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 3
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days a week training!
We are also offering Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights
with Ian Beltran and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday with Kaleo
Kwan!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
In Memory of
Lars Chase
Rest in peace my brother
March 10, 1979 - April 2, 2008 |
Check out the FCTV website! |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 8:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Also on Akaku on Maui
Fighters' Club TV Radio
The Toughest Show On
Radio
Mondays at 9:00-10:00AM
AM1500 The Team
(808) 296-1500
- Call
in with questions and comments
with hosts Mark Kurano
& Patrick Freitas |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
|
Want to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
Click here
for pricing and more information!
Short term and long term advertising available.
More than
1 million hits and counting!
|
O2 Martial Arts
Academy Day Classes Start May 2!
Women & Kids Kickboxing Class starts May 4!
Click here
for pricing and more information!
O2MAA Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Day Classes will be held on Monday,
Wednesday, and Fridays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will be taught
by one of Relson Gracie's first black belts, Sam Mahi!
We will be starting a Womens and Kids kickboxing class on Sunday
afternoons from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The class will be taught
by none other than O2's Kaleo Kwan! It will be a non-competitive,
fun atmosphere and allow the ladies and kids to get in a quick
workout and learn some legitimate kickboxing technique before
the long work week starts.
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Quote
of the Day
"Inventories
can be managed, but people must be led."
H.
Ross Perot, American Businessman and Politician
|
MAN-UP
& STAND-UP
Waipahu Filcom Center
Friday, October 10, 2008
MAN-UP
& STAND-UP IS BACK WITH ANOTHER BANGING CARD. THE MAIN EVENT
WILL FEATURE OTTO HOOPII DEFENDING HIS SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
AGAINST ISAAC UGISELE. THESE TWO MET IN AN MMA EVENT WITH ISAAC
PULLING OUT THE WIN.. BUT THIS TIME IT WILL BE STAND UP WHERE
GROUND GAME GETS NO PLAY UNLESS YOU'RE KNOCKED OUT. IF YOU THINK
TWO SUPER HEAVYWEIGHTS ARE GONNA BRING THE HOUSE DOWN THEN WAIT
TIL YOU SEE THESE TWO FEMALES THAT WE HAVE LINED UP THAT NIGHT.
400 POUNDS OF SAMOAN BADNESS PUT TOGETHER IN ONE RING IS GOING
TO BE CRAZY. THERESA MOSELEY AND NATASHA MANUMA WILL BRING TO
LIFE THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW SAMOANS DONT FEEL PAIN WHEN THEY GET
HIT. THESE TWO WOMEN DONT GET SCARED WHEN THEY GET HIT - THEY
KET ANKRY. CHEE - HU (SO DONT MISS OUT ON THIS SEGMENT OF WHEN
WOMEN ATTACK).
THERE
WILL ALSO BE A TEAM VS TEAM MUAY THAI MATCH WITH THE BIG ISLAND
TEAM (LAUPAHOEHOE) TAKING ON THE OAHU TEAM (TIGER). TEAM LAUPAHOEHOE
WILL BE TRYING TO TAKE ANOTHER TEAM WIN AGAINST A TEAM THAT UPHOLDS
THE SAME TRADITIONS AS THEM. LEG KICKS AND KNEES ARE THEIR SPECIALTIES
SO DONT EXPECT TO SEE ANY KIND OF BOXING KNOCKOUTS IN THIS TEAM
COMPETITION. EXPECT A LOT OF YOU GIVE ME YOUR BEST KICK AND I'LL
TAKE IT THEN ITS MY TURN AND SO ON. IF YOU ENJOY TOUGH GUYS WHO
LIKE TO JUST GIVE AND TAKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING. THAN THIS
COMPETITION IS WHERE YOU WANNA BE AT. THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE
GUYS LIMPING OUT THE RING AND OTHERS CATCHING KNEE-MONIA IN THIS
TEAM BATTLE.
ALSO
SEE THE BROTHERS VS BROTHERS MATCH WITH THE UNCIANO BROTHERS
GOING AGAINST THE JUAN BROTHERS. CHECK OUT TO SEE WHOS BLOODLINE
CARRIES MORE STRIPES.
MIKE
UEMOTO 155 AARON DEVICTORIA
AULANI
VEA 50 SPIKE KAHALEWAI
KUMU
WAGNER 135 JESSIE DAY
JORDAN
SCANLAN 120 ALIKA
NAKOA
205 DAVID VASQUEZ
KEO
SILVA 165 BRANDON MEDEIROS
JORDAN
DEKNEEF 135 ERWIN CELLES
JERESON
JUAN 125 KEALE UNCIANO
JAMES
JUAN 115 KAINALU UNCIANO
THERESA
MOSLEY 200 NATASHA MANUMA
SHAWN
SHEPHARD 185 CALEB PRICE
GENALYN
GANABAN 120 LISA HA
CHAZIN
MAHUKA 150 GERALD REED
JEREMY
HENNING 110 JONAH KUTZEN
SOLOMON
AMADEO 150 JAKE CHING
NUI
WHEELER 146 JUSTIN WONG
LAA
KAHOOKELE 145 TOFI MIKA
OTTO
HOOPII SHW ISAAC UGISELE
DENVER
GONZALES 230 JUSTIN LAUFUOU
TEAM
VS TEAM
TEAM
LAUPAHOEHOE MT VS TEAM TIGER MT
DEREK
MINN LAUPAHOEHOE 145 RICHARD BERNARD TIGER
HIDEKI
LAUPAHOEHOE 155 REGGIE FERNANDEZ TIGER
JOSEPH
LAUPAHOEHOE 155 ROGEMAR DUCCAT TIGER
KAGAWA
LAUPAHOEHOE 170 DANIEL HOLY TIGER
NEIL
LAUPAHOEHOE 175 TBA
all
matches and participants are subject to change
|
Hawaii
International Film Festival
October
9-19, 2008
The Hawaii International Film Festival would like to share some
information on films of interest to the MMA and martial arts
communities and fans. We would greatly appreciate it if you could
forward this information on to your online communities and friends.
For
more information, screening times and ticket information, please
go to www.hiff.org. HIFF thanks you for
your support and hopes to see you at this year's film festival
on October 9-19, 2008.
CHOCOLATE
EXTREME ASIA | HAWAII PREMIERE
Len is a young, autistic girl who has lightning fast reflexes
and razor-sharp fighting skills. She lives a quiet life with
her mom, and finds comfort in M&Ms and martial art films
(which she mimics with frightening accuracy). When her mother
is diagnosed with cancer, Len stumbles upon a list of people
that owe her mother money. She realizes the only way to cover
the cancer treatments is to recover mom's money and decides to
track down every lowlife on the list. Len's condition, however,
makes it difficult for these thugs to take her seriously. Eventually,
however, each comes to realize that Len's hidden talent isn't
counting spilled toothpicks; no, this girl is a fierce martial
artist! Soon, the word on the street is: If Len knocks, you better
have her money or you're time is up ... CHOCOLATE is a fearless,
fun and a genre-bending action film that will leave you speechless!
Not to be missed!
Thailand 2008 | English, Thai, Japanese w/ English subtitles
| 110 min.
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Cast: JeeJa Yanin, Ammara Siripong, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat Wachirabunjong
FIGHTER
EUROPEAN SHOWCASE | HAWAII PREMIERE
Aicha, a high-school student, is a passionate kung fu fighter.
Her Turkish parents expect her to get good grades so she can
get into medical school, but isn’t inspired by her classes.
Defying her family, Aicha starts secretly training at a professional,
co-ed kung fu club. A boy, Emil, helps Aicha train for the club
championship and they fall in love. But the rules of life are
not as simple as the rules of kung fu, and Aicha is forced to
decide who she is and what she wants.
Denmark 2007 | Danish, Turkish w/ English subtitles | 100 min.
Director: Natasha Arthy
Cast: Semra Turan, Nima Nabipour, Behrouz Banissi, Cyron Bjorn
Melville
KUNG
FU KID
GANFU KUN
FAMILY FEST | NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Kung Fu (played by 8-year-old Chinese martial artist Zhang Zhuang)
is a Shaolin monk on the cusp of completing his training. He’s
already defeated a series of enemies and there’s only one
left. According to his aging master Pin Ko (Pinko Izumi), his
final opponent resides in Japan, and he’ll need to vanquish
him to earn his expert license. So Pin Ko sends the tiny warrior
to Tokyo where he befriends Izumi, the proprietress of a Chinese
restaurant. Their friendship seems destined. After all, Izumi
is a martial arts master herself, and uses uncanny skills to
prepare tasty noodles. Before long, an evil force corrupting
the Japanese educational system challenges Kung Fu and Izumi.
Can the brave boy save the children of Japan? KUNG FU KID is
guaranteed fun and excitement for the whole family! - Jason Soeda
Japan 2007 | Japanese w/ English subtitles | 98 min.
Director: Issei Oda
Cast: Zhang Zhuang, Pinko Izumi, Takashi Sasano
MIRAGE
MAN
AFTER DARK | HAWAII PREMIERE
When his brother is left in a catatonic state after a brutal
attack, Maco vows never to become a victim. Leading a solitary
life, Maco spends his free time devoted to training in the martial
arts. His life of solitude comes to an end when he saves a woman
(while wearing a mask) from her assailants and his heroics become
national news. His catotonic brother responds to the mysterious
vigilante. Hopeful for his bother’s recovery, Maco decides
to embrace the heroic role. Soon he is fighting crime, while
trying to lose a buffoonish sidekick and a fame-seeking reporter.
Ernesto Diaz Espinoza’s script does a remarkable job of
balancing fantasy with reality, comedy with grit, and raw action
with sly social parody.
Chile, United States 2007 | Spanish w/ English subtitles | 87
min.
Director: Ernesto Diaz Espinoza
Cast: Marko Zaror
Source:
Fighters' Club Radio's Own...Sarah Honda
|
STANN
VS CANTWELL AT UFC FIGHT FOR THE TROOPS
It
didn’t take long for some of the fighters from the soon-to-be-defunct
WEC light heavyweight division to make their move to the UFC
and none could be happier than former 205-pound champion Brian
Stann, who will make his promotional debut in a third fight against
Steve Cantwell at the UFC Fight for the Troops show on Dec. 10.
Stann
and Cantwell have fought each other twice in the past with each
gaining a victory, most recently with Cantwell taking the 205-pound
divisional crown away with a TKO win in early August.
Now
that the WEC light heavyweight class is being swept out the door,
the title is a moot point, but the rubber match isn’t.
The
rematch had already been discussed internally at the WEC, and
according to Stann, as happy as he was to get another shot at
Cantwell. He was a little sad that a week later a fight would
take place in front of the military and he wouldn’t be involved.
“They
were talking to me about a rematch right after I lost that fight,
so I was already excited about that and I thought it was going
to be Dec. 3 in Vegas, so I’d be fighting Steve (Cantwell)
in his hometown for the third time,” Stann said in an exclusive
interview with MMAWeekly.com. “It was kind of like a tear
in my heart because all of a sudden I was watching Spike TV and
watching the Fight Night and they announced this special featuring
the Fallen Heroes Fund and it’s going to benefit TBI (traumatic
brain injury) patients.
“I
have so much experience with my guys that suffer from TBI and
to get to fight on a military base. I was in Iraq when they fought
on the marine base last time so I didn’t get a chance to
fight or even be there, and I just thought this is a dream come
true.”
The
dream will indeed come true for Stann who will get the chance
not only to settle the score with Cantwell, but he will have
the fight in front of his heroes, the men and women who serve
in the military.
“Most
people go to fights to watch their heroes or their role model
fight,” Stann commented. “For me, to fight in Fort
Bragg, and Fort Bragg is only an hour and 15 minutes away from
my old Marine corps base, so a ton of my marines are going to
be up there, plus all the young soldiers. That’s like a
dream come true to me. Now, I’m fighting in front of my
heroes, the people who inspire me.”
Not
that Stann will need much more motivation for the fight, he will
also move his training camp to New Mexico and work with Greg
Jackson and his camp to prepare
While
the fight is Stann’s main focus, he can’t help but
talk about the troops that will get the chance to attend the
fight and a particular soldier and friend who will be front row
and center for the bouts.
“I’ll
fight till I’m dead in front of those guys. It’s a
lifetime experience right there. I’m really excited. I was
already calling a bunch of my Marines,” said Stann.
“One
in particular, a guy by the name of Robert Gas, who when we were
hit by a suicide vehicle during my first tour and he took some
severe shrapnel damage to the head and he had several brain surgeries
since then and obviously suffers from severe TBI, and I’m
going to be contacting him and getting him cage side seats and
flying him up for that.”
Brian
Stann will have the honor to fight in front of the men and women
of the U.S. military as a part of the UFC Fight for the Troops
show on Dec. 10 at Fort Bragg, NC.
For
more information on or to donate to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes
Fund, check out the Fallen Heroes Fund website.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Japanese
stars now bringing show to U.S.
BEVERLY
HILLS, Calif. – Back in the day, American mixed martial
artists often had to travel to Japan in order to face quality
opponents and make real money. The sport thrived on the other
side of the Pacific Ocean as it struggled on these shores.
These
days, the tide has turned. With the industry troubled in the
Land of the Rising Sun, Japanese fighters increasingly opt to
seek fame and fortune in the United States.
Such
was the case at Saturday night’s Strikeforce at the Mansion
2, where a pair of debuting Japanese stars highlighted the card.
Former PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix tournament champion Kazuo
Misaki stopped UFC vet Joe “Diesel” Riggs in the second
round in a middleweight main event; and lightweight Mitsuhiro
Ishida had the night’s best submission with an armbar victory
over Justin Wilcox.
“It
is a big relief, coming over to America and winning in my first
Strikeforce match,” Misaki (21-8-2) said through an interpreter.
“I felt a lot of pressure to perform in front of a new audience
and I’m glad I came away with a victory.”
Misaki
has a reputation as a patient fighter, with nine decisions among
his victories, and displayed it early on as Round 1 featured
lots of stalking but not much action. The boozed-up Mansion crowd
of hipsters and wannabes began to signal its displeasure early
in the second round, but Misaki wasn’t fazed.
Riggs
scored the first big blow of the fight, dropping Misaki with
a big right hand. But Misaki got right back up and unleashed
a huge left that sent Riggs to the mat. Riggs turtled as Misaki
rained down a ground-and-pound assault, and referee Josh Rosenthal
stopped the fight at 2:21.
Riggs
got up and complained about the stoppage, but he was doing nothing
beyond covering up for an extended period of time before the
referee called it off.
After
the card, Riggs (28-11) still hadn’t simmered down. “It
was bogus,” he said. “I like (Rosenthal) as a person
but I’ll never let him ref one of my fights again.”
“I
won’t comment (on the stoppage),” said Misaki, who
fights for the Sengoku promotion in Japan. “The referee
is the one who makes the decision. I was just focused on winning
the fight.”
Misaki,
whose only previous fight in America was a loss to Frank Trigg
on a PRIDE card in Las Vegas, said he’d like a shot at middleweight
champion Cung Le.
“You
always want to go for the guy who has the title,” said Misaki,
a native of Chiba. “And right now that is Le.”
While
Misaki took the long road to victory, Ishida wasted little time
in dispensing Wilcox, the former Ultimate Fighter contestant
from Cincinnati. Wilcox went for a single-leg takedown, but an
unfazed Ishida, still standing turned the position into an armbar.
Wilcox tapped to the perfectly executed move at 1:21 of the first
round.
“I
was not expecting the fight to finish that quick,” said
Ishida (17-4-1), who is also a PRIDE veteran. “I was expecting
a good long fight from him, but when such an opportunity comes
up, you have to take it. … That is the first time I finished
a fight like that.”
Ishida,
whose nickname is “The Endless Fighter,” says he hopes
his first experience in the United States isn’t his last.
“This
was a different experience, but it was a good experience,”
said Ishida, a native of Tsujuba. “I hope to come back and
fight whoever Strikeforce will have me fight.”
Among
notable undercard matches, Saturday night offered redemption
for veteran Chicago slugger Terry Martin. The heavy-handed middleweight
was on the wrong end of one of the year’s worst knockouts
in July at the hands of Vitor Belfort at Affliction in Anaheim,
Calif. But he bounced right back with a third-round TKO of up-and-coming
Cory Devela.
“When
you lose like that, man, you just want to get right back into
it,” said Martin (18-5). “Don’t get me wrong,
Vitor beat me and I’d like to get another chance to fight
him again some day. But when you lose like that you’ve got
to pick yourself back up and start over.”
Martin
admitted he didn’t know much about his Bonney Lake, Wash.-based
opponent, and it showed in the first couple rounds, as Devela
(9-3) kept his distance and wouldn’t let Martin get into
his groove.
“He
was frustrating me a little,” Martin said. “It’s
OK that I don’t know too much about him, because when I
study too much tape I think too much. But by the time I came
out for the third I was beginning to feel comfortable.”
Martin
finally found his opening and dropped Devela with a monster left
hook, then landed one more shot to the grounded fighter before
referee Herb Dean stopped it at 2:08.
In
other results:
#
Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson
stopped overmatched Ashe Bowman (9-5) by TKO at 1:14 of the first
round in a non-title match. Thomson (16-2) landed a big right,
followed with a series of hammer fists, leading to the stoppage.
#
South African light heavyweight Trevor Prangley (18-5) scored
a methodical unanimous decision victory over Anthony Ruiz (21-12).
The scores were 29-28, 30-27, 30-26; Y! Sports had it 30-27.
#
Jesse Juarez (6-5) couldn’t hang on until the bell as he
submitted to an armbar with five seconds left in the first round
of his middleweight match with Luke Stewart. Stewart, who trains
at the Ralph Gracie Academy in Northern California, improved
to 6-1.
#
Concord, Calif., middleweight Eric Lawson (6-2) handed Kenneth
Seegrist his first career loss after 3:07 of frenetic action.
Lawson used a pair of big slams to set up a rear naked choke.
Seegrist dropped to 5-1.
#
Welterweight Brandon Magana (6-1) handed Denver’s Brandon
Thatch (5-1) his first pro loss with a split decision (29-28,
29-28 Magana; 29-28 Thatch). Y! Sports had it 29-28 Magana.
#
In the middleweight opener, Jesse Gillespie (2-2) scored a split
decision win over Dave Martin (0-2). Judges’ scores were
30-27 Martin and a pair of 29-28s for Gillespie; Y! Sports scored
it 29-28 Martin.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
EXTENDS ITS TV REACH TO ROMANIA
Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
brand, and TELESPORT, one of the largest dedicated sports networks
in Romania, today announced the successful launch of UFC live
events on Telesport.
The
first broadcast partner of the UFC in Romania, TELESPORT aired
the recent UFC 88: BREAKTHROUGH event, featuring Chuck “The
Iceman” Liddell vs. “Sugar” Rashad Evans, and
received a 4.5 percent market share for the premiere and a 3.5
percent market share for its replay later that evening.
As
part of the agreement, TELESPORT will air UFC’s major live
events. Telesport will also present a regular schedule of UFC
programming, featuring some of the UFC’s most exciting events
from the past.
“We
are pleased to have the world’s most exciting live sports
event – the UFC – available for sports fans in Romania,”
said UFC President Dana White. “We look forward to bringing
them all the best fights as they happen on TELESPORT, as well
as new and exciting ways that they can experience the UFC.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Episode
No. 2 recap: “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team
Mir”
After
last week’s action-packed, fight-filled and hotly debated
season debut, “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team
Mir” returns with a second episode and the final eight fights
to determine the cast for this season’s show.
Episode
No. 2 immediately sends us back to the UFC’s Las Vegas gym
and the eight remaining fights.
First
up is British fighter Wesley Mulch, who in the spirit of his
hero Winston Churchill, promises to give it all. He’ll try
to do so against Californian John Polakowski, a self-diagnosed
sufferer of ADHD who’s easygoing and says he loves to hug
everyone.
Wesley
and John touch gloves, and we’re underway with a frantic
early pace. John scores an early takedown and delivers body shots
and elbows to the head. After standing up to improve his position,
John decides to lock in a heel hook—coach Frank Mir moans
in disagreement—and John uses the opportunity to claim a
dominant position. A few punches follow, but Wesley escapes and
we’re back standing. During a scramble, Wesley secures his
opponent’s back and works for the choke, but John fends
it off, reverses the position and then stands for a restart.
John lands a nice punch as a thoroughly entertaining first round
ends.
However,
as soon as the horn sounds to signal the end of the round, Wesley
hits the mat and grabs his shin. He’s hurt, but he’s
not coming out. This Brit has balls, and Mir is impressed.
A
minute later, round two is underway, and Wesley attempts a flying
knee but falls to the mat in pain. The referee jumps in and stops
the fight, and John gets the TKO victory. He celebrates by hugging
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Dana White and Mir.
“Goofball,”
is all we can hear someone say under his breath.
Up
next is a light-heavyweight bout between Florida’s Shane
Primm and Salt Lake City’s Sean O’Connell, who was
inspired by Forrest Griffin and his saying that the juice is
worth the squeeze when it comes to “TUF.”
Seconds
later, the fight is underway, and Shane clinches and delivers
knees to the body and head. Sean fights him off, scores a double-leg
takedown to dump him on the mat, but he quickly finds himself
trying to escape an arm-bar. Shane clings to the grip, but Sean
escapes. He then escapes a guillotine choke. And then escapes
a kimura. But once Shane secures a rear-naked choke, Sean’s
luck runs out and he’s forced to tap.
Next
up is a lightweight bout between Ido Pariente—straight out
of Tel Aviv, Isreal—and the 10-0 Efrain Escudero.
Ido
uses an early clinch to score a trip takedown and follows with
a quick flurry of body shots. Efrain kicks his way free, though,
and soon secures his own takedown. Ido tries to escape, but Efrain
keeps on the pressure. After taking his opponent’s back,
Efrain squeezes for the rear-naked choke. Ido tries to roll free
but can’t get himself clear and is forced to tap out seconds
later.
“I
told you I was going to take him down, take his back and choke
him out, and that’s exactly what happened,” Efrain
proudly states.
We
then get light heavyweight and bounty hunter/model Ryan Lopez—someone
Mir calls raw but athletic—against Florida’s Tom Lawler,
who says he fights to eat. And, as he says, if he doesn’t
eat, he dies. He then surmises that death isn’t a very good
option, so he’s in it to win it. (Who can argue with that
logic?)
A
hungry Tom shoots early and scores the takedown, rains down punches,
takes his opponent’s back, gets warned about punches to
the back of the head, and then wisely sinks in a rear-naked choke
to force the tap-out.
Tom
won’t be starving anytime soon.
After
a commercial break, we return to what Dana calls “the battle
of the beanpoles.” The lanky lightweights include Roli Delgado
and George Roop. We only see highlights of the fight, which includes
George breaking free of a guillotine choke while listening to
instructions from Mir.
“He’s
coachable,” Mir says. “Just imagine what I could do
with him on my team.”
It
was a wild and sloppy fight, but George fends off the Brazilian
jiu-jitsu black belt and earns the unanimous-decision victory.
Up
next is the light heavyweights as former All-American wrestler
Ryan Bader meets fellow light heavyweight Kyle Kingsbury.
As
Nogueira points out, Kyle shows good hands and a great sprawl,
and he pops Bader with a nice left. However, Bader quickly turns
the tables with a powerful takedown, rains down elbows from the
guard, and thoroughly impresses Nogueira. However, Mir says he
gives the first round to Kyle.
In
round two, Bader scores the early takedown and muscles his way
to an arm-triangle choke seconds later.
“Man,
he’s strong,” Mir said.
Despite
Ryan’s victory, the coaches are disappointed that someone
as good as Kyle has to be sent home. They say they’d rather
have him than some of the guys who won their into the house.
With
the victory, though, Ryan gets his spot on the cast. (And MMAjunkie.com
is proud to announce that he’s joined the staff as a “TUF”
blogger. Check out his first blog tomorrow morning.)
We
now return to the lightweights for a fight between Charles Diaz
and Shane Nelson. Mir says that Charles talked a big game, but
Shane simply overwhelms and batters him with high kicks and quick
combinations for the decision victory.
Up
nexy is Colorado light heavyweight Eliot Marshall against Armenian
fighter Karn Grigoryan.
“Every
Armenian I’ve ever known who fights in the UFC is [expletive]
nuts,” Dana says.
(Somewhere,
UFC fighters Karo Parisyan and Manny Gamburyan probably fly off
the handle when hearing the comment.)
Steve
Mazzagatti gets things started, and we’re underway. Both
fighters come to bang, and we start at a wild pace. After trading
punches and kicks, the fighters hit the mat, where a scramble
for position ensues. Eliot, though, secures the mount and takes
his opponent’s back, but Karn escapes and works from inside
guard before the round comes to a close.
MMAjunkie.com
blogger and assistant coach Ken Hahn is seen offering Eliot some
advice between rounds. Both fighters come out a little tentative
and winded, though. Eliot starts to time Karn’s leg kicks
with counter-punches. Karn, though, returns some strikes of his
own. After hitting the mat again, Eliot secures sidemount and
delivers knees to the side and elbows to the head before the
round ends.
Everyone
predicts a sudden-death third round, and sure enough, we enter
the final frame. Karn fends off a takedown and takes top position,
but Eliot sweeps him and takes his back. Karn defends the choke,
but Eliot hops into the mount. Karn rolls out and reverses the
position, but he’s got a deep gash that’s gushing blood.
After a restart, a blood-soaked Karn trades shots with Eliot
before the final horn sounds.
Mir
predicts victory for Eliot, but Karn surprisingly earns the split-decision
victory. Much of the gym seems surprised. Eliot pleads with Dana,
but the UFC’s head honcho tells him that’s why you
can’t leave the fights in the judges’ hands.
It’s
the final fight of the elimination round, and the winners and
losers reconvene in the gym. Dana thanks the losers—and
then politely asks them to leave.
Dana
then announces that episode No. 1 winner Antwain Britt has a
broken hand and can’t continue in the competition. The coaches
and Dana decide to give the spot to Eliot.
“Justice
was served,” Dana says.
And
that’s it for an exhausting episode No. 2.
Source:
MMA Junkie
|
Quote
of the Day
"Inventories
can be managed, but people must be led."
H.
Ross Perot, American Businessman and Politician
|
FRANK
MIR TALKS TUF AND TITLE FIGHT
In
a recent interview with MMAWeekly.com, Frank Mir reflected on
his experiences with the eighth season of “The Ultimate
Fighter” and moving forward to face Antonio Rogrido Nogueira
at UFC 92 on Dec. 27 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino
Mir
says he's found the right training chemistry for his fight with
the former Pride champion. Before moving to Striking Unlimited
with Ken Hahn—now Mir’s assistant coach on the show—Mir
found himself dominating his training partners in the gym. His
schedule was rigid and unvaried. Though it stroked his ego to
blow through the weekend warriors and two pro fighters there,
it was giving him a false sense of security, and ultimately,
hurting his ability to persevere in later rounds.
“Wrong
mindset,” he said. Mir's 2006 UFC performances many to question
his heart, and forced him to take a good look at how he was preparing
himself for battle. Hahn now emphasizes wearing Mir down with
a steady stream of fresh sparring partners at the new gym, some
of which are from the reality show. He may dominate initially,
but after a while, he gets humbled.
“There’s
been a couple of times towards the end where, on video, if you
just watched it and that was by itself, you didn’t know
I had sparred a lot before that, you’d be like, ‘damn,
dude, you suck,’” he said.
Mir
still slugs through reps of weight training and conditioning
drills—he’d be crazy not to—but he also places
more emphasis on learning by doing. He now videotapes every session,
gathering information he loves to hoard. He tries to change things
up often, to be smart about his training. Some say it justifies
being out of shape; he says it keeps him excited about MMA.
“I’ve
noticed that I have a tendency to engage too quickly, and not
use my mind to my fullest potential,” he said. “That’s
one thing I’ve done in training now that’s helped me
through my commentating, is realizing that the best fighters
slow the pace and really bring it down to the intelligent aspect.
So that’s one thing I’ve done, to pull back and really
watch how I fight.”
Mir’s
says his TUF experience was a laboratory, as he and Hahn tried
to create the perfect environment for young MMA hopefuls to grow.
A UFC fighter for eight years, it was easy for him to forget
the hunger that brought him into the world’s premier MMA
organization. He had to find it for himself after 2006, and pass
it on to his students on the show.
“It’s
not that you don’t appreciate being a UFC fighter, but you
get used to being a UFC fighter and that only means something
if you’re the champion,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve
got to sick back and realize, wow, it’s just special to
be in the UFC, obviously the champ’s the champ, but I’m
still fighting in the UFC. That in and of itself is an accomplishment.
It motivates you just to train harder in the gym, and it makes
you appreciate life more.”
If
it’s true that Mir always jumps the gun, his fight with
Nogueira is a perfect test. Nogueira is the best example of a
fighter who comes on strong in later rounds. Mir has only fought
the distance once; Nogueira has made his home there. The Dec.
27 fight is Mir’s chance to silence critics who say he hasn’t
got the gas in his tank to see Nogueira to the end.
“I
finally have an opportunity in a fight where if I win, there’s
nothing anybody can say about it,” he said. “The guy
is super, super tough. A win over him, there’s no excuses.
I can finally be a time where I look at the critics and say,
now what? I don’t have to hear that he made a mistake, or
he gassed, or he underestimated me,” he said. “I get
to fight a guy who’s one of the top guys, who’s taken
me seriously, and through victory, I prove everything.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Ninja
ready to ‘heat’ Radach in EliteXC
After
a great knockout against Tony Bonello in June, Murilo “Ninja”
Rua now prepares himself to face another challenge, what might
give him a title shot with another impressive victory. “My
preparation to face Benji Radach is very good, like always, and
I’m working my stand up game and MMA with Carioca and Mauricio
Veio for this fight. Benji is a good Boxing and Wrestling fighter,
so I’m preparing myself on theses parts too”, said
Rua, that faces Radach in October 4th event.
Doing
his debut on Saturday Night Fight’s live CBS transmission,
Murilo gets even more motivated to do a great show and impress
the American fans. “I’ll go after the knockout all
the time, and the quickest I can. I wanna do the fight of my
life and enjoy the public, and I’m happy with this new opportunity”,
told Rua, who may get a title show if he defeats Benji. “I
think I’ll get a title show if I win this fight, it’s
almost set”, revealed. One of the most expected fights is
this event is Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos’ second
fight in the event, after a “double” knockout in her
first fight at Elite, and Ninja bets on his former team partner.
“Cris
is an excellent fighter, has great Muay Thai skills and is very
aggressive, has everything to win this fight. I saw on fight
of his opponent (Yoko Takahashi) and I think she’s not as
good as Cris, not so technical…”, bets, commenting
the main event of the evening, with Kimbo Slice facing Ken Shamrock.
“It’s hard to say, but I think Ken can surprise him,
but I think Kimbo is more powerful to knock him out, but if Ken
is well prepared he can be a trouble too”. Check below the
complete card of EliteXC’s next edition.
COMPLETE
CARD (subject changing):
ElteXC
– ‘Heat’
Bank
Atlantic Center, Florida, USA
Saturday,
October 4th of 2008
Main
event:
-
Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson vs. Ken Shamrock;
-
Jake Shields vs. Paul “Semtex” Daley;
-
Andre “The Pitbull” Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country”
Nelson;
-
Gina “Conviction” Carano vs. Kelly Kobald;
-
Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Benji Radach;
Undercard:
-
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Yoko Takahashi;
-
Mike Aina vs. James Edson Berto;
-
Seth Petruzelli vs. Aaron Rosa;
-
Robert McDaniel vs. Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko;
-
Lorenzo Borgomeo vs. Mickey Gómez;
-
David Gomez vs. Nicholas Cardella;
-
David Martinez vs. Nicolae Sinicio.
Source:
Tatame |
Loro
and Ueda draw at Shooto
Shooto
- Tradition 3
September 28, 2008
Kourakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Rookie
Tournament:
Takuya Sato defeated Naoki Hirayama by unanimous judges’
decision
Kentaro Watanabe defeated Kota Funaki by split judges’ decision
Mitsuru Kobayashi defeated Horishige Tanaka by TKO at 0.59 min
of R2
Junji Ito defeated Yoshitaka Aki by TKO at 4:01 min of R1
Super
Fights:
Masaaki Sugawara defeated Takuya Mori by judges’ decision
Ramba "M-16" Somdet defeated Noburo "Shimpei"
Tahara by unanimous judges’ decision
Shintaro Ishiwatari defeated Tenkei Fujimiya by TKO at 4:08 min
of R1
Yuki Shoujou defeated Yasuhiro Urushitani by guillotine at 3:39
min of R3
Bantamweight Title Match:
Masakatsu Ueda (champion) e Marcos “Louro” Galvão
(challenger) drew. (28-29/30-29/29-29)
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
ITALIAN
IVAN SERATI SIGNS 5-FIGHT DEAL, DEC. UFC DEBUT
It's becoming apparent that the UFC has its sights set firmly
on European expansion and that the talent pool on the continent
is being explored and harvested for resources. One of the key
signings outside of the unbiquitous British talent pool comes
from Milan, Italy in the shape of Ivan "Il Terrible"
Serati - a monster of a man at 205lbs and one of the toughest
wrestlers this side of the Atlantic.
MMAWeekly
caught up with his manager Alex Burzotta following on from the
announcement of Serati's multi-fight deal with the UFC to talk
about how this impacts on the Italian's life and what the future
holds: "The biggest difference this will make to Ivan (Serati)
is that he will now be able to train full-time for fights, it's
something he hasn't had the pleasure of up until now, so his
evolution as a fighter will continue, but at a much greater pace
than we have witnessed so far" explained Burzotta while
referencing his fighters previous work commitments.
For
those of you know don't know, Serati had been working as a doorman
for several years, but became weary of being continually challenged
by trouble makers looking to prove themselves in the street.
He turned it all in and paid for his licence as a Taxi driver
in Milan about 18 months ago and aside from a few people arguing
about airport run fares, life has been filled with people recognising
his persona as a fighter, especially after his bout with Vitor
Belfort.
Moving
onto the finer details of his debut, Burzotta explains: "Despite
rumors, we actually only inked this contract two days ago, it's
a five fight deal and at the moment we're looking at making a
debut in Vegas at the end of December, and before you ask, we
dont have an opponent lined up yet - that's not us being secretive,
we genuinely don't, although I would like to see Serati fight
someone like Houston Alexander - that would make a good fight".
A
five fight deal shows that the UFC is looking to secure fighter
stability in the long term and is a marked contrast to how initial
offerings have been structured before. When the UFC first announced
plans to run shows in the U.K. a plethora of fighters debuted
on 3 fight deals, and subsequently had them extended or dropped
based on their respective performances. With 5 fight deals and
expansion plans in place for markets such as Germany, the venerable
Zuffa backed promotion will have a solid international fighter
pool to draw on. We are increasingly seeing their shows running
closer and closer in terms of dates and there is only so far
their current roster can be rotated before fresh talent needs
to be unearthed, they really seem to be covering all their market
bases.
In
closing, Burzotta addressed the timing of the contract: "They
(the UFC) have been interested in Serati for a while now, but
if this contract would have come to us about a year ago things
would have been difficult - he wasn't in a position to be able
to fully capitalise on the opportunity from a financial commitment
standpoint. With his change in work and some changes he has made
to his personal finances, he will be able to train full-time
between Italy and Team SureGrip here in the U.K. - this level
of training will open up so much more of his game and come December
people will see the next evolution of his skills."
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
MMA
Documentary on KGMB After EliteXC on Oct 4th!
This Saturday
Night!
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
|
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
|
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
|
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.
|
Quote
of the Day
"We
all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all
different and yet the same."
Anne Frank, 1929-1945, German-born Diarist
|
Ben
Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff Confirmed
Sam Caplan
After
tentative bouts between Brandon Wolff vs. Jon Koppenhaver and
Ben Saunders vs. Troy Mandaloniz were unable to be finalized,
UFC officials have decided to match the TUF 6 alum Saunders up
with the newcomer Wolff in a welterweight encounter to take place
in December.
FiveOuncesOfPain.com
confirmed the matchup with multiple sources in recent days. However,
we were unable to confirm whether the fight will take place during
“UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops” on
Dec. 10 or the live season finale for the eighth season of “The
Ultimate Fighter” on Dec. 13.
Saunders,
a member of American Top Team, last competed on Aug. 9 at UFC
87 in Minneapolis, where he improved his lifetime MMA record
to 6-0-2 following a armbar submission against Ryan Thomas at
2:28 of round 1.
His
only other previous fight in the UFC was also a victory, which
took place during the live season finale for the sixth season
of “The Ultimate Fighter,” where recorded a unanimous
decision victory over Dan Barrera.
Wolf,
7-2, has earned a reputation for himself as one of the top prospects
competing in Hawaii. He has fought for K-1, the WEC, and the
Rumble on the Rock promotions. He also competed under the EliteXC
banner when he recorded a unanimous decision victory against
Chad Klingensmith during the promotion’s “Uprising”
event in Honolulu last Sept. 15.
Source: The Fight Network
|
HDNet
Fights to purchase the IFL
Mark Cuban could be the new owner of the IFL.
Cuban's
HDNet Fights has entered into an agreement to purchase all of
the IFL's assets for $650,000 in cash and the assumption of certain
liabilities.
IFL
on Sept. 15 filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Four
days later, the IFL filed with the court to authorize the sale
of its assets to HDNet Fights.
The
IFL, currently operating as a "debtor-in-possession,"
was worth as high as $17 per share in January 2007, but today
is worth less than a penny.
HDNet
Fights and the IFL first partnered last December when the high-definition
channel broadcasted the IFL's Grand Prix Finals from the Mohegan
Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
GINA
CARANO PUT ALL DISTRACTIONS BEHIND HER TO FOCUS ON FIGHT
by Damon Martin
The life of a mixed martial arts fighter has changed dramatically
since the sports’ inception some years ago. From movie roles
to commercials to photo shoots to interviews, the daily routine
for a fighter is anything but routine these days and no one knows
that better than Elite XC women’s star, Gina Carano.
As
a part of the first main stage women’s fight during the
Elite XC inaugural show, Carano proved that female fighting can
be just as exciting and tough as what the men do.
She
also opened up a giant door for more opportunities as soon after
her fighting career took off, including her current 2nd job as
“Crush” on American Gladiators.
Carano
admits that her new found fame and lifestyle are a big switch,
but when given the chance to reach out to new avenues in life,
who wouldn’t take the job?
“Anybody
who gets a good opportunity would take it,” said Carano
in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I get a lot
of flack from people who are like ‘oh she’s not serious
about fighting’ and that’s not it at all. I’m
just open minded. I’m not just a fighter, like I’m
not just a female. I’m a bunch of things, I have a lot of
interests.”
The
new job at American Gladiators, combined with interviews and
other job opportunities have forced Carano to get the right people
working on her behalf and staying focused on making it to the
top of her chose sport of MMA.
“I’m
really looking forward to after this fight just sticking to a
routine and a program,” commented Carano. “I’m
just getting a handle on it, I think that’s why I’ve
slipped up in certain areas, missing weight, I’ve been all
over the place, cause I didn’t have any stability or anything.”
The
stability has come in the form of a full training camp, something
she didn’t have for her last fight in Elite XC against Kaitlin
Young. Never one to make excuses, Carano is happy to have her
focus back on fighting.
“I’m
going to say that just in the last two months have I calmed down
and started living normally and training normally,” she
stated. “I’m really liking just going in the gym, training
for a fight. Cause I’ve been completely like chaos for the
last year it seems like or even longer. I’ve been all over
the place.”
Having
better people to surround her for business and promotion has
freed Carano up to work solely on her fight skills while not
missing a step on other projects either.
“I’m
going to be a better fighter for it,” Carano said of the
recent changes in her professional life.
Ultimately,
Carano can be whatever she wants to be because she is simply
that talented, and she’s enjoying the life she’s led
so far.
“I’ve
been having a lot of fun with my life. I’m 26 years old
and I’ve just had a good experience so far you know?”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Feijão
with opponent for EliteXC belt
By Guilherme Cruz
After
confirming exclusively to TATAME.com that he’ll do his next
fight in EliteXC for the light-heavyweight title, Rafael “Feijão”
Cavalcante said that his trainings now are focused in one opponent.
“It looks like I’m going to face Cyrille Diabate, who
fought with Shogun (Rua) in Pride. I think will be him, 90% chances”,
said the athlete, that will face at November 8th card. With three
fast knockouts on the event, Cavalcante keeps training with Anderson
Silva to win the belt.
“We’re
training very hard, Anderson trains at (October) 25th and I’ll
fight at (November) 5th, so we’re training together. I saw
all of his fights here with Anderson and he’s from Muay
Thai, good standing up and has a reasonable ground game, and
I’ll beat this guy standing up, we’re training for
that”, guarantees Rafael, training with the UFC middleweight
dominance champion.
"I'm
getting beat a lot, but I can handle it. I’m training with
Daniel Wiorin standing up, and Boxing with Maldonado, and after
that it’s hard to lose for anyone, I ca handle any fighter”,
jokes Cavalcante, eyeing his first title in career after 10 fights.
“Win this belt is like a dream coming true, everything I
always wanted. I train hard and no nothing wrong to avoid any
surprises. It’ll be the first of many other belts”.
Source: Tatame
|
More
on Arlovski vs. Nelson from Jared Shaw
Sam Caplan
FiveOuncesOfPain.com
was notified late Wednesday afternoon that a matchup between
Affliction contracted heavyweights Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson
has been officially added to CBS’ upcoming telecast of “Saturday
Night Fights” on Oct. 4 at the Bank Atlantic Arena in Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla.
Sources
with SHOWTIME confirmed the news to Five Ounces of Pain on Wednesday
afternoon.
The
Arlovski vs. Nelson encounter is currently expected to be the
third fight on the telecast and will be billed as a co-promoted
bout between Affliction and EliteXC. Both Arlovski and Nelson
had been scheduled to compete on Affliction’s ill-fated
Oct. 11 “Day or Reckoning” event with Arlovski slated
to fight Josh Barnettand Nelson set to take on Paul Buentello.
“I’m
very excited, first as a fan as well an executive of EliteXC
to be able to put on this fight for the fans,” said EliteXC
Vice President Jared Shaw when contacted by Five Ounces of Pain
for comment. “This continues to go with what we started
with at EliteXC and what we continue to say, which is we’re
going let our fighters fight anywhere and that we’re willing
to work with anybody. We’ve done with FEG; we’ve done
it with Strikeforce; and now we will do it with Affliction. We
continue to break barriers and along with our partners, the winners
on Oct. 4 won’t be the organizations, it’s the fans.
“It’s
going to be a fantastic card on CBS. It’s just another added
weight to an already amazing card, headed by the anchor fight
of Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock; you’ve got the Jake Shields
world title fight; Gina; you have Benji Radach and Ninja; and
of course now you have Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson. It’s
going to be a tremendous night of action and if you can’t
be there in attendance, make sure you’re watching it on
CBS.”
As
of now, there are no plans to extend the CBS telecast but Shaw
informed Five Ounces of Pain that none of the previously scheduled
four fights for the show will be dropped from the telecast.
“To
my knowledge, the time slot we have is what we have,” Shaw
responded when asked if there were any plans to extend broadcast
which is currently scheduled from 9-11 p.m. ET.” We haven’t
had a chance to huddle with CBS officials to find out if there
is going to be an extended broadcast, but all five fights will
make it in their entirety.”
The
announcement of the late addition of a heavyweight title between
a former UFC champion in Arlovski and a former IFL champion in
Nelson comes at a time when the future of EliteXC is uncertain
due to financial problems. Shaw believes that this recent development
is proof that the company is far from finished.
“I
think this says we are loaded,” Shaw began.” We have
the arsenal and now we’re loaded. Don’t ever count
us out. We have guns pointed in all directions and we just brought
in two more heavy guns.”
Source: The Fight Network
|
Josh
Barnett did not turn down fight with Arlovski
By Tim Ngo
In an interesting twist to yesterday’s announcement that
Affliction was going to allow Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson
to compete on EliteXC’s October 4th event, various reports
were surfacing that Arlovski’s original opponent for “Day
of Reckoning” had turned down the fight.
Josh Barnett and Arlovski were scheduled to fight on October
11th in Las Vegas, but once card was postponed the fight was
put on hold.
Feeling
compelled to respond to the report, Barnett wrote a blog on his
MySpace account which said the following:
“I
read somewhere that I had declined the fight because I would
have had to take a pay cut. I suppose others may also formulate
some story about me declining the fight for other reasons.
I
never declined to take this fight. I was never told that I would
have any part of my pay reduced since working with Affliction.
To my knowledge, no one has been asked to take a pay cut that
fights for Affliction.
I
did not turn down this fight.
Josh”
Interestingly
enough if Barnett never turned down the fight, it begs the question
of was he even offered the fight at all.
Source: Fight Line
|
SHIELDS
VS DALEY NOT A DUAL TITLE BOUT
With EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields set to defend
his title against Cage Rage champion Paul Daley on the Oct. 4
CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights telecast, there have been questions
about whether or not this would be a dual-title bout considering
that both men are champions and ProElite owns both promotions.
That
question was definitively answered by EliteXC’s head of
fight operation on Thursday, as Jeremy Lappen said, “This
is for the EliteXC championship. You’ve got Paul Daley who
is the Cage Rage champion, but this isn’t a Cage Rage fight.”
Shields
and Daley were each fine with it being for both titles or not.
But in the end, neither seemed to put too much emphasis on the
titles themselves, agreeing with Lappen’s interpretation
of the championship situation.
“All
things considered, it’s somewhat semantics,” mused
the ProElite executive. “The winner of this bout I going
to be considered the best.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Details
on Evan Tanner's memorial service and fund
The memorial to celebrate the life of former UFC middleweight
champion Evan Tanner will be held this Saturday, Sept. 27 in
Amarillo, Texas.
His memorial begins 2:00pm at the Civic Center located at 401
South Buchanan Street.
If
you would like to send flowers or cards, the address is:
Jeff
Tanner
504 South Harrison Street
Amarillo, TX 79101
Also,
Tanner's family has set up a memorial fund with the Amarillo
National Bank. Call 1-800-ANB-3733 to transfer money (Note: Bank
charges may apply) into the Evan Tanner Memorial Fund or you
can mail them a check at:
Evan
Tanner Memorial Fund c/o
Amarillo National Bank
410 S Taylor street
Amarillo, TX 79101
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"If
you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor."
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German-born American Physicist
|
X-1
Presents Temple Of Boom
Today!
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
|
Press
Release: Vitale Fight "Just Another Day" For Trigg
By Tim Ngo
SAN JOSE, Calif. —Off the heels of his latest conquest in
Japan, mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Frank Trigg (17-6)
doesn’t seem too concerned about his next challenge, submission
expert, Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8). In fact, Trigg’s
seemingly nonchalant attitude toward the 185-pound limit matchup
with Hawaii’s top talent could be mistaken for brash overconfidence.
“To me, it’s just another day for me,” said Trigg,
a 2000 Olympic wrestling trials finalist and former UFC welterweight
championship challenger who will battle Vitale in a featured
Strikeforce “Payback” MMA contest at Broomfield, Colorado’s
Broomfield Event Center on Friday, October 3rd. “All of
my days start to run together so I don’t have any thoughts
about a particular fighter.”
When
the subject of conversation turns to the state of his career,
though, Trigg’s tone suddenly becomes more focused and intense.
“I’ve only got a couple fights left so every fight
is important to me.”
At
38, Trigg may be nearing the end of his splendid run in professional
MMA. It is in the last two years, however, which he has also
turned in some of his most impressive performances, to date,
including back-to-back wins over Jason “Mayhem” Miller
and Kazo “The Grabaka Hitman” Misaki.
Trigg
attributes these recent, good fortunes to his adoption of all-time
great, Randy “The Natural” Couture, as a mentor. Training
at the Xtreme Couture academy in Las Vegas, Nevada has provided
him with a new outlook towards competition.
“One
of my biggest problems has been that I’ve been my own worst
enemy,” admitted Trigg. “I let that get in the way
of my fights. One thing about Xtreme Couture, especially hanging
out with Randy, is he (emphasizes) doing the best you can, so
it really takes the stress off of you. For him, it’s always
about being fun. So, it’s kind of interesting to see how
he trains and I try to mimic the style.”
While
he has surely carved out a legacy in the sport that almost anyone
would be proud to call his own, Trigg remains most proud of his
career in amateur wrestling, which included team competition
at University of Oklahoma and culminated with his outstanding
showing in the Olympic trials.
“The
whole thing was a great memory for me,” said Trigg. “It’s
one of those things that I’ll never forget, especially at
the level I took it to. I took it to a level that very few people
ever get to go to. Being an amateur wrestler is something that
will always be important to me. It developed who I am, what I
do, and how I approach things.”
Tickets
for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on
sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com
In
the main event, knockout artist and Denver native, Duane “Bang”
Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous defeat at the
hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran,
Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10).
Also
back in action at Strikeforce “Payback” will be “The
New York Badass” Phil Baroni (12-10) and “The Ultimate
Fighter” season four veteran, “The Secret Weapon”
Pete Spratt (18-14), who will battle Donnie Liles (11-5).
Source: Fightline
|
Machida
wants to face Rashad Evans
By Guilherme Cruz
After
being scrapped from UFC 89 because of Thiago Silva’s back
injury, Lyoto Machda keeps training in Brazil, but less than
before. With his back to the octagon still undefined, Machida
waits for the UFC to set his next bout. “I continue training,
I can’t be caught unprepared for a fight, but I’m training
less now, doing only some physical training, Jiu-Jitsu and Karatê…
They didn’t say anything, but told me that this fight (with
Thiago Silva) still can happen”, said the fighter, who would
need to wait for his recovery to come back to the octagon.
But
if it depended on his decision, he’d come back tomorrow
with another opponent. “I’m waiting for any situation,
or face him, if he gets better, or having another opponent. I
would like to face Rashad Evans, and the winner gets a title
shot, but now it seems like they will put him against Forrest
Griffin… I’d like to face him and the winner gets Griffin,
it’s a good way”, suggests Machida, who waits for a
top opponent for his next fight.
“I
don’t know how it’s gonna be, I’m ready to fight,
but don’t wanna fight anyone, because I’m building
my way in UFC and I wanna fight the top fighters so that they
could give me a title shot after”, says. Between the option
in the light-heavyweight Top 10 ranking is Maurício Shogun,
getting better from a knee injury and waiting to fight in December,
still without and opponent. If Machida could choose, another
Brazilian fight could happen. “I never chose opponents,
I leave it to UFC and my managers, what they want for me is good.
If they think fight Shogun is better I’ll do it, I’m
prepared to for everything”, guarantees Machida.
Source: Tatame
|
Silva
vs. Rampage Possible for Jan. 31
Sam Caplan
Over
the course of the past couple of months there have been numerous
unconfirmed reports speculating that a match between UFC light
heavyweight title contenders Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
and Wanderlei Silva could take place on either Nov. 15 at UFC
91 or on Dec. 27 at UFC 92.
To
date, the matchup has never been announced by the UFC and neither
camp for both fighters have issued an official comment in response
to the reports.
However,
in his latest mailbag column for Yahoo! Sports, columnist Kevin
Iole responds to a reader question about the scheduling of the
fight by indicating that the fight is “almost certain”
not to happen in November and is also “very unlikely”
to be scheduled for December.
According
to Iole, “a very good source” informed him on Tuesday
that he expects the Jackson vs. Silva matchup to take place at
UFC 93 during Super Bowl weekend on Jan. 31.
If
the report proves to be correct, UFC 93 could shape up to be
a stacked card as it is also believed that a welterweight rematch
between champion Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn is expected
to take place on the same card.
Jackson,
the former UFC light heavyweight champion and Silva, PRIDE’s
former middleweight champion, have fought on two previous occasions.
Their
first meeting took place in the finals of PRIDE’s 2003 middleweight
Grand Prix tournament in Japan on Nov. 19 of that year. After
recording a stunning second round TKO vs. Chuck Liddell and spoiling
a much-anticipated dream match between Liddell and Silva, Jackson
faced Silva in the final, where he was TKO’d at 6:28 of
round 1.
The
two rematched less than a year later at PRIDE 28 in October 2004
and it was Silva who once again got the better of Jackson following
a knockout at 3:26 of round 2.
Source: The Fight Network
|
'TUF
8' coach Robert Drysdale set for MMA debut
Robert Drysdale, a world champion grappler and the Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu coach for Frank Mir's team on "The Ultimate Fighter
8," will make his amateur MMA debut on Oct. 17 in Las Vegas.
Fighting as a light-heavyweight, Drysdale will take on undefeated
Josh Musick (8-0) in the main event of "TUFF-N-UFF"
at the Orleans Hotel and Casino.
Drysdale
took first place in the Absolute division in the 2007 ADCC and
in February joined Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
FORMER
IFL STAR LC DAVIS SIGNS WITH AFFLICTION
by Al Yu
LC
Davis is one of the best unsigned featherweight prospects today
and has been in negotiations with World Extreme Cagefighting
and Affliction. Davis confirmed exclusively to MMAWeekly.com
that he has signed a contract with Affliction. The IFL veteran
agreed to a non-exclusive three-fight deal that will span a one-year
period.
“I
decided to go with Affliction mainly for three reasons,”
explained Davis. “First, they offered a non-exclusive contract
that would allow me to stay active and allow me to jump on big
opportunities that may arise. Second, they offered me a one-year
deal and weren’t trying to lock me in forever like some
other companies. Last, the money was way better. I feel Affliction
is making the right steps to become a great promotion.”
Davis
left a full-time job to pursue his dream. The Kansas City resident
wanted to take his career to the next level and made the decision
to move to Bettendorf, Iowa, home to Miletich Fighting Systems.
“I
doubted myself and doubted if it was something that I wanted
to do,” revealed Davis. “All of my family and friends
believed in me and told me that ‘if you want something,
go get it.’ They all talked me into going after my dream
so I did it.”
Davis’
hard work and training almost came to fruition when he faced
International Fight League featherweight champion Wagnney Fabiano
Santos late last year. Unfortunately, his title shot was cut
short when he succumbed to an armbar from the Brazilian. The
setback was a learning experience for Davis, who suffered the
first professional loss of his career.
Since
his defeat to Fabiano, Davis rebounded with an impressive knockout
victory over Rafael Dias in his final IFL appearance. He became
a free agent following the organization’s demise this year.
Davis has been staying busy with training and plans on taking
a few fights in smaller organizations to stay sharp.
ConQuest
Fighting Championship, an upstart organization, recently signed
Davis to headline its inaugural show this Saturday in Des Moines,
Iowa. The Miletich fighter is scheduled to take on Josh Bernal
in the main event. Pat Miletich, Josh Neer and Jeff Perez will
be on hand to corner Davis.
“My
training for this fight went great. I was able to pretty much
stay injury free and I’m in really good shape. Having the
long layoff allowed me to focus on my technique so I've definitely
made some improvements; my goal from the start was to improve
with every fight.”
Josh
Bernal is a Team K2L fighter who cross-trains with American Top
Team and is undefeated after six professional matches.
“I
think he's a young, hungry up-and-coming fighter, but he's not
on my level yet. I plan on showing him that Sept. 27,” commented
Davis.
LC
Davis is expected to make his debut with Affliction at their
second show in Anaheim, Calif. on Jan. 17.
“You
can expect to see me on an Affliction card early next year. Thanks
for all the love and support. Stay tuned because 2009 will be
a big year for LC Davis.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Morango
back to EliteXC in November
By Guilherme Cruz
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
|
Frankie
Edgar Confirms Fight vs. Matt Wiman
Sam Caplan
UFC
officials are working towards finalizing a lightweight bout between
Frankie Edgar and Matt Wiman for a planned “UFC Fight Night
16: UFC Fights for the Troops” event on Dec. 10 at Fort
Bragg in Fayaetteville, N.C.
MMA
Mania was the first to report the possible matchup on Tuesday
but FiveOuncesOfPain.com was able to speak with Edgar on Wednesday
who not only confirmed the matchup but indicated that he had
just received his bout agreement.
Edgar
last fought in a featured bout on July 19 during UFC Fight Night
14, where he recorded a unanimous decision victory over jiu-jitsu
black belt Hermes Franca.
The
win improved Edgar’s overall MMA record to 9-1 and his record
in the UFC to 4-1. His lone career loss took place in the Octagon
at UFC Fight Night 13 in April where Edgar dropped a unanimous
decision to Gray Maynard. Prior to that fight he had begun his
UFC career with a 3-0 record with wins over Tyson Griffin,Spencer
Fisher, and Mark Bocek.
Wiman,
a alum from the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”
reality television show on Spike TV, has been on a roll as of
late and saw his profile in the UFC’s lightweight division
increase greatly following a second round knockout over Thiago
Tavares at UFC 85 in June.
Prior
to appearing on TUF, Wiman had fought once before in the UFC,
losing to Spencer Fisher at UFC 60. However, since appearing
on the show he is 4-0 inside of the Octagon.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Top
to Bottom
by Jake Rossen
Depending on the native language of the fan, the perception of
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic varies widely. For some,
he’s an overhyped expatriate of obscure Japanese fight culture.
For others, he’s possessed of the most talented lower body
-- glutes, quads, the ever-popular hamstring -- next to Pele.
For
those weaned on Filipovic’s exploits in Japan from 2001-06,
HDNet’s broadcast of Dream 6 on Tuesday provided further
depressing evidence that the once-feared Croatian is nearing
the end of his tenure as a heavyweight threat. Battered by inconsistent
Alistair Overeem, “Cro Cop” has not made a significant
move since winning Pride’s open weight tournament in 2006.
He’s
one of several attractions that have struggled in recent months
to restore sheen to careers and make corrections to obvious faults
in tactical preparation. At age 34, Filipovic’s problems
don’t seem the result of physical deterioration. He’s
simply an older make of athlete that needs an upgrade in order
to remain competitive with today’s crop of licensed killers.
A
sampling of fighters, formerly on top, who could use a diagnostic
evaluation at the violent offenders ward of the Mayo Clinic:
Chuck
Liddell
Age: 38
Abstract:
Former UFC light-heavyweight champion who possessed near-unbeatable
combination of superior striking and a hydraulic piston of a
core; impossible to take or keep down. Punted heads with regularity.
Diagnosis:
New year, same game plan. Lost Tyson-esque aura of supremacy
when Quinton "Rampage" Jackson dropped him in May 2007;
lost next fight to an unfazed Keith Jardine. After rebounding
with an exciting win over Wanderlei Silva, he lost for a third
time in four fights to Rashad Evans via a synapses-shattering
KO.
Content
to load up with right hand; sedimentation of agility is allowing
opponents (Jackson, Evans) to react and counterstrike with finality.
Could
Chuck Liddell benefit from a move to heavyweight?
Treatment: Liddell’s preference to stand and trade has made
formulating a counter offensive almost academic. There are no
variables to consider, other than his penchant for looping rights
and uppercuts. To challenge that strategy, Liddell might consider
taking the “anti” out of his wrestling and keep fighters
cautious about a possible takedown. Otherwise, they’re free
to dig in and land all-body shots.
Never
a big kicker -- aside from the oral surgery on Renato "Babalu"
Sobral -- he needs to think about going high.
If
speed continues to be an issue, Liddell might want to consider
the sport-tested tradition of shuffling weight classes in order
to provide a fresh start. As a heavyweight, his reaction time
won’t be as pressured, and he has a crop of superfights
from which to choose.
And
while trainer John Hackleman has been instrumental in Liddell’s
career to date, it’s unusual for an athlete to maintain
success under the same training regime for years on end -- the
body grows bored, even if the mind does not. Liddell won’t
distance himself from Hackleman, but bringing in new strategists
and supplementing Pit training with a routine from another gym
could help thaw him out a bit.
Mirko
"Cro Cop" Filipovic
Age: 34
Abstract:
Monotone, thunder-thighed batterer of undersized Japanese, punctuated
by the occasional win over considerable competition (Aleksander
Emelianenko, Josh Barnett. Crushing left high kick was responsible
for several opponents forgetting details like spouse names, house
number and shoe size.
Diagnosis:
Fight apathy. Entered the UFC to great fanfare in 2007; exited
in late 2007 to considerably less. After defeating non-starter
Eddie Sanchez, lost in spectacular fashion to Gabriel Gonzaga;
lost final fight to Cheick Kongo, retreated overseas and looked
mediocre against Overeem before getting fouled.
Has
looked disinterested and uninspired in recent showings; easily
dissuaded by pressure strikers who keep him backpedaling; criticized
for having a “weak chin” when struck by behemoths Gonzaga
and Kevin Randleman.
Treatment:
Filipovic has been fluffed as the “sport’s best striker”
for so long that his respect for opponent’s own evolving
skills might be at low ebb -- that’s a more likely explanation
for his two highlight-reel losses than having a hollow-core jaw
bone. Treating a stand-up fight like he considered his opponent
as capable a striker as himself might avoid any future embarrassments.
Since
a common tactic against Filipovic is to get him retreating, it
might be best to work on the kind of clutch response that made
Liddell so dangerous. When chased, Filipovic should avoid the
instinct to regroup, stabilize and instead learn to launch an
effective attack by shifting gears.
And
what happened to his takedown defense? Once a demoralizing issue
for opponents, he’s been content to give them up with regularity.
If the current model of “Cro Cop” is working as heavily
on sprawling as he did in the past, he sure hasn’t shown
it.
Once
considered one of the mostdominating fighters on the planet,Hughes
has been overtaken by younger, faster welterweights.
Matt Hughes
Age: 34
Abstract:
UFC President Dana White’s “greatest welterweight of
all times [sic],” and he’s not far off. Hughes has
beaten more quality opposition and stayed on top longer than
virtually anyone has relative to their weight division. Mediocre
stand-up, but combination of wrestling with legitimate grappling
and lethal positioning -- check out his crucifix on B.J. Penn
in their second fight and try not to wince -- made him mat hell
for anyone.
Diagnosis:
Consecutive losses to Georges St. Pierre signaled a changing
of the guard. A loss to Thiago Alves indicated Hughes’ problems
may not be solely Canadian in nature. Younger, more explosive
athletes are now able to resist his clinch and shots and punish
him standing.
Treatment:
Hughes isn’t getting slower: the welterweights are just
getting younger and faster -- Alves is only 25. Hughes can still
do incredible damage from on top, but he’ll need to work
on a regimen that supports explosive movements and possibly adopt
a better upper-body game to tie up hands.
Moreover,
the Alves and second St. Pierre bouts came after Hughes left
longtime mentor Pat Miletich's gym in favor of his own closer
to home. Commuting is a pain, but iron sharpens iron. Does leaving
the communal mat of Miletich’s gym -- which had more gold
per square inch than Fort Knox -- result in reduced efficacy?
Tim
Sylvia
Age: 32
Abstract:
High-rise powerhouse with formidable combination of reach (he’s
6-foot-8) and striking. Dispatched Andrei Arlovski twice; handed
Brandon Vera his first loss.
Diagnosis:
Has dropped three of his last four bouts to top-five in the division
-- Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Fedor Emelianenko.
Awkward off of his back; no lateral movement.
Treatment:
Sylvia’s advantages -- size and reach -- aren’t something
that can be taught, so he’s got the genetic upper hand the
moment the fight starts. Aside from the Vera fight, he rarely
uses the clinch to tie up more problematic and aggressive strikers
(Emelianenko). And apart from some early bouts under circus tents,
he never goes for a submission. Why not try the occasional triangle
with those fence-post legs?
Ken
Shamrock
Age: N/A -- open to AARP eligibility.
Abstract:
Pioneering grappler who parlayed a considerable physique and
charisma into several main events and a World Wrestling Entertainment
stint; an important figure -- and not always for the right reasons
-- in the UFC’s formative years.
Diagnosis:
Owns a 2-8 record going back to 2000, including five consecutive
KO or TKO losses; demonstrable development of a “glass chin,”
whereupon opponents can render him briefly unconscious before
he pops up to complain; no apparent inclination to shoot in and
take the fight to where he stands the best chance of winning;
a first-generation fighter currently trying to swim with fourth-generation
athletes. [Con. on five pages following.]
Treatment:
Immediate retirement.
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"One
loss is good for the soul. Too many losses are not good for the
coach."
Knute Rockne, 1888-1931, American Football Coach
|
X-1
Presents Temple Of Boom
Tomorrow
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
|
MAN
UP AND STAND UP KICKBOXING
WHAT MANUP AND STAND UP KICKBOXING
WHERE FILCOM CENTER WAIPAHU
WHEN 10/10/08 FRIDAY
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
AULANI
VEA 50 SPIKE KAHALEWAI
KUMU
WAGNER 135 JESSIE DAY
JORDAN
SCANLAN 120 ALIKA
NAKOA
205 DAVID VASQUEZ
KEO
SILVA 165 BRANDON MEDEIROS
JORDAN
DEKNEEF 135 ERWIN CELLES
JERESON
JUAN 125 KEALE UNCIANO
JAMES
JUAN 115 KAINALU UNCIANO
THERESA
MOSLEY 200 NATASHA MANUMA
SHAWN
SHEPHARD 185 CALEB PRICE
GENALYN
GANABAN 120 LISA HA
CHAZIN
MAHUKA 150 GERALD REED
JEREMY
HENNING 110 JONAH KUTZEN
SOLOMON
AMADEO 150 JAKE CHING
NUI
WHEELER 146 JUSTIN WONG
LAA
KAHOOKELE 145 TOFI MIKA
OTTO
HOOPII SHW ISAAC UGISELE
DENVER
GONZALES 230 JUSTIN LAUFUOU
TEAM
VS TEAM
TEAM
LAUPAHOEHOE MT VS TEAM TIGER MT
DEREK
MINN LAUPAHOEHOE 145 RICHARD BERNARD TIGER
HIDEKI
LAUPAHOEHOE 155 REGGIE FERNANDEZ TIGER
JOSEPH
LAUPAHOEHOE 155 ROGEMAR DUCCAT TIGER
TRAVIS
KAGAWA LAUPAHOEHOE 170 TBA
NEIL
LAUPAHOEHOE 175 TBA
all
matches and participants are subject to change
Source: Derrick Bright
|
Arlovski
vs. Nelson Confirmed for Oct. 4th CBS-Elite XC Card
By FCF Staff
CBS,
Elite XC and Trump Affliction Entertainment announced today that
former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski, will take on International
Fight League champion Roy Nelson, at the upcoming October 4th,
CBS Elite XC Saturday Night Fights card. The fight’s announcement
should come as welcome news for Arlovski fans, as the Belarus
fighter had been scheduled to fight Josh Barnett at Affliction’s
postponed, October 11th event.
"This
is yet another testament to EliteXC’s willingness to work
with other MMA promotions to bring the best possible fights to
the broadest possible audience," Jeremy Lappen, head of
the Live Fight Division of EliteXC was quoted saying in today’s
news release. "Special thanks to the hard working team at
Affliction and of course our partners at CBS and Showtime."
At
Affliction’s debut card on July 19th; Arlovski stopped former
IFL star Ben Rothwell in the third round to extend his record
to 13-5. The victory was Arlovski’s fourth straight, since
he lost by Unanimous Decision to Tim Sylvia in their rubber match
at UFC 61 in July, 2006.
Nelson
will head into his bout with Arlovski on a five fight winning
streak, as the Las Vegas fighter has not been defeated, since
he lost by Split Decision to the aforementioned Rothwell in April,
2007. Most recently Nelson (13-2) stopped UFC veteran Brad Imes
in the first round at an IFL event in May.
The
October 4th, CBS Elite XC Saturday Night Fights card will take
place at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, and will
be headlined by a heavyweight bout between Kevin “Kimbo
Slice” Ferguson and Ken Shamrock. Other bouts scheduled
for the card include Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley, Murilo “Ninja”
Rua vs. Benji Radach, and Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Pacquiao
vs. De La Hoya Sells Out
LAS
VEGAS, NEV. (September 24, 2008) – Tickets to "The
Dream Match" -- the 12-round welterweight super fight between
six-division world champion OSCAR DE LA HOYA and boxing's No.
1 pound-for-pound fighter MANNY PACQUIAO – are already gone
just hours after going on sale today, making the almost 16,000-seat
arena a complete sell out with a gross gate of almost $ 17.0
million, making it the second biggest gate in boxing history.
"This
is just a reflection of the overwhelming interest in this mega-event
and we are extremely delighted that tickets sales were so swift,"
said Richard Schaefer. "The match-up is one of the best
in boxing and will be one of the biggest events the sport has
ever seen."
"This
is fantastic and shows the magnitude and appeal of this event,"
said Bob Arum. "When you have two superstars like Manny
Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya fighting each other, the public
is going to respond and that is what they just did. No one wants
to miss this one."
The
De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9
p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, will be produced and distributed by HBO
Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view
homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers
who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier
of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For De La
Hoya vs. Pacquiao fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Mir
Banking on Couture Victory
by Loretta Hunt
If Frank Mir were a betting man, he’d let it ride on Randy
Couture in his UFC heavyweight title defense against upstart
Brock Lesnar on Nov. 15 in Las Vegas.
Though
the matchup is a sure bet to draw a strong contingent of MMA
and pro wrestling fans alike, Mir, who coaches a team of eight
prospects on “The Ultimate Fighter 8” Wednesdays on
Spike TV, believes inexperience will prove to be Lesnar’s
greatest inhibitor at UFC 91.
“I
think it’s too early in his career,” says Mir of Lesnar,
who will be 14 years Couture’s junior when they meet in
the Octagon. “I think he’s a great wrestler, powerful
background, but Randy Couture is one of the most decorated Greco-Roman
wrestlers we’ve ever had in our country. He has 12 years
of MMA experience and he has the same background as Lesnar. Lesnar
is basically the new Randy, a better athlete, bigger and more
powerful and more dangerous, but he only has two years of [MMA]
experience.”
Comparing
college wrestling credentials, Lesnar might be considered to
have a slight edge. The University of Minnesota alumnus was the
2000 NCAA heavyweight champion, a runner-up the year before,
and a two-time Big 10 champion en route to becoming a two-time
All American (Lesnar joined the university as a junior).
Couture
peaked as an NCAA runner-up in his junior and senior years, though
he was also a three-time All American and a member of two Div.
I national championship-winning teams for storied Oklahoma State.
The
roads diverge substantially beyond college wrestling though,
which is where Mir sees the biggest chasm between the two.
While
Lesnar, 31, graduated and pursued short-lived careers in pro
wrestling and even NFL football, Couture was an eight-time world
team member who placed in over 30 international tournaments around
the globe since 1983.
From
1988-2000, sometimes between UFC appearances, Couture weathered
stringent elimination trials to become an alternate for four
U.S. Olympic squads, missing the chance to compete for his country
by one or two slots each time.
At
the age of 33, Couture (16-8) entered his first fight on two
weeks’ notice. Eleven years later, he has become a UFC champion
six times over.
Frank
Mir feels that Randy Couture's experience will be too much for
Brock Lesnar to handle.The 45-year-old legend will be Lesnar’s
fourth MMA opponent, since the former WWE champion crossed over
into the sport two years ago.
Mir’s
assertion is not based just on the numbers. A former UFC heavyweight
champion himself, Mir was one of those three men to taste Lesnar’s
potential in a February 2008 contest.
While
Mir (11-3) can vividly describe the pain that follows a high-impact
punch or knee, his bout with Lesnar had a different feeling altogether.
“He
was more like getting hit by a car that’s moving very slowly
and you can’t get out of the way,” says Mir. “It
bumps and knocks you over and is just overwhelmingly powerful.”
Clinging
to the underside of Lesnar’s hulking, 6-foot-3, 280-pound
frame, Mir hadn’t realized he had gone for two armbars in
the scuffle before transitioning to the fight-ending kneebar
until he watched the tape later.
“I
didn’t know where he was half the time,” he says. “It
really felt like I was underwater and somebody was beating the
s—-t out of me. I was just drowning under him.”
In
the six months that passed between Mir’s victory and Lesnar’s
last altercation with Heath Herring (28-14) at UFC 87, the Las
Vegas native says he’s seen little improvement in the wrestling
convert’s ability to finish a fight.
Lesnar
knocked Herring down surprisingly with a scorching right in the
bout’s opening seconds, but reverted to holding and out-positioning
the Texan to earn a three-round unanimous decision.
“There
was times where you could look and be like, Wow, man, if this
guy had had two months of jiu-jitsu, he could have gone just
like this,” Mir says while mimicking a choke, “and
this fight would have been over with.”
Mir,
29, has good reason to keep tabs on Lesnar’s progress. A
rematch is on the periphery if Mir sails past fellow Brazilian
jiu-jitsu black belt and UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira in December. To the victor will go the spoils
of a unification match against the Couture-Lesnar winner in 2009.
That
Lesnar, a novice who’s fought one-fifth the amount of bouts
Mir has, gets in on the championship action doesn’t bother
Mir in the least.
“I
can get why Brock Lesnar’s getting the fight,” he says.
“It’s not like I think it absurd. If Brock Lesnar was
fighting some bum off the street, it would be a main event card.
That’s Brock Lesnar. If ‘Kimbo Slice’ came into
the UFC tomorrow, he’s probably going to be above me. That’s
just the way it is. It’s name recognition.”
In
Lesnar, who’s demonstrated a strong work ethic since joining
the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy for his training, Mir sees
a respected peer, albeit one who needs more time to develop his
skills in the cage.
“A
guy like Brock Lesnar doesn’t upset me at all, says Mir.
”I think he has the potential to be a very legitimate martial
artist. … So when I stretched out his leg and felt him tapping,
I didn’t even try to extend it even further. But somebody
like a ‘Kimbo’ or somebody like that who I don’t
think respects the sport, like a ‘Krazy Horse,’ I don’t
think they have a place in it. The referee couldn’t get
to me fast enough.”
Source: Sherdog
|
'UFC
All Access: Anderson Silva' to air in October
"UFC All Access" returns in October to profile Anderson
Silva in Brazil for his Oct. 25 fight against Patrick Cote at
UFC 90 in Chicago.
The 30-minute episode will begin taping shortly, according to
host Rachelle Leah, who posted on her blog today that she is
heading to Brazil for the shoot.
"UFC
All Access" is slated to premiere on Spike TV on Oct. 22
at midnight, with repeats on Oct. 25 at 2:00pm and 5:30pm ET.
The show will be accompanied by "Countdown to UFC 90: Silva
vs. Cote," which premieres on Oct. 23 at 11pm ET.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Galvão
wants more MMA this year
By Eduardo Ferreira
The
victory in MMA debut was great to the two times BJJ world champion
André Galvão, and he already received proposal
from other events. “A Canadian event invited me to fight
in October, Strikeforce called me too and WEC’s matchmaker,
that came to watch my fight, showed some interests too”,
said Galvão, that wants to fight twice this year. “I’m
ready, physically well and I wanna do other fights. I got out
with no injuries, so I’m ready for the next fight”.
Still
in San Diego helping the training of the BJJ world champion Xande
Ribeiro, that debut in Sengoku, and Ronaldo Jacaré, who’s
on the Dream middleweight GP’s finals, Galvão already
dreams with a MMA belt. “I know it’s too soon, but
it’s my dream. I wanna do my way in MMA and get my welterweight
belt in a big event. To achieve that, I’ll keep training
Jiu-Jitsu and try to become a more complete fighter”, said
the athlete.
Source: Tatame
|
Mousasi
comments on Dream title
Fighter wants to move up in weight and fight in K-1
With
the high spirits of having gotten the submission in one fight
and the knockout in the other to take the Dream middleweight
GP title on a magic evening, Gegard Mousasi is already thinking
of new challenges. At the post-Dream 6 press conference, the
fighter of Armenian origins and Dutch training revealed his plans
for the near future. “I want to move up in weight, that’s
my next objective. Then I’ll be able to fight in K-1 too,
which would be a great challenge,” declared Mousasi.
The
submission over Melvin Manhoef in the semifinals and the unanswerable
upkick on Ronaldo Jacare in the final were journalists’
topic of conversation. “In the first fight, when I won quickly,
I was very confident and thought I had a great chance to win
the tournament. What Jacare did (try to apply what is known as
the superman punch) is very dangerous as there is always a chance
of getting caught in a triangle or with a kick to the face. I’m
very happy about not having won by points, since knockouts and
submissions are always better,” declared the champion.
Mousasi
has put together a professional MMA record of 24 wins, the last
11 of which are successive. The fighter’s record also shows
two losses and a draw.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
TEAM
QUEST FIGHTER IN FOR GRACIE AT SENGOKU 5
by Mick Hammond
Travis
Wiuff confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that his new opponent for the
upcoming Sengoku 5 event in Tokyo this weekend will be recent
Team Quest (Murrieta) acquisition Muhammad “Mo” Lawal.
Lawal
has an impressive freestyle amateur wrestling background, with
accolades including the 2002 NCAA Division II National Championship,
and First Place finishes at the 2006 U.S. Open and 2007 Pan-American
Games.
Most
recently the native Coloradan finished second at the 2008 U.S.
Olympic Team Trials, just missing out on an opportunity to compete
in recent Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
This
will be Mo’s first MMA bout, as he joins Team Quest (Gresham)
lightweight Ryan “The Lion” Schultz on the card.
Wiuff
– a veteran of over 60 MMA bouts – will be making his
second trip to Sengoku after knocking out Japanese “Iron
Head” Kazuyuki Fujita at the promotion’s third event
this past June.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
“Cigano”
confident for Werdum fight
By Eduardo Ferreira
Junior
Cigano’s job in his UFC debut is not one fo the most easy.
The fighter from Minotauro Team will face at UFC 90 the BJJ World
Champion and ADCC champion, Fabrício Werdum, that has
in his history great fights in UFC and Pride. “It could
be a little late to debut in Ultimate and face a guy like Werdum,
but I have all the conditions to beat him. I train with one of
the best, Rodrigo Nogueira, and he said I can defeat him, so
I’m pretty confidence that I can put him down”, said
Cigano, that is training hard at Minotauro Team.
With
seven fights and only one loss in MMA, Junior is developing his
Wrestling and Muay Thai to keep this fight standing up and get
another victory. “I hope keep this fight stand. I watched
some of his fights with Minotauro and he gave me some tips”,
said Cigano. With a victory against Werdum, the fighter guarantees
that wouldn’t face his friend, the interim UFC heavyweight
champion. “It’s impossible to face my master. As long
as he keeps the belt, I’ll be his guardian. To face him,
people will have to beat me first”, guarantees.
Source: Tatame
|
EliteXC
Signs Alexander Shlemenko
Sam Caplan
FiveOuncesOfPain.com
has learned that EliteXC has signed 2005 World Pankration champion
Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko to a multi-fight contract.
Sources
have indicated that he will make his EliteXC debut during the
promotion’s Oct. 10 ShoXC event at the Horseshoe Casino
in Hammond, Indiana
Shlemenko,
rated as one of the top middleweights in Russia, is 21-3 and
has competed for notable promotions such as M-1 in Russia, BodogFIGHT
in Vancouver, and Jungle Fight in Brazil.
His
most highly-publicized win in front of U.S. audiences took place
during the television taping for the final season of BodogFIGHT
last year. Facing Scott Henze in August of 2007, Shlemenko needed
just 57 seconds into the fight to win via knockout.
He
has also been involved in notable losses while competing in Brazil.
At Jungle Fight 5 in November of 2005, Shlemenko suffered a decision
loss against Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons.
Shlemenko
returned at Jungle Fight 6 in April of 2006 where he lost to
DREAM middleweight Grand Prix finalist Ronaldo “Jacare”
Souza at 2:10 of round 1 after submitting to an arm triangle.
He
would fight on a World Free Fight Challenge card in September
of 2006 in a rematch against Landi-Jons, but ended up losing
another decision.
Source: The Fight Network
|
MM-Eh:
Doerksen-Lutter Slated for November
by Andy Cotterill
Middleweight Joe Doerksen (40-12) has verbally agreed to square
off against Travis Lutter (9-5) in November. Due to a misunderstanding,
MM-Eh initially reported that the bout was expected to take place
at UFC 91, but Doerksen has since clarified that the fight is
expected for a non-UFC event in Texas. Contracts have not yet
been signed, Doerksen said, but it was Lutter’s camp that
requested the matchup.
With
more than 50 bouts to his credit, Doerksen is one of Canada’s
most experienced fighters with both big wins and losses on his
docket. He boasts victories over UFC veterans Patrick Cote, Ed
Herman, and Chris Leben, but has succumbed to Joe Riggs, Matt
Lindland and Nate Marquardt.
Doerksen
dropped a second loss to countryman Jason MacDonald via a second-round
TKO at UFC 83 last April in Montreal. Most recently he defeated
John Meyer at the outdoors Venom at the Snakepit event on Aug.
29 in Calgary, Alberta.
A
one-time contender for 185-pound champion Anderson Silva’s
title, Lutter has not seen action since April, when he fizzled
against former champion Rich Franklin, also at UFC 83.
Bocek
draws Robinson at UFC 91
Joining
his countryman Doerksen on what is shaping up to be the UFC’s
money-maker event for 2008, Toronto’s Mark Bocek (5-2) will
also be fighting on the “Couture vs. Lesnar” card,
where he’ll be pitted against Denver standout Alvin Robinson
(9-3).
Canada’s
most decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt says he asked the
UFC for a fight in November, and he knew exactly who Robinson
was when the lightweight was offered to him. He accepted immediately.
Bocek
joined the UFC in 2007 with only four fights under his belt and
certainly wasn’t given any free passes. He’s gone 1-2
inside the Octagon with a win over Douglas Evans and losses to
Frankie Edgar and Mac Danzig.
“It’s
kind of funny that I’ve made more fans off of that loss
than from any wins,” Bocek said of the Danzig fight, “but
I’m making sure to reverse that now.”
The
bout with Robinson should give Bocek an opportunity to match
his Nova Uniao-stamped ground skills against Robinson, a brown
belt under John Crouch and Royce Gracie.
“I
see it as a matchup of two grapplers and I think I’m the
better grappler,” said Bocek.
Mark
Bocek will take on Alvin Robinson at UFC 91.To prepare, Bocek
plans to join a formidable squad and its training staff in American
Top Team, out of Coconut Creek, Florida, up until fight time.
Bocek
received the invitation from world grappling sensation Marcelo
Garcia and is anticipating some excellent training while he rubs
elbows with Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante, Marcus Aurelio,
Gleison Tibau, Thiago Alves, and Mike Thomas Brown.
“A
lot of those fighters are BJJ black belts turned MMA fighters
like myself. They’ve got really good lightweights,”
said Bocek. “I’m really looking forward to training
with Marcelo because he’s such a fun guy to be around –-
he’s such a nice guy and so good at jiu-jitsu.”
Goulet
vs. Swick back on
This
first rendezvous was originally scheduled for UFC Fight Night
11 in September 2007, but was called off when Mike Swick sustained
a rib injury in training. Now it appears Swick (12-2) and Jonathan
Goulet (22-9) will finally meet at “The Ultimate Fighter
8” live finale on Dec. 13 in Las Vegas.
Swick
sports two decision victories in his last two outings against
Josh Burkman at UFC Fight Night 12 in January and Marcus Davis
at UFC 85 last June in London.
Goulet
shared “fight of the night” honors with opponent Kuniyoshi
Hironaka at UFC 83 in Montreal, taking home a $75,000 bonus purse
and a second-round TKO for his efforts. It was the Canadian striker’s
third consecutive victory.
The
Victorville native’s upcoming bout with Swick seems to come
with a backstory.
According
to Goulet, American Kickboxing Academy’s Swick turned the
fight down in the first go-around. Goulet says when he mentioned
the rejection to his friend and training partner David Loiseau,
“The Crow" suggested that Goulet bring his challenge
to the Internet, which Goulet did on several forums.
In
the post Goulet asked, "Is he scared to go to sleep against
me?"
Swick's
trainer and manager Bob Cook quickly clarified that his fighter
agreed to the matchup immediately after it was offered.
"We
jumped at him," said Cook. "We have no problem fighting
Goulet."
Soszynski
takes TUF by storm
Krzysztof
Soszynski impressed everyone with his quick dispatching of Mike
Stewart on the premiere episode of “The Ultimate Fighter
8” on Spike TV last Wednesday, winning via TKO only 20 seconds
into the first round.
Though
new to some viewers, Soszynski’s is far from a stranger
to the fight scene. The Polish-born fighter rose to prominence
in TKO before moving on to the now defunct International Fight
League and Bas Rutten’s Anacondas squad.
Soszynski
moved to Canada when he was 10, where he lives with his wife
in Winnipeg, Manitoba. An earlier member of Team Tompkins, Soszynski
now travels to the States to train as a part of Team Quest’s
Temecula, Calif. chapter, led by Dan Henderson.
A
promoter himself for Winnipeg’s Ultimate Cage Wars, Soszynski
and his wife recently relinquished his involvement with the organization
in a press release.
“Effective
immediately, Geneviève and I (Krzysztof) will no longer
be partners in Ultimate Cage Wars (UCW),” it read. “We
were not happy with the direction of the company nor the way
certain departments were run. If you chose to continue business
with UCW we wish you all the best… Geneviève and
I are looking forward to starting a new promotion in the fall
of 2009.”
RAW
Combat fills out debut card
In
last week’s MM-Eh, RAW Combat President Dave Houshiar described
his plans for ensuring that his new promotion, RAW Combat, succeeds
where his previous Hardcore Championship Fighting failed.
“As
long as I break even and we have a good show and the fans are
happy then I’m happy at the end of the day,” said Houshiar.
With
the announcement of the full card slated for Oct. 25 at famous
Stampede Corral, Calgary fans should have reason to be happy.
In addition to the world-class main event featuring middleweight
standouts Denis Kang and Marvin Eastman, RAW has now announced
the addition of Victor Valimaki, Garett Davis, Andrew Buckland,
and others to the card:
RAW
Combat Oct. 25 Line-Up
Denis
Kang vs. Marvin Eastman
Jose Landi-Jons vs. TBA
Victor Valimaki vs. TBA
Nabil Khatib vs. Ryan Ford
Tim Hague vs. Miodrag Petkovic
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Len Tam
Garett Davis vs. Andrew Buckland
Myles Merola vs. Curtis Demarce
Mike Rowbotham vs. Keto Allen
Hardeep Singh vs. Jordan Bills
Wes Jaya vs. Matt Bagshaw
Sabah Fadai vs. TBA
Source: Sherdog
|
Evan
Tanner's Final Spike Blog Entry Found
Below is Evan Tanner's Final Blog entry. The entry, which was
written on Sept. 3rd was just found and was published recently
for the first time:
“It’s Tuesday night. Tomorrow I go out into the desert.
It has taken over a month to get all the gear together. The preparation
for this adventure took far longer than I had expected. I’ve
never done this before, so I took my time reading books, studying
the land, and researching gear. A few weeks of solitude in the
deep desert, and then back to civilization, and back to training."
Click
here to head over to SpikeTV and take a look at some pics Tanner
took before his final adventure.
Source: Fightline
|
Quote
of the Day
“Love
keeps the cold out better than a cloak.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882, American Poet
|
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
|
Showtime
gives EXC $1 million USD; EXC fails to get $3.5 million USD in
financing
There
are two new SEC filings by Pro Elite (form 8k & form SC 13D)
that discuss the financial details regarding the company getting
a Senior Secured Note with Showtime for $1 million USD. That
money was issued on September 11th.
On
September 10, 2008, ProElite, Inc. (the “Company”)
entered into a Senior Secured Note (”Note”) payable
to Showtime Networks, Inc. (”Showtime”) and a first
amendment to the security agreement dated June 18, 2008 with
Showtime (”Amendment No. 1 to Security Agreement”),
copies of which agreements are attached hereto as Exhibits 2.6
to 2.7 and incorporated herein by reference. The Company received
the note proceeds of $1,000,000 (one million) on September 11,
2008. The note bears interest at ten percent (10.0%) per annum,
payable at maturity, and matures on June 18, 2009. The Note is
secured by a first priority interest in the assets of the Company.
The Note and accrued interest may be repaid, in whole or in part,
without penalty at anytime prior to maturity. Mandatory repayment
of the Note will be made from any license fees due to the Company
under the Exclusive Distribution Agreement dated November 16,
2006 between the Company and Showtime.
However,
if you read the rest of the 8k filing, you will see the following:
The
Company previously reported in its most recent quarterly report
on Form 10-Q (and an immediately preceding current report on
Form 8-K) that the Company was actively negotiating to consummate
a financing of approximately $3.5 million in secured debt (with
a funded amount of $3.0 million after an original issue discount
of $0.5 million) and believed a successful closing was reasonably
likely, but there was no assurance that it would be successful
in doing so at all or on a timely basis. Such reports further
stated, among other things, that any failure to obtain the needed
financing in the immediate future would also have a material
adverse effect on the Company’s liquidity and capital resources
and ability to continue as a going concern.
The
Company no longer believes that a successful closing of the $3.5
million secured debt (with a funded amount of $3.0 million) will
occur. Although the Company has received $1 million pursuant
to the Note, such funds are less than the $3.0 million needed
to avoid the consequences described in the preceding paragraph
and in the Company’s prior reports filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. The $1 million funding defers such consequences
only for a brief period of time while the Company continues to
evaluate its options on how to respond to its severe liquidity
problem.
In
other words, the financial end game is very near here for Elite
XC. Will Showtime/CBS pull the trigger and purchase the assets
of Pro Elite if the company financially fails soon? If CBS network
executives do buy the assets and run their own MMA organization,
it will be fascinating to see who they hire and who they would
keep on-board to run the operations.
During
the Japanese MMA boom period a few years ago, it was the TV network
executives and chief producers (think: Kunio Kiyohara of Fuji
TV) who controlled a lot of the shots for PRIDE & K-1’s
matchmaking. How would the landscape look with an American TV
executive calling the shots in terms of booking?
Source: Fight Opinion
|
MICHAEL
BISPING WELCOMES RAMPAGE & KONGO
The Wolfslair gym in England was known to many fans as the home
of “Ultimate Fighter” season 3 winner Michael “The
Count” Bisping, but in recent weeks the addition of Quinton
“Rampage” Jackson and Cheick Kongo have now made the
team a major entity in the MMA world.
Jackson
and Kongo both recently made the decision to leave former trainer
Juanito Ibarra and make the move to Team Wolfslair. Bisping,
who is currently training for a fight with Chris Leben, talked
about the growth of his home camp in a recent interview with
MMAWeekly.com
“I
think it’s just a sign of the team getting bigger and bigger,”
he commented. “Rampage and Kongo are signed now. On the
domestic side in the U.K. we’ve got some of the other fighters
in the forefront. Some of the top level fighters in the U.K.,
they’re joining up to the team now as well.”
Bisping
has trained alongside Jackson in both the United States and England
for many of his past fights, but says he was actually unaware
the former UFC light heavyweight champion was joining the team
until it happened.
“I
didn’t actually know he was going to join the team. He’s
friendly with Anthony, the manager as well you see,” explained
Bisping. “It was Anthony that actually told me that he had
been speaking to him at some length and he decided to join the
team.
“We
never really talked too much about him joining the team. He came
out here quite a bit; he always liked training out here. He always
said how tough we were out here, and how much he was impressed
by the way we train.”
Apparently,
Jackson recently arrived in England to start working with the
team and help Bisping get ready for his Oct. 19 fight. Now with
seemingly a great backbone to build on, Team Wolfslair could
be considered one of the best MMA gyms in the world.
“Wolfslair
is definitely becoming, I think, one of the main players on the
world stage these days,” Bisping said.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Anderson
talks of retirement
Plan is to fight one more year
Current
UFC middleweight champion, considered by many to be the best
pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world at the moment, idol
in both the United States and Brazil. What more can Anderson
Silva want? From the look of it: rest.
In
the programming for BrazilianTV show Sensei Sport, Anderson Silva
reveals with absolute clarity: “I want to retire next year.
I’ve given I had to give, I don’t need to prove anything
else to anybody, and I will hang up my gloves in a year’s
time.”
The
TV show’s directors said the owner of the UFC middleweight
belt spoke of retirement many times, insisting on the subject.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Fedor
wants to fight New Year’s Eve
Russian hints at fighting at Dream 7
Considered
by many to be the best pound for pound of all times, Fedor Emelianenko
is hoping to return to Japan for Dream 7, which will be held
on New Year’s Eve. The fighter confirmed his interest in
being on the end-of-the-year card while talking to the crowd
at Dream 6, which took place this 23rd at the Saitama Super Arena,
in Japan.
For
some time Fedor has been fighting at year-end events in Japan.
After that, Fedor intends to fight at the January 17 Affliction
2 event, in Anaheim, California.
The
fight between Fedor and Andrei Arlovski, was initially set to
take place in October, at the Affliction event that would have
taken place in Las Vegas. However, Fedor was injured and Arlovski
was, before the event was canceled altogether, re-matched to
face Josh Barnett.
Fighting
twice in three weeks means cancellation of a fight due to injury
is imminent, unless Fedor should leave the Dream-7 fight without
a scratch. In his last appearance, in July, at “Affliction:
Banned” the Russian took only 36 seconds to finish off former
UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.
Source:
Gracie Magazine |
UFC
Fight Night: Ravishing Red leaves crowd blue
Eric
Schafer lands a punch to Houston Alexander's face. Schafer won
the match.
A
Cornhusker state crowd showed up in full force and impressed
in its support of Omaha's own during Ultimate Fighting Championship
"Fight Night" Wednesday evening at the Civic Auditorium.
It
left a bit disappointed, however, with the 1-2 showing between
three hometown fighters. The most disheartening for a sellout
crowd of 9,103? That was Schafer's win over Omaha's Houston Alexander
in a light heavyweight matchup.
A
win for Omaha firefighter Jason Brilz got a rowdy crowd going
after three fights with a second-round technical knockout. Some
of that momentum was lost two bouts later when Ryan Jensen, another
Omaha fighter, lost by submission.
But
the enthusiasm found its way back to the arena for Alexander
in the form a deafening roar for the guy who put Nebraska on
the UFC map.
After
a blazing start highlighted by a knee to the face of Schafer,
Alexander settled in and appeared ready to scrap after his two
previous fights ended with him on the wrong side of quick knockouts.
"I
thought I had him stunned," Alexander said of the early
shots. "He recovered from his mistake. Mine just came in
the final ten seconds, and I couldn't (recover)."
A
packed Civic Auditorium crowd of 9,103 cheered the fighters on.
Schafer eventually found the top position, keeping Alexander
in a spot that hasn't been too kind to him lately. The bottom.
Schafer
found his way up to an arm triangle, cutting off breathing for
Alexander, who tapped with seven seconds left on the clock.
"That's
my signature move," Schafer said. "I got it and squeezed
with everything I had."
It
marked the third straight loss for Alexander, who was hoping
a little bit of home cooking could get what was a promising run
in the light heavyweight division back on track.
A
highly energized audience on live television stuck around until
the end, witnessing a pair of quality bouts to finish off the
record night. High-flying Clay Guida earned every bit of a unanimous
decision over Mac Danzig - winner of season five of "The
Ultimate Figther".
That
before the evening's main event finished with a tight, split-decision
for Nate Diaz over Josh Neer. The Omaha crowd didn't like it,
but it was Diaz who earned the win.
Almost
everyone around the UFC was impressed with what Omaha offered
as far as excitement around the event, including league president
Dana White.
White,
still gushing over the Diaz-Neer main event, said Omaha will
get itself a pay-per-view out of Wednesday night's showing.
"No
doubt," he said. "That crowd was rocking. It sounded
like a pay-per-view in here."
UFC
officials said Wednesday's gate drew $700,000, calling it the
largest in Civic Auditorium history.
Still,
the stars were the Omaha three.
Brilz,
described by Jensen and others as "the wet blanket"
in the ring, lived up to his billing and his wrestling background.
He used takedowns early in both rounds, wearing out Brad Morris
before the fight was stopped by the referee for a technical knockout
in the UFC debut for Brilz.
"It
went pretty much as we planned," he said. "I'm a wrestler.
I figured he knew I'd want to take it to the ground. From there
it was just classic ground and pound."
The
former UNO wrestler said he spent most of Wednesday using the
word "surreal" to describe his feelings. That didn't
change much after a victory in his first-ever UFC event.
"I'm
sitting on cloud nine," he said. "This couldn't get
much better."
The
same couldn't be said for Jensen, who looked the part for the
first round and a half. After controlling things on top for much
of the first, Jensen got right back into a dominant position
in the second round, firing away on Wilson Gouveia, while holding
off arm bar and triangle attempts.
But
Gouveia would stick an arm bar midway through the second round
that would eventually force a submission by Jensen.
"I
thought I was on," Jensen said. "I did everything I
was supposed to do. He just did what he was supposed to do."
Jensen,
sporting a nice swell on the injured arm, said he heard two pops
in it before he tapped. Going all or nothing wasn't an issue
for the Omaha Creighton Prep grad.
"I
thought I could ding him, get his mind not right for a minute,"
Jensen said. "I was going for the knockout."
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
ZEROING IN ON SUMMER 2009 FOR PHILIPPINES
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has not hidden its desire
to expand its brand across the world. The UFC has yet to return
to Japan and Brazil, countries that they haven’t been to
in many years, but they have recently expanded into Canada, following
a strong building process in Northern Ireland and England.
“We're
focused on Germany, the Philippines, and Australia next,”
UFC president Dana White stated earlier this year. “Germany
is what we’re looking at next.”
Some
of the speculation about Germany has quieted recently, but don’t
be surprised if the promotion announces a date at the O2 World
Arena in Berlin sometime soon.
“The
Philippines is definitely happening, we're working on that right
now, Australia and Germany, those three are right now,”
said White.
After
UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta and Octagon star Chuck Liddell’s
recent publicity junket to the Philippines drew more than 4,000
fans to a one-hour open work featuring Liddell, no one should
be surprised that a more strict timeline has been factored into
the UFC’s planned expansion for Southeast Asia.
Company
projections currently call for a UFC landing in the Philippines
sometime in the summer of 2009, according to a report on UFC.com.
“Chuck
is a rock star over here,” Fertitta told UFC.com from his
stop in the Philippines. “He walks in the hotel and there
are people all over him, and then we ended up doing a public
training session and over 4,000 people showed up at the Mall
of Asia just to see him. It was very interesting, even at times
a little bit scary because there were so many people there.”
In
some way, the UFC, which already has a broadcast television deal
with the ABS-CBN network in the Philippines, has arguably gone
more mainstream in Southeast Asia than it has in America.
“When
we came to the hotel, we checked in about 6:30 in the morning
and there were about 20 photographers waiting for us. Then we
held a press conference at nine and there were multiple TV stations
and reporters. It’s beyond the imagination. They have a
full day of press for us tomorrow, and I’ve got to be honest,
I knew that we were growing internationally, but I don’t
think I really had an appreciation for the amount of momentum
we truly have until I came over here and saw it for myself.”
With
Summer 2009 now penciled in on the docket, Fertitta says the
UFC is already planning for its first event in the Philippines.
Not only will they bring stars like Liddell to Southeast Asia,
but just as they did in Canada, England, and Northern Ireland,
the UFC plans to use regional fighters in the Octagon.
“It
will be a combination of bringing over some of our stars and
then hopefully having some local Filipino fighters, and maybe
bringing in some of the guys from Japan and South Korea,”
said Fertitta.
As
many other promotions have fallen to the wayside or are currently
struggling financially, the UFC machine only seems into ever-higher
gears as the days roll on. With Germany and the Philippines starting
to take shape, maybe fans in Australia can start holding their
breath.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Jesse
Taylor to Meet Drew Fickett Oct. 2
Following
his July release from the UFC, former TUF 7 middleweight contestant
Jesse Taylor will be returning to action on Oct. 2 during Total
Combat 32 at the Syucan Casino just outside of San Diego.
Taylor’s
opponent will be another former UFC veteran, Drew Fickett.
Taylor
lost a chance to compete against Amir Sadollah in the finals
of TUF 7 after he was dismissed from the show following an incident
at a Las Vegas hotel and casino. He had earned the right to meet
Sadollah after winning a semifinal fight against Tim Credeur
and remained in Vegas after the show had wrapped filming to celebrate
the win.
After
a night of partying, Taylor was accused of being intoxicated
and was shown on security video as kicking out the window of
a limousine. He was also accused by UFC President Dana White
of verbally accosting several female patrons inside of the casino
and then referring to himself as a UFC fighter when questioned
by security officials.
Taylor
was given a second chance by the UFC and debuted for the promotion
on July 19 during UFC Fight Night 14 in a match against fellow
TUF alum C.B. Dollaway. In the week leading up to the fight,
Taylor made some controversial comments about Quinton Jackson’s
arrest on charges of reckless driving and evading arrest. Those
comments combined with his first round submission defeat to Dollaway
prompted UFC officials to sever contractual ties with him for
a second and final time.
Much
like Taylor, Fickett is no stranger when it comes to controversy.
Fickett, who holds notable victories overJosh Koscheck, Josh
Neer, Kenny Florian, and Kurt Pellegrino, has had trouble in
recent years finding fights on a consistent basis due to accusations
of erratic behavior. Clearly capable of competing for a major
national promotion, Fickett has burned several bridges with promoters
and matchmakers.
In
spite of their out-of-the-cage issues, the Taylor vs. Fickett
matchup is very intriguing as a regional-level main event. Total
Combat has also announced that the card will be televised on
MTV3. In addition to Taylor vs. Fickett, other bouts slated include
former WEC veteran Ian McCall vs. Kevin Dunsmor, Rolando Perezvs.
Nick Alvarado, and a female bout between Megan Gangitano of Team
Quest vs. Kim Rose, who defeated Kim Couture this past June.
Source: Fight Network |
'TUF
8' Debut Does Big Ratings
Spike
TV issued a press release Friday afternoon to trumpet the ratings
success of Wednesday’s MMA lineup of two-hour live UFC Fight
Night 15 telecast from Omaha, Nebraska as well as the season
premiere for the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
UFN
15 served as a lead-in for the TUF premiere and aired live from
8-10 p.m. ET. Competing against ESPN’s telecast of Major
League Baseball and ESPN2’s college football broadcast in
the same time slot, UFN 15 outdrew both shows combined in the
coveted young male demo.
To
be exact, the Spike telecast drew 913,000 men 18-49 and 465,000
Men 18-34. By comparison, ESPN’s telecast of the Red Sox
vs. Rays and ESPN2’s Louisville vs. Kansas St. college football
game drew a combined 858,000 men 18-49 and 373,000 men 18-34.
Overall,
UFN 15, headlined by Nate Diaz’s split decision victory
over Josh Neer, earned a 1.6 in M18-49, a 1.6 in M18-34, and
an average audience of 1.8 million viewers. The viewership peaked
for the Diaz vs. Neer main event with 2.3 million viewers tuning
in.
Then,
between 10-11 p.m. ET, TUF 8 debuted to a 1.2 household rating
with an average audience of 1.6 million viewers. According to
Spike, the show was number one in its timeslot on basic cable
in the male 18-49 demographic, garnering a 1.5 rating. The premiere
also drew a 1.5 rating in males 18-34.
Source: Fight Network |
Alvarez,
Diaz Could Vie for Vacant EliteXC Belt
While
EliteXC officials declined to offer specifics regarding a possible
fight to determine a new lightweight champion for the promotion,
sources informed FiveOuncesOfPain.com earlier in the week that
the company had been considering an option that would involve
Nick Diaz and Eddie Alvarez competing for the newly vacant title
in a featured bout during a tentative Nov. 8 card.
The
title became vacant after EliteXC announced Friday that K.J.
Noons had been stripped of the belt for his refusal to defend
the title against Diaz.
Alvarez,
who was recently married and is currently on his honeymoon, is
just 1-0 while competing under the EliteXC banner but has increased
his profile and is considered by many to be a top-ten lightweight
following his 3-0 performance during DREAM’s lightweight
Grand Prix in Japan.
The
Philadelphia native recorded a TKO over Brazilian Andre “Dida”
Amade during the GP’s first round in March. He then advanced
to the second round in May, where he recorded a unanimous decision
victory over Joachim Hansen in a bout that many pundits consider
to be a candidate for “Fight of the Year.”
Alvarez
then won his semifinal matchup at DREAM.5 in July against Tatsuya
Kawajiri via TKO at 7:35 of round 1. However, he was unable compete
in the final, which was held the same night, due to injuries
sustained in the win over Kawajiri. Hansen would go on to win
the tournament after having won a reserve match earlier in the
evening.
Alvarez
began his career as an undersized and undefeated welterweight
prospect. He was 10-0 and the reigning BodogFIGHT 170 lbs. champion
until suffering a devastating loss against Nick Thompson during
the promotion’s “Clash of the Nations” event in
April of 2007. Since dropping to lightweight, Alvarez is undefeated.
Overall, he is 15-1 in his career.
If
the Diaz vs. Alvarez match is made official, it will mark a second
chance for Diaz to claim the promotion’s 160 lbs. title.
Last November during EliteXC’s “Renegade” show
in Corpus Christi, Texas, the heavily-favored Diaz lost to Noons
in a bout to determine the first-ever EliteXC lightweight champion.
Since
losing to Noons via first round TKO by way of a doctor’s
stoppage due to cuts, Diaz has gone 3-0 with wins over Thomas
Denny, Muhsin Corbbrey, and Katsuya Inoue. Like Alvarez, Diaz
is also a former welterweight competitor.
Source: Fight Network |
Nathan
After Fight Reflections
After defeating seasoned veteran, Josh Neer, Nathan Diaz is hoping
to fight again before years end. The 23 year old is on a 5 fight
win streak in the UFC and hopes to fight his way closer to a
title shot. He commented the following on his fight with Neer:
"Most
of my fights I can feel the other guy slowing down or getting
weaker. With Neer that wasn't happening. In the 2nd round things
were going good until I got too relaxed standing over him. That's
when I got hit with a heel kick to the solar plexes. It knocked
the wind right out of me and I knew I had to fight through it.
I didn't want to let him know I was weak at that moment so I
tried not to react, but I knew I couldn't stand with him while
I was having trouble breathing. That's when he took my back.
I don't think he would have gotten both hooks in if I wasn't
stunned. I defended the choke until I got my breath back and
then I went back to going after him" -Diaz
Source: Gracie Fighter |
Quote
of the Day
“My
heart is a bargain today. Will you take it?”
W.C. Fields, 1879-1946, American Comedian and Actor
|
2008
Nationals: a first glimpse
Images of Jiu-Jitsu tournament's first day, by Alicia Anthony
Saturday,
September 20, 2008
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Carson, California
American
ace Bill Cooper did well but finished short, losing to Rodrigo
Teixeira in the blackbelt middleweight finals.
Seasoned
Hawaiian Baret Yoshida was slammed but did not miss the chance
to submit his foe.
Pedro
Sauer black belt John Carlquist trying to sweep San Diego based
GMA member Joao Cunha.
Mike
Weaver adjusts his opponent's arm to take home the victory.
Kayron
Gracie excelled winning his weight division...
...
And also conquering brown belt open class.
Blue
belt females battling to show America has new talent indeed.
Source: Tatame
|
DREAM
6 REVIEW: MOUSASI WINS MIDDLEWEIGHT GP
Armenian fighter Gegard Mousasi became the Dream middleweight
champion after knocking out Brazilian grappling wizard Ronaldo
“Jacare” Souza in the finals of the Dream Middleweight
Grand Prix at the Saitama Super Arena.
Jacare
wasted no time as he shot in for a takedown, finally getting
a grasp on Mousasi and slamming him to the ground. From there,
Jacare looked to improve position as he worked to get into side
mount, but instead settled to stand over Mousasi. He then attempted
to drop a bomb on Mousasi, but was met with an up kick that knocked
him out as Mousasi landed a couple of more strikes before the
referee stopped the fight at 2:15.
In
an unfortunate turn of events, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
and Alistair Overeem’s fight was ruled a no contest after
Cro Cop endured two accidental low blows. Overeem was controlling
the fight up to that point, muscling Cro Cop to the ground and
landing heavy blows from the top. They would be stood up, but
Overeem again got it to the ground and continued his assault.
Cro Cop was able to get back to his feet and was muscled into
a clinch, where Overeem landed an accidental low blow. After
a short rest the fight continued, but once again Cro Cop was
kneed in the groin and this time he would not be able to continue,
thus ruling the fight a no contest.
Shooto
middleweight champion Shinya Aoki got back in the win column,
making quick work of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran
Todd Moore. After some brief fighting on the feet, Aoki was able
to get Moore’s back while on the feet. Aoki locked on a
neck crank, making Moore tap out with only 1:10 gone past in
the fight.
Japanese
judoka Yoshihiro Akiyama made it look easy against Japanese karate
fighter Masanori Tonooka. After a brief feeling out process on
the feet, Akiyama took the fight to the ground where he toyed
with Tonooka with strikes and submissions before finally locking
on a armbar at 6:26 of the opening round.
Japanese
legend Hayato “Mach” Sakurai rebounded from a surprising
loss, winning a decision over fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) veteran Kuniyoshi Hironaka. Sakurai was clearly the better
striker as he peppered Hironaka with stinging low kicks and landing
combinations to both the head and the body. Hironaka wanted the
fight on the ground and was able to get it there, but wasn’t
able to do much with the position.
Sakurai’s
onslaught continued in the second as he out struck Hironaka,
who showed tenacity by taking the punishment. As the fight was
coming to a close, Sakurai dropped Hironaka with a left hook
and almost finished him with strikes, but Hironaka survived to
the bell. The judges’ cards were read and it was Sakurai
who walked away with a unanimous decision.
Pancrase
legend Masakatsu Funaki secured his first win since coming out
of an eight-year retirement, submitting Ikuhisa Minowa with a
heel hook. Funaki immediately got the fight to the ground, immediately
falling back for a leg lock. After exchanging leg locks with
Minowa, Funaki finally secured an inverted heel hook, forcing
Minowa to tap out 42 seconds into the fight.
Norifumi
“Kid” Yamamoto protégé Atsushi Yamamoto
made a successful Dream debut, winning a decision over Japanese
favorite Hideo Tokoro. Yamamoto looked confident on the feet,
as he was able to out strike Tokoro, dropping him with a hard
right straight, but was unable to finish him. Tokoro then threatened
with submissions before they got back to their feet. Yamamoto
again began tagging Tokoro on the feet, as he dropped his hands
with confidence.
Again
in the second round, Yamamoto was the superior striker, but surprisingly
took the fight to the ground. That cost him as Tokoro reversed
positions and almost locked on an armbar as the fight came to
a close, but Yamamoto defended well and survived. At the end,
Yamamoto walked away with a unanimous decision.
Russian
heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov knocked out late replacement Jimmy
Armbriz in the opening round. Right off the bat, Kharitonov dropped
him with a punch, but Ambriz got back up and went for a takedown.
Kharitonov held the ropes to block, forcing the referee to give
him a yellow card. The fight was restarted and Kharitonov picked
Armbriz apart with strikes, eventually dropping him and forcing
a tap from strikes at 2:15 of the first round.
Keita
“K-Taro” Nakamura returned from a short retirement,
getting back on the winning track as he out struck Kid Yamamoto
trained Adriano Martins. All throughout the fight Nakamura used
his reach advantage to jab away at Martins, who had no answer.
On the occasion that fight went to the ground, Nakamura pounded
away on Martins, who managed to cut Nakamura from the bottom.
The second round was much of the same with Nakamura using his
jab to frustrate Martins, leaving his face bruised by fights
end. Surprisingly one judge scored the fight for Martins, but
the other two in favor of Nakamura, who won a split decision.
Gegard
Mousasi quickly punched his ticket to the middleweight final,
submitting Dutch striker Melvin Manhoef in the first semi-final
bout. Mousasi never let Manhoef get going as he quickly took
the fight to the ground, getting Manheof’s back and briefly
working for the choke. Manhoef reversed out, but was caught in
a triangle choke. In a last ditch effort to escape, Manhoef tried
to slam his way out, but Mousasi locked it on tighter, forcing
a tap at 1:28 of the opening round.
Not
to be outdone, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza also quickly
got to the final, submitting Zelg Galesic. Jacare took the fight
to the ground right away, absorbing small punches as he mounted
Galesic. From there, he went for submissions before getting reversed
by Galesic, who was immediately caught in an armbar, forcing
him to tap at 1:26 of the first round.
In
the middleweight reserve bout, Brazilian karate stylist Andrews
Nakahara evened his mixed martial arts record, upsetting heavy
favorite Dong Sik Yoon. Nakahara showed both excellent takedown
and submission defense, using kicks to keep Yoon away. On the
one occasion that it went to the ground, Nakahara fended off
Yoon’s submission attempts and eventually escaped to his
feet. The two fighters traded leather to start the second and
that would be Yoon’s downfall as Nakahara connected with
a combination, dropping Yoon and finishing him with strikes only
30 seconds into the second round.
Gegard
Mousasi def. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza by KO at 2:15,
R1
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Alistair Overeem was
ruled a No Contest
Shinya Aoki def. Todd Moore by Submission (Neck Crank) at 1:10,
R1
Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Masanori Tonooka by Submission (Armbar)
at 6:26, R1
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai def. Kuniyoshi Hironaka by Unanimous
Decision, R2
Masakatsu Funaki def. Ikuhisa Minowa by Submission (Heel Hook)
at 0:42, R1
Atsushi Yamamoto def. Hideo Tokoro by Unanimous Decision, R2
Sergei Kharitonov def. Jimmy Armbriz by TKO (Strikes) at 2:15,
R1
Keita Nakamura def. Adriano Martins by Split Decision, R2
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza def. Zelg Galesic by Submission
(Armbar) at 1:26, R1
Gegard Mousasi def. Melvin Manhoef by Submission (Triangle Choke)
at 1:28, R1
Andrews Nakahara def. Dong Sik Yoon by TKO (Strikes) at 0:30,
R2
Source: MMA Weekly |
NEWCOMER
AL-TURK TO FIGHT KONGO AT UFC 92
Having just signed a multi-fight agreement with the Ultimate
Fighting Championship, Cage Rage champion Mustapha Al-Turk was
all set for a baptism of fire in the UFC against highly touted
heavyweight prospect Cain Velazquez. It was scheduled to be a
tough debut for the London Shootfighters standout, but one that
suited him stylistically as both are heavy handed grapplers.
According
to his coach and manager Alexis Demetriades, it appears that
the fight is off due to injury. "We got word from Joe Silva
that Velazquez has pulled out due to injury and will be undergoing
knee surgery to fix it. It’s a shame as we had a strategy
in place and we were all set to go."
The
announcement of Velazquez withdrawing from the fight will leave
many disappointed as the fight guaranteed fireworks. All is not
lost, as a replacement has been found in tough Frenchman Cheick
Kongo, who is coming off a TKO win over Dan Evensen at UFC 87
in Minneapolis.
"We
were offered Kongo by Joe and we accepted the fight. We were
just waiting for Kongo to get his signed bout agreement back
before we could confirm it," clarified Demetriades, adding,
"Everything else is the same. Mus will be fighting on the
main card, on pay-per-view. It's a good fight."
For
his part, Kongo has been in the press recently, announcing an
affiliation with The Wolfslair camp in the U.K. in order to refine
his training. Part of that training will no doubt be focused
on developing his ground game with the excellent wrestling capabilities
available in-house at the 'lair.
The
two are expected to fight on the UFC 92 main card on Dec. 27
in Las Vegas.
Source: MMA Weekly |
THE
HUMAN WEAPON WINS AT TFC 13
HAMMOND,
Ind. – It was top-shelf entertainment and mixed martial
arts action at the Hammond Civic Center Saturday night as the
Total Fight Challenge held its thirteenth installment. Despite
emergency-level flooding in Northwest Indiana, a few thousand
excited fans turned out for an electric event.
The
first part of the co-main event featured Jason Chambers versus
Dan New. Chambers took a few years off from MMA competition to
co-host the TV series “The Human Weapon,” but it took
him little time to shake off the ring rust and score an impressive
victory over Dan New.
The
fighters shared a few minutes of standing strikes before Chambers
gained a double-leg and slammed New to the mat. After controlling
New from the side, Chambers eventually made his way around to
his opponent’s back and secured the rear naked choke in
the first round.
“It
feels great to be back,” Chambers said. “With the level
of fights at these shows, it’s easy to tell there are no
easy fights anymore. It feels nice, man. It feels nice to get
back on a win, too.”
The
second part of the main event between Bill Hill and Adriel Villa
did not reflect the overall intensity of the fight card. Hill
won the victory in a sluggish five-round ground war, resulting
in a unanimous decision, and captured the Total Fight Challenge
light heavyweight belt.
All
eyes were on the lightweight division as BJJ master Christian
Uflacker entered his second career fight against Mark Sinqlaire.
After feeling each other out, Uflacker took his shot and roped
Sinqlaire to the ground. Sinqlaire tried in vain to secure a
guillotine choke from the bottom and essentially gave Uflacker
the room he needed to transition to the back. It was a matter
of seconds before Sinqlaire was tapping due to a rear naked choke.
Although
Uflacker is a world champion jiu-jitsu stylist, his standup skills
are still somewhat of a mystery.
“I’m
pretty confident with my standup and feel I can go toe-to-toe
with anyone I fight,” he said. “I don’t want to
change my game. I train striking a lot, even more than my ground
work. My takedowns are the strongest. I knew he was pretty much
a brawler. I got a good shot and took him down. I know it’s
MMA, and I know I will have to mix it up.”
Another
lightweight match featured top-level wrestling against textbook
jiu-jitsu as Martin Jimenez faced off against Yusef Saadaelaeuv.
The contest was ruled a draw at the end of two rounds, but the
fans were treated to an extraordinary ground war. Jimenez and
Saadaelaeuv put on a clinic in takedowns, takedown defense, sweeps,
reversals, submission attempts and defenses. Neither warrior
could finish the other, and both fighters went full-tilt until
the bell rang.
One
standout fight from the welterweight lineup was Eric Rassmusen
against Chad Buckley. Rassmusen has become a local favorite and
has also become known as an extremely tough competitor. He proved
it once again as Buckley assaulted and caught him with several
punches and knees during the first two minutes of round one.
Rassmusen weathered the storm and returned fired, consequently
earning the technical knockout at the end of the first round.
In
a similar fight, and also from the welterweight division, undefeated
Juan Magana notched another “W” as he danced with Keith
Smetana. Smetana unloaded a handful of big head kicks and sharp
punches to start the fight. Magana stayed in the pocket and bore
the brunt of the attack, defending powerful high kicks and crosses.
Magana finally sent a flurry of punches at Smetana’s face
and chased them with a high knee, which knocked Smetana to the
canvass. Magana followed to the ground and punched his opponent
out at the end of round one.
“My
game plan was to keep it standing because I knew he was good
on the ground,” Magana said.
Despite
having won the fight in stunning fashion, Magana wasn’t
sure exactly how he had scored the victory. “Everything
happens so fast, I didn’t know what I caught him with. I
just kept throwing punches until it was over.”
Magana
takes a step up the ladder when he puts his 6-0 record to the
test with a fight against Gideon Ray in November.
From
top to bottom, Total Fight Challenge XIII was a thrilling night
of combat. The next Total Fight Challenge returns to the Hammond
Civic Center on December 10, 2008.
-Bill
Hill def. Adriel Villa by Unanimous Decision, R5
-Jason
Chambers def. Dan New by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:01,
R1
-Ryan
King def. Phil Fillo by TKO, R1
-Corey
Hogan def. Stephan Warren by KO, R3 (KB exhibition)
-Emmanule
Eddey def. Eric Tweed by Submission (Arm Triangle), R1
-Christian
Uflacker def. Mark Sinqlaire by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 1:22, R1
-Cole
Vujosevic def. Robert Delgato by Unanimous Decision
-Marco
Estrada def. Seth Raclie by Submission (Strikes), R1
-Yusef
Saadaelaeuv and Martin Jimenez was a Draw, R2
-Troy
Vagel def. Alan Reiswitz by TKO at 1:26, R1
-Dan
Reimer def. Pete Silva by Submission (Strikes), R1
-Eric
Rassmusen def. Chad Buckley by TKO, R2
-Jerome
Nealon def. Rich Graveline by TKO, R1
-Chris
Beane def. Tim Plummly by Submission (Triangle Choke), R1
-Mike
Welch def. Albert Arevala by TKO, R2
-Juan
Magana def. Keith Smetana by TKO at 4:00, R1
Source: MMA Weekly |
STRIKEFORCE:
WHO'S NEXT FOR THE PUNK?
Strikeforce
lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson turned
in another impressive performance this weekend, taking a mere
74 seconds to defeat Lion’s Den fighter Ashe Bowman at the
world famous Playboy Mansion. It was his eighth straight victory
in two and a half years; he took but one serious punch before
overwhelming Bowman with strikes.
“I
just took what he gave me and tried to exploit him a little bit,
it just worked out to my benefit. I caught him with a good shot
right off the bat and it all fell into place,” Thomson told
MMAWeekly.com in a video interview after the fight.
The
question now shifts to who’s next in line for Thomson. A
Top 10 lightweight, Thomson recently stated that he only wanted
to face names and solid contenders for his belt. Mitsuhiro Ishida,
who also decimated his opponent on Saturday, would appear to
be the next logical opponent. But Thomson isn’t so sure
at this point.
“It
looks like (Ishida) is, but really, it all depends on what we
can work out with Strikeforce,” he said. “There’re
other guys that have beat Ishida. I’m not trying to duck
Ishida, I’m just looking at there are other guys that I
would love to fight. Of course, Hansen is at the top of my list.
Guys like Eddie Alvarez, and Uno. Uno’s another guy –
Uno beat Ishida – why would I fight Ishida when I can fight
Uno?
“Uno
has a better name in the states versus Ishida. You know that
fight’s going to be here in the states, (and) I take what
fights benefit me in the states.”
Strikeforce
executive Mike Afromowitz echoes it’s too early to narrow
down the champ's next challenger.
“We’ve
got to go back to the drawing board,” he said. “After
(Josh) beat Gilbert, he said he wanted to fight the best guys
out there. We’re going to do whatever it takes to get him
those opponents, whatever is in our means. Josh is Top 10 now,
so if he’s going to defend his title, it’s got to be
against a worthy opponent.”
Gilbert
Melendez is also hoping for a rematch, but will likely have to
wait until well into 2009 to get the chance to take back the
lightweight belt.
Unmarked
from Saturday night, Thomson will stay in the gym for a possible
return in November. If Uno or Ishida are first to challenge him,
he’ll be ready.
“I
went to Japan, I fought on their ground. I beat them there, I
came back here,” he said. “This is my hometown. This
is my area. This is me. They want to come here, this is my title,
they’ve got to come here and try to fight me for it.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
STRIKEFORCE:
MISAKI SCORES CONTROVERSIAL WIN
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – A fight that began as a chess match
came to a sudden and violent stop when “Grabaka Hitman”
Kazuo Misaki rebounded from dangerous territory to take his first
American victory by defeating Joe Riggs.
The
fight almost didn’t happen. In the first frame, the two
rivals circled each other endlessly, hesitant to engage. Misaki,
primarily known as a counter fighter, danced from stance to stance
attempting to get Riggs to engage. The Lion’s Den fighter
would not take the bait, and continued to let Misaki escape out
the back door when he came close to cutting off the cage.
Misaki’s
bodywork was the only note of significance, countering Riggs’
right lead hook with kicks and punches to the body. Riggs was
unfazed, but seemed to stall in building any offensive momentum.
The
second round was a different story. Misaki confounded Riggs with
more flashy footwork, and landed more shots to the body as Riggs
advanced.
Riggs
tired of pecking away at Misaki and threw the southpaw’s
answer to traditional fighters, a straight left. The shot dropped
Misaki, but he immediately sprung up before Riggs could capitalize.
His first answer to the attack was his power punch, a straight
right which clipped Riggs’ chin. Riggs fell frozen to the
mat.
What
happened next will certainly be a matter of debate. Riggs instinctively
dove for Misaki’s legs, but the Japanese fighter bowled
him backward with his body. From there, Misaki unloaded a flurry
of punches. Riggs covered up with both arms, shielding the majority
of the blows. He did not, however, move from his defensive position.
Referee
Josh Rosenthal told MMAWeekly.com that he warned Riggs three
times to improve his position, and heard no response. Not five
seconds later, Rosenthal stopped the fight at 2:29 of the second,
declaring Misaki the winner. Riggs immediately protested the
decision.
In
the locker room post fight, Riggs was “devastated”
by the turn of events, and said it was the second time Rosenthal
had made a stoppage error in one of his fights (the other was
against Alex Stiebling at WEC 9).
Misaki
said he felt his punch hurt Riggs, but was not qualified to judge
whether the stoppage was early.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Japanese
stars now bringing show to U.S.
BEVERLY
HILLS, Calif. – Back in the day, American mixed martial
artists often had to travel to Japan in order to face quality
opponents and make real money. The sport thrived on the other
side of the Pacific Ocean as it struggled on these shores.
These
days, the tide has turned. With the industry troubled in the
Land of the Rising Sun, Japanese fighters increasingly opt to
seek fame and fortune in the United States.
Such
was the case at Saturday night’s Strikeforce at the Mansion
2, where a pair of debuting Japanese stars highlighted the card.
Former PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix tournament champion Kazuo
Misaki stopped UFC vet Joe “Diesel” Riggs in the second
round in a middleweight main event; and lightweight Mitsuhiro
Ishida had the night’s best submission with an armbar victory
over Justin Wilcox.
“It
is a big relief, coming over to America and winning in my first
Strikeforce match,” Misaki (21-8-2) said through an interpreter.
“I felt a lot of pressure to perform in front of a new audience
and I’m glad I came away with a victory.”
Misaki
has a reputation as a patient fighter, with nine decisions among
his victories, and displayed it early on as Round 1 featured
lots of stalking but not much action. The boozed-up Mansion crowd
of hipsters and wannabes began to signal its displeasure early
in the second round, but Misaki wasn’t fazed.
Riggs
scored the first big blow of the fight, dropping Misaki with
a big right hand. But Misaki got right back up and unleashed
a huge left that sent Riggs to the mat. Riggs turtled as Misaki
rained down a ground-and-pound assault, and referee Josh Rosenthal
stopped the fight at 2:21.
Riggs
got up and complained about the stoppage, but he was doing nothing
beyond covering up for an extended period of time before the
referee called it off.
After
the card, Riggs (28-11) still hadn’t simmered down. “It
was bogus,” he said. “I like (Rosenthal) as a person
but I’ll never let him ref one of my fights again.”
“I
won’t comment (on the stoppage),” said Misaki, who
fights for the Sengoku promotion in Japan. “The referee
is the one who makes the decision. I was just focused on winning
the fight.”
Misaki,
whose only previous fight in America was a loss to Frank Trigg
on a PRIDE card in Las Vegas, said he’d like a shot at middleweight
champion Cung Le.
“You
always want to go for the guy who has the title,” said Misaki,
a native of Chiba. “And right now that is Le.”
While
Misaki took the long road to victory, Ishida wasted little time
in dispensing Wilcox, the former Ultimate Fighter contestant
from Cincinnati. Wilcox went for a single-leg takedown, but an
unfazed Ishida, still standing turned the position into an armbar.
Wilcox tapped to the perfectly executed move at 1:21 of the first
round.
“I
was not expecting the fight to finish that quick,” said
Ishida (17-4-1), who is also a PRIDE veteran. “I was expecting
a good long fight from him, but when such an opportunity comes
up, you have to take it. … That is the first time I finished
a fight like that.”
Ishida,
whose nickname is “The Endless Fighter,” says he hopes
his first experience in the United States isn’t his last.
“This
was a different experience, but it was a good experience,”
said Ishida, a native of Tsujuba. “I hope to come back and
fight whoever Strikeforce will have me fight.”
Among
notable undercard matches, Saturday night offered redemption
for veteran Chicago slugger Terry Martin. The heavy-handed middleweight
was on the wrong end of one of the year’s worst knockouts
in July at the hands of Vitor Belfort at Affliction in Anaheim,
Calif. But he bounced right back with a third-round TKO of up-and-coming
Cory Devela.
“When
you lose like that, man, you just want to get right back into
it,” said Martin (18-5). “Don’t get me wrong,
Vitor beat me and I’d like to get another chance to fight
him again some day. But when you lose like that you’ve got
to pick yourself back up and start over.”
Martin
admitted he didn’t know much about his Bonney Lake, Wash.-based
opponent, and it showed in the first couple rounds, as Devela
(9-3) kept his distance and wouldn’t let Martin get into
his groove.
“He
was frustrating me a little,” Martin said. “It’s
OK that I don’t know too much about him, because when I
study too much tape I think too much. But by the time I came
out for the third I was beginning to feel comfortable.”
Martin
finally found his opening and dropped Devela with a monster left
hook, then landed one more shot to the grounded fighter before
referee Herb Dean stopped it at 2:08.
In
other results:
#
Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson
stopped overmatched Ashe Bowman (9-5) by TKO at 1:14 of the first
round in a non-title match. Thomson (16-2) landed a big right,
followed with a series of hammer fists, leading to the stoppage.
#
South African light heavyweight Trevor Prangley (18-5) scored
a methodical unanimous decision victory over Anthony Ruiz (21-12).
The scores were 29-28, 30-27, 30-26; Y! Sports had it 30-27.
#
Jesse Juarez (6-5) couldn’t hang on until the bell as he
submitted to an armbar with five seconds left in the first round
of his middleweight match with Luke Stewart. Stewart, who trains
at the Ralph Gracie Academy in Northern California, improved
to 6-1.
#
Concord, Calif., middleweight Eric Lawson (6-2) handed Kenneth
Seegrist his first career loss after 3:07 of frenetic action.
Lawson used a pair of big slams to set up a rear naked choke.
Seegrist dropped to 5-1.
#
Welterweight Brandon Magana (6-1) handed Denver’s Brandon
Thatch (5-1) his first pro loss with a split decision (29-28,
29-28 Magana; 29-28 Thatch). Y! Sports had it 29-28 Magana.
#
In the middleweight opener, Jesse Gillespie (2-2) scored a split
decision win over Dave Martin (0-2). Judges’ scores were
30-27 Martin and a pair of 29-28s for Gillespie; Y! Sports scored
it 29-28 Martin.
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Second
effort nets Schafer biggest win
OMAHA,
Neb. – Eric Schafer was almost a Division I college football
player. But a hip pointer caused him to miss his senior high
school season and the Big Ten conference teams that had shown
interest in him as a linebacker suddenly began to encourage him
to walk on.
Then,
he nearly became a doctor. He graduated magna cum laude with
a major in biology and a minor in chemistry from the University
of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. His medical school entrance test results
were very high, enough so that he could have been accepted pretty
much wherever he wanted.
But
what he wanted, really, was to fight. He bought the pay-per-views
of most Ultimate Fighting Championship shows and quickly became
enthralled. His first was UFC 8, when Don Frye won a tournament
by beating Gary Goodridge in the final round.
“Once
I discovered MMA,” Schafer said, grinning, “I never
thought about football for a minute again.”
It’s
hard to imagine a guy who looks like a grown-up Opie Taylor being
a mean and snarling linebacker, so that was probably a good call.
But, honestly, it wouldn’t be easy to guess Schafer’s
profession now simply by looking at him.
He
took the first step toward establishing himself in the UFC when
he submitted hometown favorite Houston Alexander with a slick
arm triangle choke Wednesday at 4:53 of the first round at the
Omaha Civic Auditorium.
After
losing back-to-back fights in the UFC to Michael Bisping and
Stephan Bonnar, Schafer did a quick career assessment. He owned
a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Pedro Sauer and had
the kind of agile mind needed to succeed in mixed martial arts.
But he’s in a cutthroat business and two losses in two fights
aren’t a way toward success in the UFC unless you’re
a major ticket seller like Chuck Liddell.
Schafer
definitely didn’t fit that bill.
When
he considered his positives and negatives, though, he was convinced
he could compete at the highest level. He needed to learn to
relax and to gain experience.
“I
won my first UFC fight (over Rob MacDonald at UFC 62) and then
I fought Bisping and Bonnar, who are two A-level fighters,”
Schafer said. “I kind of think I got a little over my head
a little early in the UFC. Even Houston is a big name. It’s
not that I’m asking for the easiest fights, but I’ve
had some tough fights. This is a good win to get back on track
in the UFC.”
He
walked away from the UFC after losing to Bonnar at UFC 77, deciding
he needed more cage time. He scored victories over Ryan Antle
and William Hill and elected to give the UFC one more try.
This
is a guy who could be finishing up medical school and moving
into a lucrative career that not only is recession-proof –
the world always needs doctors – but also which didn’t
involve trying to fend off a 205-pound knot of muscle like Alexander
who was trying to punch, kick or knee his head off his shoulders.
Schafer,
though, wasn’t ready to say goodbye to a sport that has
quickly become his passion.
“I
really thought about what was best and whether I should forget
about fighting and go to medical school and do that whole thing,”
Schafer said. “There’s a certain amount of appeal in
that. I love MMA, though. I’ve loved it really ever since
I first saw it. And I can always go back and use my mind when
I’m done fighting. But now is the only time I could fight.”
He
almost needed a doctor about 10 seconds into the fight on Wednesday,
when Alexander clubbed him with a knee that would have knocked
out a small horse.
“I
saw a little flash, but I wasn’t hurt,” Schafer said.
“The funny thing is, I pushed him into the cage right after
that. In my head, I said to myself, ‘Aw, man. That’s
going to be in his highlight reel. I just know it.’ It’s
weird, but in the middle of the fight I was totally calm and
totally relaxed. I was watching it in my head a little bit, too.
“I
was thinking, ‘Man, that’s a great knee. That’s
going to be cool. I’m probably going to be on the UFC highlight
film for the next five years.’ The big thing about that
is that I didn’t panic or tense up and I stayed calm.”
It
was obvious that Alexander was going to win if the fight was
a battle of punches or knees, but that Schafer would win if it
became a grappling match. Alexander was relentlessly stalking
him early, the large crowd was going wild and Schafer was calmly
plotting how to throw the place silent.
He
did it when he managed to get a takedown and put Alexander on
his back. Much like Thiago Silva did at UFC 78, Schafer didn’t
allow Alexander off the ground and managed to find a way to win.
Alexander
managed to free himself from several predicaments, much to Schafer’s
amazement, but he couldn’t hang on long enough to survive
the arm triangle that Schafer laughingly called his “go-to
move.”
“The
crowd was so loud that I couldn’t hear my corner,”
Alexander said, managing a smile. “If I heard them and knew,
you know, there are 10 seconds left, five seconds left, whatever,
I would have tried to hung in there a little longer and survived.
But it was so loud and these people were supporting me so much,
I couldn’t hear and I had to tap.”
Schafer
said he got to know Alexander in the last few days before the
fight. All he had known of him before were the vicious knockouts
he’d seen on tape.
That,
he insisted, was pretty nerve-wracking.
“I
guess the doctor side of me would say, ‘Now, who in the
world would want to fight that guy,’ ” Schaefer said.
“When you watch his fights and you see him before a fight,
he looks all mean and angry and like a guy you want to stay clear
of. But I got to know him and he’s actually a really smart,
really nice guy. He’s a guy you’d have fun hanging
with and talking with.
“And
that makes it better for me. I do better when I don’t hate
my opponent. When I like him and I can relax, I just go out and
fight and I seem to do better. I was very calm out there and
that made all the difference for me.”
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Kimbo
doesn't want his leg broken
Kimbo
Slice, the Miami street fighter, was belle of the ball in Los
Angeles during open media workouts on Thursday. He was prepping
for his Oct. 4 fight against Ken Shamrock on CBS and sat down
with L.A.'s Jim Hill.
Shamrock
did a lot of trash talking during last week's teleconference
and said he was going to break bones in less than three weeks.
"He
says he's gonna break my leg. If I breaks my my leg, I can't
play with my kids. That cant happen," said Kimbo. "Losing
is not an option."
Kimbo
does a nice job of countering the notion that he's a street thug.
He speaks about six kids and trying to live up to a certain image.
The answer was prompted by Hill calling him "The Face of
MMA." That might be a stretch. Hill followed the same tact
he did in the Gina Carano interview that we posted earlier in
the day. He presents the notion that fighters do this to beat
people up.
"Listen
to me closely boys and girls, only because he wants to inflict
harm on me," said Kimbo. "I'm a cool guy. I have a
lot respect for all the fighters in the sport."
Hopefully
Hill will check out the fights and see that "beating people
up" isn't the only thing driving the combatants to step
into the cage. You can see more highlights of the day at MMARated.com.
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Machida
wants to face Rashad Evans
After
being scrapped from UFC 89 because of Thiago Silva’s back
injury, Lyoto Machda keeps training in Brazil, but less than
before. With his back to the octagon still undefined, Machida
waits for the UFC to set his next bout. “I continue training,
I can’t be caught unprepared for a fight, but I’m training
less now, doing only some physical training, Jiu-Jitsu and Karatê…
They didn’t say anything, but told me that this fight (with
Thiago Silva) still can happen”, said the fighter, who would
need to wait for his recovery to come back to the octagon.
But
if it depended on his decision, he’d come back tomorrow
with another opponent. “I’m waiting for any situation,
or face him, if he gets better, or having another opponent. I
would like to face Rashad Evans, and the winner gets a title
shot, but now it seems like they will put him against Forrest
Griffin… I’d like to face him and the winner gets Griffin,
it’s a good way”, suggests Machida, who waits for a
top opponent for his next fight.
“I
don’t know how it’s gonna be, I’m ready to fight,
but don’t wanna fight anyone, because I’m building
my way in UFC and I wanna fight the top fighters so that they
could give me a title shot after”, says. Between the option
in the light-heavyweight Top 10 ranking is Maurício Shogun,
getting better from a knee injury and waiting to fight in December,
still without and opponent. If Machida could choose, another
Brazilian fight could happen. “I never chose opponents,
I leave it to UFC and my managers, what they want for me is good.
If they think fight Shogun is better I’ll do it, I’m
prepared to for everything”, guarantees Machida.
Source: Tatame |
ULTIMATE
FIGHTER HOGER WINS RETURN AT WCF
WILMINGTON, Mass. – Not much time was wasted before both
the co-main event and the main event came to a halt on Friday
night at World Championship Fighting’s WCF 4. The total
time of each bout combined was a mere 31 seconds. Yet the fans
in attendance still left the venue buzzing about the event without
much turmoil.
It
certainly wasn’t long after the bell that Ultimate Fighter
Season 1 competitor Sam Hoger began his celebration. Both he
and his opponent, Jason Dolloff came out eager to fight. Hoger
managed to land a few kicks early on before they clinched. From
there, he used some dirty boxing to land a heavy blow that dropped
his opponent to his knees. He quickly spun around and gained
back control where he hammered Doloff with several right hands
until the referee called the bout. With the win, Hoger gained
his first victory in nearly three years and started his path
back to the big stage.
Dan
Bonnell seems to have had the winning formula on his hands for
some time now with yet another big win. This featherweight match-up
had the makings to be fight of the night, but it appeared that
Bonnell had different plans.
As
both fighters circled, he threw a right hand that seemed to buckle
Joe Cushman’s knees a bit, but they continued to feel each
other out. Seconds later from the clinch, Bonnell displayed some
effective dirty boxing of his own. A few punches rocked Cushman
sending him to his knees. He immediately bounced back up, but
Bonnell gained control of Cushman’s head again and continued
to land clean shots. Cushman dropped to his back this time and
Bonnell followed him, peppering him with punches before the referee
stepped in. That was the fourth win in a row for Bonnell, who
has continued to impress fans with solid victories.
Earlier
in the night, John Benoit made a successful debut at light weight
by defeating USMMA fighter Davin Wesinger. It was clear that
Wesinger had the advantage standing, with Benoit just defending
before he’d shoot in for a takedown. After a few unsuccessful
takedowns, Benoit finally managed to get Wesinger flat on his
back. Benoit landed some hard shots from within his opponent’s
guard before Wesinger tried for a sweep. Benoit reacted quickly
to the unsuccessful sweep and locked in a tight rear naked choke,
without hooks, for the submission win. After the fight, Benoit
motioned for a title shot, which could possibly take place early
in 2009, if WCF decides he deserves the chance.
MAIN
EVENT
Sam Hoger def. Jason Dolloff by TKO (Due to Strikes) at 0:12,
R1
MAIN
CARD
Dan Bonnell def. Joe Cushman by TKO (Due to Strikes) at 0:19,
R1
Bobby Dias def. Stephen Stengal by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 3:01, R1
Lamont Lister def. Scott Rehm by Unanimous Decision, R3 (Over
Time)
John Benoit def. Davin Wesinger by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 2:43, R1
Justin Hammerstrom def. Matt Johnson by Submission (Guillotine
Choke) at 1:08, R1
PRELIMS
Matt Martin def. Nik Patnaude by Unanimous Decision, R2
Matt Smith def. Josh Spearman by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 3:18, R1
Joe Keane def. Barry Liseno by TKO (Due to Strikes) at 2:53,
R2
Kevin Corrigan def. Wayne Harnois by TKO (Due to Strikes) at
2:22, R2
Rodrigo Almeida def. Jose Lopez by Unanimous Decision, R2
Kirill Sementsov def. Chad Beane by Technical Submission (Guillotine
Choke) at 3:40, R1
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“My
heart is a bargain today. Will you take it?”
W.C. Fields, 1879-1946, American Comedian and Actor
|
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!
|
Destiny
Waipahu
Filcom
October 18, 2008
PRE-SALE
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT WESTSIDE FIGHT GEAR IN WAIPAHU AND ALL TCA
WIRELESS LOCATIONS OR CALL 277-2335.
Pro:
Main
Event
- 170lbs
Kona Ke (team ruthless) vs Thomas Sedano (bulls penn)
Semi-main
Event
-
140lbs
Brandon Pieper (808 FF, waipahu) vs Kurrent Cockett (team 323,
maui)
-
140lbs
Mark Tajon (bulls penn) vs Nui Wheeler (team soljah)
-
170lbs
Dirty Curty (team submit) vs Micah Ige (freelance)
***Oahu
vs Neighbor Islands/Mainland***
Amateur:
-155lbs
Makana Fronda (Bulls Penn,Kalihi) vs Jordan Cachola-Kekino (maui)
-
170lbs
Ben Santiago (Gods Army) vs Kumukoa Kapuni (freelance,maui)
-
155lbs
Justin Konia (HMC,Honolulu) vs Keoni Farm (team 323, maui)
-
185lbs
Kealii Aiwohi (Gods Army,Makaha) vs Richard Catalano (team next
generation, Ohio)
-
155lbs
Gavin Ramos (808 FF,kapolei) vs Jay "Kapena" Desa-Abiley
(valentino kickboxing, hilo)
-
145lbs
Julius Fajotina (bulls penn,kalihi) vs Toby Misech (LAVA MMA,
hilo)
-
155lbs
Eugene Ige (Na Koa,Honolulu) vs Lyle "Kanamu" Roan
(valentino kickboxing)
-
135lbs
Julio Moreno (Bulls Penn,Kalihi) vs Davin Bulagso (mma built,maui)
-
155lbs
Elijah Manners (Na Koa,Waipahu) vs Kevin Soong (LAVA MMA, hilo)
-
155lbs
John Felix
(O2 Martial Arts,Pearl City) vs Robert "Bobby" King (mma built,maui)
-
135lbs
Jory Faasili (bulls penn,kalihi) vs Waylen Cerenio (Lava MMA,
hilo)
Amateur:
-
135lbs
John Barnard(Gods Army,Makaha) vs Shane Laskey (freelance)
-185lbs
Mike Solomen (bulls penn) vs John Ferrell (na koa)
-185lbs
Brandon Naleieha (team standalone) vs Paul Gemmati (808 FF)
-150lbs
Richard Bernard (HSD) vs Travis Beyer (freelance)
-260lbs
Matt Eaton (bulls penn) vs Chris Lanier (808 FF)
-135lbs
Jarett Mancao (na koa) vs Jahred Gamez (fight stop)
-Superheavy
Weight
Britain Kanoa (team stand alone) vs Zacharia Gonzalves (freelance)
-175lbs
Jon Cruz (freelance) vs Philip Akui (Team Souljah)
|
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
|
STRIKEFORCE
AT THE MANSION 2: MISAKI WINS
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Joe Riggs and Pride
veteran Kazuo Misaki square off in the main event of Saturday
night’s Strikeforce at the Mansion 2 in a middleweight contest.
The bout is likely to determine a contender for Cung Le’s
Strikeforce middleweight championship.
Strikeforce
lightweight titleholder Josh Thompson takes on Lion’s Den
fighter Ashe Bowman, while Top 10 ranked Japanese fighter Mitsuhiro
Ishida makes his American debut against Justin Wilcox.
MMAWeekly.com
brings you quick results, live from the world famous Playboy
Mansion. Be sure to refresh your browser frequently for the latest
results…
-Kazuo
Misaki def. Joe Riggs by TKO at 2:29, R2
-Josh Thompson def. Ashe Bowman by TKO at 1:14, R1
-Terry Martin def. Cory Devela by TKO (Strikes) at 2:08, R3
-Mitsuhiro Ishida def. Justin Wilcox by Submission (Armbar) at
1:21, R1
-Trevor Prangley def. Anthony Ruiz by Unanimous Decision (29-28,
30-27, 30-26)
-Luke Stewart def. Jesse Juarez by Submission (Armbar) at 4:55,
R1
-Eric Lawson def. Kenneth Seegrist by Submission (Rear Naked
Choke) at 3:07, R1
-Brandon Magana def. Brandon Thatch by Split Decision (29-28,
28-29, 29-28), R3
-Jesse Gillespe def. Dave Martin by Split Decision (27-30, 29-28,
29-28), R3
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SENGOKU
PAIRINGS SET, JOSH BARNETT ADDED
World Victory Road has announced the semi-final matches for the
Sengoku Lightweight Grand Prix, which will take place on Nov.
1 at the Saitama Super Arena.
Two
tournament favorites clash in the first semi-final match as Pancrase
veteran Satoru Kitaoka faces off with Wajyutsu Keisyukai grappler
Eiji Mitsuoka. Both fighters are coming off of quick submission
victories at Sengoku 4. Kitaoka submitted Clay French with a
heel hook in just 31 seconds while Mitsuoka submitted Rodrigo
Damm with a rear naked choke in the opening round.
In
the other final semi-final match, Cage Force lightweight champion
Mizuto Hirota faces off against former DEEP lightweight champion
Kazunori Yokota. Hirota pulled off the biggest upset in the tournament
so far, knocking out IFL lightweight champion Ryan Schultz at
Sengoku 4. Yokota won a workman-like decision over European lightweight
Bojan Kosednar.
The
winners of the semi-finals will meet later in the night in the
tournament final with the winner earning the opportunity to fight
former Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi for the Sengoku
lightweight championship at Sengoku 7 on Jan 4.
Also
announced for Sengoku 6 is the participation of Josh Barnett
– ranked No. 3 in the world at heavyweight by MMAWeekly.com
– although no opponent has been named as of yet.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CAGE
RAGE CHAMP MUSTAFA AL-TURK ON WITH UFC
Part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s latest recruiting
efforts in Europe, Mustafa Al-Turk has agreed to a four-fight
contract with the UFC.
He
is likely to debut on Dec. 27 at UFC 92 in Las Vegas. Vacating
the Cage Rage British heavyweight title, current speculation
puts Al-Turk in a possible match-up with American Kickboxing
Academy fighter Cain Velazquez for his Octagon debut.
The
addition of Al-Turk, a veteran of the London Shootfighters team,
adds another solid talent to the UFC’s growing roster of
heavyweights.
In
addition to defeating top Cage Rage fighters James McSweeney
and Gary Turner, Al-Turk also holds victories over UFC and Pride
veteran Mark Kerr and Pride veteran Henry Miller.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Theodoro
Canal at No-Gi Pan
Fighter wants featherweight gold
The
No-Gi Pan-American Championship takes place this coming October
4th and big black belt names are showing up on the competition
list. Already confirmed are Roberto Tussa (Gracie Barra); Lucas
Lepri (Alliance); Caio Terra (Cesar Gracie); Tarsis Humphreys
(Alliance); and Cristiano Lazzarini (Gracie Barra). Now it’s
the turn of Theodoro Canal, of Universidade Gama Filho (UGF)
to guarantee his presence.
The
featherweight first fought at the No-Gi Worlds this year, on
August 9th and 10th, in Carson, at which he took third place.
The first place finisher in the category was Bruno Frazatto (Check
Mat BJJ).
In
the New York edition of the Pan, Canal wants to give his very
best. “Thank God I’ve always come up with good results,
but I believe human beings get closer to perfection with every
day, every training session, every competition. I intend to be
champion and to surpass my limits,” stated the black belt
to GRACIEMAG.com.
“My
division’s tough to talk about in terms of favorites, since
Cobrinha fought one category up [at lightweight], with him, in
my opinion, the icon of the category. But I believe a lot in
Denilson Primenta, who, to me, is best prepared to be the future
champion of the featherweight category,” finished Canal.
Sign
ups for the 2nd No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American are open and go
till September 27th. Click here to guarantee your place.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Dream
defines fight order
Jacare may fight twice
If
all goes well for the Brazilian, Ronaldo Jacare will have a second
appearance at the Dream event to take place this coming Tuesday,
the 23rd. That is because the black belt is in the semifinals
of the organization’s middleweight GP. Should he beat Zelg
Galesic in the third fight of the program, Jaca will return to
the ring to decide the title against the winner of the bout between
Gegard Mousasi and Melvin Manhoef.
The
Dream organization released the order of bouts to take place
in the Saitama Super Arena. Kicking off the night will be Brazilian
Andrews Nakahara versus Yoon Dong-Sik in the GP alternate bout.
Considered
the main event, Mirko Cro Cop versus Alistair Overeem will be
the eleventh of the night, with the grand final being the middleweight
GP deciding match.
Check
out the card in the order the bouts will take place and stay
tuned to GRACIEMAG.com for further information on Dream.
Middleweight
GP
Yoon
Dong-Sik vs Andrews Nakahara - luta reserva
Melvin Manhoef vs Gegard Mousasi
Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza vs Zelg Galesic
Superlutas
K-taro Nakamura vs Adriano Martins
Sergey Kharitonov vs Mighty Mo
Hideo Tokoro vs Atsushi Yamamoto
Minowaman vs Masakatsu Funaki
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs Kuniyoshi Hironaka
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Masanori Tonooka
Shinya Aoki vs Todd Moore
Mirko Cro Cop vs Alistair Overeem
Middleweight
GP - Final
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Gesias
supports "Bigfoot" and Thiago
Great
friends inside American Top Team, the black belt Gesias Cavalcante
defended his big friend Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva,
that had some problem with a drug test after the EliteXC’s
edition when he defeated Justin Eilers and hot eh heavyweight
belt. His doping is something unbelievable, is something that
I would give my life believing on him”, guarantees Gesias.
The athlete, that comes from a knee surgery and now comes back
on training, spoke to TATAME about Thiago Silva’s injury,
that took him out of Lyoto Machida’s fight, his back to
fights and his plans to 2009. Stay tuned on TATAME.com and check
on Monday an exclusive interview with Gesias Cavalcante.
Source: Tatame |
Galvão
wants more MMA this year
The
victory in MMA debut was great to the two times BJJ world champion
André Galvão, and he already received proposal
from other events. “A Canadian event invited me to fight
in October, Strikeforce called me too and WEC’s matchmaker,
that came to watch my fight, showed some interests too”,
said Galvão, that wants to fight twice this year. “I’m
ready, physically well and I wanna do other fights. I got out
with no injuries, so I’m ready for the next fight”.
Still
in San Diego helping the training of the BJJ world champion Xande
Ribeiro, that debut in Sengoku, and Ronaldo Jacaré, who’s
on the Dream middleweight GP’s finals, Galvão already
dreams with a MMA belt. “I know it’s too soon, but
it’s my dream. I wanna do my way in MMA and get my welterweight
belt in a big event. To achieve that, I’ll keep training
Jiu-Jitsu and try to become a more complete fighter”, said
the athlete.
Source: Tatame |
Jungle
Fight makes history at Rio de Janeiro
“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 |
Quote
of the Day
“A
heart that loves is always young.”
Greek Proverb
|
Fighters'
Club Radio Mondays!
FIGHTERS
CLUB RADIO
MONDAY MAY 19
9AM-10AM
RIGHT AFTER LEAHEY & LEAHEY
AM
1500 RADIO
"THE TEAM, HAWAII'S SPORTING NEWS"
FAN
LINE: 296-1500
THANKS
TO OUR SPONSORS:
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COUTURE
& CARANO RED ALERT 3 TRADING CARDS
Donruss on Friday unveiled two limited edition Red Alert 3 trading
cards with any pre-order purchase of Red Alert 3 for Xbox 360
at GameStop stores. How does this relate to mixed martial arts?
The two trading cards feature UFC heavyweight champion Randy
Couture as Red Alert 3 character Allied Commander Warren Fuller
and EliteXC star Gina Carano as Soviet Commando Natasha.
According
to a statement from Electronic Arts (EA), the developer of Command
& Conquer Red Alert 3, the cards will only be available at
GameStop stores nationwide and online, while supplies last.
"It’s
obvious that a very high percentage of trading card collectors
play video games, but we also know the video game player is an
ideal trading card collector,” said Carl Braun, Director
of Games for Donruss. “With Command & Conquer Red Alert
3, one of this year’s biggest releases, and MMA being the
fastest growing sport in the world, this was a great way to work
with EA again to bring collectors closer to Gina Carano, Randy
Couture, and Command & Conquer.”
Command
& Conquer Red Alert 3 ships this fall on PC and Xbox 360.
Couture and Carano will star in the Command & Conquer franchise’s
trademark live-action movie sequences, alongside a diverse group
that includes a host of award-winning actors, action stars, science
fiction legends, up-and-coming starlets from around the globe
and mixed martial arts fighters.
The
cast of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 follows (in alphabetical
order by last name): Gemma Atkinson (the UK’s Hollyoaks),
Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunt for Red October),
Andrew Divoff (LOST), Kelly Hu (X2, The Scorpion King), Jenny
McCarthy (Scream 3, former Playboy Playmate of the Year), Ivana
Milicevic (Casino Royale), Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean),
J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Juno, Burn After Reading), Autumn Reeser
(The OC, Valentine), Peter Stormare (Prison Break, Armageddon),
George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes), and two of the most recognizable
names in competitive mixed martial arts Randy “The Natural”
Couture (former UFC Heavyweight champion) and Gina “Conviction”
Carano (Undefeated Elite XC fighter, American Gladiators).
Source: MMA Weekly |
BISPING
INTERESTED, NOT OFFERED TUF 9 JOB YET
When it was announced on Wednesday night at UFC Fight Night that
the 9th installment of the popular “Ultimate Fighter”
series would feature a United States vs. United Kingdom format,
the buzz began immediately as to who would serve as coaches.
The
first choice that comes to mind for the U.K. team is former “Ultimate
Fighter” season 3 winner, Michael Bisping, who is currently
training for his UFC 89 bout against Chris Leben.
In
an interview with MMAWeekly.com, Bisping disclosed that he would
be interested in the position as coach, but as of right now he
hasn’t been offered the spot.
“Definitely,
I’m open to things,” Bisping said about the coaching
opportunity. “I’ll be honest I haven’t heard anything,
no one’s said anything to me. Right now I’m just focused
on my fight, and I’m 100% focused on my fight right now.
The UFC hasn’t said anything to me and I don’t know
anything about it. But you know, it could be a possibility, but
like I said I haven’t heard a thing.”
Bisping
says he learned about the concept of the latest version of the
popular reality show along with everybody else earlier this week
and he looks forward to it.
“I
saw it all over the internet the other night, U.K. vs. the U.S.,
I think it’s an amazing idea,” commented Bisping. “I
think it might inject a little bit of life into the “Ultimate
Fighter”. The “Ultimate Fighter” is a great show,
but obviously you know it’s season after season, maybe this
can mix it up a little bit.”
“I
think it will make some funny goings on in the house as well
you know. All to do with the language barrier and the cultural
differences and things like that. I think it’s a great idea
and I look forward to seeing it.”
One
of the biggest factors about this season in Bisping’s mind
is the chance for more British fighters to get on the big stage
in the UFC. Many fighters have already debuted for the juggernaut
promotion, but this could be the best opening yet.
“It’s
going to give a lot of opportunities to a lot of U.K. fighters,”
Bisping stated.
Bisping
is currently working with Team Wolfslair to prepare him for the
Oct 18 match-up against another “Ultimate Fighter”
alum in Chris Leben. Once the fight is over, more details about
the possibility of Bisping as a coach could start to surface.
Source: MMA Weekly |
McSWEENEY
SCORES 10-SECOND KO AT CAGE RAGE 28
LONDON – Cage Rage 28 played out at The Troxy in East London
featuring a bill of home-grown talent. It is the first time that
a main Cage Rage event has been undertaken at the venue and a
lot of thought has gone into the format presentation.
Co-promoter
Chris Cordeiro commented "This is the right kind of place
for a show like Cage Rage, one without the massive overheads
associated with somewhere like Wembley Arena. Access is better
and we can sell it out quicker. Any fighter tickets that haven't
been sold before the event can be released as walk-ups a lot
easier too because of the location." Business workings aside,
how did the fights go?
James
McSweeney and Roman Webber were added to the card at the last
minute. Webber had 10 days notice to replace James Thompson and
comes off a two-month hiatus from the sport. McSweeney comes
off an illustrious win seven days ago with the FX3 promotion
having secured the heavyweight title. Unfortunately for Webber,
10 seconds is all it took for the fight to be stopped by flying
knee from his former K-1 counterpart.
True
to his word, Brad Pickett recorded a win over highly touted Lithuanian
import Anastas Jazbutis by methodically picking him apart with
strikes. Jazbutis looked to be tentative and unwilling to let
his hands go, his approach was defensive and he never really
strung any consistent combinations together during the bout.
Pickett by contrast was on top form stalking his opponent around
the cage and engaging with full force whenever the opportunity
presented itself. He stepped in at the 2:01 mark of the third
stanza with a vicious left hook to the body that stopped the
fight.
There
has been a lot of heat between Robbie Olivier and Leigh Remedios
coming into this bout following several public slanging matches
through the media and on the internet with Remedios commenting
that Olivier was a "stepping stone to the world featherweight
title" and Olivier responding that "after three years
away from the sport, who does he think he is to be able to just
come in and bypass the British champion for a shot at that belt?"
The
incumbent British titleholder was livid and it showed with his
dominating performance of crisp striking and relentless aggression.
Olivier always presents a tough fight, but he fought tonight
with a venom that we haven't witnessed from the featherweight
fighter in quite some time.
Remedios
came into the bout looking in fantastic shape and appeared to
have cardio for the distance, but was ultimately hampered by
three years of ring-rust affecting his timing. He just never
found a groove that suited during the bout and aside from a beautiful
flying knee and a solid run at a guillotine that appeared to
sap Olivier somewhat, he was pretty much on the defensive throughout.
Olivier retains his belt and silences his biggest critic. Remedios
is left nursing a broken nose, but has proven that despite ring
rust, he is able to survive with one of the best featherweights
we have seen.
A
bizarre ending to a dominating performance by Jake Bostwick landed
victory squarely in the hands of opponent John Phillips. From
the opening bell Bostick was ultra aggressive, firing in vicious
low kicks and relentlessly pursuing the takedown. When he wanted
it, he got it, and forced Philips to fight his game. He was ultimately
derailed by a lack of cardio having taken the fight on relatively
short notice. Opening exchanges on the feet were minimal and
all of the action was heavily condensed into a ground and pound
assault that was paying dividends, but when the tank ran dry,
Bostick was left with little option but to tap due to exhaustion
under fire 2:47 into the second round.
Ross
Mason had a torrid time making weight with a long drive whilst
dehydrated followed by taxi rides across London to saunas. His
frustrations were released on Scott Jansen as the two took center
stage and banged heads, both looking for the KO. Throughout the
duration of three rounds Mason mixed up his skill set throwing
into the mix cartwheel guard passes and some sick axe kicks,
but it was his hands that recorded the most damage dropping his
opponent several times, though unable to register a stoppage.
Janson
is one tough hombre. The first round was pretty much level between
the two fighters, but come the second and third, his desire to
keep pushing forward was hampered by a lack of cardio and he
was forced to play counter to Mason's attack. A lot of circling
and quick one-two combinations, but unfortunately not consistent
enough to change the flow of the fight or to encroach on a stoppage
either. Mason's persistence racked up the points and he records
a unanimous decision win.
Jack
Mason has had back-to-back injury related stoppages in fights
now, but this time it was courtesy of an unintentional thumb
to the eye in the thick of the action against John Hathaway.
Opening his account with a shoot, it was apparent early on where
Mason wanted the fight to play out and a thwarted body tackle
takedown forced him to pull guard. Eating some punches, Mason
rose to his feet only to be slammed to the deck for trying before
being pounded on again. Hathaway moves forward to an undefeated
record of 10-0 without a hint of bitterness about the thumb from
his opponent.
Preliminary
Bouts
London Shootfighter and BJJ standout Alberto Minau presented
a totally different proposition for Steve Elliot in comparison
to original opponent Kim Faryd and it showed in his dominating
ground control. From the bell Minau landed a long range cross
before stepping in and taking Elliot's back standing. Instead
of going for the usual trip takedown, Minau opted for a German
suplex, but ended up on his back.
Working
fluidly and without pause he went from a brief armbar attempt
before transitioning into a dominant omo plata that his opponent
was unable to roll through, but was unwilling to tap to. From
that position, he set about a ground and pound offensive landing
a multitude of shots forcing Elliot to free his appendage. Regaining
guard seemed to be impossible against the talented Brazilian
so he gambled at giving his back and sneaking out the back door.
Before he knew it, the hooks were in and the choke was on.
A
controversial illegal elbow by Nigel Whitear called time on the
bout between himself and Michael Pastou forcing a disqualification
win in favor of the latter. Things had been pretty scrappy up
until then with Pastou recording a big takedown and Whitear landing
flush with a big haymaker of a left. Neither fighter wanted the
bout to end this way, but such are the rules when elbow attacks
are in place on the ground here in the U.K.
In
other action, Steven Hopwood endured a difficult first round
against his larger opponent, Neil Turner, before turning the
tables with a big left hook that sent him crashing to the canvas.
Down but not out, Turner had no chance to fight off the rear
naked choke submission that followed for the tap. Scott Rogan
proved his boxing background gave him a head of granite, but
unfortunately opponent Jermaine Facey dominated position on the
ground and picked his shots carefully. Facey opened up a cut
under Rogan's left eye, six seconds from the bell, and a quick
transition to armbar from mount called a halt to the bout.
Wesley
Johnson wasted little time in closing the gap between himself
and opponent Matt Smith before securing the takedown and into
mount. Smith responded quickly with a nice reversal, but anticipating
the move Johnson had a tight triangle waiting in the wings and
put the young fighter to sleep quickly for the win. Finally,
Ashley "lock-it in" Pollard withstood an early drive
from Ben Smith only to capitalize on his heavily muscled opponent’s
lethargy to lock in a tight Kimura for the tap.
Main
Card Fights
-James McSweeney def. Roman Webber via TKO at 0:10, R1
-Brad Pickett def. Anastas Jazbutis via TKO at 2:01, R3
-Robbie Olivier def. Leigh Remedios via Unanimous Decision, R3
-John Philips def. Jake Bostwick via Tapout (exhaustion) 2:47,
R1
-Ross Mason def. Scott Jansen via Unanimous Decision
-John Hathaway def. Jack Mason via TKO (Strikes) at 2:41, R1
Preliminary
Fights
-Alberto Minau def. Steve Elliot via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 2:55, R1
-Michael Pastou def. Nigel Whitear via DQ (Illegal elbow) at
1:18, R1
-Steven Hopwood def. Neil Turner via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
1:45, R2
-Jermaine Facey def. Scott Rogan via Submission (Armbar) at 4:54,
R1
-Wesley Johnson def. Matt Smith via Submission (Triangle Choke)
at 0:44, R1
-Ashley Pollard def. Ben Smith via Submission (Kimura) at 4:34
R1
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
90 official card sealed
Event set for October 25
To
respect the tradition of confirming events well ahead of time,
the UFC today confirmed the official card for UFC 90, on October
25th, in Rosemont, Illinois. The four final bouts were made official
today by the organization. The main fight on the program will
be between middleweights Anderson Silva and challenger Patrick
Cote. Here it is:
Anderson
Silva vs Patrick Cote
Diego Sanchez vs Thiago Pitbull
Thales Leites vs Goran Reljic
Fabrício Werdum vs Junior Cigano
Sean Sherk vs Tyson Griffin
Rich Clementi vs Gray Maynard
Spencer Fisher vs Shannon Gugerty
Ricardo Cachorrão Almeida vs Matt Horwich
Hermes França vs Marcus Aurélio
Josh Burkman vs Pete Sell
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Franco
de Camargo: in memoriam
Carlson Gracie black belt succumbs to cancer
Franco
de Camargo (12/24/1961 – 09/15/2008), black belt under Master
Carlson Gracie and leader of OC Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy,
in Orange County, California, has lost his battle with a rare
form of cancer that attacks the lymph glands this past Monday,
15th of September. The fallen warrior leaves behind a young son.
He was 46 years old.
For
the bereaved, there will be a memorial service on September 21st
at 1:30pm, at the Son Light Christian Center on 172 N. Glassell,
Orange (1 block North of Chapman Circle), in Orange County, California.
GRACIEMAG
extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of
the fallen fighter, who shared the cause of spreading the gentle
art and changing lives.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
“Cigano”
confident for Werdum fight
Junior
Cigano’s job in his UFC debut is not one fo the most easy.
The fighter from Minotauro Team will face at UFC 90 the BJJ World
Champion and ADCC champion, Fabrício Werdum, that has
in his history great fights in UFC and Pride. “It could
be a little late to debut in Ultimate and face a guy like Werdum,
but I have all the conditions to beat him. I train with one of
the best, Rodrigo Nogueira, and he said I can defeat him, so
I’m pretty confidence that I can put him down”, said
Cigano, that is training hard at Minotauro Team.
With
seven fights and only one loss in MMA, Junior is developing his
Wrestling and Muay Thai to keep this fight standing up and get
another victory. “I hope keep this fight stand. I watched
some of his fights with Minotauro and he gave me some tips”,
said Cigano. With a victory against Werdum, the fighter guarantees
that wouldn’t face his friend, the interim UFC heavyweight
champion. “It’s impossible to face my master. As long
as he keeps the belt, I’ll be his guardian. To face him,
people will have to beat me first”, guarantees.
Source: Tatame |
Anderson:
“Gracie’s time is past”
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 |
Quote
of the Day
"The
best part of beauty is that which no picture can express."
Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, English Philosopher/Essayist/Statesman
|
The
"Complete Fighter" Clothing Line
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Ebalaroza is Onzuka.com's web designer. Please support his new
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Source: Marc Ebalaroza
|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ELITEXC
STRIPS KJ
NOONS OF
LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE
Belt Taken Away For Refusing To Fight Nick Diaz
LOS
ANGELES (Sept. 19, 2008) – KJ Noons of San Diego has been
stripped of his EliteXC lightweight title. The announcement was
made late Friday by EliteXC Head of Fight Operations, Jeremy
Lappen.
The
foremost reason EliteXC is taking this action, Lappen said, was
due to Noons’ reluctance to defend against leading 160-pound
contender Nick Diaz of Stockton, Calif.
“We
are stripping KJ of his championship belt for refusing to defend
against Diaz,’’ Lappen said. “It’s a very
unfortunate situation but we cannot have belt-holders who refuse
to fight the top contenders. We want champions who will fight
anyone, anytime, anyplace. That’s the mentality all champions
should have.
“I
feel very bad for KJ because I like him a lot on a personal level
and have always thought he could be a big star. He’s charismatic,
has a very exciting fighting style and is a top level fighter.
So I’m obviously disappointed that he has chosen to take
this stance.
“I
don’t understand why he would turn down a chance to be a
headliner on CBS on Oct. 4. KJ then turned down the fight again
when we offered him a headlining spot on our next SHOWTIME date
against Nick. From my view, it is a fight against a top-named
opponent in Diaz (someone who beat the No. 1 fighter in the world
in his weight class), a fighter KJ has bad blood with and most
definitely a fight the fans really wanted to see. It seemed like
a great opportunity for KJ to me.
“Personally,
I do not think it was a smart career move, but I’m sure
he sees it differently. KJ has two more fights remaining on his
contract, so we are still looking forward to having him fight
for us again soon, but not as our world champion.’’
EliteXC
will announce a fight for the vacant lightweight title in the
near future, Lappen said.
About
ProElite, Inc.
ProElite Inc. [PELE.PK] delivers the most exciting entertainment
experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live
arena-based entertainment events, broadcast and cable television
programming on CBS and Showtime Networks and community-driven
interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite
embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline
and self-esteem all the while remaining inclusive for fighters,
fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC,
delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the
world’s top fighters [elitexc.com]. ProElite’s interactive
business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity
of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of
MMA enthusiasts. In addition to offering the most exciting live
fights to the web via VOD, ProElite expands the fan base of the
sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking
tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com –
Empowering the Fight Community TM
Contacts:
EliteXC
(Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.
John Beyrooty
(562) 233-7477
Johnnybey@aol.com
Source: Johnny Beyrooty
|
Jackson's
former trainer-manager, Ibarra, tells his side of the story Story
Highlights
Juanito Ibarra has been accused of taking money from Quinton
Jackson
In an exclusive interview with SI.com, Ibarra denies the allegations
Ibarra claims he has no idea why his relationship with Rampage
fell apart
Two months after Quinton "Rampage" Jackson fled police
in a monster truck, the 30-year-old mixed martial artist's former
trainer and manager has broken his silence.
Juanito
Ibarra, who declined to address specifics regarding Jackson's
highly publicized arrest, told SI.com that he found it necessary
to speak out against allegations that he had siphoned away funds
from Jackson over the course of their relationship.
Since
the two began working together in late 2005, Jackson posted a
6-1 record. But Rampage and Ibarra severed ties in the aftermath
of the fighter's UFC title-losing bout against Forrest Griffin.
SI.com:
Where have you been since Jackson's arrest, and why did you choose
to remain quiet?
Juanito
Ibarra: I've been with my family. It's been a rough couple months.
It's a mind-blowing situation for me, so I took a little vacation
and tried to get Cheick [Kongo, UFC heavyweight] through his
fight, and he won. But I'm starting over with projects I had
on hold for a while. I'm really going to stick with what's in
my heart to do what I want to do, instead of working for somebody
and it being a thankless job.
SI.com:
After Rampage lost, can you describe what happened with your
relationship?
Ibarra:
Yesterday is a cancelled check, today is cash in hand, tomorrow
is a promissory note. All I know is that I gave the kid all that
I've had, like he's my own son. I loved him. Since then I haven't
talked to Rampage.
SI.com:
Speaking with people in his camp, and hearing what Tito Ortiz
said about the cost of a camp and money being taken, there are
questions about whether you overcharged Jackson, or took money
from him. Are you denying those allegations?
Ibarra:
I've never done anything I wasn't asked to do, and that's it.
I would never take anything from anybody without them giving
it to me. Never.
SI.com:
Why do you believe your relationship with Quinton fell apart?
Ibarra:
I don't know. It's a mystery. If I had the hours to sit down
with him, it would be great. I never had that opportunity. He's
doing other things, and God bless him. Hopefully I helped him
in his life, in his career, and so be it. I have to move on.
SI.com:
Have you attempted to talk to Rampage?
Ibarra:
Of course I did.
SI.com:
So he has not talked to you then?
Ibarra:
If he and I could have spoken, I wish he would accept me and
sit down with me. But, you know, people around him -- his advisors,
etc. -- said that that wasn't going to happen.
SI.com:
Where do you stand right now in terms of your training of Cheick
Kongo?
Ibarra:
We're no longer together. He left just a couple days ago back
to France to work on some personal things, and we're friends.
He's been asked by his fellow workout-mates to come join what
they're doing, and they were going to make it hard for him if
he didn't. I don't want to stop no one from growing. They can
grow with me or they can grow with somebody else.
I'm
here for the fighter. I help teach kids in and out the right
way if they want to listen. And if they choose to make the bad
decisions, and choose to lie about what they do, and choose to
have bad camps, and choose to overspend their monies, that's
their choice. If they choose to be cowards, that's their choice.
What's the difference between a coward and a hero? It's what
the coward does that makes them a coward, and it's what the hero
does that makes them a hero.
SI.com:
Team Wolfslair, in a press release, mentioned that your relationship
with Rampage and the UFC was contentious. Did you have a poor
relationship with the UFC, and, if so, do you think that might
be part of the reason why you no longer manage or train Rampage?
Ibarra:
I think I had a great working relationship with the UFC. There
are a lot of fantastic people in that organization. There are
also some guys that aren't so fantastic. I've been through the
boxing game and the MMA game ... I know who's who. But I'm a
manager/trainer. I'll always go to bat for my fighter. That's
my job. If a promoter wants to make things hard on me, that's
his own choice to do that.
SI.com:
What are you concentrating on now?
Ibarra:
I have an agency that's very interested in signing me for doing
seminars around the world and the country. Movie people want
me to do stuff for them. There are fighters that want me to train
them. I let a lot of individual opportunities pass me [by] the
last four years. Being dedicated and having that client, that
special client that I always have in my heart, I gave up a lot.
And I'm not blaming anyone. That was my choice.
I'm
working on my project that's been developed for five years and
that's the youth center in Big Bear. We're going to have an unbelievable
[non-profit organization] up there and help out the kids in the
community. The youth center will be open at night as well as
the day so they can be all they can be.
SI.com:
You worked to find champion fighters and create champion fighters.
Do you think that opportunity will present itself again?
Ibarra:
I'll be honest, I doubted it for a while. I wish these young
kids out there and these fans really know the passion that burns
inside me. I respect the MMA guys unbelievably because they all
respect each other. How hard they have to train, I love it. The
phone calls I've gotten and the people that want me to work with
them, I know that there's a champion in that handful. And if
it all works out, you'll see me help create another champion.
Source: SI.com
|
CineMaya
Media Group, Inc. Subsidiary MMA Independent Alliance Announces
Fight Events
CORAL SPRINGS, FL, Sep 15, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- CineMaya
Media Group (PINKSHEETS: CNMY) subsidiary The MMA Independent
Alliance announced their first featured event in what is a series
of many titled "BRUTAL FIGHTNIGHT" for November 6,
2008 at the MYTH Nightclub in Minneapolis, MN and November 22,
2008 in St. Cloud, MN.
Nick Gamst, President of MMA Independent Alliance, and a MMA
Veteran, has produced several past events under the Brutal Fightnight
banner. The events have been extremely successful and he is planning
additional events under the Brutal Banner in the future throughout
the country.
The MMA Independent Alliance is working on an aggressive sponsorship
program that will generate additional revenues and profits.
"Our Marketing Dept. is working on a publicity campaign
for Nick Gamst which will include web, financial, print and broadcast.
Nick will detail his business model and how The MMA Independent
Alliance will complement organizations such as the UFC and add
a new dynamic to the industry," stated Rick Papaleo, President
of CineMaya Media Group Inc.
"I look forward to the challenges associated with The MMA
Independent Alliance and I am confident of its success. What
we have is the total package for growth and developing fighters
as well as turnkey complete program for promoters, advertisers,
sponsors and fans alike. Our new MMA Website should be launched
this week and our Social Network is under development as well.
I have advised Rick to setup a forum with the shareholders as
I welcome the opportunity to discuss the new entity and our bright
future ahead. I think it is important for everyone to understand
the value we are developing and realize the great profitability
involved with this venture. Our goal is not to compete with the
UFC but to work and grow with the industry and combine different
aspects of sports and entertainment under one roof so that we
can appeal to a mass audience but maintain our focus and message,"
stated Nick Gamst, President of MMA Independent Alliance.
The MMA Independent Alliance plans 18-20 Fight Events in 2009.
About The MMA Independent Alliance
The MMA Independent Alliance is a consortium of Independent Mixed
Martial Arts Producers that will produce 3-5 events a year for
the alliance under the MMA Independent Alliance Banner. The Alliance
will supply national marketing and advertising, public relations
(for events and fighters), business development services as well
as working partnerships with entertainment live event producers.
The business plan also includes acquisitions which will include
fight promotions, management / merchandising and public relations
opportunities.
About CineMaya Media Group Inc.:
CineMaya Media Group Inc. is a business development company with
of a consortium of Independent Event Promoters and Managers in
the Sports and Entertainment industry with Media and Marketing
Divisions that include strong support and promotional strategies.
Services to include: Sporting and Entertainment Live Events,
Sports Management, Traditional & New Media /Marketing /Publicity
/Public Relations, Merchandising and Licensing services and a
distribution for Pay Per View Events and the sale of Merchandising
and Event Films.
Contact:
Investor & Media Relations
Tel: 954 827 2898
email: Email Contact
Rick Papaleo
President
CineMaya Media Group, Inc.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Melvin
Guillard Arrested For Violating Probation
Sherdog.com has the scoop:
UFC
lightweight contender Melvin Guillard was arrested Aug. 13 in
Houston for violating probation on a 2007 drug charge, a Harris
County deputy told Sherdog.com.
The
25-year-old New Orleans native is in custody at the Harris County
jail in Houston, the deputy said last Thursday, and will be released
to a drug treatment facility as soon as space becomes available
per the terms of his recently amended probation.
Details
of the violation were not readily available.
Source:
Fightline
|
Mixed
martial arts fighting its way into the mainstream
By Josh Lubin
CNN
(CNN) -- Rich Franklin used to spend his days teaching math to
high school students. Today, he spends his evenings in an octagon-shaped
cage grounding and pounding fighters into submission in front
of thousands of screaming fans.
Rich Franklin prepares right before his fight against Matt Hamill
in UFC 88.
1
of 2 more photos » "I do love teaching and working
with the students, but I can't imagine sitting at home on a Friday
night grading math tests or sitting in a faculty meeting,"
he said at a news conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Franklin
is one of the new stars of a rapidly growing sport called Mixed
Martial Arts.
Their
fights are filling arenas and attracting large numbers of male
television viewers between the ages of 18 and 49, according to
the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a pioneering brand in the
sport.
Unlike
boxing, MMA fighters use a hybrid of techniques from wrestling,
kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and more.
Franklin
began fighting professionally while still working as a teacher
in Cincinnati, Ohio. He started playing football at a young age
but didn't think he had the talent to play professionally, so
he got into martial arts as a hobby after high school.
He
trained through college, and on a dare, he entered an amateur
fight and won. After his fourth year of teaching, he decided
to gamble his job security to fight professionally full time.
"I'd
rather be one of those guys who did and failed than wonder what
could've, should've, would've been when I was 50," he said.
See photos from UFC 88 »
Having
left the classroom behind, Franklin has achieved success as a
fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has held the
Middleweight title, had commercial endorsements, and recently
earned $100,000 with a victory at UFC 88.
Mixed martial arts has a controversial past. Critics view the
sport as a bloody free-for-all akin to gratuitous Tough Man competitions,
where average Joes with no formal training duke it out for prize
money.
Rashad
Evans, an undefeated UFC fighter, says that although the fights
are full contact, it is not no-holds-barred brawling. "I
wish people were more educated about the sport to know that it
is not a Tough Man competition," he says.
Franklin
views his fights as a physical chess match where fighters must
know how to defend themselves against various fighting styles.
Fellow
fighter Karo Parisyan, a judo specialist, agrees. He explains,
"There are so many ways to win that you have to be constantly
thinking. You make one mistake, and it's checkmate."
In
a recent bout, although Franklin's face is bruised and bleeding,
he waits patiently and releases a lightning-fast kick to his
opponent's rib cage. The contact of his shin snaps like a bullwhip.
His challenger falls to the floor of the cage, visibly in agony,
and Franklin adds another win to his record.
Immediately
after inflicting a TKO, Franklin rushes over to his opponent.
He congratulates him and says, "Hats off to Matt, he fought
a great fight."
Nate
Marquardt fell in love with the sport at a young age. Today,
at age 29, he already has had 40 professional fights. His fights,
especially the losses, have taught him valuable lessons. "After
you lose, a champion gets better, and losing was a blessing in
disguise for me, because it helped me recognize my mistakes,"
he said.
Before
his last fight, he had to drop 15 pounds, mostly water weight,
from his already lean frame only days before the weigh-in. He
said it wasn't easy, but he cut his intake of carbs and sodium,
and he sat in a sauna, which did the trick.
Marquardt
trains year round in pursuit of his dream to become the UFC's
next Middleweight Champion. His success has afforded him the
luxury to do so. He earned $56,000 from his last victory. When
he doesn't have a fight coming up, he teaches at his gym in Aurora,
Colorado, a couple of times a week.
He
agrees that the lifestyle of a fighter gives him more flexibility
to spend time with his immediate family than if he had a regular
9-to-5 job. He works his training schedule around spending time
with his wife and caring for his 8-year-old daughter.
Marquardt
may not have had his fighting opportunities if there hadn't been
a vast overhaul in the sport. MMA was on the verge of extinction
because of a political backlash in the late 1990s. One notable
critic, Republican presidential nominee John McCain, once called
it the equivalent to "human cockfighting."
Dana
White purchased the fledgling Ultimate Fighting Championship
for $2 million in 2001. His goal was to establish the UFC as
the Super Bowl of the sport. He helped legitimize it by establishing
rules and promoting the fighters' skills instead of showcasing
the brutality. Forbes estimates the company will make $250 million
this year.
A
UFC contract provides the potential for fighters to make a good
living. Forrest Griffin, the UFC's current Light Heavyweight
champ, earned $250,000 for a recent win in a main event. Sponsorships
from sports drinks and apparel also help to supplement their
income.
UFC
fights have earned more money than concerts by such marquee artists
as Elton John and Billy Joel, according to a UFC press kit. At
times, the organization says, they have had more viewers than
Monday Night Football and NASCAR. In Montreal, they brought in
more than 21,000 people to an event, the largest live audience
to witness MMA in North America to date.
Televising
fights has increased the number of fans embracing the sport.
And at live events and autograph sessions, fans can mingle freely
with their favorite fighters and take pictures with them.
"So
many people are behind the sport now, and people are falling
in love with it, so it's a matter of time before it's everywhere,"
says fighter Uriah Faber.
Source: CNN
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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
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Russian
Top Team boss dies in plane crash
By Zach Arnold
Vladimir
Pogodin, who was the boss of the Russian Top Team army of MMA
fighters that had great influence on the Japanese MMA scene in
the late 1990s and early part of this decade, has reportedly
died in a plane crash in Russia. RTT once held a stable of fighters
that included Fedor, Sergey Kharitonov, and Mikhail Ilioukhine.
It was a top force for the RINGS promotion before becoming a
powerful force in PRIDE.
The
news of Pogodin’s death is a big story in Japanese media
circles because of Pogodin’s connection with Fedor. In addition,
Pogodin was responsible for helping broker a deal to set up the
famous Akira Maeda/Aleksandr Karelin RINGS fight a decade ago.
Source: Fight Opinion
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