. "I'd put him in against B.J. Penn, and
(Slice) would get annihilated. The guy he is fighting, James
Thompson, might get knocked out before he gets into the cage.
Kimbo has no credibility at all in MMA. ... I am telling you,
B.J. Penn would beat him."
While
this may seem like an idiotic statement to make, it’s partially
true. Would B.J be able to defeat Kimbo? It’s hard saying,
however, it isn’t that far out of the realm of possibility.
B.J. has fought at light-heavyweight and was able to hold his
own against Lyoto Machida, but that’s another debate for
another day.
The
fact of the matter is that Kimbo is an unknown commodity. He
has an intriguing personality, but he’s always going to
take slack from hardcore MMA fans and veterans of this sport.
I think it’s mostly due to people being jealous of his stardom
in the sport. They’ve seen the veterans of this sport, the
Chuck Liddell’s, the Randy Couture’s, the Tito Ortiz’s,
put in their hard work and help grow this sport to what it has
become today. Kimbo has burst onto the scene because of backyard
fights on the Internet. Does that represent him as a person?
No. Does that make the criticism of him valid? Maybe.
Kimbo
is being brought along slowly. There is absolutely nothing wrong
with that. He hasn’t been training that long and has done
nothing to draw the negative comments that have been directed
at him. He’s simply done what he’s been asked to do,
and that’s go out there and put on an exciting show and
win fights.
EliteXC
has also been matching him up with advantageous style matchups
that suit his brawling and avoid having him being taken down
repeatedly. I think James Thompson might try to take him down,
however; he’s going to have to get close to take him down.
The closer he gets, the better chance Kimbo has of exploiting
Thompson’s famous glass jaw. Thompson’s wrestling also
isn’t that great, so it could be a quick night for Kimbo
once again.
Gary
Shaw had this to say when asked about Dana’s comments:
"Dana
White is a jerkoff," Shaw said. "That's what Dana White
is -- a [expletive] idiot -- and you can quote me on that. If
he cared about mixed martial arts and the sport instead of caring
about his big ass swimming pool and his own personal gains, he'd
understand that statements like that make someone a jerk. First
of all, I love B.J. Penn, and he is a friend of mine. Kimbo Slice,
with one shot, would knock B.J. Penn out. But they are never
going to fight. It is an idiotic statement from a complete idiot."
Woah,
woah, woah there, Mr. Shaw. Are you implying that you really
care about MMA and don’t care about the money? Get the [expletive]
out of town.
This
is the thing that really irks me about Gary Shaw. I love how
all of the sudden he has come out and said that he is all about
MMA and that he’s doing this all for the love of the sport.
Wrong. He’s doing it for money, and I think he has ulterior
motives. To me, he’s still “the boxing promoter”
Gary Shaw.
As
much as everyone criticizes Dana White, I really believe he loves
the sport of MMA. Does he let his personal feelings get involved
sometimes? Sure, but I think that just shows that he really loves
the sport. He has been here through the thick and the thin, and
I think it’s highly hypocritical of Gary Shaw to come out
and say that Dana White doesn’t love the sport of MMA. I
think he’s probably the biggest fan we have. He’s an
impulse acting kind of guy, and that sometimes hurts his persona,
but if you ask Dana White a question, you’re going to get
a truthful answer.
Things
are starting to heat up between the organizations and as the
clock winds down to EliteXC’s debut on network television;
I think the war of words between Dana and Gary will continue
to worsen.
Leave
some comments below and let me know what you think about each
organizations front man. Is Dana wrong to call out Kimbo and
his lack of experience? Is Shaw still the same sleazy boxing
promoter some fans see him as? Can EliteXC ultimately compete
with the UFC? Let me know, I’ll be sure to respond.
Source: MMA Analyst
|
NATE
MARQUARDT'S UFC 85 FIGHT JOURNAL PT. 3
This has been the hardest week of my preparation for this fight
(with Thales Leites), yet. Last Saturday, we drove back from
our friend's place in Albuquerque where we stay (who happens
to make fun of me for writing these journal entries). It's about
a six-hour drive. I could fly, but driving is cheaper considering
my wife comes with me and we bring our dog.
Sunday
everyone started showing up here in Denver. Rashad Evans, Georges
St. Pierre, Dave Louiseau and coaches Jon Chambers and Phil Nurse.
Rashad stayed at our house and we put the other guys up at a
hotel near the gym.
This
week, we sparred four days in a row, two sessions of conditioning,
two sessions of mitts, one wrestling practice and two MMA practices.
I wouldn't normally advise anyone to spar four days in a row
because every day that you spar consecutively you get a little
dumber, but I wanted to make the most of my training with these
guys in town this week. Friday was an easy day of grappling and
more conditioning.
I
can't wait to watch my teammates, Keith and Shane, do their thing.
I know they will both do great! Also, it will be really good
for me to be in that atmosphere this close to my fight. I will
be able to visualize myself in there and it will get me pumped
up and even more excited to fight
I
have one more hard week of training before I slow down to peak.
I am and will be ready on June 7!
Nate
Marquardt faces Thales Leites at UFC 85 on June 7 at the O2 Arena
in London. You can check out his personal websites at NateMarquardt.com
and myspace.com/natemarquardt. He has his own academy in Denver
called High Altitude Martial Arts and also trains at T’s
KO Fight Club in Denver and at Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque,
N.M. Marquardt is sponsored by Tapout and is currently ranked
as the No. 5 middleweight fighter in the world by MMAWeekly.com.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Shaw
calls White an 'idiot' for Kimbo Slice putdown
In a recent interview with The Press-Telegram, outspoken UFC
President Dana White made clear his feelings on YouTube sensation
turned MMA fighter Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson. When
asked about EliteXC’s upcoming national broadcast –
headlined by Slice – White stated, "You know what would
happen if he fought in the UFC? I'd put him in against (lightweight
champion) BJ Penn and [Slice] would get annihilated.”
On
Thursday, during a CBS Conference call for the upcoming event,
EliteXC President Gary Shaw gave this response:
“Dana
White is a j***-off. That’s what Dana White is. He’s
a f***ing idiot and you can quote me on that. If he cared about
mixed martial arts and the sport instead of caring about his
big-a** swimming pool and his own personal gains, he would understand
that statements like that make someone into a jerk.
First
of all, I love B.J. Penn and he is a friend of mine. And his
brother J.D. Penn works with our company. Kimbo Slice with one
shot would knock out B.J. Penn, a 155 pounder. But they’re
never going to fight. It’s an idiotic statement from a complete
idiot.”
When
pressed for his own feelings, Kimbo responded in his typical
cool, brief manner.
“You
know, it’s a free country,” he said. “You know,
everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.”
Source: MMA Fighting
|
HEATH
HERRING TO FACE BROCK LESNAR AT UFC 87
MMAWeekly.com has confirmed that Heath Herring has agreed to
fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 87 on Aug. 9 when the Ultimate Fighting
Championship makes its debut in Minneapolis, Minn.
Lesnar
was originally slated to face UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman
in the main event of UFC 87. Coleman, however, suffered a torn
medial collateral ligament in training, which will sideline him
for at least six weeks. He was forced to withdraw from the bout
with Lesnar due to the injury.
Herring
has been on a roller coaster ride since his UFC debut in January
of 2007. The former Pride heavyweight title contender has gone
2-2 in the Octagon, most recently defeating Cheick Kongo at UFC
82 in Columbus, Ohio.
Lesnar
had a less than stellar Octagon debut, losing to former UFC heavyweight
champion Frank Mir via kneebar at UFC 81 in Las Vegas earlier
this year.
With
the withdrawal of Coleman, the UFC acted swiftly, signing a new
main event bout with welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre,
fresh off winning the title at UFC 82, making the first defense
of his second reign as champion when he faces No. 1 contender
Jon Fitch.
Roger
Huerta and Kenny Florian will also square off at UFC 87. The
bout, according to the promotion’s president, Dana White,
will likely decide the next contender to the UFC lightweight
title being contested on Saturday night at UFC 84 between current
champion B.J. Penn and former champion Sean Sherk.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Interview:
Gilbert Melendez talks Josh Thomson, Shinya Aoki
Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez is the fifth
rated MMA lightweight on the planet, according to MMAFighting.com.
That said, Melendez doesn’t particularly like the number
five. Four, three, and two don’t really suit him either.
“I
just want to be number one in the world, is that too much to
ask for, man?” he says with a hint of B.J. Penn in his voice.
The
interesting thing, however, is that although the man with a 14-1
overall MMA record feels that way from an individual angle, he’s
as much a part of a team as you’ll see in an individual
sport like MMA. In fact, all of those guys affiliated with Cesar
Gracie Jiu Jitsu are, and you can feel it every time one of them
speaks.
“Oh
that was an awesome triangle, man,” Melendez said, describing
what his teammate and friend Nathan Diaz pulled off against Kurt
Pellegrino. “That just shows a lot of heart, a lot of will.
If he didn’t get the triangle he was (still) going to start
winning the fight.”
That’s
pride in a teammate, folks, coming through loud and clear.
So
now as Melendez readies to put his Strikeforce Lightweight belt
on the line against the always- dangerous Josh Thomson on June
27th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA, MMAFighting.com’s
Robert Rousseau decided to see what was on the mind of a man
with both individual and team dreams.
MMAFighting.com:
How’s training been going?
Gilbert
Melendez: Good. I’m actually right here in San Diego training
with Diego Sanchez... just for the week, getting some jiu jitsu
in and working out hard.
MMAFighting.com:
With Diego Sanchez... Have you ever trained with him before?
Gilbert
Melendez: Definitely... This week I came out here to stay with
him, train with him.
MMAFighting.com:
That’s awesome. Have you also been training with Diaz, Shields,
and your normal group?
Gilbert
Melendez: Of course, all the time. Right now I’m just trying
to fix up a little jiu jitsu, just trying to get something going
here.
MMAFighting.com:
Well, Diego’s a great guy to workout with for sure for that.
Gilbert
Melendez: He definitely is.
MMAFighting.com:
What do you think of your opponent, Josh Thomson?
Gilbert
Melendez: Josh Thompson is a very tough, talented guy. I’ve
already trained with him, so I respect the guy—so it has
nothing to do that. I think he’s a tough guy, someone I’ve
got to train hard for. But definitely someone I’m going
to beat.
MMAFighting.com:
Two fights ago you lost for the first time in your career to
Mitsuhiro Ishida. Did you learn anything in that fight?
Gilbert
Melendez: Definitely. I learned a lot about preparing, (the)
proper way to train, and just to relax a little more. You learn
a lot from a loss, and I definitely did.
MMAFighting.com:
Obviously, losing is no fun no matter what you’re doing
or what the situation. Still, did you take anything positive
out of the fact that you were really—at least in my opinion—
beginning to exert your will on him at the end of the fight?
Did you that give you something positive to walk away with?
Gilbert
Melendez: Yeah, definitely. I had a little trouble warming up
in the back. I warmed up a little too late. I felt like if there
was more time I would have beat him. I really did feel that.
But he was the better fighter that day. He was smarter. He had
a game plan, I didn’t. I had it in kill mode, and that’s
what I learned from that fight, to be a little more patient.
You don’t always have to be a bull. Next time I’ll
be a little bit more of a rattlesnake instead of a bull.
MMAFighting.com:
In your next fight after that you looked absolutely great. How
did training go before your fight with Gabe Lemley?
Gilbert
Melendez: It went great. I was preparing for Josh Thompson and
Jorge Masvidal... I was training really hard. I felt like training
went great. I was motivated. A loss kicks you in the butt and
helps you get pumped up. So, I didn’t like the feel of anything
(and) the first thing I did was hit the gym. There was no party
time or anything (like that) after my fight— it was all
gym time.
MMAFighting.com:
We’re kind of entering a new age in MMA, one where it’s
beginning to get in the spotlight more and more. TV deals are
abound with Strikeforce and NBC, EliteXC and CBS, HDNet Fights,
and Inside MMA. How much do you think a win over Josh Thompson,
given the current state of things, might do for your visibility
and career?
Gilbert
Melendez: I think it’s going to help a lot for the true
MMA fans who really know the sport. Obviously, he’s not
ranked in the top 10, but in my opinion he could easily beat
any of those guys in the top 10 on a good day. So I think his
experience and all that… it’s going to be good for
me.
MMAFighting.com:
The thing about all of you guys—you, the Diaz’s, Jake
Shields, all of them— is that no matter what anybody says
you never give up. You’re always in the fight for as long
as the fight goes on. How do you guys get that going? Is there
something about the way you workout, the way you train, or is
it just who you are?
Gilbert
Melendez: We train together and we came up together. A lot of
teams, for instance the Xtreme Couture team or AKA, they’re
a team, but there’s not that many teams who started together
from scratch. And we all basically did. We all grew together,
we all fought together, we all train together. . .
(We’re)
just a bunch of guys that like to fight, that like to train.
We can beat each other up and there’s no frustration, there’s
no real shit talking. It’s just hard training.
MMAFighting.com:
Sounds like you guys are a real team.
Gilbert
Melendez: A real team, definitely.
MMAFighting.com:
Assuming this fight goes well and you’re able to beat Josh
Thompson, is there anybody out there either in the Strikeforce
organization or outside the Strikeforce organization that you
would really love to have the chance to compete against?
Gilbert
Melendez: There’s plenty of people— I’d love to
fight Aoki, who they’re making a real big hype about. I
almost had a chance but it never worked out. I’d love to
fight someone like Sean Sherk or even B.J. Penn. I only say that
about Penn because I know the guy personally... So I don’t
really want to fight him, but out of respect for myself I do
want to fight him. I do want to test myself with the best. I
want to beat the best.
MMAFighting.com:
You want to go up against the guys with the best skills and see
where you’re at.
Gilbert
Melendez: Yeah, I just want to be number one in the world, is
that too much to ask for, man?
MMAFighting.com:
Hey, you sounded like B.J. Penn there (laughing). Do you have
a prediction for the fight?
Gilbert
Melendez: I predict a high paced fight and a victory. It’s
going to be a battle; it’s going to be high paced, a lot
of pressure. It’s going to be a pound out. . .I’m going
to be dropping a lot of punches on Josh.
MMAFighting.com:
Do you have anything to say to your fans?
Gilbert
Melendez: I just want to thank all of my fans for all the love
and support. I appreciate everything that you bring.
MMAFighting.com:
Thanks for taking the time, Gilbert.
Gilbert
Melendez: No problem.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Worlds
gains a reinforcement
1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 winner, Royler promises same will on
couching
Four-time world champion Royler Gracie is on his way
Already
in Canada since the 21st, to kick off a series of seminars throughout
North America, Royler Gracie shot the breeze with GRACIEMAG.com.
“I’m
going to the Worlds, coordinating for the team. Our team will
be really strong. Xande fighting for his weight division and
the absolute, Megaton and Luciana, as always, and there will
be a gang that trains with Saulo that is also promising.
“In
the women’s, besides Luciana, there’s Leticia, Carol,
Bia…”
GRACIEMAG
reminds the master: “And there’s still Kron, right?”
Royler:
“Well yes, but I don’t know if Kron will be representing
Gracie Humaita, but I’m talking to him about it. Whatever
it must be is fine. One thing’s for sure: the union provides
the strength.”
*
* *
For
those of you who have not yet signed up for the biggest Jiu-Jitsu
party of the year, there’s still time! Click here and guarantee
your spot. The World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2008 will be held
from the 5th to 8th of June in California.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Alliance
to reward Worlds medalists
New sponsor guarantees incentive to athletes
Alliance
conquered first place in the Pan-American 2008 team dispute and
doesn’t intend to lost the post at the Worlds, now in June,
in Long Beach, California. General Fabio Gurgel informed GRACIEMAG.com
that Alliance will be the first team to reward all the athletes
to make it onto the winners’ podium at the event, from blue
to black belt.
“This
was only made possible by our having a sponsor that will be on
all Alliance gis – Ache Group, which will advertise the
product Biofenac Aerosol on our athletes.” Gurgel also revealed
that the team’s plans are to maintain the rewards in all
official competitions from here on.
And
in what has become an Alliance team tradition, the team will
gather in Atlanta, Georgia, for a pre-Worlds training period
at the headquarters of the team’s co-founder, Romero Jacare.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Anderson
talks about his mother death
Still
quite shook up after his mother death, Edite Silva Cardoso, with
74 years in the early hours from Monday to Tuesday, Anderson
Silva talked with TATAME just after the burial held this Wednesday.
"Unfortunately when I left , Tuesday for a meeting with
Dana White about the fight against Roy Jones Jr., that will not
happen, my mother had been hospitalized a week ago due to his
diabetes and high pressure, but the doctors have left me calm,
that after putting up a pacemaker the situation would be normalized.
During the week, however, things got worse and when I arrived
Miami , I decided to got back. I arrived at Curitiba Monday at
midnight and she died at 5:30 in the morning”, said the
champion who was forced postpone a seminar near the date, which
has room for rumors on American sites that that the Brazilian
would be with Minotaur at Miami. Without knowing, Anderson was
surprised, but nevertheless, with the humility that it is peculiar,
he apologized himself. "I would never do something like
that. Everybody who knows me knows that I do not usually arrive
late, I never break my commitments, but we just have a mother
in our lives, when I knew that her situation had get worse I
asked to my manager to disarrange everything and I come back
Curitiba . I apologize to those students who are expecting me
at the seminar and I promise to return soon to fulfill the commitment",
assured the UFC champion.
Source: Tatame
|
Marcelo
Garcia talks about his MMA future
Recently
moved to Florida from New York , Marcelo Garcia is now focusing
himself at the Mix Martial Arts. Garcia gave a exclusive interview
to TATAME from the American Top Team train center and talked
about the beginning at the MMA, and also about his future at
the sport. "It was very good to have my MMA debut, I don’t
have to regret. I had a huge cut at my head and but I was happy
at the day before", said Marcelinho.
Even
with a non expected defeat at his MMA debut, Garcia hopes to
conquer the his fans, just like he did with his performances
at the Jiu-Jitsu mat. “I want to reach the MMA public too,
I want to be recognized also as a MMA fighter. That was my will,
I wanted to take that next step in my career”, said Garcia.
Source: Tatame
|
Don’t
write off Wanderlei Silva
LAS
VEGAS – Wanderlei Silva heard all the talk. The former PRIDE
205-lb. champion knew there were whispers in the mixed martial
arts world that he wasn’t the fighter he used to be, and
that his best days were behind him.
“You
hear what the people are saying, but you can’t let it bother
you,” Silva said. “All I do is go out and fight, that’s
all I worry about.”
Indeed,
Silva answered the questions the best way he knows how. The man
known as “The Axe Murderer” put on a fearsome display
of the skills that made him one of the most beloved and feared
fighters on the planet, as he took out “The Dean of Mean”
Keith Jardine with a brutal 36-second knockout Saturday night
during UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The
win keeps the 31-year old Silva in the mix among the top fighters
in the light heavyweight division. The native Brazilian, who
now trains at Extreme Couture in Las Vegas, had previously been
knocked out by Mirko Cro Cop and Dan Henderson and lost a unanimous
decision to Chuck Liddell.
“I
know people think there was a lot of pressure on me, but I was
OK,” said Silva (32-8-1). “I had Randy (Couture) in
my corner and I looked at him and he was so calm, and that relaxed
me.”
Jardine
came into the fight with thoughts of a potential light heavyweight
title match. The Montana native (13-4-1) was coming off a split-decision
win over Liddell and also owns a TKO of Forrest Griffin, who
challenges Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for the title
in July.
Instead,
the match was reminiscent of Jardine’s one-sided loss to
Houston Alexander in the same building last Memorial Day weekend.
Much like in that defeat, Jardine came out looking to initiate
contact. But Silva absorbed a low kick and then walloped Jardine
with a right hand behind the ear, which floored his foe. Jardine
got off the canvas and ate another big shot, then was on the
receiving end of another dozen punches before referee Steve Mazzagatti
waved things off.
“I
saw the tapes of that fight (the loss to Alexander),” said
Silva, who received one of the biggest ovations of the night.
“But that doesn’t mean I was expecting the fight to
go that fast. He is a tough fighter and he’ll be back.”
There
had been speculation heading into the fight that Silva could
move down to middleweight, where champion and Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound
No. 1 Anderson Silva is in need of marquee opponents. Silva,
however, wouldn’t commit either way.
“I’ll
fight wherever they want me to fight,” said Silva, whose
five-year reign as PRIDE champion is the longest in major MMA
history. “My boss is right here, I’ll fight who he
wants me to fight.”
That
boss, of course, was UFC president Dana White, who hinted that
Silva could be best served staying where he is. “There’s
one good fight for Wanderlei at 185 pounds,” White said.
“And there are a lot of them at 205.”
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Andrei
Meets The Press....
MMAPayout.com
received a report that free agent heavyweight superstar Andrei
Arlovski will be holding a media day/work out session this coming
Tuesday the 27th in Los Angeles. Wild Card Gym in Hollywood will
be the site of the presser/workout as Andrei works with famed
boxing trainer Freddie Roach and strength and conditioning coach
Alex Ariza for the assembled members of the media.
It
is possible that this media day will announce Andrei's future
plans, heavily rumored to be a contract to fight for Affliction.
Speculation has been rampant that Arlovski will sign with the
Affliction promotion to face Ben Rothwell on their July 19th
card at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Source: MMA Payout |
|
5/26/08
Happy Memorial Day! |
Quote
of the Day
“Our
hours in love have wings; in absence, crutches.”
Colley Cibber, 1671-1757, English Actor/Playwright/Poet Laureate
|
Fight
videos conflict with values of mixed marital arts
Last Sunday's Star-Bulletin article, "FIGHT! Student brawls
posted online stir safety concerns," clearly raises serious
concerns about a new online method by which teenagers are trying
to gain attention and self-esteem among their peers.
We
found it encouraging that, as the story says, some public schools
are turning to the mixed martial arts (MMA) community in addressing
this emerging social problem. Obviously, the YouTube phenomenon
has exploded in the past few years and provided teens with an
avenue to quickly express themselves. At the same time that YouTube
has become so popular in our society, so has MMA, and unfortunately,
there have been some unintended consequences.
Clearly,
some of the teens engaging in these fights and posting them on
YouTube are emulating the structured competitions seen at live
MMA events and on television. It does not help that Kevin "Kimbo
Slice" Ferguson, infamous for his underground street fights
seen so frequently on YouTube, is headlining the first MMA event
that will be aired live on network television at the end of this
month. However, we would like to clarify that these fights posted
by some of Hawaii's teens on YouTube do not by any means represent
MMA. Moreover, responsible MMA coaches, promoters, fighters,
and fans will all agree that such actions go against everything
the MMA community stands for.
Responsible
MMA coaches and gym members teach minors and young adults attending
their classes that engaging in fights outside of the gym is irresponsible
and illegal, and those who continue to engage in such actions
will be asked to leave the gym permanently. We also would like
to stress that MMA skills should be taught by qualified instructors
in a safe, supervised setting with rules enforced that prevent
injury or animosity. The hallmarks of all martial arts are discipline
and self-respect and these actions show a complete lack of regard
of those character traits.
Conversely,
the fights posted on YouTube clearly lack any kind of structure
or respect between opponents and the many safety factors that
are provided by legitimate promoters such as doctors at ringside,
a qualified referee and ambulances that would otherwise prevent
a horrible tragedy.
Finally,
we encourage youth and parents to look to responsible MMA gyms
as examples. While Kimbo Slice is known more for his underground
street fights than his MMA skills, it is the MMA community that
helped to stop his street fighting ways, as he now is training
with reputable coaches who ardently discourage street violence.
Likewise, we feel highly confident in saying that most, if not
all of those local youth posting fight videos on YouTube are
not students learning various combat sport skills at responsible
MMA gyms.
If
you know your child is engaging in these behaviors, get him or
her to start attending classes at one of Hawaii's conscientious
MMA gyms. There are many of them out there and they are eager
to help.
David
Mayeda received his Ph.D. in American Studies from the University
of Hawaii at Manoa in 2005 and is author of the book "Fighting
for Acceptance: Mixed Martial Artists and Violence in American
Society."
Chris and Mike Onzuka, are the owners and head instructors of
the O2 Martial Arts Academy in Aiea. The Onzukas are also MMA
referees and judges and write frequently about mixed martial
arts.
Source: Star Bulletin
|
UFC
84 REVIEW: B.J.
PENN LEAVES
NO DOUBT
LAS VEGAS – It’s hard to explain, but you just feel
the current of energy flowing through your body when a special
fighter makes his way to the Octagon. It’s the same feeling
as watching Michael Jordan rise to the occasion in championship
basketball game or John Elway in the Super Bowl. That’s
the feeling that B.J. Penn instilled at UFC 84, making his way
to the ring before a crowd of 14,773, Hawaiian music drifting
on the air and Hawaiian flags dotting the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Twenty
minutes later, Penn was once again strapping the UFC lightweight
title around his waste, having dispatched of Sherk at the end
of the third round in defense of his championship.
Sherk
and Penn said they would stand and bang, and they lived up to
that billing. But at the end of the day, Sherk’s face bore
the evidence of who the more effective striker was in the bout.
Penn
used his jab effectively throughout the fight, chiseling away
at Sherk’s stone-like physique and bloodying his face. Nearing
the end of round three, Penn rocked Sherk with a combination
of punches, put him on his backside with a knee to the face,
and finished the fight with a jackhammer of right hands reminiscent
of his stunning finish of Caol Uno several years ago.
Despite
all of the harsh words and hard feelings leading up to the fight,
when all was said and done, Penn said simply, “Sean, always
respect.”
As
for the fight, the popular Hawaiian fighter said the win was
“very satisfying. Sean Sherk is a great competitor.”
Although
UFC president Dana White says that he believes there is still
another fight waiting for Penn in the 155-pound division, namely
the winner of the UFC 87 bout between Kenny Florian and Roger
Huerta on Aug. 9, Penn seems to believe otherwise. He used his
position on Saturday night to call for a mega-fight with current
welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.
Heee’s
baaacckk! Wanderlei Silva, entering his bout with Keith Jardine
on a three-fight skid, in 36 seconds re-instated his “Axe
Murderer” moniker. He dropped the Greg Jackson-trained fighter
not once, but twice, before following him to the canvas. With
one hand on Jardine’s throat, holding him down, Silva unloaded
with devastating right hands to the face, ending Jardine’s
rise towards the light heavyweight title.
Though
he has recently talked about a possible move the middleweight
division, such an impressive win over a fighter like Jardine,
will likely keep the Axe Murderer in the midst of the 205-pound
division, at least for the near term.
As
White said following the bout, “If Wanderlei came to me
and said that these guys are huge at 205, I want to move to (185),
I wouldn’t say no to somebody like that. But there’s
one interesting fight for him at 185 pounds. I think there are
a lot of interesting fights for (Wanderlei) at 205.”
Silva
scored “Knockout of the Night” honors and a $75,000
bonus check, although White also noted UFC newcomer Shane Carwin’s
impressive knockout of Christian Wellisch and indicated that
he would also be rewarded for his efforts.
Say
what you will about Tito Ortiz, the man knows how to excite a
crowd. Entering the Octagon with “Fight the Power”
blaring over the sound system, Mexican and American flags in
hand, he still receives one of the most raucous welcomes in the
sport.
Chants
of “Tito, Tito” wafted through the building as he took
the center of the Octagon, only to consistently be eluded by
Lyoto Machida. It wasn’t pretty, but for 14 minutes and
30 seconds of the fight, the Brazilian employed a strategical
counter attack, shutting down Ortiz’s takedown attempts
and pot-shotting him at will, visibly frustrating the former
light heavyweight champion.
But
with 30 seconds left in the bout, Ortiz shot in once more, only
to be met with a sharp knee to the ribs that put him on his back.
Machida followed him down, but a recovering Ortiz nearly secured
a triangle-armbar combination before the Brazilian slipped out
as the bout came to a close. An electrifying finish not only
to the bout, but quite possibly to Ortiz’s tenure as a UFC
superstar.
Amongst
an outpouring of boos for an effective, if not crowd-pleasing
performance, the judges scored the bout unanimously in favor
of the undefeated Machida.
Machida,
talking about Ortiz’s submission attempt, later said, “It
was a big surprise to me. I was thinking, I’m gonna die,
but I’m not gonna tap.” He was, however, pleased with
the outcome. “I’m very happy with this fight. Tito
is a tough guy and a legend of fighting for the UFC.”
Oritz
returned Machida’s respect, saying, “He’s very
elusive and it was tough to chase him down. He’s a great
fighter.”
As
for his future with, or without, the UFC, Ortiz was not as adamant
that he would not return to the Octagon as he was prior to the
fight. “I haven’t decided at all,” he replied
when asked about his future with the only organization that he
has ever called home.
The
much-publicized animosity between Ortiz, White and the UFC continued
later in the night, when Ortiz was being told by UFC staff that
he was not allowed to partake in the post-fight press conference.
After much ado about his participation, Ortiz was allowed to
remain before the media, though he was not allowed to be approached
outside of the official question and answer period, a restriction
not placed on the other fighters in attendance.
In
the evening’s swing bout, debuting Croatian fighter Goran
Reljic had to go deep into the second round of a hard-fought
battle, but he caught American Top Team fighter Wilson Gouveia
with a right hook and followed him down to finish him off with
strikes for the victory. It was one of many successful Octagon
debuts on Saturday night and earned the two combatants “Fight
of the Night” honors and bonus checks.
An
unknown in the Octagon, Antonio Mendes made an immediate statement,
sending undefeated light heavyweight Thiago Silva crashing to
the canvas… the result of a crushing left kick to the head.
Silva, however, regained his composure, worked the fight to the
mat and did what Mendes couldn’t, finish the fight. Landing
several unanswered, punishing blows, Silva kept his undefeated
streak intact at 13 straight victories.
Rousimar
Palhares… remember that name. He stepped into his first
bout in the Octagon with one of the better grapplers in the world
in Ivan Salaverry. Not only did he defeat Salaverry, but did
so in stunning fashion. He took Salaverry down, immediately starting
to work for a rear naked choke. Salaverry nearly sat up out of
the choke at one point, but Palhares pulled him back and smoothly
transitioned to a fight finishing armbar at 2:36 of round one.
The
armbar earned Palhares “Submission of the Night” and
his own check for $75,000.
After
a disappointing performance against Lyoto Machida his last time
out, Sokoudjou redeemed himself at UFC 84. He opened the bout
with strong leg kicks and knees, but Kazuhiro Nakamura earned
his way back into the fight midway through the round, landing
a flying knee and overhand right. The bout seemed to stall out
after that, but just as the round was closing out, Sokoudjou
stunned Nakamura with an overhand right and followed with a couple
hard punches to the on the mat as the bell sounded.
Nakamura
was unable to continue and the bout was waved off in between
rounds, putting Sokoudjou back on the winning track.
As
he exited the ring, Sokoudjou left the crowd with, “Just
one thing… Shogun!”
Rich
Clementi, returning to the Octagon just one month after his last
bout, used his takedowns and controlling ground and pound game
to neutralize Terry Etim’s considerable Muay Thai skills,
scoring a unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout
29-28 for Clementi.
Yoshiyuki
Yoshida was the third debuter in as many of the night’s
opening bouts, and exactly like the first two, he came out victorious.
Working from the clinch, he executed a judo throw and quickly
secured an Anaconda choke, finishing the fight at the 56-second
mark of the bout.
One
word, domination, best describes Spirit MC champion Dong-Hyun
Kim’s UFC debut. He continually put his opponent, Jason
Tan, on his back and brutalized him with an attack of punches
and forearms from various positions through the first two rounds.
As the third round opened, Kim executed a high judo throw and
immediately finished Tan off with strikes.
“I
have a lot of confidence in my abilities and I think I match
up very well with the welterweights in the UFC,” said Kim
following the bout.
Denver
fighter Shane Carwin opened the night’s fights with a bang…
literally. Electing to immediately trade blows with American
Kickboxing Academy’s Christian Wellisch, Carwin connected
early with a hard right cross that sent Wellisch to the mat,
finishing him off with strikes just 25 seconds into the opening
round.
UFC 84
RESULTS AND LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY
LAS VEGAS – MMAWeekly.com is on location at the MGM Grand
for Saturday’s UFC 84 showdown between lightweight champion
B.J. Penn and former champion Sean Sherk. We’ll be bringing
you all of the action as it happens with live results and play-by-play
of each round.
The
first preliminary bout is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET
/ 4:30 p.m. PT. The main card, available on pay-per-view, goes
live at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT.
Be
sure to refresh your browser frequently for the latest results
and play-by-play…
-Preliminary
Bouts:
Shane
Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch
R1 - Carwin comes out aggressive with strikes early on, landing
punches, eventually dropping Wellisch with a right cross that
puts him on the canvas. Carwin follows up with strikes on the
ground, forcing the stoppage in the first session
Shane
Carwin def. Christian Wellisch by TKO (Strikes on the ground)
at :44 seconds, R1
Dong-Hyun
Kim vs. Jason Tan
R1 - Tan trying for single leg to get Kim to the ground, but
Kim sprawls effectively and eventually reverses position and
gets on top where he begins to ground and pound Tan. Kim unleashes
a vicious attack with elbows, forearm strikes and punches to
close out the round
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-8 for Dong-Hyun Kim
R2
- Second round starts much like the first with Tan going for
takedowns on Kim, who defends well to avoid the ground. Kim is
able to land a nice Judo throw to put Tan down instead and he
again starts a solid ground and pound attack throughout the round.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 for Dong-Hyun Kim
R3
- Kim begins the round with a high Judo throw putting Tan down
on the mat again, but this time he lands perfectly on top of
his opponent where he unleashes another barrage of strikes that
forces a stop to the fight.
Dong-Hyun
Kim def. Jason Tan by TKO (Strikes on the ground) at :25 seconds,
R3
Yoshiyuki
Yoshida vs. Jon Koppenhaver
R1 - Yoshida and Koppenhaver clinch almost immediately to open
the fight. Yoshida lands a nice Judo throw to put Koppenhaver
down, landing in side control. The two fighters scramble and
Yoshida manages to lock on an Anaconda choke. Koppenhaver fights
to get out, but is unable to reverse the hold and taps out to
the choke.
Yoshiyuki
Yoshida def. Jon Koppenhaver by submission (Anaconda choke) at
0:56, R1
Terry
Etim vs. Rich Clementi
R1 - Etim controls Clementi with strong muay thai attack, landing
good jabs and kicks in the round. Clementi is able to get Etim
to the ground a few minutes in, but he can't take advantage of
the position. Back on their feet, Etim starts to take over with
good punches, knees and kicks, dropping Clementi at one point.
The round ends with the fighters clinching.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 for Terry Etim
R2
- Clementi gets the takedown early, but he is caught in a guillotine
choke from Etim. He manages to battle his way out, into side
control where he ground and pounds Etim, but the action is lacking
and the fight is stood up. Clementi shoots in again, caught in
another guillotine choke, but again he perseveres and moves to
ground and pound Etim for the remainder of the round.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 for Rich Clementi
R3
- Clementi takes Etim down early and works a ground and pound
attack on his opponent for about half the round. Eventually,
the referee stands the fight back up and after a brief exchange,
Clementi takes the fight back to the ground where he closes the
round with more ground and pound
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 for Rich Clementi
Rich
Clementi def. Terry Etim by unanimous decision (29-28 on all
3 judges' cards) R3
Rameau
Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
R1- Sokoudjou starts off aggressive landing kicks and knees to
Nakamura's body. To counteract the attack, Nakamura throws a
nice flying knee and overhand right combo that puts Sokoudjou
on the defensive. Towards the end of the round, Sokoudjou lands
a nice right cross that puts Nakamura on the ground and he follows
up with strikes on the ground as the round ends. Between rounds
the referee calls off the fight, declaring Sokoudjou the winner
Rameau
Thierry Sokoudjou def. Kazuhiro Nakamura by TKO (referee's stoppage
between rounds) at 5:00, R1
Rousimar
Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry
R1 - Palhares takes Salaverry down early on and moves into side
control. After a scramble on the ground, Palhares takes Salaverry's
back and tries to lock on a rear naked choke. Salaverry survives,
sits up and almost escapes, but Palhares pulls him back down
transitioning from the back position to lock on an armbar that
finishes the fight.
Rousimar
Palhares def. Ivan Salaverry by submission (armbar) at 2:36,
R1
Thiago
Silva vs. Antonio Mendes
R1 - Mendes comes out firing and lands a big head kick that puts
Silva down, but he recovers quickly. Mendes lands another shot
that puts Silva down, but on the ground, Silva survives and eventually
moves back to the feet. Mendes tries for a judo throw but slips
and Silva ends up on top, moves to mound and starts to punch
and elbow. Mendes tries to move out, but Silva unleashes a barrage
of punches forcing the tap out.
Thiago
Silva def. Antonio Mendes by TKO (Strikes on the ground) at 2:24,
R1
Donald
Trump arrives ringside prior to the fight between Ortiz and Machida
Tito
Ortiz vs. Lyoto Machida
R1 - Ortiz and Machida stay standing for the majority of the
round, with Machida landing a few leg kicks and switch kicks,
while Tito stays aggressive but cannot land a takedown. At the
end of the round, Machida lands a nice throw to put Tito on his
back and starts a ground and pound attack as the round ends.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 for Lyoto Machida
R2
- Slow moving round as Tito stays aggressive trying to pursue
Machida, and Lyoto stays away pop shotting the former champion
throughout the round. Tito shoots in late in the round and as
Machida sprawls, Ortiz actually pulls guard, but Machida stands
back up. Ortiz obviously frustrated motions at Machida to fight
and the round ends.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 for Lyoto Machida
R3-
Ortiz stays aggressive and works into the clinch with Machida,
trying again to take him down, but is unable to finish. Ortiz
is able to land some good strikes from the clinch. As the fighters
are separated, Machida lands a heavy knee to the body, putting
Ortiz down where he lands in the guard of the former champ. Tito
transitions to a triangle choke and then to an armbar, but Machida
escapes.
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 for Lyoto Machida
Lyoto
Machida def. Tito Ortiz by unanimous decision (30-27 on all judges'
scorecards) R3
Wilson
Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic
R1 - Reljic starts the fight throwing some very hard high kicks,
but Gouveia blocks effectively. The fighters exchange throughout
the round with Gouveia landing the better punches, while Reljic
throws devastating kicks in the round. Towards the end of the
session, Gouveia hurts Reljic with punches and as he pursues
him, Reljic pulls a jumping guard to close the round. Close round
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 for Goran Reljic
R2
- Gouveia with a strong start to the round, putting Reljic down
early with a big strike. Gouveia follows up with some vicious
ground and pound, but the Croatian survives pulling guard and
standing back up. Exchanging back on the feet, Reljic lands a
heavy left hand that hits Gouveia straight on the temple, sending
him crashing to the mat. Reljic follows up with strikes on the
ground before Herb Dean stops the fight.
Goran
Reljic def. Wilson Gouveia by TKO (Strikes on the ground) at
3:15, R2
Wanderlei
Silva vs. Keith Jardine
R1 - Silva comes out aggressive as he and Jardine exchange. Silva
gets on the inside of Jardine and lands a big shot putting Jardine
down. Silva takes over with punches on the ground, knocking Jardine
unconscious.
Wanderlei
Silva def. Keith Jardine by KO (Strikes on the ground) at :36
seconds, R1
B.J.
Penn vs. Sean Sherk
R1 - Sherk shoots in early for a single leg takedown but Penn
sprawls effectively and the fighters stay standing. Penn and
Sherk exchange strikes throughout the remainder of the round,
with B.J. landing very good jabs, in and out, while Sherk throws
big power shots but landing few.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 for B.J. Penn
R2
- The fighters stay standing through the entire round, with much
of the same from the first session, with Penn landing jabs over
and over again. Sherk continuously throws overhand left hands,
but few are landing while Penn keeps popping Sherk in the face
with stiff jabs.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 for B.J. Penn
R3
- For the third round in a row the fighters remain standing for
the entire session. Penn again lands a number of hard jabs, and
it appears that Sherk may have an injured right hand, as they
keep trading. Towards the end of the round, Penn throws a flying
knee that floors Sean Sherk and B.J. follows up with strikes
on the ground as the round ends. The referee calls the fight
as Sherk stays down on the mat, struggling to gain his compusure
B.J.
Penn def. Sean Sherk by TKO (referee's stoppage) at 5:00, R3
-B.J.
Penn def. Sean Sherk by TKO (Unable to Continue) at 5:00, R3
-Wanderlei Silva def. Keith Jardine by TKO (Strikes) at 0:36,
R1
-Goran Reljic def. Wilson Gouveia by TKO (Strikes) at 3:15, R2
-Thiago Silva def. Antonio Mendes by Submission (Strikes) at
2:24, R1
-Rousimar Palhares def. Ivan Salaverry by Submission (Armbar)
at 2:36, R1
-Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou def. Kazuhiro Nakamura by TKO (Unable
to Continue) at 5:00, R1
-Rich Clementi def. Terry Etim by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Yoshiyuki Yoshida def. Jon Koppenhaver by Submission (Anaconda
Choke) at 0:56, R1
-Dong-Hyun Kim def. Jason Tan by TKO (Strikes) at 0:25, R3
-Shane Carwin def. Christian Wellisch by TKO (Strikes) at 0:44,
R1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
84 GARNERS $3.7 MILLION AT THE GATE
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, at the event’s
post-fight press conference, announced that UFC 84 in Las Vegas
garnered a $3.7 million gate, based on attendance of 14,773.
The
event was headlined by B.J. Penn’s successful title defense
against former champion Sean Sherk. Feature bouts included a
“Knockout of the Night” performance from Wanderlei
Silva against Keith Jardine and Lyoto Machida’s dominance
of Tito Ortiz in what may have been Ortiz’s final performance
in the Octagon.
Though
not the top grossing gate for mixed martial arts in Nevada, if
the numbers are accurate, UFC 84 would lodge itself as the fourth
highest grossing MMA event in the state.
UFC
83 in Montreal netted the promotion a gate of more than $5 million.
It was the UFC’s first foray into Canada. Hometown favorite
Georges St. Pierre headlined the event, successfully wresting
the welterweight championship back from Matt Serra.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
84 AWARDS NET FIGHTERS $75,000 BONUSES
Post fight bonuses were handed out following UFC 84 including
“Knockout of the Night” to Wanderlei Silva, “Submission
of the Night” to Rousimar Palhares and “Fight of the
Night” to Goran Reljic and Wilson Gouveia. Each fighter
will receive a bonus check of $75,000 for their efforts.
Wanderlei
Silva made short work of Top 10 fighter Keith Jardine. The “Axe
Murderer” caught his opponent early on in the fight with
his signature aggressive style. He quickly moved to the ground
and unloaded a barrage of strikes on Jardine, knocking him completely
unconscious to end the fight in less than one minute.
Jardine
was subsequently taken to the hospital for a mandatory CAT scan
due to being knocked out. No update on his status was available
at the time of publication, although his trainer, Greg Jackson,
told MMAWeekly.com that Jardine was “okay” and fully
alert before being taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Rousimar
Palhares made an impressive debut defeating UFC veteran Ivan
Salaverry by armbar in the first round of their match-up. After
taking Salaverry’s back for the first half of the fight,
Palhares transitioned to the armbar to finish the fight and pick
up the win.
Goran
Reljic and Wilson Gouveia put on an exciting bout, well deserving
of “Fight of the Night” as both dominated at different
points in the match-up.
Reljic
looked dangerous throwing high kicks throughout the fight, but
in the early part of the second round, he got caught with strikes
from Gouveia who tried to follow up and finish on the ground.
Reljic
survived and ended up catching Gouveia back on the feet, and
when he followed up on the ground, he left no doubt that he was
going to win the fight, punishing Gouveia until the action was
stopped.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CRUNKILTON
OUT; CERRONE GETS NEW WEC 34 FOE
Richard Crunkilton is out of his planned World Extreme Cagefighting
34 bout against Donald Cerrone. Crunkilton suffered an injury
that will keep him out of the June 1 fight at the Arco Arena
in Sacramento, Calif.
MMAWeekly.com
has learned from sources close to the organization that local
California fighter Danny Castillo will be tapped to replace Crunkilton.
Castillo is undefeated as a professional fighter, winning all
five of his bouts. He most recently competed at Cage Combat Fighting
Championships in May of this year.
Cerrone
is also undefeated as a professional fighter, winning seven bouts,
and having one “no contest” on his record. He tested
positive for a diuretic – a banned substance – following
his WEC debut against Kenneth Alexander in Las Vegas. He had
initially defeated Alexander, but was subsequently suspended
for eight months, fined $2,400, and had his win changed to a
no contest, due to the positive drug test result.
Following
his suspension, Cerrone told MMAWeekly.com, “I just want
to get past this and move on... get back to training and come
back stronger and better.”
In
more recent comments, he said, “I’m actually glad the
commission suspended me because it means they’re looking
out for us, trying to keep it safe. I mean, I’m not happy
that I got suspended, of course, but I’m glad they’re
looking out for us.
“It’s
allowed me time to work on my game. I’ve been training really
hard at (Greg) Jackson’s and I’m working with Duane
Ludwig, as well.”
WEC
34 is headline by the promotion’s featherweight champion,
Urijah Faber, defending his belt against former UFC lightweight
champion Jens Pulver. Newly crowned bantamweight champion Miguel
Torres will also make the first defense of his belt on the card
when he faces Yoshiro Maeda.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
84 Review: BJ Penn retains lightweight title
UFC 84: ill will came to us all live from the MGM Grand Arena
in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 23, 2008. On the docket were three
huge matches: Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida
vs. Tito Ortiz, and B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk. What else is there
to say?
Let’s
get it on!
First
on the docket was a match up between rising, undefeated star
Thiago Silva and Antonio Mendes. Before the fight, Silva said,
“every fight’s a war. I’m ready. I’m gonna
do what I have to do and I’m going to win.”
Things
started off quickly, as a high kick by Mendes, despite being
blocked by his opponent dropped Silva to the ground. Moments
later, the fight was back on the feet where Mendes executed some
nice clinch work before nailing Silva with a low kick that left
him on the canvas once again.
Soon
after, Mendes stepped out of his adversary’s guard and to
his feet again. From there, the two clinched up inside and Mendes
tried to hip throw Silva. However, the move didn’t work,
and instead Silva ended up taking Mendes down. Then Silva quickly
moved to mount where he unleashed a brutal assault of ground
and pound. Eventually, the onslaught was too much for Mendes
to bear and he tapped out due to strikes.
Thiago
Silva wins via submission (due to strikes) at 2:24 of round one.
Next
up was a huge match up between Tito Ortiz and Lyoto Machida.
“I think he (Ortiz) has the will and the desire to be successful,”
said UFC President Dana White before the fight. “(But) he
doesn’t have the will and desire to be the best fighter
in the world.” So would Dana White’s words prove prophetic
or would the Huntington Beach Bad Boy defeat Machida and catapult
his name back into light heavyweight division contender status?
The
majority of the first round saw Machida dance around the Octagon
and pepper his opponents with kicks while shirking Ortiz’s
takedown attempts. However, very near the end of the initial
stanza Ortiz came inside looking for a takedown and was then
thrown violently to the canvas by his opponent. Machida quickly
took side control, trapped Ortiz’s arm, and started a vicious
ground and pound assault until the bell tolled. Thus, the first
round clearly went to Machida.
The
second round saw Machida pepper his adversary with kicks and
punches. Though it was somewhat unexciting, and Ortiz complained
that Machida was running, the fighter from Brazil clearly won
the stanza.
The
final round saw Ortiz come out aggressive. In fact, at one point
early on the two clinched up and the Huntington Beach Bad Boy
landed some nice body punches. However, after a referee break
up, Machida nailed Ortiz with a very powerful flying knee to
the ribs that dropped him. From there, things got even more interesting.
Believe it or not, Ortiz actually secured a strong triangle that
he eventually transitioned to an armbar with. Though Machida
got out—barely—it was still a pretty awesome move.
In
this writer’s opinion, the final stanza went to Ortiz, but
the first two went to Machida. However, the judges saw things
in Machida’s favor even more obviously.
Lyoto
Machida wins via unanimous decision (30-27) on all cards.
Next
on the docket was a fight between UFC newcomer Goran Reljic and
Wilson Gouveia. “I’m just going to punch him in the
mouth and make him go back to Croatia,” said Gouveia beforehand.
The
first round was very close. For the majority of the stanza, Reljic
connected with hard high and body kicks that did some damage.
However, toward the end of the round Gouveia connected with a
flurry of punches that Reljic countered by purposefully pulling
guard. Give the round to Reljic, but don’t be surprised
if some went the other way with it.
The
second round started out much like the first did. However, early
on things changed as Gouveia caught his opponent with a hard
left hand that floored him. From there, a furious ground and
pound assault ensued. Still, somehow Reljic survived to push
Gouveia off of him with his legs and get to his feet.
Believe
it or not, things got even more interesting from there. Reljic
landed a huge left that dropped Gouveia. Then the ground and
pound started and it didn’t stop until the referee pulled
Reljic off.
Watch
out for Goran Reljic. He’s a force to be reckoned with,
and this was an excellent fight.
Goran
Reljic wins via TKO at 3:15 of round two.
The
next televised match saw Christian Wellisch take on Shane Carwin.
This one was fast. After some heavy leather being thrown that
missed, one of Carwin’s rights did not miss. And that was
all she wrote.
Shane
Carwin wins via TKO at 44 seconds of the very first round.
“Everytime
you come fight me I give my best. . . this time is the same,”
said Wanderlei Silva before stepping into the Octagon against
the always dangerous Keith Jardine. But would his best be good
enough to win?
The
answer? A resounding yes.
A
right- left- right combination dropped Jardine to the canvas
very early in the initial round. From there, Silva held Jardine’s
head down with one hand and pounded away with the other until
the referee pulled him off.
Wanderlei
Silva wins via knockout after 36 seconds in round one. Keith
Jardine was down for awhile; let’s hope that he’s okay.
The good thing is that he walked out on his own power.
Next
up was a match between Ivan Salaverry and up and comer Rousimar
Palhares. In sum, this was a showing of outstanding Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu by Palhares, who promptly took Salaverry down, mounted
him, and then took his back. From there, it was only a matter
of time before Palhares transitioned from rear naked choke attempts
to an armbar.
Rousimar
Palhares wins via armbar at 2:36 of round one.
“Huge
fight, huge fight. B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk—dream match
up. The best possible scenario for a hundred and fifty pounds,”
said Joe Rogan about the UFC Lightweight Championship bout coming
in. But dream match ups don’t always go down as one might
have thought.
The
first round saw Sherk go for only one takedown unsuccessfully.
On their feet, the two traded several shots but Penn’s were
a little more frequent and damaging. Thus, give the initial stanza
to the fighter from Hawaii.
The
second round was a complete stand up battle. On one hand, cuts
under Sherk’s eyes continued to bleed significantly. On
the other, Sherk landed a lot of punches in the round. The second
stanza was therefore very close. However, Sherk only went for
one takedown, which was very surprising. He’s not going
to win a striking battle with The Prodigy.
The
third stanza saw Sherk once again not go for any takedowns. In
fact, Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan seemed to pick up on a possible
right hand injury sustained by Sean Sherk. Regardless, toward
the end of the round a right uppercut by Penn was followed by
a hard flying knee floored The Muscle Shark. From there, the
ground and pound was unmerciful. Though the bell initially looked
like it saved Sherk, the referee was forced to stop the fight
inbetween rounds. There was no doubt whom the winner was here.
B.J.
Penn wins via TKO after round three.
In
sum, UFC 84: ill will was an awesome night of fights. Wanderlei
Silva showed he was back with a great performance. B.J. Penn
showed that he is in fact The Prodigy by stopping the man that
many believe is the only one in the lightweight division that
had a shot at him. Finally, Lyoto Machida once again proved that
he is a great technician in the Octagon. Goodbye to Tito Ortiz
if in fact his Octagon days are over.
And
see you next time.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
List
of entrance songs played at UFC 84: Ill Will
The following is a list of songs that fighters walked out to
at UFC 84: Ill Will.
Fighter
Song Artist
BJ Penn Hawai'i '78 Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole
Sean Sherk Wait Earshot
Wanderlei Silva Sandstorm Darude
Lyoto Machida Rockstar (Jason Nevins Remix Edit) N.E.R.D.
Tito Ortiz Fight The Power Public Enemy
Wilson Gouveia Speedin' Rick Ross Feat R. Kelly.
Goran Reljic On The Eve of War Jedi Mind Tricks
Jason Tan Start Me Up Rolling Stones
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Countdown
to UFC 84 Rating: What Does It Mean for the Buy Rate?
MMAPayout.com
has learned that Countdown to UFC 84 drew a 0.5 rating (639,000
viewers) on Spike last night. The demographic breakouts were
0.80 in M18-34 and 0.53 in M18-49.
The
number of viewers is off about 18% from Countdown to UFC 83.
In the past there has been some correlation between Countdown
viewers and pay-per-view buys. Engaging in some highly speculative
envelop match, if that 18% decline held up proportionately in
the buy rate, UFC 84 would be expected to come in around 430,500
buys.
At
first glance that number seems a little low, but when you look
at the difference between a big show (600,000+ buys) and an average
show (400,000) it's the casual fan. And of the six fighters featured,
Tito Ortiz is the only one those fans see as a star and you can
make the case that his star is fading.
When
you start making comparisons, this show looks a lot like UFC
73 from last July. That event was tagged Stacked and featured
two title fights and Tito v. Rashad Evans. It did 425,000 buys.
However, in my mind Penn v. Sherk is a bigger match than either
of the title matches on that card were and the company seems
to be hotter on pay-per-view now than then.
The
benefits of the Countdown shows to the UFC is well documented,
but the shows also "spike" ratings. Verses that time
slot last year, Countdown to UFC 84 was up 26% in M18-49, 15%
in P18-49, and 95% in M18-34.
Source: MMA Payout
|
Does
the UFC disrespect Ortiz? Tito makes his argument...
Sherdog.com's
Greg Savage sat down with Tito Ortiz for an interview that has
some great insight into the mindset of Ortiz as he steps into
the Octagon for his last fight for the UFC this weekend against
Lyoto Machida. Savage asked Ortiz during the interview to tell
the camera a few good things that Dana White has done for him
and the sport in the past. The answers were very interesting
and should give fans a look at what the beef is between Ortiz
and the UFC.
Ortiz
talks about Dana White's tenacity as a manager and as a businessman
and how the two occupations differed in many ways. He stated
that he loved having White on his side when negotiating contracts,
but he became a monster once he took over the UFC with the Fertitta's.
He mentions the evidence of Dana White's obsession with becoming
a superstar. Namely, he talked about Dana White being focused
on heavily in the Ultimate Fighter reality series.
One
of the more intriguing ideas Ortiz threw around were once again
the figures. He talked about the million dollar deals that the
UFC has been pushing, and the fighters aren't seeing any of the
benefits. He named off the SpikeTV $100 million dollar deal as
a basis for one of his arguments.
The
lowdown
Ortiz
actually makes some solid points. Although his numbers aren't
accurate, the machine that is the UFC remains the biggest money
making venture in MMA today. In fact, they make much more than
any other promotion in the game right now. With many of the North
American promotions failing, the UFC stands to make even more
money through sponsorships, events, and exploring new markets.
Add in the fact that MMA is pushing to be sanctioned in new states,
the UFC could make a killing in some of the larger markets such
as New York City.
So,
does Tito have a point? Should the fighters be making more money?
Of course they should! Although the pay has steadily increased
a bit, the UFC still makes much more than the total fight purses
at each event. The one underlying factor that we don't know is
the percentage of cuts they must give to PPV providers, PPV revenue
agreements in contracts to fighters, and production costs.
Has
the UFC shit all over Tito Ortiz? In my mind, it's hard to really
say without accurate numbers, but Tito Ortiz did manage to help
make the UFC relevant throughout it's infancy. The problem for
Ortiz is that today is what gets you the big money, and today...
he isn't the world championship caliber fighter that he once
was. A big win for Ortiz on Saturday could very well put him
back into that class though, so this could be a do-or-die fight
for his career to take back off again.
Source: MMA Analyst
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in
a different way."
Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955, American Author and Achievement Expert
|
MAN
UP AND STAND UP today!
KICKBOXING
FILCOM
CENTER
SATURDAY MORNING
8:15 AM
IF UNDER 18 PARENT MUST ATTEND.
MAN UP AND STAND
UP EVENT
SUNDAY MAY 25
FILCOM CENTER
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
ATISANOE ATISANOE 300+ SHELTON MAAVE
SEAN ORTIZ 120 KANALOA COOKE
KELII KAMALU 140 CLEM HALLOWAY
DENNIS CABAHIT 145 DERRICK KAWALO
MAKI PITOLO 200 KALAI IRVINE
DALLAS 200+ BRANDON NALEEHA
ROYAL LONO 205 DAVID VARQUEZ
RICHARD HIT TOO HARD BARNARD 152 MIKE BALASI
JAMES PERGANON 135 ALA
IKAIKA SILVA 195 KIMO
DESMOND TALUB 165 RYAN DESOTO (THE PHARMACIST)
JON MENDONSA 150 COLIN INTENSITY MCKENZIE
FERDINAND RAMIREZ 155 CHAD VALENTINE
JAY WESTBROOK 250+ OTTO HOOPII
DENNIS MONTERA 110 JUSTIN KAHALEWAI
SAI CRAWFORD 75 ELYJAH BADUA
DALE KAMAI 170 TODD YOUNG
BOOKIE 155 ROBERT MAYES
ANDREW 130 RUSTY RIVERA
MIKE MCNAAB 190 PHILIP AKUI
all matches & participants are subject to change
Source: Derrick Bright
|
UFC
84: Ill Will Results!
BJ Penn is the Undisputed Lightweight Champ!
MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
May 24, 2008
1.
Shane Carwin def. Christian Wellisch via KO - R1 (0:44)
2. Dong-Hyun Kim def. Jason Tan via TKO (strikes) - R3 (0:25)
3. Yoshiyuki Yoshida def. Jon Koppenhaver via submission (anaconda
choke) - R1 (0:56)
4. Rich Clementi def. Terry Etim via unanimous decision
5. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou def. Kazuhiro Nakamura via TKO (ref
stoppage) - R1 (5:00)
6. Rousimar Palhares def. Ivan Salaverry via submission (armbar)
- R1 (2:36)
7. Thiago Silva def. Antonio Mendes via submission (strikes)
- R1 (2:24)
8. Lyoto Machida def. Tito Ortiz via unanimous decision
9. Goran Reljic def. Wilson Gouveia via TKO (strikes) - R2 (3:15)
10. Wanderlei Silva def. Keith Jardine via KO - R1 (0:36)
11. B.J.
Penn def.
Sean Sherk via TKO (strikes) - R3 (5:00)
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Matt
Lindland wins Republican nod for District 52 seat
Matt Lindland was victorious in the Oregon primary elections
Wednesday to earn the Republican nomination for the vacated Oregon
State Representative seat in District 52.
Lindland,
a middleweight for the Affliction promotion and an Olympic Silver
Medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling in 2000, defeated Phyllis Thiemann
by accumulating 59 percent of the votes. According to the Portland
Channel 2 news, Lindland received 2,917 votes, 860 more than
Thiemann's 2,057 votes.
Lindland,
38, is running for the seat because he has become "increasingly
concerned about the depressed business climate of [Oregon]"
and believes the actions of the government are stifling the economy
and hindering job creation.
"It
is obvious to me that politicians in Salem are growing more and
more out of touch with everyday working people and seem to see
us more as their ATM than the citizens they were elected to serve,"
Lindland said.
Lindland
will challenge Democrat Suzanne VanOrman in the general election
in November. Until then, Lindland (20-5) will take on Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Fabio Negao (8-3) on pay-per-view at Affliction:
Banned at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on July 19.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
COLEMAN
OUT, GSP VS. FITCH TO HEADLINE UFC 87
by Ken Pishna
The
injury bug continues to plague the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The promotion on Thursday, just two days prior to its marquee
bout between B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk at UFC 84, announced that
Mark Coleman has a knee injury that forces him out of the main
event of UFC 87 on Aug. 9. He was scheduled to face Brock Lesnar.
The
UFC acted quickly signing a title bout between current welterweight
champion Georges St. Pierre and No. 1 contender Jon Fitch. That
fight will now headline UFC 87 at the Target Center in Minneapolis,
Minn.
“He’s
a very, very tough guy,” said St. Pierre of Fitch on UFC.com.
“I’m gonna have to train hard and be very well prepared
because he may be my toughest fight yet.”
“The
whole goal is to get the belt and be in the position where guys
can’t duck me, run away, or say they don’t want to
fight me,” said Fitch, also on the promotion’s web
site. “If I have the belt, there’s no excuse, and if
you say you’re the best, then we’re gonna fight. This
is gonna be a tough fight, but I’m gonna make sure I’m
sharp that night, and wherever the fight needs to go, that’s
fine with me.”
Another
feature bout of UFC 87 is a battle between lightweight contenders
Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta, which UFC president Dana White
inferred is a de facto elimination bout for a title shot against
the winner of this Saturday’s bout between Penn and Sherk.
“I
think the winner (between Penn and Sherk)... there's another
fight between Roger Huerta and Kenny Florian, I think the winner
of that fight will fight the winner of this fight,” stated
White.
In
announcing Coleman’s withdrawal from the bout, the UFC confirmed
that Brock Lesnar is still expected to fight at UFC 87 and that
a new opponent is yet to be determined.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Fox
Sports Net to air Affliction undercard
Fox Sports Net will air the undercard of Affliction's "Banned"
pay-per-view event on Saturday, July 19.
The
one hour special will air live at 8:00pm ET to precede the pay-per-view
event ($39.95) at 9:00pm ET.
Headlining
the main event of the undercard will be a heavyweight bout between
Aleksander Emelianenko, the younger brother of Fedor, taking
on Paul Buentello. The two other bouts scheduled for the FSN
broadcast are Brett Cooper vs. Mike Pyle, and JJ Ambrose vs.
Patrick Speight.
Affliction:
Banned
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Honda Center in Anaheim, CA
Pay-Per-View:
265
lbs. | Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
265 lbs. | Ben Rothwell vs. TBA
265 lbs. | Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
185 lbs. | Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Nascimento
205 lbs. | Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Fox
Sports Net:
265
lbs. | Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Paul Buentello
170 lbs. | Brett Cooper vs. Mike Pyle
170 lbs. | JJ Ambrose vs. Patrick Speight
Source: MMA Fighting
|
SMITH-YOSHIDA
SIGNED FOR SENGOKU III
Former
UFC heavyweight champion Maurice Smith will lock horns with 1992
Olympic gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida at World Victory Road:
Sengoku III on Sunday, June 8 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama,
Japan. Representatives from WVR announced the heavyweight tilt
on Tuesday.
Smith
(12-12), who turns 47 in December, last appeared in February,
when he submitted fellow kickboxing aficionado Ric Roufus in
less than two minutes at a Strikeforce event in Tacoma, Wash.
He has rattled off two consecutive victories since he returned
from what was nearly a seven-year-long hiatus in 2007. Smith
owns notable wins against Marco Ruas (twice), David “Tank”
Abbott and UFC Hall-of-Famer Mark Coleman.
The
37-year-old Yoshida (7-6-1), meanwhile, will enter the match
on a three-fight losing streak. He submitted to a Josh Barnett
heel hook at World Victory Road’s inaugural event in March.
Wins against Don Frye and Mark Hunt highlight his resume; he
twice fought Wanderlei Silva to a decision, losing both.
World
Victory Road: Sengoku III
Sunday, June 8
Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
Maurice
Smith vs. Hidehiko Yoshida
Nick Thompson vs. Michael Costa
Kazuo Misaki vs. Logan Clark
Marcio Cruz vs. Mu Bae Choi
Travis Wiuff vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
Source:
The Fight Network
|
Minotouro
to Affliction
Opponent yet to be defined
The
big guys of fightwear and most recently MMA promotion, Affliction,
seem to really want to make a big impact in their maiden event,
in California. The July 19 card that is already considered one
of the best of all times, yesterday, at a press conference, received
one more reinforcement, and in the days to come there could be
yet another.
The
most recent to be signed is Rogerio Minotouro, who had a contract
with the Canadian HCF, which just closed its doors. It was not
clear whether Minotouro would fight at this event, and no adversary
was defined for the Brazilian. The other beast who may join the
list of stars already confirmed is Andrei Arlovski, former UFC
heavyweight champion, who, if signed, will face former IFL fighter
Ben Rothwell.
It
was also announced that a partnership has been formed with Fox
Sports Network, which will broadcast the first hour of the show
live, showing the preliminary card, with such fights as Aleksander
Emelianenko against Paul Buentello. Afflictioin put together
a major spectacle, giving MMA fans hopes of seeing great fights
elsewhere beside the UFC.
It’s
worth noting that the following are guaranteed: Fedor Emelianenko,
Tim Sylvia, Aleksander Emelianenko, Ben Rothwell, Paul Buentello,
Josh Barnett, Pedro Rizzo, Matt Lindland, Fabio Negao, Renato
Babalu, Mike Whitehead among others.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Leo
Leite back at JJ Worlds
Brazilian Olympic judo athlete to fight in California
Bronze
medalist at the last judo Pan-American, which took place at the
beginning of the month, and backup medium heayweight fighter
for Brazilian Olympic judo, black belt Leo Leite is getting ready
to put his ippons aside. The Carioca intends to get back to his
roots in the Jiu-Jitsu worlds, and event he knows well.
Leo
was world champion in 1999, in the super heavyweight category,
beating Ze Mario Sperry in a memorable final. Even though he’s
returning to the Worlds as a favorite to win among the ultra
heavyweights, he has not fought in the gentle art since the Luta
Casada event, which took place at the beginning of 2007. “I
know I’m a little behind the guys who train just Jiu-Jitsu,
but I’m making up for it by training double, twice or three
times a day. I have to adjust some fight reflexes, timing of
positions and some habits that are different between judo and
Jiu-Jitsu,” he admitted.
The
athlete has been dedicating himself these last two months to
ground-specific training, since he considers his chances of going
to the Olympics to be slim. “I’m a reserve in my weight
group in the Olympic team, and as they will take the junior team
instead of the B team, I’ll only go to Peking if the starter
gets injured,” said the judoka.
At
30, the Alliance representative doesn’t want to hear about
a master category, and believes he’s still a boy with a
lot of fire left. “I just turned 30 and think I’m at
my best. At the last judo world cup, a guy in the stands turned
to my brother and asked: “That guy’s still fighting??”
I couldn’t believe it, I was only 28! (laughs). As a master
I won’t go. No way. I have lots of plans still, including
fighting MMA. But not now,” Leo revealed.
As
for all the tough guys he may encounter at the Worlds, from the
5th to 8th of June in California, the black belt had an answer
on the tip of his tongue: “There’s Bruno Paulista,
Luiz Big Mac, who I’ve already fought, Cavaca, who trains
with me, and Braga Neto and Rafael Lovato, if they go in as ultra
heavyweights. It’ll be cool. Aah, and after the Worlds I’ll
continue training ground, since it’s good for judo.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"It
is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn't."
Martin Van Buren, 1782-1862, 8th President of the United States
|
UFC
84: Ill Will Today!
MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
May 24, 2008
Hawaii
Air Time 4:00PM
Channel 701
Preview on Spike 3:00PM
Channel 559
B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk
Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz,
Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine
Wilson
Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic
Antonio
Mendes vs. Thiago Silva
Rameau
Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Jon
Koppenhaver vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Yoshiyuki
Yoshida wins via submission.
Rousimar
Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry
Dong-Hyun
Kim vs. Jason Tan
Terry
Etim vs. Rich Clementi
Shane
Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch
|
Chris
Leben released
from jail
UFC middleweight Chris Leben was released over the weekend from
Clackamas County Jail in Oregon City, Oregon after serving a
partial sentence for breaking his probation.
MMAFighting.com
has learned that Leben has been reassigned to home confinement
and will technically be under custody until he finishes his sentence
on May 23.
"The
Ultimate Fighter" season one star was sentenced on May 8
to 35 days in jail for violating his probation stemming from
a Driving under the influence arrest in 2005.
Leben,
who now resides in Hawaii, turned himself in
to authorities on April 30 in order to remove an old warrant
and obtain a VISA for his scheduled June 7 fight versus Michael
Bisping at UFC 85 in London. Leben was replaced by Jason Day
when the UFC concluded that the jail sentence would not allow
Leben a sufficient amount of time to train for the fight.
T.
Jay Thompson,
who hired Leben as the lead instructor at the Icon Sport MMA
and Fitness Gym, called this a learning experience for Leben
when news came out of the arrest.
"Chris
has worked hard the past year to grow both physically, mentally
and spiritually. The actions he took to make this fight happen
in London show this growth. Chris would like everyone to know
he accepts responsibility for his past actions and will face
the consequences and continue forward on his journey."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
MAN
UP AND STAND UP Weigh-ins
today!
KICKBOXING
FILCOM
CENTER
SATURDAY MORNING
8:15 AM
IF UNDER 18 PARENT MUST ATTEND.
MAN UP AND STAND
UP EVENT
SUNDAY MAY 25
FILCOM CENTER
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
ATISANOE ATISANOE 300+ SHELTON MAAVE
SEAN ORTIZ 120 KANALOA COOKE
KELII KAMALU 140 CLEM HALLOWAY
DENNIS CABAHIT 145 DERRICK KAWALO
MAKI PITOLO 200 KALAI IRVINE
DALLAS 200+ BRANDON NALEEHA
ROYAL LONO 205 DAVID VARQUEZ
RICHARD HIT TOO HARD BARNARD 152 MIKE BALASI
JAMES PERGANON 135 ALA
IKAIKA SILVA 195 KIMO
DESMOND TALUB 165 RYAN DESOTO (THE PHARMACIST)
JON MENDONSA 150 COLIN INTENSITY MCKENZIE
FERDINAND RAMIREZ 155 CHAD VALENTINE
JAY WESTBROOK 250+ OTTO HOOPII
DENNIS MONTERA 110 JUSTIN KAHALEWAI
SAI CRAWFORD 75 ELYJAH BADUA
DALE KAMAI 170 TODD YOUNG
BOOKIE 155 ROBERT MAYES
ANDREW 130 RUSTY RIVERA
MIKE MCNAAB 190 PHILIP AKUI
all matches & participants are subject to change
Source: Derrick Bright
|
Kimbo
Slice on the cover of ESPN The Magazine
EliteXC heavyweight Kimbo Slice graces the cover of the current
issue of ESPN The Magazine, which hits newstands today, May 21.
Slice
was photographed late last month at Bas Rutten's Elite MMA gym
in Thousand Oaks, California. The cover story, written by Dan
Le Batard, is titled "Not Quite What You Were Thinking"
and is available here.
Former
UFC light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell is the only other
mixed martial artist to receive the frontpage treatment on ESPN
The Magazine.
Slice
will headline EliteXC's debut on national television on May 31
when "Primetime" hits CBS from the Prudential Center
in Newark, New Jersey. Slice's opponent is PRIDE veteran James
Thompson.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
EUROPEAN
ROUND-UP
News and Notes from the Old Continent
By Stash Capar
It
seems former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder
Fedor Emelianenko will not receive the $2 million for which he
had reportedly asked when he takes on Tim Sylvia at Affliction:
Banned on Saturday, July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Affliction vice president Tom Atencio dispelled rumours surrounding
Emelianenko’s contract – specifically the $2 million
asking price – on a recent installment of HDNet’s “Inside
MMA.”
“Emelianenko
is being paid a considerable amount of money,” Atencio said,
“but it’s not what everybody says.”
The
Russian earned at least $500,000 for his bout with South Korean
giant Hong Man Choi in Japan last December, according to a source
close to Emelianenko’s management. His celebrity status
in Russia and Japan also created additional revenue streams from
sponsorships and other bonuses.
Earlier
this year, Emelianenko (27-1) was reportedly offered a four-fight,
seven-figure deal from EliteXC, which would have put his base
salary between $300,000 and $500,000 per fight. Those numbers
would not have included sponsorships and pay-per-view bonuses.
A pitch from the UFC (rumoured at $1 million per fight) was even
more lucrative, according to Emelianenko’s manager, Vadim
Finkelstein. However, the two sides could not come to terms on
logistics and parted ways.
Still
regarded by many as the top pound-for-pound mixed martial artist
in the world, Emelianenko (27-1) has reeled off 24 consecutive
victories since suffering his only defeat in December 2000. The
31-year-old owns a pair of wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
and has also defeated reigning three-time K-1 World Grand Prix
champion Semmy Schilt, Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland
and one-time UFC heavyweight titleholders Kevin Randleman and
Mark Coleman. Nineteen of his 27 career victories have come inside
one round.
Source:
The Fight Network
|
WANDERLEI
EXPECTS UFC 84 FIGHT OF THE NIGHT KO
by Jeff Cain
Go
to MMA Weekly to see FREE VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH WANDERLEI SILVA,
SEAN SHERK, AND KEITH JARDINE
When
Wanderlei Silva steps into the Octagon on Saturday night at UFC
84 against Keith Jardine, it will mark the first time in his
decorated, 40-fight mixed martial arts career that he will be
coming off of three losses in-a-row. He not only predicts a win,
but the former Pride middleweight champion also thinks his fight
with Jardine will be Fight of the Night.
Silva
returned to the Octagon at UFC 79 against Chuck Liddell after
spending seven years competing in Japan. Before the bout with
Liddell, his last match in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
was in 2000 at UFC 25 where he lost a hard-fought decision to
Tito Ortiz.
Asked
about his return to the UFC, Silva said, "It was a great
opportunity for me. Dana White talked to me. He gave me a good
opponent for me. He has good fighters. He gave me, first, Chuck
(Liddell), who is the best name here. And second they give me
Jardine, who is a good guy. He likes to give a show for the fans
too."
Discussing
the sharp contrast in audience response between competing in
Japan and fighting in the U.S., Silva stated, "Fighting
here is much different than fighting in Japan because in Japan
the people are much quieter. Here, the fans give you too much
energy, too much crowd. I love it. I love the emotion."
Silva
sees the bout with Jardine as not only an opportunity to compete
against top competition, but also a path back to fighting for
a title. "He's a very tough guy. He's got good kicks, good
punches. He's good on the ground. He's strong and has good heart.
He's a good opponent. It's great to fight him because it's possible
that I fight with the best names in the world," the Brazilian
born fighter told MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio. "He's a great
fighter. It's a very, very good opportunity for me to come back
and to come back and fight for the title in the future."
Silva
admitted to not knowing much about Jardine before sitting in
attendance for UFC 76 and witnessing the Greg Jackson-trained
fighter upset Chuck Liddell by decision. "I had never seen
his fights before, only his fight with Chuck," said Silva.
"Now I've studied his game and looked at his fights. He
has a good style. He's a very good striker, and I know he and
I are going to give the best show of the night. When it comes
to fighting, I not only want to win, I want to give, and now
it's better because of the bonuses, fight of the night. I know
we're going to put on the best fight of the night.
"He's
a very dangerous guy and his kicks are very good. It's a great
match, a very, very interesting fight. It makes for an interesting
fight."
Silva
expects to put on a memorable performance and finish Jardine.
"I'm going to give a good show. I'm going to give my best,
and I'm going to win," predicted the "Axe Murderer."
"I'm
going to knock him out.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Musical
chairs at UFC 85
James Irvin and Rashad Evans off card
UFC
85 just keeps running into problems. The event that some months
ago was propped up on the Chuck Liddell versus Mauricio Shogun
fight, is now completely disfigured. The first to drop out of
the show to take place on June 7 in London was Brazilian Shogun,
who was forced off by knee surgery.
After
suffering the knock, the UFC heads were quick and pulled up undefeated
Rashad Evans, who would fight Thiago Silva at UFC 84, to put
on a show worthy of main event against Chuck. Fate would attack
again and take the “Iceman” out of the cards due to
a muscle tear. James Irvin was called in to face the wrestler
Evans.
The
problem was that this fight didn’t have the appeal of a
“main event”, so in a hurry welterweights Thiago Pitbull
and former champ Matt Hughes were called in, to satisfy English
fans’ wishes. Even so, bad luck would strike again and Irvin
broke his foot fighting yesterday in training.
Hours
after the UFC official site named Brazilian Luiz Banha to go
in to face Rashad, abandoning the already-planned fight against
Jason Lambert on the televised card. And finally, they reached
the conclusion that it was simply better to just remove Evans
from the card altogether and promote the Thales Leites and Nate
Marquadt fight to the televised card, so Banha will still face
Lambert.
In
spite of all the confusion, stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com to find
out the latest on the UFC. The card ended up as follows:
Televised bouts
Thiago Alves vs Matt Hughes
Michael Bisping vs Jason Day
Marcus Davis vs Mike Swick
Thales Leites vs Nate Marquardt
Brandon Vera vs Fabricio Werdum
Untelevised
bouts
Martin Kampmann vs Jorge Rivera
Thiago Tavares vs Matt Wiman
Luiz Cane vs Jason Lambert
Roan Carneiro vs Ryo Chonan
Jess Liaudin vs Paul Taylor
Antoni Hardonk vs Neil Wain
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Paul
Buentello will meet Aleksander Emelianenko at Affliction
By Brian Knapp
Former
UFC heavyweight championship contender Paul Buentello will meet
Aleksander Emelianenko at Affliction: Banned on Saturday, July
19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim Calif. Affliction representatives
announced the long-rumored bout at a Tuesday press conference
in Los Angeles.
A
product of the American Kickboxing Academy, Buentello (23-10)
last competed in November, when he submitted to strikes from
longtime Pride standout Alistair Overeem in a match for the vacant
Strikeforce heavyweight crown. The defeat snapped a four-fight
winning streak for the 34-year-old Texan.
One
of MMA’s best finishers, all 23 of Buentello’s victories
have come by stoppage, including 16 by knockout or technical
knockout. He has won 14 of his last 17 fights.
Emelianenko
(13-3), meanwhile, will enter the bout on a four-fight winning
streak. The 6-foot-6 Russian last fought in April, when he secured
a first-round technical knockout victory against Silvao Santos
at an M-1 event. More than half (seven) of his 13 career wins
have come by knockout or TKO. Victories against UFC veteran Assuerio
Silva, Olympic gold medalist Pawel Nastula and countryman Sergei
Kharitonov anchor his resume.
Affliction:
Banned will be headlined by a match between two-time UFC heavyweight
champion Tim Sylvia and former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder
Fedor Emelianenko. Fox Sports Net will provide one hour of live
coverage as a lead-in to the pay-per-view broadcast, which will
kick off at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Affliction:
Banned
Saturday, July 19
Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif.
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Paul Buentello
Mark Hominick vs. Savant Young
Justin Levens vs. Ray Lazama
Mike Pyle vs. Brett Cooper
J.J. Ambrose vs. Patrick Speight
Source:
The Fight Network
|
ELITE
XC PLANS FOR HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
by Damon
The championship title picture in Elite XC is starting to come
clear as on Thursday, Elite XC Live Events President Gary Shaw,
confirmed the promotion is close to crowning their first ever
heavyweight champion.
With
the main event between Elite XC superstar Kimbo Slice and British
heavy hitter James Thompson headlining the upcoming debut show
on CBS, the heavyweight division looks to receive a lot of attention
following this show.
“Right
now, we’re close to doing a heavyweight title,” said
Shaw during a media conference call on Thursday. “We’ll
probably do the heavyweight title in 2008.”
The
roster of top free agent heavyweights seems to be thinning lately
as upstart promotion, Affliction, seems content to snatch up
anyone over 205lbs with a viable name in the sport. The organization
has already announced fights featuring top heavyweight Fedor
Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, and Ben Rothwell.
Affliction
is also rumored to be the leading candidate to land former UFC
heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski, but nothing official has
been announced yet.
That
said, Shaw believes they have a great heavyweight division and
mentioned American Top Team stand-out, Antonio “Big Foot”
Silva, as the top fighter in the weight class.
“Kimbo’s
there, James Thompson’s there, and obviously (Antonio) Junior
Silva is right there at the top,” Shaw stated about potential
contenders to the heavyweight title.
While
Silva is still waiting for his next fight, Kimbo and Thompson
will do battle on May 31 as the main event for the CBS/Elite
XC Saturday Night Fights card taking place in New Jersey.
More
information about the Elite XC heavyweight title will surely
follow in the coming months.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Barnett
evaluates Roger
“He’s not ready for me yet,” says the American
With
his most recent wins over Hidehiko Yoshida and Jeff Monson, there’s
not denying Josh Barnett is one of the best heavyweights on the
planet. In 27 professional fights, the American wrestler has
beaten such big names as Randy Couture, Rodrigo Minotauro, Mark
Hunt, Alexander Emelianenko, Semmy Schilt, besides his two latest
triumphs at Sengoku.
Barnett
has only lost to Mirko Cro Cop (three times) and to Brazilians
Minotauro and Pedro Rizzo. Now Roger Gracie, who to many is the
best grappler in the world, has but two MMA fights to speak of,
and got the submission in both. As the heavyweight division at
Sengoku is sparse with talent, murmurs are already surfacing
about this clash of experience.
At
the post-Sengoku 2 press conference, Barnett, who generally adopts
a moderate tone when referring to his adversaries, decided to
speak his mind.
“I
was rooting for Kondo, I’d have liked him to have given
Roger a good welcome card to MMA. But it didn’t happen,
he is really big, long and good on the ground. Roger is not yet
ready to face me, his managers know that and he surely knows
it too. He shouldn’t be in any hurry, he still has a lot
of time ahead of him and I won’t be offended if he wants
or doesn’t want to face me now. I’m really just worried
about myself now, not my opponents, but they’re in my sights
and if he gets in my way I’ll squash him, or anyone else.
My job is to systematically destroy other fighters, till there’s
no one left,” said the catch-wrestler.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"There
is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast."
Source Unknown
|
UFC
84: Ill Will Preview
Saturday, May 24, 2008
MGM Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
By Stephen Quadros, “The Fight Professor”
UFC Lightweight Title Fight
-BJ Penn (Champion) vs. Sean
Sherk (Challenger)
Not as spectacular a bout as the sweltering, pre-fight hype.
Decision.
-Keith
Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva
“There Will Be Blood” and then...there will be a decision.
-Lyoto
Machida vs. Tito Ortiz
Ad infinitum - a non-terminating repeating process, A.K.A. Decision.
...End
of preview...
...OK,
OK...I’m incorrigible.
I
just wanted to see what would happen if I did that... Answer:
nothing...
It’s
UFC 84: “Nickname”...I mean “Ill Will” (sorry,
a relapse). Actually the former title idea is a sound one (pure
genius) if, as a penalty (opposite of the bonus system) the loser
of these matches should be forced to relinquish their nicknames
and have to use a nickname chosen by their conquerors. Now THERE’S
an incentive.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BJ “The
Prodigy” Penn
(Champion) Vs.
Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk (Challenger)
UFC Lighweight Title Fight
Since the UFC reintroduced the lightweight division, after a
nearly two year absence, Sherk and Penn’s name have been
consistently in the hat as far as guys who could or would be
the top guy at that weight, “if” they ever held a title
fight again. But no one really thought that there would be the
kind of combustion and animosity that has grown between the two.
It
is a well-documented fact that Sherk was stripped of his title
for using steroids, an accusation he vehemently denies. I had
Sean on my old radio show last year at Sherdog.com and he made
a good and passionate case. Unfortunately the California state
athletic commission didn’t see it that way and levied Sherk
with a fine of $2,500 and suspended him for six months (his original
suspension was for a year but that was later reduced). So when
BJ poured salt on the wound and openly challenged and derided
the validity of Sherk’s claim of innocence, well, Penn was
off “The Muscle Shark’s” Christmas list...and
the grudge angle was born in the realm of two fighters who hadn’t
really ever been known as ‘smack talkers’.
In
the fight business, it is a well know fact that publicly exhibited
personal animosity towards your opponent will get a fighter paid
more than when two humble masters “compare their skills
in a friendly contest”. Every third article I used to write
back in the 1990s and the early part of this decade used to harp
on the fact that fighters for the most part lacked the personalities
and/or heat to make their clashes compelling to NON-hardcore
fans. But here it is nearly a decade later and many of these
‘grudge matches’ are almost too nice and neat, where
it seems like the fighters are inadvertently following the prototypical
scripts pioneered by Ken Shamrock, and later Tito Ortiz and Phil
Baroni.
I’m
sure the “ill will” between Penn and Sherk is real,
but for some reason it almost seems out of place in this particular
fight. But maybe I am overanalyzing this. Both Sean and BJ are
relatively laid back guys, who will speak their minds if pushed.
Neither will ‘back down’. I doubt they manufactured
the whole “he really doesn’t like the other guy”
angle. Still it seems little foreign here from my vantage point.
On
a technical level, Penn is anything but one-dimensional. His
MAT, “multiple areas of threat” (® Fight Professor,
May 2008) are known around the world: world champion in Brazilian
jiu-jits, heavy hands and sound enough balance and wrestling
to where opponents think twice about expending the effort trying
for a takedown. Cardio has always been an area of criticism for
“The Prodigy”. But his training for Sherk has been
focused on putting that suspicion behind him.
Sherk
on the other hand comes from a wrestling base and has always
exhibited an almost hummingbird-like work rate that overwhelms
most of his opponents. Sean’s quickness, strength and endurance
athletically places him above, if not beyond most of his competitors.
Both
these guys are definitely championship material and both will
present the other with their toughest challenge stylistically.
Experience will not be an issue because they have both fought
the best and have several common opponents:
Georges
St. Pierre
-(March 2006) BJ smacked up Georges pretty good in the first
round only to gas and lose on a split decision.
-(November 2005) Sean gave St. Pierre problems standing but succumbed
to ground & pound in the second.
Matt
Hughes
-(April 2003) Sherk went the distance with Hughes when nobody
else could, then was released from the UFC for almost three years.
His welcome back party was fighting St. Pierre (ouch!).
-(January 2004) Penn stepped up from lightweight and toppled
the king with a rear naked choke in round one.
-(September 2006) Penn was in complete control early until suffering
a rib injury that caused him to get stopped by G&P in round
three.
So
what do these stats tell us? Not much - those kinds of ‘facts’
are usually just set dressing to placate those who choose to
over-think and grasp the intangibles of an MMA fight.
But
to me BJ Penn and Sean Sherk may match up so well style-wise
that they shut each other down offensively. There is the strong
possibility that this will NOT be fight of the year as a result.
If
cardio is not an issue (translation: Penn can match Sherk wind
wise) then I see BJ Penn winning this...by decision. But if BJ
gets tired, he will be another in a long list of men who got
out hustled by “The Muscle Shark”.
But
then the bigger question looms to those actually informed on
“the sport”: where does the winner of Penn/Sherk stack
up against the ‘other’ best lightweights in the world
- JZ Calvancante, Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez, Eddie Alvarez,
etc.
Keith
"The Dean of Mean" Jardine Vs.
Wanderlei "The Axe Murder" Silva
Keith Jardine’s momentum was momentarily derailed when he
walked into a crushing right hand, two fights back, courtesy
of Houston Alexander. The embarrassing 48-second first round
loss was something that many would not rebound from. In his very
next fight the going wouldn’t get any easy as ‘The
Dean’ faced former UFC light-heavyweight champion Chuck
“The Iceman” Liddell. Keith looked a lot better against
Chuck than his split-decision victory would indicate. So putting
him in with the “Ax Murderer” can be looked at two
ways: a) further not doing him any favors or b) setting him up
on a fast track to a title shot. One could also surmise that
after losing a gutsy one to Liddell, the UFC was throwing Silva
to the (new) lions by having him fight Jardine.
Either
way, I cannot fathom how this match could be anything but a knockdown,
drag out standup war that pits the hurky jerky crab-like style
of Jardine against the straight ahead windmill bulrush of Wanderlei
Silva. I’ve seen Keith get KO’d but I have never seen
anyone low kick Silva...yet. Jardine’s movement is one of
his keys to setting things up. Wanderlei is easy to find because
he is usually standing right in front of you. But in his availability,
and we all know he CAN be hit, he is also in range to knock you
out.
You
don’t get “lucky” and beat Forrest Griffin and
Chuck Liddell, and Jardine did just that. Silva needs a win to
remain relevant and maybe to even remain IN the UFC. But I see
Jardine’s elusiveness being a problem Wandy will not be
able to solve the puzzle with his characteristic brutality, so
I pick Keith Jardine to win by judge’s decision.
Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida Vs.
Tito "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Ortiz
Tito has two opponents in this match: the fast rising and super
slick Lyoto Machida, who he will face IN the cage, and the ever
present aura of his bigger nemesis and former manager, UFC president
Dana White. The feud between White and Ortiz has stewed for years.
I’m not going to assess “blame”, but I will say
that the bickering creates a bit of a “celeBRITy” carnival
atmosphere that conjures up images of Vince McMahon (WWE’s
chief) and all the wrestlers who have passed through the doors
of his organization and left acrimoniously.
But
Tito seems to thrive on drama; I guess it keeps the ‘fame’
lights lit bright. The only problem is that he has not been a
dominant force as a fighter since he decisioned short notice
replacement Vladimir Matyushenko (when original opponent Vitor
Belfort was injured) in September 2001. Sure he “beat”
Vitor Belfort and Forrest Griffin, by controversial split decisions
and pounded on an aging Ken Shamrock for three “fights”.
But he was also knocked out twice by Chuck Liddell and literally
spanked by Randy Couture.
Now
Tito, who is coming off a draw to Rashad Evans, will, in his
last contracted fight for the UFC, is stepping in with an enigmatic
(more compelling way to say ‘quiet‘) and undefeated
entity from Brazil named Lyoto Machida. I will have to jump on
the bandwagon and proclaim that Machida is the worst possible
matchup in every aspect for Ortiz at this time. The Brazilian
is unorthodox (he comes from a Karate background) and with a
12-0 record with TKOs over Rich Franklin and Stephan Bonnar and
a submission victory against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in his
last fight. He indeed does seem unstoppable, at least by Ortiz.
Tito’s
savvy will make for a long and frustrating night of survival
for the ex-champion, as I predict that Machida will dominate
and win by way of...decision.
Source: Stephen Quadros
|
Kevin
“Kimbo Slice” Ferguson would face Mike Tyson in a boxing
match?
By Brian Knapp
EliteXC Live Events president Gary Shaw can envision a scenario
in which Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson would face Mike
Tyson in a boxing match, but discussions between the two sides
have not taken place. Shaw called reports of the rumored fight
pairing the two heavyweights premature.
“I
have the media report about Tyson,” Shaw said. “I have
had no discussions with Mike or anybody surrounding Mike. I know
Mike. Yes, I would make that fight in a heartbeat.”
For
now, Ferguson (2-0) can concentrate on his upcoming main event
match with Pride Fighting Championships veteran James Thompson
at CBS EliteXC: Saturday Night Fights on May 31 at the Prudential
Center in Newark, N.J. While boxing may be in Ferguson’s
future, Shaw wants to build his star in the MMA world.
“I
am concentrating on keeping ‘Kimbo’ in the cage, building
him to superstar status, which I believe he’s at,”
Shaw said. “We’re happy where we are with him in his
career. This is more than a spectacular opportunity for ‘Kimbo’
to be in front of a potential audience of 100 million-plus eyeballs.
So, for now, ‘Kimbo’ is staying in the cage.”
Shaw
also addressed talk of a potential matchup between Ferguson and
the 400-pound Eric “Butterbean,” Esch, a man who has
only been knocked out once in 17 professional MMA bouts. The
39-year-old Alabaman has been to a decision only one time in
his career.
“Anything
is possible, [but], right now, no, I don’t have ‘Butterbean’
on the radar for ‘Kimbo,’” Shaw said. “I’m
trying to get ‘Kimbo’ in with more MMA fighters and
big-time fighters. But there may be a time that we’ll let
‘Kimbo’ knock ‘Butterbean’ out. I’ve
spoken to ‘Butterbean’ personally. Remember, when ‘Butterbean’
goes down, it’s with a thud.”
Source:
The Fight Network
|
STRIKEFORCE
ON NBC A HIT WITH THE 18-34 MALE
Press Release
San
Jose, CA. – The fifth episode of “Strikeforce on NBC”,
the first-ever weekly mixed martial arts cage fight program on
one of the four major national television networks in the U.S,
topped the average ratings of both ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel
Live” and CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,”
both of which air several hours earlier during weeknights, in
the 18-34 year old male category of viewers during the week of
May 5, 2008.
The
.5 rating drawn by “Strikeforce on NBC” in the 18-34
year old male category beat the ratings of “Jimmy Kimmel
Live” on four of the five weeknights that the ABC show airs,
and tied Kimmel’s ratings on the fifth night. The Strikeforce
program bested the ratings of “The Late, Late Show with
Craig Ferguson” on all five weeknights and tied the Thursday
and Friday night ratings of CBS’s “The Late Show With
David Letterman” that week, in the same demographic group.
The
overall viewership of “Strikeforce on NBC,” which airs
immediately following “Poker After Dark” every Saturday
night (check your local listings for show time), has increased
by an astronomical 197%, from 319,000 to 949,000, including a
58% jump between the two most recently reported weeks (949,000
from 602,000).
“We’re
pleased to see our product gaining momentum on network TV,”
said Strikeforce CEO, Scott Coker. “The series has proven
to be a highly effective way of creating new Strikeforce fans
throughout the country and we’re looking forward to delivering
more action-packed programming to NBC viewers throughout the
year.”
Co-hosted
by mixed martial arts legend, Ken Shamrock, and award-winning
ESPN announcer, Lon McEachern, “Strikeforce on NBC”
is a 52 week series. Each episode runs 30 minutes and is comprised
of fighter profiles as well as Strikeforce MMA fights and highlights.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Lyoto
wants no part of grudge
“The problem’s between them, I’ve nothing to do
with it”
With
one of the best cards of recent times, UFC 84 promises to put
on a show beyond explosive. Present among the army of Brazilians
to appear at the event, Lyoto Machida wants to make history this
Saturday, in Las Vegas, beating former champion of the category
Tito Ortiz.
The
fight has been perhaps even more anticipated than the others,
thanks to the controversy surrounding Ortiz. The former darling
of the fans, who is considered by many to be the biggest star
the UFC has produced, has in recent months been relighting, through
the specialized media, the flame of his old grudge against the
company’s president, Dana White.
The
wrestler guarantees that he will not be renewing his contract
with the UFC for his feeling enslaved and disrespected. White,
on the other hand, said Tito is stupid and just complains. Surely,
this battle will be remembered Saturday, but Lyoto made it clear
he wants no part of it.
”I
know there are problems between Dana White and Tito Ortiz. But
I want nothing to do with it. The problem’s theirs, I’m
prepared for my shot at the belt. Tito is really strong and has
a good ground ‘n pound game, but his other abilities are
not so efficient. I want to beat him at his own game,” said
the karateka to YahooSports.com.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Marcelo
Garcia talks about his MMA future
By Guilherme Cruz
Recently moved to Florida from New York , Marcelo Garcia is now
focusing himself at the Mix Martial Arts. Garcia gave a exclusive
interview to TATAME from the American Top Team train center and
talked about the beginning at the MMA, and also about his future
at the sport. "It was very good to have my MMA debut, I
don’t have to regret. I had a huge cut at my head and but
I was happy at the day before", said Marcelinho.
Even
with a non expected defeat at his MMA debut, Garcia hopes to
conquer the his fans, just like he did with his performances
at the Jiu-Jitsu mat. “I want to reach the MMA public too,
I want to be recognized also as a MMA fighter. That was my will,
I wanted to take that next step in my career”, said Garcia.
Source:
Tatame
|
UFC
focused on Germany, the Philippines and Australia
By Brian Knapp
Having
gained a foothold in the United Kingdom and Canada, the UFC has
turned its attention to three more countries in its ongoing effort
to globalize its product.
“We’re
focused on Germany, the Philippines and Australia next,”
UFC president Dana White said.
In
the past 13 months, the UFC has held five events outside the
United States, including its first show north of the border.
UFC 83: Serra vs. St. Pierre 2 featured the ballyhooed rematch
between then welterweight champion Matt Serra and former titleholder
Georges St. Pierre at the Bell Centre in Montreal. St. Pierre,
a Quebec native, stopped Serra with second-round knee strikes
to the body before a raucous sellout crowd.
White
remains focused on landing the world’s biggest MMA promotion
on German, Filipino and Australian soil in the near future, but
he did not rule out the possibility of a return to Brazil, home
to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former Pride
Fighting Championships titleholder Wanderlei Silva.
“We’re
seriously looking at Brazil,” White said. “There’s
a lot of interesting economical things going on down there. We
just started talking about it.”
Source:
The Fight Network
|
UFC
PRES DANA WHITE ADDRESSES ROSTER CUTS
by Jeff Cain
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has made several cuts from its
fighter roster in recent months including Travis Lutter, Jake
O'Brien, Joe Doerksen and "The Ultimate Fighter" season
six finalist Tommy Speer, among others. UFC president Dana White
addressed the downsizing in mixed martial arts' biggest promotion.
"It's
nothing abnormal at all," White told the media via a UFC
84 pre-fight conference call. "At the end of the day, the
UFC, like I say all the time, it's the place where all the best
fighters in the world fight. And after you lose a few, or whatever,
you have to go back down and get some wins and come back.
"The
guys who are really dedicated to this sport, and they make the
cut, they go and get more wins under their belt and end up coming
back."
He
explained, "I can't keep everybody under contract because
the way that we do our contracts, depending if you're one of
our big stars, we'll have you locked up for six or eight fights,
or whatever it might be. They're under long-term contracts.
"Other
guys that are trying to make their way up to be Sean Sherks or
B.J.s, or whatever it is, they're under a three-fight deal, or
a two-fight deal. Some of them are under one-fight deals. It
depends."
The
UFC roster is a revolving door where those who stay have to prove
their self-worth when the Octagon door closes.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Double
knockout in MMA
Tyler Bryan and Shaun Parker perform the feat
Shonnie
Carter is one of the most experienced MMA fighters in activity.
The American welterweight has fough 62 times over a twelve-year
career and participated in such events as Shooto, Pancrase, WEC,
the UFC and many others, seeing nearly everything one can see
in the sport.
Even
so, last Friday (16th), while the fighter working as guest referee
at the Legends of Fighting event, something Shonnie had never
seen before took place, nor by any other MMA fan for that matter.
In the bout between Tyler Bryan and Shaun Parker, which happened
to be the MMA debut for both of them, the first double knockout
in the history of the sport occurred, in an impressive 8 seconds.
The
beautiful calling card for the two of them happened in the state
of Indianapolis, and ref Shonnie Carter, obviously, didn’t
know what to do.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
CBS
MEDIA DAY QUOTES
CBS Studio 4, Monday, May 19, 2008
There
was a fantastic turnout at CBS Media Day for the historic Saturday,
May 31 primetime EliteXC telecast on CBS (9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET/PT).
The announce team for "CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS''
was announced, fighters demonstrated the rules of mixed martial
arts and press had the opportunity to ask CBS and EliteXC executives,
promoters, fighters and announcers questions pertaining to the
sport and the highly anticipated event at the Prudential Center
in Newark, N.J.
EliteXC
stars Nick Diaz and Jake Shields demonstrated rules of the sport
and the most common techniques utilized by MMA fighters. Legendary
Frank Shamrock served as emcee for the demonstration.
CBS
Media Day was action packed and informative. Open workouts were
performed by Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice. Senior Executive VP,
CBS Primetime, Kelly Kahl, Executive Chairman, ProElite, Inc.,
Doug DeLuca and Live Events President, EliteXC, Gary Shaw discussed
the first primetime broadcast of MMA with the media.
EliteXC
fighters Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith
and Phil Baroni also discussed the history-making event.
The
CBS announce team of play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson, analysts
Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo and reporter Karyn Bryant were
announced. David Dinkins, Jr., who will produce the telecast,
was also part of the festivities.
Kimbo
Slice, of Perrine, Fla., will face England's James "Colossus''
Thompson in the main
event on CBS. Other televised fights: EliteXC middleweight champion
Robbie Lawler of St. Louis
defends against Scott Smith of Sacramento, Calif., Phil Baroni
of Long Island, N.Y., meets Joey
Villasenor of Albuquerque, N.M. in a 185-pound scrap; Brett Rogers
of Minneapolis takes on
Jon Murphy of Philadelphia in a heavyweight match; and Gina Carano
of Las Vegas will face
hard-hitting, confident Hook 'n Shoot champion Kaitlin Young
of Circle Pines, Minn., in a
women's fight at 140 pounds
Tickets
for the live event start at $25 and are available at Ticketmaster
locations, by phone
(201) 507-8900, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Prudential
Center box office
(973) 757-6625. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET. The first live fight
is at 6:30.
What
the fighters, promoters, executives and announcers had to say
at CBS Media Day:
GARY
SHAW:
"It's
my honor to promote this show in primetime. This event is probably
the single biggest thing to ever happen in the sport of mixed
martial arts. The fact you will get this for free is huge for
MMA. It is something we are very proud to bring you.
"More
eyeballs will watch this show than has seen any other fight in
the world.
"I
want to thank Doug Deluca and a few other people who got together
and started this thing. (It started) On a napkin (and) they wrote
some notes. Eighteen months later, we are on CBS.
"I
want to thank Ken Hershman at SHOWTIME. He was truly the visionary
of this. Without him, we wouldn't be here today.
"For
me this is a milestone in my career. Boxing hasn't been on network
TV in a long time. This is huge.
"Nothing
can be bigger for our company. To these fighters, this is it.
The morning after May 31 they will be cult heroes. It (their
CBS appearances) will change their lives dramatically.
"To
the athletes that signed with EliteXC, we have delivered something
that has never been delivered in MMA.
"Doug
Deluca said that he wants MMA to be in the Olympics in 2012.
If this can happen, maybe that can happen.
"
I believe the future of the sport is resting on our shoulders.
If we don't have the largest MMA audience, I will hang myself.
That will make for great live television.
"It
will be a fast format on Saturday night. We are in a five-fight
format, it's going to move. It will resonate because it is fast-paced
action. The stoppages are fast, the action is fast. You don't
get 12 rounds of a boring fight; you get non-stop action and
high energy throughout the night.
"On
EliteXC, you are not going to watch two guys having a love fest
on the ground. You are going to see an exciting fight.
"Fighters
are the most important thing in our company. We work for the
fighters. I want our fighters to be bigger than ProElite and
EliteXC.
"We
have a great farm system. We try and get them started on our
ShoXC series and them put them on SHOWTIME and maybe someday
on CBS.
"No
organization owns all the best fighters and no organization owns
all the best fights. UFC got this started, but we are coming
now. When UFC looks through the rearview mirror, we are on their
bumper. We are just drafting right now.
"When
we sign fighters we allow them to fight in other organizations.
People that fight for us enjoy that special freedom
"There
are a lot of important things that we can do to help MMA. Putting
other organizations against each other is one of them. Imagine
if we could do a show of UFC vs. EliteXC. We are willing to do
that.
"The
great thing about MMA is that a loss in MMA is not devastating
like a loss in boxing.
"About
the Robbie Lawler-Scott Smith fight: This is a fight that I don't
want to be a promoter for. I would rather be up in the stands
watching it.
"If
we can send women to war, then they should fight on TV. I thank
Ken Hershman for putting Gina on in the beginning, and look at
us now.
"When
you start getting a lot of positive and a lot of negative coverage,
you've arrived. Kimbo is going to get a lot of shots taken against
him because he is on CBS. It's not a bad thing, but it's not
pleasurable to read. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory.
"We
spent a lot of time putting together the announce team. We were
looking for a great mixture and the perfect recipe.
"We
will probably have some bumps and some criticism. But we are
ultra confident that we will bring the arena experience right
into your room.
"We
are all about the sport. If we don't succeed in growing the sport,
it will die on the vine.
"Every
time we do these fights it gets bigger and bigger. Gus (Johnson)
likes the violence, I like the fast pace. That is what boxing
is missing."
KELLY
KAHL:
"We
are thrilled to be bringing mixed martial arts to a wide audience.
It's been fun watching the kind of publicity and excitement.
We have some great fighters and it all culminates on May 31.
"We're
going to start with the four fights (broadcasts) and in success
hopefully expand that further. We're very excited about the 31st.
"We
really don't know what to expect; it is fun watching the interest
level grow. The bar for success isn't all that high. We really
don't know what to expect, but we're anticipating good things.
"I
hate to say the bar is really low on Saturday night. We do OK
but we're hoping to see an improvement on what we do. Hopefully
we see an increase in the younger demographics.
"You're
going to get a bigger audience with tape delay on the west coast.
We're trying to get the biggest audience out of this.
"It's
a little bit of a hybrid of entertainment and sport. This is
certainly a sport.
"To
get new fans in to the fold, we really want to build the sport
and one way to do that is to maximize the sport as best we can.
"I'm
struck by the athleticism of these guys. These are world class
athletes. They do not walk out of a bar and into a cage; they
walk out of a gym and into to a cage.
"We
are already planning to introduce this to a casual fan. This
is really going to hum along. You are not going to see a lot
of waiting. When one fight is done, we are teeing the next one
up right away.
"We
are always looking for opportunities. This is an example where
opportunity meet a need. On Saturday night, CBS did not have
a lot going on. It used to be a place for great event programming,
and this is a chance to get back at that.
"We
spoke to a lot of different organizations and EliteXC and ProElite
felt like the best fit. They have a great relationship with SHOWTIME
and it worked out well."
DOUG
DELUCA:
"It
is also important to us to grow the sport. You're going to see
some amazing stars and athletes in the next few years.
"There
seems to be a heightened interest now. That is a great thing
for the sport, for CBS and for EliteXC.
"These
guys are some of the best athletes in the world. The world is
going to see that on May 31. We have a great roster of fighters
and we are loyal to them.
"CBS
has been a fan and watched this sport grow from its infancy to
where it is today. We started our partnership with Ken Hershman
and SHOWTIME. CBS invested and waited to see how things went.
It was extremely successful on SHOWTIME and it has progressed
to CBS.
"It
has been a big year and a half for us and the sport of MMA. This
is a sport that will be here for a long time. It will continue
to grow, and ProElite is dedicated to helping it grow.
"These
fighters deserve a big congratulation. They will be taking part
in the biggest day in MMA.
"We
are committed to great content. We are building a global network
of MMA. We are going to create a great MMA umbrella that will
help this sport progress. It is all coming together in a major
way. We are ready to go on CBS.
"I
think this will be a work in progress. This is a hybrid between
entertainment and sport. We will hit all categories of fans on
Saturday night.
"Most
of the people who have not watched the sport have not liked it.
Everyone who watches it with an open mind becomes a fan. We want
to teach the non-fan to become a fan. On May 31 we hope to make
that happen.
"There
is a lot of pressure for the sport. If this doesn't do well on
network TV, it doesn't do well for the sport. Pressure is not
a problem, we are excited by it."
NICK
DIAZ:
"It's
great to be here with all these famous MMA stars. It's great
for me to come here and get to travel around a little bit.
"I
just fought in Japan and will be fighting again June 14 on SHOWTIME
in Hawaii. Looking forward to a worthy opponent, so we'll see
how it goes. I am looking forward to fighting on SHOWTIME. It's
always good to be fighting on live TV like that.
"I'm
happy to be with EliteXC. It's been a wild ride and I'm happy
to be on board.''
ROBBIE
LAWLER:
"It's
pretty good to get this out to the general public why media needs
to be involved and learn about the sport. I'm ready to fight
on May 31. I'll be ready to go."
SCOTT
SMITH:
"I
love the workouts because probably half these people here have
no idea what MMA is about. It's good for the public to come out
and see the guys' personalities. The more exposure these guys
get the more people get to see their personalities.
"Lawler?
I couldn't ask for a better opponent. When I signed with EliteXC,
there were three fighters that I looked at and said, 'these would
make fun fights' This is definitely one of them..
"I'm
honored to be a part of this historic event. This is an absolute
dream fight for me. I never ask for the easiest fights. This
fight with Lawler is going to be one of those fights that you
continue to replay over and over.
"I
think my first fight for EliteXC I was under a little pressure.
For this title fight I don't feel that I'm under any pressure.
This fight is huge and we are all very proud to be a part of
it."
GINA
CARANO:
"I
think it's important to remember we're not just female fighters.
We're fighters. This is going to be one of the toughest fights
of my life and I hope you guys enjoy it.
"When
it comes down to it there are just two fighters in there. I am
anticipating one of the hardest fights in my life. It is exciting,
but it is just another fight. Fights speak for themselves.
"There
are a lot of female fighters in the world, the public just needs
to warm up to them."
FRANK
SHAMROCK:
"I
have been here kicking butts and speaking in the cage from the
very beginning. The only difference is we have CBS and SHOWTIME
behind us.
"I
broke my arm in my last fight in on SHOWTIME. This bone simulator
is supposed to help my bones grow faster. I am wearing it now
and will be fighting again in September. Welcome to MMA.
"I've
been in the business for a really long time. I always knew this
day would come. It's the greatest sport in the world and the
greatest lifestyle in the world. I'm proud to say I'm a mixed
martial artist.
"I've
invested my entire life in to this sport. I put my entire future
in the success of this sport. For me it's an art form and a lot
of these guys want to be respected in their art.
"I'll
train this commentary team to kick any other commentary team's
butt."
PHIL
BARONI:
"I'm
going to knock this kid out. I am going to send him back to New
Mexico in a body bag. He has a big mouth, and I am going to shut
it. He's not here, so what can I say.
"The
real tough guys fight in cages. Hit the books, don't throw hooks.
It's not all it's cracked up to be. Stay in school.
"Everybody
here is a fighter. Kimbo started on the street. That's where
I started out. We are all fighting for something."
JAKE
SHIELDS:
"I'm
feeling healthy again and I can't wait to fight again."
KIMBO
SLICE:
"I've
been fighting since I was 13. I've been having my fights recorded
for about five years now and look where it took me.
"I
don't know anything about my opponent.
"When
I was fighting on the street there was no training."
DAVID
DINKINS, JR. :
"We
wanted to fill all the requirements. Frank is an expert. Mauro
is an MMA historian. Karyn is a great MMA fan and reporter and
Gus is one of the best announcers out there.
"We
are sensitive to the violence level. I think we are going to
see how fast we can go. We are usually able to take a lot of
liberties on pay per view and SHOWTIME. We don't want it to be
too graphic and we don't want to turn people off, but we want
to be true to the sport.
"The
refs are on top of things. There isn't a chance of sustained
concussions. This sport is very safe.
"It
is sport and entertainment. What makes the stars stars is that
there is the special X factor of the entertainment portion. If
we are not properly broadcasting this, we are not doing our jobs.
What makes this special is the arena experience. It will be a
smooth running story of the night that we plan to broadcast.
There will be some challenges with the commercials, but we will
show you the whole night."
GUS
JOHNSON:
"Hopefully
our approach is to not only highlight what these athletes do
in the ring, but (other things). I want to know about Kimbo Slice
and how he was one of the Top 10 linebackers in the U.S. and
then Hurricane Andrew hits. I want to know more about Gina Carano.
Those are the kinds of things we want to talk about on a regular
basis.
Our
team will approach this the same way we approach the NFL on CBS,
the NCAA on CBS. Mixed martial arts is the sport of the future.
It's about kids, not 30-year-olds like us. What America is going
to see is guys going out there and fighting."
"For
me it is an honor to have the opportunity to work with ProElite
and EliteXC. I think that MMA is the sport of the future. I have
called all the big sports, but what I like about this sport is
you get to see athletes who will leave it all out in the ring.
You will see non-stop action, and that is exciting.
"We
will tell America what we see. We won't be edited by anyone.
We want to tell a positive story.
"From
a boxing perspective, the purists don't understand it. They don't
understand that the hardest part is on the ground. Our challenge
is through a Frank and Mauro to educate America on what they
are seeing. Then there will be much more of an appreciation for
what they are watching.
"If
boxing is the sweet science, then MMA is quantum physics."
KARYN
BRYANT:
"I
think it's really important for people to understand that the
women watching the sport were brought along by their boyfriend
and left a screaming fan. I want to thank CBS because I think
it's going to be an incredible endeavor. I've been working boxing
for a few years and the excitement that I have for boxing and
MMA is real. There are a lot of us that enjoy the sport and enjoy
the athleticism.
"I
got into MMA several years ago hanging out with (pro MMA fighter)
Malaipet and having my husband come home from training with him
and having to put a steak on his eye. MMA is a lifestyle and
it truly is. A lot of the friends that I have are from my husband's
fight club."
MAURO
RANALLO:
"I
want to thank everyone for finally bringing the greatest sport
in the world to network TV primetime. We have finally arrived.
These are the best athletes in the world. You will very quickly
find out that these are the best athletes and some of the nicest
people outside of the cage.
"There
is no one else who deserves to be calling a fight as much as
Frank Shamrock. He is a legend in this sport.
"I
love how EliteXC allows us to talk about every sport. The sport
is mixed martial arts, MMA, not UFC."
Source: Dan Clavadetscher
|
Quote
of the Day
“I
can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company
enough for me.”
William Hazlitt, 1778-1830, English Writer and Literary Critic
|
MAN
UP & STAND UP WEIGH IN
KICKBOXING
FILCOM CENTER
SATURDAY MORNING
8:15 AM
IF UNDER 18 PARENT MUST ATTEND.
Source:
Derrick Bright
|
Pacific
Submission Grappling Championships
June 27-30, 2008
Blaisdell Exhibition Hall
Open to all Men, Women and Kids 5-14 & Juniors 15-17 years
old.
Friday, Saturday & Sunday June 27-29, 2008
Location:
Neil Blaisdell Exhibition Center
Honolulu, HI
Fees:
*(Must Pre-Register on or before June 25th at www.grapplingtournaments.com or by mail for these
prices)
*Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships – Saturday June 28th
- Men, Women & Juniors - $50
*No Gi Submission Grappling – Sunday June 29th - Men, Women
& Juniors - $50
**BOTH events for ONLY $75**
*1 day Spectator ticket: $10 (must purchase online or $20 a day)
2 day spectator ticket: $15 (must purchase online or $20 a day)
Pre-Registration
Enrollment (3 options):
1) Mail a signed Registration Form along with a money order or
check made payable to:
GTA Tournaments - Mail to: 17424 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach,
CA 92647 Note: postmarked no later than Monday June 23rd)
2)
Register online: grapplingtournaments.com (Note: Online registration
must be completed by Wednesday June 25th) or at OTM Fight Shop
(Pre-Registration must be completed by Wednesday June 25th)
3)
Night before or day of Registration: $20 late fee will apply
Show up to either weigh-in time to register.
Weigh-Ins
(2 options):
Either OTM Fight Shop or Tournament Location. Note: There will
be no weight allowance. If an athlete is within 3 pounds of their
weigh class they will have until an hour and a half before their
scheduled division to make weight.
Option
1: Day before Weigh-ins will beFriday, June 27th, 2008 between
12pm - 6pmat OTM Fight Shop:
1255 S. Beretania St. Honolulu, HI 92647 (808) 591-6620
Option
2: Day of Weigh-ins you can also weigh-in the day you compete
1 hour 30 minutes before your scheduled cut off time at the tournament
location. Complete information is available at grapplingtournaments.com
For
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and/or No-Gi Submission Grappling Divisions
Morning of the event before your divisions scheduled deadline
time at the tournament location. See schedule below for deadline
times. (Anyone arriving after deadline will be penalized an additional
$20 if the division has not started yet.)
Note: This is the earliest a division will be called. It does
not necessarily reflect the actual fight time.
Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu Divisions run on Saturday
*(Must be weighed in and ready to compete by listed weigh-in
times)*
Kids all divisions (5-10 & 11-14): Weigh in before 9am -
Compete at 10am
Juniors all divisions (15-17): Weigh in before 10:00am - Compete
at 11:30am
White Belt Executive & Masters: Weigh-in before 9am - Compete
at 10am
White Belt Adult: Weigh-in before 9am. Compete at 11am
Blue Belt Executives & Masters: Weigh-in before 11am. Compete
at 1pm
Blue Belt Adult: Weigh-in before 11am. Compete at 2 pm
Women all divisions: Weigh-in before 1 pm. Compete at 3 pm
Purple Belt Executive & Masters: Weigh-in before 2 pm. Compete
at 4 pm
Purple Belt Adult: Weigh-in before 2 pm. Compete at 4 pm
Brown & Black Belt: Weigh-in before 2 pm. Compete at 4:30
pm
Schedule
For No-Gi Submission Grappling Divisions on Sunday:
Kids all divisions (5-10 & 11-14): Weigh in before 9am -
Compete at 10am
Juniors all divisions (15-17): Weigh in before 9:30am - Compete
at 11:30am
Beginner Executive & Masters: Weigh-in before 9am - Compete
at 10am
Beginner Adult: Weigh-in before 9:30 am - Compete at 11:30am
Advanced Executives & Masters: Weigh-in before 11:00am -
Compete at 1:30pm
Advanced Adult: Weigh-in before 11:30am - Compete at 2pm
Women all divisions: Weigh-in before 1pm - Compete at 2:30pm
Intermediate Executives and Masters: Weigh-in before 1pm - Compete
at 3pm
Intermediate Adult: Weigh-in before 1:30pm - Compete at 3:30pm
Coaches:
Coaches will be required to check-in online or by phone and provide
a list of registered students to receive credentials. STRICTLY
ENFORCED! Email director@grapplingtournaments.com or call (714) 847-6787
for credentials.
Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu Championship Division & Rules • Saturday June
28th
BJJ
Skill Levels:
Men
& Women: White Belt, Blue Belt, Purple Belt, Brown Belt &
Black Belt
Kids
(8-14) & Juniors (15-17 years): White, Yellow, Orange &
Green Belt
Length
of BJJ Matches:
White:
5 minutes
Blue:
6 minutes
Purple:
7 minutes
Brown:
8 minutes
Black:
10 Minutes
Juniors:
4 minutes
Executive
(30-39) / Masters (40+): White/Blue belts 4 minutes • Purple/Brown
belts 6min • Black belts 7 minutes
Male
Adult BJJ Weight Classes: (Note: Weigh-in WITHOUT uniform)
Rooster:
121lbs. and below
Super
Feather: 122-134 lbs.
Feather:
135-147 lbs.
Light:
148-160 lbs.
Middle:
161-174 lbs.
Light-Heavy:
174-187 lbs.
Heavy:
188-202 lbs.
Super-Heavy:
203-221 lbs.
Unlimited:
221 lbs. and over
Juniors
(13-17) BJJ Weight Classes:
Lightweight:
114.9 lbs. and below
Welterweight:
115-129.9 lbs.
Middleweight:
130-149.9 lbs.
Cruiserweight:
150-169.9 lbs.
Heavyweight:
170 lbs. and over
Women's
BJJ Weight Classes:
Class
A: 119.9 lbs and below
Class
B: 120-134.9 lbs.
Class
C: 135-149.9 lbs.
Class
D: 150 lbs. and over
Women's
Absolute: Open Weight, Open Skill
Executive
& Masters BJJ Weight Classes:
Lightweight:
159.9 lbs and below
Middleweight:
160-179.9 lbs.
Cruiserweight:
180-199.9 lbs.
Heavyweight:
200 lbs. and over
BJJ
Point System:
Takedown:
2 points
Knee
on Belly: 2 points
Sweep
or Reversal w/ legs: 2 points
Passing
Opponent's Guard: 3 points
Mounted
Position: 4 points
Back
Control w/ Hooks: 4 points
(All
positions must be held for 3 full seconds)
BJJ
Illegal Techniques:
White
Belt, Blue belt, Executives and Masters: No Leg Locks EXCEPT
Straight Ankle Lock. No Neck or Cervical Cranks, Wrist Locks,
Slamming or Slicers.
Purple
- Black: No Twisting Leg locks EXCEPT Inside Toe Hold, No Neck
or Cervical Cranks or Slamming.
Submission
Grappling Divisions & Rules • Sunday June 29th
Skill
Levels:
Beginner:
Under 2 years
Intermediate:
2 years to 4 years
Advanced:
More than 4 years
Kids
& Juniors: Beginner = Less than 18 months • Advanced
= 18 months or greater
Women:
Beginner = Less than 18 months • Advanced = 18 months or
greater
Executive:
30-39 years – Beginner = Less than 18 months • Advanced
= 18 months or greater
Masters:
Over 40 years - Beginner = Less than 18 months • Advanced
= 18 months or greater
Length
of No-Gi Matches:
Beginner:
4 minutes
Intermediate:
5 minutes
Advanced:
6 minutes
Kids
& Juniors: 4 minutes
Women:
Beginner = 4 minutes • Advanced = 6 minutes
Executive/Masters:
Beginner = 4 minutes • Advanced = 5 minutes
Men's
No-Gi Weight Classes:
Flyweight:
139.9 lbs. and below
Featherweight:
140-149.9 lbs.
Lightweight:
150-159.9 lbs.
Welterweight:
160-169.9 lbs.
Middleweight:
170-179.9 lbs.
Cruiserweight:
180-189.9 lbs.
Light-Heavyweight:
190-199.9 lbs.
Heavyweight:
200-209.9 lbs.
Superweight:
210 lbs. and over
Children’s
No-Gi Weight Classes:
*Rough
guideline. Youth will be matched as closely as possible.*
Bantamweight:
50 lbs. and below
Flyweight:
50-59.9 lbs.
Featherweight:
60-69.9 lbs.
Lightweight:
70-79.9 lbs.
Welterweight:
80-94.9 lbs.
Middleweight:
94-109.9 lbs.
Cruiserweight:
110-124.9 lbs.
Heavyweight:
124 lbs. and over
Kids
& Juniors No-Gi Weight Classes:
Lightweight:
114.9 lbs. and below
Welterweight:
115-129.9 lbs.
Middleweight:
130-149.9 lbs.
Cruiserweight:
150-169.9 lbs.
Heavyweight:
170 lbs. and over
Women's
No-Gi Weight Classes:
Class
A: 119.9 lbs and below
Class
B: 120-134.9 lbs.
Class
C: 135-149.9 lbs.
Class
D: 150 lbs. and over
Women's
Absolute: Open Weight, Open Skill
Executive
& Masters No-Gi Weight Classes:
Lightweight:
159.9 lbs and below
Middleweight:
160-179.9 lbs.
Cruiserweight:
180-199.9 lbs.
Heavyweight:
200 lbs. and over
No-Gi
Point System:
Takedown
landing in Half or Full Guard: 2 points
Takedown
to Side Control or Mount: 3 points
Sweep
or Reversal w/ legs: 2 points
Passing
Opponent's Guard: 3 points
Mounted
Position: 4 points
Back
Control w/ Hooks: 4 points
(All
positions must be held for minimum 3 seconds)
No-Gi
Illegal Techniques:
Beginner,
Novice, Executive & Masters Divisions: No Leg Locks EXCEPT
Straight Ankle Lock. No Neck or Cervical Cranks, Wrist Locks,
Slamming or Slicers.
Intermediate:
No Twisting Leg locks EXCEPT Inside Toe Hold, No Neck or Cervical
Cranks, Wrist Locks, Slamming or Slicers.
Advanced:
No Slamming
Detailed
Rules:
The
object of the competition is to control and submit your opponent.
Ways
to win:
1)
Causing your opponent to physically or verbally tapout or quit
by using a technique within the guidelines of the rules in each
set division. (All competitors must be aware of dangerous techniques
and know how to tapout.)
2)
Highest score at end of regulation time period or overtime.
3)
Referee Stoppage
1.
Hygiene: At weigh-ins all competitors will be checked for communicable
diseases, not limited to but including ring-worm, staph, herpes
and impetigo.
2.
Tie Breakers: There will be a one minute overtime in the event
of a draw. At the end of the 1 minute overtime if the were no
points scored it will immediately turn to sudden death in which
the first point scored gets the victory. The stalling rule will
be enforced with ZERO tolerance in overtime. The referee will
give 2 warnings and you will be deducted -1 point and given the
loss if you do not go after the victory.
3.
No Stalling: The referee will issue warning for the 1st offense
of stalling (i.e. backing out of the guard without engaging,
butt scooting, fleeing the ring to avoid takedown/submission
attempts). The 2nd offense will result in a 2 point deduction.
A 3rd offense will result in a 3 point deduction. A 4th offense
will result in a DQ.
4.
Leg Locks: Leg Locks are ILLEGAL in all kids, masters, executive,
and novice divisions. Straight ankle locks are legal for Beginner.
Straight ankle, inside figure four toe holds, straight knee bars
and calf slicers are legal for Intermediate. , All leg locks
are legal in the Advanced Men’s division. Note: Reaping
(crossing you leg across your opponents body while attacking
a foot) is illegal in all divisions except Intermediate and advanced
adult.
5.
Illegal Techniques in all divisions: No strikes, biting, eye
gouging (includes chin to eye), head butting, small join manipulation
(finger and toe locks), hair pulling, or ear pulling, neck cranks.
6.
Slamming: ZERO tolerance on slamming. This is to avoid slamming
to escape the guard and various submissions from the guard. A
competitor will be immediately disqualified NOTE - Takedowns
are not considered slamming, unless intent to injure is determined
by the referee.
7.
Neck Cranks and Twister: Neck cranks and Twister (wrestling guillotine)
are only legal in the advanced division. Intermediate division
may use the Twister setup to execute the banana split or calf
slicer.
8.
Takedowns and control: Any position must be held for a MINUMUM
of 3 full seconds before points will be awarded. If you take
your opponent down and Mount him you would receive 3 points for
the take down AFTER 3 seconds AND then 3 more seconds for the
4 point mount. Therefore you must maintain the position for 3
seconds per set of points. Guard pass points are established
when the opponent’s shoulders are flat on the ground and
your legs are completely clear of their legs. If you go from
standing to a guys back with BOTH his knees on the ground for
3 full seconds you receive 2 points for reversal.
9.
Sweeps/Reversals: Reversal of position points are given when
one opponent reverses from the bottom to the top position and
maintained for a full three seconds. The reversal has to be used
from your guard or in the immediate transition of someone passing
your guard. For example if you’re passing my guard and I
IMMEDIATELY put you on your back I receive reversal points. Note:
Rolling someone over when you are mounted or in side control
is an escape not a reversal.
10.
No-Gi Attire: board shorts, fight shorts, singlets, or Gi pants
are required. Rash guards, t-shirts, tank tops, Wrestling shoes,
knee pads (non-medal braces), headgear, cups and mouth pieces
are optional.
11.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Attire: A clean solid colored uniform is
required to compete in the BJJ Division. Uniform Jacket must
have a four finger space at cuff and sleeves within 3” of
wrist. Pants must be within 3” of ankles.
12.
Code of Conduct: We will be enforcing a zero tolerance rule on
disrespecting, threatening with physical violence, or verbally
abusing referees or staff at any time before, during or after
the event. If any spectator, coach or competitor threatens or
abuses the referee in any shape or form, they will be escorted
out of the building.
For
Rules Packet and Regeistration form please email us at:
hawaii@otmfightshop.com
Online
regestration will be avaliable after May 18th at
www.grapplingtournaments.com
Online
Regestration now open at:
http://www.grapplingtournaments.com/platnew/index.php
Pre-Regestratoin
ends Wednesday June 25th.
|
Ortiz:
A top 10 fighter, or just another victim?
Spread
over a full season, pressures associated with a contract year
can be managed. But what about when everything an athlete has
worked for boils down to one 15-minute stretch?
For
Tito Ortiz, his strategy is to simply hope for the best.
Leading
up to the former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight
titleholder's fight against Lyoto Machida on May 24 -- the final
bout on his current UFC contract -- Ortiz repeated his intentions
of finding a new home because of a strained relationship with
the company's president, Dana White.
The
important question as we near Memorial Day weekend is whether
Ortiz can move into the open market as a viable Top 10 fighter
(as proven by a win over the young Brazilian), or if he'll limp
into the "MMA Wild West" as Machida's 13th straight
victim.
Many
seem to think Machida was handpicked to knock off Ortiz. A tricky
southpaw made more dangerous by staunch defense and accurate
counterpunching, Machida is expected to hold an edge over Ortiz
while they stand and trade. So, not surprisingly, it's on the
canvas where Ortiz and his supporters believe Machida could be
vulnerable for a loss. Inexperienced against anyone possessing
the wrestling chops of Ortiz, Machida is also in position to
answer questions surrounding his strengths and weaknesses as
a fighter.
Despite
being listed as an underdog, Ortiz appears to hold some advantages
in the fight. He's bigger and brings much more experience, just
to name two. For Ortiz to do well, he'll have to set the tone
early. Let's not forget, Forrest Griffin is a pretty tough guy,
and Ortiz nearly stopped him in the opening round. Under that
kind of onslaught, can Machida hold up? I'm not so sure.
While
a loss at this point of Machida's career wouldn't be devastating,
the same isn't necessarily true for Ortiz. If unscathed by the
fight with Machida, Ortiz is immediately worth more to promoters
who hope to cash in on his unique standing as a fighter. If beaten
and dismissed, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" would
remain marketable based more on the strength of his name than
the strength of his game.
But
let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's a real chance Ortiz
(15-5-1) could remain with the UFC. Never mind all the bluster
between him and White. We've heard it before and it's not like
these two haven't put aside personal differences to make money
together. (A couple years ago Ortiz was strongly rumored to be
heading to the World Fighting Alliance, but at the last minute
-- and for the right price -- he remained in the octagon.)
White
begrudgingly brought Ortiz back when he appeared destined for
the upstart promotion, billing itself as the UFC killer. Several
promotions in that mold are lurking around these days, and an
energized Ortiz could improve an organization's attempt to seize
on the sport's momentum.
One
thing remains certain when it comes to Ortiz: he knows how to
sell a fight. Look at the promotion leading into his contest
at UFC 84. With Machida's limited English making it tough to
engage in any kind of pre-fight verbal warfare, the back-and-forth
relationship with White, who has acted as Ortiz's foil for years
anyhow, has helped drive discussion of the card and Ortiz across
message boards and into columns.
It's
safe to say Ortiz's career won't be defined based on the result
of his performance on May 24. But a win against Machida, and
the subsequent departure from UFC, could thrust Ortiz back into
a spotlight that has dimmed in recent years.
Yup,
no pressure there.
What to watch this weekend
International
Fight League (HDNet, 8:30-11 p.m. ET, Friday)
Perhaps
you noticed a theme in my columns this week. Well, it would only
be appropriate to bookend articles following Dream 3 and leading
into B.J. Penn-Sean Sherk with a note on Friday's IFL card at
Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
The
card features three championship fights: a lightweight clash
between titleholder Ryan Schultz, of Team Quest in Gresham, Ore.,
and Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu's Deividas Taurosevicius; a heavyweight
title bout between champ Roy Nelson and Brad Imes; and a middleweight
championship between Ryan McGivern and Dan Miller. Needless to
say, this is a card worth watching.
Academy
of Country Music Awards (CBS, 8-11 p.m. ET, Sunday)
One
presenter at the CMA's, apparently, wasn't worthy enough to make
TVGuide.com's brief description of the proceedings: Reba McEntire
hosts the 43rd annual gala in Las Vegas, performers include Trace
Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Brooks and Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery
Gentry, Dolly Parton, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood.
Where's
Kimbo? Yes, the Kimbo Slice. The fighter is presenting at the
awards show, but the announcement of his appearance is what I'm
here for. I'm already nominating the inevitable YouTube clip
for next week's top five random MMA videos on SI.com. I'm hoping
he wears the same shirt that punctuated his appearance on the
co-promoted EliteXC/Strikeforce card at the end of March. Now
that's good TV.
Source: Sports Illustrated
|
Tyson
fight or no, Kimbo is no freakshow
It’s
hardly a stretch to suggest that Kimbo Slice is the Mike Tyson
of the 21st century. Tyson became a cultural phenomenon in the
1980s with his intimidating visage, powerful punches and almost
weekly appearances on ESPN.
Slice
shares the same intimidating look and powerful punching, but
his vehicle to stardom was the Internet video-sharing site, YouTube.
And
while Slice struggles to be taken seriously as a mixed martial
artist, calls are increasing for the pulverizing punchers of
past and present to meet in a cage. Slice’s promoter, Gary
Shaw, said he’s not encouraging such talk, given that Tyson
is retired and hasn’t fought in three years.
But
Shaw said he owes it to Slice to consider the bout if Tyson,
who appears to weigh nearly 300 pounds and hasn’t had a
win in more than five years, would agree to it.
“Call
it a freak show or a circus or whatever you want, but it would
be the most-watched pay-per-view event ever,” Shaw said.
There’s
little doubt of Slice’s importance to Elite XC, the mixed
martial arts promotional company that Shaw runs.
On
the most important card in mixed martial arts history, it’s
almost irrelevant what middleweight champion Robbie Lawler does.
Or his challenger, Scott Smith. Or what all but one of the other
athletes who will compete in the Elite XC show on May 31 at the
Prudential Center may do.
ADVERTISEMENT
The
success or failure of that show, and, perhaps with it, the company,
will depend upon the performance of Slice. He is in the main
event of the live first MMA show to be broadcast on network television
for a reason.
He’s
there, fighting James Thompson, because of the 2,065,443 views
the nine-minute video, “The Best of Kimbo Slice,” got
on YouTube.
He’s
there because of the 2,163,315 who went to the site to watch
his bare knuckles street fight with a guy known only as Adryan.
He’s
there because of the 2,313,241 who saw him lose his only one
of these types of bouts to a Boston policeman, Sean Gannon.
If
only those people who have watched Slice’s backyard fights
on the Internet tune in to watch him tear apart Thompson on CBS
on May 31, it will go a long way toward stabilizing Elite XC
and establishing it as a viable alternative to the UFC.
Elite
XC has been bleeding money and conceded in a recent filing with
the Securities & Exchange Commission that it has lost in
excess of $27 million in little more than a year. It may not,
it admits in the filing, have the money to make it through the
year.
Slice,
whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, is the one person who can
reverse that. If he brings the more than 10 million sets of eyeballs
who viewed his street fights on YouTube to CBS, it could change
the landscape on the MMA scene.
Both
Slice and Elite XC are in awkward positions, though. He’s
an extraordinarily powerful puncher, but he is only in the infancy
of his days as a mixed martial artist. It takes years to become
a competent and well-rounded mixed martial artist and Slice still
has much work to do.
That’s
why he’s been fed a series of tomato cans since turning
professional. In his first bout with Elite XC, he fought Bo Cantrell,
who was so intimidated he was tapping, it seemed, when Slice
gave him a dirty look. He was then matched with early UFC brawling
legend Tank Abbott, who had won exactly one fight in 10 years
and had been routinely knocked out early.
Most
matchmakers have the luxury of developing their quality prospects
slowly and exposing them to a variety of styles. But Slice was
a headliner from his first day in MMA, which changes the way
he has to be matched.
“There
is an ‘it’ factor that some guys have and some don’t,
and Kimbo has it,” promoter Gary Shaw said. “Oscar
De La Hoya has it. He is still a superstar, even though he doesn’t
have superstar skills any more. Tyson has it. When Tyson walks
into an arena, the place still erupts. I’ve been to a high-class
steakhouse with Kimbo and I’ve seen it.
People,
not just the young kids, all stand up and say, ‘Kimbo! Hey,
there’s Kimbo!’
“You
could take most of the best fighters in the world and have them
walk into a place like that and the maître d would say,
‘OK, we’ll have a table for you in 40 minutes.’
Kimbo is a superstar right now, and he’s only going to get
bigger.”
The
problem is that Slice is being treated like a curiosity more
than a developing athlete. Shaw spent much of the last few days
answering questions about whether he’d pair Slice with Tyson
and Eric “Butterbean” Esch, a 400-pounder whose shtick
was being billed as “The King of the Four-Rounders,”
rather than about whether he’d pair him with a competent
and trained MMA fighter.
Tyson
has never trained in MMA, hasn’t boxed since June 22, 2005,
and hasn’t won a fight in more than five years. He looks
like he weighs close to 300 pounds and only recently got out
of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.
Asking
a promoter if he’d want his fighter to face Tyson is like
asking a 20-something male if he’d like to date Scarlett
Johansson. Well, duh!
A
fight with Tyson would mean huge money, but it would be more
carnival act than serious competition.
And
Elite XC needs to steer Slice away from the carnival act side
of the business and convince a skeptical public that he’s
a real fighter.
His
highly regarded trainer, former UFC heavyweight champion Bas
Rutten, believes that he is. Rutten said he hopes Thompson can
push Slice in the May 31 bout so he can gauge where he is.
But
Rutten said he believes Slice could be ready for top 10-type
fighters as soon as perhaps two or three more bouts.
“We’re
building a fighter here, and we’re building a fighter who
is going to be very formidable before not too long,” Rutten
said. “He’s worked extremely hard. He was a hard puncher
when I first saw him, but he’s improved his striking greatly.
His footwork, his reach and his torque are all greatly improved.
“He’s
working on his submissions. That’s the area he’s most
green, but he’s learning. People said I was just a striker,
but more than half of my wins were by submission. It can be learned.
He’s already very good with his takedown defenses and his
escapes and reversals are surprisingly good.”
There
are critics, to be sure. UFC president Dana White bemoaned the
fact that Slice will headline on CBS during a conference call
on Thursday. White said he wanted to make certain that when MMA
first appeared on network television, it was with fighters who
upheld the sport’s image and traditions.
He
said his worst fears are being imagined as Elite XC parades Slice
out front and center.
“To
have CBS, a big network like that, move forward with a guy like
Kimbo Slice headlining it, there’s no secret that’s
what I tried to stay away from,” White said. “Kimbo
Slice isn’t a mixed martial artist. This guy was fighting
in your backyard three months ago and now he’s going to
be headlining on CBS. Personally, I think it sucks.”
Slice
eschews the notion he doesn’t belong in the national spotlight.
He’s been cast in some corners as a hoodlum, but shrugs
off the portrayals as inaccurate.
He
is, he insists, serious about becoming a complete MMA fighter
and not just a guy who can capitalize on a gangster image.
“I
don’t live a thug life,” Slice told the Ventura County
Star. “We go to church on Sundays … spend family time
together. I don’t portray a thug image.”
And
he shouldn’t be portrayed as a sideshow fighter, which is
how fights with men such as Tyson and Butterbean, would cast
him.
He’ll
have a short shelf life if that’s how he’s matched.
The hard-core fans will always be captivated, but the general
public who, as Rutten says, have no idea who Fedor Emelianenko
is, will soon move to other things.
But
if Rutten is correct and Slice can become one of the world’s
elite heavyweights, he’ll not only save Elite XC, but he
also can play a pivotal role in legitimizing MMA to the masses.
Matchmaking
for Slice is critical.
“We
don’t want him to be treated like a circus act, because
he’s not,” Rutten said. “He’s a legitimate
fighter who is working extremely hard – I mean as hard as
anyone I’ve ever seen – and who is getting better so
quickly. Kimbo is a nice, respectful person to everyone he meets
and he’s taking the sport super seriously. He deserves that
same kind of respect in return.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Five
Ounces of Pain: 'TUF' coaches least of show's worries
SpikeTV
announced this week that UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir
will serve as coaches for the eighth installment of The Ultimate
Fighter reality television series, which is scheduled to debut
Wednesday, Sept. 19.
The
eighth season will feature two weight classes, lightweights and
light heavyweights, and will serve as a prelude to Nogueira defending
his title vs. Mir on pay-per-view before year's end.
Thus
far, the reaction to the announcement on the MMA blogosphere
and the message forums has not been positive. In fact, the reaction
has been overwhelmingly negative.
But
are Nogueira and Mir really so bad as choices?
"Mir is a big personality with an incredible résumé
that is primed to regain his title," Brian Diamond, Spike
TV senior vice president of sports and specials, said when contacted
by CBSSports.com. "'Minotauro' was a true legend in Japan
with PRIDE and a legit superstar. Just like we did for Chuck
Liddell, Matt Hughes, Rampage Jackson, etc. -- this is a chance
for Spike TV to introduce the non-hardcore MMA fans to these
two great competitors."
Diamond's
logic is on the money in regard to the show's ability to make
new stars. Furthermore, it's important not to lose sight of the
fact that the fighters actually do have to coach, and Nogueira
and Mir without question bring a lot to the table in that regard.
Even the most experienced fighter can learn from the wealth of
grappling knowledge that Nogueira and Mir possess.
Do
Nogueira and Mir possess the natural comedic ability being displayed
by both Forrest Griffin and Quinton Jackson during the current
season of TUF? Absolutely not. But how many fighters do?
Mir
brings a lot of name recognition to the coaching slot thanks
in large part to his former reign as a UFC heavyweight champion
and through his color commentary responsibilities on VERSUS during
WEC telecasts.
Mir
also has a tremendous backstory, having nearly lost his leg during
a serious motorcycle accident in 2005 that prematurely ended
his title reign. Coming off two consecutive wins, he now finds
himself in a position to regain all that was lost, and possibly
more.
As
for Nogueira, he might not be overly recognizable to mainstream
fans, but isn't that all the more reason to have him involved?
As Diamond indicated, part of the power of the promotional vehicle
that is TUF is the ability to create new stars.
Nogueira
is an amazing fighter who carries a tremendous amount of credibility
with the sport's hardcore fans. Putting the spotlight on him
and exposing him to the North American MMA audience is something
that's been long overdue. Of all the promotion's current champions,
he's the least known. As such, who can fault the UFC for taking
measures to remedy that problem?
If
you still don't like the selection of Mir and Nogueira as coaches,
that's perfectly fine. However, the reality is that the amount
of ideal candidates to appear on the show as coaches is dwindling.
A fighter such as welterweight title contender Jon Fitch would
benefit greatly by a turn on TUF. However, the welterweight title
was already put on ice for an extended period of time after Matt
Serra and Matt Hughes served as coaches during the show's sixth
season.
Current
lightweight champion B.J. Penn and former champion Sean Sherk
would have made for an explosive dynamic, but their May 24 title
clash has been on the books for quite some time and Penn has
gone on the record to say he would never serve as a TUF coach
again.
Anderson
Silva would also benefit greatly from the added exposure, but
his English is still a work in progress. And pairing him with
his next likely opponent, Yushin Okami, isn't really a combination
that would make for intriguing television despite the fact that
there is some heat between the two.
As
you can see, the options are limited unless Spike TV and the
UFC wanted to do something unconventional. They could take two
top fighters such as Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin and put
them on opposite sides as they promote a "dream match"
between the two. But neither fighter has any known issues with
the other and neither fighter currently holds a title.
The
UFC could always go out and sign two signature fighters from
its past, such as Tank Abbott and Ken Shamrock, and build toward
a grudge match. But what's the upside in devoting a lot of camera
time and promotional dollars toward fighters who are only a part
of the promotion's past, and not its present or future?
The
truth of the matter is that the role of coaches as ratings draws
could also be overblown. Unless the two coaches have a legitimate
feud that spills out on camera -- such as in season three with
Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz, and then season six with Matt Hughes
and Matt Serra -- you're not going to get those explosive moments
that create a buzz. For all the animosity that existed between
Jens Pulver and B.J. Penn in Season 5, there wasn't the big eruption
that could be played up on an upcoming episode such as the pull
a part between Ortiz and Shamrock.
To
show just how little impact coaching choices have on the ratings
of the show, look no further than the current season. Despite
Jackson and Griffin being two of the most charismatic fighters
that the sport has to offer right now, TUF recorded its lowest
rating ever for its Week 5 episode.
According
to Adam Swift of MMAPayout.com, a website that focuses on the
business side of MMA, the episode for that week recorded a household
rating of 0.9. And Week 5 wasn't an isolated case, as ratings
for the entire season have trended downward in comparison to
last.
"Through
Week 6, the household rating is down 3.5 percent from last season
to a 1.08 average compared to a 1.12 last season," Swift
indicated during an e-mail interview with CBSSports.com.
"The
first six seasons combined averaged a 1.37 household rating and
a 2.13 in the 18-34 male demographic, so compared to that we're
talking about Season 7 performing 21.2 percent and 21.6 percent
respectively under the series averages," Swift continued.
"If you look at the ratings season by season what you see
if that the series peaked in Season 3 with Shamrock-Ortiz, fell
off dramatically in Season 4, and has been about five percent
each season in the household rating."
In
response to the decrease in the household rating, Spike TV officials
raise a valid point in that TUF isn't the only programming to
be affected by an increase in viewership for the NBA Playoffs
this year. The network also counters that while the overall household
ratings are down, ratings for the show in the coveted demographic
of males 18-34 have been the strongest they've been in quite
some time.
"We
are seeing the highest numbers for men 18-34 since Season 4,"
said Diamond. "But the NBA playoffs are seeing a huge increase
so we -- and everyone else -- are experiencing a slight dip with
older guys."
While
TUF has been facing tough competition from the NBA playoffs,
this isn't the first time it has gone head-to-head with major
sporting events. The show was also moved from Thursdays to Wednesday
in large part because of competition. And the fact remains that
the show's ratings in recent seasons have been trending downward
as opposed to seeing its viewership grow.
A
big concern is the fact that in response to the criticisms of
hardcore fans, the show has focused less on drama inside the
TUF mansion and focused more on the actual fights. Despite the
fact that the past two episodes of TUF have featured a total
of four fights, the ratings have yet to respond.
In
the end, the jury is still out whether the decision to use Nogueira
and Mir as coaches will have any impact -- positive or negative
-- on the ratings.
Factors
such as coaches, number of fights, and caliber of fighters could
be irrelevant at this stage if the public simply has determined
that the show's format has become stale. Such an occurrence is
not uncommon when it comes to reality shows.
"Most
television shows, and reality shows in particular, show long
deterioration in their ratings because the audience grows accustomed
to the product and gradually loses interest," Swift stated.
"Look at American Idol, the most popular television show
on the planet. This season, despite what some have said is it
strongest cast ever, the numbers are down."
If
the mass audience has grown weary of TUF, the best way to satisfy
MMA viewers might be to go with a format that features no coaches.
Under the terms of the UFC's new contract with Spike TV, 2009
could be the last season of The Ultimate Fighter. It is set to
be replaced by a new live fight series to begin in 2010.
The
new format is rumored to feature a tournament format that would
play out over an extended 2-4 month period. It will basically
be TUF's tournament concept culminating with the winner receiving
a UFC contract., except that it will be live and entrants will
not be living in seclusion for six weeks. The series would not
run 52 weeks, but would instead feature shorter seasons.
All
things considered, perhaps it might not be a bad idea to expedite
TUF's retirement in favor of the new format. When asked about
that possibility, Diamond was non-committal about any plans beyond
the show's eighth season.
"The
network focus is on Season 8 right now," he responded. "One
we're up and rolling we'll know more of what's in store for Season
9 and beyond. Stay tuned."
Source: Sportsline
|
It's
doomsday for Jason
By MICHAEL BISPING
I
WASN'T shocked that Chris Leben had to pull out of our fight
at UFC 85.
The
UFC called me to say they were preparing a backup opponent in
case he had visa issues or problems getting into the UK at this
end, so I was prepared for it.
So
Jason Day is the guy I’m now going to be fighting. It’s
a little bit frustrating because Chris Leben is a well-recognised
name and a good fighter and a lot of people were looking forward
to that fight – as was I – because he would have been
a good test at middleweight.
Everyone
knows who Leben is and if I’d beaten him it would have given
me a lot of credit. But I believe Jason Day is just as dangerous
an opponent – he beat Alan Belcher who’s a pretty strong
fighter and he’s 18-3 I believe but he’s not known
to the general public. It’s only the hardcore MMA fans who
know who he is.
It’s
a difficult situation because if I beat him, people will be asking
who the hell was he and if I lose, to some people it might look
like I’ve been beaten up by a nobody, so it’s kind
of frustrating.
But
at the same time I’m a professional fighter and regardless
of who the opponent is I’m there to fight.
Most
of the time I go into the Octagon the same fighter, but I was
preparing for a southpaw fighter as that’s what Chris is
but Jason is more orthodox and tactical, so all my preparation
has gone out the window.
I
can’t find out that much information about him myself. I’m
still waiting for the UFC to send through some tapes of him for
me to study a little bit more closely, but I know he’s got
a good jiu jitsu pedigree and has won a lot of fights by submission.
I’m
assuming he’s going to be a bit more of a technical fighter
than Leben is and I think he’ll look to take me down, but
I’m not bothered about that – I’m confident on
the ground.
I’ve
just brought in a new jiu jitsu coach who has won the world title
three times and he’s won various titles in the States as
well, so he’ll be working very closely with me for the next
four weeks.
I
respect Jason Day for what he did to Alan Belcher but jiu jitsu
guys aren’t really a problem for me and I’m planning
on going through him.
In
terms of the rest of the night’s card, I think Joe Silva
deserves a lot of credit. He’s had a lot to deal with sorting
out UFC 85 – it's been ridiculous. He’s been working
his a*** off round the clock sorting this fight card out –
he did it on one day’s notice with my fight, there was Chuck
Liddell to sort out, Paul Kelly’s had to pull out because
he’s injured. Jonathan Goulet’s injured too and it’s
like UFC 85 is cursed!
Source: The Sun
|
Machida
could make big name
The
third, and in many ways, key player in Saturday night’s
Tito Ortiz-Dana White drama: unbeaten Brazilian-born Lyoto Machida.
Machida,
who years ago was groomed for superstar status in Japan but never
quite achieved it, may have his career in the U.S. determined
largely based on Saturday’s fight.
He’ll
either be remembered as the guy who sent Ortiz out of the UFC
with his tail between his legs, and in the process put himself
in line for a light heavyweight title shot, or he’ll be
the guy whose loss led to one of the company’s most embarrassing
moments, allowing former light heavyweight champion Ortiz to
upstage White, UFC’s president.
White
almost never talks about whom he wants to see win a fight, but
he’s publicly stated he wants Machida to beat the hell out
of Ortiz. Within the MMA world, where both White and Ortiz are
polarizing figures, this may not be the biggest match of the
year, but it is the most anticipated.
If
Ortiz wins what appears to be his final UFC match, he’ll
likely walk out of the cage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with
a smile on his face.
And
that would be a moment of truth. Would the UFC broadcast cut
out of the ring and go to a pre-taped segment, robbing Ortiz
of his last interview, for fear of what he will say? Will they
cut away after the decision? Or will they treat it like every
other match, and afterward erase Ortiz from their history and
never let a camera near him when he corners fighters or sits
in the stands at shows in the future?
“I
know there are problems between Dana White and Tito Ortiz,”
said Machida through interpreter Derek Lee. “But I have
nothing to do with it. That’s their problems.”
Machida
is the antithesis of Ortiz. He quietly wins all his fights, sporting
a 12-0 record, usually one-sided, but seven of the wins have
come via decision. Ortiz is brash and controversial, tremendous
at hyping fights and his track record as a drawing card speaks
for itself.
Machida
is quiet out of the cage and stoic inside. Some believe that
after four wins in UFC competition, the most recent on Dec. 29
over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Machida deserves a title shot.
“I’m
prepared for a title shot,” he said. “Every fight I
get more comfortable. But the UFC and the fans will choose when
I get a title shot.”
From
a marketing standpoint there are obvious drawbacks. He’s
not particularly charismatic, doesn’t speak English and
he doesn’t have an exciting style. But he is different from
any top fighter in the sport, and fighting him has become a puzzle
that nobody has figured out.
Machida
is the betting line favorite over his more famous opponent, because
his unique skill set, which blends aspects of point karate and
sumo, makes him a difficult match-up for almost anyone.
“Tito
is very, very strong, and has a good ground and pound game, but
his other skills are not so efficient,” he said. “I
want to beat him at his strength.”
Machida
trained a few weeks in San Jose, Calif., at the American Kickboxing
Academy, but most of his training has been done near his home
in Northern Brazil with his brother and father and a boxing coach,
with emphasis on ground training and takedown defense.
His
childhood background combined two disciplines that aren’t
supposed to work in MMA competition. He started point karate
at the age of four, learning from his Japanese father, a master
at the sport. This has translated well into MMA because his style
is to move in, strike and move out of range. He’s taken
little punishment in fights, but the downside is many of those
bouts are dull to spectators.
Machida
started sumo at the age of eight. It gave him his excellent base
and balance which has allowed him to make his point karate style
work. As a teenager, he started Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which keeps
him out of trouble when he gets to the ground.
In
his past two matches, Machida outgrappled two high-level judo
fighters, Kazuhiro Nakamura, a former Japanese national champion,
and Sokoudjou, who is also world class in the sport.
Although
Machida grew up in Brazil, his early career and fame occurred
in Japan. He was recruited to Japan by another half-Brazilian,
half-Japanese fighter, famed pro wrestler Antonio Inoki. Machida
wasn’t dynamic in winning his early MMA fights and while
his stamp as Inoki’s protege garnered tons of publicity,
he didn’t have a star’s charisma, despite a perfect
fight record.
In
2003, Machida stopped both a pre-“Ultimate Fighter”
Stephan Bonnar via a cut stoppage, and at one of the big New
Year’s Eve shows, knocked out Rich Franklin before Franklin
became a UFC star. He also beat current UFC lightweight champ
B.J. Penn in 2005 in a freak show match. At the time, Machida
weighed 220 and Penn bulked up to around 185. Machida did barely
enough to win, even with his big size edge.
“At
the time, neither of us was very experienced,” said Machida,
who downplays the result of the match. “I fought but I congratulate
B.J. for stepping up and fighting someone so much bigger.”
Machida
always dreamed of fighting in UFC or Pride, but Pride and Inoki
had a behind-the-scenes falling out, so that became politically
impossible. Then, in 2006, Inoki and Machida went their separate
ways. Machida broke into the American market with the World Fighting
Alliance, and when that company went down in 2006 and UFC bought
the remnants, like with Quinton Jackson, Machida’s contract
was picked up in the sale.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Quote
of the Day
“We
are most alive when we're in love.”
John Updike, American Novelist and Short Story Writer
|
Cheick
Kongo vs. Dan Evenson at UFC 87
UFC
heavyweight Cheick Kongo announced on his blog Sunday that his
next opponent will be 3-time Bodog Fight competitor Dan Evenson.
The
two will meet on Saturday, August 9 at UFC 87: Seek and Destroy
at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Kongo
(11-4-1) recently lost to Heath Herring by split decision at
UFC 82 in March. Prior to the bout, Kong was 4-1 inside the Octagon,
including a win over PRIDE 2006 Grand Prix champion Mirko "Cro
Cop" Filipovic.
Evenson
(10-2) will be making his UFC debut coming off an undefeated
2007, compiling four wins in the now-defunct Bodog Fight and
IFO organizations.
The
two other bouts confirmed for UFC 87 are Brock Lesnar vs. Mark
Coleman, and Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
87: Seek and Destroy announced
The
UFC announced today that it will hold its first event in Minnesota
on Saturday, August 9 at the Target Center.
The
event, UFC 87: Seek and Destory, will be headlined by a heavyweight
bout between Brock Lesnar and Mark Coleman. Also on the card
is a lightweight bout between Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta.
Tickets
will be available for the general public on Sunday, May 25 at
12:00pm CT. UFC Fight Club members can purchase the tickets on
Thursday, May 22 and newsletter subscribers can purchase tickets
on Saturday, May 24.
CURRENT
FIGHT CARD:
Brock
Lesnar vs. Mark Coleman
Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta
Cheick Kongo vs. Dan Evenson
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Urijah
Faber open to changing weight classes
If
Urijah Faber gets past Jens Pulver on June 1st and continues
to run through the competition in the 145-pound division, the
former UC Davis wrestler will be open to changing weight classes.
"I've
had talks about going up to 155 and I've had talks about going
down to 135," Faber told the ESPN Florida radio show Between
The Ropes. "If it's a super fight and for the right money
I'll fight anybody. Right now I'm taking it one fight at a time
and there are still a lot of challengers out there at 145."
Faber
(20-1), the WEC's 145-pound champion, is considered one of the
top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, which has often led
him to be compared to another lighter weight fighter, and that's
Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto (17-1).
"I
think it's something that can happen," Faber said. "I
hear he's at 135 now. I would have no problem dropping down to
135 to fight the big fights down there. That's a fight that everyone
wants to see and I'd love to make it happen."
The
likelihood of Faber fighting Yamamoto is a long shot, but it's
not entirely impossible. The WEC allowed Rani Yahya, a former
WEC bantamweight title contender, to fight Yamamoto at "K-1
Premium 2007 Dynamite!!" last New Year's Eve.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Will
the Axe Murderer show up at UFC 84?
As
we move into the coming week before UFC 84, many questions are
going to be asked in regards to the three main card matchups
that will be featured. One of those questions will be whether
or not the Axe Murderer is going to be the fuel behind Wanderlei
Silva. Is the dominating terror from PRIDE going to steamroll
Keith Jardine?
From
a fan’s perspective, I must argue a biased opinion that
Wanderlei Silva must come into this bout with a hunger to destroy
Keith Jardine. Playing it safe will never be Wanderlei’s
gameplan and his legacy as an absolutely scary nightmare of an
opponent needs some validation to the UFC fanbase. There were
days in the past when Wanderlei’s entrance to the PRIDE
ring caused shivers down spines and created hysterical excitement
from even the most hardcore fans. Those days have passed by,
but I believe Wanderlei has one more run in his tank.
Luke
Thomas pointed out that Jardine’s style doesn’t bode
well for Silva’s assumed gameplan of rushing forward. His
analysis is spot on that Jardine’s use of his range will
be a formidable counter to Silva’s rushes, and it should
be a big test to see whether Silva can get inside on Jardine.
While I agree with his assessment, I’m going to go against
the grain in this particular matchup. I’m picking Wanderlei
Silva.
As
of late, I’ve been increasingly becoming more and more disappointed
with the current pedigree of fighters coming out of the minor
leagues. While I understand that wrestling and ground control
is a huge advantage, it makes for some ridiculously boring battles
at times. Jiu-jitsu’s chess game and strategy adds a lot
of excitement for me, but the ground and pounders with little
submission ability continue to litter the canvas of the future.
The only real plus is that there is still a lot of talent out
there that hasn’t reached my ears yet that will likely surprise
us all.
I’m
ready to move back to a nostalgic period for one weekend. I want
to see the old Wanderlei Silva. The man who came to the ring
with a grudge on his face, an evil stare that could strike fear
into your heart, and the menacing demeanor that was the Axe Murderer.
In his most recent bout with Chuck Liddell, I saw the Silva that
wanted to please fans. I want to see the Silva that needs to
prove to us that he is still menacing. All business, heavy hands,
relentless rushes, and no guts, no glory… one last run for
the fans who remember your dominance.
Source: MMA Analyst
|
The
Ultimate Fighter: Tale of two philosophies
It’s the inevitable battle that sports-themed shows end
up running into during their careers on television. Should the
show focus more on the drama or the actual sport? It’s been
a topic of interest in the blogosphere recently due to The Ultimate
Fighter’s shift toward more fight action as opposed to drama
from the spats in the fighter house. Which do we prefer?
In my honest opinion, I could care less which philosophy edges
out the other. The show, for me, has become as dull as it could
be, and it stems from the actual talent in the cage week to week
rather than how the show is formatted. Luke Thomas over at BloodyElbow.com
hit the point that the talent outside the UFC that they can bring
in for the show has dropped off, and I believe that to be very
true. Other organizations are signing on the unsigned talent
before the UFC can bring them on for the show, and it’s
going to likely continue for the next year while ProElite is
still in business and Affliction & Adrenaline try to build
rosters.
For other fans who are actually interested in the entertainment
side of the show, drama is likely to be something that the casual
fanbase wants to be included in the show. After all, arguments,
rants, and spats between competing fighters in the house make
for some great storylines and tension leading up to a bout. It’s
no secret that Tito and Ken’s hatred for each other produced
ratings on what many hardcore fans knew was a “past his
prime” Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz season.
What can improve the show in regards to producing drama that
will engage the viewer? I’m not sure the show can really
come out of the funk it is currently in without some major changes.
A season of nothing but a bunch of fighters who hate each other
would likely set off some alarms for drama, or another season
with two coaches who want to tear each other apart would likely
work, but what could change for the future?
Here’s a sure-fire way to create huge drama, and the formula
is simple if you look at most major networks primetime lineups.
Most of the drama on primetime television involves women and
men and a bunch of tension in the workplace due to sexual innuendo.
Grey’s Anatomy couples that along with high tension situations,
medical terms, operations, and death, and the same could be said
for House or ER. Most of the drama in comedies revolves around
similar paths. Death, love, and animosity seem to be what drama
is created from with most of the shows.
TUF already has the animosity factor, and the show has used it
brilliantly in the past. Each of these fighters puts their life
on the line in the cage as well, but it definitely isn’t
comparable to open heart surgery on a primetime drama medical
show. What doesn’t the house have?
Women… here’s my half jokingly way to infuse the house
with drama. 16 single fighters, 8 single women… same format,
add in a few short fuses, and you have the most drama filled
hour of reality television that MMA has ever seen. Maybe that’s
a complete joke of an idea, but it’s better than seeing
two guys gets mad over lime juice in some damn chewing tobacco.
I haven’t obviously thought this through completely either.
Why would the women be there? Just to create drama? I have no
idea how you’d do it, or if maybe all these girls were fighters.
Obviously, at this juncture, women in the house wouldn’t
fly as fighters since the UFC has yet to expand to women’s
MMA.
As much as I’d love to think this was a legitimate idea,
it sounds like a ploy that FOX would come up with. A Paradise
Island / Ultimate Fighter mashup, if you will. Nonetheless, something
has to change on the Ultimate Fighter to make it more interesting
for everyone. Hardcore fans love the fights, but the fights don’t
have a lot of meaning without a little bit of bite behind them.
Low ratings won’t help the show continue either, but then
again, the UFC may be looking forward to getting rid of the show
for a different format down the line.
Source: MMA Analyst
|
Penn-Sherk
showdown should be classic grudge match
At
UFC 84, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will present the most
high profile lightweight fight in the company's history. B.J.
Penn and Sean Sherk will fight to determine the best lightweight
in UFC and to settle what has become a personal issue between
the two.
In
July 2007, Sherk successfully defended his UFC Lightweight Title
with a decision victory over Hermes Franca. Following the fight,
Sherk tested positive for Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. Sherk
protested the test result vehemently, but he was stripped of
his title and suspended from fighting.
Penn
at the time was in line for a lightweight title shot, and he
strongly bashed Sherk for the positive test result.
"It's
hard for me, a guy who has never used performance enhancing drugs,"
Penn says. "It gets to me when I find out someone else is
using performance enhancing drugs. I see fighting as the most
important thing in the world to me, and when someone else perverts
it, I can't take it."
"What
happens in the wild west when you've got a couple aces up your
sleeve?" Penn asks. "You get shot."
With
Sherk stripped of the lightweight title, Penn defeated Joe Stevenson
to capture that vacated crown. Now, Penn will have the opportunity
to add injury to insult by defeating the returning Sherk.
Some
have speculated that Penn is playing psychological games to take
Sherk out of his game. If that's the case, it is a ploy that
Sherk insists will not work.
"I
take control of my emotions," Sherk asserts. "I don't
let my emotions get the best of me I prepare for the fighter
or athlete, not what the fighter or athlete says about me."
Sherk
will need to be at his best and most focused to defeat Penn,
widely considered one of the most talented pound-for-pound fighters
in the world. Penn has made short work of many top-tier fighters,
and he will look to finish Sherk as quickly as possible.
"I
don't think B.J. presents any extra threat anyone else poses,"
Sherk says. "I've fought great boxers, I've fought great
wrestlers, I've fought great jiu jitsu guys."
While
that is true, Sherk has rarely fought anyone as good as Penn
at some many different disciplines. Penn has a dangerous standup
game that has finished top opponents in just seconds. He has
tremendous balance that makes him hard to be taken down. On the
ground, Penn has great flexibility and a world class jiu jitsu
game. In the early stages of the fight, Penn will be especially
dangerous.
Sherk's
advantage lies if the fight goes longer. Sherk is a cardiovascular
machine, able to go a hard 25 minutes. Penn's stamina by contrast
has been a weakness for him. Jens Pulver and Matt Hughes defeated
Penn by weathering an early storm and taking over later in the
fight.
Penn
insists that this will not be an issue against Sean Sherk.
"All
I can do is get into the best shape that I can," Penn says.
"I did everything I could possibly do. I'm coming to win
the fight."
Penn
vs. Sherk is a pivotal fight for both men and for the UFC as
a company. All have much to be gained or lost depending on how
the fight goes.
For
Penn, a win over Sherk is a chance to demonstrate the consistency
that all truly elite fighters have. Penn's career has featured
flashes of brilliance, but he has often followed up his biggest
wins with significant setbacks. Establishing dominance of the
155 pound division is important to his legacy as a fighter.
For
Sherk, a victory over Penn could be the star-making performance
of his career. Sherk has been highly successful in MMA, but he
hasn't won a large fanbase or made main event money along the
way. A win over the charismatic star Penn has the potential to
elevate Sherk's stature in the sport.
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship is hoping for an exciting fight
that will establish the 155 pound division as a division that
can sell pay-per-view buys. Lightweights have rarely headlined
UFC events, and Penn vs. Sherk will almost certainly be the highest
grossing event headlined by a lightweight fight. A memorable
fight is imperative to ensuring that the success of this event
is not a one time thing.
Source: Sportsline
|
MAN
UP AND STAND UP
SUNDAY MAY 25
FILCOM CENTER
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
ATISANOE ATISANOE 300+ SHHELTON MAAVE
SEAN ORTIZ 120 KANALOA COOKE
KELII KAMALU 140 CLEM HALLOWAY
DENNIS CABAHIT 145 DERRICK KAWALO
MAKI PITOLO 200 KALAI IRVINE
DALLAS 200+ BRANDON NALEEHA
ROYAL LONO 205 DAVID VARQUEZ
RICHARD HIT TOO HARD BARNARD 152 MIKE BALASI
JAMES PERGANON 135 ALA
IKAIKA SILVA 195 KIMO
DESMOND TALUB 165 RYAN DESOTO (THE PHARMACIST)
JON MENDONSA 150 COLIN INTENSITY MCKENZIE
FERDINAND RAMIREZ 155 CHAD VALENTINE
JAY WESTBROOK 250+ OTTO HOOPII
DENNIS MONTERA 110 JUSTIN KAHALEWAI
SAI CRAWFORD 75 ELYJAH BADUA
DALE KAMAI 170 TODD YOUNG
PHILLIP AKUI 170 VINCE TOKASHIKI
ANDREW 135 CHEVY RAQUEDAN
MIKE MCNAAB 190 MARIO DIVAS
all matches & participants are subject to change
Source: Derrick Bright
|
Maui Jiu-Jitsu BJJ
Tournament Date Announced!
On July 26th, Maui Jiu-Jitsu will host another one of their great
tournaments on the Valley isle. Stay tuned for more details as
they become available.
|
Hawaiian
Open Championship BJJ Tourney Date Change!
The Hawaiian
Open Championship BJJ Tourney Has Been Moved To Sunday, June
1st!
HAWAIIAN
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Competitor
Fees:
Adults: $65
Kids: $35
When:
Sunday June 1, 2008
11am Kids Rules Clinic & Kids Matches
PM Adult Matches
Location:
Klum Gym
University of Hawaii
TIMELINE:
http://www.hawaiitriplecrown.com/
EARLY
ONLINE REGISTRATION DEADLINE
(1 WEEK PRIOR TO EVENT DAY)
LATE
ONLINE REGISTRATION DEADLINE
(5 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT DAY)
"PRE-REGISTERED"
CHECK BY APPLICANTS
(4 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT DAY).
ALL
ERRORS MUST BE ADDRESSED BY THIS DATE OR NO.BRACKETS POSTED ON
WEBSITE
(2-3 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT DAY)
Divisions:
Adult, Kids, Women, All Weight Divisions, All Levels.
The Adult division is open for everyone, but athletes of other
age
divisions willing to compete here will not be allowed to fight
in their own
division (athletes can only enroll in one age division)
Medals
for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place
Most Technical Competitor Award
Team competition trophy and prizes
STAFF
Time/Score keepers and Referees are needed for the Hawaiian Open
2008
Would
you like a front row seat to see the Hawaiian Open Championship?
Help
our sport grow and be an active part of the development of Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu?
We
are currently filling staff positions for the Hawaiian Open 2008.
We are
in need of Time/Score keepers and referees. You do not have to
have any
experience to be a time keeper, just the willingness to hang
in there for a
long fun filled day. We will offer a staff meeting at the start
of the day
to answer any questions that you might have.
Information:
Hawaii Triple Crown Staff
|
Punishment
in Paradise
Pound 4
Pound
June 6, 2008
Ahuna Ranch, Maili
Source: Brennan Kamaka
|
Boxing
at Palolo Gym!
Boxing
Show will be on Sat. June 7th at Palolo Gym starting at 6 p.m.
Admission will be $10. It's a fundraiser to help the Hawaii Junior
Olympic Boxing Team. If you need more info. email me back.
Thanks
for the Support!!
Bruce Kawano
Hawaii Junior Olympic Regional Coordinator/Team Manager.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chairman.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Board of Dir./Gov.
Ringside Board of Advisors.
NMU Boxing Program Task Force Member.
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tuesdays!
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. Interview 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
|
Fighters'
Club Radio Mondays!
FIGHTERS
CLUB RADIO
MONDAY MAY 19
9AM-10AM
RIGHT AFTER LEAHEY & LEAHEY
AM
1500 RADIO
"THE TEAM, HAWAII'S SPORTING NEWS"
THE
BIG TOPIC:
WHEN IS A FIGHTER "READY" TO STEP INTO THE CAGE/RING
TO COMPETE?
OTHER
TOPICS:
- X1 REVIEW AND OPINIONS
- ANYONE WATCH THE X1 PPV OR STREAM? HOW WAS IT?
- UFC "ILL WILL" PREVIEW
- WOMEN IN MMA? GOOD OR BAD?
- MEET THE "K-TEAM" IN KANEOHE
- BUILDING HAWAII'S TOP 10 LIST OF UP-AND-COMERS
DONT
MISS:
- THE GLACEAU CHALLENGE
- OTM SPECIAL OFFER OF THE WEEK
FAN
LINE: 296-1500
THANKS
TO OUR SPONSORS:
- OTM "ON THE MAT" ON BERETANIA
- GLACEAU VITAMIN ENERGY
- EN FUEGO GRILL AND POKE
- MUSCLE MILK
- BRIT'S AUTO BODY |
|