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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2009
1/31/09
UFC 93 BJ vs GSP
(PPV, Las Vegas, NV)
1/30/09
MMA Event
(MMA)
(Schofield Barracks)
1/24/09
Eddie Bravo Seminar
(BJJ)
1/10/09
Jiu-Jitsu
Tournament
(Gi & No Gi)
(Binhi At Ani Maui Filipino Community Center)
1/3/08
Uprising - Maui
(MMA)
(Binhi
At Ani Maui Filipino Community Center)
Hazardous Warfare - Maui
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center)
2008
12/27/08
UFC 92
(PPV, Las Vegas, NV)
12/20/08
4th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
12/14/08
Submission Wrestling Tournament
(Sub Wrestling)
(IWFF School, Maui)
12/13/08
The Ultimate Fighter 8 Final
(PPV, Las Vegas, NV)
12/10/08
UFC Fight
For The Troops
(Spike TV)
11/25/08
X-1 at Cirque Hawaii
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Cirque Hawaii, Waikiki)
11/22/08
Longman Jiu-Jitsu Open
(BJJ)
(Kauai Veterans Center,
Lihue, Kauai)
Hawaiian
Classic Kickboxing
(Kickboxing)
(Kalaheo H.S. Gym)
11/21/08
UFC: Penn-GSP Press Conference
(Blaisdell Concert Hall)
X1 World
Events
(Boxing & MMA)
(O'Lounge Night Club)
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
11/15/08
Detiny
(MMA)
(Aloha Tower Pier)
Aloha State Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
UFC 91
(PPV, Portland, OR)
11/7/08
HFC Stand Your Ground IX
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
10/25/08
X-1
(MMA & Boxing)
(Palolo Hongwangji Hall)
UFC 90
(PPV, Chicago, IL)
10/19/08
Clay Guida Seminar
(Icon Fitness & MMA Gym)
10/18/08
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
UFC 89
(PPV, Birmingham, England)
10/17/08
Hawaiian Amateur Pankration Association
Presents
Friday Night Fights At Pipeline Café
(MMA)
(Pipeline Cafe, Honolulu)
10/12/08
HFL Championships
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
10/11/08
NAGA
(BJJ & Sub Wrestling)
(Blaisdell)
10/10/08
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
10/4/08
The Quest
for Champions Martial Arts Tournament
(Sport-Pankration, Submission Grappling and Continuous Sparring)
(Kalani High School Gym)
EliteXC on CBS
(TV)
808MMA
(TV)
9/27/08
X-1 Presents Temple of Boom
(Palolo Hongwanji, Honolulu)
(MMA & Boxing)
9/20/08
Boxing
(Palolo District Park)
(Boxing)
9/17/08
UFC Fight Night 15
(PPV, Omaha, NE)
9/7/08
2008 Samahan Filipino
Martial Arts Tournament
(Forms, Fighting, Masters Demonstrations)
(Pearl City High School Gym)
9/6/08
UFC 88:
Break Through
(MMA)
(PPV)
9/5/08
Got Skillz Fighter
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
8/23/08 & 8/24/08
Hawaii Training Ctr Boxing
(Boxing)
(Waipio
Industrial Court)
8/15/08
MMA At The O
(MMA)
(O Lounge Night Club)
8/14/08
Paragon Fighter
(Kickboxing)
(O Lounge)
8/9/08
K-1 Hawaii Grand Prix
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Stan Sheriff Center, UH at Manoa)
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Kalaheo High School)
UFC 87
(MMA)
(PPV)
7/26/08
Maui Jiu-Jitsu BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/19/08
Kawano B.C., Palolo B.C., & USA-Boxing Hawai Amateur Boxing
Show
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
Affliction - Fedor vs. Sylvia
(PPV)
7/12/08
Aloha State
Mixed Martial Arts Competition
10AM - 7PM
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
7/11/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 10
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballrooms)
7/5/08
UFC 86 - Jackson vs. Griffin
(PPV)
6/27-29/08
OTM Pacific Submission
Grappling Tournament
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
MMA Expo
(Blaisdell Convention Center)
6/21/08
Hawaii
Xtreme Combat
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Maui)
Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale
6/20/08
Paragon
(MMA Hybred)
(O Lounge)
6/15/08
Grapplefest
(Submission Grappling)
Anderson Silva Seminar
Studio 4, UH at Manoa
1-4PM
$100
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Seminar
Tropic Lightning TKD
Waipahu
5-7PM
$60
6/14/08
EliteXC
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
6/7/08
UFC 85 - Bedlam
(PPV)
6/6/08
Punishment in Paradise
Pound 4 Pound
(Kickboxing)
(Ahuna Ranch, Maili)
6/5-8/08
World Jiu-Jitsu Championsihps
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California)
6/1/08
Hawaiian
Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
WEC 33
(Faber vs. Pulver)
(PPV)
5/31/08
CBS EliteXC
Saturday Night Fights
(9-11 p.m. ET/PT)
(CBS)
5/25/08
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
5/24/08
UFC 84 - Ill Will
BJ Penn vs. Sean Sherk
(PPV)
5/16/08
X-1: Legends
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
5/9/08
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 9
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballrooms)
5/3/08
Hawaii
Fight League
Season 1, Event 3
(MMA)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Full Force 4
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
Heart-of-a-Cage-Fighter
(Kauai
Veterans Center, Lihue, Kauai)
4/25/08
Punishment
in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Farrington High School)
4/18/08
Local Pride
Friday, April 18, 2008
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
4/12/08
Man Up &Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
4/6/08
GrappleFest: Submission
Sundays
(Submission Grappling)
(Hawaii Room, Neal Blaisdell Center)
3/29/08
Garden Island Cage Match 7
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 8
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial)
3/28-30/08
Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(Californina State University, Dominguez Hills, CA)
Registration ends 3/22/08
3/16/08
Sera's Kajukenbo Open Tournament
(Continuous
Sparring, MMA, Submission Grappling)
(Maui High School Gym, Kahului, Maui)
Icon Fitness Gym Tournament
(Submission Wrestling)
(Icon Fitness Gym)
3/15/08
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/9/08
2008 Pacific Invitational BJJ Tournament
(BJJ )
(Hibiscus Room, Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu)
3/7/08
Got Skillz Fighter
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
3/1/08
USA-Boxing
Hawaii, Palolo B.C. & Kawano B.C. Presents Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
2/29/08
X-1 at the O-Lounge
Fight Club Meets Nightclub 4
(MMA)
(O-Lounge, Honolulu)
2/24/08
Icon Grappling Tournament
(Sub Grappling)
(Icon Gym)
2/17/08
Hawaiian
Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
2/15/07
Midwest Invasion: Team Indiana vs. Team Hawaii
(MMA)
(Coyotes Night Club, 935 Dillingham Blvd, Kalihi)
2/8/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 7
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
2/2/08
Man up and Stand up
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery
Ballroom)
1/26/08
X1 World
Events: Champions
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/20/08
Big
Island Open Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(Konawaena High School)
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(POSTPONED)
1/19/08
UFC 80: Rapid Fire
(BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson)
Newcastle, England
1/12/08
Hawaii Fight League
Season 1, Event 2
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
|
|
November 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!
Kids Classes are also
available!
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 |
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Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
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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.
New
O2MAA Kid's Jiu-Jitsu Class Starts Friday, December 5 from 5:30
to 6:30 PM!
Adult Wrestling Class Starts Starts Friday, December 5 from 8:30
to 9:30 PM!
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Quote
of the Day
“An
idea is salvation by imagination.”
Frank Lloyd Wright
|
The
press talks to Enson Inoue’s former wife about his drug
arrest
By Zach Arnold
Miyu
Yamamoto, the sister of Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and
ex-wife of Enson Inoue, made an appearance Friday at the opening
ceremonies for an event called “EAT JAPAN in Tokyo Marunouchi.”
Naturally, the press started to ask her questions about Enson
Inoue’s arrest last weekend and, according to a wire report
in Japan, she did not want to answer any questions and supposedly
left the media area briskly.
In
addition to Inoue’s recent arrest, Kid Yamamoto and associates
have been reportedly targeted by Tokyo Metropolitan Police in
relation to marijuana drug raids (this according to Shukan Gendai
last July).
Update:
Enson Inoue is interviewed by MMA Junkie. He is speaking out
for the first time to the media.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
MMA
pioneer Enson Inoue a new man after 26 days in prison
by John Morgan
In his 13 years in mixed martial arts, UFC, PRIDE and Shooto
veteran Enson Inoue (11-8) has earned a reputation as a hard-fighting,
hard-living warrior who refused to submit to anyone -- or anything.
But
less than two weeks removed from a near-month-long stay in a
Japanese prison, Inoue told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com)
his life has been forever changed.
"I'm
this tough dude that doesn't tap, but I'm also human, too,"
Inoue said. "I had insecurities in prison. I had hard times.
I had to overcome it a lot."
Inoue's
stay stemmed from an October arrest by the Tokyo Metropolitan
Police for marijuana possession. The 41-year-old said the sudden
nature of the incident was jarring.
"The
hardest thing about it is that it was out of the blue,"
Inoue said. "I was just sitting in a parking lot, and they
just came. They wanted to do a routine search of the car, and
all this [expletive] came out. I was like, 'Whoah.'
"I
had all these appointments that I had to just miss. I went to
jail, they took all of my phones. I couldn't contact anyone."
While
Inoue is unable to discuss the complete details surround the
still-pending case, the Japanese native said further investigations
by the police yielded no additional evidence.
"The
next day [the police] went down to my gym," Inoue said.
"They went down to my house. They had search warrants. They
searched everything. Nothing came out, of course. Just the stuff
in the car."
Out
on bail since Nov. 14, Inoue was in Las Vegas to teach a seminar
at John Lewis' J-Sect Academy. Inoue said he spent the 26 days
of incarceration working on positive improvements in his physical
condition.
"I
lost 25 pounds in there doing push-ups, sit-ups, whatever,"
Inoue said. "I'd fold up my sweats and put them full of
magazines and do curls. I was just working out in there. There's
no junk food. So it was good."
Japan
has far-stricter laws regarding marijuana possession and use
than the U.S. After the arrest, Inoue found himself in a tiny
cell with three questionable characters for roommates.
"I
had one Yakuza guy in my room," Inoue said. "I had
a guy that sold fake notes, bank notes. And then I had a guy
who had sexual harassment on a 22-year-old kid. So I had a whole
range of people.
"I
was laying in the room one night, and told the guys, 'You know
what? Our room is the [expletive] worst room.' They said, 'What
do you mean?' I said, 'You've got a guy that was holding drugs,
a guy who was fondling a chick, a guy that sells fake bank notes,
and you've got an underworld figure. This is the worst room.'"
Despite
the circumstances, Inoue did his best to remain physically active.
"At
8:00 p.m. we could lay our futons out," Inoue said. "We
woke up at 6:30 a.m. At 7:00 a.m. we had to put all of that stuff
away. So we're sitting in the room with nothing. So I would put
all of my roommates in the middle, and I would run circles around
them. I would run 400 laps in the morning, 400 laps in the evening.
Every 25 laps I would do 50 push-ups, then run the opposite way
and do 50 push-us. I would do almost 800 push-ups a day."
Inoue
said the entire ordeal forced him to slow down and develop a
different perspective on life.
"When
you're comparing the inside to the outside, inside there's nothing
to look forward to," Inoue said. "But once you close
out the outside and admit in your heart that it's gone -- and
that you're inside -- there's a lot of stuff to look forward
to. Food all of a sudden started tasting good. When I compared
it to the outside food, it didn't taste good. But once I'm inside,
and I'm comparing it to the inside, there's nothing to compare
with this. It actually got bearable.
"It
made me appreciate a lot of things. When I was inside, I was
looking outside and I was thinking. I appreciated the rain. We
had a little exercise room, and when I went there the sun would
beat down. A lot of times you walk out in the sun and you're
like, 'Whoah.' And I'm looking at the sun trying to get it on
my face. When it's raining I'm standing in the rain like, 'Wow,
rain.'
"So
I realized that there are so many simple things in life that
I overlooked. It's a weird thing to say, but I think it was good
for me. It changed my whole personality. It changed my whole
view on things. And I'm much happier."
Inoue,
perhaps most well-known for a 1998 submission win over MMA legend
Randy Couture, also had historic battles with Frank Shamrock,
Mark Kerr, Igor Vovchanchyn, Heath Herring and Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira. Before the arrest, Inoue had already started working
on a book to detail his stored career.
While
Inoue details his in-ring history in the book, he also believes
this experience will add depth to an autobiography that was already
full of valuable life lessons.
"[The
book] will give a lot of insights on what fighters go through
in their head," Inoue said. "Some people think Enson,
'Yamato Damashii' -- the unbreakable spirit, but it will show
a lot of human in me.
"I
kept a diary of the prison. I think a lot of things in my life
are like a movie, and there's a lot of things that I overcame
or went through that a lot of people might actually learn from
just by reading the book."
With
a new outlook on life, Inoue now hopes for a return to active
fighting. Unfortunately, Inoue believes his recent trouble may
put an end to his comeback plans.
"The
only thing that's kind of bumming me is that I was preparing
to get back in the ring," Inoue said. "The only thing
with that is in Japan there is a grace period. If you do something
wrong, no one is going to want you to get back in the ring right
away because you're going to show that you don't even regret
what you did. I don't think I could fight for a year there."
Inoue
said he reached out to Affliction as a possible venue for his
return, but the organization did not appear interested in his
services. While he hasn't fought in over four years, Inoue is
confident he could entertain today's MMA fans.
"I'm
not aiming for no belt," Enoue said. "I'm not saying
I am be the best fighter in the world. I know I'm not. But I
know I can give a show as good as any other fighter right now.
I'll throw down with anyone."
It
is Inoue's legendary heart and courage that he feels is missing
from today's mixed martial artists.
"I
know I've got good fights in me," Inoue said. "I've
seen the fights that are happening now. It's turning into a sport.
There's so many sports. There's baseball, there's basketball.
And the reason why mixed martial arts is so exciting is because
it's something that no matter if you're a baseball player, or
you're a basketball player, this is something that you can come
and watch. They don't consider it a sport.
"These
days, a lot of the fighters are fighting it as just a sport.
They're fighting just to win. How can you fight just to win?
The objective is to knock your opponent out, to hurt your opponent
-- choke him out, break his arm, break his leg. It's not just
a sport. If you want to do a sport, do jiu-jitsu."
While
Inoue's warrior spirit has certainly remained strong, the MMA
pioneer used his time in prison to change many other aspects
of his life. Inoues said a new commitment to God, coupled with
a desire to right his sometimes-immoral lifestyle, has changed
him for good.
"It
was a bad experience, but it turned very good," Inoue said.
"If I had to rewind this life, I think this is what I needed.
"My
life was like a leaf that falls into the river and flows down
the river. That's what my life was. I was flowing with the river.
No guidance. I was headed for bad things. So it was good. It
set me right. It got me thinking on a whole different perspective."
John
Morgan is the lead staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
KONISHIKI’s
older brother dies
By Zach Arnold
Anoaro Atisano’e, the older brother of Sumo star KONISHIKI,
reportedly died Sunday at 9 AM in a Hawaiian hospital due to
a heart attack. He was 51 years old. (Report by Sports Nippon.)
The report claims that Anoaro had been on kidney dialysis.
Anoaro
wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling during the ’showa era’
of the company, with his most high-profile match happening against
Antonio Inoki in September of 1984 in Osaka (a ‘kakutougi’
fight). The storyline going into the fight involved using boxing
technique learned from Guts Ishimatsu, but Inoki was able to
win by pinning the giant (183 cm, 150 kg) with a back-drop in
the 5th round of their fight.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
DO
HEAVYWEIGHTS NEED TWO WEIGHT CLASSES?
by Damon Martin
There were many questions going into the heavyweight title fight
between Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture. Experience vs. inexperience.
Legend vs. rookie.
But
the biggest question that was raised prior to the fight between
Couture and Lesnar was the giant size difference between the
former NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ and the now former UFC
heavyweight champion heading into the fight.
Lesnar
cut weight to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit, while his
opponent, Randy Couture, weighed in at 220 pounds, and it is
assumed that Lesnar actually walked into the bout anywhere around
15 to 20 pounds heavier than when he weighed in.
The
heavyweight division runs from 206 pounds all the way to 265
pounds, which is the weight class with the biggest difference
between the lightest weight to the heaviest weight allowed for
the fighters. But do the size differences make the fights unfair
to the point where another weight class needs to be added?
When
asked by MMAWeekly.com if there was any thought about adding
another weight class, Keith Kizer, executive director for the
Nevada State Athletic commission, simply responded, "this
already exists," referring to the over 265 pound super heavyweight
class.
A
differing point comes from Nick Lembo, who sits on the New Jersey
State Athletic Commission, who has also been a major part of
MMA since the state regulated the sport several years ago.
"At
first glance, it does not strike me that in either boxing or
MMA, that the much larger heavyweight wins more often than not,"
Lembo said. "I think that this issue is arising now due
to Lesnar being a rare example of a very large heavyweight with
power, quickness, agility and ability.
"What
remains to be seen is if someone can survive long enough to test
Lesnar's cardiovascular endurance."
Looking
at the breakdown of some of the major heavyweight fights in organizations
like the UFC, EliteXC and Affliction with at least a 20-pound
weight difference between the fighters, the disparity may not
exist to the level where another weight class is necessary.
Nine
fights were observed from several organizations over the past
few months. The fights documented included Couture vs. Lesnar,
Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior Dos Santos, Kimbo Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli,
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia, Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo,
Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson, Antonio Silva vs. Justin Eilers,
Fabricio Werdum vs. Brandon Vera, and Dave Herman vs. Ron Waterman.
The
combined record for these fights has the heavier fighters winning
four of the nine matches. In the other five matches that the
lighter weight fighters were victorious, they won by KO or TKO
four out of the five times with only Fedor Emelianenko's submission
win over Tim Sylvia being the difference in the type of victory
sustained.
While
there is no denying the fact that many heavyweight fighters come
in much larger than their opponents, the numbers don't lie that
on a regular basis the much smaller fighter comes out victorious.
With
a fighter of Lesnar's size and stature it's hard to imagine many
fighters matching him with strength, but as many top fighters
have done in the past, it seems the issue of weight is not clear
cut.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fedor
Emelianenko to open training camp early
A surprising loss at the 2008 World Sambo Championships earlier
this month was enough for Fedor Emelianenko to start his training
camp for Andrei Arlovski earlier than planned.
Fedor
announced today the cancellation of his Affliction "Day
of Reckoning" media tour next week in New York, Las Vegas
and Los Angeles to promote the Jan. 24 fight against Arlovski.
"My
trainers, Vladimir Voronov and Alexander Michkov, met with me
in Russia after the World Sambo Championships and we decided
that the Arlovski confrontation is too important to delay a comprehensive
training camp in exchange for press tour obligations on the other
side of the world," Fedor said. "Andrei Arlovski is
a dangerous fighter and has looked in prime condition and at
the top of his game in his last few fights. He is one of the
top three heavyweights in the world. This is not a fighter I
will defeat if I am taking shortcuts in training."
Fedor
will train with his Red Devil Fight Team for six to seven weeks
in a high altitude setting in the mountains near his home city
of Stary Oskol.
"I
received an incredibly warm welcome the last time I was in the
United States and was looking forward to reuniting with my fans,"
Fedor said. "But I must begin to prepare for Arlovski early
and under the stringent training regimen and conditions that
I have grown accustom to for all of my most dangerous opponents.
There are people in MMA who attempt to paint a different picture
of who the top fighters in the world are today and I must be
fully prepared and focused to defend the reputation and status
of my achievements in the sport."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
The
issues surrounding Armando Garcia’s resignation from the
CSAC
By Zach Arnold
There’s
a lot of discussion as to why Armando Garcia tendered his resignation
from the CSAC (start with Steve Barry’s article and go from
there). If you believe these various media reports, there’s
probably a lot of reasons as to why Mr. Garcia decided to leave
the CSAC.
However,
let me bring up one reason that I think a lot of people are overlooking:
UFC.
UFC
has ran a few shows in California, but have you noticed that
the promotion has been staying away from the state? The easiest
way to apply political pressure on a state is through financial
means. Other than the occasional Sacramento or Anaheim spot show,
UFC has not been very active with events in California. Why is
this? California has the largest population of any state in America,
UFC is the one promoter that could consistenly draw well with
big events in the state, and yet the organization decided to
run spot shows in areas like Omaha?
For
as much hope as you can place on a state athletic commissioner
to think ’safety first’ in regards to regulating events,
ultimately a major role of an athletic commissioner (especially
one that oversees fighting events) is to attract as much cash
as possible to a state. With MMA quickly turning into a UFC-only
show, UFC’s leverage in terms of politics with various state
athletic commissioners is growing. If UFC decides that they don’t
want to do business with you and will do business elsewhere,
then who takes the heat for not bringing revenue to the state?
That’s right — the head honcho of the athletic commission.
One
of the things Armando Garcia pointed out to media reporters was
his ability to bring in a lot of revenue to the state of California.
California, out of all the states in the US right now, is the
most heavily in debt. The state’s finances are ready to
implode at any second. Therefore, you would think that someone
like Mr. Garcia would be ’safe’ at his job considering
that he used financial benchmarks as a way to judge his overall
performance.
However,
if UFC is coming to the state less often, that means less revenue.
Less revenue means more political pressure. More political pressure
means less margin for error for a politician on other issues
he/she may be in trouble for. With Armando Garcia now out of
the picture in regards to the CSAC, will UFC pick up their live
events schedule in the state of California?
Addendum:
Yes, WEC ran an event in Sacramento. However, the live event
gates of WEC do not come close to the amount of money that UFC
events make at the gate.
Update
(11/26): No drug testing right now for California MMA events.
Take note of this comment and relate it to this original posting
here.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
ProElite
Exec Jay Thompson Speaks Out
Sam Caplan
One of the most talked about interviews I published this year
was an extensive conversation with former ICON Sport promoter
T. Jay Thompson last proceeded EliteXC’s October collapse.
Thompson,
who sold ICON to ProElite in 2007, was retained by EliteXC as
a consultant but it was a role that caused him great frustration.
While the promotion made mistake after mistake, Thompson’s
knowledge and wisdom of fight promotion that had been accumulated
over 15 years was going largely unused.
When
ProElite announced a massive downsizing in October, few with
the company were willing to speak out. However, Thompson was
one of the few exceptions and speak out, he did.
The
original interview I conducted with Thompson was one of the longest
I’ve ever conducted. Whenever I submit a column to CBSSports.com,
there’s always a great deal of content that gets left on
the “cutting room floor.” But in editing the Thompson
interview, I had a difficult time figuring out what to keep in
the interview because just about every response was relevant.
As
a special treat this Thanksgiving Day weekend, you can now read
the extended version of my interview with Thompson below.
Sam
Caplan: ProElite employed both J.D. Penn and Rich Chou, of Rumble
of the Rock. ICON and ROTR had a rivalry in Hawaii and word in
the industry was that both sides did not get along. Was that
true, and if so, what was it like working in the same company
with them?
T.
Jay Thompson: It really was true going in. Rumble in the Rock
was competitive and they did a helluva job. They really raised
the game of MMA in Hawaii and they made us step up our game with
SuperBrawl at the time and later ICON. But we would see each
other in passing and would be very cordial with each other but
I think if you would have talked to J.D. or I, we really didn’t
like each other. There wasn’t any love, at all. So the interesting
thing of it is that the people I get along best with at ProElite
is J.D. Penn. He and I get along very well and we realized early
on that we were working on the same team, so let’s make
it work. We had some great plans - if the company had stayed
together - of re-building the rivalry between Rumble on the Rock
and ICON in Hawaii. And that would have been really fun, but
obviously that’s not going to happen under the ProElite
banner, at least.
Sam
Caplan: Is the committee approach that EliteXC employed for its
matchmaking something that’s standard in MMA?
T.
Jay Thompson: No. No, not that I know of. Certainly not mine.
Again, there were too many employees guilty of not enough decision
making. You’ve got to remember that I ran ICON Sport and
SuperBrawl for 15 years either completely by myself or with one
assistant. EliteXCs are bigger events and needed more personnel
but it didn’t need 20 times or 30 times more personnel.
It needed a few more people.
Sam
Caplan: One of the public criticisms of ProElite was that they
were over-staffed in certain areas. Layoffs took place several
times during the company’s existence but it seemed like
they always had too many generals and not enough soldiers. Do
you think that’s a fair assessment?
T.
Jay Thompson: (Stikeforce President) Scott Coker and I worked
really close for the Frank Shamrock vs. Cung Le fight and basically
I was in charge of promoting in San Jose, because Scott would
basically only work with me. He and I did all the promoting and
coming into the week of the show, I suggested that only Jeremy
Lappen come in the week of the event (because) Scott has a great
team up there ready to go. So I sent that back to, at the time,
Gary (Shaw), he was in charge, and I think that Doug DeLuca was
still on, and Jeremy. And they compromised and only sent out
17 people. So Scott and I were immediately like “What the
hell is everyone doing? What do you do?” It was silly…
and expensive.
Sam
Caplan: The company expended tens of millions of dollars buying
outside promotions, such as yours. Do you know who was the driving
force behind that strategy and if roles were reversed, would
you have gone ahead and bought your own company?
T.
Jay Thompson: Absolutely. ICON was bought at a fair price. There
was a valuable tape library that wasn’t used. Also, a lot
of my compensation was in stock and we all know what that’s
worth today. Know what I mean? But what you also got with the
purchase of ICON was an asset in my 15 years of promoting knowledge.
So if it were up to me, I would have used that asset to its fullest.
The
other promotions that were losing lots and lots of money? I think
those were mistakes. And they were run by people that didn’t
have a history of MMA promotion, Cage Rage and SpiritMC.
Sam
Caplan: Whose decision was it to go out and spend money on promotions
as opposed to talent?
T.
Jay Thompson: I believe it was Gary’s but I’m not sure.
That was before my time. I came in while that was all going on.
Sam
Caplan: It seemed like when it came to organizing and finalizing
cards, EliteXC was usually behind the ball in that regard. Do
you feel that’s a fair assessment?
T.
Jay Thompson: Absolutely. I think a lot of it had to do with
the indecision caused by that committee kind of thing. It just
seemed like there was no one to actually make a decision and
it was always thrown back and forth eight million times. Matchmaking
isn’t rocket science. As a guy whose got a lot of years
doing it, I can go ahead and put on ten fights and I can pick
the three that I think are the absolute best and if those three
end up being the best of the night, one out of ten times, I’d
be lucky.
You
do your events and you put fights on paper and you think they’re
going to be great and they turn out good, they turn out bad,
and sometimes they turn out great. You can put on a fight that
you’re not excited about and then all of a sudden it turns
out to be the fight of the night. So they’re only so much
you can do and I think they were so concerned with having everything
perfect that they didn’t realize that it’s not a perfect
science.
Sam
Caplan: You’ve been for a promoter for quite some time but
I am sure there were still some lessons you learned from working
with ProElite and EliteXC. What was the most valuable less that
you learned?
T.
Jay Thompson: That’s a great question because I really think
when you talk about challenges and I always think that with anything
in which there is a challenge, there should be growth with it
on the other side. I don’t know what lessons I learned along
the way. There were so few good things. There were some relationships
that I’ve grown and some major TV events happened and now
I think I’d be more comfortable running an event that size
now. I think that would be a lesson learned.
I
didn’t learn the lesson not to spend $55 million in two
years because I would have never done that in the first place.
None of it was my decision. Early on I had a conversation with
(former ProElite CEO) Doug DeLuca when I first came on. He’ll
back this up, but I told him that “It seems to me like we’re
looking like we want to beat the UFC? And that’s our goal?
If we do that, we’re going to be out of business in a year.”
I go, “I’d like our company goal to be second place
five years from now and only be making $150 million a year compared
to the UFC’s $300 million with everyone having big smiles
on their face while we work to catch up to them. But to do that
we need to wake up every morning and say ‘What can I do
to make sure we’re in business five years from now?’”
I added that “Because whoever is in business five years
from now of the groups that are in business now, whoever is just
around in five years by default is going to be second place and
in tremendous shape. So we need to wake up every morning and
say ‘What can I do to be in business five years from now?’”
And with that said, you can’t wake up and say “What’s
the biggest contract I can get? What’s the biggest promotion
I can buy?” We needed to cut our expenses down and make
money. It’s what I’ve done for 15 years, which is to
find a way to put butts in seats. How much does it cost and how
many people I can bring in? And how I can feed my family. And
that needs to be the strategy. It didn’t get listened to.
Now, a year later we are out of business and I’d bet that
four years down the road from now that if we were still in business,
we would have been in second place.
Now
the person that’s really taken that business model that
I talk and has done that same thing is a guy like Scott Coker.
A year ago he was waking up every morning saying “What can
I do to make sure I’m in business tomorrow and five years
from now?” And I would bet that Strikeforce and Scott Coker
in four years is in pretty damn good shape and maybe is in second
place and probably making a lot of money. He’s someone that
we could have learned a lot from at ProElite and chose not to.
Sam
Caplan: Is there a specific example that you can point to?
T.
Jay Thompson: Well, the K.J. Noons deal. He was really sort of
hardlined. I disagree with the decisions that K.J.’s management
has made but he was told from the beginning that “This is
what you need to do if you want to be on CBS.” And it had
a lot to do with CBS that they held their ground so much.
And
again, the way that TapouT was treated was ridiculous. They had
asked to use a picture for a cutout or something from ProElite’s
website. And I guess they ended up using it for a t-shirt as
well. And immediately a legal letter was sent because someone
saw it. And Mark Criner, who is the president of TapouT and a
longtime friend of mine, called me and said, “Hey, what’s
going on?” And I said, “Let me find out. You should
just be able to use it. I’d be happy to let you have a picture
of Kimbo, let’s go forward.” And ProElite would not
allow that. They saw it as their intellectual property rights
and something that they would not give up and TapouT in the end
had to spend $15,000 on a new (photo) shoot. It was ridiculous.
When really it was a picture and it only helped us by having
them market him. For the last CBS show, if we had let them get
it done in time, there was going to be Kimbo standups in every
foot locker at Champs across the country and we would have had
advertisements for Kimbo and the CBS show on there. But hurt
the relationship by not letting use the picture and they ended
up deciding not to do that.
It
was really common and really frustrating. But again, I looked
on it that if it was my decision to make, yeah, have the picture.
Great. Does it help you? Yes. But does it also help us? Yes.
You talked about Monte Cox and we talked about having a positive
relationship (but) there has to be a give and take. I’ve
been in the business 15 years and working with a guy like Monte,
he can call up and say “Hey, I really need this guy on the
show. Can you put him on and can you pay him this?” And
if he says “I really need it” and it doesn’t help
me, I do it anyway. Because there’s going to be a time down
the road where I’m going to say “I really need your
guidance to get your guy to re-sign to do this. It would help
me out a lot and I know it’s going to come back.” ProElite
wasn’t willing to have the faith that favors would be returned
down the road. They wanted everything up front.
They
really wanted it our way only and ProElite really looked out
for their own interests. And while it might seem like the smart
business thing to do to only look out for your own interests,
what I understand about the MMA game and the MMA industry as
it is today, and as it has grown over the last 15 years, is that
it is a family and looking out for other people’s interests
in the end can be the right business decision in the long run.
Although it might not seem like it in the short-term, in the
long-term it’s the right business decision to help people
out even if it doesn’t help you out immediately.
Sam
Caplan: You had previously mentioned in the CBSSports.com interview
that Scott Coker would only work with you and it had gotten out
into the media that there was a lot of tension between Coker
and Gary Shaw. Neither party ever elaborated there and I wanted
to see if you could comment on the rift between those two.
T.
Jay Thompson: I’m sure Scott would be happy to answer you.
The word “hate” would probably be too strong. “Dislikes”
and “disrespects” Gary Shaw to the utmost — or
“didn’t want to be in the same room as him or didn’t
want to have anything to do with him” [would be more appropriate]
because he felt disrespected by Gary a number of times.
Source: The Fight Network
|
This
Day in MMA History: Nov. 29
by Joe Hall
Eleven years ago today, Frank Shamrock earned a UFC title shot
by beating Enson Inoue at Vale Tudo Japan 1997.
At
the time Shamrock had plenty of Pancrase experience under his
belt but less than a year of unabated MMA. In fact, earlier that
year John Lober had exploited Shamrock’s unfamiliarity with
closed-fist striking to the face for a split decision.
Inoue
was another worthy opponent. He had holes in his game, but he
was the kind of rough, aggressive adversary who could have overwhelmed
the still-progressing Shamrock.
To
heighten the stakes, UFC owners Semaphore Entertainment Group
announced that the winner would meet Kevin Jackson weeks later
at Ultimate Japan for what was then called the UFC middleweight
title.
The
first eight-minute round was positively boring. The five minutes
Shamrock spent mounted in the second round were not terribly
entertaining either, but when the bout moved back to the feet,
both men were ready to end it one way or another.
A
throwdown commenced. Inoue rushed forward winging haymaker after
haymaker while Shamrock tried to pick his shots and create enough
distance to take off Inoue’s head with a kick.
Watching
this exchange again years later, you notice the accelerated speech
of the Japanese commentators, the shrills of a concerned female
fan in the Tokyo Bay N.K. Hall that night, the collective commotion
of an audience that knows such a fight will surely end with one
man on the canvas.
And
it did. Shamrock put a knee on a tiring Inoue’s chin, hurt
him with follow-up punches and floored him with another knee.
Technically,
the fight wasn’t over. The Shooto-rules knockdown count
had begun when Inoue’s brother, Egan, stormed the ring and
shoved Shamrock. Shamrock landed upside-down in the corner, where
he stayed for some time, on his head, apparently considering
the application of a leg lock on his opponent’s brother.
Meanwhile the result was already being entered into the history
books: Shamrock by disqualification.
Shamrock
went on to submit Jackson in 16 seconds at Ultimate Japan and
begin an impressive title run in the UFC. Inoue, for his part,
rebounded a year later with the crowning victory of his career
-- his armbar submission of Randy Couture.
In
other bouts at Vale Tudo Japan 1997, an undefeated Rumina Sato
armbarred John Lewis, who had drawn with Sato the year before.
Three months later Sato was shockingly submitted by Joel Gerson
for the first loss of his career.
An
0-1 Carlos Newton stunned Erik Paulson with an armbar. Less than
four years later, Newton choked Pat Miletich to become the UFC
welterweight champion.
Also,
Tom Erikson, a major heavyweight prospect at the time who was
reportedly angry he had to fight shoeless, smoked Ed de Kruijf
in 37 seconds.
Source: Sherdog
|
PAT
MILETICH: REBIRTH OF A LEGEND
by Tom Hamlin
Pat Miletich, founder and patriarch of Miletich Fighting Systems,
is tired of watching all the young whippersnappers having fun.
He wants back in the ring.
The
Davenport, Iowa native had a stutter step in his last return
to fighting, a submission loss against former teacher Renzo Gracie
in a 2006 International Fight League appearance, but has not
lost the competitive burn he feels makes him a threat to anyone
in the welterweight division.
Miletich
says he’s done extensive rehab on a longstanding neck injury,
and feels it’s time to test himself in action. On Dec. 11,
he will dip a toe back into MMA waters, facing Thomas Denny at
Adrenaline MMA’s second show, in Moline, Iowa, Miletich
Fighting Systems’ back yard.
It’s
been a long time since “The Croatian Sensation” ran
the two-lane roads of his home state, torturing himself outside
the cage to make his fights inside them easy. At 40, he’s
seen the first generation of his fighters go on to become world
champions, stars in their own right.
Miletich
himself lead the charge, becoming the first UFC welterweight
championship in pre-Zuffa days at “Ultimate Brazil.”
He defended the title twice in the organization’s dark days
before ceding it to Carlos Newton at UFC 31. The loss ended a
dominant period in Miletich’s career, and after losing again
to Matt Lindland in a middleweight contest at UFC 36, he decided
to hang up his gloves.
In
his gym’s recent past, cornerstone fighters like Matt Hughes,
Robbie Lawler, Spencer Fisher, and Jens Pulver have slowly moved
away from the nest leaving a void in leadership, maybe even in
the gym’s spirit. Some of the departures had to do with
the business side of the sport, others with fighters’ need
to see the world outside MFS walls. Fight teams are ever changing,
ever colliding groups of personalities and ideas; they need figureheads
and new blood equally to keep them vital.
With
over a decade in the fight game, Miletich had seen ebbs and flows
in the gym, but never an identity crisis. To the MMA faithful,
Miletich Fighting Systems meant work ethic. In a young sport,
it was one of the few gyms with an undisputed championship pedigree.
There were talented fighters at MFS with years in the game, but
they were always overshadowed by the marquee names. Miletich
realized he couldn’t be the only role model of the gym’s
reputation – he needed to convince the next generation of
fighters they were part of its tradition as well.
“Basically,
what it was is you need things to wake you up,” Miletich
explained. “You’ve got to keep up with the curve. I
think it was a phase where the new guys finally realized how
good they were and have just started taking over, which was very
important. I had been waiting for that to happen and had talked
to several of them. The older guys are retiring and moving on
and doing this and doing that. (I said), ‘You guys need
to step up and become the leaders of the team and be the guys
that are the role models of the work ethic, in the void those
guys have left.’ They’ve stepped up and done that.”
Somewhere
between a kick to the head and the crank of an armbar, Miletich
woke up too, realizing he loved competition too dearly to give
it up.
He
cites fighters like Ben Rothwell, Ryan McGivern, Mike Ciesnolevicz,
and LC Davis, all members of his Silverback team from the IFL’s
salad days, as the new heart of the gym. Former UFC heavyweight
champion Tim Sylvia also remains, faithful to the man who first
introduced him to the world of fighting.
No
less than seven of Miletich’s new stars will fight on the
Adrenaline card, and the gym appears to be singularly focused
on preparation for the event.
In
preparation for his fight with Denny, Miletich has re-invested
much of his training time into bringing his jiu-jitsu game up
to par, working with two Brazilian black belts at the gym.
“I’ve
gone back to learning,” he said. “If you ever quit
learning, you become so stagnant. And there were times in my
career where I had stopped learning, but I sought out and luckily
got the help of a couple of very good jiu-jitsu guys. I used
to feel that I was real good on the ground, and I’m starting
to feel like I flow like that again, which is nice.”
Miletich
says the plan, at least for now, is to wear Denny out and finish
him in the second round or early in the first. He thinks his
championship experience, as well as his daily grind fending off
the sharks at the gym, will be the deciding factor. But perhaps
because of his last return, he’s a little cautious about
making bold predictions.
“I
think he’s got a ton of experience, (a) fairly well-rounded
guy,” Miletich said of Denny. "(He) looks to slice
people with elbows a lot, which I’m not real fold of, but
I’ll do my best to avoid. Overall, I think I’ve got
better skills that he does, but it’s MMA. You never know
what’s going to happen, and upsets are happening all the
time in the sport. So I’ve got to be on my toes with him,
because he’s experienced enough to do damage.”
As
to whether he’s turning over a new leaf in his career, there
is equal caution.
“I
guess that depends on who offers me a fight,” he commented.
“We’ll just take this fight and see how it goes, and
work from there.”
One
thing he’s certain on, though, is that his time away will
not be a factor against Denny.
“Not
this time,” he said confidently. “I love to compete,
and still feel that if I’m healthy and in shape, I think
I can basically hang with anybody out there at 170. So I thought
I might as well get out there and have some fun.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"You
can get everything in life you want if you will
just help enough other people get what they want."
Zig Ziglar
|
X1
World Events at Cirque Hawaii
November 26, 2008
Cirque Hawaii
The
fans were treated to more then just fights on Wednesday November
26, 2008 at the Cirque Hawaii. With some of Hawaii’s top
amateur talent taking to the ring, the aerialists took to the
air with an exciting display of highflying twist and twirls leaving
the crowd speechless.
With
the ring on the stage and the fans enjoying theatre style seating,
it truly was the first event of it’s kind. Not to mention,
all this action went down on a Wednesday night. The night continued
with the official after party, fight fans were able to party
‘til four in the morning.
In
fight action late replacement Jonah Vistante took the fight to
Frankie Tano, both fighters mixing it up until Tano was forced
to retire. Welterweight Kevin Agliam got the early takedown and
controlled top position in his draw with Brandon Naleieha.
Austin
Figueroa successfully defended his 205lb XMA Title against the
crisp striking David Vasquez. Vasquez landing his share of combos
before being floored in the second round by Figueroa. Give these
guys credit, they fought a war.
Ben
Fonoti made his much-anticipated return to the ring, he quickly
went for the takedown but Makana Vertido defended well. When
the fight did make it’s way to the mat Fonoti controlled
the action submitting Vertido near the end of round one.
In
the main event, John Vistante used his fast hands to keep Kyle
Kaahanui away. Vistante was able to stun Kaahanui a few times
before the ref called the fight in the second round.
Up
and comers Tillis Sionesini (185) and OJ Uiliata (HW) unable
to fight due to their opponents backing out at the last minute.
Look for these two heavy-handed fighters on the January card..
Quick
Results: All bouts were Amateur
145 Kickboxing – Jonah Vistante def Frankie Tano tko rd
2
175 MMA – Kevin Agliam vs Brandon Naleieha draw
205 XMA Title – Austin Figueroa def David Vasquez unan dec
205 MMA – Ben Fonoti def Makana Vertido sub (key lock) rd
1
165 MMA – John Vistante def Kyle Kaahanui tko rd 2
Source:
X-1 World Events
|
IF
GSP BEATS PENN, ANDERSON SILVA MAY BE NEXT
by Jeff Cain
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Georges
St. Pierre and UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn will rematch
on Jan. 31 for the 170-pound belt. If Penn wins, he's expected
to defend both titles. If St. Pierre emerges victorious, it could
lead to a mega-fight with middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva
to make a strong case for who is the pound-for-pound best fighter
in the world.
"If
Georges wins, obviously there's another super-fight lined up
for him that he could possibly take," said UFC president
Dana White, alluding to a bout with Anderson Silva.
"Hypothetically
speaking, if he (St. Pierre) beat B.J. Penn that night, it would
be up in the air who is pound-for-pound the best in the world,"
added White. "Who knows what we'd do, but it's obviously
a very interesting fight. If he beats B.J."
While
a win will likely garner St. Pierre a shot at Silva, if Penn
wins on Jan. 31, he isn't apt to get the opportunity to move
up and challenge the 185-pound titleholder, a fight that Penn
has already voiced interest in.
"B.J.
doesn't have the frame to carry that kind of weight," stated
White. "Is he tough enough to do it? Absolutely. Is he talented
enough to go up there and do it? Absolutely. Does that mean he
should do it? Absolutely not. He doesn't have the frame to carry
that kind of weight. And it just makes no sense, no sense at
all."
Penn
has a 2-0 record as a middleweight with wins over Rodrigo and
Renzo Gracie and has competed as high as heavyweight, losing
a decision to the undefeated Lyoto Machida.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GOT
SKILLZ FIGHTER
WHERE FILCOM CENTER WAIPAHU
WHEN DEC 5 2008 FRIDAY
DOORS OPEN AT 6:30
HERMAN SANTIAGO 155 MARK TUPAS
JAN QUIMOYOG 115 RANDALL SATO
TRISTON REBALLIZSA 150 KOA RAMELB
SCOTT RAMIREZ 150 MIKE UEMOTO
DELVIN 200 SHAWN SHEPHERD
SETH KALUHIOKALANI 160 JASON ROCEMAR
KALANI SOLORICMAN 150 HOKU BUDDINGER
DEVIN ARAGAN 145 KEONI MARTIN
JORDAN 130 JAI
JEREMY GONZALVES 125 BRANDON HIYASHI
MICAH BURROWS 140 BRYCE GRAHAM
JOSHUA GONZALVES 145 OMAR MIRZA
SEBASTIAN MARICONDA 150 ELIJAH MANNERS
JUSTIN KAHALEWAI 110 JOJO GUILLAOME
JUSTIN HELEMANO 170 ZAK SHEPHERD
EVAN QUIZON 130 JAMEN TAYUBA
JOHNNY TUINASEVE 175 INNER CIRCLE
ALL MATCHES & PARTICIPANTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Derrick Bright
|
The
Greatest Gracie? One on One with Rickson
by Marcelo Alonso
Even at 50, Rickson Gracie stokes the flames of the mixed martial
arts world, inspiring passion, controversy and debate.
Gracie
(11-0) -- who also claims an unbeaten record in more than 400
jiu-jitsu, freestyle wrestling, sambo and no holds barred matches
-- has not competed in MMA since he choked Masakatsu Funaki unconscious
with a rear-naked choke eight years ago in Japan. Might a return
be in the offing?
“I
don’t see the possibility for a last fight,” Gracie
told Sherdog.com in an exclusive
interview.
“I feel like every day is a last chance for me to compete
again, and I feel very good about it because I feel I have nothing
to prove.”
Gracie
competed in his first professional MMA match in 1980, some 13
years before his younger brother, Royce, burst on the scene at
UFC 1 and changed the combat sports landscape forever. He admits
the recent growth of the sport caught him a bit off guard.
“Back
when we started in the UFC and then Pride, it was unpredictable
that MMA could get the way it is right now and [hold] the prospect
to become even much bigger,” he said. “Now you see
MMA in the four corners of the world. I’m impressed with
the evolutionary process of MMA.”
Check
out Marcelo Alonso’s full interview to watch Gracie discuss
Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s current place in MMA, what could lure
him back for one last fight, whom he believes to be the top pound-for-pound
fighter in the sport and what he believes are the keys to beating
World Association of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight champion
Fedor Emelianenko.
Source: Sherdog
|
Emelianenko
says he will fight Barnett at Affliction 2
Aleksander Emelianenko could be Josh Barnett's opponent at Affliction
2 "Day of Reckoning" on Jan. 24 in Anaheim, California.
Emelianenko tells Russian sports website Sports.ru in an interview
published Tuesday that his next fight could be a rematch against
Barnett at Affliction "Day of Reckoning." Emelianenko
was tapped out by Barnett in May 2006 with a keylock at PRIDE
Total Elimination Absolute.
Please
note that Emelianenko has been saying that he'll be fighting
at the Affliction show for months but his name hasn't been mentioned
by the promotion in the bout announcements for the Jan. 24 card.
Also, talks have surfaced recently of EliteXC veteran Brett Rodgers
being a possible opponent for Barnett.
Emelianenko
also revealed that he's in negotiations to fight on the K-1 Dynamite!!
New Year's Eve card in Japan.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Dream
champion in K-1
Mousasi faces Musashi at New Year’s event
No
one can accuse Gegard Mousasi of chickening out. Current Dream
Middleweight GP champion and soaring in MMA, the Armenian fighter
will try his hand at a different style at Dynamite!!, the event
promoting both MMA and strike fights on the final day of the
year, in Japan. Mousasi’s adversary in one of the superfights
on the card will be Japanese striker Musashi.
Confirmation
was given by Dynamite!!’s organizers. Another MMA fighter
to take a stab at fighting under K-1 rules is Tatsuya Kawajiri.
The former Shooto champion will face off against the also Japanese
Kozo Takeda.
Check
out the provisional K-1 Dynamite!! Card
Kazushi
Sakuraba vs Kiyoshi Tamura
Gesias Cavalcante vs Joachim Hansen
Alistair Overeem vs Mirko Cro Cop*
K-1
Rules
Musashi vs Gegard Mousasi
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Kozo Takeda
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
PHOENIX
FIGHT PROMOTIONS UPDATE
Jimmo vs.
Roufus Added to Nov. 29th Card
By FCF Staff
Phoenix
Fight Promotions has announced that Rick “The Jet”
Roufus will step up on short notice to fight Ryan “The Big
Deal” Jimmo at the promotion’s upcoming November 29th
card in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia , after the “Ultimate Fighter”
season eight competitor has gone through several opponent changes,
one of which originally included UFC vet Carmelo Marrero. Roufus
(4-4) is coming off a Unanimous Decision loss to Hector Ramirez
at a SuperFights MMA event in October. Prior to that, the renowned
kickboxer stopped Reggie Cato in the second round, at a C3 event
in September.
Outside
of his try-out bout for TUF 8, Jimmo (8-1) has won 8 straight,
since the accomplished karate practitioner lost while making
his MMA debut against Adam Braidwood at Maximum Fighting Championship
11 last February. Most recently the Nova Scotia fighter worked
his way to a Unanimous Decision over UFC vet Jesse Forbes at
XMMA 6 on November 8th.
Some
of the other bouts which are scheduled for the November 29th
Phoenix Fight Promotion card, which will be hosted by the Dartmouth
Sportsplex, include; TJ Grant (12-2) vs. Beau Baker (6-0), Jason
MacKay (8-1) vs. Drew Fickett (35-8), Tristan Johnson (3-0) vs.
Eric Leclerc (4-2) and Jeremy Henry (2-0) vs. Martin Grandmont
(6-4).
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Nino
Schembri to fight at Fury
Mauro Xuxa opponent for 5th
Elvis
is back. Antonio “Nino” Schembri will be one of the
fighters making up the only superfight matchup on the Fury FC
7 card, to be held December 5th, at the Sergio Correa gymnasium,
in Barueri, Sao Paulo. Confirmation of the participation of Elvis,
the nickname Nino is known by due to his penchant for the legendary
singer and sideburns, was given to GRACIEMAG.com by the event’s
organizers.
Nino
will face off against Mauro “Xuxa.” For the bout, Fury’s
organizers set a catch weight of 75 kg. It will be the first
time Nino, renowned black belt and MMA fighter with stints in
Pride, will take part in an MMA fight in Brazil.
“Fury
is very well positioned as an event, and we thought it would
be interesting to have an internationally recognized athlete
like Nino Schembri on the card. It’s a great opportunity
to offer him a chance to fight. Xuxa was already set to fight
in the GP; he’s a fighter’s who’s performed well
in domestic events and who was injured during the first phase
of the GP. We thought this would be an interesting matchup. Nino
has been dropping weight. I think this has everything it needs
to be a great fight. We expect the bout will make waves, even
internationally, in the entire community that keeps up with MMA.
Nino is someone everyone likes to watch fight. This will make
the event grow even more. It’ll be an awesome fight,”
said Victor Costa, president of GSE, Fury’s organizing company.
Tickets
to Fury FC are already on sale. The event will be broadcast,
live, over the internet by Sherdog.com. Click www.furyfight.com
for further information.
Check
out the complete card and stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com for more
news on the event:
Under
75kg superfight
Nino Schembri vs Mauro Xuxa
Under
84kg tournament
- Leandro Batata (Nova Uniao) vs Eduardo Telles (Nine Nine);
- Jorge Michelan (Vieira Bros) vs Cassiano Tystchio (Niniko JJ);
Reserve fight
- Mauricio Alonso vs Gil Freitas (Barbosa Team/Zorello);
Under
70kg tournament
- Mauricio Reis (BTT) vs Henrique Mello (Nova Uniao);
- Eduardo Pachu (Gracie Fusion) vs Vitor Tofanelli (Toshinkai
/ De la Riva);
Reserve fight
- Gabriel Veiga (Nine Nine) vs Jackson de Araujo (Gibi/Casquinha);
Further
information at www.furyfight.com
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Alistair
Overeem Interview - Sights on Lesnar
Cory Brady
Alistair
Overeem has reinvented himself since making the move up to the
heavyweight division. The Dutch fighter has gone undefeated in
his last five fights while obtaining the Strikeforce heavyweight
championship along the way. Big wins over big names have turned
many heads and have many mentioning Overeem’s name when
discussing the sports top heavyweights, as both UFC veteran Paul
Buentello and former PRIDE veteran Mark Hunt have both fallen
victim to “The Demolition Man” in recent outings.
Overeem’s
most impressive performance of late came against the always dangerous
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at DREAM 6. Unfortunately
it was a performance that was taken away to some extent due to
the bouts no contest ruling. Overeem dominated Cro Cop and cut
him while utilizing brutal ground and pound before landing a
couple questionable knees in the clinch that caused the Croatian
to decide he was no longer able to continue.
The
Strikeforce champion feels like Cro Cop was looking for a way
out and confirmed in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com
that he will have a chance to set the record straight when the
two meet again at the K-1 Dynamite New Year’s Eve event.
Overeem
is not the kind of fighter that is content with fighting two
or three times a year. He has found a renewed hunger to compete
and has fought four times in just the last five months. Since
his controversial contest with Cro Cop, the Golden Glory-trained
fighter returned to action on November ninth to face off with
the power punching Gary Goodridge at Shooto Holland: Ultimate
Glory 10 in Arnhem, Netherlands.
“I
expected a hard battle as I think Gary is a hard puncher with
a lot of experience,” said Overeem.
Overeem
was able to utilize his superior clinch work to do some serious
damage to Goodridge before taking him to the ground, obtaining
side control and securing the Kimura victory early in the first
round.
“My
opening attack caught him by surprise,” he explained.
Wasting
no time in looking for a future opponent, Overeem confirmed with
FiveOuncesOfPain.com who he will be facing next.
“I’m
expecting to fight Mirko at the new years event,” said the
powerful Dutchman.
In
the pairs previous meeting Overeem managed to take the Croatian
to the canvas with relative ease. While in the top position,
Overeem was able to dish out plenty of damage in the form of
short punches and hammerfists that caused a nasty cut above Cro
Cop’s eye.
“The
game plan was to take Mirko apart,” said Overeem.”One
piece at a time.”
Cro
Cop looked to be nearing the end in his bout with Overeem before
he was struck with a questionably low knee that caused him to
feel as if he could not continue. Overeem feels as if he was
denied the finish victory that he had coming to him.
“I’m
100% sure I would have finished him if the fight wasn’t
called off,” said Overeem. “I think he knew he was
losing and took the easy way out.”
When
asked whether or not he will be looking to win decisively this
time around Overeem was straight and to the point.
“I
always look to finish my opponent,” said the 28-year old.
While
most of the MMA world had there eyes glued to the TV screen when
Randy Couture was recently dethroned by former WWE powerhouse
Brock Lesnar, Overeem was no exception.
“It
was a good performance but I see some weak spots in Brock’s
game plan,” said Overeem. “Although I think he is a
very interesting opponent, I’m looking forward to see more
of Brock’s fights and seeing him develop more.”
While
we were on the subject of Lesnar, I just had to ask Overeem if
he would be interested in facing the new UFC champion at some
point down the road. I got a very straight forward answer.
“Yes,
and I do see myself defeating Brock Lesnar,” said Overeem.
When
most mixed martial arts fans think about Overeem and his recent
accomplishments he has made in the sports heavyweight division
they wonder when he will finally be making the move over to the
UFC. So I had to ask him if that was a move that he would welcome
at some point.
“Yes,”
said Overeem. “Although I am very happy with my current
contracts with Dream and Strikeforce.”
Source: The Fight Network
|
GURGEL
AXED BY UFC, SIGNS WITH STRIKEFORCE
Following his release from the Ultimate Fighting Championship,
Jorge Gurgel wasted no time, promptly signing a new contract
with Strikeforce. The promotion on Thursday announced the exclusive
agreement with the seven-time UFC veteran and Ultimate Fighter
alumnus on Thursday.
“I
am excited. To me, this is like a new start. I’m coming
in fresh. I’m re-motivated and excited to mix things up
in Strikeforce,” said the 31-year-old Gurgel, a native of
Brazil, who relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio a decade ago.
Gurgel
was part of the fight of the night in his most recent Octagon
appearance, sharing the honor – albeit in a losing effort
– with Aaron Riley. The loss was the third in his last four
appearances, however, so the UFC cut him loose.
Gurgel
went toe-to-toe with Riley for the duration of their three-round
bout. That's something he enjoys, but may not be the wisest approach
if he finds himself in bouts with current Strikeforce standouts,
such as lightweight champion Josh Thomson.
“I
make some bad decisions because I have too much fun. I have never
used my jiu-jitsu in the UFC,” he said. “All of my
fights in the UFC have been slugfests. People always tell me
after my fights that they know I can be one of the top contenders
in my weight class. They ask me why I don’t use my jiu-jitsu.
I have so much fun standing up and I completely think I’m
winning all the time.”
“I’m
going to do a lot of things differently in Strikeforce,”
said Gurgel. “I will always bring the same intensity and
I’m always going to fight 110 percent. I just want to be
able to use everything that I know.”
The
duration of Gurgel's contract was not released.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
10
Fights That Could Have Been
by Tim Leidecker
Mixed martial arts remains a very young sport. Despite a short
history that dates back less than 20 years, it has produced some
remarkable fights -- bouts like Royce Gracie against Dan Severn,
Frank Shamrock versus Tito Ortiz and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
against Fedor Emelianenko.
Every
longstanding promoter will admit that for every “superfight”
made, another fails to materialize because of injury, a contract
dispute or promoters failing to cooperate with one another.
Sherdog.com’s
Tim Leidecker has compiled a list of the top 10 fights that could
have been during the last 15 years.
10.
Vitor Belfort vs. Guy Mezger
Newer
fans most likely know Mezger as just “one of the guys”
from Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den. What they don’t
know is that the proud Texan is a one-time UFC lightweight (under
200 pounds) tournament champion and former King of Pancrase in
one of Japan’s most prestigious fighting organizations.
Newer
fans most likely know Belfort as just a fighter with enormous
potential -- potential the Brazilian unfortunately only managed
to tap little by little during his 12-year career. Towards the
end of the 20th century, the “Phenom” was one of the
game’s most feared strikers.
Belfort
-- who destroyed fellow Brazilian Wanderlei Silva at a UFC in
Brazil back in 1998 -- was scheduled to face the far-more-experienced
Mezger in the UFC 19 main event but pulled out because of a knee
injury. Mezger went on to lose a controversial fight against
Tito Ortiz, sparking the rivalry between the “Huntington
Beach Bad Boy” and the Lion’s Den.
9.
Jens Pulver vs. Rumina Sato
At
the same time Ortiz rose to superstardom and became the face
of the UFC, Pulver had been just as hot a ticket for new owners
Zuffa. Despite being a natural featherweight, “Little Evil”
fought himself into fans’ hearts in the 155-pound division.
Packing knockout power unheard of for such a small guy, Pulver
was billed as the next big thing.
Some
5,500 miles further east, Sato filled highlight reels with never-seen-before
submissions and spectacular knockouts. The “Moon Wolf”
was one of the true pioneers of MMA, having debuted back in 1994;
that was the same year “The Ultimate Fighter” season
five winner Nate Diaz started elementary school. With his slick
submissions, Sato was seen as the perfect foil for the hard-hitting
Pulver.
Unfortunately
for fight fans, Pulver did not move to Shooto until 2004. By
then, Sato had been knocked out by Japanese nemesis Caol Uno
-- a fighter Pulver convincingly beat in the UFC -- and suffered
a drought unparalleled in his career. He won only two of eight
fights between 2000 and 2003, effectively ending any interest
in a match with Pulver.
In
his prime, could Rizzo have hung with Vovchanchyn?
8. Igor Vovchanchyn vs. Pedro Rizzo
Ukraine’s
Vovchanchyn was without a shadow of a doubt the most devastating
striker in all of MMA around the turn of the century. The unimpressively
built, stocky kickboxer had posterized opponents with vicious
punches and kicks and made a big name for himself by winning
no less than six eight-man tournaments in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine
and Brazil. He also put the first crack in the armor of the seemingly
invincible Mark Kerr when the two fought in Japan in 1999.
Rizzo,
a luta livre and vale tudo fighter from Brazil had KO’d
his way into the UFC at the same time. Always appearing a little
drowsy and uninspired, the star pupil of UFC 7 tournament winner
Marco Ruas had devastating punching power at his disposal and
employed a textbook way of setting up his cracking knockouts
with punishing leg kicks. “The Rock” started his career
9-0, and most fans saw him as a worthy opponent for Vovchanchyn.
By
the time both fighters finally met on promotional paths, they
were both in the autumns of their careers. Ironically, they fought
on the same card together -- the second round of Pride Fighting
Championship’s 2005 middleweight tournament. By then, Vovchanchyn
had dropped down to the 205-pound division and Rizzo was still
a heavyweight, making a direct clash impossible. Both fighters
were stopped quickly that night.
7.
Matt Hughes vs. Takanori Gomi
UFC
President Dana White never grows tired of hailing Hughes as “the
greatest welterweight of all time.” During his prime, which
spanned six years (2001-06), the powerful wrestler, vicious ground-and-pounder
and underrated grappler gave a good thrashing to a who’s
who in his weight class, including Japanese star Hayato “Mach”
Sakurai, a young Georges St. Pierre and the legendary Royce Gracie.
Gomi,
like Hughes, comes from a wrestling background. He has collected
championship belts both in Shooto and Pride. From 2005 to 2007,
he was the undisputed top dog in Pride’s 160-pound division,
a weight class that was created especially for him. Gomi paid
back the faith the promoters showed in him by going on a devastating
rampage, finishing six consecutive opponents inside the first
round during one stretch.
Whether
or not the two were actually supposed to meet remains unclear,
but they appeared on promotional material for a Pride lightweight
tournament that never took place. If the grand prix had not been
abandoned in the spring of 2007, Gomi and Hughes may have either
fought in the first round or, given their undeniable class, made
for an absolute dream final.
6.
Volk Han vs. Marco Ruas
Before
Fedor Emelianenko, there was Oleg Taktarov. And before Oleg Taktarov,
there was Han. The sporting pedigree has come full circle, as
it was sambo master Han who taught Emelianenko his moves. Han
was loved in Japan for his decade-long run in the Rings promotion
but mocked by hardcore “no holds barred” purists for
his professional wrestling roots. Han proved all critics wrong
by taking part in real MMA fights late in his career, even going
the distance with the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who
replaced him as the sport’s most technical submission fighter.
Well-rounded
luta livre practitioner Ruas would have loved to have made an
even more lasting impression on fight fans and experts. However,
his main problem was that a lot of renowned opponents turned
down fights with him, as he was the only Brazilian fighter at
the time that was good on the ground and packed a decent punch.
Ironically, the favorite submission of the “King of the
Streets” was the heel hook -- a hold Han had perfected in
all kinds of variations and a hold with which he had finished
countless professional wrestling bouts and MMA fights.
It
would have been a treat to see these two legends of the ring
go at it. Both men are from the same generation, born in 1961,
and have flown under the radar as far as MMA history is concerned.
Had Ruas joined the Rings promotion instead of Pride when he
finally jumped to Japan in 1998, fans would have been in for
a leglock fest and an instant classic.
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Hidehiko Yoshida
Nogueira
-- the current UFC interim heavyweight champion and arguably
the fighter who uses Brazilian jiu-jitsu better than anyone else
in an MMA environment -- has also been a big draw in Japan. During
his run in the star-studded Pride heavyweight division between
2001 and 2006, he faced the cream of the crop of the world’s
best heavyweights, losing only to the overwhelming Emelianenko
and the well-rounded Josh Barnett.
The
lone exceptional opponent he did not fight during his stint in
Pride was Japanese Olympic Judo gold medalist Yoshida, who was
Pride’s undisputed native top star in 2005 and 2006. The
world-class ground fighter had earned the respect of critics
by adapting well to a new environment in which he had to stand,
punch and get punched. Yoshida had fought and beaten opponents
that outweighed him by more than 50 pounds. The promotion had
even started a storyline in which Nogueira was matched up against
Polish Olympic Judo gold medalist Pawel Nastula -- a teammate
and good friend of Yoshida’s -- whom Nogueira submitted
in the first round at Pride “Critical Countdown 2005.”
The
bankruptcy of Pride’s parent company, Dream Stage Entertainment,
and subsequent sale to UFC owners Zuffa LLC ended any chances
of this classic Judo versus jiu-jitsu confrontation taking place.
Zuffa has moved Nogueira over to the UFC, while Yoshida is now
the centerpiece of the fledgling Sengoku promotion in Japan.
While Yoshida may not be able to fight “Minotauro”
there, the chances of him taking on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira,
his twin brother, are significantly better. “Minotoro”
recently made his debut for Sengoku and sports his own successful
career in Japan.
4.
Rickson Gracie vs. Akira Maeda
Anybody
who’s followed the sport since its inception knows the mythic
qualities that surround Gracie. Even at 50, he faces demands
from Japanese fans who seek his return. While it’s difficult
to prove whether or not the Gracie family’s most prominent
son was actually 500-0 during his fighting career -- or just
499-0 -- it’s a fact that he was able to sell tickets in
Japan like no one else in the mid to late 1990s.
Probably
better known in professional wrestling circles in the United
States, Korean-born Akira Maeda garnered a similar cult following
in Japan. A tireless worker, he revolutionized Japanese pro wrestling
and formed the Rings promotion in 1991. A hodgepodge between
legitimate fighting and matches with arranged outcomes, it was
an approach that was later copied by Pancrase. Despite nagging
knee injuries that slowed down the popular heavyweight, Maeda
kept a busy schedule in an effort to entertain his fans.
In
1998, as a farewell present before retiring, Maeda worked incredibly
hard to put together a fight between himself and the legendary
Brazilian. He even promised Gracie a new show with his own set
of rules and handpicked sponsors, but a meeting between the two
wasn’t meant to be. Pride’s new owners, Dream Stage
Entertainment, snatched Gracie away and had him rematch Nobuhiko
Takada, a man he had already beaten decisively. Maeda was disappointed
but eventually settled on another larger-than-life legend --
Russian Aleksandr Karelin, the most dominant Greco-Roman wrestler
in history -- for his retirement match.
Shamrock
vs. Sakuraba was the most talked about fight of the new millenium.
3. Frank Shamrock vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
Shamrock
suffers from the bane of early birth. The American submission
expert excelled in the sport during a time that can best be described
as the “dark ages.” During his heyday, from 1997 to
1999, the UFC was dropped from major pay-per-view distributors
throughout the country and was even banned in 36 states thanks
to a campaign led by Sen. John McCain. As a result, only an elite
and hardcore few were able to see Shamrock’s legendary fights
inside the Octagon against feared wrestler Kevin Jackson or cocky
up-and-comer Ortiz.
Those
who went to their local video stores to get copies of Shamrock’s
fights were also in the know about Sakuraba, a fighting sensation
out of Japan. The fighter who would later become known as the
“Gracie Hunter” and the “IQ Wrestler” amazed
crowds with a unique and entertaining fighting style that strongly
incorporated influences from pro wrestling. Despite his antics,
Sakuraba never forgot to do his business inside the ring, submitting
tough opponents like Vernon White, Carlos Newton and Ebenezer
Fontes Braga.
Shamrock
has gone on record multiple times claiming he has made efforts
to make the fight happen for no less than two full years. The
showdown between two of the finest submission fighters of the
1990s was almost realized in November 2005, when Shamrock went
to Japan to negotiate a fight against Sakuraba on New Year’s
Eve. In the end, the Californian and Pride parent company DSE
could not come to terms.
2.
Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko
The
bout between Couture and Emelianenko appeared to be the fight
with the potential to shatter all previous records when rumors
about title unification between the UFC and Pride heavyweight
champions first spread in summer 2007. After that, there has
been a seemingly endless back and forth from both fighters, their
actions resembling the antics that cloud many top boxing matches
that never got made.
First,
Couture retired from the UFC in an effort to free himself from
his contract with Zuffa LLC. Then, after realizing that his remaining
years might be tied up in court, the “Natural” retired
from his retirement and went back into the arms of the UFC. At
the same time, Emelianenko signed a contract with M-1 Global,
a promotion that never put on a single event with its original
staff. That contract was terminated six months later.
Sandwiched
by ill-fated negotiations with Zuffa, which prompted UFC President
Dana White to refer to Emelianenko’s management team as
“crazy Russians,” the world’s undisputed number
one heavyweight attached himself to the upstart Affliction promotion.
After carrying their first pay-per-view event -- in which he
dispatched former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in just
36 seconds -- the “Last Emperor” signed an exclusive
deal with Affliction.
As
a result, Couture and Emelianenko may both fight in Las Vegas
in the future but seem light years away from facing one another
anytime soon.
1. Royce Gracie vs. Mark Kerr
During
MMA’s early years, the sport served as a vehicle to find
the most effective martial art. In the 1990s, many of the most
popular bouts were strict style-versus-style matchups. A debate
that continues today revolves around whether Brazilian jiu-jitsu
or amateur wrestling serves as the most effective base for MMA.
Two
fighters who could have ended the debate 10 years ago were Kerr
and Gracie. The latter was the star of the Gracie jiu-jitsu infomercials
that were the first UFC events and caused BJJ schools to mushroom
in the United States. While Gracie, at 6-foot, 175 pounds, did
beat a strong wrestler in Dan Severn at UFC 4, he had never faced
a physical specimen like Kerr during his first five UFC events.
As a result, fight fans demanded that he fight the “Smashing
Machine.” Pride, which was responsible for promoting the
most memorable super fights at the time, heard the fans’
pleas and tried to make the match happen. To everyone’s
surprise, the fight almost came to fruition; event posters with
Gracie and Kerr on them were even printed. Then on Christmas
Eve 1997, a little over three weeks before the show was supposed
to take place, Gracie pulled out with a bulging disc in his back.
That deprived fight fans around the world from perhaps the most
important fight in the history of the sport, one that could have
ended the tiresome wrestling-versus-BJJ debate once and for all.
Source: Sherdog
|
Sean
Sherk Interview Pt. 1 - Thoughts on CSAC
Sam Caplan
Sean Sherk is coming off the heels of a unanimous decision victory
over fellow lightweight title contender Tyson Griffin at UFC
90 last month at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
Sherk
and Griffin combined for “Fight of the Night” honors
by largely putting their outstanding wrestling skills on the
back burner and instead electing to try and brawl it out. In
sharing FOTN honors, Sherk put on perhaps the best display of
technical boxing in his nine-year career.
However,
the strong performance has left Sherk in a state of limbo. A
former UFC lightweight title holder before the California State
Athletic Commissionsuspended him over claims that he had tested
positive for steroids, Sherk would like nothing better to get
another shot at the belt.
But
that shot will have to wait, as the division’s current champion,
B.J. Penn, is set to moonlight in the welterweight division when
he faces Georges St. Pierre for the 170 pound strap on Jan. 31
in Las Vegas.
Sherk
recently took time out to speak exclusively with FiveOuncesOfPain.com
as a part of a media tour he’s doing on behalf of Round
5’s “World of MMA” series two action figures and
discussed a number of topics, including his feelings on Penn’s
involvement at welterweight.
In
Part I of this two part series, Sherk discussed his feelings
about the resignation of Armando Garcia as the executive director
of the California State Athletic Commission, Brock Lesnar’s
win over Randy Couture, his involvement with Round 5, and more.
Sam
Caplan: Did you feel any sense of satisfaction upon hearing that
Armando Garcia was going to resign?
Sean
Sherk: Yeah, I mean, definitely. There’s no love lost there.
That’s definitely music to my ears. I felt he obviously
handled my case very, very poorly and he had handled many other
fights very poorly. And he handled the UFC poorly.
You
know, the UFC hasn’t been back in California since July
of ‘07, after my fight. UFC 73 was the last time they had
been there. Now, if the UFC leaves your state and refuses to
come back, there’s a reason for that. So there’s a
lot of things going on there and there’s a reason why he
resigned. It’s not coincidence; there’s a reason why
he resigned and rightfully so.
Sam
Caplan: What’s your reaction to published reports that he
engaged in an improper relationship with a female staffer?
Sean
Sherk: (Laughs) I’d like to know who that female staffer
was, to be honest with you because there were a couple people
on that panel while I was undergoing my trial that I felt were
under his wing. I’d be curious to see if that was one of
them.
Anyway,
I didn’t know what the reasoning behind him resigning was.
I didn’t know what it was. I just assumed it was because
how he handled a lot of different situations while he served
as head commissioner.
Sam
Caplan: You’ve said in the past that you’d never fight
in California again. With Armando Garcia leaving and changes
at the top of the commission, are you now open to the possibility
of fighting in California again?
Sean
Sherk: To be honest with you, I think there needs to be a little
more change. Armando was the big problem, obviously, but there’s
other people on the commission’s board that I believe if
they were to take over, they’d do about the same job as
he did. I think there needs to be more change and only time will
tell. I’m not going to run back and fight in California
and take a chance of going through the same thing I just went
through. I’m just going to wait and see what happens. It’s
going to take some time.
Sam
Caplan: You’ve maintained your innocence since day one but
you’ve exhausted your appeal process with CSAC. Do you have
any plans to try and get your name cleared through the courts
or is the alleged positive test result a dead issue?
Sean
Sherk: I would love nothing more than to take this thing back
to court — actually, take it to court and in front of a
real judge and get a fair trial because you go to the appeal
and you’re dealing with the commission. (The commission)
is the judge, jury, and the prosecution and there’s no way
you’re going to get a fair hearing.
I’d
love to take this thing to court but in all reality it’s
going to take me $20,000 or $30,000 to take this thing back and
the chances of me getting this thing overturned and actually
doing something back are so slim because there’s really
nothing I can do about it. They’re right and I’m wrong
regardless of how many times I say I didn’t do it or regardless
of how many lie detectors I take or regardless of how many blood
tests I take. If they say I take steroids then I guess I take
steroids (and) there’s nothing I can do about it.
So
really, I’m just not willing to spend money just so I can
get kicked in the ass again. I’ve got no interest in fighting
in California and the whole thing just leaves me with a bad taste
in my mouth because this is something I’ll never be able
to escape. Even after my last fight against Tyson there were
still people yelling and booing and calling me a cheater and
all of this other crap even though I didn’t do it. Obviously
people don’t check into their facts too much. I did pass
a polygraph test three times and I did pass my blood test. Blood
work is much more accurate for testing for steroids than urinalysis.
If
people don’t want to check into the facts, then that’s
fine. It’s just something you’ve got to deal with when
you’re in the spotlight and I just have no interest fighting
in California again.
Sam
Caplan: It’s holiday shopping time so I’d be remiss
if I didn’t ask you about Round 5’s “World of
MMA Champions” series of action figures that feature several
UFC fighters, including yourself. My understanding is that you
played a very active role in Round 5’s design process?
Sean
Sherk: Yeah, I was. I was introduced to the guys at Round 5 about
a year ago and was presented with the opportunity to be a part
of the company and have my own action figure, which was something
I was very excited about. From there we just started going through
the molding stages.
The
cool thing about it was that as we were going through the design
process, I actually had a say in how everything was going to
turn out. Everything from the pose of my figure, to the types
of shorts that I wear, to the types of sponsors on my shorts,
and everything to the look. Everything was basically my decision,
which was pretty cool to have such a big part in it.
I
also had a big part in the launch. We did a launch and we went
out to Canada with Randy Couture and we did a big launch. I’d
say probably about five months ago, right around when the first
series came out. I had a big part in that and now I have a big
part in the launch of series two.
It’s
been a lot of fun and I am really excited. I am looking forward
to walking through the stores one of these days and seeing my
action figure on the shelf. I think that would be pretty cool
and a nice moment in my career.
Sam
Caplan: With these action figures, is it a license that Round
5 got through the UFC, or a license they signed directly with
you?
Sean
Sherk: This is something we did through me. The UFC has their
own set of action figures through Jakks Pacific and Round 5 is
a separate entity. We did this through me and it’s the first
of its kind as far as MMA action figures. The UFC has their own
coming out in probably another year or so. But Round 5 is something
I did totally separate of the UFC.
Sam
Caplan: In working with Round 5, does that preclude you from
being involved with Jakks and having the UFC marketing a Jakks
figure of Sean Sherk?
Sean
Sherk: I’m exclusive to Round 5 and obviously I can’t
have any competitors out there using my likeness for action figures.
When I signed my deal with Round 5, the UFC had no intentions
of coming out with action figures at the time.
Sam
Caplan: When you signed your deal with Round 5 did the UFC have
any issues it?
Sean
Sherk: You know what? Dana has been totally cool with it. I’ve
talked to him about it several times and I told him I was exclusive
with Round 5 and this was a deal I had signed six months prior
to the UFC announcing that they were going to have their own
action figures. It was something they were totally cool about.
I’m all for making money in this industry and I think Dana
is all about it too so he was totally cool with it.
Sam
Caplan: Were you able to stay abrest last week of the controversy
involving Jon Fitch, the American Kickboxing Academy, Zinkin
Entertainment, and the UFC?
Sean
Sherk: I heard that Fitch got let go but I wasn’t really
sure why. I heard it was something to do with the marketing agreement
or something of that nature. But I just moved into a new house
last week and I didn’t get Internet until yesterday so I’ve
been completely out of it for three weeks. I didn’t even
see the Lesnar vs. Couture fight until today. I didn’t even
know who won until I watched it this afternoon at the Academy.
So I’m pretty out of it and I don’t even know what
that was about.
Sam
Caplan: Well, let me first get your thoughts on the Couture vs.
Lesnar bout if I could?
Sean
Sherk: I thought it was good. I know Brock won the fight but
you’ve got to give it to Randy Couture. I mean the guy is
45-years old and is out there fighting a guy that’s 30,
60 pounds heavier, a national champion wrestler, who is just
a crazy phenomenal athlete and I thought he performed pretty
damn good.
You’ve
got to give it to him, the guy is still one of the best heavyweights
in the world but it just so happens that Brock is a beast. There
aren’t a lot of guys that are going to do that to Randy
Couture. There are maybe one or two guys that could potentially
beat Couture in the heavyweight division and stylistically vs.
Brock, it just wasn’t a good matchup for him.
Sam
Caplan: Do you think now with the win that Brock is the best
heavyweight in the world?
Sean
Sherk: Stylistically that was a hard matchup for Randy but there
aren’t many guys in the world that can beat Randy Couture.
Nogueira is not going to beat him; Mir is not going to beat him;
and none of those jiu-jitsu guys are going to beat him because
Randy has been in this industry for a long, long time. He’s
going to beat a jiu-jitsu guy — I’d beat my money on
it.
Brock
is still new to jiu-jitsu and stylistically those are the matchups
that are going to be more difficult for Brock. The guys such
as Nogueira and Mir are going to be more difficult for Brock.
I’m not saying Brock isn’t going to beat them but those
are the matchups that are going to pose the most problems in
my opinion.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Cro
Cop fires back at Overeem
Croatian summons rival to fight in his backyard
And
the soap opera the rivalry between Mirko Cro Cop and Alistair
Overeem sees another episode. Days after the Dutchman declared
to the world the fight had only not yet been inked because of
the Croatians fear of getting beaten, Mirko Cro Cop made a statement
rebutting his counterpart’s accusations.
“I
don’t want the public to think I’m afraid of him. If
Overeem doesn’t want to wait till the end od the year or
another date do come fight me, if he doesn’t believe I don’t
choose my adversaries and maybe Dream doesn’t want to face
each other on New Years, he can come to Zagreb on a weekend and
we can fight in my octagon, with impartial referees. We’ll
set up accommodations for him and his team, and a TV crew to
cover it, so the whole world can watch over the internet,”
Cro Cop declared to the Croatian press.
“If
he doesn’t show up, I suggest he stop calling me out till
another fight is scheduled. Let’s fight for the honor,”
he completed.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
MMA
Fastball: Watch out for Kenny Florian
Robert Rousseau
Kenny Florian utilized angles like an elite caliber Muay Thai
fighter in his victory over Roger Huerta on August 9, 2008. Perhaps
the recentness of that fight made it hard for people to remember
that Florian’s background was in jiu jitsu, an art that
he holds a black belt in.
Regardless,
the way he took out Joe Stevenson on the ground, an elite jiu
jitsu fighter himself, served to make a point that’s been
long overdue. You’re not safe on your feet against Florian;
and you’re not safe on the ground against him either. Remember
how Sean Sherk dominated him in ground and pound fashion way
back when?
Well,
that one rather powerful takedown Florian executed against Stevenson
on his way to a rear naked choke victory signifies that he’s
no longer going to be easy to dominate from a wrestling perspective,
either. Sure, B.J. Penn is ridiculous in all areas of fighting
himself and would be favored over him. Still, Florian is the
only guy in the UFC lightweight division that has well-rounded
enough skills to hang with him right now.
Looking
forward to that fight, if it occurs.
Georges
St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn at UFC 94: We’ve already talked
about this match up to death and will continue to in the future,
so we’ll leave that out of things (after all, it’s
early). Still, you’ve got to wonder what happens if Penn
wins. Sure they’re saying that he would go down in weight
to defend his lightweight title, but doesn’t beating a guy
like St. Pierre beg for fighting as a welterweight? Imagine the
possibilities: Diego Sanchez vs. B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes vs. B.J.
Penn III, Josh Koscheck vs. B.J. Penn, Thiago Alves vs. B.J.
Penn. . .
And
the list goes on.
Brock
Lesnar shuts most of the critics up: As an MMA fan and writer,
I can’t stand the fact that some people are going to view
Lesnar’s victory over Randy Couture as signifying that a
big WWE wrestler can simply come into MMA and do well. Sure it’s
his collegiate wrestling background, size, and athleticism that
netted him a UFC belt, not his professional wrestling background.
But the truth is sometimes irrelevant; people will often view
things without utilizing the real facts.
None
of that is Lesnar’s fault, however. The bottom line is that
he’s proven to be freakishly athletic with awesome wrestling
skills. Beyond that, he’s knocked down every UFC fighter
he’s faced with a punch, even if the one against Mir has
been called a slip by some. Add in a win over Couture and some
very hard work on Lesnar’s part and you’ve got to give
him credit. Lesnar has proven to be a serious MMA fighter that
can give anybody in the game problems.
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Brock Lesnar: Already we’re hearing about
the whole Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko thing. Don’t
want to hear it. It’s impossible, folks! More impossible
than PRIDE vs. UFC bouts ever were (at least those happened sometimes).
So
stop talking about the possibility of it!
Kim
Couture comes out smoking: At Strikeforce: Destruction, Couture
promised to start quickly against Lina Kvokov. After all, in
her first professional fight she came out cautiously and got
her jaw broken in the first round. She sure did deliver on her
pre-fight promises, by the way, coming out of the gate blazing
and securing a first round TKO in dominant fashion. The bottom
line is that she looked much better her second time around than
her first.
And
that’s a big piece of what this whole martial arts thing
is about.
Scott
Smith hits hard: Sure, we all knew that Smith hit hard. But just
in case you forgot or want some reaffirmation, check out his
recent quick knockout of Terry Martin.
Chuck
Liddell vs. Randy Couture IV: There’s talk that this fight
could take place at a future UFC event in Germany. You’d
think that you’d get sick of seeing these two square off.
But this one would be at heavyweight, and Liddell has been on
a somewhat downward trend. Will that make a difference?
Hard
to say. But it’s still a match up that intrigues you, no?
Where
the heck is Tito?: Free agent MMA fighter Tito Ortiz has been
rumored to be going everywhere but still hasn’t fought anyone
since Lyoto Machida. He’s not young enough to be waiting
around this long. Besides, a match against Renato “Babalu”
Sobral or Frank Shamrock in Strikeforce could be a big money
event.
Hopefully
he gets on board with someone soon.
Lyoto
Machida vs. Thiago Silva at UFC 93: This upcoming UFC fight should
be a very good one. Looking forward to it in a big way!
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Okami
a Contender in Limbo
by Tony Loiseleur
TOKYO -- After the uproar concerning the middleweight division
in wake of UFC 90, one question remains. What happened to Yushin
Okami?
Part
and parcel of being the most successful Japanese import in the
UFC, “Thunder” was seen as next in line to challenge
Anderson Silva for the middleweight strap. However, a fractured
hand put the Wajutsu Keishukai fighter on the shelf for eight
months, clearing the way for Canadian Patrick Cote to take his
shot.
“My
hand was injured, so it couldn’t be helped,” Okami
said. “I wasn’t disappointed that Cote got to fight
Silva first. My hand is completely healed and ready to go.”
In
the meantime, Okami (22-4) has watched, trained and waited for
his eventual return to the Octagon. Though slated to face Dean
Lister at UFC 92 “The Ultimate 2008” on Dec. 27 in
Las Vegas, he still keeps a keen eye on Silva. In his mind, the
champion’s latest performance left a lot to be desired.
“It
didn’t look like Silva’s best performance,” Okami
said. “I thought that his behavior came from his confidence
in his own strength.”
Silva’s
actions during the two-and-a-half-round title bout garnered criticism
from a large segment of the mixed martial arts community. Okami’s
opinion places him in the opposite camp, however, as he points
to Silva’s technical superiority over the Canadian striker
as the probable reason for his behavior.
“I
am aware [of the criticism Silva has received],” he said.
“I think that because Silva has fought so many times, it
may have been difficult to maintain his motivation.”
Although
Dean Lister is Okami's next foe, Anderson Silva remains the fighter's
target.Whether by his own merit or not, Cote became the only
person to take Silva to a third round in the Octagon. It has
become part of the rallying cry for Cote and his supporters in
calling for an immediate rematch with the champion. Their first
encounter ended abruptly when Cote collapsed to the canvas, stricken
by a fight-ending knee injury.
Okami
has a different view.
“As
the fight went on,” he said, “I think Cote was unable
to do much. A rematch would be too soon.”
Immediately
after Cote’s technical knockout loss to Silva, the implication
was that, barring an immediate rematch, Okami would take his
previous spot in line as the top middleweight title contender.
While Cote’s recovery time likely prohibits him from entering
the cage for the rematch anytime soon, recent rumors pointing
to Chael Sonnen and Chuck Liddell as potential opponents for
Silva mean a title shot may not be in the Japanese fighter’s
future after all.
“I
did not know [about the rumors], but I am going to fight with
whomever I am matched up with,” Okami said. “I don't
think [Zuffa] promised me Silva.”
Okami
has also heard Silva’s talk of retirement.
“I
don’t know whether it’s true or not,” he said.
“I just hope he retires after we fight.”
Though
Okami’s immediate future does not seem to hold a championship
bout he was all but promised before injuring his hand earlier
this year, his next test in the Octagon at UFC 92 will be stern
enough. One of the world’s premier submission grapplers,
Lister (11-5) has never been finished in 16 professional bouts
and has rattled off four wins in five fights, losing only to
Nate Marquardt.
Aware
that his absence from the cage has likely distanced him from
the MMA community’s collective memory, Okami acknowledges
the fact that he must make an impact against yet another strong
middleweight in Lister.
“Lister’s
got a lot of power and good submissions,” he said. “I
want to make it a good fight, so I’m going to go in and
do my best to finish him.”
Okami’s
success in the Octagon -- his only loss in seven fights came
by decision to former 185-pound king Rich Franklin -- has earned
him his place as a top middleweight. Zuffa’s recent announcement
that the Lister-Okami bout would be placed on the untelevised
undercard at UFC 92 prompted fans to voice displeasure at the
decision; it again elbows the man many view as the number one
contender out of the spotlight.
The
27-year-old, who has not competed since he knocked out the late
Evan Tanner at UFC 82 in March, was unaware he had supporters
abroad.
“I
am already very happy to get support from Japanese fans, but
I am also very happy to hear that I get support from fans overseas,”
Okami said. “I think that when I do fight Silva, I’ll
have to do my best to meet their expectations and win against
him.”
Source: Sherdog
|
California
Commission Skips Testing for Strikeforce
Sam Caplan
Fighters
competing on last Friday’s Strikeforce “Destruction”
event in San Jose, Calif. at the HP Pavilion were not subjected
to drug screening of any kind, according to a report by MMA Weekly’s
“Insider Blog.”
The
report indicates that new California State Athletic Commission
Assistant Executive Director Bill Douglas canceled drug testing
for the event due to his decision to completely revamp the state’s
drug screening process.
Douglas
revealed to the site that the CSAC is working to finish the new
drug screening program and that testing could resume in the state
as early as next week.
A
former staff analyst for the CSAC the past three years, Douglas
was promoted to oversee the board of commissioners while the
commission transitions from the leadership of outgoing Executive
Director Armando Garcia to a full-time replacement.
Garcia
tendered his resignation earlier this month but he will serve
out his remaining term through Dec. 31, at which point his contract
with the CSAC will expire. For all intents and purposes, Douglas
is running the commission with Garcia only remaining Executive
Director in name only.
During
Garcia’s three-year tenure as the head commissioner of the
CSAC, the state’s drug testing policies were some of the
most controversial of any regulatory body in the United States.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Quote
of the Day
"We
turn not older with years, but newer every day."
Emily Dickinson
|
X-1
at the Cirque Hawaii Results!
Cirque
Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
November 26, 2008
By Chris Onzuka
155lb Kickboxing Match
3 Roiunds - 2 Minutes
Jonah Visante (Sit You Down) def. Frankie Tano (Freelance)
TKO, Tano could not continue after end of Round 2.
185lb MMA Match
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Brandon Naleieha (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs Kevin Agliam (Mix Breed)
Majority draw [(19-18), (19-19), (19-19)] after 2 Rounds.
205lb XMA Title Match
3 Rounds - 2 Minutes
David Vasquez
(Sit You Down) def. Austin Figueroa (Kurrupt Ambitionz)
Unanimous decision [(29-27), (29-28), (29-28)] after 3 Rounds.
205lb MMA
Match
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Ben Fonoti (Freelance) def. Makana Vertido (Kurrupt Ambitionz)
Submission via Kimura key lock at 1:53 in Round 1.
155lb
MMA Match
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
John Visante (Sit You Down) def. Kyle Kaahanui (Mix Breed)
TKO via Referee stoppage due to strikes at 1:46 in Round 2.
|
B.J.
PENN: REALIZING THE DREAM, BUILDING A LEGEND
by Ken Pishna
"I run as hard as I can. I lift as much weights as I can.
I do as much jiu-jitsu as I can. Why not take this as far as
I can? You know? Just see how far you can go, for once in your
life. Step up and see what you really could have done. That's
what I want to do."
That
is how B.J. Penn thinks. He doesn't dwell on wins and losses
or how many championship belts collect dust on his mantle or
how many fancy cars he can park in the garage. He operates on
a different plane, a plane reserved for icons and legends.
"I
want to leave a mark in this sport. When I was 22-years-old,
I wanted to become the lightweight champion of the world."
Penn did that. He has also held and walked away from the welterweight
title that he will soon fight for.
"I'm
going to be 30-years-old next month and I want to become the
best ever. And this is my chance," he said of his iconic
bout with fellow legend seeker Georges St. Pierre.
The
bout will be a rematch of a controversial split decision that
Penn lost to St. Pierre nearly three years ago. But for Penn,
it's not about avenging that loss or even capturing St. Pierre's
UFC welterweight title that will be on the line at UFC 94.
"Our
first fight doesn't even come into play," he told MMAWeekly.com.
"He's a different man; I'm a different man. It has nothing
to do with this fight. It's like I'm fighting a new person."
It's
not about the rematch. It's not about the title. It's about the
fight to be bigger than the game. There are plenty of contenders
to Penn's own lightweight championship, but that's not where
he dwells. He dwells in the childhood dreams of becoming the
next Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, or John Elway.
"Kenny
Florian is great, Joe Stevenson is great, Sean Sherk is great,
and Tyson Griffin is great. I'll never say anybody can beat me,
but maybe they might do damn good and maybe do something to me,
but do I sit there and put my head down on the pillow and think,
'Man, if I had one chance. Man, I wish I could fight one of those
guys.' There's no way.
"But
do I sit down on my bed and think, 'Man, I got the opportunity;
I'm fighting Georges St. Pierre. Half the people in the world
think Georges St. Pierre is the best fighter. The other half
say it's me.' You know what I mean? It's just a no-brainer. That's
what I think about the whole time," says Penn with visions
of being seen an iconoclast dancing across his eyes.
"I
got the opportunity, the lightweight champ versus the welterweight
champ... This is that fight. This is that Rocky-Apollo Creed,
that Hulk Hogan-Ultimate Warrior, that Joe Frazier-Ali. This
is it."
Granted,
he's in a sport where there are rules and parameters that are
to be followed. That has been one of UFC president Dana White's
greatest challenges when it comes to the goals of B.J. Penn.
"The
problem I always talk about with B.J. is trying to contain this
kid and keep him focused on staying at 155 and defending his
title there," said White recently. "Should B.J. win,
one of the things he would do is defend two titles at the same
time. Nobody has ever done that (in the UFC). It's never been
done."
That
might still be a bit harder to pull off than White states, although
he has readily admitted that he and Penn have butted heads in
the past over such matters and are likely to do so again, especially
if Penn defeats St. Pierre on Jan. 31.
The
Hawaiian isn't sure, win or lose, if he'll be motivated to defend
the belt that currently sets him atop the 155-pound division.
"I honestly don't know the answer to that question,"
he responded when questioned if he would defend the lightweight
title. "One fight at a time, we've got to see exactly where
my head is after this fight."
Not
skipping past St. Pierre, a fight that flies in the face of White's
plans for Penn is something that puts the twinkle in his eye
that defending his lightweight belt against another contender
doesn't seem to.
"I
wonder how I'm ever gonna be able to top this in my career, you
know?" as Penn considers not a mandated defense of his current
championship, but the challenge of another mega-fight, another
stepping stone to building his legend as the best fighter on
the planet.
"I'm
definitely looking for mega-fights and if Anderson Silva is one
of them, why not shoot for the stars?"
That
is not a fight that the head of the UFC foresees for Penn, even
if he does defeat St. Pierre. "B.J. doesn't have the frame
to carry that kind of weight," stated White of a challenge
to Silva's 185-pound divisional title.
"Is
he tough enough to do it? Absolutely. Is he talented enough to
go up there and do it? Absolutely. Does that mean he should do
it? Absolutely not. He doesn't have the frame to carry that kind
of weight. And it just makes no sense, no sense at all."
Penn
would beg to differ, at least if all goes as planned against
St. Pierre. " If I go in there and just destroy St. Pierre
in two or three minutes, could (White) really argue about it?
"In
the end, it's the fans that are gonna want it. If I sit there
and I say, after I just beat Georges St. Pierre in three minutes,
and say, 'I want to fight so-and-so.' Do you think the fans are
gonna say, 'Boo,' we won't pay for that?"
That,
however, is a fight for another day. Right now, Penn must focus
on the dream at hand. If he is to secure his legacy as the best
fighter ever, Penn knows he has the culmination of his struggles
towards that goal standing across the Octagon from him on Jan.
31.
"This
is that moment. This is that hour. This is that moment that I've
been waiting for my whole life."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Gonzaga’s
money on Minotauro
Brazilian would be favorite against Brock Lesnar
The
devastating win over Josh Hendricks at UFC 91, on November 15th,
put Gabriel Napao once again at the top of the UFC heavyweight
category mix. So who better to ask his prediction about the upcoming
match between Rodrigo Minotauro and Frank Mir, this coming December
27th, at UFC 92, than someone near the top of the division.
“I
think both fighters have a chance to win, but I believe Minotauro
is in better physical shape,” said Napao, during a brief
chat with GRACIEMAG.com.
The
black belt went further, already risking a prediction for the
heavyweight title unification match: “I also think that,
should he win, Minotauro would beat Brock Lesnar using Jiu-Jitsu.”
Napao
took the chance to send a message out to web users who access
GRACIEMAG.com: “I’d like to thank all those who cheered
for me and hope they’ll continue sending that energy. I’m
going to try and return it with lots of determination and carry
on in my quest for the belt. Thanks!”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Frankie
Edgar gets purple belt from Ricardo Almeida
UFC lightweight Frankie Edgar was promoted from blue to purple
belt by UFC middleweight Ricardo Almeida on Saturday at Almeida's
academy in Hamilton, New Jersey.
Edgar joined Almeida's academy in May.
Edgar
(9-1) fights Matt Wiman (10-3) next at "UFC Fight For the
Troop" on Wednesday, December 10 in Fayetteville, North
Carolina. In his last fight Edgar won a unanimous decision over
former number contender Hermes Franca which the promotion later
declared the Fight of the Night.
Almeida
promoted a total of seven black belts that day, including Dante
Rivera (10-4) of "The Ultimate Fighter 7." It was a
pick-me-up for Rivera after losing the night before at Ring of
Combat via TKO in 34 seconds to Paul Bradley. The Ring of Combat
middleweight championship loss was Rivera's first via (T)KO.
Rivera was dropped by an uppercut and finished with strikes.
UFC
45 competitor Chris Ligouri (9-7) was also upped to purple belt.
He won the night before at the same event with a second-round
armbar.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Marcus
Davis Thinks He’ll Decision Lytle
By Steven Marrocco
UFC
welterweight Marcus Davis is ready to take on Chris Lytle at
UFC 93, and thinks the fight has the potential to be an all-time
classic in the history of the organization. FCF spoke to “The
Irish Hand Grenade” to get his thoughts on the Jan. 17 fight.
What he says might surprise you.
FCF:
Looking at Lytle’s past fights, it’s clear he likes
to throw bombs. Do you think that might be an advantage to you
and your boxing technique?
Davis:
Well, what I think’s going to happen is that Chris is super,
super durable, he’s never been knocked out. I’m durable,
and I’ve never been knocked unconscious. I’ve been
knocked down now, because of the neck kick [Editor’s note:
Davis is referring to his fight with Paul Taylor at UFC 75],
but I’ve never been knocked out, ever in my life. So, I
think we’re both going to be there to hit each other. I
think I’m a lot more elusive. It will be a lot more difficult
to [be elusive] against Chris, for a couple reasons. One is Chris
is a seasoned veteran, and he does have some boxing background,
so that’s going for him. Number two, Chris Lytle is taller
than me and has a lot more reach on me. So on my way in to hit
Lytle, he’s going to have an opportunity to hit me, and
on my way out, after hitting him, he’s still going to have
an opportunity to hit me, where I won’t have the opportunity
to hit him. So I’m taking that all into consideration. I
want it to be the toughest fight I ever had, so that just make
sure that everybody’s going to talk about for years to come.
FCF:
Is in any way this fight making up for your performance in the
Swick fight? That was the same deal as this, there was a lot
of anticipation about how exciting that fight was going to be.
Does that enter into your mind at all?
Davis:
Well, there were other extenuating circumstances. Mike Swick
was hurt, I was hurt, we weren’t able to go in and do what
we planned to do. And yeah, I do feel bad about that fight. I
do have some stuff I’ve gotta do to make up for that. For
me, there is a lot of pressure on me to really have a great performance
and have a great fight because I’m fighting in Ireland.
I know I already fought in Belfast, Ireland, but I thought a
guy from London who didn’t live far away and had a lot of
support. Now, I might be an American, but in the eyes of the
UK people, I’m a face in the UK. I have more UK fans than
I do American fans. I have to go out there and I have to perform
for the Irish people. So I have all that stress, and I’m
mentally ready to face it and focused. I’m just trying to
not work too hard too soon, I don’t want to peak too early.
FCF:
Yeah, it would seem important not to tire yourself out too soon.
Davis:
Yeah, I completely believe this fight’s going the distance.
I want to knock Chris out, Chris wants to knock me out, but I
don’t think that’s going to happen. I’m not betting
I’m going to knock Chris out. I’m betting on a long,
hard three-round fight of us busting each other up, and at the
end, him and I hugging each other and raising each other’s
hands and collecting some bonus money for fight of the night.
The only thing people are going to get upset about is the ground
game. Everybody says I’m going to stand, I’m going
to bang, but once one guy realizes that you know what, I can’t
stand with this guy, or I’m behind on the scorecards, or
this isn’t going the way I needed it to go, they shoot.
So this is going to be a fight that’s fought every place
in that Octagon. When I’m training, I’m training takedown
defense like crazy. I’m training getting up from the guard
like crazy. Because I know that at some point, he’s going
to take me down.
FCF:
And Chris has great jiu-jitsu.
Davis:
Unbelievable jiu-jitsu. His guard is phenomenal. He’s like
a rubber man with his legs. He’s able to lay on his back
and touch his heels to his face without even grabbing them, it’s
crazy.
FCF:
That’s a big danger, then, if you get taken down.
Davis:
It’s a huge danger. But my ground game is a lot better than
people think. I wasn’t able to stand with Swick once he
was in my guard, but if anybody remembers that fight, he tried
to pass my guard, and he was only able to pass my guard one time.
So, I think that says something. But I’m going to be doing
a lot of groundwork with Kenny and Keith Florian to prepare for
this.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Miguel
Torres-Jeff Curran Rivalry Brewing
Sam Caplan
What
initially started as an innocent attempt by Jeff Curran to raise
the level of excitement even further in the WEC’s bantamweight
division has now taken on a life of its own.
During
a recent C3 Full Contact Fighting event in which Curran was inducted
into the promotion’s Hall of Fame, the former featherweight-turned-bantamweight
competitor responded to a question about what his goals were
for the upcoming year by indicating that he wanted to win the
WEC 135 pound title currently held by Miguel Torres.
With
several thousand fans on hand to witness the comments in Torres’
hometown of Hammond, Indiana, some took them out of context and
began to claim that Curran “called Torres out” during
posts on the legendary Underground forum atMixedMartialArts.com.
The
thread exploded when Curran responded to comments in which some
fans expressed that they believed Curran’s comments were
disrespectful and that he wasn’t “in the same league”
as the incumbent champ.
Curran,
one of the greatest lighter weight fighters to ever compete in
MMA, took great offense to some of the remarks made.
“WOW!
That’s all I can say,” an agitated Curran responded.
“Suddenly Miguel Torres is God.”
“I
lose one fight in 60 by a submission to Urijah Faber and I suddenly
don’t transfer my BJJ to MMA as good as Torres?,” Curran
continued. “That’s just ridiculous.”
Clearly
feeling slighted after not being compared favorably to Torres,
Curran decided to introduce some statistical information to the
debate in response to his critics.
“MIguel
is slick as hell, I am the first to admit,” said Curran.
“I am personally a fan of his as he has claimed to be of
mine. But, here are a few quick facts to ease your troubled little
minds: Miguel has fought some good guys, yes, but the majority
of his fight record consists of fighters that haven’t been
very active overall. Meaning they are not currently fighting.
“Here
are some simple numbers: my 42 total opponents total a win/loss/draw
record of 479-269-25 (773 total fights). MIguel Torres has fought
guys totaling a record of 204-159-7 combined record (370 total
fights) out of his 35 total fights. So on an average I have seven
more fights than him yet my opposition has a total of 403 more
total fights.”
FiveOuncesOfPain.com
contacted Curran in response to the forum post and while he has
nothing personal against Torres, he made it clear that he feels
some of Torres’ supporters are overlooking his credentials.
“I
think I have plenty of respect. I just think that when someone
doesn’t respect you, it shows up more than when people do,”
he began to tell us during an exclusive interview conducted by
phone. “My fans and my students and my family, they don’t
go on the Underground and I’ve got a few guys that try and
keep up with stuff that are backing me, but for the most part
I’ve got better things to do than have all my friends go
on and hype me up. There are just times in which I wish I had
some people to go on there and speak on my behalf so that I wouldn’t
have too.”
However,
as we continued to speak with Curran, he still wanted to stress
that he has a resume that is every bit as strong as Torres’
— and perhaps stronger.
“…The
bottom line is that he fought a lot of guys in the bulk of his
career that never really continued on to be fighters and never
were really fighters in the first place,” he said. “He’s
beat some good guys and he’s good, but let’s not think
that he’s out of my league. If anybody thinks he’s
out of my league, they are out of their mind. When he was fighting
guys who were 0-2, I was in the UFC fighting Matt Serra on nine
days notice even though he completely outweighed me. He couldn’t
finish me off, he couldn’t submit me, and he couldn’t
overpower me. And that was when my game was half of what it is
now…”
While
Curran indicated that both he and Torres are friends, it appears
that his decision to move from featherweight to bantamweight
has put a great deal of stress on the friendship.
“I
talked to Miguel right after I had fought Mike Brown,” Curran
began to explain. “Me and Miguel had a conversation and
I said, ‘Hey, there’s a good chance now that I’m
moving to the division that we’re going to end up fighting
and I think it’s in our best interest to do it professionally
and do it right and make sure everybody knows about it.’
And he said ‘Oh yeah, I’m all behind it.’
“I
told him we could hype it up. It’s not like we’ve got
to go out and trash talk each other… He was in agreement
with me and it started to approach the end of the year and we
saw Mike Brown beat Urijah Faber and it got my wheels turning…
I sent him a text and said ‘Once you go through Tapia, you
should give me a call and we’ll do this up and get something
going…
“His
assistant called me and said that he was training for a fight
and that he would call me as soon as he got back from out of
town… Then a week later his agent called my agent and started
bitching about me calling and bothering Miguel and stuff and
that Miguel is too good to fight me. I sort of got thinking that
maybe all of this fame has gotten to Miguel’s head and that
he doesn’t remember he doesn’t have as good of a shot
of beating me as he thinks.”
While
Curran isn’t sure when the seemingly inevitable showdown
with Torres will take place, he did reveal to Five Ounces of
Pain that he expects his WEC debut at bantamweight to take place
on Jan. 25 in San Diego at WEC 38.
“Vaguely
in the beginning (the WEC) said they wanted to put me and Torres
together but they never said whether they wanted me to win one
fight or two. They never give that description,” Curran
answered when asked about a timetable for a possible Torres fight,
before continuing by saying, “But I am discussing fighting
whoever they give me for the Jan. 25 WEC and I don’t know
who that would be, but I don’t mind fighting once (before
fighting Torres).
Source: The Fight Network
|
Arona
Plans 2009 Return
by Marcelo Alonso
Forget Waldo. Where’s Arona?
The
mixed martial arts world last saw Ricardo Arona in April 2007
when he was on the wrong end of a Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou technical
knockout at Pride 34.
In
the 19 months that followed, as Arona retreated to the shadows,
questions have swirled about the Brazilian’s future in the
sport. Still only 30, he has focused his energies on building
a training center in his homeland while keeping an eye on the
MMA scene.
“I
received a lot of proposals from Canadian, American and Japanese
promotions,” Arona told Sherdog.com in an exclusive video
interview. “I continue receiving a lot of proposals, but
my main goal now is to build my own training center and then
sign a contract when I’m sure that my project is being accomplished.”
With
the gym nearing completion, it seems only a matter of time before
he injects himself back into the light heavyweight ranks. Considering
the victories he holds against reigning Strikeforce heavyweight
champion Alistair Overeem, former EliteXC middleweight titleholder
Murilo "Ninja" Rua and two-time Olympian Dan Henderson,
Arona would be a welcomed addition to any promotion’s roster.
“I
might finish [the gym] by the end of the year and then come back
to fight,” he said. “I want to train near my home.
It’s the most important thing for a fighter -- to train
and rest at familiar places and eat well at the right time.”
Check
out Marcelo Alonso’s full
interview
to watch Arona discuss his situation with Brazilian Top Team,
his future and why a return to fighting is so important to him.
Source: Sherdog
|
Anderson
Silva still focus a boxing career
By Guilherme Cruz
The
UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva left the octagon at
UFC 90 saying that he’d be on the way to Thailand to work
on his Muay Thai skills, but the trip didn’t happened. “I
didn’t went there yet, I’m waiting for my documents.
I can’t go out of here (USA) while I don’t get my Green
Card, I only can go there next week”, said Anderson, who’s
using his free time in America to work on his boxing. ”I’m
training Boxing in the Freddie Roach’s gym a time ago, I
went to New York for the fight of Roy Jones Jr. and I’m
training a some boxing here here”, told Anderson, who watched
the fight in witch Roy was defeated by Joe Calzaghe in the judges
unanimous decision. “It’s in my plans, it’s one
of my personal projects”, commented Anderson about a possible
departure to the rings of Boxe after the retirement in MMA.
Watching
the UFC 91 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Anderson went home disappointed
with the result of the main event. “I was cheering for (Randy)
Couture, but unfortunately he took a foolish punch. That guy
(Brock Lesnar) is very strong, but (Couture) needs to come back
training and fight again”, commented Anderson, hoping to
watch a fight between Lesnar and Rodrigo Nogueira in 2009. “’Minotauro’
is training hard. Despite of we haven’t been training together
yet, because I’m here in United States and he’s in
Brazil, we hope he wins that”, said Anderson, who commented
the ascension of the compatriots Demian Maia and Thales Leites
in his category. “It’s nice, each one showing your
job, that they are running after an opportunity. This is important,
I’m always cheering to they can win, they are Brazilians”,
finished the champion, who denied a fight with Chuck Liddell
at UFC 95.
Source: Tatame
|
MMAWEEKLY
WORLD MMA RANKINGS UPDATED
The latest MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings were released on Wednesday,
November 26. This system ranks the Top 10 MMA fighters from all
across the world – now in each of the seven most widely
accepted weight classes.
Taken
into consideration are a fighter's performance in addition to
his win-loss record, head-to-head and common opponents, difficulty
of opponents, and numerous other factors in what is the most
comprehensive rankings system in the sport.
Fighters
who are currently serving drug-related suspensions are not eligible
for Top 10 consideration until they have fought one time after
the completion of their suspension.
Fighters
must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to
be eligible for Top 10 consideration.
Below
are the current MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings, which are up-to-date
as of November 26.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
HEAVYWEIGHT
DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
#1
Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko
2.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3.
Josh Barnett
4.
Andrei Arlovski
5.
Randy Couture
6.
Tim Sylvia
7.
Gabriel Gonzaga
8.
Fabricio Werdum
9.
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
10.
Brock Lesnar
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
#1
Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Forrest Griffin
2.
Quinton Jackson
3.
Lyoto Machida
4.
Rashad Evans
5.
Chuck Liddell
6.
Wanderlei Silva
7.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
8.
Keith Jardine
9.
Rich Franklin
10.
Thiago Silva
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
MIDDLEWEIGHT
DIVISION (185-pound limit)
#1
Middleweight Fighter in the World: Anderson Silva
2.
Robbie Lawler
3.
Matt Lindland
4.
Kazuo Misaki
5.
Yushin Okami
6.
Nathan Marquardt
7.
Dan Henderson
8.
Gegard Mousasi
9.
Yoshihiro Akiyama
10.
Paulo Filho
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
WELTERWEIGHT
DIVISION (170-pound limit)
#1
Welterweight Fighter in the World: Georges St. Pierre
2.
Jon Fitch
3.
Thiago Alves
4.
Josh Koscheck
5.
Jake Shields
6.
Matt Hughes
7.
Matt Serra
8.
Diego Sanchez
9.
Carlos Condit
10.
Karo Parisyan
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
LIGHTWEIGHT
DIVISION (160-pound limit)
#1
Lightweight Fighter in the World: B.J. Penn
2.
Eddie Alvarez
3.
Shinya Aoki
4.
Joachim Hansen
5.
Tatsuya Kawajiri
6.
Gesias "JZ" Calvancante
7.
Takanori Gomi
8.
Kenny Florian
9.
Mitsuhiro Ishida
10.
Josh Thomson
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
FEATHERWEIGHT
DIVISION (145 pound-limit)
#1
Featherweight Fighter in the World: Mike Brown
2.
Urijah Faber
3.
Akitoshi Tamura
4.
Hideki Kadowaki
5.
Hatsu Hioki
6.
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue
7.
Jeff Curran
8.
Rafael Assuncao
9.
Wagnney Fabiano
10.
Leonard Garcia
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
BANTAMWEIGHT
DIVISION (135 pounds or less)
#1
Featherweight Fighter in the World: Miguel Torres
2.
Masakatsu Ueda
3.
Brian Bowles
4.
Koetsu Okazaki
5.
Marcos Galvao
6.
Takeya Mizugaki
7.
Manny Tapia
8.
Will Ribeiro
9.
Chase Beebe
10.
Atsushi Yamamoto
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Adrenaline
MMA Finalizes Dec. 11 Card
Sam Caplan
Ten
fights have been finalized for Adrenaline MMA’s second-ever
event to take place on Thursday, December 11, at the i wireless
Center in Moline, Illinois.
FiveOuncesOfPain.com
confirmed the current lineup during a phone interview on Tuesday
afternoon with long-time MMA promoter and manager, Monte Cox.
Headlining
the show will be the first welterweight champion in UFC history
and legendary MMA trainer Pat Miletich. Miletich will be returning
to competitive MMA after a two-plus year layoff to take on King
of the Cage and EliteXC veteran Thomas “Wildman” Denny.
Also
confirmed is former IFL standout heavyweight and Affliction veteran
Ben Rothwell, who is slated to square off against former IFO
heavyweight champion Chris Guillen.
Chicago-area
police officer and former PRIDE veteran Mike Russow, who headline
Adrenaline’s first MMA show in June against Jason Guida,
will be taking on Braden Bice. Bice, 6-5, was recently tapped
as a replacement for Russow’s original opponent, “Cujo”
Joe McCall.
Other
notable fighters scheduled to compete are IFL veterans L.C. Davis,
Ryan McGivern, Mike Ciesnolevicz, and Jesse Lennox.
The
complete 10-bout lineup as of Nov. 25 is as follows:
Welterweight:
Pat Miletich vs. Thomas Denny
Heavyweight: Ben Rothwell vs. Chris Guillen
Heavyweight: Mike Russow vs. Braden Bice
Light Heavyweight: Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Derrick Mehman
Middleweight: Ryan McGivern vs. Geno Roderick
Lightweight: L.C. Davis vs. Billy Kidd
Welterweight: Jesse Lennox vs. Ryan Williams
Featherweight: Gabe Lemley vs. Dan Loman
Lightweight: Pat Curran vs. Ramiro Hernandez
Featherweight: Daniel Rodriguiez vs. Jacob Hey
Source: The Fight Network
|
Drysdale
and Fowler in Asian Championship
Black belts signed up for this weekend’s tournament
The
weekend will be packed with Jiu-Jitsu on the other side of the
world. On Saturday and Sunday, the Tokyo Budoh-Kan gymnasium
will host the 2008 Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship. The presence
of athletes from practically every academy on the planet are
confirmed. Among the athletes, the names Robert Drysdale, current
ADCC absolute champion, and Michael Fowler, a Jiu-Jitsu juggernaut
from the United States, stand out.
Click
here to check the complete list of competitors.
Click
here to check the official schedule for the competition.
After
the 2008 Asian, the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation will start
preparing for the 2008 European Jiu-Jitsu championship. The third
greatest competition in terms of importance, losing out only
to the Worlds and Pan, the European will once again be housed
in the Casal Vistoso Sports Complex, in Portugal. The dates released
by the IBJJF are the 30th and 31st of January, and first of February.
Sign-ups
should open shortly, at which time GRACIEMAG.com will bring you
all the information. Stay tuned.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Gono
confirms fight vs. Fitch back on for UFC 94
by Suki
A welterweight bout between Jon Fitch and Akihiro Gono is back
on for UFC 94: St-Pierre vs Penn on January 31, 2009 in Las Vegas.
"On November 21, the UFC contacted us again, and I learned
I could fight Jon Fitch after all," Gono said Monday on
his blog. "I've very honored to fight one of the top welterweight
fighters. In addition, I'm excited to fight on the same day with
St-Pierre and BJ Penn in Las Vegas on January 31."
The
fight was cancelled with the termination of Fitch's UFC contract
on November 19 due to Fitch's refusal to sign a lifetime licensing
agreement to allow his likeness to be used for UFC video games.
Luckily within the next day, talks resumed and Fitch signed the
original contract to get his job back.
The
UFC wasn't joking with the release of Fitch, as Gono was contacted
soon after the release that he would receive a new opponent.
"I
was disappointed because I knew my fight would be one of the
undercard matches and wouldn't be on the [pay-per-view] broadcast
again," Gono said.
So
for the first time in the UFC, Gono will get a chance to bring
his dance routine to a television audience.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Pat
Miletich Interview - Eyeing Renzo Gracie
Sam Caplan
December
is going to be an action-packed month for live mixed martial
arts action with several intriguing matchups in store for fans.
However,
one of the most intriguing matchups on the docket for next month
is a welterweight encounter between King of the Cage and EliteXC
veteran Thomas “Wildman” Denny and one of the greatest
welterweights ever to compete in MMA, Pat Miletich.
Miletich
was the first-ever welterweight champion in the history of the
UFC and has compiled a 28-7-2 pro record over the course of a
career that dates back to 1995.
A
former standout high school athlete, Miletich took up fighting
as a way to help support his mother, who was in poor health at
the time. Through the years, the 40-year old has recorded notable
victories over the likes of Mikey Burnett, Shonie Carter, John
Alessio, Jorge Patino, and Chris Brennan.
During
the peak of his fighting career, Miletich made the decision to
start his own training center and curriculum known both as the
Miletich Fighting Systems. Over the years, MFS has produced world
champions such as Rich Franklin, Jens Pulver, Robbie Lawler,
Matt Hughes, and Tim Sylvia. The MFS system will go down in history
as one of the first philosophies to utilize cross-training methods
in MMA.
After
focusing most of his time on preparing his fighters, Miletich
ended a four-year hiatus from competitive fighting on On Sept.
23, 2006. And Miletich did not take an easy fight in his comeback,
opting to face fellow all-time great Renzo Gracie during an IFL
event in Miletich’s home base of Moline, Illinois.
Still
not fully healed from neck injuries that had forced him to leave
active competition, Miletich was first to tap in the first round
after getting caught in a standing guillotine. Miletich has not
competed since the loss but will be returning on Thursday, Dec.
11 to headline against Denny in the main event of Adrenaline
MMA’ssecond-ever show. Miletich’s anticipated return,
which will once again emanate from Moline, will be televised
live on HDNet.
During
a recent break from training, Miletich took time out to speak
about his upcoming return withFiveOuncesOfPain.com.
Sam
Caplan: First let me say that it’s great to hear that you’ll
be competing again. I also wanted to know how your neck is doing?
Pat
Miletich: My neck is real solid. I’ve been sparring real
hard and it’s been been holding up quite well, actually.
I’ve had some procedures performed by several doctors and
it’s holding up well.
Sam
Caplan: I spoke with your manager, Monte Cox, earlier today and
Monte said you’re in incredible shape. He said normally
170 is a tough cut for you but that you’re working so hard
that you’re having trouble keeping weight on.
Pat
Miletich: You know, once my metabolism sped up the weight just
started coming off and I’ve just been trying to eat a lot
to actually keep my weight up (laughs).
Sam
Caplan: So are you actually going to be able to enjoy your Thanksgiving
and not have to watch your weight?
Pat
Miletich: I’m going to eat a lot for Thanksgiving. I’m
going to try and eat smart but we’re going to have a two
and a half hour practice on Thursday morning — the whole
team. And I should have worked off enough weight to sit down
and have a nice Thanksgiving dinner with the family.
Sam
Caplan: How long had you been considering coming back to fight?
Pat
Miletich: Basically, the day after I fought Renzo, to be honest
with you. We’ll see how this fight goes with Thomas Denny.
Thomas is a tough guy but if I get through this fight okay and
win against Thomas (then) I’d love to do that again with
Renzo.
Sam
Caplan: When you lost to Renzo, did you tap from the choke, or
the tension being applied to your neck?
Pat
Miletich: Well, I had re-injured the neck about ten days away
from the fight and at that point there had just been so much
publicity and TV stuff that I went ahead and did it. I thought
that I’d be fine and I thought that I’d be able to
stop his takedowns without a problem and just keep wearing him
out and hitting him with shots. And you know, he was smart about
it. Once he realized he wasn’t going to take me down he
jumped for the guillotine and got it and did a good job. The
neck, I was fine for awhile, and then the neck just wore out.
It got tired and it just sunk in eventually.
I
didn’t want to go to the ground either because the core
muscles that tie into your legs all the way into your abdomen,
I had injured those muscles as well. So my core was destroyed
and I couldn’t even pull guard if I had wanted to (laughs).
But I just had to stand there and try to ride out the clock.
It was a weird situation; it was a combination of a couple of
injuries and Renzo Gracie having an incredible guillotine. It
wasn’t a good combo.
Sam
Caplan: You haven’t competed for two years since that fight
and I wanted to know if you consider the time away a brief retirement
or simply a hiatus?
Pat
Miletich: I had other things going on, to be honest with you.
I’m not done competing. I enjoy it too much. I love it a
lot. I love the adrenaline and the crowd and everything else.
It’s too fun to just walk away from it. I want to be able
to say when I’m done that it was my body was telling me
(to retire). I guess I am just hard headed and I’ll keep
running my head into a brick wall until it’s time to quit.
Sam
Caplan: Renzo has a new documentary out entitled Renzo Gracie:
Legacy and it’s really amazing. Your IFL fight with him
was depicted during the course of the film and there was also
a brief scene at your gym leading up the fight. During the scene,
you compare Renzo to his cousins and you talked about how he
never ducked opponents like some of his relatives. Could I get
you to elaborate on that?
Pat
Miletich: Well, my thing is no disrespect to any of the Gracies
on the other side of the family. If it wasn’t for them,
we wouldn’t be here; you wouldn’t have a job and I
wouldn’t have been fighting. I’d be doing who knows
what? So all the respect to those guys; Royce and Rickson and
that whole side of the family — Royler and everybody.
But
Renzo is a guy that… he really treats everybody with a lot
of respect. He’s a warrior and he’s fought anybody
and everybody that has come up against him. He never turns down
a fight. And that really earns my respect, just the way he carries
himself and the way he’ll fight anybody. He’s a warrior
so I have a lot of respect for him.
Sam
Caplan: You stated in this interview that if things go well against
Thomas Denny that you’d be interested in a rematch with
Renzo. If you’re able to get past Denny, how active would
you like to be after Dec. 11?
Pat
Miletich: We’ll see how I feel. We’ll see how everything
goes with Thomas and we’ll take one fight at a time. I look
at the top ten rankings and I think there’s quite a few
of those guys that I can beat right now (laughs). We’ll
see how I can do against Thomas but I feel very confident in
my skills.
Sam
Caplan: Are there any names in the top ten that you feel you
can beat that you’d like to identify on the record?
Pat
Miletich: Nah, no reason for that. But I can see some guys that
have a lot weaknesses in their games and I think I would do quite
well with many of them.
Sam
Caplan: You’ve always been known as a no-nonsense type of
guy. Your opponent on Dec. 11, Thomas Denny, is a showman and
is one part pro fighter and another part pro wrestler. I know
that Nick Diaz had a real problem with Denny wearing pink trunks
and painting his toenails during their July 26 CBS bout in Stockton.
What do you think of Denny as an opponent?
Pat
Miletich: I think Thomas is a well-rounded guy. I think he’s
tough and he’s had some wars. Everybody is an individual.
If he wants to dye his hair and paint his nails, then more power
to him. But for me, I’ve always just been a guy, who, I’ll
always make my money by winning fights. And that was really important
to me. I wasn’t a guy who trash talked people and tried
to make a show out of it. I just wanted to go out and win a fight
and keep it simple.
Thomas
and I get along well. He’s a nice guy. He’s fun to
talk to and stuff. I have no problem with him doing whatever
he does. Hell, if it sells more tickets, then great. So more
power to him.
Sam
Caplan: What attracted you to Thomas Denny stylistically as an
opponent because he can be very dangerous? What made you want
to take this fight?
Pat
Miletich: Monte told me that was who I was fighting and so I
said ‘okay’ (laughs). You know, that wasn’t somebody
that I asked for or anything like that at all. As far as Thomas’
style goes, I mean he’s a pretty unpredictable guy. He’ll
throw high kicks and back elbows and then the next thing you
know he’s shooting for a takedown. He’s pretty well-rounded
and he’s not afraid to take the fight anywhere so I am definitely
going to have to be on my toes with him.
Sam
Caplan: MFS has a lot of top guys such as Tim Sylvia, Ben Rothwell,
L.C. Davis, and Drew McFedries. Can you talk about some of the
next generation of fighters that are coming up through the program?
Pat
Miletich: Obviously our first generation of champions and pay-per-view
guys were a bunch of studs. They were great fighters but I really
honestly think that this second generation of guys are better
and more well-rounded.
L.C.
Davis is a great wrestler who has improved his ground game immensely
and can strike like a professional boxer.
Romiro
“Junior” Hernandez is probably the best boxer that
I’ve ever seen in MMA and his ground game is ridiculously
good.
Ben
Rothwell is finally starting to figure things out. He’s
a young guy that already has a lot of fights under his belt.
He’s changed his style a lot and is looking a lot better.
Mike
Ciesnolevicz’s ground game is way better than before, even
when he was already submitting everyone and his standup skills
have really come a long way also.
And
Ryan McGivern, the guy is just a machine. After this next fight
he plans on dropping to 170 and I’ll tell you what, that’s
a scary ‘70 pounder. When he goes down to 170 he’s
going to be throwing some people around.
Sam
Caplan: A lot of people consider Anderson Silva to be the top
pound-for-pound fighter in the world today. Do you agree with
that assessment?
Pat
Miletich: I would say it’s probably between he, Georges
St. Pierre, and Fedor. Fedor is a sick, scary guy. He’s
super impressive. Georges is an incredible athlete and very well-rounded.
Anderson has been fighting for a long, long time. He’s been
around forever.
In
his fight vs. Cote, a lot of people were complaining about the
way he was dancing around and moving and stuff like that. But
you know, that just shows how good he is, to be honest with you.
How he was just moving and confusing Cote and having fun with
him out there. There are not a whole lot of guys that can do
that with Cote and to me, that was just very impressive.
Sam
Caplan: Brock Lesnar recently defeated Randy Couture for the
UFC heavyweight title and I wanted to get your thoughts on the
fight since you know Lesnar better than most being that he has
spent some time at MFS in the past. Are you surprised that Brock
is the heavyweight champ so soon?
Pat
Miletich: I think every logical thinking person who knows MMA
was betting Lesnar would win. Brock is and incredible athlete
that moves incredibly well for a big man. You can tell he is
still has a lot to learn, but his pure physical size, strength,
wrestling ability and speed made it a very tough matchup for
Randy. I have learned not to bet against Randy, but Couture not
having the ability to out-wrestle someone makes it a very tough
fight.
Having
said this I feel he has been thrown into deep water a bit to
soon. Big Nog, Fedor, Josh Barnett, Andre Arlovski, Rothwell,
etc… all would be likely to beat Brock at this point in
his carreer. If I were a top ranked heavyweight I would jump
in line now though, as I think he’s going to be tough to
beat with more experience.
Sam
Caplan: Since the IFL shut down, it seems like your profile with
the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Artshas increased. Can you
talk about what your day-to-day responsibilities are with the
organization?
Pat
Miletich: My focus is obviously help be a link between Mike Lynch
and Dave Szady, who are the executives for the company, that
are the head of the company. I’m there to assist them with
relationships with the promoters and the fighters and help advise
them as an experienced person in the MMA world what route I think
is best for the organization. Them being above me in the company,
the decision is ultimately going to be their’s whether they
think I am correct or not in my judgments on things.
They’re
great guys that care a lot about the sport. They’re big
fans of the sport and I think the WAMMA belt represents more
than just a belt. It represents the fighters’ freedom, a
fighter’s solidarity, and a fighter’s right to be known
as the true number one guy in the world. As fans and athletes,
people need to understand and grasp that huge idea that the WAMMA
belt stands and realize that that’s going to give fighters
that freedom that they deserve and not be held down in organizations
and by organizations almost as captives.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Quote
of the Day
"There
is nothing like a dream to create the future."
Victor
Hugo
|
X-1
at the Cirque Hawaii Tonight!
This Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Event starts at 7:00 PM
X1 World
Events & The Master Mind Entertainment Group invite you to
experience a night of non-stop entertainment this Wednesday night
Cirque
Hawaii
235 Seaside Avenue
Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008
-
Beautiful Go Go Dancers
- SexXxy Wait Staff
- Live Acrobatics and aerialist for your viewing pleasure
- DJ's
- 2 Rooms of entertainment
- Full Blown Super Ultra Lounge / Nightclub Official After Party!
- Tons of Prizes
- Drink specials
- Hundreds of Party people and fight fans
Fight
Card
205lb MMA Match
Makana Vertido (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs Pele Fonoti (Freelance)
Pele
Fonoti who sports an impressive ground game makes his return
to the ring to take on Windward's own Makana Vertido. Vertido
who is very active in the local mma scene looks to ruin Fonoti's
return.
205lb
XMA Title Match
Austin Figueroa (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs David Vasquez (Sit You
Down)
Austin
Figueroa puts his XMA Title up when he takes on Sit you Down's
David Vasquez. Both fighters were victorious in their last X1
appearance.
HW
Kickboxing Match
Britain Kanoa (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs OJ Uiliata (Team Assassin)
Britain
Kanoa has shown to be a powerful prospect in the heavyweight
division. OJ Uiliata is trained by kickboxing standout Peni Taufa'ao
and doesn't mind giving up a little expierence to Kanoa. Uiliata
is coming off a dominating win in his last X1 bout. Expect a
war when these two warriors collide.
185lb
MMA Match
Brandon Naleieha (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs Kevin Agliam (Mix Breed)
Brandon
Naleieha started his career at a heavier weight but has found
comfort in his new found weightclass where his cardio is better
and his strikes alot sharper. He comes off a huge win earlier
this month and will take on the very tough Kevin Agliam.
185lb
MMA Match
Kealii Aiwohi (Kurrut Ambitionz) vs Tilis Sionesini (Up and Up)
Both
guys love to strike, Aiwohi who has been active in the local
kickboxing scene finds himself going up against a very tough
and heavy handed Tilis Sionesini. Sionesini entered MMA a few
years back and then took a break, now he is back and looks to
finish where he left off.
155lb
MMA Match
L John Borges (808 Fight Factory) vs Travis Bernades (Freelance)
Coming
from one of Hawaii's original camps, L John Borges looks to use
all he's learned from his veteran camp when he takes on freelance
fighter Travis Bernades.
155lb
Kickboxing Match
Travis Shimoka (Freelance) vs Frankie Tano (Freelance)
|
Paulo
Filho released from WEC's
After
suffering his first loss in MMA career, Paulo Filho is now involved
in some rumors, from WrestlingObserver.com site, about the possibility
to be released from WEC’s contract after the bad performance
at the event – after not making weight for the fight and
other problems. With the rumors, TATAME.com called his Boxing
coach, Josuel Distak, who confirmed the rumors. ”Joinha
(Filho’s manager) called me now and confirmed. He’s
out of WEC, but there are other three big events in American
trying to sign him and we’re defining that. A guy like Paulo
Filho wouldn’t be unemployed for a long time”, revealed
Distak. Stay tuned on TATAME.com for further news.
Source:
Tatame
|
|
Werdum:
"I'm a free agent now"
It
has been a troubling month for Fabricio Werdum. Rumours of his
departure from the UFC began soon after his loss to Junior Dos
Santos at UFC 90. While he first denied the speculation, he now
can confirm his exit from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
“When I first heard the rumours, I didn’t know anything.
I had four more fights left with them on my contract, which ran
to 2010. But they demanded to renegotiate my exiting contract
by cutting my pay in half” revealed the heavyweight. Adding
also that his departure had nothing to do with the video game
licensing dispute. “No that wasn’t an issue but its
not something that benefit’s the fighters”
"It’s
a pity I would have liked to continue with the UFC but now we
forge ahead.” said Fabricio who still has plans to move
to the US. I still plan to go to the United States with my family.
I'm open to negotiations with Affliction, Sengoku and Dream...”,
said Werdum. “I‘m a free agent now. One of the advantages
of leaving the UFC is the freedom of contract, which allows fighters
to work with more than one event without any problems. That’s
very beneficial. There are several possibilities now including
fighting in multiple organizations. Affliction, Sengoku and Dream
are big events, but I think the possibility of fighting for Affliction
in particular will give me the best chance to fight the best
in the world, Fedor, in addition to (Andrei) Arlovski, Josh Barnett
and several other big names ...That would be a great opportunity
for me", concluded Werdum
Source:
Tatame |
‘Babalu’
claims his first major title
SAN
JOSE, Calif. – There’s a saying that nobody goes into
a fight at 100 percent. But at Friday night’s Strikeforce
show in San Jose, overcoming recent injuries seemed to be the
theme.
Renato
“Babalu” Sobral captured the first major championship
of his lengthy MMA career by beating Strikeforce light heavyweight
champion Bobby Southworth when longtime referee John McCarthy,
officiating for the first time in a year, stopped the fight on
advice from the doctor after the first round due to a deep cut
over Southworth’s eye.
Sobral
had knee surgery in September, forcing him to postpone the first
time he was booked with Southworth, and followed with suffering
a cut in training, and then a toe injury in the weeks leading
to the match.
While
heavily favored going in, Sobral ended up facing a new Southworth.
One month shy of his 39th birthday, Southworth showed up in the
best condition of his career and for the first round, outgrappled
one of the sport’s most well respected grappler/wrestlers.
Southworth
blocked every takedown attempt by Sobral and managed to take
Sobral down twice. But their heads collided twice, and Southworth
took a nasty elbow that bloodied his nose and opened the cut
over the eye that caused the stoppage.
“Obviously
I’m disappointed,” said Southworth, 9-6, after the
match. “Every time you lose a fight you’re disappointed.
I thought I was winning the fight and then to lose on a cut,
I don’t feel like I’ve lost the title. I’d like
a rematch. Babalu’s a legend. I think outside of the UFC,
he’s the top light heavyweight in the world. It was an honor
to fight him.”
“When
I threw the elbow, I felt it was hard,” said Sobral, 31-7,
a former UFC headliner who main evented UFC 62 against Chuck
Liddell.
“My
elbow still hurts,” he said more than a half hour after
the fight. “I could feel the blood on me.”
“The
first cut came from a head-butt,” said Southworth. “The
second came from an elbow. We clashed heads one more time.”
Even
though he’s a local fighter, Southworth has never been popular
in San Jose, from fans who perceived him and Josh Koscheck as
villains on the original season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
But the crowd rose to its feet late in the round when he came
back while bleeding heavily.
“I
tried to take him down but couldn’t,” said Sobral.
“He took me down, but I was confident in my submissions.”
Southworth
showed up with a new physique, noting that the sport has evolved
and he didn’t want to be left behind. He had a new team
prepare him, monitor his diet and change his training.
“But
when you get old your head opens up easier,” he said. “I’m
not a bodybuilder. I’d rather look like Fedor [Emelianenko]
if I would fight like Fedor.”
In
the show’s nominal main event, Scott “Hands of Steel”
Smith lived up to his nickname with a shocking 24-second knockout
of Terry Martin. Smith, the first main star of Elite XC to fight
after the organization ceased operations, was recovering from
a broken left hand, right below the thumb, in training.
“I
told myself I wasn’t going to throw a left, but then the
fight started and it was left hook, right straight,” he
said in upping his record to 14-5, with one no-contest.
The
right to the jaw put Martin, 18-6, out instantaneously.
Smith,
who came in with the idea he was going to use a lot of kicks,
won before throwing the first one.
He
had a fight scheduled for Nov. 8 on Showtime against former Olympic
judoka Hector Lombard when word came that Elite XC was canceling
the show. The idea of fighting Martin was floated to him three
weeks ago but it wasn’t finalized until a week ago.
“I
was broke,” said Smith. “I’ve got a mortgage and
kids. I needed that payday before the end of the year.”
San
Jose lived up to its reputation as probably the No. 2 MMA city
in the U.S. besides Las Vegas, drawing 8,152 fans despite not
having a major drawing local card or any kind of a marquee main
event.
Smith
talked about wanting to come back and face middleweight champion
Cung Le, whose future as a fighter is in question as he has gotten
more acting opportunities, or former champion Frank Shamrock.
“I’d
like to fight Frank Shamrock, because he said I was fat,”
said Smith.
Kim
Couture, Randy’s wife, had her first pro win, in stopping
an overmatched Lina Kvokov in 1:44.
Kvokov,
0-2, clearly wanted out, turning her head away from the action
and even scampering away at one point. Couture showed improved
stand-up, throwing punches and knees. Kvokov got tired quickly
and started to take solid shots before it was stopped.
“I
was trying to get a clean shot,” said Couture, 1-1, finishing
a three-week period where Randy, Randy’s son Ryan and Kim
all had fights. Both Kim and Ryan scored quick wins.
“It’s
hard to hit someone when they’re turning their head around.”
Kim
Couture had suffered a broken jaw from the first punch in her
pro debut June 20 against Kim Rose but went the distance in losing
via decision. She credited that loss to forcing her to boost
her game.
On
the undercard, Joe “Diesel” Riggs stopped San Francisco’s
Luke Stewart in 2:05 of the second round after a flurry of punches.
Riggs broke his hand on the first punch of the fight and spent
the entire first round on his back after being taken down.
Other
results: Zak Bucia def. Adam Steele via guillotine in :35 of
the first round; Alvin Cacdac def. Jose Palacios with a choke
at 3:10 of the second round; Darren Uyenoyama of the Japanese
Dream promotion def. Brad Royster via an across the board 30-27
decision; Luke Rockhold def. Nik Theotikos in 3:06 of the first
round via choke; Duane “Bang” Ludwig def. Yves Edwards
via an across the board 29-28 decision; Brian Schwartz, a local
kickboxer who was the most popular fighter on the show, def.
Lemont Davis via punches at 2:22 of the third round; Kurt Osiander
def. Josh Neal via punches at 2:16 of the first round; Eric Lawson
def. Tony Johnson via choke at 1:28 of the first round; and Bobby
Stack def. Cyrillo Padiiha via decision.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
The
week that was in MMA: Urijah checks things out
A
week that was supposed to be about Brock Lesnar and Kenny Florian
turned on a dime to focus on Dana White's tantrum over the American
Kickboxing Academy.
Late
Wednesday night, Dana White announced that Jon Fitch was no longer
part of the UFC. By Thursday night, Lorenzo Fertitta had cleaned
up the mess and AKA fighters were once again welcome in the UFC.
The turn of events was bizarre, to say the least. Was this an
orchestrated plan from Zuffa, or a childish temper tantrum from
White? No matter what, it was bad business and the UFC came out
of it with egg on their face.
With
that out of the way, the MMA world is free to focus on what matters:
who is the best fighter in the world? Yahoo! Sports weighs in
on the subject with its latest rankings.
The
boxing vs. mixed martial arts debate rages on with a shot at
MMA from boxing promoter Todd DuBoef. Can't we all just get along?
Except, you know, when we're beating the crap out of each other.
Ricky "Hitman" Hatton thinks we can.
Is
Tito Ortiz the MMA equivalent of Barry Bonds?
MMA,
done surprisingly well, at a high school in Massachusetts.
As
we head into the final stretch for the Ultimate Fighter, Cage
Potato sits down for a motivational speech from Al "Stankie"
Stankiewicz.
Kenny
Florian has come a long way from his days on the Ultimate Fighter,
and he is ready for a title fight with B.J. Penn.
The
disinterest Silva vs. Cote showed at the bank with only 300,000
pay-per-view buys.
You
want proof that the UFC is not fixed? Two words: Chuck Liddell.
If
Jake Shields sign with the UFC, as he is expected to do, who
should he fight first? My vote is Jon Fitch or Diego Sanchez.
Have
a great weekend, everyone, and try not to get choked out by Frank
Shamrock.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Fedor
weighs in on Couture loss
WAMMA
heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko has a message for Randy
Couture following his loss to Brock Lesnar at last Saturday’s
UFC 91: keep your chin up.
MMAWeekly.com
spoke with Emelianenko via telephone as he finished watching
the first round of the fight on a nearby television. The top
ranked heavyweight is currently in Thailand, filming an action
movie starring Rutger Hauer and Michael Madsen.
“It’s
a very interesting fight,” Emelianenko said of the bout’s
first round through his interpreter. “So far, it looks like
Randy – he’s more active in the ring.”
Asked
who the winner of the first round was, he paused.
“The
first round, I thought Randy had the round,” he continued
after a beat. “He certainly showed more skills. He was quite
interesting in the first round.”
If
Emelianenko knew how the fight ended in advance, he didn’t
make it known. But after witnessing Lesnar’s fight-ending
hammerfists, he warmed to the former pro wrestler.
“He’s
a very good fighter,” he remarked. “He’s a very
strong fighter. I’m very impressed with his speed.”
Emelianenko
said it was too early to say how he would have approached the
fight differently. Not what you’d expect, seeing as he knows
a thing or two about facing monsters. In his last three years
of MMA competition, Emelianenko has faced an equal amount of
giants – Tim Sylvia, Hong Man Choi, and Wagner da Conceicao
Martins. Lesnar’s speed clearly set him apart from those
Emelianenko had laid waste to in the rings outside the UFC.
“I
would certainly take a different tactic to the fight, although
I do believe that Randy had a smart game plan, but it appears
that he wasn’t able to control the top position, which is
what I believe he was trying to do,” Emelianenko offered.
Jerry
Millen, M-1 Global’s American Vice President, issued a statement
following the interview that welcomed an Emelianenko vs. Lesnar
fight, however grim the chances of its fruition are at the moment.
“We
would welcome a Fedor vs. Lesnar matchup, but to act in a preemptive
fashion to address the possibility that UFC officials will try
and position Lesnar as the No. 1 heavyweight in the world, much
like they have tried to use a marketing ploy to brand Anderson
Silva as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world,”
the statement read. “In a match between Fedor and Lesnar,
we do not feel that at this stage Lesnar would be able to make
it out of the first round.”
Emelianenko
has certainly resigned himself to the fact that a fight with
Couture may never happen. Despite his affinity for the legend,
he says it suits him fine if he never gets the chance to participate
in the dream match-up.
“Nothing
is ever certain,” Emelianenko said. “This is something
that the managers and the organizers need to resolve. But I understand
that in all likelihood if Randy stays with the UFC, that the
chances of us fighting are much less, and hopefully our fans
will be able to overcome that. We both have our history in the
sport and if a fight between Randy and I was not to materialize
in the future, there will still be other fights. I’m not
going to be angry or upset about it in any way.”
In
his usual understated way, Emelianenko stopped short of calling
Lesnar out in his critique. That’s for the managers.
As
for a message to his friend and colleague, another pause.
“I
would tell Randy that – I’m sure he already knows –
he’s already in the history books, that he’s a legendary
fighter, and regardless of the outcome of this fight, things
just didn’t go his way,” Emelianenko said.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Antoine
Jaoude close to Sengoku
Without
fighting since 2007, when fought for the IFL title, Antoine Jaoude
is back on training to prepare himself to fight again in 2009.
In an exclusive chat with TATAME, Jaoude spoke about the rumors
about a possible fight in Sengoku’s January 4th edition,
and is excited about it. “I’m running after fights.
For now there’s nothing right yet, but Marco is taking care
about the and maybe I can fight there in January… Murilo
(Bustamante) got a fight for me at Dream, but then I had some
problems with my daughter and had no conditions”, said Antoine,
who commented Brazilian Top Team Wrestling training, the fight
between Rousimar Palhares and Dan Handerson at UFC and Pedro
Rizzo’s next fight in Affliction. Stay tuned on TATAME.com
and check tomorrow the exclusive interview with the fighter.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"There
is nothing like a dream to create the future."
Victor
Hugo
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel
52
NEW TIME of 8:00 PM!
If
you are not on the Onzuka.com Hawaii Ground forum, you are missing
the latest news from upcoming events, get to rub elbows with
numerous promoters and fighters, and get to voice your opinion
on any subject you can dream up. Hit the links above to sign
up for a free account and start posting away!
|
X-1
at the Cirque Hawaii!
This Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Event starts at 7:00 PM
X1 World
Events & The Master Mind Entertainment Group invite you to
experience a night of non-stop entertainment this Wednesday night
Weigh Ins
Tuesday, Nov 25
7pm
At the Cirque
(325 Seaside Avenue)
Cirque
Hawaii
235 Seaside Avenue
Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008
-
Beautiful Go Go Dancers
- SexXxy Wait Staff
- Live Acrobatics and aerialist for your viewing pleasure
- DJ's
- 2 Rooms of entertainment
- Full Blown Super Ultra Lounge / Nightclub Official After Party!
- Tons of Prizes
- Drink specials
- Hundreds of Party people and fight fans
Fight
Card
205lb MMA Match
Makana Vertido (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs Pele Fonoti (Freelance)
Pele
Fonoti who sports an impressive ground game makes his return
to the ring to take on Windward's own Makana Vertido. Vertido
who is very active in the local mma scene looks to ruin Fonoti's
return.
205lb
XMA Title Match
Austin Figueroa (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs David Vasquez (Sit You
Down)
Austin
Figueroa puts his XMA Title up when he takes on Sit you Down's
David Vasquez. Both fighters were victorious in their last X1
appearance.
HW
Kickboxing Match
Britain Kanoa (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs OJ Uiliata (Team Assassin)
Britain
Kanoa has shown to be a powerful prospect in the heavyweight
division. OJ Uiliata is trained by kickboxing standout Peni Taufa'ao
and doesn't mind giving up a little expierence to Kanoa. Uiliata
is coming off a dominating win in his last X1 bout. Expect a
war when these two warriors collide.
185lb
MMA Match
Brandon Naleieha (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs Kevin Agliam (Mix Breed)
Brandon
Naleieha started his career at a heavier weight but has found
comfort in his new found weightclass where his cardio is better
and his strikes alot sharper. He comes off a huge win earlier
this month and will take on the very tough Kevin Agliam.
185lb
MMA Match
Kealii Aiwohi (Kurrut Ambitionz) vs Tilis Sionesini (Up and Up)
Both
guys love to strike, Aiwohi who has been active in the local
kickboxing scene finds himself going up against a very tough
and heavy handed Tilis Sionesini. Sionesini entered MMA a few
years back and then took a break, now he is back and looks to
finish where he left off.
155lb
MMA Match
L John Borges (808 Fight Factory) vs Travis Bernades (Freelance)
Coming
from one of Hawaii's original camps, L John Borges looks to use
all he's learned from his veteran camp when he takes on freelance
fighter Travis Bernades.
155lb
Kickboxing Match
Travis Shimoka (Freelance) vs Frankie Tano (Freelance)
|
MAN-UP
& STAND-UP EVENT RESULTS
FRIDAY
NIGHT WAS A NIGHT OF EXCITEMENT AT THE MAN-UP & STAND-UP
EVENT. THE BIGGEST TALK WILL BE ABOUT THE BIG BOYS THAT FOUGHT
THAT NIGHT FOR THE KING OF THE GIANTS TITLE. THE MAIN EVENT FIGHTERS
WERE DEFINITELY GIANTS AND UISELE WAS CROWNED KING WHEN THE FINAL
BELL RANG. ISAAC AND PAKI BANGED ALL THREE ROUNDS WITH NEITHER
ONE GIVING IN. FIRST ROUND WAS THE BEST, AS SOON AS THE BELL
RANG ISAAC GAVE PAKI A WICKED LEG KICK SENDING PAKI INTO A FULL
SPIN LIKE A BALLERINA. BUT PAKI TURNED THAT BALLERINA SPIN INTO
A SPINNING BACKFIST THAT CAUGHT ISAAC TO THE HEAD. THE LEG KICKS
AND THE BACKFISTS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE FIRST ROUND WITH ISAAC
DOING A LOT OF THE DAMAGE. FATIGUE SET IN DURING THE SECOND ROUND
AND MOSTLY BOMBS MADE IT TO THE PARTY. THE THIRD ROUND WAS MORE
OF A HUGGING MATCH WHICH WASNT VERY PRETTY ESPECIALLY WHEN THERES
TWO BIG GIANTS INVOLVED (NAH). ISAAC WAS A LITTLE MORE BUSY THAN
PAKI IN THE LAST ROUND WHICH WON HIM THE BELT. CONGRATS TO ISAAC
OF KONNAH BLOKK.
THE
TEAM VS TEAM MATCHES WAS DEFINITELY A CROWD PLEASER. TEAM SYD
CLEAN SWEEPED THE HAMMAHOUSE TEAM WHICH WASNT AN EASY TASK. FROM
THE BEGINNING OF THE TEAM VS TEAM COMPETITION WHEN MAN-UP &
STAND-UP CALLED THE FIGHTERS INTO THE RING TO INTRODUCE THEM
AND THEIR COACHES TO THE AUDIENCE (WRONG MOVE). BOTH TEAMS WAS
ABOUT TO GO AT IT LIKE A FOUR ON FOUR MATCH. THE REFEREE AND
SECURITY HAD TO SETTLE DOWN THE FIGHTERS AS WELL AS THE AUDIENCE.
EVERYONE WAS GETTING NUTS BUT THATS WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU PUT
TWO TEAMS FROM THE WESSIDE AGAINST EACH OTHER. THE MOST EXCITING
MATCH OF THE TEAM VS TEAM WAS THE DENNIS VS DERRICK MATCH. BOTH
FIGHTERS HAD GREAT KICKBOXING SKILLS, THROWING, BOBBING AND WEAVING
LIKE THEY WERE PROS INSTEAD OF AMATEURS. ONE OF THEM NEARLY MISSED
THEIR KICKED COUNT TWO TIMES. THREE OUT OF THE FOUR MATCHES WERE
VERY CLOSE BUT THE MATCH BETWEEN JONAH AND KANEALA WAS ONE-SIDED.
KANEALA
CAME OUT AS THE MORE STYLISH FIGHTER WITH THE CLEAN CRISP PUNCHES
AND THE BETTER MOVEMENT. JONAH CAME OUT LIKE AN ANIMAL SWINGING
KICKS AND PUNCHES AS IF HE WAS IN THE STREETS INSTEAD OF THE
RING. JONAH HAD NO INTENTIONS OF LEAVING THE OUTCOME IN THE JUDGES
HANDS. HE WAS DEFINITELY TRYING TO MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF WITHOUT
CHASING HIS BIG BROTHERS SHADOW. JONAH KEPT BRINGING THE HEAT
TO A GASSED OUT KANEALA BUT COULDNT PUT HIM AWAY. KANEALA FOUGHT
HARD ALL THE WAY TO THE END WHEN MOST OTHER GUYS WOULD'VE QUIT.
BUT WESSIDE PRIDE WILL TAKE YOU FARTHER THAN YOUR LUNGS WILL.
DAS RIGHT!!!
MAN-UP
& STAND-UP WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED OUR
EVENT ALL YEAR ROUND AND EVERY YEAR. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL NEXT
YEAR AND HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING (HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL).
MIKE
BARNARD
140
DANIEL MAYDAYAG
GODS ARMY
COMBAT 50
EXHIBITION BOUT
BRONSON GAFPANG
155
LAA KAHOOKELE
FREELANCE
HSD
KAHOOKELE BY TKO
BRYSEN KEALOHA
120
DENNIS MONTERA
TEAM DEVASTATION
WAIANAE KB CONNECTION
KEALOHA BY TKO
ISRAEL ALVAREZ
120
DYLAN BRIGHT
GODS ARMY
HSD
ALVAREZ BY DECISION
ROLAND SEFO
228
DENVER GONZALVES
KONNAH BLOCK
HSD
GONSALVES BY DECISION
AARON ROSE
219
KEONI GRANDY
TEAM SYD
COMBAT 50
GRANDY BY DECISION
ALAN CLARK
135
VINCE LONGBOY
TEAM DEVASTATION
COMBAT 50
LONGBOY BY DECISION
JOSEPH ENAENA
166
LIKI VILLEGAS
FREELANCE
WAIANAE KICKBOXING
VILLEGAS BY DECISION
CLEM HALLOWAY
140
FRED RAMAYLA
GOD'S ARMY
HSD
RAMAYLA BY DECISION
LAWRENCE HINOJOSA
185
IKAIKA SILVA
GODS ARMY
TEAM OUTCAST
EXHIBITION BOUT
CHRIS KUTZEN
166
DEAN HENZE
WAIANAE KB CONNECTION
SMITH TAEKOWNDO
HENZE BY DECISION
EVAN QUIZON
130
JAMIN TAYABA
TEAM DEVASTION
INNER CIRCLE
QUIZON BY DECISION
MAX HALLOWAY
150
MIKE UEMOTO
GOD'S ARMY
ANIMAL HOUSE
HALLOWAY BY DECISION
TEAM VS TEAM
TEAM SIT YOU DOWN VS HAMMAHOUSE
JONAH VISANTE
135
KANEALA SILVA
VISANTE BY DECISION
DAREK
KAUWALU
140
DENNIS CABAHIT
KAUWALU BY DECISION
KAIKA
SALSADOW
170
ALFONS0 PITOLO
SALSADOW BY DECISION
DAVID
VASQUEZ
205
MAKI PITOLO
VASQUEZ BY DECISION
MAIN
EVENT
ISAAC UGISELE
260+
PAKI
UGISELE BY DECISION
|
ED
SOARES COMMENTS ON ELITEXC CONTRACTS
The continuing fallout from the demise of EliteXC is still hitting
fighters where it hurts the most – in the wallet –
and Ed Soares, manager for Brazilian fighters Rafael Feijao and
Fabricio Camoes, is hopeful a resolution can be reached soon.
"Basically
we want to get out," Soares told MMAWeekly Radio recently.
"We sent that 30-day notice that they breeched the contract
and they're basically saying they didn't. They're still saying
that they are putting on events, but it's hard to believe."
Soares
mentioned the financial difficulty for fighters like Feijao,
who was supposed to fight on the cancelled Nov. 8 show, and they
all want closure to the situation so the fighters are able to
move on.
"It's
right before Christmas, it's right before the holidays, these
guys cancelled the fights," Soares stated. "Rafael
Feijao had a title fight on Nov. 8 and it's unfortunate, but
on top of all that they're not even going to release them out
of their contracts so they (can) sign another deal."
Both
Feijao and Camoes were seen as extremely bright prospects for
EliteXC, and their manager feels they are both destined to work
with major promotions, but the current contract hold up is preventing
them from landing that type of deal right now.
"Today,
they mentioned that (Feijao) can go sign some new deals, but
he wanted to get with an organization like the UFC. They're not
going to want a one or two off deal. They're signing exclusive
deals, so we're just going to have to wait it out and see where
it takes us," Soares commented.
Another
financial hardship the fighters must now undergo are the sponsors
that pay the fighters a monthly stipend that at this time have
no idea when they will get a return on their investment because
the fighters have to stay shelved during this contract situation.
Ultimately,
Soares wants what every manager in this unfortunate situation
wants and that is freedom for his fighters to move on and sign
new deals to get them fighting again.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
DREAM
AND HDNET EXTEND PARTNERSHIP FOR 2009
HDNet Fights on Friday announced that it has extended its existing
partnership with FEG USA, Inc. to present the DREAM Mixed Martial
Arts events in 2009 and beyond. This announcement makes HDNet
the exclusive North American television destination for the DREAM
MMA events.
"We're very happy to expand and continue this successful
partnership with FEG USA, Inc.," said Andrew Simon, CEO
of HDNet Fights. "DREAM is known for having the best MMA
tournaments and superfights in the world and clearly has the
greatest production and fighter entrances in the sport. This
partnership solidifies our commitment to being THE Home of MMA."
"It has been a good year for DREAM," said Mike Kogan
of FEG USA, Inc. "We are glad that FEG is able to continue
its partnership with HDNet and bring more DREAM action to North
American Fans."
Airdates and times for the upcoming DREAM events will be announced
at a later date.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
STRIKEFORCE
RESULTS AND LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY
SAN JOSE, Calif. – MMAWeekly.com is live at the HP Pavilion
bringing you live results and play-by-play from tonight's Strikeforce
"Destruction."
In
the main event of the night, EliteXC headliner Scott Smith takes
on UFC veteran Terry Martin in an anticipated middleweight showdown.
Bobby Southworth will also attempt to defend his light heavyweight
title from UFC veteran Renato “Babalu” Sobral.
Be
sure to refresh your browser window often for the latest results
and play-by-play....
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Four
fights remain on the card as they will be off-air under card
bouts.
-Terry
Martin vs. Scott Smith
RD1:
Both fighters come out cautious, testing the distance. Martin
comes in with a combination but Smith counters with a huge right
hook, knocking Martin out cold.
Scott
Smith def. Terry Martin by KO at 0:24, RD1.
-Bobby
Southworth vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral
RD1:
Sobral throws some strikes before going for a takedown but Southworth
defends and gets his own takedown. A scramble ensues and Southworth
is able to get into side mount. Sobral is able to get back to
his feet and they clinch along the fence. They exchange knees
to the body as the fight begins to slow down. Both fighters continue
to be clinched along the fence as they are broken up and restarted
on their feet. They quickly clinch up again and Sobral lands
a punch that has opened a cut above Southworth's right eye. The
action is stopped to check the cut and the fight continues. Sobral
falls back and Southworth pounces as the round comes to an end.
MMAWeekly
scores the round 10-9 for Sobral.
The
fight is stopped in between rounds as Southworth can't continue
due to the cut.
Renato
"Babalu" Sobral def. Bobby Southworth by TKO (Doctor's
Stoppage) at 5:00, RD1.
-Yves
Edwards vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig
RD1:
Edwards shoots in for a takedown and after some struggling, he
gets the fight to the ground. Edwards moves into half guard then
transitions into side mount. Ludwig trying to scramble out and
gets back into half guard. Not much going on as both fighters
battle for position. Edwards unloads some shots within Ludwig's
guard as the action continues to be slow. Edwards moves into
half guard as the fans begin to boo the slow pace of the fight
as the round ends.
MMAWeekly
scores the round 10-9 for Edwards.
RD2:
They trade shots to start the round with Edwards going for knees
and Ludwig for punches. Edwards goes for a takedown but Ludwig
is able to quickly scramble to his feet. Ludwig lands some good
knees to the body and Edwards takes the fight to the ground.
Edwards gets into side mount as the fight starts to slow down
again. Ludwig gets back to his feet and goes for a takedown of
his own, he gets it but Edwards scrambles to his feet and gets
a takedown of his own. After some stalling, Ludwig gets back
to his feet as they clinch along the fence. The fighters exchange
knees to the body as the round comes to an end.
MMAWeekly
scores the round 10-9 for Edwards.
RD3:
Both fighters are cautious to start the final round as they throw
strikes at a slow pace. Edwards goes for a takedown but Ludwig
ends up taking Edwards down. Edwards doing a good job of tying
up Ludwig, preventing him from landing any strikes. Ludwig lands
a couple of shoits but Edwards gets back to his feet. They're
clinched along the fence and as they trade body shots. They seperate
and Ludwig starts throwing combinations, landing a body kick.
Edwards goes for a takedown and gets the fight down just as the
fight comes to an end.
MMAWeekly
scores the round 10-9 for Ludwig and the fight 29-28 for Edwards.
Duane
"Bang Ludwig def. Yves Edwards by Unanimous Decision (29-28
on all three cards), RD3.
-Lina
Kvokov vs. Kim Couture
RD1:
They start slow but start to swing away as Couture is just tagging
Kvokov with an onslaught of punches and knnes before they finally
clinch up. They seperate and Couture again starts to land shots
at will as Kvokov somehow is still standing but the referee finally
steps in to stop the fight and save Kvokov from further punishment.
Kim
Couture def. Lina Kvokov by TKO at 1:44, RD1.
-Joe
Riggs vs. Luke Stewart
RD1:
Stewart comes out with a low kick before they clinch up and Stewart
takes it to the ground. Riggs gets back to his feet as Stewart
has him clinched up, trying to get it back to the ground. Riggs
lands a powerful shot as they seperate and meet in the center
of the ring. Stewart goes for a takedown and gets the fight to
the ground but Riggs is trying to scramble back to his feet but
Stewart gets it down. Stewart into half guard as he tries to
get into mount. Stewart gets into mount then transitions to side
mount as they're along the cage. Stewart moves into half guard
then briefly gets mount before being put back into half guard
as the round ends.
MMAWeekly
scores the round 10-9 for Stewart.
RD2:
Stewart lands a kick and goes for a takedown but Riggs defends
and takes the fight to the ground. Riggs starts to lands some
big shots. He lands a solid right hand that stuns Stewart and
starts to unleash as he tries to finish Stewart. Stewart gets
to his feet but is quickly dropped as Riggs continues the onslaught,
forcing referee "Big" John McCarthy to stop the fight.
Joe
Riggs def. Luke Stewart by TKO at 2:05, RD2.
-Nik
Theotikos vs. Luke Rockhold
RD1:
The fight quickly goes to the ground and Theotikos locks on a
guillotine choke but Rockhold escapes. Rockhold landing strikes
within Theotikos guard and this continues. A scramble ensues
and Rockhold gets Theotikos back and locks on a rear naked choke
that forces Theotikos to tap.
Luke
Rockhold def. Nik Theotikos by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 3:06, RD1.
-Brad
Royster vs. Darren Uyenoyama
RD1:
Uyenoyama starts out with low kicks and Royster responds with
a combination that misses. Uyenoyama takes the fight to the ground
then latches on Royster's back, he softens him with punches as
he goes for the choke. The fight is started on the feet, after
some striking Uyenoyama takes it to the ground and mounts Royster.
He goes for a guillotine choke and falls back but Royster esscapes
and drops some shots. Uyenoyama grabs rubber guard but Royster
escapes as the round ends.
MMAWeekly
scores the round 10-9 for Uyenoyama.
RD2:
Uyenoyama goes for a high kick but is tagged with some nice punches
by Royster, which forces him to take the fight to the ground.
Uyenoyama passes to side mount then straight to mount. He gets
his back and starts to soften Royster up with punches. Royster
gives up mount before regaining half guard. Uyenoyama is Royster's
guard as he drops a couple of shots before getting into half
guard. He transitions to to mount and locks on an armbar, Royster
looks to have tapped but soon escapes and the round comes to
an end.
MMAWeekly
scores the round 10-9 for Uyenoyama.
RD3:
The third round starts out slow as the fighters stalk each other,
Uyenoyama throws a kick and Royster responds with a combination.
The pace of the fight continues to be slow as both fighters are
being cautious. Neither fighter is taking too many risks but
Royster is being the busier of two so far. Royster lands a combination
and Uyenoyama respods by taking the fight to the ground, where
he quickly mounts Royster. He starts dropping bombs and bloodies
Royster, he continues the onslaught as the fight comes to an
end.
MMAWeekly
scores the round 10-9 for Uyenoyama and the fight 30-27 for Uyenoyama.
Darren
Uyenoyama def. Brad Royster by Unanimous Decision (30-27 all
three cards), RD3.
-Alvin
Cacdac vs. Jose Palacios
RD1:
Cacdac the aggressor with strikes then follows it up with a takedown
attempt but its stuffed by Palacios, who lands a a couple of
shots before taking Cacdac down. They get back on their feet
and Palacios is landing the better shots of the two. Cacdac returning
fire and landing some stiff jabs before going for a takedown
attempt. Palacios defends well before reversing Cacadac and ending
on top. Palacios going for a kimura but lets it go and is reversed
by Cacdac. Cacdac landing shots within Palacios guard as the
round ends.
MMAWeekly
scores the round 10-9 for Palacios.
RD2:
Both fighters come out kicking to start the second round before
Cacdac goes for a takedown that is stuffed. Palacios goes to
his back and locks on a triangle choke, after some struggling
Cacdac escapes. They get back to their feet and Cacdac is able
to take the fight down. After landing some strikes, Cacdac goes
for a rear naked choke and Palacios is forced to tap.
Alvin
Cacdac def. Jose Palacios by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at
3:10, RD2.
-Zackary
Bucia vs. Adam Steele
RD1:
They quickly engage in a scramble and Bucia locks on a guillotine
choke, after some struggling Steele is forced to tap.
Zackary
Bucia def. Adam Steele by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:35,
RD1.
QUICK
RESULTS:
-Eric Lawson def. Tony Johnson by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
RD1
-Bobby Stack def. Cyrillo Padilha by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)
-Kurt Osiander def. Josh Neal by TKO at 2:16, RD1.
-Brian Schwartz def. Lemont Davis by KO at 2:22, RD3.
-Scott Smith def. Terry Martin by KO at 0:24, RD1.
-Renato "Babalu" Sobral def. Bobby Southworth by TKO
(Doctor's Stoppage) at 5:00, RD1.
-Duane "Bang Ludwig def. Yves Edwards by Unanimous Decision
(29-28 on all three cards), RD3.
-Kim Couture def. Lina Kvokov by TKO at 1:44, RD1.
-Joe Riggs def. Luke Stewart by TKO at 2:05, RD2.
-Luke Rockhold def. Nik Theotikos by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 3:06, RD1.
-Darren Uyenoyama def. Brad Royster by Unanimous Decision (30-27
all three cards), RD3.
-Alvin Cacdac def. Jose Palacios by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 3:10, RD2.
-Zackary Bucia def. Adam Steele by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 0:35, RD1.
*The
main card airs live on HDNet.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Igor
Gracie wins in Atlantic City
After demonstrating a repertory of Jiu-Jitsu positions that would
take anybody's breath away- even his own, as he left the ring
panting, but happy, with the feeling of a job well done - Igor
Gracie defeated Troy Maxwel by unanimous decision at ROC XXII,
last Friday, November 21, at the Atlantic City casino, in New
Jersey, USA.
The
Carlinhos Gracie Jr black belt, who is the main instructor at
Renzo Gracie Academy, in New York, was in the 11th fight on the
program with backup from beasts of the caliber of Renzo, Ricardo
Cachorrao, his brothers Rolles and Gregor, Matt Serra and even
many-time world champion of Jiu-Jitsu Roger Gracie, who came
over from England just to watch his cousin fight.
In
deciding the holder of the lightweight belt, Chris Liguori (Ricardo
Almeida) defeated Cory Mahon (FCBJJ) by armbar, while the middleweight
belt went to Paul Bradley (Lionheart MMA), after beating Dande
Rivera (Ricardo Almeida) by referee intervention.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Bigfoot
close to sign with Sengoku
Suspended
by the Athletic Commission at United States under doping accusation,
Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva can’t fight in America
before July 28th of 2009, date of the end of the suspension.
After lose in the councils of the athletic commission, Bigfoot
still saw EliteXC, event in which he was heavyweight champion,
close the doors. With this, the ATT athlete had to look for a
new house, which has everything for be in Japan. “I’m
negotiating my departure to Japan. Sengoku made me a proposal
to fight in January 4th and we are looking that”, told Bigfoot,
who is entering in the common council against the athletic commission.
“My
lawyer is entering in the common council because I was penalized
in the sportive council. In the common one, it values facts and
proofs, they don’t know the athletes, events or lawyers.
While that I will fight in another country, because according
to my lawyer I’d not have any problem to fight out of America
even suspended by the commission”, guarantees Bigfoot.
Source:
Tatame
|
Werdum
guarantees he won’t leave UFC
The
defeat to Junior “Cigano” dos Santos at UFC 90 looks
to have affected not only the plans of Fabrício Werdum,
who used to dream of dispute the heavyweight title, but also
his future in the organization. Notices propagated in American
media say that UFC tried to renegotiate the contract with the
ADCC and BJJ World Champion, but both wouldn’t have came
to terms, that would have done Werdum break his contract.
“I
am surprised with this notice. My sister is who negotiate with
UFC and she always contacts me before make any decision and I
only know that there was no contact with UFC and her. In my contract
I still have more four fights which go until 2010. By the chronogram
that they passed to me, I must fight in February, July, November
and April of 2010. In fact, I am moving to United States because
of the trainings with Rafael Cordeiro, aiming at UFC”, said
Werdum, who is in Brazil setting the last details for his changing
to United States even in December.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"What's
the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile."
George
Asaf
|
X1
World Events Results
O'Lounge Night Club
November 21, 2008
After their May event, the X1 staff decided to end the year with
three smaller venues to showcase newer talent. From these small
shows, X1 has found themselves some new names to add to their
Blaisdell shows in 2009. In September we saw pro fighters Vili
Fonokalafi (250), Brad Tavares (185) and Justin Mercado (145)
shine as did amateur standout Sean Sakata (170), In October Isaiah
Cobb-Adams (140) made his comeback, while Kana Hyatt (135) and
Brandon Visher (145) continued their winning ways. Amateur fighter
Nalu Jones (205) and Jorey Baysinger (205) showed tremendous
heart in their three round war.
Ending
the year in exciting fashion Thaddeus Malbreaux and Brysen Hansen
fought a 3 round war Friday night with numerous takedowns and
an exciting toe to toe stand up war that had Hansen's face bloodied
in the third round. Ultimately Brysen Hansen took home the split
decision. Malbreuax though is an exciting addition to X1's 145lb
weightclass.
The
135lb Amateur MMA title finally found a home, after a number
of matches fell through earlier this year, Iha finally got his
chance at it and submitted Maui's Gerald Gamit quickly in rd
1. Iha's teammate Eddie Ohia fought to a draw against kickboxing
champion Bryson Okada. Okada got two takedowns early in the first
round but Ohia fought his way back in the second round.
Comedic
Maui fighter Javin Santos controlled top position in the first
round but then gave it away to Treston Rabellisza in the second
round after falling twice on his back. Their bout ended in a
draw after 2 rounds. Icon Fitness fighter Dustin Kimura's keys
to victory were his ability to stay away from Elijah Manners
heavy heands and his multiple submission attempts. Ricky Stallworth
stuffed numerous takedowns from Mark Tupas earning him the decision
win. Also Sydney Silva student Nate Haring used some ground and
pound leaving his opponent Mike Guillermo unable to continue
after the first round.
Samson
Kapuwai stopped the very game Kalani Saloricman. In triple threat
action Ata Tivao stalked Shaun Shepard in the early part of their
bout but Shepard closed the distance when he reversed Tivao in
the third round, Tivao able to get the decision win. Zack Shepard
dominated Shane Bothello in the first and second round then locked
in the triangle choke to finish the fight. Lufasiitu Leupolu
dislocated his shoulder in round 1 giving Masi Ili the tko win
at 1:23 of rd 1.
In
Boxing Isaac Arasato's body attack once again proved too much,
this time against veteran fighter Ryan Lee. It was constant pressure
from Peni Taufaao that won him his pro boxing debut against Neil
Sabbaghi. Also veteran fighter Harris Sarmiento went the distance
with Michael Balasi in their exhibition bout. Balasi attacked
Sarmiento's body early inthe fight but Sarmiento a veteran of
over 50 pro fights keptup with Balasi's pace and traded shots
all three rounds. Look for Sarmiento to make his pro boxing debut
sometime in 2009.
Pro
MMA
140 - Brysen Hansen (MMAD) def Thaddeus Malbreaux (Ground Fu)
split decision
Amateur
MMA
135 Title - Jared Iha (No Remorse) def Gerald Gamit (Southside
Boxing) guillotine :32 rd1
170 - Eddie Ohia (No Remorse) vs Bryson Okada (Sit You Down)
draw
155 - Javin Santos (Bang Inc) vs Treston Rabellisza (Inner Circle
Grappling) draw
153 - Dustin Kimura (Icon Fitness) def Elijah Manners (Na Koa)
unanimous decision
155 - Ricky Stallworth (Freelance) def Mark Tupas (Universal
Combat) unanimouse dec
165 - Nate Haring (Sydney Silva) def Mike Guillermo (Freelance)
tko rd 1
Amateur
Kickboxing
150 - Samson Kapuwai (Up and Up) def Kalani Saloricman (Na Koa)
tko rd 2
Triple
Threat (Kickboxing/Boxing with takedowns/ Submission grappling)
215 - Ata Tivao (94 Block) def Shaun Shepard (Universal Combat)
decision
155 - Zack Shepard (Universal Combat) def Shane Bothello (Team
Submit) triangle :27 rd 3
hw - Masi Ili (Freelance) def Lufasiitu Leupolu (Universal Combat)
tko rd 1
Pro
Boxing
135 - Isaac Arasato (Palolo Boxing) def Ryan Lee (Bullspen) tko
rd 1
145 - Peni Taufaao (Team Assassin) def Neil Sabbaghi (Unattached)
tko rd 1
Exhibition
Boxing
160 - Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory) vs Michael Balasi
(Kawano Boxing)
|
Submission
Wrestling Tournament
There is
a submission grappling tournament "NO Gi" only to be
held December 14 on Maui. Entry fee is $25.00. Inquiries can
be sent to email: iwffacademy@gmail.com or call Tyson @ 808-250-4882 |
NICE
GUYS DON'T HAVE TO FINISH LAST ON TUF 8
For many fans, "Ultimate Fighter" season 8 cast member
John Polakowski will be remembered as the nicest guy to ever
grace the show, but to find out where exactly a fighter nicknamed
"Buckets of Blood" comes from, you have to travel back
a few years to his roots in World Extreme Cagefighting.
Taking
his first fight on literally just a few hours notice, Polakowski
stepped into the cage to face Olaf Alfonso in the WEC. What transpired
in the next 15 minutes was an epic war between the two fighters
that gained a tremendous amount of attention at the time, even
earning a "Fight of the Year" nod from many media outlets.
He
also earned his nickname, "Buckets of Blood," from
that match-up. It was given to him by his trainer; whom he still
works with to this day.
"John
Hackleman gave it to me," he said of the nickname. "I
think a lot of it was from that first fight with Olaf (Alfonso)
cause I bled a lot; just in general I bleed a lot so it's fitting."
Fast
forward to a few years later after Polakowski had been cut from
the WEC in the transition to the new ownership at Zuffa and the
young California fighter found himself in the mix of the lightweight
division for season 8 of the "Ultimate Fighter."
During
his time on the show, Polakowski was dubbed as the nice guy,
but after some members of Team Mir messed with his Lucky Charms,
he started to show some of the rage that earned him his nickname.
"It
wasn't completely covered when it aired," Polakowski told
MMAWeekly.com. "They messed with me twice. For the first
one they just took out all the marshmallows and I just kind of
laughed it off. Then they promised they'd get me a new box of
Lucky Charms. So they get me a new box of Lucky Charms and they
left it on my pillow on my bed. So I go pour myself a bowl of
cereal and the marshmallows are gone again! So at that point
I felt like people were (expletive) with me or playing games
with me or something like that. It wasn't about the cereal, it's
that I felt people were screwing with me. I didn't understand
why people wanted to (expletive) with me."
Back
to fight time, Polakowski ended up with George Roop as an opponent
and after two hotly contested rounds, Roop picked up the unanimous
decision win. After the fight, UFC president Dana White commented
that he believed there should have been a third and decisive
round, and most others agreed.
"Yeah,
definitely, I feel like there should have been," Polakowski
stated about a third round in the fight. "George Roop took
the first round, but I agree completely with what Dana said,
I definitely did the most damage in round two. I had him stunned
like two or three times. I felt like I won the second round."
Between
the first and second rounds, Polakowski's coaches could be heard
in the background telling him that he won the first five minute
session and in retrospect, the San Luis Obispo native feels that
may not have worked in his favor.
"You
know, I wish they had told me I lost the first round because
maybe I would have tried harder to knock him out," Polakowski
said with a laugh.
Regardless
of the outcome, Polakowski's dream remains undeterred and he
feels a future in the UFC is still in the cards for him.
"I
think I'll definitely have another shot in the UFC and I'm excited
about that."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
PENN
TO DEFEND BOTH TITLES IF HE BEATS ST. PIERRE
Ultimate
Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder B.J. Penn moves
back up to the welterweight division to take on UFC welterweight
champion Georges St. Pierre on Super Bowl weekend, Jan. 31, in
Las Vegas for the welterweight title. Speculation about what
weight class Penn's fighting future would be in if he defeats
St. Pierre has swirled since the bout agreements were signed.
According
to UFC president Dana White, if Penn beats St. Pierre, he will
be the first fighter to hold two UFC titles at the same time
and will defend both belts.
"Once
you win the title and you accomplish so many things in the fight
business, then it becomes about legendary status, making your
mark, going down as one of the greatest fighters of all time,"
said White.
"The
problem I always talk about with B.J. is trying to contain this
kid and keep him focused on staying at 155 and defending his
title there. He's been doing that. And I think now is the time.
Now is a great time. He's saying if he wins the 170-pound title,
he's going to defend both titles."
"Should
B.J. win, one of the things he would do is defend two titles
at the same time," White continued. "Nobody has ever
done that. It's never been done."
Penn
has held the UFC welterweight title before, winning it by defeating
long-time champion Matt Hughes at UFC 46, ironically on the same
day he'll rematch St. Pierre, Jan. 31, 2006.
"I
want to leave a mark in this sport," Penn told the media
during a recent press conference. "When I was 22-years-old,
I wanted to become the lightweight champion of the world. I'm
going to be 30-years-old next month and I want to become the
best ever. And this is my chance."
But
BJ Penn's not thinking about defending his lightweight championship
right now. He's focused on Georges St. Pierre. "I could
think about that stuff all day, but really I've got to concentrate
on the first step ahead of me. And it's a big one. It's Georges
St. Pierre," said the UFC lightweight titleholder. "I
really can't look past that night... I'm just concentrating on
the man that everyone says is the best."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
HDNET
ANNOUNCES NEW DEAL WITH K-1
HDNet Fights announced Friday that it is partnering with FEG
USA, Inc. to bring the K-1 World Grand Prix and K-1 World MAX
tournaments to HDNet. K-1 is a form of kickboxing that combines
techniques from various martial arts disciplines. HDNet will
be the exclusive home of
K-1 in North America.
"K-1
is one of the most popular and exciting combat sports in the
world and we're proud to present it on HDNet," said Andrew
Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "If you are a fan of DREAM,
you are going to love the explosive non-stop, stand-up action
of K-1 and K-1 MAX."
"K-1
features the best stand-up fighters in the world and draws enormous
crowds everywhere," said Mike Kogan of FEG USA, Inc. "We
are very excited to have HDNet bring the 2008 K-1 World Grand
Prix Final, 2009 K-1 World Grand Prix and 2009 K-1 World MAX
tournaments to North American viewers."
HDNet's
coverage kicks off Dec. 6 at 12:00 a.m. PT with live coverage
of the biggest K-1 show of the year, the 2008 K-1 World Grand
Prix Final. The event will be repeated later that evening at
9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. K-1 stages regional qualifiers throughout
the year, which culminate in the K-1 Grand Prix, an annual one-night,
8-man tournament.
The
2008 World Grand Prix Final on HDNet will feature the following
tournament match-ups, which will lead to the crowning of the
2008 Grand Prix Champion:
-3-time
Grand Prix Champion and K-1 Legend Peter Aerts (62-21 w/ 28 KOs,
Holland) vs. K-1 Heavyweight Champion Badr Hari (11-3 w/ 10 KOs,
Morocco)
-Errol
Zimmerman (5-0 w 5 KOs, Holland) vs. Ewerton Teixeira (5-0 w
5 KOs, Brazil)
-Gokhan
Saki (7-1 w 4 KOs, Turkey) vs. Ruslan Karaev (11-6 w 6 KOs, Russia)
-2-time
Grand Prix Champion Remy Bonjasky (33-8 w 15 KOs, Holland), and
Jerome Le Banner (43-16-2 w 29 KOs, France)
(The
participating fighters may change due to injuries or their physical
condition).
The
deal encompasses six events from the 2009 K-1 tournament and
six events from the 2009 K-1 MAX tournament.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fedor
Emelianenko to compete at ADCC 2009
Fedor Emelianenko, widely considered to be the number one heavyweight
in the world, will tangle with the world's best grapplers when
he enters the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship next
year in Abu Dhabi, ADCC News announced today.
Fedor
carries with him a world-class background in the Russian martial
art of Sambo. Although he's arguably more known for his vicious
ground and pound, Fedor has finished his last five MMA opponents
with submission holds.
2008
DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix champion Gegard Mousasi was also
announced for the tournament.
The
ADCC, which takes place every two years, is the world's most
prestigious grappling tournament.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Liddell
vs. Couture 4 being considered for Germany
A fourth encounter between Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture is
being considered for a possible UFC card on June 13 in Cologne,
Germany.
UK
newspaper The Sun reported Sunday that the UFC has offered the
fight to Liddell.
Liddell
(21-6) lost the first meeting at UFC 43 in June 2003 by TKO but
returned to knockout Couture (16-9) twice at UFC 52 in April
2005 and UFC 57 in February 2006.
But
this time around, the two will battle each other as heavyweights
instead of light-heavyweights.
The
UFC wants Couture to headline the promotion’s debut in Germany
due to Couture’s ability to speak fluently in German.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Will
Ribeiro near top of WEC
Will Ribeiro’s career is taking off. After the success of
his time at Shooto Brazil, with beautiful knockout, the Carioca
went off to the WEC, the biggest organization in the world for
his weight group (61kg). He was thrown to the sharks right off
the bat in his debut, facing the organization’s former champion
Chase Beebe, who had expressive wins against such caliber opponents
as ADCC champion Rani Yahya. Now Will will be taking another
important step. On December 3rd, he will be in the second main
event on the card, broadcast live on tv, against Brian Bowles.
“To
me it’s a great honor. This is what I’ve fought for
my whole life. I’ve been training like crazy since I was
a kid. My mother always supported me in training. The time has
come to go for it, it’s time to fight, bro. I’m really
happy to be in one of the main events on the card and I’ll
do what I must to stay there a good long time. I want to put
on a great fight, always respecting my adversary, and leave with
a win,” stated the Luiz Alves product.
The
Brazilian’s adversary, Bowles is undefeated in his 6-fight
MMA career. Beyond that, he defeated Will’s training partner
at Nova Uniao Marcos Loro.
“I
watched his fight with Loro. He moves well and likes to strike.
I just haven’t seen him doing much taking down, but he defends
takedowns well. I’m going to stand with him. I’ll go
at him with muay thai, boxing, and if I see an opening, I’ll
try and take him down. I’m really confident in my game.
I want to have a great fight with him and hope it’s one
of the best of the night,” he said.
After
his will be the main event of the evening, between current champion
Miguel Torres and Manny Tapia, in a title dispute. Will’s
next adversary should be determined by the results of that bout.
“God
willing I’ll leave the cage with a victory, I’ll be
sitting right there by the side paying attention to their fight,”
he finished.
Check
out the card:
Miguel
Torres vs Manny Tapia
Brian Bowles vs Will Ribeiro
Wagnney Fabiano vs Akitoshi Tamura
Joseph Benavidez vs Danny Martinez
Justin Haskins vs Johny Hendricks
PRELIMINARIES
Ricardo
Barros vs Mark Munoz
Blas Avena vs Kevin Knabjian
Diego Nunes vs Cole Province
Alex Karalexis vs Bart Palaszewski
Cub Swanson vs Hirouki Takaya
Shane Roller vs Mike Budnik
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Babalu
takes the title
Strikeforce Quick Results
Strikeforce
Destruction
HP Pavillion, San Jose, California
Friday, November 21st 2008
-
Eric Lawson submitted Tony Johnson, RD1
- Bobby Stack defeated Cyrillo Padilha by Unanimous Decision
- Kurt Osiander defeated Josh Neal by TKO at 2:16, RD1.
- Brian Schwartz defeated Lemont Davis by KO at 2:22, RD3.
- Scott Smith KOed Terry Martin at 0:24, RD1.
- Renato "Babalu" Sobral defeaeted Bobby Southworth
by TKO (Doctor's Stoppage) at 5:00, RD1. - Light heavyweight
title bout
- Duane "Bang Ludwig defeated Yves Edwards by Unanimous
Decision
- Kim Couture defeated Lina Kvokov by TKO at 1:44, RD1.
- Joe Riggs defeated Luke Stewart by TKO at 2:05, RD2.
- Luke Rockhold submitted Nik Theotikos via Rear Naked Choke
at 3:06, RD1.
- Darren Uyenoyama def. Brad Royster by Unanimous Decision
- Alvin Cacdac submitted Jose Palacios via Rear Naked Choke at
3:10, RD2.
- Zackary Bucia submitted Adam Steele via Guillotine Choke at
0:35, RD1.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Machida
and Silva interview themselves
By Guilherme Cruz
Two
of the best light-heavyweight at UFC, Lyoto Machida and Thiago
Silva has a lot in common. Besides being born in the same country,
both has the same number of fights in MMA career (13) and never
lost, and the fight at UFC will make one lose for the first time.
TATAME.com invited both to set a different challenge, interviewing
themselves face-to-face about their fight at UFC 94 and the training.
As a reporter, Machida asked Silva if he considers him a difficult
fighter, and Thiago was very sincere in his answer.
“You
have your merits, if you were a bad athlete you wouldn’t
be where you are. You’re a top level opponent… I wouldn’t
say difficult, but a top level one. It’ll be a fight of
unbeatable”, said the American Top Team athlete, who asked
the karate fighter to predict the fight. “I think the fight
will be the synthesis of the modern MMA, will have everything:
takedowns, striking and I think we’ll do everything that
exists in MMA, and the fight might be a stand up one. I consider
you a tough guy, but I think my technique is superior”,
analyzes Lyoto, who asked Silva to say what he thinks about fight
another Brazilian athlete in UFC.
“I
don’t like, I didn’t wanted to face people from my
country, and you’re a cool guy, but I’m here to work
and you want the same thing as I do”, said Thiago, who asked
Machida back the same question: “Today we fight in the same
event, but we’re Brazilian and we both fight for our own
flags. I think this fight will have the biggest public, people
will want to see an unbeatable Brazilian clash and see who’s
gonna be the best that night”, affirmed Machida.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"There's
a powerful transformative effect when you surround yourself with
like-minded people. Peer pressure is a great thing when it helps
you accomplish your goals instead of distracting you from them."
Po Bronson
|
Strikeforce
'Destruction' Review
by Robert Rousseau
Strikeforce: Destruction came to us all live from the HP Pavilion
in San Jose, California on 11/21/08. Strikeforce is a rarity
in MMA. Namely, it’s an organization that started local
and has done everything right. In other words, Strikeforce is
making money consistently. With the MMA boom resonating, other
organizations are hopefully taking note of how to build a promotion
correctly.
Strikeforce:
Destruction brought us several noteworthy fights. Former TUF
1 star Bobby Southworth put his light heavyweight title on the
line when he faced a heavy favorite by the name of Renato “Babalu”
Sobral. Scott Smith took on Terry Martin in a bout sure to bring
stand up fireworks. Then there was Yves Edwards vs. Duane Ludwig
and Kim Couture in only her second MMA fight.
Before
taking on Luke Rockhold in the first fight of the night, Nik
Theotikos said, “I like to stand and bang. . . I would like
to knock him out in the first round.” Wanting doesn’t
mean doing. So which up and comer would come through?
Early
on the two scrambled some and then Theotokis sunk in a guillotine,
falling to his guard. Though it looked like it was tight, he
didn’t have full control and eventually lost the hold. Rockhold
started connecting with nice punches to his opponent’s body.
This went on until Theotokis tried to scramble out along the
cage wall. Unfortunately for him, Rockhold took his back for
his efforts. Moments later, Rockhold sunk in a rear naked choke.
That
was that.
Luke
Rockhold wins via rear naked choke in the first round.
Next
up was a match between UFC veteran Joe Riggs and the talented
Luke Stewart. “I’m confident I’m gonna win this
fight,” said Riggs coming in. On the flip side, his opponent
seemed confident himself. “He better knock me out, seriously,”
answered Stewart, who was planning on bringing the fight to Riggs
in a big way.
Stewart
immediately locked up with Riggs and took him to the canvas.
After some mild ground and pound, Stewart tried to pick Riggs
up and slam him. Instead, the move only served to allow Riggs
to get up. Riggs ended up taking some hard knees but then gained
separation with a nice flurry. Moments later, Stewart shot in
for the takedown and got it.
But
once again, Riggs started looking to get up along the wall. Eventually
Stewart was able to thwart this effort and ended up on top in
his opponent’s half guard. After several attempts at improving
his position, Stewart finally did gain side control but lost
it soon to half guard again. Stewart then gained full mount for
only a moment before Riggs struggled back to a better position.
Then the bell.
Not
a lot of damage was done by Stewart, but he clearly won the round
based on takedowns.
Stewart
connected with a solid high kick to start the second stanza.
But upon clinching, Riggs took him down and started in with some
ground and pound. Though everything Riggs threw had power, Stewart
did a good job of keeping him tied up.
At
least initially.
But
then Riggs started throwing big punches on the ground. Somehow
Stewart got to his feet, but the big strikes continued. Eventually,
Stewart fell to the canvas and grabbed his opponent’s leg.
But as the onslaught continued, referee John McCarthy (that’s
right, Big John) called the fight appropriately.
Joe
“Diesel” Riggs wins via knockout at 2:05 of round one.
Afterwards, Riggs indicated that he broke his left hand in the
first round.
Next
up was a fight between Lina Kvokov and Randy Couture’s wife,
Kim Couture. Beforehand, Couture said, “I’ve prepared
for everything going into this fight.” Of course, Couture
fought through a broken jaw in her last fight. In other words,
even if she comes across something she wasn’t prepared for,
guess is that she’ll persevere through.
Couture
came out swinging, just as she promised MMAFighting.com before
the bout in an interview that she would, connecting with multiple
punches, including some very solid rights and knees in the clinch.
Kvokov, on the other hand, looked very uncomfortable on her feet
and kept turning away from Couture, prompting the referee to
stop the fight after a final flurry strikes.
This
was a flat out beatdown. Kim Couture was dominant.
Kim
Couture wins via TKO at 1:44 of round one.
Next
up was a match between Yves Edwards and Duane “Bang”
Ludwig. Two fighters that had taken on and defeated some excellent
fighters through their respective careers. The question was,
which one would fall back to the pack when this one was completed?
Yves
shot in early and achieved the takedown. From there, he moved
to Ludwig’s half guard. Then he moved to side control rather
systematically. Still, Ludwig once again gained the half guard,
then rubber guard, then full guard. Edwards connected with some
mild ground and pound for the rest of the stanza, netting him
the round by the time the bell tolled.
Not
a real action packed round.
In
the second, Edwards faked a shot and connected with a nice body
punch. Ludwig started throwing hard leather that missed. Still,
it was enough to cause Edwards to shoot in and gain a takedown.
But Ludwig got right up and connected with a knee that definitely
hurt Edwards. From there, Ludwig started connecting with knees
inside and some punches. Then came a big kick to the body by
him followed by a takedown by Edwards.
Good
move by Edwards.
Edwards
did little else before Ludwig got back up. Soon after, Ludwig
slammed his opponent to the canvas, but Edwards got right back
up. Then Edwards achieved a takedown. But once again, when Edwards
was on top not a lot happened. Ludwig then got up and while in
the clinch, started connecting with some knees and more. Not
a lot, but enough to win the round in my opinion.
The
final round should determine the winner.
Early
on, Ludwig connected with a couple of nice knees. He also began
connecting to the body. Edwards tried for a takedown, but instead
it was Ludwig who got it. Until the 1:51 mark of the stanza,
Ludwig connected with ground and pound in spots. Then Edwards
managed to get to his feet. For most of the rest of the round,
Ludwig either defended the takedown or connected with strikes.
Though Edwards finally took him down at the end of the stanza,
it was too late for much of anything to happen. The commentators
are talking like Edwards definitely won. Not sure about that
at all. In fact, I give it to Ludwig two rounds to one.
The
judges agree. Duane Ludwig wins via unanimous decision.
Before
taking on Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Bobby Southworth
said, “I’m not worried about getting respect from the
news media. . . Having the respect of my peers is a little bit
more important for me than having the respect of the general
public.” Of course, Southworth was referring to the fact
that Sobral was a heavy favorite coming into their bout even
though he was the champion. Would he gain the respect of everyone
with a great performance?
Early
on, Babalu shot in for a takedown and Southworth shirked it easily.
Then surprisingly, Southworth took Babalu down along the cage
wall and achieved side control.
Big
surprise he’d want to bring the fight here.
From
there, Babalu moved things back to full guard but then lost that
position to side control again. Finally, Babalu got up.
Lots
of movement, but not a ton of hair raising action thus far. Along
with this, after a significant amount of relative inactivity
in the clinch, the referee separated them. Still, it soon went
back to the clinch where Babalu connected with a very nice elbow
that cut Southworth above the right eye badly. The referee immediately
stopped the fight to ask for the doctor.
But
he let them fight.
At
the end of the stanza, Southworth connected with a nice right
and pushed his opponent to the canvas. Then the bell.
Though
the fight was allowed to continue through the first stanza, the
doctor stopped the fight before the second.
Renato
“Babalu” Sobral wins the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight
Championship by way of TKO after round one.
Then
came what was sure to be an exciting fight between Scott Smith
and Terry Martin. “I think it’s going to be electrifying
once we square off in the middle of the cage,” said Martin
before the bout. He was right. But it was quick lightning.
Here’s
how it went down. Martin came inside looking for the big punch.
Scott Smith caught him with a huge right hand on the way in.
Martin went down.
That
was that.
Scott
Smith wins via knockout after 24 seconds in round one.
In
the end, this wasn’t the most exciting night in Strikeforce’s
history. Still, the Smith knockout was certainly abrupt, and
both Joe Riggs and Kim Couture put in nice performances. Unfortunately,
styles make fights and the bout between Yves Edwards and Duane
Ludwig didn’t turn out to be a great style battle. The Southworth-
Babalu fight, unfortunately, ended in disappointment due to a
cut. Maybe a rematch is in the future?
RESULTS:
1.
Zak Bucia def. Adam Steel via submission (guillotine choke) -
R1 (0:35)
2. Alvin Cacdac def. Jose Palacios via submission (RNC) - R2
(3:10)
3. Darren Uyenoyama def. Brad Royster via unanimous decision
4. Luke Rockhold def. Nik Theotikos via submission (RNC) - R1
(3:06)
5. Joe Riggs def. Luke Stewart via TKO (strikes) - R2 (2:05)
6. Kim Couture def. Lina Kvokov via TKO (strikes) - R1 (1:44)
7. Duane "Bang" Ludwig def. Yves Edwards via unanimous
decision
8. Renato "Babalu" Sobral def. Bobby Southworth via
TKO (cut) - R1 (5:00)
9. Scott Smith def. Terry Martin via KO - R1 (0:24)
10. Brian Schwartz def. Lemont Davis via TKO (punch) - R3 (2:22)
11. Kurt Osiander def. Josh Neal vai TKO (strikes) - R1 (2:16)
12. Eric Lawson def. Tony Johnson via submission (RNC) - R1 (1:28)
13. Bobby Stack def. Cyrillo Padilha via unanimous decision
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Machida
and Silva interview themselves
By Guilherme Cruz
Two
of the best light-heavyweight at UFC, Lyoto Machida and Thiago
Silva has a lot in common. Besides being born in the same country,
both has the same number of fights in MMA career (13) and never
lost, and the fight at UFC will make one lose for the first time.
TATAME.com invited both to set a different challenge, interviewing
themselves face-to-face about their fight at UFC 94 and the training.
As a reporter, Machida asked Silva if he considers him a difficult
fighter, and Thiago was very sincere in his answer.
“You
have your merits, if you were a bad athlete you wouldn’t
be where you are. You’re a top level opponent… I wouldn’t
say difficult, but a top level one. It’ll be a fight of
unbeatable”, said the American Top Team athlete, who asked
the karate fighter to predict the fight. “I think the fight
will be the synthesis of the modern MMA, will have everything:
takedowns, striking and I think we’ll do everything that
exists in MMA, and the fight might be a stand up one. I consider
you a tough guy, but I think my technique is superior”,
analyzes Lyoto, who asked Silva to say what he thinks about fight
another Brazilian athlete in UFC.
“I
don’t like, I didn’t wanted to face people from my
country, and you’re a cool guy, but I’m here to work
and you want the same thing as I do”, said Thiago, who asked
Machida back the same question: “Today we fight in the same
event, but we’re Brazilian and we both fight for our own
flags. I think this fight will have the biggest public, people
will want to see an unbeatable Brazilian clash and see who’s
gonna be the best that night”, affirmed Machida.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC’s
Dana White loses it during Sacramento radio interview
By Zach Arnold
UFC
President now switching tactics and public stance with Jon Fitch?
Remember
what Kevin Iole quoted Dana White as saying about Jon Fitch?
“Affliction
is still out there trying to build its company. Let [Fitch] go
work with them. Let him see what he thinks of those [expletives].
[Expletive] him. These guys aren’t partners with us. [Expletive]
them. All of them, every last [expletive] one of them.”
Yep.
Now, check out this radio interview that White did on Wednesday
night:
“It
doesn’t have to do with Jon Fitch either,” continued
White. “I like Jon Fitch. I’ve never had a bad word
with Jon Fitch. The problem is with the idiots that run AKA.
I won’t use any names; the idiots know who they are.”
But
in expressing a big picture concern that extends beyond Fitch,
White began to introduce the current state of the economy as
a reason why he doesn’t understand why fighters are more
agreeable to terms of deals that are being presented.
I
think it’s fair to say that White didn’t expect AKA’s
representation to say anything other than ‘yes sir’
to him on any business deal, and like the schoolyard bully…
once you punch the bully in the mouth, the bully isn’t so
tough any more.
“It’s
like all the media wants to jump up and go ‘Oh the UFC!
The UFC!” Shut up! Shut up. Every one of you shut your mouth.
Mind your business. Here’s the deal: the reality is we’re
working our asses off to make this thing bigger and better for
everybody. The world is a very dangerous place right now with
this economy.”
Naturally,
one would not think that Dana White would be losing any sleep
over Jon Fitch. The sales of UFC’s upcoming video game will
not be determined by whether or not Jon Fitch is in the game
in the first place.
There
is something remarkable to be said here about Dana White and
the statements he’s made the past couple of months. Here
is a man coming off of a PPV weekend that did $4.8 million USD
at the gate in Las Vegas (currently a ghost town), with a brand
new UFC Heavyweight champion in Brock Lesnar who the media loves,
and Randy Couture (who got into a protracted legal battle with
Zuffa) got beat.
If
you buy all the media spin coming out of this weekend’s
event, how could things be bad in the world of UFC? After all,
several media outlets were blushing about how UFC was having
great business success when no one else is during this current
economic down cycle.
What
is it that has set White off? Is it the mediocre TV ratings that
The Ultimate Fighter is drawing right now on Spike TV? Is it
the report by Dave Meltzer that UFC 90 (Anderson Silva vs. Patrick
Cote) did an estimated 300,000 PPV buys? Is the cause of stress
the big amount of money that Station Casinos currently lost in
Q3 ‘08? Is it financial trouble due to the outstanding loans/revolving
line of credit that Zuffa took out to finance their massive expansion
operation into Europe? Is Dana as paranoid as Vince McMahon is
right now and scared to death that Fitch may open up the flood
gates for other fighters to challenge UFC’s authority?
Excuses,
excuses
The
sad part about Dana White’s media blowback towards Jon Fitch
is that he’s falling into the same trap that he’s mocked
Bob Arum for falling into the past. “The economy is bad,”
“agents are bad,” “they don’t want to be
our partners.”
The
rationale that the UFC President gives about how fighters or
agents who don’t agree with what he says are not ‘his
partners’ is amusing. You want your fighters to be your
‘partners’? Give them an ownership stake in Zuffa LLC.
That’s how you can make them a business partner. Want to
pay them to fight for you only? Then financially treat them as
an employee and not as an independent contractor.
This
situation is sad because it seems like such a self-inflicted
wound on the part of UFC management. Who knew that mild-mannered
Jon Fitch would cause the UFC President to freak out in a similar
manner to when he faced a labor dispute with Randy Couture?
In
a USA Today interview, White is back at it attacking ‘agents’
in the business:
And
you know what? This is more than just AKA. There’s other
camps out there that we’re having trouble doing business
with. And at the end of the day, this is a business. We run a
business just like any other business. You come in, you do your
job with your company and you get paid.
And
the guys that don’t want to do business with you —
then go work somewhere else. It’s as easy as that. You don’t
have to do business with us. There’s other people out there
you can do it with.
So,
White is not only railing against agents, he’s publicly
laying down a marker against other fight teams by essentially
saying to not fight with him on business deals.
A
non-exclusive merchandising deal?
Is
this an attempt to muddy the waters by Dana White?
No,
no. There’s no lifetime deal on merchandising. The merchandising
deal is non-exclusive. They can go out and do whatever they want
to do, whenever they want to do it. with whoever they want to,
and we haven’t pressured anyone to sign that thing. That
merchandise deal was an offer — at the end of the day, we’re
trying to come up with new ways to make more money for us and
for the fighters. That’s what that deal was for.
Up
until this point, every media reporter (both pro-UFC and anti-UFC)
has basically claimed that the merchandising agreements call
for for a fighter to give up their image/likeness for in perpetuity,
meaning never-ending. Is White telling the truth here or not?
Robert
Joyner at MMA Payout sums up Dana White’s latest actions
in one word: brazen. If the Elite XC debacle managed to bring
agents like Monte Cox and Ken Pavia together, then I wonder what
kind of unity will (or will not) be fostered based on White’s
actions.
UFC
caught in a shell game with THQ?
Sam
Caplan is reporting that UFC is dealing with some issues with
THQ involving exclusive rights to all their fighters in terms
of image rights and likenesses:
It
appears that the UFC may have gotten itself into a bit of a predicament
as sources indicate that THQ, who is producing promotion’s
upcoming video game release “UFC Undisputed 2009,”
operated under the auspices that they had exclusive rights to
the likenesses of all fighters on the UFC roster. Five Ounces
of Pain has been informed that THQ was none too pleased upon
learning that rival Electronic Arts has commenced work on an
MMA game of its own and that plans are in motion to involve a
great deal of recognizable fighters. The sources have indicated
that in addition to names such as Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz,
and Frank Shamrock that known UFC fighters could potentially
be featured as well.
The
fact that THQ had been promised exclusive access to the likeness
of the entire UFC roster when the UFC wasn’t in a position
to make such an assurance is believed to be a reason why the
promotion has acted in haste in regards to demanding its fighters
sign over their likenesses for “Undisputed.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Sherdog.com’s
Pound-for-Pound Top 10
Urijah Faber was the top featherweight in the world and a pound-for-pound
entrant, talks were beginning for a clash with fellow pound-for-pounder
and emerging star Miguel Torres, and fans had already begun to
question whether Faber had outgrown the featherweight division.
But
Mike Thomas Brown didn't care too much for those best-laid plans,
thrashing "The California Kid" and wresting his title
in less than three minutes.
Despite
the formerly sixth-ranked Faber's departure, this pound-for-pound
ledger welcomes the addition of two of 2008's breakout forces.
With three straight wins over top-10 opponents, 25-year-old Thiago
Alves has locked in his status as the most deserving challenger
to the UFC's welterweight throne. Meanwhile 24-year-old Eddie
Alvarez has made good on the hype that accompanied his young
career by pounding on some of the lightweight division's perennially
toughest participants.
And
better yet is a look to the future: While the past few months
have largely been an in-between period for MMA's pound-for-pound
stalwarts, seven of the 10 listed here are set for action in
the next two months, and that's not counting a potential mega-money
showdown for the sport's numero uno.
1.
Anderson Silva (22-4-0)
The ever-fickle MMA fan base questioned Silva's top pound-for-pound
status after his bizarre October outing with Patrick Cote. Seemingly
a victim of his own violent success, MMA's middleweight ruler
was criticized for in-fight passivity and lollygagging despite
complete control over the bout at hand. However, Silva will likely
get the opportunity to atone for the Cote debacle come February
at UFC 95 in London, where a rumored 205-pound bout with Chuck
Liddell could come to fruition.
2.
Georges St. Pierre (17-2-0)
St. Pierre's August blowout of Jon Fitch easily supplanted Rich
Franklin-David Loiseau as the most sustained, one-sided title
fight in UFC history. "Rush" blasted Fitch for 25 minutes,
turning the AKA product's survival into the most amazing part
of the bout. On Jan. 31, St. Pierre will look to address the
one continuously nagging question in his career when he takes
on fellow pound-for-pounder and lightweight ruler B.J. Penn at
UFC 94. Against “The Prodigy,” St. Pierre will aim
to put a more definitive stamp on his 170-pound supremacy in
what could go down as an all-time MMA classic.
3.
Fedor Emelianenko (28-1-0, 1 NC)
It could be temporary, but Affliction will give MMA's greatest
heavyweight the opportunity to meet some of the division's best
opposition. Emelianenko will finish his acting work on a forthcoming
action movie in Thailand this month and then set about training
for his Jan. 24 showdown with former UFC heavyweight champion
Andrei Arlovski.
4.
B.J. Penn (13-4-1)
While the UFC's 155-pounders continue to duke it out for the
rights to challenge Penn, come Super Bowl weekend the Hawaiian
will look to avenge his controversial March 2006 split decision
loss to Georges St. Pierre. For Penn, it is not only the chance
to avenge a highly contentious loss but also to validate his
celebrated status in notching what would be the biggest win of
his career.
5.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1, 1 NC)
Things just got much more interesting for MMA's perennially second
heavyweight. While he must first deal with Frank Mir on Dec.
27, if "Minotauro" emerges victorious, he'll meet up
with Brock Lesnar in the new year. The fight would be the Brazilian's
biggest bout in years and a potential stage for a vintage Nogueira
performance.
6.
Miguel Torres (33-1-0)
One of 2008's breakout stars, Torres will look to end the year
with an emphatic statement against his toughest test to date
when he takes on fellow chicano Manny Tapia in the headliner
of the Dec. 3 WEC bill. While a victory would entrench him deeper
as the kingpin of the emergent bantamweight division, he'll have
little time for rest as the surging Brian Bowles takes on Brazilian
banger Will Ribeiro on the same card, likely producing his next
challenger.
7.
Forrest Griffin (16-4-0)
After back-to-back surprises in taking out Mauricio "Shogun"
Rua and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Griffin has earned
his status as the sport's top light heavyweight. The first challenge
for the TUF 1 winner's title will come from TUF 2 winner Rashad
Evans at UFC 92 on Dec. 27. Another victorious performance would
give Griffin back-to-back-to-back wins that would be tough for
anyone in MMA to rival.
8.
Quinton Jackson (28-7-0)
With the worst of his legal mess behind him, "Rampage"
is now locked into a bout that could be as pivotal as any in
his career. Having severed ties with former trainer Juanito Ibarra,
who had been in the sidecar with Jackson for his resurgence,
"Rampage" is now set for a third showdown with archrival
Wanderlei Silva on Dec. 27 at UFC 92. Jackson will be under the
microscope as fans and pundits look to see how he performs after
training with England's Wolfslair Academy for his final chance
to erase memories of his brutal highlight-reel stoppages at the
hands of "The Axe Murderer."
9.
Thiago Alves (16-3-0)
Alves is one of the sport's most dynamic young talents. But more
than that, with his outstanding October victory over fellow welterweight
elite Josh Koscheck, he has taken out three straight top-10 fighters
in arguably MMA's richest weight class. When Alves finally does
get a crack at the UFC welterweight crown, he will have more
than earned it by beating top-shelf opposition in stirring fashion.
10.
Eddie Alvarez (15-1-0)
Alvarez was considered a can't-miss welterweight prospect after
completely rifling his first 10 opponents. However, he has come
into his own since his cut to the lightweight division. His thrilling
“Fight of the Year” candidates against Joachim Hansen
and Tatsuya Kawajiri, two perennially outstanding lightweights,
have affirmed him as one of the sport's great young stars. A
plethora of intriguing bouts await.
Source: Sherdog
|
Shaolin
and life in NYC
Fighter should only return to ring in 2009
After injuring his eye and knee and undergoing two surgical operations
that have kept him from the ring since September of 2007, Vitor
“Shaolin” Ribeiro began a new phase in his life. Now
a resident of New York city, where he opened a gym, the Jiu-Jitsu
black belt is full of plans and lots of desire to return to the
ring. GRACIEMAG.com partner website PortalDasLutas.com had a
talk with the Nova Uniao representative about this time in his
life.
Portal
das Lutas – When will we see Shaolin back in the ring? Is
there a chance of your fighting at the K-1 end-of-the-year event?
Vitor
Shaolin – K-1 was going to do two end-of-the-year shows,
but ended up bunching them together in one event with striking
and MMA and that lowered the chances of my fighting. I’m
nearly 100% certain I will not fight at the end of the year.
I should only fight if someone drops off the card, but I’m
practically certain that I’ll not be in it. I should only
fight in February or March next year.
PDL
– How is your relationship with K-1 doing and why the delay
in returning to the ring?
VS
– I have four more fights on my contract and we’re
still on good terms. I should already have fought, but they offered
me Sakurai, who’s a bit heavier than me and I decided not
to fight, since it was not in my category. But my situation with
them is great and I’m anxious for a return. I was already
supposed to have returned, but I had visa problems and then they
offered me a heavier opponent.
PDL
– What was your injury down time like? Are you training
again without fear of further injury?
VS
– Now everything’s great. Back when I was injured it
was horrible, because I wanted to fight and to help the guys
train and couldn’t. But that happens. Anyone who fights
knows unforeseen things happen and that happened with me. I was
unhappy about it, but things improved thereafter, everything
is in the past and I’m training normally, without fear of
injury and waiting. These days K-1 is not like the UFC, which
has events almost every weekend. I have to wait, I’m dying
to return and training a lot. I just need to hang on. When they
call me, I’ll be ready, well trained and thin.
PDL
– And what about life in the United States, how’s that
going?
VS
– I like it a lot. It’s a new step in my life, a new
challenge trying to make it here in the United States. I’m
here without big-money backing or something of the sort. I’m
on my own trying to bring in students. It will take some time
for people to know I’m here doing a good jog, promoting
myself, returning to the ring and I think that will fill the
gym in the future. In the meantime, I’m happy, content to
teach class and see future potential training with me. It’s
a new challenge and I’m very focused on that working out
in my life. I like teaching class and the place where I’m
living. It’s really different here, but I’m already
adapting and now I just have to wait and have patience, in the
future, I’ll make it.
PDL
– Is your academy more geared to Jiu-Jitsu or MMA?
VS
– My primary focus is Jiu-Jitsu, more or less the way Dede
(Andre Pederneiras) does things in his gym. The focus is Jiu-Jitsu,
bringing in students, finding talent, finding out who is interested
in making a living fighting or not, and teaching the interested
ones submission grappling and MMA. I won’t start off with
MMA straight away, because I think I need to give everyone good
foundations first. After laying the foundations and folks show
they’re interested in delving deeper, then I’ll think
of bringing in someone to teach boxing and muay thai in the gym.
But for now it’s just Jiu-Jitsu, which is the way I did
it and I feel it’s a strong foundation for the future.
PDL
- In Brazil you have all the support of Nova Uniao. How do you
prepare for challenges there?
VS
– I’ll bring someone up from Brazil to help me out,
but I have good friends here, a good relationship with several
academies in New York and New Jersey. A few times a week there
are some guys who train here who are in the UFC, like Frankie
Edgar, Jim Miller and Ricardo Cachorrao, among others. We get
together and train, and they are people I can count on when it
comes time to fight. Of course it won’t be like in Rio,
here it’s harder to get around to the different places,
but I’m still feeling comfortable and training is excellent.
The guys have things I don’t have, like really good wrestling,
things I have to work hard on. But I’ll always bring someone
up one month before the fight to train with so I can go in well
prepared like when I used to live in Brazil.
PDL
– Your old training partner at Nova Uniao, BJ Penn, will
face Georges St Pierre in the UFC. What do you expect in this
fight?
VS
– I always root for BJ, who is a really talented and technical
guy. Those who have trained with him know the quality he possesses.
I hope he goes in well trained, with his stamina up to speed.
If he comes in like that, there’s no way he can lose. St
Pierre is a way talented guy too, but I lean more towards BJ.
From what I know of him, with the strong mind he has and challenges
he’s faced, he’ll do it. I just hope he has wind to
go five rounds, because at the other end there’s be a guy
who can go five rounds easy. So I think that’s the biggest
worry. If he’s well trained, it’s all about BJ.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Riddick
Bowe Grooming for In-Ring Return
FRANKFURT,
Germany (AP) - Former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe will
fight for the first time in three years on the undercard of the
Wladimir Klitschko vs. Hasim Rahman IBF title fight Dec. 13 against
a still to be determined opponent, the organizers said Thursday.
Bowe,
41, retired in 1996 and came back in 2004. He had another fight
in 2005 and has not fought since.
Bowe's
only loss in 43 fights was against Evander Holyfield, who at
age 46, is preparing to fight Nikolai Valuev next month for the
WBA title.
And
German newspaper reports said Thursday Lennox Lewis, 42, was
preparing for a comeback fight against Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir's
older brother, and the WBC champion. Bild newspaper said the
fight could take place in the middle of next year.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Straight
from the UFC Hall of Fame
Exclusive Mark Coleman interview
More than just a fight, the bout between Mauricio Shogun and
Mark Coleman, set for January 17, at UFC 93 – Dublin, will
be to settle an old score. The wounds have been left open since
February of 2006, when after a takedown attempt by the American,
Shogun suffered a fractured arm. With the northerner handed the
win, followed by his celebration while still in the ring, a scuffle
broke out between Coleman’s crew and the members of Chute
Boxe who were accompanying the Brazilian. Ever since, insults
were exchanged publicly, and threats of vengeance were made by
both parties.
NOCAUTE
brought collaborator Nalty Jr into action to contact Coleman
in the United States and produced an historic interview. Candidly,
the UFC Hall of Famer toughed on the subject of the controversial
rivalry with Chute Boxe, analyzed his professional career and
recalled his trip to Brazil.
Check
out a few excerpt from the interview now on newsstands across
Brazil in NOCAUTE magazine.
What
is your recollection of the first Pride event? How did your life
change after conquering your first GP in Japan?
Fighting
in Japan was too much. I was practically counted out by everyone,
but I still believed. The answer to most of the problems one
faces is hard work, really hard work. That was how I went into
the Pride GP to win. If you look at my reaction after winning
the title, it was really emotional. My life changed and I earned
more respect as a fighter. My confidence grew.
Who’s
the toughest athlete you’ve faced?
The
toughest guy I’ve faced was Fedor Emelianenko [the Russion
submitted Coleman with an armbar on two occasions in Pride, in
2004 and 2006]. Coming second is Rodrigo Minotauro [Minotauro
submitted him at Pride 16].
What
do you think of the Brazilian invasion in the UFC?
I
always had a lot of respect for Brazilian fighters. They always
showed a lot of heart, courage and hunger for the win. Now they
are all much more well rounded in MMA and couple that with their
talent. That’s why I’m not surprised Brazil is so well
represented on the scene. That’s life.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Ninja
Rua: “Shogun will tear Coleman up”
By Guilherme Cruz
While
Murilo Rua doesn’t sign a new event after EliteXC’s
end, Murilo “Ninja” Rua is focused in his brother’s
preparation to fight Mark Coleman in UFC 93, which happens in
January 17th in Dublin, in Ireland. After a meeting between Maurício
Shogun and Coleman at Pride, ending with the Brazilian breaking
his arm with less than one minute of fight, Ninja bets in a big
victory of the brother. “I’m training hard, without
stop, but now I’m focused in my brother’s fight with
Coleman. The expectative is best possible, he’s training
all the time and certainly will take the light-heavyweight belt.
He’s a great fighter, he is 100% recovered (from knee surgery)
and will tear Coleman up…He wanted this fight a long time
ago and now it’s only reduce the weight and fight”,
bets Murilo, who also bets at his former-Chute Boxe partner Wanderlei
Silva against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, at UFC 92.
“Wanderlei is a big friend of mine and he will win again,
certainly. One more knee knockout”, finished the Universidade
da Luta leader.
Source: Tatame
|
Pro
Elite SEC statement on relations with Showtime, possible new
financial backers
By Zach Arnold
Latest
Form 8k:
On
November 13, 2008, the Company received correspondence from CBS
Corporation, on behalf of Showtime Networks, Inc. (Showtime),
that the sale of assets of ProElite, Inc. and its subsidiaries
originally scheduled for November 17, 2008 has been adjourned
for no less than two weeks from that date. The correspondence
also confirmed that Showtime will provide the Company with notice
of intention to schedule a sale of assets.
While
the Company believes that Showtime had no right to schedule the
asset sale, the Company is continuing discussions with potential
strategic investors to secure financing sufficient to cure any
possible default under the Showtime loan agreements. However,
there is no assurance as to whether any such financing will be
available or available on reasonable terms.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
DREAM
planning Featherweight Grand Prix
Hiroyuki Takaya may have let the cat out of the bag that DREAM
is planning on a featherweight tournament for 2009.
The WEC featherweight tells Japanese MMA magazine Real Battle
Talk in an issue published last week that he's being considered
for one of the eight spots for Japanese fighters in the tournament
(the other eight spots will be reserved for foreign fighters).
"DREAM
is asking me to participate in its featherweight tournament,"
Takaya says in the interview. "I heard the tournament would
be held sometime next year and 16 fighters would compete against
each other."
According
to Takaya, the tournament weight limit would be 139 pounds, which
may be problematic for featherweights used to competing in the
US at 145 pounds or Japanese promotions that typically classifies
its featherweight/bantamweights as 143-pounders.
As
for Takaya, whose next fight is against Cub Swanson at WEC 37:
Torres vs. Tapia on December 3, his WEC contract may get in the
way of him participating.
"My
contract with the WEC is first priority and I'm not sure whether
or not I can take the offer. I heard DREAM was also in contact
with Yoshiro Maeda and Masakazu Imanari."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Man is born to
live, not to prepare for life."
Boris Pasternak
|
"SKRAP
Events- HAWAIIAN CLASSIC KICKBOXING"
Today!
Saturday November 22nd, 2008 @ Kalaheo High School. SKRAP Magazine
will raise the roof with an exciting night of kickboxing action
featuring young and experienced talent representing Waianae Gym,
Team Aniland, 808 Fight Factory, Five-o Kickboxing, Konnah Blokk,
Team Standalone, HSD, and much, much more. SKRAP Magazine will
also be providing exclusive coverage of the event so everybody
from the athletes to the fans and everyone in between will have
a chance to be in the following (Spring) issue of SKRAP Magazine.
With special guest appearances, autograph opportunities, and
a chance to support your local SKRAPPER this will be an event
you dont wanna miss!
Some of the bouts you'll see-
45
lbs. 2 x 1 min. rounds
Jonah Lopes- Carter Taz Kahalewai
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Team Aniland)
60
lbs. 3 x 1 min. rounds
Kauhi “Tiger Shark” Tomas Spike Kahalewai
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Team Aniland)
83
lbs 3 x 1 min. rounds
Jada “The Pretty Assasin” Pereira Niimaia Palimo
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Team Up&Up)
105
lbs. 3x 1.5 min. rounds
Justin Kahalewai Jeremy Henning
(Team Aniland) (Kurrupt Ambitions)
155
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
Freddie Boy Camacho Steven Mandeville
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Kurrupt Ambitions)
75
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
Nainoa “The Babyface Assasin” Dung Jaron “The
Soul Assasin” Dias
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Westside Connection)
155
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
Liki Hoku Biddinger
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Kurrupt Ambitions)
170
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
TBA Justin Helemano
(Pride of Papakolea) (Konna Blokk)
250
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
TBA Alan Fortson
(Team Standalone)
300
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
Mark Toa Otto Ho’opi’i
(Konna Blokk) (Team Standalone)
AND MORE...............
Rich Tomas
SKRAP Magazine
(808)294-1234
skrapmag.com
|
LONGMAN
JIU-JITSU OPEN TODAY!
LONGMAN
JIU-JITSU OPEN
Saturday,
November 22nd, 2008
KAUAI
VETERANS CENTER, LIHUE
8am
weigh in start at the vets center
or
5-8pm night before at Scrapa Lifestylez located at 4251 Kuhio
Highway next to Hanamaulu Café
(www.myspace.com/scrapafightwear
)
10am
kids divisions begin
$50
for one division or $60 entry fee for both GI and NO-GI
Free
event T-shirt and shippers with each entry
Medals
awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners
Please check out www.longmanjiujitsu.com to register
For
more info call Bruno 645-1265
Source: Shauna Castle
|
X1
World Events Boxing Results
O'Lounge Night Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
November 21, 2008
6:30pm
Exhibition:
160 - Mike
Balasi (Kawano Boxing) vs Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory)
145 - Peni Taufa'ao (Team Assassin) def. Neil Sabbaghi (Freelance)
via TKO in Round 1.
135 - Isaac Arasato (Palolo Boxing) def. Ryan Lee (Bullspen)
via TKO in Round 1.
Source: Bruce Kawano
|
Brock
Lesnar rakes in $450,000
Brock Lesnar rolled in $450,000 to go along with his UFC heavyweight
belt at Saturday’s UFC 91 in Las Vegas.
In
figures reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission by the
UFC, Lesnar earned $250,000 for his fight against Randy Couture,
and an additional $200,000 for winning the fight.
Couture
lost his belt but still walked away with $250,000. The UFC Hall
of Famer would have earned an addition $250,000 if he had retained
his title.
In
addition to the salaries listed below, the UFC publicly awarded
$60,000 each to Aaron Riley (Fight of the Night), Jorge Gurgel
(Fight of the Night), Dustin Hazelett (Submission of the Night)
and Jeremy Stephens (Knockout of the Night).
PAY-PER-VIEW
BOUTS:
(W)
Brock Lesnar - $250,000 + $200,000 = $450,000
(L) Randy Couture - $250,000
(W)
Kenny Florian - $40,000 + $40,000 = $80,000
(L) Joe Stevenson - $35,000
(W)
Dustin Hazelett – $14,000 + $14,000 = $28,000
(L) Tamdan McCrory - $10,000
(W)
Gabriel Gonzaga - $55,000 + $55,000 = $110,000
(L) Josh Hendricks - $8,000
(W)
Demian Maia - $20,000 + $20,000 = $40,000
(L) Nathan Quarry - $25,000
PRELIMINARY
BOUTS:
(W)
Aaron Riley - $4,000 + $4,000 = $8,000
(L) Jorge Gurgel - $10,000
(W)
Jeremy Stephens - $8,000 + $8,000 = $16,000
(L) Rafael dos Anjos - $4,000
(W)
Mark Bocek - $9,000 + $9,000 = $18,000
(L) Alvin Robinson - $7,000
(W)
Matt Brown - $8,000 + $8,000 = $16,000
(L) Ryan Thomas - $3,000
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Top
Ranked Fitch Cut by UFC
By Steven Marrocco
Representatives from UFC welterweight Jon Fitch’s camp have
confirmed to FCF that the American Kickboxing Academy fighter
has been dropped from the UFC’s roster.
“It’s
payback,” said one source who chose to remain anonymous.
According
to a recent report by Kevin Iole at Yahoo! Sports, Fitch’s
termination comes on the heels of a disagreement between his
managers at Zinkin Entertainment and UFC president Dana White
concerning a clause in a new contract offered to Fitch and many
others under the UFC contract. The clause, an integral part of
the UFC’s upcoming video game with maker THQ, grants UFC
parent company Zuffa, LLC exclusive rights to a fighter’s
image and likeness for the rest of his life.
Fitch
reportedly was cut from the UFC after refusing to sign the agreement.
The
top ranked fighter said the rift may have stemmed from an earlier
butting of heads between his management and Zuffa when several
American Kickboxing Academy fighters refused to sign a new merchandising
agreement Zuffa had drafted in conjunction with it’s toy
deal with Jakks Pacific. That agreement also granted the Las
Vegas-based company exclusive rights to a fighter’s image
and likeness forever.
“[UFC
President Dana White] wanted us to sign that merchandising agreement,
and it was not a very good agreement,” Fitch told Iole.
“There was not really a reason for us to sign it. The first
thing they brought to us was for us to sign all of our rights
away for everything forever. It was for very small compensation,
and there was no compensation for family members if we were to
die. “We could die and they could make memorial figurines
and stuff and make thousands, millions of dollars, and our families
wouldn’t see a penny of it. The way they bring the contracts
and stuff to us, I don’t know, it’s just not how business
is done.”
White
also threatened to cut Fitch teammates Josh Koscheck and Cain
Velasquez, but exempted popular welterweight Mike Swick after
Swick personally told him he wants to fight for the UFC.
White’s
relationship with Zinkin and AKA, however, appears to be irrevocably
damaged.
“We’re
looking for guys who want to work with us and not against us,
and frankly I’m just so fucking sick of this shit it’s
not even funny,” White ranted. “Affliction is still
out there trying to build its company. Let [Fitch] go work with
them. Let him see what he thinks of those fuckers. Fuck him.
These guys aren’t partners with us. Fuck them. All of them,
every last fucking one of them.”
Fitch
said would he attempt to contact White to seek a resolution to
the situation. Before losing a little bid against Georges St.
Pierre at UFC 87, Fitch tied UFC Hall of Fame member Royce Gracie
and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva for the most wins
inside the Octagon.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Video-Gate
Update
Fitch capitulates and signs, is back with UFC. Nathan Diaz doesn't
sign, blurts to Dana, "209 bitch!"
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Fitch
Cut, Dana Rants
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
A
bitterly angry Dana White said Wednesday the Ultimate Fighting
Championship has cut highly regarded welterweight contender Jon
Fitch and is not going to do business with any fighters who are
part of the American Kickboxing Academy team in San Jose, Calif.
The
outspoken UFC president said shortly after landing in Hawaii
on Wednesday that he no longer wants to work with AKA fighters
or those represented by DeWayne Zinkin and Bob Cook.
White
said he excepted AKA welterweight Mike Swick from that group
because he said Swick called him and told him he wants to fight
for the UFC. But Fitch and heavyweight Christian Wellisch were
cut on Wednesday, and heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez and
welterweight Josh Koscheck could be next.
“We’re
looking for guys who want to work with us and not against us,
and frankly I’m just so [expletive] sick of this [expletive]
it’s not even funny,” White said from Honolulu, where
he flew Wednesday from Toronto to hold a news conference to announce
the B.J. Penn-Georges St. Pierre fight for UFC 94 on Jan. 31
in Las Vegas.
“Affliction
is still out there trying to build its company. Let [Fitch] go
work with them. Let him see what he thinks of those [expletives].
[Expletive] him. These guys aren’t partners with us. [Expletive]
them. All of them, every last [expletive] one of them.”
Fitch
said Wednesday the dispute was over his reluctance to sign a
lifetime contract to allow his name and likeness to be used in
a video game the UFC is planning with THQ. He said the dispute
has nothing to do with money and that he never caused a problem
during his time in the UFC.
He
said he simply didn’t understand the need to sign a lifetime
contract, particularly since it would not pay his family in the
event of his death.
“Working
for free and selling our rights away for lifetime, that’s
a little different,” said Fitch, who said he hasn’t
spoken with White but plans to call him. “We tried to negotiate
five- or 10-year deals with them, but it wasn’t good enough.
It was all or nothing. He wanted our lifetime. He wanted our
souls forever.”
White
said the AKA fighters “aren’t partners with us”
and said they don’t understand what the UFC is trying to
do for the sport. White said the UFC’s current success was
because of long hours he and partner Lorenzo Fertitta have put
in trying to build the
company
and the sport of mixed martial arts.
White
complained that he has to make frequent sacrifices in his personal
life and is away from his family for long stretches because of
his commitment to growing the UFC. He said the AKA fighters don’t
understand the things UFC management is trying to do and said
they’ll learn how tough things are in the poor economy.
“There
are a lot of guys who help us and work with us and are great
partners with us, and they’re the ones we’re going
to remember and take care of,” White said. “Do these
guys understand what is going on in this world? I’ll tell
you, this economy is [expletive] up. It’s totally [expletive]
up. It’s bad, real, real bad. The [television] networks
are in trouble and don’t have money. The sponsors are in
trouble. and they have no money. If they don’t have money,
they go out of business.
“It’s
a whole other world out there, believe me, and let these guys
go out there and see what they find.”
White
said he took great care of Fitch and said with bonuses and purse,
Fitch made $169,000 for his welterweight title fight loss to
St. Pierre at UFC 87 in Minneapolis in August. Fitch (17-3 with
1 no-contest) did not dispute that salary figure. He said the
UFC “has taken care of me and you’ve never heard me
complain about money. This is a respect thing.”
Fitch
said he thought there should room to negotiate on these contracts
but said the UFC would not budge.
He
said he understood it was highly unlikely that another company
would want to put him in a video game but said it was only reasonable
that he not tie his rights up for life.
White
said he flew to San Jose in the summer to talk with the AKA fighters,
but Fitch said the discussion was about a merchandising agreement.
“He
wanted us to sign that merchandising agreement, and it was not
a very good agreement,” Fitch said. “There was not
really a reason for us to sign it. The first thing they brought
to us was for us to sign all of our rights away for everything
forever. It was for very small compensation, and there was no
compensation for family members if we were to die.
“We
could die and they could make memorial figurines and stuff and
make thousands, millions of dollars, and our families wouldn’t
see a penny of it. The way they bring the contracts and stuff
to us, I don’t know, it’s just not how business is
done.”
Zinkin
also represents UFC light heavyweight Chuck Liddell, though Liddell
does not fight for AKA. White said he has been “beefing
with Zinkin for years” and said he had to call Liddell,
one of his closest friends, and tell him to get Zinkin to back
off.
According
to White, Liddell said Zinkin represented him on sponsorships
and he would negotiate his own deals with the UFC.
Fitch
said he has been a loyal UFC employee and said, “I’d
only like a little bit of respect for the blood I shed for this
company.”
White
said he has sacrificed more than anyone to build the UFC into
the powerhouse it has become and that he’s tired of athletes
who don’t want to “get with the program.”
Velasquez,
one of the sport’s rising stars, clearly is on the outs
with White. White said Zinkin wanted standard language that is
part of every UFC fighter’s contract removed from Velasquez’s
deal.
“Can
you believe that?” White said. “Chuck Liddell has that
language in his contract. Randy Couture has it. Anderson Silva
has it. And Cain [expletive] Velasquez, with two [expletive]
fights, wants us to change it for him? That’s [expletive]
nuts. He can get the [expletive] out.
“I’m
not a douche bag and I do a lot for these guys, a lot more than
any of you will ever know. We’re in a horrible time in the
economy now, and every guy with two nickels to rub together is
making a run at us. We’ve worked too hard, given too much,
to let certain guys come in and [expletive] with that.”
Fitch
said he’s not trying to mess with anything and that he simply
wants to fight. He said he always has been respectful in all
his dealings with the UFC and said he can’t understand the
position he finds himself in without ever having spoken to White.
He
plans to call White to discuss the situation but wasn’t
sure what move to make.
“I’m
more than willing to work with them, but I don’t see why
we have to give up our whole lives for this,” Fitch said.
“Why not a time limit? If we did a 10-year deal with them,
is that that unreasonable? I don’t understand how this happened,
honestly. It’s tough.”
Source: Yahoo Sports/Gracie Fighter
|
M-1
pitches Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brock Lesnar
M-1 vice president Jerry Millen is welcoming the UFC to co-promote
a battle of champions between WAMMA heavyweight titleholder Fedor
Emelianenko and newly-crowned UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar.
"Couture
and WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko had publicly
acknowledged a desire to fight each other multiple times over
the course of the past year," Millen said in a statement
released Tuesday. "While M-1 and Fedor remain interested
in a match against Couture, we would also like to publicly state
for the record that we would welcome a superfight between Fedor
and Lesnar that would be held as a co-promoted event between
the UFC, M-1, and Affliction Entertainment."
Millen
believes that Fedor should remain the undisputed champ, and that
the UFC is only calling Fedor "overrated" simply because
the UFC has not acquired the final PRIDE champion to its roster.
The
UFC currently has two heavyweight champions, Lesnar and interim
champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, whom Fedor has already defeated
twice. With the Couture fight devalued, Millen wants especially
the remaining superfight with Lesnar.
"While
Brock Lesnar is an accomplished athlete and a talented fighter,
we do not consider him to be the number one heavyweight in the
world," Millen continued. "Until someone beats him,
we strongly believe that Fedor should continue to be recognized
as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. In a match
between Fedor and Lesnar, we do not feel that at this stage Lesnar
would be able to make it out of the first round."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Press
Release: UFC Creator Art Davie and RipeTV Launch XARM, First
Combat Sport for the Digital Age
By Zach Arnold
LOS
ANGELES, Nov 18, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) – RipeTV.com, the
web’s top destination for short-form video entertainment
for men 18-34, teams with UFC creator Art Davie to debut an entirely
new sport, created for the digital platform: the first-ever XARM
Heavyweight Tournament on November 19, 2008.
The
XARM tournament, consisting of 10 fighters, combines arm wrestling
with contact sports like boxing and martial arts. The first competition
takes place in San Bernardino, CA. The winner of the Heavyweight
Tournament will earn the title of “XARM Heavyweight Champion”
and the top prize of $10,000.
“In
XARM, there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide once you
step up to the table. It’s hard-core hand-to-hand combat.”
said Art Davie, CEO of XARM and creator of Ultimate Fighting
Championship(R) (UFC). “The action is tremendous. This is
the most intense 3 minutes in sports.”
“It’s
action, it’s entertaining, it’s real,” said Ryan
Magnussen, CEO of Ripe Digital Entertainment. “We know our
audience will love this show and advertisers will benefit from
the viewer interest and expected viral pass through.”
The
fighters in this first-ever tournament come from a variety of
fighting backgrounds including mixed-martial arts (MMA), arm
wrestling, weightlifting, football and kickboxing. Athletes participating
in the XARM Heavyweight Championships are: Bond Laupua, Rick
Vardell, Homer Moore, Justin Del Mugnaio, Rick Cheek, Frederick
Steen, Ivan Gatoloai, Steve Walston, James Cordrey and Andy Flennoy.
An
XARM bout features 3 one-minute rounds with athletes tethered
to the XARM table in a belted harness. The combatants’ grip
hands are strapped together and fighting gloves are worn on their
free hands. Punching, striking, kicking, chokeholds, and submission
moves are all part of the official XARM rules. The winner of
the match is the first athlete to pin his opponent’s arm,
knock him out or make him submit.
In
the event the bout goes the full three minutes and a decision
is needed, three XARM-trained judges score the match on a special,
“10-point must” system.
Ripe
Digital Entertainment (www.ripetv.com) will also release XARM
match video via VOD (Video On Demand) on Time Warner Cable and
Comcast as well as via its mobile partners for view on handheld
devices. XARM is optimized for the limited screen size of mobile
digital delivery due to the small circumference of the tethered
fighting area, bringing viewers as close to the action as they’ve
ever been in combat sports.
About
Ripe Digital (www.ripedigital.com)
Ripe
Digital Entertainment was founded in 2004 as a multi-platform
entertainment destination for men and has emerged as a leading
digital media Company with distribution to 100 million screens
across the Internet, Cable VOD and Mobile video enabled devises.
Ripe is exclusively focused on producing, editorializing and
monetizing entertaining short-form video programming around men’s
lifestyle, automotive enthusiasts and music.
About
XARM (www.xarm.com)
XARM
is a new combat sport wholly owned by Piranha Entertainment LLC.
Working with Art Davie, the creator of the hugely successful
Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) (UFC), Piranha has set plans
to develop a live sports league with multiple revenue streams
for the domestic and international marketplaces. Based in Seattle
with offices in Los Angeles, Piranha Entertainment creates and
produces concepts and content for all forms of broadcast media,
with a focus on digital platforms.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
BJJ
coach bets: "Nogueira by submission"
By Guilherme Cruz
The
man behind Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira ground ground
game trainings, Amaury Bitetti is confidence in the preparation
of the UFC interim heavyweight champion for the fight against
Frank Mir at UFC 92. “We’ve studied all his game, we
know what he’s planning for the fight and we’ll annul
him and win it on the ground. We’ll take him down, pass
the guard and submit. He’s tough, focused too, but when
Minotauro is well trained nobody holds him”, guarantees
Amaury, who commented the trains to the confrontation, that happens
in December 27th in Las Vegas, United States. “There are
many people helping on his training. Me on the ground, (Rodrigo)
Artilheiro no Wrestling, his brother, who is left-handed, Vitor
Belfort...We are well to this fight”.
Watching
Minotauro’s fights usually is a cardiac test for the fans,
before the fighter finds a submission from nowhere and wins the
fight, but Bitetti predicts a calm fight against Mir. “This
fight has no problem, he can get some kicks, then he’ll
block it and take it to the ground. If Mir tries to do a ground
fight with him he’ll suffer. In this fight he won’t
hurt himself very much, he will get in concentrated. I don’t
know how, if in the arm, katagatame or guillotine, but he’ll
submit”, bets the black-belt.
Source: Tatame
|
Fedor
and Co. Target Lesnar
by Loretta Hunt
The line has started to form behind Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelianenko
has joined it.
The
world’s top-ranked heavyweight and his team of managers
voiced their interest on Tuesday in having the touted Russian
meet the newly crowned UFC heavyweight champion in “a co-promoted
event between the UFC, M-1, and Affliction Entertainment,”
according to a prepared press release.
Lesnar
dropped perennial favorite Randy Couture at UFC 91 last Saturday
three minutes into the second round with a glancing right hook
to the living legend’s neck before pouncing on the six-time
champion with a flurry of chopping hammerfists for the stoppage.
Couture
(16-9) -- who campaigned for a fight with Emelianenko for nearly
a year outside the UFC during a contract dispute -- was down
on the scorecards, but gaining momentum after he cut Lesnar over
his right eye with an angular punch just a moment before his
opponent short-circuited his efforts.
The
former WWE champion earned a title shot toting a humble 2-1 professional
record, but Lesnar silenced numerous critics who condemned the
matchup happening based on popularity more than merit.
“I
think Lesnar fought a very smart fight,” Emelianenko told
Sherdog.com on Tuesday. “It was very interesting to watch.
I think one of his strengths was that -- I was impressed by his
speed in the fight. I think just from watching the fight, each
fighter was waiting for the other one to make a mistake and I
think Lesnar was very fortunate to have caught Randy and prevail.”
Fedor's
focus has shifted to UFC heavyweight champion
Brock Lesnar.The reserved Emelianenko, who spoke through interpreter
Steven Bash from a movie set in Thailand, kept any shortcomings
he saw in the 2000 NCAA wrestling champion to himself.
“It
was certainly a good start for him, but his successes and failures
will depend on who’s in the ring with him,” said Emelianenko.
“Whether I get a chance to fight Lesnar in the future or
not, that fight will be about me taking advantage of those weaknesses.
Any opponent that he has in the future, for them to prevail would
be for them to take advantage and capitalize on mistakes that
he makes. Like every fighter, he’s certainly prone to them
and I see that.”
Up
until September, Emelianenko and his representatives seemed just
as dedicated to a bout with Couture as the 45-year-old champion
was himself. Last August, the pair met in Los Angeles to cull
their resources in the hopes of greenlighting the proposed mega-fight.
However,
Emelianenko’s management was unfavorable to the exclusive
contract offered the Russian fighter by Zuffa LLC., owners of
the UFC, and requested the organization co-promote events with
their M-1 Global brand. Zuffa declined the offer.
With
a legal stalemate drawing out into 2009 over his own contract,
the aging Couture decided to return to the UFC fold on Sept.
2 to face Lesnar instead.
Billed
“the fight of the century” by many observers, Emelianenko-Couture
seems unlikely now following Couture’s loss to Lesnar. And
the uneasiness between Emelianenko’s team and the UFC seems
to rage on.
“It
is the position of M-1 that the UFC has adopted an anti-Fedor
policy because multiple attempts to sign him have not been fruitful,”
read the prepared release. “For a company that has tried
to market itself as the number one promotion in the world, they
are unable to accept the fact that the number one fighter in
the world does not reside on its roster of contracted fighters.
“We
believe that the UFC has determined that it's much more inexpensive
for them to use their marketing resources to use smoke and mirrors
to brand a fighter as the pound-for-pound best as opposed to
actually paying the pound-for-pound best what he is truly worth
on the open market.”
Like
his managers, the 32-year-old star seems to have made an about-face
regarding Couture, though Emelianenko’s next bout has already
been decided.
Emelianenko
(28-1) faces top-five heavyweight and former UFC champion Andrei
Arlovski (13-5) at Affliction 2 “Day of Reckoning”
on Jan. 24 in Anaheim, Calif. The event will be co-promoted by
M-1.
“To
tell you the truth, I wasn’t entirely excited in fighting
Randy,” Emelianenko told Sherdog.com on Tuesday. “I
have a great deal of respect and admiration for him. Getting
in the ring with someone that, I myself, adore as a person and
a fighter, I’m never as interested in getting in the ring
with someone I have an emotional attachment to.”
While
M-1 reps predicted Lesnar wouldn’t make it out of the first
round with the revered Russian, Emelianenko refrained from naming
which opponent posed his greatest challenge –- the experience-heavy
Couture or the heavy-handed Lesnar.
“I
just never think that way,” he said. “I never concentrate
on that. My opponent is the opponent that signs the contract
to fight me and ahead of time, looking down a list of fighters
that are available and trying to figure who poses more of a danger
by studying their games –- it’s something I just don’t
concentrate on.”
The
UFC and M-1’s fundamental disagreement over Emelianenko’s
proposed contract terms is the most obvious hurdle standing in
the way of this bout happening -- that’s if you don’t
count the fact that Emelianenko has nearly ten times as many
bouts as Lesnar. The UFC is not lacking for opponents to face
the 6-foot-3, 280-pound champion as well.
Regardless,
Emelianenko has picked Lesnar out of the heavyweight line-up
over Couture.
“I
would choose Lesnar, mainly for the reason I mentioned before,”
said Emelianenko. “I’m very sympathetic to Randy. We
hung out together. We got to know each other. I have a lot of
warm feelings toward him. Based on that, if I had my choice without
any outside forces involved, I would choose Lesnar.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Why
Zuffa Needs Competition
by Andy R
So
Jon Fitch was cut by the UFC. Why should you care? Sure you're
going to miss out on a couple big fights. You might be angry
because this is one more example of Dana White's tyrannical rule
over the mma universe. Jon Fitch is a great fighter who did nothing
to deserve to get cut aside from refuse to give the UFC his lifetime
video game rights. This is a perfect case for any Zuffa hater
to point at as a reason the UFC is exploiting fighters and ruining
mma.
All
moral outrage and anti-Zuffa rhetoric aside, I would argue that
the significance of Jon Fitch's release is much bigger than Fitch
himself. Did Fitch get treated unfairly? Absolutely, but the
fact that Zuffa could treat him this way speaks to a problem
that is much bigger than Jon Fitch, specifically the Zuffa monopoly
over national mma promotions.
I
have worried for a long time, as many of you probably have, about
Zuffa controlled shows monopolizing mainstream American mma.
There is absolutely nothing to give Jon Fitch any sort of leverage
against the UFC. There isn't a promotion in business right now
that can sign Fitch and put him in the same sort of high profile,
lucrative bouts he would have been able to get in the UFC. Fitch
is a great fighter. He wins and he is exciting to watch, but
how popular is Jon Fitch outside of the hardcore internet fanbase?
How many casual fans will find out he was cut or even notice
he was gone? Hardcore fans may express outrage, but that ultimately
won't hurt Zuffa's bottom line. Disgusted though I may be, I'm
still going to buy the next UFC pay-per-view, and I expect most
other hardcore fans will too. With no Fighter's Union to protect
Fitch and others, there is really no good reason for Zuffa to
not terminate Fitch's contract. It sends a strong message to
other fighters -- if it happened to Jon Fitch, it can happen
to you.
There
are precious few fighters who have actual leverage in negotiating
with Zuffa. Chuck Liddell, Georges St. Pierre, Brock Lesnar,
Forrest Griffin are all names that have some power in negotiations,
because they are such huge stars. It is worthwhile to Zuffa to
keep fighters like that happy. A guy like Fitch who isn't a megastar
gets screwed. That's why competition, real, healthy, competition
is important for mma. Imagine for a second there was a viable
competitor to the UFC. Would Zuffa still be willing to let a
top tier talent such as Fitch simply walk? My guess would be
no. A competitive market would give fighters leverage and prevent
Zuffa from using a 'my way or the highway strategy'.
Unfortunately,
fighters like Fitch have little recourse in the short term, but
there may be light at the end of the tunnel. My hope is that
moves like this come back to haunt Zuffa. It won't happen tomorrow,
but sooner or later I feel like Dana will have to answer for
moves like this. Hopefully mma becomes popular enough that questionable
moves get covered in the mainstream press and Zuffa gets called
on them. Getting trashed on ESPN for a move like this might be
enough to sway a sizeable chunk of casual fans away from buying
pay-per-views. Zuffa would pay attention to that. Or perhaps
enough bad blood will be built up over time that eventually fighters
will unionize to prevent things like the Jon Fitch release from
happening. Wishful thinking it may be, but hopefully something
positive for mma eventually comes out of this.
This
was my first attempt at a fanpost, so I apologize in advance
for any errors.
Source: Bloody Elbow
|
White
Hints UFC May Have Troubles with Other Gyms
Sam Caplan
UFC
president Dana White’s decision to no longer continue to
do business with fighters represented by the American Kickboxing
Academy in San Jose has been well-publicized to this point. However,
during aninterview with USA Today’s Sergio Non, White gave
indications that the recent trouble that has been stirred up
might not be exclusive to AKA.
“It’s
over a lot of different things,” White said in response
to a question about why the UFC elected to release Fitch. “It’s
not one specific fighter or one specific thing. It’s about
a lot of different things with a lot of these fighters.”
As
White continued, he made a casual mention about the problem extending
just beyond AKA.
“And
you know what? This is more than just AKA,” he revealed.
“There’s other camps out there that we’re having
trouble doing business with. And at the end of the day, this
is a business. We run a business just like any other business.
You come in, you do your job with your company and you get paid”
White
has been clear within the last 24 hours that he believes he has
made great sacrifices for the betterment of the fight industry
and the fighters that populate it. Additionally, he’s been
adamant about his level of commitment being reciprocated. The
term “partner” has been one recited a great deal by
White and it will be interesting to see the fate of other fight
gyms and management agencies that display any form of dissidence.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Mark
Cuban charged with insider trading
Billionaire Mark Cuban, who owns the Dallas Mavericks and more
importantly for fight fans, HDNet Fights, was charged Monday
with insider trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The SEC is accusing Cuban of selling 600,000 shares of internet
seach engine company Mamma.com based on knowledge of non-public
information.
Cuban
sold the 6% of his stake in Mamma.com after learning of a planned
stock offering, where companies sell a stock lower than its market
value in order to raise money.
By
selling the stocks, Cuban avoided losses of around $750,000.
"As
we allege in the complaint, Mamma.com entrusted Mr. Cuban with
nonpublic information after he promised to keep the information
confidential," said Scott W. Friestad, Deputy Director of
the SEC's Division of Enforcement. " Less than four hours
later, Mr. Cuban betrayed that trust by placing an order to sell
all of his shares. It is fundamentally unfair for someone to
use access to nonpublic information to improperly gain an edge
on the market."
Cuban
intends to contest the SEC's claims.
"I
am disappointed that the Commission chose to bring this case
based upon its Enforcement staff’s win-at-any-cost ambitions,"
Cuban said in a statement. "The staff’s process was
result-oriented, facts be damned. The government’s claims
are false and they will be proven to be so."
In
2007, Cuban, owner and founder of HDNet, threw his hat inside
the cage by launching HDNet Fights, which started as an MMA promotion
but eventually became a series of MMA programming for the high-definition
channel. HDNet Fights has televised such promotions as DREAM,
IFL, Strikeforce, Sportfight, Ring of Combat, MFC and more.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"In
battling evil, excess is good; for he who is moderate in announcing
the truth is presenting half-truth. He conceals the other half
out of fear of the people's wrath."
Kahlil Gibran
|
UFC
94 press tour in Honolulu Today!
The UFC is inviting fans this week to attend UFC 94 press conferences
in Honolulu.
UFC 94 is headlined by Georges St. Pierre defending his welterweight
belt against lightweight champion BJ Penn. The event takes place
Saturday, January 31, 2009 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las
Vegas.
Friday,
November 21 - Honolulu, Hawaii
Doors
open at 4pm local time at the Blaisdell Concert Hall for a press
conference scheduled for 6:15pm. There will be a free live musical
performance by J-Boog and Fiji from 5pm to 6pm. The first 2,000
fans in attendance will receive a free UFC t-shirt.
|
X1
World Events
O'Lounge Night Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
November 21, 2008
6:30pm
Now
that Boxing is making it's comeback to Hawaii, a number of local
kickboxing and mma standouts look to join in on the fun. With
some fighters having already gone through much of their weight
division in either kickboxing or mma, these local warriors look
for a new challenge.
One
of Hawaii's top lightweights Harris Sarmiento will do an exhibition
bout against Honolulu's Mike Balasi. Balasi who's original weight
class is 147 wants to test his skills against the veteran Sarmiento
a former 145lb standout in Kickboxing and MMA. These two wariors
will meet up at 160lbs.
At
145 local kickboxing standout Peni Taufa'ao will take on mma
fighter Neil Sabbaghi of Ewa Beach in a pro boxing bout. Isaac
Arasato will also look to take on kickboxing and mma fighter
Ryan Lee of Waipahu.
160
- Mike Balasi (Kawano Boxing) vs Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight
Factory)
145 - Peni Taufa'ao (Team Assassin) vs Neil Sabbaghi (Freelance)
135 - Isaac Arasato (Palolo Boxing) vs Ryan Lee (Bullspen)
Source: Mike Miller
|
Man Up & Stand
Up
Today!
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu, Hawaii
11/21/08
MAX HALLOWAY 150 MIKE UEMOTO
GODS ARMY ANIMAL HOUSE
GRUDGE MATCH BETWEEN THESE TWO GUYS WILL DEFINITELY BE A CROWD
PLEASER. IF YOU SEEN THE FIRST TIME THESE TWO GUYS MET, UNFRIENDLY
WOULD BE THE WORD THAT COULD DESCRIBE IT. THEY'RE GOING TO DO
IT ALL OVER AGAIN TO SEE IF THE FIRST TIME WHEN MIKE WON WAS
A FLUKE OR NOT. SOME SAY MIKE TOOK IT , OTHERS SAY MAX GOT ROBBED.
NO MATTER WHAT THE OUTCOME IS THIS TIME, ALL EXCUSES WILL BE
LEFT IN THE RING.
DOC MASON 155 JOSEPH ENAENA
ICON FREELANCE
CLEM
HALLOWAY 140 FRED RAMAYLA
GODS ARMY HSD
CALEB
PRICE 185 IKAIKA SILVA
HMC TEAM SOLJAH
CHRIS
KUTZEN 166 RICKY MURRILO
WESSIDE CONNECTION TEAM DEVASTATION
CHRIS DEFINITELY MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF AFTER SENDING TOP NOTCH
KICKBOXER TODD YOUNG TO THE CANVAS ON X-1. BUT RICKY WAS NOT
IMPRESSED. RICKY HAS BEEN OUT OF THE CIRCUIT FOR A YEAR DUE TO
OUTER ISLAND WORK. BUT WILL MAKE A SPECIAL APPEARANCE NOV 21ST.
SURE, CHRIS LEFT TODD SNORING THAT NIGHT THAT THEY FOUGHT BUT
THIS TIME HE WILL MEET A GUY THAT HAS SHATTERED KICKIN IT'S FASTEST
KNOCKOUT RECORD WHICH IS NOW 11 SECONDS, SHATTERED HIS LAST OPPONENT'S
JAW AND WILL BE LOOKING TO SHATTER CHRIS'S DREAM OF BECOMING
THE NEW SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION. BE THERE TO SEE IF CHRIS'S
DREAM COMES TRUE OR BREAKS.
ISAAC UGISELE 260+ PAKI
KONNAH BLOCK FREELANCE
JORDAN
DEKNEEF 130 EVAN QUIZON
BULLSPEN TEAM DEVASTATION
MATT
EATON 210-259 RICHARD MAUAI
BULLSPEN FREELANCE
DENNIS
MONTERA 120 DYLAN BRIGHT
WESSIDE CONNECTION H
SD
JUSTIN
LAUOUO 230 DENVER GONZALVES
KONNAH BLOCK HSD
JUSTIN
PRATT 135 VINCE
LONGBOY BULLSPEN HAWAII CHINESE KENPO
NOLAND
SANCHEZ 240 KEONI GRANDY
TEAM SYD HAWAII CHINESE KENPO
TONY
PERRERA 155 BULLY FONTEZ
WAIANAE KICKBOXING INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING
GARON
REBALLIZSA 115 TBA
WESSIDE CONNECTION
KALANI
140 DANIEL MADAYAG
FREELANCE HAWAII CHINESE KENPO
DARREN
165 FERDINAND RAMIREZ
94 BLOCK INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING
JADA PERRERA 95
WAIANAE KICKBOXING MAKAKILO KICKBOXING
THOMAS MATHIAS 135 JORDAN FONTEZ
WAIANAE KICKBOXING INNER CIRCLE GRAPPLING
THE TEAM VS TEAM COMPETITION IS BACK WITH TWO OF WESSIDE'S YOUNGEST
TEAMS. FROM THE NANAKULI SIDE (HAMMAHOUSE) WHICH IS THE NEWER
TEAM WHO WILL BE LED BY BIG BANGING MAKI PITOLO. MAKI IS A GREAT
ROLE MODEL FOR THESE NANAKULI BOYS, A HUMBLE TEEENAGER THAT WILL
SOON TO BE A GREAT FIGHTER AMONG THE 200 POUNDERS.
FROM THE WAIANAE SIDE, DAVID VASQUEZ WILL BE HOPING TO LEAD HIS
TEAM TO VICTORY. WITH A GREAT TEAMMATE LIKE JONOVAN VISANTE,
YOU CANNOT EXPECT ANYTHING LESS. BUT DO NOT FORGET THE TWO MEN
WHO BUILT THESE TEAMS AND GAVE THESE KIDS SOMETHING TO LOOK FOWARD
TO BESIDES ALL THE BAD STUFF THAT THE WESSIDE IS KNOWN FOR. THEY
DO NOT CHARGE THE KIDS ANY FEES OR DEMAND ANY QUALIFICATIONS
TO BE ON THE TEAM. ITS ALL DONE OUT OF LOVE AND FROM THEIR SPARE
TIME AFTER THEY'VE PUT IN A LONG DAY OF WORK. MUCH PROPS TO THESE
COACHES.
TEAM VS TEAM COACH GEORGE CRAWFORD'S TEAM VS COACH JOHN VISANTE'S
TEAM HAMMA HOUSE VS TEAM SIT YOU DOWN NANAKULI VS WAIANAE ITS
ON LIKE MOCHI CRUNCH AND POPCORN WESSIDE REPRESENT!!!
PRESTON 115# JONAH KUTZEN
ALA 135# JONAH VISTANTE
ANU 140# XAVIER VEA
DENNIS CABAHIT 140# DERRICK CARVALHO
ALFONSO 170# KAIKA SALSADOW
MAKI PITOLO 205# DAVID VASQUEZ
BE THERE!!!!!!
MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Derrick Bright
|
LONGMAN
JIU-JITSU OPEN
Tomorrow
LONGMAN
JIU-JITSU OPEN
Saturday,
November 22nd, 2008
KAUAI
VETERANS CENTER, LIHUE
8am
weigh in start at the vets center
or
5-8pm night before at Scrapa Lifestylez located at 4251 Kuhio
Highway next to Hanamaulu Café
(www.myspace.com/scrapafightwear
)
10am
kids divisions begin
$50
for one division or $60 entry fee for both GI and NO-GI
Free
event T-shirt and shippers with each entry
Medals
awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners
Please check out www.longmanjiujitsu.com to register
For
more info call Bruno 645-1265
Source: Shauna Castle
|
"SKRAP
Events- HAWAIIAN CLASSIC KICKBOXING"
Tomorrow
Saturday November 22nd, 2008 @ Kalaheo High School. SKRAP Magazine
will raise the roof with an exciting night of kickboxing action
featuring young and experienced talent representing Waianae Gym,
Team Aniland, 808 Fight Factory, Five-o Kickboxing, Konnah Blokk,
Team Standalone, HSD, and much, much more. SKRAP Magazine will
also be providing exclusive coverage of the event so everybody
from the athletes to the fans and everyone in between will have
a chance to be in the following (Spring) issue of SKRAP Magazine.
With special guest appearances, autograph opportunities, and
a chance to support your local SKRAPPER this will be an event
you dont wanna miss!
Some of the bouts you'll see-
45
lbs. 2 x 1 min. rounds
Jonah Lopes- Carter Taz Kahalewai
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Team Aniland)
60
lbs. 3 x 1 min. rounds
Kauhi “Tiger Shark” Tomas Spike Kahalewai
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Team Aniland)
83
lbs 3 x 1 min. rounds
Jada “The Pretty Assasin” Pereira Niimaia Palimo
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Team Up&Up)
105
lbs. 3x 1.5 min. rounds
Justin Kahalewai Jeremy Henning
(Team Aniland) (Kurrupt Ambitions)
155
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
Freddie Boy Camacho Steven Mandeville
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Kurrupt Ambitions)
75
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
Nainoa “The Babyface Assasin” Dung Jaron “The
Soul Assasin” Dias
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Westside Connection)
155
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
Liki Hoku Biddinger
(Waianae Kickboxing) (Kurrupt Ambitions)
170
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
TBA Justin Helemano
(Pride of Papakolea) (Konna Blokk)
250
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
TBA Alan Fortson
(Team Standalone)
300
lbs. 3 x 1.5 min. rounds
Mark Toa Otto Ho’opi’i
(Konna Blokk) (Team Standalone)
AND MORE...............
Rich Tomas
SKRAP Magazine
(808)294-1234
skrapmag.com
|
Ring
of Combat 22 Preview
By Jim Genia
Pat
Collins lived in Hawaii for a while and trained at Team Papakolea
Jiu-Jitsu Academy.
When:
November 21st
Where: Tropicana Resort & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey
What: Lou Neglia’s Ring of Combat 22
The
last installment of the year of promoter Lou Neglia’s Ring
of Combat is nearly upon us, and with a night that will feature
two “The Ultimate Fighter” veterans, a UFC veteran,
a Gracie, one of the best featherweights on the East Coast and
a host of up-and-comers, ROC 22 promises fireworks. Who will
come out on top when jiu-jitsu specialist Dante Rivera takes
on wrestler Paul Bradley? Can Chris Liguori avoid Cory Mahon’s
polished submission game? Will Igor Gracie find redemption for
his loss to Tom Gallicchio? Does Tim Troxell have what it takes
to maintain his reign as the 145-pound division’s top dog?
We’ll find out on Friday night. Here’s a look at the
full ROC 22 card:
Preliminary
Bouts:
LW: Rob Guarino (Rhino Fight Team) vs. Doug Sonier (freestyle)
HW: Pat Collins (AMA FC/Team Renzo) vs. Jim Boudourakis (Redboy
BJJ)
BW: Nick Pace (TSMMA) vs. Sean Santella (AMA FC/Team Renzo)
Main
Card:
MW: Chris Presta (Bellmore Kickboxing) vs. Mike Stewart (Jungle
Gym)
LW: John Salgado (Ross/Zocchi) vs. Jay Isip (Team Pellegrino)
WW: Sean Foreman (Rhino Fight Team) vs. Greg Soto (Team Pellegrino)
LW: Biff Walizer (Lionheart MMA) vs. Dom Stanco (Bellmore Kickboxing)
HW: Joe Abouata (Alex Wilkie’s Martial Arts) vs. Paul White
(Rhino Fight Team)
FW: Jimmie Rivera (TSMMA) vs. Jay McLean (Advanced Martial Arts)
WW: Igor Gracie (Team Renzo) vs. Troy Maxwell (Extreme Performance
MMA)
LHW: Constantino Phillippou (Serra/Longo) vs. John Doyle (Blackman
MMA)
USKBA
Featherweight Title
Tim Troxell (AMA FC/Team Renzo) vs. Dave Sachs (Pittsburgh FC)
ROC
Lightweight Title
Cory Mahon (FCBJJ) vs. Chris Liguori (Ricardo Almeida)
ROC
Middleweight Title
Dante Rivera (Ricardo Almeida) vs. Paul Bradley (Lionheart MMA)
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
STRIKEFORCE
FIGHTERS MAKE WEIGHT
by Ricardo Mendoza
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The fighters stepped on the scales at
the De Anza Hotel for Friday night’s Strikeforce “Destruction,”
which is scheduled for the HP Pavilion and will air live on HDNet.
All
fighters made weight without a hitch. The night’s only title
fight was made official with Strikeforce light heavyweight champion
Bobby Southworth defending his title against UFC veteran Renato
“Babalu” Sobral.
In
the main event of the night, EliteXC headliner Scott Smith takes
on UFC veteran Terry Martin in an anticipated middleweight showdown.
Middleweight
Bout
Terry Martin- 186lbs
Scott Smith- 185.5lbs
Strikeforce
Light Heavyweight Championship
Renato “Babalu” Sobral- 204lbs
Bobby Southworth- 204lbs
164lbs
Catch weight Bout
Yves Edwards- 164lbs
Duane “Bang” Ludwig- 163lbs
Women’s
Bout
Lina Kvokov- 133lbs
Kim Couture- 130lbs
Welterweight
Bout
Joe Riggs- 170.5lbs
Luke Stewart- 170.5lbs
Middleweight
Bout
Nik Theotikos- 185lbs
Luke Rockhold- 185.5lbs
175lbs
Catch weight Bout
Lemont Davis- 173lbs
Brian Schwartz- 175lbs
Middleweight
Bout
Josh Neal- 184lbs
Kurt Osiander- 185lbs
Lightweight
Bout
Bobby Stack- 155lbs
Cyrillo Padilha- 156lbs
Middleweight
Bout
Tony Johnson- 184lbs
Eric Lawson- 185lbs
Bantamweight
Bout
Brad Royster- 134lbs
Darren Uyenoyama- 136lbs
Featherweight
Bout
Alvin Cacdac-143lbs
Jose Palacios- 145lbs
Welterweight
Bout
Zackary Bushia- 169lbs
Adam Steele- 168lbs
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
returns to London
February event may have Liddell vs Anderson
The
days preceding Ultimate Fighting Championship events tend to
be full of news as to the company’s plans. The information
released by Dana White after the show in Vegas was that UFC 95,
to take place on February 21, has been scheduled to take place
in London. And all it took was announcing it for the English
press, known for its power of speculation, to put its team on
the field.
According
to the British The Sun newspaper, the main event at UFC 95 may
be between Brazilian Anderson Silva and American Chuck Liddell.
Although it has great commercial appeal, the bout has given some
critics chills. This is because Anderson reigns supreme at middleweight,
while Liddell has been in decline among light heavyweight athletes,
having lost three of his last four appearances.
The
first time the UFC landed in London was in 2002, later only returning
in 2007, after the boom in popularity driven by the Ultimate
Fighter reality show. Since then, the octagon returned once more,
this year, at UFC 85.
In
January UFC 93 will be held in Dublin, Ireland, featuring a match
between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin as a main attraction.
Also on the card is the rematch between Mauricio Shogun and Mark
Coleman.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
WEC
12/3 Las Vegas fight card line-up
By Zach Arnold
Main
card
WEC
Bantamweight Title match: Miguel Torres vs. Manny Tapia
Brian Bowles vs. Will Ribeiro
Waggney Fabiano vs. Akitoshi Tamura
Joseph Benavidez vs. Danny Martinez
Undercard
Johny
Hendricks vs. Justin Haskins
Mark Munoz vs. Ricardo Barros
Bias Avena vs. Kevin Knabjian
Diego Nunes vs. Cole Province
Bart Palaszewski vs. Alex Karalexis
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Cub Swanson
Shane Roller vs. Mike Budnik
You may recognize the name Joseph Benavidez because he was supposed
to face Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto last July in the DREAM
ring, but Yamamoto canceled due to claiming a knee injury. Benavidez
is a highly-regarded prospect who trains with Urijah Faber in
Sacramento.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Dana
White Criticizes Former WEC Champ Urijah Faber
Sam Caplan
During
Dana White’s much-publicized appearance during “The
Dave Carmichael Show” on 1140 KHTK in Sacramento, the UFC
president discussed more than just the company’s decision
to release former welterweight title challenger Jon Fitch.
Towards
the end of the interview, host Carmichael Dave asked White about
Sacramento’s own Urijah Faber. The former WEC featherweight
champion recently lost his title at WEC 36 earlier this month
in an upset against new champion Mike Thomas Brown.
Carmichael
wanted to know whether White felt Faber could regain the title.
“Yeah,
I think he can,” responded White. “He’s a talented
guy. ”
But
White continued with his answer and the theme of the interview
once again reverted to fighters and how they handle business.
White held true to his usual form and said what was on his mind
regarding Faber.
“…
A lot of these guys, what happens is they jump into the sport,”
White continued following his initial answer. “And they
start to get big and get some wins and they start turning into
businessmen and focusing on things that they shouldn’t be
focused on. What fighters should focus on is fighting. Focus
on fighting (and) keep it going and all of the other stuff will
come to you. When they’re out there chasing (and) trying
to start all of these different businesses and spin off all this
stuff, it’s too much. It’s just too much for just the
guys who just business to do business let alone being a fighter.
Being a fighter requires a 150 percent of your time.”
Source: The Fight Network
|
What’s
Next for Filho?
by Marcelo Alonso
Former World Extreme Cagefighting middleweight champion Paulo
Filho’s career took another turn for the worse last week
when Zuffa LLC, parent company of both the WEC and UFC, released
the troubled Brazilian from his contract.
Filho’s
manager, Ed Soares, confirmed his client’s release on Tuesday.
Filho -- who suffered his first career loss in a bizarre and
uninspiring performance against Chael Sonnen at WEC 36 on Nov.
5 -- had one fight remaining on his contract, according to Soares.
Zuffa representatives did not provide the middleweight or his
manager with a reason for his dismissal.
“They
don’t have to,” Soares said. “It was obvious why.”
Once
universally received as one of the world’s premier 185-pound
fighters, Filho’s has been a rapid fall. He was behind in
his first bout with Sonnen before he snatched a second-round
armbar, and he mounted virtually no offense in their rematch.
To make matters worse, he came into the second fight four pounds
overweight, which forced the WEC to switch the bout to a non-title
affair.
“Before
the fight, I thought he was ready,” Soares said. “I
thought he looked good. Obviously, by his performance, he wasn’t.
Back to the drawing board.”
Filho’s
ailing father, who bears the same name, remains one of his son’s
most ardent supporters despite his deteriorating health. The
68-year-old, who has undergone three heart surgeries, also serves
as his son’s toughest critic.
“He
deserved to lose,” his father said. “Fortunately, he
gave his belt to Sonnen after the fight. I hope that this first
loss can wake him up, because I always tell him when things start
wrong, they finish wrong.”
The
elder Filho believes his son’s lack of commitment to proper
training led him to this dead end in his career. A few weeks
ago, Filho seemed ticketed for the UFC. Now, he faces limited
options as he tries to get his life and mixed martial arts career
back on solid ground.
The
Filho family.“He didn’t realize how professional this
sport is nowadays,” his father said. “He didn’t
have training partners or sparring partners and had just one
boxing coach. How can one coach substitute for a whole training
center?”
Soares
-- who also manages reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson
Silva -- points to Filho’s father’s poor health and
recent bouts with depression and substance abuse when discussing
his current state.
“He’s
had a rough year,” Soares said. “He needs to get focused,
start training again and start taking this thing a little more
seriously. That’s not to say that he wasn’t taking
it seriously before. He needs to focus on getting through this
year. His father’s not doing well, he had his first loss
… he’s had a lot to absorb.”
Filho’s
father, who turns 69 in December, still believes his son can
reclaim his spot as one of the sport’s elite competitors.
Still only 30, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt rose to prominence
inside the Pride Fighting Championships promotion, where he scored
victories against Ryo Chonan, Kazuo Misaki and one-time Elite
XC middleweight champion Murilo "Ninja" Rua.
“When
he fought ‘Ninja’ he was in his best shape,” his
father said. “If he’s in his best shape, I don’t
see anyone who can beat him in the [middleweight] or [light heavyweight]
divisions. You can ask many top fighters who trained with him,
like [Antonio Rodrigo] ‘Minotauro’ [Nogueira], [Ricardo]
Arona, Frank Mir and Anderson Silva what it means when Paulo
Filho’s in good shape. I truly hope that after this defeat
he starts to work in the proper manner. Otherwise, it will be
the biggest waste of talent in MMA history.”
Filho
(16-1) thinks his loss to Sonnen and the post-fight fallout will
prove to be turning points. He plans to move to Los Angeles in
an effort to rebuild his image and career.
“My
dad and my mom are two of the most important things in my life,
and I will not disappoint them or my fans anymore,” he said.
“I have no excuses. [Sonnen] went there and did his job
to neutralize me, and that’s what happened. He did the right
job and deserves all the credit.”
Soares
has high hopes for a man who opened his professional MMA career
with 16 consecutive victories -- more than a third of them by
submission.
“Paulo’s
a true warrior who’s going through some issues in his life
now,” Soares said. “You learn a lot more from your
losses than you do your wins. Hopefully, he’ll take these
negatives and turn them into something positive.”
Brian
Knapp contributed to this report.
Source: Sherdog
|
Paulo
Filho released from WEC's contract
By Guilherme Cruz
After suffering his first loss in MMA career, Paulo Filho is
now involved in some rumors, from WrestlingObserver.com site,
about the possibility to be released from WEC’s contract
after the bad performance at the event – after not making
weight for the fight and other problems. With the rumors, TATAME.com
called his Boxing coach, Josuel Distak, who confirmed the rumors.
”Joinha (Filho’s manager) called me now and confirmed.
He’s out of WEC, but there are other three big events in
American trying to sign him and we’re defining that. A guy
like Paulo Filho wouldn’t be unemployed for a long time”,
revealed Distak. Stay tuned on TATAME.com for further news.
Source: Tatame
|
Affliction
'Day of Reckoning' card almost complete
Affliction announced today seven matchups and three participants
for "Day of Reckoning" on January 24 in Anaheim, California.
These matchups are in addition to the previously announced Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski main event.
On
the pay-per-view card, Renato "Babalu" Sobral will
take on Matt Lindland, and Chris Horodecki will fight Dan Lauzon.
Josh Barnett and Vitor Belfort will fight against opponents to
be determined.
The
undercard, televised on HDNet, will feature:
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
Jay Hieron vs. Jason High
Mark Hominick vs. LC Davis
Albert Rios vs. Antonio Duarte Tigre
Paul Buentello vs. Kiril "Baby Fedor" Sidellnikov
Brett Cooper vs. TBA.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Hidehiko
Yoshida vs. Sanae Kikuta booked for Sengoku 1/4 Saitama event
By Zach Arnold
On
a marketing and interest level, this is not an appealing main-event
match. It is an even stranger booking decision when you consider
the following:
Kikuta
last fought in June against Chris Rice on the Sengoku 3 show.
Yet, he is ‘rewarded’ with the main event slot against
Yoshida? When this fight happens, it will be Kikuta’s third
fight in the last two years.
Further
compounding the absurdity is Takanori Gomi facing Satoru Kitaoka
in a top slot on the same card, right after Gomi lost to Sergey
Golyaev in a lackluster display of fighting spirit on the same
11/1 Saitama show.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Comprido
would rather Mir
Instructor celebrates Lesnar’s win
After
conquering the UFC heavyweight belt beating Randy Couture, Brock
Lesnar stated that the fact he is still inexperienced in MMA
made him want to learn each detail to make himself a better fighter.
And one of the giant’s instructors was Rodrigo Comprido.
That is why, to the Brazilian black belt, the win last Saturday
had a special flavor to it.
“We
knew Couture is a smart fighter, and that he would surely have
a strategy for winning the fight. But we believed that not just
his strength, but mainly Brock’s speed and technique would
catch him by surprise,” said Comprido, now living in Chicago,
to GRACIEMAG.com.
Since
in the life of a champion there’s no free meal, Brock Lesnar
will not have much rest before beginning preparations for facing
the winner of the bout between Rodrigo Minotauro and Frank Mir,
set for December 27th. Just as his pupil does, Comprido prefers
to face Mir to unify the heavyweight titles. It’s worth
noting Mir is the one responsible for the only loss in Lesnar’s
four-fight career.
“There
are several reasons I prefer Mir. Revenge is always good motivation,
but technically I feel the fight with Minotauro would be harder,
since he has impeccable Jiu-Jitsu, solid boxing and above all
can take a beating. But I don’t have the power to decide
that, and think it will end up being Brock and Minotauro. And
in that case, despite all my admiration for Minotauro, I’ll
do the possible and impossible to help Brock,” he stated.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
KIM
COUTURE READY TO CRACK SOME JAWS
by Tom Hamlin
When Kim Couture faces Lina Kvokov at Strikeforce’s “Destruction”
this Friday, it will have been five months and a day since she
made her professional MMA debut.
At
this point, it’s hard to imagine anything shocking her inside
the cage, considering the first few seconds of her bout with
Kim Rose at “Night of Combat” on June 20. Rose’s
first overhand right shattered Couture’s jaw in two places,
sidelining her for four months while she awaited a doctor’s
clearance to fight.
In
early October, she learned about an opportunity to fight again
through HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon.
“Five
weeks ago when I got approached with this fight, I went to the
doctor and asked if I could be released, and he checked everything,
and (I) got the a-okay to start sparring,” she told MMAWeekly.com
in a recent video interview. “So I’ve been sparring
ever since.”
The
metal plate used to help Couture’s jaw heal properly will
still be in place when she fights on Friday, but apparently won’t
impede her performance.
Before
sparring, she had been working with her strength and conditioning
coach and practicing jiu-jitsu, that and a lot of golf.
“I’m
just fortunate to get cleared and get back in there,” she
said. “I think everybody took that break and took that loss
harder than I did.”
She
knows little about her opponent, Lina Kvokov. In the absence
of tape to pore over, her gameplan isn’t rigidly defined.
But judging from the way she hits pads at Xtreme Couture, it’s
probably geared towards striking. Her punches and knees are sharp;
they land with a loud slap that adds to the din of other slaps
in the converted warehouse space.
Couture
has the pick of the litter when it comes to trainers at the gym,
and says they’ve taken her to the next level in her evolution
as a fighter.
“I
think it’s the combination of trainers that I’ve found
right now that really fit together nicely,” she said. “Ray
Sefo and Gil Martinez, the footwork that they’ve been having
me do, putting my kicks together with my boxing, has been fantastic.
I always do my jiu-jitsu with Robert Drysdale, and he’s
amazing. Randy does my wrestling, and that’s always fun.
I just feel like everything’s coming together right now.”
Combined
with her other pursuits, fighting remains a hobby to Couture.
She plans to promote up to six more MMA events in 2009. If she
can squeeze a few fights in between, all the better.
“I
thought it was good for me,” Couture said of the layoff.
“I feel like it’s changed me inside, and I feel really
focused and excited.
Source: MMA Weekly
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