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)
12/13/08
The Ultimate Fighter 8 Final
(PPV, Las Vegas, NV)
11/21/08
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
11/15/08
UFC 91
(PPV, Portland, OR)
11/8/08
Aloha
State Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
11/7/08
HFC Stand Your Ground IX
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
10/25/08
UFC 90
(PPV, Chicago, IL)
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
(MMA)
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)
|
|
September 2008 News
Part 2
|
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!
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O2 Martial Arts
Academy Day Classes Start May 2!
Women & Kids Kickboxing Class starts May 4!
Click here
for pricing and more information!
O2MAA Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Day Classes will be held on Monday,
Wednesday, and Fridays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will be taught
by one of Relson Gracie's first black belts, Sam Mahi!
We will be starting a Womens and Kids kickboxing class on Sunday
afternoons from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The class will be taught
by none other than O2's Kaleo Kwan! It will be a non-competitive,
fun atmosphere and allow the ladies and kids to get in a quick
workout and learn some legitimate kickboxing technique before
the long work week starts.
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Quote
of the Day
"Knowledge
has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or
it vanishes."
Peter F. Drucker, 1909-2005, Austrian-born Management Consultant
and Author
|
Boxing
Smoker at Palolo Gym!
Tonight!
The next boxing show tonight Saturday, the 20th, at Palolo Gym,
6 p.m..
7 bouts are schedules and admission is $10.
Main event will be:
Daly Tipoti (Kawano B.C.) 6'1", 266lbs -VS- Dustin Dosher
(Kalakaua B.C.) 6'2" 212 lbs
Source: Bruce Kawano
|
MMA
Documentary on KGMB After EliteXC on Oct 4th!
KGMB will feature a 1-hour documentary on MMA in Hawaii. It's
going to be aired on KGMB after the EliteXC card, 10:00pm. They
are cancelling their 10pm news broadcast to show it.
Check out the preview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHpDKC1rJZc
Source: David Maeda
|
Roger
out of Sengoku
Gracie suffered injury during training
Called
up to star in the next edition of Sengoku, to take place on September
28th, in Japan. Roger Gracie will not be fighting. The black
belt suffered a back injury during training and will not have
time enough to recover to face Travis Wiuff. No official statement
has been made by the Japanese organization nor information as
to who will substitute the Gracie on the card.
Check
out the fight confirmed and stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com for further
information.
Xande
Ribeiro vs Takahashi Sugiura
Yuki Kondo vs Yuki Sasaki*
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs Paul Cahoon*
Jorge Santiago vs Logan Clark*
Evangelista Cyborg vs Siyar Bahadurzada*
Kiuma Kunioku vs A Sol Kwon
Ryan Schultz vs Jorge Masvidal
*
Middleweight GP
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
IFL
files for bankrupcy
The International Fight League on Monday officially filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The
filing for reorganization relief was made with the United States
Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York.
The
IFL, which will continue to operate as a "debtor-in-possession,"
was worth as high as $17 per share in January 2007, but today
is worth less than a penny.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Anderson:
“Gracie’s time is past”
By Guilherme Cruz
Pointed
as the best pound for pound MMA fighter of the world, Anderson
Silva commented the fight between Rousimar Palhares and Dan Henderson,
that ended with the unanimous decision victory for the former
Pride champion. “I didn’t see the fight, but everybody
said that Den Henderson was very superior, as I was expecting.
Toquinho (Palhares) is very young, has a lot of thing to go through
in the sport and it was a good experience”, said the UFC
middleweight champion, that doesn’t believe that only BJJ
can bring the fighter to victory in the octagon.
“You
have to train everything… People are wrong about MMA. The
time when the Gracie’s supremacy was total, when Jiu-Jitsu
was the most important, but Gracie’s time is past. That
thing about the weak fights the strongest, everybody knows something,
avoid the ground, defend a leg-lock, nobody is fool nowadays”,
analyzed Anderson. “But who is Andeson Silva to say about
it, it happens… It could be the opposite, he could have
catch his foot and finish him, but isn’t easy, that guy
needs to be respected and Toquinho hasn’t much experience
to fight him”, said Anderson to TATAME.com.
Source:
Tatame
|
Frank
Mir Interview - 'Kimbo Holds Sport Back'
Gary Ibarra, MMA Reporter
Los
Angeles, Calif. - The UFC’s breakthrough reality show “The
Ultimate Fighter” gears up once again for its eighth season
premiering tonight on Spike TV. Current interim UFC heavyweight
champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former UFC heavyweight
champion Frank Mir will both be featured as coaches this season
and after completing an interview last week with Nogueira, FiveOuncesOfPain.com
was also afforded the opportunity to speak with Mir.
While
Mir was made available in order to promote TUF, he was more than
willing to discuss everything and anything MMA in what proved
to be an intriguing interview. During the course of the conversation
we asked Mir to share his thoughts on the recent return of Randy
Couture, the surprise upset win of Rashad Evans over Chuck Liddell,
his experiences being on the show and the motorcycle accident
that nearly ended his career.
As
any regular fan of the UFC, WEC, or ESPN’s “MMA Live”
knows, Mir’s ability to convey his thought and opinions
is second to none and in this one-on-one interview with 5 Oz.’s
he was never at a loss for words.
Gary
Ibarra: The publisher of FiveOuncesOfPain.com recently wrote
a piece about ESPN’s reaction to UFC 88 the upset victory
of Rashad Evans over Chuck Liddell. He said that he was all set
to write a piece chastising ESPN for its lack of coverage but
was pleasantly surprised when SportsCenter aired a ringside satellite
segment with Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg breaking down the fight
and discussing the outcomes. How much effect do you think a show
like TUF has on the perception of MMA to the mainstream sports
media and the public in general who watch the show?
Frank
Mir: I think the show goes a long way towards humanizing the
sport and the guys. By having the cameras in the house it acts
as sort of a window into the real lives of the people who take
the sport seriously, and how they really are when they are not
in the ring, they’re mostly just regular kids. I mean let’s
face it, the public’s perception of MMA is not exactly fantastic.
Every time guys like Tank Abbot or Krazy Horse (Charles Bennett)
fought or even now with Kimbo Slice; every time Kimbo fights
it sets the sport back. Guys like that just reinforce the idea
in the public’s eye that we are all blood thirsty barbarians
who just want to pummel each other and that there is no skill
required. Guys like them do the sport a disservice.
Gary
Ibarra: While the formula of the show usually involves playing
up some of the confrontations between members of the cast and
a little trash talking between the coaches as I’m sure this
season was no different, how does it feel to go back and forth
with someone whom you’ve said previously is like an idol
to you?
Frank
Mir: Anyone who’s expecting to see any animosity or back-and-forth
between me and Noguiera, as is usually the case between coaches
on the show, is going to be extremely disappointed. There wasn’t
any of that. Sure there were times when I didn’t like him
just as much as I’m sure there were times he didn’t
like me, but we let our guys do the fighting for us. We definitely
fought vicariously through them this season.
Gary
Ibarra: This season I’m sure there are several fighters
who you saw that have the potential to make a a career in MMA.
But was there any one fighter that you can talk about who you
saw that you thought immediately “That guy is going to make
it”?
Frank
Mir: That’s what I would say is the difference between this
season’s cast and the previous casts: the talent level;
there is a lot of depth here this season. So much so that I’ve
even pulled training partners to help me prepare for my fight
with Noguiera. The number of guys that you’ll see on undercards
and prelims in the UFC is a definitely high with this group.
I would go as far as to say its actually easier for me to pick
out the guys who won’t make it just because there were so
few of them, I would definitely put this season’s 16 guys
against any of the other 16 from previous seasons.
Gary
Ibarra: The list of people who were contestants or who have been
coaches previously reads like an A list in the UFC: Liddell,
Couture, Ortiz, Shamrock, Penn, Pulver, Griffin, and Jackson
to name a few. Most of these guys are surefire Hall of Famers.
Do you think adding Mir to this list means that you will be there
as well?
Frank
Mir: Yeah, I would say I will. Obviously it’s going to depend
on my next couple of performances, but I do think my name belongs
with those others, absolutely.
Gary
Ibarra: You’ve been training martial arts almost your entire
life, was it difficult for you to become a coach?
Frank
Mir: No, not really. My dad owned a martial arts school and I’ve
been training my whole life so it wasn’t that much of a
stretch. I love martial arts. I like learning new things myself.
I’m always sharpening my skills and trying to get better
so I liked the teaching aspect of the show.
Gary
Ibarra: What would it mean to you to have this season’s
winner come from your team?
Frank
Mir: It would be satisfying, no doubt, but I couldn’t take
too much credit for it. All we as coaches do is impart the knowledge
to the best of our ability but it’s up the fighter once
he’s in the ring to use that knowledge. Obviously I’d
be happy if it was my guy, but I could never attribute another
fighter’s performance to myself. I can say that one thing
I didn’t count on that happened was the emotional attachment
to the guys. You see a good kid lose and it bothers you. I definitely
took it home with me some nights.
Gary
Ibarra: Was there anything you could say you didn’t like
about your experience on the show? Or was there anything you’d
like to change about the show itself?
Frank
Mir: The only thing I didn’t like is the way the preliminary
fights are chosen. I’m not sure there’s much though
put into it beforehand. It was more like “Okay, where’s
the list? Okay, now you fight you and you fight you and you fight
you.” It upset me a little because I would see two guys
that were really great fighters have to fight each other in order
to get in the house and then two guys who were not so good be
put against each other. And I’m thinking if these two good
guys both fought those two not so good guys, that would ensure
we got the best talent into the house. I think there should have
been a little better process to determine who fights who in the
prelims.
Gary
Ibarra: The show’s validation in the world of MMA is no
longer questionable with the rise of alums like Rashad Evans,
Forrest Griffin, and Kenny Florian to name a few, what do you
foresee as the next step in the growth of MMA?
Frank
Mir: I see its growth in popularity only continuing, eventually
to the point that boxing had in when it was at its highest point.
The only reason it hasn’t reached that point already is
the stigma attached to the term “Cage Fighter.” The
powers that be may be from a different generation, one that sees
the sport as a novelty or having little or no value, but once
those people who have that idea are gone you’ll see the
sport rise to where it should be. It’s just going to take
time.
Gary
Ibarra: Your leg injury in 2004 caused people to question weather
or not you’d even keep your leg let alone fight again, did
you ever question weather or not you’d ever recover?
Frank
Mir: Absolutely, I took my first fight back after my injury knowing
that I wasn’t ready. I told myself, if I lose to (Marcio)
Cruz, I already know in my mind that I wasn’t ready and
so I’d have an excuse for myself built in. And after I lost
that’s exactly what I did, I excused myself. My next fight
I still didn’t feel like I was 100% but I took the fight
anyway and after that close win it was the same thing. But in
the Vera fight I really felt like I was back to normal. I was
squatting in the gym, jumping around on it(the leg), I thought
I was back, and when I lost I really felt like I was done. I
was convinced that was it. The accident had really ruined my
career. I told my wife Jenny “That’s it honey, I think
its time to retire.” To say she talked me out of it is putting
it mildly. She really let me have it for even talking about quitting.
But that was exactly what I needed. I credit her for my rededication
to the sport, I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for
her.
Gary
Ibarra: The injury would have been devastating to most people.
It was a definite possibility that you may never fight again.
How did the UFC react to their heavyweight champion being told
that his career was in danger?
Frank
Mir: They reacted the best way they knew how. They waited a lot
longer for me then I would have in their position. They created
an interim title. Bottom line is they gave me the opportunity
to fight again, that’s was all I could ask for.
Gary
Ibarra: What did you think of the Evans vs. Liddell outcome?
Frank
Mir: I think that Greg Jackson is the greatest trainer of all
time.
Gary
Ibarra: How did you feel when you heard about Randy Couture’s
return to the UFC?
Frank
Mir: I was glad to hear it. Randy deserves to be in the UFC if
he wants to be and I was just happy that all the legal back-and-forth
ended and we get to see him fight again.
Gary
Ibarra: And what did you think about him getting the fight against
Lesnar right off the bat?
Frank
Mir: The only problem I have with that decision by the UFC was
that I think they should have waited for the outcome of my fight
with ‘Nog to decide who Randy would fight in his return.
It would have been better for them to have Randy fight the winner
of our fight in order to determine who the heavyweight champion
should be. The current champion with the interim tag or the previous
champion, that’s what I would have done but it’s not
my decision.
Gary
Ibarra: Noguiera is one of, if not the most experienced heavyweight
champions in the UFC’s history. He gives his opponents a
lot to deal with his advanced ground game and ability to outlast
his opponents even after sustaining major punishment. Can you
give me any insight as to your game plan for fighting him?
Frank
Mir: Anyone who goes for broke thinking that they’ve got
‘Nog in trouble has ended up losing. It’s that simple.
He bates a lot of his opponents into basically punching themselves
out; he outlasts them into the later rounds and finds a way to
submit them after their exhausted. I know the fight will end
up on the ground. His legs are so bad and I kick so heavy that
there’s no way he’s going to want to stand with me.
I just need to make sure I don’t get gassed. Going into
the later rounds is not something I’m used to which is what
gives him an advantage. Our games are completely opposite of
each other so it’s going to be interesting.
Gary
Ibarra: If you had the ability to fight anyone in the sport of
mixed martial arts if weight and time were not a factor, which
fighter — past of present — would you choose?
Frank
Mir: Anderson Silva, definitely. His ability and his skill set
is so diverse that he would definitely be someone I’d like
to test my skills against.
Gary
Ibarra: Would you ever come down in weight to fight him?
Frank
Mir: (Laughing) I think I’ll wait for him to come up.
Source:
The Fight Network
|
Dustin
Hazelett promoted to BJJ Black Belt
UFC welterweight Dustin Hazelett was promoted to a Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Jorge Gurgel at Gurgel's gym Tuesday
night in West Chester, Ohio.
Hazelett,
22, began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in his junior year of
high school and has been studying with Gurgel for the past 5
years and 10 months, according to the Team Gurgel website.
Hazelett,
who will be quick to remind you he’s not Jon Fitch, is 4-2
in the UFC and 11-4 overall in MMA.
In
his last fight, Hazelett won the Submission of the Night award
with a second-round armbar win over Josh Burkman at “The
Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale” in June.
Hazelett
had to go under the knife to remove damaged cartilage under his
nose after that fight, but he’s already back training for
his next fight scheduled for Nov. 15 at UFC 91 “Couture
vs. Lesnar” against Tamden McCrory.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Mir
Has TUF Story to Tell
by Loretta Hunt
One
of the greatest backstories of “The Ultimate Fighter 8,”
debuting Wednesday night on Spike TV, doesn’t even come
from one of the 32 fighters vying for the 16 available slots
on the series. It belongs to Frank Mir, who coaches one of the
squads.
Mir’s
four-year journey back into contention for a second UFC heavyweight
title is not your typical MMA comeback tale. In 2004, the Las
Vegas native was struck by a car going 50 mph while riding his
motorcycle to work.
Mir
was thrown nearly 90 feet from his bike on impact, hit the pavement
with his head, and settled on the grass with a broken femur.
The accident nearly crushed his spirit as well.
Forced
to strip the then 26-year-old champion of his title when he couldn’t
return to defend it after 13 months, the UFC was hesitant when
Mir re-entered the Octagon in February 2006 to face Marcio Cruz.
Mir
wasn’t prepared to fight again, though he didn’t just
lie to himself. During his pre-fight physical, he squatted on
one foot for the doctors so they wouldn’t notice that his
right leg was four inches shorter than his left.
The
subsequent bout against Cruz was a mess, with the Brazilian landing
shot after unchallenged shot into Mir’s bloody guard for
four tortuous minutes until it was stopped.
“After
the Marcio Cruz fight, I was like, ‘I really shouldn’t
have taken the fight,’ but because I knew how injured I
really was, it didn’t hurt my feelings that bad,” Mir
says.
What
resonated was the ultimatum that came two fights later, following
a crushing first-round loss to rising striker Brandon Vera at
UFC 65.
“I
was told before the Antoni Hardonk fight that if I didn’t
win impressively, I was out of the UFC,” says Mir.
The
defeat to Vera –- which came from a gruesome knee that smashed
into Mir’s unprotected head –- wasn’t all he had
to contend with that night. After a few hours sulking and talking
of retirement, Mir then faced the wrath of his wife, Jenny.
“She
said, ‘You think you’re the first fighter to have a
bad day? You think you’re the first guy to struggle with
a book or struggle with a song or struggle in life? What are
you –- a bitch?” recalls Mir. “I remember sitting
there, my nose is ripped open, I have stitches holding it together,
my one eye is completely shut and I’m looking at her. I’m
like, ‘Wow, this hurts worse than the knee.’”
His
wife’s fiery words and refusal to let her doubting husband
give in turned a new page in Mir’s career, punctuated by
new coaches, a new training regimen, and a fresh outlook on fighting
in general.
Mir
conquered Hardonk, which earned him a shot at the sport’s
biggest newcomer –- former WWE champion Brock Lesnar --
in February 2008. The fighter once heralded for his speedy submissions
graced the cage again when he bear-trapped the bulky wrestler’s
leg into a kneebar. Prior to his motorcycle accident, Mir says
he wouldn’t have had the mental fortitude to withstand the
flash-flood ground-and-pound attack Lesnar unleashed before the
submission.
This
is the Frank Mir that comes to TUF 8 as a coach, a man much more
seasoned in facing adversity than he was just four years ago.
“I
just came across as myself,” says Mir of his TUF appearance.
“I tried to be. At first, I tried to stay kind of reserved,
but that’s my problem, is when I start talking or doing
anything, the cat’s out of the bag.”
Always
an eloquent speaker, Mir (11-3) hopes his knowledge and passion
for the sport shines through from week to week on the show, which
culminates with a December showdown against rival coach and UFC
interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Along
with his jiu-jitsu gifts, knowledge and passion happen to be
Mir’s strong suits in MMA. During his slow trek back into
competitive shape, Mir was tapped to become a commentator for
the UFC’s second promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting,
in January 2007. His tenure over 12 WEC events has put his understanding
of the mechanics of the sport on display and received ample positive
reviews from fans in the process.
Mir’s
commitment to the sport is unquestionable. Father to 16-year-old
son Marcus and 5-year-old daughter Isabella, Mir named his second
son, now three years old, Kage.
On
the show, which finished shooting in late June, Mir admits he
grew emotionally attached to his team, sharing their triumphs
and falls as the series’ hectic schedule churned out a fight
every three days.
“I
took on a bit of a cheerleading role,” says Mir. “Some
of the guys thought I might have a heart attack at some points.”
Not
as savvy on the keyboard as he is on the mats, Mir says his wife
Jenny will be gauging fans’ reactions to her husband’s
reality TV performance. Jenny might not have much to flinch at.
Mir describes his interaction with fellow coach and idol Nogueira
as respectful and amicable.
“Anybody
that’s watching the show to see if me and Nogueira go at
it in any other context besides competing with the fighters is
going to be sorely disappointed,” says Mir. “No animosity.
There were times when we looked at each other. There were times
when I didn’t like him because his guy might have beat my
guy’s a--. There were times where I know he didn’t
like me, but it was a very competitive nature. There was never
any childish thing between him and I -- but the fighters made
up for that.”
Though
outrageous behavior is nearly guaranteed to fuel the fighter’s
house and the ratings, Mir says he was pleasantly surprised by
the talent pool.
“In
past seasons, you’d see there was sound fighters on there,
but there was a mixture of those guys that were there to add
fluff,” he says. The eighth crop of prospects doesn’t
follow that model, according to Mir.
“There’s
some guys that have more fights than I do –- twice as many.
There’s guys there that are black belts in jiu-jitsu that
I was rolling with that I’ve incorporated to come out and
help me get ready for Nogueira now,” he says. “I’ve
actually pulled training partners out of this, those guys have
such a high level.”
The
list of candidates that won’t make it to a UFC preliminary
bout down the road is much shorter than those that likely will,
says Mir.
“There’s
only maybe two or three guys I can sit there and go, ‘Well,
you’re probably not going to see this guy later on,”
he says. “More than half, I think are on prelims.”
Mir
knows just how valuable a shot in the prelims can be. It’s
where his career began in 2001 against black belt Roberto Traven
at UFC 34. Seven years later, he’s guiding others down the
same path.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"Faith
consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to
believe."
Voltaire, 1694-1778, French Writer and Philosopher
|
Boxing
Smoker at Palolo Gym!
Tomorrow
The next boxing show is on this Saturday, the 20th, at Palolo
Gym, 6 p.m..
7 bouts are schedules and admission is $10.
Main event will be:
Daly Tipoti (Kawano B.C.) 6'1", 266lbs -VS- Dustin Dosher
(Kalakaua B.C.) 6'2" 212 lbs
Source: Bruce Kawano
|
UFC
Tabs Dec. 10 for the Troops
Zuffa
LLC, the parent company to the UFC, has added one more date to
its industrious end-of-the-year schedule with a Dec. 10 event
at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
UFC
president Dana White announced the charity event “UFC Fights
for the Troops” Wednesday during a live broadcast of UFC
Fight Night 14 on Spike TV.
The
prominent U.S. Army installation will host the event, which will
also be telecasted live on Spike TV. White said proceeds will
be donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a not-for-profit
organization that provides financial support to the families
of deceased and severely wounded military veterans.
In
December 2006, the promotion hosted UFC Fight Night 7 on the
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar base in San Diego for an enthusiastic
crowd of servicemen and women.
Competitors
for Dec. 10’s charity outing have not been named yet.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Aoki-Moore
a late addition to DREAM 6
Rubber guard specialist Shinya Aoki has been added to DREAM 6
on Sept. 23 against WEC veteran Todd Moore.
Aoki
(17-3) will be returning from his loss to Joachim Hansen at the
finals of the Lightweight Grand Prix. Hansen, whom Aoki submitted
with a gogoplata at PRIDE Shockwave 2006, stifled Aoki’s
grappling with ground and pound strikes for the TKO victory.
Moore
(9-2) signed with the WEC after opening his MMA career with nine
victories, but has lost both his fights against tougher competition
with the UFC’s sister promotion.
Aoki
was offered the fight yesterday. This late addition is another
example of DREAM’s extended efforts to improve its TV ratings
for the TBS network in Japan. FEG president Sadaharu Tanigawa
hinted in an interview in July that DREAM could be dropped if
the promotion continues posting low ratings.
DREAM
6: Middleweight GP 2008 Final Round
September 23, 2008
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan
Non-Tournament
Bouts:
-
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Alistair Overeem
- Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
- Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Masakatsu Funaki
- Keita Nakamura vs. Adriano Martins
- Sergei Kharitonov vs. "Mighty Mo"
- Hideo Tokoro vs. Atsushi Yamamoto
- Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Masanori Tonooka
- Shinya Aoki vs. Todd Moore
Tournament
Bouts:
-
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Zelg Galesic
- Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi
- Dong Sik Yoon vs. Andrews Nakahara (Reserve Bout)
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Jungle
Fight makes history at Rio de Janeiro
By Eduardo Ferreira
“This
Jungle Fight will be historical!”, screamed Wallid Ismail
by his partner, Fred Souza, before the events starts. And in
fact id did. Jungle Fight by Pozil, that happened last Saturday
(13) at Windsor Hotel, at Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, had
an UFC face. At the VIP area, that had a free buffet, Jungle
had a lot of TV celebrities and MMA athletes, just like the Nogueira
brothers and Paulo Filho. If outside the ring the event was great,
inside the athletes did pretty well too.
On
the first fight of the event, the rivalry between Hacran Dias
and Rodrigo Ruiz was a special detail for the fight, but Hacran,
André Pederneira’s BJJ brown-belt, dominated the
fight and defeated Ruiz by unanimous decision, and dedicated
the fight for his friend, Ronnys Torres. “I don’t have
anything against him, but I’m happy to have beaten him and
dedicate this victory for my friend Ronnys”, said Dias.
Happy with Dias’ victory, Ronnys also did a great fight
against Eliene Pit.
In
less than two minutes, Ronnys put Pit down, passed the guard,
mounted and submitted him with an perfect arm-lock. “Eliene
is a very tough guy, but his game was perfect for mine and I
won another fight. This is my third victory in Jungle Fight this
year”, celebrated Torres. On the female MMA bout of the
night, Ediane Gomes, Jorge Patino “Macaco” athlete,
faced Ana Maria, from Brazilian Top Team. After escaping from
two arm-locks attempts, Ediane surprised Ana Maria with an arm-lock
and submitted the BTT athlete. Back to the octagon, Johil de
Oliveira used all his experience to defeat the young Danilo Noronha
on the unanimous decision.
On
the best fight of the night, Alexandre Pulga did a great bout
against Rafael Manteiga. Showing that the trains with the WEC
middleweight champion, Paulo Filho, and Josuel Distak are bringing
a great development, he did a lot of pressure against Pulga,
opening a cut on his nose on the first round. Pulga came better
on the second round, but only showed his great ground game to
submit Manteiga with a triangle choke on the third round. “It
doesn’t matter if you do the fight of the night if you lose.
I was well standing up, but I made the mistake to go down with
him”, said Manteiga, that did his 39th fight in the career.
Check below the complete results of the event and stay tuned
to check, tomorrow, an exclusive Jungle Fight photo gallery.
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
Jungle
Fight Night by Pozil
Windor
Hotel, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro
Saturday,
September 13rd of 2008
-
Hacran Dias (Nova União) defeated Rodrigo Ruiz (Check
Mat) by unanimous decision;
-
Silva (Minotauro Team) defeated Igor Chatubinha (RFT by unanimous
decision;
-
Pedro Manoel (Clube da Luta) defeated Ferrid Khender (França)
by unanimous decision;
-
Johil de Oliveira (Johil Team) defeated Danilo Noronha (RFT)
by unanimous decision;
-
Ediene “Índia” Gomes (Macaco) submitted Ana
Maria (BTT) with an arm-lock on the 2R;
-
Rafael Capoeira (Viktor Gym) defeated Alexandre Visconte (Constrictor
Team) by split decision;
-
Alexandre (Pulga) Pimentel (NG Combat) submitted Rafael Manteiga
(Paulão Team) with a triangle choke on the 3R;
-
Paulo Thiago (Constrictor Team) defeated Luis Besouro (RFT) by
medical interruption on the 1R;
-
Antony Rea (França) defeated Alan Frois (Macaco) by unanimous
decision;
-
Ronnys Torres (Nova União) submitted Eliene “PIT”
Silva (Fibra Fight Team) with an arm-lock on the 1R;
-
Todd Duffee (USA) defeated Assuério Silva (Total Punch)
by TKO on the 2R.
Source: Tatame
|
Minota
praises Machida
Brazilian
says fighter deserves title bout
Interim
UFC heavyweight champion Rodrigo Minotauro is gaining more ground
in the United States. Tomorrow the Brazilian black belt will
begin enjoying another kind of stardom, as a television personality,
since the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show
will premier with Minotauro and Frank Mir as coaches of rival
teams.
As
divulging any information about the season is contractually prohibited,
Minota ends up to give his opinion on other subjects, and in
an interview on the website fiveouncesofpain.com he defended
the idea that Lyoto Machida deserves a shot at the UFC light
heavyweight title.
He’s
a good fighter, very successful in his style of fighting. He’s
a very respectful guy. He’s strong and has good Jiu-Jitsu.
He uses combinations and has a good game. In his last fight,
against Tito Ortiz, he dominated the action. Tito couldn’t
manage to take it to the ground. He deserves a chance, and I
believe when he gets it, he’ll be the UFC champion,”
declared Minotauro.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Prangley
Replacing Sobral at Strikeforce
Sam Caplan, MMA Expert
Former
BodogFIGHT middleweight champion Trevor Prangley has been announced
as a late-addition to Strikeforce’s second-ever show at
the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif. this Saturday.
The
San Jose-based fight promotion revealed the news via a press
release Tuesday morning.
Prangley
will replace Renato “Babalu” Sobral in a light heavyweight
match against Anthony Ruiz in a rematch between the two fighters.
Sobral was forced to pull off of the card due to injury.
Prangley
and Ruiz first met at Strikeforce’s “Tank vs. Buentello”
event that featured Paul Buentello knocking out MMA pioneer Tank
Abbott at 0:43 of round 1 on Oct. 7, 2006. Prangley was also
victorious on the card, submitting Ruiz at 4:42 of round 1.
The
former UFC veteran had been scheduled to compete during Affliction’s
“Day of Reckoning” event on Oct. 11 in Las Vegas against
Matt Lindland but he became available to fight for Strikeforce
after last week’s announcement that the event had been postponed
until Jan. 17.
Prangley,
a native of South Africa, has not competed since participating
in Strikeforce’s single-night, four-man middleweight tournament
last November.
Sobral’s
original opponent was Strikeforce light heavyweight champion
Bobby Southworth. Southworth also pulled off the card due to
injury and was replaced by Ruiz, a veteran of both Strikeforce
and EliteXC.
Ruiz’s
last bout was a win against Jeromy Freitag in a non-televised
undercard bout during EliteXC and CBS’ “Saturday Night
Fights” on July 26. The victory marked the third time Ruiz
has defeated Freitag in his career.
Prior
to the Freitag bout, Ruiz challenged Southworth for his title,
losing a unanimous decision on June 27 during a Strikeforce show
in San Jose that was televised on HDNet. He earned the title
shot after defeating Southworth via TKO due to a cut in a non-title
affair last November.
In
addition to Prangley vs. Ruiz II, “Strikeforce at the Mansion
II” will feature Kazuo Misaki vs. Joe Riggs, Strikeforce
lightweight champion Josh Thomson in a non-title bout vs. Ashe
Bowman, Terry Martin vs. Cory Devela, and DREAM star Mitsuhiro
Ishida vs. Justin Wilcox.
Source:
The Fight Network
|
HDNet
Fights extends deal with Compustrike
HDNet Fights announced today that it will continue incorporating
Compustrike's real time stats for at least ten more events.
CompuStrike
provides events airing on HDNet with stats on standing arm strikes,
leg strikes, ground strikes, takedowns, submission, reversals
and dominant position.
"We've
worked with CompuStrike on many of our previous fight and were
so pleased with the results that we decided to extend our deal
with them," said Andrew Simon, HDNet Fights CEO. "The
real time stats definitely enchance the viewing experience for
all of our loyal MMA fans."
CompuSrike
also independently compiles stats on UFC events.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Quick
Shot: Gary Shaw On Affliction/Golden Boy Partnership
By Jason Perkins
Gary Shaw recently sat down with Steve Cofield to discuss the
new Affliction/Golden Boy partnership. Seems Shaw has some words
for the wise:
“I
think they’re in a very tough area. Golden Boy is doing
a very good job in boxing. Oscar De La Hoya knows boxing. There’s
nobody there that knows MMA. I think Affliction or Oscar, if
they’re going to team up, still needs an MMA promoter. Because
at the end of the day, it’s the promoter that starts the
ball rolling, and starts everybody talking. You know, like me
and Dana. I don’t think it’s going to work out. They’re
talking about Affliction doing all the boxing gear and everything
else. When I looked around the room while they were doing the
press conference, there wasn’t one person wearing anything
of a shirt, hat or pants that had anything to do with boxing.
You go to an MMA event, it’s a lifestyle, everybody is in
MMA clothing. I think it’s going to be a lesson to both.
I think they’re in for some surprises.”
Source:
Fightline
|
Golden
Opportunity
by Jake Rossen
Further
proof that perspective is everything: Affliction CEO Tom Atencio’s
announcement Saturday that his fledging MMA banner would partner
up with Golden Boy Promotions for a series of mixed-discipline
fight cards beginning in 2009 was trumpeted as a “major
announcement” by executives.
And
it was, for reasons we’ll get to shortly. But MMA fans,
spoiled to the gills with loss-leading mega-fights and a steady
schedule of three or four-hour events, cried foul. They don’t
want boxing infecting their sport, to have ponderous stand-up
bouts diluting their free-for-all wares.
It’s
a valid argument. Too bad they have things mixed up: Boxing isn’t
contaminating MMA. MMA is injecting itself into boxing.
(Sick
of the labored medical metaphors? Good, because I’m fresh
out.)
As
a viscera-loving fight fan that doesn’t give one red turnbuckle
about the comparatively one-dimensional sport of boxing and who
will absolutely be checking out for bathroom or snack duty at
regular intervals during one of these integrated cards, I’m
nonetheless appreciative.
This
experiment isn’t for me, or for you -- it’s for a generation
of ruddy-faced boxing purists who would sooner eat a boiled leather
glove before sitting down for an evening staring at the Spike
network, crude home of the human cockfight.
Atencio
and Co. strapping themselves, Yoda-like, on the back of Golden
Boy is a move designed to attract an entirely new demographic
to the sport, one that hasn’t yet had the UFC logo practically
seared into their brains with a branding iron. It’s a market
that has yet to be directly appealed to despite their proven
willingness to spend gobs of money when properly solicited. (The
May 2007 Oscar De La Hoya/Floyd Mayweather snotbuster yielded
2.4 million viewers, over double that of the UFC’s biggest
single-night earner.)
These
fans have disposable cash and they like when athletes get punched
in the face. An unholy marriage this isn’t.
Reaching
out to ignored (and ignoring) audiences worked very well for
the UFC earlier this year, when Brock Lesnar rallied his pro
wrestling audience into ordering UFC 81 650,000 times. That’s
a record for 2008 likely to be broken only by -- wait for it
-- Lesnar’s meeting with Randy Couture in November. It was
the rare white flag from the sport, which usually preoccupies
itself with a superiority complex and dismisses everything from
fake grappling to boxing as spectacles either for mental deficients
or elderly men resembling Bert Sugar.
The
industry can benefit from this amalgamation, providing it loses
a little of that hubris.
Critics
mewl about the odd tonal shifts, claiming that boxing will look
rigid next to an MMA fight, and MMA’s stand-up battles will
look awkward next to a polished set of hands on the undercard.
True? Perhaps -- and perhaps boxing fans who have dismissed MMA
as a sloppy bar dispute will be interested to see how someone
like Andrei Arlovski fares in both areas, as has been rumored.
Alternately, their interest in the “sweet science”
could conceivably dwindle when it’s mashed up against the
more dynamic options available in a freestyle fight.
Dilution?
Fact is, out of any substantial MMA event, there are usually
only three or four truly compelling bouts out of nine or 10 scheduled.
Assuming Affliction weeds out the chaff and leaves its marquee
bouts in place, I don’t see any appreciable loss of quality
in the proposition.
The
idea that someone like De La Hoya would strap on a pair of four-ounce
gloves would obviously merge two disparate demographics together.
That’s clearly not going to happen, but De La Hoya plying
his trade on the same card that Fedor Emelianenko is plying his
-- certainly a feasible possibility -- is the kind of synergy
that can only help both sports.
If
the Olympics telecast can entertain 70 percent of the world’s
population by alternating swimming with judo with gymnastics,
I think the fight industry can weather a slightly less jarring
blend of athleticism.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
“Remember
this -- very little is needed to make a happy life.”
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, 121-180, Roman Emperor and Philosopher
|
Morango
back to EliteXC in November
With
no losses for more than two years, Fabrício “Morango”
Camões is in his greatest period on the MMA career. After
a 47 seconds submission against Sam Morgan, in August, he told
TATAME.com that he’ll be back in action in November 8th,
same edition where Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante
fights for the light-heavyweight belt. “I’ll keep working
hard, because my training here is very good”, said Morango,
that trains at Universidade do Jiu-Jitsu (UJJ), in San Diego,
California, with great BJJ champions like Xande Ribeiro, André
Galvão, Ronaldo Jacaré, Tarsys Humpreys and Saulo
Ribeiro, also with Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez.
Prepared
to come back, the Brazilian fighters still doesn’t know
who he will face. “They like to make a little surprise and
tell me my opponent just 15 days before the event”, jokes
Morango, that celebrates a perfect moment in UJJ, when all his
sparring will fight and training is even better. “Shogun
came here to train with us and it was cool, and Ninja might come
too for his fight in October… Diego (Sanchez) fights in
October, Saulo and Xande in September, and there are other guys
here ready to fight in Canadian events too… It’s very
good here”, said the back belt
Source: Tatame
|
Marcus
Aurélio ready for Hermes
Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt from American Top Team, Marcus Aurélio
will do his fourth fight in UFC’s octagon needing a victory.
The Brazilian fighter will face his former pupil Hermes França
at UFC 90, which happens in October 25th at United States, and
guarantees that knows the way to defeat his opponent. Directly
from Florida, Marcus Aurelio spoke to TATAME.com, when he talk
about his training, the expectation for the fight and his problems
with Hermes França. “That’s no surprise, I know
all his stand-up game, on the ground and his mind… My hear
id focused on doing a 15 minutes fight without even breathing,
but this fight can finish on the first round too”, guarantees
Marcus, on the interview you check tomorrow here at TATAME.com.
Source: Tatame |
JOE
RIGGS ON MISAKI AND CLOSE CALL WITH KIMBO
Fight fans, take notice: In a small way, Joe Riggs helped create
Kimbo Slice.
The
year is 2003. Riggs is at least a year away from his UFC debut.
He’s fighting for $1,000 a show, good money for him at the
time. Slice’s manager, Icy Mike, puts out a challenge to
tough guys around the country – come to Florida if you think
you can beat up Kimbo Slice. Win, and you get $10,000.
Riggs’
manager at the time, Trevor Lally, jumps at the offer. He emails
Mike and says he’s got someone for him. He offers to put
up $50,000 of his own money as a show of faith.
Riggs
begins training in earnest and mentally preparing for a fight
with Slice. But when Mike finds out about Riggs’ credentials,
the door is promptly closed.
“I’d
of beat the (expletive) out of him,” Riggs told MMAWeekly.com.
“It would have been done. No Kimbo. I would have rubbed
him out and saved everyone the headaches.”
Or
Riggs could have videotaped his street brawls, something he jokingly
wishes he did.
Riggs
had other things in store for his future, including a two-year
stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. There, he met mixed
results. He failed to make weight for a title fight with Matt
Hughes at UFC 56 then lost the fight decisively. Batting .500
in his four post-Hughes fights, he asked to be released from
his UFC contract after a spat with matchmaker Joe Silva.
Other
than the requisite scraps of a hotheaded MMA fighter, the closest
Riggs got to Slice was a post-UFC 57 brawl with opponent Nick
Diaz at the hospital where they stayed.
Since
leaving the organization, Riggs’ career has been a trial
of ups, downs, and wacky luck. En route to a fight against Gustavo
Machado at an ill-fated World Cagefighting Organization card,
Riggs got in a car accident and re-aggravated a back injury.
The card was later cancelled. A month later at “Strikeforce
at the Dome” in Seattle, Riggs injured his back again in
a fight with Cory Devela, where he was heavily favored to win.
Riggs took the painkiller Tramadol after back surgery, which
raised red flags from the CSAC; they removed him from a June
27 Strikeforce card the day before he was to fight.
Riggs
said some of his post UFC problems halved his income, going from
earning just under $300,000 in 2006 to $130,000 in 2007. Not
bad for a guy who used to make $1,000 a fight, but a concern
for a man with a family to support.
In
his last fight at middleweight, Riggs is scheduled to take on
Kazuo Misaki for Strikeforce at the Playboy Mansion this Saturday.
After Misaki, he’s got one fight left on his contract, and
wants to bring the weight of two wins into his next contract.
Having jumped from heavyweight to welterweight in his seven-year
career, Riggs says his body has a hard time staying at middleweight,
which prompted the move. He’s ambivalent about a return
to the UFC – he and Joe Silva have since made up and maintain
communication – but can’t deny its job security.
“Here’s
the one good thing about the UFC – and this is no knock
to Strikeforce, they’re an unbelievable organization, they
treat people great – you know within the minute when you’re
going out to fight and it’s cut and dry,” he said.
“You don’t get fights pulled from you. The fighters
might change, but the UFC will find you a replacement, or they’ll
pay you your money. So that’s a huge thing.”
Still,
Riggs said he topped out at $17,000 to show and win, while his
Strikeforce purses go to $25,000 for the same. Sponsorship-wise,
no one can compete with the UFC.
Right
now, he’s in his final stages of preparation for Saturday.
Kickboxer Duke Roufus is mimicking Misaki at Riggs’ home
base, the Lion’s Den in Phoenix. Riggs sees a long night
ahead of him when the two meet.
“For
some reason, I don’t go to many decisions, but for some
reason I see it’s going to be a hard fought decision,”
he said. “I don’t know why. I like those kinds of fights.
Every time I do have those fights, they’re good experiences
and I learn a lot from them. I just feel like it’s going
to be a good fight and it’s going to come out with me on
top.”
Riggs
was also at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, where middleweight Frank
Trigg gave him a little inside information. Trigg pummeled Misaki
last February, and had a thing or two to say about the Japanese
fighter’s weaknesses.
“He
said that (Misaki) has a hard time with southpaws and right hooks,”
Riggs said. “And that’s my big punch. I always land
it on everybody that I fight, and everybody that I spar with,
so if I catch him with that he’s going to have problems.
I think that’s going to play out in my favor, him having
problems with my right hook.”
But
wherever the fight goes, Riggs feels his luck is about to change.
“Nobody
can ever map it out,” he said. “You’re standing
in there with the toughest guys in the world. I plan to beat
him up and if I knock him out, that’s great. I just don’t
see him as the type of fighter that’s going to give up.
All the Japanese fighters are very tough and I don’t see
him going down with a single shot. It’d be nice if it did,
but I’m prepared for a war.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Report:
Several DREAM fighters allegedly owed money
According
to a report at Sports Seoul, there is growing criticism about
FEG delaying or not giving fighters money that they owed. “Fighter
A” claimed in the article that he didn’t receive money
for his last two fights, and “Fighter B” who is preparing
for an upcoming fight also is claiming they didn’t get some
fight money. “Fighter C” claims that he had to wait
three months to get his fight salary.
The
article quotes a source as saying, “There’s many fighters
who don’t get paid. Especially DREAM fighters, foreigners
mostly.” The article claims that the reason in the alleged
delaying of payments is due to DREAM’s financial situation
and the situation regarding Kazuyoshi Ishii.
The
article also focused on Choi Hong-Man’s upcoming fight against
Badr Hari in Seoul. There is criticism about K-1 booking this
fight because Hong-Man only recently had surgery to remove a
tumor in his brain. FEG claims that Hong-Man is healthy to fight,
but there is a growing consensus that both K-1 & Hong-Man’s
camps are spinning.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Mir,
Nogueira breathe new life into TUF
The
past two seasons of the Ultimate Fighter have been met with criticism
on two levels. The first is that the show, which launched mixed
martial arts’ popularity in North America, was growing stale.
After
all, how many times can you watch unknown fighters training,
struggling to make weight and fighting in front of a small audience
in the gym before it all starts looking the same?
Second,
the depth of talent over the past two seasons hasn’t been
as strong as it was in earlier seasons, blamed somewhat on the
rise of competing organizations who signed a lot of up-and-coming
fighters.
The
Spike TV show, which starts its eighth season on Wednesday night,
launched the careers of a several top Ultimate Fighting Championship
stars, including both competitors in the next light heavyweight
title match – champ Forrest Griffin and challenger Rashad
Evans.
But
it hasn’t turned out a title contender since Matt Serra
parlayed winning the fourth season into one of the biggest upsets
in company history when he defeated Georges St. Pierre for the
welterweight title in 2007.
Like
last season, the show will start with two weeks of fight-heavy
programs in which 32 competitors will be cut down to 16. The
winners go into the Ultimate Fighter house for two tournaments
that play out over the season.
Unlike
the past few seasons, there will be two weight classes, light
heavyweights and lightweights, each evolving into eight-man tournaments.
Interim
heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former champ
Frank Mir will coach, building up to the live final on Dec. 13
in Las Vegas and their own championship match two weeks later.
The
one notable difference this year is that the “cast”
features the highest quality of experienced fighters since the
show’s early days.
“I
think all 16 will be able to hang on as at least regular preliminary
fighters,” said Mir. “Maybe three or four guys will
end up becoming household names.”
Since
midway through filming, which took place over the summer, UFC
president Dana White has talked about one of the fighters, a
lightweight, who he said will be the next Anderson Silva.
“The
only thing is, you won’t be seeing a lot of him inside the
cage,”
said
Mir, who could not reveal the name due to confidentiality, but
indicated the fighter probably scores some quick wins.
The
betting line is the fighter in question is Joseph Duarte of San
Diego, who has a 19-1 record as a kickboxer, a 9-0 record as
a boxer and a 3-0 record as an MMA fighter. But six of the 16
lightweights came into the show undefeated.
“This
isn’t like some of the other seasons where only a few guys
could win,” said Mir. “You put these guys in a tournament
10 times, and you could get 10 different sets of winners. That’s
how close the talent was.”
The
light heavyweight division includes former IFL heavyweight star
Krzysztof Sosynski, Jason Guida (younger brother of popular UFC
fighter Clay), two-time All-American wrestler Ryan Jimmo from
Arizona State (a college teammate of UFC star Cain Velasquez),
three-time world jiu-jitsu bronze medalist Vinicius Magalhaes
and former Arizona State football player Kyle Kingsbury, who
trains out of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose.
Mir
said what you won’t see from the coaches this season is
the kind of animosity most notable when enemies like B.J. Penn
and Jens Pulver, Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz or Matt Serra and
Matt Hughes were in the position.
“The
guy (Nogueira) is everything I thought he would be,” said
Mir, whose fighting idol was Nogueira when he was breaking in
and Nogueira was ranked No. 1 in the world as Pride heavyweight
champion. “He’s a complete professional, very honorable
and a very well-schooled student of the game. He studies everything
in MMA, boxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu.”
But
Mir noted that for people who like that sort of thing, you get
more than your fair share among the fighters themselves, saying
there were things that happened in the house and even during
matches that have never happened before.
“Some
practices, it would take 30 minutes before we would get started
because the fighters had to tell me everything going on in the
house,” he said. “There were some things (in fights)
that nearly had to be taken to the athletic commission. One time
I was so stunned I couldn’t even react.”
Mir
readily admits he’s the underdog in his match with Nogueira
as part of UFC’s tournament and says the big question is
his cardio.
“If
it was a one-round fight, I wouldn’t sweat it,” said
Mir, who has never gone longer than three rounds in a fight and
never looked strong in his longer outings. “But when it
comes to rounds three and four, I have to prove something. If
I was him, I’d concentrate on defending in the first round
and think I could take advantage later.”
He
blamed the nature of his training, where he’d take too many
days off before fights because he’d gotten beaten up so
badly that he didn’t look forward to coming back for the
fight. He said a change in coaches has benefited him greatly
and believes his conditioning has improved over the last year
plus. But until he goes into the later rounds, he admits that
it’s unproven.
“I’m
not a fitness freak who needs to have good abs,” he said.
“I’m a martial artist. I need to get in shape while
training at martial arts doing things that make me feel I’m
improving myself as a fighter.”
Mir
is a little unhappy at the developments in recent weeks, where
Couture faces Brock Lesnar on Nov. 15 as part of a tournament,
saying he recognizes it’s going to sell a lot of tickets,
but doesn’t feel Lesnar has done anything to earn a world
championship match when compared to contenders like Fabricio
Werdum and Gabriel Gonzaga.
“I
think that Lesnar’s name is the only reason he’s getting
a title match,” said Mir. “I understand why. A ton
of people are going to tune into it. I know I am. But it is a
business.”
Mir’s
spot as a coach and title contender is largely based on the many
eyeballs that watched Lesnar’s debut, where Lesnar pounded
on Mir for about 85 seconds before Mir caught him in a kneebar
in a scramble for the submission.
“Brock
Lesnar is a force to be reckoned with,” Mir said. “He’s
a super strong, fast guy with great wrestling. But two years
of training and three fights won’t bode him well against
Randy Couture. He (Couture) was the same level of great wrestler
12 and 15 years ago and now he’s an accomplished mixed martial
artist who outstruck Chuck Liddell when they fought the first
time.”
Unlike
White, who has seen the success of many of the fighters and said
the six weeks of intensive training during filming is a crash
course that leads to fast improvement, Mir wasn’t sold on
the idea.
“Six
weeks isn’t enough time to get to fully know everyone,”
he said. “I think they would have been better off fighting
in their normal camps. They’d be around their regular partners,
coaches and see their girlfriends. Here they are in a house surrounded
by people who they are going to have to fight. Some of them I
don’t think performed as well as they could.”
But
he did see this as a fast track to stardom for those who have
the talent.
“Look
at Jon Fitch,” he said of the UFC welterweight who spent
years working his way toward a title shot. “If he was on
the show (a few seasons back), he probably would have won. And
in two or three fights, he’d be in line for a title fight.
It took him eight fights and probably two or three more years
to be seen at that level.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
A
look back at former ‘TUF’ winners
A
look at the career paths the champions of the first seven seasons
of “The Ultimate Fighter” have taken since winning:
Season
One
Forrest
Griffin (16-4): UFC’s current light heavyweight champion
is the show’s greatest success story. Some credit his win
over Stephan Bonnar in the first finals as the most important
match in UFC history. Griffin immediately became one of the company’s
most popular fighters because of the heart he showed in that
win, and his dry wit. But he was only 3-2 in his first five fights
after the show and looked like he would settle in as a popular
guy who would fight mid-card on PPV.
Since
then, he’s shocked the mixed martial arts world, beating
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, ranked No. 1 in the world at
205 pounds by many at the time, and followed with a decision
victory on July 5 to win the title from Quinton Jackson. His
next fight is a title defense against Rashad Evans tentatively
scheduled for Dec. 27 in Las Vegas.
ADVERTISEMENT
Diego
Sanchez (21-2): The first middleweight winner, Sanchez immediately
dropped to welterweight after beating Kenny Florian in the finals
and reeled off five wins in a row. But his road to a title shot
was blocked by losses to TV show rival Josh Koscheck and Jon
Fitch. He’s rebounded since that time and goes for three
in a row on Oct. 25 in Chicago against Thiago Alves in a match
that the winner will be at least close to a title shot.
Season
two
Rashad
Evans (12-0-1): Evans, a former college wrestler at Michigan
State at 174 pounds, won the show as a small (219 pounds) heavyweight
by beating 265-pound Brad Imes. He immediately cut to light heavy.
After going 5-0-1, including a draw with Tito Ortiz and wins
over Michael Bisping and Bonnar, he knocked out Chuck Liddell
on Sept. 6 to earn himself a championship match. His bout with
Griffin also will determine the mythical title as the most successful
fighter to emerge from the show.
Joe
Stevenson (34-8): Stevenson, who won at welterweight, was upset
by Josh Neer in his first UFC fight. He then moved to lightweight,
where he’s 5-1. His only loss was to B.J. Penn in a title
match on Jan. 19. Next fight: Nov. 15 in Las Vegas against Florian,
which may determine Penn’s next title contender.
Season
three
Michael
Bisping (17-1): Liverpool, England’s Bisping, the only international
winner, won the light heavyweight division on the Ken Shamrock/Ortiz
show, which drew the show’s highest ratings. He spearheaded
the company’s success in making the U.K. a profitable market
with a string of sellouts. He got a win in the most controversial
decision in recent years over Matt Hamill, lost to Evans and
then moved down to middleweight where he’s won two in a
row. The question is, with Anderson Silva as champion, is earning
the title shot a blessing or a curse? Bisping’s next fight
is Oct. 18 in Birmingham, Eng., against season one star Chris
Leben.
Kendall
Grove (11-5): Known as “Da Spyder,” because he’s
6-foot-6 and fights at 185 pounds, Grove has gone 3-2, including
consecutive first round knockouts against Patrick Cote and Jorge
Rivera, since upsetting Ed Herman in the finals. In his most
recent fight, on June 21, against the late Evan Tanner, he was
told that if he lost, he would most likely be cut. He won a decision
but still has to overcome a reputation that he has a questionable
chin. He’s currently taking time off after the birth of
a child.
Season
four
Matt
Serra (16-5): Serra barely squeaked by Chris Lytle in “The
Comeback” season, where the winner would get a title shot.
Serra captured the welterweight title from Georges St. Pierre
in his next fight as an 8-to-1 underdog at UFC 67. But between
a back injury and a season coaching “Ultimate Fighter,”
he didn’t fight for a year until defending against St. Pierre
on April 19 in Montreal. Serra did one of the company’s
all-time great jobs of promoting a fight, which drew the largest
live crowd in company history. But St. Pierre dominated him in
regaining the title. His next fight will be a major grudge match
against TV show coaching rival Matt Hughes, although no date
is set as Hughes is recovering from a serious knee injury.
Travis
Lutter (12-5): Lutter, winning the middleweight tournament, is
the only TUF winner who ended up cut. He won the tournament by
submitting Patrick Cote in just 2:18. Things started out bad
as he failed to make weight for a title shot at Anderson Silva,
then lost via submission when it was made non-title. He took
time off, not fighting for 14 months, and lost to Rich Franklin
on April 19. While he lost to two of the best fighters in the
world at the weight, UFC officials were unhappy that he got tired
so quickly against Franklin and dropped him after the fight.
Season
five
Nate
Diaz (9-2): Known at first as simply Nick Diaz’s younger
brother, Nate has reeled off three straight submission wins after
what some said was a fluke win in the finals, when Manny Gamburyan
injured his shoulder in a fight Diaz was losing. But over the
past year, few fighters have shown such an impressive ground
game in UFC competition. His next fight is Wednesday night against
Josh Neer on Spike TV.
Season
six
Mac
Danzig (19-4-1): The winner in a welterweight tournament that
is generally thought to have had the lowest level of competition,
Danzig is a seven-year pro who had far more experience than anyone
on the show. He defeated Mark Bocek via choke on April 19 in
his only fight since dominating Tommy Speer in the finals. His
next fight is also Wednesday night on Spike TV, when he faces
Clay Guida in what is a significant test.
Season
seven
Amir
Sadollah (2-0): The biggest surprise winner in TUF history, Sadollah
was a kickboxer who had never had a professional MMA match before
coming on the show, and submitted four straight people, including
All-American wrestler and show favorite C.B. Dollaway twice.
His first fight since winning the show will be Nov. 15 in Las
Vegas against unbeaten Nick Catone.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Rankings:
Why Fedor matters
It
was the most contrived outrage this side of “Lipstickgate.”
Brock
Lesnar wasn’t happy he was being left out of the conversation
at last week’s press conference for his upcoming Nov. 15
match with Randy Couture.
Seems
the pesky reporters on the phone kept asking Couture and UFC
president Dana White about Fedor Emelianenko, the consensus greatest
heavyweight in the history of mixed martial arts.
So
Lesnar channeled his best pro wrestling villain voice and went
into an obscene tirade about Emelianenko. “I’m tired
of hearing all this talk about Fedor Emelianenko,” he roared
in a “trying to hype WrestleMania” tone. “Who
gives a (expletive) about Fedor?”
Why
do reporters continue to ask about Emelianenko? Let’s take
a look at the key moments in the careers of Emelianenko, Couture
and Lesnar:
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Emelianenko
(28-1, 1 no-contest):
•
Key wins: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Mirko Cro Cop, Mark
Coleman (twice), Mark Hunt, Matt Lindland, Kevin Randleman, Heath
Herring, Ricardo Arona, Tim Sylvia and Renato Sobral, among others.
• Key losses: None that were legit.
Couture
(16-8):
•
Key wins: Vitor Belfort (twice), Chuck Liddell, Tim Sylvia, Gabriel
Gonzaga, Jeremy Horn, Pedro Rizzo, Tito Ortiz, Randleman.
• Key losses: Liddell (twice); Ricco Rodriguez; Josh Barnett;
Enson Inoue.
Lesnar
(2-1):
•
Key wins: Herring
• Key losses: Frank Mir
As
the records bear out, Fedor has the world’s best resumé,
even if he no longer faces top competition as often as we’d
like to see (a point I’ve hammered home here often). It’s
no accident that Couture wants to fight Emelianenko more than
he does any other fighter at this stage of his career, Brock
Lesnar included.
See,
Brock, your boss frequently claims he wants to get all the best
talent in the world. He’s done an admirable job working
toward that goal, but he’s still yet to come close to making
a deal with the Russian. So as long as Emelianenko remains outside
the UFC, we in the media are going to continue to ask questions
about when he might show up.
With
that, on to this month’s rankings.
The
only scheduled top-10 fight in September was postponed when the
Urijah Faber-Mike Brown WEC title match was postponed until November
due to the threat of Hurricane Ike.
The
only change of note in the top 10 is that Couture is no longer
eligible, because of our 12-month rule. Couture can be considered
for the poll again after his next fight. Unbeaten light heavyweight
Lyoto Machida enters the poll at No. 10, edging out Norifumi
“Kid” Yamamoto, the supremely talented but oft-injured
Japanese standout.
For
info on the Y! Sports MMA Top 10 panel, go here.
10.
Lyoto Machida
Points: 9
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Belem, Brazil
Record: 13-0
Last month’s ranking: unranked
Most recent results: def. Tito Ortiz, unanimous decision, May
24
Analysis: With his unique toolkit, which includes aspects of
point karate and sumo, Machida has scored wins over the likes
of Rich Franklin, Stephan Bonnar, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and
Tito Ortiz. The only reason he doesn’t have more big names
on his ledger is because several top fighters don’t want
to test themselves against the challenge his style presents.
9.
Quinton Jackson
Points: 22
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Record: 28-7 (lost last one)
Last month’s ranking: 10
Most recent result: lost to Forrest Griffin, unanimous decision,
July 5
Analysis: It’s clear that the former UFC light heavyweight
champion is going to step back into the cage, even with a felony
charge hanging over him. Rumors of a match against Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua have given way to talk that Jackson, who recently joined
England’s Wolfslair camp, will face Wanderlei Silva on Dec.
27 in Las Vegas.
8.
Forrest Griffin
Points: 51
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight (UFC light heavyweight champion)
Hometown: Las Vegas
Record: 16-4 (won past three)
Last month’s ranking: 8
Most recent result: def. Quinton Jackson, unanimous decision,
July 5
Analysis: If you had predicted at the end of 2007 that the UFC’s
big weekend card for New Year’s Eve in 2008 would feature
Griffin defending the light heavyweight title against Rashad
Evans, you would have been considered insane. Griffin managed
to submit Rua and went toe-to-toe with Quinton Jackson. Now how
will he adapt against an outstanding wrestler with KO power in
both his fists and feet?
7.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Points: 57
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Heavyweight (UFC interim heavyweight champion)
Hometown: Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil
Record: 31-4-1 (won last 3)
Last month’s ranking: 6
Recent results: def. Tim Sylvia, R3 submission, Feb. 2
Analysis: Nogueira’s Dec. 27 match against Frank Mir all
of a sudden has new meaning, as the winner is expected to face
the Couture-Lesnar winner sometime in 2009 to determine an undisputed
UFC champ. A pair or wins would cement the former PRIDE champion’s
legacy on the very short list of all-time great mixed martial
arts heavyweights.
6.
Miguel Angel Torres
Points: 64
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Bantamweight (WEC bantamweight champion)
Hometown: E. Chicago, Ind.
Record: 34-1 (won past 15)
Last month’s ranking: 7
Most recent result: def. Yoshiro Maeda, TKO R3, June 1
Analysis: Torres is in a holding pattern until his next opponent
is named. He is expected to next defend his title on the WEC’s
Dec. 3 card, for which a venue has yet to be determined.
5.
Urijah Faber
Points: 86
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Featherweight (WEC featherweight champion)
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
Record: 21-1 (won last 13)
Last month’s ranking: 5
2007 results: def. Jens Pulver, unanimous decision, June 1
Analysis: While most cross-division speculation has centered
on the idea of Faber meeting Torres, Faber turned heads recently
by saying he thinks he would fare well against UFC lightweight
champ B.J. Penn. Of course, all this is moot if the “California
Kid” doesn’t get past the dangerous Brown.
4.
B.J. Penn
Points: 99
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Lightweight (UFC lightweight champion)
Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii
Record: 13-4-1 (won past three)
Last month’s ranking: 4
Most recent result: def. Sean Sherk, R3 TKO, May 24
Analysis: In 2006, Penn lost back-to-back fights he was winning
when he gassed against both Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes.
Penn’s dominant performances in victories against Jens Pulver,
Joe Stevenson and Sean Sherk since then have made the questions
about Penn’s dedication simmer down, but a strong performance
against a cardio machine like St. Pierre will end them once and
for all.
3.
Georges St. Pierre
Points: 117
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Welterweight (UFC welterweight champion)
Hometown: Saint-Isidore, Quebec
Record: 17-2 (won past four)
Last month’s ranking: 3
Most recent result: def. Jon Fitch, unanimous decision, Aug.
9
Analysis: The champion, who fought three times in eight months,
is in the middle of a well-earned break before he begins training
for Penn in earnest.
2.
Fedor Emelianenko
Points: 119 (four first-place votes)
Affiliation: Free agent (WAMMA heavyweight champion)
Weight class: Heavyweight
Hometown: Stary Oskol, Russia
Record: 28-1, 1 no-contest (won last nine)
Last month’s ranking: 2
Most recent result: def. Tim Sylvia, R1 submission, July 19.
Analysis: Affliction is claiming the world’s top heavyweight
will appear on their Jan. 19 card in Anaheim. This, however,
would get in the way of Fedor’s annual easy fight for a
massive paycheck on New Year’s Eve in Japan. So let’s
see how things pan out on the Eastern front before we pencil
Fedor in for another appearance at the Honda Center.
1.
Anderson Silva
Points: 135 (10 first-place votes)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Middleweight (UFC middleweight champion)
Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil
Record: 22-4 (won last eight)
Last month’s ranking: 1
Most recent result: def. James Irvin, R1 TKO, July 19
Analysis: For yet another perspective on just how good the UFC
middleweight champ is, consider the case of Rich Franklin. Franklin
was doing so much damage to the rest of the middleweight pack
that the UFC shifted him to light heavyweight just to keep 185
from being laid completely to waste. Franklin boasts a 24-1 (1
NC) record outside of his two losses to Silva, and yet, those
losses to “The Spider” were so one-sided that Franklin
barely registers a blip in the top-10 voting.
More
•
Votes for others: Narofumi Yamamoto 6; Eddie Alvarez 4; Dan Henderson,
Rashad Evans 2; Carlos Condit, Shinya Aoki, Jon Fitch, Rich Franklin
1.
•
Upcoming matches for ranked fighters: No. 1 Anderson Silva vs.
Patrick Cote, Oct. 25.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Quote
of the Day
“With
the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, American Humanitarian and Former
First Lady of the United States
|
WEC
CHAMP MIGUEL TORRES DEFENDS IN DECEMBER
Top
ranked bantamweight Miguel Torres is gearing up to defend his
World Extreme Cagefighting title in December, and while his opponent
has yet to be named, he expects it to be undefeated Manny "The
Mangler" Tapia.
"I
fight Dec. 3. I don't know who I'm going to fight yet, but I'm
going to fight whoever they bring to me," Torres told MMAWeekly.com.
"I don't know the venue. I think it might be in Vegas."
While
he will fight whomever the WEC lines up, he has his sights set
on Tapia. "Like I said, I'm down to fight whoever they have
in my weight class. I think Manny Tapia will be an exciting fight
because he'll want to bang the whole time. Brian Bowles too,
is very explosive standing up and has a good ground game. But
I'm hoping to fight anybody," said Torres.
"They
have a long list of guys for me to fight, but I think the guy
next in line is going to be Manny Tapia. I think him first and
then after that, whoever."
Defending
his title and the opening of his new gym are Torres’ main
focus these days, but the Chicago resident thinks a super fight
with WEC featherweight titleholder Urijah Faber will happen somewhere
down the line.
"I'd
love to do that fight, man. I know it's going to have to happen
eventually," commented the 135-pound fighter. "He's
the champion in his weight class. I'm the champion in mine. It's
a super fight. It's going to have to happen."
Torres
has a 34-1-0 professional mixed martial arts record and became
the WEC bantamweight champion on Feb. 13 when he defeated Chase
Beebe by guillotine choke in the first round.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
DANZIG
SEES GUIDA AS KEY TO TOP LIGHTWEIGHTS
With
the recent success of both Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans,
“The Ultimate Fighter” has been proven a successful
building ground for future champions. The winner of Season 6,
Mac Danzig, is hopeful to keep that formula alive. His next step
up the lightweight ladder is Wednesday night against Clay Guida.
In
his first fight out since the show, Danzig put away Brazilian
Jiu-jitsu ace Mark Bocek at UFC 74 in Montreal, but following
the fight he was forced to take some time off with a knee injury.
Coming
into the fight with Guida, the former Pittsburgh native says
he is 100 percent healthy and ready to compete.
“The
knee’s good going into the fight,” Danzig said during
an appearance on MMAWeekly Radio. “I could stand to have
a little bit more range of motion with it. It’s still not
at 100 percent range of motion wise, but there’s no more
pain or anything.”
In
a previous interview discussing his opponent, Danzig had been
quoted as calling Guida a “gatekeeper,” but the Xtreme
Couture team member wants everyone, including Guida, to know
that it was not meant as an insult to him at all.
“I
think I said he’s kind of like a gatekeeper, but I didn’t
mean that in a bad way,” Danzig commented. “A lot of
people they just saw that quote and they didn’t read the
rest of my interview, because that’s how people are, and
they whined and cried about it and said that I was insulting
him, but I’m not.
“He’s
a gatekeeper to the Top 5, Top 10 of the weight class. He’s
arguably still in the Top 10 in the UFC’s 155er’s.
Beating him puts you in a position where you’re going to
be fighting those Top 5 guys. That’s huge.”
Guida,
of course, presents an extremely tough challenge to Danzig with
his well rounded skills and cardio that seems to go forever.
It’s that challenge that gives Danzig all the motivation
he needs leading into the fight.
“It’s
not hard to get motivated to train for this fight. I’ve
always trained hard for every fight I’ve had, but this fight
is just like, it’s a great fight for both of us and our
careers,” he commented.
“His
style definitely poses problems for me. Since he is so wrestling
oriented, the best style match-up for me isn’t a guy who
wants to take me down and he does want to take me down.
Ultimately,
facing Guida could be the catapult to making Danzig a true contender
in an already stacked 155-pound division. The former King of
the Cage champion understands that all too well.
“Beating
him puts me a in a really good position in my career.”
Danzig
will get his chance as he faces off against Guida on Wednesday
night at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha, Neb.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CARPENTER
BUILDING BRIDGE TO TITLE CONTENTION
The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division
has been busting at the seams with talented fighters. The depth
of the division has grown dramatically over the last few years
and Clay “The Carpenter” Guida stands as one of the
most popular 155-pound fighters in the UFC today. Fans have been
enamored with his aggressive style, impressive cardio and his
trademark hair.
This
Wednesday night the UFC comes to Omaha, Neb. for the fifteenth
installment of UFC Fight Night. The Spike TV televised card will
feature a co-main event between Ultimate Fighter season six winner
Mac Danzig and former Strikeforce lightweight champion Clay Guida.
“Training
is going good, just counting down the days. Can’t wait to
get there. I’m pumped to be on the co-main event live on
Spike TV,” said Guida.
He
is coming off of a TKO victory over Samy Schiavo at UFC Fight
Night 13. The Round Lake, Ill. native wants to put himself into
the title contention mix and believes that this fight will be
a pivotal point in his career.
“I
feel it’s the most important fight of my career at this
time,” revealed the 26-year old fighter. “Obviously
every fight is more important than the last; with an opponent
like Mac, it’s a great opportunity to showcase my skills.”
A
veteran of Gladiator Challenge, King of the Cage and Pride Fighting
Championships, Danzig has a lot of experience under his belt.
After losing to Hayato “Mach” Sakurai at Pride 33,
he joined the sixth season of the Ultimate Fighter. The former
Gladiator Challenge champion dominated the competition with ease
and submitted Tommy Speer in the finale to claim a six-fight
contract with the UFC. In his last outing, Danzig submitted Mark
Bocek in the third round at UFC 83.
“There
is no easy road in the UFC. Some people get thrown to the wolves;
some people get their opponents hand picked. He’s got a
lot of hype coming into this fight after a big win over Mark
Bocek, but I’m going to rain on his parade Wednesday night.
“He’s
very well rounded, he’s got pretty good stand-up. He’s
very slick on the ground; he’s submitted a lot of his opponents
with a rear naked choke,” added the former XFO champion.
“Has he been through the fire? I don’t think so. Have
I? Many times. He’s a game opponent.”
Prior
to his last fight against Mark Bocek, Danzig moved from Los Angeles
to Las Vegas to join Xtreme Couture and train full time. Joining
the team has allowed him the opportunity to train with many great
fighters such as Randy Couture, Tyson Griffin, Gray Maynard,
Chris Horodecki, Jay Hieron, and Martin Kampmann.
“I
hope he’s been training with good guys. I know he’s
been training with Tyson Griffin and Gray Maynard. I want him
100%, I like fighting guys who are at the top of their game.
I perform better under pressure.”
Going
into this fight, Guida has an Octagon record of 3-3. Despite
what many consider to be controversial losses to Tyson Griffin
and Din Thomas, pundits describe Guida’s record to be mediocre
in a talent-rich division.
“It
speaks for itself; it’s not a great record. People who have
seen me fight know that my fights speak for themselves,”
responded Guida. “I’m out here to show people that
I’m not just a scrappy wrestler with cardio. I’m a
well rounded mixed martial artist; I can strike, I can fight
off of my back, I can do it all. I’ve changed the core of
my training in the past six months and a lot of people are going
to be really excited to see.”
A
win over Mac Danzig would certainly raise Guida’s stock
in the bustling weight class and build a path towards a shot
at the 155-pound crown.
“It
would mean a lot to me, it’s a co-main event. He’s
got a lot of recognition and a lot of hype; a lot people talking
about him in the lightweight division. I don’t think you
can talk about the lightweight division without bringing up my
name,” stated the Midwest Training Center fighter.
One
thing is for certain, Clay Guida intends to stay in the UFC and
continue to entertain fans with his exciting style.
“Whatever
happens in the cage happens. Exciting fights just happen. I fight
on instinct and reaction. I want to make a title run. I’m
here to get that belt, that’s why I’m in the UFC. I’m
not just fighting to say that I’m ‘fighting in the
UFC.’”
“I
want to thank the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters; they’ve
been my biggest supporters. I want to thank Premier Fighter and
MMAStop.com. I want to thank my mom and dad and all of my teammates
and camps that helped me get ready. I want to tell my fans that
I appreciate all of your support and you’re going to be
in for a very exciting victory on my end this Wednesday night.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FIGHT-BY-FIGHT:
UFC FIGHT NIGHT 15 PREVIEW
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT:
NATE DIAZ VS. JOSH NEER
In
the main event, Ultimate Fighter 5 winner Nathan Diaz faces off
with Miletich Fighting Systems lightweight Josh Neer. Diaz comes
off a submission victory over Kurt Pellegrino at UFC Fight Night
13, while Neer dominated Din Thomas earlier in the night to win
a unanimous decision.
Both
of these fighters had impressive performances at UFC Fight Night
13 and whoever gets the win will get a step up in the lightweight
division. The brass at Zuffa has done a wonderful job in building
up Diaz as the next big star in the lightweight division, giving
him a steady dose of competition since coming off the reality
show.
If
the fight goes to the ground, expect Diaz to have an advantage
both on his back and on top as he’s shown that he can submit
anyone from any position. Neer has the edge when it comes to
wrestling and it will come in handy, as he needs to keep the
fight on the feet if he wants any chance of winning.
If
Neer can keep the fight on the feet then he can punish Diaz,
as it seems that’s still the weakest part of his game. These
two are going to fight at a frantic pace and Neer is going to
have his shining moments, but the fight will eventually hit the
ground, when it does, Diaz will pounce and finish Neer with a
submission midway through the fight.
LIGHTWEIGHT
BOUT:
MAC DANZIG VS. CLAY GUIDA
Ultimate
Fighter 6 winner Mac Danzig makes his return to take on Midwest
wrestling stud Clay Guida. Danzig comes off a hard fought submission
victory over Mark Bocek at UFC 83, while Guida finished French
lightweight Sammy Schiavo at UFC Fight Night 13.
Once
again this is an excellent job of matchmaking as both fighters
always put on an exciting show and nothing else should be expected
when these two clash in the cage. It’s going to be a long
process before either one of these fighters gets a shot at the
title in the crowded lightweight division. Champion B.J. Penn
is planning a foray up to welterweight to face 170-pound champ
Georges St. Pierre, and Kenny Florian is already knocking on
the door to the lightweight belt.
The
one advantage that Danzig has over Guida in the fight is his
submission ability and tenacity to get out of dangerous positions.
Guida always comes to the fight in excellent shape and goes hard
for all three rounds, using both his aggressiveness and wrestling
to pressure his opponents into making mistakes. The key in the
fight will be whether or not Danzig can slow the pace of the
fight into his advantage and not be pressured.
It’s
guaranteed that there will be action throughout the fight, as
these two will bring out the best in one another. This will be
Danzig’s first big test in the UFC, while Guida will be
looking to build himself back up with a couple of solid wins.
Danzig has never faced someone who will pressure him like Guida
and its going to get to him. Guida will repeatedly put Danzig
on his back and pound out an entertaining victory.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
BOUT:
ALAN BELCHER VS. ED HERMAN
Midwest
Muay Thai stylist Alan Belcher faces off with Ultimate Fighter
3 participant Ed Herman in a middleweight showdown. Belcher comes
off a disappointing stoppage loss to UFC newcomer Jason Day at
UFC 83, while Herman was submitted by Demian Maia at the same
show.
This
is an important fight for both men as neither can afford a second
straight loss in the UFC due to the competitive nature of the
company.
Belcher
will want to keep the fight on the feet because that’s where
he has the absolute best chance to win. Herman isn’t a polished
striker like he is. On the other hand, Herman will want the fight
on the ground where he can either pound on Belcher or possibly
lock on a submission.
If
Belcher can’t defend a takedown then it’s going to
be a very long night for him, as Herman will be all over him
until he’s able to secure the victory. Look for Herman to
fight a smart fight, taking the fight down to the ground and
pounding out a stoppage victory to stay afloat in the UFC middleweight
division.
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT:
HOUSTON ALEXANDER VS. ERIC SCHAFER
Free-swinging
local slugger Houston Alexander looks to get back on the winning
track against the returning submission stylist Eric Schafer.
Alexander comes off a shocking knockout loss to James Irvin at
UFC Fight Night 13, while Schafer stopped William Hill at the
Gladiator Fighting Series: Thunderdome.
This
is a do or die situation for Alexander as he’s lost two
straight fights and another loss will surely mean the end of
his UFC tenure, while Schafer has nothing to lose since he’s
been out of the UFC for the last year.
Alexander
has the clear advantage on the feet with his powerful shots.
Schafer has the distinct advantage on the ground being a black
belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. If the fight goes to the ground
then it won’t be a very welcome homecoming for Alexander.
Many
fans were impressed with Alexander after his two stoppage victories
in the UFC, but since then he has been exposed for just being
a slugger. Schafer should be able to get the fight to the ground
then shortly thereafter finish him with a submission.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
BOUT:
WILSON GOUVEIA VS. RYAN JENSEN
American
Top Team fighter Wilson Gouveia takes on Midwest wrestler Ryan
Jensen. Gouveia found success in the light heavyweight division,
but a loss stopped his momentum and now he moves down to middleweight.
Jensen has racked up a couple of wins and now gets another crack
at the big-time due to Jeremy Horn dropping out due to injury.
Gouveia should be able to dictate the fight on the feet, landing
a big power shot that will put an end to Jensen’s night.
LIGHTWEIGHT
BOUT:
JOE LAUZON VS. KYLE BRADLEY
Northeastern
lightweight Joe Lauzon faces off with Southern lightweight prospect
Kyle Bradley. Lauzon had an impressive showing in a losing effort
in his last fight and will look to build off of that with a win.
Bradley had a short UFC debut and has been given a chance to
redeem himself to continue on in the UFC. Look for Lauzon to
pressure Bradley into making a mistake and catch him in a submission
late in the opening round.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
BOUT:
DAN MILLER VS. ROB KIMMONS
IFL
middleweight champion Dan Miller makes his UFC debut against
submission specialist Rob Kimmons. Miller is one of the better
middleweight prospects in MMA today. Kimmons has always been
underrated. These two are both well versed on the ground so expect
a back and forth ground battle with Miller doing just enough
to win a close decision victory.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
BOUT:
DREW MCFEDRIES VS. MIKE MASSENZIO
Miletich-trained
slugger Drew McFedries faces off with Eastern middleweight Mike
Massenzio. McFedries is one of the better middleweight sluggers
in the UFC, but outside of that hasn’t shown much else in
his arsenal. Massenzio is a good ground fighter, but was caught
in his last fight and now looks to redeem himself. McFedries
should be able to land a big shot before the fight goes to the
ground, dazing Massenzio and finishing him off with strikes.
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT:
JASON BRILZ VS. BRAD MORRIS
University
of Nebraska-Omaha assistant wrestling coach Jason Brilz makes
his UFC debut against a newly slimmed down Brad Morris. Brilz
has steadily been building his career over the years to its current
15-1-1 standing, including a win over UFC veteran Jason MacDonald.
Morris didn’t have a good UFC debut as he got mauled by
Cain Velasquez and now moves down from heavyweight to find success.
Brilz is a strong wrestler with solid ground and pound and should
be able to take Morris down and finish him off with strikes.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
BOUT:
ALESSIO SAKARA VS. JOE VEDEPO
Italian
slugger Alessio Sakara takes on debuting Iowan wrestler Joe Vedepo.
Win or lose, Sakara is always involved in an exciting slugfest
and can be counted on to bring action to the fans. Vedepo is
a strong wrestler that has some power in his hands, but isn’t
as technical as Sakara, who is a former professional boxer. The
issue with Sakara is that he has no power and that has affected
him in the past like it will in this fight. Look for Vedepo to
land a huge power shot that will put Sakara out of the UFC.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
RENZO
GRACIE DOCUMENTARY ANNOUNCED
The inaugural U.S. Sports Film Festival, the most comprehensive
sports film festival in United States history, today announced
the first series of nine films selected to be screened during
the three-day run from October 23-26.
The
festival will debut the Mixed Martial Arts documentary “Renzo
Gracie: Legacy,” the life story of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu
master and the American patriarch of one of the world’s
fastest rising sports, as well as “Kassim The Dream,”
the story of Ugandan-born boxing world champion Kassim Ouma,
a kidnapped child soldier and his struggles to break free and
regain his life as a professional athlete, will lead the fight
films track for the festival.
“Philadelphia
is a city whose fans and teams are always battling for recognition,
and we felt that the city that gave us ‘Rocky’ and
Smokin’ Joe Frazier would really take to a track of new
films on MMA and boxing. These two are certainly amongst the
most compelling,” said festival founder and president Stephan
Hartman. “Given MMA’s rising popularity worldwide and
its recent approval for competition in the state of Pennsylvania,
the debut of the life story of such a living legend as Renzo
Gracie was a perfect fit. We also think the story of Kassim Ouma,
both as an athlete and a person, is one that fans will really
be blown away by. It is our pleasure to lead our first series
of festival announcements with these two amazing life stories
of two incredible fighters.”
Each
film will include a series of events involving the stars and
makers of the films, who will be on hand to discuss all the elements
that went into making these landmarks. Already, nearly 100 films
have been submitted for review ranging from the traditional sports
to Mixed Martial Arts, Extreme Endurance Racing and even Pin
Trading. The remaining list of 10 films, many to be seen on a
big screen for the first time, will be released in the coming
weeks.
Additionally,
the first 10 films also include a series of classic films by
director Mark Ciardi, including “Invincible,” “Miracle,”
and “The Rookie.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
WEC's
postponing was "good for Sonnen"
Paulo
Filho’s boxing coach, Josuel Distak commented about the
postponing of the 36th edition of WEC, that were transferred
to November 5th, because of the hurricane Ike. Prepared to face
Chael Sonnen to continue as the middleweight champion, Paulo
Filho was sad about the problems, but his Distak guarantees this
extra time will be good for Sonnen. “Not only Paulo, but
everybody was really sorry about it, we were training hard and
it happened. It’s sad for some, and good for others”,
said. But how would it be good for anybody? Distak explains:
“Good for Sonnen… We were stronger and ready to get
his left arm again. He has now more one month to get ready”,
told the coach.
Source: Tatame |
WC
FITNESS: 400 METERS TO ULTIMATE CARDIO
"I
live my life a quarter-mile at a time..."
Yeah,
yeah, yeah - I know. It's a cheesy Vin Diesel line. But when
it comes to your conditioning, you should take note of that line
– it could mean big things to your cardiovascular endurance.
Time
and time again, 400m (0.25 mile) sprints have shown their effectiveness
in increasing cardiovascular capability, as well as losing bodyfat
(when combined with strength work and a good diet). Why don't
people do them more often then? Because they're freakin' hard!!
But they'll get you in shape in a jiffy, so suck it up and start
running.
The
400m runs can be pretty tough on the body – both in a physical
sense and on your central nervous system (CNS). So I don't recommend
going all out on them; don't go 100%. If you do, you'll burn
yourself literally in a matter of days. Instead, when you run
them, go at a hard, taxing pace, but under maximal effort. As
an example, if your fastest 400m time is in the 75 seconds range,
then run each one in the 80-82 second range. You don't have to
get exact or ultra-precise with it, just know that you're putting
in the effort.
Here
is what I want you to do - find a spot that is roughly 0.25 mile
from your home (you can drive it out to guesstimate it). Once
you go out the front door, run hard to your designated spot.
Turn around and walk back. Don't run back, but don't doddle either.
Your walk back should take roughly twice as long as it took you
to run the 0.25 mile. Once you get back to the house, turn around,
and do it again. After you've gone a full mile (running 0.25
mile twice and walking back), your workout is done.
There
are several other benefits to this workout (in addition to the
physical benefits of the runs themselves). First, there is extended
rest break. Because you're walking back to your starting point,
you get a little longer to rest, and should find that you're
actually breathing back normally (or at least pretty darn close
to it) by the time you're ready for your next run. The walk back
also effectively allows you to double your total mileage (which
will increase work capacity), without excess "wear and tear"
on your body or CNS
Another
great thing about this is that it just doesn't take that long.
Two hard runs + two walks means you're done in under 10 minutes
- EASY. This means getting this workout in multiple times/day
is easy to pull off.
And
because it's all done from home, you don't have to worry about
getting to a track, or a gym with a treadmill.
Oh,
and if the weather is bad, or if you live in a place like I do
with a bunch of hills... then just suck it up. It'll make you
tougher. ;-)
Start
off with doing this workout 2x/day (once first thing in the morning,
then again in the evening) on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
Do it only in the morning on Friday, and one time on Saturday.
You won't run on Wednesday or Sunday.
When
this gets easy (it'll probably take only a week; believe me,
you'll get in shape quick!), up it to 3 hard runs + 3 walks in
the mornings, and 2 in the evenings. When that gets easy, 3 in
the morning and 3 at night. When that gets easy, switch to only
running once/day, but do 5 hard runs + 5 walks, and then 6.
By
this point, you'll be in kick ass shape, and will have probably
lost some extra chub along the way
Train
Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard.
Matt
"Wiggy" Wiggins is a strength coach and author living
in Cameron, N.C. Having trained and designed Workout Plans for
16+ years, Wiggy is a strength moderator at mma.tv, columnist
for MMAWeekly.com, and an avid fan of Mixed Martial Arts Training.
His site, Working Class Fitness.com, is dedicated to designing
low-tech, high-result Workout Programs.
ATTENTION:
Physical exercise can sometimes lead to injury. The information
contained at WorkingClassFitness.com and MMAWeekly.com is NOT
intended to constitute an explanation of any exercise, material,
or product (or how to use/perform them). WorkingClassFitness.com
and MMAWeekly.com are not responsible in any way, shape, or form
for any injury that may result from any person's attempt at exercise
as a result of the information contained herein. Please consult
a physician before starting any exercise program, and never substitute
the information on this site for any professional medical advice
or treatment you may receive.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“Doing
what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your
life.”
Wayne Dyer, American Psychotherapist/Author/Lecturer
|
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!
|
Wand
vs Rampage leaked
Bout should happen at UFC 91
Canadian
website MMACanada.net has spread the word former UFC champion
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s next fight will be
against a man to have already beaten him twice. Claiming to have
information from sources close to the fighters, the site says
Wand vs Jackson will go down this year. The bout is said to take
place November 15th, at UFC 91.
Should
it materialize, this will be the third time the two declared
rivals will face off. The first two times the Brazilian came
out the winner. The first time was in the final of the 2003 Pride
middleweight GP and the second in October of 2004, when Wand
applied a brutal knockout that left Jackson dangling from the
ropes.
Stay
tuned to GRACIEMAG.com for further developments regarding the
fight.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
FIGHT NIGHT: LAUZON GETTING BACK ON TRACK
Joe Lauzon didn't have your typical Ultimate Fighting Championship
debut. He was brought in originally to take on the former UFC
lightweight champion Jens Pulver in what was supposed to be Pulver's
big return to the UFC. Lauzon had other plans though and pulled
the upset of the year, knocking Pulver out in 48 seconds.
He
then went onto “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show,
where he came up short in the semi-finals. He then went on to
defeat fellow cast member Brandon Melendez on the Ultimate Fighter
finale by triangle choke. Keeping the success going, he subsequently
submitted Jason Reinhardt.
Following
that bout, Lauzon was tapped for main event status to take on
top lightweight contender Kenny Florian in Denver. Both fighters
had an intense first round of action in the fight with many transitions.
In the second round, Florian took control and was able to finish
Lauzon with punches and elbows.
Now
“J-Lau” is looking to get back to his winning ways
when he takes on Kyle Bradley on Wednesday night at UFC Fight
Night 15 in Omaha, Neb. “I'm definitely excited,” Lauzon
said confidently. “I want to erase that last one.”
The
one stigma that seems to be lingering from the UFC Fight Night
in Colorado is how bad the altitude affected so many fighters.
If there's anything Lauzon has taken from the last fight, it's
that no matter how hard you train, you can't always expect the
same results. “No matter how prepared you think you may
be, it's not always the case. I thought I was doing okay with
the altitude. It kicked me in the ass. I thought I'd get there
early. I'd sleep in an altitude tent. It still wasn't enough.”
Cardio
has never been a problem for the Massachusetts native, but he
wants to come out in his next fight and prove that he can really
press forward an entire fight with no problem. “The last
thing I want in this fight to be tired at all,” he said.
“I want to go out and show everyone that I am in shape and
I can push a much harder pace than I showed.”
Kyle
Bradley recently made his Octagon debut at UFC 81 where he lost
to Chris Lytle in less than a minute. However, he was fighting
against a seasoned veteran and a weight class above where he's
comfortable. Bradley and Lauzon aren't exactly strangers to each
other either. They've known each other for quite some time and
are actually quite friendly to one another.
“Kyle
is good. I've known Kyle for years from the Underground,”
explained Lauzon. “It was kind of funny. Before we both
made it to the UFC, we used to post back and forth. I've known
him for a while. When Kyle got the call to fight (Chris) Lytle
on short notice, he found me and kind of asked me for advice.
I came in as an underdog for the UFC and he was kind of looking
for the same thing. It was kind of cool that he came to me for
advice and now we're going to fight.”
This
is definitely a fight that Lauzon is not taking lightly. He knows
that the Kyle Bradley we saw back in February isn't the Kyle
Bradley that he is accustomed to. “He's got good boxing.
He has good jiu-jitsu. He has pretty good wrestling. He's definitely
dangerous. You don't want to sleep on him. Some people think
that going into the fight is going to be a washout because they
saw thirty seconds of a fight where he was getting beat up, but
that's not the case at all.”
This
fight is very important to Lauzon to try to keep him in the upper
echelon of fighters in the already-stacked UFC lightweight division.
A win over Bradley would certainly set the tone for a climb back
up to title contention. The main thing that he is focused on
is this fight and coming out to set the tempo of the fight. “I'm
usually pretty good and controlling the pace. That's kind of
a given. We try to work on a couple things. We work on concepts.
I have ideas of what we'd like to do, but nothing is super specific.”
Setting
the tempo for this fight, Lauzon also hopes to set the tempo
for the rest of his career, fast-paced and finishing on top with
his hand raised in the end.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
KIMBO
SLICE READY TO BREAK... SHAMROCK'S LEG
Thus far, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson has made his
living as a silent menace. In his spotlight-grabbing YouTube
fights, he didn’t say a whole lot to his opponents before
he threw down. Usually, it was a “let’s do this,”
and the fists started flying.
Slice
graduated to professional mixed martial arts in 2007 and doubled
his fame, largely with the same reputation. In pre-fight hype,
he’s played a sort of a Darth Vader of the cage – quiet
and ominous, speaking only to intimidate or promise doom for
his opponents. He is, of course, a humble guy away from the lights
– the menace just sells a little better.
But
against a guy like Ken Shamrock, how could he not have a little
fun?
“Just
come ready to fight on Oct. 4,” he said to his foe during
a recent EliteXC teleconference.
“Yeah,
I can hear you breathin’,” Shamrock spat.
“I’m
not trying to (expletive) talk, man,” Slice retorted. “I’m
breathin’ cause I just farted.”
Shamrock
gave Slice ample ammunition for mockery. The veteran spared no
chance to vent his lack of respect for Slice’s abilities
and background. Slice was a jabroni, Shamrock thought. He proclaimed
Slice would fall down out of exhaustion after a few minutes in
the cage with him.
“Was
Bo Cantrell tired in 19 seconds?” Slice shot back. “Was
Tank (Abbott) tired in 43 seconds?”
“Keep
counting your record,” Shamrock said.
“Keep
counting your losses,” Slice volleyed.
It
was a gold mine of soundbites. Still, Slice wanted his audience
to know that he was taking the fight seriously. No matter what
Shamrock’s record was, he still could represent a threat
when the two face each other on Oct. 4 in Sunrise, Florida.
“That’s
a big responsibility for my black ass to fight a guy like Shamrock,”
he said. “This guy has the ability to really (expletive)
somebody up; you know, he could break a leg, end somebody’s
career. So I’m not taking this lightly, this is not a joke
for me. I enjoy doing what I do, I hope to continue fighting
after this fight, and I just want Ken Shamrock to come with the
intent of kicking my ass. I want a guy to try and kick my ass.
Try to knock me out, try to break my leg – cause I’m
going to damn sure try.”
Critics
of Slice had a field day with his victory over James Thompson
at EliteXC’s first CBS-televised card. Completely gassed,
Slice scored a knockout by the skin of his teeth, raising serious
questions about his suitability as a marquee fighter. While Slice
didn’t make the apology that Shamrock did for his past performances,
he admitted he was still a work in progress.
“I
learn a lot every time I come to training camp,” he said.
“I’m still a rookie at it. I have the heart of a giant
and the will power of ten men. With that in mind, and the trainers
that I have, I’m gonna beat him up.”
Plus,
he’s got Bas Rutten in his corner, who is an expert on the
man and myth of Ken Shamrock. Rutten said he’d like to see
Slice gain more experience before taking on any world-beaters,
but was confident he could hang with the best. And to be fair,
expectations of Slice have been abnormally high from the beginning.
Slice
is content to let the media rank him however they choose. Despite
his haters, he has a somewhat Zen attitude about it.
“Every
fight makes me a complete fighter,” he said. “Every
dog has its day; anything that goes up, must come down. I’m
prepared for a lot of (expletive). But losing is not an option.
But whatever happens, I’ll learn from it, and I’ll
come back from it.”
To
gain Shamrock’s respect, Slice says he’ll offer him
an olive branch in the form of a free shot to the chin. Then,
he’ll let “The World’s Most Dangerous Man”
feel the power of the Dark Side.
“I’m
going to break his leg,” he said.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Bustamante
criticizes Dan Henderson
The
fight between Rousimar Palhares and Dan Henderson was by far
the most expected by the Brazilian fans at UFC 88, and people
bet highly on the Brazilian Top Team athlete. After all, the
fact was slow and the American fighter won by judge’s decision.
Murilo Bustamante, BTT’s leader, fought Dan Henderson twice,
and spoke to TATAME in an exclusive interview where he analyzed
the bout and criticized Bustamante’s game. “Henderson
did an ugly fight, he worked to avoid the ground”, said
Bustamante, in the interview that you can check today on TATAME.com.
Source: Tatame
|
WANDERLEI
SILVA COMPLETES COLLECTIBLE SERIES
Round 5 recently announced that it has secured UFC fighter Wanderlei
“The Axe Murderer” Silva as the fourth and final fighter
that will round out its Series 2 of collectible mixed martial
arts figures. Silva completes the Series 2 line-up, which already
features Sean “Muscle Shark” Sherk, Anderson “The
Spider” Silva, and Rich “Ace” Franklin.
Series
2 is set to find its way into stores in time for this year’s
Christmas shopping season.
Damon
Lau, president of Round 5, says of the announcement of Wanderlei
Silva, “After the successful release of our first series,
we are thrilled to exclusively secure Wanderlei Silva as the
fourth and final character to join our eagerly awaited Series
2."
The
collectible figures from Round 5 have become a popular item for
mixed martial arts fans, noted for their extreme attention to
detail.
Series
1 of the figures featured Tito Ortiz, Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson, Randy Couture, and Matt Hughes, all current or former
UFC champions.
The
6” MMA collectable figures will be available in stores across
North America including Champ Sports, F.Y.E. (For Your Entertainment),
KB Toys, Toys R Us Canada and distributed exclusively in the
U.K. by Made For Fighters.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Givanildo
in ShoXC
Brazilian is undefeated in MMA
With
11 wins in 11 fight as a professional MMA fighter, Givanildo
Santana is going back into the ring on the 26th. The Brazilian,
famous in the United States for winning 10 of his fights with
armbars, is on the card of the next edition of ShoXC. Givanildo’s
opponent is the American Jamie Jara (19-5).
The
event will be held at the Crumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.
On the same night, Brazil’s Wilson Reis will fight for EliteXC’s
featherweight belt against Abel Cullum. Check out the provisional
card:
Wilson
Reis vs Abel Cullum
Shane Del Rosario vs Carl Seumanutafa
Matt Makowski vs Erik “Bad” Apple
David Douglas vs Malaipet Team Diamond
Givanildo Santana vs Jaime Jara
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
No
boys allowed
NOCAUTE magazine cover girl, Michelle Tavares leads female training
in Rio
The
girls of Nova Uniao, the headquarters of which is situated in
Upper Academy, in the Flamengo borough of Rio de Janeiro, are
all joy, as they’ve been granted their dreamed of opportunity
to practice the gentle art among themselves, as men are so accustomed
to doing.
Many
of them harbored a desire to practice Jiu-Jitsu, but it was left
at that when they would see classes full of men. They didn’t
just fear the thick skin the burlier sex might end up leaving
them with, but simply didn’t feel at ease in the environment.
With that in mind, the leaders of Nova Uniao decided to put together
a class just for the ladies. To carry out the mission, Jiu-Jitsu
black belt and international MMA fighter Ana Michelle Tavares,
NOCAUTE 68 cover girl, was called upon.
GRACIEMAG.com
wasted no time in checking out the fairer sex’s training
session. The class was full of them, all under the command of
Northeaster Brazilian Michelle and her heavy Northeastern accent.
The gym’s directorate couldn’t have imagined there
was such demand. During the training session, 16 heads (mostly
white and blue belts) were counted.
Ladies
like Luana Machado, 18, who always thought she didn’t have
what it practice a martial art of any kind. Her parents, however,
always wanted her to practice some form of self-defense. The
student confessed she entered Jiu-Jitsu a bit wary and prejudiced.
Now, though, she says she is loving the classes, even though
she feels a bit awkward. Now the medical student Fernanda Alves
always wanted to do Jiu-Jitsu, she just hadn’t signed up
yet because most of the classes were predominantly male.
Andre
Marola, a veteran instructor himself and top dog at Nova Uniao
under Pederneiras, applauded the initiative of the women and
job done by Michelle Tavares. His girlfriend also participated
in the class.
“This
is the second week of this all-female class. This was something
Dede [Pederneiras] and myself provided incentive for, as there
was a great demand from women wanting to practice Jiu-Jitsu.
There is still prejudice from the boyfriends, husbands and even
some of the girls when it comes to training with men. Michelle
started this project with a concept for teaching, as she taught
back in Natal, at here old gym, Kimura. All of us are awe struck
by the number of girls. The first class had 10 girls, now there’s
an average of 16 to 18. For sure this initiative will bring up
new talents for Nova Uniao both in female MMA and Jiu-Jitsu,”
stated Marola.
Michelle’s
friend, Claudia Gadelha, Jiu-Jitsu purple belt and already a
victorious MMA fighter is another providing incentive for females
training. She, who is from Mossoro, Rio Grande do Norte, and
came to Rio at Michelle’s invitation, thinks the initiative
will pay off. “This project is of very great importance
for Jiu-Jitsu. More for Jiu-Jitsu than for MMA, because most
MMA athletes come from Jiu-Jitsu, right? I’ve heard over
and over again girls saying they don’t train because they
don’t like training with men, sometimes the men take advantage,
etc… So I think it’s important that there be training
just for women. So they can feel more at ease,” declared
Claudia.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“An
early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862, American Author/Critic/Naturalist
|
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JZ
EYEING NEW YEARS EVE; ASKS FOR HANSEN
One
of the most popular international fighters is just about to head
back into training as Top 10 lightweight Gesias “JZ”
Calvancante is almost finished rehabbing his knee injury and
is ready to go out and claim the Dream title he didn’t get
the first time around.
“A
couple more weeks I’ll be back in training and I hope I
can fight by the end of the year,” said Calvancante in an
interview with MMAWeekly.com
The
knee injury has been lingering for some time. After his last
fight against Shinya Aoki, JZ was forced into surgery to finally
repair the longtime damage.
“My
first injury was a week before the first tournament in Hero’s
when I fought Shaolin (Ribeiro). I kept going because I wanted
to fight on New Year’s Eve,” he stated. “I could
not so I came back in March to fight (Shinya) Aoki. It was a
no contest. Then I kept pushing my knee, and then it ruptured
totally.”
With
two fights left on his current contract with the Dream promotion,
JZ is ready to get back in action. His first goal is to take
aim at the current lightweight champion in the organization.
“As
soon as I get ready, hopefully the end of the year, possibly
I want to fight (Joachim) Hansen,” he said with conviction.
“Get my revenge, same that he did to get the belt, I want
to do the same thing.”
Calvancante
will travel back to Florida to work with his home camp at American
Top Team as he prepares for his comeback later this year.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Lazzarini
at No-Gi Pan
Sign-ups open till 27th
Cristiano
“Titi” Lazzarini confirmed to GRACIEMAG.com he will
be participating at the No-Gi Pan-American to take place October
4 in New York. “I’ll go in as a super heavyweight and
absolute again. I’m training more takedowns for this championship,”
said the Gracie Barra black belt.
The
last time he participated in the No-Gi Worlds in California,
last month, Lazzarini took second place in the super heavyweight
category. He lost in the final to Team Quest’s Vinicius
Magalhaes. In the absolute, he took third, eliminated in the
semis by runner-up Roberto Cyborg Abreu. Gold went to Antonio
Braga Neto.
Titi
says he hopes to perform better in comparison with the last No-Gi
Worlds in California. “I hope to do better than at the last
Worlds. Even though I lost to Cyborg, who’s a tough guy,
I was kind of apathetic. I don’t know why, but I had been
getting dizzy ever since I arrived in the USA. It seems to be
something to do with airplane pressure,” said Lazzarini.
This
will be his third time participating in No-Gi competition organized
by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF).
After fighting so much without the gi, as he says, the athlete
ended up acquiring a taste for it. “No-Gi was a consequence
of training for MMA, but I train in the gi every day. I just
don’t have the same desire to fight in the gi I did before.
I think No-Gi is more explosive, for me it’s better,”
stated the fighter, adding thereafter: “I find my performances
at the most recent championships to be good ones, but sometimes
I lose for my desire to finish my opponent and end up losing
fights I wouldn’t lose had I done the right strategy, like
my fight against Bill Cooper last year,” he recalled.
Sign-ups
for the 2nd No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American are open and go till
the 27th of September. Click here to guarantee your participation.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
A
Chat with Paulao Filho
Fighter laments postponement of WEC
Paulao
Filho was prepared to get his smile back. After knocking out
a bout of depression, the black belt was excited about facing
Chael Sonnen at WEC 36, originally set for the 10th, in Florida.
However, the danger presented by hurricane season in the United
States obliged the organizers to put the show off till November.
In
contact with GRACIEMAG.com, Paulao says he is saddened by the
postponement. “It was very sad. I spend a lot of time training,
doing physical conditioning, losing weight. It was a lot of effort,
time lost. But now I have to keep up my training and preparation
routine for the new date for the event,” said Paulao.
Losing
weight is always a great obstacle to be overcome as a fight approaches.
“This radical and repeated weight loss saps a bit of my
strength. You end up losing a bit of stamina. With time I stated
getting used to it and got better adapted. There are times when
I lose 15 kg and have a hard time recovering it before the fight,”
he said.
Currently
representing Team Link, led by Marco Alvan and Gabriel Napao,
Paulao plans to use the facilities at XGym, in Rio de Janeiro,
for preparing himself. “I’m focusing on everything.
I train hard, I strain. I train ground, muay thai, boxing with
Distak. We’ve had help from Tunico Junior in training Muay
Thai, which has added a lot. I’ve been training submissions
to get Chael Sonnen’s left arm. This time I concentrated
a lot on physical conditioning, strength, since in the first
fight I felt a bit weak,” he declared.
Despite
his concentrating on his own challenge, Paulao took the time
to stop in on last Saturday’s UFC event, and commented on
what he thought of Rashad Evans’s knockout of Chuck Liddell.
“It was a surprise, I didn’t expect him (Liddell) to
lose that way. It was a spectacular knockout, one of the prettiest
of recent times,” he said.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Roger
Gracie speaks about Sengoku opponent
In his third fight for the event, Roger faces Travis Wiuff
Shortly
after the name of the fighter to face Roger Gracie at Sengoku
on September 28th in Japan was released, GRACIEMAG.com went after
the Jiu-Jitsu champion with the aim of finding out how his preparations
for Travis Wiuff are going.
“I
put together a group of advanced students and we get together
twice to three times a week to do MMA-specific fights. I’ve
dedicated myself a lot to conditioning and boxing. Along with
all that I’ve been doing a weight-lifting routine,”
said Roger.
The
Gracie has not yet had enough time to study Wiuff, as Sengoku
only just released the name, but Reyla Gracie’s son already
knows the American is good standing. So far, though, no strategy
has yet been defined.
Roger,
who is just beginning his MMA career, has two fights so far in
his MMA career, both wins (over Ron Waterman and Yuki Kondo),
and sees in Sengoku the opportunity for growth and professional
maturation. “I think Sengoku will grow a lot still. After
Pride ended, unfortunately, I think MMA in Japan dropped a bit,
but Sengoku has grown a lot and, in my opinion, has everything
it needs to become Japan’s main event. At the same time,
it could be the beginning of my career in MMA, I feel together
we can grow a lot,” stated Roger, who trains boxing with
Tim McDonalds and follows up with technique with Matthew Robinson.
Check
out the updated card:
Roger
Gracie vs Travis Wiuff
Xande Ribeiro vs Takashi Sugiura
Kiuma Kunioku vs A Sol Kwon
Jorge Masvidal vs Ryan Schultz
Paul Cahoon vs Kazuhiro Nakamura*
Logan Clark vs Jorge Santiago*
Yuki Kondo vs Yuki Sasaki*
Siyar Bahadurzada vs Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos*
*Middleweight
GP fights
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GAN
MCGEE MAKES SUCCESSFUL RETURN AT XFC
TAMPA, Fla. – Utilizing his 13-inch height advantage and
clubbing fists, six-foot, ten-inch heavyweight Gan “The
Giant” McGee successfully launched his MMA comeback Saturday
night in Tampa, Fla. at the St. Pete Times Forum, stopping veteran
fighter Johnathan Ivey by technical knockout in the second round
at Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC)’s “Salute to
Our Armed Forces 5.” Over 11,200 fans were in attendance,
topping XFC’s June 28 attendance mark of 10,700. This was
the fourth consecutive XFC promotion in Tampa to draw at least
10,000 fans.
“It
feels great to be back,” McGee stated in a post-fight interview.
“I love fighting. I [expletive] love it! Really short guys
are really hard to hit, but I did what I had to do. ‘The
Giant’ is back!”
When
McGee last fought on American soil, he was fighting on Pay-Per-View
for the UFC heavyweight title against then-champion Tim Sylvia
at UFC 44. McGee left UFC to fight twice for Pride in Japan before
retiring from the sport four years ago. “The Giant”
hopes his comeback bid will culminate with the MMA heavyweight
championship finally wrapped around his waist.
But
it wasn’t all smooth sailing for McGee; the five-foot, nine-inch
Johnathan Ivey is a veteran of over 60 professional MMA fights,
and he sought to neutralize McGee’s vast reach advantage
by circling his much-larger opponent and shooting for his legs.
Ivey’s tactics frustrated “The Giant” in the first
round, but after a barrage of smashing headshots, the referee
stopped the fight at 59 seconds into round number two.
“I
didn’t think it would be that hard to get by his reach,”
a dejected Ivey admitted afterwards. “I did my best, but
he’s clearly an A-level fighter. His reach was just too
much. But I’ll be back in the cage – and hopefully
next time, my opponent will be closer to six-feet tall.”
Ivey
expressed interest in fighting five-foot, 11-inch Dave “Pay
Me” Yost – the undefeated heavyweight sensation from
Tampa, Florida who won his fourth straight fight by knockout
in a back-and-forth thriller against Billy Colon. Yost’s
“Pay Me” moniker is a reference to his previous work
as a mafia debt collector.
Full
results of Xtreme Fighting Championships’ “Salute to
Our Armed Forces 5: The Return of the Giant”:
Brandon
Palant defeated Justin Goodall by TKO, 3:36 in round one
Justin Flood defeated Brandon Watts by TKO, 1:36 in round one
Frank Sharipov defeated Shah “Hollywood” Bobonis, unanimous
decision
Tony Harvey defeated Josh Cate by TKO, 27 seconds in round one
Robert Turner defeated John Holliman by TKO, 1:05 in round one
Corey Krebs defeated Jermain Wilson by TKO, 16 seconds in round
one
Donny Wallace defeated Richard Boyd by tapout, 1:22 in round
one
Dave “Pay Me” Yost defeated Billy Colon by TKO, 2:55
in round two
Gan “The Giant” McGee defeated Johnathan Ivey by TKO,
59 seconds in round two
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SENGOKU
LANDS DEAL ON JAPAN NETWORK TV
World Victory Road’s “Sengoku” has landed a television
deal with TV Tokyo in Japan, according to a report by Nightmare
of Battle.
The
report, citing NikkanSports.com, says that the deal begins with
a one-hour program covering Sengoku 1 through 4 that will air
on Sept. 27, the night before Sengoku 5. Following the inaugural
show, operating under the temporary name of Sengoku G, a weekly,
25-minute series will be on Oct. 6.
In
addition, the New Year’s Eve Sengoku event is believed to
have a two-hour slot notched for it on the network.
According
to Wikipedia, TV Tokyo is the smallest of Japan’s major
broadcast television networks. It is a free network station,
much like ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox in the U.S.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Love
is always open arms. If you close your arms about love,
you will find that you are left holding only yourself."
Leo Buscaglia, 1924-1998, American Author and Expert on Love
and Human Relationships
|
USA-Boxing
Rankings for 2008
USA-Boxing the National Governing Body of Amateur Boxing has
released it's latest Rankings for 2008, in it's Magazine Boxing
USA.
112lbs- Bruno Escalante of East Oahu Waimanalo is ranked #2,
behind Olympian RauShee Warren.
106lbs- Keola McKee of Wailuku B.C. is currently ranked #7
Female 138lbs Triva Pino from Kawano B.C. is ranked at #5.
We are waiting for the rankings to come out on the National Website
www.usaboxing.org
Thank You for Your Time.
Bruce
Kawano
USA-Boxing Hawaii Junior Olympic Chairman.
USA-Boxing Hawaii Board of Dir./Gov.
Ringside Board of Advisors.
NMU Task Force Appointed Member.
|
RAMPAGE
SIGNS WITH WOLFSLAIR; READY TO RETURN
by Damon Martin
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson recently decided to leave former trainer and manager
Juanito Ibarra and land with United Kingdom based Team Wolfslair.
The
former champion spoke exclusively to MMAWeekly.com at UFC 88
in Atlanta about joining up with the new team starting with his
next fight.
“I
just signed with a new team. I ain’t been part of a team
in a while. Last team I was on was Team Punishment, if I can
remember correctly,” said Jackson. “So Team Punishment
ain’t really punishing right now. They really ain’t
teaming up. I need a strong team behind me so I can utilize the
full capacity of my strengthnism in fighting.”
One
of the biggest factors in making the change was a friendship
with Michael Bisping, who worked with Jackson during his camps
with Ibarra. Now they will team up again at Bisping’s home
camp in England.
“Michael
Bisping is such a good sparring partner, and all his guys he’s
got in the U.K., and those guys are really, really good. I really
like their manager and I like the whole system,” Rampage
commented.
The
Memphis native confirmed that he signed on with Team Wolfslair
for management as well as training for future fights. Jackson
also cemented that he will still work out in Big Bear, Calif.,
for part of his camp, but his main training would take place
across the pond in England.
Despite
strong speculation that Jackson will make his return to the Octagon
in a battle with longtime nemesis Wanderlei Silva – a fighter
he has twice lost to in Pride – Jackson couldn’t comment
on who he will face next, but he sounded confident for whatever
challenge lays ahead.
“Anybody
steps in my way, they’re going to get smashed,” Jackson
stated. “I’m learning some new skills, I’m doing
my thing. I’m going to be on top for a long time.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC's
Rachelle Leah lands on cover of Playboy
"UFC All Access" host Rachelle Leah will appear on
the cover of the November issue of Playboy magazine.
The UFC posted on its website Thursday that Leah will not only
be on the cover, she'll also have a 10-page pictorial. She's
appeared in the men's magazine before, but only fully clothed.
Leah,
24, started with the UFC as a ring girl before being tapped to
host "UFC All Access."
Leah
is no stranger to magazine covers. She's appeared on the covers
of Flex, Maxim, Men's Fitness and numerous other male and fitness-related
magazines.
UFC
President Dana White was interviewed in the September issue of
the magazine.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
A
Breakdown of ‘Breakthrough’:
The Real Winners and Losers of UFC 88
by Luke Thomas
Anyone
can use the Fight Finder to discover the winners and losers of
the nine contested bouts this past weekend in Atlanta at UFC
88, but there’s more to the story than what the raw data
tells us.
Who
really won? Who truly lost? What do the results of UFC 88 tell
us about the big picture for the UFC and MMA? These answers and
more follow.
The
Winners
1.
The UFC
While
the UFC may have lost a substantial pay-per-view payday in what
was supposed to be a New Year’s Eve title clash for the
light heavyweight strap between dogged TUF alum Forrest Griffin
and UFC poster boy Chuck Liddell, the results from Atlanta will
still work to position the UFC advantageously over the long run.
First,
the UFC has a real opportunity to use Evans to draw more African-American
fans into the MMA fold. While everyone respects and loves winners
of all races, colors and creeds to varying degrees, it is impossible
to argue against proclivities for sameness. Just as the WEC understands
bantamweight destroyers Manny Tapia and Miguel Torres are critical
to the organization’s efforts to reel in larger portions
of a Latino audience, so too is Evans necessary for what is arguably
a very underserved African-American demographic in MMA.
Second,
losing the Liddell vs. Griffin matchup is only a short-term loss.
What’s more important is that the UFC continues to set up
competitive matchups and allow the chips to fall where they may.
By adopting a strategy where the UFC forces its fighters to continually
prove their viability, fights and events themselves become a
self-policing mechanism. This not only keeps the UFC product
sharp, but it saves Zuffa the heartache of having any façade
shattered and their promotional and marketing resources squandered
by a fighter incapable of earning his keep.
2.
Rashad Evans
Think
about this: Rashad Evans -- the outsized heavyweight, improbable
winner of season two of “The Ultimate Fighter” and
.500 collegiate wrestler -- owns two of the best knockouts in
UFC history. He’s also undefeated.
While
Evans has heretofore been unable to garner the fan appreciation
and critical acclaim of someone with the aforementioned accolades,
last Saturday’s win may be the turning point in his very
unsuspecting career. He has passed every test the UFC has thrown
in front of him and gone one step further: He has maximized his
talent potential, culminating in one of the most magnificent
wins of the past several years. What more can be asked of a fighter?
3.
Jackson’s Submission Fighting
It’s
difficult to conjure up a reasonably accurate scenario where
the team of mastermind Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn could’ve
fared any better than they did on Saturday night. Not only did
Evans fold perennial MMA superstar Chuck Liddell with an overhand
right of death, but Nathan Marquardt put himself back in the
middleweight title hunt by steamrolling would-be challenger Martin
Kampmann on his own kickboxing terms.
Throw
in Jardine’s previous win over Liddell and welterweight
king Georges St. Pierre’s masterful display against Jon
Fitch for good measure, and one gets the sense that Jackson &
Co. understand the feeling of accomplishment better than most.
4.
“The Ultimate Fighter”
If
the defeat of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson by Forrest
Griffin at UFC 86 wasn’t evidence enough that “The
Ultimate Fighter” is the launching pad for the next generation
of top-level MMA athletes, Saturday definitively ended the debate.
Not only will winners from two seasons of “The Ultimate
Fighter” battle for the most coveted crown in MMA when Evans
meets Griffin later this year, but they’ll do so after collectively
defeating MMA icons in Jackson, Liddell and Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua -- three former kings of the light heavyweight division.
Consider
this notice that any and all future questions about the legitimacy
of the show and its fighters are only the product of the intellectually
dishonest.
5.
Kurt Pellegrino
An
always-promising fighter with well-rounded skills, Pellegrino
couldn’t ever seem to break through intriguing-prospect
status. Seemingly unable to cobble together the components necessary
for a meaningful career inside the unforgiving cage walls of
the Octagon, Pellegrino grappled with anonymity and even identity.
Yet,
amidst weight-class changes, personal and familial turmoil and
gut-wrenching losses, Pellegrino found a way Saturday to persevere
through the sort of adversity that would cripple anyone without
an indefatigable will to carry on. If there were ever an underdog
pick to root for, Pellegrino is it.
The
Losers
1.
The UFC
Despite
the long-term upside brought by Evans’ win over Liddell,
very few would dispute that an Evans vs. Griffin event would
be significantly less lucrative than a Liddell vs. Griffin scrap.
Liddell’s
loss on Saturday not only robs the UFC of the opportunity to
book a mega-fight with Griffin, it also massively damages the
stock of a man who has been the face of the UFC franchise and
the sport of MMA. Liddell likely has a few fights left if he
wants them and he may perform quite nobly, but Saturday’s
loss sent a clear signal that the illustrious career of “The
Iceman” is past the point of no return.
2.
Chuck Liddell
For
all of Liddell’s faults and foibles, his ability to generate
income for the UFC in the form of event attendance and pay-per-view
buys is nearly without parallel. But Liddell won’t just
miss out on a massive payday that a title bout with Griffin surely
would’ve brought; he also loses his last chance for supremacy.
Any
hopes of regaining the title have been dashed, and retirement
questions have already begun to swirl around the man who once
ruled MMA’s marquee division with an iron right hand. While
Liddell’s past is first-ballot Hall of Fame material, his
future could very well be the antithesis.
3.
Thiago Tavares
Despite
possessing youth, aggressive jiu-jitsu and grit, Thiago Tavares
has fallen on hard times. After debuting in the UFC with a dismantling
of hardcore favorite Jason Black, Tavares has lost three of his
last four including a controversial decision, a vicious knockout
loss and a thwarted attempt at retribution.
That’s
enough to damper the spirits of even the sport’s mentally
toughest competitor. Whatever ails Tavares, he must find a way
to tackle the problem and do so immediately. His career in the
UFC could depend on it.
4.
John Hackleman
Fairly
or unfairly, Chuck Liddell’s longtime trainer and the mastermind
behind The Pit in San Luis Obispo, Calif., is taking a beating
tantamount to the one Liddell suffered in the Octagon Saturday
night.
Fans
and critics alike have speculated that it is Hackleman’s
alleged inability to develop Liddell’s skills in a fast-changing
sport that are the cause of The Iceman’s demise. Even if
the claims are fatuous (and they are), it hardly matters. The
meme that Hackleman has held back Liddell is spreading like wildfire
and could tarnish Hackleman’s image in the eyes of fans
for the foreseeable future.
5.
Atlanta’s Booing Attendees
One
wonders whether the fans in attendance on Saturday realized that
not only were the Olympics over, but it wasn’t 1996 anymore
either.
As
the dramatically improved Matt Brown and international prospect
Dong Hyun Kim locked horns in a close but fairly straightforward
affair, caterwauls of “USA! USA!” began permeating
the partisan crowd. Kim was then treated to a chorus of jeers
after being announced the split-decision winner over his American
opponent. Adding fuel to the fire was UFC announcer Joe Rogan,
perhaps the only MMA insider in the Milky Way aside from Cecil
Peoples who believed there was anything even remotely controversial
about the decision.
Rooting
for the home team is rarely objectionable, but is Dong Hyun Kim
-- a Korean fighter who voluntarily chose to leave his country
to fight for an American company -- really the “away team”?
Like
any other fighter under UFC contract competing in America, Kim’s
participation in UFC events helps generate revenue for those
American entities promoting the fight, to say nothing of how
important Kim is for the UFC’s international expansion efforts.
Obviously Kim’s contribution in making UFC 88 financially
solvent isn’t make or break, but it should prevent him from
being unnecessarily booed by Americans driving home in their
Japanese imports.
Luke
Thomas is the Editor-in-Chief of the MMA blog BloodyElbow.com.
Source:
Sherdog
|
EVAN
TANNER LIKELY DIED OF HEAT EXHAUSTION
Former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner, whose body was
found in the Palo Verde mountains on Monday, is believed to have
died of heat exhaustion.
Tanner
had set up camp in the Palo Verde Mountains where he was on a
solo trip to “cleanse” himself, according to Douglas
Vincitorio of Tanner’s management team at Driving Force
Sports. When he stopped replying to text messages from friends,
they notified authorities.
His
body was spotted from a U.S. Marine helicopter a couple of days
later.
In
a report by ivpressonline.com, Imperial County Sheriff’s
Deputy Justin Hettich said that Tanner had been carrying water
bottles with him, but they and the water bottles found in his
camp were empty. That fact, coupled with temperatures that soared
over 110 degrees, led authorities to the likelihood that he succumbed
to heat exhaustion.
The
official cause of death will not be determined until an autopsy
has been performed.
Tanner
spent more than a decade as a professional mixed martial arts
fighter and served a stint as the middleweight champion in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Gracie
vs. Wiuff completes 'Sengoku 5' card
2005 ADCC grappling champion Roger Gracie's "Sengoku 5"
opponent will be YAMMA champ Travis Wiuff, World Victory Road
announced today. The event takes place Sept. 28 at the Yoyogi
National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.
Gracie (2-0) fights out of West London, England and has submitted
his two opponents in the first round. Gracie tapped out Ron "H2O"
Waterman at BodogFight in December 2006 and in May 2008 returned
to MMA with a rear-naked choke submission over Pancrase veteran
Yuki Kondo.
Wiuff
(52-11) made his debut for World Victory Road at "Sengoku
3" in June, knocking out Kazuyuki Fujita at 1:24 of the
first round. Wiuff has also won his last ten fights, which includes
beating Marcelo Pereira, Chris Tuchscherer and Ricco Rodriguez
in one night on April 11.
World
Victory Road: Sengoku 5
September 28, 2008
Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Non-Tournament
Bouts:
-
Roger Gracie vs. Travis Wiuff
- Takashi Sugiura vs. Xande Ribeiro
- Kiuma Kunioku vs. A Sol Kwon
- Ryan Schultz vs. Jorge Masvidal
Middleweight
Tournament Bouts:
-
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Paul Cahoon
- Jorge Santiago vs. Logan Clark
- Yuki Kondo vs. Yuki Sasaki
- Evangelista Cyborg vs Siyar Bahadurzada
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Transatlantic
Bisping Confident Ahead of Leben Bout
by Paul Concannon
With
two dynamic first-round wins consigned to Michael Bisping’s
2008 middleweight resume, the United Kingdom’s favorite
mixed martial artist will look to make it three out of three
when he takes on Chris Leben at UFC 89 on Oct. 18.
Bisping
and Leben, both products of “The Ultimate Fighter,”
will headline the event at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham,
England.
Fresh
off six weeks in California, where he combined a family holiday
with rigorous training, Bisping recently arrived back home at
the Wolfslair Academy to complete the final and most intense
phase of preparation ahead of his bout with the Hawaii-based
Leben.
“Since
‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ Mike’s barely had a real
holiday, or even a Christmas,” said Anthony McGann, co-owner
of the Wolfslair Academy. “Although he was away in the states,
he was in training every day.”
“It
was half and half,” Bisping said with a laugh. “It
was a good holiday, but it was also torture. I was going through
rigorous training either one or two times a day, then, in between,
taking the family to see f--king Mickey Mouse or Bart Simpson
feeling absolutely destroyed.”
When
not entertaining his loved ones at American theme parks, Bisping
got in some high-quality fight preparation, too.
“I
worked at Tiki Ghosn’s facility in Huntingdon Beach,”
Bisping said. “It’s a good place to train. You get
stars coming through there all the time, guys like Tito [Ortiz],
Quinton] ‘Rampage’ [Jackson]. I also trained with Benji
Radach, an excellent wrestler with a big right hand.”
With
world-class training facilities and coaches available to him
on either side of the Atlantic, Bisping likes the idea of varying
his training, though ultimately he feels there’s no place
like home.
“[In
some ways], I have no preference,” he said. “When I’m
in the States, it’s nice. I do this full-time, so a change
is as good as a break. Obviously, the weather’s nice there,
and the change keeps you fresh. I do enjoy the experience of
working out in different gyms.
“Thinking
about it though, you can’t beat training at your own gym
with your own teammates and coaches who know how you work,”
Bisping added. “Tiki’s great; he coaches stars, but
you look forward to getting back to the Wolfslair to start properly
focusing on the fight.”
Back
in the UK, Bisping paints a vivid picture of what promises to
be a brutal training camp leading up to his clash with Leben.
“It’s
going to be ridiculous,” he said. “For the stand-up
side of things I’ll tweak a few things. Anthony McGann has
arranged some K-1 guys from Holland, and there’s also a
couple of strong wrestlers coming from Bulgaria. [Wolfslair grappling
coach] Mario Sukata has a problem with his neck, so he’s
been out of action for a while, but he’s also going to be
back on the mats alongside Tom Blackledge.
“We’ve
got Cheick Kongo and ‘Rampage’ coming over next week,
and we’ve brought in (professional boxer) Tony Quigley Jr.
for sparring,” he added. “Paul Kelly’s here, too,
[preparing for his UFC 89 fight with Marcus Davis]. It’s
going to be second to none.”
According
to the gym’s co-owner, Lee Gwynn, Bisping is a more than
willing to put in the work.
“Mike’s
one of those guys that goes all out with 100 percent intensity,”
Gwynn said. “His work ethic and cardio are some of the best
I have ever seen; his fitness is phenomenal, and when Cheick
and Quinton come next week, they’re bringing five guys with
them from the U.S. It’s going to be an intense camp.”
Being
a fighter in the spotlight is demanding, as media and sponsorship
commitments go hand-in-hand with training and fighting. The Widnes
middleweight contender has no complaints.
“It’s
a balancing act between going to America and training at the
Wolfslair,” Bisping said. “On top of that, there are
interview requests with the likes of the UFC or Setanta on an
almost daily basis. Fighting is a full time job; there’s
so much going on backstage. It’s very time-consuming being
a professional sportsman. We not only have to fight the fight
but also get people to watch it. That’s mainly the promoter’s
job, but I need to take a bit of responsibility for getting people
to the fight, too.
Life
as a reality show cast member helped prepare Bisping for the
crunch he now faces as one of the UFC’s top 185-pound competitors.
“Being
on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ was a baptism of fire,”
he said. “With the cameras everywhere and up to 10 interviews
a day, you come out of the house extremely well media trained.
I cope because I try to structure my days; I’ll finish training,
and I’m home for 2 p.m. Then I’ll do any interview
commitments that I have.”
Like
most fighters, Bisping looks to improve with each performance.
His artistic destruction of his last opponent, Jason Day, was
among his most impressive showings. He stopped the Canadian on
strikes in just 3:42 at UFC 85 in June.
“That
was definitely one of my best performances,” Bisping said.
“I was very pleased with the way it went down. I felt I
was in total control the whole time, and it confirmed that middleweight
is the better weight category for me.”
Bisping
remains confident heading into his bout with Leben, but he’s
aware of the danger the American poses with his left hand.
“That’s
definitely his biggest weapon,” Bisping said. “Some
people don’t have a single one-punch finish; he has five
or six courtesy of his left hand. People on the Internet are
still saying, ‘Bisping has no chin’ despite the fact
that in all my kickboxing fights, my MMA bouts, not to mention
thousands of hours of sparring, I have never been sparked.
“That
said, I’m not going in there thinking he definitely can’t
knock me out,” he added. “But even if he does connect,
I have fast powers of recovery. Leben has the advantage in one-punch
power -- nobody’s disputing that -- but in terms of skill
and speed, I think I have the advantages.”
Bisping,
understandably guarded on the specifics of his game plan, believes
he will be the fighter with his hand raised after the two meet
inside the Octagon.
“I’ll
come into the fight in good shape and look to finish the fight;
that’s what I do,” he said. “I have had only had
two decisions in all my bouts, and I am very much looking to
put Chris Leben away inside the distance.”
Source:
Sherdog
|
Put
Palhares to face Henderson just in his second fight in UFC was
the right decision to make?
I
think we did the right thing. Henderson was safe on the first
round and I’m sure that I Henderson looked for the fight,
Rousimar would have submitted him. If Rousimar won this fight
he’d jump right to the title shot. There were a lot of pressure
from both sides and it was a good psychological test. It was
his second international trip, a boy that just came from the
countryside… Rousimar will be the UFC champion, I don’t
know when he’ll be… He has an excellent ground game,
a good Wrestling and is developing his stand-up game.
When
will he fight again in UFC?
It
depends on his knee, so he can fight again this year.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Never
spend your money before you have earned it."
Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, 3rd President of the United States
|
Kauai's
Eben Kaneshiro
in main event of Rise Fighting Championship "Bragging Rights
II"
Eugene, Oregon. Rise Fighting Championship will be holding it's
fourth mixed martial arts event on Sept. 13 at the Lane County
Fairgrounds in Eugene, OR. Bragging Rights II will feature top
local fighters from Salem, Portland, and Eugene. The main event
will feature undefeated (5-0) professional fighter, Evan Dunham
(Eugene, OR), facing off against Brazillian Jiu Jitsu black belt
Eben Kaneshiro
(Kauai, HI).
Dunham is a rising local star. In his last fight, Dunham submitted
highly-reguarded Brazillian Jiu Jitsu black belt Cleber Luciano.
Kaneshiro holds a 9(w)-5(l) record and has faced elite competition,
including the number 1 ranked featherweight, Urijah Faber. Also
on the fight card is Mike Dolce from Portland. Dolce was recently
a participant on Spike TV's wildly popular The Ultimate Fighter
show. There will be a total of 10 matches on the Bragging Rights
II card, with a fight in each weight division. For more info
please visit http://www.risefc.com
Source: Shane Kido
|
Affliction
2 postponed
Event was set to take place October 11
Bad
news for MMA lovers broke today. Set for October 11, the next
edition of Affliction was pushed back. The information was conveyed
by Keith Kizer, of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, to website
Sherdog.com. According to information coming from the United
States, the event should be rescheduled for January, with the
Honda Center, in California, as the venue, and not Las Vegas,
as originally planned.
The
card for Affliction II had been settled since the beginning of
the month. As the Affliction’s organizers have not yet made
an official pronouncement regarding the postponement, there is
no information on whether or not the same card will be maintained
for the event to take place in the beginning of 2009.
Stay
tuned to GRACIEMAG.com and we will return with more information
regarding the delay as soon as possible.
Check
out the card as it stands:
Josh
Barnett vs Andrei Arlovski
Rogério Minotouro vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Matt Lindland vs Trevor Prangley
Chris Horodecki vs Dan Lauzon
Pedro Rizzo vs Ben Rothwell
Jay Hieron vs Drew Fickett
Roy
Nelson vs Paul Buentello
Mike Pyle vs Jason High
Albert Rios vs Antonio Duarte
Jay White vs Chase Gormley
Brett Cooper vs Patrick Speight
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
FEDOR
MOVING WITH AFFLICTION, GOLDEN BOY NEXT?
by Tom Hamlin and Ken Pishna
As is turns out, Affliction is bringing out the big guns for
its second show.
Fedor
Emelianenko will headline Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning,”
now rescheduled for Jan. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
It is unknown whether the headliners of the Oct. 11 event, Josh
Barnett and Andre Arlovski, will remain as co-headliners or if
the card will be shuffled with the addition of Emelianenko.
Affliction
vice president Tom Atencio on Wednesday revised his earlier “no
comment” following a report on NBCSports.com that confirmed
the Russian’s attendance.
Emelianenko
was scratched from consideration for the originally scheduled
event due to a chip fracture he sustained in his 36-second win
over former UFC champ Tim Sylvia. Last month, Emelianenko and
his representatives told MMAWeekly.com he intended to fight on
a New Year’s Eve card of unknown origin.
With
the confirmation, it appears Emelianenko has chosen profit over
sentiment in forgoing his beloved New Year’s performance.
Atencio
promised a major announcement on Affliction’s future this
Saturday at the MGM Grand Hotel, where the Marquez/Casamayor
fight is scheduled to take place. The timing and location of
the announcement has added fuel to speculation that Affliction
has a new partner in mixed martial arts, none other than Golden
Boy Promotions, which quite possibly could include HBO. Golden
Boy is the promoter of record for Saturday’s boxing match
– which airs on HBO pay-per-view – and President Oscar
De La Hoya has expressed interest in mixed martial arts as of
late.
It
would not be the first time the two companies had mingled. In
March of this year, a partnership was nearly forged between Affliction
and Golden Boy for Emelianenko’s second fight in the U.S.
A
source close to the negotiations said talks broke down when Affliction
made the partnership announcement prematurely. When contacted
for comment in March, Bruce Binkow, Chief Marketing Officer for
Golden Boy, told MMAWeekly.com that his company was not getting
into the MMA business any time soon.
But
by Saturday, that time may be over.
MMAWeekly.com
could not reach Atencio to confirm whether Golden Boy or HBO
is part of Saturday’s announcement.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
The
5 Greatest Breakthroughs in MMA
by Tomas Rios
Great
fighters are remembered for a collection of moments within a
vast library of sights and sounds -- a record of unforgettable
victories and their most stinging defeats.
But
no moment stands out more than when a fighter distinguishes himself
as a true force with which to be reckoned, having blossomed beyond
the world of contenders and prospects.
With
UFC 88 “Breakthrough” living up to its moniker Saturday
in Atlanta -- thanks to Rashad Evans’ one-punch knockout
against former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell -- we
take a look back at the five greatest breakthrough moments in
MMA history.
5.
Matt Hughes vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai
In
his first bout as welterweight champion, Hughes faced a skeptical
public after taking the title from Carlos Newton in bizarre fashion
at UFC 34. Having a title handed to you after passing out from
a triangle choke will not endear you to many fans. Going into
his March 2002 bout against Sakurai -- whom UFC analyst Jeff
Osborne described as “a legend in his own time” --
at UFC 36, Hughes looked more like a placeholder than a champion.
Once
the final bell rang, the only question that remained revolved
around whether or not anyone could stop Hughes. He neutralized
Sakurai’s considerable offensive arsenal with what has become
his trademark ground-and-pound style.
In
beating Sakurai, Hughes lived up to the personal creed UFC announcer
Mike Goldberg shared with the world. “Anyone can win the
title,” Goldberg said. “I think it takes someone special
to defend the title.” That provided a nice foreshadowing
for the success Hughes has enjoyed in the UFC, as he has gone
on to rack up eight successful title defenses spread over two
reigns.
None
were more significant than his victory over Sakurai, upon which
he built the foundation for one of the greatest runs in UFC history.
4.
Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
The
UFC probably had designs on a blockbuster rematch between Rua
and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson before the ink had dried
on the contract for the Brazilian’s promotional debut in
September 2007 against Griffin. Sure, the UFC hoped Griffin,
a charismatic alumnus of “The Ultimate Fighter,” would
someday develop into a champion, but losses to Tito Ortiz and
Keith Jardine had tempered expectations.
Most
viewed Griffin as a stepping stone for Rua, who had left a trail
of crushed egos in his wake in Pride Fighting Championships.
The trend seemed all but certain to continue at Griffin’s
expense, but no one could calculate the underdog’s will.
Over
the course of three rounds, Griffin chipped away at Rua’s
resolve and took his own licks with the sort of masochistic glee
that’s as disturbing as it is captivating. In the final
moments of the bout, Griffin coaxed the tapout from Rua with
a rear naked choke and finally experienced that moment of unadulterated
glory for which he had toiled so hard.
3.
Takanori Gomi vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
Choke
artist. Those were two words cynical observers attached to Pride
Bushido poster boy Gomi, an undeniably talented lightweight who
entered his tilt with Kawajiri having come up on the short end
in the biggest bouts of his career.
Two
and a half years of favorable matchmaking certainly did not strengthen
Gomi’s reputation, and the consensus seemed to be that Kawajiri
would be the one to corral his Shooto predecessor and give the
Bushido circuit a champion who truly deserved such status.
By
the end of the hotly anticipated contest in September 2005, Bushido
did have a champion who had earned the right to wear gold, but
it was Gomi who made Kawajiri look like a choke artist with a
dominant showing that launched him to the top of the division.
2.
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Heath Herring
People
today make it sound as though Emelianenko has been the best heavyweight
fighter in the world since the dawn of mankind. However, there
was a time when the Russian’s existence was privileged information,
reserved for those with access to the underground network of
tape traders and fight merchants.
Thankfully,
Pride stepped up and rescued Emelianenko after the Rings promotion
collapsed. While his promotional debut against Semmy Schilt was
a ho-hum affair, Emelianenko’s second fight under the Pride
banner in November 2002 captured the imagination and attention
of the MMA world.
Herring
was viewed as a stiff test for any heavyweight -- a rugged, skilled
veteran with surprising versatility and an endless reserve of
moxie. Still, Herring barely survived the opening stanza with
his stoic Russian foe, as Emelianenko turned the American’s
face into a morbid mess, adorned by a ground-and-pound drubbing
that echoed through the cavernous Tokyo Dome.
On
that evening, MMA christened its own Jack Johnson, an improbable
mesh of talent and technique that seemed out of place when compared
to his lagging contemporaries.
1.
Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort
It
was supposed to be uglier than a Roseanne Barr spread in a Victoria’s
Secret Catalog. Belfort was MMA’s answer to Mike Tyson,
an unstoppable boogeyman in the cage, a genetic mutation of Darwinian
proportions. Many wondered if it would take Belfort more than
a minute to take out Couture in their October 1997 encounter
at UFC 15.
A
lamb was led to slaughter, but the lamb turned out to be Belfort.
His trademark thunderbolt punches meant nothing to Couture, who
closed the distance early, mauled Belfort in close quarters,
picked his spots and outboxed the Brazilian in jaw-dropping fashion.
UFC
announcer Bruce Beck said, “The Phenom’s run has been
derailed … temporarily.” Belfort was never the same
after that night. Couture has become synonymous with the sport.
Not bad for a wrestler who was supposed to be more Frank Bruno
than Lennox Lewis.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Werdum
still wants the heavyweight belt
By Eduardo Ferreira
Randy
Couture’s back to UFC may have pushed a Brazilian fighter
back in the title line. Pointed as the next contender with a
new victory at UFC 90, against Junior Cigano, Fabrício
Werdum maybe was forgotten by the Dana White, Ultimate president,
that put Randy Couture to face Brock Lesnar, who only has one
fight in the octagon, and the winner will face the winner of
Nogueira-Mir bout. “Ultimate thinks about business, and
Lesnar is more famous in United States. I don’t know how
they’ll do it, because my new contract guarantees a title
shot with a victory against Cigano”, said Werdum to TATAME.com.
“They
should have put Cigano, who is a newcomer in the event, to face
Lesnar, who only has one fight in UFC. But that’s OK, I’ll
win quickly my next fight and my time will come”, told the
Chute Boxe athlete, that analyzed the heavyweight fights. “Nogueira
will certainly defeat Frank Mir and Couture will beat Lesnar.
The “big” Lesnar won’t make it, Couture will use
a good strategy to get him tired and will win on the last round.
I can’t see him winning, Couture has a lot more experience
and Lesnar is like a white-belt there”, bets Werdum.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Don't
take the bull by the horns, take him by the tail; then you can
let go when you want to."
Josh Billings, 1818-1885, American Humorist and Lecturer
|
UFC
91 Pieces Falling in Place
by Brian Knapp
Tamdan
McCrory and the fast-rising Dustin Hazelett (Pictures) have verbally
agreed to meet in a welterweight bout at UFC 91 “Couture
vs. Lesnar” on Nov. 15 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in
Las Vegas. Bout agreements are expected to be signed this week.
The
match between two of the promotion’s more highly regarded
prospects will provide depth to a card that will feature a five-round
heavyweight title fight between returning champion Randy Couture
(Pictures) and former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar
Brock Lesnar (Pictures).
A
Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt who operates at a black belt level,
Hazelett (11-4) bounced back from his TKO loss to Josh Koscheck
(Pictures) in March and submitted Josh Burkman (Pictures) with
highlight-reel armbar at “The Ultimate Fighter 7” Finale
three months later. Eight of the 22-year-old Hazelett’s
11 career wins have come by submission.
“He’s
a good jiu-jitsu guy with a lot of experience, “McCrory
said. “He’s been in the UFC a little longer than I
have, but he’s just another tough opponent.”
McCrory
(9-1), a promising 21-year-old from Ithaca, N.Y., last competed
at UFC 87 in August when he went the distance for the first time
in his career and picked up a unanimous decision victory against
Luke Cummo (Pictures), a former finalist on “The Ultimate
Fighter” reality series.
“There
were a lot of things I did well in that fight, and there were
a lot of things I could have done better,” McCrory said.
“They never go the way you expect them to. The way I see
it, I’m a young talent with a lot of years left to grow.
I have a lot of time to build my status in the UFC.”
A
college student who splits his time between the classroom and
the gym, McCrory made his UFC debut in 2007 when he submitted
Pete Spratt (Pictures) with a triangle choke. A submission loss
to Pride Fighting Championships veteran Akihiro Gono (Pictures)
followed, though McCrory impressed against the seasoned Japanese
standout. At 6-foot-5, he remains one of the welterweight division’s
taller competitors, and he has set out to utilize the physical
ability with which he has been blessed.
“I’ve
been working on my jiu-jitsu a lot,” McCrory said. “That’s
one of the parts of my game that wasn’t as strong as I needed
it to be. I’ve gotten 100 times better on the ground. My
stand-up’s still improving. Every day, I get better.”
UFC
91 will also feature a pivotal lightweight showdown between former
title contenders Kenny Florian (Pictures) and Joe Stevenson (Pictures).
In addition, the event will pair Brazilian heavyweight Gabriel
Gonzaga (Pictures) with Josh Hendricks and lightweight prospect
Jeremy Stephens (Pictures) with Brazil’s Fury Fighting Championship
standout Rafael dos Anjos.
A
blockbuster rematch between former UFC lightweight champion Quinton
“Rampage” Jackson and Brazilian legend Wanderlei Silva
(Pictures) has also been rumored but not yet confirmed. Silva
dominated Jackson in their two previous encounters in 2003 and
2004; both bouts were contested inside the Pride ring in Japan.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Fuel
The Fighter: Losing the Gut
by P.R. Cole MS, RD Candidate, Columbia University
"Fuel
The Fighter" discusses each month how a mixed martial artist
can apply physiology and nutrition to optimize his or her training
and performance.
Fuel
the Fighter Physiology and Nutrition for MMA
Losing
the Gut
I’ve
been approached by a variety of MMA athletes who just can’t
figure out how to trim those love handles and gut. Their confusion
is well founded. They have excellent cardio vascular stamina,
they consistently work their abs, and eat mostly healthy foods.
So why does their midsection still pudge over their fight shorts?
The
thing is, you can do as many sit ups as you want, and work out
as many hours of the day as you can manage, but if you are taking
in the same amount of calories that are being burned, the fat
over the midsection has no hope of giving up its lease. We’ve
all heard our tubby friends talk about their “six pack under
the beer belly.” It is definitely possible to possess incredible
core strength under a layer of fat. However, until the weight
is lost, the abs of steel will remain hidden.
The
importance of losing the gut is not just about looks. Fat around
the midsection can have serious health consequences. Fat tissue
is not just a stagnant lump. The cells are very active and when
there is a buildup of fat around the core, fat cells can start
to infiltrate surrounding organs like the liver.
Without
surgery, it’s not really possible to target a specific area
for fat reduction. It will all come down to creating a calorie
deficit that will cause general weight loss. One pound of fat
is equal to 3,500 calories. So that means that if you want to
lose 2 lbs in one week, each day of that week you need a deficit
of 500 calories. A reasonable plan is to consume about 300 fewer
calories than you require, and then leave the rest of the calories
to be burned off by exercise. (Unless you are seriously overweight,
losing more than about 2 lbs per week may be unhealthy since
it’s likely that muscle protein is being burned off with
the fat.)
The
following are some of the most infamous weight loss saboteurs
to watch out for as you plan to cut those calories.
1)
Refined Grains
White bread, white pasta, and sugary cereals are composed of
very simple carbohydrates that digest quickly and cause a spike
in blood sugar. When the body compensates by rapidly lowering
blood sugar levels, you’re left with a headache and a desire
to eat more. You’ve probably experienced this a few hours
after Chinese takeout. (The sweet sauces and noodles are a killer.)
INSTEAD:
Go for the whole grains like whole wheat, pumpernickel, rye or
any type of whole grain. The soluble fiber digests slowly so
sugars are gradually released to the bloodstream and you feel
fuller longer.
2)
Fruit Juice
There’s no argument that fruit juice is better than soda,
but as you guzzle down your juice, you’re taking in high
amounts of sugar, without all of the fiber that is naturally
found in whole fruit. Just one cup of OJ has 20 grams of sugar.
This is the same amount of sugar in a Twinkie!
INSTEAD:
Replace your morning OJ or apple juice with an actual piece of
fruit! An average orange has about half the sugar as a glass
of juice. With fresh fruit you’ll still get all the nutritional
benefits in the juice with the addition of fiber to help curb
the appetite.
3)
Skipping Breakfast
Eating breakfast up will help to jump-start your metabolism.
Most people who skip breakfast are far more likely to over eat
at meals and snacks throughout the day.
INSTEAD:
Make sure to eat within an hour or so of waking up. Coffee and
milk isn’t going to cut it! Egg whites and a side of oatmeal
is my personal favorite.
4)
Eating fewer than 1,000 calories per day
A very low calorie diet will cause numerous problems. In addition
to the likelihood that this kind of depravation will cause a
food binge later, the body’s metabolism will slow down.
This makes sense since your systems will try to conserve resources
in times of famine. Additionally, this low calorie stress can
compromise the immune system and make you more susceptible to
illness.
INSTEAD:
Keep your metabolism in full swing by consuming enough calories.
For most men, a minimum of 1,500 to 2,000 calories is recommended.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
LYOTO
MACHIDA OFF UFC 89 CARD
Following the news first reported by MMAWeekly.com last weekend
that Thiago Silva had been forced out of UFC 89 due to a back
injury, his opponent, Lyoto Machida tells Tatame.com that he
has been told no replacement will be found and to expect a move
to a future card instead.
“There’s
no way to find and opponent now, and I’ll have to wait another
event to fight,” said Machida in the interview with Tatame.
“I don’t know who’ll I face, UFC didn’t say
anything yet, only that I won’t fight at UFC 89.”
The
removal of Machida from the card will of course fuel speculation
that the Brazilian may get the opportunity to step in against
another top light heavyweight such as Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua, who has said his return could come as early as December.
As
for the UFC 89 card, the main event between England native Michael
Bisping and Chris Leben is still ready to go, as well as pivotal
match-ups between Brandon Vera and Keith Jardine, and Rameau
Thierry Sokoudjou versus Luis Cane.
The
UFC has made no official announcement regarding Machida’s
removal from the card, so it is still unknown at this time which
undercard fight will get the bump up to the televised portion
of the show.
UFC
89 will be shown via tape delay on Spike TV.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Filho:
“I’m a new person now”
By Guilherme Cruz
Just
a few days before his second fight with Chael Sonnen at WEC,
Paulo Filho spoke to TATAME about the thoughts of the fight,
his problems with depression, his training with André
Galvão, the possibility to face Anderson Silva, a friend
and UFC champion, and analyzed Rousimar Palhares’ bout against
the former pride champion, Dan Handerson. “The depression
is over and now is just happiness, I’m ready for the war”,
guarantees the champion, on the exclusive interview.
How
was your preparation for this fight?
Thanks
God everything was perfect... My preparation is really good,
I’m focused and I went to Minas Gerais to have a good support
with my friends and I’m a new person now. The depression
is over and I’m ready for the war.
Chael
Sonnen said that he didn’t believe in your recovery for
this fight…
American
people has big mouths… Sonnen should have said it to me,
and not put this things in media, I think he doesn’t wanna
fight me again, lose another arm…
What
are your expectations for this fight? Do the ground game again?
Actually,
there’s no strategy, is just fight and be ready to protect
and attack…
How
was your training with André Galvão for this fight?
He
was an important person in my training, he helped me to remember
some things, see how things works in Jiu-Jitsu now and we learned
a lot together… He showed me things about the modern Jiu-Jitsu
and I gave him some of my MMA experience. He submitted on his
first fight and it’ll be hard to find somebody to beat him
on the ground in MMA, maybe only another Brazilian fighter. We
had a great time together and I’m very happy with his success.
His success is my success, and my success is his too.
Will
you go to USA now and just relax or continue training?
I
have to train more, my real fight is with my weight, and I’ll
have to train more until September 8th. I need to lose weight,
I’m with 93kg and I still have a lot to lose, and I’ll
do the same, and doesn’t repeat the same mistake from my
last fight.
How
many fights remain in your WEC contract? Do you think about going
to UFC?
I
have this and another one… I’m very thankful for WEC,
I’m an employee and I’m really thankful with their
help when I had my problem, and whatever they decide is good
to me…
And
if their decision is to merge you to UFC, will you face Anderson
Silva?
Definitely
no. We’re close friends and I believe there’s space
for everybody there, it’s definitely out of my plans.
He’ll
face Patrick Cote now… How do you think will be this fight?
Anderson
will win, and I know it’ll be easy and fast. Cote isn’t
fight for Anderson Silva, he’s a level above.
And
Palhares, that will face Henderson now?
It
won’t go through the first round. Do you wanna bet? I can
bet my house that “Toquinho” will win on the first
round, and will submit on Henderson’ foot. He’ll beat
easily, he’s a thousand miles per hour and Henderson is
falling down. I know Henderson is a great athlete, but “Toquinho”
is excellent and came from nowhere, wants to help his family,
he’s stronger, younger and more technical and I can’t
see Henderson beating him. The only positive thing about Henderson
is that he’s an expert fight, but it doesn’t work with
a phenomenon.
Source:
Tatame
|
Babalu
out of Strikeforce
Leg injury given as reason
Called
up to be one of the main attractions of the Strikeforce show
set for the upcoming 20th, Renato Babalu is out of the event.
The information was provided by Mike Afromowitz, the organization’s
director, to website MMAJunkie.com. According to the event’s
top man, Babalu suffered an injury to his leg in training and
will be unable to face Anthony Ruiz;
With
the Brazilian’s injury, neither of the two fighters originally
planned for by Strikeforce will be on the card, as Bobby Southworth
was Babalu’s original opponent and ended up being substituted
by Ruiz.
The
organizers are now looking for an opponent so the fight can remain
on the card.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more
useful than a life spent doing nothing."
George
Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish Playwright
|
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
|
FORMER
UFC CHAMP EVAN TANNER DEAD AT 37
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder
Evan Tanner was found dead near Palo Verde, Calif. on Monday.
He was 37 years old. His management team at DFS Agency confirmed
his death to MMAWeekly.com.
Tanner
had trekked into the desert on a journey to “cleanse”
himself, according to Douglas Vincitorio of DFS. “He went
out to the desert to do a ‘cleansing’ as he called
it. Kind of like ‘Survivor Man.’” These short
trips were not new to Tanner, said Vincitorio. It is something
that he has done numerous times over the years.
“What
we were told is that (sheriff’s officials who found him)
believe his motorcycle had run out of gas, so he went to walk
out in like 115 to 118-degree heat,” said Vincitorio. “He
was miles away from his camp. That’s where the helicopter
found him. Right now, they just think that he succumbed to the
heat.”
Tanner
had apparently told friends before he left that if they hadn’t
heard from him in a couple of days, they should contact officials,
which is what happened. When he stopped responding to text messages,
friends waited a couple of days and then notified officials at
the Imperial County Sherrif’s Department on Friday.
A
search ensued and Tanner’s body was found on Monday.
On
Aug. 10, Tanner wrote a blog on Spike TV’s website, proclaiming
his desire to start an adventure in the desert east of his new
home in Oceanside, Calif. An avid outdoorsman and wandering spirit,
he wanted to escape civilization for a while.
“I'm
not just going out into the desert, I'm going out into the desert
to hunt for lost treasure,” he wrote. “I'm going on
a pilgrimage of sorts, a journey to solitude, to do some thinking,
and to pay my respects to the great mysteries.”
On
Aug. 16, Tanner wrote about collecting supplies for his journey,
and wrote about the dangers he might face.
“I
plan on going so deep into the desert, that any failure of my
equipment, could cost me my life,” he said. “I've been
doing a great deal of research and study. I want to know all
I can about where I'm going, and I want to make sure I have the
best equipment.”
Of
course, this led followers of his blog to fear for his safety,
as they often did when Tanner reported his frequent by-the-seat-of-his-pants
adventures. In a blog dated Aug. 27, Tanner tried to calm his
audience.
“This
isn't a version of ‘Into the Wild,’” he wrote.
“I'm not going out into the desert with a pair of shorts
and a bowie knife, to try to live off the land. I'm going fully
geared up, and I'm planning on having some fun.”
But
he also affirmed that things could go wrong if his equipment
wasn’t up to snuff.
“I
do plan on going back pretty far, so I did mention in one of
my posts that I wanted to make sure to have good quality gear,”
he said. “Any failure of gear out in the desert could cause
a problem.”
On
Sept. 2, Tanner wrote his final blog entry, documenting a training
session at a facility in Oceanside.
The
Amarillo, Texas native was a high school wrestling stand out
who won the state championships his junior and senior years despite
only getting into the sport as a sophomore. He entered mixed
martial arts in 1997 encouraged by friends.
Tanner
rose to the top of the mixed martial arts world by winning the
UFC middleweight title over David Terrell at UFC 51: "Super
Saturday" Feb. 5, 2005. Tanner last competed in the UFC
on June 21 losing to Kendall Grove by split decision.
“He
will obviously be sorely missed,” said Vincitorio. Adding,
“I think that Evan would want to be remembered as a very
complex man with many layers, not just a fighter.”
Tanner
was surely a unique personality. He’s eccentric spirit and
competitive nature will be sorely missed in the MMA community.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Fedor’s
agent speaks about Couture
Vadim says veteran caught in contractual trap
Randy
Couture’s decision to return to the UFC resonated in Russia.
Fedor Emelianenko’s agent and president of M-1 Global Vladimir
Filkenstein today issued a release touching on the American veteran’s
decision, in which he alleges the impossibility of facing Fedor
in the octagon as one of the main reasons for initially splitting
from the organization headed by Dana White. Check out some of
the main exerpts:
“I
believe Randy knows what he’s doing. He’s an awesome
athlete, one of the world’s best. I know he got tired of
these endless litigations and uncertainty that arose after his
resignation. UFC had Randy in the contractual trap so he had
to choose an easier solution to the problem.
“As
for his potential bout with Fedor ?" all the MMA fans are
eager to see this happen. The statements mister White still makes
about Fedor alert me. It looks as if White is reluctant to let
the best fighter in the world fight the UFC symbol. I’m
afraid we’ll stumble upon the bricks of the UFC monopoly
and the negotiations will lead nowhere. This fight the fans await
might never materialize.”
Filkelstein
carries on in the communiqué exalting both Fedor and Couture,
and goes on to say he is working in partnership with Affliction.
However, he spares no criticism when commenting on the UFC’s
business model, leaving a clear impression the bout between Fedor
and Couture will not be taking place any time soon.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
LIDDELL
& FRANKLIN TOP UFC 88 MEDICAL SUSPENSIONS
Not surprisingly, Chuck Liddell was given the most serious of
medical suspensions coming out of Saturday's UFC 88 in Atlanta.
The former champ is suspended for 60 days and will require a
CT Scan or MRI and a neurological evaluation before being cleared
to fight again.
Rich
Franklin is also suspended for 60 days for the serious cut above
his right eye, while opponent Matt Hamill is suspended for 30
days.
Martin
Kampmann is suspended 30 days for his TKO loss to Nate Marquardt.
According to a post-fight doctor’s report, he had soreness
in his jaw and “TMJ tenderness.”
Thiago
Tavares is also suspended for 60 days and will require a CT scan
to his face to evaluate his nose and “zygomatic arch”
before being cleared to fight again.
Michael
Patt is suspended for 42 days and will require a CT scan to fight
again. He sustained a nasal septal fracture in his fight with
Tim Boetsch.
Ryo
Chonan is suspended for 42 days due to a large laceration on
his right eye.
Matt
Brown is suspended for 15 days due to a cut he sustained in his
fight with Dong Hyun Kim.
The
remaining fighters on the card were suspended for 7 days, standard
practice for anyone fighting in the state of Georgia.
A
report on the economic activity generated by the event is also
forthcoming, said Matthew Carrothers, director of media relations
for Secretary of State Karen Handel.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
88 FIGHTER SALARIES AND AWARD BONUSES
MMAWeekly has obtained the fighter salary information from the
Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission for UFC 88 featuring
Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans, which took place on Saturday,
Sept. 6, at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.
The
following figures are based on the fighter salary information
that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic
commissions, including the winners' bonuses.
Although
mixed martial arts fighters do not have collective bargaining
or a union, the fighters' salaries are still public record, just
as with every other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed
bonuses that a promoter also pays its fighters, but does not
disclose to the athletic commissions (specifically, pay-per-view
bonuses, fight of the night bonuses, etc.), are not included
in the figures below.
In
the listings below, "Main Event Fighters" are defined
as fighters who compete in the main event of a show. "Main
Card Fighters" are defined as fighters whose fights appear
on the main card, but not in the main event. "Preliminary
Card Fighters" are defined as fighters whose matches take
place before the live broadcast goes on the air, regardless of
whether or not those matches end up airing on the TV or Internet
broadcast.
MAIN
EVENT FIGHTERS
–
Rashad Evans ($120,000/win bonus was $60,000) def. Chuck Liddell
($500,000)
*Evans also earned an extra $60,000 for “UFC 88 Knockout
of the Night”
MAIN
CARD FIGHTERS
–
Rich Franklin ($100,000/win bonus was $50,000) def. Matt Hamill
($10,000)
–
Dan Henderson ($250,000/win bonus was $150,000) def. Rousimar
Palhares ($7,000)
–
Nate Marquardt ($56,000/win bonus was $28,000) def. Martin Kampmann
($15,000)
–
Dong Hyun Kim ($46,000/win bonus was $23,000) def. Matt Brown
($8,000)
PRELIMINARY
CARD FIGHTERS
–
Kurt Pellegrino ($24,000/win bonus was $12,000) def. Thiago Tavares
($13,000)
*Each also earned an extra $60,000 for “UFC 88 Fight of
the Night”
–
Tim Boetsch ($16,000/win bonus was $8,000) def. Michael Patt
($5,000)
–
Jason MacDonald ($44,000/win bonus was $22,000) def. Jason Lambert
($17,000)
*MacDonald also earned an extra $60,000 for “UFC 88 Submission
of the Night”
–
Ryo Chonan ($30,000/win bonus was $15,000) def. Roan Carneiro
($9,000)
UFC
86 DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $1,270,000
UFC
88 AWARD BONUSES
(as disclosed by UFC president Dana White)
Each fighter received a $60,000 bonus for the following awards.
Fight
of the Night:
– Kurt Pellegrino and Thiago Tavares
Knockout
of the Night:
– Rashad Evans
Submission
of the Night:
– Jason MacDonald
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
88 POST: CHUCK LIDDELL ADDRESSES RETIREMENT
At
38 years old and losing three of his last four bouts, former
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder
Chuck Liddell faces the question of whether or not he should
continue to compete.
"I've
always said I'll decide if I'm going to retire in the training
room, not after a fight," Liddell told the media at Philips
Arena Saturday night following UFC 88.
Liddell
rose though the ranks of the 205-pound division by stringing
together a 10-fight win streak against the top contenders before
getting his long overdue title shot against Randy "The Natural"
Couture at UFC 43: "Meltdown."
He
would lose to Couture that night in July of 2003, but defeated
Couture in a rematch at UFC 52: "Liddell vs. Couture 2"
to become the champion. He defended his title four times, including
another defeat of Couture, and heading into 2007, Liddell had
solidified himself as the top ranked light heavyweight in the
world, enjoying a popularity not yet seen in mixed martial arts.
His
title run came to an abrupt halt at UFC 71 at the hands of Quinton
"Rampage" Jackson, and for the first time in his storied
career, Liddell would lose back-to-back fights dropping a decision
to Keith Jardine at UFC 78: "Knockout."
Liddell
bounced back with a unanimous decision win over rival and former
Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Wanderlei Silva at UFC
79: "Nemesis" in December in an epic battle between
MMA legends.
Heading
into UFC 88 against "Sugar" Rashad Evans, Liddell's
mystique was back. With a win, a title shot against Forrest Griffin
loomed. But the title shot and the comeback came crashing down
at the 1:51 mark of the second round, when Evans landed a thunderous
right hand that left Liddell unconscious, face down on the canvas.
Before
the fight with Evans, Liddell was signed on by Anheuser-Busch
to be a spokesperson for their popular Bud Light brand. Still
one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in MMA, it seems unlikely
that Liddell would walk away at this point, leaving his career
laying on the canvas in Atlanta.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Serra wants to retire
Hughes
Bout should take place in 2009
Several times have
Matt Serra and Matt Hughes been close to facing off, but injuries
afflicting one or the other have always pushed the fight further
into the future. And as more time goes by, dicier become the
declarations fired off by both parties. The latest knock was
dealt by Matt Serra. In an interview on MMAJunkie, the Renzo
Gracie black belt gave a precise idea of what the fight means
to him.
“Everybody
wants this fight to happen, from the fans to the organization
to myself to Matt Hughes to Matt Hughes' I truly believe in my
heart this is going down. When it does, this will be a great
fight. I'm putting my heart and soul into training to fight this
guy. People love rivalries, especially if it's legit,” declared
Serra.
Known for making
harsh statements, Serra revealed what he hopes to do with the
rivalry. “The only thing I want to retire is Matt Hughes.
I plan on retiring him," he fired.
Despite all the
movement behind the scenes, the UFC has given no indication of
what the date will be for a bout between the two Matts. Many
specialized sites are tipping it to take place in 2009, since
at present neither Hughes nor Serra have the UFC welterweight
belt, which would facilitate the matchup coming to fruition.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
RASHAD
EVANS: FOLLOWING THE BLUEPRINT
Light
heavyweight contender Rashad Evans never intended to take Chuck
“The Iceman” Liddell to the ground. He’d seen
Liddell destroy wrestlers who wanted to take him down; counterpunch
foes who chased him down.
“You
can’t be trying to take him down the whole time because
he will knock you out,” Evans said.
Of
course, he didn’t tell anybody this, particularly the media,
whom he steadfastly avoided in preparation for the fight. In
a pre-fight conference call for UFC 88, he brought out his acting
chops and left a pretty strong impression that he’d shoot
for a takedown, and keep Liddell guessing about where the fight
would go. But that was the furthest thing from his mind.
“Yeah,
it was head games,” he confirmed in an exclusive interview
with MMAWeekly.com. “I wasn’t trying to take Chuck
down. I mean, if I would have gotten him tired enough then I
was going to try to take him down, but I didn’t have any
intention of taking Chuck down. Matter of fact, I think I only
did one takedown attempt in practice.”
Evans
relied heavily on close friend and training partner Keith Jardine
for advice. At UFC 76, Jardine had stood with Liddell and beat
him at his vaunted striking game. Many pundits called it an off
night for the former champ, but Evans knew better. Liddell’s
looping, power punch focus would leave cracks in his defense.
Whatever the consequences, Evans knew he could stand with The
Iceman.
“The
best way to come at Chuck is you’ve got to come at Chuck,”
he said. “You can’t be trying to take him down the
whole time because he will knock you out, and I was like ‘if
I’m going to lose this fight, I’m going to lose it
on my feet, and I’m willing to get knocked out for it.’”
Evans
hardly came straight at Liddell, preferring a game of feint and
dodge as his foe was forced to come forward. Liddell cut the
cage off, but Evans always found a way out. By the end of the
first, he could tell his head games had worked.
“He
was pissed,” he said. “He was highly pissed, man. He
threw that kick at the end of that round, almost took my head
off. I was like, ok, I got him now.”
Evans
had waited patiently to assert himself throughout the first round.
In the second, however, he returned fire when Liddell cornered
him, connecting with a counter left hook in the midst of Liddell’s
arcing punches.
Liddell
disengaged, realizing Evans could push back, though it didn’t
stop him from trying to cut off the cage again. By this time,
Evans had seen first hand what Jardine had been trying to tell
him all along.
“Keith
said ‘you’re gonna get his timing, and there’s
a point when you’re going to see em’ coming,’”
Evans said. “‘When you see it coming, get off first—don’t
sit there and wait.’ And that’s what I did. As soon
as he had me against the fence, you can always tell when he’s
coming, so as soon as I see him make that face, I just tried
to bust off first.”
And
he did, uncorking a right hand that brought Liddell’s motor
functions to a screeching halt. Despite Evans’ reputation
as a workman in the cage, he had delivered another piece of fight
footage that will forever play in the UFC’s video library.
“I
did a lot of hard work to get to this point,” Evans said
afterwards. “And it’s not just me, I have my great
teammates to help me get to this point, as well as my coaches,
Mike Winkeljohn and coach (Greg) Jackson. As a team, we all help
each other out. No man deserves the credit totally on his own,
and I’m just happy to have a great coaches and teammates
to help me.”
Many
cynics predicted that Evans would not see a title shot against
champ Forrest Griffin, whatever the outcome of the fight, and
before UFC president Dana White announced he would, Evans might
have been in that camp. "I’m a patient man," he
said at the post-fight podium. "I’m just enjoying the
ride and whatever happens, however long it takes, it takes.”
It
wouldn’t take long, though, as White subsequently informed
the press that Evans would get his shot at the light heavyweight
belt, presumably at UFC 92 on Dec. 27 in Las Vegas.
With
the reversal of fortune, Evans looks to a quick return against
Griffin, a fighter he deeply respects. But he doesn’t intend
on squandering the opportunity he’s worked so hard to get.
“I
love Forrest Griffin, man,” Evans said. “Forrest Griffin
is a fun, exciting fighter. He works hard for everything he’s
got. He deserves everything he’s got. He’s definitely
my kind of fighter, because if I beat Forrest, then I’m
the champ. But I’m excited to fight Forrest.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
ISHIDA
TO MAKE U.S. DEBUT IN STRIKEFORCE
Top 10-ranked lightweight (155 lb. limit) Mitsuhiro Ishida will
make his way from the battlegrounds of Japan for the first time
in his seven-year professional career to face former NCAA Division
I wrestler and rising Team AKA star Justin Wilcox in the cage
at Strikeforce’s return to the Playboy Mansion in Beverly
Hills, Calif. on Sept. 20.
Since
jumping off to a shaky 2-2 start while fighting at 170 pounds,
Wilcox has reset his game plan and reeled off three consecutive
victories, including his Aug. 30 conquest of “The Ultimate
Fighter” season five cast member Gabe Ruediger.
The
29-year-old native of Cincinnati credits the sudden turnaround
to his recently formed alliance with San Jose’s Team AKA,
the home of Wilcox’s Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
wrestling brother Josh Koscheck. __“I love the way they
train. They have that grind that I’m used to from wrestling
in college so I feel at home here,” said Wilcox, who became
the first true freshman in Edinboro history to win the NCAA national
qualifying tournament.
“My
college coach always said if you want to be a champ, you have
to surround yourself with champs so I went out to AKA and haven’t
lost since.”
During
his collegiate career, the high-spirited Wilcox was turned on
to amateur and, later, on to professional bodybuilding, a stint
that helped mold him into the monstrous physical specimen that
he is today.
“I’ve
always been into one on one competition so MMA was perfect for
me. I saw Koscheck fighting on TV one day and I said ‘This
is what I want to do.’”
Also
29 years of age and a wrestling phenom known for his exceptional
endurance, Ishida infiltrated the top echelon of 155-pound competitors
by conquering numerous other top contenders in Japan’s leading
MMA organizations, including the now defunct Pride Fighting Championship
as well as Shooto and Dream.
Ishida
on New Year’s Eve last year defeated then Strikeforce lightweight
champion Gilbert Melendez, handing Melendez the first defeat
of his career by way of unanimous judges’ decision at Saitama,
Japan’s Saitama Super Arena.
Source:
MMA Weekly
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Wand hungry for
a fight
Fighters requests Dana White call him up for December
If Wanderlei Silva
has his way, we’ll see all the Brazilian’s fury unleashed
on his adversaries this coming December. The MMA ace is dying
to fight. And he asked top dog Dana White to call upon him. “I’m
waiting to fight again, maybe in December, because it’s
the best event of the year. I want to fight in December,”
said the fighter in an interview on MSNBC, making clear what
he wants.
The last time he
stepped in the ring, at UFC 84, in May this year, his appetite
for victory was such that he demolished Keith Jardine in the
very first round, after only 36 seconds of combat.
Wanderlei has been
gearing up to get back to his winning ways, since 2007 was not
his best year, as he ended up losing to Dan Henderson, at Pride
33, and Chuck Liddell, at UFC 79.
Training with veteran
Randy Couture, though, seems to have had a positive effect on
the athlete’s career by giving him incentive to improve.
“I train with Couture, he’s a really cool guy and helps
me a lot. I think I need to work more on my wrestling and takedowns,
because the athletes in my division are stronger and taller,
harder to take down,” said Wanderlei, who hopes to always
to take part in the fight of the night when going into battle.
“Every time I fight I’ve got my eyes on the bonus:
the fight of the night or knockout… Submission I think is
unlikely, but I always want to have the fight of the night,”
stated the Brazilian.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
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Fighters'
Club TV Tuesdays
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!
|
Fighters'
Club Radio Mondays!
FIGHTERS
CLUB RADIO
MONDAY MAY 19
9AM-10AM
RIGHT AFTER LEAHEY & LEAHEY
AM
1500 RADIO
FAN
LINE: 296-1500
THANKS
TO OUR SPONSORS:
- OTM "ON THE MAT" ON BERETANIA
- GLACEAU VITAMIN ENERGY
- EN FUEGO GRILL AND POKE
- MUSCLE MILK
- BRIT'S AUTO BODY
|
X-1
Presents Temple Of Boom
Palolo Hongwanji, Honolulu, Hawaii
September 27, 2008
BLUE CORNER RED CORNER
Main Event
JOHN "THE WARRIOR" VISTANTE vs 170lbs MMA Title Match SEAN
SAKATA
Team Sit U Down Amateur 3/3 Min Rounds No
Remorse
Co
Main Event
CHRIS BERNARD vs Heavy Weight MMA VILI FONOKALAFI
Team Sit U Down PRO 3/3 Min Rounds No Remorse
JOSHUA
FEREIRA vs 185lbs MMA Match BRAD TAVARES
Team Ruthless PRO 3/3 Min Rounds MMAD
THADDEUS
MALBREAUX vs 145lbs MMA Match JUSTIN MERCADO
Freelance PRO 3/3 Min Rounds MMAD
ALLAN
HASHIMOTO vs 145lbs MMA Match ALDRIN FERNANDEZ
Freelance Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds MMAD
JAMES
ROMANO vs 170lbs MMA Match STEVE FARMER
EastSidaz Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Universal
Combat
FERDINAND
RAMIREZ vs 155lbs Kick Boxing Match MATT KANEHALE
Inner Circle Grappling Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds No
Remorse
JUSTIN
HALEMONO vs 185lbs MMA Match CALEB PRICE
Team Gambla Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds HMC
MAX
HALLAWAY vs 135lbs KB Title Defense EVAN QUEZON
Gods Army Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds Team Devastion/Nakoa
Fight Club
GURU
DAS vs 205lbs MMA Match JOHN HEWIT
Team Icon Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds No Remorse
KEALII
AIWOHI vs 185lbs MMA Match ANTONY KINOSHITA
Gods Army Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds No Remorse
ADD
THE FOUR BOXING FIGHTERS
PHILLIP
LIFTEE vs 145lbs XMA Match TAI LE
Nakoa Fight Team Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds Freelance
WILL
MORRIS va 145lbs MMA Match DEVON AGARAN
Nakoa Fight Team Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Old
School/Inner Circle Grappling
TRAVIS
BERNADES vs 155lbs MMA Match VERNON TANGONAN
Freelance Amateur 2/3 Min Rounds Old School/Inner
Circle Grappling
SCOTT
RAMIREZ vs 145lbs Kick Boxing Match ROBERT BANIS
Inner Circle Grappling Amateur 3/2 Min Rounds West
Side Connection
Source: Mike Miller
|
Sigung
Richard Bustillo Seminar
Saturday,
October 4
Hawaii Martial Arts Center
HMC Academy
King's Gate Plaza
555 N. King Street
Honolulu, Hawai'i
Session #1
Muay Thai/Boxing
Mixed Martial Arts
10:00 am to 12:30 pm
Session
#2
Cacoy Doce Pares
* Eskrima/Kali/Arnis
2:00-4:30
Seminar
Tuition
$60 Both sessons
(pre-registered by September 30)
$75
Both sessions (at the door)
With over 45 years of martial arts experience, Sigung Richard
Bustillo is one of the most sought after martial artists in the
world. Mr. Bustillo is an inductee to several martial arts Halls
of Fame, a certified law enforcement defensive tactics instructor,
and credited as one of the major contributors to reviving the
Filipino Martial Arts of Kali, Eskrima, and Arnis.
He
is best known, however, for his training under Bruce Lee and
Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do.
To register contact:
The
IMB Academy 310.787-8793
imb@imbacademy.com
Edward
Barinque 808.381-2285
masdt@aol.com
James
Tanaka (808) 223-9363
jkt@pmitchelltrust.com
|
The
Quest for Champions 2008
Saturday,
October 4, 2008
Kalani High School
Please
come out and show your skills at the next "The Quest for
Champions 2008" Tournament.
Please note that we are at a new location....."Kalani High
School Gym".
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need more info.
Mahalo,
Tommy Lam
Kempo Unlimited HI
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NAGA
RETURNS TO HAWAII
On
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Neal Blaisdell Arena
NAGA
returns to Honolulu, Hawaii for the largest grappling tournament
in the Hawaii, the NAGA Hawaiian Grappling Championship. This
tournament is open to all grappling styles. You do not need to
be a member of a team or any organization to compete. You do
not have to live in Hawaii to compete.
OUR
BEST VENUE EVER We have acquired one of the best venues in Hawaii
for a grappling competition, the Neal Blaisdell Arena. The venue
is awesome, with 4 full sets of wrestling mats for competition
and additional mats for warming up. This facility has huge bathrooms
and changing areas, and a 2,000+ car parking lot. The Arena is
located just Ward Ave and is easy to get to.
WEIGH-IN
on Friday or Saturday NAGA will be offering all competitors the
option of registering and weighing in the night BEFORE the tournament!
If
you cannot make it on Friday, you can weigh-in anytime on Saturday
prior to your division starting.
60
CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS AWARDED All Men, Women, Children and Teen
Experts take home a magnificent championship belt. SAMURAI SWORDS
to all 1st PLACE
The
NAGA will be handing out custom engraved SAMURAI SWORDS to ALL
1st place winners who do not win a belt! Medals will be awarded
to all 2nd & 3rd place winners.
RANKED EVENT All NAGA events are part of the nationwide ranking
system entitled RANKED. Our goal is to determine who the best
grapplers in the country are for various age, gender and skill
levels. NAGA Hawaii will be nationally Ranked. Do not miss your
opportunity to gain points towards a true “National title”.
Go to www.nationallyranked.com for current rankings.
SANDBAGGERS
BEWARE
NAGA works diligently to prevent 'sandbagging', the practice
of fighting down skill levels to ensure one takes home an award.
At NAGA Hawaii, front door personnel will use RANKED data to
determine whether or not individuals who have fought in past
events belong in a higher skill level (i.e. placed 1st at a prior
NAGA event for that skill level). We feel very confident that
sandbaggers will be forced to fight in their appropriate divisions.
|
H.A.P.A.
HAWAIIAN AMATEUR PANKRATION ASSOCIATION
PRESENTS
FRIDAY
NIGHT FIGHTS AT PIPELINE CAFÉ
OCTOBER 17TH DOORS OPEN 5 PM
FIGHTS START AT 6 PM
IF
YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES SIGN UP AT
FIGHTERS CORNER!
WEIGHT
CLASSES ARE:
135lb
145lb
155lb
170lb
185lb
205lb
265 lb
ALL
FIGHTS ARE EXHIBITION AND WEIGH INS ARE OCTOBER 16TH AT FIGHTERS
CORNER
LAST
DAY TO SIGN UP IS SEPTEMBER 30th
Presale
Tickets Start at $20
MUAY THAI
RULES
1. No elbows
2. Muay Thai shorts required
3. Fights are 2 TWO MINUTE rounds with ONE MINUTE break between
rounds
H.A.P.A.
IS PROVIDING
1. Gloves
2. Shinguards
PANKRATION
RULES
Stand up Rules:
1. NO knees
2. NO elbows
3. Two limbs have to be touching ground to be considered on the
ground (two knees or one hand and one knee)
Ground
Rules
1. NO STRIKING
2. ALL SUBMISSIONS WELCOME
3. If there is no position improvement or stalling one warning
second is "1" point
H.A.P.A.
IS PROVIDING
1. Gloves
H.A.P.A.
IS NOT PROVIDING
1. Cups (groin protector)
2. Mouth piece
3. Corner man or supplies
4. Entrance song if you want a song please provide a CD with
only one song.
Source: Fighters Corner
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Source: Fighters Corner
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