Upcoming
Events
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2009
1/31/09
UFC 93
(PPV, Las Vegas, NV)
2008
12/27/08
UFC 92
(PPV, Las Vegas, NV)
12/20/08
4th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
12/13/08
The Ultimate Fighter 8 Final
(PPV, Las Vegas, NV)
11/22/08
Longman Jiu-Jitsu Open
(BJJ)
(Kauai Veterans Center,
Lihue, Kauai)
11/21/08
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
11/15/08
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)
|
|
October 2008 News
Part 3
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days a week training!
We are also offering Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights
with Ian Beltran and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday with Kaleo
Kwan!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
In Memory of
Lars Chase
Rest in peace my brother
March 10, 1979 - April 2, 2008 |
Looking for a hotel
room on Oahu?
Check out this reasonably priced, quality hotel in Waikiki!
For the special Onzuka.com price, click on one of these banners
above! |
Check out the FCTV website! |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 8:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Also on Akaku on Maui
Fighters' Club TV Radio
The Toughest Show On
Radio
Mondays at 9:00-10:00AM
AM1500 The Team
(808) 296-1500
- Call
in with questions and comments
with hosts Mark Kurano
& Patrick Freitas |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
|
Want to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
Click here
for pricing and more information!
Short term and long term advertising available.
More than
1 million hits and counting!
|
O2 Martial Arts
Academy Day Classes Start May 2!
Women & Kids Kickboxing Class starts May 4!
Click here
for pricing and more information!
O2MAA Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Day Classes will be held on Monday,
Wednesday, and Fridays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will be taught
by one of Relson Gracie's first black belts, Sam Mahi!
We will be starting a Womens and Kids kickboxing class on Sunday
afternoons from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The class will be taught
by none other than O2's Kaleo Kwan! It will be a non-competitive,
fun atmosphere and allow the ladies and kids to get in a quick
workout and learn some legitimate kickboxing technique before
the long work week starts.
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
|
10/31/08
Happy Halloween! |
Quote
of the Day
"The
true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man's
observation,
not overturning it."
Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton, 1803-1873, English Novelist
and Politician
|
Onzuka.com
Wishes All Of You A Happy Halloween!
Stay safe and have fun. Don't forget to check your kids' candies
before letting them dig in and obtain the sugar high from hell.
There are some sick people out there, but don't let that stop
you and your kids from having an incredible Halloween.
|
SKRAP
MAGAZINE WINTER 2008 ISSUE
OFFICIAL RELEASE
The ORIGINAL MMA Lifestyle publication SKRAP Magazine will be
releasing its second issue (Winter 2008 Oct.-Dec.) following
up on a huge and widely popular debut of its premiere issue in
late June. SKRAP Magazine is continuously being regarded as the
industry standard and is setting the bar even higher with the
release of its Winter 2008 issue.
The official launch will be at "SKRAP Events- HAWAIIAN CLASSIC
KICKBOXING" 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, HaMMa House GYm, East O'ahu- Waimanalo
Kickboxing, 808 Fight Factory, Evolution Kickboxing, Konnah Blokk,
Team Standalone, HSD, and much, much more. EVERYONE through the
door will receive a copy of SKRAP Mag's newest issue ABSOLUTELY
FREE. 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!
If your interested in fighting on this card or for ticket information
and general inquiries including sponshorship info call (808)
294-1234 or e-mail Rich Tomas at rich@skraphawaii.com
Rich
Tomas
SKRAP Magazine
(808)294-1234
skrapmag.com
|
2009
IMMAE-Hawaii MMA Expo
Aloha,
If you received this email...it is because you have been invited
to participate in the 2009 IMMAE-Hawaii MMA Expo at The Blaisdell
Exhibition Hall on June 26, 27 & 28 2009.
Be a part of Hawaii's most premiere exposition and help stimulate
Hawaii's economy. The IMMAE-HAWAII Expo will give your company
the edge on your competitors and will also provide your company
with the three most important facet of business: "Exposure,
Sales & Business Development"
Attached is the 2009 MMA Expo Exhibitor packet & Sponsorship
form for your review. Be a Exhibitor or Sponsor for the 2009
IMMAE-HAWAII Expo. Don't wait booth prices will go up, Save Now!
IMMAE-HAWAII, LLC looks forward having your company in next year's
MMA Expo. If you have any questions feel free to call IMMAE-Hawaii,
LLC. See You There! Visit: www.hawaiimmaexpo.com or call (808)
781-6194. Title Sponsor: Explosivehands.com
Sincerely,
IMMAE_HAWAII
"Hawaii's MMA Expo"
President/Founder
Javen B. Guzon
Bus: (808)781-6194
Fax: (808)-440-0682
evolutionsprts@yahoo.com
|
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).
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Renzo
Gracie: Legacy
DVD Released on November 15th
This is a film that follows Renzo Gracie, a third generation
Jiu-Jitsu fighter from the infamous Gracie family, for the last
10 years.
Check out the following website and its preview clips.
http://www.renzogracielegacy.com/
|
St-Pierre
impressed with Alves' performance
Georges St-Pierre has his eyes locked on Thiago Alves after watching
Alves defeat Josh Koscheck Saturday in person at UFC 90 in Chicago.
“I
was very impressed by the performance of Thiago Alves,”
St-Pierre wrote Monday on his Yardbarker blog. “He showed
everybody why he belongs in the top fighters in the welterweight
division. Of course, it’s up to the UFC, but I think he
will be one of my next opponents pretty soon.”
Alves,
who is now undefeated the past two years inside the UFC Octagon,
is one win away from tying the record for consecutive UFC wins.
Prior to winning the unanimous decision over Koscheck at UFC
90, Alves pulled the upset UFC over former champ Matt Hughes,
whom Alves knocked down with a flying knee and finished with
strikes on the ground.
An
Alves-St-Pierre bout wouldn’t be immediate though, as St-Pierre
will defend his belt next against BJ Penn at UFC 94 on January
31, 2009.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Couture
unafraid of big Brock
Veteran nearly 50 lbs smaller than Lesnar
Once
again Randy Couture will enter the octagon as the “little
guy.” Just as was the case when he faced Tim Sylvia, the
fight in which he recaptured the UFC heavyweight belt, the veteran
will have a much larger opponent on his hands. Not that Brock
Lesnar is a giant in terms of his height, quite the contrary,
as at 6 foot 2 inches he is only an inch taller than Couture.
The disparity in question is weight. While Couture normally weighs
in at around 225 pounds, Lesnar is easily over 265.
The
monster he has ahead of him doesn’t scare the seasoned fighter.
“"I brought Josh Hendricks in. He's actually fighting
on the same card against Gabe Gonzaga. He's a 245-pound guy with
a wrestling background. I've got guys like Mike Whitehead and
a bunch other guys that walk around 240, 250 with good, solid
wrestling backgrounds. They're pushing me and ganging up on me.
It's hard to find guys like Brock that are that size and move
the way he moves,” said Couture in an interview on MMAJunkie.com.
“Just
because he's 270 pounds doesn't mean I can't take him down. I've
taken down bigger guys. So, I can create that threat and that
fear in his mind that he's going to end up on the bottom, which
is someplace he's not used to being. Those are things that I
can focus on, and use speed and mobility and those things as
advantages for me," he added.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
92 "THE ULTIMATE" FIGHT CARD ROUNDING OUT
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is building up its Dec. 27
year-end event to also be its boldest offering of 2008. In addition
to the UFC 92 bouts already announced – Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira vs. Frank Mir, Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans, and
Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson –
the promotion made several other bouts official on Thursday,
rounding out the card.
Added
to the pay-per-view portion of the fight card is Ultimate Fighter
season seven finalist C.B. Dollaway. Following a loss to Amir
Sadollah in the finale, Dollaway bounced back with a win over
Jesse Taylor at UFC Fight Night 14. He will face Mike Massenzio,
who in his UFC debut submitted veteran Drew McFedries.
The
final televised bout features two heavy-hitters as Cheick Kongo
tries to get back into title contention when he faces Mustapha
Al-Turk. A champion in the Cage Rage promotion, Al-Turk hopes
to make a splash in his Octagon debut against the French striker.
Preliminary
bouts announced for UFC 92 include Matt Hamill's attempt to bounce
back from a loss to Rich Franklin, as he will face former IFL
fighter Reese Andy. Middleweights Yushin Okami and Dean Lister
will battle it out in their quest to rise up to challenge for
the title. Japanese fighter Ryo Chonan faces another former IFLer
in Brad Blackburn. Heavyweights Antoni Hardonk and newcomer Mark
Burch will square off, as will two more big boys in Pat Barry
and Dan Evensen.
UFC
92 "The Ultimate" will take place on Dec. 27 at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Murilo
Rua Looking at Possible Return to Japan
Sam Caplan
Murilo
“Ninja” Rua, one of many fighters from the EliteXC
roster left in a state of limbo following ProElite’s demise
last week, has expressed a desire to return to Japan once his
contract status is clarified.
“I
don’t have anything set yet, I had two more fights to do
at Elite and now I’ll see what I’m gonna do,”
Rua is quoted as telling Brazilian MMA site Tatame.com. “I’ll
speak with my manager and look for another event, maybe in Japan.
I don’t have anything right yet, but I believe Japan is
a good opportunity.”
Before
signing with EliteXC, Rua was a mainstay with the Japan-based
PRIDE Fighting Championships for several years, compiling a 6-7
record under the PRIDE banner while competing in multiple weight
classes.
Rua
was the first-ever fighter to hold an EliteXC title following
his second round TKO over Joey Villasenor during a co-promote
between EliteXC and Strikeforce in June of 2007. The win earned
Rua possession of the promotion’s then-vacant middleweight
title.
He
lost the title to Robbie Lawler during EliteXC’s “Uprising”
event in September of the same year but proceeded to go undefeated
in his next two fights. He was rewarded with a fight against
Benji Radach during EliteXC and CBS’ third installment of
Saturday Night Fights earlier this month. After several heated
exchanges, Rua finally succumbed to Radach’s power and was
TKO’d at 2:31 of round 2.
Despite
the ProElite’s impending bankruptcy, Rua is taking the news
in stride and is ready to move on.
“I
already heard some rumors about that, but I wasn’t imagining
that it’d happen so fast,” Rua said in the interview.
“They did some events and they couldn’t make it, now
it’s time to go after new opportunities, train hard and
wait for another contract. I’ll continue training hard here
to be ready for my next fight.”
Source: The Fight Network
|
Silva
wanted to knock out Cote in the later rounds
Making it to the third round with Anderson Silva may not be something
for Patrick Cote to brag bout.
“My game plan since the beginning was fight five rounds,
inducing him to commit mistakes and capitalize on that during
the first three rounds and look for the knockout during the fourth
and fifth rounds,” Silva told Sherdog.com. “It was
working, and the biggest proof of that is that I almost didn’t
waste any blows. I connected with a couple of good punches and
knees, but unfortunately he got hurt and the fight was over.
This is not my fault.”
Silva
takes his training for five-round title bouts seriously. When
a fight doesn't go the full five rounds -- which has been all
the time -- Silva postpones his celebration and goes backstage
to continue working a sweat. The UFC caught up with Silva after
a workout following his win over Cote Saturday at UFC 90.
“Our
body is used to five rounds,” Silva said. “Sometimes
I’m only able to do three, and I want to come back and work
out all the energy I had built up planning to do five rounds.”
In
his previous seven UFC victories, the longest fight was 9 minutes
and 52 seconds when Silva tangled with former PRIDE middleweight
and light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson at UFC 82 on March
1. Silva said in an interview published today on Sherdog.com
that he planned on taking the fight past the third round.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Sell
Ecstatic About Welterweight Debut
By Kelsey Mowatt
Often,
change can be a good a thing, and this past Saturday Pete “Drago”
Sell proved just that. After losing 3 straight bouts, and having
gone winless in an official UFC bout since he submitted Phil
Baroni in February, 2005, the charismatic fighter decided to
drop down from the middleweight division to test the waters at
170lbs. At UFC 90, Sell made his welterweight debut a successful
one, by working his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over
fellow “Ultimate Fighter” vet Josh Burkman.
“I
feel great man,” Sell told FCF when asked for his feelings
regarding the win. “I got injured last September after I
fought (Nate) Quarry, and it took me a while to recover. I was
back by February and started training by March, and started to
think that I would make the jump to welterweight. I decided that
I was going to put one hundred percent of myself into this. I
was training so hard, three times a day, five days a week, twice
on Saturdays, taking Sunday’s off. I was putting myself
through hell getting ready for this fight. My cardio was awesome,
I could have fought more rounds, I felt great man. I’ve
been on a losing streak, it’s been brutal, coming up short.
That’s what I’m preaching now man, keep at it, keep
positive, things will work out.”
Early
in this past weekend’s bout, it might have appeared to some
that Sell’s losing streak was going to continue. After Burkman
backed the New York fighter up with a hard right hand, he took
Sell down to the mat, and proceeded to land several hard elbows
from above. Although Sell eventually managed to work his way
out from under Burkman, his Las Vegas opponent had controlled
much of the opening round.
“I
was alright man,” Sell said when asked whether or not he
was hurt after Burkman landed the punch. “You know what
it was, when he caught me it was the way my feet were, I was
a little off balance so it made it look like it was a lot worse
then it was. He did catch me with a good shot though. Good for
him. When I came back to the corner I was thinking, ‘are
you kidding me? This ain’t happening right now. I’ve
worked way too hard to have this happen to me.’ So I told
myself that I was going to go back in there and do whatever it
took and things worked out for me.”
For
the next two rounds, Sell proceeded to dictate the pace, getting
the better of the striking exchanges while landing several hard
punches to Burkman’s body. Even as the third round began,
it appeared that Sell was the much fresher of the two fighters,
and Burkman spent much of the last five minutes in retreat.
“I
think my cardio was a good part of it,” said Sell when asked
how much his conditioning played into earning his 8th career
victory. “I just kept pushing him, I felt like my cardio
was lasting, and if we had gone more rounds it would have got
worse and worse for him you know? Plus being tired and getting
hit with those body shots definitely doesn’t help a lot.”
Going
off of Sell’s performance Saturday, it would appear that
the Matt Serra student made the right decision to drop down to
welterweight.
“I
tell ya man, I really did it the right way,” Sell told FCF.
“My buddy Anthony, he was a body builder, he doesn’t
compete anymore, but he had a lot of good ideas for my diet.
I did it over a period of time. From March I started bringing
down my weight. After a bit I was walking at around 190. Instead
of having to kill myself at the end I did it over a while. I
feel like I’m going to be strong for that weight class.
I feel like I’m a lot more agile and faster. I don’t
have that extra meat on me now. I can move a lot better. I think
it’s going to be a good thing for me.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
A
Death in the Family
by Loretta Hunt
Turi Altavilla had already lived once through the death of an
MMA promotion from the inside. He never expected to experience
it again.
Regardless,
Altavilla entered the offices of Pro Elite Inc. in Los Angeles
on Oct. 20 knowing that it would be his last day there. Employees
had been told that a lifesaving deal for the company’s purchase
by the CBS-owned Showtime Network had fallen through in the last
two weeks, and that if a last-ditch turnaround hadn’t been
accomplished over the weekend, Pro Elite’s plug would be
pulled.
Altavilla
hadn’t received the phone call of salvation he prayed would
come over the last 48 hours. Instead, an announcement was made
that morning that 22 months was all the company would get to
make its mark in the sport, and desks were to be cleared out
and offices vacated.
Prior
to Altavilla joining the Pro Elite family in June 2007, he’d
worked in the U.S. office for revered Japanese juggernaut Pride
Fighting Championships. And as Altavilla has learned the hard
way, a company can cease to exist in a variety of ways.
“Pride
was a titan with the UFC, two titans going at it, each of us
thinking that we did shows with different flavors, different
ways to present the fights, different philosophies and styles.
That one hurt,” says Altavilla. “I’m not saying
this one, Pro Elite, didn’t, but it’s a different kind
of hurt. Pride died over the course of 12 months –- it was
a slow death. With Pro Elite, the feeling was completely different.
We blew it. We had a lot of money. We had a rare opportunity
to make some noise, and we blew it. I don’t know how anyone
could say anything differently.”
When
a company goes under and is over $55 million in the hole, it’s
obvious that a lot more things went wrong than right.
Altavilla,
who’d worked the trenches for the low budget but highly
lucrative King of the Cage promotion for three years prior to
his four years with Pride, saw a lot of wrongs the moment he
walked into Pro Elite’s extravagant offices.
Though
Altavilla’s previous positions in other companies dealt
with the promotion and running of live events, Altavilla was
the only true English-speaking employee in the Pride office and
learned the art of the business deal fast.
Its
“fight team” bloated to 12 members, Pro Elite hired
Altavilla as a Vice President for Home Entertainment and put
him to work handling DVD and merchandise production and sales,
and later Internet deals after that division of the company was
stripped.
“During
my Pro Elite tour-of-duty, a lot of people were calling me the
‘earner,’ because I was focusing on just making the
company money,” says Altavilla.
There
were others roaming the halls whose job descriptions weren’t
as defined, Altavilla observed.
“It
seemed there were friends of a lot of higher-ups there, and that
doesn’t seem like the proper way to establish a company,”
he says. When layoffs came in January 2008, Altavilla still wondered
what some of the exiting employee’s job descriptions had
been.
As
a vice president, Altavilla attended virtually all in-house meetings,
many of them determining the day-to-day decisions that would
translate into the 17 events the promotion pulled off in 20 months.
Earlier
on, Gary Shaw, a boxing transplant who was given the leadership
role of live events president, seemed open to democratic voice,
but the process proved too slow and unproductive. Altavilla remembers
a day where eight employees sat around a boardroom table trying
to decide who James Thompson should fight in his EliteXC debut.
“There
were times when I think maybe Gary understood that we were all
very good at what we did previously, and he was trying to involve
us, but a lot of us were turned off by that,” says Altavilla.
“It just seemed pointless to have that many people in a
room trying to discuss what they thought would be the proper
match.”
When
the elder Shaw announced later that lesser experienced employees
Richard Chou, J.T. Steele, and Shaw’s son, Jared, would
handle the matchmaking, the elder employees -- some of them with
double-digit years in the business -- were disheartened. Altavilla
believes Choi and Steele rose to the occasion, but the younger
Shaw became territorial and difficult.
“Jared
would try and make it very clear that both he and the matchmaking
team were calling the shots with the matchmaking,” says
Altavilla. “There wasn’t even any pretending that they
would try and throw us a bone. There were times when others had
different ideas for matches that were clearly better ideas, and
he’d make it clear that that wasn’t going to happen.”
When
Shaw did open the floor for collaboration, Altavilla says he
often clashed with the rest of the group.
“It
was more a hindrance in what we wanted to do,” says Altavilla.
“I’m not saying the rest of us were always on the same
page, but we all could present very logical arguments. Whatever
the decision was in the end, we would all follow it. I think
Jared often wanted to do things just his way, and he was very
stubborn about it. To him, it was the right way. We had very
specific thoughts on matchmaking and who might be a star.”
While
Gary Shaw had years of promoting behind him and a relationship
with Showtime that earned him a margin of respect, his son has
no such resume to speak of, says Altavilla.
“At
the end of it all, you’re talking about guys with years
and years of experience that have seen and done this on many
levels, and then you’re talking about Jared, who was basically
a fan,” says Altavilla. “It often seemed to me like
he was a fan who won some reality show and got to be a part of
an MMA company.”
In
the boardroom, the debate raged on for one pivotal fighter in
particular –- Internet superstar Kevin "Kimbo Slice"
Ferguson.
“We
often disagreed on who to match up against Kimbo,” says
Altavilla. “It was constant heated discussions, because
Kimbo’s career was still being built up. It was a unique
situation to have someone with that star power having minimal
MMA experience and to find fair matches that he could really
win or lose. Jared felt very strongly about certain opponents
for Kimbo, and it was what it was.”
Shaw
never attempted to keep his affinity for Slice hidden, although
it showed a bias in his position. In fact, the 26-year-old executive
often seemed a part of Ferguson’s multi-man posse, because
he rarely left the fighter’s side at media days and other
public events. Still, Altavilla denies that the company showed
favoritism in selecting Slice’s opponents.
“I
don’t think the company tried to protect Kimbo,” he
says. “We tried to put together marketable matches. I think
everyone was mindful of that fact that Kimbo’s career was
so young, but look at the guys he fought and combine their records.
He fought some very experienced people with a lot of wins. I
really think he deserves credit for that. Most guys start out
facing other guys that are 0-1 or 2-0, guys at the same level.”
To
the younger Shaw’s credit, he wanted to pair Slice with
Brett Rogers after the two fighters nearly came to blows at a
post-fight press conference in May. Much of the media balked
when an already announced fight between the two was shelved,
as Rogers was deemed a difficult opponent for Slice.
Altavilla
says that, at the time, the promotion wanted a “bout mainstream
fans would go bonkers for” to head the third CBS telecast,
and Rogers just wasn’t a known commodity yet.
Disdain
for the youthful Shaw spilled out into the public realm, as well,
says Altavilla. While the Pro Elite team tended to all the last-minute
on-site stresses that come with hosting live events, Shaw seemed
to disappear.
“I
don’t what his background was exactly in boxing, but I don’t
feel like he knew MMA at all,” says Altavilla. “I don’t
know what he thinks promoting a show involves. Does it just involve
showing up and speaking at a press conference? Because if it
does, then maybe I’ve been doing it the wrong way. When
someone can just show up and not contribute and steal the limelight,
morale is going to go down.”
Though
the box office receipts were dismal, Altavilla considers the
July 26 EliteXC event in Stockton, Calif., the company’s
most optimistic moment. Gary Shaw was on his way out of the organization
and did not attend, says Altavilla, and Jared Shaw wasn’t
around to roll up his sleeves with the rest of the staff, as
they got the cage to the venue on time and tended to fighters
and sponsors.
“He
was never a part of that,” says Altavilla. “Because
of the attention he’d bring on himself, the media and outside
people would seem to think he was running the show, and he absolutely
was not, and I think that should be made clear.”
Altavilla
corroborates that to get rid of Gary Shaw, Pro Elite had top
keep his son, Jared, onboard. Seemingly untouchable under the
protection of his father in the past, many in the company believed
Jared Shaw would be the next to go once the dust cleared.
“I
think a lot of us were guilty of keeping our mouths shut, because
we thought it was a matter of time before Jared was going to
get the boot,” says Altavilla. “We thought it would
be any week. Obviously, that never happened.”
In
his final months with Pro Elite, Altavilla says Jared Shaw made
numerous calls to the media unbeknownst to the rest of the staff.
One of those calls pertained to a deadline set for 160-pound
champion Karl James Noons, who had entered a contractual dispute
with the promotion.
“None
of us would have gone out and mentioned all of these things that
were a part of KJ’s contract,” says Altavilla. “None
of us wanted to take this personally. He took it too far. He
seemed to burn a bridge with KJ, and I just don’t see the
need for that. You have to think big picture. In a couple of
years, we could have been working with KJ again. We were already
trying to work with him again.”
Altavilla
says Shaw’s final media-grabbing overtures against UFC President
Dana White were unmerited, but the promotion was heading into
deeper waters with its fateful Oct. 4 show.
In
a moment of panic backstage, Altavilla watched CBS, Showtime
and EliteXC representatives huddle to make a decision regarding
an injured Ken Shamrock’s replacement. Altavilla says he
and Terry Trebilcock, who sold his successful King of the Cage
promotion to Pro Elite the year before, looked at each other
and backed away, sensing there were too many chefs in the kitchen.
Once
the decision was made to promote undercard fighter Seth Petruzelli
to the main event against Slice, Altavilla said negotiations
were held behind closed doors. Altavilla does not know which
Pro Elite representatives were present for the now infamous talks.
“I
didn’t see any wrongdoing during my time with Pro Elite,”
says Altavilla. “I wasn’t in that room. I’m glad
I wasn’t in that room. I don’t think my colleagues
were capable of doing that.”
Others
had their doubts, including CBS, which reportedly pulled away
from the promotion as speculation of “a fix” gained
steam from Petruzelli’s post-fight comments.
The
comments were a final link in a chain of events that led to Pro
Elite’s demise and the loss of Altavilla’s and others’
jobs.
Altavilla,
34, is what the industry would call a “lifer.” He doesn’t
plan on leaving the volatile fight game, though he’s come
to accept that disappointment is a very real part it. Living
through two failed promotions hasn’t quelled his passion
for the sport or cut his connection to its fighters and all the
nameless workers that go unnoticed behind the scenes. Altavilla
will try again with another group down the road because for him
MMA is not just a job but something that he lives and feels.
“The
demise of Pride was extremely painful. It bothered me for months,”
says Altavilla. “It really stung, because anyone that went
to Pride events realized how incredible they were. With this,
it just felt like we blew it. With Pro Elite, it was a different
kind of disappointment, but disappointment nonetheless.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Cote
on ice for a long while
Canadian to have knee operated next week
Patrick
Cote will not be seen back in the UFC octagon any time soon.
Due to the serious injury suffered to his knee during his fight
with Anderson Silva at UFC 90, the Canadian will have to go under
the knife. As the procedure is not the simplest and recovery
will be slow and gradual, Cote is expected to go six to eight
months without fighting.
There
is still no official information as to Cote’s position in
regards to the UFC middleweight belt. What is certain is that
while he recovers, another challenger will try to pry the title
from Anderson Silva’s hands. And if left to Dana White,
president of the UFC, Anderson will be back in the octagon soon.
“He (Anderson) wants to fight again. If possible, at UFC
91, on November 15th,” revealed the UFC top man in an interview
with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Although
he has not fought since the beginning of the year, Yushin Okami
is pointed to as a possible challenger to Anderson Silva. Both
has already faced off at Rumble on the Rock and the Japanese
fighter took the win for an illegal kick thrown by the Brazilian,
who was disqualified.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
MATT
RIDDLE OUT OF UFC 91 BOUT DUE TO INJURY
by Damon Martin
The welterweight debut of former “Ultimate Fighter”
185-pound cast member Matt Riddle will have to wait. He has suffered
a knee injury that will force him out of his upcoming bout against
Ryan Thomas on the undercard of UFC 91 on Nov. 15.
Riddle’s
injury was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the
situation.
Riddle
made a great impression on fans during his time on The Ultimate
Fighter and after the show wrapped up filming, he relocated to
Arizona to train alongside former housemate C.B. Dollaway at
Arizona Combat Sports.
In
his first official fight in the UFC, Riddle won a decisive unanimous
decision over Dante Rivera at The Ultimate Fighter finale show
in June.
For
the fight in November, Riddle was cutting weight and making his
170-pound debut, but during training for the bout the young fighter
fell victim to a knee injury that will likely require surgery
and could keep him on the shelf for the better part of six to
eight weeks.
No
word has come down from the UFC about a possible replacement
to step in for Riddle to take on Ryan Thomas at this time.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Satoshi
Ishii: Not aiming for 2012 London Olympic games
By Zach Arnold
Well,
there’s still some hope for K-1 and Sengoku to snag the
judoka for their big NYE events coming up (K-1 12/31 Saitama
Super Arena & Sengoku 1/4 Saitama Super Arena). Maybe. At
an imperial garden party today in Akasaka, Tokyo, the 100 kg
Beijing gold medalist from Kokushikan University indicated that
he wasn’t aiming to participate in the next Olympic games.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
“Keep
your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.”
Helen Keller, 1880-1968, American Blind/Deaf Author and Lecturer
|
BISPING
TALKS ULTIMATE FIGHTER 9 COACHING ROLE
Michael "The Count" Bisping won season three of The
Ultimate Fighter and will coach season nine of the popular reality
show on Spike TV. Armed with the experience of having gone through
it, Bisping is excited about his role as coach.
"I'm
absolutely thrilled to be involved with TUF again," Bisping
told MMAWeekly.com. "I think it's a great tool for the UFC
to discover new talent. Obviously, for my career, it was amazing.
I've got some very, very fond memories and I can't wait to get
involved with it again."
Season
nine will feature a United States vs. the United Kingdom theme
consisting of lightweight and welterweight fighters.
"As
far as the talent in the U.K., there's a lot of great talent,"
said Bisping. "I've seen a lot of people on the Internet
saying things like England couldn't compete with a team from
America. I don't see that as the case at all. I think we've got
some fantastic talent."
Bisping
feels he'll be able to relate to the unique situation of living
in The Ultimate Fighter House having been there himself. And
that he'll be able to draw on that experience to benefit the
fighters on his team.
"I've
been there myself, so I'll know some of the feelings they're
going through," stated the British middleweight. "One
of the main things I will tell them is what Dana (White) used
to tell all of us, my season and every season. It really is the
opportunity to change your life. Until you live it, you don't
realize how serious it is. It really does change your life. That's
one thing I'm going to implement to the people on there. Listen,
this is your shot."
While
Bisping has been announced as the coach for the U.K. team, current
rumors place the winner of the upcoming UFC 93 fight between
Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson slated for Jan. 17 as the other
coach.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FABRICIO
WERDUM KNOCKED OUT OF CONTENTION
Fabricio
Werdum was displeased prior to UFC 90 about him not getting a
chance to be in the heavyweight tournament that consists of current
champion Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar and interim champion
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir. After all, he just defeated
former No. 1 contender Gabriel Gonzaga and top prospect Brandon
Vera.
Taking
the fight with Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 wasn't exactly what
he was hoping for, but he took the fight in stride. However,
there were some people, including UFC president Dana White, who
thought that Werdum was bigger than usual. Not necessarily out
of shape, but noticeably larger. In fact, he was nine pounds
heavier in this fight than his last.
Unfortunately
for Werdum, he was brutally knocked out in the first round by
dos Santos, getting drilled by a vicious uppercut. According
to an interview with Tatame.com, he didn't underestimate “Cigano,”
but he was surprised at how fast everything happened.
Junior
dos Santos was relatively unknown prior to this fight, but he
did get some buzz when he was shown hitting the mitts in UFC
president Dana White's video blog. In fact, the betting lines
actually decreased after seeing how fast and accurate dos Santos'
hands were in the blog.
It
will be back to the drawing board for Werdum after this latest
setback. He'll have to sit back and wait to see how the whole
heavyweight title picture shakes out. In the mean time, having
recently signed a new contract with the UFC, he will have to
get back on track and fight another decent heavyweight contender
like Cain Velasquez or Shane Carwin to attempt to propel himself
back into the title picture.
Leaving
Curitiba, Brazil to move to the United States, Werdum will train
out of Chute Boxe in California with Rafael Cordeiro to help
excel his overall game.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SILVA
APOLOGIZES FOR UFC 90 PERFORMANCE
Being highly regarded as the best pound for pound fighter on
the planet doesn't give Anderson Silva much room for error whenever
he fights because somehow the entire MMA world has questioned
his performance in the win over Patrick Cote last Saturday night
at UFC 90.
While
many seemed to criticize Silva's performance, the champion was
in complete control of the fight, landing the only real power
shots of the bout.
If
anything, Silva showed great composure and control to avoid an
all out slugfest against a heavy handed opponent in Patrick Cote,
and the 185-pound king said as much following the fight.
"I
didn't come here to play. I didn't come here to put on a show.
I came here to do my job," Silva stated at the UFC 90 post
fight press conference. "I didn't become a champion and
defend my title as many times as I have not doing my job or playing
round. So, I hope everybody understands that. And I hope all
my future opponents understand that. I'm not here to play. I'm
here to win."
Following
the lead of teammate and training partner Lyoto Machida, Silva
used a counter striking clinic against Cote, but unfortunately
for the duration of the two full rounds that happened in the
fight, the Canadian played much of the same gameplan.
Regardless
of the result, Silva's strategy worked as Cote never connected
with any heavy shots, but the overall action was lacking throughout
the contest.
"I
came in here. I did my job. My strategy was working," Silva
stated. "Patrick couldn't find me. And it's unfortunate
that his knee went out."
The
end of the fight could not have been predicted, as previously
mentioned, Cote's knee buckled in the third round causing the
fight to be stopped and Silva was declared the winner.
Despite
picking up his eighth victory in the UFC, Silva still stayed
humble and apologized to the Chicago crowd who did not get the
performance out of the champion that they were hoping for.
"I
apologized because I've trained really hard with my trainers
for five rounds," said Silva. "I dropped down from
230 pounds to 205 pounds to 185 pounds. So, I worked my butt
off. I had a long training camp to prepare myself for this fight.
So I really feel like I owe everyone an apology for this fight.
I owe you guys an apology; I owe the fans an apology and Dana
(White).
As
for a rematch between Silva and Cote, that remains to be seen.
It's possible that Cote could be out for an extended period of
time with the knee injury and Silva has been rumored to move
back to 205 pounds for his next contest.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Women’s
MMA has earned its place
In
an industry that really only has a few truly proven marketable
top stars – and right now, only one stable major league
operation – the folding of Elite XC last week has raised
questions about the future of women’s mixed martial arts
and its biggest star, Gina Carano.
The
two main organizations over the past two years who promoted women’s
fights, Elite XC and Bodog, are now both out of business, leaving
women searching for a place to ply their trade.
Affliction,
hardly stable but at least still in the game, has never promoted
women’s matches, but is open to the idea. UFC, at least
as of the weekend, was not.
“I
think that Gina Carano is a real star,” UFC president Dana
White said on Thursday. “She’s beautiful, talented
and she’s a real fighter. I just don’t think there
are enough good women fighters that you can start a division
around them.”
Jeff
Osborne, longtime promoter of the Evansville, Ind., based HooknShoot
promotion, which pioneered the promotion of women’s matches
nearly eight years ago, said White’s claim might have been
valid two years ago, but that things have changed. He said the
number of quality women fighters has increased greatly in the
past two years, and believes if UFC started featuring women,
the division would explode.
“It’s
really taken off in the last year or two, maybe in a small part
due to Gina,” said Osborne.
In
late 2006, when women fighters such as Carano, Tara LaRosa and
Erin Toughill started getting some television curiosity attention,
there were a number of questions about the viability of women’s
MMA.
At
the time, men’s MMA wasn’t even fully accepted by the
sporting community. Women’s boxing had a run in the early
part of the decade based around Laila Ali and Christy Martin,
but it ended up a novelty that didn’t prove to have legs.
While
there are exceptions, most women’s sports haven’t done
well with spectators. And there were questions whether seeing
women bruised and bloodied would be a turnoff that hurt the perception
of the sport. UFC, treading cautiously until the sport was regulated
in all the major commission states, didn’t want or need
the risk.
“Women
fights are generally more exciting than men’s fights,”
said Osborne. “Some of the men fight not to lose. The women
just don’t care as much about winning and losing. They just
want to go all out and fight.”
The
real visibility of the sport can be traced to Elite XC’s
first event on Showtime on February 10, 2007. While all the pre-show
hype was based around a Frank Shamrock vs. Renzo Gracie match,
it was a prelim match between Carano and Julie Kedzie that stole
the show. As the match ended (a unanimous decision for Carano),
and the two hugged to a standing ovation, it was an emotional
moment that put the sport on the map.
It
almost didn’t happen. Like UFC, Showtime was very squeamish
about the idea. Just doing MMA at the time was controversial
enough. They were afraid of what people would think with women
fighting inside a cage.
It
was little known at the time that the match was a do-or-die proposition,
as Gary Shaw, the head promoter of Elite XC, saw Carano as a
potential breakout star and begged to get the match on the live
show, saying that if it didn’t work, he’d never ask
again. After the match was over, he never had to ask again, and
all opposition from the Showtime side was gone.
By
the time Elite XC made this year’s deal with CBS to air
matches on prime-time network television, Carano was considered
the company’s second most valuable marketing asset, behind
only Kimbo Slice.
On
the last Elite XC show in Sunrise, Fla., Carano and Cris “Cyborg”
Santos had two of the three most exciting fights on the show.
Both got better fan reactions than Andrei Arlovski, a former
UFC heavyweight champion who was probably the company’s
second most popular heavyweight over the past five years, behind
Randy Couture.
Osborne,
one of the country’s most successful independent MMA promoters,
could have told the TV types that women’s MMA would be a
success. He has even promoted all-women’s fight cards, which
have been hit-and-miss. His first women-only show, in 2002, was
a big success, but the second, a few months later, did poorly.
“The
first show, people didn’t know what they were going to see,”
he said. “Some of the regular fans didn’t go because
they didn’t want to see only women fighting. Others came
because they thought they were going to see catfights. The second
show was way down, but by the third show, people started to care
about the fighters. Today, with Kaitlin Young (who scored three
first-round knockouts in a row in winning a tournament on one
of his shows, and later faced Carano on CBS), people pay specifically
to see her.
“It’s
definitely come up over time,” he said, noting his major
women’s shows the past three years have shown a general
increase in interest, as well as fighter depth and quality. “We’ve
been able to retain the audience and build since 2005. And now
there are more and more women training. Now half the people training
in our gym are women. I honestly think now is the time to make
a move.”
For
UFC, the key to a women’s division at first would be Carano,
and her contract situation is unclear with the Elite XC bankruptcy.
But if she is available, it is not at all far-fetched she could
become the biggest mainstream star in the sport, and become MMA’s
answer to Danica Patrick.
Carano
fought at 140 in Elite XC, and given her issues with making that
number, it would be safer to use her in a 145-pound weight class.
There are plenty of women who can fight at that weight, including
former Elite XC fighters such as Santos, Young, Tonya Evinger,
Kedzie, Kelly Kobold and non-Elite XC fighters such as Meisha
Tate and Elaina Maxwell who are all well-trained and skilled
fighters.
Osborne
said there is actually far more depth at 125 and 135, noting
people such as Sarah Kaufman (who Elite XC was using at 140),
Tara LaRosa, Marloes Coenen, Rosi Sexton and Megumi Fujii, who
are complete unknowns to anyone but the most hardcore fans. He
believes there are 30-40 genuine quality women fighters today
in those divisions.
There
were women’s fights on all three of Elite XC’s shows
on CBS. While the idea of MMA on CBS garnered the expected negative
reaction from people who mostly had little or no understanding
of the sport, there was virtually nothing negative written either
before or after about the Carano vs. Kaitlin Young match.
And
Young had massive swelling on her face, so the lightning rod
of a women’s face being banged up from a fight, held live
on CBS with millions watching, caused none of the feared outrage.
As
far as the public not wanting to see women fight, the evidence
couldn’t contradict the notion more. There have only been
five MMA matches in history that have gained one million new
viewers to a television show from the previous match. Two of
them have been Carano’s two fights on CBS.
Based
on minute-by-minute ratings and the increase from the prior match
on the show, the largest-ever gain of new viewers for any MMA
match on U.S. television was the Oct. 4 Carano vs. Kelly Kobold
match. It gained 1,643,000 new viewers, growing the audience
from 3.6 million to 5.2 million. Not shockingly, it gained 69
percent in males 18-34.
Most
UFC television shows, in total, don’t even have 1,643,000
viewers.
The
unanswered questions are whether the ratings and popularity are
unique to her, and whether her popularity is more a short-term
novelty of a woman with a great look for television who can fight,
as opposed to the idea people as a general rule will care about
woman fighters.
The
Christy Martin phase of boxing would argue one way. Osborne’s
experience as an MMA promoter is a strong argument the other
way.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
needs to challenge Silva
ROSEMONT,
Ill. – Anderson Silva’s corner kept screaming at him
to start acting like, well, Anderson Silva. UFC president Dana
White said he thought he was in an “alternate universe”
and wanted someone to slap him out of this bad dream.
At
the end of the first round of their UFC 90 main event, Patrick
Cote, after watching Silva bizarrely bow to him, shrugged in
bafflement. That wasn’t even as unusual as the moment in
the second round when Silva offered a hand to help Cote up off
his back, rather than stomp him as you’d expect.
The
Silva-Cote middleweight title fight ended in the third round
when Cote blew out his knee without any contact. That was as
strange, although not as much as the fight lasting to the third
round in the first place.
“I
was sitting there saying, ‘What the [expletive] is going
on?’ ” White said.
Everyone
showed up in suburban Chicago looking for Silva to deliver one
of his Mike Tyson-esque destructions of Cote, the heavy underdog.
This is what Silva fights are about, some violent combination
of punches, knees and kicks that render opponents senseless.
“He’s
a killer,” White said.
Not
on Saturday. While Cote deserves credit for fearlessly standing
in front of him, this was about Silva, arguably the best fighter
in the world, deciding not to do much fighting.
He
didn’t throw a purposeful punch for most of the first round.
Rather than attack with his patented combinations, he danced,
he pranced, he swayed and he even prayed. He did little hand
tricks, Muhammad Ali feet shuffles and ran around in circles.
“If
you don’t know him and you showed up for the first time,
you’d [think] that guy was goofing around, he was acting
arrogant and cocky and trying to play with [Cote] like he was
a little kid,” White said. “That is not this guy’s
style, that’s not his personality, that’s not who he
is.”
No
it isn’t. Silva, afterward, apologized for his performance
yet also defended it, claiming he wasn’t out there playing
and he was just throwing Cote off his game. He sounded as confused
as everyone else.
The
theories of what happened are endless. Perhaps he didn’t
respect Cote and was unprepared. Perhaps he felt the need to
deliver an entertaining show to the fans. Perhaps he was bored.
Perhaps all the talk about switching to boxing or retiring outright,
got to him. Perhaps he felt pressure to finish with a spectacular
knockout.
Whatever
it was, the solution is simple.
White
needs to feed Silva opponents that’ll either motivate him
to bring his “A” game or make him pay for any mental
lapses.
Give
him Chuck Liddell on Super Bowl weekend at UFC 94. If he survives
that, give him Georges St. Pierre back at middleweight to headline
the historic UFC 100 early next summer. Then have him go back
to light heavyweight for a shot at whoever has the title after
that.
Give
him anything but what he’s gotten his last two fights, opponents
that weren’t capable of hurting him and thus incapable of
bringing out his best.
“I
don’t know, I’ve got to think about it,” White
said of Silva’s next opponent.
He
would only smile at the suggestion of Liddell, the former light
heavyweight champion, which means he’s certainly considering
what would be a major pay-per-view draw. He did say he thought
Silva wanted to return to 205 pounds for his next fight (Saturday’s
was at 185).
Mostly
White was searching for answers just like everyone else. Over
the past two years Silva (23-4) has been his most reliable meal
ticket. You put the Brazilian in the octagon and someone gets
finished; often quickly and in spectacular fashion.
Until
Saturday, no one in the UFC had lasted past the second round
with the guy. He wasn’t just considered by many the best
pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but the most exciting.
He
was the perfect headliner for the UFC’s first card in the
Second City. Cote is a tough guy who wasn’t backing down,
but few outside his diehard fans thought Silva would need more
than a few minutes to send everyone home buzzing about the UFC.
Instead
fans were booing at the end, as much at Silva as the disappointment
of Cote’s knee giving out.
“I
was sitting there going, ‘No, this isn’t happening,’
” White said.
In
the end, if this is what constitutes an off night and an emotional
letdown for Silva, then it isn’t too bad. Cote got a couple
shots in, but not nearly enough for the fight to be in doubt.
It’s why White didn’t look too interested in an immediate
rematch even if Cote was healthy.
So
give Silva a challenge he can’t afford to sleepwalk through.
End the Knockouts Across America parade, give up on the middleweight
division he has annihilated and find him some mega-fights that
will bring out his best.
Chuck
Liddell is waiting at 205. GSP (no matter what happens against
B.J. Penn) can move up and challenge at 185. Acquiring a second
title has always been Silva’s dream and should motivate
if he’s still rolling after that.
“I’ll
tell you this,” White said. “I wouldn’t want to
be the next dude that has to fight him because he’s not
happy.”
Then
raise the bar and bring it on.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Silva’s
actions unbefitting his stature
ROSEMONT,
Ill. – Anderson Silva played the humble act at the prefight
news conference prior to his middleweight title defense against
Patrick Cote at UFC 90 on Saturday at Allstate Arena.
As
everyone attempted to lavish praise upon him as the world’s
finest mixed martial artist, Silva declined to talk about it
in a act of apparent humility.
On
Saturday, he delivered another act that was not so becoming of
an athlete of his stature.
In
a lame attempt at humor, Silva made a mockery of himself, his
title and his sport in one of the most bizarre matches in UFC
history.
“I
think I’m living in an alternate universe,” a befuddled
UFC president Dana White said, shaking his head. “That was
bizarro world.”
Silva
retained the belt when Cote collapsed in agony 39 seconds into
the third round as he went to throw a punch. He later said he
aggravated an old knee injury and was heading to the hospital,
believing he had damaged the meniscus in his right knee. The
near-sellout crowd of 15,359 booed Cote roundly, but it was Silva
who really deserved its wrath.
There
was no fighting in the match, largely because Silva opted not
to fight. On the rare occasions Silva chose to engage, he got
far better of the few exchanges.
The
fighters met at the center of the cage seconds before it started
and bowed to each other, the first of a number of oddities in
an odd fight. It was a dreadful ending to a night otherwise filled
with good fights, but the man who has made so many electric moments
in the UFC instead chose to play a game which no one could understand.
At
the end of the first round, Silva’s corner was shouting
obscenities at him, urging him to fight.
But
Silva kept up the antics until the end. He’d periodically
engage and rake Cote with a hard shot, but for the most part
would circle, dance and slither away.
After
the fight, Silva at first was defiant and said he was simply
executing his strategy of trying to be elusive. It was only after
White admitted that he was upset and said publicly that Silva
had apologized to him that Silva changed his tune.
But
when Silva first spoke at the postfight news conference, he acted
as if nothing unusual had occurred.
“The
UFC has once again proven this is the best event in the world,”
Silva said. “I came in and did my job. My strategy was working.”
But
on this night, few were buying that weak argument. In the second
round, when Cote was down, Silva offered him a hand to help him
up, which Cote declined.
White
explained that best.
“It
was like Cote said, ‘[Expletive] you, we’re fighting,’
” White said.
Silva
had never been past 4:52 of the second round in seven previous
UFC fights, most of which he’d won in brutal and spectacular
fashion.
“His
track record in the UFC is that he annihilates people,”
White said.
And
it seemed that he could have annihilated Cote at the time of
his choosing, but he simply was opting for fun. He didn’t
throw a punch of consequence for nearly four minutes in the first
round, but when he opened up, he rocked Cote with a shot and
cut him with a knee to the forehead.
Silva
landed several good kicks and a couple of punches in the second
round that were clearly bothering Cote, who said he hurt his
knee kicking Silva in the second.
Cote
said he told his corner between rounds that his knee was bothering
him, but trainer Mark DellaGrotte told him to use his hands and
fight.
But
Cote didn’t have much of a chance. He hopped on his left
foot and was preparing to throw a punch when he said the knee
popped. He collapsed immediately and was shrieking in agony.
Referee Herb Dean appeared confused at first, but then halted
the fight and awarded Silva the technical knockout victory.
This,
though, wasn’t the glory-filled victory so many had expected
such as the ones that Silva had recorded over the likes of UFC
luminaries such as Rich Franklin (twice), Dan Henderson and Nate
Marquardt, among others.
There
was little glory in winning a fight in which the crowd frequently
booed him and once had it laughing at him. That’s especially
true considering the man standing across from him had lost his
first three UFC fights and who is now just a pedestrian 4-4.
A guy that White was boasting as the greatest mixed martial artist
he’d ever seen should do away with guys with 4-4 UFC records
in short order.
That’s
why, after a little reflection and hearing a few sharp words
from White, Silva decided he ought to apologize.
“I
apologize,” Silva said. “I worked hard in training
to go four or five rounds. I dropped from 230 pounds to 205 and
then to 185. I worked my butt off. I had a long camp preparing
for the fight. I owe you guys in the media, the fans and everyone
an apology. I was prepared, but it’s unfortunate what happened.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Notes:
Big wins for Sherk, Alves
ROSEMONT,
Ill. – Few would have blamed Sean Sherk if he had asked
for an easy foe after his last fight.
The
former UFC lightweight champion put in a forgettable performance
in the main event of May’s UFC 84, taking a three-round
drubbing at the hands of B.J. Penn.
Some
opponents would have taken a “safe” foe as a rebound
fight, but the veteran from Minnesota had other thoughts.
“I
called [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva and I asked for Tyson Griffin,”
Sherk said. “He’s a great young fighter and I wanted
to step right back in there and push myself.”
Silva
obliged, and the duo delivered. Sherk and Griffin dazzled the
Allstate Arena crowd with a standup slugfest that ended in a
unanimous decision victory for Sherk. Official scores were 30-27,
30-27, 29-28 for Sherk; Yahoo! Sports had it 29-28 Sherk.
“That
was a great fight,” said Sherk. “Tyson and I went at
it and gave the people a show. He’s a young kid and he’s
going to rebound from that.”
In
the loss to Penn, Sherk was on the wrong end of the standup game
from start to finish and was never able to unleash his trademark
takedowns. The degree of the beating led Sherk to go back to
the drawing board when he was ready to get back to the gym.
“I
was never able to get into range against B.J,” said Sherk.
“I felt like all my punches were coming up an inch short.
I went back and I really focused on the speed bag, my timing,
my footwork. I think you saw the results out there tonight.”
Both
Sherk (33-3-1) and Griffin (12-2) come from wrestling backgrounds,
but it rarely came into play. Sherk scored early takedowns in
each of the first round, but each time, the action quickly gave
way to sharp standup exchanges. Griffin held his own by working
an efficient jab, but Sherk was more aggressive over the first
two rounds and landed several crisp combos.
Trailing
on most scorecards, Griffin, nine years younger than the 35-year-old
Sherk, came out fired up for the third round. But Sherk managed
to avoid taking real damage and landed enough effective counters
to seal the fight.
The
match was named Fight of the Night by the UFC, with both combatants
earning $65,000 bonuses.
With
current lightweight champ Penn stepping up a class to challenge
Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight title Jan. 31, Sherk
is content to let things play themselves out before he presses
for a title rematch.
“The
division is stacked right now,” he said. “I’m
just going to have to wait and see where it goes.”
‘Pit
Bull’ claws way to top
Thiago
“Pit Bull” Alves confirmed his status as the next in
line for a welterweight title shot with a convincing victory
over a game Josh Koscheck.
It
was the second straight victory over a former NCAA champion wrestler
for the American Top Team standout, who scored his seventh consecutive
win. Similar to his June win over two-time former champion Matt
Hughes, Alves was able to stuff Koscheck’s attempted takedowns
and dominate the standup with his Muay Thai game, which may be
the second-best in the UFC behind Anderson Silva.
“I
think I’ve earned a shot at the title,” said Alves
(16-3). “I’ve worked my way up and beaten everyone
the UFC has asked me to fight. Josh is a good fighter and gave
me a good match tonight.”
For
Koscheck, the match was the sort in which the loser gained in
stature through his performance. Koscheck took the match on just
two week’s notice when Alves’ original foe, Diego Sanchez,
pulled out with an injury. Despite his inability to take the
fight to the ground, Koscheck withstood a tremendous amount of
punishment and kept fighting, scoring several moments in which
he had his opponent on the run.
“He’s
a strong dude,” said Koscheck (11-3). “You saw what
he was able to do out there. I tried to take him down but it
just wasn’t happening. I’ve got no excuses, the better
fighter won tonight.”
White
said Alves has earned a title shot, while acknowledging it would
take some time for Alves to get the shot, given St. Pierre is
fighting Penn at the end of January. Alves, for his part, said
he would be open to taking another match in the interim.
Odds
and ends
The
most intriguing non-televised match was Hermes Franca’s
unanimous decision win over Marcus Aurelio. The two lightweights
were former American Top Team teammates before Franca left the
camp, and engaged in spirited trash talk before the fight. Franca
deliberately threw an elbow at Aurelio before the match, as he
ran a lap inside the octagon. In the fight’s closing seconds,
Franca, who peppered Aurelio throughout the fight with low kicks,
taunted his opponent, dropping his hands and sticking out his
chin. Immediately after the match, Franca attempted to shake
hands with Aurelio, but the latter turned his back. The two shook
hands later. … Attendance was 15,389, just short of a sellout,
for an arena gate record $2.85 million.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Judo
success story in Thailand
Rafaela Lopes, Flavio Canto student, wins gold in judo
In
the dojo, Flavio Canto has proven his worth and talent (his list
of accomplishments is long; out of it, the judoka is also an
exemplary citizen, as he has been fighting for social causes
since 2003, when he founded Instituto Reacao (“Reaction
Institute”), which performs its services in low-income neighborhoods
in the city of Rio de Janeiro and serves around a thousand children
and youths, between the ages of four and 25 years of age.
Canto’s
most recent conquest was celebrated after Rafaela Lopes won gold
at the Youth Judo World Championship in Thailand. With the deed,
the Canto student became the third woman in Brazilian judo history
to achieve such a result.
Rafaela,
who is from the Cidade de Deus neighborhood (most famous for
the film “City of God”) and a few years back ran away
from home to sell candy at the stop light, now has a CV listing
a series of conquests: she is a judo world champion, twice Pan-American
champion, South American and Brazilian champion.
“I
started off in judo by chance. Before that I spent all my time
fighting in the street and causing trouble,” recalls the
shy Rafaela.
“Flavio
always provided me incentive and passed on to me his strong judo
ground game. One thing he always would say to me is that I have
to go into the fight respecting my adversary, but not fearing
her, as I have what it takes to win,” stated the judoka.
Flavio
Canto, considered one of the best judokas on the ground, is one
of the featured fighters in GRACIEMAG 102, which is on newsstands
in Brazil and on its way to subscribers now.
Check
out the final results of the competitions:
Category
(under 57kg):
1.
Rafaela Silva (BRA)
2. Automne Pavia (FRA)
3. Gemma Howell (GBR)
3. Tina Trstenjak (SLO)
5. Nesria Jelassi (TUN)
5. Liudmyla Marchenko (UKR)
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“Ten
persons who speak make more noise than ten thousand who are silent.”
Napoleon Bonaparte, 1769-1821, French General and Politician
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel
52
NEW TIME of 8:00 PM!
A new episode
that features the Pac Sub tournament at the MMA Expo.
We
talk to the pound for pound best fighter in the world, BJ Penn.
East
coast to Guam transplant and technical wizard, Mike Fowler shows
off his leopard print hair and explains how he got his BJJ black
belt in only 4 years!
K-
Team and Relson Gracie competitor supreme, Brad Scott talks shop.
Last,
but certainly not the least, the lovely, but fierce Mrs. Bjjtek
expounds her roll as the enforcer of the Hawaii Ground better
known as the HG.
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
Temple Of Boom
Full Results
Pro
MMA
135 Title - Kana Hyatt def Mike Pedro via submission (rnc) in
rd 1
145 - Brandon Visher def Reuben del Rosario via submission (kimura)
in rd 2
145 - Isaiah Cobb-Adams def Colin Mackenzie vis submission (guillotine)
in
rd 1
Pro
Boxing
135 - Isaac Arasato def Neil Sabbaghi via tko in rd 1
154 - Mike Balasi def Richard Barnard via decision
Amateur
Bouts
205 - Nalu Jones def Jorey Baysinger via decision
210 - Sean Desantos def Phillip Buenavisca via tko (strikes)
in rd 1
170 KB - Ben Santiago def Tyler Mayekawa via decision
145 - Paul Lopes def Kaniela Ahnee via decision
155 - Treston Rabellizsa def Franke Tano via submission (guillotine)
in rd 1
155 Triple Threat - Sebastian
Mariconda
def Keola Rabellizsa via submission
(armbar) in rd 3
|
SHERK
WANTS THE WINNER OF FLORIAN VS STEVENSON
Coming
off of a tough loss to now UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn
it would have been understandable if former title holder, Sean
Sherk, wanted to ease back into top competition with a couple
of warm up fights. The former champion wanted none of that for
UFC 90 and actually requested his opponent to ensure he'd stay
as a top contender in the division.
"I
asked for this fight, I actually asked for this fight. After
the Penn fight was over I could have very easily taken a couple
of steps down, taken a couple of tune up fights, to slowly work
my way back up," Sherk told MMAWeekly.com after the fight.
"I asked for Tyson Griffin, he's been winning a lot of fights,
he gets fight of the night, people look at him as a contender,
I want to be a contender again. I want to fight for another world
title. I want to be 2 time UFC champion, that's my goal."
Sherk
came out of the gate strong and maintained his stand-up for all
three rounds en route to a unanimous decision win over a very
tough opponent in Tyson Griffin. The Minnesota based fighter
talked about his gameplan going into the fight, and how he expected
the bout to go with Griffin.
"The
gameplan was to show a three dimensional fight, that's what I
want to do," Sherk stated. "I want to show some boxing,
want to show some wrestling, I want to show some ground stuff.
Tyson's a real hard guy to take down, I felt real comfortable
on the feet with him, so I didn't want to spend too much time
fighting for takedowns and burning too much energy."
While
Sherk did manage a couple of takedowns in the fight, the majority
of the battle took place on the feet and he did a great job of
setting up big combinations throughout the night to keep Griffin
off balance.
For
Tyson Griffin's part, he did attempt a couple of takedowns, which
Sherk says he expected, but overall the fight went exactly as
planned.
"I
expected him to shoot, I'm sure he expected me to shoot. But
I actually expected this to be a stand-up fight."
Following
the win and a $65,000 bonus from the UFC for his part in "Fight
of the Night", Sherk says his attention will turn to the
fight between Kenny Florian and Joe Stevenson, who he believes
are the 2 top contenders in the division.
"I
hope I get to fight the winner of those two, that's what I want
to happen," Sherk said in closing about the Florian/Stevenson
fight.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
THIAGO
ALVES WANTS TITLE SHOT
Thiago
Alves defeated Josh Koscheck at UFC 90 at the Allstate Arena
in Rosemont, Illinios Saturday evening by unanimous decision,
dominating the American Kickboxing Academy trained welterweight,
moving a step closer to a title bout with the winner of Georges
St-Pierre and BJ Penn scheduled for UFC 94 in Las Vegas.
"It's
just hard work paid off man. I've been training really hard and
working really hard trying to get to this point," Alves
told MMAWeekly.com "It's been paying off."
Alves
had Koscheck hurt early in the first round as a result of a counter-punch,
and had Koscheck in a lot of trouble in the final round. But
Koscheck would not be put away. "It was a great fight and
I had a lot of fun. Josh was a great opponent," commented
the American Top Team fighter. "Hats off to Josh. He's a
really tough guy. He took the fight on short notice. He's a true
warrior."
Alves
is on a roll, knocking out Karo Parisyan, doing the same to long-time,
former, UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes and defeating top
five ranked Josh Koscheck in his last three fights. "I'm
ready for the title," Alves stated. "I hope I get a
shot at the title next. I'm ready. I can't wait."
UFC
welterweight title holder Georges St-Pierre is expected to rematch
UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn early next year for the UFC
welterweight crown.
Asked
who he'd rather face, St-Pierre or Penn, Alves said, "My
opponent has no face. I'll fight the champion. I want to fight
against the best. It doesn't matter if it's BJ Penn or Georges
St-Pierre. It doesn't really matter. I just want to fight the
best."
ALVES INJURY
WON'T KEEP HIM OUT OF TITLE PICTURE
"It was a great fight and I had a lot of fun," Thiago
Alves told MMAWeekly.com following his three-round decision win
over Josh Koscheck at UFC 90 on Saturday night. "Josh is
a great opponent, so it was a lot of fun."
"It's
better to get the knockout," he quipped, "but it was
a great fight though."
He
especially would have appreciated the knockout since he was walking
around with his left hand heavily bandaged after the fight. It
wasn't a disastrous injury by any means, but the knockout would
have tempered the injury a bit more.
"I
think I dislocated it in the fight," said Alves. "It
will be fine though. It's nothing major."
And
he was correct. A spokesman at American Top Team on Monday confirmed
that Alves did suffer a dislocated thumb during the UFC 90 bout,
adding that he took some anti-inflammatory medicine for it and
it will be fine.
The
injury is nothing that should hinder Alves' forward progress
in the UFC welterweight division.
UFC
president Dana White said before the fight, "If you look
at Thiago... the two guys he just beat... the first guy to knock
out Karo Parisyan. He just knocked out Matt Hughes and Matt Hughes
had trouble taking him down. Koscheck beat Diego Sanchez, too.
If Koscheck came out and beat Thiago Alves Saturday night, he's
in line for a title shot. Thiago beats Koscheck; so is he."
White
reaffirmed that assertion at the UFC 90 post-fight press conference.
"This kid is definitely ready for a title shot," referring
to Alves. "It's a matter of time, letting the St. Pierre
vs. Penn fight happen; then we'll get him."
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
ULTIMATE
FIGHTER 9 DRAWS RECORD TRYOUTS
A record number of athletes turned out on Monday at the Crowne
Plaza Hotel in Chicago to try out for "The Ultimate Fighter
9." Besting the previous record of about 500 in Florida
for Season 5, according to Spike TV more than 700 fighters gathered
in Chicago.
That
number is in addition to the more than 200 respondents that swarmed
the tryouts in London a week ago, giving Spike and the Ultimate
Fighting Championship an ample number to choose from for Season
9.
The
next edition of The Ultimate Fighter is slated to begin filming
in January for a typical debut in April on Spike. The coming
season will feature a Team U.S.A. vs. Team U.K. theme with Michael
Bisping coaching the British contingent. The winner of the January
bout between Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson at UFC 93 in Ireland
is poised to head the U.S. team.
The
UFC has gone away from its original plan to include middleweights
as part of Season 9 – likely due to a number of WEC middleweights
likely to join the UFC fold with the dissolution of the division
in the WEC – and instead utilize welterweights and lightweights
for its international battle.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
DANA
WHITE COMMENTS ON THE SPOILS OF ELITE XC
With
all the news of ProElite’s collapse in the media, speculation
has surrounded the fate of its star athletes.
So
far, former Elite employees have predicted that fighter contracts
would become assets to be sold in bankruptcy court. Another scenario
could involve an investor or entity purchasing the contracts
from ProElite before proceedings begin.
The
UFC seems a logical suitor for several of the marooned fighters.
In the past two years, Zuffa, LLC has either bought out or signed
athletes from several shuttered organizations. Light heavyweights
Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida were acquired through the purchase
of the World Fighting Alliance, and recently, a host of fighters
from the bankrupt International Fight League were scooped up.
From
name recognition alone, EliteXC’s Gina Carano and Kimbo
Slice are money in the bank. But at the post-fight press conference
for UFC 90, UFC president Dana White said he was not interested
in them, for different reasons.
“I
think Gina Carano is a talented fighter, I think she’s a
star,” White said. “She should have been the main event
of that night, or Jake Shields. My thing with women fighting
is that there’s just not enough good women out there to
create a whole division. Could I do some one off fights here
and there, yeah, but that’s not really what we do.”
White
was not so kind about Elite’s other marquee name, Kimbo
Slice, but offered him a job—of sorts—nonetheless.
“If
he really wants to get into the UFC and he wants to fight, he
should get on ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’” White said.
“What has he done, other than getting ten million hits on
YouTube, what’s the guy done to deserve to be in the UFC?
Nothing. I don’t consider him a real athlete or anything.
He won’t win ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ The offer’s
out there if he wants to take it. He won’t win it.”
White
has reportedly maintained a good relationship with Shields, and
said he’d be interested in having the top ten welterweight
on his roster.
“We’re
always interested in having the best guys in the world,”
he said. “Jake Shields is obviously one of them.”
Shields
recently told MMAWeekly.com that the UFC was the most likely
option for his next career move. The first hurdle, it appears,
is his contract with Elite XC.
"I
don't want to get stuck in some complicated thing where they're
trying to hold onto my contract, trying to sell it," he
stated. "I want to be a free agent and then re-negotiate
contracts from there."
Little
is known on ProElite’s plans for the fighters in limbo.
It’s safe to say that no fighter wants to be tied up in
court, but that may happen unless White, or anyone, puts their
money where their mouth is.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Minotouro
touches down in Japan
Brazilian to debut at Sengoku Saturday
Gabriel Menezes
This
Saturday, while most people in the MMA world were awaiting the
broadcast of UFC 90, from the United States, Rogerio Minotouro
boarded his plane on his way to Japan, to face Frenchman Moise
Rimbon November 1st.
Minotouro,
who debuted with a win over Edwin Dewees at his appearance at
Aflliction, was waiting to find out his opponent and date for
the next Affliction show. After discovering he would be facing
Belarusian Vladimir Matyushenko in January, the Brazilian from
the state of Bahia started training for the task at hand. In
the mean time, however, while training for the January bout,
he received an offer to fight from Japan and didn’t waver
in accepting.
“I
was training hard to face Matyushenko, and as the fight was postponed,
I didn’t want to waste my preparations. I spoke to Joinha
(his manager, Jorge Guimaraes) and we managed to put together
a contract with Sengoku. They would like for me to go back to
Japan again. We’ve been working over there for eight years
already, so we have a strong name and great respect. It’s
a place I always dreamed of fighting in. I will fulfill that
dream once again. I hope to debut on the right foot,” said
Minotouro.
The
fighter found out more about Moise Rimbon on the internet. He
knows the Frenchman comes from a muay thai background, is good
with his knees and at closing the distance. “The fight will
be against a guy with a different style, because Matyushenko
is a fighter who goes for takedowns, but I was already training
hard. I will surely try and surprise him. The truth is, my objective
is always the same, I try for the finish and to represent Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu well,” said a confident Minotouro in finishing,
also stating he has been keeping up his pace in training Jiu-Jitsu,
wrestling and MMA.
Moise
Rimbon, at his last bout for Sengoku, his debut for the event,
submitted Peter Graham (career record of two losses in two fights)
by rear-naked-choke. Rimbon has fought 23 times, of which 13
were wins, seven losses and three draws.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Renzo
Gracie Legacy screened
Documentary was featured on US Sports Film Festival
Followed
by a entertaining press conference with Renzo Gracie and film's
author Gethin Aldous, "Renzo Gracie Legacy" was presented
at this Saturday's evening at Philadelphia's US Sports Film Festival.
The
documentary will be fully reviewed on November issue of GRACIEMAG
and can be pre-ordered through www.renzogracielegacy.com
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Marlon
Sandro crowned king of Pancrase
Brazilian still undefeated with 12 wins
Nova
Uniao’s Marlon Sandro maintains his undefeated record and
is now Pancrase’s featherweight champion, after achieving
his 12th win by decision win over Masaya “J-Taro” Takita,
in the main event of this Sunday’s Pancrase Shining Tour
event.
In
the Pancrase welterweight tournament semifinals, Hiroyuki Nozawa
and Tomoyoshi Iwamiya both went through with 3-0 decisions, over
Yuichi Ikari and Kiichi "Strasser" Kunimoto, respectively.
Check
out the complete results of the event that took place in Tokyo’s
Differ Ariake gymnasium. Results taken from www.japan-mma.com.
Featherweight
King of Pancrase
Marlon Sandro defeated Masaya "J-Taro" Takita by 3-0
Decision
Kenji
Arai drew with Tashiro Akai
Takuya Wada drew Masahiro Toryu
Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Yuichi Ikari by KO at 0:21 of round
1
Takafumi Ito defeated Takaichi Hirayama by 3-0 decision
Welterweight
Tournament Semi-Finals
Hiroyuki Nozawa defeated Asaki Honda by 3-0 decision
Tomoyoshi Iwamiya defeated Kiichi "Strasser" Kunimoto
by 3-0 decision
Takuya
Eizumi defeated Takayuki Hirayasu by TKO at 1:55min of round
2
Wataru Takahashi drew with Hiroshi Tanaka
Wataru Yoshikawa drew with Shigetomo Takahashi
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“Even
when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken."
Bertrand
Russell, 1872-1970, British Philosopher/Mathematician/Essayist
|
UFC
90: SILVA WINS, COTE BLOWS HIS KNEE OUT
Anderson Silva kept his winning streak in the UFC alive, but
not the way he wanted to finish the fight against Patrick Cote
as the young Canadian blew his knee out in an unfortunate situation
during the 3rd round of their championship bout.
As
the fight started, Cote kept to his promise to stand and trade
with the champion, but it seemed early on that he struggled to
get inside of Silva's reach, as well as throw any real power
shots.
Silva
wasn't able to get his opponent to step forward too much in either
of the first two rounds, so he became the aggressor at points.
The champion landed a devastating knee strike in the first round,
but Cote proved that he really does have one of the best chins
in all of MMA by surviving the onslaught.
The
2nd round went much the same way as Silva landed the only real
power shot of the time period, a big jab that sent Cote's head
snapping backwards, but again the contender shrugged off the
shot and kept going.
Commentator
Mike Goldberg noted in the 2nd session that Cote seemed to be
favoring his right leg, shaking it out, showing obvious pain
that came back to haunt him early in the 3rd round.
As
the third round began, Cote planted to throw a punch and immediately
fell to the ground, clutching his knee and thriving in pain.
Referee Herb Dean recognizing that the Canadian had seriously
injured himself, called the fight off and declared Silva the
winner.
Cote
explained the injury to Joe Rogan following the fight and showed
pride in his performance against the most dominant fighter in
the world today.
"The
fight was great before. I was chasing Anderson, I think I'm the
only guy who went with Anderson Silva to the third round in the
UFC, so I think I did a great job," Cote said. "I'm
sorry I didn't put on a good show, it's an old injury, I busted
my knee in the 2nd round and I tried to come back in the third,
but my knee just popped out."
Both
Cote and Silva apologized profusely to the disappointed crowd
in attendance after the main event ended after a very solid two
rounds.
"I
want to apologize to everyone in the stadium and everyone watching
on TV," Anderson Silva stated following his latest win.
"Fighters, you don't know what they go through, they go
through a lot of training, cutting weight, they fight being hurt,
and Patrick should not be booed. Because you don't what it's
like to be in here and go through a training camp like we all
do and he should be applauded. I'll be back here again to put
on another show for everybody."
The
middleweight king also commented on his opponent's toughness
and his willingness to fight Cote again in the future.
"Patrick
is a great athlete," Silva said. "We were putting on
the fight that the world wanted to see, an entertaining fight,
Patrick was here to fight, he was exchanging, it was a fun fight,
but unfortunately he got hurt, but we'll be back again."
While
the 15,359 fans in attendance were not greeted to the ending
they wanted, the event still managed a $2.85 million dollar live
gate for the event.
Just
after the event, MMAWeekly.com was able to confirm that Patrick
Cote did indeed blow his knee out, and according to the fighter
himself he believes it's a miniscus, not a torn ligament.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
90: ALVES DEFEATS A RELENTLESS KOSCHECK
Instinct drove Josh Koscheck to Thiago Alves' feet, and pure
will brought him to stand.
Despite
taking a tremendous amount of damage at the hands of the Brazillian,
Koscheck refused to back down from an obvious deficit in striking
ability, displaying a show of heart previously unseen.
The
American Kickboxing Academy welterweight came inches away from
a stoppage mid-way through the first round when Alves caught
him with a glancing left hook. Following with a right head kick
and right hand, Koscheck spent the rest of the first round shaking
the cobwebs out of his head.
Alves'
combinations were too much, though. Coupled with one of the best
outside leg kicks in the business, Alves' power and speed were
the decided advantage.
As
the fight wore on, Alves' kicks robbed Koscheck of the ability
to defend punching combinations. Alves stalked in, using inside
and outside leg kicks to distract Koscheck before firing off
combinations that found their mark.
Things
only got worse for Koscheck when he shot in. In the third, Alves
caught him with a short flying knee that again put him on roller
skates. But amazingly, Koscheck hung on and even gave Alves a
thumbs up.
The
unanimous decision in Alves' favor was of no surprise, and afterwards,
he politely asked for a title shot. Weight issues aside, Alves
has been a wrecking ball in the division.
"I'm
still a good boy, so please give me a title shot," Alves
asked UFC president Dana White in the cage afterwards.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
90: THE BULLY SHOWS NO LOVE
Gray Maynard continued his climb up the lightweight ladder as
he was able to take opponent Rich Clementi down numerous times
en route to a unanimous decision win at UFC 90 on Saturday night.
The
first few minutes of the fight made many wonder if Maynard was
sticking to a stand-up gameplan against Clementi, as he threw
big punches trying to catch his opponent off guard.
As
he noted after the fight, Maynard said he was hoping to display
his striking skills on Saturday night.
"I
wanted to strike a lot more, I have a great coach, we've been
boxing, he was kind of throwing me off," Maynard commented
following the win.
With
about 1:20 left in the first round, Maynard finally shot in for
the first takedown of the fight and from there he continuously
took Clementi down over and over again for the next two rounds
as well.
Unfortunately
for Clementi he was just unable to get out from under a very
powerful wrestler in Maynard, who controlled top position while
peppering the Louisiana native with punches and elbows.
Maynard
was hoping for a more exciting fight than what happened as he
apologized to the Chicago crowd following the bout. He did admit
that Clementi presented problems throughout the fight that forced
him to display his dominant wrestling game.
"He's
a vet, crafty," Maynard stated about Clementi after the
fight.
Maynard
now heads back to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas where he will wait
for his next fight, possibly a match-up against former UFC lightweight
champion, Sean Sherk, who defeated his teammate Tyson Griffin
earlier in the night.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
90: SANTOS UPSET WERDUM IN UFC DEBUT
Junior dos Santos made an impressive UFC debut, stopping Pride
veteran Fabricio Werdum with strikes early in the first round.
Santos, who trains with UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonoio
Rodrigo Nogueira made a bold statement in stopping Werdum, who
entered the fight looking to be next in line for a shot at the
UFC heavyweight.
Both
fighters started out passive as they traded low kicks for much
of the first minute sans for a takedown attempt from Werdum,
which Santos shrugged off with relative ease.
Shortly
after, Santos launched a huge uppercut that dropped Werdum as
he finished him off with strikes, prompting the referee to halt
the fight at 1:20 of the opening round.
“I
trained very hard for this fight and I train with the very best
in “Minotauro” Nogueira”.
“I
was very confident in my hands and had faith in my training”.
Santos
now instantly bolts himself into the UFC heavyweight title picture
with his impressive debut as he took out what looked to be the
next challenger in Werdum to make a successful UFC debut.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
90: SHERK BEGINS ROAD BACK TO THE TITLE
It’s been a tough year for Sean Sherk, but the former UFC
lightweight champion saw a ray of light in his career, decisioning
Xtreme Couture standout Tyson Griffin.
After
first losing his title to the California State Athletic Commission,
then failing to regain it against BJ Penn at UFC 84, Sherk asked
to face a top contender, and more than got his wish against Griffin.
Mirror
images in style and attack, the two waged a highly technical
stand up war, exchanging fast combinations in a fifteen-minute
war of attrition. Unable to hold each other down, the idea of
controlling from top position was a non-issue after the second
round.
Sherk
was able to take Griffin's back twice in the opening frame, but
Griffin would not be finished.
“Tyson
fights a lot like me,” Sherk said.
In
the pocket, Sherk’s left hook consistently scored points.
Griffin returned fire with an overhand right that damaged the
former champ, but neither backed down. The exchanges left their
mark on the faces of both fighters.
Sherk’s
early takedowns and ability to keep Griffin at bay put him ahead
on all judges scorecards, with two 29-28 scores and one vote
at 30-27.
But
Sherk acknowledged it was a close call.
"I
felt like I was a little more active and landed more punches
and I had a couple of takedowns and I got his back twice,”
Sherk said afterwards. “It was a close fight, but I was
convinced that I won the fight.”
With
the win, Sherk begins his road back to the title.
“I
want another shot at that belt,” Sherk said.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
90: PRELIMS FIGHT REPORT
Nova Uniao’s Thales Leites made quick work of Drew McFedries
with an impressive submission victory over Drew McFedries. Leites
took the Miletich fighter down and was able to take control of
his back. Using his right leg to immobilize McFedries’ right
arm, Leites sunk in a rear naked choke, forcing his opponent
to tap in the first.
“I’m
very happy the UFC gave me another opportunity,” commented
the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. “This is what I trained
all my life for. He accepted the fight on short notice and I
appreciate it.”
Spencer
Fisher extended his winning streak to two fights with a late
submission victory over Shannon Gugerty. “The King”
had a little trouble early dealing with his much taller opponent
in the opening round. Fisher was able to fend off the majority
of Gugerty’s takedown attempts later in the fight and surprise
him with a triangle choke finish in the final round.
“I
tried to (pull his head down), but he’s a good Jiu-Jitsu
guy. I’ve been in a lot of wars and I’ve fought a lot
of great guys and he showed a lot of heart,” said Fisher.
“I wanted to submit him. I submitted a guy at his own game.”
Dan
Miller and Matt Horwich engaged in a battle of former IFL champions.
Horwich used the rubber guard effectively early on, transitioning
into an omaplata on many occasions. In the end, it was the takedowns,
ground control and submission escapes of Miller that earned him
a unanimous decision.
In
the grudge match between former instructor and student, Marcus
Aurelio had every intention of defeating Hermes Franca. The American
Top Team entered the Octagon first. When Franca made his entrance,
he shoved Aurelio as he made his way around the cage. The altercation
was quickly broken up.
After
the start of the fight, it was clear that both fighters wanted
to win badly and end the personal grudge between the accomplished
Brazilians. The American Top Team fighter was unable to overcome
Franca’s powerful low kicks that dictated the flow of the
fight. In the end, the student defeated his former instructor
and Hermes Franca’s hand was raised after three rounds.
“I
thought that maybe it would be a boring fight. I know his game,
he knows my game. I tried to fight but he was stepping back,”
said Franca. “It’s over. That’s what real men
do, they fight and they shake hands.”
Pete
“Drago” Sell made a successful welterweight debut with
a unanimous decision victory over Josh Burkman. Sell outworked
Burkman with precise striking in the later rounds as “The
People’s Warrior” fatigued. Burkman won the first round
decisively, utilizing his wrestling to keep Sell on the mat.
“Never
quit in life. Do your thing and go for it,” said Sell.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ROLI
DELGADO'S ULTIAMTE FIGHTER 8 BLOG:
WEEK 6
Sometimes the good guys don't win. I'll recap the episode in
chronological order. The episode shows more about Frank Mir questioning
me about my Black Belt. I have no problem explaining myself to
people, but the way Frank went about asking me I thought was
low-brow to say the least. It really put me on the spot and was
an awkward situation. However, what's done is done, Frank is
under scrutiny now for giving a Black Belt to someone who has
been training just over two years. I'd like to see him explain
how that works on TV!
Anyway,
later in the show we are treated to some of the mind games Junie
tries to play with me. First the fight announcement, Junie brings
a Black Belt and hands it to me. This is not enough to get a
reaction from me and I just put it back around Junie's neck.
I think Junie was upset that I didn't get mad and he decides
to throw it on the ground and spit on it.
This
really upset a lot of the coaches on both sides. However it didn't
upset me in the least. It was very transparent. After all that
Junie had done there was nothing he could do to surprise me or
take me out of my game. You could see me just laughing it off;
it had no affect on me.
Later
you can see Junie trying to get to me in the house. He claims
that he will knock me out in the first round. If he doesn't then
I'll win! LOL, I told him okay. Junie was lost trying to get
me fired up; the mind games were not very affective. I didn't
have enough respect for Junie to allow him to upset me. The time
would come where there would be no more talking.
We
have the weigh-ins and all I had to do to make weight was skip
breakfast, no running, sweating, just skipped a meal. Junie on
the other hand was still a few pounds over and struggling.
You
could see that the other members of the team had to help motivate
him because the coaching staff was so fed up with Junie. This
was a lack of leadership in my eyes. The worst part about Junie
taking so long was that it was cutting into our training session
that was supposed to start right after the weigh-ins.
After
all of that drama you see my reenactment of Rocky 2 (many people
have made this analogy)! You see Mick played by Al Stanky and
then myself playing the role of Balboa! It was funny to see on
TV.
When
Al told me to hit the speed bag I thought, "Oh crap this
is going to be bad." When the camera was right in my face
I knew I'd see this moment again. Thank god they showed me get
it at the end! Al really put in a lot of time with me in for
this fight and I am extremely grateful. If he's good enough for
Nog, he's good enough for me. Al's a real coach; he prepares
you mentally and physically.
The
fight! Nog mentions that I grew more confident in the fight.
To be honest, I was always confident. I didn't buy the Junie
Browning hype machine. You can see in round one, I clearly won
with better kick's punches and footwork. I was on a roll. Except
where I got hit with a few good punches at the end of the round.
Those shots stole my mojo! People don't think that Junie hits
hard? LOL, I suggest they take some of those shots. I just happen
to have a good chin.
Round
two - I had no idea how bad I did in that round until I watched
it. In my head I was only exhausted for a minute or so. However,
I pretty much was taking hard shots and body shots the whole
time. Junie really pressed forward this round. When I fell, it
wasn't a flash knockout, more of a slip. I take the shot, then
step and then fall. You can see when I immediately start working
to half guard that I'm fine. Junie does the smart thing and gets
up immediately. Later in the round you can see me telling him,
"You can't hurt me, you can't," after a few shots.
All except the last 15 seconds was him. I came on in the end
with a small combo as he started to tire.
Round
three was the championship round. We both were just trying to
win. I was winning the beginning of the round. Somewhere around
the two-minute mark he caught my foot and put me down. He used
this time to take a break and steal the clock. I was asking him
to come into my guard saying, "Let's do some jiu-jitsu,"
but again he played his game. Realizing that the ref was in no
hurry to stand us up I had to stand up into the fire. I knew
I was going to take a shot on the way up; luckily it grazed me.
In my mind I knew I had to get up if I was going to win. The
round ends and we wait for the decision.
When
I hear Junie gets the split decision, I threw my mouth peace
and headed for the locker room. I was crushed. I was so close
to the next round and missed it. People have been asking me about
how emotional I was after that loss. It's the closest thing to
dying that I can imagine. Whenever I lose a fight again, I'm
sure it will be the same. That's how much I don't want to lose.
After
the fight, everyone was pumped up. They enjoyed the drama, the
trash talk in the ring and the slugging. The coaches on my team
were proud of me even though I didn't win. Drago, our strength
coach, gave the winners of their fights a Brazilian Olympic pin.
He gave me one and said that I didn't lose. It was a very nice
gesture and meant a lot to me. After one day of training he said,
"You're our surprise, Roli." I wish I had fulfilled
that prophecy.
In
all, Junie is a silly kid, but behind that is a good person.
The public is seeing him at his worst and there is still more
to come. However, this guy's going to grow up and become a more
well rounded individual.
I
hope that at least my fight can inspire some of my fighters to
never quit. Some fighters would find a way out of the cage after
shots like that but when I'm coaching my guys through a tough
fight, at least they will know that I have been there too! That's
the only silver lining I can find from that loss.
I'd
like to say thanks to a lot of the people that have supported
me before and after this loss. You guys are ALL appreciated.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Most
of my advances were by mistake. You uncover what is when you
get rid of what isn't."
R. Buckminster Fuller, 1895-1983, American Architect and Engineer
|
HFC
Stand Your Ground IX
Friday,
November 7, 2008
Dole Cannery Ballroom
Stand
your Ground XI will be on Friday, November 7, 2008 @ the Dole
Cannery Ballrooms.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Show starts @ 7:00 p.m.
Thank you so much for all of your support.
Take Care and God Bless- Sly
|
UFC
90 'Silva vs. Cote' Live Play-By-Play Results
by Moses Utomi
Live results of the main card of UFC 90 "Silva vs Cote"
from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
Lightweights: Sean Sherk (156) vs. Tyson Griffin(155)
R1:
Sherk gets a takedown early and quickly transitions to Griffin's
back. Griffn escapes to striking distance. The fighters exchange
before Sherk scores another double-leg. Griffin pops back to
his feet. Sherk is countering with hooks when Griffin attacks.
Griffin seeks a takedown, but Sherk sprawls and takes his back.
Griffin escapes again and the fighters trade combos, with heavy
punches landing for both. Griffin's right ear and left eye are
bleeding from small cuts.
R2:
Griffin lands a hard body kick to start the round. Sherk scores
a takedown, but Griffin gets up. A hard knee and left hook land
for Sherk. Sherk lands a right hand that's answered by Griffin.
Sherk throws a hook comb and finishes with a low kick. Griffin
responds with a punch combo to the body. Griffin begins to take
the offensive with hard low kicks. Sherk makes him hesitate with
short punch flurries. Intense exchanges get cheers from the crowd
to finish the round.
R3:
Griffin comes out aggressively and rocks Sherk with a hook combo.
Sherk throws a combo to keep Griffin at bay as he regains his
composure. The fighters exchange punch combos, with Sherk adding
a knee for good measure. With 30 seconds left, both fighters
begin throwing fiercely to roars of approval from the crowd.
The
Judges score it 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 for Sean Sherk.
Sean
Sherk wins via Unanimous Decision
Heavyweights:
Fabricio Werdum (256) vs. Junior Dos Santos(234)
R1:
Werdum is landing low kicks early and keeping his distance. Dos
Santos lands a huge right uppercut that drops Werdum then follows
up with strikes on the ground until the referee puts a stop to
the fight.
Dos
Santos wins via KO at 1:20 of round 1
Lightweights:
Rich Clementi (155) vs. Gray Maynard (156)
R1:
After a feeling out process, Maynard lands a straight right.
Clementi lands an inside leg kick. Maynard is swinging with power,
but landing sparingly. Maynard scores a big takedown and lands
in half guard. Clementi defends well and gets back to full guard.
Maynard lands a few shots before the round ends.
R2:
Maynard snaps back Clementi's head with a straight. Maynard pushes
for the takedown and gets it. Clementi goes for the sweep and
gets back to his feet. Maynard scores a single leg, but lands
with his left arm primed for an omaplata. Clementi goes for the
submission, but Maynard slips out and pushes back into Clementi's
half guard. Clementi slips out, but Maynard is quick to stay
on him and works his way into side mount.
R3:
Clementi comes out pushing the pace, but Maynard takes him down.
Maynard works from half guard, but Clementi gets to guard. Maynard
passes to side mount, but Clementi squirms out. Maynard works
around and takes his back. Clementi stands, but Maynard once
again takes him down. Clementi sweeps and nearly takes Maynard's
back, but Maynard is too quick. Maynard scores a third takedown
to close out the match.
All
three judges score the fight 30-27.
Gray
Maynard wins via Unanimous Decision
Welterweights:
Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Thiago Alves (171)
R1:
Both fighters are being very cautious in their approach. Alves
lands a big shot and drops Koscheck. Alves moves in for the kill,
but Kos shoots for a single. Alves pushes it away and Kos looks
to have recovered. Alves is firing his snapping low kicks. Kos
lands hard punches to the head and body. Kosckeck lands a good
right and clinches against the fence. Alves lands a hard knee
to the head as Koscheck goes for the takedown, but Koscheck hangs
on. Alves slips away from the takedown attempt and goes back
to work with kicks.
R2:
Alves is working the jab early. Koscheck lands a leg kick and
follows with a blocked overhand right. Alves lands a leg kick
and Koscheck counters with a straight and a knee against the
fence. Alves lands a hard outside leg kick. Alves is pushing
the pace with kicks. Koscheck lands a hard right to the body.
Koscheck shoots for a takedown and pushes Alves against the fence.
Alves defends well.
R3:
Alves comes out powerfully and lands a big knee. He follows it
up with punches against the fence, but Kos slips away and looks
to be regaining his bearings. Alves shrugs off a takedown and
breaks away. Kos takes time out after an eye poke. Alves is landing
more heavy leg kicks and keeping his distance. Alves takes time
off after being poked in the eye as well. Ales comes out aggressively
and buckles Kos with a leg kick. Alves is hitting and running
as the fight closes.
The
judges score the fight 30-27, 29-28, and 30-27 for Thiago Alves.
Thiago
Alves wins via Unanimous Decision
Middleweights:
Anderson Silva (184) vs. Patrick Cote (183)
R1:
Cote is throwing, but Anderson is calmly circling. Two minutes
in, Silva finally throws a leg kick. Silva lands a kick and Cote
counters with a big right. Silva lands a knee in the clinch then
backs away. Anderson is casually walking around the ring with
his hands down. Silva lands another leg kick. Silva bows as the
round ends.
R2:
Cote takes a hard straight to the face. Silva follows with a
missed kick to the head and the fighters clinch against the cage.
Cote breaks away from the clinch with a heavy right. Cote shoots
for a takedown, but Silva reverses and lands on top. Silva lands
an elbow from Cote's guard and stands out. Silva offers a hand
to help Cote up, but the French Canadian denies. Cote lands a
kick to the body. Cote is throwing hard, but Silva is avoiding
the strikes. Cote goes for a single leg, but Anderson shrugs
it off and lands knees to the body.
R3:
Cote lands an overhand right and a leg kick to start the round.
Suddenly, Cote collapses to the ground in pain. Herb Dean watches
for a few seconds, but is forced to call the fight over. Upon
replay, it looks like Cote's knee popped out of place.
Anderson
Silva wins via TKO at :39 of round 3
Preliminary Bouts:
Drew McFedries (186lbs) vs. Thales Leites (186lbs) - thales by
Submission - Rear naked choke R1
Shannon Gugerty (156lbs) vs. Spencer Fisher (155lbs) - Fisher
by Submission - triangle choke R3
Matt Horwich (186lbs) vs. Dan Miller (185lbs) - Miller by Unanimous
Judges Decision R3
Marcus Aurelio (156lbs) vs. Hermes Franca (156lbs) - Franca by
Unanimous Decision R3
Pete Sell (170lbs) vs. Josh Burkman (171lbs) - Sell by Unanimous
Decision R3
Source: MMA Fighting
|
EliteXC’s
Top 10 Moments
by Danny Acosta
News of EliteXC’s demise shook the mixed martial arts world
on Monday, as an entire stable of fighters suddenly found themselves
without a place to work. Any number of reasons behind the 2-year-old
promotion’s downfall could be chiseled into its tombstone:
Foray
into mixed martial arts failed for boxing promoters.
Organization
walked down the same green mile as the World Fighting Alliance,
the International Fight League and Bodog Fight.
Promotion
unraveled after scandal involving street fighter and UFC retread.
While
EliteXC offered just as much controversy as excitement, it enjoyed
many bright spots during its 20-month run.
10.
Smith Knocks Out Noke
Mixed
results in the UFC left Smith outside the Octagon after he failed
to capitalize on his appearance on season four of “The Ultimate
Fighter.” Hoping to restore the promise he brought to the
UFC from the Northern California circuit, the heavy-handed middleweight
came out tentative in EliteXC’s circular cage when he debuted
against Australian Kyle Noke at “Street Certified”
in February. The Aussie’s boxing skills were praised by
the announce team as the fight entered the second round. Seven
seconds into the period, Noke hit the ground, knocked out cold
after a right hand from Smith found its mark. The eternally hyperbolic
Mauro Ranallo exclaimed the strike was so devastating that it
“rearranged his DNA.” “Hands of Steel” carried
the momentum into two slugfests with EliteXC middleweight champion
Robbie Lawler on CBS. Their first bout ended in a no contest
after Smith was poked in the eye. Lawler finished him decisively
in their rematch two months later.
9.
Villasenor Flattens Jensen
When
Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos was unable to fight Joey
Villasenor at a co-promoted event between Strikeforce and EliteXC
in March, Ryan Jensen stepped in on short notice. Jensen was
coming off two submission losses to Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizards
Thales Leites and Demian Maia in the UFC. He thought his match
up with Villasenor was more favorable. However, in the cage,
it was a different story, as the Greg Jackson protégé
hit Jensen with a right hand that sent him skidding across the
mat. Villasenor picked up another stoppage win over Phil Baroni
following the devastating knockout and was training for his rematch
with Lawler and another chance at EliteXC’s middleweight
strap when the promotion ceased operations.
8. “Krazy Horse” Pinched
EliteXC
saw a potential star in Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett.
The law had a different view. Slated to settle an earlier draw
against Victor Valenzuela, the former Pride veteran was one of
the promotion’s main offers on a co-promotion with Strikeforce
in June 2007. During a pre-fight press conference, EliteXC Live
Events President Gary Shaw revealed Bennett was absent because
“I couldn’t spring him.” The arrest kept Bennett
from making the fight. Shaw’s deadpanning was not seen by
most fans, but his genuine concern for the fighter was eclipsed
by needlepoint frustration that created a priceless look on his
face. Not even a Bennett moonsault could break the disappointment
and tension in the room, but Shaw and EliteXC stuck to their
guns. They even gave Bennett another fight.
7.
Rogers, Murphy Make History
Heavyweights
Brett Rogers and Jon Murphy may not be the most popular or talented
mixed martial artists, but they have their place in the history
books, as theirs was the first MMA fight to ever appear on live
network television. “Grim” made Murphy pay for being
bypassed in the Kimbo Slice lottery, as he put away his opponent
with stiff right hooks at EliteXC “Primetime” in May.
Rogers may never get the match for which he clamored now that
EliteXC has folded. The Team Bison representative carries an
undefeated record into the free agent market, where heavyweight
prospects are at a premium.
6.
Shields Armbars Daley
Jake
Shields worked hard to solidify himself as one of the world’s
best welterweights, despite fighting outside the UFC. In Paul
Daley, he ran into an explosive striker on a solid winning steak
who could add some personality and pre-fight drama to the mix.
The undersized British banger carried a reputation as the UK’s
top welterweight, lending more credibility to a dominating win
by Shields at EliteXC “Heat” earlier this month. Shields
avoided damage standing and secured a second-round submission.
The performance sent the San Franciscan into free agency on a
good note.
5.
Lawler Pounds “Ninja”
A
loss to Jason “Mayhem” Miller slowed Robbie Lawler’s
momentum, but he rebounded violently against Joey Villasenor,
Eduardo Pamplona and, most memorably, Frank Trigg en route to
recapturing his ICON Sport middleweight championship. He then
stepped up to fight inaugural 185-pound EliteXC champion Murilo
“Ninja” Rua in a title-versus-title bout at EliteXC
“Uprising” in September 2007. A Pride veteran who had
rebuilt his reputation in Cage Rage and stopped Villasenor to
win EliteXC gold, Rua had restored much of the luster he lost
toward the end of his Pride career. When Lawler overcame a slow
start and capitalized on a battered and tired Rua in the third
round, he finished the Brazilian with hellacious fists -- standing
and on the ground. The effort again made Lawler a feared man
at 185 pounds.
4.
Noons Captures Lightweight Title
When
knees are mentioned in MMA, controversial cut stoppages are not
the first thought that comes to mind. Karl James Noons entered
EliteXC’s first lightweight title match at “Renegade”
in November 2007 as a heavy underdog to Diaz, who had been rejuvenated
by a rare gogoplata submission over Pride kingpin Takanori Gomi.
Noons stuck to a sprawl-and-brawl game plan, and Diaz’s
superior submission game led to his shooting constantly and resulted
in his catching a well-timed knee from Noons. Doctors stopped
the fight in between rounds on the stool. Celebration and middle
fingers sprang forth from the two corners, igniting a heated
feud between Diaz and Noons.
3.
Carano Steals Spotlight
Female
MMA hit center stage the same night EliteXC did. Carano, a 3-0
muay Thai prospect, put on an exciting nine-minute fight against
Julie Kedzie at “Destiny” in February 2007. Her good
looks and crowd-pleasing style unleashed a flood of new fans
when the show was over. A main event marred by Frank Shamrock’s
disqualification against Renzo Gracie funneled even more of the
attention to Carano. As one half of female MMA’s first high-profile
fight in North America, Carano took the momentum and launched
a career that, despite issues with making weight, still runs
strong today. However, the void left by EliteXC’s demise
presents a new test for Carano, who will always be considered
a pioneer in the sport.
2.
Slice Pops Thompson’s Ear
James
Thompson’s grotesque cauliflower ear provided the horror
and allure for his fight with Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson
at EliteXC “Primetime” in May. EliteXC’s debut
on CBS brought with it the hope for an absence of extreme bloodshed.
However, by pushing the street brawler turned mixed martial artist
into the cage with Thompson, EliteXC seemed destined for no other
result. After a strong start, Slice faded in the second round
before rupturing his British adversary’s ear with a punch
early in the third. The victory -- albeit controversial -- gassed
up the Kimbo Slice bandwagon. It remains the most-viewed MMA
match in history.
1.
Petruzelli Debunks Myth
Seth
Petruzelli clipped Slice with a right hand and finished the Web
sensation in 14 seconds in an impromptu main event at EliteXC
“Heat” on Oct. 4. Though the fight drew millions of
viewers to primetime television, Slice’s image was shattered
at the hands of a man scheduled to fight on the undercard in
a different weight class. The loss -- and fallout from Petruzelli’s
post-fight interview in which he claimed he was paid to stand
with Slice -- will be viewed as the final nail in EliteXC’s
coffin. As Frank Shamrock asserted in a recent interview with
Sherdog.com, what Slice does in MMA from this point forward will
determine whether or not he was the star EliteXC claimed and
will reflect heavily on the organization’s legacy.
Source: Sherdog
|
Aleks
Emelianenko Talks Hep B, Randy Couture And His Brother Ivan
It wasn't supposed to be this way. When Aleksander Emelianenko
was announced opposite Paul Buentello on Affliction's stellar
inaugural fight card, fan's rejoiced.
Aleksander had been pretty much M.I.A. for the better part of
two years, save a few B-level events for M-1 and HCF. His brother
Fedor was scheduled to headline the card and fans were sold the
return of two Emelianenko's for the price of one. People were
obviously disappointed when Aleks was forced to withdraw from
the fight due to Visa issues and Emelianenko was further humiliated
with rumors that he had tested positive for Hepatitis B; a condition
which would preclude him from fighting again in the U.S.
"I
came late, couldn't get my Visa in time and I was not allowed
to fight," Emelianenko told The Fight Network. "I'm
healthy."
Emelianenko
has a wealth of talent. His brother Fedor has stated that Aleks
is an even more naturally talented fighter than himself.
That's
high praise coming from the world's consensus number one heavyweight.
If
he really is healthy, then fans should expect to see him in with
another big promotion soon. Aleks himself has stated that he's
open to fighting anywhere, including the UFC.
"Yes,
I would fight in the UFC," he said. "It makes no difference
to me where I fight, or who I fight. I see myself fighting 10-15
years down the road"
For
now he is scheduled to fight against Korean prospect Sang Soo
Lee. on Nov. 21 at M-1 Challenge 9. Though Alex appears to be
looking toward future showdowns with higher ranked opponents.
"All
of my opponents were good," he said. "But my most difficult
fights lie ahead."
Aleks
also was quick to offer up his opinion on Randy Couture. Asked
if Couture could beat his brother he offered the following:
"No,
not a chance!"
Asked
how he himself would do against the legendary American fighter,
Emelianenko was confident.
"He
is a very solid, experienced fighter... It would be an honor
to fight him and I would definitely beat him."
The
fighting Emelianenko's also have another member coming up, Fedor
and Alek's younger brother Ivan who is a middleweight. Apparently
Ivan, who was a boxer is now training Sambo and MMA, wants to
make a career of MMA.
"If
he wants, he can be the best," said Emelianenko.
If
genetics have anything to do with it there can be no question.
Source: Fight Line
|
Lesnar
Reps Give Mazzagatti Thumbs Down
by Brian Knapp
Representatives for Brock Lesnar on Wednesday requested that
the Nevada State Athletic Commission remove Steve Mazzagatti
from consideration as referee for the upcoming five-round title
fight between their client and UFC heavyweight champion Randy
Couture.
The
anticipated bout, which pairs the hulking former World Wrestling
Entertainment superstar with the UFC hall of famer, will headline
UFC 91 on Nov. 15 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Citing
Mazzagatti’s officiating in Lesnar’s UFC debut against
Frank Mir in February, attorneys David Olsen and Brian Stegeman
made their aversion to the referee’s presence known at a
regularly scheduled NSAC meeting. The attorneys claimed Mazzagatti
was “involved in what we believe was a controversial ruling
in connection with the Mir-Lesnar fight.” They asked that
Mazzagatti be removed from consideration for the UFC 91 main
event to avoid “distraction” and “any further
controversy.”
During
the Lesnar-Mir match at UFC 81 -- a match Mir won by first-round
submission -- Mazzagatti deducted a point from Lesnar for an
illegal blow to the back of Mir’s head. Up to that point,
Lesnar had dominated the former UFC champion and appeared to
be on the verge of forcing a stoppage.
NSAC
Executive Director Keith Kizer commended Mazzagatti for his work
at UFC 81 and did not remove him from consideration.
“I
think Mazzagatti did a great job that night,” Kizer said.
Along
with Mazzagatti, Herb Dean, Josh Rosenthal and Mario Yamasaki
were under consideration to officiate the Couture-Lesnar match.
Yamasaki was ultimately awarded the bout, which marks the 45-year-old
Couture’s return to the cage for the first time since he
stopped Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga on strikes at UFC 74 in August
2007.
Correction:
Sherdog.com initially reported that Kizer had granted the attorneys’
wishes to remove Mazzagatti from consideration, though Kizer
later clarified the referee was still considered for the bout.
Source: Sherdog
|
Wanderlei
Silva training to score a hat-trick
By Guilherme Cruz
Getting
ready to face Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for the third
time in career, Wanderlei Silva isn’t resting in Las Vegas.
The man behind Wandy’s preparation, Rafael Alejarra seeks
a hat-trick over Rampage. “I want another victory, it doesn’t
matter if it comes with a knockout, submission or decision. Score
is a score, we want the victory and go after the belt. The most
important is the victory, and we wanna a great one. We have the
goal and we’ll fight smart to win”, said Alejarra,
commenting Wanderlei’s training.
“The
training is excellent, he’s 60% ready, just wait for the
fight comes. We didn’t stop training since his last fight,
we’re strong and focused on everything, Wrestling, Boxing…
We just came from a Muay Thai class and we’re developing
every technique”, told the physical coach to TATAME, who’s
opening a training center with Silva in Vegas. “Wanderlei
keeps the sparring trainings at Xtreme Couture, but now we can
do some training in the octagon at our training center, but he’ll
keep doing sparring at Couture’s gym, because there he has
a lot of great sparrings to do”.
Source: Tatame
|
Vera
Held at Gunpoint
by Lotfi Sariahmed
With his training camp in its latter stages and his bout with
Keith Jardine at UFC 89 less than two weeks away, Brandon Vera
woke up around 4 a.m. with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, Lloyd
Irvin, standing over his bed.
“He
said, ‘Hey Brandon’ and I thought it was a bad dream,”
Vera recalled. “I thought he was going to make me work out.
He said, ‘Right now I’m being robbed. I need you out
of bed. You need to be quiet. Just calm down, just relax and
don’t say anything.’”
In
an incident first reported by BloodyElbow.com, two men had entered
Irvin’s house through his basement window early that morning.
Vera was staying at the house with Irvin’s wife, child and
a mutual friend, Thad. The men gathered Irvin, his wife, child
and Vera into a room upstairs eventually forcing Vera and Irvin’s
wife to lie flat on the ground. The men were very organized.
“They
were lined up in stagger formation a few feet apart and three
to five feet from us so there was no way we could make contact
with them, but they could make contact with us,” said Vera.
“They spoke in clear and concise language. They were pros
and that’s what bothered me the most about them. They knew
what they were doing exactly and what they were going for.”
Once
the two men had Vera, Irvin and his family in one room, one of
them went across the hall to go get Thad. When he left the room
Irvin made his move.
“As
soon as he left, Master Lloyd starting telling him that he was
going to throw up, saying, ‘I don’t feel good. I don’t
understand what you’re telling me to do,’" said
Vera. "The guy is pointing around with the gun trying to
tell Master Lloyd what to do and Master Lloyd said every time
he saw the gun wave to the side he said, ‘Got it. Got it.
Got it.’ And then he said the guy waved the gun one more
time and that’s when he just grabbed it, pinned him up against
the wall, pushed the gun into his stomach and pushed the release
on the gun for the magazine to drop out.”
Irvin
then dropped to the floor to grab the gun and he gave Vera another
gun he had in the house. Irvin fired a shot from his son’s
upstairs bedroom window into the backyard as the two men fled
the scene. The police were called to the scene soon after to
put an end to an experience Vera described as “surreal.”
“I
went and trained the morning after,” said Vera. “Later
on I went to train for a session that evening. I was still nervous
about being in a crowd. I had to sleep with a gun on me. I’m
getting my license so I could carry wherever I go now. It’s
changed my thinking a lot because if it could happen to me it
could happen to anybody. It doesn’t matter where you’re
living at, neighborhood or wherever.”
Amazingly,
Vera said the experience didn’t have an effect on him during
his fight. To the contrary, Vera cherishes his light heavyweight
contest last Saturday in Birmingham, England, even though he
ended up on the wrong end of a split decision to Jardine.
“I
can honestly tell you that was my most favorite fight ever,”
he said. “I enjoyed that fight immensely. The whole thing
was great. We just kept hitting each other really hard. That
was a growing, learning experience for me. That fight was bad
ass; I enjoyed it thoroughly.”
Vera’s
loss to Jardine was the third in his last four bouts, however,
prompting UFC President Dana White to comment that Vera “doesn’t
have that killer instinct” and that he “hasn’t
been the same guy” since Vera took that year off because
of contract issues. Vera just chalks the comments up to business.
“Man,
I went to a split decision with a guy that knocked out the current
champ and won a decision with Chuck Liddell the former champ,”
said Vera, who has one bout remaining on his UFC contract. “I
mean its business. Now we have to renegotiate my contract and
him saying that out in public makes him a good case for not paying
me any more. It’s just the employee wants more money and
the boss just doesn’t want to pay more -- that’s just
how it is. That’s going to be one of those arguments up
there along with abortion, religion and politics. It’s always
going to be like that. It’s fine.”
At
least Vera’s life-altering experience hasn’t hampered
his sense of humor. During those few tense moments, Vera said
this thought crossed his mind.
"I
remember going inside and I remember thinking, ‘How come
you didn't show up earlier so I didn't have to go through this
stupid training camp?’" he told Sherdog.com. "‘You
should have come when I was out of shape and fat before I went
through hell.’"
Source: Sherdog
|
Showtime
May Look Elsewhere for MMA Programming
By Tim Ngo
Just because ProElite has officially folded, it doesn’t
mean that Showtime is going to leave the MMA game for good. With
ProElite’s announcement that they were going to close its
doors, Showtime officials said the following in a statement,
“In view of Showtime’s leadership role in sports programming,
including boxing and mixed martial arts, we intend to explore
other opportunities.”
Obviously it would be too early to tell if they intend to use
another promotion or start up their own. Showtime was consistent
with ProElite over their partnership as they aired both EliteXC
and ShoXC events and was the main reason behind the deal with
CBS.
CBS
will most likely shy away from any Mixed Martial Arts content
for the foreseeable future as ratings for “Saturday Night
Fights” never quite reached the potential that they had
hoped for.
Source: Fight Line
|
Rizzo
wants revenge against Barnett
By Guilherme Cruz
Pedro
Rizzo wants a special gift this Christmas. After losing to Josh
Barnett at Affliction’s debut, the Brazilian fighter keeps
training hard to come back fighting, but he doesn’t know
yet when it’ll happen. “That’s nothing set yet,
I’m waiting them (Affliction) prepare the card, it seems
that only Fedor (Emelianenko, against Andrei Arlovski) and Babalu
(Renato Sobral, against Marr Lindland) are already confirmed.
I’m training regularly”, said Rizzo.
If
this decision depended on Pedro, it’d already been defined.
“Facing Barnett would be he best Christmas gift that I can
have, it’s what I want. It won’t be easy, even because
our last fight wasn’t good, I fought badly, but now I have
to wait and pray. If it happened, it’d be the best news
that I could see, at least do to a real fight”, guarantees
the fighter, who saw his friend Rogério “Minotouro”
signing a contract with Sengoku, another option to fight. “Joinha
(manager of both fighters) was trying something there, are Minotouro
signed. I don’t have a good career there, I don’t know
it’s the reason why I didn’t get anything there, but
they said they were already defining the card”.
After
watching EliteXC’s end, Rizzo has some fear about Affliction
going the same way, after the postponing of the second edition.
“It was a big surprise… Feijão (Rafael) training
to fight for the belt, Cris (Cyborg) was going to fight Gina
Carano, Pezão (Antônio Bigfoot) with the belt…
It was shocking, now with Affliction’s postponing, but let’s
wait and see. The big detail about Affliction is Fedor, the best
fighter today, but I hope only Fedor can hold the entire event”,
told Rizzo, commenting the Japanese MMA market: “Sengoku
is getting stronger and I hope it grows even more. We need more
events to create competition and give more money to the fighters…
EliteXC’s end is sad”.
Source: Tatame
|
‘Slice’
Wants Rematch, Eyes Japan
by Loretta Hunt
Mike Imber, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson’s manager,
got the unwelcome phone call Monday afternoon.
Confirming
what most of the industry had heard as rumor over the last several
weeks, Jeremy Lappen, Head of Fight Operations for EliteXC, told
Imber the promotion’s 22-month joy ride had reached its
end.
“He
said CBS chose not to buy the company, and they had to file for
bankruptcy,” said Imber, who notified his larger-than-life
client shortly afterward.
Though
EliteXC’s demise will affect 50 or more fighters left hanging
with contracts likely not worth the paper on which they were
written, Ferguson should not have nearly as hard a time as most.
The 3-1 fighter enters the unemployment line with the likes of
champions Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields, but he stands a better
shot at landing his next gig than his record would indicate.
Slice,
who rose from Internet brawling infamy to become one of two bona
fide megastars for the sport’s latest promotional casualty,
touts two of the top five most-watched live MMA fights in U.S.
history, including his May 31 victory over James Thompson, which
was watched by nearly 7.3 million people.
Truth
be told, this athlete won’t be fighting for food anytime
to soon, but where Slice will earn his green-back vittles next
could be the $500,000 question.
Imber
doesn’t seem in a rush to find out.
“We
still have our contract with EliteXC,” he told Sherdog.com
on Tuesday. “Just because they filed for bankruptcy Monday,
we still all have to sit down together. We’ve been through
a lot together. We all need to talk face to face and see where
we’re at as soon as everybody can get together. We owe it
to each other. We went on this journey with them, and they’ve
been nothing but great to us.”
Regretful
that the promotion had to cancel a planned Nov. 8 event in Reno,
Nev., Lappen told Imber that both CBS and its pay cable subsidiary,
Showtime, have interest in continuing some form of MMA programming.
“It’s
not out of the question that CBS might do some fights in the
future. Who knows? They’re might be some doors still open,”
said Imber. “They liked their numbers. They like the sport
itself, and they wanted to do it. Unfortunately, it’s just
not going to be with the current organization. Maybe they don’t
do anything in the future, but it wasn’t just completely
ruled out.”
If
early buzz that CBS plans to either run its own events from here
on out or bring a new promotion into its coveted “Saturday
Night Fights” slot holds true, the network hasn’t made
any moves to hint at it yet.
The
Kimbo Slice entourage has not been contacted by CBS, Showtime,
Affliction, Strikeforce or even the UFC.
In
an interview with USA Today four days after Slice’s 14-second
loss to UFC castoff Seth Petruzelli, UFC President Dana White
took a jab at Slice’s backyard brawling days and said he
might be seen fighting next at a barbeque.
“I
wasn't going to offer Kimbo Slice a chance to fight in the UFC
-- but a chance to fight his way onto ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’”
White told USA Today. “If you want to be in the UFC, go
do the reality show.”
Imber,
who has been a friend of Ferguson since their days together at
Miami Palmetto High School, took the news in stride.
“Hey,
it’s that guy’s organization. He can run it any way
he wants,” he said. “He’s obviously done a great
job doing his thing, and he’s entitled to his opinion. That’s
cool. We have nothing against him or what he’s doing.”
Imber
said he and Slice have met White on numerous occasions and liked
him. If anything, Imber was surprisingly sympathetic toward the
outspoken promoter.
“He’s
obviously sick of hearing about Kimbo, and that’s how he
reacts to it,” said Imber. “If he doesn’t want
him in there, he’ll get what he wants.”
Luckily
for Slice, not everyone shares White’s views, despite the
novice fighter’s Oct. 4 loss to last-minute opponent Petruzelli
in clear-cut fashion. That night, which saw EliteXC officials
scrambling backstage to salvage their main event after Ken Shamrock
was medically suspended for a cut, will go down as the one that
sealed the fate of the now defunct promotion.
Imber
and Slice’s piece of the bizarre puzzle put together that
night began an hour before they left the house to head the arena.
EliteXC officials alerted the team to Shamrock’s injury
via phone call, but Imber didn’t want to believe it at first.
The
shell-shocked team rode through a downpour to the BankAtlantic
Center in Sunrise, Fla., a few miles from Slice’s home,
in silence.
“We
wanted to go in and talk to the doctors to see if this guy was
really cut,” said Imber. “When we realized he was out,
we weren’t even going to the arena with the intent that
the fight was going to happen.”
Imber
and Slice’s fears were confirmed, however, and the 34-year-old
fighter was offered a choice of two new opponents.
“They
didn’t offer Aaron Rosa at all,” Imber said, killing
a rumor that Slice had originally turned down the light heavyweight.
“It was Seth Petruzelli or it was Frank Shamrock.”
The
younger Shamrock, who is Ken’s adopted brother and a former
UFC middleweight champion, was assigned to commentating duties
for the evening but volunteered to take the bout, even with a
substantial weight difference between himself and Slice.
“When
we all talked about it sitting all together in there, [Kimbo]
was like, ‘Frank, I like Frank. I wanted to fight his brother,
not him,’” said Imber. “I don’t even think
he really understood what was happening. Neither of us could
believe this guy was dropping out at the last minute.”
The
show already under way, EliteXC officials pressed for an answer.
“It
was confusing. Everything was moving pretty quick, and, at the
same time, this guy Seth was supposed to be starting his undercard
match,” recalled Imber. “They told us we had to decide
quick. There was no real option. It was this guy or no other
fight. It wasn’t like they were going to pull Tito [Ortiz]
out of the audience.”
Imber
called the team’s decision to go ahead with the bout a “conscious”
one, down to the extra compensation they asked for to face a
man Slice had never heard of or seen.
“We
wanted to be financially compensated for having to have to fight
some random person that, literally, if we won, we had nothing
to gain from it,” said Imber. “No one knew who he was
outside the MMA circle, but [Kimbo] had just finished all of
this training and didn’t want to waste it.”
Imber
noticed that Slice seemed affected by the circus playing out
around him, and it followed him into the cage.
“He
was really indifferent about [the decision],” Imber said.
“I think the whole ordeal definitely took some mental toll
on him. It was just such an awkward night. The fight isn’t
what it should have been. To this day, I don’t know why
what happened happened. He’s obviously taken stronger punches
in training.”
Ferguson
hardly had time to feel disappointment though, as Petruzelli’s
comments the following Monday caused a nationwide uproar and
launched a state commission investigation into the ethics surrounding
the bout.
For
the record, Imber said he and Ferguson were unaware of any suspect
conduct from EliteXC or of their conversations with Petruzelli
or any of Slice’s past opponents.
“Who
knows who told him what or what they told him? He knew he was
taking the main event spot, so he was obviously going to get
more money,” said Imber, who hadn’t listened to the
radio interview himself. “If they told him he was getting
a bonus for a knockout, then s--t, the guy did what he was supposed
to do. Who knew the guy would hit that hard? He looked scared
when the fight started. I think he was shocked that Kimbo went
down. It’s really unfortunate that whatever he said led
people to believe what it did, because he had a great night.
He won. He shocked the world and then goes and says whatever
he says and ruined everything.”
Ferguson’s
future is far from ruined though. Imber said the fighter has
already returned to the gym, and that if talks with EliteXC deem
so, Ferguson could go back on the open market where promotions
like Affliction, Strikeforce and even the UFC might want to get
their hands on him.
“Dana
doesn’t want us anyway, so there’s that one,”
Imber said with a laugh. “Who knows? I guess we can deal
with that when it happens. I know Kimbo has wanted to go to Japan
and fight. Maybe one day we can make that happen.”
Opponent
and promotion are not the primary focus stateside or abroad,
said Imber, though a rematch with Petruzelli would go a long
way in clearing Oct. 4’s tainted air.
“That’s
something we’d like to do if an organization wants to,”
he said. “We’d like to do that before we fought somebody
else, but the main thing is Kimbo does want to keep fighting
and fight more. That was one of his biggest concerns. He wants
to fight sooner then later, as soon as he can.”
Promoters,
this star might be for hire.
Source: Sherdog
|
UFC
bans MMA Authentics, Cage Fighter
UFC fighters will no longer be allowed to wear shirts from MMA
Authentics and its related brands, according to a report on MMAPayout.com.
MMA Authentics, an Ohio-based apparel company launched when the
UFC came to the state for the first time in March 2007, includes
the Cage Fighter, Familia Gladitoria and MMA Elite brands.
MMA
Authentics joins Affliction and Xtreme Couture on the list of
clothing lines not allowed at UFC events.
Sources
told MMAPayout.com that UFC instituted the ban after losing shelf
space to MMA Authentics at Wal-Mart stores.
MMA
Authentics/Cage Fighter has sponsored many of the UFC's top stars
such as Roger Huerta, BJ Penn, Chuck Liddell, Joe Stevenson and
Diego Sanchez.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"If
you never budge, don't expect a push."
Malcolm S. Forbes, 1917-1990, American Publisher
|
X-1
Tonight!
Palolo
Hongwangi, Honolulu, Hawaii
October 25, 2008
There are a ton of good fights on this card as well as professional
boxing.
The
main event features the rematch between Mike Pedro of Bang Inc
vs Kana "The one man riot" Hyatt. Pedro was a last
minute replacement and pulled off a lightning fast arm bar from
the guard to knock off arguably the number one fighter in Hawaii
at 135 lbs. This is a revenge match for Hyatt.
The
co-main event features Mix Breed's Reuben Del Rosario vs one
of the best relatively unknown top fighters in MMA, Brandon Visher
of Wailuku Boxing.
Parking
is limited in the Honwangi so come early for a night of action!
BLUE CORNER RED CORNER
Main Event
MIKE "Pit Bull" PEDRO 135lbs Pro MMA Match KANA HYATT
Bang Inc 3/3 Min Rounds LAVA MMA
Co Main Event
REUBEN DEL ROSARIO 170lbs Pro MMA Match BRANDON VISHER
Mix Breed 3/3 Min Rounds Wailuku Boxing
GENE "BINO" GREGORY 140lbs Pro MMA Match BRYSON HANSEN
Mix Breed 3/3 Min Rounds MMAD
COLIN MACKENZIE 145lbs Pro MMA Match ISAIAH COBB-ADAMS
Gods Army 3/3 Min Rounds Nakoa Fight Team
ADD FOUR BOXING MATCHES
GERALD GAMIT 135lbs MMA Title Match JARED IHA
Southside Boxing Amateur 3/3 Min Rounds No Remorse
PHILLIP BUENAVISCA 205lbs MMA Match SEAN DESANTOS
Freelance ( KONA ) Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Freelance
PAUL LOPES 145lbs MMA Match KANIELA AHNEE
Freelance Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds No Remorse
JOREY BAYSINGER 205lbs MMA Match NALU JONES
Freelance ( KONA ) Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Old School
BEN SANTIAGO 170lbs Kick Boxing Match TYLER MAYEKAWA
Gods Army Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds No Remorse
FRANKIE TANO 155lbs MMA Match TRESTEN RABELLIZSA
Freelance Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Inner Circle Grappling
SEBASTIAN MARICONDA 155lbs Tripple Threat Match KEOLA RABELLIZSA
HMC Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds Inner Circle Grappling
|
WOMBAT'S
WORLD OF COMBAT
Predictions
for UFC 90:
Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote
By Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros
Hawaii Air Times
3:30PM
I can
remember when the UFC only held one event every six months, and fight nerds like
me had plenty of time to voraciously discuss every match to the
fullest content of our Dorito-clogged hearts. Now, with a new
UFC coming around the bend almost every weekend, combat-geeks
such as myself barely have time to settle into our obsessive-compulsive
grooves before we have to change gears and fly into needlessly
passionate arguments about another fight altogether. It's gotten
so bad, in fact, that some of us have begun arguing about one
event before the next one has even happened. Just today, for
example, I was screaming at a bunch of children waiting for a
school bus that Couture should never have taken the fight against
Lesnar. But, again, that is an argument for another day.
Anderson
"The Spider" Silva vs. Patrick "The Predator"
Cote
Every
now and then, a fight rolls down the mountain where virtually
no one expects one of the combatants to emerge alive. Sometimes,
but not all the time, the prophecy unfolds just as everyone expects;
but sometimes not. I can cite both fights between George St.
Pierre and Matt Serra there. This time, I only know two people
who are picking Cote to win. One is Cote; who I had on Full Contact
Fighter radio and is a great guy. The other is the crazy guy
I see every morning by the bus stop, chasing around screaming
and stomping on the head of his shadow. Now, don't get me wrong.
Anything can happen in the octagon, but neither of those sources
seem particularly credible to me. Cote, as nice a guy he is,
is a touch biased, and the other guy is clearly deeply schizophrenic.
Can Anderson Silva be beaten? Absolutely, yes. But, and I said
this to Cote, I don't think the way to defeat him is by punching
him in the face. Unless Cote has somehow developed world class
takedowns and ground-and-pound skills in the last six months,
I don't see this one going his way. My Guess: Silva by TKO.
Josh
Koscheck vs. Thiago Alves
I
don't have anything against Koscheck, but I'm really hoping that
Alves pulls off the win here. I'm saying that because, even though
I've met Matt Hughes and he was perfectly polite to me in person,
I've developed a deep-seeded dislike of him based solely on the
way he has been portrayed on television; much like the way many
people still hate the guy who played the role of "Higgins"
on Magnum P.I. just because he was always so rude to Tom Selleck.
Is it fair to judge someone based only on what you've seen on
T.V., while sitting at home wearing only your underwear and a
mexican lutador mask? I think so. Just in case I've totally lost
you, I should point out that Alves is coming off a TKO win over
Hughes, which is how he has now earned my strictly-platonic man-love.
Before I run out of hyphens, I would also like to point out that
Alves should be next-in-line to fight St. Pierre, but is being
hosed by the UFC marketing department, who see more dollar signs
in having the poutine-machine fight B.J. Penn, who for the sake
of being fair I shall refer to as the Hawaiian Punch. Incidentally,
Kenny Florian is also getting hosed by that deal. Now, Alves
is facing someone who has already lost to St. Pierre in a manner
that was both dramatic and anti-climatic. So, as you can see,
I have a lot of reasons for wanting Alves to win. Will he? Yes.
Koscheck will not want to stand with "The Pitbull"
and will invariably shoot in, eating a knee to his blonde he-fro
in the process; much in the same way that Alves beat Hughes,
but without the satisfying sense of moral entitlement. My Guess:
Alves by TKO
Rich
Clementi vs. Gray Maynard
Honestly,
considering the other fights on this card, I could care less
who wins this one. Do I even have to say that Clementi will want
to trade punches and Maynard will want the takedown? Well, regardless,
I've already said it and I'll be damned if I'm going to hit the
backspace button now. My Guess: Maynard by decision.
Fabricio
Werdum vs. Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos
It
wasn't long ago that Werdum was a top-contender for the UFC heavyweight
title. Of course, back then, the weight class was as thin as
an anorexic basketball player. Now, with Frank Mir and Antonio
Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira all over T.V. and Randy
Couture and Brock Lesnar dominating the discussion forums populated
by fight nerds, he's been lost in the shuffle. If you doubt this,
I'd like to point out that he's facing someone who's photo is
"coming soon" on the UFC website. That is never a good
sign. Also, according to my notoriously low-quality research,
"Cigano" means "Gypsy". What is the guy going
to do? Show up playing a fiddle, steal Werdum's horse and then
take off? I doubt it. My Guess: Werdum by submission.
Sean
Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin
For
a long, long time, I thought Griffin was just Sean Sherk wearing
a wig. I thought it was like the deal where Stephen King also
wrote books using another name, just to satisfy his addiction
to typewriter ink and long periods spent in solitude. It turns
out I was wrong. Blood tests confirm that Griffin and Sherk are
actually different people but, curiously, both fighters are -
genetically speaking - %10 badger. How will that manifest itself
in the fight? Three words, friends: Enter-freaking-tainment.
It is possible, now looking back at that, that is one word, but
you get the idea. Think about two super-powered midgets throwing
down Superman vs. Bizarro style. If that doesn't suit you, you
can also go with The Green Lantern vs. Sinestro, Aquaman vs.
Black Manta, or any of the other Superfriends vs. Legion of Supervillian
matches where the good guy and the bad guy have, through some
incredibly wild coincidence, exactly the same powers. (Note:
there is no evil equivalent of Batman). My Guess: Sherk by decision.
Hermes
Franca vs. Marcus Aurelio
Franca
and Aurelio used to train together, but now they hate each other.
Why? I'm not sure, but I can guess. It's possible that one of
them went out with the other's ex-girlfriend. I had a friend
try that on me once and I nearly threw him through a window.
As Jack Nicholson once said, while playing the joker, you never
rub another man's rhubarb. This is all just wild speculation,
of course. It's also possible that Franca borrowed Aurelio's
bike and then left it unlocked outside the 7-11, where it was
prompty stolen, and now Aurelio thinks that maybe Franca just
sold it and made up the whole story. My Guess: Aurelio by decision.
Josh
Burkman vs. Pete Sell
Burkman
has a beard but no hair. Sell has hair but no beard. For some
reason, I find that terribly discombobulating. One of them looks
like their head is on upside-down, but I'm not sure which. My
Guess: Sell by submission.
Jeff
Meszaros welcomes reader feedback at wombat@fcfighter.com and
can be heard as the host of FCF Radio.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
'UFC
All Access: Anderson Silva' to air in October
"UFC All Access" returns in October to profile Anderson
Silva in Brazil for his Oct. 25 fight against Patrick Cote at
UFC 90 in Chicago.
The 30-minute episode will begin taping shortly, according to
host Rachelle Leah, who posted on her blog today that she is
heading to Brazil for the shoot.
"UFC
All Access" is slated to premiere on Spike TV on Oct. 22
at midnight, with repeats on Oct. 25 at 2:00pm and 5:30pm ET.
The show will be accompanied by "Countdown to UFC 90: Silva
vs. Cote," which premieres on Oct. 23 at 11pm ET.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Affliction
eying female fighting
Gina Carano is one of the USA's MMA Muses
Organization may hire EliteXC fighters
The
corpse has not even gone cold yet and there are people already
eying the inheritance. Watching from up close the agony of EliteXC,
the event that this week announced it would close its doors,
the organizers of Affliction are looking at taking in possible
reinforcements coming from the former competitor. The official
stance, however, is cautious, as vice-president of Affliction
Tom Atencio demonstrates:
"My
understanding is that [EliteXC is] releasing them, but I don't
know if that's fact or fiction. I think, at this point, we'll
have to see. I'll have to start talking to fighters about what's
going on and getting their contracts or working with them for
new contracts,” said Atencio to MMAJunkie.com.
There
is no lack of good names, but one bout that was promoted by EliteXC
is of particular interest to Affliction. "We're definitely
interested (in women's MMA). Gina Carano is a great fighter.
I think Cristiane Cyborg is an unbelievable fighter. I'm definitely
open to the idea of that fight," said the event president.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
"Shogun"
Ready for Coleman
By Tim Ngo
Mauricio Rua held a 12-1 record going into his first match-up
with Mark Coleman at PRIDE 31. He was fresh off of what could
possibly be the greatest year in MMA history by any single fighter
as he steamrolled through the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix.
With wins over Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair
Overeem and Ricardo Arona, there was no doubt in anyone’s
mind that “Shogun” was the best Light Heavyweight in
the world.
Then on February 22nd, 2006 it all came to a screeching halt
when Rua attempted to move up to the Heavyweight division to
fight Mark Coleman in a “grudge” match as the Chute
Boxe camp had gotten into some disagreements with Coleman’s
camp.
:49
seconds and a freak accident later, Rua dislocated his elbow
which forced him to have surgery and put his career on hold.
Fast
forward nearly two years later and Rua was completely outworked
by current UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Forrest Griffin. We
all found out later that Rua’s knee needed surgery, but
he fought anyways.
It’s
a completely different story now as Rua prepares for a re-match
with Mark Coleman, the same Mark Coleman who briefly derailed
his career. Rua’s ready now though as he recently told Tatame,
“I think Coleman it’s a good opponent, and I’ll
do my best.”
“I’m
training hard Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling, and I have
a new weight program. In my last fight [against Forrest Griffin]
I [made] some mistakes in this detail, and I’ll be 100%
prepared now, stronger than ever,” Rua continued.
This
time it’s different though, Coleman is fighting at Light
Heavyweight and Rua isn’t where he was two years ago. The
question is, can he get back to the top? We’ll find out
at UFC 93.
Source: Fight Line
|
Where
Should EliteXC’s Top Fighters Go?
by Tim Leidecker
For the second time in just a few months, a substantial mixed
martial arts promotion has closed up shop. First it was the IFL,
which was hit by the guillotine in August, and now we have Pro
Elite biting the dust with its top MMA promotion, EliteXC.
In
the past 12 to 20 months, many casual viewers have grown fond
of fighters like Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano and Robbie Lawler.
Where will those fighters turn up?
In
this article, we analyze where they should go and speculate on
the most likely scenarios.
No-brainers
For
a good portion of former Pro Elite athletes, their future paths
seem traced out. Dream lightweight tournament MVP Eddie Alvarez
is likely going to return to the Japanese promotion that helped
his star rise this spring and summer. Potential fights against
Joachim Hansen or Shinya Aoki on New Year’s Eve put the
Philadelphia fighter’s continued run in Japan in concrete
terms.
Following
him to the FEG-controlled promotion should be his countrymen
Nick Diaz and Joey Villasenor and former Pride fighter Murilo
"Ninja" Rua. In the medium term, the future of former
Cage Rage welterweight champion Paul Daley could be with Dream
as well. First, though, a bidding war between U.K. promotions
could break out for the services of the explosive kickboxer from
Nottingham, England.
Choicest
parts
While
you might question whether Pro Elite is good with money after
losing more than $55 million in the past two years, the company
did spend a large portion of its means on the creation and subsequent
promotion of its star fighters. As a result, crown jewels like
titleholders Robbie Lawler, Antonio Silva and Karl James Noons
should be at the top of the wish list for every aspiring promotion.
With
good connections through their camps, EliteXC middleweight champion
Robbie Lawler (a member of Matt Hughes’ HIT Squad) and top
light heavyweight contender Rafael Feijão (training partner
of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva) are well placed
to land a gig in the UFC. Especially the hard-hitting Lawler
could make an instant challenger to Anderson Silva’s middleweight
gold.
Although
they have excellent contacts with pretty much every major promotion
around the globe, Antonio Silva of American Top Team and Benji
Radach could be destined for rising Japanese promotion Sengoku.
With lots of heavyweight talent already under contract and the
Japanese’s known soft spot for musclemen and supersized
characters, World Victory Road could also be the future employer
for charismatic brawler Kimbo Slice. It's also possible he could
turn up on CBS again as part of a rumored Affliction-CBS partnership.
EliteXC
featherweight champion Wilson Reis and KJ Noons -- who was the
promotion’s lightweight champion before being stripped of
his title -- are also much sought-after free agents. At this
time the playground for 145-pounders is the WEC, and it could
present the 23-year-old Reis with all kinds of intriguing matchups
-- against former IFL kingpin Wagnney Fabiano, Leonard Garcia
or superstar Urijah Faber.
Noons,
on the other hand, seems best destined for Affliction. With the
imminent union of the popular clothing company and boxing promoter
Golden Boy to put on joint shows with both mixed martial arts
and boxing fights on the same card, the 25-year-old could push
both his MMA and boxing careers.
Performance-wise,
Shields belongs
to the UFC, no doubt about that.Open cases
Of
course the downfall of Pro Elite may not be to everybody’s
advantage. A couple of renowned fighters could very well have
to take a backward step professionally, making them worse off
in terms of salary and media exposure. Or they could break through
bigger than ever before.
Perhaps
the most prominent case is Jake Shields. Even though the EliteXC
welterweight champion had pretty much outgrown the promotion
in terms of ability, EliteXC still did a good job of finding
him fights that made him look very good and had him climb up
the rankings. Performance-wise, Shields belongs to the UFC, no
doubt about that.
Zuffa
passed up on the opportunity to sign the submission specialist
on multiple occasions in the past three years, however, which
makes it seem questionable whether the UFC owners would move
for him now. From a solely sporting perspective, Shields has
earned the right to go head to head with Thiago Alves, Diego
Sanchez, Jon Fitch and company. Especially the bout against Sanchez
is one hardcore fans have been demanding for years.
Should
Zuffa not make him a contract offer again, it is imaginable that
the 29-year-old will follow one of his Cesar Gracie teammates
either to Dream or to Strikeforce. He could also go to Affliction,
whom he has reportedly talked with in the past.
The
Kimbo-conquering Seth Petruzelli could also be stuck in a peculiar
position. Who is going to give the “Silverback” the
opportunity to capitalize on his big win over the notorious brawler?
While the UFC could make him an offer, it is hard to imagine
Petruzelli making a bigger impact there than in his first stint
with the promotion in 2006-2007, which saw him go 0-2. Another
scenario could see Petruzelli following Kimbo wherever Kimbo
goes.
Ladies'
choice
Last
but not least there is the EliteXC women’s division, which
was arguably one of the strongest in all of MMA. Where are centerpiece
Gina Carano and the army of other ladies gunning for her going
to be plying their trade in the future? There are strong rumors
right now that either Affliction and/or CBS will snag them up.
If
this isn’t the case, it will likely be back to smaller shows
for the likes of Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Julie Kedzie,
Shayna Baszler, Tonya Evinger and Rosi Sexton.
Source: Sherdog
|
Cris
Cyborg sad about EliteXC end
By Guilherme Cruz
After
two great fights at EliteXC, Cris Cyborg received a call from
Rudimar Fedrigo, Chute Boxe leader, informing her that the event
was over and had cancelled its next shows. Sad about the news,
Cyborg spoke do TATAME about her future in MMA. “People
told me that today, but I was hearing some rumors when I went
there, but nobody did say anything else… Rudimar called
me now and told me that, but I had one more fight on the contract,
I was going to face Gina (Carano), but now I don’t know
what I’m gonna do”, said the fighter, now seeking for
another event.
“Now
I need to wait for another event. I did a good job there and
I think I’ll be in another event quickly. Rudimar is the
responsible for my contracts, but I think I’ll something
new soon”, told the Chute Boxe fighter, who joked about
the canceled fight against Gina Carano: “she’s safe
from me, but maybe another event might want this fight…
At Elite it won’t happen anymore, but maybe in other events
they can promote this fight”, said the fighter.
Source: Tatame
|
ALBERTO
CRANE WINS AGAIN, EYES BIG STAGE
by Mick Hammond
Alberto Crane knows he did poorly in his first shot at MMA’s
biggest stage. Two losses in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
followed by yet another outside the promotion placed him on the
rebuilding track.
Wanting
to prove that he is more than the sum of three fights, Crane
took a hard look at himself and made the decision to dedicate
all resources towards having the kind of success at the higher
levels of the sport that he did when he initially started out
undefeated in his first nine fights.
A
move to Los Angeles and an expanded training regime have begun
to pay dividends, as he has won two fights in a row, including
this past weekend’s quick dismantling of Richard Villes
for the new Eminent Domain Productions show.
“It
was awesome fighting back in New Mexico again,” said Crane
of Saturday’s bout. “I think it would have been better
if (the fight) had gone a little longer, just for the experience
of it, but I was happy to get the win.”
Heading
into the fight, Crane had to be on upset watch, as his opponent,
Richard Villes had defeated former UFC fighter Drew Fickett in
his previous fight.
“You
had to respect Richard Villes because of his win over Drew Fickett
in his last fight, but I think he did get lucky in that fight,”
commented Crane. “I definitely respected him, but I thought
I could take care of him early.”
As
he predicted the fight went much to his expectations.
“We
exchanged some punches and kicks, then I hit him with a left
hook, dropped to a double-leg and took him down,” he recalled.
“He actually tried to roll on a knee bar on me, so I took
his back and choked him out – it was that quick.
The
win puts Crane one step closer to his goal of returning to the
big stages of MMA, where he feel he deserves to be, despite earlier
disappointments.
“I
belong there,” he stated. “I was coming off a long
layoff and just didn’t start off on the right foot and it
just kind of kept rolling that way.
“I
am starting over. I’ve got to improve my stand-up and my
MMA game, put about three wins together against good opponents
and get back on the big stage where I think I belong.”
Even
though he plans to take time off to focus on his wife’s
impending delivery of twins in November, Crane expects to return
to action before year’s end to help build momentum for push
upwards.
“I’m
tentatively booked for King of the Cage on a Dec. 6 event that
they’re having (in New Mexico),” he said.
As
he continues to improve on his already impressive jiu-jitsu credentials
and become a more complete MMA fighter, Crane may not find himself
out of the mix for too long, just as he predicts.
“I
want to give a shout out to Walter Michelowski at Sityodtong
in L.A., Justin Fortune, Dan Henderson and Heath Sims at Team
Quest,” he concluded.
“I
want to just keep improving and lay it out on the line for the
fans on the big stage.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
O'Brien
vs. Wellisch Slated for UFC 94
Ariel Shnerer
A
heavyweight match-up between Jake O'Brien (10-2) and Christian
Wellisch (8-4) is in the works for UFC 94. MMAJunkie.com reported
the news on Thursday.
UFC
94 takes place Jan. 31 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas,
Nev. The main event sees one of the most highly anticipated rematches
in MMA history as UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre
defends his title against current lightweight titleholder B.J.
Penn. In their first outing, St. Pierre won a controversial split
decision after a competitive back and fourth battle.
O'Brien
is coming off two consecutive losses in the UFC after kicking
off his career with a 10-fight winning streak. His most notable
victory came against PRIDE Fighting Championships veteran Heath
Herring at UFC Ultimate Fight Night 8. Training out of the Integrated
Fighting Academy, O'Brien has a sound base in amateur wrestling
which should match up well against Wellisch. O'Brien has lost
back-to-back fights this year to former heavyweight champion
Andrei Arlovski and top American Kickboxing Academy prospect
Cain Velasquez. He needs to get back to his winning ways to remain
an active fighter in the world's most competitive promotion.
A
Los Angeles native, Wellisch too trains out of the American Kickboxing
Academy. If he recreates the thunder that brought Velasquez a
victory against O'Brien, the result could be much of the same.
Wellisch has fought all over the globe before making his UFC
debut in 2006 at UFC 62. He was KO'd by Cheick Kongo in his first
appearance for the promotion. He subsequently won two consecutive
bouts against Anthony Perosh and Scott Junk, only to drop another
first-round knockout to unbeaten powerhouse Shane Carwin at UFC
84 earlier this year.
Source: The Fight Network
|
CSAC
upholds Antonio Silva's suspension
Antonio Silva's appeal of his one-year suspension and $2,500
was rejected by a 5-0 vote on Wednesday by the California State
Athletic Commission.
Silva will continue to serve his suspension through July 25,
2009 and must follow through with his $2,500 before he will be
allowed to compete again.
Silva,
the first and final EliteXC heavyweight champion, tested positive
for Boldenone, an anabolic steroid, following his win over Justin
Eilers at EliteXC "Unfinished Business" on July 26.
Silva
had hoped to convince the board that a nutritional supplement
not banned by the commission may have caused a false positive.
Also, Silva presented clean results from an independent test
conducted two weeks after news broke of his positive test and
punishment.
Unfortunately
for Silva the board didn't buy the defense.
Another
fighter, BJ Lacy had his 90-day suspension reduced to 83 days
for his positive marijuana test. Lacy, whose suspension ends
November 6, will still have to pay his $500 fine. Lacy, who competed
for a Pure Combat show on August 15, lost via rear-naked choke
submission to Emanuel Newton in the main event.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
"BIGFOOT"
SAYS HE'LL FIGHT IN CALIFORNIA AGAIN
by Tom Hamlin
Antonio “Bigfoot”
Silva is currently weighing his options after the California
State Athletic Commission on Wednesday voted to uphold his yearlong
suspension and fine.
The
commission flagged Silva for the steroid Boldenone following
his heavyweight title fight with Justin Eilers at Elite XC’s
“Unfinished Business” in July.
“I
think they’re unfair,” Silva said in a video interview
with MMAWeekly following his hearing. “I’ve gone to
a far extent to prove my innocence, and they don’t listen.
It’s the law, or maybe it’s not the law, but it’s
very wrong.”
The
former Elite XC champ maintains he can’t take Boldenone
because it would endanger his health. Silva suffers from acromegaly,
or “gigantism,” that causes him to produce excess growth
hormone. He says he takes over the counter testosterone “enhancers”
for health reasons.
“I
take it because of my condition, I have high (growth hormone)
levels, and that tends to make my testosterone low,” he
said. “Because of that, I have to use substance that help
bring my testosterone levels up.”
Four
weeks prior to his fight, Silva ingested Novidex, a supplement
designed to maximize testosterone production. During the hearing,
Silva’s lawyer, Howard Jacobs, made the argument that the
supplement was not on the CSAC’s list of banned substances—though
no such list currently exists—and could not be considered
in the same category as “drugs, alcohol or stimulants”
that are the current standard for athletes suspended by the CSAC.
Jacobs
produced test results from another laboratory, Aegis Labs, that
tested a separate urine sample from Silva taken 40 days after
the commission’s test. It reportedly came back negative
for Boldenone, but did show the presence of ATD, a testosterone
aid that produces metabolites of the illegal steroid, according
to the Aegis doctor who conducted the test.
Jacobs
claimed Silva could not have been positive for Boldenone given
its extremely long half-life, compared to the relatively short
half-life of ATD.
Somewhat
ironically, CSAC commissioners raised questions about the chain
of custody for Silva’s Aegis sample, which Jacobs could
not provide documentation for. Chain of custody was one of the
central pieces of Jacob’s defense of Sean Sherk in December
of 2007.
Commissioners
also noted that Silva could not produce proof that he’d
ever purchased the Novidex.
Commissioner
Dr. Christopher Giza noted that a level of even 1 nanogram of
Boldenone in the body was widely accepted as proof of steroid
use, and confirmed that Aegis labs had a more lax standard of
testing for the steroid, accepting levels up to 10 nanograms
in a test sample. CSAC’s laboratories, Quest Diagnostics
and WADA facility Laboratoire De Controle Du Dopage, hold a 1
nanogram standard. Jacobs countered that he was not granted access
to those laboratories.
The
CSAC did affirm that its WADA laboratory found ATD metabolites
in Silva’s “A” and “B” sample taken
after the July fight.
At
the conclusion of both sides’ arguments, the motion to uphold
Silva’s suspension and fine was unanimous.
Outside
the hearing room, Silva said he would continue taking supplements
like Novodex. He also agreed to suspend his use of the product
to fight in California again.
“Yes,
I’ll fight here (in California),” he said. “I’ll
prove I don’t need these things to fight, even though it
seems to me the commission has some sort of grudge against me.
I’ll still come back here and prove that I’m the best.”
With
Elite XC’s demise, Silva’s future is unknown. Like
many other Elite athletes, he does not know his contractual status
with the defunct organization. As of now, he plans to wait out
his suspension before fielding offers from promotions.
“I’m
very sad that because (Elite XC) closed down, they treated me
very well, and it’s very unfortunate that they’re not
going to be here for me to continue fighting for.”
Silva’s
attorney, Howard Jacobs, says he may file a motion to vacate—or
cancel—the verdict in state court, but will weigh the options
with his client.
“It’s
their burden of proving that he took something that’s banned,”
Jacobs said. “It’s hard to understand how when they
admit it could have been caused by something that was banned
or something that wasn’t banned, there should still be a
suspension.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
U.S.
Open refereeing row
Crosley Gracie voices outrage and Alvaro Mansor responds
Refereeing
at the last U.S. Open tournament, the traditional tournament
held annually in Santa Cruz California, this last October 18th
and 19th, has caused a row between Crosley Gracie, leader of
Crosley Gracie Jiu-Jitsu & Mixed Martial Arts in Brentwood,
California, and the event's director, Alvaro Mansor. Due to a
delay in re-starting the clock after a stoppage, during a match
in which Crosley Gracie brown belt Ryan Murphy participated,
Crosley wrote in to GRACIEMAG.com to air the reason for his discontent,
to which Alvaro Mansor responded.
Below
you will find the original letter from Crosley, followed by Mr.
Mansor’s response:
Generally, the US Open it is one of the best tournaments in California
in terms of organization. However, due to unprofessional and
ill preparedness, I would like to express my frustration with
the organizers of the event self called, "America's favorite
tournament", concerning one of my students.
Ryan
Murphy was competing in the open brown belt division which is
an 8 minute match and had outscored his opponent 7 to 6 when
time was up. While the match was 6 to 3 in favor of Ryan's opponent,
the fight was stopped due to an accidental blow. When it was
restarted, the timer remained frozen, until spectators yelled
at the table to let them know about it. Both athletes didn't
notice the timer wasn't restarted, nor did the referee stop the
match, so they continued to fight. Ryan, in side control, went
for an armbar, knowing that he needed to win by submission or
outscore his opponent. When the submission attempt failed he
went on to mount and was awarded 4 points by the referee, keeping
that score until the end of the match.
When the match was over, the opposing team stated to US Open
director, Professor Alvaro Mansor that the clock was not restarted
on time and so Ryan's last 4 points were invalid because it would've
been after the 8 minute mark.
The Director chose to think that the fairest thing to do was
to take Ryan's points away and raise his opponent's arm without
viewing any tape or finding out for sure how long the timer was
paused for. Ryan, at that point was still clueless of what was
happening.
The athletes base their game strategy on the clock. If Ryan knew
that he didn't have as much time as it was showing, he would've
tried to finish or score points sooner than he did.
The referee should've stopped the match immediately and found
out how much time to be deducted before the matched continued,
as is in Wrestling.
After so much time and effort spent training to compete for a
medal that he himself paid for when registering for the tournament,
it is very disheartening the athlete receives instead, the indifference
and disrespect from the event's organization by getting his points
as well as the victory taken away.
Due to their failure in training the staff properly, the athlete,
once again, paid the price. Mistakes happen, but the appropriate
correction must be made. It is unacceptable that someone with
so much knowledge and experience in the sport such as Professor
Alvaro Mansor has taken this kind of measure.
The lack of consideration and respect with its athletes is the
reason why Jiu-Jitsu tournaments have lost and will continue
to lose many of its fans and competitors. Unless things change
it will be very difficult to see our sport ever in the Olympic
Games.
Best Regards,
Crosley Gracie
Crosley Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
To
which Alvaro Mansor had this to say:
The
fact is that the athlete scored his point in the final ten seconds
of the bout, which is less time than the clock had been stopped,
according to information from the score keepers it was stopped
for more than 30 seconds for sure, and the rules are clear that
if there is no extra time, so a brown belt whose fight time is
eight minutes may not fight for nine or more minutes. That is
why the point count for the fight was corrected, for no other
reason. And forgive me, but when it comes down to being a misinterpretation
by a referee, there’s nothing we can do about it, no one
has the authority to mess with the duration of a fight, no one
at all, every belt and age group has its time and it must be
respected.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"What
I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers."
Logan Pearsall Smith, 1865-1946, American Writer
|
UFC
90 Tomorrow
Hawaii Air Times
3:30PM
Complete card:
Anderson
Silva vs Patrick Cote
Josh Koscheck vs Thiago Pitbull Alves
Rich Clementi vs Gray Maynard
Fabricio Werdum vs Junior Cigano dos Santos
Sean Sherk vs Tyson Griffin
Thales Leites vs Drew McFedries
Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty
Dan Miller vs Matt Horwich
Hermes França vs Marcus Aurélio
Josh Burkman vs Pete Sell
|
X-1
Tomorrow
Palolo
Hongwangi, Honolulu, Hawaii
October 25, 2008
There are a ton of good fights on this card as well as professional
boxing.
The
main event features the rematch between Mike Pedro of Bang Inc
vs Kana "The one man riot" Hyatt. Pedro was a last
minute replacement and pulled off a lightning fast arm bar from
the guard to knock off arguably the number one fighter in Hawaii
at 135 lbs. This is a revenge match for Hyatt.
The
co-main event features Mix Breed's Reuben Del Rosario vs one
of the best relatively unknown top fighters in MMA, Brandon Visher
of Wailuku Boxing.
Parking
is limited in the Honwangi so come early for a night of action!
BLUE CORNER RED CORNER
Main Event
MIKE "Pit Bull" PEDRO 135lbs Pro MMA Match KANA HYATT
Bang Inc 3/3 Min Rounds LAVA MMA
Co Main Event
REUBEN DEL ROSARIO 170lbs Pro MMA Match BRANDON VISHER
Mix Breed 3/3 Min Rounds Wailuku Boxing
GENE "BINO" GREGORY 140lbs Pro MMA Match BRYSON HANSEN
Mix Breed 3/3 Min Rounds MMAD
COLIN MACKENZIE 145lbs Pro MMA Match ISAIAH COBB-ADAMS
Gods Army 3/3 Min Rounds Nakoa Fight Team
ADD FOUR BOXING MATCHES
GERALD GAMIT 135lbs MMA Title Match JARED IHA
Southside Boxing Amateur 3/3 Min Rounds No Remorse
PHILLIP BUENAVISCA 205lbs MMA Match SEAN DESANTOS
Freelance ( KONA ) Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Freelance
PAUL LOPES 145lbs MMA Match KANIELA AHNEE
Freelance Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds No Remorse
JOREY BAYSINGER 205lbs MMA Match NALU JONES
Freelance ( KONA ) Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Old School
BEN SANTIAGO 170lbs Kick Boxing Match TYLER MAYEKAWA
Gods Army Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds No Remorse
FRANKIE TANO 155lbs MMA Match TRESTEN RABELLIZSA
Freelance Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Inner Circle Grappling
SEBASTIAN MARICONDA 155lbs Tripple Threat Match KEOLA RABELLIZSA
HMC Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds Inner Circle Grappling
|
MMAer
Noons Goes Back To Boxing
By Ralph Gonzalez
It’s been a tumultuous few months for former Elite XC Lightweight
champion K.J. Noons. Having been stripped of his title by the
powers that be at Elite XC for refusing to defend the belt against
Nick Diaz, Noons has taken a beating from the Mixed Martial arts
media as well.
One
of the more popular websites, Sherdog.com, went so far as to
question Noon’s courage stating that Noons was doing a great
imitation of a coward for not agreeing to face Diaz. Noons had
previously stopped Diaz via cuts in the first round of their
first meeting to win the title. He defended once against Yves
Edwards with an impressive stoppage and then was ordered by Elite
XC to defend against Diaz. Noons refused.
Noons
cited a disparity in purses as the reason he wouldn’t fight
Diaz. He calls the notion of him being scared as just plain ridiculous.
“Both Nick and myself are professional fighters. Fighters
at our level don’t fear anyone,” Noons said. “This
was about me making one third the money that Diaz was making
even though I was the defending champion.”
Noon’s
refusal to defend led to a very public dispute with his promoters
at Elite XC. The company eventually stripped Noons of his belt
which will now be up for grabs as Diaz and Eddie Alvarez clash
for the vacant title.
At
this point, the twenty five year old’s future as a mixed
martial artist is uncertain. “I’m a free agent right
now for both boxing and MMA,” Noons said. “Right now
I’m going to focus more on my boxing. I have a fight scheduled
in L.A. so we’ll see how that turns out.”
He
was originally signed to both an MMA and a boxing contract with
Elite XC and their partner Gary Shaw until their recent spat.
“I never left boxing,” Noons said. “My intention
was to box under Gary’s company but I never got the chance.”
Noons
(7-1, 5 KOs as a pro boxer) will be campaigning as a 154 pounder
on November 13th at the Expo Center in El Monte, California against
Alejandro Bogarin. He’s excited to get back in the ring.
“I’m training at City Boxing with Pepe Morales. It’s
all about getting back to the fundamentals and getting back in
shape,” Noons said. “Boxing is so different than MMA.
The whole goal is to get to the form that made me an MMA champion.”
Noons
is seeking to become the first successful mixed martial artist
that crosses over to big time boxing. “My goal is to hold
world titles in both boxing and MMA,” Noons said. “I
plan to put in the work and slowly climb my way to a title shot.
I know it’s going to take time.”
Having
grown up as the son of Karl Noons, a professional kick boxer,
K.J. eventually realized that fighting was his future. “Since
my father was a fighter, martial arts were brought to my attention
early in life. I worked at it all through high school,”
Noons said. “When it came time for college, I already had
all this experience in the fight game. So why go study for a
long period of time? I had been working at my profession since
I was a kid. When it was time for college, I already had a PHD
in fighting. It was always my intention to fight or coach or
own a gym.”
Noons
was born in Hawaii but now trains out of “America’s
Finest City” San Diego, California. He was once deemed as
MMA’s “Golden Boy”. The one whose marketable looks
and talent was supposed to help Elite XC climb successfully into
the MMA promotional octagon against companies like the UFC and
the now defunct IFL.
Maybe
Noon’s debut on Showtime should’ve been an ominous
sign of future things to come for Elite XC, which is rumored
to be struggling after Kimbo Slice’s career was derailed
in 14 seconds. Noons was matched against one Charles “Krazy
Horse” Bennett. Bennett is a brawler with a brutal punch
who was considered dangerous but inconsistent and under-achieving.
Less
than a round later, Noons’ big time debut had come to a
crashing halt after Bennett landed a perfect right that sent
him crumbling to the canvas. “Losing my first televised
fight by knockout was a huge disappointment,” Noons recalled.
“There were a lot of expectations coming into the event.
But I kept my head up after the loss and I learned a great lesson.
Everybody falls. Just because you fall flat on your face doesn’t
mean you can’t come roaring back.”
Noons
welcomes the change back to boxing. He says he’s determined
to leave his mark on both sports. “I’ve been doing
this before I ever got paid, so money isn’t the motivation,”
Noons said. “It’s about trying to accomplish something
no one has done. To hold a boxing and an MMA world title. I also
thrive on proving people wrong.”
As
far as his rivalry with Stockton’s Nick Diaz is concerned.
“It’s real. It’s very real,” assured Noons.
“I’d fight him in a pro boxing match. Whether it’s
boxing or MMA. The fight will eventually happen.”
Diaz
had stated earlier in an interview with TSS that he’d love
to fight Noons in the boxing ring and that he “would beat
the (pee) out of him.”
Diaz
has never hidden his dislike for Noons, whom he sees as a phony.
Or a “poser” as Diaz would say. He was angry that his
first fight against Noons had been stopped on cuts against his
wishes. He became even angrier after a scuffle between the Diaz
and Noons camps broke out after Noons’ first defense of
his title in Hawaii.
Noons
blamed Diaz for the blow up. Diaz blamed Noons. Noons then went
on “Inside MMA” where he poked fun by having the camera
man zoom in on a picture of a badly cut Diaz and calling his
work a masterpiece. “They should call me the artist,”
he said as he pointed to the picture. “Because this right
here is a masterpiece and I created it.”
It
incensed Diaz.
Noons
says that the bit on “Inside MMA” was done just for
fun. “It was just some trash talk. Sometimes this stuff
gets under my skin and I feel like venting,” Noons said.
“I came up with that and you know sometimes there’s
room in MMA for a little trash talk. I would hope that no one
took that seriously.”
Diaz
sure took it seriously. According to our last conversation with
him, it made his blood boil just a little bit more. He wants
to pound Noons the first chance he gets.
“People
have their opinions and sometimes my words are taken out of context,”
Noons said. “But I’m a good person and a simple guy
just trying to make it like everybody else. Whether it’s
boxing or MMA, my intention is to rise to the top and eventually
make history. As far as Nick Diaz is concerned, I know we’ll
meet up again. I just don’t know when or if it’ll be
as a boxer or a mixed martial artist.”
Source: Sweet Science/Fight Opinion
|
UFC
90: CAN ANDERSON SILVA BE DETHRONED?
by Ken Pishna
Since entering the ranks of the UFC, middleweight champion Anderson
Silva has been unstoppable. In two short years, he mowed down
no less formidable opposition than Chris Leben, Travis Lutter,
Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, James Irvin, and Rich Franklin...
twice.
All
of those victories in the Octagon pile on to an earlier resume
that includes victories over Jorge Rivera, Lee Murray, Jeremy
Horn, Carlos Newton, and Hayato "Mach" Sakurai.
His
armor is not impenetrable, however. Aside from a decision in
his first pro MMA fight and a disqualification for using the
right technique at the wrong time to knock out Yushin Okami,
Silva has twice been submitted, once via triangle choke and another
time from a flying scissor takedown into a heel hook. The latter
is regarded as one of the more spectacular finishes in Pride
history, if not all of MMA.
Yet,
there is no denying that the amazing development of his skills
and a steamroller of confidence have propelled Anderson Silva
to the upper echelon of one of the least forgiving sports in
the world.
It
can be argued, but he has to be considered among the best fighters
in the world. According to his boss, UFC president Dana White,
there is no argument. There is no doubt. There is only Anderson
Silva... and he stands alone.
"In
my opinion, (he's) the best fighter in the world. I don't care
if it's boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, or
pinochle. I don't care what it is; this guy is the best fighter
in the world... Anderson Silva," said White on Thursday
as he introduced his middleweight champion and his UFC 90 challenger,
Patrick "The Predator" Cote.
Of
course White is biased, he is the man charged with promoting
Silva. Still, there is no denying that, biased or not, White
believes what he says, even if Silva himself is less than willing
to agree.
"No
the best fighter in the world," said Silva in his broken,
but much improved, English on Thursday. "Next, fight Cote.
Then... maybe."
White
will have none of it. "He argues with me about being the
best fighter in the world. That's what he was saying. 'I don't
think I'm the best fighter in the world, maybe after I beat Cote.'"
Grinning, he then turns to Silva, "Deal with it."
There
has been a lot of talk lately about a goal that Silva set for
himself long ago, that he intends to retire at age 35. That's
not too far off for the 33-year-old. He has six fights left on
his current UFC contract and at the pace he fights, he could
easily fulfill that term in time to meet his goal, should he
choose to honor it.
White
may not make it that easy on the man he considers the pound for
pound best, not that Silva would want him too. It seems White
has future challenges in mind, should Silva get past Cote.
"This
guy wants to challenge himself so much he'll fight at 185, defend
his title. He wants to jump up to 205, fight at 205. He wants
to keep the 185-pound belt, keep going back and forth,"
relayed White. "We're talking about a guy who's defending
his belt again on Saturday and should he win is probably two
fights away from fighting for the light heavyweight title, too."
That
most definitely is not just hype from the UFC prez. Though he
usually eschews fighters skipping around weight classes, Silva
has earned an exception. "He wants to hold both the 185-
and the 205-pound belt and he wants to defend them both. Normally
I won't let guys do stuff like that because it's just… stupid.
I'll let Anderson Silva do it."
It
wasn't too long ago that, in his humble manner that knows no
linguistic barrier, Silva avoided questions of challenging for
the light heavyweight title currently held by Forrest Griffin.
His thoughts on capturing a second title seem to have changed
though.
Asked
what he thought of White's comment that he is "probably
two fights away from" a light heavyweight title shot and
if he would like to add a second belt to his collection, Silva
responded only with, "Of course," as a huge grin consumed
his face, displaying the sly confidence that could dim the fire
in the eyes of The Predator come Saturday night.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
AFFLICTION
UPDATE
Emelianenko vs. Arlovski Confirmed for January 24th
By FCF Staff
Affliction has confirmed that Fedor Emelianenko will look to
defend his World Association of Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight
Championship on January 24th against Andrei Arlovski. The promotion’s
official website has announced that the bout will take place
on that date at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The
announcement comes just weeks after the promotion announced that
it’s scheduled October 11th, “Day of Reckoning”
event in Las Vegas, Nevada, would be postponed until January.
Arlovski (14-5), who had been originally set to face Josh Barnett
at the postponed card, recently stopped Roy Nelson at Elite XC’s
“Heat” event on October 4th. The win was the former
UFC champion’s 5th in a row. Prior to that, Arlovski fought
at Affliction’s debut event on July 19th, and knocked out
former International Fight League star Ben Rothwel in the third
round.
Emelianenko
(28-1) is coming off a well documented 36 second submission of
Tim Sylvia at Affliction’s aforementioned “Banned”
event this past summer. The bout was Emelianenko’s first
since last December, when he submitted South Korea’s Hong
Man Choi with a first round armbar at Yarennoka’s New Year’s
Eve 2007 event.
No
other bouts have yet been confirmed for the January 24th event.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
UFC
90: TYSON GRIFFIN READY FOR SEAN SHERK
by Mitch Gobetz
Tyson Griffin faces one of the toughest tests of his career when
he takes on former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight
champion Sean Sherk this weekend.
Interestingly,
there has been a lack of talk regarding this fight. Sherk claimed
the vacant lightweight belt with a unanimous decision win over
Kenny Florian back at UFC 64. He successfully defended it against
Hermes Franca but was subsequently stripped of the belt after
he tested positive for steroids in July of 2007. Sherk was eventually
reinstated but failed to regain the title when he was stopped
by BJ Penn at UFC 84.
Tyson
Griffin has fought some very tough opposition in his career including
Clay Guida, Urijah Faber, Marcus Aurelio and Gleison Tibau. Regardless
of the previous talent he has faced, Sherk may be the biggest
name he has yet to fight and could potentially be his toughest
match-up to date.
“To
be honest, Sean Sherk has got a big name. But it's just another
fight,” Griffin said of the upcoming showdown. “I trained
my butt off. I'm going to go out there and do what I do, and
put my name above his in the rankings.”
The
24-year-old fighter's most recent victory came at UFC 86 where
he scored a unanimous decision over Marcus Aurelio. This upcoming
bout will be his third fight this year and for Griffin the timing
couldn't be better.
“I
couldn't of asked for better timing. I usually fight on the New
Year’s show around this time, but they got me back in camp
sooner than usual, so I didn't have as much time to get out of
shape. It actually worked out in my benefit. My weight's normal
and I'm in great shape.”
Sean
Sherk has excellent wrestling and is considered by many to be
an underrated striker. He is known for his rigorous workout regimen
and never-ending cardio. Sherk's primary game plan is to take
the fight to the mat and implement his ground and pound. Although
Griffin is preparing for that, he is also making sure he has
a game plan for wherever the fight may go.
“You've
got to be ready for anything in MMA,” commented Griffin.
“I know what his game plan is and I know what mine is, but
we'll basically see what he brings to the table and just feel
it out. I got a game plan. I also got a plan B, plan C, plan
D. You have to be ready for everything out there.”
Griffin
has been working very hard improving his striking over the years.
Training out of Xtreme Couture with great strikers such as John
Alessio and Martin Kampmann will only help transcend his stand-up
game.
“I've
been working on my stand-up for four years now. I think I've
come a long way. I can't ask for a better camp to work on my
stand-up. Everybody here has good stand-up and good wrestling.
It's all coming together.”
Griffin
has been watching tape on his opponent, but doesn’t revolve
his training camp around the footage. “I check it out, but
I don't bank on what I see in a fight because everyone is going
to fight an opponent differently,” he said. “There
are some holes in his game that I think I can exploit.”
This
fight will have serious implications on who will get a title
shot next. Kenny Florian and Joe Stevenson are set to square
off at UFC 91 next month with the victor making a big leap up
in the lightweight ladder. If Kenny Florian wins his fight, he
will likely get the next shot at the title. However, if Florian
loses and Griffin wins, an opportunity to contend for the gold
could very well be in Griffin's near future
Tyson
Griffin realizes the ramifications of a victory over Sean Sherk
and he isn’t looking past his opponent. “I can't help
but think about it when all of the questions keep coming up.
He fought for the title once. He won it once. He fought for it
again and lost it so I don't see why it wouldn't put me somewhere
in the line up there. I'll think about that after.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ADCC
West-Coast US trials
ADCC to use same venue as JJ Pan for January tryouts
Time
is fast approaching for the biennial event grappling fans drool
for: ADCC 2009. With European trials out of the way, the spotlight
moves to the United States, and the extreme of the two-coasted
country to find out first which athletes will be going through
to the much anticipated finals is the West Coast, where trials
will be held at a venue quite familiar to Jiu-Jitsu practitioners
and GRACIEMAG.com readers alike.
On
the 17th and 18th of January, next year, the ADCC West-Coast
US Trials will be held in the grappling arts hotbed of California,
at the California States University Dominguez Hills gymnasium,
best known for hosting the annual Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
This is little wonder, as the events are widely regarded as the
best-run Jiu-Jitsu championships around, not to mention how choosing
this Jiu-Jitsu hub may be a sort of homage to the fact all finalists
at the last ADCC championship, in 2007, were Jiu-Jitsu black
belts.
So
far the organizers have not announced the date or location for
the try-outs to take place on the East Coast. Stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com
and we’ll bring you this news and more as soon as it comes
out.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
ELITEXC
INVESTIGATION CLOSED, SUSPICIONS LINGER
by Tom Hamlin & Ivan Trembow
After a 13-day long investigation into allegations of fight fixing
by the now-defunct MMA organization EliteXC, the Florida State
Boxing Commission has concluded that no wrongdoing has occurred.
Alexis
Antonacci, press secretary for the Florida Department of Business
and Regulation, released the findings on Thursday.
FSBC
Executive Director Thomas Molloy began the investigation on Oct.
8 after hearing a rumor that Seth Petruzelli, the last minute
fill-in for Ken Shamrock on Oct. 4’s “Heat,” had
been paid to keep the fight standing.
The
initial investigation was to determine whether commission rule
548.058, addressing “Sham or Collusive Contests,” was
violated.
Mr.
Molloy interviewed Petruzelli, who said only that EliteXC officials
told him to “just do your best.” Petruzelli further
stated that the comments he made on a Florida talk radio show
implying a fixed fight were “misconstrued” by listeners.
Mr.
Molloy subsequently reviewed Petruzelli’s bout agreement
and found no evidence of any additional bonuses other than a
“win” bonus of $15,000.
Nevada
State Athletic Commission Executive Keith Kizer and California
State Athletic Commission Executive Armando Garcia were also
reportedly asked if they had any past problems with EliteXC.
Both said no.
Kizer
did have enough suspicion in the matter to address it at a Nevada
State Athletic Commission meeting on Wednesday in Las Vegas,
where ProElite CEO Chuck Champion and in-house counsel Keith
Wallner were on the phone.
The
NSAC executive director said that he previously spoke with ProElite
representatives and was told that the reports of Petruzelli being
paid to stand up were completely untrue, and that nothing improper
occurred.
However,
Kizer said that about two weeks ago, he had a conversation with
someone from ProElite whom he did not name. As later recalled
in comments to MMAWeekly, Kizer recounted, "Someone affiliated
with ProElite told me that the fighter (Kimbo) or his camp said
that he had not been training to fight a Muay Thai specialist
and thus he had not trained to defend Muay Thai-style kicks,
so that he would agree to fight the proposed opponent if the
opponent agreed not to use any such kicks, and that information
was told to that opponent."
After
recalling this information during the NSAC's meeting on Wednesday,
Kizer said that he was curious to ask Champion and Wallner if
there was any truth to that. Wallner essentially said that he
had never heard of anything like that. Champion said that he
was present for the negotiations, and that nothing like that
happened in his presence, and that nothing at all improper happened
in his presence. Champion said that both fighters did have a
knockout bonus, but that is standard in the industry and that
approximately 30 to 40 percent of ProElite's fighters had knockout
bonuses in their contracts.
EliteXC
consultant, T.Jay Thompson, the former owner of ICON Sport, told
MMAWeekly.com on Monday, “I don’t have a smoking gun,
(but) I’ve been around long enough; I’ve talked to
enough people that were there, I won’t name names of executives
in the company that I know. Seth was paid to stand up. I’m
confident of that. If the commission wants to talk to me, I’ll
tell them what I know.”
EliteXC
executives Jeremy Lappen and J.T. Steele also told Molloy that
no fix had occurred.
“The
preliminary investigation concluded that there was no legal sufficiency
to the claimed violation of 548.058 (1), F.S and therefore no
need to move forward with a full investigation,” Antonacci
stated.
The
investigation is now closed.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Karma’s
a bitch; Elite XC closes up shop
By Zach Arnold
The idea of Pro Elite Inc, the parent company of Elite XC, closing
up shop is not surprising. This is an organization that lost
$55 million USD in 18 months and then had to rely on CBS to help
finance their October 4th event in Sunrise, Florida.
What’s
surprising, however, is the way the organization closed up shop
and how it happened. Even stranger are the parallels between
the end of Elite XC and the end of PRIDE.
According
to both Dave Meltzer and Adam Swift, Elite XC was on the verge
of being purchased by CBS & Showtime. CBS network executives
were supposedly thrilled at the ratings that the third MMA event
drew on broadcast TV, despite the clear debacle that was Kimbo
Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli. Viacom officials were reportedly so
happy that they were reportedly preparing the paperwork to purchase
Elite XC and … bring back Gary Shaw on board. Seriously.
Then,
a funny thing happened. Elite XC got hit hard by the Kimbo Slice/Seth
Petruzelli ’stand-up’ scandal and CBS found themselves
in a position similar to the position that Fuji TV found themselves
in a couple of years ago with PRIDE. In 2006, PRIDE withered
under heavy media scrutiny from a negative campaign by Shukan
Gendai in regards to yakuza allegations and stories. Fuji TV,
facing the prospects of having to deal with angry shareholders,
pulled the plug on PRIDE programming from the network despite
the fact that PRIDE was attracting ratings anywhere in the 15-20%
range per show. CBS, meanwhile, pulled the plug on buying EXC
within a couple of weeks of the promotion’s third broadcast
MMA event. The lesson to be learned here in the bigger picture
is that as a fight organization, if you do not control 100% of
your operation you are at the mercy of a corporate sugar-daddy
that can make you or destroy you instanteously. This is why WWE
and UFC will remain monopolistic players in their respective
sectors of the fight business — they understood this business
concept long ago and became self-financing business machines
that produce 100% of their product. It doesn’t matter what
TV platform these organizations shift to, as the product will
always look and feel the same.
There
is karmic justice at play here with the closing of Elite XC.
If it is true that CBS wanted to bring back Gary Shaw into the
fold of Elite XC management, then the irony grows even thicker
in regards to the comments Shaw made to The LA Times newspaper
regarding the Kimbo/Petruzelli stand-up scandal. When asked by
a reporter from the newspaper about the stand-up scandal, Shaw
said that he didn’t think it was a big deal at all and that
it is not unethical for promoters to ask fighters to ’stand-up’
during fights because the promoter is encouraging a ‘fan-friendly
fight.’ Shaw’s words only added fuel to the fire of
what was a spectacular PR disaster of magnificent proportions
involving one Jeremy Lappen, whose conflicting statements and
words in various media outlets got him into so much hot water.
Why? Because the media closely studied the lawyer’s words
and the lawyer’s statements started contradicting each other.
It got so bad for Lappen that at one point he claimed (in an
interview with Michael David Smith of AOL Fanhouse) that both
Sports Illustrated writer Josh Gross and ESPN writer Franklin
McNeil had ‘misquoted’ him regarding bonuses paid out
to fighter in Elite XC, despite the fact that both writers had
audio recording of their interviews with Lappen. Suffice to say,
Lappen’s resume in the MMA business is now largely tainted
(between the collapse of WFA and the disastrous collapse of Elite
XC) because of what has transpired in the last few weeks.
However,
I expect Lappen to only receive a minor footnote when the history
is written regarding the collapse of Elite XC. It shouldn’t
be this way, but it will be nonetheless. Instead, the face of
Elite XC’s collapse will be, for better or worse, the ‘Smoothie
King’ Seth Petruzelli. Petruzelli will forever go down in
MMA annals as being the face of Elite XC’s collapse, much
in a similar vein to how Mr. I (aka Mr. Ishizaka aka Kim Dok-Soo,
the mysterious backer of PRIDE according to Shukan Gendai) became
associated as the face of the PRIDE yakuza scandal. It was Petruzelli’s
own self-inflicted verbal wounds that started the stand-up scandal,
just two days after he beat Kimbo Slice in 14 seconds by KO.
Petruzelli’s controversial comments on an Orlando radio
station that he might have been financially ‘encouraged’
by Elite XC officials to have a stand-up war with Kimbo Slice
caused such an immediate media blowback that Petruzelli had no
idea what hit him. Further complicating matters for Petruzelli
was the impression (in my opinion) that he and Jeremy Lappen
were not exactly on the same page in terms of having a PR strategy
to handle the controversy from the comments. There were conflicting
quotes from both parties in various media reports throughout
the week. There were so many conflicting statements that both
men were only adding fuel to the raging fire that was gaining
significent traction in both new & mainstream media circles.
Petruzelli, who was being heralded as a hero a couple of days
after beating Kimbo Slice, became the face of the Elite XC stand-up
scandal. Consequently, according to both Meltzer and Swift, the
stand-up scandal supposedly cost Elite XC the opportunity to
be purchased by CBS.
When
historians look at the collapse of MMA promotions such as the
IFL and Elite XC, the one common denominator in the groups that
have collapsed is the absolutely insane burn-rate that these
organizations had when it came to financing their operations
and spending all the money they obtained so quickly. $55 million
USD lost in 18 months? Hell, when the IFL closed up shop, they
lost $35 million and were relentlessly mocked by everyone for
doing so.
There
are a lot of angles to analyze in regards to the story of Elite
XC collapsing. We will analyze several different storylines over
the next week, including what Elite XC’s demise means for
the MMA industry as a whole. The biggest loser in the collapse
of Elite XC is Gina Carano, who will likely have to give up on
being a full-time MMA fighter and make a permanent transition
to Hollywood for good. Meanwhile, PRIDE and Elite XC hanger-ons
like Jerry Millen and Jeremy Lappen will continue to try to get
work (and likely will) in the MMA business. Eventually, however,
karma will catch up with everyone involved in these scandals
in a big way. It always does.
Finally,
a tip of the cap to Dana White. Give the Vince McMahon of MMA
credit — he saw how big of a deal the Elite XC scandal was
and how it could damage the entire industry and UFC brand as
a whole. White took charge and went after Elite XC publicly in
the media. He described to the average human being what the stand-up
scandal was all about and why it should matter in the time span
of about two minutes in a media interview. White was protecting
his turf, his industry, and smelled blood all at the same time.
His comments helped keep the heat on Elite XC in mainstream media
circles, which led to even more ridiculous statements from people
like Gary Shaw, which in turn reportedly soured CBS on investing
any more in Elite XC.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Bitetti
works with Cigano
Trainer believes Cigano will have fight of the night
Gabriel Menezes
The
name Amaury Bitetti is ever-present in MMA. When he’s not
working with the Nogueira brothers (Minotouro and Minotauro),
the Jiu-Jitsu black belt focuses his energies on passing his
experience on to other fighters. This time, the beneficiary of
his efforts is Junior “Cigano” dos Santos, who will
have his hands full this Saturday at UFC 90, against a Brazilian
already established as a title-contention hopeful in the event.
“I
think it will be a good fight. Werdum is extremely technical,
and is a dangerous guy. You can’t let your guard up because
he’ll grab an arm or sink a triangle. So Cigano has been
doing a lot of arm and triangle-defense work, as well as defense
against knee bars. Standing, Cigano is well trained. He is well
prepared in muay thai. I think he’s ready to put on the
best fight of night. If he manages to defend Werdum’s attacks
and work his boxing with sprawls he’ll surprise Werdum for
sure. On the ground, Cigano has improved a lot. I think he has
a chance of winning 60 thousand dollars. He and Werdum, since
it would be 60 thousand each if they put on the fight of the
night,” stated Bitetti, who trained Cigano for three months.
Fabricio
Werdum has won 11 fights, lost three and drawn one. At his last
appearance in the UFC, at UFC 85, the Chute Boxe fighter defeated
Brandon Vera at 4:40 min of the first round. Cigano has seven
fights under his belt, six of which are wins and one loss. The
fighter is coming off a win over Geronimo dos Santos and will
be making his debut in the UFC.
Complete
card:
Anderson
Silva vs Patrick Cote
Josh Koscheck vs Thiago Pitbull Alves
Rich Clementi vs Gray Maynard
Fabricio Werdum vs Junior Cigano dos Santos
Sean Sherk vs Tyson Griffin
Thales Leites vs Drew McFedries
Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty
Dan Miller vs Matt Horwich
Hermes França vs Marcus Aurélio
Josh Burkman vs Pete Sell
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
ACROSS
THE POND: BRITISH MMA
Hopefuls Turns Out in Droves for TUF Try Outs
By David West
The
last time Dana White came to London recruiting for participants
for Season Three of The Ultimate Fighter in December 2005, roughly
thirty fighters came forward for the audition. Three years later
with the UFC planning a British team for the next season, almost
two hundred hopefuls came to Earl’s Court. They ranged from
newcomers, guys with only amateur fights on their record through
to some of the top talent in Britain. The veterans of the British
circuit included notable names like former Cage Rage champion
Abdul Mohamed, “Judo” Jim Wallhead and Andre Winner
from Team Rough House, James Evans-Nicolle, the Maguire brothers
from Tsunami Gym, Alex Reid and Gaz Roriston from London Shootfighters
and Cage Rage British welterweight champ Che Mills. Ross “The
Gladiator” Pointon, who is scheduled to fight Mills in December,
was there hoping for another go round on the reality TV show
that first introduced him to American fight fans.
“Hopefully
the second time lucky,” said Pointon. With Michael Bisping
confirmed as the coach for the British TUF team, Pointon said
he would be happy to train under the man who beat him on the
show. “I think it would be good, I’m sure I can learn
a lot from him. He’s progressed dramatically over the last
two and a half years and it would be cool to learn some stuff
from him.”
Pointon
and Mills were originally supposed to clash in September but
the match was cancelled when Mills fell ill.
“Disappointed
wasn’t the word,” said Pointon describing his feelings
about the postponement. “It’s a grudge match now. I
had no feelings about the situation before, it was just a fight
to make money and to get the belt but now it’s personal.
I trained hard for that and he pulled out with a tummy bug. The
guy’s a pussy.”
Gaz
Roriston has been fighting in the UK and Europe since 1999 but
dropped off the radar between 2004 and 2007, resurfacing last
summer at Cage Rage Contenders.
“I
was at university,” he explained, “and after that I
moved to Thailand for a while. I was training and coaching out
there for four months. When I came back I moved into London Shootfighters
for fourteen months, just full time training and living in the
gym.”
Roriston’s
return to action was meant to be sooner but a dislocated thumb
proved a spanner in the works.
“It
sounds like a small injury but you can’t lift, you can’t
grapple, you can’t do much. I did an ass-load of front squats
during that period and loads of running. I got some good cardio.”
When
he hasn’t been doing MMA, Roriston has maintained his competitive
edge competing in submission tournaments like the FILA Grappling
Championships.
“Last
year I won the trials for that and went to the World Wrestling
Games. This year I took silver [at the trials]. I’m going
to the world championships in Switzerland this December.”
The
format for the try outs saw the applicants engage in submission
wrestling in the first round. Competitors who made the cut after
that stayed on to demonstrate their striking on the focus mitts
before the final round of interviews with Dana White. In the
submission round there was a £200 bonus up for grabs for
anyone who could secure a tap out by Rear Naked Choke. Anthony
Quigley, from the Wolfslair, managed to snap that up even though
his background is as a professional boxer.
“I
spar with Cheick Kongo and Quinton Jackson and Mike Bisping”
said Quigley. “I spar MMA so I thought I’d come down
here today and see what I can get.”
To
avoid injury there were no leg locks or neck cranks allowed in
the grappling, although an enthusiastic Ross Pointon tried to
go for a leg lock when it was his turn on the mats.
“No
leg locks!” yelled White, adding “Come on Ross, this
is your third f--king audition!”
The
original plan had been to recruit welterweights and middleweights,
but White was so impressed by some of the 155 pound fighters
that he decided to keep them around too. Whether that means a
season with competitors in three different weight classes remains
to be seen or if the lightweights will have to wait their turn.
The most pleasant surprise of the day was seeing Ross Mason there
to try out. Mason was in hospital less than three weeks ago in
intensive care following an assault but was in good spirits at
the try outs and clearly a long way on the road to a full recovery.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Quote
of the Day
“If
you can't make it better, you can laugh at it.”
Erma Bombeck, 1927-1996, American Journalist/Author/Humorist
|
X-1
This Saturday!
Palolo
Hongwangi
October 25, 2008
There are a ton of good fights on this card as well as professional
boxing.
The
main event features the rematch between Mike Pedro of Bang Inc
vs Kana "The one man riot" Hyatt. Pedro was a last
minute replacement and pulled off a lightning fast arm bar from
the guard to knock off arguably the number one fighter in Hawaii
at 135 lbs. This is a revenge match for Hyatt.
The
co-main event features Mix Breed's Reuben Del Rosario vs one
of the best relatively unknown top fighters in MMA, Brandon Visher
of Wailuku Boxing.
Parking
is limited in the Honwangi so come early for a night of action!
BLUE CORNER RED CORNER
Main Event
MIKE "Pit Bull" PEDRO 135lbs Pro MMA Match KANA HYATT
Bang Inc 3/3 Min Rounds LAVA MMA
Co Main Event
REUBEN DEL ROSARIO 170lbs Pro MMA Match BRANDON VISHER
Mix Breed 3/3 Min Rounds Wailuku Boxing
GENE "BINO" GREGORY 140lbs Pro MMA Match BRYSON HANSEN
Mix Breed 3/3 Min Rounds MMAD
COLIN MACKENZIE 145lbs Pro MMA Match ISAIAH COBB-ADAMS
Gods Army 3/3 Min Rounds Nakoa Fight Team
ADD FOUR BOXING MATCHES
GERALD GAMIT 135lbs MMA Title Match JARED IHA
Southside Boxing Amateur 3/3 Min Rounds No Remorse
PHILLIP BUENAVISCA 205lbs MMA Match SEAN DESANTOS
Freelance ( KONA ) Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Freelance
PAUL LOPES 145lbs MMA Match KANIELA AHNEE
Freelance Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds No Remorse
JOREY BAYSINGER 205lbs MMA Match NALU JONES
Freelance ( KONA ) Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Old School
BEN SANTIAGO 170lbs Kick Boxing Match TYLER MAYEKAWA
Gods Army Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds No Remorse
FRANKIE TANO 155lbs MMA Match TRESTEN RABELLIZSA
Freelance Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Inner Circle Grappling
SEBASTIAN MARICONDA 155lbs Tripple Threat Match KEOLA RABELLIZSA
HMC Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds Inner Circle Grappling
|
ELITEXC
INSIDER DETAILS COMPANY'S DOWNFALL
Icon Sport founder T.Jay Thompson, in an interview with MMAWeekly.com
Monday evening, said crisis management, or lack thereof, brought
ProElite, Inc. down.
Thompson's
history with EliteXC began in August of 2007 when he sold his
Hawaiian MMA promotion, Icon Sport, to the then-expanding company.
As part of his deal, he entered into a five-year consulting contract
with the Los Angeles-based company and participated in many strategic
talks with its executives.
A
15-year industry veteran who got his start promoting fights in
the backrooms of bars to a couple hundred fans, Thompson got
a call Monday morning from EliteXC Head of Fight Operations Jeremy
Lappen, who informed him that the company had filed for bankruptcy
and everyone in the company would be let go.
Thompson
said it was CBS, not Showtime, who backed out of an impending
deal to purchase the ailing fight promotion. Last Tuesday, he
spoke with EliteXC CEO Chuck Champion, who said the company had
a fifty-fifty shot of surviving.
“His
opinion was that the deal was either going to close in the next
two to four weeks, or it was going to crash a lot faster than
that,” Thompson said.
Though
he was not present during negotiations between EliteXC and CBS,
Thompson believes the handling of EliteXC’s third CBS televised
card, “Heat,” sealed its fate.
“I
was there cageside and watched the whole thing happen,”
he said. “I think (CBS) got cold feet watching. The way
the Ken Shamrock pullout was handled, all the way from the beginning
to the end with Seth Petruzelli. Watching Jared Shaw jumping
up and down and screaming as a representative of the company,
I think was disgusting and embarrassing.”
Almost
as quickly as Heat was over, the Oct. 4 show was mired in controversy
over comments Petruzelli made to an Orlando radio show. During
his interview, Petruzelli implied that EliteXC officials had
attempted to influence the outcome of the fight. Subsequent outcry
from fans and media caused the Florida State Boxing Commission
to open an investigation, another reason Thompson believes CBS
pulled out of talks with EliteXC.
“I
don’t have a smoking gun, (but) I’ve been around long
enough; I’ve talked to enough people that were there, I
won’t name names of executives in the company that I know.
Seth was paid to stand up. I’m confident of that. If the
commission wants to talk to me, I’ll tell them what I know.”
Thompson
believes his company and other MMA promotions under the ProElite
banner are destined to languish in bankruptcy court, along with
EliteXC’s fighter contracts. On Tuesday, he will meet with
his lawyers to determine whether it’s possible to free Icon
Sport from its parent company. He’s not overly optimistic.
“(The
promotions are) there for creditors to go after, really,”
he said.
As
a promoter, Thompson says he’s made hundreds of mistakes
in his 15-year career. Elite’s size and visibility did not
give them that luxury.
“When
things are going good, anyone can promote a show,” he said.
“Kimbo Slice knocking someone out, it’s pretty easy
to get good ratings. It’s when crises happen that you earn
your money as a promoter. It isn’t an exact science. The
people that have been at the helm of EliteXC didn’t have
the years of experience that are needed to promote MMA shows.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CBS
RATINGS NOT ENOUGH, ELITEXC CLOSING UP SHOP
ProElite, Inc., parent company of Elite Xtreme Combat, is throwing
in the towel on mixed martial arts.
Several
sources MMAWeekly.com spoke to said notifications had been sent
out on Monday informing managers that the company was ceasing
its fight promotion operations by the end of this week and it
had begun the process of letting its employees go. One source
even said that ProElite had already begun clearing out its corporate
offices.
EliteXC’s
remaining show scheduled for Nov. 8 in Reno, Nevada has been
canceled. The card was due to be broadcast on Showtime networks,
EliteXC’s original broadcast partner since the company’s
formation in November of 2006.
Industry
sources on Saturday informed MMAWeekly.com that ProElite made
a last ditch effort to salvage its assets by selling off portions
of the company, including fighter contracts and the satellite
promotions it acquired in 2007.
The
company had accrued over $55 million in debt in its twenty-four
months of operations. Though its third CBS-televised offering,
Oct. 4’s “Heat,” was looked at as a ratings success
by EliteXC and CBS executives, the company's financial position
had become untenable in recent months.
In
an August SEC filing, EliteXC disclosed they were seeking 3.5
million dollars to fund operations through the end of the year.
Only a month later, another SEC filing said they had received
only $1 million in funding, provided by Showtime networks.
Elite
CEO Chuck Champion last month told MMAWeekly.com that the Showtime
loan came after two principal investors in the company had elected
not to provide the $3.5 million "bridge financing."
An
SEC filling dated Oct. 9 revealed that CBS had funded "Heat"
due to ProElite's inability to pay for the show.
Multiple
calls to EliteXC and Showtime representatives on Monday went
unreturned, although EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw told MMAWeekly.com
on Saturday he had no comment on the matter.
Although
EliteXC now is out of the picture, that doesn't necessarily mean
that CBS and Showtime are out of the MMA business. Sources have
indicated that, having worked with Affliction Entertainment to
add Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson to the "Heat" event
(both are Affliction fighters), there is now the distinct possibility
that CBS may look towards a relationship with Affliction to fill
the void left by EliteXC's exodus.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
JOSH
THOMSON TO DEFEND AGAINST YVES EDWARDS
Strikeforce on Monday announced that lightweight champion Josh
Thomson will set out to make his first title defense and, at
the same time, look to even an old score against the only man
on the planet who has stopped him in the heat of battle, Yves
Edwards, at San Jose’s HP Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 21.
The
32-year-old Edwards, who scored an unforgettable, first-round
knockout on Thomson with a head kick at UFC 49 on Aug. 21, 2004,
remains one of only two competitors who have defeated Thomson.
The finishing shot that Edwards landed on Thomson was afterwards
called “the greatest knockout due to a kick in UFC history”
by play-by-play announcer Mike Goldberg.
“I
was better than him then and I’m way better than him now,”
said Thomson who, one day before his 30th birthday, coasted to
his eighth consecutive victory, a first round TKO of Lion’s
Den protégé Ashe Bowman during Strikeforce’s
second affair at the world famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly
Hills, Calif. on Sept. 20.
“This
rematch is about winning back something that I let slip through
my fingers last time,” Thomson explained. “It was a
fluke, but that’s part of the fight game – anyone can
get caught. I blame my error last time on my cockiness. This
time, I’ve got to stamp my mark on it.”
His
dominance of Gilbert Melendez at HP Pavilion on June 27 earned
Thomson the Strikeforce title and a return to the lightweight
division’s world Top 10 rankings.
“I
respect Yves as a fighter and consider him a friend. This is
a business, though, and we know it so I’m going to do what
I have to do,” said Thomson.
“It
was a spectacular finish. We both scrambled and had a good idea,
but mine was better,” noted Edwards of his first meeting
with Thomson. During his 11-year professional career, Edwards
has triumphed over a number of other notable rivals, including
Rich Clementi, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, James Edson Berto, and
Hermes Franca, whom Edwards defeated twice.
“Both
Josh and I have improved. He’s always been comfortable in
the cage, but his stand-up looks a lot better and he looks like
he puts things together a lot better than he used to. He also
looks even harder to take down than before.”
A
native of The Bahamas, Edwards took up Karate at age nine and,
soon after, began studying Kung Fu. After relocating to Houston
at the age of 15, he fell in love with mixed martial arts (MMA)
and gradually immersed himself in various components of the sport,
most notably Muay Thai, western boxing, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
Edwards later dubbed his hybrid style of combat “Thug Jitsu.”
It
is his passion for MMA that recently lured Edwards to Coconut
Creek, Fla., where he has become a full-fledged member of American
Top Team. “Being able to go with these guys all the time
has helped improve my game a lot. I’m not lacking anything
down here. I’m in a fighter’s haven.”
In
the main event, Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Bobby
Southworth will make his highly anticipated title defense against
top-ranked superstar Renato “Babalu” Sobral.
Joe
Riggs will make his return to the welterweight division in a
featured contest with Gracie Jiu-jitsu black belt Luke Stewart.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
NOGUEIRA
RETURNS TO JAPAN FOR SENGOKU 6
World Victory Road has added another light heavyweight bout to
its Nov. 1 Sengoku 6 fight card. Making his return to Japan is
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira – brother of UFC interim heavyweight
champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – currently ranked No.
8 in the class by MMAWeekly.com. He faces French fighter Moise
Rimbon.
Nogueira
last competed in Japan more than two years ago. The Brazilian
defeated Alistair Overeem, sandwiched between losses to Mauricio
"Shogun" Rua and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. He defeated
UFC veteran Edwin Dewees at Affliction Entertainment's debut
event in July of this year.
A
Frenchman, Rimbon will be making his second Sengoku appearance.
He defeated K-1 fighter Peter Graham at Sengoku 4, handing the
kickboxer his second MMA defeat in as many tries. Rimbon is a
journeyman fighter that has had moderate success against higher-level
competition, but has not faced a fighter as highly ranked as
Nogueira.
Sengoku
6 features the semi-final and final rounds of both the lightweight
and middleweight Grand Prix tournaments, as well as the return
to action of No. 2 ranked lightweight Takanori Gomi.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GAMBURYAN
TO RETURN AT UFC 94, TAVARES LIKELY
Lightweight prospect Manny Gamburyan is returning to action at
the UFC's Super Bowl weekend card, UFC 94, on Jan. 31 in Las
Vegas. Gamburyan confirmed the fight to MMAWeekly.com on Sunday.
Though
bout agreements have not been signed, he says he has agreed to
face Brazilian Thiago Tavares. Tavares’ American representatives
were unavailable for comment.
Gamburyan,
27, has gone 2-1 in the UFC since an injury loss to Nate Diaz
dashed his chance at winning the fifth season of “The Ultimate
Fighter.” The Armenian fighter caught another piece of bad
luck at UFC 87, losing by quick knockout to fellow Ultimate Fighter
5 alum Rob Emerson.
Tavares,
23, is coming off two losses, most recently to Kurt Pellegrino
at UFC 88. Despite impressive performances in all showings, the
Brazilian has a .500 record in the Octagon with three wins and
three losses.
"He's
a phenomenal fighter," Gamburyan said. "I'm really
happy I'm fighting him. With a good victory, that's going to
put me on top for sure."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
89: KEITH JARDINE'S FIRST STEP IN MAKEOVER
In Keith Jardine’s rise to prominence among UFC light heavyweights,
he’s been pegged as the “herky-jerky” fighter.
His awkward, shuffling style confounds opponents. Even if you’re
not a student of the stand-up game, you can tell he's a little
left of center.
Only
during Jardine's fight with Brandon Vera at UFC 89, he was the
one who felt out of step. Vera’s defenses were too sharp.
There was little to build on in the way of momentum.
“He
had a really good defense,” Jardine told MMAWeekly.com after
the fight. “It took me a while to figure it out. It was
really awkward and hard to fight him, so I was trying to push
the pace the whole time.”
When
Jardine moved in, he met a considerable amount of resistance.
Vera’s best weapons were from the left side of his body,
but he also switched from southpaw to traditional stance, trying
to psyche Jardine out further. Vera threw a ton of kicks to the
body, enough to give “The Dean of Mean” pause when
charging forward.
“I
wasn’t really worried about his punches, I was worried about
his kicks,” he said. “But I was just trying to find
a way in the whole time. When I got a good angle, he was so fast
at getting out of there.”
Jardine
found success going over the top, using his oddly flung punches
to smack the side of Vera’s head. He returned Vera’s
favor, landing several kicks to the Filipino fighter’s midsection.
Coupled
with his aggression and an early takedown, it was enough to inch
by on the judges’ scorecards. Jardine says he was scared
when he heard a judge name Vera as the winner, but felt he had
won the majority of the fight.
“I
think I won the first round, and I think I won the third round,”
he said. “The second round was a little bit tough.”
There
are no straight lines for Jardine’s career. Close friend
and training partner Rashad Evans is cresting near the top of
the division, and the two have quashed any ideas of a fight between
them. For future opponents, Jardine only asks to fight the fighters
that keep him relevant in the division.
“I
don’t really care right now, just anybody in the Top 10,
just a contender,” he said. “Every fight right now
is the same as a title fight.”
After
taking a little time off, Jardine will focus on his wrestling
and assist Evans in preparing for Forrest Griffin at UFC 92.
“For
me, I’m just starting over right now,” Jardine said.
“I’m done messing around. I had a couple of big wins,
couple of big losses, and this fight for me was all about changing
my game a little bit, taking this a little bit differently. Work
my way back to the top, start all over again.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SHIFTING
GEARS, TUF 9 GOES WITH LIGHTWEIGHTS
As the ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality
show starts to gain momentum, MMAWeekly.com has confirmed with
sources close to the situation that the weight classes for this
season's show will feature lightweights (155 pounds) and welterweights
(170 pounds).
The
original announcement had been middleweights and welterweights,
but the promotion seems to have shifted gears just as tryouts
have begun.
The
first run of tryouts in the United Kingdom garnered a great deal
of attention as over 200 potential participants showed up with
many UFC stars such as Paul Taylor, Terry Etim, and new Ultimate
Fighter 9 coach Michael Bisping there to show support.
The
show's format should be similar to the last two seasons of the
popular reality show where a group of fighters selected for the
initial run on the show will have to fight their way into the
house, which will feature a United States vs. United Kingdom
theme.
While
Bisping has been announced as the coach for the U.K. team, current
rumors place the winner of the upcoming fight between Rich Franklin
and Dan Henderson slated for January as the other coach.
There
has been no further word as to why the weight classes were changed,
but as of now the welterweights and lightweights will fill the
house of The Ultimate Fighter season 9.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ELITEXC
CHAMP JAKE SHIELDS EYES FUTURE AND UFC
Almost immediately after the news broke that EliteXC would be
shutting down, just about everyone began to speculate what would
happen to its fighters. On the top of that list is Jake Shields,
likely to be one of the most sought after fighters from the roster.
MMAWeekly.com spoke to the first and only EliteXC welterweight
champion about his future.
Shields
commented first that no one from EliteXC contacted him personally
to tell him about the company's shutdown, and he only found out
about it just before the whole world knew the promotion's fate.
"I
found out yesterday right before it went up on the Internet,"
Shields said in an exclusive interview with MMAWeekly.com. "I
got a call from Cesar (Gracie, Shields' manager and trainer)
and he had talked to EliteXC and it was a wrap. I just kind of
found out last minute."
Since
making his move to EliteXC, Shields amassed an impressive 4-0
record with wins over fighters like Nick Thompson, Mike Pyle,
and most recently defending his title against Paul Daley in October.
"It's
mixed feelings," he commented about EliteXC's fate. "It's
great being the champ, great exposure being on CBS, but I feel
like I'm in a situation where a lot of people are going to want
me to fight for them. I got great exposure out of them and it
just gives me options going to another show."
The
biggest question of course now becomes where will Shields land?
"The
UFC's the most likely option," he said. "That's where
I'm certainly leaning. I haven't had any talks with them yet;
I have to get my contract released. That's definitely the number
one option I'm looking at. I was on good terms with them before
I signed this last contract, so I don't think there should be
any problem."
While
he won't rule out other promotions as viable contenders, it seems
clear where Shields wants to go.
"The
UFC's where I've wanted to fight for years, and also the guys
ranked above me in the world are there so that's certainly the
most logical show to go to."
As
Shields mentioned, at this time he hasn't had any kind of contact
with the UFC, but he says he first has to deal with his official
release from his existing EliteXC deal, which could end up mired
in bankruptcy proceedings, so he can start shopping around as
a free agent.
"I
don't want to get stuck in some complicated thing where they're
trying to hold onto my contract, trying to sell it," he
stated. "I want to be a free agent and then re-negotiate
contracts from there."
The
California native also complimented the UFC as being "very
professional" and understands that they won't negotiate
with him until his current situation is resolved, but he is hopeful
they will be in contact.
"As
far as I know they'll be interested so hopefully it will work
out," said Shields in closing.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
90: CLEMENTI HAS "NO LOVE" FOR MAYNARD
In mixed martial arts, it's hard to find a 31-year-old fighter
who has over 30 fights, but Rich “No Love” Clementi
has more than 40. Clementi has been in the sport of MMA for nine
years and has fought in many different shows against some of
the best fighters in the world. He's been on an impressive six-fight
winning streak and looks to extend that streak to seven at UFC
90 in Chicago against Xtreme Couture fighter Gray Maynard.
Clementi's
last fight came at UFC 84 against Terry Etim where he won a decision
over the tough Englishman. Self-admittedly taking the fight lightly,
Etim pushed Clementi hard in that fight and it taught him a valuable
lesson.
“It
made me really hungry,” Clementi said recently in an interview
with MMAWeekly Radio. “That was one of my toughest fights
all year and totally didn't think it was going to be. I don't
know if it was cutting weight for that long. I had a little bit
of a tough time with that fight. I'm hungry and put some size
back on. I'm feeling really strong, right where I'm usually am.”
The
Gray Maynard and Rich Clementi fight has been moved to the main
card, which was very exciting news for the Louisiana native.
“I'm stoked. Any time you get put on a main card like this,
it's a lot of recognition and I've been working my ass off this
year. A lot of people didn't get to see some of my fights. I
thought my fight with Stout was really entertaining."
In
that fight with Stout, Clementi showed some very nice standup
skills against a very talented kick-boxer. “I think a lot
of people would have a lot more respect for my stand up if they
watched that fight. It was the same thing with the Anthony Johnson
fight. I'm just excited for people to see me in action and see
my improvement in my last two years. I think it's going to be
a great fight.”
This
fight will be a little different for Clementi because the last
couple fights he's had have been against tough strikers like
Etim, Stout, Melvin Guillard, and Anthony Johnson. Maynard is
a very different type of fighter. Primarily a wrestler by nature
and nicknamed “The Bully,” he relies on his strong
grappling skills and size to determine where the fight goes.
It may be a different challenge, but it's a challenge that Clementi
welcomes.
“I
haven't got to fight a guy like Maynard in a while,” he
commented. “The last four or five guys I've fought in the
UFC have been really great stand up guys who are explosive. It's
made me a little more hesitant on my feet. With wrestlers I've
fought, two out of three of them that I fought, I've knocked
out with knees or head kicks. I'm really excited to fight that
type of style of fighter.”
Maynard
had his most impressive victory in his last fight over highly
touted Frankie Edgar. Size definitely played a big part in the
fight as Maynard was able to muscle Edgar around and proved to
be the more dominant wrestler that night.
Clementi
is a big lightweight and he doesn't believe Maynard will have
that advantage in this fight. “It's real easy when you're
fighting a mirror image of yourself when you're a little bigger
and you might be a little better in that area. It doesn't give
you much to worry about. I'm the exact opposite of him. I'm long;
I'm taller. Height makes a huge difference in MMA. And to be
honest, I cut down from 185. When people are saying Maynard is
going to out-muscle Rich, I just don't think so. I hope that
he feels that it will be the case.”
Not
only does the size advantage go away for Maynard in this fight,
but Clementi also has some very strong jiu-jitsu. “I'm going
to make him work the whole fight. I feel that when we hit the
ground, I'm not a standard jiu-jitsu guy who will sit on his
back. I'm going to work standing up. I'm going to work tricky
jiu-jitsu stuff.”
Maynard
trains out of Xtreme Couture, which is one of the best camps
in the world. However, Clementi believes that they may be taking
him lightly. According to Clementi, Couture has picked against
him in almost all of his fights.
“Randy's
place has some of the top talent in the world over there and
stuff, but at the same token, Randy on his predictions of every
one of my fights has predicted me to lose and I already beat
one of their guys coming from there, Sam Stout,” he stated.
“I think to some extent, guys undersell me a bit and I think
Randy does too. Hopefully, they'll be a little ill-prepared for
me and not give me enough respect in certain areas.”
If
Clementi is victorious in this fight, it would move him one step
closer to the belt that he wants to obtain. He knows he has to
get through Maynard to get there. “I want to fight him because
I'm hungry for it. I've won a lot this year over guys that people
said I should of lost against and did so pretty convincingly.
I'm ready for Maynard!”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
VILLASENOR
TALKS ELITEXC AND WHAT COMES NEXT
As the fallout from the shutdown of EliteXC continues, some of
the fighters hardest hit by this news were the competitors for
the upcoming Nov. 8 show in Nevada. None may have taken a bigger
hit than top middleweight contender Joey Villasenor, who for
the second time in just three months had the rug pulled out from
under his fight schedule.
Originally
set to be a part of the Sept. 20 show that was eventually canceled
as well, Villasenor was gearing up for a rematch against Robbie
Lawler on Nov. 8, but now that fight has been scrapped as well.
"Yesterday
my manager called me and he said I have some bad news for you
and I said, 'Robbie Lawler got hurt?' and he said, 'No, it's
worse than that, Elite folded,'" Villasenor told MMAWeekly.com
in an exclusive interview. "I knew that they were in turmoil,
but I was really banking on Nov. 8 happening.
"I
felt good going into the fight that I would beat the No. 3 ranked
middleweight in the world and have a great plan for my future,
but these things happen and now we just have to prepare for what's
next."
Villasenor
disclosed in the interview that he only had one fight left on
his existing EliteXC contract and was hopeful to renegotiate
a better deal after his fight with Lawler. Now, much like EliteXC
welterweight champion Jake Shields, he is hopeful to get out
of whatever legal bind his current deal holds him to so he can
hit the free agent market.
After
dealing with such a tumultuous situation at EliteXC, Villasenor
said there are certain priorities that will play into his decision
to sign with another promotion.
"It's
basically job security," Villasenor commented about whatever
company he signs with next. "I want to go to a company that's
going to take care of you. We're not millionaires and most everybody
knows that us MMA guys are in it because we love it and it's
a dream to do something you love and get paid doing it."
As
far as security in the MMA business, there may be no better place
than the UFC and their growing stable of fighters, which Villasenor
knows all too well training with Greg Jackson and his group of
fighters including UFC stand-outs like Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine,
Nate Marquardt and of course welterweight champion, Georges St.
Pierre.
"I
would love to be on the same circuit with them and it's always
been a dream of mine to compete in the UFC, but right now I just
really don't know what's going to happen, what the stipulations
are, but if they're real close to giving me a full opportunity
then I'd love to go over there," stated Villasenor.
As
far as his past dealings with EliteXC, the New Mexico based fighter
commented that overall it was a positive experience, but did
say that there were people in the company that he "will
no longer have associations with, and didn't feel comfortable
around."
He
also said that for all the talk about the executives at EliteXC,
they were a group he rarely dealt with during his time with the
promotion.
"The
Shaws and all the higher-ups, I had nothing in common with those
people," said Villasenor. "The people that I got to
see the most were the photographers, the people who helped show
you around, gave you your per diem. I have a lot of friends that
work for Elite and it was a great experience for me."
Villasenor
again stressed that his future must be met with stability and
after having two fights canceled in just three months, the sooner
he can settle his next deal to fight, the better.
"As
soon as possible," Villasenor said about fighting next.
"I'm extremely bummed out that I'm looking at a possible
8 to 12 months of inactivity. That really bothers me. The lifetime
in this sport is so small and to have you take a whole year off,
that hurts, that's bad."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
COTE
WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY ANDERSON SILVA
Some of the greatest stories that have ever happened in the sport
of mixed martial arts have been the upsets when underdogs overcome
the odds and take out the heavy favorite. From Matt Serra finishing
Georges St. Pierre to Gabriel Gonzaga knocking out Mirko "Cro
Cop" Filipovic, the upset has become a staple of great MMA
action.
The
next fighter who will hope to add his name to the list of upset
victors is Canadian heavy hitter Patrick Cote, who faces middleweight
and widely regarded pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva this
Saturday night in Chicago for the UFC 185-pound divisional title.
While
the odds are stacked against Cote going into the fight, he remains
calm and doesn't care what the "experts" say only what
he will do in the Octagon.
"I
don't care about the odds," Cote said recently on MMAWeekly
Radio. "It's just better for my friends, and everybody who
believes in me will put money on me and they will be a lot richer
after the fight."
The
former TKO champion also points out that the only real pressure
going into the fight is what he is putting himself through, while
Silva has the entire world watching for his performance in the
title defense.
"To
be the underdog, I don't have a lot of pressure, but I put a
lot of pressure on myself," Cote stated. "All the pressure
is on Anderson Silva because everybody sees him as invincible,
but he has been beaten before and that can happen again."
What
Cote has done to get himself ready for the chance to beat Silva
is go to work with world-renowned trainer Mark DellaGrotte and
his team at Sityodtong in Boston. Working with the famous coach
and his tremendous team have given Cote all the tools he believes
necessary to snatch the 185-pound crown off of Silva's head.
"We
know exactly what we need to do to beat him, now I just have
to do it," Cote said calmly.
Since
entering the UFC, Anderson Silva's performances could almost
take a page from the video game series "Mortal Kombat"
as he almost always pulls off a flawless victory. But it's his
intimidating style and electrifying wins that Cote believes defeats
most fighters before they ever step into the cage with him.
"I
think that everybody that fought him in the past was already
the loser before the fight because they were too intimidated
by Anderson Silva, by his reputation, and all the skills,"
Cote stated. "The difference with me is I don't care. My
mind is my number one skill. I'll go in there; I'll go throw
with him.
"My
first fight in the UFC I fought Tito Ortiz on four days notice.
At this time, Tito Ortiz was probably the most intimidating big
guy in the MMA industry so I ain't scared of him, so I'll go
there and I'll do my stuff."
The
fight with Silva will definitely bring Cote's UFC career full
circle after losing the shot at fighting the champion previously,
when he was submitted by Travis Lutter in the finals of "The
Ultimate Fighter" season 4. Cote has said that the loss
to Lutter was the low point in his career, but he is ready to
add the greatest accomplishment of his career on Saturday if
he is able to defeat Silva.
"After
(going) 0-4 in the UFC to have a title fight in just only a year
and a half, it's amazing," said Cote. "I have always
believed in myself and I've had some bad luck in the past, but
everyone has to start somewhere and it's my time now."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“If
you can't make it better, you can laugh at it.”
Erma Bombeck, 1927-1996, American Journalist/Author/Humorist
|
Gurgel’s
30th black belt
Antonio Peinado graduated this Thursday
Fabio
Gurgel announces that he has just graduated his 30th black belt
athlete. The happy chosen was the rising star Antonio “Batista”
Peinado, brown belt heavyweight world champion last June, in
California. Batista’s first challenge as a black belt will
be next Thursday, in Brasilia, at the Capital Challenge, an event
organized by GMA member Zaid Mirza.
Peinado
and his new belt
And
there is some more good news at Alliance. The Copa Alliance is
scheduled next November 1st, in Sao Paulo. The event is exclusive
for team members and will distribute R$ 1,000 (close to 500 dollars)
to purple, brown and black belt light and heavy absolute division
champions. Other than that, the team is “importing”
from the USA two of its stars for the upcoming Brazilian Teams
championship. Rubens Charles and Lucas Lepri will be in Rio to
dispute the event in early November.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Bisping,
Jardine big winners at UFC 89
BIRMINGHAM,
England – The United Kingdom’s Michael Bisping moved
one more rung up the UFC middleweight ladder with a clinical
and classy performance against Chris Leben.
With
much of the UFC’s success in the country linked to Bisping’s
status as a legitimate player in his division, it was a risky
move to put its golden boy in with a dangerous and unpredictable
foe such as Leben. But Bisping rose to the occasion with a smart
stick-and-move strategy that left Leben visibly frustrated en
route to a unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC
89 in front of a crowd of 9,515.
The
tension that had brewed between them during the prefight news
conference reached boiling point by Saturday evening, and the
Englishman looked even more fired up than usual as he made his
way to the octagon to the sounds of Blur’s “Song 2.”
Sensibly
refraining from getting drawn into a brawl, the English fighter
used a quick jab to open a cut under Leben’s right eye.
Peppering him with straight punches, Bisping utilized footwork
that would make Lyoto Machida envious, staying out of range of
Leben’s flailing punches.
“The
whole game plan was to circle to the left, stay away from the
big bomb and out-box him,” Bisping said after the fight.
“He was trying to get me to break the gameplan, but it’s
what I needed to do to win.”
Leben
was philosophical in defeat, and shrugged off his attempts to
goad Bisping into a brawl. “I said to myself, ‘Man,
I got to draw him in somehow,’ I was playing every card
I had. I thought ‘Screw it, let’s trade.’ It was
Bisping’s night tonight.”
UFC
president Dana White seemed suitably impressed with Bisping’s
performance, “Bisping came in tonight, took his time and
picked his shots. I’ve never seen Chris ripped up like that,”
White said.
With
the UFC desperate to build viable contenders for champion Anderson
Silva in the middleweight division (and its plans to expand “The
Ultimate Fighter” to include an entire U.K. team) it was
essential for Bisping to win. Questions as to whether he was
eyeing a title shot came thick and fast following the fight,
with Bisping deflecting them with his typical off-hand manner.
“All
people seem to be talking about is a title fight,” he said.
“Whenever it comes I’ll be happy, if they said it was
next fight or in five fights, I’ll be happy. You’ve
got to earn that title shot, not just be given it, I want to
earn the right and beat the best guys in the division.”
Bisping’s
next opponent is set – White let it slip on Friday that
he would face either Dan Henderson or Rich Franklin, depending
on who wins their January fight.
With
Henderson and Franklin not meeting until 2009 and preliminary
TUF auditions taking place in the U.K. on Monday and in the U.S.
the following week, Bisping can look forward to a few months
layoff.
Jardine
splits past Vera
Brandon
Vera and Keith Jardine fought the full 15 minutes in a co-main
event that had major implications for the light heavyweight division.
Jardine himself billed the fight as “beauty and the beast,”
referring (mostly) to their contrasting kickboxing styles: “He’s
got a very pretty style, and I’m kind of ugly,” he
said two days before the fight.
Once
again, Jardine’s awkward style – combined with a workmanlike
performance – helped him to victory. The contest, a classic
case of two fighters neutralizing each other’s offense so
that both looked ineffective, suffered a chorus of boos in the
third round, to which Jardine seemed upset.
“I’ve
never been booed before in a fight and that hurt,” he said
afterward.
Winning
via split decision, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28, the fighter from New
Mexico with wins over Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin exorcised
the demons from his knockout loss to Wanderlei Silva and cemented
his position as both light heavyweight gatekeeper and potential
title contender.
Vera’s
striking looked clean and crisp, but he struggled to find his
timing against Jardine. The UFC brass were perplexed at Vera’s
performance, with White remarking, “It’s like he lost
something. He doesn’t have that killer instinct, he used
to be cocky – at one point he wanted to fight Chuck Liddell.
He took a year off with all that contract stuff, but I just don’t
know what happened to him.”
Jardine’s
status in the light heavyweight division is complicated by teammate
Rashad Evans’ title shot against common opponent Forrest
Griffin. With Jardine holding a win over Griffin and former champion
Liddell, Jardine said, “the division is weird. Forrest is
the champ right now but who knows who the best guy is. There
are a lot of undefeated guys and a lot of guys coming up, it
could take a year or so before things settle.”
“For
me, I’m just starting over right now,” he added. “I’m
done messing around. I’m going to work my way back to the
top.”
The
rest of the show
In
other action, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou started briskly against
Brazilian Luiz Cane but fell apart in the second round and was
rescued by the referee following a barrage of shots against the
fence. The African’s status as a light heavyweight enforcer
is starting to crumble – after high-profile wins in PRIDE,
he has struggled to maintain the same level of success in the
octagon and will no doubt slip down the ranks as a result.
Welterweights
Chris Lytle and Paul Taylor fought a hard three rounds and were
awarded Fight of the Night, picking up $40,000 bonuses each.
This is the third time Taylor has been in a Fight of the Night,
but it is notable he was the losing party in each contest, this
time via unanimous decision.
Marcus
Davis slapped a tight guillotine on young Paul Kelly, citing
the vast experience and age difference as a major factor in their
fight: “I have over a hundred fights, I already told him,
you’re a young kid, you got a long future in this. He hugged
me and said thanks.”
U.K.
prospect Dan Hardy made an emphatic UFC debut against crafty
veteran Akihiro Gono, picking up a close yet deserved split decision
win in an entertaining and eventful three-rounder, while British
lightweight Terry Etim clinically outstruck much-vaunted Canadian
kickboxer Sam Stout for a decision win.
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Petruzelli
in center of Elite XC storm
Seth
Petruzelli, after going from nobody to national celebrity for
punching out Kimbo Slice, went on the radio Monday. He delivered
a shot potentially more powerful than anything he threw Saturday.
He
said his original plan against Kimbo was to get him to the ground
and exploit his weak wrestling skills and submission defense.
It made more sense than trading punches with a street brawler
who outweighed him by 30 pounds. Petruzelli said he changed his
mind though.
“The
promoters kind of hinted to me, and they gave me the money to
stand and trade with him,” he told “The Monsters in
Orlando” radio show. “They didn’t want me to take
him down, let’s just put it that way. It was worth my while
to try to stand up and punch with him.”
The
quote spoke of an attempt to if not rig the fight, then make
it favorable for Slice, the main star and cash cow of the EliteXC
promotion.
Such
an action would be a disaster for mixed martial arts as it attempts
to convince mainstream audiences it isn’t scripted pro wrestling
or a farcical Toughman contest. If EliteXC gave Petruzelli money
to fight one way, it would open itself to all sorts of investigations.
The
allegation rocketed around the country, making bigger post-fight
news than pictures of Petruzelli in drag (more on that later.
Needless to say, it’s been a wild couple of days for him).
EliteXC’s
Jared Shaw immediately denied the fixing charge to Yahoo! Sports
and fellow executive Jeremy Lappen did the same to Sherdog.com.
Tuesday,
Petruzelli said he got the story confused.
“What
that meant was they offer a knockout bonus, submission bonuses,
fight of the night bonuses,” Petruzelli said in a phone
interview. “I think it just got misconstrued. I wanted to
have an exciting fight and I wanted the knock out bonus so I
wanted to keep it standing.”
So
did they say anything about keeping the fight off the ground?
“They
just said, ‘we want to see an exciting fight no matter what
happens.’ I took it as I wanted the knockout bonus.”
That
explanation won’t appease some conspiracy theorists, if
only because the original statement sounds more believable.
Then
there is the general distrust of the organization, where the
cards often seem more show than sport. Although the last two
televised cards were mostly strong, memories remain of exploding
cauliflower ears, silly introductions and using the popular but
unproven Slice as a headliner.
Besides,
it’s no secret Elite XC had a vested interest in Kimbo winning.
Jared Shaw even charged the cage and screamed at the referee
that Slice had been hit illegally. Shaw has since apologized
for that reaction.
“He
spent a lot of money to build up Kimbo,” Petruzelli said.
“If I saw one of my guys I spent millions on getting his
face pounded I’d get upset also.”
Then
there’s CBS, which gave up any pretense of journalism in
favor of unseemly propaganda.
The
network previously embarrassed itself by comparing Kimbo to great
sports figures such as Tiger Woods. This time, Gus Johnson’s
declaration that Petruzelli’s triumph was “the most
incredible victory in the history of mixed martial arts”
was laughably ridiculous.
The
worst was Johnson repeating the party line that Slice didn’t
hesitate to switch opponents from an injured Ken Shamrock. That
was simply a lie. Slice demanded a cash bonus on top of his $500,000
payout just to get in the cage with Petruzelli, according to
Lappen.
“We
made it up to him,” Lappen said.
For
a stretch, the replacement wasn’t going to be Petruzelli
but Frank Shamrock, Ken’s brother. Frank said Saturday he
was even cleared by the Florida commission to fight. Lappen said
he didn’t think that was true, although he did admit there
were discussions with Frank.
CBS
was certainly privy to that information since Frank was at the
arena as its color commentator. It was never mentioned on the
air though. Frank told Yahoo! Sports Saturday it was CBS officials
who blocked him from taking on Slice.
When
the broadcasts have no objectivity, perspective or news value
and the promoters are openly rooting for one fighter and not
the other, how can anyone believe anything these guys say or
do?
For
his part, Petruzelli said he wishes he hadn’t made the original
comment. He swears no one from EliteXC has called him and pressured
a retraction.
The
entire thing has put a damper on his sudden surge of fame. That
and the pictures on the internet of him in drag, of course.
“Man,
people aren’t going to let those down, are they?” he
said. “Everything in costumes was (for) Halloween. I always
dress in crazy stuff. All the leather and that sort of stuff,
it’s all done in fun.
“I
want to put that to rest right now. I’m officially 100 percent
not gay,” he said. “I’ve been happily married
for two years and been with her for five years.”
He
laughed at the entire speculation. He laughed at a lot of things
Tuesday. And who can blame him? Last week he was a part-time
fighter who was competing on the non-televised undercard for
a four-figure payout. His main job was owner of a Smoothie King
stand.
Now
he’s an overnight celebrity after 4.59 million people watched
him TKO Kimbo.
He
just wishes he could do it again. He’s begging for a rematch
and the big payout it would bring.
“But
I don’t think he was receptive to that,” Petruzelli
said. “Kimbo doesn’t want the rematch. He wants no
part of that.”
He
said that dropping Slice with a single short right despite leaning
back on one foot was no fluke and he can do it again.
While
Kimbo had a reputation for taking punches from his YouTube videos
– he often let guys take free shots that didn’t faze
him – Petruzelli said there’s a big difference between
a professional fighter and those dudes.
“The
thing is, they are arm-punching,” Petruzelli said. “It’s
like little flicks with their arms. There’s no weight behind
it, there’s no turning of the hips. It’s how you throw
it and where you throw it.
“If
we fight again, the same thing will happen.”
EliteXC
should make it happen. Only this time demand its executives stay
seated and its broadcast partner at least attempt professionalism.
Everyone
could use the dose of credibility.
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Drysdale
wins his first MMA fight
The
2005 BJJ world champion and 2007 ADCC champion, Robert Drysdale
made his first MMA fight last Friday, and showed why he’s
considered one of the best ground fighters of the world. Facing
John Musick, who was undefeated in his eight amateur MMA fights,
the black belt didn’t take so long to take the fight to
his favorite place and finish it. “I catch his arm with
two minutes of fight. He hit me a jab, but with no damage, and
then I punched him back and took him to the ground”, said
Drysdale, who showed a great arsenal of submission attempts.
“I
took him to the ground and tried a stroke, then a guillotine,
but I decided not to go this way… I came back to the half
guard, punched him a little and then catch his arm... It was
great”, said the fighter, who submitted Musick with 1min59s
of the first round. After the first experience on the rings,
he wants to come back soon: “man, I’ll tell you that
I felt better in the ring, because I was getting prepared for
this fights for a long time ago. I was very confident for this
fight, and when I looked him in the eyes I saw that I’d
win that”, celebrates the BJJ coach at Xtreme Couture, training
with Wanderlei Silva, Forrest Griffin and Randy Couture.
Source: Tatame |
Will
Ribeiro ready for another challenge
With
a victory on his debut on WEC, Will Ribeiro will be back inside
the American octagon, and already knows who’ll he face.
Against Brian Bowles, who knocked Marco Loro out at WEC 31 and
remains unbeatable, Ribeiro will go after another victory to
earn a chance for the belt. In an exclusive interview to TATAME.com,
Will spoke about his fight, his trainings at Minotauro Team,
Boxe Thai and Nova União, and how he started fighting
in MMA. “At first time, this fight in December would be
for the belt, but they decided to give me another fight first.
I’ll do this and I hope I win and then fight for the belt”,
said the fighter, on the exclusive interview you check tomorrow,
here on TATAME.com.
Will Ribeiro
With
a victory on his debut on WEC, Will Ribeiro will be back inside
the American octagon, and already knows who’ll he face.
Against Brian Bowles, who knocked Marco Loro out at WEC 31 and
remains unbeatable, Ribeiro will go after another victory to
earn a chance for the belt. In an exclusive interview to TATAME.com,
Will spoke about his fight, his trainings at Minotauro Team,
Boxe Thai and Nova União, and how he started fighting
in MMA. “At first time, this fight in December would be
for the belt, but they decided to give me another fight first.
I’ll do this and I hope I win and then fight for the belt”,
said the fighter, on the exclusive interview you check below.
How
is your preparation for the fight?
Thanks
God I had this opportunity to fight in WEC, Rodrigo, Rogério
(Nogueira) and Luiz (Alves) helped me a lot to get this contract.
I’m very thankful for my teams, Boxe Thai, Minotauro Team
and Nova União. I hope I stay in WEC for a long time.
How
do you think it’ll be your next fight?
I’ll
do my game plan, everything I always done in my fights. I’ll
study my opponent, and prepare my strategie. His name is Brian
Bowles, he has 12 fights.
What
do you expect with another victory?
I
hopt I can fight for the belt soon. I was going to fight for
the belt in December, but they decided to give me another fight
first. I wanna win this fight and then go after the belt.
Where
did you start training?
I’m
from Rio de Janeiro, started when I was really young… I
went to Boxe Thai and there I met Rodrigo and Rogério,
who called me to join their team. Now I train in Minotauro Team,
Boxe Thais and with André Pederneiras at Nova União.
I’m a Luta Livre brown belt.
How
did you develop your Boxing game?
I
started very young in Boxing, and when I was 16 years old I joined
the national team. I fought there for a year and then I came
to MMA.
Who
are your idols in MMA?
The
Nogueira brothers, Anderson Silva and Randy Couture.
How
do you feel training with these guys everyday?
Here
we have the best heavyweights in the world. I’m honored
to train at Minotauro Team, Boxe Thai and Nova União,
where we have excellent lightweight fighters. I think Nova União
has the best lightweight fighters in Brazil.
Who
do you think is the best in the world in your division?
I
think is Miguel Torres, that Mexican fighter that trained with
Carlson Gracie, and Kid Yamamoto.
Source: Tatame |
Cacareco
after new opportunities in MMA
With
a great sequence of five first round submission victories, being
the last two without 30 seconds of fight, Alexandre Cacareco
is now after an event to fight, after IFL bankrupt. “I didn’t
show up anything yet. It’s bad, because here in Brazil when
you don’t fight you stay without money… I spoke with
Zé Mario (Sperry) and I’m waiting a new opportunity
to fight again, and I hope it’ll get better soon”,
said the athlete.
Source: Tatame |
André
Galvão with opponent in MMA
Two
times BJJ world champion, André Galvão showed his
skills on his MMA debut, after submitting Jeremiah Metcalf on
the second round, after being knocked down twice on the first.
Getting ready for his next fight, Galvão will be at Colloseo
Championship Fighting, at November 28th, to face Jared Bussemakers,
who did three fights in professional MMA.
“I
already signed the contract. I saw something on the internet
and I think he (Jared) is from Jiu-Jitsu, he won fights by submission
and, when lost, it was by knockout, I think. I’m getting
ready and will be on my best for this fight”, said André,
who’ll fight at welterweight division. With an undoubtedly
superior ground game, Galvão won’t go to the fight
thinking it’ll be easy to do his BJJ. “I believe he’s
from BJJ, but he can surprise me… I’m training a lot
Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ and submission… I’m starting
now in MMA and I don’t wanna underestimate nobody”.
For
his second fight, Galvão continues training with Anderson
Silva, Paulo Filho, Rodrigo Minotauro and Rafael Feijão.
“Train with all these great fighters is very good, it helps
me a lot. I think whoever I face now in MMA is tough, because
I’m just a newbie in this fight. Of course, if the fights
goes to the ground it’ll be better to me, but for him too”,
finished the athlete.
Source: Tatame |
Werdum:
“My obligation is to win”
Training
for his next fight in the octagon, at UFC 90, Fabrício
Werdum will face Junior “Cigano” dos Santos with only
result in mind: the victory. With two victories in a row in the
octagon, the Chute Boxe fighter has more experience than Cigano,
an UFC newcomer who got a chance against one of the heavyweight
top fighters. “I’m ranked as 6th and he’s coming
from down… This fight will be great to him, but if I win
it’ll be nothing more than an obligation and I know that”,
said Werdum in an exclusive interview to TATAME.com, commenting
about his future in the event, analyzing Couture-Lesnar and Nogueira-Mir
fights and ratified: “I have no doubt: Couture will face
Nogueira, and them I’ll take the winner”, said the
fighter, in the interview you can read here..
Fabrício Werdum
Training
for his next fight in the octagon, at UFC 90, Fabrício
Werdum will face Junior “Cigano” dos Santos with only
result in mind: the victory. With two victories in a row in the
octagon, the Chute Boxe fighter has more experience than Cigano,
an UFC newcomer who got a chance against one of the heavyweight
top fighters. “I’m ranked as 6th and he’s coming
from down… This fight will be great to him, but if I win
it’ll be nothing more than an obligation and I know that”,
said Werdum in an exclusive interview to TATAME.com, commenting
about his future in the event and analyzing Couture-Lesnar and
Nogueira-Mir fights.
How
is the training for the fight?
Now
it’s the final part, we have this whole week and then the
fight. I’ve trained everything I had to do here at Chute
Boxe, the system here is tough, you know, it’s all day long.
I’m doing my preparation with Madson and developing my Muay
Thai with Julio Borges.. The fight will be good, everybody will
see it.
What
you had different in this preparation?
I’m
118kg (260lbs) now, before starting my preparation with him I
was 113kg (249lbs). I’m very strong, a lot of people will
be surprised. I’m more prepared than my last two fights,
because I’m focusing in my physical preparation, I’m
faster, not getting tired… I started this special preparation
with him two months ago, training every day, and it has been
great.
How
do you think this fight is going to be?
I’m
felling well and like I always said, the tough part isn’t
the fight, that’s our jog, but the everyday is tougher,
away from my family, I barely see my daughter, who completes
one year old in November 4th. All hit suffering and dedication
someone is gonna suffer too, suffer on my hands (laughs).
Which
advantages do you think Cigano can have by training with Nogueira,
who faced you at Pride?
This
fight will be great to Cigano, but I’m on my way to the
belt for a long time. I don’t like to say this because people
can thing I’m not being humble, but I’m sixth on the
rankings and he’s coming from down, if I win is nothing
more than an obligation, everybody knows that, my obligation
is to win. Few people know him and I know the guys from Minotauro
team are saying to him that he can’t lose, it’s the
opportunity of his life, but I won’t let him use me to get
to the tops easily, it’s impossible. It won’t happen
against me.
How
do you see your future in the heavyweight division in the UFC?
You said your contract says your next fight will be for the title…
Does anyone contact you to talk about it?
Now
things had change a little, I’ll have to wait more, because
I didn’t put any right day for this fight, so I’ll
have to win Cigano and then wait… With Couture back to the
event it has complicated a little, I don’t think it’s
fair to put Brock LEsnar to fight with him only because he’s
popular, it’s wrong. I think it’d be fair to put Minotauro
against Couture and then I’ll face the winner and get my
title shot. Lesnar is big and strong, but don’t deserve
a title shot.. If they want to, I can face Cigano and then Lesnar…
I don’t think Frank Mir deserves that either, he’s
there only because he’s doing the Big Brother of fights…
The only one who deserves that is Minotauro, he has the interim
belt, and them it’d be fair if I face one of them.
How
do you think it’s gonna be Couture’s fight with Lesnar?
Lesnar’s
only chance is to hit Couture strongly in the beginning, but
fight is a fight, everything can happen, but I bet everything
on Couture. With a good strategy, putting him down, Brock will
get tired and I think Randy will win.
And
who you think will meet Couture in 2009?
Of
course it’ll be Minotauro, and then I’ll meet the winner.
Frank Mir has no chances, his time has gone… I saw his fight
against Brandon Vera and he was heavy, Minotauro will win this,
100%.
Source: Tatame |
Quote
of the Day
“There
are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those
we spent with a favorite book.”
Marcel Proust, 1871-1922, French Novelist
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel
52
NEW TIME of 8:00 PM!
A new episode
that features the Pac Sub tournament at the MMA Expo.
We
talk to the pound for pound best fighter in the world, BJ Penn.
East
coast to Guam transplant and technical wizard, Mike Fowler shows
off his leopard print hair and explains how he got his BJJ black
belt in only 4 years!
K-
Team and Relson Gracie competitor supreme, Brad Scott talks shop.
Last,
but certainly not the least, the lovely, but fierce Mrs. Bjjtek
expounds her roll as the enforcer of the Hawaii Ground better
known as the HG.
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!
|
ANDERSON
SILVA TRULY IS EYEING RETIREMENT AT 35
Despite a title fight just around the corner, all of the attention
on UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva lately has centered
around his recent talk of retirement from the sport he is currently
dominating and considered best in the world at.
The
champion first talked about his desire to retire a few weeks
back and his manager, Ed Soares, addressed the situation recently
to set the record straight.
"Even
before Anderson came into the UFC his goal has always been to
retire at the age of 35," Soares stated. "He's actually
talking about it much sooner than all of us would have liked,
but the reality of it is that his goal it to retire at 35. He's
got 18 months before he turns 35 and it doesn't necessarily mean
he's going to retire right when he turns 35, that it would just
be his goal."
Regardless
of the set goal, Soares reassured everyone that Silva will indeed
fulfill his current UFC contract, which spans his next six fights,
but understands how his talk of retirement comes across to the
general public.
"He's
still got six fights left on his contract, the first of the six
being against Patrick Cote, so I think that he's just talking
about it, but at the end of the day I know for sure he's going
to be fighting six fights in the UFC," said Soares. "He's
talking about it, but I don't think he's very perceptive on how
this is coming across to the media."
Soares
is quick to point out that Silva isn't bored or tired of fighting,
but just sticking to a goal he's had in mind long before his
championship run in the UFC.
"He
loves fighting, it's just that his goal has been to retire at
35," he said. "He's always had that goal set."
In
his time with the UFC, Silva has become known as one of, if not
the best fighter on the planet, and his exit could only be seen
as a major loss to the promotion. Soares still remains hopeful
that something could change, but is confident in at least the
current deal Silva signed being fulfilled.
"What
I believe is going to happen is when he gets to 35 he's going
to see how he feels at that point in time. I told him, let's
achieve your goal of getting to 35 and being in a position where
you could retire and at that point in time you make your choices.
If you feel like you've got a few more fights in you then lets
go a few more fights," Soares commented.
"But
I can guarantee you you're going to see Anderson Silva for at
least six more fights."
UFC
president Dana White addressed Silva's retirement talk with fans
at UFC 89 in England on Friday as well.
"You
never know what a fighter's thinking or what he wants to do,"
White commented. "One of the funny things is everybody's
always talking about how much we pay our fighters, 'oh they don't
pay your fighters enough.' Anderson Silva's the best fighter
in the world, he's a young guy, and he's talking about retiring.
"You
know why? Because he's (expletive) rich, that's why. If I was
Anderson Silva, I'd retire too."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
89 POST: WHITE NOT SURE WHAT'S UP WITH VERA
Sporting
an undefeated record through his first eight fights, UFC light
heavyweight competitor Brandon Vera has now dropped three out
of his last four bouts and seems to be at a crossroads for his
future with the promotion.
Always
confident before his fights, Vera quickly became a fan favorite
early in his career with his exciting style and killer instinct
that earned him wins over top opponents like Frank Mir while
competing at heavyweight.
Now
after two fights at 205 pounds, Vera is 1-1 with two fairly lackluster
fights and UFC president Dana White commented on the fighter's
performance after his loss to Keith Jardine on Saturday night
in England.
"Brandon
Vera, it's like he lost something," White commented. "That
year off, I don't know what it was. He doesn't have that killer
instinct, he doesn't go after it. This kid used to be so cocky,
and you know he wanted to fight everybody."
In
a pre-fight interview with MMAWeekly.com, Vera mentioned that
after his fight with Jardine he would have one fight remaining
on his current contract. But has he lost some of his negotiating
power after his last two performances in a 205-pound weight class
that seems to add new talent with almost every show?
White
also mentioned the promotion's wish to get Vera on "The
Ultimate Fighter" early in his career, but now questions
where he's headed after the loss to Jardine.
"We
were trying to get him on one of the seasons of The Ultimate
Fighter and he was like, 'Ultimate Fighter, I want to fight Chuck
Liddell. I'll knock him out today,'" White said at the post-fight
press conference. "And I was like, 'I (expletive) hear that
seven days a week, okay? Go on The Ultimate Fighter and we'll
find out how good you are.'
"He
was good, he was walking through heavyweights. Took that year
off, all the contract stuff, hasn't been the same guy since.
I don't know what's wrong with him."
There
was a very public dispute during Vera's last contract negotiation
that saw him split from former manager, Mark Dion, while taking
a long layoff between fights before coming back and suffering
his first professional loss, to Tim Sylvia in October of 2007.
As
more and more fighters make their way up the ranks of a stacked
light heavyweight division, Vera will need to pull off an impressive
win in his next bout for sure, or he may be lost in a very muddied
sea of contenders looking for a big fight.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
89 REVIEW: BISPING TOO TUF FOR LEBEN
Home country fighter Michael Bisping did not disappoint his fans
in Birmingham, England on Saturday night as he pulled out a hard
fought unanimous decision win over Chris Leben at UFC 89 in front
of 9,515 fans crowded into the National Indoor Arena.
Early
in the fight, Bisping showed his gameplan and discipline by using
an effective counter striking game to work against an aggressive
Chris Leben attack.
The
British fighter used good combinations to land solid shots to
Leben's chin, as the American kept moving forward throughout
the opening session, only to be met by the quicker and more accurate
fighter in Bisping.
"People
talk about it, if you're backing off and using counter footwork,
they say you're running away," Bisping commented about his
strategy. "That's not the case at all. I'm countering, I'm
landing strikes, and that was the plan."
The
second round saw Leben stick to a similar attack, stepping forward
over and over again, but Bisping stayed patient feeding his opponent
a steady diet of short jabs and body kicks which landed with
more effectiveness throughout. Late in the round, Leben seemed
to get frustrated with Bisping's gameplan almost inviting him
to attack, but the former "Ultimate Fighter" winner
didn't take the bait, sticking to his counter striking strategy.
As
the third round started, based on damage alone, it looked as
if Leben was fighting an uphill battle, but he stuck in the fight
coming after Bisping with everything he had left in the gas tank.
The
only takedown happened in the third session as Leben shot in
and took Bisping down, but nothing offensive happened while on
the ground and quickly the two fighters were back exchanging
on the feet.
Bisping
did a great job in the third round of once again staying out
of any kind of slugfest against Leben, landing jabs, short hooks
and body kicks along the way.
After
it was all said and done, Bisping kept his record perfect while
fighting as a middleweight picking up a unanimous decision win
over Chris Leben.
"It
was a tough fight, Chris is tough as hell," Bisping said.
"I knew that coming into the fight. I knew he could take
a solid punch. The fight went down as I thought it would be,
that was the whole gameplan, take my time, stick and move, and
get the unanimous decision."
Following
the fight, the attention immediately shifted to Bisping's standing
in the 185-pound weight class and how far away he felt he was
from a shot at Anderson Silva and the middleweight title.
"I
don't think I'm there yet, I really don't," Bisping said
about his title prospects. "I probably need one or two more
solid fights over solid opponents. You've got to earn that right
and when I get the opportunity, when I earn the opportunity,
I want to be ready. There's only one place to go when you reach
the top, and that's back down."
Leben
was also very gracious in defeat congratulating Bisping and talking
to the crowd about the exciting fight they were able to witness.
"I
just wanted to put on a great show for you guys," Leben
shouted. "That fight that you guys just watched… that
was fun."
The
UFC also announced after the fight that the crowd in attendance
brought in a 1.2 million (U.S.) dollar gate.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
89: JARDINE BACK ON TRACK, CANE SCORES KO
UFC 89 hosted two light heavyweight match-ups featuring two Top
10 ranked fighters. No. 9 ranked Keith Jardine and Brandon Vera
went the distance, while Luiz Cane was able to finish No. 7 ranked
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou by technical knockout.
“The
Dean of Mean,” Keith Jardine, who holds wins over Chuck
Liddell and UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, was
coming off a knockout loss to former Pride titleholder Wanderlei
Silva. Vera was making his second showing in the 205-pound division,
coming off a lackluster decision win over Reese Andy.
Both
entered the trademarked Octagon needing wins, each being defeated
in two of their last three outings. Jardine landed a takedown
just 10 seconds into the fight where he worked ground and pound
inside Vera’s guard. Vera was able to cut Jardine with elbows
from the bottom and worked for a Kimura, but it was Jardine inflicting
the damage.
The
referee stood the fighters up with two minutes remaining where
they immediately clinched and quickly separated. Vera sent Jardine
to the canvas with a punch only to be dropped soon after. The
round ended with Jardine trying to finish Vera who was on his
knees pressed against the cage.
The
second stanza was razor close with each waiting to counter. Jardine
attempted a high kick that Vera was able to catch and get the
action to the ground. Jardine worked back to his feet absorbing
a knee to the mid-section in the process. The remainder of the
round saw Vera landing effective body kicks with Jardine pursuing
him.
The
final round was much like the second with the two light heavyweights
picking and choosing when to exchange and when to counter. Jardine
took Vera’s back standing and began landing punches before
Vera was able to break free. The round closed with Jardine elevating
the pace launching enormous shots. The judges’ scorecards
reflect how close of a contest it was with two scoring it 29-28
for Jardine and one 29-28 for Vera resulting in a split decision
victory for the Greg Jackson trained Jardine.
“I’m
getting these guys every fight that could be the best in the
world,” Jardine said in his post-fight, in-Octagon interview
with Joe Rogan. “I always thought Brandon had the best kickboxing,
better than Chuck Liddell’s, better than Forrest Griffin’s,
better than anybody's. He was fast. He took me out of my game
a lot.”
Jardine
is back on track to continue to get bouts with the top fighters
in the division. For Vera, who has one fight remaining on his
current contract, the loss is major set back. Many thought he
would have instant success when he made the move down from the
heavyweight division, but that has been anything but the case.
Rameau
Thierry Sokoudjou, known as a fast starter, came out aggressive
with leg kicks, body kicks, uppercuts and combinations. Luiz
Cane weathered the storm and when the pace slowed half way through
round one, the Brazilian began to find his timing and range.
Watching, you could sense the momentum change with Cane becoming
the stalker.
Sokoudjou,
visibly fatigued, picked up the pace to start the second round,
but the aggression was short lived. Cane began landing jabs and
delivered two well-placed knees that put the Cameroonian on the
defensive. Cane followed up with a left hand that sent Sokoudjou
to the canvas where Cane finished him with a series of devastating
left hands.
Cane
made his Octagon debut at UFC 79 losing by disqualification after
landing an illegal knee to James Irvin rendering him unable to
continue. He rebounded by dominating Jason Lambert at UFC 85
via TKO. With the win over Sokoudjou, Cane moves from prospect
to contender in the UFC’s 205-pound division.
Sokoudjou
made a name for himself when he came out of nowhere to knockout
Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in Japan. He also
made his Octagon debut at UFC 79 losing to the undefeated Lyoto
Machida. Heading into the bout with Cane, his third fight in
the UFC, Sokoudjou was coming off a win of Kazihiro Nakamura.
The loss to Cane will likely knock Sokoudjou out of the Top 10,
but the 24-year-old has long career ahead of him.
The
win over Sokoudjou was strong enough to earn Luiz Cane UFC 89
"Knockout of the Night" honors and the $40,000 bonus
check that accompanies it.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
WELTERWEIGHTS
DAVIS & LYTLE WIN AT UFC 89
The welterweights kicked off UFC 89 on Saturday night in Birmingham,
England, in ultra exciting fashion as Americans Chris Lytle and
Marcus Davis picked up wins in each of their respective bouts
with an unbelievable pace in both bouts.
Chris
Lytle and Paul Taylor spoke to each other during the weigh-ins
before their fight agreeing that they could easily put on a fight
of the night performance and they did not disappoint in any way.
Both
Lytle and Taylor came out early in the first round throwing heavy
leather with each fighter connecting at different points scoring
jabs, uppercuts, kicks and virtually any standing strike possible.
Lytle seemed to land the bigger shots as he swung with seemingly
everything he had with every punch, but Taylor was able to counter
with strong kicks to the body and legs of his opponent.
The
fight barely saw any ground action despite Lytle's obvious advantage
in that area of the contest, but he wanted a standing war and
that's exactly what the fans got for three straight rounds.
"I
love the way Paul fights, he's a great fighter, I love him to
death," Lytle said following the fight. "I love his
style and that fight was exactly what I wanted. Me and him standing
toe to toe and banging and that's what it was. It was awesome."
While
Lytle appeared to tire late in the fight, he still came back
at every turn taking Taylor's strikes and unloading a few of
his own.
The
judges came back at the end of the fight with a unanimous decision
win for Lytle, but neither fighter has anything to be ashamed
of after one of the most exciting fights in all of 2008. The
UFC also recognized their efforts handing Lytle and Taylor $40,000
each for a "Fight of the Night" bonus following their
exciting, action packed fight at UFC 89.
Marcus
Davis got back on the winning track after a disappointing loss
in his last fight by submitting previously undefeated British
fighter Paul Kelly on Saturday night.
As
the fight started, Davis showed great patience landing good combinations
on Kelly, while keeping away from getting overly aggressive and
giving up a takedown to his opponent.
"This
fight coming off a loss and an injury, I had to take my time
in this fight, and he's a real dangerous guy, he's so aggressive,
very powerful," Davis commented about his gameplan. "And
I knew that I had to create angles and take the opportunities
when I could, but not push it too hard. I didn't want to do what
Paul Taylor did, I didn't want to get in an exchange with him,
because he's too young and too strong."
Kelly
seemed content to stand in the first round and was actually the
one being taken down during the initial five minutes, but quickly
got back to the feet to trade with Davis again.
In
the second round, Kelly finally shot in to get Davis down, but
unfortunately he left his head up in a compromising position.
The "Irish Hand Grenade" recognized the opportunity
and sunk in a guillotine choke as the fighters fell to the ground.
Once Davis pulled guard and sunk in the choke that much deeper,
Kelly had no other choice but to submit to the hold, giving Davis
the win.
Davis
will now move forward with his mission to fight in January in
Dublin, Ireland, as he hopes to fulfill a lifelong dream to compete
near where his family originally migrated from.
"I
hope to see everybody in Ireland," he said after his fight.
"UFC, Dana please send me to Ireland!"
Davis
mentioned previously during an appearance on MMAWeekly Radio
that he would love the chance to fight Chris Lytle if both fighters
were successful at UFC 89, and apparently the message got to
Lytle as well.
"Marcus
if you're into it, I respect the hell out of you, I'd love to
fight you," said Lytle after his Fight of the Night win
over Taylor.
Source: MMA Weekly
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Minotouro
looking ahead to 2009
Brazilian training to get back at Matyushenko
The
postponement of the Affliction event originally scheduled for
October giving Rogerio Minotouro a forced vacation. The Brazilian
will thus have to wait till the 24th of January, the date foreseen
for the next Affliction show to try for revenge over Belarusian
fighter Vladimir Matyushenko. “I’m going to hit hard,
get hit with some hard hooks standing, so I have to watch the
distance, try and box him and throw knees. I have to watch out
for his ground and pound. He likes to get the takedown and drop
bombs from the top,” stated the fighter, whose first loss
in his MMA came against Matyushenko himself at UFO –Legend,
back in August of 2002.
As
is generally the case, his preparations are being done in accordance
with his adversary’s style. “I’m training a lot
of wrestling. A ton of wrestling. Lots of takedowns. As well
as muay thai. I think that will be it, takedown defense and winning
with muay thai standing,” he revealed.
Although
he is concentrating on his own training, Rogerio is tuned into
what is going on in the MMA world, and risked a prediction on
the fight between Anderson Silva and Canadian Patrick Cote, the
main event at UFC 90, on the 25th.: I think Anderson will knock
the guy out in the second round.
Also
according to the black belt, he things experience in the octagon
will prevail in the main event at UFC 91, on November 15: “Randy
Couture is very experienced. I think he’ll win this fight.
Of course Brock is dangerous, strong, but I don’t see Couture
losing this fight.”
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Watch
out for mat hygiene
Athletic
Body Care is concerned with the well-being of Brazilian JiuJitsu
Athletes. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC),
athletes are more susceptible to virus and fungi transfer due
to the high rate of skin contact and the use of shared gear and
gym equipment. These viruses and infections have moved from myth
to reality and right into your schools.
Some
of the many pathogens spreading around our nation's facilities
are Staph, Ringworm, Impetigo, and Hepatitis. One of the most
prevalent and virulent strains of bacteria, Staph, has evolved
into a resistant strain that is no longer susceptible to common
antibiotics. MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aureus) is a type
of staph infection that presents additional risks and problems
for those affected. First, and most importantly, MRSA has a significantly
higher mortality rate. Second, MRSA places a much higher cost-burden
on both the patients and the medical system because of the difficulties
in treating this very common infection. In fact, the CDC has
now declared MRSA a national epidemic because of the rise in
infections. Although many of the MRSA infections that present
in Emergency Departments America are usually skin infections,
the danger is most severe when these infections go untreated.
Because when the integrity of our skin is compromised by dryness
or cracking, bleeding, mat-burn, or through our nose, MRSA can
enter the bloodstream and ultimately lead to sepsis.
Unfortunately,
many people infected with MRSA don't notice immediately because
these infections can often be mistaken for spider-bites. If left
untreated, these bite-like infections can spread over a larger
area of the skin, or even grow in diameter. Once the infection
spreads and becomes more severe and painful, the treatment options
become increasingly limited and expensive. Even though there
are antibiotics to treat MRSA today, they are high in cost and
because of their intravenous formulations, often they require
hospitalization. The media often reports on cases of MRSA in
our local communities and athletic programs, so people are becoming
more aware every day and yet these pathogens are still spreading!
Visiting many schools and BJJ tournaments nationwide Athletic
Body Care has heard how people are taking preventive measures.
A common response is that the schools are starting to sanitize
their facilities twice a day instead of one. What you need to
understand is that the mats, weights, and equipment don't spread
virus and bacteria – we do. For example, if you mop the
floor in the morning and it dries, then someone steps on the
mat to train barefooted, he or she is bringing the bacteria right
on the floor again. Disinfectants only kill for a limited time
no matter how strong, or good the formula smells.
Other
methods being used are athletes that use certain products that
contain alcohol, tea tree oil, or skin barrier creams. Alcohol
dries out your skin with repeated use, cracking it and inviting
bacteria in the bloodstream. "Well, I use gel alcohol that
carries aloe in it." After your skin is dry and sticky that
specific formula traps the bacteria forcing it in your bloodstream.
Tea Tree Oil is not an FDA approved formula and is known to be
a holistic method of treatment. Finally, Skin Barriers act as
a layer that covers your skin, with no killing power. These formulas
are greasy, can stop you from sweating and require a buddy system
to apply.
Taking
a shower is one of the best ways to maintain good hygiene. Athletic
Body Care knows that showers are not always convenient, which
is why we have a full product line designed to protect your skin
no matter where you are. We recommend bringing a body wash to
the shower so you are not sharing someone else's soap. Before
and after you train or compete, use a sanitizer that is FDA approved
to protect you and lasts longer than 30 minutes even after it
dries. Most important is applying antimicrobial lotion to your
body, keeping the skin from drying and cracking. Other things
to keep in mind, is to wash your Gi after you train and not to
share items like towels!
For more details on products and good hygiene check out our website
below.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
LONGMAN
JIU-JITSU OPEN
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
For
more info call Bruno 645-1265
Source: Shauna Castle
|
Aloha
State Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Date Set For
November 15th!
The third crown of the triple crown, the Aloha State Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has pushed back its event one week and
now will be held on Nov. 15th at Gym #1 at the University of
Hawaii at Manoa.
Check out the website for more details.
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